FORTY SERMONS, WHEREOF Twenty one are now first published, The greatest part preached before THE KING AND ON SOLEMN OCCASIONS. By RICHARD ALLESTREE D. D. King's Professor in the Chair of Divinity in the University of OXFORD, Provost of ETON, and Chaplain to his MAJESTY. To these is prefixed an account of the Author's Life. Printed at the THEATER in Oxford and in London, for R. Scott, G. Wells, T. Sawbridge, R. Bentley. M.DC.LXXXIV. THE PREFACE. IN all endeavours of persuasion, the credit of the Speaker being of as great moment as the inherent truth and evidence of what is spoke, it will be reasonable that there should go along with this large collection of Sermons, some account of the Person who was the Author of them; for if it be made out, that they came from one of integrity and knowledge, who neither would deceive others, nor was likely to be deceived himself; one who practised what he taught, and preached to his own soul what he delivered to his Auditory, his discourses must carry with them a proportionable weight and value. That this narrative may be the more satisfactory, by being entire and particular, it shall take the Author from his infancy, and bring him to his grave, without the vain additions of flattery and ostentation, which he abhorred while alive, and therefore needs not being dead. He was the Son of Robert Allestree, a Gentleman of an ancient family in Darbyshire, who being decayed in his fortune by the profuseness of his Predecessors, retained unto Sr. Richard Newport, afterward created Lord Newport Baron of high Arcol, in the quality of his Steward; and being married, settled himself at Uppington near the Wreken in Shropshire, where Richard Allestree, the person of whom we write, was born, in March An. 1619. He being grown up to be capable of institution, was sent to a neighbouring country free School, and from thence to another somewhat more celebrated, at Coventree, where he remained till he became fit for the University. In the year 1636 he was brought to Oxford by his Father, and placed a Commoner in Christ-Church, having for his Tutor Mr. Richard Busbie, who since is Dr. Busbie the eminent Master of Westminster School, and Prebend of that Church. Six months after his settlement in the University, Dr. Samuel Fell the Dean observing his parts and industry, made him Student of the College, which title he really answered by great and happy application to study, wherein he made remarkable emprovements; as a testimony and encouragement of which, so soon as he had taken the degree of Bachelor of Arts, he was chose Moderator in Philosophy, and had the employment renewed year by year, till the disturbances of the Kingdom interrupted the studies and repose of the University, putting them into Arms. His Majesty in the year 1641 being by tumults driven from London, and issuing out his Commission of Array into the several parts of the Nation, did also direct it to the University of Oxford, where it found an active and a ready obedience, as by the generality of the members of that place, so particularly by Mr. Allestree, who engaged in the service, and continued in it till Sr. John Byron, afterwards the Lord Byron, (who was sent with a party of horse to support and countenance the Scholars in arms there,) withdrew from thence; He after a short stay was called off to join with Prince Rupert, and by the assistance of the loyal Gentlemen of Worcestershire was received into that City, where he was pressed by the Rebels forces; but the Prince came up seasonably to reinforce him, and thereupon followed the sharp fight in Poyick field near the aforesaid City, the unexpected success of which gave great consternation to the Rebels, who being Masters of the Money, Forts and Magazines of the Kingdom, hoped to have carried all without a stroke. As many of the Scholars as could furnish themselves for a sudden march, went along with Sr. John Byron from Oxford; the others, among whom was Mr. Allestree, stayed behind, and returned to their Gowns and Studies. Soon after this, the Lord Say with a party of the Rebels forces drew into Oxford, and plundered the Colleges of such plate as had not been before sent to his Majesty, making enquiry after those who had been forward to promote the King's service; on which occasion, and also a particular accident that then happened, Mr. Allestree was called in question. The occasion was this: at Christ-Church some of the Rebels attempted to break into the Treasury, and after a days labour forced a passage into it; but met with nothing, except a single groat and a halter in the bottom of a large iron chest: enraged with that disappointment, they went to the Deanery, where having ransacked what they thought fit, they put it altogether in a chamber, locked it up, and retired to their quarters, intending the next morning to return and dispose of their prize. But when they came, they found themselves defeated, and every thing removed to their hand. Upon examination it was discovered that Mr. Allestree had a key of the Lodgings, the Dean and his family being withdrawn, and that Mr. Allestree's key had been made use of in this enterprise: hereupon he was seized, and notwithstanding all the defence he could make, had been severely handled, but that the Earl of Essex called away the forces on the sudden, and so redeemed him from their fury. In October following, the King having strengthened himself at Shrewsbury with the supplies that came from the North, and Wales, and the Loyal Gentlemen of other parts of the Nation, began his march towards London, and was met by the army of the Rebels, commanded by the Earl of Essex, in Keinton field in Warwickshire, where both armies engaged: at this battle Mr. Allestree was present; after which, understanding that the King designed immediately to march to Oxford, and make his Court at the accustomed place, the Deanery at Christ-Church, which was in part left to his care in the absence of the Dean, hasting thither he was taken Prisoner by a party from Broughton house, which was garrisoned by the Lord Say for the Parliament. His confinement here was very short, the Garrison surrendering itself to the King's forces, who summoned it in their passage. The war being now formed, and the King being returned from the fight at Brainford, having made Oxford his head quarter, Mr. Allestree settled himself again to his study, and in the next Spring took his degree of Master of Arts; after which he was in great hazard of his life, being seized by the pestilential disease which raged in the Garrison, and which was fatal to very many eminent men of all employments and conditions; and fell more severely upon him by reason of a relapse, which doubled the calamity and danger. Having recovered a little strength, he was engaged to employ it in military service, the exigence of his Majesty's affairs calling for the aid of all his Loyal Subjects, and in particular the Scholars: and accordingly a Regiment of them was raised, who served as Volunteers without any pay or reward, and performed all duties not only in the Garrison, and sallies for the defence of it in case of attacques and sieges; but were also commanded upon parties abroad, and endured the fatigue of marches, and ill treatment of mean quarters, differing in nothing from the poor mercenary Soldier, besides their civility and justice to the country people while they stayed with them, and paying them at departure: things so unusual, that when at their going off from quarters they offered their Landlord's money, they imagined it done in jest and abuse, and at last by finding it left with them, were convinced that it was done in earnest. In this Regiment Mr. Allestree, though a Master of Arts and fellow of the College, thought it no disgrace to carry a musket, and perform all duties of a common Soldier, forward upon all occasions to put himself into action. And in this service he continued till the unhappy end of the war, gaining still what time was left from military duties, to the prosecution of his studies: nay joining both together, frequently holding his musket in one hand and book in the other, and making the watchings of a Soldier the lucubrations of a Student. But then when carnal weapons proved frustrate, and Divine Providence called his servants to the more Christian exercises of prayers and tears for the defence of the King and the Church, Mr. Allestree wholly betook himself to these, and put himself into that warfare, to which his former education had designed him: entering into Holy Orders, at a time when there was no prospect of temporal advantage; and his being in the service of God threatened no less danger, than his having been in the service of his Prince. In that little interval of safety, which the Articles of Oxford gave, and was for some time continued, while the two factions of the Rebels were in contest who should divide the spoil of the Nation, and enjoy the price of blood; Mr. Allestree with great sedulity addicted himself unto his studies, and became a Tutor of many young Gentlemen and other Students; which trust he discharged with great sufficiency, as he did also the office of Censor in the College: moreover he bore a part in the signal test of the Loialty of the University of Oxford, possibly the greatest that has been given by any society of men; I mean the passing of the solemn Decree and Judgement of theirs against the Covenant and Rebellion inflamed and fomented by it, performed in Convocation, when the City was held by a Garrison of the Rebels, whose swords were at the throats of those Confessors, and yet the decree was carried by a most unanimous suffrage of the whole body, there being but one dissenter in that numerous Senate, and he a person who had absented himself from the University during the war, and taken part with the Rebels. Soon after which great performance, the Visitors of the pretended Parliament being at last come with a second Commission to kill and take possession, having lost their first by outstaying in a long prayer and sermon the time assigned for the opening of it, began their enquiry, and did it not as one would have expected from men of Zeal and Godliness, with an inspection into vice and immorality, but set their whole affair upon the short issue of submitting to the Authority of the pretended Parliament; and they who could prostitute their allegiance to their Prince, and oaths to the University, and their local Visitors, and comply with the lust of these Usurpers, though never so flagitious, were immediately received to favour: all others, however meriting, were without farther regard proscribed, the method whereof was, to write the names of as many as they thought fit to sacrifice at once in paper, and affix it upon the door of St. Mary's Church, wherein 'twas signified, that the persons there named were by the Authority of the Visitors banished the University, and required to depart the precincts thereof within three days, upon pain of being taken for spies of war, and accordingly proceeded against. By which practice often repeated, the men of greatest hopes and merit in the University were spoiled of all things, and not suffered to breathe the common air; so that within the compass of few weeks an almost general riddance was made of the loyal University of Oxford; in whose room succeeded an illiterate rabble, swept up from the plough tail, from shops and grammar Scholes, and the dregs of the neighbour University. Tho in that scandalous number, some few there were, who notwithstanding they had parts and learning, were preferred upon the account of their Relations; who merited a better title to the places they possessed, and have since proved useful men in the Church and State. Those of the ancient stock who were spared upon this trial, were afterwards cast off upon the second test of the engagement, till in the end there were left very few legitimate members in any of the Colleges. In this diffusive ruin Mr. Allestree had an early share, being proscribed about the middle of July in the year 1648. And though he had the care of several persons of quality his Pupils, and accounts of his own and theirs to make up; he with difficulty obtained from the Governor of the town Lieut. Coll. Kelsey a little respite, for his settling his affairs, and doing justice to those for whom he was concerned; the Visitors utterly refusing his request, for this reason, as Dr. Rogers, one of their number was pleased to word it, because he was an eminent man. Mr. Allestree being thus driven from Oxford, retired into Shropshire, and was entertained as Chaplain to the Honourable Francis Newport Esquire, now Viscount Newport, where he continued till such time as Richard Lord Newport the father died in France, whither he had some time before retired to avoid the insolence of the conquering Rebels. On this occasion Mr. Allestree was sent over to clear accounts, and see if any thing could be preserved from the inhospitable pretence of the droit d'Aubeine, which pillages those Strangers who happen to die in the French Dominions. Mr. Allestree having dispatched this affair with good success, came back to his employment, and continued in it till his Majesty's march into England with the Scotch Army, and his miraculous escape at Worcester; at which time the Managers of the King's affairs wanting an intelligent and faithful person to send over to his Majesty, desired Mr. Allestree to undertake the journey, which accordingly he did, and having attended the King at Rouen and received his dispatches, he came back into England. At his return he found his friends Mr. Dolben and Mr. Fell, the present Archbishop of York and Bishop of Oxford, who had likewise been banished the University, adventuring to sojourn privately there, and serve the uses of those who adhered to the Church of England in performing Religious offices according to the order of the Church; whereupon he joined himself to their assistance, and continued with them till such time as Sr. Antony Cope a loyal young Gentleman of considerable quality and fortune in the County of Oxford, prevailed upon him to live in his family; which he did for several years, having liberty to go or stay as his occasions required, whereby he was enabled to step aside without notice upon messages from the King's friends; which service he managed with great courage and dexterity. After several difficult journeys successfully performed, in the Winter before his Majesty's happy restauration he was sent over into Flanders, from whence returning with letters, he upon his landing at Dover, was seized by a party of Soldiers, who waited for him. The Rebel's Spy, who was employed by them in his majesty's Court, having given notice of his dispatch; and described particularly his person and his habit. But notwithstanding this diligence of the Rebels, Mr. Allestree had so much presence of mind, to secure his letters, and shift them into a faithful hand, who took care of them. The Soldiers according to their orders guarded him to London, where he was examined by a Committee of the Council of Safety, and charged with having correspondence with the King, and having brought letters from him, which they backed with several circumstances of his journey, and threats of utmost severity in case he should persist in contumacy, and not confess the truth. But they not being able by questions to entrap, nor menaces to fright Mr. Allestree to betray either himself or others, he was sent Prisoner to Lambeth house, which was then made a goal for the King's friends, where by ill usage he contracted a sickness which was like to have cost him his life. After the durance of about six or eight weeks, his friends made means for his enlargement, which was the easier obtained, for that some of the Leaders of the Party, seeing things move towards his majesty's restoration, were willing by kindnesses to recommend themselves in case of a revolution; among whom was the late Earl of Shaftsbury, who was used to value himself, that Mr. Allestree owed his preservation to him. Mr. Allestree having obtained liberty, returned to Oxfordshire, from whence after a short stay he went into Shropshire to see his Relations; in his return from thence designing in his way to visit his excellent friend Dr. Hammond at Westwood near Worcester, he at the gate met the body of that great man carrying to his burial; which circumstance is therefore mentioned, because that eminent Light of the English Church, at his death gave this testimony not only of his kindness to Mr. Allestree, but also of his esteem of his parts and learning, that he left to him his Library of books as a Legacy, well knowing that in his hands they would be useful weapons for the defence of that cause he had during life so vigorously asserted. The King being happily returned, Mr. Allestree was soon after made Canon of Christ-Church, where he cheerfully concurred to the attemt, which was set on foot there for the repairing of those decays and ruins which had been made by the late Usurpers; for however those Godly Robbers who had invaded that Church and College, suffered them both almost to drop upon their heads, and without shame sawed down for firing the timber work of the North side of the great Quadrangle: the legitimate Children were concerned first to clothe their Mother's nakedness, and not till that was provided for, consider their own. Mr. Allestree at the same time undertook one of the Lectures of the City, thinking it might be a service to instil principles of Loialty there after the contrary infusions of schismatical rebel Teachers, which for so many years had been the Gospel of that place, discountenanced by none of the Parochial Ministers, besides Mr. Lamplugh the now Reverend Bishop of Exeter, who had the courage and loialty there to own the Doctrines of the Church of England in the worst of times. This Lecture Mr. Allestree continued for several years, never receiving any part of the Salary belonging to it, but ordering that it should be distributed among the poor. While he employed himself in popular preaching, he was also called to the service of the Court being the King's Chaplain, and also to the severer studies of Scholastical Learning, in his exercise for the degree of Doctor, and Moderator-ship in Divinity in the College; and soon after upon the vacancy of the chair of that faculty, to the laborious employment of Regius Professor in the University. In the year 1665 the Provost-ship of Eton falling void, that honourable and beneficial employment was by his majesty's especial grace and favour conferred upon him, to the acceptance whereof he was not without difficulty induced; and particularly the consideration that a great interest was made by a Lay man, who probably might succeed upon the advantage of his refusal, notwithstanding that the Provost there be actually the Parson of Eton Parish, and presented to the Cure, and instituted by the Bishop of Lincoln the Diocesan, as all other parish Priests are: so that as nothing could be more plainly sacrilegious and irregular in itself, than such an usurpation by a Lay person; so nothing could be a greater disservice to the Church, than by an unseasonable modesty to make way for it. Upon these motives it was, that Dr. Allestree became Provost of Eton; and for the same reason it was, that during his life he continued so, never harkening to any offer of preferment, which might make a vacancy, and repete the former hazard. And it may be truly said that this was the greatest secular care that he carried with him into another world, it being his dying request unto his friends, to interpose with his sacred Majesty, that he might have a Successor lawfully capable, and who would promote the welfare of the College. The Succession in the Chair he more timely secured, for finding his health, and particularly his eye sight exceedingly impaired by the toil of that employment, he resigned it in the year 1679, and had the satisfaction to be succeeded by his friend Dr. Jane, of whose abilities he had perfect knowledge. But diseases are not cured by the removal of the causes which first occasioned them, and though by the use of mineral waters in the Summer season, and the taking of journeys in the Autumn, he for some time supported himself, the decay continued and increased upon him, till it was formed into a Dropsy; the prevalence of which was so great and sudden, that his Physicians advised him by all means to come up to London, where he might be near their inspection and care; in compliance with whose desires more than from an expectation of cure, he went thither, and having taken a private lodging, submitted himself to the methods they proposed: in the mean time settling his little temporal concerns; but was more intent upon his everlasting interests, employing those vacancies which his sickness gave, in attending the offices of the Church constantly read to him, and his private devotions; and when he saw his end approaching, in receiving the great Viaticum of the holy Sacrament: in reference whereto having desired those friends of his who happened to be in Town to communicate with him, the present Lord Archishop of York, the Lord Bishop of London, the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, the Lord Bishop of Exeter, the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph, the Reverend Dr. Busbie, Mr. Fell one of the Fellows of Eton who continued with him the whole time of his sickness: he afterwards took his last leave of them with great equanimity and constancy of mind, and waited for the hour of his release. Having hitherto drawn together the series of actions and employments which made up our Author's life, it will not be amiss to set him in another light, and take a prospect of his mind and personal qualifications. As to his bodily appearance and outward features, as they are of less importance, so are they in recent memory, and by sculpture and other delineations are so generally known, that there will be no need they should be expressed by words. His mind, that nobler part of him, was composed by an extraordinary indulgence of nature, those faculties which in others use to be single, and are thought necessarily to be so, as excluding each the other, were united in him. Memory, Fancy, Judgement, Elocution, great Modesty and no less Assurance, a comprehension of things, and fluency of words; an aptness for the pleasant, and sufficiency for the rugged parts of knowledge; a courage to encounter, and an industry to master all things, make up the Character of his happy genius. Which felicity of temper was seconded by the circumstances of the times in which he lived, which engaged him severally to exert and cultivate his faculties. Before the national calamity of the civil war, he had secured the foundations of the whole circle of learning, by his own indefatigable study, as also the indulgent care of his Tutor Dr. Busbie, than whom no person is more happy in the Arts of transfusing his knowledge into others; and the particular encouragement of Dr Fell the Dean, who always looked upon him as a part of his family, and treated him with the same concern as his own children. When the war broke out, he had the benefit of being, instead of one, in several Universities; Oxford was then an Epitome of the whole Nation, and all the business of it: there was here the Court, the Garrison, the Flower of the Nobility and Gentry, Lawyers and Divines of all England. And times of action have somewhat peculiar in them to ferment and envigorat the mind, which is enervated by the softness of peace. The calamitous times which succeeded, as they engaged him to the exercise of popular preaching, a talon which nothing besides necessity and practice can cultivate; so they led him out into foreign parts, entered him into the managery of business of greatest trust and hazard, and made him as well read in Men, as in Books. After all this, it was no small advantage to be returned by the King's happy restauration to the University, and to the opportunities of reading and conversation with learned men, and in that conspicuous Theatre, to have the obligation of a public employment to exert all his faculties, and with utmost endeavour to emprove and communicate his knowledge. And we may say it without envy, that few of his time had either a greater compass, or a deeper insight into all the parts of Learning; the modern and learned Languages, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Mathematics, History, Antiquity, Moral and Polemical Divinity, all which was not to be pumped up, or ransacked out of common place books; but was ready at hand, digested for his own use, and communication in discourse to others. From his first childhood he had a strong impression of Piety, and the Duties owed to God and Men, which next to Divine Grace may be ascribed to the strict and severe education which he had from his Father; a blessing that cannot be sufficiently valued, and on which he often reflected with a great sense of gratitude. Hereby notwithstanding the licence of war, and incitations of youth, he preserved his innocence, and love of God and virtue, till he made the more immediate service of them his profession. In his constitution he had a great deal of warmth and vigour, which made him apt to take fire upon provocation; but he was well aware of it, and kept a peculiar guard upon that weak part: so that his heat was reserved for the great concerns of the honour of God, and the service of his Prince and Country, wherein he was altogether indefatigable, and in the most dismal appearances of affairs would never desert them, nor despair of their restauration. There was not in the world a man of clearer Honesty and Courage; no temptation could bribe him to do a base thing, or terror affright him from the doing of a good one. This made his friendships as lasting and inviolable as his life, without the dirty considerations of profit, or sly reserves of craft; not the pageantry of ceremonious address, or cold civility: much less the servile falseness of obsequious flattery. It was a solid and masculine kindness, a perfect coalition of affections and minds: so that there was nothing he possessed, but it was his friend's as absolutely as it was his own; and it became a general observation, that he and they had all things in common. This temper of his directed him to live with great kindness with his Neighbours and acquaintance, so that Eton College, while he lived there, was but one family, his lodging being every Fellow's chamber, and they as much at home with him as in their own apartment: And in the University, though his station and parts might object him to envy, he had no competition or difference with any person; so that no man ever lived with a more universal good will of all that knew him, or died with a more general sorrow at his loss. His conversation was always cheerful and entertaining, especially in the reception of his acquaintance at his table, and friendly visits; and in the evening after he had wearied himself with the studies of the day, which he generally continued till eight of the clock at night, during the many years he held the Chair, soon after which he was to be called away to the night prayers of the College; this short interval he made as easy as he could to himself and those that were with him: and he had great reason to relax his mind at this time with a little cheerful discourse, there being no person who more literally verified the saying of the wise Man, that much study was a weariness to the flesh. After his day's work he was used to be as faint and spent, as if he had been labouring all the time with the scythe or flail; and his intention of thought made such waist upon his spirits, that he was frequently in hazard, while at study, to fall into a swoon, and forced to rise from his seat, and walk about his room for some time, before he could recover himself. To render secure from the inordination of intemperance, he frequently abstained from lawful satisfactions, by the stated returns of fasting and abstinence; and continuance in celibacy during his whole life. Nor had his singular abilities and endowments the usual effect to make him proud and contemtuous; all his discourses were with deference and respect, and were spoke with weight becoming a Professor, but the softness of a Learner. In his conversation he was exceedingly tender of saying any thing that might administer offence, or reflect upon any one's reputation; and most ready, in case of resentment, to give the person aggrieved, whoever he happened to be, the utmost satisfaction. A remarkable proof hereof is his dealing with one who had taken part with the Rebels in the late war, and who was said to have done an act of cruelty therein, which Dr. Allestree in a private discourse had chanced to mention. The party concerned hearing hereof, wrote to the Doctor, professing his innocence, and charging him with uncharitableness in believing, and injustice in reporting such an untruth. Hereupon, notwithstanding that the matter of fact had for about thirty years gone on as common fame, and also had been charged in print, and that collateral evidence by a person now alive and a sufferer from the same hand, had been produced to enforce the probability, and that here nothing was asserted but on the credit of what had been formerly heard; yet Dr. Allestree by letter desired the said Complainant's pardon: who, without regard to the laws of civility, printed it as a vindication of his innocence, when indeed it was rather a proof of the Doctor's candour, and an evidence that the Complainant wanted better arguments for his defence. But it were to be wished that they who were in their youth so unhappy to be engaged in an ill cause, would spend their old age, which God's and the King's mercy has given them, rather in repenting of what they have done amiss, than in contesting what they have not done; and would more busy themselves in humble retractations, than passionate Apologies. His contemt of the world was very extraordinary, as in his large and constant charities, both by settled Pensions to indigent persons and families, and occasional Alms; so also his bounteous hospitality, which will need no attestation, being performed in so conspicuous a Scene as Eton, and in the view of Windsor, which for several years his Majesty has favoured with his Court and Presence. Yet a higher instance hereof will be his giving away a fixed and constant revenue that he might have fairly retained, to the value of above three hundred pounds by the year; the particulars whereof are thus. At his Majesty's return, as we have intimated, he was made Canon of Christ-Church in Oxford, and soon after King's Professor in the Chair of Divinity, to which employment a Canonry in the said Church, and the Rectory of Ewe Elm in the said County and Diocese are annexed, so that the profit of two Canonries and the Rectory belonged to him, and being earned with the labour of that weighty charge, no one who made a just estimate of things, would have envied it to him; but he regretted it to himself, and for several years gave the whole profit of one of his Canonries to the repairs of the College: and afterwards being moved by the right reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Winchester, in the behalf of an ancient Student of the College, who was destitute of a suitable support, he entirely quitted the advantage of the aforesaid Canonry to him. And as to the Living, he never received a penny from it, but left it to a friend, whose circumstances required such an accession. The revenue of Eton had a suitable disposal, the west side of the outward court of the College being built from the ground and finished at his single expense. And whereas at his coming to Eton, he found the Society dipped in a great debt, by an ill custom brought in by the pretended godly men of the late times, who at the year's end divided what ever money remained after the ordinary payments were discharged, incidental ones and debts contracted being still thrown off to the future year; which in time grew to a bulk, that endangered the College's becoming bankrupt. To remedy this he by an exemplary retrenchment of his own deuce, prevailed on the Society to do the like, so that within few years the College has paid above a thousand pound debt, expended above two thousand pound in repairs, and every day goes on to do things honourable and beneficial to the Society. It may not here be omitted, though it be an instance of lesser moment, that the Edition of the first Volume of these Sermons was entirely upon an account of Charity. For his ingenious Kinsman Mr. James Allestree the Bookseller, from a plentiful fortune being by the fire of London reduced to great poverty, Dr. Allestree, besides other assistances, bestowed upon him the copies of eighteen of his Sermons, to make some reparation to his losses. But the uncontrollable proof of contemt of the world, is the dying poor, and not to have collected any thing against the hazards of fortune, and commonly pretended exigences of old age and sickness; which was in a remarkable manner Dr. Allestree's case, he having never during his life purchased an inch of ground, nor any annuity or lease to the value of a penny; nor did he take care to renew the patrimonial estate which he held by a lease for life, though it were the place of his birth, which generally gives an endearment, and a desire to continue the possession. Thereby, as the Author to the Hebrews expresses it, sojourning in the earth as in a strange country, and showing plainly that he looked for a better one, and a city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. His greatest treasure was his Library, which was indeed a considerable one, both for the number of Books and choice of them; but these he disposed of by deed before his death to the University of Oxford for the use of his Successors in the Chair. So that his Executors had only his personal estate to share among them, which he took to be so inconsiderable, that he thought it not worth the formality of a Will; but designing, after the distributing some little remembrances among his friends, that small pittance which remained to his Relations, conceived that the Law by an Administration would of course divide it among them. But being told by his Friend, to whom he communicated this purpose of his, that in this malicious world the dying intestate would be a thing of ill fame, and interpreted the product of an unwillingness to think of death, or part with what he had: and that what he so left would come less obligingly to his Relations, and probably would occasion contention among them: he took the advice, and by Will disposed of such Legacies as he thought fit to leave to the poor and to his friends, and gave the remainder among his sisters and their children. Tho he hung thus loose from the world, he neither was negligent in secular affairs, nor unskilful in the managery of them; which was made manifest by his dextrous discharge of the private trusts committed to him in behalf of his dead friends, and the administration of his public employments. He was for several years' Treasurer of Christ-Church, in a busy time of their repairing of the ruins made by the entruding Usurpers; and amidst the necessary avocations of study, found leisure for a full discharge of that troublesome employment. The College of Eton, as I intimated before, he found in a very ill condition as to its revenue and fabric, and what was no less a mischief, unstatutable and unreasonable grants of Leases; to all which, excepting one, whose reduction must be the work of time, he applied effectual remedies. The School he found in a low condition, but by his prudence in the choice of a learned, discreet and diligent Master; by his interest, in bringing young Gentlemen and Persons of Quality thither, and by his great kindness to them when there; and taking care for the building fit accommodation for their reception within the precincts of the College, in few years the School grew into that great reputation and credit which it yet maintains. And here we may not pass by another considerable service done in behalf of the said School, and also King's College in Cambridge, whose Seminary it is: that whereas both those Societies were formerly under the discouragement, that the Fellowships of Eton were generally disposed of to persons of foreign education; by the vigorous interposition of Dr. Allestree added to the petition of the Provost and Fellows of King's College, his sacred Majesty was pleased to pass a grant under the broad Seal, that in all future times five of the seven Fellows should be such as had been bred in Eton School, and were Fellows of King's College, which has ever since took place, and will be a perpetual incitement to diligent study, and virtuous endeavour in both those royal foundations. In the managery of the business of the Chair of Divinity, as he performed the Scholastic part with great sufficiency in exact and dextrous untying the knots of argument, and solid determination of controverted points, so that he was not oppressed by the fame of any of his most eminent Predecessors: his prudence was very remarkable in the choice of subjects to be treated on; for he wasted not time and opportunity in the barren insignificant parts of School Divinity, but insisted on the fundamental grounds of controversy, between the Church of England, and the most formidable Enemies thereof. With an equal steddiness he asserted the Gospel truth, against the usurpations of Rome, the innovations of Geneva, the blasphemies of Cracow, and the monsters of our own Malmsbury, never intermeddling with the unfathomable abyss of God's decrees, the indeterminable five points; which in all times and in all countries wherever they have happened to be debated, passed from the Schools to the State, and shocked the government and public peace. By his judicious care herein, though he found the University in a ferment, and a great part of its growing hopes sufficiently seasoned with ill prepossessions, he so brought it to pass, that during the whole tract of seventeen years that he held the Chair, there was no factious bandying of opinions, nor petulant sidings on the account of them; which thing disturbed the peace of the last age, and helped forward to inflame those animosities, which ended in the execrable mischiefs of the civil war. There is nothing at this day which learned men more desire or call for, than the publishing of those Lectures, which were heard, when first read, with the greatest satisfaction of the Auditory; it may therefore be fit to give some account of the reason why those expectations are defeated, which in short is this. Dr. Allestree a little before his death having communicated to the Bishop of Oxford several particulars concerning his intentions for the disposal of his goods and papers, the Bishop observed that there was no mention made of his Lectures, and knowing how his modesty had during his life resisted all importunities for the publishing of them, suspected that the same motive might be more prevalent at his death; therefore he wrote to him thereupon, desiring him that his Lectures might be preserved, which had cost him so much study and labour, and would be useful proportionably to others. His answer by letter bearing date Jan. 19 1680. was, that having not had opportunity to revise what he had written, which was not every where consistent with his present imaginations, though in nothing material, yet in some particulars which he should have better examined; especially divers of the Act Lectures, which being upon the same head, the thread of them was not right nor didactical, and Nectarius 's Penitentiary not expounded the same way in one place as in another, and the first blundring and not true: therefore he adds, that if the Bishop had not writ, and for that he himself would not go out of the world without satisfying him in every thing, he had resolved to have sent for his papers and burned them; but now he gave them up all to the Bishop upon this inviolable trust, that nothing of them should be published as a Scheme of his, but to be made use of to serve any other design the Bishop should think fit. Dr. Allestree's words are here transcribed, for that the plainest account of things is always the most satisfactory. His Sermons not lying under the same interdict, so many of them as were thought needful to make up a Volume, are here published. The variety of Auditors for whom they were first designed, makes them not to be all of the same finess of spinning and closeness of texture: but in them all there will appear the same spirit of persuasive Rhetoric and ardent piety, whereby though dead he yet speaketh. Upon the 28th. day of January in the year 1680. this excellent person after a life spent in indefatigable studies, and faithful endeavours for his Religion, his King and Country, and after the patient sufferance of a long and painful sickness, with Christian resignation and full assurance, rendered his soul into the hands of God; and on the first of February was decently interred in the Chore of the Collegiate Church at Eton, where his Executors erected to his memory a Monument of white Marble with the following inscription. H. S. I. RICARDUS ALLESTREE Cathedrae Theologicae in Universitate Oxoniensi Professor Regius, Ecclesiae Christi ibidem Praebendarius, & Collegii hujus Aetonensis Praepositus; Muniis istis singulis ita par, ut & omnibus major. In Disputationibus irrefragabilis, Concionibus flexanimus, Negotiis solers, Vita integer, Pietate sanctus. Episcopales infulas eadem industria evitavit, Qua alii ambiunt; Cui rectius visum, Ecclesiam defendere, instruere, ornare, Quam regere. Laboribus studiisque perpetuis exhaustus, Morte, si quis alius, praematura, Obiit Vir desideratissimus Januarii XXVII. An. M.DC.LXXX. Aetatis LX. Nobile sibi monumentum, Areae adjacentis latus occidentale, Quod à fundamentis propriis impensis struxit, Vivus sibi statuit. Brevem hanc Tabellam Haeredes defuncto posuere. TABLE of the First VOLUME. 1 Pet. 4. 1. He that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin. Pag. 1. Psalm 7●. 1. Truly God is loving to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 15. Levit. 16. 31. Ye shall afflict your soul by a statute for ever. 29. John 15. 14. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 43. Ezek. 33. 2. Why will ye die? 57 Psalm 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. 69. Mark 1. 3. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. 81. 1 John 5. 4. This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. 95. Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ. 109. Luke 9 55. Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 123. Luke 16. 30, 31. Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 137. Luke 2. 34. Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Pag. 151. James 4. 7. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 165. Phil. 3. 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. 181. Mark 10. 15. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 195. Acts 13. 2. The Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. 209. Host 3. 9 Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness. 227. Matt. 5. 44. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. 243. TABLE of the Second VOLUME. 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, thro' faith which is in Christ Jesus. Pag. 1. Rom. 6. 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptised into his death? 21. Matt. 9 13. Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. Pag. 36. Psalm 102. 13, 14. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. 50. Acts 24. 16. And herein I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence, towards God and towards man. 65. Matt. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 79. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that has this hope in him, purifies himself as he is pure. 93. Isaiah 26. 20. Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 107. Matt. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 118. 1 Cor. 15. 57 Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory thro' our Lord Jesus Christ. 133. Psalm 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when, I awake, with thy likeness. 143. John 20. 28. My Lord, and my God. 157. Mark 9 24. Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief. 170. Matt. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. 191. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation. 201. 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed. 215. Luke 16. 8. The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 230. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye, if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thy eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness; if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? 247. Serm. 2. 261. Serm. 3. 272. Serm. 4. 284. Serm. 5. 296. THE Divine Authority AND USEFULNESS OF THE Holy Scripture ASSERTED IN A SERMON On the 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ I●sus. THE words are part of St. Paul's reasoning, by which he presseth Timothy to hold fast the truth he had received, and not let evil men, seducers, work him out of what he had been taught: urging to this end both the authority of the Teacher himself, who had secured the truth of his doctrine by infallible evidence; and beyond that, as if that were a more effectual enforcement, pressing him with his own education in the Scriptures; how he had been nursed up in that faith, sucked the Religion with his milk, that it was grown the very habit of his mind, that which would strengthen him into a perfect man in Christ, and make him wise unto salvation if he did continue in the faith and practice of it; which he proves in the remaining verses of the Chapter. In the words read there are three things observable. 1. Here is a state supposed, Salvation; and put too as of such concernment, that attaining it is looked upon as wisdom; wise unto salvation. Now since true wisdom must express itself both in the end that it proposeth, and the means it chooseth for that end to be pursued with and attained by, and take care both these have all conditions that can justify the undertaking, and secure the prudence of it, and this wisdom to salvation therefore must suppose both the●e; in order to them both we have here 2. That which with all divine advantage does propose this end, and also does prescribe most perfect means for the attaining it; and that is Holy Scripture through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Holy Scripture probably of the Old Testament; for there was hardly any other Timothy could know from a child, scarce any other being written then. The faith of that then through the faith which is in Christ Jesus, that is, together with the faith of all things necessary to be known concerning Christ, is meant. Now since St. John, after the view of all that the other three Evangelists had wrote concerning Christ, adding his story also says, that Christ * John 20. 30, 31. did and spoke more than what is written, yet affirms most positively that those things were written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing might have life through his name; and so enough is written for that faith which is in Jesus that is necessary to eternal life: therefore the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament, together with the faith of what is written in the New, is that which St. Paul affirms is able to make us wise unto Salvation. 3. Here is the advantage Timothy had above others as to Faith in these, and consequently the far greater obligation to continue in it. He had known them from a child. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scripture, etc. The first thing that doth offer itself to our consideration is the state supposed, Salvation. But because my Text supposes it, I shall do so too, nor shall think it needful to prove here, that there is such a state, nor consequently that all those are stupid who propose not to themselves this everlasting safety for their main end, and by strict care in the duties of Religion and God's service aim at it: for if that state be granted, nay if it be but possible, it must be granted, that there can be no security but in doing so, nor consequently any wisdom without being wise thus unto salvation. But then if this were granted, that the wisest thing man could propose to himself, were by strict care in all the duties of Religion to design God's honour and his own salvation; still, as to the other part of prudence which consists in the choice of means, we are to seek for that Religion we are to pursue this end by and attain it; since there are so many and so opposite Religions in the world, that 'tis not easier to reconcile them, then to make peace between enemies and contradictions. And it always was so; for excepting that mankind agreed still in the notion of the necessity of Religion, that all had apprehensions of invisible powers above us, and differed not much in the rules of Justice and Morality, in other things there was no nearness. Almost from the beginning there was more variety of Gods than Nations, I had almost said then Worshippers. Beasts were their sacrifices and their Deities, and therefore their Votaries were certainly no better. Vices also were their worships; things which their Cities and their Camps would not endure, found Sanctuary in their Temples; and the actions which were whipped in the Judgment-hall, were their piety in the holy places. And though some wise men among them found good reason to decry this, yet they knew not what to take up in the stead. I need not add the present differences of the world, even that called Christian too, great part of which as heretofore they sealed their faith with their own blood, now seal it in the blood of all that differ from them; and by their persecutions hope to merit Heaven more, than those did hope to gain it by their Martyrdoms. But these I need not add to make up this into a demonstration, that it is impossible for lapsed men, so far as they are left to themselves, and have no other guide to follow but their reason, to find out what they are to believe of God, and how to serve him, and save themselves. The a Hil. l. 1. de Trin●t. p. 53, 54. Clemens Al. Strom. 6. p. 675. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fathers and b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Vid. Justin. Mart. ad Diognetum p. 499. Athanas. ad Serapionem tom. 1. p. 191. 194 edit. Par. 1672. Philosophers too, conclude that we can learn from none but God, what we must understand of God; who must be known only as he himself is pleased to revele himself. His worship also, how he will be served, and what observances he does require, or will admit, since it depends on his own good pleasure, therefore without his directions 'tis in vain to hope to please him with our Religious service whatever it be, and by consequence impossible without his guidance and assistance to acquire the end of all our Service and Religion, the salvation of our souls. So that how wise soever he be who does propose this blessed end to himself, if yet withal he be not some way from the Lord instructed by what means he must pursue that end, and do not make choice of, and use those means, it is impossible he can be wise unto salvation. Now for this St. Paul assures us most expressly, here we may be furnished: For he says, The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. And he does assert this on the very ground we mentioned, for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, inspired by God; they come from him. All which must be made out in the next place. That those Holy Scriptures which St. Paul first mentions, those of the Old Testament were so, and did contain sufficient revelation both of God, and of the way of worship of the Jews, that Nation did so perfectly believe, that neither Sufferings nor Miracles could persuade the contrary; neither the Roman persecutors that destroyed their worship, nor the Son of God that changed it, could yet take them off from Moses and his Scriptures. Now that this Moses led that Nation out of Egypt with an high hand, and made himself their Prince and Lawgiver, multitudes of c Justin. ex Trogo l. 36. Diod. Sicul. l. 1. St●abo l. 16. Plin. 30. Tac. Hist. 5. Joseph. contra Apionem mentions many others. foreign Histories of the first times, and the best account assure us: whose relations we cannot question as derived from themselves, because they hated Jews beyond all possibility of such compliance. But the d Exod. 7, 8, 9, 10. Chapters. Scriptures also tell us, how in Egypt by strange wonders, (such as their Magicians could not imitate nor bear, who though they had permission to do some, it was that so they might appear to be outdon the more miraculously, themselves confessing God's hand in those prodigies) Moses wrought on the Egyptians to give leave the people should depart: and how when yet notwithstanding that leave given they were pursued, he made way for them through the e Exod. 14. 21. Sea by Miracles, which was a rampart and defence to them, a ruin to their enemies: How they were f Exod. 16. 15. Deut. 8. 24. fed for forty years with Manna raining down from Heaven in the wilderness: and that they might depend on Providence for their daily provision, when he forbade them to take care or gather for the morrow, whatsoever their greediness or want of faith provided, straight g Exod. 16. 20. bred worms and stank, except that on the Sabbath eve, to keep off such cares from the day of their Religion, they gathered double which h Exod. 16. 24. corrupted not: How when they mutined for flesh, would have variety, Paradise in the desert, such great plenty of i Num. 11. 16. 20. 31, 32. Quails flew to them as fed the whole Nation till their very lust was surfeited; and they had no more will then hunger to them; How Moses Rod did strike a living stream, a River that sufficed that people and their cattle out of a k Num. 20. 8. 11. Rock: How in the midst of lightning and thunder God himself promulgated his Law l Exod. 20. to the whole Nation audibly at once: How his glorious presence showed itself in all necessities upon the Ark, in which the Tables of the Law were laid up: How the waters of the river m Jossh. 6. 20. Jordan fled from that Ark both ways, flowed upwards to give passage to the people into Canaan: How the walls of n Josh. 6. 20. Jericho without any other battery, any other force but that the Ark was there, fell down before it. But to name no more, If these be true; that power by which these were wrought, was great enough to give that Law, require obedience to it, and reward it, and to punish all transgression according to the tenor of these Scriptures: that is, it was God; and he that wrote those Scriptures must have had communication with, and been inspired from, God to write them. But, 2. whether they were true or no according as they are recorded in those Scriptures, that whole people from the greatest almost to the least must know; because they are recorded as all don, not only in the presence of them all, but as the objects and the entertainments of their senses, every one; so that if they were forged, not one of the whole Nation could be ignorant of it. And then, 3. If they knew them forged all; that o Num. 2. 32. Num. 11. 21. 600000. men, besides their wives and families, should endure this Moses, having brought them forth only into a wilderness, there to lay such a heavy Law, and so severe a yoke upon them, with such penalties annexed to every least transgression, and adjure them to observe it on account of all those prodigies that had been wrought among them, and upbraid them with stiffneckedness, rebellion, and appeal to their own senses for the truth of all this, and record all to posterity in this Scripture, cause all to be read before them; and that they should bear all this from him they knew so impudent a deceiver, and convey that Scripture and the faith of it to their posterity, ground their so strict, so chargeable Religion on that book, which they were certain had no word of truth in it: this sure transcends belief and possibility. 'tis certain therefore, since the Jews of that age did perform the services required, and in performing them according as that book directs, did teach their children the great works that God had done in their sight, therefore they believed those Miracles and Scriptures. And since it was impossible that they should be deceived; if they believed them, they were true: & their posterity received from them the faith of this, and so derived it on, that neither Gods dread judgements, nor man's cruelty can yet shake it. Now had they not been done, and on that account conveyed; when ever they were broached, and that book first appeared, the men of that age must needs know their Fathers never had performed such services, had such a book read to them constantly, nor told them of such Miracles that had been wrought: and therefore it was impossible that they could have believed it had been so from Moses, if it had been true that it had first begun to be taught in their own time, or in theirs with whom they lived. And this discourse must be of force concerning every age, if we ascend until we come to that of Moses wherein all was effected. Yet besides this, they had also that perpetual Miracle in the High Priests Pectoral, the Oracle of Vrim and Thummim, that did keep alive their faith and strengthen it: and they had Prophets constantly foretelling, as from God, things that were sometimes suddenly to come to pass, and sometimes not till many ages after, the event of which depended often on the will of those that would not of some hundred years be born; others on Gods own immediate will and hand: and therefore none but God could look into, foretell, and bring to pass all those events. Now such were Jeremy's predictions of the taking of Jerusalem, and the captivity of the people, and the express number of p Jer. 25. 11, 12. years it would continue; Esays naming q Isa. 44. 26. 21. 28. & 45. 1. Cyrus, who was to release it, near two hundred years ere he was born; All daniel's prophecies, particularly that must eminent one of the r Dan. 9 24. etc. Messiah this Christ Jesus, of whose Scriptures we are next to speak. That that Jesus, whom Cornelius Tacitus the heathen historian in the fifteenth book of his Annals, calls Christiani dogmatis autorem, the s Tac. An. l. 15. Author of the Christian Doctrine, did work Miracles, and prophecy, both t Vid. Raim. Martin. pugfid p. 2. c. 8. Jews and learned u Celsus apud Orig. l. 2. Julian. Cyril. contra ipsum 6. Orig●n. contra Cels. l. 2. c. 69. Heathens do confess. But these Books tell us, when he first began to preach, he publicly cast out a Devil in the Synagogue on the Sabbath day; and at even, when the whole City was assembled, he healed all their sick, and cast out many Devils, which confessed before all, that he was the Son of x Mat. 8. Mar. 1. Luc. 4. God. Then he cast out a Legion of such mischievous malign Spirits, as having got licence, drove two thousand Swine headlong into the Sea and choked them, which was known to the whole Country of the y Mat. 8. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. Gadarens. Before the Pharisees and Doctors, that came out of all the Cities both of Galilee, and Jewry, and Jerusalem, and so great a crowd as forced them to unroof the house to come to him, he freed one from his z Mat. 9 Mar. 2. Luc. 5. palsy and his sins. A multitude was witness of the death of a Mar 5. Luc 8. Jairus' daughter, and bewailing her laughed him to scorn that undertook to raise her, yet he called her into life. And on a feast day in the Temple, before all the people, he recovered one that had lain lame b John 5. eight and thirty years: and when a widow's son was carried to his funeral, and all the City followed him, he only touched the bier, and bid him c Luc. 7. live. With two fishes and five loaves he fed d Ma●. 14. Mar. 6. Luc. 9 John 6. 5000 men besides women and children, and with what they left they filled twelve baskets, when one basket carried all before they ate; so that they were convinced, he was that Prophet that was to come into the world: and with seven loaves he filled e Mat. 15. Mar. 8. 4000 afterwards and seven baskets. He commanded a dumb spirit out of him that had been f Mat. 17. Mar. 9 Luc. 9 Lunatic, vexed with a Devil from his infancy, before the people and the Scribes, whom his Disciples could not cast out. And when g John 11. Lazarus had been dead four days, and buried till he stank, yet at his call, although bound hand and foot with grave clothes, he came forth, all the multitude beholding. From so many more I chose out these, because they are reported done before the people, and the Scribes, and Pharisees, and Doctors. I might name his h Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Luc. 21. Prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the propagation and continuance of his Religion; even of the woman's box of i Mar. 26. Mar. 14. John 12. Spikenard, which event hath made notorious to the world. But his death was so even at the present: when if the rending of the k Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. John 19 veil of the Temple was apparent Miracle to all Jerusalem, the suns prodigious Eclipse, when it was impossible by nature he should be eclipsed (it being then full moon,) was so to the whole Hemisphere. It serves the use I am to make of this, that 'tis here recorded, but withal Heathen l ●hlegen apud Origen. con●ra Cels. l. 2. p. 8●. Euseb. ad Olyn. 20●. ann. 4 〈◊〉 lop. & Georg. Syncd Thall●s apud African vid. Scal. ammad. ad Euseb. Chron. p. 186 ad ann. 2044. Etiam vide Just. Mart. p. 76. & p. 84. & Tertull. A●pol. c. 21. & de isto terrae motu agere Tacitum & Plin. l. 2. c. 84. scribit Oros. Historians and Chronologes bear witness to it: for when they relate that in the 4th year of the 202 Olympiad, the year that is assigned to Christ's death, there was such a great Eclipse as never had been, day at noon turned into night, t●e stars appearing, and earthquakes as far as Bythyma, since 'tis apparent by the motions of the Heavens and the calculations of Astronomy, there could be none such then according to the course of nature, it must be this the gospel speaks of. But beyond all this, 'tis registered here, that according as he had foretold, he raised himself from death the m Mat. ●8. Mar. 16. Luc. 29. John 24. 3d day; yea and many bodies of the Saints that had been buried, long it may be some of them, he raised with him. That notwithstanding all the art and treachery of the Chief Priests to conceal it, yet that very day he appeared n Mar. 16. 9 First to Mary Magdalen, o Luc. 24. 5. 2dly the Women, 3dly p V. 33. Peter, 4thly to them that went to q V. 13. Emaus, last of all on that day to the eleven r V. 36, 37, 41. except Thomas, being seen and handled by and eating with them; 6thly eight days after to the same eleven with s John 20. 24 Thomas; 7thly at the sea of t John 21. Galilee appearing in a miracle of fishes; 8thly to all his Disciples and u Mat. 28. 16. Mar. 15. 6 500 Brethren more in Galilee, then to James, x 1 Cor. 15. 7. then to all his Apostles, promising them the y Luc. 24. 49. Acts 1. 4. 5. Holy Ghost; and lastly all of them beholding he z Acts 1. 9 Luc. 24. 5●. ascended into Heaven, and ten days after as he promised sent the a Acts 2. 6, 7, 8. Holy Ghost upon them in the shape of fiery tongues, so as that they spoke all Languages immediately, to the amazement of the Jews of every Nation under Heaven to which they were scattered, that the Miracle might spread as far. Now if all this be true, he that did these must have communication with a power above all that we account the powers of Nature; such an one most certainly as can perform whatsoever he in this book promises, inflict what e'er he threatens; such as is Divine. And since he wrought all these, on purpose to evince he came commissioned from that Divine power, brought these Miracles as seals of that commission, that we might believe him, therefore whatsoever he delivers must be embraced by us, as we hope for those blessed rewards that he proposeth, and on pain of those eternal torments if we do not; of both which it is not possible to doubt if these accounts be true. 2d ly. Since the most and greatest of these must be done but once; he could not be incarnated, and born, and live, and preach, and die, and rise again, and go to Heaven every day, of every age, in every place, to convince every man by his own senses; to all those that did not see the matter of fact, therefore faith of all these must be made by witnesses. And 3dly, If we can be sure the witnesses that do assert a fact understand it exactly, if the things be palpable, and they must certainly know whether they were really done or no; and if we can be sure too, that they are sincere, will not affirm that which they do not know, and do not lie, their testimony of it must be most infallible: because it is impossible such witnesses can be deceived, or will deceive. 4thly. The witnesses in this case, the Apostles and the 70 Disciples (for I'll name no more) must needs know most perfectly: for they not only saw the Miracles, but were b Luc. 1. 14. instruments & parties in some of them; sent to cure diseases, cast out Devils, and knew whether all this were in earnest. And most certainly they saw (as all the Jews did too) Christ crucified, his heart pierced with a spear, and his body buried; and whether they did see him risen, handle him, eat with him they knew. And if they might mistake in his Ascension, yet the fiery tongues, if such did light on them, they must needs see; and whether they themselves, who spoke no Languages, could then speak Tongues, it cannot be but they must know. In these there is no possibility they could err, unless they did it wilfully: but then 'tis as impossible that they could do it wilfully, if they were sincere and honest, such as would not lie. Now that they were such, I might urge their simplicity and openness, without disguise, not covering their own errors; men who seemed to live as well as preach against all artifice, and to have no design on any thing but the amendment and salvation of mankind. For he that can suppose it possible that they were otherwise, men of art and finess, that they contrived the story, must needs know; First, that such would not seal their falsehood with their blood; design no recompense to all their travels but contemt, and hatred, persecutions, prisons, whip, wounds and death, to be the scum and the offscouring of the world; lay out their lives against their conscience to preach that Jesus, who did only call them out to be a c 1 Cor. 4. 9 spectacle to all the world, just such as Malefactors when exposed to fight with, and to be devoured of wild beasts. Their sufferings are too known to stay upon: St Paul's own catalogue of his for five whole verses 2 Cor. 11. is such, that to sustain them only for this end, to put a cheat on mankind; count a so laborious, vexed, torn, miserable life and an infamous death gain, so the fable might be believed: to think they could do this, is sure as great a madness as to do it. But yet I will suppose that possible; that those who wove the fable pleased themselves so infinitely with the expectations of imposing on mankind, as that those hopes could make misery and death itself look lovely to them. But Then 2dly that all and every of them should be of that mind, that amongst so many that bare witness of Christ's Miracles and resurrection not a man should discover the cheat; that when their persecutors did with arts of torment as it were examine them upon the rack, they should work not one single confession out of them; that no one's courage should be broke, nor have a qualm so far as to acknowledge how it was, disclose the plot, lay open the confederacy, the whole mystery and the contrivance of it: When of twelve Disciples one was so false to betray his Master's person at a vile rate, yet that all of them, and many more, in a feigned story of his Miracles should be so true to one another, that no engine of man's cruelty ever could screw out the sacred, not one should betray the forgery and be a Judas where he ought to be: no not that Judas, whose concern it was, whose treason to his Master had been justified had he been an impostor: yet that he should stir no least suspicion of it, but should burst, choked with his grief because he had betrayed innocent blood: This, if he knew it had all been imposture, must be most stupendous. But yet we will give them this too, that vainglorious hopes of drawing in the world to follow them, might make all of them obstinate in secrecy against all attemts of cruelty; or if some weak brethren did perchance discover, we may not have heard of it. But For them 3dly to begin their preaching at Jerusalem is yet more strange. To hope to draw men into a persuasion, and to bottom that persuasion upon Miracles, and a Resurrection done amongst them there; where if discovery were made it must be made, and where it could not but be made if there were fraud. For to relate and write those works with every circumstance of persons, place, and time, where they not only could examine every circumstance, but where they rather than their lives would find them false, if nothing else would, this must needs discover it. They preach them to the face of the whole multitude and of the Pharisees, and tell them they were done before their eyes, sometimes 500 and sometimes 5000 being by and the chief Priests and Pharisees and Doctors: so that 'twas most impossible they should not know if they were true or false, as sure as there was never a Jew in all the Land, but knew whether there were a darkness over all the land when Christ was crucified. Now if these were forged to hope to draw Jew's out of their Religion with apparent forgeries, which they knew such, speaks these Apostles men so far from art to manage a design of changing the Religion of the world, that they were mad beyond recovery and precedent. But let us give them that too. Yet 'tis certain 4thly that the Jews, if any such were wrought on by them, must be much more stupid to believe them upon the account of such things done in all the country, in their Cities, and the Temple, before all the Nation, when they could not choose but know they were not done, if they were not done, but were feigned all. For what ever might be motive to Christ's Followers and his Apostles, with the certain danger of their lives to forge the cheat, what possible temptation could there be so great to incline Jews, the most stiffnecked people, the most stubborn in Religion in the world, to embrace a faith which nothing but the Cross and shame and misery attended, and which they must know false too? Had they so great lust to die, as for that to bid farewell to their Moses, their Religion and their Law? It is impossible had they not known the truth of those things, that in waters of affliction, in Jerusalem, ipsis persecutionum fontibus, in that Fountain, that springhead of persecutions, as the Fathers call it, they would ever have been baptised into Christ. Yet suddenly in one day at one sermon of St Peter we read near 3000 were baptised Acts 2. at another straight 5000 Acts 4. and such beginnings, such sums are required to make good what the Governor of Palestine d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tiberianus tells the Emperor, that he was not sufficient to put to death all those that confessed themselves Christians. All which must needs have either been, convinced those things were true, or else as well against their conscience as against the powers, thus embraced that faith and death together. Neither was this a first surprise of Christianity, as it had seized men's minds at unawares; for it went on conquering till the world came into it, receiving the Religion with the loss of all that was dear to them in this world. For in one age from Christ's death, what with the Apostles sermons, miracles, and e Whence Eusebius says l. 2. Eccl. hist. c. 14. they at Rome not thinking it enough to have heard the Gospel once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not being contented with the preaching of the heavenly doctrine while it was but an unwritten doctrine, earnestly entreat St Mark, that he would leave in writing with them a monument of that doctrine which had been delivered to them by preaching. Nor did they give over till they had prevailed; which when St Peter knew by revelation of the H. G. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being extremely pleased with that desire and their earnestness in it, He approved it, and appointed it to be read in their assembly. writings also to confirm and keep men in the truth, and to convey it better to posterity, and their Disciples after them, who went forth f Euseb. l. 3. c. 37. delivering those writings, preaching on, and doing wonders also, very many Nations are recorded by Historians as converted almost wholly. And the truth of it is evident, since nothing but almost whole Nations, nor yet they but as buoyed up by the wonders and the graces of God's spirit, ever could be able to endure, or be sufficient to employ the Swords, the Flames, the Lions, and the other numberless tortures which the Jews and Nero and Domitian, and above all Trajan in that first age raged with, till they made their Cities, villages and provinces so desolate, that the Proconsul Pliny, being frighted with the multitude of murdered Christians, did advise with him about relaxing his edicts, as he himself g l. 10. epist. 97. assures us. It was the same the next age, when the power of Miracles h Just. Mart. dial cum Tryph. Judaeo p. 247, 302, 311. Iren. l. 2. c. 56, 57 yet lived, and those which Christ himself wrought were scarce all dead, (some i Excerpt. ex Quadrat. Apolog. ad Hadrianum apud Euseb. l. 4. c. 3. lived till near that time, who rose up with him at his resurrection;) when these k Just. Mart. Apol. 2. p. 98. books, (writ by the will of God to be the pillar and foundation of men's faith in after ages, as saith l Iren. l. 3. c. 1. Irenaeus in that age,) were also read in the assemblies weekly; when not only those that did assemble were by m Just. Mart. Apol. 2. Eccl. Smyrnens. apud Euseb. l. 4. c. 15. Ecclesiarum Viennen. & Lugdun. comment. de passiene Martyr. suorum apud Euseb. l. 5. c. 1. & Niceph. l. 3. & 4. Hadrian martyred, but they put men to their oaths, to find out whether they were Christians, that they might massacre them. And in the third it was the like, when Miracles they say were not n Orig. contra Cels. l. 2. p. 62. & p. 80. Tertul▪ Apol. c. 23. yet ceased, yet sure the greatest was the constancy of Christians in adhering to this book and patience in suffering for it. For they report the o Niceph. l. 5. c. 29. sands on the sea shore almost as easy to be numbered as the Martyrs of that age; what by p V. Euseb. l. 6. & 7. fere integros de Seu. Spartian. & Tertul. de Decio S. Cypr. Valerian, Decius, Maximinus and Severus, but especially by q Euseb. l. 8. c. 2. ●. 6. Niceph. l. 7. c. 6. Euseb. l. 8. ●. 11. etc. 9 Sulp. Seu. l. 2. Oros. l. 7. c. 25. Ignatii Patr. Antioch. literas apud Scalig. de emend. temp. l. 5. p. 496. Spond. ad annum 302. n. 4. Dioclesian, who put so many men to death for not delivering up their Bibles to be burnt, and refusing to Sacrifice to his Gods, as if he meant to have depopulated the whole earth. And this is as notorious as that men do now profess that they are Christians, and that these are holy Scriptures. Therefore I shall need to go no further. Now among so many myriads who on the account of all these Miracles (whate'er they were) suffered themselves to be converted to the faith of Christ, and then as if they cared for nothing but Religion and their Bibles, for them bore the loss of goods, and life itself, and engaged their posterity to do so also; that not one of these should know whether indeed any such miracles were wrought, if any were restored to life or no: (for if they knew, than they were true:) and that among so numberless a crowd of teachers, who by assuming to speak languages, raise the dead, work signs, drew in those Myriads to Religion and the stake, and went before them, gave them an example both in faith and death; that not one of all those should believe either the Miracles or himself that did them: for if any one that did them did believe them, since he knew who did them, they must needs be certain: but not one of them to know it, sure is such a thing as neither could be done nor be imagined. He therefore that requires strict evidence in things of faith which cannot bear it, he that calls for Mathematical demonstration, nor will believe on easier terms, yet is so credulous and so unwary, that he can believe so many things which by the nature and the disposition of mankind I have demonstrated not possible, which yet must be true, unless these Scriptures be from God: 'tis plain he does not seek for certainty, but for a pretence of not believing; would fain have his Infidelity and Atheism look more excusable, and is not fit to be disputed with but to be exploded. But if these Scriptures be from God, than whatsoever they affirm (with modesty I may conclude) is true. And therefore when St Luke Acts 1. 1. declares his former treatise contained all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up: since Christ before he did ascend taught every thing that was required to be believed and done in order to salvation, and more too; therefore if his Gospel did contain all that he taught, and did, since it did not contain all absolutely, it must needs mean it contained all that was necessary, or it must mean nothing. And since the same St Luke in the beginning of that Gospel does affirm he wrote it, Luke 1. 4. that Theophilus might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed; 'Tis plain he avers that the certain knowledge of all those things wherein the having been instructed made Theophilus a Christian, might be had out of the Gospel: and when St Paul says here, that the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, and St John in his 20 chap. v. 31. that tho he had not wrote all the things that Jesus did, yet those that he had wrote were written, that we might believe that Jesus was the Christ the son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name; 'Tis evident the Scriptures say that what was written was sufficient to work that belief which was sufficient to life and salvation, as far as the credenda do concur to it. And when St Paul in that verse that succeeds my text, in most express particular words sets down the usefulness of Scripture in each several duty of a man of God, or Preacher of the Gospel, both for Doctrine of faith, for reproof or correction of manners, and instruction unto righteousness, and tells you Gods express end in inspiring it, and consequently its ability when so inspired was, that the man of God might be made perfect, throughly furnished unto every good work that belongs to his whole office; 'tis most certain that what is sufficient for that office to instruct, reprove, correct and teach in, must needs be sufficient to believe and practise in for all men: i e. what my text affirms, they are able to make us wise unto salvation. I might call in Tradition universal to bear witness to this truth for holy Scriptures, if having once demonstrated that they are God's word, when that does affirm it, and bears witness to it, there were need of any other. And this I dare boldly say, that if the Scripture did say as expressly, that the Pope had a supremacy or sovereignty over the whole Church, or that he or the Roman Church were infallible; their definition, or the living voice of their present Church, a most sure rule of faith, as it doth say Scripture is able to make us wise unto salvation, those Articles would suffer no dispute, it would be blasphemy or sacrilege to limit or explain them by distinctions, when those sayings of the perfectness of Scriptures are forced to bear many. Then we should have no complaints of the obscurity of those books; if those articles were either in the Greek or Hebrew, they would never say the Bible were not fit to be a Rule of Faith, because the Language were unknown to the unlearned, and they could not be infallibly secure of the Translation; were they there they would account them sure enough, who think them plain enough already there, and that we must believe them because, Thou art Peter, Feed my sheep, and Tell the Church, are there. And for him that shall affirm, all necessaries that must make us wise unto salvation are not in the Scripture, 'tis impossible to give a rational account how it should come to pass that some are there, the rest are not. It must be either on design, or else by chance. Now 1. That God should design, when very many things that were not necessary were to be written, that the main and fundamental ones should be omitted: and when of the necessaries most he did design for Scripture, than He should not suffer the Apostles to write the remainder of them: and yet what he would not suffer them to write, designed that the Trent Fathers (who I hope have perfected the Catalogue) should write all: of these since 'tis not possible to give a reason, 'tis not therefore rational to affirm it was upon design. But 2. If he shall say it only happened so by chance, he does affront both Scriptures and Gods Holy Spirit, who, as they affirm, inspired them for this very end, to bring men to the faith and to salvation. But there is no place for chance in those things that are done in order to an end, by the design, impulse and motion of the infinite wisdom of God's Holy Spirit. He certainly does most unworthily reproach his Maker, who can think it possible, that what he did design expressly and on that account alone to attain such an end by (namely that men should believe and be saved) and inspire it for that purpose, should yet fail, not be sufficient for that purpose. And sure if it be sufficient it contains all necessaries, otherwise it were deficient in the main; yea so clearly also, as that they, for whose salvation they are intended, may with use of such methods, as are obvious and agreed upon by all men, understand them: for otherwise they could not be sufficient: if men could not be instructed by them in things necessary both to faith and life, they could not make them wise unto salvation. I must confess the Scripture labours under a great prejudice against this doctrine, from the different sense and interpretations that are made of it, even in the most fundamental points, by them that grant it is the word of God; when yet all use the same means to find out the meaning, and no doubt they seek sincerely after it. But yet I think it evident this happens not from the obscurity of Scripture, since it is not only in the most express texts; but also if you should suppose the doctrines were as plain set down there as words can express them, yet there are such principles assumed into the faith of different sects, as must oblige them to interpret diversely the same plain words. I am not so vain as to imagine that no places are obscure in Scripture, and I know that learned men have arts by obscure places to confound the plainest, just as the Philosopher did motion. Neither am I so perverse and singular not to think that universal practice and profession of the Church does much assure and confirm explications of Scriptures, whether obscure or plain. But this I say, that the diversities of explication come, as I now said, from the diversity of principles or rather prejudices, and that this only is the cause of it I thus demonstrate. First in the Socinian, who interprets all those Scriptures, which the Catholic world hath still applied to the Divinity and satisfaction of Christ, that I name no more points, otherwise then the Church did always; and I affirm he does it, not because he thinks the words do favour his interpretation, but because his principle requires it; namely this, To admit nothing into his faith but what agrees with that which he counts reason, which in a Socinians faith is judge of all points in the last resort. And I mean reason upon natural principles, and thus I prove it. Socinus speaking of Christ's satisfaction, says the word is not in Scripture, r Ego quidem etiamsi non semel sed saepe id in sacris monument is scriptum extaret, non id circo tamen ita rem prorsus se habere crederem. Socin. de Jesus Chr. Servatore parte 3. c. 6. operum tom. 2. p. 204. yet if it were there very often I would not believe it, because it does not consist with right reason, that is, with the arguments that he had brought against it drawn from human principles. And therefore he there adds; those things which 'tis apparent cannot be, (i. e. that appear such to him who judges by the principles of natural reason, which yet cannot judge of supernatural and infinite beings,) though the Holy Scripture does expressly say they are, yet must not be admitted; & idcirco sacra verba in alium sensum quam ipsa sonant per inusitatos etiam tropos quandoque explicantur: and for this reason we make use of even unusual tropes, strained figures to explain the words of Holy writ to other senses than the words themselves import. And so he therefore serves that great variety of words by which the Scripture does express Christ's suffering for our sins, in our stead, as our sacrifice; against the universal notions of those words, not only which the Church of Christ, but which the Jews and which the heathen world had of them. And when his reason told him that Christ could not be God one with his Father, that he was so far from having any being from eternity, as that he was not at all, till he had a being from the Blessed Virgin; Therefore when the Scripture says directly s John 10. 30. I and the Father are one, he must strain it to this meaning, are of one mind, we agree in one: although St John avert that, by t 1. John 5. 7. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. 8. The Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood, and these three agree in one. distinguishing those two expressly. Yea worse, when to prove that Christ had a being ere the world was made, we urge from the first Chap. to the u Heb. 1. 10, 11, 12. Hebr. what St Paul produces from the x Psal. 102. 25, 26, 27. Psalms, and does apply to him most particularly. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands; they shall perish, but thou remainest, and they all shall wax old as does a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. They explain it thus: that God by Christ will at last destroy these Heavens, and this Earth, and change them, according to that saying in the Psalms; which although the Apostle produce at length, as it stood there, both concerning the Creation and destruction of the world, yet he intended only to apply this last to Christ. And though he say as well of the same Lord, Thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands, as, thou shalt change them; yet he meant no more but that this change God would effect by Christ. It is not possible that the text can give any the least countenance to this interpretation. The different explication of this Scripture does not come from the obscurity of any words in it; for in the Psalm they and we understand the same words in the same sense exactly: therefore that we differ here, is not from any thing in the words quoted, but is wholly from the Principle. And we may not wonder, for the plain sense will not suit with their Hypothesis. There are no other that are instanced in as differing from us in points of faith but the Romanist. I know not whether they account those differences to be in things necessary to salvation. y The reasonableness of this supposition might be demonstrated if there were any need of it. If that be true that they allow (for what cause they know best,) some that are reconciled to their Church to communicate with ours, that is, join in our worship, and by doing so own the profession of our faith in distinction to that of others, or at least espouse the scandal of the owning it; Then one would think they must account that there is nothing in our worship done that is unlawful, nor omitted that is necessary, nor any thing Heretical professed, at least that there's no scandal in the owning that profession. For if there were, they did allow them only to profess and act gross sin, which certainly they would not do. So that poor Protestants when they are pleased to give leave may be no Heretics, and therefore there is nothing of itself in that profession faulty. But yet on the other side since we see they call us Heretics, and when they have no power over us, damn us to Hell fires, and when they have had power, damned us to the fire and faggot also; sure they think the differences to be in things necessary. But yet the account is easy, how not the obscurity of Scripture, but a Principle or prejudice does cause this. For we are bound in conscience to grant they believe their own Principles. Now 'tis a Principle with them, that their Church cannot err, and therefore that their present faith and consequent depending practice was their faith and practice always. That it may appear so, they must seek for countenance from Scripture: and if any thing there seem to thwart their faith or practice, they must smooth and disguise it, that it may look friendly. And 'tis most certain if the Scripture should be never so express against them, whilst they think it is not possible that they can err, they cannot think it possible Scripture can mean what it pretends to speak. 'Twere easy to make instances. As first for invocation of the Saints departed, which with them is a point of faith, z L. 1. de Sanct. Beatit. c. 17. Bellar. and Cochleus produce that of the Psalms, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. Psalm 121. 1. and although the text directs that looking up expressly to the Lord that made heaven and earth. v. 2. and though it be a Principle with them, that on those everlasting hills there were no Saints in David's time that could be invocated, they were all in limbo than they say; yet as I said, they would have countenance from Scripture, and for want of better they are therefore forced to interpret those words, I will lift up mine eyes unto the Hills, thus, I will invocate the Saints. Now will any say 'tis the obscurity of this Scripture that does hinder Protestants from seeing the bright evidence of this argument, and not rather that it is the weak foundation of this practice that does make the Romanists seek to build it on those mountains? So among those several texts which in the 2d Nicen general Council are produced for adoration of the images of Christ and of the Saints, and are expounded to evince it, none is plainer than that which I produced now from Bellarmin. I shall give one or two examples from the Psalms: a Psal. 27. 8. Thy face, Lord, will I seek: and, b Psal. 4. 6. Lord, list thou up the light of thy countenance upon us: and again, c Psal. 45. 12. the rich among the people shall entreat thy face: therefore David thought the picture of Christ was to be adored. It is their own d Concil. tom. 18. p. 295. conclusion from these texts, and they have no better for it. Yet they saw the doctrine in these so apparently, as that with great opposition to great Councils, and more bood-shed I think then yet ever any doctrine hath been settled with, it was imposed. Yea more, the first experiment of the Pope's power over Sovereign Princes was on the account of this same doctrine: when for opposing Image-worship Gregory the 26d excommunicated the Greek Emperor. Pope e Sigon. de regno Ital. ad annum 712. l. 3. p. 94. Constantine for the same cause indeed had 14 years before done so to Philippicus, but he did not go much further, whereas Gregory absolved the Emperor's subjects in the Roman Duchy from their Allegiance; commanded them not to pay him any tribute, nor in any wise obey him; whereupon they f Sigon. de regno Ital. ad annum 726. l. 3. p. 103. killed their Governors, and g Leonis imperium respuerunt, ac solenni sacramento se Pontificis vitam siatumque in perpeluum defensuros, atque ejus in omnibus rebus autoritati obtemperaturos jurarunt. Ita Roma Remanusque Ducatus à Graecis ad Romanum Pontificem pervenit. Sigon de regno Ital. ad anmum 727. l. 3. p. 105. swore obedience to the Pope. And this was the beginning of St Peter patrimony, and it was thus gotten by this doctrine, which they saw so clearly in these Scriptures; when they cannot see the contrary in those plain words, Thou shalt not make to thyself any whether Graven image or idol it matters not, since it follows, nor the likeness of any thing which is heaven above, etc. nor in those where God takes care expressly that himself be not worshipped by an image Deut. 4. 15. and then judge if 'tis obscurity or plainness that makes them see or not see doctrines in the Scripture: rather if it be not merely the necessity of prejudice. So again we differ in the meaning of the 14th chap. of the 1. of Cor. where we think St Paul asserts and argues, yea and chides against all service in an unknown tongue in the public assemblies saying all must be done there so as it may be h 1 Cor. 1. 5. 12. 19 26. 17. understood, and to edification. But that which is performed there in an unknown tongue does not i V. 6. 14. 16. 17. edify says he there: yet to justify this practice they must make it have a different meaning, which no Father's countenance, but which k Basil. Mag. in reg. brevier. interrog. 278. Tom. 2. p. 641. Theodor. & Oecumen. in locum etc. and the Commentary under St Ambrose's name makes these who in the Church of Corinth would use an unknowntongue in their sacred offices, (against whom St Paul directs his speech, & takes occasion for that which he says in this chap.) converted Hebrews; who would it should seem perform the service or at least some parts of it in the Christian Assemblies, as they had been done of old in the Synagogues, in the Hebrew tongue, which the Corinthians understood nor, against which St Paul disputes. several expound as we do, yea and divers of their own do so too, particularly their Pope l Conc. tom. 24. p. 287. John 8th in his 247th Epistle writing expressly on that Subject. Once more, so their half communion, that it may be reconciled with that express command m Mat. 26. 27. Drink ye all of it: and this do, obliges them to find another meaning: drink ye all must be directed to them only as Apostles; and do this must signify consecrate the Elements, although St Paul apply it most directly to the drinking, and the drinking to his lay Corinthians. Nor dare they say in truth it means the other, for n 1 Cor. 11. 25. St Paul when he does say do this, did not intend to make his Lay Corinthians male and female all o Yet the Council of Trent Sess. 22. c. 9 Can. 2. pronounces Anathema to all those that shall say those words do this, quoting them also in the margin out of this place 1 Cor. 11. did not constitute Priests, and ordain that they should offer the body and blood of Christ. Edit. Col. Agrip. anno 1261. priests, and give them power to consecrate. The words are plain, there's nothing in the text obscure that makes us differ, but the practice had by little and little grown upon them, till it became Universal, and so grew into their faith: and then since they believe they cannot err, they must expound Christ's words so as they may not contradict their practice; because that would overthrow their Principle. But the Church that builds upon no Principle but God's word, can have no temptation to pervert or strain it, since what ever does appear to be the meaning of it, that their Principle must needs engage them to believe. And therefore if it say This is my body, we believe it; if it says too after consecration it is p 1 Cor. 11. 27. bread, we believe that also: and because it therefore says 'tis both, we so believe it one that it may be the other: which since both say it is impossible that it can be substantially, neither hath God in express words told us which it is substantially; therefore seeing when he calls it body, he is instituting his Sacrament, there's all reason in the world he should mean Sacramentally; since 'tis the most proper meaning: and by consequence 'tis bread substantially, as all ways of judging in the world assure us. Here's no stress on Scripture, as there is no Principle to serve; when as the other makes us differ, not in Scripture only, even where 'tis plainest; but tradition too. For the most express and evident sayings of the primitive Fathers are on every head of difference, as much the matter of contention as the texts of Scripture are; as it were easy to demonstrate if that were my business. So that it is mere deceit to lay our quarrels to defects in God's word, and particularly to its obscurity, which a man would think were evident enough from this that Children knew it. The last thing I am to speak to. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. I cannot pass this, that it is St Chrysostom's observation, that Timothy was nursed up in the Scriptures from his childhood. Yea and since his Father was an Heathen, he must have been taught them by his Grandmother Lois, and his Mother Eunice, whose faith St Paul speaks of 2 Tim. 1. 5. Children therefore then, and Women, and they sure are Laics, read the Bible. Yea and since they knew it, they must read it in a language which they understood: and we know where that is unlawful now. If we consider the first prohibition that appeared in that Church with Synodical authority against such men's having any Bibles in their own tongue, we shall find it was immediately upon the preaching of the Waldenses, one of whose doctrines it was, q Vsser. de Christ. Eccl. success. c. 6. §. 17. that the Scripture was the rule to judge of faith by: so that whatsoever was not consonant to that must be refused. This they preached in France and over Europe in the latter end of the r c. 8. §. 1. eight Century: and that Council which forbade their having of the Bible, we find lately put forth by the friar s Spicileg. tom. 2. p. 624. D. Achery as held at Tholouse in the beginning of the 13th Century. It seems they apprehended then their doctrines hardly would abide that touchstone: and they therefore had no surer, more compendious way for its security then to prevent such trial, taking care men should not know what was or what was not in Scripture. And it is not possible for me to give account why in their catechising they leave out all that part of the commandments, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, etc. but this only, that they dare not let the laity compare their doctrine and their practice with that Scripture. But though it is possible they might conceive some danger if the whole Scripture should be exposed, yet in those portions which the Church itself chose out for her own offices, the little Lessons, and Epistles, and Gospels, those sure one would think were safe: no, not their Psalter, Breviary, nor their Hours of the Blessed Virgin must they have translated in their own tongue; as that t Cap. 4. Council did determine. And truly when the Roman Missal was turned lately into French, and had been allowed to be so by the general Assembly of the Clergy in the year u Ordennance de Mess●eurs les Vicaires Generaux de Monseigneur l'Eminentiss●me Cardinal de Retz Archevesque de Paris, which is in the 137th page of the Extrait du Procez verbal de l'Assemblée general du Clergé de France, tenuë à Paris en l'année 1660. 1650. and when it was done it had the usual approbation of the Doctors and some Bishops, and then was printed at Paris with the licence of the Vicar's general of their Archbishop. Yet another general Assembly of the Clergy the year 1660, whereat there were x p. 128. of that Extrait. 36 Bishops, upon pain of y Ibid. p. 128. & p. 139. excommunication forbid any one to read it, and condemn not only that present traduction, but the thing in general as z p. 130. poisonous, in an Encyclical Epistle to all the Prelates of the Kingdom: and in a p. 141. les enfans de nostre mere ent pris les armes contre nous, ●ls la vont attaquer ●usques dans la Sanctuaire, des Mysteres de son Espou● pour les prostituer. another they say of him that did translate it, and the Vicar's general that did defend him in it, that by doing so they did take arms against the Church, attaquing their own Mother (namely by that version) at the Altar, in that sanctuary, that closet of her spouses' mysteries to prostitute them: and in b Ibid. p. 132. another Epistle they beseech his Holiness Pope Alexander 7th to damn it not in France alone but the whole Church; which he then did by his c p. 147. and the same bull is printed in the Index of prohibited books set out by the command of Alex. 7. at Rome 1664. p. 382. Bull, for ever interdicting that or any other Version of that book, d Missale praefatum Gallico idiomate conscriptum vel in posterum alias quomodolibet conscribendum & evulgandum perpetuo damnamus, reprobamus, & interdicimus, ejusque impressioonem, lectionem & retentionem universis & singulis utrinsque sexus Christi fidelibus, cujuscunque gradus, ordinis, conditionis existant, sub poena excommunicationis latae sententiae ipso jure incurrendae perpetuo prohibemus: mandantes quod statim quicunque illud habuerint, vel in futurum quodcunque habebunt realiter & cum effectis exhibeant & tradant locorum Ordinariis vel Inquisitoribus, qui nulla interposita mora, exemplaria igne comburant, & comburi faciant. forbidding all to read or keep it on severest pains; commanding any one that had it to deliver it immediately to the Inquisitor or Ordinary that it might be burnt forthwith. Now thus (whatever it be otherwise) the Mass is certainly a sacrifice when 'tis made a burnt offering to appease his Holiness' indignation: when that ver● Memorial of Christ's passion again suffers, and their sacred offices are martyred. To see the difference of times; 'twas heretofore a Pagan Dioclesian, a strange prodigy of cruelty, who by his edict did command all Christians to deliver up their Bible's or their bodies to be burnt: 'Twas here his Holiness, Christ's Vicar, who by his Bull order all to give up theirs, that is, all of it that they will allow them, and their prayers also, that they may be forthwith burnt, or themselves to be excommunicated, that is, their souls to be devoted to eternal flames. And whereas than those only that did give theirs up were excommunicate, all Christians shunned them as they would the plague; and multitudes, whole regions rather gave themselves up to the fire to preserve their Bibles: now those only that have none, or that deliver up theirs, are the true obedient sons of that Church, and the thorough Catholics. I know men plead great danger in that book: it is represented as the source of monstrous doctrines and rebellions. I will not say these men are bold that take upon them to be wiser than Almighty God, and to see dangers he foresaw not, and to prevent them by such methods as thwart his appointments; but I will say that those who talk thus certainly despise their hearers; as if we knew not Heresies were hatched by those that understood the Bible untranslated: and as if we never heard there were rebellions among them that were forbid to read the Bible. For if there were a Covenant among them that had it in their own tongue, so there was an Holy League amongst those men that were denied it. While those that had the guidance of the subjects conscience were themselves subject to a foreign power, as all Priests of that communion are. How many Kings and Emperors have there been that did keep the Scriptures from their people, but yet could not keep their people from sedition, nor themselves from ruin by it? In fine when God himself for his own people caused his Scripture to be written in their own tongue, to be weekly read in public too, and day and night in private by the people; and when the Apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost indicted Scripture for the world, they did it in the language that was then most vulgar to the world: what God and the Holy Spirit thus appointed as the fittest means for the Salvation of the world, to define not expedient, as the Holy Fathers of Trent did, looks like blasphemy against God and the Holy Spirit. But blasphemies of this kind are not to be wondered at from that kind of men, that call the Scripture a dumb e ●igh. 3. de hier. Eccl. judge, f Eccius. a black Gospel, inken Divinity, g Fie. de hier. l. 1. c. 2 fol. 8. written not that they should be the rule of our faith and Religion, but that they should be regulated by, submitted to our faith; h Idem ●igh. that the authority of the Church hath given canonical authority to Scriptures, and those the chief, which otherwise they had not, neither from themselves nor from their authors; and, that if the Scriptures were not sustained by the authority of the Church they would be of no more value than Aesop's i Vide Chemn. examen de S. Can. p. 47. fables. And lastly, k Peres de tradit. par. assert. 3. that the people are permitted to read the Bible was the invention of the Devil. But to leave the controversy and speak to the advantages which may be had from early institution in the Scripture; 'tis so evident that I need not observe how 'tis for want of principles impressed and wrought into the mind in Childhood, that our youth is so licentious. And 'tis not possible it can be otherwise, when they have nothing to oppose to constitution, when 'tis growing, and to all the temtations both of objects and example; no strict sense of duty planted in them, no such notions as would make resistance to the risings of their inclination, and seducements of ill company: and they therefore follow and indulge to all of them. And in God's name why do parents give their Children up to God in their first infancy, deliver him so early a possession of them? as if they would have Religion to take seizure on them straight, as if by their baptising them so soon, they meant to consecrate their whole lives to God's service, make them his as soon as they were theirs, as if they had been given them merely for God's uses? And they therefore enter them into a vow of Religion almost as soon as they have them: why all this? if accordingly they do not season and prepare them as they shall grow capable. Why when they are but newly born their children, do they take care they shall be regenerate and born again God's Children? if they do not furnish them with necessaries, educate them into all the qualities and hopes that appertain to the condition of God's children, as well as they do to that of their own. That parent which not only, like some delicate ones refuses her own breasts to her own infant, but provides no other to sustain it; that does only wash her babe from its first blood and uncleanness to expose it the more handsome prey to wolves and tigers in the desert, is more savage than those tigers: l Lam. 4. 3. even the sea monsters draw out the breasts, they give suck to their young ones, saith lamenting Jeremy, but he adds the daughter of my people is cruel like the Ostrich in the wilderness, m Job 39 14. which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them, she is hardened against her young ones: such are they who when their children are so born again to God, yet as they shall wax capable provide not that which St Peter calls the n 1 Pet. 2. 2. sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby: but from their being washed so in the laver of regeneration, take no more care, but expose them forthwith to such lusts and conversations, as are much more wild and savage than those beasts in the comparison; to which they cannot choose but be a prey. They strive indeed, they say, to educate them into men betime, that is, make them conversible and bold: and since for that they must engage them into frequent company, where they see and hear men's follies, that I say no worse; by that means they come to have their understandings stored with nothing but the Modes, and sins of conversation; filled with froth and puddle; men betimes only thus, as they have forwarded their inclinations to, and got an early understanding and experience of, those vices, which one would think men only could be equal for. But by this means the mind, that only part that makes us be men, is not only not improved, but dwarft. They do not only still continue children in their understanding as to any thing that's real and solid; but the hopes of reason are destroyed in them, and its growth killed, by turning all its nourishment to feed the beast part; and the Christian is quite starved. There needs no other cause be given for the most part, why so many men have no Religion, own being Libertines, and profess vice; for want of education they have nothing in them that does check this, for they had no principles of a Religion instilled into them. And if at any time it comes to pass that they think it is their interest to take upon them the profession of some Religion, they therefore, since they have no Principles nor rules to judge by, are most apt to choose to profess that Religion, which is like to be most gentle to the courses they have steered, and are engaged in. Now that men hope to find such an one, (whether by its constitution I shall not inquire but,) by its practice is but too apparent. Accordingly when they go over to it, they carry with them, and preserve in it the vices of their no Religion; and by consequence they went not over seriously for Religion: and are therefore so much worse now than when they owned no Religion, that they do their wickednesses with certainty of easy absolution, and so hopes of salvation; and by this are likely to be made twofold more children of Hell then before: and let them triumph in such conquests. There's nothing in the world that contributes so much to this as men's being not acquainted early with, instructed in, those Divine rules and obligations to piety and virtue, which this book the Bible does afford. If men had been seasoned first with the knowledge and the sense of duty, with the comforts that are in it, with the apprehensions of great blessings that attend it; and the mischiefs that are consequent, indeed essential to impiety and vice here▪ and their minds were furnished with examples of both, which this book abounds with; and their hearts too raised with expectations of far greater blessedness in a life hereafter, and with the belief that both that blessedness and life shall have no end: and were made sensible also of strange dreadful torments that await the breach of duty, which shall also last for ever: if these impressions I say, did prevent all other, and take up the mind, and had in them the stamp and character of God, and so there were a reverence and awe of him wrought in them, and they looked upon him as concerned in all this; how it was his word that said it; and these sentiments were grown into the very habit of their mind; as it would not be easy to corrupt or soften such, so 'twould be much more difficult to shake them, since their faith is founded on the rock of ages. Besides the Holy Scriptures carry in them such an obligation of adhering to them, and to them alone, since they are sufficient to make us wise unto salvation, and are God's word, that men would not be apt to exchange them for Legends, pious forgeries, for things that can make good no certain title from the Lord: for let them show an equal derivation of it, bring it down through all the ages as we have done the Scripture's title to him. Otherwise it justly may provoke God's exclamation in the Prophet o Jer. 2. 13. Jeremy: Be astonished, O ye Heavens, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate; saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils, they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water: cisterns therefore that may leave them in a state to want a drop of water, when their tongue shall be horribly tormented: whereas he that drinks that living water which Christ gives, his p John 4. 14. compared with c. 6. 34. word, shall never thirst, but it shall be a well of water in him springing up to everlasting life. A SERMON OF THE OBLIGATION OF BAPTISM. Rom. 6. 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ, were baptised into his death? THE Ancient Severities of this season, by which men strove (as if they had designed a fellowship with him in sufferings) to celebrate Christ's death in mortifying Rigours and Austerities, at least to use the body of Sin as cruelly as his was used: these, I say, were not only for the discipline of Penitents, of Christians that had sinned against their solemn undertaking and profession, so to actuate their Repentance and to mortify their lusts and inclinations, and by that prepare them for an Absolution on Good-friday Eve: but they also were much earlier employed upon the Catechumen, that were Candidates of Christianity, as by which they did express their sorrow for, and detestation of their former lives, and so prepared themselves for Baptism on Easter Eve: for that was their most solemn time, as Tertullian does assure us in the 2d Century, just when that death and passion into which they were baptised was celebrated, a De Baptismo cap. 19 Diem Baptismo solenniorem Pascha praestat, cum & Passio Domini in qua tinguimur odimpleta est▪ b Ibid. de Poevit. c. 6. praesertim. And that they did prepare for it with watchings, fastings, weep, and all rigid mortifying discipline: and before him Justin M. And they had in the c Vid. Menard. not. ad Creg. S. p. 137. 138. Greek Church their forty days for these severities: and a while too in the Roman in d Epist. 61. ad Pammach. c. 4. St Hierom's time, and Pope e Siric. ad Himer. Tarrac●n. c. 2. Siricius it was so, but quickly sunk into this single week's performances. But in all those times they had their f Tertull. de Poenit. c. 6. & de Bapt. vid. Menard. p. 136. scrutinies, their strict examinations to try whether their performances were real and sincere. So nice and so severe a thing they thought it to become a Christian. The man was to be mortified and die into the very name. But now, God knows, as for the former discipline for Penitents one Church hath lost it, and the other hath debauched it into Pageantry, and taught it to countenance and bolster men's continuance in Sin, and minister to vice. So for the other discipline too, if that did import that Baptism hath such engagements in it, men in every Church live now as if they either never had been Christianed, or had never known, or had perfectly forgot the obligations of that Sacrament; the thing which St Paul reproves here by his question, Know you not &c. And which therefore 'tis impossible there can be a more proper time to call to your Remembrance then this is, before you are to celebrate that death you were baptised into. Now to inform such he disputes here very closely. The sum is this: They that are dead to Sin cannot live any longer in it. Now as Christ's Death was a death to Sin, for in that he died, he died unto Sin once v. 10. i. e. there was an efficacy in that death of his to put an end to all the powers of Sin: which being so, it was impossible he could die more than once; but must be alive always afterwards to God. So in like manner whoever is baptised, he is baptised into the likeness of that death v. 5. namely into a death to Sin; inasmuch as by solemn profession and express undertaking he does die to it, for he renounces it; and if he answer that his undertaking, does so really: and really as Christ died once, so as to live always afterwards to God; engaging himself to keep Gods holy will and commandments and to walk in the same all the days of his life. So that the words suggest these things to be discoursed of. 1. Christ's death was a death to Sin. 2ly They that are baptised are baptised into that death, namely into a death to Sin. 3ly They that are baptised into that death are to die as Christ did, i. e. to die to Sin once, so as to live always afterwards to God. 1. Christ's death was a death to Sin, i. e. there was an efficacy in Christ's death to put an end to all the powers of Sin. And here I mean not that extrinsic efficacy of his death, as it confirmed the Covenant of the Gospel, whose rewards and punishments engage us against all those powers; nor as his blood did also purchase grace whereby we are enabled to resist them, but the direct influence of that death tends to destroy all the power that the Devil, World, or Flesh had either to command us or condemn us. The Scripture tells us that by Death he destroyed him that had the power of Death, i. e. the Devil Heb. 2. 14. Christ tells us he hath overcome the world for us John 16. 23. and St Paul says by his Cross the World is crucified to us, and assures us that God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and a Sacrifice for Sin condemned Sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. Which place discovers how all was effected, namely as he was a Sacrifice for Sin: and that not only as that Sacrifice did consecrate him to, and install him in a power to pardon Sins upon Repentance, and so whomsoever by virtue of that motive he took off from serving Sin, from them he took away the guilt of it: but as that Sacrifice did take away the guilt of Sin from us by bearing it in his own body on the tree, the direct consequence of which as to its tendency and efficacy is, that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness. And in both these manners g 1 Pet. 2. 24. by his stripes we are healed. I do not mean to entertain you with the controversy that there is on the account of these two Schemes, concerning the effects and uses of the death of Christ. Only I cannot choose but wonder why it should be said to be unjust in God to lay upon him the iniquity of us all: so as that he bore death as the punishment due to sin by making satisfaction for us Sinners. For I would gladly know to whom the wrong were done in this, that makes the injustice, and on whose part it was unjust: not on his part that made the satisfaction sure. For whether it be wrong to force an innocent person without his consent to suffer for the guilty I shall not dispute. But here Christ gave himself for us Tit. 2. 14. and had power to do so John 10. 18. And having power to lay down his life, and power to take it up again, if he had so much love and pity for lost mankind, as to lay it down for three days to prevent their everlasting death and misery; no justice certainly, nay no self-love forbids this. Much less was there wrong done to them, for whom the satisfaction was made; unless eternal redemption and eternal blessedness purchased at such dear rates with such infinite kindness be accounted injuries. Nor yet was it unjust in him that did receive it: for none charge it upon that account. That death which all confess Christ did justly submit to, God most justly might accept; since he could so dispose it, as not only by it to work the Salvation of those whom it was undertaken for, but also the advancement of his humane Nature, that did undergo it, to the highest pitch of glory, to all power in heaven and earth Phil. 2. 9 and withal thereby declare his own Righteousness Rom. 3. 26. and work the honour also of his other glorious attributes. And therefore if there had been no injustice (as they say) although Sin had been pardoned without any Satisfaction; much less could the receiving this be a wrong to him. Indeed it seems as if there had been no right done him by it, because he furnished all that makes the satisfaction, and he could not receive it therefore, since he gave the value to it. And 'tis most true in compensation of rights of real possessions, and such as can be satisfied no otherwise then by that which we call restitution. As for example in a debt, be I never so willing, 'tis impossible I can truly restore or satisfy a debt in any part with what the creditor does furnish me to do it with: for that is really his extinguishing and forgiving it, and not my payment. But 'tis not so in compensation of the rights of estimation, or of honour, which are satisfied by that which we call reparation. The man that had brought up a false report of me, and lessened my just reputation and esteem, but yet reputes upon his death bed, and would fain repair my honour, sign a recantation, but hath nothing then to make it with, nor strength nor skill it may be to subscribe it: though I furnish paper pen and ink, write the form and hold and guide his hand to sign it, and explain the marks too of the witnesses, and publish it, which makes the very matter of the Satisfaction; yet he truly satisfy's. The case here also was a case of honour; there was no restitution to be made to God, from whom it was impossible we could take any thing, or make him sustain any real loss: but we had done that which tended to his dishonour infinitely. For when God had made man in his Image, righteous, and Lord of all his creatures, built for immortality of happiness; and as in order to his Government of the whole Universe he put rules into them to guide their workings, so he gave man laws to direct him how to use the other creatures regularly, and to steer himself in order to attaining his own ends of blessedness: so lest he should transgress those laws, and so disorder and deprave himself, and the whole Government indeed, if there were neither check nor fear upon him; he did therefore add a Sanction to his Laws, decreed death the penalty of each transgression, and God knows that could not be but death eternal; for it was not possible we could recover and rescue ourselves out of it if dead once. Now if notwithstanding men did slight this mound, and broke out into all excess of licences, so as to discompose and vitiate the order, the whole frame of things, not only using other creatures to irregular ends, and so abusing them, but themselves also, disturbing the whole kind; their vices forced them to invade other men's proprieties and and liberty and life, and consequently to expose their own; no one thing could be safe, their coffers, and their beds, and their breasts too were broke into and thrown open, and having broke the Government thus far, they also set up other Governors, framed new Gods, and forgot him that made them, and gave all their service to those forged usurping Deities, and worshipped them with villainy and vices; so far as that they lost the very rules of virtue, and the principles of honesty were quite debauched. Things being thus, it is impossible that any thing in the world can be more reproachful to one than this is to God: for what can so much tend to the disgrace of an Artificer, as that his workmanship should by no means serve those ends, which it was made for; but the direct contrary to all: designed to work the glory of their Maker, and their own Eternal happiness; and instead of that they work out nothing but their own destruction and eternal misery, and their Maker's disservice: and what could more reproach the wisdom of the Maker? Or what can so much tend to the dishonour of a Supreme Governor, as to have his Authority slighted, his laws broken, trampled on, and for any trifling, least occasion, as if it were done contemtuosly, his threatenings all despised, his person libelled, and before his face his homage, worship, Throne given to the meanest, vilest of his creatures, to his basest Rebels? If God suffer this and cannot help it, where is then his power? If he can, and will not, where his holiness? how does it appear he is displeased at Sin, or does indeed not like it? He is aware the Sinner cannot choose but make such Judgements of him, for he told him long since, h Psal. 50. 21. these things hast thou done, and I kept silence, and thou thoughtest wickedly, that I was such an one as thyself. At least as St Paul asks the wicked Jew, thro' breaking the Law dishonourest thou God? For so it is: the name of God among the Gentiles is blasphemed thro' you that pretend to his service, but live wickedly, which makes them think your God is not a God that does require good life. Now if he do not vindicate himself from these aspersions, and his laws from violation, his authority from contemt, how is he just to himself? or how a righteous Governor? 'Tis true he knows to vindicate himself, and make appear he is an holy God, a righteous Governor; namely if he but execute his laws. But then alas, mankind must perish for evermore, and so the whole design of the creation, (which was made for man to serve God with it, and to praise him for it, to be religious, and be happy,) had been lost, and still the wisdom of the Maker had been questioned. Hereupon the Son, who is the wisdom of the Father, is to take flesh, and be made man to teach virtue once more, and assure immortal blessed recompenses to it, and then suffer death, the dire expresses of God's detestation and abhorrence of Sin, what ever he should think fit for vindication of his laws and his authority, his righteousness and holiness; and upon condition that he would receive to favour and to blessedness those that sincerely would believe, repent of all their evil deeds, renounce them heartily, and faithfully endeavour to obey him, he would fully satisfy for the dishonour man had done him. And truly when he bore the sharp inflictions of the wrath God had for Sin, as certainly he did, for otherwise scarce any malefactor but did meet death with more alacrity and courage. The two Thiefs, that suffered with him, did not entertain the apprehensions of it with such agonies, nor cry out so with the pain of it, nor so soon sink under it. It was the sense of this which made his blood run out in clots as it were flying from that sense: it was the apprehensions of the guilt imputed to him, and the wrath which he knew was due to it, and did apprehended must fall on him in such degrees and by such measures, as might show how God detested Sin; it was this that did make him apprehend his God, who was himself, was gone from him, since he left him so long lying under it, as if he had not yet expressed that detestation full enough. Now if we consider that it was the Son of God that did and suffered all this, we must see more of God's attributes exalted to a greater height of honour, then by mankind's either suffering or performing what the Law required. We see his Justice satiate itself in infinitely richer blood than man's, the blood of God: but we see Mercy triumph against Judgement in that very blood. He could have shown his detestation of Sin otherwise, even in the Sinners punishment, and so demonstrated his holiness and justice; but it was impossible that he should otherwise show mercy at these rates, by crucifying his Son who was himself, that he might spare Sinners. Mere pardon had been no such kindness, as to let us see, that God would do all this and suffer so that he might pardon us. So that mankind forgiven and in glory had not been so great an evidence of his compassion, nor in torments so great an evidence of his holiness and detestation of iniquity. He had such compassion of us as inclined him to deliver up his Son to torment, that he might show mercy to us; yet all that compassion, though his bowels yern'd so over us that he would shed his blood for us, could not incline him to forgive Sin without such an instance of his detestation of it; nor yet with it but to such as will forsake their Sins. For how should he appear by those inflictions to detest Sin, if he should accept the Sinner that amends not? give his pardons and rewards to one that will not part with his iniquities? To such Christ's sufferings are the Copy of their expectations; he does let them see how he detests, and will for ever plague Sin unrepented of, who thus torments the imputation of it on the innocent the blessed Son of God. So that Christ's sufferings not only are a perfect vindication of the honour of God's person, and his Government as to Sins committed, but the most astonishing caution against committing them, that can be imagined. With us the Law is satisfied by the offenders suffering, sometimes in effigy, if we execute his picture, any thing that by the fright of the example helps to guard the Law from being broken. But see here an example, which to make, cost God the life of his own Son, which to make dreadful he provided all the Agonies imaginable, to assure us, he that spared not his own Son, will not spare the guilty: neither can the Sinner possibly be able to endure that to Eternity, which his Son, the Son of God sunk under presently. 'Tis not a satisfaction that will give us leave to enjoy our vices, and atone for us; a price that will buy off the guilt of all our Sins, and let us have them. The satisfaction of this infinite value looks at vindication of God's Honour, and his Laws, and serves the ends of Government, and assures the Sinner, which amends not, that he must for ever perish. And thus this Sacrifice for Sin condemned Sin to death by his own death. Which death, that we would imitate, we did engage in Baptism: which brings me to the second thing, Whosoever are baptised into Christ Jesus, are baptised into his death: (i. e.) that which the efficacy of his death did work to, that by Baptism we did engage ourselves to. Now as to this. 1. Christ's death was, as we have now seen, undertaken for the death of Sin. Now Baptism imports the undertaking the same thing; it being as Oecumenius upon this place does say, a Baptism unto that death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. Because when we are baptised, we do most solemnly profess and undertake to die to Sin, renounce the Devil etc. and put upon ourselves the strictest obligations in the world to do this. That Baptism from its institution was administered with express engagements to this in the very form of it, I could prove out of that office in all ages that have any extant of it, in the rest out of express testimony of i See Just. M. p. 93. Fathers thro' every one to the Apostles. Which so universal practice makes St Hieroms, Primas. and others explication not seem strange, when they expound that good profession Timothy professed before many witnesses 1 Tim. 6. 12. to be that in Baptism. However 'tis sufficient evidence that St Peter, when he says that the k 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptism that saves us, is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the whether question in l Epist. 70, & 75. St Cyprian, or the Answer in Tertullian; or indeed the stipulation (which is both) of a good conscience towards God, does as much as say there was in Baptism an obligation entered in that form of Law, that stipulation was, with questions an answers to them. m Vide Nicet. in Orat. 40m m Greg. Nazian. Tom. 2. p. 1041. mihi. For they were asked, and they did answer: Dost thou renounce? I do renounce. Dost thou forsake? I do, etc. And he that at Sacrament says that he does this with a good, sincere, and upright Conscience, hath the Baptism that saves. But the importance of the Rite may be best known from them that used it first, and whence it was derived, even from the Jews: who when they did initiate a Proselyte into their Covenant, did it with that Ceremony in this manner; when any man desired to be of their Religion, and they had by several scrutinies examined what the motives were of his conversion, what his aims; if they were hopes of any thing of this world, they refused him; lest his conversion should die or change as quickly as his worldly hopes or desires. But if they saw all reason to believe he was sincere, than they expounded to him all the Commandments, laid before him the difficulty in keeping them: if this did not affright him, they explained to him the mysteries of their faith, and the Commandments again, together with the punishments that were allotted to transgression, the Rewards to them that did observe them. After all which if the man continued steadfast in his purpose, they circumcised him, sprinkling his own blood on him as a ceremony to affright him into the Observance. And one would think it were sufficient engagement to have signed his resolutions in his blood, and sealed to them with Circumcision, as the Targum words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and carried the impression of his promise in his flesh to his life's end. But as if Baptism had obligation beyond that (and it hath most certainly with those that are baptised into the death of Christ; for there the blood of sprinkling is Christ's blood, the blood of God:) but with them also: after they had done this to the man, he was no sooner cured of the wound of his circumcision, but they put him (having by him three Witnesses) into the water, and as he was there in it, read to him once again all the Commandments, and if he did profess his resolutions still to keep them, they baptised him, and he was admitted thus into their Covenant, the Conditions, and the Hopes of it. And by Baptism they did admit the children also, if the three Magistrates of the place would undertake for them, they should be brought up in the Jews Religion. And this lets us see 'tis the assuming to keep God's Commandments, to give over sinning, to die to that, and to live to righteousness, to all holiness and virtue. And with what strength of obligation this was understood to be performed by the Ancients, we may perceive in that, as if there either really were, or at least analogically, whatsoever gives solemnity or force in Law to an engagement, so as that it may become inviolable; that they word this with. They seem to think it was an oath; Tertullian calls the Answers Verba Sacramenti. So they might call a vow made with hands lift up, as that was. n Nicet. in Greg. Naz. Orat. 40. n. 57 p. 1087. Tom. 2. They were to do it before many Witnesses for more assurance, in the face of the whole Church. Yea that profession too was registered in the Church records always: and o De Symb. ad Catech. l. 4. c. 1. Tom 9 pag. 1030. St Austin says it was in heaven too, Deo & Angelis ejus conscribentibus dixisti, Renuncio. And though there were not really in fact, what p De Antiqu. Bapt. Ritibus l. 2. c. 27. Vicecomes dreamt, a signing and sealing this their compact with Almighty God meant, when q Catech. 1. Mystagog. Cyril says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and in r De Pudicit. c. 9 p. 725. Tertullia's ring Signaculo lavacri— quo fidei pactionem interrogatus obsignat: yet the mere allusion does assure us, they intended to convince us, that as in Covenants amongst men, when there's no one Ceremony wanting of all the formalities and ties of Law to make a compact sure and not to be rescinded or avoided, than performance of Conditions only will serve turn, and is necessary; so this Sacrament puts all the same necessities upon the baptised. And it is no wonder therefore if the same s De Poenit. c. 6. Tertullian word that men are intinctione alligati, tied from Sin by it. Nay more St Paul says, we are held from it by the bonds of Death, for here he says, we are baptised into Death to Sin, as if he did suppose us no more able to have any motion to it, than a carcase hath; yea shut up sequestered from the practice of it as it were in the grave, buried with Christ, or as Christ was in that Death. 'Tis plain this Scripture does suppose a baptised person dead to Sin, as truly as they are supposed dead, who are buried: for the Ceremony represents a burial upon that account, and signifies the bonds or obligations, that by Baptism are put upon a Christian to restrain him from Sin, are in moral speaking of like force as those bonds and swaths, in which they wind up dead men, grave-cloaths that do bind them hand and foot in natural speaking, are of, to restrain from motion; and a Christian, that hath burst all these engagements, and walks in the way of Sinners, that courts pleasures, and embraces lusts, pursues the world, or runs to the excess of riots, is a great prodigy in manners, as a corpse that had broke his coffin, thrust away his grave-stone, and that leapt up in his winding-sheet should yet come and converse, and practise all the offices of life, would be a prodigy in nature. And therefore 'tis not strange, if our Apostle press hard and suppose that they never do again return to live to Sin, to which they were already dead and buried with Christ, (for they that are baptised into the death of Christ, are:) they were so to die as Christ, that is, to die to Sin once, so as to live always afterwards to God, having engaged to keep Gods holy will and commandments, and to walk in the same all the days of their life: the 3d thing that I was to speak to, That Baptism does bind us so to die to Sin, as that we never live to it again, i. e. be given up to it, so that it come to have dominion of us, and that we obey it in fulfilling of its lusts, and go on in a known deliberate habit, in a course of its repeated acts, is the thing my text is brought to prove: for in the verse before he says, We that are dead to Sin, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, How shall we yet again live to it? That cannot be: for they that are baptised, are baptised into the death of Christ, a death like his, who in that he died to Sin, died but once, v. 10. but ever afterwards he lives to God, and cannot die again: So also reckon ye yourselves to be dead to Sin, v. 11. He therefore that is truly dead to Sin, must be so dead as that he cannot live to it, for then there would be a necessity that he should die to it again, which can no more be, it should seem, by the importances of Baptism, then that Christ can die again. We read indeed of those that crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, Heb. 6. 6. but he dies not for them again, there remains no more sacrifice for sin; which words being said of those who being once by Baptism enlightened fall away, and do not persevere to their lives end, makes it look fearfully, as if it were meant of every one, that after having undertaken this in earnest does relapse to Sin so far, as that it lives in him, and reigns over him again. In the race that is set before us he that runs with all his might and heart may stumble and fall, but 'tis impossible that he can wilfully turn back again, walk contrary in full career. Our Saviour seems to state the question perfectly John 13. v. 8, 9, 10. where he tells St Peter and the rest of the Apostles, that they that were washed, were clean wholly, save their feet, need only have them afterwards washed; but they had so much need of that, otherwise they had no part in him. The Traveller that had cleansed himself, and had preserved his body carefully from all defilements, let him do his best, his journey yet must needs foul his feet, and therefore 'twas the custom always there to wash them. So in your Pilgrimage here, those that have by Baptism been cleansed (for so the Author in St Cyprian expounds it, and Tertullian from this verse proves the Apostles had been baptised) and according to the vow there made renounced sincerely, rid themselves of all the gross unclean habitual courses of their life, yet their conversing with this Earth will certainly contract such sullages, that if that which is typed and meant here by my washing of your feet, be not done to them, however they have been baptised into me, they can have no part in me, no benefit from me. All of you, my Apostles, must be cleansed from your ambitions, your contentious pride, which puts you upon frequent strifes whi●h of you shall be greatest, Math. 20. etc. Some of you from the fury of your passion and revengeful heats, that would needs call for fire from heaven, Luke 9 54. Peter in one night (some think in this that he was washed) did also find there was occasion that his arrogant presumption of his own strength, how though all should be offended, he would not; but would die for his Master Math. 26. 33. should be washed away: his negligence and carelessness in duty also, watching not even in temptation, when he saw his Master by him in an Agony, v. 40: his wrath so great as that it made him draw his sword and wound without authority: and beyond all, that evil temper of his mind, that made him thrice deny his Master, Savior, God, for fear of danger; all these must be washed away. In fine, whatever passions or affections to ill things, or single acts that do surprise men in their course, all these, though only he that washed us in his own blood, can wash away and cleanse us from; yet these evidently may be in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the baptised: but continuance, life, dominion cannot, he supposeth. If these be, the washing of the feet does not cleanse these, and there's no other after-washing: for he that is washed must not need, save to have his feet washed. So that he that is washed, however carefully he walk, he will contract some dust and some foul spots it may be, but he will not roll himself, nor wallow in the mire. At lest Christ seems to think they would not; he would not imagine men would live in constant opposition to such obligations of eternal consequence, and of their own assuming; and after they had tied themselves with their own vows, yet live most dissolutely, letting loose themselves to all the things they had so solemnly abjured: indeed pursuing them as if the vow were on the other side, as if they had renounced Religion and the God of it, and by their actions did all they could to exorcise and conjure out of them the holy Spirit and the whole Trinity, into whose possession they were given in their Baptism: As if indeed their bodies were sprinkled to those purposes the Heathens bodies were in the Solemnities of the infernal Gods; to consecrate and devote them to those foul Fiends, and their fouler deeds. And where it is not thus, yet those divine engagements are not half so sacred with them as the promises of their debauched converses, or the assignations of their folly: they break them without any least reluctancy in sport, in the intemperances' of their mirth they drown them; and with the least puff of scoffing or blaspheming breath blow of all those necessities this Sacrament does put upon them; and however St Paul call it death and burial, their Sin lives and conquers all God's obligations to piety, and triumphs over vows and oaths, and murders resurrection to new life. I must confess I know not what it is, but it is plain now adays few men seem to consider there is such a binding sacredness in Baptism, such things they believe were promised in their names when they were Infants by their Sureties, who, they think, may be concerned to mind them that they take good courses: but sure this cannot be interpreted their own act so formally as to expose them to such dismal guilts, as breach of vows and perjury, with all aggravations possible, when e'er they fail. They cannot think it the same thing as in the Christians of the first ages, who had first perfect conviction of the everlasting miserable state of Sinners, and that out of that there was no refuge but in Christianity, which not only offered to relieve, but make them blessed to Eternity, upon which assurance they repented, wept, and begged to be admitted into it, and took upon them all the Rules of it with all obligations to keep them; and this out of perfect understanding and deliberate choice, full resolution. Such was the case of the first Christians, but theirs does not look so sacredly. Indeed if any do believe they can come off from all as from engagements put upon them under age, that those vows were but promises made for them in minority, and will not hold against them: then they might do well to be ingenuous and plead this, to renounce the renunciations that were made for them, cancel and disown all. So we read the men of Congo (when their land was first discovered by the Portuguez) were easily persuaded into Christianity, and baptised in great abundance; but when they found it did require some strictnesses, they had no mind to bear, that they must leave their Heathen practices, particularly their multitude of women, they came back to the Church, renounced what they had done, and returned back to their indulgent Heathenism. For why, they knew not how to reconcile the Christian vow with living in the open breach of it, they were too honest for such practices. Now such an obligation is most certainly Essential to Baptism in what age soever 'tis administered. For that being the rite of entering the new Covenant, and a Covenant being a mutual contract, something agreed on and contracted for on both the parties that do covenant, of which that Sacrament is the Seal, it is impossible, but from the nature of the thing it must oblige them that receive it to the performance of all that the Covenant does require on their part. And this obligation was still entered even when Infants were admitted in the way of vow or solemn promise. 'Tis not t Epist. 23. ad Bonifacium. St Augustine's age alone which calls that custom ancient: but Tertullian in the second Century assures us, Infants promised by Sureties; and we saw the children of the Jewish Proselytes had undertakers. And evidently u See Deut. 29. v. 10, 11. by Gods own prescription children entered Covenant with him; for they were circumcised at eight days old, and that is called so Gen. 17. 14. and that by that rite they did undertake to keep their whole Law, is most certain: for St Paul assures us 5. Gal. v. 3. I testify to every man that is circumcised, that he makes himself a debtor to do the whole Law. So here the rite hath that importance; the Sureties do but answer what it stands for, and if the infant does not understand the vow at present, so he is not to perform it for the present, it is an obligation in relation to future life, than he will understand it, when he is to keep it. After the leisures of Nature, when the Age of temptation and knowledge are come, than it will be of force upon him when it is of use to him; but 'tis entered at the present. And that none may think its being made for them by others in their name, and their consent not had, lessens the engagement, give me leave to call to your remembrance 2ly, how that was made up and supplied with all solemnity of obligation possible in Confirmation. For as from the beginning upon those that were baptised when they were of Age, the Apostles, and then afterwards their Successors, by solemn laying on of hands and praying did invite, call down the H. Ghost, who hovered there over the laver of Regeneration to hatch the new creature, as he once moved on the face of the waters to warm them into the first creation; that so his strengths and graces might be added to their vows: so when infants were baptised, this was deferred for this end, as our Church declares, that when they come to years of discretion, and have learned what was promised for them in Baptism, they may themselves, with their own mouth and with their own consent, openly before the Church, ratify and confirm the same, and also promise, that by the grace of God they will evermore endeavour themselves faithfully to observe and keep them; which they do there upon their knees: whereupon that grace is prayed for for them, and they blest by those, whom God hath appointed to bless in his name; that so they who just then are grown able to be taught all the debaucheries of youth, warmed into the desires and the strengths of vice, might have not only this check of their own vows fresh upon them, but the effusions of the H. Spirit, those living Rivers in the inwards, as St John expresses, that may quench and wash away those unclean heats. 3. To express more the inviolable Sacredness of those obligations, which in Baptism were entered, and to let us see they were baptised into the Death of Christ, from the first times, they did immediately make them, that were baptised, partakers of the Symbols of that Death. For from that Sacrament they proceeded directly to the other, the Lord's Supper: of those that were baptised after they were of age we can derive that practice quite from x 2d Apol. pag. 47. Justin Martyr; which being done so universally to them, no question gave occasion to the doing it to Infants after Baptism, and then they found a text for it, and made that universal also. But though that be justly changed, yet after Confirmation we proceed to that; and often we repeat the use of it: now that we renew in the Lord's Supper what we did engage in Baptism, when we entered the new Covenant, is evident. Christ calls the cup there in St Luke the new Covenant in his blood, and in St Mark, this is my blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that blood of the new Covenant. The words relate to those Exod. 24. 8. where it is also said this is the blood of the Covenant; for God dd seal his Covenants still with blood. Whereupon neither was the first Covenant dedicated without blood. Heb. 9 18. that was its Sanction. Now the Sanction of a Covenant is some Rite, which being celebrated in the name of those that covenant, does oblige them to stand to, not to rescind the agreement; which that Rite was contrived to do (supposing that the most effectual way) by imprecating mischief on the person that did break it. The usual way was either kill of a beast, the blood of which they poured out, or in some Nations drank, or else they did dissect and tear the victim and either swear over, or pass thro' between the parts; by one of these significative Ceremonies implying a severe commination, So be it done to him that breaks this vow. And all these the Heathen, who are full of the Examples, seem to have derived from Gods own practice, who appointed Abraham to do so, when he went to make a Covenant with him Gen. 15. and his meaning in such Rites he hath reveled by Jer. 34. 18, 19 the men that have transgressed my Covenant, even the Princes, Priests, and all the People that have passed between the parts of the Calf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will make those men that Calf, or as that Calf, which they did cut in twain, and pass between the parts thereof, i. e. I will divide and separate them among the Nations. For the wishes of all this that Ceremony did import. But more expressly there in Exod. 24. 6. And Moses took the half of the blood and put it in the Basins, for the People's part, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the Altar, as on God's part, and then he took the book of the Covenant, v. 7. and read it in the audience of the People. Now that Book, especially in the four foregoing chapters said on God's part what he required of them and what he would do for them: and the People said on their part, All that the Lord hath said we will do, and be obedient, v. 7. Upon which undertaking on both sides Moses took the blood and sprinkled both the book and all the people, Heb. 9 19 saying, this is the blood of the Covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning these words i e. thus both parts of you oblige yourselves in figure to make good your Articles, In shedding this blood on the Book the Lords indenture, he, for whom it is impossible to fail his word, yet condescends to use this rite, by which those men that covenant devote their own blood to be shed, if they should fail: and in its sprinkling on you all, you also wish, if you perform not your part, which you promised, that your own be so poured out. This is shed as your type, and 'tis your giving earnest that your own is forfeit, when you fail in your Conditions. For that these wishes were employed all in that Ceremony, and not only at the first sealing of the Covenant, but mere Repetition of it, when 'twas only read again before and to them and their children, Moses tells them; All you are here this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pass, alluding to divided Sacrifices, to pass, I say, into the Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and into the execratory oath, into the imprecations which are signified in those divided Sacrifices and that Bloodshedding, the Sanctions of that Covenant. Now what that Blood and those divided Sacrifices were to that Covenant, that Christ sacrificed, his body broken and his blood shed was to ours: and is therefore called, Heb. c. 10. the Blood of the Covenant (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with which it was ratified and hallowed) God no more engaged in faint types, in the blood of goats and calves, but in the blood of God, with that he ratified, hallowed the new Covenant. And when our Saviour calls the Sacramental cup the new Covenant in his blood, and the blood of the new Covenant, it must have the like importance, the broken bread must be as the divided Sacrifice; the wine poured out, the Covenant Blood: by taking which we much more properly may be said to pass into the Covenant, and into the oath and curses of it, than the Jews were said by Moses to do so at the mere Repetition of theirs, or indeed at the first making. For that blood was not sprinkled on us as theirs was, but drunk in; we thus by our own act and deed devoting ourselves to those curses if we fail, yea taking earnest of them into us. The sum is this: Our Saviors words of this cup being the very same with those in Exodus, demonstrate that this Sacrament is a renewing of our Gospel Covenant with Sacrifice. The doing that is the assuming to endeavour to observe all the conditions of that Covenant with a most solemn vow or oath, and under curses; the tenor of those curses is, Let that light on me if I fail, which was inflicted on the federal Sacrifice. Now that Sacrifice was Christ himself, the ceremony of it was his body torn and his blood poured out, in a word, all those bitter agonies which we there commemorate, and which that Sacrament does represent. It signifies therefore that we there renew our vow of Baptism, assume faithful Evangelical Obedience to all the Gospel does require: which if we do not faithfully endeavour, and where we transgress repent, but fail wilfully, we wish that all the agonies of Christ may be our portion. This is the Tenor of those our performances. And now consider, I beseech you in the fear of God, with what strange multiplied arts of managery Almighty God pursued you thro' all the stages of your life to seize on you, & scare you, that you might not be a prey to vice and to the Devil. How in your first Infancy he took early possession, and in the soft tenderness of that age (a temper the most capable of impression) set his seal upon you, marked you for his own, that so the first thing you should come to understand might be, that you already were engaged to him and to his service, not only Sanctitatis designati in Tertullian, designed and set apart for, consecreate to holiness; but in a solemn vow of it, sworn to Religion and the keeping of God's Commandments. So that the sense of these great obligations might prevent not only any first essays of vice, but even the first inclinations of the appetite or body. We know whose fault it is, if children be not seasoned in this manner. Now when by means of careful education pious principles have taken up their yet untainted understandings, when their minds are stored with images of good things, and their apprehensions wrought into an awe of God and reverence for Religion, and to an abhorrency of vice; lest constitution ripening, curiosity inciting, edging it, example drawing in, encouraging, and conversation pushing forwards, Youth that is not settled steady, hath not firmness nor experience, might yield to, at least not break the first assaults, which for the most part are the most impetuous: that age was called upon to come, and solemnly upon their knees before the Congregation to renew their vows. Which could not but refresh the sense of all their obligations, and make new and strong impressions of their great concern of fearing God and being cautious of all Sin, and more and more excite and actuate their care in the performances of dutiful obedience. And truly besides those assistances and blessings we might hopefully expect to reap in that rite from the prayers and benedictions of God's Officers of blessing; besides this, at that time when the mind had not been yet deflowered, the mere shame of violating what we had so publicly, so holily resolved and sworn, must needs be a strong curb to rein us in from evil. Our heart would have failed us, if we had attempted any; for our very blushes must have called away the blood from thence to rise against the thing we had so solemnly renounced and bid defiance to. Yet more to strengthen us we were thenceforwards yearly called upon at frequent solemn seasons to renew all in a more engaging Ceremony, in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, where with deliberated preparation in the most tremendous Symbols we again made oath, y Plin. Epist. ad Trajan. that we would not deceive, wrong, or oppress any, bear false witness, kill, commit adultery, or steal, or covet: and all this with the most astonishing circumstances possible, doing it in the blood of Christ that was shed for Sin, as it were showing to ourselves the cursed consequences of it, how it tore his body, spilt his blood, and could have no less expiation: so to make it look more dreadful to us. And having done so, taking in those pledges of that expiation into us, as it were expressing we received them on those terms we had resolved there; and no otherwise expected that they should be salutary to us, then as we endeavoured to observe them. And to do thus hath been our constant practice, and this I must suppose we are designing now, preparing for, and the more to affect our own selves with a real intimate sense of all this, that Passion of our Saviour must be represented to us; Christ crucified before our eyes. We consecreate a day to show ourselves that infinite indignation God Almighty hath to Sin, which could not express itself in softer easier ways, then in the Agonies and bloody sweat, the Cross and Passion of the Son of God: and show ourselves that infinite love of his to Sinners, that inclined him to do all this for, accept it in the stead of those that faithfully would cleave to him and leave their sins: and to give more pungency to all this, that it may touch livelier and pierce deeper, we intent to entertain the celebration with the humbling and afflicting of our own souls; and all this to actuate, give life and vigour to the resolutions that we are to take upon it. For while our hearts will be yet wreaking with the apprehensions, we intent in that blood to renew again our vows, and this we do from year to year, and mean to do now. Now sure we think we are in earnest when we do thus: we do not tie these sacred bonds upon ourselves, as Samson did teach Dalilah to do on him, only to try our own strengths on them, and to serve us to break thro'. And therefore in God's name that we would now begin to try in earnest whether we could keep them, and that whosoever vows thus would first set himself against that Sin, which constitution or his custom makes his sorest enemy, that if he chance to come near an occasion of it, he consider, I have deeply sworn against thee, I have made a Covenant with my God and with my eyes, and with my ears, and bound them from pursuing their careers over the invitations, that have hitherto crept in at them, and betrayed me; and whensoever a temptation does come towards thee, bethink thyself, that 'tis the Devil's harbinger, and that he himself is not far off, but is there laying trains for thee, and however kind his address be, he hath a dagger at thy heart, and a chain at thy feet, which he is then come from below to get thee into out of all thy vows; and a dungeon in Hell for thee. Do not therefore treat with it, but call up all thy resolution and thy oaths; for otherwise thou dost betray thyself, and it is plain thou hast no mind to keep them, that thou didst not take them with that meaning. And truly any one would think so, that considered but men's vows and conversations: how they first vow cleanness in the Laver, which the Holy Ghost did hollow, and then make their whole lives to be but wallowing in uncleanness, and make that filthy, which that vow had cleansed. And then they swear amendment at the Altar, dip those oaths in blood to make them solemn; and straight mind and contrive nothing else but how to vomit up those Oaths and that Blood. They seem before a Sacrament to have some sorrow, or at least some thoughtfulness about their Sins; but yet not resolving perfectly to part with them, they bring them with them to that Sacrament, set them at Christ's table, as it were to feed on that body which they crucified, make them imbrue their hands in that blood which they shed. And this is the return they make to that blood shed for them. They bring them and their vows against them both together to the Altar, and they leave their vows there, but they take their Sins back with them, and serve them still. Now does eternal ruin look so lovely to us, as that we will break thro' all oaths to get at it? Is't worth the while to be at once false to God and our own blessedness? Do vows so straiten us, that we cannot endure the obligations to be happy? In God's name be at last more true to your own Souls: consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding. A SERMON OF THE PREROGATIVE OF MERCY, in being the best SACRIFICE. Matth. 9 13. Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. THE words are part of a reply of our Saviors to a cavilling question of the Scribes and Pharisees, who seeing him converse familiarly, accept the friendship of an invitation, sit and eat with open noted Sinners, and (which was as bad a name amongst them) Publicans, ask his Disciples why they and their Master do what they know was forbidden and unlawful? To whom having answered, that he did converse with them only in order to their cure, (now a Physician, that goes to visit his sick Patients, is not therefore blamed for going to them because they are sick,) he further justifies himself by an account of Gods own mind and dealing set down in the Scripture, of whose meaning, if they had not taken notice hitherto, he bids them now go learn it. For God tells them by his Prophet Hosea, that he prefers acts of mercy, doing good to others, before any Ceremonies of his Worship, though himself ordained them, whether Sacrifices or whatever others. For I will, says he, have mercy and not sacrifice. Therefore Christ did but comply with Gods own will, when he accepted of an invitation from such sinners, merely to have the better opportunity to invite them to repentance and to heaven; and in doing so did but prefer the acts of highest mercy in the world, the doing everlasting blessed good to souls, before obedience to such ritual precepts, as forbade converse with the unclean and sinful. I need not here observe, that the negation is but comparative, and means, I will not have Sacrifice, but Mercy rather, yea I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, where I cannot have both; or that by Sacrifice also is meant all Ceremonies of God's Worship, although instituted by himself, and those not taken by themselves and merely external Acts and void of the inward zeal and devotion that should spirit them, but taken in their best states; yet God will have works of Mercy rather. And that doctrine is, it seems, worth learning and attending to: for so in the text there is besides the proposition itself I will have mercy and not sacrifice, also the insinuation of its usefulness in those words, go and learn what that means. I shall not break these into other parts, but raise some Propositions for the subjects of my discourse. And First since God compares two sorts of things here in the text, and says he will have, or is pleased with one and not the other, which other yet 'tis plain that he was pleased with and would have, for he commanded them; 'tis evident he does imply, that as these, called here Sacrifices, were grateful to him, as they were obedience to his precepts; so the other therefore, which he does prefer to those, they must be good and acceptable to him in themselves, not only as they are commanded. Some actions therefore have an intrinsic honesty, are of themselves, in their own nature morally good and wellpleasing to God, as some also are the contrary. 2dly Of all that are so in that manner good, those of Mercy are in an especial manner such, I will have mercy. 3dly Of all acts of mercy those are best and most wellpleasing in God's sight, which are employed in reducing Sinners from their evil ways: those were such our Saviour is here pleading for. And 4thly 'Tis only the opportunity and the design and hope of doing good to Sinners by reforming them, that can make familiar converse with them excusable and lawful: I mean, where no duty of a relation does oblige to it. Christ himself had no other plea to justify his eating with them, but that he intended it as a mercy to them, as his opportunity to call them to repentance, All these we see flow naturally from the words. First, some actions have an intrinsic honesty, are of themselves, in their own nature morally good and wellpleasing to God, as some are the contrary. When I say they have an intrinsic honesty and are in nature good, I mean the rule of them is intrinsic and essential to the agent, is indeed his nature, and by consequence their goodness is as universal and eternal as that nature. Now it is a doctrine that hath had Advocates as ancient as the great Carneades and the Sect of the Pyrrhonians, that in nature antecedent to all laws and constitutions there is no rule of unjust or just, good or evil, honest or dishonest; and that nothing of itself is one or other, but as our concerns or interests do make it to ourselves, to prosecute which is the only inclination and the only rule that nature gives us: or else, as the public interests incline superior powers to prescribe them, whom it is our interest also to obey. Accordingly we find this saying in Thucydides, that to them that are in power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, nothing is unreasonable that is useful. And the Athenians being stronger tell the Melii, that by rules of human reason things are just in that degree that they are necessary. And then as necessities and interests do chance to vary, good and just must change into their contrary; and as different countries and persons cannot but have opposite rules and mesures of necessity and usefulness, so they must of just and honest: thus the laws of Virtue serve, like Almanacs, but for such a latitude, and a different elevation of the Pole quite altars them, and makes them good for nothing. A pleasant sort of good and honest this, which any wall or dike, that divides Provinces or Countries, can give boundaries, lines, and rules to, so as that it shall be virtue and right on one side, vice and error on the other: as if those principles of good and evil, which seem planted in us, and the world calls natural, were nothing else but prejudices taken in from early conversation; as dogs learn (they say) the skill of chase. And it were great pity, if this age, which so much needs the patronage of such a principle to give countenance to their licentious practices, had not also found out some, that re-establish and plead for this. But I shall not give you or myself the trouble to advert to them, but shall only briefly lay the grounds of the contrary truth, which is so plainly set down here in the text: for if God himself though he had constituted both the acts of Mercy and the acts of Worship, so that whatsoever goodness law or constitution (though divine) could give, both had, if yet he shall prefer, and will have one much, rather than the other, 'tis because there is some difference in the things themselves. For he that sees and judges as things are, if he shall judge one better, than it is so, and that by some rule antecedent to that judgement, that is, from the nature of the thing itself, which is the reason why he judges of them diversely, and constitutes, and wills them differently. So that God supposeth, that there are some actions of themselves, and in their own nature morally good; neither is it hard to prove it. And tho, if we but viewed man's nature in itself, whether made by God or chance and atoms it matters not, we should see sufficient grounds to count his actions laudable or blame-worthy, as being morally good or bad, according as they are directed by, or deviate from that rule: yet in my first proposal of the thing, I shall make bold to take in God as the contriver of man's nature, and all other. Now when the great Creator of the Universe had made it up of infinite variety of beings in an excellent order, 'tis most certain that He being a most wise agent made each being for some end, which it was to attain, unless it were made in vain: but ends are not attainable but by operations suited and proportioned to those ends. The operations of a simple element will not reach the ends of life, or sense, or reason; as in artificial things we cannot use a ball to cut, or Coulander to carry water in, and therefore as it is the business of each art to take care, that their tools and all their productions be wrought so, that their very make may fit them to work out these uses they are made for: so in Nature, God's art, it was therefore necessary he should frame each several being so, as that the nature of it should be as it were a rule to it, to regulate the manner and the measures of its workings, that so they might tend orderly and constantly towards those ends, which he designed their operations to work out, and in their courses might comport with one another's motions; and by doing so contribute to the ends and uses of the whole. For if the nature of each being were not such a principle, causing some to move in one way, some another, fitting this for one use, that for others: or if in their motions, or their other actings they should deviate from the rule of nature, they could neither be said to be those beings, neither would they make a world, but Chaos, routing always and confounding one another. But while they do observe that rule, act and are moved according to their nature, and by doing so fulfil their uses, and work out the ends of their creation. So we see they are the preservation of the world, and consequently they must needs be truly, what God saw they were, when He had made them all, very good. Those of them indeed that are determined by their nature to one course, which they can neither err from, nor discern that they observe, not morally good; because there is no place for virtue, since there is none for choice in such determinations. But then there is a creature that hath faculties to understand and choose, and which hath principles impressed upon him, that enable him for apprehension, judgement, and discourse of reason, and by consequence who is only able, as to understand himself, so also to find out the nature and the uses of the rest, and therefore who alone is capable and fit to be the Lord of them, and was made so, and hath therefore ends above the ends of all the rest; whose nature also, as the others were, (there being the same reason of them all) was a law to itself, to regulate his actings, even all his apprehensions, judge, reasonings, and his choices. Now if he also do not turn aside from the line of direction, which his being does incline him unto, in pursuance of the aims of a nature that is rational and was made for society, his actings must be good, that is, fit for the uses, which he was designed for, and it is not possible that they can fail his Maker's ends, and consequently must be well pleasing to his great and wise and good Artificer, since so they justify the goodness of the workmanship. But yet if he neglect and violate the laws of his own being, and as he corrupts himself, so also being Lord of other creatures, if he employ them not to their own uses, but abuse them, make them serve irregular and vitiated purposes, this maladministration cannot but renverse the state of things. Thus acting he not only puts himself by those ends he was made for; but defeats God of his aims in the creation of the rest, by putting them to uses that despite him merely, stand in perfect opposition to his wisdom, holiness, and goodness, all his attributes, and work out nothing but disorder and destruction, and by consequence are bad and most displeasing to their Maker, and since these (as the other good ones were) are done discernedly and with deliberation and choice, they are therefore morally so. So that actions of men in themselves, and by the rules of nature, may be morally good and well pleasing in God's sight, or the contrary. Yea which will follow from the premises, and which I only touched before, although there were no law of a superior being, which required that man should live conformable to his own nature, and to those impressions and notices, which in his making have been stamped upon him, to direct and regulate his actings, yet his very nature, howsoever made or happening, being such a rule to all his works, would have the reason of a law to him: for as with them that grant such a Superior and Creator, that very supreme being, though he be Almighty, can do all things, yet there are such things, that 'tis impossible for him to do, they are so bad, and all his actions are most infinitely good, not by reason of a conformity to the precepts or prohibitions of a law; for none such can be set to God, but merely as they are conformable to the most infinite perfection of his nature. So abstracting from all law of a superior being, and considering man in his own nature as a rational sociable creature, and relating to the place and station he fills in the Universe, his actions would be good or bad by disagreeing or conformity to that; and he that acts in opposition to it, is as mischievous, yea as unnatural a thing as if one of the Elements of the world, or any chief ingredient of its making, should have changed its operations, and by consequence not be itself, but the disorder and the pest of all the other. We seem indeed astonished seeing heavy bodies to put off their nature and ascend, and we rack principles to find out causes: when the vicious man, that acts daily against his reason, is the same constant prodigy: the man, that pours down streams of intemperance, until they mount into the throne of reason and quench the little spark that's seated there, is as unnatural a thing as a stream climbing up a wall, and every Sinner is as much a monster as a stone falling upwards, does as much against his nature, reason; is indeed a greater monster. For when those other things do leave their nature, 'tis either from some violence in the efficient; if water mount, 'tis by the force of engine or some other pressure, or, as some say, from violent impulses of a final cause: 'tis for the preservation of the whole community of natures; for if it be to avoid vacuities, it is so, and it does against its own inclination, only for the strong concern there is for the benefit of the Universe: but the wicked man, that lives against the dictates of right reason, his own nature, is urged to it by no violences but those of wilfulness, is pushed on by no engine but a naughty heart, nor hath he any higher ends that make impulse upon him, but he is only passionate for unworthy ruin, violent for an unreasonable destruction. The Heathens were so sensible of Nature's obligation in man to live virtuously according to reason, that they called the doing so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as if there had been an engagement to it in his very constitution and being: and his principles and frame did promise for him he should live so: and therefore a Lib. 2. c. 9 Arrian upon Epict, tells a man that did a thing injuriously or with passion and impetuosity, or but without consideration, or to gratify his lower appetites, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thou hast destroyed the man in thee in having not kept nature's word, but broke the promise, which thy very being made for thee. As if man's nature undertook as solemnly he would be virtuous, as the fire's nature does assure that it will burn. But we who profess also to believe, that God made man in his own image, consequently must needs grant, that so far as he impressed on him the likeness of that nature, whose perfections, as they are most infinite and immutable, so they are a necessary and unchangeable rule of goodness to those beings that are transcripts of his being, so far therefore he hath planted in us rules of good, which since they are derived from our supreme Lord and Creator, must have the force of law to us, and are that which the Scripture calls the Law written in our hearts, whose dictates (howsoever slightly vain men think of virtue, that it is but an emty name, or at the best but politic contrivance without any real grounds in nature) have yet their causes as eternal, are themselves as immutable, not only as man's nature, but as Gods, of which man's is the draught and image, and are justly called participations of those form of goodness that are in God, of which they are the prints; and amongst them none more lively than the rule of Mercy, the thing that God does prefer here, when he says, I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice. Whence we observed, that amongst all those actions, which have an intrinsic honesty, and are of their own nature in themselves morally good, and wellpleasing to God, those of Mercy are in an especial manner such; the second thing I was to speak to, for I will, saith he, have Mercy. The word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies benignity, and by it is meant all love and kindness, the exercise of the habit of mind, that disposeth a man to do all the good he can to every man, in what condition soever. Now to prove that human nature hath implanted in it principles of universal kindness, and propensions to have friendship to, have pity on, do good to one another, I shall not urge what * Acts 17. 26. St Paul saith, that God made of one blood all the nations of the earth, though certainly in that one kindred there be an obligation to the dear affections of near relatives. But if all would grant that one blood, it would, I fear, prevail not much, for now adays nearness of kindred is not apt to make close friendships and concerns for one another, if an interest chance to interpose: however one blood, when it is divided so and scattered, hath not force to warm and spirit strong affections or to cement much. But this I will take confidence to urge, that in the latitude of creatures none is born with so much need of mercy, as a man: none wants so many helps to be brought forth, none leaves the parent, that did bear it and should nourish it, in so weak and helpless a condition, (I speak as to the generality,) 'tis merely others pity and assistance that they live: and then if mercy, others help be the most pressing and the first necessity of humane nature, the return of mercy, pitying and helping others is the first and the most pressing obligation on that nature. To go forward; as this state of infancy demonstrates nature did intend him for society, since without that 'tis not only most impossible that he can be that rational creature, ever can exert the faculties of speech and the discourse of reason, which yet 'tis plain nature hath fitted him for; but also most impossible that he can be brought up to be so, when he is so, 'tis society alone that still preserves him, and 'tis only mutual good offices that preserve society. Nam quo alio tuti sumus quam quod mutuis juvamur officiis, saith Seneca l. 4. de Benef. c. 18. and man's life subsists, is furnished and rose only by commerce of kindnesses, by helping one another: take him single, and what is he but the prey of any beast almost? vilissimus & facillimus sanguis, the cheapest blood and easiest to be spilt. Those creatures that are born in deserts, and born for them, are all armed, but nature gave no strength to man besides the kindness and assistances of other men; take away them, by which alone it does subsist, and the whole kind must perish. But so far you labour to take them away, as you believe not to be good, kind, merciful, and assisting is not a thing of itself ill and unnatural, which it must needs be; and the contrary most natural, when as nature hath provided only that, as instrument of its security and preservation. So far is the accursed principle of self interest and of man's just right to do what e'er he lists to others, howsoever mischievous it be, if he conceive the doing of it useful to himself, from being any principle of nature, that the first voice of nature teacheth us the direct contrary. And whosoever he be that is, I will not say unjust to others, but not kind, friendly, and apt to do good to them; he that hath regard for only self, and mesures all by his own inclinations and interests, is such a thing, if nature only judge of him, as aught to have been exposed when he was born, and to have no pity showed him, when in tears and in his blood he cried for it; he should be still abstained and separated from, as one whom Nature herself excommunicates, as one who is no part of human society, but the proper native and inhabitant of the desert. But he that is unrighteous, who by worng whether of violence or fraud or but of debt makes his own satisfactions, that to serve his uses and occasions dares take, or but detain from others what is due to them, and supports his pomp and plenty with that, which of right aught to cloth and feed others; and so eats the bread and drinks the tears, and, may be, blood of Creditors; he that is so unmerciful as to be thus cruel, though Almighty God were silent, even Nature would herself prosecute such a person with her out-cries, as we do fire, when 'tis broke out and rages, for he is all one; fire also spreads and seizes all it can come near, whether man's or God's house, to make fuel for itself and to increase its blaze: so that the other should be looked upon with the same dreads and abhorrency, for he is the same disorder in the frame of Nature, and in this the voice of Nature is the voice of God, which is our other medium to discover what is natural. Now since we have declared, that natural virtue is in man the imitation of God, is as it were the workings off of those forms of goodness that are in him, and the lines and rules of it are but the lineaments of his perfection, 〈◊〉 will be easy to evince, that the rule for mercy is a most important law of Nature, since the practice of it is so natural to God himself. Now to prove this, passing by all other methods of probation, I shall content myself with that one declaration of himself he made, when he proclaimed himself b Exod. 34. 6, 7. the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity transgression and sin, and that will by no means utterly cut off the guilty, (so I understand it out of Jer. 46. 28.) will not make a full end, a clear riddance of them, when I visit. God seems here to have taken flesh in his expressions ere he was incarnate, that he might have words to phrase his goodness in: and he had bowels of mercy before he was made man, and yet all this, he says, are but the back parts of his goodness Exod. 33. v. ult. but that of it which we meet with in his dealings with the Sons of men, as we see it à posteriori, and in its effects here: but the face and glory of it was so bright and dazzling, that he tells his friend there Moses, that 'twas not possible for him to see it and live. Yet now St Paul saith, God hath given us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 6. Indeed there was Divinity of mercy, and more too; humanity was taken in, that God Almighty might be able to bestow more than himself, and all that he might show compassion on us men. It seems, O Lord, thou wilt have Mercy, yea and Sacrifice too. If thou require such an offering, as the Sacrifice of thine own blood and of thine own Son, that thou mightest have mercy on us; and then let men dispute, that vindicative justice is essential to God, that sin and its punishment are annexed by as unchangeable necessity as God's Attributes are to his being, and that by the express exigence of his nature he no less necessarily executes it, than the fire burns: we may well be content it should be so, when this strict necessity, if such there were, did but make way for, was subservient to the ends of infinite Mercy, and by that demonstrates, that benignity, compassion and forgiveness are much more the inclinations of his nature, and if he intended man in any thing his image, sure he did in mercy; therefore does our Saviour charge us, be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful, who as he had no other reason to create the world, so 'tis most certain, that he had no other reason to redeem it. That Oeconomy was intended as the means of mercy to poor Sinners in reducing them, which is the Mercy my third observation speaks of, which was this; that of all acts of Mercy those are best and most wellpleasing in God's sight, which are employed in the conversion of Sinners: that was such, for which our Saviour is here pleading, when he saith, I will have Mercy. But here I mean not such conversions as they are employed about, who compass sea and land, not so much to convert men from the evil of their ways, to the true real practice of Christianity, as to convert them to their Church: to which men would not go so fast, but that by the debauch of all good Christian discipline, there are such easy absolutions to be had, though men be not converted from their evil ways; for it is impossible to find a Church or a Religion in the world, which men may sin so hopefully and comfortably in, as that of Rome, as it now stands. But these busy Agitators of conversion, besides that they convert not men to Catholic Christianity, but to a name, and indeed faction, have made Catholic a word of party: if they should multiply, we should soon find, they would have Sacrifice, not Mercy. I do not mean their Host, that Sacrificium incruentum, bloody Sacrifices, we know, are a main part of their doctrine and their practice, who have used to turn whole Nations into shambles for their Church's sake, and make bonfires with burnt-offerings of their fellow Christians. But waving these Conversions, those the proposition speaks of, are such, as reduce Sinners from their evil doings, to the universal faithful practice of all virtue and all piety. Now of all acts of Mercy, that those, which endeavour this, are best, Nature herself would judge: since they do aim at reinstating man, the crown of all her workmanship, in the integrity and rectitude of Nature, which is his own true perfect state, and is therefore the most proper and best for him, as relating to that state. But God, who beyond that designed to make man, who had fallen from his own nature, to partake of the Divine Nature, as St Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. 4. and in order to it called us to glory and virtue, v. 3. cannot but account that kindness, which endeavours the recovery of Sinners from corruption and misery, to the state of virtue, and so on to glory, and to be partakers of his Nature, as a kindness that is in great degree Divine. And certainly, if acts of Mercy be, as we have seen, so well pleasing to God, 'tis certain, that the acts of greatest Mercy must be most wellpleasing; and it is as certain, that those Mercies are the greatest, which relieve from greatest miseries, and invest with highest blessedness: but the eternal happy preparations for the Penitent, and the as infinite and immortal torments, that await the Sinner, transcend all comparison with other things. Both of them indeed were proposed in Mercy, Hell itself was threatened merely in compassion, to affright our passage, and to make our entry inaccessible. 'Tis true it must be executed on the final impenitent, that God may be true; he is engaged in his veracity to inflict it, and yet he scarce knows how to do it, or to punish: How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, O Israel? My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together, Host 11. 8. Since thou wilt not do it, not turn, not repent, sure I must, for how shall I give thee up? Yea he does it till that he be weary with repenting Jer. 15. 6. till he be in passion, so as that with oaths he does expostulate c Ezech. 33. 11. as I live, saith the Lord, I would not the death of the wicked,— turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die: yea more he sent his Son out of his bosom to prevent it. Would you know the value of that kindness, that endeavours to reform such Sinners, it was worth the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Word was made flesh purposely to call such to repentance: so my text saith, I came to call Sinners to repentance. But to call them to it, Lord! out of thine own mouth we will challenge more from thee; for thou didst answer to this very same reproach of being a guest to one that was a Sinner, The Son of man came to seek and to save that which is lost Luke 19 10. not to call only, but to seek; and how, he shows you in the Parable, chap. 15. v. 4, 5. What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? and when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. The Sinner he hath strayed into by paths, gone away from the Shepherd of his soul, is a lost sheep; but yet when he is gone his farthest, is in mazes, knows not which way to betake himself, than this good Shepherd does not only call, invite to a return, or (as the Father in the Parable) run to meet him in his coming back, but goes himself to seek him, seems to mind the recovery of each single one that's lost, and contributes as carefully to his return, as if that one were all his charge, and the whole flock not dearer to him then that sheep, he leaves the ninety and nine to seek that one, and he seeks till he finds it, and then lays it on his shoulders: the wand'ring sheep it seems had strayed till it was weary, and had tired itself with running from its Shepherd, so as that it neither could come nor be driven home; but that too is provided for, for therefore he is carried: that none, how far soever he hath gone away, may yet despair of coming back. This sheep had wandered to so great a distance, and to so much weariness, that he was fain to be born back, when he was found. Yea and the burden was most acceptable, for he laid it on his shoulders rejoicing: assure thyself he will refuse no burden for thy sake, who was willing to bear the Cross for thee; be but contented to be found by him, and he will carry thee with gladness, & the joy will spread itself to Heaven also, v. 7. There is joy in heaven over one Sinner, that repenteth. The kindness, that effects this, is worth a triumph in God's presence among all, God, Angels; it is worth a passion of the Son of God, it is fit to make a joy in Heaven, and fit to make the Lord of Heaven descend to earth, and to the grave for it. Nor yet content with having done all this himself, he gave his Spirit to ordain and qualify a state of men to agitate this only work to the world's end. For saith d 2 Cor. 5: 20. St Paul, we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. I know not whether the Ambassadors are likely to prevail, in what the Son himself hath failed; and whether Gods beseeching us will do that, which his dying for us hath not yet been able to effect; or whether they that come with the same Embassy, have not reason to expect the same unkind reception: for it is no wonder, if that Message, which did cause Christ to be crucified and his Heralds martyred, which was so unwelcome, that they shed the blood of entire. Nations almost to extinguish it, and laid waist whole Regions to extirpate it, should not now be any whit more grateful: for without all doubt men love their vices now as well as ever, and indeed 'tis hard to love the men, that come to tear their bosom inclinations from their heart, whose words are corrosives and caustics, lances, saws, and whatsoever other instruments, that serve to mortify and to cut off; men that design to sour all their satisfactions they have in the world, by throwing in the thoughts of present guilt and after torments, whom if they believe not, they must needs despise, and hate them for assuming so to check and censure, lay such black dooms on their actions; if they do believe them, they must needs be tortured by them, feel convulsions, wracks within at their discourses, and by consequence cannot much affect them. 'Tis hard not to be enemies to them, who, though they say they come to treat a reconciliation, are Ambassadors of war, and whose commission 'tis e Isaiah 58. 1. to cry aloud, not spare, but lift up their voice like a trumpet to proclaim defiance, sound a charge against them, and to show the people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. Now to be told of faults, to have one's bosom ripped up, and the guilt displayed, was hardly ever acceptable; good counsel, admonitions and reproofs never have been welcome, and then how should they be so, whose office 'tis to bring them, and who are, as the Wise Man saith, Ordained to reproving. But 'tis as unhappy sure, as 'tis unreasonable to dislike the greatest kindnesses for being such; if mercy shall be thought to merit hate, because it is the highest mercy, what then shall oblige? The poor man does not scorn the garment that is sent to clothe his nakedness, or the food that is bestowed upon his croaking, clinging bowels, though the very alms betoken and discover the necessity, he hath yet no malice to his Benefactor therefore: but the perishing naked soul thinks, he that labours to relieve her wants, upbraids her with them, and the invitations therefore to the Supper of the Lamb, the offers of the wedding garment, of the robe of Immortality provoke her. Men allow the Physician yet to tell them of those maladies, that have guilt in them, and receive prescriptions from him of such methods of severity and discipline, as few would go thro' to Heaven, and all this endears the man: but he that shall attemt an application to the vice, which is the cause of all this, to remove which is the only possible way to secure from relapses, and the certain way to health and life eternal, he is judged a mortal enemy, as if there were nothing in the world so dear to men as their sins are, no kindnesses, but what are showed to those, are grateful; that were true love that would see them, let them perish everlastingly, and not speak to them to direct them; as if all benefaction to the soul were injury, and the mercies, that have in them Heaven and Eternity, were mere defiances. But how irksome however such conversations are, as by admonitions, or whatever other methods aim at the recovery of Sinners, they are the only conversations with them that can be justified. For, which is the fourth and last thing that I am to speak to, 'Tis only the opportunity and the design and hope of doing good to Sinners, by reforming them, that can make familiar converse with them excusable and lawful; I mean where the duty of a Relation does not oblige to it. And first, I will not give myself the trouble to find out a law of God among the Jews forbidding to converse at all with Heathens, and by consequence with open Sinners, which might give occasion to this question of the Pharisees, since St Peter tells Cornelius Acts 10. 28. Ye know, that it is an unlawful thing for a man, that is a Jew, to keep company, or come unto one of an other Nation: and our Saviour, when he would prescribe the distance, which his censures were to make men keep, from any refractory Sinner, words it, let him be unto thee as an Heathen or a Publican, as supposing they were not to company with those; and in the Text he also reckons the observance of that distance from all Sinners as a duty, calls it Sacrifice, and justifies his doing otherwise by this plea only, that he came to them to call them to repentance. But if a command be called for, we have several, 1 Cor. 5. 11. Now I have written to you, not to company, if any man, that is called a brother, i. e. professeth himself a Christian, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one no not to eat, and the like: 2 Thess. c. 3. v. 14. If any man obey not our word, note that man, and have no company with him; adding v. 15. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. The Converse is therefore lawful only, as an opportunity of admonition. For Secondly, if it be lawful otherwise, I might ask, for whom? not for the Clergyman most certainly, whose calling it is to admonish, and he is false and treacherous to his office, as well as his company, if he do not, who is set God's Watchman, to give notice of approaching dangers, & who is responsible for every soul that perisheth for want of warning; nor the Magistrate, who if he see vice, by his office is as much obliged to punish it, as the Clergyman to preach against it. He also is the Minister of God to execute wrath, as the other is to denounce it, whose easiness is much more baneful than the others silence, and makes all those faults, which by not punishing it does encourage, and by that is more unmerciful to the community then arbitrary tyranny, and is guilty of that blood it does forbear to shed; and as not for these, so not for any one, since reproofs and admonitions have been the duty of every person from the beginnings of Religion Leu. 19 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Silence then in God's esteem is enmity, not to reprove perfect hatred; and indeed to labour to preserve a man from perishing eternally does look like kindness: but if this kindness be too sour, and sullen for this present age that will not bear correption, and in opposition to God's judgement calls that hatred, looks upon it as a provocation and affront, and answers it with a defy, and with the retributions of a mortal injury; yet there are commands Thirdly, which God hath made as fences merely to secure our virtue, charging both in general of Sinners: My son, walk not thou in the way with them, refrain thy foot from their path Prov. 1. 15. and also in particular of almost every sin: Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go; lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul, Prov. 22. 24, 25. and look not upon the wine when it sparkles: and sit not by a woman etc. so that merely to converse with these solicitations to sin is the breach of commands, which commands if they should be only methods of security, not rules of express duty, yet not to observe them is to slight the only Antidote God's wisdom could prescribe against contagion, and that man, that does so, does assume to guard himself, and so devests himself of the protection of God's Grace and Holy Spirit; and then, if he fall, he is not only guilty of the fault that he commits, but of wilful contemtuous refusal of the means of preservation from it, of design indeed to make the sin unavoidably to himself: for such familiarities express, that he desires to be engaged in the necessity of sinning. For he that does invite the danger, and converse, and play with the temptation, can have no other ends, but to be ensnared and taken. Now judge of yourselves, I pray you, whether he that does require to pluck out the right eye, if it offend, and cut off the right hand and foot, that with such torment to ourselves we should bereave ourselves of those so useful organs, whether for the ornament or the necessities of our being, if we find that we shall be betrayed by them, and who requires it on this penalty, that otherwise we shall be cast with both ours eyes, and hands, and feet into Hell fire; whether he be likely to excuse the conversation with those objects, that engage our eyes, and poison our souls thro' them; or else will allow me, by thrusting myself thus into temtations, to lay violent hands upon sin and destruction, who commands me to cut off my hand rather than touch vice. Or else will he give me leave to run into the snare, who bids me cut my foot off rather than be taken; sure he supposed we would be willing of ourselves to divorce and tear ourselves from the allurements and occasions, who thought it unnecessary to prescribe such easy remedies as to avoid them, and requires of us, that when the allurements shall surprise, or force themselves upon our senses, we tear out the organ rather than yield and be overcome. Or he thought at least, that although the companions of my vices are grown dearer to me then mine own eyes, their converse more useful and more necessary to my satisfaction then my hand or foot is to me, yet to pluck out, cut off, and cast all from me. But were I proof against temptation, and perfectly secure from the contagion of such conversation, yet 'tis Fourthly, less excusable in respect to Gods concern then any other. To sit and see virtue not only violated and deflowered with loose unclean discourses, but like Thamar then thrust out of doors, despised, Religion scoffed, and turned in ridicule; all that is Holy laughed at and profaned, and Gods Laws vilified, his Word burlesqued and drolled upon, his Name blasphemed and himself railled, cursed, renounced, yea and denied a being; and hearing this, I do not say to find delight and entertainment in this sort of company; for none, but those that are of reprobate minds, can do that possibly, take pleasure in that which hath nothing in the world to recommend it, but the boldness of the villainy: but to sit patient without any least sense of resentment, as one that had not any least concern for God Almighty's honour or his being, is ingratitude to such a bulk and brutishness of guilt, as is beyond the power and art of aggravation, or indeed expression. It was not only death by God's Law to dishonour or blaspheme his Name, but at the hearing it, though but in repetition by a Witness, all the Jews that were in hearing were obliged to rend their garments, as their Laws assure us in their Talmud. Yea we find the Courtiers in Isaiah 36. 22. coming with their clothes rend to King Hezekiah, to report the words of Rabshakeh an Alien, who but in a message from his own King had spoken slightly of their God; and the High Priest, whom it was forbid to in most cases, in such did it. And one would think that it should rend our hearts, of which the other was but a Symbolic Ceremony, and implied that duty. To hear one slight though but by inadvertency a person, whom some one or other of the company hath the least relation, or but any little obligation to, requires that person by the laws of honour indispensably to call for reparation. To touch the reputation of a Mistress, or what's worse, and owned to be so, ought, they say, to be no otherwise then fatally resented: and these are accounted such just causes of men's indignation, that a man that's unconcerned, will take it for a glory to be second in them, and he that never had the honour to be drunk in the man's company, will venture to be killed and to be damned for him in such a quarrel: Therefore every man, unless he do design to quarrel purposely, does think himself bound to forbear offences of such kind in company, where any one's obliged in honour, or by rules that men have set it, to take notice of it. Now though it were prodigious insolence to urge in parallel to this, that it should seem that God Almighty is not thought so much a friend to any, none have such relation to him, nor on any account have reason to be so concerned for him, or for his honour, that men should forbear him in their company: yet it seems dreadful after such plenties of his blessings, Miracles of kindness in stupendous reskues and deliverances; where, to pass by all those Mercies that concern Eternity, his temporal preservations have contested with our provocations, and overcome them, and so often that they have out numbered all our hours, and all other numbers, but our sins: that these endearments should not yet be able to oblige us so far, as to move us, when we hear his Laws or his Religion, or his Word and Name, or himself dishonoured, to desire them to forbear that God, that hath been so kind to us; or if that be judged unmannerly by the Swordmen, yet at leastwise by uneasiness and by withdrawing to assure them, that we cannot bear the hearing it. God did once say in a severe threatening determination, f 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Go ye and learn, what that means; consider, I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. SERMON IV. Of God's method in giving Deliverance. Psalm 102. 13, 14. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. According to the version used in the Liturgy: Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea the time is come. And why? thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust. THE address of this text is not ordinary; they use to be directed to men for their instruction and practice: but this does treat with God, seems to prescribe to and appoint him: and now not to excuse this by a plea, that since men have been deaf to all addresses from this place, that have been made unto them, 'tis time to change the method; and seeing we cannot persuade men, try if we can in that sense of St Paul's words persuade God: but to say for ourselves when human wisdom cannot find expedients for us, and our distresses are beyond the succours of their power or their counsel, 'tis fit then to betake ourselves to God, to plead with the Lord, and never let him rest; and when the help of man is vain, to to cry out, O be thou our help; and with holy confidence, thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion. Indeed addresses to God use to be made otherwise, in a petitionary form at least; and it would seem much more to become us, if we humbly begged, Arise, O God, have mercy upon Zion: yet this here in the Text is such a form as does need nothing else, but faith in the Petitioner to make it acceptable. There is some difference in the reading of the latter verse, the one version rendering, for why? thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust: the other thus, for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof: yet this is easily reconciled, they think upon her stones, indeed with sorrow for, acknowledgements of their demerits, which did call down this calamitous condition, and being passionately thus affected with the sense of it, they willingly receive, contentedly and cheerfully accept this punishment of their iniquity, this return of their demerits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: and since it is on their account, namely thro' their demerit that she is so low, since they are sensible themselves did make her fall into the dust, they cannot choose but be more tender; love and pity her the more, and be more willing to do what they can to raise her up, a Jud. Leu. pulverem ejus evehere cupiunt. In the words there is an holy confidence, that God will grant the thing they long for, mercy to Zion: thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion. 2dly A Reason of that Confidence; for the time of showing favour, the appointed time for it is come. 3 die A ground for that, because thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust. In handling which I shall consider 1. The Stones of Zion, and those in the dust, or at least in great danger of impendent ruin. 2. That though God is not always minded to succour his own Zion, yet he hath set appointed times for that. 3. That when the Sons of Zion are affected towards her as the Text expresses, then is usually God's season for deliverance, his time of mercy and of showing favour, than the appointed time for it is come; and then we may take holy confidence, and in full assurance of faith say, Thou shalt arise. First of the Stones of Zion, and those in the dust. Zion was, we know, either the City of the King, where there was the seat of Judgement, the thrones of the house of David, Psalm 122. 5. or else it was the mountain of the Lords house; and so the stones of Zion are either the stones of the seat of Judgement, of the Throne in the dust, or the stones of the Lords house, the Sanctuary there. Both these therefore might be treated of, and I shall speak to both, but more particularly to the later. And those stones may be either taken naturally, as they are the stones of a material Sanctuary; or else mystically, in that sense they often have in Scripture, which says, we as lively stones are all built up a Spiritual house. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 1. The stones of Zion the material Sanctuary in the dust the Psalmist thought an object for so much pity, that some Psalms are but the Liturgies of his pious resentments upon that occasion. Psalm 74. is full herein, Think upon Mount Zion, where thou hast dwelled; lift up thy feet, that thou mayst utterly destroy every Enemy, which hath done evil in thy Sanctuary, Thine Adversaries roar in the midst of thy Congregations, and set up their banners for tokens: they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers, they have set fire upon thy holy Places, and have defiled the dwelling place of thy name even unto the ground; yea they said in their hearts, let us make havoc of them all together. It is not many years since this was our complaint, concerning both the house of God and of the King, the Church and Monarchy, as if the life of one were bound up in the others life. We saw God's honour, at least the place where his honour dwelled, laid in the dust; nor was it suffered to stay there, the stones of Zion not allowed to find a place for burial in that dust, which is the common grave: the Church itself had not a Monument, nor the tombs a sepulchre; but the very ruins were disquieted, the rubbish troubled, and the stones and dust suffered a deportation, used as if men thought with them to build a Sanctuary for those Sins that demolished them, and make a Refuge for their Sacrilege. 'Tis true, to many this seemed no sad spectacle, nor would it now to such, as think any occasional room, of the lowest name and usage, might do as well for the uses of God's service. Strange! when there was never a Religion in the world, that did acknowledge any sort of God, but would allot some place peculiar to his worship: with them whose deities were Sicknesses, the Fever had its Temple. Yea and stranger, in a world that does devote set rooms to every use of nature, of convenience, and of pleasure; the recreations have a place made for them, and the meanest instruments of sport have so; meals have one, and feasts have another, luxury hath its offices, State hath many; chambers, antichambers, and withdrawing places, merely because there may be so many rooms of which there is no use, for that is Pomp: if God should not have one too, for all uses that relate to him, to meet us in with all his train of Angels, and to bless us, and to entertain us with the food of heaven, with himself. But whether men desire it so again, yet so it lately was; and when his table was removed, his entertainment too was laid aside, and the Sacrament become as desolate as the Altar, God's houses & his mysteries too in the dust, God did arise. I cannot choose but see that we have no such object of resentment now, but how much farther off it is from being thus at this time, and how much less apposite to our condition at this present, the discourse is so much greater demonstration of what my Text affirms, that when God's honour is affronted thus, and his house vilified and ruined, than the time for favour, the appointed time is come; and when the stones of Zion are thrown down into the dust, his Servants humbled too into the dust with sorrow and resentments, than God shall arise; for so he did. It was so also, if we look upon the Stones of Zion in their mystical and figurative sense. Now although every sincere Christian, every one in whom, on the foundation of a true sound faith, an holy life is superstructed, be not only in b 1 Pet. 2. 5. St Peter's words a lively stone, but in c 1 Cor. 3. 16. St Paul's a Temple, yet more properly the whole community of Christians is in Scripture represented to us as the body of a building. St Peter tells them, ye are built up a Spiritual house, 1 Pet. 2. 5. and St Paul saith, built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth up a holy Temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built up together for an habitation of God thro' the Spirit. Eph. 2. 20, 21, 22. The ends for which 'tis called so, seem indeed more lively represented in the parallel resemblance of a natural body Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that body the body of Christ Eph. 1. 23. or that of which he is the head Col. 1. 18. from which all Christians do receive their life and motion, their increase and strength, no otherwise then as they are united and tied by joints and nerves to one another and that head Eph. 4. 16. and have all one Spirit also 1 Cor. 12. 13. Of all which expressions as one end is to enforce such unity in the profession of their faith, and communion in Gods public worship among Christians, as there is unity and communion between the several parts of one same person, that their union in it should be so strict, that all their assemblies for it should make but one body with one spirit; so another end is to assure that as in one same body there are several parts for several uses, without which it could not be an organised, complete animal body, so in the one body of Christ the Church too there are d 1 Cor. 12. 5, 6. several ministeries, offices, and powers, some more noble, others more inferior; and the whole body may as well be all eye, as each member in the Church a Seer, every part be tongue, as every man a Teacher: St Paul from that Analogy deducing a necessity of several parts, and their subordination also in that 1 Cor. 12. v. 28. and accordingly, saith he, God hath set several orders, first Apostles, after Prophets, Teachers, helps or ministerial offices, and governments; without which governments and which diversity 'tis as impossible it can subsist, as for a body to see without an eye, or speak without a tongue, consult, direct and call itself without a brain or understanding. Yet this same is expressed all in the other body of a building, which my text relates to; for Eph. 4. 11. Christ gave also some Apostles, and some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors, and some Teachers, for the perfecting the Saints, compacting & holding Christians together in assemblies for Gods public worship; for the work of the ministry, for the edifying, or building up of the body of Christ. Now this emblem to the body of a building (as the other) is a type of Unity, but yet of several and subordinate stations in the Church's unity. For stones however excellently squared & fitted, are yet no parts of the structure, till they be cemented to the rest that lean on the foundation; the number possibly may make a heap, but not a frame until they be disposed and ordered in their several stations; for there are such in this body also, every hewn stone cannot be a pinnacle nor corner stone: so in the Church all are not capable of the same ministeries, offices, or powers. And yet we may remember when it was so; all assumed all, seized the offices, usurped the powers, executed all the ministeries, all subordination was demolished, order broken, Governments under foot, the stones of the Sanctuary poured out in the top of every street, as e Chap. 4 1. Jeremy laments; the Vrim and the Thummim, stones that gave the heavenly Oracles, lost in ruins. Now than God to make good the promised method of his Providential mercies, when it was thus, when these stones of Zion were in the dust, the Ephod and the Priests thrown into it, and the Priesthood and the Fathers of it, the the whole life, with all its offices and powers dying, almost all that could continue it being laid in the dust, and Zions Enemies expecting the expiring of the Order: then the appointed time was come, and God not only did himself arise, but made a resurrection of the Church too, and from the dust these stones were again most miraculously built into a Spiritual House. I cannot but acknowledge that the breaches which this desolation made were not wholly made up, nor were well cemented, and as uncemented breaches use to do, decayed more and more daily; what arts were used to keep them open, yea to widen them, by whom, for what ends too, is so evident I shall not touch it. But 'tis sure we had not much face, had no great appearance of the bodies, that the Scripture represents the Church by: for in those that were before broke off from her, there was no subordination, nor no order, nor no unity; every broken & divided piece of ruin took upon itself to be the entire building, the whole body; every Faction was Christ's Church, each Assembly was his flock, his Congregation, when indeed it was only a Spiritual riot. And when things were disposed thus, then at once to break down all the poor remainders, he that takes his place to whom Christ said, f Matth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, who yet, as not content to thrust Christ out from being the alone foundation, than which none can lay another true one 1 Cor. 3. 11. would be the chief head stone in the corner also, on which whosoever should fall, shall be broken; but on whosoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder Matth. 21. 44. He, I say, in confifidence of that success attemts this on the Reformation, and particularly on this, as they thought, tottering Church, to lay her stones all in the dust. And truly such the instruments employed are, that humanely speaking it must seem impossible to be avoided. For in God's name, under the Authority of Religion, with the greatest Sacredness that can be, they contrive the bloodiest, most irreligious, most inhuman murders, treasons & assassinations imaginable, make the holy Eucharist the bond of their confederacy in those so tremendous villainies, Christ's blood becomes the very obligation both to commit, & not confess them; for which end they say and swear even at the point of death, and upon their Salvation proved and confessed falsehoods. Now what security or guard can mankind have against such, whom no ties of Religion or humanity have any force on? Whether these be the doctrines of their Church, though that be true in most part, yet it matters not to them who are to be massacred, if they be the constant practices, and if they have such guides of conscience as can satisfy, and thereupon engage the instruments that must effect them to those practices. How they do that, I must confess, seems strange; for they yet look upon those actions, as for which they would have absolution, therefore sins. For though there have been dispensations sent from Rome, permitting them to promise, swear, subscribe, and do what else should be required of them, so as in mind they did continue firm, and used their diligence to advance the Roman faith in secret; yet such dispensations might be intercepted, as those were in 1580. and brought to King James in Scotland, and so might discover plots if they were used to give them in all such occasions: besides that they would stare the head of that Church in the face, betray his being privy to, and abetting those designs of blood, which now, if they miscarry, they can cast at first upon some private Desperadoes, and then after lie & laugh them out of men's belief. Such dispensations therefore being not to be expected still, they took other ways. For seven years after, Sextus V. offering by the Bishop of Dunblain to that King a marriage with the Infanta of Spain, if he would become a Catholic, as he called it, and join with them against the g Jesuits Catech. l. 3. c. 2. English; and this being mightily resisted by the then Lord Chancellor, which made that ineffectual, and who was their constant adversary, Father William Chrichton, who had sometime been the Rector of the Jesuits at Lions and came thither with Dunblain, solicited one Bruce, who also had been brought up by the Jesuits, and who was the Spanish Agent then employed for ships there (which that Duke intended should be joined with, and assist in their Armada) solicited him very oft for money to procure the murder of the Chancellor, which he had contrived by several ways; but being still denied, at first because his money was not trusted to him for those purposes, he could not justify such disbursement; another time because, as to the sin, it was all one to kill a man with his own hands, or to give money to procure it; and that he for his part was a private person, and had no Authority over the life of any man, and less over that of the Chancellor, who was a chief man in the execution of the Justice of the Land: and afterwards because the question was about advancement of Christian Religion; now this, he thought, would ruinate the same, in as much as men went about to promote it by murder to the great scandal of all. But finding himself still importuned more, he demanded of the Father, whether in good conscience he might consent to that enterprise, or whether he could dispense therewithal; to which the Jesuit replied, that he could not, but that the murder being committed, and he coming to confess himself unto him, he would absolve him of it. It seems they thought they had no further power then. Now Bruce's answer, though not much concerning my part in this subject, yet it was so honest, and the consequence so strange, that I shall not pass it. He replied, sith your Reverence acknowledgeth that I must confess myself of it, you also thereby acknowledge that I should commit a sin; and I for my part know not whether, when I have done it, God would give me grace and enable me to confess it: Besides I verily believe, that the confession of a sin, which a man hath done of set purpose intending to confess himself thereof, and to have absolution for it, is not greatly available; and therefore the surest way for me is not to put myself into such hazard: so it ended. But he ran into another hazard; for the Duke of Parma dying, and the Count Fuentes Nephew to the Duke of Alva in his place, Chrichton accused Bruce before him, that he was a Traitor, because he would not disburse money to cause the Lord Chancellor to be slain, and the process had its course, he not denying the thing, and after fourteen months' affliction was at last only released, without repair of his good name or damages. But passing by this, it seems they had no other snare to draw them in, could give them no assurance then, but in that hopes of after absolution, which proved insufficient; for they found themselves engaged in, and must wilfully commit crimes at the point of death, of which they could not live to be absolved. I do not instance in the perjuries of Father Garnet, though with horrible execrations. He cried mercy after; saying, that he had not thought they could have proved the contrary: and he might have absolution. But Tresham, just when dying, did deny on his Salvation things concerning Garnet, which he had confessed before, and Garnet did himself confess too after, yea and several others of their own persuasion unexceptionable persons also swore. The same words are now current in the mouths of those that suffer, notwithstanding the express Oaths of their Complices: as if they thought the virtue of their Sacrament were such, as that when men confessed themselves of their intended villainies, it absolved them of them e'er they did them, and of all the sins they should think needful to commit in the effecting them. Yea more, if they should discover or confess aught though dying, than that virtue of the Sacrament retired, the absolution became void & unuseful, the Sins recoiled upon them, of which otherwise it made them innocent, which gives them confidence on their Salvation at the point of death to deny matters of known fact, which 'tis not imaginable that they could do on any other, save on that account. And that it is so, I have one irrefragable instance of one executed lately for a murder of that kind in Ireland, which is assured by persons of best credit in that Nation, who though upon flagrant evidence condemned, denied the fact at his death on his Salvation with deep execrations as he at the place of execution went to be turned off; but it pleased God that the rope broke presently, and he soon revived, but in the greatest horror in the world; for having with such desperate execrations denied his own deliberate fact, and renounced his Salvation, he openly acknowledged the falsity of his former asseverations, and owned his being really guilty of what was charged upon him; and blessing God for giving him those moments by so strange a way to disburden himself of such deliberate wilful perjury, declared that his Confessor, when he absolved him, told him, if he did discover it, that absolution would not profit him, & that he should be damned; but if he did not, than he was forgiven. Such monstrous practices are made good & sanctified, as they contribute to the laying our poor Zion in the dust; for we have ever been the mark of all their mischiefs. Since Pius the V. Bull, it was observed there never passed four years all Queen Elizabeth's reign without a most h Proceed. Q. pernicious plot for the subversion of the State and Church; and in the first years of King James not four months i Proceed. R. without Treason: & they go now by the same rules, & in the same methods, with the same Oaths, & the same Sacraments administered to the same purposes. And just as they, sometimes designing open force, & sometimes private treasons & assassinations; sometimes trying by the softer pleas of Liberty of Conscience, toleration to do it, yea although it be but partial, an Indulgence to our own Sects, any thing that may contribute to the breaches of our Zion, & may keep them open: which 'tis said (whether in earnest or to colour Blacker purposes, & hide designs more violent) is now spoken of, and they hope for, and hath still been pleaded for, as the birthright of each Christian, as instated on them in the very charter of their Christianity. But yet to speak to that too, I neither find the word in Scripture, nor the thing, as most men take it, for the Liberty of Action: and besides this, whatever Arguments there are that press it, they can be no Arguments for the Romanist, who never grants it; for either they conclude or they do not; if not, why do they urge them? if they do, why do they not allow them? if they can see no force in them, than they must not use them; if they can, they must be wrought on by them: unless to be the only men that may do wrong and resist reason, be their grant and Charter. But not to evade only, I allow 1. That Christ came down to settle his Religion, plant the Christian Faith without a grant from, or the leave of Secular Powers; when he commissioned his Apostles to convey the Gospel thro' the world, they did expect or ask no Passport from the several Princes, but in opposition to the Magistrates and Governors and Kings, against whom he promised them to justify and bear them out, they preached it. I allow too 2. That he autorized and gave right to Christians, as such, to assemble for God's Worship and Service according to the rule of his Religion, whatever prohibition, threats, or persecution they should meet from Secular powers on account of doing so. Accordingly the k Acts 4. 5, etc. Apostles and their Converts did so, and St Paul gives it in charge to the Hebrews not to forbear doing so for any fear or suffering whatsoever, l Hebr. 10. 25. not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. Now he that does require that they shall do so, notwithstanding any opposition from the Secular Powers, gives them right to do so, though in opposition to those Powers: for all must have a right to do their duty, and accordingly the Christians of the first Ages did meet for God's Worship against all the edicts, all the persecutions of the Heathen Emperors. But 3. Tho our Saviour by this grant seems to pass by those Powers unregarded, or at least not taken notice of, when he gives their Subject's Privilege to meet in public full assemblies (such as those of Christians ought to be) without their leave, yea and against their orders, yet does not this grant diminish or entrench upon their safety in the least: because the only men he gives it to are such, as can design or do no hurt to any Government. For Christ conferred this privilege merely on the account of that Religion which he instituted, and to men as his Disciples and Followers in it. Now himself so renounced all pretence to any Secular interest or power, practised such obedience to his Governors though most unjust, taught such subjection to all in Authority whether good or bad, Patrons or Enemies to the Religion, nursing Fathers to his Followers or Slaughtermen and Executioners; and hath made all this so much the temper and the constitution of Christianity, which condemns all enterprizing upon any rights of others, and much more of Princes, that it is impossible that companies of such men, that is, of such Christians, such to whom alone Christ gives the privilege of meeting, can create a danger or a jealousy in any State: men that must indeed assemble, but must not resist, act, or contrive against their Governors, but die, if they and laws will have it so, for that their meeting. So the Primitive Christians did: so 20000 in one day at m See Martyrol. on Christmas day. Niceph. l. 7. c. 6. Nicomedia for assembling. But men whose Principles or former practices upon their principles have any thing that tends to sedition in them, especially if they have used such meetings to foment it; or though they did not that, the other also, till they can give such security as will satisfy the state, of which the State is to judge, can no more by their Christian birthright, by Christ's whether grant or injunction of assembling for God's Worship, claim a privilege of such assemblies, then notoriously sinful, scandalous Christians, or then open Heretics can by virtue of that same injunction claim the privilege of the public Assemblies till they satisfy the Church: for the Church may excommunicate these, and the State may restrain those others, and they have no right or plea in conscience against it. The rights he gave were given to men so far, as they should follow the Religion which he instituted; he gave no more privilege to the seditious, than the scandalous. He did not by requiring such assemblies for religious Worship mean to weaken the security of Governments, which his Religion is above all other institutions framed to settle and establish: which therefore by the grant of Christ's Religion, as well as by a right inherent in their office, Governors may take care to provide for by restraints of that kind, not at all examining men's pretention, whether their Religion or their Principles be true or false; for that were endless and to no effect, every man's Religion and his Principles are true to himself; but only if they tend towards commotions, or give cause of jealousy, which still Governors must judge of. Which if they cannot satisfy, they can plead no Privilege, to which they have no further right, then as they free themselves from such suspicions. In fine they cannot claim this on account of Christianity, since Christianity admits of nothing, that is prejudicial or gives fear to Governments; but is the basis of Obedience, the cement of Society, Ecclesiastical and secular, it compacts all the Stones of Zion, of the House of God, and of the seat of David, of the Sanctuary, and the Throne. And therefore in the 4th place Romanists (and 'tis the same of every other Sect of men, so far as they abet such Principles, or have ever showed themselves in prosecution of them,) but Romanists for instance at the present, who by all ways of assurance have convinced the world, the most destructive Tenets, to government most abhorrent from the state of Christianity, are their Principles, & their Faith; as namely by the general dictates of their Schoolmen, their allowed Theology of their Canonists: their allowed Laws of a shoal of particular Councils and some general their allowed Rule of Faith: of their Popes their infallible Judge; and what's worse by multitudes of practices the most inhuman that were ever heard of, and would never yet, however called on or accused, retract or sentence; but still justify and practise them. Since they therefore know themselves incapable of claming Toleration by the Laws of Christianity, we can interpret them to mean no other thing by claming and endeavouring it, but to get more opportunities to destroy the Government both of Church and State, to widen and to make more breaches in the gaping, tottering walls of Zion, tumble down her stones into the dust, and make their dust their grave. Nor need I discourse, how others turn these mercies into gall and bitterness; to contrive for parties and widen their own interests, and the breaches of the Government; the outcry for liberty ending always in its denial of it to all besides themselves. Such is our prospect of the stones of Zion; it looks fatal, but it hath this Argument of comfort in it, that when Zion is in this condition that it is usually God's time of mercy and of showing favour, than the appointed time for it is come, the next thing that I am to speak to. That this is ordinarily God's time of appearing to show mercy, is notorious from David's challenging his aids elsewhere upon the same account Psal. 119. 126. It is time for thee, Lord, to work, or it is time for Thee to put to thine hand, for they have made void thy Law. And we shall find a reason for this way of working in that prayer of the same King David, n Psal. 1. 9 26. 27. Help me O Lord my God; O save me according to thy mercies, that they may know that this is thy hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it. When our distresses are beyond the succours of means power and counsels, if deliverance come, we must needs know 'tis from above. The Prophet speaks of men, as apt to o Hab. 1. 16. sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag with which they catch, ascribing their successes to themselves. But when the Apostles use their net all night and can take nothing, then if one upon the shore, whom they know not, bid them cast in, and they do catch, straight one of them crieth out, p John 21. 7. it is the Lord. When out of a desperate condition of affairs we see hope drawn, we know it is the day spring from on high. Whatever several of the late discoverers of the Popish conspiracy may have said or done to disparage their evidence, and the credit of what they testify; or men Popishly affected have contrived to make it be disbelieved; yet surely while the trial and the letters of the late apostate busy Factor for the party remain upon record, it will be manifest as the light, that there was a practice and endeavour to subvert the present establishment in Church and State, and introduce the superstition and tyranny of Rome among us. And that God will be further gracious in the sending forth his light to discover, and to disappoint their dire attemts, there is ground to hope, because it always was the ordinary method of his working, making the day of Extremity the day of Salvation. 1. In the Jewish Church and Nation. And here I shall not mention their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, though it be a demonstration of my Proposition, but name that from the designs of Haman, who had satisfied the King, their Laws, and their Religion, and their Worship differed from those of all people, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Josephus, and that were still occasions to embroile the State; that if he would give order they should be destroyed, he would bring q Ester 3. 9 10000 talents, near two millions of our money, into the Exchequer: whereupon the King allows him to make what declarations he shall please against them, and signs an Edict to his Governors and his Lieutenants for the massacring the whole Nation▪ which might easily be done, the Jews then being in captivity, and mixed among them. Mordecay adviseth Ester to present herself before the King, remonstrate the injustice of the fact: that being death to do, she would decline it; but as one acquainted with God's methods r Cap. 4. 13, 14. Mordecai does answer her, think not with thyself, that thou shalt escape in the King's house more than all the Jews; for if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, (here is a pregnant instance of the assurance of my text) but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? Hereupon she and her Nation fast and pray, and she adventures, and God gives her favour with the King, and he reverses all; and the whole Nation on that very day it was to perish is secured, and the design returns upon their heads that plotted it, on all their Enemies. I need name no more, but there is one pregnant one, on which there lies an imputation from great men: I mean, when throout that Nation their Religion was so persecuted, that it was almost extinct, false Heathen worship planted in its place, possessed the Temple and the Sanctuary, and all was profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes: the state so lively prophesied of by the Prophet Daniel. Now when it was thus, & there was so universal a defection, as already had subverted the whole Government, Religion, and almost the whole Nation, God stirs up the Spirit of the Maccabbees, & on that day three years that all was profaned, ' was again purified and they delivered. I instance so, lest that which s L. 1. de Jure Belli c. 4. §. 7. Grotius satih, that nothing can defend that action of the Maccabbees, besides extreme certain necessity; and what our t Concerning the Rights of the Church in a Christian Sat p. 306. Thorndike saith, 'tis manifest the Arms which they took up against their lawful Sovereign, are by God approved, and their Faith commended Hebr. 11. lest these should misguide men, it may be seasonable to declare that it is plain Antiochus Epiphanes, although he * 1 Macc. 1. 41, 51. call that land his Kingdom, was not then their rightful King: for after Alexander's death, the first that got possession of it, was the King of Egypt. It was after violently taken indeed from him by the King of Syria, & the Jews gave up themselves to the protection of Antiochus the Great; but he gave it in dowry to the King of Egypt with his daughter, & so parted with all right; & whatever right the Kings of Syria could be supposed to have, Antiochus Epiphanes had none of that, as being not a lawful King of any place, usurping from his Nephew the right Heir: and with all injurious angry violence, when he was driven out of Egypt, the attaques Jerusalem, and enters it, and sets up all the Heathen Exercises and Religion, and forbids God's Worship; ravages and spoils and murders all refusers, till the Maccabbees opposed his fury, and till Judas three years after, as I said, restored all, having fought against a violent Aggressor, not his rightful Prince; and he is by Grotius made the very man, that typed out Christ, and was seen by the Prophet in Isaiah 63. Who is he that cometh from Edom, with died garments from Bozra? to which he makes Judas Maccabeus answer, I that defend God's Worship and the true Religion, against Antiochus and all his power, and to save my People cast myself upon extremest hazards. Once more, when Caius Emperor of Rome had sent Petronius into Syria, charging him to make war on the Jews, and by all utmost force to make thew condescend to let his image, the statue of himself I mean, be set up in their Temple at Jerusalem: the Jews when he came into Syria to their Country, met him several thousands, several times with supplications and entreaties to divert him, if they could from doing it. But he declaring his Commission to them, let them see it was not possible for him to contradict the Emperor; and they declared also, since he durst not transgress the commands of the Emperor, he must not think it strange, if they durst not transgress Almighty God's command, resolving to endure whatever should be inflicted on the, rather than violate that. Doing this often, and in multitudes, Petronius asked them whether they did mean on that account to fight with Caesar, and make war against him, they replied they would not fight, but they could die on that account, and prostrating themselves and offering their naked throats, showed their readiness to entertain their death, and this for four days together, and neglected all their husbandry, resolving not to till their land or to provide for life, when they had once determined thus to die. Upon this Petronius undertakes to write to Caesar, and dissuade him from the enterprise; but Caius answers that his letter with another, which commands Petronius, for the punishment of his not executing his commands, to kill himself, resolving also to exterminate the Nation: but before his letter came to Syria to Petronius, the notice of the death of Caius came. Thus God did then preserve both him and them, though at that time a Nation guilty of the death of Christ; yet in a cause, wherein they were resolved to suffer any thing rather than disobey God's Law so grossly, he was pleased to spare them, and continue to preserve them. As for the Christians, I might instance in the care God took soon after most expressly and miraculously to call them all out of Jerusalem, when the Romans were preparing to sit down before it, and destroyed it utterly, and in all the persecutions, particularly that of Diocletian, when that u Nomine Christiano deleto, qui Remp, evertebant superstitione Christiana ubique deleta, & cultu deorum propagate, Grut. Inscrip. p. 280. destruction that was levelled at, and falling on all Christianity, was in a trice returned upon the Designers and on Heathenism. It might be a more parallel instance to the genius of these later ages, should I name that of the Arrians, men that were the x At●n. Ep. ad S●●it. pag. 815, 821, 854. first that ever drew the sword of persecution against their fellow Christians; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was their petition to y See Grotius De Jure Belli l. 2 c. 20. §. 50. Constantius, a copy which the Church of Rome hath long writ after, with the blood of those that differ from them. And indeed the Arrian persecutions were most barbarous; Constantius yet when had done all he could, had made the Universe, saith St Jerome, all Arrian by having banished almost all the Catholic Bishops of the world, than very quickly God restores them, even by a Julian an Apostate: and then when shortly after Valens the same again, himself repenting of it, did revoke them, & lastly Theodosius restored them and established all. And though afterwards God let the Goths continue both the heresy, and sometimes the persecution, for above two Ages in our western world; yet since that, for the last thousand years, the name of Arrian hath scarce been heard. But I have said enough to show, such is the ordinary method of God's Providential workings, when Zion is in that condition: provided that the Church have not depraved itself as 'tis a Church, modelled itself by worldly principles and powers, and adopted rules or doctrines which are not consistent with those of Christ. There are few instances to be produced, I think, where any Church hath been destroyed, whole constitution hath preserved this temper, though her wicked and ungracious members may be cut off: at last, as z 1 Pet. 5. 10 St Peter tells, after it hath suffered a while, he will strengthen, establish, settle it. And if we look upon the low condition of our Zion together with these instances of Gods procedure, may we not take confidence to hope, that the appointed time is come? For is it not time for Thee to arise, O Lord, when thy resting place is destroying? And thou, O Christ, who art the Rock on which the Church is built, is it not time for thee to awake, to rise, rebuke the Tempests, break the waves that break into thy Church, and threaten as if they would swallow all that's built on Thee, the Rock of Ages? It is most certainly, provided we have those affections, which the text sets down here, as the diagnostics of that time; of which in the last place. The first is this, thy servants think upon her stones with sorrow and sincere acknowledgement, that their demerits called this state upon her, and they therefore willingly receive, accept of Gods dealing with them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take pleasure in it. It is observed, that this was the express condition, upon which God covenanted to show mercy on his People. Levit. 26. From v. 14. to the end we find, that if they should arrive at that height to abhor God's Statutes, break all his Commandments, merit all his curses, and he should inflict them, and yet they go on still to walk contrary to him, and he overtake them still with plagues, yea and this thro' all the stages both of sin and punishment, and each stage of punishment seven times multiplied v. 18, 21, 24, 28. so as to leave no more place for access, yet if then they confess their iniquity, and their uncircumcized hearts be humbled, if then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they accpt of willingly, contentedly receive the punishment of their iniquity v. 41. I will not case them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, and to break my Covenant with them, v. 44. but will remember my Covenant, and I will remember the Land, v. 42. and remember Zion also, if we have the like sentiments for Zion; if her low condition, if her stones in the dust truly humble us into that dust, and make us from the heart acknowledge, a Neh 9 33. Thou, O Lord, art just in all that is come upon, and hovers over us; for thou hast done right, but we have done very wickedly: for we have walked unworthy of the opportunities thou hast afforded us, have been unfruitful under the whole latitude of all thy working methods, the Kingdom of God hath had no Obedience, nothing but Rebellion from us, and 'tis just it should be taken from us, be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof, and have our candlestic removed, since we hate light, our deeds are so evil. 'Tis just that we, who heaped ourselves Teachers according to our factions and lusts, should be given up to strong delusions, have a lying Spirit in the mouth of our Prophets, Prophets that should daub with untempered mortar, such as never will cement the stones of Zion, or build up a Church; that we, who have debauched the Reformation, should quite lose it. The present time does certainly suggest the practice, which is set aside for great humiliation, and the occasion does require it; both the commands and the necessities too of the Church expect it; & God also calls for mourning, & for stricter applications to him on behalf of Zion: and then they that do not answer all these calls by doing something more than ordinary do not think upon the stones of Zion, neither does it pity them to see her in the dust, 'tis certainly not time for God to arise in their behalf, they are sufficient to divert his preparations for her. No O Lord, we will put our hands upon our mouths, and our mouths into the dust, and acknowledge righteousness belongeth unto thee, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; and we resolve to humble ourselves under thy correcting hand how sharp soever, and take pleasure in it too thus far, that dost show by thy castising us thou hast not given us over as incorrgible, but hast taken us into thy care, and discipline, and managery; and on that account thy rod comforts us, our correction is joyous, we take pleasure in the stones of Zion, and we favour, love her dust; the other Symtom. They prise her relics, wht is standing of her; and since 'tis on their account, namely thro' their demerit, that she is so low and weak, they are more tender, love, and pity her more in that condition which they brought her into; will do what they can to raise her, pulverem ejus evehere cupiunt in the Tigurine Translation. 'Tis true indeed the stones of Zion in the dust are apt to become stones of stumbling and rocks of offence, as St Peter saith of the chief corner stone of Zion, Christ hmself 1 Pet. 2. 8. whereat many stumble and fall. We had fatal experience how when once the building was disordered, the subordination broken, the Church offices and powers thrown down, on the one side Zion straight became like Babel, every one almost spoke a strange language, and so built by himself, built up, divided Faiths, and Churches, and Religions; on the other side that broken tottering State made many run away as from a falling Church, take shelter in another: and what the Cross of Christ was to the Jews, that the Cross of his Spouse too was to many pretended Christians, a ground to renounce her. They no sooner saw their Mother wounded, naked in the dust, but they concluded her fit to be buried, and ran from her as from the house of death; as if in the noblest way of sufferings to follow Christ could look like the mark of being Antichristian: and the yet unsettled state of it is made great use of for the same intents, her stones are laid on purpose to be stones of stumbling and to give occasion of falling. And truly 'tis to be confessed, that since the bonds of Government, which kept men under discipline, were unloosed, and since the Church's Ministeries and her Powers are cut so short, that they are not so effectual to the ends of their institution to work out a strict Christian life, as were to be wished; and since men are divided so by claims of several Churches, and by fearful expectations also, both the Coversations and the Faiths of men too are grown loose and dissolute: and 'twas not the least Stratagem of our Adversaries to contrive men should be such as could, while they continue such, find Sanctuary no where but in their Church, at their Altars; whether they have but to come to be absolved of all. But truly 'tis extreme barbarity in us, when 'tis on our account, by our demerits, for our punishment, that she is distressed, that fears and dangers press upon her, then to slight her: if when we see our Mother gasping, then to throw dirt at her, make her mouth her mouth be stopped with the reports of her ungodly offspring, the reproaches of a pointing Scorner, that shall cry, see how her Sons behave themselves, how little love or pity they have for her. He favours her stones that beautifies and guilds them with inscriptions of Religious actions; this, if any thing, will raise them and repair her. And truly'tis to be expected from the men that do pretend to have the pity and the sorrow that is due to their Mother, whom the powers of Hell seem armed against to ruin her, so far as she's disabled, should themselves supply to themselves what is wanting: if her discipline be loosened, and she have no strong ties on men's actions, we should do her work upon us, put obligations, fetters on ourselves. 'Tis probable this very state of Zion in the text was that, which Nehemiah laboured to repair, and see how he effected it c. 9 after a most solemn fasting and confession and bemoaning, rather of their guilts then sufferings, in the 10th himself, the Princes, and the Priests and Levites, and he rest of all the People with their Wives, their Sons and Daughters that were come to understanding, entered into a curse and into an oath to walk in God's Law, and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord our God, his Judgements and his Statutes, v. 29. Here was a cement would compact the Stones of Zion, the whole building against all assaults whatever, seat her in her perfect height and beauty. It is not he loves her, who curses them that laid her in the dust, but he who enters such a curse of serving God; 'tis not he favours her dust, who wishes, talks, or swears on the Church's side, but he that humbles himself daily in the dust in her confessions and Prayers, he who binds himself with such an obligation to worship and serve God faithfully, as she prescribes: this will help to raise her, make her visible in the lives of her Children; and when the dust of Zion shall have a more perfect Resurrection in this world, and this of Christ shall as his other body rise out of the earth, it will be comfortable to each one that put his hands to the repairs, that did but fit one stone to it, that would not let God rest till he had established our Jerusalem again a praise in the Earth. Then God almighty would be importuned, prevailed upon to put it in the hearts of those men, whose part 'tis to secure our Zion and repair her breaches, to build by a true line and level, make such an establishment as may be fitted not to the satisfying parties, factions, interests, or any human appetites, but the just obligations or Religion; not build weakly, fearing, as it were, the Church's strength should awe men in their practices, & that the weapons of her warfare should gall their vices, besides that their own strong holds may be still able to hold out, and not be beat down by her forces: for this were to model the structure of Zion to men's own, and to their sins convenience. But to build her up so, as that the profession and the practice of true Religion may be preserved safe, and God's Worship kept entire; that upon our one only foundation, the rock Christ Jesus, we may be built up with a lively faith into an holy life, all cemented by Charity, and all divisions be made up, and we may with one heart and one voice meet and join in giving Glory, Honour, &c, SERMON V. OF THE EXERCISE OF CONSCIENCE, In the avoiding of Offence towards God and Men. Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man. MY text is the sum of a Christians practical duty; for as St Paul had in the verse before set down his faith and hope, here he sets down his workings. In the words we have 1. The state of that duty expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a onscience void of offence. 2. That is branched out into its several respects, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and towards man; and those either 1. As the objects of that which a good conscience endeavours and means, an unblameable conversation in those duties that look towards God, those of Devotion, Piety and Godliness; or of those duties that look towards man, those of Justice and Honesty, particularly so called. Or 2. God and Man here may be looked upon as having both to do in being the rule of Conscience, God's law, and man's also, that is, the just laws of lawful Superiors, both obliging it: and a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man is such an one as does not only not offend God nor man, in that which God commands to be done to himself and to the neighbour, but such also as doth not offend in what man, the lawful Governor, commands: for to these we must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but conscience sake. 3. Here are the seasons which this Conscience does respect, and they are all seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always. 4. The interest St Paul does seek after in this condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Jexercise myself; as on one side it is not fancying or opining, often hearing, no nor talking of conscience, but exercise and doing; for the Christians life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a constant exercise, and that is at once his duty and profession here: so on the other side, it is not perfect possession of this state; there is no such thing as perfection in this life, but labouring towards it. In handling which parts I shall thus proceed. 1. Having in word explained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I shall inquire what are those offences that must be removed in order to that state that's here described; and having cleared the conscience of those, 2dly view the latitude and extent of its obligation, see how it respects both God and man, both as the rules and objects of its acts, and as we go along, we shall direct the practice of that duty which St Paul did labour in, how we must exercise ourselves that we may be in such a state, which is the 3d thing and the application of all. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood from the use of that word as 'tis taken either passively Phil. 1. 10. that ye may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without offence, not led into evil by mistakes of what is good, or any other colour whatsoever; or else as 'tis taken actively 1 Cor. 10. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give no offence to any man; which as the context proves is but the same, and means, let nothing that you do be such as may induce another man to sin; lay not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rocks of offence or stumbling blocks in any Christians course: and therefore in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a conscience, as does not induce the man himself to any sin against God or man, and a life that is not led into it; a conversation that is according to such a conscience, is that which St Paul aims to have, and which that we may have, all such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must endeavour to remove, which what they are, I told you, was to be my first inquiry. And the first is error of judgement, which makes an erring conscience; such a one as gives false information of duty, which either tells me that I may or must do that which God's law or some other law in force upon me says I must not do, or else tells me I must not do that which I may, or am perhaps bound to do. A rock of offence this, upon which many men do split, and make shipwreck of a good conscience; and which is worse error of judgement, called by some new light, is such a light indeed, so placed between the rocks as must needs guide the Mariner upon them, make it necessary for him to be wrecked; for in this case sin lies on the right and the left hand, which way soever he does turn, he falls upon it. For first if this man act against his erring conscience, he sins, although the Law of God do not make the act sin Rom. 14. 14. to him that esteemeth any thing unclean, to him it is unclean; although St Paul says there, he knew it was not in itself unclean, yet so it was to him, and that to such an height, that the man whose example wrought with any one to eat against the persuasion of his mind destroyeth him v. 15. 'Tis therefore a destroying sin to do a thing against the express judgement of the mind. And all the reason in the world; for since good or evil do not, nor can move the will as they are in themselves such, but as apprehended, and according to the notion we have of them in the mind: 'tis certain therefore every motion of the will to good or evil, consequently every good or evil action must be formally accounted such from good or evil things not in themselves, but in the apprehension of the mind; that is, according as our consciences dictate to us they are good or evil. And indeed no law of God or man, no rule of duty can be applied to us but by the mediation of conscience; for till that tell me such a thing's commanded and my duty, it is to me as if there were no such command and it were not my duty, for till then I am not conscious it is, know nothing of it. This alone therefore does propose and apply duty to us; and consequently whether that which it proposeth be my real duty in itself or no, yet I must needs look on it as so, as having no direction in the world besides what to do or forbear, but what my conscience some way instructed tells me, God or my Governors require: while therefore that does absolutely tell me such a thing is unlawful whether it be so or no, while that persuasion lasts, the soul yet judges it unlawful, and consequently if the heart embrace it, than it does deliberately embrace unlawfulness, which though it be not in the thing, is yet in the choice. I like and follow that which in my judgement is vicious, and be it in itself what it will, 'tis so to me; 'tis evident the inclinations and actions pursue vice, when they pursue that which they cannot look upon but as vice. And therefore St Paul saith a Rom. 14. 23. what soever is not of faith, whatsoever is contrary to the persuasion or judgement of lawfulness, i. e. in other words, what is against conscience is sin. Conscience therefore is the rule from which it is sin to recede. But you will tell me, where the conscience errs, the rule is false and crooked, and so must not be followed; but the rule of this rule, God's Law, and not the conscience, must be obeyed. Good counsel if it could be followed; for certainly if the man know what God's Law does require of him, in that case his conscience does not err; if he do not know what God's Word requires, how then can he follow it against that which his conscience tells him God requires? and it is sure if the man should suspend his action, or have reason not to act according to his erring conscience, he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well informed: for it is plain his conscience does as much propose the error as his duty, as it does the truth; the man as really believes the one is to be done as the other, and hath no reason to make difference, and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience, he always must, and 'twill be sin to act against it, be it what it will. But than you'll hope it will excuse to act according to it. No alas, this is but the other rock, it is sin too to act according to it. The proofs are very pregnant Gen. 12. 17. Because of Sara Abraham's wife the Lord plagued Pharaoh with great plagues and all his house, namely those that had commended her before him v. 15. and so had contributed to the offence. On the same account he plagued Abimelech Gen. 20. 17. although in the 6 v. God saith, he knew Abimelech did it in the integrity of his heart, and though Abimelech did plead the same to God, he did it innocently v. 5. yet in the 9 v. he expostulates with Abraham, what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my Kingdom a great sin. Again St Paul affirms of his own nation Rom. 10. 2. that it was out of zeal to God and his Law they persevered in infidelity and opposition to Christ's doctrines, yet for that very opposition he affirms, that they were hardened and designed to everlasting perdition. And Christ saith of the same Jews John 16. 2. that the time would come, when they that killed his Apostles and Ministers should think they did God service, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think they offered an oblation. The error was so strong, it made the sin look like Religion and Atonement, yet that zeal and conscience was plagued with wrath that came upon them to the uttermost, even to an utter extirpation: or to restrain ourselves to our Apostle, he saith of himself v. 1. of the foregoing chapter, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day, and therefore when against Christ's reformation he defended the Mosaic Law, and persecuted the opposers of it, he did all out of a good mind, according to the dictates of his conscience, sincerely what he was persuaded that he ought to do; and now if conscience could excuse, here was enough of that, a good Conscience, and could his fiery persecutions by virtue of that conscience be christianed holy Zeal? could his pure heart make his bloody hands undefiled? Oh no! 'twas a 1 Tim. 1. 13. blasphemy, and persecution, and injury, for all 'twas conscience. If this seem strange, that acting thus according to the conscience should make men such sinners, since all facts are estimated chiefly by the heart that they proceed from, by the good or bad mind they are done with, that is, by the conscience of the doer; we must know, that where the error is not the effect of any carnal prepossession or principle, but truly error, there the sinfulness in this case lies not altogether formally in acting so according to their conscience, unless first the conscience take up persuasions & give sentence without a sufficient inquisition, when there is the least appearance of a danger that 'tis plain such a persuasion may engage us in a state of sin, we must examine strictly, and this seems the case of Pharaoh and Abimelech; they were glad to think Sarah was Abraham's sister, therefore made no close inquiry, were content with his once saying so, and on that account, although the one and afterwards the other took her in the innocency of their heart, the text saith, they committed a great sin, for which God did plague them. Especially 2dly if men have been called on to consider, had the opportunity of means of conviction, such as God will judge sufficient in their circumstances, then retaining those persuasions, following such an error gives it that which is equivalent to wilfulness, makes the guilt. This was the Jews case and St Paul's, though Moses Law were given by God himself, confirmed by wonders, and by such a constant series of Gods most immediate dispensations, as might give them just cause to believe it was their certain duty to adhere to it, yet when God judged Christ's works together with the Prophecies that went of him, had given a sufficient testimony to his Reformation, the Jews resisting that, though out of zeal to God, and in obedience to his Law and to their Guides the Priests and Sanhedrim, were hardened to excision for it; or if, as 'tis most certain, they were leavened into aversation to Christ's doctrine by their expectation of a pompous Messiah, his Religion did not serve their sensual ends, 'tis to be feared the same does influence the more sincere and erring party of the Church of Rome; yet St. Paul also, though out of a good conscience doing so, esteemed himself the b 1 Tim. 1. 15. chief of sinners for so doing. 'Tis the too hasty taking up, or the too obstinate retaining this erroneous conscience, makes the sin it does engage into be so exceeding sinful; therefore certainly whoever lets their conscience be surprised by prejudice, or warmth of mind, much more ambition, pride, revenge, or incidental discontents and disobligation, reputation of a party, interest, design, if these or any sensuality though but lurking indiscernably ( c Jer. 17. 9 for the heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?) have given any tincture to the heart and puffed a passion into conscience, or if in the uprightness of their heart they took up their persuasions, yet if they retain them in the least on any such account, or else however if they do not hearken to, examine any calls or means, which God does either by his Providence or Ministers offer the opportunities of, for their conviction, specially if by seeing good and wise men do judge otherwise, they have any cause to doubt, and yet persist still, and retain the error, it is this that spoils the Conscience, so that while it errs it does ensnare the man, entangles him in a necessity of sinning, leads him into such labyrinths of guilt that whatsoever he does, he offends: if he do what his erring conscience dictates to him, than he sins against God's Law, if he forbear, he sins then against God's Vicegerent, his own Conscience; there is the guilt of his deed, here the guilt of his heart, which does oblige a man to follow that which it is sin to follow, and which makes him, he must and aught to do that which he must not, ought not to do. And then the only application to such a Conscience is to advise the laying it aside, to rectify the error; good counsel this indeed, but hardest to be taken in the world. For that a man may set himself to rectify, he must know himself in an error, and if he know that, he hath not an erring Conscience; this when it is such strongly, the man does not so much as doubt of his opinion, and while he does not doubt, what temptation can he have to think of rectifying? especially if men are persuaded that their Conscience is directed by such Guides as cannot err. We cannot but remember how the violation of all Laws and of all rights sacred and secular, sedition and rebellion, and such other dreadful consequents as we must not remember, being dictated by conscience, undertaken on account of Religion were esteemed the characteristics of a godly side; nor are we suffered to forget, how the same things undertaken on account of holy Church make Saints and Martyrs: for let not men pretend these are not Doctrines or directions of the Church of Rome. There is no one of the rebellious parties, but it may with much more truth and modesty affirm they are not theirs, since they have not declared them so authentically; and if we are not sure these are their doctrines, 'tis impossible to know that they have any, for none of their doctrines have a greater attestation. If some few declaring their opinion to the contrary, shall against the declarations of the Tenets of their Schools, and the directions of much greater numbers, their Casuists, the rules and practice of their whole law, the determinations of particular and general Councils, make them not to be their doctrine, than no Church hath any doctrines. Now, if as one side of these pretend some to a Divine Light within themselves, some to the Divine Spirit speaking in the Scriptures for their Guide, so the other plead the public Spirit of the Church speaking at least in the Assemblies of their general Council most infallibly, and consequently all of them must judge it is impossible their Guide can err; how is it possible to prescribe means to rectify the errors of such Consciences? But should I pass these guilts of the first magnitude, to which 'tis wonderful a Conscience can be debauched, and err into them, should I mention one that's common to all of them, violating the Laws, disturbing the Peace of the Government, unhinging the constitution of it by illegal meetings to disseminate their principles, and make more errors, and more separation, wider breaches. I shall not tell these, that the Church no where gives a privilege to any to assemble not for Gods own worship, from whose principles or practices the State hath reason to expect commotions or sedition, the diminishing their secular Powers, or endangering their persons, and on that account forbids them. Sure I am, there is no one word in the Gospel for it, and I leave all the mentioned parties, Popish or the other, to consider whether they have been so innocent as not to be suspected justly? and would only ask each party of them, whether it alone have right to act according to its conscience thus and otherwise against the Laws, so that all others, what sincerity soe'er they act with, have no privilege? or whether it be the Christians birthright, and due to all others? If any party say, that it alone hath right, besides that all the rest will never grant this, nor have reason for it, and so all must quarrel; yet if they do say so, sure there's nothing else but truth or confidence of having it, can make them judge so: but since every the most erring conscience does and must believe the truth is with him, he hath the same reason, so contentions must be endless, & this state of conscience is just the Leviathans state of war; besides that this pretence of any single party for itself makes war with the hypothesis itself of liberty of conscience. But if they grant all other Sects to have just right to act according to their conscience, than those that really believe the doctrine of their Church is true, their ways blameless, and the statutes which restrain the liberties of the Recusants and the Dissenters are all just, those of them also that have sworn obedience to these statutes, and those Magistrates and Governors too that are bound by oath to the execution of them, and to take care of the peace of their Subjects, and hold that, as 'tis, a duty and an obligation in conscience on them: these, I say, have just right too to act according to their conscience also, and by consequence to execute the Laws upon those others; and then, I am sure in conscience, and according to the very rules of all these men of liberty, those have a right to take away their wild and dangerous liberties, and by the very Principles of all these Dissenters are as much bound in conscience to restrain them, as they think themselves bound to use those liberties according to their conscience. Yea these are bound in conscience to suffer all their Governors to put restraints upon them; because to do so is for them to act according to their conscience, or if they think (as 'tis not strange if they think contradictions) that they have a right in conscience to contend for this with Governors, who yet they acknowledge to have a right too to restrain their liberties, (since all, as themselves have granted, have the same right,) there must needs be endless quarrels and contentions both with Governors and with themselves, and just of all sides, in which each hath right, which is another contradiction also; and so still this state of conscience will be the Leviathans state of war, and must dissolve all Government, as being inconsistent with it. Whether any consequents in prospect or design can make this state of things allowed and eligible, or how far Governments can properly secure themselves, if it be allowed, which yet 'tis certain that they have a right to do against the clamorous pretences of all conscience whatsoever as to Church Laws: yet how far they can, I say, secure themselves against such sorts of men 〈◊〉 side, who declare that their Government itself is sinful; or 〈◊〉 t'other side a sort of men, who not only here in this Nation, after the most dire and hateful treason ever hatched or thought of, were not, nor are suffered by the Guides of their conscience, by their Pastors neither their Supreme one nor their particular Confessors, to give assurance of their civil obedience and allegiance to their own Prince. But in France, after the murder of two Kings by them, both of their Religion, when as Lewis the 13th did design, and ask the advice of his Parliament, to make provision for his own safety and assurance of the Loialty of his Subjects by an Oath (a thing by Gods own People, since 'twas a Kingdom, practised) all the Clergy, those Directors of the consciences of that Nation, were so far from suffering it, that they made the King to cause the Parliament to raze out what of it was drawn and registered in their Journals, professing to his face that they would excommunicate all as Heretics that were against that Proposition, that the Pope could depose Kings. But 'tis not this, but how to secure Governments against it, to rectify the erring conscience I would speak to; and if the sense of any sacred obligations, if the calamities of Church or State, that cry aloud bemoaning the effects of conscience thus let loose, call upon him to consider, and at least suggest the duty of examining his conscience, than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here of the text, the exercises that are like to have an influence upon him, besides humble prayer to Almighty God for a right judgement in all things, together with a hearty resolution not to suffer any principle or interest so to engage him to a practice or opinion, but that, if God will please to show him light, he will follow it straight, and utterly forsake those paths, to which he was misguided by the error of his mind, and so begins to act accordingly as well as he can. Now such a resolution hath a promise, d John 7. 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or not. Besides this, I say, let him thus exercise himself, when any thing offers itself to practice, and gets this holy advocate of its side, brings conscience to plead, than I will search and examine strictly that same action, first undress it quite, see what it is naked by itself, and then ask not what fine motives, what good end it hath, but where the rule is for it. If it be in things merely Spiritual, then what Law of God; but if in other things, what Law of man, what just subordination to Gods will is there for this action? For laws, not zeal do make the rules for Conscience: for Conscience being nothing but a full persuasion, judgement, dictate that a thing is either duty under obligation, is according to a Law that does command it, or else is unlawful, is against a Law. If Conscience shall tell me such a thing I am bound to do, but I have no Law of God or man for it; or else such a thing I must forbear, it is a sin, absolutely unlawful, but truly I can bring no Law in force against it, sure I shall easily reject the clamours of this Conscience, for it talks contradictions: for nothing can be unlawful, but what is against a Law. If, though there be not express Law to forbid or command, yet I see grounds that stagger me, and several hard things which incline to my opinion, this does not make the erring Conscience: for that is dogmatical and positive, and must have law, doctrines and grounds of probability; those only make a doubt, the next offence I mean to name. An offence this, that whosoever stumbles at, does fall into the lowest pit, for he that doubteth, is damned if he eat Rom. 14. 23. Now the state of a doubting conscience is this, either the man in himself really believes the thing he does consult of is forbidden, but yet seeing the example of some man he hath esteem for, or else hearing some good probable grounds to the contrary, does entertain some doubt whether it be so bad, and upon that without being resolved, yea thinking still it is a sin, yet ventures on it: in this case though the man may have some hopes it may not be a sin, yet judging in himself it is, and choosing notwithstanding, it is plain he does not only venture at, but chooseth sin, and therefore sins. This was the very case of the weak Christians in relation to eating things offered to Idols, which St Paul there speaks of. Or secondly, if he do not absolutely in himself judge it a sin, yet really does doubt it is, and without endeavouring to be truly satisfied by all appointed fit means, does it howsoever; this man does as much as resolve I know not what it is I am about to do, I doubt 'tis sin, but I resolve to do it, though it be so. Now this is a wicked resolution, and the consequent action must be so too: it is as much as saying, I resolve to venture God's displeasure, rather than lose the satisfaction of that action; now whatsoever otherwise the action be, yet such a resolution stains it with a vicious tincture, by infusion of that wicked purpose. To bring this to our own concerns, if my lawful Superior command a thing by an established law, which yet either by some obscure place of Scripture, or by the silence of Scripture, or some inference of my own from others having put that action to an evil use, or the infusion of some Teacher of whose holiness I have an opinion, I doubt whether I may do it or no, and cannot satisfy myself, in this case, if the man that doubts comply, without acquiring any satisfaction, do it merely too because he will not be obnoxious to the penalty of law, 'tis clear he does it with a doubting conscience, and so sins; but if he thus discourse, (which is the proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for such a conscience to remove this offence) I am sure God hath commanded me to obey the lawful commands of my lawful Superiors, now am I sure this is not lawful? No, that I am not, for I only doubt; why then I must needs also doubt it may be lawful, therefore I must needs doubt God hath commanded me to obey them in this, and then if I refuse I must needs do that with a doubting conscience; for if the thing be lawful, I am sure I sin in not obeying, and I doubt it may be so, and so not doing will have the same guilt, which by not doing I endeavour to avoid. Now if whatever the action be, as long as I know not certainly whether it be lawful or unlawful in itself, I shall have equal guilt in the refusal (although there be no scandal or contemt) as I can fancy to myself in doing; and if I cannot satisfy my doubt myself, since I have then no other way to seek for resolution, but from those whom God hath set over me, shall not the reasons and commands of my Superiors, the example of all those that are obedient, weigh as much with me as the opinion of some whom I think holy, or some little colour which can only make me doubt? If I be not sure it is unlawful, and am perfectly assured of my duty to my Superiors, this certainly aught to suspend my other doubt, and in so doing I am sure, I take far the more probable and safer course; and he that does so, cannot have the guilt of a doubting conscience, for the resolution of that was clean another thing: I doubt there may be sin in it, however I will do it, whereas this man that he may take the safest course to avoid sin, resolveth thus, merely for fear there may be guilt in my refusal, I do that which otherwise truly I would not do. I cannot pass by this reflection here, how there will come a time, when it shall be more tolerable for the erring or the doubting conscience, notwithstanding their sad consequences, than for those that hold the truth in unrighteousness: the one sort of these have some checks at sin, they doubt and they demur; the other sort sin merely because they would please God, and offend out of zeal; but the other sin because they will sin. If actions lawful otherwise will make up an indictment to our condemnation, done but with a doubting mind, what guilt and what damnation is there in those that are undertaken against known command and present full conviction? that muster up and recollect all the forementioned guilts, which when they were divided, did make actions so ruining; at once they defy God and their own heart: if he that doubts is damned if he eat, though what he eat were lawful to him, what will become of him that eats to surfeiting, and knows that such things call for condemnation? with what face can he blast a deceived honest Heathen with his Gods, who in the face of God, and of all Laws, in view of a believed hell, and in despite of heaven and of his own conscience that suggests all these to him, yet by frequent intemperances' makes his belly his god, and by uncleaness that new testament idolatry, sets up as many idols, as his foul heats find objects, and by dishonesty and frauds serves covetousness, which is idolatry? They, who defy their conscience thus, are in the ready way to a reprobate sense, the last offence that I will name. When the heart gives a false judgement of things, e Isaiah 5. 20. calls evil good, and good evil in the Prophet's words, 'tis not uneasy to deduce how arrive at this. There is no pains bestowed upon the education of their childhood, they are made indeed to renounce the Devil, the evil Spirit is exorcised out of that hold he had of them on the account of being born children of wrath; but no provision for the Holy Spirit taken care of, rather all that's possible is done to grieve him thence, and so the evil one f Matth. 12. 44, 45. returns, finds the house emty, and takes to him seven spirits worse than himself, and they dwell there; or to speak out of parable, there are no principles of virtue planted in them, no labour used to make impressions of Religion and the fear of God, the sense of duty, aversation to all vice; but as far as conversation, with example of all lewdness, can have influence, they are bred and fitted for the Temter, and when they and temtations are grown up, it is no wonder if they taste, then swallow down the bait, and so are taken: then they get to themselves principles, that may stop the mouth of natural conscience; either Religion does not mean so strictly, or against the strictness they oppose the custom of the age, or honour, or the like, and these together with the conversations of sin do clean take off the aversation, and so by degrees the sense, the mind first leaves to be afraid and startle at it, and then leaves to check at it, and having done this long, the custom stupifies the conscience, and makes the sins seem necessary to them, and they cannot be without them, and the absolute necessity makes them conceit them little sins, and in a while no sins at all: stick not to say, those terrors Clergymen do talk of, are but Mormo's, but religious spectres. We have this daily experience, that looseness in practice quickly grows into irreligion in heart, that they who with all might and main do long resist the power of Godliness, do at last proceed to cast off even the very form, and they who would not receive the love of the truth, but did prefer the satisfaction of their humours, prejudices, passions, lusts before the doctrine of piety and virtue, though it came with the greatest evidence of reasonableness; that such, I say, are given over to strong delusions to believe lies, even lies of so eternal unhappy a consequence as this, that virtue and religion are but emty names, that conscience is but prejudice: such are those St Paul describes 1 Tim. 4. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, men of branded consciences. Now we use to account that person infamous that's branded only in his hand or forehead, but these are men of stigmatised hearts, there is a brand upon their soul and conscience; and you will find some other characters upon them there, they depart from the faith, they give heed to seducing Spirits, lay out for a Religion that will give them hopes of safety though they sin on, and to doctrines of Devils; fit Scholars for such Tutors, seeds of a blessed education they have, that have such Instructors, and such they have whose consciences are branded: and the whole progress of their wickedness you will find Rom. 1. from v. 18. because they hold the truth in unrighteousness, joined impious lives with the profession of the true Religion, were vicious in despite of their own understandings, which told them, they should not be so; upon which great proficiency in guilt v. 24. God withdrew his grace, left them to the pursuit of all their foul desires, permetted them to break out into all reproachful villainies, sins that were violences, contumelies to their nature; yea v. 28. because they acted perfectly against all notions they had of God, he gave them up to that abominable state of mind, to have no sense of guilt, to have a judgement so perverted, as not to think things of the most forbidden and most detestable nature to be foul, and then see what a shoal of consequents break in: from v. 29. fiend vices, things that do not only merit hell, but possess, enjoy, and make the place. These are the entertainments of those Regions, but none more essential than those v. 32. they not only commit those things, but have pleasure in those that do them, do not only favour themselves in the transgressions, (for to that men may have some temptation from the flesh) but to evince their understandings are debauched, their consciences corrupted, and that they are of a reprobate mind, they take pleasure in others committing them, from which they have no pleasure, can enjoy nothing but the villainy of being glad that others are debauched and vitiated, this recommends men to them. And truly now I have no words for them, they do outgo expression; I may apply that which the g Psalm 14. 1. Psalmist saith of the fool, in his heart there is no God. I am sure there is none in theirs, that will not let his Deputy be there, not suffer conscience his Vicegerent to be within them; and it were well, if they could exclude it for ever. But alas! when their sins and pleasures shall begin to die, than conscience will revive, and be their worm that never dies; however they have stupefied it here, than it will gnaw eternally, then oh that they could have no conscience, no sting, no lash: but it will be an immortal fiend to them, and that which they so much trample on now, will then be their great hell. And now I can prescribe no exercise will remove this offence, when the conscience is past feeling, than it is past cure. The only method is prevention here, the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep the conscience tender; than it will be sensible of every the least touch of guilt, check at whatever we shall do amiss. Conscience is the eye of the soul, now tenderness is a disposition very proper to the eye, it is the tenderest part of the whole body; and if the conscience be right, that is so of the soul: the smallest spill or mote is restless agony to the eye, it never leaves to force out tears, both to bewail the torment, and to wash away the cause. I am sure our Saviour calls a sin of the least size or guilt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Matth. 7. 3. things that should make the conscience as restless, fret into lament, prick passages for repenting sorrow. The conscience of Converts always does so, Acts 2. 37. When they heard this, they were pricked in heart; and indeed this is the necessary constitution of Soul for them that ever hope to have their conversation holy: he whose eye is not tender, 'tis not useful; if it be not sensible of spills that get into it, it cannot be sensible of objects, such a callum as will make it not feel, will make it not see; and when it cannot perceive pain, than it cannot direct or light: and so the conscience, if it feel no grievance from thy vices, it will never boggle at them; but when it is tender as the eye, than it will roll and weep, if any thing disturb it, 'twill be restless till it free itself. Let other Souls be tickled, when they feel the pleasures of a sin; but, Lord, let my heart smite me, than the stroke and smart may make me fly the cause. Let sin, that and cruel Serpent, sting, stab, wound me thus; for than it will make outlets for its putrefaction, it will draw tears to cleanse me from itself: and sure after the blood of Christ, there is no other laver to wash away the foulness of my sin, but that which gushes from those wounds of spirit, nothing else will quench the power of it. This tender conscience will preserve the whole conversation pure, if its respects be universal, if its cares reach to the whole latitude of its object, if it be void of offence both towards God, and towards man, which shows the extent of its obligation, and is my next consideration, of which in a few words. Void of offence towards God and towards men, a conversation unblamable in all things that relate to God or man, both these must be joined: the Honesty without the Godliness is but Heathen Morality, and the Godliness without honesty but Pharisaical Hypocrisy. 'Tis just that which our Saviour describes and sentences Matt. 23. 14. woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation: as if their long and earnest prayers pulled down nothing else but woes and condemnation on them, and their more religion gained them but more hell. The one of these for all his honesty, if he have not piety, he is without God in this world, nor shall have any thing of his heaven in the other, whose life did not look thitherwards, but aimed no further than a conversation that was regular betwixt man and man. The other, the dishonest man, notwithstanding his Godliness, shall be without God in the world to come; for sure he is not fit to live with God in that, who is not fit to live with man in this: who will not behave himself honestly, must not think he can live religiously; nor can that help him towards God's rewards, that does but help him to the greater condemnation. So that they must be joined, and our conscience must be void of offence towards God and towards men; and that not only as the objects of our duty, but the rules. That God's Law is the rule of conscience, that we are bound to do what he commands, I think I need not prove; in this I have only to wish, our practice were as orthodox as our opinions. But that man can oblige the conscience, that laws however just of our rightful Governors are a part of this rule, and we are bound in conscience to observe what they would have us do, many men doubt; there been qui latuit, bene vixit, a close offender does not sin, and if they come not under the lash of the Law, they think the conscience hath no whip for these offences; yet Scripture is express Rom. 13. 5. Wherefore you must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. again 1 Pet. 2. 13, 15. submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake, for so is the will of God. I do not here set down that humane Laws oblige the conscience immediately, it is enough for me they do it by God's constitution, that what we do so is for his sake, and 'tis his will that we should do it; and then he that does not obey, he breaks the will of God, and so does that which a good conscience must needs tell a man he must not do. I know some have found out a subterfuge, that only passive obedience is required in conscience, not active; and though this interpretation would secure the Magistrate, for men must not rebel against that rod, which they are bound to submit to: yet 1. 'Tis strange a man should not be bound in conscience to obey the Law, yet should be bound in conscience to suffer for the not obeying it. What reason for this difference? Sure if either, 'tis most reasonable to escape the punishment, if he can. But 2. What sense will they make St Paul speak, * wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath; if wrath mean punishment, as it certainly does, and be subject signify submit, not actively, but submit to punishment, as they will have it, than it means, therefore a man must submit to punishment not only for punishment, or for fear of being punished, but also because he is bound in conscience to bear the punishment: now 'tis indeed impossible that a man ought and is necessitated to submit to the penalty of the Law for fear of the penalty of the Law, be bound to suffer a thing for fear of suffering that very thing, or that he may escape that very suffering, which he is bound in conscience too to suffer. These are contradictions. But of the active obedience the sense is plain: we must obey their just Laws, not only that we may avoid their punishments which we shall suffer if we obey not, but because we are bound in conscience to obey. All the Apostles instances also being of active obedience, and the whole reasoning of the place evincing it, might serve for further evidence, but this shall suffice me for proof; and St Paul truly seems to take in these here in the text, for amongst several things laid to his charge, some against God himself, as profanation of his temple v. 6. he was accused of being also pestilent, a mover of sedition v. 5. to all which he answers in my text, that he was so far from profaneness in Religion and his duty towards God, and from sedition in the State, that he did exercise himself in this alone, in labouring to have a conscience void of offence in all things, by God or his Governors commanded. And this precedent of our Apostle, every one that hears me knows, the true sons of this Church always followed, both in doctrine and in practice, even to the Martyrdom not only of their persons, families, but of the Church itself. Not like those holy Churchmen who account themselves exempt, no subjects to the secular powers; nor those others, who withdrawing their obedience in all things which they do not like, do seem to own no powers but themselves, are Subject only to their own minds. Now he that does thus exercise himself always, (which is the only thing that I have left to speak to,) is in that state of Christian perfection, which the Travellers to Heaven, while they are upon the way, can arrive at: for that must needs be a good life, which is regulated by a good conscience; for if a conscience do its part, do neither err nor doubt, but is tender in all, in a word, if it inform truly in all duty, and thou dost accordingly, thou dost all thy duty: therefore all good life is called by the name of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19 and plainer Hebr. 13. 18. We trust we have a good conscience, willing in all things to live honestly, sincere endeavours to obey in every thing, a conscience that is right in every thing, not boggling with it, accepting the persons of duty, (being very conscientious in some things, but taking liberty in others,) and being so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always, not by fits, having only Paroxysmes of Religion, now and then very conscientious, otherwise loose enough, but to be so in all respect, and at all times: this was the sum of all St Paul's endeavour, he had no stricter aims, this was the height of his Religion, this his exercise. Yet why should I call it his exercise, when it is his enjoiment? 'tis his aunt passed of heaven itself. The applauds of an honest undeceiving heart that is conscious to itself of this in earnest, they shed comforts into every state of life, beyond all that the earth can give, they shed the peace of God that passeth understanding. If my conscience be clear, let my condition be never so overcast, I live in shine; let them be troubled with afflictions, or with sad expectations, who understand no delights but carnalities, whose souls are married to some little comforts of this world, adversity indeed sweeps all their joys away at once; but he that understands the comforts of a good conscience, and knows where to find them, and who hath a treasure of them in his breast, will soon be able to allay the other sadnesses. What can I want, if I have a continual feast, and such is a good conscience: let all the world look black upon me as long as I have light within me, and in that light can see a pleasantness upon God's face. Yea it is this indeed must make prosperity contentful, when to the candle of the Lord, the light of his countenance also does add its shine; when I have no ill remembrances, either as to the possession or to the enjoiment; when my heart assures me I did neither get it ill, nor use it ill, 'twas truly God's gift to me, and I strive to make it an instrument of my service to him. This is transfigured prosperity, but without this, for all the hurry of men's pleasures, something will now and then rejolt worse than surfeits, and come up bitterer than the gall of ejected riots, and they shall find their great provisions are but variety of nauseousness, only plentiful vexation, and a jolly restlessness, while they are here; and then when they but think of going hence, h Ecclesiasticus 41. 1. O death! how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man, that lives at rest in his possessions, to the man that hath nothing to molest him, hath hath prosperity in all things; and if he have the sting of conscience to embitter it, which will be sure to stir at such a time, alas! how unconceivable a sadness must then dwell upon that soul, that can think nothing kinder to itself than hell. But he that can at such a time say with i Esaiah 38. 3. Hezekiah, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight, then if God do not send a message of fifteen years, yet he will add to him an everlastingness of years of joy; if his days do no return, nor the Sun mount back again to give him a more full noon light, he shall be taken to the fountain of eternal light. Oh let me have that light, that will enlighten the sad approaches of the dark grave; that, when I am going to make my house in a black lonely desolate hole of earth, will be like the day spring of immortality, like the dawn of heaven, and such glimpses will break in thro' a clear conscience. 'Twas that which made the Martyrs run to the fires of execution as to fires triumph, and they looked upon their flames as on Elijah's chariot's flames, that flew upwards, not with haste to their own Sphere, but the Sphere of Martyr's Heaven, and whose brightness did prelude and expire into Glory. SERMON VI Of the Blessedness of Mourners. Matt. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. THE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shecina, say the Jewish Doctors, will not rest upon a sad person, that is, God will not be especially with him, nor will his holy Spirit keep him company, that is, a solitary Mourner: and indeed we often find in Scripture, that when the Prophets would invite God's Spirit down upon they did heighten themselves with mirth; but now, saith Elisha, bring me a Minstrel, and it came to pass while the Minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, thus saith the Lord, 2 Kings 3. 15. as if the Music had inspired him, and his soul was tuned into Enthusiasm; and so also 1 Sam. 10. 5. thou shalt meet a company of Prophets coming down from the high place, with a Psaltery, and a Tabret, and a Pipe, and a Harp before them, and they shall prophesy: and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee. Yea and as God would not dwell with them, so neither would he let them keep him company, they were not to appear before him sad Deut. 12. 7. And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice: and therefore God hath no worse expressions for unclean Sacrifices, than the bread of Mourners, Host 9 4. They shall not be pleasing unto him, but their Sacrifices shall be as the bread of Mourners, and as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Sacrifices, for their carcases shall not come into the house of the Lord. Yea he would not let those Melancholy people keep others company in his service, but there was porta lugentium, a gate for Mourners to enter by themselves into the Temple-service, as if the mirth were among their precepts, and to be sad were to be defiled and unclean. But it is not so with us in the Gospel, where the only Sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit, a broken and contrite heart he will not despise; but the bread of Mourners shall be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from which he will never turn away his face, and a few penitent tears are the scope and the fulfilling of all the Jewish purifyings, and the Spirit of the Lord moveth upon the face of these waters; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he flutters and hovers over them, and as he did out of the first waters, so out of those tears he hatches a new creation, they being the very first effects and signs of life in the new creature and the new birth also, natural to both; Infants and the Child of God also are born weeping and crying, this being the very first throw in regeneration. Yea so far is this sorrow from displeasing God, that it is the great engagement to him to give us comfort both here and hereafter, and it is put amongst Christ's first beatitudes here, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. The words present either a bare description of persons, or withal involve a duty, the being Mourners. Secondly import a designation of their condition, that they are Blessed. Thirdly they give the reason and the manner of that condition, For they shall be comforted; so that mourning may be doubly understood, either as a duty, or as an aphorism: in the later case mourning is taken not to be prescribed at all, but only Christ looking upon his Disciples who were in the world's esteem in a sad low condition, he does encourage them, that notwithstanding their unequal estimate, yet they are in a blessed condition, for they shall be sure to be comforted. And thus first it may be as an appendage to the former aphorism, in that he had by the assurance of a reward encouraged them in the entertainment of poverty and calamities, had advanced the lowly into heaven, and enriched the patient poor with the inheritance of a Kingdom, those that were poor in Spirit, content with their condition; and then this follows, blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted; as if it were after this manner: but what if our calamities do grow upon us, and we are not able to bear them with an even mind and a serene countenance, but they cast us down, we grieve and mourn under them and cannot be comforted? yet even for this condition there is promise, Christ is so far from breaking this bruised reed, that he confirms and strengthens it; the greivousness of our calamities shall not exclude all hope of ease, neither shall our weakness and infirmity exclude us from the number of the blessed: he will neither impute our want of courage, that groans and faints under the burden, provided that we be not heated by it into impatience at his dispensations, nor chafed into wrath against them that lay it on us, though we do mourn, if we do not vex, we are blessed; neither will he suffer our calamities, when he hath tried and purged us by them, quite to oppress us, but how grievous soever they be, they shall find multitudes of comfort, even the comfort of mitigation, for to that God's faithfulness is engaged 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a way also to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Secondly the internal comforts of God's grace 2 Cor. 1. 3, 4. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulations. Thirdly the comfort of a joyful recompense, even here for the most part, John 16. 20, 21. I say unto you ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. Our afflictions may be throws, but they shall end in birth, and have the ease and joy of a delivery; and therefore our Saviour said of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12. 50. how am I straitened? as a woman in child to accomplish his Baptism, that Baptism of agony, sweat and blood; or certainly however an eternal recompense of joy hereafter, everlasting consolations, as St Paul saith 2 Thess. 2. 16. When instead of this hunger and thirst and tears the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: Rev. 7. 17. and 21. 4. And first we learn hence the compassion of our Saviour, who hath indulged us the infirmities of our nature: he hath not made our weak affections to be sins, but hath showed us a way to make them advantages towards blessedness; God that was made flesh remembers that we are but flesh, and does not require of us to be insensible, it is not a vice not to be a stock, such as the Stoics required their wise man should be, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, no grief, nor no sense of any external calamity; though you thrust his hand into the fire, it must be no more to him, than if you burn his staff; for his body is but his organ, his instrument, no part at all of him: but Christ requires no such hard tasks of us. Had he denied us our tears, and forbid us the ease of mourning in afflictions, and made weeping to be cowardice and sin, it had been a hard saying, we had had reason to have thought ourselves severely dealt withal: but he gives us leave as it were to love the dear things of this world, a little to weep when they leave us, if we do not love them so as not to love our brother and our God, leaving them if the world leave us, and when by calamities our comforts are taken from us, by frettings and vexations throwing off our God from us, repining at him, and casting his commands away, of not envying, not returning, provided in our tears we have humble perfect submissions and resignations of ourselves, throwing ourselves down at his feet, and from our very souls saying, a 1 Sam. 3. 18. it is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good: then Christ he yields to the tenderness of our nature, and provided we mix no gall with our tears, no bitterness with our weep, no murmurs nor no grumble with our groans, he pardons all our weaknesses, and makes our mourning to be but as a call and invitation to him to come to comfort us. Secondly from the diversity of comforts that belong to every great grieving calamity here, we learn the munificence of our Saviour, who does with such infinite advantage return our afflictions; he did himself suffer so many sorrows, and found they were so hard to bear, that for every grief we patiently endure he renders a fourfold comfort, and of those some Divine, the last Eternal. Thus does he reward not our virtues only (for it is no command of ours to be grieved,) but our mischances, our inflictions: he recompenses thy enimie's malice to thee with multiplied and eternal consolations, yea he does thus reward thy ease; for such it is to mourn in crosses, our griefs boil out at our eyes, and ease their swellings by those eruptions of tears, yet this very ease does he comfort us for, and makes those tears, which for the present do refresh, to be the rivers of Paradise, the fountains of the waters of life; teaches us the constant vicissitudes of grief and joy; sorrow and gladness so receive one another constantly, that in this life they that mourn shall be comforted, they that b Luke 6. 25. laugh shall weep. Laughter hath in itself more than the tears of sadness, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle, the hurries of delight even in the very wicked weary themselves into a dulness, and die into a sadness; the intemperances' rejolt in bitter risings, and the more forced and violent the delight is, it is but like the raising the pendant weight, which by how much you lift it up one way, it drives itself so much on the other side; yea in the better sort of Christians the frolics of these pleasures here below, though not sinful, do for the most part end in thoughtful sadnesses, careful regrets, not only in that such persons, when they come to themselves, find themselves estranged from God, and from devouter duty; a deadness is upon them, and they must take pains to wind themselves up again: but if with any conscionable care they look into themselves, they shall discern that little loosnesses and vanities and prides and such other companions have insinuated themselves, and crept in with the frolics; matter for humiliation and sorrow, if they mean to recover the true inward Religious content which never springs with such a stream, as from these serious and retired reflections; they that so mourn shall find comfort. Thus the Aphorism also hath much truth in order to the two lives, that here and that hereafter. 2. This Aphorism also thus taken bears the full sense of that frequent saying, wherewith people used to comfort one another concerning these crosses, you are happy you have your sufferings in this life; which sentence, though it be not true in the full latitude, as thoevery man that suffered here had a crown therefore laid up for him; for afflictions may be vengeance for sins, which if they do not reduce us, as many are not bettered by their sufferings, why then they do increase their score, enhance their reckoning, and though they be the very beginning of Hell here, yet they do also heat Hell seven times more for them, and their very sufferings make them suffer more hereafter, than if they had not suffered here: because such sin against God's last method of reducing them. Tho this be too frequent truth, yet also there seeming some sufferings allotted to every man, as he that hath had no cross here, needs to look well to his tenure by which he holds his inheritance, since God hath said, c Hebr. 12. 6, 8. he chastens every son whom he receiveth; and if ye be without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. So also he that runs on in the race of Piety that is set before him, if he do meet with sharp stakes and stumbling blocks that hurt and gall him, yet if he starts up and goes on, he may look upon these as good evidences of his sonship, and security that he hath drunk his cup, and the dregs are not reserved for him; and thus both from this text, blessed are they that mourn, especially in St Luke's expressing it, blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh; and woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep, Luke 6. 21, 25. and most clearly from Abraham to the rich man Luke 16. 25. Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented, or as d See Cypr. l. 3. Test. ad Quirinum c. 61. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify rogatur, now thou Dives art the beggar, Lazarus is begged of; where you see clearly a portion of good and evil things seeming appropriate to every man on earth, each hath his good and evil things, and he that hath received the one may well look for the other: this clearly points out a vicissitude of good and evil, of comfort and of torment. We learn hence the unequitable mistake of those men, who expect and gape for all good things in both lives, quadrigis caelum petimus, they would go to heaven in triumphal chariots, and in smooth and broad ways sleep themselves into bliss, have two Paradises, all ease here and heaven hereafter: and even just such is that also of them, that make a calm prosperity here, to be a sign and seal to them that they are in the right way to heaven; thus Turcism shall commence the only true Religion, and Mahomet shall dethrone Christ from his own purchased right hand of God, for he hath the more purple sword; thus successful iniquity shall advance into piety, and sin by growing predominant, by becoming powerfully and exceeding sinful, accumulate into virtue. No, my Brethren, the comfort is promised not to them that have it here, but to the Mourners, take heed lest the Blessings you receive in this life be called your good things, or your consolations, as Luke 6. 24. I shall give you one sign whereby men may be able in some measure to discern, whether they do esteem, and make them to themselves such; God gives the good things of this world for uses, not to terminate our desires, as things of themselves good: only He himself, who is the supreme, the last good, can be so; all other are designed for ends, that do at last look up to him, and are and aught to be subordinate to that last highest end. Health is given to enable us to employ ourselves in the actions of some honest calling, for our own maintenance, for the good of others, and for the service of God, and carrying on the works and ends of Providence: so wealth or the provisions we acquire and enjoy, and every other good thing of this life. Now he that thwarts this order or subordination, that lays out his desires on the things themselves, that minds them for their own sake only, and the satisfaction he himself receives from them without looking further, these are his ends apparently, and so his good things which he rests in; which if God permit him to enjoy, he therefore hath his good things, and hath no great reason to expect and look for other. Now how miserably does this man delude himself? for this is to prefer the present moment before the following eternity: it is as if the Embryo should wish for a fair spacious womb, and choose to spring and leap there for its nine months, rather than to live a pleasant age in a variety of full delights, and so it may but dance in the womb not care to be delivered into a dungeon, and born a fettered slave: it is to choose the riot of one meal, one good feast, and to starve the whole remainder of a man's life; yea it is worse, it is to love a pleasant moment more, than he fears eternal Hell, or loves as eternal Heaven. And this will be discerned, (and is by most of them that live in jollity) when they come to die; when they must bethink themselves of going hence, and have not considered to provide a place, nay have all reason to believe they have no place provided, but that which God e Matt. 25. 41. prepared for the Devil and his Angels; when they shall think in sad earnest, I have lived a pleasant life, and never have denied myself an appetite nor thwarted a design, nor yet hath God denied me any thing, but Providence hath suffered every thing to serve my inclinations, and to gorge my appetites; but I am going now where these unruly appetites, that I have so indulged, will infinitely grow, and where all satisfaction will be impossible, and my desires will be my endless torment. 3. This Aphorism also by pronouncing a present blessedness to the Mourners, le's us see the advantages they have above other men in their journey to Heaven. Delights for the most part they are but the baits and the sauces of sin: by these the Devil and the World and our own Flesh temts us to iniquities, and keeps us fast glued in them; this is every man's experience, yea the most innocent delights they are at the best avocations from Heaven, and from better things; they entertain and hold our thoughts upon fading objects, that will never profit us, if it happen that they do not utterly ruin us: whereas the causes of mourning, calamities, yea and the passion itself they beget virtues in us, a whole chain of them; for tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope, Rom. 5. 3, 4. yea indeed they make us perfect and entire lacking nothing, Jam. 1. 4. as if to be robbed and spoiled of all things were the sure way of wanting nothing, not a virtue certainly, these deep waters of affliction and these tears of ours, that raise the stream, they drive and waft us to our God, f Psal. 78. 34. when he smote them, than they sought him and enquired after God early; a storm will make a Mariner pray, and when the tempest beats him down upon his knees he will lift up his hands to Heaven; the Heathen Seamen fled to the true Jehovah, when they were ready to suffer shipwreck Jonah 1. 14, 16. yea they do not only drive but woo us to God, they are temtations in the sense of bait also, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, saith God Host 2. 14. when I have made her solitary, put her as in the desert, brought her into the very place of dragons, this shall be my allurements, my enticing woo of her: and not to lose the experience of this, St Chrysostom hath given it in the frequent example of men of most effeminate, loose, dissolute lives, yet by a cause of mourning, by the loss of a bosom wife, of a dear only heir they become (at least for that time of grief) strict and severe; how do they banish all soft delights, no curious provision for the flesh, but more than Philosophical abstinence almost to the pining of themselves, watches and silence, quiet and humble prostrations of themselves, unspeakable meekness, huge commiseration of all that are afflicted, these are their passions and their exercises; for a while they so contemn the world, think it so little worth their moiling for, that now it is not worth a wish; in that time should a fire seize on all they had, or a spoiler run away with all, it would scarce divert a thought or eye to it from their sad melancholy object, they look upon all guilded pomps and soft pleasures as clothed with the same dark sable that themselves have on, they are almost ready to betake themselves to the wife's sepulchre, running to inhabit that chamber of death, and again to marry themselves in that cold bed the grave; so easily will mourning wean us. In this dimness of anguish, and darkness as of the shadow of death, we should not run to hug and embrace glowworms, but prostrate ourselves in this dust and ashes, and with sad serious repentance set on mourning, which shall bring me to the consideration of the words as of a duty. And first of the duty in general: now the mourning here being opposed to them that laugh in St Luke, the thing forbidden in the duty may be all foolish lightness in conversation and manners, all vanity, looseness and wantonness, all uncomely behaviours or jestings, all freer recreations that beget or are accompanied with any of these; and the duty be in part the same with that in the Phil. 4. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, if any things be grave, think on these things, saith he there, gravity being the very garb of a Mourner. Not that I would have this duty to exclude all recreation, which also according to the persons with whom it is, may be innocently light; as with children serious toys are no sport for them. But 1. Recreation must be such as may cherish health and strength, and unbend the mind by diverting it; for to weary myself by my refreshment is to contradict the very aim of it, to make my recreation need another sport to refresh me after the toil of my laborious idleness: and therefore also 2. It must be moderate; otherwise it does exchange with my calling, and my refreshment becomes my employment: and 3. It must be innocent; I must not make it my sport to offend God; it is too dangerous a recreation to jest with and provoke the Almighty, to play with sin, and to sport away a virtue is of too ill consequence: and the duty of the text saith also it should be. 4. According to the condition of my person, somewhat grave, not so extremely light and vain; and if you would by these examine the usual delights, first all freer revelling, which if they be in pleasures of the taste, end frequently in intemperance, are accompanied with foolish discourses, very oft profane; and with swear, idle and bitter jestings at those which are present, and detractions of those that are absent, whence proceed quarrels and the like: they are also full of apishness in the process of them below the gravity of common sense, much more of a Christian, a member of the Son of God: we should find these, I say, to jar with more than one of the former requisites of recreation. Some other sorts are oft the instruments of infinite vanity, the great engines of lasciviousness and lust. Wanton Songs and unchaste books, these very things they put a fucus upon sin, and they dress iniquity with all the adulteries of possible art, that they may the more enticingly prostitute her: here are young souls ensnared by these, to whom the very description of sin is invitation and conquest. Do not sit by a woman that is a Singer, saith the wise Son of Syrach; and if innocent beauty be irresistible temptation, if it do at once assault both at the eyes and ears, charge the soul with charms at both those ports, how then shall the very pleasure of that temptation, the wantonness itself be resistible, when it comes dressed with harmony, when it does melt the imagination into the soft looseness of its own smooth airs and gentle warble? How shall they escape when they see sin clothed in all the flowers of Rhetoric as books present, when they see the example of men temting to it and learn the method, when they see it acted, and the delight of it expressed with all the advantages of sinful art, with very prurient words, and committing language. Some others, as great gamings, (not that I condemn the thing in general) when they are used with much appetite, either of the sport itself or of the price, they become immoderate, too much time is spent upon them. And Causinus saith, did a man commit no other sin, but conversing a good part of his life with kings and knaves of cards, being invited to the conversation of Angels, yet were it no small offence. But besides that they are the nurses of anger, they dictate ill language, and they are the apprenticeship of cursings, oaths, and blasphemy: so that if you put all these together, you shall find that by all these recreations we do but bait and temt our sins, we do the Devils work against ourselves; and we that know our strength is not miraculous, that find how oft and easily we fall, are bound in conscience to avoid those things which we find are occasions to us of sin: and if you would instead of those impressions, which the vain pleasures of those recreations do leave upon your desires, entertain and heighten these few considerations to yourselves, it might a little bridle. 1. A Christian is a mourner, my blacks, my dark sad veils are are spread over me; and should I see a woman in that habit, and, while it was new, go to revels, sing obscene catches, and spend much of her time in gamings, what would I think of that woman? Why even the same strumpet, lewd thing is my soul, that in the days of her mourning does thus luxuriate. And is it not a sad thing that a Christian, (a very serious name, that) a man, that hath the delights of heaven to refresh himself with, that hath God to converse with, should not yet know how to pass his time without these lighter vain follies, which yet he would be loath to do before a man of quality and discretion; yea that he cannot refresh himself without sinful delights, that he must go take a walk in Hell to divert himself for fear he nauseate upon Heaven? 2. All the holy Angels, that so great cloud of witnesses, they look upon me acting these my impertinent ridiculous follies, and it does break off their melody; they mourn to see me, a Christian, a man that should be one of them, thus foolishly passing my irrevocable time, idly spending my hours of repentance, and vainly throwing away my possibilities of Heaven, and doing this so unseemly, destroying myself with lightness and to no purpose. 3. How many now do mourn in their state and expectation of miseries, and with sad yell bewail their lost hours, and the sins which their lightnesses and recreations drew upon them, the curses and ill language of their gaming, the fornications of the lusts which their songs and dances did provoke them to, and the intemperance of their revels, and the idle words of all of them in general, of which yet our Saviour saith we must give an account? and have I not reason to fear the same expectations and woes? and then had I not better be a little more serious and grave, put on the strictness and severity of a Christian here, unless I can resolve, so I may but sing wantonly here, not to care though I howl in hell eternally, so I may but revel and drink here, let the never-dying worm for ever gnaw upon the very marrow of my soul, and God's fury drink up my spirits, and myself for ever suffer the perpetual thirst of favour, dwell with everlasting burnings, and rather than I will put on black and be a mourner here, I will be thrust into the land of g Matt. 8. 12. utter darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth? But I will now descend to the particular exercises of this duty, of which I will name but two: the first is to bewail and mourn for the calamities that befall or are impendent on a Church and State, or any member of it, either others or ourselves, without considering whether this be like to be our case or no; I only put it in the general as a duty, and a particular exercise of this in the text: whensoever any judgement do befall a Land, to be truly humbled and sadded by it, and to compassionate any one that is afflicted by it, and as St Paul bid us Rom. 12. 15. to weep with them that weep. Now to move us to this, he that is not affected, he declares plainly, that he is no fellow-member of him whose sufferings he does not partake in, nor a part of that Church in whose judgement he is not humbled; for saith St Paul h 1 Cor. 12. 26. if one member be afflicted, all the rest suffer with it: and experience saith it too, and then shall the body of our Head Christ, a whole Church be wounded and maimed, have its last death-pangs upon it, lie struggling and gasping, and we unmoved at this, have the same full delights, and taste them too, feel no gripes, no sympathy of convulsions, and shall we yet think ourselves members of that body of Christ? Oh no, we hold not of the Head our Saviour, we have no communion with him; for if we had, we should have communion of sufferings, a fellow-sense. There is no such convincing sign as this in the world, this flowing from the very nature of grief; for grief cannot properly be but for an evil that is some way annexed and proper to ourselves, de malo conjuncto; for as appetite is implanted for the use of him in whom it is implanted, so it is not proper to it to have any aversation to evil, except it be some way evil to him whose appetite hath that aversation, and to grieve at misery I must some way conceive it to concern myself. Now then as he that does not conceive himself a member of a Church, nor a fellow member, nor any way relating to it, he cannot truly grieve; so he that does not grieve, declares no communion with it, he is another thing, a member quite cut off or dead, and so stupid and insensible. Such a judgement dost thou pass upon thyself whoever dost not mourn, outlawest and excommunicatest thyself, neither belongst to Church nor State, nor yet to Christ. 2. As thou hast no charity to thy Brother, nor to thy afflicted Mother; so neither hast thou any love to God, whose glory though it be asserted by the punishment of a sinful Land or Church, he is also still dishonoured by the sins which do then reign, and to which he does permit for the most part the punishment of sin, and that power and authority or discipline which divisions in the Church cut short, hath for its consequent all unbridled looseness and profaneness, Blasphemy and Atheism; the calamities of a State are embittered by all sorts of licences that grow when Government is weakened: to see a whole Land mourn with the dark purple of its blood, all which blood as it is the punishment of that Nation, so it is the guilt also to see the wickedness of a Kingdom plagued with the ruin of many thousands of men's lives and thousands of souls too that fell in actual iniquity, and yet to think that this plague is the greatest wickedness of all, armed with the most crying sins that are, that the very punishment must call for punishment and revenge of itself, and help to make up the measure of judgement, that the sentence of desolation may be irreversible and utter, to see two inundations overflow the Land, two abysses of blood and guilt, and one deep calling upon another to meet and swallow us and bury us in their graves of sin and deep ruin; yea to see iniquity become impudent and sin triumphant, which is the great sign of utter ruin as it was to the Jews, an omen worse than Comets or Blazing-stars, & the dismal voice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yea and in this ruin too I do not see how any will well free themselves from guilt; for if they be the ruiners they are the great spoilers, the sinners if the ruined; they have contributed to make those others the sinful inflicters: and if in all this there be not matter for a little mourning, if God dishonoured, souls destroyed, lives perishing, Church ruining, and nothing but sin flourishing, and ourselves not unguilty, and if this be not an object for our tears, we are the most uncharitable, most obdurate creatures in the world, Niobe's stone is not fit to be our emblem, for that stone could sweat tears; we are more rock than that which Moses struck, whom the rod of God cannot make weep, we are next degree to Lucifer himself, for only Hell is sure at ease to see its company increase. 3. Lastly this not mourning in the judgement of a Nation is a sin which God does most heavily characterise and threaten, Amos 6. 1, 6, 7, 8. Isaiah 22. when the Prophet had described how it should be in the day of desolation v. 4, 5. then because they did not do it, see the judgement v. 12, 13, 14. yea this very thing, that men are insensible, is as it were the very last judgement on a Nation, and the sign of utter rejection, Jer. 16. 5, 6, 7. But how can this duty of mourning consist with those so frequent Gospel-Commands to rejoice in utmost afflictions? James 1. 2, 3. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temtations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience: and St Paul most often. 'Tis true indeed we are to rejoice in them, because they are Gods methods of bettering us; by them he does purge ad cleanse us, Isaiah 4. 4, 5. and c. 1. 25, 27. Redeemed with judgement, even with the judgement that I shall execute upon them. But then 1. What reason have we to mourn also that we are such foul sinners as to need such ways of purging, that Christ's death should not have motive enough in it to turn us from iniquity, that his blood should not be sufficient laver enough to wash us but our own must be poured out also, that our air should be so infected that nothing but an universal conflagration can purify, that we should be such refractory stubborn persons, whom nothing but wounding will do good upon, nothing but ruin will reduce? But then 2. How are we more to mourn that this very method should not be able to reduce us, that we will run upon lashes, swords and deaths to sin, that in the midst of judgements and against them too we commit iniquity, that every stripe does increase our reckoning, add to our iniquities, & no possible method left to reduce them whom correction will not make sensible; but our villainies grow up with our sufferings, and our sins are fattened by our blood, as the land is. Yea last how are we to mourn that to the rest of our sins this also is added by us, of not mourning at our judgements, but using all possible means to prevent it, to lay a sleep the sense of any judgement that is upon the Nation, to be so far from bestowing one hour of sadness upon those so grand motives to it, that they do all they can to keep it from them; and if those judgements happen to some, they look upon it carelessly, as a thing that does not concern, rather as a matter only of rejoicing; if to others whom they wish well to, they search out wine and vice to quench and to divert the memory and thought of it, to drown sad news in sadder sin; this is to labour hard lest sadness and a virtue should creep upon me, to search out means to assist me to keep Gods last method from doing any good upon me: this is one cause of greatest judgement Isaiah 5. 11, 12, 13, 14. The second and indeed the great exercise of this duty in the text, is to mourn for our sins; and First for the infirmities of our nature, that stain that we were born with, that engagement to death that we brought into the world with us, and which is a clog and weight upon us throughout the whole course of our lives to disable us from doing our duty as we ought. Secondly for the sins of our habits, whereby we have advanced those infirmities into customs, made a covenant with that death to which we were born engaged, and our whole practice is the exercise of those things whose wages is death eternal; or if we are not gone so far in vicious customs, yet for the gross foul acts which men sometimes commit, those unkind stabs and wounds to our own souls, those cruel self-murders, these all are to be daily mourned for. Now I shall only name a few reasons why we should mourn, and so stir us up to it. 1. Because only in this and in relation to this is grief of any use at all: God and Nature, they say, made nothing in vain; now if it were not for our sins grief would be almost in vain, a certain sign that this passion must be employed upon our sins, ut propter hujus tantum sublationem sit concessa, saith St Chrysostom. For does any man lose a child? why if he grieve to death will his mourning raise him? Is thy Estate taken from thee? why thou art sad upon it, but will thy tears recover it? But hast thou sinned, and dost thou truly mourn and grieve for it? why thy tears do wash away thy sin and blot out thine offence. So that mourning being every where else preposterous and unprofitable, was clearly intended to be spent upon our sins. 2. What ingratitude is it to thy Saviour not to find in thine heart to mourn for those sins for which he did die; the Son of God did sweat, and pray, and cry, and shed a torrent of blood and water, and suffer death for those very sins of thine and mine which we think so slightly of, that we will not shed a tear for them? O my Brethren, if there is in us any love of that our Jesus, or indeed of ourselves, we would now transplant the Agonies, and make them ours, and sweat out a few drops of sorrow to cure us of those favours of our sins. 3. Yea it is a very trouble to our God that we do not grieve, he mourns to see that we will not mourn, Hosea 13. 14. when God had complained before of Ephraim, what a foolish child it was that it did not repent; he tells them there, that if they had done so, I would have ransomed them from the power of the grave, (not I will, for the very next verse contradicts that) I would have redeemed them from death, O death, I had been thy grave, O grave I had been thy destruction; but comfort is hid from mine eyes: (repentance we read, but the word bears and the sense requires comfort,) as if the eyes of the Lord were therefore full of tears, because Ephraim's were not, and he could not receive comfort, if Ephraim did not mourn: and if we do not mourn, God will comfort himself some other way concerning us to our grief, Isaiah 1. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty one of Israel, ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word before I will be comforted by reason of mine adversaries; how? why I will avenge me of mine enemies. Ah my Brethren when God is to be comforted by his vengeance upon us, when he can find no ease but in our ruin and destruction, and that he calls his comfort in relation to the non-mourning impenitent, where shall we find ease and comfort then? And then methinks this should scare us into the use of this, fright us out of that stupid lethargy in sinning, which does so dull us in it, makes us so senseless of it and the danger we are in by reason of it, that we cannot bestow one day in weeping, mourning, and fasting, no nor indeed an hour of serious sadness upon an age of sin, a whole life of iniquity: the very next step of this into which we shall be sure to fall, is the greatest sin and judgement in the world, it is that spoken of as a character of the foulest Heathens, Ephes. 4. 18. 19 Having their understandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God thro' the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness that is in their heart; who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleaness with greediness: rather because of the brawny hardness of their hearts, which are become callous, insensible of any admonitions, stings and grief, but dead to all sense of sin, and having put off all fear of it; and who these are he tells you in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, such as when they do the foulest acts, are not touched with any grief for having done them, but like dead members of the body that are forsaken by the vital spirits, if you lash or prick or launce them, they feel no pain: even so these whose consciences are retired & a sleep, they do not mourn for any of their foulest actions, which is the very height of impiety; for such do straight give themselves over to all filthiness to work all uncleaness with greediness. This is the effect of not mourning, and then how do they deserve and provoke this judgement, who if at any time their conscience begin to twinge them for any of their sins, they presently divert their thoughts, lest the mourning in the text should creep upon them, and they should grow sad? These men dread their virtue, they are afraid of becoming pious, and to avoid the way to heaven is their design and contrivance; they come not so near duty as the wicked in hell, have not so much repentance as the damned have; for there is sorrow for their sins, weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. I should 2dly encourage those that do thus mourn, but the text does that sufficiently, they are blessed, and they shall be comforted. First they are blest for this mourning, it is the great effect and sign of this Spiritual life; that man's sickness hath not yet killed him, who is sensible of it, who grieves by reason of the anguish of it, and he is not dead who feels the weight of it and mourns for it. Secondly if it be true, it draws such a train of virtues after it, as it made St Paul rejoice that he had made the Corinthians sad, 2 Cor. 9, 10, 11. and then this very same verse will assure them of the comfort hereafter; for all the Gospel-promises are assured upon the terms of repentance, which this Godly sorrow is the first link of, and does draw after it: & then if there be any comfort in the company of myriads of Saints and Angels, if we dare take Christ's judgement, if he had any taste who suffered so many mourning fits, that lived a life of tears here, that often wept but never laughed, yea a life of horrid suffering, and yet thought those comforts a full glorious recompense to him for all those sufferings, and therefore may well be to us for a few tears; if there be any joy in the beatifical vision and in heaven, they shall be comforted that mourn, when as I told you out of Revelations, all tears shall be wiped from their eyes, there shall be no more trouble, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. And yet this is but the Negative part of their eternity of bliss, which to conceive is to be as God, and to enjoy is to be one with him. And O thou Blessed Jesus, the eternal Lord of all those comforts, be favourable unto us thy servants, that turn to thee with weeping and with mourning, that do with hearty bewailing for our hardness desire thee to teach our souls with some compunction for those iniquities that did put thee to death and would ruin us, to break our rocky hearts, that they may stream out tears for those our sins which shed thy blood, and would cast us into eternal wail; and as thou hast humbled us into the dust, and prostrated our very souls unto the ground, to grant unto us to sit down in that dust and to bewail our own demerits, which our very ruin can neither equal nor amend. O suffer us not to be so obdurate, as to prove unmoveable by all thy pressures, insensible of our own miseries and sufferings, and such as amidst the pains of sin do still retain the malice and the obstinacy, and then at last by these thy methods and our griefs recover us from the follies of our lives, close our eyes and withdraw our affections from the temting lightnesses and vanities of our conversations; and fix our thoughts and appetites upon thy serious comforts, those heavenly refreshments after so much sadness, that we being reckoned amongst them whom thou dost chasten, put into the number of thy mourners, whose share of sorrows are dispensed in this life, may have title to the inheritance of Sons, the joys of blessedness, and the portion of eternal consolations in the land of everlasting pleasures with thee the Lamb that wert slain, and art therefore worthy to receive all honour, power, praise, might, majesty, and dominion with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and for evermore. SERMON VII. OF THE CLEANSING POWER Of Christian HOPE. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as he is pure. HOPE is of all others the most active passion, setting all the rest of them and the whole man on work; for who would ever do or desire any thing, if he did not hope for some good by it? It is this hope alone that employs all the men and all the professions of the world: it is the wings of the Desires and Actions, carrying them thro' the greatest difficulties with courage and alacrity, with Confidence and an unwearied Constancy, Ad bonas spes pertinax animus est. Never will a man leave so long as he does hope, and of all hopes that of the Christian should be the most active; because it aims at the highest good, in comparison of which all other good things are but shadows. For what are the pleasures of earth to the things of God, not worthy to be the expressions, no nor the foils of them? Now we see the greater the hopes, the more active men are in the pursuit of them; for who is there that will take so much pains for a Cottage, as for a Crown? And is it not then a wonder, that of all Hopes yet this Hope of Heaven should be the least effectual in the minds of men; and of all pleasures those of God should least invite, and lest employ us? For what one is there that does not with more eager and constant industry pursue the hopes of profit or the hopes of pleasure, than he does the hopes of Immortality and of Blessedness? How few are there that do not spend more time and more endeavours, take more and longer pains in their Sports than in their Religion? which could not certainly be, if they had not surer and greater hopes of joy from their sports, than from Heaven; for the greater hope would certainly set them the more on work. No, Heaven is a thing of no taste, carries no profit, no pleasure in the meaning of it; for if it did it would employ them in the gaining of it, and every one that had this hope, would purify himself as he is pure, Matth. 5. 8. If the inheritance of the Kingdom of God were, as some were upon earth, entailed, so that do they what they will, they could not be put by it, there were then some reason not to wonder, wherefore we see men live in the broad way to Hell and yet then hope to come to Heaven: and certainly nothing but such a persuasion as that can possibly lull men into such a wretchless security as they are possessed with, in a thing of this eternal consequence. For if we should examine them, the most sinful wretch of them all hath hopes to be saved, yea he would not be able to stand under the burden and the horror of his own kill thoughts, if he should but once despair of that: so that hope he will, and yet if he believe one jot of Scripture, it is impossible for him to hope it. For that bids him not a 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thiefs, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. So that he dares not not hope, and yet if he do but ask himself, he knows he cannot hope: and what then makes him do it? Certainly the opinion that such and such the inheritance is entailed upon, and be they what they will, they shall have Heaven. But alas! they are mistaken in the nature of the inheritance; we may read of many that were cast off, and the Heir must be a servant as long as he is a child, if he do not obey, no hopes of his arriving at his inheritance when he is come to age. St John here will dash all those vain hopes, and will tell them as they cannot justly hope, for none such as they can be possessed of that inheritance; and therefore 'tis to no purpose for them to hope it. So also that they do not indeed hope; for if they did ever expect to arrive at Heaven, they would not run on in a course, that leads a clean contrary way. The Apostle here propounds five Arguments to exhort them to the study of Piety, to press after Holiness, and to leave off their courses of sin. I shall name them backwards. First in the tenth verse if we be Christians we not only will not, but cannot sin. Yea secondly we are indeed Children of the Devil, if we do v. 8. Neither thirdly have we any Communion with Christ possibly, or interest in his Righteousness v. 6, 7. Nay fourthly they destroy the very end of Christ's coming into the world v. 5. Lastly in the front of all these neither can they hope to enjoy any of those glorious promises, that God hath made to his Children, those of giving them glory and immortality; For he that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as he is pure. In the handling of these words I shall show you what it is to purify himself. Secondly what kind of purity he is to strive after, as he is pure. Thirdly what the Hope of a Christian is, this Hope. Fourthly how that Hope does set a man on purifying, He that hath this Hope purifies himself. For the first what it is to purify I shall only name, it is to cleanse from all mixture of pollution, and how far it is to extend, is set down by St Paul upon the very same grounds with those in the Text, * 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit: and St James b James 4. 8. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded: and they both mean thus much; that for external actions, Christian purity though it will admit of slips and failings, yet it is not consistent with continuance in any known sin. And therefore David though he were said to be a man after Gods own heart, and that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, (the very description of pure) yet it is added save in the matter of Vriah. For first it never does admit any filthiness of Flesh, but must be universal; and it is in this true what St James saith c. 2. v. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all: God had before affirmed the same expressly Ezek. 18. 10, 11, 12, 13. If he beget a son that is a robber, and that doth the like to any one of these things, and hath defiled his neighbour's wife, hath oppressed the poor and needy etc. shall he then live? he shall not live, he hath done all these abominations, he shall surely die. So that in God's sight he that hath done any one of these things, he hath done all these abominations: for it is plain, that those he had not done he abstained not from, because God had forbidden them; for than he had abstained from that which he had done, God had forbidden that; so that his abstinences are not innocence, but squeamishness or fear. Either he does not like them, or he dares not do them for some worldly reason; and he does not only let God see he can abstain for such considerations as these, but will not for his Promises or his authority. He values these below the mode or fashion of the world, or his respect to some other person, or any little interest or humour. 2. Neither does this purity admit any filthiness of the Spirit, we must purify our hearts; and for internal purity the rule is, that to abstain from outward actions of sin is not enough, but the heart must be cleansed also: this is proved already. And indeed to deny my flesh the pleasures of the flesh, and yet to let my mind dwell upon them and enjoy them; not to commit them, and yet suffer my soul to do it, is to transplant the sin, to make my soul act the deeds of the flesh, and my very spirit become carnal. This is at the best to give God the worst part of my services, and the Devil the best: my heart and soul the Devil enjoys; God hath nothing but a few outward abstinences. What a mixture is here, how far from purity; God and the Devil joined together, and the Devil having the upper hand, the better portion? Thus in general, but to tell you what kind of purity we are to strive after, I shall touch at some few Scripture wordings of it. 1. Holiness. For pure and holy are often joined 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Now the true notion of holiness consists in a setting apart, or discrimination from other things or persons. And therefore holiness of life is the observing that peculiar different form of life, which God hath commanded those whom he hath called, not being conformed to the fashion of the world. As St James saith pure Religion, not to live after the common manner of men, common and holy being every where opposed: so that when God is said to call us to holiness, he requires us to consecrate our lives to his service, to look upon ourselves as things sacred. Hence Christians are called living Sacrifices holy to God Rom. 12. 1. Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19 and all names of Holiness are set upon them to show how strict a necessity lies upon us to separate ourselves from all carnal worldly uses and defilements. 2. The Pure are expressed by Virgins 2 Cor. 11. 2. For I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousy, that is, as a strict careful Parent over his beloved maiden daughter, so that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. Every gross impurity deflowers the soul, and when it sins it plays the strumpet. And if a bride, that on her wedding day should play the harlot, and give away that Virginity which she had but then promised to her Husband, would certainly not dare to stand the wrath of her furious Bridegroom that should catch her in her villainy: how wilt thou meet the jealousy of thy Spouse, when as thou spread'st thyself to every temptation, committest perpetual whoredoms with the World and flesh, and dost continually act disloialty in the very eyes of his glory? Certainly the same jealous care and earnest desires that are employed in seeking a wife that is not vitiated, this very expression of Virgin does direct us to make use of in watchfulness over ourselves, that sin do not devirginate us, that we do not present a strumpet to Christ for his Spouse; but that he may find us Virgins at the Marriage of the Lamb. Yea that we may see what kind of ones also, St Paul expresseth their Purity Ephes. 5. 27. not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish. For as every gross Sin does deflower the Soul, and make it no Virgin; so every lighter fault is a spot upon the cheek, a wrinkle in the forehead in Christ's eyes. And if chastity shall be severely guarded out of a respect to future hopes of marriages, which there is no hopes to be successful in, if that be blasted; if to please a Suitor the glass shall be consulted with, every stain shall be adorned, covered, made a beauty-spot; and all methods (sometimes more than honest) used to keep the forehead smooth, the cheek full and plain, not content with the Lords workmanship upon them they will outdo their Maker, and create to themselves beauties that God and Nature never did intend them: if men do avoid wrinkles in a Bride, as they would do a Deaths-head or memento mori in their bridal bed, can we then think ourselves, whom every day bespots, and stains, every hour adds such wrinkles to, whose souls have more of those furrows than our lives have minutes, who are indeed only bundles of deformities, besides our gross whoredoms; can we, I say, think ourselves a fit Spouse for Christ? Is he the only Bridegroom to be thus provided for? Can we have confidence to present a Strumpet to him for a Bride, and care not that he find us Virgins at the Marriage of the Lamb? Or can we expect any thing but an eternal divorce from him, whom we have thus used. I have given you some expressions by which you may judge what kind of Purity we are to aim at: I shall come a little nearer that of the Text by one or two more. 3. Purity and Holiness are expressed in Scripture by White Raiment, Revel. 3. 18. a White Robe, c. 7. 9 for the c Rev. 19 8. Fine Linen is the Righteousness of the Saints, as it there follows. Now the reason of this compellation is, it is called Raiment because it is to cover our nakedness and our shame; for our sins are accounted such. In God's eyes every wicked person is the same thing as a deformed creature with his nakedness shamefully uncovered and prostituted. This is clear out of those places Rev. 16. 15. lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Rev. 3. 18. Buy of me White Raiments, that thou mayst be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. For that it is called Raiment, and White Linen because of the Purity. White is the purest colour, the least spot or stain is immediately discerned upon it: and if it be upon Fine Linen, makes it presently cast off by them, whose glory it is to be neat and clean, it shall no more come near them till the spots and stains be washed off. And Oh that we had but this pride for our souls, that we were but as ambitious to have our immortal Spirits neatly decked when we appear in God's sight, as our putrifying carcases when we go in company: that when we slip or fall, and when a spot does slain this Linen even of Righteousness, that we would instantly wash it in our tears and the blood of Christ, the laver that is prepared for this Linen, for d Rev. 7. 14. they made their garments white in the blood of the Lamb: and that for the time to come we would be but as careful of keeping it neat; of preserving it from stains, as we are of finer linen. And God himself makes use of our pride in that kind to be our exprobration Jer. 2. 32. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. And sure I am, the expression of Fine Linen aims at a great degree of Purity, when it calls that careful conscionable duty the e Ephes. 4. 1. walking worthy of the Christian calling, whereunto we are called, even the walking diligently in all the Commandments of God; calls I say, this Righteousness fine linen clean and white: for it is the very expression of that pure clothing that we shall be dressed in at our wedding with Christ, it is our spousal linen when we go to meet our Bridegroom Rev. 19 7, 8. The Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, to teach us that we should be always as careful of our ways, always dressed in mind, and so prepared, as if we were to go and meet our Bridegroom. Yea it is the expression of that pure Clothing, which we shall be clothed in Heaven with, where we shall be pure as God is pure, perfectly holy: Rev. 3. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white; to let us see that this expression by which our Righteousness is called white clothing, requires us to have our conversation in Heaven, even while we are here; to make our lives here but as a preparation to that Marriage-feast, to be but the time of dressing ourselves before hand. For we must array ourselves in fine linen, the very same dress in which we must walk with Christ; for, they shall walk with me in white, saith he: yea 'tis his own dress also, for the garments of Christ, Moses and Elias in the Mount was f Mark 9 3. white shining Raiment. Holiness is transfiguration upon earth: so that this compellation from our daily diligence in the cleansing and the keeping of our linen does direct us to the same diligence in neatness of our souls, and requires of us such a Purity as with which God is pure. 4. Purity it is called light, as also sin is called darkness Rom. 13. 12. Put ye off the works of darkness and put ye on the armour of light: and Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men; and that very fitly, because nothing so pure as light, so clear as shine and noonday, it is the most pure of all visible creatures, it is not possible so much as to sully shine or to spot the light; the foulest dunghill that it can shine upon, does not at all defile it; you may put out the day, but you cannot slain it. And truly no expression comes near the Purity of Light, for it is so clean as it is set to express the very Holiness of God himself, 1 John 1. 5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all. And therefore while our Piety is called light, it teaches us that we labour to be pure as he is pure; the kind of Purity, which how it is, St James hath set down c. 1. 17. where he explains this very expression, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. They are Astronomical expressions belonging to the Lights of Heaven: God is not like them that change oft; not like the Moon that hath its tides of light, now full, and then dark; nor is he like the Sun, he hath not any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tropic, who when he is come near to us and makes summer, then turns back again and goes fromward us: neither must our Light have any such, our Holiness must have no Solstice; our Devotion sometimes mounting with a bright and holy flame as it would breathe up into Heaven itself, sometimes fainting and sinking as it would expire and die: now our endeavours strong and violent, we strive, pant and climb; afterwards we slacken and go backwards. Neither yet a waning Moon, Holiness ebbing and flowing, now increasing, then again decaying; which though it be sometimes glorious with a full shine, is yet otherwhile the darkest part of the whole Firmament. It must not be so with our Piety, sometimes at a Sermon, or before a Communion, or upon some sharp rebuke of Gods in an affliction, cross, or other occasion very high and shining; but then again at another time like the New-Moon no light at all; the Devotion is sunk and extinct, and our vanities possess us wholly. No fits of Purity, Paroxysms of Piety, that come like the heats of agues now and then, but with great intervals between, will serve the turn; but it must give a constant shine. Devotion must be a fixed Light, such as is not variable and turning; and so this expression shows how we must purify as he is pure, with kind, I say, not with degree. For the Text does not mean that we should be as pure as he; to aim at such a virtue were Rebellion, and the hopes of such a Purity were Lucifer's Ambition, and would throw us down to Hell. Neither yet pure as he is pure, without any mixture of spot or slain. For while we are made up of a mixed composition, we shall never be so pure, neither is any such exacted of us. All the meaning is, if we have hopes to be like God hereafter with glorious likeness, we must endeavour also to be like him here; and that is done by endeavouring after Purity, forasmuch as God is pure. Here is then an efficacious motive for us to labour after Purity, it makes us like God. To be a Child or a Son in Scripture is the same thing as to be like, or do such works as the other does: Ye are of your Father the Devil, and his works ye do, John 8. 44. and what in one place is said g Matt. 5. 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, in an other place is, that ye may be like you Father. For whatever the Children of a Natural Father be, God's Children must be like him, or they are not his; and the way to be so is but to labour after Holiness, to be still amending by little and little, daily cleansing out some sin or other: he vouchsafes to call this purifying as he is pure, he calls such a person like him and his Child. But secondly whose Children are they and like whom, who go on still in their courses of wickedness? and if they do not grow daily worse, as few there are that do not, yet they never think of growing better, if we should examine them by the expressions we have given. And take them first to that of Light, by which we saw a holy Conversation was styled, we shall in that see the sad condition of a wicked person, his life is all darkness: that sore Plague of Egypt, which three days made intolerable, is still upon the Sinners Soul, nothing but night about him. And indeed nothing else befits his deeds of darkness, as sins are called; which how glorious and splendid soever they seem to him, the only modes and gallantry, yet alas the splendour of them is but like the shine of lightning, full of horror in itself, and makes the darkness of the night also more irksome. And what can these men, that have no light, whose deeds are all the deeds of night and darkness; what can they expect but to be cast at last into utter darkness, where there is only weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth? 2. If we take them to the other expression of White Raiment, how will they whose open exemplary sins do strip them and expose them naked, have reason to be ashamed, and to cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a clo●e? How wretchedly stupid is the heart of this People that glory in their shame, that count their sins the only gaudy bravery? when as poor souls they are miserable, and poor, and naked, Rev. 3. 17. There was no such disgraceful thing as to have the uncomely parts of the body laid open to public sight: so Hanun used David's Ambassadors, whom he thought Spies 2 Sam. 10. 4. which was occasion enough for a war upon them. And God expresses Isaiah 20. 4. He shall lead away the Egyptians Prisoners, naked with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt. And you may see what God threatens to adulterous Israel, Isaiah 3. 16, etc. and much more at large in Ezek. 16, and 23. that she might be laughed to scorn, and had in derision, and might be an infamous woman. And in one place he threatens to discover her by throwing her clothes over her head. Now I have showed you that Holiness is the only Virginity, and sin is the Souls whoredom; and the expression that I have in hand tells you that Holiness is the only garment, and the openest of sinning is the Souls nakedness; which if you put together, you will see, that a profane person, an open sinner is the same scorned thing, as a whore with her clothes over her head, a bare strumpet acting naked lewdness in high ways, with her unexpressible filthiness exposed in public to eyes and shame. And is such a thing as this fit to go to God, or to be a Spouse of Christ? No his Bride must be arrayed in fine white linen, that is the righteousness of the Saints, h Heb. 12. 14. and without holiness no one shall see him: For he that hath that hope, must purify himself, as he is pure. This Hope. What Christian Hope is: it is a patient and a comfortable expectation of the performance of all God's Promises. Patient expectation it is Rom. 8. 25. if we hope, then do we with Patience wait for it. Comfortable it must needs be, because of the excellency of its object, God's Promises; all the comfort of the Scriptures are the very ground of it, Rom. 15. 4. That we thro' patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope: and it is therefore called Coloss. 1. 23. The hope of the Gospel. Whatsoever mercy is included in the whole Gospel, Remission of sins, and everlasting Blessedness, all those rich and precious mercies which that does propose, and which God himself thought to be the most temting baits to allure us, even all these our Hope does fly at. You may find them every where scattered; the Resurrection from the dead Acts 23. 6. I am accused of the hope and resurrection from the dead; and c. 28. 20. For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. Secondly Eternal Life, Tit. 1. 2. In hope of Eternal Life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began. Thirdly the Glory to come, Rom. 5. 2. We rejoice in hope of the Glory of God: and Col. 1. 27. it is called the Hope of Glory. Yea the being like God himself in the Text, We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, and then it follows, and he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure; as also Tit. 2. 13. That blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. All these the Christian does with joy and confidence expect Heb. 3. 6. And here you may see the price of your calling, whatsoever good things God hath prepared for them that love him; and they are such, i 1 Cor. 2. 9 as neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither can enter into the heart of man to comprehend. Yea whatsoever good things he hath prepared for himself, his own glories, all these he hath set out to bait our hopes with; these are a Christians most assured expectations. Whosoever thou art, that art a careful Soul, and with strict Religion followest after Holiness, thou mayst securely give the Scoffers of the world and the wicked leave to call thee miserable, to deride thy strictnesses and thy austerities, to say thy mortifications do make thy life sad and uncomfortable: alas! they do not see the Hope that is laid before thee, such a Hope as made thy Saviour k Heb 12. 2. endure the cross and despise the shame. They look upon thy strict performances, but they do not look upon thy expectations, they consider not the Crown of those performances: for if they did, they would not certainly think the present momentany pleasures of their sins could countervail that Crown. Be the hardship what it will, it is a comfortable Hope, and that sufficiently confirmed to us; full of assurance it leans upon the whole Trinity, 1 Pet. 1. 21. That our hope might be in God. and Tim. 1. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ our Hope. Rom. 5. 5. That we may abound in Hope thro' the power of the Holy Ghost. The Power of the whole Godhead engaged both to secure and to support our Hope. A blessed Hope Tit. 2. 13. a Hope that is enjoyment. And if it be a blessed Hope, what will the possession be; if there be happiness in the expectation, what will there be in the fruition? O purify yourselves and come and see: which brings me to the last part, how this Hope does set a man on purifying; for every man that hath this Hope, purifies himself. Now to declare and prove this to you I shall do two things. First prove that this is such a Hope, as hath in it motive enough to set a man on purifying. Secondly that he that does not purify, cannot have this Hope. 1. This Hope hath certainly motive enough to set a man on purifying: had we laid the hopes of heaven near our hearts, were our thoughts but once set and bend upon the joys above, we would easily persuade ourselves to set upon the mending of ourselves. What will not hope do? All the employments of the world do but serve this passion; They that plough, plough in hope, saith St Paul, because the heavens promise them a season of harvest; though they do frown in seedtime and storm against their labours with inundations of tempest, or freeze the earth into an untamed hardness, till it become iron as their instruments, yet will they melt themselves or they will thaw those frosts, and toil as if they would vie drops with winter clouds, in showers of sweat as well as rain, merely because they hope to reap. And they that plow the sea are yet more slaves to Hope; for they outface death with all its terrors for the hopes of a gainful venture, they do charge thro' a shower, a deluge of waves that do assail them with foaming wrath, and sustain an inundation of billows that fall like God's swelling cataracts, as if they came from heaven out against them, and are fearless when they are but an inch removed from an Abyss of ruin that gapes like hell; men of confidence, hard as those rocks which they despise for hopes of a little profit. And what shall we say to the poor Soldier, who for hopes of rags and roots will charge fire, whom the promise of, God knows, a thin salary will make to run into as great a storm and tempest of flame, as the Seaman does of water, even into a shower of death? The most active of our passions either submit to Hopes, or owe their violence to an activity derived from them. Do not men bridle in all their desires, and the furies of their passions to the peevish will and liking, and become perfect compliance to the otherwise intolerable humours of one whom they hope to please, or from whom they hope for some inheritance or preferment? And the Tragedies of Ambition, which useth towade thro' a sea of blood and sin, that does scorn Relations, defy God and its own Conscience, reverse States, and confound all rather than miss its aim, are but the issues of a most uncertain Hope. And then, my Brethren, would not the Hopes of Heaven be able to do something with us, when the Hopes of a little know not what's, will do all this? Would we not sow to the Spirit, where the harvest is Blessedness? Would we not war against the Flesh, when he that overcomes should have a Crown immortal and incorruptible? Would we not comply with Christ and please him to get his inheritance, and have some ambition for the Throne of God, if we did but hope for these, as we do for the other? Yes my Brethren. I will give an example of one, who slighted all the most glorious satisfactions of the most swelling earthly hopes, and when he had every thing brought to him that ambition could gape for, yet threw off all upon these only Hopes, Hebr. 11. 24, 25, 26, etc. When he was co●● to years, when he came to the age of understanding the honours of a Court, and when his appetite was grown ripe for the delights that do attend one, and he fit for the enjoyment of them, and the opportunity of them thrown into his hands by being taken in Son of the Crown, and so Possessor of all the advantages of pleasure which such a Relation can afford: and when on the other side there was nothing in the other scale, but the sorrows of a low vassalage, and the afflictions of a hard slavery; nothing but a brickiln to be set against the Palace, and instead of the rich variety of earthly entertainments not so much as l Exod. 5. 16. straw to make their brick of; that he should choose the afflictions; and as if his will were not alone engaged that way, but his understanding also led, that he should esteem that wanting, that contemptible condition, the reproach of Religion to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. And indeed the very reproach of Christ is greater riches, riches I shall carry with me to that great Tribunal at the dreadful day, that will be the great King's Badge, his Livery upon me when I stand before his Throne, when all the spangles of your pomps shall be fallen off and look as ghastly to the wicked as their own sad carcases or sadder expectations: as if there were more shine and splendour in the dirt, which scorn does throw into the face of Piety, than in the Pomp's of Wealth. Now this must sure be from some strange consideration. Why all was upon this score, he had respect to the recompense of the reward, he hoped for better things: what's the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter to the Son of God? or the succession to the Crown of Egypt in comparison with the possessing the Inheritance of Heaven? 'Tis true the treasures of that Crown may furnish me with the aims of all my appetites, whatever my heart or what my lust can wish that will get me the opportunity of having, it will allow me all those pleasures which all the world gapes after, riches to procure for them; whatever curiosity, or emulation, or sin does long for, they will prostitute before me. But what are all those satisfactions in comparison with the joys of God? Is there delight in the full affluence of those enjoyments? Hath God indulged pleasure to those things which he hath allowed to wicked Egypt? and shall I think he hath not provided greater pleasures for his own self, and for those he intends to make happy with him? Now let me have God's delights, Heaven I do assure myself hath the more advantages, and therefore there I choose. And so he chose rather the afflictions of this world, for he had an eye to the recompense of the reward; and by this we are sure, if we had hopes, we should make other choices than we do. If a sin come to temt me dressed with all its pleasures, and clothed with all the bewitching arts it can put on, or fancy paint it out with, if at the same time I can but look up to my Hopes, bethink myself of the rewards of Religion, and recollect that there are no such pleasures in the sin, as there are prepared for me, if I abstain from it, shall I not then reject and scorn the temptation, think it impertinent and foolish, and wonder it should be so unreasonable to desire, or think me so vain as to grant upon score of pleasure in the commission, when I am sure of greater if I do not commit it? Shall I not have reason to believe the sin very unkind to me, when it allures me with some little delight, and I must part with all blessedness for it? No surely nothing can withdraw him, whom a Christians Hopes do entertain. But because temtations are apt to prevail, where there is no appearance of danger, to come a little nearer to you, that you may with terror see that none can have this Hope but they that purify, which was the last thing, I shall only ask thee, whosoever thou art that hopest to have thy sins forgiven thee and to have Eternal Life, upon what grounds thou hopest it? We have no reason to hope for any thing, but what God hath promised. Now hath God any where promised that thou particularly ●●alt be saved? Certainly no. What then? why dost thou hope? if thou canst, answer me. Because he hath promised to the l Matt. 5. 8. Pure in heart, that they shall see God, he hath given assurance to them that repent that they shall be forgiven; and I how sinful soever I have been, yet I am penitent, I endeavour to purge out that old leaven, to cleanse myself, I am resolved not to allow myself any of my vicious inclinations or my customs, I'll strive against my petty sins, and my soul is humbled in me, and therefore have I Hope. If thou canst answer thus, thou hast indeed good grounds, thou hast proved that thou mayest hope: but withal thou hast proved also that thou dost purify, and upon that score dost hope. For if thou didst not repent, and amend, and purge thyself from thy filthy wickednesses, thou must then know, that the same God that sealed all his promises with the blood of his Son, did also represent and seal these threatenings in his suffering, Without holiness no man shall see God. m Luke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all perish. n Matt. 3. 10. The axe is laid to the root of the tree; every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. s o 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. And, Be not deceived, neither fornicator, nor adulterer, nor covetous person, nor rietous, and the like, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ or God; p Rev. 22. 15. For without are dogs, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie: and q Rom. 8. 13. They that live after the flesh shall die; and Christ himself pronounced, r Matt. 25. 41. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire. Now if thou goest on in a course of any of these sins, dost any of these deeds of the Flesh, I shall only ask thee, are not these threats as true, and as much to be believed as his promises? And if thou dost believe them, how is it possible that thou that liv'st in any of those courses which these threats belong to, canst have any hope? When God hath so solemnly declared thou shalt have nothing but everlasting ruin, how darest thou, how canst thou hope for Heaven? This is the same thing as to think to anchor on the billows, or to lay foundations in a wave and on a storm; to hope in threats at least in opposition to all Scripture and to all promise, to wage war with the Gospel, and resolve to have them both against, and in despite of God: and that certainly will very little avail thee. No he that does not amend cannot hope; for he that hopes must needs purify himself. And now should we apply this to the careless Sinner, if we consider first not only what sad character St Paul does give of men in that condition, how it is the description he gives of the Heathen, and he joins it with other most comfortless expressions, Eph. 2. 12. without Christ, strangers from the Covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but also look upon the experience, how to be in a lost desperate condition in relation to so eternal a consequence as the world to come imports, is such a thing as none was ever able to stand under the consideration of it; one hours despair sinks them for ever: we could not bear the weight of it. Judas did choose all the sad issues of it hereafter rather than the passion here, thought it easier to go meet God's fury than despair of mercy; and when he saw he had no hopes of pardon, he ran to damnation. No we are resolved we must hope to be saved. 2. Consider that it is impossible for the wicked man, while he continues such, to hope: he cannot choose but know that the promises concern him not, they are conditional, they are made only to them that repent and believe, and God knows that he hath not done yet; so that nothing but the threats belong to him. And then how shall we reconcile these considerations, if we put them both together in the Sinners mind? How shall they be at peace and not tear one another and the soul? It is impossible to endure not to hope, and yet 'tis impossible that man should hope; and if this contest happen when he goes to die, than his own thoughts will drag him down to the Abyss with more violence than the fiends. Sure 'tis a very sad consideration to think that men that know the wretchedness of being hopeless, that dare not not hope, will not yet industriously and piously set upon the performance of that condition on which they may hope, will not purify that they may have reason to expect the promises. And it is more sad to see that men, who never purge themselves from filthiness of Flesh or Spirit, but go on in their sinful courses, and consequently know, that while they are such they cannot hope, yet will in despite of that knowledge hope, and do notwithstanding all think to come to Heaven. Certainly while a man goes on to sin, to hope for mercy is presumption in him, and so another sin added to the rest; yea 'tis a disbelieving of Gods threatening, an affronting him in his veracity, an imputing falsehood to his menaces, and a putting himself almost out of the possibility of repenting. For he that does hope for Salvation in the condition he is in, hath no temptation at all to change his condition, but is likely to go on confidently and hopingly to eternal perdition: it were a mercy to such a person to be struck into despair, that he may be taught the wretchedness of his condition and hurried out it, in which as long as he does hope, there's no reason to expect that he should leave it, but by becoming hopeless in it may be frighted from it, and the gates of hell is the only probable means to let that man into the way of heaven. O the Christians Hope! it is the hope of righteousness Gal. 5. 5. Nothing else but holiness and righteousness can give a man ground for it. And certainly, my Brethren, it is such a Hope as would countervail the trouble and the pains of reforming ourselves. What will not a man undertake, which he can but hope to go thro', and is assured of a large recompense for doing? and surely Heaven is worth the endeavouring after, and that blessed Hope worth purifying ourselves for. For it was worth the death of the Son of God; Christ was content to be crucified to compass it, and cannot we be content to purify ourselves for it? Will you see what hope can persuade a man to do? See Abraham to whom God promised only the Land of Canaan, and that not to be enjoied by himself nor by his Son, but only by the Posterity of Isaac his Son, and his Promises were further off than Heaven; yet after that, before Isaac had any Posterity, when he was but a child, God s Gen. 22. 2. commands him to go and sacrifice his Isaac, and go to cut off all hopes of ever enjoying it, yet t Rom. 4. 18. against hope he believed in hope, saith St Paul, and he that had received the promises of God, offered up his only begotten Son Heb. 11. 17. i e. having entertained and embraced the promise of a numerous seed and people that should spring from him, and having no other Son but this from whom they should spring, nor possibility in nature, nor promise above nature that he should have any more children, but a plain u Gen. 22. 17, 18. affirmation that this People, to whom the Promises belonged, should come from Isaac; yet having once truly hoped that God would perform his promise, he absolutely obeyed that command of Gods resolving to kill the Son, on whom all those Promises depended. And now my Brethren, there is no such puzzles in our Hope, nor no such hard thing required of us, no Sons to be sacrificed but only a few vices, no doubtful perplexed promise of a Canaan only, but plain assured Heaven: and then had we but the least degree of his hope, as we have infinitely greater reason, how would we sacrifice any thing to Christ's command? how would we offer up a lust, and think a sin a good exchange for the hopes of Heaven? and he that had this hope, would certainly purify himself as he is pure. It is but now the Church hath celebrated the Ascension of our Lord Christ, and the great Proposal of the Angels Acts 1. 11. to all those Disciples that beheld him going up to Heaven and gazed after him so wishly, was that they should see him come again. Now the particular comfort of that coming so again is, when he shall appear, we shall be like him 1 John 3. 2. and the hopes of being so St John thought a sufficient motive to set every man on purifying, and that himself: for this lustration cannot be performed by Proxy, and be remitted to another; for even our Saviors Righteousness will not be imputed unto those, who will have none besides; he redeems and saves none but them whom he has saved from their sins. Reveal, O Blessed God, some of thy Glory which thou hast prepared for them that love thee, some of that blessed Hope of a Christian calling to our hearts, that it may stir our desires and longings, and heat them into hopes; and that we having the hopes of seeing thee, may purify, and may escape that day of fire, which shall melt the Heavens, and purge those glorious bodies which are not pure in thy sight. Behold, O God, we tremble with horror of thy dreadful Judgement. The Angels are not clean in thy sight, and the Seraphims cover their faces, what then shall become of us vile filthy Sinners, whose daily impurities have so defiled both our souls and bodies, that we are but one mass and heap of uncleaness. Blessed God, we know that as long as we continue such, we cannot hope to see thee in mercy; we know that if we repent not, we shall all perish; we know that if we live after the Flesh, we shall die eternally; we know that neither fornicators, etc. shall have any inheritance. O let this knowledge apply itself to our hearts and consciences, that the terrors of it may fright us from the vain hopes that we do cherish of being happy, notwithstanding we go on in our sinful courses, for alas those hopes will perish with us; and that those terrors may so work on us to set upon amendment. Cleanse and wash, we pray thee, all our impurities in the blood of thy Son, bury them in his grave, never to rise hereafter, and melt our hearts into repentant tears, that so our hearts may become purer. O thou that didst cleanse us with thy blood, baptise us with thy Holy Spirit and with fire, that it may purge out our dross and filthiness, and be an earnest to us of that glorious Purity, which we shall have in Heaven, seeing thee as thou art, and becoming like thee, where we shall sin no more, but for ever serve and praise thee. SERMON VIII. OF THE HIDING PLACE From Indignation. Isaiah 26. 20. Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the Indignation be overpast. UPON the Eve as it were and the Vigils to the day of Indignation, when we cannot but look upon it as ready to be poured out on us in a full stream, when we see destruction make close approaches to us, work round about us, and punishment like our sin lies at the very door, ready either to enter in upon us, or seize us if we offer to come out; to offer at a way to prevent all this, that should discover to you a safe retreat from those threats that pursue this Nation in general, open a shelter from the present storm, cannot choose but be seasonable; yet such a thing the Text does venture at, and if God himself knew the best way to keep off his Indignation from us, than here it is; for he prescribes, Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. Before I do divide the Text, I shall tell you in what sense I interpret those words, Enter thou into thy chamber and shut the doors about thee, which if it be not according to the immediate and literal importance of them, is yet such as is justified by a parallel place of Scripture dictated by our Saviour himself, and will afford us most wholesome observations. I take them in the sense they have Matt. 6. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber and shut thy door, so that here they will be the form of prescribing prayer: in dangerous and sad times, when if thou a Isaiah 8. 22. look unto the earth, thou shalt behold nothing but trouble, and darkness, and dimness of anguish, why then lift up thine eyes to Heaven, go to thy Prayers; in times of change when thou knowest not which way to betake thyself, go to the Closet of thy devotions, take off thy thoughts from these sad objects here below, and fix them on the comforts of Religion, divert thy thoughts from the occasions of discontent, and employ them in meditations upon God, in converses with him, in contemplations of his Promises and joys; in one word spend thy time in Prayers and Devotions. That's the sense; the parts are 1. A persuading invitation, come my people; wherein are the persons invited, my people, secondly the invitation, come. 2. Here is that they are invited to, set down by way of counsel, and that hath several branches. 1. Enter thou into thy chambers. 2. Shut thy doors about thee. 3. Hide thyself, with the duration of it as it were for a little moment; and secondly the end of this and all the rest, that the Indignation may pass over them; until the Indignation be overpast. In the handling of them I shall take this course, first from the first general I shall speak somewhat of the persons invited; that have this compellation my people, and giving you some reasons of it. From the second I shall observe that in times of storm or any sadness the only way to withdraw ourselves from the violences of discontents and troubles, is to retire to prayers, and the only comfort than is in the Closet-exercises of Devotion. 3. From the next part, hide thyself, that Prayers are in sad days the only great security, and the devotion-chamber a sure hiding place from Indignation. 4. From the duration, that the sorrows of the afflictions, which God does suffer to fall upon his own devout People, they last but for a little moment. 5. From the last there is none of God's Indignation in them, all that overpasses them. First of the compellation my People, come my People. Now God may speak to those here for two reasons; first to show us that in the times of storm and of the break out of indignation God invites none to courses of security, puts none upon ways of safety, does not take care of any but those that are his People, and those in whom his People are concerned, as Kings, who are the nursing Fathers of his Church; as for others let them take their own courses, look to themselves, but come ye, come my People. My People is a word that includes relation, and wherein it does consist you will find from the correlative set together with it in the very making of the Covenant, b Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God, and they shall be my People; they who take God to be their Lord, and assume to become his obedient liege People, such have indeed a right and title to his Protections: to provide for and take care of them it is his office, he undertook it in his Covenant, and not to do it were to renounce his compact, which he bound himself to with an Oath, which 'tis impossible for him to do. But as for others, they have no plea to these. Can Rebels claim protection, and such who renounce relations, that put themselves off from being his People, expect that he should look after and take care of them, be their Guardian and Security? The different condition of these two sorts of People in relation to Gods caring for them in time of judgement you will find Mal 3. 16, 17, 18. In the times of undisturbed abundance and of full prosperity, when the God of this World is good to them that serve him, when the Lord lets men alone, and the ungodly thrive, than indeed his protections are not much regarded, but wickedness & wealth seem the strongest security: but when God sends his Indignation abroad, and when his Judgements sweep away those confidences, than this will be a comfortable consideration, come what will come I have one that hath writ me in his notebook, in his Book of Remembrance, to put him in mind that he is to provide for me: and when the most flourishing ungodly shall be stripped of all his hopes and trusts, no lest relief from them, nor can he look for any from the Lord, God hath not so much as directions for him here, he hath no part, not in his persuasions, is not invited to his Coun●els; then have I one that will make me up amongst his Jewels, have the same cares of me as of his peculiar precious treasures, and calls me to security, Come my People. Or secondly my People, to let us see what arts of invitation God does use to persuade us to take good counsel; he gives us all the compellations of kindness, and speaks us as fair as possibly, not to do him a courtesy but to be kind to ourselves. In other places, when he hath no design upon them, than he cries to Moses, thou and thy People Exod. 32. 7. but when he would do good unto us, when he would entice us to be safe, then come my People. So he does elsewhere use all the titles of love, and clothes his invitations with the wordings of our most known Courtships, that that which useth to prevail with us, may do his work upon us. So in the Canticles 5. 2. Open to me my love, my dove, my spouse, my undefiled; and the whole book is but the Arts of Divine wooing. Strange that the heavenly Bridegroom must court so much to be received by his Spouse! Good God that thou must be forced to give us good words to prevail with us to be good unto ourselves, that we must be soothed, temted, and flattered into preservations and mercies, that we should refuse remedy and Antidote unless it be guilded; that to lie hid in times of Judgement, and to escape Indignation is not motive enough to us, but we must be wooed to do so: safety itself must speak us fair or we will none of it, and God must flatter us into the places of security, Come my People, enter into thy chambers, the next. Enter thou into thy chambers. Whence we did observe, that in times of storm and calamity the only way to withdraw ourselves from the violences of discontents and troubles, is to retire to Prayers and Closet exercises of Devotion. If I should go to prove this, I might read you the whole book of Psalms, the Psalter being but David's Liturgy in time of sadness, the service and the refreshments of his sorrows. To tell you that he says, In my trouble I will go call upon the Lord Psal. 18. 6. and when I was in trouble I called upon the Lord Psal. 120. 1. or again, for the love that I bear unto them they take now my contrary part, but I give myself unto prayer Psal. 109. 4. this would be to no purpose, for the whole book is but doing this. And indeed to do it, is the best counsel God himself does give, 'tis that he does invite us to in such a discourse, come my people, enter. And for the comforts of it, I shall enclose them in the application, which shall pass by that strange mistake that is in some men, who seek to quench the sorrows of calamity by the entertainments of sin, to divert sad thoughts by vicious company, to refresh themselves with the jollities of iniquity, to choke the remembrance of their afflictions with riot, and drown it in excesses. Alas, 'tis not go abroad unto the open lodgings of intemperance and to the Inns of pleasure, but come and enter thou into thy chambers. And secondly it shall omit that very near as great mistake of them, who in times of impending calamity busy themselves with the cares of the world, whose hearts are then especially set on thriving, and they immerse themselves in the ways of gain, looking on that as the thing that is to be their great security, and that they shall provide against all sad events by that. Strange! that in the time of pungent troubles, when they are encompassed with misery, to run into the thorns and briers, as our Saviour calls them, should be our only hopeful refuge and retiring place, that men should be then most griping after that, the cares of keeping which, and the fears of losing it are the only great things that make calamity grievous. He, who then makes himself Master of possessions, giveth pledges to Affliction. Shall I then put myself further out into the world, when God's discretion bids me enter thou into thy chambers. But thirdly I apply directly to the calamitous, however destitute and unhappy. When thou art brought at once low enough for pity, but so unhappy as to be scorned, ruin'd, and contemned too, come here, and pour out thy soul into the bosom of him, who thou art sure will not refuse thee, nor turn away his face from thee, but stands here to invite thee with all the compellations of love. Here thou mayst lay open thy case to him that had so much kindness to thee as to die for thee, and mingle thy own tears with the blood of God that was shed for thee. To have any friend whom to impart thy griefs to, is in good measure to unlade and emty thyself of them: thou hast here the most faithful bosom of thy Saviour, whom thou mayst behold in the same postures of affliction that thou thyself art in, out of affection to thee and suffering for thee, in Agonies of one and the other, sweeting as much with heats of love to thee as of pain for thee, hanging down his head upon the cross with languishments of kindness and of weakness, and his arms stretched into the posture of receiving thee to his embraces, and his side opened, not only to shed blood and water for thee, but to receive thy tears and give thee passage to his very heart. Come then my People, come to me; if thy sad expectations be like plummets at thy heart and weigh it down, yet lift up thy heart together with thy hands in assured confidence that that kindness, which did thus express itself, will never fail thee. If notwithstanding this, the pressure make thy thoughts to sink and thy soul to grovel, let it be but a bowing down in submission to my will, who certainly know what is best for thee: come then and give thyself up into my hands, as into the hands of a faithful Redeemer. Now the devout soul doing so, by often betaking himself to God upon these occasions, becomes acquainted with his Maker, and in all discontents he will straight run to his Acquaintance there to disburden himself; and in all fears thither he hasts for shelter with the very same complacencies that our Saviour says the young one does to the wings of the hen at the approach of danger: there the soul nestles, and is hugely pleased with the apprehensions of its comfortable warm security. By frequent converses of this kind and other practices of Devotion, and Meditations on the mercies of his providence and his protecting kindnesses, besides the glories of his Preparations towards his future Estate, the soul mounts up to great degrees of confidence and familiarity with God: and God does use, when a heart does thus ply and follow him and become intimate with him, to reveal himself also to that heart in the midst of his devotions; when he is conversing with the Lord, he will breathe into him the inspirations of Heaven, and with soft whispers speak peace close to his heart, break in upon him with flashes of joy, warm him with gleams of comfort which ravish the soul with delight in the employment. Hence grow strange intercourses betwixt them, the Lord pours in of his Holy Spirit, that bond and ligament of God and the soul, that maintains perpetual commerce between them; they do nothing but close and mingle as it were, till the heart mount up to those ecstasies that we read of in devout persons, that entertain themselves to miracle in the enjoyment of those Contemplations, which these exercises do afford them. The heart than melts no longer in the tears and sorrows of affliction, but with the dissolvings of love; when thro' excess of complacency in God and in his joys, the soul hath a kind of impotency of Spirit, so as it cannot contain itself within itself, but as a liquid thing hath its overflowings, and is poured out into the bosom of the beloved, and by an outgoing faints from itself into an union with the Object of its affections. And the Soul that by the practices of Devotion is brought to be thus affected, hath not only fulfilled the counsel of the Text, retired into his chambers, but is also brought into God's chambers, so the Spouse in the Canticles expresses c. 1. 4. The King hath brought me into his chambers, and c. 2. 4. He brought me into his banqueting house, and his banner over me was love; and in c. 3. 10. she described the bedchamber whether she was brought, the midst whereof was paved with love: and all this means but the entertainments of devout Contemplations. And Christ in the Parable concerning importunate continuance in Prayers saith it c Matt. 7. 8. opens the bedchamber door and gets in thither. And then, my Brethren, what need I be troubled how the world does go abroad, when I am entertained in God's banqueting house, and in his bedchamber? It were easy for me to produce instances of them that were so taken up with the joys of Devotion, that they had scarce any thoughts for any thing besides, they even forgot that which was most necessary to their being, it made all other passions to languish, they had no appetites for other things, at least there was no vigour in those appetites, only decayed desires from which the soul was quite retired, and minded nothing but the Object of their Prayers, being as it were in trance and swoons of Devotion. Neither is this any strange thing or without reason, that the Soul that loves should be so employed about and bend upon the Object of those desires, as to neglect all other of its offices, so impetuous in serving them that it abandons all its other business, attends no faculty but that which is engaged upon that Object, does not so much as lend itself to any outward organ, feeds and advances only that affection, but leaves the rest to decay and languish, and being destitute of soul to die. Just so, if the love of those Contemplations which Devotions afford take possession of the heart, it becomes heartless to all other functions, careless and languid to every thing besides; the Soul is so wholly bend upon the Object of those impatient desires, that it does not animate any other inclinations, they have no spirit in them, but are weak and faint, neither can they employ the heart so as to make him mind them: but just as the enamoured person, that may be called and wakened into some other business, but let his thoughts alone, and they run to his desires, there they unite and centre. And to a Soul that is thus taken up, what's the world, or the miscarriages that are therein? Are there fears abroad? They do but make me then withdraw into my chamber, where there are all these joys. Does judgement threaten an utter desolation, make solitude about us, and drive us into d Psalm 44. 19 the place of dragons, in David's words? I will retire that way into God's bedchamber. Is the dimness of anguish, and darkness as of the shadow of death coming upon the Land? yet I am sure, that in the little Oratory there is the light of God's Countenance. Does Calamity rifle all, plunder the very bosom, breasts and bowels; the bosom of its dearest guest, the breasts of their dear burden, the bowels of their daily food, and rob necessity? Yea, but how stands my Praier-chamber? It is not quite so ill, if they have left me the food of immortality, the Body and Blood of Christ; it cannot plunder me of my Devotions, and there is always blessed entertainment in God's banqueting house. If these comforts do seem too subtle and too notional for any, though this do happen merely by being unacquainted with the things that give them, and I have showed you the way how you may certainly arrive at them, of which this is the sum. The devout Soul receives in times of discontent not only liberty, but invitation to go and bemoan his case to him that hath Godlike compassions for him, so much love to him as to die for him, and to cast himself with confidence upon such a kindness, submitting to his alwise, all-loving will. These submissions are secondly rewarded by him with the great contents of having Gods will don upon him, with the comforts of finding that it is indeed best for him. And sure I am there are that have experience, that never any sad thing happened to them, but they found that it was for the best. Thirdly the custom of this repairing to God, and giving themselves up to his guidance, begets a great acquaintance, an intimacy with the Lord; he reveals himself and his comforts to that soul: it does enjoy strange refresh from enlightenings, breathe, inspirations, evidences, and assurances, even tastes of promises and preparations. Lastly the contemplations of these, and familiarity with God begets transcendencies of love and joy, which when they are once entertained, their desires languish to all other things, they seem low and of base alloy, and consequently they take no content in them, being swallowed up by the other. Yet let others lower souls take the comfort of this consideration; when things are so, that if they look into the world they can see nothing round about them but the prospect of trouble, and if they go on, besides the loss of all the opportunities of Religion, the labours of their whole life will but serve the ruins of an hour, that they have provided only for spoil, heaped up for rapine, and gathered but a prey; when the affliction of such an hours consideration shall have made them forget all their prosperity, so that in the whole compass of things they cannot find one occasion of comfort: why then those hours they have spent or shall go and lay out on devotion and the service of God, they shall be sure will turn to their account, both here as to the preservation of those opportunities and of their Church; for sure if God be likely to be moved to the continuance of them, 'tis to those that will make use of them, and 'tis for them, (for what should others do with them, that do not value them nor use them?) and will also turn to their account hereafter. That Prayers and those other exercises go up for a memorial to God, as the Angel told devout Cornelius, and prepare them mansions there, when they shall be divested of all other habitations, and that with Mary here is the better part that cannot be taken from them, that when their Riches have forsaken them, taken the adverse party, and gone to their enemies, these will stick by them, go along with them even up to God's Tribunal, and take their part at the day of Judgement, when nothing dares appear for them but Christ and Piety. Oh my Brethren, when you or I have spent one hearty hour in humble zealous devotions, the hopes of the issues of that hour, the confidence that God hath heard your and my Prayers, and does accept this our service, and will eternally reward it, if we continue thus, though we be not able to raise ourselves up to those heights of joy and love and complacency before recited, yet those lower hopes and confidences have more comfort in them than all the hours of pleasure in my life; for what have I of that, when the frolick's over. I may as well look for the footsteps of an impression on the water whose gliding streams instantly smooth themselves, or search for the tracts of birds in the yielding air that shuts and closes up itself in a little moment, as seek for relics of joy after the pleasure is past: alas the delight did vanish with the laughter, and the comfort died as soon as the smile, the very memorial of them is perished, and there is nothing of them left alive, but that now all is done, I am never the better for them. But the comforts of my devouter hours shall never die, but when I go to die myself, will be like life and immortality to me. O the strange acquiescencies of soul in the Consideration! the few hours that a man hath spent piously, how they will calm death, assist in agonies, and relieve from pains! how such a Soul anticipates his Heaven! The truth is, to such an one death is welcome, and life, though it have on it the shadow of death, is full of comfort. For when all the world about is Egypt, a devout man, though he have but his chamber to retire to, and his doors be shut upon him, he lives in Goshen; when the consuming fire did run upon the ground throughout the land, there was no storm in Goshen Exod. 9 26. and when flashes of judgement do burst in upon other persons, 'tis calm in the Praier-room. When the destroying Angel had overrun every house in Egypt with death, when there was nothing but carcases and crying in each dwelling, there was not one sick in Goshen Exod. 12. 30. When a thick darkness dwelled upon the Nation, the Israelites had lights in all their dwellings Exod. 10. 23. and when a sad dark cloud does sit upon God's Countenance and pour down inundations of tempest on a people, yet than his face does shine in the Closets of devotion, there he breaks in and does reveal his comforts; God is so there, as his Angel was at that time, a Pillar of light to them, and of cloud to those others, Exod. 14. 20. and when in this their pilgrimage he takes off their chariot-wheels, v. 25. that they drive heavily, pressed with the weight of afflictions and the heavier encumbrances of the World, striving against the tide and torrent of troubles, encountering nothing but rubs and crosses, and having on no wheels, none of God's comforts to bear them up, they march heavily till at last the waters overwhelm them: when as to those others the waters were a wall on the right hand and on the left; and to the devout persons the troubles of their times, by making them retire into their chambers, prove an occasion of security, which brings on the next observation from the words, hide thyself. Whence we draw, that Prayers and the exercises of Piety are in sad days the only great security, and the Devotion-chamber a sure hiding place from trouble. And indeed where else should we take shelter, but in our Sanctuary? Where should we seek for refuge, but at the horns of the Altar, where we offer up the incense of our Prayers, and the lifting up of our hands is as the evening Sacrifice? I have told you to retire thus into your chambers is to enter God's bedchamber, and where is safety to be had, if it be not there? Is there not full quietness and calm in the Lords withdrawing rooms? Not to tell you that David placed his Rock, his Fortress, his Castle, his every word of safety upon this foundation: not to reckon up an infinity of places besides Psalm 27. 5. and 61. 2, 3, 4, 5. I shall only say, that 'tis impossible for any Sermon to say better what I have to say for him that betakes himself to these secret rooms and nestles there, nor more pertinent to a time of sickness and distress, than the 91. Psalm hath spoke v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. and to which 'twere vanity, if not Tautology to add. Should I labour to evince this further, I could prove strangely to you, that good hearty devout Prayers are in time of danger a Security even to a Miracle. Security from the fury of men, when single Prayers did resist an Army, when Moses' hand lifted up in his devotions slew more Amalekites than the armed hands of Joshua and all his Regiments stretched out; for when Moses lifted up his hand, than Israel prevailed Exod. 17. 11. Security against the storm of God's assault; for a Prayer of Moses is called a standing in the breach against the Lord, when he came to destroy the People by a plague, Psalm 106. 23. so God said he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them. They are terms of war, and do express the desperatest act of Valour which war hath occasion for; when wall and rampart could not resist the storm of shot, but the Assault made its way thro' stones and bulwarks, then must courage become the Rampart, maintain the breach, and repulse the Assailants. This is the danger and the glory of Valour, and this very expression does Scripture make use of to declare the force and courage of a zealous Prayer. When God's indignation had stormed the People, when it had made a gap, a breach to enter and overrun them in a moment, and the Angel with his sword drawn was assaulting, had begun his deaths, in steps Moses, armed but with single Prayer maintains the breach, and turns away the Indignation. Neither was this all, for it did not only beat off his fury, but assailed him also, as it were took God captive, and held him that he could not fall upon them. For in the 32. Exod. 9, 10. he cries to Moses, it is a stiffnecked people, now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them in a moment: let me alone Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dimitte me, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permit me ut invalescat, Syr. & nunc si permiseris mihi, invalescet, Arab. dimitte deprecationem tuam à facie mea, Chald. Lose me, and let me go, suffer me, let me alone that I may destroy them; do not pray to me, thy strong desires are as bonds and cords upon me, lose me, and do not hold me: I can do nothing if thou pray, my arm of power, my stretched our arm is held in, it is restrained by thy strong cries, thy violent sighs they cool my wrath that it cannot wax hot against them, thy zeal it is irresistible; do not therefore make use of it, do not hinder me, do not pray now, let me alone, and I will make of thee a greater Nation; I will bribe thee to silence, because my fury will not withstand thy Prayers; if thou maintain the breach, I shall not take this People now by storm: be hired then to withdraw, let me alone. But Moses he would take no bribes from God, but he besought the Lord his God, as it follows there, and the sudden effect of his Prayer was, the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Here's the power of a fervent Prayer, it hath a kind of force on the Almighty, a force that he does seem as it were afraid of, & would have prevented; and so does often, warning his Ministers the Prophets, d Jer. 7. 16. cap. 11. 14. cap. 14. 11. Pray not for this people, I will not have you pray least you should prevail upon mine indignation and overcome my anger. And see then if you can find out such another security; many defences may be made which will hold out against the fury of men and their armed indignation, but notwithstanding those defences they lie open still to Heaven, no walls or bulwarks to be made against that; upwards they are all gap and breach, and God may storm them where they have no works. If we be strong enough to keep out all our foes, we are not fortified to keep out plagues, have no guard against God's hand, his arrows fly over any defences. But behold here defences against his Indignation, a line which he cannot enter; Prayers will keep him off, and in the chamber of thy devotions thou mayest hide thyself from the storms of Heaven: when God turned Engineer, this was the direction he gave to keep out himself, Come my people enter into thy chamber, and shut thy doors about thee, hide thyself. I shall not stay to give you the qualifications of the Prayers that are likely to prevail, how first St James saith e James 1. 6. we must ask in faith nothing doubting, not wavering in our purposes, praying for what we esteem the truth, but not resolved if things should otherwise succeed whether we should not comply with them; and how secondly when we are to pray we must be such, as God hath not resolved against, and so he will not hear us: but now returning to my subject. Now briefly to apply this, and here I will not say this Counsel was indeed intended for days of persecution, & that not so much in regard of the malady, as in the nature of the prescription, when he that will go to his prayers must indeed enter into his chambers, and hide his devotions too as well as himself; if thou desirest at such a season to secure thyself, enter into thy Closet, being not permitted to go into the Church: but this I will say, that even then when the Altar is no Refuge, and the Temple wants a Sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies an Asylum, even than the Closet will give shelter. Devotions are a kind of Omnipotent Securities, they are shields against the arrows of the Almighty: if for want of prayers to make up the breach it come to pass that a people is destroyed, and God saith 'tis for that as much as for the demerits of their guilt Ezek. 22. 29, 30, 31. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully, and I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none: therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them, I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath, their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God: if the performances of it be a making good the gap against his wrath, methinks it should a little move us in all our exigencies to stand upon our guard, to know our own strengths, and not lazily to suffer ourselves to perish, when we may contend and strive with God to save ourselves. Or if the line of destruction be stretched out upon our Nation, if it have filled up the measure to the height, that God have sworn though Noah, Daniel, and Job were among his people, yet should they save but their own lives, that is, their Prayers should not prevail with him for an impunity unto the land: however if we ourselves desire in that great spreading ruin yet to escape, to lurk so that the Angel of destruction may not find us out; here is a place of Gods own choice to hide thee in. His fury will not search there for thee to destroy thee, where his own self did bid thee to retire for safety. He that commanded thee to enter into thy chambers, did not mean to come there to seek thee out to ruin thee; he that bid thee shut thy doors, intended that the indignation should not call in, but should pass by thee, which the Text does tacitly promise in the last words, until the indignation be overpast. Some of the storm may fall upon a devout man notwithstanding all his careful Prayers, but there's no anger nor no fury in that storm; that he reserveth for the wicked, those who do take no care for the averting of his wrath, but resolve to enjoy their pleasures and their sins, till indignation overtake them, and sweep them and their delights away at once. To these indeed every affliction is vengeance and judgement, and their fiery trials here are but tastes and prelusions of Gods fearful wrath and fiery indignation; but to the careful devout souls they are but the strokes of love, chastisements of a father, there is no indignation in them; f Hosea 2. 14. I will take her into the wilderness, saith God by the Prophet Hosea, and I will speak comfortably unto her, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will speak unto her heart, in those desolate lonely places I will woo her, and those dark solitudes of affliction shall be my opportunities of courtship, I will take her into the wilderness, and speak unto her heart, and give her the valley of Anchor, the vale of trouble, for a door of hope. 'Tis not his indignation this to them, but his way of love, his way of making jointures; he puts them in the vale of Anchor: or if vengeance be gone out against the people, yet devotion in the chamber is like g Exod. 12. 13. blood upon the Israelites door posts, the indignation does go by it, makes a Passover, it enters into the houses of the Egyptians only, but when it finds thy doors thus shut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the indignation does overpass, especially if it find such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the blood of Christ. The Angel of destruction could not enter the doors, where but the type of it was dashed upon the door, the Paschal blood; how then will he fly the truth, the blood of Christ our Passover? Come then my people, enter etc. SERMON IX. OF THE REST TO BE OBTAINED By them that labour and are heavy laden. Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. WERE there no other difference betwixt Law and Gospel than what these words hold out unto us, yet had we abundant reason to rejoice and glory in our condition, who are invited to the news of Gospel-revelations. The way that God revealed himself by Law was by lightnings and thunders on Mount Sinai, the Pomp of it was a Mountain not to be come near unto, that burnt with tempests of fire, things that were not only mazes but omens, that typified those storms and tempests that were to be the portion of transgressors, that limned out that unquenchable brimstone, and denounced that dire thunder of Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is the sentence of the Law in its own rigour. Yea and besides that blackness and darkness too, so that notwithstanding all those lightnings and those revelations God was still in the thick cloud and in the dark, and Christ might well say in the verse before the Text, No man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him; and when he comes to do that, he does it in another strain, with words of another nature, all invitation, Come unto me all ye that labour. The strain of Gospel is not to thunder us into obedience, but I beseech you Brethren by the tender mercies of God; and though there be labouring and burden in the words, yet those are the effects of Law, and there is ease and rest for that labour and those burdens in the words too, and to them it is the Gospel that invites us, and it is Christ that gives them; for it is he that saith, Come unto me. These words the Church makes use of for her call unto the Sacrament of the Lords body, and certainly it is impossible that they should signify with greater Emphasis than upon that occasion, when he does bid you come to him, that is, to the communication of his body and his blood; for the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ. You come to him not only for the emty kindness of a visit there, but to partake of his body and his blood, all the redemtions, graces, mercies, which he purchased on the cross. If ever Christ do call with passion, it is sure when he pours out that blood for us and saith, every one that thirsteth come, Come unto me all ye that labour. The words are an invitation of Christ, in which we may observe 1. The Persons invited, All ye that labour and are heavy laden. 2. The invitation itself, Come unto me. 3. The entertainment at this invitation, Rest; I will give you rest. In the handling of these I shall show, first who those persons invited are, who they are that are said here to labour and to be heavy laden. 2. What is meant by their invitation, Come unto me. 3. How those persons come to be qualified for this invitation, so as to be invited, and none other; how the labouring heavy laden persons are the only fit persons to come to Christ. 4. I shall touch the advantages those persons shall gain by coming. Of these, and 1. Who they are that are said to labour and be heavy laden. The words express extremity of burden and labour under it, and weariness by reason of that labour; they are translated, fessi estis & bajulantes onera Syr. labour attriti & gravati onere by the Arab. And indeed they signify pains such as to make us pant and blow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yea thro' weakness not be able to stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so as that the joints are loosed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the very soul fails and faints, and we become as it were in the shadow of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies. Now this excess of pains may denote two things. 1. Either the sinner under that notion as a sinner; sins themselves being in Scripture expressed by words that signify labour, trouble and weight, and therefore the word in the Text translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which means all those, especially iniquity, Mich. 2. 1. woe to them that devise iniquity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that devise labours; and the very next words will warrant it, and work evil: it being a most familiar expression with the Prophet David, the Workers of Iniquity, not only because it is some men's employment and trade, here lies their skill, their managery, they are not Artists in any thing besides; but the secrets of sin, the mysteries of filthiness, the Magisteries of Iniquity, these they are Professors of, in these chair-men: but also Workers of iniquity because it is their toil, they sweat under it, it is the vanity and vexation of their lives, which are racked in designing, contriving, and acting the sins of their complexions and ambitions. Will you see our Saviors sense of the vexing painfulness of sin: he calls your sins of the least size, peccata levia, as they are esteemed, motes in the eye Matth. 7. 3. Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye? that is, why dost thou look so severely on the light faults of others? Our escapes that we make slight of they are of such a nature in themselves, as to cause the anguish and fretting, that dust and splinters do in the tenderest part, the eye. And if our souls were not all corneous, our consciences seared and dead, we should with the same impatience bear them as our eye does dust, with restlessness work against it, never quiet till it force out tears to wash away the dust. Yea worse than that, for the word which we translate mote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a spill of wood, a little shiver or splinter, a thing absolutely insuppportable to that part, which if suffered, does not only threaten it with intolerable pains, but with absolute extinction. And truly every one of our slighter sins is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shiver in the eye; and then the grosser iniquities will bear both the words of the text, of labour and burden, and are in the same verse by our Saviour entitled to an expression that hath enough of both, even a beam in the eye: And considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye, that is, thine own vaster crimes. Every designed and gross wickedness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a thing whose agony is as much beyond imagination as endurance. For how shall the eye bear that which the shoulders must sink under, which only pillars can support? Yet such is that burden; and therefore the expression is frequent of bearing iniquities; a cap. 2. 24. St Peter says it of Christ, He himself bears our sins, and the Prophet Isaiah said it before him c. 53. 11. For he shall bear their iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bear them as a great burden, as the word expresses, and as event did more express, a burden indeed which made the Son of God to sweat blood, and roar, and sink, and die. 'Tis true there are of those that do delight in life, only because it is the opportunity of sin, it hath no more pleasure in it than is spent in vanity or iniquity, without that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life would be a burden, they would labour under it; all their other time is wearisome and perisheth, and notwithstanding in our Saviors character they are the only drudges, yet in their own opinions they are the only light hearted creatures, the only persons whose life is but various ease and diversified pleasure. Yea and the only great prejudice they have against Religion is, it makes men heavy, sad, and melancholy, hangs plummets upon the soul, plucks down the thoughts and countenance, and does that which no burden can effect in them; whom weights do but exalt, elevate, and in their own expression a load of sin and drink, that sinks their bodies to the earth, doth but heighten imagination and delight. Alas these men do no more discern the true labour of their own sins, than they do the ease and the refreshments of the pious souls. They see his fasts and abstinences, but they discern not how he feeds upon b Psalm 63. 5. marrow and fatness, as David saith, and finds all the words of their luxury in his religious performances, how he tastes of the heavenly gift, and of the powers of the world to come, Heb. 6. 4, 5. how he hath the antepasts of blessedness. These men do not consider that the pious man's weights are as the other bucket, which the heavier it is the faster it lifts that up that is against it: a burden theirs like that of wings, that does but poise their flight and help them up to Heaven, whereas their own lightness shall sink them into the deep of that pit that hath no bottom. 'Tis true indeed those very sins, that make our Saviour style the man a labourer, are in other places called sleep, as if they had the ease of rest, as if to him that were wearied with duties of calling or devotion, to take vicissitudes of sinning would be a soft refreshment and a pleasant reward, as if a little return of iniquity would restore him, as sleep doth the weary labourer. And how shall we reconcile these expressions? Shall we attribute them to the unhappy contradictions of this thing sin, which is at once ease and pressure, sleep and yet heavy labour? or rather shall we gather hence the extremely toilsome condition of the sinner, whose very rest is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and whose refreshments tyre, and are most wearisome? where shall he look for ease, whose ease is misery and anxiety. Tho his life be all sleep, yet he is all that while one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in the Text. And so those very wickednesses, which are here called heavy burden, are in other places called our own body, ourselves. And what shall lighten him whose very self is weight? What shall disburden him who is his own immense pressure? Wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from these burdens of ourselves? Burdens indeed with which the expressions seem to labour as well as the sinner, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have not words for them, the mineries, the Galleys, the Mill, or dungeon are words of ease to the service of sin. No such slavery in the world as his that is bound to serve his lusts and passions; he must adventure thro' all black designs and blacker hazards to attend ambition or to wreak one's malice or some hasty choler; adventure upon rotteness, embrace a Purgatory but to please an itch; must be the Martyr of his lust, run upon quarrels, qualms, headache, hazard, desperate misfortunes to quench not thirst, but a little custom. If you would see the labour that is in sin, behold your Saviour in the Garden; it made the Son of God to sweat like clots of blood, it squeezed that very person who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it made him faint, not able to stand under that tree on which he was to bear the Iniquity. At such hard rates man buyeth damnation, as if he envied himself ease in Ruin; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth extremely labour, till he faint, to get to Hell. Have you read in Scripture the pains and anguishs of a man possessed by a Devil, how it speaks of such a one that was intolerably vexed and tormented, how the spirit rend and tore him, & often cast him into the agonies of death, & from it did revive him still only to throw him back again into them? It were no hard matter to show that the Scripture does express every gross Sinner to be one of these Demoniacs, to be possessed and inhabited by a Devil, Matth. 12. 43, 44. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he Walketh thro' dry places; then he saith, I will return to my house from whence I came out, and he enters in and dwells there. And what doth all this mean, but describe a person that after seeming amendment returns back again to his courses of sin? Of such a one the Devil saith, I will return. A wicked person is the Devil's house, Satan dwells there, and is not his house Hell? And then are not all the miseries of Tophet, the torments of the vale of Hinnom in a Sinner? Yea experience is fair enough for this, that the habitually wicked person is a Demoniac. Look upon the wrathful angry furious man, and you would think the man possessed were but his picture: his passion swells and tears him, he stairs and foams, he cries out and is not so innocent as to say, c Mark 5. 7. what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God; for he hath to do with him in blaspheming him with oaths and execrations, and his spirit rends not himself only, but the wounds of that Holy one of God, and if his passion could speak plain, it would surely say his name also were Legion. The debauched Drunkards they have the Epilepsies, the falling sicknesses, the dead Apoplexies of men possessed, and there the Devil is again entered into swine. The lustful person may find also a spirit of uncleaness, and an unclean Devil in the Gospel. And thus our sins do treat us. And who then but wretched man would buy damnation at so hard rates? who would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, extremely labour, tyre himself till he faint to get to hell? as if he envied himself ease because he is to go down the hill thither, that he may think he has an easy descent, facilis descensus; he will therefore load himself with a most heavy burden to make his passage the more troublesome. Of what a profligated choice are we, that refuse Heaven with ease, and choose Hell, though we must labour hard to get it. Or secondly, letting the heavy laden stand as they do, in the sense we have now given, we cannot excuse the Sinner from that expression there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; those that labour may signify such as groan under the sense of that burden, such as labour to rid themselves of that weight, that pant and blow after a liberty and ease from that heavy pressure, under which they find themselves sinking into the horror of that deep, the very imaginations of which doth cause faintings of soul in them and Apoplexies of fear; that tire themselves to find out any way to escape from that eternal weight of torments that is prepared for them below, and the weight of indignation and vengeance that hangs over them above, and from that heavy burden, themselves, that sinks faster than either of the other, outvying God's threats with multiplied accumulated iniquities. The sweats of soul under the sense of the burden of sin, the labours of mortifying the flesh and crucifying the affections, of putting the body of sin to death, will justify this sense. The new Birth also hath its pangs, and the Child of God, as he is not engendered by weak purposes, faint resolutions, so neither is he brought forth in a sigh or wish of mercy, there is a labour in it. In this expression you may see the nature of repentance, the dawnings and first flashes of that Catholic Duty; 'tis not that easy thing to change my mind only, and begin to believe. That that is not the best course I have hitherto trod in, the way of Sinners not the safest and most pleasant path, though few of us will believe that: neither is it that easy wish, I would I had not done this act; for when the pleasure's gone and dead, the memory of it is so unsatisfying, if not loathsome, that a man can hardly not wish it. Nor yet is it that easy desire of mercy, that saying d Matt. 7. 21. Lord, Lord. The Penitent they are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; here they are such as even faint under a sense of the horror of their sins, whose hearts are broken and wounded with that heavy galling weight of them. If I should gather up the racks and tortures, the Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum, that self whip in the dark rooms and recesses of our thoughts, conscience dealing with us by the discipline of mad men, as knowing the sinner is not only Solomon's fool and David's man without understanding, but even St Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 madman, the tacita sudant praecordia culpa, which a Heathen can reckon up to us. And add to these the Scripture expressions, the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the pains of travel, the labour of a woman in childbirth, the agony of the Cross, and the pangs of death; the word repentance would bear them all, and they would let us see that the Penitent is truly one that labours under a very heavy burden, and so is invited here by our Saviour, Come. Thirdly those that labour and are heavy laden may signify such as groan under a burden of afflictions, and look upon them not as chastisements only but inflictions, and are even wearied and affrighted by them. Thus those judgements which God did by his Prophets threaten to the Nations, are in those Prophets called the burden of those Nations; and the cross and calamities are often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the labour in the Text 1 Tim. 4. 10. and generally all the troubles and difficulties of this life, Rev. 14. 13. of which death is there made the rescue. And I need make no application of this interpretation, the words labour and heavy laden do in these days sufficiently apply themselves; I shall only tell you, that the whole sense of those words summed up make thus much, Those that are heavy burdened with sins, and the punishment of those sins, afflictions, and groan under the sense of both of them, labouring earnestly to be rid and be delivered from both, these are bid to come to Christ, which is the invitation, and what it means I am secondly to show. Come unto me. And first in general the word used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come is not only a word of exhortation, but of great encouragement also in the doing, so often used, e Matt. 21. 38. Come and let us kill him, and then the inheritance shall be ours; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, f Cap. 22. 4. Come ye unto the wedding. And indeed such is needful to the persons here spoken to, the labouring, heavy laden: for them to take a journey, if there be not the encouragement of some great advantage, it will not sound like an invitation, but an infliction; and therefore our Saviour besides the rest he promises, used animating words even in the very call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Therefore the whole invitation come unto me, though it be used in the Gospel, and may very well signify come to me as to a Teacher and Instructor, so Nicodemus is said to come to Christ, and they are said to come to the light as that which was to reveal; yea and that place in Isaiah 55. 3. whither our Saviour does much reflect, when he useth this expression, seems to import but so, Incline your ear and come unto me, hear etc. yea and may so signify in this place, the words going before being all things are given me of my father, and no man knoweth the father, but the son, and he to whom the son will reveal him, it than follows come to me; as if he should say, therefore if you desire to be instructed in the way to life come to me, and though you do labour under the load of many sins, yet I will show you a way how you shall find ease and rest, and that way follows in the next verse, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, and ye shall be sure to find rest: this is very natural, yet because to give you rest is more than to show you a way to it, and so may seem a promise and a reward very apportioned to the duty, rest to coming; therefore it is most probable that come doth not only signify come to me to learn your duty, but that the come should be itself a duty, and so I shall consider it: and the expression come to me does in the Gospel signify a twofold duty. 1. It signifies to obey and serve. Thus very often most expressly in the Epistle to the Hebrews to come to God is to serve and worship him c. 11. 6. For he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him: and c. 7. 25. He is able to save them that come to God by him, that serve God as he commandeth and enableth: c. 10. 1. The sacrifices which they offered year by year could not make the comers thereunto perfect, could not perfectly cleanse them that served God by them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; and the 22d verse there Let us come with a true heart, worship him with unfeigned piety and obedience. And the sense will be fully clear from the expressions that relate to it, Seek the Lord, draw near to him, and then come to him. To seek him is to enter upon such a course of life by which his favour is to be obtained, and what it is you will see Isaiah 55. where when he had bid them come to him, that they may do that he bids them, seek him v. 6, 7. Seek the Lord while he may be found: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let them return unto the Lord. Deut. 4. 29, 30. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thine heart and with all thy soul, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice. Nor indeed can we seek God in any other path. The broad way, that goes down the hill, can never land us in God's Habitation, Heaven; and while we do go on in them it is not possible we should draw near to God, the second, which is but to go on in the same paths. And this expression is our own experience, it being the custom of those that are averse to one another to avoid the sight one of the other, but those that are friendly to seek each other, and delight in drawing near and in society. Thirdly then to come to him must needs be to proceed in those very ways wherein we sought him, till we are in his favour, and to walk with him is accordingly to please him: for so the LXX. renders Enoch's g Gen. 5. 24. walking with God, and the Author of the Hebrews c. 11. v. 5. expresses that testimony which the Scripture gives of Enoch, that he walked with God, and which the Chaldee words he walked in the fear of God, thus, he received the testimony that he pleased God; and that very walking is the same word with this coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and here also made the same; for v. 6. of that chapter Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh must believe, that is certainly; for he that pleaseth him must believe, or else it doth not prove. To walk with God therefore in his Laws, in his fear, and in his favour it is but the progress and the life of this very thing, we are here exhorted to come unto him. Now if this be to come to God, and coming to him be the end of duty, thither we drive in our whole Pilgrimage of life and piety, to arrive at our Country, to come to our Father's house, to walk with God, to enjoy his society is the very business and delight of Heaven. Why then this duty of conversion and obedience, this piety of life seems like its own reward, crowns itself. This coming is like that they say of the moving of the Heavens, which being in its own place, though it be still in motion, is still in termino, every parcel of agitation is its own rest, and they have a most perfect acquiescency in that their turbination. And if to lead a good life be to walk with God, it is to be in heaven here; and piety is a translation upon earth. But secondly there is yet another sense of the invitation Come unto me, and in that sense it is very often used by our Saviour, even of believing in him John 6. 35. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Where he that cometh shall never hunger is he that eateth this bread that giveth life, and he that believeth shall never thirst is he that drin●eth, to let us see that eating him and drinking him, coming to him and believing on him are all the same. So in v. 40. and 44. This is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. So c. 7. 37, 38. If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink: He that believes on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. So that to come to Christ is to believe in him, yet so as to obey him, and to frame our lives according to his prescript and example. For to come to him doth comprehend the duty; we come to him to do, as also to believe in him must be to do that which we cannot but believe he requires. This is clear out of the forecited place, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger. It is not coming to the bread that satisfies, for than would Tantalus no longer hunger or be thirsty, his hell would be his meal; but doing that which people that hunger and come to bread cannot but be supposed to do, even to eat. Why the same is to believe; for if coming to him and believing on him be the same, and coming to him signify not only that, but doing that which they that come cannot but be supposed to come to do, then to believe must be besides believing the doing that also which they cannot but believe they ought to do. So that come to me here is believe me, devote yourselves to my obedience, and trust, and devolve yourselves on me. And if this be to come to him, belief then is no longer expectation, but enjoiment; 'tis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest sense, the giving us the very substance of those things which we believe we shall receive: it seems more than the evidence of things not seen, even the arrival at them and vision of them. 'Tis, saith the Wise Man, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of our cleaving to him, of our being glued and fixed upon him, Ecclesiasticus 25. 12. And by faith we may both taste and see how gracious the Lord is, how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word following here, how sweet, how pleasant he is even to the eye and palate. If to believe be to arrive to eat and drink, Faith is now all sense, as verily as Christ is all enjoiment, all satisfaction, and happiness. And to this happiness they that labour and are heavy laden are the only persons that are called; which is the third thing, to show how this labouring and heavy lading come to be the qualification for this Invitation, how it come to pass that they that are such, are the only fit ones to come to Christ. And first, in the first sense as all those words do but signify the grievous Sinner. These sins may in one sense given by Christ be a qualification to this coming, because h Matt. 9 12. the whole need not the Physician, but those that are sick. Do not wounds require, and qualify for a Chirurgeon? The corrupt habitual Sinner is full of wounds, and swellings, and putrified sores. Does not weariness and burdens dispose a man for ease and rest? The Sinner he is the tired laden man, he therefore hath the most need of this Invitation, which makes our Saviour say, I came i Luke 5. 32. to call Sinners; which is no more than saying, I came to say Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden. And hence we learn the all-abundant kindness of our merciful Saviour: he needs no other motive for his helping of us, but our want of help: thou dost fulfil his own direction, when thou k Cap. 14. 13. makest a feast, invite not the rich, but the poor and needy. So here he makes the only cause of his invitation of us Sinners, our necessity. Except he do invite us, we are miserable, must sink under a perpetual burden, and therefore he will call us to give us rest. David was well acquainted with this Attribute, and therefore prays, Help me, O Lord, for I am weak. Our want is argument enough to those bowels, whose business is to extend and diffuse themselves. Yea the Gospel expresses in that manner also; the Ruler there saith l Matt. 9 19 My daughter lies at the point of death, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that thou mayest come and lay thy hands on her, as if our wants were nothing else but his opportunities. Yea Christ himself hath taught us ground for this confidence, in the very Prayer he hath taught us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Give us our bread: if it be ours, what need we go to beg and pray for it? Why our bread? Why certainly because we are in extreme need of it, we cannot live without it, therefore we go to pray for it; so that want is possession in Christ's esteem, and when we are in need than we may go to Christ and call it ours. He observes that himself here, when he makes our sinful misery the only motive to his Invitation, Come unto me all ye that labour. But than secondly in the second sense of the words those that are affected with the sense of their sins, that groan under and are humbled and brought low with the weight of their iniquities, that discern them to be truly heavy loads, and to be the true cause of faintings and languishing of Soul, these are the only disposed persons to come to Christ in both the senses of that phrase of Coming. First as it signifies to turn from their evil ways and walk in those paths that lead to him. For as long as men apprehend no danger in their courses, how can we expect that they should leave them? While they only taste the sweets and pleasures of sin, whilst the Devil smooths and strews their way, and makes one temptation receive another, and by the perpetuated vanity makes one sin a divertisement to another; so that none can clog, but each doth recreate, and one iniquity refresh him whom another hath wearied: how is it to be looked for, that these men should quarrel with their pleasures, and forsake these delights and advantages of iniquity? Nay alas we see, when iniquity is become so cruel as to punish itself, and sin is its own Executioner, as adultery, drunkeness, covetousness and ambition oft are so just as to severely torture them that serve them, if notwithstanding that we see men choose and embrace those sins that bring their Hell with them, are of such desperate appetites as to long for torments, how can we hope that any will forsake their sins before they find them toilsome burdens, before they begin to see them in their own deformed infernal shapes, to discern their hooks and prongs, their brimstone-flames and worm with which they will eternally torment us? They must be scared and mated, before ever they will forsake those things that flow with wanton delicacy and luxuriant delight; and therefore we see very few ever begin seriously to repent before their last deathbeds, when the evil day is come, than that time is in which thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them, when the keepers of the house shall tremble, i. e. the hands shall shake with guilt or with infirmity, with palsy or with fear, thou wilt then hate their gripe, the bribery that they have been the instruments of: how will men contemn their former excesses, their full riots, and their draughts that overflowed like seas, that had their tides and refluxes, when the grinders shall cease, because they are few, when the mouth is toothless, as unable to chew as the stomach is to digest meat; and the pitcher shall be broken at the fountain, and the wheel at the cistern, the bladder ceases to do his office, stopped up by stranguries or leaky with diabetes: punishments that old age, and living faster than nature designed, bring along with it, very proportionate to that sin, if you understand it. Or how will they hate the foul inordinacies of unchaste beds, when the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, rupture and hernias and ulcers shall seize the lower ventricle. But these are all expressions that belong to that last day, and made use of by the wise Preacher, that had tried the vanity and emtiness, and the vexation and burden of them, to make us take up a little sooner, Ecclesiastes 12. the 6 first verses. And when those that look out of the windows shall be darkened, when the curtains of thy bed and of thy eyes shall be drawn, and that utter darkness begin to represent itself with which our Saviour paints the lower region, when Hell from below is removed at his approach opening her mouth wide to swallow him, whom the vast weight of his iniquity is ready to sink into it; O than his sin is his greatest sickness, and his horror doth more disjoint him than death itself. O for a little life-time now to spend in piety, which before he counted the most unpleasant impertinency that could be, nor could be rectified till these apprehensions, which only sense will work in most too late, be wrought in him, there being no other way to make us leave and come, but by looking upon death in the iniquity, which certainly is there, that having been a murderer from the beginning. In the second sense as to come to Christ signifies to rest and devolve ourselves upon him, this labouring is a necessary preparative, it is the sense of our misery without him that must drive us to him: the weight of that Legal curse that lies upon us all that must make us run to him, that was m Gal. 3. 13. made a curse for us. Who would either value or fly to a Saviour, that is not first convinced that he wants help? Can you persuade the mad man in the fever to betake himself to the Physician? He thinks you have more need, that counsel him. It is the drowning man that clings and grasps, and when he sees himself ready to perish, rather than want something to catch hold of, his roaming hand does even catch that water that does strangle him, and he does grasp his own ruin. Any rest to a falling man: and we never truly and seriously can depend upon Christ, till we thus apprehend ourselves sinking, and find ourselves tired and fainting under the load of our iniquities. No nor secondly on Christ's part, will he receive any that are not thus qualified. For will he, think you, forgive the sins of those that do as yet love those sins? or will he strive to ease them of their iniquities, that find no burden in them, but rather that of a full pleasure? No surely he will not envy them so much their delights, but let them enjoy their beloved ruin. Is it fit Christ should invite those men who do yet cherish those sins that slew him, or that he should receive into his bosom those iniquities that put him to death? No certainly, till we can hate those sins which he could die for, and till we find weight in those iniquities which he found death from, till we labour under that which he sunk under, we have no regard of his mercies to us, but renounce all relation to him, and close with his mortal enemy, and cannot then hope to be received by him. And thus you have the reason why these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the only fit persons to be invited by him, because till we are so, we cannot truly come unto him, depend upon him; and till we are so, we are not fit to be received by him. And now for application. But what? cannot we truly come till we find ourselves to be heavy laden, till we labour and are tired and wearied with iniquity? We see the perverse conditions of man, whom nothing but misery can persuade to Heaven; Heaven is no bait, though it prostitute all its glories; Happiness is a word that hath no music in it; the pleasures with which God entertained himself from all eternity, have no temptation in them compared to those of sin: Come unto me is not an invitation till we labour; till we find ourselves perishing in our choice, ruined in those sins we have embraced, we never will uncling, nor come to Christ: we must have our happiness inflicted on us and be goaded into bliss. But then 2. Learn hence how willing Christ is to have us come to him, when he makes use of Hell, not to punish only them that will not come, but to drive us to come to him. Had it not been enough for him to set before us life and death, and bid us take our choice? No, he knows our blind and unadvised appetites would choose the guilt poison, the painted, the pleasant death, and make a Covenant with Hell; and therefore he lets us feel part of that Hell to fright us, and yet then receives us. To force us to love ease he lets us travel under the burdens of our own desiring, and yet after that invites us to rest: he does not only accept them whose choice he is not but refuge, when as he might reject us. You would none of me, but chose weight, load, and labour; go and look for ease thence. But alas! if I should bid you seek refreshment from your pleasant sins, what comfort would you find, when you are tired with those sins, and the pleasures of them do forsake you, and leave you nothing but the stings and horror of the after expectations? No no, come to me yet, I will receive you after all your refusals; and though you come to me but as to a last hold having nothing else to trust to, though you have already tried all other, and slighted me, you shall yet be welcome: my pierced side is yet open to receive all of you that will yet come, and let you into my very heart; my arms are yet as wide as on the Cross, at their full length to take you into their embraces. Ah my Brethren, Christ doth not send us back to our beloved miseries when we come to him, but he makes those miseries a part of his Rhetoric to invite us, uses our labour and weariness to persuade us to come, makes those burdens the indearment of, and provocation to his ease, and Hell itself a part of his wooing. And how will he receive and embrace us, who doth thus desire and court us? The story of the Prodigal is hugely evictive of this, and so indulgent, that it would almost invite a man to sin; but than it does far more invite a man, that will repent him of his sin, to be secure of God's acceptance. He that had so villainously betrayed his Father's dearness to his own beastliness and ruin, to whom all kindness would seem lost, and to receive him in again and to assist him would be but to encourage him, and to furnish him for a return back to the prodigalities of sin and to the former riots of iniquity; yet when he does repent, he does obtain far more than he desires: he is received to feast and bosom, is entertained much more than the first born, and had he never gone away he had not been so dear. Do but consult the story Luke 15. When weary and fainting under the burden of himself, which his languishing spirits were scarce able to sustain, he came at last to himself, v. 17. and began to wonder that he chose to stay with husks, with famine, rather than to go to daily plenty, and chose to dwell in the unclean, uncomfortable company of swine before his Father's household, and then straight to think of leaving that condition and society, and to resolve on a return. When he began to put those resolutions into act, and his impotent starved limbs would scarce serve his desires, at least he was unable to make haste in the pursuit of his intentions, for he was yet a great way off v. 20. yet then his Father had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. His compassions did not keep state, or stand expecting till his ungracious son should come and humble himself, and deprecate and beg; but he ran to meet him, and made far greater haste to receive and entertain, than the other could do to be received; and as if the humiliations or weaknesses had been on his side, he fell, at least the impotencies of his affection did vie with those of the others condition, for he fell on his neck and kissed him. And whereas his repenting son did resolve to become prostrate, and low in condition as well as posture, I will go to my Father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned before heaven and against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants v. 18, 19 I dare not hope for favour from any tie of nature which I have broken all; I do not beg thy kindness as the issue of thy Relation, but as the wages of my labour; I will serve for thy affections, and let me have it as the hire of my repentance and endeavours: but 'twas enough it seems to have resolved thus lowly in earnest; for when he comes to act it v. 21. as he had said I am unworthy to be called thy son, his Father cuts him off, and calls for the best Robe, and for a Ring, and for the fatted Calf, will not let him so much as beg to be a servant, but if he once acknowledge himself unworthy for a son, he puts him straight in such an equipage as he may own him in with credit, in the best Robe; and he rejoices, quickens and sets out his joy with Feasts and Music. Now saith Tertullian, Quis ille nobis intelligendus Pater? What Father is this in the story? Why certainly 'tis God. No one so much a Father, no one so compassionate, if the Sinner once come to himself, as the prodigal son is said to do; for while he does go on he is indeed beside himself and in a fit: and when he has collected sober thoughts about him, and does compare his wanting husks with the full plenties of his Father's house, the unsatisfying transient delights of sin, that have filthy toil and noisome drudgery in the gaining, and instantly when they are gained put out themselves, are gone, and leave nothing but snuff or stink behind, offence only and trouble of mind; compared those with the gladsome expectations of blessedness, with the comforts that are in all the promises of Christ, and the feasts of our Father's mansion, God's entertainments, the glories he hath studied for those that love him, and being satisfied these are the better pleasure, resolves to leave the swine, his unclean beastly courses, and betake himself to his Father, he shall then find this fiction experience, and God outdoing all the Parables of himself. He will run to meet him that does but set himself to come in earnest, not only, as the proposition says, accept his service, but prevent it; and however miserable, poor, and naked he do meet him, as the Sinner is Rev. 3. 17. he calls for the best Robe, even the Robe of Christ's Righteousness to put upon him, and puts a Ring upon his finger, he does espouse him to his Son, he kills the fatted calf, makes ready the supper of the Lamb for him, and it is the poor repenting Sinner's wedding supper with his Saviour. It is a chapter full of comfort to the Penitent, and hath a greater advance for it than this story v. 3, 4. The Sinner he hath strayed into by-paths, gone away from the Shepherd of his soul, is a lost sheep; but yet when he is gone his farthest, and is in his mazes, knows not which way to betake himself, than this good Shepherd does not invite only to a return, or as the Father in the Parable run to meet him in his coming back, but he does go himself to seek him, seems to mind the recovery of each single one that is lost, and contributes as carefully to his return, as if that one were all his charge, and the whole flock is not dearer to him than that one. He leaves the ninety and nine to seek that one, and he seeks till he finds it, and when he finds it he lays it on his shoulders. The wand'ring sheep was wearied it seems with straying, and had tired itself with running from its shepherd; but this too is provided for, he could not come home, therefore he is carried. It is not now, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will not refuse you. Nay when you are so lost in Labyrinths of guilt out of which you can see no issue, when you have so laboured in the paths of error that you are not able to come home, if you will but be found, I will seek you, yea and carry you home too. That no one, how far soever he have gone away, may yet despair of coming home, this sheep had wandered to such a distance and to so much weariness, that he was fain to be born back when he was found. And he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing, was glad of such a burden. How willing is our Saviour to find out a strayed Sinner, when after such long errors he does seek him till he finds him, and carries him, if he be weak and fainting; yea and rejoices in that carriage, as if that rest he gives the Sinner were such ease and refreshment to himself, he joys in it! And that joy spreads itself to Heaven, for there is joy in Heaven at that sight, and v. 10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that reputes. Heus tu peccator, bono animo sis, vides ubi de tuo reditu gaudeatur: Thou poor disconsolate Sinner, that liest grovelling under the sense of the burden of thy sins, thy soul sinking under that heavy weight, and sinking also in the waters of thy fears, drowned in thy sorrow, be of good cheer. Dost thou not think there is some joy in this estate of thine, when it can make a joy in Heaven? Those tears assure thyself have comfort in them; for God, and Christ, and all the Angels do rejoice at sight of them. And do not dread thy burden, if thou dost truly labour under it, and dost but faithfully desire and endeavour to throw it off thee. Dost thou not see him that laid the lost sheep on his shoulders as ready to take thee up? He that would not reject thy Cross when it was loaden with thy guilt, will not reject thyself when thou art lighted from that guilt. He that would receive thee on his shoulders when thou wast fainting under the burden of thy sins, when that is cast away into the sea and buried in his grave, will certainly receive thee into his bosom. He that would carry thee to give thee ease when thou wert wearied with running from him, when thou dost come to him and faint into his arms, will give thee everlasting rest; a rest whose blessedness to understand were to enjoy it, and to be able to conceive were to be infinite as itself is; a blessedness which to behold is beatific. O cast away your burdens and make haste, and come and see. Lastly learn hence the method you are to take in coming to him, how you are to begin your journey. The first advance is by this conviction of the burden and horror of sin, till this be in us we will never move a step towards him. The Church hath taught us, when she invites us to come to him in Sacrament, to make the first step this confession, We be heartily sorry for these our transgressions, the remembrance of them is grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable. And Christ hath told us here, that we must find the very same things in ourselves, an intolerable burden that tires and wearies us until we faint, before we come to him; we are otherwise no part of his invitation, will be no part of his retinue. And than whosoever thou art that art so far from finding them intolerable, that without them thy life is hardly tolerable, so far from burden, that thy very days are burdensome that are restrained from conversations of sin, that dost account them thy delight, not weariness, and art refreshed, not tired with them, and canst not think of parting with them: or if no very vicious company or custom hath brought thee to this necessity and height of sinning, yet thou look'st upon them as slight regardless things, mistakes and oversights that slip from thee, all whose repentance is but Lord have mercy, and never thinkest more of it, dost not apprehend that every such gross fault hath an eternal weight in it, and dost not humble thyself under that weight; bethink thyself whether thou art yet in the way to Christ, or whether thou indeed be called to come. Oh no, the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the men; for thou especially that takest pleasure in them, dost thou think Christ will call thee to do worse with him than the damned do in Hell? There they indeed nourish their sinful appetites, their lusts advance, but their lusts are their plague and torment them, and they extremely hate and curse those things which they do passionately desire. Now that habitual Sinner his sins they are his employment, his delight too, he longs as those other, but he satisfies also and finds pleasure in them: and then, if those others be fit company for the Devils only, canst thou believe thyself fit company for Christ, that he should bid thee come to him? No, begin to act thy Hell a little sooner, account them here thy torments, hate them in time, perceive them to be burdens while they may be laid down, and then come unto Christ, and he will give thee rest. And evermore, O Lord, give us of thy rest, a rest from sin here, and a rest from misery eternally. Yea, O Lord, give us to labour, and to find trouble under that intolerable burden of our guilt, that we may with eager haste fly to the refreshment, that we perverse obdurate Sinners, whom thy mercies cannot invite, our own miseries may force to be happy: and though our wickednesses are multiplied into an infinite mass and weight, yet despise us not, when we fall under them; for thou didst invite us to come, and bring all that load to thee: despise us not, though heavy laden; for thou thyself didst bear this weight, and didst die under it. And O thou, who didst thyself thus suffer by reason of this load, pity us that labour with it, ease us of the burden of our former guilt, free us from the slavery of our iniquity, from bearing any longer Satan's loads; then shall we at last sit down with thee in the Land of everlasting rest, delivered from all weights but that eternal weight of glory, and resting from all labours save that of praising thee, and ascribing all Honour, Power, Praise, Might, Majesty, and Dominion to Father, Son, and holy Ghost for evermore. SERMON X. OF THE CHRISTIANS VICTORY Over Death, Sin, and the Law. 1 Cor. 15. 57 Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory thro' our Lord Jesus Christ. THE words are the close of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or Song of joy and triumph for a victory. Now a victory supposeth Enemies, and the verse before names them, and the Text shows us the means that they art conquered by, and who they are, that are partakers of the Victory. I shall declare and treat of both. 1. The Enemies here mentioned, and we may account them three, if that which gives both aid and strength to, fortifies our Enemy, be so; as sure it is. 1. Here is Death, which sin arms with a sting and does envenome it. 2. Sin itself, empowered and strengthened by the Law. 3. That Law also. In the second place here are the means by which the Victory is gotten, and for whom— us the victory thro' Jesus. In handling all which I shall show First, that the Law gives Sin all its strength, and how it does so. 2ly That Sin is the sting of Death, and how it is so. 3ly That by Christ both the Law which is the strength of Sin is taken away, and Sin which is the sting of Death pulled out; and so both Sin and Death so weakened that they cannot hurt now; and they shall be swallowed up in perfect victory: and who they are all this is done for. Of these all in this order, which I crave leave to speak to directly without any least diverting from the Text or Subject. First I am to speak of the first preparations that are made against us in behalf of our Enemies; and that is to show you, that the Law gives all the strength to Sin which it hath, and how it does so. Sin hath its very being from Law, it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. and Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Rom. 5. 13. yea where there is no Law there is no transgression c. 4. 15. But this is not all, for in the Law besides the Precepts there is also Sanction, and it lays a twofold obligation; first to duty, secondly upon transgression to punishment. 1. To duty, and that perfect and unsinning strict obedience; for the terms are these, a Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. And to this the whole man is obliged, the soul as well as body: & caro & spiritus Dei res est, saith Tertull. God made the soul as well as body, one's his creature as much as the other, and the one hath as much reason then to pay him honour and obedience as the other: if indeed the spirit hath not much more to obey him in its own motions and actings, than in those of the body, which are only under it, and guided by it. So that thoughts are criminal against this Law, as well as doings; by them the Soul fulfils its part of the transgression, more it may be than its own share, while it robs the Flesh, seizes its satisfactions, and makes them her own against her nature. And indeed whatever part the Law is broken and transgressed by, 'tis transgression and sin still, whether by the mind, for lust when it hath conceived only, sin is then begotten James 1. 15. or by the tongue, for of every idle word we must give an account at the day of Judgement, Matth. 12. 36. and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Or lastly by the works. So that according to the Tenor of this strict and severe Law whatever we can do, or indeed whatever we do not is Sin: besides commissions that are sinful there is still defect, and so transgression in our thoughts, our words, and deeds even in the best; and in not doing also there's omission, and so failing. But besides this severe obligation of the Law to duty, upon this our faileur there is a severer obligation 2. To punishment; for every sin is cursed, as we saw. Upon this account the Law, saith St Paul, worketh wrath, Rom. 4. 15. we are children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. whose inheritance is destruction, and who are of right to possess only the sad issues of God's indignation: for to this the Law condemns us all, by reason of our Sins; and upon that account the Law is said to be the strength of Sin. Because by force and virtue of this threatening of the Law, we that have sinned are therefore liable and obnoxious to the condemnation of it. And this I take to be the meaning of that place Rom. 7. 7, 8, 9, 10. I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known concupiscence, except the law had said thou shalt not covet. But sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the law sin was dead,— but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. The Apostle's drift here is not to evince how the commandment begets sin, but how it makes sin condemning, begets death: and therefore I believe they are mistaken who expound, sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, as if it meant the Law only prohibiting, but not quelling sin in me; the more it was restrained, the more it wrought all manner of concupiscence in me, especially since there was no punishment assigned to that sin in the Law; it took advantage thence more powerfully to engage me in the pursuit of all my lusts, since thence I might have hoped without any fear of punishment to pursue them. For this seems perfectly to thwart his aim, which was to show us how the Law wrought condemnation, and inflicted death by threatening it. It seems to mean, I had not only not known sin to be so dangerous, but I had not known some things to be sins, and by consequence condemning things, but by the Law: particularly I had not known concupiscence to be so, had not the Law said thou shalt not covet. The next words do not seem intended to declare how the Commandment work sin, that being brought in by the by, as it were thus, but sin the corruption of my nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, all actual lusts and wickednesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 got advantage over me or strength against me by the Law: which he there proves, for without the law sin is dead; not as to stirring in us by its sinful motions sure, corruption would not fail to do that and more if there were no check; but dead, had no strength nor power to condemn me. For it follows, when the commandment came, sin revived, got strength to do that, and I died, was sentenced to death by it, and the commandment which was ordained to life could I have obeyed it, I found to be unto death by condemning me to death for my transgression of it. For sin by the Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 getting advantage over me slew me; not only made me liable to death, but by its guilt envenoming that death: for the sting of death is sin, which that it is, and how it is so, is the second thing I am to speak to. Sin is the sting of death, which I could make appear two manner of ways in relation to two senses that may be given to the words, both pertinent, and the one but the Anticipation of the other. The first is this: Sin is the sting of death; 'tis Sin makes the thoughts of death pungent and stinging; the wicked man cannot think of his last dying day without horrors, the only imagination of a sickness stings him, because he is conscious to himself of sin, and he knows that that after Death cometh the Judgement, and he dares not think of beholding the face of his Judge with his guilt upon him. To prove this to you I shall not need to fetch any heathen Testimonies, that call the Conscience of Sin a whip, a sting, a goad, a lancing knife, things that gash and prick, and gall and fret, all words of all kinds of terrifying punishment: but if there be any gross customary Sinner that now hears me, I shall need no other way of proof, but by appealing to his own conscience, whether, when he comes hot from his iniquity, he dares entertain the thought of dying. And why not? Alas he is too deep in arrears to venture upon account with so impartial a Judge; books must be laid open if he come there, the closet curtain sins, nay the bosom villainies must be displayed, and every one receive his doom; he hath heard, that all the b Luke 23. 30. Rev. 6. 16. refuge of a deplored Sinner at that great and terrible Day of the Lord is but to fly unto the Mountains to cover him, and to the Rocks to hide him. A wretched hope; for how shall the Hills hide him, whose iniquities are like Mountains? or how shall the rocks cover him, whose rebellions are like the great deep, as the Scripture words it? To such a person Death and Judgement are words of too dangerous a sense, and it's easier for him (as many do) to resolve there is no such thing as one of them, than to think of them, and go merrily on in sinning. For tell me, what is the design of that variety of iniquities in which thou dost ingulf thyself, that circle of sins wherein one relieves and succeeds another? Sure by such a perpetuity of diversified delights to stave off those severer thoughts, which if there were an intermission of sinning, or a nauseating of one sin for want of variety, would creep in, the noise of our riots is not to please the ear, but to drown the barking of our consciences. When the Sinner's candle is put out, if weariness in wickedness do not at once close up his eyes and thoughts, if the dark solitary night do but suggest some melancholy thoughts into him, how does he tumble up and down, as if he thought to role away from his imagination? and he does ransack his fancy, and call up the memory of his past sins about him to entertain himself with all, and keep out the torturing remembrance of that sad Day, which the Scripture calls c Amos 6. 3. putting far from them the evil day: for the truth is he dares not give it place, lest it should happen to him, as to a man upon a pointed precipice, (as himself is indeed situated) to whom the apprehension would be as mortal as the danger, and he would tumble down for fear of falling. So here his sin adds such sharps to the imagination of death, that he dares not entertain the thought. And if Sin be such a sting in the only thought of death, that the mere remembrance of it is insupportable, the use is very natural by the frequent calling of death to mind to stop the current of sin. For if the wicked cannot endure to think of death, he that does think on it, cannot well go on to be wicked. Remember thy latter end, and thou shalt not do amiss. I would give this counsel, Think thou art to die while doing it. The original of the Turks Turban, which was but by continual wearing of his winding sheet, by wrapping his head in his grave-cloaths to have always a shroud and death upon his thoughts; and the Philosophers defining their wisdom to be but contemplatio mortis, are not such pregnant enforcers of this use, as this practical apprehension of it. The man that lived among the Tombs, though he had a legion of Devils in him, yet when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, Mark 5. 6. The sight of graves and conversation with monuments will make even Demoniacs Religious, and is so far from thrusting Prayers out of the Liturgy of Burial, that it brings the very Devils on their knees. But there is yet another and a fuller sense of these words, which St Paul repeats out of the LXX. translation of Hosea 13. 14. though not verbatim, for there instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies, O Death, where is thy plea by which thou didst attaint men before God's Tribunal? where is the right thou hadst over all men to seize and take possession of them? what's become of the sentence that was awarded thee, by which all of us were adjudged to be thy bondslaves? where is that punishment which thou didst inflict upon us all, and by it ruin us? To all these rights Sin did entitle thee, O Death; or as it is here in the Text Sin is thy sting, whatsoever power thou hast of hurting man, as the Scorpion's venom lies in his sting, that power Sin hath given thee, and in that it lies: without Sin Death were no plague, and it is this that makes Death insupportable. Now to prove this I need not urge more than what I have already said; for if Sin be a sting in the very thought of Death, much more pungent will it be, when Death itself approaches: when the Fever shall lay hold upon the blood, not only to revenge the former heats of that lustful or that riotous blood, but to be dawnings of those eternal Burnings which do await the Sinners, and shall do more than represent unto thee the heats of that unquenchable brimstone which is to be thy lot, and which already doth begin to flash in upon thee. Which part of thee does labour with the more intolerable Fever, thy Body or thy Soul? Alas the frost of the Grave would seem to thee a Julip, a cool refreshment only, if Sin did not make thee look upon the grave as a downlet to that bottomless pit, which is the lake of fire that is not quenched. Nothing possibly can keep an unrepentant Sinner, that on his deathbed apprehends his guilt, from the horror of despair, from being his own Devil, and suffering his own Hell in his own bosom upon earth. I shall demonstrate this invincibly to you, that Sin does, and nothing else does make Death most insupportable, when it approaches. Now to evince this, my Argument is none other than our Blessed Saviour himself, in whose Passion the only imputation of guilt seems to have raised the greatest contradictions imaginable. If you look upon him preparing for his Passion, it seems his only and most pleasing design; as he came into the world for that end, so his whole life before it was but a Prologue to it, only a walk to mount Calvary, it was his extreme desire. I have a baptism to be baptised with, baptised indeed with fire and his own clotted sweat of blood, yet this Baptism how am I streightened till, it be accomplished, Luke 12. 50. He had longing throws after it, he did as much desire it as a woman to be delivered of her burden. Nay it was his contrivance, he did lay plots that he might not escape it; for when a glorious Miracle had broke from him, that did extort the confession of his Deity from Men and Devils, he charges these to hold their peace, and bids the other tell it no man: one reason of which was, lest the knowing him to be the Son of God should hinder him from suffering. He gives it himself Luke 9 21, 22. he straight charged and commanded them to tell no man that thing, saying the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected; now should they know I were the Son of God, d 1 Cor. 2. 8. they would not crucify the Son of glory. You see what care he takes lest he should not suffer: and just before his passion he come in triumph to Jerusalem, with songs and joy about him, as if Death were the only pleasant thing, and his passion so desirable, that he would go ride to meet it, which he never did at any other time. And add to all this that the person was the Son of God, to whom nothing could be truly insupportable; yet when this person comes to meet it, see how he entertain it, his soul is exceeding sorrowful, he fell on his face to pray against it, and while he was in this condition an e Luke 22. 43, 44. Angel from Heaven came to strengthen him, yet he is still in an agony and prays more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood. Now 'twas the sense of Sin upon him that made his blood run out in clotts, as it were flying from that sense; it was the apprehensions of the guilt imputed to him, and the wrath which he knew was due to it, did make him apprehend his God (who was himself) was gone from him, made him cry out, f Matt. 27. 46. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now to say that all this dread were from the mere apprehension of death, were horrid blasphemy; the meanest Martyr was never guilty of so much weakness. No 'twas from the sense of the iniquity that was upon it, 'twas because he was made sin for us; he was a man of sorrows, saith the Prophet Isaiah, because in representation he was a man of sins, for he bore our iniquities, saith the same Prophet c. 53. The Lord had laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and therefore he was oppressed. And so I have made appear, that Sin is the sting of Death more than if yourselves did feel it by an experimental despair: for it is more that Sin should make Death terrible to the Son of God, than that it should make it insupportable to you. And therefore before Death seize you, and prostrate you into his dust, this consideration may humble you into the dust and ashes of Repentance; this I say, if Sin were a sting that made Death so insupportable to Christ, what will it be to us? If the apprehension of it, when it came armed only with the imputation of our guilt, (for he himself g 2 Cor. 5. 21. knew no sin) was so terrible to the Son of God, how shall we stand under it, when it brings all our own iniquities to seize upon us? If he that was a person of the Trinity could not bear the weight, how shall we sink under it? That which made our Jesus in an agony, as if he meant to pour out his soul in his sweat, and pray, and roar, and die, will certainly be to us most infinitely beyond sufferance. Alas! what then will be our hope? We have certainly none, except we can by Faith and Repentance rid ourselves of this Sin, which is the sting of Death, and makes it to be thus intolerable; which how it comes to pass I must now show. 2. Why, and how Sin is the sting of Death. Sin may seem very properly to be called a sting of Death, for it was the Serpent that brought Death into the World, and Sin was that by which he did inflict it; now a sting is a Serpent's proper instrument, and a venomous sting it was, that could blast Paradise, and shed destruction there where the Tree of life bore fruit. But that is not all the reason why it should be called the sting of Death because it makes us obnoxious to Death, but it is that which makes Death a miserable condition: as it is the sting of the Serpent that makes him a poisonous creature, so it is that which makes Death destructive. For were Death the expiration of that little spark in the moving of our heart, and if our spirit utterly vanished as the soft air, and were it as the Atheist in the h Wisd. 2. 2. Wise man says, we are born at all adventure, and shall be hereafter as though we had never been; Death would be so far from all sting, that it would be perfect rest, and the end of troubles: but Sin makes it only the beginning of sorrows, it changes the very nature of death, by making that which seems to be the cessation of sensible function, to be the very original of the sensibility of torments. Then the Sinner doth begin indeed to feel, when he dies. Death were but the term of a miserable life, did not Sin make it the birth of a more miserable life or death: I know not whether to call it; for it is of so strange a nature, that the very uniting of a Sinner's body and soul, which is the only thing we call life, God calls death, Rev. 22. 13, 14. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell, or the grave, delivered up the dead which were in them, that is, the bodies to be joined to the souls, and they were judged every man according to their works, and in that case all are cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death. Sin makes Resurrection to be dying: and it must needs be so, because as afflictions are in this life called death, as St Paul saith i 2 Cor. 11. 23. in Deaths often; so much more than may those torments of hell be called death. So that in that death that Sin engages to, it is necessary to live always, that we may for ever die: and it must be so, because this makes us liable to the eternal indignation of the offended God, which we were not capable of suffering, were it not a death of this nature. This is indeed death with a sting in it, and it is the sense of this approaching that wounds the dying soul; when it does at once call to mind the wickedness of its past life and the wrath that does await it, when he recollects how sinful he hath been, and withal how hateful sin is to God, (so hateful that it was easier for God to send his Son to suffer death, than to suffer sin to go unpunished) than his own expectations sting and stab his very soul; for if God did thus use his own Son, how will he use me, that have both sinned and trod under foot the death of that Son by going on wilfully in my sins? Would you then, my Brethren, find out a way to make death easy and familiar to you? you must pull out this sting. The Jews say if Adam had continued righteous he should not have died, but after a long happy life God would have taken up his soul to him with a kiss, which they call osculum pacis, he would have received that spirit which with his mouth he did inspire, a kiss of taking leave here to meet in Heaven. Wouldst thou have thy death to be the same thing? 'Tis but becoming righteous with the righteousness of Christ, thro' whom we have this Victory here in the Text, the other part I am to speak to, who giveth us the victory thro' Jesus Christ our Lords where we have those that are partakers of the Victory, and the means thro' Jesus Christ our Lord, and as to both these this I shall demonstrate over all those enemies in order, who the us, and how the Victory is gotten. First the Law. Now that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, is said expressly, and that by his being made a curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. and what that curse of the Law was, is set down in the tenth verse, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, that are written in the book of the Law to do them; which no man besides Christ did ever or can do, and consequently all mankind lay under that same dreadful curse, obnoxious to the wrath of God, and the effects of everlasting indignation: but Christ by undergoing that curse and by that means satisfying that strict Law, procured an easier to be set us upon gentler terms, not perfect and unsinning strict obedience, which was impossible, but instead thereof the Law of Faith, obsequious Faith that works by love, endeavours honestly and heartily, and where it fails reputes, that is, grieves, and amends, and perseveres in doing so. For as St Paul assures us, we are not under the Law, but under Grace, Rom. 6. 14. though we be under the directions of it, the duty of it is most indispensable virtue always; yet we are not under those strict terms of it according to the tenor of that curse, but in a state of favour, under terms of grace, where there is mercy, pardon to be had upon repentance thro' faith, and where there is encouragement and aid to work that faith and that amendment in us. And thus far the Victory accrues to all mankind; for all that will accept these terms of this remedying Law of grace, the other killing strict Law hath no power over them. For the Gospel was commanded to be preached to, and its terms offered every creature under heaven, all mankind: a victory this, that could not be obtained, but by Christ's blood; the grace and favour of these easier terms for our obedience valued equal with his life; for to take of this curse, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, that are written in the book of the law to do it, these strict terms, he himself was made a curse: and 'twill be certainly a most unkind return, if that which he thought worth the dying for to get us, we shall not think worth the accepting, slight these blessed terms, and do not care unless we can be free from all necessity of an endeavour, freed from virtue too as well as Law. But secondly the Law being, as we have showed it is, the strength of Sin in giving it a power to condemn us, that Law being taken off, that power also cannot but be taken off from Sin, and by that means the great strengths of that Enemy defeated. Accordingly St Paul does tell the Romans c. 6. v. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you, that is, it shall not have by virtue of the Law a power to condemn you; for you are not under the Law but under grace, are in that state where men are not condemned for every gross or heinous sin although too long continued in, but there is pardon to be had for them that will but faithfully endeavour to amend, turn from their sins, return to Christ, receive him and his pardon: and where there is also help to do this, 'tis a true state of grace; so that unless men will resolve to force their own guards that are set about them to preserve them, and break thro' the strengths of grace, and conquer all the strive of Almighty God's compassion and goodness to them, and beat off the very victory that Christ hath gained for them, refuse all the kind offers of the Law of grace, and choose sin with damnation, they are safe; There is now, as St Paul saith, by the Law no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, to them who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8. 1. in which words we have both an assurance that the strengths of Sin are broken, and the persons too are partakers of the Victory, that are in Christ Jesus: for as it is by him the Victory is gotten, so it is in him that we must get an interest in it. Now to be in Christ, if, as most certainly it doth, it mean here as in other places, where 'tis said of Churches, households, and of single persons, than it means the Christians: so in Gal. 1. 22, the Churches of Judea that are in Christ, i. e. that have received the Gospel and the Faith of Christ; Rom. 16. 11. greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, that are in the Lord, i. e. that are Christians; and the seventh verse, who were in Christ before me, i. e. were converted ere I was. But it means Christians not in judgement and opinion only, but in life and practice; such as are in Christ by St Paul's character and description of it in the 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, he lives the life of Christ as a member does the life of that of which it is a member, and so he walks not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For as members live by the virtue of the influence of spirits from the head into them and walk after its directions, so those that are in Christ, his members, they must walk, live, act and practise by the Spirit of Christ, guided not by carnal appetite, the lusts and the desires of the Flesh, but by Christ's directions. Such they are who have this Victory, to whom there is no condemnation. For as he adds Rom. 8. 2. The law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus, sets us free from the law of sin and death: and so there is thro' him a Victory over the third, last enemy Death: in which freedom from Sin and Death two things are intimated. 1. That Sin the sting of Death is taken away, which being once removed, Death is the softest thing that can be, 'tis but falling asleep; so it is called v. 18. of this chapter, fallen asleep in Christ: it is so far from being hurtful, that it is the first great happiness that does befall us. 2. That Death itself also shall be swallowed up in Victory, that we shall be recovered from its powers, and triumph over it in Immortality of blessed life. For if we be in Christ, his members, and so live the life of Christ; and consequently when we die, die in the Lord: then though the body be dead and corruptible, yet if the Spirit of life that is in Jesus be in us, he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit, Rom. 8. 11. It is this life in him that verifies the saying of St Paul Eph. 2. 6. He hath raised us up, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, as sure as if we were already there: for there we are already as his members in our head. And to the full and personal enjoyment of the blessings of those heavenly places it is death that lets us in; that vale of Anchor is the door of hope and Canaan, the grave the avenue to God's right hand: that death, 'tis but the Pascha in St Bernard, 'tis our Passover, a repast of bitter herbs indeed, but at the going out of Egypt from the house of bondage. And though the body seem in death a piteous despicable thing, sown in corruption & dishonour, as k 1 Cor. 15. 42, 43. St Paul expresses, yet death gives that a relation too to Christ: the Prophet Isaiah brings in the Lord calling His dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cadaver, they my dead body shall aris●, saith he c. 26. 19 So that the corpse of a good person is so far a member, that 'tis called the very body of his Saviour, into such a title Death translates it; to such not to live only, but to die is Christ. And sure if they that die in him, did live in him, (as none can die there where they did not live at all) that is live as his members, they that die in Christ must die his members. But in the expression of the Prophet they do also die himself, and are Christ's own dead body. Death to such is as it were transfiguration, and does not so much strip and make them naked, as clothe them, and that with glory; the shroud may seem but their white wedding linen, and their dress for the marriage of the Lamb. Whoever is a faithful sincere Christian, if Death seem to make approaches to him armed with all his instruments of cruelty and terror, charge him as assuredly as a Prophet could to set his house in order, for he must die; if he can say with Hezekiah in Isaiah 38. 3. Remember now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight, then if he have not fifty years, yet he shall have a numberless Eternity added to his life; and notwithstanding the dark solitude of the Grave to which he is retiring, he shall have that which will accompany him to his infinite joy: when he is torn from friends, and all his dearest things do leave him▪ yet he shall not be alone, his faith and piety, his virtues all go along with him, and appear for him at that tribunal on the Judgement day. All his relations, even his bosom-guest, the other half of his own soul forsake him, bring him it may be to the grave, and though they carry blacks upon them to refresh and keep alive the memory of him, yet in a while take comfort and forget; yet the true conjugal affections of an untainted, undefiled bed shall go along, present the Soul white, as a Virgin that's unspotted. And after this 'tis in vain to say his riches will forsake him, they go not so far as the grave, afford nothing of themselves but the price of a sheet and coffin. But than Charities will mount, Alms will ascend as fast as the Spirit; the wealth one piously bestowed will meet him, he shall eternally possess that which he gave away, and though his place know him no more, they shall receive him into everlasting habitations. l 1 Cor. 15. 58. Wherefore, my beloved Brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, which is the real way of giving thanks to God, who giveth us the Victory. SERMON XI. OF THE CHRISTIAN'S BLESSEDNESS In beholding God's Face. Psalm 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be●●atisfied when I awake with thy likeness. Or as the other Rendering reads it, very little different from that. But as for me I will behold thy presence in righteousness, and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it. THE words import an express opposition between the satisfactions of the person in the Text, and those of them that are described before here in the context, ●●amely of the men of the world which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou, O God, fillest with thy hid treasure, v. 14. of whom he had also said v. 10. they are enclosed in their own fat, their mouth speaketh proud things, i. e. the satisfaction of these worldlings lies in this, that they are great and rich, abound with all things, that they and their children have their fill of their desires, & they leave plentiful remains to their posterity; these advantages of this life are the only good things which they value and seek after, they receive them as their portion, and the having them so plentifully makes them proud of the possession, insolent in the use: but as for my part I will serve thee faithfully, truly and justly, and with all sincerity and diligence in the performance of my duty; I will seek thy face, mercy and favour, and so doing wait till thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me: and than whatsoever my condition be on this earth, where I would not have my good things, I expect other sort of portion from my Heavenly Father; yet when I awake out of the dust at thy appearance in thy glory, since a 1 John 3. 2. we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, then at my rising it will be impossible that any thing which is to satisfy me, can be wanting to me: for my satisfactions cannot but be Glorious, Divine, Infinite, and Immortal, as thine are, if I awake up in thy likeness. So that we have here 1. The nature of that state, and the certain satisfactions of it, which King David did propose to, and assure himself of: to awake up after God's likeness, and he knows he shall be satisfied with it. 2. The sure means of arriving at this state, beholding of God's face in righteousness. 3. His peremptory resolution as to the use of these means, I will behold. 4. With the courage of resolution, which is taken up against the almost universal practice and the as great contradiction of the World, that generally minds far different satisfactions, I declare publicly and confess, But as for me, I will. 1. The nature and the certain satisfactions of that state, which holy David in the Spirit did propose to, and assure himself of. The state the Psalmist does suppose expressly here: a state to which he shall awake out of the sleep of death. For however some expound his words another way; yet from his opposition of himself as to his own expectations, to the men of this world as to their enjoiments, and declaring of them that they have their portion in this life, 'tis plain he sets his not in this life; in that therefore which he says he shall awake to. That state also which St Paul assure us Heb. 11. all the Patriarches did look for, & which all the Nation of the Jews had such a faith of, that the Sadduces were always from their first appearance counted Heretics for their denying it. That I say there is such a state now, after so much signal revelation, after so much miracle of Resurrections from death, is not to be made the argument of a discourse to Christians, who can be such no otherwise nor further than as they believe and are assured of it. And it seems altogether as absurd to undertake to treat upon the nature of that state, which b 2 Cor. 12. 3, 4. St Paul, after he had a taste of it, says is unspeakable and not possible to be uttered; which he was so far from knowing after he had been in it, that he knew not himself in it, knew not whether he were in the body or out of it, when he did enjoy that state: which St Peter when he had a glimpse in our Saviors Transfiguration, & in the astonishment by reason of the light, attempted but to speak of it, it is said c Luke 9 33. he knew not what he said, it put him so beside, out of himself. And 'tis no wonder if we cannot pertinently discourse of it, if, as d 1 Cor. 2. 9 Scripture says it cannot enter into the heart of man to comprehend it, while he is in this animal and mortal state. And indeed it were the same thing as to comprehend what is the Incomprehensible God himself; for 'tis the nature of that state that we awake into his likeness, the Text says, and St John hath said the same more expressly 1 John 3. 2. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he, or it shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I do not find it said in Scripture of the Angels in what ever rank of Principality they stand, that they are like God; rather to be like the most High is believed that very ambition that destroyed all those that fell. But as when man was made out of the dust he was the only creature that was said to be made after God's own image and similitude; so after he is fallen again into that dust, when he awakes out of it, he is that only thing that is said e Cap. 15. 49. to bear the image of the Lord from Heaven, to be like God. And 'tis not strange if that nature, which God did assume to himself, come at last to be glorified with some endowments which transcend all those of Angels; yet 'tis said of them, they always see the face of our heavenly Father Matt. 18. 10. To see God therefore as he is, does seem more, than to see his face continually, and is such a sight as if it do not causally produce a likeness to God in us, which yet possibly it may, and the Schools think it does, yet 'tis certain that it consequentially proves 'tis absolutely necessary that we shall be like him, otherwise it were impossible that we should see him as he is. Which evidently follows from the Argument of our Apostle, we know we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; so that such a sight of him is that which either makes us or concludes us like God: yea and that to such a degree that in St Peter's words we are made partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. I shall not undertake to be interpreter to the Apostles as to this expression, or to give the meaning of those words; but whatsoever more it may imply, surely it signifies that those Attributes that are essentially natural to the Divinity, as the Omniscience of his understanding, perfect rectitude and purity of his will; and not to enumerate particulars, perpetual, blessed, infinite delight in the unwearied, uninterrupted exercise of his understanding in the utmost latitude of its comprehensions, and the undisturbed enjoyment of his holy will in all things, all this unchangeable, because spiritual and immortal; of all these, so much as is communicable to a creature, man shall then partake of, be exalted into: yea so far partake in all of it, as he is exalted into an estate to see God as he is. And this is certainly enough to make good David's expectations, that when he shall awake up after God's likeness, he shall be satisfied with it; and truly 'twere great simplicity to go about to prove so far as any one is like to him, who is the Fountain of Eternal Blessedness: and so far as himself is happy and unchangeably is so, that he must needs be satisfied; for it imports a contradiction at once to be happy and unsatisfied, since so far as any person is unsatisfied, wants any thing that he would have, so far he is uneasy and not happy; either sure unhappy in not having it, or else most certainly unhappy in desiring it, which cannot be in any one that is like God. But King David seems wary in his expression here, when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it; as if he did not count them satisfactions at the present, to the state and condition he was then in, or at least the apprehensions he then had. And indeed St Paul, who tasted the joys of it, says he knew not whether he were in the body or no, so that it seems that half of him was not concerned at all in those transports of those joys: and it is no wonder therefore if most men, that never had a taste of any thing but what is sensual and worldly, have been entertained only with satisfactions of those appetites that rise from body, have no apprehensions, or at least no relish for those other, which not only to enjoy but understand, men must be spiritual to some degree; for f 1 Cor. 2. 14. they are spiritually discerned, saith the Apostle, and the natural man that hath no other guide but sense, or what is wholly founded upon sense and imagination, cannot taste or fancy them with any life at all. Yet notwithstanding this how dim soever and faint the images of those things were in David's time, before g Mal. 4. 2. the Sun of Righteousness was risen, and had brought to light that blessed Immortality and Glory of that state, the very expectation was so satisfying, that it could engage him to pursue them, & attemt to compass them: & that he might, after he should be awaked from death, see God as he is, and by consequence be like him, he resolves he will behold his face in righteousness here in this life, as being satisfied that h Psalm 16. 11. in his presence there was fullness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore. When alas after all the advantages, the force and beauty which the Gospel-revelations have enriched the draught of that state with, yet now men do not apprehend any such satisfaction in it, as can quicken an affection or endeavour after it; they will not move a step nor a desire towards it. And here as to this I will neither wonder at, nor instance in the men whose minds the pomps, the gauderies, the heights, the state, and what does furnish all, the wealth and riches of this world have seized; if such men be not taken off from the pursuit of these things by invisible Treasures, and by spiritual Thrones and Sceptres; or if they whose souls have dwelled long in their dishes and their cups, who drink to create thirst, eat to hunger, are not pleased much with a state whose happiness is said to be, that men shall neither hunger nor thirst in it; or if they whom all the pleasures of the flesh sauced with variety have made loose and dissolute, will not be tempted to restrain themselves in those bounds that are set to chaste tongues, chaste eyes, or chaste bodies; or though they may be moved it may be to dismiss a while, yet cannot be made willing to divorce their lusts by notions of an happiness for Spirits that have no sex, where they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God. I will not call in here for evidence that most men have no satisfying apprehensions of the Blessedness of that state, since although they had, yet there are appetites in the constitution to those other satisfactions that are opposite to all these Blessednesses, and these appetites are hot and fierce, have been long pampered, and now will not be denied, being grown too strong for any notions of the understanding to make head against them. But here is one fatal instance that will certainly evince men have no pleasing sense of the condition of that afterstate, they do not fancy it with any takingness at all, and it is this, that in those duties of Religion which have nothing opposite to any carnal appetite, which of themselves retrench not any of our sensual satisfactions, yet most men have all unwillingnesses to them, deadness in them. To name one of them, Prayer for example, which is rather privilege than duty, a most blessed, merciful indulgence, such as if God had not only not commanded but not given us leave for, we must have thought ourselves most wretchedly unhappy, since 'tis but giving us leave to pour out all our wants into the bosom of our Father who is both Almighty and most Merciful, to beg those things which if we have not, we are miserable here and everlastingly, and which Christ's blood that purchased them does join in intercession with us, when we pray in earnest for them, and our sighs mix with his agonies and the merit of his dying groans to his and our Father for us. Now there is not one appetite in our making that's adverse to praying, as there are many to strict virtues; 'tis not uneasy to the flesh, nor yet repugnant to its satisfactions; it is not possible to find a ground on which one can mislike it: and then to see men backward to it, languid and dead in it, weary of it, suffering little avocations to divert them at it, wand'ring, going from it while they are about it, engaged in it; glad to make quick end of it, seeking out occasions to pretermit it; yea more, out of an insensible stupidity long omitting, not at all performing it, as if that men had nothing at all to desire of God, or at lest nothing they desired so much, that they will take the pains to ask in earnest for it. Now 'tis impossible to give an account of this, there's no imaginable reason but that men have no concern or value for, nor apprehensions of the things they pray for. 'Tis plain men perform cheerfully what tends to those things they affect and fancy, especially if it be not uneasy nor at all distasteful: they have no sense therefore of the things above, that should give life and heat and motion to their Prayers; those Blessednesses have no taste or relish to them, are so far from being matter of concernment, that the very ask for them seems to them an unkind interruption of their divertisments, any the least trifling thought of which is sufficient to call off their hearts from the desire of Heaven, from the object of their prayers; of so little regard it is to them, and so mean a satisfaction to be like God. Mahomet was aware this was the temper of the most of mankind, and he therefore baited his Religion with delights of their acquaintance, joys that should not need a revelation, miracles, or faith to make them apprehended pleasant; but he dressed his Paradise with immortal sensualities, strong and eternal lusts made up his heavenly delights; and than although their pleasures are but in reversion (as the Christians are) after a life, yet his Proselytes grew upon Christianity, are still very numerous, and they bear restraints and practice that which Christians cannot be invited to, and what with love to their Religion and those expectations will charge fire, and run upon cannon to be shot into their Paradise; when after all that God hath done to prepare Blessednesses for a Christian, and all that Christ hath done to purchase and secure them to him, he finds no attractiveness in them. I shall not bring the one and the other satisfactions to a vie, not only that I may not entertain you with a common place, but the comparison would be shameful, and indeed would serve no ends: not the conviction surely of a sensual person; for an Epicure that was born blind, and never had any notice of any of those beauties that surprise astonish, and transport men, but what their discourse can give him, is not certainly by that to be convinced the pleasures of the eye transcend those of the palate, 'tis a thing at least they cannot judge of: nor can they, whose souls are filled with all the images of the delights of sensuality, and who have no apprehensions of God's spiritual, blessed satisfactions, compare or judge between them, nor can therefore be convinced by our comparing of them: yet if these men would but reflect a little, this consideration here might serve to help, if not their imagination, yet their faith of those joys. Namely that if we think God made these comforts here below, and fitted them just to our making, so as that we cannot fancy or imagine pleasures more appropriate to our present state, and we could think a long untroubled age of them great happiness; and if we think too, when these comforts and ourselves are dead, that he will raise us up into another life, a world in which he hath prepared rewards for those that lived here as they ought according to his will, that used the pleasures of this world by those rules and at those calm rates that he allows them: then we must conclude that it is certain he both can and will make some as good at least, and as appropriate to that condition in which he shall place us. He that can raise us up out of the dust of death, can he not also quicken joys and make a resurrection of delights, and as he altars the condition of our being, temper pleasures to it, as he fitted those here to our present state? What though you know not how to fancy satisfactions of another frame than those you now enjoy which you could like to change for? Think you the infant in the womb, while it enjoys ease and content in its close dark cell, can fancy the cheerfulness of a lightsome world, which the Sun guilds with comfortable shine? or that the child hath any notion of the strong contents of riper age? or can he possibly imagine there are any such delights as those his babies and rattles afford him? have any savour of the manly pleasures which mere reason gives, and humane knowledge entertain us with? And so may not men grow past their babies? God hath we see proportioned satisfactions to each state of being, to their own degree still in an excellent order; and shall his knowledge or his power fail to do so, when we drop out of this life into another, and are born to spirituality & to immortality? or will he not be so good to his Select ones as he hath been to all mankind, yea to the beasts here; give us joys as great as those of sense are, which the beasts possess, or which is more, the wicked have in greatest affluence? He that will let these satisfactions stream upon the men he hates so, does he not know how, or can he not, or will he not provide greater for his beloved ones, for those which he hath studied happiness for? Would he give his own Son to die, shed his own blood to redeem us into a worse estate? or will he work a miracle of power, create a resurrection, that he may reward us to our loss? All this is most unreasonable to imagine, so that although we cannot comprehend the blessedness of that state, we cannot paint the glory that we shall be clothed with, cannot fancy the delights God hath prepared; yet we are sure they must transcend most infinitely those of this life. The truth is all discourse is but reproach to them, if ever any person had been truly satisfied with any one or with all the enjoyments of this life. If there were ever any one of those, who in the transports of a passion that possesses their soul so entirely, that they cannot entertain themselves with any other thought, and really believe that their felicity is bound up in the possession of the object of it, that they cannot ever be content without it, so that they dare undertake to vow they never shall or can have other sentiments, in whom the passion when they had their wishes, did not grow more quiet and not so opinionative, and find some allay so far that they were forced to seek to be relieved sometimes from their felicity by variety of divertisments, and inconstancy of appetites: if so, it were not so intolerable that men should think they might be satisfied here, & should not much consider any other. But 'tis not sufferable to set satisfactions that do either go out suddenly or clog & become wearisome, that either die or we distaste them, or else are not fit for them, against the satisfactions of being like God, whom there is no one ever did believe to be, but he assured himself he must be blessed for ever; a state which made Angels venture to be Devils rather than they would not strive for it, and might therefore well temt David to resolve he would behold God's face in righteousness, the sure means to attain that state, and my next particular. The very same means are insinuated by St John in his first Epistle where he said, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; add this, Every man that hath this hope, purifieth himself as he is pure, doth righteousness, in the words following, and so is righteous even as he is righteous. But that we may know what King David means by beholding God's face in Righteousness, we must know that first by Righteousness is meant uprightness and sincerity of a religious, holy, virtuous life: and as for the beholding of God's face, we may take notice that although God saith he spoke to Moses face to face, yet he tells the same Moses that he cannot see his face and live, Exod. 33. 11, 10. so that Davids beholding of his face is not seeing him as he did hope to do, when he did awake up after God's likeness, but 1. As for God to lift up the light of his countenance, Psalm 4. 6. and to make his face to shine upon a man Psalm 31. 16. is to be favourable to him; and to hide Psalm 30. 7. or turn away his face 2 Chron. 30. 9 is to withdraw his favour and to be displeased; so also to seek his face 1 Chron. 16. 11. is to endeavour to obtain his kindness, and accordingly to see or behold his face is to be in his favour, to be in a state of enjoying it. But besides this also 2. As those that are said to behold the face of Kings, are those that minister about them, do them service of the nearest admission, and that stand in their presence, and are ready still to execute whatever they command. So 2 King. 25. 19 and he took five men of those that saw the King's face, of those that served him in ordinary; and so very often Ester 1. 14. etc. And as secondly the Angels, that are ministering Spirits, sent forth by God to minister perpetually, are said to see the face of God always, Matt. 18. 10. so when David says of God, thou settest me before thy face, Psalm 41. 12. the Jews expound set me, that he might serve, minister unto him: for that is to stand before the face of one, 1 Kings 1. 2, 4. and c. 10. 8. and c. 17. 1. etc. as he had said, dost appoint me for thy service; and by consequence to see his face or to behold his presence, is to wait upon him in all duty and obedience to his commands whom they attend: accordingly to walk before him, or walk with him in his presence, is to serve him constantly with all uprightness Gen. 17. 1. and to please him Heb. 11. 5. cum Gen. 5. 24. But particularly in the acts of Worship and Religion, his House, the place that's dedicated to his Worship being called his Court, his presence Psalm 95. 2. and 100 2, 4. because he sat upon and spoke from the Mercy-seat Exod. 25. 22. Numb. 7. 89. and the Ark is therefore his presence and his face, those that serve there are said to minister before him in his presence, those that come there to appear before him Psalm 42. 2. those that pray, to seek his face 2 Chron. 7. 14. and to entreat the face of the Lord 1 Kings 13. 6. and our King David did desire one thing of the Lord, which, says he, I will require, even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, Psalm 27. 4. So that to behold God's face in righteousness here does signify all this, I will serve thee truly, faithfully attend thy commands, and wait upon thee in a constant diligent performance of my duty, live as always in thy presence holily and righteously, especially in attendance on thy Worship, when I come to seek thy face, to put myself before thee in thy presence; and so doing I make no doubt but that thou wilt lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, and I shall behold thy face to shine upon thy servant. And indeed that this is the means, and that there is no other way to arrive at this state, is not difficult to prove; for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, saith the same David Psalm 11. 7. his countenance will behold the thing that is just, whereas i Heb. 12. 14. without this no man shall see the Lord; and thereupon the Prophet Micah after strict inquiry in the people's name what they were to do that they might find God's face look pleasingly upon them, and see his favourable countenance, k Micah 6. 6, 7, 8. wherewithal shall I come before the Lord, and how myself before the most High God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? If his favour be to be bought, though at the greatest price, 'twill be abvisable to give it: and the dearest purchase would be a reasonable one. Or shall I give ten thousand rivers of oil, thereby to make his face to shine, and look upon me with a cheerful countenance? This sure were to be done. Or farther yet, shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, or the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Time was indeed when men would do that; offer up their tender infants in the fire to Moloch to preserve themselves from those sins of the other Tophet, as if the burnt child were to expiate the foul heats that begat it. I know not whether men believe now such transgressions can deserve so severe atonements, that a sin of theirs is valuable at the life of their own firstborn, though they take upon them to profess the faith, that they were valued at the life of the firstborn of God: however there our Prophet shapes this answer to that question, wherewithal shall I come before the Lord? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. And truly if we come before the Lord to behold his presence in the duties of Religion, we must see his face in Righteousness; otherwise he will either turn away his Face, or else our prayers will but call his frowns upon us, and endanger us to perish at the rebuke of his countenance. The Prophet Isaiah speaking as from God to that vainglorious nation of the Jews, saith c. 1. v. 12, etc. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations, incense is an abomination to me, it is iniquity, even your solemn meetings, Sabbaths, and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea when ye make many prayers, I will not hear. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, right the oppressed, etc. And surely if men do not put away the evil of their doings from them, when they come before his face, how loud soever their petitions cry for mercy and remission, their crying sins will call as loud for vengeance: such Worship sure cannot possibly be grateful to him, we cannot think he will accept that which he nauseates, like that which his soul hates, and reward that which he cannot bear. Indeed such Worshippers do plainly rally him in praying to him. He that hath not faithfully endeavoured to reform his manners, what does he in his confessions, but tell God Almighty solemnly that he is wicked, but in truth he shall continue so, as not at all as yet intending to be otherwise. He that begs God not to lead him into temptation, but goes on in impieties, minds not the keeping of himself out of the opportunities of it, but loves occasions, and converses with the provocations, plays upon the brink, does all that is to make it unavoidable for him to sin; mocks God in praying that he will not lead into temptation him that leads himself into it. What use were it to him God should hear his prayers, and not do that to him which he does to himself? Or if he beseech God to grant, for example, he may live a sober life, yet never purposing to fail one assignation, not resolving to abate one meeting nor one draught, he is so pleasant with Almighty God to wish, if he wish any thing when he is praying, that he may be as immoderate as ever, but that God would keep him sober, may have all the drink he went for, but not the drunkenness; this he desires God would preserve him from, and yet it may be not that neither, for that may be useful to him, but however for the rest let him do as he did. Now sure it is our interest God should not hear such prayers, and therefore though in all our actions we had need be careful, since God is always present, yet we should especially in our Religious Worship; semper enim praesentamus & ostendimus nos quasi facie ad faciem cum Domino loquentes, we present ourselves to him, and speak face to face with him. Now if we lay not down our sins, but bring our crimes thither with our Devotions, and so make our very Worship an abomination, to present our provocations to himself and to his face, is such an affront that will not easily be pardoned; no, if we will behold God's face, we must do it in Righteousness. Indeed the Psalmist's joining these in the expression does insinuate, that the only hopeful means to make men be Religious, not at their Devotions only, but in all their actions, to live holy, virtuous lives, is to live always as before God's face, I will behold thy presence in Righteousness. He that in every thing he goes about would teach himself the custom to look up, to behold God's face, and see his eyes over him, he would be careful that there should be no unrighteousness in what he did. King David was acquainted with the influence of this, Psalm 119. 168. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies; for all my ways are before thee. Indeed the presence of whatever person we had reverence for, to behold his face towards us inspecting our actions, would make us wary and fearful of a vanity or folly, much more of a gross action. Marshals Lucretia blushed, says he, laid his Epigrams aside when Brutus came in, Brute, recede, leget, but as soon as he was gone, she took them up and read them. Few vices hurry men with so impetuous a ferocity, but they can check themselves before a virtuous grave person. One of them that pretends to stings as sharp as any, would send off a boy, and though it be as impudent a sin as any, cannot suffer a spectator: and then would I but consider always, I were always in God's presence, shut my eyes and see his face intent upon me, marking not my actions only but my purposes and deliberations; I should start most certainly at the approaches of a sin, and no more dare to close with it, than a Cutpurse tempted by an opportunity which he was going to make use of, would proceed if he discerned the Judge upon the bench beheld him, saw his eye upon him watching him; 'tis such a guard this, nothing can be greater or securer. I have set God always before me, says King k Psalm 16. 8. David, therefore I shall not fall. Nor would this contemplation only make us cautious, but it would excite, encourage our devotions: if we saw ourselves before him, we would be humble and attended, as people really concerned, they would be full of reverence and godly fear; indeed we would be righteous, just and upright in all our doings; our whole conversation seeing who is present, would not dare to be unclean or rude, it would not be vain or uncomely; in fine the business of our life would be to do that which is well pleasing in his sight, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, always looking up to him whose face is towards us. This must needs raise all our affections and our aims, and place them upon him, on whom our eyes and thoughts are set, especially if there be resolution in the use of this means; most of all, if the resolution have the courage of King David's in the Text, a resolution which was taken up against the almost universal practice and the as great contradiction of the world, which generally minds far different satisfactions, But as for me I will behold, both which considerations of the resolution and the courage of it I shall join in my last particular. And indeed there's nothing else but such a resolution that can set itself against the practice of the world, will serve our turns: for, as Seneca says, vice is but common madness, and we see that very oft against their temper, inclinations and their principles, and the conviction of their heart and soul, men will do vile and shameful things, because they will be mad, if others be so; it seems so difficult a thing to endure to be singular in any company. And though to be so, singular I mean, in any the advantages of this world, either as to goods of mind, of body, or of fortune for the most part is more valued far than the advantages themselves, we would enclose and be alone in every such thing, and as if we thought an excellency lost its virtue if another had it, 'tis the rarity that takes with every body; yet the advantages of Heaven, and the real true goods of the mind, Religion, Piety, and Virtue 'tis far otherwise, as to those there are none of those emulations in their practices and manners. Be the the consequence never so dreadful, men will do and be as others; 'tis impossible to resist the tide of custom, go against the torrent of a crowd and multitude, or bear the being singular. And there are two great obstructions to it, the solitude of singularity, and the censures, scoffings and disreputations that use to attend it. For example that I instance not, as well I might, in many of the great duties of our Christianity, which are scofft and ridiculed, but in the very case that makes the opposition in the context here betwixt the Psalmist and the men of this world; their excessive, rich, full way of living. If I do not live up to the heights and vain pomps of condition or the mode, indeed though my condition will not bear it, if I be not as expensive, as luxurious as others; I am then concluded sordid, near, short handed, slighted by all those that do exceed me, and by all that judge by such appearances; so that here is disreputation lights upon me. And besides if I retrench, not superfluities alone, but all licentious conversation and the other evil uncomely entertainments of societies, retire out of them, allow myself none of these liberties, grow more severe than others, and consequently singular in my behaviour; then I must keep company with no body, must withdraw from every meeting, be a Recluse, as if the world were but a Cloister, or rather Hermitage: so that here's uncomfortable solitude attends this. 'Twere very sad if only vicious conversation could cement societies or make acquaintances, and licentious folly sauce their meetings, give them relish. What comfort is there like to be in such companions that have nothing to endear themselves to one another, but that they will not refuse to sin, be sick or mad with one another? In truth it were no very eligible thing to be counted good, pleasant company, if to be so a man must hazard his sobriety or modesty, make bold with his Religion and good manners. Even common decency can scarce entertain without extravagance or detraction, either they must be ridiculous, or sharp and bitter. Now it is ill to be engaged by reputation, to play the Satirist, or to play the fool, and have no other recompense or satisfaction but to make others laugh. But God be thanked 'tis not thus, but men that have some little latent affections to their sins or follies, still frame these objections against reformation of their evil customs; the age is not so vitiated, such ill conversation, unless it be by those that like and use it, is not every where to be found: but if it were, and so far as we meet it, David's resolution is most necessary. They may take their course; but as for me I will retire into God's presence, and behold his face. And what if by withdrawing thus I frequently deprive myself of the society that I was used to, & was friendly and delightful to me? 'Tis better by denying myself and reforming to make joy in Heaven in God's presence among Angels, than assist in making sport with such men; and 'twill be but little comfort to go merrily and with good company to my damnation. Let them enjoy themselves in such society, but as for me I will seek other, will live always in God's presence, I will behold his face. As to the other obstacle, the scoffs and the disreputations that are cast upon those that are singular on this account, comply not with the modes and evil customs of the age according as St Peter tells his Proselytes 1 Pet. 4. 3, 4. The time passed of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentile World, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revel, banquet; wherein they think it strange, that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. It cannot be denied but that the world does put disreputation strangely upon things, and most unreasonably. Some virtues are the most reproachful things that can be: a man can scarce live under the disparagement of being guilty of obeying God, and on the other side one of the greatest and most sinful injuries in the whole world is, if not laudable, yet not blamed in the man that does it, while the innocent sufferer of it is contemned, and is branded because he is wronged. Indeed if Christ's discipline were in force to censure every vicious person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, if every open contumacious Sinner were rendered as contemptible as a Publican was to the Jews, as l Matt. 18. 17. Christ left order; disreputation then would lie where it ought, and the objection would have no force. But as the world is, singularity in good things, and in not comporting with modes and customs, though it may derive upon itself the scoffs of vain licentious men, cannot want esteem enough to bore it up against that. There is indeed no reputation like that of a discreet, well managed virtue; for many men that will not practise it, will yet commend it. For to pass the great things, and to name that which there is scarce any, that is, none sensible of, the instance which I made of this out of the context, where the Psalmist sets himself against the custom of those men, that pride themselves in ostentation of the plenties, and the gaieties, and the excess of this world; a mode which may be grown to such an height even in the lower ranks of people also, that they are so undervalved who comply not with it, that most cannot bear the shame of not having that which others have, though their condition will not bear the charge of it, and this is almost universal. But be it so, yet they that do not see thy pomps like others, thy estate spangle, glare about thee and thy rooms and thy retinue, do not see it spilt about thy table; if they see thee live up to thy own condition, only taking care not to exceed it, and resolving not to owe thy plenties to thy debts, that is, thy abundance to the needs of others, make their deuce, their wants and nakedness to dress thy vanities; and if they see thee furnish those that need with what thou sparest: they cannot count this lower stricter sort of living Sordidness, but discreet, just, charitable Piety; & the others gaudiness proud lavishness, yea unjust, unchristian folly, which at last will fall, and that unpitied. But at once suppose to set ourselves against the evil customs of the world and to be singular in duty should be likely to create us sleights and scoffs and disreputation; yet consider what our Saviour says m Mark 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels. He couples these, and makes it the same guilt to be ashamed of him and of his words, ashamed of obedience to his word and ashamed of his person; to be afraid of, loath to do one's duty, because possibly some will speak meanly of it, is not only not to to dare to go to Heaven because some men laugh and scoff at those that do go thither, but 'tis reckoned the same thing as to be ashamed of the Son of God who required that duty, and think meanly of him, scorn to own that their elder Brother, God Almighty's Firstborn, as some do by their poor mean Relations: but this shame will be returned severely, when the Son shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels. And then compare the disreputes, to be ashamed of virtue, because debauchees that are as far from knowing what is true repute as they are from being virtuous, will think meanly of me for it, or to have the Son of God in glory with all his Host of Heaven think contemtibly of me, when I shall be ashamed so as to call out to the mountains and the hills to cover my confusion at the valley of Jehoshaphat before all the world. Let them delight, and satisfy themselves with their choice of their commendable vices, sins that are in reputation, rejoice with glory in their shame; But as for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness. And what remains but that we take up this resolution, and put on the courage of it, firmly purposing to do it, though by doing so we should go against the general customs of the world. To make a resolved, open, avowed profession of a good life, provided that we do it without ostentation or hypocrisy, is a great advantage towards living so, makes it much easier. For however some, it may be the prime ministers of hell, Satan's chiefest agents in temtations, such as cannot bear that any other should be virtuous, 'tis such a reproach to them, will the more endeavour to betray such, 'tis their luxury; yet generally speaking, most men will not offer it, but rather fear them, having an awe of them, and will themselves avoid the doing ill before them in some measure. Indeed since none can promise themselves that such will comply with them if they temt them, nor think it probable that they will; most men, however forward in assaulting innocence, will let them alone. Besides that such have put themselves, by having publicly professed, whatever the world does, they will live righteously, under a necessity of avoiding all their evil practices; and 'tis a happy and great advantage towards a good life, to be under a known obligation of well living, such as they themselves have taken on them out of perfect aversation to ill actions. Do not you think that most men miscarry out of want of that which resolution would be able to effect with its own strength? We see in other things it does attemt, it goes thro' with much greater difficulties, than lie in the way to virtue; which is so known, so every day an object of men's eyes, that I should be ashamed to go about to prove it. But when this resolution secondly shall be taken up, and be avowed against the open practice of the world out of a dislike and abhorrency to it; when it is made eager too by aversation, sharpened by much opposition and by being publicly professed and owned as a peculiar concern, since the very shame of being foiled in the contest, and proving false to ones own solemn resolution would have stings in point of honour to push it forwards, for to that shrine even Atheists are contented to pay homage: this must prosper, & unless men have a mind to be conquered, think it easier to retreat, and sordidly desert their resolutions, they cannot fail. Especially thirdly if men consider all this is managed in God's presence, to his face; if they set the Lord always before them as the object and the end of all their resolutions and their actions, and do this with all sincerity, as seeing his eyes over them as witness and judge of their behaviour, and behold his face too with all hope and confidence imaginable, knowing he looks over them to encourage their endeavours, to behold their needs of help, and to give them grace sufficient, and to crown their fidelity, than such resolutions cannot possibly miscarry. What success soever they may have in that war which the world here, that is at enmity with all that love and serve God, wages with them, and though it do not only frown on them, but humble them into the dust of death, yet keeping firm to their resolutions of beholding God's face in Righteousness, when they awake out of that dust after his likeness, they shall be satisfied with it. SERMON XII. OF CHRIST'S BEING LORD and GOD. John 20. 28. My Lord and my God. THAT which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, declare we unto you, saith St John Epist. 1. c. 1. v. 1. And truly these same senses did declare to Thomas the richest Article of the Christian Faith, the Resurrection, and helped him to conclude, that Christ was therefore Lord and God. For when he had beheld Christ's hands, and thrust his own hands into his side, he answered and said, My Lord and my God. We have another sense comes in to evidence, and makes the application; we have this day not only seen and handled, but also tasted the Bread, that is, this Lord; and if we have received it worthily, and being become one with him we may upon our own most sure and close experience cry out, My Lord and my God. The Text, you see answers both the Solemnities of the day. The Resurrection evidenced him to be Lord and God to Thomas, and so also to us; and our faithful receiving him will evidence him to be our Lord and our God, and in order to both these I shall handle them: for there be in the words these parts. 1. A Compellation given to Christ upon his appearance at his being risen, Lord and God. 2. The Relation of these applied, My Lord and my God. I shall show 1. That the Resurrection did install him to that title Lord. 2. Show what that title does import, 1. By way of requiring, what kind of relation it hath to respect and homage. 2. By way of promise, what it holds out for hope. Then as to a word of application I will show how the Sacrament applies both those importances. 1. How it is an assurance to perform what that title requires. 2. How it does confer what the title does promise. To the first, that the Resurrection did install Christ to the Title Lord. As Christ was God he had indeed all Power and Authority from everlasting; that comes not under our consideration. But as he was the person sent and commissioned by God to bring mankind to Salvation; he was first to die for them, then to rule over them; and first to be their Priest, and then their Lord. After his crucifying when he was risen again, than he says All power is given to me both in heaven and earth, Matt. 28. 18. or in more express words Acts 2. 36. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that fame Jesus, whom they have crucified, both Lord and Christ. His Cross was a step to his Throne, it merited that Authority for him, and was in part undertaken for it Phil. 2. 8, 9 And then for the importance of this Title as to that it does require is very obvious, Lord is a word of power and authority, it requires service and obedience. Nothing more frequent in the Prophets, than, when they have from God severely worded their commands, to add this sanction, I am the Lord: and as applied to Christ St Paul does say, I serve the Lord Christ. A servant is the necessary relative to a Lord, and truly doing what he doth command was the use he assigned of all that power he had given him, teaching them to observe whatever I have commanded. And truly if those Scriptures be remembered which secure his Authority thus, let us know that Power was the reward of his sufferings, and he endured them partly for the Title's sake; therefore says as much, and Heb. 12. 2. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God; did all this, that he might gain that place: or if that be not plain enough, than this is most express Rom. 14. 9 For to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. Verse 8. That whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: that is, that both our life might be consecrated to him, our lives spent on his service, and our deaths be at his command; and this was part of the end of his death. And then I appeal to your own hearts, for what end, think you, he did so desire, and obtain this power? Do you think, when he was set at the right hand of God, he was exalted only to a name, that by all those sufferings he did acquire but a bare title, to be called Lord of Lords, as he is called Rev. 19 16. but neither to look after our obedience, nor indeed to set us any law to obey, as some would have it? Was this power so dear to him, as that he would suffer all those torments to compass it, and yet when he hath it, that it should be so little regarded by him, as to suffer us to neglect & contemn it, to go on in a continued course of disobedience to all his precepts, to rebel against his Power, & never submit our appetites to it, but let every lording passion fly in his face, & every lust defy his Authority, let us be proud against that Lord, be higher than our duties and all the temper of virtues, and let every ebullition of our proud wrath trample on a statute backed with hellfire, yea and so believe that his death should procure us an impunity in doing this? What a wretched mistake is this, to think his blood, which purchased him a power to command us, should purchase us a leave to disobey him? This is to make Christ's blood divided against itself, and to make it spill and dash itself. That we should go on in a course of iniquity, or allow ourselves some peevish vices, and stop our own consciences and a Preacher's mouth with saying Christ died for us, when as 'tis clear he died that he might be Lord, that is, that we might live and die to him, do both at his command; and canst thou think that that death will excuse thee for not obeying, which was undertaken for that very end, that thou mightest obey him? Christ died to be thy Lord, and thou wilt have that death a plea for thee, when thou obeyest sin and the Devil his greatest Enemies. His Cross was his very Ensign and Standard against these Enemies, his Passion was his grappling with them, and his death his Victory. And yet thou dost again submit to their authority, becomest a subject to their power, and settest them Lord over thee, and fetchest the justification of this thy defection from that death and victory; and that is the same thing as to make them of no authority nor power, yea the captivity and ruin of those Enemies to be the reason of thy obeying them, to excuse thy disservice to Christ by saying he is thy Lord, and for thy rebellion and waging war with him pretend thou dost it under his own standard. No certainly his Title claims Obedience, and does assure thee thou must serve. This is the first thing what thou must do. The second what thou mayst expect from it, is easily discovered, that is wages: For he will recompense every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2. 6. To them, who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life, v. 7. And glory, honour, and peace to every man that doth good, v. 10. For he is the Lord of glory, the Prince of peace, and Lord of life, the Scripture saith: in a word to sum up both what his Title doth require, and what we may expect from it, it saith Service and it saith Wages, and both are set down in that to the Heb. 5. 9 He is the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him; and both here are applied to him who does in earnest own the relation to this Title, and can say in truth My Lord: the next part, and first of the applying what it does require, Service, as it is the assuring of performance. My Lord. And truly had we not entered any voluntary obligation, and had we not contracted formally to take him for our Lord, and not only owned all that the relation does import to be due from us, but engaged also to render it; yet he is to us both 1. By an Original right: he made us, and there is not a workman in the world hath so much right to require the uses of his own handiwork, to dispose of that same utensil which himself shaped or framed, as the Lord hath to require our service. Did I perchance furnish the Lord with some materials for myself, or did I find any piece towards my making, contribute any least thing to my being, then let me claim something for my share in myself, and by the rule of fellowship with God have some use of myself to myself, and as to that let him not be my Lord. But there is no such thing; he called me into being out of the infinite resistance of vacuity, and nothing. He gave me body, soul, and every power and faculty, and he upholds every motion and inclination of those faculties, and gives me opportunities and objects for them. There is no considerability of any thing within me is from myself, but entirely owes its being from his store, and comes from the Almighty: and than what least imaginable pretence or plea can I have, why every motion and inclination both of soul and body should not be bound to look towards his service, and every action and thought acknowledge him My Lord. And 2. By purchased Title. He did redeem us from the service of those cruel Lords, Sin and the Devil, whose service is unreasonable and unmanly slavery, and whose wages is eternal ruin; and he bought the right and title to our service at a price, he became our Lord, Ye are bought with a price, 1 Cor. 7. 23. They that do not acknowledge this, are in the number of those men of whom St Peter speaks Epist. 2. c. 2. v. 1. denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction: and you may judge what kind of Lord he ought to be by the price he paid for the Title, what service he expected by the rates at which he purchased them, even at the blood of God Acts 20. 28. He died, I told you, that he might be Lord. And now Lord, what is thy servant that thou shouldst thus value him, or what are his performances that thou shouldst buy them at these rates? And shall I give to Sin or Satan those services, which he thus values, and thus buys? No, if thou art content to purchase that so dear which was thy own just due before, surely now by all rights thou art My Lord. But 3. He is so also by my own most solemn contract and engagement. And to pass by all the rest, and to stick to that of this day only, we did contract so in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and in receiving that we did most solemnly assume to do him faithful service, and took him for our Lord. And this would easily appear from hence, if Christ's blood be the price with which he bought the right to be thy Lord, and this day thou didst come and here didst take that blood to all those ends and uses it was given for, then in so doing thou didst ratify the contract, and take possession of the relation: but to do it more solemnly, and here I will not stand upon that proof which I have formerly made to you from the account that Pliny gave to Trajan the persecuting Emperor, though truly it be strange that a Heathen should discern this was the meaning of their Sacrament, and Christians will not believe it. He, when he was employed to persecute the Christians, tells him what he had found of them by racking some, and by confessions of others at their death, Soliti stato die convenire, seque Sacramento obstringere, ne furta, ne latrocinia, ne adulteria committerent, etc. to take an oath (they knew no other sense of the word Sacrament) to do what their Lord had commanded them. What have you done this day? Why Christ was sworn your Lord this day, and you have taken an oath of service, entered into a bond of duty and obedience; and if you wilfully shall fail of doing this, your Worships will be brought against you, your Communions will come in as so many evidences that you have forfeited, so many oaths that you have broken. No sure, I will henceforwards tie myself to better performance; for I have hampered myself with obligations, entangled myself with one other engagement, I have again sworn at the Altar, Thou art my Lord. But I have a more solemn proof of this, that he who comes to the renewing of a Covenant with God (now Christ we know saith a Luke 22. 20. that that cup is the new Covenant in his blood) he does enter into an oath of God, Deut. 29. from verse 10. to 15. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God, your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood, unto the drawer of thy water, that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day; that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day. Now out of this they who are not convinced that our first entering Covenant with God by Baptism is a vow, although the Church require that we should look upon it under that Solemnity, and though St Peter call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stipulation, or if they think it something like it, yet 'tis a vow but in the children's name, and so it does not strike those apprehensions of so sacred an engagement into them, themselves may see here at an entering Covenant little ones entering into an oath: and this was not the first giving of the Covenant, that so any thing might be thought peculiar to that, but only a repeating of the Covenant in their presence, verse 1. and least that we should think their standing there in solemn manner, might imply something more than ordinary verse 14. 15. take us that stand here this day before the Lord our God, but also with him that shall be born hereafter. Many expositors, and the Jerusalem Exposition says with all the generations of you that are to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as if they stood with us this day. And the Targum of Jon. Vziel says, they do stand, that is, as to this intent and purpose, that as soon as they are admitted into Covenant by Circumcision, they are within this oath. Littles ones therefore that can be admitted into a Covenant by receiving of the sign of it, they then enter an oath of keeping it. And then, my Brethren, we have entered an oath to continue Christ's faithful Soldiers and Servants unto our lives end, and that is, thou, and I, and every one have sworn he is my Lord. O my Saviour I was baptised, and at that time did swear service, and then if I should fail thee now, I renounce my Allegiance, I go from my fealty, and I throw of my Covenant. Every evil action I deliberately commit, brands me with the dishonourable base stile of one that slights his oaths; there is no hold of his vows, not his most sacred ones, those that he makes to God. Every vain or passionate oath, how true soever, speaks me perjured; the draughts of intemperance would wash off the water of my Christendom; every unclean lust, every impurity of Flesh or Spirit does as it were bemire and wipe out my contract with my Lord. For I covenanted to be pure and clean, for I was washed into the very name of his retainer. I could not have that title of that relation without being cleansed. There I did swear defiance against all his Enemies, the Devil, World, and Flesh, and all worldly and carnal lusts, that I would neither follow not be led by them; and if I should serve them now, I should be a Rebel and a Traitor to my Lord against my bond, and covenant, and oath. No, my Lord, I will not serve these, where death must be my wages, the Fiends my Comrades, and my Conquest Hell; I'll not do homage to destruction, engage to be true and faithful to my own ruin, pay allegiance to my perdition. Thou hast my worship and my service by bargain and by oath, I have sworn Thou art my Lord. Now all this is of much more force in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, where I do formally and knowingly seal to this Covenant; and when we do this on our knees in the most solomn manner that is possible, this must needs be a more express entering into Christ's oath, than that there of the Jewss was the entering God's oath, which was in probability only coming and standing before the Lord to hear the Covenant, which God had struck with that nation before in Horeb. Or if it were performed with Sacrifice, which may seem probable in that it is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that thou shouldest pass into the covenant. So your Margin reads there verse the 12. alluding to their manner of confirming Covenants by dividing the beasts, and setting one half against the other, and passing betwixt the divisions: so we see Jer. 34. 18. This is passing into the Covenant, and therefore the LXX. read here Deut. 29. 12. That thou shouldest enter into the Covenant of the Lord thy God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that rite of dividing and passing thro' being only the Symbol of curses against them that shall break their Covenant, and imprecations in Hieroglyphics: so that in Jer. 34. 18. 'tis most literally, if we translate the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their importance, I will make those men, that have transgressed my Covenant, the calf, or as the calf, as the Syriac reads; I will divide and separate them among the Nations, and give them to the sword, and cut them in pieces, the ceremony signifying to be done to him that does not stand to his Covenant. Now surely this is done to more advantage in the Sacrament, where Christ's body is torn, and his blood poured out no doubt with the like commination implied, that being the very meaning of pouring out blood in Covenants; so that we entered there the Lord's Covenant and imprecation, swearing that he shall be our Lord with a most threatening sense. And surely if we be not careful to observe our oath, we have vowed agonies to ourselves, and sworn our own condemnation, when there I curse myself with all the curses of the Covenant, if Christ be not my Lord. And now it will be needless for me to go on and prove, that if we be not careful to fulfil the importance of this relation, my Lord, in order to what it requires, 'twill be in vain to expect the benefit of that relation, in what it does import. He that hath not done service as to his Lord, must not look b Matt. 25. 21. to enter into the joys of his Lord: he that hath not done his will, 'twill be in vain for him to cry at the last day Lord Lord, although he come with never so applying Titles, and cry my Lord, and though he call upon any other Title of his Jesus. He died indeed for our sins, but he rose again for our justification. His Resurrection did entitle him to be our Lord. If he be risen to thee, he is thy Lord. But these two make up the confession of a Christian Rom. 10. 9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: and look not for it from any other relation to him. Thy Priest may sacrifice for thee, but Christ thy Lord must pardon thee: thy Jesus on the Cross must pay thy ransom, but if the Lord make you free, then are ye free indeed, John 8. 36. Do not deceive thyself with looking no farther than to thy Jesus in his sufferings; thou must relate to him also in his Power and Authority, thou must depend upon thy Jesus dying and risen too; not only on thy Jesus on the Cross, but on thy Jesus on the Throne: thou must cry out My Saviour, and thou must cry My Lord; and if thou canst in truth and in reality, he is the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him; that is, he is an everlasting Saviour to them, to whom he is a Lord. His all Authority will be employed in thy deliverance, he will show himself a Lord to thee only in pardoning, saying and rewarding thee, and his all-power both in Heaven and Earth will be to thee Omnipotence of mercy: for he that is thy Lord, he is thy God also. The third thing, My God. I must take the same method here that I used before. First see what the Resurrection did contribute towards this Title God, and what that Title does imply, both as to what it doth require, and as to what it imports by way of promise and encouragement. Secondly see what the Sacrament contributed towards making the application, My God, and what that imports in order to both the other things. 1. Although this Son of God according to his Divine Nature was Everlasting God, and, as the Nicene Creed expresses, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, and was called so in Scripture John 1. 1. and the Word was God; yet it is sure this person Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, Rom. 1. 4. And this text is the first place in the New Testament, where this person is expressly called God. Thomas upon the evidence of this Resurrection crying out, I do acknowledge that thou art my very Lord, and that is a most certain argument to me that thou art the Omnipotent God of Heaven; and this his Resurrection did contribute to his Title God. Now I inquire what this implies, and that will be made clear from Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18, 19 This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgements: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgements, and to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments: And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour, and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken. So that you have there the certain meaning of that mutual relation My God and My People as to what it requires: and so we see 'tis but the same engagement that the other Title did import, only with an higher enforcement and ground of obligation; and therefore God himself that by his Prophet Malachy c. 1. had used the other-argument of Master or Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 6. and Governor v. 8. Offer it now unto thy Governor, will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? makes use of the like climax and gradation; as if he had said, Had thy obedience to thy Ruler no more care nor endeavour in it, had thy services to thy Lord no more devotion nor zeal, were thy performances to thy Governor so slight and so regardless, so full of supine negligence, to say nothing of transgression and contemt; were thy presentments to thy Prince so unhandsome, slubbered & heedless, so unchosen, unprepared & so trivial, would they be content with them? And must I? No surely, Cursed be the deceiver verse 14. that mocks me with his imperfect, lame, sick services, with outsides of attendance, yea with irreverence, with casting of my words behind him, with polluted offerings; for I am a great King, saith the Lord. But afterwards in case of an higher affront he breaks into an higher resentment c. 3. 8. Will a man rob God? This is such a thing as the Lord's Rhetoric could lay no greater aggravation on it, than by ask the question, whether any man could heat himself into such a mad impiety, and not be confounded at the thought of such an enterprise, to abuse his God. Now such an obligation of obedience to the Lord Christ he owns, that does acknowledge him his God, this it requires. Now as to what the Title does import by way of promise; here to be the God of any body signifies to be their Almighty Benefactor, him from whom that person may expect, and shall receive all good things, that the power of a God includes. So it is clear it does, when God proclaims himself the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and says, that is his name and his memorial to all generations, Exod. 3. 15, 16. From whence our Saviour concludes Matt. 22. 31, 32. that Abraham and the other must have a life after this; for otherwise how is he yet their God? How can he be a Benefactor to the dead? And in the tenor of the Covenant, where it is past, it means, I will bestow upon them all the mercies of the Covenant. So in the Old, that place of Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18, 19 so in the New Heb. 8. 10, 12. where 'tis explained, I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more, So that my God does mean, first he that I vow all worship and service to, and secondly he from whom I claim and challenge all those glorious things that are contracted for us in Christ's Covenant, the happy issues of the whole chain of methods that he works for us, the designed mercies of his Predestination and the privileges that he calls us to, the comfortable condition in which his Justification does instate us, the graces of his Sanctification, and the incomprehensible blessedness of his Glorification: yea and all the preservations and mercies of this life, all these are challenged in this, Thou art my God. For so Jer. 31. 33, 34. which is repeated in the Heb. 8. 10, 11, 12. whatever both parts do contract for, man's duty and God's promises, is all summed up in this, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. By which words also he assures them all deliverances from evil, and enstates upon them the securing of his Providence, both to themselves and their posterity. And if God mean all this, when he does say I will be their God; then man he vows and claims all this, when he does say my God. Now let us see how this days performance does both these. First how it vows and swears all duty, worship, and service, all that Christ requires by his Covenant, I have already shown, so that that part is done; only we may take notice Whose belly is his God, in St Paul's words Phil. 3. 19 the man who does mind nothing but his sensual appeties, and notwithstanding Christ's commands contrives all satisfactions for that, and enjoys them: that either casts the body of Christ into a stomach filled with late surfeit and drowns his blood in such intemperate draughts as are yet unrepented of, or else within a few days after overlays that body with some riot, or spews that blood out in the overflowings of his woeful draughts. These whatsoever they have done to day, cannot yet say, my God; not only because they so defy his Worship which they vowed, but because they set up an Anti-God against him, and while they vow upon their knees he is their God, yet at that same time they adore their appetites. Nor if Covetousness, or rather inordinate lusting, as the word bears, be Idolatry, as St Paul oft expresses, and surely without taking in the Heathen uncleanesses in Religion: and it is ill for some persons of these days, that they had not the luck to be born Heathens, that so they might have been unclean devoutly, committed in obedience to their Gods, presented their bodies living sacrifices to be kindled by the flames of lust, and whose whoredoms were their pieties; for many live now, as if they did not only wish, but almost think so. But abating this, there is sure more Idolatry in the courthips and the practice of that sin than any other. There is no other thing does cast a man into such base degenerate and unworthy submissions to achieve or to cover his transgression, lower than any thing but the unclean commission itself. Now if this be Idolatry, the lustful person hath an Idol, and then he cannot say to Christ my God. And thus they in whom the God of this world hath blinded their mind, in St Paul's words 2 Cor. 4. 4. they who serve Satan by going on in any vicious custom of the World; or in a word, they that disobey Christ for this God of the World, this Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that works in the Children of disobedience, Ephes. 2. 2. they cannot say to Christ my God; though they bow at his Altar, they obey the Devil, and he will not be a partner together with the Devil. So that every one of these is perjured, when he says my God; much less can he plead the claim, my God, the last sense. Now in that sense My God does challenge as a right and a peculiar all the Blessings temporal, Spiritual and Eternal, all that the promises of Christ do offer, or that the hopes and expectations of a Christian fly at: all these, I told you, God included, when he said I will be their God; and therefore all these he does truly challenge, that can say my God. It is an huge Confidence that a poor soul may take, when he can go to God as David does Psalm 119. 94. I am thine, save me; secure thine own, O Lord, or else it will be thy loss what I shall suffer. For I am thine, vindicate thine own right, let neither Sin nor Devil rob thee of thy own peculiar. Behold I commit thine own charge with thee, and then take care of that. Shall that miscarry that is a part of thy custody and care, a part of thy possession and inheritance; for all this is implied in that challenge, my God. For they whose God he is, they are his People, that is the correlation. Now that means a special People, Deut. 7. 6. a peculiar People, 1 Pet. 2. 9 a peculiar Treasure, Exod. 19 5. his People of inheritance, Deut. 4. 20. his Jewels, Mal. 3. 17. the Jewels of his Crown, Zach. 9 16. If I am his, I am so under all these precious notions, and then how dear, how valuable am I to my God, who make up his inheritance, who do enrich his treasury, who give a lustre to his Diadem of glory, and am a Jewel in his Crown? How secure may I be? For will God wretchlesly lose his inheritance, or will he not take care of his especial things, or will he throw away his treasure, or will he throw his own Crown to the ground so to dash off the Jewels of it? That place of Malachy expresses the different condition of those that are God's People from the others that have no relation to him, in respect of God's caring and protection, Mal. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Ye have said, it is in vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? And now we call the proud happy: yea they that work wickedness are set up; yea they that temt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another, and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. In times of undisturbed abundance and of full prosperity, when the God of this World is good to them that serve him, when the Lord lets men alone, and the ungodly thrive; then indeed his protections are not much regarded, but wickedness and wealth do seem the strong securities. But when God sends his indignation abroad, and when his judgements sweep away those confidences, than this will be a comfortable consideration: Come what will come, I have one that will care for me, one that hath writ me in his note book, his book of remembrance to put him in mind, that he is to provide for me: and when the most flourishing ungodly man shall be stripped of all his hopes and trusts, so that there remains no least relief from them, nor can he look for any from the Lord, he is not of his People; then have I one that will make me up amongst his Jewels, have the same care of me as of his precious and peculiar treasures; I have a right and title to his protections, to provide for, and to take care of me: it is his office, he undertook it in his Covenant, and not to do it were to break his compact which he hath bound himself to with an oath. For I am his, therefore I can with confidence go to him. I am thine, save me. Therefore the words afford me greater grounds of confidence, when they give me authority to challenge him, and tell him, Thou art mine, my God. All the securities that his preserving mercies signify, all the watches of his providence, all the blessings that fulfil his Attributes, as goodness, they are all mine, for he is mine. Can I fear the malice of Adversaries? shall I doubt the fury of that spoiler that even robs necessity, will rob me even to a perfect desolation? Ah my poor soul, Nunquid sibi Christianum. I am sure it cannot take all from me; it must void Heaven before it can disfurnish me of all, it must commit a rape upon my Jesus; for while they leave him, I have my God. Can I want any thing for this life or the life to come, if there be a supply in Christ? I may be sure to have it, if his Divinity can effect it; I need not want, for I have right to him, he is my God. What one thought can afflict or trouble me long, unless it be such an one, for which there is no help for in God? If such a one indeed do seize me, there is danger; but till that happen c Psalm 42. 5. why art thou so troubled, O my soul, why art thou so disquieted within me? O put thy trust in God, in Christ, for he is my God. Can I desire indeed, when I have him? Sure I am strangely greedy, if the Almighty be not enough for me, more unsatisfied than Hell if Christ, that is God, cannot suffice me, if I am not content when he is my God. O my soul, Christ never failed to pay his debts, he is a happy Creditor to whom he owes, especially where he owes that debt, and where he owes himself. Now if thou be a faithful and Religious Soul, he is thy debt, as due to thee as thy own portion. d Psalm 119. 57 Thou art my portion, O Lord, saith David; thou hast as great a right to him as thy inheritance: e Psalm 16. 5. Thou art the lot of my inheritance, saith he again, as St Thomas here He is my God. But never hath a faithful Soul more right to lay this claim than at the Sacrament to both the claims that I have treated of. 1. To be his Treasure, his peculiar Treasure; for the Church tells us, If with a penitent and true heart we receive that holy Sacrament, than we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood, than we dwell in him and Christ in us, we be one with Christ and Christ with us; an Union which fulfils what Christ hath prayed for John 17. 21, 23. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one with us. Here's Unions and interests enough, and all cemented and assured by the worthy receiving of this Sacrament. I am certainly his, if I be made one with him, and dearer than his Jewels, and more peculiar to him than his Treasure; for I am him himself. And the same thing will prove that he is mine; for certainly if I have a title to him ascertained, if I be made one with him, I may well call that mine to which I am united. So when he dwells and is in me, than I may say He is my Christ, my God. And then, he that there faithfully performs worship and service to him, and so does take him for his God, then if his God be his inheritance, there he does make his entry: if his God be his portion, there he receives his portion. The Priest there gave thee, if thou wast a good Communicant, the Body and Blood of Christ, and his Body and his Blood is he himself. Therefore thou didst receive him as verily as thou didst those, and if the Sacramental food be thine, than Christ is thine, and thou mayst say my God. My Brethren it was the Blood of Christ that purchased all the glorious mercies of the Gospel, all the blessed expectations of a Christian; that was the price of all the joys of Heaven, that reconciled God to us, bought us an interest in him, and the happy enjoyments of himself for us: and then if in the Sacrament Christ do give me his blood, when I can show God that, bring him the price of the remission of my sins, the value of those glories, even the blood of Jesus, come with the purchase-money in my hands that bought my interest in God, cannot I say those are mine, my Heaven and my God? Yea when I can say, O Lord Christ, whom I have undertaken to obey, my God whom I have vowed to serve and worship, thou art even my flesh; for there I ate thy flesh, and thou becamest flesh of my flesh: Thou art the portion of my cup, when thy very blood doth fill full my cup, and so thou art my flesh and my blood, then surely I may say with Thomas here my Lord and my God. O Holy and Eternal Saviour, who art made both Lord and Christ, and by thy Resurrection didst manifest the Omnipotency of thy person, the truth of thy Promises, and open a way to the everlasting glory and salvation, which thou hast prepared for them that give themselves up to serve and worship thee their Lord and God; pour down that blessed influence of this thy Resurrection on our hearts, in raising us from the death of sin to the life of Righteousness. Be thou our Lord and Christ, ruling us by thy laws, saving us by thy grace, and by thy Spirit applying the mercies of thy death, and so making us partakers of thy Resurrection; therein turning us from our iniquities, hereafter in raising us to Glory. O Lord we have this day made a Covenant of this with thee, and signed the Articles of it in the blood of our God, swore to them at the Altar: give us grace, we beseech thee, to use the strictest care and watchfulness in our endeavours to perform with thee. Regard not how we have in times passed only mocked thee sacredly in these performances. O let it from this day be otherwise. We have been only on a stage of Religion, when we are at our devoutest performances; and having turned our backs unto the Church, turned them also to our duty, put off the vizards of Religion, and we untired ourselves of all our Piety almost as soon as the exercises of it were done; and howsoever we tied ourselves, our froward wills have been too strong for all our obligations, and burst out of them, broke all thy bonds asunder, and cast away thy cords from us: although we tied them with all things that were most solemn and most sacred, vows and oaths, and tied them before the body of our crucified Lord and Saviour, with the body and blood of Christ in our hands, as if we had no other desires, no other cares that should do us good, than as we were careful to keep those resolutions and vows; and yet. O Lord, we did let them instantly loosen and slack, pass by and fail. Yea we did break them wilfully, and would not be held in by thine or our own bonds. O Lord, if thou look upon us in this guilt, sure thou wilt have no more to do with us, such false and perjured vow-breakers. But O look upon us in thine own blood, which thou hast bid us pour out still to establish and renew our Covenant with thee; and let this Covenant, wherein we have now taken thee to be our Lord and God, and taken thee who art so in us, remain inviolable: be there then with thy Power and Authority, subdue our hearts and our desires, and bring them under the obedience of thy laws. Thou that art God Almighty, that didst conquer Death and Satan, bring it to pass that none of them prevail against thee now in our Souls, where thou art: but use thy strength, O Lord, to drive their power thence, that thy servants and thy people may not be enslaved to corruption and ruin, nor thy Enemy gain souls from thee, which thou hast purchased with thy blood, that we having attained thee for our Lord and God, may claim the privileges of thy People here, have the watches, and cares, and securities that thou layest out upon thy Treasures and the Jewels of thy Crown; and by thy body and thy blood being made one with thee, and thou being ours, all things may be ours, thy grace here and thy joys hereafter; thy Spirit may be ours, and thy Heaven ours; and we in thee and thou in us, may all enjoy thy Kingdom, Power and Glory for ever. SERMON XIII. THE BELIEVERS CONCERN to pray for Faith. Mark 9 24. Lord, I believe, help thou my Unbelief. WHICH are the words of a poor parent passionately earnest and afflicted sadly for his child, that from his infancy had been tormented miserably by a Devil, for which having sought help every way, but finding none, no not from Christ's Disciples, at last he repairs to him himself, beseeching him to have compassion on him, and if he were able to relieve him. To whom Christ replies that if he could believe, than he could work the miracle, and help his child, all things being possible to be done for him that could believe, but nothing otherwise; whereupon straight way the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. In which words we have, first the necessary Qualification that is to make all that had ever heard of Christ capable of having any benefit from Christ, that is belief in him, I believe. And since Christ hath made this qualification absolutely necessary, and by consequence must be supposed to have provided means sufficient to work in us that belief that he requires so peremtorily, we shall then In the second place inquire how it comes to pass that they so often fail; that men do either not believe, or their Faith is so weak that much unbelief does mix with it, as in our Confessor here in the Text, who though he did profess he did believe, yet withal acknowledges his unbelief. And thirdly to prevent and remedy all that, here is discovered whither we are to betake ourselves for help, and where alone 'tis possible to find it, and that is Christ himself, who alone is able to repair in us whatever degree of true belief is wanting in us, Lord help thou my unbelief, and how he does repair it. And fourthly when it is repaired to that due height, what that degree is can make us capable of those benefits which he hath promised to bestow on true Believers; and whether such believers can say with our man here, I believe, yet say too, Help my unbelief. First of the first, the qualification believe; which is absolutely necessary to make men capable of any benefits from Christ. For in all benefits of this kind the Text mentions, such as were to come by miracle, 'tis well known what St Matthew says of Nazareth, his own country, that he did not many mighty works, there because of their unbelief, c. 13. 58. St Mark expresses it, that he could there do no mighty work, c. 6. 5. that is, he could not be inclined to work them, so as that he could or would be willing to do any, saving that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. For though signs are not, as St Paul says, for believers, but for them that believe not, 1. Cor. 14. 22. so that infidelity seems rather prerequired to them than belief, since they are done on purpose to convince & work men to the Faith, on which account some were always wrought first where he was not known, to raise men's opinions and expectations concerning him which if they were heeded, so that they did work some but beginnings of Belief, he used to add more to increase that Faith and confirm it. But where the first Essays were ineffectual, and got no credit, there he did forbear; for such rendered themselves unworthy of them altogether, Miracles were lost upon them, not attaining that end which they were intended for: which was not for compassion to their sick to to heal, or their dead to raise them, for then, as St chrysostom observes, he would have cured or raised them all; but was for their Conviction, to make faith of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine, and prevail with them to give themselves up to him, as to the Messiah: and therefore all those who by the knowledge or the fame of his great works were drawn to come to him for help, he still requires profession of the faith they had concerning him, and just according to the measures of that faith so he dispenses aid. Thus Matt. 9 28. the blind men that cried after him and followed him for sight, he asks, believe ye that I am able to do this? and when they affirmed, yea Lord, he yields no more but this, according to your faith be it unto you, v. 29. But when the Canaanitish woman did believe even to importunacy and trouble, and her faith was such as would neither be shaken nor receive repulse, but was full proof against Christ's arguments and his seeming reproaches, yea made use of his upbraid, urged them to her own advantage, and in spite of all resistance persevered, Christ could not then contain, but cried, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, Matt. 15. 28. And on the other side, as while Peter's courage seeing Christ his master walking towards them upon the water made him desire to meet him on the water too, accordingly it suited: while he did resolvedly obey his Master and rely on his assistance that commanded him, he was sustained, that confidence did buoy him up: but when a turbulent strong wind once shook his faith, when he began to fear and then to doubt, immediately he sunk, Matt. 14. 30. And all the reason in the world, that when he doubted whether Christ would or were able to uphold him in obeying him, though he had present experiment of both, he should be then left to himself; when in the height of the success and the securities of miracles he was afraid and staggered: since 'twas the whole design of miracles, and by consequence of that, to work faith, and it is the very essence also of faith to assure us of God's power and his readiness to perform whatever he hath promised howsoever difficult. It was this very faith that gave denomination and acceptance to the Father of the Faithful: for when Abraham was bid to offer up that Son in whom he had received the promises that he should be the Father of many Nations, that faith by which against hope he believed in hope, that it would come to pass, and staggering not, considered neither difficulty, rather natural impossibility of what was promised, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor was curious to satisfy himself, or indeed examine how it should or could be, as if he would model God's performances or his own expectation by the measuress of his comprehension of the means and method; but accounting God was able, if all other methods failed, to raise him up from death, although he had no instance of that power, Heb. 11. 19 and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform, therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness, Rom. 4. 21, 22. Now as this faith that God was able, was that faith which made Abraham approved; and the like faith in Christ we see was that which made them capable of his miraculous assistances: so (those cures and miracles being emblems, and indeed pledges of that greater cure, that far more comprehensive miracle he undertook, and came to work on mankind; the healing of their bodies not only shadowing out the healing of their souls, but also restitution of sight to the blind, movement to the lame, and the like being partial essays of that Resurrection which he promised, that was to restore all those to all, at once giving life to the dead) the like assurance of his power and readiness to do all this, together with a full trust in him, that whatever difficulties we encounter or imagine, yet in the performance of his promises he will never fail those who seek after, and pursue them in the ways that he hath chalked out to arrive at them. This faith, I say, is the first qualification that can make us capable of benefit by him: indeed as 'tis the first, so 'tis the most intimate, and only active Principle of all Obedience, Religion, and Virtue. For when all impressions both of God himself, of good and evil, and their after-recompence were defaced, and though the lineaments of these things were wrought into men in their making, and the study of Philosophy had refreshed the dying images, yet an inundation of corruption and debauchery had overspread all, so far as that Almighty God did think it needful that his Son should be incarnated to revele again our duty and teach virtue, and to give us an example of it in his practice, even in the most severe and fatal instances, and after having suffered for it, and by that means ransomed us from suffering for transgressing of our duty, then to rise again and ascend into Glory to assure the blessed recompenses of Religion and Obedience, and the infinitely miserable returns of impiety and vice; if after all we either shall so far abhor the duty, as that we renounce these glorious obligations to it, turn away from the very proposal of all those advantages that are to crown it, and defy that ransom paid for them, disbelieve all, count them dreams, cheats or illusions: or however, if we cannot satisfy ourselves that those rewards or punishments are possible or likely, certainly 'tis most impossible there can be a temptation of force to invite men to Religion or to any virtue: this method of proposal of such infinite after-recompences to our faith demonstrated by such Miracles to evince the power and their certainty, being the most vigorous struggle of Divine Compassion towards man, the utmost attemt of mercy, which alone was hopeful since all others failed the trial, 'twas his greatest strength apportioned to the fullgrown wickedness of the World. At first in one thousand six hundred years from innocence the whole World was grown so bad, that God could find out but one whole family to save alive; & he destroyed the rest for warning to all future generations: & yet in less than a quarter of that time immediately ensuing there was again only one family, that of Abraham, which out of all the World he could think fit to take into his favour & his care. In whose Posterity, although he exercised them with strange prodigies of sufferings and reliefs, and in the midst of Miracles renewed his Law to them, trained them up in that by all arts of punishments and rewards, kept them as it were in constant discipline with present visible returns of plagues and death for every act of disobedience; so that the whole sacred History is nothing but a recurrent Tide of God's mercy, and Israel's provocations, their sin and his punishing it. When famine, pestilence and war, all the separations which might be expected from the furnace of affliction, were utterly ineffectual, and the People were so settled on their lees, that all attempts to purify only fretted and disturbed, and it was necessary to rack them from those lees, and emty them from vessel to vessel, so that the Nation was carried captive into Babylon. Even this digestion of seventy years together had no more prosperous effect, than the preceding frustrate methods; the return of the captivity brought also back the former disobedience and infidelity. And when the fullness of time was come, that the Messiah should appear, and restore all things, Matt. 17. 11. he came, as the Baptist called it, to a generation of vipers, Matt. 3. 7. When the light shone in darkness, the darkness comprehended it not. When he came unto his own, his own received him not, John 1. 5, 11. So that, as St Luke expresses it, When the Son of man came, he did not find faith in the earth. Where the fairest steps were made to belief, 'twas exceedingly faint and imperfect; his very disciples were of little faith, as our Saviour Complains Matt. 6. 30.— 8. 26.— 14. 31.— 16. 8. Nor was this frailty superseded in the more established growth of Christianity. Tho we hear in the book of Acts of multitudes of them that believed c. 4. 32. yet we hear also of some that opposed themselves, contradicted, and blasphemed, c. 13. 45. others there were who made shipwreck of the faith 1 Tim. 1. 19 and of others that doubted, and were wavering, and weak in faith, Rom. 14. And so it is to this day: what St Paul said to the Corinthians 1 Epist. 3. 1, 2. every Preacher of the Gospel has to say unto the greatest part of his flock, I, Brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. The Christian flock more partakes of the folly and weakness of sheep, than the innocence. The faces of both tend to the earth, intent on their pasture where they may range and feed with plenty and delight. In the greatest part of Professors with their faith there is mixed unbelief, so as sometimes to preponderate, for the most part to alloy and weaken it. And here I promise not to prosecute those grounds of unbelief so far, as to show how they make men able to resist and conquer all Christ's methods, how they work them up into the confidence of professed infidelity and Atheism; that's not my design, but plainly and in brief to name some causes of it, not in this or the other party or persuasion, but in general, even in minds not ill disposed, but such as our Confessor here in the Text, who though he does profess he did believe, yet withal acknowledges his unbelief, Lord help my unbelief. Now though it should be granted that the motives and the means of Christian Faith are of themselves sufficient to convince the minds of men, that the Revelations of the Gospel are from God, so far as that there can remain no place for any reasonable doubt or scruple, nor by consequence plea for excusing them who give not up their faith to it; yet notwithstanding all this evidence arising from those means and motives, still many of the things to be believed are so inevident, for they are Mysteries, and are wrapped up in such obscurity that they astonish and affright apprehension, and while the mind is swallowed up in the abyss of such dark contemplations, whatever light strikes in from motives, yet the mind is mazed so, that, if it assent, it cannot be without suspicion and some fear and tremulously: and difficulties often so distract the understanding, that it cannot settle, but is loose and wavering. Now as in the contests that often happen in us betwixt the temporal interests and pleasures of this world and the eternal blessednesses of the next, in those that are sincerely satisfied of the real infinite disproportion betwixt them, yet if any present object that does flatter appetite with strong delight or other satisfaction, chance but to surprise a man so far as that his present whole attention be engaged upon it, and it be not called off, nor the will apply the understanding to consider and compare the other interests, the everlasting ones, and weigh them both together, 'tis certain he will yield against his conscience to satisfy his sinful inclination; for to that his surprised appetite applied him, & that application did determine him; there being no way to resist the forcible assaults of present things that strike the mind with vigour, if the will (some way excited) do not frequently engage the understanding to contemplate on, advert to with intenseness, even with all its might those blessednesses which God's promises propose to our belief, that so the mind by reason of its constant conversation with them may not fail to call them up on all occasions, and bring them into the comparison, and vie with any present thing that does allure, and then those will preponderate without fail. So in the other Objects of our Faith, the Mysteries, and generally in all Objects whatsoever, where the understanding does not reach the nature, so as to discern and look into the truth of them, if there be arguments that make a fair show and flatter natural reason by complying with its principles, which opposes that truth, and with their difficulties maze and appall the understanding, its assent cannot be settled firmly on the truth, unless the will cause the understanding to busy and apply itself so to the arguments and motives of its credibility, that it find a principle whereon to bottom its persuasion, such as that it can compare with, and oppose to those objections, and find reason to adhere to it against them, such as this, God hath said it: so that although on one side subtle reasonings seem to commit a rape upon my understanding, and against belief almost force my assent, yet on the other side God's own authority, of which I have no cause to doubt, (if I advert sincerely to the motives of its credibility, for we supposed that) is of strength sufficient to secure my faith, and will never suffer it to faint at such objections, as I know arise only from ignorance and want of principles to judge by, and from the incomprehensibility of the Object. Now if the will do constantly engage the understanding thus by frequent application to such principles, humane reason, howsoever apt to be rebellious, will be easily subdued and brought into captivity to the obedience of faith and our belief, will be unshaken; so that the will is justly said to have a signal interest in, and influence on our faith. To make which good I might produce Councils and Schoolmen, but it shall suffice me that the Scripture says, that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, Rom. 10. 10. and 'tis required that man believe with all his heart, Acts 8. 37. and it is called an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, Heb. 3. 12. and for that reason to believe is amongst God's precepts, Faith is strictly commanded, and a great blessed reward proposed to it, and Infidelity is threatened with eternal torments. Now commands, rewards and punishments are such things as cannot be proposed but to the will, and are not at all made to move the understanding, which must needs assent exactly as it judges, and must judge according to appearances of objects; and you may as well desire a stone to fall up to heaven, or the Senses to perceive that which they have no sense of, as the understanding to believe against its judgement, or to judge in contradiction to what appears to it. Now this being granted, that the heart hath such a vital influence upon our Faith, and that the will contributes so much to believing, by prevailing with the understanding to contemplate on, and frequently converse with, and with great advertency attend to those Divine and Heavenly objects and the motives to believe them: it does therefore follow Secondly that whatsoever does engage the heart and take the will off so, as that they do not cause this application of mind, that must needs weaken and enfeeble Faith; for it withdraws that that should nourish and give vigour to it, and makes way for unbelief. Now here alas, if I should only name the several impediments upon this account, the avocations of the heart, it would be endless. But to say nothing of particulars, whose state of life either thro' the necessities of their condition or the troubles of it, or thro' a disorderly uneasy temperament of body, or diseases, though all or each of these may keep the mind almost in a perpetual disturbance, or at least in great inaptitude to such Spiritual application, if there be not strict watch kept to seize all lucid intervals. But to pass these, and only touch at two Occasions in the general. And the First is the understanding, which if it be apt to be religiously scrupulous in little things, as for the most part scruples rise about such only, whether thro' weakness of judgement, credulity, and either little probabilities that work upon that, or the arts of seducing Teachers, or else especially which is most consequent upon any close affliction, scruples rise thro' applications of God's judgements or interpretation of the incomprehensible procedures of his providence, if these scruples come to work the understanding, so as that it usually entertains the will with no proposals else, which happens very frequently, and if it does thus even till the will delight itself in these its self-tormentings, and engages the whole man in a continual converse with them; so that he comes to love to aggravate his fears against himself, and wilfully retains them, and dwells on them, will not be diverted from such thoughts, which do not only with these their envenomed darts stab and wound the mind perpetually, and the poison of them drinks up his spirits, but they wound his Faith. As when those scruples are in great measure and grown strong, they use to break out into blasphemies and desperation: so all less degrees also in their proportion raise doubts in men, not as to their own condition only, but God's Attributes, and works, and dealings with mankind, which corrupt and ulcerate and poison their belief, and it becomes languid, feeble and unsteady. But secondly that which universally takes off the heart or will from causing this so necessary application to the objects and the motives of our Faith, is the lower appetite with its passions. For in man's life that is so perfectly dramatic, and in which the world is always shifting scenes, there happens such an infinite variety of either prosperous delightful, or cross sad accidents, which so goad and stimulate the affections, raise such ebullitions in the blood, and such impetuousness in the motions of the appetite, that the will is hurried along with them with a blind precipitation and a headlong fury; and by consequence it fares so with the faculties upon the satisfactions of those appetites. Now in this rout and confusion 'tis not possible the understanding can attend to Spiritual applications, and if this happen frequently, then thus it being frequently diverted, and its conversation with affairs of Faith much broken off, seldom reflecting on them, and so being very unaccustomed to those thoughts, all the impressions grow faint, languish and decay, the motives have no force, and consequently the belief itself is loose, and scarce hath the assurance of a thin opinion, if it were examined: and of all this the experience is so dreadful, that we daily see, if men go on so far as to indulge their appetites habitually, that their minds being thereby taken altogether off from the other contemplations, they come to have no love to them, no regard at all, cannot well endure to think or hear of them; and are therefore given up by God's just judgement, such as was foretold long since 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11. to strong delusions to believe a lie, even a lie of that eternal dismal consequence that virtue and religion and the blessed expectation of it are mere trumpery, and renounce those truths whereby they should be saved. But I promised not to prosecute this to that height; it sufficeth we having seen how the heart being by such means engaged, and ceasing to employ the understanding upon heavenly things and on the motives to believe them, and the faith of them does come to lose all vigour, not to be recovered if there be not some assistance to the will, that may be able to take off that ravenous inclination which it hath to present satisfactions, and that gross torpid stupidity it labours under towards future things, and withal excite and inflame it with desires after that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and besides remove all those other impediments of our belief which I have mentioned. Which assistance from what hand it is to be expected, and how it effects all that, I must declare in the third place from those words, Lord, help thou my unbelief. Now that the birth and growth and strength of Faith (that Faith, I say, that is effectual to salvation) is all from God, from the preventing and assisting graces of his Spirit, is a Doctrine which the Scripture is abundant in. It is the gift of God, St Paul saith Eph. 2. 8. and Christ says, No man can come to me, that is, believe in me, except the Father which has sent me, draw him John 6. 44. i e. those preparations of the heart by which men are disposed to come at God's call and receive his Gospel, when as others whom 'tis equally proposed to, and who alike understand it, will not come, are the effects of his good grace; and in that respect such are said to be drawn by the Father, and to be taught of God, verse 45. and v. 64. speaking to his Followers, and telling them that there are some of you that believe not, though they had all the methods of conviction, having heard his preaching, seen his miracles as well as others; yet some of them notwithstanding not believing, he adds, v. 65. therefore I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given him of my Father. All the other means and motives, if alone, prevail not. I have planted, Apollo's watered; but 'tis God that giveth the increase, 1 Cor. 3. 6. I need not say this is the Doctrine of the Church of England, 'tis so of the Latin and the Greek Church, and on this account of the necessity of Grace and the assistance of God's Spirit in believing, the whole Church of Christ hath universally maintained a war against Pelagius and his Followers. 'Tis more expedient to show what he doth, and how he does proceed in doing it, how he removes those hindrances of Faith I mentioned in each faculty both of the will and understanding. First as to the understanding, that he doth enlighten and clear it into the discerning of those Heavenly truths, appears, since David therefore prays, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things of thy Law, Psalm 119. 18. and the like v. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts. It should seem he apprehended wonderful miraculous dispensations in God's discoveries of himself and of his will to man, besides those of his nature, his transcendent goodness also in the pardoning our sins, in giving us such excellent Precepts, in assisting us to the performance, in accepting our imperfect Obedience, and in preparing everlasting blessed Glory to reward and crown it. Now that he might discern all these so sensibly as to be ravished and transported with them, so as that he might be wrought on to adore the blessed Donor of all these, and cling to him and them with the close and inseparable unions of Faith and love; he therefore prays that God would open his eyes, enlighten and remove all those degrees of darkness that remained within him, quicken and enliven all his faculties, give him a vital sense and relish of all those things, make him understand them, that believing them he might adhere to them. And since the Scripture says (I told you) that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so it also therefore says that God does give an heart to understand, Deut. 29. 4. and the Lord opened Lydia's heart, that she attended to the things that were spoken, Acts 16. 14. thus preventing unbelief, which comes for want of such advertency, as I showed you. And as to the Will (which hath its influence, I proved to you) that God works in us to will, is express Scripture Phil. 2. 13. And if we should but only put the understanding in that case, wherein, as we before demonstrated, 'tis needful that the Will engage it to make applications to these Spiritual objects, when the man is not as yet biased or corrupted, but is only languid and indifferent and unconcerned, yet then there is an absolute necessity the Spirit cause it: for if the Will be itself a faculty indifferent and free, there must be some prevenient proposal, thought, or motion, that may determine or fix it; and to will what it ought, it therefore must have some good motion or proposal, such as will prevail with it. Now such proposals and motions come not from itself, the Will does not propose to itself, it cannot think or make the motion, and the Understanding, which, as the case is put, does need a resolution of the will thus to engage it, is not therefore qualified to make the motion sufficient and of force; for than it could and would apply itself without the Will's engaging of it: much less is it qualified, when the Will drawn in by the affections of the lower Appetite hath applied the Understanding, as I showed you, to converse with sensual objects, and by doing so 'tis altogether steined with their impressions and images, and hath few others to excite or entertain itself withal. In neither case, since neither Understanding nor the Will is able, there is nothing therefore but God's grace that does it by presenting objects and occasions, and disposing circumstances so in soft and congruous seasons, as with the assistance of his overshadowing and incubating on them, may be sure to hatch some inclinations and desires that way in the Understanding and Will both. He does all by these means upon all occasions of Divine truth heard, or read, or meditated on, by his applying intimately to the mind the motives of believing, and to help the evidence by breaking in upon it with his own illuminations, which discover to the Soul the beauty of God's promises, make it see how infinitely advantageous they are to it. Thus he fills it with those beauteous images, than backs the thoughts with their allurements, so as that they love to hover and to dwell upon them; this animates them into cheerful practice of all performances that tend to them: then he scatters as it were some gleams of future glory, shedding flashes of it in the joys of Conscience arising from the sense both of God's encouragements and assistances to duty, and of the delights resulting from the faithful, sincere practice of it: and by this joy quieting the Conscience, if it either raise fears from the apprehension of God's dealings in these outward things, or else if it be scrupulous in little things to the disturbance of his Faith, as I declared, convincing it that conscience is not to accuse or else excuse but by the measures of sincerity or insincerity in known real duty, not from the events or dispensations of God's providence on one side, nor on the other, in little things wherein there is no Law to guide us, and which only prejudice or seduction can make doubtful, assuring us the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, indifferent rites, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. Thus, as St Paul says Heb. 6. 4. they that have tasted of the heavenly gift, the comfort of the pardon of their sins, and consequent to that the peace of Conscience, and v. 5. tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, have intimate experimental relish of the Gospel-promises; those powers of heaven, those omnipotent forces God hath prepared to cast down every reasoning or imagination that should rise against the Christian Doctrine, and bring every thought to the obedience of it, 2 Cor. 10. 5. All which are said to be effected there in them who had been made partakers of the Holy Ghost. By these means therefore he inflames the Will, sets it all on fire with ardent love to God and his rewards, and consequently to his service in all the works of Piety and Virtue, and endued with firm and settled resolutions of adhering to him in faithful constant practice of all this. And thus Christ by his Spirit, as he was the Author, the Beginner of the faith, by which he is styled Heb. 12. 2. so by the same he is the Finisher and the completer of it. He was the Author, as that Testimony which the Spirit gave by miracles, did evince the infallible certainty and the Divinity of the doctrine to the world; for the Spirit is said to bear witness to it by those signs and wonders Heb. 2. 3. and those signs are called the demonstration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 4. that which did irrefragably prove and demonstrate all the Doctrine of the Gospel, and make certain Faith of it; and in this sense it is that Faith is truly said to be resolved into the testimony of the Spirit. So also by the same he is the Finisher, by the graces, the preventing and excitings, overshadowings and assisting of that Spirit working in us, as we showed, a firm sincere adherence to that Faith, and the obedience of it; which when it is wrought, Faith hath attained that height, and in that degree, that is to make us capable of those benefits which Christ hath promised to bestow on true believers. The last thing I was to show, and withal whether such Believers in that true degree can say with our man here, Lord, I believe, yet say too, help my unbelief. Faith, as the Son of Syrach does define it, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the principle of cleaving to God, that which knits & joints us to him: and St Paul saith as much, when he makes the formality of an evil heart of unbelief to consist in departing from the living God; and to Faith by which the just must live, opposes drawing back, slinking away for fear of danger or affliction, Heb. 10. 38. So that according as that cleaving and adherency must be firm and indissoluble, so we are to judge of Faith. But secondly 'tis certain this adherency must be without waver, James 1. 6, 7. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for let not that man (him that wavers) think that he shall receive any thing at the hands of God. A firm and infallible assurance of God's promises, a confident expectation of a grant to his petitions, though the power of Prayer be almost omnipotent on that account, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them, Mark 11. 24. yet those are not meant by Faith here; for the person that is bid not to expect a grant is here supposed to think and to be confident he shall receive it, but the Prayer here spoken to is for wisdom, how to behave one's self in times of chance and danger or affliction for the truth's sake, in these trials of his Faith, v. 3. Now that he may obtain that wisdom, he is bid to ask for it of God, but he is also bid to ask it in faith, nothing wavering, i. e. he must come to God for it with firm adherence to him, with dependence on him only, and a mind resolved, whatever happens, to stick fast to him and his commands and methods, not to labour or accept deliverance on terms not allowed by God and a good Conscience, must not waver betwixt duty and security, nor be double minded, so as to apply now to Christ and Religion, now to worldly carnal politics. Such double minded men that have a mind to God and their duty, but a mind also to safety, interest, or some other satisfaction, are unstable, are divided betwixt two, not knowing which to turn to, now taking one, now the other, do not stick to God, they are not faithful. It is not sound Faith, where there is not a resolved and settled cleaving; such falsehearted wavering ulcerates and gangrenes all. But than thirdly, where there is that firm, sincere adherency to God and duty with such a dependence on him, there is Faith that is effectual to the ends of Faith; for this is true Faith, that works and is consummated by love, and that begets an efficacious Hope, by that hope works out the purifying of ourselves as God is pure, and consequently does entitle us to see God, i. e. to the beatific Vision. I know there are some, who besides this certainty of adherence do require an absolute certainty of evidence, affirming there is no true Faith, but such as stands on a clear resolution into Principles more evident and certain, than those Propositions are which are made out to us by Demonstration, than any Principles of Sciences, which Principles since they are more necessary than that first one, that which is, is, and the contrary to them more impossible, than for the same thing that is to be and not to be at the same time while it is: by consequence they cannot but infuse greater necessity and certainty into our Faith, than there is in the knowledge of those Propositions; so that 'tis impossible for him, that is a true Believer, to say, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. I shall not put it to the question, whether the Rule of Faith be firm and immovable, or the Principle which true Belief must be resolved into, is most infallible and necessary: for all those which resolve their Faith into God's Revelation, and that make his Word the Rule, must needs assert all that; and where it is affirmed, that the motives laid in second Causes by God's Providence to persuade men to embrace the faith, must be such as of their own nature cannot fail to conclude points true, if they mean they cannot choose but be sufficient to conclude that they are such as ought to be believed, that is assented to as true, I shall allow it; yea so far and in that manner as God intended that they should conclude, that is by the assistant grace and influence of his Holy Spirit, so far in that manner I will grant they could not fail to be conclusive. But that God intended they should be conclusive to us themselves with the evidence of such Metaphysical necessity, so that by consequence they cannot but infuse a greater certainty and evidence into that assent that must be given to the points of Faith, than there is in the Science of those Propositions that are first in Science; and where there is not such necessity, certainty and evidence raised by clear resolution into Principles more evident, certain and necessary than those are, there is not that Faith which is alone, is true; and consequently that all true Faith must assent with the highest evidence, necessity and certainty. This, I say, may be granted, when it shall be made appear how it is possible that God can variously deal to men the measure of Faith, if every true Believer must needs have the greatest fullest measure; or how any man that hath Faith, and by consequence is certain most infallibly, can be weak in Faith, or have his Faith increase, so as that it may grow exceedingly and wax very strong, even till it come to full assurance and plerophory: how all this, I say, is not impossible, if all true Faith have essentially this plerophory, that highest, most infallible certainty and evidence. But it is certain that God variously deals the measure of faith, Rom. 12. 3. that there are those who have Faith, and yet are weak in faith, Rom. 4. 19— 14. 1. that have their faith increased, Luke 17. 5. so as that it does grow exceedingly, 2 Thess. 1. 3. wax very strong, Rom. 4. 20. even to a full assurance, Heb. 10. 22. Is it not therefore certain, but that he that hath true Faith may say here with our Confessor, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief? Moreover if those Principles and motives blazed with such an evidence, so bright a lustre, of so cogent a necessity, can any man believe that God would think it needful to arm that necessity with strict precepts, fortify it with the aids of his own Holy Spirit, and eternally reward Obedience to a most invincible necessity? Dare any man imagine God could be so sportive in commanding, as on pain of everlasting torment to engage us to believe, that that which is existent is existent, or that the Sun does shine at bright noonday, when we behold it so as that we cannot see it, ('tis our Author's own instance?) or to assent to these must there be the graces and assistance of the Holy Ghost? or to believe the Sun shines, when it does, is that a Faith that is fit to be rewarded with eternal light and glory? In fine, since that the only certainty of Faith which is effectual to the ends of Faith, is the certainty and firmness of adherency to God and Christ, and to our duty, without which all other certainty, however infallible, can but help towards our condemnation; and since where the Holy Spirit and his Graces intervene not, howsoever evident men fancy that their principles and motives are, their way of resolution demonstrative, there will be no true Faith; and where he works with his Graces, though they were not so infallible and bright, yet the adherency is firm, the Faith true and saving. Therefore there appears no evident necessity of such pompous principles and ways of resolution of our Faith. For I would only ask, for whose sake, and on whose account it is so needful that these motives, principles and ways of resolution should be so infallibly certain, evident and necessary? Those that do embrace the Faith sincerely and are saved, or those that do not give their hearts up to it, and so perish in their unbelief? As to these, since besides all arguments internal to the doctrine, outward testimony, (the only argument in matter of fact) and that in behalf of Christians, it is far greater and more pregnant than there is for any other fact that ever was, such as humanely speaking, is impossible not to be true; nor could there ever yet be found a rational exception or just ground of doubt against it: so that 'tis impossible but they must be convinced in reason, that 'tis most irrational not to assent. Those therefore that do wilfully resist their understandings and their reason, and withal God's ordinary methods of conviction, and so put a bar against his Graces and his Spirit, since much more than was enough was done for them, they are without excuse; and since they did defy what was more than sufficient in itself, and so resist God's methods also, there is no pretence or reason for more helps of evidence on their account. As for the other, those that give themselves up to the guidance of their light and reason and Almighty God's convictions, and are made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, 'tis most certain that his Holy Spirit will do all that is needful to complete their Faith, and make it certain to salvation; so that there is no need on their behalf of such self evidence of principles and motives to infuse such metaphysical certainty into their Faith. And yet this certainty of Faith not only is the ground on which alone is built Infallibility, wherever that is to be placed, for they are not agreed about it and indeed there were no great need to assure their Faith into such certainty; but besides poor we, because we do not take upon us to assert dogmatically the necessity of such most infallible certainty, not only are unchurched, but unchristened, concluded beyond all possibility of evasion, not to have true Faith, nor be truly Faithful. An heavy imputation: therefore I crave leave a little to consider it in one word, not desiring to reflect on others, but to justify ourselves; for in truth God knows, we would as willingly go to Heaven as our Neighbours, where we know we cannot be received without true Faith. Now though it looks unlucky that we should be doomed thus upon grounds, of which the Founder is himself under censure for them, and his books that laid them, damned even by his own Church, though we are by virtue of their Principles condemned as Heretics, because we come not into their Church which condemns the Founder of these very Principles on their account; yet since however any thing does serve their turns, provided it condemns us, 'tis not therefore to be passed by. Now the ground not only of their Faith, but this their Confidence, whereby they so exalt themselves and censure us, is the absolute certainty of the living voice and practice of that Church, which resolves her Faith by this Rule or Principle, not to believe, or teach, or practise any thing as of Faith but what they did receive from their immediate Forefathers as of Faith, and saw their practice of. For if this Principle were their Rule always, (and if it be now, it must, they say, have been so) than the Faith of each succeeding Age must needs have been the Faith of the preceding, and by consequence there having been no change, the Faith of this Age must needs be the same with that of Christ and his Apostles. Now since in the resolution of our Faith we proceed not by this Rule, upon this Principle we have no Rule of faith, nor certain resolution of it, and by consequence no Faith. Now it appears at first sight fully evident that this Rule of theirs does supersede and quite evacuate those Doctrines that maintain either the sayings of the Fathers, or Decrees of Councils, or the Definitions of the Popes, or the infallible Authority of the Church, whatever that Church signify, hath any part or interest in the Rule of faith, and very justly so: for Fathers are but eminent Members of the Church, Popes can pretend to be but Heads of that Church, Councils but the Representatives, and what infallible Authority soever can be in the Church, that Church being the Congregation of the Faithful, and those only being Faithful that hold the true Faith: therefore till it be known which is the true Faith, it cannot be known who are the true Faithful, nor by consequence which is the Church, nor therefore which is Head, Member, or Representative of it, or hath that Authority: and therefore before all, those men must have a Rule for their Faith, whereby they may try which is the true. But when we say we have God's own Revelation of his will what he would have to be believed, his Word, the Scriptures, they add that since we cannot know which is the Scripture but by the continued testimony of those that recommended it from the beginning, neither can that be the Rule, which needs another Rule to establish it; nor can that which is believed upon that other Principle of universal testimony be any part of the Rule, since what is believed is the Object of Faith, and so presupposes the Rule of Faith: and therefore we who make that to be the only Rule, have no Rule, no not a part, though the Trent Council do allow the Scriptures to go shares with Tradition. 'Tis easy to reply, that that which is the Object of that Faith, whereby we assent to it, as a book written by such inspired men, or as a true historical Narration, of which Testimony does assure us, may yet be the Rule of that Faith, whereby we assent to Doctrines as revealed from God, which we believe those are, that we find there recorded. And it were as easy to retort, that if this arguing were good, men could not know that the Doctrine which Christ and his Apostles orally delivered to them was from God, but by the testimony of the Miracles they taught; therefore neither could Christ's or the Apostles oral tradition, living voice, be a Rule of Faith to those Ages, since they were the Objects of belief, and presupposed those Miracles as the Rule by which men did believe what Doctrines came from God; nor can the Succession of Doctrine be the Rule, for we know not the whole Succession but by the living voice of the present Church, that does deliver Doctrine by the foresaid Rule or Principle. But not to reply to this Scholastically, but suppose for their sakes, that Scripture could be known to be the word of God no otherwise than by testimony, yet that it might be the Rule one short familiar instance shall evince irrefragably to the meanest understanding. We know the Books of Scripture are entitled Books of the Old and New Testament, both Scripture itself and Fathers giving cause for that expression. Now in making a man's testament, the Testator's last bequests, or that which he last of all wills, as to the disposal of his goods and possessions, is the primary rule, we know, by which they are to be disposed off: and when that disposition and will of his is put into writing, signed and sealed, that writing, or that Instrument is secundarily the rule by which Legacies must be demanded, and upon performance of conditions the Inheritance entered upon. Now possibly they that either demand Legacies, or the Executors, yea the Heir indeed himself it may be know not either hand or seal; however that the writing was in good deed honestly subscribed and sealed by the deceased party, none can know, but who were present, and saw or heard him declare and publish it: and if any are concerned to be assured whether it be a true will, neither forged nor altered or depraved, they can no otherwise be satisfied, than by their testimony. It is on that account that men give credit to that will, from thence it is of force, and afterwards continues to be so as to all ends and uses of a Will, by being witnessed and sworn to, that is, proved, and then enroled and laid up in an Office for that purpose, and by that becomes a firm Record, and as such is there conserved. Now certainly no man is so far destitute of common sense to say either the Witnesses or their Testimony, or the Office that conserveses the Instrument, or the Clerks and Registers or Judge of that Office is the Rule by which the man's goods must be distributed, or the Rule of those things that the Heir or the Excecutors must perform: for the man's last Will, I showed you, was the prime Rule, that Will put into writing, signed and sealed, that is that Instrument the secondary Rule of all that; and the Testimony, Office, Clerks and Judge are but only means of bringing that Will to the knowledge of all such as are concerned, the way of assuring the truth and uncorruptness of the Instrument, and of conserving it entire for after uses. The Application of this to Christ our Savior's Testament is easy. If by Penmen, which himself inspired, he caused his last Will in disposing the Inheritance of Heaven to be written, and what things he would have believed, what done, all which he sealed with his own, God's Seal, with Miracles: and if those Penmen and the other Witnesses, before whom he declared and published it, did attest it, and gave it to the Church to be conserved there, and her Pastors are perpetual successive Conservators of the integrity of these Records: 'tis plain our Lord's Will here is primarily the Rule of Faith and Action, and secondarily the Testament, that authentic Instrument is so: and the Testimony is no more that Rule here than in the man's Will, nor yet than the prerogative Office, nor the Pastors or the Head (if such an one there were) than the Clerks, the Judge of that Office; nor all, nor any of these are the Rule itself. The Testimony is but the means of conveying down to us the knowledge of that Testament, and of the uncorruptness of it; and as far as that Conveyance and that Testimony is assured and certain, so far they must grant the Faith we give, that that writing is the Rule, must be assured and certain. And since all the means and kinds of their Tradition make that very Testimony and Conveyance of that Book, therefore all that certainty and that infallibility their faith can have from those grounds, the same certainty and infallibility the faith we give to that Book must needs have too on their own grounds. But it hath more; for since the ground of all faith must be testimony, and by consequence none but Divine Testimony can be ground sufficient for Divine Faith, and that Testimony was, I showed you, Miracles, wrought by the Publisher to confirm the Doctrine, both which are in this Rule of ours. Therefore although that universal Testimony, all their Tradition for it, which is merely humane, may be a sufficient method of conveyance to derive all notice; as the first men's eyes and ears that saw the Miracles and heard Christ, though they be but humane senses, were sufficient to them also, they suffice not yet to a Divine Belief, they cannot ground that Faith which must be given to Divine supernatural Doctrines upon a Divine Testimony, which Tradition is not, but our Rule hath. So that the resolution of our Faith is made by a Divine Rule, such as theirs pretends not to be made by; and the mere conveyance of that Rule to us hath all that certainty and that infallibility, that they pretend their Rule itself to have, and so we may have Faith, and may be Christians. But we are never the nearer however: for if the Rule of Faith, if true, must be a means to make our assent more infallible than Science upon Demonstration, and there can be no other such Rule besides the living voice and present practice of that Church, which does, and always did resolve her Faith into it by this Principle, not to believe or teach or practise any thing as of Faith, but what they did receive from their immediate Forefathers as of Faith, and saw their practice of, which most undeniably renders their Faith impossible to be erroneous; therefore we that own neither such a resolution, rule or principle, can neither have true rule nor Faith. But yet how fine soever and self-evident this Principle and Resolution appear to them as speculators, if it were practically enquired into, it would appear the weakest of all other. For first I might evince, that ever since the first beginnings of Religion and mankind, while either they had no other rule at all but this of oral, practical tradition, as in the first times before the Law was given and Scripture wrote, their faith and practice grew all false and diabolical; or when they had another rule, so far as they made use of this rule, thereby that they did make void their own Faith and God's Laws, as the Pharisees among the Jews: or lastly, when they had not an entire rule written, as in the first Age of Christianity, while the Scriptures were not spread amongst Believers, but they had the living and inspired voice of the Apostles to resolve their Faith into, and by that Rule and Principle of oral practical Tradition most perfectly, yet then the most execrable Heresies that ever infested the Church, had their rise and growth. Secondly I might demonstrate their Church did not always so resolve their Faith, and by that Principle. Look thro' their Councils all from the beginning, where their Church, sometimes the whole Church met together, either to confirm the true Faith, or confound the false, and you shall find no footsteps of this oral, practical Tradition, but of doctrinal enough. The Sayings of the Fathers, and Decrees of Former Councils, and the Texts of Scripture, these they call their Demonstrations. Thirdly where there is most need still of a certain rule and resolution, there this is unpracticable wholly; namely in all great divisions of the Church in points of Faith. To instance in the Arrian contentions, where the World was against St Athanasius, and St Athanasius against the World, and the Pope himself Liberius was then Arrian, who could then hear and distinguish the living voice of the Church? When the whole East was so universally and bloodily divided in the matter of Images, one Greek Council defining against them, and another for it; and the West as much, the French, Italian, Germane Bishops presently in a great Synod declaring against them, and the British Church particularly. Now I will not ask how it was possible the greater parts of the whole Church should so at once have laid aside their infallible self-evident Rule, and chanced together to forget it, should not once bethink themselves whether they had seen their Forefathers practise that Worship or no, and heard them teaching that they had received it too from their Forefathers: nor ask how it was possible their Enemies should not mind them of it, if it were the Church's rule, and had been generally taught and practised, and assure them by their Principle how impossible that it should be erroneous. But there is not a word of this in the whole two Nicene Councils, but some Texts of Scripture and some Sayings of the Fathers, which no more evince the practice, than Tentordin steeple does cause Goodwin Sands. But I will ask, how in the noise and the confusion of both States and Churches, while wars and Anathemas thundered in the quarrel, how it was possible poor souls could hear and distinguish what the living voice and present practice of that Age was, which was so extremely various and contradictory? Those that were then to be instructed in the Faith, what could they hearken to? How could they guide themselves by that Rule, when as in their Doctrines they condemned each other, in their practice murdered one another? And when each party pleaded that theirs was the Faith delivered to them, which should they believe? The major party. How should they know infallibly which was? How be assured the major party is required? Why truth must be on that side where the most are? What self-evident Rule had they to judge of these by? Surely none. Accordingly it was not by this Rule, but by being overpowered they received that Faith and practice. Fourthly that it may appear in no case useful in the calmest Sunshine of the Church, and when, if ever, they were all of one mind; namely before Luther, when if ever there were any Article that the Latin Church was possessed of an explicit belief of, it was that of Purgatory, as it is now held amongst them: there was all expresses of an oral practical Tradition for it, and if there were not, 'tis impossible to know when any Doctrine is received upon that Principle, so that the Rule is frivolous as to practise; yet, as if that Principle had owed the very Founder of it a great spite, he must go write a Book against that Purgatory, which stood by his own Principle, for which he is under censure by his own Church. But least this should seem only an Argument ad hominem, I will urge only one instance. There was a time when the immaculate Conception of our Lady stood by oral practical Tradition, for in the public Liturgies of their Church it was expressly owned and celebrated. For in their a See also in the end of the Roman Missal printed at Paris in a large 4o in the Prayers at the later end for the Cloisters. etc. upon the Feast of the Conception, there called Immaculate. L. Hor. Beat. 6. M. Paris 1534. p. 85. Liturgy printed 1551. after a devout Prayer to the B. Virgin there is added Ave, Hail Marry, full of grace etc. Blessed also be Saint Anne thy Mother, out of whom thy virgin flesh came without any stain, immaculate. And again, Hail etc. woman, blessed be thy Mother Anne, out of whom thou didst proceed a Virgin without any stain or sin. Once more in another Prayer, All hail thou most chaste Mother of God etc. and blessed be thy Parents Joachim and Anne, out of whom thy virgin flesh proceeded without stain, immaculate. The same too was defined expressly in their Ecumenical Council at Basil in a session on purpose for it c. 36. after long debate decreeing that she never had Original or Actual sin, but was immaculate; and though the Pope for other reasons, and not this definition, would not confirm this Council, yet besides that by the way of oral practical Tradition his Holiness is declared to have but one vote and no negative; yet if his vote signify, Alexander VI a little after gave ten thousand years of pardon for all mortal sins, twenty for venial toties quoties to all that said devoutly in that Worship of our Lady and St Anne the former Prayer, Rubr. Now if the Church did not believe what was thus in her public Prayers, in her definitions, which was the judgement of her Pastors, of the whole Church Representative, but if somewhat else must intervene to prove what is of Faith, the Rule is insignificant, it is impossible to know their Church's Faith at any time. But we are bound to think they would not in their Solemn Divine Worship own what they did not believe, and they could not believe any thing by this Rule but what they did receive, and so their Faith and Practice consequent must have been always, and must be infallible. Yet we know that was defined the Doctrine taken up merely to countenance the Worship that had formerly been given to the Blessed Virgin in the celebrating her Conception. For since it always was the Churches Rule never to solemnize with a Festival but what they did account was Holy, according to that saying of b Epist. 174. St Bernard, quo pacto festus habetur qui minime sanctus est? And accordingly the present Church that does still celebrate it, also in her new Reformed c In Breviario Monast. Paul. V. P. M. auctoritate recognito verse. ad finem tertiae lectionis in Festo Conceptionis ita se habet, sentiant omnes tuum Juvamen quicunque celebrant tuam sanctam Conceptionem. Breviaries calls it Sanctam Conceptionem; having therefore entertained the Festival, they must needs entertain the Doctrine. And the forenamed Council does expressly own this in defining it ut consonum cultui Ecclesiastico, in that it was agreeable to that Worship which the Church performed in the celebration of it. But if you would know how the Solemnity began, you may receive it from themselves thus. A Canon of a Church in France greatly devoted to the Blessed Virgin, returning home over the large mouth of the Seine in a vessel alone from the other side, where he had been committing Adultery with another man's wife, and as he sailed singing the Hours of the Blessed Virgin, a great troop of Devils drown his vessel & himself in the deep, and his soul they dragged away to torments. On the third day, while they were tormenting him, the Mother of our Lord came thither with a train of Angels, ask why they did unjustly so torment the soul of her servant? Whom they answered that they had a just right to it, for it was taken in its being about their employment: she replies, if it ought to be theirs whose service it was in, then of right it is mine, for you seized it as he sung my Matins, so that you are guilty. Upon which they fled and left it, and the Blessed Virgin brought his soul back to his body and himself alive to shore, where falling at her feet he said, Dear Lady, what shall I render unto thee for so great benefits that thou hast done unto me? she replies, I desire that henceforward thou commit no more Adultery, lest the later end be worse than the beginning; I desire moreover, that thou wouldst devoutly celebrate the Feast of my Conception yearly on the eighth day of December. Good Lord! that singing Matins to our Lady should atone for him whose Vespers had been offered up to a foul shrine, to his Paramour, celebrated in the vile Embraces of his Neighbor's Wife? That the Blessed Virgin should be so concerned for her own immaculate Conception, so indifferent, so easy, or indeed indulgent to the gross Adultery of others? However, as it well became him, he obeyed her and observed it: and upon two other such like visions so did several others. But the Worship by all this was only private men's particular devotions; therefore there was one more made to Anselm, who immediately began it in his Priory, and being made Archbishop afterwards of Canterbury made it public, and then Innocent the III. did so in France, and so the Worship became universal in their public Services; and to justify that Worship too, the Doctrine of immaculate Conception was received into those Services, and then defined in that great Council above mentioned. Had this but been in one of the dark Ages, it had certainly prevailed, but something checking with the doctrine of the whole world that was more awake then, the Popes afterward, although they kept the Worship up, durst not vouch the Doctrine for a point of strict Faith, though sought to by two solemn Embassies from two Kings of Spain, Philip III. and IV. Now truly by the equipage, pursuit and carriage of the business one would think they came to crave an Audience for some new Faith, as they were wont for any extraordinary grant or dispensation: that at Rome they could decree Divinity as they did Acts of the Conclave, and give out Articles as they did Cardinals Caps, and make a new Creation for belief; for sure they did not send that Embassy to inquire whether their own immediate Forefathers had so taught them, and so forwards that there had been always a perpetual succession. But though that would not do, 'tis evident there was a doctrinal Point defined by the great Representative of their whole Church, and for some Ages received with the Devotions and the Worship of their whole Church, and by consequence into their Faith; for otherwise they gave Worship upon that account which they did not believe: and it is also evident to sight, how doctrines did come in into their Faith upon all least pretence of Visions, (the known way) some that were devout men began a practice, after other some in power adopted and gave credit to it, and then gave authority; by this means the practice in a while grew universal, then became their Doctrine and their Faith. Now I would know whether it was so, it came along to them by the way of oral practical Tradition. If it did, 'tis not a sure infallible Rule of conveying Faith; if it did not, than that Church did not still receive their Faith upon that Rule and Principle or by that method, though that they did so is their first great Principle: and the great Master of that Scheme assured his Holiness it was not possible to maintain their doctrine otherwise against the subtlety of the English Heretics. And truly they that make the greatest noise amongst us now, are fled to the last hold of it: but that indeed it does alone protest Infallibility whether of the Church or the Succession of their doctrine by that way of practical Tradition, and that is the infallible most necessary certainty of Faith. But I shall say no more to this than what the grand Abettor of the Principle hath said in answer to himself, objecting what was to be said to them that could not penetrate into his demonstrations, see the force and evidence of that Rule and Principle, and yet have that Faith that's necessary to Salvation, I shall give it you in his own words, as near as I can put them into English. He says, there is a certainty derived into the understanding of these men out of their will; for since they think themselves assured these truths were brought down by the Church from Christ to them, & stand convinced of that act, this is sufficient to cause their wills firmly to adhere to them, and by that adherence to repel all difficulties and objections to which curious wits are subjects. And whether the man see that the Authority of the Church which he follows is of more force at least to him than particular objections in those truths; or whether he thinks nothing at all of it, but rests steadfast in that assent which his very ignorance caused, 'tis plain he hath a certainty of will, which in its way extends itself to the Government of his whole life answerably to that his persuasion, and by consequence he hath a certainty exclusive of all doubt, and such as moves him to direct his actions all to God, that is, there is in him that Faith which worketh by love. So he. Now hence 'tis evident by his Concessions, first that there may be a saving Faith which hath not that infallible certainty arising from the motives, Guide, or Principle, or way of Resolution. And that secondly a Certainty derived into the Understanding from a Will that is piously disposed sufficeth. Thirdly, that there is this certainty, where the Will firmly cleaves and adheres to God, relying on him with a vigorous hope and trust, directing all the actions up to God and to his service, and persevering in it to the life's end. Now this is all that I am all this while contending for. It is not by self-evident or demonstrative methods, or by an infallible Guide that he provides against men's unbelief; but when with preparation, like our man here in the Text, in weeping earnestly we betake ourselves to him, crying out for help and direction, and applying our understanding meekly to attend his methods, he disposes piously the Will to entertain the gracious blessed Proposals of the Gospel with complacency and heartiness, and from conversing with the experience of them to prefer them before all worldly carnal things that used to bait our lusts, ravish our hearts, and carry us away from God and from our duty: and it is against this unbelief, in thus departing from the living God, that his assistances are mainly levelled, and our Prayers chiefly are to be directed. For 'tis most infinite madness to persuade and satisfy ourselves we are of the true Church, have the only true certain Faith, if yet our practices be such as set us at as great a distance from Almighty God, as Hell is from Heaven; and while we do commit such things, 'tis as impossible we can adhere to God, as 'tis impossible for Christ to have communion with Belial. It is a Contradiction by ungodly actions to defy God and turn our backs upon, and depart from him, yet to cling and adhere to him; 'tis, as I say, a Contradiction to believe that we have Faith, while we do not cling to, and adhere, but depart from him. Lord, help thou this our unbelief. And if his grace but once dispose us to prefer the blessed expectations of a Christian, he does easily prevail with us to cling to them with such certain assurances, as will carry us thro' all the stages of our life and duty, with all cheerfulness and constancy. This is that certainty of Faith by which the Martyrs cleaved to, and embraced at once the Cross and their Religion, firm in dying as believing; and when with arts of torment they broke all their joints and their limbs piece-meal, scattered all their parts asunder, tore their souls out of their bodies, still they kept their Faith whole, and their Tormentors could not tear one Article of their belief or Christian practice from them: and when their Wills were once inflamed with the desires and expectations of God's preparations, than no other martyring flames could make them shrink. Those seemed to them but brighter Emblems of, and speedier Conveyances to that Eternal Light and Glory, which their Faith had given them the evidence and the first vision of: they knew by them they only did expire into Everlasting Life and Glory. SERMON XIV. THE CHRISTIANS LIGHT is to shine before men. Matt. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. THE words have two parts, a command and a reason of it: the command, Let your light shine before men; the reason, That they may see your good works etc. The command affords to us this instruction; the life of a Christian is to be fruitful and exemplary. Both these are commanded not only in the command itself, but proved in the reason, That they may see your good works: there must therefore be works, which are the fruits of virtue. Yea and fruitfulness is every where required by Christ, and if we look upon the current of Scripture and our duty, we shall find that it will not serve a Christian's turn not to bring forth ill fruit, to be only barren ground, not to have vices bud and sprout within us and grow with an increase of sin; but we must do good. In the Parable of the Sour Matt. 13. 23. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hundred fold. We are gods Husbandry, 1 Cor. 3. 9 Now is any of you satisfied with his field, because it ploughs well and receives the seed most kindly, if it bring you no increase or crop, yield you no harvest? No, saith the Author to the Hebrews c. 6. 8. such ground is nigh to cursing. Why your works they are your crop, your harvest; and when God shall send forth his Reapers, the Angels, if they can find no returns of all God's cultivating you, but all his husbandry, his seedness, and his pains too have been lost upon you, no increase, but only barrenness, your end is to be burnt; or only tares, they are to be cast into a furnace of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matt. 13. 42. And in like manner by the Parable of fruit trees a Matt. 3. 8, 10. John Baptist, Bring forth fruits meet for repentance; for the axe is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And David describing his blessed man Psalm 1. does it, first by showing he does not bring forth ill fruit. But neither will that serve turn to hear and meditate and talk of the word of God, and not to do it. It is the very same thing as a wilderness upon the water side, a dead barren tree upon the River's bank. No his man is like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that brings forth his fruit in due season. We are God's Vineyard, Isaiah 5. and he tells us there, what pains he hath bestowed upon us, v. 2. He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest Vines etc. v. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done unto it? Now if we do not bring forth grapes, Go to, saith God v. 5, 6. I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard, I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned nor digged, but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Yea God did not only lay waste his Vineyard in that Isaiah 5. because it brought forth sour and wild fruit, but our Saviour in the Gospel cursed a Figtree, because it brought forth no fruit. And indeed that barren Figtree was the only thing upon the earth that ever Christ did curse, all his Miracles were mercies, but that. An unfruitful Christian is such a thing a Saviour hath no mercy for; a mere negative virtue hath so little claim to Heaven, that it cannot escape the curse of a Jesus. And shall we apply this, first to the conviction of their opinions, who think if they lie under no gross customs, if they be not tainted with any foul commissions, they are then in a safe condition? What if they forgive no wrong, why they will do none, and so who shall lay any thing to their charge? Pardon they will not any minute offence, because they avoid the wanting it from others; and they will not hate nor malice, though they cannot have the bowels of of love, no fellowship of Christian kindness: they have no foul unclean heats, nor no devout ones; no ardencies of lust, nor yet of zeal: so they do not blaspheme God by daily oaths, make no matter of worshipping him by daily Prayers; and if his holy name be not in their execrations, 'tis well enough though he be not in their Petitions. No though they go a little further, and besides their doing no gross ills have great Professions of Religion, they have all the leaves and foliage of a Christian, they make a fair shell of Piety, take abundance of pains to do all those things that are to style them great Professors, plenty of hearing, and abundance of talking, but no doing: if you search the leaves you find no fruit, no constant tenor of good works in every kind of Christian duty; these are but too obvious stratagems of Satan and our deceitful hearts to make us satisfy ourselves, either with our condition, though our Piety look no further than to do no ill, and the positive part of Religion be altogether unregarded by us; or though we have no more of it, but the Profession. O my Brethren, as to these last remember that the cursed Figtree had leaves, had fair show enough to bait our Savior's hunger, and promise him refreshment, and temt him out of the way to it: and to the other, hath God authority only to forbid, can he command nothing from us? Are we content only to abstain from something for his sake, but will not do any thing for his, nor Heaven's sake? Is not his Worship as dear to him as our lusts are hurtful to him, and hath he not as much reason to require that we should be devout and holy, as that we should not be profance and filthy? Can all his mercies, all his rewards neither procure nor deserve more of us, than only not to serve the Devil? Surely, my Beloved, both these sorts of Christians shall find, that in the catalogue of sins to be accounted for, omissions shall be reckoned, when our Saviour comes to pass his sentence at the dreadful day of Judgement. See the tenor of it, b Matt. 25. 41, 42. Go ye cursed, for when I was hungry, ye gave me no meat. 'Tis not ye shall be damned because ye stripped me, and because ye starved me, but because ye did not relieve me. And 'tis so in the other, not bringing forth fruit, not doing fills up the sentence of final malediction. But the sadder conviction of this is for the practice of those that are nothing but commissions, whose vice is positive, men that cleanse themselves from holiness, and go on daily perfecting filthiness. If the man, Matt. 25. that received the one Talon, and laid it up safe in a Napkin, and did no ill with, yet because he did no good, was therefore cast into utter darkness, whither, think you, had he been cast, if he had made that Talon the instrument of his sin, if like the Prodigal he had spent it upon harlots, or upon excesses? And whither shall they be doomed, who do so? If it be not enough to abstain from sin, what will become of them that do little else but act it? If not to do pass sentence, how will to commit condemn? and if the half righteous shall not be saved, c 1 Pet. 4. 18. where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? If the tree with leaves, that was green in foliage be cursed, shall not the dry and rotten one be burnt? Alas for these men, what a long stage of duty have they to go thro' (if they do intend in this life ever to be better) who have not yet set forth, have entered upon any part; who have not d Rom. 13. 12. cast off the works of darkness, which yet, when they have done, they have but half, they must put on the armour of light, such too as will shine: they must be fruitful and exemplary. And this second quality is indeed the great design of this Text, which hath more force in it than that of a single command; for the verse is a conclusion following upon the three former. He tells them that they are Salt, and Sun, and a City, and a Candle, things that are visible or else diffusive of their virtues, and then concludes Let your light, or rather, So let your light, as a candle gives light unto all that are in the house; So do ye, Let your light shine before men. Light is set here for Christian Holiness and Purity, as I shall show you; and that most fitly, because nothing so pure as Light, clear as shine and noonday, nor nothing so diffusive, it shows itself to all: so that the thing meant by it, is an open visible Holiness of Conversation. Or secondly more especially to represent the Purity of a Christian Life; Light is so clear, that it is set to express the very Holiness of God himself 1 John 1. 5. This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all. And indeed Light was the very first emanation of God in the e Gen. 1. 3. Creation, he said first, let there be light. And it is the most spiritual and pure of all visible corporeal beings, its motions seem instantaneous, and by a kind of omnipresence it fills the medium, and appears entire in every part of it: yea farther, it is not liable to slain or sulliage, sunshine is as bright upon a Cottage as a Palace, a dunghill as a bed of Roses; you may extinguish light, but not defile it. No expression comes near the clearness of light, and this our Holiness is to strive after. But thirdly, most of all to represent the open visibility of Christian virtue. Nothing is so easily seen as Light, for indeed nothing can be seen but by it: in a moment it will scatter itself over the whole Hemisphere; yea Heaven itself does not bound the Sunshine, and it passes thro' the Firmament. Even so diffusive should our Piety be, shining before men, and like the Sun's light too spreading into Heaven, shining before Angels, and making them rejoice. A Christian is not to suffer any man to walk in the dark either of ignorance or of sin, whom his knowledge or example may recover; he must instruct and enlighten the mind, he must reform and enlighten the will and the affections. His pious actions must be always shining in his eyes to guide and stir him up, and every one must be Christ's star to lead to him. They that be wise, saith Daniel c. 12. 3. shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. Yea they are to shine so as they may turn many, that shining being both their glory and their duty. And St Paul tells how they are to shine Phil. 2. 15. Be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. All men look upon you, and therefore you are to give them good example. They are as watchtowers upon the sea, that have lights placed in them to guide the Mariners into safe harbour, to teach them how to shun the rocks: and this they are to do both by their own practice and by reproof. Eph. 5. 11, 13. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. But all things that are reproved, are made manifest by the light. When those foul acts that are done of them in secret, are reproved by a man that hath this Divine Light in him, than it appears how foul and wicked they are, which the darkness of their souls would not let them see. John 3. 20. it is set down as the property of light to reprove evil deeds by discovering to them the ugliness of their courses, and showing the fair example of a contrary life, to turn them from the evil of their ways. This is to let their light shine before men. Another expression is of a Candle v. 15. of which the ground is the same with that of the other, the Light of the world, only the Type sinks a little. The Light there had a larger Sphere; for the Sun gives shine to all the world, but the Candle here gives light but unto all that are in the house, as our Saviour words it, or at least that are in the room. Now this Emblem was also very necessary: the greatest part of men are of a lower rank and employment than their example should have influence upon very many, or that their actions should be called Sunshine; the acts of their calling are low, and so are those of their Piety and Religion, not considerable enough to be viewed or looked upon by many others; they are not any thing notably, and how then can they be exemplary in their lives? They are too much clouded both in their fortunes and their employments and their faculties to send forth any Rays, they cannot shine. Why yet for these our Saviour hath a Type here in his Sermon, as also a great part of his life was the very practice of this exemplariness in a very low and ordinary condition. From the time that he disputed with the Doctors at twelve years old, the shine and glory of which action may seem enough to have tempted one to show forth his light in an eminent manner, to have presently undertaken employments, wherein he might have been seen; yet till the time that he was thirty years old he retired himself, and was subject to his Parents, living with, and serving them privately at Nazareth Luke 2. 51. who, God knows, were of a very mean condition, and consequently so was he, working with his hands in a mean trade. Now all this while how did his light shine before men, when it was immured in a Carpenter's workhouse? Why even then it did in exemplary humility, great obedience, pious carriage, and virtuous diligence, ordering his conversation in that very mean condition, so as that made him gracious in the sight of God and of men v. 52. So that from his behaviour in that low estate men accounted him a very good person. And then, whosoever thou art, be thou never so low, Christ hath showed thee how to shine before men, as he did, though he were the Son of Righteousness. Thou canst not be too mean to be obedient, to be careful in thy service, to be harmless, never doing or speaking ill of any body: thou canst not be too low to be abased, nor consequently to have occasion to show forth patience, meekness, and long-suffering, and gentleness, those glorious, however humble, virtues. And this is truly to make thy light shine before men. Tho thy example be not big enough to be looked upon by a whole Shire, nor yet a Parish, nor a Township, thou canst not be accounted the light of the world; yet be thou never so little, thou mayest shine forth as a Candle, give example to the Family in which thou art by those virtues of being harmless. If thou have not so much Piety, so much Light as will shine abroad and make a day, yet give a roomful of example, let none grope thro' ignorance, or fall into sin in the house where thou dost dwell, if thy small light of knowledge can instruct, or thy good carriage and encouragements can persuade him. And this especially concerns them that are set out to be Lights to walk before them in knowledge: Husbands, Masters, Parents, or any others, whose employment is to instruct or govern, of whom whosoever he be that by any evil carriage of his own gives ill example to those he hath to deal with, if they follow it, (as 'tis not to be expected but they will) he multiplies his guilt, and derives on himself all the sins that are his imitations. The vices of all that follow him are all his retainers, his is a family of sins, and the imitations of his Children are to be imputed to him; he is Father of villainy, and hath a whole offspring of guilt too: and all the sins that are done by his example, will appear the same thing as the Devil at the day of Judgement, and claim their Father; there the brood of iniquity will come and challenge him, and there alike curse their Parent and the Devil to whom they equally, and as accursedly relate, as those that joined to beget their vices, that have destroyed them eternally, both Parents of their destruction. This is certain hence, for he that but puts out the Candle, is accessary to all the falls and hurts that the darkness causeth. Now thy good Example is the Candle, which if thou do not show forth, thou leavest them in the dark. And then if not to walk holily in all thy actions be a thing of so much guilt, it would be worth the sad serious consideration of every man, whom any others do but hear or look upon, especially if those whose age makes them capable of little else but imitation, to bethink themselves that every oath or curse of theirs may teach some others, every obscene word may stir up others lust, and instruct others what to learn hereafter: every passion, every drunkeness may make the ignorant believe those sins are not so foul, which are so customary with those that know more than they do, and by often seeing them may be invited to them; and so for other sins. And if they do, how many sins shall they have to answer for, besides their own, which, God knows, are an infinity, too many? What an invitation may one take for this from that happy consideration, that an innocent carriage, an holy Example does contribute to the blessedness of all the Souls that look upon me? Let others take delight to entertain the desires of those that keep them company with the pleasures of sin or vanity, to furnish them with instruments of delightful folly; but let me be instrumental to their being happy to eternity: I had rather be a lover of their Souls, than of their mirth. Let me be useful to the glory of my God, and the Salvation of those that are about me; which certainly I am in a good measure, if I can but have a care of approving all my actions so, as may give others no occasions to sin, but may effectually attract them to my profession. Then I do cooperate with the Blood of Christ; for that was poured out to buy men from their vain conversation, from which if my Example will but help to reduce them, I shall save Souls, and in my Light they shall see a Light of everlasting Glory on themselves, and my Light also will shed Glory towards God; for so I glorify my Father which is in heaven, the reason of the precedent command. And this is incumbent especially in a dark season, such as this to which we are condemned; wherein to say nothing of those mists of error in which the generality of us are lost, engaged in a confused crowd of Religions, tossed up and down with a tumult of pretending opinions, and either wholly in the dark, or having only false lights that do misguide us, so that we know not which way to get out. Omitting these, there is a grosser darkness does inhabit with us, such as that which makes Hell the Region of utter darkness. 'Tis not ignorance but wickedness that dwells there, and that is the Region not of mistakes, but of impiety, and we go on in such a constancy of works of darkness, as does require an everlasting night to cover, and go on in such a fearlesness, as if that night could hide us from that God, who clothes himself with light. And what is the duty in relation to such a season? You have it Phil. 2. 15, 16. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God, without rebuke, unblemished in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom shine ye as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. A severe harsh injunction, that man must therefore have the stricter care that his life be blameless and unblemished, must therefore be more forward in devotions & holy performances, because most men about him are far otherwise, because he lives among loose people. The contrary indeed might prove a good encouragement to live a blameless life, because I live amongst harmless holy people; for than what provocation have I to be otherwise? Besides the shame of being otherwise among such would abundantly restrain me, when if I did commit any enormity I must be looked upon as a stain and blemish in the very beauty of Holiness, look like a Negro in the midst of glorious beauties, as a dash of Hell in the Landshape of Heaven: besides this, 'tis easier to be harmless among those that are so. If the generality of persons were truly pious, how could any one almost be otherwise among them that are so disposed, as neither to provoke, nor give admission to a sin, where every one is so truly meek as to bear any thing, and yet every one so virtuously just as to offer nothing unfit; such humble patience as to entertain any cross, any vexation quietly, and yet such meek truehearted charity as not to give any? Indeed if every body that one hath occasion to converse or deal with were a full Christian, there could be no discontent at all, Heaven would be upon Earth: and then if I were in the midst of such a Nation or People, there were Argument enough to make me harmless, both because I should have no occasion to be otherwise, and because I must be so, that I might be unblemished. But a perverse and crooked Generation as it deserves no kind of dealing but its own, to return them the like is but just dealing one would think, and only recompense, not injury. So not to do is almost impossible: perverseness is so great a goad, that with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward, saith David to the Lord Psalm 18. 26. and then to tell me I must be harmless, because I live in the midst of a perverse and crooked Generation, looks like a very unreasonable reason. This is the sense of men. But truly this is to discourse against Text, and perfectly to go against that duty which the Scripture does so strictly enjoin upon those very grounds for which they refuse it. This is so far from doing without disputing, that we would reason ourselves out of our obedience with those very reasons, for which God says we should obey. And truly very justly; for when is any use of light but in the dark? 'Tis then most time for us to shine, when there is nothing else but works of night about us. When thou art engaged in the conversation of those profane people, or by any occasion cast into the company of them; when either custom, or passion, or carnal inclinations make them without regard of God and Piety transgress or break one or more Commandments, if thou be a Christian, and consequently pretend to those things here which Christ says every Christian is, if thou be a Light, than God hath cast thee where there is some business, some employment for thy light; and truly that hath several things to do in such a case. One is to reprove Eph. 5. 11, 13. And truly as to this duty of reproving, that is if the persons offending be such, as either are my charge, or such; as preserving that respect that is due to Authority and distance, I may speak to freely, then clearly to reprehend them; or if they be otherwise, then by some humble gesture or other meek manner to give them to see that sense I have, and every Christian ought to have of their sins, and that though I respect their persons, yet I dislike and detest the crime, is such a piece of Piety, as if there were no other engagement to but that of Friendship, methinks it should prevail with me. For should I see my company that I pretend a kindness to, or any of them that I call friend, going to drink a cup of poison either heedlessly or in an humour, or stab himself in a frolic, when probably by speaking I might hinder it, at leastwise I may hope to do somewhat towards it, if I but beg them to be kinder to my friend, and not to stab or poison him that I have a kindness for, not to destroy my friendship; shall I think I have a friendship for him, if I would not so much as make essay to hinder it, but let him take this course of ruin? Shall I say, I have a kindness for him, when I would not so much as mind him of that precipice he stood upon the edge of, nor offer to desire him back? Or is it indeed more friendship to pledge him in the dagger or the poison, or when I see him at the brink of headlong destruction to thrust him forwards, and to throw myself down with him? This is indeed the way of the world's kindness, but God deliver me from such a friend, I can have legions of such as those in Hell: the Devil hath been showing me such kindness constantly ever since I did know what sin was, offering me the company and the delights of sin, urging me forwards to them. No sure I that should think that man had scarce affection for me, who would not tell me to prevent a little danger, or a mischief; or that should but see a great unhandsomness about my habit, or foul stain upon my face, which probably would make me laughed at by the company I was then going into, and should not care to give me warning, should much less think he loved me that would not tell me of a spot or deformity, which would render me hateful to God and all the holy Saints and Angels, nor come to keep me from eternal condemnation. I think he loves me most that labours heartily to do me most good, and he that endeavours to make me blessed, does that. And truly can you tell me what other very great use there is of friendship (which yet is one of the greatest desirables in this world) besides this of having one that will heartily mind the making of me better, and so helping me forwards that which is infinitely and everlastingly my greatest concernment? All other uses may be had without it, but a faithful Monitor, a Reprover cannot be had without it. The benefit of such reproof, where it is followed, is the worthy issue of such an excellent thing as holy friendship, Godlike love. And indeed the kindness of reproving befits well the most bosom-friendship, that it tied by the utmost engagements of this world. This where it did speed (and they that love in earnest will desire and labour that it may) would be sure to breed a kindness as lasting as their Souls, they need feel no decay of it, while there is an Heaven to reward the good success of such Reproofs. And a much greater kindness too 'twould be than any little carnal endearments, and the merits of mutual delights beget common interests, and common pleasures, and common children are not like common salvation; when one of these pairs shall look upon the other as the Angel that watches over him to keep him from from falling into evil, as Lots two Angels that took him by the hands to hurry and to force him out of Sodom: as one to whom he does not only owe his share of the comforts of this life, but the comforts of Religion and the Hope of Eternity. This must cement beyond all carnal Unions; and he that evermore hath a friend whom he dares trust, and hath no interest disjointed from his own, would give a commission, and desire that friend to reprehend him in whatever thing he sees amiss: however I may be passionate at the time, yet let this be your warrant; do it, I may think on it afterwards; do not let me be ruined, because in that hot moment I would be angry to be saved; if you love me, love my happiness, and not the satisfaction of an instantaneous passion, or the letting me enjoy that present folly. Rather than see me hot with anger, will you see me dwell with everlasting burnings? When I come to myself, the heat will change into devout, and into loving warmths; and if I do recover by it, both our Souls at last in one close Pyramid of zealous and affectionate Flame will mount to Heaven. Now I have said all this, and do consider that by almost all the world reprehensions and kindnesses are thought two very distant things, I know not whether all this will signify much, nor may be would it more, if I should press this property of Light, this kind of shine that a Christian is bound to, reproof of whom them he sees sin from the reason of the Text, the glory that will accrue to God by it. When in a loose and vicious company a Sinner does run on in a full carrier, transgress without a rub, if there be no one there that is fit, and dares own Piety and the Lord of it, they are quite put out of countenance, and vice becomes creditable in that company; and accordingly you may see many that otherwise are not very apt to sin, yet than they will offer at little Atheistical beginnings of it: they will endeavour, because they will be in the fashion of the company. And this is one of Satan's advantageous seasons, when as we see if there be but one by of a sober and discreet virtue, that dares speak meek reason, or dares when they do swill their Souls in filthy folly of one or other sort, or are loud in the rants of vice by disliking gestures, let them know that such unclean entertainments are detestable to a sober person, or withdraws abruptly, & by such a departure shows, that he scorns to stay to behold or hear such impurities; this often does not only hinder those beginners, take them off that would have been dabbling, but does sometimes a little damp the progress of the most professed Sinner. It is a bridle to his neck, he will not march so furiously in his carrier of oaths, or of obsceness, or whatever other sin; he does not indulge himself so full a licence: and so by this means God gets some respect, and Religion a little repute, when they see it hath some followers, and God hath some that will not see him dishonoured. And truly, my Brethren, do but consider what a storm it does use to raise in any man to hear an absent Friend or Relation abused, or evil spoken of. If we be in any degree of them the world calls Gentlemen, than nothing but the sword must make return to such a word, nothing but life and soul can answer, nothing but blood and death repair: and 'tis this resentment we, in whose company the disgrace was offered, think ourselves more concerned, than that Friend that was the subject of. And then methinks you should not think it strange, if there be some that do believe they have so much relation to God, and that he hath approved himself to be so much their Friend, they cannot but take it unkindly, and speak, when they hear him affronted, and see him dishonoured. And methinks too it should not be unreasonable to expect this from all of us to whom God hath been Friend enough, that we should do this handsome, this noble glorious thing, as to right the Lord in companies where we are, and to credit our Maker; and not let vice exalt over him, where we shall chance to be. Truly, my Brethren, this is the least that God hath reason to expect from us, even the reproof of our words, that of our open holy lives, by which as the wicked say in Wisdom 2. 12. The Righteous do reprove their thoughts, and upbraid them with their offending the Law, and object to their infamy their transgressions. This is strictly and to an high degree required by God of every one of us, that we may have influence upon others, to be open and exemplary, to shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven, which was the reason of the command, and the end of our very being. Now to God the Father etc. SERMON XV. OF THE ACCEPTED TIME, the Day of Salvation. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of Salvation. THE words foregoing, of which these I now read are the application, run thus: for he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succoured thee; which God saying in the 49th of Isaiah 8. signified as in the type, & in relation to the Church and Nation of the Jews he had days of Salvation, fit and proper seasons to deliver them from their afflictions and calamities, (for Salvation often signifies that) had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tempus placentiae, time of grace, wherein he was well pleased to hearken to their cries and wants, and in those he heard and succoured them: so in the Antitype, and in relation of the Christian Church and all the Members of it (for of these St Paul here useth it expressly) he hath his accepted time, days not only for such temporal deliverance, of which some will have the Salvation meant here, but much more for Salvation Eternal. But then as Kings, when they publish acts of grace and oblivion, do not only set & appoint, but limit out the time for Subjects to come in, submit and return to their fidelity and allegiance, which if once elapst, they are incapable of benefit by any such grant, cannot at least plead it: so it seems God does too, and it is not sure that whosoever, at what time soever, calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Rom. 10. 13. but, as King David told him, they shall make their prayer to thee in a time of finding Psalms 32. 6. in a time when his good pleasure it, the very word here Psalm 69. 13. and this time St Paul restrains here to the present now, meaning not only in the general now in times while they are under grace, are in the Covenant of it, and when the dayspring from on high hath visited them, and while they had the Gospel, that word of this Salvation: for whilst men live under this gracious dispensation, they may let the opportunities of laying hold of it go by them; while the light of the Gospel shines upon them, yet the day of Salvation may be quite gone out, of which St Paul here seems solicitous for his Corinthians who had received the Gospel, lest yet they may have received that grace in vain, and the Salvation should escape them. To prevent which, saith he, there is no other sure way but by seizing on the present, Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation: so that the words afford these subjects of discourse. 1. There is a time wherein we may be certainly accepted if we come to God, and there is a day of Salvation offered us. 2. This time is limited, 'tis a day of salvation, consequently we may possibly outstand it, and may suffer it to pass irrecoverably. 3. The only sure way to prevent that, is to lay hold on the present, to begin now. 1. There is a time wherein we may be certainly accepted if we come to God, and there is a day of Salvation offered us. The Text does make sufficient proof of this, for if the accepted time be now, and if now be the day of salvation, than there is such a day and time, which our Lord commanded to be preached to every humane creature in the world. Indeed the preaching of the Gospel is nothing else but publishing this truth, the Gospel being but a tender of Salvation upon pardon of whatever we have done amiss, and the accepting us, whenever we repent and truly turn to God, believing on him, and resolving to continue faithful to him, and all this assured to us by Covenant, such as God himself both made and ratified in the blood of Christ; and to prevent exception, since he gave command to have this Gospel preached to every creature Mark 16. 15. and our Church does teach us in her Articles, that we must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture, there is no pretence for controversy with a Preacher of the Gospel, who shall publish there is such an offer of Salvation made us all, a time wherein we may be sure to be accepted. Yea more, not only to ascertain but to work effectually this acceptance, howsoever wicked and rebellious we had been, he sent his Son, the Son of God to be incarnated to treat a Reconciliation; for so chapter 5. 19 'tis said, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses. For this he made him shed his blood upon the Cross, and die and live again; for thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, that Repentance and Remission of sins might be preached in his name to all Nations Luke 24. 46, 47. Yea for that he gave this crucified Jesus all the Glory, Majesty and Power of Heaven; for him hath God exalted to his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sins, Acts 5. 31. A wonderful Oeconomy if we reflect upon it, and sufficient to astonish both our faith and apprehension also, that the Great Creator and the only Lord of all things should make God man, and then ignominiously suffer a most cruel death that he might mediate and purchase for us terms of this acceptance and salvation, and make that ignominious sufferer, that dead man God, and give him all the Power of Heaven and Earth, that he might make us fit for, and bestow it on us. This strange transaction is no argument at all most surely, that to be at peace with us can be of any consequence to him, to whom felicity is most essential. Lord, what is man that thou art thus mindful of him, and the son of man that thou so regardest him? in whom, if we look thro' him, we can find nothing in the world that's very notable, but only that he can defy his most Almighty Maker, so as nothing but the blood of such a Mediator could be fit to satisfy for, nothing but Eternal Hell fit to revenge; and can defy his own concerns and interests so far, as to make that Eternal Hell his choice, his most deliberate option. But however the Oeconomy of this so strange a mediation, though it cannot prove God is concerned at all to have this Reconciliation wrought with us that we should be accepted and be saved; for a Job 22. 3. is it any pleasure to Almighty God that thou art just? or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect? b Job 35. 6, 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him; or what receiveth he of thine hand? If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him; or if thy wickedness be multiplied, what dost thou to him? yet of how much the less consequence we are to God, it is so much the greater demonstration of his infinite benignity and goodness, who when he had no one motive in the world but pity to our lost condition, was so bountiful, that when all the compassion of Divinity would not serve our turn for the provision of a ransom, he took in Humanity, that God might give somewhat besides himself to purchase us a time of Grace, and a day of salvation. Yet more, if we should trace him in his several ways of mercy which he constantly pursues those wretchless creatures, miserable us, in, that all that may be effectual and succeed to our Salvation, we should find he uses all means possible to engage us to accept of it: for not content with all his Son had done, he ordered a Succession of men to solicit the same suit to the world's end. What God was in Christ doing, that he hath committed to us the ministry of; Now than we are Embassador●s for Christ, as if God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, 2 Cor. 5. 20. a little before my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith c Tom. 3. p. 611. St chrysostom, when he that had obliged us infinitely, our Almighty Benefactor, and had been as infinitely affronted and provoked with all ingratitude imaginable and all possible defiance, gave his own Son to be reconciled, and when they murdered that Son when he came to mediate, and were so far from kearkning to him, that they crucified him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, one would think 'twere time to leave such to themselves, and give them over as things hopeless and irreconcilable. No, he sends others on the Embassy and will not let it fall; with all the soft and lowly arts of invitation they must pray you, and in Christ's name beg of you, and God does beseech you by them. Now did he please out only to expostulate it with us, why we will resolve to be at enmity with him and Salvation too, why we will die for ever; it would argue a concern for us, the apprehension of which ought to be very comfortable to us: but when God descends to beseech us, (the expression looks uncouth indeed, but yet it is not strange he should entreat that which he died for, beg of us what he asked for not with importent weak tears, but with strong cries on the Cross, with the bloodshed of his own onely-begotten Son;) when he thus conveys his importunate entreaties to us, that we would endure his kindness a 〈◊〉 own eternal Blessedness, would suffer ourselves to be saved, it is impossible there can be more assurance given he would have us be so, that 'tis offered us and we may be accepted. Nor did he send these his Ambassadors as bare petitioners with emty importunities and mere entreaties of this, but they strengthen these proposals with exceeding great and precious promises, as St Peter calls them Epist. 2. 1. 4. promises both of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, St Paul says 1 Tim. 4. 8. yea and these as sure as that there is a God that made them. Neither are they wanting to inform us of the dangers we most certainly incur if we refuse him, merely to affright us to him, to incline us to admit Salvation rather, and prefer it before everlasting misery: and all this by his express commission, they being set by God as watchmen to give warning to the wicked from him, as he tells Ezekiel c. 3. 17. And lest their discourse should be too faint, and not have force to move us, God does frequently step in himself by providential acts; when unsubduable by Reason or Religion, deaf to our very interests we pursue our sinful satisfactions with ungovernable fierce carrier, he lays a Cross on us to trash us, or le's lose a fever at us so to bring us low and make us sensible; or else he suffers our own evil counsels to entangle us, we are catcht in our own machinations and designs, he lets us taste the bitter fruit of our own doings, and our sins pull down calamities or mischiefs on us so far sometimes as to scare us with the landshape of their after expectations; having thrown us on the brink of destruction, laid us at the gates of the grave, at the very mouth of Hell, where if God had left us, we had been sealed up, determined to the irreversible retributions of our iniquities; but he interposed to snatch us thence and set us further off, so to enlarge our time to be accepted in, and to lengthen the day of salvation to us. I challenge every man's experience to attest this, there is no man but his heart heart witness to it; and to this too, how when we have thrown ourselves upon temptation, he is pleased to blunt or turn aside the edge of it: how often have we put ourselves into those circumstances, wherein thousands have miscarried as to all considerations both of this world and the other? And inevitably we had done so, but that he was pleased to temper the malignity of the occurrences and divert the mischief, merely that he might preserve us for his opportunities. It is for this he watches over us, as he tells Jeremy 31. 28. when as, God knows, we are so far from importuning him to do it that we think not of him nor of ourselves, do not so much as ask his cares, indeed neglect, affront them, yea deny them; yet he spares us for these blessed purposes, and is long-suffering to u●-wards, not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3. 9 Spares us that if possible he may find softer seasons wherein we may be more pliant, take impression more easily; therefore also he provides oft such a state of things as may be more effectual, more prevailing with us, as if indeed he waited for the time of our good pleasure, when himself should be acceptable to us, and his motions received by us. Yea and that they may be so, with these external methods there are also inward excitations and assistances afforded us. That he may both find and make these congruous seasons, he is either trying or soliciting and importuning frequently our very hearts, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, saith he Rev. 3. 20. if any man bear and open, I will come in to him. 'Tis he, it seems, that waits to be admitted, and waits long too, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have stood knocking, and am there still doing so. Your hearts however barred against me by your contumacy, otherwise I that have the key of David and that opened Lydia's heart, could not be kept out; but although it be so, yet I do not pass by or stand at them unconcerned expecting whether you will open and admit me, but I knock importunately and unwearied, by disquieting men in their Lethargic state of inconsideration and insensibility, by exciting apprehension to reflect upon their duty and their practice that is so distant from it and the danger of that; I attemt to rouse their Conscience, if so be when that is waked and troubled and affrighted, it may possibly prevail with them to be content to let a Saviour in. Nor is he satisfied with standing still so, and expecting; for God is that very Father in the Parable, who when the Prodigal had wasted among riotous men and harlots all his portion, all the obligations of his Father's kindness, but at last made sensible by the extremity of want and hunger, and not able to find any sustenance elsewhere, then resolves on returning and acknowledging his fault, when he was yet a great way off, saw him and had compassion on him, did not stay his coming, but ran out to meet him, and fell on his neck to kiss him; yea fallen lower in his kindness than the Son in his humiliation and acknowledgements, accepted him to all the dearness that relation enhanced by the recovery of what was lost and hopeless could pretend to. He is that Shepherd who went out to seek that lost sheep that ran from him, and that thought not of returning, who sought till be found it; and when it was wearied so with wilful straggling that it could not come back, carried it on his shoulders rejoicing. And now judge▪ I pray, between God and the Sinner, whether he have not Salvation offered him, and whether there be not a time wherein he may be certainly accepted if he come to God; when (in fum of that which hath been said) 'tis plain, to preach the Gospel to us Sinners is to proclaim this acceptable year of the Lord, it is to tender us Salvation purchased for us, and confirmed to us by the blood of the Son of God, which Son of his, God, was incarnate, crucified, raised, and exalted to be Lord of Heaven and Earth to work it out, and to bestow it on us; and to direct us in attaining it he keeps a standing Embassy of men commissionated to advice, premonish and solicit, to encourage to it, represent the dangers, if we follow other, our own counsels, and he suffers us to run ourselves into some of them, that the taste may make us sensible: and however we pass him by scornfully, and make no applications to his Providence, but despise his cares of us, yet he delivers us to give us more time that we may not perish, yea diverts temtations when we seek them, or defeats the mischief of them when we throw ourselves upon them and himself invites, beseeches, temts us, finds or else makes congruous seasons, and contrives such circumstances as may press, in fine, importunes, knocks and calls on us, and runs out to meet us, follows us, seeks till he finds us, carries us home to him. And what could have him done more to the Sinner, that he hath not don▪ And what we thus have seen him doing for particular persons, that he does much more unweariedly for Nations, in whose undisturbed tranquillity and good righteous Government the Godliness and honesty, as well as wealth and quiet of particular men, St Paul saith, is concerned: since in careless and loose Governments, and disturbed and broken one's men equally grow vicious, dishonest and ungodly; and in too great calms as well as tempests are apt to make shipwreck both of Faith and of good Conscience. Therefore God expresseth his concern for Nations in most passionate words, He rejoiceth over them to do them good with his whole heart and with his whole soul Jer. 32. 41. and when the importunity of crying National enormities, and that are so far from being punished, they are not discountenanced, enforce him that he can forbear no longer to endeavour by some chastning to reduce them, yet in all their affliction he is afflicted d Judges 10. 16. Zech. 2. 8. Acts 9 4. Isaiah 63. 9 and though he correct them, yet he suffers, having all the bowels of a tender Parent to them, and cries out in most lamenting wishes, O that my people would have harkened unto me! for if Israel bade walked in my ways, I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries, Psalms 81. 13, 14. And our Saviour in like manner, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, Matt. 23. 37. Although thou wilt endure no Envoys from me, no reconciliation, but against all Laws of Nations, which men do observe to all men, murderest all those Ambassadors that come from me, thy God, to treat it with thee, yet how oft would I myself have saved thee at the approach of imminent dangers? God does beseech the liberty of doing it, however obstinate they are against it. All the day long, saith he, I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people, as St Paul expresseth it Rom. 10. 21. and himself saith, I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, Isaiah 65. 2. spread them out in entreaties & assistances, to give them help and to beg of them they would receive it. We know when e Exod. 17. 11. Moses stretched forth his hands for Israel, (in Prayer saith the Chaldee) God still heard, and Israel prevailed against their Enemies; and when his hands were heavy and he weary, yet while others held them up stretched forth to God, they still prevailed, he heard still. But when God spreads out his hands to them all day long, as beseeching them that they would accept of his deliverances they gainsay it, and continue disobedient. Yea although they make him serve thus with their sins, and weary him with their iniquities, as he complains by the Prophet Isaiah c. 43. 24. yet by the same Prophet he assures them, therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, c. 30. 18. and if all his waiting by their obstinate perverseness be made ineffectual, than he seems inconsolable. In Hosea 13. 14. he tells Ephraim, I would have ransomed thee from the power of the grave, I would have redeemed thee from death, from those calamities and enemies that threaten ruin and extinction to the Nation, O death, I would have been thy plague, O grave, I would have been thy destruction, would have brought to nothing every thing that did endanger or look fatal to thee; but now consolatio abscondita est ab oculis meis, comfort is hidden from mine eyes, and since there is no further application, remedy or help for thee, there is no consolation for me. As indeed comfort was hid from the eyes of Christ, and they were capable only of tears, he could not see Jerusalem but he wept over it, Luke 19 41, 42. when once the things that did belong to the peace of that City were hid from their eyes, their day being ended, as he there tells them; for to that it may come, since this accepted time and the day of salvation being God's own chosen time and the day of his grace, it is also limited by him, we may outstand it, may suffer this day of Salvation to pass irrecoverably, the second thing I am to speak to. I shall not undertake to prove 'tis limited, because 'tis here expressed but by a day, a very narrow scantling; yet our Saviour so bespeaks Jerusalem, as if it had but that its day, when he spoke to them, O that thou hadst known in this thy day, Luke 19 42. and St Paul bids the Hebrews c. 3. 13. exhort one another while it is called to day. Yea more, as if that day were limited to one point of it, here 'tis worded so as that now is the time, now is the day; as if it were only that point of time that stabs itself, that present instant which expires the same first moment that it is: and yet our Saviour when he had told Jerusalem of that their day, as if that their day were no longer than the Apostles now, which as it now is, so now perisheth, even while it is; so did their day, for even in that their day, he tells them, now they are hidden from thine eyes. But passing these, that it is so both as to Nations and particular persons, Scripture will make evident. And my first instance shall be made in all the Nations of the Earth at once: God limited the time of his forbearance to the whole world, beyond which he resolved to be so far from using his endeavours to reclaim them, as that he would suffer them no longer Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. He was so wearied by their obstinacy, that he positively does determine that he would not still continue to be earnest with them, struggle to reduce them, since they were so stupid, wholly sensual, mere flesh. But before he would destroy them utterly he was content to try them yet so many years, and then he brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly. Again he tells f Gen. 15. 16. Abraham, that his Posterity, however it should be afflicted many years in a strange Land, yet in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Four Ages therefore they had yet allowed them to return in, and prevent their ruin; but if they neglect that and go on to add sin still to sin, by then the measure will be heaped and the iniquity will be full. Again the Jews, God's own peculiar People, and Jerusalem his holy and beloved City had yet but its term, Dan. 9 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, to complete that which shall bring full ruin on thy nation: and of those weeks it should seem as if the day on which Christ weeping over them wished, O that thou hadst known in this thy day, was the last of them; for he says, Now they are hidden from thine eyes. Once more, the City Niniveh was yet more straitened; Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed, Jonah 3. 4. 'Tis true this sentence was not executed, for the mere denouncing of it gave them such a true sense of their own condition, made them so consider how they had deserved it, that the Scripture says they believed God, heartily acknowledged it would be just dealing with them, that they could expect no other. Whereupon they cried out mightily to God, and put themselves into a state of such humiliation, as whether for the severity or the universality of it, 'tis possible the world hath never seen an instance like it. And if he that did command all this were King Sardanapalus, as most of the Learned do conclude, a man whose name alone was set to signify all sensuality beyond whatever other character, was the expression of it to a Proverb, if he became so sensible upon one Sermon to require and practise such Mortification and Repentance, it is no wonder if God would not execute his sentence upon them that so severely executed it on their sins and on themselves. And truly those few that allow it not Sardanapalus, and yet place the Prophet Jonah not long after him, must be put hard to it to find out then so great a City, as he tells you Niniveh then was, and so great a King of it. But he, although (as men of his vice possibly are apt to be sometimes) a little tender hearted, easily affected on some sudden passionate occasion, yet that being, as it mostly is, a fit of penitence, returning to his old abominable practices, after a short Reign his Kingdom was quite rend in pieces, and the City utterly destroyed, himself beginning it. He had before inflamed it with his lust, than he set fire to it, and left nothing after him besides his Epitaph, a greater and more lively character of sensuality than his whole life had been: and so that City, though it did lay hold upon the time of acceptance, seize the day of salvation, yet it quickly let it go again. And as for persons I shall need to give one only instance, since 'tis of more than six hundred thousand men, and each in their personal capacity. All whom g Num. 1. 2, 3. Males, able to go out to war God brought from Egypt with a mighty hand on purpose to conduct them to the Land of Canaan, and possess them of it; every one of whom saw more of God's immediate presence and his Glory, had more express miracle of grace and favour and forbearance also, than yet ever any People in the world had: yet these had their time of favour limited, had their day for God's performance; which time while it lasted he endured their provocations of the highest measure, even when they made another God to lead them. But when that day came, and they were at the point to enter, and h De●t. 1. 21. he bid them go in and possess it, and they would not make use of it, being scared with news of Enemies taller than they, and so distrusting God's help they repined they had not stayed in Egypt rather; then as I live, saith God, because all these men have seen my glory, and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, surely they shall not come into the Land concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein; neither shall any of them that provoked me, see it Num. 14. 22, 23, 30. And of all that number but two only who provoked him not, Joshua and Caleb, entered it. This very instance, and the Prophe David's application of it also Psalm 95. to the Jews of his time, that they would not be as their Forefathers, stubborn and untractable to all God's methods, standing out against them till it was too late, but that to day if they would hear his voice, they should be flexible and plaint: this, I say, St Paul in the third chapter to the Hebrews urges to the Christians, that they should also be so while 'tis called to day, while that their ●odie, their day that was allowed them lasted, lest they should outstand it, and they also be excluded from the everlasting rest in the Heavenly Canaan. And he presses further in the sixth, how God does finally withdraw his grace from those who in the day of it resist it, and makes no more tender of it to them; and illustrates this in the twelfth chapter with the history of Esau, who to satisfy a present appetite did sell his Birthright, and the Privileges and the Blessing that of course attended it; and although he sought it afterwards he was rejected, and ●ound no place of Repentance, nothing that could make his Father change his mind, although he sought it carefully with tears: and with the Parable of ground, which if when 'tis long watered with the dew of Heaven, and hath drank that fatness which the clouds drop down, it shall bring forth only briers, or continue barren, 'tis no longer cultivated, but rejected, reprobated, no more fit to be watered with the shours of Heaven, but burned up with scorching heat. Our Savior's i Luke 13. 7, 8, 9 Parable about the Figtree too hath the same Apologue, which if with three years' husbandry it bear no fruit, and in the fourth too, being manured more expressly, it fail also, cut it down then, lest it cumber the ground. Whether the term that limits this accepted time be meted out by years and months, so much time I will bear with them and expect, as the instance of the old world gives some colour for; or whether it be not set to days and hours, but measured by their reckonings of iniquity, when they have made up and filled the Epha, their time shall be out, as the Amorites example and the Israelites in the wilderness would evince: or whether both ways, as Jerusalem's and Ninivehs seem plain for, 'tis not for me to determine. Each or any of them does assure us that the time is bounded, beyond which there is no term, no day left if we do outstand that. O that thou hadst known in this day, saith he, but that being expired, then is the hour of darkness, now they are hidden from thine eyes; nor are they only hidden from their eyes, but God also shuts their eyes, sends them the spirit of slumber on them, that they may not see, not perceive, not understand, nor be converted, lest he heal them. The Predeterminations that do limit out the Age of men's Repentance, seem much more unalterable than those are that bound the Age of Life. Good k 2 Kings 20. 5, 6. Hezekiahs' tears and prayers got him fifteen years' accession to his days, time did go back for him, and he lived part of his Age over again. But when the life that is allotted for the possibilities of Repentance is spun out, when the day of God's expectation is once gone, we have no instance to produce that he will call back, or protract it to us: death may let go its hold, but obstinacy in sin does not; marble Monuments have heard and been obedient, yielded up, but the stony hard heart will not. And indeed to be innexible arises from the very nature of that course and progress in sin that does weary out God's forbearances, outstands all his offers, wastes the whole day of salvation. For to pass by the instances of the old World and of the Amorites, of which we have no more account, but that these Amorites were given up so to unnatural sin and uncleanesses, that the l Leu. 18. 28. Land spewed them out; in the other, that the Daughters of men had effaced all the thoughts and knowledge of God out of the very Sons of God, that the wickedness of man was so great that m Gen. 6. 5. every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. But in Israel, whom St Paul represents to us for caution, thus their state was; they had set their hearts on present satisfactions so eagerly and impotently, that whenever there was the least want of any, they repined that God had brought them out of Egypt; that their Jehovah should be at that distance from them as in Heaven, and their sustenance come thence too, quite discouraged them, broke all their confidence and faith: they must have their Provisions and their Deity too nearer, cry out for n Num. 11. 4. fleshpots and the o Exod. 32. 1. Calf of Egypt, that their meat and God too may be present. And although God always answered their complaints by satisfying of them, miracle sustained them constantly; yet, as Moses told them, Deut. 29. 2, 3, 4. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land, the great temtations which thine eyes have seen, the signs and those great miracles, yet ye had not an heart to understand, and eyes to see, and ears to hear unto this day: they had no sense of them but what brute beasts were capable of having; only gazed as lookers on them; did not mind, consider, and much less discern how great he was that wrought those wonders, and how able, ready and desirous to supply whatever they could need or he had promised, and that whatsoever they might want 'twas sure they should not want a miracle to furnish, and by consequence had all obligation that could be imagined to believe in, trust upon him and his promises. But of this they were not sensible, made no such reasonings; but when ever any thing they had a mind to was not present, or when any danger looked upon them, disbelieved and murmured still, flew in his very face, insomuch that God says Num. 14. 11. How long will this people provoke me, and how long will it be ere they believe me? Now after all those strong, most operative ways of making faith, they still persisting in their incredulity and most unreasonable and senseless doubtings, not believing him is but consequent they would not hearken to him, and be wrought on or persuaded by him; but resisted his will always, and, as it must follow, grew more and more stubborn and inflexible, that is, stiffnecked, as God calls them, having their hearts hardened. For it is the nature of things hardened to be such intractables. And being so to that degree that Miracles, God's most effectual method, could make no impression on them, that he laboured in vain with them, he must needs abandon them, and give them over as incorrigible: and so having worn out all his methods, and by consequence all his forbearance, he swore they should not enter in Canaan; and however he endured them to live forty years, their opportunity was dead and their day ended. I might tell you how the same ill temper of that Nation, looking after present earthly satisfactions, consequently for a temporal Messiah, made them disbelieve, and hardened them against Christ's miracles and teachings, but that former instance serves my turn; and when St Paul proposes this Example to the Christians as a warning that they suffer not their day to pass them, lest they be shut out of their eternal rest, their heavenly Canaan, he expressly cautions them against the same two things, that they fall not by the same ensample of unbelief Heb. 4. 11. and that their hearts be not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. Christ's Miracles, if they did not make faith of his person and commission, of the duties, promises and threats of the Gospel to the Jews, when present with them, we may fear their efficacy may be fainter in men at this distance: and if strong inclinations to the present, howsoever sinful satisfactions of their appetites, together with long practice and converse in them, have got a great love to them, 'tis most certain that this will not suffer them to receive the love of the Gospel; no not of its promises and blessednesses, all which are so averse and opposite to those satisfactions: and not loving it, it is impossible they can be willing to give credit to it. Yea those sensual affections blind the Understanding so that indeed it discerns not the truth of it, and engage the heart so that it gives no great heed to it; and then as Attention to it doth, the belief of it must decay. The man is only such a stupid Auditor of what is recorded in Scripture, as the Jews in the wilderness were Spectators of it, without faith or reflection; he considers not himself concerned much in whatever it proposes, whether by injunction, threat or invitation, whether it do promise blessedness or denounce judgement, and so grows insensible of his condition as to either: and then coming thus to have no sense of his condition, therefore neither hath he any fear by reason of it, i. e. so far his heart is hardened, and so going on continuing in that state, it is so perfectly. And what that is, Pharaoh can inform us. 'Tis such an heart as admits no compunction, though you let fly all God's arrows at it. No respect to God, what grounds soever of experienced goodness he have for it, softens it: if you beseech him on God's part, he is not moved, nor yields although you threaten him; if God invite him by prosperity and kindness, he is ungrateful, and he grows more dissolute; but if he scourge him, he grows either senseless or else furious and desperate, shameless here, fearless of hereafter, of all humane things regardless, of Divine contemtuous: all past things are most perfectly passed to him, he remembers nothing of the good or evil, so as to consider or make use of either; and although he throw away the present, yet as if the future would never arrive, although you lay before him certain death and the ensuing two Eternity's, it is not possible to move him to provide for that Futurity. And then, when neither present, past, nor future can work any thing upon him, how is it possible to change him? Now 'tis no wonder if God give him over, when his state is thus unalterable. Indeed as this condition when 'tis grown thus irreversible, makes the state of Hell here as to sinning, so it seems to make the state of it hereafter as to suffering, adding weight and in some sort Eternity to its torments; for with the other grounds that show it just for God to plague the little transient satisfactions of our sins with an immortal worm and everlasting burnings, this also is one, that the Sinner's appetite and resolution to sin is endless, and as much as in him lies eternal, and were he not cut off from the commission, his iniquity would be immortal. And it does appear so certainly, when if God set him out a time for his Repentance and their Reconciliation, and how great soever he have made his heaps, if he do not seal up the sum with this hardheartedness and persevering obstinacy, if while there is yet any sand to run, he will consider and take up, than God will pass by all the rest, and cancel the whole reckoning; if yet he will refuse this mercy, will go on to fill his Ephah, and commits even while the life of his Repentance is breathing out its last, while the possibilities of mercy are upon their deathbed gasping, the accepted time and the day of Salvation just ending, there is no doubt, his will, his appetite and resolutions to it are immortal, and 'tis therefore also fit his worm should be so: and there is no security against this, but by laying hold upon the present; for behold now is the day of Salvation, the last thing I am to speak to. I shall not press this from the common place of the uncertainty of this life, of which whatever we have passed as death possesses, so the succeeding moment's Judgement may lay hold of; we are sure of nothing but the present. But if we had not only the assurances which constancy of health and strength of constitution give but a lease of years, as Hezekiah had from God himself, we have no assurance of the time of acceptance. Many men, though they live fast, furiously spend the stock of Nature, sin yet with a much fiercer carrier, as the horse, p Jer. 8. 6. in Jeremy's expression, rusheth into the battle, and they spend the day of Salvation faster. Men may deceive themselves by reckoning to repent hereafter. We cannot conclude with reason we have space left for it while our life lasts, since those opportunities are not always, and perchance not frequently, commensurate with the life or being of a profligate man or Nation: and when they end together 'tis not that their whole life or being was allotted to those opportunities, but when these are forfeit or extinguished, God cuts off the other. Thus indeed he did destroy the old World, when the one hundred and twenty years for their repentance were expired; and several men are cut down out of time, as Job saith c. 22. 16. men that shall not live out half their days, as q Psalm 55. 23. David saith of the deceitful and the bloody men, that drink their own Blood when they thirst for others; men whose time for their acceptance went not out while their life lasted, because when it went out God cut off their life. But 'tis not always so. Not first in Nations: four Generations filled the measure of the Amorites iniquity, but five were passed before destruction made approaches to them. Judah had its sentence of excision in r 2 Kings 21. Manasses reign, but its execution was suspended till the time of Zedekiah near a hundred years. And again the things that belonged to the peace of Jerusalem were taken from them when they killed the Peacemaker, their day of Salvation too was darkened at Christ's Crucifixion, but the City lived yet forty years. Nor secondly in persons: Pharaohs time was out at the sixth plague, but God at once upheld and hardened him until the tenth was passed. And those six hundred thousand, that were doomed for murmuring, were afterwards near forty years in dying, lived so long to rebel against more miracles. Now all that time the state of all these, whether men or Nations, was irreversible, as to the doom passed upon them. Did we know indeed our measure of iniquity, how many crimes we wanted to fill up our Ephah, make an end at once of sin and the day of Salvation also; 'twere no wonder if we did not think it necessary now to seize the opportunity, having yet so many sins good. But there are commissions of great bulk, few of which will do it; the men that sin post, soon arrive at the end of the race that is set before them. There are whose life is nothing else but perpetual variety of wickedness, and they will quickly make up their account; the constancy inflames the reckoning, and the sum does advance mightily: how know they but the next of any of these greater magnitudes may fill up the score? To such now only may be the accepted time. However 1. They that, whenever such considerations are suggested, will not at that present, even now resolve to attemt to break their sins off by repentance, it is plain they are entangled in them, love them so, that they resolve expressly not to part with them yet, though they are made to consider by the course of all God's several workings for them and their own provokings, that they may have wasted almost all the stock both of God's methods and their own opportunities, and will venture doing it completely, rather than forego their darling customs. Now such a love to sin, as it works induration, (as I showed you) hardens men's hearts; so it does betray it, and evince they are in some degree so. Such a resolution is sufficient not only to provoke God to contract the measure and cut short the account Rom. 9 28. but itself bids fair to fill it up. The present therefore must be their accepted time; and they do all that in them is to put out the day of Salvation, who do thus put off from them this Now. 2. Of this that hath been said, whether Almighty God be now about to make the application, either as to what concerns the Nation or particular persons, is not may part to determine or debate; s Acts 1. 17. It is not for us to know the times and seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Many seem indeed to have uncomfortable expectations, great fears both as to the Nation; and I must say they have reason, we may justly fear those judgements which we have deserved most justly, and provoked most heinously, wilfully, impudently; and great fears too as to Religion, nor without good cause, yet not because those men that earnestly desire a change talk of it as at hand with comfort. False, ungracious, treacherous Sons to their poor Mother, who do what they can to blast and weaken her, that they may have colour to forsake her. But this they have talked oft with great confidence, and he that sits in Heaven always laughed their confidence to scorn, & we hope he will do so to the world's end. Sure I am there could be no fear of what they expect and wish so from comparison of the Religions; or if we would answer our Religion by our living. But there is great cause of fear we may provoke God to desert that reformation we deform so with our manners, and put out the Worship we unhallow. And indeed a flood of Atheism and contemt of all Religion and Virtue, or the having a Religion that is next to that itself, looks like just dereliction of them, who would not let God be in their thoughts, nor Piety or Morality in their actions. Now if this be so, and by consequent these fears be reasonable & just, there can be no prevention but by closing now with the proposal of my Text by laying hold upon the present. Any least forbearance may make our state irreversible, and does certainly provoke God towards it; whereas, if now, when God shows us the rod, we would break off our sins, reform ourselves, live up to our Religion, there would be no cause to fear destruction, since God's work were done, & whatever shall happen, all would work together for the everlasting good of those that did so. This, if earnest also, must preserve Religion to us. The certain and the only way to keep Religion is to practise it; it is impossible that they can take it from us while we live it, and without that no Religion, however current, can be useful to us. But this must secure our Faith here, and secure us of the end of our Faith, the Salvation of our Souls. SERMON XVI. OF THE EVIDENCE of Faith. 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed. THE words do need no other explication than the reading the whole verse: it runs thus, For which cause (for the Gospel's sake) I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Let those that suffer for ill doing be abashed and troubled at it, I am neither ashamed of the Gospel, nor the least discouraged by my sufferings, how great and ignominious soever for its sake, and for doing my duty in relation and obedience to it; for I trust and depend on one that will secure me, and will bless and crown my labours. That he wills and intends it I am sure, for he hath promised, and in what he hath promised I know he is faithful, and he is also able above all that I can ask or think; and consequently whatever in pursuance of his promise is entrusted to him, must be safe in his hands I am sure, for I know whom I have believed. So that the words direct us how to quiet and secure ourselves in what estate soever affairs, whether public or our own, are; namely in a close dependence upon God: and in the handling them I have but these three things to speak to. 1. Who this I is, I know; and in what respect qualified for such secure dependence. 2. What those cases are, wherein dependence does admit such confident assurance, as is here expressed by the word know, I know. 3. Who this is on whom the person that is qualified thus does so depend, and upon what account, especially in relation to him, hath the man that does depend upon him such assurance that he can profess, I know whom I believe: to all which I shall make plain answers, and shall only give you God's word for them. 1. Who this I here is, I know? and in what respect, and how qualified? This I here is St Paul, whom I do not mean to speak of in that narrow notion as an Apostle, but as one in such circumstances as do make him fit to represent the state of any one that is qualified to commit all his concerns into God's hands with a perfect resignation and with full assurance. Now as to this, first it is certain every person is not qualified for such dependence, cannot trust on God, rely upon his promise, as not having any right that it should be fulfilled to him. No not where the promise being general, for example, made to the whole present body of a Nation, by consequence concerns most of the individual persons of that Nation, even there it may not be sure to them: and of this we have a pregnant instance Num. 14. 30. Doubtless ye shall not come into the Land concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, and ye shall know my breach of promise, v. 34. And that very justly, they first having broke with him: for there being some, at least tacit, condition still implied in all such promises as well as threatenings, therefore as to one and the other God sets this down as a general rule in his proceedings, and not only with particular persons but with Nations, Jer. 18. 7, 8, 9, 10. as at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it, if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them: so whenever I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it, if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice, than I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them, that is will not do it. And accordingly the Prophet Daniel, though it be said c. 9 2. He understood by books the number of years, that God would after seventy years restore Jerusalem, yet saith Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he did not stand still and expect the fulfilling of God's promise of it, but v. 3. sets his face to the Lord God to seek by prayers and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes, as knowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, though he had promised it a thousand times, if we render ourselves unworthy of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we put a bar against God's performance, do not suffer him to make it good: and in those solemn supplications and addresses to Almighty God thus he bespeaks him v. 4. O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; whereupon St Jerom saith, non ergo quod pollicetur Deus statim futurum est, sed in eos sua promissa implet, qui custodiunt mandata illius; what God does promise any, is not therefore sure to be fulfilled; those are they whom he performs with, who keep his Commandments. With the rest that do not but transgress, the Prophet Zachary in an emblem shows God's way of dealing c. 11. 10. And I took my staff, even beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people: and we see the real practice with that Nation for their wickednesses Neh. 9 from the 30th verse. Now this being thus in general declared that all men cannot trust God, we are therefore as to this particular person, this I here to find out how he was qualified for this dependence. It is certain first that St Paul had been a great Sinner, a Blasphemer, Persecutor and injurious person: 'tis true he says 1 Tim. 1. 13. he was so ignorantly, out of unbelief, he knew not nor believed that he did ill in doing what he did; yea more, he said that he lived in all good Conscience before God all that time also, had done nothing which he was not persuaded in his conscience that he ought to do. But although this good conscience might prepare him for a readier and more sound conversion, than profane, presumptuous, habitual Sinners are disposed for; (for the will of such a one is true to God and right already, and you have but to remove the ignorance of his Understanding, a little better information must reform him, and will turn his persecuting and whatever other factious or injurious heats into true zeal, holy devout warmths, as it did in him,) yet while he was mistaken, that his good but erring conscience could not possibly excuse, much less could it sanctify his actions; 'twas injury, 'twas blasphemy and persecution, though 'twas conscience, guilts these of a bloody and deep scarlet, and this very conscientious man found cause to call himself the chief of Sinners v. 15. Howbeit secondly he tells us v. 16. for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting; that in me the worst of men might have example and encouragement to depend upon him for eternal mercies, if they will but come in to him, he was pleased to show me mercy, call me in the very flagrancy and execution of my crimes. Whereupon, as he says thirdly, he not only was not disobedient to the Heavenly Calling, but (as if by owning himself chief of Sinners he had set himself a standard for his service, put upon himself an obligation to be chief of all Christ's Votaries) he became more laborious in his duty than all others; and particularly so sincere, faithful, resolute and constant, as nothing could remove him, neither opposition stop him, nor temptation divert him. Now it is this faithfulness, this being honest-hearted to Almighty God; 'tis the firmness of this purpose to go thro' with duty in a constant tenor of obedience in whatever circumstance we are placed, whatever happens not to be allured nor frighted, neither biased nor forced out of it, with the conscientious pursuance of this resolution that particularly qualifies for this secure dependence upon God for success, it does dispose a man for perfect resignation of himself and full assurance. It was St Paul's case here, for this I suffer, saith he, (and indeed he lived almost in constant martyrdom) yet all this does not in the least discourage me, but by God's gracious assistance I will do my duty, come what can come. Now discerning himself thus resolved and thus assisted, he concludes that he hath ground enough for trust, for he that is thus faithful to him may trust on him; then he says, I know whom I have believed. And that we may not think this is an instance solitary, in the third of Daniel, when Nabuchadnezzar told the three Children, If ye worship not the Image I have set up, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, O Nabuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter; if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King: but if not, (i. e. but if he would not) be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy Gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. The being conscious to themselves that they were thus resolved in earnest not to offend against the Lord, but to obey how dear soever their obedience cost them, and so casting themselves on him to do what he would with them, gave them confidence, made them know and say he would deliver them; and so he did. It is according to the measures of discerning the integrity and faithfulness of our own hearts that we assure our hearts before him, as St John expresseth 1 Epist. 3. 19 and then tells us, if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things, v. 20. If we find not that sincerity within, if any thing be false there, if our conscience accuse us, our own hearts condemn us, 'tis most certain God will do so too, because he knows all those things of us that we can know of ourselves. But if we truly cannot charge that insincerity upon ourselves, we need not fear that God will charge us with the things we are not guilty of. No surely, as he there goes on, Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, v. 21. And this is the confidence that we have towards him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him, c. 5. 14, 15. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, c. 3. 22. Thus by assuring their own hearts to God they know this, have this confidence towards him, i. e. have the trust and the dependence in the Text, which in what cases it admits this strong assurance, that is here expressed by the word know, is my next inquiry. I know. Now by the last words it should seem as if in every case, in every thing that he can want or does desire, the person that is qualified so, had a ground to trust with full assurance. We know, saith St John, that whatsoever we ask we receive of him; and accordingly in all the Spiritual needs of the Thessalonians both in particular and as the Church, St Paul, when he had blest them and prayed for them thus: The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. 5. 23. adds in the 24th●erse, Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. And here in this Epistle of himself he says, The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom, 2 Tim. 4. 18. Nor did good men want this confidence as to the things of this life; for in times of public consternation, in the want of all things Habbakuk does thus assure himself c. 3. 16, 17, 18. When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, when he cometh up unto the people he will invade them with his troops; but in that state he adds, Although the Figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the Vines, the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The exstasy of trust, the rapture is too elegant and gay, too high and full of transport to admit of any descant. Holy Job went yet a little farther, Tho he slay me, yet will I trust in him, c. 13. 15. In a word at once, in whatsoever God hath promised, there the Faithful Christian hath a right to trust. I will not be so rude as to suppose my Auditors so unacquainted with the rich and precious Promises, those Christian Treasures, which God's Book is the Repository of, that I should need to mind them of them; and indeed to do it were to read a very great part of that Book. 'Tis sure in every case of every, whether public or particular, real just concern, whether in temporal, spiritual, or eternal things, in some indeed more absolutely than in others, but in all these there are promises; and promises were made to be believed, and every faithful Christian that trusts to them, does know whom he hath believed. But yet it cannot be denied, since God hath threatened Ezek. 14. 13, 14, etc. When a Land sinneth against him by transgressing grievously, than he will stretch out his hand against it; and if he say, sword, go thro' the Land, and pour out fury upon it in blood, and break the staff of bread thereof; he swears, though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should but deliver their own souls: then if we chance to see wickedness overspread a Nation, vice and profaneness grown so universal and habitual, that 'tis almost natural; when impunity hath made it safe and upon that account familiar, and then familiar practice made it necessary, yea and great examples made it honourable, and by this all virtue is made mean and contemptible, and insolently domineered over or derided petulantly; when a people looks so like the thing God threatened so: 'tis hard to apply the promises of safety to it, or with confidence rely upon God for its preservation. And yet there is the resolution of a case so like this in the Prophet Micah c. 7. as is able to revive a dying hope, and give it vigour and security: Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits as the grape-gleaning of the Vintage, there is no cluster to eat: the good man is perished out of the Land, and there is none upright among men; they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands, the Prince asketh, and the Judge asketh for a reward, and the great man uttereth his mischievous desire, so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a briar, the most upright sharper than a thorn-hedg: and then he adds, the day of visitation cometh, now shall be their perplexity; but he recollects himself and says, Therefore I will look unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine Enemy, when I fall I shall arise, when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me. So that when we cannot hope well of the Commonwealth, yet we may hope in God still. And I pray you tell me whether way looks quieter and safer, hath more comfortable expectations, to confederate, make factions, lay plots, dark, sometimes illegal, and unjust contrivances, and sow the seeds of trouble and dissension, and think with these to carry all their own away, not enduring to submit to Providence, or be contented with God's dispensations, but will help him, as if he had need of such arts or instruments, and could not govern except his commands were broke: when 'tis certain such contrivances, if they do not thwart his counsels, (which if they comport not with, he laughs at and defeats,) yet they do his commands; and then he will punish them, however he may let them give a while some trouble. And then whether is this better, or to do our duty faithfully and trust God? when we are assured, if a Matt. 10. 29. one sparrow, two of which are worth yet but one farthing, fall not to the ground without our Heavenly Father, a Church and State shall not fall without him. But yet 'tis certain Governments are sometimes broken or else fall in pieces, and while the fury of the sword does ravage all, the innocent as well as guilty suffer the same miseries, and the same carnage does devour the righteous with the wicked; yea Religion hath been swept away too by the inundation, and whole Churches have been quite un-christianed; and no doubt there was all reason in the world for this. Yet though I will not take upon me to mark out the lines by which God moves either in his ways of mercy or of judgement, nor to give the reasons of them; yet when plenty hath brought in all sorts of luxury and dissoluteness, and (as it must needs) that corrupts all, loosens all the bonds by which Societies and Government consist, the very bonds of common right and justice, those that either men's propriety or their security and lives depend on, and besots men so, as that they take no other rule or measure of their interests than as things serve the ends and satisfactions of luxurious appetites; and if Religion also, while 'tis trampled on, despised and scofft down by such sensual persons that have no Religion, and so not having countenance, being injured, and cut short by others, does decay; or else, if willing to comply and save itself, it grow itself debauched in some measure, learn by formalities to serve worldly purposes; yea possibly learns to adopt principles and consecrate some practices which are enemies to the very nature of Religion, wound, destroy Christianity, and dishonour the God of it: if every thing does thus seem to provoke and call for present ruin, and God stir himself up, as he did in the b Jer. 5. 9 Prophet, Shall I not visit for these things, shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this; yet in such a Nation if there be enough remaining of those that can stand in the gap and maintain the breach against him, as once Moses alone did, he will turn away his indignation, so as not to stir up his whole wrath; and, although he leave them not altogether unpunished, he will not destroy them utterly. Now he knows what the numbers are of faithful Christians, such as wrestle day and night with him and do not let him rest. If the hairs of our heads be all numbered, sure the knees are, that cleave to the ground in humble adorations and petitions to him. Yea and so they are; for when Elijah brought his charge in against Israel, whose condition looked so desperate, that he thought there was no servant of God but himself, I, even I only am left, 1 Kings 19 10. God tells him v. 18. he had seven thousand knees in it that had never bowed to Baal: and when those three Noah, Daniel, and Job are not able, seven thousand men yet may prevail. Indeed if once Religion grow so low, be so defiled that 'tis not worth preserving with all those corruptions that get into it, when not only the Professors of it are depraved, but its very constitution in its vitals, in the doctrines both of faith and manners vitiated; and it is hard to show where God did ever overthrow a Church and a Religion wholly, where it was not so; and than it was not he that did destroy it, it destroyed it self. If also in a state Judgement be turned into Wormwood, and you find oppression for Justice, and for Righteousness behold a crying; in a word, if a Church and State sink by such proportions as Sodom and the rest of the Cities of the Plain, when in all Pentapolis there was not ten Righteous, for whose sake five great Cities might be spared: in fine, when once they have wrought out the measure of God's mercies, and their iniquity is full, it is no wonder if the measure of their Judgement be full too, and itself irreversible and utter. But yet though in all these Judgements, whether partial or final, Innocent and Righteous persons suffer with the wicked, All things come alike to all, there is one event to the clean and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not, as is the good so is the sinner, and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath, Ecclesiastes 9 2. So as that it should seem the sincere Christian can no more depend than others, or if he do his trust will fail him; yet to omit the reasons of this dispensation of God's Providenc which are many very just ones, that alone sufficeth good men in the midst of all such Judgements to depend upon, which St Paul writes on the very account of such distresses and necessities Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God; even those afflictions working for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. They are God's words, and so trusting and depending on them we know whom we have believed, namely God, the person, and my last part, wherein I am to inquire on what accounts especially he that does depend upon him in these cases hath assurance, such as that he can profess, I know whom I have believed. Now there is scarce that Attribute in God which is not a firm ground for resignation of ourselves to, and of reliance on him. But to pass all those, which are every where in God's Book to be met with, and are urged with all advantage, and to name two other only. First 'tis certain that we may with the most comfortable hope and greatest confidence rely on him, who, when we have most need, is readiest to relieve. As we read in the Scripture of an accepted time, of the day of Salvation, to let us know that it is not to be catcht in every season, as if whensoever we shall have a mind to be delivered and ask for it, God must hearken and command deliverances; no sure there are proper set times, and we must be unwearied in waiting for it: so also ordinarily that the time of greatest need is God's opportunity, and the day of extremity the day of Salvation, is obvious. All other times he tries us and does exercise our virtues, but when we are passed all other help, than he relieves us. Therefore David is most peremptory with the Lord on that account Psalm 102. 13, 14. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea the time is come. And why? thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust: and Psalm 9 9 The Lord also will be a refuge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, LXXII. in opportunitatibus, in tribulatione, in the true opportunity, that is, when trouble comes. And we shall find a reason for this way of working in his Prayer Psalm 109. 26, 27. O save me according to thy mercy, that they may know that this is thy hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it. When we are in such distress as is past man's aid, then if deliverance come we cannot choose but know the hand: when we are in darkness and dimness of anguish, and if we look unto the earth behold nothing but darkness as of the shadow of death, then if any light arise we know it is the dayspring from on high that visits us. And if besides this reason and those Texts we but consult the Annals of God's actings, we shall find it always thus: and not to mention those that refer to particular persons, of which Joseph's single story is a manifold instance, which also gave birth to those great events which shall make up a demonstration that this is the way of God's procedure. In Egypt when the design was laid so, that the People of Israel could not have lasted longer than one Age, (for posterity was forbidden, and the Nation was to be murdered by a prohibition of being born,) and when they could not to avoid this persecution get out thence, except the sea would at once make a passage for them, and a wall and rampart to secure that passage; and if it also should do so, it would but land them in a wilderness, and they but fled from water to perish for want of it, and escaped being drowned to die with thirst; a place too where unless the desert can bring forth the bread of Heaven, unless Flesh and Manna can grow there where nothing grew, they have but changed their fate, and brought themselves into a more unavoidable and speedy ruin: when this state of exigence was come, than God comes in by weak means, a stammering tongue and little rod works all deliverance. And again afterwards in the captivity of that Nation, a state which Jeremy the Prophet when he had bewailed in sorrowful eloquence, in lamentations that live still, yet c Jer. 9 1. wished his head had been a fountain of tears to weep for it; when in seventy years the people was so mixed, incorporated with their Conquerors, as must needs be very hard to separate and tear them asunder; and as for their Temple it was ruined and despoiled of all its holy furniture, which was not only robbed but desecrated and profaned, so as not to be likely nor scarce fit to be returned, the vessels of the Sanctuary being made the utensils of their Idol-feasts and their own riots, and those holy bowls made up their drunkeness as well as sacrilege: yet when these conquering Robbers were enjoying their spoils and crimes, as if wine in those holy bowls did stupity men past all sense, they and the great Babylon are taken ere they knew it, and the Jews return straight followed. Again, when Cestius Gallus had sat down before Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Nation being obliged by their Religion was all in that City, and the Christians of the Land were there too, after several assaults, and when he might have taken it, he on a sudden raised the siege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Josephus, without any reason, no body knows why, but only as God put it in his heart to do so to give way for the Christians to obey that voice, which the same d De Bello l. 6. c. 31. Josephus saith was heard in the Temple at the Feast of Pentecost, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, let us go hence, and upon it all the Christians went to Pella, not one stayed, but every one escaped that ruin which Titus sitting down before that City, brought upon that People, (the great Enemies of his Church) to a final utter desolation. Once more, when after the nine Persecutions, which like so many torrents of fire had swept away the Christians in flame, Dioclesian's like a tenth wave came as if it meant to swallow not the relics only of Christ's Church, but also all the memory of the other cruelties; when in one small Province in a month he put to death one hundred and forty four thousand Christians; banished seven hundred thousand more, and proportionably so in other places thro' the Roman world with such success, that he took confidence to write on his triumphal Arches, Deleto nomine Christiano, as he had blotted out the very name of Christians, then at the last gasp of his Church it pleased the Lord to raise up Constantine, and straight the whole face of the world was Christian, and Dioclesian himself lived to see it. I might have instanced in our own so fresh deliverance, but that it would not look like an encouragement, it may be, to rely and cast ourselves again upon him, if so soon we call upon ourselves the same needs by the same wretchless methods; and there are some, they say, that apprehend so. And God knows the ruin of the Reformation and our Church hath from its first beginning been still working by her restless indefatigable Enemies, and hath often been preserved only on the account I am now speaking, that when things are passed all humane help, then is God's set time for relief. I know the Church's Adversaries brag of multitudes, and they come up on every side close to her; yea and which is worse, we seem to labour to make God himself our Enemy, or at least provoke him to desert that Chutch and Reformation we pollute so, put out the Worship we unhallow and profane so by ill lives, make those that will have nothing of Religion but some forms it may be lose them too, and let them die for want of substance, and the show go out, not leave so much as the hypocrisy of piety. Indeed a flood of Atheism and contemt of all Religion and virtue looks like a just dereliction of them who would not let God be in their thoughts, nor Religion or Morality in their actions. Nay may it not look like a kindness to remove the Gospel which proves only the savour of death unto death, put out that light which men are but resolved to sin against? Or can there be a greater mercy than to refuse all the means of mercy to such men as only make them work out condemnation to them? e Dan. 9 8, 9 O Lord, to us indeed belongs confusion of face, but notwithstanding to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; and as he knows how to reserve the ungodly to the day of Judgement to be punished, he knows too how many thousand knees do bow to him in secret, reckons all those tears that are poured out in Religion's and the Church's cause; and how wicked soever the Professors of Religion, the Church Members may be, if the constitution of Religion and the Church themselves yet be not vitiated or defective, there is hope still. And truly whereas many blame the Reformation that it did not keep more hold upon the Consciences of the Community, did not retain some power, which although not of Divine Institution, but things warily and by degrees brought in as seeming to work towards piety, and most certainly in humane ways of judging serving to procure more veneration and outward security of the Church and Religion; to work out which the other consequential worldly interests we see the very scheme of some Professions, not their discipline only but their faith too is contrived: I think on the other side, if our Reformation instead of doing thus, as it consulted not at first with carnal Politics, but Christ's institutions as the Scripture and other primitive Records conveied them, and designed no more to themselves than those bare naked Spiritual doctrines, rights and powers which Christ gave them, left to Cesar whatsoever was Cesar's, knowing God had promised Kings should be their Nursing-fathers'; and to be so, is part of their Office: trusting therefore God and Governments with their protection, and defence of Church and Religion. So also if thro' all succeeding times, whether of flourish or depression and calamity, Religion itself, whatever its Professors are, have retained always the same simplicity of principles, be itself untainted, not new modelled to serve ends or interests, then whenever men shall begin to clip it, I do not say in maintenance, seizing what their Father's sacrilege had left them, but I mean because ours did not so as other Churches, grasp some usurped power to secure their own, shall therefore cut her Spiritual powers short, so that they cannot serve the ends of piety; because they know her Children will not, cannot by their principles resist, i. e. if they endeavour to destroy them for this reason, that they make men the best Subjects and of the most Christian Principles; that is, persecute their Christianity itself, and martyr that; I must profess that it will look like God's set appointed time to arise and to have mercy upon Zion; when it is exposed a naked Orphan, left to his protection only, than he cannot pass it by; but when he sees it in its blood thus, he will say unto it, live: and though he plague her wicked and ungracious Sons, and possibly take away many of the good ones from the evil to come, yet the Religion will not die. Let them believe it hopeless who desire a pretence to leave it, who do what they can to stab their Mother, and make it a reason to forsake her then, because she is so desperately wounded; and let them declare it, who design to betray men out of it. But whether is wiser to believe these, or the God from whom we have these promises, and these experiences, and the other grounds of trust? Sure we know better whom we have believed, especially since the very trust to him is an engagement to him not to fail us: that's my last ground. 'Tis itself a means prescribed us by himself, Isaiah 50. 10. Who is he among you that feareth the Lord, that walketh in darkness & hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, & stay upon his God. There is nothing in the world that more engages any man that is not profligately false, than trusting to him; and for God, there is no other piece of piety or virtue gives such honour to him & his Attributes, as sincere dependence on him does. It does acknowledge his Omniscience, that he knows our needs, & be they never so perplexed & intricate, knows how to help them; his Omnipresence, that he is at hand on all occasions; his Omnipotence, how he is able above all our possibility of want; his Mercy, Goodness, & Benignity, in that he condescended to be willing to relieve us; his Faithfulness, & Truth, and Justice, in observing his good promises and never failing them, and his Immutability in all these and his other Attributes of loving kindness. Now truly as our miseries required all these, so our trust to him gives him the glory of all these; and therefore 'tis no wonder if some men made this reliance or dependence, trust or faith our whole condition of the Covenant. But though 'tis true the Covenant does require some disposition in us that we also may be trusted, for those that are not faithful to him, cannot have faith in him; for us he knows our needs, he knows our hearts too, and if they be false he sees it, and the trust is broken on both sides: such hearts cannot trust him, for it is impossible that one can trust upon another, if he know that other does discern that he is false to him▪ for he knows that he is not in condition to be dealt with by the rules of trust. Yet the sincere and honest-hearted person may cast all his care there, Faith does his work, and he knows well whom he hath believed. The sum is this, however grievous Sinner one hath been, if he return, and with entire submission to God's will become faithful to him, and assure his own heart towards him, he may commit himself and all his Spiritual and Eternal interests with all assurance absolutely into his hands, and his temporal so far as they shall be successful in all cases, except those wherein God sees it necessary for his more advantage to determine otherwise. All his concerns too for Religion he may put into the same safe hands with all assurance; for God will never destroy his own Religion, if it do not change first, vitiate and put out itself. And in whatever Judgements God at any time shall bring upon the public, he may perfectly assure himself, that whatsoever happens, shall be for good to him; for how sad soever the necessity be, he knows both it and how to remedy it, and is able and hath said he will, he is true and just and faithful in his promises, it is his very Nature that he cannot change or fail him; and how desperate soever his condition seem here, that state is God's opportunity, and that time his set time, and depending on him is yet a further engagement to him. Yet in all this I have said very little, all these grounds for trust & reliance the old Covenant afforded. Thus far the Jew knew whom he had believed; but sure the Christian knows more comfortably, hath more cause to trust on God as on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And certainly we may rely upon that Father, that he will deny us nothing, who denied ns not his son. 'Tis St Paul's argument Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. We may resign ourselves into his hands that loved us at these rates, and cannot but be confident as the Apostle was v. 38, 39 that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which he hath to us in and thro' Christ our Lord and Saviour▪ or shall hinder him from preserving and delivering us in and from the hopes and fears, the terrors and allurements of them all, the temtations that either fear of death or hope of life, or malice of the Devil and his Angels, or of Principalities or powers, whether earthly Potentates or infernal, or distresses present or to come, or heights of honour or depths of disgrace may assault us with. How can these hinder, when sin could not hinder? Or what possibly can separate, when God chose to be divided as it were from his own Son, rather than any thing should separate him from the love of man? And then what may we not expect from this, the Eternal Son of God, who became one of us, that so he himself suffering by being tempted might be able to succour them that are tempted? Heb. 2. 18. Able to succour? Sure he could have done it ere he took upon him weak flesh, being God Almighty; he was not less able, when he was Omnipotent: yet being, when he was made man himself, afflicted, having the experience of our infirmities, in all points tempted like as we are, he is enabled to be much more sensibly compassionate and touched with the feeling of our weak condition, which himself felt: so the ability which he hath gained, is the Omnipotency of kindness. One would have thought indeed it had been large enough before, when to show mercy to us seemed more dear to him and more considerable than to enjoy Divinity, when he emtied himself of this, that he might be qualified for the other. How infinitely willing then was he to be compassionate to us, when he takes flesh to learn to be compassionate? How desirous was he to succour us, who lays down Heaven and glory above, and life here below, that he might be able to succour us? To whom can we betake ourselves for mercy with such confidence, as him who made himself like one of us, that he might be a merciful Highpriest to expiate and make reconciliation? We that are the sheep of his pasture, what hands can we possibly resign our Souls into with such assurance, as to those of this Bishop and Shepherd of our Souls, this good Shepherd who not only seeks the lost sheep that is run away, but who also lays down his life for his sheep? 10. 15. And what may not his poor Church depend upon him for, who purchased to himself his Church with his own blood? What design can he have to fail us possibly, who would be crucified for us? In a word, if one that for us men and for our Salvation would come down from Heaven, be incarnate and made man, a man of sorrows and afflictions, and would suffer want shame and reproaches, agonies, a Cross, a bitter passion and a cruel death for us; and who is sat down on the right hand of Majesty and Power, hath all power in Heaven and Earth, the keys of Death and Hell; in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen, faithful and true, faithful to immutability, Jesus Christ yesterday, to day, and the same for ever: if, I say, he that is all this, can be trusted, we know whom we have believed. And now I have no more to do but only ask, whether we are assured of any other whom on more or safer grounds we have or may believe? I will upbraid none with that Irony which Eliphas insults on Job with c. 5. 1. Call now, see if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn thee? There are that do with all the evidence imaginable of a strong confidence and cheerful hopes to speed in doing so, pour out their needs, their whole Souls to a fancied, or it may be true Saint, whom they have adopted as the object of their invocation, which it seems they cannot do so feelingly, with such a close and intimate dependence, with such comfortable expectations upon Christ himself. Now I would only put the question of ᶠ St Paul to such a one, was that Saint crucified for thee, that he should be more concerned for, and more sensible of thy condition, and that thou shouldest have a greater confidence of his good will, than of his that did and suffered all that for thee, that he might be merciful and faithful, touched with thy necessities, that I mention not the rest of those qualifications that do make one fit to be relied upon? 'Tis to be feared such persons do not know well whom they have believed. But I pass them. There are that trust their being here to Policy and Prudence, to their own contrivances, that is, trust to themselves, and give credit only to what interest or their ambition suggests, and accordingly design ends, and devise means, wove plots, spread their nets abroad with cords, and lay snares, and do all this with that confidence of success, as if they did believe they were fulfilling Prophecies, and moved by the directions of Heaven; for many times they seem to do this in the fear of God, and in subserviency to Religion: but whatever fair pretences some of them may have to wash or colour their intentions, God, you may be sure, hath no hand there in those designs, where his Commandments are broken. Where you discern either as to particulars, treachery, or fraud, or falseness, undermining and supplanting to serve interests, or pride, or malice, or revenge; or as to public, interverting justice and the due course of Laws, or mutiny, sedition, raising discontents, and making breaches, 'tis not he on whom they have believed. And did they but consider what they see perpetually, how false interests are, and how unstable high place; how this tumbles men down headlong, those change daily; and although men thrive so that they wash their steps with butter, they are only so much more in slippery places, where God also leaves them, sometimes overturns them suddenly. Or did they consider who the great Patrons of interest and ambition are, Mammon the fomenter and encourager of almost all the mischiefs upon Earth, and Lucifer that was discontent in Heaven, had ambition to be greater there too, mutinied and stirred sedition up against God, and got by it to be chief of Devils only, Prince of Hell. Did these designers but reflect on these things, they would know then whom they have believed, a deceitful world, a false glistering light that mocks them, and a treacherous malicious Devil that hath been a Liar and a Murderer from the beginning. I might ask the sensual person, whether he that hearkens to the cravings of the one or other of his inclinations, and is so persuaded, overcome by their insinuations, that whenever any of his appetites is high, he thinks there is no joy that is like the satisfaction of that appetite, and is mad till he have it; yet hath found himself betrayed, fooled, cheated every time he served it, but still courts and embraces the false treacherous mischief, and will not be disenchanted, whether he considers whom he hath believed, whether he knows that he lets his horse ride him, and is guided, animated by, and believes the beast. Once more, whether he knows whom he hath believed, that owns being an Infidel, any one of those that with great seeming gravity, or wit and raillery declares dissatisfaction at the proof of those things, which the world for many hundred years continued so convinced of, that they chose to die rather than say that they did not believe them: when as for them, good Souls, they think they can believe nothing but upon demonstration; yet if a man consider but the men themselves, the method and the means of their conviction into that their unbelief, he would find that themselves are always vicious, and that they examine little but converse much, and keep company with them that in the heat and confidence of drink and vice swear 'tis impossible those things can be, and rally them that give heed to or profess them; and then themselves give easy credit to this and their own inclinations, that would have them all impossible; for it is their concern, they are eternally unhappy if they be not: so that we know whom they have believed, their debauched company and their evil inclinations; and these stupid Infidels are the most credulous, we see, on the least grounds of any in the world. It is not my employment at this time to make comparison betwixt the one and others grounds, the several motives of belief and infidelity; 'tis plain, Christ Judged the arguments and grounds of faith were so sufficient, that he positively gives his charge thus, f Mark 16. 15, 16. Go and preach the Gospel to the whole world, he that believeth is saved, and he that believeth not is damned. And if his threats are as inviolable as his promises, 'twill be but ill knowing him, whom we would not believe; the conviction will be very fatal, when their unbelief will become vision. And this gives me yet occasion to ask, what temptation Sinners can have not to believe, to be willing to come in to Christ and be saved? They cannot choose but see all others whom they have believed, betrayed them and will fail them: all their satisfactions must go out, their expectations die and perish, and why will ye not take up here then, why will ye die for ever? Is your case, think you, desperate, and have you gone too far to be received if you should turn? Why our Saint here, the person of the Text declares, he was the chief of Sinners that obtained mercy for encouragement to all that would believe and turn: and if you did but know whom he believed, you must know one that went to meet the Prodigal in his return, when he was yet far off; that sought the lost sheep while he strayed and ran away still, till he found him, and when he was gone so far that he could not return, he carried him. And will you neither be invited into life, nor carried into it? Why will ye die? Can ye not help it? Have your inclinations and customs, think you, so prevailed upon you, that to leave them looks impossible? Then 'tis plain you know not whom you have believed. Is any thing impossible for him, that is Almighty, whose grace is sufficient? Or can he command too hard things, who enables to perform what he commands, who, as g Phil. 2. 13. St Paul saith, worketh in us both to will and to do, if we will suffer him? He never prayed and tried in earnest, watched, endeavoured, and comported with God's workings, that complains thus. You cannot but believe indeed they are too hard while you harken to the cravings of your lusts, your customs and your inclinations; but why will you believe them still? Why will you die? Is it not in fine worth while to strive against it, but even go on with the stream, abandon all consideration of concern for that life? Indeed if that which God thought worth the concern of all his Attributes, the contrivance of his Wisdom, the assistances of his Almightiness, the invitations of his Promises, the engagement of his Justice, Truth and Faithfulness; worth all the issues of his Goodness Mercy and Benignity, worth the Incarnation, Death and Passion of his Son, worth Christ's Blood to purchase, worth the giving him all Power in Heaven and Earth, exalting him to his own right hand a Prince and Saviour to give us repentance and remission, that we might be capable of that life, and then to bestow it on us: if this be not worth the while to strive for, not in opposition to Hell eternal, then indeed we know not whom we have believed. Consider how it is this issue that such put it to, a most fatal issue, but the sure one of all those that will give credit to the suggestions of their flesh▪ and this world; Lord Christ, we believe thee, help our unbelief. SERMON XVII. THE childs OF THIS WORLD are wiser than the Children of Light. Luke 16. 8. The Children of this world are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light. BY the Children of this World are meant those that look after and take care for only the advantages and satisfactions of this World, have no thought of, or at most design for any other: by the Children of Light all those that see farther, into one to come, and who look after that; accordingly all Christians are called so, 1 Thess. 5. 5. of whom howsoever some are more and some less Christian, all yet are supposed to have been visited by that dayspring from on high, enlightened in some measure by the Gospel, which brought Life and Immortality to light. 2. Those former are said here, in their generation, in their own affairs of this World, (which alone they busy and concern themselves in,) or in their contrivance for their Age or time in this life, to be wiser than those others. Now Wisdom, though it import many offices and of highest concernment, which have place in every serious action of our lives, it weighs interests and obligations, and considers circumstances, which do sometimes make necessities, and sometimes void them, and which cannot all fall under Rules and Precepts, and are therefore left to the decisions of Prudence which does judge of them, and then accordingly direct and steer the actions; yet these offices of Wisdom do not come directly into this comparison of our Saviour. It's main office in the general is a Arist. Eth. l. 6. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to consult and counsel well and rightly, which acts, since they cannot be employed but about things that must be done in order to an end; therefore 1. The Wise man always looks at, and intends some end; and 2. He pitches on such means as seem most useful, and directly tending to that end: yea 3. Since this Wisdom is not speculative, but b Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is Ratio agibilium, deals in things that must be done; it therefore sets the man upon the use of those means in pursuit of that end, it applies him to it and guides him in the execution, and does all by Rules proper to each one of these Offices. Now as to these three Offices of Wisdom, we will try to find out how far, and in what respect the Children of this World are wiser than the Children of Light, the Worldling than the Christian, than the most of them, yea than the best, and how this comes to pass; that so if men will not be wrought upon by any Rules, not by God's Precepts, nor by means examples, yet comparing themselves with themselves how much they fail of the observance of the Rules of Prudence that concern the next World in comparison of their observance of those very same Rules as to this World, they may shame themselves into discretion, and may learn to be a Rule and an Example to themselves, which I must first enforce by that property of Wisdom, which I mentioned in the first place, that the wise man always looks at, and intends some end. I suppose this, and I may well do so; for the World allows the action that hath no end, to be to no purpose, vain and foolish. Now the worldly man, as such, proposes, as I told you, to himself the satisfactions of this world, either more particularly of some one kind, or else all in general; and the Child of Light, so far as he is so, designs especially the happiness of the world to come. But then if in relation to their aims, those men be wisest that propose the best end to themselves, the Child of Light is as much wiser than the worldling, as eternal Blessedness above is better than the little broken dying starts of satisfaction here below. And truly 'tis not in relation to their several ends in general that our Saviour here compares them, but the one, saith he, are wiser in their generation, in their own concerns; and that first in relation to their ends. For the worldly man is intent upon his end, his will is fixed to it, and his affections all concentre in it. We are most assured of this by the pains he takes to compass it, all which are carried on and sweetened and made easy merely by his aims and expectation, which his heart is therefore passionately set on; for men's actions will be cheerful, vigorous, and lively only by those measures that the Soul breathes spirit into them. If the will and outward faculties looked several ways, all his external motions would be force and violence, not nature; but since his pursuits are eager, his affections are in them. I should enter into an Abyss of matter and should find no end of the discourse, should I attemt to show this in the several states of men of this World in relation to their several inclinations to this World's advantages. Some pour out and sell the blood and souls both of their own and other Nations, but to purchase some accession to their Territories, to enlarge their bounds and glory. And it is matter of astonishment how 'tis possible that humane nature should attain to such a monstrous excess of barbarous & bloody villainy to acquire their ends, as Sylla and Marius practised. Yet neither should men wonder, and complain of these so much; for every little great man, that hath power, would be enterprizing upon others, outing and supplanting, catching at more power, cutting short, diminishing the rights of others to extend their own: and although these Aggressors be not bloody as the former, (which 'tis possible they would be, if they durst,) yet they are as unjust and false; and they that are not able to do so much, are not in a state to put a force on others, force themselves, break their own natures into soft compliances and servile attendances to reach their ends. 'Tis thus in all conditions, the Soldier charges and storms fire, and the Merchant storms the raging Sea and Tempests; and if the man's heart be once bend on getting wealth, he ●ells his meals, his sleeps, his sweat, the whole employment of his life, and his anxieties for that which only brings him more care and more parsimony, and by consequence more want. Now is there any thing that is like this in those others who pretend to aim at Heaven and the Blessedness that God is happy in? Nay do they mind it cordially, when they stand before him in his house in order to it? Or is their heart upon it there, while they are praying for it? Whenever we discern religious performances are uneasy or unpleasing to us, we may then assure ourselves the mind is not intent upon the end of them. For 'tis impossible he should not busy, concern himself extremely in the things that his affections are engaged in, which possess him mainly, and which are his treasure. But 'tis as when God asked the question by the Prophet Jeremy c. 2. 32. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. He asks a gentler question by the Prophet Isaiah c. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not remember the fruit of her womb? There is some object for an heart, that it should mind and pour out itself in tenderness to that dear part of its own breast and bowels; it is no wonder, if it be not with so sensible affection set on any of those remoter objects, such as God and Salvation in Heaven; but that they should be less considerable than attire, the Robe of Immortality not so much minded as a dress, that to be gay should challenge morning hours and cares, but to be blessed scarce engage a prayer, wish, or thought, is sad. The truth is, such is man's corruption, that there is scarce any inclination left in nature that desires, or is indeed content to be upon the way to Life Eternal. Before any thing can be done for man, he must be made willing not to destroy himself; for c Phil. 2. 13. St Paul tells us 'tis God that by his power worketh in us both to will and to do. We must not only be obliged by duty not to neglect and forsake our own mercies, but we must be wrought and made contented to receive them; all God's arts and methods used, the terrors of the Lord, and the promises of Heaven, and the strive of the Holy Spirit, and the power of Grace employed to work in us to will, for it is God that worketh in us to will. In this the men of this World have especial advantages over the generality of Christians, that they mind and are intent upon their aim. For the mere being so engages them to the observance of that Rule of Prudence, which above all others is to regulate the counsels and the actions of all men in order to their several ends, if they mean to act wisely in relation to them, which is this, namely to be true to their own ends, still observing their main point. I say not they should never look off from it, mind no other; secondarily they must do that. For as in the wise Government of Nations Princes must take care, not only that their Subjects live in Godliness and honesty and keep all the Laws, but that they may live, as d 1 Tim. 2. 2. St Paul says, peaceable and quiet lives, secure as far as may be from the danger of their Enemies abroad or at home, in all tranquillity and plenty; and the like in Oeconomical and Military Wisdom: So in Christian Prudence we are so to look at everlasting life hereafter, as not to neglect this here, but may contrive for the conveniences of this life, to avoid what may be dangerous or incommode us, provided we do nothing that's against the other. So e Acts 23., 67. St Paul was wise, when both the Sadduces and Pharisees conspired against his life, to break that their confederacy by throwing in the question of the Resurrection of the dead, which was certain to divide them, since the thing he said was true, and consequently since the means he used did not at all clash with his higher purposes: the Rule thus signifying, that wise men in order to whatever end their wisdom lies, must still be true to their own end, be careful to do nothing that may take them off from, or oppose their main aim, (for that were to destroy their own design) and must be certain never to avoid whatever tends most to attain their purposes. Accordingly the Children of this World are used to stick at nothing that is likely to advance their ends. This was the case expressly of the Text, and thereupon our Saviour pronounces they are wiser. The unjust Steward's aim was to provide what should maintain him and his ease and reputation the remainder of his life, a comfortable plentiful subsistence, when his office should be taken from him; and discerning no way to this, but to cheat his Master, and engage his Master's debtors in the wrong too, making them as false and wicked as himself, regards not the injustice, but pursues his mark. And so the Child of Light, so far as he is wise, in order to his aim, the price of his high calling; looks directly forward to it. If he cannot at once do his duty in relation to his great end, life eternal, and take care of the conveniences of this life, he will not for these let go the other, never will look after these, but when, and so far as they will consist; does not turn aside to any other ends that thwart that, is neither biased from his mark by any flattering considerations of whatever this World temts with, nor is forced from it by terrors or whatever sufferings. We have great instances of this in the second book of Maccabees the seventh chapter, the Mother and her seven Sons, who looking to obtain a blessed resurrection, as St Paul saith Heb. 11. 35. did in order to it resolve to die under God's Covenant of everlasting Life, would not therefore accept life here, and deliverance from most cruel torments on condition to transgress the Laws. Thus the three wise men in Dan. 3. 17, 18. told Nabuchadnezzar, Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand. But if not, be it known unto thee, that we will not serve thy Gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Thus Eleazar 2 Macc. 6. from v. 19 chose to die gloriously rather than to live stained with an abomination, as it behoved them that are resolute, to stand out against such things as are not lawful to be tasted; though the penalty proposed were loss of life, and though the Officers that were his friends besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the Sacrifice, he began to consider discreetly and as became his age and his most honest Education from a child, or rather the holy Law made and given by God. Therefore he willed them straghtways to send him to the grave, v. 24, 25. For it becometh not our age in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar were now gone to a strange Religion; and so they thro' my hypocrisy and desire to live a little time should be deceived by me. f Wendelin. Mor. Phil. p. 255. 'Tis said the Prince of Conde gave this answer to King Charles the IX. of France, who told him he must make his option either of going to Mass, or death, or to perpetual prison: for the first by God's help he would never choose it, in the other he submitted to his pleasure, but that God would certainly dispose of them as it seemed good to him. On the other side we have an instance, g Aul. Gell. Noct. Att. l. 1. c. 3. Chilon, one of the wise men of Greece; who, whatsoever his last aim was, here his end was to live justly and according to right reason, who upon his deathbed told his friends, it was not then a time for him to flatter & deceive himself, his thoughts did not suggest unto him any thing he had done in his whole life that troubled him but one, that when he with two others was to sit in judgement on a man that was his great friend, who had broke the Law so heinously that it was necessary to condemn him, looking out for some means that might save his virtue and his friend too, he resolved on this, that since the suffrages were given so that none could know what sentence any one Judge in particular pronounced, he persuaded his Companions to absolve him and himself condemned him, thinking thus he salved his duty both as Judge and Friend: but when he came to die, he thought 'twas wicked and perfidious to draw others in to do that, which he held not just for him to do, he was not true to his own end, but was diverted by the calls of friendship to serve other, and in that he found his Wisdom failed him, and his Conscience condemned him. So that we have seen the Rule exemplified in all kinds. Now by this Rule we may make experiment both of the truth of what our Saviour here pronounces, and men's wisdom also of what kind it is, what the aim is, whether of this World or of the other, and which of the pursuers are the truer to their end, and so wiser. There is scarce any one profession, dignity, or place of power, nor indeed condition or state of life, but is adapted so that it may serve ends, either of the Child of this World or the Child of Light, and contribute either to the advantages of this life or of that which is to come. To take a view of one or two of them: the man that gets into authority and place, may have for his end to serve God and his Country, if he intent it for an opportunity truly and indifferently to administer justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of God's true Religion and virtue; by such Sons of restraint, as the Scripture calls them, vice may be discountenanced, goodness cherished, till judgement run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream, Amos 5. 24. and the Nation be taught to live in peace and honesty: or he may intend to serve himself, to gratify his pride or his ambition by getting into place and power, that so he may be over others, and his person more regarded, and his will observed, and himself be more uncontrollable in his words and actions, may be vices; or to gratify his covetous desires, if in the perquisites of his place he find an opportunity for bribes, a power to sell justice, or what's worse, impunity of wickedness, an office where men may buy off their duties, yea their crimes and punishments, at least a place of doing something like this as they find occasion. Now whereas Authority finds good men often modest in the use of it as to its true ends of Religion and Justice, power will scarce give them countenance and courage for its executions, 'tis uneasy, or they are solicited or awed, and they look off, at least they seldom put themselves upon it as upon the prosecution of a thing they mainly aim at, or they seldom persevere so: on the other side in order to the other ends men struggle for them, buy the opportunities of selling, give bribes that they may have power to receive them, use all arts to compass offices to serve their worldly end with. This is more notorious if the Office be Ecclesiastical, the true end of whose Ministry is to gather Christ's Sheep that yet go astray, to carry on the Salvation of those Souls which God hath purchased with his own blood, to preserve his Children from Eternal Hell, to be applying to the wounds and the distempers of the body of Christ, to prepare his Spouse for the marriage of the Lamb, to be Dispenser's and Steward's of his means of Grace and Glory; in fine, Fellow-workers with him to the Everlasting blessedness of those that are committed to their charge, and who is sufficient for, and does not tremble at these things? to all which yet they do solemnly in express words dedicate themselves and their faithful endeavours, and are consecrated to it by the Holy Spirit. Or the end of this Ministry may be to advance themselves, to reap the profits, to receive the fleece, enjoy the honours, no great care appearing of those other dreadful obligations, or concern that looks proportionable to them: and if men will purchase this charge too, as some say, we may be sure they do not buy the duty or those fearful obligations, and much less the Holy Spirit or his graces; but 'tis somewhat else they bargain for, which they break thro' oaths to come at, some other end they aim at. 2. As for states of life I must be endless should I enter into them, to name but that which God himself did institute and first before all others, which he made to be the compliment of the felicities of Paradise, to be mutual support in every state of life, give all the comforts of society with innocence, to preserve from vice in the most dangerous and fatal instances, and so assist in the recovery of lost Paradise; to fill earth, so as by their good education it might people Heaven, and repair its loss of fallen Angels. But some also may intend no more by it than dowry, or to serve the needs or interests of families, and to raise them; for as for other satisfactions, they intent to make them to themselves much otherwise, and design not this at all a bar to any, do not look upon it as God meant it for a remedy, because they would not be preserved from the transgression, only they purpose to have such posterity, it may be, as the Law will suffer to inherit what their vices leave, and their arts can secure from Creditors. Yet truly, since men learned to disbelieve or not regard their own immortality, and then learn not to care for living after they are gone hence in a good name; it is not strange if they esteem not living in posterity, and however brutish they are, mind not yet that immortality which beasts endeavour towards, to live in successive Offspring: yea where such men have it, they so little mind the giving them good education, that their vices only seem to live in their descendants. Thus men convey ruin into all the future Ages of their own families, and all this the most certain consequent of depraving this Divine primary Institution which was of such absolute necessity and benefit to mankind as he judged, and of slighting his ends in it, drawing it aside, and so making it of no reputation to others. By these few instances we may discern, that there is no profession place or state of life, but may be taught to serve ends either of the Child of this World or the Child of Light. It is not my part to affirm that most men make them minister to worldly purposes, that is not necessary to make good my Thesis, which says only that the Children of this World are truer to their own ends, more careful to do nothing that may call them off from, or oppose their purposes, more certain never to avoid what tends to the attaining them, and by consequence are in their generation wiser. men's practice in those instances (and 'tis the like in others) look them in the face so, that it were a shame to prove it to them; and 'tis as easily discerned what kind men's wisdom is of, they need no marks to distinguish them. In a word, he that will act wisely in order to those ends and objects which the light of Christianity discovers and proposes, must in every serious action look before him and consider what he purposes and designs by it, and, not giving ear to the suggestions of his prejudices, interests or any passions, shutting out their counsels, think where and what his aims are in it; whether by what he is about to do, he can intend an act of justice, honesty, charity or religion; whether he can do it out of love of God and for his service: or else passing by that, whether it does look another way aside to something else, and then consider, since Almighty God is infinitely just, and will be sure to punish what is grossly done amiss, and eternally reward what is faithfully endeavoured in his service, whether therefore by thy action thou art going to work towards, and ascertain thy felicity, or not. For if it be to gratify carnality or worldliness, to serve but any present inclination that will call thee off from, or will make thee worse disposed for duty, and will not comport with thy designs of Piety and Heaven, than thou art not true to thy own ends, runnest counter to thy own design and everlasting interest; but if thou canst really and in truth intent to do that thing for Heaven and God, on God's name do it, if I say, thou dost intend directly by just means, that being the second property of our wise man, that he pitches on such means as seem most useful and directly tending to his end, which I am next to speak to. And as to this the Child of Light is furnished now with all, that he, who is the Wisdom of the Father and his Everlasting Word, could judge was necessary or conducing to his end, and would prescribe for the attaining it. For however in the state of Heathenism they were much in the dark, both as to vice and virtue, and to the rewards and punishments, and thro' the prejudices of their education in a world corrupted wholly both in practices and principles; they sinned out of piety, and their Religion was their greatest crime: yet he that brought life and immortality to light, was himself f John 14. 6. the way, the truth and the life, the true living way to it, sent by his Father to trace out, and walk before us in that only true way that can bring us to that Life and immortality. Faith and Repentance make up the whole duty of man. To believe on him, to endeavour faithfully and with sincerity to obey him, and when 'ere we fail, to be humbled for it and amend, these are the true men's to attain eternal Life, as God hath by two most immutable things assured us, both by Promise and by Covenant, which he sealed to us in the blood of his own Son, which blood also purchased it. And his Word declares infallibly all the Rules of our duty, not in general only, but oft brought down to particular cases with their circumstances, and resolved in most familiar instances. So that as to this part of Wisdom, which consists in pitching upon good means, sure the Child of Light is prepared as much better than the other, as the Wisdom of God exceeds that of men. 'Tis true the other hath the compass of all Arts, Professions, and all other humane Inventions for his choice, but besides that they are humane, how fantastically are most put upon their course of life as to this world? To some chance does appoint it, others are determined to it oft without considering their capacities, whether they can fulfil the obligations of the charge they undertake, are blindly set down; one for example for a Soldier, this a Merchant, one a Scholar, this for Law, that other for the Gospel etc. as if they thought God in the distribution of his faculties and abilities were bound to follow their rash inconsiderate appointments. But be the ways and means designed well, yet how insufficient they are for the most part for their ends is every man's complaint, who seldom can attain them with all industry imaginable, g Eccles. 9 11. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, h Psalm 33. 16. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host: the ways to some too are false and slippery and on a precipice, the men that aim at high place often find it, men that build on air, as others do on water, on the waves, men whose means are most uncertain; so the paths in seas are also to the Merchant, and the winds and weather: some are dangerous too as shelves and tempests to them. So the Soldier's constant conversation is with death too, and his life is always in his hand, saith David. Yea many of the means men use are treacherous, false arts, exactions, frauds, injustices, and bribes breed rust and canker in the gold and silver which they get, and eat the flesh like fire, James 5. 2. And what is taken from the Altar hath a live coal in it. And as to the means men use in order to the plentiful enjoiments of their good things, the luxurious oft eats surfeit, the intemperate drinks fever, the incontinent embraces rotteness that eats out his marrow. So that certainly the worldly man that aims at satisfactions of this life by such means, makes the worse choice, and were wiser, if he sought them also by those means that tend to life hereafter, to Salvation even in the ways of piety; for as David and St Peter both prescribes, he that loves life and would see good days, let him eschew evil and do good. But he hath a very obvious objection, it is the most concerning part of wise men in the choice of means to pitch on such as are within their power; for to deliberate about, and to intend impossibilities, is the most horrible instance of folly. Now the man of this world chooseth such means, as humanely speaking, seem within man's power. But the means whereby the Christian must attain his ends he thinks are not so, and he is glad to think so, 'tis Apology, and he had rather have the excuse of God's not giving grace to him, than have the virtue; and 'tis certain truth, that God must give it. O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, all just works do proceed, saith our Church. All holy desires, for he prepares the heart that his ear may hearken thereto, his Spirit is the Spirit of supplication, he must intercede in us with groans unutterable, as if men need not set themselves to it, but were to wait for inspiration for it from that Spirit who blows where he listeth. All good counsels also and just works are from him; For we are not able of ourselves to think a good thought, as of ourselves, all our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3. 5. the very preparations of the heart are from him Psalm 10. 17. 'tis he that does touch the heart, 1 Sam. 10. 26. and open it, Acts 16. 14. turn it, Jer. 31. 18. he must draw us, John 6. 44. which if he do not, no man cometh to him; and must give an heart to know him, Jer. 24. 7. give a new heart, Ezek. 36. 26. and in all variety of expression, a new spirit I will put within you, and will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and cause you to walk in my statute, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. In a word, he worketh in us both to will and to do, Phil. 2. 13. Now since he only does all this at his own pleasure, as St Paul affirms there, therefore 'tis not in man's power: I know, O Lord, saith Jeremy c. 10. 23. that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps, no not to his main sovereign end. And in this the worldling thinks he has advantage; but does he not know that he must pray too, as well as labour for his own bread Matt. 6. 11. it is God produceth all in order to it; He bringeth food out of the earth, and giveth wine that maketh man's heart glad, and bread which strengthens it, Psalm 104. 14, 15. He that watereth the hills from his chambers v. 13. and his clouds drop fatness, he prepares men corn, Psalm 65. 9, 10. etc. 'Tis he that gives us power to get what we have, and he that does not know this, knows not God, Deut. 8. 14, 17, 18. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, and say in thy heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth; but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, yea he gives it itself, whatever labour we bestow in getting it 1 Chron. 29. 16. O Lord our God, all this store cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own; riches and honour come of thee v. 12. 'Tis I gave them corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and her gold [even that] whereof they did make Baal, made an Idol. And God is so jealous of his honour in this particular, that if men do not render this acknowledgement, he threatens to take all away: Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness, Host 2. 8, 9 And if he do not take it, he must bless it, otherwise we shall not thrive, shall have no comfort in it; for the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it, Prov. 10. 22. Without that, bread may stuff us but not nourish, we may have saturity but not have sustenance 1 Hag. 6. 9 for I did blow upon it, saith the Lord. So that for aught appears, if Scripture signify to the men of this world, as here they appeal to it, the means whereby they should attain their Ends seem no more in their power then the others. For as in the order of Grace those general rules to which he hath determined the conversion of a sinner, God must work with his means to make them effectual; so in the order of Nature those general rules by which all things in nature are effected; he must prepare the means, and bestow the power, and bless the endeavours, yea and himself give all too, otherwise they also cannot be effectual. Thus he hath in both appointed, that in one and the other we should live with constant application to, and with entire dependence on him in the faithful use of means both in the one and the other order. So that the objection is quite vanished. 'Tis true though sometimes God doth blast men's actions so, that do they what they can, they cannot prosper for some secret cause that's unaccountable to us, yet because for the most part in the sphere of Nature, so far as the men of this world diligently use the means, they attain their aims in some measure; therefore notwithstanding all the interest God pleads in these things, they make no doubt but they are sufficiently in their power; much more than those in the sphere of Grace are in that of the Christians, where they have express promises of not being disappointed, and are required by most strict and multiplied commands which represent the work of grace as duty. For though all good desires and Prayers, come from God's good Spirit, and from his preparing of the heart as we saw, yet i Eccles. 18. 23. Before thou prayest, prepare thyself, and be not as one that temts God, as one that waits for a particular inspiration to it, one that will not pray without a Miracle. Tho God is said to open Lydia's heart; yet Rev. 3. 20. he does only knock, and we must open. He turns the heart, and therefore Ephraim prays k Jer. 31. 18. turn thou me, O God: yet by Ezekiel he says l Ezek. 18. 30. turn yourselves from your transgressions, and bids Judah m Jer. 18. 11. Return now every one from his evil ways, and make your ways and your doings good. He promises to circumcise the heart Deut. 30. 6. but yet he bids them circumcise the foreskin of their hearts, Deut. 10. 16. He does engage to put a new heart and a new spirit in them, Ezek. 18. 31. In fine although he worketh in us both to will and to do as S. Paul says, yet he therefore charges us, Work out your own Salvation, For it is God that worketh in you. Now when the man of this world thinks all those expressions of God's workings in the course of Nature are such as yet leave n Phil. 2. 12. all to him to do, so far, that he were a Fanatic as to worldly interests who without endeavouring in the use of means, should look that God would work out his ends for him, give bread without sowing, nourish without eating, notwithstanding that Scripture does ascribe to God the entire efficacy: shall the like expressions in the order of grace, leave nothing for the Christian to do, especially when the same endeavours are commanded him too? I know not whether these expressions made to us to turn our felves etc. do make more Pelagians that deny all need of grace; or else ascribed to God, make more deny all need of our endeavours, even of our prayers, or of any thing but more dependence, waiting for his season. Whereas indeed we are to work, because he works and gives means to enable us; and not to use the means he gives us is to temt him, 'tis to refuse Salvation by the ordinary methods of his workings, & expect new miracle, 'tis to be that fanatic that does look to live without food. 'Tis gospel truth to say it is not the direction of God's laws can rule us, nor his promises allure us, nor his threats affright us; but his Holy spirit must direct and rule our hearts. Coll. 19 Sun. aft. Trin. and he must write his laws there Heb. 8. 10. and he must give us a heart to love and dread him. To affirm the other is heresy: and to say that a sinner can dispose himself for his conversion, or that the outward means can by their own moral efficacy turn a sinner, is an heresy against grace, but grace where it hath not been too far resisted, still accompanies the means. God's word is o Rom. 17. the ministration of the Spirit and of p 2 Cor 3. 8. righteousness, and his word and Spirit go together Acts 7. 51. for to resist one is to resist the other. And if the heart be not by evil education, bad converse and example (great advancers these of reprobation) depraved, either hardened or made dissolute, or overgrown with principles that choke all God's good seed that can be sown in it, those means so assisted call attention, work some disposition to regard them. The ordinariest means are blest to that end. Prov. 23. 14. thou shalt heal him with the rod and deliver his soul from hell. Yea they do it, though the force of good education have been broken, when these gracious means find congruous soft seasons, lay hold on occasions of calamity or such like; and they move the inclinations, and so make soil prepared for God's husbandry. And since experience shows us mere Gentile breeding and converse, if there be but care and parts, can temper, take off, at least moderate all insolence and passion, make men generous, and meek and humble, decent as to all behaviour towards God and man, not one ill vicious habit in their practice, but an universal probity upon the face of their whole life; why therefore may not those beginnings of God's workings, which he never fails to carry on for his part, do as much? And if they but keep off ill habits, and by constant practice weaken inclinations to them; here 'tis plain that God's means of grace find not so much resistance, and that which in another state of mind would not have been sufficient there becomes effectual; especially when with them that work, he works, and as S. James says, gives more grace to them that use it, and diverts temtations, enables to do all things thro' Christ that strengthens. O that the Christian would but try and strive to use his means as heartily as the Child of this world! It is because men are not so industrious for salvation, answer not the motions of God's Spirit, but neglect grace given, when the worldly man is indefatigable in, and therefore is wiser in order, to his end. Yet in relation to their proper means in order to their several ends I must confess the worldling does observe the rules of prudence better; the true child of this world for the most part chooseth the prescribed known ways to his end, and does use the general means and methods of the world, gets into a profession or a place in which if he use false arts, they are trades now, mysteries well taught and known; there are few adventure on untrodden paths: Projectors seldom thrive. But the generality of Christians who would gladly reconcile God and this world, life hereafter with the being well here, do not therefore acquiesce in God's means only, but make Principles, by-Rules of Conscience, which they guide themselves by on occasions, and have taught themselves to think they are safe ways, and such as do not lead them from salvation. It is too well known what one sort of men have attempted in this case, how by new-raised principles of Probability and directing the intention, they have reconciled all villainy with Christian life, made it safe yea meritorious to lie, forswear, and bear malice, to defame, revenge by either force or treachery, rebel, massacre, drown whole Nations in their own blood, depose or murder Kings. But passing these as monsters in Religion & honest heathen humanity; there are pretenders to some tolerable regard of God and virtue, who on occasions, fit their conscience to their convenience. Besides S. Paul's good Conscience void of offence to God and man, there is one of gentility, of Politics, of Honour, of friendship, and a conscience for persons, times and places, one of compliance and one of the mode, one for the interests of a Profession, and the like. I might have named some quite the other way; the Conscience that is ruled by rolling changeable Principles, which▪ play fast and loose, now strains at Gnats, and now can swallow camels: or a Conscience of caprice, that sets itself strong sudden heats of nice observances sometimes in little things, sometimes in greater, but is firm in nothing. But waving these, and that for Politics too, which is governed wholly by reasons of State, which is too nice and high for my consideration; the man of honour makes himself a Principle which will allow him to require reparations for the least affront so called; for otherwise what Gentleman would be of Christ's Religion; he can right himself with sword and pistol and with a good Conscience. The conscience for friendship is like that of Chilon, whom I mentioned to you, hath a by-rule. And indeed who is there almost that hath the same sentiments or laws for equity and justice in his own cause or the cause of those he is most concerned for, as in others? They measure not by the same standard: do not think in conscience the same case is like when it makes against, as when it serves a turn. As for persons, so for times. We have one conscience for the time of health, and one for sickness. Things do not equally seem good or evil in their different seasons. And as for places, ut vestitum, sic sententiam aliam domesticam, aliam forensem saith the Orator. Men have their shifts of conscience as of clothes; their dress is carefuller, and their rules stricter much abroad in public, then when at home or out of sight. As for the conscience of compliance, many do not only do things which they have dislike to, out of compliance, but satisfy themselves because they do them with reluctancy against their inclination, to avoid the being singular or offensive. For the mode too; Men learn to interpret God's laws also by the practice of the age, live and judge by imitation and example. The man's conscience though it boggle at first sight of dangerous uncomely liberties, yet conversation with them, as it takes away the horror of them, so he thinks it does the danger and ill influence. And as fashion makes all dresses to be mode and not look uncomely; so the custom of these things makes them seem indifferent. A Conscience also for the interests of a Profession: as in trade for example, and in Corporations of it, it thinks their combinations for the better keeping up the Company fair and honest, and therewithal make tricks and exactions lawful. And in single traders such another principle makes Princes Laws be broken, & their deuce stolen without any check of Conscience; and I verily believe that many think these are not inconsistent with a good mind. I might have instanced in other professions; particularly in that which satisfies itself in the defending manifestly wrongful, and in right causes, in protracting suits to men's great molestation and the ruin of just rights. But in truth this is paltry trifling with religion, having false weights and mesures of what's lawful and unlawful, things that God abhors: and indeed these fraud's will in the end return upon their authors, and the unhappy artist will most certainly deceive his own soul. For he never can arrive at life, whom he that is the way does not lead thither, Christ and his rules only can introduce us into the mansions of Eternity. 'Tis true there may be doubts sometimes about the way of duty (for 'tis that I speak to) in applying general rules; for circumstances may perplex & vary cases, obligations seem to clash and quarrel, so that one may be uncertain which to follow, what means he should take to attain his great end. 2. Now in case of such uncertainty, as to the means, the Child of this world does observe a Rule of Prudence better than the Christian, for he takes advice. For who intends to purchase an inheritance but he goes to Counsel, and if there be the least appearance of uncertainty in the Title, spares no charge to have it searched and to be sure? The least indisposition drives the man that aims at life to his Physician. In every difficulty of a voyage where there's any apprehension of a shelf or rock, the Merchant and the Master will consult the Pilot. But in the voyage towards heaven how many make shipwreck of a good conscience, because they will not commit themselves to any conduct? How often do they shake their Title to God's inheritance, because they will not take advice of him at whose mouth God commanded they should seek the Law? And who does go to the Physician of Souls to prevent death Eternal? I do not say men should betake themselves to a director in each action of their lives; For who goes to a Doctor to know whether he should eat stones or poison; or who asks a Lawyer whether he should keep or burn his evidences? Now for the most part what I ought to do, what to forbear, is every jot as clear as those, except where circumstances trouble, or else seeming cross obligations a muse our judgement; and then for a man not to ask direction in his way to heaven, is unanswerable folly in a man that will inquire the way to the next village; 'tis nothing but a wretchless stupid carelessness in the Eternal interests of his own Soul. When he that takes the best directions he can get with this sincere intent that he may not transgress, may quiet his own mind in this that he hath done his utmost faithfully towards duty, and in doing that with our good God shall be interpreted to have done his duty, if he also faithfully pursue the means directed, the 3d. property of Wisdom, which does set the man upon the use of those means which he must attain his end by; the last thing I am to speak too. Now as to this I must confess the Child of this world wiser: and give up the cause. Whoever does resolvedly intent his profit, pleasure, honour, or whatever state in this life, 'tis the business of his parts, his study and his whole life to pursue it: and it is so while the appetite of any carnal end is eager in him, Anger, hate, revenge etc. And I cannot say it is so with the Christian as to his end. But the worldly man besides the zeal in using all means in pursuit of his end, he observs two Rules that wisdom dictates, with more carefulness; 1. Be circumspect, then wary; both prescribed us by St. Paul Ephes. 5. 15. See that ye walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumspectly, not as fools but wise, as we translate it, and the Vulgar caute warily, with caution. Now the first of these two, Circumspection signifies the looking every way about him to discern, or if he can foresee whatever may obstruct him in his progress, give him any hindrance in whatever shape it is likely to attemt it; whether it do threaten with inconvenience, or do flatter with the deceitful appearances of being useful; come with treachery or open opposition, as a false Friend or a known Enemy: and the other, Caution sets him upon all the care he can make use of to avoied or rid himself of such impediments of what kind soever. Now 'tis evident the man of this world in whatever occupation, trade, profession, or place he may be, from the lowest to the highest, who proposes any one thing to himself, and does not live ex tempore and follow ends and objects as the boy's do Crows, but hath at least some one design, so far as he does so, looks round him, that he may shun every thing that would defeat, divert, or but disturb him in it, and endeavours to move every stone, which he may stumble at in his pursuit, whatever may be an impediment to his attainments. Now the Child of Light hath warning given him by the wise man also, My Son if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation. There are those that will attemt to break his progress in pursuit of any such designment; His enemy the Devil like a roaring Lion, his false friend the Flesh, and a third (that will assault him under both appearances) the World, sometimes by reproaches taunts and insolent scorn, by turning piety and virtue into raillery, discouraging men from the pursuit, sometimes by vexatious molesting, injuring, oppressing good men that they think will bear it, making a prey of the meek, patient and long-suffering, treading under foot the humble; because they know their principles will make them suffer it: and sometimes by invading them with downright persecution, when duty and Religion are made crimes, true faith and a good Conscience mark men out for ruin. Sometimes on the other side it courts us, shows us all its glory, its places, powers, plenties, pomps and gaieties, and so kindles in us the desire of wealth, which is the only way to compass all those; which desire if it touch the heart once, if the world can charm us once with the deceitfulness of riches as our Saviour words it Matth. 13. 22. we are quite betrayed. For these deceitful riches, though they are and may be made great instruments of good, and most well minded men, when they are in the way of getting them, imagine they shall do more good with more of them, when they have got them, they deceive them, prove occasions and foments of vices, do not only serve, but grow incentives to those Sins, which men have any inclinations too, yea many times betray them into those they before had no disposition towards, by putting them into their power, and by heightening for them. And however many that possess them, do make blessed use of them, yet those that seek them and endeavour their increase on the account of doing so, to make them help their entry into life, do in our Savior's judgement for the most part so deceive themselves, and are as sottish as a man that should get up upon a Camel, to ride thro' the eye of a Needle. 'Tis our only wisdom to beware of all temtations. 'Twas Christ's last advice in that agony both of his Love and Sufferings. Watch and pray that ye enter not into them; Look about you, give no opportunities to them to approach you undiscerned, advert still that you may be either able to avoied them, or have time to fortify and call up all the succours Reason and Religion offer, and all those of Grace, which God is ready to bestow upon your prayers, that you may not be surprised and taken unprepared; and rather bear & suffer any thing then yield. Whatever 'tis that is most precious to thee, serves thy greatest uses, contributes to thy most charming satisfactions, rather part with it then let it temt thee. 'Tis our Saviors charge, if thy right Eye offend, ensnare, thee pluck it out and cast it from thee. It is sad indeed when the Eye that should watch, the organ of Circumspection and with which we should discern the snare to shun it, should itself lead into it, and be it. But 'tis sadder when the snare is dear to men as the usefullest part and most delightful of their senses, when they can no more endure to withdraw from temptation, then to cut off their right hand, or pull out their right Eye, when they use those parts to look about for ruin, and lay violent hands upon the instruments of their Perdition; when they will lose any of those organs rather than not pursue what the temptation suggests, rather cut off a right hand and pull out a right Eye, than not satisfy the appetite it raises, give up all their own aims, and the worldlings also for that only; lose their Salvation, their God and their own Soul, spend wealth and strength and body, honour and understanding on one sin, that they may become their own ruins here in this life, and the type of their judgement in the life to come. Now these are such instances of folly that the men that practise them and call themselves Christians, are not to be put in the comparison with the children of this world, who in every part of wisdom are much wiser, in relation to their ends, and to the means they pitch upon, and to the use of those means in pursuit of their intentions: which I undertook to show. And then when all their Wisdom is foolishness with God, and branded with the worst extremest names of it in Scripture; in what rank of folly stand most Christians? And truly to sum up all, 'tis a most astonishing contemplation how 'tis only in these everlasting interests that most men act without any consideration, as men wholly destitute of understanding, and that could not think. He that hath a journey or a voyage which he must make, and accordingly designs, he takes some thought of fit means of conveyance, and providing whatsoever else is at least necessary for it, never is so sottish as to choose and prepare a Ship for land, or a Coach for Sea, nor to hire and put himself in any one he meets by hazard, without minding whether it is going and will carry him. Now each man hath a journey to the other World, knows he must make it, and is going on it, and and pretends at least to be assured there are two ways to that world; one that leads to felicities which never can die, and the other to as endless and immortal misery and torment: yet the one of these however dreadful, and the other how desirable soever never enter into his Consideration so as to weigh aught with him, and to incline him in the choice he makes of that way which he walks in all his life long. And though men know that they approach nearer to that terrible moment every day, and have for aught they know few paces more, but are to step immediately into one of these two Eternity's; yet if you ask them why they go that way they march in, not another, whether they ever minded where that way will lead them: why alas they did not ask themselves that question, may be never yet reflected on it; but their inclinations and affections, the example of converse with others carried them along without consideration whither: these did guide them wholly, and from these they took their sentiments of things and actions, which they followed without ever giving heed too, or examining how they came by them, or what grounds of truth or goodness they have for them, but pursued them constantly, and doing so, that while those sentiments remain in them as judgements, and remaining long so and by that becoming prejudices, with them go for Principles; and if ever they be called on to reflect upon the way they walk in, being willing out of a desire that's natural to man, and is inbred in him, to justify themselves as much as may be in their inclinations and their actions, they seek reason or colour of it to gild over and beautify the principles they took up so. Thus they come to have their maxims and rules, and so a Conscience which excuses or at least does not reprove their conduct; and so go on confidently, and acquiesce in those, and never take nor ask other direction. Yet these very men will hire a Tutor to direct their footings that they may be to the mesures and the rules of Music; will be bountiful and docile & obedient to him, and spend time too in reflecting how to set their paces to the cadences of an air: so much more considerable 'tis to dance well then to live and die well. No guide in that science that must teach them how to be for ever blessed; they march forwards in the way they fall into, in which provided all their appetites be entertained well, and themselves diverted, the good company submissive and complaisant, and let them have their will, and rule it, than they go on pleasantly not ever thinking what way they are in or whither going. Much less are they circumspect and wary, watching both their ways and steps; but rather love to walk amongst, break into snares; and so walking so entangled, their last fatal minute overtakes them: never till then sensible, but then made so by despair, when, as the wise man words it, they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, Wisdom c. 5. The Righteous we had in derision and a proverb of reproach, we fool's accounted his life madness; how is he numbered among the Children of God, and his lot is among the Saints. Therefore have we erred from the way of truth; we have wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness, yea we have gone thro' deserts. Where there lay no way; but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it. What hath pride profited us, or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow. For the hope of the ungodly is like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm, but the Righteous live for evermore; the reward of them is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful Crown from the Lords hand. Which Crown God of his infinite mercy grant, etc. SERMON XVIII. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? IN days that above all others so pretend to light, yet then in which the Church was scarcely ever more involved in darkness, wholly overspread with error and confusion, and these new lights prove but like those fires that do misled them that are overtaken by the night; guide them only out of their way into dangers and precipices, and make them lose themselves in many wander; only Religious meteors: It cannot be unseasonable or needless to try what kind of light it is that Christ would have us follow; if all were true those others do pretend, 'twould give them but enlightened brains: but Christ's light here will give us shining lives, make our whole bodies full of light; and which light if men want, notwithstanding all their wild illuminations, they are still in the most amazing darkness. For the light of the body is the eye. etc. The words are clearly the former part of a comparison, only hinting at, and leaving us to guests and to draw out the latter; which hath by divers been assigned diversely. In their direct view they say thus much, The Eye is the candle of the body: that is, as in the body of man the Eye is the director, does that office to it that a lamp does in the dark, shows it which way it should walk, what it should do, and by its guidance the body can discerningly set about its offices and perform its functions: and if the Eye be as it ought, pure and right, it directeth well; but if not, the body not being able to discern, not only cannot exercise its functions as it ought, but also may walk on in dangerous errors, and stumble upon precipices into ruin. So also it fares in our spiritual estate. But the particulars thereof are not by all agreed upon, and are very variously rendered. The single and the evil eye being expressed by such words as do assure us that a spiritual eye is here intended, yet leaves place for enquiry into what it is: and though several meanings have been pitched upon, and but one was meant, yet each having either large authority or reasons, I know not why I may not apply it too, and treat of every one: seeing each way affords us true and good instructions. And first that which hath most generally been adhered to is that the singleness of the Eye should mean the singleness or simplicity of heart, & purity of intention. So Abimelech Gen. xx. 5, 6. when he had taken Sarah to him, pleads for himself he did it in the simplicity of his heart, and God acknowledges he did so; with an honest intention, meaning to make her his wife, not knowing that she was so to another man. And then the second part of the comparison says thus: So also if thy heart be single and sincere, thy intentions right to God, if in all thy actions thou intent his service and Glory, that thy good meaning will derive a goodness into all thy doings, thy whole body will be full of light, all thy actions holy; but if thy intentions be vitiated, if in the duties I named before, alms, prayer, fasts thou aim not at my service, but the praise of men, if thy heart be impure, mudded with the desire of earthly things, which I did last forbid thee; thy actions must needs be dark and foul: yea indeed how. great a spiritual darkness, how much unholiness must needs dwell upon thy doings, if the only thing, that should give light, and shed an holiness into them, thy intentions be dark and evil? To this sense I shall first speak, and divide my text into subjects rather than parts. 1. The first shall be this, the lamp of the body is the eye, a good intention a well meaning must enlighten & direct every action to make it not reprovable. 2. I shall lay before you a single eye, show you what is required to make a Religious intention singly and purely so. 3. That from such a single eye the body shall be light, that such good hearty meanings do either break out into holy actions, or are accepted as such. 4. That such a single eye makes the whole body light, that by such pure religious intentions a man may sanctify all the actions of his life. 5. The remaining part of the text, but if thine eye be evil etc. being but the affirming all the contraries to these of the evil eye, the bad meaning, the intention that is not honest and pure, must needs be proved and pressed in pressing of the former part; and therefore that shall only furnish me with application. First of the first, the candle of the body is the eye, a good intention; a well meaning must enlighten and direct every action to make it not reprovable. I mean in actions that are any way matter of duty▪ I know only an innocent harmless intention, if there be no other unhandsome circumstance, will serve to make the common actions of life innocent and not unblamable; but without the Religious intention the action cannot be accounted duty, and upon this score 'tis in Religion reprovable. Among all creatures here below man is the only one that hath a faculty to choose his ends, & consequently that can direct his intentions. Things without life are carried only to the maker's ends, not to their own; the stone however by its own weight it hurry downwards to its sphere of rest, and as it does approach goes faster still and faster, as if there were its inclination, and that inclination were more sensible as it came nearer, and so increased upon it; yet 'tis determined to its line, 'tis bound to move by plummet, and cannot possibly turn one point aside, not make the smallest crook to meet a nearer knob of earth that stretches up itself to give it soon rest: and all its haste is only weight not inclination, not choice, but natural violence as it were. Things that have life and sense, have indeed aims, and these do prosecute those aims with eager strong intentions; but they also are limited, determinantur ad unum, as the Schools speak; their end is set to them, nor do they pick and choose upon comparative considerations; that which strikes their present sense with strongest relish, that they necessarily fix upon: and therefore Buridan tells us of an Ass that was so justly placed between two bottles of hay of so exact and equal sent and goodness, that neither of them being able to determine his appetite to the one more than the other, his inclinations stood divided equally betwixt those equal invitations, and being not able to prefer, nor consequently choose any, he wanted both, and two bottles starved him whom one would have preserved. But 'tis not so with man, for as there is as great a difference betwixt his ends as does distinguish Hell from heaven in obedience on one side, and transgression on the other; life and death, eternity of blessedness, and immortality of misery are set before his choice; one of these everlastingnesses sets out itself before every action of his that is not merely indifferent, and offers itself to be his aim. So also he hath (as it mostly proves) a most unhappy privilege, that he can choose his ruin: and as by the assistance of that Grace, which God does not deny, he can intend those actions that look directly towards happiness; so he can by the power of his will prosecute his own destruction. Now then as for him that can thus choose his ends, that can direct his intentions either to good or evil, to limit this his freedom to the choice of evil would be most unreasonable; God knows 'tis too much so for him to let the lawful delights of his senses according to their degrees and strengths fix and determine much of his intentions; and to employ his soul to spring and start such pleasures, and let his appetite still hover over them, and the fairest quarry always engage it in the pursuit, tied to that object that does strike his sense with greatest vigour of temptation: for this is to live merely a life of sense, 'tis to degenerate from man into the rank of lower creatures; for just these are their aims, and so they make their choices: and did God place an immortal and Angelic Spirit in a man only to make him be a more sagacious brute? But then much more than brutish would it be when as two objects court his choice, as different as Hell and Heaven in desireableness; for him to choose the terrors, to pursue that which carries with it inconsistency to all his happinesses. The beasts cannot do so, they cannot choose the worse, but man will prefer misery, and make his choice of wretchedness. And truly thither every action of man does tend, that is not otherwise levelled and directed by honest intentions. It is the meaning that distinguisheth the deeds, and as the mind intends, so it altars the exterior action into good, bad or indifferent. If I do take a walk to the next town, whether I do it for fresh air and recreation, or else to make a charitable Christian visit, so to relieve or help a weak sick soul, or go to meet companions of my sin and to appoint or execute a vice, the walk is still the same, but those so different ends do make the action tend to consequences of an eternal difference. Nay the aim hath so great an influence upon the deeds, that though the action be an action of a virtue or Religion, yet according to the quality of the man's meaning that performs it, so it may either lose its virtue, or transmute into a vice, and the very Religion become sin. The first part of this chapter is all demonstration of this: 'tis lawful without question by all good humane means to seek to advance my reputation, but he that does endeavour it by his devotions, though his life be all strictnesses, and he do spend himself in alms and fasts and prayers, by all these holy practices he does not purchase the reward of piety, but only praise of men; so that all that Religion ceaseth to be holy, and if it mainly aim at that, becomes hypocrisy. And all the reason in the world it should be so; for he that merely in order to his ends does choose and practise such means, 'tis certain he does love those means no otherwise then as they serve that end, and therefore though the means be virtue, he does not love the Religion of that virtue, but the convenience of it as it does contribute to his aim. Now if it be convenient to an ill end, 'tis an evil convenience, and so in choosing virtue he chooseth evil; if but to an indifferent end, 'tis an indifferent convenience; and so the Religion becomes insipid and indifferent; and though there be honesty in the thing, yet 'tis by accident as to his mind, 'tis not for that he chooses it, but for its usefulness; and ordinarily 'tis not that males it convenient or useful for ends, or if it do, yet the appearance of it is as good as it is itself; and so 'tis clear, howsoever he choose virtue, yet the virtue hath no interest in his performance, not in his intention, nor election. Thus he that is charitable to one in distress on purpose to oblige him afterwards for some designs he hath in using him, he does contract, not give, and 'tis not alms, but commerce, 'tis rather earnest of wages, than a liberality. She that abstains from vicious and suspected company, and observes strictest chastity merely to avoid an ill name or worse consequences, does not fear God, but shame and being undone, and 'tis not virtue this but care of reputation: she's no more chaste as to the Religion of it, than she that does abstain from places suspected of diseases, that would spoil her face or do her other injury: she does avoid uncleanness, as she does small pox or breaking of her limbs; and she that will not lame or deform herself is every jot as virtuous. They that make long prayers for a pretence to cover their devouring widows houses, that their opinion of their Religion may palliate some other wickednesses they have; their prayers only pull down woes upon them Matth. 23. They that go to the place of God's Worship and Service and to the exercises of devotion, intending there to offer up some eyes and thoughts to some object, which their vicious inclinations have service for, their very Religion is Idolatry; and truly they who do good actions to an ill intent, their wickedness is multiplied, they do not only sin in the intention, but they defile the means, they make Piety serve their vice, and Christ Minister unto Belial. Occasion enough to persuade us to look to our intentions, and have a care our meanings be purely and singly religious; which when they are I am now next to show you. Now for this intentions may be considered either precisely in order to the end they aim at, without taking in the consideration of the means, by which I must prosecute that end; as for instance, from this time forward I intent strictly and duly to observe my private and the public hours of prayer; nothing but such an occasion, as God shall interpose, shall hinder me. Or I intent according to my ability to practise charity to the distressed. Or secondly the man considers also what means there are for him to pursue that intention, and chooseth what he thinks the most convenient, and by that means intends to compass his designs. So in order to my constant keeping prayers, I will be sure to rise so early, as that the haste of any business I shall have, shall not hurry me from my private morning devotions; I will be up timely enough for both: and I will so and so order my business of the day, and so cut off, or so dispose my pleasures as that they shall not enterfere with prayers, shall not entrench on my Religious hours, but doing so and so I will have void spaces left for them, that are so much more my concerns; and will not suffer trifles to detain me from them; or from any part, such as I may easily shake off, or defer for so much better interests than trifles, as the business of my prayers is; which yet truly 'tis to be doubted they do scarce believe, that let trifles turn them either from all or part, or slacken them in coming. And for my charity I do intend out of such my revenue, or my wages, or out of the superfluity of my expenses (from which I do discern I could spare something, and be never the worse) to lay aside constantly for the uses of that virtue. And so any man intends to set upon the serious practice of sobriety and temperance or chastity; and then considers that 'tis necessary for him to avoid such and such engaging practices, or such and tempting companions, and occasions, and thereupon intends that too: where we see the means come in with the end to make up the intention; as where they do not, God knows the bare intention of the end is but imagination and fancy. 1. Now as to both these intentions: First for the precise intention of the end; that in religious aims that may be single and pure, I must 1. take heed that neither temporal nor vicious aims do mix in any degree with my Religion in my thoughts, nor that the pious meaning do decline unto any such intention. For any either mixture or defilement, makes a thing not pure and single. Do not mistake me, temporal ends such as profit, recreations; reputation are not only lawful, but necessary for our intentions, provided they do not transgress their bounds of time ot measure, but they must not in any degree come into your obediences to God. To intend both in that, were to endeavour that which Christ says we cannot do, 'twere to serve God and Mammon, or God and pleasure, or the Lord and Honour: yea 'twere to serve them with the Lords Religion, to make the very worship of my God be the Idolatry of my covetousness, 'tis one of the worst kinds of sacrilege to alienate his own service from him. Nay I must take a care that an intention piously begun, do not decline into any degree of such meanings. I may out of a real sense of my imperfections or detestation of some of my former practices begin a confession, and complaint against myself, and have the thoughts of emtyness and of humility of heart, when this intention springs within me, but if I then find some have a better opinion of me for it, and speak well of my modesty or my humility, and that opinion do begin to tickle me, that air to fill me (and I shall easily discover it, if there be any thing of such an aim, for if I cannot well endure another should say that of me which I say myself, than it is sure that my confessions were either dissimulation, or fishing after praise:) here the humble intention declines, & now 'tis time to have a care and turn my thoughts from other men's opinions to my own guilty consciousness. So for vice, if the same confessing man acknowledge sadly former loosnesses, or out of a good meaning tell some story to aggravate the vileness of such fault, and doing this before a female auditor makes her pleased with the expression of it, and as she begins to like the person for the story, so the contagion spreads, and the relator from such a liking (as it quickly will) contracts a mutual kindness, and refreshes decayed desires; here the good meaning is sunk and drowned in sin; desinit in piscem, 'tis but a Mermaid intention, the fair upper part, however beauteous, ends in monster, the Saint declines into a fiend. 2. If none of this, yet if I can foresee some casual unconcerned evil accident will happen and come in; then I must either free my good intention from that, or change it. If I intent to reprove my Superior towards whom I have some office of so doing, for his vice, and do foresee that probably upon that his just respect and authority may decay with some others; I will then take some other way of doing it. If by aggravating the guilty heinousness of some practices of those that do profess the strictness of Religion, I can guests my doing so will cast a dash upon the profession of Religion itself in the esteem of some that hear me; I will forbear a good of so ill consequence, except such aggravation be necessary upon some other score, as to take off the opinion of those that may be misled by those persons into guilt. If I foresee my laying open of a false opinion (provided that it be not fundamental as to practise) in a man of pious learning and of reverend esteem, may chance to stagger the beliefs of some that must receive their knowledge from instruction and cannot do it better than from such; and make them thinkalas from whom shall we learn truths, or what assurance have we that any thing we have given credit to is so: sure my intention is more noxious than his false opinion and to be turned aside. If by telling a true story intended for the disparagement of vice, I think aspersions may come upon a person (which are not at all necessary for my hearers avoiding of the vice,) yea tho he be mine enemy, the story and my intentions would be much better spared. A meaning than is purely good, when it hath nothing else but good in view of it; and that intention is not truly single, that hath two ends, although but one be mine, and the other chances only; for if I foresee it, I some way adopt it, and do make it mine. So for the first intentions. 2. The entire intentions as they take in the means succeed into our consideration; and here I would be plain because I know it is the common plea and ground of most whereby they excuse actions otherwise very unblamable by saying that they did it with a good intent: and this they think will stop the mouths of their impleaders and their conscience. On this score Phineas' zeal is grown a Christian principle (though the like zeal were blamed by Christ in his disciples) yea and that stretched now much beyond the original; such a zealous intention shall execute real murders, and all the bloody heinous consequences of a war undertaken upon no other appearing ground: when not upon a visible confessed Idolatry, and impudent whoredom, as that in Phineas case, but upon only controverted doubts, or indeed fancied stains in an established happy Church; their zealous intention must warrant them to let out those taint's together with the life, to blood them with the sword; and if they cannot call for fire from Heaven to purge away the dross, yet they will make the reformation with fire and faggot, prune the worship by cutting up both root and branch: Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum. And Religion must persuade and warrant all these mischiefs. A like good meaning shall engage men to defy the persons and authority of their most just Superiors, to both which they were bound by laws and oaths; but they are nothing to a good intention: and while they prosecute the ruin of their Governors, and desolation of their Nation, yet they can mean well to them both, and be still innocent. So the ends of self-preservation, or which is much worse, preservation of a little wealth or dignity, shall justify perjury and doing things against the conscience: and those things looked upon as slight transgressions in order to that end, when the pride of an estate, or of a wife and family is in the intention. I could make divers other instances in common actions of our lives, in which whatever men do practise, if they have a good meaning, they believe themselves excusable. Therefore 1. That an intention may be good, 'tis absolutely necessary, that it do not take in any forbidden means to bring about its end; for if it do, however the end were good, the intention will be sinful. The reasons clear, because that particular intention does especially respect and include that particular means; which means is evil, that is to say, it does especially respect and include evil, and consequently is so. Nay if I use ill means, though to advance an end of noblest Religion, yet in so intending that intention does not do God service, nor obey his commands for it is impossible that the same action of the mind should in itself be both commanded and forbid by God. Now as the intention takes in and pursues the evil means so 'tis forbid, and consequently is a sin, and therefore cannot be service to God nor obedience to his command. If that this reason will not do, example and command shall do it. Saul did intend to sacrifice when he did spare the fattest of the sheep and oxen: 'tis true he was commanded to slay all, but he intended to preserve the best for God, his meaning was Religion and worship; but yet that good intention of worship did condemn him, and he and his posterity lost the Kingdom for this Religion. God does not require any action, which he sees I cannot compass without sin; for the requires no man to sin, for that were to require that we should break his commands, and 'twere a strange obedience to the Lord to disobey him for his own sake; shall I speak wickedly for God, saith Job, Job. 13. 7. and talk deceitfully for him? will ye accept his person? and plainer yet S. Paul. Rom. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded thro' my lie unto his glory; why also yet am I judged as a sinner? And not rather as we are slandrously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil, that good may come: whose damnation is just. The argumentation runs thus, If God's way of grace may be thus set out, and more illustriously seen by the sins of men; why should God thus punish their sins which so tend to his glory (Irecite the objection of some men) or if he does, is it not injustice in him so to do? v. 7. For (say they) if the faithfulness, and mercifulness of God in performing his promises to Abraham giving the Messiah hath appeared more abundantly, and tended more to his glory by occasion of the Jews sins or infidelity, there will be then no reason why they that are guilty of such sins so much tending to God's honour should be complained of or proceeded with in judgement; but on the other side men might do well to commit such sins, from which so much good or glory to God might come. I recite, says the Apostle, a damnable doctrine, and in opposition say, that no one sin is to be committed, though in order to and contemplation of the greatest good, God's glory. And this is proof enough, and therefore 2. tho an intention that sets itself an holy and Religious end, the glory of God, the purity of Religion, the peace and flourish of Jerusalem, nay Church and nation, or some particular service to God, while it looks only at the end is good and holy, yet when it comes to think of means in order to that end, if he can find there is only one within his compass, and that forbidden, as he is bound to renounce the means, so also he must desert the intention instantly: for if he go on to intend good, which he knows he cannot compass but by doing ill, 'tis clear he does intend the doing ill; as he that know it is not possible, that he should shoot at such a mark, behind which a man stands, but he must kill the man, if he intent to shoot, he does intend to kill. No, he may pray for such an end that God would find expedients to bring it about, but must not set wickedness on work to do it; God does not need the aids of sin to promote his glory or service. And therefore 3. A truly Religious intention of a good end purely as it is good cannot suffer a man to choose an evil means of working towards it. It is not possible that he should do it; for he that does choose a means unto an evil end, intends it only as 'tis useful to that end, and otherwise he could not like nor pitch upon it; but sin cannot be useful to a virtuous action as it is virtuous, but perfectly repugnant to it. I may exact, and gripe, oppress deceive, and many more such things, that so I may be rich, and have to give to them that want; but I cannot do those things truly intending the Religion of charity, because that would not suffer me to do them. Those actions are perfectly contradictions to its nature, they ruinated the very being of a virtue, as it is in obedience to God; for a man cannot disobey God in obedience to him, and therefore are not useful to it, as it is a virtue, nor chosen so but on some other motive. The man that heaps by fraud and by oppression intending to build hospitals, intends thereby to build himself a monument, and leave as great a name behind him, as he does treasure may be, but if he truly had intended charity, he had not been uncharitable for charity. The man that does intend to be a daily constant person in the public exercises of Religion, and travail up and down to get the opportunities, if when he does begin to think how he is to prosecute those intentions, and so considers that then he must neglect his calling greatly and impoverish, may be break himself and family, if he than set down with himself; I may allow myself some arts of thriving, take ways of getting greater gains in my commodities then are fit for others that do not give God so much of their time; or I will restrain my hand as to the poor; for if Religion to God take away so considerable a part of what I should gain, charity to the poor, hath no reason to have a great share too in what I have; and so leave off to be a doer, that he may be a hearer, or do that which is not justifiable, use some deceitful methods, or be not merciful (and these are no strange things they say) 'Tis clear this man does not intend towards the real power of religion, for that would not allow him such ways to it, which are so far from useful to it, that they are perfect oppositions to its nature, but either the repute of a professor, or the being owned as of a party, or some such motive lurks under the visor of Religion; it may be undiscerned by him who minds that fair appearance of a good end, so intently as not to search, and try the whole intention, the means as well as aim. For such means, however they may contribute to the action of Religion and virtue in the general, yet they cannot be useful to the Religion, or the virtue of the action, nay do they not contribute sin more than their own to the intention? 'Tis a hard question; and though indeed it be apparent, that he that chooseth an ill way only to bring about a good intent; does not like or choose that ill for itself, and would not embrace it if it were not dressed and varnished with the adornments and the paint of a well meaning, and consequently is not so malicious, as they that choose sin barefaced in its own shape and colours; yet when to do so is so directly against the very nature of piety, against reason and command, and hath so harsh a sentence as S. Paul does thunder out against them, that shall entertain such a doctrine, that truly I do not know what to say to them, that notwithstanding that dare practise it. I'm sure the wise man saith Eccles. 34. 20. He that bringeth an offering of the goods of the poor, doth as one that killeth the Son before the Father's eyes; an offence that to the Father, that hath more than his son's death in it, it strikes him also thro' the eyes and would make his own sight his murderers, does make it to be his torment; and defies his displeasure, choosing to spite him to his face: and some such aggravation it should seem vice carries in it, when it comes into Religion, as it does, when it thrusts into our holy intentions, as means to pious ends. However it be, I'm sure I've said enough to prove that truly good intentions cannot take in evil means, and that such means when they are taken in, make the intention mixed and unholy, and therefore far from pure: and so have done the second thing, and let you know what is required to make a Religious intention singly & purely so. The third follows 3. That from such a single eye the body shall be light, that such good hearty meanings do make the actions good and holy, or are accepted as such actions. The former part, that actions regulated by intentions completely Religious are Religious, needs no proof; because our actions derive these guilt or their Religiousness from thence: there can be nothing there to blame; for when the end is good, and the means good, than all is so. But I would tell you such intentions have a privilege beyond this of making outward actions acceptable to the Lord: for where we do endeavour in pursuance of such intentions, and cannot bring them into act there those intentions are in God's sight as the actions themselves, he does so value them, and so he will reward them. For God accepts the will for deed, and if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8. 4. Here thy good meaning if it put forth itself according to thy power is complete performance; here is a way the meanest soul may be an Hero in Religion: there is no bounds that can be set to holy meanings. My actions may be fettered in, tied by impossibilities, that I cannot perform such holy deeds as others, but my intentions are free as Angels; I can mean heartily and intent to the utmost, and by such an art the poor widow, that gave nothing but the expression of the meanest poverty, did yet give more than they that bestowed treasures, because in two mites she meant to give her utmost; and at such rates God will reward them too. Those good intentions that sincerely mind God's glory shall themselves reap glory, even before the action shall. From resurrection to eternity is time enough to reward holy actions, but before that, betwixt death and judgement, the soul shall be rewarded with the blessing of its intentions. As it did often do its part in piety without the body, so it shall have a crown before the body, shall forestall happiness, and for a while it shall alone be blessed, as oftentimes it hath been virtuous alone in good intentions, when it could not act. 4. But all this is not strange, that the great mercy of our God should so interpret to our advantage our designs of piety, as to impute good meanings to our glory as if they were good doings, and consequently where the intentions are holy, the actions must be holy, and where this eye is clear, the body must have light: but 'twill be very strange if a clear eye make the whole body full of light, illustrate those performances which have no relation to the soul. Most of the actions of our life are common and indifferent, serve only the necessities or recreations of nature, and how can these be holy? Why yes, by pure Religious intentions a man may sanctify all the actions of his life, and if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God, saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 31. Every therefore the most common action may be intended to God's glory, and then 'tis sanctified. That the Lord should look for honour from the devout performances of our strictest Religion, 'tis no wonder, for therefore he requires them: but that when in the meanest instance I do serve myself, in doing so I should be able to give glory to my God, is sure by virtue of some strange stratagem, some Divine elixir that will so transmute things: why a good meaning will do this. To show thee how, when thou goest about the employments of thy lawful calling, have but good thoughts about thee, good intentions in them, and the actions of thy calling are for the uses of grace, and thy necessities do prove thy virtue. As for instance, when thou labourest do but consider to what pains sin hath put thee, sells thee thy bread for sweat; for if man had not sinned, Eden had furnished him with all the delicacies of Paradise, without his care or contribution, and he had had the fruits of the tree of life without the pains of planting any thing: 'tis sin that gives thee all this toil; and then do but resolve to use this as an argument to thyself to make thee hate the cause of so much trouble: I will sure labour most against that, which hath so changed and debased my condition, and which does aim to make me far more miserable to eternity. If I am weary of my work ere night, what shall I be of everlastingness of torment? If little thirsty heats and drops of sweat offend me, what will unquenchable favours, and what a lake of brimstone? And think again upon the mercies of thy God, who offers thee at the rate of easier endeavours the food that lasteth to eternal life; the calling of a Christian being the least painful, and yet it brings the greatest fruits, the price of that high calling being blessedness, if thou but labour in it. If thou be sustaining the necessities of nature in meat and drink, look up to him that does provide for them, and resolve only not to use his blessings to his dishonour by excesses, not to spew his mercies out into his face again; but use them as assistances of nature to enable thee for such employments as his providence hath assigned to thee. And in thy recreations also do but take notice thankfully how God hath provided for delights too, how he hath not only brought forth bread to strengthen man, but wine to make his heart glad, and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and instruments of sport to delight him: and but acknowledge all these things to God, and intent with thyself to use them only to his ends. Thy calling either to provide for thy subsistence here, that thou may'st serve him, or to do good to others. Thy meals for preservation of that life which he hath lent thee for his uses; and recreations for refreshment and for health; and make no doubt if nothing do interpose to spoil these instances, that thou art serving God in all of these, that thy most secular actions are thus make spiritual employments by being dedicated so to God undertaken in his fear, and intended for the uses of his providence: so that if whensoever thou art going about any thing, thou do but ask thyself, why thou dost set upon it, and canst but make a good intention look towards it, and resolve only to let it serve such ends, resolve not to transgress in it the bounds that God hath set thee either of time or measure, and to make all subordinate and to assist towards piety some way or other; and then sometimes with eyes lift up, call for, and look for a blessing down upon thee in it: and by this means the action is sanctified, so thou dost consecrate thy deeds to God and he accepts thy meaning in it, as an offering to him, the action is adopted into the stock of Religion meant to God, and so thy whole life may be made pious by such good intentions, and thus thy single eye makes thy whole body full of light. And this consideration alone might apply itself with pressingness upon us. Shall I think God not easy to be served when I may teach my recreations to serve him? Shall I think Heaven placed out of my possibilities, when I can learn my sports to wing me towards it? Religion sure is not so very difficult, when a good honest meaning can transmute every action of my life into Religion; and than who would not at such easy rates change his employments, which he must do, and his sports which he will do, into pieties; when it is done by putting good intentions into them, by good thoughts and ejaculations engaging God along in them? But the last words do urge an application which I promised in one word. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body is full of darkness. My brethren, if ill intentions have so destructive an influence upon our actions, that when the end is foolish, though the action I practise be a virtue, yet that aim does defeat it of its vertuosness, it loseth all its taste of piety, and an ill enddoes debauch it into vice, as I have proved; and so for want of a good meaning I either lose my Religion, or my Religion becomes sin unto me: Unhappy I that when with such intentions I practise duty, I lose the pleasures or the profits of the sins I might have practised every jot as innocently, and much more usefully, as to those ends; and I lose the duty, and by the very duty I purchase condemnation; enjoy neither the vice I do omit, nor yet the piety I practise, nor any thing, but the sad sentence of they have their reward. And on the other side, if my ends be never so pious, if I intent to compass them by unlawful means, and do evil though that good may come thereof; what does the justice of my ends do for me, but only make damnation just to me? Alas! then in one word what is their doom, who do by evil means intent to compass evil ends, whose intentions are entirely singly wicked, that design only the pleasures or the profits of iniquity, that levelly directly at sin both all the way and at the mark too, whose aims and whose contrivances are wickedness, thy purpose such an evil action, and care not by what means they compass it, so they acquire their ends? Our Saviour had no way to express the condition foe these, but that of an admiring question: If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? The Sinner notwithstanding all his pomp of shine and splendour, that he thinks himself clothed with, dressed up with guilded profits or with a glory of pleasures; yet he is still in the dark, his life is all night, and that condition, which three days made intolerable to Egypt, is always on the Sinners soul; he is enveloped in thick darkness like theirs that may be felt by any thing but by a soul of such stupidity as the sinners is; a darkness such as Christ had not a fit word for, nor did know how to phrase but by being astonished at it. How great is that darkness! a state indeed that is most proper for his deeds and intentions of darkness that need a night to cover them: a darkness, that does border on the regions of utter darkness, that shall never have any dawn, but such as flaming brimstone strikes into it: and O How great is that darkness? O blessed Saviour, who art the day spring from on high, that came to visit us, deliver us from those dark regions. O thou Eternal Sun of righteousness that camest to enlighten the darknesses of the world by thy example and by thy doctrine, and the illuminations of thy Holy Spirit, let these thy methods shine powerfully upon our souls to scatter all the clouds and mists that dwell upon our hearts; that we may have no misapprehensions of our duty, that our intentions may be clear, our affections pure, and all our actions regular and holy. We know, O Lord, we were created for thy glory, and our own eternal happiness: We beseech thee direct all the purposes of our minds, the inclinations of our hearts and actions of our lives unto these blessed ends. Teach us to mind thee in every thing we do, that so whatever we shall do in our whole lives, may work towards our future happy life. Let no unholy aims mix with any of our actions, no forbidden contrivances or purposes creep into, and make sinful our performancs. Let not self-ends of pride, vainglory, gain, revenge, or any vice make our Religion hypocrisy of sin, nor any poor low ends of little pleasure or of profit rob the actions of our callings or recreations of that Religion, which a good intention may put into them: but make all our actions so orderly and temperate, and so subordinate to holy ends, that they may all turn into duty: make us heartily intent on our Religious performances in their seasons, and submitting all our other works to the occasions of Religion, and making them serve and assist towards it, and thereby become Religion; that so our whole lives may be consecrated unto thee, and our whole conversation become holy. And do thou prevent us in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further them with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and after an age of doing so may be glorified with thee in thy Kingdom, thy power and thy glory for ever etc. SERMON XIX. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? WHat is observed of the lights of our days that they still abound in their senses; will appear true of the light in the Text: and indeed 'tis but proper, that it should have that most excellent quality of light still to communicate itself without decay, to pour out fresh streams every moment, and yet be still the same: one of the rivulets we have exhausted in the last day's discourse; and we shall also find that in another sense The light of the body is the eye. Amongst the divers things to which the Eye in the Text may have Analogy, and which may make Christ's Aphorism here true in the spiritual sense, as well as in the outward literal; the second and indeed in my apprehension much more proper than that I have already given, though not so general, is Conscience; that Eye of the mind in order to practice, from which alone and nothing else in matters of Religion the actions have all their direction and guidance; and which so far as it is clear and well informed, the actions that are regulated by it are all full of light and Piety: and on the other side so far as the Conscience is amiss, so far the man's deeds must of necessity be dark and evil. And that I may now for all say, without discussing every minute particular Analogy, 'tis for this that the expressions of blindness of mind, understanding darkened, and sins being called darkness; and on the contrary holiness light, and the Eye of the understanding enlightened, are so frequent in the Scripture, to let us see the whole comparison is good. For to declare to you that the Conscience may be properly set out by the Analogy of an eye, I need but tell you this eye of the mind is in the little world the frame of man, the true deputy and Vicegerent of that universal and all seeing eye of Providence and inspection: for as that eye of inspection spies all our ways, watches over all a man's motions, inclinations and thoughts; and as the eye of Providence guides and directs every thing to its ends; all this the Conscience does in man: 'tis privy to every little rising of the appetite, it knows each bending of the will. There is not any closet, no recess in the whole heart, where the soul can retire to think of, wish, or design any thing, but this same Eye of Conscience looks in, beholds it all, and lays it up. And Conscience also is the under-Eye of Providence in man, it prescribes to all our actions, it leads the will that potentia caeca, and gives directions to all that man attemts or does in matter of Religion. Thy word, saith David, is a lantern to my feet, and light to my paths, and it is certain Gods Commandments are the light we are to walk by, except we will walk on in darkness unto the land of utter darkness. But as a lantern is no guidance to the blind, and a light is of use only where there is an eye; so God's commandments can have no influence upon, nor give direction or assistance to our ways except this eye of the mind be enlightened by them; for it is Conscience that is the conveyance to all duty to the heart of man, that cannot set up obedience, but as the Conscience does press it on it, that conveys the immediate obligation. My Conscience tells me this I must forbear, that I must practise. Yea where there was no law to give direction, the eye of Conscience looking o'er the frame of man, a creature reasonable in his making, could straight see a necessity of doing things agreeable to right reason; and viewing the materials of the pile saw he was built of Soul as well as body, of of an immortal Spirit, as well as a carnal part, knew that his life was to be ordered to the uses of the Spirit, as well as of the flesh: (and more indeed that being the better part) and easily could gather hence, that man was not to serve his lower brutish part the body, so as to discompose his soul, and when it did so did condemn him for the doing of it. And upon this S. Paul affirms. Rom. 2. 14, 15. When the Gentiles that have not the Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, they having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves, which show the work of the Law written on their hearts, their Conscience bearing them witness. Which says that though the rest of the world had not the Revelation of God's will, and Law as the Jews had, yet from the dictates of their reason, and the notions of good and evil implanted in them, their conscience did oblige them unto the performance of such things as the Law required, and upon such performance or omission without any other Law did either excuse them, as men that did not culpably wander out of those paths, which the light and Eye that God had planted in them, did direct them in; or else accuse them as transgressors, and render them obnoxious to punishment. And so it did before the Law. So Rom. 5. 13, 14. For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no Law, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgressions. First after Adam's time till Moses before the giving of the Law men fined, and though it be true that sin is not charged to punishment but where there is a Law to forbid it under that penalty, and therefore it might be thought that sin without the Law would not have brought death into the world, yet from Adam till Moses death reigned, men died that had not sinned as Adam did against an express actual precept promulgated, as his was, and established with a positive threat of death: but died because they had sinned against the laws of their nature, the principles of duty that were put into their making, which Conscience pressed upon their practice and whose guidance they would not follow, they pulled death upon themselves in the errors of their ways. 'Twas by the equity of this that when the wickedness of men grew great in the earth, the flood grew so too: an inundation of waters overspread it, when sin had once done so, and iniquity against the dictates of conscience struck all the world at once with death, except eight persons. Conscience therefore where there is law, and also where there is none, is the great director of our actions; and to this I shall apply our Saviors discourse dividing not the Text but Conscience, and in the several members verifying what our Saviour he reaffirms. 1. Conscience either respecteth actions to be done, or actions already done. First as it respecteth actions to be done, telling us this we must do, that we must forbear, so first as it answers to the single Eye, it denotes the pure Conscience the enlightened Eye of the mind as S. Paul calls it, that is a truly well informed Conscience, a Conscience that judges according to its rule: and to this I shall first tell you what is the entire rule of conscience, and consequently when it's dictates are right, when it informs me truly this I must do, that I must forbear. 2. Prove to you that all our actions that are regulated by such a well informed conscience are good and honest; so that if this eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light. If the conscience be pure, the man's holy, and so the first part of the text is proved. 2. As it answers to the evil eye, so it denotes an evil conscience, a conscience that does not give true judgement of duty, ill informed. And this either First wholly so, and then 'tis reprobate sense, such as that of them that call good evil and evil good, from which men are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 2. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Phavorinus, Rom. 1. 31. Or secondly but in part, and then 'tis either first an erring conscience, or secondly a doubtful conscience, or thirdly a scrupulous conscience, to which also several others will fall in. And I shall show you how every of these does misled a man into the dark. The scrupulous raiseth clouds and mists about him, dark errors and discomforts too: the doubtful does instead of guiding leave him so puzzled, that he knows not which way to betake himself; and the erring conscience lights him into the pit, takes him by the hand to thrust him down, guides him into a necessity of sin; and the no conscience, the reprobate sense, it is a darkness somewhat worse than that, the blackness of Hell here. All this I shall do in order. Upon the other part conscience as it relates to actions already done, so it does testify, and in so doing either excuse or accuse Rom. 2. 15. Now though conscience in the other former respect hath indeed the greater influence upon our practice, and so to it the text does more directly answer: yet this latter having some also in order to the making future actions holy by repentance, (for when once the soul hath shipwrecked on a sin, and she is ready to sink and perish, there is no plank on which she can escape but repentance.) Now 'tis this Eye that must look out for that; 'tis an accusing conscience that must set him upon Repentance: this hurry's him about and will not let him rest, till he get upon the plank that's fastened to the Anchor, even the Anchor of hope, by which until it be secured, a good conscience never is at quiet. Because I intent to say but little to this, I shall dispatch it now. And that in order to its actions excusing and accusing. And first if conscience be the Eye: then a clear single eye is a clear conscience; and then of that it must be true that it does make the man full of light; and so it does indeed as light does signify joy and gladness, and so it often does in Scripture Psalm 4. 6, 7. And truly the applauds of an honest undeceiving heart, that is conscious to itself of cordial endeavours after good, and knows it neither had ill ends nor ill means, they shed comforts beyond all that the earth can give, they shed the peace of God that passeth understanding. If my conscience be clear, let my condition be never so overcast, never so dark and cloudy, yet do I live in shine. This is the only thing that makes every estate gladsome: If my condition be low pressing adversity, yet if my conscience assure me 'tis not my fault that threw me down into it, my sin did not put out the light of God's candle of prosperity that before shone about me; but rather because I would hold fast my duty, and would not let go a good conscience, therefore I was thrown down with them into deep affliction, here my conscience assures me I am in a case which S. James bids me count all joy Jam. 1. 2. and which our Saviour does call blessed Matth. 5. 11. S. Peter tells me: If ye be reproached for the name of Christ (and 'tis so for all duty) happy are ye; for the spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you, 1 Pet. 14. 14. What if I be in the place of Dragons, my conscience does assure me 'twas my duty not guilt did put me there, that is, God brought me thither, and he is with me there: the Spirit of God resteth on you. What if I be in darknesss and dimness of anguish, encompassed with the shadow of death, the Spirit of Glory resteth on me. And then sure a clear conscience makes the man full of light, when it makes him full of glory: when in his darkest solitudes there does break in the light of God's countenance. Let them be sadded with afflictions, who understand no delight but in carnalities, whose souls are married to some little comforts of this world. Adversity indeed sweeps all their joys away at once, a across throws blacks upon them straight, their heart's in mourning instantly. But he that understands the comforts of a good conscience, and knows where to find them, and hath a treasure of them in his breast, will soon be able to allay the other sadnesses. What can I want while I have a continual feast, for so'is a good conscience? It is not in the power of words to express the happiness of this blissful state. It is the peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and though felicity seems to be measured by our perception of it, here we are happy beyond the scanty limits of our narrow apprehensions, do not take in the beatific object, but are ourselves enclosed, and enter into the joy of our Lord, Matt. 25. 23. 2. In order to the second act, accusing; if conscience be an eye, than the well qualified eye is the tender conscience. I mean not in the modern sense, not only as it is accompanied with, but as 'tis but another word for a weak Judgement and a proud heart; sturdy opposing private opinion or fancy against public authority. And whereas conscience is said to be the eye of the soul, a tender conscience has the sme importance in this case, as when we call a blear or bloudshot, a tender eye. A gentle word for a troublesome malady. The innocent importance of the word is that which denotes, besides weakness in judging, quickness in perception; for conscience is the judgement of the mind concerning actions, and whatsoever is tender is weak; but a conscience which is such, as tender things are always, is sensible of every the least touch of guilt, checks at whatsoever we do amiss; the least thing we do is a wound to it. This is the tender conscience. Such a one as is deeply sensible of the majesty, and power, and justice of Almighty God, and the fatally provoking guilt of sin; fears always, doubts and trembles, foregoes lawful enjoyment, lest they should prove to be unlawful, and flies from every not only approach, but even appearance of evil. This is an uneasy state, but the inconvenience is abundantly repaid by the safety it procures, whilst this flaming sword that turns every way, guards both our Paradise and us, and suspicions render us secure. But if my heart grow hard, not tender, and my conscience insensible, there is no hopes of cure. I shall content myself with this one instance in answer to the evil eye as it relates to both these actions of accusing and excusing: though I might also name the conscience that accuseth to despair. This is an evil eye indeed that entertains itself with the terrors of utter darkness in their own shapes, that sees nothing but fiends, those spirits of the dark; nor will see any other. An eye that will not endure, but hates the least light of instruction or comfort. A darkness this, out of which the grave hath been counted an escape, the darks of death a refuge, yea to avoid the horror they have run into the shades of Hell. And oh! how great, how insupportable is this darkness? But God knows in this age we see little cause to fear, nor reason to endeavour to prevent this. Some little beginnings of it would be mercies to most men, the danger now a days is in the insensibleness of conscience, the heart that never does accuse of its commissions in earnest, nay rather does find out excuses; it does not check or sting them to the quick, but rather tickles them. Good God▪ the heathens had a much more tender constitution of soul. The Poet says of guilty souls — ad omnia fulg●ra pallent, Cum ●onat exanimes primo quoque murmune coeli. They that knew not there was an Hell to recompense iniquity, nor knew that God threatened it with plagues; yet when they heard it thunder, their guilt did strike them like the thunderbolts, their souls did faint as it were the voice of God pronouncing wrath to their iniquities, as if its lightnings were the flashes of that brimstone in whose eternal burnings sin must dwell. This conscience did in them, when knowing Christians can stand unappaled. We read of men of seared consciences 1 Tim. 4. 2. and such indeed cannot be tender. Searing does make insensible of pricks or little touches, that you may lance and gash, and it will not perceive. And so it seems are some men's consciences: and you will find there some other qualifications of such men, they depart from the faith, they give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils; and it will be no wonder if they desert the holy Christian faith, who have put themselves under the tutorage of Satan, and have imbibed the doctrine of Devils, who with his institution, have received his flames, whose consciences are feared, that feel no stripes from their commissions, and are such whom sin does not wound. We read of a strange evil eye Matth. 7, 3. seest not the beam that is in thine own eye. A beam upon the eye must needs make all dark: but the insensibleness of such an eye, that does not feel a beam is strange beyond imagination, yet 'twas but fit to word a conscience that was not sensible of the guilt of wilful gross deliberate sins; 'tis like an eye that under the dead weight of a mighty beam yet rolls and feels no pressure. A much worse than feared conscience this. That which is seared though it will not shrink for a prick or gash, yet 'twill shrink under load; but this feels no degree of weight; but though it be that weak and tender part the eye, yet is this without feeling under that which the whole body cannot stand under, nothing but pillars can support. The characters of such a conscience, and its dark consequence (to fit it to my text,) are given by S. Paul Eph. 4. 18, 19 You see here a blind heart like an evil eye creates a darkness such as makes them aliens to the life of God; for indeed they lead the life of fiends the inhabitants of darkness, and they do quickly grow to an estate past feeling, and then they commit evil with greediness. And indeed 'twere very easy for me to show how this does grow by deading the tenderness of conscience at the first, by fortifying against its checks and pricks, by seeking little excuses to allay and palliate the sores, either Christ does not mean so strictly; or getting other principles to set against the strictness, as custom of the age, or honour, or the like; God knows things that will not be principles, nor be allowed in any least degree, when he comes to examine, but in the mean time they do stop the mouth of conscience, and the doing so frequently, together with the conversations of sin, do clear take off the horror, and the aversation, and by degrees the sense● the mind first leaves to be afraid and startle at it, and then leaves to check for it. All this I could deduce at large, but that I hasten to the other remaining consideration of conscience, as it respecteth actions to be done, as it signifies the judgement of the mind informing us what we may or must do, or what we must forbear. And so, I told you, as it answers to the single eye, so it denotes the pure Conscience, the enlightened eye of the mind, that is, a truly well informed conscience, a conscience that judges according to its rule. And to this I must (what I promised) tell you first, What is the entire Rule of conscience, that so we may know when conscience does inform us truly this we must do, that not. For conscience being not itself supreme director, it hath a God above it, that conscience may be right, it must be according to its rule, therefore we must inquire of that; and First 'tis certain that the Law of God in force (as all the law of Christ is to us Christians, particularly that of these Chapters that contain Christ's sermon on the Mount, Repentance, self-denial, Charity, forgiving injuries, humility etc.) is a rule of conscience. And here I will suppose that I do not speak to Antinomians, and that I need not to prove that we are obliged to do what God by his commands has enjoined, and that whether the mandate terminat in duty to himself, or to our fellow men, especially his Vicegerent upon earth the lawful Magistrate. There are some men I know who would acquit themselves to their Governors, if they are content to suffer in case of disobedience: but unless there were guilt in the neglect of active obedience, it would be very unjust to enforce passive, especially when 'tis plain that all the Apostles arguings Rom. 13. do prove an obligation to active duty. 1. Because the Magistrate hath Commission from God; and therefore he that will not yield active obedience to their lawful constitutions, will not obey the Lords commission v. 2. and then 4. he is the minister of God, his officer; and he that does refuse obedience to those Constitutions of an officer, which his superior hath impower'd him to make, he does refuse it to that Superior. And out of these he than infers Wherefore ye must needs be subject. Yea indeed if the just laws of such Governors do not oblige the conscience, neither can many of God's laws. To instance; God hath commanded me I shall not steal, and I think myself bound in conscience not to do it; but what is it to steal? To take that which of right is another man's against his will. And what does give a right but human Law? 'Tis according to that, any thing is thine or mine. Christ does not interpose in settling rights; for when the man would have had him speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him; answers Man who made me a Judge or a divider amongst you, let the laws do it. That inheritance which here a Man does claim as eldest, in other places of this very Nation the youngest should have only right too; where the tenure of Burrough English takes place. And again in other places each brother should have equal right to by Gavelkind. And in some other Nations, as in Denmark for example, no child of any second Wife hath any right, according to the example of Abraham: yet all these several ways of right are one as just as another, and in one place the one hath as true a right as the other hath in the other. Established laws therefore do give the only right, and by those human Laws thou hast a right in conscience to that which they make thine; for otherwise how can it be a sin against my conscience to take that from thee, which neither thou nor any man else hath a right in conscience to? Such human laws therefore do oblige the Conscience, or else God's eighth and tenth Commandments cannot. 3. There is yet another branch of the Rule of conscience, and that is the law of scandal. In things that both by Gods and by man's law are free to me to do or not, if yet by doing any of them, or by not doing, I see others will be ensnared in sin, I am bound in conscience to avoid either such actions or omissions. 1 Cor. 8. from v. 8. Rom. 14. And here I will not wonder how barefaced temtations to vice, and pressing sin upon a man with all the arts of friendship, or of treachery or force, should grow to be civilities and kindnesses; when an innocent lawful action is so ill charactered because it may prove a stumbling block: but I will only sum up what hath been said in one word: the Will of God is the Rule of conscience, I am bound in conscience to do what God will have; and so the law of Christ, and the just laws of our just Governors (which that we should submit too, is the will of God saith S. Peter) and the law of scandal are the full and entire rule of conscience. Whatsoever they prescribe or forbid, that my conscience, if it be rightly informed, will tell me I must do or forbear; and if I act according to the dictates of a conscience so informed, my actions will be good and honest, and such a single eye makes my whole body full of light, which was the second thing. Now this is proved in one word; that must needs be a good life, which is regulated by a good conscience, because all good life is called by the name of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19 This was S. Paul's whole charge to Timothy holding faith and a good conscience, there's the belief and duty that's the whole. So 1 Pet. 3. 16. a good conscience is explained by a good Conversation in Christ, and plainer yet Heb. 13. 18. We trust we have a good conscience willing in all things to live honestly. Sincere endeavours to obey the conscience in every thing, not boggling with it accepting the persons of duties, and being very conscientious in some things, but taking liberty in other, bribing my conscience to wink like an evil eye, and leave me in the dark as to some actions, this is not to be conscientious; he is so only that is willing to live honestly in all things, and to do so is matter for the Apostles confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This also was the sum of all S. Paul himself endeavoured after Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man. He had no stricter aims, here was the height of his Religion, these were his exercises. And the ancient Father Clemens Alex. Strom. 6. says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And what would any man have more? Yea 'tis apparent from the very terms; for if thy conscience truly inform thee of all thy duty, and thou dost accordingly, than thou dost all thy duty, or which is all that we can do. So far as thy hearty endeavour is to this, so far is thy life good and acceptable. And here I have an hint for application by conviction of those, who guide their conscience, and consequently their lives by humours and fancies, and not by the certain rules of conscience, the laws I have assigned. Some men will call that conscience which is their inclination, though they do not examine whence the inclination springs, from God, or from suggestion of an interest, or an affliction, and think they are bound to do, or may do that they have a mind to do. Some men's rash heats that have something like zeal, and it may be that have good intentions in them, are straight the dictates of their Conscience, and they must actuate those animosities and heats, for they are bound in conscience. Some men are advised by their fears, and that will look like conscience in a little time. Some men's imaginations promted by loose and libertine interpretations of Scripture or false infusions, are straight their conscience, and then their conscience tells them they must act accordingly. But where's the Law for these? Conscience was, I told you, God's Vicegerent, possessed his throne in man, and was his Deputy, prescribed to all man's actions and took cognizance of them; and accordingly did sentence: and will a man have humour give the Law to God's Vicegerent, or vain imaginations rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God within us, as the ancients called it, set fancy on the Throne? Or I might secondly complain of them that would divide the rule of conscience, and pick and choose and take but part of it; the immediate law of God they would think themselves bound to, but for the law of scandal they regard it little. Who did make them the keepers of their brother's soul? If others by misunderstanding of their actions be drawn to sin, at their own peril be it; and at so little rates they value the salvation of that soul, which Christ thought worth his blood, that for their meat or drink, as S. Paul words it, they will let their Brother perish, for whom Christ died, do actions for their interest or security under a close and secret sense of their own, which being not understood by other weaker souls that look on their example with some Reverence, they are led to sin and to perdition. But much less do they think a law of man a Rule for conscience. According to the Spartan method, to be found out was transgressing the law, the crafty performance was merit and virtue: and whereas only Almighty God has cognizance of the heart, his laws alone can reach designs and the abortive issues of the thought, or those reserved enormities that are committed in the dark, and without the privity of a witness. Here were a subject for a sad complaint, but that I have occasion for a worse, and that is of the conscience, that answers to the evil eye, the other subject of the parable, that is, an evil conscience, a conscience that does not give true judgement of duty, ill informed. And first that which is totally, or for the most so, and of that but a word for 'tis not pleasant sure to rake in such a sink. We read in Scripture, of men given up to a reprobate mind or sense, Rom. 1. 28. and to every good Work reprobate Tim. 1. 16. men who against all the checks of conscience, and in despite of all its oppositions have chosen and pursued forbidden interests and pleasures so long, till custom of them hath made them a part not only of their family but themselves: and they do nothing now but prosecute them by contrivances and actions, and have done this till conscience is stupefied; and as pleasures are especially saith Aristotle, corruptive of principles, from the absolute necessity they have conceived of them they think them little sins, and from a long practice none at all, these men are so far in a reprobate ense, their hearts give a false judgement, as false indeed as Satan would have them give, and falser much than he can give himself of things of Religion, who believes and trembles. For they stick not to think those terrors Clergy men do talk of are but mormo's, vizards of fear, only Religious spectres, shades of terror; those strictnesses of virtue and of the means of practising it, but the dreams of bigots, foolish self injuries, and those things we with so much eager zeal call sins, the only and not dangerous enjoyments. 'Tis the Apostles asseveration, and it is justified by every days unhappy experience, that evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3. 13. Habits of ill emprove gradually as those of virtue; only with this difference, that the growth is more sudden and prosperous: like that of weeds and noxious plants in respect of those which are medicinal. There is no opinion, nor no practice so bad which men by degrees cannot make plausible; as custom renders vice necessary, so by familiarity it becomes acceptable; the first horrors are soon worn off; and as it fares in War; the enemy is made a servant, and after grows up to be a favourite, and is at length a master. The progress from bad to worse, is like that of heavy bodies downwards, the native weight, gains fresh accessions from the decent already made, and the motion being continued grows still more rapid and irresistible. That fool who said in his heart there is no God, e'er long emproves into a wit, and loudly says there neither is or can be one. Conscience galled with perpetual ill usage contracts a callows hardness, and becomes utterly insensible; and by these unhappy steps, ungodly men are dead, while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. are dead in trespasses and sins. Eph. 2. 1. O thou the dayspring from on high that cam'st to visit us, who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, in ignorance and sin, and in the suburbs of eternal darkness, shed thy light in our hearts we beseech thee and by the Illuminations of thy Holy Spirit give us enlightened minds, and sanctified wills and affections. Thou hast placed conscience in thy stead within us, to do thy offices and to be thy Vicegerent, to lay thy laws to us for our direction, and to watch over all our actions, to teach us, to convince us, to correct, or comfort us. Furnish we beseech thee then this thy commissioner within us with all qualifications necessary for thy offices, endue it with the knowledge of all thy will, that we may have a right judgement in all things, and then endue us with obsequious hearts, that may be always ready to obey the dictates of our consciences, willing to live piously and honestly in all things, exercising ourselves always in this to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man, and when the good Lord delivers us from this sad state and the occasions of it, and if at any time we do rebel against thy officer our conscience, Lord arm it with thy terrors that it may whip and lash us back again into our duty, and sting, and goad, and never let us rest till we return to our obedience and persevere therein unto the end, then shall we have the blessed comforts of a good conscience here, and the gladsome light of a clear heart in this world; and in the world to come light and Glory with the in thy Kingdom etc. SERMON XX. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? I Have drawn you the parallel betwixt the Eye and the Conscience, to several of their objects and uses; showed you how the clear eye is not a better guide to a man's walks, nor finds more pleasure in the prospects of those beauties that are made to temt and entertain the sight, than a pure conscience does find in looking over the landshape of a life led righteously, soberly, and Godly, which it must needs if it follow the guidance of this single eye, this well-informed conscience: I have lead you also to the confines of that more dismal prospect, the dark of that sad state, which an evil conscience does lead into. This I have done in one, and that in the worst consideration, that of a seared reprobate conscience; there remain three that I proposed to consideration; the first that of an erring conscience, second doubtful, third scrupulous. And now I am to show how each of these does lead a man into the dark; the scrupulons raiseth a dust about him, leads into error and discomfort too; the doubtful does instead of guiding him leave him so puzzled that he knows not which way to betake himself; and the erring conscience lights him into the pit, and takes him by the hand only to thrust him down: if in any of these ways the eye be evil, the whole body shall be full of darkness. Of these in their order. 2. An erring conscience, a conscience that gives false information of duty, that either tells me I may or I must do that which either God's Law or some Law in force upon me tells me I must not do; or else tells I must not do that which I am bound to do, or at the least may do. Now that this is a light indeed like those deceitful ones that lead men over precipices into dark ruins; like such lights that were so placed between the rocks as to guide the mariner into a shipwreck, to make it necessary for him to be dashed against the one or the other, is most certain: for so it is here. There is scarce such another infelicity as that this man lies under, whose conscience tells him one thing, when God's Law, or that which is any way his duty does require the contrary; for if he do according to the Law of God, he acts against his conscience, and so sins; and if he act according to his conscience, he sins against the Law of God. Poor soul! Sin lies on the right and on the left hand, which way soever he does turn, it seizes on him, and all this I shall prove. 1. That if he act against his conscience he sins, (though the Law of God make it no sin) Scripture and reason shall make good. Rom. 14. 14. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him that esteemeth any thing unclean, to him it is unclean. God had once forbidden such and such meats under pain of sin to the Jews by Moses Law, and made them unclean, that is, unlawful to their use: Now Christ had taken off this obligation, and made all meats lawful for any man; S. Paul saith that he knew so. I am assured that Christ hath so removed all obligation to the Law of Moses, that to a Christian no meat is unlawful to be eaten: but yet for all this 'tis unlawful to him, who thinks it still prohibited, and if his erring conscience tell him he ought not eat it, though by Christ's certain Law he may, he sins if he do eat against his conscience, and that to such an height, that he whose example wrought with him to eat against the persuasion of his mind, destroyeth the man v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died; 'tis therefore a destroying sin to do a lawful thing against a man's conscience. The reason of all this is clear, because no Law of God or man, no rule of duty can be applied unto us, but by the mediation of conscience: for till my conscience lays it to my heart, and tells me such a thing is commanded and my duty, it is to me as if there were no such command, and it were not my duty, for till then I knew nothing of it; this alone therefore does propose and apply duty to us, and consequently whether that which it proposes be my duty really in itself or no, yet I must needs look upon it as so, having no other direction imaginable what to do or forbear, but what my conscience some way instructed tells me God or my Governors have commanded or forbid me. So that if I am resolved in my mind of the sinfulness and obliquity of an action proposed, though really the thing be innocent, yet to me in my present circumstance 'twill be utterly unlawful, and though the action be innocent, the agent will be guilty. 2. That God hath placed the conscience in us as the only next and immediate rule of all our actions, according to which they are to be directed, which if they be not, they are faulty, as every thing that swerves from its rule is not right: though what I have said will sufficiently prove, yet Scripture does confirm; when it says Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, that is to say, whatsoever is contrary to the persuasion of lawfulness, that is in other words contrary to conscience, is sin; whatsoever he does as long as he thinks in conscience he should not do it, he sins whether the thing be sin or no, as that was no sin of which he there spoke. And reason good; for we are so far honest hearted lovers of God, as we embrace that which our hearts are really possessed is his service and our duty, and hate the contrary; that is, as we follow our conscience: conscience being nothing but the persuasion that this is duty, which if we go against 'tis sure we like and follow that which in our thoughts is vicious and wicked; be it what it will in itself, to us 'tis so: 'tis sure the inclinations and the actions pursue vice, when they pursue that which they cannot look upon but as vice. Conscience therefore is the rule from which 'tis sin to recede. 'Tis with fair pretence to reason said, that nothing can be a rule which is itself crooked and irregular. That which is straight is indeed said to be index sui & obliqui, and having justified its own rectitude, becomes qualified to be a test of right and wrong in others. For certainly if the man knew what God's Law does require of him, in that case the conscience does not err; if he do not know what God's word does require, how can he follow it against that which his conscience tells him God requires? And it is certain if the man should suspend his action, and have not reason to act according to his erring conscience, he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well-informed, not when it tells him God is to be loved; for it is sure his conscience does as much propose the error as his duty, as it does the truth: the man as really believes the one is to be done as the other, and hath no reason to make difference, and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience, he must always, and it will be sin to act against it, be it what it will. But than you'll hope it will excuse to act according to it. Oh no alas! for that's the second thing in this case of erring conscience: if a man act according to his conscience he sins too, if he act against the Law of God. Scripture will furnish me with several examples and proofs of this, and 'tis a doctrine worth the taking notice of, it having proved to so many persons a plea for actions otherwise abominable; they followed their conscience, 'twas, it may be, mistake in judgement, but 'twas uprightness of heart, sincerity of conscience. Now to take off this colour, which I shall do with all imaginable plainess. Our Saviour John 16. 2. foretells to his Disciples, they shall put you out of their Synagogues yea the time will come that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he does offer God an oblation or worship; shall think it not only lawful but acceptable to God, and of the nature of a Sacrifice which propitiates for other offences, to put you to death. See here a conscience bravely glossed, when the error looked like Religion and Atonement, (a colour not at all strange to our days in such another case,) and yet these Jews that did so (for of them he speaks) were given up to the direst punishments that ever any nation did groan under. Of the same Jews S. Paul says Rom. 10. 2. I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; that is, I must testify of them, that they are very many of them great zealots for their Law, as that which is commanded them by God, and so in their way and heart zealous to have God obeyed, only for want of knowledge they are mistaken in their zeal. Here is strong conscience granted in these Jews, and that built up upon a Law of God, then indeed outdated, which yet thro' a zealous earnestness they were ignorant of: but yet the following this zeal and conscience was plagued with total induration of of that people c. 11. 8, 9, 10. Nor was this S. Paul's heat against that persecuting nation, but that Apostle does more plainly yet and home to our matter say of himself, Acts 23. 1. I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day: I have all my life long, even when I was a defender of the Mosaical Law against Christ's reformation, acted sincerely and uprightly according to my conscience: and again 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, i. e. whom I have obeyed sincerely all my time, even when thro' ignorance I persecuted the Christian faith, doing according to the dictate of my conscience, and as I was persuaded I ought to do. And now if conscience will excuse, there was enough of that, a good conscience and a pure conscience; and will his fiery persecutions n●w by virtue of his conscience be Christened holy zeal, shall the pure conscience make his bloody hands to be undefiled? Oh no: 'twas Blasphemy, and injury, and persecution, for all 'twas conscience, 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was before a blasphemer, etc. and notwithstanding I did it all in the uprightness and sincerity of my heart, I am the chief of sinners, v. 15. And let us not suppose these aggravations were laid on by S. Paul upon himself because of his unbelief, that that was the only thing that gave guilt to his actions, and that we thro' faith and assurance shall escape, if we do such gross actions out of an erring conscience. For on the contrary S. Paul does bring his unbelief not as the Aggravation, but the Apology of his crimes, he pleads that for himself v. 13. and he finds another occasion for God's remitting him not from his conscience, which might alleviate the faults, but by his being by the horror of his sins a greater instance of God's wonderful grace in forgiving, v. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting. God dealt most mercifully with me, called me from heaven, whilst I was persecuting him, to be a prime object of his patience and longanimity, and in order of time the first that was so miraculously called, that so the wickedest of the Gentiles may in me have an example of hope of mercy, if they shall come in to Christ. And will it now be fit, my Brethren, with this of S. Paul, who notwithstanding such true pleas of conscience is forced to seek out for such motives of forgiveness, and plead hard ignorance and unbelief, and yet confess himself the chief of sinners, with this I say to parallel some actions of our days, that under the pretence of conscience (which too hath no Law, as that of S. Paul had, though then outdated) will justify forbidden actions even against repentance, men will not ask forgiveness where they can pretend conscience: I could instance in a strange particular of one of my remembrance, and my knowledge of the person and the story sufficiently notorious, who because the Papists believing that to be Christ, which indeed is bread, worship it, therefore thought in his conscience all kneeling at the Sacrament Idolatry, and to that error adding the command Deut. 13. 6, 7, 8, 9 cut off his brother's and his mother's head: yea and when condemned to death by sentence of Law for the action, would not be beaten from his hold, but on the strength of that mistaken place went as boldly with that blood on his hand and his soul to face the judgement seat, as he could have done, had he been washed in Christ's own blood; and of this resolute fury the Zealots of our neighbour country of Scotland have made many recent instances in their revived Ravilliacs. See the sad issue of an erring conscience, an action whose horror fiends would startle at, such a persuasion does make meritorious, and yet God knows, that erring consciences have brought the Parent of a Nation (a thing of much direr guilt) to the same state; and yet that conscience must be admitted an excuse, when God knows jealousies and suspicions have been all the ground and all the rule for their determinations of conscience, and yet on that stock alone they could misjudge and censure, speak evil of and revile the actions of just Governors, and do that which I dare not say. When against all Laws both of God and man, all ties sacred and civil, obligations of oaths and duties, that it may be impossible to plead ignorance, men yet will act under the banner of such a thin conscience, that never could produce any Law of God for its direction or its quiet, and yet think themselves secure. When a confident persuasion of heart, God knows how taken up, shall quite annual that command of Christ, of taking up the Cross, and change that state which he calls blessed, suffering for righteousness sake, (if there were such a thing) change it into so great a curse, as men will rather embowel themselves in their brother's hearts, involve a Nation in blood and misery, in guilt and ruin, than not throw off the Cross from off their shoulders. And now 'tis to no purpose to observe, that when perjury and sacrilege and breach of almost every Commandment in the Decalogue shall not only become tolerable, but be the only character of a godly side by virtue of a thing called conscience; surely S. Paul was a weak man, that when he had done some such things out of a good and pure conscience, yet calls himself the chief of sinners. In like manner in the Church new religious fancies are bold to take upon them the holy face of conscience, and then to quicken men into schisms, and all uncharitable separations and factions, withdrawing them from the obedience of them that have the spiritual rule over them, not at all submitting themselves to them, who by God's appointment watch over their souls, but rather flying in their faces, at once with open disobedience, loud reproaches, bitter censures, and severe condemnations. Others, by having had men's persons in admiration, and consequently their opinions, suffered their models to be stamped upon their conscience, and then that must justify Ecclesiastical parricides, destroying their own fathers that begot them to the Church, and at once cutting off the whole line of those progenitors, that can derive their race from Christ, a fairer stem and pedigree than most can show. But alas! my Brethren, if we shall grant that these opinions really possess their souls, and that in the uprightness of their heart they did pursue them, that neither interest nor faction, nor having been disobliged, or having suffered, hath puffed up a passion into conscience, but that 'tis all sincerity; yet we have seen that cannot bear us out in such commissions, 'tis but an erring conscience still that animates a man into any breach of duty, and if there be no other Law to warrant actions, the conscience is so far from being able to justify them, that while it errs, it but entangles a man in the necessity of sinning, leads him into such Labyrinths of guilt, that whatever he does, he offends: on one side if he do what his erring conscience dictates to him, he sins against God's Law; on the other side, if he forbear, he sins against God's Vicegerent, his own conscience; there is the guilt of his deed, here is the guilt of his heart, which does oblige a man to follow that which it is sin to follow, and which makes him he must and aught to do that, which he must not nor aught to do. And sure, my Brethren, the only application to such a conscience is to advise the laying it aside, to rectify the error. Good counsel that indeed, but the hardest to be taken in the world; for that a man may rectify, he must know himself in an error, and if he know that, than he hath not an erring conscience: this when it is strongly so, doth not so much as doubt of his opinion, and while he does not doubt, what temptation hath he so much as to set upon the rectifying? I shall but name some means. The first will be Prayer for Divine illumination; S. James has directed this, if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, c. 1. 5. and our Saviour has promised, that he will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11. 13. whose office, we know, is to lead us into all truth, John 16. 13. The second means will be, not to be wanting to ourselves, not to shut our eyes against, or resist the truth, Acts 28. 27. 2 Tim. 3. 8. nor by a wretchless unconcerndness take up with slight appearances, and receive a vulgar error for a sacred revelation, and having men's persons in admiration, Judas 16. believe as doctrines the devices or commandments of men, Matt. 15. 9 not to consider what this celebrated Teacher, or this Sect and Party say, but make our resort to the Law and to the Testament, what Law of God there is for, or against this action. For in this case it is most true, There is one Lawgiver, who can save and destroy, James 4. 12. and if sin be the transgression of a law, 1 John 3. 4. it inevitably follows, that where no law is, there is no transgression, Rom. 4. 15. And yet 'tis strange to see, how men amuse and embarras themselves in things that have no bottom or foundation in Scripture, and in the mean time omit the weighty matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith. Thirdly, if I have been engaged in any practices, of which by the contrary practices of other sober rational men, I see there may be reason, if not to doubt, yet to search into them; then I'll take the same course in order to the settling, or the rectifying of my judgement; and especially if any obligations to the contrary have got possession of me, if obedience and meekness, and peace of the State or Church, or any sacred bond, in a word, if any commands of Superiors, or engagements to them seem strong for the other side, than nothing but clear Law of God or my Superiors shall fix me. Fourthly, where things are not absolutely convincing on either side, and there is no clear Law on neither, or else so much like Law on both sides; here, as I must suspend if possible my action, for these must needs make doubts, so if I be necessitated to act on one side or other, then if my conscience do mistake, according to the degree of my diligence in examining, so will be the degrees of my guilt. If I have searched to my utmost, and so offend out of an ignorance I could not overcome, it is the constant doctrine of all, that the mercy of our God by the tenure of the Gospel will not impute the error to a person otherwise of holy life: but if there was a means of knowing, that either heat, or any other thing did hurry me from a sufficient consideration thereof, according to my means so is my sin. Abimelech had a competent ground to think that Sarah was not Abraham's wife, when both herself, and he had told him so, and upon that he says, he took her to him in the integrity of his heart, his conscience reasonably well-informed telling him that he might do it; and yet God punisheth his haste: he determined too speedily, his desire was too quick, did not proceed by those slow steps, that a good careful conscience does move with, that will examine with all strictness where he discerns there will be gross sin on the other side. The Jews had a strong prejudice against Christ's reformation of the Law, by those so many promises of Scripture that their sacrifices should be eternal, and when for many ages they had been brought up in a Religion so owned by God, and were so hardened in that Religion by all their Teachers, 'twas no wonder they rejected the Apostles preaching out of conscience of their own Religion, Paul himself had done so, and yet God gives them up to final induration for it; because they had sufficient means of knowing Christ was sent by God to reform their Religion, for have they not heard? Rom. 10. 18. Thy diligence therefore shall alleviate the fault, and where it is used in a good measure, probably will not suffer the conscience to be long positive and peremptory in a mistake, but at the most will let it only be a doubting conscience, which how far 'tis an evil eye, and how we are to guide ourselves out of that darkness it does lead into, we must now show. A doubting conscience may be either in things of very little moment, and also where there is very little light to guide it, and then we only call it scrupulous; or else in things of consequence, and of these we now treat; and the Position is, that he that acts according to a doubting conscience sins, and this evil eye leads into utter darkness. The Aphorism is a certain reveled pronunc't truth, he that doubteth is damned if he eat, Rom. 14. 23. However sacred the tribunal of conscience can be thought to be, it must not stand in competition with the Throne of Almighty God, and oblige us to do that which the Divine Command has interdicted, or to leave that undone, the doing of which he has expressly charged upon us. It was thought to be a tyrannous hardship which the Egyptian taskmasters put upon the Israelites, that they should be beaten because they made not brick, when they had no straw to make it with: but it would seem a more tyrannous cruelty, to punish them if they made, and also to punish if they did not make it. But so it is; he who chooses to do that which his conscience suggests he ought to avoid as being ill, and resolves to omit that which he judges or believes he ought to do as being good, has all the inordination of mind that constitutes the most flagrant guilt; he pursues evil, and turns away from good apprehended to be such, and so has that depravation of mind that constitutes a Devil. But on the other side, our opinions cannot alter the real natures of things, nor will my belief that my act is laudable make it to be so, any more than my fancy that Poisons are wholesome food, will free them from their noxious venom, and render them restoratives and cordials. In like manner, my adventuring on an action which I think is bad, upon the cold reserve of a possibility, that it may be otherwise, involves the desperate resolution of doing it howsoever; which differs very little from doing it, though I know it to be certainly unlawful. But a doubting conscience admits of a counterpoise from a contrary doubt, and there is fear of sin, as on the one, so also on the other part. I am uncertain whether I may not do ill in acting, and yet whether I may not do worse in forbearing: or thus, I am not sure that what I enterprise is lawful, but yet I have no ground to believe it is unlawful. Now from this exigent thus declared I might deduce resolutions in many cases of our life. As 1. When there is no ground to build a certain judgement on of either side, but it is only probable the thing is not sin, and consequently I cannot be sure it is not, yet if upon that probability I act, this is clear different from the state of the doubting conscience: for though I may have some doubt 'tis possible the thing may not be good, yet having honestly examined it, I have no reason to think it not good, and I am sure of my own heart, that if I thought it were so, I would not do it; here is no choosing of a sin, not with the least degree of inclination. 'Tis this secures the Physician, who cannot possibly be assured there may not something lurk in his Patient's body, (for whose dark and unwholesome closerts he hath no prospective,) to which the physic he prescribes may be pernicious; yet because God hath revealed no certain grounds for guidance in this case, therefore he upon diligent search and grounds of art, which are the best God hath allowed us prescribing what he really believes will do him good, satisfies a good conscience. Upon the same account the Pilot satisfies himself, where he adventures his ship and freight upon shelves and shallows: and the Captain, when he leads his men upon he canon's mouth, and other desperate attemts of war. Shall I make more familiar instances to you: some have doubted whether celebrating Christ's Nativity be not will-worship, because 'tis not commanded in Scripture; other have doubted of the use of Garments prescribed Ministers from the same ground, and from their being significant. Now as to these, not to show the unreasonableness of these doubts, though I could easily do it: for in God's name why is it to set apart a day to thank God for the redemption of mankind will-worship, and yet to set apart a day for the deliverance of a Nation from a temporal plague not will-worship? Is the fifth of November in the Scripture any more than the twenty fifth of December? Or is it the infinitely greater mercy of Christ's Birthday that makes it more unlawful than the Gunpowder-Treason day, and therefore 'tis not lawful because 'tis more fit? And for the Garments of the Clergy, I would they were all significant, but that that is an argument against them in these days. It is true Scripture prescribes them not, and by that rule they should wear none, for it prescribes none: but pray tell me, will not any of these doubting men seek a Pulpit to preach in, or now a days a basin to baptise with, never looking whether they have a warrant in Scripture to command it? Just so, rational and sensible men select a particular habit for a Priest, whereby his words and exhortations may be received with greater respect and authority, and this without any written precept: for as where Scripture commands, it renders every thing necessary; so where it is silent, it renders nothing unlawful in such circumstantials. So a prescribed way of Prayer is boggled at, and why that more unlawful than a limited way of praising God? They had effusions of those in the first times, why do not we as well pretend to the one as to the other? Or why should it be less faulty to have set forms of singing Psalms than have set forms of Liturgy, in which too people might communicate, as they do also join in praises? or indeed would that Rhyme and tune become unlawful, should the Magistrate command them too? But passing over this, and to speak in short of the whole matter. If the man that doubts, bids his conscience stand aside, and because of legal penalties muffles himself, and resolvedly goes on, notwithstanding his speculative irresolution, with desperate boldness judging it better to trust God with his soul, than the Law with his estate or liberty: if he fears to consider or inquire, lest he should get conviction, that suits not with his interest, and thinks it easier to doubt than to be certain, because he's certainly determined to do what is enjoined, though it be never so unlawful. This is a profligate state of mind, that wants nothing but occasion to engage upon the greatest villainies, and close with Apostasy itself, when recommended by impunity. But if this doubting makes another scheme of reasoning, and performs what is enjoind, because the Magistrate's command is certain, but its unlawfulness is only dubious, and the safest course is ever the most innocent, because it is the most prudent; then the obligation to suspend the going on to act in case of doubting, is superseded by another obligation, actually to obey the undoubted injunction of Superiors, and the good Subject will not fail to be a good Christian too. But alas! why should I busy myself in picking cases which here, I hope, are not useful, when as upon this very Proposition we are now upon, other things do apply themselves to most men's hearts of a more strong concern, and of more daily practice. If an action otherwise lawful will make up an indictment to our condemnation, if done with a doubting conscience; what guilt and damnation is there in those actions that are done against present full persuasion of conscience. Truly, my Brethren, I have no aggravation for sins done against knowledge, that being the worst that can be said of sin; and I shall only add, that they who so defy their conscience, are in the ready way to have no conscience, the sad estate of whom my last did display to you; and in short, 'tis no wonder, if God's Vicegerent do depart, when he is so affronted. There is a great and sad example of this procedure Rom. 1. 18, 19, 20. For the wrath of God is reveled from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. There is no plea for such, because they did not use their knowledge to his service, but sinned against it, and by their deeds of darkness put out that light, which was vouchsafed them by God, yea indeed did commit those deeds of darkness in the face of light. I have to what I have already said, one word to add for the scrupulous conscience. Scruples are little suspicions in things of small concern or indifferency, and where there is but little ground; for otherwise they swell into that we call doubts, and which denominates a doubting conscience. Now scruples, which are small particles of dust, do indeed cast dust into the eyes, which dim the sight, and make the eyes to roll, and fret, and grieve; and so do these the mind: they disturb duty wonderfully, by taking up the heart, and making it restless and unquiet, and so quite discomposed for duty; for the heart is still called aside, & wand'ring about that which troubles it. And indeed these quite take off the edge of the mind; for while scruples arise, I am unsatisfied in every thing I do, and then with what heart can I do them? I am in fear of every performance, and such a fear exceedingly damps love, and quashes all endeavours. I have no cheerfulness in my actions, and consequently never can be eager and forward, but cold and slack; for these do still put demurs, and nothing but discomfort dwells upon my spirit. A dark and ill state this, and therefore 'tis no wonder if the Spirit of darkness sheds it, especially where he cannot draw in the soul to works of darkness; if he cannot quench the heats of their devotion, than he will strive to cool them by these arts, which like little dashings of water thrown into the fire, if they cannot put it out, yet at least they darken the flame, and change that which was pure and clear into thick fume and smother: so do these raise smoke and cloud in the soul. If the Devil cannot betray the heart to downright vice, but his suggestions are shut out, and temtations scorned, or at least avoided; then he will trouble them in their duties, he will suggest things that under the vizor of nicer and stricter Religious shall be let in, and when they are in, shall put the soul in little combustions, and disturb all its performances. Therefore these are to be combated with, and the heart to be fortified against them; as soon as ever we find these little spies and incendiaries of Satan stirring in the mind, let us straight seize them, and examine what they do there, what account they can give of themselves. Have they any ground or plea? when a thought checks me with a sudden motion of heart, lest what I do may be amiss, I will question instantly, hath God said so any where, is there any Law that forbids it? If I cannot resolve myself, I will call in counsel; (for if I be not ashamed to whisper the unhandsomnesses of nature to a Physician, to betray uncomely infirmities, shall the cheerful quiet of my Soul, and the comfortable progress of my Religion be less considerable to me?) and if by these means I cannot find God hath forbid it any way, either directly or by consequence, why then shall I do Satan's work for him, help him to disquiet my own heart, make the semblance of Religion hinder my Religion, and with a pother about duty keep myself from doing duty, much more of which I might perform with less trouble, than I do think of these things, and with infinitely more comfort? No sure, I will make no sins to myself that God hath not made, but in God's name with an upright heart set about my known duty, in full assurance of faith. But Secondly it will become us, whosoever is at any time troubled with these, to consider with ourselves, when we find scruples arise about things of very small concern, to examine, am I thus wary and thus nice in every piece of known duty, have I as sharp checks there, and is my conscience as stirring in every circumstance of sure Religion; if a true object of charity pass by me, or I hear of such an one, whose real wants seem to call upon me for Christ's sake, and I instead of satisfying his needs, satisfy only the importunity of my own thoughts by some little excuse, I have not about me, or let others give that are more able, or why should I give to every one that asks me? In this case now is my heart restless and scrupulous, lest the real wants of the poor soul should make an alms duty, unsatisfied till I either know that, or till I do relieve him? If when Prayers call, and at the same time either a trifle or something, which I had time enough before to prevent, and knew well enough the fit times of doing one and tother, yet seek to detain me; have I scruples here, and are they strong enough to throw aside the less concerns, and will not let my heart rest till it brings me honestly and zealously to my devotions? If some little slight injury, or it may be inadvertency of another fret my mind, and begin to swell me into a passion, or thicken into a grudge, and I am in present heat of words, and remember him with a slight or a less esteem; do scruples rise as fast as these heats, and my heart become more troubled at itself, than at the little conceived injury, and never well at ease, till I am calm to him? If it be not thus, but we who strain at gnats and swallow camels, we whose eyes boggle at motes in the Sun, can wink, or suffer beams to hoodwink them; we that scruple at things indifferent, things of which we have no rule to judge them sins, and are not nice at all in things of certain duty, have no such scrupulous conscience in known faults, or at least in much more concerning matters, we may do well to consider, whether our nicest carefulness in these do not betray, that in such little things the main of our Religion lies, our hearts lay their greatest stress upon these. There are certain formalities of Religion, things that speak people Professors, distinctive characters of a Party professing Godliness, little things by which they are discriminated, as niceties in habits, or gestures, or modes, or tones of speaking, or forms of doing things in Religion, or some strict forbearances of things that all the world beside themselves never imagined hurt in. Now they that do make such to be the stamp and signature of a Professor, it is no wonder if they be nice and scrupulous in them; and truly to be scrupulous, especially in such indifferencies, does dangerously look towards that: 'tis certain, where the greatest care and watchfulness is laid, there will the most and greatest scruples be apt to stir; so that if these be most in such indifferencies, either the heart hath entertained some end besides Religion, the seeming strict or a Professor; or else the heart hath been betrayed, and by being bred up to strict cares, especially in such things, it hath let itself be besotted by those strict and handsome appearances, and low spirited as it is, hath raised no higher, but set up his chief rest there; they think if they do these things, they are religious. There cannot be any other reason given of these different strictnesses, this scrupulosity in little things, and negligence in greater interests; and therefore 'tis worth the search in every heart, in which examination whosoever shall find his scruples to be universal, and proportioned to the duty, his heart watchful, especially where the concern is greatest, and there most careful where it most behoves him; let that heart take comfort, that quality is but the nicety, the quickness of a clear, pure eye, that can endure no dust, no soil upon it, and such an eye shall lead a person thro' the paths of God's word, which is a light to the feet, and a light unto the paths here to the Land of everlasting light and glory, where in God's light he shall see light for evermore. SERMON XXI. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? THE Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field, Matth. 13. 44. a field this much richer than it shows for, that provides for several uses of our life, that furnisheth with food and wealth too, and is both granary and treasury; and just such is the word of the Kingdom also, it hath in it more than it promises to sight, there are still hidden treasures besides the food that grows before our eyes: if we search, we shall find still more and more furniture for life, more wealth yet in the bowels of it. These words give us experience of this, from which though we have had several spiritual entertainments, provisions for divers cases of our life, yet have we not exhausted them; for we shall find that yet in another sense The light of the body is the eye, etc. To the two interpretations, I have given of these words, the first of which that by a single eye should be meant a single intention, an entire, honest meaning, an heart like that of Jacob, plain, simple, and upright, such as may therefore style a man an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile, no doubling, but such an one as lays always to itself good ends, and intends to take in no ill means to compass them, hath been generally adhered to by almost all Expositors. The second, that by the single eye should be meant the pure, clear, good conscience, which to me indeed seems much more proper than the other; to neither of them have I any objection but this, that they do not at all relate to the matter of the discourse, which our Saviour hath in hand, and 'tis not imaginable why Christ should in the midst of a Paragraph concerning mortifying the desire and love of wealth, the beginning of which commands laying up treasure in heaven, and the end tells us we cannot serve God and Mammon, should interpose any thing of conscience or intentions: and therefore, though what we have delivered of them be exactly consonant to the words, and built upon other certain Scripture, and be the sense of most men, yet we will view one other, which though it be assigned but by one Expositor, that I know of, yet being exactly pertinent to the matter in hand, and having a surer plea for its being the sense of the place, than any of the rest have, it shall not escape us, though no more have lighted upon it. Now the way of finding out the meaning was, not to consider what may be compared to a single eye or an evil eye, for possibly so many things may be; but by seeing what those words do constantly signify in Scripture, and so what light and darkness also do, and then put them together, and see whether they will so here: and we shall take those grounds. 1. Then what a single eye and evil eye do use to signify in Scripture: and for the evil eye, we find it often Prov. 23. 6, 7. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats; for as he thinketh in his heart so is he; eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee: which means, eat not the meat of him that is a niggard, who though he do invite thee to it, yet he does grudge it thee, and grieves thou eatest it; his heart does not speak in his invitations, but he had rather thou wouldst spare, and he computes thy morsels. So again Prov. 28. 22. He that hasteth to be rich, hath an evil eye, that is, is covetous; he envies every other man's prosperity, (so most Translations render it here) is troubled to see another flourish, and thinks their gain his loss. So Matt. 20. 15. Is thine eye evil, because I am good? he says to them, who though they had contracted for a penny by the day for labour, yet when they saw those that had wrought but a little part receive so much, straight entertained desires and hopes of more than they had bargained for, and when they saw they should have nothing but their due, they murmured; to whom the Master does reply, Friend, I do thee no wrong, didst thou not agree with me for a penny, be thou content with that which comes to thy share? This man that came last to work (it being not his fault that he came no sooner, but his not being sooner called, and he having laboured honestly and cheerfully ever since he came) shall by me, who accept the will for the deed, be rewarded with the same reward that thou hast; and sure thou hast no reason to complain, that I dispose of my own as I see cause: what reason is there that my bounty to others should be matter of envy and discontent to thee? So that an evil eye signifies unsatisfiedness with ones own condition, and envy at another's, an eye that grieves to see any thing go besides itself; in one word, an illiberal, covetous, envious mind. You have its perfect character Ecclesiasticus 14. from v. 3. to 10. Riches are not comely for a niggard, and what should an envious man do with money? He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul, gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously: he that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods. There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and if he doth good, he doth it unwillingly. The envious man hath a wicked eye, he turneth away his face, and despiseth men; a covetous man's eye is not satisfied with his portion, and the iniquity of the wicked dries up his soul: a wicked eye envieth his bread, and he is a niggard at his table. Next for the single eye, that certainly is set as opposite to the evil eye, as meaning liberality and cheerful bounty, and we shall see accordingly that singleness does signify; for so our Bible almost always translates the word: 2 Cor. 8. 2. Their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality, the riches of their singleness it is in the Original. So chap. 9 11. being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, to all singleness; again v. 13. liberal distribution, singleness of distribution the Greek does say; and so in many places which others have observed; and Rom. 12. 8. He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity or singleness, for 'tis the same word still, and there our Margin tells you, that it means liberality. Single therefore does in Scripture signify bountiful, and we shall find that coupled with the eye, Prov. 22. 9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor. And so we have the Scripture sense of these two words, the single eye does signify a liberal mind, and the evil eye a niggardly, uncontented, envious disposition. And here let us stop a little, and say a word on these expressions, why these things to the eye? is that the chief seat of those qualities, is not the heart much rather? 'Tis true indeed that discontent and envy shed themselves into the eye, they dwell there in a cloud, the eye flags and is dull, and does so certainly betray a niggard, envious heart, that we may see it grudges spirits to its own eyes, and does restrain that current that is to feed them with a vigorous life: when bounty on the other side flows into the eyes in a cheerful stream of spirits, that make them full and bright. But this is not all the reason; 'tis not only the sign of these same inclinations that hangs out in the eye, but the lust itself does lodge and dwell there. S. John calls covetousness the lust of the eye, 1 John 2. 16. and that not only because the eye of the covetous is never satisfied with wealth, but lusts still more and more; but there is reason why it should be the lust of the eye, for when goods increase they are increased that eat them, and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding them with their eyes? Ecclesiasticus 5. 11. When plenty does stream in upon us with a torrent, while we do lay it by and do not use it, than it is clear, that nothing but the eye enjoies it: when we do lay it out, if we dispose it to comply with fashions, or to serve pomp and ostentation, or to feed emulation, because I will not be without what any other hath, or else to entertain sports and delights, it is clear that nothing but the eye is treated with the expense, and with the magnificence of these; neither the back nor belly hath the least relish of them, nor hath the soul any other organ to employ about them, but the organ of seeing. But if thy riches be expended in great provisions for the appetite, unless a man can stretch his belly as he does his barns and his demesnes, and make all bigger, enlarge his stomach as he does his table, pull out new sides of appetite, and multiply his hungers as he does his dishes; the wealthy man himself devours but little more, than when he had not such abundance, only he sees more meat, and sees more eaters of it: so that muchness of wealth, what is beyond sufficient competency, nothing but the eye enjoys, and it is therefore said that that lusts after it; 'tis the eye desires riches, and with them we serve no other part. And then, my Brethren, this expression of single eye or bountiful eye do s let us see, that liberality is no great pressure to a man, it does require no inconveniences from him, it does retrench from nothing but his eye; if we can but get this to be moderate in its objects, get but a single eye, an eye that is not covetous of every thing it likes and that delights it, an eye that will be satisfied with competencies, and then a man will have no other uses for much wealth, but only those of doing good with it; for if thine eye be not always gaping after superfluities and daily novelties of entertainments, pursuing every thing it fancies, or any other man possesses, and still ambitioning the heights of whatsoever it beholds that pleases it; if he can keep it from thirsting after every thing that feeds its own pride, or another's envy: keep, I say, but the eye in bounds of moderation, and there is nothing else in man, that does require much for its satisfaction. 'Tis nothing else but the unlimited, unwearied eye, that looks thro' all the world for entertainments, and must have services from every part of the whole universe; the Indians must dive into the depths of the Abyss, and dig the rocks to get a Jewel that shall dash a little light into thine eye; the Mariner must pass throughout all the variety of climes, must cross the frozen and the torrid Zones to pick up those diversities of things that are to please thy sight, with a new garment for thyself or for thy chamber, or rather are to make a dress, not for thy back indeed or for thy room, but for thy eye, which is not well, except it see fine things; that must have furniture out of the bowels of the worms, and out of the bowels of the earth, have gold and silver utensils, and silken ornaments, and have I know not what: so also several nations must conspire to make up almost any one in the whole variety of sports, which yet do but pass by, and please the eye, and move away as quick as sight itself. It is the eye indeed that endears every excessive sin to us. The Scripture does most properly express it, when it says the Adulteries of the eye; for its delights, those of variety I mean, for that too hath no other, serve nothing but the eye. So it is in the sin of pride, and covetousness, and pleasure: it is that part spends almost all the riots and intemperances', that drinks in objects minutely, and thirsts for all diversities, these consume. Do but teach that to be content, and there will be enough for charity. If God had bid us rob our bowels for to feed the hungry, divide necessity betwixt us, and deny nature's cravings to hear those of the poor, it had been hard; and though the Lord emtied himself for us, yet sure the croaking of our emty bowels would have sounded much like murmurings at such a precept: but when he bids us only spare a little of the provisions of our eye, which wants nothing at all of them, do but deny thy sight some little portion of its excesses, and lay out some of its unnecessary objects on the Poor, and I will ask no more for charity. This sure is no hard duty. Get but a single eye, an eye that is not niggardly and covetous, that catches at and grasps at every thing that likes it; do but moderate its desires and lusts, and all the rest of thee, thy back and belly will be easily contented, will spare enough for liberality: 'tis nothing but an evil eye that hinders. The pinching Miser he can deny all other appetites to gorge his eye, he crucifies his flesh, and almost starves his body to provide for his sight; 'tis this alone he cares for, to have wealth to behold, not use. Could he cure this Wolf, this canine appetite in his eye, that is so greedy to look on wealth, he might afford to give his heaps, for he does nothing else with them, but see them. And 'tis the very same with them who are as covetous of pleasures for their sight, or things to furnish out the pomps of pride or ostentation of vanity; if their eye would abate in these, bounty would have provisions. And sure, my Brethren, among the lovely changes that the eye delights in, this might come in for one handsome variety, to see such and so many souls live cheerfully thro' the help of thy liberality, to see thy wealth, not only feed the instruments of thy delight, thy Dogs, it may be, or thy Hawks, but feed poor Christians, but feed the members of thy Saviour; to see when with a great deal thou canst hardly furnish one room well, much less of it does furnish such poor labouring families: furniture of a very comfortable prospect it will be at that day, I am sure, when all the other satisfactions of thy eyes are dead, or else dissolving in a flood of fire, then to behold those works which thy estate did help thee to perform; for they shall follow thee to Heaven, Rev. 14. 13. and to see that Christ upon the Throne, whom in his members thou hast oft relieved; an object that will comfort such a single eye with everlasting light. And so I pass to the second terms to be expounded, Light and Darkness. 1. Light in Scripture does often signify Prosperity, as Darkness does the contrary. I need not cite much Scripture for it, Psalm 18. 28. For thou wilt light my canlde, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Job 21. 17. How often is the candle of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger to them. Isaiah, c. 5. 30. does express times of affliction thus, and if one look unto the earth, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. So chap. 8. 22. Behold trouble, and darkness, and dimness of anguish. Now if it mean thus here, than the sense is, a single eye fills the body full of light; Charity makes a man prosperous in all his actions; but if the eye be evil, the body shall be full of darkness, he that either to furnish coffers, pride, or pleasures, or excesses does retrench from bounty, however he advance these for a while, yet before long God will cut off the opportunities of these; he that will not put a good portion of what he hath to good uses, the time will come, when either he or his, however well provided for, shall not have for their own uses: if their eye be so evil as not to let their candle shed a light to any other but themselves, God will put out their canlde, and uncharitableness shall bring adversity upon them or upon their families; and if the verse mean thus, than it agrees with Solomon's Aphorism Prov. 11. 24. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to penury. But to this I have spoke already; now I shall only say, this is a doctrine that we need not only trust on Christ for the truth of, a very Turk believes it, and not the Gospel only, but the Alcoran affirms it: saying, that which they lay out of their wealth in the way of God, in pious charitable uses, is like a grain that brings forth seven stalks. Blessed harvest of Charity, increase more than an hundred fold! and I will add but one place of Scripture to it, which says over the Text in larger and more glorious words Isaiah, 58. 7, 8, 10, 11. To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house, when thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh; then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward: and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in droughts, and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. The expressions seem to grow upon the Prophet, first he says, Thy light shall break forth as the morning, by little slow degrees of increasing light, which peeps out first in a dawn, and so grows into day; and so shall thy prosperity, which dawns and brightens by degrees, as thou drawest out reliefs: but he corrects these words, and thinks this is not blessing quick enough for this virtue, whose return shall be more eminent, conspicuous, and notable; thy light, says he, shall rise in obscurity, shall have no creeping twilight for to usher it, but they very night shall break into Sunshine, and in the midst of hopeless affliction the face of joy and gladness shall rise upon thee. Yea more as if the rising light were but weak, and too faint for his meaning, Thy darkness shall be as the noonday, strong and hot brightness shall break in upon thy occasions of sadness, which shall both cherish and enlighten thee, thaw every thing that did sit cold about thine heart, and make all pleasant shine about thee. But where, I pray you, are the Luminaries that are to shed this Noon? The Prophet hath them here, thy Righteousness, that is in Scripture dialect thy Alms, shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward: Light expressed not only in terms of overflowing blessedness, but terms of guard and strength; Light he shall have here that shall be glory to him, and shall be fortification to him; the glory of the Lord shall be his reward, as if the charitable man did also dwell in Light that were inaccessible, who is so guarded as to have righteousness in his van for his avantguard, and the glory of the Lord of hosts and victories for his rere-defence; which means in plain words this, that the Lord will make the righteousness of such a man appear, and will do good and glorious things for him in this life. And then let others please themselves to have their wealth break out in shining pomps of bravery about them, or flow in streams of plenty and of delicacy, or of pleasure; alas the spring of these will quickly fail. If any scorching weather come, any fiery trial, any persecution, yea any days of adversity, the wealth will go out that is to furnish them; or if there do not come such days, yet the too full streams will drain the fountain, and there will be no spring to feed the current; yea or however in a while these streams must grow unpleasant, and they will choke the soul that swims in them: but the charitable man, the man that deals his bread, and draws out his soul to the hungry in relief, while he hath the means, and in compassion and assistance while he hath not, whatever fail, the fountain of the glory of the Lord cannot be exhausted, he will have righteousness and glory still about him; the comfortable streams of which are of another relish than those carnal worldly delights which wealth provides, or else can give; of a more blessed goust, the inextinguishable shine of which is surely far more cherishing and gladsome, than the gauds of vanity or fading pleasures. The brightness of God's glory cannot die, cannot be taken from thee, it is its own defence and shine: for righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward, and then 'tis clearly proved, that such a single Eye shall make the body full of light. 2. Light does signify holiness of life, deeds truly Christian; walk as Lights in the Lord, nothing more common in Scripture: and Darkness signifies a sinful and un-Christian life, a life that's full of deeds of darkness. And then the words mean thus; as the eye is the candle of the body, lightens and directs it well if it be as it ought, but otherwise very ill, and the man is in the dark, if his eye be ill, and do not serve him: so is the heart of man, as to the guidance and direction of his actions; if his eye be single, if he have an heart taken off from the world, a liberal, bountiful mind, not set upon the love and desire of the things of this world, his whole body will be full of light, his whole life will be very Christian, all his actions holy and heavenly, and to the making of them so, liberality of mind hath a very observable influence. It will incline a man wonderfully to pious courses, it is a leading virtue, as the eye is a leading part. But if the eye be evil, but if the heart be worldly set upon wealth, either for itself, or for those heights or fine things, or pleasures which wealth does procure; if it be unsatisfied in these things for itself, or envious at others for them, the whole body will be full of darkness, the whole life will be very un-Christian; such a disposition of mind as that, quite draws a man off from the temper that Christ requires: the unsatisfied, the envious, and the covetous person can never serve God, but only Sin, those dispositions being the root of all evil. Now if the light that is in thee be darkness, if thy heart be un-Christian, and if thy leading virtue, that was to take thee off from all worldly inclinations, be extinct and dark in thee, how great is that darkness? what an un-Christian life will there be, and whatever light does shine about thee of the Gospel, whatever light thou dost pretend of knowledge, or of whatsoever else, there is a deep darkness dwells upon thy heart, and is in all thy actions. Now this sense we see connects what went before and that which follows after, drives on our Savior's design that he is pressing here, and to this sense Scripture always speaks in the expressions of single and of evil eye, of light and darkness; and therefore this was certainly the sense that was intended by our Saviour, and to the prosecuting of it I shall show, 1. That to have a generous, liberal mind, an heart taken off from the self uses and advantages of wealth, is the great means, the great engine and instrument of making all the actions very Christian, the life holy. 2. This grace in the heart, bounty of mind, is a great evidence of a true Christian heart. 3. A worldly heart, loving and desiring wealth, troubled at its condition, envying others that are in better, and for the ends of any advantages to itself, straightening its liberality, is not only in itself an un-Christian temper, but such as is the root and cause of a life wholly un-Christian and unholy. Of these in their order. 1. To have a liberal mind etc. That the throwing of this earth out of the heart is a most hopeful way of making the man clean and pure, we have most pregnant Scripture, Luke 11. 39, 40, 41. Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part in full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not be that made that which is without, make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as you have, and behold, all things are clean unto you: which bears this seen, ye hypocritical Pharisees wash your self as if a man should wash his vessels, the outside of them only, leaving the insides of them full of filthiness; for thus do ye wash your bodies, leaving your souls full of all uncleaness. This is an extreme folly; for it your outward washings were in obedience to God, you would cleanse the insides, your hearts and souls, as well as your bodies. The best way of purifying yourselves, your estates, your meats and drinks, etc. from all pollution cleaving to them, is by works of mercy and liberal alms gifts, and not by washing pots and vessels. Thy broken meats, thy scraps, thy charities shall cleanse thy platters more than washing them shall do, alms shall make all things clean. But how this? To cleanse hath two aspects, either on the guilt of past actions, or on the habits and dispositions to future commissions; and is to cleanse us from the evil that we have done, or to make us clean from those vices that were in us, and which would make us do more evil: the first of these is done by Repentance, not by Alms. Indeed the Wise man says, the alms of a man is as a signet with the Lord, and he will keep the good deeds of a man as the apple of an eye, and give repentance to his sons and daughters, Ecclesiasticus 17. 22. the happiest way of purchase for a family in the world. The give to children an estate perchance is but to give an instrument of vice, bestow the means of sinning on them; at best 'tis but to leave them pomp and superfluity; but to give Repenetance to them is to give security of everlasting blessedness, this is as it were to entail Heaven on ones children. But this is not the thing we mean, we are to see how Alms should make us clean from vice. It is observed by a Reverend Expositor, that our Saviour speaking Syriack, useth a word for alms, which in that language and Arabic signifies cleansing; that is, give Alms, which as it comes from a word that signifies to cleanse, so all shall be clean to you: and they give this reason of the notion, they derive Alams from a word that signifies to cleanse, quod opes ab inquinamento, & animum ab avaritiae sordibus purgat, because 1. Alms purgeth our wealth from the pollution and filthiness that adheres to it. As among the Jews it was not lawful for any man to use the increase of his own land or cattle, to eat part of his own harvest, nor feed on his own vineyard, or employ the profits of any one beast of his own herd or flock, till he had given up to God the firstborn of that beast, offered the first fruits every year of his fruit-yards, and dedicated a first sheaf of his harvest: this must sanctify all the rest, which till then was unclean, not to be used by him; to this, it seems, our Saviour does look in his direction. There is an unclean tack in every thing that comes from earth, it does derive a soil and tincture thence, and tastes of the place from whence it came, there is a kind of unsanctifiedness in wealth, which must be purged away. Our Saviour does imply this, when he says, all things shall be clean to thee, intimating, that without some such course be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all our possessions are unclean to us; and S. Paul says expressly of meat, it must be sanctified. Now says he, the way to cleanse thy meats (and so for all thy wealth) is to give up part of thy meat to God by the now Christian way of sacrificing. Alms: this the truest way of blessing a meal, by engaging God a guest to it, who brings his blessings always with him, and he hath still a share in that meal that the poor partake in. This course is of so great importance to be taken in every sort of our wealth, that holy Job presses an imprecation on himself, if he have not done so, Job 31. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23. If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb: if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, then let my arm from my shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone; for destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. So that Alms makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all our possessions, all our moderate enjoiments clean, if sanctifies them to our use. But secondly, which is mre to our design, their second reason is, animum ab avaritiae sordibus purgat, it does draw off the heart from worldly mindedness, and by that means from all unclean carnalities: but to not mistake me, Brethren, that a few, though perhaps noble acts of charity will necessarily take a man off from all vice; he may perchance be willing in some good humour to part with some wealth, that will not part with a lust or an ill custom, and his profuse and inconsiderate bounty may come in amongst his prodigalities, and be his vice, so far it will be from lceasing him from vice. But the thing is this, he that hath thus far conquered his heart, and unwrapt is out of the entanglements of riches, that he is perfectly disposed in mind, not once, but by a constant course to dedicate a good portion of what he hath for those compassionate uses, and is very well pleased to look upon such a share as not his own, but set aside and consecrated: 'tis certain that if this be hearty, he that can resolve to part with such a part of income for those uses, must also resolve to part with all worldly or carnal advantages of that income, such things as it procured him, and he cannot have without it. If I will cut off so much from my estate on that good consideration, than I must cut off such degrees of superfluity, I must abate such and such pomps and vanities, I must retrench excesses, and I must part with heights of pleasures, for these are virtually resolved in the other; I cannot have these if I give away the foment, the thing that is to feed and preserve them, these therefore I disposed of with that part of my revenue, nor shall I think them fit to vie with those necessities, that beg or Christ his sake, nay with those wants of Christ himself that begs in those poor men's request and needs, nor shall I for such things draw back or grudge my charities. I can much easier want some portions of those contents, than see so many souls want necessaries; compassion strikes me deeper than those satisfactions, and finds me much more pliant, and more sensible. Lo here a man already brought within the mediocrities of virtue, there too where virtue finds the greatest oppositions of temptation; those of intemperance, and pride, and pleasure, in all these he is moderate and calm, merely by virtue of his bountiful-mindedness: and if he be not so, 'tis certain that the person is not freehearted, unless it be unto his sins or the companions of them. For if he love his pride, and heights, and honours, and all those pomps that are to serve them and his emulations; or love the superfluities of riots, or love immoderate delights, 'tis certain he loves wealth implicity, although he take no notice of it, and he is covetous in his heart, though he does not discover it; because he cannot but desire passionately that which is to furnish his eager desires, and love immoderately that without which he knows, if he consider what he does, he cannot have that whicih he loves immoderately; and if he do resolve to serve those still, and yet do give away, 'tis out of inconsiderateness, not from bounty; he is not liberal but rash and careless, will not weigh how the wealth serves the other ends, but still resolving upon these, not minding what he does, disposeth of the other. No he than is truly compassionate and liberal, resolves to deprive himself of somewhat to relieve others wants, that is to say, if he consider what he does, (and if he do not, 'tis not liberality of heart) to deny himself some of the advantages of his estate, (for to consideration those and his estate are all the same) pomps, profits, and pleasures to sustain those that need: and he that does so, he hath plainly brought himself into the bounds of all virtues, and for the rest that concern men, 'tis sure he that is so fully disposed in heart, as to deny himself his own advantages merely to do good to others, cannot be inclined to do ill to others for his own advantage, these inclinations cannot dwell together; so that in one word, this bounty of heart engages into all Morality, he will be humble, sober, contented in himself, and live righteously and justly with other men. 'Tis such a leading quality, that merely by virtue of that disposition of mind, when it is seated there in earnest, the other parts of that which we call honesty, come in. And then for all Religion and Piety, if he that out of obedience to God and compassion to the afflicted have brought his heart to such a pass, that he can draw out his soul to the needy, 'tis certain that in doing so he lays up treasures in heaven, v. 20. and by the verse that follows he that lays his treasure there, he sets his heart there also; and he whose heart is set on heaven, I shall not fear to pronounce of him, his actions will drive him thitherwards with all religious violence. Do but think with yourselves how you pursue the things you hearts are set upon in earnest, what out-goings of soul you have to this rencontre of the object of its strong affections, no rest but in the labours that work towards it, no calm but in those violences. And much of this there must be in Religion, where the heart is set upon the hopes of it, on heaven. He must be eager in it, as the covetous is on his gains, the proud man on his pomps, the pleasurist on his sports, the Epicure on his excesses. It is not possible a man should have no heart to that on which his heart is set. He therefore that hath set his heart on heaven, must be religious and holy; and so it is concluded that the liberal-minded must needs be so. The progress of which proof is this, he whose heart is in heaven, his conversation will be there, his life will be Christian and holy: he whose treasure is in heaven, his heart is in heaven: he that hath taken off his heart from the world, and out of liberality of heart gives alms, he lays his treasure up in heaven, and then it is concluded that he is religious. And this now may apply itself without my help to press it to you. Ah my Brethren choose and strive towards a virtue that will help you to all the rest, that will calm and moderate your affections to this world and the dying follies of it; and that will draw your hearts to heaven, and set them on the world to come. Who would not labour for one disposition of mind that comes with such a train of pieties, that hath all Christianity in its attendance, and brings all into the soul with it? Who would not give alms, if by doing so he give himself a shoal of virtue? to whom is this man bountiful, but to himself indeed? Here is a ground for men to beg after the fashion of Lombardy, Be good to yourself, Sir, and bestow an alms upon me: for he indeed is good unto himself, who what he gives lays up in heaven as a treasure for eternity, and at the same time entertains the disposition to all piety in his heart, receives all virtue into him. I sahll not need to call in accessary proofs, fetch in auxiliary motives, tell you that works of charity are called good works in Scripture, and the liberal man good. So Rom. 5. 7. the good man signifies, and Tit. 2. 5. where the women are commanded to be good, it is merciful; so works of mercy are called good works, Acts. 9 36. doing good, Matt. 12. 12. Heb. 13. 16. good fruits James 3. 17. So to work good signifies Gal. 6. 9 and every good work 2 Cor. 9 8. is works of mercy, as if he did engross all goodness, and that same virtue did fulfil the title. Nay I tell you more, that the merciful man and the perfect man are but two words for the same person, Matt. 5. 48. Luke 6. 36. all Christianity is so sure appendent to this disposition of the heart, (when it is in the soul I tell you, not when it is now and then in the actions) that this alone is perfectness, 'tis entire lacking nothing. And then here is a clear account, why at the last great trial nothing should come upon account but charity, that is the only thing the Judge takes cognizance of at the day of final doom; When I was hungry, ye gave me meat: the words of everlasting Judgement pass only in relation to this, nothing but charity does come into that sentence, for all the rest is implied in this: and where the heart is liberal, the whole life will be Christian; this is an evidence will pass at God's Assize, stand before the Searcher of the heart and reins. And therefore it may well be a sign to us, and make proof, that this grace in the heart, bounty of mind is a great evidence of a truly Christian heart: the second Proposition. Blessed Saviour, thou that wert all bounty to us, that didst emty thyself to enrich us, and didst choose rather to die thyself than not relieve us when we were sick to everlasting death; give us grace to be like-minded, shed into our hearts this disposition of soul, that will make us so remember thee, a disposition that will make our affections even and moderate to things of this earth, which by teaching us to part with wealth contentedly, will work us out of the world, and teach us not to be enamoured on the advantages of wealth, not to be passionate for pomps or pleasures, or for any superfluities which wealth procures, which will set our hearts in heaven, and lay up treasures for us there; which if it rob us of the pomps and the magnificences of this world, will give us for them pomps of piety, the whole train of virtues, a long attendance of graces; if it deprives us of some heights or some excess of pleasures, it will recompense with the satisfactions of relieving Christ in his members here, and reigning with him hereafter in Kingdom: SERMON XXII. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. Matt. 6. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness? PHILOSOPHY does say that all virtues are so annexed and tied together, that it is not possible for any man to have any one truly and complete, but he must needs have all; they are like pearls upon the necklace, from which if any violence pull one, the string is broke, and all are shattered and disordered. And S. James saith, c. 2. 10. Whosoever shall offend in one point, is guilty of all; and sure the virtue of the Text makes good both these Positions: if liberality of heart be that one point, he that excludes it from his Soul, shuts out the rest at once. All the graces are as train to that leading virtue, are its such close attendants, that they must needs have the same fate, and either dwell together in the heart, or all together be thrust thence: for, if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. An envious discontent, uncharitable mind, makes the whole life un-Christian, and he that does offend in that one point, must needs be guilty of all; and if Charity, that bond of perfectness in S. Paul, that tie of graces that does unite them to itself, and with each other, if that be there, all graces must be there, and liberality of heart makes the life Christian; for if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But I am now to show you that bounty in the heart is a great Sign of a true Christian heart, that that person who not out of easiness or modesty of constitution not knowing how to deny when he is asked, nor out of inconsideration or vanity bestows an alms, or else when importunities does beg it; but he who out of real compassion to the wants of others, and hearty sense of their calamities, and out of sincere obedience to God resolves with himself to deny himself such and such advantages of his condition to such a good proportion of what God hath bestowed upon him, purposes in his heart to set aside such a portion from his own uses, knowing and considering that by so doing he does part with such and such satisfactions which did accrue to him by that wealth, yet will do it for the relief of others necessities, that their souls may be comforted, and they may praise God in his behalf. This person hath in himself a great evidence of an heart truly and sincerely wrought upon by the Gospel, and wrought over into the realities of Christianity. I shall prove this to you, and though I know there be many virtues which seem to have no connexion with liberality, and many inclinations in the heart which bounty hath no direct influence upon, several evil tendencies of soul which it hath no formal opposition to, that it should thrust them out of the heart; yet that such a complexion of mind does either directly or by consequence so oppose them, as not to endure them in the heart, I shall very briefly show you in gross, and by retail. And first that in gross that is a sign of a true Christian heart, see Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness; it seems that bowels of compassion and bounty is a sign of being such full Christians, that the Apostle takes in all words to complete the Character, and does it in words of a beloved sense: and let men take them in what sense they please, they do my work, whether as persons chosen out before all time; it seems then to be liberal is a sign of that, and they will have very little reason to conclude themselves elected an eternity before they were, who now they are, and are called and taught by God, do not find this disposition in their hearts: or to take them in their naked meaning, be liberal, as being God's choice and precious ones, (so it signifies, elect, precious, 1 Pet. 2. 6, and in other Scripture elect is the choicest, best,) such as are prized and valued by God: as the elect of God, holy, such as have his sanctifying Spirit poured out upon them; and such are beloved by him; as choice and precious things are always dear to us. Now then to be compassionate and bountiful is to be as thus, and liberality of heart is one mark of Election and Holiness, and they that have it, are as God's choice, sanctified, dear ones. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion and bounty. 2. As it is a sign of our being the Elect of God, and the Inhabitation of the Holy Spirit, so it is also a sign of our being like minded with Christ. S. Paul does urge his example as a motive to the Corinthians liberality, Ep. 2. c. 8. v. 9 For ye know the grace (or charity) of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that ye thro' his poverty might be rich: and therefore for us to do so is to follow his example, and to have our hearts set to it is to be like minded, and truly that is to be Christian enough. If that a person of the Godhead emtied bimself, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 7. exhausted himself of Divinity to relieve us; if the God of all the pleasures of the earth and the joys of heaven became the Man of sorrows to rescue us, if that the Lord of everlasting blessedness made himself Prince of sufferings and calamities to ransom us, if this be a temptation to the inclinations of our heart to set us upon going to do likewise in some low weak measure after the rates of our abilities; then to do so considerately, to deprive myself of some advantages, to exhaust somewhat for the sakes of those that want, is to have the like mind in us that was in Christ Jesus our Lord: but because this may possibly evince us to be like-minded only in one thing, therefore 3. In particular, he that is thus minded hath a great evidence of his having overcome the World, a wide and a vast conquest; for, my Brethren, 'tis not only he that is a slave to money, whose heart and actions do importunately pursue the ways of getting or of hoarding that, whom the world overcomes; but he is a slave to the world, whose mind is impotently set upon any of the advantages of this world, the man whose heart does in too great a proportion either of time or whatsoever else pursue any thing which this World is to furnish with, that man's heart is entangled in the pursuit, and it is fettered to the World, which is his motive and pretence for that too eager inclination. And therefore in our Baptism when we renounce the World, we do not only bid defiance to the love of money, but we renounce the Pomp's and vanities of this wicked World; whatsoever either too great pleasure or height, excess or ostentation, or pride that this World ministers unto. Now then, when a man does not only now and then give little to them that ask and beg of him, (for so it goes away in such small instances, as will not evidence either much consideration of it, or any great work wrought upon him as to not loving of the World,) but in devout retirements resolves to deny himself in such a proportion, and cut off such a part, 'tis certain he does cut off such degrees either of pomp or vanity, or plenties, or whatsoever other thing that part of his estate did serve. Now he that can do this resolvedly in his soul, not out of any heat, but from deliberate purpose of heart, 'tis certain he hath to so great a degree disentangled himself from the snares of the pleasures or other advantages of this World, he hath unloosed their fascinations, and weakened all their sorceries; 'tis clear he hath so far withdrawn his heart from the degrees of whatsoever he did love that this World served him in, that he resolves none of them shall engage him to their superfluities: for to prevent that he cuts off their foment, the streams of those contents, they shall not overflow his soul; for he will turn the spring, and make the current run another way. 'Tis evident he hath so torn all beloved earthly satisfactions from the embraces of his heart, as that he will not feed them, not with his own estate, if he cannot also to a virtuous degree feed the poor: he hath so far turned out the love of pleasures, or of pomps, or whatsoever, as that he willingly does part with those degrees of them, cannot be retained together with his liberality. And such a heart sure is without the vicious degree of worldly contents: for vicious inclinations to them use to pursue them as far as they are able, and set no bounds to themselves but those of possibility, will not be limited in their prosecutions by considerations of a virtue as this man's are, and therefore he is too strong for these temtations, and so hath overcome the world. And now if we consider the advantages of this conquest either in gross, it is a victory over such Enemies as were in Christ's opinion almost invincible, such as did so block up all passages and avenues to blessedness, that he affirms and repetes it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Let men think what they will of those occasions of sin, which their dislikes of a low condition or of poverty makes them believe it does abound with; but I tell you there are such ineluctable temtations to vice in an estate of plenty, as that without a greater measure of God's grace than is sufficient for any other state of life, a man will never overcome them. It is so insuperable a temptation to have that which will furnish him with all his heart or lust can wish for, to have every thing that is in his desires put into his power, and so impossible to part with that which serves all his inclinations when God calls for it, as he does when we cannot at once keep the estate and obey Christ, (which was the occasion of our Savior's words:) and wealth it does so sauce and invite every vice, it does so dress objects for lust, and feed with those full plenties, that heat men into it and strengthen for it, does so pour in provocatives by idleness and excesses, it does so fill with insolence, or pride, or ostentation and vain glory; it does so swell and so puff up with heights and scorns, makes men contemn others and oppress them, think any thing almost is lawful in their usage of them; yea become careless of Religion, and by degrees contemn it too, wax insolent with God, scoffers at piety, rude in profaneness, any thing forsooth they may do; and a whole shoal of other such like qualities are the almost certain appendages of men in estate, at least in some degree. In a word, it takes off the heart quite from the Love of God and those things that relate to him, it fixes them so to these worldly satisfactions: yea when it comes to such a pinch, that a man must either wound his conscience, do some great deliberate sin, or part with this so forsooth happy utensil, his estate; break with all the duty in the world rather than part with that which furnisheth him with such convenience of sins, that 'tis no wonder if it be impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And then for a man to have overcome the General of this great Army of ruinous vices, the only leader that can draw them up against him, to have cut off the source that feeds this inundation of mischiefs, these overflowings of ungodliness from the heart, is a good strong evidence to a man's heart, that he is well resolved against the vices, when that he does resolvedly deprive himself of the instrument of them, the thing that does advance them, and hath perfectly divorced from them: he needs not doubt but that if it please God to bring him to straits, that he shall rather be content to part with a good portion of his estate, than part with a good conscience, who is content to give away good part of his estate merely to exercise a virtue in obedience to God. He will give it if Christ call for it, who gives it if the poor call for it. He is well secured from feeding pride, excesses, and the other sins of fullness with his plenty, who gives all superfluities away to feed the hungry, his wealth is otherwise employed than in ministering to vice: and however 'tis certain his heart is taken off from the sins that are occasioned by riches, who heartily gives away the occasion of those sins; and though the gate of Heaven be as straight as any needle's eye, yet this wealthy Man, this Camel in one sense of the word as it does signify a cable rope, when his wealth is divided thus and scattered, when the rope is separated into little threads, than it will go thro' the straitest needle's eye, and this rich man enter inter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And here were argument enough for the triumphs of comfort to an heart that can discern this sign of his Election, this fruit of the Holy Spirit, this instance of like-mindedness to Christ, this assurance of his conquest over that same Enemy, which is the Flesh's auxiliary, and the Devil's instrument, without which neither of them could much prevail upon us; for they do it by the aids the World does bring, by the temtations and the baits which it does minister. A consequent fit for Christ to glory in, I have overcome the World, saith he, Matt. 16. 33. and truly if any man, the religiously sincerely bountiful man hath done so to a great degree. He hath unglued his heart from it, they part with ease; you see how he distributes it, and throws it from him: and this is sure encouragement enough to set you upon searching whether you can find this Evidence within you, if it were not a certain sign also of more things, a sign of particular evidences and effects of having overcome the world. For first, it is a sign of a perfect contentedness in ones condition; for apparently he is not unsatisfied with what he hath, who not only is content, but who contrives to have less, and gives away good part of what he hath. He cannot be discontented that he hath no more than he hath, who is resolved not to have so much, but searches for occasions to distribute what he hath. And if this be an infallible sign of a contented mind, (still I speak of the liberal heart, not only of a scattering hand,) it is an evidence of the greatest happiness in this world; for God hath prescribed one certain remedy for all the evils in the world, a contented heart. This is the only aim of all the arts and all the plenties of the world, it is for this alone men dig the mines of treasures, search the whole circuit of delights, run thro' the hurry of an universe of pleasures, wherein, God knows, they seldom find it, but all intent only content. Whether they would be great or rich, or be luxurious, or every thing, it is because they seek content in these things; which he that hath in whatsoever state he be, he hath the scope, the price of all the treasures in the world, he hath the sum and comprehension of its felicities, which therefore the liberal heart hath the sure sign of: yea in this he hath the certain evidence of S. Paul's temper that he so much exults in, Phil. 4. 11, 12, 13. I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things thro' Christ which strengtheneth me. Secondly he hath an evidence, that he is freed from envy, and those black disturbing passions that attend it. For certainly he does not envy other men's greater condition, who willingly diminisheth his own. I am not troubled others coffers are more full than mine, when out of choice ●emty mine, and rather choose to lay up my revenues in the bowels of the poor. I do not envy their richer furniture, when I give mine away to furnish needy labouring families, and change the clothings of my rooms into the clothing of the cold bare Christians; and I can much more calmly see my chambers naked, than Christ's members. I have no emulations at the full plenties of other men's provisions; for why should I, when I send away my own provisions to cheer the hungry, to make the hearts of famishing souls rejoice? If I have not so many plenties in my dining Room, yet I make more feasts in the cottages, where every alms is a feast. 'Tis certain he that will not use what he hath to his own interests and advantages, but gives them to advantage others, cannot envy the advantages of others: so that he is free from envy, that rottenness of the bones, that consumtion of the soul and body too, that which makes every other man's prosperity his own torment, and though he have a kind of malice wheresoever he sees any thing of flourish or of excellency, yet by all those malices he only strives to vex himself; from this the liberal heart is clear. Thirdly from Covetousness also, and all the griping and injurious passions that are in its train: for it is certain he cannot be inclined to do ill to others for his own advantage, who out of choice parts with his own advantages, that he may do good to others. And indeed I need not prove this; for that a man should be bountiful-hearted and covetous-minded is a contradiction. So that we see the man hath a certain Evidence of being of a contented spirit, and being free from envy and from covetousness, which to be free from will appear to be the great ingredients of a Christian, when you shall see that those three qualities of discontent and envy and of covetousness are the fountains of all the most un-Christian vices of the soul; which was the last Proposition from the later part of the words, For if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. That, as I proved, does signify, if thy heart be discontented and unsatisfied in its own condition, apt to envy another's prosperity, and covetous of greater things than it possesses, the whole life will be full of most un-Christian actions; they will betray the man, and fill him full of all inquity. A subject this of a most vast extent, and truly worth considering and staying on: but I shall only point at things, and show you how they are so in a word; for I will dwell no longer on this Theme. First then discontent in ones condition is the Mother of many provocations of God: for 1. It seems with many murmurs and rebellions of heart against the dispositions of God's Providence. You must not think, Beloved, that a discontented Soul is only unwise, though truly so he be to great degrees. He whom a tempest storms in open field, on whom the rain beats and the wind, is sure a fool if he sit down and cry at it, and vex. What relief is it to him to vie shours of tears with those the clouds drop, to return the blasts of wind with sighs and murmurs, and storm at the tempest? Sure there is no one so unwise, but would make haste and seek for shelter rather, and not sit down to fret and weep at it. And yet that is the fashion of the discontented heart; if the least cross be upon their mind, their sad and troubled thoughts make it look very big, (as thick and misty air does make all objects,) they fancy it insufferable, they look upon it as if God's indignation did lie hard upon them, and he had vexed them with all his storms: and in these storms why do they not fly to God for shelter, nor run under the shadow of his wings for refuge, but vex and cry at it, yea murmur and repine? And what an insolence is this to be angry at the Almighty, because he does not govern the world as they would have him; to quarrel, because his Providence disposeth of events otherwise than they think is for their interests? Some are discontented when God takes from them any thing they did possess. Now since neither health, nor wealth, nor any other good is thine or from thyself, but only lent, vouchsafed during his pleasure and discretion, and whatsoever he takes from thee is only thy not enjoying any longer what is no way due to thee, when he in his wisdom and in his love also to discipline thee calls for what he lent thee. Is this occasion for a contest with the Lord? Must he lend thee his mercies, when his wisdom sees fit to do otherwise in order to the ends of Providence? What irreligious Rebellion is this, to have risings of heart against God's dispositions, to fall out with their Maker, if he will not lend them his mercies as long, and in as great degrees as they would have him? Others are discontented, because they are not in a better, higher, or more plentiful condition; and why do they not as well quarrel with God, because he did not make them Angels; for what they are is his mere gift, and more than their deservings? He was no more obliged to make thee what thou art, than he was bound to make thee a Cherubin or an Archangel: and must thou murmur at the Lord, because thou hast not the disposal of his gifts to lay them out in what degrees thou pleasest? It is the sin of both these discontents, that they do not submit their hearts cheerfully to God's disposals. They that do not so, S. Peter says, are proud, and such as God resists and fights against. And surely then the discontented is a strange person that is proud towards God, and an unhappy person whom God resists and fights against. 2. He renounces his own Prayers; he begs of God, thy will be done, and yet does murmur that it is so: and what a strange Petitioner is this, who repines if he be heard, and is vexed that God does grant his Prayers, is angry with the Lord because he does what he desires? And then shall such a person ever hope that God should hear his Prayers at any time, who is displeased because the Lord does not deny him? 3. All concupiscences are the effect of this; for because they are not satisfied with their own condition, they desire what is not their own: and so the breach of the tenth Commandment is the certain consequent of this disposition of mind, or indeed rather it is but several instances of forbidding discontentedness with our own condition; and in it, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, is not meant, thou shalt not desire to commit adultery with her; for that was forbidden in the seventh Commandment: but as thou shalt not covet his house, which does not signify thou shalt not desire once to walk thro' it, or to sit and dine in it, but thou shalt not desire the possession nor propriety of what is not thine own, shalt not desire it should be thy house, but be contented with thy lot; so here, thou shalt not be troubled that his wife or servant is not thy wife or servant, and think it as fit thy Neighbour should enjoy the comforts of a happy wife, if God have given him one, or the pleasures and splendours of an estate, or the advantages of a commodious servant, as thou dost think it fit thou shouldest enjoy what is thine; and not desire not only to be thief, but not the owner of them: be content with what is thine. 4. All the Seditions and Rebellions in the world, and those armies of Sins that attend them, that wage their wars, which are upheld by legions of villainies, as numerous as those of men, all the disturbances of States and Churches are but the effects of discontented spirits, men that were unsatisfied with their condition, desired a change, and cared not by what means they compassed it. They can charge thro' seas of blood and sin, over the faces of men and conscience to get out of the condition, which they are not well content with. I could assign more sins that do attend a discontented heart, when it hath opportunity to break into them: all the effects of anger, and of malice, and of concupiscence, and a whole shoal of others are in its train, but that I must reserve one word for Envy. 2. Envy, to say all in one word, however slight a thing we may esteem it. For to envy at another person's having better qualities, or greater dignities, or richer furnitures, or wider estates, or handsomer provisions, this we think does no mischief to the persons, and therefore is no crying crime. Yet besides that it is more unjust than hatred or than malice, for these have still pretences that do look like reason. I cannot hate a man, but because he does me some wrong, and that is some reason; for I hate his injustice: but envy hath not any least pretence. Is it a wrong to me, because that person is better qualified, or better endowed? Is he unjust because he is rich, or learned, or well provided? and yet for this I envy him. Besides this, I say, to stab it with one thrust, Envy hath all the vices and all the ruins in the world for its issue, all sin and all damnation is its brood. The Devil envied man's felicity, and therefore tempted him, and so man lost Original Righteousness, and he lost Paradise; and he envies his recovery by Christ, and therefore temts him still until he ruin him eternally. Whatever guilt, and whatever misery is in the world, hence it springs, it is a feind-like devilish humour. And now would you take the prospect of these two qualities, discontent and envy. Lucifer was not satisfied with his condition, and he was therefore cast from Heaven, and all his fellow Angels became Devils; and then he envied man's condition, and changed his Paradise into everlasting misery. These two qualities robbed Heaven itself of those inhabitants that should have filled it, and the Son of God himself, and peopled Hell; it made Angels become Fiends, it made God die, and made men damned, and there is enough for that. 3. Covetousness, I am sure I can say no more of that, than what S. Paul hath said, nor more to my purpose, 1. Tim. 6. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition: for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves thro' with many sorrows. And oh that three such dismal qualities with their accursed trains should breed in that same little part, the eye! An evil eye is the womb wherein they are conceived, and if that one small faculty be so fruitful in guilt and in destructions, how shall we reckon the whole man? Miserable men that we are, who shall deliver us from a whole body of death, and from the state of those deaths, and from darkness, in which this evil eye engages us? A darkness which our Saviour could not otherwise express, but by astonishment, How great is that darkness! A darkness great indeed, because 'tis wilfully incurable, no state does so withstand the light as this. The Sun of Righteousness, the Dayspring from on high, that came to visit us, could strike the light thro' darkness, and make the shadow of death bright Luke 1. 79. that did shed light, that was a glory, Luke 2. 32. could not yet break in upon a Country clouded with this humour: his Miracles and he were both desired to withdraw, could have no least Reception, when interest and profit came to be touched; and a Legion of Devils, that did plot together, could contrive no surer means to keep out Christ himself, than by setting up an evil eye to look upon him and his Miracles, than by engaging this greedy affection against him, and that but in a small instance. We read a strange story Matt. 8. 28. Mark the contrivance and the policy; the Devils knowing that Christ would cast them out of the two possessed men, and by that Miracle so far show forth his power, that it would probably bring all the Country to believe on him, they desired to prevent this, and thereupon fall on this project, which might incense the men of that Country against him; and in order to it they besought Christ, that if he did cast them out, he would suffer them to go into the herd of Swine; and though he seldom wrought any destructive Miracles, yet that the people might see the virulency of these Devils, how destructive they were, if not restrained by his omnipotent goodness, and so they might understand the mercy done to those that were possessed, and likewise see the mercy now approaching to their Country by the coming of Christ, if they will accept of it, and withal to try whether their love to their Swine was greater than that to their own souls, he permitted the Devils to go into the Swine, he would not restrain them, and they went into them. They who fed the Swine gave to the owner's notice of their loss, and did let them know, as the Swine were drowned on the one side, so two men possessed with Devils were recovered, and that Christ had done this since his coming thither. Hereupon the whole City, as being very much concerned in that which had happened, came out to meet and see Jesus, who did such Miracles; and instead of being wrought on by his cure on the men to desire his continuance among them, the consideration of the loss of their Swine made them desire and beseech him that he would depart out of their Coasts. Behold an equal Enemy to Christ and all his Miracles, an Enemy that was too hard for them, even a little worldly advantage! The Senate of Hell hath no project like this to keep out Religion, as this making Religion thwart an interest; rather no Christianity, than abate gain or greatness, or any earthly satisfaction; rather the Swine, than Christ himself. But we have a worse instance yet than this, and more comprehensive as to our purpose. An evil eye could not endure to see the Son of God alive, and when the second Person of the Godhead was to be betrayed and crucified, the Devil had no other passion to employ on that design, but these same, discontent and envy and a greedy mind, and all these but at little trifles. We find that Judas bore the purse, and S. John says that he robbed it, John 12. 6. was deceitful in the discharge of his office of relieving the poor. Now it happened that a woman spent a box of precious ointment upon Christ, at which Judas was discontent, and envied it his Master, Matt. 16. 8. Mark 14. 4, 5. he murmured, and had indignation at it, says the places; his evil eye could not endure to see such a sum should pass his purse, (of which yet he could have purloined but very little, for the sum was not great) and missing that, for very envy (for it was immediately upon it Mark 14. 10.) his own covetous heart by the Devil's suggestion put him upon his project of gain to make some advantage by delivering Christ to the hands of the Jews, and upon his consenting to this suggestion the Devil was permitted by God to have this power over him, to enter into him, John 13. 2. and doing so incited him to make a bargain with the Rulers of the Sanhedrim, their great Council, and with their Officers to deliver up Jesus unto them; and he yielding to his incitation, and after Christ's talking with him, and telling him distinctly of it, and the sin and danger attending it, Mark 14. 21. and his not yet relenting, the Devil entered into him again more forcibly than before, John 13. 27. hurried him to the speedy execution: and he went and covenanted with them that he should have thirty shekels, Matt. 26. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. 6. and thanked them, although it were a low and a vile sum, as could be the price of a slave, Exod. 21. 32. yet Judas thanked them for the offer, so covetous he was and glad of an occasion to get money. We see the Devil enters at an evil eye, if that be envious, Satan gets in straight at that eye himself in person, and he possesses hearts set upon gain: and then no wonder if the Kingdom of darkness be in such an heart, when as the King of Hell, the Devil dwells there. Satan entered into him, and when he was there, what design hath he to fill an heart with? nothing but that of getting money, this is effect enough of his possession. The Devil hath done work enough in such a heart as he is entered into really, if he but make it set upon desire of money, though it be but a trifle of gain, but three pounds fifteen shillings. But, Lord God, what will not a worldly heart adventure on; what will not a mind undertake, which envies at another, and is greedy for itself? When such an one did set Judas upon betraying Christ for almost nothing: one vanity, one sport, one dress, one sin's engagement to damnation costs a man more, than what an envious covetous Soul did sell the Son of God, the Ransom of Mankind, the price of all the Souls in the whole world for, yea and was thankful for it too: so low, so fordid, and so base a soul it is that loves increase. And now, my Brethren, there is no need that I should tell you, that you must bring no evil eye to the Lord's Table to see his body crucified, and his blood poured out in the Sacrament; no discontents, no murmurs, no envious intentions, nor covetous desires must come near that, for they were these betrayed him. If such a soul come thither, Judas is there again; the things that sold him come again to tear his body, and to shed his blood. And do you think that such shall be received and entertained by Christ? Oh no, the bread of the Sacrament will be their Sop; and not Christ, but the Devil enters into such. Oh sure no heart so fit to come to that same feast as the charitable; those that feed him, he will feed: and I could tell you, charity (the offertory I mean, an offering for the poor) was used as an essential part of the Sacrament, and was a service of so high esteem, that preparation was required for it as for the Sacrament; and by the first Councils men guilty of gross sins might not offer, their charities would not be received by the Church. Yea and there was an excommunication from this duty, and to be excluded from bringing their gifts for the poor was a greater censure, than to be shut out from the Sermon or the Prayers. But these are things our world does not take notice of, nor will understand; to be censured from liberality, and to be excommunicate from bounty, and that receiving of men's alms should be a grace and an indulgence to the givers, are talks that men now have no notions of, nor much care for. But let them be sure no time so proper for our relieving the members of Christ, as when the body of Christ is relieving us to life eternal; no occasion more urgent for us to contribute towards the clothing of the naked body of Christ, than when Christ is clothing us with the crimson glorious garment of his Righteousness; no opportunity more pressing than this to visit his sick members, than when he administering to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: nothing does preach Charity like a Sacrament, nor no Sacrament more than this at the time of his Incarnation, when the Son of God did so exhaust himself for us, as to emty immensity of Godhead into a span of weak, poor, helpless flesh, to become really one of the meanest objects of compassion, one that had no revenue in the world but Charity; for while he lived he had not an hole to put his head in, nor when he died a grave to put his body in, but as thro' all his life his sustenance was alms, so at his death his burying place was alms too, and yet this was the Heir of both the worlds. And this he did to settle us in an inheritance of infinite, eternal glory; and the approaching day began this state to him, a day sure to be reckoned not with the riots, but with the charities of hospitality, with feasts not for our sins, but feasts for Christ, and for his members; feasts such as his own Table is fit to be the leading entertainment in. O Lord, who hast taught us, that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth; send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of Charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee: grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen THE END. ERRATA. Vol. 1. PAge 4. line 15. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. p. 5. l. 26. for meres r. meats. p. 19 l. 42. for no r. do. p. 23. l. 22. for an r. can. p. 50. l. 14. for despute r. dispute. p. 51. l. 1. for of any of one kind r. of any one kind. p. 60. l. 28. after found r. them. p. 63. l. 7. for it is r. is it. p. 65. l. 6. read after evil? p. 65. l. 49. for Palms read Psalms. p. 66. l. 48. for but that r. than the. p. 70. l. 41. deal and. p. 77. l. 4. for censor r. censer. p. 82. l. 1. for coersively r. coereively. p: 83. l. 14 for Antimonians r. Antinomians. p. 84. l. 13. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. p. 85. l. 6. deal that. p. 85. l. 41. for belief r. disbeleif. p. 90 l. 41. for what r. when. p. 110. l. 43. for salisfaction r. satisfaction. p. 118. l. 24. before proved r. is. p. 119. l. 1. for breast r. beast. p. 123. Marg. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. p. 125. l. 31. for difference r. deference. p. 129. l. 29. for persecutions r. persecutors. p. 132. Marg. for Thoma r. Thomae, for precamus r. precamur. p. 133. Marg. read homagil for homigii, ordinat for ordinatu. p. 171. l. 17. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marg: for Ps. 77. r. 78. p. 176. l. 31. for with r. which. p. 185. l. 18 deal re. p. 186. l. 24. deal to. p. 187. l. 2. for no r. now. p. 191. l. 17. for fins r. sins. p. 195. l 1. deal is. p. 198. l. 35. for insalliable r: infallible. p. 201. marg. for feri r. fere. p. 203. l. 41. after other r. that. p. 205. l. 31. deal to. p. 206. l. 37. for imitate r. imitate. p. 210. marg. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 212. l. 11. for poured read poured. ip. 218. marg. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 220. l. 6. for entertain r. entertain. p. 221. marg. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. ibid. marg. r. Galatians. p. 222. l. 20. for St. Peter's r. St. Paul's. p. 229. l. 4. before man r. no. p. 236. l. 12. for where r. were. p. 238. l. 7. for Isral r. Israel. Vol. 2. Page 11. line 2. for unto read●nto ●nto. p. 26. l. 36. f. an r. and. p. 39 l. 27. f. renverse r. reinverse. p. 58. l. 33. place the Comma that is after Tenants, after government. p. 64. l. 16. after tenth r. v. l. 32. f. put r. puts. p. 73. l. 45. before arrive r. men. p. 74. l. 43. f. permetted r. permitted. p. 75. l. 21. before will r. that. p. 79. l. 4. deal the Comma after is. l. 22. deal the Comma after sacrifices. p. 86. l. 26. deal are. p. 88 l. 42. f. ad r. and p. 104. l. 43. before it r. of. p. 110. l. 6. f. it r. I. p. 122. l. 34. after believe deal the stop, and for That r. that. p. 133. l. 5. f. art r. are. p. 142. l. 20. f. one r. once. p. 150. l. 35. f. sins r. fires. p. 153. l. 3. deal the. p. 162. l. 14. f. solomn r. solemn. p. 171. l. 21. before heal deal to. p. 172. l. 11. f. measuress r. measures. p. 181. l. 20. f. faith which r. faith which. p. 199. l. 28. f. whom them r. them whom. p. 203. l. 36. f. kearkning r. harkening. p. 224. l. 40. for pcesribed r. prescribed. p. 225. l. 40. f. n● r. us. p. 238. l. 28. f. Statute r. Statutes. p. 244. l. 14. f. too r. to. p. 248. 16. f. too r. to p. 256. l. 32. f. thei● r. their. p. 262. l. 20. f. to all r. of all. p. 264. l. 35. f. 1 Pet. 14. 14. r. 4. 14. p. 267. l. 38. before answers r. he. l. 41. f. too r. to. p. 269. l. 37. f. abortive r. abortive. p. 270. l. 6. f. ense r. sense. p. 271. l. l. ult. f. the r. thee. p. 279. l. 4. f. pronunct r. pronounced. p. 292. l. 37 after my arm r. fall. p. 295. l. ult. before Kingdom r. his p. 297. l. 47. before became r. he p. 300. l. 24. f. Matt. 16. 33. r. John 16. 33. The First SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. January 27. 1660. 1 PET. IV. 1. He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin. SO great a flatterer is Man of himself, that from all kind of Events, how various soever, he will adventure to conclude himself in the right way to Blessedness; and rather than want Argument, contradictions shall conspire to make him happy. If he prosper, than God allows his doings; and the success of actions is his mark and Seal, that they are acceptable and dear to Him: And if this Argument be good, The Tribe of Benjamin while it conquered (as they did Conquer those that fought Gods Battles; Judge's xx. 18, 21, 23, 25. and that by his immediate commission:) yet all that while, those Sodomites and foul Adulterers, the men of Gibeah were Saints; But when calamity does take away this Argument, then on the other side the Gibbet; though the punishment of Villainy, is only execution of that Decree, Rom. viij. whereby God hath predestinated them, To be conformed to the Image of his Son. As if they died most like Christ, who died with the most Gild about them, and they will needs be Martyrs when they suffer for their vices; and, if this Argument be good, Egypt was blest with all her Plagues, and the consuming fire that ran upon the ground, was the light of God's countenance upon them. Yet both these Arguments have been made use of lately, by each several party of us, in the variety of God's dispensations to us. Now this each could not do of right. Some Parties of us made false and unjust pleas to them both. Now to decide which did so, not à priori, from the cause; though that alone does gild prosperity, and that alone too makes the Martyr, not the sufferings. But men will never be agreed of that, while whatsoever happens (whether their cause prosper or be oppressed) still proves them in the right. But I shall do it from a plain notorious effect: nor do I know what else can be more seasonable than while some men seem to stand candidates for sufferings, and choose Sedition and Schism, rather than lose the reputation of not being afflicted with their Party; and while others plead the merits of affliction, and Trumpet out their having suffered, as a pretence for the ambition and the covetousness, the luxuries and intemperance, and all the other vices of prosperity, which their late sufferings have before hand expiated; while it is thus on each side, to give both a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby to judge the Case, which my Text here presents; for, He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin. The words make a single Proposition, and therefore cannot well be taken asunder, nor indeed need they; the Terms being very well understood. The Subject every one is willing to assume to himself; no one I believe that hears me, but will say he hath suffered in the Flesh. Therefore we have no more to do, but to see whether the other Term agree as universally, which certainly it must, if our Proposition here hold good, if He that hath suffered in the Flesh, hath ceased from Sin. Therefore in order to this, I shall offer at Three things. First; Discourse of the truth of the Proposition in General, and see if we can discern how necessary, and how effectual this Instrument of Reformation is, whether it be such as may build a confidence of asserting; That He who hath suffered, hath ceased from Sin. Secondly; Because discoursing in General, is not so practical and useful, I shall endeavour to discover in particular, By what Artifice of method the Flesh engageth men into courses of sin, and how it works them up to the height of it, and then see how sufferings blast that method, and make the Arts of the flesh either unpracticable, or too weak. Thirdly; I will attempt to view our own concerns in all this; propose to consideration, Whether this method hath had this effect on us; or, Whether indeed it be as easy to confute God's Word, as to break his Commandments, and contrive that his truth shall no more stand than his will does; but notwithstanding Scriptures bold affirmation here, yet they that have suffered have not ceased from Sin: and if so, then to propose the danger and infer Christ's Application that at least we begin to cease, and sin no more lest a worse thing come unto us. I. He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from Sin: None but He, and He certainly: When it appeared that Eden had too much of Garden for innocence to dwell in, and although man were made upright, yet amidst such delights he could not be so a whole day, but of the many inventions he found out, the first was to destroy himself immediately, and under the shadow of the Tree of life he wrought out death, and made the Walks of Paradise lead him towards Hell: God saw himself concerned to take another course: He sets a guard of fire about Eden, about the place of pleasure, as well as in the place of torments; and there was as much need of flame to keep man out of Paradise, as flame to fright him from Hell. He makes the Earth not spring with Garden any more, but bring forth thorns and briers, that might scratch and tear man in the pursuit of things below, which, if the Soul should cleave and cling unto the Earth, might gore and stab it in the embrace; Nothing but sufferings will do us good: The Earth was most accursed to man when it was all Paradise, nothing but the malediction could make it safe and bless it to us; our happiness must be inflicted, executed on us, and we must be goaded into blessedness: and therefore God hath put afflictions into every dispensation since the first. Deut. seven. 10. Among the Jews sin did receive immediate punishment by the tenor of the Covenant, and though the retributions of our Covenant be set at distance, as far remote as Hell, yet Christ has dressed his very promises in sackcloth and in ashes, tears and trouble: when he would recompense heroic virtue, he says it shall receive an hundred fold with persecution, Mar. x. 30. and he does grant us sufferings; To you it is given in the behalf of Christ to suffer: Phil. 1. 29. so that the sting of the Serpent is now the tempter; his bitings and his venom moving us to obedience, as much as his lying tongue did our first Parents to rebellion, and when he does fulfil God's threat and wound the heel, he only drives us faster away from him, and makes us haste to him that flies to meet us with healing under his wings. This method God hath always used, and the experience confirmed by the blood of all Ages, even from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of this season: of all the Prophets that went before us, and the Apostles that came after them, as if those were men inspired for ruin, and what ever Judgement they denounced, it was their own burden; and as if these were men chosen out for, and delegated to Persecution, 1 Cor. iv. 9 men appointed unto death, as St. Paul expounds their Office, none escaped: and the next succeeding times of Primitive Christianity were but Centuries of Martyrdom, so many years of Fire and Faggot, and worse tortures. This method hath not passed by any Grandeur, but of those great ones that have been eminently good, their afflictions have vied with their Majesty, the Calendar hath had as much share of them as the Chronicle, the Martyrology as the Annals, and their blood, not their Purple put them in the Rubric. God's Furnace made Crowns splendid, gave them a Majesty of shine, and an Imperial glory, and so all our Crowns indeed must be prepared in the Furnace; he that told us we must be Baptised with fire, saw there was something in us that the Christians water will not cleanse; Baptism may wash sullays but not dross away, That must be washed in flame, and nothing else but fire will take away our base alloy. And it cannot be otherwise, never was there any other way to Glory: for when God was to bring many Sons to glory, he sanctified the very Captain of our salvation through sufferings. Heb. two. 10. Who though he were a Son, and that the Son of God, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered, Heb. v. v. 8. This therefore is the only and most effectual way of teaching it, when God speaks in Judgement: and indeed he counts all other of his Voices but as silence in comparison of this; and though he gave his Law in Thunder, and sent his Prophets daily to denounce wrath to transgression, yet he reckons of all this as if he had said nothing till he speak Plagues and command afflictions; Psal. l. 21. after a Catalogue of sins he tells the man, these things hast thou done and I kept silence; though my Law did warn thee, and my Messengers called to thee, yet I hardly expect that thou shouldst hear those whispers, with all those Voices I did scarce break silence; but now I will reprove thee, Micah. vi. 9 and thou shalt hear the rod or hear thy own groans under it: For that we may be sure to hear this Voice, God does by it open the ear, Job xxxiii. 14, 15, 16. God speaks once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not, in a dream and in a vision, than he opens the ears of men by Chastisements, as it follows in four Verses full of them, 91, 20, 21, 22. and sealeth his instruction that he may withdraw Man from his purpose, i. e. that he may make him cease from sin. It seems the place of Dragons is God's chiefest School of Repentance; and we may have a clearer sight of him in the dimness of anguish, than Vision itself does give. When men did not perceive that, saith Job, yet this opened the Ear, and so God sealeth the Instruction: And truly when the Soul dissolves in Tears, and when, as David words it. Psal. xxii. 14. The heart in the midst of the body is even like melting wax, then only 'tis susceptible of Impression, then is the time for sealing the Instruction. Nor does Chastisement open the Ear only, but the Understanding also; Host xi. 14, 15. I will give her trouble, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will take her into the Wilderness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he, and speak unto her Heart; There is convincing Experience of all this. Pharaoh that was an Atheist in Prosperity, does beg for Prayers in Adversity; before he suffers, Pharaoh says, Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go, Exod. v. v. 2. but yet Thunder preaches obedience into him, and Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said, I have sinned, the Lord is righteous, and I and my People are wicked, entreat the Lord that there be no more mighty Thundrings, (no more Voices of God, the Hebrew words it) and I will let you go, Exod. ix. 27. And in the Book of Judges you will find that whole Age was nothing but a vicissitude of sinning and suffering, divided betwixt Idolatry and Calamity. When God's hand was not on them they ran after other Gods, as if to be freed from Oppression had been to be set free from God's Worship and Service; but when he did return to slay them, than they sought him, and they returned to inquire early after God, and they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God was their Redeemer. Psal. lxxviii. 34, 35. So that from such induction the Prophet might pronounce, that when God's Judgements are in the Earth, the Inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness, Esay xxvi. 9 and S. Peter in the Text, they that have suffered in the flesh, have ceased from sin. Which calls me to my second Task; 2. To show first, by what arts the flesh engages men into courses of sin, and by what methods it does work them up to the heights of it. That I may Secondly declare how sufferings blast those methods, and make all the arts of flesh either unpracticable or too weak. 1. That the carnal appetite should reach after, and give up itself to sensual delights is so far from strange, that it is its nature; 'tis the Law of the members, the very signature of flesh, and inclination imprinted into it, of which it can no more divest itself, than the heated Deer can restrain itself from thirsting and panting after water-brooks: But when Reason and Religion have set bounds to this appetite, for it to scorn these mounds; for that Law in the members to fight with and prevail against the Law in the mind, those original dictates born in it, and Christian Principles infused into it, this is the Flesh's aim and sin. Now this it does by exciting to ill actions, as being sauced with pleasures and contents, and by indisposing to good actions, as being troublesome or not at all delightful to the sense, and as for all other delights, it hath no apprehension of, but indisposeth for them perfectly. So that this it does, it engages too much in Pleasures here, and it takes off all cares or thoughts of any joys hereafter; both these I will show you, and thus it works; 1. It prevails with us to indulge ourselves the full use of lawful pleasures, and for this the Flesh will urge, it is the end of their Creation; to do otherwise were to evacuate God's purpose in the making; Did he give us good things not to enjoy them? Thus every sort of sin insinuates itself at first: Youth will not deny itself converses with temptations, although he have reason to fear they will commit a rape upon his warmer passions, which are chafed by such encounters. But God has not forbid him Conversation; and why should he be an Anchoret and recluse in the throngs of Cities and of Courts? Another that would not by any means be luxurious or intemperate, yet goes as near them as he can, and contrives to enjoy all those delights that do indeed but sauce Intemperance, and make Excess palatable: And truly why should he restrain himself from meats and drinks, and be a Jew again? All these believe they live righteously, soberly, and godly enough. This resolution works in every recreation, pleasure, honour, and advantage of this World, men are content to make as near approaches to the Sin as they can; and indeed believe they have no reason to be morose unto themselves: I will deny myself nothing that God hath not denied me, but enjoy as far as possibly and lawfully I may. But then, by doing thus it Secondly, does oft take in somewhat of the immoderate and unlawful, which cannot be avoided, both because it is hard to set the exact bounds and limits of what is lawful: The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Line that meres out Virtue from its Neighbour Vice, is not so plain in every place as to chalk out exactly to this point thou mayst come, and no farther; hence the man sometimes mistakes himself into a fault; however the extremity of Lawful is, we know the confines and very edge of Vice. And then to him that plays upon the brink of sin, it is a very easy step into it, and indeed unavoidable, when a man is rushed and hurried on, not only by his inward stings and inclinations, but by the practice of the World, which makes use of that holy Name of Friendship, to bring Vice into our acquaintance, and to befriend us into everlasting Death (of such Friends I can have legions in Hell; and the God of this World will serve me, upon this account, to procure for my Sin and my Destruction:) but howsoever when the Appetite is heated, they are not to be denied. Thirdly, this happening therefore sometimes proves a Snare and bait still to go on, both as it takes away the horror and the aversation of the sins which at the first seem uncouth, till a man be experienced in them; and also as it smooths the way, for such beginnings do nurse up a Habit and prepare a Custom, and make Vice very easy, which at first it is not, while the Appetite is modest and not able to digest full Doses, till use enlarge and stretch it. And now the Mind, which by these means tastes divers Pleasures, and the Degrees of them, and finds a gust in them, yet not being satisfied in any one (as 'tis impossible it should be) stirs up the Appetite to vary and proceed; that that contentment which single pleasures could not afford, diversified might make up. Wretched Nature using that as an Attractive, which should repel; for who would hug a Cloud? embrace that which does not, cannot satisfy? but only Flesh which for that very reason, hunts on and follows the scent. And by doing so a while, it brings upon itself. Fourthly, Something like a necessity of doing so: Thus Continence would be some men's Disease, and the Intemperate cannot live without his Vice, but gapes as much as Thirst and Fever do, and if he have not satisfaction, suffers as many qualms and pangs as his Riot used to cause in the Apprentisage of his sin; so that there is a kind of necessity of the practice, and he wisely seeming to make a virtue of necessity, begins to think them the only happiness, at least of this life, freely without reluctancy embracing them. And now the Flesh is Callous, and if you doubt how it could so harden itself, as not to be pervious to any stings of Conscience, but Proof against all Pricks, though Experiment may persuade you; yet I will show you the Method. As all Appetite you know is blind, so the Guides also of Carnal appetite; The senses are very unbiased, they cannot look forward to the next Life, to the hopes of Heaven, or the pains of Hell, to bring them into the balance with the present pleasure, and see which does over-weigh. The Flesh only lives extempore, looks but upon that which is before it, scarce on that. We have sufficient experience of this, for when one Vice will not look forwards a year or two to the penury and rottenness some courses do pull down: And when another Vice, as if it had learned to fulfil our Saviour's command, and take no care for the morrow, will not think of the next morning's pains and Headache; Nay, when the ambitious Usurper will not look just before him, to see where he does place his steps, on Precipices and Sword-points, to note how the Pyramids he does climb are made slippery with blood; Pyramids, did I say? pointed Reeds rather, things that have not strength to bear, but only sharpness to stab; and where the mans own weight makes his Upholders fail and wound him both together, at once sink under him and pierce him through. Nay, we see many whose sins inflict themselves, who may be truly said to bear their Iniquities, yet choose those sins that bring their Plauges along with them; for we see men with most excessive difficulty practise a Vice only that they may have the Vice, swallow sickness, drink Convulsions and dead Paralyses, foaming Epilepsies, only that all this may be easy to them. And this is but one instance of the many that might be made; just as the King of Pontus, that are Poison that so he might be used to it: Strange! that a man should torture himself with all those deadly symptoms that Poison racks the body with, only that he might eat Poison; yet just such is the Sinners Design, and all the ease and pleasure he acquires at last in sinning, is but familiarity of Poison, custom of Danger, and acquaintance of Ruin. Good God that men should train and exercise themselves so for perdition! that they should go through a discipline of torments to get an Habit of destroying themselves! that they should work out their own condemnation with hardships and agonies! that as if 'twere too easy to go down the hill to Hell, the descent shall be made craggy, and they force breaches into it, and great headlong Precipices to make the way more painful, and more dangerous, to make the fall more wounding and more irrecoverable! And what shall give a check where difficulty does provoke, and torments do ingratiate. Well: But though Flesh be so unbiased and inconsiderate, the mind might trash it by suggesting other sorts of punishments that do await transgression. Why truly if rude and unmannerly Conscience do sometimes thrust in the thoughts of Hell, the Flesh, which I told you, is not terrified with any thing but what it feels (now Conscience presents Hell as a thing of hereafter, not till Death be passed) it satisfies Conscience with a Repentance of Hereafter, before Death come I will be sorry for my sins, and God is merciful. Conscience being thus quieted, and both Reins and Spurco given to the Flesh, it takes its full Carrier, and leaves behind all thoughts of Repentance, and indeed, of God, or Heaven; the hope and joys of which, are the only possible method that is left to take off the Man from his eager pursuit, or to divert him in his course. But as to that also, that I may show you the next heat. The Mind that is immersed in body, and hath been long accustomed to taste no pleasure but the carnal ones, its fancy filled with those Ideas, it does imbibe such a tincture of sensuality, receives such an infusion of Flesh, and so impregnated with the fumes of Carnality, which clog the Spirit, that its complexion and temper is quite altered, it is diluted and depressed, and so grown stupid and unactive to all higher things. Heaven and all after-things, it may be, are the prejudice of such persons, not their persuasions; some thin conceptions of such things have been thrown into them, but never were improved; for their Mind hath otherwise been employed, and they can have no appetite to them, because they have never had any taste or relish of any thing but sensual. And indeed that both longings after, and thoughts of a better Life should be altogether dead in the carnal man, is but a natural and necessary effect of the verge of his Delights. For what motive is there in Heaven to stir up his appetite, to whom Heaven itself would not be a place of Joy? For I am verily persuaded, were the Carnal man in those Eternal Mansions compassed with streams of Glory, it were impossible for him to take delight in them, and he would grope for Paradise in the midst of Heaven: As much impossible as for the most unlearned Idiot to satisfy himself with the pleasures of a Mathematical demonstration: Let him have the Hecatomb, and let Pyth●goras be an Epicure on the dimensions of a Triangle, the other hath no palate for these pleasures; and indeed how could the unclean lascivious please himself in the enjoyment of those Felicities that have no Sex, Matth. xxii. 30. Where they neither Mary, nor are given in Marriage? Or how the Riotous, that Eats to eat, eats to hunger and provoke, not satisfy; how will he content himself there where their happiness is, Rev. seven. 16. they shall neither hunger nor thirst, or the Incendiaries that love to set all on fire, what should they do there where there are no flames but such as kindle Seraphins; so that flesh and blood, not only shall not, but cannot enjoy the Kingdom of God: And why then should they long after, or think of it? Nay, I would this unhappy Age, and an unlucky axiom of Aristotle's did not convince that they do think there are no such things; Sensual pleasures, are corruptive of Principles, saith he; and indeed where Damnation is the conclusion, 'tis a much quieter and more easy thing for Men of Wit and Understanding to deny the Principles, than granting them, to lie under the torture of being liable to such an inference; they therefore that resolve to love this Life and all the sinful pleasures of it, at the next step resolve there is no other Life. And now this pampered and puffed Flesh is got into the Psalmists Chair, Psalm i 1. the Chair of Scorners; and 'tis one of the Luxuries of their life to scoff at them who are so foolish as to be Religious, and to deny their flesh its present appetites and pleasures on such thin after-hopes; here their Wit also is an Epicure, and feasts and triumphs, dictates, and professes in that Chair; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the Chair of Pestilences, as the LXX translate, and very truly, for such men shed a Sphere of Contagion about them, and their Discourses are effluvia of the Plague, and the breath of Pestilence. But how to get Flesh down out of this Chair, that's the difficulty; yet that my Text will tell us, for all this progress of the Flesh is trashed and checked by Sufferings, for, He that hath suffered hath ceased from Sin. Which how, I will briefly show. The Flesh's first Art was by immersing itself in the full Lawful use of Pleasures, and by consequence, in the immoderate; to prevail with the Soul to find a gust in them, and from a continued enjoyment to conclude them necessary; and so from the importunities of a perpetual temper and an accustomed satisfaction to think of nothing else in this life. Now it is plain Affliction made this Art unpracticable, for that it did do so, was every one's complaint; it robbed them of the immoderate, and even of the lawful use of Pleasures, it took off those customary Delights by which the mind was habituated and glued to them, by not allowing them; and made them so far from being necessary, that they were not acquirable. Thus by denying us even the Lawful use of them, it stabs the Flesh in its first onset: Indeed it does that for us which every man in every state of life in his most plentiful prosperity must sometimes do for himself; that is, Deny himself what he desires, and might enjoy without offence: Which he that does not do, but constantly gives his Appetite every sort and degree of lawful thing it asks, does teach it to crave on, and be importunate, and insolent, and not endure to be resisted, when it did always find him to be so obsequious to it. If David never checked Adonijah, did not at any time displease him, saying, Why hast thou done so? he easily takes confidence to say I will be King, and step into the Throne. 1 Kings i 5, 6. But he that mortifies sometimes, that does acquaint even his most innocent desires with a denial, how can unlawful ones assault him? For can my Appetite hope to betray me into superfluities, who have taught myself not to wish for necessaries? Will he be tempted with Excesses, or hearken to the invitations of Luxury, that will not hear his bowels when they croak for bread? Or he gape for intemperate satisfactions, who will not let thirst call, but shuts his mouth against it? Why should he covet more that hath learned to give away, and want that which he hath? Now Sufferings inflict this temper on us, and acquaint us with the necessity of all this, and in a while with the liking of it, teach us Content without Lawful Delights? yea, by degrees make that content appear better than an assured enjoyment: For were I offered the choice either of an uninterrupted Health, or of a certain Cure in all Diseases, sure I had rather never need a Potion than drink Antidote and Health itself. And even so the lawful good things of this Life are at the best but Remedies and Reliefs, never good but upon supposition: Therefore while Affliction taught us to want, it hath destroyed this Art of the Flesh. As for the Second, Then the lulling asleep all sense or thoughts of any Life hereafter, neither minding the fear of one, or hopes of the other; Affliction surely met with this too: For Sufferings bring both the hereafters to remembrance, the Sad one, while every Punishment was an Essay and taste of that which is prepared for those that live after the Flesh, and the more insupportable our Fiery Trial was, the more it cautioned us to beware of that Fire which is never quenched▪ And for the other Life, surely when our Condition was such, that if we looked unto the Earth, behold nothing but Darkness and dimness of Anguish, and darkness as of the shadow of Death, we could not choose but turn away our Eyes and lift them up to Heaven. When the Soul is thrown down by Oppression, it mounts by a resiliency, and with the force of pressure is crushed Upwards; or if the Load be heavy, so as to make it grovel and lie prostrate, it is but pressed into the posture of Devotion: When she's disseised of all, turned out of every possession, than she begins to think of an abiding City, and eternal Mansions. For the Soul that is restless, when it sees nothing here below to stay upon, but all is hurried from her, roams about for some hold to rest on, and being able in that case to find nothing but God, there she does grasp and cling; and when the storms splits all enjoyments, and devours Friends which ●●ke enjoyments comfortable, all perish in one wrack, than she sees she must catch at him that sits above the Water-Floods. I told you out of Job, Affliction did discover better than Revelation, and in the dimness of Anguish we might see more than by Vision; and truly of two Visions which our Saviour gave to his most intimate Apostles Peter, James, and John, the one of Glory on Mount Tabor, the other of Sufferings in Gethsemane; showing in the one Heaven and Himself transfigured, a glimpse of beatifical Vision; and in the other Hell transfigured, and a sad Scene of all its Agonies, he thought this a more concerning sight, for when they fell asleep at both, at his Transfiguration, Luke ix. 32. Peter, and they that were with him, were heavy with sleep; yet he does not rouse them up to behold his Glory; when they did awake, indeed they saw a glimpse of it, but strait a Cloud did overshadow it, verse 34. But at his Passion he bids them Watch with him, Matth: xxviii. 38. and when he findeth them asleep, he says, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? ver. 40. and bids them watch again, ver. 41. and comes again a third time and upbraids their drowsiness, ver. 45. So much more necessary was it to behold his Agonies, than to see his Felicities: Glory does not discover or invite to Heaven, so much as Sufferings drive to it; and we are more concerned to take a view of that Garden in Gethsemane, than that of Paradise, and the going down from the Mount of Olives does more advantage us in climbing the Eternal hill, than all Mount Tabors height. Nor do Afflictions only drive us toward Heaven, but they beget an hope of it. Knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience, Patience Experience, and Experience Hope, Rom. v. 3. 4. And I will give them the Valley of Anchor for a door of Hope, Host two. 14. As if Despair oppressed them into Hope, and that low troublous Valley opened into the highest Firmament. Now he that rides at Anchor of this Hope, though his Anchor lie buried under Waves, yet those rolling Hills of Sea, swelled by storms of Affliction, and raised too by his Tears, do without Hyperbole mount him to Heaven: He that hath entertained these Expectations in earnest, how will he slight Temptations here below? What will he not sacrifice to Christ's Command? See, Abraham that did but hope for Canaan, and that far off too, to be possessed by the Posterity of his Son Isaac, yet when God commands him to slay Isaac before he had any posterity, and so to dash all his own Promises, and quite cut off the very motive to Abraham's Obedience, yet he hopes and obeys even to contradiction, Rom. iv. 18. Does both against hope. And had we but the shadow of his hope, as he had but the shadow of our Promises, how would we sacrifice a sin at his Command, and think a Fleshly lust a good exchange for the hope of Heaven, which Tribulation worketh? and he that had suffered in the Flesh, would certainly cease from sin. And now my last work is to view our own Concern in this, and surely that must be all Exultation and Triumph, and this not so much that our sufferings are ceased, as that our sins are so; not that our Enemies are sunk, but that our flesh is vanquished, that sub hoc signo vinces is thus also come to pass, with the Standard of the Cross, that Cross on which ourselves were Crucified, we have overcome; and with this Christian Banner we have put to flight the Armies of our Heathen Vices. For thus it must be, if my Text be true; and sure it is not possible it should be otherwise: For look upon the Muster-roll of these our Foes which S. Paul does produce, Gal. v. v. 19, 20, 21. and see which of them could escape; it runs thus, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Heresies, Envyings, Murder, Drunkenness, Revellings. To begin with the great Commanders, those that lead the Van and bring up the Rear, Uncleanness, and Revellings; They that consider how they not only suffered for, but by these Vices, which did misplace men's watches and attendances; sins that were not only like achan's in our Army, and ruin'd it by bringing the accursed thing into it, but were like Hannibal's Numidians in the Roman Army, that did at once betray to, and inflict Ruin; sins that did merit and effect Destruction, and made as well as provoked, overthrows; and sins that by God's goodness did cut off themselves, while they did bring men into a condition that would not bear such Vices. These are the guilts of Wealth and Splendour, that do attend Felicity and Pomp; it is not only hopeful that men did resolve to be revenged on these great workers of their mischief, and will no more reset such Traitors in their bosoms; But sure these sins are ceased that did put out themselves. Then for Seditions; They who consider when they broke the Sceptre, they left us nothing but the Rod of God instead of it; a Rod that turned strait into a Serpent, that changed our Seas into Blood, or rather made new Seas of our own blood; that brought Locusts over the Earth, and Frogs into the Temple also, to croak there; that struck Lights here worse than Egyptian Darkness, and destroyed all the first born of the Nation, all the Nobles of the Land; these will easily believe that we have felt this Rod too much to seize upon it hastily again; the Sceptre is restored, and this Rod like to that in Israel, laid up, I hope, within the Ark together with the Tables of the Law, never to be dis joined from God's Commands, nor taken thence against them. Next for Heresies; Truly we have left us none to revive, or to make new; the mischief both of them and their Cause, the want of Government in the Church is now discerned and remedied: And for Divisions and Schisms, they who reflect on the said issues of them, how well meaning soever all their Causes were, will certainly avoid them: To see how while we quarrelled for the Fringes of Religion, we tore the seamless Coat of Christ to pieces; yea, and the body too: How when we first disliked a Liturgy, the daily Sacrifice of Prayer was made to cease, and then the House of Prayer was demolished; next, Christ's, our Lord's Prayer was rejected, that Liturgy of his own framing, thrown away in the Rubbish of his Temple, and then it was a sin to pray at all. His Table we must have removed, and then his Supper was so too; and that great Mystery of our Religion, the Sacrament of our Redemption, was buried in the Ruins of his Altar. To see how thus out of heats of Religion we destroyed all Religion, because that some adjacent Circumstances did not please us, and fetched a Coal from the Altar to set fire to and burn down the Temple, because the building of some out-Court was, we thought, irregular; is Document enough not to attempt this any more for Religion's sake: For now it would be in despite of Christ, who hath almost verified the Jewish accusation of him, Destroy this Temple also, and in three days he will build it up again; and hath built it up we hope, as he did that of his own Body, never to fall again by us: Surely we will not kill this Body of his out of Love to him, and make his Temple his burnt Offering. When God hath set our sins in order thus before our eyes, showed them us in their sad effects, there is no fear that we should fall in love with them. But where it is not thus, where Gods last and most working Method hath been able to produce no good, I must, to keep my word, Apply the Danger: In that case what remains but the Curse of the ground, Heb. vi. 8. which, if after all the Husbandman's methods of Care and Art, it brings forth only thorns and briers, it is rejected by him, he will bestow no more labour on it, but can hardly forbear cursing such an ill piece of ground, and its end is to be burnt: So we after God's Husbandry of Afflictions, Psal. Cxxix. 3●. when the Plowers ploughed upon our backs and made long furrows, and the Iron teeth of Oppressors as it were harrowed us; if we bring forth only the fruits of the Flesh, we are rejected, reprobated, God will bestow no more Arts on us, we are not far from his curse, and there remains only a fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation. If any did continue refractory to the Rod, sinned under and against Judgement, and did commit with an high hand even while the Lords hand was stretched out against them, what shall reform, what can express their guilt? To have beheld that tragical iniquity we read of Lions, where when the City was so visited with the Pestilence that scarce any were free, that the Dead without a figure buried their dead, falling down one upon another, each being at once a Carcase and a grave; the Soldiers of the Citadel would daily issue forth and deflower Virgins now giving up the ghost, defile Matrons even already dead, committing with the dust, warming the grave with sinful heats, and coupling with the Plague and Death; would not this have seemed the Landscape of Hell to us, when they suffer and sin together? Yet when a Church and State were on their deathbeds, Gods Tokens on them, visited with the treasures of his Plagues, and ourselves sinking in that our Ruin, if any went a whoring after their own flesh, still fulfilling the lusts thereof, and in the midst of Death's searching for sins; what was this but to do the same things whose story does affright us, while the actions please? and in this case what method will be useful? do we think ourselves of that generous kind that will do nothing by compulsion, but will for kindness; and though we would not be chained, yet we will be drawn to Virtue by the cords of Love; and now God hath shown mercy on us, we will return him service out of gratitude. Truly, I make no question but most of us have promised some such things to God, how if he would but save us from our Enemies that we might serve him without fear, that we would do it in holiness and Righteousness before him: And if he would restore his opportunities of Worship, how we would use them. Thus we did labour to tempt God, and draw him in to have compassion; and this was Ephraim's Imagination just, Jer. xxxl. 18. I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, saith the Prophet, as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, turn thou me and I shall be turned; turn my Captivity, and I will turn my life: But this was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, that did not like the straitness and pressure of it, and would promise any thing to get it off, thought it more easy to reform than bear Affliction: But is this hopeful think you? The Soldiers of Lions that would ravish Death, and break into the Grave for Lust, it may be would have been modest, and retired from the fair Palaces that are prepared to tempt and entertain that Vice: Cold and insensible of all those heats that Health and Beauty kindle; but remember it was the taking off God's hand that hardened Pharaohs heart, and a release from punishment was his Reprobation. And as for those that were humbled under the Rod, and when God had retrenched from their enjoyments, did put restraints upon themselves, gave over sinning. I have a word of Caution for them, that they examine well and take a care it be a ceasing from sin, like that in the Text, a dying to it, that they no longer live the rest of their time in the flesh to the lusts of men: For if this Old Man be only cold and stiff, not mortified; by the calm and sunshine of Peace, likely to be warmed into a recovery; if thou owe all thy Innocence to thy Pressure, wert only plundered of thy sins, and thy Virtue and Poverty hand in hand as they were born, so they will die together, thy Vices and Revenues come in at once: What is this but to invite new Desolations, which God in kindness must send to take away the opportunities and foments of our ruining sins? 'Tis true, when God has wrought such most astonishing miracles of mercy for us, when he did make Calamity contribute to our Happiness; when we were Shipwrackt to the Haven and the Shore; when Ruins did advance us and we fell upwards; it is an hopeful argument God would not do such mighty works on purpose to undo them, we have good ground of confidence that he will preserve his own mercies, and will not throw away the issues of his goodness in which his bounty hath so great an interest and share. But yet if we debauch Salvation, and make it serve our undoing, if we order these opportunities of mercy so, that they only help us to fill up the measure of our sins, if we teach Gods long-suffering only to work out our eternal sufferings, these Mercies will prove very cruel to us, and far from giving any colour for our hopes. When the Prodigal was received into his Father's house and arms, Luke xv. had a Ring put on him, and the fatted Calf killed for him, if he should straight have invited the companions of his former Riot to that fatted Calf, and joined his Harlot to him with that Ring, he had deserved then to be disinherited both from his Father's house and pity, who would have had no farther entertainment, nor no bowels for him. To prevent such a fate, let us make no relapses, but quite cease from sin; which if we do not, a little Logic will draw an unhappy inference from this Text; if he that hath suffered hath ceased from sin, than he that hath not ceased from sinning hath not suffered, and then what is all this that we have felt and so lain under? What is it if it be not suffering! If this be but preparative, than what is the full Potion, the Cup of Indignation, when all his Vials shall be poured into it? If such have been the beginnings of sufferings, what shall the issues be? If the morning dew of the day of punishment have been so full of blood, what shall the Storm and Tempest be? the deluge and inundation of Fury? Take heed of making God relapse, 'tis in your power to prevent it, your Reformation will be his preservative and Antidote. That is the way to keep all whole; to settle Government and Religion both; at once to establish the King's Throne and Christ's: For notwithstanding men's pretensions, these Thrones are not at all inconsistent: For that there must be no King but Christ, that there cannot be a Kingdom here of this World, because there is a Kingdom that is not of this World is such another Argument, as that there cannot be an Earth because there is an Heaven. Indeed if we fulfil my Text, than we shall reconcile these Kingdoms, and bring down Heaven into us; for that's a state where there is neither sin, nor suffering, where there shall be no tears because no guilt to merit them, and no calamity to ●●ke them. Now Reformation does work this here in some degree, and afterwards our comforts that are chequered with some sufferings, and our Piety which is soiled with spots, shall change into Immortal and unsullied Glories, he prepare us all Who washed us from our sins in his own Blood, and by his sufferings hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father, to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Amen. The Second SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. October 20. 1661. PSALM LXXIII. 1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a Clean Heart. 'TWAS a false Confidence the Jews did nourish, That they should dwell securely in their Land, notwithstanding their provocations, because the Worship and the House of God was in it; They did but trust on lying words, Jer. seven. 4. the Prophet says, when they did trust upon The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; As if the Temple were a Sanctuary for those that did profane it, and the horns of the Altar would secure them, when 'twas the blood upon the Altar called for Vengeance. Nor was that after-plea of theirs valid, We are the chosen Israel of God, John viij. 39 We have Abraham to our Father; As if when by their works they had adopted to themselves another Parent, Verse 44. were of their Father the Devil, they could claim any but their present Father's interest, or have the blessings of forsaken Abraham. Now if it be no otherwise with us, Psalm lxxvi. 1, 2. but because in our Judah God is known, his Name great in our Israel, with us in Salem, that is, in peace, he hath his Tabernacle now, and his dweling in Zion: And so much knowledge, such pretences to the Name of God, and to his Worship, are not with other Nations, nor have they such advantages to know his Law: If as each party of us does assume these Privileges to itself, so each do also rest in them, although their Lives answer not these advantages. If while they judge themselves Christ's chosen Flock, boast Covenants and Alliances with God, although they violate all those Relations, they yet trust those will secure them: For why? the being of such a Party and Persuasion is the signature and Amulet that will preserve them in God's favour, the charm through which he will not see Iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel. Numb. xxiii. 21. Lastly, If we that were the distinctive Character of Israel, that of a Ransomed, Purchased People (for sure our Rescues rise unto the number and the rate of those which brought the Sons of Jacob from the House of Bondage) if we, as they, presume and furfeit upon goodness, and think these gifts of God too are without Repentance, beli●●● our being his Redeemed, his Church; conceit our Orthodox Profession (as once we thought our righteous Cause should do) will shield us from the danger of our Enemies, and of our Vices too, and neither let our Foes nor ourselves ruin us; with such my Text and my intentions prepare to meet, lest we should fill the Parallel; and as we equal Israel in our Deliverances, and imitate their practices, we do transcribe the fatal Pattern too in the most full resemblance, and repletion of an entire excision; for although God be truly loving to his Church; yet the ungodly does his soul abhor; however in a signal manner he be good to Israel, yet this his kindness does confine itself to such as are of a clean heart. The words need not much explication; By Israel is meant the Church of God, and by his goodness to it, all his external mercies also and protections, as the Psalm evinces; and by such as are of a clean heart, those that to the profession of Religion and Holiness of outward conversation, do add internal purity and sincerity; for some trnaslate it, such as are of a clean heart, some, such as are truehearted and sincere: And it signifies both. The words thus explicated give me these Subjects of Discourse. First, a general Proposition, Truly God is good to Israel, to his Church. Secondly, an assignation of Conditions under which that general Proposition holds, Rom. ix. 6. All are not Israel that are of Israel, it holds only in such as are of a clean heart. And in this we have, first, a quality appropriate to the Church, Cleanness. Secondly, with its subject, the Heart; and there I shall inquire why that alone is mentioned, whether the cleanness of the Heart suffice, and having answered that, shall proceed. Thirdly, to consider them together, in both the given senses as they mean, a sincere heart, and a pure undefiled heart: In each of which Considerations, because the latter part of my Text is a limitation of the former, showing where that general Proposition is of force, where it is not; I shall as I proceed, view all the several guilts opposed to either notion of Cleanness, and see how far each of them does remoye from any interest in the Lord's goodness to his Church, which is the natural Application of each part, and shall be mine. 1. Truly God is good to Israel, his Church. And sure this Proposition is evident to us by its own light, to whom God proved his goodness to astonishment, by exercising it to Miracle; while he at once wrought Prodigies of kindness and Conviction; to which we have only this proof to add, That God hath been so plentiful in Bounties, that we are weary of every mention of them, and have so forfeited on Goodness that we do nauseate the acknowledgement. So that his kindness in sustaining his Compassions does vie with that which did effect them, who as he will not be provoked not to be good by such prodigious unthankfulness, so neither will he by the most exasperating use of his Favours: God did complain of Israel, Ezek. xuj. 17, 19 Thou hast taken thy fair Jewels of my Gold and my Silver which I had given thee, and madest to thyself Images: My meat also which I gave thee, my fine Flour, mine Oil, and Honey wherewith I fed thee, and hast even set it before them for a sweet savour. And if men now do offer things, in which God hath the same propriety, to base Idols, to their Vices; if they do sauce his meat, which he hath given them, to sacrifice to Luxury, take his silver and gold to serve in the Idolatry of Covetousness, and use his Jewels to dress Images also for foulest adorations. If Atheism grow against Miracle and Goodness too, and men do most deny God now when he hath given greatest evidences of his kind Providence; I know not by what argument encouraged, unless his in the Poet, — Factum quod se dum negat hoc videt beatum, because they see they fare best now, though they deny him most; teaching his goodness to confute his being. If they do look upon the wondrous restitution of God's Service as but a shifting of the Scene of Worship, only another and more gaudy draught and Landscape of Religion shot on the Stage, and do accordingly esteem it as a variety and entertainment for their senses only; for nothing higher is engaged, I doubt me, in those Offices: If they assist in them not out of Principle, but mere indifference to all, and therefore these at present; It is not halting betwixt God and Baal this, it is the bowing of the knee to both, which they can do to each alike, when either is the uppermost, and truly count them Deities alike, I fear. Nay, when the only Ordinance, the Sermon, is but a prize within the Temple, the Preacher but Rhetor dicturus ad aram, that comes to do his Exercise before the Altar, in which men are concerned no farther than to hear and judge, not to be sentenced by: If God endure all this, and do continue still his Church, his Worship, and his other Mercies, than I may well conclude that Truly God is good to Israel. But I will not be this fastidious Remembrancer: These arguments may prove his goodness, but sure these qualities will not preserve it to us; the limitation, my next part, must suggest them; which tells us. who they are God is good to: Even to such as are of a clean Heart. 1. Clean. Clean, Pure, and Holy, are so essential Attributes of the Israel or Church of God, that though I must not say the Church does take in none but such; Mat. xuj. 28, 29, 30. For there are Tares, unwholesome Poppy too, and Darnel with the Wheat, yet I must say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Church is but a Congregation of such as are called to be Saints, 1 Cor. i 2. In the first Israel almost the whole Discipline of their Religion was purity in type, and all the Ceremonies of their Worship were but figures, rather Doctrines of Cleanness, when they came first to enter Covenant with God at Horeb, Exod. nineteen. 10. and to receive their Law, they were to sanctify themselves and wash their clothes. What purity do those Commandments require, which they must not hear with any thing that was unclean about them? which they must wash all to receive? and indeed nothing with them was enterprised without it; they were to cleanse themselves from the impurities of mere Contingency; yea, they were bound to wash their Dreams and purify their very sleeps; and all this is expounded by the Prophet Isaiah, i 16, 17. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings, cease to do evil, learn to do well. And in our Israel by our Covenant there is as much of this required, for we were all initiated into our profession by Washing, Tit. iii 5. regenerated in a Laver, John iii 3, 5. and born again of Water, becoming so Tertullia's Sanctitatis designati, set aside for Holiness, consecrated to cleanness, and made the votaries of purity. How clean a thing than must a Christian be who must be washed into the Name? nor is he thus washed only in the Font, there was a more inestimable fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, Apoc. xi. 5. Jesus Christ hath washed us in his own blood; And Heb. ix, 14. The blood of Christ did purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God: How great is our necessity of being clean, when to provide a means to make us so, God opens his Son's side, and our Laver is drawn out of the Heart of Christ: yet we have more effusions to contribute to it, 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God, Matth. iii 11. and we must be Baptised with the Holy Ghost and with fire. A Laver of flame also, to wash away our Scurf as well as sullages, and beyond all these, some of us have been purged too with the fiery trial, and molten in the furnace of Affliction, to separate our dross and purify us from alloy, that we may be clean and refined too; may become Christians of the highest Carat. Such, among others, are the Obligations, such the Instruments of cleanness in a Christian: Let us inquire next into the importance of the quality, and the degree that is exacted. And here I need not say that it stands in direct opposition to the licentious practices of Vice; this Scripture calls corruption and pollution, 2 Pet. two. 19, 20. and the Sinner is there styled the servant of corruption; sure a worthy relation this, a Servant is we know, meaner than whom he serves, at least he is in that consideration as he serves; and then I pray you, in what rank of things is he or she who is below and base than Corruption? David does also call such open Sepulchers; things all whose horror does not lie in this, that they enclose rottenness and putrefaction, but open sepulchers are gaping frightful noisomness; and they do also shed a kill stench. A man that is engaged in conversations with impure sinners, is in a like condition with him who hath no air to draw into him, but that of Funeral Vaults, and does suck in only the breath of Pestilence. But it is a small thing to say the cleanness of a Christian does abhor such licentious impurities; for it is such that though it may consist with those little stains that come by slips and failings of infirmity (these are the spots of Children) and also with some single fouler acts, into which the man may be surprised, provided they be suddenly washed off in tears: Yet can it not consist with continuance in a known sin, though it be but a breach of a single Commandment: And though the man be strict in other things, yet if he do allow himself one Vice, he is of the number of the unclean; for partial obedience does imply also partial disobedience, and to the worst and foulest mixture; therefore no purity. Herod feared John the Baptist, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him, and when he heard him he did many things, and heard him gladly, Mark vi. 20. Could you but pardon him one Crime, he were a most Religious person, but that indulged makes him the wicked Herod: The matter of Vriah threw dirt; perpetual sticking dirt, into the Character of David, that man after God's heart. There are few persons but some sin or other finds a particular engagement on, and does insinuate especially above all others into them; the vice of Constitution, the Crime of my Bosom, 'tis my own flesh and blood, I cannot tear that from me: Or else another sin does get into my Coffers, the profits of it bribe me to make much on't, and it brings such a reward with it I cannot be unkind to it; Or else the custom of a Vice hath made it my acquaintance and my friend, and then it is so jointed into me that there is no divulsion of it. Now when a Vice hath got any of these relations to me, rather than use a violence upon myself, I must find out some salve now to quiet Conscience, and yet keep the Vice. And truly if it be but one thing that a man transgresses in, he is apt to be gentle to himself, and finds plump grounds to be so. The best man hath his fault, and this is his, only in this the Good Lord pardon him; in other things he will be strict, but this is his particular infirmity, to which his very making did dispose him, having been poisoned by its Principles without his fault or conspiration. 'Tis true, indeed, men have some one or other sinful inclination, which is a weight and violence upon them, and which they did derive from Adam, whose sin like an infection taken in by divers men, breaks out in several Diseases, according to variety of Constitutions: But truly Adam gave them no ill Customs, and they have no Original habits, themselves did educate their inclinations into Vices: and for those inclinations that are derived into them, the water of their Baptism was therefore poured upon them to cool those inbred heats, and quench those flashings out of Nature, wash away those foul innate tendencies in that Laver of Regeneration; which therefore they who spare and are tender to, because they are original and natural, they spare them for that very reason, for which they there engaged to ruin them, and do renounce their Baptism, as to the aims and uses of it. There thou didst list thyself a Soldier to fight against the Devil, World, and Flesh; now whichsoere of these gets most into thee, wilt thou think fit to spare thy Enemy, because he is thy bosom one? the Risque is greatest when the Foe is Rebel and Traitor too, is got in thy own Quarters, shuffled with thy own Forces, entered thy Holds and thy Defences, and mixes in thy Counsels, does counterfeit thy Guard, so that thou but command'st, and lead'st on thy own ruin. Sure here is need of strictest care to rid thyself of so much treacherous danger; so far is it from a defence to say, this is the single force and bend of Nature in me, that if I no not therefore most resist it, I am perjuriously confederate with my Destruction; and howsoever pure I keep myself from other Vices, I am not clean. David will tell me when I am, Psalm xviii. 23. I was uncorrupt before him, and eschewed my own wickedness. God hath not given us Authority to pick and choose our duties; observe him where we like, and leave the rest; and when in the severe contritions of Repentance we come to judge our Lives, we have no leave to spare a Vice because custom hath made it our Companion and Intimate, or 'tis as near to us as the close inclinations of our hearts. He that does so, although he live a careful life in other things, yet all his Innocence is only this, he hath a mind to but one sin; and those he does not care for he forbears, but that which pleaseth him, that he commits. And sure God is beholden to him that there is but one way of provoking which does take him, and therefore must allow him what he hath an inclination to, and pardon him because he does abstain from those he does not like. James two. 10. I shall now only add that in this case St James' Aphorism holds, that Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point only, he is guilty of all; he that allows himself to break one Precept, does keep none, but shall be reckoned guilty of those things which he does not commit. For whosoever keepeth the whole Law, and yet thus offendeth in one point, is guilty of all. And then I need not prove such have no Title to the goodness of the Text, but may conclude, if God be good to Israel, it is to such as are of a Clean Heart; And so I fall upon the subject, Heart. And here I must first caution not to think the Heart is set as if it were the entire and only Principle by which a judgement might be passed upon our doings; as if our Actions so wholly derived denomination from it, that they were pure which came from a clean upright heart; In opposition to which, I shall not doubt to put, That the external actions may have guilts peculiar to themselves, such as are truly their own, not shed into them by an evil mind; and a man may be wicked in the uprightness of his heart, when he does not intend any such thing, but rather the clean contrary. Our Saviour tells his Apostles, The time will come that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service, John xuj. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he does offer an Oblation or Worship, shall think his Murder Sacrifice; that that would propitiate for other faults; his Crime should seem Religion and atonement to him. (We have seen guilts put on such colours too:) and yet by these same actions which their hearts pursued with Holy aims, out of a Zeal to God, as S. Paul says, Rom. x. 2. they sacrificed themselves and their Nation to God's Vengeance. Once more St. Paul does find reason to call himself the chief of Sinners, 1 Tim. i 15. for the commissions of that time of which he says that he served God with a pure Conscience, ver. 3. did what he was persuaded in his heart he ought to do, pursued sincere intentions; and after says, he had lived in all good conscience before God until that day, Acts xxiii. 1. So that here was enough of the clean heart, a good and a pure conscience, and could his fiery persecutions by virtue of that flame within be Christened Holy Zeal? Could his Pure Conscience make his Bloody hands undefiled? Oh no! 'twas blasphemy, and persecution, and injury, for all 'twas Conscience; for all his heart was clean from such intentions: I was before a Blasphemer, and a Persecuter, and Injurious, ver. 13. We may not think to shroud foul actions under handsome Meanings and an Innocent Mind; a Conscientious man may yet be chief of Sinners; St. Paul was so, he says, and a clean Heart will not suffice alone. Therefore Heart is put here accumulatively, as that whose cleanness must be added to the purity of Conversation to complete it; and it implies what elsewhere he does set down more expressly Clean Hands, Psalm xxiv. 4. and a Pure Heart, all which a clean Heart may be set to signify, because under Gods Holy Spirit it is the principal and only safe agent in the effecting of the rest, as that which only can make the other real, valuable, and lasting. When a Disease hath once insinuated itself into the Vitals, spread through the Marrow, and seized the garrisons of Life, the Souls strong holds, and after sallies out into the outer parts in little pustles and unhandsome Ulcers; they who make application only to those outward Ulcers, may perchance smooth and cure the skin, make the unhandsomness remove and shift its seat, but all that while the man decays, the Forts of Life are undermined and sink, the vitals putrefy, and the whole Skin becomes but the fair Monument of its own rotten Inwards: Just so we have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward deep infusion, bed or seedplot of malignity, which sometimes shows itself in outward gross commissions; but if we only use the Lance or corrosive to these, we may perchance make a man shift a sin (thus it is possible that the profane may alter into Factious, or contrary, the profuse Proud man turn Covetous) but till the ground of these be purged away the man's not cured, but only the Disease is changed, and he is as unsound as ever. God's severe Judgements that did lie so long so close upon us, like strong repercussives, may have stricken back the break out of former sins or inclinations: But then no care being taken of the Heart, the first heat sent them out again, and Mercy made a restauration of Vices too. But if the Heart once entertain a real and sincere sense of Religion, if it consent to thorough resolutions of Piety, as far as the man discerns, so far the Cure is perfected, and such are fitted for God's goodness; for truly God is good to Israel, even to those that are of such a clean Heart; And so I fall upon them both together, first in the former sense proposed. That Clean heart signifies sincere truehearted men, I have not only the assurance of Translations, and among them the Syriack, but the Text itself does evince it, because such only are indeed of Israel; for so our Saviour says, Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, John i 47. One like the Father of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Gen. xxv. 27▪ a man unfeigned, that did seem nothing he was not, all Heart. And such each Israelite, each man that does expect an interest in that goodness which the Lord hath for Israel, must be, sincere and without guile. 1. In his Conversation with Men: I am not here to say, Sincerity is much, most generous, when it looks like a disingenuous fear to be afraid of my own mind, when my Heart dares not look into my Face, or speak in my Tongue, but must lurk under a disguise of words, or countenance, that are assumed and not its own. Nor is it Secondly, my business to say it is the greatest prudence, or as we call it Policy, and that not only because it hath most reason to attend and to expect God's Blessing, which other false acts cannot; but because though bold open Truth breeds Anger frequently, yet insincerity breeds hatred and contempt; there being no so ignominious thing as Reputation of Falseness, which yet is unavoidable, for events must discover insincerity, and then how piteous a thing he is when he must turn and wind still in more Mazes, till he be quite lost in his own shifts, and having no clue for his own Labyrinths, betrays himself more by his not knowing where he is; and men must needs be much more angry at pretences when they find them, than they were at unpleasing truth at first; when they discern their wants and expectations too deceived, themselves refused and mocked, find nothing but a Vizard for a Friend: nay, find an Enemy indeed, for so is the Dissembler to mankind. Great Casuists do tell us, that the moral Obligations to speak truth depend upon a right that each man hath who is a member of humane society; Man being a sociable Creature merely by virtue of his Speech: But speech could not contribute to cement Society, if there were not an obligation to speak truth; hence they conclude, that Children, Fools, and Madmen who are not truly members of Humane society, and also open Enemies, with whom we are in a state of War, and have broke that society as to all things but Laws and Articles of War; all these and these alone we may deceive, and then surely the false insincere man either esteems all others Fools and Madmen, or holds himself in a state of War with all Mankind, out of all Laws and Obligations of Humane society, and is an Enemy to the World; a Creature by himself, but that there are so many of them. But to pass by such Arguments, Gods Precepts of not lying to one another, Col. iii 9 oblige us and all those that require faithfulness and his Command that Love should be without Dissimulation; Rom. xii. 9 that while we speak gently, we should not be hardhearted, give melting language soft as the airs of Flattery, but yet have crusted inwards, that cannot yearn nor stretch into compassion, jacob's voice but Esau's rough red hands; Besides God's reasons do enforce this, Ephes. iv. 25. Putting away lying, speak every one truth to his Neighbour, for we are members one of another: So that Dissimulation is as great a Treachery as for the Eyes to seek Traps to ensnare the Feet, the Hands to sauce stones for a Meal, which may perchance delight the Palate with a transient gust of that they are condited with, but cannot be digested into Nourishment. Go prepare for your hungry stomaches only festival Smells, which may encourage fainting Appetite, but do but mock its emptiness; go warm a cold part with a painted light, cover a naked member with a shadow; when your own parts would take it well from one another to be thus insincerely dealt with, then, not till then, will it be tolerable to Dissemble. For we are members one of another; all fellow-members of Christ's Body the Church; this Israel to which the Text says God is truly good, not in presence or colour only, he hath not the hypocrisies of kindness. Now such a true good God he will not be to them who are but counterfeit and mock-parts of his Israel, for what is there in such a man that he can be good to? To the good kind well-spoken part? Alas, that is but shape and varnish, 'tis not the man that speaks, 'tis all a motion and artifice, he puts it on, and then it vanisheth and dies, is not a subject for God's kindness; or to the heart, but that is hard, and is not qualified for his Goodness, our true good God being only such to those that are of a clean, true, and sincere heart towards their brethren. 2. And much more, Secondly, is he such only to them that are sincere in their Religion to him. Christ hath nothing but woes for Hypocrites; the 23d Chap. of S. Matth. is made up of them; when he would word God's Vengeance to Sinners, he says, he shall give them their portion with Hypocrites and unbelievers. Mat. xxiv. 51. Things strangely coupled sure, that they whose Life does seem all Faith, Luke xii. 46. all Godliness, should be only fit Company in Tophet for the Unbelievers, ranked and condemned with them; that all their strong belief cannot remove them from an Infidel; Sure they are far enough from the goodness of the Lord, when the portion of Hypocrites is Rhetoric of Hell, is its Torments expressed with Art. They whose heart is not clean to God in their Piety's, but let their strictnesses take in some temporal aim besides, as Reputation with their Party, or getting Praise, or Wealth; they serve Mammon or Fame with God's Religion, and make the very Worship of the Lord be the Idolatry of Covetousness or of Honour. If Jehu in his Executions on Ahab and his Family intent the cutting off the Regal Line as well as Baal's worship, and with their Blood to purple his own Royalty, though God did bid him shed that blood, yet does it slain his Soul with crimson guilt; and God will punish him for his Obedience, I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu, Host i. 4. But he that lets a vicious aim mix with his Virtue, and does good to an ill end, addresses Gods Religion to the Devil, and makes Christ minister to Belial; he does sin multipliedly, both in his vicious intention, and in debauching Virtue to serve Vice, and he might much more innocently not have been Pious. Neither is that Virtue or Heart sincere whose intentions are not purely and merely virtuous, but intent to compass some Religious end by means that are not lawful; For such intentions are not clean but mixed with Vice; and 'tis sure I cannot please God with such kind of holy meanings. 1 Sam. xv. 9 21, 23. If Saul will sacrifice with the Sheep and Oxen he was bid to destroy, his very worship loseth him the Throne of Israel: Nor an I serve God with such Piety's. God never does require an action which he sees I cannot compass without sin, for he requires no man to sin, for that were to command me to break his Commands, and I were bound to disobey him in obedience to him, Job xiii. 7. Shall I speak wickedly for God, saith Job? and than shall I do so? Such Religious intentions, the justice of those ends, will never qualify me for God's goodness, when it but makes Damnation just to me, for so S. Paul affirms, Rom. iii 5, 6, 7, 8. In fine, if there be any wickedness in the heart, it gives so foul a tincture to whatever pious actions we perform, that they become sin to us. 'Tis true, Psalm Cxli 2. Prayer is as the Incense, David says, and the lifting up of our hands is like the Evening Sacrifice; but if the heart of him that Prays have any heats of Malice in it, truly that man does light his Incense with strange fire, James iii 6. kindles his sacrifice with the flames of Hell, for so S. James does call those heats. He that gives God any of his performances, and hath a naughty Heart, like Nadab and Abihu, he presents his Offering in an unhallowed Censer, and all his holy worship will get nothing else from Heaven for him but a consuming fire as theirs did. He that will offer any thing to God, must take a care it be not tainted with such mixtures, which spoil all the Religion, making it not sincere, and also spoil the Heart by making it not clean, and undefiled. The last remaining sense, A Clean and undefiled Heart. Of those things which our Saviour says defile the man, some are merely sins of the Heart, such as may be consummated within the Soul; and for the perpetration of which a spirit is sufficient to itself; such are Pride, especially spiritual pride, the sin of those that think none holy as themselves, and cast the black doom of Reprobation upon all that do not comply with their Opinions and interests: such also are uncontentedness with our estates, inward repine at the dispositions of Providence concerning us, black malice, bitter envyings. Now in these as the mind does need no outward members to consummate them, requires no accessary Organs to work them out; so neither does it require any outward accessary guilt to make them liable to condemnation: we know 'twas one sin of the spirit only that made Angels Devils. If a foul body be abominable to the Lord, shall a foul spirit be less odious? he that defiles his Soul offends God in a much nearer concern of his, because that speaks nearer relation to him than the Body: this was only his workmanship, made out of Earth, the Spirit was created out of himself; a foul body is but filthy Clay, but he that does pollute his Soul does putrefy the Breath of God, and stains a beam of the Divinity. The other sort of things that are said to come from the Heart, and to Defile, are those which S. Paul calls works of the Flesh, such as if they be committed must be committed outwardly, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, Revenge, Wrath and Contentions, Seditions, Factions, Schisms, all Vncleannesses, etc. In these indeed the Heart can be but partial Actor, the utmost it can do, is to desire and to intend them, and to contrive and manage the designs of compassing them; which yet Providence or the Innocence of others may put out of the reach of man's power, or his own temporal fears may make him not dare to set upon them, though he do cherish the desires. Now if they be obstructed from committing, most men use to conclude gently of their guilts while they do keep within the Heart; the Execution of them is the only thing that does look mortal; and till the sin be perfected there is no death in it. And truly I confess that, as it happens many times, on a sudden surprise of soul, when a bright gilded temptation strikes the heart, and dazzles the mind, we see that the Will rushes on it instantly, consents and wishes heartily; yet within a while the Spirit does recover out of the surprise, puts by the thrusts of fancy, and the stabs of the temptation, and that Will languishes and dies like a velleity, as if it had been nothing but a woulding; and now the man would not by any means consent to the commission: In this case though there be a guilt to be repent of, and cleansed with many tears, yet this is Innocence in the comparison; but if the Will purpose, contrive, and do its utmost, it is the same to the man as if he had committed. 'Twere easy to demonstrate this, that whatsoever evil thing a man intends and does fixedly resolve, he is guilty of, though he do nothing, or though the thing he chance to do be never so much lawful. Those sayings of St. Paul, I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is no meat unclean of itself, but to him that esteemeth any thing unclean, to him it is unclean, Rom. xiv. 14. and he that doubteth is damned if he eat, ver. 23. These could have no truth in them, unless the heart by choosing and pursuing to the utmost any thing that it does judge unlawful, incurred the guilt of that unlawfulness, even to Damnation; and all that merely by itself without the Action, which in that case had nothing sinful in it. A weight that is upheld by a man's hand, and otherwise would rush down to the earth, does surely gravitate as much, it is as heavy though it do not fall quite down, as if it did, and, were it let alone, it would: A settled tendency, a resolved inclination to sin, that presseth with its utmost agitation is that weight, which though it may perchance be stopped in its career, yet it tends to the Abyss, its centre, and will not rest but in that Pit that hath nor rest nor bottom; the Heart in this case is as liable as it can be, because here it hath done its worst, and such a Will shall be imputed to its self. And now I need not tell those who are still designing sin, or mischief in the heart, although it never dares come out of those recesses, how far they are removed from the goodness of God to Israel. Tertull. de Anima. cap. 58. A Father finds a way to prove such souls have larger doses of God's Vengeance, who when he had asserted that the soul does not die with the body, and then was asked what it did in that long interval, for sure it is not reasonable that it should be affected with any anticipations of the future Judgement, because the business of the day of Judgement should be reserved to its own day, without all prelibation of the sentence; and the restitution of the Flesh is to be waited for, that so both soul and body may go hand in hand in their Recompenses as they did in their demerits, joint Partners in the Wages as they were in the Works: To this he answers; The Soul does not divide all its operations with the Body, some things it acts alone, and if there were no other cause it were most just the Soul should there receive without the Body the deuce of that which here it did commit without the Body: That's for the former sort of sins, those merely of the Heart: And for the latter sort, the Soul is first engaged in the commission, that does conceive the sin, lays the design of compassing, and does contrive and carry on the machination; and then why should not that be first in Punishment, which is the first in the Offence? Go now and reckon that thy outward gross Transgressions are the only dangerous and guilty ones and slight thy sins of Heart; but know that while thy flesh is sleeping in the quiet Grave at rest and ease, thy Spirit than's in Torments sor thy Flesh's sins, and feels a far severer Worm than that which gnaws thy Body: Poor Soul! Eternity of Hell from Resurrection to Forever, is not enough to punish it, all that while it must suffer with the Body, but it must have an age of Vengeance besides particularly for itself, to plague it for those things it could not execute, and punish it for what it did not really enjoy; only because it did allow itself to desire and contrive them; and it must be tormented for those unsatisfied desires: And though indeed desires where they are violent, if they be not allayed by satisfaction, are but so much agony, yet do they merit and pull on them more; these Torments shall be plagued, and the soul suffer for its very passion, even from Death to the last Judgement; and 'tis but just that being it usurped upon the pleasures and the sins of Flesh, it should also seize on and take possession of the Vengeance appointed for those sins, it should invade and should usurp their condemnation. But why do I stand pressing aggravations against uncleanness of Heart in an Age, when God knows Vice hath not so much modesty or fear to keep within those close and dark restraints? Instead of that same Cleanness which the Text requires, we may find Purity indeed of several sorts, but 'tis either pure Fraud, or pure Impiety; the one of these does make a strange expression very proper, pure Corruption, for so it is, sincere and without mixture, nothing but itself, no spots of Clean to chequer it, but all stain: The other is pure white indeed, but it is that of whited sepulchers; a Life as clean as Light, a bright pure Conversation, but it shines with that light only which Satan does put on when he transforms himself into an Angel of Light, 2 Cor. xi. 14. and it is but a glory about a fiend. But yet this shines however, whereas others do stand Candidates of Vice, and would be glorious in wickedness; and that is such a splendour as if Satan should dress himself with the shine of his own flaming Brimstone, and make himself a glory with the streamings of his Lake of Fire. And yet thus is the World, we do not only see men serve some one peculiar vicious inclination, and cherish their own wickedness, but they make every Vice their own, as if the Root of bitterness branched out in each sort of Impiety in them, such fertile soils of sin they are, here insincerity were to be wished; and where there is not cleanness that there were a Mask, that there were the Religion of Hypocrisy. We may remember God was good to Israel of old by Obligation and performance; the one as great as he could enter, the other great to Miracle and astonishment; when after seventy years' Captivity and Desolation, he did rebuild a Temple where there was no Monument of its Ruins, and raised a Nation and Government of which there was no Relics. And yet at last when the Religion of some turned into Faction, of others into Profaneness; when the strictest Sect of them, the Pharisees, became most holy outwardly, to have the better means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to mischief those that were not of their Party, Jos. Antiq. l. 13. c. 23. edit. Basil. 1544. and got a great opinion of Sanctity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so as to be believed in whatsoever they did speak against the King or chief Priests; and that so far as to be able openly to practise against both, and raise Commotions. They are Josephus' words of them; and when another Sect, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Zelots, the most pernicious of all, saith Bertram, did commit Murders, Sacrilege, Profanations, and all kind of Villainies, Jos. Antiq. l. 17. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with good Intentions, saith the same Josephus; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. l. 4. c. 12. and when those who did not separate into Sects, but were the Church of Israel, became lukewarm, supine, and negligent in their Profession, yea, and licentious and Profane, fit only to be joined with Publicans, in Christ's expressions; when sin grew generally Impudent; when they did live as if they would be Scandalous as well as vicious, as if they loved the guilt as much as the delights of sin, and cared not to be wicked to themselves, but must debauch, as if they did enjoy the ruin of other persons, sinning just as the Devil does, who does not taste the sin, but feasts upon the Sinners Condemnation: Then did God execute a Vengeance whose prediction was fit to be mistaken for that of the Day of Judgement, and whose event almost fulfilled the terrors of that day. I need not draw resemblances, show how God's goodness to our Israel does equal that to them; applying to ourselves their Raptures; how when the Lord turned the Captivity of our Zion, Psal. Cxxvi 1. we also were like them that dream, surprised with Mercy. Indeed as in a Dream; Ideas are not always well connected, there is no chain or thread of fancies, and the thoughts are not jointed regular and even; but there are breaches and disorder in them still, the Images of sleep being like Nebuchadnezzar's, made of such things as do not well unite. So there is something I confess, like this in our condition, for with our gold and silver, our precious things that are restored, there is Iron and Clay, not only meaner mixtures, but such things as will not close, or be soldered, but do incline to part asunder, and would moulder and tend towards dissolution; and just as in a Dream, the composure of things is no so undisturbed, but that there is some confusedness; neither our affections nor practices do perfectly cement; but yet I hope it is no dream of mercy, 'tis not a Phantasm or an Apparition of God's kindness, but the Lord will be truly good to us. Yet if we do proceed as Israel, and equal it in provocations:— But I will make no parallels, public clamours do that too loud; these do display the factions of iniquity among us, and muster up the several parties of our Vices too; and each man is as perfect in the guilts of all sides that he is not of, as if their memories were the books that shall be opened at the Day of Judgement; some men can point you out our Pharisees and Zelots; others can show you our profane licentious Professors, Lay and Clergy both; and indeed we need not go far to seek any or all of these; nor do we want our Sadduces. Now if all this be true, then as those were the signs of the Son of Man's coming to them in Judgement, so we may fear they are his Harbingers to us. If they be, I am sure the only way to make his coming good to us, is to prepare for it by cleansing from all filthiness and insincerity; then though he come clothed with a Glory of flaming Vengeance, yet will those streams of Fire find nothing to consume or wash away in us; but through that flame the pure in heart shall see God, so as that that sight shall be the Beatific Vision: Yea, they shall see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living, they shall see Jerusalem in prosperity all their life long, and Peace here upon Israel, and in his light hereafter in the Jerusalem that is above, To the state of which glorious Light He bring us all, who is the brightness of his Father's Glory: To whom be Glory, and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. The Third SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Second Wednesday in Lent. LEVIT. XVI. 31. Ye shall Afflict your Souls by a Statute for ever. THE words are one Single Precept concerning one part of the Celebration of a Day: I shall not take the Precept asunder into parts, for it hath none; but shall frame my Discourse to answer three Inquiries that naturally offer themselves to be considered from these words: And they are, 1. What the Importance of the thing commanded is? What is required in this Injunction, Ye shall afflict your Souls? 2. What Usefulness and Efficacy this Duty had upon that time in which it was prescribed? what the Afflicting of the Soul contributed to the work of that Day? that it should be made so indispensable an ingredient of its performances, tied to it by a Statute for ever? 3. Whether that for ever do reach us? which is the Application, and brings all home to us. First, What the Import of the thing commanded, the Afflicting of the Soul is? The Arab. and Targum of Jerusalem Translate it Fasting; Maimonid. yea, and a Learned rabbin says, that wheresoever these two words are put together, that is meant. And indeed they are often joined in Scripture to express it, Psalm XXXV. 13. I afflicted my Soul with Fasting. And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of this Day in my Text, says, Is it such a Fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his Soul? Isa. lviii. 5. Somewhat a strange expression it is; for Fasting does afflict the Body properly, and yet we find the like too in the other Extreme: We read of pampering the Soul, Psalm lxxviii. 18. They required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meat for their Souls; not to supply the Hunger of their Body, that they had before; but to indulge the Lusts of their mind; they did not want for food, but variety; Festival diet, and a Table furnished they would have; and this luxuriancy and wantonness of Meat the Scripture calls meat for the Soul: Such as God says in other places the Soul lusteth after. Indeed forced meats, and things that please merely by being rare and dear, or by being extravagant, these do not feed the Appetite but Opinion, and the Mind; it is the Soul that only hungers after these: Thus when I look after Wine in the glass, and make my Eye a Critic of its accidents, and by the mode and fashion of it teach it to please or displease my judgement, I do not thirst after the cool moisture of it, but the sparkling flame, and do not drink the Wine, but the flavour and colour, and this is all but Notion. Now certainly these are not proper objects for our Appetites, meat for the Body, says the Scripture, and it is the Stomach and not the Imagination that is hungry; nor is it Fancy or the Soul that thirsts, but 'tis the Palate, so that these are unnatural and monstrous satisfactions. And yet to bring men's selves to this, is one of the great masteries of Wit and Art, to force themselves to find a relish in these things, and then contrive them, is a piece of Skill which the advantages of parts and fortune are desirable mostly, as they are useful to: And a well studied Epicure, one expert in the mysteries of Eating, is a singularly qualified and most grateful Person. It were in vain to ask what else such men can be good for? that being their Profession, they are out at most other things: Indeed the Soul that dwells in Dishes, and is stewed in its own Luxuries, grows loose and does dissolve, its sinews melt, all its firmness of mind forsakes it, the man is strong for nothing but for Lusts, his faculties are choked and stifled, they stagnate and are mired within him, and there corrupt and putrefy. And than what Cranes will force out thence, and wind up such a Soul into the practices and expectations of Piety? will make it mind and entertain the hopes and Duties of Religion? what macerations, what Chemistry will defecate a Spirit so incarnated, and rectify it into such a fineness as befits that state where all their blessedness have no sensual relish, but are sublimed into Divine and purely Spiritual. Lord God that thou shouldst shed a rational Angelic Soul into us, a thing next to the Being of thyself, to animate only the Organs of Intemperance, and Gluttony, and their appendent lusts! Only inspire us how to be but more sagacious, indeed but more luxurious Brutes, when thou hast set us here to train and discipline ourselves for a condition of such glorious Joys as are fit to entertain Souls of Reason with, and to make them blessed; which to enter upon, our Bodies must drop from us, our Souls must be clarified from Flesh, and Flesh itself refined into Spirit; that we should make ourselves Antipodes to this, walk contrary to all, and so debase our spirits as that they are qualified for no other satisfaction, but those of dull sense and carnality. Adam fell his great Fall by Eating, but ever since men fall further by riotous intemperate Eating. He fell from Paradise, and they from Reason; the Man sinks into Beast, and the Soul falls into very Flesh, and hath no other faculties or appetites but fleshly ones. Such people of all others are not to be raised up by Religion; their fullness gives no place to that, but does exclude it. God did complain of this of old, Deut. xxxii. 15. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked: that we may see they want to brutish quality, who do allow themselves the appetite of Brutes; they that pamper themselves like to fed Horses, will also neigh like them and kick even him that fed them; thou art waxen fat, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God that made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation. When they came once where they did suck honey cut of the Rock, Deut. xxxil. 13. and Oil out of the flinty Rock, they could not mind the Rock of their Salvation. Indeed this sensuality as it consumes Estates, eats Time, and all the faculties of the Mind, so it devours all Religion too, it hath not only a particular opposition to some one duty as the other Vices have, but by a direct influence it destroys the whole foundation of Virtue and obedience to God; I mean subordination of the lower appetite to Reason and Religion, which it renverses quite, and breeds an universal cachexy of the Soul as well as Body. For ever since Adam did eat of the forbidden Fruit, the carnal mind we know is neither subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, as S. Paul says, Rome viij. 7. because God's Commands are restraints upon those things which Flesh desires eagerly. Now therefore while that Mind is unsubdued, it must needs lust against the Spirit for those things that are forbidden, nor endure to be limited; which he that feeds it, is so far from working towards, that he does give it still more provocation and more power, and makes the Flesh more absolute; for it is clear that Plenty does increase all its desires and their unruliness; it ministers both vigour to it by which it is enabled to fulfil its lusts, and it ministers aptness and incitation also, both by custom of satisfaction, and by adding heat which makes it more prone to rebel, and more impossible to be kept under. The progress of this is apparent in the Scripture, Exod. xxxii, 6. The People sat down to Eat and Drink and rose up to Play: Tertul. Lusum non denotasset nisi impudicum; he means, to play the wantoness. But Jeremy is plainer, Chap. v. 7, 8. How shall I pardon thee for this? thy Children have forsaken me, when I had fed them to the full, they then committed Adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in Harlots houses: Nor stays it there, but does increase as well as feed to an Excess; we may discern that by the Wiseman's Prayer, xxiii. Ecclesiast. 6. O Lord, Father and God of my Life, Let not the greediness of the Belly, not the lust of the Flesh, take hold of me, and give not over me thy Servant to an impudent mind, Giantlike he had called it in the Verse before; and sure the Wiseman in the Proverbs apprehended it as such, and dreaded it accordingly; as if Bellies full gorged were those Mountainr which the Giants cast up to storm Heaven on: He looked upon this Vice as that which would bid defiance to God, and out him, and therefore thinks it necessary to beseech the Lord not to afford him so much as would furnish Plenty, Prov. xxx. 8. Give me not Riches, feed me with food convenient for me; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Allowance, with no more than is sufficient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say who is the Lord. It seems such persons know no other God besides their Belly; nor is it any wonder if a Soul made Flesh cannot well apprehend a Deity that is a Spirit, or believe it, but thinks all Notions of such beings to be contradiction, when once by the suffusions of Carnality all the impressions of a Spirit are wrought out of itself: And truly this is the most natural and certain way to become Atheists. Whether this time that hath been almost always set aside for strict Severities, and to work out Repentance (and if it be not so intended now, I know not what pretence did call us hither) (for though there be some relaxation of the severer Diet of this time, sure there is no indulgence of that Penitence which the strictness of this time designed) and let some men talk what they please of the Intention of their Statutes, yet these Assemblies certainly were not intended for th● increase of cattle, and advance of Fishing; these were for higher aims of Piety: Now whether we employ if so much towards this as to afflict our Souls, i. e. our appetites, and to revenge our superfluities upon ourselves, and to teach our desires to be denied: Or whether we do teach the Diet of this season to be but a variety of Luxury, and if the Law did not command it, and so make it Pressure by giving it the inconvenience and the uneasiness of being duty and obedience; ourselves could make it be one of the changes of our Vice, only another course, a divers service of the same Riot, and so defeat the Law by our obedience to it: Or whether we do break the Law outright, and to our superfluities add disobedience to Authority, whether we do the one or other is not for me to say. But if the Nation and we ourselves have any sins to be repent of, and we design this season for that use (as sure some season must be so employed, and why not this as well, rather indeed than any other;) if we be not of those that would be glad to see all thrown again into Confusion; glad to see a return of the same Vengeance, as indeed a return of the same sins, and the abuse of Mercies seem to call for it, while men do live as if they thought God had wrought all these Miracles merely to give them opportunity to serve their Vices or their other ends, to put them in a way to get Places, Estates, and Dignities; and by uncharitable gains, hardhearted griping, yea by false unworthy treacherous Arts, to heap up Wealth, to raise their Families, or feed their Lusts: These, these cry out to God to renew his Commission to the Sword, to pass through all the Land again, and embowel itself in Church and State; these call for it as loud as the hatangueing Prayers of Seditious Men; and the Lord knows there are too many hands that would unsheathe it, if God do not interpose to hinder, and well we have deserved he should. But if we would endeavour to engage him by Repentance, that will require the Afflicting of the Soul by some severities. Do not mistake yourselves; Repentance, as it cannot be wrought out amidst our courses, that were contradiction to return, and yet go on; so also it will not be wrought out amidst the Comforts as we call the jollities, of life. Tertullian is very pleasant with those who did dislike that in their Penitencies, they were by the Church prescribed to put off Mirth and put on Sackcloth, and take Ashes for Bread; Come, says he, reach that Bodkin there to braid my Hair, and help me now to practise all those Arts that are in Mode to attire it; give me the washeses of that Glass, the blushes of that Paper, the foils which that Box hath to beautify and dress my Cheeks; come and set out and dress my Table too, let me have Fowl with costly forced and not a natural Fat; or let me have crammed Fish, and cram my Dishes also; get me cheerful Wine too: and if any one ask why I do thus indulge myself? Why I will tell him, I have sinned against my God, and am in danger of Perdition, and therefore I am in great trouble; I macerate (do you not see the signs of it?) and excruciate myself, I take these fearful careful ways that I may reconcile God to me whom I have offended. Alas, to humble ones self thus in fullness, and to afflict the Soul in cheerful plenties, is such a thing as none but he that sinks under the surfeit of those Plenties understands. I'm sure the Lord, when he required his People to repent, required them then to discipline, and use severities upon themselves; they were to fast or die: God took the execution, for whatsoever Soul it be that shall not be Afflicted that same day shall be cut off from among his People, Levit. xxiii. 29. Even cut off by God himself. And I do verily persuade myself, that one great cause, why men that have sometimes thought to reform their lives, and do resolve against their Courses, yet repent of their Repentance, their resolutions untwist, and become frail as threads of Cobweb, the first assault of a temptation does break through them, is, they do not use mortifications, to work their aversations high and strong against their sins, and fix their resolutions. The universal sense of the whole Primitive Church gives me confidence in this persuasion, who for that very reason in their penitential Excommunications did inflict such severities, as 'tis almost incredible that Christians would submit to; yet they begged to be censured into; and those had S. Paul for their precedent. But now Repentance are but dislikes, little short unkindnesses at our sins, and wouldings to do better: On some moving occasion, if God's Hand or his Spirit lash, it may be Tears will gush out of the Wound, and we in angry sadness do intent against our Vices; but when that fit is over, and the Flesh by indulgences prepared to make or answer a temptation, we fall again, and then it may be shake the head and curse the sin; but yet again commit it, if the invitation be fair: And then are very sorry, account ourselves unhappy, who lie under such a violent infirmity, but act it still. Now if we consider how it comes to pass that we go round like men enchanted, in a Circle of Repenting and of Sinning, we shall find it is for want of Discipline upon ourselves; for had we strove to make our humiliations more low and full of pungent sorrow, the Soul would start and fly at the first glance of that which cost it so much anguish; but who would fear to act that sin which puts him to so little trouble to repent of? as a sad thought, a sigh, a wish, and a loose purpose, thin intentions, and that's all. Do not complain of the Infirmity of the Flesh for this, and say thou wouldst live Spiritually, but the frailty of thy sensual part betrays thee; its stings and incitations make thee start from duty, and goad and force thee into actions which otherwise thou neither shouldst or wouldst commit. 'Tis thou thyself that armest thy Flesh with all its stings; thou givest it strengths, whereby it does subdue the Spirit; thou waterest thy desires with Wines; thou feedest them with strong meat and teachest them to crave; thou cocker'st them with thy indulgence, and thou dost treat Temptations to sin, dost invite wickedness, and nourish the occasions of Ruin; and than it is no wonder if thy resolutions be not strong enough, there is no way but by Austerities to mortify all inclinations that stir against the Spirit, and by denying satisfactions to thy Appetite, to calm and moderate thy affections to every thing below, and then Temptations will have neither Aid nor Avenue. But Secondly, You shall Afflict your Souls, cannot be meant only that ye shall Afflict your Bodies; the Spirit also must be troubled, and we must rend the Heart as well as Garments; that is indeed a Sacrifice fit for a Propitiation day, for it is such a one as God will not despise, Psal. li. 17. and without which all others are but vain Oblations. God may call fasting the Afflicting of the Soul, because it is the most appropriate and natural means to work it; but when he calls it so he does intend it should produce it. Austerities are humilificandi hominis disciplina, as Tertul. says, Humiliation Discipline; but yet they have not always that effect. The Pharisee that fasted twice a week did not mortify at all, but his Humiliation made him lofty, his emptiness filled him with wind, and puffed him up, and the Publican was more justified than he. And late experiences have taught us, that Fasting does not always humble, when it did gape for Sovereignty, and did afflict then into Power only, when there attended it a sacra fames, an hunger after Holy things, and such as all the relics of old Sacrilege could not allay, but it devoured Church and State, and yet craved still: And the throat of these fasting men was an open Sepulchre indeed; open to bury, and that could no more be satisfied than the Grave. But 'tis not only these demure impieties, and those that are devout in wickedness, and act it in Religion and the Fear of God, I have to speak against: But in the general, If Fasting do not humble, and those severities that wear the Flesh break not the heart too and make it contrite, than they are lost upon us, and do not profit us. All these strictnesses of bodily and outward exercise, as S. Paul calls it, are acts of discipline prescribed to make the Sorrows of Repentance more severe and operative, and so to be the Correctives of the distempers of the Soul, to quell the risings of the Appetite and Passions, and bring the sensual part of us under obedience to Reason and Religion; to make all calm and even in us, and put us in the frame of Men and Christians, of Rational and Pious Creatures. And if they do not work this in us, if the Soul do not meet in the performances, they are not acceptable in themselves at all; These are only the mint anise and cummin of our Piety's; and as Origen says, the condimenta actuum the sauces of Religion, not the main standing parts of it, which he therefore that offers solitary gives God a Sacrifice of Salads, and thinks that will be a Sin-Offering. They do mistake themselves who cherish any hope from having spent a day, or Lent of abstinence; if the Excesses of their Vices be not made over, and evacuated by it; if they continue still full gorged with their iniquity; or who think all is well, they have atoned by having bowed down the head like a bulrush; if the Soul were not also humbled in them; for as S. Paul does say, I may give all my goods to feed the poor, yet have no Charity, and I may give my body to be burnt, yet in those Martyr-fires there may be no heats of Love to God, and then all these profit me nothing, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. So I may chasten myself too, and yet yet receive correction or be disciplined, and then God's punishments are still due to me. That Church indeed which hath found out the easy expiation of Indulgences, that hath the Treasure of Christ's merits and all the supererogations of the Saints at her dispose, and by Commission can issue them at pleasure out, and apply those merits to men's uses not by Sacraments, but by a Bull or Brief, and not require Gospel conditions of Faith and Repentance in the Persons that receive them, but visiting a Church in Rome, ascending the steps in such a Chapel in the Lateran on such a day, shall give a plenary remission from sin and punishment; the saying of such a Prayer over daily shall do it for fourscore thousand years (could they but make a Lease for men to live and sin out the indulgence too, that would get them good store of Chapmen) that Church I say, may give encouragement to hope that God may be compounded with at easy rates; that for a Surfeit I may give a Meal and God will pardon it, and let me have Wine too into the bargain (for they allow afflicting of our Souls in Wine) that some weeks change of Diet may go for a change of Life, for indeed these come up somewhat nearer the just value than some of their Prices. But though there be all the reason in the World they should let men out of Purgatory on what condition they please, when themselves only put them in, and make the breath of a few Pater nosters quite blow out those flames which burn no where but in their Doctrines: Yet when without any commission from Christ they make Attrition able to secure men from Hell, and an Indulgence able to release them out of Purgatory; when they make new conditions of Pardon, that is new Gospel, new ways of application of Christ's Merits, and though our Saviour God when he found in his heart to die for us, yet in the Agonies of his Compassion could not find in his heart to give us easier terms of Life than such as do require Contrition, Humiliation, and Amendment, which they commute so cheaply with his Vicar: We justly stand astonished at such usurpation on Christ's Blood and Merits, that does assign them at these rates. I make no question but easy expiations get them many Converts. Rome from its first foundation grew from being an Asylum to the dissolute; but they that go away upon such hopes, 'tis to be feared that easiness betrays them into sins from which those Expiations cannot rescue them, and at once makes them Proselytes to Rome and Hell. Nor are our trusts much more secure, if we rely upon our opus operatum, too, our little outward strictnesses, unless the Soul be engaged, and except there be inward life of Religion, all those will not avail: If I deny myself my meals, and give myself my sins, that is so far from expiation that it aggravates: I am an argument against myself that my crimes are incorrigible, when I will have them though I cut off the Instruments and foments of them, and though I meddle not with the Temptation, yet I seize the sin. What S. Austin does say of Alms, In meliùs vita mutanda, Aug. Enchir. c. 70. & per eleemosynas de peccatis praeteritis propitiandus est Deus; non ad hoc emendus quodammodò ut semper liceat impune peccare. This is applicable to these performances also, our lives must be Reform, and so on that Repentance and these strictnesses God will be reconciled, and our offences done away; but he will not be bribed by these to let us alone in them; he is not gratified by such performances so as to wink at Vices for their sakes, and suffer us in our Rebellions upon such compositions as these; take a Reward to spare the Gild: Nor is he such a soft and easy God as to take them for payment of that infinite Debt we owe; that which he bought off with the Blood of God shall not be ours at such unworthy prices. The Prophet Micah seeking for a Present to appease him with, rejects all the Jewish rites though God prescribed them, as insufficient; and in them all things of the like external kind. Mic. vi. 6, 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and How myself before the most high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand Rivers of Oil? shall I give my firstborn for my Transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? If I do offer up whole Hecatombs to God, will that atone for having offered up too plentifully to my Genius? Or if I do remove my Riots from my Table to the Altar, and change my few extravagant Dishes into whole Herds of thousand Sacrifices, shall I by doing so remove the guilt too of my Luxuries? If I give God ten thousand Rivers for my overflowing Cups, will the Intemperance be washed away in those? Or shall I think to expiate an Adultery with a Child? and for that momentary and unclean delight give up the lovely and first issue of my lawful Bed? And who will be content to be his own Priest in such manner? to pay such Sacrifices for sins? But yet that will not do, as it cost more to Redeem Souls, which not Rivers of Oil can cleanse, but streams must flow out of the Heart of Christ to do it; nor the fruit of Man's body make a satisfaction for, but the eternally begotten Son of the Divinity, and none but the first born of God alone, for thus expiation of sins was wrought: Even so to make that expiation mine, besides reliance on it, I must transcribe the Copy of the Sufferings of that Son, transplant the Garden of Gethsemane into my breast. If his Soul be sorrowful even unto Death, my Soul must be afflicted too; Humiliations must prostrate me upon my face to deprecate that Fire and Brimstone, burning Tempest that is the portion of the Sinners Cup, saith David: O my Father let this Cup pass from me! The lustful Fevers of my blood must excern themselves in cold sweat of fear and grief, in Agonies of Penitence; and my excessive draughts not only make me to cry out I thirst, but give me Vinegar and Gall to drink; sorrow as bitter as my riotous egestions have been; my Oaths that have struck through the Name of God, must pierce my Soul with grief as pungent as his Thorns and Nails. In a word, I must so afflict my Soul as to crucify the body of sin, and nail it to his Cross. And this is that which in its own proportion was required of the Jews this Day here in the Text, to the work of which Day how the Afflicting of the Soul in both the given senses does contribute, was my Second and the next Enquiry. Secondly, What this Day was the Verse before the Text informs us, it was their Day of Expiation or Atonement. Now that the Jews esteem Fasting and Humiliation expiatory Sacrifices, appears from a Form of Prayer which even yet they use on such a day where he that fasted says, O Lord the Governor of all the World, I have now finished my Fast before thee, thou knowest that when we had a Temple standing, the man that sinned was bound to expiate it by a Sacrifice, the Blood of which was poured out, and the Altar consumed the Fat to make amends for his offence; but now by reason of our many wickednesses, we have neither a Temple, Altar, or Priest to make Atonement for us; I beseech thee therefore O Lord my God the God of my Fathers, to accept of that little portion of my own Flesh and Blood which this days Fasting hath torn from me, in lieu of a Sin-offering, and be thou reconciled unto me for thy mercy's sake. Thus when he cannot give a Lamb for his Transgression, he gives some of himself, he offers Hunger for Shewbread, and Thirst for a Drink-offering, he consecrates a Meal instead of a Beast, and sheds a sour fasting sigh for Incense; and this he hopes God will accept as Sacrifice. And truly the Text says no day of Expiation could be kept without it. Nor does the Scripture want great instances of its effect towards Atonement of God's wrath: How when Judgement was given on a Nation or Person, and Execution going out against them, yet this reversed the Sentence; Ahab is a great proof of this, 1 King. xxi. 27. And it came to pass when Ahab heard those words, that he rend his Clothes, and put Sackcloth upon his flesh, and Fasted, and lay in Sackcloth and went softly: And the word of the Lord came unto Elijah the Tishbite saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? Because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days. On Fastingday secured a Life; the weaknesses it brought upon the body, upheld it against all God's threats, Vengeance pronounced and coming out against him falls to ground if Ahab humble and afflict his Soul. God's stretched out Arm will not strike Sackcloth, nor wound through Fasting Garments: One fit of it removes his Judgements a whole Age; and had it been sincere and persevering, how had it wiped them out to everlastingness? Tertul. de pudicit. c. 13. & de poenit. c. 10. Ninive is another instance of the practice and success of this even among the Heathens. Cyp. Ep. 9 Edit. Priorij. 1666. ep. etiam 26. &. lib. de lapsis. Aug. enchir. c. 71. Hieron. in Joel. & in ep. ad Eustoch. de ob. Paul. Nor should it seem to have less Efficacy among Christians: The Primitive Fathers call these severities Satisfaction for sin, and Compensations, the Price with which they are bought off, the things that cover them, and blot them out, and which Propitiate and appease God for them; not in their sense who force up these Expressions to a strange height of meaning; and yet have quite beat down the Practice as to the public wholesome use of them out of the Church. But though these sayings assign not the Power and just Efficacy of that discipline in itself, Tertul. de Poenit. c. 6. Orig. Hom. 15. in Levit. Ambros. de Poenit. l. 2. c. 5. yet they do the acceptance and effect of it by virtue of Christ's Satisfaction: A Fainting Body cannot bear indeed the weight of our iniquities, nor will lowest prostrations in the dust bury them in the dust, or Tears alone blot out our Gild; but Christ having done that which is effectual to all this, Orig. Hom. 6. in Exod. and requiring no more of thee to make that thine (as he does every where most solemnly avow) but faithful humbling of thyself in an afflictive sorrow for what's past, Cyp. Ser. de Lapsis. Chrys. Hom. 41. ad pop. Antioch. and so to mortify as to work out Repentance; the doing this is doing what he does require, and consequently will accept: These satisfy the Command, and therefore God, though not by a condignity of performance, yet as Conditions which his Covenant of Grace hath set us, which when they are fulfilled then God is satisfied, thy sins are expiated, and thou art pardoned: And so in this lower sense these are thy Satisfactions with which God is well pleased. And thus these self Afflictions of the Sinner supply God's Indignation and divert it; They leave no place nor business for it, and by these short severities upon himself he does make void, he does expunge the Sentence of eternal Torments, saith Tertullian: As thou becomest severe against thyself, so will the Lord abate of his severities, and he will spare, and he will pity thee in that he sees thou wilt not spare thyself. How can he choose but be appeased towards thee when he shall see thee executing his Sentence even upon thy own self? and punishing his Enemies although they be thy Members? so that by this means thou dost censure thyself into God's Absolutions, afflict thyself into his Pardons, and dost condemn thyself into eternal Life. Our Church says the same thing; That in the Primitive Church there was a Godly Discipline; that at the beginning of Lent such Persons as were notorious Sinners, were put to open Penance, and punished in this World, that their Souls might be saved in the Day of the Lord; and she does wish (if her wishes be of any force and value when her Orders and Constitutions are not) that Discipline could be restored. But this I shall not press; if all those whom the Primitive Church Condemned, or S. Paul sentenced were so used, if every Schismatic that lies tearing himself and others off from the Lords Body were rejected, and if the Fornicator that joins himself to his unclean Accomplice were disjoined from Christ, and not suffered to make his members be the members of an Harlot; if every scandalous debauching Offender that lies corrupting Christ's Body, spreading Contagion, thrusting the Gangreen forward, were cut off, and these and all the rest delivered up to Satan, alas what part would Christ have left of his own Body? Sed illos defendit numerus junctaeque umbone phalanges, and that I fear too in more senses than the Poet means. Therefore I shall not urge the Churches Wish, but only see whether the Statute in the Text says any thing to this, and whether the for ever do reach us: Which is my Third and last Enquiry. Thirdly, Divers of the Jews Rites are said to be, and be prescribed for ever, although those very Rites and the whole oeconomy of their Covenant were to be changed and cease; among other Reasons, as the Fathers say, because they foresignify and point at things in the new Covenant, which were to last till Covenants and Rites shall be no more, and so their meaning and signification was to be for ever. Now truly that their Expiation Performances, those which I am upon, did so, the whole Epistle to the Hebrews is employed to prove; the Margin of your Bibles in this Chapter so refer you to the places, that I shall not need to make it out. Christ did fulfil the Temple and the Altar part, yea and the refuse outcast part of the Atonement satisfied the Religion and the contempt of that days Offices, He was the whole true Expiation. Now does this Expiation as theirs did, require afflicting of the Soul in its attendance, or was that but a Ceremony of their Rite? and though a Jew must mourn and Fast to see his sin killing a Beast, and when he does behold his wickedness eating up a Goat for a Sin-offering, he must deny himself his daily bread, and suffer thirst if his Iniquities drink but the blood of Bullocks; yet when we behold ours imbrue themselves in the Blood of the Son of God, not only lay hands and Confessions on his Head, but drive Thorns into it, make him cry out, almost despair and Die; we need not be concerned so much as to do aught of that either in order to the better Celebration of that Expiation, or on the very day of it. Indeed if we consider most men's practices, it would appear most probable that if we were to expiate our sins as the Jews did by sacrificing of our Flocks not of our Jesus, those satisfactions would more afflict our Souls, and more restrain our Vices than that which was made for us by the Death of Christ, and how can this be rectified, unless by some severities upon ourselves, we give ourselves a piercing sense of what our sin deserves, and grateful apprehensions of what our Surety suffered for us? When in sad private earnest I have thought fit to Afflict my Soul with some austere mortifications, and when my fainting Spirits are scarce able to sustain my Body that sinks under the load of itself, than I may have some tender apprehensions of that weight that sunk the Son of God, and 'twas my weight that he fell under. But he that cannot think fit to revenge a year of follies and of Vices with a few weeks severer life, sure thinks his Saviour suffered much in vain; quorsum perditio haec? why must the Blood of God be paid for sin, when I cannot afford a little self-denial for it? Why such great Agonies of the Holy Jesus, when I cannot find in my heart to bear a little strictness for it? But I could easily deduce (were I not to suppose it done before) that sure as if the Church had thought a Statute had annexed these two for ever, By Dr. gunning's Paschal or Lent Fast. they have been joined from the beginnings of our Christianity; it was the Fast that did attend our Saviour's sufferings that in part caused the Contest about Easter, which Polycarpe S. John's Disciple managed; and then there was a Fast so soon: and he that tells us this, Irenaeus, Scholar to that Polycarpe, says some observed it many days, some forty days also, if we can take the Ancient Ruffinus' authority but for a Comma. And if the Ancient Fathers do expound aright, Christ himself thought that men were interested so much in his Death, that they would Fast by reason of it; When the Bridegroom is taken from them, then shall they Fast in those days: Upon which words they say the Season was determined to this Duty by the Gospel. But they may say so, who knew how to persuade men to take up restraints of strictest discipline and of severest Piety. But we cannot engage them into Order or from Scandal; they made them fast, we cannot make them temperate. Blessed Saviour! what kind of Christians didst thou hope for thy Disciples, of whom thou were't so confident they would so concern themselves in thy Passion as to Fast because of it? when in our times Christians will not be kept from their Excesses by it? not in those days of Fasting which thy Primitive followers did Celebrate with abstinencies, that did almost mortify indeed and slay the Body of Flesh as well as Sin, and we in imitation of them, in answer of thy confidences, will not abate a Meal, nor an intemperance, will eat and Riot too, and make a Lent of Bacchanals: Thus we prepare load for thy Day of Passion, sin on to add weight to thy Cross, and yet we ourselves will not be humbled under them. It is in vain to tell men thou expectest they should mortify, that it will spirit their Repentance, for they will have no kind of Penitence for sin, but such as will let them return to sin again, suffer no discipline with which their Vices too cannot consist, for they can scarce live if they make not themselves cheerful with them, even in this time of Sadness, and in sight of the Memorial of thy sufferings for them. Indeed when I consider how this Season is hodged in from Vice by all God's Indignation, threatened at first, suffered at last, pronounced in Commination, executed in Passion: Ash-wednesday gave us all Gods Curses against Sinners, all which Good Friday shows inflicted on our Saviour. Thus we began, Cursed are the unmerciful, the Fornicators, and Adulterers, the Covetous persons, Worshippers of Images, Slanderers, Drunkards and Extortioners; and we shall see the Son of God made this Curse for them; yea we ourselves said Amen to all, as testifying that that Curse is due to all. When I consider this I say, I cannot choose but be astonished to behold how men can break through all God's Curses and their own to get at Vice, first seal God's Maledictions, then provoke and incur them instantly, as if they loved and would commit a Rape upon Perdition; as if because men have so long in Oaths begged God to damn them, and he hath not done it yet, they would now do it in their Prayers too; make their Devotions as well as Imprecations consign them to the wrath of God. He that does love cursing thus in the Passive sense, surely as David says, it shall come unto him, it shall be unto him as the Garment that covereth him, it shall enter into his bowels like Water, and like Oil into his Bones, Psal. Cix. 17, 18, 19 And truly amongst those things which we did Curse, there are that will fulfil all that most literally; the Riots of thy gaudy bravery that make thee gripe, extort, spend thy own Wealth and other men's, undo thyself and Creditors, be sordid and in Debt, merely to furnish trappings to dress thyself for others eyes and, may be, sins; these bring a Curse to cover thee as does thy Garment, yea and they gird it to thee. The draughts of thy Intemperance carry the malediction down into the Bowels like Water, yea like the Wine into the very Spirits: There is another of them too that will convey the Curse like Oil into the Bones, till it eat out the marrow, and leave nothing but itself to dwell within them, yea till it putrefy the Bones, till it prevent the Grave and Judgement too, while the living Sinner invades the rottenness of the one, and torments of the other; and then the Lents and abstinencies that the sin prescribes shall be observed exactly, only to qualify them for more sin and condemnation, may be at the best but to recover them from what it hath inflicted; when ●et alas! they are too soft and tender, the Lord knows, to endure any ●rities to work out their Repentance and Atonement: and yet sure ●se the Sinner does go through have nothing to commend them which these others do not much more abound with. If those are not grievous to thee because they are so wholesome, and though it be a miserable thing to go through all their painful squalid methods, yet, how disgustful soever, by the benefit of their Cure they excuse their offensiveness, and ingratiate the present injury they do the Flesh, by the succeeding health they help thee to, and by the Death they do secure thee from: Why sure (to omit, that the other have all these advantages, none have so calm and so established health as the abstemious and continent, and their mind is still serene, their temper never clouded, but besides this) the Christians bitter Potions do purge away that sickness that would end in Death eternal, his fastings starve that worm that otherwise would gnaw the Soul immortally; his weep quench the everlasting burnings, yea there is cheerful Pleasure in the midst of these severities, when God breaks in in Comforts into them: The Glory of the Lord appears in that Cloud too that is upon the penitent sad heart; when he is drenched in tears the Holy Ghost the Comforter does move upon those waters, and breaths Life and Salvation into them; and he who is the Unction pours Oil into those wounds of the Spirit; and we are never nearer Heaven than when we are thus prostrate in the lowest dust, and when our Belly cleaveth unto the ground in humble penitence, than we are at the very Throne of Grace: And this our light afflicting of the Soul which is but for a moment, does work for us a far more exceeding weight of Glory. To which, etc. The Fourth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. October. 12. 1662. JOHN XV. 14. Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatsoever I Command you. THE words are a conditional Assertion of Christ's concerning his Apostles, and in them all Christians: And they do easily divide themselves into two parts. The First is a positive part, wherein there is a state of great and Blessed advantage, which they are declared to be in present possession of: In these words, Ye are my Friends. In which there are two things that make up that advantage, 1. A Relation, 2. The Person related to. Friends, and My Friends. The Second is a Conditional part, wherein there are the terms, upon which that Possession is made over, and which preserve the Right and Title to them: in these words, If ye do whatsoever I command you: in which there are two things required as Conditions. I. Obedience, If ye do what I command you. II. That Obedience Universal; If ye do whatsoever I command you. The first thing that offers itself to our consideration, is the Relation, Friends. It is a known common-place Truth, that a Friend is the most useful thing that is in whatsoever state we are: It is the Soul of life, and of content. If I be in prosperity: We know abundance not enjoyed, is but like Jewels in the Cabinet, useless while they are there: It is indeed nothing but the opinion of Prosperity. But 'tis not possible to enjoy abundance otherwise than by communicating it: a man possesseth plenty only in his Friends, and hath fruition of it merely by bestowing it. If I be in adversity; to have a person whom I may intrust a trouble to, whose bosom is as open and as faithful to me, as 'tis to his own thoughts, to which I may commit a swelling secret; this is in a good measure to unlade, and to pour out my sorrow from me; thus I divide my grievances which would be insupportable, if I did not disburden myself of some part of them: Now there is no bosom so safe as that where friendship lodges; take God's Opinion in the case, Deut. xiii. 6. If thy Brother the Son of thy Mother, or thy Son, or thy Daughter, or the Wife of thy bosom, or thy Friend that is as thine own Soul. This is the highest step in the Gradation; And there is all the reason in the World; for though Parent and Child are as near one to other as any thing can be to part of itself; Husband and Wife are but two different names of the same one, yet these may become bitter and unkind: A Parent may grow cross, or a Child refractory, a Mother may be like the Ostrich in the Wilderness, throw off her bowels with her burden; and an ungracious Son is constant pangs and travail to his Mother, his whole life gives her after-throws which are most deadly: Dislikes also may rest within the Marriagebed, and lay their heads upon two wedded Pillows; but none of these unkindnesses can untie the Relation; that ends not where the bitterness begins, he is a Parent still though froward, and a Child though stubborn; but a true Friend can be nothing but kind; it does include a dearness in its essence, which is so inseparable from it, that they begin and end together: A man may be an Husband without loving, but cannot be a lover, that is a Friend, without loving. And sure to have no one Friend in this Life, no one that is concerned in any of my interests or me myself, none that hath any cares or so much as good wishes for me, is a state of a most uncomfortable prospect. The Plague that keeps Friends at a distance from me while I live out of the sphere of my infection, and after gives me Death, hath yet less of Malignity than this; that leaves me the Compassions, the Prayers, all the solitary Comforts, all indeed but the outward entertainments of my Friends; that, though it shut the Door against all company, yet, puts a Lord have Mercy on the Door: But this I now described hath none of that, hath no good wishes, nothing else but hate, is worse than a perpetual Pestilence. Yet neither is this state so comfortless, in respect of this life, as not to have a Friend in the concernments of the Life to come; none that hath so much kindness for my Soul as every man hath for his Enemy's Beast, which if he see fallen in a Ditch he will at least give notice that it may be helped out thence: No one, that when a sin, like to that Falling sickness in the Gospel (and it is such indeed without a Parable) is casting me into the water, quenching my parts, my Reason, and the Immortal spark within me; or throwing me into the Fire, raising Lascivious heats within, which after will break out into Hell fires; none yet that will stretch out his hand to catch me, or to pull me out: None that does care to see me perish to Eternity, or that values my Soul, which yet did cost the Blood of God, at a word speaking: This is to be like Dives in the Flames, to whom they would not lend the help of the tip of a finger, Luke xuj. 24, 25. or give the kindness of a drop of Water: I am as it were on the other side the Gulf already, Here is the use of Friendship, the only noble one, that's worthy of that blessed quality: When I have one that will be an assistant Conscience to me, who, when that within me sleeps, or is benumbed, will watch over my actions; will testify them to my Face, will be as faithful to me as the Conscience should be, hold a Glass to my Soul, show me the stains and the proud tumors, the foul Ulcers that are there, and then will fret, and rub, or prick, lance, and corrode, to cure those tumors, and do off those spots, such an one is a familiar Angel Guardian, is truly of that blessed Heavenly rank, and only less than the Friend in the Text, the Person related to, and my next Part. My Friends. There are three things from which men use to take the measures of a Friend. First, From the good things he bestows on them: He that thinks to keep friendship alive only with Air, that gives good words, but parts with nothing, that entertains only with Garbs and Civilities, is but the pageant of a Friend: They that own having but one Soul, and seem to clasp as if they would have but one Body too, cannot keep such distinct and separate proprieties in other little things, as not to have communication one from the other. And, Secondly, The friendship of these benefits is rated by the measures of our need of them. When Midas was ready to die for hunger, his God was kinder to him in a little bread, than in making all that he touched turn into Gold: Great things engage but little where there is but little use of them: And all these, Thirdly, Are endeared by the Affection they are given with. Good turns done with design, what need soever I have of them, are hire, and not friendship; it is the kindness only that obligeth, the gift without the love does but upbraid and scorn my want. Now to measure the Friend here in the Text, by these, were an impossible undertaking, whose Friendship did exceed all bounds and measures. I shall do no more towards it but read the words before my Text, which were the occasion of it, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his Friends, and then it follows, Ye are my Friends. The token therefore of his Friendship, the gift he gave them was his life, rather that was the least he gave: He gave his glory first, that so he might be qualified to give his life, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. two. 7. He lessened himself from the condition of being Lord of all, into that of a Servant, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. two. 9 being diminished, made lower, meaner than his Creatures for the suffering of Death. Now with the price of such Divine essential glory to buy only a life, rather only a possibility of Death, that after he might give that life for us, and with his Death purchase us an immortal life, is such a gift as no Romance of friendship ever fancied or did aim at: We may have heard of two Companions that would die for one another, that never quarrelled in their lives, but for this, who should suffer first to save the other, and strave only for Execution: But for a Person of the Trinity to leave his Heaven to come down to us; to dwell with Agonies that he might be at one with us: and be tied to the Cross, that he might be united to us; this is a friendship fit for Ecstasies of apprehension. Of all the things that court thy kindness here below, that spread snares, and lay baits for thy friendship, if any bid so fair, so temptingly, if any will give such a price, in God's name let it have thy love, I shall not blame him that engageth his Affection there: But sure Heaven cannot give a greater gift than this; for what can God give greater than himself? Yea I may say God could not give so much, for he must be Man too, to give his life, and this, saith he, he gave for his Friends, even in our stead, who must have perished else eternally, which intimates the second thing, the need we had of this. A need great as the gift, necessity invincible, that could break into Heaven, rifle the Trinity to serve itself, throw Death into those Regions of Immortality, and which would not be satisfied but with the Blood of God. And now is not the kindness and the condescension of Friendship in his expressions too, when he saith, greater love than this hath no man: which was the third Endearment. There never were such wounds of Love as those that tore this Heart; never such melt of Affection as dissolved this Lover into sweats of Blood. There was no motive to all this, but his mere love: For all this he designed to us before we were, and therefore sure before we were deserving: And O our God thou that from all Eternity didst lay Contrivances to give thy Life for us, so to redeem, and then to glorify us; what were we then that thou shouldst do this for us? what were we then when we were not? and yet that thou from the Abyss of Everlastingness, shouldst think thoughts of such kindness to us, and such blessedness for us, who then were not, and deserved nothing; and who since we were, have deserved nothing but Damnation. And as there was no other motive to all this design but love, so neither was there any thing but love in the fulfilling. Look on your Saviour in the Garden, and upon Mount Calvary, and you shall find him there in as great Agonies of Affection as Torment, and hanging down his head upon the Cross with languishments of kindness more than weakness. His Arms stretched out and racked, as if on purpose to the posture of receiving you to his embraces, and his side opened not only to shed Blood for you, but to make you a passage to his very Heart. Look on him offering up his Tears, his Prayers, and his Soul for Sin, and in the midst of all, projecting happiness to you, as it were praying, O my Father, here I charge myself with all the guilt of those my Friends, I thy only Son God, one with thee, am content to suffer Torments that they all may be acquitted; Here I lay down my Life that they may have eternal Life, let me be Crucified, so they be Glorified. Which was the purchase and the gift of this his Passion to all his Friends, even to those that do what he Commands; which is the first Condition that entitles to his friendship, and my next Part. Ye are my Friends if ye do what I command you. I shall not urge, that Great men upon Earth will not take any to their Friendship but upon these terms; nor will I plead the reasonableness of this in Christ, there being no cause why he should be a Friend to any that will daily disoblige him and dishonour him: Nor will I press the whole Oeconomy of Scripture, which says, all the advantages Christ ever gave or meant us, and all the acts of Friendship that he ever did for us were with this design. He gave his grace that brings salvation to save us into an estate of sober Virtue. Tit. two. ver. 11, 12. He gave himself also to Ransom us from our own evil doings, and to redeem us into his Obedience, Tit. two. ver. 14. Without which no dependence on him will avail. Matth. seven. 21. He will own no acquaintance with, nor services from them who have friendship with sin; though they have cast out Devils in his Name, if they retain their Vices; though they do Miracles, if they do wickedly, he will bid them depart, profess he never knew them, ver. 22, 23. He will not let such have a bare relation to his Name, nor have the friendship of a Title, 2 Tim. two. 19 All his Rewards also that he will give are promised to none other, but them that do what he commands, Apoc. xxii. 14. that is, do Evangelically, heartily and faithfully endeavour it, and do this with all diligence expressed by words, that import all strife imaginable, as Running, Wrestling, Fight, Warring. And persevere also by patient continuance in well-doing, Rom. two. 7. and he hath nothing else but Vengeance for all others, 2 Thes. i 8. and we have neither Christ, nor Gospel, nor Religion, but with these terms. But I shall wave all this, and bound myself within the present words, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his Life for his Friends. Ye are my Friends if ye do what I command you. When Christ is boasting of his love, making comparisons, and vying friendships with mankind, nay more, contriving heights and depths of Mercy, such as Man hath no comprehension, nor fathom for; when he was preparing to do an act of compassion almost equal to his Divinity, when he had resolutions of so much kindness as to give his life that he might show kindness. Yet could he not then find in his heart to offer or declare one jot of kindness to the men that will not do what he commands, but in the midst of such Agonies of compassion, he thought of nothing but infinite indignation and eternal vengeance to the disobedient. I have but now given my Body and my Blood even to the Traitor Judas, Luc. xxii. 19, 20, 21. John vi. 70. Rom. v. 10. John iii 16, 17, & 6. 51. & 2 Cor. v. 19 to one who is a Devil: I am going to give my life even for my Enemies, for the World: But I will give no love to any, have no friendship with any but the virtuous: no, though they be my own Disciples, ye are my Friends, ye my Companions and Apostles are my Friends, only on this condition, if ye do what I command you. And then is it not matter of Astonishment, to see men fancy they have a right in all Christ's Actions and Sufferings, presume upon his favour and their own happy condition, though they do nothing, or but very little towards this, and the main of their life be disobedience, as if all Christ's Commands, appointed them to do no commands, and Christianity were but a liberty from virtue? To pass by those that do nothing but Evil, that which the Devil does suggest, or their flesh dictate, and to consider the Demurer sort of Christians, that pretend a respect to Christ, and to Religion, and see what they will do. Why sometimes you may find them troubled at their Vices and themselves; and those troubles breath out in Sighs, and in warm wishes that they could do that which Christ prescribes; to will is sometimes strongly present with them, but to perform they know not how. Alas Christ does not tell you that you are his Friends, if you wish well to him, and his Commands, but he requires that you shall do them. These are but vapours of a troubled Soul, which howsoever they may chance rise warm, catch a strong sudden heat, breathe up in flashing thoughts. They are but Meteors, little shooting flames that only do catch fire and fall and die; show fair, but they warm nothing: And so these thoughts do never, heat the Heart into Devotions and holy resolutions, the fire is not strong nor does it live enough, to melt and work away the filthinesses of the Soul: No, though they grow to aversations; For you may find such men, when wearied with the pursuit of their sins, hating their customs, and the engagements to the practice of them; complaining thus, I know 'tis ill, and 'tis against my heart, that I obey the motions of my passions or Lusts: The incitations of my Appetite, the usance of the World, the Obligations of Civility or mistaken honour do indeed prevail upon me, but 'tis with great reluctancy of mind that I yield to them, but I cannot avoid it. There are not few that satisfy themselves with this condition. Now sure Christ does not say, Ye cannot be my Friends except you sin against me and against your Knowledge, and your Consciences too. 'Tis strange that men should think the Heathen instance of a Witch that cried, — Video meliora, proboque, Deteriora sequor— I know, and do approve of better things, but cannot choose but follow these that are the worse) strange, that this Fury that had the Devil for Familiar, should make Christ a friend; that this should be the state of Gospel Saints, and of God's favourites. 'Tis possible some therefore go yet further to good purposes towards Obedience, and have holy Intentions, but this is not sufficient neither, if to do his Commands be necessary: for to purpose and intend to do them, is not certainly to do them. Yet where are any that do aim at doing any more? and there is none of these but does presume upon his interest in Christ, and satisfies himself and is secure. Yet is it hard to find a ground of this their confidence, unless it rise from the unhappy use they make of Gods preserving Mercies, and his kindness to them in the concernments of this life. They see without their cares, and upon very weak entreaties indeed, against all provocations both of God and danger; yet his protections secure them, although they neither mind the ask them, nor mind the walking worthy of them. The man whose Sins, not Prayers, prepare him for his Bed, he sleeps well: perhaps more sound than he who at his Bedside throws himself on his face into God's Arms, and there bequeathes himself to the Securities of the Almighty: And he, whose Sleeps only refresh him for returns to Sin, does often live as long, as safely, and as merrily, as he that daily most Religiously does beg Protections from above. And others that afford the Lord some little homages, themselves some Prayers when their pleasures or occasions permit, God hath a care of them, and their desires flow into them, all does succeed well with them. Now they take confidence hence to conclude, these are the Tokens of God's friendship, and all his mercies will come in at the like easy rates; that such a short Petition as committed them to the refreshments of the night, and after which they waked into renewed strengths and pleasures, such another shall lay them down in safety, to the sleeps of that long night, that afterwards will break in happy Resurrection: For why? God will not sure fail his own mercies, but be as friendly to their Souls as he is to their Bodies. And thus God's Preservations here, in mere defiance of our provocations, which are the arts of his long-suffering, his strive of Compassion, merely to give us opportunities of being reconciled to him, and to invite us to be so, while we make them occasions of carelessness and security, they are so far from being pledges of his Friendship, that they have all the aggravations of affornted goodness, become Temptations and degrees of Ruin! 'Twere fine indeed it Christ's eternal preparations for his Friends, would come in to us, without care or doing any thing, as an accession to our pleasures; if when we had lived many years as in a Garden, our days all flowered with delight; we might expire into Paradise, and in soft Airs of Music breath into Hallelujahs But alas! the smooth easy way leads down the Hill, and he must strive and pant that will get up into the Mansions and the Bosom of his Saviour, and whosoever will be his Friend, must do that he commands. But is there nothing less indeed will qualify? The Scripture saith, that Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God, James two. 23. and then, is Christ more inaccessible, and harder to be made a Friend? Why, truly God and Christ both are so much Friends to all true Believers, that the Life of Christ was given for them; for, God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John iii 16. Nor are there any qualities more signally peculiar to friendship, more engaging than confidence and trust, dependence and relying, embosoming myself in him: Now these are but the exercise of Faith; and 'tis most certain if we heartily endeavour to do what he commands, there is employment then for all this work of Faith, place for its applications and assurances. My Text does make this good. But when his friendship is made over on Conditions, as 'tis not only in these words, but every where in Scripture; (there being not one Promise absolute that does concern God's favour, justification, and eternal Life: he does not once offer Remission of sins, but to those that amend their Lives; nay, does express as if he could not give it otherwise, peradventure they will repent that I may forgive them, Jer. xxxvi. 3.) The Promises therefore being conditional, Faith must be answerable to the Promises that it does rest on and apply; and at the most, can be but an assurance that you shall be partaker of what's promised, that is to say, partaker of the favour and the life of Christ, if ye do his Commands. But then if I perform not this Condition, to trust upon his friendship which I am not qualified for; to think by Faith to receive a Pardon, which in that case I am, was never offered me; to apply to myself Promises which were never made me, for none were ever made to them that do not do: and to assure myself Christ will transgress his everlasting Covenant for my Vice's sake, merely to give me leave to enjoy my sins; will do that which God may not do, forgive one that will not repent: If I believe thus against Promise, and against Decree, am confident whether Christ will or no, and will rely upon him in despite of him, if such a faith will make us friends, affronts do reconcile. This is indeed to lay violent hands on his favour, and to invade his friendship, and without Metaphor, take Heaven by force. But sure I am, that this is not the Faith made Abraham be called the friend of God in that place of S. James, but a Faith that was perfected by doing, ver. 22. of that Chapter, a Faith that made him offer up his only Son upon the Altar, ver. 21. 'Tis true, he did in hope believe against all hope, Rom. iv. 18. So that his faith was stronger than a contradiction, but yet his resolutions of obedience seem stronger than his faith; for he did that even to the cutting of the grounds of all his faith, and hope. He trusted God would make his Promise good to him, make all the Nations of the Earth be blessed in the seed of Isaac; though Isaac had no seed, nor could have, if he should be slain: And he resolved at Gods command himself to slay that Isaac, so to make him have no seed. His Faith indeed did not dispute the great impossibility; but his obedience caused it. He did not question, how can God perform with me when I have offered up my Son? I cannot look that a large Progeny should rise out of the Ashes on the Altar; nor will those Flames that devour all my Seed at once, make my seed numerous, lasting and glorious as the Stars in Heaven, Gen. xv. 5. which he promised me: But much less did he question, why should I obey in this? He that does his Commands, can but expect what he hath promised; but if I should do this Command and slay my Son, I make his Promise void, and destroy my own expectations: And if I disobey I can but suffer what he bids me do; my own obedience will execute all that his Indignation would threaten to my disobedience. Gen. xxii. 4. Though Abraham had three days time and journey to the Altar, that Nature might have leisure the mean while to reason with the Precept thus, and his Affection might struggle with his Duty; yet he goes on, resolves to tear out his own Bowels, and cut off his hopes, will Sacrifice his only Son, and Sacrifice God's Promises to his Commands. And then, he that will trust to Abraham's example of believing, yet will not follow him at all in doing, will obey no Commands; that is so far from offering up an only Son, he will not slay an only evil Custom, nor part with one out of the herd of all his vicious Habits; will not give up the satisfaction to any of his carnal, worldly, or ambitious appetites; not sacrifice a Passion or a lust to all the Obligations that God and Christ can urge him with, he hath, nor faith, nor friendship, no, nor forehead. 'Tis true indeed, he that hath Abraham's faith may well assure himself he is Christ's Friend; but 'tis only on this account, because he that believes as Abraham believed, he will not stick to do whatever Christ commands; which is that universality of obedience, that is the next condition that entitles to Christ's friendship, and my last Part. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I Command you. There is no quality so necessary to a Friend, or so appropriate to friendship, as sincerity. They that have but one Soul, they can have no reserves from one another: But disobedience to one Precept, is inconsistent with sincerity, that hath respect unto all the Commandments; and he that will not do whatever Christ prescribes, hath reserves of affection for some darling sin, and is false to his Saviour. He is an Enemy indeed, so that there is no friendship on either side. S. Paul says so of any of one kind; the minding of the flesh, saith he, whether it be providing for the Belly, or any other of the Organs of Carnality, is desperate, incurable Rebellion: Now such a Rebel, is, we know, Rom. viij. 7. the worst of Enemies. S. James does say as much of any of those vicious affections that are set on the World: Whosoever will be a friend of the World, is an Enemy of God, James iv. 4. And he calls them adulteresses and Adulterers, who think to join great strict Religion to some little by-love of an Honour, or a profit of this World. Such Men are like a Wife, that not contented with the partner of her Bed, takes in another now and then, she must not count herself her Husband's Friend, though she give him the greatest share in her affections; no, she is but a bosom Enemy: And so any one Vice allowed is a paramour sin, is whoredom against Christ, and our pretended friendship to him in all other obediences, is but the kindness and the caresses of an Adulteress, the mere hypocrisy and treachery of love. If it be necessary to the gaining Christ's friendship, that thou do his Commands, 'tis necessary that thou do them all, that thou divorce thyself from thy beloved sin, as well as any other: Because his Friendship does no more require other obedience than it does that, but is as inconsistent with thy own peculiar Vice as with the rest. Indeed it is impossible that it should bear with any, they being all his murderers. If thou canst find one sin that had no hand in putting Christ to Death, one Vice that did not come into the garden, nor upon Mount Calvary, that did not help to assassin thy Saviour, even take thy fill of that: But if each had a stab at him, if no one of thy Vices could have been forgiven, had not thy Jesus died for it, canst thou expect he should have kindness for his Agony, or friendship for the man that entertains his Crucifiers in his heart? If worldly cares which he calls Thorns, Matth. xiii. 22. fill thy head with Contrivances of Wealth and Greatness, of filling Coffers, and of platting Coronets for thee, as the thorns did make him a C●own too, Matth. xxvii. 29. wouldst thou have him receive thee and these in his bosom, to gore his Heart as they did pierce his Head? If thou delight in that intemperance, which filled his deadly Cup, which Vomited Gall into it, can he delight in thee? Matth. xxvi. 38, 39 That Cup which made him fall upon his face to deprecate, will he partake in as the pledge of mutual love? He that sunk under, could not bear this load of thine, when it was in his Cross upon his shoulders, will he bear it and thee in his Arms, when thou fallest under it? When thou wilt cast a shameful spewing on his glory too, if he own such a Friend? Thou that art so familiar with his Name, as thou were't more his Friend than any in the World, whose Oaths and imprecations, Moses says, Levit. xxiv. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strike through that Name, which they so often call upon, thou mayst as well think his Heart did attract the Spear that pierced it, and the Wound close upon its head with Unions of Love, as that he hath kindness for thee. If Christ may make Friendship with him, that does allow himself a sin, he may have fellowship with Belial: For him to dwell in any heart that cherisheth a Vice, were to descend to Hell again. But as far as those Regions of Darkness are from his Habitation of Glory, and the Black Spirits of that place from being any of his Guard of holy Myriads; so for is he from dwelling with, or being friend to him, that is a friend to any wickedness, to him that will not do whatever he commands. And now if these Conditions seem hard, if any do not care to be his Friend upon these terms, they may betake themselves to others. Let such make themselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness: A Friend indeed that hath not so much of the insincerities as many great ones have: For this will furnish them with all that heart or lust can wish for, all that necessity or wantonness proposeth to itself to dress out pomp or Vice: But yet when with enjoyment the affections grow, and become so unquiet, work them so, as not to let their thoughts or actions rest, make them quicken themselves, and like the motions of all things that go downwards tending to the Earth, increase by the continuance, grow stronger, and more violent towards the end, then when they are most passionate, it fails them: And having filled their life with most unsatisfied tormenting cares, it leaves them nothing but the guilt of all: When their great Wealth shall shrink into a single sheet, no more of it be left, but a thin shroud, and all their vast Inheritances but six foot of Earth, be gone, yet the iniquity of all will stick close to them; and this false Friend, that does itself forsake them, will neither go along, Psal. xiix. 17. nor will let its pomp follow them, raiseth a cry on them as high as God's Tribunal; the cry of all the Blood, all the oppressed rights that bribery till then had stifled, the groans of all those Poor that greatness, covetousness, or extortion had grouned or crushed; the yell of those Souls that were s●arv'd for want of the Bread of life, which yet they paid for, and the price of it made those heaps which will that day appear against their Friends and Masters, and prove their Adversaries to eternal Death. Let others joy in Friends that Wine does get them; such as have no qualification to endear them, but this, that they will not refuse to sin and to be sick with their Companions: Men that do only drink in their affections, as full of friendship as of liquor, and probably they do unload themselves of both at once, part with their dearness and their drink together and alike. I know not whether in be heats of mutual kindness that inflame these draughts, and the desires of them, so as if they did drink thirst; but sure I am, that these hot draughts begin the Lake of fire. Let others please themselves in an affection that Carnality cements. These are warm friendships I confess, but Solomon will tell us whence they have their heat. Her house, Prov. seven. 27. saith he, doth open into Hell, and Brimstone kindles those libidinous flames. There are straight bands, fetters in those affections indeed; for the same Wiseman says, The Closets of that sinner are the Chambers of Death: Prov. two. 19 That none that go unto her return again, or take hold of the paths of life; it seems she is a friend that takes most irreversible dead hold, she is not only as insatiate, but as inexotable as the Grave, and the Eternal Chains of Fate are in those her Embraces. But God keep us from making such strict Covenants with Death; from being at friendship with Hell; or in a word, that I say all at once, with any that are good Companions only in sin●ing. Such men having no virtue in themselves, must needs hate it in others, as being a reproach to them, and therefore they are still besieging it, using all arts and stratagems to undermine it: and having nothing else to recommend them in men's affections, but their managery of Vice, no way to Merit but by serving iniquity, they not only comply with our own evil Inclinations, that so they may be grateful, and insinuate into us, but they provoke too and inflame those tendencies that they may be more useful to us, having no other means to work their ends. And then such friends by the same reason, must be false and treacherous, and all that we declaim at, and abhor in Enemies, when that shall be the way to serve their ends; because they have no Virtue to engage them to be otherwise: And to be such, is to be constant to their own designs, their dispositions and usances. These are the Pests of all Societies, they speak and live infection, and friendship with them is to couple with the Plague. These do complete and perfect what the Devil but began in Eden: Nurse up Original sin, chase inclination into appetite and habit, suggest and raise desires, and then feed them into Constitution and Nature: In a word, are a brood of those Serpents, one of which was enough to destroy Paradise and Innocence. 'Tis true, a man would think these were our Friends indeed, that venture to Gehenna for us: Alas they are but more familiar Devils, work under Satan to bring us to Torments, and differ nothing from him, but that they draw us into them, and he inflicts them. And when sinful contents come home in Ruin, and pleasures die into Damnation; then men will understand these treacherous loves, and find such Friends are but projectors for the Devil; then they will hate them as they do their own Damnation, discerning these are but the kindnesses of Hell. Nay it is possible, I may slander that place in speaking so ill of it. Dives will let us see there are affections of a kinder and more blessed strain in Hell, Luke xuj. from the twenty seventh Verse; you find he did make truce with Torments, that he might contrive and beg only a message of Repentance for his Brethren; he did not mind at all his own dire Agonies, he minded so the reformation of his Friends. Good God when I reflect upon these pieties of the Damned, together with the practices of those who have given their names in to Religion, when I see Fiends in Hell do study how to make Men virtuous, and Christians upon Earth with all their art debauch them into vice and ruin; I cannot choose but pray, Grant me such Friends as are in Hell. Rather grant us all the Friendship in the Text. But then, we must have none with any Vice. Friendship with that, engageth into Enmity with God and Christ I showed you. And to pass over all those after-retributions of Vengeance Christ hath studied for his Enemies, when he, that now courts us to be our Friend and we will make our Adversary, must be our Judge: For were there none of this, and should we look no further than this life; yet sure we of this Nation know, what it is to have God our Enemy; who for so many years lay under such inflictions, as had much of the character of his last execution; they had the Blasphemies and the Confusion, the dire Guilts, and the black Calamities, and almost the Despair and Irrecoverableness of those in Hell. And though He be at Peace with us at present, at least there is a Truce; yet I beseech you in the presence and the fear of God, to think in earnest, whether the present provocations of this Nation do not equal those that twenty years ago engaged him into Arms against us, and made him dash us so in pieces: Whether those Actions of the Clergy be reform that made the People to abhor their Function and their Service, the Offerings and Ministers of the Lord, and made God himself spew them out. 'Twere endless to go on the profaneness, to the loose impieties and the bold Atheisms of the Laity, especially of the better sort; in short, what one degree, or state or Sex is better? Sure I am, if we are not better, we are worse beyond expression or recovery: who have resisted every method, and conquered all God's Arts of doing good upon us, been too hard for his Judgements and his Mercies both. 'Tis true, when we lay gasping under his severe Revenges, we then pretended to be humbled, begged to be reconciled and be at peace with him, and vowed to his Conditions, promising obedience, and aliened ourselves from our old sins, his Foes. But then, when Christ came to confirm this Amity, came dressed with all his Courtship, brought all the invitations of Love along, our Prince and our Religion, our Church and State, Righteousness and Peace, and the Beauty of Holiness, every thing that might make us be an Happy and a Pious Nation, thus he did tempt and labour to engage that Friendship which we offered him and vowed to him: And we no sooner seized all this, but we break resolutions as well as duty, to get loose from him; and laden with the spoils of our defeated Saviour's goodness, we join hands with his Enemies, resume our old acquaintant-sins, every and serve them with his Bounties, make appear that we only drew him in, to work such Miracles, but to assist our Worldliness, Ambitions and Lusts, to be our opportunities of Vice and provocation of him. And being thus affronted and refused, his Enemy preferred, not this God, but Barrabas, any the vilest thing for Friend, rather than Christ, must he not needs be more our Enemy than heretofore? And if he be, that question will concern us, 1 Cor. x. 22. Are we stronger than God? It should behoove us not to fall out with him till we are. See how he does prepare himself for the Encounter, Wisd. v. Taking his Jealousy for Armour, putting on Justice, ver. 17, 19 20. severe and vindicative Justice, as a Breastplate; and, his Wrath sharpening as a Sword; and, arming all the Creatures for Auxiliaries. Alas! when Omnipotence does express itself as scarcely strong enough for Execution, but Almightiness will be armed also for Vengeance, will assume Weapons, call in Aids for fury, who shall stand it? Will our Friends, think you, keep it off us, and secure us? did we consider how uneasy God accounts himself, till he begin the Storm, while he keeps off his Plagues from overrunning such a Land, we would expect them every moment, and they must come. Isa●. l. 20. Ah, says he, I will ease me of mine Adversaries, and avenge me of mine Enemies; and then in what condition are we, if God can have no ease but in our ruin, if he does hunger and thirst after it, go to his Vengeance as to a Feast? And if you read the 25th Chapter of Isaiah, you will find there a rich Bill of Fare, which his Revenge upon his Enemies does make; view the sixth Verse. He that enjoys his morsels, that lays out his Contrivances, and studies on his Dishes so as if he meant to cram his Soul, let him know what delight soever he finds, when he hath spoiled the Elements of their Inhabitants, to furnish his own Belly, and not content with Nature's Delicacies neither, hath given them forced Fatnesses, changing the very flesh into a marrow, suppling the Bones almost into that Oil that they were made to keep; all ●his delight the Lord by his expressions does seem to take in his dread Executions on his Enemies, a sinful People. And if the vicious Friendships of the World have so much more attractive than Christ's love and favour, and the happy consequences of it, as to counterpoise all the danger of such enmity, you may join hands with them: But if His be the safer and more advantageous, then harken to his Propositions and beseechings; for He does beg it of you: As he treated this reconciliation in his Blood, so he does in Petitions too. 2 Cor. v. 20. For saith S. Paul, We are Ambassadors for Christ, as if God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, Be you reconciled, and then be Generous towards your GOD and Saviour; and having brought him as it were upon his knees, reduced him to entreaties, be friends, and condescend to him and your own Happiness. If He be for you, take no care then, who can be against you. His Friendship will secure you not only from your Enemies but from Hostility itself; for, when a man's ways please the Lord he will make even his Enemies to be at peace with him, Prov. xuj. 7. He will reconcile all but Vices. And afterwards see what a blessed throng of Friends, we shall be all initiated into, Heb. xii. 23. To an innumerable company of Angels, to the general Assembly, and Church of the Firstborn that are written in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, etc. And of this blessed Corona, we ourselves shall be a noble and a glorious part, inflamed all with that mutual love, that kindles Seraphims, and that streams out into an heavenly glory, filling that Region of immortal love and blessedness; and being Friends, that is, made one with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that Trinity of Love, we shall enjoy, what we do now desire to ascribe to them, All Honour, Glory, Power, Majesty, and Dominion, for evermore. Amen. The Fifth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Third Wednesday in LENT. EZECH. XXXIII. 11. Why will ye Die? THE Words are part of a Debate which God had with the sinful House of Israel, in which there are three things offer themselves to be considered. First, The Sinners Fate and Choice: He will Die; That's his End, yea, 'tis his Resolution, he will die. Secondly, God's inquiry for the Ground of this, he seems astonished at the Resolution; and therefore reasons with them about this their so mad choice, and questions Why will ye die? Which words are also, Thirdly, The debate of his Affections, the reasoning of his Bowels, and a most passionate Expostulation with them on account of that their Resolution, Why will ye die? which as it is addressed by God directly to the House of Israel, so it would fit a Nation perverse, as that; which mutinies against Miracles and Mercies, is false to God, Religion, and their own Interests; led by a Spirit of giddiness and frenzy, unsteady in all things but resolutions of Ruin, that would tear open their old Wounds, to let out Life, and they will die. And though the Lord be pleased to work new prodigies of mercy for us, and to say unto us in despite of all our Enemies both Foreign and Domestic, Live: The use we make of all is only to debauch the Miracles, and make Gods Mercies help to fill the measure of our Judgements; live as if we would try all the ways to Ruin; and since God will thus deliver us from dangers, we would call for them some other way. But to prescribe to these is above the attempt of my endeavours: May the blessed Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Holiness and Peace, and Order, breath on their Counsels whom this is committed to. I shall bend my Discourse to the Conviction of Sinners in particular, and treat upon the words as if they had been spoke to us under the Gospel. The first thing which my Text and God supposeth, is the Sinners Fate and Choice: He will die. Even the second Death, for it is appointed for all men once to die, and then cometh the Judgement which shall sentence him to another death that is immortal, in which he and his misery must live for ever; that is, he must die everlastingly: Such is first his Fate. That Sin and Death are of so near, so complicated a relation, as that though they were Twins, the birth and Issue of one Womb and moment, yet they are also one another's Offspring, and beget each other, while Sin bringeth forth Death, James 1. 15. as S. James saith, and is the Parent of Perdition, 2 Thess. xi. 3. and yet the Man of Sin is the Son of Perdition, as S. Paul saith, and Iniquity is but destruction's birth, only itself derived. And that this Death and Perdition is Eternal in the most sad sense of the word there are a thousand Texts that say. This is the Message of God in the mouth and Blood of his Son, who useth all the artifice of Words affirmative, and negative, to tell us so, as if on purpose to preclude all doubt and subterfuge, Matth. xxv. 41, 46. calls it Eternal fire, and Eternal punishment, where their worm dieth not, Mark ix. 43, 44. their fire is not quenched, Torment for ever and ever, and the like. Your Faith and certainty of which is as strong as your Christianity, Rev. xiv. 10, 11. and therefore by attempting any farther proof of this, to imply there is reason and necessity for doing so, were to suppose my Hearers Infidels. But then this being granted that such is the Sinners Fate to lay down positively that it is his Choice, and that he doth resolve for Death, is to suppose them worse than Infidels, more than irrational and brutish; Beasts cannot so desire against the possibilities of Appetite, break all the forces and instincts of Nature, as to will destruction, and choose misery. Yet that the Sinner does so is the ground of God's Expostulation here, Why will you die? Psal. xxxiv. 12. David inquires as if it were a Prodigy to find, What man is he that lusteth to Live? And sure the vicious man does not, for Wisdom that is Virtue, says, He that sinneth against me woundeth his own Soul, and all they that hate me love death, Prov. viij. 36. And 'tis most evident, that they who eagerly, and out of vehement affection pursue and seize those things to which they know destruction is annexed inseparably, they love and choose destruction, though not for itself, yet for the sake of that to which it clings. He that is certain such a Potion, howsoever sweetened and made palatable, is compounded with the juice of deadly Nightshade, if notwithstanding he will have the Poisonous draught, it is apparent he resolves to die. And that I may evince this is a settled obstinate incorrigible resolution in him, and by what ways and steps it comes to be so, I will lay before you the violent courses he does take to break through difficulties and obstructions that would trash and hinder him: And when the avenues to Death are strongly guarded, how he storms and forces them, overcomes all resistance possible, that he may seize on Sin and Death. And First, When such persons have entered the Profession of Christianity in Baptism, and by early engagements tied themselves to the observation of its duties, if Principles of probity in Nature, fomented by others, instilled with Education, have made impressions of duty on the mind, and wrought a reverence and awe of God and of Religion, which is a fence about them, and does keep off Vice, by making it seem strange, uncouth and difficult, while these fears and aversations are rooted in them; why then the first thing that they do, as soon as Youth and the Temptations do stir within them, is to poison these their own Principles by evil Conversation, and from that and Example take infusions, which shall impregnate them with humours of being in the fashion of the World: Thus they labour to strangle the then troublesome modesties of Nature and of Virtuous breeding; thus they look out ill Company to infect themselves: And surely they that seek the Plague and run into infection, we have cause to fear they have a Resolution to die. But, Secondly, If notwithstanding this in the first practices of Vice, their former Principles stir, and ferment within, and fret the Conscience, set that on working; why then if the sin sting gently, do but prick the heart, and make an outlet for a little gush of Sorrow, then in spite of Scripture, they do teach themselves to think that grief Repentance, and by the help of that conceit this sorrow cools, and doth allay the swelling of the mind, washes away the guilt and thought of the commission, they have been sad, and they believe, repent; as if those stings opened the fountain for transgression, and those little wounds did flow with Balsam for themselves: And by this means that sting of the old Serpent sin, while it pretends to cure by hurting thus, proves indeed the Tempter to go on. For if this be all, why should a man renounce all the Contents and satisfactions of his Inclinations, and mortify and break his nature to avoid a thing which is so easily repent for? No, if it be no worse they can receive this Serpent in their bosom, dare meet his sting, and run upon these wounds, and they do so till the frequent pungencies, and cicatrices have made the Conscience callous and insensible, the heart hardened. But if their first essays of sin were made unfortunate by Notoreity, or some unhappy circumstance, and so the wound were deep, and the Conscience troublesome and restless, because this is very uneasy, these inward groans make discord in their cheerful airs, make their life harsh, they therefore find it necessary to confront the shame with Courage of iniquity, go boldly on that so they may outlook it, fear their own Conscience that its wounds may not bleed. And as those Fiends of Men who Sacrificed their Children in the fire to Moloch, that they might not hear their Infants shriek, nor their own Bowels croak, had noises made with Timbrels to outvoice them: So these to drown the cries and howl of their wounded mind, put themselves in perpetual hurry of divertisement and Vice, make Tophet about themselves, and with the noise of Riots overcome all other, because they will not hearken to those groans that call for the Physician of Souls, and then sure these resolve to die. Nay if this will not keep them quiet, you may see them sometimes ruffle with their own Consciences, desire present Convictions in the very instant of Commission, men so set on Death, that they Condemn themselves in that which they allow. And though a man would think there should be little satisfaction in those pleasures which Condemnation thrusts itself into, and which have an alloy of so sad apprehensions; yet such are it seems the satisfactions of sin: For while it slabs and gashes, He brave Hero of Iniquity, can charge the wounds and take the Vice. Yea Thirdly, though the Lord himself appear, and take part in the Quarrel, join with our Principles and Conscience against the sin, and with importunate Calls alarm us, give us no rest, ordain a Function of men by whom he does beseech us, dresses their Messages with Promises of that which God is blessed in, and arms them too with Terrors such as Devils tremble at, and joins his Holy Spirit too, that Power of the Highest, sends him in Tongues of Fire, that he also may Preach this to our very Hearts, and fright us with more flame: And yet the Sinner breaks these strengths, and vanquishes the Arts and strive of Divine Compassion. If these Ambassadors speak Charms, it is but what God tells our Prophet in this Chapter, ver. 32. And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an Instrument. And it does die like that, as it there follows, They hear thy words but they do them not. And if they flash in Hell against their Vices, in torrents of threatening Scripture, they concern themselves no more than they would in the story of a new Eruption of Mount Aetna or Vesuvius. Yea they do quench the Spirit and his fires, do not like the deaf Adder, stop their ears against his whisper, and the charms of Heaven (that were a weaker and less valiant guilt) but are Religious in hearing them, curious that they may be spoke with all advantages to make it harder not to yield and live, that so they may express more resolution to perish, and with more courage and solemnity may sin and die. Nay more, when God hath found an Art to draw themselves into a League and Combination against their Vices, bound them in Sacraments to Virtue; made them enter a Covenant of Piety, and seal it in the Blood of God, and by that foederal Rite with hands lift up, and seizing on Christ's Body, and with holy Vows oblige themselves to the performances, or to the Threats of Gospel, which they see executed in that Sacrament before their eyes, see there death is the wages of iniquity, they show themselves its damned consequences, while they behold it tear Christ's Body, spill his Blood, and Crucify the Son of God; yet neither will this frightful spectacle, nor their own ties hold them from sin and ruin, they break these bonds asunder to get at them. The Wiseman says that wicked men seek death and make a Covenant with it, Wisd. i 16. and so it seems: But sure they are strange wilful men, that seek it at God's Table in the Bread of Life, that will wade through an Ocean of mercy to get at Perdition, and find it in the Blood of Christ, will drink Damnation in the Cup of blessing; men that poison Salvation to themselves: They that contract thus for Destruction, and tie it to them at the Altar, with such sacred Rites and Articles, are sure resolved and love to die. Fourthly, God had provided other Guards to secure men from sin and Death, the Censures of the Church; of which this Time was the great Season, and the discipline of abstinence we now use is a piteous relic, all that the World will bear it seem: But as the Lord appointed them they were so close a fence, Matth. xuj. 19 that our Saviour calls them Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, as if they locked us in the Path of Piety and Life; and we must pick or break all that the Key of Heaven can make fast, burst Locks as well as Vows before we can get out, have liberty to sin. God having bounded in the Christians race as that among the Grecians was, which had a River on one side, and Swords points all along the other, so that Destruction dwelled about it on the borders: And God hath mounded ours with the River of Hell the Lake of Fire, and with these spiritual Swords (as S. Cyprian and S. Hierome call the Censures.) But yet a Mound too weak alas! to stand the Resolution and assaults of Vices now adays; which do not only make great breaches in the Fence, but have quite thrown it down, and slighted it; and the Church dares not set it up again, should she attempt it they would scoff it down. Men will endure no bar in the way to Perdition; they will have liberty of Ruin; will not be guarded from it; so far from brooking Censures they will suffer no Reproof, nor Admonition, not suffer one word betwixt them and Death eternal. But Fifthly, Though we will not let Almighty God restrain us with his Censures, yet he will do it with his Rod, and set the sharp stakes of Affliction in our walk, to keep us in; thus he makes sins sometimes inflict themselves, and then we strait resolve to break off from them; and while we suffer shame, and feel destruction in the Vice we shrink and uncling: And now the Sinner would not die, especially if his Precipitance have thrown him to the confines of the grave; and while he took his full careers of Vice, the fury of his course did drive him to the ports of Ruin, and Death seemed to make close and most astonishing approaches, when standing on the brink of the Abyss, he takes a prospect of the dismal state that must receive him and his Vices, than he trembles and flies, his apprehensions swoon, his Soul hath dying qualms, caused as much by the Nausea of sin as by the fear of Hell: he is in agonies of passion and of Prayer both against his former courses, he never will come near them more; and now sure God hath catched him, and his will is wholly bend another way, now he will live the new life if God will grant him any: But alas! have we never seen when God hath done this for him, stretched out his Arm of Power, haled him from the brow of the Pit, and set him further off, how he does turn and drive on furiously in the very same path that leads to the same Ruin, and he recovers into death eternal? And now this Will is grown too strong for the Almighty's powerful methods, and frustrates the whole Counsel of God for his Salvation, neglects his Calls and Importunacies whereby he warns him to consult his safety, to make use of Grace in time, not to harden his heart against his own mercies, and perish in despite of mercy. And when he can reject God's Graces and his Judgements thus, defy his Conscience and his own Experience too, there is but one thing left wherein this Resolution can show its courage, and that is, Sixthly, His own present Interests; All which the Sinner can break through and despise, to get at Death. It is so usual to see any of the gross wasting Vices when it is once espoused, murder the Reputation, and all those great concerns that do depend upon a man's Esteem, eat out his Wealth and Understanding, make him pursue pernicious ways and Counsels, besot him, and enslave him, fill his life with disquiet, shame and neediness, and the sad consequents of that, Contempt, and all that's Miserable and unpitied in this Life; and yet the sin with all these disadvantages is lovely, not to be divorced nor torn off from him, that I were vain should I attempt to prove a thing so obvious. I shall give but one instance of the power of the Will, the violence and fury of its inclinations to Ruin. The man who for another's inadvertency, possibly such as their own rules of Honour will not judge affront, yea sometimes without any shadow of a provocation, merely becave he will be rude, does that upon which they must call one another to account, and to their last account indeed at God's dread Judgment-seat; whither when he hath sacrificed two Families, it may be all their hopes and comforts in this Life; two Souls which cost the Blood of God, having assaulted Death when it was armed and at his heart, and charged Damnation to take Hell by Violence; he comes with his own and his Brother's blood upon his Soul to seize his Sentence, Go ye Cursed into everlasting Fire: 'Tis plain against all Interests of this World and the World to come, this man will die. And yet this is one of the laudable and generous Customs of the Age. Neither doth this man stand alone, the desperate Rebel would come into the Induction, that without any hopes sets all on fire, to consume all here, and to begin his Flames hereafter. But I have said enough to prove the Resoluteness of a Sinners Will, which is so great indeed that it is this especially which does enhance the guilt of sin into the merit of an endless punishment, this persevering obstinacy does deserve Hell and make it just. For whatsoever inequality there is betwixt the short-lived pleasures of a sin, which die while they are tasted, and put out themselves, and those eternal never-dying retributions of Vengeance, (As sure there is also betwixt the life of Man, and several of those petty felonies that forfeit it) yet the Law does not murder when it Executes. (I might have instanced in the gathering sticks upon the Sabbath day in Israel. Numb. xv. 32, 35. ) For since the preservation of public safety and propriety is valuable with the lives of many men, and to secure that and affright the Violation, it was necessary to affix such punishments to such offences; they that know the penalty, and wilfully, merely to feed their other Vices, run upon it, justly suffer it: So that Man might not rob himself of that Immortal Glory which God had ordained him when he did see it absolutely necessary, thus to hedge Vice with Eternal Death: And as he set Angels and Flaming Swords to keep him out of Paradise, so to set Fiends and Flames to guard Hell from him, and to entail those Torments on Man's sin, which he had prepared for the Devil, and sealed the Deed in the Blood of his Son. If notwithstanding men renounce the blessedness, and against all their Interests and Obligations, in spite of all the Arts and Powers of Heaven, they will have the Torments; and, (what they never would attempt for Paradise) invade those flames to get to Hell, 'tis very just that God should let them have it; should not break his Decrees, dispense with Holy Laws so confirmed, merely to gratify those that are obstinate for ruin, and against his whole Gospel quench Hell fires because men are resolved to run into them. This Will does, as it were, even the Scales betwixt the Sin and the Damnation, equal the pleasure to the punishment, and fill the distance from a moment to Eternity. But though this Will do clear God's Justice, yet it does not satisfy his Reason, he seems astonished at the choice; God himself cannot find a Ground for such a Resolution; and therefore does inquire, Why will ye die? Which is God's question, and my second Part. It is the present pleasure sin does tempt your sensuality withal, whose agitations are so quick and strong that they surprise or break the forces of your Reason, and your Principles, put the Mind in disorder, and then seize it with such violence as to lead it captive to the Law of Sin and Death? 'Tis true indeed thus both of them had their original, so they prevailed in Paradise, for when the Woman saw the Tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eye, and a Tree to be desired to make one wise, she took thereof and she did eat, although she knew that God had said, In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, Gen. iii But there was generous pleasure here, such as tempted the Soul, assaulted it with the appearances of Wisdom, and divine Knowledge: Ye shall be as Gods, Gen. iii 5. And sure 'tis no great wonder if the proper pleasures of the mind engage it, therefore when God would give a Precept liable to a Temptation of being broke, he laid it in the sphere of those things that delight the Soul, of Knowledge; but far be it that those of sensuality should ever have prevailed; Man may yield to the pleasure of being like God, but for pleasure to make himself a Beast is contradiction to Nature. For pleasure is but satisfaction of our appetites, and the more natural the inclination is, the higher and more powerful that Nature, and the desire eagerer, so much the more delightful is the satisfaction. Now it is certain that the reasonable faculty, the Soul or Spirit is the highest and most proper nature of a man: In all the rest he's not a step removed from Beasts, unless it be in shape, but in the accurateness of his senses is below them far; and therefore must be so in sensual satisfactions; but in his Soul he borders upon Angels, and does come towards God. Now than that Soul being man's peculiar nature, the highest part of him, It follows its delights, Spiritual reasonable Joys must needs be the most natural and most proper for it, most conformed to it, and therefore the most taking with it. This may be cleared most irrefragably. A Beast hath several ingredients of Nature in his making, he is an heavy body, and a Vegetable, and he hath also Sense which is his highest nature. Now though the only inclination of heavy bodies be to fall down to the Earth, and this be also natural to a Beast, we do not find that 'tis his greatest pleasure, sure he had rather feed than tumble in the Pasture; his chief delight lies in the satisfaction of his chiefest faculties, wherein he does excel, his Senses; and as Beasts differ and transcend in these, so do their pleasures also differ and exceed. A man also, as Aristotle says, does live a threefold Life: At first he is but a Plant-man, a growing span of living Creature, and he's born only into Animality, a Life of Sense, and at last educated into reasonable. Now the delights of his first Stages, whilst only Vegetation and Sense live, although proportioned to those states, yet have no savour to the mind; he grows through Nuts and Rattles to the use of Reason, and the pleasures of it also; these must keep even with the growing faculties and become higher, rational, and manly: Which if they do not, but the man still dwell upon the satisfaction of sense, he does confound the Stages, contradict the progresses of Nature; he hath the age and strength of Reason but to play the Child with, to exert it in those things that are but a Man's Rattles, hath the sagacity of an Intelligence merely to find out how to be a brute with greater luxury and relish. Come therefore, show me now the sins which the delights of Reason do betray you to, and I'll admit the Plea: But if you live your own reverse that you may die; renounce all your own pleasures first, that so you may renounce the joys of God and Heaven; and fall from Nature that you may fall into Hell, this case hath no pretence; and those pleasures cannot toll man on to death, which till the man be dead, and the brute only live within him cannot be his pleasures. And it is plain they are not pleasures to a Sober man that lives the life of Reason, not to say of Grace: Nor are they such to any man till he have trained and exercised himself into an habit of enduring them, and by a discipline of Torment made himself experienced for Vice and for Damnation: Nor is there ever any pleasure in some Vices. What is there in the dismal Wishes of man's imprecating passion? there cannot be music in those harsh horrors, and yet the Sinners will destruction so as that they call to God to pour it on them, and tear it down from Heaven, so that Pain and Disease seem to sauce those delights, and Death to be the tempter to the pleasure; 'tis evident men's reasons and their Practices must be first debauched, that they may count them Pleasures, and therefore pleasure cannot be the first mover in the Sinners race to Death. But I will grant, that the Spirit and Flesh of Man by their so straight alliance and perpetual converse, may grow to have the same likes and dislikes, have but one appetite, and this alas! be that of flesh; to whose only satisfactions the man useth himself, by long Custom of which, the Soul doth so imbibe the Inclinations of the Body, that nothing of another kind can possibly be relished. In this case sensuality hath pleasures, yet such as cannot answer God's enquiry; for do but consult man's other Choices and you find a present satisfaction cannot work his Resolutions to forego great after-hopes, or run upon a foreseen ruin. Who will exchange his right to the Reversion of a Crown, which from his Father he shall certainly inherit and succeed to if he do outlive him, for a present Scene of Royalty, and choose a painted Coronet, the pomps and adorations of a Stage, and the applauses of a Crowd before the real Glories of his Kingdom, the love and the obedience of his Subjects? And yet my Soul, the disproportion of the Sinners terms is infinitely greater; and there is no hazard, which to make his choice of present things more flattering, the others hopes are liable to: For that Heir of the Crown may die before the Crown fall to him; but it is impossible that we should miss of ours except we put ourselves by, by such choices; except we change it thus. And on the other side we know, men will adventure the Sentence of the Law by Robberies and murders to provide for Lusts, while they hope to be undiscovered: But sure a Prison made delightful by all arts of pleasure, and all plenties of it, will not hire a man to own those actions which shall forfeit him to certain shameful Execution the next Sessions, and yet this is the Sinners state exactly, he is tied and bound in the chain of his sins, they are it may be chains of Gold and softened with delices, but they reserve him to the Judgement of the great Assize: And yet he chooses these and puts them on as Ensigns of delight and honour. Once more; Do not men choose a present Agony to keep off an afterevil, they tear their bowels with a Vomit to prevent a Surfeit, they cup and scarify, and with all artifice or pain upon themselves kill a Disease, yea they are well content to prolong torment so they may but prolong life; and though the preservation of it prove only continued pangs, and all they can effect is only this, that they are longer dying, yet they are glad to be so in all cases, except where the prescription is Virtue, and the death prescribed against Eternal. Now why do you choose thus only in Sin and Hell? 'Tis clear the very pleasure you change Heaven for, cannot invite you from this Life, and then you that will suffer any thing rather than you will die, Why against all resistance will you die for ever? It is Secondly, because you know not what it is to die the second Death? at least your notions of it are so slight and easy, that they cannot fright you from a pleasure or cope with a temptation to it; and so though present satisfactions are not able to engage you upon present ruin they can upon the after-death. Indeed the Sinner would have reason if it meant no more than hath been taught of late by one that hath gained many Proselytes among the Virtuosos of Religion; After the Resurrection the Reprobates shall be, saith he, in the state that Adam and his Posterity were in after his Sin (i. e.) the state we are now in, Live as we do, Marry and give in Marriage, and cease to be when they have got some heirs to succeed them in Tophet. Poor unhappy Souls these! that never had any sin to merit being there, nor any Sentence to condemn them thither but this man's: Who must put them there successively one after other, to find employment for Everlasting fire. A Doctrine such as had an Angel Preached from Heaven by S. Paul's award he must have been Anathema; when the Devil made Religions, and Theology came from the bottomless Pit, he never found out such an Engine to convey men into it as this pleasant notion of the punishment of sin therein; as if Leviathan were made to take his pastime in that Lake also, by such interpretations, which surely were contrived to make out the Assertion of that Romish Priest, who says, that those in Hell love to be there; Tho. de. Alb. nay more, that 'twas impossible for God to do a kinder thing for them than to put them there. Doctrines to be abhorred as Hell itself; and yet upon these grounds he builds their Church by demonstration, so strong as that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it; and in truth they have no reason to assault it on these terms. But to pass by such dotages and frenzies, you will be able sure to check all those presumptions which grow from slight impressions of the second Death, if you but take that prospect of it which the close of this time gives: look forward through this season, which is designed for you to prepare the way of the Lord to his Passion in, and you shall see the Death that does await iniquity. If you behold him coming to Jerusalem with Hosannas and Palms about him, as if Death were his Triumph, his Passion so desirable, that he road to meet it, which he never did at any other time; and then complaining he was straitened until it were accomplished; Luc. xii. 50. as he had throws of Longing after it, Matt. xxvi. 30. and singing when he went out to it, you would believe the Sinner never chose his death, sweetened by his most pleasant sin, with a more cheerful eagerness. But then open the Garden and you see his apprehensions of it throw him on his Face to pray against it. Mat. xxvi. 39 See how he sweats and begs, his very Prayer is a Passion, the zeal of it is Agony! and canst thou choose that he so dreads and deprecates? and when he durst not meet the apprehensions, wilt thou stand the storm? see what a sting death hath, when it makes outlets for such clots and globes of Blood, and stings the Soul so too, that it pours out itself in Sweat. And then he sinks again under the deprecation of it, and prays that that Cup may pass from him. Blessed Saviour! when thou hadst just now made thy Death thy Legacy, thy Sacrament, dost thou entreat to scape this death? if this Cup pass from thee, what will the Cup of Blessing profit us? thou hadst but now bequeathed a Cup to us which was the New Testament in thy Blood, and now wilt thou not shed that Blood? But dost thou refuse thy Cup? Oh 'twas a Cup of deadly Wine, red with God Indignation, poisoned with Sin! And can the Sinner thirst for the Abyss of this, the Lake that hath no bottom? and when he goes again, and prays the same words the third time, be yet not only so supine as not ask to scape it, seldom and very sleight in any Prayer or wish against it, but also so resolved to have it, as to gape that he may swill it down to everlastingness? Follow him from that Garden and you see him even dying under his Cross, he cannot bear that when it is laden with sin, Heb. i. 3. who yet upholdeth all things by the word of his Power. 'Tis said the time will come when the Sinner will cry out to the Hills to fall on him, Luc. xxiii. 30. any weight but that of iniquity, the burden of that is intolerable, 'tis easier for him to bear a Mountain than a Vice, and yet Christ saith he hath a beam in his Eye, Matth. seven. 3. and can he shrink at any weight whose part, that is most sensible, tender to an expression, can bear that which shoulders must fall under, only Pillars can sustain? Oh yes; that which did sink the shoulders of Omnipotence: Then the Mountains rather and the Rocks to cover; but in vain, they will not cover, for thy very Groans will rend them: Christ's were so sad that his did, they tore the Rocks, and that which is much more inflexible, the Monuments: Death started at them, and the bonds of the Grave loosened, and the Dust was frighted into Resurrection; and more, the Hypostatick Union seemed rend by them, the God to have forsaken his own Person. And can the Sinner hope to stand this shock? will the courage of his Iniquity make his heart harder than those Rocks, more insensible than the Grave, and better able to endure than he that was a God? and will you die into this state eternally? which it was necessary for him to have the assistance of Divinity in his Person, that he might be able to endure one day, and which yet notwithstanding made one day intolerable. The sum is this, a Person so desiring Death and yet so dreading it, and sinking under the essays of it, and this Person the Son of God, and that dread merely because there was sin in the Death, (for if this were not in the cause, no Martyr but had born death with more courage but that Son of God) all this as it does leave no Reason for the Sinners choice of death Eternal, so neither doth it leave a possibility of bearing it: And if so, give me leave in God's Name to Expostulate, the last employment of these words, Why will ye die? After this kill Prospect, while the damp of it is on you, let my Bowels debate with you, which yearn more over you than they did over my Beloved Son in whom I was well pleased; when I have sent my only Son, God, one with my own Self, to be made Man, that he might suffer what was necessary to be suffered to preserve you from eternal sufferings; when I have laid on him that was brought up with me from everlasting, Prov. viij. 30. and that was daily my Delight, all your Iniquities and my own Indignation, that so you might be freed from both: When I have found out, made an Expiation, with which I am more pleased than ever your transgressions offended me, which hath quite blotted out your sins and my Displeasure; when your Redemption from death is made, the Ransom paid, the Price is in my hand, why do you then refuse yourselves, your own Eternal Blessedness which was thus dearly purchased and is ready for you? Why will you seize that Indignation which you are redeemed from, and force those sufferings on yourselves, which have been laid already and inflicted on another? 'Tis a small thing that you refuse me, the return of my Expense, that which I gave my Son for; but do you renounce Happiness because my Love and Blood is in it? and will you die because you may, and I desire you should live? when my Son went from the essential felicities of my Bosom to embrace Agonies, and died for you; why will you also die? as you have slain his Person, will you Crucify his Kindness too? and crucify yourselves rather than have it? and having used him most despitefully, will you therefore use his favours so? and not let his Death and Passion do you any good? contemn his methods of Salvation, his divine Acts of making you for ever Blessed? is your Saviour and Life itself so hateful to you? and after such Redemption of your persons is there no redemption of your Will from perishing? nothing of value that can bribe your choice against it? nothing that can betrothe you into a desire of Life, and take you off from your resolves to die? had I set no advantage on the other side, if sin had sweetened misery to your Palate, it had been no such great despite and contradiction to Appetite; but when Heaven and the Joys of God are in the Scale against it, to prefer Misery is Wretchless beyond aggravation. Oh why will you rather die? Those very things that tempt your Wills were they abstracted from the death they do inveigle you into, were they sincere and innocent, if they were set against that Life, that blessed life, immortal Life, would vanish quite in the comparison when you should see they are but frolicks of delight, that never take you but when you are turned up to them, in moods and fits; and the complacencies you take in them are but starts of Appetite, that swells and breaks out to them and then falls again, and so the pleasures die even in the birth, and therefore cannot satisfy; indeed do but disquiet an immortal appetite such as man's is, so that it were impossible to choose a life, these rather, although there were no misery annexed to them, if you considered: For it were to resolve that a few drops were more than an immense Ocean of Delight, a Moment longer than Eternity, a Part were bigger than the Whole, an Atom greater than an Infinite. Now there is nothing then that can prefer these to your choice but the Death only; and Oh will ye without and against all Temptation, Will ye die? O thou my Soul! take other Resolutions, thou seest the things that men with so much care and sin provide to make their lives delightful here, although success answer their care, are vain and helpless things, and life itself as vain, and I must die, and drop from Heaven; and therefore be thou sure to take a care their treacherous comforts do not make me die into the everlasting want of them and of all comforts. The Artificial pleasures of the Palate whether in meats or drinks, forced tastes, that do at once satisfy and provoke the Appetite, will relish ill when I begin to swallow down my spittle; but sure I am, I am invited to the Supper of the Lamb, to drink new Wine with Christ in my Father's Kingdom; The fatted Calf is dressing for my Entertainment, and shall I choose to be a while a Glutton with the Swine, rather than the eternal Guest of my Father's Table and Bosom? and refuse these for a few sick Excesses which would end in qualms, and gall, and vomits, if there were no guilt to rejolt too, and which will kindle a perpetual Fever? The Honours and the Glories of this Life will lose their shine when I am going to make my Bed in the Dark, in a black lonely desolate hole of Earth; my Gaieties must die, when I must say to Corruption, thou art my Father, and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister: And if there were pride or ambition in them, their Worm will never die, that Pride will make me fall as low as Lucifer, that Glory will go out into utter darkness, and that Ambition change my Honour into everlasting Shame, Envy, and Torment: But sure I am that there are Glorious Robes, and Thrones, and Sceptres in God's Promises; and let thy gaiety, my Soul! be in the Robe of Immortality, the Throne of thy Ambition that of Glory. When I shall lie tortured or languishing in my last Bed, Palaces and Possessions will no more relieve me, than the Landscape of them in the Hangings can do it. And if there were Covetousness, Bribery, Sacrilege, or Injustice in them, I shall be carried out of these, and have no other Habitation assigned me, but with the Devil and his Angels, shall inherit and possess nothing but the Almighty's Indignation for ever. But in my Father's House are many Mansions, Places prepared for me, and an Inheritance as wide as Heaven, as Endless and Incorruptible as Eternity, and God Himself: And sure if I may choose, there I will live where there is neither Will nor possibility to die; where there is Life, fullness of Joy, Pleasures for Evermore. To which, etc. The Sixth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. PSALM LXXIII. v. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee: MY Text is the result of the Pious man's Audit, the foot of the account in summing up his whole that he hath either in Possession or Desire; and instead of nice Division of the Words I shall observe in them these Subjects of Discourse. First, the different tenure, or condition of Estates in the two different Countries we relate to, this here is a Land only of desires, the other is a place of enjoyments, Have in Heaven, Desire on Earth. Yea Secondly, Though our estate here in this Earth be present, and that other seem removed far off, yet the possessions of that are present and in hand, but the most native satisfactions of the Earth are still at distance, only the object of our aims and expectations I have, now I have in Heaven, on the Earth I but desire. Thirdly, Here is the matter of both these desires and enjoyments to the Pious man; No Person or no thing (for so it bears also) but God: There is nothing upon Earth that I desire besides thee. And as to Heaven the negation is expressed emphatically by a Question, Whom have I in Heaven but thee? Yet lest this Question should look like an Expostulation, and he that asks it seem unsatisfied with his Portion, we will therefore, Lastly, see the Importance of it to the Christian, since our Saviour is gone up into Heaven, see whom the Christian hath there: And if the Psalmist could find none but God, and David (if he were the Author) could not see the Son of David there, yet since Christ is set at the Right hand of God, the Christians present Interest in Heaven is such, that looking with contempt on all that worldly men applaud themselves in the enjoyment of, rejecting all but thee O Christ, he justly triumphs in resolving of this question to himself, and being satisfied in having thee, he does renounce even the desiring any thing but thee. Of these in their order beginning here on Earth, where our tenure even of earthly things is but desire, this World does give no satisfactions in hand, but still they are only the objects of our Expectations and wishes. When God hath given Man an erect Countenance, Eyes that do naturally look towards him, and the very frame of him is such, that Heaven is his constant Object; it were no wonder if his looks and thoughts were always there, since both the duty and necessity of that does seem impressed upon him in his making, and to desire things above, is, as it were, the Law in his members. But when he swims in delicacies here upon the Earth, is immersed in the plenties of all kinds, that these should give him nothing but desires of themselves, that the delights should not be present to him, but he should still pursue and need that which he is encompassed with, that while with open mouth and in a most intemperate current he swills down the pleasures, yet his open mouth should gape only with thirst, and he be sensible of nothing but the want of these, is strange even to astonishment: Yet such it seems the nature of them is. When S. John would enumerate all that is in the World the particular that he gives in is thus, 1 John two. 16. All that is in the world, the lust of the Flesh, the lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. He does not say, the objects of these Lusts that are to serve and satisfy them, for there's no such thing as satisfaction, but only lust; and if we make enquiry into the particulars we shall find it. To begin with that of the Eyes, Covetousness, or the love of Money: 'Tis evident that where an Object is not useful to the faculty, it cannot satisfy, for satisfaction is fulfilling of our needs and uses, but Money is not useful to the sight, nor indeed does it prove useful to, or serve any of the Covetous man's occasions or faculties; rather the contrary in every kind, he does bereave himself of good because he hath it; He is in agonies of trouble and solicitude, lest he should need, and not have that, which when he hath acquired he will still need, and will not have enjoyment of. Nor is it possible it should be otherwise, for since there is no natural original or cause of this his Appetite, for 'tis not emptiness that makes him hungry, who is more ravenous the more full he is, whose most empty bowels shrink and cling together, and having learned not to expect repast, while his bags and desires stretch, and are enlarged by being stuffed. Nor is it fear of future want that makes him eager to provide so, for why should he be so unsatisfied in his providing against want, that will want more the more he is provided? And since as there is no natural cause, so there is also no natural measure for this Appetite of his; for Nature's measure is our real uses of the Object. But this man heaps up useful things that he does never mean to use: Since therefore it hath neither bound nor cause in Nature, 'tis monstrous, and must needs be an unlimited lust, uncapable of satisfaction: And all this man's Wealth does purchase nothing for him but desires, and is not the content but the Lust of his Eye. And the same reasoning will conclude the next, the Pride of life, which is the Lust of a Sense as wholly unconcerned in all the Pomps and garnishes of Pride, as the Eye is in Wealth: 'tis a Lust of the Ear, all is but the man's passion to hear himself, his trappings, or condition commended. The Learned man that's proud, does think of no return for all his toils and watches, all the present racks and tortures of his mind, and all the after-ones that he does pull upon his body, but to be spoken well of: He fasts, mortifies, and denies himself more than the Covetous man can do, merely to fill himself with wind; he reconciles the Babel of all Languages, and Sciences too in his own head but for a word, only to hear an Euge, and this with such solicitude that if the breath of men's Applause should fail him he would strait expire, as if his Soul breathed only at his Ear. If my pride lies in gaieties, all Nature's Wardrobe must be rifled, the beauties of the Universe desloured, the Art and Sweat too of all Nations employed to attire my person, or to dress my Room, rather indeed to dress the Tongues and furnish, out the talk of other persons, who must entertain mine Ears with the discourse of my own splendours; which is all the use I can make of it; the Eastern Rocks must send me Diamonds, merely to dart a line of light into another's eyes, which may return to me in a report that I have such fine Jewels, and I have nothing else of all my sumptuous glories but the mere Echo of their shine, which is reflected and beat back to me in commendations. With so much expense anxiety and sin, I do provide only for other men's discourses, or it may be, envies. Now these are none of my enjoyments, and therefore I have nothing of them but the Lust and the desire. As for those of the flesh, the third remaining kind, they seem indeed to be exempted from this reasoning; the sensual person gorges his desires, and in Solomon's phrase makes his Soul enjoy good: Yet the same Solomon salves that appearance too, in saying when provisions increase, they are increased that eat them; Eccles. v. 11. and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? My broad and my crammed Tables do not more enlarge or serve my appetite, give me no satisfaction but only that of seeing many Dishes full, and many men consuming them, as if Luxury also were a lust of the Eye. It hath been said indeed, that the Eye is the Gluttons most unsatisfied and greedy part, and it must needs be so if its lust lie to all that other men devour, and if it crave not only for the man's own stomach, but for throngs of Clients, Parasites, and attendants. And 'tis too plain the other Twin Intemperance lusts by the same rules and laws: It does not only claim its seat in the Eye, which makes itself a Judge of Liquors for the Palate, and does not choose them by the uses of their moisture, but by their body, by their air, and by the mode, and other Rules of the authentic standard Drinkers; as if men thirsted in the fashion only: But this Eye also, as the Riotous man's did, gapes for company, and thirsts to see the Vice go round, it drinks in nothing with so much delight as the Wine, when a weaker Companion returns it back again in Vomit, at that foul horrid spectacle it sparkles and triumphs. Now 'twere in vain to ask Solomon's question, What good is there in this? or what enjoyment? to urge that meats and drinks cannot give satisfaction to the Eye that hath no Palate, and then cry out Oh Prodigy that it should Lust thus! As for the other kind of Riots, where with arts of Epicurism men contrive to feast and entertain their private Appetites, and put a Patrimony into sauce for their own Palates, men sordidly Luxurious. 'Tis evident that these are studied to provoke, men choose such Wines as they may longest drink, and with elaborate condiments make forced hunger as well as dishes, so that the Riotous design only to Lust, and the whole mystery of Luxury is to create desires. Lastly, for that one that hath ingross'd the name of Lust, it gives in a full Evidence against itself. For the Adulterer, much more irrational than the most greedy Miser; is insatiate in desiring what he hath, and his Lust will not use his remedy, lest so it should allay and quench the Lust: And whilst with so much fever of desire, he courts nothing else but the change, and values that alone equal with all the discontents of this life, all the miseries of that to come, and will go to the Devil merely for variety, as it is plain: Adultery hath nothing proper to itself but the desire, is a mere looseness of the Fancy, which ranges in wild lusts, and which hath no enjoyment that's peculiar to it but the lusting only; so 'tis also plain that this Lust must be endless, for that principle of Change which gives it all its incitation must never let it rest; for then 'tis not variety. S. John said therefore most expressly, All that is in the World is Lust; men only can desire here, pursuing their desires just as they do their shadows, no eagerness or haste can bring them nearer, still they only pursue, yea like him that would hug and force a Cloud, his empty arms return upon his breast with strokes; and while they seek to catch the Object wound his Bosom: And thus it must be till we fix our passion there, where only there is satisfaction even on God; the object of the pious man's desire, and my next Part. Nothing besides thee, or with thee: so it signifies also. There is nothing upon Earth that I desire with thee. Had he said, Nothing without thee, the emptiness of every thing below which the Lord and his Blessing is not in, had made this his determination just and necessary: But sure when God hath put other needs in my making, and hath provided supplies for them, those also are as just and necessary objects of desire, while they are with and under him: But yet, he that had brought all his affections into David's frame, might well say he desired nothing upon Earth besides, nothing with God; for he had weaned his very Flesh and all the craving appetites of Sense from their own objects, and had fixed them upon God in all their strength and vigour. My Soul, saith he, thirsteth for thee, (elsewhere, my Soul gaspeth unto thee, even as a thirsty Land,) and my flesh also longeth after thee, Psalm lxiii. 1. Psal. xxxvi. 9 How! My Soul thirsteth for thee? with thee indeed is the Well of Life: But Thirst is an Appetite, gasping a consequent defailance and impatience of the Body; to both which the Soul is a mere stranger, as it is also to the ways by which the Body does desire; ●or the Soul is drawn by moral engagements, by persuasions and motives, there is place for deliberation and Choice in her Desires, she can demur in her pursuits, divert her Inclinations, and quench a Desire with a Consideration; but the Flesh pursues in a more impulsive manner, is drawn and spurred on by such impetuous propensions as are founded in matter: You can no more persuade a thirsty Palate not to thirst, than you can woe a falling Stone to stay its haste, or invite it to turn aside from its direction to the Centre. Yea but the Soul also exerts itself in all these appetites of flesh and matter, and with all their violence when it looks on God, when we have once had a taste, or when indeed we but discern our needs of him, whether our Temporal, or Spiritual, those of the Soul or Flesh, all the desires of both than fly at him, and with a tendency most close and uncontrollable, than nothing besides him. For all the appetites of Body crowd into the Soul that they may catch at God, that Thirsts and Gasps. And the Soul does put on the violent impetuous agitations of the Bodies Appetites; My Soul thirsteth for thee, and my Flesh also longeth after thee. What Longing is, whether an Appetite or Passion of the Flesh or Mind, whose signatures are more express indeed upon the Flesh than those of any other, yet whose impulses are so quick and so surprising, as they were Spirit; I shall not now inquire: but sure if the Flesh long it should be for some carnal Object, for that is proportioned to it; Flesh and the Creature use to close indeed, and they imbibe each other, as if they knew to fill and satisfy each other; yea some there are that have brought down their Souls to the propensions of Flesh, have given to their very Spirits an infusion of carnality, for they mind only fleshly things. But by the rates of David's practice it should seem the pious man does the just contrary; sublimes his Flesh into a Soul, drains all the carnal Appetites out of it, weans it from all its own desires, and teacheth it those of the Spirit only, makes it long for God. Now he whose flesh is defaecated thus, and as it were inur'd to the condition which it shall put on, when it awakes from its corruption, as if it were already in that place, whose happiness and desires have no use of Body, and were in that state where their Bodies neither hunger or thirst, for these he hath translated from his flesh; 'tis his Soul only thirsts, and that for God: As if he were indeed like Angels now, how can this man desire any thing on Earth besides the Lord, who is and does already what they are and do in Heaven, where we have nothing but thee? But notwithstanding this exalted temper, though we should arrive at this Seraphic constitution of desires, and though God hath now made himself to us the proper object of these appetites, for since God struck the Rock for us which Rock was Christ; 1 Cor. x. 4. John vi. 32, 34. ver. 55. since the true Bread came down from Heaven, if our Flesh long for God there is a satisfaction ready, he hath made his Flesh be meat indeed; if our Souls thirst for God, he can furnish drink for a Soul, the Blood of God. But yet while this Soul sojourns in this earthly Tabernacle, the man will still want other supplies, and may be not desire them; or can he choose indeed? For they that tell us stories of some men, whose hungers and thirsts after God as they devoured all other desires in them, so also gave themselves no other satisfaction but panem Dominum, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supersubstantial daily Bread, the Lord; these men I say, would find it hard to make out how bare Species could nourish and sustain a bodily life. Yea Christ himself when he was upon the Earth did hunger, and although it was his meat to do his Father's Will, John vi. 54. yet when he was an hungered Angels came and ministered unto him, Matth. iv. 11. and then may not our earthly needs desire something besides him? That while we are upon the Earth all those necessities are in our constitution is certain; but that we need not desire for them, or any thing besides Him, is as certain: Because to them that desire him all these things shall be added, they are annexed by Promise, Matth vi. 33. it is for such to be solicitous who would have something they must have alone; something that cannot come along with God. But if I be assured that all my needs shall be supplied in him, I need desire nothing besides him; now this Promise he must perform; for he that when he put Man in a state of Immortality in Paradise, provided him a Tree of Life that might for ever furnish and sustain him: For that Age also that he does design a man a being for his Service here upon the Earth, he must allow him necessaries for his being and his Service, otherwise he can nor serve, nor be: And then if they be certain what need he desire them? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. chrysostom; These are not objects for our careful wishes, but our trusts and confidences, we may assure ourselves of these if we have him, these are his Appendages, and then why should I put them with him into my Devotions? when my Soul lies gasping towards God in Prayer, my desires seizing on his Blessednesses, to take them off from him, and to make my desires turn aside to little earthly things and fix them there, is to affront not my God only, but my Prayer too; and when these things are sure, seems to betray a mind too Earthly and too apprehensive of these needs: Surely I were most strangely necessitous, or strangely greedy, if both God and that which shall be added to him were not enough for me: More wretched, or else more unsatisfied than Hell, if the Almighty were not sufficient for me; if he be my provision, than I need desire nothing besides him. But yet Necessities will crave; Hunger does croak aloud, Thirst makes the insensate Earth to gasp; as if with open mouth it gaped not only to receive but beg Gods showers, and God expects to be entreated for these things: Psal. Cxlvii. 9 He feeds but those young Ravens that do call upon him, and the young Lions roar to him and seek their meat at God: Psal. Civ. 21. The eyes of all things wait on him for that; Psal. Cxlvi. 15. yea, this our Psalmist in this very Psalm desires other things; and Christ himself hath put into his little Summary these needs and these desires, Give us this day our daily bread; and my Text does but regulate not exclude these desires, if we shall read it in the old Translation, there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There's none or nothing that I desire or delight in equally with thee, like thee, so we translate the same word, ver. 5. I shall not doubt to beg what my needs crave: But if God, and any the most signal earthly advantage stand in competition, and I cannot have one with the other, his Providence or his Commands have made them inconsistent, that I will not desire with him, than he shall be my Choice alone: Rather Obedience and my God than any satisfaction how desirable soever! This is the Touchstone of a Pious man's desires; 'tis not unusual for inclinations to things below, more to possess our thoughts, employ our faculties than any other, and we are far more sensible of their impressions, more busy in the pursuit, and more tender in our cares of them: But if upon contest betwixt God and our inclinations, upon debate betwixt a Pleasure and Command, we can decree for God and for Obedience, pass Sentence with the Precept, we are safe, here the desire is not inordinate. 'Tis a known instance, and you may have seen, a tender Mother spending almost her whole time in caressing her little Infant, you would think she had Eyes for no uses but to view it, and that she had her Arms and Breasts but to embrace and suckle it, to whom these are so wholly given up as if they had no part for any other, as the Husband, had no share in her entertains and caresses of whom are far more sleight and not so pressing: But should it come to this pinch once, that she must strait resolve to part with one of these, however close her Arms would grasp her Child to rescue him (to force whom thence were like the tearing of her bowels from her) yet would she give those bowels to redeem her bosom guest, and the Husband would be the Choice; so that although the other inclinations were more expressive, these are the stronger and the better settled. So it may happen, we may be more sensibly affected to some dear things here below, our thoughts, and Eyes, and our embraces cling and fasten more to these; but if it come to this that we must leave one, break with the Duty or the Passion; if we resolve however not to part with God, but lay hold there and let the other go, than our affections are not only regular when we desire nothing in comparison with him, but our desires are enjoyments, seize and take possession of him, and we have him: So my Text implies here, Whom have I in Heaven but thee? importing that we have him: Which brings me to the other parts that yet remain to be discoursed of. Three things are here to be considered. 1. That Heaven is the place of Possessions in opposition to this Land of Desires. 2. That God is the possession there. 3. That the Pious man hath this possession in present. The first of these is so much common place, I shall not stay upon it; those only qualities that make this World to be a Land of Desires, have no place there, to wit, the instability and emptiness of all things in it, he that lays hold on them does but grasp Mercury, which the more he clasps the more he forces it to slip away, and he retains only the soil and the defilement of it, like Lightning which but passes by, stays not to cherish, only dazzles, and, it may be, scorches: So the shine of Earthly glories startles the mind, amuses us, inflames desires of them, and goes out. But then above the tenure is Eternity, and that assures immutability; yea, if it be nunc stans, an indivisible Infinity of permanent duration, whose every point does coexist to every point, a perfect and entire possession, all at once, of an interminable life that never can be all possessed; then nothing can pass by us, or cease from us, but we shall always every moment have, what we shall have in every any moment: Our enjoyment also being like him that we enjoy, all in the whole and all in every part; being not only endless in the mass, but every moment of it is immortal: And then there can be nothing but enjoyment; no place for desire there, where there is nothing absent, where all past and all futurity is always present; and where also the Infinite and all-sufficient God is the Possession; which is my next Proposition, and that God himself affirms. Gen. xv. i. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. Yea, this he hath present possession of, which my third Proposition and my Text asserts, in saying, Whom have I in Heaven but thee? importing thee I have. The things we call most our possessions he both personal and real, and our portions and inheritances: Now David claims God under both these deuce, Psal. Cxix. 57, 16. 6. Thou art my portion O Lord and the lot of mine Inheritance; as other men maintain themselves by these, so I live upon thee: And that we may not think that God is such but in Reversion, those are present possessions which men reap the uses of in present to themselves. Now what is there of God the Pious man hath not the present uses of? 1 Pet. three 12. His Eyes are over him, and his Ears are open to his Prayers, watch to attend each motion of his heart, Deut. xxxiii. 27. and underneath him are the everlasting Arms to carry and sustain him, Hagg. two. 23. Jer. xxii. 24. Psalm xvii. 8. 36. 7. his right hand wears him as his signet, and his left hand pours down Blessings on him; his wings are spread for him to nestle in that warm security, and hide him in the shadow of; his bowels found and turn within him with compassion over him, Isai. lxiii. 15. Psal. Cxxxix. 2. and himself self is about his Bed and about all his paths; not so much to spy out his ways, Isai. xxx. 18. as to preserve him in them all, and he waits that he may be gracious. In a word, all the Securities that Gods Preserving Mercies signify, the watches of his Providence, the Blessings that fulfil his Attributes of goodness, all are exerted upon his occasions, are made the present objects and the satisfactions of his nearest senses, and he may taste and see how gracious God is. Psal. xxxiv. 8. And then give me O Lord! seizing of this the Pious man's Estate, I shall not envy other men's possessions; though one lay House to House, and Land to Land till he become the Lord of his Horizon, and his Eyes cannot travel out of his Demesne: For notwithstanding that we may have known ill Courses or ill Accidents consume all this, or Force throw him out of all, and that great Lord have no House but a Goal, nor Land enough to make a Grave: But sure I am, that I shall be provided for in all necessities, unless there happen such a one for which there's no relief in God; nor can I be disseised, they must void Heaven ere they can disfurnish me: For thee I have in Heaven. But yet, though chance nor violence cannot put me out, yet I may forfeit this Possession too; Isai. lix. 2. for Sin will separate betwixt me and my God, cast me out of his presence and enjoyments, as sure as it did Adam out of Paradise. And then alas! if I had none but him in Heaven, he is now become my Adversary, holds possession against me, as he did that of Paradise with flames; so he does Rain snares, fire and brimstone thence, and this is all the Sinner's portion, Psalm xi. All that I am like to get, unless I have a person that will attribute the cause, or mediate, there is no hopes of a recovery for me if I have none in Heaven but thee. Now here my last Consideration will come in. If while my Soul lies groveling under fearful Apprehensions of its Forfeiture, casting about for help and finding none upon the Earth, if it look upwards and inquire whom have I in Heaven? have I none there but my offended Adversary God? it may resolve itself with comfort he hath other interests there. For, First, I have an Intercessor there, Rom. viij. 34. a Master of Requests, one that will not only hand in my Petitions, get access for my Prayers and my tears to God, but will make them effectual: For saith S. Paul, Seeing we have a great High Priest that's passed into the Heavens, let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace in time of need, Heb. iv. 14. 16. For though my supplications have not strength nor ardour that can mount them into Heaven, and are too impure, however washed in my repenting Tears, to draw nigh to the Lord, yet being put into the High Priests Censor with the Altar coals to give them holy flame, and wrapped up in his Cloud and Smoak of Incense that will cover all the failings of my Prayers, they may get access into his Ears and his Compassions. Indeed how can they choose when Christ does join his Intercessions? for my requests will go where the High Priests do go; he carries them, now He himself doth sit at the right hand of God: The intercessions that are made for me are made upon the Throne, and therefore cannot be repulsed from thence, and such desires command and they create effects. But should my Prayers fail, Psalm iv. 1. and should God hide himself from my Petitions, withdraw himself and hide his face from them, although they be even before his face. Yet. Secondly, I have an Advocate there too, 1 John two. 1, 2. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins; one that not only pleads for me, but brings the satisfaction of my Forfeiture in his hands, makes the just value plead; appears there with his Blood, and proves a recompense. 'Tis Jesus Christ the righteous Advocate, that does propitiate and atone son, what he pleads for; purchase what he begs. 'Tis true, that poor Worm, saith he, hath provoked thee often Lord! but thou didst smite the Man that is thy fellow for it; Zech. xiii. 7. Behold my Hands, and look into my Sides, see there thy Recompense; wilt thou refuse that Satisfaction thyself didst contrive, and thy beloved Son did make? why did a Person of the blessed Trinity descend from Heaven and Divinity to be made Sin and be a Curse; but to Redeem him from the Curse and Sin, and to entitle him again to the possession of Heaven and God? Why was I Crucified but that thou mightst be atoned and he be pardoned? Thus he solicits for us there, presents himself in our stead, as our Attorney. He was not a public Person only on the Cross, but he is so at the right hand of God; as he was there our Representative and bore our sins, so he is here our Representative and bears our wants; was there our Proxey to the Wrath of God, is here our Proxey to his Mercies and Compassions. He looks upon himself as in our case, whose Cause and Persons he supplies, and so is prompted to desire and beg for our poor sakes, and he looks upon us as on himself, and so obtains as for his own beloved sake, pleads as ourselves, and then as to himself he does decree Sentence and grant: For Thirdly, I have there a Judge, and this is he, who sits at the right hand of God to Judge the quick and dead; I might have said a Saviour, for he was exalted to a Saviour to give Remission of Sins: Acts v. 31. But my Judge is as kind a word. For however there be some will cry for Rocks and Hills to hide them from his Face, yet this they are afraid of is the Face but of the Lamb, Apoc. vi. 16. And it is strange that they who can look upon Hell, and charge Fiends in a sin, should tremble at a Lamb, and fly him so: But to the Faithful and sincere endeavouring Christian though be sins, as his Advocate is his propitiation, so his Judge is his Sacrifice; is that Lamb that does take away the sins of the World, is his sin-offering, his expiation only removed off from the Altar to the Judgment-Seat, indeed the Mercy-Seat, the Throne of his Atonement, and his Absolution: Where his Judge notwithstanding that his Forseit shall Decree Possession to him, Mat. xxv. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. Lastly, 1 Cor. xv. 23. we have our first fruits, for so S. Paul does call our Saviour; and then in whatsoever sense that which is done to the first Fruits is applicable to the Harvest (all this being hallowed in their Consecration) in that sense we ourselves are raised to the right hand of God together with this our First Fruits. And now O Lord! whom have I in Heaven but thee? I have myself in pledge and earnest there. And then they that rather than have these Interests, these Heavenly possessions in present, will have only desires here on Earth, are certainly of a preverse and Reprobate choice. Sure it would make Consideration sick to think of the comparison betwixt the after-expectations of a Pious man, and those things which our worldly persons call present Enjoyments; how for the little spangles of their pride, they are so taken with its rustling Pomp, they reject Glory that can never wither, fade, or sully; forfeit the being clothed upon with Immortality. How they lose all that everlasting Heaven means, for little things that go by in a Whirlwind, come in storm and so they pass away; refuse immortal Hallelujahs for a Song, cast away solid Joys, and an Eternal weight of Blessedness for froth, for the shadow of smoke. Perchance this may be said for them, the nearness of the object does impose upon them, they choose something in present rather than dry future hopes. But then when that advantage to lies on the other side, their Choice hath no Temptation; when the Pious man's possessions are in hand, the others only in desire; in view indeed they may be, he does catch at and pursue them still; But the hinder Wheel of the Chariot that presses and with larger turns and rollings hastens after, may as soon hope to undertake the first, as that man reach a satisfaction; still it removes, and he does only heat his appetite in posting after it, only get more desire. Now 'tis prodigious that these great Men of Sense should be men of such Faith and Expectation as to trust and hope in things that have so constantly, so daily mocked their confidences and desires, yet be not only Infidels to all God's blessed preparations which they have nor reason nor Experience against, but also have no sense nor relish of himself in present: Not taste nor see how gracious the Lord is. 'Tis said, that the desires of Earthly sensual things do make the greatest part of the Torments of Hell: Now though this Doctrine be false and pernicious, yet 'tis plain that Torment must attend strong passions, and most infinite desires which are radicated in the Sinner's heart, and which he carries hence and cannot there deposit, and to which yet satisfactions are impossible, against his knowledge to be mad, to have what he knows all the World cannot make it possible for him to have, this tears his Soul. Affections, these that may be said in some sense to fulfil some of the expressions of the Torments of that place, their Envy makes the gnashing of their Teeth, and their Desires are their Vultures. Thus Tantal●s's riotous hunger that does gnaw his bowels, is his Worm that never dies; and his intemperate thirst his everlasting burnings; and his Water that he cannot reach or taste of, is his Lake of fire without Metaphor; So that desire alone without its satisfaction, is so much of Hell, and yet this is the worldly sensual man's estate exactly here on Earth; for he hath nothing but desires and lusts; and his condition is not easier at all, for how is Tantalus more wretched than a Midas, or than any covetous wretch, who in the midst of affluence and heaps, hungers as much as Midas did for meat and for Gold too, and an touch neither for his uses? so that the World's delights are very like the miseries of Hell, and men with so much eager and impatient pursuit do but anticipate their torments, and invade Damnation here. And if the case be so, sure there is no great self-denial in our Psalmist here, when he resolves to desire nothing upon Earth in comparison of his God: 'Tis no such glorious conquest of my Appetite to make it not pursue a present Hell, and an eternal one annexed to it before a Saviour: Yet the World does so. Some there are that desire Money rather; and although when Judas did so, this desire could not bear itself, but cast all back again; and though it did disgorge, it burst him too; the Sin itself supplied the Law, and his guilt was his Execution. Yet this will not terrify, men will do the like, betray a Master, a Saviour, and a God; only not for so little money peradventure. Others, when the Lord paid his own Blood for their Redemption, yet if their wrath thirsts for his Blood that does offend them, their revenge makes their Enemies the sweeter blood, though their own Soul bleed to death in his stream. To others the deservings of the Partner of an unclean moment, are much greater than all that the Lord Jesus knew to merit at their hands or purchase for them. And it is no wonder they are so ungrateful to their Saviour, when they are so barbarous to themselves, as to choose not to have present Divine Possessions rather than not suffer the vengeance of their own Appetites; choose merely to desire here, though that be to do what they do in Hell, rather than have in Heaven. O thou my Soul! if thou wilt needs desire, propose at least some satisfaction to thy Appetite, do not covet only needs thirst for a fever, and desire merely to inflame desire and Torments: But seek there where all thy wants will find an infinite happy supply, even in thy Saviour; Rom. two. 4. Ephes. i. 7. Zech. xiii. 1. Hagg. two. 7. covet the riches of his Grace and Goodness, thirst for the fountain opened for transgression, for the waters of the well of Life, desire him that is the desire of all Nations; yet why should we desire even him? when we have him in Heaven, and we have nothing upon Earth left to desire, but that God who hath exalted him unto his Kingdom in Heaven, would in his due time exalt us also to the same place, whither our Saviour Christ is gone before. To whom, etc. The Seventh SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Third Wednesday in LENT. 1663/4. MARK I. 3. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. I Shall not break this single short Command asunder into Parts, but shall instead of doing that observe three Advents of our Saviour in this Life, before that last to Judgement: For each of which as it must concern us, there must be preparation made by us. In pressing which I do not mean to urge you to do that which none but God can do; It is not in man to direct his own ways, Jer. x. 23. Prov. xuj. 1. much less the Lords; The very preparations of the Heart are from him. Therefore supposing the preventings of his Graces, I shall subjoin, that the Comporting with those graces, the using of his strengths to the rooting out of ourselves all aversation to Virtue, and all love of Vice; and planting other inclinations, even Resolutions of good life, is the only thing that can make way for Christ and for his benefits. Now of those Advents, the First was, when he came Commissioned by God to reveal his Will, to propose the Gospel to our belief, the coming of Christ as a Prophet, which particularly is intended in the Text. ver. i. 2, 3. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written, prepare ye the way of the Lord. The Second was, that coming which the Prophet Isay did foresee, and in the astonishment of Vision asked, Isay lxiii. 1, 2. Who is this that comes from Edom? with died garments from Bozrah, travelling in the greatness of his Strength? Why is he red in his Apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat? And it was the Prospect of him when he came to tread the Wine-press of the Wrath of God, to Sacrifice himself for us upon the Cross, his coming as a Priest. The Third is, when he comes to visit for Iniquity, coming coersively as a King with his Iron Rod, to execute his threats on the rebellious; those that will not have him reign over them: This coming also was considered in my Text; Matth iii 2, 3. for in the parallel place of S. Matth. it is said, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, for this is he of whom it was spoken by the Prophet Isaias, saying, the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness, prepare yet the way of the Lord. For each of these in order, I shall show you what prepares his way, beginning with the first, His coming as a Prophet, appearing in the World to reveal his Fathers ' Will, the Gospel. Now the Preparative for this Appearance is discovered easily; we find both in this Chapter, and the parallel places, that John came to make way for it by the Baptism and Preaching of Repentance; and it was Prophesied of him, that he should go before him in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the Fathers with the Children, and the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just, (to the minding of just things) so to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke i 17. And this is a preparative so necessary, that the Nation of the Jews affirm, it is merely for the want of this that he does yet defer his coming: And though the appointed time for it be past, yet because of their sinfulness and impenitence he does not appear; Talm. Hierof. Jaanlth. f. 64. 1. adding If Israel Repent but one day presently the Messias cometh. And it is thus far true, that though it hindered not his coming, yet it hindered his receiving; although it did not make him stay, it made him be refused. I may lay all down in this Proposition. Where there is not the preparation of Repentance, where there are not inclinations and desires for Virtue; if Christ come with the glad tidings of the Gospel, He is sure to be rejected, his Religion disbelieved. If the Word of the Son of God might be taken in his own case, this would be soon evinced, John i. 11: for when He came unto his own, they were so far from preparing his way, that they received him not, but did reject and would not entertain him as one sent from God; of all this he only gives this account, that he found no other opposition but from vicious humours. John. viij. 43, 44, 45. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my Word: Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do; and because I tell you the truth ye believe me not. As if he should have said; the reason why you do not regard me or my Doctrine, but reject us both, is not because my Doctrine hath not means to convince your understandings, but 'tis not agreeable to your inclinations: The Works that I have done to make my person be received, and my Words credible, are such as no heart how hard or blind soever can withstand; but the Doctrine I bring along is most unwelcome, ye cannot abide to hear it. Now as he that shuts his Eyes, or turns away his Face because he hates to look upon an object, may not see it though it be all clothed with day; as visible as Sunshine; so your blindness proceeds hence that ye hate the light because your deeds are evil. Joh. iii 19 20. Neither do you love to hear that which you have no mind to practise; and you will not be persuaded to believe that is your necessary duty, which you are not willing to perform; but will rather choose to think I do my Works by a confederacy with Belzebub the Prince of Devils; Matth. xii. 24. although it be apparent that those Lusts which you will do, and which my Works and Doctrine come to drive out of the World, they are Lusts of the Devil; and I, because I tell you the truth, truth I confess somewhat severe, and not so agreeable, therefore you will not believe me. And is it not strange when nothing can be acceptable to the Understanding but as it hath appearance of Truth, and when Truth comes with evidence and demonstration, though it be but speculative useless truth, yet it does seize and force aslent, that yet Christ's truths, which did not want conviction, for they came to them with that infallibility which Miracles can give, should be therefore not believed because they were truths? not strange at all: for his truths were not for their turns, nor humours. And therefore he says to them, Mat. xxi. 32. Ye repented not that ye might believe them. As if they assented not with their Understandings but their Appetites: And we ourselves have seen too much unhappy evidence of men, whom Libertinism hath made Antimonians, whom a desire of being loose from duty hath made Solifidians, of them whom sensuality hath made Atheists; men that become Proselytes to their Lusts; the converts of their base affections. And we cannot expect it should be otherwise. For certainly that men who are averse to the duties of Christianity, and cannot bend their minds to the observance of that which Christ's commands, should not care to believe they are his Precepts or their duty is but very natural, they were unwise should they do otherwise, it being far more reasonable to deny the duty and obligation, than granting both, to trample on that obligation which they do acknowledge, and to renounce that Duty which they do confess. Is it not far more prudent to believe that there is not a God that does regard our foolish actions here below, (which are not more worthy or more likely to enter into his considerations, than the buzzings of flies into the notices and observations of a Statesman;) than if we do believe one does severely mark, will take a strict account of, execute a vengeance for them, yet not incline our minds to leave them? if we did suffer this belief to creep into our minds, to lie close unto our hearts, sure it would fret off our averseness to Piety and inclinations to sin; we durst not entertain them both together, these thoughts would prove very ill company; they would distract and tear the mind, our Souls would tremble and disjoint, and we be sure to put one of them off. Covetous and Adulterous Felix when he began to think that S. Paul's Sermon of a Judgement to come might be true, Acts xxiv. 25. strait be began to shake, and then immediately to turn the Sermon off, bid S. Paul depart till another time. Nor can there any other reason be assigned for this; for in the Systeme of Christ's Religion there is not any thing but is so suited to the very Constitution of a natural being, that the Soul would instantly embrace and suck in, if the prepossessions of Vices, which the mind will not resolve to part with and repent of, did not infect, taint the Palate with prejudices, did not keep out the belief. For the morality which it enjoins did long before the birth of this Religion make its way into the Tenants and the Faith of every Sect of whole Mankind, it broke through all the oppositions of corrupted Nature and depraved Habits; nor could all the Devils arts (who then governed the World) stifle or quench the Light of Reason, which through all that darkness did discover such deformity in Vice, such strict agreement betwixt that which we call Virtue, and a rational Creature, that they accounted it, and truly, the essential duty of his nature; he that was wicked was reputed false to his own being; as great an aberration from, and contradiction to Nature, as an Animal that were insensible, or as cold fire. In this all the most distant Factions conspired in despite of Principles. The Stoic, who by fettering all Events, all Consultations and Designs in the lines of inexorable Destiny does seem to make all Virtue worthless, all endeavours towards it useless, yet requires it with as strict necessity as his Fate prescribes with; his reasons are as ineluctable as her Laws. Nay he does seem to break his Adamantine Chain, to make way for this Chain of Virtues, though his Jupiter were bound by that, yet for the sake of these he leaves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our appetites, and actions in our power, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that so there may be place for doing well while it is in our choice, and we are free to do it. And on the other side, the greatest enemies to their necessity and to choice too, the Sect that made all actions and things in the whole World to be, not effects of any Agent that intended them, but merely sports of Chance and matter; who taught that their own souls were but the concretion of some Atoms casually met together without any direction and to no end; yet the great Master of it in his Ethics would not suffer any of this blind Contingency to have to do in Humane actions, regulating them by strictest Rules and Laws, and in plain contradiction to his Tenants (from which our Age derives the most of their impiety) although he held there was no God looked on, nor afterlife attended, none that did see, or would reward or punish any of his actions, yet requires highest Virtue, yea, and lived such too they say. In a word, many of them raised Morality to such a pitch, as if it had arrived at the same heights from whence our Christian Revelation did pretend to come. And there is nothing so peculiar to Christ's Doctrine in the points of Morality, but you may find it recommended by the Heathen as a thing which no external obligation did impose, but the Law of their making did prescribe, which they read in themselves, and Christian Morality is but a fairer and more perfect Copy of the impressions of Reason on our Soul, cleared from the blurs and defects which they had been tainted with; but Naturales Tabulae Natures Decalogue, wrote by the Finger of the Lord: So that to quarrel with Christ for requiring it, is the same thing as to be angry with our Saviour because the nature of the Fire is such as does require that it should burn. Nay many of them were so sensible of the unhappy state of their Corruption, found so great pressures in themselves from the weights of their vicious inclinations, discerned so perfect an antipathy betwixt their being and their actions, that when with all the arts of Reason and the practice of their Philosophy they could not ease themselves, they went to Sorcery and Magic for a Cure, received cathartics, and a discipline of purity from Hell, the Region of uncleanness; the Devil making them believe he would assist in casting out himself: Such were the stress, the restlessness, the groans, the cry of Nature to be rid of its impurity. These poor Souls were mistaken in their Method; but if the Devil by those worships of his which they were used to, had not stopped the avenues, sure one would judge they had prepared the way for Christianity; there being no obstuction to it, nothing that can hinder its acceptance, but the low esteem and aversation of Virtue: For if men believe the Moral truths, they have no reason in the world to doubt the Supernatural, these being intended for the most part as encouragements to those other, as God's last attempts to kindle in us love of Virtue by such strong incentives; that, that wherein Philosophy was ignorant, and the Law weak, as having neither Promises nor Terrors equal to the force of our Corruptions, that the Gospel might effect, as having both to the utmost possibility of Divine Contrivance: Now this requires us to believe those Supernaturals mostly for this reason, by believing them to make us perform what it enjoins. And it is apparent that because men would not do this, therefore they will not believe those. Show me but any one that is sincere and strict in Christian duties that does doubt the Principles; if there be such an one be cannot doubt them long, not only for Christ's Promise sake, John vil. 17. ● If any man will do my Will, he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God, he will soon know that Doctrine is from God that does prescribe such Godlike lives; nor only for the Church's judgement, which did make Synesius a Christian Bishop before he did believe the Resurrection, upon that confidence they had of him by reason of his Piety: But in reason why should he that does embrace the Piety, disbelieve that which was proposed to his belief only to urge him to embrace, only to crown that Piety? Indeed he that accounts his Vices but sleight tricks of wit, or folly; only pleasant satisfactions to the desires of his Nature; (for he understands no nature but his carnal one) he hath no reason to believe there was a Passion of the Son of God, Rom. viij. 3. by making him a Sacrifice for sin so to condemn sin in the flesh; is not prepared to think that there is an Eternal weight of Indignation due and ready for it. He that hath but mean thoughts of Virtue, counts it only pedantry, or as it were the Flatus of the Mind, making the Soul hypocondriac, it is impossible that he should think God was Incarnated and died to teach it by his Doctrine and Example, and to purchase graces to enable us to live it; or that there is a Resurrection to reward it, a Trinity engaged in working out Salvation for it. I must confess I would believe, that men persuade themselves that the reason of their disbelief is only this, that these things are not testified sufficiently; because I find the Man in Hell would have one sent to his Brethren from the Dead, to testify unto them of that place of Torments, Luke xuj, 28. as if those Truths did want witnessing. But this is not because enough hath not been done for their conviction in the truth of Christ's Religion; for there is hardly any thing besides in the whole World that men believe, but they believe upon less grounds. The whole World was convinced in such a manner, as that millions chose to die rather than not confess it; that many Ages proved but Centuries of Martyrdom unto that Truth; all Torments were more eligible than the belief of this Religion, which was confirmed so, that against all arts and power of Opposition, against the Wit and Fury of the World, though all the Subtlety, and all the Strength of Earth resisted it, yet it overspread the Universe. Besides it is most prudent to believe it too, for if there be another World what then? There was enough done therefore; but Corruptions suffer them not to attend to that which hath been done. And 'tis no wonder they should do so at this distance, for they contrasted with Christ's Miracles when present; and they were so uneasy under the conviction of them, that rather than be pressed so by the mighty power of his Works, they did design to rid themselves of him that wrought them, John xi. 47. you may find them struggling with his demonstrations to keep off the Evidence, What do we? for this man doth many Miracles. Yea, they do conspire against the Miracles themselves, and would put Lazarus also to death, because he was raised from the dead; they could not let the Evidence and the Conviction live, but they must murder that too. Nay more, as if the pertinacy of their prejudices could do mightier Works than Christ, and could control, and were above the power of his Miracles, it is said to have bound his hands, and he could do no mighty Works at Nazareth because of it, Mar. vi. 6. At least as saith Theophylact, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he could not do them where men were not capable they should be done. So that Christ did pronounce from Reason and Experience, Luke xuj. 31. If they believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Such an amazing argument might probably astonish, but would not convince, unless it met with honest inclinations; for after the surprise of it were over and had vanished, than the corruption that Bosom Sophister, would stir, and goad; and urge incessantly; so that to ease himself, the Man must find out some cross Scruple to weaken the force of that Evidence, and the Conviction would vanish like the Ghost. And if we should examine the Experience of ourselves and others, we should find that just according to the rate of virtuous inclinations and dispositions of heart to part with sin, so are men prepared for the belief of Christ; so are their cares and regards of his Religion: He that is honestly inclined opens his Soul to Christianity, for it speaks to his heart, 'tis right to the grain of his Soul, he looks upon the Promises as made to him, and lays them up as God's encouragements of his inclinations, every thing in the Gospel fits the temper of his mind. And he that is but pretty well disposed, that loves Virtue for the most part, but does allow himself some one corruption, he always hearkens to Religion where it sets itself against those Vices, which he hates, but as to his own particular evil inclination there he is a little Infidel, cannot persuade himself that God will be so stern against a single pleasure, that one petty indulgence should be so considerable, that it should provoke to those extremities the Bible threatens; and can by no means believe S. James, ●es two. 10. that he that offends in one point thus, is guilty of all. And they upon whose constitutions there are weights and Plummets, that incline them to some vicious courses, and by loose Education have those pronenesses of temper pampered; and by having their inclinations followed and indulged taught them to crave, then to get head and to command; and then by conversation with others that mind nothing but satisfaction of those bents of the Brute part, that allow themselves all the desires of constitution, are come to swill the pleasures, profits, and the Honours that do wait on those practices: Or whosoever by whatever steps arrive at an habit of doing thus, and a great liking of them, and so to improbity of Heart, to utter aversations of the strictnesses of Piety, all which they have lived so out of: 'Tis known that not enduring to be bound up in those narrow paths of Piety and Virtue, they burst all the Obligations to them; seek little things to cavil at, or to deride, hoping with those their poisoned Arrows, through the skirts, and the Extremer parts to send a Wound into the very Vitals of Religion; for they aim at the Heart, when they pretend to strike only the out Lap of its Garments; and to say all at once, grow downright Atheists. And though as once at Corinth, now again the World by Wisdom knows no God; there being Skill and Manage in this Mystery of Infidelity, and it requires Study, Wit, and Parts; yet they proceed just by the Method of King David's Fool, Psalm xiv. 1. first, he says in his heart there is no God, before he say it in his thoughts and Opinions: He wishes it, and so comes to believe it, the Atheism is rooted in the Seat of the Affections, and it branches thence into the Mind, at least into the Mouth, and finding Hell the greatest check to their Delights, which they cannot determine with themselves to leave and to repent of; therefore because they will not quench it with their tears, they study how to put it out with Arguments: And merely for this reason, that they will not live like Men, they resolve therefore to believe that they shall die like Beasts. But alas! they must live for ever with the Devil and his Angels, it that Christ whom they reject, does not lay hold on them, and rescue them from thence as he is in his passage to his Cross, the next Way we must prepare for him; and my next Part. The Solemn days approaching will discover to you this Way, namely, the Passage from the Garden in Gethsemane to Golgotha; There you will see he does begin his Journey with the Amazements of an Agony, and ended it in something like the horrors and the outcries of Despair; he travailed under such a load as made his life gush out through all the parts of his whole Body, the weight of it did make his Soul faint by the way; and when he was upon the Tree, crushed it out, and made it expire sooner than the stress of Nature would have done, and forced it to burst out away in Prayers and strong Cries, that so he might sooner escape from under that sad pressure. And then do but consider and look on him under that representation which S. Paul does show of him, how all that time that he was creeping under that dire burden in that dolorous way, he was merely pressing on with all the haste he could to overtake us in our course, and rescue us from Ruin. For that Journey was a Race, and we the Prize. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have been laid hold on, saith he, Phil. iii 12. laid hold on in the Agonistick sense, as in a Race, he so expresses it: And that he was laid hold on by these sufferings, the Epistle to the Hebrews does evince; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith chrysostom, in that Way he pursued me till he catched me; his Agony was but his strife to overtake me, his Sweat the issue of his Race: When he came down from Godhead in his Incarnation, he pursued us then into our nature, he laid hold of our Flesh, Psal. Cxxix. 15. and followed us from Heaven to the lowest parts of the Earth. But when he went thus to his Cross here, he pursued us then into our guilts, he laid hold of our sins, and took them up and bore them on the Tree, than he descended into Hell to follow us. This as it was formally done once for all, so in its virtue, influence, and blessed effects, 'tis still in doing, as to thee, and me, and all of us; and the approaching season is to represent it so. Now sure we need no motives to prepare the way for him who runs that he may obtain our Salvation, who though he laboured under such a dismal burden, yet still presses on to catch us, so to rescue us from sin and Hell: If he think fit, and can endure to strive thus, I will make all ready, and stand fair to have my guilt seized from me, and to be laid hold on for my Blessedness, to be the Prize, the Crown of all Christ's Agonies, that which he thinks worthy with so much struggling to contend for. Now the same Preparation is required here, that made way for his other coming, that is, Repentance, in one word, a disposition and sincere desire of heart to part with every evil and corrupt affection, to quit every sin. Sin lying in the way made it so dreadful, God laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and that weight threw him prostrate on the Earth, and sunk him into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: And yet if any were more galling, 'twas the weight of those that were clogged with Impenitence, this was more heavy, more afflictive to him than his Cross. To bewail this and the issues of it he left off to consider his own Sufferings and required others also to do so, Luke xxiii. 28. Weep not for me, weep for yourselves. And sure it was for want of such Tears to dilute and temper his sad Potion that his Cup was so amazing to him: Luke xxii. 43, 44. It was for this the Angel that came from God's presence to comfort him, left him still in Agonies, could not do it, because the joys and comforts of that presence are at Sinners that Repent, Luke xv. 10. And God himself in Hoseah seeing Ephraim would not reform cries out, Host xiii. 14. Isai. i 24. Prov. i. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Consolatio abscondita est ab oculis meis: Comfort is hidden from mine Eyes; so the LXX also. Now they that refuse to do themselves this Honour that the Angel could not do, to comfort their God in his Agony, how will he ease himself on them? How will he laugh at their Calamity? be comforted in their Destruction at his coming as a King in Executions? the next Way that we must prepare, and my last Part. A Progress this, I confess, that is not usual to our King, nor is according to the Method of his Government: Isai. xxviii. 21. God called it his strange Work under the Law, and much more is it so under the Gospel, when he Governs by the Law of Faith: Heb. xl. 1. For Faith being the evidence of things not seen, shows us Rewards and Punishments not present, but at distance, out of sight, in the World to come, to keep us in our Duty. And then why should the Axe be now laid to the root of the Tree? when as there is to be an universal Conflagration, where every Tree that beareth not good Fruit shall be cast in? And upon this we see events do not discriminate deservings, things happen to the good and bad alike; we may have seen the wicked in great Power, spreading himself like a green Bay-tree; like a triumphal Garland, as he were all Ensign of Victory, all verdant spreading Conquest. Yea, and when the Axe is at the root of the Tree, we know not whether it designs it for the Temple or the Kitchen, to make a Fire, or to make a God. The Day that cometh shall declare all, when the delay both of Rewards and Punishments shall be compensated with interest: And it does scarce seem equal to inflict them twice. But yet O Lord! in days when Scoffers appear: 2 Pet. three 3, 4. that walk after their own lusts, and say, where is the promise of his coming? For except that the Fathers fell asleep, some men are dead and others risen in their place, all things else continue as they were from the beginning, there always were vicissitudes of Flourish and Decay in every Nation, and in these things there are no footsteps of a Providence or Judgement: In days when men resist and deny thy Hand because they do not feel it; and since thy Judgements are removed out of their sight, defy Thee too, and dash thyself out of the World; in such days 'tis but just that thou shouldst come to their conviction, and confute them with thy Judgements into Ruin. And truly since it must be horrid provocation that makes him come beyond the compass of his Covenant to Revenge, the Executions are mostly very fatal, as if they were what they seem to prevent, the last Day, and the final Doom upon such Nations. For to the Jews they look as if they had fulfilled all that the Prophecy was mistaken to foretell, and were as irreversible and utter as the Sentence of the Day of Judgement. Now to prepare for such Approaches of the Lord our King, there is one only means, that is, resolving Fealty and Allegiance to him, and that not formal only, or but idle Homage, but renouncing all Confederacy with his Enemies, Sin, and the Devil, and serving him with all the heart and all the strength. For he is that King in the 19 of S. Luke, who did not only cause his contumacious Enemies, such as would not have him to reign over them to be slain before him, v. 27. making his way over their Necks whose Hearts he could not set up his Throne in; not did only cause those Servants who were so far from preparing his Way, that upon confidence he delayed his coming they smote their fellow Servants, and did eat and drink with the drunken; were unjust to others, and indulged themselves in all licentious living, cause them to be cut asunder, and to have their portion in the Region of weeping, where these intemperate should have only tears to drink, and for their Riots only gnashing of teeth, Teeth ready to revenge their former Luxuries on themselves, gnashing as to devour one another, Matth. xxiv. 48. But he is that King too that Executed Sloth as well as Treason, in Matth. xxv. 30. who having given one a Talon, trusted him with abilities of doing service in the station he had put him in, which for his not endeavouring to do, though he corrupted not his faculties, because he buried them and did not use them, but indulged to idleness, condemned him therefore to utter darkness, to the proper Mansion of the slothful, all whose time can be nothing but night, since his whole Life is but as sleep. But in a word, S. Matthew hath said all, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; as it is written, prepare ye the way of the Lord. And here to stop, and to reflect at once upon ourselves and this which hath been said: And first, on this last way by which he comes as a King in Executions. Here I cannot but take notice, that we have some that do design and act among us as if they were this King's Harbingers, his Pioners rather, to prepare the way for his invasion on us; or were his forlorn hope sent out to give the onset of his Executions, and were sure of Him in the reserve to second them: Truly their Threats and their Attempts are big and Insolent, and most men's expectations are not very comfortable. To say with some, this Confidence of theirs is built on the non-execution of the Laws (which seems slighter than in the old Comparison of Cobwebs) for notwithstanding their fine close contexture, there are holes left for Spiders to creep through; and not the great Flies only, every ruffling and befriended Sinner whether by his Money or Relations, but the lesser too, now they have learned to fly in Swarms, break through, to say that were a Complaint out of my sphere. And▪ truly when I think on the temper of their fury, how it is hardened in the fire of Execution, charges Death not only in the Field, but on the Scaffold too; I must needs think it hath some stronger Ingredients, and there is something of Religion in it. Now really there can be nothing else of that but an opinion of the great defection of Virtue in their Enemies: Open Profaneness, public Licence, living without fear of God or Man, makes them look upon them as men designed for excision. Achior is said to give this counsel to the Captain of the Host of Babel, when he went against Judaea. My Lord and Governor, ●●dith. v. 20, 21. If there be any Error in this People, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall be their Ruin, and let us go up and we shall overcome them: But if there be no iniquity in the Nation, let now my Lord pass by, lest the Lord defend them, and their God be for them, and we become a Reproach before all the World. And sure that they who when they were a formidable Body, furnished with Principles as bad as now they can be, and with Weapons too; and fleshed with Victories and mischief, should at once depart from these advantages, quietly lay them down and all their Interests; and now when they are scattered and disfurnished, destitute of every strength but what ourselves afford them, that they should make Attempts which no Courage can sustain, nor Reason countenance; all this I say, admits of no account but this, that they who were amazed at God's exerting of himself, when they saw him appear so visibly on our behalf, and locked upon us as a party purified in the Furnace of Affliction, and the dross and scum gone out of us; (for we had some Reputation then:) Now seeing the return we make to God, as we had been delivered to commit Abominations, they are grown confident God is engaged against us, that we have filled up our measure, have been Fatted for a Sacrifice and are ripe to bleed: And if our supineness give them Weapons, and our iniquities give them Courage, there are enough will count our slaughter an Obligation to the Lord. O! give me leave to contradict the Counsel of my Text, prepare Not this way of the Lord, do not thus make ready for his coming by provoking him to hasten it in Fury; rather Block up all Passages and stop his March; you have wherewith at hand; The duties you are now practising, those of this Season, Humiliation and Amendment, are Barricadoes strong enough against him, he cannot break through them. He had sent out his Executions against Israel, and Ahab did but Fast and put on Sackcloth and they strait retired, were beat off for a whole Life, 1 King. xxi. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? because he humbleth himself I will not bring the evil in his days. The habit of Repentance, if Piety and Virtue get but Countenance, it will divert him in his March; and it must needs, for it prepares his other way, that to the place of Expiations, to the Throne of Grace, his Cross; the Second thing. And should we not prepare his Way to that by our Repentance, we were false to our own actions that pretend to do it, unjust to the time that calls for it, but most unkind to Christ and to our Souls. What in that fatal Race, and under all that load he did stretch and press on so to lay hold upon us, to seize our sins and Sacrifice them in himself, that then we should retain them, should not let him have them, but cling to them still; that when he was upon the Cross with naked Breast and open Arms, as it were ready to receive all wounds sin could inflict, and every wickedness of ours had a stab at his Heart, that we should still reserve the envenomed Poniard, keep the malice of the wickedness to Crucify Him to ourselves afresh, and kill ourselves also for ever! That we should suffer him to swoon and Die under the burden of our guilt, yet we ourselves resolve to keep and not to quit the guilt! For do not you deceive yourselves, Christ did not take away the guilt of any one sin, from any man that does not part with it, but still retains the sin; that would imply a contradiction: Such men are so far from preparing the Lords way to his Cross, that that whole Journey was to them in vain: They will not let him have their sins to bear upon the Tree, deny their Priest a Sacrifice for them when he was going to the Altar. Indeed they that come to the Celebration of his Passion thus disposed, plant troubles in his way to his Cross, and make it more grievous; yea they obstruct his passage thither even when they wait upon him to it: Those that come with indevotion to attend that sad Procession, such as they usually go to their Prayers with; these are so far from making his Way smooth and easy, that 'tis they that throw him in that Journey prostrate on his Face, and cast him into Agonies of Prayer, so to expiate and instruct their little sense of that to which such Sufferings were due, and which must have such deprecations. They that come thither with their swelling scornful Prides and their Ambitions, lay Hills in his way, and when he is so heavy laden and so weak, they make him climb up Precipices, whence their Scorns too throw him down again with his Cross and Encumbrances upon him. All these heights must be levelled and the Mountains be brought low, if we prepare the way for him. The Gaudy people, they that spend the severe hours of this sad Season, and of the preparation for that Passion in the Arts and labours of Attire, that mortify and punish themselves only in cares and in Contrivances to make and dress up Beauties, and the study of these enters with, thrusts out the grand concerns of their own Souls, and the employments of this time, even which they are about: These doubtless are attired in Funeral conformity to wait upon him to his Cross, on which he had no other dress but the rags of his own Skin: Come they not rather to expose his nakedness, and shame him from themselves, that so he may go by and not take notice of them in his passage, nor be concerned for them in his Sufferings? The Hypocrites either to God or to their Brethren, that have only the Ceremonies, the Civilities of Honesty of Religion, make show of both, but yet are false to God, and insincere with Man, cruelly betraying or deluding, yea enraging those necessities which with fair speeches they pretend to smooth and salve; they act over again the treacherous malice of his Persecutors, who under the kindness of the Cup of Consolation which was given to them that were condemned to Die, namely, Wine mingled with Myrrh to cheer the Heart and cloud the Understanding, and so lessen sense of Suffering, in scorn and mischief gave him Vinegar and Gall, which though it counterfeit the other taste, serves only to prolong life for more future Torment. The Swearer stabs him all along his Journey; and the Men of Black Designs and Malice, they pour Venom in those Wounds. But why stand I thus to enumerate particulars? All such come not to the Redemption of the Day, but only to the Scene: Amidst other like Entertainments of this Holy severe Time which the Theatre affords, they come also to see the Tragedy of Jesus, to behold the dead march to Golgotha, indifferent and unconcerned in that (as in the rest) whether there were such a procession in earnest, or whether he did come at all indeed; which casts me on his other coming, the last thing, his coming in the first Revealing of the Gospel. And here I hope I shall have no reflections to make as to preparing for this coming. Christ certainly did find his Way prepared so to this Nation, that we believe he was more early entertained in it, than almost any where in the whole Gentile World: And ever since his cares for it were so particular, that they, who would fulfil the Revelation in this Church, seem to err with some reason, when as his regards were so peculiar for this, as if he had not concerned himself in any other. And sure none other ever had so long, such opportunites and advantages; so that I cannot press you to prepare the Lord's Way, since he is among us. Righteous art thou O Lord! and wonderful in thy Mercies! yet if I might plead with Thee concerning them, I would inquire what hast thou done here all this while after thy so long abode among us? what are we the better? The last attempt of God to reclaim Man, when he had showed the World all other means were fruitless, was by Thee his Son! by whom he did convey all the full measures of his Graces; and now what effect of these is there in us? Show me how all this care and cost hath made us be more just, sober, or chaste; in any way more virtuous than those Heathens whose Religion came from Hell? Luke x. 18. We find Thee saying, I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from Heaven, his Power vanishing like that which does but flash and perish, never can be recollected. But alas! that falling flash hath kindled foul heats that will break out into Fire and Brimstone. Idolatry 'tis true, is profligated hence; the Devil is not worshipped as he was with a Religion of Impieties, Uncleannesses, Drunkenness, and the like: But yet the same things are now made to consist with thy Religion, as well as with that of the Devil, and we can do all those things and be Christians. Some, as if their Profession were a Charm which made them shot-free from God's threats do they what they will, they will adventure any the most desperate Impiety and choose Damnation in a sin, and yet believe, be confident, and so secure. On others it does work indeed the Form of Godliness, makes them such perfect Pageants of Religion, that they oft fall in love with their own Vizour, and please themselves as if their dress were Nature, while yet under that form there are the greatest falsnesses, and black treacherous designs, the most unjust and Bloody practices that even make the Form of Godliness look dismal; and yet all this joined with so much superciliousness, with such difference to Christ, that you would say the Pharisees were now all of Christ's side. And is this all the Lord came hither for? to be a Sanctuary for the profane, a Cloak for Hypocrites? Give me leave to relate a Story I have read of four or five Vessels of Portugals who were Shipwrecked to the drowning of almost five hundred men, Voyages of Mendez Pinto, Chap. 19 only fifty three escaped, and they were left naked and hurt upon an Island Desolate, as the Israelites Wilderness, which needed the same Miracle to sustain them, and found the like: For God as it were reigned Fish upon them; and so did that which kept them alive, till at last they espied a large Boat of Chineses making to the shore to take in Water in that Island, and the people coming all to Land for their refreshment; which they seeing, resolved to make themselves the Masters of their Boat and Goods, and go away in it: A man would have thought their own sad state in that Land of Desolation should have taught them Compassion; at least Gods Mercies to them should have taught them Justice to others. But when men have received great signal instances of Gods Protecting mercies, they think then that they are his Favourites, and then they may do any thing: They therefore got into a Wood near the Shore and Boat, and it was ordered among them, that when the Captain should pronounce Jesus three times, than they should run out of the Wood and seize the Vessel. Lord! would not such a word be a Spell and Charm against unmerciful, inhuman, and unjust Designs? would it not exorcise all impious Contrivances? It is no new thing to preface mischief with an holy Name, and bring in Jesus in the Prologue to Iniquity; to talk of God and act the Devil. They seized it, and driving from the Land, left the true Owners of the Vessel to possess their misery; Being secure, they searched and found no person in it but a Child of thirteen years of age, and they fell to what Victuals they met, and having eaten, with hands lifted up they praised God solemnly, and then proceeded to cut out and share the Silks and Riches of the Vessel: The Boy seeing all this, and drowned in Tears would not be comforted by them, who promised him all friendly usage; but he desired rather to go Die with his Father than live with such wicked people: Being reprehended for that Speech, Would you know, said he, why I said it? Because I saw you when you had filled your Bellies praise your God with hands lift up, and yet for all that, like Hypocrites, never care for making restitution of what you have stolen, but be you sure that after Death you shall feel the rigorous Chastisement of the Lord Almighty. The Captain admiring would needs persuade him to be a Christian: Whereunto earnestly beholding him, he answered; I understand not what you mean, declare it first, and you shall know my mind: And being told by them of the blessed Author and the purity of our Religion, what God did to Redeem us from our sins, and what holy Laws he hath left us: With Eyes and Hands lift up, he weeping, said; Blessed be thy Power O Lord! that permits such people to live on the Earth that speak so well of Thee, and yet so ill observe thy Law as these blinded Miscreants do, who think that Robbing and Preaching are things that can be acceptable to thee: And so returned to his Tears and obstinacy. To see the strictness of the Christians Obligations, and the looseness of their Lives, to see their Practices dash against their Professions! 'Tis such a thing as makes them be the Scorn of honest Heathen Children. And is this all that men are required to prepare the way of the Lord for? Is this all he can do after so many Centuries of the abode of him and his Religion among us? While there is no more of his influence appears, I must suspect he is not here, the Lord is not among us, but is gone. And certainly if it be possible to drive him out, if there be any Art of doing that, we have Professors of that Mystery, and the Drolls are they. That men should sin against him by transgressing of his Laws is no wonder, for there is invitation to it in the Blood: That some did count him an Impostor is not strange, they had not met it may be, with means of Conviction, or were prepossessed with prejudice; but while men own his Person and Religion, to have a God only to make them sport, as it hath no temptation, so it hath no measures of its guilt: Atheism is an honest refuge from this Vice; it being much more sober and rational to think there is no God, than 'tis to make a mock of him whom they profess to be so. This is indeed to prepare his way to his Cross, for so the Jews and Soldiers did, they put a Sceptre in his hand only to take it out and smite him with his Sceptre, they bowed the knee and cried Hail King, and so humbly spit in his Face, and they put a Crown, but 'twas of Thorns, on his Head: thus they Worshipped him in scorn and Crucified him with his Dignities. And so we serve Religion: When we would have a Scene of Mirth, that must be put in a ridiculous disguise to laugh at, the Son of God must enter Travesty, and our Discourse is nothing but the Gospel in Burlesque. And is it not time for him to retire? But O prepare not this path for him to go away in. The Heathens thought it much more possible to Chain their Deity, than to be safe if he were gone, Any the strangest contradiction is more easy, than Security without him. Now if you but make up S. Peter's Chain, that will hold your God sure: 2 Pet. i 5. Add to Faith (that's the first Link that unites us to him,) Virtue, and to Virtue Temperance, and the other Graces named there. Malach. iii 7. If he were going; yet Return unto me, and I will return unto you saith the Lord: If you do but prepare to meet him in the Duties of this Season, you are sure to find him at his Cross: and if we do but lay hold on him there, and by the mortifications of a true Repentance partake in his Death; He that is the Way and the Life will through that dust and ashes from that Death, make a way for us to his Eternal Life. To which, etc. The Eighth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. October 9 1664. 1 JOHN V. 4. This is the Victory which overcometh the World, even our Faith. THese Words, though they explicitly make only one single Proposition, yet they imply several. First, That the State of Christianity is a state of Warfare; He that is born of God must fight we see, for he must overcome; which is the Second; In this War he must not satisfy himself with being on his Guard; defensive, looking to secure himself, but he must Assault and Conquer, nothing else will serve his turn but Victory. Thirdly, The Enemy which he must have no Peace with, but must vanquish, is the World. Fourthly, Faith is sufficient forces to assist him in his Conquest. Fifthly, Faith where it is rightly made use of is a certain Victory. But I shall not handle these in Thefi thus, but for the more practical treating of them shall make and answer three Inquiries. First, What the way is that the World does wage War in? where its Strength lies? and how it manages that force so as to get advantage over men? and how it does improve each such advantage till it gets a perfect Conquest? Secondly, What the strengths of Faith are? how it charges, breaks the forces of the World, and does enable the Believer to overcome? Thirdly, How far the Believer must pursue his Conquest? what must be the measures of his Victory? that he may know how to vanquish it so as that the World may not rebel again; not do like Joash smite three times, then leave, but Smite until he make an end of danger: Having answered these, I shall endeavour to apply all to ourselves. Now for the better handling of the first of these, I must show you how the Will of Man may be attaqued and taken. To which purpose I observe, that whatsoever liberty there is in humane choice, yet every appetite seems in some sense determined in its tendencies to fix on that which appears simply best for it, for that instant which it chooseth in; I do not say that whensoever Reason peremptorily concludes a thing is best that the Will is determined instantly to that; for by a too unhappy evidence we know, that if the lower Soul does but because the Will another way, she can suspend and stop her prosecutions, and too oft finds cause to go along with that against the dictates of the Mind: But this I say, that in her last Executive Determinations she always tends to that which hath the fairest and most vigorous appearances of being best for her at that present time. If it seem strange how, since the Understanding can account the certain expectations of an happy everlastingness much better for the present, than a momentany worldly satisfaction; (for we have our Rules and our proportions by which we rate and choose Reversions rather than Possessions, and those of the other World exceed these beyond all the measures of proportion, and the Understanding does inform impartially of this:) How then if the Will can let those go and take these it can be said always to choose the better for the present? if it may be said to do so though it let those go, then by what wash or Chemic Artifices does she blanche or paint these so as to make them look better for the present? Now we may discover how these both may be, if we only reflect upon the manner of the actings of our own Souls. Where the things that stand in competition for our choice are both of the same kind, and have one common measure of their good or ill; (as for example, are both painful, or both profitable, or delightful) and no consideration of any other motive comes into the Balance; here the Will must needs choose the best, refuse the worst. For merely out of aversation to pain to run into the stronger Pain, avoid the less; or out of Covetousness to refuse greater Wealth; or for delights sake only to prefer that which is less delightful, are practical contradictions. Where the Objects are of different kinds, one for example, profitable or delightful, but not without sin; and the other Virtuous, and spiteful Reason taking Virtue's part, suggests the motives to it, Gods Commands, his Promises, and Threats; here, though the inferior faculties prostitute all their baits, they cannot equal those proposals to the Will 'tis true; yet by their importunacies still pressing her, goading her by their stings, they can and do prevail with her to call the Understanding off from her attention to those other motives, and employ the thoughts upon the present Object that does importune her so, and which by the agitations it does cause within the sensual part, puts the mind in disorder presently, distracts the thoughts, then seizes them; so that the Understanding being now intent to this, the better motives are let go and sink, and then the only ones in view are those of sense, which strait the Will rushes into the embraces of, and the other being vanished and no better than appearing, 'tis plain in those she six on the best. But if the mind will not be taken off, but Conscience fly in the Man's Face and will not let him rest, nor his Will fix, why then in this unquietness of hers she sets the thoughts on work and will not let them fix till they find out some salvo that can satisfy Carnality and Conscience too, that will let the Man have the sin and not deprive him of God's Favour: And if either application of God's Decrees and Promises without Condition absolutely to himself, and the assurances of Faith and trust will do it, (as we may know it will in some) or if not that, then if hopes of mercy, resolutions of repenting afterwards and leaving off the sin, (as this does do with most) than it is evident in choosing to obey his inclinations, with such salvo the man chooseth that which does appear best for the present. But if the mind unsatisfied with these, and not daring to trust such rotten planks against the very face of storm, object the uncertainty, at least, of these Principles, and the unsafeness of those after-hopes, not fit to be security against God's Threats, and would convince the man that conscience of resisting a temptation, and by that keeping himself free from the clutches of the Devil, and the fears of Hell, together with present assurance of God's favour, are more satisfying at the present than the pleasures of the sin: Yet those pleasant apprehensions of the Conscience of resisting re-encountering with the seeming impossibility of resisting always that which presses so, and will some time or other seize upon him, and finding the temptation to have sharper stings than his Religious fears of things which are not present, and of which he hath had no experience: And besides, he having never had any great sense of God's favour and rewards, the Landscape of them is but dim and faint upon the mind like those representations blind men have of Beauty (to whom if you discourse of exact features, perfect harmony of colours, of a graceful presence, cheerful air, and a good mine, and all those other know not what's, that being seen commit a Rape upon men's faculties, yet his conceptions of them are but very dark, who never hath had any notices of these but such as his Ears give) and though the Understanding chance to be positive and resolute in its determinations concerning them, yet still the apprehensions of them are not clear; futurity, which is one sort of distance, making objects, as all things afar off do, look but confused, and their Ideas not distinct, nor bright or brisk, therefore they move the Will but very coldly: Whereas the other pleasure being known, the apprehensions of it are more vigorous, the draught is strong and lusty on the Fancy, there is force in every line, the very image of it lives, and therefore is more efficacious, and by that prevails, that looking fairest and most tempting at that present, so that from this experience of ourselves in every sort of instance thus deduced, the Will does seem always to fix on that which appears simply best for it, for that instant which it chooseth in; the man still takes what he likes better at that present, and he likes better that which looks better for that present: And things are made to look better by these Arts which I have showed you. This being now the temper and the disposition of the Will, and such the method of her actings, this is the thing the World makes use of, here's its strength, namely, in making things look better for the present. Which how it manages so as thereby to get advantages upon us, how it does improve each such advantage till it get a perfect Conquest, I shall give you in few words; by showing you how the World gets first possession of our Souls, and there raises in us passionate desires that expect present satisfaction, which it hath at hand to serve them with, which by these arts are made look better than any other expectations. It was observed by the Philosopher most truly, that a Child is born only an Animal, is to be Educated, and brought up into a Man: His reason is the birth of time and institution, for a while nothing but sense does live in him. Now all that while he is incapable of being affected with any other things, but such as strike the senses, things of this present World; and by that means only such possess his mind and inclinations too, the uses and advantages of every thing about him are those he is first sensible of, and those alone: and so the World does make the first impressions on our Souls, it does prevent all other in our inclinations, hath our first love and enjoys our first embraces, from which it must be with great reluctancy that we are torn; and whereas these impressions should be weakened and defaced by the infusion of other Notions and Principles, and the Soul should be weaned from too great liking of these sensitive satisfactions by the cares of those which should be as assistant souls to us, denying us every thing that was not very requisite or very moderate, that we might learn to want them, and be taught not to desire them. The contrary alas! is practised every way, as soon as e'er the mind is capable of being trained into the World's snares we betray it into them, we teach it how to understand and be affected with the bait, and those pomps which we but just before made them renounce, we make them before any things know, and be pleased with; and the first blossom of the mind wherein the Soul exerts itself for the most part is Pride: And for the rest the old complaint is true, ante palatum eorum quam os instituimus, we teach their Palates sooner than their Tongues, and they can cry for what they cannot name; and yet among their first half words they can name Dainties; and what will he not lust for when he is grown up, that is taught to desire provocatives ere he can chew them? Thus we teach the gaieties and the delights of the World how to insinuate into and take the heart; we water and keep warm the seeds of Worldly Inclinations that are there, make them sprout and cherish them, nurse up original propensions into temper: And as Understanding grows up, we impregnate it with Principles and arts of serving them, turn Reason into a sagacity and skill of catering for those Inclinations, making them like Aristotle's observation backwards, educating them into Creatures of mere sense, teaching them to be rational understanding Brutes. Yet the World thinks sic fiunt homines, this is called making them Men betimes: And when they are thus made, when the age of satisfying all their inclinations is come, and when Temptations are understood, and multiply by Conversation, and the World hath Objects for them all at hand; Objects, that what ever way they turn their Eyes are still before them and thrust themselves into the mind and the advantages that do attend them, and by constant importunacy stir and work desires and serve them too; then we are in that state in which the World hath those advantages I told you of, whereby it does not only war against the Principles of Reason and Religion in us, but it also leads the Will into Captivity, and enslaves her to itself. For it is plain the World hath got possession of the heart, and hath a strong party of heady passions, which whensoever a Temptation does alarm them, presently are up, raise a mutiny, and with the heat of Fancy and commotion of affections they disorder the Understanding so, that it cannot rally up considerations against the assault, but either it concludes, or disputes very faintly: If it do make an effort and struggle, it is but with a slender company of thin weak notions of things afar off, which the man hath had no proof of, nor hath any great confidence in; which while it is in recollecting and enforcing, the World hath its powers ready, seizes on the Will by the means of a corrupted fancy that does give it earnest, foretaste, even the possession of the well-known pleasures that it does invite to, and so melts him down into the sin. Now while the present Profits, Pleasures, Honours that I have from the World fill me, while they feed and clothe me, and provide me all that my necessity or wantonness can wish, and furnish me in hand with whatsoever any of my natural or my forced Appetites do gape for, and lull me with that constant variety of those delights which it procures, the use of which hath so drunk up my Spirits, and my Soul hath so imbibed the joys, that I know not how to retrench from them, nor from that which is to furnish them. Must I leave all these for things that I have had no taste nor relish of? leave all in present for some future hopes which I have no great confidence of compassing if I should try? and which I also see that very few venture for? Whereas Mankind is swallowed up in the pursuit of these, and to be stored with them does not only serve my needs and Luxuries, but it is the only state of Reputation and Honour. 'Tis not from a rich stock of virtuous qualifications, nor from great and glorious Actions that Esteem and Dignities do generally grow, but from worldly advantages, these constitute conditions, and these are their only Characters. And being it is so, they that are in a Sphere above the ordinary ranks of people, must contrive those things that are become essential to their condition; and they must have worldly Pomps although with the expense of Piety, or Charity, and Justice, yea, of every Christian Duty; of Morality indeed, and Heathen virtue, of Humanity itself: They will extort, be ravenous and cruel, will be false and treacherous, cheat and betray to get, and purchase at the price of the most disingenuous, sneaking and unmanly sins: To undermine another they will dig to Hell, as if they meant to give fire to their Mine with the flames of that place whence they have the malice and the arts to do it: And as if they did not care to sink him thither who stands in their way to stop their rise; they are content to die their purple with their own most guilty blushes, and the blood of any one that is their Rival or Competitor. Add to this, that when these pretences of Condition have got footing in the heart, besides those passionate desires which they stir for themselves, they work out most unquiet Emulations, Envies, Discontents at others. In whatsoever any other does exceed me, his Abundance is my want, strait I am in necessity, not from my own needs, but from his possessions, and I suffer his enjoyments; I labour, fret, and sink under the burden of his Honours, and his greatness is inflicted on me. Nor can I ever be at rest till I am got from under the sad pressure of that deep necessity of having what I see another have. And thus it will be, till Ambition have no further Object, till there be no greater heights to mount. And now this Lust is in its pride, and the victorious World in its Triumphal Chariot. Not that I dare pretend that I have showed you all the Chains by which it drags captive Souls after it, or all the Arts of Tyranny that it does execute: I could name many more, but he alone is able to discover all, Matth. iv. 8, 9 that in the twinkling of an Eye did once show all the Kingdoms of the World, and all the beauty of them, and who promised to bestow them all for but one single act of Worship, and whose gift the Glories of it are for the most part, and purchased by those very means. My business is to pull it down from this great height, and show you how to triumph o'er these Conquests; which my Text says is done by Faith, for this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith: Which how it does, is my second next Enquiry. It seems a prejudice to this Assertion of my Text, that the great pretenders to Faith, the men that lay the whole stress of their Everlasting Being on believing only, have been branded to be very Worldly; and the Factions of Godliness were the mysteries and arts of Thriving; as if their Faith laid hold indeed upon the Promises of this Life, and if it overcame the World, it was for them to seize and be possessors of. But this is not the Victory my Text secures, a Conquest for the Faith only of Mahomet to make: And while Christian Votaries do only mind such Conquests, and are candidates of Turcism, do they not call it in, and make way for their Sword and their Religion? But the Faith that lays hold on Christ's Promises cannot consist with any such affections. For since Christ's Promises are made only to those that overcome all such desires, and that do it to the end, and none other can be safe; It is impossible for him that does not overcome to trust upon those Promises, and to apply them to himself by Faith: For at once to believe I shall be saved, and yet believe those sayings which affirm none such can be saved, these are most inconsistent. It being then as easy to make contradictions be at peace, as Faith and Worldliness, they cannot suffer one the other; it follows: He that hath this Faith in sincerity must needs overcome the World. And to show you in a word how it is done, you need not but to consider, that Faith is as S. Paul saith, the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. Which as the Syriack translates, does say, that Faith is such a certainty of those things that we hope for, as if we actually had them; and it is the revelation of those things that are not seen, it hath so strong a confidence in God, that the Believer assures himself of all God's Promises and Threats, as much as if they were in sight; and though we see them through a glass but darkly, yet we see them by it, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It represents the things of which we have no demonstration from Sense or humane reasoning, as convincingly to the mind as if they were before our Eyes: And it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the substance, the subsistence and the very being of things that are not yet in being, but in hope: So that the Eye of Faith, like that of God, does see those things that are invisible, and futurity is present to it. Now by this alone it is of force to break the powers of the World, which as we saw while the things of the other World were looked upon as at a great distance, afar off, taking advantage of their absence stormed the mind with present forces, and had supplies at hand for fresh assaults, so overcame it. Whereas, had the powers of the World to come been present (now by Faith they are made so we see) the other which are so inferior that there is no more comparison than of immensity to a point, a moment to Eternity, could not stand before them. 'Tis too notorious that this is the case: For should a man cry fire in the House, how it had seized the strengths of it, were blotting out the glories of it in thick Smoke, devouring all their shine in flame, we would leave our Devotions, our most eager pleasures to prevent this, and no speed were swift enough to serve our cares and fears. Isai. xxx. 33. But though a Prophet of the Lord cry Tophet is prepared, the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood, and the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone kindling it, and do this till his Lungs crack, not one heart is moved, nor brings a drop of tear to quench the flame, because these fires are not present as the other, neither have men any sense of them, were they alike convincing, alike present to the apprehension, 'twere impossible according to what we have demonstrated (that the Will in her choices and her aversations, where the Objects are of alike kind, and have one common measure of their good and evil, is determined to avoid or take that which appears the greatest always; 'twere I say impossible) not to fly these which the Devils do believe and tremble at, James li. 19 with greater dread wherever they appear: Now a strong lively Faith must paint them out and show them in each sin the World ensnares into. Neither would any of those rotten planks, which, while the Will does fluctuate betwixt her worldly inclinations and these fears, and is tossed about, offer themselves, as I declared to you, for her to escape upon, though she does dash herself upon God's Threats choosing the present sin; such as the application of Decrees or Promises made absolutely to himself without any condition, confidence in God's Mercies, hopes of Pardon; none of these would be security to one that were convinced in earnest. He that did believe and as it were discern that height which his ambition goads him to aspire to, were upon the brink of the bottomless Pit, whither when he arrived, that very sin that tempts him with the glories of the prospect, would then tumble him down headlong into that Abyss, he would no more dare to ascend it by such false and guilty steps upon such hopes of mercy, trusts on Promises or Decrees, than he would dare to throw himself off from a Pinnacle in confidence God was Almighty and Almerciful, able enough, and kind enough to stretch out his right hand and catch him in the fall, Psalm xci. or trusting to that Promise, He will give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone: Or leaning upon any such Decree as makes the term of life immovable and fatal; Job 7. neither to be hastened or retarded; none of these will make him mad enough to break his Neck, neither would the same presumptions encourage him to cast away his Soul, had he but equal apprehensions of the danger. And it is plain, all the temptations of the World, and all these false encouragements cannot work upon a man, when Death once looks him in the Face; and the great Champions of Profaneness are tame then, not that God's threatenings are more true, or made more evident to sense or reason than they were before, but their Faith is active, and they apprehend more strongly then. To see myself trampled upon by pride and malice, or worse yet, begging of him whom my blood it may be helped to streams of plenty, begging like Lazarus the portion of his Dogs, Dogs that are taught to snarl and bite, and make more sores, not lick them; this is a state more killing than my want, able almost to tempt a man to any courses. But then if with the Eye of Faith I do but look beyond the gulf, and there behold the Rich man in his flames begging for water, and although it be the Region of eternal weeping, yet not able to procure one drop of his own tears to cool his Tongue. O than I see 'tis better to be Lazarus, although there were no Abraham's bosom! But if my Faith look through that bosom also into that of God, and there behold the Son of God leaving all the essential felicities of that Bosom to come live a life of Virtue here on Earth, and to teach us to do so; choosing to do this also in a state of the extremest poverty, consecrating want and nakedness, contempt and scorn, making them thus the Ensigns of a divine Royalty. And to encourage us not to sink under any of the World's assaults, he hath proposed Rewards of Virtue, such as God is blessed in; did my Faith give me but a constant view of all this, sure the paint and varnish of these little things below, the twinkling exhalations of the glories of this World could not dazzle my mind and captivate my Soul, I should burst these entanglements to catch at those. 'Tis evident, and 'tis acknowledged, that when our belief shall be all Vision, and our expectation possession, when our Understanding shall become all Sense in Heaven, and we see and taste and have those glories, than we cannot sin, cannot be tempted from them: And therefore by the measures of the nearness of these Objects, of our sight, and of our interest, so are our strengths to stand and overcome Temptations. Now Faith is sight, giveth presence we have seen, 1 John v. 1. and it gives interest too, He that believes is born of God, saith the Apostle, and therefore hath a right: Now to be born of one is to receive from him a principle of life: He than that hath received from God a Principle of life such as he can derive, life like his own, such as is led in Heaven; when he does consider his original and looks upon himself as born of God, and consequently heir of God's possessions, which his Faith gives him a prospect of, how will he look down on the tempting glories of this World, on all that makes it grateful and desirable, as upon abject things, and sleight and undervalue whatsoever worldly men, poor Souls! do fear or hope, or long for, and pursue? The Mathematics say that the whole Globe of Earth to one that looks upon it from the Fitmament is but as a point, and sure it is demonstrable it must be so: And then how low and how contemptible must it needs seem to him that looks on it as from the Region of the Blessed, from God's Mansion? and when his Soul having defecated and freed itself from all earthy, muddy, gross affections, and become expedite and light, expatiates through those unbounded, unfathomed extensions of Heaven and glory, and looks upon all as his own, that he is very shortly to come to take the full enjoyment of, and hath already seisin of it by his Faith, how will he despise those narrow, those ridiculous bounds which the great ones of this World with Fire and Sword contend for? when he ●ees this little point half covered with the Sea, almost as much too hid from us and not to be discovered by our arts or industry; of that which is, much Desert, some parts Frozen, some burnt up, and not inhabited; and then the little remnant of this point to be the strife and the vexation of Mankind, while multitudes of Nations tear one another's bowels, spill the Blood and Souls of Myriad for some little patch or other of it; and those that are not doing so, yet in their sphere too they oppress, deceive, do any thing to get; and all the rest are in perpetual hurry of vexatious employments, or of toilsome pleasures, or of ruining Vices: Will he not look on this more unconcerned than we do on the busy labours of a little World of Ants about a Molehill, which Philosophers compare us to? The spectacle is much more to be pitied indeed; the crowds and Squadrons of those Ants, though they should have as many traverses and walks as men have, they have not Soul enough to have their guilt: Probably had they Humane understandings, they would then divide their Molehill into Empires, would be false and treacherous to one another, Cheat, Defraud, Oppress and Murder one another for the present share; and had they Reason, they would be more Brutes, than now they are but Pismires: For Beasts have less folly too because they are not Men. But he whose Faith mounts him to Heaven his Birth-place, where he nestles in the secret Bosom of his Father, he needs not be concerned in any of the carriages of this World, he is above them all, without the sphere of their attraction or magnetism, without the dangers of temptations from them: The World is but as his slave, and it hath no command upon him, he treads it all under his feet, and therefore certainly hath overcome it: the Condition and degree of which Victory is the next and last thing we are to inquire into. If you ask the Stoic who is this great Conqueror that overcomes the World, he will answer somewhat to this purpose. It is not any of those great successful Robbers that with Armies forage Nations; it is not he that peoples the whole Sea, filling it with his Navies; nor he that sets his Confines on the remotest parts of the Inhabited World, that can call all his own that the Sun views, so that it shines not out of his Dominions: But the Man that hath conquered his own Inclinations to the things below; he that hath raised his mind above the Crosses or Contents of this World, that can march among them both dreadless and unconfused; the man whose Soul is nothing dazzled by the brightness of Wealth, it shall not blind his Eyes, but through the varnish or the glory that the shine of it does shed, he can discover and will hate an evil action: he that can severely look on all those blandishments that Prosperity furnishes and decks out pleasure in, and can sit continent and abstemious in the midst of its delights, that when it is all Halcyon day with him, nothing but Sunshine, and he swims in the calm streams of flowing Plenty, is not melted by one or other, does not become loose and dissolute at all; the man also that is not shaken by the tumults of Adversity, when like an Earthquake she renverses all, his mind then stands unmoved, that does not so much suffer, as receive and welcome all that happens, as if he would not have it happen otherwise: In a word, it is the man that hath raised his mind above all casualties, the man that does but remember that he is a Man, that is, considers if he do abound, and the World prostitute itself to his Delights, that this cannot continue long; or if the World conspire to make him miserable, remembers that he is not so, except he think he is so, a man greater than his perils, stronger than his desires: And thus far the Stoick's Wiseman is victorious. Christ's Believer goes a little farther: That man hath the World Subject to him; but the Christian does not stay at that, he must not treat it as a Subject, but a Traitor, one whose Service is Conspiracy, that does attend on us only to watch and to betray us, to know our weak part, and to storm us there. Therefore as the Lord commanded Israel concerning Amalek, that did by them as the World doth with us in our journey to Canaan, comes upon advantages and smites the feeble, Deut. xxv. 17, 18, 19 Therefore said the Lord, remember what Amalek did to thee by the way, how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary, therefore thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven, etc. So must we also with the World, put all to death, not spare the best and goodliest as Saul did; yea more, put all to the pomps and cruelties of Death as Gideon used the men of Succoth, Judg. ulli. 16. tear their flesh with thorns and briars; or as David used the Ammonites, 1 Sam. xii. 31. put them under Saws and Iron Harrows; so the Christian must serve the World: Whatever Instruments of Tyranny that used upon his Saviour on the Cross, those he must exercise on it again, those Thorns, those Nails, that Spear he must employ like Gideon's Briars, and like David's iron Harrows, it must be Crucified, and then he is a glorious Conqueror, Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the World is Crucified to me and I unto the World. He that does march under the Banner of the Cross that Conquering Ensign, as he thereby declares himself upon such terms of enmity with the World that he does look upon himself as one despised by it, counted as an accured thing, for so was that that was Crucified, as it is written, Gal. iii 13. Cursed is every one that hangeth on the Tree: So also he does look upon his Standard as the Instrument of Execution to the World, on which it must be Crucified unto him, and so it is: He is so taken off from finding any stirring delights in the glories of it, that he accounts it a dead thing, that hath no more attraits than a Carcase; yea, he does look upon this World as on a detestable and accursed thing, as it was indeed; whose Thorns and Briars do not only scratch and tear, and do it most when we embrace it most, but also are a Refuge for the cursed Serpent to lurk in, and add his Stings to their sharps, that Devil Serpent that was doomed into it, and is always in it, and then most when it is most Paradise. Now he that hath thus used the World, he that hath nailed it to the Cross of Christ hath overcome the World. Should we now cast an eye at once upon ourselves and that which hath been thus deduced tracing all back again; then First, It would appear so evident that I were vain, if I should stay to prove that those which have such desires to any of the profits, heights or pomps, or any dear thing else whatever of this World, as that they are impatient if they miscarry in them, and full of strange complacencies if they do answer their desires, these have not overcome the World to any such degree. For had I overcome and Crucified it, sure I should not be so affectionate as to desire, court, and pursue what I had Executed; I should as soon adore the Paintings of my Enemy's Tomb, embrace and make love to his Carcase: And were I Crucified to it, had I but one Thorn of my Saviour's Crown struck through my Head, but one Nail in my Foot of those that nailed him to his Tree; were my Soul fastened to a Cross, how were it possible I should run gadding after the gay follies of the World, hasty in my desires of it: Nor could I be impatient if the World do not answer my desires and expectations, disquieted and discomposed, if I be disappointed, when any thing in it is not subservient to my heights, and I miss of those respects I looked for; were the World vanquished, Crucified to me, should I look for services from my dead Enemy whom I had slain? or be troubled if the person on the Cross did not do fitting reverences to me? or be impatient if I had not respects and the Attendances of Pomp from one upon the Gibbet? or if I were Crucified to it, certainly these heats would not warm the dead; these are none of the troubles of an Executed person when he is racked upon that instrument of Death, he is not grieved because the Nails were not of Silver, the Spears head not bright, or the Cross was not hung with Arras: And suppose it were, sure I were very weak if I should please myself with that, and let such poor contents thrust out all the just sadness of my Sentence and demerit: And yet it is as strange to find delights in having any of the World's advantages, and pride myself in the possession if I be Crucified to it. But much less is it Crucified to them that will do actions of injustice for the sake of any of the Pomps or profits of the World; there are that grind, and screw, and rack all that they have to deal with; others that deceive and rob in Vizours, plunder in the disguises of fair words and of false arts; Some that dress their Pomp's in none of their own trappings, such as they never mean to have a right to, because they never mean to satisfy for them if they can avoid it; they furnish the grandeur of their own condition with the goods of others which they never care to make their own by any recompense, at least not in such ways and seasons as the needs of those that owned them, and the rules of Justice do require; they cram and sauch their Dishes with the vital Blood indeed of those who starve for want of, and who own all that which does provide them their excesses. Now would a man do this to entertain, and feed, and dress the Carcase of his vanquished, his dead Enemy? would he be so vain, so guilty to provide to deck the Cross on which he Crucified his Foe? least of all would he retrench from the proportions of Charity or Piety, deny the calls of Mercy and compassion or Religion for his profits sake, or to furnish out the trains of Pomp, take the Lords portion to serve the dead World with? If it were overcome and Crucified, they would not feed it with hallowed things (and the Poor's portion is such,) nor rob the Altar to give it excesses, take Consecrated things to make a cursed Carcase gay and proud, Matth. xxv. 45. strip Christ's Body, starve their Saviour (so He does interpret to deny a portion to the naked and hungry) to make Pomps and Riots for an Executed World. In any of these cases he is far from being overcome: And if so, the Second Proposition will apply itself to such, and must conclude they have no Faith; for if they had that were a Victory; and however goodly they pretend, they are but Infidels: But it may be they will boldly own the Consequence, for now adays it is not gentile to believe any thing of Christ's Religion. And sure 'tis for the Reputation of the gallantry and courage of our love unto this World, that when the covetousness of the Gadarenes would not suffer Christ in their Coasts, and for their Swine's sake drove him out, when that of Judas would not let him be upon the Earth, but for thirty Silver pieces did betray him up to Death; that of this Age proceeds, and will not let him be in Heaven neither, but it scoffs him thence, and his Faith from the Earth: And because they like this World so well, they will not suffer there should be any other. It is not my part to Combat these; I undertook only to show a way to overcome the World, if they will not use it let them enjoy their Bondage. And yet without all doubt these candidates of Infidelity and Atheism have faith enough to do the work in good degree; for certainly there's none of them but does believe but he shall die, and it is easy for his Faith to look through that thin vapour which our life is styled by, to the end of that small span, and there see a Bed, though gay now and soft as the sleep and sins it entertains, then with the Curtains close, the gaiety all clouded in a darkness, such as does begin the desolateness of the Grave; if you draw the Curtain to his Faith it sees a languishing sad Corpse which nothing in the World can help or ease, forethrowded in his own dead hue, himself preluding to his winding-sheet, in which within a little while he shall be cast from the society and sight of men, and shall have nothing else of all his Wealth and Pomp: To see all this is no great monstrous difficulty for his Faith. Now though while he is in his prosperity and health, and the World serves every of his desires, and if I should tell him all his superfluities, all that is beyond a mere convenience are but empty things, mere shadows of delight, that only mock his fancy; should I tell him that the silver furnitures of his Tables, and those more wealthy shining ones those in his Cabinet, and the Silken ones of his Rooms, and the more exquisite pieces of rich Art which people must have skill to understand the pomp of, must have been the Disciples of the Pencil to discern how they do serve Pride; tell him these are phantasms, only dreams of Pomp, advantages no where but in imagination, I shall not persuade him, but he will despise me. But then if he will ask his Faith how all these will look to him in the state which is now before his thoughts, what his opinion of them will be then? he knows he may as well go to his Pictures now, and entertain his Mirth and Luxuries with them, and hearken to their painted sounds, and dine upon the images of Feasts, as hope in that sad hour from all his Wealth to find comment or ease, though his hand sweat under the weight of Winter Jewels they will not heal one aching joint: His Plate the greatest Riot of his Table will not make one morsel taste savoury; yea more, he knows that then all the worldly uses of these superfluities such as satisfying curiosity, and emulation, and the estimation of the World, to be the talk of people, and the like; these will appear most evidently to be insipid things, mere conceits of delights; things of which there can be no real enjoyment or advantage any time. And if it then appear evidently that in themselves they are so, than they are so always; and a constant Contemplation of that time will make them always seem so. So that a Faith that cannot see into another World, that will but look through this, must needs take off our hearts from the entanglements of those advantages, when it appears how small a thing can dash them all so as that we cannot enjoy them while we have them, and that the enjoyment of them while we do is but imaginary. And really when we consider how unquiet and disturbed a thing Man is, except he raise himself above the Power of all these, how till the Mind escape out of the whirl and circuit of the World's allurements, it cannot but be in perpetual agitations; at every ebb or flow of things without, there is a tide within of swelling or sinking affections; every change abroad does make a change of thoughts and of designs, cross Accidents have cross Passions, and I am as much an Universe of various thwarting contradictious affections, as the World is of motions. How the Beasts are free, serene and quiet Creatures in comparison, for they not understanding many Objects, consequently have few inclinations, and their satisfactions very obvious; whereas the Comprehensive mind of Man that looks into a world of things, and out of them creates a world of temptations, finds out varieties of Pleasures or of Profits, and then starts as many eager affections in himself to pursue them; his copious understanding does but procure him various Lusts, and his Reason does but make him sagacious in searching out occasions of disquiet. Nor is it possible it should be otherwise, for while my inclinations are chained to those external movements, and my slavish mind attends upon those inclinations, I must needs suffer as many servitudes as the world hath changes of temptation: And then putting these two Considerations together, how unsatisfying and how uneasy too it is to be engaged in the Advantages of this World, which are merely Dreams of good things that disturb our rest and make our sleep unquiet, with the working of Imagination, yet do but delude the Appetite, and we find we have had nothing when we awake; sure if I thought there were no other World, yet would I not be greedy after the great things of this, when 'tis more easy far to want them, here would I indulge myself the sensuality of a Contented mind, the luxury of an Ataraxy, of an indifference as to all these things, of being quiet and untroubled by not having them, free from the hurry and disorder of them. The Moralists did so account it certainly, when they called this living according to our Nature, as if all the other were a Violence upon us; and upon the same ground they accounted it not hard to overcome the Allurements of this World, it was only not to invade and use a force upon themselves and vanquish their own natures: And sure we that are Christians, and are so no farther than as we have this Faith here in the Text, we must not count it hard; we who have the Revelations and Example of the blessed Jesus, all that he hath done to make it easy, now saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Courage, for I have overcome the World: They are but broken forces we are to resist, we have the Strengths of Heaven on our side, and therefore sure we may adventure to encounter them; and if we do begin to faint, we have an Almighty Captain of Salvation, and if we have but Faith to lay hold on him, and be not false to our own selves, but keep our hold, if we be foiled, Christ must be vanquished too, and we may fear impossibilities as well. When those poor Heathen marched on naked, had none of our Weapons to assault the World, or to defend themselves, had neither Shield of Faith, nor Helmet of Salvation, no Sword of the Spirit the Word of God, and yet mastered it in great degrees, shall we that are harnessed turn ourselves back in the day of Battle? and confute this Scripture; and make good that they do overcome the World most easily who never heard that Jesus was the Son of God? 'Tis not only base for us to faint most who have most advantage, but it is a contradiction for them to be overcome that have the Victory: Now this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith; the Victory that overcomes both Worlds indeed; it tramples upon this, and lays hold upon that to come, outdoing what S. Paul sings of it in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heb. xi. His Heroes through Faith subdued earthly Kingdoms, but by Faith we overthrew the Kingdom of the Prince and God of this World, and the Kingdom too of the Almighty suffers violence from it, and our Faith takes that by force, force's even a right to it: By it they stopped the mouths of Lions in the Wilderness; by it we stop that roaring Lion's mouth that compasses the Earth seeking whom he may devour; by it they quenched the violence of Fire, we the Everlasting burnings; by that Women received their dead raised to life again: by it we shall rise to Immortality of Life and blessedness, receive all that we do believe, more than we can comprehend, receive the end of our Faith the salvation of our Souls: Which God of his Mercy state us all in for the sake of Jesus Christ the Author and the Finisher of our Faith, and the Captain of our Salvation: To whom with the Father, etc. The Ninth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Sixth Wednesday in LENT, 1664/5. GAL. II. 20. I am Crucified with Christ. THE Ancient Observation of this Time would justify my Choice, make the Text Seasonable in the most Severe sense it can put on, when in their Exomologeses they ate only the Bread of Sorrow, and tears were their Drink day and night, so as that in the Agonies of their Repentance they did Crucify without a Meraphor, and mortify the Body of Flesh as well as Sin. But it seems to have happened in our Sins as in our great Diseases, men are grown more skilful, and have found out much more grateful ways of Cure, there is no need of going through a discipline of Torments, a whole course of Medicinal Cruelty, but they can heal, at least palliate with more ease and speed. Besides that, Christianity is now of a more delicate and tender make, and cannot bear austerities, neither come I here to call for them, or to provoke their Constitutions; if they have found a softer and more pleasant way to Heaven, on God's Name let them walk in it; only in our walk we are now coming within ken of the Cross of Christ, and we can bear commemorations of his Passion; they make the closing Ceremony of this Season, which was set aside on purpose by the preparations of Humiliation to fit us for the performances and expiations of that Day, by Repentance to put off our Old Man, the whole Body of Sin, that we may hang it on his Cross as we go by. That is the only use of this time, and the only application of that Day. Which I crave leave to show you how to make at once: And without this that Ceremony howsoever solemn, will be merely Pageantry, not Worship; the observation but dramatic; and we shall have no part in the Atonement, only in the Scene of that days Tragedy, rather than Sacrifice: He only Celebrates that Passion, only he partakes that Offering, who can say with S. Paul, I am Crucified with Christ. In which words we shall first endeavour to discover what this Person is, Secondly, What the Nature is of that Condition and estate which S. Paul does affirm here of that Person; and that First, In itself, Crucified; I am Crucified. Secondly, In its adjunct; with Christ, Which because it cannot signify conjunction in time, he is not now upon the Cross, that I might say, now I am Crucified with him, nor when He was, was I, that I might say then I am Crucified with Christ; but we shall find it hath other importances. First it implies a likeness to Christ's Passion, I am Crucified as he was, so it means through the whole Rom. vi. and the being crucified with Christ is what S. Paul elsewhere expresses by the being made conformable to his death. Secondly, It imports more, even Communication and partaking with him in his Passion, being planted together in the likeness of his death, Rom. vi. 5. and I am Crucified with Christ, does mean I have a fellowship of his Sufferings, as he words it Phil. iii 10. Thirdly, It means also a conjunction of causal Relation, that there is a Virtue and Efficacy in the Cross of Christ to work the Sinner into Crucifying of his sin so the particle must needs import, Ephes. two. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath set us together with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Where we are neither in conformity, nor fellowship, but only in our head and in our cause; so I am Crucified with Christ does mean his Passion hath an influence to Crucify and cause in me the death of Sin. Of these in order; and First, what this Person is? I say not who? we know it was S. Paul, but what? Gal. v. xxiv. Coll. iii 5. and the reason of the Enquiry is because we find indeed elsewhere crucifying the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts required, and we are also bid to mortify our members that are on the Earth; such as Fornication and Uncleanness, Covetousness and the like. But these are not I, how am I mortified in these? Is it because it may be they are grown so dear to me, that I am Crucified in their destruction? and long practice and acquaintance hath riveted them into my very heart? Now the Wen we know though an excrescent tumour, but an accessary bag of noxious humours, yet if it lay hold on any noble part, take in some Nerve or Artery, than he must cut the thread of Life that cuts it off: So he must rend my heart indeed that tears my pleasures from me; Life itself does seem to have so little salisfaction without them, that it is a death to me to part with them. Or else hath the Old Man no Soul? is he all Flesh? and hath Iniquity debased the whole of him, so that his very Spirit is become Body of Sin, so as that Wickedness should be our very Being, be all one with us, and I, and my corruptions prove denominations of one importance, signify the very same? so it is indeed: Besides the carnal part that is sold under sin, and consequently does deserve the Cross, that punishment of Slaves, the part also that is in the quite opposite extreme, that lusts against the flesh, that must be made away. Be ye 〈◊〉 ansformed by the renewing of your mind, Rom. xii. 2. And if there be any sublimer and more de●●●cated past in that, it must submit to the same Fate, 〈…〉 in the spirit of your mind, Ephes. iv. 23. Corruption hath invaded that: To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the diviner ruling part, is grown a slave to the Beast part of him, it hath debauched its notions whereby it should discriminate good from eull, so that now it can discern no natural difference between them, but does measure both merely by his present inclinations and concerns, and the eternal Laws of Honesty are blotted our, and principles of interest and irreligion raised there in the place, and buttressed by false reasonings and Discourses. Now all these Fortresses of Vice that maintain and secure a man in sin must be demolished, 2 Cor. x. 5. all such imaginations cast down, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and every thought brought into Captivity to the obedience of Christ: That Spirit of the mind must be destroyed, and we transformed into persons of new notions and reasonings. But above all the remaining part of Man, his own Will must be mortified, which besides its natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by perverse inclinings to solicitations of flesh is most corrupted, and most dangerous, in that which way soever it inclines, it draws the whole Man after it: If any thing in us be crucified in a Conformity to Christ, it must be this; for in that death wherein Christ offered up himself upon the Cross (where although the Divine Nature gave the value, 'twas only the Humane Nature made the Offering) there it was the crucifying his own Will, that above all other the ingredients made his Death a Sacrifice, and the price of our Redemption. God that had given him his Blood and Life, might call for it again when and how he saw good, and being due, it was not properly a price that could be given him for sin; but his free voluntary choice, his being willing to endure the Agonies and Contempts of the Cross, his stabbing his own natural desires with a resolute determination, Luke xxii. 42. Not my will, but thine be done: This his own Will was his own Offering; and such is ours, if we be Crucified with Christ, made conformable to his death; if we present ourselves a Sacrifice acceptable to the Lord; for our will is not given up to him, till it do perfectly comport with his; but that it cannot do, till we renounce our own desires, till we have brought ourselves to an indifference in outward things, to such a resignation as she is storied to have had, who being in her Sickness bid to choose whether she rather would have Health or Death, made answer, Vehementissimè desidero ut non facias voluntatem meam Domine, this above all I desire, that thou wilt not do my will, I would have thee not do what I desire and would have. So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the whole of us, the Spirit, Soul and Flesh, go to make up this Person; and the body of Sin is the Old man entire. ay, whole I am nothing but a mass of guilts, my Senses are the bands of wickedness, that procure for my evil inclinations, my members are the weapons of unrighteousness, my Body is a Body of Sin and Death, and the affections of my Soul are Lusts, its faculties are the powers of Sin, yea, and the Spirit of my mind, that Breath of God is putrefied; that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that Angel-part of me is fallen and turned Apostate; and however I be partly Son of Man, and partly Son of God, yet I am wholly Child of Wrath, and so fit to be Crucified. Which calls me to the next Enquiry, to the nature of the duty here intended, I am Crucified. What is designed by it S. Paul does perfectly declare Rom. vi. 6. Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of Sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer serve sin: So that it means a through Repentance, and abandoning of former evil Courses: A Duty which there are few men but in some instants of their life think absolutely necessary, and persuade themselves they do perform it. At some time or other they are forced to recollect and grow displeased and angry at their sins, and have some sad reflections on them, beg for mercy and forgiveness, and do think of leaving them; and when they have returned to them again, they shake the head, and chafe, and curse at their own weakness, and renew their purposes it may be; and do this as oft as such a Season as this is, or other like occasions suggest it to or move them: And with this they satisfy themselves, and hope if God do please to take them hence in some such muddy, gloomy fit of their Repentance, all's well. Now shall we call this being Crucified? are there Racks and Tortures in this discipline? hath a Spear pricked them to the heart, and no blood nor no water, no tears gush out thence? hath it made no issue for some hearty Sorrow to pearl out? Indeed I must confess, the Scripture does sometimes word the performance of this Duty in expressions that are not so sour, but of an easier importance; Ephes. iv. 22. as first, put off the Old Man, as if all were but Garment; put it off I say, not as they stripped our Saviour in order to his Scourge and his Cross, but intimating to us what an easy thing it is to cast off Sin for them, who do begin with it betimes, before it get too close to the heart. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. saith Theophyl▪ even as easy as putting off thy clothes, and thy Repentance is but as thy Shift, thy change of life like changing thy Apparel. But alas! for all the easiness which this expression hints, where the sins also lie in the Attire, as besides emulation, pride, vainglory, great uncharitableness and inhumanity, cruel injustice and oppression often do, when many are undone through want of those deuce which do furnish other men with the excesses of this kind: when the sins therefore lie in the Attire, and they may put them off without a Metaphor, yet it is so hard that it cannot be done; sometimes the worth of a whole Province hangs upon a slender thread about a Neck, a Patrimony thrust upon one joint of one lest Finger, and these warts of a Rock or a Shellfish with the appendages eat out Estates and starve poor Creditors; for whom indeed they should command these stones to be made bread; but that's a Miracle too stubborn for their Virtue. And then how will they proceed to the next expression of this Duty? Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your hearts, Jer. iv, 4. These are harder and more bloody words, they differ in the pain and anguish that they put us to, as much as to unclothe and flea would do. It appears indeed this punishment of flaying often went before the Cross. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ctesias of one, having his Skin pulled off he was Crucified: And the scourges in some measure did inflict this on our Saviour, when they put off his clothes they stripped his Skin also; left him no covering but some rags of that which whipping had torn from his flesh. Yet this expression sounds harsher, when it bids us circumcise the foreskin of our hearts, and tear it from thence, flay that: When long Conversation with the pleasures of a sin hath not only given them Regalias, but hath made them necessary to us, so as that we cannot be without them; when Custom craves with greater fever than our thirst; when if we want it, we have qualms, saintings of Soul, as if the life were in that blood of the grape, when men can part as easily with their own bowels, as the Luxuries that feed them; if you take away their Dishes, than you take their Souls which dwell in them; when the sins of the Bed are as needful and refreshing as the sleeps of it; when to bid a man not look, not satisfy his lustful eye, is every jot as cruel as that other, I● thine eye offend thee pluck it out: For if he must no more find pleasure in his sight, he hath no use of it; yea if this be indeed a kindness not to leave him Eyes to be to him the same as Appetite to Tantalus, that which he must not satisfy, and is his hell: 'Tis easy if the Lust be got no further than the Eye to pull them out together; but if through that it shoot into the Blood and Spirits, mix heats with those, if it enwrap the heart, twist with its strings, and warm the Soul with its desires; so that it Spirit all the motions, all the thoughts and wishes of the heart; when it is thus, to make the heart to stifle its own motions, stab its thoughts, and strangle all its wishes; to untwist and disentangle and to tear it thence, if this be to be Circumcised with the Circumcision of Christ,▪ and he that hath not the sign of this, the Seal of the New Covenant, as he that in the Old had not the other, was, must be cut off; our long habituated hardened Sinners must not think that there is any thing of true Repentance in their easy, perfunctory, slight performances; there is something like Death in the Duty, which yet is required of us farther under variety of more severe expressions; for we are bid thirdly to slay the Body of Sin, Rom. vi. 6. to mortify our members, Col. iii 5. and to Crucify, Gal. vi. 14. which how it may be done, the next consideration of S. Paul's condition in the Text, and my next part declare. I am Crucified with Christ, that is, first as he was, by being made conformable to his Death. And truly should we trace him through all the stages of his Passion, we should hardly find one passage but is made to be transcribed by us in dealing with our sins. First he began it with Agony, Matth. xxvi. 37. when his Soul was exceeding heavy, for it laboured with such weight of indignation as did make the Son of God to sink under the mere apprehension: Vers. 38. And he was sorrowful unto Death, so as that his whole Body did weep Blood. The Sinners passion, his Repentance is exactly like it, it begins always with grief and sense of weight, whoever is regenerate was conceived in sorrow, and brought forth with pangs, and the Child of God too is born weeping. And for loads, the Church when she does call us to show forth this Death of Christ, as if she did prescribe that very Agony, requires that we should find that Garden at the Altar, makes us say we are heartily sorry for our misdoings, the remembrance of them is grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable. So that the Sinner's Soul must be exceeding heavy too. Secondly, There he is betrayed by his own domestic, sold for the poorest Price imaginable, as a Slave for thirty pieces of silver. I shall not mind you what unworthy things the love of Money does engage men to; to sell a Christ, a Saviour, and a God and rather than stand out, at such a base rate, as we scorn to buy a sin at; every single act's engagement to Damnation, costs more than the Ransom of the World is sold for; and the Blood of God is purchased cheaper than any one opportunity of Vice does stand us in! But I only mind you here, that he shall have a better hire that will but be a Judas to his own iniquities: do but betray the Regent sins, deliver them up and thou shalt have everlasting Heaven. Thirdly, We find him next carried before the High Priest. And the strictest times of Christianity would serve their sins so, to receive his doom upon them, to be excommunicated into Reformation: But I shall not urge how we can discover to a Physician our shames, all our most putrid Guilts as well as Ulcers, and make him our Confessor in our most secret sins; neither will I be inquisitive why the Physicians of our souls are balked; but will pass this part of the Conformity, and follow Christ to Pontius Pilate. And for this part we ourselves are fitted, the whole furniture of a Judicial Court, all that makes up both Bench and Bar is born within us. God hath given us a Conscience whereby we are a Law to ourselves, Rom. two. We have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which the Jews did want; such evidence as is sufficient to condemn us; the same Conscience that is privy to our doings, and stands by our thoughts, and sees through our intentions, is a thousand witnesses: And that there may be a Prosecutor, our own thoughts accuse us saith S. Paul; and if we will give them way, will aggravate each Circumstance of guilt and danger, bark, and howl, and cry as loud against us, as the Jews did against Christ, for Sin is of so murdering a guilt it will be sure to slay itself: and that he may not want his deserved Ruin, the Sinner makes his own Indictment, yea, and his own Sentence too, for our own heart condemns us, saith S. John: And when ever it does so, Oh that we would follow it through all the gradations that brought Christ to Death! and use our wickedness as he was used; strip it from its clothes, bore it from its fair pretexts it useth to be dressed in! Lay our anger naked from all those excuses which our provocations, that either wrath or humour will be sure to think intolerable, do make for it! strip our Pride and Vanity from those paints and dresses which the Custom of the Age, that does require and warrant strange things, dawbs the sin with! use our Luxuries and Intemperances' so, and the other greater and more thirsty dropsy, that of Wealth, and of unjust unworthy gains, which there are richer Luxuries in too! And there are none of these but have their pleas, their colours which they set themselves out in, to please the Appetite and to deceive the Mind, all which we must strip off; and then when we have laid them naked, spit upon them, vomit all our spleen and contumelious despite at that which hath made us so ugly in God's sight; scourge it with Austerities, and buffet it as they did Christ, and S. Paul did himself, 1 Cor. xuj. 27. And when the Body of Sin is thus tamed and weakened, it will be easy then to lead it out and crucify it. A Crucifiction this that does make our Good-Friday be a day of Expiation and Atonement to us: A sight which next to that of his own Son upon the Cross, is the most acceptable to the Lord; when he does see us execute his Enemies although they be ourselves, and Crucify the dear Affections of our bosom as God did. This is indeed to be conformed unto the death of Christ. If I might have leave to go before you and to let you into the Example, draw the Curtain from before the Passion, I would call my Sins out, drag them to behold that Prospect, hale them into the Garden, show them how he was used there. You my Extravagancies of my youth my mad follies and wild jollities, come see my Saviour yonder, how he swoons when guilt began to make approaches towards him! and can I make myself merry with nothing else but that which made him die? tickle, cheer, and heighten myself with Agonies? You my intemperate Draughts, my full Bowls and the riotous Evenings I have passed, look yonder what a sad night do these make Christ pass! look what a Cup he holds, which makes him fall lower to deprecate, than ever my Excesses made me lie. You my lazy Luxuries, Fullness of Bread, and Idleness, whereby I have controlled God's Curse, and only in the Sweat of others Faces eat my Bread, and in that dew drank up the Spirits of those multitudes that toil to faintings to maintain my dissolute life, see how he is forced to bear the whole Curse for me! how the Thorns grow on his head, and how he Sweats all over. You my supine Devotions which do scarce afford my God a knee, and less an heart, not when I am deprecating an Eternity of all those Torments which killed Christ! look yonder how he prays, behold him on his Face petitioning, see there how he sweats and begs. You my little Malices and my vexatious Angers, that are hot and quick as Fire itself, and that do fly as high too, that are up at Heaven straight for the least wrong on Earth! look how he bears his, how his patience seems wounded only in a wound that fell upon his Persecutors! and when one that came to apprehend him wrongfully was hurt, Matth. xxvi. 51. as if the Sword of his defence had injured him, he threatened and for ever cursed the black deeds of that angry Weapon, Verse 52. and made restitution of what he had not taken, made his Adversary whole whom he had not hurt! Luke xxii. 51. See how with his cruel Judges he is as a Sheep, that not before his shearers only, but before his Butcher too, is dumb. You my Scorns, and my high Stomach that will take no satisfaction but Blood and Soul for the faults of inadvertency, for such as not the wrong, but humour makes offences: lookhow they use him, they buffet, and revile and spit upon him. Ye my dreadful Oaths and bitter imprecations which I use to lace my speeches with, or belch out against any one that does offend me in the least, making the Wounds and Blood of God, and other such sad words, either my foolish modes of speaking, or the spittings of my peevishness. There you may see what 'tis I play with so, you may behold the Life of Christ pouring out at those Wounds which I speak so idly of, and what I mingle with my sportive talk is Agony, such as they that beheld afar off struck their breasts at, and to see them only was a Passion. Ye my Atheisms and my Irreligion— but alas you have no prospect yonder, it's but faint before you who outdo the Example; whatsoever Judas and the rest did to the Man Christ Jesus, you attempt on God, you invade Heaven, Sentence, Cruicifie Divinity itself. And now having showed my Sins this Copy of themselves, what they are in their own demerits, when my bowels do begin to turn within me at that miserable usage which Christ underwent, it will be a time to execute an act of Indignation at myself, who have resetted in my bosom all these Traitors to my Saviour; made those things the joy and entertainment of my life which had their hands in the Blood of my God; and what a stupid senseless Soul have I, that was never troubled heartily at that, which did make him almost out of hope? and if this be the effect of sin, than it is time for me to throw it off, O my Jesus! sure I am, I am not able to support the weight of that thou didst sink under. Thou didst come to bear our sins in thy own Body on the Tree, therefore in thy Body they were nailed to the Cross, and then certainly I will not force and tear them thence: No, there I leave them, and will never reassume them more; which resolution is the effect of that virtue and efficacy which is in the Cross of Christ to the crucifying of sin, which is the second sense in which the Christian does profess with S. Paul, I am Crucified with Christ. There are some Learned Men, that when they would assign reasons sufficient to move God to lay the punishment of our iniquities upon his Son, and execute that Indignation that was due to us on the most innocent, most Holy Jesus, give this only, that this was the highest and most signal way imaginable to discover Gods most infinite displeasure against Sin, and by consequence to terrify men from the practice of it: For if any thing in Heaven or in Earth could make us fear, and from henceforth commit no such evil, it was surely this, to see Sin sporting in the Agonies of Christ, Iniquity triumphing in the Blood of God: To see those dire instances of the deservings of a Sinner, those amazing prelusions to his expectations; and consider it was easier for God to execute all this upon his Son than suffer Sin to go unpunished. Indeed they make all that is real in the whole account they give of satisfaction made to God for sin to consist in this, that the temporal Death of Christ (which God by virtue of his absolute Dominion may inflict on the most innocent, taking away that which himself had given, especially since Christ who had that right over his own life, which none else had, did of his own accord submit to it; and he laid down his life, who had a power to do so.) That Death I say, John x. 18. might justly be ordained by God for an Example of his Wrath and Hatred against Sin, and then might be accepted in the stead of their death, who were warned by that example, and affrighted from committing sin. And truly there is colour for it, for all satisfaction seems either of a loss sustained, which is acquired by compensation, or the satisfaction of our Anger, which is commonly appeased by the sufferings of the injurious party; or else the satisfaction of our fears and doubts, that we may be secure not to sustain the like again, which is most likely to be best provided for by punishment: For sure one will not venture upon that which he must suffer for the doing. Now of all these the first, the satisfaction of compensation, as it cannot properly be made to God who could sustain no real diminution by Man's sin: Job xxxv. 8, 9 For though thy wickedness, saith Job, may hurt a man as thou art, yet if thou sinnest what dost thou against God? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou to him? but only as the breaking of his Law does in S. Paul's expression dishonour him amongst men; so also it were easy to demonstrate that this one example does exalt more of God's attributes, and to a greater height, Rom. two. 23. than either if his Law had been obeyed or executed, if that either were our business, or if this sort of satisfaction did not properly belong only to the offended party, not the supreme Judge or Governor as such, under which notion God is here to be considered. As neither does the second satisfaction, that of anger, the Judge being to be like his Law, that hath no passions or affections. And truly ●●e the things that do satisfy our angers and revenges are no real goods, the satisfactions of them are unnatural, and therefore surely not Divine: Monstrous appetite that hath learned to desire mischief, hath also taught us to delight in misery, and be satisfied with the griefs of others, which being nothing to us cannot be our good: And although we are styled Children of Wrath, as if our portion were to be only Plagues, our inheritance Perdition, and the fearful issues of God's Fury: Yet since to be angry signifies in God no more than this, to testify what great abhorrency he hath to sin, how contrary to him, how not to be endured it is: It was impossible for God when he had once resolved to pardon sin, to testify that more than by resolving not to pardon it without such an Example; so that it did satisfy his anger perfectly. But all true satisfaction lies in the provision that is made by punishment against future offences. This is that which the Magistrate and Law requires, nec enim irascitur, sed cavet; for by Punishment they cannot call back the offences that are past, undo or make them not have been: but they can make men not to dare to do them again, nor others by their example. This is the end why they annex Penalties to their Laws, expressly said so, Deut. nineteen. 20. Which end therefore when they attain by Punishment, the Law and Magistrate is satisfied. For it is not so much the Death of the Offender that is satisfaction of the Law, as the Example of Terror that it gives; and therefore humane Lawgivers have oft thought fit to change the Penalty; and where Death was appointed, to assign other sufferings that consist with Life, and prolong Misery and Terror, as Proscription, and the Galleys, etc. Accordingly to propose an Example of Terror to us, God laid all the severe inflictions of the Passion-day upon his own Son. Now it is evident that the example of a Man suffering for the breach of Laws does certainly hedge in those Laws, keep them more safe from violence; therefore we see those Laws are best observed which the Magistrate's Sword does most guard; and Experience would quickly make it good, a Land would prove but a mere Shambles, and a Man's life cheaper than a Beast's, if Murderers and Duelists shall get impunity more easily than he that steals an Horse or Sheep. When on the other side, that Nation from whom we most receive the fashions of our Vices also, whom the honour of that sin is most peculiar to; though they seemed to value it above Estate, and Life, and Family, and Soul, yet we know could be beaten from it be some sharp Examples. And then when our Lawgiver, as he spoke his Laws at first with Thunder and with Lightning, as if they brought their Sentence along with them, and the very promulgation was a Copy and Example of their Execution: So also he did write those Laws in Blood, to let us see what does await transgression, how he that spared not his own dear Son, will certainly not spare any impenitent, this could not choose but have some influence, if 'twere considered. Should we call to mind the kindness God had at this time to lost Man, how he so longed to pity him, that he resolved not to pity himself; how yet in all those turnings of his bowels within him, his repentings over Man, when his Compassion was at such an height as to give his well beloved Son to satisfy for our transgressions; in the midst of all those inclinations to us, at that very time how yet he did so hate our sins, that ●●athing else could satisfy him, but the Blood of God: How he made the Son of God empty himself of his Divinity and of his Soul, and all to raise a sum only to purchase one example of that Indignation that attends a Sinner; it will be easy then to recollect how unsupportable that Wrath will be to the impenitent in the Day of his fierce Anger; when he shall have no kindness left for them, but the Omnipotence of Mercy will become Almighty Fury: Who shall be able to avoid or to endure the issues of it? shall I think to scape them when he spared not his own Son? or shall I venture upon bearing that to all Eternity which that Son was not able to support some hours? Thus as S. Paul expresses, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, a Sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that is, he showed what did await iniquity, that men by so great an example of his Wrath, might be frighted from the practice. Et si quis morte Christi admonitus paeniteat, iste per mortem Christi peccato mortuus esse dicitur, saith Origen on Rom. vi. 1. He who seeing that Example of Christ Crucified for sin is warned by it into Repentance, he is crucified with Christ. God dealing with us as Men do with a young Prince, that must be disciplined by the correction of another for his faults; and in this sense also, our chastisement was upon Christ, and by his stripes we are cured. And now though I propose not this as if I thought this Reason were sufficient of itself, which seems to give no good account how any could be ransomed ere Christ suffered: (which yet certainly they were, the virtue of his Death extending to all former Ages, as it proved most evidently Heb. ix. 25. a place which Crellius himself does give no satisfaction to) if the satisfaction, of his Death consisted only in its being an Example, it could no more satisfy for the sins of former Ages, than it could be an Example ere it was in being: If that Death were accepted in the stead of their death, who by that Example are frighted into Repentance, what was accepted for their sins, who had no such vision of it, as that it could not or did affright them, yet repent? Yet to them that have beheld it in its vigour, they that can control this check to Vice, and when to show us an Example it cost God the life of his own Son, after the prospect of whose Cross he hath not any Terror to propose, this being the contrivance of the Divine Mind, and the stress of all his most Almighty Attributes conjoined in one compounded Miracle, can yet make all this vain and fruitless and have no effect, are not feared nor warned by it; but as if it signified no peril to their sins, they can come once a year to entertain themselves with the Example and go from the Agonies unconcerned to the sins that inflicted them, and that show forth themselves in them: Who act as if those were the only soft and pleasant things that crushed his Blood and Soul out, as if those which did make the Son of God cry out as if he did almost despair, were the only fit things to make men jolly: And do thus as they did it in despite to this great method of Salvation, as if they did enjoy the indignation of the Wrath of God, as if those Agonies like the other difficulties of their sins did more provoke to them, or like the Paschal bitter herbs that typified them, were as sauce to the Riots of their Vices. These certainly are men of a most desperate appetite and courage. But 'tis much more to be lamented that the Law of God does not seem better guarded by this dire Example than it was of old among the Jews, when it showed the Sinner his deservings only by the dying of his Breast, and had no other sense nor satisfaction than the blood of Bulls and Goats: It is not very visible that it hath wrought upon consideration so as to make us more fear and beware; nay, we may question whether the example of my Bullock dying for my sin, would not restrain and terrify me more than that of Jesus crucified for it: If I were to expiate the Blood with which I word my Anger and my Oaths, with the blood of my own Flocks, if that Luxury which pluriders every Element and brings a little Universe at once upon my Table to treat itself withal, were but to kill one Heiser for the Temple, and I to expiate each surfeit by one such Beligious Riot: Were I to quench the fevers of an Intemperance with a drink-offering, 'tis possible I should not be so prone to sacrifice to my Genius, if I must sacrifice to God for doing so, and I should be more tender of my Beasts than I am of my Saviour. Now how comes this to pass? It is impossible that we should be so apprehensive of our own demerits, should we see them represented in the suffering of a Beast, as when they are showed to us in those of the Son of God. What is it then? Should we account ourselves to suffer in our Beast? His Death were our own loss and punishment: And had we no communion in this Death of Christ? was not that our own? or account we our concern and share in that less valuable than in that of our Beast? Far be this from us, we are no further Christians than we can affirm with St. Paul (who challengeth a fellowship in all Christ's sufferings, and boasts it, saying) I am Crucified with Christ. Which brings me to the last sense of the words; I have a share and am a Partner in that Cross, and all the satisfactions that were wrought upon it. This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. iii 10. a partaking in Christ's Passion, having his Sufferings communicated to us, made our own, as if we had been crucified with him: as much as he that offered a peace-offering was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. x. 18. to communicate with the Altar, and partake the Sacrifice which he really did. We read indeed there in the sixteenth verse, that in the Sacrament there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the shedding of Christ's Blood is there communicated, reckoned to us, but it is communicated in a Cup of Blessing. And is this to be a Partner in his Crucifixion, to partake only the Sacrament of Crucifixion? not to receive the Wounds and Torments, but the Benefits, the pledge of the satisfactions of the Cross, the Seal of the Remissions that he purchased on it? Blessed Jesus! we should have born thy pangs, and all the dire things thou didst suffer, aught to have been ours eternally; that Agony which an Angel's comfort could not calm, that dreadful Terror which expressed itself in the cold Sweat of clotted Blood, that greater Terror which came so near Despair as to make thee cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? all should have been our portion to everlastingness, and spent their fury on our Souls: And wilt thou have us bear no more of this than the remembrance? All our Mount Olivet and Golgotha be only the Lords Table and his Entertainment? dost thou communicate thy Agonies in Eucharistick wine? and is this to be Crucified with Christ? so he does account it seems. He that by virtue of the Cross of Christ hath crucified his body of Sin, Christ's satisfactions are accounted to him, he is esteemed to have a fellowship in all the sufferings, to have had an hand in all that was done for Man on the Cross, they are all reckoned his: And as Christ bore the guilt of all our doings on the Tree, so he will have us bear the name, and merit, and reward of his; for as S. Paul does express, Rom. vi. 5. We are planted together in the likeness of his death, by being made conformable to that in crucifying of our sins, we are inoculated as it were, and both together ingraffed in into the Cross, and so there is derived to us the virtue of that Stem, that Root of Expiation and Atonement; and by this insertion being as the same S. Paul says, Phil. iii 9 found in him, we have his Righteousness. That poor Soul that does throw himself down in the strict humiliations of Repentance at the footstool of the Cross, and there beholds his Saviour dying for him, and that is himself by Penitence incorporated into him, graffed into his Death, and planted in his very Passion, as Origen and Thomas interpret. He may take confidence to say, Behold Lord, if the satisfactions of thy Eternal Justice be acceptable to thee, if the blood of God that is offered up without spot be a wellpleasing Sacrifice, look down at once on thy Messiah and on my poor Soul! turn not thy face from me, for whatever my guilts are, I have an equal Sacrifice, those are my satisfactions, and that blood my Offering, the Passion and propitiation of the Cross are 〈◊〉. I am Crucified with Christ. We have gone through all the Parts, all the Considerations of this Expression, and have no more now to take notice of but this, that all of them must go together, that they never are fulfilled asunder, but he only whom the efficacy of the Cross of Christ hath wrought on to the Crucifying of sin, he only hath the satisfactions of the Cross imputed to him, he is planted with, ingraffed into Christ: For if any man be i● Christ, he is a new creature, old things are done away, 2 Cor. v. 17. Whosoever is not such he hath no interest in the Jesus of that day. He may perchance in some one of those easy Saviour's which these times afford, wherein Opinions called holy, or a sanctify'd Faction give such interests, and to be in a party is to be in Christ; or else he may depend upon that Christ, that may be had with mere Dependence, that is ours if we persuade ourselves he is so. Now sure, he that is persuaded he is Christ's, is either truly so persuaded or else falsely; if but falsely, that will not advantage him, for God will never save a man for believing a lie; but that he should truly be persuaded so without this Duty is impossible, for he that is Christ's hath crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts: therefore by good Logic he that hath not crucified them is not Christ's, and evidently whosoever is not crucified at all, he is not crucified with Christ. And sure I need not put you in remembrance, that the man in whom sin reigns, and whensoever his Lusts and Passions bid him go he goeth, or come he cometh, or do this he doth it, that the body of sin is not crucified in him; that which were nailed and fettered on the Cross and slain there could not command and rule him so. Or if sins dominion be not so absolute but God hath got some footing, so as that his Law hath power in the man's mind so as to make him make resistances against his sin, and he dislikes it but alas commits it still, yet what he does allows not, but returns to do it at the next Temptation, afterwards would fain be good yet does not find how to perform, something governs in his members, leading that Law in his mind into captivity to the law of sin, this man although he hath the body of death, yet 'tis not crucified and slain; for it does live and exercise the greatest tyranny upon him, forces him to serve and to obey against his mind, it overcomes his own heart, and all inclinations to good, and conquers God within him: Till men have left off the custom of the works of sin, and all gross deeds of the flesh it were as vain to prove they are not crucified, as that he is alive that walks and eats. Those works they are the fruits of the flesh, the offspring of its lusts, and were that crucified, and we by likeness to Christ's death planted into the Cross, we could no more produce them, than that dead Tree the Cross could bear fruit, or than a Carcase could have heat to generate, the Grave become a Womb, or the dust bring forth. Secondly, Yea more, they perform not the outward actions of life who have but the image of death on them; and a man asleep works not, yet is alive, his fancy and his inwards work; and if sin be only kept from breaking out, and men commit not gross deeds of the flesh, but yet indulge to these things in imagination and the heart, cherish them in fancy, and design, and wish, only restrain the practice, or indulge to spiritual wickednesses; you may as well say that a man is dead because he does not walk abroad, because he keeps within doors, and lives only in his Closet or his Bed Chamber, as say that sin is crucified, which while it stirs but in the heart, it is not dead. Thirdly, Once more, we part from all acquaintance with the dead, the Corpse of one that had the same Soul with us; howsoever we may have some throes of grief to leave it, yet we put it from us, we admit it to no more embraces; but if 'twere the loathsome Carcase of a Villain Traitor that was Executed, we turn from the sight as from a Fiend, it is a detestable and accursed spectacle. And so he that hath put his Body of sin to death would have great aversations to it, yea how dear soever it had been, he would no more endure the least acquaintance with it, than he would go seek for his old conversations in the Chambers of Death; he would shun the sight of any the most bosom custom, as he would the Ghost of his dead Friend, he would abandon it as a most ghastly dreadful spectacle; he would also bury these his dead out of his sight. Thus he must needs be disposed that hath crucified his Old man. And they that are thus dead with Christ shall also live with him, yea those that are thus crucified with him, he hath already raised up together, and hath made them sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. There already in their cause, and in their right and pledge, and there hereafter in effect and full enjoyment. The Tenth SERMON, Preached at Christchurch IN OXFORD, Novemb. 5. 1665. LUKE IX. 55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. THE state of that great Controversy which the words suppose between the Jews and the Samaritans as it then stood, seems briefly thus: Those that were planted in the Regions of Samaria by Salmaneser, however great Idolaters at first; having admitted in a while the God of Israel among their Gods, and after having an High Priest of Aaron's Line, a Temple too built on that place where Abraham and the Fathers of the Hebrews, 1 Joh. iv. 20. Gen. xii. 6, 7. and 33. 18. compared with Leut. xi. 29, 3. and Judg. ix. 6, 7. Deut. xi. 29. Psalm Cxxxvii. 3. Josh. iv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Epiphan. de Samarit. & Scaliger says Audeam dicere eos adeo ab omni Idolol●tria abhorrere, ut in hac parti Judaeos ipsos superare. vide Auth. de Emen. Tom. l. 7. p. 66●. friends of God, did choose to offer Sacrifice; and on that very place where God himself enjoined the Law and all the Blessings of it to be published to the People, on Mount Gerizim; which therefore seem to have pretences to vie with Mount Zion, for there also the Lord commanded the Blessing. An Altar too, saith Benjamin in his Itinerary made of the same stones that God commanded to be taken out of Jordan and set up for a memorial of his People's passage through it: And besides all this having the Law of Moses too; when they had all these pretensions to the God of Israel, they clavae to him alone, and wholly threw off their Idolatry. So Epiphanius does affirm expressly. And their Country being as Josephus says, the receptacle of all discontented fugitive Jews, a great part of it too planted with them by Alexander, they espoused the Worship of the Jews, and came to differ very little either in the Doctrine or the practice of Religion, Joseph. An. l. 11. c. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, having all things as it were the very same, Jos. l. 2. contra Ap. p. 1063. Edit. G. L. the only distance seems to be betwixt their Temples, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, just as the Woman states it to our Saviour, Joh. iv. Our Fathers Worshipped in this Mountain, but ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to Worship: So that if we audit the account of the Samaritan guilt, they separated from the place of Worship which God had appointed, and set up another; in a word, they were Schismatics. Whether this be such a guilt as should make those terms equivalent He is a Samaritan and hath a Devil, John viij. 48. I shall not say; but it is such as makes our Saviour say somewhat exclusively, John iv. 22. Salvation is of the Jews. All the Blessings and Salvations of the Law did indeed hover on Mount Gerizim, see Hieron. in Epitaph Paulae. were given thence, that was the place of them; but they were cut away when Schism came: The Church is not a place of blessing when 'tis built against the Church; The Altar hath no Horns to lay hold on for refuge, but to push and gore only, when it is set up against the Altar; And Gerizim is Ebal when it stands in competition with Mount Zion. Well; this only thing does breed the greatest distances imaginable in the Nations, nothing more divides than Separation and Schism; and then these Samaritans as all Separatists do, grew such Opiniastres and so violent in their way, as to deny humanity to those that would not join with them; they would not grant the Civilities of Passage to one that intended for Jerusalem to Worship: They refuse it to our Saviour here because his Face was thitherward, ver. 53. A Schismatic will reject a Christ if his Face be fromward their new Establishment, if he but look towards the Ancient Worship: At this the Sons of Zebedee are offended, zealous for their Master, as being most particularly concerned in him, two of his nearest intimates; and their zeal would needs break out into flame. 2 Kings i 9, 10, 11, 12. And why not? a rudeness to Elijah was revenged by him with Fire from Heaven, which consumed twice fifty Soldiers and their Captains, though they came to do the King's Command: And shall these hated Schismatics be rude to Thee? and reject the Messiah, and yet go unpunished? Lord, shall we command fire to come down from Heaven to consume them, even as Elias did? Which our Saviour answers with this sharp rebuke, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. Not to divide but to explain my Text, and so instead of parts present you with some Subjects of Discourse. By Spirit here is meant that disposition and complexure of Christian Piety and Virtues, that course and Method of Religion which the Spirit does prescribe to Christ's Disciples, and does guide them in; or in a word, the temper of the Gospel is so called: And this in opposition to the Law, Rom. viij. 15. the difference of these being expressed by a divers manner of Spirit; the one is called Spirit of Bondage, the other Spirit of Adoption; so here Ye know not of what Spirit ye are, ye do not judge aright, if you believe the temper of the Gospel is like that of the Law: The course that I prescribe to my Disciples differs much from that of Prophets under the Old Testament, you must be guided by another Spirit than Elijah's was in calling for Fire, if my Spirit dwell in you, For I came not to destroy men's lives on any such account. In this sense it affords these Propositions. First, To destroy men's lives, or other temporal rights on this account merely, because they are Apostates, Schismatics, or otherwise reject the true Religion, or Christ himself, is inconsistent with the temper of the Gospel, This is that which Christ reproves here, telling them that would do so, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. Secondly, Because the Spirit of Elias, which the Gospel Christian Spirit here is set in opposition to, opposed the Magistrate, destroyed those that came commissioned from the Prince, and Christ designedly does say ye must not do now what Elias did, therefore, to attempt upon or against the Magistrate, on the account of Christ, or of Religion, is inconsistent with the Spirit of the Gospel. First, Of the first that to destroy men's lives, etc. But here I must observe, that since these fiery Disciples that did give occasion for our Saviour's rebuke, here were no Magistrates, nor did Christ himself that gave the rebuke assume, Luke xii. 14. but renounce openly all such Authority; John xviii. 36. therefore no observation grounded on these words can control the Magistrates just Power in punishing Offences done against his Laws, although pretences of Religion and Conscience give colour to those offences; the Gospel does diminish no rights of the secular Powers: Now Supreme Magistrates, though as such they have no right to judge in Articles of Faith, to define what is true Religion, what not; for then the Pagan Princes who had never heard of Christ, and yet are as much Magistrates as any, would have right to judge what Doctrines Christ delivered down to be believed. But certainly when Christ Commissioned his Faith to run through all the World not only independently from all the Powers of it but in perfect opposition to them, they can have no right to judge in that, which whatsoever they shall Judge we are alike bound to receive (the Faith of Christ) without any the least difference to their judgement. But though they have no right to judge of this, they have Authority to determine what Faith shall have the privileges of their State and what shall not; which shall be publicly professed, and which they will inhibit with Penalties: For sure the Privileges of the State and power of Penalties are the proper rights of the Supreme Power, and therefore none but that can judge and determine of them. In a word, since it is most evident that the tranquillity of a State does depend upon nothing more than the profession and privileging of Religion; it follows that those Powers to whose Judgement and Decrees the care and Tranquillity of the State is committed, must have the power to judge and to determine what Faith shall be publicly professed and privileged by the State: In which Judgement and administration if they err, and privilege a false Faith and inhibit the true; they use their Power ill, and are responsible to God for doing so, but they do not invade or usurp a Power that is not their own. Rather 'tis most certain if the Principles of any Sect, or else if not they, yet the pursuance of any Principles do tend directly towards, or are found to work Commotions and Treasonable enterprises, the Supreme Power hath as much right to restrain, yea and Punish them, although with Death according to their several merits, as he hath to punish those effects in any other instances wherein they do express themselves. Nor must Religion secure those practices which it cannot sanctify, but does envenome. For by putting an everlasting concern into men's Opinions and actions their undertake are made by it more desperate and unreclaimable. What Wounds and what Massacres must the State expect from them that stab and murder it with the same Zeal that the Priest kills a Sacrifice? that go to act their Villainies with Devotion, and go to their own Execution as to Martyrdom? 'Twere easy for me to deduce the practice of this Power from the best Magistrates in the best times, if that were my business; who had only this temptation to say thus much, that I might not seem to clash with the Magistrates Power of coercion in Religious causes when I did affirm, that to destroy men's Lives or other temporal Rights on this account merely because they are Apostates, Schismatics, or otherwise reject the true Religion, or Christ himself, is inconsistent with the temper of the Gospel. If you would discover what the temper of the Gospel is, you may see it in its Prophecy and Picture in the Prophet Isay, Isal. xi. 6, 7, etc. & 65. 25. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, the sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Asp, and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den, and the Serpent shall eat the dust. Whatever mischief these have in themselves, there's nothing of devouring, or of hurt to one another in this state; 'tis like Paradise restored, the prospect of the Garden of the Lord. Rather whereas there these Creatures only met, here they lie down and dwell together: And the Asp and Serpent that could poison Paradise itself, have now no venomous tooth to bite, no not the heel, nor spiteful tongue to hiss. But to speak out of Figure, the Gospel in itself requires not the Life of any for transgression against itself, it calls all into it, and waits their coming; those that sin against it, it useth methods to reform, hath its Spiritual Penalties indeed, whereby it would inflict amendment and Salvation on Offenders: But because final impenitence and unbelief are the only breaches of the Covenant of this Religion, therefore it does wait till life and possibilities of Repentance are run out; and then its Punishments indeed come home with interest, but not till then. The Law 'tis true was of another temper, it required the life of an Apostate to Idolatry, whether 'twere a single Person, Gal. iv. 1, 3. or a City, Deut. xiii. To the Jew that was a Child, as S. Paul says, and so not to be kept in awe by threats of future abdication, things beyond the prospect of his care, but must have present punishments, the Rod still in his eye; and was a refractory Child that seemed to have the Amorite and Hivite derived into him, a tincture of Idolatry in his Constitution, that was as ready to run back into the superstitions as the Land of Egypt, as eager for their Deities as their Onions, and had the same appetite to the Calf and to the fleshpots, to make the one a God, the other a Meal; to such a People Death, that was the only probable restraint, was put into the Law by God who was himself Supreme Magistrate in that Theocraty, against whom 'twas exact Rebellion and Treason to take another God, and therefore was by him punished with Death. But the Spirit whom Christ sends breathes no such threats, for he can come on no Designs but such as Christ can join in, but saith Christ, I came not to destroy men's lives. Secondly, The temper of the Gospel is discovered in its Precepts. I shall name but one, Matth. v. 43, 44. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy: But I say unto you, love your Enemies, etc. Where if Enemy did not mean the man whom private quarrel had made such, and Him it could not mean, it being said to them that they must love that Enemy, Exod. xxiii. 4, 5. But, as the Jews neighbour was every one of his Religion, and he lived near him that lived in the same Covenant with him, so enemy being opposed to that, must signify one not of his Religion: An Alien, an Idolater, with any of which they were indeed to have no exercise of love or friendship, no commerce: and to some Enemies, the Canaanites, no mercy, but they were to hate them to destruction, Deut. seven. If so, than our Saviour's addition here, But I say unto you, love your Enemies, does say that we must love even these; the Christian hath no Canaanites, but the most prosligated adversaries of his Religion he must love, and pray for them although they persecute him: (Which makes appear it does at least include Enemies of Religion, for Persecutions seldom were on any other ground, and Religion which should have nothing else but Heaven in it, as if it had the malice and the Flames of Hell, breathes nothing else but Fire and Faggot to all those that differ in it.) But whether it be an addition and mean thus or no, since it is sure that both they and we are bound to love the Neighbour, and Christ hath proved, Luke x. that the Samaritan, he whom our two Disciples would consume, that Schismatic and rejecter of Christ is yet a Neighbour, therefore him also we must love and pray for. Now 'tis a strange way of affection to destroy them, to love them thus to the death, to get admission to their hearts with a Swords point, to pray for them by calling for Fire down from Heaven to consume them. S. Greg. Nazian. calls the founder of that Faction that began this practice in the Church, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and if so, we know well of what Spirit he is that does call for fire to devour those that differ from him in Religion; 'tis sure one of this Legion, or it rather is the leader of them, that did dwell in Tombs, and does in flames, things which he loves so to inflict; one that was the first Rebel too, which leads me to my second Observation: That Secondly, To attempt upon, or against the Prince on the account of Christ, or of Religion, is most inconsistent with the Spirit of the Gospel. For it was the Spirit of Elias who destroyed those whom the Magistrate did send, that Christ opposes here the Spirit of the Gospel to, in this severe rebuke, ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. The other warm Apostle meets a greater check in the like case, S. Peter's zeal, that they say made him chief of the Apostles, as it made him promptest to confess the Lord, so it did heat him to be readiest to defend him; as fiery to use his Sword as his Tongue for his Master: But his Master will not let a Sword be drawn in his own cause; Matth. xxvi. 52. put up again thy Sword into his place: The God of our Religion will not be defended by Treason, and from Murder by the wounding of another, nor will his Religion suffer a Sword out of the sheath against the Power of the Magistrate, no not in behalf of Christ himself; but goes beyond its proper bounds to threaten things that are not Gospel punishments, even excision in this life, Ibid. to them that do attempt it, They that take the Sword, shall perish with the Sword. Here the Gospel becomes Law, and turns zealot for the Magistrate though persecuting Christ himself. Our Saviour does not think it sharp enough to tell S. Peter that he did not know what Spirit he was of, for when this Disciple would have kept these sufferings from his Master only by his counsel, Matth. xuj. 13. he replies to him, get thee behind me Satan: He was then of that manner of Spirit; therefore now that he does so much worse, when he attempts to keep them from him with a Sword, and drawn against the Power, as if Christ did not know how to word what Spirit such attempts did savour of, he does not check and rebuke now, but threaten and denounce. And 'tis obvious to observe, that this same Peter who would needs be fight for his Master, in few hours with most cursed imprecations forswears him: Matth. xxvi. 74. And so irregular illegal violences for Religion usually flame out into direct opposition to that they are so zealous for; The Arians were the first among Christians that persecuted. See Athanas. ad solit. vit. agent. p. 815. 821. & 854. fly in the face of that Religion they pretend to strive for; to let us see they do not rise from Divine Zeal, and from true Piety, but from Hypocrisy, Ambition, Revenge, or Interest; and that warm shine that kindles there pretended Angels of Light, is but a flash of Hell, a glory about a fiend. Therefore afterwards none was more forward than S. Peter was to press submission to the Magistrate, though most unjustly persecuting for Religion; talks of no Fire but the fiery trial then, Verse 12. in Epist. 1. Cap. iv. and If ye suffer for the Name of Christ the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you, Verse 14. he knows what manner of Spirit such are of: When they are in the place of Dragons, than the Holy Ghost and God is with them; when the darkness of the shadow of death is on their Souls, even then the Spirit of glory resteth on them. Accordingly the after-fathers' urge the same not only towards Heathen Emperors, Vid. S. Aug. in Psal. Cxxiv. Vid. Athan. Apol. ad Constant. & Ho. Epist. ad Constant. in Athan. Ep. ad sol. vitam agentes. Tom. 1. p. 838. Edit. Paris. 1627. Vid. Greg. Naz. Orat. 20. am. Tom. 1. p. 350. Edit. Par. 1630. Vid. Ambr. pro variis Actionibus Contion. 1. p 97. Tom. 5. Edit. Paris. 1632. l. 2. Ep. 14. p. 206. Tom. 5. p. 270. Tom. 1. 1 Sam. xiii. 22. but relapsed Heretics and Apostates: As Julian, and Constantius, Valens, Valentinian; and upon the same account S. Ambrose says, Spiritus Sanctus id locutus est in vobis, Rogamus, Auguste, non Pugnamus: The Holy Spirit spoke these words in you, we beg O Valentinian, we oppose not. And S. Greg. Nazianzen says, to do so was the Christian Law most excellently ordained by the Spirit of God, who knew best to temper his Law with the mixture of what is profitable to us, and honest in itself. They knew what manner of Spirit that of Christianity was: It does assume no power to inflict itself: 'Tis not commissioned to plant itself with violence, or destroy those that refuse or oppose it. It wages War indeed with Vices, not with men: And in the Camp of our Religion as once in Israel, there is no Sword found but with Saul and Jonathan his Son, only the Princes Sword. Our Spirit is the Dove, no Bird of prey that, nor indeed of gall or passion: If Christian Religion be to be writ in Blood, 'tis in that of its own confessors only; if men's false Opinions make no parties nor mischiefs in the State, we are not to make them Martyrs to their false Opinions; and if they be not so happy as to be Orthodox, send them down to Hell directly: tear out one another's Souls to tear out that which we think an Error. Sure they must not root out smutted Corn that must not root out Poppy; we may let that which is a little blasted grow, Matth. xiii. 29. if we must let the Tares and Darnel grow. The Soldiers would not crucify Christ's Coat, nor make a rent there where they could find no seam: John nineteen. 14. But now men strive so for the Coat, that they do rend his Flesh to catch it, and to gain an enclosure of the name of Christians tear all other members from the Body of Christ; care not to sacrifice a Nation to a supposed Error; will attempt to purge away what they call dross in a Furnace of consuming flame: The Christian Spirit's fiery Tongues must kindle no such heats, but his effusions called Rivers, came to quench such fires: Effusions that were mistaken sor new wine indeed, but never looked like Blood. Nor are they that retain to this Spirit, those that have him called down on them in their Consecration, impowered for such uses. When Christ sent his Disciples to convert the World, Luke x. 3. Behold saith he, I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves: And sure that does not sound like giving a Commission to tear and worry those that would not come into the Flock: The Sheep were not by that impowered to devour the Wolves. Our Lords directions to his Apostles when a City would not receive their Doctrine was shake off the dust of your feet; Matth. x. 14. Luke x. 11. let nothing of theirs cleave to you, have no more to do with them; cast off the very dust that settled on your Sandals as you passed their Streets. And surely then we must be far from animating to give ruin to, and seize the Sword, the Sceptre, and the Thrones of Kings, if they refuse to receive Christ or his Kingdom, or his Reformation, or his Vicar. If I must not have the dust of any such upon my feet, I must not have their Land in my possession, their Crowns on my head, their Wealth in my Coffers, their Blood upon my hands, nor their Souls upon my Sword. It will be ill appearing so when we come to give an account how we have executed our Commission; and shall be asked, did I send you to inflict the Cross, or preach it? to save men's Souls or to destroy their lives, yea and Souls too? And when in those Myriads of Souls that have perished in the desolations which such occasions have wrought their Blood shall cry from under the Altar, as being sacrificed to that Duty and Religion which was the utmost that they understood (if so be that there were no Treason to discolour it) and they that did inflict all this appear but Christian Dioclesian's, and stand at that sad Day in the train of the Persecutions, on the same hand: O than those Fires which these Boutefeus' called for and kindled shall blaze out into everlasting burnings! And now it may seem strange that they who most of all pretend the Spirit of Christ, are yet of the most distant temper in the World from that of Gospel; always endeavouring to do that which our Saviour here checks his Disciples for proposing, and did threaten Peter for attempting. There are among ourselves that seem to live by Inspiration, that look and speak as in the frame of the Gospel, as if every motion were impulse from Heaven: and yet as if Christ had fulfilled his promise to them without Metaphor, baptised them with the Holy Ghost and fire, only that they might kindle fire, and the unction of the Spirit did but add Oil to those flames; as if the cloven Tongues of fire in which the Spirit did descend, were made to be the Emblems of Division, and to call for fire; these men's life, their garb, their very piety is faction: they pray, rebel, and murder, and all by the Spirit. 'Tis true indeed they plead now what we seem to say, that they should not be persecuted for not being satisfied in their Conscience; so they mince their breaking of the Laws for which they suffer. But do these know themselves what manner of Spirit they are of? or are we bound not to remember when they had the Power how they persecuted all that would not do at once against their King, their Conscience, and the Law? And we do thus far know what Spirit they are of, and if they have not yet repent of all that, than it is plain if they can get an opportunity they will do it again, nay they must by their Spirit think themselves obliged to do it. But these are not all: those that above all the World pretend to the Infallible assistance of the Spirit, So the Cardinals, Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and the whole Clergy of France in their general Assembly, in the censure of a Jesuits Book styled Admonitio ad Regem, published at Pa● is 13. Decem. 1625, say of them that for Religion's sake rebel against their Princes, fidem in factionem convertunt. Alfonso de vargas relatio de Stratagem. Jesuitarum c. 55. Jerusalem & Babel, or the Image of both Churches. p. 499. our Church is bold in her Offices of this day to say, do turn Religion into Rebellion; she said it more severely heretofore, and the attempts of this day warrant the saying, when not like our Disciples that would call for fire from Heaven on the Village that rejected Christ, these will raise up fire from Hell to consume their own Prince and his Progeny, the whole line of Royalty, the Church and Nation also in their Representative; and all this only for refusing him that calls himself Christ's Vicar. v. g. confitetur maleficus se posuisse pulverem. vel quid aliud sub tali limine & nisi tollatur domum comburendam, Principem interiturum, quotquot urbem ingredientur egredienturque in magnam perniciem, aut periculum venturos. Probabilior & tutior, & magis consentanea Religioni, ac reverentiae huic Sacramento debitae, etc. There are, I must confess, among them that renounce the practice, and say 'twas the device only of some few desperate malcontents, wicked Catholics, and designed by the Devil: And they will allow their Father Garnett to have had no other guilt, but that he did not discover it having received it in Confession. And this gives me occasion to propose a story to your patience and conjectures. Not long before the time of this Attempt, a Priest of the Society of Jesus in a Book he published, does propose this case of Conscience, Whether a Priest may make use of what he hath learned in Confession to avert great impendent mischiefs to the Government? as for Example, One confesses that himself or some other had laid Gunpowder, and other things under such an House, and if they be not taken thence the House will be burnt, the Prince must perish, all that pass throughout the City will be either certainly destroyed or in great peril; and resolves it thus. 'Tis the most probable and safe Opinion, and the more suitable to Religion, and to that reverence which is due to the Sacrament of Confession, that it is not lawful to make use of this his knowledge to that end. That his Holiness Clement the 8. had just before by a Bull sent to the Superiors of the Regulars commanded most studiously to beware they make not use of any thing which they come to know by Confession to the benefit of the secular Government. Because indeed he does not know, nor ever heard it as a man, or as a part of the commonwealth, or subject of the Government. He adds, that in cases of Confession the Priest must not reveal though death be threatened to him, but may say he knows it not, nor ever heard it, quia reverà non scit nec audivit ut homo, seu pars reipub. Yea he may swear all this if he but mentally reserve, so as to tell you. 'Tis Del Rio in 6th. Book of his Mag. dis. 1. Cap. Sec. 2. It seems 'tis safer to break all the Obligations to Allegiance and to truth, Yea and particular provincial Councils, though Bellarmine names many for my turn. Conc. Rom. 1. & ●um (which was justified also they say in Con. Tribur. Quint. Ostlens. Claramont Rom. 7. &. 10.) his duty and his Oaths, the Princes and Gods bonds, than the Seal of Confession. But I did not mention this to let you see the kindness these men have to Princes and their Government: I shall avoid producing any the Opinions of particular persons howsoever horrid in my arguments this day; but I only ask whether it be not very probable this instance was the thing to be attempted on this day? Whether the resolution was not published, the Pope's Bull if not made yet produced at least to caution any Priest that should receive it in Confession, and should be so honest as to abhor the Fact, Placentin. Rom. 3. Colonien. Rhemens'. Claramont. And he names more Popes. yet from betraying it and hindering the Execution of it. If it were the case, this was not then any rash attempt of some few desperate malcontents; but a long contrivance and of many heads, and its taking its effect was the great care of their Church. Well they are even with us yet▪ and lay as horrid Projects to the charge of Protestants. Among our other Controversies this is one, whether are the worse Subjects? bloody sayings are produced from Authors on both sides; yea there is the Image of both Churches, Babel and Jerusalem, drawn by a Catholic Pen, and then you may be sure all Babel's divisions and confusions make the draught of ours, and are said to be the issue of the Protestant Doctrines: Whereas such things are countenanced by some particular Authors of their Church, were never owned by any public Act, or Doctrine of a general Council to which they provoke us. I must confess our Calendar can show a thirtieth of January, as well as a fifth of November. There are indeed that say, the Romanists hatched that days guilt, and challenge any man to call them to account for saying so. See Dr. Du Moulin' s answer to Philanax Anglicus p. 59 But whether so or not; which Churches Doctrines such things are more suited to, I will now put to trial, that we may know what Spirit each is of: And I will try it by the public Acts and most established Doctrines of the Churches, and here undertake to show the Church of England most expressly does declare against all practices against the Prince for the cause of Religion. But the Romish in those acts wherein she hath most reason to expect infallibility of Spirit, also in the public Acts of the Church representative, in General Councils does abett the doing them, not only for Religion, but for the cause of Holy Church. First, If the Church of Rome have reason to expect infallible assistance of the Spirit in any case, Accordingly the Schoolmen do account it de fide that the Pope cannot err in this. it is as much in Canonising of a Saint as in any other, it being as unhappy to determine a false Object for Religious Worship to their Church as a false Article of Faith; there is as much need that there should be an infallible proposal of the one as other; for when she does Decree by the Authority of the Omnipotent God such a one is a Saint, received in Glory, and so renders him the Object of their Worship, if he should chance to be a Reprobate; to cause the People to fall prostrate to the Shrine of one that's damned, and call his flames to warm God's Altar and the Votaries breast, to make the whole Church worship one that is in Hell, is liable to greater aggravations of impiety than an erroneous Opinion in very many of their points of Faith can be. But it is known their Church hath Canonised one of this Nation, Becket, S. Thomas the Martyr. who though he was indeed illegally and barbarously Murdered, yet 'tis not the Suffering, but the Cause that makes the Martyr, now he did not fall a Sacrifice for his Religion, but was slain because he did disturb the State by suspending all the Bishops that upheld the King's just cause against him, See Daniel's Hist. of Engl. in the life of Hen. 2. Anno 1170. p. 94. Edit. London. Anno 1634. Idem. Anno 1164. p. 85. Idem. p. 86. Nor are the Jesuits less favourable to Fa. Garnet, who was Executed for this treasonable Powder-plot. For Mr. de St. Amour in his Journal Part. 2. c. 11. says, that among other Prints of the Portraitures of such as were canonises come ayant repandu leur sang pour la Religion Chrestienne, Canoniged as having shed their blood for the Christian Religion, one was thou; Pater Henricus Garnetus Anglus Londini pro fide Catholicâ suspensus & sectus. 3 Maii 1606. Adding that these Prints are made avec permission des Superieurs. so that neither King nor State could live in peace for him; for opposing also those Laws which himself had sworn to, Laws that were not only truly Sovereign Rights, but are maintained even unto this day as Privileges by the Gallican Church, and they not branded for so doing: In a word, he was slain for those actions which his own Bishops condemned him for, as a perjured man and a Traitor: And for persisting in them to the death he was Sainted. Now whatever the estate of this man be in the next World, (I meddle not with that;) Yet for Disobedience and Rebellion to place one in Heaven, whence for those things Lucifer did fall; does seem to show what Spirit they are of that Canonize such Saints: For the Church to pray to Christ that by the wounds of this Saint he would remit their sins, Christ Jesus per Thoma vulnera quae nos ligant relaxa scelera. Jesus bone per Thomae merita ●ostra nobis dimitte debita. Portisor. seu Breviar. ad usum Eccles. Sarum. See Daniel's Hist. Anno 1172. p. 99 Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit, Hanc precamus Assequamur ut Thomae consortium. Missal. add us. Ecc●es. Sar. Rom. xiii. 2. Habetur Sententia. Concil. Tom. 28. p. 424. Edit. Reg. Par. An. 1644. Cum fratribus nostris & sacro concilio deleberatione habitâ diligenti. p. 431. Constanter igitur & actrrimè in pleno & jam plenissimo Concilio Imperator Fred. quasi toti-Ecclesiae contumax & Rebellis à 4. Mundi partes Inhabitantibus accusatur. p. 457. Dominus Papa Sententiam Excommunicationis in pleno Concilio non sine omnium audientium stupore & horrore terribili fulguravit. p. 462. Dominus Papa & Praelati assidentes Concilio candelis accensis in dictum Imperatorem— terribiliter— fulgurarurt. p. 463. Praelati omnes candelas suas accensas inclinarant & extinxerunt excommunicatum Imperatorem deponentes. Matt. Par. Nun igitur hac non levia sed efficacia sunt argumenta de suspicione Haeresis contra tum. Con. tom. 28. p. 431. Omni honore & dignitate— sententiando privamus; omnes qui eiljuramento fidelitatis tenentur aftricti à juramento hujusmodi perpetuo absolventes: Auctoritate Apostolicâ inhibendo, etc. Ibid. p. 431. Petau. Rationar, temporum. l. 9 c. 1. parte prima. p. 457. Edit. Par. Anni. 1652. does express what rate their Church does set upon the merits of resisting Princes, and disturbing States in the behalf of Holy Church: When such actions make men fit to be joint purchasers with Christ in the Redemption of the World. But when the French Histories say 'twas disputed long after in Paris whether he were Damned or Saved, that the Church in her public Offices should pray to go thither where he is gone to have his Society; though it express their most infallible assurance of the condition of those men, who for their sakes resist the Secular Powers, yet O my Soul! enter not thou into their counsels in this world, neither say a Confederacy to whom they say a Confederacy: much less pray to be in their Society, who by resisting S. Paul says, do receive unto themselves Damnation. Secondly, It is notorious that in their first General Council at Lions, Anno 1245. the Emperor Frederick the second, by the Sentence of the Pope and the whole Council after long deliberation and producing several Arguments which they say are not sleight, but effectual to prove the suspicion of Heresy, is deprived of his Empire, all his Subjects are absolved from their Oath of Allegiance, and by Apostolical Authority forbidden to obey him: Therefore that such things may be done in the cases of Religion hath the Authority of a General Council, 'twas that Council that Decreed Red Hats to Cardinals: Hats red it seems not only with the Royal Purple, but with the Blood of Kings and of Royalty itself. Thirdly, I should have urged the well known Canon of the General Council of Lateran, (the greatest their Church ever boasted of) which says, Celebrated in the year of our Lord 1215. in which 412. Bishops, etc. Can. 3. Con. Tom. 28. p. 161. Ut ex tunc ipse vasallos ab ejus fidelitate denunciat absolutes, & terram. etc. Ib. Mode super hoc ipse nullum praestet obstaculum, nec aliquod impedimentum appenat, 〈◊〉 nihilominus lege servata circa eos qui no● hab●nt Dominos temporates. Can. eodem. That if the temporal Lord shall neglect to purge his Territories from such as the Church there declares Heretics, he shall be Excommunicated by the Metropolitan, and if he do not mend within a year complained of to the Pope, that so he may declare his Subjects absolved from their Allegiance, and expose his Lands to be seized by Catholics; who shall exterminate the Heretics, saving the right of the chief Lord: Provided he give no impediment to this. But the same law shall be observed to those that have no chief Lords; that is, who are themselves Supreme. This I should urge, but that some say that penal Statutes which are leges odiosae, tantum disponunt, quantum loquuntur: Therefore this Canon since it does not name Kings, it does not, they say, concern them, although 'tis plain it do sufficiently enough. But that there may be therefore no evasion, Fourthly, In the General Council of Constance, that part of it I mean that is approved by their whole Church. The Pope and Council join together in commanding all Arch-Bishops, After Martin V. was made Pope. Sacro approbante Concil. Constant. per Apostolica scripta committimus & mandamus Conc. Tom. 29. p. 613. p. 617. 626. l. p. 626. p. 628. Though they be Patriarches, Archibishops, Bishops, Kings, or Queens, or Dukes, etc. Per excommunicationis suspensionis & interdicti non privationis dignitatum personatuum— & etiam honorum ac dignitatum saecularium— & per alias poenas, vias & modos. p. 629. The same Mandate also does in p. 614. enjoin them to require the Emperors, Kings, Dukes, etc. to expel those Heretics from their Dominions; see tenorem Lateran. Concilii quod incipit sicut ait. Namely cap. 27. of the general Council of Lateran under Alex. 3. which Canon threatens thus. Relaxatos se noverint à debito fidelitatis & hominii ac totius obsequii— quicunque illis ●liqu● pacto tenentur annexi. Conc. Tom. 27. p. 461. Also in the 17 Sess. of the Council of Constance under John 21. Conc. Tom. 29. p. 458. The Council does define expressly Excommunication and deprivation to Kings also. Haec sacrosancta Co●stant Synodus Ecclesiam Catholicam representans in spiritu sancto legitime congregata, statuit, definite. & ordinatu quod qulcunque cujuscunque status ac conditionis existat etiamis Regalis Cardinalatus, etc.— Sententiam Excommunicationis ●●toritate hujus S. Concilii general. ipso sacto incurrat— & ulterius omni honore & dignitate sit ipso facto privatus. Bishops, and Inquisitors to pronounce all such Excommunicate as are declared Heretics in such and such Articles (and that of Transubstantiation, half-Communion, and the Pope's Supremacy are among them) or that favour or defend them, or that Communicate with them in public or in private, whether in sacred Offices or otherwise; etiamsi Patriarchali, Archiepiscopali, Episcopali, Regali, Reginali, Ducali, aut aliâ quâvis Ecclesiasticâ, aut mundanâ proefulgeant dignitate: And Commands them also to proceed to Interdicts, and deprivation of Dignities, and Goods, and whatsoever other Penalties, vias & modos. Thus that Council though it took away the People's right to the Blood of Christ, denying them the Cup in the Sacrament, gave them in exchange the Blood of their own Kings, making them a right to that. And that they extend the force of these Canons to the most absolute Princes, even to him that pleads exemption most, to the King of France is plain, because when Sixtus the fifth thundered out his Bulls against the then King of Navarre, afterwards King Henry the fourth of France, and the Prince of Conde, depriving them not only of their Lands and Dignities, but their Succession also to the Crown of France, absolving their Subjects from their Oaths, forbidding them to obey them, he declared he did it to them as to relapsed Heretics, favourers and defenders of them, Les declarant heretics relapse, chefs, fauteurs & protecteurs de l' heresy come tells tombs dans les censures & les peines y portées par les loix & les Canons, privez eux & leur descendans des toutes terres & dignités, incapables de succeder à quelque Principauté que se soit, specialement au Royaume de France. Absout leurs Subjects du serment de fideli. té & leur defend de leur obeir. Histoire du Roy. H. le Grand. parl' Evesque de Rhodez. ad annum. 1585. p. 68 & v. p. 71. Edit. Amst. anno 1661. Cap. unam sanctam de Major & obedientia in extra. Com. and as such fallen under the Censures of the Canons of the Church. Now there are no other Canons that do take in Kings but these which can touch him, for that of Boniface the eighth which says the Pope hath power to judge all temporal Powers, is declared not to extend to France. Cap. meruit▪ de privilege. in extravag. communibus. Thus by the public Acts of their Church, and by the Canons of their General Councils we have found in causes of Religion Deprivation of Princes, Wars and Bloodshed, and the other consequent Miseries are established; Rebellion encouraged by a Law: And if Rebellion be as the sin of Witchcraft than we know what manner of Spirit they are of that do encourage it; 1 Sam. xv. 23. sure Witches have no spirit but the Devil for familiar. But the Church of England on the other side, in her public Doctrine set down in the Book of Homilies, established in the 39 Articles of her Religion, says in express words, that it is not lawful for Inferiors and Subjects in any case to resist and stand against the Superior Powers: that we must indeed believe undoubtedly that we may not obey Kings, Magistrates, or any other, if they would command us to do any thing contrary to God's Commands. In such a case we ought to say with the Apostle, we must rather obey God than Man. But nevertheless in that case we may not in any wise withstand violently, or Rebel against Rulers, or make any Insurrection, Sedition, or Tumults, either by force of Arms or otherwise, against the Anointed of the Lord, or any of his Officers, 1 Book of Hom. 2 part of the Serm. of Obed. Not for Reformation of Religion; for what a Religion 'tis that such men by such means would restore, may easily be judged even as good a Religion surely as Rebels be good men, and obedient Subjects. 2 Book of Hom. 4 part of the Serm. against wilful Rebellion. The very same thing is defined in the first of the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical of the year 1640. for Subjects to bear Arms against their King, offensive, or defensive, upon any pretence whatever, is at least to resist the Powers which are ordained of God: and though they do not invade but only resist, S. Paul tells them plainly, he that resists receives unto himself damnation. This was the Doctrine of the Church in those her Constitutions; and although there was no Parliament then sitting to enact these Canons into Laws, yet since that time the Law of England is declared to say the same; Subscription to the Act for uniformity. 14 Car. 2. and we obliged by it to acknowledge, that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever, to take up Arms against the King, by this Parliament, whose memory shall be for ever blessed. And now it is not hard to know what manner of Spirit our Church is of, even that Spirit that anoints the Lords Anointed, that is, which Commissions them, God's Spirit, as we find it phrased in Scripture: And 'tis obvious to each eye that there is much more resemblance betwixt present Rome, and the Image of Babylon, as S. John hath drawn it in the Revelations, than there is of Babel and the Church of England, as to those Confusions which seditious Doctrines make, as the Romanists portrayed her. But far be it from me to conclude hence that all of their Communion do allow their Doctrines: Though they stand on the same bottom that their Faith of half-Communion, and Transubstantiation do; even Acts of the same Councils, yet I doubt not multitudes of loyal Souls of this our Nation do abhor the Tenants, by what Rule of theirs I know not I confess. Nor shall I inquire what Security a Prince can have of the Allegiance of those, who by the most infallible Rules of their Religion can be loyal only on Condition, by the leave of those who are his Enemies, on whose will and power all their Oaths and duty are depending. If the most essential interest of Princes will not move them to consider this, sure I am I shall not undertake it: But I shall take the confidence out of the premises to infer, that no Religion in the World does more provide for the security of Kings, than the Christian as it is professed in our Church does. And when we see the Interest of the Crown and Church were twisted by God in the preservations of this day, nor could be separated in the late dismal Confusions, but died and revived together in the Resurrection, they that hate the execrable mischiefs of those times, or love the Crown, or do not come to mock God when they come to give him thanks for his great glories of this day, cannot choose but have good will for our Zion, cannot have an unconcernedness for this Religion, a cold indifference to it or any other; which where-ere it is, alas I fear betrays too openly indifference and unconcernedness for Religion itself. For if I should appeal to our most Sceptic Statists, and not beg one Principle of a Religion, but take their own: Religion was contrived, they say, by pretending to engage a God to uphold his Vicegerent, and by putting after, everlasting punishments before men's fears, (for they saw present ones restrained not Treason) was contrived I say, to uphold States: Then that must be the best with them that best upholds, and then I have evinced the Christian is secure, as 'tis processed by our Church. But then shame to those who to gratify their lusts merely, labour to persuade themselves and others there is no such thing in earnest as a Resurrection to punishments: who by public raillery in sacred things, and turning all to merriment, endeavour to take off the sense of all Religion, and have done it in great measure; and so thrown down the best-Basis on which Government subsists: which they themselves confess was necessary to be framed on purpose for it. For if there be no after fears, he that is stronger than to need to fear the present may rebel, kill Kings. These Atheists are fanatics, I am sure in Politics; more traitorous than our mad Enthusiasts, or than the Canons of the Popish Councils: To these Sadduces in Christianity we may say, ye know not what spirit ye are of, Acts xxiii. 8. who know not whether there be any Spirit. But it is indeed because they are all flesh themselves: Gal. v, 19, 20, 21. But then if the works of the flesh be manifest, Adultery, Fornication, Seditions, Heresies, Murders, Drunkenness, etc. we know what manner of Spirit they are of; even the spirit that did enter into the Swine, the Legion indeed of Spirits, one Spirit is not Devil enough to animate the flesh into so many of those works. But the fruits of the Spirit that Gospel Spirit which we Christians are of, Ver. 22, 23. are love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, joy in the Holy Ghost; and they that do bring forth such fruits are baptised indeed with the Holy Ghost; and if with fire, fire that came down from Heaven too, 'twas only to consume their dross that they may be pure metal, fit as for the King's Inscription, meek Christians, good Subjects, so for God's Image to be stamped upon, that is, renewed in Righteousness and true Holiness. Fire this that will sublime our very flesh into spiritual body, that we may begin here that incorruptible which our corruptible must put on, when our vile Bodies shall be made like to the glorious Body of our Saviour: To which state that Spirit which raised up Jesus from the dead bring us, by quickening our mortal Bodies. To whom, etc. The Eleventh SERMON, Preached at Christchurch IN OXFORD, Novemb. 8. 1665. Being the Monthly Fast-day for the Plague. LUKE XVI. 30, 31. Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.— And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. THAT God who purchased for us the possibilities of Repentance with the Son of his Bosom, and requires nothing more in exchange of the Blood and Life of Christ, but some unfeigned tears and reformation of our lives, that He should be contriving methods to bring men to Repentance is nothing strange; for this is but to take care that all that ever he hath done for them be not in vain and lost: But that in Hell, a place which nothing but Repentance can destroy; there should be such designs seems strange, yet not if we consider the condition of the place, whose Torments are not only of so dire a nature, that he that is condemned to them wou●● be alone in them, but were made so dire on purpose that they mig●● be preservatives against themselves; nothing being judged more effectual to terrify men from those pains, than the exceeding greatness of those pains, which he that feels thinks the relation alone will do; for he said, Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent, etc. The words do willingly suggest occasion for several Inquiries, and some of those of the nicer and more curious kind, but truly I shall not attend to those suggestions, but shall choose to handle some few of the most obvious and popular Considerations that the words break into, and they are three. First, The Rich man's Charity to his Brethren, his unsatisfied desire and care that they may be brought to Repentance, expressed in these words, Nay Father Abraham, though they have Moses and Prophets, yet let them have one method more. Secondly, We have here his choice of that method, that which he thought would do though nothing else would; in these words, If one went unto them from the dead they will repent. In the handling of which, we shall examine what the grounds were upon which this Rich man was so confident that that would work upon them; and here we find he chose with several advantages. First, One from the dead; Secondly, That one Lazarus; and he First, One out of Abraham's Bosom: Secondly, One that had seen him also in his Torments and could testify of them, v. 27. Thirdly, We have here these fancied hopes all dashed in Abraham's answer, And he said unto him, if they believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. First of the first, the Charitable, careful contrivances this Rich man in Hell had for his Brethren upon Earth: Nay Father Abraham, etc. It is commonly reported of men who know themselves infected by the Plague, that they desire to infect as many others as they can; they contrive to spread the Contagion, and love society of Ruin; and we are sure it is so in that Plague of the Soul, Sin. This humour did not content itself to debauch Heaven, and unpeople Paradise, but all the Ages of the World make up its Triumph, and every sin that ever was, and misery that shall be, is its issue. Lucifer's pride would have a train of Angels and Mankind to wait upon him in Destruction: And in such an attendance, though to his everlasting cost, he does still pride himself; he feeds upon that Envy that devours him, and cheers himself with adding fuel to his flames that do torment him; and upon this account enjoys his own Agonies and God's Indignation: And then it is no wonder if his Agents upon Earth enjoy the sport; and if the Devil does not more please himself to see his Dominions enlarged and the business of Hell go forward, than wicked men do in having others become like themselves; as if they did derive to themselves, and possess the pleasure, as they do the guilt of those whom they draw in; and the delight like the sin, were all in all, and all in every part of the whole Company that join in wickedness. But it should seem 'tis otherwise with the Sinners in Hell. Our Rich man here when he saw his own estate remediless, so vast a gulf betwixt him an●●e Bosom of Comfort, that not the least drop of refreshment, no 〈…〉 hopes nor wishes of it could pass thence to him; but Torment sealed upon him by an irreversible Decree; he begins then to contrive for his Brethren, how their falling into the like estate with him might be prevented, ver. 27, 28. Nor satisfied with this, when Abraham replies, they are provided well enough, they have Moses and the Prophets, the one Preaching the Law to them, whose Rules they have made as familiar to them as their dress, they put on daily God's Commandments, and their duty; make his Precepts their frontlets and their wristbands. And the other the Prophets, are Commissioned from God to lay before their eyes the issue of transgressions, give them a vision of the Judgements that await their sins, and come to them burdened with the foreknowledge of the Sinners expectations; so that except they will resolve to choose destruction wilfully to assault their own perdition, there is no fear they should come thither; those tell them as much as any from the dead can do: Ah! but thinks he, all those methods I had, yet I am here; and then let them have one other; for as now after this little taste of Torments were I to live again, I should most certainly avoid this place, and lead another kind of life than that which does expire into this Tophet; So if one went to tell them how it is with me, sure than they would repent and not come hither; therefore I pray thee send; Nay Father Abraham, etc. I cannot here assent to Cardinal Cajetan's account that all this earnestness was only pride in our Rich man, and a desire to have the glory of his Family advanced; which as he laboured to raise here by Wealth, so now finding by sad experience that was but a weak foundation to build a lasting House upon, and that all the shine of it was but false treacherous light, such as did end in flame with him; and having made discovery of other greater glories, that Abraham and Lazarus possessed, he would have his Family as high and bright as they; and this their Repentance, which he took such care for, was but in order to that exaltation. If it were so, truly it is the first pride I ever read of that would content itself with no meaner a dress than the Robes of Immortality, and was ambitious of the Throne of Glory. I have heard I confess of a proud lowliness, where the humility is but the manage and the art of being lofty, is only assumed condescension whereby men but descend to be extolled, and stoop to take advantage for their mount: But never heard of any pride that aimed to raise itself by the humiliations of Repentance, that laid its groundwork in that dust and ashes, clothed itself in the sackcloth and neglected rudenesses of a pious penitent sorrow: The prides of this side Hell are of a different garb I'm sure, if theirs be such; if they design by those just means to settle the inheritance of Heaven in their Families, sure the vices of Hell may be fit patterns for our Religious performances, and 'twere to be desired that all Christians had this man's ardencies and flames in their affections to their Houses. Yet neither can I from this one particular instance draw any general proposition concerning the kindness of that place to Sinners upon Earth, although all those that make this History not Parable would give me colour for it: But waving that, since Christ hath so framed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (which is a relation of such words as they would have spoke, had they spoke on this occasion) I shall take that as ground enough to apply it to the conviction of those who are so far from these Charitable designs to the Souls of others, that they contrive nothing more than how to have the company of their Friends in those ways that lead to this place of Torment; prevail with them to join in sinning, and show a Vice how to insinuate into them. The kindnesses of our man here in the flames were divine God like Charities compared to these. Our Saviour says, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven, Matth. xviii. 10. Which one expounds, if we neglect to do what is in our power to preserve the meanest Christians from Vice, and slight their sinning, their Tutelary Angels that have continual recourse to God, and are high in his favour, will make complaints of us in their behalf, at least they will if we offend them, and any action of ours prove an occasion of their sins. And if a favourite of Heaven shall accuse us to the Lord for that, Then how will he complain of us when we tempt? when he shall have to say against us, that we have ensnared and drawn such a Soul into a Custom that will ruin it eternally; and when he shall bring against us an instance out of Hell here, and the kindnesses of one among the Devils shall come in Judgement against us; where we see the Rich Man thought not of his own condemnation so much he thought of the averting that of his Brethren. We might suppose a man in his condition could not consider any thing but his own Tortures. O yes, to preserve others from them; yet, when the man in Hell does so, the men on Earth do think of nothing more than to entice others into them. And is it not a strange Age then, when to tempt is the only mode of kindness, and men do scarcely know how to express themselves civil to their Friends but by pressing them to sin and so be sick with them? as if this were the gentile use of Societies, to season Youth into good Company, and bring the Fashionable Vices into their acquaintance. And 'tis well if they stay there; it happens so that Parts and Wit, Faculties and Acquisitions do ingratiate men into these treacherous kindnesses, and qualify them for the desires and friendships of such persons as entertain them by softening them into looseness and then into profaneness; debauch their manners, and then their Principles; teach them to sport themselves with Vice, and then with Holy things, and after with Religion itself; which is a greater Luxury than that their Riots treat their Appetites withal, the Luxury of Wit. And thus they educate them into Atheism, and these familiar Devils are called Acquaintances and Friends: And indeed the Companions in sin a man would think should be dear Friends, such as pour an heart into one another in their common Cups, shed Souls in their Lusts, are friends to one another even in ruin, and love to their own Condemnation, are kind beyond the Altar-flames, even to those everlasting fires; such communications certainly cement affections so that nothing can divide them: And let them do so, but Lord send me the kindness of Hell rather, one that will be a friend like this man in his Torments, that with unsatisfied cares minded the reformation of his Friends, Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent; which brings me to the Choice, the second thing. If a Ghost should indeed appear to any of us in the midst of our Commissions, it would certainly hurry us from our Enjoyments; and there are no such ties & unions by which the advantages of sin do hold us fixed and jointed to them, but the shake and tremble we should then be in, would loosen and dissolve them all, and make us uncling from them, if we may believe discourses that tell us such a sight is able to startle a man however he be fixed by his most close Devotions; for what the Jews were wont to say, we shall die because we have seen an Angel of the Lord from Heaven, most men do fear if they should see the Spirit of a dead man from the Earth. Indeed the affrights which men do usually conceive at the mere apprehension of such an Apparition, do probably arise from a surprise, in being minded hastily of such a state for which they are not then prepared so as they would wish or hope to be, to which they think that is a Call, for we shall die said the Jews. But not to ask the reason of this now, but find the reason why our Rich Man thinks when Moses and the Prophets cannot make a man repent, such a Ghost should: We have it in ver. 28, they do but discourse to us, but one from the dead could testify, he could bear witness that it is so as they say, speak his own sight and knowledge, and therefore though they hear not Moses and the Prophets, yet if one went unto them from the dead they will repent. For First, One from the Dead could testify that when we die we do not cease to be; and he would make appear that our departing hence is not annihilation, and so would dash the hopes of Epicures; such as I was, and I may fear they are; who as they live like Beasts do think to die so too: and who are rational in this alone that they desire to be but Animal. And all the rest of men whether worldly or sensual, that enclose their desires and enjoyments within this life, and above all the Atheist that dares not look beyond it, all these would be convinced by such an evidence. Indeed this would take away the main encouragement of all ungodliness, which upon little reasonings how thin soever, that there's no life after this does quicken and secure itself, Wisd. 2. and therefore every Sect of men that did prescribe Morality did teach an after life, nothing was more believed among the Heathen; Their Tribunal below, where three most severe Judges were appointed, meant the same thing with our last Assize, and their Elysian fields were but Poetical Paradise, their Phlegeton, River of Fire, was set to express our stream of Brimstone flame: Thus Resurrection in fable made them virtuous; the guess at it made Socrates die cheerful, and though his hopes had faint weak Principles they had Heroic almost Martyr resolutions. And on the other side, of those that among them denied an after life, though we are told that Epicurus was a virtuous man, yet his Sect did give name to Vice; and is still the expression for it, and all that did espouse the Tenants of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did the Vices too; the Sadduces among the Jews are called Epicures, not only for Opinions sake, because they did make God a body, and totally denied his Providence, as Zakuth says, but Epicures also for their practice sake; Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 2. c. 12. For they used to scoff at the Pharisees for afflicting themselves by Fasting and Austerities in this life, Edit. Basil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there is nothing at all of recompense for them in any life to come. Yea and Josephus says of them they were the worst of all Sects, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living like savage Beasts towards one another, and uncourteous to their own Sect as to strangers; and this, says he, was but a natural effect of their Opinion, which wholly denied the Immortality of the Soul, and all Rewards and Punishments after this Life; which Principle one coming from the dead would rectify, and so contribute to Repentance. Especially if Secondly, That one were Lazarus, if he that at the Supper of the Lamb sits next the Father of the faithful, and the friend of God, in one of the higher Seats of Paradise, in Abraham's Bosom; if he would go and speak his knowledge of the Pleasures of that Bosom which he tastes, and of the glories of that Place, and but compare them with the little gaieties of my Father's House; show them the difference betwixt their Structures and that Foundation whose builder and maker God is, betwixt the entertainments of their riotous Palates, and the Festivals of the Blessed Trinity, then sure they would disrelish those, and catch at these, which do exceed them by a whole Infinity, and will outlive them an Eternity. And here should I attempt, what he would have had Lazarus perform, to dash out the blessedness of that place, making the first draught of them with notions of delight, not such as the Understanding cannot apprehend, but such as seize the heart with pleasure in this Life, and that give it the strongest agitations here; and sweetening that by those transcendencies which I could fill it up with, and should I raise it then with shadow, evince that reason, though it cannot fathom, can yet by sure Discourse conclude the greatness of those Glories, which I would leave for your expectations to lose themselves into; should I attempt all this I were an insolent undertaker. Yet were it very easy to describe them so as that viewing them with the things below, these would vanish in the comparison. And to do so much was the utmost that our Rich Man could design by sending Lazarus, who if he could have been believed might probably have done the work; for if Faith did but do what Lazarus did, look into Abraham's Bosom, were it but turned into a little Vision, and but as clear an evidence of things not seen as eyesight hath of its temptations, had the spiritual Object but that advantage the carnal hath of being present, (now it is the work of Faith to give it that advantage) sure it would be impossible for the sensitive Objects, the pleasures or the Profits of this World, which are so far inferior to the other in desireableness, and only make advantage of their being present, when the other is so far off, 'twould be impossible for them to gain our wills consent at any time; and therefore when those glories shall be present to the Soul, 'twill be impossible for any other Object to steal, or ravish, any way to engage one thought away from them: In Heaven they cannot wish to sin. Nay the flash alone of that glory fascinates the heart; Peter, and James, and John, saw but a glimpse of it, and that transfigured too, (only the other way that Moses and Elias were, for the glory suffered an exinanition) and they but waked into the sight of it, so that 'twas but an apparition of Heaven; and yet they never would have left the place which it once lightened, Master it is good for us to be here, let us go down no more, never converse with any thing beneath Mount Tabor, but let us build three Booths, such Tents would be like that which He hath spread, and such Booths be some of the many Mansions of his House, who spreadeth out the Heavens for a Tent for himself to dwell in. But the truth is while men do only hear of Joys above, and have but thin neglected notions of them, and on the other side a sense of present profits, pleasures, honours which the World affords, they will not be affected with the future dry hopes of those as with all these in present, will nor have as effectual a taste of the Supper of the Lamb, as of their own delicious daily fare, nor be as much wrought upon by the Promises of being Clothed upon with the white Robe of Immortality, and by the mentions of a Crown, although of Glory, as they are pleased with their own Royal Purples, they have much surer Conviction of the delights of present things, than of those far removed futurities; but now if Lazarus would go from Abraham's Bosom, he might Convince them from his own Experience, and then they would Repent. Especially Thirdly, because Lazarus hath seen me in my Torments, and can give account of them, wherefore I pray thee Father Abraham send him, for if such an one went unto them from the Dead, one that could testify of this place, he would tell them such sad stories of my condition here, how in lieu of all my sumptuous fare I have nothing now but gnashing of teeth, streams indeed of Brimstone, and a lake of fire, but everlasting fever of thirst for my delicious intemperate Palate; my short-lived sins turned to eternal Agonies; sure this would prevail with them to cut off their sins by Repentance, before Death cut off their sin and them together; and so they might prevent the coming hither. And very probably it might have taken; for upon such Conviction 'tis hard not to resolve to change, for who is he that can resolve thus with himself, well I will now content myself with everlasting Condemnation and this sin, for I see they are consequent, now this I cannot leave therefore let the other come; they that were once affected with the apprehensions of the greatness and the certainty of that Damnation cannot resolve thus, and therefore we see fewer men adventure to transgress Man's Law, whose Punishment is near and most assured, than God's Commandments. And when their fears of the Lords Judgements stare them in the face, they quickly tremble into the terrors and the agonies of Penitence. For who dares sin, and who does not repent upon his Deathbed? he sinks at the remembrance of his former draughts, when he does apprehend his next is like to be in the Infernal Lake, he hath the frost of the Grave on him when he but thinks of his lascivious heats, and does think too that his hot lustful Bed will turn him off strait into Tophet: And then if Lazarus could raise these apprehensions in them, sure they would repent. 'Tis plain these were the grounds our Rich Man built this his request upon, I do not lay them as infallible, I make no question but that men are able to defy their knowledge, and charge through their own belief to sin and to destruction; but commonly men do not lay things deep enough to their heart to be throughly convinced in earnest, and thus he believed; for had Abraham granted his desire, and sent Lazarus to testify the Glories he had tasted in himself, and the Torments he had seen their Brother in, all he could hope from this was but to make them more believe the one and other; therefore he thought for want of this they would miscarry, and this alone would do it; so that w● may conclude, that in the judgement of one that died without Repentance, having resisted all God's Methods, and knew upon what score he did it, and suffered the deserved pains of so doing; the reason why men do not repent, is because they are not sufficiently convinced of the next Life, and of its two Eternity's of Joy and Torment, they do not credit them, but notwithstanding all that God hath done his truths want witnessing, for if one went unto them from the Dead, one that could testify, they would Repent. I should now make reflections on this and ourselves together, and truly all this would bespatter foully such as go on in a Vice, for it does conclude concerning them that they do not believe God's Truths, but in the midst of their professions of Religion are Infidels; 'tis plain they are so in the aknowledgments of one of their own Tribe, who in the anguish of his Torments does confess this of them from his own experience: But worse things will appear when we have seen that God hath done all this to us with more advantage than this man in Hell did think sufficient, or indeed desire; which was my next undertaking, and I shall manage it in the same order. First, If one went unto them from the dead, says he, they will Repent. And now to answer that, Christ is come from the dead; an Article this is that made its way through all the Swords, and all the Racks, and torturing Engines that the powerful witty malice of a whole World could find out and execute: And shall it find its death among the softs and glories of its own victorious profession? when it was instant Ruin to ackowledg the belief of it, than Myriads ran into the flames, at once to own and to partake Christ's Resurrection: but now they that profess it are so well here in this Life, that in defiance of their own profession, they will not think there is another Life. It is not out of Principle they doubt (as it were easy to demonstrate) but out of improbity; They have an aversion to severe Piety, and are uneasy under any thing that does engage to it, and must therefore work themselves out; and here they storm; Unkind men to themselves! not only in imprudence, who adventure all upon such hazards; but in disparaging themselves, who being men of reason, and that set it up to such an height as to make it contend with God, and dispute out his Power of raising them again, yet can think such a reasoning Soul was given them for no other end but to procure for, and to animate the Organs of their sensuality. But this is dashed if Christ be risen, because His Resurrection did make Faith that he would Judge the World in Righteousness, on purpose to make them Repent; Acts xvii, 20, 21. So that this his first expectation is most fully answered to us. But Secondly, if Lazarus would go, one out of Abraham's Bosom than they would Repent. And hath there not a greater than Lazarus been with us? one not out of Abraham's but Gods Bosom? even the Son of his Bosom, one that himself prepared those Joys for them that would believe him and obey him: one that from all Eternity enjoyed them in the Bosom of the Divinity. And who could better reveal them to us than the Author and the God of them? who knew them more than he that did create them and possess them? Yea when this Son of God would be Incarnate and take Flesh, and was to carry it through all the Miseries that Sin deserved and God's Wrath could inflict, he thought these Joys encouragement enough to do it willingly, these Pleasures were worth Agonies which none but a God could suffer, Heb. xii. 2. Now sure he that prepared these Joys did understand them, and he that is the Word of God knew best how to reveal them too. And now how poor a wish was that of our Rich Man? Let Lazarus go tell them: why a Person of the Trinity hath told us; indeed how could God do more than come himself to reveal the truth of them, and himself die for them to reveal the greatness of them? Good God that no body could serve thy turn to tell us of the pleasures of thy Bosom but the Son of thy Bosom! that thou shouldst think it worth an Incarnation to reveal them, and we not think it worth a little Reformation to have them; that he should part with Blood and give his Life for those Joys, and we not be content to forsake a Custom, to give away the pleasures of a Lust, the neither pleasures nor profits of an Oath, the sick delights of an Excess, nor the vexations of a Passion in exchange for them! what will Hell say to us when one there said, if Lazarus will go they will repent? If Lazarus, Thirdly, one that saw me in Hell, and so can testify the Torments of this place, yet God hath out done this too. Our Creed will tell us who descended into Hell, and the Psalmish saying concerning him, God should not leave his Soul in Hell. S. Austin asks, Quis ergo nisi infidelis negaverit fuisse Christum apud inferos? 'Twere easy for me to produce enough besides that say so. Clem. Alex, Origen, Hier. Greg. Naz. Fulgent. Euseb. Emissenus. Caesarius. Anastas. Jobius. Dam●scenus. Oecumenius, etc. But because we are not agreed what he did there, I'll take a surer medium. That no Lazarus can decipher the condition of a Sinner after the pleasures of his iniquity have left him to the recompenses of it, so well as Christ who not only did prepare the Plagues, and therefore can describe them, but also himself bore the pains, and found a few hours bearing them to be too heavy for him, is most evident. His Agonies will give you a relation beyond the skill of Lazarus that saw the Torments, or of all that suffer them. Look but into the Garden, and see if you do not behold there a more dismal Landshape than that which Lazarus had beyond the Gulf, and was desired to give account of? there you shall find Christ at the first approaches saying, my Soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death, Matth. xxvi. 38. As if the only apprehension of his sufferings had inflicted them, and he could not live under the thoughts of them: and then he went a little farther and fell upon his face and prays, saying, O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me. And what was there in this Cup which so empoisoned it as to make it dreadful to the Son of God? Oh 'tis the Sinners potion that he must swill to everlastingness, and when he was in this condition there appeared an Angel from Heaven strengthening him, Luke xxii. 43. yet v. the 44. we find him still in an Agony. Angel's cannot comfort one that is sensible of the guilt of sin upon him; and he prays more earnestly in that same place, Abha Father all things are possible with thee, take away this Cup from me. He does not leave an Attribute unattempted, he does adore the Majesty, for he falls upon his Face and Prays: A Person of the Trinity prostrated in the dust to deprecate those pains; he woos him to it, Abba Father, canst thou deny thy well beloved, only begotten Son, thy Son that is thyself, when he comes to thee with such tender compellations of kindness? with words of so much bowels? Abba Father: he takes hold too of his Omnipotence, all things are possible with thee; and he does it with all the earnestness possible to such a Person: for saith St. Luke there, he does it more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of Blood falling to the ground, and what Agony is there in the Torment, when there is Agony in the deprecation of them? such a Passion could not be prayed against with earnestness enough, but that that very earnestness will prove a Passion: Yea and he goes again the third time and prays the same words, as if, if nothing else, importunity should prevail, and when we shall consider that the Person doing this is the Son of God, to whom nothing could be truly insupportable, yet that he should not be able to bear sin; the weight of that we see makes him cry out My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? as if God could forsake that Person in whom the Godhead was of his Person: Or indeed as if the condition did even separate between him and himself. And now could any from the dead have given such a frighting account? is there not as much warning in this prospect, as if ourselves had tasted all of it? for is it not more that these Torments should be so terrible to him than that they should be insupportable to us? Blessed Saviour! if the first apprehensions did assault thee with such kill fury, can we resolve to stand the storm? if we do not resolve that, then if all this will not scare us, but notwithstanding all these fears we will have our delightful, yea and our tormenting sins, what other method will be able to reclaim us? they that hear not Moses and the Prophets, nor yet Christ, neither will they be persuaded sure though any other come unto them from the dead. And so I fall on my last part in these words. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Here the expression should be first taken notice of: For that is changed, it should go regularly thus, as in the proposal, Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent, so in his answer, if they repent not for Moses and the Prophets, neither will they repent though one rose from the dead. But here 'tis otherwise; as if to repent and be persuaded, yea and to hear Moses and the Prophets were the same things. And if it were our Age had got a fair pretence for bringing all Religion to the Ear; but sure Repentance costs the eyes and heart more than it does that part, and yet the Scripture useth oft the like expression: So in 1 Tim. iv. 16. it is said of Timothy, that by continuing in his Doctrine he should save them that hear him. So also 1 Cor. xv. 2. by which ye are saved if ye keep in memory the things which I have Preached unto you. 'Tis pity when the Ear and Memory are so privileged, that the Tongue hath not the like advantage; but not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; yet to know hath as great, for this is Life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, John xvii. 3. Which Life Eternal, and the being saved, or justified, we may not think are so attributed to these, as if to hear, or to remember, or to be persuaded, that is to believe or know, any or all of these alone, shall be rewarded so; or that these necessarily do produce all the rest that is necessary to attain those ends: But only that it is so reasonable that they should produce them, that the Scripture does presume they will; and therefore affirms, He that says he knows God and keeps not his Commandments is a Lyar. 1 John two. 4. and he that sinneth hath not seen him neither known him, 1 Joh. three 6. Nor heard of him it seems by the Text here: For it is so irrational that they who have had notice of the advantages of serving God, and the sad issues of Iniquity, should not reform; that the Scripture does not suppose them guilty of it, but does choose to word it thus, they hear not: A sharp rebuke for them all whose Religion is much hearing without doing; the men whose Soul dwells in their Ear, and that dwells by the Pulpit, that these should be adjudged as men that never heard; and so they shall in every respect indeed, but in the innocence of not having heard, that they do hear so much shall aggravate their Sentence: and yet their Crime is that they hear not Moses and the Prophets, and then neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. Where I note Secondly, that our Saviour does not intend here to commit Prophecy and Miracles, and set them one against the other, to show which were most efficacious in begetting Faith: for Predictions being Gods exerting of his Omniscience, as raising from dead is the exerting of his Omnipotence, the one a miracle of Knowledge, as the other is of Power, Prophecy therefore is not to be opposed to Miracle, because it works merely as one; indeed it is a miracle in Expectation, or at distance, and the other present: Nor are they to be made to vie, since both conspire, and both are best in different cases: Besides our Saviour is not talking here of begetting Faith, but making men repent, and the whole meaning of the words is briefly this. Thy Brethren being Jews have Moses and the Prophets, those contain all the motives of Repentance, God's Commands, his Promises, and Threats; even Heaven and Hell as themselves confess, all these have been confirmed already by great Miracles, and as such have been long since received by the whole Jewish Church, with so immovable an Opinion of the truth of them, that there needs no new Miracle to give accession of credit to them. And then what can one coming from the dead persuade? new motives he can bring them none; Man's nature is not capable of any other kinds, for he can act but from his affections, or his Reason; all which are baited to the height by those motives they have; the Understanding and the Appetite whether it love, or hate, or hope, or fear, (which set on work whatever we perform) all these I say Heaven and Hell are Object for even to the utmost possibility of motion; If he can bring no new ones, those they have when they are once truly believed than they have all the vigour they can have; belief being the application of those active motives to their work, but all the strength to act being in those motives themselves; all I mean in opposition to the miracle. I know that there are other strengths of Grace, but those do help as well the Miracle as Motive; those have influence on the believing too, by their exciting and assisting: (But this strength which may be common to both is not to be considered when one vies with the other:) What therefore shall he go for who can give no new motives nor strength to those they have? If any should not be confirmed enough in that which Moses and the Prophets say, how shall they be convinced that this Ghost is of more credit than they were? but if he should be so far heeded, as to add new Confirmation to them, yet if improbity hath been able to dead the force of the activity of all that Moses says, although acknowledged, with that veneration which the Jews receive Moses with, whose credit they themselves do say no Miracle can be wrought so great as to be able to add to, or diminish from: why then that same improbity within a while will with more ease work off the force of this new Confirmation, so that it will be vain. Indeed 'tis possible that the surprise of such a Miracle just as any other sudden and amazing accident may make a man consider, what though he did afore believe, yet he did not mind nor lay to heart; yet when the astonishment of that is over, the motives than are left to their own strength, and can work only by their own activity, which we see hath been able to do nothing; so that a Miracle at most can be but a more awful remembrancer. Now sure to bring this to ourselves, we want none such, nor do they prove much useful: Occasions of astonishment and such fatal remembrancers have come and taken up their habitation in our Land, and make approaches towards, hover over every place. Long Bills of mortality, and sad knells, and dreadful passing bells, these are all messengers from the dead, that come posting to us swift as God's Arrows: And one would think we should take notice of their message, hear them when they pass so near us, when they seem to call out to ourselves, when a thousand do fall besides us, and ten thousand at our right hand; wherefore should not an Army of such Carcases become as moving as one Ghost? should Lazarus come forth with all his sores, they would not be so terrible as these carbuncles and ulcers of the Plague: And the destroying Angel out of Heaven with his Sword drawn, one would expect, should be as efficacious as a Preacher out of Abraham's Bosom. And yet men do not seem to hearken any more to these than they do to us, when we either Preach, or which they think much less, when we read Scripture to them, that is, when they hear Moses and the Prophets. Men have the same security as to their sins which they had in the freest times, whatever fears possess them, they are not the fears of God, those that make men depart from evil, none of those that fright into Repentance; we have no Religious cares upon us now more than at other times, but Vice as if that also had a Sanctuary under the Lords wings, and might retire under his feathers to be safe, dreads no Terrors of the Night, nor Arrows of the Day, but walks as open and as unconcerned as ever. And now should we behold a mad man on his deathbed spending his only one remaining minute in execrations; the paleness of a shroud upon his face, but Blood and crimson Sins upon his tongue; the frost of the Grave over all his parts, but a lascivious heat in his discourse; in fine, one that had nothing left alive of him but his Iniquity; would not an horror seize you at that sight? and the same frost possess you but to hear him? and yet his madness is his excuse, and his disease his Innocence. Should we see one that had no other madness, no other sickness but his sin do thus, would it not be more horrid? and is it not the same to see a Nation as it were upon its Deathbed, visited with all the treasures of God's Plagues, his tokens on it, and every place and man in fearful expectations, and yet no allay of Vice? Wickedness as outrageous as ever? while it is thus, with what face can we beg of God to keep from us this Plague and grievous sickness? when we do only mean to make this use of such indulgence, to cherish another Plague in our own hearts? What can we say to prove it would not be a mercy to us to be suddenly cut off, even in the midst of our iniquity? when by our going on in sin in the midst of Destruction, we make appear if he should let us live, yet we would only live to finish our iniquities: And longer time would have no other use but to fill up a greater measure of sin. What answer do we make to all these Messengers of Death that come so thick about us? what do we that may justify God's care in sending us so many warnings? But 'tis no Wonder if the only neighbourhood of Death have not been able to prevail upon us; have you not seen one whom his own iniquity, or Gods immediate Hand, hath by a Sickness, or by some sad Accident cast to the very brink of Death, so as the Grave seemed to begin to take possession of him? and all his hopes sickened and died? so that recovery from that condition may be well, as 'tis in Scripture often called a Rising? have you not seen him in that state, when he supposed that sinning was now done with him, and the next thing was Judgement, when God's Tribunal seemed to be within his view, and Hell to gape for him as wide as the Grave, both opening to receive their parts of him at the same time, and himself ready to divide himself into those two sad Habitations? With what effectual Sermon will he then Preach to himself against his sins? and that you may be sure shall work upon him; he instantly resolves against his Vices, he will not carry them along with him out of this Life, but cast them off as too sad dangerous Company, nor yet if God shall lend him life will he retain them, but it shall be a New Life which he will lead: And yet when God hath raised him up, after a while he returns to his Vomit, his Sins recover with his Body▪ he owes his Innocence but to his Weakness, nor is it more long-lived; his holy purposes decay as his strength grows, and die as soon as settled health does come: And he who never would commit the Sin again when he was Dying, mends into it again: And than what hopes is there in this mistaken Method? when we see men come themselves from the Deadunto themselves, yet cannot make themselves Repent. But if we are not all concerned in this, take a more spreading and more visible experiment. If ever one came from the Dead, this Church and State came thence: And by as great a Miracle of Resurrection. But where is the Repentance such a Miracle may have flattered our Expectations with, as I am confident the resolutions of it did in that sad dying state? are not some men as violent in those wicked practices that merited our former Ruin? and others in those cursed Principles that did inflict it, as they ever were? 'tis said by many that have evil will at Zion (and it is our concern to take a care they speak not truth) that in the Church some that are risen up again have still the silence of the Grave upon them, and are as dumb, as if their mouth were yet full of their monument Earth: And yet as if it were not full of Earth, nor had been satisfied with it in the Sepulchre, they gape still like the Grave that never can be satisfied. And we see others who as if this Resurrection were but a start out of a sleep, or lucid interval of former madness, have their hands ready not only to tear off the hair, the unessential accessary beauties of the Body of the Church and State, but to scratch the Face, pull out the Eyes, and tear open those Wounds which their last fit of Fury did inflict, so to let life out again. And as for the Community of the Nation, 'tis true we are as it were risen from the Grave, but have we not brought up with us the Plague sores? are not the Spots upon us still? the Venom, Ulcer, and infection about us? Yea more contracted Stench and Putrefaction? such as Death and the Grave do add? and coming from the dead we will not yet part with these, but dress ourselves in those infected and defiled grave-cloaths, and rise into corruption, and so confute God's Method of a Resurrection. 'Twere happier if we would so far confute the Text, that coming ourselves from the dead, we would renounce communion with all Death's adherencies; begin the incorruptible, which shall be consummated when we shall rise again a Church triumphant: when Death shall be swallowed up in Victory, and neither Sin nor Repentance shall be any more, but Holiness, and Life, and Glory too shall be Immortal and unchangeable. To Which, etc. The Twelfth SERMON, Preached at Christchurch IN OXFORD, Decemb. 31. 1665. LUKE II. part of the 34. verse. Behold this Child is set for the Fall and Rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. AND Simeon Blessed them, and said, etc. A Benediction sure of a most strange importance: If to bring forth one that is to be a large Destruction, if to be delivered of a Child that must be for the Fall of many, and the kill of the Mother's self, be blessed; if Swords and Ruins be Comforts, than my Text is full of these: But if this be to Bless, what is it to forespeak and abode ill? Yet however ominous and fatal the words are, they give us the event and the design too of the Blessed Incarnation of the Son of God, the Child of this Text and of this Season: A short view of God's Counsel in it; and the Effects of it. The Effects in these Particulars. 1. This Child is for the Fall of many. 2. For the Rising again of many. 3. For a Sign: With the quality of that sign; he is for a sign that shall be spoken against. 2. The Counsel and Design of this is signified in the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: he is set, and preordained to be all this. First of the first Effect, This Child is for the Fall of many. And here I shall but only name that way whereby many men set this Child for their own Fall, while they make his holy Time to be but a more solemn opportunity of ●●●●ing: We know many celebrate this great Festival with Surfeits and Excesses, the usual appendages of Feasting, Oaths and Curses the ingredients of Gaming; Dalliance and Lasciviousness the attendants of Sporting; of all which this seems as it were the Anniversary, a set time for their return. Thus indeed the Israelites did solemnize the Birth of their Idol-Calf, They sat down to Eat and Drink, and rose up to Play. Exod. xxxii. 6. And must we celebrate this Child too like that Calf, because he was born among Brutes? And must his Votaries also be of the Herd? And he live and be worshipped always in a Stable? Because God became Man, must Men therefore become Beasts? Is it fit to honour that Child with Iniquity and Looseness, that did come into the World upon designs of Holiness, to settle a most strict Religion? Nothing can be more incongruous than this; and certainly there is nothing of God's Counsel in it. But to you whose time seems nothing else but a constant Festival, always hath the Leisure, and the Plenties, and the Sports of one, who as to these things keep a Christmas all your life, this Season as it does not seem to challenge those things to itself peculiarly, so I shall not now insist on them; but proceed to those ways by which Simeon did Prophecy, This Child would be for the fall of many in Israel. And they are three, 1. This Child whom I but now declared God had prepared to be the Glory of his People Israel, Verse 31, 32. yet his Birth was so inglorious, and his Life answerable to it shall be so mean and poor, and his Death so full of shame and curse, that these shall prove a scandal to his People, who shall be offended at them; and being prepossessed with prejudices of a Pompous Royal Messiah, they will not believe in this, but reject a Saviour that comes upon those disadvantages, which will therefore prove occasions of falling to them. That is was so is expressly said, Rom. ix. 33. Behold, I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone, a stone of stumbling, 1 Pet. two. 6. and a Rock of offence. And that it was so upon this account is clear, John ix. 29. the Great ones cry out of him, This fellow we know not whence he is: Mark vi. iii They that seemed to know whence did upbraid him with it, John seven. 48. Is not this the Carpenter? And therefore with a deal of scorn they question, Do any of the Rulers or the Pharisees believe in him? Yea Christ himself knew this would be so great a Scandal, that in the 11. Chapter of S. Matthew, in the close of many Miracles which he wrought on purpose to demonstrate he was the Messiah, he adds vers. 6. and blessed is he that shall not be offended in me. As if he thought his mean condition would prove a greater argument against him than his mighty Works were for him: And it were a vaster Prodigy to see the Saviour of the World, the promised Messiah, poor and abject; than to see one cure the Blind, and heal the Lame, and raise the Dead; and they might think they had a stranger Miracle to confirm their unbelief, than any he would work to make them believe in him. And really, that the Kingdom of the Messiah, which the Prophets did express in terms as high as their own Ecstasies and Raptures, in transported words, as if it vied with God's Dominion, both for extent and for duration, should prove at last an Empire only over twelve poor Fishermen and Publicans, and one of them a Traitor too: And that He that was born this King, should be born in a Stable; while he lived that he should not have an hole to put his Head in, nor his Corpse in when he died, but his Grave too must be Charity; this would startle any that did wait for the Redemption of Israel in those glorious expresses which the Prophets traced it out in. To you indeed that are Votaries to this Child, are confirmed Christians, these seeming disadvantages can give no prejudice: However mean and abject his condition were, that cannot make you to despise him, who from that must needs reflect how dear you were to God, when for your sakes merely he became so mean an abject. 2 Cor. viij. 9 He became poor, saith S. Paul, that you through his poverty might be made rich: He was made the Child of Man, that you might be made Sons of God; it was to pay the price of your Redemption that he so emptied himself; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Phil. two. 7. thus he valued you; and men do not despise merely because, and by those measures that, they are esteemed, these are not the returns of love; its passionate, obliging, ravishing effects do not use to be thus requited; this his great descent cannot occasion your fall, who know he descended only to assume you up to glory. But 'tis worth inquiry, why, since it was certain that for this this Child should be the fall of Israel, that for this they would reject him; and the meanness of his condition would prove an unremovable obstruction to their belief, as it is to this day; Why yet he would choose to be born in a condition so in the utmost extreme to his own nature, so all contradiction to his Divinity, and so seemingly opposite to the very end of his coming. The Jew indeed will find no excuse for his Infidelity from this condition: For whatever that were, yet those Miracles that made the Devils to confess him, brought conviction enough to make Jews inexcusable. And it was obvious to observe, that He who fed five thousand with five Loaves and two Fishes, till they left more than was set before them, Matth. xiv. 19, 20, 21. needed not to be in a condition of want or meanness, if it were not otherwise more needful he should not abound. God, that when he brought this first begotten Son into the World, said, Heb. i. 6. Let all the Angels of God worship him, might have put him into an estate which all Mankind most readily would have done homage to: As easily have dressed his Person with a blaze of Pomp and Splendour, as his Birthday with a Star; if there had not been necessity it should be otherwise. And such there was. For when the fullness both of Time and Iniquity was come, when Vice could grow no further, but did even cry for Reformation, and when the Doctrine that must come to give the Rules of this Reformation, was not only to wage War with Flesh and Blood, with those desires which Constitution gives, but which perpetual universal Custom had confirmed; and which their Gods also, as well as Inclinations did contribute to; which their Original sin, and their Religion equally fomented; for Vice was then the Worship of the World, Sins had their Temples, Theft its Deity, and Drunkenness its God, Adultery had many, and to prostitute their bodies was most sacred, and their very Altar-fires did kindle these soul heats, whence Uncleanness ' is so often called Idolatry in Scripture: And besides all this, when all the Philosophy, and all the power of the World were engaged in the belief and practice of this, and resolved with all their wit and force to keep it so. When it was thus, the Doctrine that must come to oppose, control, reform all this, must come either armed with Fire and Sword, design to settle itself by Conquest, or come in a way of Meekness and of suffering: The first of these Religion cannot possibly design, because it cannot aim to settle that by violence, which cannot be forced; and where 'tis force, is not Religion. One may as well invade, and hope to get a Conquest over thoughts, and put a Mind in Chains, and force a man to will against his will. All such motives are incompetent to demonstrate Doctrines, for however successful their force proves, yet it cannot prove the Doctrines true; for by that Argument is proves that Religion that it settles true, it proves that which it destroys was true before, while it prevailed and had the Power. Had this Child come so, he had only given such a testimony to the truth of Christianity, as Heathenism had before, and Turcism hath since: He might indeed, have drowned the wicked World again in another Deluge of their own Blood: But sure, never had reformed it thus. Therefore that Religion, that must oppose the Customs and the Powers of the World, upon Principles of Reason and Religion, must do it by Innocence and Patience, by doing good, (and which was necessary, then by consequence as the World stood,) by suffering evil: parting with all, not only the Advantages but the Necessaries of this life, and life itself too, where they stood in competition, and were inconsistent with men's duties, and their expectations: Heb. seven. 19 And by this means they must show the World that their Religion did bring in a better hope than that, which all the profits, pleasures, glories of this World can entertain and slatter. Thus they did, and thus they did prevail. For the first Ages of the Church, were but so many Centuries of Men, that entertained Christianity with the Contempt of the World, and Life itself. They knew that to put themselves into Christ's Service and Religion, was the same thing as to set themselves aside for spoil and Rapine, dedicate themselves to Poverty and Scorn, to Racks, and Tortutes, and to Butchery itself. Yet they entered into it; did not only renounce the Pomp's and Vanities of the World in their Baptism, when they were new born to God; quench their affections to them in those waters; but renounced them even to the death; drowned their affections to them in their own heart blood: ran from the World into flames, and fled faster from the satisfactions and delights of Earth, than those flames mounted to their own Element and Sphere: In fine, they became Christians so, as if they had been Candidates of death, and only made themselves Apprentices of Martyrdom. Now if it were not possible it should be otherwise than thus, as the World stood, than it was necessary that the Captain of Salvation should lead on, go before this noble Army of Martyrs; Heb. xi. 10. if it were necessary that they must leave all who followed him; than it was not possible that he should be here in a state of Plenty, Splendour, and Magnificence; but of Poverty, and Meanness; giving an Example to his followers, whose condition could not but be such. To give which Example was, it seems, of more necessity, than by being born in Royal Purple, to prevent the fall of many in Israel, who for his condition despised him. I am not so vain as to hope to persuade any from this great Example here to be in love with Poverty, and with a low condition, by telling them this Birth hath consecrated meanness, that we must not scorn those things in which our God did choose to be installed; that Humility is, it seems, the proper dress for Divinity to show itself in. But when we consider, if this Child had been born in a condition of Wealth and Greatness, the whole Nation of the Jews would have received him; whereas that he chose proved an occasion of falling to them: Yet that God should think it much more necessary to give us an Example of Humility and Poverty below expression; than it was necessary that that whole Nation should believe on him. When of all the Virgins of that People, which God had to choose one out to overshadow, and impregnate with the Son of God, Luk i. 48. he chose one of the meanest, (for he hath regarded the low estate of his Handmaiden, said she,) and one of the poorest too, for she had not a Lamb to offer, Luke two. 24. compared with Leu. xviii. 6, 8. but was purified, in formâ pauperis. When he would reveal this Birth also, that was to be the joy of the whole Earth, he did it to none of that Nation, but a few poor Shepherds, who were labouring with midnight-watches over their Flocks; none of all the great Ones, that were then at ease, and lay in softs, was thought worthy to have notice of it: Lastly, Luke two. 12. when the Angels make that poverty a sign to know the Saviour by. This shall be a sign unto you, You shall ●ind the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a Manger: As if the Manger were sufficient testimony to the Christ, and this great meanness were an evidence 'twas the Messiah: From all these together, we may easily discover what the temper is of Christianity. You see here the Institution of your Order: the First born of the Sons of God, born but to such an Estate. And what is so original to the Religion, what was born and bred with it, cannot easily be divided from it. Leo. Generatio Christi generatio populi Christiani, natalis Capitis, natalis Corporis. The Body and the Head have the same kind of Birth, and to that which Christ is born to, Christianity itself is born. Neither can it ever otherwise be entertained in the heart of any man, but with poverty of spirit, with neglect of all the scorns and the Calamities, yea, and all the gaudy glories of this World, with that unconcernedness for it, that indifference and simple innocence that is in Children. Matth. xviii. 3. He that receiveth not the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child, cannot enter thereinto, saith Christ: True indeed, when the Son of God must become a little Child, that he may open the Kingdom of Heaven to Believers. Would you see what Humility and lowliness becomes a Christian? see the God of Christians on his Royal Birthday. A Person of the Trinity, that he may take upon him our Religion, takes upon him the form of a Servant; and He that was equal with God, P●il. two. 6, 7▪ must make himself of no Reputation, if he mean to settle and be the Example of our Profession. And then, when will our high spirits, those that value an hu●● of Reputation more than their own Souls, and set it above God himself, when will these become Christian? Is there any more uncouth or detestable thing in the whole World, than to see the great Lord of Heaven become a little one, and Man that's less than nothing magnify himself? to see Divinity empty itself, and him that is a Worm, swell and be puffed up? to see the Son of God descend from Heaven, and the Sons of Earth climbing on heaps of Wealth, which they pile up, as the old Giants did Hills upon Hills, as if they would invade that throne which he came down from? and as if they also were set for the fall of many, throwing every body down that but stands near them, either in their way or prospect? Would you see how little value all those interests that recommend this World, are of to Christians? see the Founder of them choose the opposite extreme: Not only to discover to us that these are no accessions to felicity▪ This Child was the Son of God without them: But to let us see that we must make the same choice too, when ever any of those interests affront a Duty, or solicit a good Conscience; whensoever indeed they are not reconcilable with Innocence, Sincerity, and Ingenuity. It was the want of this disposition and temper that did make the Jews reject our Saviour. They could not endure to think of a Religion that would not promise them to fill their basket, Deut. xxviii. 1, 5. and to set them high above all Nations of the Earth, and whose appearance was not great and splendid, Mar. x. 30. but looked thin and maugre, and whose Principles and Promises showed like the Curses of their Law, called for sufferings, and did promise persecution; therefore they rejected him that brought it, and so this Child was for the fall of many in Israel. 2. This Child is for the fall of many by the holiness of his Religion: while the strictness of the Doctrine which he brings, by reason of men's great propensions to wickedness, and their inability to resolve against their Vices, will make them set themselves against it, both by word and Deed: For they will contradict and speak ill of, yea, they will openly renounce, and fall away from it and him. 1. For that reason they will contradict, speak ill of him and of his Doctrines: This is said expressly in the last words of my Text, He is for a sign that shall be spoken against; that is, that very holiness both of his Life and Doctrine, that shall make him signal, it shall make him be derided and blasphemed. Isai. xi. 10. As if his being a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an Ensign lifted up, a Standard for all Nations, were not for them to betake themselves to, but to levelly all their batteries against. Accordingly we find they called him Beelzebub, Matth. x. 25. because he cast out Devils. And all this was foretold? For although he were fairer than the Children of men, Matth. iii 22. Psalms xlv. Yet Isai. liii. It is said, He hath no form nor comeliness, when we shall see him, there is no beauty in him, that we should desire him, he is despised and rejected of men. Surely because his holiness did cloud and darken all his Graces. Devotion in a Countenance does writh and discompose it, prints Deformity upon it; and Eyes lifted up with ardency, look as bad as eyes distorted, set awry. Nay Majesty when it was most severe and pious, never yet could guard Religion from these scorns. David, that great and holy King, Psalm lxix. 10, 11, 12. says of himself, I wept and chastened myself with fasting, and that was turned to my reproof; as if Repentance were among his Crimes, and he must be Corrected for his Discipline. I put on Sackcloth also, and they jested upon me, they that sat in the gate spoke against me, and the Drunkards made songs upon me. Sure these jolly men are not companions to those Angels, Luke xv. 19 in whose presence there is joy over one sinner that repenteth; that his Virtue should be a rejoicing, and a song to them too: Certainly the penitent man's tears do not fill their Cheerful bowls, nor his groans make those Airs which they set their drunken Catches to. But that we may be sure it never will be otherwise, 2 Pet. 3. 3. S. Peter tells us, That in the last days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts. Now the men of our days have the luck to obey Scripture thus far as to make that Prophecy to come to pass; for those scoffers are come in power and great glory. Psalm i 1. The Psalmist tells us of a Chair of Scorners, as if these were the only men that speak ex cathedra: And sure scoffs and taunts at Religion are the only things that may be talked with confidence, aloud: They imprint an Authority on what is said, and conversations that are most insipid on all other scores, get account as they come up towards this practice: Hence they gain degrees; commence ingenious as they border on these Atheistical and irreligious Blasphemies; and when it is pure scorn, than it is in the Chair. But it stays not there; For Secondly, Upon the same account of strictness of Religion, men will fall off from, and openly renounce both Christ and his Religion. This is that our Saviour himself found, Light, saith he, John iii 19 is come into the World, and men loved Darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. Matth. xxi. 32. And he said of the Pharisees, They repented not that they might believe, as knowing it impossible that they could venture to believe that Doctrine which condemned those courses that they would not repent of. And if I should affirm, that it is nothing else but men's unwillingness to be obliged to those things, which if there be a God, and a Religion which this Child was set to institute, they must account themselves obliged to; nothing else I say but this, which makes them so unwilling to believe a God or Christ; yea, openly renounce them both, and their Religion; I should have for proof of this, not only the late instance of a Nation in the Indies; Congo. which, by institution of the Portugals, was easily persuaded to embrace the Christian Creed, and was Baptised into our Faith; but when they were required to lead their lives according to Christ's Precepts, and renounce their Heathen Licences, they chose rather to renounce their Creed and Saviour, and returned instantly to their indulgent Heathenism. But to this experience, give me leave to add this Reason, that it is not the Difficulty of the Mysteries of Faith, and their being above our Comprehension, which makes them not to be received; because there are as great difficulties in things that we are certain of. For in the very Sphere of Reason, within the lines and measures of their own Infallibility, in things of which she does assure herself by Diagrams and sense, yet she is as much amazed, as at those Objects in the highest and remotest Regions of Faith; Myster. (ut vocari solet) Asymp. toticum & Angul. contingent. etc. and Mathematics hath her Paradoxes that stand in as great danger of a contradiction as any of Religion's Mysteries; while Reason cannot cape what she demonstrates, but is to seek how those things can be possible which she proves most certain; and they are incomprehensible to her, even when they are most evident: And then sure if we can think there is a God, we must needs think He can do things which we cannot comprehend, when it is plain our Reason cannot comprehend what she herself does find out and create. It is not therefore contradiction to Reason, but to Appetite, that makes things of Religion so incredible; which I thus demonstrate to the Atheist. Those very difficulties, to avoid which he denies a God; to wit, Those of an Eternal Being that is of himself; those very things he must and does acknowledge in the being of the World, if that either be it self Eternal (as the Atheist of the Peripatetic Tribe will have it) or else if its atoms, out of which it was concreted, were: (as those of Epicurus herd assert.) In a word, if they say the World or its materials were made, they grant a God that made it; If they say they were not made, they assert then an Eternal Being of itself; that is, they allow those difficulties for which they pretend to deny a God. There being therefore the same difficulties, (Greater I could prove them, from the divers natures of corporeal and spiritual beings; for we are sure, in bodies that are still in motion, and so subject to succession, those things are impossible; but if there be a Being that is not in motion, and by consequence, not subject to the laws of our time, all these knots untie themselves, those difficulties vanish and have no place: But to say no more than I have showed, there being the same Difficulties in the Atheist's Hypothesis as in the other, 'tis apparent, not the difficulties of belief, but practice, make him fix upon his own against the common notions of the World. So that 'tis not his understanding, but his Appetite frames his hypothesis; and without figure, 'tis his Will that he believes with. And it is most evident, that because men do not love the Precepts of Religion, would not have them be their duty, therefore they would have the Doctrines of it not be truths; and in this they are the Disciples only of their Lusts, and because they cannot resolve to be otherwise, therefore they resolve not to be Christ's Disciples, but reject him for his holy Doctrines sake: And so this Child is for the fall of many. But it were strange if upon this account, Christ should be for the fall of any of us; who have learned a trick to reconcile his severe Doctines and our Sins together. Where Vice most abounds, though it be wilful, and men persevere in it, they are so far from finding any reason to fall off from him, or from his Gospel for this, that they therefore take the faster hold of it, rely upon Him with the bolder, stronger confidence. As if good old Simeon were mistaken, when he thought, because men would not leave those sins which Christ so threatened, therefore they would leave him: Because they could not bear those his hard sayings, to pull our the lust and the Eye too; cast away the treasures of unrighteousness, and the right hand that receives them also; therefore they would cast off him: For, for this reason they betake themselves to him more eagerly, devolve and cast themselves upon him with assurance. 'Tis possible indeed that the new Christianed Indians might believe themselves obliged to lead their lives according to the Vow that they had made in Baptism, knew not how to live a contradiction, to be Christian Pagans; therefore they thought it absolutely necessary to renounce the one; and to reject Christ and his strict Religion was easier they thought. Our Saviour also might suppose, that when he brought Light into the World, men would not receive that Light, because their deeds were evil: But our modern wickednesses that are of the true Eagle kind, are educated, bred up to endure, and to defy the Light: Our deeds of Night have learned to face both Sun and Men, yea and face the Sun of Righteousness, and the light of those flames that are to receive them. Our Saviour told the Pharisees indeed, that they repented not, that they might believe; for thinking it impossible they could assent to what he did affirm, except they would consent to what he did Command, He therefore thought they were not abel to believe, because they would not purpose to amend. But there is nothing difficult in this to us, who at the same time, are so perfectly resolved that every threat of Gospel is so Divine truth, as that we assure ourselves, that we could be content to die Martyrs to the truth of them, rather than enounce one little of them; yet even then are Martyrs to those Lusts and Passions which those Threats belong to: Who, at once, believe this Book of God, Luke xiii. 3. that says, except ye repent ye shall all perish; and believe also, that notwithstanding we do not Repent, yet by Believing we shall scape; not perish, but be saved. And is not this directly to believe ourselves into Damnation? the third and the geat fall, which this Child is set for. 3. This Child is for the fall of many, to wit, of all those who on these, or any other grounds do not believe in, or do not obey him; who shall not obey him: who shall therefore fall into Eternal Ruin. this our Saviour does affirm, S. John iii 19 This is the Condemnation that Light came into the World, etc. This does aggravate the guilt, and Sentence. We were fallen before indeed in Adam: And I dare not undertake to be so learned to say whether; to determine with some men that was but a fall form Paradise into the Grave, and we were forfeit to Death only: But I may adventure to affirm, that in the second Adam, Sinners finally impenitent shall fall much farther than we did in the first Adam: Rev. ix. 1, 11. Now their pit shall have no bottom, but this light that came to lighten them, shall be to them consuming fire and everlasting burnings. And all reason in the world. For, upon that fall of ours in Adam, help was offered us: an easy way not only to repair those ruins, but to better infinitely that estate which we were fallen from; and a way that cost God dear to purchase; cost him, not this Incarnation only, but the Death and Passion of his Son, and divers other blessed methods of Salvation: Now if we refuse the mercy of all this, and scorn these miracles of condescending goodness, and defy those methods, that he makes use of to raise us form our Fall, it is apparent we provoke and choose deeper ruin; this refusal hath in it such desperate malignity, as to poison this great mercy of the Incarnation, and all the rest. 'Tis but a small thing to say, that they who Stumble at this Rock of their Salvation, spurning at it by their wilful disobedience, that these make an infinite mass of lovingkindness to be lost upon them, so as that Salvation cannot save them; for alas Salvation ruins them the deeper, and this Child is for their fall. The condition they were forfeit to before by reason of their breach of the first Covenant was advantage, comfortable in comparison of that which Christ does put them in: This is the Condemnation, that he came into the World; And it had been infinitely better for them, that this Child too had never been born. The unreformed have the least reason in the world to solemnize this Festival, they do but cecebrate the birth of thy own Ruin: bow down, and do reverence to their Fall: Had it not been for this, they had not gone to so severe an Hell. So that they do but entertain the great occasion of their greater Condemnation. Such it proves to them, and that it might be so, He was fore-ordained for it: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ This Child is set for the fall of many, which does lead me to God's Counsel in all this: My next Part. This Child is set for the fall of many, even by God's direct appointment; for saith Grotius, Accedo its qui putant non nudum eventum sed & consilium Dei significari. Grot. in loc. I am of their opinion, who understand not the success alone, but the design of this Childs coming, and God's Counsel in it is intended here. And without disputing of God's antecedent Will, and consequent, this is safely said: God designed this Child should be such an one, that they who had no inclinations for Virtue, would not entertain the love of it, but counted it a mean pedantic thing, and all its Rules and Laws unreasonable servitude, these loose men would certainly reject Him and his Doctrines, which were so severe and strict, That those who did pretend friendship for Virtue, and a service for Religion, but withal must be allowed to maintain correspondence with the World, seek the Honours and advantages of Earth, and will trespass on Religion where it interferes with these, break with Virtue when their interest cannot consist with it, that these false hypocritical pretenders, should be offended with the mean condition of this Child, and of his followers in this World, and with the poor spirited Principles of his Religion. In sum, they that upon these, or any other grounds finally disbelieve, or disobey him, God designed this Child to be a means of bringing sorer Punishments, even to everlasting ruin upon such. A black Decree this, one would think. He that had so much kindness for Mankind, to give away the only Son both of his Nature, his Affections, and his Bosom to them; could he then design that Gift to be the Ruin of the greatest part of men? This Child, Simeon said but just before my Text, is God's Salvation, which he had prepared before all people; and does he now say God hath set him for their fall? The Angels preached this was a Birth that brought glad tidings of great joy that should be to all people; and is there so much comfort in destruction, that most men should rejoice at that which is ordained to be the great occasion of it to them? But we have no reason to complain: 'Tis not unkind to deny Mercy to them that refuse the offers of it; that will not accept Salvation, when their God himself does come to bring it to them: tenders it upon condition of accepting and amending: Which if they despise, and prefer Hell before Repentance, choose sin rather than God's blessed retributions, 'tis but reason to deny them what they will not have, and let them take their chosen Ruin; to will their Judgement which they will themselves; set and ordain Him to be that to them, which themselves do ordain, and make him to be to themselves. So S. Peter says expressly: 1 Pet. two. 8. He is a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to them who being disobedient stumble at the Word, whereunto they were appointed, Disobedience, where it is obdurate, altars so the temper of our God, that it makes Him who swears he would not have the Sinner die, yet set out his Son to make such sinners fall into eternal Death. Makes Judgement triumph over Mercy, even in the Great contrivances and executions of that Mercy; and while God was plotting an Incarnation for the everlasting Safety of Mankind, prevails with him to decree Ruins by the means of that Salvation; to Decree even in the midst of all those strive of his Mercies, that that Issue of his kindness should be for the fall of such as they. Oh! let us consider, whether they are likely to escape that which is set and ordained for them by God? Whether they can hope for a Redemption, when the only great Redeemer is appointed for the Instrument of their Destruction; and God is so bend on their ruin, that to purchase it he gives this Child his Son. Yea, when he did look down upon this Son in Agonies, and on the Cross, in the midst of that sad prospect, yet the Ruin of such sinners, which he there beheld in his Son's Blood, was a delight to him, that also was a Sacrifice, 2. Cor. two. 15. and a sacrifice of a sweet smell to him. For S. Paul says, We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that perish, because we are the savour of Death unto death to them: As if their Brimstone did ascend like Incense, shed a perfume up to God, and their eurlasting burnings were his Altar-fires, kindled his holocausts; and he may well be pleased with it, for he ordained it. 'Tis true indeed, This Child riding as in Triumph, in the midst of his Hosannas, when he saw one City whose fall he was set for on this very account; He was so far from being pleased with it, that he wept over it in pity. But alas, that only more declares the most deplored and desperate condition of such sinners. Blessed Saviour! hadst thou no Blood to shed for them? nothing but Tears? or didst thou weep to think they very Bloodshed does but make their guilt more crimson, who refuse the mercy of that Bloodshed all the time that is offered? Sad is their state that can find no pity in the Tears of God, and remediless their Condition for whom all that the Son of God could do, was to weep over them, all that he did do for them, was to be for their fall; too sad a part indeed for festival Solemnity, very improper for a Benedictus and Magnificat. To celebrate the greatest act of kindness the Almighty could design only by the miseries it did occasion: to magnify the vast descent of God from Heaven down to Earth, only by reason of the fall of Man into the lowest Hell of which that was the cause. My Text hath better things in view: The greatness of that fall does but add height to that Resurrection which He also is the cause of: Behold this Child is set for the rising again of many: My remaining Part. Rising again, does not particularly and only refer to the foregoing fall here in the Text, which this Child did occasion, as I showed you; but to the state wherein all Mankind, both in its nature and its Customs, lay ingul●'d, the state of Ignorance and sin: A state from which recovery is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a resurrection and a reviving in this Life, and so called in Scripture often; as Ephes. v. 15. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and arise from the dead. And Rom. vi. 13. Yield not your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive form the dead. Now to raise us from the death of sin into the life of Righteousness, by the amendment of our own lives, to recover us into a state of Virtue, is the thing this Child is said here to be set for. This was that which God thought worth an Incarnation: Neither was there any greater thing in the prospect of his everlasting Counsel, when he did decree his Son into the World, than that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He is set for this. The Word was made Flesh; to teach, practice, and persuade to Virtue: To make men Reform their lives, was valued at the price of a Person of the Trinity. Piety and his Exinanition, yea his Blood and Life, were set at the same rates; All of him given for our recovery. The time would fail me if I should attempt only to name the various methods he makes use of to effect this. How this Child that was the brightness of his Father's Glory, came to lighten us; shining in his Doctrine and Example: Heb. i. 3. How he sent more light, The fiery Tongues, Illuminations of the Holy Ghost to guide us in the ways of Piety: How he suffered Agonies and Death for sin to appall and fright us from it. How he Rose again to confirm Judgement to us, to demonstrate the rewards of Immortality to them that will repent and leave their sins, and everlasting Torments to those that refuse this Grace; Grace purchased with the Blood of God, to enable them to repent and leave. Besides all these, the Arts and Mesnage of his Providence, in preventing and following us by Mercies and by Judgements, importuning us, and timeing all his blessed Methods of Salvation to our most advantage. Arts, God knows, too many, if they serve us only to resist, and turn to wantonness and aggravation; if we make no other use of Grace but this, to sin against, and overcome all Grace, and make it bolster Vice; by teaching it to be an encouragement to go on in it, from some hopes we entertain by reason of this Child, instead of doing that which he was set, Decreed to make us do. And really I would be glad to see this everlasting Counsel of the Lord had had some good effects, some, though never so little, happy execution of this great Decree, and that that which God ordained from all Eternity, upon such glorious and magnificent terms, were come to pass in any kind, Now, certainly there are no evident signs of any great recovery this Child hath wrought among us, in the World that's now called Christian. After those Omnipotent inforcives to a virtuous life, which he did work out, if we take a prospect of both Worlds, it would be hard to know which were the Heathen; and there would appear scarce any other notice of a Christ among us, but that we blaspheme Him or deride Him. Sure I am, there are no Footsteps of him in the lives of the community of Men: And I am certain that you cannot show me any Heathen Age outgoing ours, either in looseness and foul Effeminacies, or in sordidness and base injustice, or in frauds and falness, or malignity, hypocrisy, or treachery, or to name no more, even in the lowest, most ignoble, disingenuous sorts of Vice. In fine, men are now as Earthly, Sensual, yea and Devilish, as when Sins and Devils were their Gods. Yea, I must needs say, that those times of dark and Heathen Ignorance, were in many men times of shining Virtue; and the little spark of Light within them, broke out through all obstructions into a glory of Goodness, to the wonder and confusion of most Christians: 'Tis true, we are pretty well revenged on them for setting us Examples so reproachful to us; calling their Heroic Actions, splendida peccata, only beauteous sins, and well-faced wickednesses; and we have a reason for it; because they never heard of Christ, whose Name and Merit 'tis most certain, is the only thing that can give value and acceptance to men's best performances: While on the other side, we Christians comfort and secure ourselves in our transgressions from this Child, and form his Name. But if this Child were set to raise us up from sin, and to establish stronger arguments for a good life than the Heathen ever heard of, more especial Divine engagements to Virtue; then if their Virtues were, because they never heard of these engagements to them, sins; what censure will be passed upon their Actions that know all those engagements and despise them? a sharper certainly unless to defy knowledge, and provoke against all Divine Obligations, all that God could lay, shall prove more tolerable than to labour to obey without them, without knowing why. 'Tis true, they had not heard it may be of the Name, than which there is no other Name under Heaven given unto men whereby they may be saved. Acts iv. 12. Yet they endeavoured in some measure to do that, which He that owns that Name, and wrought the Covenant of those Salvations, does require. We know that Name, and have it called upon us, and know too, that he that names that Name, (that calls himself a Christian, 2. Tim. two. 19 owns the being a retainer to the Holy Jesus) must depart from iniquity, otherwise it is no Name of Salvation to him, yet we neve mind the doing that; and than which hath the better Plea? the Heathen's sure were better, though he were not virtuous. And if so, give me leave to tell you, how not only this Child, but this Resurrection too is for our fall. In the first Chapter to the Romans we shall find, those Heathens, when they did neglect to follow the direction of that Light within them, Verse 20. Verse 28. by which they were able to discover in some measure the invisible things of God; when they did no longer care to retain God in their knowledge; then they quickly left off to be Men: And when they ceased to hearken to their Reason, they soon fell into a reprobate sense. What was it else to change God into stocks and stones? and Worship into most abominable wickedness? Ibid. to make the Vilest creatures Deities? and the foulest Actions Religion? to turn a disease into a God, and a sin into Devotion? a stupidity, which nothing else but God's desertion and reasons too, could have betrayed them to, and made them guilty of. And then, if by how much greater Light and means we have resisted, we shall be proportionably more vile in the consequents of doing so; keep at equal rates of distance from those Heathens, that the aggravations of our guilt stand at from theirs; Whether, alas! are we like to fall? 'Tis an amazing reflection, one would tremble to consider, how the Christian World does seem to hasten into that condition which S. Paul does there decipher: You would think that Chapter were our Character: But that we have reason to expect we shall fall lower, into much more vile affections than those Heathens did, as having fallen down from a greater height than they. Consider whether men do not declare they like not to retain God in their thoughts, when they endeavour to dispute and to deride him too out of the World! 'Tis true, they have not set up any sins or monsters in their Temples yet, as they did: But if they can empty them of God and Christ, and their Religion, and make room, we may imagine easily whose Votaries they will be, that live as if they thought themselves unhappy that they had not lived in those good Pagan days, when they might have sinned with devotion, been most wickedly Religious, and most Godlike in unchastities and other Villainies; I dare say none of our fine Gentlemen, or our great Wits, would have been Atheists or irreligious then. Think whether those are not already in that reprobate sense S. Paul does speak of, who have case off all discriminating notions of good or evil, who say in their hearts, and affirm openly, there are none such in truth and nature: It would appear they were if we should try by those effects, verse 29, 30, 31. or by that essential signature, vers. 32. they not only commit such things, but have pleasure in them that do them; which because they cannot have from those Commissions when they do not commit them, therefore their debauched minds must be satisfied there is no evil in those doings, and must reap the pleasure only of such satisfactions: That is, have the satisfactions and pleasures only of a Reprobate sense. In fine, (because I dare not prosecute the Character) Men sink so fast, as if they were resolved to fall as far below Humanity, as this Child did below his Divinity. O do not you thus break Decrees, frustrate and overthrow the everlasting Counsel of Gods Will for good to you. He set, ordained this Child for your rising again: Do not throw you selves down into Ruin in despite of his Predestinations. He hath carried up your nature into Heaven, placed Flesh in an union with Divinity, set it there at the Right hand of God in Glory: Do not you debase and drag it down again to Earth and Hell by Worldliness and Carnal sensuality. Make appear this Child hath raised you up, already made a Resurrection of your Souls and your affections; they converse, and trade in Heaven: And that you do not degenerate from that nature of yours that is there. Then this Child who is Himself the Resurrection and the Life, will raise up your Bodies too, John xi. 25. and make them like his glorious Body, by the working of his mighty Power, Phil. lii. 21. by which he is able to subdue all things to himself. To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost be all Blessing, Power and Praise, Dominion and Glory for evermore. The Thirteenth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Novemb. 17. 1667. St. JAMES IU. 7. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. THese Words are easily resolved into two parts: The first, a Duty; and the second, to encourage the performance, an assurance of an happy issue in the doing it. The First, the Duty in these words, Resist the Devil; the happy issue in those other, he will flee from you. For the more practical and useful handling of these parts, I shall endeavour to do these three things. 1. View the Enemy we are to resist, the Devil; see his Strengths, and what are his chief Engines, his main Instruments of Battery, whereby he shakes, and does endeavour to demolish the whole frame of Virtue in men's lives, shatters and throws down all Religious, holy Resolutions, and subjects men to himself and Sin. 2. See what we are to do in opposition to all this; and how and by what means we must resist. 3. Prove to them that do resist, the happy issue which the Text here promiseth. First of the first. Though no man can be tempted (so as to be foiled by the temptation) but he that is drawn away by his own Lust, an enticed, James i 14. and all the blandishments of this World, all the wiles and artifices of the Prince and God of it, the Devil, are not able to betray one into sin, till his own Lust conceive that sin, Verse 15. and bring it forth; Man must be taken first in his own Nets, and fall into that pit himself hath digged, before he can become the Devil's prey: Yet Satan hath so great an hand in this affair, that the Tempter is his Name and Office, Matth. iv. 3. And the War which is now before us is so purely his▪ that we are said to fight, Ephes. iv. 12. not against flesh and blood (those nests and fortresses of our own Lusts) but against Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the darkness of this World, against spiritual wickednesses in high places; that is, against the Enemy here in the Text, the Devil. Now to bring about his ends upon us he hath several means. The first that I shall name is Infidelity. With this he began in Paradise, and succeeded by it: for he had no sooner told the Woman that she should non surely die, Gen. iii 4. 6. and so made her doubt of, not believe, and consequently nor fear, that which God had threatened, but she took of the forbidden fruit, and she did eat, and gave it to her Husband too, and he did eat Now if a Serpent siding with her inclination could so quickly stagger and quite overthrow her Faith; if she, because she sees and likes a pleasing Object, can, in mere defiance of her own assured Conviction, when the Revelation looked her in the face, and God himself was scarce gone out of sight, strait give credit to a Snake, that comes and confidently gives the lie to God▪ her Maker, offers her no proof at all of what he says, but only flatters her desires with promises and expectations of the knows not what Ye shall not die, but ye shall be as Gods; if in spite of Knowledge she turn Infidel so soon and easily: 'Tis no great wonder if that Serpent do, at this distance from Revelation, prevail on men, whose conversation being most with Sense (their satisfactions also consequently gratifying of their Sense) they do not willingly assent to any thing but that which brings immediate evidence and attestation of the Senses, which the Objects of our Faith do not (especially if it give check to and restrain those satisfactions, as those do) on such men, I say, that do not care, no● use, in things that are against their mind, to apply the Understanding close and strongly to reflect on those considerations which should move assent, and work belief. Considerations which I dare affirm, if with sincerity adverted to (if there be no improbity within to trash their efficacy, no sensual inclination cherished that must hinder their admittance, as not being able to endure to lodge in the same breast with those persuasions) would make disbelief appear not only most imprudent, but a thing next to impossible. But in those that give themselves no leisure, have no will thus to advert, 'tis not strange if, through Satan's arts, in things of this remote kind they have only languid opinions, which sink quickly into doubts, and by degrees into flat Infidelity. S. Paul does fetch the rise of unbelief of Charistianity from hence, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the God of this World hath blinded their minds: That is, if the Christian Doctrine do not appear to be the truth of God to any, 'tis to obstinate persons only, whom the Devil hath besotted so with the advantages and pleasures of this World, that their affections to these will not let the other be admitted. For, The Carnal prejudice can cast a mist before the mind, or that a bright an glittering Temptation of this World may dazzle it so as that it cannot see that which is most illustriously visible, we have this demonstration. Those Works which Christ and his Apostles wrought, which made the whole World that was Heathen then, so many Millions of such distant Nations as could never meet together to conspire an universal change in their Religions, made them yet agree to lay aside their dear gods and their dearer vices, and do that to embrace a Crucified Deity, a God put to a vile ignominious death, as one worse than the worst of men; and a Religion that was as much hated, counted as accursed as that God of it, He and Doctrine crucified alike; and a Religion too that had as great severities in its Commands as in its Persecutions, that did itself enjoin as hard and cruel things to flesh and blood as they that hated it inflicted, the duties and the punishments equally seem executed on its followers; and a Religion whose performances had no retributions here but fatal ones, no otherwise rewarded but with fire and faggot, and whose after-promises were most incredible: Those works that could produce all this, had certainly Omnipotent conviction in them; sure we are there must be prodigy of Miracle either in the causes, or in the effect. And yet the Scribes and Pharisees are not wrought on by them. Their carnal Prejudices would not be removed, not by the Finger of God: The mean and despicable, and, as to all their worldly expectations and affections, the unsatisfying condition of our Saviour, had so clouded all his Works, and their own pride so blinded them, that they could see no argument in Miracle. Now 'tis the Devil, that God of the World, that hath the power of its Glories, and the managery of its temptations, who, by raising these affections, dazzles so and blinds the minds of men, that they should not believe. S. Paul affirms it: And 'tis plain that unbelief is no one's Interest but Satan's. For it is not Man's. Not the virtuous man's certainly: He's concerned as much as Happiness amounts to, to believe there is a God, whose cares and Providence watch over him, whose Ears and Arms are open to him, whose Bowels yearn for him, whose Blood did purchase him, whose everlasting Blessednesses do await him. 'Tis his Interest to trust that Virtue, which the World so scorns or pities, was yet worthy God should be Incarnated to teach it, die to purify us into it, and will raise us up again to crown it. Neither is this Unbelief Man's real Interest, abstracting from these prejudices of Religion. For if it were Man's real Interest, than it were every man's wisest course to pursue that Interest. But if every man did so, and should persuade himself into Infidelity, and that Religion and a Deity were but dreams or artifices, and so arrive so far as to have no fear of God, nor sense of Honesty or Virtue, the whole World must needs return into the first confusions of its Chaos: Villainy and Rapine would have right. When those Mounds are thrown down, there is nothing that can hinder but that every man may lawfully break in upon and invade every thing. There is no fence to guard thy Coffers nor thy Bed, no not thy very Breast: Rather indeed there can be nothing thine. This is, 'tis true, Leviathan's state of Nature; and 'tis so indeed with the Leviathans of Sea and Land, the wild Beasts of the Deep and of the Desert. But to prevent the necessary and essential mischiefs of this state amongst us Men, he will have Nature to have taught us to make Pacts and Oaths: But if there's no such things as Virtue or Religion, than there is no Obligation to keep Pacts or Oaths. And why should he observe them that can safely break them? Here it is indeed that Doctrine ends; to this their Infidelity does tend. And therefore 'tis no Interest of States or Princes. This the Atheist will confess; Gods and Religions, he says, were invented for the mere necessities of Governors, who could not be secure without those higher Obligations, and these after-fears. And are they not kind Subjects then who, by promoting Atheism, labour to break down that fence which themselves account necessary? Or are they not good rational Discoursers too, who labour to throw out a thing as false and vain, because 'tis necessary? So necessary sure, that they who weaken these bonds of Religion, quite dissolve those of Allegiance, all whose Sinews are made of those Sacred Ties, which if you untwist, the other Cords are burst as easily as threads of Cobweb. Nay these Doctrines lay Principles that justify Rebellion and King-killing. Nor if there's no such thing as Virtue or Religion, than those are no Crimes. And it is no wonder Treason hath been loved, when Blasphemy hath been so. They that hear men droll on God Almighty, raille their Maker, and buffoon with Him, will quickly learn to speak with little reverence of their Superiors. There's no Kingdom but the Devil's that can have support from Infidelity; 'tis the Interest of that indeed. His work goes more securely on, when there are no Religious apprehensions to check it: Allowed Vice cannot be at ease if it but think those things are true. It is the infinite concern of wickedness, that the Laws of Virtue and Religion should be only Spiders webs, Snares for innocent and lesser Flies, while venomous Spiders, can pass safely through them, and the Wasps can burst them; are Entanglements only for the Weak, the Phlegmatic, and Hypochondriack: and that there should be no God that can bring them to an after-reckoning. They that flatter and betray, that hug and then trip up, or that plot villainies and ruins under fair and godly vizards; must needs be unwilling to believe that there is one who tries the reins, Jer. xvii. 10. and searches hearts, and that will render every one according to his works. The Drunkard, who nor must nor can keep the remembrance of his Cups, cannot endure to apprehend he must be called to an account of them. The man whose Lust prevents the Grave, that putrefies alive, and drops by piece-meal into rotten dust ere he return to Earth, must needs be loath that there should be a Resurrection, to collect the scattered, the soul atoms of his Sin and his Disease, and show them at that dread Tribunal, before God, his holy Angels, and Mankind. Such as these are the only men that are concerned against Religion. Here we see whose Interest such promote who promote Infidelity. And truly 'tis so much the Devil's Interest, that by those very measures that he weakens Faith, he strengthens every sort of Wickedness: By the steps and degrees of Infidelity men ascend towards the heights of sin: And when they have surmounted all Religious apprehensions, than they are upon the Precipice of Vice. When the Floodgates are removed, the Torrent must break in impetuously. For what is there that can hinder? nothing certainly, if present Interest be not able: But 'tis plain that Thiefs, and Murderers, and Rebels, in fine, every one whom we call Sinners, do pursue that which they account their present Interest: That therefore if there were no other, would not be sufficient, since the Devil does make use of that to work with under Infidelity. This indeed he batters, makes his spreading ruins with: Therefore S. Paul calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ephes. two. 2. John. iii 36. the spirit that works in filiis diffidentiae, saith the Vulgar: In the unbelievers, so it bears: in filiis insuasibilitatis, in the men that will not be persuaded to believe. In these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Possessed and agitated by him: 'tis he spirits what they do: their actions are his incitations and motions: In sum, as to wickedness, they are mere Demoniacs. This therefore is his chief and the first Engine. The second Instrument by which he does demolish whatsoever hopes of Virtue we are built up to is Want of Employment: And in order to this, he hath so far prevailed on the Opinions of the World, that they believe some states of men not only have no Obligation to be busied, but to have no Calling is essential to their condition; which is made more eminent upon this account that they have no business. Wealth, how great soever, if with an employment or Profession, makes a man only a more gentile Mechanic: But Riches and nothing to do make a Person of quality. As if God had made that state of men, far the most generous part of the whole kind, and best appointed for the noblest uses of the World, to serve no other ends but what the Grasshoppers and Locusts do, to sing and dance among the Plants and Branches, and devour the Fruits; and Providence had furnished them with all advantages of Plenty for no better purposes. Such persons think not only to reverse God's Curse, and In the sweat of others faces eat their bread, but reverse Nature too; for Job saith, Man is born to labour as the sparks fly upwards; Job v. 7. in his making hath a Principle to which Activity is as essential as it is to fire to mount; from which nothing else but force can hinder it: As if man did do violence to his making when he did do nothing; and it were his hardest work and pressure, not to be employed; it were like making flame go downwards. I am sure it is one of the busiest ways of doing Satan's work. Our Saviour in a Parable in the 12. Chap. of S. Matth. from the 43. ver. saith, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he goeth through dry places, Verse 44. seeking rest, and findeth none: Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Where, under the similitude of a man cast out of his habitation, who, while he wanders through none but desert places seeking for a dwelling, he is sure to meet with none; but if he find an House that's empty, swept and garnished, he hath found out not a receptacle only, but an invitation, an house dressed on purpose to call in and to detain Inhabitants: He signifies, that when a Temptation of the Devil is repelled, and himself, upon some working occasion, by a resolute act of holy courage thrown out of the heart, as he finds no rest in this condition, every place is desert to him but the heart of man, Matth. viij. 29. is indeed Hell to him, for he calls it Torment to be cast out thence; Luke viij. 31. yea he accounts himself bound up in his eternal Chains of darkness; when he is restrained from working and engaging man to sin; so while he goeth to and fro, seeking an opportunity to put in somewhere, if he find that heart from which he was cast out, or any other heart, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (so the word is) idling, not employed or busied (so it signifies) such an heart is empty, swept, and garnished for him, 'tis a dwelling that's dressed properly to tempt the Devil, fitted to receive him and his forces too, prepared for him to Garrison, and make a strong hold of, whence he cannot be removed; for he takes unto him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. No doubt they are the Patron-Guardian spirits of the seven deadly Sins, their Tutelary Devils. Some of those good qualities that are the attendants of Idleness you may find deciphered in the Scripture. S. Paul says, when people learn to be idle, 1 Tim. v. 13. they grow tatlers, busy bodies, speaking things which they ought not. 'Tis strange that Idleness should make men and women busy bodies, yet it does most certainly in other folk's affairs. Faction, than which nothing in the world can be more restless, is nursed by it. Where are States so censured, so new modelled, as at certain of our Refectories, places that are made merely for men to spend their time in which they know not what to do with? At those Tables our Superiors are dissected; Calumny and Treason are the common, are indeed the more peculiar entertainments of the places. In fine, where persons have no other employment for their time but talking, and either have not so much Virtue as to find delight in talking good things, or not so much skill as to speak innocent recreation, there they talk of others, censure, and backbite, and scoff. This is indeed the only picquant conversation; Gall is sauce to all their Entertainments: And that you may know these things proceed from that old Serpent, Rom. iii 13. they do nothing else but hiss and bite. 'Tis the poison of Asps that is under their lips which gives relish to their Discourses; 'tis the sting that makes them grateful, venom that they are condited with. More of the brood of this want of Employment you may find at Sodom; namely, Ezek. xuj. 49. Pride and Luxury: For saith Ezekiel, This was the Iniquity of Sodom; Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of Idleness was in her and in her daughters. And indeed the Idle person could not possibly know how to pass his hours, if he had not Delicacies to sweeten some, Wine to lay some asleep, and the solicitous deckings of Pride to take up others: But the studious gorging of the inside, and the elaborate trim of the outside, help him well away with them. Good God that for so many hours my morning eyes should be lift up to nothing but a Looking-glass! that that thin shadow of myself should be my Idol, be my God indeed, to which I pay all the devotions I perform! And when with so much care and time I have arrayed and marshaled myself, that I should spend as much more too in the complacencies of viewing this! with eager eyes and appetite surveying every part, as if I had set out, exposed them to myself alone, and only dressed a prospect for my own sight! and since Nature, to my grief, hath given me no eyes behind; that I should fetch reliefs from Art, and get vicarious sight, and set my back parts too before my face, that so I may enjoy the whole Scene of myself! And why all this? for nothing but to serve vain Ostentation, or negotiate for Lust, to dress a Temptation, and start Concupiscence. And that the half of each Day should be spent thus! the best part of a reasonable Creatures and a Christians life, be laid out upon purposes so far from Christian or reasonable! And truly Luxury will easily eat the remainder up, that sure Companion of Idleness. For when the Israelites were in the Wilderness, where they could not eat but by Miracle, and the Rock must give them drink; yet, Exod. xxxii. 6. having no Employment, they made Feasts: They sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Nor would eating to the uses of their nature serve them, but they must have entertainments for their wantonness. Had they been employed to get their Bread, their labour would have made their morsels sweet: But since God, as the Wiseman says, sent them from Heaven bread prepared without their labour, they must have varieties to sweeten it; Psalm lxxviii. 19, 25. they require him to prepare a Table also in the Wilderness, and furnish them with choice. And although they had the food of Angels, Wisd. xuj. 20, 21. able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to every taste, and serving to the appetite of the eater, it tempered itself to every man's liking, and what could they fancy more? The latitude of Creatures, the whole Universe of Luxury could do nothing else; in every single morsel they had sorts, Variety, all choice; as if that Desert had been Paradise, that Wilderness the Garden of the Lord: Yet so coy is Idleness, so apt to nauseate, that they abhor the constancy of being pleased. And though they were not sated neither, Exod. xuj. 18. he that gathered much had nothing over, only to his eating, God as well providing for their Health and Virtue, as Necessity, and dieting their Temperance as he did their Hunger: Yet their very liking does grow loathsome to them. When their Bodies were thus excellently well provided for, having no employment, nothing to take up their Minds and Entertain their Souls, Psalm lxxvii. v. 18. they require 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meat for their Souls, meat not to serve the uses of their bodies, but to feed their fancies, their extravagant minds. Thus Idleness requires to be dieted. And all this but to pamper and feed high men's inclinations, so to make Temptations irresistible, and by consequence Vice necessary. It were easy to recount more of those ways by which the Devil does make use of men's want of Employment to debauch their lives, and ruin all the hopes of Virtue in them. S. Judas finds more of its effects at Sodom: They gave themselves over to Fornication, Verse 7. and went after other flesh, and are set forth for an Example, suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire. Indeed these are most certain consequents of not being employed: Quaeritur Aegysthus— is too known an instance: 2 Sam. xi. 1, 2. and great holy David is another. But it's dire influence is sufficiently visible in that which it reigned down upon those Cities. Since it did fulfil the guilt of Sodom, and made Heaven furnish Hell for it, and God himself turn Executioner of fire and brimstone to revenge it; this shall serve to prove it is one of the Devil's Masterpieces. 3. Ephes. vi. 16. Next succeed his fiery darts, as S. Paul calls them, namely, Persecutions, or Calamities of any kind: Which he manageth either by inflicting pressures, and he was so confident of the force of these, that he did tell God he would make Job curse him to his face with them: Job i. 11. Or if he find men in necessities and pressures, then by tempting them to get from under them by methods which he shall direct; and he had such assurance of the strength of this Temptation, that by it he tried our Saviour, to find out whether he were the Son of God or no, Matth. iv. 3. believing none but he that was so would be able to resist it. Indeed the trials are severe which this Temptation does present, to draw men from their Duty, and to overcome their Constancy; Whether it solicit by inflicting punishment (as on the Mother and her Children, 2 Maccab. seven.) or by offering to withdraw it, if they will submit to their unlawful terms (and so they tried her youngest Son there, verse 24.) or at leastwise by some feigned act, some ambiguous words or practices, will pretend compliance; (so they dealt with Eleazar, Chap. vi. 21. whom they would have had to bring flesh of his own provision, such as he might use without offence, and so only seem to eat forbidden meat.) Each of which is as great a trial also, and to stand against them reckoned up amongst as vigorous acts of Faith, as those that held out in the greatest tortures persecuting malice could invent: Heb. xi. 17. They were stoned, sawn asunder, were tempted. Now to fetch an instance of the sad success of these, I shall not need to go so far as to those Persecutions of Antiochus, nor those of the primitive times of Christianity; when they had no other choices but these, to deliver up their Bible's or their Lives; either to sacrifice to Idols, or at least procure a Ticket which should certify that they had done it, or to be themselves an Holocaust, and give those Idols a Burnt-offering with their martyr-flames. Which made the Traditores, Lapsi, the Thurificati and the Libellatici to be so numerous. Through God's blessed mercy there is no use of such instances, as there is no fear of such a trial; 'tis not death to be a Christian now: For if the Son of Man or Satan's self should come to try us at those rates, 'twere a great doubt whether the one or other would find Faith upon the Earth; Luke xviii. 8. whether they would sacrifice a life to our Religion, who are not content to sacrifice a little interest or pleasure to it; Heb. xii. 4. whether they are likely to resist unto blood fight against sin, who will not resist to tears nor sober resolutions. Alas! what Religion should we be of, if God should raise a Dioclesian, come to tempt us with the fiery trial? Martyrs as we are to nothing but our Passions and our lusts! Nor shall I produce more known and near experiences, when, by reason of such storms of Persecution, men made shipwreck, if not of their Faith, yet of good Conscience. When by order or permissions of Providence they were brought to such a straight, that either they must let go their possessions or their honesty, acting against Principles, and Conscience of Duty: I shall not remember, how, when God did shake his angry hand thus over them, they fled to the Devil's kindness, and made Hell their refuge, to save them from their Father's rod: how they grew so Atheistical, as to believe a Perjury or other crime greater security, that would preserve their selves and their condition better than all God had promised; were such Infidels, that they did rather trust their being here to the commission of a sin, than to the Providence and the Engagements of the Almighty. For indeed what need I instance in these greater cases, where the trial was so sharp, as not to offer any easier choice than this, either to part with Conscience or with all they had? God knows, we find less Interests will do: The Devil by no more than this, driving the Gadarens swine into the Sea, was able to drive Christ out of their Coasts. You have the story Matth. viij. from the 28. verse. A legion of those evil spirits did possess two men; and finding Christ would cast them out, and by that Miracle so far show forth his Power, that in probability the whole Country would believe on him, they fall upon this project to prevent it; they besought him, if he would cast them out, to suffer them to go into an herd of Swine there feeding; hoping by destroying them to incense the Owners against Christ: And, to try them, he permitted this. The possessed Swine ran violently down into the Lake, and perished. Now a man would think the virulency of these Devils, which were so destructive when they were at liberty and not restrained, would have endeared the mercy that had cast them out of the poor men, and came to dispossess the Country of them; and that their astonishment at so great a Miracle would possess them all with Reverence and belief of him; and that they would therefore seize and possess him also, and not let the mercy go: But, on the contrary, the whole City and Country came out to meet Jesus, and in consideration of the loss of their Swine, desire him to depart out of their Coast. Lo here an equal Enemy to Christ and all his Miracles, that was indeed too hard for them. The Senate of Hell had no project to keep out Religion like to this, to make Religion thwart an Interest. Rather no Christianity than lose an Earthly satisfaction by it: Rather have the Swine than Christ himself. 4. But if he chance to fail in this Assault (as by our Saviour he was beaten off) he hath yet a reserve in which he places his last, strongest confidence; with which he ventured to charge Christ, when it is probable he knew he was the Son of God. Matth. iv. 8, 9 He takes him up into an high Mountain, and shows him all the Kingdoms of the Earth in the twinkling of an eye, and the glory of them, and says, All these things will I give thee. He thought it was impossible for such a Prospect not to make impression on the Appetite, raise some desire, or stir one Covetous or Ambitious thought: which if it could but do, he made no scruple then to clog the Gift with such conditions as that there, All these things will I give thee. if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Ephes. v. 5. 'Tis said indeed, the Covetous man is an Idolater: And here we see the God he does do homage to, and worship. The Devil does require, that those whom he gives Wealth to (now 'tis he that gives it to the Covetous, to all indeed that get it with injustice or with greediness;) he requires, I say, that these should pay all their Religion to Himself: And the Ambitious, in however high a place he sets them, must fall down to him. And truly these two dispositions can give worship to no other God but such an one as is Abaddon, Rev. ix. 11. the Destroyer of Mankind. For all the great Commotions of the World, all those Convulsions that tear Provinces and Empires, all Seditions and Rebellions with those Armies of Iniquities that attend them, and that wage their Designs, which are upheld by legions of Villainies as well as men, all the Disturbances of States and Church, are but attempts of Covetous and Ambitious spirits, men that are unsatisfied with their condition, and desire a change, and care not how they compass it: They can charge through Seas of Blood and Sin, over the face of Men and Conscience, to get out of that condition, which they therefore are not well content with, because something they like better beckons their ambitious and their covetous Desires. Would you see what one of these will venture at? When Christ our Saviour was to be betrayed, when a Person of the Godhead was to be delivered up and Crucified, the Devil had no passion to employ on that Design so fit as the desire of getting money; and when that desire was once entertained, John xiii. 2, 27. we see he enters really in person, and possesses such a Soul: and when he is there, he designs no farther but to warm and stir that passion: 'Tis sufficient fruit of his possession, he hath done enough in such an heart wherein he dwells, if he but keep alive that desire of Money; For he knows that will make the man adventure upon any guilt; for it made Judas undertake to betray Christ. And as for the other passion which the Devil did design the glories of his prospect to give fire to, though he could not stir it in our Saviour, yet he knew it vanquished him himself when he was Angel. What height is there which Ambition will not fly at, since it made this spirit aim at an equality with the Most High? Isai. xiv. ●4. Heaven itself was not sufficient to content him, while there was a God above him in it. And since this affection peopled Hell with Devils, 'tis no wonder if it people Earth with Miseries and Vices. 5. The remaining Trial with which Satan did assault our Saviour, when he tempted him with Scripture and God's Promises, Matth. iv. 4. and sought to ruin him with his own privileges: with that also, 6. His being a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets; by which long ago he did destroy an Ahab, in the 1 Kings xxii. 22. But since by sad experience we know, he ruined the best King, purest Church, and most flourishing State, by the same Stratagem. But these, with those other which S. Paul does call his wiles, I must omit; sufficient hath been said already to enforce the necessity of resisting, Ephes. vi. 11. which is the Duty, and the next considerable. Resist the Devil: That is, do not you consent to his Temptations: for there is no more required of us, but this only, not to be willing to be taken and led captive by him. 2 Tim. two. 26. For let him suggest, incite, assault and storm us, no impression can be made upon us till we yield, and till we give consent no hurt is done. It is not here as in our other Wars: In those no resolution can secure the Victory, but notwithstanding all resistance possible, we may be vanquished; yea, sometime men are overpressed and die with Conquering, and the Victor only gains a Monument, is but buried in the heaps of his slain Trophies. But in these Wars with the Devil, whosoever is unwilling to be vanquished, never can be: For he must first give consent to it, and will the ruin; for men do not sin against their wills. Only here we must distinguish betwixt Will and thin Velleity and Woulding. For let no man think when he commits deliberate iniquity with averseness and reluctancy of mind, allows not what he does, but does the evil that he would not, what he hates that he does; that this is not to be imputed to the Will; that in this case he is not willing, but here the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and yields through mere infirmity: For, on the contrary, the Devil finds the Flesh so strong in this case, that with it alone he does assault the mind, and breaks through its reluctancies and aversations, bears down all its resolutions, triumphs over all that does pretend to God or Virtue in him. Where 'tis thus, let no man flatter or persuade himself he does what he would not, when it is plain he does impetuously will the doing it. Let him not think that he allows not, but hates that which he does; when it is certain, in that moment that he does commit, not to allow that which he does resolve and pitch upon and choose; to hate what with complacency he acts; or to do that unwillingly which he is wrought on by his own Concupiscence to do, and by his inward incitations, by the mutiny of his own affections which the Devil raises, and when it is the mere height and prevailency of his appetite that does make him do it (as it must be where there is reluctancy before he do it, his desires and affections there are evidently too strong for him) or at last, to hate the doing that which 'tis his too much love to that makes him do, are all impossibilities; the same things as to will against the will, desire against appetite. But do but keep thyself sincerely and in truth from being willing, and thou must be safe: For God expects no more but that we should not voluntarily yield to our undoing. He hath furnished us with his own complete Armour for no farther uses of a War, Ephes. vi. 11. but to encourage us to stand. Take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil: And again, 13. Put ye on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. There is no need to do more than this, not to be willing and consent to fall; for no man can be beaten down but he that will fall. It were very easy for me to prescribe you how to fortify against those Engines of the Devil's battery which I produced to you. But that I may not stay upon particulars, directing those whom he prevails upon through want of Employment to find out honest occasions not to be idle (and sure it is the most unhappy thing in the World, for any man to be necessitated to be vicious by his having nothing else to do, and because, while the World accounts it a Pedantic thing to be brought up by Rules and under Discipline, he cannot learn how to employ himself to his advantage) to pass by these, I say, the universal strength against this Enemy is Faith. 1 Pet. 5. 9 Your adversary the Devil, like a roaring Lion, goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the Faith. And that not only as it frustrates all that he attempts by means of Infidelity, but it also quenches all his fiery darts; Ephes. vi. 16. whatsoever bright Temptation he presents to draw us from our Duty, or whatever fiery trial he makes use of to affright and martyr with. For the man whose Faith does give him evidence and eyesight of those blessed Promises eye hath not seen, Heb. xi. 1. and gives substance, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Heb. xi. 1. present solid being to his after-hopes, and whose heart hath swallowed down those happy expectations which have never entered in the heart of man to comprehend; what is there that can tempt or fright him from his station? To make all that which Satan gave the prospect of prevail on such a Soul, the Kingdoms of the Earth must outvie God's Kingdom, and their Gauds outshine his Glory, and the twinkling of an eye seem longer than Eternity: For nothing less than these will serve his turn, all these are in his expectations. Or what can fright the man whose heart is set above the sphere of terrors? who knows calamity, how great soever, can inflict but a more sudden and more glorious blessedness upon him; and the most despiteful cruel usage can but persecute him into Heaven. 'Tis easy to demonstrate that a Faith and Expectation of the things on Earth, built upon weaker grounds than any man may have for his belief of things above, hath charged much greater hazards, overcome more difficulties than the Devil does assault us with. For sure none is so Sceptical, but he will grant that we have firmer grounds to think there is another World in Heaven, than Columbus (if he were the first Discoverer) had to think there was another Earth; and that there are far richer hopes laid up there in that other World, for those that do deny themselves the sinful profits and the jollities of this, and force them from their inclinations, than those Seamen could expect who first adventured with him thither. For they could not think to gain much for themselves, but only to take soism of the Land (if any such there were) for others covetous Cruelty; could get little else but only richer Graves, and to lie buried in their yellow Earth. Nor are we assaulted in our Voyage with such hazards, as they knew they must encounter with; the path of Virtue and the way to Heaven is not so beset with difficulties as theirs was; when they must cut it out themselves through an unknown new World of Ocean, where they could see nothing else but swelling gaping Death, from an Abyss of which they were but weakly guarded, and removed few inches only: And as if the dangerousest shipwrecks were on shore, they found a Land more savage and more monstrous than that Sea. Yet all this they vanquished for such slender hopes, and upon so uncertain a belief. A weak Faith therefore can do mighty works; greater than any that we stand in need of to encounter with our Enemy: It can remove these Mountains too; the golden ones that Covetousness and Ambition do cast up: Yea more, it can remove the Devil also; for if you resist him steadfast in the Faith, he flies; which is the happy issue, and my last Part. Resist the Devil, and he will Fly from you. And yet it cannot be denied but that sometimes when the messenger of Satan comes to buffet, though S. Paul resist him with the strength of Prayer (which when Moses managed he was able to prevail on God himself, and the Lord articled with him, Deut. ix. 14. that he might be let alone) yet he could not beat off this assailant, 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9 When God, either for prevention, as 'twas there, v. 7. or for exercising or illustrating of Graces, or some other of his blessed ends, gives a man up to the assaults of Satan, he is often pleased to continue the temptation long; but in that case he does never fail to send assistances and aids enough against it. My grace is sufficient for thee, ●aith he to S. Paul there. And when he will have us tempted for his uses (if we be not failing to ourselves) he does prevent our being overcome; so that there is no danger in those Trials from their stay. But yet it must not be denied but that the Devil does prevail sometimes by importunacy, and by continuance of Temptation; so that Resistance is not always a Repulse, at least not such an one as to make him draw off and fly. It is not strange to find him siding with a natural Inclination, with the bent of Constitution, still presenting Objects, laying Opportunities, throwing in Examples, and all sorts of Invitation, always pressing so, that when a man hath struggled long he does grow weary of the service, not enduring to be thus upon his guard perpetually, watching a weak heart with strong inclinations, busy Devils do lay siege to; and so growing slack and careless, he is presently surprised: Or else, despairing that he shall be always able to hold out, lays hold upon a tempting opportunity, and yields; by the most unreasonable and basest cowardice that can be, yields, for fear of yielding; lest he should not hold out, he will not, but gives up; and puts himself into that very Mischief which he would avoid, merely for fear of coming into it. For which fear there is no reason neither; For 'tis not here as in our other Sieges, where, if it be close, continuance must reduce men to necessity of yielding, Strengths and Ammunitions will decay, Provisions fail, and, if the Enemy cannot, their own Hunger will break through their Walls, and make avenues for Conquest, time alone will take them; but in these Spiritual Sieges, one Repulse enables for another; and the more we have resisted, the Temptation is not only so much flatter, and more weak and baffled, but the inward Man is stronger: Victory does give new forces, and is sure to get in fresh and still sufficient supplies. James iv. 6. For God giveth more grace, saith S. James: And, Matth. xxv. 29. they shall have abundance, saith our Saviour. So that where the Devil after several repulses still comes on with fresh assaults, we may be sure he does discern there is some treacherous inclination that sides with him: And although the man refuse himself the satisfaction of the sin, the Devil sees he hath a mind to it, his refusals are but faint, not hearty; though he seem afraid to come within the quarters of the Vice, he keeps, it may be, correspondence with the incentives to it, entertains the opportunities, plays with the Objects, or at best he does not fortify against him. Now this gives the Tempter hopes, and invites his assaults, and does expose the person to be taken by him. But where he sees he is resisted heartily, his offers are received with an abhorrency, discerns Men are in earnest, watch to avoid all opportunities and occasions, and prepare, and fortify, and arm against him, there he will not stay to be the triumph of their Virtue. We may know th●● by his Agents, those that work under the Devil, whom he hath instructed in the mysteries of waging his Temptations. Where they are not like to speed (and as to this they have discerning spirits) they avoid, and hate, and come not near, but study spite and mischief only there. The intemperate men are most uneasy with a person whom they are not able to engage in the debauch; the rudeness and brutality of their excesses are not so offensive to the sober man, as his stayed Virtue is to them; they do not more avoid the crude egestions, shameful spewings of their overtaken fellows Riot, than they do the shame and the reproach that such a man's strict Conversation casts on them, which does in earnest make them look more foul and nasty to themselves. In fine, every Sinner: shuns the Company of those whom he believes Religious in earnest; 'tis an awe and check to them; they are afraid, and out at it, as their Great Master also is, who when he is resisted must be overcome: And as they that are beaten have their own fears also for their Enemies, which are sure to charge close, put to slight, chase and pursue them; so it seems he also is afraid of a sincere and hearty Christian, for he flies him: So he did from Christ, Matth. iv. verse 11. and so the Text assures, If you resist him, he will fly from you. And now, although we all did once renounce the Devil and his works, were listed Soldiers against him, took a Sacrament upon it, and our Souls, the immortality of life or misery, depend upon our being true and faithful to ourselves and Oaths, or otherwise; nor is there more required of us but resolution and fidelity, only not to be consenting to our Enemy's Conquest of us, not to will Captivity and Servitude: Yet as if, in mere defiance of our Vows and Interests, we not only willed the ruin, but would fight for it, we may find, instead of this resisting of the Devil, most men do resist the Holy Ghost; Acts seven. 51. Ephes. vi. 16. 1 Thess. v. 19 quench not the fiery darts of Satan, but the Spirit and his flames, by which he would enkindle love of God and Virtue in them. If he take advantage of some warm occasion to inflame their courage against former follies, heat them into resolutions of a change; as soon as that occasion goes off, they put out those flames, and choke these heats until they die. If he come in his soft whispers, speak close to the heart, suggest, and call them to those joys of which himself is earnest; to all these they shut their ears, can hear no whispers, are not sensible of any sounds of things at such a distance, sounds to which they give no more regard, than to things of the same extravagance with the Music of the Spheres. Nay, if he come with his more active methods, Gen. nineteen. 16. as the Angels came to Lot, send mercy to allure and take them by the hand, as they did, to invite and lead them out of Sodom; if that will not, Judgements then to thrust them out, as they did also, come with fire and brimstone to affright them; they not only like the men of Sodom, do attempt a violence and Rape upon those very Angels, Verse 4, 9 but they really alley debauch the Mercies, and profane the Judgement, having blinded their own Eyes, that they might see no hand of God in either: using thus unkindly all his blessed methods of reclaiming them, Ephes. iv. 30. till they have grieved him so that he forsake and leave them utterly. As if they had not heard that when the Holy Spirit is thus forced away, the evil spirit takes his place, 1 Sam xuj. 14. As if they knew not that to those who close their eyes and stop their ears against the Holy Spirit's motions, till they are grown dull of hearing and blind to them, God does send a spirit of slumber, that they should not see nor hear; and that for this dire reason, Isal. vi. 9 Matth. xiii. 14 15. that they may not be converted, nor be saved. Five times he affirms it in the Scripture. Yea, once more in words of a sad Emphasis, 2. Thess. two. 12, 13. He sends them strong delusions that they may believe a lie, John xii. 40. Acts xxv●i 26. Rom. xi. 8. that they all may be damned who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness: And that, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Blessed God Is it so easy for such Sinners to believe and be converted, that thyself shouldst interpose to hinder it, and hide the possibilities of mercy from their eyes, that they may never see them, nor recover! What can then become of those for whom God does contrive that they shall not escape? when instead of those bowels that did make him swear he would not have the sinner die, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. but would have him return and live, he puts on so much indignation at such Sinners, as to take an order they shall not repent, and take an order that they shall be damned. And yet all this is only to those men, who, being dull of hearing the suggestions of the Spirit, and not willing to give entertainment to his holy motions, grieve him so, that they repel and drive him quite away; and so by consequence only make way for the Devil: Whereas there are others that directly call him, force him to them, ravish and invade occasions to serve him. Some there are that study how to disbelieve, and with great labour and contrivance work out arguments and motives to persuade themselves to Atheism: Others practise, discipline, and exercise themselves to be engaged in Vice. Some dress so as to lay bai●s, snares, to entrap Temptation, that they may be sure it may not pass them: Others feed high to invite and entertain the Tempter, do all that is possible to make him come, and to assure him that he must prevail, when they have made it most impossible for themselves to stand and to resist. Some there are indeed whom he does not overcome so easily, but is put to compound with them, takes them upon Articles: for when he would engage them to a sin to which he sees they have great inclinations, with some fears, he is fain to persuade them to repent when they have done; to lay hold upon the present opportunity, and not let the satisfaction escape them, but be sorry after, and amend. For where these resolutions of Repentance usher in transgression, there we may be sure it is the Devil that suggests those resolutions. But if he can get admittance once thus, by prevailing with a person to receive him upon purposes of after-Penitence; he is sure to prosper still in his attempts upon the same condition: For Repentance will wash out another sin, if he commit it; and so on. And it is evident that by this very train he does draw most men on through the whole course of sin and life: For never do they till they see themselves at the last stage, begin repenting. When they are to grapple with Death's forces, than they are to set upon resisting of the Devil: And when they are grown so weak that their whole Soul must be employed to muster all its spirits, all their strength, but to beat off one little spot of phlegm, that does besiege the avenues of breath, the ports of life, and sally at it, and assault it, once, again, and a third, many times, and yet with all the sury of its might cannot break through, nor beat off that little clot of spittle; when it is thus, yet then are they to wrestle with, Ephes. vi. 12. 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. and Conquer Principalities and Powers, all the Rulers of the utter darkness, pull down the strong holds of sin within, cast down imaginations, and every high thing that did exalt itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and with those feeble hands that they are scarcely able to lift up in a short wish, or prayer, they must do all this; resist the Devil, and take Heaven by force. Now sure to put it off to such a fatal season is a purpose of a desperate concern. In God's Name let us set upon the doing it while there is something left of Principle and vigour in us, ere we have so grieved God's Spirit, that he do resolve to leave us utterly; and before the Devil have so broke us to his yoke, that we become content and pleased to do his drudgery. We deceive ourselves if we think to do it with more ease when Constitution is grown weaker; as if then Temptations would not be so ●rong: For the Habits will be then confirmed, Vice grown Heroical, and we wholly in the power of Satan, Acts 26. 18. dead and senseless under it, not so much as stirring to get out. But if we strive before he have us in his clutches, we have an Enemy that can vanquish none but those who consent to, and comply and confederate with him, those that will be overcome: So that if we resist, he must be Conquered; and Temptation must be conquered too, for he will fly, and then by consequence must cease to trouble and molest us. This is the sure way to be rid of Temptations, to put to flight the great Artificer and Prince of them, subdue and overcome him and ourselves: Rev. three 21. And to him that overcometh thus Christ will grant to sit with him on his Throne, as He also overcame, and sat down with his Father on his Throne. To which, etc. The Fourteenth SERMON, Preached at WHITEHALL. Last Wednesday in LENT, 1667/8. PHILIPP. III. 18. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ. THough many by the Cross of Christ here understand any sort of Suffering for the sake of Christ or Religion (it being usual with the Scripture to entitle Christ to every evil that befalls a man for doing of his duty,) yet others looking on it properly as that on which Christ himself suffered, by the Enemies of the Cross understand those that set themselves against the whole design and influence of Christ's death upon it. Now to name that in few words, the Cross of Christ not only is one of the greatest Props on which our Faith of the whole Gospel leans, which it establisheth the truth of as Christ's Blood shed upon it was the sanction of the Covenant on God's part, who by that federal Rite of shedding Blood engaged himself; and we may certainly assure ourselves, he cannot fail to make good whatsoever he hath promised in that Covenant, who would give the Blood of his own only Son, who was so holy, and who was himself to Seal that Covenant; and his Blood is therefore called the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant. Heb. xiii. 20, & 10. 29. But besides this extrinsic influence of it, all the blessed Mercies also of the Gospel, are the Purchase of this Cross, and all the main essential duties of the Gospel are not only Doctrines of the Cross, such as it directs and does enforce, but the Cross also hath an immediate efficacy in the working of them in us: Gal. 4. For S. Paul saith by the Cross of Christ the World is Crucified to me and I unto the World. On it the Flesh is also crucified with the Affections and Lusts: And to say all that comprehensive Duty of the Gospel, Self-denial, is but another word for taking up the Cross: And then as for the Mercies of the Gospel on the Cross the satisfaction for our sins was made, the Price of our Redemption paid, and that effected: There was wrought our Reconciliation with our God; Lastly, that was the consideration upon which Grace was bestowed whereby we are enabled to perform our duty: With good reason, therefore S. Paul calls the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 1 Cor. i 18. the word or Doctrine of the Cross; so that the Enemies of the Cross of Christ are in a word the Enemies of Christianity, and so the blessed Polycarpe in his Epistle to these same Philippians seems to understand it: Poly. & Ignat. Ep. p. 23. Edit. Usserian. pro persequentibus & odientibus vos, & pro inimi●is crucis. And they that walk as Enemies to it, are such as do not only hate the Duties of the Gospel, those especially which the Cross directly does enforce; but their course of life is ordered so as to break the very Frame and Power of Christianity, they set themselves against all that Christ came to do upon and by the Cross, resist, and wage War with the Doctrines, and by consequence oppose the mercies of it. The words being thus explained, I have no more to do but only answer two Inquiries which they give occasion for. The first is, What sort of men those are that walk as Enemies to the Cross, and wherein their hostility does express itself? The second is, What the danger and the sadness is of that condition, that they should make S. Paul think it necessary frequently to warn them of it, and to do it now with so much passion? For many walk, saith he, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, etc. First for the first. And here I shall not strive to give you in a perfect list of all that walk as Enemies to the Cross, but shall take that which S. Paul hath made ready to my hands in the next words. And first the Enemies which he brings up in the front, are the Sensualists, the Men whose God is their Belly. Secondly, They whose glory is in their shame. Thirdly, Who mind Earthly things, to which as being their confederates, and near Allies I shall add Fourthly, Those that he reckons up in the 1 Cor. i the wise men of this World. First, The Sensualists. That Men who diligently mind the serving of their appetite in Meats and Drinks, that study and contrive its pleasure, and with industry have learned, and practise Arts of Luxury, and in those have set up their delights, that these should be accounted Enemies of the Cross of Christ there is but too much reason. For their course of life is perfect opposition to that Cross, and to the whole design of Christianity, and to the very being of all Virtue. For since Virtue is but moderation and restraint of Appetites and Passions, and since sensuality indulges, and does raise and heat them: since the whole design of Christianity, is to mortify the deeds of the Body, those our members upon earth, that Body of Sin and Death; and since Voluptuousness quickens, pampers and does make them vigorous; lastly, since the Doctrines and the Influences of the Cross of Christ do aim at Crucifying the flesh with its Affections and Lusts, and Luxuries do gorge and make them ramping, sure the Enmity is too apparent to be proved. It is the business of Religion to instruct and frame men into reasonable Creatures: God himself chose to die upon the Cross that we might live like Men here, and then afterwards die into Sons of God, and become equal to the Angels. He suffered on the Tree, that we might be renewed into that constitution which the Tree of Knowledge did disorder and debauch. Before Man a●e of that, his lower Soul was in perfect subordination to his mind, and every motion of his appetite did attend the dictates of his Reason, and obey them with that resignation and ready willingness which our outward faculties do execute the Wills commands with; then any thing, however grateful to the senses, was no otherwise desired than as it served the regular and proper ends and uses of his making; there was a rational harmony in all the tendencies of all his parts, and that directed, modulated by the rules and hand of God that made them: In fine, than Grace was Nature, Virtue Constitution. Now to reduce us to this state as near as possible is the business of Religion (as it had been in some kind the attempt also of Philosophy.) But this it can in no degree effect, but as it does again establish the subordination of the sensual to the reasonable part within us: That is, till by denying satisfactions to the Appetite (which is now irregular and disorderly in its desires) we have taught it how to want them, and to be content without them, and by that means have subdued its inclinations; or by taking down the Body have abated of its powers and its provocations; and where it is stubborn, heady, and rebellious, there by cutting off provisions from the flesh, and by sharp methods vanquished and reduced it into a condition of Obedience; and (whenever that is also necessary) weakens so that insolent untamed part of ourselves, that we make it lie fainting, grovelling at our feet (these are the Doctrines of the Cross, and this the method of its Discipline:) And withal by those rational and divine heavenly encouragements which above all Doctrines in the World our Christianity suggests and furnisheth with infinite advantage, have so fortified the mind that it resumes its principality, governs, and carries on the lower Soul in its obedience to Duty easily without resistance, as they say the higher Heaven moves the inferior Orbs along with it although their proper tendencies are contrary: At leastwise if impressions from without or inbred inclinations stir, raise passions, and mutinies, yet the mind keeps so much power that they shall not beat it off, and force it from its prosecutions of good; nor shall, unless by a surprise, engage its consent in the pursuit of evil. This is that which Religion aims at, thus to make us men, teach us to live according to our nature, to put Reason in the Throne, and vindicate the Spirit from the tyranny of its own Vassal flesh. But sensuality is most perfect opposition to this whole design; for it renverses that subordination without which there is no possibility of Virtue as I showed you; and it puts that whether Lust or Passion in the Throne, which either constitution, conversation, or whatever accident, did give possession of our inclinations to: And makes the strangest prodigy of Centaur where the Beast is uppermost and rides the man; where the Beast is God indeed; for the sensual man acknowledges no other God but his own belly, so S. Paul does character him here. And truly if we look on the attendances, and careful services he gives it, and how studiously and wholly he does consecrate himself to please it, one would think it most impossible he should have any other God: but if we number the drink-offerings, and meat-offerings, the whole Hecatombs he gives it, and whereas other Deities had only some peculiar appropriate Creatures for their Sacrifices, how this Votary rifles the Universe, goes through the whole latitude of beings for Oblations, one would think he did outnumber all the Heathen Legions in his Gods; and yet all this is only for his Belly. Now he that deifies his Appetite, and that is so attended and so solicitous in its service, he that sets up such an Antigod as this to Christ, appears a scornful insolent Enemy to Him, his Cross and his Religion, near the state of those men whom the Wiseman couples with the sensual, persons of an impudent mind, the very disposition of those Enemies of the Cross of Christ whom S. Paul brings up in the second place, Those that glory in their shame. Amongst the uses of the Cross of Christ, one chiefly meant, was by the ignominy of that most accursed infamous punishment to represent the vileness of Iniquity; to which shame and confusion were so due, that there were to be Contumelies as well as Agonies in the Death that was to expiate it; And it seems not sufficient that the Blood of God be shed for it, but that Blood must be stained too with the imputation of a Malefactor; Christ was to suffer the insulting scorns and vilifyings of his Crucifiers, his Honour must be sacrificed as well as his Life, Barrabas must be preferred even before that Pers●n of the Trinity to whom sin was to be imputed, and who was to bear the just shame of it, such infinite debasement and contempt being a most essential ingredient in the wages of Iniquity, of which this Cross of Christ was the express. And then how is it possible for men to wage a more professed hostility against the Cross of Christ, than by endeavouring to put Reputation on the thing on which that Cross was set to throw Disgrace? by raising Trophies to themselves for that which raised a Gibbet to their Saviour? giving themselves a value for the thing which hath such infinite diminution in it, that it made the Son of God esteemed worse than Barrabas. These men are too successful Enemies of the Cross that thus triumph over it, and when it was erected as an Ensign to display the vileness of iniquity, and to shame sin out of the lives of mankind, vindicate and rescue sin from that contempt, and throw the Cross and shame upon Religion itself; while they exult in their commissions as in commendable things, and too truly verifying the Apostles aggravations against wilful Sinners, Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame, while they put scorns on that contempt he suffered: For the Agonies and Contumelies he endured on that account of sin must needs be most ridiculous to them who count Sin gay and Honourable. Thus they trample and insult upon his Passion, thus tread underfoot the Son of God even on his Cross, and upon that footstool they exalt themselves by putting sin in countenance and credit with the Age▪ For it is plain it is so when men once can glory in it▪ For our actions raise a glorying in us only in relation to the sentiments of others, that growing from a confidence of having praise and value for them in the World. So that they must assure themselves that most men or the most considerable will applaud their Vices; otherwise they could not glory in them, but would be ashamed. And such a judgement we may safely pass upon an Age or Nation, where great Crimes not only have impunity but Reputation; and men glory in them. Had it been so in the Heathen World when Christ and his Cross first appeared there, Christianity had wanted one of its convincing pleas. Tertullian in his Apology for our Religion to them that blasted it with all imaginable imputations of Impiety, discourses thus: Omne malum out timore out pudore Natura perfudit: Te●tul. Apolog. c. 1. Nature hath dashed every Vice with fear or shame; all Malefactor's labour to lie hid, and if they are laid hold upon they tremble, and deny when they are accused, hardly confess it to the Rack; and when they are found guilty they bewail, upbraid themselves, and aggravate confessions of their Crimes. Christianus verò quid simile? But what does the Christian like this? None of us is ashamed of his Religion, or reputes, except it be because he was not sooner of it: If he be branded for it he rerejoyceth, if you accuse him of it he does own it, triumphs in it; if he be condemned for it he calls his Execution his Martyrdom, his sufferings his Crown. Quid hoc mali est quod naturalia mali non habet? Now what strange kind of impiety is this that hath none of the natural affections of it? not the shame nor fear, tergiversations or repentance, or deploring of it? Quid hoc mali est cujus reus gaudet, cujus accusatio votum est, & poena faelicitas? What a kind of evil's this, which he that is found guilty of is glad? to be accused of it is his ambition? to suffer for it is his happiness? Alas, the World hath taught Vice now adays to use this plea with a much greater confidence, and he that would apply this argument to our experiences might plead thus for the Religion of sin. For now they are but piteous puisny sinners who feel those things which in Tertullia's days were natural and essential to sin, to blush, and be ashamed, and have regrets. Men do not only own it as those primitive persons did their Christianity, but they outvie the Martyr's heats; for they accuse themselves, and boast of their performances in Villainy, yea falsity, belie themselves in sin, and usurp Vice, steal the glorious Reputation of exceeding sinfulness, as if the impiety were meritorious. And truly as that Christian Confidence and Magnanimity brought in the World as Proselytes to the Cross, so this other confidence brings Shoals of Votaries to Vice: For when once there is no need to be ashamed of it, there are but very few but will venture to commit it. And indeed this sort of men do manage their hostility so dexterously, as to use those very Weapons Christianity was successful with, against itself. 'Twas by a discipline of shame (for that was the great strength of the Church Censures) that our Religion did at first prevail almost to the exterminating Vice out of the World: The temporal Sword was never so victorious as this weapon of our Spiritual Warfare was, which yet in those times drew no blood, unless it were into the face, in blushes. But since men have found or made pretexts to glory in iniquity, and several Crimes are become honourable; Virtues are dressed up as mean, poor spirited, sneaking qualities; some look melancholic, sad, are hypocondriac, some pedantic, some unmanly, some irrational, and worse; so that men are now ashamed of Duty; 'tis a disparagement to own the doing it: Thus they have as it were excommunicated Religion. It is accounted a contemptible, or at best foolish thing; which is the very sentence of the third sort of Enemies the Wise men of this World, tho●e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mind earthly things (the fourth sort) in whic● all their wisdom lies. Which two last sorts of Enemies I shall attaque together. The Cross of Christ amongst its other ends was set to be an instrument whereby the World is to be Crucified to us, Gal. vi. 14. and we unto the World; to be the means whereby we are enabled to prevail upon and overcome our worldly lusts and inclinations; and to sleight, yea and detest all the temptations of its Wealth, Delights, and Heights, when they attempt to draw us into sin or take us off from Duty. Now to this it works by these three steps. First, showing us the Author and the finisher of our Faith nailed himself to that Cross; his joints racked on it, his whole Body stripped, and nothing else but Vinegar and bitter potions allowed his thirst: Matth. xuj. 24. and thus convincing us that if we will be his Disciples we must take up his Cross and follow him, at leastwise we must have preparedness of mind to take it up when ever it is fixed to Duty; to renounce all profits, honours, and delights of this World that are not consistent with our Christian profession: This is the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ; it being otherwise impossible to to be the Disciples of a Crucified Master. And when this great Captain of our Salvation was himself consecrated by his sufferings, and had for his Standard his own Body lifted up upon the Cross, we that are listed under him, and with that very badge the Cross too; crucis Consecranei, Votaries and fellow Soldiers of that Order, if we shall avoid our Duty when it is attended with a Cross, or straitened any ways, and the provisions of this World are cut off from it, and betake ourselves rather to the contents of Earth; we do not only shamefully fly from our Colours; Fugitive, and Cowards, Poltrons in the Spiritual Warfare; but are Renegadoes, false and traitors to ourselves too, such as basely ran away not only from our Officer, but from Salvation, which he is the Captain of; and which we cannot possibly attain, except we be resolved to follow him, and charge through whatsoever disadvantages to attend Religion, vanquishing all those temptations with which the World assaults us in our course to Duty. Thus the Cross of Christ first shows us the necessity we have to renounce and Crucify the World. But to encourage and enable us to do so, it does also show us Secondly, The certainty of a good issue in the doing it, assures us, that those who deny themselves forbidden satisfactions here, that will be virtuous maugre all the baits and threats of Earth, will embrace Duty when it is laden with a Cross, although so heavy as to crush out life, and kill the body; assures us that those lose not, but exchange their lives, shall save their Souls, and that there is another World wherein their losses shall be made up to them, and repaired with all advantage. To the truth of this the Cross of Christ is a most pregnant and infallible testimony. For as by multitudes of Miracles Christ sought to satisfy the World that he was sent from God to promise all this, and justified his Power to perform it by experiment, raising some up from the dead; so when they said he did his Miracles by Beelzebub, he justified it ●urther with his Life; affirming that he was the Son of God (no 'tis impossible but he must know whether he were or no) and consequently sent and able to do all he promised, and resolved to do it also for our more assurance in himself, that he would raise himself up from the dead within three days; and saying this when he was sure he should be Crucified for saying so, and sure that if he did not do according to his words, he must within three days appear a mere Impostor to the world, and his Religion never be received. Now 'tis impossible for him that must needs know whether all this were true or no to give a greater testimony to it than his Life. For this that Blood and Water that flowed from his wounded side upon Cross, which did assure his Death, is justly said to bear witness to his being the Son of God, and consequently to the truth of all this, equal to the testimony of the Spirit (whether that which the Spirit gave when he came from Heaven down upon him in his Baptism, or the testimony which he gave by Miracle; 1 John v. 8. ) for there are three that bear witness upon Earth, the Spirit, the Water and the Blood. Thus by his Death Christ did bring Life and Immortality to light: his choosing to lay down his own life for asserting of the truth of all this, was as great an argument to prove it as his raising others from the dead: and Lazarus' empty Monument, and walking Grave-cloaths were not better evidence than this Cross of Christ. 4. Once more, this Cross not only proves the certainty of a future state, but does demonstrate the advantage of it; and assures us that it is infinitely much more eligible to have our portion in the life to come than in this life: That to part with every thing that is desirable in this World rather than to fail of those joys that are laid up in the other, that to be poor here or to be a spoil, to renounce or to disperse my wealth, that so I may lay up treasures for myself in Heaven, and may be rich to God; never to taste any one of these puddle transient delights, rather than to be put from that right hand where there are pleasures for evermore; to be thrown down from every height on Earth, if so I may ascent those everlasting Hills, and Mount Zion that is above; that this is beyond all proportion the wisest course it does demonstrate; since it shows us him who is the Son of God, who did create all these advantages of Earth, and prepare those in Heaven, and does therefore know them both: Who also is the Wisdom of the Father, Heb. xii. 2. and does therefore know to value them, yet for the joys that were set before him choosing to endure the Cross and despising the shame. On that Beam he weighed them, and by that his choice declared the Pomp's of this World far too light for that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory; 2 Cor. iv. 17. that the whole earth was but as the dust upon the Balance and despised it, and to make us do so, is both the Design and direct influence of the Cross of Christ. But as at first the Wise men of this World did count the Preaching of the Cross mere folly, 1 Cor. i 18, 19, 21, 23. to give up themselves to the belief and the obedience of a man that was most infamously Crucified, and for the sake of such an one to renounce all the satisfactions, suffer all the dire things of this Life, and in lieu of all this only expect some after Blessednesses and Salvations from a man that they thought could not save himself, seemed to them most ridiculous: So truly it does still appear so to the carnal reasonings of that sort of men, who have the same objections to the Cross of Christ, as it would Crucify the World to them, and them to it; as it would strip them of all present rich contents, and give them certain evils, with some promises of after good things, which they have no taste for, nor assurance of. Now this being in their account folly, than the contrary to this they must think Wisdom: as it is indeed the Wisdom of this World; which Wisdom since it does design no further than this World, and hath no higher ends than Earth and its Felicities, it must needs put men upon minding the acquist and the enjoyment of these Earthly things, for that is only to pursue and to achieve their ends, to catch at and lay hold on their felicity; and accordingly we see it does immerse them wholly in those cares. So that it is no wonder if their God and Religion can get no attendance from them, it being most impossible they should, when Mammon hath engaged them in the superstitious services of Idolatry; and when they sacrifice their whole selves to pleasure and make their bodies the burnt offerings of their Lusts, and when Ambition, even while it makes them stretch and climb and mount, causes them also to fall low, prostrate, make their temper, nature stoop, lie down to every humour, and to every Vice they think themselves concerned to court and please. And though a man would think these so great boundless cares are very vain and foolish upon several accounts; for common sense as well as Scripture does assure us that this life and the Contents of it do not consist in the abundance of the things that we possess; Luke xii. 15. that it is all one whether my draught come out of a small Bottle or an Hogshead; the one of these indeed may serve excess, and sickness better, but the other serves my Appetite as well; the one may drown my Virtue, but the other quenches thirst alike. And every days experience also does convince us, that the least cross accident, pain or affliction on our persons or some other that is seated near our hearts, or the least vexation or cross passion will so sour all those advantages, that we cannot possibly enjoy them while we have them; sickness makes the richest plenty only a more nauseous trouble, a more costly loathing; then the poorest Soul that is in health is that great rich man's envy. And there's no man also but does see so far into futurity as to satisfy himself that he shall die, and then the shadow of Death will cloud and put out all these Glories. And universal Reason also does tell every man that to deny himself or want his present satisfactions of this helpless dying kind, and suffer present evils, is in prudence to be chosen for avoiding of a future evil or achieving of a good to come which do transcend those other infinitely, and to all Eternity continue. Sure as no man pities the poor Infant in the Womb because he lies imbrued in Blood, hath no inheritance there at all, is fettered, confined as it were in that dark Cell; if he be to be born to an Estate, to live a full age here in gaiety of mind, and health of body, in Reputation, and all plenty of delights, we never are concerned or troubled at his other nine months' Dungeon. So if this life be to the next as the Womb is to this; and if our hopes be no more on the Earth than in the Belly; and we have no inheritance or abiding place here, as we had not there; although the waters of affliction, and to be in our blood should be as natural to us as to the Child, yet if we thus press forward to the other birth, to be delivered into immortality of joys, this state were not to be lamented, but endeavoured for with all our powers. Lastly, the same reason does assure us, that if those futurities (which are most certain) were but only possible, yet to part with every thing, and suffer any thing here to prevent miscarriage in relation to those two Eternity's is certainly the safest course, and then by consequence the wisest. And this does appear a truth to all men when they go to die: And if it be the truth then, 'tis always so. Yet notwithstanding all this, he that minds these earthly things, whose heart is set upon them, whose desires the World serves, provides to satisfy every imagination of delight: His heart is so entangled in affections to them, and in prejudices for them, and hath so imbibed the impressions of them, that he hath no taste for any other, and by consequence no satisfying notions of them: And if he hath not then it is not possible that he should really and from his heart, out of conviction and inward sense value these beyond the earthly ones: and it is plain we see he does not; and if he do not, to deprive himself of all the sweet contentments of his life, and tear out his own bowels that yearn after them, and cling to them; and instead of those embrace a Cross, and do this for things which he cannot value more, and counts uncertain, he must needs think a mad folly: Consequently to contrive and seize the present to the best most plentiful advantage is the wisest course; and therefore they that by whatever arts do thrive, advance themselves, live high and in delights, they are Wise men; because they do attain their ends, by means appropriate to those ends. And now the enmity betwixt the Cross of Christ and the wisdom of the World appears: first, their designs are most directly opposite; the cross designs to take us up from earth and from its satisfactions, which have also thorns and briars in them, that Earth's Curse, things that pierce and wound as fatally as the Nails and Thorns and other cruelties of Christ's Cross; and to lift us towards Heaven, to direct our hearts and our affections thither as our harbingers, to take possession for us of those joys the Cross did purchase for us, but no Cross can ever trouble. But the Wisdom of this World designs to lay out all its cares and its contrivances within this World, minds nothing else but earthly things, and does not lift an eye or thought to any other. Secondly, Their Principles wage war: For earthly good things being the design, the main end of this worldly wisdom, consequently that does justify all courses without which men cannot gain those ends, by which they do, though they be never so unlawful by the Rules of that which we call Virtue and Religion; it does justify, I say, all such as prudent. But the Principles of the Doctrines of the Cross of Christ are positive, that we must renounce all earthly satisfactions, when they cannot be enjoyed without transgressing Christ's Commands, and embrace Duty even when it executes itself upon us. But Thirdly, there's no enmity so fatal to the Cross of Christ as is the practice of those men who minding Earthly things, and all their wisdom lying as to them, they therefore think themselves concerned to represent the Doctrines of the Cross, which does so contradict their wisdom, as mere madness, and the Cross itself as the Ensign of folly; And accordingly they do, treat it en ridicul; and make the proper Doctrines of it, the strict duties of Religion, matter for their jests, and bitter scoffs: They character Religion as a worship that befits a God whose shape the Primitive persecutors painted Christ in, Tertul. Apol. c. 16. Deus Onochaetes, as if Christianity were proper Homage only to an Ass' person, Tertul. ad Nat. c. 11. Ibid. as Tertullian words it; And the Votaries transformed by this their service and made like the God they worship, were what they were called then Asinarii creatures only fit for burden, to bear, what they magnify, a Cross and scorns. No persecutions are so mortal as those that Murder the reputation of a thing or person; not so much because when that is fallen once then they cannot hope to stand, as because those murder after death, and poison memory, killing to immortality. They were much more kind to Religion and more innocent that clothed the Christians in the skins of Bears and Tigers, that so they might be worried into Martyrdom; Than they that cloth their Christianity in fools Coat, that so it may be laughed to death, go out in ignominy and into contempt. If to sport with things of sacred and Eternal consequence were to be forgiven, yet to do it with the Cross of Christ: Thus to set that out as foolishness which is the greatest mystery the Divine wisdom hath contrived to make mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other, to make sin be punished, yet the Sinner pardoned: Thus to play and sin upon those dire expresses of God's indignation against sin, are things of such a sad and dangerous concern, that S. Paul could not give a caution against them but with tears, For many walk, saith he, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, etc. Which calls me to my last Consideration. Indeed the Cross of Christ does represent Almighty God in so severe a shape, and gives the lineaments of so fierce displeasures against sin, as do exceed all comprehension. There was a passion in Christ's Prayer to prevent his Passion, when he deprecated it with strong cries and tears, yea when his whole body wept tears as of blood to deprecate it; and yet he cried more dreadfully when he did suffer it; The Nails that bored his Hands, the Spear that pierced his Heart and made outlets for his Blood and Spirits, did not wound him as, that sting of death and torments, sin did, which made outlets for God to forsake him, and which drove away the Lord that was himself out of him. Neither did his God forsake him only, but his most Almighty attributes were engaged against him: God's Holiness and Justice were resolved to make Christ an example of the sad demerit of Iniquity, and his hatred of it: Demerit so great, as was valuable with the everlasting punishment of the World, fallen Angels and fallen Men; for to that did it make them liable. Now that God might appear to hate it at the rate of its deservings, it was very necessary that it should be punished, if not by the execution of that sentence on Mankind as on the Devils, yet by something that might be proportionable to it, so to let us see the measures God abhors it by, to what degrees the Lord is just and holy by those torments, torments answerable to those attributes. Now truly when we do reflect on this we cannot wonder if the Sinner be an enemy to the Cross, and hate the prospect of it, which does give him such a perfect copy of his expectations, when our Saviour's draught which he so trembled at shall be the everlasting portion of his Cup: For if God did so plague the imputation of Iniquity, how will he torment the wilful and impenitent commission of it. But then when we consider those torments were the satisfaction for the sins of man, methinks the Sinner should be otherwise affected to them: Christ by bearing the Cross gave God such satisfaction, as did move him in consideration thereof to dispense with that strict Law, which having broken we were forfeit to eternal Death, and to publish an act of Grace whereby he does admit all to pardon of sins past, and to a right to everlasting Life that will believe on him, forsake their sins and live true Christians. John i. 36. He there appears the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World, Rev. xiii. 8. Heb. ix. 26. for that he does as being a Lamb slain, than he was our Sacrifice, and that Cross the Altar. And the humbled Sinner that reputes (for, notwithstanding satisfaction, God will not accept a Sinner that goes on; by all those Agonies his holiness would not be justified, if when he had forsaken and tormented his own Son for taking sin upon him, he should yet receive into his favour and his Heaven, Sinners that will not let go, but will retain their sins: but the penitent) may plead this expiation: Lo here I poor Soul prostrate at the footstool of the Cross lay hold upon the Altar, here's my Sacrifice on which my fins are to be charged, and not on me, although so foul I am, I cannot pour out tears sufficient to cleanse me, yet behold Lord, and see if there ever were any Sorrow like the sorrow of thy Son wherewith thou didst afflict him for these sins of mine: And here is Blood also, his Blood to wash me in: and that Blood is within the Veil too now, and that my Offering taken from the Cross up to thy Throne, thou hast accepted it, and canst not refuse it now my Advocate does plead it, and claims for me the advantage of the Cross. Now that men should be Enemies to this, and when they are forfeit to eternal Ruin, hate that▪ which is to redeem the forfeiture; that they should trample on the Cross whereon their satisfactions were wrought; tread down the Altar which they have but to lay hold on and be safe; wage war with, beat off, and pursue a Lamb, that Lamb of God that comes to take away their sins: and make a spoil and slaughter of their Sacrifice; hostilely spill upon the ground that Blood, that was appointed for their Blood upon the Altar, for their blood of sprinkling, and was to appear in Heaven for them. If men resolve to be on terms of Duel with their God, and scorn that Satisfaction shall be made for them by any other way than by defiance; and although their God do make the satisfactions for them to himself, yet not endure it, but choose quarrel rather; this is so perverse and fatal an hostility as no tears are sufficient to bewail. But possibly men slight these satisfactions because some terms are put upon them which they know not how to comport with; the merits of the Cross must not be accounted to them but upon conditions which they are not able to perform; they are required to master all their wicked Customs, their untamed appetites, and settled habits, to keep under their Concupiscence, to calm their inclinations and their passions: Now on such severe articles friendship with the Cross they think is too hard bought. But therefore Secondly, the Cross was the consideration upon which Grace is o●●er'd us, whereby we are enabled to perform all this; th● power to will and strength to do, all necessary aids from Heaven are granted to us as Christ merited them for us by his Sufferings; and that Blood he shed upon the Cross it is the Fountain, 'tis the Ocean of all Grace: And if temptations storm thee, lay hold on that Cross, it is the Anchor of Salvation thou hast hold on; tell thy God although thou art not able to resist and stand, thou hast the price of strength, that which did purchase it was paid down for thee on the Cross, and is at his right hand, he hath it: give me therefore grace for it, let me have the value of that Blood, the Blood of God in spiritual succours, which may make me able to resist thy Enemies, and do thy will. Now God will never be unjust to deny any man those aids that were so dearly purchased for him, and for which he hath received the price. And then that men should be Enemies of the Cross which is their Magazine of strength against their Enemies! As men that do resist the having Grace, lest it should change their inclinations! as men that will not be impowered against Vice, but will oppose the Aids of Heaven, fight against the succours that are given them, and destroy their own forces, lest with them they should be able to encounter sin and overcome it! Thus wilfully to run against and charge their Anchor of Salvation; to poison to themselves the Fountain the whole Ocean of their graces, is the state of them only that do resolve and that had rather perish. Once more, on that Cross was wrought a reconciliation betwixt God and Man; and that upon such terms of honour to us Men, that God does seem to condescend as far in this his Treaty, as in coming down from Godhead into Flesh; there is Exinanition in his yield and compliance. He sent his Son to move us to be reconciled, as if he did acknowledge us the offended party; and as if he meant to give us satisfaction, in his Blood, he dies upon the Cross to effect that Reconciliation. When our Saviour would magnify a Love he thus expresses it, John xv. 13. Greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friend: Rom. v. 8, 10. But behold here is greater love, for Christ commended his love to us in that when we were Enemies he died for us, only out of hopes to make us friends; Cant. viij. 6. Love strong as doath indeed, that brought him to the Grave who could not die. Ibid. 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, affection violent as Hell, that brought God to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and made him descend to Hell: For so low he stooped; thus he humbled himself to persuade us to be reconciled, and to prevail with us to be at peace with God. And is a Reconciliation with the Lord so hateful to us, that we will be Enemies to the Cross that works it? are we so assured of worsting God Almighty, that we will resist whatever makes towards a peace with him? are the Sinners expectations so tempting? do we look for such advantage from the Covenant we have made with Death, and the agreement we are at with Hell, that we will have the League defensive and offensive? will be foes to their foes? and will have War with God because he is their Enemy? are we thus resolved to be revenged upon the Triumphs of the Cross? Col. two. 15. and because our Saviour spoiled Principalities and Powers, triumphing over them on it; therefore set ourselves against that Trophy of his Victories over our friends the Devil and his Fiends? is the love of Christ so injurious to us that we will be Enemies to the Expresses of it? and when his affection threw him down so low for our sakes, humbled him to Hell to beg and to procure our friendship, will we go to trample on him there rather than not go thither, and rather than we will not be for ever there? W●● 〈…〉 for this! O blessed Saviour, that thou didst pray against thy Cup 〈◊〉 earnestly, because of Man's ingrateful 〈◊〉 to it● because th●●●ast to 〈◊〉 God Almighty's Indignation in it, and the Si●●ers hatred for it? because it was the Cup of the Lords 〈◊〉, and 〈…〉 squeezed into it all the dregss of his Wrath, and 〈…〉 into it? and when the one will make thee drink it up, the 〈…〉 it in thy face? was it not because thou wert to take a Cross up which thou couldst not bear the Torments of, and 〈◊〉 will not endure the blessings of? but most despitefully treads down that 〈…〉 thou art sinking under it laden with their weight? this is, alas, a state so sad that neither S. Paul's tears, nor Christ's blood hath sufficient compassion for. And yet though one wept the other died for them, these men have neither tears nor pity for themselves. Yet one would think this were a subject worthy of them: 'Tis storied of Xerxes, that when he took a view of his vast Army which he went to Conquer Greece with (an Army such as the Sun never saw, and it could scarce see that, which the Historian says did Coelo minitari tenebras, as it covered and drank up the Sea, and took up and devoured the Earth, so it did seem to darken Heaven too: An Army which consisted, saith Herodotus, when mustered at Thermopylae, of Five Millions, Two Hundred Eighty Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Men, besides Laundresses, Harlots, and Horses; and it had Twelve Hundred Galleys for Sea-fight, besides Twenty Hundred Ships for carriage.) When upon this view he had for a while gloryed in his happiness to behold and Gommand so many Nations, and so Powerful a Fleet and Army: notwithstanding on a sudden he burst into tears on this Consideration, that in one Hundred years there should not one survive of that great marvellous multitude: (And truly through his folly in one hundred weeks scarce any one but was the prey of Enemies, and Death and Infamy.) But 'tis a sadder Contemplation to reflect on the far greater Army of the Enemies of the Cross, who, if they do not end that quarrel, will in fewer years be all dead and in Hell. I know not whether such a sad reflection called out S. Paul's tears, but sure I am it does deserve their own: And there is nothing will avail in their behalf without their tears. It may be tears are piteous things for such brave Sinners: But than what will these insulting Enemies of the Cross do, when they shall see that Sign of the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven? When this Cross shall usher in the great Assize? When they shall look on him that they have pierced and Crucified upon it? And when that Crucified offended Enemy shall come there to be their Judge? That takes himself to be offended much more in his kindness, than his Person; and will judge this more severely that we would not let his Cross and Passion do us any good, than that we Crucified him on it. Let us then be cautioned in the fear of God to be no longer Enemies to that which is to reconcile our judge to us. If we have his Friendship on the Cross, we may be sure to have it on the judgement Seat. He that on the Cross parted with Godhead and with Life for us, will on the Bench adjudge us that Inheritance which his Cross did purchase for us. He sits there to pronounce happiness upon all faithful 〈◊〉 Christians, to proclaim Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. To which, etc. SERMON XV. WHITEHALL. Novemb. 15. 1668. MARK X. 15. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, he shall not enter therein. THE Kingdom of God, especially as it is concerns the forepart of the Text, signifies nothing else but that of the Messiah, or in one word, Christianity; and that both as to the profession and the practice, the Doctrine and the life of it: For so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by which Theophylact expounds the words, the Preaching of the Doctrine is itself called the Kingdom of God by our Saviour, Mat. 21. 43. 'Tis not delivering of a message only in weak empty words, 'tis Jurisdiction and exercise of Sovereignty: And the Commission that authorised to it was the delegation of the Powers of Omnipotence: a Mat. 28. 18. 19 All Power, saith our Lord, is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth, And (which the Syriack adds in that place also) b Joh. 20. 21. as my Father sent me, so send I you, go ye therefore and teach all Nations, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have Commanded you. As if this were execution of the greatest and most Kingly Power, and every Doctrine had the force of Proclamation, every denunciation were Sentence; as it will be certainly to them that do not give obedience to it. Which obedience is Secondly, and that most properly entitled the Kingdom of God; Rom. 14. 17. for by that he Reigns; without this our great universal Lord were a Prince of no Subjects, had a Kingdom but of Rebels only: So that to receive the Kingdom of God is by the obedience of Faith to submit to the Gospel, to receive the Doctrines of it by believing, and the Precepts by obeying them: The duty which our Saviour here directs, and which with such severity he threatens non-performance of, even with exclusion from that blessed Immortality of Joys which the Kingdom of God imports, which is that sense it bears in the last words of my Text. In which we must consider, First, the Object both of the Duty and the Threat a Kingdom, and that the Kingdom of God. Secondly, our concern and duty in relation to that Kingdom we have only to receive it. Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God. Whatever bustle men are well content to make to g●t possession of any Earthly Dignity or Power, sometimes to wage War with their Conscience and all obligations, violate all Rights both Humane and Divine, and assault greatest difficulties and yet greater guilts, to invade men's Crowns, and other rights, there's no such need in this; we have no more to do but let this Kingdom come, and not resist the having it. For therefore also, Thirdly, the manner we are by our Saviour here prescribed to receive this Kingdom in is, as a little Child. Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, as one that cannot stand against the power of a Kingdom when it comes; that hath not strength nor malice, neither force nor will to oppose; which they that do must needs keep themselves out of it; Which is, Fourthly, the thing threatened, they shall not enter therein; there being neither reason, nor indeed a possibility men should possess that which they will not receive. Lastly, Christ's asseveration is added to all this, Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, h● shall not enter therein. But because the main thing Christ intended in the Text (which he so oft repeated upon several occasions) was by the significative emblem of a little Child, visibly to inform us of some dispositions that are absolutely necessary to the entertaining Christianity, either in our minds by Faith, or in our lives by practice; I shall therefore wholly attend that design of his in the words, and handle them particularly as they seem here to be spoken in relation to the Doctrine of it. This being most of use now in an Age when men not only tear Religion with disputes, but aim to baffle it with reproaches quite out of the World: Now against such the Text is positive, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God, the Doctrine of Christianity as a little Child, be cannot enter therein, neither into the possession of the Promises of Christianity, nor indeed into the profession of it. And here I need not labour much to find that in a Child which Christ requires of those that come to be Disciples in Religion; for it is plain that Children being impotent, unable to sustain or to direct themselves, they give themselves up to the aids and the directions of others, those especially whom they are committed to, and with whose cares of them they are acquainted; to whose guidance they resign themselves entirely, laying hold on them in any dangerous appearance, and not trusting to themselves at all: And when their Age first makes them capable of having any thing infused into them, being empty and unseasoned Vessels they will easily receive all and sincerely without taint: And being neither filled beforehand with prejudicated opinions, nor with windy vain conceits of their own skill or knowledge, they must needs take in without any let 〈◊〉 hindrance whatever is infused, and submit themselves to be directed wholly by their teachers, without contradiction or dispute, for they Judge not, nor examine, but receive. Now such a resignation seems the proper disposition which our Saviour expects in a Disciple. It is plain that his pretended Vicar and that Church expect it, that men shall submit their Faith entirely to the Church, believe whatever she proposeth as revealed by God merely on that account as she proposeth it, for otherwise it is not a right faith: Yea she requires that men give their assent to the determinations of her head, the Pope, in matters of fact also, where they are as competent to Judge as he; and though with all their industry, and using the same means, they cannot find the fact to be as he determins, yet they are obliged in conscience to that superior to depart from their own Judgement, and to yield and sign their assent to his determinations. Witness the matter of Jansenius. Yea their great Cardinal is positive that c Si Papa erraret praecipiendo vitia, vel prohibe●do virtutes, teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona, virtutes malas, nisi vellet contra conscientiam peccare. Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. l. 4. c. 5. sect. ultima. If the Pope could err so far as to call evil good, good evil, to prohibit virtues or command vices, the Church were bound in conscience to believe those vices good and honest, and those virtues evil. So far he. Indeed if that Church be the Mother and Nurse of all Christians, 'tis from her breasts only they must seek the sincere Milk of the word: Now that she is so, they must take her word, as Children do their Parents words that they are so. And indeed this is properly to receive the Doctrine as a little Child, not judge, nor reason, not examine, but believe it. And such legendary doctrines as well as Histories, which they deliver are most fit to be received by such as Children. Yet as if this had been the proper method among Christians always, in S. Austin's time we find the Manichees derided Christianity, that discipline of Faith because by d Irridere Catholicae Fidei disciplinam, quod juberentur homines credere, non autem quid esset verum certissimâ ratione docerentur. l. 1. Retract. c. 14. that men were commanded to believe and were not taught how to distinguish truth from falsehood by clear reason, and again, that it e De util. cred. c. 1. ante Fidem nobis quam rationem imperari. requires us to assent before we have a reason for it. And long before that f Origen. adv. Celsum. l. 1. p. 8. editio Cantabrig, C. 1. Celsus did advise the Christians to receive no doctrines but on the account of reason, credulity being the inlet to deceit, saying, they that without grounds believe, are like those that admire and ●e satisfied with jugglers, and take appearances and sleight of hand for truth, adding many of the Christians, neither would receive, nor give a reason of their faith but used to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, do not you examine, but believe, 'tis your faith shall save you; and as if from the beginning it were so we cannot but have heard the story of that man that reading Genesis where Moses says, In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. And he said let there be light and there was light, etc. Swore at him, saying, this Barbarian only asserted boldly but proved nothing. As if Argument and Reason never had place in the Jewish or the Christian Religion, only those who were the in●titutors of each Religion, did deliver it; others had no more to do but to believe it, that is, to receive it as a little Child. Whether these reproaches, and the Oath of these known enemies may go for proofs that it was so, I shall not now inquire. But it is certain on the other side S. Paul requires of his new Christian g 1 Cor. 14. 20. Corinthians, that they be not Children in understanding, that they be in malice Children, but in understanding Men. Now a Man and a Child differ not in this, that the one hath an understanding reasonable soul, and the other hath not; but in that the one cannot use his understanding or his reason, and the other where he acts as man does: So that our Religion in requiring that we be in understanding men, does require of us that we use our reason in it. And since assenting to a thing as truth is an Act of the highest faculty of the soul of man as it is properly and truly reasonable, namely as it understands and judges, it is not possible a man should really believe a thing unless he satisfy himself that he hath reason for so doing. Yea, whether that be true or not which many men so eagerly contend for, that the will though free is bound, and cannot choose but will that which appears best at that time it wills, yet it is sure that he who with his understanding, which is not free in her apprehensions and judgements, but must necessarily embrace that which hath most evidence of truth: He I say who really assents to any proposition does satisfy himself that he hath better and more cogent reasons for that then the contrary: And therefore it is impossible that any man can verily believe a thing which he is throughly convinced is contrary to clear and evident right reason, for he cannot have a better reason for the thing that is so; and were it possible for any man to believe so, there could be neither grounds nor Rules for such a ones belief; for there is nothing in the World, so false and so absurd although he were assured it were so, but he might assent to it, for whatever demonstrations could be offered why he should not, yet it seems he might believe against acknowledged evident truth and reason, but this were only wish, or fancy and imagination, not belief. And to prevent such Childish weak credulity was the great work and care of Christ, so far is he from requiring we should be as Children in this kind. For when he was ascended up to heaven he gave some Apostles, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers, he shed down the Holy Spirit and his gifts, that we might not be as Children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine; Eph. 4. 14. First, For want of rational grounds instable in our Faith as Children are in body, and in judgement also, taking all appearances for truths. If men were only to believe, there must needs be as great variety of Religions as of teachers. And though God hath appointed that some Church should be as perfectly infalliable as that of Rome pretends to be; yet since there are so many Churches, and the true one therefore could be known no otherwise then by some marks, there must be disquisition before Faith; and men must reason and examine ere they can believe upon good grounds; for were they to receive Religion as a little Child, be nursed up with the Doctrine as with milk, a Child we know may suck infection from the poisoned breast of an unwholesome mother, or some other person, for it knows not to distinguish; and so may be nursed to death. A soul like theirs that is but rasa t●bula, white paper, is as fitted to receive the mark of the beast, as the inscription of the living God, just as the first hand shall impress. Therefore we are bid h I Joh. 4. 1. not to believe every Spirit, not every Teacher though he come with gifts, pretend and seem to be inspired, but try them; and our i Mat. 24. 24. Saviour forewarned the Jews of false Christ's that should come with signs and wonders. Something therefore must be known first and secured, before the understanding can be thus obliged to give up its assent; and a 2 Cor. 10. 5. Captivate every thought into obedience, as S. Paul directs. Now what that was here to the hearers in the Text is easily collected, namely that he was the Christ that does require it: And S. Paul expresses it in the forecited place; where he says we must bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, to wit, of that Christ, who as he does himself profess that if he had not done among them the works which no other had done, they had not had sin: John, 15. 24. If his demonstrations had not convinced them it had been no fault not to believe: So when he had made appear he was that person whom their prophecies had pointed out, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and this not only his b Mat. 16. 16. Disciples had acknowledged; but the c John ●. 12. multitudes; yea, when his miracles had made one of the Pharisees confess, d John ●. 2. Rabbi we know thou art a Teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles, except God be with him. Then if the e Mat. 19 ●. Pharisees dispute against his Doctrine of Divorce, urge the authority of Moses and God's Law; and the f v. 10. Disciples press the inconveniences that will happen, If the case of Man be such with his wife; he may answer them: He that will not receive my Doctrines without dispute, that is to say, He that will not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall not enter therein. g Luke 19 38. This King that cometh in the name of the Lord may well determine how we shall receive the Kingdom of God. If he propose strange precepts to our practice, it appears that he is sent from God, and Gods commands are not to be disputed but obeyed; if his revelations present dark unintelligible Mysteries to our faith, his promises offer seeming impossibilities to our hope, why yet he hath made proof he comes from God; and surely we are not so insolent as to doubt that God can discover thing above our understanding; and do things above the comprehension of our reason. Therefore since we are as Children to all these, it is but just we should receive them even as little Children: With a perfect resignation of our understandings and of our whole souls. Here 'tis most true what S. Austin says, h De utilit. cred. c. 14. Those are not Christians who deny that Christ is to be believed, unless there be some other certain reason of the thing besides his saying, Si Christo etiam credendum negant ●isi indubitata ratio reddita fuerit Christiani non sunt. For to them that are convinced of that, 'tis such a reason that he is the Christ. There is indeed no other name now under heaven, to whom we are obliged to give such deference, for however the modern Doctrines dare assert, that Christ hath given the very same infallibility which himself had to all S. Peter's successors as often as they speak ex Cathedrâ; and that in matters both of right and of particular fact; yet not to countenance this monster by admitting combat with it, nor to put myself into the circle which these men commit who talk of the Authority of the Church, to which they require us to resign our Faith. I shall not stay to rack them on that their own wheel: This I dare affirm, it is impossible for any person or assembly to produce a delegation of authority in more ample terms then the great Council of the Jews could show, signed both by God and Christ. According to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee, and according to the Judgement which they shall tell thee thou shalt do; thou shal● not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand, nor to the left, faith God, Deut. 17. 11. compared with 2 Chron. 19 8, 9, 10, 11. And our Saviour says, They sit in Moses Chair, all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, Mat. 23. 2. Let them of Rom● produce you a better and more large commission. Yet did not this suppose that Council was infallible either in the interpreting the Law, or in attesting of tradition, or in judging of a Prophet, or that the Jews were blindly to give up their assent and their obedience to their sentence; God did not mean the people should imagine that when he prescribed a Sacrifice for expiation of their errors in their Judgement when they found it out. Leu. 4. 13. As their own i 〈…〉. tad. Shegagoth. c. 12. 13. V. 〈…〉 l. 3. c. ● p. 465. Or see, Ai●sworth upon that place of Levi●●●●. Doctors do expound it: Therefore God supposed that they might err, and we know that their Traditions did evacuate the Law, Mat. 23. 15. They judged and slew true Prophets, v. 37. They declared the Messiah an impostor, Mat. 27. 63. and blasphemer, and for that condemned him, Mat. 26. 65. and decreed what the Apostles told them they must not obey, Act. 5. 25. But though there be no such Authority that's absolute, over the Faith of Men now upon Earth; yet if this Jesus did acquire such by his Works; if by the Miracles he wrought, his raising others from the Dead, his own Death and his Resurrection, he sufficiently justified the Divinity of his Doctrine; (And if those Miracles were true, they were not doubt sufficient) and if those that did pretend they were eye witnesses and ministers of all this, his Apostles and the Seventy Disciples, and those others that accompanied him, who conversed with him continually, and could not therefore be deceived if they profess they heard and saw all this, and Preached it in the face of those that would have contradicted if they could, and rather than their lives have proved all false; yea Preached it every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following. If they consigned that Word in Writing also which they Preached, to be a measure and a Standard of that Doctrine to fnturity; which Word so Preached and Written by agreeing, would in aftertimes give mutual illustrious evidence to one another; and if any Heter ●●●●ies should at any time creep by degrees into the Articles or the external practice of the Church, they might he easily discovered by those Records. And if the multitudes that heard, and saw, and did receive all this, and which were grown extremely numerous almost in every Nation of the then known World, while those Apostles and Disciples lived; if these delivered what they must needs know whether 'twere true or not, delivered both that Doctrine and those Books of it as most certain truth, by Preaching, and by Writing, and by Living to it, and by Dying for it, and engaging their Posterity to do so; and they also did that to all Ages; if all this, I say, be true, than it is easy to conclude that we are to receive the Doctrine of that Jesi●, and this Book the Records of it, with the resignation of a little Child, and absolutely to submit our Faith to them. But that it was thus; first as sure as any of us here, who have not seen the thing can be, that Christianity is now professed; the Bible now received in all the Regions round about us throughout Europe, or indeed that there are ●●ch Regions and places, so sure we may be, for we have the testimony of the World, that for example in the days of Dioclesian 'twas over the World professed both with their mouths and lives; owned in despite of Spoil, of Torments, and of Death; and they did value the Records of this Doctrine so much dearer than their Lives or their Estates, that in prosecution of those m vid. Eus●b. l. 8. c. 3. Edicts, wherein the Christians were required to deliver up their Bibles to be burnt, in one Month n vid. Baron. Annal. ad annum. 302. num. 22. & 26. 17000, were put to death: And the Persecution lasted at that rate for ten years' time; so that in Egypt only it is said there were slain o Spondanus ad annum 302. num. 4. Severus l. 2. hist ait, Omnis ferisacro martyrum cruore orbis infectus est. 144000, and 70000 banished. (The Laity it seems were allowed Bibles then.) Or put the case higher in Adrian's, or Trajan's time, who both lived within an p There were ●ut seven years betwixt the death of S. Joh. and the Persecution of Trajan, some say but one. Hundred years of Christ, who Martyred them till weariness slackened the Execution, and they gave off only as it were that so they might cease to persecute themselves; and we have the q Plinius. Procon. Ponti. & Byth' ni●. vid. ipsius Ep. l 10. Ep. 97. Tertul. Apol. Euseb. Ecc. hist. l. 3. c. 3● Officers engaged attesting this, all which must needs be as notorious as the Light. Now Secondly, 'tis most impossible those so vast multitudes of every Nation should have met together, forged a Code of Doctrines, and agreed so uniformly in professing a Religion, and in dying for it; for we may as easily believe that there were never any men before this Age we live in but that these began the kind, as that those of that Age began the Christian Religion. Thirdly, 'tis as impossible that their immediate Ancestors who lived in the Apostles Age, who heard their Preaching, received their Writings, saw the Miracles they did, if they did any, and many of them must have seen Christ also after he was risen if it were so; yea multitudes of them were themselves parties in the gifts of Tongues and Miracles, if there were any, and so could not be imposed on, but must necessarily know whether they were truths or forgeries: It is as Impossible, I say, so many should agree together to betray all their Posterity into the profession of a Religion from which they could look for no advantage but the certain total Ruin of themselves and their posterity; it was not possible they could have done this if they had not thought all this was true; and since they did know whether it were true or not, if they thought it was true, they did know it was, and if they knew it was, than it is certain that it was so; and these Scriptures, and the Doctrines Christians deliver (so far as they have not varied since that time from these Authentical Records) they have the Seal of God, Miracles to attest they come from God. I might have urged completion of Prophecies to prove the same. First those in the Old Testament of the Messiah, which so eminently came to pass in Christ, that they sufficiently clear those Books to be Divine: Next Christ's predictions in the New, particularly those about Jerusalem, which saith Eusebius r Euseb. lib. 3. c. 7. Hist Eccl: He that will compare with what Josephus an eye-witness and no Christian, writes of it (or what ourselves know of that Nation and that place indeed) he must acknowledge the Divinity of his words. But enough hath been said to prove they come from God, and therefore we must so receive them as the Word of God, with perfect resignation of our Souls, and submission of our judgements, denying every apprehension that would start aside from and not captivate itself to that prime truth which cannot be deceived nor lie; and renounce all discourses Reason offers that resist such abnegation of itself and all our other faculties, that is, receive this word of the Kingdom as a little Child. I do not here affirm, by saying this, that our Religion does disdain, or keep distance from the service of any of Man's faculties, for it sometimes admits them not as Ministers only, but as Judges: 'Tis plain the senses were the first, I do not say conveyance only, but, Foundation of Faith, which was built on the first believers eyes and ears; they heard the Doctrine, saw the Miracles, were sure they saw and heard them, and so, supposing the signs sufficient to confirm the Doctrine to have come from God, were certain of their truth, without any Authority of a Church to influence that faith into divine: And S. John therefore does not only call in, and admit, and urge their testimony, s I Joh. 1. 1, 2. That which we have heard, which we have seen with our Eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of Life, that declare we unto you; But our Saviour in the highest point of Faith appeals directly to their Judgement: t Joh. 20. 27. Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing: And S. Austin also gives them the decision of a point of Doctrine which of all others now troubles the Church most; for speaking of the Eucharist, he says, u Quod ergo videtis panis est. & calix quod vobis etiam oculi vestri renuncia●t. Aug. serm, ad infants. that which you see is Bread, and 'tis a Cup, it is that very thing which your eyes tell you ' 'tis. x Tertul. de Anima. c. 17. Tertullian also long before that had appealed to them in that very cause. And in an instance where their sentencè passes, 'tis not strange if Reason also take the Chair, and do pretend to Judge. And truly when the Scripture that does call those Elements y Mat. 26. 29. Christ's Body and his Blood, does also call them after Consecration z I Cor. 11. 26. 27. Bread and Wine; and since they must be called one of them by a figure, for they cannot be in Substance both; and since that Scripture hath not told us where the Figure lies, hath not expressly said, 'tis this but in resemblance, that in Substance: Here if Reason that hath Principles by which to judge of Bodies, which are exposed to all the notices and trials of our several faculties, and to which a Trope is not a stranger, it can judge of figurative speeches; when it therefore finds if it admit the figure in that form This is my Body, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'Tis but just the same which was in the Jews Sacrament the Paschal Lamb: which they called the Body of the Passover, though it were but the memorial, Talm. Baby. tit. Pesachim. c. 10. sec. 3. Mai●on. Yad. titulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 8. sec. 7. a figure which was always usual in Sacraments, and is indeed essential to Sacraments: And which is used in all things that are given by exhibitive signs. But if it should resolve it to be Bread and Wine only in a figure, besides a most impossible acknowledged Consequence, that a man can be nourished by them, which the Romanists dare not deny; nor yet dare grant that men can feed upon a trope, be nourished with a figure; besides this, if reason shall resolve that, it must judge against all Rules it hath of judging by, and judge in contradiction to known Principles, and trample on all Laws of sense and understanding, which (especially when the Scripture hath no where defined expressly) must be most unreasonable; yea most impossible, to judge that true (that is to say, believe that thing) which it sees is most irreconcilable with known truths. Here therefore Reason is not insolent if it give verdict by its proper evidences; men are not bound to swallow contradictions as they do the Wafer, or receive as a little Child, that discerns the Lord's Body, no more than it does the repugnancies that are consequent to their Hypothesis concerning it. Or to make another instance, when the Scripture says, God is a Spirit, yet does also give him hands, and eyes, and ears, and wings, and these of strange prodigious dimensions; neither tells us which of these is proper and which figure: Here if Reason that can prove God cannot be a Body, and cannot endure his God should be a monster, shall be called in to pass sentence; they that make Philosophy interpret Holy Writ in this case, and give the last resort to Reason, do no more usurp or trespass on Religion, than they that make use of Authors, or a Dictionary judge of the sense of any Greek or Hebrew word in Scripture. But notwithstanding this we may not think the mysteries of Faith are to be measured by the Rules of natural Reason, so to stand or fall as they approve themselves to its discourse or Principles: for though it be impossible that any Revelation can contradict right Reason (truth cannot be inconsistent with truth:) yet it is very possible God can reveal those truths which we have neither faculties analogal, nor Principles or notions proportioned to, nor any natural ways of judging or examining. And if those faculties which are not capable of cognisance will judge; and judge of things removed from all our notices; (such as Spiritual, Infinite, Eternal being is) and do it by principles gathered from the information of our Senses, and by analogy with things of another kind; corporeal finite things that are about us; reason need not be informed how liable such judgements must be to mistakes; and how that which we call repugnancy in one may have no place in the other. Here therefore to submit ourunderstandings, and believe is but modest justice, and to receive as Children what our Heavenly Father says. And therefore they that will presume to comprehend what ere they are commanded to believe, and those that will believe nothing but what they are able to comprehend, are alike insolent, if not pernicious. 'Tis true God by the Gospel hath revealed and brought to light many things which before appeared only as he himself did in the Temple, in a Cloud; namely concerning the Divine nature, Persons, Properties, and the Eternal being, and the Incarnation of his Son; but still, as God himself is said to do, these also dwell in Light, that no man can approach unto. Which he that will needs gaze and pry too near to, must be dazzled into blindness, and be only so much more in the dark. But he that proudly does conceit his little spark of Reason can bear up with that Divinity of brightness, and enlighten him to look through all those inaccessible discoveries, with Lucifer's assuming he hath reason to expect his fall. The a The Schoolman. one of these that will needs clear all mysteries, the b The Socinian. other will take them all away; the one that with his Pencil will presume to figure him who is the brightness of God's glory, and trace out the lineaments by which that everlasting Father did impress the character, and express Image of his person on him, and the other that with a bold hand dashes out the Person from the Nature; the one that will untie the knots of the Hypostatick union; and the other that will cut them and the union too asunder; the one that will needs prove by Reason whatsoever is in Scripture, and the other that speaking of Christ's Satisfaction, saith c Ego quidem etiamsi non semel, sed saepe id in sacris monimentis scriptum extaret, non id circo taman ita prorsu● se habere crederem. Socin●s, de Servatore. l. 3. c. 6. 2 Vol. 204. for my part if it were not only once but oftentimes set down in holy Scripture, yet would not I therefore believe it, because forsooth it was against his reasonings: Neither the one or other of these sure receive revelation as a little Child, not like young Samuel, Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth. But these, as all extravagance is wont, are profited into much worse: The one that would be proving, making reasons for, the mysteries, often God knows framed only shadows, and the other by their light of Reason being able to dispel and make those shadows vanish, that so easy victory encouraged them to frame reasons against, and to attaque the mysteries themselves; and than others finding there was something that was taken to be reason not agreeing with some chief heads of Religion, as they had been still received; took occasion thence to conclude against the whole Religion; and by scruples at some Articles taught themselves to dispute all the Creed; and now a difficulty in one Doctrine makes the rest suspected, and regarded only as things made to amuse, and the unusual wording of a Command is thought ground enough to turn all Christian duty into Raillery. For instance; If Christ intending by prescribing patience, to teach men how to escape not only from the guilt, and present torture that a Spirit which will needs return each sleight offence is subject to, but also from the future and eternal recompenses of revenge, shall in phrasing his injunctions but bid them d Mat. 5. 39 turn the other cheek, no Gentleman can be of his Religion; and that is cause enough I hope not only to renounce, but scorn it. If in mere compassion meaning only to make virtue easy, by advising us against the snares and the occasions of Vice, he word his Counsel in prescriptions to e Mat. 5. 29, 30 pull out the right eye, cut off the right hand: His Religion is a much worse Tyranny than the Covenant f And the men of Jabesh Gilead said unto Nabash, make a covenant with us and we will serve thee. And Nabash answered them, on this condition will I make a Covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. 1 Sam. 11. 1, 2. Na●ash offered to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and they think themselves as much concerned to make parties against it: In fine, if that he might at once instruct us how to pull up g 1 Tim. 6 10. the root of all evil, he forbid us h Mat. 6. 19, 20 to lay up treasures upon the Earth, and tell us that our treasures should be laid up in Heaven, and say it is i Mat. 19 24, 26. impossible for a rich man to enter into Heaven; here they cry out mainly he supposeth us, and treats us just as Children: This Command requires indeed that they who do receive it should be Children, whom we use to cheat of gold by the same methods, telling them it is not good for them at present that it shall be laid up for them; and therefore when Religion does attempt to deal with men so, 'tis concluded it designs to cozen them, as they think it does indeed, and is a cheat, and all that minister about it are mere fourbes: And truly if we racked the Consciences of dying men, and if so be they would give so much to this Cloister or that Order promised them remission of their sins, and worse than Judas, sold the purchase of Christ's Blood at those base rates, and betrayed the Redemption so, on God's name let them so account us; but if we do attempt on nothing but men's vices, and would only steal their Souls from Hell, and cheat them into piety and blessedness, these we hope are very unreproachful frauds. But alas! to talk to them of these after-things, of Heaven and Hell is altogether as much liable to their contempt as the commands are. If we tell them of a Resurrection to Judgement, and of everlasting fire to punish wicked men, because their reason cannot comprehend how flame can hurt a Soul; or for the Body how devouring fire can repair the food it preys upon, that it may keep alive and nourish torment to eternity; or how each man's peculiar dust that is digested into several men's being and so become no one man's peculiar, when it shall be also blended with the ashes of the Universe, can be singled out and parted to its proper owner, when there are so many own it, because their reason cannot comprehend all this, therefore Scriptures lake of fire must be no more than the Poets Acheron; and Resurrection was framed (as the apparition of a Ghost is wont to do) to fright men merely; and however 'tis attested Christ did never rise, but all is fable: Thus from such premises as these our rational disputing men conclude. And here I shall not ask how these men dare presume, that if there be a God who hath declared that he will bring such things to pass, yet he must be unable to affect them, if they cannot comprehend the manner how he does them; or be confident they can look through those beams that come out of his hand, Hab. III. 4. in which the hiding of his Power is: But this I shall say to our men of reason, theirs is the most unreasonable way of arguing in the world; to dispute against plain matters of fact, the being and the Works of such and such so many ages since, and witnessed by a greater testimony than the World can show for any other thing; and ever since appearing in their visible and vast effects, as the Conversion, Suffering, Faith, of the whole Earth almost. Now to attempt the confutation of such matter of fact by reasonings drawn from difficulties in some things which those men are witnessed to have delivered, or to conclude, that there can never have been any such persons in the World, because they cannot understand all that those persons taught, or possibly because they can take some occasions to buffoon on what they taught, is most ridiculous. Thus History must have been false, and several known places not to have been, because the story hath been turned into Burlesque: Thus he that with the Ancients cannot comprehend how it is possible that there should be Antipodes, or the Earth can be any thing but a plain flat, otherwise he thinks the inhabitants must fall down to Heaven; may as rationally despise all the discoveries of the Earth, assure himself our constant Navigations which persuade us 'tis a Globe inhabited on both sides, bring home from the Indies nothing else but false relations, and that indeed there are no Indies. I need not urge how Christianity approves itself even to the reasoning of the sober part of mankind; and the morality of it had the suffrage of the World before itself appeared: For while the evidence stands good, if the matter of fact be true, the Doctrine must be true, and the commands obeyed: and to use such arguings to resell such matter of fact is just like that which Zeno did attempt, namely, by subtleties to prove it was impossible there could be any motion, while another did disturb his Lecture by his motion up and down the Schools; it is the same thing as to take a bowl to cut with, or the vessels of the Danaid's to carry water in: For such reasonings are alike improper for that work. And indeed these arguings are not the exceptions of reason, but the struggle of men's vices against Religion. And it must be impossible so many Thousands would give up their Bodies, rather than their Bibles to the fire in Dioclesian's days, because it is a book which they can find no other pleasure in but that of railing it, or helping them with subjects to be profane upon. It must be false that Christ did feed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 small fishes, Mat. XIV. 20. 21. till 12 baskets full of broken pieces did remain; yet not so much because they know not how their eating could nourish the victuals so, and make it grow; as because they are angry with the worker of the miracle, who forbids and upbraids the excesses of their luxury, which can easily, and does daily consume the price of that that would suffice 5000, without miracle on 5 single persons; and all that when 'tis dressed according to the modern mode of eating well, dissolved, turned into juices, and exalted into the Elixir of the Epicure, shall leave, alas! no broken pieces for the Almsbasket: This is the quarrel; this does make the miracle impossible. And yet methinks upon the same account they should allow, John II. 6. 7. that at a feast he turned so many pots of water into wine, because that seems to gratify the thirsts of their intemperance. In fine, we do not live as men prepared or willing to be called to an account of all our doings, therefore we have no mind to rise again to give it: When we are thus minded, it is not hard to meet with difficulties that encourage the opinion that we shall not rise. Which difficulties when we look into, we cannot find how it is possible we can be raised, and 'tis easy then to think we cannot, that it is impossible, especially when it is our will and interest to think so; and than it must be false whatever is in Scripture that we shall. These are the processes of those that reason against Christianity, such the grounds that they dispute upon: But their reasons are but Sophisms of lust and interest, which will gild and paint whatever they are much in love with, and it is no wonder they find colours for it, and can think them reasons, for they always did so against present evident conviction. When Moses by his miracles endeavoured to let Pharaoh know who was the Lord, and to persuade him to let Israel go; while God permitted the a Exod. VII. 11, 13, 22. Magicians to counterfeit those miracles, it looked like reasonable indeed that Pharaoh should not be convinced; but when they could not imitate, but did confess b Exod. VIII. 19 the finger of the Lord, and c Exod. IX. 11. themselves suffered those plagues which they could not either conjure up or down; then if Pharaoh will not be persuaded, 'tis plain nothing but his interest, not the wonders which were brought by the Magicians, were the reasons that prevailed with him; for those were not reasons against more and greater miracles; yet they were effectual with him to the destruction of himself and his nation. Again when they who knew the mighty works Christ did, and were d Mat. 24. 29. forewarned by him of false Christ's and false Prophets, that would come with signs and lying wonders; God allowing Satan leave to struggle at his last gasp, and to make a blaze when he was to fall from heaven as lightning, but far beneath the glory of his only begotten Son: when they who knew both these, chose yet to follow a Barchocab, a false falling Meteor, who came indeed with greater show, and not with such strict mortifying Doctrines, nor only with the thin encouragement of after-expectations as Christ did, for he gave them hopes of present temporal enjoyments; but he did no wonder besides spitting fire (S. Jerome says) and throwing great stones from his kn●e as from an Engine, Vid. Raimundi Martini, pug. fidei, p. 262. say his followers; which yet could not scare the Soldiers, neither did the Roman Eagles (which were truebred) fear those flames he spate, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but destroyed some e Four Millions, vide pug. fid. ibid. millions of them. Now 'tis evident by the comparison of the several signs that Christ and this Barchocab wrought, the only reasons that gave efficacy to that sleight imposture, and did make it overpower Christ's mighty works, was their earthly desires and affections which Christ's severe Doctrines could not gratify, and therefore f 2 Thes II. 10. they receiving not the love of the truth, but having pleasure in unrighteousness, gave themselves up to delusions to believe a lie; Tert. Apol. c. 23. Edatar hic aliquis sub tribunalibus vestris ex iis qui de Deo pati exist imantur, qui aris inbalan●es numen de nidore concipiunt, qui ructando conantur, qui anhelando profantur; nisi se damones confessi ●uerint, Christiano mentiri non audentes ibidem. etc. yet still those delusions went for reason with them. Once more Tertullian challenging the Heathen says, Produce before your judgment-seats some, whom you will, of those who are inspired by any of your Gods, when gaping o'er the Altar they have in its fumes (according to their custom) taken in the Deity till they are great with it, & ructando conantur, while they are in travel with him, as it were, have belching throws, that they burst almost till they are delivered of the inspiration: while it is thus, let but any Christian adjure them by the name of Christ, and if the spirits that they are possessed with do not presently confess that they are Devils, ibidem illius Christiani procacissimi sanguinem fundite, let the saucy petulant Christian lose his life. He speaks of this as a known frequent trial. And Minutius Felix says, their chiefest Gods have been forced out of their Votaries, and acknowledged they were evil spirits. Now here was reason and experience; the miracle was so evident, that Tertullian bragging says, do not believe it if your eyes and ears can suffer you; and the reason was more pressing then the fact, Nec enim Divinitas deputanda est quae fubdita esthomini, it being most impossible that that should be a God which a man could rule and triumph over, so imperiously manage him, as with a bare command to force him from his hold, and make him shame himself so villainously before both his adorers and his enemies, as to say, He was a Devil. Yet the Heathens still found colours to do out all this conviction; and their old acquaintance with their Gods, together with the Custom of their vicious Worships, had more force with them then miracle and reason. And while the Christian dispossessed their Deities, he was himself turned out of all his own possessions; and although he made their God confess himself a Devil, yet still poor he was made to suffer as a malefactor. And 'tis not strange if men now stick as closely to their vices, as those did to the Gods that patronised them, and it be as hard to exorcise the Devil out of their affections and practices, as it was then out of Heathen Votaries or Temples. They are as fierce against the Christian Religion for their lust's sake, as those for their Venus, and the very same account that made those Heathen Customs, or the lying wonders of false Christ's, or Pharaoh's Magicians sings, be more persuasive than the other more real miracles; namely, because they sided with their inclinations and interests. This very account makes little difficulties (which Almighty God hath left in our Religion, as he suffered signs and lying wonders heretofore, for trials) yea, makes cavils, mere exceptions, pass for reasons most invincible, be disputed, urged with great concern and passion, against all those methods of conviction which God hath afforded Christianity. Now if this be to receive Religion as a little Child, 'tis with the frowardness of Children, when they are displeased or ill at ease; who resist and quarrel with the thing that is to make them well or please them, and return the Parents cares to ease and quiet them with little outrages and vexing. And do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee and established thee? Ask thy Father and he will show thee, thy Elders and they will tell thee, Deut. 32. 6, 7. Now have Children any other way to know their Parents, then to let their Father show them, and their Elders tell them? Or should we cast off the relation and renounce all the obedience due to it, because we are not sure of it ourselves? For aught we know those may not be our Parents, we have only testimony for it: Thus we serve our God on that account; and yet Hath he not made thee and established thee? As he began us, so did he not nurse and bear us in his arms, and carry us in all our weakness and difficulties, till he brought us up to a full strength? Till by a miraculous and signal providence he had established, settled us? and after all these cares bestowed upon us, do we prove a generation of vipers only, such as do requite the bowels that did bear and nourish them, by preying on them and consuming them? Or like the offspring of a Spider, who, when he hath spent himself with weaving nets, Arist. hist. Anim. l. 5. c. 27. Plin. nat. hist. l. 11. c. 24. and working of them into labyrinths, to be the granaries and the defences of his brood, to catch them prey, and to secure them; then the strongest of his young ones, when he is by these his cares established and grown ripe to destroy, makes those threads fatal to his parent, which he spun out of his bowels to be thread of life to him. And shall we be such Children to our Father that established us? Make all his plenties turn to poison in us, and invenome us against himself? make his miraculous mercies furnish us for the abuse and provocation of him? His blessed Providence serve only to afford us arguments against itself; help to confute itself because it hath so prospered, doth still suffer us? but after all this, is he not thy Father that hath bought thee? who to all his titles to us, his endearing obligations, notwithstanding our despites and provocations of them; yet did give the life of his own Son to purchase o'er again the same relation to us, that we might have right to the inheritance of his Kingdom: And then however we have hitherto affronted, let us be content now to be bought and hired, Rom. VIII. 7. to receive that Kingdom of God as his Children; for if Children than heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, who died to make us Kings and Priests to God and his Father. To whom be glory, etc. A SERMON PREACHED IN St PETER's WESTMINSTER ON SUNDAY, January vi. 1660. AT THE CONSECRATION OF THE Right Reverend Fathers in God, GILBERT Lord Bishop of Bristol, EDWARD Lord Bishop of Norwich, NICHOLAS Lord Bishop of Hereford, WILLIAM Lord Bishop of Gloucester. By RICHARD ALLESTRY D. D. Canon of Christ-Church in Oxford, and one of His Majesty's Chaplains. LONDON: Printed by John Playford, in the Year 1683. Right Reverend Father in God, GILBERT, Lord Bishop of London, and Dean of His Majesty's Chapel Royal. My LORD, WHEN I consider with what reluctancies I appear thus in public; I have all reason to suspect and fear, lest this offering, which like an unwilling Sacrifice was dragged to the Altar, and which hath great defects too, will be far from propitiating either for its self or for the votary. But I must crave leave to add, that how averse soever I was to the publishing this rude Discourse, I make the Dedication with all possible zeal, and ready cheerfulness. For I expect your Lordship to be a Patron, not only to my Sermon, but to my Subject. Such a separate eminence of virtue and of sweetness mixed together may hope to ingratiate Your Function, to a Generation of men that will not yet know their own good, but resist mercy, and are not content to be happy. And for myself, Your Lordship's great goodness and obligingness hath encouraged me, not 〈◊〉 to hope that you will pardon all the miscarriages of what I now present, but also to presume to shelter it and myself under your Lordship's Name and Command, and to honour myself before the World by this address, and by assuming the relation of▪ My Lord, Your Lordship's most humbly devoted and most faithful Servant, RICH. AL●●STRY. SERMON XVI. IN St PETER WESTMINSTER. January 6. 1660. ACTS XIII. 2. The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. AND as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the holy Ghost said,— Although that ministering to God by prayer and fasting, be the indicted and appropriate acts to preface such Solemnities as this; and that not Sermons, but Litanies and intercessions, are the peculiar adherents of Embers, and of Consecrations; and those vigorous strive with Almighty God by Prayer are the birth-pangs in which Fathers are born unto the Church: Yet since that now this Sacred Office is itself opposed, and even the Mission of Preachers preached against, and the Authority that sends despised as Antichristian, whilst separation and pretence unto the Holy Ghost set up themselves against the strict injunction of the Holy Ghost to separate; the Pulpit that otherwhiles hath fought against it, must now atone its errors, by attending on the Altar, and the bold ungrounded claims of Inspiration, that false Teachers have usurped, be superseded by the voice of the Holy Ghost himself, who in this case becomes the Preacher, and says, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. My Text is a Commission parole from Heaven, in it you have, First, the Person that sends it out; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The Holy Ghost said. Secondly, the Persons to whom it is directed; employed in the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate, more particularly expressed in the foregoing words. Verse 1. 2. Thirdly, the thing to which they were empowered by the Commission, or which was required of them; set down in the remaining words of the Text, wherein you have. 1. The Act enjoined; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, separate. 2. The Object; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, separate me Barnabas and Saul. 3. The end for what; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a work. 4. The determination of that work; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the work whereunto I have called them. Of these in their Order: and first, I The Holy Ghost said. Of those five things for want of which the second Jewish Temple sunk below the first, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. and its Glory seemed faint in the comparison, the Chiefest was the Holy Ghost; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. who became silent; his Oracles ceased then, and he spoke no more by the Prophets. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. A thing not only confessed by the Thalmudists, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. (who say our Rabbins have delivered to us, that from the time of Haggai, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Zechary and Malachy, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost was taken away from Israel) but so notorious in experience, The Ark of the Covenant, with the Propitiatory and Cherubin's, the Vrim and Thummim; the fire that came down form Heaven to consume the burnt offerings; the Glory of God that appeared between the Cherubin's; and the Holy Ghost that spoke by the Prophets. See Gemar. c. 1. in Joma. See also Galat. l. 4. citing the same out of R. Elias, R. Solomon, R. David. that when St. Paul meets Disciples at Ephesus, Acts 19 1. and asks them if they have received the Holy Ghost, whether at their Baptism the Spirit came down upon them as he did then on others; they answer ver. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost, any extraordinary effusions of the Spirit, whether he do come down in Gifts and Afflations, such as we know were usual in the first Jewish Temple, but have not been for a long time, and we have not yet heard they are restored, (for of this pouring out of the Holy Ghost they must needs mean it, not of himself, of whom they could not doubt, nothing was more known in the Jewish Church.) But as our Saviour did supply the other four with all advantage, and so fulfilled the Prophecy, and made the glory of that Temple greater: so for the fifth, the spirit, he was restored in kind with infinate improvement, that of Joel fulfilled, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, for they were all baptised with the Holy Ghost; baptised in rivers of living waters, which did flow out of the belly of themselves, for this he spoke of the Spirit, which all that believed on him should receive Joh. 7. 39 so that Joel did scarce feel or fore see enough to prophesy of b Hag. 2. 10. this abundance, but the inundations were almost like Christ's receivings, e Joel. 2. 28. John 3. 14. without measure. Nor were his Inspirations as of old, dark and mysterious Oracles, direction in rapture, where the Message itself was to have another revelation, and it must be prophecy to understand as well as utter: But in the Gospel his effusions run clear, and transparent as the Water that expresseth them, revealing even all the unknown languages that were the conduits and conveyances; all plain express direction, such as that of the Text. Now amongst all the several uses of the Holy Ghost for which he was poured out in this abundance, amongst all the designs he did engage himself in, and advance, he does not seem to have a greater agency nor to interess himself more in any, than in qualifying for, and separating to Church-Offices. This seems to be his great work: And indeed how can he choose but be particularly concerned in those Officer which are his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his gifts? Timothy's is expressly called so, in each of his Epistles, 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. And when our Saviour, Ephes. 4, 8. is said to give the gifts of the Holy Ghost to men, it is added how, ver. 11. He gave some Apostles, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, namely because those gifts enabled for those Offices, and all the reason in the World that he should have a special hand in giving, where himself is to be received. Receive the Holy Ghost, that was from the beginning, and is yet the installation to them: And if we take them from their divine original, 1 Pet. 2. 25. from that great Pastor and Bishop of our souls, who was the maker of them too, Thus he was consecrated; the spirit of the Lord is upon me, therefore he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel, Luke 4. 18. And when he comes to ordain succession, he says, as my Father sent me, so send I you: And he breathed upon them, and said, Receive the Holy Ghost, Joh. 20. 21. And after bids them tarry at Jerusalem till they should be endued with power from above, Luk. 24. 47. That is, endued with the Holy Spirit, Act. 1. The present Barnabas and Saul were sent by his Commission in the Text; and v. 4. And Saint Paul tells the Elders of the Churches of Asia, the Holy Ghost made them overseers, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Act. 20. 28. Timothy had his Office, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by immediate designation of the Holy Ghost, 1 Tim. 4. 14. d Ep. ad Corint. p. 54. edit. Junii. Clemens Rhomanus saith, the Apostles out of those they had converted, did ordain Bishops and Deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, having first tried them by the Holy Ghost, and so taught by his revelation who should be the men. e Apud Euseb. l. 3. c. 23. And Clemens Alexandrinus says, John after his return to Asia, ordained throughout all the regions about, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, such as were signified and designed by the Holy Ghost. So that Oe●●menius pronounces in the general, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Bishops that were made, they made not inconsiderately on their own heads, but such whom the Spirit did command. Chrysostom said as much before, and f On 1 Tim 4. 14. Theoplylact. Nor can we doubt that he maintains his interest in this affair even at this day: But that our Veni Creator Spiritus, come Holy Ghost eternal God, Matth. 28. 20. does call him to preside in these so concerning Solemnities; For Christ, when he commissioned his Apostles, assuring them, behold I am with you even to the end of the World; which promise he performs only vicriâ Spiritûs prasentiâ, by the presence of the Holy Ghost, who is his Vicar, as Tertullian expresses; nor can the Spirit be with them till then, but by making them be till then; which being done by Ordination, that Ecclesiastical procreation, (for so they derive themselves to the World's end;) upon the strength of that promise we may assure ourselves he does assist as truly, though not so visibly, as when he said here, separate. The Holy Ghost's concernment being thus secured, I have this one thing only to suggest; that they who set themselves against all separation to these Offices and Orders, in and for which the Holy Ghost hath so appeared, (what they be I dispute not now) they ●ight against the Holy Ghost, and thrust him out of that in which he hath almost signally interessed himself. And they that do entitle the Spirit to this opposition, do not only make God's Kingdom divided against itself, or raise a faction in the Trinity, and stir up division betwixt those Three One Persons; Matth. 12. 20. but they set the same Person against himself and make the Holy Spirit resist the Holy Ghost. You know the inference pressed upon them that did this but interpretatively in the Devil's Kingdom, and did make Satan cast out Satan: And is't not here of force? And they who make the Spirit cast out the Holy Ghost, contrive as much as in them lies God's Kingdom shall not stand. I will not parallel the guilts. Those Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit in his Miracles, ascribing that to Beelzebub which was the immediate work of the Holy Ghost: (and such indeed do sin unpardonably, because they sin irrecoverably; for Miracles being the utmost and most manifest express wherein the Holy Ghost exerts himself, they who can harden their understandings against them have left themselves no means of conviction, and cannot be forgiven, because they cannot be rectified or reclaimed.) These others do blaspheme the Spirit in his immediate inspirations and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ascribing to the spirit of Antichrist all those Offices and Orders, which these gifts of the Holy Ghost were powered from Heaven immediately to qualify for, and separate to; things in which he hath as signally appeared as in his Miracles: and as he made these means to convince the World, so he made those the Officers of doing it, and set them to out last the other. Now in the same nearness that these two guilts come up one towards the other, just to the same degree these sin the sin against the Holy Ghost. For the Holy Ghost said, separate. So I pass to the second, 2. to those whom this Injunction is directed to. And thence I do observe in general, that Notwithstanding all the interest and office that the Holy Ghost assumes in these same separations, yet there is something left besides for Man to do. Although he superintend, they have a work in it: He is the Unction, 1 Joh. 2. 20. but it must be applied by laying on of hands. I have called them, saith he in the Text; and yet to them that ministered, the Holy Ghost said, do ye separate. I do not now examine what degree and order of men they were whom the Holy Ghost here commissions for this Office. The Judgement of the Ancient Church in this affair is enough known, by the condemnation of a Epip. haer. 75 Aerius, and by the Fate of b Vide Athana●. Apol. 2. How this judgement did derive itself down into the Reformation, may be seen from the account of the Fratres-Bohemi, who sought over the World for Episcopal Ordination, and were never quiet in their consciences till they had obtained it. Vide Johan. in Comment. Ratio Disciplinae ordi●isque Ecclesiastici in unitate Fratrum Bo●emorum. Ischyras and Colluthus: and for the present instance, in which they are called Doctors that are bid to do it, there hath enough been said to prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Title of a Bishop; to which I shall only add, that it was a variation of Name that stuck by them until Bede's age, in which, what Bishops signified does come under no question; for he does say, c Bed. Eccl. hist. l. 2. cap. 2. that Austin called together to the Conference, Episcopos sive Doctores, the Bishops or the Doctors of the Province. Besides that there was then in Antioch a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, d Suid. in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In the time of Claudius' Emperor of Rome, and of Euodius, whom the Apostle Peter had ordained at Antioch, those that before were called Nazarenes and Galileans, were called Christians: A thing which happened a little before this separation in the Text, as you find Chap. 11. 26. But who they were that used to separate for every Execution of these holy Offices, will appear from the Instances that I shall make to prove the present Observation, that, besides that of the Holy Ghost there was an outward call: And whom soever the Spirit sent, he commanded that they should have Commission from Men. And all my former Testimonies for the Holy Ghost, bear witness for this too. The Text is positive; here was a Congè d'estire for Barnabas and Saul. Timothy had his Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, be designation of the Spirit, 1 Tim. 4. 14. yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with laying on of hands, ibid. yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by the laying on of my hands, 2 Tim. 1. 6. And Timothy was placed at Ephesus, as Titus also left at Crect, to ordain others in the same manner; Tit. 1. 5. St. Paul providing for the succession of the Rite and Ceremony as well as of the Office. And in St. Clement's Testimony, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the Spirit tried, but the Apostles constituted. And down as low as Trajan's time, when St. John's date was almost out, his life and his Commission expiring, and the Churches of Asia to be provided with succession, the Men were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signified by the Holy Ghost: But the Chron. Alex. saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he went clean throughout Asia and the adjacent Regions, constituting not only Bishops, but others of inferior Clergy: And even in the lowest thus it was; when the first Deacons were to be made, Men full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom were to be looked out, Act. 6. 3. But yet that did not authorise them, the Holy Ghost and Wisdom did not make a Deacon: For besides that, the Apostles will appoint them over their business, ibid. and they are brought to them, and they do lay their hands upon them, v. 6. Thus it was in those times of full effusion of the Holy Ghost: Men always had to do in giving that Commission: so that whoever pleads an Order of the Spirit for his Office, (although such a Commission of the Spirit, if he had it, would evidence itself, and if it were, it would appear, 1 Cor. 12. 7. for 'twas the manifestation of the Spirit that was given to every man to profit withal; yet) if we yield him his pretensions, and let his own incitations pass for inspirements, and his strong fancy for the Holy Ghost, if the Holy Ghost did call him, who did separate him? Whom the Holy Ghost calls, he sends to his Officers to empower; they both work, He says, do ye separate. And here a Consideration offers itself unto those holy Fathers, whom the Spirit makes his Associates in separating men to sacred Offices; that when they set apart even to the lowest stalls of the Church, they labour to perform it so that the Holy Ghost may be engaged, and act along with them in the performance: Separate such as they may presume the Spirit hath called, and will own. He does not call the ignorant, or appoint blind eyes for the Body of Christ, or make men Seers to lead into the pit. The Holy Spirit calls not the unclean, or the intemperate; Mar. 5. 13. we know it was another fort of Spirit that went into the swine: nor does he ever say, Separate me those who separate themselves, the Schismatics: the Spirit calls not such as break the unity of the Spirit; nor sets into the rank of higher members in Christ's body those who tear that body, and themselves from it: the factious, those that will not be bound neither in bonds of peace nor of obedience, but break all holy ties, that make commotions, and rave and foam, sure 'tis the Legion that sends them, Luke 8. and not the Holy Ghost. He whom the spirit will call, must not be under the reputation of a Vice, but should be of a good report, lest he fall into reproach, and so into the snare of the Devil, 1 Tim. 3. 7. i e. lest he fall into reproach, and then his teaching do so too, and men learn to slight or not heed the doctrines of such a one as is under scandal for his life, and so the Devil get advantage over them, and do ensnare them. a Theophyl. in locum. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. For to be to any an occasion of falling, is to be the Devil's snare. Now Christ's b Matt. 4. 19 Fishers of men, those whom the Holy Ghost appoints to spread nets for the catching Souls to God, their lives must not lay snares for the Devil, and entangle Souls in the toils of perdition. Those also that come to you out of Ambition or of greediness of gain, the spirit calls not neither: He calls we see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to a work; so that they who seek more than they can well attend the labour of, or are qualified for the work of, they are not of his sending. But of all men the Holy Ghost will least deal with the Simoniacal, that come not to a work, but to a market, that contract with Patrons for the spirits call, or, worse than their master Simon, would hire the Holy Spirit himself to say, Separate me them: The Successors of the Apostles have a Canonical return to these, Your money perish with you. Act. 8. 20. They whom the Holy Ghost does call must have his gifts and temper; St. Paul hath set all down to Timothy and Titus, and those who minister in this employment, if they will be what he hath made them, joint Commissioners with him, and his Co-workers, they must order it so that he may work and act, which he does not but where he calls, nor does he call but those whom he hath qualified: And 'tis of those only whom he hath called, that he says, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Separate. The Third particular, the thing enjoined; And the Holy Ghost said, Separate. The separateness of the Functions of the Clergy, the incommunicableness of their Offices to persons not separated for them, is so express a doctrine both of the Letter of the Text, and of the Holy Ghost, that sure I need not to say more, though several heads of Probation offer themselves: As first the condition of the Callings, which does divide from the Community, and sets them up above it; And here I might tell you of c 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 7. bearing rule, of d Mat. 19 28. thrones, of e Rev. 1. 20. stars and e Rev. 1. 20. Angels, and other words of as high sense, and yet not go out of the Scripture bounds, although the dignity did not die with the Scripture Age, or expire with the Apostles: the age as low as Photius words it thus, f Phot. ep. 54. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. That Apostolical and Divine Dignity, which the chief Priests are acknowledged to be possessed of by right of Succession. Styles which I could derive yet lower, and they are of a prouder sound than those the humble ears of this our age are so offended with. But these heights it may be would give Ombrages; although 'tis strange that men should envy them to those, who are only exalted to them, that they may with the more advantage take them by the hands to lift them up to Heaven. Those nearnesses to things above do but more qualify them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in Theoph. and to draw near to God on your behalf, that those your a Matt. 18. 10. Angels also may see the face of your Father which is in Heaven, and those stars are therefore set in b Apoc. 1. 20. Christ's right hand, that they may shed a blessed influence on you from thence. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The Work and labour of the work, (the one is the 〈◊〉, and the other Saint c 1 Tim. 5. 17. Paul's word) require a whole man, and therefore a man separate: and if St. Paul, one of our separated persons here, who had the fullness of the Spirit, and the fullness of Learning too, that was brought up in the Schools, and brought up in Paradise, taught by the Doctors, and taught by the mouth of the Lord in the third heaven, snatched from the feet of Ga●aliel to the presence of God, 2 Cor. 12. 1, 2, 3, 4. to have a beatifical Vision of the Gospel, if after all this he cry out, who is sufficient for these things? sure they are not sufficient, who in those little intervals which their trades and necessities afford them, fall into fits and frenzies of Religion, have a sharp Paroxysm of irregular convulsed Divinity, as if they were its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, possessed with their Theology till their weariness, and not knowing what to say do exorcise them. But not to speak only to the wild fancies of this Age, the Scripture says of the men of these callings, Heb. 5. 1. they are taken from among Men, and ordained for Men in things pertaining to God. And such discriminations are evinced by all the expressions of a Church in Scripture. 'Tis called the body of Christ: Now the parts of a body, as where they are so separate that they divide from one another, Col. 1. 24. they do not make a body, but are an Execution; so where they are not separate in a diversity of Organs, for several faculties and operations, it may be a dead Element, as similar bodies are, but canno● be that body which St. Paul describes, 1 Cor. 12▪ Which is not one Member, but many, ver. 14. And if they were all one member, where were the body? v. 19 and indeed all that Chapter is inspired for this Argument. In Christ's Church 'tis as impossible that every one can be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Overseer, as that every part in the body can be an Eye: And the whole frame of Man may be nothing else but a Tongue, as well as every Christian may be a Preacher: And if it might, where indeed were the hearing? as St. Paul does ask. The Church is also called a a Ephes. 2. 21. building, and b 1 Tim. 3. 15. God's house: Now it is true that every Christian is by St. Peter called a lively stone, and all of them built up a Spiritual house, an holy Priesthood, 1 Pet. 2. 5. and they all are a Royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar separate people, vers. 9 Yet all this is no more of privilege than is affirmed in the very same words of the Jewish Nation, Exod. 19 6. Where yet God had his separated Levites, Priests and High-priests too. But sure 'tis manifest enough that in this building, as in others, stones have their separate places and distinct; every one can not bear up the Corner, or be a pillar and foundation-stone; much less can every one place itself in the Ephod, assume to be one of the Urim and the Thummim-stones, and there break out in Oracles, and give Responses; and every rubbish stone set itself in the Mitre, and shine in the head ornaments, as if it were one of the precious stones of Zion. In fine, (to speak now out of Metaphor,) not only the transactions of the Text, which is a precedent for men to commission such and such, but also all Scripture rules direct a Choice; and where there is Election, there is also dereliction, and both evince a separation: And if all the Nations in the World have had their distinct Officers for Religion, and, as it were, to signalise the separateness of their function, in many Nations they did live apart from Men: The Priests had their adyta as well as the Deities; dark solitary Groves were made choice of, not so much for the God, as for his Officers retirement; so that every appearance of him also was a Vision, and the Priest was revealed as well as the Oracle▪ and all this at the first to make a kind of sacred Pomp for the solemnity of awfulness, (though afterwards it often proved but opportunity for foul performances.) And if to this uniform practice of the World God's attestation be set, who ordered it in his own Government; nor that as a Levitical or Jewish administration, but it was practised amongst his own from the beginning, and when dominions were but greater families, there were still distinct persons for the employments of Religion; that was the office and the privilege of the c Vid. Tharg. Hierosolym. Gen. 9 3. & Jonath. ibid. & Solom. jarch. Glossam ad Exod. 19 22. & add cap. 24. 5. firstborn: Esau was called profane for selling that d Vide Isido. Pelusio. l. 2. Epist. 47. birthright of his: (And the word in the Text here, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate, is the same which God does word the sanctifying the firstborn for him with, Exod. 13. 2.) 'Twere easy to deduce all this out of all ancient Jewish Records. And when the practice ever since hath been the same in Christ's Religion; after all this, sure nothing else but absolute defection of the Notions of Mankind, and blotting out all the impressions of Universal Nature and Universal Religion, or else an absolute Command from Heaven, could alter this Establishment; from which command we are so far, that 'tis the Holy Ghost himself that said expressly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate. Now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this Separateness in Function, does infer upon us a separateness in Life and Conversation, and they who are thus set apart from the World, must keep themselves unspotted from the World. To separate and Consecrate are but two words for the same thing: Jac. 1. 27. Separate three Cities is the Command in Deut. 19 2. and they sanctified three, Josh. 20. 7. Our Offices assume them both, and all are holy Orders. Now separate and pure are both so primitive, and so essential notions of holy, that truly I cannot determine which of them is original, and which secondary: Our Consecration does challenge both; and as we will be separate in our calling, so we must be separate in our lives, not e Rom. 12. 2. conforming ourselves to the World, for I f Joh. 15. 19 have chosen you out of the World, saith Christ. A torrent licence of an Age must not carry us along; an Universal Custom of the World must be no precedent, and can be no excuse for us to do what is irregular. We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate; and that the World does such things is no more a plea for us to do so, than that because the World is Common ground, therefore the Church is so too, fit to be put to all the uses of the field, or of worse places. Were it a reasonable argument; because I see that the whole Country's tilled, why should I not break up the holy places, and plow the Temple? Why, so we are enclosed for God, and separated for the uses of Religion, and to preserve ourselves pure for them. Matt. 5. 14. Our Saviour says that the Community of Christians is a City upon an hill; and then sure the consecrated Persons are the Temple of that City, the separate places of it; and then as they are most in sight (the Church is ordinarily the most visible building) so truly he that sees one of them, it should be as if he saw an open Church, where there is nothing else but holy duty, as if his life were Liturgy, public Service▪ and Worship of God. Hath your zeal never rose, at least your indignation, at the profane fury of this Age, which never made a stop in violation of things sacred, when to its heap of other Sacrileges, it added most contemptuous defilements of God's ho●●●s; making the place that g 1 Cor. 11. 10. Angels met us in to Worship, and God h Exod. 15. 17. dwelled in to l Exod. 20. 14. bless us there, the place appointed for the Divinest Mysteries of our Redemption, for the Celebration of Christ's Agonies, for the Commemoration of the blessed Sacrifice, the place for nothing but Christ's Blood, then to become the place of a most odious and insolent uncleanness? If I had worded this more aggravatingly, it had been only to infer that then to see a consecrated person to pollute himself with those black foulnesses that made hell and made fiends, is sure a sadder and a more unhappy spectacle. If an Apostle become wicked, John 6. 7. he is in our Saviour's Character a Devil; Have I not chosen Twelve, and one of you is a Devil? Yea if the good Saint Peter do become a scandal; Mat. 16. 23. tempt to that which is not good; Get thee behind me, Apoc. 1. 20. Satan. Christ calls his nearest Officers Stars; Emblems of a great separateness those, that teach them how far their Conversation should be removed from Earth; for they are of another Orb, Heaven is the Region of Stars: But they are Emblems of a greater purity; there's nothing in the World so clean as light, 'tis not possible so much as to fully shine; it may irradiate dunghills, but they do not defile it; you may Eclipse a Star but cannot spot it; you may put o● the light, you cannot slain it. 'Tis a word for God's purity: only his light is glory; and as his holiness is so separate that it is incommunicable, so his Light is inaccessible; Yet sure they that are stars in Christ's right hand, 1 Tim. 6. 16. Apoc. 1. 20. they do come near, and mix their light with his; and they of all men must be pure and holy, whom the spirit calls to that place, as he does all whom he calls to that separation that he did Barnabas and Saul, the Persons and the next Part; Separate me Barnabas and Saul. I intent not to make particular reflections upon these persons, although the Character of Barnabas be registered the 11. Chap. v. 24. He was a good man, full of Faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and the good influence that that had upon the people follows; And much people was added to the Church. And as for Saul, though he began the Christian persecution, and was baptised in the first Martyr-blood, and breathed out threatenings, Acts. 9 1. so that nothing but thunder could outvoice him, and at last was born as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as an untimely birth, aborting through those wounds which his own hands had made in the Church, 1 Cor. 15. and making himself a birth with ripping up her bowels; yet this Abortive proved the strongest birth, and 'twas a Miscarriage into the chiefest Apostle. As he began the after-sufferings of Christ in Stephen; so he fulfilled the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and made up all that was behind, in himself, being in deaths more than those he inflicted. Col. 1. 24. The sound of his preaching was louder than that at his Conversion, out-voiced the thunder; for this went out into all lands, as if himself alone meant to execute the whole Commission, Mat. 16. 15. Preach the Gospel to every creature: which he did almost, Rom. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 16. not only preaching to those places where Christ was not named, without the other Apostles line; but even where the rest employed themselves, he wrought as much as they, in Asia as Saint John, at Antioch as Peter; yea and at Rome too, having as much to do in their foundation: If I had said more, I could have brought the Pope's own Seal for evidence; where not only both are, but Saint Paul hath the right hand: And truly if they had had the luck to think at first of founding all their pretensions on Saint Paul, his care of all the Churches would have born them out, 2 Cor. 11. 28. John 21. 15. as well as feed my Lambs does now. But these considerations I pass; though they would give a Man that hath done mischief in the Church a pattern for the measures of his future Service to the Church. The thing I shall concern myself in, is the solemn separation here of those who were before separated to the work of the Gospel; Barnabas sent by the Church of Jerusalem to Antioch, Act. 11. 22. and Paul not only separated from his Mother's womb, Gal. 1. 15. but chosen by express Revelation, and by the laying on of Ananias' hands a Acts 9 17. Putting on his hands he said, the Lord hath sent me, that the mightest be fille● with the Holy Ghost. that so he might receive the Holy Ghost, qualified to b Act. 9 15. & 22. 14. Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and to Kings. In which work both of them had for some years ●ercised themselves. Yet here is a new consecration, and they are taken up to a condition more separate and distinct from what they were before. And all those vast advantages in which these persons did excel; the one of Faith and fullness of the Holy Ghost, the other, besides those, of express and immediate mission from Heaven; and the most strange success their labours had been blest with, all these I say, did not qualify them to assume these powers which the Holy Ghost commands another separation to install them in: And 'twas this 〈◊〉 that called Paul to be an c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Separate for the work, that is, for the Apostleship. Oecumenius upon this text. And so Theoph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in Act. Apostol. p. 2. & in locum p. 118. Vid T●eoph. in locum p. 119. Apostle, Rom. 1. 1. (as from this time he is always called Paul, not sooner.) Nor do we find any least footsteps of their being Apostles before, though Barnabas were sent to Antioch, yet he does not undertake what Peter and John did at Samaria in the very same case; for they confirm and give the Holy Ghost, Act. 8. 15, 37. but Barnabas does nothing but Exhort, Act. 11. 23. and he and Paul together Preached the Word abroad, but we find nothing else they enterprised: but from this time they exercise Jurisdiction, settle Churches, and ordain them Elders in the Churches, Ch. 14. 22, 23. and (as it does appear) singly derived these powers to others, to be exercised by them singly. To Titus most expressly, Tit. 1. 5. the like also to Timothy, with all the other Acts of Jurisdiction, (of which their Epistles are the Records) particularly that of Censures, which Paul himself had inflicted on offenders in the Churches he had planted. Powers these, which by such steps and by degrees of separation an Apostle himself receives, and does not execute till he ascend the highest, that which they have a new solemnity ordained from Heaven to enstate them in, by a new laying on of hands, and the holy Ghost himself commanding, separate. The separateness of this highest order in the Church is a doctrine handed down to us both by the writings of all Ages and the practices; (two things, which as they scarcely do concur in such a visible degree in any other things in our Religion, so also when they do concur, they make and secure tradition beyond all contradiction, give it sufficient infallibility: and truly he that does refuse the evidence which such tradition gives to all the motives of believing Christianity, if he be not a Socinian, he must be an Enthusiast, and can receive his Religion only from Revelation.) Now the matter of fact of this tradition is a subject for Volumes, not for a discourse, and it hath filled so many, that there is nothing left unsaid, or to be said against, as to the main: And they that pick some little sayings seeming against this order out of those Ancients which were themselves of it, and wrote much expressly for it, and think by those means to confute it, do the same thing with that Romanist, who tore some little shreds, that look as if they favoured some opinions of the Romanists, out of the Books of Protestants, most of which were directly writ against the Church of Rome; and putting those together went about by them to convince the world there never were any such things as Protestants, but they that did profess to be so were all Papists. But I will say no more than my Text hath done, which evidences it not a separation only of Degree, but Order, by a new Ceremony, and commissionating to new powers. If I would stay on words, 'tis expressed here by one that speaks very great distances, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, separate, which does in Scripture word the distances that the censures of the Church do make, Luke 6. 22. and still in the Greek Liturgies, when absolution is given, 'tis said to be d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Goari. p. 684. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to free them from all curse and separation; as if to pass into the bounds of this uncalled, were such a thing as to leap over the Censures of the Church, over the Line of Excommunication; and to break through this wall of separation, were to break through anathemas and Curses: Yea, 'tis used to express the distance betwixt the Lord's two hands, his right hand and his left, at the day of Doom, Mat. 25. 32. betwixt which hands there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a most insuperable gulf. But these I shall urge. Indeed the Fathers of the Church have been in these last days counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, separate in the severest sense, cast out as the dung of the Earth; and the calling itself was under reprobation, as if it separated only to the left hand of God: But so it was with their Predecessors in the Text, Saint Paul says of himself and the rest of his Order, that they were counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the filth of the World, and the offscouring of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 13. and as if they were called only to ruin, and consecrated for a sacrifice, he says, the Lord hath set us forth as men appointed to death, vers. 9 Indeed since God hath pleased to own you as his Churches, Angels, we are not troubled if some have counted you as the offscouring of the Earth, while we know Angels do relate to Heaven: And let them consider how they will reprobate those to the left hand of God, whom Christ calls stars in his right hand, and he is at the right hand of his Father; and while you were accounted so you did but follow them that went before in Sufferings as well as Office; and to do so was part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the work that they were separated to; which is the next part, For the work. I shall but run this over, and reflect upon it as I pass, according as it is of persent Concernment; and First, Saint Paul's work was to Preach the Gospel, and we find him doing it from this time forward to his End. The high Priest of the Jews was called the Angel of the Lord of Hosts; of which name an Heathen does give this account, that he was called so, because he was, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Angel or the Messenger of God's Commands: so Diodorus Siculus. And Malachy gives the same reason, Mal. 2. 7. he was the Substitute to him upon Mount Sinai, and gave the Law also, Apoc. 1. 26. only without the thunder. Our Governors succeed into the Name, they are the Church's Angels; and when we hear the word from them, we have it as it were from Heaven again, and we receive our Law too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by the disposition of Angels. Acts 7. 1. Indeed the Case now is not like Saint Paul's, the Gospel than was to be first revealed to all the World, and by continual inculcating secured against the depravations which all the malice of the Devil and the World sought to infuse, and the unskilfulness of infant Christians did make them apt to entetrain: But now we are all confirmed Christians: Yet truly the time is now such as did give occasion for Saint Paul's charge to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3. a time wherein they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers. He therefore that is in Timothy's place must heap up Reproofs and Exhortations; or he must heap good sound dispensers of them: Such as will feed the Lambs with sincere milk, not chafed and heated with commotion and busy restless Faction; not embittered with overflowings of a too-ful gall; not soured with eager sharpnesses of a malicious or a dissatisfied mind; not empoisoned with the foul tinctures of a scandalous life, nor the Corrosive infusions of Schismatical and turbulent opinions. He that cators thus for his flock, and provides such as by doctrine and by practice do instruct them to live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty; He, like the Angel on Mount Sinai, gives the Law to a Nation together, preaches to his whole Diocese at once, Continually. The second work was praying for, 2. and blessing them: This does begin, and close every Epistle; that he asserts of himself constantly, and 'tis well known the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, gifts of those times inspired for this Work. Now thus our Angels also are Angels of Incense, the High Priests Office in especial: Those that did daily Minister performed a service of Incense too, that did accompany the prayers of the people, and sent them up in perfume; but the High Priests Incense was part of the b Leu. 16. 12, 13. Expiation, and was the Cloud that covered the transgressions of the people when he came with them all about him before the Mercy-seat. And they who shall consider that the prayer of Moses (Now Moses and Aaron were among the c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Greg. Naz. Orat. 6. ad Greg. Nyssen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aben. Ezr. ad Psal. 99 Priests, Psal. 99 6. and He was the chief d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Greg. Naz. ubi supra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Philo de vita Mosis l. 1, & 3. Priest) did withhold the Arm of God when it was stretched forth in fury to destroy, and did commit a violence upon the Lord, such as he could not grapple with, but seems to deprecate, and fain avoid, and says, Let me alone, that I may destroy them, Exod. 32. 10. If thou wilt permit me, my fury shall prevail upon them, saith the Arabic, but if thou pray it cannot; therefore let go thy prayer, saith the Chald. and let me alone. And they who shall consider also that his prayer did maintain a breach against the Lord, when he had made one, and was coming to enter in a storm of indignation, than this made head against him, and repulsed him, Psal. 106. 23. e Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them. They that consider these effects, will certainly desire the Prayers and Benedictions of those God's chiefest Officers of blessing, those that are consecrated to bless in the Name of the Lord; and will have them in love for his works sake. Their Third work is Government, which may be some do look upon as privilege and not as work; the expectation and delight of their ambitions, and not the fear and burden of their shoulders. But ambition may as rationally fly at Miracles as Government, and as hopefully gape after diversity of Tongues, as at presiding in the Church, the powers of each did come alike from Heaven, and were the mere gifts of the Holy Ghost, f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miracles, gifts of healing, Governments, diveasities of tongues. 1 Cor. 12. 18. It was so in the Law; when God went to divide part of Moses burden of Government amongst the Lxx, he came down and took off the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it to the Lxx, Num. 11. 25. A work this that may have reason to supersede much of that which I first mentioned: For notwithstanding all Saint Paul's Assistances of Spirit, he does reckon that care that came upon him daily from the Churches amongst his persecutions, and it sums up his Catalogue of sufferings, 2 Cor. 11. Such various Necessities there are by which Government is distracted, and knows not how to temper itself to them. For sometimes it must condescend: Paul notwithstanding Apostolical decrees made in full Council that abrogated Circumcision, (as the Holy Ghost had declared it void before,) yet is fain to comport so far with the violent humours of a party as to Circumcise Timothy, at the very same time when he delivered those decrees to the Churches to keep, Act. 16. 3, 4. yet afterwards when Circumcision was looked on as Engagement to the whole g [That sense he puts upon it in the Epistle to the Galathians, c. 5. v. 3.] Law, and to grant them that one thing, was but to teach them to ask more, and to be able to deny them nothing; then he suffers not Titus to be Circumcised, nor gave place to them by submission, no not for an hour, Gal. 2. 3, 5. Thus the Spirit of Government is sometimes a Spirit of meekness, does it work by soft yield, and breaks the Adamant with Cushions which Anvils would not do: The Ocean with daily billows and tides, helped on with storms of violence, and hurried by tempests of roaring fury, assaults a rock for many Ages; and yet makes not the least impression on it, but is beat back, and made retire in empty some, in insignificant passion: when a few single drops that distil gently down upon a rock though of Marble, or a small trickle of water that only wets and glides over the stone, insinuate themselves into it, and soften it so as to steal themselves a passage through it. and yet Government hath a rod too, which like Moses' can break the rock, and fetch a stream out of the heart of quarre; and which must be used also: The Holy Spirit himself breathed tempest when he came, blew in a mighty boisterous Wind: nor does he always whisper soft things, he came down first in a sound from heaven, and spoke thunder; nor did it want lightning, the tongue was double flame. Of some we knowwe must have a Compassion, but others must be saved with terror, Judas 22. 23. which drives me on to the last piece of their work. The Censures of the Church, the burden of the Keys; 4. which (passing by the private use of them in voluntary penitences, and discipline upon the sick) as they signify public exclusion out of the Church for scandalous Enormities, and readmission into it upon repentance, have been sufficiently evinced to belong to the Governors of the Church. The Exercise of these is so much their work that Saint Paul calls them the Weapons of their spiritual Warfare, by which they do cast down imaginations and every high things that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. A blessed victory even for the Conquered; and these the only Weapons to achieve it with. If those who sin scandalously, and will not hear the admonitions of the Church, were cast out of the Church; if not Religion, Reputation would restrain them somewhat: Not to be thought fit Company for Christians would surely make them proud against their Vices. Shame, the designed Effect of these Censures, hath great pungencies, the fear of it does goad men into actions of the greatest hazard, and the most unacceptable; such as have nothing lovely in them, but are wholly distasteful. There is a Sin whose face is bloody dismal, and yet because 'tis countenanced by the Roisting Ruffian part of the World, men will defy Reason and Conscience, Man's and God's Law, venture the ruin of all that is beloved and dear to them in this World, and assault death, and charge and take Hell by violence; rather than be ashamed before those valiant sinners, Satan's Hectors: and, they must ●ever come into such Company if they do not go boldly on upon the sin, is of more force with them than all the endearments of this World, than all their fear of God, and Death, and that which follows. Now if Religion could but get such Countenance by the Censures of the Church; and every open sinner had this certain fear, I should be turned out of all Christian company, shall be avoided as unfit for Conversation; would it not have in some degree the like effect? and if the motive beas much exactly, would not men be chaste or sober or obedient for that very reason for which they will now be killed and be damned? Without all question Saint Peter's Censure on the intemperate, 1 Cor. 5. must needs be reformation to him: 'Tis such a sentence to the drunkard, not to company with him, whose Vice is nothing but the sauce of Company; and who does sin against his Body and against his faculties and against his Conscience, is sick, and is a Sot, and goes to▪ Hell merely for Societies sake. Now the infliction of these Censures is so much the work to which Church-governors' are called by the Holy Ghost, that they are equally called by him to it and to Himself; both are alike bestowed upon them: Receive the Holy Ghost, whose sins ye retain they are retained, John 20. 22. And in the first derivations of this office, it was performed with severities, such as this Age I doubt will not believe, and when they had no temporal sword to be auxiliary to these Spiritual weapons. And now to make reflections on this is not for me to undertake, in such a state of the Church as ours is; wherein the very faults of some do give them an Indemnity, who having drawn themselves out of the Church, from under its authority, are also got out of the power of its Censures: So Children that do run away from their Father's house, they do escape the Rod; but they do not consider that withal they run away from the inheritance: And many times in those that do not do so, but stay within the family; long intermission of the Rod, and indulged licence makes them too big and heady to be brought under discipline. And is't not so with us? Among many of those that stay within the Church, (I know not whether I do well to say so, when of these I mean there is little other Evidence of their doing so but this, that they will swear and drink of the Church's side; blessed Sons of a demolished Church, who think to raise their Mother a Temple by throwing stones at her:) by reason of the late overthrow of Government and discipline, and the consequent licences, Vice hath been so nursed up, not only by an universal, barefaced, uncorrected practice; but by principles of liberty, that can dispute down all Ecclesiastical restraints, and have set up the Religion of Licence: that now sin is grown so outrageous, as to be too strong for discipline; nay rather than it should be set up, 'tis to be feared they would endeavour to reverse all in the Church, and enterprise as much in their vices quarrel, as others have done for mistaken Religion. And indeed to what purpose were the Censures, whose first and medicinal effect is shame, amongst men, where 'tis in very many instances the only shameful thing not to be vicious; where men stand candidates for the reputation of glorious sinners, take to themselves sins they have not committed, that are not theirs, and usurp Vice; sins and damnation's hypocrites? What work is here for discipline? But this state wants not precedents; the censures of the Church were not only laid aside in the Vastations of the Arian heresy and persecution; when the weapons of the Church's warfare were too weak to make defence against all their cruelties and impieties: and before that in Diocletian's days against the Lapsi: But we find also that Saint Paul is forced to break out only in a passionate wish, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I would they were even cut off that trouble you (cut off by excommunication he means) Gal. 5. 12. When he saw the ill humours were too spreading, and too tough also; Sedition and Sehisme, wide and obstinate; so that neither his authority could reach, nor his methods cure, but were more likely to exasperate them: Then he does excommunicate them only in desire▪ And again, 2 Cor. 10. 6. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. It becomes therefore every one that hath good Will for Zion, to labour to fulfil his own obedience, that so the Church may be empowered to use Christ's Method for reforming of the rest. And thet that will not do so, must know they shall not only answer for their sins, but for refusing to be saved from them, that they resist all medicine, as men resolved that nothing shall be done towards their Cure, as men that rather choose to perish, and prefer destruction. And for the seasons and degrees of putting this work into Execution, Wisdom must be implored from that Spirit of Wisdom that calls unto this work: The last Part; Whereunto I have called them. The Nature of the calling of the Holy Ghost is a Subject that would bear a full discourse. But waving those pretensions which Necessity, and inward incitation do make to be the Calls of the Holy Ghost I shall positively set down that the call of God and of the Holy Ghost; to any Work or Office, (for I inquire not of his calling, to a privilege or state of favour,) is his giving abilities and gifts qualifying for that Work or Office: The call immediate when the gifts were so, but mediate and ordinary, when the abilities are given in his blessing on our ordinary labours. 'Tis so in every sort of things, Exod. 31. 2. See I have called Bezaleel, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in Wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of Workmanship, to devise cunning works, and to work in all manner of Workmanship; and behold I have given him Aholiab, and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put Wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee: And he repeats the same again, Chap. 35. 30. adding that he hath put in his heart that he may teach both he and Aholiab; so that giving this skill to work and teach is named Gods calling. So in another case, the Lord does say of Cyrus, I have called him, Esay▪ 48. 15. which he explains in the 49. I have holden him by my right hand to subdue Nations before him, to lose the loins of Kings, I have girded him, So when Isaiah saith, the Lord hath called me from the Womb, or rather says that of our Saviour, Isa. 49. 1. he tells you how, ver. 5. he formed me and prepared me from the Womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob to him. And throughout the New Testament, as his Call to a privilege is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his grace, in allowing such a state of favour; so his calls to a Work are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his gifts enabling for it. The Gifts of these Apostles by which they were enabled for their Office, and which made up their call, are set down: Those of Barnabas in the forecited 11 Act. He was a good man, full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost; and Paul's call was a little Extraordinary. If we look into times, we shall find reason to believe those Revelations in 2 Cor. 12. were given to Paul a little before this consecration of him in the Text. That Epistle was writ, saith Baronius, in the second year of Nero, and this separation was in the second of Claudius, as may be gathered also in some measure from the famine mentioned in the 28th verse of the 11th chap. betwixt these two were fourteen years: now saith Saint Paul when he wrote that, he had his revelation somewhat above a ab annis quatuordecim, saith the Arab. 14. years before; a little therefore before this solemnity. Here was a call indeed, called up to the third heaven to receive instructions for his Office, and for aught he did know, called out of his own body too, that he might be the fitter for it; whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knows, v. 2. and that again, v. 3. They whom Gods Spirit qualifies for Consecration to separate to these diviner Offices may be styled Angels well, when they are called from all regards or notices of any body that belongs to them; their gifts and graces set them above the consideration of flesh: In the entertainment of these qualifications the Soul is swallowed up so, that it cannot take cognizance whether it have a body of its own, and is not sensible of that dear partner of itself, it is so only sensible of this Employment. 'Tis not for an Apostle (or for his Successor) to think of things below with much complacency: When these have all their uses, all their glories on, they but make pomp to dress the body; which an Apostle does not design for, nor knows whether he be concerned at all in. He becomes something without a body, and above the Earth, who for a preparative must be taken up to Paradise, and called from all commerce and all intelligence with his own body. Saint Paul was called from Heaven to preach the Gospel; but he was called to Heaven to qualify him for this higher separation, to an Apostle and Church-Governour. And now you see your calling, Holy Fathers: And to pass by such obvious unconcerning observations as at first sight follow, that those who are not qualified are not called; I shall only take notice hence of the counterpart of this call, the charge God takes upon him, when he calls to this charge; and that is, he owns and will protect whom himself calls. 'Twas that he promised to the Founder and God of your Order; I the Lord have called thee, and I will hold thine hand, and I will keep thee, Isai. 42. 6. And when he said of Cyrus, I have called him, he said also, be shall make his way prosperous, Isai. 48. 15. And so he shall be the way what it will; for thus he said to Jacob, I have called thee, when thou goest through the Water I am with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee, Isai. 43. 1, 2. There was Experience of all this in one of the chief Princes of your Order; when the Apostles were scarce safe within their Ship, they were so tossed with waves and fears, Math. 14. 28. yet if our Lord will call him, Peter is confident he shall be safe even in the Sea; Lord, 29. if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the Water, saith he; and the Lord did but call him, and he went down and walked on the water safely: As if the swelling billows did only lift themselves to meet his steps, and raise him up from sinking. 31. And when his own doubts, which alone could, were near drowning him, and he but called the Lord; immediately he stretched out his hand and caught him: He answers his call, if we answer ours; if we obey when he says come, then will he come and save when we call to him. ibid. And so Peter received no hurt, but a rebuke; O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? couldst thou imagine I would not sustain thee in the doing what I bid thee do? In answering my call? But why seek we experience of so old a date? There is a more encouraging miracle in these late calls themselves. Had God sustained the Order in its Offices and dignities amidst those waves that racked the Church of late, it had been prodigy of undeserved Compassion to our Nation: But whenas all was sunk, to bid the Sea give up what it had swallowed and consumed; this is more than to catch a sinking Peter, Eph. 1. 19 20. or to save a falling Church. The work of Resurrection is emphatically called the working of God's mighty power, and does out-sound that of his ordinary conservation. And truly 'twas almost as easy to imagination, how the scattered Atoms of men's dust should order themselves, and reunite, and close into one flesh; as that the parcels of our Discipline and Service that were lost in such a wild confusion, and the Offices buried in the rubbish of the demolished Churches, should rise again in so much order and beauty. Stantia non poterant tect a probare Deum. This calling of the Spirit is like that when the Spirit moved upon the face of the abyss; and called all things out of their no-seeds there; or like the call of the last Trump. Thus by the miraculous mercies of these calls God hath provided for our hopes, and warranted our faith of his protections! yet he hath also sent us more security, hath given us a Constantine, if his own be not a greater Name, and more deserving of the Church; for which (it is well known to some) he did contrive and order, when he could neither plot nor hope for his own Kingdom; and did with passion labour a succession in your Order, when he did not know how to lay designs for the Succession of himself or any of his Father's house to his own Crown and Dignity. Nor is the secular arm all your security: God himself hath set yet more guards about his consecrated ones, he hath severe things for the violaters of them: Moses, Num. 12. 3, 20, 10. the meekest man upon the Earth, that in his life was never angry, but once at the rebellious; seems very passionate in calling Vengeance on those that stir against these holy Offices. Smite through the loins of all that rise against them, and of them that hate them, Deut. 33. 11. that they rise not again: The loins (we know) are the nest of posterity; so that, strike through the loins, is, stab the succession, destroy at once all the posterity of them that would cut off this Tribe, and hinder its Succession. Nor was this Legal Spirit; Gospel is as severe. Those in Saint Judas that despise these Governors, Num. 16. 3. that do as Corah and his Complices did, (who gathered themselves against Moses and Aaron, and said, You take too much upon you, ye Sons of Levi, since all the Congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them, wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the Congregation of the Lord? words these that we are well acquainted with, and which it seems St. Judas looks on as sins under the Gospel:) these perish in the gainsaying of Core; Judas 11. whom God would not prepare for punishment by death, but he and his accomplices went quick into it: He would not let them stay to die, but the Lord made a new thing, Num. 16. 30. to show his detestation of this sin, and the Earth swallowed it in the Commission, and all that were allied and appertained to them that had an hand in it. ver. 32, 33. And truly they may well expect strange recompenses, who do attempt so strange a Sacrilege, as to pull stars out of Christ's own right hand: From whence, we have his word, that no man shall be able to pluck any; but if they shine thence, John 10. 21. on their Orbs below, and convert many to righteousness, their light shall blaze out into glory, Heb. 13. 20. and they shall ever dwell at his right hand: To which right hand He that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd and Bishop of the Sheep, and set him there: He also bring you our Pastors, and us your flock with you; and set us with his sheep on his right hand. Matth. 25. 33. To whom with the same Jesus and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all blessing, honour, glory, and power, from henceforth for ever. Amen. A SERMON PREACHED AT HAMPTON-COURT ON The Twenty Ninth of May 1662. Being the Anniversary of His Sacred Majesties Most happy Return. BY RICHARD ALLESTRY D. D. and Chaplain to His MAJESTY. LONDON: Printed by John Playford, in the Year 1683. TO THE Right Honourable EDWARD Earl of CLARENDEN, Lord high Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. My LORD, TO vouch your Lordship's commands for the publishing this Discourse, I might reasonably think, would be to libel your judgement; and the prefixing your Name to it, and this mean address, would look rather like revenge than homage or obedience: If I did not know that low performances are due to the transcendency of such a subject as I then discoursed upon, and such a Patron as I now Dedicate to: So I lie prostrate under my great Arguments, here insufficiency is Art and Rhetoric. And the truth is, My Lord, it was not this which made me so solicitous to avoid your injunctions, but apprehensions of the unusefulness of the Discourse itself. When God's most signal methods of all sorts do not seem to have wrought much conviction; when neither our own dismal guilts, nor miseries, nor most express miracles of deliverance have made us sensible, but after the equally stupendous Thirtieth of January and Twenty Ninth of May, and the black time that intervened; we are still the same perverse untractable people; when luxury is the retribution made for plenty, licence for liberty, and Atheism for Religion, whilst miracles of mercy are acknowledged only by prodigies of ingrateful disobedience: And on the other side, when factious humours swell against all Laws, as they would either overflow those mounds, or make them yield and give way to them; when Declarations and Decrees, which infallible when they came only from a party of a part of a Parliament, are neither of force nor esteem when they have all solemnity and obligation that just and full authority can give; alas, what hopes of doing any thing can a weak Harangue entertain? But, My Lord, since you are pleased to Command, I give up both it and my understanding to Your Lordship, and the weaker the Discourse is, so much the more pregnant testimony is it of the obsequiousness of. My Lord, Your Lordship's most devoted and most humble Servant, RICH. ALLESTRY. SERMON XVII. AT HAMPTON-COURT May 29. 1662. HOSEA III. 5. Afterward shall the Children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness. HE has said in the words before, that the Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a Prince, without a Sacrifice and without an Image or Altar, and without an Ephod and without Teraphim. Now when they shall have been for many years in such a state of helpless desolation, shall have no King under whose shadow they, their Laws and Rights, might hope for shelter; no Prince to guard them from the sad calamities of wild confusion or usurping violence; shall have no exercises of Religion to allay and soften those calamities, and give them comfort in the bearing of them; no Altar to lay hold on for security against them, or to stretch out their hands towards, for deprecation of them; no nor a God to put an end to this sad state; nor any means of direction what to do under it, no Ephod to ask Counsel at; nor yet the pageantry, the fallacy of these, no Teraphim for Ephods, nor Image for a God; the same destruction having seized these and their worshippers, the people and their Idols going into Captivity together, and the only true God having forsaken them: Now when the Prophet had denounced this state of Woe, which was to dwell with them so long as that their very expectations of deliverance should be dying, having continued threescore years and ten, a longer and more wearisome age of patience than life, he than proceeds to sweeten all by telling them of a return, and what things they shall do in it; and they are three. First, Seek the Lord their God, apply themselves to his Worship and Obedience, and cleave to him; for so the word is rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Leu. 19 23. and Jeremy repeating this c. 30. 9 words it, shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King. Which is the second thing they were to do. As the Ecclesiastical state was to be settled, so the secular too upon its just foundations, Religion and Loyalty both running in their ancient current. Thirdly, They shall fear the Lord and his goodness▪ Not only tremble before him, who is the Lord, that did exert his power in their destruction; but shall much more revere his goodness, that did flow out in such plentiful miraculous expresses of deliverance. Now these being not only prophesy what in that juncture they would do, nor only duties what they were to do, but also counsels and directions immediately from God what they were best to do, the only prudent and safe course according to the policies of heaven; the direct view of these particulars in reference to that state of theirs is not an unconcerning prospect at this season, which is the Anniversary of an equal return; and therefore I shall lay them so before you, and the reflection on them in our practice shall make the application. 1. They shall seek the Lord their God is my first part, and the Lord's prime direction for the repairing of a broken Nation. Neither indeed can any other course be taken; for till we have found him, while he does hide his face, nothing but darkness dwells upon the land; or if any light do break out, 'tis but the kindle of his anger: So he expresses, Deut. 31. 17. Th●● people will forsake me and break my Covenant, than my anger shall be kindled against them, and I will forsake them, and hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us? This absence is only another word for desclation: Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, saith God by Jeremy, c. 6. 8. lest my soul depart from thee, and I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited: As if without him there were nothing else but solitude in Cities and in Courts, and all were desert where he does not dwell. Yea there is something beyond desolation, Host 9 11, 12. As for Ephraim, their glory shall flee away like a bird from the birth and from the womb, and from the Conception: though they bring up their Children, yet I will bereve them that there shall not be a man, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea woe also to them when I depart from them. And it must needs be so; for let our state be never so calamitous, if God be not departed, there is comfort in it, Psal. 44. 19 and a deliverer at hand: If we are in the place of Dragons, his presence will make heaven there; and although we be covered with the shadow of death, if the light of his Countenance break in, we are in glory; and the brightness of that will soon damp and shine out the fiery Trial. But if the Lord depart, than there is no redemption possible; God hath forsaken him, persecute him and take him, for there is none to deliver him, Psal. 71. 11. But if there were deliverance some other way, yet the want of God's presence is an evil, such as nothing in the whole world can make good: The presence of an Angel in his stead does not. When the Lord said to Israel, I will not go up in the midst of thee, but I will send an Angel with thee, and drive out the Amorite, the Hittite, etc. yet when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and man did put on his Ornaments, Exod. 33. 4. Nay more, I shall not speak a contradiction if I shall say, that the most intimate presence of the Godhead does not supply God's absence; and such a small withdrawing of himself as may consist with being united hypostatically, was too much for him to bear, who was Immanuel when he complained God was not with him: I mean our Saviour on the Cross. He, who although he did beseech against his cup with fervencies that did breath out in heats of bloody sweat, Luk. 22. 44. with agonies of prayer, yet when he fell down under it, did cheerfully submit to it, saying, Not my will, Ver. 42. Mat. 27. 46. but thy will be done; yet when God hides himself, he does expostulate with him, crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? His God could no more forsake him, than himself could be not himself: And yet the apprehension of that which could not be was even insufferable to him, to whom nothing could be insufferable. He seems to feel a very contradiction while he but seems to feel the want of the Lord's presence. Such is the sad importance of God's not being with us; and this same instant tells us what drives him away. 'Twas sin that he withdrew from them: Christ did but take on him our guilt, and upon that the Lord forsook him: God could no more endure to behold wickedness in him, than the Sun could to see God suffer; Iniquity eclipsed them both, and sin did separate betwixt him and himself, and made that person who was God cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mat. 27. 45. And it will do the same betwixt God and a people. Isay. 59 1, 2. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. His face is clothed with light, we know; but when Wickedness over-spreads a people, those deeds of darkness put out the light of his Countenance. His hand although it be not shortened, yet it contracts and shuts itself, not only to grasp and withhold his mercies from them, but to smite: Iniquity builds such a wall of separation as does shut out omnipresence, and makes him who is every where, not be with such a people; not be in hearing of their needs; for when their sins do cry, no prayers can be harkened to; he will not hear you, saith the Prophet. And that gives us the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord's departure from a people, and the manner of it. He is taking away his peace and mercies from a Nation when he will hear no prayers for it; and he declares that he will hear no prayers when he withdraws once from his house of prayer, and makes his Offices to cease. The place appointed for these Offices, the Sanctuary, he calls, we know the Tabernacle of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting, that is, where he would b Exod. 29. 42, 43. meet his votaries, and hear and bless them; calls it his c Psal. 42. 4. house; his d Psal. 74. 7. dwelling place, his Court, e Psal. 31. 20. presence, and his f Jer. 17. 12. & 14. 21. throne: And if so, when he is not to be found in these, when he no longer dwells nor meets in them, we may be sure that he hath left the land. The Psalmist, Psal. 74. when he does complain men had done evil in the Sanctuary, Ver. 3. the adversaries roared in the midst of the Congregations, and set up their banners there for trophies; Psal. 4. 6. they broke down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers, Ver. 7. and had defiled the dwelling places of God's name even to the ground, Ver. 1. 2. and burnt up all the houses of God in the land; he does suppose that God was then departed when they had left him no abiding place: And therefore cries out, O God wherefore art thou absent from us so long? Remember Zion where thou hast dwelled. But 'tis not only upon these Analogies I build; this method of departure we shall find exactly in Ezekiel's Vision of that case to which my Text refers: It begins ch. 9 3. And the glory of the God of Israel, (i. e. the shining cloud, the token of his presence in the Sanctuary,) went up from the Cherub whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house, as going out; and then vers. 8. he does refuse to be entreated for the land: After that ch. 10. 18. the glory went from off the threshold to the midst of the City; and ch. 11. 23. it went from thence to the mountain without the City, and so away: And then nothing but desolation dwelled upon the land, until the Counsel of my Text was followed, and they did seek the Lord their God: For then the glory did return into the Sanctuary just as it went away, as you may find it chap. 43. And having seen when and how God forsakes a people, and for what, that does direct us how to seek him, and it is thus, When men forsake those paths in which they did not only err and go astray, but did walk contrary to God, so that they did forsake each other; and do return, walk in his ways, the ways of Commandments, and return also to his Church, and seek him in his house, fall low before his footstool, beg of him to meet in his tabernacle, renew his worship, and all invitations of him to return into his dwelling-place. For sure as it is in vain to seek him but in his own ways, nor can we hope to meet him but in his Tabernacle of meeting; so also Scripture calls both these to seek the Lord, and promises to both the finding him. To the first, Deut. 4. 29, 30. If from thy tribulation thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient to his voice. And the second, Jer. 29. 12. speaking of this sad state to which my Text relates, then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me; and I will hearken unto you, and I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your Captivity. I could produce you instances of Asa making all his people swear to seek the Lord: But because my Text speaks of David, he shall be the great explication, as he was the practice of this duty in both senses. In the former, 119. Psal. I have sought thy Commandments above Gold or precious stone; more than that which does make and does adorn my Crown, than that which furnishes all the necessities and all the pomps of Royalty. And for the other, Psal. 63. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is: To see thy power and thy glory, as I have seen the in the Sanctuary. His very words do seem to labour too, and he does seek expressions to tell us how he seeks. The hot fits of a thirsty palate that call so oft and so impetuously are in his soul; it hath a pious fever, which cannot be allayed but by pouring out of his soul to God in the Temple, by breathing out its heats in his devotion Offices. Nay, more, he longs, hath that I know not whether appetite, or passion, which is not to be understood, but only suffered; to which all the unreasonable violences which passion can be heated into, all the defaillances nature can be oppressed into, are natural; it is the body's Ecstasy. Now this he had towards the worship of the Sanctuary; his very flesh found rapture in those exercises, and when he was in a barren and dry land, was driven from the plenties of a Court, and from the glories of a throne into a desert solitude, he found no other wants but of God's house; did mind, pant, and long after nothing else, did neither thirst for his necessities, nor long for his own Crown, but for the Tabernacle only. And besides the Religion of this, he had reason of State too to be thus affected; this was the best means to engage his Subjects to him and secure his Throne. He knew, if by establishing God's worship, Psal. 42. 4. and by going with the multitude, as he did use, to the exercises of it; if by Royal Example and encouragements of virtue, and by discountenancing and chastising impiety, by doing as he did profess to do, Psal. 101. (that Directory for a Court) he could people his land with holy living, and his Temple with holy Worship; he knew he should then have good Subjects, Loyal to him and at peace with themselves. I they will seek their God, than they will seek their King. The Lord saw this dependence, and therefore counselled this course should be taken. The Master of our Politics discerned it too, Arist. Pol. 1 7. and therefore does advise that the first and chiefest public cares should be about things of Religion, that and the same profession of it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the cement of Communities, and the very foundation of all legislative, and indeed all power in the Magistrate: And in the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 'tis a most efficacious philter, Joseph. 1. con. Appio. a charm, a Gordian knot of kindness. And as a Jew observed of their own Nation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, To have one and the same opinions of God, and not to differ in their rites from one another, breeds the best harmony in men's affections. When on the other side no obligations, though the most signal and divine, will hold them in obedience and peace, if their ambitions or interests look another way: And if at any time present advantage, or an expectation, or some passion do incline them to seek David their King; yet the appearance of a change of Interest, that expectation defeated, or a cross animosity will burst those bonds, unless Religion and Communion in Worship help to twist them. David had had experience of this. Abner knew of God's Oath to David that after Saul he should be King over all Israel; but he was otherwise concerned, and therefore he made Ishbosheth King, maintained a long and sore War even against what he knew God was engaged to bring about, 〈…〉 and made himself strong for the house of Saul, 2 Sam. 2, 3, ch. But when a quarrel happened betwixt Ishbosheth and him, then, So do God to Abner and more also, except as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him, to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah. And he sent Messengers to him saying, Whose is the land? Make but thy league with me, c. 3. 9, 10, 11, 12. Do but look forward, and you find when Abner was cut off, and Ishbosheth was slain, and Israel had no leader, than they came to David, saying, behold we are thy bone and thy flesh, and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, c. 5. 1, 2. They knew all that before, yet would not let him do it, till they had no other leader. Nay, when they had done that, by Absalom's insinuations (who in a way of treacherous pity did instill dislikes against the Government, and did remonstrate in good wishes, as some men do in prayers, c. 15. 3, 4.) they were all drawn into Rebellion against this David, and made him fly out of the land, and became Subjects to that Absalon. When he was dead indeed they speak of bringing back the King, c. 19 10. and when his own Judah had done it, quarrelled, ver. 43. because that their advice was not first had: And though Judah had nothing but their service, for, have we eaten at all of the King's cost, or hath he given us any gift? say they, v. 42. yet Israel in angry, because he came not back upon their score, for they forsooth have ten parts in him, v. 43. and yet the next day every man of Israel went after him that said, we have no part in David, Sheba a man of Belial, ch. 20. 1. Thus no allegiance, no tie however sacred and divine will hold them who follow not upon God's score. Nay at the last, because that Re●oboam would not ease the Taxes, all Israel cry out, What portion have we in David? see to thine own house, 1 Kings 12. 16 David. And to make this secession perpetual (which all the former did not prove) Jeroboam did use no other policy, but to change the Worship and the Priests: He knew he should divide their hearts and Nations for ever, when he had altered once the Service and the Officers; and if he could but keep them from seeking God at Jerusalem, he was secure they would not seek David their King. And so it proved. Now the Lord to prevent divisions had provided so far for Uniformity in his Worship, that he required a single Unity; and that it might be but in one manner, he let it be but in one place. And truly, when men once depart from Uniformity, what measures can they set themselves of changing? What shall confine or put shores to them? what Principle can they proceed upon which shall engage them to stay any where? And why may not divisions be as infinite as men's fancies? And though, when those are but in circumstantial things, those who are strong, and know them to be such, are no otherwise concerned to contend for them than on Authorities behalf, (to which every change is a Convulsion fit.) and on the account of decency, and of compliance with the universal Church: yet when others do dogmatise, and put conscience in the not doing them, and stand at such a distance from them as to choose Schism, Disobedience, and Sedition rather, and therefore must needs look upon damnation in them; these differences make as great a gulf and chasm as that which does divide Dives from Abraham's bosom. Luke 16. 26. It is one God, one Faith, one Worship makes hearts one. Hands lifted up together in the Temple they will join and clasp: And so Religion does fulfil its name à religando, binds Prince and Subjects all together; and they who thus do seek the Lord their God, will also seek David their King, God's next direction, and my second part. 2. And here three things offer themselves, a King, their King, and David their King. I am not here to read a Lecture of State-policy upon a vie of Governments; why seek a King, not any other sort of Government; and why their King, one that already was so by the right of Succession, not whom addresses or election should make so. And though I think, 'twere easy to demonstrate only Monarchy had ever a divine or natural original, and that elective Monarchy is most unsafe and burdensome, full of dangerous and uneasy consequences; and this so much to sight, that choice for the most part bounds itself, proves but a ceremony of Succession: yet this I need not do, for I am dealing with the Jews, who had God's judgement in the case, and his appointment too; and to me that is argument enough. And when God hath declared, for the transgressions of a land many are the Princes thereof; Prov. 28. 2. many at once, as in a commonwealth, or many several families successively, (for so God reckons also one or many; 'tis still, we see, David their King, while 'tis in David's line, and so the King does truly never die, while his race lives.) If either of these many be God's punishment, for the sins of a land; I will not say that they who love the many Princes love the transgressions which God plagues so; but I will say, they who do choose that which God call his plague, that quarrel for his vengeance, and with great strife and hazard take his indignation by force, I can but pity them in their own opinions and enjoyments: But, O my soul, enter not thou into their counsels. As for seeking their King, I shall content myself with that which Calvin says upon the words; Nam aliter verè & ex animo Deum quaerere non potuit, quin se etiam subjiceret legitimo imperio cui subjectus erat: For they could not otherwise truly and with all their heart seek God, except they did subject themselves to his Government to whom they did of right belong as Subjects. And I shall add that they who do forsake their King, will soon forsake their God. a E. Simeo the Son of Jochai said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and R Simeon the Son of Menasiah said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Rabbins say it more severely of Israel that they at once rejected three things, the Kingdom of the house of David, and the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Sanctuary. And truly, if we do consult that State from the beginning, we shall find that when they were without their King, they always were without their God. Moses was the first King in Jeshurun, Deut. 33. 5. and he was only gone into the Mount for forty days, Exod. 32. 1, 5. and they set up a Golden Calf; they make themselves a God if they want him whom the Lord makes so, as he does the Magistrate: If they have not a Prince, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, living Image of God, than they must have an Idol. When Moses his next successor was dead, we read that the man Micah had an house of Gods, and consecrated one of his Sons to be his Priest: And truly he might make his Priest who made his Deities. And the account of this is given, in those days there was no King in Israel, Jud. 17. 5, 6. The very same is said, ch. 18. 1. to preface the Idolatry of the Tribe of Dan▪ There was no heir of restraint, as it is worded ver. 7. It seems, to curb impiety is the Prince's Inheritance, which till it be suppressed, he hath not what he is heir to. But Vice will know no Boundaries if there be no King, whose Sword is the only mound and fence against it: for if we read on there, 19, 20, 21. ch. we shall find those dismal Tragedies of Lust and War, the one of which did sin to death the Levites wife; the other, besides 40000. slain of them who had a righteous cause, and whom God did bid fight, destroyed also a Tribe in Israel: These all sprang from the same occasion, for so the story closes it, In those days there was no king in Israel, ch. 21. 25. Just upon this; when God in their necessities did raise them Judges, that is, Kings, read all their story, you will find to almost every several Judge there did succeed a several Idolatry: God still complaining, the Children of Israel did evil again after the death of such an one, Judg. 3. 7. and ver. 12. till he raised them another. Those 450. years being divided all betwixt their Princes and their Idols. Ch. 4. 1. After them Jeroboam, he that made the great secession of that people from their Prince, Ch. 6. 1. hath got no other Character from God but this, Ch. 10. 6. the b 1 Kings 16. 26. Ch. 21. 22. & 22. 52. etc. Man that did make Israel to sin, Ch. 13. 1. at once against God and against their King. Yea upon this account they are reckoned by God to sin after both their Idolatry and State were ended, when their calves and their Kingdom were destroyed. Ezek. 4. 4, 5. the Lord does bid the Prophet lie on his left side 390 days, to bear the iniquity of Israel according to the number of the years of their iniquity. But this was more than the years of their State, which were only 255, 390 years indeed there were betwixt the falling off of the Ten Tribes, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the King of Babel; but those ten Tribes were gone, their Kingdom perfectly destroyed above 130 years before: But their iniquity was not, it seems, that does outlive their State, so long as that God's Temple, that King's house did stand from which they did divide. As if Seditious men and schismatics sin longer than they are, even while those are whom they do sin against in separating from. 'Tis true, there was an Ahaz and Manasseh in the house of David, but Hezekiah and Josiah did succeed. Mischief did not appear entailed on Monarchy, as 'tis upon rebellion and having no King. It does appear their Kings were guards also to God and his Religion, the great defenders of his faith and worship. God and the Prince for the most part stood and fell together: Therefore St. Paul did afterwards advise to pray for Kings, Tim. 2. 2. that we might live in godliness and honesty; and still they were the same who sought the Lord their God, and David their King. But why David their King? For could his Kingdom disappear and be to seek; of whom the Lord had said, I have sworn once by my Holiness, I will not fail David? Psal. 89. And his Throne therefore was as sure as God is holy. ver. 35. But yet the Lord had said to the people of Israel, 1 Sam. 12. 15. If ye do wickedly, ye shall be destroyed both you and your King. There are other sins besides Rebellion and Treason that murder Kings and Governments. Those that support their Ills by their dependencies, and use great shadows for a shelter to rapacity, oppression, or licences, or any crying wickedness; those prove Traitors to Majesty and themselves, strike at the root of that under which they took covert, fell that and crush themselves. National vices have all Treason in them, and every combination in such sins is a Conspiracy. If universal practice palliate them, we do not see their stain in may be, think them slight; but their complexion is purple: Common blood is not deep enough to colour them, they die themselves in that that's sacred. Nay these do seem to spread contagion to God, as if they would not let the Lord be holy, nor suffer that to be which he swore by his holiness should be: Psal. 89. 49. For the Psalmist cries out, Where are thy old loving kindnesses which thou swarest unto David? But sure some of God's Oaths will stand; if not those of his kindness, those will by which he swears the ruin of such sinners, and God that is holy will be sanctified in judgement upon them. Isa. 5. 16. Yea, upon more than the offenders, for the guilty themselves are not a sacrifice equal to such piacular ofences. Innocent Majesty must bleed for them too; If you do wickedly, you shall be destroyed both you and your King. Thus when God would remove Judah out of his sight, good Josiah must fall; and the same makes them be to seek David their King. But how David their King, when 'twas Zorobabel? For with Theodoret and others I conclude he must be meant the first literal importance of the words. It was the custom of most Nations from some great eminent prince to name all the Succession, so at once to suggest his Excellencies to his followers, and to make his glory live. Now without doubt David was Hero enough for this, and his valour alone sufficient to ground the like practice upon. And though we do not find that done, yet we do find his piety and his uprightness made the standard by which that of his Successors is meted. Of one 'tis said, he walked in the ways of David his Father, 2 Chro. 34. 2. of another, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, 2 King. 14. 3. but not like unto David his Father. And because David went aside, and was upright with an Exceptation, once therefore it is said, The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his Father David. But besides this, his very name is given to two, 2 Chron. 17. 3. Zorobabel, and the Messiah; both which were to be the restorers of their people: The one from Sin and Hell, to re-establish the Kingdom of heaven itself; the other to deliver his people from Babel, and to repair a broken Nation and demolished Temple. And for this work God bids them seek David their King. The ways from Babel to Jerusalem, Psal. 122. 3, 5. from the Confusion of a people to a City that is at unity in itself, the City of God where he appears in perfect beauty, and where the throne of the house of David is, must be the first ways of David: In those he walked to Zion, and did invest his people in God's promises, the whole land of Canaan. In those Zorobabel brought them back to that land and Zion. And in these our Messiah leads us to Mount Zion that is above, to the celestial Jerusalem; does build an universal Church and Heaven itself. And all that have the like to do must walk in those first ways, fulfil that part of David, and must Copy Christ. Such the repairers of great breaches must be: These are the ways to settle Thrones, the only ways in which we may find the goodness of the Lord; which to fear is the third direction, and my last part. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. 3. That Israel who came but now out of the furnace should fear the Lord whose wrath did kindle it, whose justice they had found such a consuming fire as to make the Temple itself a Sacrifice, and the whole Nation a burnt-offering, is reasonable to expect: But when his goodness had repaired all this, to require them to fear that, does seem hard. That that goodness which when it is once apprehended does commit a rape upon our faculties, and being tasted melts the heart, and causes dissolution of soul through swoons of complacency, Psal. 130. 4. that this should be received with dread and trembling, is most strange. Indeed the Psalmist says, There is mercy with God that he may be feared; for where there not, we should grow desperate▪ But how to fear those mercies is not easy. 'Tis true, when God made his goodness pass fore Moses, showed him the glory of it, as he says, in those mo●● comfortable Attributes, the sight of which is beatific Vision, Exod. 34. 6, etc. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin; if that which follows there be part of it, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third or fourth Generation; if this be one ray of the glory of goodness, if it dart out such beams, alas, 'tis as devouring as the lake of fire, his very goodness stabs whole successions at once, and the guilty may tremble at it for themselves and their posterity. But if those words do mean as we translate those very words, Jer. 46. 28. I will not leave thee altogether unpunished, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet will not utterly cut off, not make a full end of the guilty, when I visit Iniquities upon the Children, but will leave them a remnant still; then there is nothing dreadful in it, but those very visitations have kindness in them, and his rod comforts, and this issue of his goodness also is not terrible but lovely. To fear God's goodness therefore is to revere it, to entertain it with a pious astonishment, acknowledging themselves unworthy of the crumbs of it, especially not daring to provoke it by surfeiting, or by presuming on it, or by abusing it to serve ill ends, or any other than God sent it for, those of piety and obedience: Not to comply with which, is to defeat God's kindness, and the designs of it. If when they sought the Lord, he was found of them, and came to his dwelling place only to be forced thence again by their abominations; if when his goodness had restored all to them, they had David their King but to conspire against, an Altar only to pollute, and a Temple to separate from, as Manasses the Priest, Sanballat's son in-law, with his accomplices did do; this were both to affront and to renounce that goodness, which above all things they must dread the doing: For if this be offended too, ruin is irreversible; there is no other attribute in God a sinner can fly to with any hope. His Holiness cannot behold iniquity, his Justice speaks nothing but condemnation to guilt, his Power without kindness is but omnipotent destruction; but if we have his Goodness on our side, we have an Advocate in his own bosom that will bear up against the rest, for his mercy is over all his Attributes as well as Works: But if this also be exasperated, and kindness grow severe, there is no refuge in the Lord, no shadow of him to take Sanctuary under; for there is nothing to allay the anger of his Compassion and Bounty. This sure is the extremest terror, we are to dread his kindness more than his severity and wrath; we have an antidote, a buckler against those, but none against the other if it be provoked; and if the heats of love take fire and rise into indignation, 'tis unquenchable flame and everlasting burning. Therefore when God hath done all things that he can do or they can wish, than most of all they must fear the Lord and his goodness. My Text and I have spoke all this while to the Jews: Nor do I know whether I need to address any other way, all this did so directly point at us. The glories of this day need not the foil of those calamities from which this day redeemed, to set them off; or you may read them in my Prophet here, and our own guilts will make too sad a Comment on his Text, who were more barbarous Assyrians to ourselves. We also were without a Prince and without Sacrifice, had neither King, nor Church, nor Offices, because we ourselves had destroyed them, and that we might not have them had engaged or covenanted against them; tied to our miseries so, that without perjury we could neither be without them, nor yet have them. As we had broke through all our sacred Oaths to invade and usurp calamity and guilt, so neither could we repent without breach of Vows, if this were not enough to make us be without a God too, then to drive him away we had defiled his dwelling places to the ground, and by his ancient gifts of remove he was certainly gone. There was indeed exceeding much Religion among us, yet, God knows, almost none at all, while Christianity was crumbled into so many, so minute professions, that 'twas divided into little nothings, and even loft in a crowd of itself; while each man was a Church, every single professor was a whole multitude of Sects. And in this tumult, this riot of faiths, if the Son of man should have come, could he have found any Faith in the Land? Virtue was out of countenance and practice, while prosperous and happy Villainy usurped its name; while Loyalty, and conscience of Oaths, and Duty were most unpardonable crimes, to which nothing but ruin was an equal punishment; and all those guilts that make the last times perilous, Blasphemy, Disobedience, Truce-breaking and Treasons, Schisms and Rebellions, with all their dismal consequences and appendages, (for these are not single, personal crimes, these have a politic capacity) all these did not only walk in the dress of piety, and under holy Masks, but were themselves the very form of Godliness, by which 'twas constituted and distinguished, the Signature of a party of Saints, the Constellation of their graces: And on the other side, the detestation of such hypocrisy made others Libertines and Atheists; while seeing men such holy counterfeits, so violent in acting, and equally engaged for every false Religion, made them conclude there was none true, or in earnest. And all this was because we were without our King; for 'twas the only interest of all those usurpations that were, to contrive and preserve it thus. And when we had rolled thus through every form of Government, addressed to each, moved every stone, and raised each stone to the top of the Mount, but every one still tumbled down again, and ours like Sisyphus' labour was like to have no end, only restless and various Calamity; necessity than counselled us, and we applied to God's directions in the Text, I know not whether in his method, but it is plain we did seek David our King. And my heart is towards the Governors of Isral, Judg. 5. 9 that offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye the Lord: Yea, Thou O Lord, bless them. May all the blessings which this was the birthday of, all that my Text encloses, all the goodness of the Lord, be the sure portion of them and their Families; may they see the King in his beauty, and peace upon Israel, and may their Names be blest in their Posterities for evermore. We sought him with the violent impatiencies of necessitous and furious desires, and our eyes, that had even failed with looking for him, did even fail with looking on him, as impotent and as unsatisfied in our fruitions as expectations; and he was entertained with as many tears as prayed for; as one whom not our Interests alone, but out guilts had endeared to us, and our tears: He was as necessary to us as repentance, as without whom it was impossible for us to repent and return from those impieties to him, of usurping his rights, of exiling, of murdering him by wants, because we could not do it by the Axe or Sword; without him 'twas impossible for us to give over the committing these; and the tears that did welcome him were one of our best lavers to wash off that blood that we had pulled upon ourselves. One endeared also to us by God's most miraculous preservations of him for us: We cannot look upon his life but as the issue of prodigious bounty, snatched by immediate Providence out of the gaping jaws of tyrannous, usurping, murderous malice, merely to keep him for our needs, and for this day: One whom God had trained up and managed for us, 2 Sam. 5. 4. just as he did prepare David their King, at thirty years of age to take possession of that Crown which God had given him by Samuel about twelve years before; Inter 7 & 9 Sauli qui regnavit an. 20. Vid. Sim. Chron. and in those years to prepare him for Canaan by a Wilderness, to harden him with discipline, that so the luxuries and the effeminacies of a Court might not emasculate and melt him; by constant Watches, cares and business to make him equal for, habituated to, careful of and affected with the business of a Kingdom; and by constraining him to dwell in Mesech, with Aliens to his Religion, to teach him to be constant to his own, Psal. 120. 5. and to love Zion. And hath he not prepared our David so for us? And we hope hath prepared for him too the first days of David, having no Sheba in the Field, not Achitophel in the Council, nor an Abiathar in the Temple, not in that Temple which himself hath raised, God having made him instrument of that which he would not let David do, building his house, and furnishing it with all its Offices, and making it fit for God to meet us in; when we do seek him also, which was the other perquisite of our Condition. There never was so much pretence of seeking God as in those late days of his absence from us; and it should seem indeed we knew not where to find him, we took such several ways to seek him. But if God did not look down from heaven then as he did Psal. 14. to see if any did understand and seek after God, should he not then have found it here as there? Psal. 14. Rom. 3. They are altogether gone out of the way; their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues have they deceived, the poison of asps is under their lips, their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and unhappiness is in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes: They eat up my people as it were bread; and, which is worse in these than them, they even then call upon God; as if they craved a blessing from the Lord upon that meal that did devour his people, and when they did seek God, they meant to find a prey. Yet where were any others that did seek him? Or that do cleave to him now? The Schismatic does not seek God, who shuns the place where he appears, and meets, and dwells; nor does he cleave to God who tears himself off from the Lord's body. Rom. 16. 17. Mark such as cause divisions, saith S. Paul, and avoid them: and if all Christians must avoid them, than I am sure God is not with them. The other Schismatics that divide from the World by cutting off the World from them; do they seek God that are diverted by so many Saints and Angels? that terminte divinest Worship in a creature? Or do they cleave to God, when their devotion embraceth stocks and stones? Or did they seek God for the purpose of my Text, who did not seek David their King, but did apply themselves to several foreign Princes, and to others which they hoped would set up their Golden Calf? Incendiaries, that make fires and raise commotions, 1 Kings 19 11, 12. these are far from God; for the Lord was not in the fire, or in the Earthquake, but in the still small voice, in the soft whispers of peace and love. The Atheist, he that says in his heart there is no God, will not seek God, you may be sure; nor does he care to seek David his King, who is equally well under all Governments that will allow his Licences, and who hath no Religion to tie him to any. If he at all disliked the former, it was upon reasons of Burden, or of Pride, or Libertinism: So much Religion, though counterfeit, was a reproach to him, and the face of such strictness was uneasy to him. These are so far from seeking God, that God says these did drive him out of Israel, Ezek. 9 9 And then when that hath so long been the Wit, that it is now the Complexion of the Age, and they who thought fit to show their not being Hypocrites by Licence, and (to give it an easy word) by drollery in sacred things, have now made nothing to be sacred to them; how shall the Lord dwell among such? They are enough to exercise God out of a Nation. The Hypocrite also, for all his Fasts and Prayers never did seek God, Matth. 2●. 27. for he is but a whited Sepulchre, our Saviour says. Now who would seek the Living God among the dead? the Lord of Life sure is not to be found in Graves. Golgotha was a place to crucify him in, not Worship him: He takes not in the Air of Funeral Vaults for Incense; it was a Demoniac that used to be among the Tombs. The subtle, false, and faithless men that walk in Mazes, never shall meet God: These are the windings and the tracts of the Old Serpent, and they lead only to his habitation. They that do climb as if they meant to find God on his own Throne, that follow Christ up to a pinnacle of the Temple, or to the top of that exceeding high Mount, whence they can overlook the glories of the World, and pick and choose, these do not go to seek Christ there: Matth. 4. It is the Devil that does carry up thither, upon his own designs. Nor is it possible to seek the Lord in the ways that lead to the strange Woman's house, Prov. 9 27. for her house is the way to hell, Solomon says, (and he did know; Prov. 5. 5. ) nay more, her steps take hold on hell, seize on those everlasting burnings which her foul heats kindle and begin. In a word, Phil. 2. 21. they that seek their own, that turn all merely to their advantage, they cannot seek God too, he will not be joint God with Mammon. And then where are the men that sought him? That did retrieve him to us? Or with whom does he dwell? If he be not among us, we do in vain flatter ourselves in our prosperity and peace, gawd it in all our bright appearances. Have we not seen the Sun rise with a glory of day about him, and mounting in his strength chase away all the little receptacles and recesses of the night, not leave a cloud to shelter the least relics of her darkness, or any spot to chequer or to fleck the countenance of day? When straight a small handful of vapour raised by that Sun itself, did creep upon his face, and by little and little getting strength bedashed his shine, and poured out as full streams of storm as he had done of light; till it even put out the day, and shed a night upon the Earth in spite of him? So may prosperity itself, if the Lord and his blessing be not in it, raise that which will soon overcast and benight the most glorious condition of a Nation. That Wine which now makes your hearts glad, may prove like that which did commit the Centaurs, and the Lapithae, first kindle Lusts, than Wars, and at last only fill a Cup of trembling and astonishment; and that Oil that does make you cheerful countenances, may make your paths slippery, and nourish flames that will devour and ruin all. But God, Isai. 65. 1. who is found of them that seek him not, nay who himself sought the lost sheep and carried him, Luk. 15. 4, 5. when with his straying he was wearied into impossibility of a return, as also sought, and found, and brought together us and our great Shepherd: For this is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. These ways of his also are so past finding out, that we may well conclude they are the mere footsteps of his incomprehensible goodness, and we have only now to fear that goodness. But give me leave to say, Those that despise his goodness, do not fear it; and they whom it does not lead to repentance, do despise it. S. Paul says, Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-sufferance, not knowing that the goodness of the Lord leads thee to repentance? And now, O Lord, what sort of men among us hath thy goodness wrought upon, and made repent? Those whom it was directed to convince, and came on purpose to, to prove by their own only argument they had of providential Miracles, they were not in the right, but that destruction and misery were in their ways; yet these choose rather to deny their own conclusions, and resist God's goodness, then to be convinced and repent: For we have seen them as bold Martyrs to their Sin as ever any to Religion, signalise their resolved impenitence with cheerful suffering, as if the fire they were condemned to were that Triumphal Chariot, 2 King. 2. 11. in which the Prophet mounted up to Heaven. Others that did not go so far in condemnation nor guilt as they, and therefore think they have no reason to repent of that, do they repent of what they did contribute to it? Of those that lifted up their hands to swear and fight, how many are there that have made them fall, and smite their own thigh, saying, Jer. 31. 19 What have I done? Do not all rather justify as far as they themselves proceeded? And if all that were well, why do not we repent of our Allegiance and Loyalty? If all that were well, what hath thy goodness done, O Lord, that hath reversed it all? And for the rest, those that do not partake the plenties of thy goodness, murmur and repine at it; are discontent at having what they prayed for, what they would have died for. Those that have been partakers of it, have turned it into wantonness, have made it furnish them for base unworthy practices; such as have not the generosity of Vice, have not a noble, manly wickedness, are poltroon sins; have made it raise a cry on the Faithfullest party, the best Cause, and the purest Church in the World. While we have debauched Gods own best Attribute, made his goodness procure for our most wicked or self-ends; and the face of things is so vicious in every order and degree and sex, that— But the Confession is only fit for Litanies, and we have need to make the burden of ours be, Lord, give us some afflictions again, send out thy Indignation, for we do fear thy goodness, it hath almost undone us; and truly, where it does not better, it is the most fearful of God's Attributes or Plagues, for it does harden there. Rom. 2. ●. St. Paul says so in the forecited place; and Origen does prove this very thing did harden Pharaohs heart, indulgence was his induration. Now induration is the being put into Hell upon the Earth: There is the same impenitence in both, and judgement is pronounced already on the hardened, and the life they lead is, but the interval betwixt the Sentence and the Execution, and all their sunshine of Prosperity, is but kindled Brimstone, only without the stench. And then to make the treasures of God's bounty be treasures of wrath to us! to make his kindness, 2 Pet. 3. 15. his long-suffering; that is St. Peter says, salvation, condemn us, his very goodness be Hell to us! But sure so great a goodness as this we have tasted, cannot have such deadly issues; and it was great indeed, so perfectly miraculous in such strange and continued successes, resisting our contrivances and our sins too, overcoming all opposition of our vices, and our own policies, that do not comport with it, and in despite of all still doing us good; it was fatality of goodness. Now sure that which is so victorious will not be worsted by us. But Oh! have we not reason so much more to fear the goodness? The greater and more undeserved it is, the more suspicious it is: As if it were the last blaze of the Candle of the Lord, when its light gasps; its flash of shine before it do go out, the dying struggles and extreme efforts of goodness, to see if at the last any thing can be wrought by it. And if we did consider how some men manage the present goodness, make use of this time of it, and take, and catch, we would believe they did fear the departure of it: But yet it is in our power to fix it here. If we repent, God's gifts than are without repentance, but one of us must change: Bring Piety and Virtue into countenance and fashion, and God will dwell among us. Rom. 11. 22. Nay St. Paul says, Goodness to thee if thou continue in his goodness: If we ourselves do not forsake it, and renounce it, not fear it so as to fly from it, but with the fears of sinking men, that catch and grasp, lay fast dead hold upon it, if, as God promises, Jer. 32. 40. he so put his fear in our hearts, that we never depart from it, fear that hath love in it, and is as unitive as that, than it shall never depart from us; but we shall see the goodness of the Lord, in the Land of the Living, and shall be taken thence to the eternal fullness of it. This day shall be the Birthday of Immortal Life, the entering on a Kingdom that cannot be moved. A Crown thus beautified, is a Crown of Glory here, and shall add weight and splendour to the Crown hereafter: A Church thus furnished, is a Church Triumphant in this World, and such a Government is the Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth; Apoc▪ 1. 5, 6. and then we shall all reign with him who is the King of Kings, and who washed us in his Blood, to make us Kings and Priests to God and his Father. To whom be glory and dominion for ever. Amen. SERMON XVIII. AT CHRIST'S-CHURCH IN OXFORD ON St STEVEN's Day. MATH. V. 44. But I say unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. I Need no Artifice to tie this Subject and this Day together. The Saint whose memory we celebrate was the Martyr of this Text: And 'tis impossible to keep the Feast but by a resolution of obeying these Commands, you being called together on this day to beseech God to grant that you by the Example of this first Martyr St. Stephen, who prayed for his Murderers, may learn to love your Enemies, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. A strange command in an Age, in which we scarcely can find men that love their Friends, nor any thing but that which serves their interests or pleasures, that indeed love nothing but themselves; nor is it only injury that works their hate and enmity, but difference in opinion divides hearts, and men are never to be reconciled that have not the same mind in every thing; as if one Heaven should not hold them that have not one judgement in all things, we see that one Church cannot hold them, and they that have but one same God, one Redeemer and Saviour, one Holy Spirit of Supplication, cannot agree yet in one Prayer to him, though they have but one same thing to pray for to him: will not meet in their Worship because they do not in some Sentiments; and 'tis no wonder all Christ's reasonings and upbraid, all the Advantages he does propose to them that love, the shames he casts on them that do not, by putting them out of his Train into the condemnation of Publicans; 'tis no wonder all this does not work with them whom their own sufferings and black Calamities will not convince. There is not one of us but knows that thus our miseries began but few years since, and yet we that have suffered for and by our Divisions, whose quarrels wounded the whole Nation and ourselves, who have wept so much blood at once to vent and to bewail our differences, are still as full of the same animosities as ever, and want nothing but opportunity to confound all again, Religion and ourselves: And in the name of God what did Christ mean when he prescribed this Precept? when he disputed? pressed it thus? or what do Christians mean when they do break and tear this Precept and themselves? Though I be far from any hopes to reconcile our Parties, (as by God's help I shall ever be from making any,) yet I will offer an Expedient to make them not so noxious; namely, if they will keep the differences of their judgements from breaking out into their affections and actions. And though while meekness and obedience to Governors, and the whole constellation of Gospel-graces, do not seem to shine so fair as man's own reputation, or humour, or possibly some strict opinion which they have owned, and the show of holiness that glitters in it, while 'tis thus, I say, we cannot look any party will yield, all do or will believe themselves to be in the right; yet I will give them leave to think so, and my prescription shall concern them equally although they be; and by addressing my Discourse to them that are so really, I shall conclude more forcibly them that are not, who ere they be; for sure I am none can be more in the right than those whom Christ lays this injunction upon, than his Disciples and Apostles, as relating to those that would be their Enemies as such: Yet 'tis to them he speaks here; I say unto you, love your Enemies, etc. The words contain a Duty prescribed, and the Authority prescribing it: The Prescription and the Authority in these words, I say unto you, the Duty in the rest: where it is set down 1. in general: Love your Enemies, and that to be considered under a double prospect: 1. As it is placed in opposition to something that was before indulged the Jews, or presumed so to be by them; signified here by the particle But; and then as it stands by itself, in its own positive importance: Love your Enemies. And Secondly, this Duty is particularised in several exercises of the Act commanded, Love, in relation to several sorts of the Objects of that Act, Enemies: As 1. Those that curse you, you must bless: 2. Those that hate you, you must do good to: 3. Those that use you despitefully and persecute you, you must pray for. These I shall treat of in their given order, beginning with the general Duty, and viewing that at once in both the lights that it doth stand in, that one may clear and fortify the other. But I say unto you, love your Enemies. Of all the Points of Christian Religion those which did most stagger the faith of some, and check their acceptation of it, or adherence to it, (saith Marcellinus writing to St. Austin) were these 3; The incarnation of our Lord: The meanest of his Miracles, which they thought the works of Apollonius equalled; and thirdly, the prescriptions in the Text, It seems they looked upon these Duties as the mysteries of Practice; that spoke as loud a contradiction to their active principles and inclinations, as the other appeared to do so, those of Speculation and Discourse, a God made flesh, and flesh and blood made so lame and passive, sweetened so, being alike impossible to their belief: As if no flesh could certainly be so, except that of which God was made, and the Word incarnate only could fulfil, these words here in my Text: They looked upon this as a much-more mighty work than any of his Miracles; as if 'twere easier to snatch one out of the arms of Fate from the embraces of the Grave, than to receive an enemy into ones own: As if Christ had done more when he prayed for his Crucifiers then when he prayed Lazarus out of his grave: For their Magicians, they say, vied Miracles with him, but none of their Religions or Gods did ever aim at this Prescription, ut quae sit propria bonitas nostra; saith Tertullian; this being a sort of Piety peculiar to the Christians. Nor did they only think it unpracticable, but unreasonable; as carrying opposition to all Government, to the Prosperity and Peace of every Polity; for he that does require that I shall have no return of injuries, but for a wrong, makes me in debt a kindness, not only supersedes judiciary proceedings, but does secure Rapine by Law, and encourage it by reward; and truly if it were impossible for him that does affect a person to dislike his evil actions, and to desire he may have condign punishment, such as by Gospel-measures may be satisfaction equal to his fault, and warning to himself and others, these men had reason: But if a Father can at once love and correct his Child; if when I am with indignation displeased at my offences against God, and by severities revenge them on myself, I do then love myself most passionately; and if I can pray with all the vigour of my soul for that false Traytor-bosom-enemy, my flesh, while it lies goading me to sin, and with temptation persecuting me to everlasting death, than no reason of State, or of my own requires I should not do all these acts of kindness to my Adversary. In that thou hast an exact pattern for thy enmity to them that wrong thee, and thou shalt hate thine enemy as thyself, is a most perfect Gospel-Rule: that being most cons●●●nt with and directive of this Duty, love your enemies. But yet there is so great a difference indeed betwixt this Act here and its object (Enemy being constituted such by enmity, that is aversion and hate) that love, and that seem strangely coupled, things that can be put together only for a contest, just as heat and cold, to weaken one another, that both the love and enmity, may be refracted into a luke-warmhess. Therefore I shall divide them, handling Love first by itself, viewing the import of that as it is sincere, lest the enemy appearing with it, make it shrink into a very slender Duty: and having done that, secondly, see whether an others enmity; and thirdly, whether enmity with that appropriation here, your enemies, can take off from the Obligation of that Duty, Love. Now Love shows fairest to our purposes in those dresses which S. Paul presents her in, 1 Cor. 1. 13. and 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 4. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; v. 5. it suffers long, if not the damage, yet the malice of repeated injuries, as knowing it is bound to forgive till a Mat. 18. 22. 70 times 7 times: And 'tis not easily provoked, not apt for sudden violent heats, instantly all one fire, quick as lightning. Such heats are from another passion; which though sometimes they do but flash and die, yet oft they have their Thunderbolt, and most what do forerun a storm: whereas the heats of Charity are calm as sunshine, such as do not consume, but cherish: For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the same verse, Love is kind and gracious, full of humanity: This Virtue is a kind of universal friendship, hath nothing of reserved, morose or sour an humour, that makes solitude in the midst of Society, and makes men only their own company, their Rule, and scope; and such a person Aristotle says must be either a God, who can enjoy nothing beside himself, is his own blessed and immortal entertainment, or a wild beast whose nature is unsociable because 'tis savage, whereas Love is a pious complaisance to all, 'tis condescension too; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 5. v. does not think any thing unseemly, how contemptible soever, nor unworthy of him; so he may do his Neighbour good; he will debase himself to meanest Offices to work a real kindness. John 13. 3, 4, 5. Thus Christ, because he loved his own, knowing the Father had given all things into his hand, he took a Towel, and girded himself, and put water in a Basin and washed his Disciples seest, making the lowest act of servitude be his Expression, and our Example: That is but slender Charity that will keep state, Heaven could not unite Majesty and Love: But to exercise this, God did descend from Glory into the extremity of Meanness. 'Tis Bowels that express compassion, and tender kindness; Now those we know of all parts of the Body are employed in the most low ignoble Offices; and to such Love condescends, where 'tis true. Again, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it cover all; the naked with a garment, and the deformed, the leprous Sinner with a covering too; for b 1 Pet. 4 8▪ Charity covers a multitude of sins, hides his own wrong from his own eyes; this Love too like that in the Poets, cannot see, yea covers all that is no fit for light, suffers only the graces to be naked near him, and not to name all, which you may find there, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ver. 7 believeth all things, however incompatible to love, and to be wise have been accounted, yet this Love is S. James his Wisdom that came down from Heaven, Cap. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 interpret any thing to the most favourable sense, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, easy to unpersuaded, still believes the best, and where it cannot, yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hopes the best: Affection while it lives cannot despair, for than it must deposit its desires, which are only the warmth of Love, and till it die cool not, but if all do not answer hopes, yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he does wait for it, is not discouraged with relapses and the repetitions of injuries, but still expects, and suffers all the contradictions of spite and wrong. Now if all these acts and the many other there are essential to Love and all be under Obligation; and S. Paul says there, they are so much Duty that without these performances all Faith and all Grace's profit nothing: the Preaching Rhetoric of Men and Angels would be nothing else but tinkling, and working Miracles, but showing tricks. It follows then these Acts must necessarily have a certain object, there must be some body that we are bound to love thus: And if that Object be or Neighbour (as that is most sure) 'tis clear my Neighbour's injury, or hate or enmity to me, cannot take off nor yet diminish in the least that Obligation I have to all those Acts, but I must love him though he be mine enemy in every of those instances. For it is plain, his having wronged me does not make him cease to be my Neighbour; nay more, that enmity does formally dispose and qualify my Neighbour for the Object of my love: And many of its Acts cannot relate but to a man that injures me; it must be in respect to provocations that love is said to cool into such a temper as is not easily provoked; For men are not provoked with kindnesses. I cannot suffer any thing but wrong, nor suffer long except there be continuation and frequency of wrongs. Nor is it possible I should forgive unless it be offences done against me. And so for divers of the rest: Now it were strange the enemy should supersede the obligation of the Duty, which cannot be a Duty but in order to an Enemy; that injury should give me a release, from doing that which I can neverr have cause or occasion to do but in the case of injury; that I should have leave not to obey the Command for that mere reason which alone makes it possible to obey it, and which alone makes the Command: Whereas indeed because I must needs love in these expresses, therefore he must needs be my enemy whom I must love. But if he be without all provocation very unjustly so, if his hate be his sin, so that he hath offended God too in it, may I not then espouse God's quarrel thus far, not to love his Enemy if I must mine own, not to love the injurious, the sinner? Vice certainly is the most hateful thing that is, and therefore it must needs render the subject not to be beloved; accordingly 'tis said, that the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God, Wis. 14. 9 and David does comply with God in this, Vers. 21. 22. Psalm 139. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? yea I hate them with perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies. And when I reflect on mine under this Notion, or if mine be such as set themselves against Religion and the peace and quietness of the Church, am I bound to love them? If so, than I may be allowed to do it with a little regret sure. But yet if we consider how these in the Text are designated by that Appropriation, your enemies, which means those that hate you, my Disciples, those that in the last words of my Text, will persecute you even for your being mine; and yet those they are bid to love, we may conclude in the next place we may not hate our enemies as Sinners: Nor yet does enmity with God, his Church, or his Religion qualify a person for our aversation or mischiefs. I except here Apostasy and utter obduration in it; a state that incapacitates for mercy, and by consequence for love and kindness. 1 John v. 16. There is a sin which S. John would not say that we should pray for, and the Church thought that there was such a sinner, Indian, but as to less degrees, they that are supposed to persecute Disciples, and in doing so persecute Christ himself, may well be granted sinners, enemies to God and Christianity; but yet says he, I say unto you, love these your enemies. Tertullian understood this so, and writing to the Governor of Carthage, who threatened all the Christians of that Province with Excision, that he might persuade him from his purpose, thus began his Proposals: We do not write as fearing for ourselves, or dreading any thing that we are like to suffer, for we did enter our Religion on the condition of suffering, we covenanted to endure, and staked our lives when we began our profession; but 'tis for you we fear, for you our enemies, whom our Religion does command us to love and to do good to. And though we must hate Vice, and do our best to root out Infidelity and Atheism, destroy Profaneness, Irreligion and Heresy and Schism: These are fit objects for the zeals of Hate, and for the fevers of our Passion, and if our enemies be such we may meetly endeavour they may have appropriate restraints, yet not to exercise the Acts of Charity and kindness to them we have no allowance: No sins can make it lawful for us to ruin, or not to do good to the Sinners. In fine the only persons that the Jews pretended to have ground to hate were Enemies, and Enemies, indeed to their Religion, the Idolatrous Gentile-world, therefore that being now forbid to us, there is not sort of men, nor any man whom it is lawful for a Christian not to love; and all the reasons urged here by our Saviour, do prove, that all mankind whether good or bad is the object of a Christians love: Because God does good to all, his methods of Mercies are universal; he makes his Clouds drop fatness even upon them that consume the increase on their Lusts, and sacrifice it to their Riots, making their belly be their God: He gives abundance of his good things unto those that love them only as they advantage Vanity and Sin, and that turn Gods-store into provision for Vice and for Destruction. He gives gold to them that make gold their Idol, and bestows large portions of Earth on them that are Children of Hell, and them who for the pleasures of that Earth despise his Heaven. Yea, the whole order of things does teach us this, the Creatures do service to the whole kind, they acknowledge the man, and not the Countryman and Friend; but alike the rich and poor, 〈…〉 the good and grateful, the wicked and ungrateful too. The Sun does not Collect his Rays and shed more day to gild the gaudy and gay person whose clothes and Jewels will reflect his light, return him as much almost as he sends, and vie brightness with him, than he does to the poor dark, sordid rags that even damp his beams: He sheds the same unpalled day even on those men that draw such streams of blood as with their mists endeavour to put out or slain his shine: The Air gives breath to them that putrify it, as well as those that send it out a Perfume. Yea the Cretures of sense and, perception do not yet discriminate their Lords, Psalm. 1. 3. but with that same indifference serve all: The Ox knows his Owner, and the Ass his Master, not his Religion, not his Virtues; and then as there is something in man, as man which God is kind to; something in man, as man for which the Creatures serve; so there is something in man, 〈…〉 as he is man which we must love, and consequently we must love every man. And till thou hast found one so much a Monster that no creature will fear or obey, and such a one as God will show no kindness to at all, will not let his Sun shine, or his Rain rain upon, but while as others are in Goshen, sets him in the storm and dark of Egypt, till then, I say, thou hast not found a person whom thou mayst not love, no though he be thine enemy in mind, and thought, indeed, for if he Curse thee, thou must bless, and must do good to him which hates thee, which are the particular expresses to the love in the Text, the first of which is, Bless them that Curse you. BLess being here opposed to Curse, must signify wish well to them that wish you evil: Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, also do import speak well of, as that is opposed to railing, 1. Pet. 3. 9 not rendering railing for railing, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but chose Blessing. And both are the duty of this place, which does intend that all sorts of loving words should be the Christians returns to the offences of the tongue, whether by Curse or contumely. And truly when I do consider how the other way, the rendering like for like, and giving him that does wish or speak evil as good language as he brings, is so far from all shadow of compensation, that there is really a loss of honour in those dismal imprecating words, the anger that does belch them out, does swell and stretch and rack the passion, blushes at itself, the malice drinks those spirits up which it lurks in, and the envy that Snake, sucks all the blood away, leaves nothing but its own pale venom in the stead: In a word, the very Essence of impatience is vexation and fret; and then that men should call that recompense for suffering which is itself a present agony, and hath no prospect of any after good, that they should satisfy themselves in that does make that bold assertion of the Romanist, White. who says that those in Hell do will and love their being there not strange at all, for indeed there is one and the same reason of both, that in the paroxysm of a passion, whensoever a man is seized by an affection with violence (as they in Hell are always, and those that speak evil are for the present,) He does for that time love, cherish and pursue the affection: and in good earnest, if so be that men can please themselves in the extreme impatience of a fruitless choler, it looks like demonstration, that the damned may please themselves in their damnation; as to that part of it, that which tears the Soul, the rage of its own passions when they are loose and unmuzzeled, and the more because we have good reason to believe theirs are the very passions we are now upon, Envy, and Hate, and Shame; and they do vent themselves in the same manner too, in Blasphemy and Curses; and differ nothing, but that theirs are endless, and then let such men please themselves in the returns of calumny and imprecations, we will allow them the delights of Hell in doing so, and they do taste those very only satisfactions that the fiends do in their torments, and much good may they do them. Psal. 109. 17. 18. 'Tis true than what the Psalmist says, that he who thus delights in Cursing, it shall enter into his bowels like water, and like Oil into his bones; like pleasure and refreshment, like water to allay his passionate heats, and Oil to make him cheerful after his vexation: For so indeed the venting of his Curses seems to do; but alas if to pour them out do make them enter into him, into his bowels and his bones, his most substantial parts, and his most necessary inwards; if it leave nothing there but Curse, poison instead of marrow in the bones, and in the bowels fiery indignation for water, if this be the effect, then if you do resolve not to obey the Text and will not love your enemy, yet for your own sakes, out of self-love do not execute your Enemies ill wishes on yourselves, and in mere spite to him make all his maledictions come to pass upon you, but that blessing may not be far from you, Bless them that Curse you, do good to them that hate you, the next part. Do good. If to do good, mean only those Acts of Charity that are under general precept, relieve necessities, help in needs, and the like; than it is plain another's hate to me takes not away my obligation, unless it take away his wants, and the wrongs he hath done me do not render me not bound to succour him, unless it put him in a state that needs no succour. For if thine Enemy hunger, thou must feed him, if he thirst, give him drink, Rom. 12. 20. Yea, though his hatred be to thy Religion: Gal. 6. 10. Tertul. Do good to all, the Scripture says, and the Father porrigat manum Jupiter & accipiet: If the heathen Idols that have mouths indeed, but as they cannot speak, so neither can they eat, if they, I say, could hunger, and did ask, I would feed them, and I would give their God, that is the Devil if he wanted. But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify do kindness and favours, be good, as that means bountiful and full of courtesies and grace, be more than merciful by rule and general command. which the Gospel calls righteous, (and truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Tim. 3. 1. does mean a work of excellency, in a state of virtue without precept) and if it be here so too, enmity seems to have advantage above friendship in the Gospel, and brings kindness under an obligation; graces and favours that in their notation and essence employ the being free, yet are not so to hatred, which hath by Christ's Law just pretences to them. I will not be too positive in my affirmings, yet from the words will offer this, that if a kindness lie before me, and I have no reason to deny it a man, but this because he hates me, I must not, deny it him, and if Christ's reasonings do enforce the other it will cunclude this too. For if we must relieve the wants of them that hate us, that we may be Children of our Father, who does so, upon the same account we must be good and kind too to them, for he is, and he will scarce prove a true lawful issue of this Father, who is in this unlike to him that tries and owns his progeny by these resemblances. So that whatever strength of argument there is in one, the other hath it. And truly we have reason to believe that there is more than motive in it, when first Christ hath set this principle both to himself and us, with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again, Matt. 7. 2. As if the Lord had brought himself into that law of Justice with us men, whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, do you also to them: And it be also, whatsoever ye would that God should do unto you, do ye also to others; and Secondly, when he practiseth just as the rates we do, for with the froward God learns frowardness, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is kind to the kind, so Ps. 18. 25. recals a grace from him that would not do one, Matt. 18. from 23. nay thirdly, when he gives us leave to beg his kindnesses, but just in the proportion we do ours, forgive as we forgives, we ask no more, and praying so, we undertake to have endeavoured thus; assure God that we practise so, and upon that score beg. Now he that will forgive to the bounds of necessity, but never into favour, there he will stay his hand, will so much serve his turn from God? And can he be content with such a portion? Take heed, O severe man, what thou dost ask, when thou dost put up this petition. As thou shouldest say, I knew that notwithstanding we offend God constantly, yet besides all the mercies of his Covenant, (and that's a Covenant of Grace) his kindness too is over all his works; he does not only furnish our necessities, but serves our pleasures and our fancies, prevents us with the blessings of his goodness, and watches over us, and waits to be kind to us in the rescues of his providence, and beyond these gives us means of Salvation more than barely sufficient, the plenties of his grace, the five and ten Talents, the expresses of his temporal spiritual and eternal favours towards them that provoke him, are as immense and as innumerable as their guilts, but all these I shall rather part with, then be good and do favours to him that is mine Enenmy; I will neur have any kindness for that man that hates me, nor do beg any of Thee, O Lord. And wouldst thou say all this to God, if it were put in words at length in thy petition? Or dost thou think thou dost not say as much in praying so? And thou that makest so ill requests for thy own self, how wilt thou pray for them that despitefully use thee and persecute thee? Which is the last particular command. Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. As in this Character of Enemies, Christ hath not left out any thing that does express hostility, hating in heart, cursing in word, and persecution in deed, and which to some is more provoking than a persecution, despiteful usage; (For persecution may make them serious, and look at their demerits, the other only stirs their spleen and gall) all which, all that an enemy can speak, or wish, or do, must be no bar to our affection: So to express the unfeignedness of that, he hath not left out any exercise of Love, we must speak well of them, but that a crafty passion may do, and blessing may be but more plausible and cunning hatred: We must therefore also do good to them, but this a generous pride may do, as knowing it more glorious to raise up a distressed adversary, then to trample on him whem he is down, and to make him my creature rather than my footstool: All this I may do therefore yet love nothing but my vanity or my designs: But when I take my Enemy into my Closet and into my heart, give him a share in the petitions of my soul, divide the aims and interests of my devotion to him, and make my prayers concerned in the forgiveness of his sins as of my own, there's nothing but obedience to my Saviour, and the Love of my Enemy can make a man do this. And truly 'tis a piece of kindness that is as necessary for ourselves, as those that injure us. For them it is very necessary for persecution, or despightful usage, offending God, as by a disobedience to his precept; so also by the sufferings it does inflict on man, to forgive or require which that man hath right: God does not use to put the injured person by this right, or by its paramount Authority assume to pardon the man's part of the wrong, but does retain the sin till that either in deed or desire do satisfied for, or remitted, there being till then an obstruction to God's forgiveness, for till then the man hath not repent; but when the fufferer does pray for him, in doing so he pleads that that obstruction is removed, that his part is remitted, and so leaves no bar in the way to that pardon which he begs for him of God, and which that bar being gone, the Lord is used to grant with all advantage, the prayers of our Martyr, in the seventh of the Acts, are a demonstration, to which the Fathers say the Church did owe not only her deliverance from all the violent intentions of Saul, but all that Christianity which St. Paul planted; the dying voice of that petition. a Act. 7. 60. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, was answered by that b Act. 9 4. voice from Heaven, which converted Saul in his career of fury: One prayer for a persecutor, puts an end to persecution, & si Stephanus non or asset & Ecclesia non habuiesset Paulum. Jobs miserable comforters, whose visits proved afflictions to him, could not a tone themselves to God by their burnt offerings, but Job must pray for them 42. Chr. 8. seven Bullocks and seven Rams cannot expiate, but one petition from the sufferer will do it; for him I will accept, saith God, and he accepted him, not for them only, but for himself, for the Lord turned the Captivity of Job, when he prayed for them. vers. 10. These intercessions speed sooner than direct supplications, and such a petition is heard to ourselves, when 'tis made for others. And reason good, for such requests lay the condition of our pardon before God, making evidence of our performance, and they cry, for we forgive, and so call for pardon. And to encourage this procedure, our Saviour before he did commend his own spirit into the hand of his Father, he commended his Executioners to the mercies of his Father; Our Martyr did not so indeed, but first prayed for himself, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit, Luk. 23. 34. 46. Acts. 7. 59 But though Heaven opening he saw that Jesus standing at the right hand of God, as ready to receive it, yet his spirit would not leave his body so, yet made him live yet to endure more stoning from his persecutors, for whom he had not prayed yet, but when he once fell on his knees, not beaten down by their storm, but his Charity, and prayed, Lord lay not this sin to their charge, when he had said so he fell asleep, v. 60. his Spirit taken hence as it were osculo pacis, though by the most violent death, and he lies down in a perpetual rest and peace, that thus lies down in Love. These are requests to breath out a soul into heaven in, and heaven itself did open to receive that soul that came so wafred. And now we are at the top of Christ's Mount, the highest and the steepest point of christianity, Mat. 5. 48. which view with that ●o which our Martyr's Spirit did ascend: For it makes perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect; it sets our heads within those higher and untroubled Regions, wherein there are no Meteor-fires, the flame of Passion cannot wing it thither, for he that is above the power of injury, discontent, cannot look up to him, it is with him as in the upper Orbs, where there is only harmony and shine, all is peace and love, the state of heaven itself. Now as it does happen to them that look down from great heights, every Object below is dwarfed: And if the distance of the prospect be as great as that from Heaven to Earth, they tell us this whole Globe would be but like a spot, all being swallowed in itself; so if from this great height of duty, we should look down upon the World of Christianity, would it not almost wholly disappear and vanish? Something like a dark spot of it you may perchance behold, stained and discoloured with the Blood of Christians, which their constant quarrels shed: Some it may be die that Blood in colours of Religion, their Animosity is christened Zeal, they kill only for Sacrifice, thus they interpret and fulfil Christ's precepts, this they call holy love, as if Christ when he bid his Disciples take no Staves with them, meant they should carry Swords; as if the love he had commanded we should have for them that are in error (if our enemies be so indeed) were but to murder them forsooth out of their errors. Next for the kindnesses that Christians do to those that hate them, or have disobliged them, they are God knows so little, that no perspective can show them from this height we are upon: And yet 'tis not for want of light we cannot see them, 'tis very rare men do those things in the dark; for if they do not blazon them themselves, the enemy whom they oblige, must do it. The distance also is too great to hear the prayers that are made for those that treat men with despiteful usage; perhaps it is because they are put up in secret; burr then what means the yelling of those curses? That ill Language that is banded to and fro? While none will be behind in the returns of these; how far soever we are off, like Thunder these are heard: And thence you may behold them also tearing Christ's wounds wider to mouth their swelling passion; We may see their anger redden with his Blood, and themselves spitting out that Blood by imprecations at the face of him that did provoke them; we may see them raking Hell to word these prayers, sending themselves thither in wishes, that they may express them with more horror. The Hatreds and Revenges which men act on them that have offended them (hates that seldom ever die till themselves do, which the Frost of the Grave only cools, yea, many times they are raked up, and keep their heat in the ashes, live in the grave, and are as long lived as the families, which for the most part is more careful and tenacious of them than of their Inheritance.) The executions of these are often writ in Characters legible at utmost distance; in this Mount of the Lord they may be seen, but where now are the Christians of my Text and of this day? There's no appearance of them in the face of the whole Globe of our Profession; nay worse, it is scarce possible they should appear, the Duties of loving enemies, of returning affronts with kindnesses, these are banished thence; other virtues are practised down, but these are scorned and quarrelled down. 'Tis become a base thing and not to be endured to be a Christian in these instances: See pride and passions swollen up to an height, which Christ's Mount cannot reach, and which he must not levelly by his precepts: For since he was not pleased to consider how inconsistent in this last age of the World his rules would be with those of honour, and in making his Laws, took no care of the reputation of a Gentleman, 'tis fit his Laws should give way to the constitutions ' of some Hectors, and he must bear the violation of them: And all this must be reasonable too. Good God what prodigy of age is this, when Christ the Lord cannot be competent to judge either of right, of honour, or of realon? When to be like God, and to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, is to be most fordid and unworthy of a Gentleman? and in the name of God these men that are too great for virtue, that brave out Religion, and will needs give rules to God, what rank do they intent up stand in at God's Judgement seat on the last day? Lord God grant us to stand among the week, on that hand with the sheep, and those that are too poor in spirit to defy their enemies and thy commands: for however the ●eek maketh himself a prey, and is so far from enjoying the promise of inheriting the Earth, that the virtue is sacrce allowed to sojourn in the Earth, as if it had breathed its last in this our Martyr's prayer, took its flight with his spirit, and those stones that flew him were the Monument of loving enemies, of praying for those that persecute and murder; and such Charity were not to be found among us any more, yet sure I am these Charitable persons shall enjoy the friendship and the glories of that Lover, that did Bless, do good to, Pray, and Dye for Enemies; and these meek men shall reign with the Lord, Per. 5. 12. who was slain, and is worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, all which be ascribed to him, and to the Father of all mercies, the God of Consolation, and to the Spirit of Love, now and for evermore. FINIS.