Family Devotions FOR SUNDAY-EVENINGS; THE Third and Fourth Volumes. Each Containing Thirteen Practical Discourses, With Suitable Prayers: AND completing an Entire Course for the whole Year. By Theophilus Dorrington. LONDON, Printed for John wyatt, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1695. IMPRIMATUR, Carolus Alston, R.P.D. Hen. Episc. land. à Sacris. Martij 4. 1694/ 5. FAMILY DEVOTIONS FOR SUNDAY-EVENINGS, Throughout the YEAR. BEING Practical Discourses, WITH Suitable Prayers. Volume III. By Theophilus Dorrington. LONDON, Printed for John wyatt, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1695. The Subjects of the following Discourses of this Third Volume. Sermon I. THE Miseries of this Life Represented, and improved. Pag. 1 Serm. II. The Character and Means of Patience Represented. p. 23 Serm. III. The Character and Remedies of Voluptuousness. p. 46 Serm. IV. The Character and Remedies of Covetousness. p. 69 Serm. V. The Character of Pride. p. 93 Serm. VI. The Remedies of Pride proposed. p. 116 Serm. VII. The Character and Cure of a Worldly Mind. p. 140 Serm. VIII. Contrition or Godly-sorrow Represented. p. 163 For the first Sunday in Lent. Serm. IX. Contrition or Godly-sorrow urged. p. 186 For the second Sunday in Lent. Serm. X. General Remedies against Sin offered, and our own Endeavour urged. p. 210 Serm. XI. Involuntary Sins stated, and our Care to avoid them urged. p. 233 Serm. XII. The Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour explained and improved. p. 255 Proper for the Sunday next after the Annunciation. Serm. XIII. Our Blessed Saviour's Passion Represented and improved. p. 279 Proper for Good-Friday, or the Sunday before Easter. ERRATA. page. 7. line 17. for distaste red distaste. P. 84. l. 22. for to expose r. expose. P. 114. l. 3. deal that withal. P. 231. l. 18. r. Lives. P. 246. l. 4. r. by it. THE MISERIES OF THIS LIFE, Represented and improved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Job 5.7. Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upwards. IF our first Parents had retained their Original Innocency, neither they nor their Posterity had ever known Sorrow or Affliction. The wise and good creator made nothing to make it miserable; he does not hate the works of his own hands: And in particular of Man, 'tis said, He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of Men▪ But our first Parents fell into Sin, and with themselves involved us in Guilt, and this has exposed us all to Misery. Therefore the Apostle says, Rom. 5.5. Death past upon all Men, for that all have sinned. Now as we are by Nature Children of Wrath, we come crying into this World: and Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upwards. That is, The trouble and affliction of this Life is as natural, as common to Mankind as is the property in Sparks to fly upwards. Affliction and Misery are the common Lot, and all of us shall have a share in them at one time, and in one way or other. Indeed innumerable Evils do continually compass us about, and we can seldom if ever be free from all of them. And so many things are necessary to make us perfectly at Ease and Happy, that some or other of them are likely to be always Absent. And besides, every good is liable to some Defect and Imperfection, or to the mixture, and alloy of some very sensible Inconvenience. If we will liberally enjoy our Pleasures we must abandon Wealth; if we will gather great Wealth, we must be sparing in Pleasure: Our Honours are attended with Danger, Envy, and Toil; our rest and peace with Uselessness, Obscurity, and Contempt. But altho' this Truth proves itself to every Mans observation or experience: Yet we are so hard to be convinced of what we would not have to be true; that there are but few among Men who will believe, or be sensible of this. We are all possessed with too good an Opinion of this Life, and do think it possible to make ourselves very happy here. If in one Condition we are not so happy as we would be, yet we think this may be attained in another. And tho' a perfect Rest and Happiness here could never yet be attained, yet we will think it may be. We think if it were not for this, or that particular thing that troubles us we should be happy enough; or if we had but such and such things more that we desire, we should have nothing more to desire: But we forget that if the present Evils which encumber us were removed, we should still be liable to some others; and if we had those other good things we desire they might bring some Inconveniences with them which we do not foresee, and might even themselves occasion new Necessities and Desires. Thus we are generally unconvinced and unsensible of this Truth, and that we are so, is many ways an evil and a mischief to us. We continually expect to be happy here, and flatter ourselves with hopes of good and pleasant Circumstances; and we meet with bitter and evil ones; and they are the more evil and bitter as they come unexpected. Many men when they fall into Affliction are surprised and amazed, because they never thought that any such thing would ever have happened to them. Hence too we are always restless and moving, or given to Change: and soon longing for alteration in every Condition. We can never acquiesce in what the Providence of God orders for us: Besides, while we promise ourselves Ease and Happiness here, we apply ourselves wholly to the Cares and Enjoyments of this Life. We make it our greatest Concern to remove or avoid present Inconveniences, and to furnish and accommodate ourselves with the good things here. This takes up all our thoughts and care, and our Hearts are the mean while stolen away from God, and Heavenly things, and we are diverted from our chief Concern and Business. It is very useful then as well as necessary to insist a little upon this matter, to show how very liable this Life is to Misery and Affliction; after which I shall suggest the due use and Improvement of the sad Truth. In the first place I shall show, that this Life is exceedingly exposed to Affliction, or that, Man is born to trouble as the Sparks fly upwards. And this will be most evidently proved by producing the many Causes or fruitful Springs of vexation and trouble which attend our Condition in this World. And they are all these following. 1. The weak and mutable Nature of all our Enjoyments in this World. All things here are in continual Motion, they are like the Sea, either ebbing or flowing, either rising by degrees to their highest Perfection and Goodness; or decaying and ebbing from it. Our great Affection for them is not attended with power to bring them to their Perfection when we please, nor to stay them there. The Apostle says, The fashion of this World passes away. They are all transitory and mutable things, that make up our Portion in this Life; and it is pain and grief to us to think of or expect, and to find the Change of what we love and expected our Happiness from. All things in their natural Course are subject to Change, and are besides exposed to many mischievous Accidents which may suddenly alter and deprive us of them. 2. The Frailty and Weakness of our mortal Bodies, is another Cause and Spring of much affliction and trouble to this Life. Our Bodies since the first sin are doomed to Dust and Dissolution from their Birth. And this incurable Disease of mortality is an Inlet to a thousand others. I might say perhaps, that the Diseases of the human Body are innumerable. If all that are or have been felt should be mentioned upon this Occasion, yet we could not be secure that there would be no more: For new Distempers often invade us, and such as were not known before. Every part of us may be affencted with various Maladies, every part harbours the Seeds of mortality and Distemper. We are very easily disordered and very often so. All Flesh is as Grass, and the Glory thereof as the Flower of the Field, says the Prophet, Isa. 40.6. Intimating that 'tis easily withered and destroyed. An infected Air, a Sun-beam a little hotter than ordinary, a draft of could water, a little too much Exercise distempers and hurts our weak Constitution and Frame. Too much Pleasure and Joy, or too much Grief: A sudden Disappointment and Loss, or an unexpected good Fortune can disorder and hurt us. If Labour and Care do not waste and weaken, yet mere rest and sloth may impair us. If we are not exposed to the Injuries and Inconveniences of Want we may be distempered with our Abundance. We may find many ways of being Sick and of Dying. The most curious piece of Clock-work, that has the greatest variety of Motions, and Wheels is the soonest put out of order. And such variety of Parts, and Humours, and Passages, and Operations there are in our Bodies, that they can hardly be long without feeling some Inconvenience. But our Diseases are usually attended with very uneasy and afflicting Circumstances. They sometimes render us a Burden to our Friends, sometimes a prey to our Enemies: They take away our Liberty in confining us to a Retirement; they torment us with Pain; and deprive us of the Sense and Enjoyment of Pleasure; they deface our Beauty, and weaken our Strength. Nor have we any Remedies against these Evils, but what are also themselves very afflicting and uneasy. The tedious Methods, and loathsome Prescriptions of physic, are almost as irksome and grievous as the Disease. And how weak and poor is all the Art of physic! how uncertain a Help to us! Mortality at last certainly prevails against it, and the greatest Artists themselves are forced to yield to that. 3. The Weakness and Folly, the Vices and Passions of our own Minds are another plentiful Spring and Source of affliction and trouble. How often are mens Passions and Lusts their own Tormentors? Here we are gnawn with Envy at another mans Prosperity; there we pine and fret ourselves at another mans incurable Misery. How many doubts and Anxieties, how many Jealousies and Griefs, and fears and desires wrack and distracted us! We often fear where no fear is, that is, where we have no cause to Fear, and grieve where we have no cause of Grief. When we are not encumbered with any real Evils, we torment ourselves with Imaginary ones. Those whom other People think do want nothing to make them very happy, are made truly miserable and uneasy, by their perverse Opinions of things. Very often do we vex ourselves with our Advantages, and account our good Circumstances evil ones. One Man thinks himself poor in that Condition, which another man would account himself very rich in if he could attain to it. A discontented Mind is itself a very great Burden, and able to embitter and afflict our greatest Prosperity. The great inconstancy of our Minds gives us a great deal of trouble. Now we vehemently and earnestly love, and most impatiently desire what we have not, and after a little while we disdain and loathe, and as eagerly dislike and distaste. We change and then think our Condition does, and so afflict ourselves with this Conceit. We think the good we enjoy is altered and grown less good, when 'tis only our palled Fancy that deprives us of the true relish of it: We commonly much value none but absent Goods, or such as we have but newly obtained. And perhaps our wanton and fickle Minds have entertained some new desire, and then nothing can please us till that be gratified. That puts an ungoverned Mind upon a continual rack, and makes all its present Enjoyments tasteless and insipid. It is the natural and common effect of many Vices to afflict and trouble those that harbour them. Covetousness is always tormented with the desire of having, 'tis like an Hunger never satisfied: It makes a Man run into a thousand dangers perhaps of losing what he already possesses, perhaps of his Life itself, that he may increase his Portion, and have more than enough. Ambition is always restless and aspiring, climbing after an envied and dangerous Height, and so exposing a Man to storms and mischiefs. A Prodigal humour that is never pleased but when 'tis spending, wastes a great Estate, and puts a Man under the Straits and Difficulties of Poverty, even in the midst of a plentiful Fortune. Intemperance, and the ungoverned love and desire of sensual Pleasure distracted the mind, waste the Estate, impair the Health, and bring upon a Man betimes the decays and infirmities of old Age. Thus does our own Folly often and many ways afflict us. 4. The Wickedness of mankind is the cause of a great deal of mischief and affliction to one another, as well as to themselves. The wickedness of the World produces more Calamity and Affliction, than all other Causes of evil besides. Man is the worst Enemy to Man that is in all this World, so far as he is wicked. Religion teaches the Love, Wickedness the hatred of every one besides ourselves. If mankind were agreed and would combine, as it were reasonable they should do to make this wretched Life as comfortable to each other as they could, this would be some alloy to the other Evils that assault us, but instead of this we are set one against another. If one be prosperous, others envy and undermine him; if a Man be afflicted others rejoice at it, and trample upon him and disdain him. No Creature upon Earth does persecute Man with greater fury than Man does, when he is instigated by lawless and exorbitant Lusts, and he has more Wit and Subtlety likewise to do mischief with than any other. Hence are the terrible mischiefs of Lust and Rage, of Envy and Ambition, of Covetousness, and jealous Suspicion. Hence are Frauds and Oppressions, the violent perverting of judgement and Justice in a Province, by the Tyranny of Rulers, or the Rebellions of the People: Hence proceed very often the Widows tears, the Orphans sighs, and the Groans of the oppressed. Hence are Slanders and Backbitings, bitter Revilings, false Witnessings, Detractions, and all the Injuries of a malicious Tongue, all which are very sensible in themselves, and often draw more evil with them in their Effects. Hence too come public Wars and Commotions, and with them a vast Inundation of Woes and Calamities. In War as one says( in Whitl. Mem.) mankind must surrender up Laws, Liberties, Properties, and Lives into the hands of insolent Soldiers; whose rage and violence will Command all that we have, and Reason, Honour and Justice forsake the World The ignoble then rule the Noble, and baseness is preferred before worth; Licentious wickedness before Piety and virtue. In War a potent People become weak, and the rich poor, and mankind are the Instruments of their own ruin; we burn our own Houses, lay waste our own Fields, pillage our own Goods, open our own Veins, and eat out the Bowels of our own kind. In War men water the ground with the Blood of men, and give their carcases for a Portion to Foxes, and Birds of Prey. The sum of War( as the same person says) is the rage of Fire and Sword, or, which is worse, of brutish Men. How much reason have all mankind then to say after the Psalmist, scatter O Lord, the People that delight in War. 5. Another frequent Cause of Misery and Affliction, is the disorder of Nature and the Elements. Sometimes the Air infects us with mortal, noisome, painful Diseases, or the Sea overwhelms us in a mighty Inundation, or the Earth opens and swallows us up, or buries us in the ruins of our Habitations. Sometimes the Heavens above are as Brass, and the Earth under us as Iron: Or the Clouds pour down excessive and continual Showers, and by both these ways may a fruitful Land he turned into Barrenness. Sometimes unseasonable Weather makes Nature fail, and the Fruit-Trees forget to bring forth after their kind: Sometimes it spoils what is brought forth, and takes away our Corn, and Wine, and oil, in the time of gathering them. Sometimes we are parched with long, excessive Heats, at other times chilled and greatly Incommoded with long excessive Colds. All Climates are liable to inconvenient and afflicting Seasons. Sometimes we become a Prey to wild Beasts; sometimes the tame ones Rebel and mischief us. All things in Nature at times show their Enmity to Man, their readiness to revenge upon us the Affronts which we carelessly offer the common Sovereign of the World, and seem to have conspired our Ruin. All things at times plague and hurt us; even the most innocent things, and the most weak, and the most useful ones. We often meet with Calamity and Affliction from those things which were Originally made and intended for our Comfort and Support. 6. There is yet another frequent Cause of Misery and Affliction, and that is our Adversary the Devil: He, as the Scripture speaks, like a roaring Lion goes about daily, seeking whom he may devour. A malicious, subtle, unwearied and industrious Adversary this is: And he sometimes brings Calamity upon us by our own Wickedness and Folly, which he tempts and deludes us into: Sometimes he sets the Wickedness of other Men against us, excites their Rage, and provokes their Lusts and Vices to do us mischief: Sometimes the Elements are his Instruments to hurt us; and the Beasts, which should be serviceable and comfortable, by his instigation and impulse, prove vexatius and mischievous. He often uses all the other Causes of Evil and Calamity, is always ready to do mischief, and seeks opportunity and permission to vex and trouble wretched Mankind. This we may see confirmed in the Histories of Job and Ahab. If a Good Man is to be tried by Afflictions, like Job, for the greater increase and greater Glory of his virtues, the Devil is ready to be the Instrument of his present Smart and Trouble. If a wicked Man, like Ahab, is abandoned to his deserved Ruin, and is to be destroyed, the Devil is also ready to be the Instrument of his Mischief and Execution. And there are perhaps many Legions of these wicked and malicious Spirits hovering about in the Air, and dispersed upon the face of the Earth, seeking opportunity to do mischief to Mankind, and observing where they can find any person in any measure committed to their Malice by the Providence of God, that they may afflict and hurt him. Thus is our wretched Life on Earth beset with Enemies; thus is it surrounded with Misery and Trouble. And since this is the Condition of it; since 'tis thus exposed, well may it be said, as in the Text, Man is born to Trouble as the sparks fly upward. I am now to proceed to the Application of this Truth, to direct the due Use and Improvement of it; that so we may derive Good from this Evil, bring Light out of the Darkness, and receive the happy Fruits of Joy and Comfort from these Sorrows and Miseries. And this may be if we will help and suffer this Truth to have its due Influence upon us in the following Particulars. 1. This should possess us with a just Disdain and Contempt of the present Life, and make us follicitous to secure the Enjoyment of a better hereafter. We should look upon this Life as a State accursed, as incurably liable to Misery and Affliction; and therefore should despair to be ever perfectly Happy here, and not seek our Rest where 'tis not to be found, but where it is. We may justly account it very unreasonable and foolish to pursue with immoderate Labour and Application the Things that are so mixed with Evil, which we cannot enjoy pure, but they will be attended with some Inconvenience do what we can: Things which we cannot have a sure or safe possession of, which are so liable to fade and change. Such things cannot be worthy to detain our Minds here below, to confine our Thoughts and Care to such a Life as this: But since we cannot have a better Life on Earth, it should engage us with the more Earnestness to endeavour the securing a better hereafter. Since we can have here no enduring City, we should seek one to come. Since we can have here no perfect Happiness, we should make sure that hereafter we may. The Miseries of this Life should raise our Esteem and Desire of the Felicities of the next: They may reasonably make us indifferent towards all things here, and onely much concerned to secure the Happiness that is to come. They may justly reconcile us to the Thoughts of our own Death, and mitigate our Grief for the Departure of those that are dear to us: And we may certainly say with great Reason upon this account, Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord. 2. This Truth should help us to be patient under the Evils and Inconveniences which at any time encumber us. It should teach us to say, If I should throw off these Evils, I shall be exposed to others: And if I cannot bear these in truth I can bear none. I may think other Inconveniences lighter than these till I feel them, but then perhaps they will appear much heavier. What portion and share of Evil it pleases the supreme governor of the World to dispense to us, should be humbly submitted to, lest by undue Endeavours to throw it off, we should increase our Burden. This should correct that very foolish and mischievous Inconstancy, which is, after a little while, sick of the things we have, and the Condition we are in, fancying we see in them mighty Inconveniences, and then impatient for Alterations. It is a common and a mischievous Folly of Mankind that we can bear no Inconveniences; that we are apt to think there are none but those we feel, or none so intolerable as they: And that we are hereupon always restless, and given to change, both the public and the particular State of our Affairs. We are discontented at one sort of Government, and think all our Inconveniences would be removed, if the Constitution were but altered according to the Model of our own Inventions. We are discontented at such and such Governours, and conclude all would be well with us if they were removed, and others were in their places. And we forget that there is Imperfection in all Men, that all are liable to error and Mistake; that however well they design, no Government can always do so well as they would; that the Providence of God over-rules all things, and sometimes he thinks fit to infatuate the wisest Counsels, and to weaken and frustrate the most vigorous Endeavours. This very unquiet Humour will add to our Evils: Nothing can be more mischievous to the Welfare of States, or the Prosperity of a Man's private Fortune, than the Humour of altering upon every Inconvenience we meet with. By continual Altering to mend, we spoil our Fortune; To be always seeking Grievances, and redressing them, would increase their Number, and be itself the greatest Grievance of all; as he that is always taking physic may soon kill himself, and may be sure he shall never be well. Let us consider, then, that we cannot be perfectly Happy in this Life; there is Imperfection in all things, and mixture of Evil with all; and it is wiser and safer for us to bear the Evils which are tolerable, than by impatient Endeavours and undue Means to seek our Deliverance from them. And he that has a Habit of Contentment and Patience, will thereby make every Condition tolerable; but he that has not this, will be plagued in every Condition with his own discontented Humour, if there were nothing else in it to trouble him, and that Humour increases the Load of every Inconvenience; and will be apt to hurt a Man more by putting him upon frequent Alterations, than the Inconveniences which he would not bear would hurt him. 3. This exposed and miserable Condition of the present Life should persuade all Men to the steady practise of Religion and virtue. There is a great deal of Argument for this in it. Nothing can possibly render us so well provided against the Miseries of this Life, as to Live well, to keep a Good Conscience, and to please God. Tho' Affliction is the Common Lot, and Religion and virtue cannot always exempt any Man from Suffering; yet the Religious and Good Man has much the Advantage of all others in the same common liableness to this: Which will abundantly appear in the following Particulars, as they will also show this our sad Case to be a very considerable Argument for a Good Life. ( 1.) To Live well and Religiously, frees a Man from the terrors and threatenings of an Evil Conscience; a very necessary and advantageous Benefit in so sad a Case. It were sad indeed to be afflicted without and within too; to have Vexation from the things about us, and to lash ourselves at the same time. To have a Man's Mind telling him, he owes his Miseries to himself, to his own Rashness and Folly; They are the Fruits and Effects of his extravagant Passions or enormous Vices. It is a very sad Condition that a Man is in, who lives continually exposed to Misery in this Life, and can expect no cure of it in Death: Whose guilty Conscience tells him, that in Death he must onely exchange his Misery; and go from lighter to heavier, and worse; from the Vexations of this Life, to the Torments of Hell; That he shall be committed from Temporal, to Eternal Evils. But the Good Man is free from all these Fears, and so has much the more tolerable Condition. ( 2.) A Religious and Good Life gives a Man an Interest in the Favour of God; and this is a mighty Support and Advantage in so dangerous and exposed a Condition. The Great God is Lord and governor of the World, and disposes of all things as he pleases; nothing can come to pass but by his Order or Permission. An interest in his Favour then assures a Man of two Things which are very necessary to our Comfort in such a Case, and are very full of Comfort. It assures him of the Divine Protection: That the Almighty and All-knowing God takes care of him; that he is not naked and utterly exposed, while many Evils surround him: That none of these Evils shall fall upon him but by God's Permission: by the Permission of a faithful Friend and a tender Father: Nothing shall happen to him but what Infinite Wisdom and Never-failing Love does permit to happen. And such a Man must have the best-grounded Hope, that he may avoid Afflictions; but if he does fall under any, these Considerations will afford him great Satisfaction and Ease of Mind. Further; an Interest in the Divine Favour assures a Man, that all things shall work together for his good. This is promised to such, and shall certainly be fulfilled if their own Folly, and the forsaking of their Goodness does not prevent it. As Wisdom and Love order their Afflictions, they will not fail to turn these to their Advantage. Sometimes God has brought their temporal Advantage, and sometimes their spiritual from the Afflictions which they have endured. These perhaps have by unlikely ways brought about the greatest Comfort of their Lives. They have sometimes given a man an entire Victory over some importunate Follies and Passions which he could not conquer before; and sometimes given him such strength of Grace and virtue, as without them he could never attain: So that many Good men find reason to say with David, it was good for me that I was Afflicted. Thus is an Interest in the Divine Favour, a very great Advantage to us in our present Misery; and this should move us to live well, that we may be in his Favour. 3. A virtuous and Religious Life affords a Man the comfortable Expectations of everlasting Happiness hereafter, and such Expectations are very necessary and useful to us in our so dangerous a Condition. How will these enable us to triumph over all our present Danger or Affliction. When a Man can think I shall not long fear these Evils that threaten, or feel these that encumber me. I shall not long be vexed with the mutable and transitory Nature of the good things I enjoy. Tho' this World is not my Resting-place because 'tis defiled, yet there remains a Rest for the Servants of God, which I shall soon partake of; and that shall never be disturbed with Grief or Fear, because it shall never be defiled with Sin. There I shall enjoy stable and durable good things, an Inheritance which shall never fade away, immortal Honours and ever flowing Pleasure. There I shall have full Satisfaction, perfect Happiness, and unmixed Joy. I am going towards that bright and serene World which knows no Clouds or Storms: I am hasting to it and very near it. I shall in a little while exchange my Sorrow for Joy, my Poverty for Riches, my Pain for Pleasure, my Meanness and Contempt for the highest Dignity and Honour, my ragged and poor Garments for a bright rob, and Crown of immortal Glory. Thus may a good Man upon good Grounds comfort himself under the Dangers and Evils of this Life: the never-failing promise of God gives him leave to entertain himself with such Expectations. And sure 'tis a very desirable thing to be able to entertain ones self with such, when Afflictions threaten or fall upon us: And this is certainly the very best Amendment that we can make of our miserable and exposed Condition, to be furnished with the joyful Hopes of being Happy hereafter. This should persuade us, then, to a Life of virtue and Religion which will allow us such Hopes. And if the Misery and Danger of this Life has such an effect upon us: If it does influence to the making us Good and virtuous; as we shall thereby be the better able to bear whatever Evils may befall us: so these Miseries will promote our attaimment of everlasting Happiness. And this would be, to very great Purpose indeed the deriving Light from the Darkness of this World, Good from its Evil, and Joy from its innumerable Sorrows; Which, that we may all do, God of his infinite Mercy Grant through the Merits of Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. ETernal and Infinite God! In Thee is all Excellency and Perfection; a never-failing Sufficiency to thyself without dependence on any other, and in the Enjoyment of thyself, art Thou God Blessed for evermore. But it has not pleased Thee to remain Happy alone; Thy Goodness has made the World, and communicated Being, and Happiness to many other Creatures; Thou Lord art good, and dost good. This we must ascribe to Thee, tho' we find ourselves encompassed with so many Sorrows and Mischiefs. We are born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upwards; yet is it true, that Thou delightest not to afflict nor grieve the Children of Men. We foolish Creatures must aclowledge that we pull all our Misery upon ourselves. There is nothing Thou dost inflict but we deserve it. And we must always aclowledge, that whatever we suffer while it falls short of the Despair and Torments of Hell, it is far less than we have deserved: It is of the Lord's mercy, that we are not utterly consumed. Oh Father of Mercies, and God of all Consolation, we fly to Thee for all our Help and Comfort, against all the Evils we are exposed to; for to Thee belong Mercies, and Forgivenesses tho' we have rebelled against thee: As we have experienced thy Patience and Forbearance in afflicting us less than we deserve, let us experience thy Forgiveness too. Give us we pray Thee an unfeigned Repentance of all Sins; and Grant that the Evils and Vexations of this Life may increase our Displeasure against them: Make the Diseases of our Bodies work to the Health of our Souls; the Miseries of this Life set us earnestly on work, to secure our everlasting Happiness in the next. It is thy wonderful Goodness and Favour to us, O Lord in Jesus Christ, that we may have Hopes to be everlastingly Happy; increase our Faith in him, kindle in us an ardent Love to him: And make us devote ourselves to Live to his Glory and Service. And since we are born to Trouble teach us patiently and contentedly to bear his across, and Suffering for Righteousness sake if we are called to it. Lord of thine infinite Mercy, proportion all our Sufferings and Exercises to our Strength, and lay no more upon us than thou wilt enable us to bear. Help us to keep in all Circumstances, a Conscience voided of Offence, both towards God, and towards Men; that so we may be supported under all with a Sense of thy Favour, and with the hopes of Rest and Happiness hereafter. We humbly implore thy Mercy for all Mankind; let them from thy Judgments learn Righteousness, and do thou bless the miserable World with abundance of Health, Peace, and Plenty. Prosper we pray Thee thy Church, redeem Israel O God out of all its Troubles. Pardon the Sins of thy People, and purge out from among them whatsoever is displeasing to Thee. Make thy Church fruitful in all good Works to thy Glory. We pray Thee bless the Land of our Nativity; turn us from all Iniquities; let Piety towards Thee; Reverence and Obedience towards our Governours; Justice and Charity towards one another abound among us; and produce a great tranquillity and Peace at home, and be Thou we pray Thee our Defence against all foreign Enemies. We pray for thy Favour, and the Light of thy Countenance upon our Gracious King; give him a long and a prosperous Reign among us, abundantly do him good, and make him an Instrument of ours; continue we pray Thee and increase the Royal Family, that it may always make these Nations Happy, in a Person qualified to rule over us to thy Glory and our Happiness. We recommend to thy Mercies, all our Friends and Relations; give them of this World what Thou seest most expedient for them; if thou pleasest to afflict them, let it always be in measure, and never do thou take thy Loving Kindness away from them. We hearty thank Thee O Lord for all the Mercies of our Lives, especially for those which are Spiritual, and tend to advance us to a better Life; Grant we beseech Thee, that the means of Grace we have this day enjoyed, may by thy Blessing promote our everlasting Happiness. We devote the remainder of our Lives to thy Service, we commit ourselves this Night to thy Gracious Protection; and do all in the Name of Jesus Christ. Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this Day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, and led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. THE Character and Means OF PATIENCE Represented. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Rom. 12.12. Patient in Tribulation. THE Wise man says, that which is very often verified in the World;( Prov. 19.3.) The Foolishness of Man perverteth his way, and his Heart fretteth against the Lord. That is; our own Folly or Sin( which is all one with him) brings us into Calamity and Trouble, and yet when we are so we fall out with God for it. All the Calamities of the World are what our Sins have deserved from Him; and for the most part they are the very natural Fruits and Effects of them: Yet when such things come upon us we are not vexed at ourselves, but at the Providence of God: We account him our Enemy for harms, which we do to ourselves, and call his Wisdom in question for the Effects of our own Folly. This Carriage Solomon must be understood to condemn, and we may easily apprehended it to be very disingenuous and unreasonable; and highly Offensive to Almighty God. Upon these Accounts it is necessary to insist upon this excellent Precept in our Text, which bids us to be Patient in Tribulation. This is certainly the due Behaviour in our Afflictions, tho' it be that which very few know how, or are willing to practise. In speaking to this, that I may the better promote it, I shall insist upon these Three Heads of Discourse. 1. To give the Character of this virtue, or to show what it does require, and how it will express and Exercise itself. 2. To urge the Exercise of it by such Arguments as shall seem most fit for that Purpose. 3. To prescribe some useful means for possessing ourselves with it. In the first place, I shall represent the Character of this virtue, and show what is a Patient Behaviour under Afflictions in the following Particulars. 1. This requires, and will exercise an humble Resignation, and Submission to the Will of God in all that befalls us. Patience ascribes all that we suffer to Him, as the chief Cause and Orderer of it. This we see in those that have exercised this virtue. When Job had lost all his Estate, partly by injurious Neighbours, he takes no notice of them, but ascribes his Losses to God's Providence, and says, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. So when Shimei took the advantage of Davids Affliction, and insulted over and reviled him, the good Man calmly bore his Affronts with this thought, The Lord hath bid Shimei to curse David, 2 Sam. 15. If Men are unjust, or ungrateful, if they are Arrogant and Proud in what they do to afflict us, all this must be don't, and we must consider they are but Instruments. And as we must ascribe all that we suffer to God's Providence; so we must submit to it as his Will. We must not for it entertain any hard thoughts of God, not call in Question any of his Glorious Attributes, nor allow any indecent murmurings, or Expostulations against Him. It were impatience to think or say thus: I cannot please God; I cannot find any Favour with him: It is in vain for me to endeavour to do always that which is good; since I am so often plagued and chastened. He blames himself for such thoughts who penned the 73. Psal. as very unfit and impatient ones. It were great Impatience should we think or say, that God deals unjustly with us, or more hardly than he needs to do. We must yield to be afflicted in what way he pleases, by whatever Iustruments, to what degree, and for as long time as he pleases. It were therefore Impatience to say, I could be contented to endure any other Affliction, than that which is upon me: Or I am not so much concerned at this sort of Affliction, as at this or that particular Circumstance of it, which I am loathe to bear. It were also Impatience to think I could suffer from any other Persons, but I cannot bear that these by whom I do suffer should thus deal with me. To say I am tired with the length of my Afflictions, I could bear them, if I could have any Prospect of the end of them, and to be Peremptory, and in hast for Deliverance, to fix times to him, and not leave him to choose his own time to save us. We deceive ourselves in such Imaginations, and could no more be Patient under other Circumstances, than we are under those that are allotted us. The true virtue is entirely resigned to the Will and disposal of God, without murmuring or disputing. This we see also in the best Patterns of it. When David was flying in great Distress from a formidable Rebellion of his Son, he supposes the very worst that his Condition could come to, and speaks his Submission to it in these words, If God shall say thus, I have no delight in Thee, behold here I am, let him do to me as seemeth good unto Him, 2 Sam. 15.26. And we have a greater Pattern of this Resignation and Submission, whom as we bear the Name of Christians, we are bound to follow even our Master Jesus. Who tho' concerned to avoid if it might be the bitter Sufferings which he was about to undergo, yet he resigns himself to the Father's disposal thus; Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done. 2. This virtue requires, that we do continue our Trust and Hope in the Divine mercy; and express this by continued Addresses and Prayers to God. Tho' this requires that our Wills be resigned to the Will of God, yet it does not forbid us praying with Submission for Deliverance from our Afflictions. The Scripture itself teaches us that Prayer against our Afflictions is not contrary to the Precept of Patience, in that it says, Is any afflicted let him Pray, Jam. 5.3. And that we may use it with an unwearied perseverance so long as the occasion for it remains; the Apostle plainly intimates in this Verse which is our Text, where he joins together these two Directions, be Patient in Tribulation, and continuing instant in Prayer. This also we find practised by our Saviour, and allowed by his practise: For we find that he prayed against the bitter Cup that was allotted him, even whilst he submitted to take it. Our Prayers may be Peremptory and hasty, and Quarrelsome, and then they are impatient: But it is also an Instance of impatience to give over Praying. To think or say, This evil is of the Lord, why should I wait on the Lord any longer? Why should I seek or expect any help and relief from him that afflicts me? To think this Evil admits of no Cure, I am utterly undone: God himself can hardly retrieve my Condition, or if he can he will not: If there were any Favour in Heaven for me, I had never come to this Extremity. This is a Temptation we are exceedingly apt to yield to, when Afflictions lye long upon us, or a long Series of them succeed one another, in which Cases we must especially be ware of it. Our Saviour 'tis said, Luk. 18.1. put forth a Parable, to teach that Men ought always to pray and not to faint. And he applies the Parable himself in v. 7. to the long Sufferings of good Men. It is perhaps partly for this end that God sends affliction: To awaken us to a due Sense of our dependence upon him, to cure our neglect of his Providence, and to teach us to pray when we have been negligent of it, or too careless in the performance of this Duty. This is therefore what we must look upon as expected by God in our Affliction: And accordingly he bids Men call upon him in the time of Trouble; and to encourage it he Promises, that if they do so, he will deliver them, Psal. 50.15. We may hope in his Mercy even while he afflicts us; and may pray to be eased or delivered, provided we keep our Prayers within the bounds of that Submission to his Will which was mentioned before. 3. This virtue requires of us the continued use of such just and lawful Endeavours to help ourselves, as the Providence of God affords us. Even this is allowed, and this is required by the Laws of Patience. To trust in God, and expect he should help us without the use of means, and endeavour where we may lawfully do this, is, to tempt God rather than to trust in him: We must use our endeavour as long as we can, and wait on him for the Success of it. The People of Israel are a good Pattern of this: When they thought themselves obliged to punish that wickedness which the Tribe of Benjamin would needs defend; tho' they had in several Battels been defeated in some measure by the Benjamites, yet they continued still their Addresses to God, and repeated their utmost Endeavour, and at length it pleased God to give them a great Victory and Success. It is an instance of Impatience to fly to unlawful means and endeavours to help ourselves: And it is also from Despair, and the loss of Patience, when Men give over their Endeavours, while there is yet room to apply them: To be a-weary of using means while we yet have them, because they have not succeeded so soon as we could wish. It is Impatience to think that God makes us pay too dear for his Favours, when he requires a long attendance on him in Prayer to obtain them, or a long and great Application of our own Endeavour: To grow hereupon sullen and discontented, and abandon ourselves to our Calamities. We must be willing to obtain his Mercy upon as difficult and costly Terms as he is pleased to impose, as well as we ought to submit, that our Affliction shall continue as long as he pleases. 4. Patience requires that we be thankful to God for any Instances of his Favour and Mercy, which he Grants us while our Afflictions are continued Whatever our Condition is we may find in it some Ground to think, that it might be worse than it is, and should be thankful to God for that it is not so. Especially should we help ourselves to understand this, and be thankful for it, by taking Notice of others, when we may see some under the same common Calamity, yet in far worse degrees and circumstances of it than ourselves. Every Man if he rightly understands his case may see some allays of Mercy and Favour in it; no Man suffers a pure and perfect Misery in this Life. Therefore the Apostle says, In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests bemade known unto God. Intimating that in this Life we shall have as continual occasion, and reason to give Thanks as to Pray. We must not suffer our Thoughts so to fix upon what is afflictive in our Case, and to aggravate our Condition as to take no notice of God's Mercies to us, and to lose the Sense and Relish of them. We should thus be both ungrateful to God for these mixtures of Favour, and more unmerciful to ourselves than he is to us: We should make our Condition worse to us in our own Imaginations than it is in its self, by not observing, or by despising these Favours which qualify it. If the Providence of God has formerly shown us Favour in affliction, we ought to be mindful of and thankful for this. If he has begun our Deliverance from any present Trouble, and it pleases him to delay a little the completing of it, we must yet be thankful for the good beginning. The Holy David affords us a good Pattern of this in the 40th. Psalm. We may observe through the whole Psalm, a very grateful Sense of somewhat God had done for him, altho' in the latter end of it he expresses, that he was not perfectly out of Danger. If we are not thankful to God for the Favour which he does, or has shown us, we may be reasonably thought not so well disposed as we should be to be thankful for more, if all that we desire were granted us. 5. In all Afflictions from Men, we must take care that we do not transgress the Laws of Justice or Charity in our Behaviour towards them. We fall into Impatience when Affliction makes us jealous, and froward, apt to take every thing amiss, and to resent every little opposition to our Will: When we impute that to wickedness, or a perverse Will in our Neighbour which proceeded from Ignorance, or was an unwilling miscarriage. We must not envy the prosperous Sinner that injures us, nor hate him that disdains, or insults over us in Adversity. We must not oppose Evil with Evil. If we can make a just defence against an Enemy, we may and ought to do it; but we must not repel Injury with Injury, which the Apostle suggests in this Chapter, in saying, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Neither may we seek or desire to revenge ourselves, which he forbids also in ver. 19th. Our Saviour teaches us to forgive, as we would desire to be forgiven; to love our Enemies, to bless them that curse us, to Pray for them that despitefully use and persecute us, mat. 5.44. We are bound to a meek, inoffensive Behaviour towards those that afflict us, not only by the Laws of Charity, but by the Laws of Patience too. For we are to consider them as the Instruments of God's Will and Pleasure in afflicting us, and must reckon that any froward or unjust Behaviour towards them, shows an undue and impatient Resentment of God's dealing with us, an unwillingness to bear what he lays upon us. This weakness of Behaviour towards Men, we also find practised by the great Patterns of this virtue. So David refrained himself from all wrath and revenge, when Shimei reviled and insulted over him in his Adversity. And our blessed Master, When he was reviled reviled not again, when he suffered he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, 1 Pet 2.23. and when his cruel and unjust Enemies had crucified him, even while he was hanging upon the across, and they were insulting over him, he prayed for them saying, Father forgive them, they know not what they do, Luk. 33.34. So much may suffice for the Character of this virtue, and that we may know what it requires of us. I proceed to the Second thing intended, which is to urge our Patience in Tribulation by some fit Arguments and Motives for it. I shall Select a few of those many that are commonly insisted upon. 1. It is this Disposition and Behaviour which will find Favour with God, and be most likely to obtain our Deliverance from Afflictions. Till he favours us, who is the supreme Disposer of all things, we cannot be delivered. But this is the best and likeliest Course to gain his help, and is necessary to it. He requires this Behaviour, and will perhaps afflict us till we learn it. The things that have been mentioned as belonging to a Patient Behaviour in our Afflictions, are all of them such as he has promised his Favour to; and therefore we may on good grounds expect it in the Exercise of this virtue. This has proved a good effectual course with them that have tried it. We may therefore observe the Psalmist commending it in the 40th. Psalm, not only by his Example, but also from his Experience. I waited Patiently for the Lord( says he) and he inclined unto me, and heard my Cry. 1st. v. And the Apostle James when he is persuading the Christians to the Exercise of this virtue. He proposes to their Consideration the good Issue and Success it had with the patient Job, Ye have heard of the patience of Job( says he) and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy, James 5.11. Impatience makes our Case desperate, but this allows us to hope: That certainly tends to hinder; this to procure our relief. In that we sin more and further provoke God against us, and therefore we may expect it will continue or increase his Displeasure, but by this we shall certainly find Favour with him. 2. A Patient Behaviour under our Sufferings from Men tends to deliver us from those Sufferings too. This the Scripture teaches, and Experience very commonly proves: And more frequently would Mens experience prove it, if they would more frequently, and more steadily try the force of it. It is the common Maxim of the World, that to be Patient invites Injuries, and encourages Affronts, but 'tis very unreasonable to lay such blame upon it, as we do, without a steady practise to try, whether it be thus or not. The Holy Scripture assures us, that the meek shall inherit the Earth, and delight themselves in the Abundance of Peace, Psal. 37.11. And to this purpose is what the Wise man says, Prov. 15.1. A soft Answer turns away wrath. A steady Meekness and Inoffensiveness, Justice and Charity, will mightily promote our Peace with Men. But he that is often injurious will provoke frequent Injuries against himself. He that is proud and disdainful will meet with much Contempt. He that is easily angry will often provoke Anger. He that is of a revengeful Spirit, that cannot forgive, will continue his Enemies hatred, and endeavour to do him mischief without end. If a Man returns Evil for Evil, he helps his Enemy to justify the Injuries he has done him. The common pretence for doing mischief, if a Man has not suffered any, is because he fears or does pretend to fear, that mischief was designed against him, and when evil is return'd he will plausibly insist that it was before intended. But he who is Patient under injuries, and so makes it appear that he will not even upon Provocation do Evil, he utterly baffles that Pretence: He then turns his Enemies hatred from him upon his Enemies own self, sets his own Conscience against him, and makes him lash and rebuk himself, for wronging so just and innocent a Person. There are few Men so hardy and cruel, as to persist long in the persecution of those who are steadily Patient and Innocent. The Holy Scripture assures us, that Evil may be overcome with Good in that it bids us do so. And certainly, he that is not conquered with Good, will never be conquered with Evil, unless we could utterly destroy him. If we overcome Evil with Good, we take away from our Enemy the Will to hurt us, which is much a surer Course to be safe from his Injuries than only to endeavour, by doing him mischief, to take away his Power; and that Course is altogether as easy, and as cheap to us as this. 3. By the steady Exercise of Patience it comes to pass commonly, that the Deliverance and Mercy which we wait for, is the more complete and sure when it does come. When by an impatient endeavour, and undue means we hasten the Mercy we desire, and as it were snatch it out of the hands of Providence; it proves like Fruit unripe, which instead of pleasing the palate, will be apt to set the Teeth on edge, or to break them: It will be mingled with trouble and affliction, or the fear and danger of losing it again. Jacob got his Fathers Blessing by a lye, but he had much trouble and sorrow with it for a great while. It is worth observing what the Wise Man says to this Purpose. The Blessing of God( says he) makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it, Prov. 10.22. That is, the Wealth procured by the Blessing of God upon just and lawful Endeavours, proves a sweet and comfortable Portion; but he intimates that what is gotten by ill means will be encumbered with Affliction: So that he who makes hast to be rich shall not be happy in possessing his Riches, as he is not Innocent in the getting them. To the same Purpose he also says, Bread of deceit is sweet to a Man, but afterwards his Mouth shall be filled with Gravel: and, An Inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be Blessed. Prov. 20.17.21. He means that if Men gain what they desire by an undue Course, they shall not have it so good or pleasant to them as it might have been, if they could have had so much Patience as to use none but lawful means, and to have waited God's time for obtaining it. God does often for very wise and kind Reasons, delay a while to bestow that Favour which yet he does intend to bestow. But Men are apt to think if they do not presently obtain it, it is not to be expected from him, but they must by any means help themselves to it. He will bestow what we desire, if it be good for us, in the best time, if we can but patiently wait for it. Very often is our unfitness for his Mercy the cause of its delay: He sees in us such Dispositions, as that we should not be at all the Happier, if it were granted till those Dispositions are cured. He does not immediately remove a sick Man's illness, because he knows him yet subject to ungoverned Appetites, unruly Passions, and such a Disposition as would soon throw him back into it again. He does not soon make a poor Man rich with his greatest endeavours to help himself; because he sees that he who is discontented in his Poverty, would grow proud and disdainful if he were rich; or he sees a Prodigal, or lazy Humour in him, that he is not yet habituated to Frugality or Diligence, tho' for the present he is necessitated to it, and that for want of these he would soon relapse again into Poverty if he were made rich. He afflicts a Nation with a long and tedious foreign War, perhaps to keep them at Peace among themselves: And he does not soon deliver them from such an Affliction, because he sees among them such endless Jealousies, and such fierce Animosities as would be in danger to involve them in a mad War against themselves, if they had no other to divert them. And till a common danger has made them unite their Affections and Interests, they would not be the happier for Deliverance. Heaven knows and understands us better than we do ourselves, and is often contriving our Advantage and Happiness, when we think he grudges it. He sees us not fit for the Mercies which we are in hast to obtain, and he delays them only to gain time to make us so, that we may have the more Happy, and the more safe Possession of them when he gives them. We should therefore never Quarrel with God, if we are not speedily delivered out of Adversity, but only blame ourselves for this, and reckon that our own ill State and Condition, is that which continues our Afflictions. 4. Another Argument for the Exercise of this virtue may be, that it keeps the Mind composed and easy while our Afflictions do continue. This tends to alleviate them, but Impatience to make them heavier than in themselves they would be. Our Saviour says to his Disciples, In Patience possess ye your Souls, Luk. 21.19. intimating, that this virtue keeps the Soul in order, and has its Appetites and Passions under command: and thus there will be tranquillity and Peace within, when things are in Confusion without; the Mind will be at ease, when the Body is in pain, and will be rich in the command of itself when it can command nothing else. And this is much towards the making an Affliction tolerable and easy. But the impatient Man that has no Command of himself, is continually ruffled and disturbed in his Mind by his own violent and impetuous Passions. His too fierce and peremptory Desires, his very movable Anger, his Envy at the better Fortune of his Neighbours, keep his Mind always restless and uneasy. There is nothing can so compose the Mind, and keep it in perpetual Peace, as to be entirely resigned to the Will and Disposal of God. But there is yet something more in this virtue towards the making our Afflictions easy and tolerable and that is, the Property it has to consider, and be thankful for the Favour and Mercy which is mingled with our Afflictions. It takes notice of whatever is good and comfortable in our Condition, and enables us to relish it, and take Comfort in it. Whereas an impatient Spirit does only poor and muse upon what is grievous and afflicting, and loses us the Sense of the rest. If such an one loses one good, it throws away all that is left, in Effect, while it refuses to take any Comfort in it. So Impatience makes the worst of our Condition, and Patience makes the best of it. Patience too is full of Cheering and Comforting hope for the most part, but Impatience brings with it a sad Load of Despair. 5. Lastly, Our Patience in Adversity does entitle us to the reward of everlasting Happiness. We must understand that our Saviour and his Apostle do both suppose, and require the Exercise of this virtue in our Afflictions, when they promise the reward of future Happiness to our present Sufferings. Our Saviour says, Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, mat. 5.10. And the Apostle Paul says, These light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work for us an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. But this reward of Suffering cannot be expected unless we suffer Patiently. This then is Necessary to gain the future Happiness, as the Apostle further intimates in saying, Ye have need of Patience, that after ye have done the Will of God, ye may enter into rest. And this will obtain it. It is not only doing well, and great Fruitfulness in good Works that will be rewarded hereafter, but also Suffering well too. God beholds and is pleased with the one, as well as the other. There is as much of the Spirit of Obedience to God, in submitting to the Dispensations of his Providence, as there is in keeping his Commands. That which the supreme governor of the World calls us to we must do it, and shall be blessed in the doing it: And we must not insist upon choosing our own Station and Work. But if our Patience will bring us to Heaven, it will abundantly cure all the hurt our Afflictions can do us, and bring much more of Good of Joy and Satisfaction, than they can bring of Inconvenience and Harm. Well therefore might the Apostle say, We count them happy who endure. I shall add no more Arguments to persuade to this virtue. Especially because I may hope to do yet something more towards the promoting it by what remains of the Discourse. Which is to suggest some things which may be useful means to possess ourselves with it. And they are these following. 1. We should live in a constant Expectation of meeting with something or other Inconvenient in every Condition. We must not think that Inconveniences are onely tied to that we are in, but that all other are encumbered with them: Every Condition has its peculiar Inconveniences besides the common ones that 'tis liable to with other Conditions: And, Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upwards. This should deliver us from an impatient Desire of change, when any thing afflicts us, since we shall perhaps only change our Inconveniences, and may leave better for worse. But in our greatest Prosperity too, we should live in Expectation of Afflictions, because we are always liable to them. This will prepare us to endure them well if they do come; and make us the more cautious and careful to prevent them. We should harden our Minds to endure the worst that may befall us, by often supposing it, and setting ourselves in a readiness to submit to the Will of God. A Wise Man makes Evils familiar to him, and easy at their first coming, by thinking on them before-hand, as others become accustomend to them, after a long time of enduring them. A foreseen and expected Evil does not disturb nor discompose us by far so much as that which Surprises. He bore the loss of an onely Son without any Disturbance, who when he heard it, had it ready to say, as he had often considered it before, I knew that I had begotten but a Mortal thing. 2. Another necessary and useful means of Patience is to learn a just and mean Opinion of the things of this World. We should consider they have very little worth or goodness in them, that they could never yet afford the Content and Satisfaction which Men are wont to expect from them: We cannot see those that possess them, taking a delight in their Enjoyment, for any considerable time, that is suitable to the eager Desire they had to them before. We should consider too their Transitory and mutable Nature, that, The Fashion of this World passes away, all things here are liable to change. And that, The time is short; It is but for a little while that we shall need, or that we could use and take delight in these things. And such Considerations would help to beget that Indifferency, which the Apostle advices in the same place, which is, to weep as if we wept not, for Adversity and Losses, to rejoice as if we rejoiced not in our Enjoyments; to use our Prosperity moderately, and not be too much Elevated with that, and to possess as if we possessed not: He that highly valves any thing of this World, that thinks he cannot be happy without it, he must needs be very impatient and uneasy in the want or loss of such a thing. But if a Man be so wise as to account all things here to be of little worth and small Importance, then he will account the loss of any thing but a very small inconsiderable Loss, not worthy to discompose or disturb him. 3. To be Patient in Affliction, we must learn a mean and humble Opinion of ourselves. Humility is Patient, but Pride is Contentious: And we have always a Conceit that we have deserved better things from God than he allots us, when we murmur and quarrel at our Afflictions. We must consider, then, how mean and poor things we are; that we derive all we have from his free and undeserved Gift, that we are nothing but what he has made us, and therefore can never be too great and excellent to be at his Disposal. We should consider ourselves vile and detestable Sinners: that we have as such, forfeited all good, and deserved far worse things than we can suffer in this World. And when the Injuries and Affronts of Men are apt to provoke us highly, we should consider how much greater we ourselves are guilty of, against the Great Lord of the World. That while a fellow Servant owes us perhaps a few Pence, we are indebted to him a great many Talents; a Debt which we could never pay if it should be required of us, but we must needs lye for it in everlasting Punishment. 4. To learn Patience in Adversity, we should learn and accustom ourselves to Self-denials. An indulged and gratified Will and Humour will be impatient when Circumstances across them; but if a Man be wont sometimes to kerb and restrain them and across himself, he will be so used to this as to bear it Patiently. Abstinence and Temperance in Prosperity, led and prepare a Man to Patience in Adversity. He that by voluntary Self-denials and Abstinence will sometimes want what he has, and use himself to course Fare, hard Labour, mean Garments, uneasy Lodging, he would learn to bear these things with a composed Mind if necessity should lay them upon him. To conclude, We must earnestly Pray for this Grace; and should often meditate on the Life of our Blessed Saviour: Who was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs, and was meek and patient under all: Who in this way went to Bliss, and has Commanded us to follow him: And has given us the great Encouragement of his Promise, That, To him that overcomes, he will give to sit with him on his Throne, even as he also overcame, and is set down with the Father on his Throne. THE PRAYER. MOst Blessed God! Thou art a God of Truth, and without Iniquity; righteous in all Thy Ways, and Holy in all Thy Works. Tho' Clouds and Darkness are round about Thee, yet Justice and judgement are Thy eternal Habitation. We reverence, and adore, and Praise Thee O God, for all Thy Works. We owe an entire Resignation and Submission to all Thy Dispensations. If thou in any thing afflict us it is in Faithfulness, in Equity, and hitherto thou hast always done it in Mercy; O Lord, we owe Thee most hearty Thanks and Praise, for that thou hast only afflicted those whom thou mightest justly have destroyed. We humble ourselves before Thee O Lord, and do confess there is nothing we have suffered, but is less than our Iniquities have deserved: After all we are wonderful Monuments of Thy Patience: Oh teach us we pray Thee, to exercise a due Patience under all the Evils and Afflictions that we may meet with in this Life. Our Sin has brought sorrow and trouble into the World, and we cannot blame any one for it but ourselves. Let this make us silent, and free from all Murmurings, and indecent Expostulations when we suffer. Give us O Lord we beseech Thee, a great measure of Patience to attend us in our Pilgrimage on Earth, where Man is born to trouble as the Sparks fly upward. Let not our Afflictions ever cool our Love to Thee, or make us a weary or negligent of our Duty. Let no Wrongs or Vexations that we receive from Men, ever make us uncharitable or unjust to them. In Patience let us possess our own Souls, and enjoy such a Peace as the World can neither give nor take away. We pray Thee O Lord, for the Sacrifice and atonement of the Death of Christ, forgive us all our Sins, which we do earnestly repent of, and purpose to forsake: And let us so be free from the Terrors of a Guilty Conscience under our outward Afflictions: And of Thy great Mercy bless and sanctify to us all that we endure. Grant that it may wean us from this vain uncertain World; and make us remove our Affections from hence, where there is no perfect Rest and Happiness, no solid Satisfaction, to that better World where true Joy, and eternal Rest and Peace are found. Let Thy Mercy order, that we may never be afflicted above what we are able to bear; and let the Fruit of it be to take away our Sins, to make us partakers of Thy Holiness, that so it may promote our future Happiness and Glory. Make us always to remember our time on Earth is short; we have here no enduring abode; e're long we must be called away for ever, and leave all that we ever had in this World: we came naked into it, and naked we must go away from it; and let this by thy Grace give us a wise and just Indifferency about our Condition here; and make us weep as if we wept not, or rejoice as if we rejoiced not, and buy as if we possessed not, and to use this World as not abusing it. Grant us Grace so to bear all the Evils of this Life, that the light Afflictions which are but for a moment, may work for us a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory. Of thy abundant Mercy O Lord, favour and pity Mankind; let thy Judgments which are abroad in the Earth, make the Inhabitants of the World to learn Righteousness. Pardon and remove the wickedness, and cure the Miseries of Mankind. We pray for such a measure of outward Peace and Prosperity to thy Church, as thou seest most conducing to thy Glory, and the flourishing of all Piety and virtue in that. Lord if it please Thee, let there be no hurting nor destroying in all Thy Holy Mountain: Give any of thy Servants Patience under their Afflictions, and redeem Israel O God out of all his Troubles. Bless the Land of our Nativity with Plenty and Peace, and make us to love and fear Thee, and diligently to live after Thy Commands. We thank Thee for the Mercy thou showest us after the time wherein we were plagued. We hearty pray Thee, to Bless and preserve our most Gracious King, whose Wisdom, and Courage, and Goodness, thou hast made the happy Instrument of our present tranquillity. Lord teach us all our Duties towards him, and Grant him a long and happy Reign amongst us to Thy Glory, His own Comfort, and our Welfare. Do good we beseech Thee, to all our Relations, and let their present Welfare and eternal Happiness be always Thy Gracious Care. We give Thee hearty Thanks, for the Mercies of this day Spiritual, and Temporal. Pity those that want what we enjoy. Vouchsafe to keep us this Night in Safety, and evermore Bless and Defend us, for the Sake of Jesus Christ our Mediator and Advocate. In whose own words we further call upon Thee saying. Our Father, &c. THE Character and Remedies OF Voluptuousness. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 Tim. 3.4. latter part. Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God. THE infinitely Good and Almighty creator of the World, made sufficient provision in it for the Happiness and Satisfaction of every Creature that he made. His Favour to Mankind in Particular, has furnished the World with a great Variety of things to satisfy and please every natural Appetite which he made in us. And his Goodness affords a liberal use of all that we can reasonably desire. He has not provided for us with a sparing and niggardly hand, nor does he so tantalise us as to set before us a bounteous and plentiful Provision, and then confine us to enjoy only within the Bounds of mere necessity. This is evident in that large and free Donation, which he made to Man as soon as he was Created; Have Dominion( said he) over the Fishes of the Sea, over the Fowls of the Air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the Earth. And, Behold I have given you every Herb bearing Seed which is upon the Face of the Earth, and every three in which is the Fruit of a three yielding Seed; to you it shall be for Meat, Gen. 1.28, 29. Herein there is plainly an allowance made even for delight and pleasure, and beyond what mere necessity required. And herein it appears, that he does not envy us any Happiness; we must, to be just to him, conclude from hence, that it is not any Ill-will in him, which bounds us by Laws, and confines us to Rules in the Enjoyment of these things but rather that 'tis further kindness. It is reasonable hereupon to believe, that he allows all that is becoming and good for us, and forbids nothing, but what would disparaged and hurt us. And if his Goodness allows all the Pleasure that we can reasonably and naturally desire, it must be unreasonable to desire, or use more than he allows. But herein lies the Folly and Ingratitude of Mankind: We distrust and deny the Kindness of his Laws, tho' he has in other ways shown us so much Kindness: And the Pleasures which he allows, instead of leading us to the Fountain and chief Good, as they should do, divert us from him; and instead of engaging us to Love and Obey, do make us hate and affront him. All mankind, like our first Parents, are too apt to be drawn by the Allurements of sensual Pleasure, to an unworthy Contempt of God and his Laws. We are all, in the Corruption of our depraved Nature, sunk under that sad Character in the Text, and are Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God. By this way of Expressing, the Apostle means and condemns an inordinate and sinful Love of sensual Pleasures, and gives us a good Direction, by which to judge what is so. It is the Design of this Discourse from these words, to endeavour to cure and remove this Fault. To which purpose it is necessary, that these two Heads of Discourse be insisted on. 1. To show what is an inordinate and sinful Love of sensual Pleasures. 2. To urge such Motives and Arguments, as are fit to induce Men to strive against this, and to free themselves from it. In the first place, I shall endeavour to show somewhat particularly, what is an inordinate Love of Sensual Pleasures. And since the Apostles words, will have us account that such, when we Love them more than we love God, I think I may justly and sufficiently represent this Sin under the Three following Heads. 1. It is an inordinate Love of sensual Pleasures, when any allow themselves to seek and enjoy those Instances of them, which are in the kind forbidden by the Laws of God. For if to love God be to keep his Commandments, as the Holy Scripture teaches us, then any Contradiction to his Commands contradicts the Love of him; and by Consequence, he that allows himself in any instances of Pleasures, which are in the kind of them forbidden, he loves his own Pleasure more than God. I shall not stay to mention any particular Instances under this Head, as containing such things as are not fit to be named among Christians. 2. It is an inordinate Love of sensual Pleasure, when Men will pursue and seek what is Lawful and allowed, in the kind of it, but by unlawful and wicked means to gain it. And he who truly loves God, and has a due reverence and regard for his Laws, will be contented to want all that which he cannot, by very just and innocent ways and means attain. It were endless and impossible, to trace all the various wanderings of the wickedness of Man, and to mention all the Particulars contained under this Head. I shall therefore pass to another, where it will be most useful and most necessary to insist and stay. 3. They also run into this Guilt, who allow themselves to use and enjoy those Pleasures, which are lawful in their kind, and are allowed, but in such a Way and Manner as is forbidden. We may transgress in the use of Lawful things, and Indeed herein lies our greatest Danger, and our most frequent Transgression. We are to consider, that there is not a Boundless and unlimited use, even of Lawful things allowed, but there may be Circumstances attending our Actions, which may turn what is lawful in itself into Sin, when so Circumstantiated. And in General it must be said, that so far as we are found to do what God forbids in his Laws, or to omit what he requires of us, in the Enjoyment and use of those Pleasures which he allows, so far as we are inordinate and sinful in them, we must be said to Love them more than him; because the measure of our Love and Obedience to his Commands, is the measure of our Love to himself. But I think it fit to insist upon this Head more distinctly: And therefore, I shall endeavour to represent to you fully, what it contains in the following Particulars. 1. We must not allow a great Application of Mind and Endeaovur about sensual Pleasures. These things must not be applied to with a very great value and esteem for them, nor be accounted the chiefest Goods of our Lives: We must not let our Minds dwell much upon them, or our Desires and Appetites be very fierce and eager. The wise Rule and Law of the Gospel is, that we practise a great Indifferency towards earthly Enjoyments, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. that we rejoice in them, as if we rejoiced not, and buy as if we possessed not. We love them too much, and use them with too great Application, when we let them steal away and detain our Minds from God, and Heavenly things; and this is contrary to another Advice of Holy Scripture, Col. 3.2. where we are bid to set our Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth; that is, to mind and employ the several Powers of our Souls, rather about the things above, than things here below. And the excessive Application of Mind to these things is usually attended with inordinate Endeavour about them. Such it is when any endeavour to habituate and accustom themselves to an extravagant and needless Enjoyment of these: Which is that, in one kind of sensual Pleasure, that is Condemned in Esay 5.22. where he says, Woe to them that are mighty to drink Wine, and Men of strength to mingle strong drink: That is, them who have by endeavour and much Exercise brought themselves to be able to bear excessive and immoderate Drinking. Further, there is too much endeavour about sensual Pleasures, when Men labour much to pamper and indulge their Appetites, without any Care or Concern to moderate and govern them. And especially if Men needlessly provoke and irritate these, which ought rather for the most part to be mortified and resisted. I think it must not be said, that all endeavour to heighten, and increase the Pleasures we enjoy, is inordinate and excessive; but certainly it is so, when a Man sets himself constantly to do this, or with much application and care endeavours it, when he cannot ordinarily content himself with what is simplo, Natural, and unforced in his Pleasures, but is always contriving and endeavouring what is Curious, and Artificial, and Superfluous. It is safest to keep ourselves as near to Necessity and Nature commonly as we can, for all our Transgression in this Matter lies in our Departure from them. And tho' perhaps we are not bound never to go beyond Necessity in our Pleasures, yet we cannot go far beyond this, without falling into Transgression. ( 2.) We must not allow sensual Pleasures to spend very much of our time. We should ordinarily but taste these things not stay long at them. Our Pleasures should be contented with hours, rather than be suffered to spend days, and be satisfied with those we can best spare, from more noble and useful Employments; much less may we make the Enjoyment of these the main end and business of Life. The Holy Scripture expressly Censures the spending much time in them under the instance of Drinking, Esay 5.11. Woe unto them( says the Prophet there) that rise up early in the Morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue till night till the Wine inflame them. And it says, they that live in Pleasure are dead while they live, 1 Tim. 5.6. That is, in the account of God, they live beside the end they were made for, and are of as little use in the World as those that are dead. Pleasures should be used on the By, and by way of Diversion, rather than as a set and proposed Business for the most part. Tho' sometimes without doubt we may propose to ourselves, and set apart a time for Mirth and rejoicing. There is as the wise Man says, a Season for every thing, and a Time to every purpose under Heaven: There is a time to Weep, and a time to Laugh, a time to Mourn, and a time to Dance, Eccles 3.1.4. When we commemorate any private Favour and Mercy of God to ourselves, or any public Favour and Deliverance given to our Nation; especially when we commemorate any so public Favour to Mankind, as the Birth, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour: Or the Holy and useful Lives of the Apostles, by whom the Knowledge of Salvation was spread over the Heathen world: These are very fit Seasons of set and purposed rejoicing. But we must take care that neither at these times nor any other, our Pleasures be suffered to deprive us of all opportunity to worship God. When we rejoice for his Mercies, we should rejoice before him, as the Scripture speaks; that is, we must spend some of that time in religious Worship and Joy; We must come before his Presence with Thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with Psalms. We must not suffer the Enjoyment of sensual Pleasures to deprive us of opportunity to worship God on common Days, nor to take away any time from public or private Worship on his own Day. Further, We must not suffer our Pleasures to encroach upon the Seasons of Humiliation and Abstinence. When God calls for these, either by his Judgments and Afflictions, which he lays upon us, or by the Laws of the Church and State. He who will not then intermit or at all abate his Pleasures, must be reckoned a Lover of them more than of God: And this error is particularly and severely condemned, Esay 22.12, 13, 14. Our joy for some of his Mercies should at least be allayed, and we should rejoice with trembling, when we are under God's chastising Dispensations: It is the Madness of Men, and that which commonly makes their Condition much worse, when under the Afflictions God lays upon them, instead of humbling themselves under his hand, they strive to divert their Sorrow, and to drown their Care. as they call it, in riotous and excessive Pleasures. All this is unseasonable, and these are undue times of Mirth and Pleasure. ( 3.) We must not suffer Pleasures to engage too much expense and Charge to maintain and enjoy them. As those which are enjoyed with least endeavour are usually the most innocent, so are those also commonly which are enjoyed with least Charge. To indulge and gratify wanton Appetites ordinarily with great expense and Charge is inordinate and sinful. 'tis too much a Man spends upon his Pleasures, when he out-runs his Allowance, and contracts Debts which he cannot pay, and so entertains and pleases himself at the cost and the wrong of his Neighbour. He is too expensive in these, who by the Charge of them disables himself from making a competent Provision for his Family and dependents, who Prodigally wastes that in needless Enjoyment, which should supply them with Necessaries. There is a severe Condemnation of this expressed, 1. Tim. 5.8. He also spends too much upon these, who thereby disables himself for Acts of Charity: Who to be liberal upon his Lusts, will be stingy to the Poor. Tho' it is not to be said, that we ought constantly to give all that the Supply of our own necessity can spare to the relief of the Poor; yet certainly we must reckon there are some Cases, wherein the necessity of our Neighbour ought to be served before our own mere Pleasure: And our own mere Pleasure should not ordinarily and constantly be more costly than this Christian Duty of Charity: And when we do liberally Feast and please ourselves, we should in Proportion at such times liberally relieve and comfort the Poor. And in his expense upon Pleasures, every Man should regard the State of the Times. When public Occasions require more expense than ordinary upon them, for the Defence of our Religion, and Country, and Allies. When any particular Circumstances of the time occasion more Objects of Charity than ordinary, and more distress among the Poor, then ought rich Men in some measure to retrench and diminish their expenses upon their Pleasures, that they may be able to spare the more to those more necessary purposes. ( 4.) We must not gratify our Appetites, or enjoy sensual Pleasures to the Prejudice of our Health and Strength. When Nature which should be refreshed and supported by these is oppressed and hurt by them, this is inordinate and excessive. When men will do those things constantly and frequently, in compliance with their Appetites, which in time must needs impair their Health, tho' this be not sensibly done at present: When they will gratify their Appetites, either in the quantity or in the quality, and kind of Pleasure, which they have found by experience has been prejudicial to their Health, and have reason to think will prove so still, in these Cases they are excessive, and inordinate in their Love of Pleasures. And yet further it must be said, that if a Man has by an excessive Indulgence of his Appetites, brought himself to some kind of Necessity to continue such Indulgence, so as that it would induce some present Disorder in his Health, if he should leave it off, yet he ought not to continue it. His Body may in a little time be brought to agree well, and certainly best, with Temperance and Moderation: And an unnatural Necessity brought upon a Man by ill practise, will not justify or allow the Continuance of that ill practise. ( 5.) Lastly, we must not allow ourselves the full Liberty in our Pleasures, which at other times we might take, when this would be an Offence to our Neighbour, and occasion his Sin, and the Hurt of his Soul. When I know or suspect that my doing what is innocent and lawful, will expose or betray him to the doing what is sinful, I must for that time, and in those Circumstances, forbear the pleasing of myself. The Love of God requires, that as I take care not to commit sin myself, so I should take all the care I can, that I do not any ways occasion the sin of another: And the Love of God requires such Love to my Neighbour, as that I must not willingly, or needlessly do him any harm. Therefore if I will not in such a Case as this abstain from lawful Pleasure, I sin in the manner of enjoying it, and am a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. Thus much, I think, may suffice to show, what is an inordinate Love of sensual Pleasure. Now the next Head of Discourse, which I promised to insist upon, is to propose such Arguments against this sort of wickedness, as ought to prevail with us, to resist and strive against it, and keep ourselves as free as possible we can from it. And, I think, these two Heads of Arguments may afford Considerations both for weight and number sufficient in reason to this purpose. 1. The mean and contemptible Nature of these Pleasures. 2. The Mischiefs which an inordinate Love of these commonly brings with it. First, Let us deliberately consider the mean and contemptible Nature of these Pleasures, and we cannot choose but see they are not worth our great Esteem, or an excessive Love of them. Let us consider this when our Thoughts are at leisure, and when the Objects and Temptations of them are removed: at which time we shall most rightly understand them. These are not the best of the good things which Mankind were intended and made capable to enjoy, but of the meannest Rank, and lowest sort of them. Sensual Pleasures have very little Worth or Goodness in them; are never able to afford us that satisfaction which our fond Imagination promises us from them. We expect abundant Felicity in their Enjoyment, and find little, for they are but empty and poor things: What we thought before we possessed it, would make us wondrous happy a long time, within a little while we look upon as a Burden if we cannot get rid of it. The common practise of the greatest Lovers of Pleasures discovers this: For how greedy soever they appeared of any Pleasures before they had them, we may soon after see them hunting for, and contriving new ones: They disrelish what they have, and want diversion even from that which was so eagerly prosecuted. And the disappointment of our vast Expectations helps to increase our disdain of the empty Trifle, and makes us afflict and rebuk ourselves for our own great Esteem and eager Desire of it: We cannot forbear to call ourselves Fools, for admiring so much a thing of so little worth. Hence it is, that Solomon says of such things, they are both Vanity and Vexation of Spirit: That is, they have but very little Goodness in them, and it greatly vexes us to find this through our great Expectations from them. Again, let us consider how very frail and weak these things are, as well as empty and poor. They are the tenderest and feeblest things in this World, and are most easily of all things corrupted and spoiled. A Drop of Affliction is able to embitter even an Ocean of them. Let but a Finger ache, let the Humour be but in any small matter crossed, and the Wretch loses all sense and relish of his Pleasures: A new Desire spoils the grateful and pleasing Relish of what we enjoy. These are things very easily spoiled, and therefore must be very frequently so, in a Life so exposed to Misery and Affliction as this is. The Evils which Mankind are born to endure are so numerous, and attend us so closely, that we can hardly ever enjoy a pure and undisturbed Pleasure. How unreasonable is it then, that a Man should give up himself wholly to these? Again, we should consider, of how fading and transitory a Nature these things are. That they do as it were go as they come, they hasten to their End as they grow to their Height, and perish in the using, as the Apostle speaks, Col. 2.22. Every thing in this World is in a continual flux and change, and then our Pleasures in the using them must needs be very transitory too. And besides, the mere weakness of the faculty makes it soon a weary even of Pleasure, and then 'tis no longer Pleasure. If our Pleasure be very strong and brisk 'tis soon at an end, if it last long 'tis dull and less pleasing. It is truly said of the Pleasures of sin they are but for a season: They have but their times to please; they can do this but in a Fit, they are but for a few moments Entertainment: But then how foolish and unreasonable is it, to set our Hearts on such things! to engage and employ a Soul capable of far higher Delights, wholly about such low and poor things! an immortal Soul about things of so weak and uncertain, and so transitory and short a Duration. This is necessary to deceive it, and to expose it to Sorrow and Vexation, instead of making it happy. Which leads me to the second just Prejudice, mentioned against an inordinate Love of sensual Pleasures. Which was the great mischief that this does constantly bring with it. These are things that cannot possibly make us happy; and the inordinate Love of them, certainly brings a great deal of Vexation and Misery. I shall represent this matter somewhat particularly, that we may be the more sensible of it. 1. Such an inordinate Love of sensual Pleasures as hath been described, will prove extremely prejudicial to our outward Condition, and Prosperity in this World. This will appear in several respects upon a little consideration. It tends to Poverty, Contempt and Sickness, and so to deprive Men of the means, or of the relish of their Pleasures, and all this may deservedly be accounted a great deal of Mischief. A Voluptuous humour is careless too, 'tis soft and lazy, uncapable of Industry and Labour, 'tis giddy and unconstant. Thus it makes a Man neglect his Interests, and he either misses the Opportunities of Advantage, or makes but little advantage of them; and 'tis usually a very prodigal and expensive Humour too: Nature and moderate Pleasure are satisfied with little expense, but ungoverned Lust and excessive Appetite, require and squander away a great deal: but in these ways a Man must needs be exposed to Poverty, these ways will hinder a Man necessary from gaining much, and will waste the largest Revenues. Accordingly the wise Man says, He that loveth Pleasure shall be a poor Man, Prov. 21.17. And the Drunkard and Glutton shall come to poverty, Prov. 23.2. And by another vicious Sensuality, he says, a Man shall be brought to a Morsel of Bread, Prov. 6.26. And he that follows his Pleasures to his own ruin and the Hurt of his Neighbour, shall lose all Reputation and Esteem in the World. He shall be utterly despised who comes thus to be poor. He may be flattered and attended while his Estate lasts, but when that is gone, those that seemed Friends will forsake, and those that pretended respect will despise him. In a little time too of following excessive Pleasures, the strongest Constitution will be crazed; and then every little Imposition puts it out of Order; then the remainder of Life is encumbered with Pains and Diseases, and perhaps the merry Sinner makes hast into the Dust, and drops by an untimely Death. Further, with these mischievous Effects it is easy to see, that the inordinate and excessive Prosecution of sensual Pleasures, is very pernicious to our Pleasures themselves. Does not the squandering away an Estate, deprive a Man too of the means to maintain these? And does not the Destruction of Health necessary spoil the relish of them? with a moderate and regular Use of these, we shall enjoy them longest, and taste them best. They are certainly received with greatest Gust and Delight, while the Necessities and Conveniences of Nature are served, and all that follows after the satisfaction of these, is but Drudgery and Weariness. If there be any Pleasure at all 'tis very faint, unnatural and forced. With a moderate Enjoyment of Pleasures, the Appetite is maintained, and kept vigorous, and lively; but with excess it is palled and overthrown. The diligent and virtuous Person who intermixes fervent Devotion, moderate Labour, and prudent Care with his sensual Pleasures, He has certainly the pleasantest Life of any Man in the World. These things are themselves very pleasant to him in their Turns and Seasons, and they make his Pleasures relish the better too. No man can with any true or great Delight, follow long an uninterrupted Course of Pleasure: This itself becomes an uneasy, as well as it is a vile and base Drudgery to him, that follows it alone. But what an unreasonable Folly is it then, to give up ourselves inordinately, and entirely to this! To destroy what we love, and spoil and deprive ourselves of that which we most value and admire! Thus we see an inordinate Love of these, is highly prejudicial to our outward Prosperity, and well-being. 2. It is yet further extremely mischievous and prejudicial to the Soul of Man: And that in these three respects following, which I shall briefly evidence and conclude. ( 1.) It disturbs the Peace and tranquillity of the Mind. A Man under the power of this unhappy Disease, is always like a troubled Sea, is never at rest. His Passions are easily stirred, they are moved with every Object; and they are violent and unruly, and continually hurry him to Excess and Folly: So that between the Violence of his Lusts, and the remorse of his Conscience, he is never quiet or at ease: Now he is pining and languishing after that which he vehemently desires, wracked with the Impatience and Violence of his Desire: When he has obtained he plays the fool with his Enjoyment, hurts and wounds himself with his Pleasures; and as the Transport of Delight is soon over, so it ends with a tormenting Sting. The Moments of the Enjoyment and Pleasure are very few, and short, but the Torments of Desire are perhaps long before he obtains, and those of Remorse longer after it, for the Excesses and Guilt of his Enjoyment. The voluptuous Sinner lives but a very unhappy Life. When his transitory and short Fit of Delight is over, his Conscience calls him to a sad reckoning for what he has done: And these are very painful Thoughts, which follow his Sins close at the Heels. I have been ungrateful, offensive, and injurious to a good and gracious God, my kind and bounteous Friend. I have needlessy provoked against myself an Almighty an Eternal wrath: I have deserved his Vengeance, who has the disposal of me for ever: I have then for a trifle, for that which was gone by that time I knew I had it, exposed myself to everlasting Pain and Misery. These are grievous Thoughts; thus does guilty Pleasure in the end bite as a Serpent, and sting like an Adder, as the wise Man says, Prov. 20.17. Since 'tis impossible, that a Man should always keep himself intoxicated with his Pleasures, such Thoughts as these will often find times to invade and afflict him. Now how much better and happier is it for one to have but moderate well-governed and easy Desires and Appetites, and to enjoy and use this World as not abusing it: That he might so have a calm and composed Mind, and never have occasion to fall out with himself. ( 2.) A further Mischief this does the Mind, is, that it commonly hinders a Man from all worthy and honourable Improvement. It certainly blasts this, to let the Love of Pleasures rule and govern us in our Youth. He that gives himself up to his Pleasures, will not be at leisure enough for Improvement: He cannot be diligent or industrious enough to gain a good or uncommon degree of any honourable or useful Accomplishment. The Soul capable of the bright Ornaments of Knowledge, Piety and virtue is in such a Man condemned to vulgar Ignorance, to vile Profaneness, and many disparaging Vices. These will grow apace in it, and to a monstrous Size, but no one becoming or useful virtue will grow there. This says the wise and learned Heathen ( Cic. de Senect) Cum Homini sieve Nature sieve quis Deus, &c. when Nature, or some bountiful God has given to Man a Soul, which is the Noblest and most Excellent thing of all that he possesses; there is nothing so much an Enemy and a Bane to this as sensual Pleasure; and he gives this reason for saying so: Because under the Reign of Pleasure no one virtue can possibly thrive or live. The voluptuous Man is usually the most useless and insignificant Person in the World. He is commonly good for nothing; if he be put at any time with much ado upon any thing that is great, he spoils it in the doing. He can neither be good Magistrate, nor good Subject; good Master, nor good Servant; good Patriot, nor good Friend. He is only fit to be the Scorn of Fools too as he is of all that are Wise. ( 3.) To conclude; the Inordinate Love and Prosecution of sensual Pleasures does the Soul of Man this further and most fatal Mischief, that it both forfeits, and renders him unfit for his everlasting Happiness. The Spirit in Man is capable to enjoy and delight in the Father of Spirits: The immortal Soul might enjoy the eternal Felicities of Heaven: But when possessed and governed by this sordid and mischievous Disposition, 'tis both unfit and unworthy to enjoy that Happiness. A sensual Soul that relishes nothing but sensual Pleasures, that has no delight in God, or in Exercises of Piety and virtue is not fit for Heaven; if it were admitted there, it would not be happy there. Therefore it must lose eternal Happiness. Within a little while its abode, and converse in this World will be at an end, and it must be for ever separated from all that it can delight in, and therefore must be miserable for ever. Besides, the Sins that attend this Disposition of Soul do continually forfeit the heavenly Happiness: It is expressly said of those that practise them, they have no Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven, Eph. 5.5. But how great a Folly is it to lose the rich and substantial Joys of Heaven, the everlasting Pleasures there, for a few short fits of the poor and empty Pleasures of this World! How unhappily and ill does the sensual Sinner govern himself! Who most eagerly pursues Pleasure indeed, but so madly, that he every way misses of it. He corrupts and spoils the Pleasures of this World, ruins and allays them with remorse and Guilt; and he forfeits and loses the everlasting Pleasures which shall reward Religion and virtue. These are indeed very dangegerous things, and mightily apt to betray us into the greatest Follies; and there is no Man can be secure against their fatal Charms, but he who is constantly fortified by the Grace of God. This, then, let us now and at all times very earnestly Implore. THE PRAYER. MOst Blessed God! Thou art Good and dost good; and thou delightest in the Happiness of thy Creatures. Oh that Men would Praise the Lord for his Goodness, and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men. To Mankind thou hast been exceeding Bountiful; in the noble Endowments of our Nature, and in the large Provision thou hast made in the World for our Support and Comfort; we must say O Lord, the Earth is full of thy Goodness; Oh that we had a due Sense of all thy Mercies; that they might engage us to love Thee, the Fountain of good: Grant that all the good, and comfortable things we enjoy here may raise our Esteem and Love of Thee, who art the Giver of them, and the Author of their Goodness. Give us the Grace we beseech Thee, so to use this World as not abusing it: Make us to behave ourselves Piously, Righteously, and Soberly in the use of all that thou givest us. Leave us not we beseech Thee to ourselves among the Allurements of this World, lest we be drawn to Sin against Thee, by what should engage us to Love and Obey; and lest we hurt ourselves with the things thou hast given for our Comfort and Support. sanctify we pray Thee our Nature, and make us to take delight in thy Law; let that be our pleasing Entertainment Day and Night; let that be sweeter to us than Honey from the Comb; that so we may keep thy Commandments, and be so steady and diligent herein, as to find that there is in it great Reward. Make us to see the Goodness thou hast exercised in the Commandments thou hast given us, as well as in the Provision thou hast made for us, and teach us thy Statutes. Grant that we may so Love and keep thy Commandments, as that we may constantly enjoy the Pleasure and Happiness of a Good Conscience; so as that the Light of thy Countenance may be lifted up upon us; which will give us more joy and satisfaction than the greatest increase of worldly Goods could do. Give us we pray Thee, a great Sense of those excellent Joys and Pleasures which are at thy right hand for evermore; and let the hope of these excite us to the greatest Labours, and encourage us to perform the most difficult Duties, that we shall be called to now: Let the Thoughts and Expectations of them wean our Hearts from things below, and make us set our Affections chiefly on things above; and influence us so to pursue, and use the good things of this World, as that we may not forfeit and lose those better things that are to come. We beseech Thee for the sake of Jesus Christ, O Lord, to pardon all our past Folly and Sin, in the pursuit or Enjoyment of any thing in this World: Let us never be given up to any vile Affections, or worldly Lusts; but keep thou us we beseech Thee, by the Power of thy Grace, through Faith unto Salvation. We pray unto Thee for all Mankind, that they may know, and love, and praise Thee, and partake of thy abundant Goodness. Let thy Favour be exercised to thy Church in a plentiful Effusion of the Gifts and Graces of thy Holy Spirit; bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived, and purge thy Church from all false Doctrine, heresy, and Schism, from whatever is displeasing to Thee, and contrary to its Prosperity and Peace. Bless the Nations to which we belong, Crown our Year with thy Goodness, and let the Clouds drop Fatness upon us; and give us the Grace to use the Provision thou affordest Soberly and Thankfully; dispose them whom thou hast made Rich in this Worlds Goods, to do good with their abundance, and to Communicate to the relief of such as are in Want. We pray Thee Bless our King with all personal Blessings, direct him in his Administrations, that he may please and honour Thee, and promote our Happiness and Welfare; teach us all that are Subjects our Duty towards Thee, and towards him and one another; that Piety, Righteousness, Obedience, and Peace may abound among us. Bless and Defend the Royal Family, Cloath all their Enemies with shane, and in their Possession let the Crown of these Kingdoms ever flourish. We recommend to thy Mercy all that are related to us, all our Friends and Benefactors, and even our Enemies, and them that hate us; do them all Good according to thy bounteous Goodness and their Necessities. We render Thee humble and hearty Thanks, for all the Mercies of our Lives, for those of this Day in particular, especially for the Pleasures of thy House, and the Benefit of thine Ordinances. Be thou we pray Thee, our Protection this Night, and guide and assist us by thy Grace, through all the remainder of our Days. Make us fruitful in all good Works to thy Glory, and accept us in Jesus Christ the righteous: In whose Name we present all our Prayers; and in whose own Words we sum up our Desires, saying, Our Father, &c. THE Character and Remedies OF Covetousness. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Heb. 13.5. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. THERE are some Sins which have been anciently called deadly ones, as being peculiarly so; by reason that they contain greater Guilt, and are of more dangerous and mortal consequence to the Soul than many others. Amongst that number this may justly be reckoned one which the Apostle in this Text forbids, in saying, Let your Conversation be without Covetousness. This Sin involves a world of Guilt in itself, as will appear in a true Representation of it: And besides, it is commonly a very fruitful Spring, and cause of many other Sins. The Holy Scripture sufficiently warns us of this, and tells us, Whoso maketh hast to be rich shall not be Innocent. Prov. 28.20. and, They that will be rich fall into Temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition. 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. And as this Sin is very guilty and hurtful, so 'tis that which Mankind are generally very liable to. The weakness, and many Necessities of this Life, the Suitableness of the things of this World to our present Condition, and the power which Money has to procure them, or at least is thought to have, are things mightily apt to betray Men into this Sin: And further, we are strongly tempted to it, by the common great Esteem of Wealth among Men: When we see nothing valued almost in the World but this, or at least nothing without it: That Wealth is necessary to maintain in a corrupt and degenerate Age, the Reverence of Persons Sacred, to protect the most innocent and harmless Persons; and to procure Esteem and Regard, for the most Glorious and useful virtues and Accomplishments. These things show the Esteem of Wealth to be Exorbitantly great among Men, and that Covetousness does commonly prevail; and these render the Sin the more likely to infect others, and to prevail further. It is of use then at all times to caution Men against this Sin, but is especially necessary in such as ours. In speaking to this Subject, I shall confine myself to these two Heads of Discourse. 1. To give the Character or Description of this Sin of Covetousness. 2. To propose such Arguments and Considerations as are proper to remedy and cure it. In the first place, I shall give the Character or Description of this Sin of Covetousness. And there will be a double Advantage in the having that represented to us: For hereby we shall know when we are guilty of it; and this is necessary to be told us; for the heart of Man is deceitful, as well as wicked, and often hides from himself the Faults he is guilty of. Besides, we shall see, in the true Character, the ugly Features of this Sin( as we may speak); and so it may be hoped, that the very describing it truly may be of some use towards dissuading Men from it, in giving its Character. I shall not be much concerned, if I do not particularly mention every line and stroke of its Features, provided I do but mention the most of these, and enough to know this Sin, and its deformity by; and thus much I hope I shall do. 1. Covetousness is attended with, and consists partly in an eager and impatient Desire of having the Wealth of this World. The Apostle teaches us to make this a part of its Character by our Text, where he sets it in opposition to a Contentment with the Portion which it pleases God to give us: Let your Conversation be without Covetousness;( says he) and be Content with such things as ye have. He that does calmly acquiesce in the disposal of God in all Conditions is contented in all: But he who cannot do this, but disorderly and impatiently desires the increase of his Portion is Covetous. A Mind dejected and troubled with a straight and mean Fortune, or which is disspirited thereby, and grows indifferent and listless in the Service of God is not free from this Sin; 'tis very Suspicious and likely such a Man serves God only for Gain, and so grows careless and a weary of his Work and Duty, when he sees himself disappointed of this. He that murmurs against God for his Wants, and accuses his Providence of injustice or unkindness, because he lies under some necessity is guilty of Covetousness: And so the Poor may be guilty of it, as well as the Rich; and he that hardly has enough to supply his Necessities, as well as he that desires to have more than enough. The Apostle Paul could say, He had learnt both to be full, and to be hungry, both to abound, and to suffer need, and in whatsoever State he was to be therewith Content. Phil. 4.11, 12. This was a State of mind altogether free from any slain of this Sin. We must submit even to Want, when it pleases God to afflict us with it. Which does not forbid all desire of Supply, nor restrain us from Prayer to God for it: but it requires that our Desires be modest, not excessive, patient, not hasty; and that our Prayers be always seasoned with Submission and Resignation to the good Pleasure of God. Under this impatient Desire of worldly Goods, which will denominate a Man covetous, must be also reckoned that disposition of Mind, which is apt to quarrel with our Neighbour for every little Punctilio of Right: When every hairs-breadth of Property is more dear to a Man, than Obedience and Charity, and even the least Encroachment upon it from the Magistrate by necessity of State, or from a private Neighbour by mistake, can inflame a Man into a violent Rage, and an endless Contention to retrieve or avenge it. This is that very thing which our Saviour checks and forbids, when he says, Resist not evil, and explains himself, by the Instances he mentions, to mean light and tolerable Evils; in mat. 5.38, 39, 40, 41. Verses. In which parcel of his Discourse, as a very learned and pious Divine of our Church understands it; Our Saviour designs to teach, and oblige his Disciples, altogether to remit and take patiently any tolerable and small Injuries that may be done to them as private Persons whether in their Body and Reputation; or in their Estate and Possession; or in their Privileges and Immunities. He speaks of private Injuries, and such as are light, and may be born by a wise Man without any considerable Prejudice. And he forbids any disturbance of public Peace, by promoting Seditions, Factions and Rebellions against the Magistrate, for any such small Encroachment: And the going to Law with a Neighbour for every small matter not, only when the Right is uncertain, but even also when 'tis certain on our Side. And these things he forbids, not only when there is no danger of inviting another like Injury by such patience, but also even when there is such a likelihood; which things, I think, are most undeniably cleared and proved to belong to that Text, by that Excellent author,( Dr. Clagett Serm. on the place in 2d. Vol.) It is, as I said, a Degree of Covetousness, to be impatient under our real Necessities; but, I think, it must be reckoned the lowest Degree of this Sin, while it does not break out in any suitable Actions: It speaks a Heart too much set on this World, not duly resigned to the disposal of God, and distrustful of his Providence and Promises. And tho' it may be the lowest Degree of this Sin, yet, as it is with all the lesser Degrees of Sin in any other Cases, it does greatly dispose and prepare a Man for the grosser and more guilty Degrees of it. And from hence, 'tis especially easy and common, to proceed to that which I shall mention, as the next Character of this Sin; which is this. 2. Covetousness will make a Man pursue his Gain by any manner of Ill ways and Methods of getting. It will break through all the Commands of God, either in Omission of Duty, or the Commission of what is forbid, to get or keep his beloved Gain: It will make a Man break his Promises to Men, betray his Trust, cheat and impose upon the Ignorant, oppress the Weak, extort from the Necessitous, and deny even his Faith in God for the sake of getting: This produces false Oaths, Monopolies, and fraudulent Bargains for gain: Is the Parent and inventor of all those guilty Arts and Methods too commonly practised in Trade, and which are too many to be particularly mentioned. Hence our Saviour says, No man can serve God and Mammon, and the Apostle tells us, If any man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him. Men may endeavour to help themselves out of Necessity and Straits, and every one ought to endeavour this with all fitting Diligence: but we must not use unlawful means to supply even our wants; As that good Man plainly intimates, in praying that he might not be poor, lest he should thereby be tempted to steal, and take the Name of God in vain, Prov. 30.9. The being poor, he knew, would not justify any ill Arts to provide for himself. 3. It is the common Property and Character of this 'vice, that it makes a Man unsatiable in his desire of Gain. It will not satisfy this to have enough, but it will be Rich; and when a Man is indeed Rich, it will not let him see or account that he is so, but makes him greedy of getting more still. From the supply of Necessity, it puts him on to provide for Plenty, and when he is gotten thither it drives him on still to pursue Superfluity. The Holy Scripture directs us, That having food and raiment we should be therewith content. 1 Tim. 6.8. When the Providence of God hath given a Man a sufficient portion to serve in a good measure all the real Exigencies of his Condition and Station, and enough to make a competent Provision for his dependents; he should know when he has enough and be thankful, and contented not to increase any further: Or, if his Wealth does still increase by God's Blessing upon his Business and Labour, then he should separate and employ the more to serve the Glory of God, and the Necessities of poor Neighbours. But the covetous Man is for endless increasing, and proves what Solomon says of such, He that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver, nor he that loveth Abundance with increase, Eccles. 5.10. And tho', as that wise Man says, He has neither Child nor Brother, yet is there no end of his Labour, neither is his greedy Eye ever satisfied with Riches, Eccles. 4.8. 4. The covetous Man, especially as such, makes the getting of Wealth the main end and design of his Life. A Man's ultimate and chief End gives him his chief Denomination: And as the End of a voluptuous Man, as such, is Pleasure; the End of an ambitious Man is Authority, and Honour; so the End of a covetous Man is Gain, and increase of Wealth. All his Thoughts and Care are engaged about this: Early and late it is his main Business, when alone to contrive, when in Company to pursue his Gain. He valves and esteems nothing else; accounts it the one thing necessary to be rich; and valves himself and his Neighbour only according to the measure of his Wealth. The pursuit of this often sets by the Worship of God, makes him sometimes neglect a due Attendance on the public, and more often the performance of private and Family-Worship. Or else the Love and Care of Wealth so engages his Heart, and devours his Soul, that all his Devotions are could and formal, and he draws nigh to God with his Lips, and worships him with his Mouth, while his Heart is after his Covetousness. This shows itself too in making him soon a weary of a holiday, and longing for the End of it, that he might return to his worldly Business: Like them the Prophet speaks of, who said, When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn, and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat, Amos 8.5. The covetous Man's benefits are more Bargains: And if ever he does a kindness, he thereby designs and hopes to receive a greater; and as Solomon says, If a Man eats his Morsels, he shall be forced to vomit them up again, Prov. 23.8. He puts a mighty Value upon any kindness he does, and never thinks it enough requited. If he employs the Poor, 'tis not for their Benefit so much as his own; and he would not help them to work for Food, but that they might help him by their Labour to be rich. And that he employs them with this Humour and Design, commonly appears in this, that he does it with severe Extortion; he exacts hard Labour, is never satisfied with what they do; and will have it done too for as small Wages and Reward as he can possibly put them off with; and he never thinks they are paid little enough for their Labour. If he serves his Country in any public Office, 'tis only to serve himself more; and you shall commonly see him take more care to discharge his Office, so as may most promote his own Gain, than so as he may best promote the public Good. If he is not in Office, or not in so gainful an one as he would be, nothing is done to please him, and especially, if the Providence of God crosses Affairs with ill Success, all is Treachery and Wickedness: Thus by clamouring against others he would recommend himself into their places, but all this while 'tis the Profit and Wages that 'allure him, and for these he would have them. When you see him deny himself for the good of his Country, or give his service to the public Benefit, without Reward or Advantage to himself; then you may believe him not covetous, but really concerned for the Advantage of the public. Thus the covetous Man lives in the World, as if he came into it for nothing else but to gather Wealth. And seeks to have Wealth that he may have it, not for any good Use that he ever intends to make of it. Lastly, This 'vice where it dwells makes a Man always unwilling to use and employ his Riches in those things which are the right Ends of having them. Sometimes indeed, while a Man is in the pursuit of Wealth, he may think what good he would do if he could get a great Portion of it; but 'tis very common, even for the same Man when he is grown rich, to do no good at all with his Riches. The covetous Man either hoards them up in a dead Bank, or sends them out, and employs them only to get more. He either utterly neglects, or at least is very niggardly and sparing in any right or good use of what he has. It is not only he, then, who covets his Neighbours Goods, or comes unjustly by them, that is covetous, but he also that will not use what he has as he ought, but with-holds more than is meet, as Solomon speaks, Prov. 11.24. The right use of Wealth is three-fold, respecting either God, our Neighbour, or ourselves. It ought to be used, in the first place, Religiously, for the Honour and Glory of God, as far as it may serve to this End. Some may, and should be separated to the direct Service of Religion, to encourage, to promote the practise of it by others, and dispose and help them to glorify and serve God: Some may be employed to support, maintain, and furnish the Service of the Sanctuary: and Necessity may sometimes require a Charge to defend true Religion against the violent and unjust Assaults of its Enemies, or to propagate it among them that are Strangers and Infidels. For the sake of our Neighbour, a man's Riches should be employed to promote Justice, and Peace, and Quietness in the World: to assist the Protection of the Weak, the relief of the oppressed, and the righting of the injured. Charity requires the feeding of the Hungry, the comforting of the Sick, the teaching of the Ignorant, the correcting of the Vicious. And the Honour of God, and the Necessities of our Country in general, or of a private Neighbour, may sometimes require that we part with more to serve them, than we can commonly well spare in an uncommon Case and an extraordinary Exigence. We may be bound at sometimes to retrench our ordinary Course of expense, tho' it be but moderate, and just, and to put ourselves to a little inconvenience and want, to prevent a greater damage and prejudice to them. But the covetous Man is so far from ever contributing to such things what he can well spare, that he never willingly allows that: 'tis only by force if he allows any thing to them, and all manner of Arts he will use to get off as cheap as he can. If he prevails with himself so far as to give any thing voluntarily to such purposes, 'tis always much less in proportion than he is able to allow. Further, as the Use of Wealth respects ourselves so it may, and ought to be employed to furnish ourselves with things necessary and convenient for us, and becoming our Office and Station in the World: And this is to reach to all our just dependents, those whom we are bound to take care of, and provide for, who are to be reckoned as parts of ourselves; as Wife, Children, and Servants. But the covetous Man is negligent or too sparing in these matters. He will perhaps hardly allow himself the Food, clothes and Conveniences that his Person requires, or the expenses which become his Station; will hardly allow Children what is necessary to their Health, and good Education, and miserable pinches his Servants in the Provision he ought to make for them. It is often seen, that a Man shall pretend, to cloak and justify his Covetousness, that all his care and saving is to provide for those that depend upon him: when yet he will allow them no comfort in what he has, he does not as he should provide for them, but saves it from them too as long as he can. Thus I have, as I think, sufficiently described this 'vice: Only thus much more I desire may be observed to this purpose; That as all these Characters together, do certainly speak a Man covetous, so if they can be separated, each of them alone may do it. I proceed now to the second Part of the Discourse, which is to propose those Arguments that are fit to remedy this sin. And, I may say, there are as many Arguments against it, as there be Articles in our Holy Religion; for every one of these do condemn it. He therefore that lives in the practise of this Sin, lives in an utter Defiance of his Religion, and plainly contradicts the Faith of a Christian. But I must content myself to urge but a few Arguments here, and therefore I shall choose some of those, which I suppose may be most sensible to the covetous Person, and so most apt to prevail with him. 1. Let us consider, against this 'vice, the Vanity of Wealth, and the little worth or usefulness of it, even whilst a Man yet has it in Possession. It is a very high Conceit of the Sufficiency of this, which is one of the Causes that Men do so greedily, and so disorderly covet it: They think indeed, that Money answers all things, they ascribe an Almightiness to it, and the Rich Mans wealth is his strong City, and as an high Wall in his own Conceit. Prov. 18.11. And upon the account of the Covetous Man's trust in his Riches, is this Sin called Idolatry. Col. 3.5. But alas how many very important Necessities have we attending us, even in this present Life, which this can afford us no help against! They judge rightly, said the wise Moralist ( Plut.) who greatly esteem and admire a vast Estate, if indeed Happiness were a thing to be bought and sold. But( says he) Freedom from Grief is not a thing to be bought with Money, nor Magnanimity, nor Constancy of Mind, nor a well ordered virtuous Course of Actions. He wisely mentions these things as necessary to our Happiness, which things it is certain a Man's greatest wealth cannot purchase. Money in truth cannot purchase the calming of any violent Passions, the Peace and tranquillity of the Mind, nor the healing of any of its uneasy and shameful Distempers. But if it makes a Man proud, as it frequently does, then it makes him the more liable to violent Passions; and as it Administers plentiful fuel to his Appetites, so it commonly inflames them, and increases the Distempers of his Mind. Again, that excellent author justly mentions it, as a great Disparagement of Riches, that they cannot possess a Man with a right Estimation, nor a moderate desire of themselves: Nor can the possessing even more of them than we need cure us of desiring still more. Drink( says he) can alloy and quench the Thirst of Drink, and our Hunger will be satisfied with a convenient and small Meal, but Riches gained in the greatest abundance, cannot cure the desire of Riches; what is a Man the better then in that Case for the having an abundance of them? Riches cannot give a Man either the Mind and Will to use them, or the Wisdom and Discretion to use them well. And many are seen not using their wealth at all, nor doing themselves any good with it, and others using it it ill, and so doing themselves a great deal of harm. A Man thinks to make his Posterity mighty happy in leaving them an abundance of Wealth, but without Wisdom and virtue, which all his Estate cannot purchase; they shall perhaps soon squander away the greatest Revenues, they shall not be at all the farther from Poverty for them: Or they shall use their Fortunes, but so as to make their Follies and Vices the more notorious and enormous, and themselves many ways the more uneasy and unhappy. The greatest wealth cannot give the possessor Content or tranquillity of Mind: This is as seldom found in a great Fortune as a mean one, and perhaps more seldom. Content does not increase in Proportion to the increase of the Estate; as Men commonly expect indeed it will do, but as commonly they experience the contrary. It is usual with the short and limited Goods of this World, that what provides for, and supplies one Necessity often begets another, and perhaps a great many more. But if we Fancy further Necessities yet unsupplied, as we may do with the greatest Acquisitions, we shall be little the better, or the more contented for all that we have gained. In vain certainly, do Men with endless Toil and Care pursue a superfluous increase: What is superfluous is not necessary, and that which is not of use and necessity to us commonly proves an Encumbrance. Further, the greatest wealth cannot strengthen a feeble Body, nor make a crooked and deformed one straight or beautiful; it cannot add one least part of a Cubit to a dwarfish Stature. And how helpless is it commonly in the said Circumstances of Sickness and Dying: When it cannot recover the lost Appetite, nor repair the decayed Strength, nor ease wracking Pain, nor defer the approaching Period of Life: When it cannot recall time past, nor purchase another Life to give us time to seek what would be more help and comfort to us in such an hour. Now the wretch is sensible of the Deceitfulness and Vanity of his wealth; he sees he has lost all his Labour, he has laboured for that which will not profit him in his greatest Extremities. Of what use is it to him now to be vastly rich, when he must leave it all? Does he leave it the more willingly because it is an abundance, or not rather the more unwillingly. Now he finds what he might have believed before, that Piety and virtue, a good and religious use of Riches, and the well grounded hope of future Happiness, are of more worth and use to a Man than the greatest Possessions. A Man's greatest wealth cannot deliver one he loves, or himself from Dying, nor ever redeem from the Grave the dearest Relation departed. It cannot then keep off nor repair the greatest and the most afflicting Losses. Neither does wealth so often defend a Man from the Injuries of other Men as to expose him to them. He that has most to lose, like the fattest dear shall be hunted down first; he shall be soonest persecuted by the Envy and Covetousness of other Men. And many a one has been made miserable by his wealth, or brought to an untimely end, who might have lived in quiet, and lived much longer if he had but been poorer. Thus vain and useless is that which the Covetous Man admires and trusts in even to an Idolatry. 2. For another Argument, or rather another Head and Fountain of Arguments, we may consider the great Unhappiness of this 'vice of Covetousness. What it pursues if gained in the most abundant Measure cannot make a Man happy, because 'tis vain, and of little worth or use, and besides, this 'vice does of itself tend many ways to make a Man miserable. It is this is the Cause why he that loveth Silver cannot be satisfied with it, this is it that gives a Man an unsatiable desire of wealth. But this is a very unhappy Case. Thus does it plague a Man as it were with the torments of an Hunger, ever craving, and of a Thirst that can never be quenched. The desire of more will not let a Man enjoy the Pleasure of being contented with what he has, even when he has enough to make him so. Perhaps it sends out and employs, and so hazards all he has to gain more, and so keeps him upon the wracks of Cares and Fears, and it may be his Greediness makes him lose all. In his younger years a Man promises himself he will, while best able, toil for wealth, and when he comes to be old then he will rest and enjoy it, and there is some Wisdom in such a resolution. But if this Distemper comes upon him, he shall never know when he has made a competent Provision for old Age: And when that comes the fear of want shall still afflict him, and condemn him to restless Cares, even with his gray Hairs, to labour with feeble and decayed Limbs, and to hurry on his Death, by a hard usage of himself to provide for a much longer Life. Unhappy Man! he vainly wears out himself to provide for the time to come, when he has almost no more to come, and strives to lay up Goods for yet many more years, when he has but a few days remaining. It is, further, a great unhappiness of this 'vice that it hinders a Man from the comfortable enjoyment and use of what he has. He is a Thief to himself and robs himself of his own Treasure. He saves it, as he thinks, for his own use, but he truly keeps it from himself under Locks and Seals. This is peculiar to Covetousness says one ( Plut. Ib.) that the desire refuses its own Satisfaction. No Man desirous of Food( says he) will therefore abstain from Food, nor he that loves Wine, does he therefore satisfy himself to look on it without ever drinking any; but the covetous Wretch loves his Money, and dares not meddle with it; because he accounts it a mighty useful thing, he will never use it. But how miserable and mad a Distemper of Mind, says he, is this! It is indeed like a cruel and tyrannous Lord, that forces his Vassals to undergo hard Toil and Labour, to provide good things which they must never taste of. The Covetous Man is not kind to himself, nor to any one else. By his Greediness and ill ways of getting, he procures himself many Enemies; and by his sordid and penurious sparing, he loses or wants Friends. Even those whom he pretends to save for, will be apt to wish him dead, because they cannot have their Portion till he can keep it no longer. The miserable Man provokes Envy and Malice against him a great deal, and can gain no hearty or sincere Love from any one. He will be regarded by all Men as a mischievous beast of Prey, and as one of the most ravenous and mischievous sort of all, because he can never be satisfied. Further, as this 'vice makes a Man an Enemy to himself, and procures him nothing but Enmity from other Men; so it certainly offends and provokes Almighty God too. There is a great deal of guilt in it, as we have seen in its Character, and therefore it must produce a great deal of Displeasure. But how dangerous a thing is the Displeasure of the Almighty, and what Provision is it possible a Man can make against that? Can any Man be rich against the Will of Heaven? if not, all his covetous Arts shall never make him so. If God pleases to blast him, he shall see his greatest wealth all scattered and lost before he dies; or it may be, he shall have the grievous Vexation to see it likely to be soon scattered after he has left it. The displeasure of God often mingles Woes and Miseries and Vexations with his Riches. And very commonly is the Estate which such a Man gets utterly dispersed and gone in the time of his near Posterity; he gets the Curse of God with his wealth, and entails the one as well as the other on his Family. And thus it is, that he who is greedy of Grain troubles his own House, as Solomon says, Prov. 15.27. And, there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth, by God's just judgement, to Poverty. Thus does this unhappy 'vice bring upon a Man's self, or upon his Posterity, the very want which he endeavours to avoid: And in taking as he thinks the best course to prevent this, he truly takes the likeliest course in the World to bring it. 3. Lastly, let us then consider the Apostles Argument in the Text, which will be fit to conclude with. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness( says he) and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. These words promise the Care of God's Providence over Godly and good Men. He that will submit himself to God's disposal, shall certainly be well provided for: He that trusts in him God will protect him: He that does not take an inordinate Care for himself God will take Care for him. This then is the surest way to be well provided and fortified against the Fear or likelihood of Want; to be diligent, but innocent in the pursuit of wealth, and to use it as God requires in the Services of Religion, Justice and Charity. Our greatest Care and busiest Endeavour cannot certainly provide for us without his Blessing: It is he that disposes of all our Fortunes, we must therefore secure his Favour, if we would be certainly possessed of a sufficient Portion. They that fear the Lord shall be sure to want no manner of thing that is good. And further it should be considered, that 'tis the Blessing of God only that makes a Man rich with what he has; as well as 'tis God that gives it him: And so a little that a righteous Man has, is better than the riches of many wicked, as is said, Psal. 37.16. With God's Blessing upon a Man, a moderate and small Portion shall be more Serviceable to him, more sufficient and proportionable to his Necessities, than an unblessed abundance shall be to another. A good Man being secured by the faithful Promises of God, may justly think his Provision and Maintenance, as ready for his use in God's hands as in his own, if it does not please God to trust him with it. And he may reasonably believe it as safe there as under his own Care: For it could not be safe in his own keeping without the protection of God. The good Man then, who lives innocently and religiously, and puts his Trust in Almighty God, gains that Security from want, which the Covetous wretch pursues with wracking Cares and endless Toil, and always misses of. For to the good Man God has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory world without End. Amen. THE PRAYER. O Lord, the most merciful and Gracious God, infinite in Power, and abundant in Goodness and Truth; Thy Power O Lord has made, and does uphold all things; Thy Wise Providence disposes, and Thy Kingdom ruleth over all. The Heavens are thine, and the Earth also is thine, the whole World and they that dwell therein. And thou delightest in the Happiness and Welfare of thy Creatures; Thou givest Food to all living Creatures, thou feedest the young Ravens when they Cry, and the wild Beasts seek their meat from God. Thou Crownest the Year with thy Goodness, and causest the Sun to shine, the Rain to fall, and the Earth to afford good things for the Sons of Men: Thou art good even to the Unthankful, and the Evil among them. Oh! how rich is thy Bounty, how free thy Mercy, how patient thy Goodness; who providest for so many Creatures, who showest Favour, and dost heap Kindnesses upon the Rebellious, the ungrateful and unworthy. Oh! how happy a thing is it to have an Interest in thy peculiar Favour, who art so able, so willing to do good! O Lord of Hosts, Blessed is the Man that trusteth in thee, and that walks in the way of thy Commandments. Happy is he that feareth thee, for they that fear the Lord shall be sure to want no manner of thing that is good; thou art especially good to the Soul that seeks thee, and wilt abundantly reward all thy faithful Servants: Lord help us we humbly beseech thee, firmly to believe these things: And learn us to trust in thee, rather than to lean on our own Understanding, or rely upon our own Industry and Endeavour: Make us duly thankful to thee for all our Portion in this World, and careful to use it to thy Glory. Deliver us O Lord, from too great an Esteem of worldly Wealth, from setting our Hearts on so empty a Vanity, on so transitory and uncertain a Possession. Let us not think that our Happiness lies in the abundance of our Possessions, but account thy Favour, and the light of thy Countenance more necessary to us, and more useful, and able to afford us more Joy and Satisfaction: And make us seek that with our greatest Concern and Endeavour. Teach us the happy Duty of trusting in thee, in the way of well-doing, and let us be assured, that thou wilt never leave us nor forsake us, deal with us according to thy Mercy, and whatever our Condition is, let us be contented and in every thing give Thanks. Give us Patience in all Adversity, and make us rich in good works when we are prosperous; ready to distribute and communicate of thy Gifts to us according to our Ability. We become humble Petitioners to thee for all Mankind: Let those that sit in Darkness, see the Glorious and saving Light of thy Gospel; and let those that enjoy it live answerably, and walk as Children of the Light, putting away from them the evil Deeds of Darkness. We implore thy Mercy and Favour in particular to the Nations to which we belong. As thou hast Graciously afforded us thy true and pure Religion, and Established it amongst us, we pray thee to be our defence against all the Enemies of it. And teach us O Lord we beseech thee, not only to profess, but to practise it: Let our Lives express and exercise the Wisdom which is from above, which is pure and peaceable, and gentle, easy to be intreared, full of Mercy, and good Fruits; without Partiality, and without hypocrisy. Bless those whom thou hast set over us in Church and State; give them a great Zeal for thy Glory, Wisdom in the seeking it, and good Success in their endeavours to promote it; Prosper them with all Happiness in this World, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting Kingdom in the next. We beseech thee to preserve our Royal Family, and prosper them with all Happiness; let their ways always please thee, and do thou make their Enemies to be at Peace with them. We hearty pray unto thee, for all that are nearly related to us; Oh Lord, have Mercy upon their Souls, led them in the ways of Truth, of Peace and of Righteousness; guide them by thy Counsel, furnish them with all things needful of this World, that they may cheerfully and eminently serve thee in the Work and Calling thou givest, and be thou for ever their Portion, and exceeding great Reward: We give thee Thanks for this Day, for the means of Grace we have enjoyed, and pray they may accomplish in us those good Effects for which thou hast appointed them. The Day is thine O Lord, and the Night also is thine, the Darkness and Light are both alike to thee. We commit ourselves to thy Gracious Care this Night, and entreat thee that we may rest in Safety. All we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, with whose words we conclude our poor Addresses, saying, Our Father, &c. THE CHARACTER OF PRIDE. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 John 2.16. For all that is in the World, the lust of the Flesh, the lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. THE Apostle had in the Verse next before this, forbidden the love of the World, as that which is opposite to true Religion. In these words he represents particularly, what are those three main Branches of it, in which it is wont to exert its Vigour, and produce its Fruits. And when he calls these, All that is in the World, he means these are the common reigning Vices among Men; in serving one or other of which, the Men whose hearts are set on this present Life, do entirely employ and spend themselves. These are the lusts of the Flesh, by which he means the inordinate Love and Affection for sensual Pleasures: The lust of the Eyes, that is, the greedy covetous Love of wealth: The Pride of Life, which means an excessive Affectation, and desire of Honour and Esteem among Men. All these, he says, are not of the Father, but are of the World; meaning these are not Dispositions wrought into our Nature by him that made us, but they arise from the Corruption and Pravity, which we have contracted, and so come to be cherished and propagated among Men, by corrupt Education and bad Examples. I have already discoursed upon the two former of the Sins mentioned here, and shall now confine myself to the last of them, The Pride of Life. A Sin which is perhaps the most common of all Sins, and therefore there are none but may justly reckon themselves concerned in a Discourse about it. The Extravagancies of Voluptuousness do most usually disparaged our Youth, and as our judgement ripens, and as we experience the Folly, and Emptiness of Pleasures, we come to despise and forsake them. When we grow old it is chiefly that we are overcome with Covetousness: After a long Observation of the great Esteem which wealth has among Men, and when we find the regard of the World leaving us, and fixing upon younger Persons, who are growing to their Noon while we are declining to our Night; then we become extremely tenacious of what we have, and desirous to increase in wealth, that we may retain the regard of Men by this when we cannot do it by any thing else; or may be able to provide sufficiently for ourselves without it, and so be in a Condition not to need it: Thus are we betrayed into Covetousness in old Age. But in every Age Pride obtains a mighty force and power upon us, this we may see budding and bringing forth early Fruit in Infants, and not at all abating its natural force in our decaying Age. This 'vice we may see disparaging all Ranks and Conditions of Men. This Sin is indeed a great ingredient in every other Sin, and therefore must be as common as all other together: And this is truly a very great part of the Sinfulness of every other Sin; so that if this could be cured and removed out of the World, a great part of the Wickedness of the World would be cured and removed too. God grant this Discourse may be of some use towards this To which purpose I shall largely insist upon these two parts of it. 1. To give the Character of this Sin of Pride. 2. To urge such Arguments and Considerations, as are proper to remedy and cure it. At present I shall endeavour to give the true Character and Description of this Sin of Pride: To show wherein it does consist, and in what sort of Actions it is wont to exercise and betray itself. To represent wherein it does consist, I think it may be sufficient to say, that it is properly an excessive and inordinate Love and Desire of Honour and Esteem. As the Voluptuous Man places his greatest Felicity in the Enjoyment of his sensual Pleasures, and the chief concern and desire of the Covetous Man, is to heap up wealth; So the Proud Man as such is excessively and unsatiably desirous of Honour and Esteem. The virtue of Humility moderates and restrains this desire, and keeps it within due Bounds and Limits; but Pride lets it grow, and only indulges, and seeks to gratify, not to govern it, and lets it exercise itself without control or limit. This may suffice for a general Account of this Sin, but is not enough to discover it to us so thoroughly as it needs to be and we shall best know it by its Fruits: I shall therefore represent how this inordinate Love and Desire of Esteem and Honour does usually exercise, and so discover itself. And I think the guilty Exercises of it may all be reduced under these three Heads, under which I shall particularly mention a great many of them. 1. It does exercise itself in an excessive Opinion and Value of a Mans own self. 2. It does inordinately seek and desire to receive respect and esteem from others. 3. It is defective and negligent in giving to others the Respect and Honour which is due to them. I shall insist a little upon each of these in Order. First, this Sin possesses a Man with an excessive Opinion and Esteem of himself; it makes him give himself too much Honour. This is that part and exercise of it, which the Apostle forbids, Rom. 12.3. in exhorting Men, Not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every Man the measure of his Gifts. A just Esteem of ourselves Humility allows, but it requires, that it be a mean one too, or else it cannot be a just one. We are not bound to overlook the Gifts and Graces of God in us, nor to despise all that he has done for us. And we are allowed to enjoy the Applause and Encouragement of a good Conscience, to believe we have done well, and rejoice in it when we have done so: But this 'vice makes a Man's opinion of himself guilty of these following errors. The proud Man attributes to himself much more Excellency and Worth than he really has. He very much entertains his Thoughts in admiring and magnifying himself, and is especially delighted with such Thoughts. He either conceits himself possessed with those excellent Qualifications, and good Properties, which he has nothing of; or, if he has any small Degrees of such, he accounts them very great and eminent ones. Such Persons are like the wretched Church of Loadicea, which said, she was rich and increased in spiritual Goods, and had need of nothing, when she was indeed wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. The proud Man cannot see his own Faults himself, nor will endure to have them shown him; he is altogether impatient, and disdainful of Reproof; he will never be brought to aclowledge a real disparagement. It shall go hard but he will justify all his Faults, and find out specious Names to put upon them. Covetousness, he will have to be Thrift and Frugality; and when he is truly Prodigal, he will commend himself as only Generous, or Charitable; Falseness and Perfidiousness he accounts Discretion and Wisdom; and when he tells a lie, and deceives his Neighbour, he applauds himself and thinks he has outwitted him. The proud Man either thinks he has no Faults at all, or that they are all very small and pardonable ones; he accounts his grossest Sins but light Infirmities, and common Miscarriages. Another error Pride is guilty of in the Opinion which it gives a Man of himself is, That it makes him excessively and unreasonably prefer himself before others. He is mightily apt to compare himself with others, and always prefers himself to his Equals, or equals himself to those that are much his superiors. If he must aclowledge that another Man excels him in one thing, yet he flatters himself that he excels that Man in somewhat else, and will despise the other Man's excellency in comparison to his own. This Pride the Pharisee mingled with his Devotion, and made it odious to God thereby: God I thank thee( says he) that I am not as other Men are, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican, Luke 18.11. And from this pference of himself, a Man is always very stiff and tenacious of his own Opinions and Practices: He thinks himself fit and capable to dictate, and be a Rule to others, but does utterly disdain to receive direction from any others. Humility is modest and teachable, but Pride conceited, and thinks it has no need to be instructed and learn. It refuses Instruction, tho' never so necessary or useful, because 'tis suggested by another; and will not let a Man follow the best Advice that can be given, because it is not his own Advice. This humour affects to talk much, and is more ready to speak than to hear; and much of that Talk is also of the Man's own self. Very commonly does this excessive Opinion of a Man's self make him affect some Singularity or other. Either he will have some singular Notion and Belief; or he will explain common Points of Belief in some uncommon and peculiar way: he is mightily addicted to invent and take up some new uncommon practise in Religion; is so far from liking a Custom, because 'tis catholic, and has been used by the pious and devout Worshippers of all Ages, that he therefore dislikes it. And if he can, by any device, make himself different from others, he thereupon immediately concludes, that he is wiser and better than they. And tho' 'tis natural and common to Pride, for a Man to be very earnest to impose his Opinions and Practices on others, yet is this consistent with the Affectation of Singularity: For if the proud Man can prevail with any others to comform to him in what he is now, then, that he may still prefer himself, he seeks some new Singularity: And thus he will be always altering and changing, and proceeds as he thinks in Reformation and Improvement; but is truly not at all the better for all his Inventions. Like a Door on the Hinges, he still moves about the Center of his Pride and Vanity, and is ever learning, as he thinks, but never comes to the Knowledge of the Truth. Thus much may suffice for the first part of the Character of this 'vice: And this we may observe is the Spring from whence all the rest of its Exercises flow; they all originally proceed from too great an Opinion of ourselves. We require and exact too much Honour from others, and we give too little to them, and all this because we too much value and honour ourselves. I proceed now to the second part of its Character mentioned, which was this: Pride inordinately seeks, and desires to receive Honour and Respect from others. It cannot be contented with a Man's high Opinion and Valuation of himself, but requires that others should have such an one too; and if he does not meet with this, then he utterly falls out with the World, and exclaims most bitterly against the Age, as having no regard to Men of Worth: A good Name and Repute among Men, and an Esteem in the World, is indeed a thing very desirable: And the wise Man justly prefers it before the Wealth of this World, as more profitable than that, Prov. 22.1. And in Eccles. 7.1. he prefers it before the gratefullest sensual Pleasure. To be well esteemed of in the World, and to be spoken of for good and virtuous Actions, if we are spoken of at all, is what we may value; and indeed is what we ought to take all possible care to deserve: But the proud Man would have this whether he deserves it or not; and valves the respect more than the true Worth that deserves it. And he transgresses in the Desire, and seeking respect and honour to be given to him by others in the following Instances. 1. He desires to receive more Honour and Respect from others than is due to him. As he valves himself above his own Worth, he would have others value him so too. A good Name will not content him, but he must have a great one; he must be esteemed and honoured by many, be cried up by the general Vogue: And it is not enough to him to be well reputed of, and in good Esteem, but the pference of the World must be paid him; he would have more Honour than his Equals, or would be reckoned equal or superior to his superiors, and is never satisfied with the Respect and Honour which is given him: One degree of Advancement does but mount his Wishes to aspire to more: He will still think he deserves more than he has gained. Ambition like Covetousness has a sickly Thirst, which the more it is gratified still craves the more. 2. He seeks the Honour and Respect of others in undue Ways. He is, as was said, more fond of the Respect than the Desert of it, and more earnestly seeks that than the Desert. He would have Men honour him, whether he deserves it or not; because, to be sure he thinks he deserves it. He seeks to be esteemed by others by professing, tho' falsely, the Esteem of them, and flatters others, that he may be flattered himself. He will set himself to justify, and comply with all the Madness and Wickedness of the Multitude, or the Great, according as he seeks to be esteemed by the one or the other. Thus will he do when he seeks to rise by them. But if he has any competitors for the Honour he seeks, he is usually very prodigal of his Detractions or Slanders against them. And as this 'vice always makes a Man envy those that are above him: So if there be any hopes to advance himself upon their ruin, he will endeavour by any means to undermine and overthrow them. He that is greedy of Honour, as well as he that is greedy of Gain, will commonly be guilty of any manner of ill Arts, that are likely to obtain the Dignity and Preferment he covets. He valves the Praise of Men more than the Praise, or Favour of God, John 12.43. and therefore will disown a despised Truth, comply with common errors, or forsake his Duty, as they did whom that Text speaks of, that he may avoid the Contempt and Condemnation of Men. Pride seeks the Respect and Honour of others in Ostentation and Vain-glorious boasting of a Man's own worth; and commonly boasts and affects to make show of more than he has; and this is done either in Words or Actions: It will be endless and extravagant in praising ones self. Can never hear any one else praised, but it will impertinently put in our own Commendation, either to equal or exceed them. The wise Man delivers this Precept of Humility: Let another Man praise thee, and not thine own Mouth; a Stranger, and not thine own Lips, Prov. 27.2. A man may praise himself for the sake of repelling Calumny and false Accusation, that is, he may do this in a just Vindication of himself, by representing his Life and Actions quiter contrary to what Malice and Ignorance represents them to be; this is a just and necessary occasion, but the proud Man praises himself, as without ground and reason sometime, so also without occasion. If he does any thing good, he will take care it shall be known, as the Pharisees, who when they bestowed their Alms, blew a Trumpet for all Men to take notice of it. It is the practise of Ostentation to affect Pomp and Magnificence in all things about us; which is done to show the Riches we have, or to boast of more than we have: This is practised in the Affectation of finery in clothes, richness in the Furniture of our Houses, splendour in Equipage and Attendants, and Cost in Entertainments. And thus is Prodigality exercised to the Service of Pride. 3. The proud Man's Desire of Honour and Esteem from others seeks it for its own sake, and out of Love to the thing itself, not for any good use he designs to make of it. As he does good, if at all, for the Honour of it, so he seeks this for itself. Our Saviour forbids the doing good Works to be seen of Men, and for the sake of their Praise and Esteem, mat. 23.5. 'tis true, he also says, Let your light so shine before Men, that they may see your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven, mat. 5.16. And these two Scriptures are very evidently agreeing one with another. We may do our good Works to be seen for the Glory of God, but not for our own Honour: We need not be ashamed of doing well, nor are bound to study to conceal all our good Works from Men; but as we must not do them for the sake of Praise, so neither may we show them for the sake of that. A man may praise himself, by representing to his Neighbour any good practise of his own, which his Neighbour is not acquainted with, to encourage him thereby against the Difficulties of virtue, or the Temptations he meets with, to excite another by his good Example; and for these reasons he may show the good he does, tho' it were possible to conceal it. We may let others see, that we ourselves do carefully abstain from the things we condemn, and that we diligently practise what we recommend to others, in order to give our Reproofs and Exhortations the more force upon the World: And such a good Example we ought to give for the Glory of God, and the good of our Neighbour. But these are not ends in the proud Man's thoughts. His chief and ultimate End is his own Honour: He cannot say as the Psalmist, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the Praise: If our poor Endeavours may be serviceable to thy Glory, we care not whether our own be advanced by them or not. But this is that Humility requires us to think and say. And then, as his own Honour is that which the proud Man chiefly seeks in what he does, so if he obtains this it is his chiefest Delight; this is that transports and pleases him most, even more than any good Fruit of his Actions. Thus I have also finished the second part of the Character of this 'vice. I proceed to the third, and the last mentioned, which was this; Pride makes a Man neglect and refuse to pay the Honour and Respect which is due to others. It requires much of this, but will give little: It is in this, like Covetousness, that it is greedy of having Honour as that is of Gain, but cares not to part with, or bestow any; and if it does bestow any Honour upon another, 'tis only to increase his own Honour, and that he may receive again with Usury. This part of Pride is exercised, both in our Carriage towards God, and towards Men: This monstrous 'vice makes men negligent and defective in paying the Honour which is due to the great God, as well as that which is due to their Fellow Creatures. To make this part of its Character the more evident, I shall produce some Instances of the Errors of its Carriage in this respect, both towards God, and towards Man. It is first negligent and defective in paying the Honour due to Almighty God, in these following Respects. 1. It destroys, or mightily lessons in us the Reverence and Fear of him: It will not let a Man stand in awe of him as we should do Reverence is a thing directly contrary to Pride; this 'vice is ready to treat the great God at all times, as if he were such a one as ourselves: As it is very full of self-admiring Thoughts, it does not take time to consider enough the Infinite and Glorious Greatness of God, that we might be possessed with Reverence and Admiration of him. And for want of this it thinks and talks boldly of his Nature and his Works, it freely censures his Actions, and calls them to an account at the Bar of weak and human Reason. It will not allow the infinite God to be incomprehensible to our finite Minds, nor that his thoughts are not as our thoughts, or his ways as our ways, but vastly above them. It Cavils at Truths that ought to be adored, and will not receive them tho' they be never so plainly revealed, unless his own shallow Reason could comprehend them: He treats Mysteries in his Thoughts and Discourse as vulgar Mistakes, and the great God as a common Being. Want of Reverence to God makes this 'vice despise all that is Sacred, and treat Persons, Times, or Things that belong to him, but as common ones: It comes to the worship of God carelessly and unprepared; and behaves itself there after a common irreverent manner. From this 'vice it is, that Men so familiarly mention the Name of God in their common Discourse, and do so frequently swear by him. Tho' every Man that is guilty of Pride does not commonly swear, yet is every common Swearer excessively proud: He seeks to honour himself at the cost of God's Honour by his Oaths, when he calls God to avouch every thing that he tho' never so carelessly utters. This is a pretence to be as true, and as infallible in all he says, as God is, and makes the Holy Glorious God as it were a Partner and Abettor to all the Falshoods and Follies of our Discourse. If a Man swears only in his Passion, this does not alter the Case but for the worse, in that he appeals to him to justify what he says and does, when he speaks and acts most rashly, and perhaps hardly knows himself what he says and does. All this is rude and familiar and irreverent Behaviour towards God. 2. This 'vice neglects or refuses to pay a due Thankfulness to God for the Benefits received from him. Pride will not suffer a Man to aclowledge he has received the good things which he has from God: He ascribes what he has acquired to his own Wit, or Industry; admires himself for what he is proud of as due to himself: So the haughty nabuchadnezzar applauded himself for his Greatness, Is not this great Babylon( says he) that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my Power, and for the Honour of my Majesty? Dan. 4.30. If he does own that he has received any thing from God, he thinks 'tis due to his great Merit and Deserts; and in both these Cases is defective in Thankfulness to Almighty God. If he has any measure of any good Qualifications he forgets that these are the Gifts of God; he valves himself highly for them, and thinks that God should value him highly too; he reckons he ought to be the Darling of Providence, and that all things shoul'd be ordered to svit his Interest or Humour. The better he thinks himself, the greater are his Expectations still from God: And he does not consider his Gifts and Abilities as Obligations upon himself; he forgets that the more he has of these, the more he is in debt to the Giver of them, and that, not God owes the more to him, but, he owes so much the more to God. Again, if he does any good or commendable Actions, he forgets that he does but his Duty, that he has but in some part discharged his Debts and Obligations to God; that he has reason to be thankful to him, for giving him the Honour of such Service, for the Will to endeavour, the Power to perform, and the lucky Season and Opportunity that gave Beauty to his Actions. A humble Man will aclowledge the Providence of God in all the good and laudable Service he does, but the proud Man leaves God out of his thoughts to applaud and admire himself. 3. Pride in our Carriage towards God refuses that Submission and Resignation to his Laws, and the Dispensations of his Providence, which we ought to pay. It is as loathe to submit our Wills to what he has commanded us to do, as our Understandings to what he has revealed of himself, and requires us to believe. This puts Men upon cavilling against their Duty too, and makes them dispute when they should obey, and hard to be convinced, because they are unwilling to submit. The proud Man if he does obey the Commands of God, does it not from a Principle of Obedience and Submission, but that he may gain the Honour of being religious and good: And in the practise of Religion he chooses and valves chiefly those Duties which are most plausible and most honoured among Men. Very often shall Pride make a Man neglect the Duties of his own proper Sphere and Calling, to be busy in those which he thinks more honourable and of greater repute among Men: And so in truth he does his own Will, not the Will of God; in choosing his Work and Employment he does not do his Duty, nor does he serve God so much as his own Pride. And further; if any sort of Duty be despised and cried down by the World, that he will keep himself far from; and will not be brought to hazard his own Esteem in the World, or to abase and humble himself, either for the Glory of God, or the good of his Neighbour. Further, the Pride of Man makes him also impatient under the Divine Chastisements and Afflictions; as he has high Conceits of his own Merits, he can hardly ever think them fully answered: And thinks so well of himself, that he is ready to quarrel and murmur against the Providence of God, if he be not humoured and gratified in all things. As he can see none of his Faults, he can never think he deserves his Afflictions. He accounts himself too good to meet with such Afflictions as are common to Men, and thinks he he should be exempted from the common lot, who is so much better than others. His course under Affliction is rather to expostulate with God than to examine himself; and he will rather condemn God as dealing hardly with him, than himself as having deserved what he suffers. And thus is Pride defective in paying the Honours due to God. In the last place I am to represent it in its Carriage towards Men, and show how it discovers itself in the matter of giving Honour and Esteem to them. In this also it is mightily defective, and must needs be so. He that valves and honours himself too much, will be apt perhaps to set himself above his superiors, to be sure he will lift himself above his Equals, and account there is more distance than really there is between him and his inferiors. But to speak of this in some method too, we may say the proud Man transgresses in the matter of giving Respect in these following Instances. 1. He is always unwilling that another Man should receive his due Praise, and that acknowledgement of Worth which belongs to him. He never cares to give this, and when he hears any Man praised he is silent; or if he joins in his Commendation 'tis very coldly; or if he Praises another for any thing, 'tis because he thinks the same Excellency is much greater in himself, and he shall thereby procure the greater Praise and Esteem to himself: If he Praises another, he will mingle with his Praise some spiteful Detraction and Disparagement if he can possibly do it: And sometimes he doth treacherously make show of a willingness to Praise a Man, that he may be thought the more sincere in what he says, and may the more fatally and effectually slander and disparaged him. Pride is mightily delighted in Slander, and Detraction, is pleased with whatever lessons his Neighbour, it rejoices to see what may do so; it Enviously and Maliciously pries into his Actions, and puts the worst Interpretations upon them that they can bear, that he may have a pretence to disparaged him. It earnestly hearkens and seeks after ill Reports, and easily receives them: And whatever ill the proud Man knows of his Neighbour, all the World shall know too: These things are especially done against those that stand in any Competition with him. 2. Pride is commonly unruly, and disobedient to those who have Authority over us. The proud Man loves to have his own Will, affects much to be without control, and is commonly very unruly and unquiet in every inferior Relation. This 'vice is the common Cause of Schisms in the Church, of Factions and Seditions in the State, and of Confusion and Unquietness in Families. Pride makes inferiors dispute and contend when they should obey, and cavil at Laws and Commands of their superiors that they may find out Pretences not to obey them. It is Pride that makes Liberty so darling a thing with Mankind, and which cries up that as the most valuable and precious Possession: Whereas a just Humility would teach them that Government is the greater Blessing of the two, and that from which much more Happiness and Advantage may be expected: according to what the unerring Wisdom of Holy Scripture says of it, that 'tis an Ordinance of God for good. Rom. 13.4. The proud Man had rather rule than be ruled, and therefore never likes the Constitution and Government till he can advance himself into Authority. He would not have all the Authority lodged in the Hands of one, only for this Reason, that being divided among many he may catch a share of it. And if he can accomplish that, then he will never think the Governing part has too much Power: But he who before was unruly and knew not how to obey, will now be the most unreasonable and tyrannous when he Rules; he will think fit to lay Burdens on others, which shall be abundantly heavier than those which he would not bear himself. Pride does not love to be inferior or Obey, but strives first to share in Government: And when that is gained 'tis not yet contented, but strives next to govern alone. And thus ●it comes to pass, that Factions can agree to Act against what is uppermost, till they have thrown that down; and then they fall out with one another, and contend still for Superiority amongst themselves. 3. This 'vice is exercised in the Disdain and Contempt of inferiors. It makes a Man apt to despise others, and to give them mean and vilifying Names when we despise them. To advance himself by the Vote of the Multitude, a proud Man will Cringe to the meanest of them, and counterfeit Humility while he hates it, and seem to respect them in his Carriage, while in his heart he disdains them. This 'vice disdains to do Offices of Kindness to those that are inferior: Or needs a great deal of Importunity, waiting, and humble Address to be moved to it. And if it does a small Kindness it expects a vast return; is apt to upbraid the obliged Person with what has been done for him; requires abundance of acknowledgement, and thinks to have him entirely at our own disposal. He shall be accounted ungrateful and disingenuous, if he ever regards any thing, even to the keeping of a good Conscience, before the Will of his Patron and benefactor. It is now time to conclude this part of the Discourse: I have so largely and particularly represented this 'vice, that Men might the better know when they are Guilty of it; and there is the more need so to do, because 'tis the peculiar Property of this 'vice, that the more a Man has of it, the less he perceives or knows himself to have. It will not let a Man see or aclowledge any thing that shall imply a Disparagement: And Pride is as commonly accounted a Disparagement, and disowned, as it is commonly entertained and practised. To discover therefore, and convince a Man that he is proud, is to give him somewhat to humble him: This is all that can be done towards the cure of this Sin, till an opportunity shall-serve to insist upon those Arguments which are useful to that Purpose. Let us consider what has been said at present, and examine ourselves by that the while; and God Grant we may have a right understanding in all things conducing to our Salvation. Now to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end. Amen. THE PRAYER. MOst Great and Glorious God! Thou inhabitest Eternity; and art clothed with Light as with a Garment. In Righteousness and Goodness, in Wisdom and Power hast Thou made the World, therefore are all Thy Works perfect, and they all praise Thee. Thou didst make Man upright, an excellent and noble Being; but alas, we have depraved, debased, and corrupted ourselves with our own Inventions; we are become exceeding vile by our sins, more vile than the Beasts that perish. We have all that we have and are from Thy free Gift, and ought to have lived to Thy Glory; and to do thus had been our Honour; but we have lived to ourselves, we have served divers Lusts, and so have made ourselves Slaves to abject Devils, to whom we have given up ourselves to be lead captive by them at their Will; and thus we have to the basest and lowest Degree vilified ourselves. O Lord, we lament the Dignity and Honour we are fallen from; we abhor the Ingratitude and Rebellion of our sins against Thee; we abase, we humble ourselves before Thee: Lord, have Mercy upon us miserable Sinners. Give us an unfeigned Repentance, and an humble Sense of our Vileness. Make us duly solicitous to recover the Dignity and Honour of our Nature, to recover Thy Image in Righteousness and true Holiness; and grant us we beseech Thee, the Favour to obtain it. O Lord, forgive us our past Sins, and cleanse us from all Unrighteousness. Make us always to walk humbly with Thee our God; to reverence and honour Thee, to obey Thy Laws with all readiness, and contentedly to submit to Thy dispensations. Make us to ask all things of Thee, with the Modesty and Submission which becomes them who have deserved to receive no good thing. Give us a mean Opinion of ourselves, let us know that we have nothing but what we have received, and that withal, that we are as nothing in respect of Thee. Teach us to give to all Men their due Honour. Let us not envy our Neighbour his just Praise, nor endeavour to deprive him of it by Slander or Detraction. From Pride, Vain-glory and hypocrisy, good Lord deliver us: from whatever is displeasing unto Thee, and would make us odious in Thy sight. We presume not, O Lord, to ask these or any other good things of Thee, relying on any Worth or Merit of our own; we are utterly ashamed to think, how imperfect and defiled our best Works are; and we have all our Trust and Confidence in the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. He alone is righteous, He only is worthy to find Favour with Thee. In his Name we implore Thy Mercy for ourselves, and for all Mankind. Pardon, O Lord, and cure the Wickedness of the World; compassionate, and mercifully remove the Miseries of it. Let all the People obey and praise Thee, O God, and do Thou abundantly bless them with Temporal and Spiritual Blessings. Grant Thy Church to flourish in all true Piety and virtue: Let them that name the Name of Christ depart from all Iniquity: And have their Conversations, such as become the Gospel: Prosper those that seek the Peace of Thy Church, and let Thy Enemies be scattered; let them that hate Thee flee before Thee. Lord, be merciful to the Land of our Nativity; root out from among us all Pride, Malice, Disobedience, and Schism, and whatsoever is contrary to true Godliness, and our common Peace and Welfare. Continue long to us the good, just, and wise Government Thou hast set over us; bless the Designs and Undertakings of our Rulers for the promoting Thy Glory, and our Welfare with great Success. And we pray for their personal Welfare and Prosperity, while they seek ours. Bless and continue the Royal Family, and grant that it may never want a fit Person to be the Center of our Union, the Bond of our Peace, and the Instrument of our Happiness. We recommend to Thy Mercies all our Relations; instruct those that are ignorant, reduce those that are wandering, into the right way of Truth, and Peace, and Righteousness; supply we pray Thee those that want, and do for them all beyond what we can ask or think. We give Thee most humble and hearty Thanks for all Thy Favour and Kindness to us; particularly, for thy Care of our immortal Souls, for the Means of Salvation which we have this Day enjoyed; grant us we beseech Thee everlasting Benefit from them. We commit ourselves to Thy Care and Protection for this Night, and for the Remainder of our Lives, keep us, O Lord, by Thy Mighty Power through Faith unto Salvation, for the Sake of Jesus Christ. Our Father, &c. THE REMEDIES OF Pride proposed. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 John 2.16. For all that is in the World, the lust of the Flesh, the lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. IN these words the Apostle, by direction of the Holy Spirit, justly divides the Lovers of this World into three Sorts: They inordinately love and follow either sensual Pleasures, or worldly Wealth, or Honour and Esteem: These he also condemns in saying, That such Dispositions are not of the Father, but are of the World; they proceed from the Corruption and Depravation of human Nature. That they do so, will evidently appear, if we fairly and impartially consider them; for then we shall soon see how absurd and unreasonable these Vices are in their true Characters, and proper Actings: And we may not doubt to conclude, that what is contrary to right Reason, if yet it proceeds from ourselves, must needs proceed from a Depravation and Corruption of our Nature. These things then we ought to avoid as the Defects, the Diseases, and Disparagements of our Nature; and we should suffer ourselves to be cured of them by the wise Rules and important Arguments against them, which our Religion affords us. That which I am at present to Discourse upon, is the last of the Three. The inordinate Love and Pursuit of Honour and Esteem, which the Apostle calls the Pride of Life. And having already represented the Character of this Sin, that which remains of the Discourse, is to propose such Arguments and Considerations, as are fit to remedy and cure it. Indeed, Men do commonly condemn this Sin, it is odious to every one, yet it is not a needless task to urge Arguments against it; Because, tho' they commonly condemn, yet they commonly practise it too; and the reason of this is, because 'tis out of Pride, that Men condemn Pride, even the proud Man hates to see another proud. Men condemn it in others, but entertain and practise it in themselves. I shall repeat the sum of what has been said, in giving the Character of this 'vice, because it will direct and help us in the Application of the Arguments that shall be urged against it: And you may remember it has been said, Pride consists in an inordinate Love and Desire of Honour and Esteem: And it exercises and discovers itself chiefly in these three things: 1. In an excessive Valuation and Esteem of our own selves. 2. In exacting and requiring to receive Honour and Esteem from others unduly. 3. In neglecting and refusing to give that Respect and Honour to others, which is due to them: And this Exercise of it regards both God and Man; for this 'vice denies to both that Honour and Respect which we ought to pay. Now to put the Arguments against this 'vice into some Method, and to urge them with the more Advantage, I shall first propose such Considerations as do especially serve to make us humble in our Behaviour towards God. Secondly, I shall insist upon those which are especially proper to check and cure the Exercises of Pride towards Men. Thirdly, I shall insist upon a general Argument, which will be applicable against the Exercises of this 'vice, both in a high Opinion of ourselves, and also in our Behaviour towards God and Man; and shall particularly apply and urge it against each of them. In the first place, let us see what Consierations may be proposed to prevent all Pride in our Behaviour towards God: And to that purpose these things will be of use, if they be well considered. 1. We should seriously meditate and consider the wonderful and glorious Greatness of God compared with our Littleness or Meanness. It is the common error of Pride, that it never cares to consider any thing, that is above a Man; but loves to be looking rather on what is, or is thought to be below him. To consider, then, the infinite and glorious Greatness of God, will be a very proper Means to check and abate it. When we deliberately view his amazing Glories, they cannot choose but dazzle and confounded us, so as we must needs look upon ourselves with shane and Contempt; so as that we cannot possibly fancy there is any thing great or considerable in ourselves: And this too will dispose us to reverence the Great God as we ought to do. Let us consider then, that God is from Everlasting to Everlasting; His Duration is without Beginning or End. In a boundless Eternity has he ever enjoyed himself sufficient to himself and his own Happiness: And he continues always without variableness or shadow of Change. But on the other side, we must own ourselves to be of a very late Original: which is elegantly and very fitly expressed by Job, when he says, We are but of Yesterday, Job 8.9. And our Duration is transitory, our Being is mutable, as he also confesses in saying there, Our days on Earth are a shadow: What proportion is there between Eternity, and all the time that this World has lasted: This Earth has endured, and this Sun has shone almost six Thousand years, but this is nothing to the Duration of the Eternal God, who had his Being Eternally, before the Mountains were brought forth, or ever the Earth and the World were formed: Well may we say then of our short Duration, Our Age is as nothing in respect of him, as the Psalmist humbly confesses, Psal. 39.5. Let us consider, the Great God an Infinite Being, that in Him all fullness of Excellency and Perfection dwells. All that which is divided among the Creatures is united in him; and he has infinitely more than all they together. We indeed, do in the whole excel perhaps the other Creatures of this visible World, but yet in some particulars many of them excel us: Our Worth and Excellency, we plainly see, is confined within very narrow Limits, but his has no Limits at all. We find ourselves confined to a particular Place and Sphere; when we are here, we cannot be in another Place; and tho' we may have some kind of influence where we are not present, yet our Sphere of Activity, and the reach of our Influence is very narrow and small: Not fit to be compared, certainly, with the Divine Immensity; with Him who fills Heaven and Earth, whose Influence upholds and works in all things, and whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain. What is any Man's Dignity and Authority compared with that of the Great God, who is Sovereign of all things, Lord of Heaven and Earth! whom innumerable Hosts of mighty Angels obey: At whose direction the Stars keep their Courses, the Winds blow, the Clouds drop their Showers, and the Sea lifts up or depresses its boisterous Waves. He has the hearts of all Men in his Hand, and turns them which way soever he pleases; he disposes and bends their stubborn Wills and Inclinations, and over-rules all their Actions as He will; He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and reigns over all the Nations of the Earth, and disposes of Thrones and Kingdoms at his Pleasure. What Wealth can be compared to his who is Universal Proprietour, and Owner of all things! who says of himself, The World is mine, and the fullness thereof. What is our Wisdom and Knowledge, but more Ignorance and Folly, if compared with his: He knows all things, we know nothing, as Job says, Job 8.9. And how often do we find our Wisdom at a loss, and committing fatal errors, fooled and frustrated by his Infinite Wisdom; but his can never be overcome, and is never mistaken. How great is his Power which made all things of nothing! which moves the vast Lights in the Heavens! and probably the heavy Earth we dwell upon! which upholds all things, and governs the Actions of all Creatures, to the producing such Events at all times as he pleases! It were to undertake an endless Task, to attempt a full Representation of the Excellency of an Infinite Being. Here is room for the Eternal Exercise of our Meditations; and we should often seriously meditate on the Incomprehensible and Unmeasurable Greatness of God, to make us behave ourselves with all Humility towards him. 2. To this purpose also we may consider, that we have all that we are, and that we have from him. We are, in all that is natural to us, and in all that we have acquired and gotten, derived from Him. Our Excellency then is all borrowed, and we are beholden to him for it: should we then lift up ourselves against him, upon the Account of any thing we have, when we have it from him? Can we think it due that he should mightily value us for what we are, when he gave it us all? Can we oblige him, or merit any thing from him, who act with the Powers and Accomplishments which he has given us? If we have received all that we have from God, we must use all as he pleases to direct, and must be accountable to him how we use it all. Certainly, nothing we have can render us above his disposal. How little account should we make of ourselves, who can justly ascribe to ourselves nothing that we have? Who appear to derive all from another Being, in that we cannot get what we would, nor keep what we have at our own Pleasure? Especially then is it unreasonable that we should set up ourselves against him on whom we depend. Shall the day say to him that fashioneth it, what makest thou, says the Prophet Isa. 45.9. Intimating the unfitness of all our Contention, and Expostulation with our Maker. 3. We ought to consider further, that we are all Sinners in the sight of God. If we will duly consider the import and meaning of this, it must needs humble and abase us before him. As sinners we have no good but what we are unworthy of, we have nothing but what we have abused, and so have forfeited. We have, then, no right to any good, we cannot claim as due to us, that God should maintain and continue to us any thing we have, or bestow ought that we desire. We are never wronged in any Affliction, we suffer less evil than we have deserved while we live, while we are chastened and not destroyed. We can have no ground then to murmur against God, for any of his Dispensations. We should consider that to be sinners, is to be under the vilest Disparagement that can befall us; is to be among the worst of Beings, to be Rebells against the common Sovereign of the World, to be ungrateful to our greatest benefactor; It speaks us unjust, and unlike to God in the worst manner that can be. This defiles and disparages all that we would be proud of, and value ourselves for: And may justly cover us with shane and Confusion, when ever we think on the Great, the Pure, and the Holy God. Let us consider, that to be sinners is to be vile, but to be proud together with this, is to be more vile, and will sink us to the lowest Degree of Baseness. He then that most valves himself under such a Disparagement as this, has of all Men the least reason to value himself. Thus we may see, surely, that we have no reason to be proud, and exalt ourselves against Almighty God. But when we are convinced of this still we are apt to think there is some ground for Pride towards Men: And if we must aclowledge we have no worth in respect of him, yet we will think we have a great deal in comparison to most Men; and tho' we cannot pretend to much Merit from him, yet we think in many Cases we deserve much from them. Now to take down this part of our Pride too, we may consider these following things. 1. The common and mean Original of us all. That we have all one, and that one but a very contemptible Beginning. The Apostle truly says, God hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men for to dwell on all the Face of the Earth, Acts 17.26. Let us remember that the creator formed the first of us from the Dust of the Ground. If the Great God may be called our common Father, yet may the Earth be reckoned as it were the Mother of us all. Let the Rich, the Beautiful, the Wise, the Noble consider they were formed from the poor, ignorant, homely and contemptible Dust, as well as others. We are all nearly related to the Earth we tread upon. And as we were raised from thence, we do depend upon it still for our Food and Sustenance: As Children we hang all of us upon the Breasts of our common Mother, and the King himself( says the Wise-man) is served from the Field, Eccles. 5.9. According to our mean Original, we have a very mean and poor dependence; We are beholden to the Earth for our Food, and dig from thence our brightest Ornaments; we have many mean Necessities which sand us a begging to poor and contemptible things for our comfort and support; and then sure we have no ground to account ourselves very great. But let us consider further, the common Parents whom we all spring from, and it cannot choose but abase us. We are all the Off-spring of that wretched Pair, who suffered themselves to be easily cheated out of all their Happiness; who drew upon themselves and all their Posterity the just Wrath of Almighty God, for the sake of a momentary and needless Gratification: who wanted no happiness, and yet foolishly desired more than they had; and to gain more than they had need of, lost all they had. We are all of us the polluted miserable Off-spring of such Parents; and derive from them Pollution and a Curse: We are Children of Wrath by Nature, and born to Woe and Sorrow: To live a few complaining Days on Earth, and then be dissolved into Original Dust. These things may justly humble us. But Pride will be apt to say, tho' in these things all Men are equal, yet in others they may differ: And we all indeed sprung from the Earth, but tho' that bears all Trees alike, yet they mightily differ from one another, and some are tall and stately Cedars, some but very sorry Shrubs: and some are but a sort of unprofitable Burdens to the Earth, but others bear much Fruit. Let us consider, then, the differences which Men attain from one another: And if these are rightly understood, we shall still see there is no reason for Pride, or a great pference of ourselves upon any Account above our Neighbours. 2. Against this then we should consider in the next place, that some of the things wherein Men differ from one another, are such as add no real or personal Worth to him that possesses them: And then if one Man has never so much more than another of such things, he may not be at all advanced above the other in real Excellency and Worth; and notwithstanding this, he that has least of such things, may be by far the Worthier Person. The things of this sort are these two, Authority and Riches: Both these are external things to the Man that has them: They are not resident in our Nature, but like our clothes, may be put on or off. A man has little reason, then, to prefer himself above his Neighbour for these alone. Authority to govern and rule, or to instruct and bless, are aweful, sacred and venerable things, because they are God's Ordinances, and represent him in the World: Yet these add no inward personal Worth to him that possesses either of them. The Prophet therefore says of one of them, that God in disposing the Authorities of the World, does sometimes give them to the basest of Men. And in such a Case, tho' his Authority itself deserves Reverence and Honour, yet his Person may deserve none: And as the personal Faults of either King or Priest, do not really lessen the true Worth of their Authority, so neither will their Authority give worth to their personal Faults; but he who wants the Authority, and has the Wisdom, Piety and virtue which they may want, is the better and the worthier Man: This Solomon expressly says, Eccles. 4.13. Better is a poor and a wise Child, than an old and foolish King who will no more be admonished. Wealth is another thing wherein one Man may exceed another, and yet( as we may say) without excelling him. A man may be vastly rich, and make a great show with his Wealth; he may cloath himself very fine, have a stately House, a large Retinue, and splendid Equipage: but in the midst of all this, he may have a vain giddy Mind too, uncapable of any consistent Thoughts, and empty of all worthy Accomplishments, and he may be good for nothing. Perhaps he is enslaved to 'vice, and is mischievous to others, or to himself thereby. And what reason then has a Man to prefer himself before his Neighbours for his Wealth alone? The virtuous and good Man shall be more useful and profitable to the World, more acceptable with God, more happy in the Government of himself than He. Piety, Wisdom and virtue are the greatest Excellencies of human Nature; and then he is most excellent among Men, that has most of them, whatever his outward Condition is; therefore the Psalmist calls the Righteous the excellent of the Earth, and Solomon says, the Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour, Prov. 12.26. It was therefore well said by another Wise-man( Ecclus. 10.22.) whether Rich, Noble or Poor, their Glory is the Fear of the Lord. And if the Vanity of Riches be considered, and the little Use they are of to us in many important Necessities, it will appear a Man has little reason to be proud of them, and that it is very just Advice which the Prophet gives concerning them, Jer. 9.23. Let not the rich Man glory in his Riches. It is personal and inward Worth which is most valuable; but yet in this we can have no good reason to be proud neither, or highly to value ourselves above our Neighbours, because of what may be added, in the third place against such Pride, and that is, 3. That in the things which do give us personal and inward Worth, there are no very great Differences among Men: We cannot in these things vastly differ from one another, as we shall be forced to confess upon an impartial Consideration of the Particulars. The things that speak a personal and real Worth in him that possesses them, are either the Goods of the Body, or the Goods of the Mind. The Goods of the Body are Beauty and Strength; let us consider the differences amongst us in these, and we shall find they cannot be great. The greatest Beauty any one has needs the Sun to shine upon it, and is but a dark thing unless the Light gives it Lustre. The best Shape and Proportion needs some Art and Endeavour to make the best of it. And as there is not perhaps a perfect Beauty to be found, which has no defect, so it may be there is none so deformed, but has or may have something handsome: obstinate Endeavour and Care may acquire a graceful Motion, which is a very powerful Part of Beauty; and all may put on Modesty, which has Charms wherever it is. As for Strength, the greatest any of us have is but little, and then there can be no great difference in this between us. How much more than we have some Beasts, who can run with that Load which would crush one of us to Death? If mere Bodily strength, then, could make a great difference, the stronger Beast should be the more excellent Creature. Besides, how easily, how soon is the greatest Strength overthrown! A Days sickness makes the strong Man a Burden to himself, and reduces him to such Weakness, that even a Child can afflict him. Or suppose a Fly or an Hair in his Throat, a few drops of Drink gone the wrong way, or a thin Breath of Infectious Air sucked in at his Nostrils; and what then will his greatest Strength avail him? with so weak and contemptible an Instrument can Death overcome the strongest of us. It was very reasonable and just advice therefore, that of the Prophet, Let not the strong Man Glory in his strength, Jer. 9.23. The Goods of the Mind which also speak an inward and personal Worth, are either Ingehuity and Wit; or Wisdom and Learning; or Piety and virtue: But neither in these can there be any great Differences among Men. There are some Differences of Ingenuity and Wit, or natural Abilities and Capacity of the Mind in Men. Some have the Eye of the Mind clearer than others; but the clearest Eye of the Mind as well as of the Body, and the sharpest sight of both is most tender too, and most easily dazzled with a very light and bright Object; and we see none more confounded in their thoughts, than those that have the clearest Understandings many times are; when they will venture to be familiar with the Divine Imcomprehensible Glory. Often do we see an Accident rouse the dullest Wit to an instande of great Sagacity, so as to equal even the most ingenuous Person, and often is the Wit foiled even by the Fool. Some have their thoughts nimbler, and some stronger than others: And they who have them very nimble and ready, have them usually subject to this disadvantage, that they are unconstant and unsteady too, not patient or capable of much Labour or Care: And those who have their thoughts strongest and most steady and capable of Diligence have them also flowest, and most unready, and needing frequent exciting and rousing. And these defects in every sort of Wit, keep Men usually much about a common level, and near an equality with one another; so that there are but very few if any, perhaps one or two in an Age, and in some Ages none that can rise to any great or considerable degree of Wit and Abilities of Mind beyond others. In Wisdom and Learning, those that have most cannot far exceed others. As for our greatest Wisdom how little, how short-sighted is it! How often has it occasion to say, alas, this I did not foresee! How often is it puzzled and knows not what direction 'tis best to give us! How liable to err and mistake is the best of it! When there have never been greater Follies committed by Men, than those that have been committed by the wisest of Men! And 'tis the common Disparagement of our Wisdom, that we must be taught it by costly Experience: We usually smart for our Follies before we will be wise, and then sure have we little Reason to be proud of our Wisdom. As for our Learning, alas, how short and limited is that too! With much Toil and Labour we can gain but little Knowledge; it is indeed a very precious thing, but we have not the Wit to value it till many years are over our Heads, and we have squandered away a great part of our time. And when we have got the most of it we can, yet is the vast extensive object of Knowledge still stretched out far beyond our reach, and there is much more to be known than we do know. Our knowledge too like our sight, commonly confines itself on the outsides of things, and does not pierce or enter into the Nature and Substance of them. The unstudied Person, bread to Labour, and not at leisure for Learning, may yet know enough to led him to the everlasting Happiness: And what knowledge besides this can the most learned Man be acquainted with, that will be of any great value or use to him. Everlasting Happiness is the one thing necessary, the only truly important Concern of Mankind, and he that knows how to gain that knows enough: Lastly, in Piety and virtue too; How defective are the best of us. To be sure the best will think themselves very much so. If we would deliberately compare ourselves to the Rule, we should all see great Defects in ourselves. We perhaps compare ourselves with those who notoriously neglect all Religion; or we put spiteful and envious Interpretations upon the Actions of our Neighbours, and call their good evil; and by a partial Fondness for ourselves we call our own evil Good: And thus we make a shift to account ourselves better than they. But if we are fairly compared to the extensive and holy Rule, the Law of God, it will appear that in many things we all offend, and fall far short of what we ought to be: So that none have any reason to be conceited of their Godliness, or to despise their Neighbour as less Holy than themselves. Certainly he that grows proud of either Wisdom or Goodness loses both: As the Pride of them increases they decay, and he that has most Pride has least to be proud of. Our Saviour teaches us that the Publican, who had no good Actions or virtues to boast of, and therefore humbly confessed his Vileness and said, Lord have mercy upon me a Sinner, was justified in the sight of God before the haughty Pharisee, who had been punctually just to God and Man, and chased, Abstemious and Sober in his Pleasures and Enjoyments; but boasted and was proud of these things, and valued himself highly, and disdained the Publican for want of them. Thus I have finished the Second sort of Arguments against Pride which I proposed to insist upon. I shall now add another Argument which will be very sensible to that Self-Love, from whence our Pride arises. The general Argument is that which the wise Man urges for the Cure of this 'vice, when he says, Before Honour is Humility, Prov. 16.15.33. And a haughty Spirit before a fall, Prov. 18. Designing to teach us, that Humility is the surest way to obtain Honour and Esteem; and Pride certainly in its own Nature, tends to Disgrace and shane. It is the Nature of all 'vice, and therefore also of Pride to fight even against itself, and to lose and spoil the thing it is most desirous of; so the Voluptuous Man makes a very Drudgery, and even a Weariness of his Pleasures; the Covetous Man has no use of his Riches; and the Proud Man so pursues Honour and Esteem, as rather to drive it still from him than to overtake it. Now this general Argument is applicable against the Exercises of this 'vice, both in our high Conceits of ourselves, and in our Carriage towards God and towards Men: And I shall so apply and use it in the following particulars or branches of it, which will show that Humility sets us in the best way, both to deserve and receive Honour and Esteem from ourselves from God and from Men. 1. An humble and modest Opinion of ourselves is of great advantage and use towards the increasing and promoting our inward real Worth; but Pride is disadvantageous to this: In a mean Opinion of ourselves, we are in the likeliest way to be worthy of a good one: And the less Honour we give ourselves, 'tis likely the more we shall deserve. The humble Man has but a small opinion of the Degrees of his virtue and Improvement, and therefore does, as the Apostle speaks, forget those things which are behind, or already attained, and presses forward to what he still wants, and will be constantly and diligently endeavouring to increase; and this course is blessed with increase of virtue. But the proud Man being mightily conceited of what he has already attained, does not concern himself to Improve, and perhaps he so neglects himself as to decline and fall from what he had attained. Humility lets a Man see his Errors and Defects himself, or renders him capable of having them shown to him by another, and so is he disposed to amend these: But Pride conceals such things from a Man's self, and will not endure the Instruction, and despises the reproof of others; so it hardens a Man in his Faults and Disparagements, and makes him retain, and it may be increase in them. 2. An humble and modest Opinion of ourselves and Behaviour towards Men tends to increase our Favour and Esteem with them; but Pride opposes and destroys it. A modest Opinion of ourselves is very useful and serviceable towards a good and laudable Performance of what we undertake: For this will make a Man sit down and consider, First, whether he is sufficient to accomplish, and so gives him a just Estimate of his Ability, and hinders him from undertaking what is beyond his Power; but Pride is rash and forward, and from too great a Conceit of Ability makes a Man undertake what he is not able to perform, and so exposes him to shane for his Folly. Again, in the prosecuting a design, Humility makes a Man careful, and diligent; because he has but a mean Opinion of his Abilities, he reckons to make up the defects of them with circumspectly Care, and obstinate Labour and Diligence; so he makes the best of his Ability by his industrious Application, and so he performs the better: But on the contrary a proud Man being highly conceited of his Ability takes less Care, is slight in his Endeavour and Application to what he does, and so he performs but meanly, and comes off with disgrace. The proud Man carries himself boldly and confidently in his Business, and this imposes upon the weak and ignorant while, and they it may be think he performs well. But such a confident Behaviour is like a lying tongue, which Solomon says, is but for a moment; it makes a great blaze, but a short one: The most Judicious see emptiness and little worth through it at first, and the multitude will see it after a little time. But that Modesty which more endeavours to have worth than to make show of it, and to perform well more than to be thought to do so, shall give a Man in time the best and most lasting Reputation. Further 'tis evident, that an humble Behaviour towards Men, does altogether tend to procure their Respect and Esteem. He that always appears ready to give Respect to all, obliges them to give him Respect: Honour is so dear a thing to us, that nothing can oblige us more than to give us that. And humility will condescend, will oblige and pay due Respects, and had rather pay more than less than is due; and these are very charming Properties in the Eyes of Men. But Pride on the other side, is full of Disdain and Contempt, and so provokes Disdain. It requires a great deal of Respect, but cares not to give any; and while it gives Honour and Esteem to none but a Man's own self, it shall find that none will Honour or Esteem him but himself. 3. To have an humble Opinion of ourselves, and walk humbly with God, tends to advance us in Favour and Esteem with him; but Pride on the contrary provokes and procures his great Displeasure and Contempt. These things are so often both of them represented in Holy Scripture, that if we consult it but a little we cannot miss of seeing them there. We are told a proud Look is among the things abominable to God, Prov. 6.17. That an high Look and a proud Heart is sin, that is, odious and displeasing to God, Prov. 21.4. And he discovers himself as well pleased with Humility in the many gracious Promises he has made to it. We may conclude very easily from the Nature of these, that the one must extremely please, and the other offend him. We must expect then what is said, 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour him he will honour, but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed; this was made good by his Providence upon the House of Eli, even at, and from the very time when it was said, as we may see by the History, we must expect as our Saviour says, That whosoever exalts himself shall be abased, but he that humbles himself shall be exalted. mat. 23.12. In that threatening against Pride, says a devout Author ( lord. de Ponte) are Three grievous Punishments included: First, the proud Man shall not receive the Honour and Esteem of his worth which he desires. 2. He shall lose that worth which he valued himself for. 3. He shall fall into Contempt and Disgrace. But the humble Man shall continue and increase in the worth he has, and receive the Honour due to it. Saint James says, God resists the Proud, but gives Grace to the humble, James 4.6. If we are sensible of our Defects, he will Pardon and heal them: As the Apostle says, If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: But the proud Man that covers his Sins, that will not humbly own his Defects retains them, and the Guilt of them. Therefore 'tis said, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses, and forsakes them shall find Mercy. Thus we may see that to exercise Humility is the truest and surest way to obtain Honour from God and Man. If we seek Honour and Esteem justly and regularly, we shall obtain it: Religion crosses none of our natural Desires, but rather helps to obtain the just and due Gratifications of them. But if we seek this inordinately in the Exercises of Pride we shall miss of it. So true it is what the wise Man says, Prov. 11.2. When Pride cometh then cometh shane, but with the Lowly is Wisdom. Pride seeks Honour and Esteem, and seeks so as to miss of it; Humility by a just Temper, between seeking and declining it governs a Man so as to gain it; and this is the Wisdom of the one, and the Folly of the other. God grant we may all be so Wise, as to approve ourselves to him, and to gain at last the Salvation of our Souls through Jesus Christ: To whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Praise world without end. Amen. THE PRAYER. INfinite and Incomprehensible God! Thy Greatness is unsearchable, we can never find Thee out unto Perfection. We adore, we reverence Thee as we ought to do; we fall down before Thee as unworthy to appear in thy Presence. All Nations of the Earth are as nothing, and mere Vanity in Comparison to Thee. But O Lord, we have further reason to humble and abase ourselves before Thee, as we are become vile, filthy, and polluted Sinners. We are especially upon this account unworthy to approach Thee; we must aclowledge ourselves less than the least of all thy Mercies. O Lord, we will endeavour that our Humility may be equal to our Vileness; we will judge and condemn ourselves before Thee; for thou hast regard unto the lowly; and a broken and contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise. O enter not into judgement with us; deal not with us after our Sins, neither reward us according to our Iniquities: If thou Lord mark against us what we do amiss who may abide it? our best Actions are polluted, and even our Righteousness is as filthy Rags. We humbly fly to thy Mercy, and to the Merits and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In him is all our hope, who died for our Sins and rose again for our justification, and ever lives to make Intercession for us. We do in his Name present ourselves before Thee, and entreat Thee for his sake to Pardon all our Sins that are past; to convert us from all Evil for the time to come. Deliver us from Pride, and Obstinacy in Sin; give us Meekness and Humility; make us to have always mean thoughts of ourselves; let us not be wise in our own Eyes; plant in our Hearts a just Fear of Thee, which is the beginning of Wisdom. Let us always know O Lord, that we are not sufficient of ourselves for so much as a good thought; that we can do no good thing without Thee, that we are utter Darkness without thy Light communicated to us; Folly without thy Wisdom, and Weakness without thy Strength. Make us to aclowledge ourselves favoured by Thee, in all the good that is in us, and obliged by Thee, even for the good we do: As it is from Thee that we have the Power, the Will, and the Opportunity to do it. Make us diligent in all good Works, and exercise and use the Gifts thou hast given us in ways agreeable to thy Will, and for thy Glory; that so we may increase in all that is Excellent according to thy Promise, that to him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. Assist us Mercifully in all our Duties, prosper all our good Undertakings, make us Vessels of Honour fit for thy use and service in the World, accept our poor Services, and let us finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his Name we make our further Addresses to Thee for all Mankind. Grant that all may know and Love and obey Thee; and that all may be happy in thy Favour and Love. Let Love and Humility, and Righteousness abound among Men, and promote the Peace and tranquillity of the World. Lord look down in Mercy upon thy Church, sanctify all its Afflictions, and let the Fruit of them be to take away Sins; and in thy due time redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles. Let the Pastors feed the Flock with sound Doctrine diligently, and go before them in Innocence, and Holiness of Life. Let the People know such as are over them in the Lord, and admonish them, and esteem them very highly in Love for their Works sake. Bless we pray Thee the Nations to which we belong; let us know and choose the things that belong to our Peace; let our ways please Thee, and do thou make our Enemies to be at peace with us. Bless our most Gracious King, with all spiritual and temporal Blessngs; grant that he knowing whose Minister he is, may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory, and do thou long continue and abundantly increase His. Let our Royal Family be ever precious in thy sight, and Glorious in the World, and happy in the Government of these Nations. Teach us who are subject quietly to obey them in Thee and for Thee, according to thy Blessed word and Ordinance, that so we may enjoy the Benefits of Settlement and Peace. Let all that are related to us be dear to Thee; deal with them O Lord according to thy Mercy, and teach them thy Statutes. Let all thy Dispensations towards them in this Life, fit them for a better hereafter. We give Thee thanks for thy Inestimable Love, in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ, and for the means of Grace, and the hopes of Glory which we have by him. We pray that the means we have this day enjoyed, may abundantly increase thy Grace in us, and our just and comfortable hopes of immortal Glory. We commit ourselves to our Rest, and to thy Protection this Night: And sum up all our Requests in our Saviours words, saying, Our Father, &c. THE CHARACTER AND CURE OF A Worldly Mind. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Phil. 3.19. latter part. Who mind Earthly things. IT was an occasion of great Grief to this good Apostle, as he says, that there were some in the Church who governed themselves so, as to disparaged their Holy Profession by the Wickedness of their Lives, and to incur their own Destruction, even under that excellent Institution which was admirably fitted, and intended to procrue their Salvation: And this must needs be a very sensible and grievous thing to one so much concerned, as he always was, for the Glory of God, and the Salvation of Men. He takes notice of such Persons as these, and mentions their ill Carriage, and the fatal Consequences of it, that others might be ware of, and avoid the same error and Mischief. The sum of their ill Character, which is given in several Particulars, in the 18th and 19th Verses, is contained in the words which I have red for our present Text. They were such as did mind Earthly things. One Translation renders the word thus: They have no Thoughts or Affections, but what are concerned and engaged about the Earth. The things of this World had possession of their Minds, the pference of their Judgments; and they were governed by the Desire and Love of them. A great and excessive Value and regard to these things, was their fundamental error. And this, wherever it is, will utterly destroy the Substance and Life of Religion, and will leave a Man, if any thing at all of that, no more than the mere show and appearance. To which purpose the Apostle John says, If any Man loves the World the Love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2.15. And then he who professes and believes well, but lives thus, is a Christian not to his Salvation, as he might be, but only to his heavier Condemnation, and sorer Destruction. This Discourse, then, shall endeavour the curing this Disease of the Mind, which does thus disparaged our Christian Profession, and is fatal to our Souls: To which End, I think it requisite to insist upon these two Heads of Discourse. 1. To expose this Ill state of Mind, and show by what Characters and Symptoms it is wont to betray itself: that we may know what it is to Mind Earthly Things, and what we are to avoid in this Matter. 2. To urge those Arguments against it, which are proper to make us willing and desirous to avoid it. And this will be the whole Business of the present Discourse. Which that you may be persuaded the better to attend to, I think fit to premise that I am now about to discourse of that which is the most general and common Fault among Men; which is the Root and Spring of most of the Evils of our Lives; which is the great destroyer of Souls, and the chief Instrument of the Devil, by which he brings Men to everlasting Perdition; which if it be not cured and removed out of our Minds, we can never practise any true virtue or Religion, and it will be impossible for us ever to be saved. In the first place, I say, I shall endeavour to show this Ill-state and Temper of Mind by its chief Characters, that Men may know by what Marks to avoid it: Tho' I shall not insist so long on this Head as the other; because, I think 'tis easier to discover this than to cure it. Now to Mind Earthly Things, so as it must be condemned, contains in it, and shows itself by these three things following. 1. When a Man lets himself be wholly or chiefly taken up, and employed by Worldly Cares and Pursuits. This State of Mind valves nothing greatly, but the things of this World; either Wealth or Honour, or sensual Pleasure is its chiefest Good. And accordingly all the thoughts are employed about them, either in care and contrivance to gain, or else in the pleasing Reflections that he has them. And from one degree and measure to another, it does continually follow these things; 'tis the main Business of Life to raise a Fortune in this World, and gain the greatest Measure he can of those good things of it, which he chiefly admires. If he has any concern for the Church of God, it is the outward worldly Greatness and the Wealth of it that he is most concerned for, and that for the sake of his own worldly Advantage together with it. If he seeks and undertakes any Office or Service which is in the Design of it intended for the Glory of God and the Benefit of Men's Souls to promote their Religion and Salvation, his End is the Profit that attends such a Service, or the Honour and Respect which usually belongs to it. Even the practise of Honesty and Justice, or Charity towards Men, and the show of Piety towards God, and Zeal for true Religion, are all designed and directed to worldly Advantage. Religion indeed allows, that we may value a good Name and Esteem among Men; that we may seek after a competent Portion of Wealth and Provision for ourselves; and that we may enjoy and use the pleasing and good things, which the kind creator has furnished this World with: But then it forbids that we set our Hearts entirely upon these things; it does not permit us to mind nothing else; it condemns us if we take these things for our chiefest Goods; when we neglect all other things for these, and slight and despise Religion and virtue, and the Laws and Rewards of them in comparison to these things. 2. This temper of mind seeks the things of this World for their own sakes only, and to gratify by them those Lusts and Appetites which desire them. A man may, and should seek the Honours and Wealth of this World, that he may be thereby in the greater Capacity to honour God, and do good Offices to his Neighbours: And he may seek and enjoy the pleasant things of it to cheer and refresh his Spirits, to maintain him in Health and Vigour for the Services of his Office and Station. And thus he may be innocent and religious in the seeking of these: But the worldly Mind seeks them without any regard to a good or religious End. It desires Riches for the sake of having them, if Covetousness be the most predominant 'vice; It desires them for the sake of that Honour and Respect which they have among Men; or that they may maintain him in Ease and Pleasure, if there be a Mixture of Pride, or of Voluptuousness with his Covetousness: And it desires and seeks Honour and Pleasure for their own sakes, and to gratify thereby his Pride or Voluptuousness. The worldly Mind seeks only the gratifying a Man's own Lusts and Desires; and has no concern at all for the Glory of God, or the Good of Mankind. It therefore makes a Man manage himself in all manner of Business, with Relation chiefly to himself. If one sort of Carriage would honour God more, or more advantage the World, but bring less Honour or Profit to himself, he will be sure to decline that way of governing himself in his Business. If his Pride or Covetousness be served by his Office and Business he is pleased with it; but if he is disappointed in these things, he is discontented and uneasy, however useful he is, or might be in it to the Glory of God, or the good of his Neighbour. More Gain, or more Honour, or more Pleasure, and Ease shall effectually invite him, from what would be more useful to Men, more for the Credit of Religion, or for the Honour of God. 3. It is the Property of this Temper of Mind, to seek the things of this World by any manner of ways, which seem likely to obtain them. If it can but gain these things, it matters not how it gains them: Tho' the Laws of Men be broken for them, the Interest of the public slighted, the Laws of God affronted, or his own Word or Oath violated to gain or save them. By common worldly ways, he seeks these worldly things, that is, by ways tending to gain them, whether they be good or bad; and he very boldly, and readily falls in with those ways, which are commonly used by the World, whether they be innocent and becoming a Christian, or not. As the Rewards and Offers of Christian Religion are not the chief things he desires, so neither will he confine himself to the Rules of Religion in prosecuting what he does chiefly desire. The things of this world are always to a worldly Mind, very strong and powerful Temptations to any wickedness. As he is not concerned to please or honour God, or do any good to Man, but only to please, and honour, and advance himself; so it must needs be, that he will not stick to slight and forsake the Laws of God and Religion, when they contradict his worldly Designs. If it seems to him necessary to do ill things to make the best Improvement of his calling and Business that he can, he will easily suffer himself to do them. He valves his worldly Advantages more than his Religion, and will readily renounce that in any particular Instance and Duty of it, or perhaps in the whole rather than hazard or lose them. Thus I have briefly, but sufficiently described the Worldly Mind. This is that Spirit of the World which Christianity condemns, which we are bound by it not to follow, nor be lead by: But this we may too easily see is the common Course and Practise of Men; and we must needs justify St. John, when he says, all that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life. The pursuit and Enjoyment of this World, do entirely take up the most of Men; if ever they think on any thing else, 'tis but by way of Diversion; and the pleasing of God and the Salvation of their Souls, are very little minded in Comparison to these things. I have not been speaking then, of that which is never, or but seldom Practised, and which therefore few have need to fear, or be careful to avoid; but of that which is very frequent in the World, which Mankind are very liable to, and which therefore all Men ought, with much care and endeavour to avoid. To provoke us to which is the Design of the second part of the Discourse, to which I now proceed, To urge those Arguments that are fit to remedy and cure this our minding of Earthly things. I have indeed already discoursed against this Distemper of our Minds, as it exercises itself in those three main Branches of it; Voluptuousness, covetousness and Pride: And I have urged against these severally the particular Arguments which are fit to remedy them. But because there are some general Arguments useful against them all, which the time would not allow to apply to each of them severally, when I discoursed against that, I have therefore thought fit to urge them last of all in a general Discourse against the Worldly Mind. And they are these following. 1. It is the constant Precept, and Command of our Religion, that we should not greatly value nor set our Hearts upon the things of this World. He that contrived the Rules of our Religion knows the Hearts of Men, and our true interest; knows us greatly addicted to this Folly, and that 'tis inconsistent with our Happiness; and has therefore often forbid it, and cautioned us against it, and has required expressly what is directly contrary to it. In Deut. 6.5. The People of Israel were commanded to Love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their might, which must needs exclude such a Love of the World as hath been described. And this Precept our Lord Jesus repeats and enforces again. By the Psalmist is that direction given. Psal. 62.10. If Riches increase set not your heart upon them. To take Men off from the fond Esteem of the things of this World, he insists upon the necessity of our parting with them all at our Death, and upon their inability to prevent, or recover any one from it; in Psalm 49. They that trust in their wealth( says he) and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his Brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live for ever and not see Corruption, Ver. 6, 7, 9. And Men must leave their wealth to others, he says ver. 10. And Man being in honour, abides not: He is like the beasts that perish, ver. 12. When a Man dies he shall carry nothing away; his Glory shall not descend after him, ver. 17. It is condemned by Solomon, as well as observed, That the rich Man's wealth is his strong City, and as an high Wall in his own conceit, Prov. 10.15. And against a great Esteem of Wealth, he says, Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not? for Riches make themselves wings and fly away, Prov. 25.8. Against this the Prophet Jeremy says, Let not the rich Man glory in his Riches. Jer. 9.23. There are many other like Instructions and Precepts in the Old Testament, but let us take notice also of some such in the New one. A great deal to this Purpose our Lord Jesus says, in mat. 6. Lay not up for yourselves Treasures on earth, says he ver. 19. which he enforces and persuades in the following words; and adds in ver. 21. For where your Treasure is, there will your heart be also: Which makes it evident to be his meaning by this Command, that he would not have us set our heart on this World; that we ought not to regard these things as our chiefest Goods, nor suffer an entire or chief Application of ourselves to them. Again, he says, Take no thought for your Life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on, ver. 25. That is, take no anxious thought about these matters; let not this be all or the main Business of your thoughts; nor do you imagine that you may, or must depend upon your own thought and care for these things. This he enforces by assuring us of God's particular Providence, and by his Care of good Men especially. This Prohibition he repeats again in ver. 31. to make us the more observe it. He condemns it as the practise of the ignorant Heathen, ver. 32. who had no clear or sure knowledge of those things, fit to cure this Folly, which our Religion teaches us. And he adds a contrary Command in ver. 33. with a sufficient Encouragement to observe that, But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and the Righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added to you. Let it be your main Concern to secure your everlasting Happiness, and, in order thereto, to furnish yourselves with the necessary Qualification for it: And then God's Providence will take Care that you shall not want what is necessary for you of this World. Let us proceed to the Writings of the Apostles, and we shall there find the same thing frequently required. The Apostle Paul exhorts to a great Indifferency towards the things of this World, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. verses, He bids Men with the best of their Enjoyments, to carry themselves as if they had them not; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as tho' they possessed not: and he urges this with these important Reasons; The time is short, and the Fashion of this World passeth away. Intimating it is foolish, and must needs expose us to a great deal of needless, and very sensible Vexation to set our Hearts on those things, which are so variable and uncertain a Possession, and which we can so little a while enjoy. He would have us consider, that every living thing is mortal, that what is hard to get, is hard to keep, that what does not belong to our Nature sits loose about us, and is liable to be lost, and that the time of our converse with these things is very short, and for these Reasons we should practise all the Indifferency towards them that we can, that so we may be easy and composed when they alter or leave us. Again, he says, Set your Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth. Colloss. 3.2. And the Apostle John urges the same thing, saying, Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World, 1 Joh. 2.15. Thus it appears to be the constant Precept of our Religion, that we should not mind Earthly things. 2. Let us also observe and consider further, that it has been always the Character and Property of all good and religious Men to have little value or regard for the things of this World. It is intimated to be this that enabled Abraham to leave his Country and Kindred at the Command of God, and to dwell in Tabernacles in a strange Country: And 'tis said, that he and Isaac and Jacob did herein confess, That they were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth; that they sought a better Country than that which they left, even an heavenly one, in Heb. 11. Tho' it had pleased God to make Job vastly rich, yet he denies that he had set his Heart upon his wealth; that he had ever made Gold his hope, or the fine Gold his confidence; or had rejoiced, that is, in Pride and Vanity, For that his wealth was great, and because his hand had gotten much, Job 31.24, 25. In like manner we find that the excellent Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter; and forsook the Pleasures which he had therein, and the worldly Honours which he might expect to have to own himself related to the poor, oppressed, and enslaved People of Israel: choosing rather, as 'tis said, to suffer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a Season: And esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches, than the Treasures of Egypt. Heb. 11.24, 25, 26. And as he despised the Advantages of the World in Egypt, so he sought them not among his own People. He was in a manner forced by God to bear that Authority which he had among them: He, as directed, set the Family of his Brother in the highest Dignity in the Jewish Church, and left his own in the Condition of common Levites: And so little Provision had he made for their future Greatness, that we find his Grand-child, the Son of Gershom wandering from his Habitation to seek a Maintenance in judge. 17.7. The Person there mentioned is name in the 18. Chapter at verse 31. and called Jonathan the Son of Gershom, which Gershom is in our Translation called the Son of Manasseth, but it should be the Son of Moses, as many learned Men think according to the best Copies of the Original, ( Lightf. Grot. Vat. M. de Sacy) If we proceed to David we shall see, that tho' he was a King, he despised all his Wealth and Greatness in Comparison to the Laws of virtue and Religion, and the Observance of them. In Psal. 19.10. he says of them, More to be desired are they than Gold, ye then much fine Gold, sweeter also then Honey, and the Honey Comb. Again, in Psal. 119.72. he says to God, The Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than Thousands of Gold and Silver. And in the midst of all the Pleasures and Entertainments of his elevated Condition, could he find more Pleasure in meditating on the Word and Law of God. Oh how I love thy Law, says he, it is my Meditation all the Day, Psal. 119.7. His heart was not transported; his thoughts could not be detained by his worldly Advantages. Of many of the Saints in the Jewish Church, it is said, Heb. 11.9. They had trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings, of Bonds and Imprisonments, they were stoned, sawn asunder, slain with the Sword, wandered in deserts and Mountains, in Dens and Caves of the Earth were destitute, afflicted, tormented: Which things they exposed themselves too in Contempt of this World, and in hopes of obtaining better things by being steadfast to their Religion under their cruel Persecutions. If we come to the first Professors of Christianity, we shall find the things of this World always very little in their account, and much despised. St. Peter says to Christ of himself, and the rest of his Disciples, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; and our Saviour owns it, Mark 10.28. When our Saviour gave them Power to heal Diseases and work Miracles, for Confirmation of their Doctrine, he commanded them to do these things freely, and not for gain; and we find them following his Command exactly; none of them ever made themselves rich by that Power, tho' they might have done it. St. Peter says to the Cripple, that looked on him expecting Alms, Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee; and he gave him the best Alms, even sound and strong Limbs: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth( says he) rise up and walk, Acts 3.6. and he did so, as we see vers. 8. And the Honour of this the Apostles would by no means take to themselves, as we see 12th and following Verses. Those Divine Honours which a proud Roman Emperour would have been extremely fond of, the Apostles Barnabas and Paul earnestly refused, Acts 14. when a whole City went about to offer Sacrifice to them, as Gods, upon the working of an evident Miracle. St. Paul, says he, had suffered the Loss of all things, and counted them but dung, that he might win Christ, Phil. 3.8. Of himself and other Christians, he says, that they looked not at those things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, 2 Cor. 4.18. That is, the Spiritual and Heavenly good things were the Objects of their chief Aim and Desire, not the things of this World. Thus we see an Indifferency towards this World, and in some cases a Contempt of it practised by Men like ourselves, Men encumbered with common human Necessities and Infirmities; and from thence we may conclude, that we also may, if we will do the same thing. We see this not only required in the Laws, but also exemplified in the professors of Religion. 3. Let us consider also the Pattern and practise of our Master Jesus, and we shall therein see that the Founder of our Religion has lead us in an Indifferency and Contempt to the things of this World. When he had it in his choice whether he would be born of High or Low, Rich or Poor, in a Palace, or a Cottage, He choose to be born of a poor Virgin, and in a Stable. His Mother indeed was descended of the Royal Family of David, but she was sunk so low in Poverty, that her own Relations were even ashamed to own her. And when she came among them to Bethlehem, we find none of them had that respect for her, or indeed that Humanity and Charity, as to quit the Lodgings they had taken up to accommodate a Woman in her Condition. Our Saviour lived by hard Labour, as 'tis reasonably believed, till he made his public Appearance to the World; and then appeared to have no Possessions. The Son of Man( says he) hath not where to lay his head, and we find he was maintained by charitable Contributions. He was always contented with enough to serve his Necessities, and never sought any worldly Greatness. Now, do we think he did not know what was good for him? that it was want of Wisdom to govern himself thus? If for our sakes he did this then, 'tis plain, he accounted it more our Interest to despise this World than to enjoy it; and more conducing to our Happiness to be contented with little, than to possess much: Otherwise he would have put himself into a Condition to make his Followers rich and great in the World, and would not have called them to a Contempt of this by his Precepts and Example. He knew, and has herein taught us, that this is not the chief Good of Man, it is not our Happiness nor necessary to it. Our Salvation is not to be purchased with corruptible things, such as Silver and Gold. He governed himself thus, to teach us by his Example to do so. And appears to have laid upon us no other Laws, than what himself was willing to bear. And if he has thus regarded the World, it is what we ought to do as Christians. This we may see by all these things is the true Spirit, the genuine Temper of Christianity, and they altogether vary from that who Mind Earthly Things. It is indeed the Design of our Religion in all the parts of it, in all that it reveals to us, to take our foolish Hearts off from this empty World, and to make us seek our true Happiness which lies elsewhere. I shall therefore add some further Arguments, which it affords us. 4. Let us, then, consider further, how much better things than these the Gospel reveals to us, that we may seek, and offers that we may embrace them. Things better in themselves and more suitable to us, which will afford us more Happiness than these. Our Religion, if we will be ruled by it, will make us possessors of Spiritual and Everlasting Delights; of such as will satisfy the vast Desires of our Souls, such as will improve in the possessing, such as will never satiate or tyre us, will never fade or decay, but make us happy for ever. The Rewards of Religion have those excellent Properties, which answer all the Defects of worldly Enjoyments. These things reach only to the Body, and entertain that, but leave the neglected Soul in want and craving: but those Rewards reach the Soul, and please, and make that happy. The things of this World are empty and vain, deluding Shadows of Good, in comparison to them which are the most solid and substantial Goods. These things are transitory, mutable, and perish in the using: They are not subject to change, are of an immortal Nature, as is the great Object that affords, and the Faculty that enjoys them. These earthly things are but of short Duration, and all the Felicity they afford will presently be at an End; but the Happiness of Religion and virtue is Eternal: As the Apostle says, The things which are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal. These Rewards we are speaking of are nothing else but the Love of God, and what that affords, and that is enough to say all these things of it: The Rich, Bounteous, and Eternal Love of God. He that has an Interest in this, has a Fountain of strong, pure and eternal Joy. This is the pleasure and satisfaction of a good Conscience, which will attend a steady Course of Piety and virtue. We shall know that God approves our Course, that he loves us, we are Favourites with the King of Heaven, who will never forget us, who always has it in his Power to bless and comfort us; who is not liable to change, nor will be forward to cast us out of his Favour: From whose Almighty Favour we may expect all that is necessary and good for us, and that is conducing to our Everlasting Salvation. And this is a Happiness that will bless us in this Life, that will not all be deferred to the next. A Happiness that will make itself more pleasant and sensible to our Souls, than all that this World can afford: As that good Man seems to intimate, in ascribing it to the Light of God's Countenance, to have made his Heart more glad than the increase of Corn or Wine could make other Men. This he owns too, when he says, Thy Loving-kindness is better than Life. And this is represented as the Sense of all good and devout Souls in the Song of Solomon, when he makes them say, Thy Love is better than Wine, Chap. 1.2. And we will remember thy Love more than Wine, Verse 4. This affords that Peace which the World cannot give, which passes all Understanding. This then is the greatest Happiness that can be enjoyed in this World. And it is unspeakable Pleasure and Joy to think, we shall not leave this in our Death, tho' we must then leave all our worldly Enjoyments This will be our Portion for ever, and an exceeding great Reward. And in the other World it will communicate beyond what Eye has seen, or Ear hath heard, or the Heart of Man can now conceive. If we stretch our Faculties to imagine or desire to the very utmost they can reach to, yet shall we fall short of the Happiness of Heaven. There is fullness of Joy, and Rivers of Pleasure; there is Rest and Peace, and Light, and Love for ever; there is all that we can wish, and more than we can now conceive. All this we are invited to by our Religion; we are invited to the Happiness of Heaven, the Felicities and Fellowship of Angels, and the blissful Presence and Enjoyments of God. These things we shall obtain, if we will but justly value them; if we will but diligently seek them; if we will but prefer them before the mean Trifles of this World, and seek them, as we have reason to do, before all things else. And if we will but seriously consider the Nature and Capacity of our Souls, and resolve to act as becomes us, we must needs resolve to do so. Especially if we consider too, that by minding Earthly things, we forfeit, as we do neglect, all this Happiness; and if we will not forsake that Folly, we shall never enjoy it. And thus we may see that our Religion does not call us off from this World, because it envies our Happiness, but indeed to make us happy; it would wean us from worse to make us possessors of better things; and raise us from Earth to advance us to Heaven. 5. We must not omit to consider, by what way and means it comes to pass, that all this Happiness is proposed and offered to us in the Gospel: For this affords a considerable Argument against our thus minding Earthly things. This our true Happiness was alas a forfeited thing: Mankind had undone themselves by Guilt, and were become obnoxious to, and deserving of Everlasting Punishment and Misery. But the Son of God took Compassion on us in this our sad Condition, and freely became our mediator and Saviour: And he undertook to do all that was necessary, to render it honourable and fitting for the Great God to pardon us, and to receive us to Favour and Happiness. And to this purpose the Son of God took human Nature, and dwelled in this miserable contemptible World: He who is the express Image of the Father, and the Brightness of his Glory, became like one of us. He whom Angels adore became subject to Men; and the God over all to the Condition of a very mean Creature. More-over, he condescended to die for us to bear our Guilt, and to die a Sacrifice for our Sins, to be wounded for our Transgressions, that by his Stripes we might be healed. He was despised and rejected of Men, and afflicted of God: All this did this great and glorious Person submit and condescend to, that he might redeem us from Hell, and purchase for us the Favour of God, and the Happiness of Heaven! And after all this, can it be fit for us to Mind Earthly Things? Does our Happiness lye in these, notwithstanding he has done so much to procure us better? shall we say we desire not any better things when they have cost him so dear? should we not put a high Value upon them, when we see he thought them worth his precious Blood? do we not despise and affront his Love, when we suffer ourselves to be detained and diverted from pursuit of them, by the vain low things of this World? what greater Ingratitude could we be guilty of against him, who loved us so as to give himself for us? It may be expected indeed that if Love to ourselves and our Interest will not cure our Worldliness, it is not likely that Gratitude or Love to the Redeemer will be able to do it. But yet is this a Consideration worth insisting upon, as it may serve to convince us, that it is indeed our true Interest to despise this World, and seek the things above. As Jesus did thus condescend not to make us rich and great in this World, but to procure for us the Favour of God, and the Happiness of Heaven; so 'tis certain that what he has so dearly purchased for us must needs be best, and most worthy of our Care and Pursuit. God grant we may understand our true Happiness, and know the things that make for our Peace before they are hide from our Eyes: And that we may so pass through things Temporal, as not finally to lose the things Eternal; for the sake of Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. MOst Blessed God! Great and Glorious is thy Goodness towards the Children of Men: Thou hast made us little lower than the Angels, capable of some Knowledge, and Enjoyment of thyself; a Noble, and Excellent, and Eternal Happiness; we were in our Nature fitted and intended for by thee. But, Oh Lord, with shane we must own, that we have lost all Right to this Happiness; by our Sins we have utterly forfeited it. And, alas, like Wretches condemned to be deprived of it; we have lost all sense wherein our true Happiness lies: We forsake thee the Fountain of Living Waters, and seek to broken Cisterns that can hold no Water. Our Souls are bowed down to this Earth, and we pursue the things of this World with such Application and Care, as if these were the best things, and our Happiness lay only in them; while we neglect thy Favour and Love, and all the Eternal Joys of Heaven: We prefer Earth before Heaven, Creatures before the creator; and suffer ourselves to be drawn into Sin by the Allurements of this World, and so forfeit and lose the Eternal and much better things of Heaven, that we may get or keep the things of Earth. This Course, O Lord, is our Sin, and our Folly, and our Misery. We humble, we condemn ourselves before thee for the Sin of it; for that we have not loved thee with all our Heart, with all our Soul, with all our Might, and with all our Strength, as we ought to have done. We judge, we condemn ourselves for all the Evil which the Love of this World has drawn us into. Oh Lord, we beseech thee, pardon our Sins; do not thou enter into judgement with us: Do not thou condemn us as we have deserved, to have all our Portion in this Life. Oh, let thy infinite Mercy be glorified in pardoning the Iniquity, and recovering us out of the Misery of our Propensity to this World. Convince us that our Happiness is not here, that thou art our chief Good; that we can never find rest till our Souls are fixed on thee. Oh, put an end to the wandring of our Desires after many things, and do thou engage, do thou determine our Desires: that we may be able to say, whom have we in Heaven but thee, and there is none on Earth that we can desire in comparison to thee. Make us to set our Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth: to live, like thy former Saints, as Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth, seeking a better Country, even an Heavenly. Make us to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the Righteousness thereof; and then we pray that thy bounteous Goodness will be pleased to bestow upon us, of other things, what thou seest to be most needful and convenient for us. O Lord, do thou lift up upon us the Light of thy Countenance, which is able to afford us more Joy and Satisfaction, than all things that this World can afford. We recommend all Mankind to thy Mercy; praying that they may all be acquainted with their true Happiness, and the way to attain it; that they may know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, whom to know is Life Eternal. Oh, let it be the Character of all Christians, that they look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; that they make Heaven and its Eternal Joys their chief Aim and Desire. Purge out of thy Church all Covetousness, and inordinate Love of this World, which is inconsistent with the Love of thee; and let humble Piety, exact Righteousness, Charity and Temperance abound in it. We pray for thy Blessings upon the Land of our Nativity; grant that we may be a peculiar People, zealous of all good Works; and bring forth Fruit answerable to the means of Grace afforded us: And purge out from amongst us those Wickednesses, which either disparaged our Holy Religion, or disturb our Peace. Bless our gracious King with great increase of all Divine and Spiritual Blessings; give him Prosperity in this Life, and a better Kingdom in the next. Let the Light of thy Countenance ever abide upon the Royal Family, and bless them with all Temporal and Spiritual Blessings. Bless all that are related to us, and let all thy Dispensations towards them do them good, and promote their Everlasting Happiness. Let their Prosperity make them love thee, and be fruitful in good Works; their Adversity teach them Patience, and Contempt of this World: Teach them either to want, or to abound, and in every State to be thankful and contented. We give thee Thanks for thy blessed Ordinances this Day enjoyed; cause us to account thy Law, as more to be desired than Gold, and as sweeter than Honey from the Comb; that we may daily meditate on it, may obey its dictates, and obtain at fast thy glorious Promises. Give us we pray thee a safe and comfortable Rest this Night, and let thy Goodness make the Out-goings of the Morning to be joyful. We put up all our Requests in the Name of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, and sum up our Desires in his Words, saying, Our Father, &c. CONTRITION, OR Godly-Sorrow Represented. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 Cor. 7.10. For Godly-Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of. TO go about the persuading Men to grief and trouble of Mind, is I confess but an ungrateful Task, and, if it might be, one would rather let it alone: This is that unpleasant thing which every one desires, and strives to put far from him. But we make it necessary to ourselves to endure much Sorrow and Trouble when we run into Sin. Religion then requires this, and it is the only Remedy we have against the mischiefs which our Sin has done us. And a very useful and effectual Remedy this is, and as such the Apostle recommends it in our Text, when he says, Godly-Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of. Where we may observe he ascribes to a Religious or Godly-Sorrow, two very happy Effects: It works Repentance( he says) and this Repentance is to Salvation; this brings a Man into a State of Salvation. This Sorrow, then, produces a happy joyful Change, both in ourselves, and in our spiritual State or Condition. In ourselves as it works Repentance, it turns us from Wickedness to Goodness; from Folly to Wisdom; and from disturbance and disorder of Mind to Peace and Composure. In our Condition by consequence it produces a happy Alteration too; and of Heirs of wrath it makes us Objects of the Divine Favour; from being obnoxious to the everlasting Punishments of Hell, it gives us a Title to the Happiness of Heaven. Thus as all the natural effects of Sin are vexatious and troublesone, so all the effects of Religion upon us are happy and comfortable: Even the Sorrow which this requires of us tends to joy, and according to our Saviours Sentence they are Blessed who thus Mourn, for they shall be comforted. It is worth our while therefore, to understand the true Nature of Godly-Sorrow; and that we be persuaded to entertain and practise it: Which two things shall( by God's Assistance) be the endeavour of this Discourse concerning it. I begin with the First of these things at present; to explain and state the true Nature of Godly-sorrow or Contrition; That which the Gospel requires us to entertain and practise, upon our having been guilty of Sin, in order to our Salvation; and that which will afford us Salvation. That we may the better and the more usefully remember the several particulars which must be insisted on to this Purpose, I think it proper to comprehend them in this general and summary Description of the Grace I speak of: Contrition is a hearty and earnest Grief for Sin, with an Indignation against ourselves for it, and Hatred against it; arising from a deep Sense of the great Evil of Sin, and hope in the Divine Favour and Mercy; and causing a Man to abstain from the practise and Commission of it for ever. In this general Description of Godly Sorrow, there are these things which will require to be particularly represented. 1. The Acts or Exercises of it. 2. The Principles from whence it must proceed. 3. The Effects which it ought to produce. In the First place, let us take notice what are the proper Acts or Exercises of this Godly and Religious Sorrow: These I conceive may be contained under these three Heads. 1. It includes and exercises itself in a hearty Grief and trouble of Mind for our Sins. The Apostle James exhorts to the exercise of it in these terms. Be Afflicted, Mourn and Weep: Let your Laughter be turned into Mourning, and your Joy into Heaviness; humble yourselves in the sight of God. We must have great discontent and vexation in our Minds upon the account of our Sins; such as to Afflict the Soul, as the Scripture speaks, Levit. 16.29. And a true Penitent represents himself under a Sense of his Guilt, as if he were loaded with a heavy Burden, Psal. 38.4. Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy Burden, they are too heavy for me. This grief and trouble of Mind for Sin, has been formerly expressed very fitly by sprinkling Ashes upon the head, by lying on the ground, wearing Sackcloth: The ancient Saints on their days of Humiliation abstained from all sorts of Pleasure, even from what was lawful at other times, would not wash the Face, nor anoint the Head with their perfumed oils; they would not allow themselves any thing that should make them cheerful or merry; but gave up themselves to Sadness and Affliction. If the temper of any Persons be such, as that Tears are apt to flow from them upon other Occasions, then ought these to be shed in great abundance, especially for their Sins. 2. This Godly Sorrow which the Apostle speaks of in our Text Exercises itself in Hatred and Detestation of Sin, and in a great Indignation against ourselves for it. It looks upon this as the vilest and most odious thing that is; as the greatest Evil: It sees all the Characters of it to be ugly and deformed; and loathes whatever sin was most delighted in, and condemns what the Sinner before had a good Opinion of. The true Penitent abhors that which is evil, as the Apostle advices, Rom. 12.6. and hates every false way, as David speaks of himself, Psal. 119. And having a great Detestation of Sin, he cannot choose but fall out with himself for the Commission of it; and a great Displeasure he will conceive against himself. This we see in Job, who when he considered that his Behaviour towards God in his Affliction had been somewhat amiss, he says, I abhor myself. And the Author of the 73d. Psalm, in his Repentance, speaks his Indignation against himself in these very passionate Terms, 21, 22. Verses, My heart was grieved, I was pricked in my reins; so foolish was I and Ignorant, I was even as a Beast before thee. The true Penitent looks upon himself as under the greatest and vilest Disparagement in that he is a Sinner. Is ready to account that the vilest and most contemptible of the Brute Creatures is not so vile nor so contemptible as himself. He is now even amazed at himself, that he should ever love what is so hateful, that he should ever boast of what is so shameful; that he should ever take upon him to justify and pled for a thing so absurd, enormous, and unreasonable as this appears to him. This Disposition of Mind freely accuses a Man's self, is very ready at the Confession of Sin: Seeks no extenuating excuses for it; does not endeavour to put away from himself the blame of it, but justly imputes it only to his own perverse Will and Inclination: He accuses, judges and condemns himself: Therefore our Saviour represents a Penitent in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, as resolving in the first place upon his return, to go and aclowledge his Faults, and condemn himself for them, Luk. 15.18.21. I will arise and go to my Father,( says he) and say, Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. He will own the very worst Deserts of Sin, and the most terrible Expressions of divine Wrath to be due to him. This Indignation against themselves the Penitents of former times have been wont to express, in a hard and rigorous usage of themselves, in severe Fastings, long Watchings, and hard Labour; in crossing and contradicting their lawful Appetites. As angry with those foolish Desires which had plunged them into Sin, they would but sparing allow them even lawful Gratifications. 3. This Goly-Sorrow is exercised in earnest Resolutions, and endeavours to forsake Sin. Therefore our Saviour represents the Prodigal, as resolving to forsake his wicked Course of living, in that he makes him say, I will arise and go to my Father. He that is truly grieved, that is, hearty angry with himself for what he has done, must needs resolve and take great care to do it no more. We must bid adieu to Sin for ever; make solemn Vows and Resolutions against it, and endeavour carefully to keep them. A sincere Penitent will be able to say, I had rather undergo the greatest Inconvenience, I had rather want the most necessary and desirable things of this World, than do any thing wicked to obtain these, or avoid the other: I had rather bear any Burden than a Load of Guilt, and lose any thing than the Peace and tranquillity of my Mind; and that all the World should condemn and despise me, rather than be forced to condemn and despise myself. And therefore at any rate, and whatever it costs him, he will endeavour to avoid all that he knows to be sinful: He will industriously shun all occasions and opportunities, all Temptations and Appearances of evil. He will not easily come near any thing which he has so great a Loathing and Abhorrency to. With great care of himself, he looks out and endeavours to foresee what things are likely to be occasions of Sin to him: He observes what are such to other Men, and takes warning from thence: Such places, such Conversations, such Recreations, such Objects as he observes are apt to prove Snares, by seeing them become such to other Men, he will avoid if he can, or very cautiously use them. And more especially will he if it be possible avoid what he has found to be mischievous to himself. Where he has fallen before, he will not needlessly venture again. He will not of choice engage himself in those Circumstances which have been wont to draw him into Sin. And if he is by surprise, or through the necessity of his Condition and Duty engaged in such, he then watches over himself very diligently while he is in them, and carries a very jealous and careful Eye upon all his Thoughts, Words, and Actions, and lives so long especially in great fear of offending. These are the Exercises and Expressions of a Godly, and Religious Sorrow for Sin. I proceed further, to discover this Contrition by representing the Principles from whence it ought to proceed. There is a great deal of Sorrow in the World which seems to be for Sin, and yet it falls very short of a true Contrition. Men are troubled and angry with themselves for the ill they have done when some very sensible Inconveniences attend it; when they have hurt their Body, have wasted their Estate, or wounded their Reputation thereby; but in this Case it is with many the Inconvenience rather than the Sin which troubles them. The Afflictions which they have pulled upon themselves by it, may be the instrument and means which God may use to bring them to a true Contrition and Repentance, as is represented by our Saviour in the Parable of the Prodigal; for he makes him then think of returning to his Father and forsaking his evil Courses, when he had brought himself to ruin and misery by his Wickedness. But our Contrition to be true must have some better Motive and Principle than these outward Afflictions. It must arise from the force of these two Principles upon us. 1. From a Sense of the exceeding great Evil of Sin in its self. 2. From hope and expectation of the Divine Favour, and Pardon upon our Repentance and forsaking it. It must arise from a very lively and effectual Sense of the exceeding great evil and vileness of Sin. To have this right and well-grounded, then, we must be sensible of those things which enhance and magnify the evil of Sin; we must be sensible in particular of these three things. 1. The great Excellency, and Dignity of the Person against whom all Sin is Committed. It is without doubt, that by how much the more noble and excellent any Person is, by so much the more heinous and wicked is the Offence to be reckoned, which is committed against him. And Sin is upon this account commonly judged to have in a sort an infinite Guilt, because 'tis committed against the infinite Majesty of God. The Excellency of this Person, then, our godly Sorrow should be very sensible of; and in him it should especially consider, and be affencted with his infinite Greatness and Goodness. The Lord is great( says the Psalmist, Psal. 145.3.) His greatness is unsearchable; We cannot reach it with the utmost extent of our Thoughts: We ought therefore to behave ourselves towards him with greatest Humility and Reverence, but the Sins of Men affront and despise him. He is infinite in Wisdom, infinite in Power, but the Sins of Men deny his Wisdom, and slight the terrors of his Almighty Wrath. He is every where present, and so the Sinner does as it were affront him to his Face. He is the rightful Sovereign and Lord of all things, but the Sins of Men are a bold Rebellion against his supreme and unquestionable Authority, and do in effect say, we will not have him to reign over us. He is Universal Proprietour, and the Owner of all things, and justly says, the World is mine and the fullness thereof. He has therefore right to dispose of all things, and to require that according to their Capacity, they do serve his Honour and Glory: But the Sinner neglects God and lives entirely to himself, seeks only his own Gratification and Pleasure, and makes Gods of the several Lusts that dwell in him, and which he is subject and enslaved to. And it further magnifies the Evil of Sin, that it is committed against infinite Goodness. The Lord is good and does good( as the Psalmist speaks.) He is a kind and gracious Being, desirous of the Happiness of all his Creatures, and ready to afford them all whatever is necessary to it. He has gloriously exercised his Goodness in the Creation of the World: he does so still in upholding of all things; he is daily good to the Unthankful and Evil, we have much reason to admire the Freeness, the Bounty of his Goodness, and no ground at all to question it. Yet do the Sins of Men impute ill-will to this God; they suppose him an Enemy to our Happiness, and do in effect say his Laws are against us, they have forbid what were good for us to do, and require what is mischievous and hurtful to us. In all Sin there is Ingratitude against the kindest Being, and Enmity against infinite Love. God deserves, as he requires, to be loved with all the Heart and Soul, that is, above all things besides, but the Sinner prefers and loves the things of this World above the chiefest good; he is a lover of Pleasure, or perhaps of Wealth or worldly Honours more than of God. These things a well-grounded Contrition will be sensible of in Sin, and will arise from them. 2. It must be sensible also of the baseness of the Person, who commits sin against this excellent and glorious Being, for the more base and vile he is, the greater will the Guilt and Vileness of the Sin be. In Man, then, who is the Sinner, there are these two things considerable, which do greatly magnify the heinousness of Sin. That he is a very mean and low Being, in comparison, especially, to the great God whom he affronts; and he has been highly favoured and obliged by Almighty God. Mankind are to be considered infinitely below the great creator of all things: All Nations of the Earth are as nothing in comparison to him; yet does every single Sinner set himself against him, yea, and above him too as well as he can. When we oppose his Will and despise his Laws, this is to set Folly against infinite Wisdom, Weakness against Power, poor depending Creatures against the All-sufficient God. It is like setting up a Subject above his Sovereign; or dry Stubble to contend with devouring Flames. And further, Mankind are to be considered as highly obliged to God; he that is infinitely good in himself has been most wonderfully kind, and good to us. We have our Being and all that we enjoy from him, and we affront him with his own Gifts when we use them in Sin and Wickedness. Innumerable are the Benefits he bestows upon us, and they are as important to us as our Life and Happiness which they serve and promote; but in our Sins we return him neglect for his gracious mindfulness of us, hatred for his kindness, and injuries for his Benefits. We are poor depending Creatures, and we depend upon Him every Moment, and while we do so it is that we rebel against him. We use as it were against himself the Power, the Wisdom, the Goodness that he exercises in upholding us, and doing us good while we live in Wickedness. Oh how vile, how heinous does this make our Sins! and how much does this increase the Vileness and Baseness of the Sinner. In this is Man more unreasonable than the brute Beasts; For the Ox knows his Owner, and the Ass his Masters Crib, but the Sinner does not know, does not aclowledge his great, his bounteous benefactor. 3. Our sorrow for Sin should be sensible of, and arise from this Consideration, that they are all very trivial and worthless Inducements which draw us into Wickedness. This too exceedingly heightens the Evil of Sin: We are easily moved to such Rebellion against the Sovereign of the World, to such Ingratitude against our great and best Friend; we do this almost for nothing; vain are all the Allurements that draw us to it. The Pleasures of Sin are but for a short Season; the Wealth it gains makes itself Wings and flies away; the Honours it procures are poor, transitory, uncertain things. We are to consider there is no provocation, no cause in the least on God's part for our Sins against him. The infinite Greatness and Goodness has never despised or hated us, tho' very mean and poor Beings. To be sure as Creatures he does not do it: and if he may be said to do it at all, we must understand that it is only since we became Sinners, and as such, that he does despise or hate us. Before Man rebelled against his Maker, he met with nothing but Honour and Favour from him. We are to consider also, that we have no need of our Sins. Whatever Men imagine, these are never truly necessary, or profitable to them. The Laws of Piety and virtue are suited to our Nature and our Interests: and we might be much more happy in a steady Course of practising these, than we can possibly be by the most profitable Wickedness. When we are so easily drawn into Sin, it appears that we have a very good Will and a strong Inclination to it. When the things of this World can draw us to it, we regard and value them more than God Himself, we prefer the Creature before the creator, shallow flying Streams before the unexhaustible abiding Fountain of Good; we prefer Emptiness before fullness, Darkness before Light, and short Time before Eternity. How justly might the Prophet in the Person of God call the Heavens to be astonished at this, that Men should forsake the Fountain of living Waters, and hue out to themselves broken or cracked Cisterns that can hold no Water: That we should sin against God for the sake of any worldly Enjoyment, and so for a poor and perishing Trifle should forfeit and abandon all the Riches, all the Sufficiency, and Bounty of his infinite Love. Thus I have represented one Principle of a true Contrition: It must arise from a lively sense of the great Evil and Vileness of Sin. And, I think, in what has been said of this, we may see a great deal of reason for all that Trouble and Grief, for all that Hatred and Indignation, and for all that Resolution and Care to forsake it, which I said does belong to such a Contrition. But this must also have another Principle, as I said: It must arise from a Hope and Expectation of the Divine Favour and the Pardon of our Sins upon our Repentance, and forsaking them. The Holy Scripture teaches us, that such a Hope and Expectation may be a Principle of Sorrow for Sin, and forsaking it, in that it so often makes the Offer of Mercy and Pardon an Argument for Repentance, according to what the Prophet says, Isa 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord for he will have mercy, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. And this is a thing certainly fit in its own Nature to produce this Contrition; for how much force and inducement to it is there in this thought, that God is ready to be reconciled! God is willing to forgive if we will but lay aside our Enmity against him! How proper is this to melt and subdue the hard and obstinate Heart! And then how much encouragement is there in it too! As this assures the Sinner that he shall turn to God to his own great advantage; that he shall find the poor Rewards of Sin abundantly out-weigh'd by the rich Communications and Gifts of God's infinite Favour and Love. And as this is certainly a consideration fit to have such an Effect; so 'tis also evident by the use of this Argument for our Repentance, that our Repentance upon such a Principle will be acceptable to God: He is pleased when we believe him ready to be reconciled, and willing to forgive us upon our return to him, if we do thereupon return. We therefore find all true Penitents possessed with this Hope and Expectation. This David expresses in his deepest Humiliation, Psal. 51.1. by his seeking Mercy and Pardon: Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to thy Loving-kindness, according to the Multitude of thy tender Compassions, blot out my Transgressions. This too the Prodigal expressed in his Resolutions to return to his Father. He would never have had a thought of returning, unless he had expected some Degree of Favour. He that thinks God does irreconcilably hate him, he will obstinately persist in his Enmity against God. Without this Hope a man may lash and torment himself like Judas, but he cannot return to his Duty as St. Peter did. If a Man does somewhat condemn his Sins, yet he will not leave them; we have his Character in the People of Israel as the Prophet represents them, Jer. 2.25. Thou suidst I have no hope, no, for I have loved strangers and after them I will go. The true Godly-Sorrow proceeds in part from the Love of God, and consists with that, and therefore it cannot be a dejected, or despairing grief, it must have therefore joined with it a hope in the Divine Mercy, and it may acceptably proceed in part from thence. And thus I have given I think a sufficient account from what Principles this ought to proceed. The last Head I am to speak to, is to show what ought to be the effects of our Contrition upon us, that it may be proved a true and sincere one. And it is not possible that a Man should be very much grieved and angry with himself for his Sins, and be earnestly and seriously resolved to forsake them, but this concern of Mind must needs have some considerable Influence upon him. In particular these two things may be reasonably expected from it. 1. That it should possess a Man with a great measure of Humility. 2. That it should produce a good degree of Reformation in his Life and Manners. The former must be the effect of his Displeasure against himself; the latter of his Resolutions and Endeavours to amend himself. In the First place, it cannot be but a truly contrite Person will be very humble: As this Godly-Sorrow prevails, Pride must needs be proportionably mortified, and subdued. A true Penitent looks back upon his past Sins, with such a Sense of the folly, the rashness and the unreasonableness of them, that he cannot choose but be very mean and contemptible in his own Eyes for ever after. He that is hearty ashamed of what he has done, and is angry with himself for it, cannot have a high esteem and value for himself any more. And if he is now become a wiser and better Man, and has forsaken his Sins, he will ascribe this entirely to the Grace of God, and therefore his present Goodness and virtue will not elevate him in his Opinion of himself. And then, since he is lessened in his Opinion of himself by a Sense of his Sins, he will be disposed also to behave himself with great Humility, both towards God and towards Man. He that is truly Penitent will behave himself with great Humility towards God: Certainly it becomes a Sinner to do so, and he that well considers how much he has affronted and injured the great God, will be very humble in his Behaviour towards him. He must needs be ready to say to him with Jacob, I am less than the least of all thy Mercies; and with the Prodigal, I am no more worthy to be called thy Son. He will be very thankful for every Exercise of the Divine Favour to him: He will not be forward to murmur if he wants any good thing, when he acknowledges he has forfeited all: He will patiently submit to the Divine Chastisements in his Afflictions, as knowing that his Sins have deserved far worse things of God: As David, when he was forced to leave Jerusalem and the Ark of God, submitted and said, if he will say he has no Pleasure in me, let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him. This will possess a Man with a very tractable obedient Temper. He will be easily taught his Duty, easily convinced of his Faults, and ready to submit to the Commands of God: He will no more dispute, or cavil against his Duty, but will readily obey. This will make a Man very modest in his Expectations from God; as the Prodigal Son said, make me as one of thy hired Servants: He will be glad if he may be admitted to any the least degree of Favour: Will resign himself to the Divine disposal; will account the meanest Service of him an Honour that he does not deserve; and when he has done his best in the Service of God, he will account it a Favour if it pleases God to testify any Acceptance of it. He will expect to find Acceptance, and to receive the Reward of his well-doing, only through the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ. This Contrition will also Season with Humility our Behaviour towards other Men. A Man will not be greedy of having much Honour and Respect paid him by others, when he has but a low Opinion of himself. It is therefore observed of Saul, that he was not duly touched with a Sense of his Sin, when he was so concerned for his own Honour at the same time that the Prophet had brought him a rebuk from God; as we may see, 1 Sam. 15.30. I have sinned( says he) yet honour me now I pray thee, before the Elders of my People. A true Penitent will not be enraged at every little Indignity and Affront; will not return railing for railing, nor give vilifying Language to those that do not mightily respect and honour him: He can bear Reproofs, and even Reproaches and Slanders, because no Man can say worse things of him than he is ready to say of himself: Like Saint Paul, who having said, Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners, adds, Of whom I am chief. A true Penitent will not be stubborn and disobedient to superiors and Governours: He will not seek spiteful Interpretations of their Commands, that so he may find out Pretences to disobey them. Again, this Disposition will not let a Man disdain any one: He will not think so many his inferiors as he did formerly reckon such; and those that are unquestionably his inferiors he will not despise them. He has ready in his thoughts that Question to check his Pride, who made thee to differ? This will make us patient and gentle towards the Infirmities of our Neighbours; full of Forbearance, and ready to forgive, as knowing how much our own Imperfection, and frequent Faults, will make us need the Forbearance and Forgiveness of God and of our Neighbour. Secondly, another Effect of true Contrition will be a good degree of Reformation in a Man's Life and Manners. This must needs be the Effect of a sincere Resolution, and earnest Endeavour to forsake our Sins. As we shall, like the Prodigal, immediately apply ourselves to the Endeavour, and make no delay to put our Resolutions in practise, so the Grace of God is ready to help us in so doing: For 'tis said, He gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. If we earnestly desire his Assistance to this purpose, if we wait for it in a diligent use of the means of Grace we shall obtain it, and thereby we shall get the Victory over our Sins. So that this must needs be the Effect of a true Contrition, that we shall in some good measure reform and amend what was amiss in us. It must make the unclean person chased, the intemperate Sober, the profane Religious, the proud Humble, and the froward and passionate Patient and Gentle. If an habitual Sinner cannot all at once forsake his ill course of living, he must learn to do it by degrees, and he is never to be reckoned a true Convert till he has got the Victory, and has forsaken his habitual Sin. All wilful, presumptuous and habitual Sins, lived in, are inconsistent with a true Repentance: That which will find acceptance with God, and be to Salvation as the Apostle speaks, must cause us to forsake our Sins. Therefore the wise Man says, whoso confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find Mercy; and the Prophet in urging the People of Israel to Repentance speaks thus from God, Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, Isa. 1.16, 17. It is absolutely necessary to Salvation, that we do not live in the Habit or custom of any known Sin; as we may conclude from 1 Cor. 6.9. and Ephes. 5.5, 6. And in the Reformation of ourselves we must not only forsake Sin, but also set ourselves to do all the good we can; we must endeavour particularly as we have opportunity and power, to practise the virtues which are contrary to the Sins that we leave. We must not only turn from our Sins, but also do that which is lawful and right, as the Prophet exhorts Ezek. 18.27. Thus I have as I think sufficiently represented that Godly-Sorrow which the Apostle speaks of in our Text; which he says works Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of. And it was necessary that I should so particularly describe it, that many may be thereby convinced how much they cheat themselves in this important Matter. It is a common thing for Men to take a little regret and trouble after the Sin with some Supplications to God for Pardon to be a true Repentance. It is necessary therefore to undeceive them; that they should be made to know Repentance, when true, is a more solid and serious thing. It is not a transient fit of Sorrow, but the settled and abiding Disposition of the Mind, and requires that we do fall out with Sin and hate it in our hearts, and that we forsake it in our Lives. If we thus Sorrow for our Sins we shall repent to Salvation, and find Favour with God; which that we may do God of his infinite Mercy grant through the Mediation of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory World without end. Amen. THE PRAYER. MOst Blessed and Glorious God, who inhabitest Eternity; infinite and incomprehensible in Greatness and Goodness: To Thee is all our Homage and Adoration due, to Thee we owe the performing whatever Service and Obedience it shall please Thee to require of us; and it is but due, that we should Love Thee with all our Soul, with all our Mind, and with all our Strength: But alas, we thy wretched sinful Creatures have neglected and affronted Thee; we have hated instead of loving Thee; and despised instead of reverencing Thee; we have most unreasonably, and needlessly rebelled against thy rightful Sovereignty. Oh! how vile and base have we made ourselves; we are become O Lord some of the vilest of thy Creatures; we are ashamed of, we utterly abhor ourselves. O Lord, we must aclowledge no Grief and Indignation can be too great for our exceeding Folly and Wickedness: No Punishment can be beyond our Deserts. O Lord, we hearty lament and mourn for that our Sins have forfeited thy Favour, and exposed us to thy just eternal Vengeance: Thou mightest justly appoint us to have our Portion in the Lake that burns for ever among the Damned Spirits. Blessed be thy Name that thou hast spared us, that thou givest us yet space to repent and save ourselves from the wrath that is to come. O Lord, this Encourages us to return unto Thee; this leads us to Repentance: Behold O Lord, we profess before Thee an eternal Hatred of every false way; we declare it is our desire, our purpose to forsake for the future all those Sins whereby we have formerly offended Thee. We beseech Thee let thy wonderful forbearance end in a Gracious Forgiveness. We come to Thee with broken and Contrite Hearts, O Lord, revive as thou hast Promised the Spirit of the Humble, and the Hearts that are Contrite; receive and Comfort us, who are grieved and wearied with the Burden of our Sins; forgive us all that is past, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness; grant that we may walk before Thee, in Holiness and Righteousness all the remainder of our days: Oh! give thy Holy Spirit to them that ask him; and let us be enabled by his Almighty Grace, to keep a Conscience voided of Offence both towards God, and towards Men. Let our ways please Thee, and be easy and comfortable to ourselves. Lift up upon us we pray Thee, the light of thy Countenance; grant us the Happy assurance of thy Reconcilement to us, that we may rejoice in thy Favour, and be encouraged to run the way of thy Commandments. Let a Sense of our Vileness by reason of Sin, Cure in us all Pride and Arrogancy of Mind or Behaviour; make us to walk humbly with Thee our God, and meek and lowly in our Carriage towards Men. Make us very watchful over ourselves for the time to come, and Industrious in using the means of Grace; that so we may cleanse ourselves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and perfect Holiness in the Fear of God. We implore thy Mercy upon all Mankind: That those who sit in Darkness, may see the marvelous and saving Light of thy Gospel, and be turned from the Power of Satan unto God. We pray Thee purge thy Church from all Impiety and profaneness, from all false Doctrine, heresy and Schism, from all Hatred and Malice, Envy and Contention. Make it fruitful in all good Works, and be Thou we pray Thee, its defence against all its Enemies. Bless that part of it abundantly, to which we belong; give us unfeigned Repentance for all our Sins, and thy Free and Gracious Pardon; and grant that we may all in our several Stations serve to thy Glory, and the common Happiness and Welfare. Bless our Gracious King with long Life and Health, and a prosperous and happy Reign among us; strengthen him, that he may vanquish and overcome all his Enemies. We recommend to thy Mercy all that are related to us: O Let not any of them be held in the Bonds of Iniquity; set them at Liberty to run the way of thy Commandments; let their Circumstances in this Life be so ordered, as to promote their everlasting Happiness in the next. We give thanks for the means of Grace we have this day enjoyed, and we pray that thy Blessing may make them effectual, to the bringing forth in us the Fruit of good Living. Be Thou we we pray Thee our Defender and Keeper this Night, grant us quiet and refreshing Rest, and let us readily return the next day to our Duties, and perform them to thy Glory, through Jesus Christ. Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. CONTRITION, OR Godly-Sorrow urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 Cor. 7.10. For Godly-Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of. THere is naturally in all Men so good an Opinion of themselves, and so much Self-love, that no one cares( if he can help it) to endure any Grief or Trouble of Mind, or can be easily brought to rebuk and condemn himself. But when we have been so foolish as to sin against God, we have made these things absolutely necessary to us: They are necessary to prevent far worse things which we must inevitably endure if we refuse these. We must judge, condemn, and afflict ourselves for our Sins under the Sorrows of a true Repentance, or be judged, condemned and punished by Almighty God: And it will be but a short Trouble to endure the Griefs of Repentance; they will soon end in joy, and he who thus mourns shall be comforted: But the wrath of God once kindled upon us will burn for ever, and punish us with Eternal Torment. Besides, the Sorrows of Repentance being attended with hope in the Divine Mercy, and allayed with the gracious Promise of Pardon, will be incomparably more tolerable and easy than that heavy Despair we must lye under for ever, and the gnawings of the never dying Worm which we must feel under the Eternal Punishments of Sin. This is according to the Account which the Apostle gives of our penitent and religious Sorrow for sin in the Text, when he says, Godly sorrow works Repentance unto salvation, &c. I have therefore thought it a good and useful Office to endeavour to promote this among Men; and to that purpose I proposed to insist upon these two Heads of Discourse concerning it. 1. To represent or describe the true godly Sorrow or Contrition, to which the Apostle in the Text ascribes so happy Effects. 2. To endeavour the persuading Men to entertain and practise it. The first of these was spoken to, and finished in the former Discourse: This latter will be the Subject of this. And that I may the better bring the unwilling Minds of Men to this unpleasant, but necessary remedy of their sins, I shall propose several Considerations which are apt in their own Nature to produce it in us, and which by the Blessing of God will do it, if we will allow them our serious Meditation: After which I shall add some other Considerations, which will be fit to make us willing to entertain, and meditate on the former till they may have their due Effect upon us. 1. In the first place, then, to beget in us this godly Sorrow, let us seriously consider the Multitude of the Offences which we commit against Almighty God. When we have a Nature prove to do Evil, when we converse in a sinful careless World, when we are continually haunted by a subtle industrious Adversary, whose great business it is to draw us into sin: How exceedingly must we needs multiply Transgressions if we do not take any care at all to avoid them, or if we do not take a great deal of care for that purpose. And if it be considered how many rash and unpremeditated Actions we do in the Course of our Lives, how many other Cares we have about our Actions, and how seldom we concern ourselves whether they be good or evil: If we consider the multitude of words that flow from us; and how easily we multiply thoughts, that the most if not all of these are good or evil, and we too commonly are careless what they are; especially, it may be, of our thoughts which we conceal: If we consider too the vast Latitude and Extent of the Law of God, how it reaches to every Relation we are in, and to every Circumstance of our Lives, and in how many ways we may transgress it: These things will make us think we have reason to say with David, Psal. 40.12. My sins are more in Number than the Hairs of my Head. And if such a Person as he could say this of himself, he who early addicted himself to Piety and virtue; he who said I will take heed to my ways: How much more reason may any one of us think he has to say it of himself? We may upon Examination find our known and evident Sins to be a great and amazing Number, and after that we must believe our unknown Sins to be many more; those which we took no notice of which we ignorantly committed, or have forgotten. Our best days need that request which our Saviour has taught us daily to use, Forgive us our Trespasses; and our best Actions need forgiveness for the Evil which we commonly mingle with them. To what a vast sum then must our Iniquities amount! But now, if there be vileness and evil in one act of sin, how much more must there be in so many! If we have cause to hate one sin for itself, how odious and displeasing to us should a life of wickedness be, and how much shane and trouble may it justly give us to think that we have so multiplied the most vile and shameful Actions! To think that it has not been an accidental thing, that which has but now and then happened to us to do such things but a course of living: That we have often repeated the same sins, even so as to turn them into habits, and to become accustomend to do evil. What a hearty indignation, what a sensible displeasure against ourselves might this justly create in us! A man may think there is some parallel between the numberless Sands of the Sea and his too numerous sins; and might say it were but fitting if it were possible, that my Tears should therefore equal the Waves of it. He might reasonably wish with the sad Prophet; Oh that my Head were Waters, and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears, that I might weep Day and Night for so many Transgressions. 2. Let us consider how displeasing and offensive to God the sins of his Creatures are. Men think their Actions as indifferent to Almighty God as they are to themselves, and that because they take little care whether they be good or bad, he does so too. But they forget that there is in sin the greatest injustice and wrong to him, the greatest unkindness and ingratitude, and the highest indignity and affront: That this is the most unlike thing, the most contrary to his glorious perfections that can be. It is very fitly said, that in all the Works of God there is something good; even the meanest of them has something that he can approve; but in sin, which is indeed no work of his but the Product of the perverse Will of his Creatures, there is nothing of goodness, nothing but what is offensive and displeasing to the pure Eyes of his Glory. There is an immense guilt and vileness in sin, and he resents and loathes it accordingly. As with an infinite Love he takes complacency in himself, so with an infinite Hatred he must needs regard and abhor our sins. Now let us think seriously of this matter. What an enormous thing must it be for his Creatures without any Necessity or just Inducement, to set before him that which is so extremely offensive and displeasing. That they who are beholden to him for their Being, who live and breath by him every moment, should so frequently, so greatly displease him! yea, and account it but a small, a light matter to return for all the good he does us, that which is the most odious and distasteful of all things to him! If we are apt to imagine that sin is not so very odious and offensive to him, we may upon a little Observation furnish ourselves with abundant Evidence of this. He has proved it severely in banishing the sinning Angels for ever from his Presence, spoiling them of all their Happiness, and dooming them to everlasting Punishment and Misery. He has proved it in condemning us to death and dissolution, in cursing and marring this beautiful and orderly Creation for the sins of Men, and in ordaining them to the same sad Punishments with the fallen Angels. These things we must look upon as being all of them contrary to the Original design of Creation. The good creator originally intended nothing but the Happiness of all his Creatures when he made them, he hated nothing that he had made, and does not delight in their Destruction or Misery. These severities then, we are to conclude, are in a manner drawn from him, by the base and unworthy Behaviour of his obliged Creatures. Herein then we may see his great and deep Resentment and Hatred of their sins; and since his hatred must needs be just our sins do deserve it all; and from his hatred we may learn that they deserve ours too, and this if it be well considered will be a likely means to raise it against them. 3. I may mention a Consequence of this for another Consideration to this purpose; and that is the many and terrible Mischiefs which our sins tend to bring upon us. By them we alienate God from us who is the only Fountain of Good, and by consequence must be in want of a great deal of Good. And since there is in them a mighty Provocation of his Displeasure, we must reckon they expose us to suffer all that Evil and Punishment which he has threatened, and has ever infliced for the sins of his Creatures. The consideration of this may serve to make us inquire into the Reasons, why our sins should be so extremely mischievous to us, and so help us to apprehended the Evil that is in the Nature of sin, and possess us with the right Principle of godly Sorrow. Let us then consider, that as by our sins we provoke God to withdraw from us, and do deserve that he should account us unworthy of his Benefits: So by them we expose ourselves to want the light and guidance of his good Spirit, the Fountain of all our Wisdom and virtue; without whom we can do nothing that becomes us, nothing that will be comfortable to us. So by some sin we are exposed to more; and when the holy Spirit is grieved and departs from us, we shall be liable to fall from one wickedness to another; when the holy Spirit leaves us the evil one takes possession, and will rule and led us captive at his Will. We forfeit also by our sins the Care and Favour of God's Providence, deserve to be left to ourselves in the management of our most important Affairs, which cannot but succeed very ill to us. We have not Skill enough to evade the unlucky Accidents that will across us, nor Power to overcome them: Without his Assistance and Blessing we can prosper in nothing. We shall be left to such Folly, or meet with such Misfortunes as shall blast all our projects and endeavours to help ourselves. And further, our sins must needs forfeit and lose also the everlasting Happiness of Heaven: No unclean thing can enter there. and without Holiness no Man can see GOd. These make us unfit as well as unworthy to come into his Presence. They tend to loose us, then, everlasting Felicities, unspeakable Joys, the most sweet, and ravishing, and eternal Pleasures. Let us consider again, As our sins expose us to these irreparable Losses of good things, so also they expose us to the sad bearing an Abundance of afflicting Evil. The sinner may look about him in the World, and see all the Misery and Calamity which afflicts Mankind, and say of every sort of it this is due to me, this have I deserved, and exposed myself to suffer by my sins. The wretched and contemptible Poverty of some, the noisome and wracking Diseases of others, the oppression and cruelty of Men which others are vexed with is due to me. When he hears of many swallowed alive by an Earthquake, or snatched away suddenly by a devouring Pestilence, or of many Thousands killed in War; he may say, any one of these Fates might have been ordered to me. Yea, we may sand our Thoughts down into the dismal Caverns of Hell, and consider what wretched Souls endure there in Punishment of their sins, and say all this have I deserved by mine; all this am I obnoxious and exposed to Let us consider a while the gloomy horrors of that eternal Prison, the Blackness of Darkness, the painful Fires, the Lashes of Conscience, the heavy Despair, the Rage and Malice of Devils, the want of all things comfortable there, and the Excess and Perfection of Misery, and say all this is due to me: All this is due to every one of my sins! How much more, then, with great Aggravation must it be due to such a multitude of sins as I have been guilty of! We might see there perhaps many condemned to those Miseries for the same sins that we have been guilty of; many that were cut down young and thrown into Hell at the first buddings of sin, who had not so many years of guilt and wickedness to answer for as we have? Thus we may see reason to fall out with sin from our own Interest: We may see 'tis the most hurtful thing to us in the whole World, a Fountain of unspeakable Eternal woes and miseries. And this makes it the wildest and most unreasonable Folly, to let ourselves be easily induced and drawn to wickedness. This may justly antidote us against all the allurements of sin, and enable us to reject them and say, It flatters to vex, and pleases to punish, and promises to serve and advantage us, but intends only to ruin and destroy. 4. When we consider the deserts of sin, the mighty provocation that we have given God to inflict them, and the multitude of our sins, it will be an amazing Consideration; and very fit to beget in us this Godly-sorrow, to consider further God's great Forbearance and Long-sufferings towards us. This as the Apostle says( Rom. 2.) Leads us to Repentance; that is, it is a most obliging, a most just and reasonable argument and motive to Repentance. Oh how fit is it to conquer all our Enmity against God! To consider what advantages we have given him against us, what provocations to destroy us, yet he has not done it! How much evil we have deserved, and how little we have suffered! To consider that he has upheld us while we forgot him, he has done us good while we injured him, has protected us while we have rebelled against him. These things surely should oblige us to love him, and to forsake whatever is displeasing to so good, so kind a Being. We may each of us say, it was not, O Lord, because thou couldst not destroy, it was not because it had been unjust to destroy me that I am still spared! It was not because thou hadst any need of me, nor for any Obligations I have laid upon thee to balance the provocations of my sins: But it is mere goodness which has spared me; it is only of the Lord's Mercy that I am not consumed, and because thy Compassions fail not! Because thou art slow to ANger and of great Mercy, and delightest not in the Death of a sinner, but had rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. By this thy wondrous Patience is the Day of Grace lengthened out to me, and I have time to use the means of Grace yet longer; to sue for my Pardon, and to work out my Salvation: Thou didst not secure my ruin by preventing my Repentance, because thou didst not desire my ruin. Oh, amazing Goodness! I have given thee provocation enough to desire my ruin, and still thou desirest my Happiness and Salvation, thou sparest that thou mightest find me fit to be forgiven, and to oblige me to be fit to be forgiven. Thou hast not born with only one Act of sin, but with a multitude of sinful Acts; not only with one sin but with many. Thou hast seen me wallowing in sin, without any care or thought to forsake my Filthiness: Thou hast seen me convinced of the unreasonableness of sin, and in obedience to such a Conviction forsaking it for a-while, and yet returning and relapsing to it again, like the Dog to his Vomit, and the filthy Swine to the Mire, yet thou hast spared me. Thou hast seen me abufing all thy Gifts, yet hast added one Mercy after another to me, hast seen me sinning under Afflictions, yet hast gently afflicted, in the midst of wrath remembering Mercy, and hast done me good by Afflictions! I must aclowledge thy Patience and Forbearance, O Lord, to be as infinite as my Guilt and Wickedness. It is fit to astonish me to think, that all thy Creatures have by thy Order and Command sustained and served me, while I have rebelled against thee: It is a wonder they have not avenged their Creatour's quarrel; and if they had set about it the weakest and the meanest of them could have done it: One breath of Air, one small Fly, one hot Sun-heam might have eased thee of thine Adversary, and avenged thee of thine Enemy, yet I live! And the foul Fiend whom I have followed and conformed to in defiance of thee; whom I have trusted and believed before the God of Truth and Goodness; whose Temptations have been dearer to me than thy Commands would have been, as ready to punish as he has been to tempt, would have been glad to have killed me upon thy Commission, and to have dragged me, e'er this, into his eternal Prison; but thou hast defended me from him. Thou hast commanded my Food to nourish. clothes to warm me, the Sun to shine, Showers to fall, the Earth to bring forth Fruits; thou hast continued Summer and Winter, Seedtime and Harvest partly for me, and for a multitude of such provoking Wretches as me: For thou Lord art strong and patient, tho' thou art provoked every Day! Can we think such thoughts without being hearty ashamed, that we have thus exercised the Divine Patience, and without resolving we will no more do it? Ought not such things to beget in us such a resolution? Can we say it is not most highly reasonable and just, that such Forbearance should soften our hard Hearts, melt us into the most passionate Resentments of our Baseness and the Divine Goodness, and make us seriously intend, and endeavour utterly to forsake our sins? The perverseness of Men indeed, is wont too often to make the present Impunity of Sinners, and God's Patience an Encouragement to continue in sin; But is it not the most monstrous Perverseness, that this should have such an Effect? that we should carry ourselves ill, and provoking to God, because he is gentle and loth to be angry with us: That we should encourage ourselves to continue in Enmity and Rebellion against him by his Obligations of us to the contrary! We shall the better understand what the Nature of such a Carriage is, and what Resentments we may suppose the great God to have of it, if we consider how great a Crime such a thing is reckoned among Men, and how ungovernable a Rage and Displeasure it usually provokes in ourselves against any that use us after such a manner. 5. Let us consider further the Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which he endured to atone for our Sins, and to reconcile our offended God to us. In this we must needs see a most terrible proof of God's displeasure and offence against the sins of Men: In that his well-beloved Son becoming a Mediator on our behalf, could not obtain the Pardon of them without some suffering and Penalty. God did not think it for his Honour to grant this to him upon easier terms, than to bear the Curse of the Law, to shed his most precious Blood, and lay down his Life in our stead. And certainly we cannot conceive an instance of Love Parallel to his doing this for us. Herein is Love! says the Apostle( 1 John 1.16.) This is that wherein it does shine with its brightest Glory! This is the greatest, the most amazing instance of Love that ever was, That God hath laid down his Life for us. Let us consider the Son of God taking our Nature, that he might destroy the Works of the Devil; condescending to become one of us, that he might by an excellent Example led and draw us from Evil: That it was for this he dwelled on Earth, he went about here doing good; he preached his excellent Instructions which he has left behind him. Let us consider him laying down his Life, and making his Soul an offering for Sin. And doing all this with a Design to win us from our Sins to oblige us to forsake them. Let us consider we despise his Love, if we do not despise them; we hate him who has thus loved us, if we do not fall out with them; we reject him and all the Benefits of his Passion, all the offers of his wonderful Love if we entertain them. The Love of Jesus, then, and the love of Sin cannot consist together. This we may reckon is the Enemy that has wounded, that has reviled, has scourged, and crucified him. All this has it done to our Saviour and Friend to him that has loved us to the Death, and died for Love of us; ought it not then to be a most hateful thing to us? And can we pretend to any Love, to any Gratitude to the Redeemer, if we still cherish and retain that which has cost him for our Sakes so very dear: We might suppose him from his tormenting across hanging there on great Nails, with the Blood flowing from his Head, and from his Hands, and from his Feet, and from his Side, bespeaking a Sinner thus, and saying, Sinner all this I endure for thy sake, and my inward Sufferings besides what thou seest are more than thou art able to conceive, such a Sacrifice thy vile Sins need to atone for them; and I am loathe to with-hold any instance of Love that is necessary to thee; I account not my Life, my Blood too dear to part with, to ransom thee from everlasting Misery. It is I that desire, I entreat thee to part with thy Sins; those vile, those needless things which I hate above all things, I hang here in vain, and do all this to no purpose if thou wilt not repent of and forsake thy Sins; my Blood will not atone for thee, my Death will not save thee if thou dost not this. It is then to trample upon my precious Blood, to despise all my Love if thou wilt still retain thy Sins. But wilt thou thus require him that so exceedingly loves thee! Surely I may be taken for a Friend, being so much concerned for thy Happiness and Welfare; if thou doubtest of this, Reach hither thy singer and behold my hands; reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not Faithless but believing. Believe me that I desire nothing but thy Happiness; I do not grudge thee any advantage thy Sins would bring: But I pity thee for that unspeakable Misery, that lamentable Destruction which they will bring thee to, if thou dost not forsake them. Wilt thou not then gratify me in such a request, which I am so much set upon, and which 'tis so necessary, so useful to thyself to comply with? Do I take such a costly method as this to reconcile God to thee, and art thou resolved not to be reconciled? These surely are thoughts very fit to make us fall out with our Sins, to grieve that we have cost our kind Saviour so much grief; to hate what has wounded and tormented him, and abandon what is so displeasing to him: That which is so contrary as our sins are, to all the Obligations of Love and Gratitude to him. All these Considerations are undoubtedly very fit in their own Nature to produce and excite in us this Godly-Sorrow: But that they may do so, we must entertain them in our Minds; we must suffer them to abide and dwell there; and sometimes seriously meditate upon them: But this is that Men do not care for; tho' these are things of great Importance, and fit to influence us, and deserve to do so, yet the proper influence of them being for the present mortifying and uneasy, we seek to divert and keep them off when they offer themselves; so far are we from seeking and giving ourselves up to them, as we should do at some solemn times. To obtain this therefore of ourselves, let us consider these two Arguments more for this Contrition. 1. The very happy Fruits and Advantages of a true Contrition. It is indeed bitter but very wholesome; it is uneasy in its Operation, but most happy and pleasant in its Effects. The Apostle recommends it by these in the Text, when he says, that it works Repentance, it divorces between us and our Sins and gives us Salvation: Well might he add therefore, as he does, that this will never be repented of. Great things may be expected from this upon the gracious and encouraging Promises which the Scriptures make to it. The Psalmist says, Psal. 51.17. The Sacrifices of God are abroken Spirit; this is that which he valves most in Sinners, and had rather meet with this than receive thousands of Rams, or ten thousands of Rivers of oil, if they could be offered in Sacrifice to him: And this he will accept as the Psalmist signifies in the following words, A broken and a contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise. Again, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of this temper of Spirit, in the most obliging and encouraging terms( Isa. 57.15.) Thus saith the high and lofty one, who inhabiteth Eternity, whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy Place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones: If our sins estrange God fromus, our Contrition will bring him nigh to us again in Favour and Mercy. This happy Disposition shall certainly repair all the Losses, and cure all the mischiefs of our Sins. But it may be useful to mention more particularly the happy Fruits and Benefits of this which are these. 1. It shall be blessed and rewarded with the full Pardon of all our Sins, this is expressly promised, 1 Joh. 1.9. For the Apostle says, if we confess our sins, that is with Godly-Sorrow, he will forgive us our sins. And to make this unquestionable he says, We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, who also is the Propitiation for our sins: This all true Penitents may apply to themselves: They may be assured, that the same kind Jesus who died a Sacrifice for sin as he rose again from the Dead, so he ever lives to make Intercession for Sinners. Our Saviour designed to represent the readiness of a Pardon for all true Penitents, in his Parable of the Prodigal, as well as to give the Character of a true Penitent: Therefore he makes his Father meet him with Favour when he was returning, and ready to bestow more than the poor humbled Sinner could have Confidence to ask. But how great an Inducement to Repentance is this, how worthy and fit to prevail with us? God is ready to lay aside all his just Displeasure against us, and should not we then be ready to lay aside our unreasonable Enmity against him. Is there not a great deal of Argument in this, that we shall avoid his eternal Wrath and Vengeance; and shall be received into Favour with him, and be treated as his dear Children? All our past Transgressions tho' never so many, our iniquities tho' never so great, shall be no more remembered against us than as if they had never been Committed. Oh, how should it transport us, how should it draw us to God to hear that there is Forgiveness with him! How great a force should the Cords of such a wondrous love have with us! 2. Yet further another happy Fruit and Benefit of this will be our Sanctification This the Apostle Promises also in saying, he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, as well as forgive: And this may answer that foolish Plea of some lazy Souls, that they cannot dismiss and put away their Sins: If any are hearty grieved and troubled for their Sins, if they earnestly desire to forsake them, and seriously endeavour this, the good Spirit of God will be ready to assist them. The true Penitent who hates what he before loved, and loathes now the Sins he delighted in; and therefore makes his earnest Addresses to the great Physician, and compassionate Lover of Souls; he is that Person weary and heavy laden, who shall find rest to his Soul, as our Saviour promises, mat. 11.28. But how great and desirable a Benefit is this happy Operation? It is like ease to broken bones, like the restoring of Health and Vigour to him that was fainting and pineing in Sickness. It must needs please a Man exceedingly to find that he is recovering out of a great and vile Disparagement, that he shall regain the great Glory of the human Nature in the Divine Image, and become again like his Celestial Kindred, such as God and Holy Angels can take some Complacency in. That now he is in hopes to have no more or but very little reason to fall out with himself: He shall enjoy the sweet applauses of a good Conscience. There is joy in heaven, our Saviour says over one sinner that repenteth; and must it not be then a very joyful thing especially to himself. 3. These two forementioned Benefits will afford a third which is the hope of future Blessedness and Glory. The happy Man so far as he is sanctified is fitted for Heaven; and being pardoned he is become a Child of God and an Heir of Heaven. Thus greatly is he exalted who humbles himself in a lowly Repentance: And he may by the Promise of God, and through the merits of Jesus Christ expect that he shall at length be taken from this World to a better, to dwell with Angels and enjoy God himself for ever. Oh wondrous and happy Change! He that justly accounted himself less than the least of all Mercies shall be advanced to the greatest! He who was an Heir of Hell and obnoxious to everlasting Misery, who might before have been in Fear every moment lest he should be thrown into that, may now say to himself the joyful Period constantly approaches which shall translate me to eternal Bliss, and may come for ought I know the next moment. Now since these are effects of Godly-Sorrow, we may conclude this Sorrow has more true Joy and Pleasure attending it than all the mad Mirth and Jollity of sinners. And we may readily subscribe to what our Saviour says of it, Blessed are they that mourn since they shall be thus Comforted. But to enforce this Consideration the more, I desire, 2. In the next place that we may seriously bethink ourselves of our Death, and the important things that follow it, and consider what are likely to be our thoughts of these Matters in those Circumstances. Let every one of us soberly think with himself, what if it were just now that I were summoned to depart hence; suppose this moment were to be the last of my Life, and I may the more reasonably suppose this because I know not but it may be so. But if I knew it to be so what should I then think of all my past Transgressions! What esteem or value should I have for all the Profits, Pleasures, or Honours which my Sins had gained for me! Alas, how poor and useless things would they appear when none could help me out of the greatest Distress, none of them could defer the fatal Period! should I not conclude I had even lost a Life irrecoverably, and spent it in vain in the Service of sin? As we shall then certainly think the Favour of God, and the assured hopes of Blessedness the greatest Advantages that a poor Mortal wretch could secure to himself; let us think the same thing now, which is now as true as it will be then, tho' we cannot now so well apprehended the necessity and usefulness of those Advantages as we shall do then: And let us therefore take care to secure them by lamenting and forsaking our sins. But we may do well to carry our thoughts further and consider what will follow our Death: That if this overtakes us before we have abandoned our sins and made our Peace with God, we must straightway make our appearance before our righteous offended Judge, and by him be committed to enraged and spiteful Devils, and be doomed to have our Portion among them in Darkness and Misery for ever. And let us consider what we should think of our Sins if they had brought us already to this as they will do it if we persist in them. When we see ourselves irrecoverably lost, condemned to eternal Pain and Misery and cut off from all Hope of Mercy, should we not be amazed at our Folly to call to mind what vain and trifling Allurements could draw us to incur the everlasting Perdition of our Souls? Should we not then hate ourselves for despising the offered Favour of God, and severely lash and condemn ourselves for slighting and refusing his Pardon? Should we not then believe the Sorrow and Bitterness of Repentance infinitely below those terrible Woes and Griefs, and wish most earnestly, but in vain, that we had prevented those Sorrows by a religious Grief? If it be likely, if it be credible that such things may come to pass, let us secure ourselves as well as we can against them by a serious and speedy Repentance. Let us mourn for sin while our Mourning will do us some good, while it will obtain the Pardon of our sins and a right to everlasting Blessedness. Let us judge and condemn ourselves and so prevent the terrible Condemnation of God. This happy advantage the Gospel offers us, and the Patience of God yet gives us space and opportunity to secure it. Oh let it make us, to secure it, hasten to leave our sins, and spend the remainder of our days in Righteousness and true Holiness: So shall we upon our departure hence be carried by kind Angels to that happy Place where all tears shall be wiped from our Eyes, where sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and at last we shall enter into our Masters unspeakable eternal joy. Which God of his infinite Mercy Grant we may do thro' the Merits of Jesus Christ; to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory world without end. Amen. THE PRAYER. O Eternal and Ever Blessed God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and the Great Judge and governor of the World: Thou art the Holy and Righteous God who lovest Righteousness, and hatest Iniquity; to Thee, O Lord, are known all our Thoughts, and Words, and Actions, and all things are open and naked before Thee. When we consider these things we are ashamed and confounded to think how frequently, how heinously we have sinned against Thee. O Lord, we must needs abhor ourselves for our Unrighteousness, our Ingratitude, our Rebellions against Thee. We cannot conceal our sins, and therefore we humbly confess them, and we will abase ourselves before Thee. We do aclowledge, O Lord, we are not worthy to breath in thy Air, to see the cheerful Light of thy Sun, to enjoy the Fruits of thy Earth; we are unworthy to live, and have deserved an Eternal Death. We freely condemn ourselves, but oh, do not Thou condemn us! We fly from the Tribunal of thy Justice to the Throne of thy Grace; and Thou hast told us that Thou art a God forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin: We know also that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our Sins. We rely upon the Sacrifice of his Death, the Abundance of his Merit, and the Power of his Intercession; and in his Name, O Father of Mercies, we humbly crave the Pardon of all our Sins. We beseech Thee to deliver us from the Power of Sin; Oh let no Iniquity have Dominion over us. We are weary of the Tyranny of Sin, and desire to be admitted to the happy Freedom of thy Service. Pour upon us an Abundance of thy Grace, and make us fruitful in all good Works. Grant us to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. To live soberly, righteously and godly in this present World: Teach us to deny ourselves, and to live to thy Honour and Glory. Make us to take heed to our ways that we sin not against Thee; to shun the Appearance of Evil, and carefully avoid all Temptations to wickedness. Possess us we pray Thee with a deep Sense of thy wondrous obliging Love to Mankind; of thy Goodness exercised in creating us, of thy inestimable Love in redeeming us; that a mighty Love to Thee may possess our Hearts, and constrain us to keep thy Commandments; and give us a due Love to our Neighbour. Make us concerned out of Love to Thee, and our Neighbour, to promote thy Glory, and the Love and Fear of Thee in the World. Grant that our Light may so shine before Men, that they seeing our good Works may glorify Thee our Father which art in Heaven. Look down in Mercy we pray Thee upon the wretched World which lies in wickedness: And let thy Gospel run and be glorified in the Conversion and Salvation of many Souls. Grant that all that name the Name of Christ may depart from Iniquity, and may live so as to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Give thy Church we pray Thee Prosperity and Peace. Be favourable we humbly beseech Thee to the Land of our Nativity; Deal not with us, O Lord, after our Sins, neither reward us according to our Iniquities: Pardon us we beseech Thee, and cleanse and deliver us from all that is contrary to thy Glory, and to our Peace and Welfare; advance and promote amongst us all true Piety and virtue; and be our Defence against all foreign Enemies. Bless our King with all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings; make him the glorious Instrument of our Reformation, Peace, and Happiness; and make us ready to yield to him all due Honour and Obedience. Be favourable to the Royal Family, preserve and defend it, and bless it we pray Thee with an abundant Effusion of Divine Graces, and prosper it with all Happiness. Bless we pray Thee our Relations according to their several Necessities; do good to all our benefactors and Friends, forgive our Enemies, persecutors and Slanderers, and turn their Hearts. We give Thee thanks for all the Mercies of our Lives, particularly for those of this Day, especially for the means of Grace, and the hope of Glory. Let thy good Providence watch over us this Night, and give us comfortable and refreshing rest; and grant that all our remaining Days may be spent in thy Service, that we may at last come to the rest which remains for the Servants of God. All our requests we present in the Name of Jesus Christ, and we sum up our Desires in his own words, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. General Remedies against Sin offered, and our own Endeavour urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Psalm 119.106. I have sworn, and I will perform it; that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments. THere are many more Sinners brought to promise and resolve that they will forsake their Sins and led good Lives, than there are that keep and practise such Resolutions. And with some Men it is a common thing both to make good Resolutions and to break them. The reason of this is; Because it is much easier and cheaper to us to purpose and intend well, than to follow our good purposes with suitable practise. The one is done in a short fit the other must be a work of time. We must take pains with ourselves, and that perhaps in a long course of steadfast Endeavour to conquer vicious Habits, and to introduce good and virtuous ones in the room of them. 'tis true, the Grace of God must be owned to work in us both to will and to do all that is good: But tho' he works in us to will without ourselves preventing us by his Grace, yet he works in us to do by ourselves: We must come to this by our own Industry and Labour, as well as by his Grace. And herein it is that Men commonly desert themselves. When they have made their vows and promises to reform and live well they never mind them: They suffer themselves to be diverted from the necessary care and endeavour to perform them by the cares and entertainments of this World and so they come to nothing. I shall at this time, then, propose the Psalmist's Example as it is represented in these words, and urge the Imitation of it. He says to God I have sworn, and I will perform it; that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments. We do otherwise render this Verse, in that Translation of the Psalms which is used in our Liturgy, thus; I have sworn and am steadfastly purposed, &c. which is more exactly according to the Septuagint, and to the Letter of the Hebrew ( Muis in loc.) But yet both these ways of expressing it come to this same sense and meaning, that the Psalmist did not forget his good Resolutions as soon as he had made them, he did not neglect them afterwards, but applied himself, with a diligent endeavour and care, to do what he had sworn and resolved. I may, then, from these words insist upon and urge this necessary Endeavour: Which that I may the more usefully do I shall employ the following Discourse in these two things. 1. To represent what endeavour and care must be used towards the reforming ourselves, and living well, when we have resolved and promised this: What course a Man must take to perform his good Resolutions. 2. To urge the industrious Application of our own endeavour to this purpose. In the first place I shall represent what endeavour and care of our own must be exercised towards the reforming ourselves, and that we may become good and religious: And to that purpose these things following are to be observed. 1. We must carefully maintain a Sense of God's continual Presence with us. We must know and consider that the great Judge and governor of the World always observes us: We are in the continual View of a Righteous and Holy God who loves Righteousness and hates Iniquity: Solomon proposes this as fit to restrain Men from wickedness, Prov. 5.21. Where after he had been cautioning Men against a vile sort of wickedness commonly committed in fecret, he joins these words to his Discourse, For the ways of Man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings: We must remember that his Eyes behold and his Eye-lids try the Children of Men, Psal. 11.4. He sees and censures all our Actions. The wise Moralist( Seneca Ep. 11.) persuaded himself that a great part of our Faults would be prevented, if we had always at hand a witness to our Actions. We should therefore( says he) fix upon some very good Man whom we and all the World esteem and reverence, and suppose ourselves always in his sight and presence, and do all things as if he beholded us. We should suppose him either as having Authority to censure and restrain us from Evil, or as a Pattern of virtue to be imitated. And that Man( says he) that shall thus reverence and consider such an excellent Person, shall soon come himself to deserve such Reverence from others. But if this be so useful an Instrument of Reformation and virtue, how much rather must it be so to set God always before us? whom we may not only suppose to see us, but may be assured that he does sees us: who is the most glorious and perfect Pattern of all moral Excellency; and a strict and just Censurer of our Actions. To consider that he sees them and concerns himself what they are; he beholds them with approbation or dislike, and with intention to reward or punish them. He sees in secret and will reward them openly. The influence of this towards a good Life the Psalmist expresses from his own Experience, Psal. 119.168. I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimonies for all my ways are before thee. Which is as much as to say this was to me a great encouragement to my Duty, to think, I should be observed by thee in the doing it, and this has restrained me from doing Evil that I could not conceal myself from thee. Let us then consider God's presence and observance of us as he does in Psal. 139. and often tell ourselves; God knows my down-sitting and my up-rising; he understands my thought afar off; he is acquainted with all my ways; there is not a word in my tongue but he knows it altogether. When we are alone we should think I am here in the presence of God: When in the dark, that the Darkness and Light are both alike to him: I am always surrounded by his Majesty and Glory, by his Power and Greatness, by his Purity and Holiness. Tho' we see him not yet is he nigh to every one of us. Faith and Reason should represent what our Eyes cannot, and we should always govern ourselves, like Moses, as seeing him that is invisible, Heb. 11.27. 2. That we may abstain from Evil and live well, we must have a constant care and concern upon us what it is that we do, with respect to the Good or Evil of our Actions. It must be the chief part of our Care about our Course of Life that it be Religious and virtuous, and be kept free from all Sin and Wickedness. If we are careless of ourselves in this matter it is not possible we should live well: We must walk circumspectly as the Apostle advices, that is, take good notice whether the Course of Life we led be good or bad, and take great care that it be good. So Moses urges this twice in one Chapter as a necessary means of doing well, Deut. 4.9.23. Take heed to thyself( says he to Israel) and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the Covenant of the Lord thy God. Now this concern and care about the Nature of our Actions includes these two things. A constant watchfulness and observance of ourselves; and a frequent deliberate and purposed Examination of ourselves. We must be as constantly watchful over ourselves as we can; be wont to take notice of all that moves within us or passes from us; to reflect upon our own Actions. Solomon means and recommends this when he says, A prudent Man looketh well to his going, Prov. 14.15. Our way is every where beset with Snares and Temptations and therefore we had need to observe our Steps. The Apostle Peter bids us be sober, and vigilant; because our Adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour. And as it is the Design of a subtle industrious Adversary to draw us into Sin, so our own depraved and vicious Nature is very liable and inclined to it; and then between both as our danger must be exceeding great, we cannot possibly be safe unless our care be great too. The gross Faults which are recorded of some good Men loudly proclaim the common Necessity of this observance of ourselves. Our Saviour therefore pronounces his Direction to it thus to his Disciples, What I say unto you I say unto all watch. But notwithstanding the Necessity and Importance of thus observing ourselves, it is that which we too frequently intermit; and therefore it is necessary that we often set apart some Times for a serious and deliberate Examination of ourselves. We should examine our Actions impartially and severely; and take notice of the several Circumstances which aggravate the Evil or diminish the Good of them. This is an excellent Means of Reformation and virtue; therefore the Prophet exhorts to it as such, Lam. 3.40. saying, Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord: Intimating that this Course would both induce us to and direct us in our Conversion. And indeed how can we amend our errors if we do not know wherein we have erred? Or how can we fall out with our Sins if we do not well consider the Circumstances that aggravate them? Which things require a strict and serious Examination. David speaks the Usefulness of this also from his own Experience, Psal. 119.59. I thought on my ways( says he) and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies. But this is an Exercise which should be often repeated that we might receive much Benefit from it. And certainly the doing it but once in a Month in preparation for the Lord's Supper cannot be enough almost for any of us. Tho' it were to be wished that all Persons who are come to the years of discretion would constantly do that, and if that were duly done we might hope to see a great deal of Reformation. But we should besides have some Examination of ourselves every Evening. It was the Precept of a famous Philosopher among the Heathens ( Pythag.) do not admit sleep( said he) into your Eyes till you have thrice recollected every single Action of the Day; And say what have I done? Wherein have I transgressed? What Duty have I omitted? The Apostle certainly urges this practise with a very great and cogent Motive, 1 Cor. 11.21. If we would Judge ourselves we should not be judged: His meaning is; this Course would be likely to deliver us from the judgement of God to our Condemnation and Punishment as we may learn from the following Verse. This Examination when seriously performed will renew and revive a Man's Repentance for his faults, and his Resolutions against them: It will mightily cherish and maintain the Fear of God in us which is the Beginning of Wisdom. It gives Authority and Power to a Man's Conscience and teaches him( as that Philosopher very significantly speaks) to reverence and stand in awe of himself: And it will in a little time make a Man much the more careful to avoid all manner of Evil, when he knows beforehand that the letting himself do it will bring him in the End of the Day to remorse and shane, and an uneasy Indignation against himself. 3. Another good means of living well and absolutely necessary is, that we do carefully avoid all Temptations to wickedness. Some Men, tho' they pretend to be fallen out with their Sins, yet they take a secret Pleasure to be tempted to them still: But there is a secret Iniquity in that Pleasure, and it speaks too much Inclination to the Sin. It is well said by a very wise author( Excellent Woman) She that pleases her self to be in the Midst of her Enemies may be justly suspected to have a Desire to be overcome. Another says 'tis impossible a Man should willingly abide by a Temptation for a good End. And indeed 'tis seldom this can be without an ill Effect. Men foolishly dally with the pleasing Allurement till they are overthrown and conquered. Temptation excites and provokes the Appetite, and inflames Concupiscence to an ungovernable Rage. And we help this to prevail upon us when we let it come near: and do needlessly and frequently converse with it. It is a dangerous presumption to do thus upon the account of our own weakness and proneness to do Evil: And besides it offends and provokes the Spirit of God to abandon us. He, we may expect, will defend us in Temptations which we cannot avoid; which the Course of God's Providence and our Duty necessary bring us into; but we cannot with any good reason expect he should defend us in those which we do needlessly and perhaps from a bad Inclination expose ourselves to. Tho' we show the strength of our virtue well, when we stand unmoved in a very importunate Temptation, which we did not foresee and could not avoid, yet we render the sincerity of our virtue very suspicious when we love to be tempted to wickedness. And every Man shall meet with unavoidable Temptations enough in every State and Condition of Life; so that no one needs to seek Temptations that he may try and show the strength of his virtue by them. Under this direction to avoid Temptations is included that we should take a great deal of care what the Company is which we much converse with: that we avoid as much as may be the Conversation of such as are given up to any sort of Wickedness. In the Society of vicious and profane Persons there will usually be such Evil Communication as the Apostle says does corrupt good Manners, 1 Cor. 15.33. Their allurements to do Evil, their boasting of their Sins, their profane Discourse, and perhaps witty deriding of Religion will greatly endanger the corrupting of an innocent and pure Mind. Much rather will such Conversation be likely to throw him back into sin who has yet but young and weak Resolutions to be virtuous; who is but beginning to reform himself from ill Practices which formerly he was accustomed to. Among the Temptations to wickedness must also be reckoned the alluring pleasant Representations of it, which are made in some sorts of Books, and some other ways: the idle Labours of wanton vicious Wits, and very often of Fools. Such things the weak in virtue especially, and the Ignorant, and the Penitent; those that need and desire to be reformed must wholly abstain from. As the great delight which some young unexperienced Persons take in this sort of Entertainment proceeds but from ill Inclination it shows the great Danger of allowing it; and it is commonly, if much allowed, attended with very mischievous Effects. The Improvement which we see such Persons make in this way commonly lies in their learning to ridicule all that is serious and venerable; to argue subtly against truth till themselves come to believe lies; to despise the true Ornaments of human Nature, Piety and virtue; and to laugh themselves into Misery and Ruin. 4. In order to the reforming of evil, and practising of virtue, a Man must exercise himself much in Self-denials. Without doubt our Saviour suggests to us the necessity and importance of this, in making it one of the first Lessons to be learnt by those that will become his Disciples, mat. 16.24. we must practise, and accustom ourselves to the contradicting our own Appetites and Passions, our Wills and Humours. In denying ourselves sometimes what we may desire and do, we shall learn, and get Power, to govern and contradict ourselves when tempted to desire what we may not do. We must mortify and subdue the Appetites and Desires of the Flesh by frequent Abstinences from lawful Gratifications. We must not only seldom excite and awaken the sleeping Desire, but often check and refuse when it calls to be gratified. The desires of the Flesh must be often sparing gratified and put off with what is least Pleasant in its kind, rather than indulged and honoured with what is most so. This Course would tend to make them easy and governable: Whereas a liberal Gratification and Indulgence will be apt to give them more strength than we can well manage. The strong and vigorous Penitents, and those who have strong and habitual Vices to overcome, must use frequent Fastings, or spare Diet, and upon coarse Fare: And add to these hard Labour, uneasy Garments, or Lodgings, much watching, and all such things as tend, without prejudice of Health, to humble the Body: That they may keep it under and bring it into Subjection as S. Paul says he endeavoured to do, 1 Cor. 9.27. It is good and necessary advice, that a Man who would reform himself from an habitual Sin he must use very sensible and uneasy Mortifications for every single Act that he returns to, and that steadily, in a continued Course. This would make him at length distaste and despise that which comes always encumbered with much Pain and inconvenience: Thus must we mortify the Deeds of the Body that we may live, Rom. 8.13. But moreover; there is an interior Mortification to be practised as well as an exterior; and we must deny and subdue our own Wills and Humours. There are spiritual Vices and Wickednesses to be rooted up and destroyed, if we would make a through Reformation in ourselves, as well as sensual: And these are the worst sort of Sins of the two. Sensual sins indeed are brutish and make the Sinner so, but these are Devilish; such are Pride, Anger, Malice, Envy, Contention, Covetousness, heresy, Disobedience and the like; and we must know that without a particular Care these may and often do grow and flourish amid many exterior Mortifications, and are often cherished and maintained even by them. Now we must often deny our own Will and Humour to mortify and root up these. We must then accustom ourselves to desire nothing of God but with an entire Resignation and Submission to his Will. We must carefully purify all our Intentions, and endeavour to have no Self-interest, no private Design of Honour, Wealth, or Worldly advantage to ourselves in any thing we do; but should design all for the Glory of God and the good of our Neighbour. We must also( as our Saviour directs) take up our across daily: That is, we must set ourselves to bear with Patience, the Disappointments and Contradictions to our own Will and Humour which we meet with in the World. A multitude of these we shall commonly meet with, and they may be made effectual Instruments of virtue and Reformation, if Men will accustom themselves to bear and use them rightly. We must not, then, suffer ourselves to make fierce Oppositions to every thing that Crosses us. If there be necessity to oppose any thing in the just defence of our Interests, or of the Honour of our Station and Relations, yet we should endeavour to do this always with a Composure and Calmness of mind. And when there are not very ill Consequences of the things which thus exercise us, we should not let ourselves resent them perhaps at all. We must not be peremptory or impatient to throw off every tolerable Inconvenience, nor fly from our Station and Circumstances, or neglect the Duties of them for every little Adversity and Contradiction that we meet with. It is a good means to learn obedience to the Laws of God, to practise and accustom ourselves to a quiet Submission to his Providence. This latter indeed is part of our Duty, but it is also a very useful means to dispose us to every other Duty. Therefore is it usual with God to teach Men obedience by Affliction and Trouble, and perhaps there are few of us that will be brought into good order without it. To accustom ourselves to this Submission tames the proud will of Man, and makes it governable and obedient. It learns us to have no will of our own, but to be resigned to the Will of God, which is the grand Principle of all Obedience. A devout Author therefore wisely said, Cesset Voluntas propria& infernus not erit.( Bernard 3 Serm. de Resurrect. Dom.) If the Affectation of having our own Will were perfectly banished from the World, Hell might be extinguished too. 5. Lastly, it is an excellent means to root up 'vice and form ourselves to virtue and Goodness, to make ourselves diligent in some good and innocent employment. Idleness cherishes all manner of 'vice, and lawful Business well followed blasts it: 'tis true, some Men find themselves unlawful Business, and some Sin in the excess of their Application to that which is lawful, and in these Cases the more diligent Men are the more, wicked they are: But if these Cases be excepted and Men keep themselves within the Bounds of what is lawful in this Matter, then will even worldly Business prove an excellent means of virtue. This keeps the thoughts within compass, accustomes them to Command, tames the Animal Spirits, and keeps them governable, occasions the frequent denial and contradiction of our Appetites, helps us in this, and so keeps them regular. Business is a very good preventive of excessive Pleasure; a good remedy against Pride, and Profaneness. And Business of our own well attended will keep us from the impertinent and troublesone sins of meddling with the concerns and Actions of our Neighbours, of censuring our superiors, and of troubling the State with noise and clamour; of Slandering and Backbiting and reproaching of others. Many a Man wants this to keep him from Prodigality, who, having nothing else to do, Studies nothing but how to spend his Money, and waste his Patrimony. Something to do tho' it were of little use in its self, yet would be of great use to this purpose, to keep us from the common Follies and Mischiefs of Idleness. The most slothful and lazy Soul that is has commonly so much Activity in its Nature, that it will rather choose to be doing ill than doing nothing. Bad desires says one( Excellent Woman) are constantly forming themselves in that Soul which has no Employment. Such a Soul, too, is at leisure, is disposed to receive the evil Suggestions of our Adversary the Devil: And when he sees the lucky opportunity of finding us doing nothing, it even tempts him to tempt us to Wickedness. A Man might be so wise as to make one Business a diversion to another to keep himself always in some good and innocent Employment. He that has no Trade to follow, may keep himself much employed in the necessary Care of managing his Estate, so as that he may either improve, or maintain and use it for the benefit and comfort of those that depend upon him. And it may divert him from these and employ him still to set himself to seek and use all opportunities of doing good Offices to his Neighbours. And some time he may and ought to spend daily in exercises of Piety and Devotion: And some time would be spent in retired study and Meditation for the Improvement of himself in Learning and virtue, that he may the better adorn and become his elevated Condition. Certainly none can think they want employment to keep them from the Dangers and Mischiefs of Idleness, who will but seriously consider that they have immortal Souls, whose Happiness for ever they must secure and provide for in this short transitory Life: Who will but consider the many Dangers these are in while they remain in this World: What Defilements and unfitness for Happiness they have contracted which must be purged away: And what divine Qualifications they want which must be gained; upon the account of which things we are bid by the Apostle to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling. These are the endeavours absolutely necessary to those especially, who from habitually vicious would become virtuous and good. Besides these endeavours we must diligently use the public appointed means of Grace, such as hearing the Word of God preached, public Prayers, the Holy Sacraments: And must add to all the rest private and deliberate Meditation on Divine things, but these things require to be insisted on severally. I shall now proceed to the second part of the Discourse, which is to exhort and urge Man to use their own Endeavours towards the forming themselves to Religion and virtue. To which purpose I would propose the following particulars to their serious Consideration. 1. The end we labour for in this Case is highly worth our utmost Labour and Care. It is not an unnecessary, it is not an unprofitable thing to be virtuous and Religious. He that had tried it said, In keeping the Commands of God there is great reward. Our endeavour to be virtuous and Religious is an endeavour to be Wife and Happy, and which tends to make us so: To have a good Command over ourselves; to keep our own Appetites and Passions from being troublesone, from being hurtful to us; to preserve and enjoy a steady Peace and tranquillity of Mind. In this we endeavour to led such a Course of Life as shall always be attended with the best Relish and Sense of the Pleasures of this World; which they only enjoy who use these Pleasures with Temperance and Sobriety: We endeavour to live so as will best maintain and improve the Portion of good which God has given us in this World; so as to deserve the love and esteem of Men; to preserve our Health, and give a Man a long and easy Life. Such a Course we endeavour as will be blessed with the pleasing Applauses of a good Conscience; with a lively Sense of the Favour of Almighty God; and with the joyful Hopes of eternal Happiness in the World to come. We endeavour so to live, as, if we persevere in it, we shall not fail to come to perfect Happiness and eternal Glory at last. This is that we endeavour for, when we endeavour to be Religious; and certainly all this advantage of being so makes the utmost endeavour for it well bestowed. 2. It is evident that our own Endeavour to do well is required of us in Holy Scripture. We must not think that the Grace of God is to do all for us, and we are to do nothing, or that the Divine Image is to be formed in us just as a Statuary would form that of a Man out of a post or ston. Our Saviour bids Men Strive to enter in at the straight gate, that is, endeavour to be Religious, and the Apostle directs to give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure, and to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling. And in particular I have shown that the forementioned Instances of our endeavour are necessary and required: And since God has appointed Preaching and Sacraments the means of Grace, 'tis without doubt he requires the diligent use of them. It is then a groundless Presumption to expect the Assistance of God's Grace without the Application of our own Endeavour. And when he directs us to use this we may be sure it offends, it provokes him to leave us in our Sins, if we neglect to do so. We have no good ground then to hope for Salvation without this when we are arrived to the years of a Capacity to use it, and have opportunity to do it. 3. It may urge this Endeavour, that whatever we are required to do towards our Salvation is all of it that which we have a natural Power to do. For instance; does any Man find upon trial that he cannot often bethink himself that he is always in the sight and under the observance of the great Lord and Judge of the World? Is it impossible also for a Man to concern himself what his Actions are, to exercise his own reason about them? Cannot a rational Creature reflect upon his own Actions, and consider whether they be good or bad? And further; 'tis indeed impossible to avoid all Temptations in this World; but the most Men may avoid more than they do avoid. And every Man can avoid as many as he can; and the Divine Compassion will take care of him in the rest who thus far takes care of himself. Further; that which is certainly the hardest part of all our Task is yet very possible to be done, that is, the exercise of much Self-denial. The common practise of the World abundantly proves this a thing possible to Mankind. There is nothing more common than the Exercise of a great deal of Self-denial for other purposes. What hardships of Labour, and Toil? What abstemious Living? What Cares? What Fastings? What Watchings will Men readily undergo to make themselves rich, to rise to Dignity and Honour, and promote their worldly Designs? And even the Impotent and soft Voluptuary can deny himself many things to compass and enjoy his desired Pleasures. Men can deny themselves, then, and if so, why can they not do it to mortify hurtful Vices, to subdue shameful Passions, and to acquire noble and Divine virtues as well as for other and meaner Ends? Thus the things we are required to do in order to our Salvation are things which we have a natural Power to do. But then if we neglect to do these things we fall under the Guilt and Folly of neglecting ourselves, of neglecting our own Salvation, and this will be the eternal rebuk we shall expose ourselves to, that we might have been virtuous and happy if we would. 4. Our own Resolutions and Promises to do well, if they are not followed with a steady Endeavour to perform them, will rise up in judgement against us and condemn us. We shall be condemned out of our own Mouths: In these we confess we ought to forsake our Sins and to become Religious, and then in these we condemn ourselves if we do not endeavour it. We add the Guilt of Falseness, and breach of Vows and Promises to the Rebellion and ingratitude of our Sins, so that we do both the more secure, and the more aggravate and heighten our Condemnation by Vows and Promises which we take no care to keep and perform. 5. Lastly, if we do follow our good Resolutions with earnest and continual Endeavours we shall be able to perform them. The Holy Spirit of God will certainly give our serious Endeavours good Success: And he that has brought us to will, shall certainly work in us to do, for this is his good Pleasure. God does not bid us use means to mock and deceive us; but if we do use the means he appoints he will in due time give a Blessing to them. His directing us to use such things as means of Grace and Salvation does imply a Conditional Promise that if we do use them we shall succeed well in it, and when he bids us strive to enter in at the straight gate, he therein gives us sufficient assurance that we shall not strive alone, nor in vain. In time, and by degrees, and with Constant and Patient endeavour, we shall conquer the most obstinate Sins and settle in ourselves the most disagreeing virtues. If then the desired Success does not speedily come, as indeed it is not to be expected that an habitual Sinner should ordinarily be all at once reformed: Nor that a new beginner in virtue should immediately become strong and perfect, yet let us continue our Endeavour, never admit a thought of giving it over, and steadfastly wait on God in the use of appointed means, and when our Resolution is sufficiently tried, our Endeavours shall be abundantly blessed and rewarded: Through the Merits and Intercession of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory world without end. Amen. THE PRAYER. ETernal God! Thou art Merciful and Gracious, Long suffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth. Thanks be to thy Glorious Goodness O Lord, for that Thou desirest not the Death of a Sinner but had rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live. We that are here before Thee must own ourselves wondrous Monuments of thy Patience and Goodness; Thou hast spared us whom Thou mightest most justly long ago have destroyed. And Thou magnifiest thy Mercy in sparing us, in that Thou hast all this while afforded us means of Grace and Salvation; Thou invitest us to be happy in thy Favour; offerest us thy forfeited Love, and dost frequently and earnestly admonish us to work out our Salvation and direct us how to do it. Oh Lord we are ashamed and confounded when we consider thy abundant Mercy to us and our negligent and ungrateful Behaviour towards Thee! When we consider thy great and our own little Concern for our everlasting Happiness. Oh we have been busied and taken up with many things, and have neglected the one thing necessary. Lord let thy mercy Pardon our Sin and Folly, and thy good Spirit awaken and excite us to a due Care of ourselves for the future, and assist and succeed that our Care. O Lord make us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling, and do Thou work in us to Will and to do according to thy Good Pleasure. Make us hereafter to set Thee before our Eyes, that we may stand in awe of thy Majesty and Greatness, of thy Purity and Holiness, and may be thereby withheld from doing Evil: And let a constant Sense of thy observing us encourage the performance of all our Duty, however difficult or dangerous it may be. Make us O Lord to take heed to our ways, to be always watchful over ourselves, and very loathe to displease Thee, loth to defile and disparaged ourselves with that which is so base and vile as all sin is. Make us careful to avoid all the Temptations to it that we can, and Grant us we humbly beseech Thee the Support and Assistance of thy Grace against those which thy Providence and our Duty exposes us to. Make us diligent and industrious in the work Thou givest us to do that we may not be at leisure to entertain the Temptations of our Adversary. Oh Lord forgive all our past Transgressions, and so bless and succeed our Endeavour and Care for the time to come, that we may cease to do evil, and learn to do well: That we may mortify every corrupt Affection, and live Godly, Righteous, and Sober in this present World. Oh hold up our goings in thy Paths that our Footsteps slip not. Teach Thou us the way of thy Statutes and we shall keep it unto the end. We have sworn O Lord, we have steadfastly purposed, and do earnestly desire to keep thy Commands. Oh let thy mighty Grace prevent and follow us continually, that we may be able to keep and perform so just and reasonable, and so happy Vows and Resolutions. We hearty implore thy Mercy for all Mankind, that all may be lead into the ways of Truth, Peace and Righteousness, and all may know, love, fear, and praise Thee, and be happy. Bless thy Church with an abundant Effusion of thy Spirit upon it: That those who name the Name of Christ may depart from iniquity, and live so as to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Let thy Mercy and Goodness watch over these Nations for Good; Lord purge out from amongst us whatever is displeasing to Thee, and let not our sins separate between Thee and us; but be Thou, the Almighty God, always our Safety and our Honour. We pray Thee bless abundantly thy chosen Servant King William; due him plenteously with all Divine Graces; satisfy him with thy Loving Kindness: Direct and prosper his Undertakings to the promoting thy Glory, his own Honour and our Welfare. Bless and maintain the Royal Family, and let it flourish in all Happiness as long as the Sun and Moon shall endure. Let all that are related to us know in this their day the things that belong to their Peace; and make them wise to the Salvation of their Souls. Bless to our spiritual and everlasting advantage the means of Grace which we have this day by thy great Favour enjoyed. Lord make us duly thankful for so great Favours, and abundantly fruitful under these Dews of Heaven. Be Thou, we pray, our Protection this Night; our Guide all the days of our Life, and our Portion for ever, for the Sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Involuntary Sins Stated, AND Our Care to avoid them Urg'd. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Rom. 7.19. latter part. But the Evil which I would not that I do. THE settled habitual Choice, and Determination of the Will, being fixed either upon God and Holiness, or upon the things of this World and Wickedness, is that which gives a Man his Character, and makes him deserve the Denomination of a good or a bad Man. And this is the bias of the Soul, and does for the most part finally sway and prevail in him. Yet there may be some contrary Motions to this habitual Choice of the Will, stirring, and making themselves obeyed by some of the other Powers in every Man; which however, the State and Condition of his mind is not to be judged of by. A good Man may have some stirrings of Evil in him; and these may carry him along to some very transient, and lesser instances of sin; yet he may remain, and may deserve the Denomination of a good Man, notwithstanding them. And a Man whose Mind is habitually depraved, and his Will bent to wickedness, may have frequent Convictions of the Evil of his Course, may often rebuk himself for his Sins; he may have some faint Wishes stirring in him towards Piety and virtue, insomuch as to think that he would be good if he could: Yet all this while the corrupt bias of his mind prevails; he is finally and usually carried to the Commission of Evil, and the Omission of his Duty: He therefore remains, and must rightly be accounted a wicked Man still. The Apostle may be understood in this Chapter as speaking of a regenerate and good Man, and the stirrings and efforts of Corruption which may be found in such an one. Thus many learned Men have understood this Chapter, and this seems to be the fairest and easiest Interpretation of what is said here, and agreeable enough to what in Holy Scripture is elsewhere spoken of the same matter. These words therefore which I have red for our present Text may be understood of such a Person too: And we may reckon that they signify thus much. I cannot indeed pretend to be perfectly virtuous and holy, and free from all manner of Sin: I find a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind, which too often leads me captive to the Laws of Sin and Death: There is some Evil stirring at sometimes in me, and some will proceed from me. But this, whenever I perceive it, is a hearty Grief to me; 'tis the Burden of my Life: This is contrary to the settled habitual purpose and choice of my Will, and to the stream of my constant earnest Endeavour; and the Evil which I at any time do is that which I would not do. From the words thus explained I might observe these two things: 1. That there is no Man in this Life perfectly free from all Sin. 2. That, yet, the Evil which is to be found in the Course of a good Man's Life is involuntary; or that which he would not be guilty of. I design to employ this Discourse entirely upon the latter of these; and I shall speak to it in this Method. 1. I shall endeavour to show distinctly and fully what may deserve to be accounted involuntary Sins; such as even a good Man may be sometimes betrayed into. 2. I shall enforce some important Considerations which are proper to excite and quicken the good Man's Care, and Endeavour, to avoid as many, even, of these as he can. It is very requisite to insist upon the first of these Heads, because Men are exceeding apt to deceive themselves in this matter. Many men who live in habitual Sins, having some checks and rebukes for this in their own minds, do, thereupon, think their Case the same with that spoken of in the Text: They think the Evil which they do is that which they would not do; they excuse themselves in it to their own minds, and say they cannot help doing it. And if it be allowed, as they especially are willing it should be allowed, that even a good Man may have occasion to say the words of the Text concerning himself; they will from thence take occasion, by the help of self-love, to think they may be good Men notwithstanding that they live in such Sins. A great and a fatal Deceit this is, and yet is, I doubt, so common as to deserve a particular Endeavour to remove it. That I may distinctly represent what are to be accounted Involuntary Sins, and what are not so, I must propose this matter under these two Heads: And it must be said, 1. Those sins only which we commit not knowing or not considering that we do Evil are Involuntary Sins. 2. That ignorance or inconsiderateness which betrays us into any such Sin must be involuntary too, or else the Sin which we become thereby guilty of will not deserve that Denomination. First, I say those Sins only which we commit not knowing or not considering that we do Evil are involuntary Sins. When a Man is ignorant of his Duty in the Case; or is surprised, and engaged into the breach of a known Command before he is ware, his Sin then may be accounted involuntary. In these cases a Man may do that which is contrary to the settled Disposition, and Choice of his Will. When tho' a man's Will does concur to and choose the Action which he does, yet, if he knew or considered the Action to be evil he would not choose nor allow it, that Action, tho' a Sin, may be an involuntary one. But when a man knows an Action to be sinful, and deliberately considers this at the time of his doing it, and yet after all this commits it, this is a voluntary wilful Sin notwithstanding any Reluctances which may attend the Commission of it. Our Will must be alienated and turned from all sin and wickedness to God and our Duty; so as that it must restrain us from whatever Evil, which we do know, and consider to be Evil at the time when it offers itself to us, or else the Evil which we do is not involuntary. This is very evident and needs not to be insisted on: I proceed then to The second Head where I must stay longer which was this; that this ignorance or inconsiderateness which betrays a Man into sin must be involuntary too, or else the sin which he thereby becomes guilty of will not be of that Character. If we are guilty in the Cause, we are reckoned in the sight of God guilty in the Effect also: And if we are liable to blame for our ignorance or inconsiderateness we shall be proportionably blamable for the Sin which we are thereby guilty of: If we choose them we choose also that Sin. Here then I must carefully show you what Ignorance of our Duty may justly be reckoned involuntary; And then what inconsiderateness is so. That our Ignorance of our Duty may be involuntary, it must proceed from one or both these sorts of Causes: First from the Difficulties that attend the Object, or what is to be known; Secondly from some incurable Disadvantages of the Subject, or which do attend him who is to know his Duty: From such hindrances of this as he cannot remove. First, The Ignorance of our Duty that must render a Sin involuntary must, in part at least, proceed from the Difficulties of knowing what is good or what is evil. Some Difficulties there are in this matter; such as do require time, and labour to conquer them. And this the wise Man intimates when he suggests, that to furnish ourselves well with Divine Knowledge, we must incline the Ear to Wisdom and apply the Heart to Understanding; we must earnestly desire this as a most valuable good, and a most important Blessing; we must very diligently use and improve the means of knowledge. Again he directs that we cry after Knowledge and lift up the Voice for Understanding: that is, it must be the matter of our frequent, and very earnest Request to Almighty God, that he would teach us by his good Spirit; such Requests we find David frequently making. Teach thou me( says he) the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the End: Give me understanding that I may keep thy Precepts. Moreover he directs that we seek for this Wisdom as for Silver, and search for her as for hide Treasure. Which suggests to us the Necessity of diligent Study, and deliberate industrious Meditation on Divine Subjects in private. If we will take this laborious course, he promises we shall then understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. These things we have in Prov. 2.5. first Verses: But in these things he evidently intimates, that such Knowledge in any good degree is not to be attained without such Labour. Now the Difficulty of knowing our Duty lies chiefly in these two things following. 1. In the large and vast extent of the Law of God: This is such that it reaches to all our Thoughts, Words, and Actions; It has Rules for every Circumstance and Condition of Life, and for all the several Relations that we can fall into towards Men. Thy Commandment( says David) is exceeding broad. Now from hence it must needs be a work of time to know our Duty in any good proportion to the Extent of it; and it must require a great deal of Application and Labour. And, in this our mutable and altering State of Life on Earth, it often comes to pass, that when we have gained perhaps a good measure of Knowledge of the Duties and Sins that belong to the Circumstances we are in, our Condition suddenly changes, we are brought into new Circumstances and Relations, and so become bound to new Duties and obnoxious to new Sins: And we may not be presently ware of what we have to do, and what to avoid in our new Condition. Besides; in this encumbered, and very short Life, wherein we have many other necessary Cares and Labours to be attended besides this; and wherein our frail Bodies and clogged Minds do need so frequent relaxation, and refreshment, it must needs be that we can proceed but slowly in this improvement, and that we can by consequence attain but to small degrees. The Apostle rebukes some who had a great Conceit of their Knowledge, and says They knew nothing yet as they ought to know, 1 Cor. 8.2. We may perhaps in some Cases, from hence, not know that there is any Law forbidding such things as we allow ourselves in, or requiring some other things which we commonly neglect: Or when we know that there is such a Rule as does truly condemn our Actions we may not know that those Actions are within the reach of that Rule, or are condemned by it. We may often see Men boldly and zealously doing those things which the Law of God most certainly condemns, and yet the mean while they have a good opinion of themselves; because they do not apprehended that what they do is condemned. But here we must take notice that if our Ignorance be involuntary from this Cause, then 'tis certainly attended with an honest and industrious Endeavour to know our Duty. And as we shall apprehended this vast Extent of the Divine Law, so this Apprehension will excite, and quicken our Diligence in the pursuit of Knowledge. We shall the more earnestly strive and study for it, and use the means of getting it, and pray to God for it. And he who considering the largeness of the Task, lazily sits down and neglects his Endeavour; and because he despairs of knowing all his Duty does, therefore, not strive to know as much as he can; that Man is voluntary and wilful in his Ignorance, and by consequence in the Sins which it betrays him into. 2. Another difficulty which attends the Object, in this matter, very often, is this: That the sinfulness of our Action does not consist in the Kind but in the Degree of it. For instance, to eat and drink are natural and innocent Actions: In one measure and degree lawful enough, but in another they degenerate into Gluttony, and Drunkenness. The pursuit of Riches in one Degree is lawful, but in another it may be the Sin of Covetousness. A man may be angry and not sin, and yet, as 'tis too well known, he may be sinful in his Anger; so it is with his Love, his Hatred, his Joy, and his Sorrow; in all these he may be innocent or he may be guilty. Now in such Cases as these 'tis hard to know where the exact point lies at which Innocence ends and Sin begins: And a man may exceed the Bounds of Innocence because he does not know them, and so may do sometimes that which is Evil while he thinks his Action very lawful, and allowable. But, then, in such Cases; It is the certain Character of a Man whose Ignorance and Sin is involuntary, That he will take care and will endeavour not to come near the Borders of what he apprehends to be sinful: He will not ordinarily at least come near those Degrees which he thinks are sinful: That he may be safe from falling into sin he will not give himself all the Liberty which he thinks he might. And together with a due Care to avoid the contrary extreme he will always keep as great a distance as he can from what appears to him to be sinful: He will, as the Apostle speaks, shun the Appearance of Evil. If a man takes this Care steadily, tho' he may for all this fall into some Degrees of Sin, yet his Sin may be accounted involuntary. This is the first Head of the Causes of involuntary Ignorance. The difficulties attending the Object or thing to be known. The second I mentioned is this; the Disadvantages which the Person may lye under for the getting a true and competent Knowledge of good and evil. And there are these three Things following which may be some hindrance of a Man in this Matter. 1. Some Men are much hindered in this Business by the unhappy incapacity of their own Minds. They have it may be very dull and slow Apprehensions; they cannot easily understand Things, nor readily receive them. Or they are not able to contain much knowledge; their Minds are not capable of many Things; but one thing is wont to drive out and make them forget another. But then we must know; that when a Man is ignorant of his Duty in any great measure by this hindrance, that Man must not be of a very quick and lively apprehension in Affairs of the World; he must not be very ready at spying his Interests, and capable to pursue them in a long Train and Series of Contrivance; he must not have a Mind capable of managing well a vast Business and Trade. For such an one if he is very ignorant of his Duty, is so not by Incapacity but by Negligence. If it seems to himself upon trial, that he cannot, to so good Purpose, apply his Mind to the Knowledge of divine Things as he does to his Trade, he may yet certainly conclude that this comes to pass not by Incapacity, but by some more guilty Cause. He is, it may be, averse to Divine Knowledge, and has so much of Enmity to God as that he truly cares not for the Knowledge of his Ways; and his Heart is possessed and governed by an inordinate Love of the World. Or else this must proceed from his constant custom, and practise of Living. He is unapt for the getting of Knowledge, because he has not long, and diligently applied himself to this; he has not minded it so much as he should do, nor had his thoughts well exercised in Divine Things: And he is so much more apt and capable in the Business of his Calling and Trade, because 'tis in this that he has been chiefly exercised and employed for the greatest part of his Life. And if a Man's ignorance does proceed from such Causes as these it is wilful Ignorance, and makes the sins which it betrays him into Wilful likewise. 2. Some may be unhappily confined to very small and defective means of Knowledge, and from hence may not be able to attain much; and in that Case their Ignorance will be judged Involuntary, as also the sins which it causes. Some follow Teachers that are negligent and do not endeavour as they should to furnish them with this Knowledge; or they follow such as are Ignorant themselves, and therefore not able to instruct them: Or their Teachers perhaps are Erroneous and mistaken; blind Leaders of the blind, and through their mistakes Clamour against, and condemn that which is good, and Zealously urge and persuade to that which is evil. Or perhaps they are Men of a crafty worldly Spirit; that will have a popular applause at any rate, and that seek more to promote their own worldly Gain and Advantages by their Preaching than the Salvation of Mens Souls; and they will study to prophesy smooth and acceptable things rather than such as are right: The things that are very grateful to worldly Minds, because they seem to secure and promote their worldly Interest; rather than the Obligations which they are under to renounce the World, and live above it, and suffer patiently. But that our Ignorance may be Involuntary from the defective means of knowing our Duty, we must observe that this is, when we are confined to such means: When the place we live in does not afford us better; or when Obedience to order and Government does not give us leave to attend on that which is better: And we must know that if we despise a good and settled order in the Church, appointed by our Governours for our Instruction, and in defiance of that wander after Teachers of our own choosing as thinking to find greater Edification from them; as we shall be likely to miss of true Edification in sound knowledge and Godliness through God's just punishment of our disorderly walking and Disobedience; so if in this Course we fall into any mistakes that betray us into sin; our mistakes will be judged wilful by Almighty God, as will also the sins which they occasion: And in the Language of Scripture, our Blood shall be upon our own Heads, we shall be reckoned to have destroyed and cast away ourselves. If through an humble deference to God's Ordinance of Magistracy and Government, and by our Obedience we be confined to defective means of Knowledge, God who is merciful and just and requires no more of us than he gives us means to do, will pardon our mistakes and defects as not voluntary: But if in the neglect of Order and Contempt of Government, Men will choose to themselves such means of Knowledge as by which they are not well instructed, this lays upon them a great Guilt in all their ignorance and mistake; and makes the consequent Sins, which they are Guilty of to be wilful Sins. 3. Some Men want leisure or opportunity to spend much time and labour in the pursuit of Knowledge. Their worldly Calling and Business requires their attendance early and late; and this tires their Bodies, and Minds, so that when they leave this they have need to refresh themselves: And between necessary Relaxation and Business they have very little time to spare for the getting of Divine Knowledge. But then we must know that when our Ignorance is Involuntary upon this Account; it must be Necessity, not Pride or Covetousness, that must engage us in so great an Application to worldly Business. It must be because a Man is poor that he spends so much time thus, because he has a great Charge to maintain, and is set by the Providence of God to a Calling that does not afford him great Gains, so that he can but hardly provide a frugal and mean Maintenance for himself and those that depend upon him. And if a Man hinders himself from getting a good Knowledge of his Duty, by pulling upon himself a needless multitude of Affairs, through his desire to make himself or his Family vastly rich, and to raise a great Fortune in the World, that Man's ignorance tho' occasioned by his Business must be accounted wilful, and so must also the Sins be which it occasions him to be Guilty of. Thus I have shown what Ignorance of our Duty may be accounted Involuntary; I am now in the Second place to show what Inconsiderateness attending our Actions may be reckoned so too, and therefore may be allowed to give the Sins we are Guilty of it by that Character likewise. And when we do a thing that is sinful, but do not consider or bethink ourselves of the Sinfulness of it, this must be done with such Circumstances as these following, or else it will not deserve to be accounted an Involuntary Inconsiderateness. 1. It must be when a Temptation to a sin, which we could not foresee, does surprise us, and in that surprise and hurry makes us Guilty of it: When we are overtaken with Sin on a sudden, and had not time to consider what we were going to do: When a Man's Mind is much engaged in some very necessary and important Duty and Concern, the Adversary, who every where seeks to lay snares for us, may find an opportunity to surprise him, before he is ware into some fault, and in such a Case his sin may be Involuntary. It seems to have been such a Circumstance of Inconsideration which betrayed St. Paul into that severe, and undutiful reflection upon the High Priest which we have mentioned in Acts 23.3. Of which he himself says in the 9th. verse, I wist not that he was the High Priest; I confess I did not consider it; I forgot myself, and do aclowledge my Error, For 'tis written thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People. 2. Another Circumstance which may render our inconsiderate acting Involuntary is, when our thinking Powers are under some great Disturbance from some innocent Cause, as when this comes to pass by Distemper of the Head, or by some very violent and sudden Pain; by the first Assault of some terrible Danger apprehended, or of some very great Loss and Affliction. In such Cases as these the Mind even of a good and well composed Man may be for the present ruffled to such a Degree as that he has no command of his own Thoughts, he can hardly in any thing know what he does: In such a sad Case the Adversary may draw a Man unawares into Sin, and his Sin may be unobserved and involuntary. 3. But then in both these Circumstances that the Sin we commit may deserve that Character, it must be only some very small and very transient Instance of Transgression. It must be what passes suddenly over, not a thing which is long a doing; it must be done immediately, not upon a deliberate Contrivance, or a long Endeavour to do it. Therefore it must consist in some undue start of Thought, or slip of the Tongue, or some very short and transient Action which is not of a very heinous Nature. Any Action which is a very gross and apparent Sin a man must needs apprehended to be a Sin at the first Offer of it, or else be very careless of himself, and therefore such a Sin cannot be inconsiderately committed without too much Voluntariness. A Mote may not presently be seen by him that looks well to himself; but a Beam cannot be unobserved without a wilful blindness. A Man may be surprised into a covetous Thought or Wish, but he cannot be so to the committing of an apparent and contrived Cheat or violence upon his Neighbour. We see the instance of St. Paul's Inconsideration was in a thing soon over, and was but a slip of his Tongue; his Resentment of the Injustice and Injury which he thought the High-Priest had done him, did not engage him in a long Course of reviling that Magistrate, in an Endeavour to disparaged his Person and his Government among the People, to weaken his Authority, and form a Faction or raise a Sedition against him; to do thus had been to be guilty of a deliberate Disobedience, and a wilful Rebellion. 4. In the last place, These unconsider'd Slips must be very sincerely and hearty repented of when a Man comes to apprehended them. Thus it was with the very good Apostle in the Case forementioned: No sooner was he awakened to observe his error, but he very modestly and humbly acknowledged and amended it. If a man persists in his Fault which was inconsiderately committed, and will afterwards justify it, he then makes it voluntary, and brings upon himself the Guilt of wilful Sin. These are the Cases which will allow our Inconsiderateness, and our Ignorance to be involuntary; and so these are the Circumstances in which if we are guilty of any Sin, that Sin may be judged involuntary too. Now because I have intimated, and it must be allowed, that such involuntary Sins are not inconsistent with a State of Grace and Salvation, nor do put a Man utterly out of Favour with God: That this may not do any harm, or make any Men at all the less careful to avoid such Sins as much as may be, I think sit to add, as I promised to do, some important Considerations which may be proper to make the good Man very careful to avoid as many as he can even of these Sins. And this is the second Head of Discourse which I am to insist upon. It seems indeed impossible for any Man wholly to avoid all such Faults as these: But doubtless with great watchfulness and care a Man shall avoid somewhat the more of them. And that there is a great deal of Reason for such a constant watchfulness and care I think will sufficiently appear in the following particulars. 1. This great concern and care to avoid, as much as may be, even, such Sins is necessary to their being involuntary, when ever we do commit any of them. The Commission of Sin to give it that Character must come to pass against the Stream of our diligent Endeavour and Care. If a man lives negligently, the Faults he slides into by reason of his Negligence must be accounted wilful Faults. That we are so liable to slip into Sin unawares by Ignorance, mistake and surprise will make a good and honest Mind, which sincerely desires to avoid all that is sinful, to take the more heed to his ways: And if this has not such an Effect upon a man it appears he is very willing to be drawn into the Sins he is gulity of. 2. It should excite this Care in a good Man, and will certainly do it in one who is truly such, that even these involuntary Sins of good Men are apt to be a Scandal to the rest of the World: They will be likely to led others into voluntary Sins, or to harden and encourage them in their evil Courses: They certainly diminish the Beauty of Religion, and disparaged its Appearance to the World: They sometimes make that look ridiculous, or odious, and contemptible to the World, which in its true Colours and proper Beauty would appear wise, and lovely, and venerable. It is our Saviour's Command to the professors of his Religion, that they should endeavour to behave themselves so as to recommend their Religion to other Men: This he means in saying Let your Light so shine before Men, that they seeing your good Works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven. And we should consider that the smallest Faults of a good Man are more conspicuous and more observed than the greater Faults of another; that the Envy and Malice of the World always fixes upon the Blot; and will take more notice of a little Evil than of a great deal of Good: And a little Evil in a good Man shall be improved by the ungodly World to the Disparagement of his Religion, and the Encouragement of their own Wickedness. 3. By these involuntary Sins a good Man may bring upon himself the necessary, and sharp Chastisements of Almighty God. These are the Sins which do make these Branches in Christ that bear some Fruit, yet to need this way of pruning and purging that they may bring forth more Fruit. When such Men do evil and know it not, it pleases God to lay upon them some smart Affliction to make them renew their search into themselves, and perform it with more care than they were wont to do: And so under the Bonds of their Affliction he shows them the Transgressions which they had not observed. David acknowledges that he had been afflicted by God's Providence with this Design and to this effect: In that he says, It was good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes, and before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word. That we may not need so sharp Medicines, then, let us take care to be as free from these Sins as we can. 5. Lastly, These involuntary Sins we may justly believe will proportionably lessen the Glory and Honour which we shall receive hereafter. If there will, as is very likely, be different Rewards and Honours distributed at the last, then must the best Men receive the greatest Rewards, and the most perfect, the least sullied Piety and virtue will meet the greatest Applause and Honour. It is said the Righteous Judge will give to every Man according to his Works: And then, he who has the greatest mixture of these Sins in his Life, must have the less Reward and Honour to receive at last; and by this means, partly, it will come to pass, as the Apostle tells us, that as one Star differs from another Star in Glory, so will the Resurrection be. These Sins tho' they do not utterly cast a Man out of the Divine Favour, yet they do in some measure sully and disparaged his virtues in the sight of God, as well as of Men: and God may be reasonably expected to have the least Esteem for him that has the most of these about him. Tho' he may be a good Man that sometimes falls into such Faults, yet he that has the fewest of them must be reckoned the best good Man, and will be accordingly dignified and distinguished at the Great Day of Retribution. If we would be willing, then, to partake in some of the brightest Honours of that Day, if we would gain the richest Rewards, and receive some of the highest Applauses from the glorious and righteous Judge of all the World; we must endeavour to keep ourselves as free from these Sins as we can, and to practise the most perfect, and the most eminent Piety and virtue that we can reach to. Which that we may do, and with great success; God of his infinite Mercy grant through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. O Lord most High! Most Glorious and Eternal God! Before Thee all the Nations of the Earth are as nothing and vanity. We owe Thee the Homage of our Reverence, Love, and Obedience. And it is our Honour to honour Thee; it is that which becomes us best to give Thee reverence; and our greatest Gain and Advantage to give and devote ourselves to Thee to serve and obey Thee. We hearty lament it O Lord, as the shane and Misery of our depraved and fallen State, that we are prove to do evil and backward to do good; that even when we would do Good Evil is often present with us. And the Good which we would we do not, but the Evil which we would not that we do. And so unhappy we are that in many cases we do not know our Duty, and we do foolishly call Evil good, and Good evil. Many sins we do know ourselves to be guilty of, but there are we fear an innumerable Number which we do not know. We have reason to cry out, Lord who can understand his errors! Cleanse Thou us we pray Thee from our secret Sins. Oh pardon we beseech Thee our manifold Transgressions: Our Negligences and our Ignorances. Enter not into judgement with thy Servants for in Thy sight shall no Man living be justified. We humbly sue to Thee for Mercy in the Name of Jesus Christ the Righteous, who is our Advocate with the Father, and the Propitiation for our Sins, through Faith in his Blood: Lord we believe, help Thou our Unbelief. due us we beseech Thee with Thy Heavenly Grace that we may amend our Lives according to Thy Holy Word: Look mercifully upon our Infirmities and heal them. Thou art the author and giver of every good and every perfect Gift. And, blessed be thy Name, Thou hast encouraged us to seek to Thee in that Thou hast said; If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of Thee; and that Thou givest to all such liberally and upbraidest not. To Thee O Father of Lights do we dark Sinners cry for Knowledge, to Thee we lift our Voice for Understanding. Lighten our Darkness we beseech Thee O Lord. Thy Hands have made and fashioned us, O give us Understanding that we may learn thy Testimonies: Teach Thou us, we pray, the way of thy Statutes and we shall keep it unto the End. writ thy Law in our Hearts that we may never depart from it. Because through the Weakness of our mortal Nature we cannot always stand upright, we pray Thee grant us by thy good Spirit such Strength and Protection as may support us in all Dangers and carry us through all Temptations, and so bring us safe to Thy Heavenly Kingdom. We humbly implore thy Mercy for all Mankind: That they may be turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God. Bless thy Church with a plentiful Effusion of the Gifts and Graces of thy good Spirit, bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred, and are deceived, purge out of it whatever is a Scandal to thy Holy Religion, and grant that our Conversations may be such as become the Gospel. We pray Thee bless the Land of our Nativity, favour us with Health, Peace and Plenty, but especially increase among us all true Piety and virtue. Let thy abundant Goodness shower down many Blessings upon thy Servant and our Sovereign Lord King William; prosper His Sacred Person, and his Government, and let his Reign be long and glorious amongst us. We pray Thee shine with continual Favour upon the Royal Family. Grant it may ever afford us a fit Person to govern us well, to thy Glory and our Honour and Peace. Do good to all our Relations and Friends, requited all our benefactors and if we have any Enemies Father forgive them. We yield Thee hearty Thanks for all thy Goodness and Loving-kindness to us and to all Men, particularly we thank Thee for the means of Grace which we have this Day enjoyed. Grant we beseech Thee that we may bring forth answerable Fruit in the whole Course of our Lives. Defend us we pray Thee from all the Perils and Dangers of this Night. Accept all our poor Services in Jesus Christ; and hear us in his own Words, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. THE INCARNATION OF Our Blessed Saviour explained and improved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. John 1.14. former part. And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelled among us. TO have a due and suitable Apprehension of the Greatness of the Redeemer's Love to Mankind, we must endeavour to know, and must consider well what he has done to redeem us. And it is the part of due Thankfulness to take notice of this and to meditate often upon it. But in doing so a truly thankful Mind will not be apt to diminish and lessen, but rather to magnify what he has done for us: I shall be excusable therefore if in giving an account of this I do endeavour to represent it as great and glorious as I can: And tho' I ought to keep close to what the Holy Scripture reveals concerning it, and shall I think do so, yet I must needs declare that I shall avoid all those Interpretations of Holy Scripture which do diminish and lessen the Person of the Redeemer, and by consequence his Love and Kindness in what he has done for us; especially when those Interpretations are not easy and natural, but forced and constrained. And while we do, with an humble and thankful Disposition of Mind, diligently inquire into, and meditate on these things, we may hope that the kind Spirit who searches the deep things of God, will give us a right Understanding of them so far as is necessary to his Glory and our Salvation. Now this is that which upon the best Enquiry into this great and glorious Work of Redemption, that Divine Spirit, I doubt not, has taught the devout inquirers together as the sum and Substance of all Divine Revelation; that the second Person of that glorious Trinity in God, which is represented to us under the Names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is he that hath taken upon him the kind Office of becoming a Saviour and Redeemer to lost Mankind. And that he, to redeem and save us, has exceedingly magnified his Love while he has exceedingly humbled and abased himself. And this he has done particularly in these two very mean Condescensions in order thereto; The First, his taking upon him our Nature: The Second, his submitting to die a Sacrifice and Propitiation for our Sins. The first of these we shall consider at present, the second in another Discourse. The first is that which the Evangelist speaks of in our present Text in saying, The word was made Flesh, and dwelled among us. The present Discourse on these words shall be comprehended under these following Heads. 1. I shall as far as is necessary explain the words of the Text; and show what we are to understand according to them and other Scriptures concerning this Incarnation of our Saviour. 2. I shall show that the Messiah, who was promised to the World and expected by the Jews, was to be such a Person as the Text speaks of. 3. I shall represent for what reasons the Holy Scripture teaches us the Son of God was made Man to redeem us. 4. I shall suggest the due Use and Improvement of this wonderful Truth. In the first place I shall explain the Text, and show what we are to learn from thence and from other Scriptures concerning the Incarnation of our Redeemer. For Explication of the Text there are but these two things that we need to inquire into. 1. Who is meant by the Word. 2. What is to be understood by his being said to be made Flesh. To know who is meant by the Word we must look back to the foregoing Verses of this Chapter, where 'tis said of him In the Beginning was the Word: that is, at the Creation of the World the Word was; and it is not at all said that he ever was made: His Being is mentioned, but not his beginning then; therefore the Evangelist teaches us plainly, that the Word was before the World began to be, and does therein intimate that the Word never began to be. The Evangelist says further of him, The Word was with God, and the Word was God: Where the Title or Name God must needs be taken in two different Senses as it is twice expressed: When 'tis said he was with God, it means God the Father, the first Person in the Trinity, who is eminently called God in Holy Scripture: and when 'tis said he was God, it means that he himself had a Divine Nature, which also the Scripture does very frequently attribute to him. Thus the Evangelist intimates concerning the Word what the Ancient Creed speaks of the second Person in the sacred Trinity, that he is very God, of very God: He is God the Son, of God the Father. Further the Evangelist says of him in the 3d. Verse, All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Ascribing to him that Divine Work which none but Omnipotence could effect; the making this World out of nothing. This is the glorious Person here signified and meant under this Title the Word. The next thing we are to inquire into in the Text is, what may be meant by this that he was made Flesh: which in short is this, that he was made Man. He did after a wonderful manner take into Union with himself that human Nature which was conceived in the Virgin Mary by an immediate Operation of the Holy Ghost, and which was born of her. So that the full meaning of the Text must be represented in the following particulars. 1. He took a true and complete human Nature. He became such a Man as all other Men are in the Essentials of our Nature. He therefore had both the Body and the Soul of a Man. That he had a true and real human Body appears by several things said of him in Scripture. As that he was conceived in the Blessed Virgin; that she bore him the usual time of Childbearing; and when the Days were accomplished that she should be delivered she brought him forth, Luke 2.6, 7. That he was first an Infant wrapped in Swadling-cloaths, and grew by degrees to the Stature of a Man 12. and 57. Verses. And he proves this abundantly himself when he says to his Disciples, Behold my Hands and my Feet, handle and see me, for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have, Luke 24.39, 40. And as he had truly the Body so he had the Soul of a Man. It could only with Relation to that be said of him, that He grew in Wisdom, as in Luke 2.57. And when he was speaking of the Day of judgement he said that neither the Angels of Heaven knew when this would be, nor the Son, meaning himself, but the Father only, Mark 13. which plainly speaks and ascribes to him the Finite Knowledge of an human Soul. We might also produce several Scriptures which show that he had the common Affections of a human Soul so far as they are innocent; that he rejoiced, that he was angry, was grieved. In mat. 26.38. he says of himself, My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even even unto Death. And when he died 'tis said of him, according to the Phrase of speaking of other Men, He gave up the Ghost. 2. But we must also understand that he took this Human Nature to himself, without any Change or Alteration of his Divine Nature. When he was made Flesh he did not cease to be God. The Divine Nature is as the Scripture speaks without variableness or shadow of Change: Therefore as he had a Divine Nature before, he has such an one still. 3. We must therefore understand also, that he has in him from the time of his Incarnation two distinct Natures in one Person. He is as the Ancient Creed speaks perfect God and perfect Man. The Holy Scripture every where speaks of him so as to teach us this: It ascribes to the same Person those things which can belong only to God, and also those things which belong only to Man. The same Person is said to have come of the Fathers according to the Flesh, that is, to have descended of the Jewish Nation, and yet is called God blessed for evermore. He himself says, Before Abraham was I am, and yet he was born of the Virgin Mary in the Days of Herod, several hundred Years after Abraham's Death: In this Chapter he is called God and said to have made the World, and yet is said in the Text to be made Flesh, which relates to his being conceived and born of the Virgin Mary. But we must understand that altho' he has in him two distinct Natures yet is he but one Person, therefore the Apostle says there is but one mediator between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. 2.5. That Creed therefore which we have mentioned before commonly called the Athanasian Creed speaks very fitly of him thus: Tho' he be God and Man yet is he not two but one Christ: One, not by Conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by taking the Manhood into God; one altogether not by Confusion of Substance, but by Unity of Person. These are the things intimated in the Text, and to be understood of the Incarnation of our Redeemer. I come now in the second place to show, that the Messiah who was promised to the Jews and expected by them was to be such a Person as the Text here represents him, according to the Prophecies concerning him. As for their Expectation, it is very evident it was this, that the Messiah or Christ should be the Word, and the Son of God. That remarkable Quotation which our late learned Primate produces( A.B. Tillotson's Sermon on the Divinity of Christ) evidently proves this: Those words of the Psalmist( says he) Psal. 110.1. the Jews acknowledged to be spoken of the Messiah. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my Right-hand, &c. And one of their Ancient authors renders them thus, The Lord said unto the Word sit, &c. And that they understood a Divine Person by this Title appears in what he mentions from another author of theirs: That he calls him by whom God made the World the Word and the Son of God, to which may be added for further Evidence of this an Ancient Interpretation of that Scripture, Isa. 45.12. among them: The Text there says, in the Person of God, I made the Earth; and that Interpretation renders it, I by my Word made the Earth: That the messiah was to be the Son of God according to the Expectation of the Jews, appears abundantly in the New Testament from the Confessions of those that did not believe on Jesus, and of those that did. The High-Priest who condemned him to die, that he might provoke him to express to them who he was, speaks to him thus, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God, mat. 26.63. which evidently shows they expected that the Christ would be the Son of God. This Nathaniel confesses him to be in the 49th Verse of this Chapter. And Martha says to him John 11.27. She believed he was the Christ or Messiah and the Son of God which should come into the World. Thus it appears that the Jews expected their Messiah should be such a Person as our Text speaks of. And then without doubt they had some good ground in the Ancient Prophecies concerning him for such an Expectation: I might produce many places of the Old Testament where this is intimated, but to be short I shall content myself to produce only two where we may see this evidently expressed. The first shall be that in Isa. 7.14. Verse, where the Prophet says, A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel. It is very usual with this Prophet to say a thing shall be called so and so, when he means it shall be such: which was accounted an elegant way of speaking in the Hebrew Tongue: He therefore means here that this Child born of a Virgin should be Immanuel. Now what this signifies St. Matthew truly tells us, mat. 1.23. where he says it is being interpnted God with us, and applies the prophesy to the Birth of Jesus, of the Virgin Mary, as therein fulfilled. Another as considerable a place as this we have in Isa. 9.6. where the Prophet is reckoned to speak again of the same Son, and Child, and of the Messiah, and he says, To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder, and his Name shall be called, that is, he shall be, Wonderful counsellor, the Mighty God, &c. Thus I think we may see there was good Ground in the Ancient Prophecies for the Jews to expect that the Christ would be such a Person as our present Text speaks of, even according to the Interpretation of it now given: And when such Expressions as these are in the Prophecies concerning him we have very good Ground to interpret our Text, and the other like places of the New Testament to that meaning; and to reject any other Interpretation which any shall force upon them. In the third place, I shall as I promised represent to you the Reasons why the Son of God, so great and glorious a Person, was pleased to take this course, and to condescend so exceedingly to redeem us. In doing which I shall very carefully confine myself to the Intimations of Holy Scripture concerning this matter, and so I shall not seek for any other Reasons of it than what God himself hath given: For as he best knows, so he can best give the Reasons of his Actions. And if we will go beyond what he has said in any such matter, as we can say nothing certain, so we must needs run into error. Now the Reasons which the Holy Scripture suggests and allows us to give of this wondrous Condescension of the Son of God are these. 1. He was made a Man to honour the Authority of God, and obey his Laws in our Nature, that his doing so might fitly redound to our Advantage. This was due from Mankind but had never been well paid, therefore he came to do it, and he did it perfectly. Hence he says of his own perfect and holy Life on Earth when he was near his End, that He had glorified the Father on Earth, and had finished the Work which was given him to do, John 17.4. And his glorifying of God by an holy Life was to redound to our Advantage, that we might be saved in the same way in which we were lost. It was the Sin and Rebellion of our first Parents which had rendered us all guilty, and had alienated God from us: Therefore he took our Nature upon him, that he might by his Holiness and Righteousness reconcile God again to us. It was not thought fitting by the Justice of God that the Honour and Obedience paid to him in any other Nature should redound to the Advantage of Men. It is the evident Doctrine of Holy Scripture, that as the Wickedness of Adam involved all Mankind under Guilt and Condemnation, so the Holiness and Obedience of Jesus Christ may redound to the Justification of all. This appears in many places but that one express Text shall suffice at present, Rom. 5.19. As by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners, so by the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous. It is very apparent that from the 12, Verse of that Chapter to the End of it, the Apostle makes a Parallel between Adam the first Parent of Mankind and Jesus Christ; and represents an Universal Mischief done to us by the former, and repaired by the latter: That from the former, and his Sin, we derive Guilt, and Condemnation, and Death; and from the latter we may derive Justification and Life. Now if this be the effect and consequent of his Holy Life on Earth we cannot doubt but it was one reason and end of it: If his Glorifying God in our Nature may redound to our Justification and advantage, we may conclude that he took our Nature to glorify God in it for that reason and purpose. 2. It was partly also the Reason of his coming thus into the World that he might give us a perfect Example of good and virtuous Living. It is impossible that without Holiness we should see God; and it is as necessary to our Happiness that we be sanctified and reconciled to God, as we may say, as it is that we be justified, or that God be reconciled to us: Therefore the Wisdom and Favour of the Redeemer would use the best and fittest means to make us Holy. And knowing our Nature to be such that we are apt to be much more influenced by Examples than by Laws and Precepts, or by Promises and threatenings, he therefore to them added this means of Holiness moreover; to unite himself to an human Nature, to dwell among Men for some time that he might show them the practise of perfect Piety and virtue. That this was part of his design we may justly gather from his express proposing himself for a Pattern. We find him requiring his Disciples to observe and learn not only what they heard from him, but also to be and do like him: Learn of me( says he) for I am meek and lowly in heart, mat. 11.29. again he urges them to Love from the Example, and according to the Pattern of his Love, Joh. 13.34. A new Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Again he says, If any Man will be my Disciple let him deny himself, and take up his across daily and follow me, Luk. 9.23. The same thing is urged by his Apostle after him, Eph. 5.1. Be ye followers of God as dear Children. And he proposes himself a Pattern in this matter and declares himself a follower of Christ, 1 Cor 11.1. Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ. He therein owns our general Obligation to imitate and comform to our Master Jesus. Now since this is so often and so expressly required we may justly reckon that it was partly the reason of his being made Man that we might have such a good Example to follow. Since mankind had but a very bad Example in their common first Parent, he thought it requisite and useful that they should have a good one in himself. 3. He took our Nature that he might suffer in it in our stead, and die a Sacrifice and Propitiation for our Sins. And this also was extremely necessary to our Case. It appears through the whole Scripture, that there could be no Pardon of sin without some suffering for it, some Sacrifice for sin. I shall not at present insist upon this, because it must be more largely spoken to in another Discourse. It may suffice at present to take notice, that the Word as God was not capable to suffer and die; therefore in order to this it was necessary that he should take upon him the Nature of a Creature. And to atone for the Sins of mankind, no other Nature was so fit as that in which they had been committed. The Apostle therefore says, It behoved him in all things to be made like unto us to make Reconciliation for our sins, Heb. 2.17. 4. Lastly, he was made Man in Condescension to our Weakness, that we might have a Mediator, whom we might with Boldness and Freedom apply ourselves to. It was requisite he should be God, that he might be fit to approach the Father in our behalf, and manage our Cause with good Success; that he might be able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And it was requisite he should be Man, to encourage us to apply ourselves to him. If he had been altogether equal to us, he had not been great enough to help us; and if he had been altogether God, infinitely above us, we should never have had Confidence enough to address ourselves to him: We should then have wanted another Mediator or Mediators to bring us nigh unto him; that we needed such an Encouragement as this to enable us to apply ourselves to him the Apostle intimates, Heb. 2.17, 18. where he insists on his being made like unto his Brethren, and his having suffered, and been tempted as that from which we may conclude he will help us. The Argument is a Condescension to our Apprehensions, and represents him such as that we shall be the more able to believe him ready to help us, that we might be the more ready to apply to him for his help. Tho' this does not give him more Goodness and Compassion than he has as God, nor a greater Sense of our Necessities and Infirmities than he has as such by his Omniscience: Yet this helps our weakness to believe, and expect that he will be the more likely to sympathise with our Afflictions, and to compassionate our Infirmities, in that he has felt the same things. And that this is a great Encouragement to us to seek his help, the Apostle evidently intimates, in Heb. 3.16. where after he had represented our Mediator, in all the weakness of human Nature he gathers this Exhortation and Encouragement from thence; let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of Need. In becoming Man the Mediator has given us sufficient Encouragement to address to him. We may plainly see he does not despise our Nature, in that he has taken it into a personal Union with himself: And may easily persuade ourselves that he will readily help those whom he reckons his Brethren and Kindred. Now if we needed such an Encouragement as this to use and aclowledge him for our Mediator, and this is an Encouragement to that, then we may reasonably account it was one cause and end of his taking our Nature to give us such a necessary Encouragement. Thus I have also finished this part of the Discourse. Now I must profess I have not insisted upon it to satisfy a nice and impertinent Curiosity, but that I might thereby promote the due use and improvement of this great Truth, in some good and suitable practise; to which purpose, I suppose, the Consideration of the Reasons of our Saviour's Incarnation may be serviceable. And we ought to account all our Knowledge in Divine Things vain and useless to us, and to believe that it will serve only to aggravate our Sin, and increase our Condemnation, if it be not effectual upon us to turn us from Sin and Wickedness, and to make us led Holy and virtuous Lives. The Apostle calls this Point in particular, which we are now treating on, a Mystery of Godliness. Great is the Mystery of Godliness,( says he) God manifested in the Flesh. That is, this Mysterious and wonderful Truth requires that we apply ourselves to all Holiness of Life and Conversation. This is that then which I might urge from hence: But I judge it more useful to insist upon some particular things which this Truth requires of us. 1. The Incarnation of the Son of God for our Salvation should teach us to put a high value upon our immortal Souls, and make us much concerned to obtain that Salvation. The creator has formed a noble Spirit in Man, which he has made capable of sublime and spiritual Joys, of delighting itself in his Favour and Love, and of enjoying himself: And as he made us capable of this Happiness, he designed and intended us for it, and is loathe to see us lose it. He has therefore sent his Son to reveal it to us, when it was unknown and forgotten among Men: And the Son came to purchase it for us when we had forfeited all Right to it; and the Holy Spirit concerns himself to move us to seek it, and to make us Partakers of it. Thus the whole Trinity is concerned to advance us to a Celestial and spiritual Happiness. He that made our Souls, and bests knows the worth of them, has done much to save them. It was he that condescended to take our Nature for this purpose. And this surely should possess us with some thoughts about the Dignity of our Natures, and our noble Capacities. After this we may reasonably account the Things of this World utterly below us; we might reasonably despise them in comparison to those greater things which we were made for, and which the Redeemer has purchased for us. Let us consider, the Son of God came down from Heaven not to advance us to the Dignities and Honours of this World, but to advance us to Heaven; not to make us rich in outward Possessions but in inward Worth, in Piety and virtue and good Works. It were most unreasonable, then, if we should think, that there is nothing important to us, but to gratify and indulge our Senses, or to make ourselves as great and rich in this World as we can; or should make these things our chief or only Care. This were to neglect our own Dignity; to debase and degrade ourselves; to despise and slight a great Salvation; and to undervalue the great Redeemer's undertaking and Love. If we would live suitable to this, and show ourselves duly thankful for what he has done to save us: That which has been so valuable and dear to him should be highly so to us. We should seek chiefly the things above, and despise all things in comparison to the Salvation of our Souls; we should account this the one thing necessary, and make every other concern either subserve and promote this, or else give way to it. 2. Let us observe in our Saviour's Incarnation his wonderful Condescension; and from thence learn humility and the denial of ourselves. The excellent Hymn which our Church uses at our Morning Prayers very justly takes notice of this; and says to him, When thou tookest upon thee to deliver Man thou didst not abhor the Virgins Womb. This is worthy to be particularly observed, and greatly admired. It was a wonder even equal to his own infinite Greatness, that he did not abhor and disdain so mean a Condescension, and Abasement. But nothing was too mean and low, in his account, to be submitted to, which was necessary to the Glory of God and the good of Mankind. Let us consider this matter a little. What an amazing thing is it, that the Infinite and Glorious God should become a Creature! That he who is the Brightness of the Fathers Glory, the express Image of his Person, the Lord and the joy of Angels, the creator of all things, should veil himself with human Flesh and Blood, submit to the weakness of an Infant, take upon him the form of a Servant, and become subject to Men. That he who sustains and upholds all things by his Almighty Power; who gives Food to all Flesh, should take his own Food and Nourishment from the Breasts of a feeble Woman! That he who is infinite Purity and Holiness, and to whom nothing is so odious and displeasing as Wickedness and Sin, should come into this vile and sinful World, converse and dwell among Sinners, to be exercised and persecuted by their Sin and Wickedness! All this he submitted to for the Glory of God, and the good of Mankind. And this is surely to the Honour of Humility and Self-denial: Of abasing ones self to Honour God, and of denying ourselves and our own Interest and Convenience sometimes for the benefit of our Neighbour. Are not these things now the brightest Ornaments we can put on after the Son of God has worn them, and shown himself in them! Should not these things of right become the Fashion of the World after this? And especially be the constant Dress and Habit of Christians? Should Christians ever appear in any other Guise or Mode than modest and humble, and ready to deny themselves to do good to others? Should Christians ever appear proud, disdainful of their inferiors, and Lovers of none but themselves, when he whose Name they bear, and whom they therein profess to own for their Lord and Master has given them so contrary an Example? How Glorious and great a Thing is it now for a great Prince to abandon the soft Pleasures of his Court, to deny himself his own ease and safety, and take upon him the weighty Cares, the toilsome Labour and Fatigue, and expose himself to the Hazards and Dangers of War, that his Subjects may live in Peace and Safety, and quietly possess their own, and solace themselves in the Enjoyment of all that is dear to them! This is like the Glorious Son of God himself; like the kind and condescending Saviour of the World. And cretainly 'tis the most honourable thing that can be to resemble him, to comform to the Son of God. And so Humility is honourable in its self, and to condescend is to deserve to be exalted: But Pride is vile and base in itself, and deserves the Contempt and Disgrace which it is so much afraid of. And he that loves none but himself, that cares for no Man's welfare but his own, is worthy to be loved by none but himself, and that no Man should concern himself for his welfare. 3. We may easily observe in the Incarnation of our Saviour a glorious and wonderful Love; and this should inspire us with Love to him, and teach us love to Mankind too. This was a wonderful instance of Love as well as of Condescension. For he did all this for our Sakes: It was for us Men and for our Salvation that he came down from Heaven. He humbled himself thus to exalt us. All the Motive he had on our part to this Undertaking was our Misery: And this prevailed with him notwithstanding our Guilt. We had thereby rendered ourselves as much unworthy of his help as we were in want of it, yet he would not desert us: And he has herein appeared to account nothing too much, or too dear to be done for us, if our Necessity requires it. Oh! how generous! How obliging is this Love! What can we return suitable to so great Kindness! What can we think fit to do less than give up ourselves entirely to him, who has thus given himself as it were to us. And make his Honour and Glory our great Concern and Business, since our Happiness has been so much his Concern! And since he has had so much Love for Mankind we should be great Lovers of Mankind too: He has recommended Love in practising it; and from him we may take Directions how to practise the most noble and honourable Love. From him we may learn that we ought to be lovers of Mankind in general, that we ought to bear an Universal Good-will towards Men: From him we may learn to love and do good to those from whom we have not received any Kindness or Obligation: To do good readily and freely when it is in our Power, and not to want importunate Entreaty and long Attendance for it. We may learn to do good to those that are most unprofitable to us; from whom we cannot expect any return of Advantage: To do good to them who hate and injure us, who affront and despise us. These are the glorious Characters of his Love; and if we ought to imitate him they should be as far as we can the Characters of ours too. Can we imagine we shall be acceptable to him who has so much Love if we have little or none? Or can. God who is Love be well-pleased with those that are only full of Envy and Hatred, of Malice and Uncharitableness? Without doubt the more Love we entertain and practise the more acceptable we shall be to this great Lover, and the more favour we shall be likely to find with him. 4. Lastly, This Incarnation of the Son of God should, as it was intended, raise and encourage our Faith in him, and Applications to him as a mediator. Let us take notice how he has loved us! That his Love has made him become one of us, that so we might not be afraid to address ourselves to him for his help. We may be sure he is disposed rather to favour than despise us since he has taken our Nature. He expects it as an Honour due to him that we account him an accessible, an easy mediator; that we believe him as much ready to help us as we can be desirous of his help: Yea he is more ready to be our Advocate with the Father than we are to make our Supplications to him. Let us not then so disparaged his Love as to think that we need any other mediators to bring us nigh to him. No kind Angel, no good Saint has so much Compassion as he. And we need not fear that now he is ascended to his Glory, he is too high and too distant to regard us. No, he has carried our Nature with him to the Right-hand of God: He has not thrown off his Relation to us even there, he does not despise it in all his Glory. Let us not doubt then, but he who has exalted our Nature to Heaven is willing to bring us also thither. He who came down from Heaven to save us, will readily do it now that it is in his Power to save us. Let not any weight of Guilt then oppress us: Let not any present Strength of Temptation or Corruption give us despair: Let us not doubt but if we earnestly seek the Pardon of our Sins in his Name, and the Grace to enable us to work out our Salvation we shall obtain all that we need. Let us therefore as the Apostle directs Come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find Grace to help in time of Need. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen. THE PRAYER. GReat and Glorious God! Thou art exalted infinitely above all thy Creatures; yet such is thy Condescending Goodness, Thou dost not disdain to take Care of the meanest Thing which Thou hast made: And there is not a Sparrow falls to the Ground without Thee. But thy Goodness to the Children of Men seems to be far beyond all other Exercises of it. O Lord we cannot consider what Thou hast done for us without the highest Admiration. Quicken and excite us Lord to offer Thee the most hearty and thankful Praises for thine inestimable Love, in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ. After we had wilfully and needlessly sinned against Thee, despised thy Goodness and Authority, and deserved everlasting Death; it might have been accounted a wonderful Favour if thou hadst only exercised thy Patience towards us for a while, and given us the Reprieve of a few years in this World before we had been thrown into everlasting Flames: But thy Glorious Goodness was not satisfied with that, but has wisely contrived a way to pardon and save us; and to excuse us for ever from suffering the unspeakable Miseries we had deserved. We were beholden to Thee for the greatest Gift when we had forfeited the least; and when we had rendered ourselves unworthy of thy Creatures to serve our Happiness and Comfort, Thou gavest us thy Son, to redeem us from Misery, and to advance us to everlasting Glory and Happiness. And this hast Thou done, O God of Love, for Creatures that cannot be profitable to Thee; yea for Sinners that have basely and unjustly hated and affronted Thee. O that this thy wondrous Love, and infinite Condescension may have a mighty Influence and Power upon us. Lord grant it may utterly conquer all our unreasonable Enmity against Thee, and may reconcile our hearts to our Duty: Since the Love and Obligation of a Redeemer is joined to that of a Creator, let it make us readily and sincerely devote ourselves to thy Service; resolving to live to him that died for us; that no other Lords shall have Dominion over us. Since the Son of God came down from Heaven, the Word was made Flesh and dwest among us to give us an excellent Example of Piety and virtue: Make us to account it our Honour to be religious; make us Ambitious to imitate so great a Pattern. Make us O Lord earnestly desirous to partake of the great Salvation which he has wrought for us, that we may be ready to comply with the just and reasonable Terms and Conditions of obtaining it. Ready to forsake all our sins and to do any good Work, to bear any Burden which our Lord and Master shall be pleased to call us to. O Lord let thy great Love to us kindle in us an ardent Love to Thee, and then that will make all our Duty grateful and pleasant to us. Pardon we beseech Thee all the past Transgressions of our Lives for the Sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Saviour. We humbly implore thy Mercy for all Mankind. O let thy abundant Goodness be shown in pitying the dark Corners of the World, and sending thither the saving Light of thy Gospel: That they may be turned from the Power of Satan unto God. O let thy Gracious Mercy cleanse thy Church from all that is evil and unworthy of thy Gospel; and be thou pleased to maintain and increase in it all that is good. Be Favourable O Lord, to the Nations to which we belong: Advance among us all that is pleasing to Thee, and that is necessary and conducing to our Peace and Happiness; teach us all, we pray Thee, our several Duties towards Thee, and towards one another, and be Thou our mighty defence against all our Enemies. Bless abundantly our most Gracious King; protect his Person, prosper his Government, and let him continue long to make us happy thereby. Continue we pray Thee, and increase our Royal Family, and let them ever be Instruments of thy Glory among us, and of our Happiness. We recommend to thy Fatherly Goodness all those who are related to us, visit and bless them O Lord, according to their several Necessities; especially with a saving Knowledge of Thee, and of Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. We hearty thank Thee for the glad Tidings of the Gospel which we have this day heard, and for all thy Blessed Ordinances; O continue to us we beseech Thee, the happy Liberty of these Enjoyments all our days; and that we may not forfeit such Favour, make us to bring forth fruit accordingly. Let us lye down this Night under thy Protection, and be kept in safety by Thee; and so long as Thou continuest our Lives let us live to thy Praise and Glory. All we humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord: In whose own words we conclude our Prayers saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. OUR B. Saviour's Passion Represented and improved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Phil. 2.8. And being found in Fashion as a Man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the across. THE Holy Scriptures represent the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ, as the greatest instance of Favour that ever was afforded to Mankind. Justly therefore do they ascribe this entirely to God: And as there cannot be so great Good-will in any Creature as in the infinite Goodness, nor so much Wisdom to help in a desperate Case as in the alwise God; so neither was it fit, if it could have been, that the greatest and most glorious Work should be committed to a Creature, or that we should receive our greatest Obligations from a Creature. This instance of Favour therefore is spoken of thus in the Sacred Writings. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting Life, Joh. 3.16. where this is mentioned without a Parallel instance to intimate that it has not such a one; and that we are more beholden to God for this than for any thing else. Again 'tis said, Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he laid down his Life for us, 1 Joh. 3.16. In this the Love of God has eminently appeared, this instance of it out-shines all the rest. And these two Scriptures let us know what it is which so mightily enhances this: The former in representing the Excellency and Dignity of the Person who became our Redeemer, that it was the only begotten Son of God: The latter in mentioning the very low and wonderful Condescension of this glorious Person, whom it calls God, that he might accomplish our Redemption; that is, his laying down his Life for us. These are the Things which advance the Work of Redemption so high, and make it so great and glorious an Obligation. As the Holy Scripture frequently mentions those two Things, so they are what the Apostle insists on in this Discourse of which our Text is a Part. Of Jesus Christ mentioned in the 5th. verse, He says in the 6th, He being in the form of God thought it not Robbery to be equal with God; He is so the Son of God as to have derived from the Father all the Excellency and Glory of the Divine Nature to a perfect Equality herein with the Father. This Person he says in the 7th verse, Made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of a Man. He veiled all this Glory, as it were, and condescended so low as to unite himself into one Person with the human Nature which he took of the Virgin Mary. And then in our Text he mentions this other, and lowest, degree of his Condescension to save us, His laying down his Life for us, and says, Being found in Fashion as a Man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the across. This lowest degree of our Blessed Saviour's Abasement and Condescension to save us; I shall desire may at this time employ our Meditations, and Wonder, and Praise. The Apostle in the Text expresses his Death, and the sort of Death which he died, which adds much to the Abasement of it: He was obedient unto Death, even the Death of the across: And this deserves to be very particularly observed. I shall insist therefore upon these following Heads of Discourse on this Subject. 1. I shall represent the sad Circumstances of our Saviour's Death, or the very grievous Sufferings which attended it, which the Apostle includes in saying, he suffered the Death of the across. 2. I shall make it appear, that the Messiah or Christ was to suffer and die according to the Prophecies concerning him in the Old Testament. 3. I shall show what are the Reasons and Ends of his Sufferings and Death. 4. Suggest the due Use and Improvement of these things. In the first Place, let us observe and represent to ourselves at this time the sad Circumstances of our Saviour's Death, or the grievous Sufferings which attended it, in a brief Summary of what the Four Evangelists have told us concerning it. These Sufferings of his last and dying Passion, we may reckon had their beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane. There we find him complaining, and saying, My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death. An excessive Load of Anxiety and Trouble came upon him which sunk his Spirits, and almost broken his Heart, as we speak, and brought him even to the Point of Death. In this Condition he needed an Angel to Comfort him, or else perhaps he had failed under it, and his Passion with his Life had ended here. And so sharp and violent was this Agony, that it forced from his Body, in great drops, a Sweat of Blood. The cause of all this was inward and best known to himself: Only we may perhaps guess at it by those Words which fell from him, Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me: From whence we may suppose it was only a lively Apprehension of the Death which he was going to die, that made so mighty an Impression upon him. There was to be something so terrible in that Death, that the Fears of it almost killed him; human Nature was not able to bear them without a Supernatural Assistance. It must be something more than Death which he so feared; and that could be nothing else but the heavy Terrors of Almighty Wrath, which he must undergo in dying, while he made his Soul, or Life, an Offering and Sacrifice for Sin. But from the Fear of this he went to the Feeling of it, and let us follow him in this Dolorous Progress with our admiring and passionate Meditations. The next Grief he met with we may justly reckon to be that he saw Judas the Leader, and Guide to those who came to apprehended him. One whom he had made his Companion, and used him as a Friend. One whom he had favoured with his Divine Instructions; had sometime fed and maintained as a Member of his Family; and whom he had perhaps honoured with the Power to work Miracles in his Name, to be betrayed by a Person so much obliged into the hands of his Enemies must needs be a very sensible Grief to him. David, a Type of Christ in many things, and perhaps in this also, sadly complains of such a thing when he suffered somewhat like it, in Psal. 55.12, 13, 14. Verses, It was even thou my Companion, my Guide, and mine own familiar Friend, as one Translation very fitly renders the 13th. Verse. Next to this it was another Grief to him, who had lived in perfect Innocence, and spent his whole Life in doing good to be now reckoned a Malefactor, and dealt with as a mischievous and dangerous Person; and this he takes notice of to those who came to apprehended him. Are ye come out as against a Thief( says he) with Swords and Staves to take me? Then we must believe it was another Grief to him, to see that soon after he was Apprehended all his Disciples forsook him and fled. He was left alone in the hands of his Enemies, and had no Friend by, to Pity and Comfort him: None of those who had been the Witnesses of his harmless and Beneficent Life had now the Courage and Kindness to appear for him and testify this; but all the rest of his Disciples in a manner followed Judas, and betrayed him too. He was all Night in the hands of the rude Soldiers and the Officious Servants of the Chief Priests: who doubtless used him ill enough; having the Temptation to do so, of thinking they approved themselves therein to their envious and malicious Masters, and pleased them so much the more by how much the worse they treated him. When it was day the Chief Priests and Scribes assembled their Bloody Council, and brought the innocent Jesus before them. And here the Guilty accuse the Innocent; the base set themselves above the Honourable, and Subjects sit in judgement on their King. They seek for Witnesses and Accusations against him, that they might have a Pretence to murder him; and he silently hears himself reviled and falsely accused of many things which could not be legally proved; and here they suffer their Servants in their sight, to abuse and affront him before he could be convicted of any Crime, this was very hard measure, but he must suffer yet much worse than this. They at length drew from him a plain Confession who he was, and upon that condemn him as a Blasphemer. And now they treat him with the utmost rage and disdain; and but that they durst not, 'tis likely they would have beat him to Death: They spit in his Face, they blindfold, and then buffet him from one to the other, and in contempt call him Christ, and bid him guess who it was that smote him. Here we might have seen the good and the meek Jesus as a silent harmless Lamb in the midst of many Ravenous Wolves. While their Rage was thus burning against him, they hurry him away to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, and to him they fiercely accuse him of Crimes he abhorred. The governor upon a strict Examination of his Case, saw indeed very plainly the Envy and Malice of his Enemies, but not any Guilt in him, and therefore offered to release him as Innocent. This improved their Rage yet further. Then he would have released him according to the Custom of releasing a Prisoner at the Feast of the Passover, but they would not hear of this, but preferred barrabas, who had been guilty of Sedition and Murder, before the excellent Jesus. When Pilate asked them what he should do with Jesus they Cry out crucify him, crucify him. Death alone could not satisfy their Rage, but they insist upon the bitterest and the vilest Death which they could think of. It could not choose but be very grievous to the Loving Jesus to see his own People, those whom he chiefly came to save, thus pulling upon themselves the weighty Guilt, and terrible Vengeance of his unjust Death. The foresight of this had drawn tears from his Eyes before, when he beholded Jerusalem and wept over it upon this account. At length with their importunate Clamours Pilate is overcome and delivers him up to be crucified. And, as was usually done to those who suffered this kind of Death, he is first tied to a Pillar and there basely and severely whipped upon his naked Back. After this the Souldiers would needs have some sport in abusing him. And they find some dirty and contemptible purple Garment and put that upon him; they plate a Crown of Thorns and force it upon his Head, and the Thorns we may believe then were purple too, even the precious Purple of his Blood: They put then a Reed in his Hand, and in mockery bow the Knee before him, and cry Hail King of the Jews. But in the doing of this they spat upon him too, to show how little in earnest they were while they pretended to do him Homage. When this sport was no longer pleasant to themselves, they put his own clothes on again and lead him away to crucify him. At first, as the manner was, they forced him to bear his own across towards the Place of Execution. But they had used him too ill before to leave him able to do this; and he staggered with the Burden a-while but at length fainted under it: Then they were forced to lay that on other Shoulders, and almost to carry him, which without doubt they did not very mercifully or civilly do. When he was come to the Place of Execution, without the City, they stripped him of his clothes, and in so doing renewed the Smart of those raw Wounds which the rude Scourge had given him, when the Plowers ploughed upon his Back and made long their Furrows. Then they laid him naked upon his across, and stretching out his Arms with some force driven two great Nails through his two Hands, and therewith fastened them to the transverse Beam of his across. Then they driven another great Nail or two through his Feet, and so fastened them to the upright Beam of the across. When this was done they set the across upright, letting the lower End a little into the Ground that it might stand so and expose the crucified Person the better to the View and Scorn of the spectators: And so the whole weight of his Body 'tis likely hung upon those Nails. Here he hung three long Hours in exquisite Torments. And still his Enemies would not spare him: They pierce and crucify his Soul too as well as they could with bitter Scoffs and Revilings, and, what was doubtless most sensible to him, they upbraid him with a vain Trust in God. Certainly had he had but the Love of a Creature, as they bid him in Defiance and Scorn save himself and come down from the across, he would have saved himself and have left us to perish. These were very heavy Sufferings; but he suffered yet worse than all this! For in the height of all his outward Sufferings he was inwardly afflicted of God too, and used by him as a Sinner. The constant Beams of Divine Favour which had been his great Consolation through his innocent Life were now withdrawn, and left a sad Darkness in his Soul; he saw no light but from the dismal Flashes of Divine Anger and Wrath: There appeared some very horrid and terrible Expressions of this to him while he made his Soul an Offering for Sin. And this was what he could not bear. He was silent before under the worst Indignities he suffered, but now cries out My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And as the fears of this had almost killed him in the Garden, the feeling of it now quiter does it on the across, and he soon bows his Head, gives up the Ghost, and dies. These were the sad Sufferings which attended the Death of our Redeemer! Such as no Tongue can fully express. These things let us seriously represent to ourselves now; things which few of us think of at all and none of us enough! I proceed to the second thing proposed, which is to show that the Messiah or Christ promised to the World was to suffer such things, and to die according to the Prophecies concerning him. It is very evident in the Prophecies concerning the Messiah that he was not to be such a glorious temporal Prince as the Blind Jews, at the time of his coming, expected he should be: but they plainly represent him to be a suffering Person when he should come into the World. The 53 d. Chapter of Isaiah, which the Ancient Writers of the Jewish Nation did aclowledge was a prophesy of the Messiah, does plainly represent him a suffering Person. It says he should be despised and rejected of Men, and afflicted of God. It speaks of him as wounded, as suffering stripes, and scourgings. Many of the Particulars of our Saviour's last Passion are foretold concerning the Messiah as what he should suffer. The Psalmist represented him more than himself, Psalm 22. When he went about to make a complaining Prayer for his own Sufferings and Griefs, the Spirit of God came upon him and carried his Thoughts beyond himself to the foretelling and describing rather, the Sufferings of the Messiah. He begins it with those very words which Jesus used upon the across, My God, my God,( says he) why hast thou forsaken me? He speaks of his Enemies deriding his Trust in God in the 8th Ver. as our Saviour's Enemies did to him, while he hung on the across, saying, He trusted in God let him deliver him if he will have him, mat. 27.43. He says his Enemies pierced his Hands and his Feet, 16th. Ver. which was never literally fulfilled in David, but was in Jesus after a terrible manner when he was nailed to the across. He says, I may tell all my Bones: which is said to be a Circumstance more peculiarly attending that sort of Death which Jesus suffered than any other. He says, They part my Garments among them, and cast lots upon my Vesture, 18th. Verse, as the Souldiers did with the Garments of Jesus Again; the Prophet Zachary also foretells this cruel kind of Death for the Messiah, when he says the Jews, in their Repentance, should look on him whom they had pierced and mourn, Zach. 12.10. which the ancient Jews interpnted of the Messiah. And this was fulfilled upon a great many of them at once as we are told in Acts 3. where 'tis said, that many of them were pricked in their Hearts, when St. Peter told them they had Crucified the Christ; and the event of this was that Three thousand of them were then converted to Christ. Further it was Prophesied of the Messiah, that he should die as well as suffer, tho' this too the Jews did not understand, but thought that when he came he should abide for ever. The Prophet Daniel says expressly; Dan. 9.26. That the Messiah should be cut off. So the Prophet Isaiah says, Chap. 53. He should be brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, 7th. Verse, He should be cut off out of the Land of the Living, 8th. Verse, and in 9th. Verse his Burial is spoken of. He made his Grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his Death. Thus much may suffice to this Head. I go on, in the third Place, to show what were the Ends and Reasons of the Death of Jesus the Christ: Which we shall find by the Holy Scriptures to have been chiefly these two. 1. To teach us, by an excellent and perfect Pattern, how we should suffer Trouble and Affliction. 2. To make his Soul or Life an Offering for Sin. 1. This grievous and long Passion he endured, to teach us by his Example, how we ought to suffer the Afflictions and Troubles which we may meet with in the World. As he came down from Heaven and dwelled in our Nature among us to give us an Example of doing Well, so he bore all these Griefs to teach us how to suffer well. Tho' he came into the World to die, yet it does not seem to have been necessary to any other end of his Death that so many cruel Sufferings should attend it; and he should be so barbarously used: This then we may reckon he endured to teach us to endure. And indeed the Holy Scripture itself suggests this to us. This is intimated in that he is so often proposed to us for a Pattern in suffering. Let us look unto Jesus( says the Apostle) who for the Joy which was set before him endured the across, despising the shane, Heb. 12.2. And Consider him that endured such Contradiction of Sinners lest ye be wearied and faint in your Minds, Verse 2d. We may see plainly by the following Discourse, that he Encourages Christians to endure Afflictions by the Sufferings of Jesus. Again in Chap. 13. having spoken of his Suffering without the City in his Death, as the Offerings for Sin among the Jews had been burnt without the Camp in the Wilderness: To let us know that we are not to look upon his Death as only a Sacrifice for Sin, as if there were nothing else to be minded in it he adds Verse 13th. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach. That is; let us wean and withdraw ourselves from the World in heart and affection, and be ready, when he calls us, to part with, or to want any thing of it; to abandon all for his sake, and so go forth to him: And that, though we should expose ourselves thereby to the Contempt and Neglect of Men, as he was, who will usually value and respect none but those, or those most, who get to themselves much of the Honours and Dignities or Wealth of this World. But to prove this sufficiently and fully by one Scripture I shall direct you to 1 Pet. 2.21. Where we may see the Apostle giving this as the main Reason of his Sufferings, and at the same time applying them to promote the Patience and Meekness of Christians under their Sufferings. Christ also suffered for us( says he) leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. And it is not any more a Wonder that he should suffer so much to teach us to suffer, than it is that he should love us so much as he did. He saw our learning this to be as necessary to our Salvation as any thing else; that our Sin and Folly had brought Misery and Affliction into the World, and we could not fail to meet with a great deal of it; that Man is born to trouble, and therefore, as the Apostle says, Heb. 10.36. We have need of Patience that after we have done the Will of God we might receive the Promise. And this, too, like every other instance of Duty, he knows we are better taught by an Example than any other way: He knows also how backward and averse we are to bear Affliction even when we have pulled it upon ourselves, and that there is nothing we are more unwilling and awkward to learn than the Suffering virtues. In great Kindness to us therefore has he given us a most Glorious example of virtuous and Patient Suffering. 2. But it must be also said, as the Scripture teaches us, that the Death of Jesus was a Sacrifice and Propitiation for the Sins of Men. This is the great Propitiatory Sacrifice for our Sins whereby God is reconciled to Men, and way is made that the Pardon of our Sins might be consistent with the Honour of God. To produce the greater Evidence of this in Scripture I shall show, this is what was Prophesied concerning the Death of the Messiah in the Old Testament, and this is said of the Death of Jesus in the New one. The Prophecies I shall mention are those of Daniel and Isaiah: The Prophet Daniel says in Chap. 9th. Ver. 26. The Messiah should be cut off but not for himself, and in 24th. he says the end of his coming should be to make Reconciliation for Iniquity, and bring in everlasting Righteousness. To atone for the Sins of Men, and to be a Head and Spring of Righteousness and Holiness, as a Second Adam, which should never fail as that of the first Adam had done. Again, the Prophet Isaiah in Chap. 53. speaking of the Death of the Messiah says in a prophetic way, He bore our Griefs, he carried our sorrows, and in doing this we should esteem him strike, smitten of God and afflicted: Which shows that he was to take away our Griefs by Suffering them himself. Again he says, He was wounded for our Transgressions, he was bruised for our Iniquities, the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed: All we like Sheep have gone astray, and God hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all: And that he should make his Soul, or Life, an Offering for Sin. Thus we may see that the Old Testament foretells the Death of the Messiah as a Sacrifice for Sin. In the New Testament also we may see this given, as the Reason and Design of the Death of Jesus. In Heb. 9.26. the Apostle says of him, He hath appeared once in the end of the World, to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself: And what a sort of Sacrifice he was, appears by St. John, 1 Joh. 2.2. He is the Propitiation for our Sins. The Scripture says, He was made Sin for us who knew no Sin, 2 Cor. 5.21. which can mean no less than that he became an Offering and Sacrifice for Sin. And the Apostle Peter says, He bore our Sins in his own Body on the three, that is, on the across, 1 Pet. 2.24. Which without doubt is an Expression taken from the Old Testament, and must be understood as it is there used. And we shall find every where there, that when 'tis said a Man shall bear his Iniquity, it is meant he should suffer for his Iniquity, particularly, Levit. 20. Therefore when 'tis said of Jesus, He bore our sins, it must mean he suffered for our sins. I might add a multitude of places more to the same purpose, but I hope it is needless. I shall now in the last Place suggest the use and Improvement which we ought to make of this important Truth. In doing which I shall confine myself to mention briefly those things which are necessary to us, to make us Partakers of that Happiness which the Passion and Death of our Saviour are designed to bring us to. 1. The Consideration of these Things should move us to a hearty and unfeigned Repentance for all our Sins. Herein we may see there is so great Affront and Indignity offered the great God by the Sins of Men, that he did not think it for his Honour to grant the Pardon of them to his only begotton Son without his undergoing some Penalty and Suffering for them: Therefore when he had taken our Nature, he was forced to die a Sacrifice for our Sins, that he might make an atonement for us. And from the great hatred and displeasure of Almighty God against them, so remarkably discovered herein, we may justly learn to hate them too. And since the Messiah was cut off not for himself but for us; every Sinner may justly say to himself hereupon: It was not the barbarous Jews alone that Crucified the Blessed Jesus, but my more barbarous Sins were helpers in the Mischief. I crowned, then, that Sacred Head with sharp Thorns; I pierced his Blessed Hands and Feet, and fastened them to the across. It was my Sins which tore the Flesh, which poured out the Blood, and tormented the Soul of Jesus my Saviour. And surely this should cost us a great deal of Grief for our Sins. Especially since we may consider too, that it was not our Sins without his Love that brought him to all this! He could not be forced to endure thus much, but he willingly undertook it. His mighty Love constrained him: So that we must look upon all this as having been suffered by our best Friend, and as befalling him for our Sake, and while he was seeking our Welfare; which surely ought to melt us into the most passionate Grief. 2. The Death of Jesus Christ being considered as a Sacrifice for Sin may justly encourage our Faith to hope and seek for all Necessary Favour and Mercy from God. As we ought not approach the great God, whom we have so heinously offended by our Sins, without a great Sense of our Guilt and unworthiness of the least of his Mercies; so we ought to believe the Sufficiency of this Sacrifice to atone for our Sins, and accordingly to rely upon it. A more valuable and honourable Satisfaction for the sins of Men is made to the Divine Justice and Government by the Death of Christ in our stead, than if all Mankind had died for their own Sins. Hereupon God has promised the Pardon of sin to all, that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him. And now the Scripture speaks of it as a just thing with God to justify them that believe in Jesus: And the Apostle says, If we confess our Sins, that is in true Repentance for them, he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We may conclude from his giving himself to die for us that the Son of God is willing that all who seek them should be partakers in the Merits of his Death: And since he has so dearly purchased he must needs be ready to bestow them. And since God the Father gave his only begotten Son to die for us, we cannot doubt but whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life. And we may draw from thence the Conclusion which the Apostle makes having given us his Son, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. Let us honour, then, the sufficiency of our Saviour's Merits and Death by seeking and expecting to be received into Favour with God upon our Repentance. And let us assure ourselves that if we seek the Pardon of our greatest Sins for his sake we shall obtain it. If we hunger and thirst after Righteousness we shall be filled. If we seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof, all other things shall be added to us. And if by patient Continuance in well-doing we seek for Glory, Honour, and Immortality, we shall obtain Eternal Life. 3. We ought to consider the virtues which were exercised by our Saviour in his Sufferings and Death, and to imitate them as well as we can in all our Sufferings and Afflictions. We may observe that the Apostle takes notice of two in the Text, which are Humility and Obedience. He humbled himself( says he) and became obedient unto Death: To these we may add two more, namely, Patience and Charity. Let us observe how gloriously these were exercised by him, and always endeavour to exercise them too in our Sufferings. We may easily observe in his Sufferings and Death a most wonderful Humility, and Condescension. We shall see and cannot choose but admire this, if we consider the great Dignity and Excellency of his Person. Of whom we may, after the Holy Scripture, speak thus; He to whom all Honour and Glory is due, humbled himself to be of no Reputation. He who is really a mighty King suffered himself to be called such in Contempt and Scorn, and to have the Homage paid him in Mockery. From the Adoration of Angels he humbled himself to suffer the Contempt of Men. He who is Judge of all the World might have been seen standing at the Tribunal of his Subjects: The Lord of Life and Glory was crucified, and he who only hath Immortality laid down his Life. What an Example of Humility and Condescension was here! He neglected as it were all his Greatness to honour the Father, and save us. After this how shameful and base a thing is all our Pride! Should we be loathe to abase and humble ourselves a little for the Glory of God and the good of Men, when he has done so much of this? What Affliction, what Abasement can we justly think ourselves too great or too good to bear! Again, Let us observe our Saviour's Excellent Obedience in his Sufferings, and imitate this in our Afflictions. This appears in his yieiding to endure whatever it pleased the Father to lay upon him: It was against his Nature to endure what he was called to as much as any thing we suffer can be against ours: And this he discovered in saying Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me. Yet he submitted to it and said, Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done. It was the Father's Will he should die and should die an ignominious and accursed Death, yet he submits to it. The Apostle seems to put the Glory of his Obedience chiefly in this, that he died Even the Death of the across. Let us consider these things then: And when we would rather obey God in eminent Service than in submission to suffering, Let us say to him, Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done. When we would rather have any Affliction than this which God chooses for us, let us check ourselves and say, his Will be done. When our Duty is made more than ordinary difficult or inconvenient to us by any adverse Circumstances, we should consider his steady Obedience, and neither murmur at this nor decline our Duty. Nothing can be made more uneasy to us than his Death was to him by such a long Train of Abuses and Afflictions as attended it; yet was he obedient unto Death even the Death of the across. It becomes me, then, should every Christian say to persevere in my Duty whatever it may cost me. We may further observe in our Saviour's Sufferings and Death an invincible Patience, and should endeavour to imitate this in our Sufferings. We hear no murmurings against God; we see no Frowardness in his Carriage towards Men; he was not found in any unfit Endeavours to decline, or shake off his Sufferings. Tho' he suffered too the sharpest things, tho' he suffered from Men unjustly and unworthily. We shall see his Patience if we consider what a Multitude of Afflictions invaded him together! How tedious a thing his Enemies made it to him to die! There is hardly any sort of Affliction we can endure but attended this his last Passion in the sharpest and highest Degrees of it. We may say then to ourselves to charm our Impatience; Am I poor? Jesus had but a few Garments to leave behind him, and those were taken from him too. Am I deserted by those I have obliged? Am I ungratefully used? So was he. Is Reproach and false Accusation grievous to me? The most innocent Jesus was reviled and numbered among the vilest transgressors. Is bodily Pain the thing I cannot bear? This he endured in a very severe Measure. Is it grievous to see an inferior preferred to any Favour or Dignity before me? I may see the vile barrabas, an Incendiary and a murderer preferred before the Excellent Jesus. Is it a very hard thing to be insulted over in my Affliction? To be scorned in my Misery? This also Jesus endured. With such Thoughts we may arm ourselves with Patience under all Adversity. Lastly, in our Saviour's Sufferings and Death we may observe a glorious Charity, and we should learn to practise this also in our Afflictions. He endured the greatest Affronts and Abuses without returning any: When he was reviled he reviled not again; when he suffered he did not threaten; He healed the Ear of one that came to apprehended him, and wrought a Miracle to do him Kindness, who was an Instrument of his Death. When he was on the across, with some of his last Breath, he prayed for them who crucified him, Father forgive them they know not what they do. This Behavishould teach us never to lose our Charity, however we may be abused: To return Good for Evil, to bless them that curse us, and to pray for them that despitefully use and persecute us. But the great Glory of our Saviour's Charity lies in this, that he suffered for those by whom he suffered! That he endured all these bitter things for us Men and for our Salvation. He was bound that the Bonds of our iniquity might be loosed! He was scourged that by his Stripes we might be healed: He was crowned with Thorns and clothed with a contemptible Purple to cloath us with Robes of Righteousness, and crown us with Diadems of Glory. He became a Sacrifice for Sin to merit our Pardon, and died to give us an immortal Life. This sure will be thought an amazing Charity! How should such a Love even transform us into Love! Should we, after this, love none but ourselves? Such a Pattern should make us ready if need be to suffer much Inconvenience for the great Advantage of the Community we live in, or of a private Neighbour. Such a Pattern should make us ready to die for his sake, if we are called to it, since he died for us. These things should we observe, and in these we ought to imitate the Blessed Jesus. Let us consider that he requires our Imitation of him in these things. He says to his Disciples, Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart: And again, he that will be my Disciple let him deny himself, and take up his across and follow me. It is not, then, an indifferent thing whether we comform to him in the practise of these virtues or no; but we may reckon it a necessary Condition of our Salvation; and that we shall have no Interest in the Merits of his across if we will not bear our own. Let us consider it is not to be imagined, he can love those who are not like him; or that we can ever approve ourselves to him and yet not resemble him. We must expect in that Case he will one day say to us, Depart from me I know you not ye Workers of Iniquity. In the steady Exercise of these virtues we shall please him, and sure we should strive to please him who has so much Love to us. Let us then, as the Apostle advices, Look unto Jesus the author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the Joy that was set before him endured the across and despised the shane, and is now set down at the Right-hand of God. Let us consider the Pattern he has set us and imitate him in our Sufferings, and if we so suffer with him now, we shall hereafter Reign with him. Which God of his Infinite Mercy grant us to do, through the Merits of his most Precious Blood. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory world without End, Amen. THE PRAYER. MOst Great and Incomprehensible Lord our God. Who art glorious in Holiness, fearful in thy Praises, doing Wonders. Thou art worthy to be feared and had in Reverence by all that draw nigh unto Thee. We thy poor and miserable Creatures have great occasion for Access unto Thee, for Thou art the only Fountain of all our Happiness; in thy Favour is Life and thy Loving-kindness is better than Life. But we must own, O Lord, and we do it with great shane and grief that we have rendered ourselves utterly unworthy to draw nigh to Thee, and to ask or expect any Favour from Thee. For we have broken thy Laws, despised thy Authority, abused thy Goodness, denied thy Right and Propriety in us, and affencted, tho' we are Thine, to dispose of ourselves. Lord we have been guilty of great Injustice and great Ingratitude against Thee. These things we must confess, and for them we humble and abase ourselves before Thee. We cannot expect to find favour with Thee, nor do we expect it but by the virtue and Merits of such a Sacrifice for Sin, as may fully compensare for the Affront and Injury which our Sins have offered Thee. And such a Sacrifice, blessed be thy Name, we have in the precious Death of thy dear Son, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. We hope therefore, O Lord, upon the Account of this to find favour with Thee. We give most humble and hearty Thanks to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray Thee, O Father, to accept of thy Son's most precious Death as a Propitiation for our Sins; that they may all be pardoned, that we may be cleansed from all Unrighteousness, and sanctified throughout in Body, Soul, and Spirit. Oh grant that the Evidence we have of thy Hatred of Sin in the Death of our Redeemer may make us hate every false Way; let the Evidence we have in it of his wondrous Love to us make us love him and keep his Commands. Let us know that we are highly obliged to deny ourselves any thing for his sake, to take up our across and follow him. Lord make us observe, and enable us in some Measure to imitate the Example of his Patience, that we may be steadfast, and persevere in our Duty notwithstanding any Difficulties or Inconveniences that may attend it; and so having done the Will of God may at last enter into Rest. Guide us we pray Thee by thy Counsel till Thou hast brought us to thy Glory: Hold Thou up our goings in thy Word that our Footsteps slip not: Teach Thou us the Way of thy Statutes that we may keep it unto the End. Let the Fruit of all our Afflictions in this Life be to take away Sin, and make us more conformed to thy Will, and more fit for our Everlasting Happiness. Let all the World, O God, know Thee and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent, and knowing let them praise Thee for thy wonderful Goodness, and be blessed with Plenty, Health and Peace. Make thy Church glorious by an abundant Effusion of thy Spirit upon it to the increase of all Piety and virtue, and the purging it from whatever is displeasing to Thee and unbecoming the Gospel. We pray Thee bless that part of it which Thou hast planted amongst us. Oh Lord watch over it for good; let not the Gates of Hell prevail against it; let no Weapon formed against it prosper. Make it abundantly fruitful in all good Works to thy Glory. Be gracious we pray Thee to our King, defend Thou the Defender of our Faith, prosper his Person with all Happiness, and all his Endeavours for thy Glory and our Welfare, with great and glorious Success. Let our Royal Family never want a fit Person to fill the Throne of these Kingdoms and make us happy. We humbly beg thy peculiar Favours and Blessings for all that are related to us: O Lord, let them receive Remission of their Sins, and all other Benefits of our Saviour's Passion, to the Eternal Salvation of their Souls. Give them such a Proportion of the good things of this World as Thou seest to be most expedient for them. Comfort all that are in any Trouble, Sorrow, Need, Sickness, or any other Adversity; give them Patience under all their Sufferings, and in thy due time a happy Deliverance from them. We give Thee most hearty Thanks, O Lord, for thy Blessed Ordinances which we have this Day enjoyed; O grant that we may live according to them; let them have an abiding good Influence upon us and be thy Power to our Salvation. Permit us we pray Thee to trust ourselves under thy gracious Protection this Night; give us comfortable Rest, and raise us the next Morning with Health and Strength, and disposed to praise and love and serve Thee. Accept all our Requests in Jesus Christ, with whose Words we conclude them, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us, led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. FINIS. FAMILY DEVOTIONS FOR SUNDAY-EVENINGS, Throughout the YEAR. BEING Practical Discourses, WITH Suitable Prayers. Volume IV. By Theophilus Dorrington. LONDON, Printed for John wyatt, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1695. The Subjects of the following Discourses contained in this Fourth and Last Volume. Sermon I. THE Resurrection of our Blessed Saviour proved and applied. Proper for Easter-Day. Pag. 1 Serm. II. The Religious Observation of Sabbaths stated and urged. p. 27 Serm. III. The Baptismal Covenant represented, with the Means to observe it. p. 52 Serm. IV. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper explained, and the Attendance upon it directed and urged. p. 78 Serm. V. The Right Hearing of the Word of God for our profit stated and urged. p. 102 Serm. VI. public or Common Prayer recommended and urged. p. 126 Serm. VII. The Ascension of our Blessed Saviour represented and improved. Proper for the Sunday next after Ascension-day. p. 150 Serm. VIII. The Communion of the Holy Ghost explained; and the Means to obtain it represented. Proper for Whit-sunday. p. 175 Serm. IX. The Future Punishments represented. p. 200 Serm. X. The Eternity of the Future Punishments illustrated, and proved. p. 224 Serm. XI. The Separate State of good Souls represented and improved. p. 250 Serm. XII. The final and complete Happiness of good Men represented. The first Part. p. 276 Serm. XIII. The final and complete Happiness of good Men represented. The second Part. p. 301 ERRATA. PAg. 15. line 2. for in red to. P. 44. l. 1. for shall r. still. P. 135. l. 2. r. Places. THE RESURRECTION OF OUR Blessed Saviour, Proved and Applied. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 Tim. 2.8. Remember, that Jesus Christ of the Seed of David, was raised from the Dead according to my Gospel. IT is, without doubt, a matter of very great Importance, to the Confirmation of the whole Doctrine of Christianity, that the World should be convinced of the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead. This indeed was that which was designed and was was very fit to take off the Scandal and Offence of the across, and to recommend Him to Men as a Mighty Saviour who had himself died under the hands of his Enemies. This was very fit to convince the Unbelieving Jews, that he was the True Messiah notwithstanding his Death: They had learnt from the Sacred Writings, which they had, that the Messiah was to endure for ever; and by this they might see that he intended to do so: They had said to him as he hung on the across, that if he could save himself, and come down from thence they would believe on him; But this was a greater thing to save himself from the Grave on the Third Day after he had been dead and butted, then to have come down from the the across while he was yet alive. The insisting upon this among the Gentiles too was very necessary, and very proper, to recommend Jesus christ and his Salvation to them. For they had learnt by Tradition from the Fathers of the World, who had been taught this by Divine Inspiration, That Mankind should be mightily beholden to some Divine and Excellent Person, who should dwell for a time on Earth and do abundance of Good there; and should after his Death be translated to Heaven, and remain there an Advocate and Protector to them. This Notion generally possessed the Heathen World; and from hence we may believe it was that they so easily and unanimously fell into their daemon Worship. All Nations had their Demons whom they worshipped: Who were such as, they supposed, had been some time Men and Women on Earth, and had been great Benefactors to their Nation: And whom they also supposed to have been at their Death Translated into Heaven, and to retain still the Kindness which they had for the Nation they had belonged to; and to have an Interest with the supreme Deity which they made use of to help and favour them. From hence it was, that when St. Paul at Athens preached to them of Jesus and his Resurrection; the wiser and more Learned among them apprehended him to speak of Things somewhat agreeable to the Divinity which they had long been possessed with; and to them He seemed, 'tis said, to be a setter forth of strange Gods. That is to have told them of a New daemon or Deified Man, whom they had not heard of before: They had indeed corrupted their Notion of a mediator with these two errors, which were great hindrances of their receiving Jesus Christ; One was, that as they had multiplied the superior Gods, so they had multiplied also the Mediators between God and Men; whereas Truth tells us, There is but One God, and One Mediator between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus. Another was, That they supposed these Demons or Mediators to be but National Deities, or favourers of some particular Nations alone; whereas, the true Mediator is an Universal one, and favours all Mankind. And we may observe, that this part of the Corruption of the Doctrine of a Mediator the Jews themselves were fallen into; to; who thought, that the Messiah when he should come would be a Friend and Favourer of their Nation alone. Thus we see the Importance of Convincing the World of the Resurrection of Jesus: And we may justly believe this was the great reason, why Jesus himself stayed so long on Earth after his Resurrection before he Ascended to Heaven; why he so often appeared to his Disciples in that time, and set Himself to convince them, by so many ways of the truth of this whom he had chosen to be the Witnesses of it to the World. Upon this Account also it was, that the Apostles so often insisted upon this in their Preachings both to Jews and Gentiles: And for this reason did St. Paul give Timothy, who was at this time Bishop of the Church of Ephesus, the Charge in our Text, to Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the Dead according to the Gospel. The word which we Translate, Remember, signifies also to commemorate or make mention of a Thing; and may be understood to require, that Timothy should put others in Mind of this, as well as remember it himself. Especially we may suppose it to have that Latitude of significancy here; because we find the Apostle saying again to him in the 14th. Verse after he had joined some other Articles of Faith with this, Of these things put them in remembrance. And it is very probable from the first Accounts of the Christian Church, that the Apostles themselves did begin, and Establish this Festival for the yearly Commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus: For we find the Observation of it mentioned and insisted on by those early Bishops who lived and conversed with the Apostles. And they might with great reason Establish a particular set time whereon to make a solemn Commemoration of this, least, as is usual in such Cases, it might come pass, that if a particular time had not been fixed for the doing this, no time would have been found to do it on: Besides, the particular and solemn Remembrance of this at one time, was known to be of use to make such an Impression upon the Minds of Men, as would make them remember it, and give it influence at other times. Let us, then, in compliance with the Apostles Charge in the Text, and with the Primitive practise of the Church, and with our own Churches suitable Rule and Command call to mind and make mention of this, That Jesus Christ of the Seed of David, was raised from the Dead according to what the Gospel teaches us of this. Let us now seriously consider what we are taught concerning it; meditate upon the proofs and assurances which we have of it; and improve these things to the promoting of a Good Life and practise. I shall as briefly as I can insist upon these following Heads of Discourse concerning it. 1. To show that the Messiah or Christ was to rise again very soon from the Dead according to the Prophesies concerning him in the Old Testament. 2. To prove that Jesus did indeed rise again from the Dead. 3. To give such an Account as the Holy Scripture affords us, of the Reason and Ends of this his Rising again. 4. Lastly, I shall improve this Point to the urging a Good and Religious Life. In the First place, I think fit to show, That the Christ or Messiah promised to the Jews was to rise again from the Dead, and that soon after he should die, according to the Prophesies concerning him in the Old Testament. For the Apostle in calling Jesus the Christ in our Text, intimates that the things Prophesied of the Christ are fulfilled in Jesus, and so gives us Occasion to inquire whether or no this be one of them: And besides, this is that which the Gospel of St. Paul asserts concerning the Resurrection of Jesus, That it was according to the Scriptures, as we may see, 1 Cor. 15.4. First, Then, we may account this foretold in all those Places which speak of the Messiah as enduring for ever: As 'tis said in the 110th. Psalm, he should be A Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchizedek: and in Dan. 2.44. and 7.14. His Kingdom is spoken of, as that which should Endure for ever. But since the Prophets do also plainly foretell his dying: And this Prophet in particular expressly says, the Messiah should be cut off, Dan. 9.26. It must needs be, that when they speak of his Enduring for ever, they must mean he should rise again to do so. The Jews themselves appear to have expected, that the Christ should endure for ever in John 12.34. And for this reason they thought our Saviour contradicted his pretences to be the true Christ when he spake of Dying, because they did not understand, that he would soon rise again from the Dead. Again we may reckon this evidently foretold in Psal. 16.10. in these words of the Psalmist there, Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell, nor suffer thine Holy one to see Corruption. In which words he speaks that which was not fulfilled in him, and therefore was not in the full meaning of it to be limited to him. The Prophet indeed speaks of himself here, and mentions his hope, that God would at length deliver him from the great distresses which he was now under, and would not suffer him utterly to perish under them: But he was carried by the Spirit of prophesy to express this in terms which signify more than would be true of himself in Person; even a Resurrection from Death itself, and that so speedy an one, as that the Body should not putrifie. But as for David, he died and was laid to his Fathers, or butted, and saw Corruption, as the Apostle speaks, Acts 13.36. This must be therefore a prophesy of the Messiah, who was to come of David's Race, and to be fulfilled in Him: And this Interpretation we may find the Apostle Peter puts upon this place in Act. 2. and St. Paul in that forementioned 13th. Chapter, who both say this Scripture was fulfilled in Jesus, as it did intend the Messiah, in that Jesus rose again from the Dead on the Third Day, which was so soon as that he did not see Corruption. I shall produce but one place more to this purpose, and that is Isa. 53.10. The Prophet is understood by the Jews themselves, to have Prophesied of the Messiah in this Chapter. Now he plainly says here, that he should be cut off out of the Land of the Living; and should make his Soul or Life an Offering of Sin, meaning in his Death; and yet he adds in the Tenth Verse, That He should see his Seed and prolong his days, and the Pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand. But how could he see his seed after his Death, the Spiritual Offspring that should be new born by the Power of his Word and Sacraments? Or how could he be said to prolong his days, but by soon rising again from the Dead? And in saying the Pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand, the Prophet plainly foretells, that the Redemption of Mankind would be committed to him, that he would have something to do towards promoting it after his Death; and therefore plainly intimates, that for the doing of that, he must needs rise again quickly from the Dead. Thus we may see 'tis sufficiently evident in the Prophesies concerning the Messiah, that he should soon rise again from the Death which he was to fall under. The next thing I proposed to do, is to prove, That Jesus did rise again from the Dead: And as it is a matter of great importance to us, that this be true, since all our Joy and Comfort, and all our hopes depend upon it, so, thanks be to God, we have abundant evidence and confirmation of the Truth of it. The time will not allow me to produce all the proof of this that I might: I shall therefore suffice to mention enough to satisfy us. And I shall insist a little upon these Three Substantial Arguments. 1. His Disciples and Followers had sufficient Evidence and Assurance of this, if they had all that which they declare they had. 2. There is a great deal of Reason to believe, That they were themselves fully convinced of this, and so were sincere in the Declarations which they made concerning their Evidences of it. 3. God himself was pleased most remarkably to own and confirm their Testimony, in the many Miracles which he enabled them to Work. In the First place let us consider, That his Disciples and Followers had sufficient Evidence and Assurance, That Jesus rose again from the Dead on the Third Day; if they indeed had all that which they declare they had: For they tell us. That on the First Day of their Week, which was the Third Day after Jesus had been Dead and butted, early in the Morning, those who were set to watch the Sepulchre of Jesus, under pretence that his Disciples might not steal him away, were put into a terrible fright by an Earthquake which they felt in the place; and by the glorious appearance of an Angel descending from Heaven, who rolled away the weighty ston from the Mouth of the Sepulchre, and sat upon it: These Circumstances the Disciples knew from the Confession of these Men, and so we may reckon they had the Testimony of Enemies to the Resurrection of Jesus. Besides this, some of the Disciples coming that Morning to the Sepulchre saw it was open; they looked in and saw the linen clothes lye there in which he had been butted, and the Napkin by itself, which had been about his Head; which were a certain sign, that he had not been carried away dead; for they who had done that, would not have stayed to strip him of his Grave clothes there. And some Devout Women staying about the Sepulchre saw some Angels there, who told them Jesus was not there but was Risen; and mildly rebuked them, for seeking the Living in a place prepared only for the Dead to abide in: And thus they had the Testimony of Angels also to this matter. Yet further; They say that after these things they saw him; They handled and felt on him; They conversed with him often; They saw him eat and drink before them; That he appeared to them by Night, and by Day: That he appeared to them not only singly but in Company; He walked with two of them as they were going to Emmaus, and discoursed with them for many Hours together: Yea, he was once seen of Five Hundred of them together. They tell us that he stayed Forty Days among them; and many times appeared instructing them in things relating to the Propagating of his Gospel; And that at last he went with a good Number of them as far as from Jerusalem to Bethany; and there in their sight Ascended into Heaven. Thus they had also sufficiently the Testimony of their senses to this Matter. Lastly, They tell us, That when they Assembled at the next time of Pentecost; As they were Praying the House was shaken; and there was a sudden sound as of a mighty Wind, and immediately there appeared over the Heads of the Apostles, the shape of Cloven Tongues in a flamme; upon which they were Inspired immediately, and enabled to utter their Inspirations in Languages, which before that minute they had never learnt nor understood: And this they ascribed to Jesus as what he had promised he would sand upon his Ascension into Heaven; and they looked upon it, and spake of it as a proof of his Resurrection from the Dead, and Ascension thither. St. Peter speaks thus of this thing to the wondering Multitudes, Acts 2.32, 33. This Jesus( saith he) hath God raised up whereof we are all Witnesses: Therefore he, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. And thus we may also account, that they Declare they had the Testimony of the Holy Ghost himself to the Truth of the Resurrection of Jesus. It may not be amiss to take notice here of the Objection of Celsus against this Truth: Why( said that Infidel) did not Jesus, if He rose again, show himself to others besides his Disciples? By which he would intimate, that the matter is very suspicious upon this account; because none but professed Disciples and Followers of Jesus did declare his Resurrection. But it cannot be strange, that none but such should declare this if it were true; because we may very reasonably suppose, that if Jesus did appear to any that had not been his Disciples before, he might thereby convince them, and make them become his Disciples now; and therefore also Witnesses of the Truth of his Resurrection. I say, we may well suppose this, because we have one remarkable Instance of it: He did appear to a fierce and bitter Enemy of this Truth, and a most industrious Persecutor of the Witnesses of it; and thereby turned him to be a Disciple, and a Zealous Witness of it himself. Last of all he was seen of me also( says St. Paul) as of one born out of due time, 1 Cor. 15.8. He adds the last Words, because of his late Conversion. These are the things said by the Followers of Jesus, and those who took upon them to be Witnesses of his Resurrection: In the Second place, If we consider the matter we shall see, there is abundant Reason to believe they were themselves fully convinced of the Truth of this; and so were sincere in the Declarations which they made concerning their Evidences of it. For they confess, that some of themselves had been at first very backward, and loth to believe this: That Jesus had Occasion to upbraid and blame them for their Unbelief. And what other account can be given of their Boldness and Courage, in owning him after he was crucified and dead, who appeared all so full of fear, at the apprehending of Jesus, as to fly and leave him alone in the hands of his Enemies. The timorous Peter, who had disowned him with an Oath, at the challenge of a Maid-servant, tells the Rulers of the Jews to their Faces, That God had raised him up, whom they had crucified, Acts 4.10. What could make them so industrious to propagate the belief of this, if they had not believed it themselves? If there be a pleasure in imposing upon the World, 'tis certainly a very ill natured one: But how could they imagine they should ever be able to make the World believe so strange a thing? That they should possess the Jews, God had raised him from the Dead, whom they had hanged on a across till he died, and challenged him if he could, to save himself from thence? Or, that they should ever be able to make the Gentiles believe on him, whom the People of his own Nation had rejected and despised, and delivered him up to the vilest and most ignominious Death? They could not, with any reason, hope to succeed in this undertaking, unless they had the encouragement of being assured of his Resurrection; which might give them ground to expect, that as he had power to rise from the dead, so he was able to give them success in declaring this. But if they could be so vain and wild, as to believe at first, that they might be able to possess the World with this, tho' they knew it to be a falsehood; yet it is not to be imagined they would have persisted in this endeavour, when they found the World loth to believe it; and found themselves eagerly persecuted by them who had put Jesus to death: When one of the Apostles( St. James) was soon after him put to death for testifying this; when they saw St. Stephen furiously stoned by the Jews for it; St. Peter imprisoned and designed also for the slaughter; and others shamefully beaten and scourged for declaring it. These things must needs have made them desist, if they had not believed what they said. It is not to be imagined, but they believed this themselves, when they did so zealously and industriously propagate the belief of it; amid Stripes above measure,( as St. Paul speaks, 2 Cor. 11.23, &c.) with frequent Imprisonments, in Perils of Waters, in Perils of Robbers, in Perils from Jews, in Perils from the Heathens, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in could and nakedness. Certainly we may believe these Men would have loved their safety and ease and prosperity in the World, as much as other Men find themselves to do; if they had not thought themselves obliged to abandon these, that they might perform this their Duty: And if they had not upon the ground of this Resurrection, expected to be made partakers of better things than this World can afford; and hoped for a glorious Reward of these their Labours and Sufferings: Which things speak them fully convinced of the Truth of what they delivered, and sincere in the Declarations they made of it. Yet, in the third place, we may also consider, that God himself was pleased most remarkably to own and confirm their Testimony in the many Miracles which he enabled them to work. For many Wonders and Signs were done by the Apostles, we are told, Acts 2.43. And the Evangelist says, The Lord was working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following, Mark 16.20. These things were certainly the Works of the Lord, and were the unquestionable Testimony of God himself, to the Message which they brought. These Miracles were wrought among the People:( Acts 5.12.) Not done in secret, but openly; not only before a few, but before multitudes; not only in the sight of a select number of friends, but so as that even enemies were forced to aclowledge the matters of fact,( Acts 4.16.) They did not seek darkness for their Miracles, which gives advantage for trick and juggle, but did them in the open day-light. It was great credit to their Miracles, that they constantly appeared to decline, that the honor of them should be given to themselves, and to give it wholly in Jesus Christ,( as in Acts 3.12. and elsewhere.) It was great credit to their Miracles, that they pretended to confirm by them no other doctrines than what were agreeable to the Law and the Prophets; nor any matters of fact concerning the Messiah, but what had been foretold in them. If they had advanced any thing contrary to what had been recommended and confirmed by undoubted Miracles before, they might justly have been rejected as Impostors by the direction of the Jewish Law. It was great credit to their Miracles, that they prevailed over the tricks of magic, and over the Persons themselves who used that guilty and diabolical Art. Simon Magus, by his conjuring tricks, had so far deluded the Citizens of Samaria, that they believed him to be the great Power of God; but when Philip came amongst them to preach the Gospel, he was so far outdone, that the People left off admiring him, and attended to Philip; insomuch, that Simon himself became a pretended Proselyte to the Christian Religion, and was baptized,( Acts 8.) Again, We find St. Paul encountering another Sorcerer in Cyprus, and, being justly provoked, by his opposition to the Gospel, he threatens him from God with immediate Blindness, which fell upon him in the very instant,( Acts 13.11.) Yea, so far did their doctrine and Miracles prevail against these Delusions of the Devil, that many, who had been Practitioners of this guilty Art, brought forth their Books and publicly burnt them,( Acts 19.19.) Besides, the great Holiness of their doctrine, the excellent Rules of virtue, which it brought to the World, the Exemplary Course of their own Lives, while they carefully practised what they taught, gave great credit to their Miracles too. And in all things did their Miracles, their Lives, and their doctrine, credit and recommend one another. But now we cannot imagine, that ever God would thus apply his Divine Power to testify a lye, and recommend a Cheat and Imposture to the World. It is contrary to the inseparable Properties of the Divine Nature to do so, and cannot possibly be done by him, who is a God of truth and without iniquity. And thus, I think, it is sufficiently proved, That Jesus did indeed rise again on the Third Day from the Dead. Let us now, in the third place, observe what Account the Holy Scripture gives us of the Reasons or Ends of this Resurrection. And from thence we may learn, 1. That this was due to the Merit and Value of the Sacrifice of his Death. The Scripture every where ascribes it to the Death of Jesus, to have made a perfect atonement for the Sins of Men: It says, He hath put away Sin, by the sacrifice of himself: And, We are sanctified, through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ, once for all,( Heb. 10.10.) When the Son of God took our Nature, and made himself under the Law, and so liable to the Curse and Death which it threatened against our Sin, he, by mere dying, satisfied the Law; the dignity of his Person gave sufficient value to his Death for this purpose; as indeed a Punishment may justly receive its estimate from the quality of the Person that suffers it: And we may find this efficacy of his Death ascribed to the dignity of his Person, in Col. 1.14. where the Apostle, speaking of him, says, In whom we have redemption, through his Blood, even the remission of Sins, who is the Image of the invisible God. We may put the words in this order: In whom we have redemption, even the remission of Sins, through his Blood, who is the Image of the invisible God. This he intimates, is that to which the virtue of his Blood is due, That he is the Image of the invisible God, even the Son, equal in his Nature to the Father. Indeed the Death of this glorious Person in our Nature, for the Sins of Men, was more to the honour of God's Authority and Justice, which had been violated thereby, than if all the whole guilty Race of Mankind had suffered Eternal Punishment for them: But then, the Case being thus with the Death of Christ, it was due to him to be soon raised to life again. He could not justly abide under Death, the Penalty of Sin, when, by dying, he had made a full atonement for Sin. The Apostle therefore says, It was not possible he should be holden by the Bonds of Death, Acts 2.24. That is, it was not just. 2. His Resurrection was allowed and designed, to declare and show, that he had made a full and sufficient satisfaction for Sin, by the sacrifice of himself, that Men might know they have in him a sufficient Saviour. He is, by the tenor of the New Covenant, to save those that believe on him; that rely upon the Sacrifice of his Death: And therefore is it said, God hath set him forth to be a Propitiation, through Faith, in his Blood. But if he were still lying under Death, the Penalty of Sin, it could not appear to us, that he had made an atonement for it: This we must needs have doubted of, according to what the Apostle says, If Christ be not risen again, our Faith is vain, we are yet in our Sins, 1 Cor. 15.17. That we might therefore believe on him with full assurance, it was so evidently and notoriously granted, that he should rise again from the dead. In this was he discharged, who had undertaken to satisfy for our Sins, and so are we discharged too, and it is declared, that we may hope for the Pardon of our Sins. The Apostle shows, that his full satisfaction is rather to be concluded from his Resurrection, than his Death, when he says, Rom. 8.34. Who is he that shall condemn? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. Thus is it made easy to us, to believe in him: And this may afford us a firm Peace and a mighty Joy in Believing. 3. His Resurrection was necessary, and was granted, in order to his Ascension into Heaven, for the sake of those great things, which, by the Divine Counsel and Decree, were ordered to depend thereupon. In the virtue of his Death, he was to be our Mediator and Advocate with the Father: And it was intended, as was just, that he should always have the honour of distributing to Mankind the Purchases of his Precious Death; to which end he must needs rise again from the Dead; his Humiliation must have an end, and he must return to his former Dignity and Glory, and must ever live to make Intercession for us, as the Scripture speaks. But a farther Account of these things must be given in the Discourse on our Lord's Ascension; therefore it may be spared here. And I hasten now, in the last place, to improve the things which have been said for the urging a good and religious Life. In the first place then, This may justly wean our Hearts from the present Life, and possess us with a further Care for ourselves, as it gives us assurance of a future State, and an immortal Duration: How strangely apt we are to forget, that there is a future State and another Life to come after this, every Man may find by his own experience. And from hence we confine all our Thoughts and Care to the present Life, to make this as happy as we can, and do the mean while neglect to provide for the Happiness of our Eternal Duration; yea, we let ourselves be drawn into such Courses as tend to forfeit and destroy all our Eternal Happiness. Let us well observe, then, and consider, how great Assurance we have, in the Resurrection of Jesus, of our own Eternal Duration: In this we may see, 'tis possible for a Soul, once separated, to be united again to its Body; and for a mortal Creature to become immortal. Besides, the Scripture says, Jesus Christ in his Resurrection was the First-fruits of them that slept,( 1 Cor. 15.) His Resurrection is as it were a Pledge and Earnest of ours. By his Death, he has purchased a right of raising all Mankind from Death: And he has said he will do it, John 5. All that are in the Graves, shall hear his Voice, and shall come forth. A future Being then, we must have, and we may believe the Scripture, that it will be an Eternal One. Our Bodies shall be raised Incorruptible and Immortal; and what can that be for, but an Eternal Duration? But what Anxious Thoughts, what a Serious Care should this possess us with, to be Happy for Ever! This should be the grand Enquiry and Concern of every one of the Sons of Men, What shall I do to be Happy for Ever? And we should chiefly apply ourselves to spend this short Life so, if we can, as to gain thereby an eternally happy one hereafter. This then we ought to settle in our Minds, as a fixed Principle: It is impossible I should be eternally happy, if I can love none but transitory and temporary things: And to be so, I must mind and love, and I must take the course to gain the Favour of God, which alone will be Everlasting Bliss. 2. We may justly be moved hereby to forsake our Sins, as we have herein assurance, that upon our doing so they shall be pardoned. The great God has herein made it appear, that he is fully atoned and satisfied for the Sins of Men. And we may now believe he can be just, and the justifier of sinners too. And then we have herein both encouragement and obligation to repent of and forsake our Sins. What a forcible Encouragement should it be to us, to consider we may yet have the great God, a reconciled, a kind, and a loving Father, after all our Affronts and Provocations of him. We shall get infinitely more by our repentance and reconcilement with God, than we could by our most advantageous Sins. And the obligation to forsake our Sins, in the assurance of pardon, is very great too. When God himself has found out a way to pardon us consistently with his Honour and Justice; when the Son of God has purchased this for us at the costly rate of his Blood and Death; when God seeks to be reconciled to us, he, whom we have offended, ought not this great kindness to conquer us! should it not make us immediately lay aside all enmity against so loving and gracious a God! should we not readily forsake all that is displeasing, all that might be reckoned an affront to him! Certainly, to continue in our Sins, after the knowledge of this, is the basest Disingenuity and Ingratitude that we can be guilty of. 3. In the last place, It may justly 'allure us to a good and religious Life. That we have herein the hopes of attaining the Reward of Everlasting Happiness hereafter, Jesus has taken possession of Eternal Life, not only for himself, but also for all that love and believe on him. Therefore, when he spoken of leaving this World, he said he was going to prepare a Place for them. The Resurrection of good Men is especially assured herein; they are, as it were, Members of his Body, and therefore shall certainly partake in the privileges of their Head; therefore he has said, That where he is, they shall be: And, That he will give them Eternal Life, and raise them up at the Last Day. They shall rise then; and he shall fashion these their vile Bodies, that they may be like unto his glorious Body: They shall rise to possess Perfect and Everlasting Happiness both of Soul and Body. Oh, what joyful Hopes are these! And these are the present Rewards of a Good and virtuous Life. Let us then suffer ourselves to be allured to it by them. These joyful Hopes will invincibly comfort us under all the Labours and Difficulties of our Duty: These will support us under the inevitable pains, weakness, and decays of our present Mortal Body. These will relieve us under all the contempt, neglect, and ill usage of the unkind, injurious World: They will make the Thoughts of Dying easy and tolerable: They are then a mighty alloy to every Evil which we can be now encumbered with. And, Oh, how valuable, to wretched mortal Men, should these things be, which are a Remedy against every Grief, and able to soften and alleviate every Affliction! Let us then most steadily apply ourselves to a Course of Religion and virtue, that we may constantly entertain and please ourselves with these joyful Hopes of a Glorious Resurrection, and Eternal Life and Happiness. Which God, of his infinite Mercy, grant us all, for the sake of Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. EVer Blessed God! Who Livest and Reignest for evermore. Thou art the common Fountain of Life, and it is in Thee that we live, move, and have our Being. We humbly thank thee O Lord, as we are bound to do, for the Being and Nature which thou hast given us. We aclowledge ourselves bound to live to thy Glory, and to show forth thy praise both with our Lips, and in our Lives, But alas, we wretched Creatures are fallen from our greatest Excellency, we have polluted our Nature, we are prove to do Evil, and to live so as to dishonour Thee and ourselves. We are alas dead in trespasses and sins. We humble, we abhor ourselves before Thee; We have incurred thy Wrath, and have deserved everlasting Punishment. And we can lay the blame of this our miserable Condition, on none but ourselves. Our Destruction is of ourselves. But, Blessed be thy Name, it is not a helpless hopeless destruction, which we have thrown ourselves into. In thee O Lord is our help; and thou hast laid help for us upon one that is mighty, and able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by Him. We bless Thee for Jesus Christ thine inestimable Gift, our only Hope and Saviour. The one sufficient and Powerful Mediator between God and Men. We bless thee for his humble Incarnation, and putting himself under the Law, that he might answer, and fulfil the demands of it to our Advantage. We thank thee for the instructing and encouraging Example of his most Holy Life on Earth: We praise thee for his Meritorious Death, and for that he was allowed to be therein a Propitiation for our sins. We give thee thanks for his glorious and assured Resurrection from the Dead, which encourages our Faith, which revives our hopes: While we consider, that he died for our Sins, and rose again for our Justification. Oh Lord! we earnestly long for, we humbly seek an Interest in the Propitiation of his Death, and in the Justification procured for us by his Resurrection: Oh! justify us freely by thy Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Pardon all our past sins, and let them never be remembered against us. And we beseech thee raise us from the Death of Sin to a Life of Righteousness. Let old things pass away and all things become new in us; Awaken our stupid minds to the Knowledge and Love of thee; Strengthen our feeble Powers to run the way of thy Commands; Teach thou us, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes, that we may keep it unto the End. And as our Lord and Master rose from the Dead, to ascend into Heaven, so let us upon our Resurrection to a New and Divine Life, seek those things which are above. Make us to set our Affections on things above, and not on things on the Earth: To lay up our Treasure there, and to have our hearts there also. Grant us the direction and assistance of thy Grace so to spend this Life, that when we shall be raised to Life again, at the last day we may rise to Immortal Life and Happiness in the presence of the Glorified Jesus: Who Liveth and Reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God World without End. We humbly pray for the whole Race of Mankind: That thy Gospel may run, and be Glorified from the rising of the Sun, to the going down of the same, and many may every where be Partakers of the great Salvation. sand down upon thy Church an abundant measure of thy good Spirit: That his Gifts and Graces may make it Glorious in the Eyes of the World, and it may bring forth much good Fruit to thy Glory. Let these Nations Live in thy sight, and plentifully receive many marks of thy Favour in Temporal and Spiritual Mercies. Bless in particular, we pray thee, our Gracious King, give him a long Health of Body, increase of all Noble and Excellent Endowments of Mind, Perseverance in all virtue and Goodness, and great prosperity in His Affairs and Undertakings; and make Him very happy in a Dutiful and Loving People. We pray thee do good to all that are related to us according to their several necessities. Give a Blessing to the means of Grace, which we have this day enjoyed, and let them have a lasting influence towards the promoting our Holiness and Salvation. Protect us this Night we pray thee from all Evil, and raise us the next Morning fit for, and disposed to do all our Duty, and be thou O Lord for ever our Portion and Reward, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever. Amen. THE Religious Observation OF SABBATHS, Stated and urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Exodus 20.8. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy. THE Great God, that made us, requires the Homage of our Adoration and Worship: And this is due to his Excellent Majesty and Greatness, This becomes our dependence upon Him, and the Obligations which we lye under both to his Greatness and his Goodness. Besides, It is the greatest Honour that we can do ourselves, to be employed thus, it is the highest End that we were made for, and is the Noble Employment of the Glorious Seraphim. And this work must needs be more than any thing else to our Profit and Advantage: For in this we have Communion with the chief Good, and we hold a happy converse with Him who is most ready, and most highly pleased to exercise his Goodness. In this Command our Gracious God has done us the Honour and the Favour to require, That we should set apart one Day in Seven, from all other employments, to be spent in his peculiar Presence, and, as it were, in his Company; to acquaint ourselves with him, and be at Peace, to derive a peace from thence which the World cannot give; a Day to seek and enjoy in the use of Divine Ordinances, His Spiritual and Eternal Blessings, the best Communications of infinite Almighty Love. These words which I have red, contain the substance of the Command: In speaking to them, I shall decline the falling into any of the Controversies about it; because I cannot well acquit myself in meddling with them without entering into a large, and entire consideration of this Commandment, which would be too long a task for this place, and is reserved, if it may please God, for Another. I purpose now, by Gods Assistance, to insist upon these Two Heads of Discourse. 1. To show what Observation of Sabbaths we must Charge ourselves with, according to this Command. 2. I shall with some fit Arguments endeavour to urge and persuade Men to it. And this I shall do in compliance with those wise and pious Injunctions of His Majesty lately published, One of which is this, That the Clergy do use their utmost Endeavour, that the Lords Day be Religiously observed, that they set a good Example to the People, and exhort them frequently to their Duty herein. Let us see, First, what is contained and required in this Command, concerning the Observation of Sabbaths. And we may take notice, that the word Sabbath in the Hebrew Language signifies Rest or Cessation: And so the Command must be understood to require a day of Rest; of separation from all worldly Business; and whereon we should as much as is possible lay it aside, and withdraw even our Thoughts, as well as our Hands from it. But we must further Observe; It is not an idle slothful Rest which is the design of the Command, or that we should do nothing else when we lay aside our common worldly Employments. It is added therefore, that we must Keep the Day Holy. Now we keep a Day Holy, when we spend it in Contemplating, Praising, and worshipping of God. A Day is capable of Holiness in no other sense, than as it is devoted to God for Religious Worship: And when God by his Appointment sets it apart for his Worship, then does he sanctify or Hallow it: And when we observe it as so set apart, then do we keep it Holy. In a word; This Commandment requires such a Rest on this Day as is consistent with, and necessary to, a due Performance of Religious Worship; And such a performance of Religious Worship as is consistent with a due and necessary Refreshment, and Rest of ourselves. That we may the more distinctly understand this matter, I shall severally insist a little both upon the Rest, and upon the employment, or Worship which this Day is to be taken up with. In the first Place; Let us consider the Rest which it Requires. And here I shall not insist, as is usual, upon this; That we must Rest from the Works of Iniquity on this Day; because this is required of us, not on this Day only but at all times. Tho we may reckon that we are especially obliged to such a Rest on this Day: Because the Wickedness committed on an Holy Day is attended with a double and more enormous Guilt; it has in it the profanation of a Sabbath, besides its Contrariety to some other Command. But I shall insist upon these two particulars following. 1. We must Rest from all Exercise of Body or Mind about our common and worldly Business and Callings, on this Day. This we may see particularly mentioned in the Commandment; For it says to us of this Day, In it thou shalt do no manner of work. And God Himself by his Prophets thus explains the Obligation of it. This he requires, Isa. 58.13. In these words: If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy Pleasure on my Holy Day; That is, from following thine own Business, and worldly Calling; For that is what he means by our Pleasure there. It appears in that Scripture that God requires such a Rest, in that he makes it the condition of his bestowing those Blessings which he had promised the Children of Israel upon their keeping his Commandments. And we may find this Observation of Sabbaths again directed in Jer. 17.24. Where God by his Prophet requires, That no burden be brought through the Gates of the City on the Sabbath day; and that they should Hallow it, by doing no work therein. And that he might enforce this Direction, and persuade them to Observe it, he promises if they would do so to afford them one of the greatest Blessings that a Nation can enjoy, in ver. 25. Then( says he) shall there enter into this City Kings and Princes, sitting upon the Throne of David, and their City he adds, should remain for ever. The meaning is, he would bless them with a long continuance of their Royal Family, and of the Dominion and Prosperity of that, which is a thing of mighty Importance to the Welfare and Prosperity of any Nation: For this would be to provide for the maintaining of their Unity among themselves, for their Peace and Settlement; and by consequence for the Improvement of their strength against all foreign Enemies: And this would be the likeliest means to effect, that their City, or State should endure for ever. We must rest, then, from common worldly Employments on these days: And must not only with-hold our Bodies, but withdraw our Minds also from such Employments. As worldly Labour would divert and detain us from the proper work of the Day, so the engaging of our minds in worldly Concerns would hinder the due performance of that Work. And certainly all such Application of Mind and Thought, or of the Discourse and Conversation to such Business, as diverts us from Religious Worship, or as distracts our Minds in the performance of it is unlawful on this Day. He that Worships God, Our Saviour says, must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth; But this a Man can never do while his Heart is after his Covetousness: And we may observe, it is a matter of rebuk, That Men drew nigh to God with their Lips, and worshipped him with their Mouths, while their Hearts were far from him. This Instance of Rest we are directed to by the Wise and Pious Law of the Kingdom, and by the true Doctrine of our Church. The Law says( 2 Cor. 29.) All Persons shall on every Lords Day apply themselves to the Observation of the same, by the Exercising themselves in the Duties of Piety and true Religion publicly and privately; and no Tradesman shall do or Exercise any Worldly Labour. And the Doctrine of our Holy Church in the case is, That by this Commandment we ought to have a time, as one Day in the Week, wherein we ought to rest, yea, from our lawful and needful Works. And again it says; God has given express Charge to all Men, that upon the Sabbath Day, which is now our Sunday, they should cease from all weekly and work-day Labour. [ Hom. of Place and Time of Prayer.] Yet I must add, according to that Sermon referred to, That we are not bound to observe the Rest of this Day in the same strictness as the Command seems to have required it of the Jews: It may be said therefore, That a Man may, in a pressing Necessity, do a small matter relating to his common worldly Business on this Day, to prevent a great Damage and Mischief. And the Works of an ordinary Calling may be followed, so far as Necessity and Charity require, that is, in tending and administering to the Sick, or in the providing of Food for the Day. And, doubtless, we may labour hard, if such a sad Occasion should call for it, to quench a raging Fire, or repel the Assaults of an Enemy in a lawful War, or to take or gain an Advantage against him. 2. The Rest required on this Day, forbids all such Recreation as would hinder, or render us unfit for, the sanctifying of the Day in the due performance of Religious Worship It forbids that we let the Recreation and Refreshment of the Body take up more of this Sacred Time than is absolutely necessary to it: That we indulge ourselves to Ease and Pleasure, and neglect the Worship of God. And it forbids the Use of any such sorts of Recreations for the kind, as do contradict that solemn and serious Temper of Mind which becomes a Holy Day, and is necessary to the reverend and solemn performance of the Holy Duties of it. The main Business of the Day must be chiefly attended upon, that is, the Worship of God; and whatever does needlessly interrupt or prejudice our performance of that, must be avoided on this Day. If a Day be dedicated to God, every part of it belongs to him; and no more of it than necessity requires, can justly be appropriated to ourselves. Tho', perhaps, somewhat more, than is merely necessary, of Recreation, for the refreshment and support of our frail Body, may be used at other times; yet, certainly, we may allow ourselves no more than this on the Lord's Day. It is worth observing, what a Learned and Pious Divine of our Church says, concerning Recreations on the Lord's Day, which I shall therefore largely insert in this Discourse. Recreation( says he) and Pleasure on any part of this Day, does more dangerously steal away our Hearts from Holy Duties, and distracted and unfit us for the due sanctifying of the Day, than the Works and Labours of our Worldly Calling would do. Because Men commonly perform the Business of their Worldly Callings, not so much for itself, or out of love to that, as for the sake of Worldly Profit and Pleasure, which they hope to derive from it. But Pleasure they love, and seek for itself; and do often so adhere to and dote upon this, that for the sake of it they neglect their Worldly Business and Profit, and also even the necessary Care for the salvation of their Souls. He says, therefore, to them who are wearied with the Labour of the Week, the Rest on the Lord's Day from Labour, is the best and fittest Recreation, for the refreshing of their Bodies: And if they have a good sense and relish of Divine Things, and can take the delight they ought in Religious Performances, these will be sufficient Pleasure and Recreation to them. And who can reasonably think,( as he says further) that, when a Man is tired with his Week's Labour, the violent Exercises which are required to many Recreations, and the Bodily Labour requisite to the most, should recreate him more than Devout Prayers, hearing the Word of God, singing his Praises, and holding Religious Conferences with Fellow-Christians. But if Servants and labouring People must have their Time of Recreation, Why must it be borrowed from the Lord's Day? Rather should they, who employ them, spare them some of their own time, than lay Sacrilegious Hands upon that which is consecrated and devoted to God. Thus far that excellent Author leads us in this matter.( Downham in his Guide to Godliness.) I doubt not therefore to say, That as the whole Day is consecrate to God, it ought to be employed in Religious Worship, either public or Private, so far as this may be done without manifest hurt, and too much weariness. And then, the Use of Worldly Pleasure and Recreation on this Day, is as largely forbid as Worldly Labour and Business, that is, entirely; excepting what Necessity or Mercy requires to be used. Thus much may suffice, to show what Rest and Cessation is required on this Day. I proceed now to the second thing proposed, which is, To Represent what Employment or Work this Commandment requires for the due sanctifying of this Day: For as we may profane the Day by doing Evil, or COmmon Works needlessly; so we may profane it too, by doing Nothing. To spend it in sloth and idleness, to sleep a great part of it away, is not to keep it Holy. We must know then, that the Sabbath is to be sanctified or kept holy, especially by such Offices and Works as are strictly and properly religious; for tho' God may be honoured by other good Works, yet these do more directly honour him. And therefore Religious Worship is the only proper and due Employment of a Day which is dedicated to the Honour and Service of God. We must adore and worship God on other Days: But we may on them do somewhat else too. But this Day is to be set apart to this; this must be the Main Business and Employment of it. It must therefore be ordinarily taken up in such Exercises as these following: In Reading and Hearing the Word of God; in offering devout Praises and Prayers to him: which things may be done in public and in private, and ought to be so. And we ought, as often as opportunity is afforded us, in the Congregation which we join with, to attend upon and receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Some time on this Day, too, should be spent by Masters of Families, and all others, who have young Persons under their Government and Care, in the instructing Children and Servants in the doctrines and Duties of our Religion, and in training them up in the way of Salvation. I shall now suggest some General Rules, by by which our Religious Worship, on this Day, must be managed, that we may rightly and wisely sanctify it. And the Rules to be observed in this Matter are these following: 1. Such a Proportion of Time should be spent in the Religious Performances of this Day, as is commonly employed in our Worldly Business on other Days. It would be a very unbecoming partiality, if we should make long Days in the Service of Ourselves, and but short ones in the Worship of God. And a very foolish difference we should thus make between Sabbaths and other Days, with respect to our own greatest interest and advantage. How absurdly should we manage ourselves, if we should spend six long Days in the Week in pursuing our Worldly Temporal Interests, and put off our Souls with but one, and that a very short one, employed to promote the Eternal Interests of them: If we late begin and soon end the happy and advantageous Employment of a Sabbath, which would improve us in Grace and virtue, in the glorious likeness of God, and in fitness for Heaven. But to this Matter it must be added, That if any do too eagerly follow their Worldly Business on other Days, and over-tire themselves and their Servants with it, this is not to be made a Rule for the Proportion of Time which they must spend in Religious Exercises on the Sabbath Day. And if we take care to employ, as well as we can, the whole Day in Religious Duties: We may also take care not to make the proper Work of the Day a Toil or Burden to ourselves or others. 2. We must always prefer the public Worship, before that which is Private, and attend that, rather than this, when we can. We must know, That the chief End of setting apart this Day, for the performance of Religious Exercises, was, to promote and serve the public Worship of God: That an appointed certain Time being settled, the multitude of People might so order their Affairs, as to come together to Worship, and know when to do so. Our Saviour commands, That our Light should so shine before Men, that they, seeing our good Works, might glorify our Father which is in Heaven. Which certainly requires this, among other things, That we worship God in public, and with the Congregation of Worshippers, as often as we can. This, as it is a more notorious and visible way of paying him due homage, and doing him honour, does therefore do him the more honour. The greatest and most important Blessings of Heaven are very general and common ones; such as are either given or offered to us all: These, then, we should join to pray, or to give thanks for, and assemble ourselves to receive them. We best aclowledge the Creator's Infinite Bounty, his Universal Providence, and the Riches of Redeeming Love, when many of us assemble to seek or give thanks for the Favours and Blessings of these. Further, In uniting of our Devotions, we best exercise, and show our mutual Charity and Concern for one anothers Happiness; which is highly pleasing to the God of Love, and will render our Devotions the more acceptable to him. Private Devotion, especially when this is unproportionably used, is apt to be tinctured too much with self-love, and to concern itself for others only so far as their welfare seems necessary to our own. But public Worship enlarges the Heart, and tends to possess us with a more public Concern: As the choice and pference of this shows, that we have already somewhat of a public Spirit. Yet further, to recommend this, it may be added, This is more likely than Private Worship to be advantageous to ourselves. For when in the public Assembly we unite our Hearts in the same Requests, we help one another to succeed and prevail. Our Saviour intimates this, when he says, Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there will I be in the midst of them. While each one preys, no only for himself, but for the rest that are present, in saying, not I, but We, to his Petitions, we do in the Language of a Devout Person,( Tertul. in Towerson) make a Party, by which we besiege Heaven with our Prayers. We must then, when we can, constantly attend upon the public Worship; and reckon the Private never to be performed at the same time, but when we are unavoidably hindered from attending on that. The proper time for private Worship on the Lord's Day, is, when that in public is at an end, or not yet begun. 3. The last Rule I shall mention is this: Any of those Religious Exereises, which are the proper Work of this Day, may give place for a little while to those Offices of Charity, and Mercy which call for a present attendance. St. Paul ordained and allowed, the Collection of Charitable Contributions for the relief of the Poor, to be made in the Church of Corinth, when the Congregation were Assembled to Worship; as he is commonly understood in what he says, 1 Cor. 16.2. We may spend some of this Sacred time in Visiting the Sick, in ministering to those that need our attendance, in Comforting the Sad and Afflicted, and in Labouring to reconcile those that are at Variance. And even the Jewish strictness of Observing this Day, did allow the feeding of Cattle; and the relieving any Beast in distress, and danger of life, on this Day. From our Saviours telling the Pharisees, that the Sabbath was made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath; from his justifying his Disciples in their pulling, and rubbing the Ears of Corn, as they went through the Corn Fields on the Sabbath Day, to satisfy their present hunger; and from his most Excellent Example in Healing all the Diseased Persons that presented themselves to him on that Day, we may learn and conclude, that the Religious Worship of the Sabbath may give place to the Exercises of Charity and Mercy, when the Exigence of ourselves or our Neighbour requires it: Especially in all such cases as these which our Saviour has allowed, wherein but a small portion of time was diverted from the more proper business of the Day. And thus I have represented this matter also according to the excellent Doctrine of our Holy Church: Which I shall therefore produce, that I may the more enforce what I have said: And sure-this will enforce it with all those who have a due Reverence for the Authority of the Church. This we find thus speaking, according to the tenor also of the fore-mentioned Sermon, [ Homily of Time, and Place, of Prayer] in the Thirteenth Cannon: Which requires, of all manner of Persons in the Church of England, that they Celebrate, and keep the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, and other Holy Days, according to God's Holy Will, and Pleasure, and the Orders of the Church of England prescribed in that behalf; That is, in hearing the Word of God red, and Taught; in private, and public Prayers; in acknowledging their Offences to God, and amendment of the same; in reconciling themselves charitably to their Neighbours, where displeasure hath been; in oftentimes receiving the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ; in vifiting of the Poor and Sick, and using all good and sober Conversation. I have now finished the first Head of Discourse: which was to show, What observation of Sabbaths we must charge ourselves with according to this Command. I proceed, then, to the Second, which is to urge this by some fit Arguments and Motives; and I reckon these following to be such: 1. We should consider, to this purpose, the very severe and terrible Judgments which God has often remarkably inflicted on those that have been wont to contemn and neglect his Sabbaths. By these he has sufficiently enforced his Command, and shown with Evidence enough, and which ought to be considered, that he is angry still with those who despise and break it. Many that have let themselves be commonly guilty of this Sin, have been remarkably overtaken with Punishment on this very Day; meeting with some very mischievous accident upon it, or with a sudden Death. Many that have thought their poor and straight Circumstances would allow them to encroach upon this Day with their Worldly Business, have been condemned to continual Poverty: And, on the contrary; it was the famous Observation of a Great Man amongst us, and in our Age( Judge Hales) That his Affairs never prospered better in the Week following, than when he had been most punctual and exact in the due observation of the Sabbath. And I believe no one Instance can be produced in Contradiction, if I should say, that never did any Estate prosper in the Hands of a Mans Posterity which he gained by letting his Worldly Business encroach upon the Lord's Day. Great and terrible Displeasure is exercised against the Contemners of Sabbaths: When they fall under a Judicial Hardness of Heart, and are abandoned to the Corruption of the Times, the Temptations of the Devil, and the Exorbitant Power of their own Lusts. And this is a sad judgement which often befalls them: They are often forsaken of God who thus forsake him, and his Worship: and then They fall from one Wickedness to Another, they grow enormously Wicked, and perhaps bring themselves soon to the ruin of all their Felicity in this World, perhaps to an untimely Death. And tho Hand join in Hand in this Wickedness it is not wont to go unpunished. God's terrible Judgments have fallen heavy upon other Nations and Churches, besides the Jewish, when they neglected and despised his Sabbaths: And we need not go far for Instances of this. We see a Neighbouring Protestant Church in our days trod down by a Prefidious and Barbarous Tyrant; in which it was but too common to begin the Sabbath, perhaps, with public Worship, and to end it with the Comedy. And it must be said to us, that Except we repent, we shall likewise perish: Especially since God has begun in very terrible strokes to show his Displeasure against us. And we may call to mind, that the greatest, and most formidable Disadvantages to our own Nation, and which we shall lye under, which are the Schisms and separate Communions, the Division of us into several Factions, the Jealousies, and the Animosities among us, have their chief Date from the time when public sports on the Lords Day were to have been allowed by public Authority. And we know it was, Then, that it pleased God to let ill Men Kindle a Fire of Civil dissension, in the Gates of our Jerusalem, which devoured the Palaces thereof.( Jer. 17.27.) For our own present Worldly Interest, then, both public and Private, we must charge ourselves with a Religious Observation of God's Holy Days. 2. It may justly induce us to this, to consider the Necessities of our Souls, and the Benefits which they shall derive from a due Observation of these Days. The approving our Souls to God, the promoting all Piety and virtue in them, and the fitting them for Heaven do require this of us, as this is an Excellent Means to promote such good Effects. As the Sabbath was made for Man, so 'tis not without great Advantage to himself, that he dedicates it to God. By the proper Employments of this Day, as necessary, and fit Means, We are to be cleansed from our Sins, and freed from the Bondage of our Iniquities: By these we are to be advanced in every weak and defective Grace and virtue, and to be enured to the noblest Exercise of our Mind and Reason, the contemplating, Praising, Adoring, and Loving of God. To converse much with God tends to make our Faces shine like that of Moses; to transform us into the Divine Likeness from Glory to Glory. He calls us to the proper Employments of this Day, that we may be weaned from this vain World on which we are too apt to Dote; and that we may become acquainted with our true Happiness; may come to taste, and relish those things wherein it does chiefly lye; and so may be fitted to possess and Enjoy it. To spend this Day in Religious Worship inures us to the Employment, and Happiness of Heaven, and by consequence makes us fit for the Eternal Holy Sabbath that is kept there. This is a Day, then, for the working out of our own Salvation, as well as for the Worship and Honour of God; and we shall do the former by Consequence, as we do the latter by Design, we have a great deal of Reason, then, to spend the Day in such Duties, as entirely as we can. And this requires, that we apply ourselves to Private Worship when that of the public is over, as much as we can. For there will be great danger of losing all the benefit of the public if we immediately return to the Pleasures and Business of this World. As it is pernicious( says a Learned and Pious Father of our Church) after Exercise to go and wash in could Water; so it must needs be extremely noxious and hurtful to sink ourselves immediately into Earthly Employments, just after our Souls have been warmed with Devotion, and the Exercises of the Love of God. And if it be not fit nor safe( says he) to return presently to our Worldly Business, much less can it be tolerable to go to merry Entertainments.( Bp. of Ely in his Mensa Mystica) Certainly, if the Cares of this World, and the deceitfulness of Riches are things in their own nature apt to choke the Word, and to render it Unfruitful, as our Saviour intimates, we give them the greatest advantage, that can be, to do so, when our Minds are immediately taken up with Worldly Affairs as soon as we go from the public Worship. And it will be no wonder, that Men are lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God, if they give themselves leave so quickly to apply themselves to the Pleasures of this World. 3. The Obligations which Men lye under to the Instructing and Educating those of their Family in the Knowledge and practise of our Religion, require the spending some time in Religious Worship in the Family on the Lord's Day. Private Worship I have said, after the public, is necessary to secure, and improve the Benefit of the public. And that particular Application in Private Instruction, and Discourse, of things which were delivered to a whole Congregation in public, is very necessary and useful to give them a due and lasting Impression: Besides, This may call to mind what they did not heed in public, or what they have forgotten: Or may serve to continue and improve the good Affections; to animate and strengthen the good Resolutions which were raised before in their Minds by some other things presented to them. Great will be the Benefit of this Private Instruction if it be well followed; And one may not doubt to say, that if it were so, we should not hear so frequent Complaints of undutiful and profligate Children, and of unfaithful, contumacious and slothful Servants. It cannot be questioned, but 'tis the Duty of those who are Heads of Families, to endeavour the teaching of them, who are under their Authority, the Knowledge and practise of Religion. Often are such commanded to take this Care of their Families in Scripture. And even this Commandment may be reckoned to intimate this Obligation, in that it requires the Master of the Family to cause, that his Children and Servants do observe this Commandment in particular. No Man can question this Care and Endeavour to be a Duty, who believes himself bound to love God: For it is a necessary and inseparable Character of that to endeavour, that all others, whom we can influence, may reverence and obey, and love him too. Nor can any Man question the Obligation to this, who believes himself bound to the Love of his Neighbour; for that Love will necessary teach him, that he must endeavour to prevent the ruin, and promote the Welfare of those, especially, who are under his Authority and Care; which is best done by teaching them Religion. That barbarous Man, then, has no true Love to his Child, who takes no care about his Religion, which more than any thing would promote his Present Welfare, besides his Eternal Happiness: And that Master is first himself unfaithful to God and his Servant, who does not look after the Religion of his Servant. But if the Religious Instruction of Families be due to them from their Head and governor, then there must of necessity be some sit time set apart for the performance of it. And certainly the fittest time for this is, or might be, with most Families, the Evening of the Lord's Day, after public Worship is over. O let not any pled for the allowing Servants that time to be spent in Worldly Pleasures and Recreations, while the deplorable Decay of Religion amongst us, and the frequent ruin of Young Persons do so loudly proclaim the common neglect of this necessary and important Duty. If by a hard and constant Labour, and a great deal of Business, any Mens Servants are hindered from having any Recreation all the Week, they are also thereby hindered, without doubt, from receiving this Instruction too: And then 'tis more reasonable, sure, that some such time on the Lord's Day be set apart for it, than that it should be spent in Pleasure and Recreation, and so that they be never duly instructed in the Religion by which they must be saved. To conclude, He who thus endeavours to instruct his Family, will instruct himself in doing it; and while he endeavours to revive, continue or improve the good Impressions which they received in public, he will promote his own. And by this means, the tranquillity and Peace of Families, the Easiness, the Usefulness, the Comfort of all in it to one another would be mightily increased, as well as the most Desirable Glory and Love of God in the World, and the Everlasting Salvation of Souls. And now, I hope, we are all disposed to Remember and Keep Holy the Sabbath Day: And to say hearty, with our Holy Church, Lord, have Mercy upon us, and incline our Hearts to keep this Law. Amen. THE PRAYER. O Most glorious and most gracious God! Thou art good, and dost good: Thou hast exercised abundant goodness to the Children of Men. We are bound to love thee and praise thee for our Creation. Thou hast given us a Noble Nature; made us little lower than the Angels, and plentifully furnished this World with excellent Creatures, to serve our use and delight, and hast given to Man dominion over the Fowls of the Air, the Beasts of the Earth, and the Fishes of the Sea. Every one of our Senses presents us with the Exercises of thy Goodness, and with Obligations and Admonitions to love thee. Every Moment of our Lives, declares it to us; for it is in thee, that we live, move and have our Being: Thou holdest our Soul in Life, and we are beholden to thee, O Lord, for our continual Preservation. And it exceedingly magnifies thy Goodness, and must improve our Praises for it, that in this instance of it, thou art good to the unthankful and the evil. Thou art mindful of those who forget thee, and exercisest kindness to them that hate thee. Great and wonderful, O Lord, is thy Patience and Forbearance towards thy Rebellious Creatures. But, above all, we must celebrate and praise that Instance of thy glorious Love, the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ! This, O Lord, especially, is a Favour that exceeds our highest Praises! It is equally wonderful and kind! Thou hast given thy Son to bear our Sins and be a Propitiation for them. We bless thee for his Meritorious Passion and Death. Thou hast given him to us, to be our Mediator and Advocate: We bless thee for his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. O Lord, we humble ourselves before thee, in a sense of thy great Goodness to us, and our vile and ungrateful Behaviour towards thee. We have abused thy creating, preserving, redeeming Love, and must aclowledge the guilt and vileness of our Sins to be increased with the increase of thy Benefits and Goodness towards us. O give us, we beseech thee, a true and unfeigned Repentance of all our Wickedness: Give us a true and lively Faith in Jesus Christ. Let thy abundant Love and Goodness to us, inflame our Hearts with a mighty love to thee. Forgive us, our past Sins, and cleanse us from all Unrighteousness. Let thy Sabbaths be always a delight to us, that we may set ourselves on them, to contemplate and praise thy glorious Nature, and wonderful Works and Goodness. Fit us for the happiness of Communion with thee, and let us enjoy it in the use of thine Ordinances, that we may acquaint ourselves with thee and be at peace; that we may, while we behold thee, be transformed into thy likeness, from glory to glory. Grant that we may flourish in the Courts of our God, and increase in every Grace; be strengthened with Might in the Inward Man against all Temptations, and so may run, with patience, the Race that is set before us; and obtain, at length, the Rest of an Eternal Sabbath with thee. We humbly pray unto thee for all Mankind, that thy Way may be known upon Earth, thy saving Health among all Nations. We pray especially for the good Estate of the catholic Church: Favour it every where with the pure Administration, the mighty Success, and peaceable Enjoyment of thine Ordinances. Let all true Piety and virtue abound in it, and what may adorn and recommend our Religion to the World. Bless abundantly that part of it which is planted in these Nations: And as thou hast favoured us with the Means of Grace in great plenty, so give us the Grace to bring forth answerable Fruit to thy glory. Give our King, we pray thee, the choicest Blessings of this Life; continue him long to Rule over us, and make us happy in his Government of us: and, after all, bless and reward him with the Glories and Honours of thy Heavenly Kingdom. Bless the Royal Family with Long Continuance, with Abundant Grace, and all Worldly Honour and Felicity. We humbly recommend, in particular, all our Relations; dispose of their Circumstances in this World mercifully, and sanctify all thy Dealings with them to the promoting their Everlasting Salvation. Accept our humble Praises and Thanks for the Mercies of this Day: Forgive the Iniquities of our Holy Things: Let us lye down in thy Favour, and rest in Safety; and raise us up again, if it please thee, to show forth thy Praise with our Lips and in our Lives. All we humbly ask, in the Name of Jesus Christ thy Son our Saviour. Our Father, &c. THE Baptismal Covenant REPRESENTED: WITH The Means to Observe it. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Deut. 4.23. Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you. THE great Author of our Being, as he has therein right to Govern, so he does exercise a Dominion over us. He has all along, ever since he made Mankind, given us a Law, to be the Rule of our Actions, and required the Observance of it, as the Condition of his Favour. This Method of dealing with us, is called, The Covenant of the Lord our God. Of the Ten Commandments pronounced from Mount Sinai, and afterwards written by God on Tables of ston, it is said, They were the words of the Covenant which God proposed to the People of Israel, Exod. 34.28. And we may observe, by the words next to those which I have red for our present Text, That the same Law is the Covenant which Moses speaks of here: For the Instance of forgetting that Covenant which he particularly warns them against, is, The breaking one of those Commands. Now, since this is God's Method of dealing with Mankind, if we would ever partake of the Exercises of his Favour to our Everlasting Happiness; we must submit to his Laws, and engage to perform the Terms and Conditions of his Favour, which he proposes and requires of us. And when we do take this Engagement upon ourselves, and do remember and perform it, then does the gracious Promise of God bind him too, and we come to have a right and claim to his Eternal Mercies. This is the thing which the Prophet exhorts the People of Israel to in our Text, That they would remember and consider their Part of the Covenant which they had entered into with God, and would set themselves to observe and do it. Which Exhortation we shall do well to apply to ourselves, for that it certainly concerns us as much as them. Now the Covenant which we are at present under, and by which we must be saved, is that which we enter into at our Baptism: At which time we are Infants, and do not distinctly understand our part of the Engagement; as indeed, while we are Infants, we need not do, but may partake of the Salvation, which is the Favour on God's part, without it, if we die in our infancy. Because God requires of no Creature that, as necessary to obtain his Favour, which it has not a natural power to do. And the Covenant which we enter into at Baptism, is not so often called to Peoples minds in the Administration of that Sacrament, as our Church has excellently provided it should be, through many Disorders that are amongst us: For which Reasons, I think this a Subject very necessary and useful to be insisted on in this way. In speaking to it, I shall insist upon these following Heads of Discourse. 1. To show, What is the Tenor of that Covenant which we are at present under, and by which we must expect to be saved. 2. To show, That this is a Covenant which the Lord our God has made with us, and that at our Baptism. 3. I shall suggest, How we may best assist ourselves to remember and observe this Covenant, and so secure to ourselves the Everlasting Mercies on God's part of it. I shall, in the first place, give an Account of the Nature and Tenor of that Covenant which we are now under; which, without knowing it distinctly, we cannot possibly comply with or observe it. But, to introduce an Account of this, I must take notice, That all Mankind are become Sinners before God, by the Sin and Fall of our First-Parents. By the Disobedience of one, many were made sinners, says the Apostle; and God hath concluded all under Sin. From hence we deserve the Eternal Wrath of God, and the Everlasting Punishments of Sin: This is the sad condition of our very Birth. Therefore the Scripture says, We are by Nature, Children of Wrath. Now to this state of our Case is this gracious Covenant most wisely and mercifully suited: Both in what it demands and requires of us; and in what it offers and promises from God. I shall represent it in both the parts of it severally. First, Let us see what it requires of us; and on what Terms and Conditions we must now expect to recover the Favour of God and our Happiness. These the Christian Church has very anciently thought fit to represent, as our Church does, under the three following Heads: 1. We must Renounce the Devil and all his Works; the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World; and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh. 2. We must believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. 3. We must keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the Days of our Life. Let us a little consider these severally, that we may understand what Particulars they contain; which is a thing that is too seldom done. In the first place, We are to Renounce, &c. Having all of us Revolted from God, the first thing we have to do, that we may recover his Favour is, very fitly, That we repent of our Wickedness, and abandon every Evil Course; and so we must fall out with all the Causes of our Wickedness; we must resolve and engage, that they shall never led nor govern us any more; This is that which is meant by our Renouncing of them. We must thus Renounce the Devil and all his Works. This is he who drew our First-Parents into sin; whose whole business it is to promote, and propagate Wickedness in the World. That he may not draw us into Sin, and because he is an Enemy to God, we must resolve never to hold any Correspondence with him: That we will not consult him, nor seek his Assistance in any way; neither as Witches and Sorcerers do, who are in a formal compact with this Enemy of God; Nor as they do who go to such Wretches for their Counsel or Assistance in any Matters; for both these things are instances of a guilty Correspondence with the Devil. In renouncing the Works of the Devil we engage to forsake and abandon those sins in particular, which do especially bear the Black Characters of his Wickedness upon them. Such as Pride in all the usual Exercises of it, which is intimated to be his great sin, 1 Tim. 3.6. And all Lying and falsehood, For the Devil is a liar and the Father of Lies, John 8.44. And all Malice, and Envy, and ill Will; the desiring of Mischief, and delighting in the Hurt of any one which are eminently the Properties of the Devil: For he is a Murderer from the beginning; ( ib.) And goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour, or destroy, 1 Pet. 5.8. We must abhor also and forsake that common practise of the Devil, the leading or tempting others into Wickedness; upon the account of which he is called a Tempter: To endeavour to Debauch and Corrupt others, and promote Wickedness in the World, is enormously to do and cherish the works of the Devil, and a monstrous instance of the Hatred both of God and our Neighbour. In the next place, We must Renounce too the pomps and vanities of this wicked World: This binds us to abhor and abstain from all that which is wicked in the World; and also from that which tends to Wickedness, in as much as it does so. Even those lawful things of this World, which we might otherwise seek and enjoy when we cannot do these without sin, must be quitted and forsaken. It includes, That we be ready to part with, or be contented to want any worldly Comforts and Possessions whatever, when they stand in competition with our Duty to God. It requires, that we do not seek what we cannot innocently enjoy; and that we do not guiltily and inordinately seek what we may lawfully enjoy. We must engage, that the things of this World shall not have the chief Interest in our Affections; nor be either our greatest desire while we want, or our chief Delight and Satisfaction while we have them. It is included herein, That we must Renounce the Society of the wicked World. That we do not make the Corrupt Maxims, or Evil Customs of it our Rule to walk by, nor follow a Multitude to do Evil: And must concern ourselves rather to please God than Men. Those who have given themselves up to any sort of Wickedness, are such as we must shun to converse with as much as we can: Unless we can have any hopes by our good Example before them, or by our Admonitions and Reproofs to Convert them from their Wickedness. We must not make the sin of others our sport or entertainment; nor set the Wickedness of other Men on work to promote our Ends and Designs, tho' they be lawful and just in themselves. We must take no part in the wickedness of the World. By Renouncing the Pomps and Vanity of it, we engage to abstain from all that extravagancy in Dress and Ornament which Pride and Wantonness suggest, and which are designed to be serviceable to them: When the Adorning is intended to be an Instrument of guilty allurement and temptation; when this is Prodigally costly, and beyond what can well be spared from other necessary expenses; when it is nicely endeavoured, and is very Elaborate and affencted; as I doubt not to account painting of the Face to be, and the wearing of needless Patches; that is, such as are not put on to conceal an offensive Defect, but only to Improve and Adorn the Beauty. And Lastly, such excess in this matter must be forsaken as consounds the distinctions of Persons, and is above the Rank and Degree which the Providence of God has placed us in. In the last place, We must renounce too all sinful desires of the Flesh: This chiefly respects sensual Sins, and the source and spring of them. And so we may reckon the Flesh here signifies, the Natural Body which we carry about with us with all the Appetites, Sences, and Animal Faculties of that. Our Covenant with God does not require us to destroy our Natural Appetites, but only to govern them. It requires that we so regulate ourselves in our Gratifications of them, as not to break the Laws of God, nor contradict any of our Duties: We must not be lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God. It is said we renounce the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh; those Desires and Motions of them which would led us into any Sin: We renounce those guilty Sensualities of Sloth and Idleness, of Gluttony and Drunkenness, Luxury or Uncleanness. And indeed this requires that we do abridge the Flesh, sometimes, in some measure of its lawful Gratifications; when this is necessary to subdue the Appetites of it, to bring them into Subjection, and render them Governable; that we may keep them Innocent, and be ourselves always in a readiness to receive and comply with the good Motions of the Holy Spirit. This is the first main Branch in our part of the Covenant with God which we are now under. The Second is this; That we will believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. These the Church has been wont to reckon are summarily comprehended in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed. And it is included under this Head; That we will endeavour to know, and understand what things are contained in these Articles: That we will apply ourselves very seriously, as leisure from other necessary and indispensible Duties will allow, to make the best Improvement we can of the Means of getting Divine Knowledge which the Providence of God affords us; and to gain as full and as distinct a knowledge of Divine Truths as our Capacity and Opportunities will let us. That we will not through Negligence or Hatred of the Truth, be Ignorant of any important revealed Truth. And when we know these things we must firmly Assent to them, and aclowledge them for Truths, because God has revealed them: Who is infinitely Wise, and cannot err; and who is faithful and true, and therefore will not led us into Error. We must also rely upon the truth of these things, and suffer ourselves to be governed by them; betaking ourselves to such a course of Life as they require. For Instance; Believing there is a God who is the Maker and Preserver of us all, we must Reverence, and Worship, and Obey Him: Believing ourselves Sinners, and Unworthy to approach him, or expect any good thing from him, we must Humble, and Abase, and Condemn ourselves before him: And believing that the Son of God is become a Propitiation for our Sins; and ever Lives to make Intercession for us as our Advocate with the Father, we must rely upon the Merits of his Death and Sacrifice of himself, and come to God in his Name, hoping to succeed by his Intercession in our Addresses to the Throne of Grace. And believing that all the Blessings we stand in need of to our Happiness, are wrought in us, and conferred upon us by the Holy Ghost, we must seek to him for them, and wait on him in the diligent use of appointed means of Grace to Obtain them. Lastly, We are also required herein to make open Profession of the Religion contained in these Articles; to own it to the World, that we are, and will be worshippers of the only True and Living God, by one Mediator Jesus Christ. And we must rather suffer any Loss, or die any kind of Death, than renounce or deny this True Faith. The Third and last part of our Engagement is this, that we will keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our Lives. This Obliges us to take the Laws of God for our Rule; to guide our Thoughts, our Words, and our Actions by them. We must desire and endeavour to perform an Universal Obedience of the whole Man to the whole Law of God. Tho' we are not able perfectly to keep the Commands of God, yet we must desire this, and must strive to come as near it as we can: That is, we must not let ourselves be guilty of any one known, wilful, or deliberate Sin. This Covenant bears indeed with involuntary Sins, but with none but such: That is, with those which we commit through Ignorance, when that Ignorance is not occasioned by our neglect or refusal to be Informed or Convinced: Or those which we commit through inconsideration in a hurry, or by a suprise, which are but some smaller Instances of Sin, and such as are past over on a sudden. Therefore it is also required, That we apply our best Endeavours to study and learn our Duty: That we be humble and teachable; easy to be convinced of, and easy to be persuaded to it. It requires too, That we take heed to our Ways, and walk Circumspectly; That we make it our great care and concern to avoid doing Evil, and to perform the Good that is required of us; That we do not needlessly and carelessly throw ourselves into Temptation. These are the Duties and Conditions required of us by the Covenant we are now under: And does not this representation of them make it appear to every one, That it is but too necessary to call these things to our Minds? It is easily observed in others, that many among those who call themselves Christians, do live woefully heedless and forgetful, that they are bound to such things as these; and in ourselves it is but too easy for every one of us to observe, that we are exceeding prove to neglect them. I proceed now to the second Part of this Covenant; to show what are the Favours and Blessings which it offers and promises us from God. The representation of which may serve as an Argument to excite us to the performance of our Duties. And upon our sincere engagement and care according to our capacity to perform our part in this Covenant, these following Blessings become due to us by the gracious and free Promise of God, and shall be faithfully performed. 1. We shall obtain a full and free Pardon of all our Sins. He Pardons our Original Sin upon our entrance into this Covenant, so that the Guilt which we derived from our First-Parents with our Nature, shall not be remembered against us, nor condemn us. And he Pardons all the Actual Sins which we were before guilty of; tho' they were Wilful, tho' Deliberate and Habitual Sins. And if we have broken this Covenant by any Wilful Sin, it is so gracious and condescending to our present Weakness, that we are allowed to renew it again; and may hope for the Benefits of it, upon our hearty and sincere Repentance for that Sin, and our forsaking it for the time to come. And, having pardoned our Sins, the Righteous and Gracious God receives us into Favour, deals with us as Righteous Persons, and those whom he Loves. We may with an humble Boldness make our Addresses to him for all things necessary to the Comfort and Serviceableness of this present Life, and to our Everlasting Salvation and Happiness in the World to come. 2. Another Favour of this Covenant is our Sanctification. As he will justify, he will sanctify us; he will both forgive our Sins, and cleanse us from all Unrighteousness. We shall, through the Spirit given to us, be enabled to mortify the Deeds of the Body; to conquer and subdue the sinful Lusts of the Flesh. We shall have Grace to withstand the Assaults of the Devil; For he that is born of God keepeth himself, and that Evil One toucheth him not, 1 John 5.18. And the Faith which is in us shall give us the Victory over the World. We shall be sufficiently fortified against all our Spiritual Enemies; and be furnished for every good Work. The Grace of God will teach us effectually to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, and to live Soberly, Rightiously and Godly in this present World. God will writ his Law in our Hearts, and put his Fear in our Inward Parts. And when we are come sincerely to desire, and hearty to will and purpose to keep the Commands of God, as it is his Grace which has thus far prevented us, so he will also further us by his continual Help: He will enable us to do that which is good. This is that our Saviour intimates,( Mat. 5.6.) when he says, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled. He that desires and endeavours to keep the Commands of God shall be enabled to keep them; so far as that he shall be accepted with God through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. This Saint Paul speaks from his own happy Experience, when he says, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheners me. 3. The Third Blessing and Favour of this Covenant is, That God will advance us at last to an Everlasting and Perfect Happiness both of Soul and Body in Heaven. Tho' the good Man must undergo Death as well as all Mankind; yet has Christ promised, that whosoever believes on him he shall have Everlasting Life, and he will raise him up again at the last Day. The Bodies of such, tho they be utterly dissolved into scattered Dust, shall be gathered together again and raised to Life, and be united again to the same Soul which they had before. And these vile Bodies shall be very happily improved; they shall be raised in great Beauty and Glory, and be fashioned like unto Christ's Glorified Body. We shall if we keep our Covenant with God, be taken at the close of the last judgement, to inherit the Kingdom prepared for Mankind from the beginning of the World: To enjoy that Advanced and Excellent Happiness, to which it is likely our first Parents should without Death have been translated after a certain time spent on Earth, if they had been steadfast in their Duty, and Obedient to their Maker. We shall be admitted to dwell in the most Blissful Presence of God; and where we shall be perfectly free from all Evil and Affliction for ever; and shall be satisfied with the eternal Communications of infinite and bounteous Love. Thus I have shown what is the Nature and tenor of that Covenant which we are now under, and by which we must expect to be saved. But to the Description of this Covenant, it is necessary to add the Demonstration that we are actually under it; which I proposed to do for a Second Head of Discourse. I shall make it appear then, That we are all of us actually engaged to perform these Duties which have been mentioned; and thereupon were admitted to have Right to these Blessings and Favours; and that this was done at our Baptism. This happy Right therefore we retain if we have faithfully kept to the performance of our Duties; or We may recover it upon the Renewal of our engagement, and return to our Duty. And we must reckon upon it, that we have no Right to these Mercies; we cannot expect ever to obtain them, if we do not remember, that we are engaged to do those Duties mentioned, and if we do not perform them. I shall first make it appear, That we were engaged to the performance of our part in this Covenant at our Baptism. And this will be sufficiently proved if it appears in Scripture, that such things are required of them who are baptized; for then it follows, That whoever receives Baptism, he does therein testify, that he binds himself to do such things. Now we shall find Repentance required of them who come to be baptized. John the Baptist, who was the First Minister of this Sacrament, made Repentance a great part of the Subject of his Preaching. And then we may justly believe he baptized none without Professions and Declarations of this, if they were capable to make them. Especially, since we are told of the Multitudes that came to him, that they were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their Sins, Matth. 3.6. Without doubt this Confession was in Terms expressing their Godly Sorrow for their Sins, and Resolutions to forsake them. Again, This appears to have been required afterwards by the Apostles of Jesus Christ, in many places; but that one may suffice, Acts 2.38. where St. Peter exhorts the Jews to repent and be baptized. Now, in Repentance, is included such a Renunciation of all the Causes of Sin, as has been mentioned. That a Resolution to keep the Commands of God, is also required to attend our taking of Baptism, may appear sufficiently by that one Scripture, 1 Pet. 3.21. where the Apostle says, Baptism saves us not by putting away the Filth of the Flesh, but by the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God. By the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God, the Apostle is understood to allude to some Questions that were wont to be put to persons who came to be baptized. And then be means by it, The Profession or Declaration of a Good Conscience; An Engagement to keep a Conscience voided of Offence towards God, and towards Men; or a Resolution to keep the Commands of God. Baptism saves us by this: That is, Baptism gives us a Right to the Favours and Blessings of the Covenant; which are therein conferred upon a sincere and declared Resolution of this. Lastly, We may observe, That Faith in the Articles of Christian Religion, is also required of them who come to be baptized. It was one part of John the Baptist's Preaching, That the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, or the Messiah was to be shortly revealed: And therefore we must suppose, that he exacted of those he baptized, the belief of this. And this was very evidently required afterwards, as we may see in the Baptizing of the Eunuch, by Philip, mentioned Acts 8. After that this Evangelist had been preaching to him the doctrine of the Gospel, the Eunuch says, See, here is Water, What doth hinder me to be baptized?( Verse 36.) Philip says to him,( Verse 37.) If thou believest with all thine Heart, thou mayest. He answered and said, I believe, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And hereupon he was baptized. This Profession contained the Sum and Substance of the Christian Faith. Now when these things are required of them who come to be baptized, it appears, that Baptism is appointed for a Token and Declaration of such an Engagement on our parts: And then the receiving of Baptism is a putting ourselves under such an Engagement. Let us now see, in the second place, That the Favours and Blessings which have been mentioned, are the things which God, on his part, bestows in and by the Sacrament of Baptism. This Sacrament is intended by God to be a Means and Instrument to convey those Blessings, and never fails to do it effectually, but when it is hindered by our own default. God, who is abundant in Goodness and Truth, has appointed this Sacrament as a Means to convey his Saving-Grace; and such an one will never mock us with empty Ceremonies; nor disappoint our Expectations of his Mercies, by the reserve of any secret Decree, when we seek them in the way of his appointment. Let us see then, if the Holy Scripture gives us any intimations, that such Blessings are bestowed in and by our Baptism; for then we may, being baptized, if we perform our part of the Covenant, confidently expect them. The Forgiveness of Sins, is conferred hereby, as the Scripture in many places testifies. It is said, John the Baptist preached the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of Sins, Mark 1.4. intimating, that his Baptism did bestow this Favour upon those who came to it truly penitent. This is suggested also by those words of Ananias to Saul, Arise( says he) and be baptized, and wash away thy Sins, Acts 22.16. He says, Wash them away, with a plain allusion to the Water which was to be used in the baptizing him, and because the Pardon of his Past-sins was to be conferred upon him in this. We find also Sanctification mentioned, as conferred in and by this Sacrament. Hence our Saviour speaks of this as the Instrument of our New Birth, and that by which the blessed Influences that effect this are conveyed; in that he says, Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, John 3.5. If a Man must be born of Water, this is an Instrument and Means of his New Birth. He puts together Water and the Holy Ghost, to signify, that the sanctifying Influences of the Holy Spirit are conferred in the Administration of Baptism; for it is the Water of this Sacrament which he there speaks of. The Apostle Paul also says to some, after they had been baptized, and made Converts to Christianity, But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified; intimating, that they had received this Sanctification in and by this Sacramental Washing, 1 Cor. 6.11. Lastly, There is herein conveyed also, A Right and Title to Everlasting Blessedness. We find the Apostle expressing this in Tit. 3.5, 6, 7. where, indeed, he speaks of all these Blessings, as conferred in and by our Baptism: His words are these, According to his Mercy, he saved us, by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his Grace, we should be made Heirs, according to the Hope of Everlasting Life. Here he plainly ascribes it to the washing of Regeneration; that is, this Sacrament, as the Means and Instrument of Conveyance; that we are renewed by the Holy Ghost, and sanctified; that we are justified by the Grace of God; and are made Heirs of Everlasting Life, as we hope to be. Thus, I think, it does sufficiently appear, that the Covenant, which has been now described, is that which the Lord our God has made with us at our Baptism. We see what things we are engaged to do, and what a mighty encouragement we have to perform them: We see what must be the Care and Business of our Lives; or else we shall be judged to renounce and disown our Baptism: And then we must never pretend to expect, that we shall be partakers of these glorious Blessings. Much might be said to persuade Men to take heed to themselves, that they forget not this Covenant: But the thing itself speaks for this. It appears, that we are engaged, and shall prove false to God, if we do not perform our part; and it is certain, we shall never partake of these glorious and necessary Favours, without doing so. These are then a strong Invitation and Inducement to the Performance of our Duty. I pass then to the last thing I proposed to do, which was, To suggest and show, how we may best help ourselves to remember and observe this Covenant; and so may secure to ourselves these Everlasting Mercies which are offered on God's part in it. To which purpose I might urge the Praying earnestly for the Grace of God; and the diligent and constant Attendance on the Preaching of the Word of God: But I shall rather insist on what is, perhaps, more considerable, and yet more neglected, which is this: We must, to this purpose, accustom ourselves frequently and solemnly to renew this Covenant in a prepared Celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. When we come to Years of capacity, to know and choose our own Actions, it is very justly expected by Almighty God, that we solemnly take upon ourselves this Covenant: That we make it our own Act and dead, to devote ourselves to him, and seek his offered Favour and Mercy. And since he has appointed this other Sacrament to be the Rite wherein this is to be done, we must do it in the using of this, if we would be accepted with him. We must prepare ourselves then for the Lord's Supper as soon as we can, when we can understand what we do; by considering the Tenor of the Baptismal Covenant; by possessing ourselves with a deep sense of the Necessity and Excellency of those Blessings which it offers us; and by stirring up in ourselves thereupon an earnest Desire to obtain them, and a firm Resolution and Purpose to do our part of the Covenant, that so we may obtain them. And being thus prepared, we must, in taking this Sacrament, bind ourselves to those things, and declare, that we seek and hope for those Mercies upon our performance of such gracious Conditions. Most certainly, if we have ever contradicted and broken this Covenant, God himself will never reckon it rightly and duly renewed, unless we renew it in the celebration of this Sacrament, if he affords us means and opportunity of doing so. Besides, the more solemnity this renewal of our Covenant is performed with, the more impression will the doing of it make upon us; and by consequence, the more strong and lasting it is likely to be. And this Sacrament is, in its own nature, very fit to assist us in the performance of our Duties, and so to confirm our Covenant: It has such important Representations in it, as do of themselves tend to these happy Effects. When we see there a lively Representation of the Death of Christ, of his broken Body, and his Blood shed for us, and must consider, that this Sacrifice of his Death was the costly Price which procured the Favour of this Covenant for us, will not this effectually dispose us to value and comply with this Method of our Salvation? Will it not force us to think, we should be basely ungrateful to the Dying Love of our Redeemer, if we should neglect this offered Mercy? When we see there, how great and precious a Sacrifice our Sins required to make atonement for them! Our Saviour and Friend put to Death, by our Wickedness and his own Love! Will not this make us mourn greatly for our Sins! Melt our very Hearts into Tears of Penitent Grief! And turn us to loathe, abhor, and forsake every Evil Way! When we see there how much Jesus, the Son of God, has loved us, how much he has done to save us, may not this greatly encourage our Faith, to address to him, and rely upon him for Salvation! And when it calls to our Minds, that we are bought with a Price, even with the Price of his most precious Blood; he has made a Dear Purchase of us; this will strongly suggest to us, that we are not to think ourselves our own: We must not live to ourselves, but henceforth live to him, that died for us: We are under the greatest Obligations to obey every Command, that so kind and gracious a Master can think fit to lay upon us: We ought to mortify and subdue all Corrupt Affections, and banish from our Hearts all Inordinate Lusts, all his Enemies and Competitors, and resolve to be entirely his, and mind nothing so much as to study and do what will please him in the whole Course of our Lives. Besides all this, we may consider, That this Sacrament is appointed by Christ himself, as a Means to convey Spiritual Strength and Grace to us, whereby we may be enabled to do what he requires of us. Here, he that Hungers and Thirsts after Righteousness shall be filled: Here, he will give the Holy Spirit abundantly to them that ask him: Here, he bestows all the Happy Benefits of his Passion to the Meet Receivers; all that is promised on God's part of this Covenant; and Grace to perform what is required on ours! Oh, that Men were sensible how great Advantages they lose, when they withdraw themselves from this Sacrament! That they would consider and believe what the Scriptures says of it! That it is the Communication of the Body and Blood of Christ; A Conveyance of Divine Grace; It will make the frequent and serious Attenders upon it, Partakers of the Spirit of God, to assist and strengthen them against the strongest Corruptions, against the greatest Temptations, and all the Difficulties of their Duty; this would secure their Perseverance in Holiness, and their attaimment of Everlasting Happiness. Let us suffer ourselves then to be persuaded to take as many Opportunities as we can have to prepare ourselves, and come to this Sacrament; that we may be steadfast in this happy Covenant with God. And so shall we certainly find true, what the Psalmist says, Psal. 25.10. All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory World without End. Amen. THE PRAYER. O Eternal God! Lord of Heaven and Earth; Creator, and Owner, and Preserver, and rightful Sovereign over us. Thou hast made all things of thyself; and we ought to set ourselves to live for thy Glory. Thou hast laid thy Laws upon us; and we ought to make them the sole rule of our Actions. And it is very Just and Righteous that thou hast always made our doing so the necessary condition of thy Favour, and of our Happiness in the enjoyment of it. Thou requirest herein no more than what is naturally and indispensably due to thee. We must therefore condemn and abhor all the wickedness of the World, which contradicts that Honour and Obedience which is thy due; and is Rebellion, Ingratitude, and Injustice against thee, as well as affront to thy most Glorious Perfections. And we must needs admire and praise thy wonderful goodness to Mankind in that thou hast not for this, past an irrevocable sentence of Damnation upon us. Thou hast condescended to offer us again thy Favour upon Gracious and easy terms: And hast proposed to us a New Covenant whereby we may be saved. We give especially most humble and hearty thanks for the kind and necessary Mediation of the Son of God: by whose gracious undertaking, and by whose most precious Blood, this Favour was procured. And we have further reason to bless and praise thy mercy towards us in particular, who are here before thee, for that we were by the kind dispensation of thy Providence in our Baptism engaged in this happy Covenant: We were then devoted to thee, and were admitted thereupon to a right to all thy Favour and Mercy to Sinners: And for this thy unspeakable goodness to us we do give thee most hearty thanks. And in a deep fence of thy Favour herein, We lament O Lord, and we condemn ourselves for that we have not lived answerably to it: Alas in many Instances have we broken thy Covenant, and followed and obeyed the Lusts of the Flesh, and Temptations of the Devil, and the corrupt Customs and Practices of the World. We have too frequently done those things which we ought not to have done. And to our shane we must confess too, that we have left undone those things which we ought to have done. For we have been negligent of Divine Knowledge, we have not received the Doctrines of the Gospel with that Love and Submission which we ought to have done, nor suffered them to have such Influence upon us as they are worthy to have. Most wretchedly we must confess we have slighted, and forsaken, and broken thy Holy Laws, which are in all things just and good. We must own, that we have hereby rendered ourselves utterly unworthy of thy Favour and Mercy: But, O Lord, we are told, that to the Lord our God belong Mercy and Forgiveness, tho we have rebelled against thee. O Father of Mercies forgive us we pray thee all that is past; and accept of us who desire to return to thee: Let us we beseech thee find favour with thee and live. We return to thee with full purpose of Soul, we hearty renew our Covenant with thee, and do desire that it may ever hereafter remain inviolate. O give us the Assistance of thy Grace, that we may duly keep it, and walk before thee in Righteousness and Holiness all our days, and so may be partakers of thy abundant Mercy and Truth: Visit we humbly pray thee with the saving Light of thy Gospel, the dark corners of the World, let the works of the Devil be there destroyed, and the wretched Creatures turned from the Power of Satan unto God. Grant thy Church to flourish in all Grace and to abound in every good Work; and in thy due time Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. We pray thee bless the Nations to which we belong, with a long continuance of thy Gospel in Power and Purity amongst us, and make us to bring forth answerable Fruit to thy Glory, and our own Peace and Happiness. We pray thee let our King enjoy thy peculiar Favour: Make him a Glorious and Successful Defender of thy Faith and True Religion, and help Him so to profess and obey it Himself, as may be to His everlasting Salvation: That He may at last change His Earthly Crown for a brighter Heavenly one. Bless the Royal Family with a great increase, prosper it with all Happiness, and let it be always Instrumental to ours. Be Gracious to all our Natural Relations: Oh let thy Grace make them steadfast in the Duries of their Covenant with thee, that they may be Partakers of thy Everlasting Mercies. We yield thee humble thanks for the Mercies of this Day, especially for the means of Grace, and all the good Impressions they have made upon us: Grant that it may abide for ever, and bring forth much good Fruit. We humbly commit ourselves to thy Protection this Night, and we beseech thee accept us and all our Services which we offer to thee in the Name of Jesus Christ the Righteous: In whose Name and Words we further pray, saying, Our Father, &c, THE SACRAMENT OF THE Lord's Supper EXPLAINED; AND THE Attendance upon it Directed and urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 Cor. 11.26. For as often as ye Eat this Bread, and Drink this Cup, ye do show the Lord's Death till he come. THere is very apparent in Man a wonderful disagreement with himself: Which plainly shows, that he is not now in his truly Natural and Original State; For he could never come such as he is, from the Hands of a Wise and Good Creator. For an Instance of this we may take notice, That he is strongly addicted to Religion, insomuch that he is hardly able, even when he sets himself to endeavour this, to satisfy himself altogether to neglect it; something of Religion he must needs practise: But yet in all his Applications to the Services of it, he is so careless and negligent, so slight and formal, that he seems as it were dragged to it; and it looks like a mere violence and imposition upon his Nature to do any thing it requires. We may observe the Apostle Paul in this Chapter charging the Church of Corinth, with such a negligent and formal Application to their Religion; and that in the most solemn and chief Act of it, their Celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The outward performance and show of this Sacrament they kept up in their Assemblies; But, as they joined with it their common Love Feasts, so they seem to have done by it as we too commonly do by the other Sacrament of Baptism, that is, let the Feast and Entertainment which attended it divert them from the true nature and design of it, and so from that wherein the Religion of Celebrating it does chiefly consist. They met indeed to eat Bread and drink Wine, but they did not discern the Lord's Body in doing this; they did not duly attend to, or regard the true Nature and Signification of this Action. To rectify this disorder the Apostle puts them in mind, in ver 24, 25. That our Saviour when he instituted this Sacrament, intended, that it should serve for a Memorial of his Death: And in this 26th Verse, he tells them it was appointed for this purpose, That as oft as they did eat this Bread and drink this Cup, they should show the Lord's Death till he comes. In speaking to these words, I shall endeavour to promote that design for which they were sent to the Church of Corinth; that is, the right understanding and due celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And this appears necessary to be endeavoured in our time, by the too common neglect, and the careless celebration of this Sacrament amongst us. To this purpose I shall insist upon these four Heads of Discourse. 1. To give the Import of these words of the Apostle, that we may understand the Nature and Design of this Sacrament so far as it is signified in them. 2. I shall show, what that Consideration or Notion of this Sacrament does intimate and suggest to us to be understood, and acknowledged by us in the Celebration of it. 3. I shall intimate from thence, with what disposition of Mind we should Celebrate it. 4. I shall deduce some Arguments from thence also, to persuade Men to come to this Sacrament as frequently as they can. In the first place, I shall show you the Import of the apostles words here, concerning the Lord's Supper: He says, That in this, according to institution, we do show the Lord's Death. The word here, rendered to show, is elsewhere rendered to declare, and sometimes it is applied to the Preaching of the Gospel. It is well enough rendered here, if we add but one word more, to make the sense of the Translation equal with that of the Original: We may say then, this Sacrament is intended, to show forth the Lord's Death: to make a solemn and lively representation of this. And this signifies something more than a bare commemoration or remembrance of his Death: It signifies the acting over again, as it were, the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, and the representing or setting this before God the Father, as a means to find favour with him. As the Fathers of the World and the Jewish Nation were directed to represent this only Propitiatory Sacrifice, the Death of Christ upon the across, by their Offerings for Sin, so the Christian Church is directed to represent it still by the celebration of this Sacrament: We must not say, with some in the Church of Rome, that Christ is personally offered by us in this Sacrament, but that he is representatively offered herein. This Sacrament is not a true, real and propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin, but a lively Representation of such a Sacrifice. That it does represent the Death of Christ on the across, the Apostle further intimates, in Gal. 3.1. where he says to the Galatians, That Jesus Christ had before their eyes been evidently set forth crucified among them: which can only mean, that this had been represented among them in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. This Sacrament then we may call the Christian Sacrifice, as the ancient Fathers of the Church were wont to do. A Divine of our own says, The ancient Fathers used to call the the Lord's Supper, a Sacrifice, because it is a Commemoration and also a Representation to God the Father, of Christ offered upon the across, ( Perkins Demonstr. Probl. Tit. de Sacr. Missae.) Another says, ( meed) This Sacrament is not a bare remembering or putting ourselves only in mind of the Death of Christ, but a representing this to God. For every Sacrifice( says he) is directed to God; and the Oblation therein, of whatsoever it be, is made to God, and has him for its Object. And by this Sacrament we represent the Blessed Passion of our Lord to the Father, setting before him the Monuments thereof. And he produces, besides other Testimonies out of the Ancients, an Expression of Justin Martyr( Dialog. cum Tryph) to this purpose: Who says, there is a two-fold Commemoration made in the Eucharist; The First is of our Food, dry, and liquid, by ackowledging God the Creator and Giver thereof; The Second is of the Passion of Christ the Son of God: Now the First of these is made to God( says he) therefore the Second is. The Celebration then of this Supper is the worshipping of God by a Sacrifice still, and this is to continue to the end of the World, for the Apostle says, We must thus show the Lord's Death till he comes. Thus we see the Import of the apostles Words is this, That the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper does represent, and as it were repeat the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, offering it up to God the Father. This, by his appointment, his Ministers do thus on Earth; while he as a Priest for ever offers it in Heaven for us. I come now in the Second place, to show what this Notion of this Sacrament does intimate and suggest to us to be understood, and acknowledged by us when we Celebrate it. Which will be to show, what this way of worshipping God by a Sacrifice for Sin, does signify and mean: What he expects we should understand and aclowledge in our approaches to him, and does herein signify and intimate, that he expects such things, when he directs Mankind to Worship him by Sacrifices. This Sacrament then, as it is a Representation of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ; does intimate and signify these four things, as all Sacrifices for Sin did: 1. That we are guilty before God, and deserving only of Wrath and Punishment from him. 2. That we are not to expect any favour from him, if the Honour of his Law and Authority be not repaired by some suffering for Sin. 3. That yet the Divine Compassion to our sad case, allows the tranferring of our Guilt on something else, even to Jesus Christ, who is the Offering and Sacrifice for it. 4. That the Offering and Sacrifice which we make to God, is allowed and accounted to Suffer in our stead, and the Death and Destruction of that, does excuse us from Death and Destruction. All these things are implied in such a way of Worship, and must be understood and attended to by him, that understands what he does, and minds the true nature and design of his Worship: These things then we must understand and consider in Celebrating the Lord's Supper, that we may therein rightly and truly discern the Lord's Body. I shall speak to each of these in order. 1. When God requires Men to Worship him by such Sacrifices, as are destroyed upon their being offered to him, he signifies, that we ought, when we come before him, to aclowledge ourselves guilty, and deserving of Wrath and Punishment. We must bring what we offer to God, as a forfeited thing, as that which we have lost all Right to, and therefore do restore it to the Grand Owner and Lord of all things. And when the thing is destroyed which we offer to God, this signifies what the offerer deserves: It comes to Death and Destruction as an accursed thing being reckoned so for his sake who brings it; and so an accursed and a devoted thing may be the same. However the way of worshipping by Sacrifices was performed before God choose the Jews for his peculiar People, we shall find that he directed them to perform it with such Rites, as plainly signified and represented all these things which have been mentioned. In particular he directed an acknowledgement of Guilt to be made with these Sacrifices, as appears in Lev. 5.5. which Scripture, the Jewish Doctors understand, as requiring a Confession of Sins to be made with every Sacrifice for Sin. Therefore one of them says ( Maimon in Outr.) unless the Offerers practise Repentance, and make a Confession of their Sin in express words, they are not purged by their Sacrifices; for it is said in Lev. 5.5. He shall confess that wherein he hath sinned. When a Sinner comes to Worship God, he must come before him as such, with humble and self-abasing acknowledgements of his Guilt. This acknowledgement also we ought to make when we Celebrate the Lord's Supper; as the Apostle plainly signifies in this Discourse: For he requires Men to examine themselves before they come to it; which he appoints without doubt for this reason, that they may find out what Sins they are guilty of, and may confess them before God: And he also bids Men Judge themselves, that they may not be judged of the Lord: We represent in this Sacrament the Death of our Offering; therefore to do this rightly we must join with it an acknowledgement of Sin, and of the desert of Punishment. 2. In all Sacrifices there is intimated, and therefore must be acknowledged at this Sacrament, that we are not to expect any Favour from God, unless some satisfaction be made to the Authority of God, which is affronted in our sin. This is evidently signified in that the Offering was brought to be killed and destroyed in order to the Offerers finding favour with God. He is a good and benign Being, and does not delight in the destruction of Creatures that he has made: He does not require, nor is pleased with it for itself: But as he is Judge and governor of the World, and injured and affronted by the sins of Men, so it is become necessary to the maintaining his Authority and Honour, that there be some Punishment inflicted for Sin. And this is that which is intimated in the Death of Sacrifices, That without Blood there is no remission, as the Apostle plainly teaches, Heb. 9.22. which he shows also in the following Discourse to be signified by the Death of Christ. When we celebrate this Sacrament therefore, which is a representation of his Death, we must consider and aclowledge, that there is no Peace with God to be expected by Sinners; no Pardon to be obtained unless his Honour and Authority be secured by some suffering for Sin. That as a Wise governor of the World, he will not give an easy and cheap Pardon, lest his Government should be despised, and he should encourage Men to transgress. And as infinitely offended by the sins of Men, he would not permit his well-beloved Son to obtain the Pardon of them, without dying and suffering some penalty for them. 3. In all Sacrifices for Sin there was intimated, and to be understood a transferring of Guilt from the Offerer to his Sacrifice; that it was communicated to the Sacrifice, and removed from the Offerer. There was such a Rite as this appointed; the Person who offered laid his hands upon the head of his Offering while he confessed his Sins. This was done by the direction of God himself. It was ordered to be done by particular Persons when they offered, Levit. 1.4. and elsewhere. In Offerings for all the People, some of the Chief of them did this as Representatives of the rest. In some Cases the High Priest laid his Hands upon the Offering, as a Representative of all the People, as we see particularly, Levit. 16.21. And the meaning and significancy of this Rite is there expressed to be this transferring of Guilt; for 'tis said that in doing this, He did put their transgressions and sins upon the head of that whereon he had laid his Hands while he confessed them. That there was herein a guilt communicated to the Offering, appears in this, that he who lead the Scape-Goat into the Wilderness after this confession of the Peoples Sins over him, was reckoned defiled by the Beast, and was ordered to wash his Clothes, and bathe himself before he might return among the People. And he also who carried the Beast that was slain, after such confession over it, to be burnt without the Camp was accounted defiled by that: These things we may see, Levit. 16.26, 28. And that the guilt was removed, as well as communicated, from the Offerer to the Offering, appears, in that the slain Beast was carried away out of the Camp to be burnt; and it is expressly said of the Scape-Goat, who was to be let go alive into the Wilderness; That he should bear away upon him the Iniquity of the Children of Israel to a Land not inhabited, Levit. 16.22. This then is that which we must understand and aclowledge concerning Jesus Christ at this Sacrament, That the sins of Mankind were transferred upon this our great Sacrifice: And thus much the Scripture plainly tells us of him. For it says, He bare our Sins in his own Body on the three, that is on the across, 1 Pet. 2.24. The Prophet also says of him, God hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all, Isa. 53.6. because this was then unalterably determined, that he should bear the sins of Men, and it was operative even then to the Salvation of Good Men, tho' Christ was not then come in the Flesh. Again, 'tis said, He was made sin for us who knew no sin, 2 Cor. 5.21. And he was offered to bear the sins of many, Heb. 9.23. which things plainly express and show, the transferring or imputation of the sins of Mankind to Jesus Christ, our great and only true propitiatory Sacrifice. 4. In all Sacrifices for sin, there was intimated, and might be understood the transferring of the Punishment due from the Offerer to the Sacrifice: So as that the Sacrifice suffered what was due to the Sinner, and suffered instead of the Sinner, to excuse him from suffering. When the Blood of the Sacrifice was sprinkled on the Altar, or brought into the most Holy Place, it was offered to God, being the Life of the Creature Sacrificed, instead of the forfeited Life of the Offerer. And the Blood wherein is the Life of an Animal, as the Scripture speaks, being thus reserved to God to make atonement for sin, it was not permitted to any to eat the Blood of any Creature whilst that way of Worship lasted, and for that reason; but when that way of Worship is abolished, and the reason of that abstinence is removed, then is it no longer unlawful to eat the Blood, this by the Way. It is said in Levit. 17.11. That the Blood of the Sacrifice was to be shed, and put upon the Altar to make an atonement for their Souls: And 'tis repeated again, that 'tis the Blood which maketh an Atonement for the Soul. Now to atone for the Soul is to atone for the Life; which can mean no less than to excuse the forfeiture of it, to save the Life of the Offerer; and so the Life of the Sacrifice was evidently offered instead of that. To be or make an atonement for the Soul, and to be its Ransom, is the same thing in Scripture, as we may see, in Exod. 30. by comparing the 12th. with the 15th. and 16th. verses. And the Jews themselves understood thus of this matter: For at the end of that Confession of sins which they made, with their Hands upon the Head of the Sacrifice, we are told they added these words, And let this be my Expiation or Atonement. Which words they themselves explain thus; Let this Victim be substituted in my place and stead, so that the Evil I have deserved may fall upon the Head of my Sacrifice.( Outr. de sacr. p. 170.) As this was intimated in the Sacrifices of the Jews, so it is that which the Scripture plainly says of the Death of Jesus Christ, That he suffered Death for us, as our desert, and to excuse us thereby from suffering. A multitude of places speak this, I shall mention but some of them, in Mat. 20.28. He says of himself, He came to give his life a ransom for many. And He suffered for our sins, says the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1.18. The Prophet says, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our Iniquities, the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed, Isa. 53.5. which plainly speaks his suffering in our stead. This, then, is what we are to understand and consider of his Death at the Celebration of this Sacrament. And that we are to do so, is plainly signified in the very words our Saviour used at the Institution of it: For of the Bread, he said, This is my Body which is given for you, as St. Luke represents it, Luke 22.19. which is broken for you, as St. Paul represents it, in 1 Cor. 11.24. And of the Wine he said, This is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins, Mat. 26.28. Thus much I think may suffice to show, what is intimated and signified in the representation of the Death of Christ in the Sacrament, and what we are to attend to, and consider in the Celebration of it. I come now in the Third place, to suggest and gather from hence with what disposition of mind we ought to celebrate this Representation of the Death of Christ. And this is so evidently suggested in what has been said, that I need not insist long upon it. With what temper and disposition of mind does it become us to aclowledge ourselves sinners before God, but with a hearty Sorrow, and unfeigned Repentance for our Sins? It should grieve us certainly when we consider, that we have offered affront and dishonour to the Great God who is the Author of our Being, and the Fountain of all that Good which we enjoy. And it should grieve us to think how much grief and pain it has cost our Redeemer, to purchase the Pardon of our Sins. It should possess us with a very great sense of the Evil of Sin, to see herein represented, how odious and offensive it is to the Pure and Holy God, and how great a displeasure he has conceived against it. Herein we may learn, it is not so small a matter to sin against God, as we commonly account it; that he does not make a light matter of it; that he will not pardon it without some Testimony of his Displeasure against it: And thought it not for his Honour to accept a less Sacrifice, than the Blood and Death of his Son in our Nature: And this should possess us with an earnest hatred and detestation of all Sin and Wickedness. And, then, as being truly fallen out with it, we must make strong and steadfast resolutions to forsake our Sins for the future. Again, Because this Representation of the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, puts us in mind of a Remedy, as well as of our Disease, and of an Atonement for Sin as well as of our Sin: We may therefore raise our Hopes thereby in the Mercy of God through Jesus Christ. We may believe and rely upon the Sufficiency of this Sacrifice for Sin, be assured of its acceptance with the Father, and with an humble boldness represent it to him to find favour with him: We may ask and hope for the Pardon of our Sins, the Sanctifying Influences of the Holy Spirit, and an Interest in the Kingdom of Heaven. We may upon the account of this Sacrifice, ask and expect the most valuable, and the most important Blessings. And thus we are to exercise our Faith in God. And when we consider the depth of Misery into which we were plunged by our Sin, and from which we are redeemed by the Death of Christ. This should affect our hearts with the highest thankfulness to him; who pitied us in our guilty State; who helped us in our helpless Condition, who gave himself to die, that he might purchase Eternal Life for us. It should kindle a most ardent and prevailing Love in us to him to consider, that he loved us, and gave himself for us! That he loved us freely, and redeemed us at so great a cost to himself. It should make us devote ourselves to serve him, and present ourselves a reasonable, holy, and lively Sacrifice to him. Ready to do all things he commands, and to deny ourselves to Please and Honour him. And then, in Obedience to his Commands, and in Conformity to his free Universal Love, we must be in Charity with all Men; we should be ready to do good, far from seeking to do any Evil to our Neighbour, and easy to forgive those that injure us. It is very evident, that this is the Temper and Disposition of Mind, which is suitable and becoming us in the Celebration of this Sacrament. I shall now in the last place urge Men from this Notion or Consideration of this Sacrament, to attend upon it, and use it as frequently as they can. And the foregoing Discourse seems to afford us very easily the Three following Arguments to this Purpose. 1. That this Instance and Way of Worship is most exactly suitable to the State of the Case between God and us, and therefore very likely, if duly performed, to be acceptable with him. If we are at all concerned to Worship, we must be concerned to offer that sort of Worship, which is likely to be most pleasing to Almighty God: And if this be peculiarly suitable to him and us, we cannot think of any that can be so acceptable with him as this. Now 'tis very easy to see, if we look back upon what has been said, that this is mightily suitable to our Case, since we are all become Sinners before God: What can be so suitable and fitting, as to own that we have forfeited all the Good that we enjoy, to bring him a part of it as a Confession of this? How should we approach the great offended God, but in the most humble and abject manner? Owning that we deserve Death and Destruction: Depending, and declaring that we do depend upon the Atonement of a Sacrifice, and the Intercession of a Priest and Mediator to find Favour with him: And presenting to him such a Sacrifice as he has declared himself well pleased with. Thus we own, and we duly Honour his just Displeasure against our Sins: We Honour his Holiness and Justice, tho we have before affronted both by our sins: And certainly 'tis very requisite, that some amends, as we may say, should be made him for this, before we should be so bold as to ask any Favours from him: And therefore that we should offer and represent to him a valuable and worthy Sacrifice: Without this, most certainly we are not worthy to appear before him. It were such presumption to expect to be Accepted, or find Favour with him, that it were an new affront and injury, and would deserve and might procure greater Wrath and Displeasure against us. 2. We may consider farther, that this, as most suitable to our Case, has been the Way of Worship required and approved of God, and practised by all Good Men in all Ages. Thus the Fathers of the World, without doubt by God's own direction worshipped him. And when he choose the Jews to be his peculiar People, as the Ancestors of their Nation had worshipped him in this way, so he set them in the same way of Worship; and he polished and adorned it with many Rites and Ceremonies, which also intimated to them the Reason and Significations of this way. So that this may be reckoned the Religion of the World, of all the right worshippers of the True God; a way of Worship, as catholic or Universal as Worship itself. We may justly think, there is something very considerable in this; in that 'tis so steadily and constantly required by Almighty God. It appears very steadily required, when it was practised by his Direction from the beginning of the World; and is commanded in this way to be continued to the end of it. The Christian Church is not allowed to approach God, without the representation of a Sacrifice for Sin, even the same which was represented by all the Sacrifices of Ancient times; but we are favoured to do this in a much more easy and more pleasant way. And this obliges us the rather to continue steadfast in this Worship, that 'tis now made more easy to us, than it was before the coming of our Saviour. The constancy of former times in their costly, laborious and troublesone Sacrifices, will be a condemnation of us in our great neglect of this so easy a Duty. And if we should quiter forsake and lay aside this way of worshipping God, as some pretended Christians among us do, we should forsake the good Old Way which all the Saints now in Heaven have gone before us in; We should separate ourselves from all the Right worshippers of the True God, that have ever been, and become schismatics from the most catholic Church. And certainly a Man might very justly suspect the Light within him to be mere Darkness, when it directs him to do so contrary to the Command of the Holy Spirit by the Apostle, which is, that we should thus show forth the Death of Christ till his coming again. Lastly, By what has been said, I think we have reason to conclude; That this is absolutely necessary, and of great use to give acceptance and success to our Prayers. We may justly fear, that no other Worship will be of any avail to us without it; and this may be another Argument to move us as constantly to attend this as we can. When God has appointed this, we cannot reasonably expect, that he will ever hear our Prayers if we neglect it. To do thus is to live in Sin, in a guilty Omission of what he requires, and then surely we shall be in danger to have our Prayers rejected. If we live in Sin we are not fit for the forgiveness of our Sins; if they are not forgiven, they are crying to Heaven against us for vengeance, and will hinder our Prayers from being heard with God, and obstruct the way of Mercy towards us. But the joining this Sacrament with our Prayers will be highly useful to us, and be very likely to give them the success we desire. The necessity and usefulness of this way of Worship to give success to Prayers, has been understood by all the Old worshippers of God before the coming of Christ; who therefore joined it to their Prayers to recommend and help them. Hence it is, that when we red of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob calling upon God, we red of their Building Altars too, and offering Sacrifices. Hence it was, that Saul when he was afraid the Philistines would come upon him before he had made his Prayers for good success, forced himself to offer a Burnt-offering, as he says, 1 Sam. 13.12. This also is signified and shown very evidently, in that of Ezra. 6.10. where 'tis said, the King of Persia had decreed the restoring of the Temple Worship; that the Jews might offer Sacrifices of sweet savour to the God of Heaven, and pray for the Life of the King and his Sons. And what these Old worshippers thought of their Sacrifices, the same Opinion had the Pious and Learned Worshippers, since the coming of Christ concerning this Sacrament. We find inseveral of them ( meed) that they thought this necessary and useful to give success to their Prayers: Therefore after the Bread and Wine had been Consecrated by Prayer, to represent the Body and Blood of Christ, then they made their most important requests to God, pleading in virtue of that Sacrifice which they then represented; then also they remembered all those whom they reckoned themselves bound to pray for; and they did it with these words, We offer unto thee for such and such: Which was as much as to say, We beseech thee for the sake of that Sacrifice, now represented before thee, to hear our Prayers. But now, If God has appointed, and good Men have been wont to add this to their Prayers, How can we expect to succeed without it? The Jews might not Sacrifice but in the Temple, but they had places of Assembling for Prayers in divers part of the Nation; and their daily Prayers were recommended and assisted by the daily whole Burnt-Offerings at the Temple: And when any particular Person had any extraordinary and particular request, he recommended it to God with an extraordinary and particular Sacrifice. The first Christians we find as constantly met together to break Bread as to Pray, and made the Celebration of this Sacrament, as constant a part of the public Worship as any other. It were hearty to be wished, that our People were so generally possessed with their Duty in this case, as that we might have this Sacrament Celebrated every Lord's Day, as our Church has provided it should be in every Congregation. I cannot choose but think, that we might hope to pray with the better success, and hear Sermons with the more advantage, if we did this too. Since our Lord has required this as a part of our Worship, our Worship must be defective without it; and then the rest is not likely to be so much blessed to us, as if we performed his Will in using this too. I think we may justly look upon this as the chief part of our Worship, as that which gives most Honour to God, and will be of greatest advantage to us; and then we ought to endeavour to be constantly fit for it, and to come to it as often as we have opportunity to do so in the Congregation, where Order and Obedience do require us to join in Worship: Let us consider, that if there be any temporal Mercy greatly necessary to us, this is the best way to obtain it: If we need the strengthening and confirming any Grace and virtue in us; if we desire to be delivered out of strong temptation, out of any grievous Affliction, this is the best and likeliest way to obtain it. And if ever we have for any time prayed for any mercy truly necessary to us, and have not yet received it; I believe there is no Man has done this, but what may accuse himself of not coming to this Sacrament, with serious preparation so often as he might. This then let us all resolve to do for the future, that we may be Partakers of the Divine Goodness. Now to him that loved us, and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father: To him with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be Glory and Dominion for ever, and ever. Amen. THE PRAYER. INfinite and Eternal God! The Author of our Being, and Lord of all Things. Thou art he to whom we owe the Homage and Obedience of Creatures; and the thankful acknowledgement, that we derive all that we have and are from thee: We ought, O Lord, to show forth thy Praise, not only with our Lips but in our Lives; by giving up ourselves entirely to thy service, making that our main business and concern in the World, and walking before thee in Righteousness and Holiness all our days. But alas, how sadly have we forgotten this our Duty! How greatly have we contradicted it; and how much have we fallen short of the Honour and Glory we ought to have paid. Lord we are ashamed, we abhor ourselves at the remembrance of our Sins; we own that we have provoked thy most just Wrath and Indignation against us: That we are less than the least of all thy Mercies; have forfeited all which we have, and rendered ourselves utterly unworthy to ask what we want. In this deplorable case we had been destitute of all Hope, if thy Wisdom and Compassion had not allowed, and appointed us a Mediator: So that we have now an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our Sins. Oh we thank thee with all our hearts, for thine Inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ. And we hope, that having so loved us, as to give thine only begotten Son to die a Sacrifice for our Sins. Thou wilt not deny us any thing that is necessary to our Salvation. Behold and regard we pray thee thy Sons precious Blood; accept of his Death instead of ours; on that we rely: Oh let it always be interposed between us and thy just Displeasure. Upon the account of that, we beseech thee, Pardon all our Sins: Purge us with hyssop and we shall be clean; wash and sprinkle us with that Blood, and we shall be whiter than Snow. Teach us, that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts, we may live Soberly, and Righteously, and Godly in this present World. enable us by thy Grace to die unto Sin, and live unto Righteousness: Grant that through the Holy Spirit dwelling and ruling in us, we may mortify the Deeds of the Body, and live a Holy Life, keeping a Conscience voided of Offence both towards God and towards Men. We pray thee O Lord, lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us; satisfy us early with thy Mercy; let us know that thou art reconciled, and that we are received into Favour with thee; so shall we rejoice and be glad all our Days; for thy loving kindness O Lord is better than Life. Bestow upon us according to thy Wisdom and Mercy, what thou seest most needful and convenient for us of the good things of this World; that we may to the more purpose live to thy Glory here, and may be assisted in working out our own Salvation. We humbly remember before thee thy Son's precious Death in the behalf of Mankind; praying that the Earth may be filled with a saving Knowledge of the Lord as Waters cover the Sea. We humbly pray for the Welfare and Prosperity of thy Church; give it every where Peace, and a great increase of all Grace and virtue. Be Gracious to the Land of our Nativity, Pardon all our Sins, and let not our Iniquities withhold good things from us. Continue thy Word and Sacraments in the pure Administrations of them among us; make us diligently to attend them, and let thy Blessing make them always very profitable to the promoting of our Grace, and Comfort, and Salvation. We recommend to thy peculiar Favour our most Gracious King: Give him long Health and Life, increase of Riches and Honour, and great success in his Endeavours to promote thy Glory, and our Happiness, as thou hast given Him a great desire to do both. Bless and prosper the Royal Family; let it continue for ever, and for ever be great a Blessing to these Nations. We pray for those that Minister in Holy Things, that they may be filled with true Wisdom; may despise the Temptations of this World, may be excellent Examples of Piety and virtue; and save themselves, and those committed to their Charge. We pray for all our Natural Relations; be thou a Father and a Friend to them; make them to Love, Fear and Honour thee, and diligently to live after thy Commandments, and do thou delight in them to do them Good. We give thanks for the Mercies of this Day, for thy Blessed Ordinances, and all the happy Influences of them: Let us live under such Influence all our days. Be thou our protection in the Night, the guide of our Ways, the end of our Race, and our Portion for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE Right Hearing OF THE Word of God for our Profit, Stated and urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 Cor. 1.21. Latter part. It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that Believe. THE Declaration of the Revealed Will of God concerning the way of our Salvation, by Messengers appointed and called by himself to that Office, is that which the Apostle means by Preaching in the Text: This was the effectual and prevailing means which Converted once, almost the whole World to the Christian Faith and practise. It prevailed against settled and inveterate Prejudices: It driven away before it false Religions which had long obtained and been reverenced in the World; It demolished the most stately Temples of false Gods, and erected Glorious Churches to the true One: It brought adored Idols to be trampled under feet, and set up the just Adoration and Worship of the Despised, and Crucified Jesus. It prevailed against the darling Lusts and Vices of Men, and effected a Glorious Reformation of Manners, at a time of Universal Corruption in the World. The first attempt of it after our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven, being made upon those who had Persecuted and Crucified him, so well succeeded, that it gained at once Three Thousand Converts to his Religion from amongst his most Malicious Enemies. Such mighty Effects has this Ordinance formerly had, which now seems so weak, and is commonly so fruitless a thing: How few alas are now turned by it from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan to God. Men continue to follow their beloved sins, and many remain under a fatal and shameful ignorance of Divine Things; notwithstanding, that the Providence of God favours us with much, and very excellent Preaching! How frequent reason, alas, have those who Administer it now to complain as the Prophet does of the Jews, Who has believed our report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed. It has now so little Effect commonly, as if he that makes nothing in vain had yet in vain appointed this. In this unhappy condition of our Times, it would certainly be the most useful and profitable Performance, to find out the common Causes of this Mischief, and to propose proper and fit Remedies, and Antidotes against them. This is the important Ataempt which I design at present: God grant I may make it with good success. In speaking to this Subject, I shall follow this method of Discourse. I shall in the first Place observe, what intimations concerning Preaching the Word of God this Text affords us: Which are such as I reckon are fit to cure and remove the common Causes of the unsuccessfulness of it: And I shall apply each of them severally to the purposes it is fit to serve for, and to the removal of those Causes of this which it does most directly oppose. And this will be the greatest part of the Discourse: But I shall briefly employ the latter end of it, to urge Men to a great concern and endeavour, that they may receive benefit by this means of Grace and Salvation. Now the Intimations concerning Preaching the Word of God, which our Text affords us, are these Three. 1. That it is a Divine Ordinance, and Institution. 2. That the true End, and proper Design of it is to promote the Salvation of Mankind. 3. That the Efficacy and Effect of it is entirely due to the Blessing of God upon our serious, and careful use of it. These I shall severally confirm, and apply them in their order. I begin with the First; That Preaching the Word and Will of God to Men, is an Ordinance of his own Appointment; this we find intimated in the Text; For it is there said, That his Messengers had taken this Course to bring Mankind into the right way of Salvation and Happiness: They who brought along with them the Evidence of Miracles to justify what they did, and thereby proved, that they were directed and owned in it by Almighty God. And we may the rather allow this to be intimated in the Text, because we have it very evidently and expressly taught us in other Places of Holy Scripture. As our Lord himself began in this way to propagate the Doctrines of the Gospel, so he left behind him an Order of Men commissioned, and set apart to carry on the same Work in the same way: And he enabled and furnished them to perform it in a Miraculous manner. They were immediately Inspired with Knowledge by the Holy Ghost, and had the Gift of Speaking all Languages, that they might the more readily every where Communicate that Knowledge. He gives them Command to Preach the saving Doctrines of the Gospel, as we may see, Mark 16.15. Go ye into all the World, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature. And they tell us, that, upon his Resurrection, he commanded them to Preach to the World, and testify those things which Men were to believe concerning him, Acts 10.42. I may farther add, because our Times require it, That this is an Ordinance of God, which the Holy Scripture sufficiently intimates, is intended by him, to continue in his Church to the end of the World. It might justly dispose Men to believe this, That we do so evidently find it appointed by God, but do no where in Scripture find that the use of it is limited to a shorter date of time: And it may very well be accounted an arrogant presumption to set limits to this, when God has set none. But moreover we find, that the Apostles who were immediately directed by the Holy Ghost, did plainly intend, that Preaching should continue after their times, in that they committed the Office to others whom they ordained, and set apart to the discharge of it. And it appears, they intended, that those whom they ordained, should some of them Ordain others to the same Office, that it might be continued after them: Therefore the Apostle Paul directs those, who had Authority to Ordain in the Persons of Timothy and Titus, what sort of Persons they ought to commit that Sacred and Venerable Office to. An Ancient Bishop in the Church, who lived with the Apostles, and is mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians( Phil. 4.3.) Writes thus of this matter: The Apostles( says he) appointed Bishops and Ministers over such as should afterwards believe, out of those who were the First Fruits of their Conversions.( Clemens Rom. 1. Ep. ad Corinth.) From whence we may observe, that this Office was to be continued and exercised in the Church, and was not only intended, as some would have us believe, to convert the Heathens and gather them into the Church: But to put this matter beyond dispute, we may observe, that our Saviour himself gives us ground to conclude, that he intended this Office should continue, and this Work be carried on to the end of the World; in that he says,( Matth. 28.29.) to those whom he had set apart for this purpose, Lo, I am with you to the end of the World. He could not mean, that they, in their persons, should continue to the end of the World, for they are long since dead; therefore he must be understood to mean, that their Office should continue, and this discharge of it be carried on to the end of the World: And he would be with those who should continue it, to give them good success in their Work, or support and comfort them under small success, if they were faithful and diligent in the discharge of their Duty. And thus, I think, is this first Intimation sufficiently proved: Let us now see what Use we ought to make of it, and what Causes of the present Unsuccessfulness of Preaching it may and ought to remove. 1. And, in the first place, it may suggest to us, that we must not expect to be taught of God, without the use of this Ordinance, when he affords us the opportunities of using it. 'tis a very groundless, and without doubt will prove a deceitful presumption for any to expect, that the Spirit of God will teach them without this means of doing it, when the Spirit himself has appointed this to be the ordinary means of our instruction. We may see God himself deferring so much to this his own appointment, as to make it the ordinary means of converting Men to the true Religion, tho' he might have done it without such means: Of this we have several Instances in Scripture: He might have inspired the Apostles immediately with a belief of the true Messiah, and the Doctrines of the Gospel, but he possessed them with this by the Preaching of Jesus Christ. He might have converted the Eunuch to Christianity, without the Preaching of the Evangelist Philip, by his reading alone the prophesy of Isaiah; but he directed Philip to meet and preach to him: And he might, by the Angel that appeared to Cornelius, have given him a sufficient knowledge of Jesus Christ, and the way of Salvation; but he directs him, by that Angel, to sand for his Minister, Peter, that from his Preaching he might derive his necessary Information. 'tis true, God can teach us without this Instrument and Means, but no where has he given us leave to expect, that he will do so: And we ought to be well assured, that he will do it, before we depend upon it. 2. We may learn and conclude from hence, That it is our Duty to give a diligent Attendance to the Preaching of the Word of God. Since God has set up an Order of Men, to administer this Ordinance in his Church, and requires them diligently to do so, it is most evidently included herein, that he requires the People to attend upon it. We must look upon it then as a Duty, that we do use, as often as we can, the Opportunities of Hearing the Word of God, at the times appointed for public Worship. It is not an indifferent Matter, or that which we are left at liberty to do or not do; but it is a direct Sin against God, to allow ourselves in a needless absence from it. We break his Laws in doing so; and we break our own Solemn Vow and Covenant with God. We promised in our Baptism, That we would keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the Days of our Life. He that neglects this Instance of Obedience, then, and, to indulge his Ease or Pleasure, does wilfully absent himself on the Lord's Day from this Ordinance, he does contradict, and virtually disown his Baptism; he thus far throws off the true and proper Badge and Mark of a Christian, which is Obedience to the Commands of Christ, and bears the Name of a Christian but to his shane and sorer condemnation. 3. This Truth requires further, That this Ordinance be always regarded and used with a great deal of Reverence. Men ought always to attend upon it with great Reverence and Seriousness, as being an Ordinance and Appointment of the great God, by whomsoever it is administered; it is an Instance of Reverence to him to do so; and we are justly directed always to approach and worship him with reverence and godly fear,( Heb. 12 28) as that without which we cannot do this acceptably. Indeed this ought to have a great influence upon him who administers, and possess him with a very serious care and reverence himself, that he may do this so it as becomes the Oracles of God to be delivered, and as becomes the ambassador of Heaven to deliver the Message of Heaven: But if the wretched Man forgets himself, and neglects to do his Work as he ought, this should not make the Hearers forget their Duty too. They may assure themselves, that his Sin will not, in the sight of God, excuse theirs: They should consider 'tis God whom they reverence in performing their Duty, not the mean Person who administers the Ordinance. They should consider they are in the presence of God, tho' he does not consider this as he ought; and that they are waiting for the greatest Favours from God in the way that he has appointed. And they may expect, that their Reverence of his Ordinance will be the more acceptable to him, and, by consequence, the more advantageous to themselves, when they pay this under such an unhappy Temptation to Irreverence, as they meet with when it is absurdly and irreverently administered. I proceed now to the Second Intimation which we have in our present Text, concerning the Preaching of the Word of God, and that is this, That the True and Proper End and Design of God in appointing this Ordinance, is, to promote thereby the Salvation of Mankind. Our Text tells us, It pleased God to make use of this as a Means to that end and effect: And we are very evidently taught, that this is the main end and design of Preaching, according to God's appointment, in what our Saviour said to Saint Paul, at the time when he called him to this Office; which Saint Paul himself gives us this account of, Acts 26.18. I will sand thee( said he to him) to the Gentiles to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. In which words he plainly shows, that the end of Preaching, is, to infuse Divine Knowledge into the Minds of Men, to rescue them from Wicked Living, which is, to be under the Power of Satan, and to convert them to Holiness and virtue, which is, to bring them to God: It is intended to beget in them such a Faith in Jesus Christ, as shall purify their Hearts, and work by Divine Love: And this is to be done upon us, that we may be qualified for, and may attain the Remission of our Sins, and the Everlasting Happiness of Heaven. Thus we see plainly what is the Main End and Design of Preaching. Let us now suggest what Use ought to be made of this. 1. And, in the first place, it requires, That Men do propose it to themselves, as the Main End of their Attendance on this Ordinance, that they may be thereby advanced in the Way of Salvation; We should desire and design, in Hearing, That our Hearts and Lives may be made better: That the Evil which is in us may be discovered and purged away: That the Good which is wanting may be supplied, and that which is weak may be strengthened: That we may increase in every Grace, and become more fit for Heaven. We should come to it hungering and thirsting after Righteousness, so we shall be filled, as our Saviour promises, Matth. 5.6. And, as the Apostle directs, we should desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby. It is very probable, that one great Cause why Hearing the Word of God has now so little good effect, is, because Men do not propose to themselves the right and due End in their Hearing: Some come to Hear without any End at all, to fulfil a Custom, and do as their Neighbours do: Some come with Worldly or Evil Ends: Many do this only, that they may appear to Men to have some regard to Religion, and so may gain the better Credit in the World: Many Hear, that they may be able to talk, rather than that they may be directed to live well. And Men show, that they are not sensible as they should be of the right Ends of this Ordinance in the Preaching, which they commonly most value and seek: They choose rather, that the Preacher should insist upon those Points which they think tend to secure or promote their Worldly Interests, than upon such Discourse as would tend to cure their Inordinate Love of the World, and induce them to set their Affections on things above: They had rather be entertained with Nice and Useless Speculations, than have their Hearts preached, their Vices discovered, and their Consciences set on work to accuse and rebuk them till they forsake their Sins: And so strangely mistaken are some, that they would rather the Preacher should make ostentation of his own Wit and Learning, than that he should endeavour to persuade them to Piety and virtue. And as Men propose to themselves such wrong ends in Hearing, they will, even in the greatest disorder, run after such Preaching as will gratify their Humours, if they can any where find it; and so the Edification, which they commonly meet with, while they thus heap to themselves Teachers, having itching Ears, amounts but to this, That they are encouraged in their Faults, are confirmed in their Errors, and have but their Damnation the more assured, by that which might be a means of their Salvation. As the Salvation of the Soul is, to a Wonder, the least Concern of most Men, so they mind this commonly the least of any thing in this Action, as well as in the rest of their Lives: And if but few come to hear the Word of God, that they may be saved, 'tis no wonder at all, if but few are promoted in their fitness for salvation by it: While Men propose to themselves none, or but wrong ends in hearing, it is to be expected, that they shall miss of attaining the right ends of it, and those good and happy effects which the goodness of God has appointed it for. 2. This requires further, That Men should hear the Word of God with serious application to themselves of what they hear: As we ought to propose the right end in hearing, so we should prosecute and endeavour the attaimment of that end in the doing it: To which purpose we should very seriously examine our own Hearts and Lives, by what we hear, and apply it to ourselves. Every hearer should reflect upon what he hears, and bring it home to his own Heart; by considering with himself of what concernment it is to him; what it requires him to be, or not to be; what neglected virtue it calls upon him to acquire and practise, or what indulged 'vice and Error it requires, him to forsake: And as a Man may always make some such good use of what he hears, as to admonish himself by it in what respects it is that he wants amendment or improvement, so he may promote the right end of his Hearing, the salvation of his Soul, even when the Preacher forgets to make this the main end of his Preaching. And here I may very seasonably insert a Caution against a very common Error which does frequently cheat Men of all the advantage which they might make of their hearing; and that is, we should take care, that we do not let ourselves apply what we hear, rather to our Neighbour than ourselves. If Men think themselves reproved in what they hear, they are angry; and, for the most part, endeavour and are apt to think every thing that is condemned is in their Neighbours, and every thing that is commended is in themselves: They can easier see their Neighbours Faults than their own, and spy a Mote in his Eye sooner than a Beam in their own. And thus they rather increase in Hatred or Contempt of their Neighbour, by what they hear, than in their own Piety and virtue. And so much may suffice to be spoken to the Second Intimation in the Text. I now proceed to the Third, which I have said is this: That the Efficacy and good Effect of Preaching upon Men, is entirely due to the Blessing of God upon their serious and careful use of it. This our Text does very plainly suggest to us: The Apostle ascribes it to God, that the Foolishness of Preaching was able to bring Men to Faith and Salvation. And I might confirm this from many places of Scripture, but that one, because so full and express, shall suffice, which we have in 1 Cor. 3.5, 6, 7. where the Apostle designedly sets himself to teach the Corinthians this matter, who greatly needed to be possessed with it. Who is Paul,( says he, speaking of himself) and who is Apollos, or what are they, but Ministers by whom ye believed, as God gave to every Man? They were but Ministers, but Servants to another, that is to God, in what had been done among them: They were the Instruments indeed of the Faith which the Corinthians had received; but he would have them know they were but Instruments, and the Faith which every Man had, was that which the Lord had given him. The Apostle adds therefore, in the 6th Verse, I have Planted, Apollos watered: but God gave the increase. And he sitly concludes from thence in the 7th verse, So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase. And this I think may suffice to confirm this Truth; I proceed therefore to show what use we ought to make of it, and what cause of unsuccessful hearing it is fit to cure and remove. This matter I shall represent in the following Particulars. 1. We must not despair of receiving Benefit by a weak Instrument, nor despise the Preaching which the Providence of God, and the Order of the Church confines us to. A Man should not needlessly and voluntarily put himself into such a place, where he can enjoy none but such: And when a Parish are destitute of a Minister, they may make it their great Concern to be furnished with the best they can procure: But if it pleases God to dispose of any Persons unavoidably, where they must attend to one of small qualifications, and if the Order of the Church confines any People to such an one; They ought to submit and live orderly, and afford their Ordinary common attendance to his Administrations, endeavouring to make the best Improvement of him that they can. None are forbid an occasional attendance upon those who are better qualified; but the common and ordinary attendance of all Men, should be where the Order of the Church directs and confines them. And Men should consider in this case, that the Divine Power can work as effectually by weak means, as by the ablest: And we may observe the Apostle says in the Text, It had pleased God to bring many to Faith and Salvation even by the foolishness of Preaching: That is by that way of declaring the Doctrines of the Gospel which the World accounted foolishness: For the Preaching of the Gospel, as he intimates in this discourse, was at first performed in a naked, simplo, and inartificial Declaration of Divine Truths; and this was Foolish to the Philosophers and Orators of the World, because it was not attended with the subtle Arguings of the one, nor with the Eloquence of the other: And tho' it was destitute of these admired Ornaments, these things which the World are apt to think such helps to its success, yet it prevailed in the World, it made its way without them; and not only so, but it prevailed against them too, while the Wisdom of the World in the disputes of the Philosophers, and the Eloquence of Orators, set itself at first to oppose that which they called the Foolishness of Preaching. We may consider that God sometimes chooses to work by weak means, rather then by those that seem the most able; and, as the Apostle speaks, in ver. 27. of this Chapter, He chooses the foolish things of this World to confounded the Wise, and the weak things to confounded the Mighty. With the Blessing of God the meanest, and least able. Instrument shall have mighty Effects; and without that, the ablest that we can find shall have none at all. And as God is a God of Order, as he requires of us Reverence, and Obedience to Government, we shall certainly most please him, and be most likely to meet with his Blessing, when we attend upon his Ordinance in a way of orderly Obedience. We should consider, that if it be likely God will do us most good by the ablest Means; yet it is not at all certain, or necessary, that he must do it. And if we could really find out, and by following our own choice should truly six upon the ablest, and best means, yet in the breach of the Churches Order, and when we are guilty of Disobedience, and especially when to this is added the guilt of Schism, and the setting up of separate Communions; then it is not at all likely, that God will bless the means we use, tho' it be never so able in itself: But the contrary to this may be expected, as indeed it is too easy to observe it, We may see these irregular and disobedient Persons, infatuated in their choice, and leaving far better Preaching for that which is really worse: We may see them choosing such as are most like themselves tho' not the best; and that the effect of this is, they retain all their mistakes, they are gratified, and improved in all the Distempers of their Minds, are hardened in their Sins, and perhaps fall from one Wickedness to another. Let us not then despise any Preaching, but attend upon that which the Providence of God, and the Order of the Church commits us to, expecting the good Effect and Success of it from the good Spirit of God. 2. Another use we ought to make of this Truth, is, that when we enjoy the most able means, we do still expect the Efficacy and Good Effect of it only from God. As he works by the weakest means when he pleases, so 'tis he that must produce the good Effect by the ablest. And as we should displease him in despising that which is but weak means when 'tis the best he allows; so we should highly displease him too, if we should six our Expectations entirely upon, even the ablest Instrument. God represents himself to us as Jealous of his Honour, and as greatly displeased when his Glory is given to another. We must not give ourselves leave then to run into excessive Admirations of any Person, nor make any Man, how well qualified soever, the Idol of our Trust and Confidence. And should consider, it is not this or that Man, who is the powerful Soul-saving Preacher, but 'tis God who gives to every Man's Labour such success as it has. To God therefore, let us always make our Humble Supplications when we go to hear, that his Blessing may cause the Word preached to have its good and happy Effects upon us. 3. Whatever Benefit we receive by any Man's Preaching, it ought to be ascribed entirely to the Blessing and Grace of God. It is not Man, but God that must have the Glory of it. This the Apostle found necessary to be suggested to the Corinthians, who, because they had some of them been converted by the Preaching of Saint Paul, and some by the Preaching of Apollos, they were puffed up, as he speaks, one against another; and one said I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, and this caused Contentions and Divisions amongst them. We are greatly mistaken, and sin, when we attribute the Good we receive by the Ordinance of God to the Man that Administers it. We must neither despise, nor Idolize any of the Ministers which God has set up in his Church, nor ascribe his Benefits to the Instruments which he uses in bestowing them. As we ourselves frustrate the Administrations and Endeavours of those whom we despise, so we provoke the Almighty to frustrate theirs too, whom we excessively admire, when the Divine Truths are of no relish with us, unless they be delivered by this or that Minister, and we think no one can do us any good but he, it commonly comes to pass by the just judgement of God, that his Administrations are weak and vain too. And thus I have finished the first and chief part of this Discourse. I come now in the Conclusion of it, as I promised, to urge a little the making it our great concern and care, that the Preaching of the Word of God, may be profitable to us. 1. And in the first place, the Greatness, the Importance of the Benefits which may be received by it, should awaken in us this care and concern: It is appointed and designed, and fitted to enlighten our dark Minds with the best, the most Important, and the most pleasing Knowledge; to rectify all the Appetites and Motions of our several Faculties; to make us Wise, and Happy: It may make us wise to the Salvation of our Souls. The result of using it diligently and rightly will be, that we shall avoid the Everlasting Miseries of Hell which we had deserved, and were Obnoxious to; and we shall gain that Everlasting, and Glorious Happiness of Heaven which we are made for. 2. Let us consider, that our own Care and Endeavour are necessary to our receiving these Benefits by this Ordinance. We must diligently attend upon it, or else most certainly it cannot help us; and we must use it according to the directions which have been intimated in the foregoing Discourse. Our Saviour compares the Preaching of the Word to sowing,( Luke 8.) and intimates, that as the success of Sowing is, according to the Nature of the Soil; so the success of Preaching is according to the disposition, and qualification of the Hearers: And he therefore adds with relation to this, that Admonition, Take heed therefore how ye hear.( ver. 18.) 3. It is very considerable to this purpose, That if men receive no Benefit, by the Preaching of the Word of God, they are commonly the worse for it. If it does not convert a Man from his sins, he is usually the more hardened and confirmed in them by it: He is enured, and accustomend to slight and despise Admonition and Reproof, and all the force of the Divine Promises and threatenings. From a slight and careless use of this means of Grace, Men find but little or no effect that it has upon them, and then they grow indifferent whether they use it at all or not, and perhaps come at length utterly to throw off and despise the use of it: and then they are forsaken by the Holy Spirit of God, and fall under the power and seducements of the Devil. 4. Let us consider how great Guilt and Provocation there must needs be in our receiving this Divine Favour in vain. We may justly believe, that nothing can be a greater Offence to God, than to slight and frustrate the means of Grace and Salvation. This is to despise the greatest Favours of Heaven; this shows the greatest obstinacy in Sin, and defiance of the Wrath and threatenings of Almighty God. In this it appears we are not concerned to enjoy his Favour, or to shun his Wrath. He seeks to be reconciled to us, but we refuse a reconciliation; he seeks to save us, and we refuse to be saved. And what dreadful wrath may we reasonably expect his rejected and despised Mercy and Favour will turn to. This guilt more than any assures our Damnation, as the Apostles intimates when he asks this unanswerable Question( Heb. 2.) How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? And our Saviour assures us it will be punished at last with the greatest severity, and the sorest Condemnation. In that he says, It will be more tolerable in the day of judgement, even for the vile Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah than for such sinners,( Mat. 10.15.) These things I think may justly make us all very careful in this matter, that we may use this Divine Ordinance of Preaching to our Salvation: Which God of his Infinite Mercy Grant through Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. O Most merciful and gracious God! who art abundant in Goodness and in Truth. Thou, O Lord, we thank thee, dost make it gloriously appear, that thou delightest not in the death of sinners, but had rather that they should turn to thee and live. Those whom thou mightest justly destroy, thou affordest them means of attaining their salvation: And to them who deserve thy utmost Wrath and Displeasure, dost thou offer thy Favour and Love, upon reasonable and easy terms: Yea, such is thy incomparable Goodness, that thou art ready, if we will seriously use the appointed Means of Grace, to afford us the Grace which shall enable us to perform the Conditions of thy Favour. We give thee thanks, O Lord, for this thy wonderful Goodness towards the Children of Men: And we bless thee for thy Favour to us in particular, in giving us, by the Preaching of thy Gospel, the knowledge of this thy Grace and Favour. We admire and praise, O Lord, thy Mercy, for all thy Goodness and loving Kindness to us, and for thy great and tender Care for our Everlasting Happiness. We utterly condemn and abhor ourselves for all our neglect of thee, for all the ingratitude and rebellion of our sins against thee. We are ashamed to think, that ever we should do any thing contrary to the Honour and Reverence which we owe thee: We hate ourselves for all that we have done offensive to the pure Eyes of thy Glory; and it especially grieves us, O Lord, that we should show ourselves unwilling to be converted unto thee, that we should add Obstinacy to our Wickedness; that we have not been so ready as we should to comply with the gracious Terms of the Gospel; we have not thankfully embraced the Offers of Reconciliation with thee, but have slighted and refused them. We aclowledge, O Lord, the greatest Wrath to be due to us, who have slighted the Means of Grace, and, by our carelessness, have rendered them weak and ineffectual upon us. O Lord, deal not with us as our Iniquities do deserve. Pardon all our past Offences, and accept our Humiliation and Repentance, which we humbly offer thee, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. We purpose, for the future, to return unto thee; we will earnestly seek thy Grace in the diligent use of the Means which thou hast appointed. We pray thee, keep us steadfast to such a Resolution: And let thy Word, and all thy Blessed Ordinances, by thy Blessing, have a mighty Influence and Power upon us: Let them accomplish in us all the good Purposes for which thou hast appointed them: Grant that we may be thereby furnished for every good Work, that we may derive from them Strength and Power, to subdue all our Corruptions, to resist Temptations from the World and the Devil. Teach us, that denying all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, we may live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World. Let us, by our attendance in thy House, be as Trees planted by the Rivers of Water, bringing forth our Fruit in due season. Grant us so to live always, as that our Conversations may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, and our Light may so shine before Men, that they, seeing our good Works, may glorify our Father which is in Heaven. By a constant Communion with thee here, in the Assemblies of thy Saints, let us be fitted more and more for a nearer and more happy Communion with thee among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect in thy Heavenly Kingdom. We hearty pray, O Lord, that the Sound of thy glorious Gospel may go out into all the World; that the Earth may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea. We pray, that thy Church may be always abundantly furnished with faithful, able, and industrious Pastors; and let them be encouraged with a teachable and obedient People, and with great success in their Labours, in turning many to Righteousness. O Lord, be merciful to that part of thy Church to which we belong: Make us sensible how much we are obliged, who enjoy so abundantly the Means of Grace and Salvation; sensible, that to whom much is given, of them much will be required; and industrious, to bring forth Fruit answerable to the Means afforded us. Bless, we pray thee, our most gracious King with all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings: Grant him always the Grace to be a zealous Defender of thy Truth and Worship, a nursing Father to thy Church; and do thou also defend and prosper him. Grant, that he may long reign over us: And that our Royal Family may for ever afford us such excellent Governors. Bless all our Relations and Friends, and forgive our Enemies and turn their Hearts. Grant, we beseech thee, that the Words which we have heard this Day, may, by thy Grace, be so engrafted in our Hearts, as to bring forth the Fruit of good Living in our Conversations, to thy glory. Keep us, we beseech thee in safety this Night; give us comfortable Rest, and let thy renewed Mercies the next Morning fit us for all our Duties, for the sake of Jesus Christ: In whose own words we sum up our Requests, saying, OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. public, or Common Prayer, RECOMMENDED and urged. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Matth. 21.13. It is written, My House shall be called the House of Prayer. WE are told in the Verse before this, That Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the Tables of the money-changers, and the Seats of them that sold Doves. In the words of our Text, he justifies himself to the Jews in what he had done, by a Passage of Holy Scripture, taken from Isa. 56.7. for there it is written, Mine House shall be called an House of Prayer for all People, as that which God spoken by his Prophet. For the right understanding of our Saviour's action, and the reason given for it, and that we may from thence learn the Instruction afforded us, we must take notice, that the place where these Traders were, was that Court adjoining to the Temple, in which the Gentiles, who had left their Idolatry, performed their Worship of the true God. This place the Jews accounted to be without the Temple, and not to be an Holy Place: And therefore they permitted a Market to be held here, for the furnishing People with such things as they used in their Offerings within the Temple. But our blessed Saviour condemns this practise from that place of Scripture, and more than once he driven the buyers and sellers out from hence. And by these things he evidently instructs us, That a Place dedicated and designed for the Worship of God, tho' it be not the Jewish Temple, may be called and accounted the House of God: That it is agreeable to the Will of God, that other Places be dedicated and devoted to his Worship, besides that in which the Jews were to offer their Sacrifices, and to perform their Ceremonious and Typical Worship: That when a Place is designed and dedicated to the Worship of God, it ought to be appropriated to Religious Worship: And it is in the sight of God a great Sin, to make use of such a Place for the transacting of Worldly Affairs in it; to make no distinction between Common and Holy Places; or to turn a Church into a Stable, or a Market-place. Having thus shown the Import of the Words from their Connexion, I shall now propose the Method in which I intend to insist upon them, which is this: 1. I shall inquire and show, What the Phrase or Name of an House of Prayer does imply and suggest to us. 2. I shall urge and persuade to a due Compliance with it. I begin with the first of these, To show what this Phrase or Name of an House of Prayer does imply and suggest to us. It is evident, by our Saviour's applying this Name to a Place of Worship, which was used by those who did not comform themselves to the Jewish Ceremonies, That he allows the Erecting of Places for the Worship of God, besides the Jewish Temple, and requires the appropriating them to that use. We may therefore easily learn from the words these two things: 1. That God requires of all People, who aclowledge him, the Homage of an Open and public Worship. 2. That the public Worship of God is chiefly and eminently to consist of Prayer to him, understanding Prayer in the full latitude and extent of it. I desire I may speak to these in order what shall be necessary. In the first place, it is evidently intimated herein, That God does expect of all Nations, who aclowledge him, the Homage of an Open or public Worship. This the Prophet foretells would be paid to God by all Nations in the times of the Christian Church: For a Common House for Worship, supposes public or Common Worship. He foretells, and our Saviour allows, that others, besides the Jews, should have Places dedicated to the Worship of God; and in this, both he and our blessed Saviour do intimate, the continuance of public Worship, when that of the Jews should be at an end. That, as they performed public Worship to God, the Christians should do so likewise: God still requires, that Companies of People do join together in his Worship. It is requisite, that I confirm this Intimation from the Text, by some other Proofs from Holy Scripture; because our times have lost, in a great measure, the due reverence and esteem for public Worship. Some despise it out of profaneness, and some neglect it from Mistake and ill Principles. They fancy they can worship God at Home, as acceptably as at Church; and that because God is every where present, and the Apostle says, I will, that every where Men lift up Holy Hands( in Praver) without Wrath or Doubting. Therefore 'tis a matter very indifferent, whether we pray in public, or in Private; and that a good Man shall be accepted wherever he preys. Against this mischievous Error, chiefly, will this Discourse be directed. To prove, then, That God requires of us the Homage of public Worship, I shall desire these things following may be well observed. Our blessed Saviour requires, That we publicly profess his Religion, and own him to the view of the World, Matth. 10.32. And he threatens, if we will not do so, in the 33d Verse, That he himself will disown us before his Father, which is in Heaven: He will not be our Mediator with the Father, nor shall we enjoy the benefit of his Patronage and Intercession. Now this public owning of Christ, and professing of his Religion, must needs include and require the public Worship of him: That we do publicly and notoriously pay him the Homage of our Lord and Sovereign Ruler and Mediator, in giving him such Worship. It was in this way that the Heathens acknowledged their false Gods and false Mediators, and therefore, if we do truly aclowledge the one God, and one Mediator, it must needs be meant, when we are commanded to do this before Men, that we should do it in a manner visible to them, and in such a way as they were wont to aclowledge God; and therefore we must do this by public Worship. Again, Without doubt, the Institution and Nature of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, does plainly evidence, that public Worship is required of the Christian Church. In this we are commanded to show the Lord's Death till he comes: The word means, to declare it, or to make public and solemn Commemorations of it. But this must be done in a common place for Worship, and by a Company assembled for that purpose. The Apostle, speaking of this Ordinance, calls it,( 1 Cor. 10.6.) A Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, which certainly supposes several persons met together to partake of it; and condemns the allowance of the Church of Rome, that the Priest may receive it alone, as well as it requires public Worship. From the Context of these words we may observe, That he accounts this Sacrament a Rite of the same nature with those public Feasts which were wont to be held in Temples, in honour of the Gods which they worshipped there: Which was a Custom used not only by the Gentiles, but also by the Jews, and these used it by the appointment of God himself. And in the participating of this Sacrament, he says, many Persons are united to one another, as into one Body,( Verse 17.) We being many,( says he) are one Bread, and one Body, for we are all partakers of that one Bread: Which is a very plain intimation, that they met together in a public Assembly to partake of this Sacrament. And this leads me to mention another Evidence, That public Worship is required of the Christian Church: We may justly conclude this from hence, That the Apostles and the first Converts to Christianity, did so duly assemble for the Worship of God. Those who had been lead out from Jerusalem by our Saviour to be eye-witnesses of his ascension into Heaven, return'd immediately when he was gone, and made up a religious Assembly for Prayer and Supplication,( Acts 1.13, 14.) The Number of these together were about an hundred and twenty,( Verse 15.) And by the Expression used in the 14th Verse, which says, They continued with one accord in this practise, we must needs understand is meant, That they from thence-forth set up a course of holding Religious Assemblies for the performance of public Christian Worship. And tho this was done in some Private House, as the 13th Verse intimates, where 'tis said they assembled in an upper Room; yet we may justly believe this Room was set apart, and constantly used for these Assemblies; and, many learned Men think, it was that very Room in which our Lord celebrated his last Passover, and instituted the Sacrament of his Supper. Further, we may observe it said, of the first Converts to Christianity, That they continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers,( Acts 2.42.) Which can mean no less, than their diligent attendance upon the Apostles Preaching the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and their Common Prayers. Thus we see, the Apostles, who were conversant with our Lord while he lived on Earth, and who did certainly learn from him the Will of God in this particular, they set up Assemblies for Christian Worship, and taught the Converts to Christianity diligently to attend upon them. And we may find the Apostle Paul, who was inspired and directed by the Holy Ghost for the discharge of his Office, charging the Jewish Converts not to forsake, as it seems some did, these religious Christian Assemblies,( Heb. 10.25.) Further, In that our Lord has instituted an Order of Men in his Church, to admit People into the Rank of his Disciples by Baptism; to instruct and teach them, so admitted, his Saving Religion; to offer up Prayers for them, and administer the other Sacrament, and to bless them in his Name; this does evidently show, that he requires the continuance of public Worship in the Christian Church. What use could there be of such an Order of public Ministers, if public Worship were not intended to be still paid to God in the World? And what need were there of these, if it were altogether as well for People to worship God in private? And it appears he designed this Order of Men should continue to the end of the World, in that he has promised to be with them so long in the Exercise of their Office, Matth. 28.26. Which we must reckon means, He would bless their Administrations to the advantage of those who shall diligently and seriously attend upon them: And then, surely, he requires, that the People do diligently attend upon them. The Phrase, to the end of the World, cannot, with any reason, be limited, to mean only to the end of that particular Age. Now, from all this, it plainly appears, That public Worship is still required by God: And then it is a Sin to neglect the public Worship at the time appointed for it, and when we may enjoy it, tho' a Man should follow his own humour, and spend that time in Private Prayer and Meditation. And tho' God be every where present, yet we shall certainly be most likely to meet with his Blessings and Favours there, where he has appointed us to expect them. I proceed now to the Second Intimation in our Text, which I said is this, That the public Worship, which God requires, is chiefly and eminently to consist in Prayers to him; understanding Prayer in the full latitude and extent of it. This seems to be very manifestly intimated, in that the House of God, or the Place of public Worship, is called by this Name, An House of Prayer. This part of public Worship, is put for the whole, because this is a main and chief part of it: And the Place is not called an House of Preaching for the sake of that Ordinance there administered, nor an House of Sacrificing, tho' in the Christian Church the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is a Rite which answers the Jewish Sacrifices, and represents the Messiah come, and his Sacrifice performed, as they represented it future, and to be performed: But it is called an House of Prayer, as that which it is rather intended for, than Preaching, and as what is the more eminent, and therefore ought ordinarily to be the greatest part of our business there. It is very necessary to insist upon this Particular, because of great Mistakes and Disorders among us, occasioned by the want of considering this. It is by many thought, That Preaching and Hearing of Sermons, is to be the chief and the greatest part of public Worship: From whence many spend the greatest part of the time of Worship usually in this: And think, that the Prayers should be shortened, that the Sermon may be long: Yea, and they may be observed even to contrive their Place of Worship more with relation to the Preaching, than to any other part of the Worship, and so entirely to regard the conveniency of that, as to neglect the conveniency of Prayer, and make them inconvenient for the due performance of this. Many disdain the public Worship, when they say of it, There will be nothing but Prayers. And tho' there are but too few who will attend on the public Preaching, in proportion to the Numbers that might, and that ought to appear there; yet there are still fewer that will come to the public Worship only for the sake of the appointed Prayers, and when they are not invited to it with the hopes of a Sermon, and that perhaps, too, from some such Preacher, whom the Vogue has, right or wrong, celebrated and extolled. These are very great and very pernicious Disorders, and proceed from the advancing this Ordinance of Preaching above its due place. I doubt not, but Preaching and Hearing the Word of God, are Acts of Worship; for in the doing of these rightly, both the Preacher and the Hearers do aclowledge and celebrate the Infinite Perfections of God, his Sovereignty over us, and his Benefits bestowed upon us. It is an Act of Homage and Worship, to afford an obedient attentive Hearing to the Declarations of the Divine Will. But when we place so much of Religion in Hearing the Word of God, we are apt to let the doing of his Will want its due. And we should consider, that Prayer is the end of Preaching. We use Preaching as the appointed Means to work in us those Graces and virtues of the Holy Spirit, which must be exercised in Praying and Living Well, and which must enable us to do both. Prayer is appointed for itself, Preaching but in order to somewhat else. And then, that which is but a Means, and is appointed for the sake of somewhat else, must not be accounted more excellent, than the end for which it is appointed: Neither may we neglect or set by Prayer, that we may spend the more time in Preaching and Hearing. That which is the most noble and the chiefest part of Worship, should be chiefly attended. Besides we may consider, That as the public Prayers are performed in our Church, they are always attended with that which is, perhaps, the best as well as the truest Preaching, according to the Scripture Notion of this; I mean, the Reading of several Portions of Holy Scripture. As a learned Father of our Church has demonstrated.( Bishop of London-derry, his Discourse concerning Inventions of Men, &c.) And the Usefulness of our public Prayers, to the promoting Plety and a Good Life, even without the constant addition of such Preaching to them, as some make the chief business of public Worship, is found by the happy experience of those who do frequently and seriously attend upon them. The Observation of a pious and learned Divine of our Church at present, concerning the Efficacy and good influence of our Method of Prayers, even when it has been used alone is very considerable. He takes notice, That in the Reigns of King Edward the VI. and for several Years of Queen Elizabeth, there was little or no Preaching in most parts of the Kingdom, and very few People then could red their own Language: Yet by the constant general use of our Liturgy, and Gods Blessing upon it, the whole Nation so mightily improved in true Knowledge, that there was scarce one in an hundred to be found, who did not forsake and abhor the errors, and Absurdities of Popery.( Dr. Beveridge, his Sermon on the Excel. Usef. come. Prayer.) I confess, It is not to be wondered at, if they, who in their Religious Assemblies are put off with the rash and unpremeditated Exercise of their Ministers Gifts in Extemporary Prayer, do require, that a greater part of the time of public Worship should be spent in the Sermon: That so they may be entertained with that which is, perhaps, somewhat better studied and considered, and more fit to edify and improve them. But in this Case, it is one mistake which has betrayed them into another. Their unhappy Opinion, that 'tis lawful or best for Ministers, who are not divinely and immediately Inspired, as the Apostles were, to pray in public without the use of a Form, is that which has lead them to think, that the greatest and the most indispensible part of public Worship ought to be the Preaching, and Hearing of a Sermon: Because, indeed in their way of Worship, they find by experience, that this is that which they can best expect to receive Advantage and Benefit by. But when I speak of Prayer as that which we should account the chief and main part of public Worship: I would be understood to speak of it as in its full Latitude, and extent: As it includes the Praise of God in Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs: And as including also the Celebration of Sacraments which we know is done in Acts of Prayer. Now since these are appointed as well as Preaching; the Worship is as truly defective when it wants the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, as when it wants a Sermon: And if the Circumstances of the Congregation will allow without Guilt, the Omission of that Sacrament at some times of public Worship; they will also allow the Omission of a Sermon. And if we come together and Pray, and Celebrate the Lords Supper without a Sermon, we do then perform a main and chief part of public Worship, tho we ought not at any time to neglect the other. A Sermon should be added to the Worship at Extraordinary times, as when a Day is set apart to the Worship of God, or when encessary Worldly Affairs will allow time enough for it on other days; but it needs not to be joined to the Ordinary daily Prayers in public. I have now finished the first part of this Discouse, which was intended to inquire, and show what is Included or Implied in our Text by the Phrase, or Name, of an House of Prayer. It intimates, as I have said, thus much, that God expects to be worshipped by public Prayers: And this is that which he accounts, and requires, as the main and chief part of public Worship. I proceed now to the Second part of the discourse; in which I am to urge our diligent and constant attendance upon the public Prayer. I hope the former part of the Discourse will be looked upon, as somewhat serviceable to this purpose: And therefore I shall insist but upon these Three Arguments to promote it. 1. The Laws and Commands of the Governors of that Church in which we live. 2. The great Honour which we therein do to Almighty God. 3. The great Advantages which will redound to ourselves from our diligent and serious attendance on the public Prayers. 1. In the first place, It is considerable, that the Laws and Commands of the Church, in which we live, do require a diligent and frequent attendance upon the public Prayers. It is appointed in the Preface to our public Liturgy under the Title, concerning the service of the Church, that all Priests are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let or hindered by sickness, or some other urgent cause. It is not to be doubted, but that this Rule obliges the Priests of the Church to offer up the Churches Prayers in public every day, if they are not invincibly hindered from doing it: But then the same Rule implies an Obligation on the People to Assemble diligently to the public Prayers. And this their Attendance on the Opportunities which they can have of public Prayer, is expressly required in the Fifteenth Canon, where concerning the Litany, 'tis said particularly, that it shall be used in public on Wednesdays and Fridays Weekly, tho they be not Holidays. And that the Minister shall at the accustomend Hour resort to the Church, and give notice to the People to Assemble. And the Canon adds a desire, that every Family within a convenient distance would afford one, at least, to join with the Minister in Prayer. How sitting indeed is it, that one should be spared to pray for the rest, while they are engaged in the Affairs of the World? That so a Blessing might be obtained, by Prayer, upon their Endeavours, to the advantage of the whole Family. And how commonly might one or more in a Family be spared for this, if People would be mindful, and endeavour to do their Duty in this Case? These Rules formention'd are afresh enforced, by those Excellent and Pious Injunctions, which His Majesty has lately given to the Arch-Bishops of this Realm, in which it is directed( Injunct. 11.) That the Bishops do use their utmost endeavour to oblige their Clergy to have public Prayers in the Church, not only on Holidays and Litany-days, but as often as may be. Thus we may evidently see, that the Laws, and Governors of the Church, do require the Peoples diligent attendance upon the public Prayers. And now may it not justly be thought a strange and lamentable thing, that it should be necessary in a Christian Church to Vindicate this as a considerable Argument? Should not Christianity teach Men Meekness, and Obedience, and a Reverence to Laws and Government? But alas, we have too many among us, who in words profess Christ, but in their Works do deny him; and who have indeed a Form of Godliness, but appear greatly wanting in the Power of it. And the needless scruples, and unconsider'd mistakes of some have been so managed, as to weaken the Authority of the Church, and to occasion the profaneness of others, by occasioning a too common contempt of several very excellent and wholesome Rules, which have a great tendency and usefulness in themselves towards the promoting of True Religion. Let us all consider, to enforce this Argument; That if this be a Law of the Governors of the Church, it is a Law of Christ, since it is no way contradictory to any of his Written Laws. They deceive themselves, who call the Commands of Governors in such a case the Traditions, Inventions, or Commands of Men, and let themselves despise them under such Names: For it is indeed Jesus Christ, the unquestionable King, and supreme Head of the Church, who lays these Laws upon us by them. It is he who requires, that they who govern the Church under him be obeyed in their Lawful Commands. And he by the Apostle Paul enjoins Obedience to Governors, Not only for wrath, but for conscience sake: That is, not only to avoid the Wrath of him who has power to Punish, but to discharge a good Conscience in Obedience to him who has Authority to Command. We do, then, certainly sin against God, when we neglect and despise the good Laws and Orders of the Church, which he himself plainly teaches us in his saying, to those whom he had appointed the Governors of his Church, He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. And since the established way of Worship is such, as that all good Souls, who seriously use it, do find great Advantage, and Edification from it: They who cannot do so too, and would from thence excuse their deserting it, may more justly ascribe this to their not being accustomend to it, or to the prejudices which they have conceived against it, than to any fault or defect in the thing itself. But I must proceed to another Argument. 2. public Worship is more to the Honour of God, than that which is private. All the Exercises or Acts of Worship Honour God; therefore he himself says, Whoso offereth Praise glorifieth me: And then the more publicly we do this, we do the more glorify him. It is very evident, that Honour is always the greater the more public it is. He who has great and admiring Thoughts of God, and publishes this to the World, in the most solemn manner, does honour him a great deal more, than he who keeps these Thoughts to himself, and who Praises and Worships God, so as no one knows he does it but himself. God is to be considered and owned, in the best manner that we can, as a public Benefactor, as the Universal Friend, and Parent of Mankind, and as the Common Sovereign and Lord of the World; And it is more Honour to Consider and Worship him as such, than only as a Friend or Sovereign to a particular Person; and there is no visible acknowledgement or Worship of God, as such, unless by public Worship: Therefore without this, God would want the greatest Honour and Glory that he ought to receive from us. And this too is certainly an Argument very worthy to prevail with us. It is highly reasonable and fitting, that we give to God the greatest Honour we are able: Who is the most Excellent Being, the most Universal, and the greatest Benefactor, the Fountain Good on whom we depend for our Being, and for all that we enjoy. It is fit we give him the greatest Honour that we can, when we can never pay him more than is due, and after all that we have done, his Infinite Excellency and Greatness exalts him above all Blessing and Praise. 3. The last Argument I shall use is this, That public Worship and Prayer, is that from whence we may expect most advantage to ourselves. To give this the more force, I shall a little insist upon these two particulars which it comprehends. 1. To Pray in public is of great advantage for the better performance of our Prayers. 2. This is of great advantage also for the better success of our Prayers. 1. To pray in public is a great Advantage for the better performance of our Prayers. This is a great help both to our Faith and also to the Fervency of our Prayers. It is a help to our Faith and Trust in God, to see that others put their trust in him, that he is the common refuge of distressed and craving Souls: It is he to whom all Flesh come with their Supplications: And many account him a God hearing Prayers. A multitude does in all cases give Encouragement: Besides, the humble and good Christian, who has a mean opinion of himself, will be apt to think his Prayers more acceptable with God, when joined with those of an Assembly of Saints, than when they are offered up by himself alone. Further, The place of public Worship, being that where we are wont to Celebrate the Solemn Commemoration of the Death of Christ in the Lords Supper, we shall be apt to be put in mind of this by the place, when we pray there, tho' this Sacrament be not then Celebrated. And it will be a great advantage and help to our Faith, to have a fresh remembrance of that Death, which was a complete, and full atonement for our Sins, a perfect and accepted Propitiation, that Death which was Meritorious of the Divine Favour to Guilty Rebellious Creatures; and to call to mind, that we have there been united to this Sacrifice, in that we have been partakers of it, and so have been interested in the virtue and Merits of it. This Advantage we may derive in some measure from the place, but I must add it will be much more, when the Sacrament itself is Celebrated there. And as it is a help to our Faith, so it is also to our Devotion to pray in public. It tends to dispose us to Reverence and Care, to consider, that we are in the House of God, in the Place of his Special Residence and Presence: And that here the Hosts of Glorious Angels attend, when the Saints meet to Worship. Besides, the Fervency and Devotion of other Pious Souls, with whom we join in public, will increase our Fervour and Devotion: Many warm hearts together will help to kindle each other into an Ardent flamme. Yea, the very outward gestures and shows of Devotion in others, will be useful to stir up and increase our Devotion. And to a good and devout Soul, it will be a spur and incentive to the more Seriousness and Devotion, to see some others, it may be, too Irreverent and Careless; because such an one will naturally fall into this thought, that his Reverence and Seriousness may perhaps influence the other to be serious too, and may cure their Irreverence; as such a Soul will naturally desire, that all others were Devout and reverend in the Worship of God. Thus is it a help to the better performance of our Prayers to pray in public. 2. It is also an help to the better success of our Prayers. This may be concluded from the former Argument; for as we do herein give God the greatest Honour, we may expect, that we shall also hereby receive from him the greatest Blessings. Again, If this be an Advantage for the better performance of our Prayers, it must be so for the better success and acceptance of them; for we may justly suppose, that the better they are performed, the more they will succeed. Again, the Psalmist teaches us this, when he says, God loves the Gates of Sion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob, Psal. 87.2. Intimating, that in the place of public Worship, when an Assembly of Saints meet, and pray to him together, he is chiefly wont to communicate his Favour and Blessings. Let us consider to this purpose the Apostle Paul, whom we find often desiring to be remembered in the public Prayers of the Church, as in 2 Cor. 1.11. and elsewhere: But certainly, if any particular Person amongst us, might conceit, that his own Prayers offered up alone to God would prevail better with him, as being more pure than those of a mingled Congregation, this great Apostle and Favourite of Heaven, might more reasonably have had such a thought. And he certainly condemns the Pride of such an imagination, in that he thought the Common-Prayer of the Church more likely to succeed than his own private Prayer. Besides, we are to reckon, that the inspired Apostle was directed by the Holy Ghost, to give us a Rule in his Example in this case: And we may justly believe, That God himself teaches us by the Apostle, that Common or public Prayer is most acceptable to him, and shall have ordinarily the greatest success. Let us consider lastly, Our Blessed Saviour's encouragement of Common-Prayer, in Mat. 18.19, 20. If two of you shall agree on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them. These things may justly make us highly value public Worship, be pleased when we hear the Summons to it, and readily to use all the Opportunities we can of joining in it. Now to God the Father, God the Son. &c. THE PRAYER. ALmighty, Everlasting God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and Preserver of all things. Thou art the Fountain Good, the Author and Giver of every good, and perfect Gift. To thee O Lord, is all our Adoration, and Worship, and Homage due: And thou art worthy that we Adore and Reverence, and Praise thee in the best manner we can, both for the excellent Perfections of thy Nature, and for thy Wonderful Goodness to the Children of Men. And we must own, we have great occasion and necessity to address to thee our humble requests and supplications; for we have our continual dependence upon thee, we cannot subsist one moment without thy upholding influence, we derive our food and raiment, and all the supports and comforts of our Life from thy Bounty, and the benefit and comfort of them from thy Blessing. Neither do we less depend, O Lord, upon thy powerful Grace for every good Thought, or Word, or Work: Without thee, alas, and thy constant Assistance, we can do nothing that is good. We have always need to say, prevent us, O Lord, with thy most Gracious Favour, stir up in our hearts at all times good desires, and further us with thy continual help, and bring those desires to good effect; Work in us to will and do that which is good. But when we consider our Obligation, and the Occasion we have to Worship and Seek to thee, We are forced to condemn ourselves for all our indifferency towards this duty, and for our negiect of Prayer. We have been foolish and negligent of our own Interest, when we have neglected our Prayers. We have reason to abhor ourselves, for having been at all forgetful of thee who art always mindful of us, and for that we have too often neglected to return thee our daily, and solemn Praises for thy daily benefits heaped upon us. O Lord, we are ashamed of all our neglects, and of the Sinful Omissions of the good which we ought to have done. We pray thee pardon us what is past, and accept of us now, desiring and purposing to return to our Duty. We will endeavour to perform it for the future in the best manner that we can. But we must come unto thee O Lord, even with this request, that thou wouldst teach us to Pray. We therefore beseech thee to pour upon us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication. Make us to incline to thy Worship, to take delight in it, and to rejoice at the happy opportunities which we have of paying thee the greatest and most public Honour. Grant us the Grace to Worship thee in Spirit and in Truth, with Reverence and Godly Fear, with Fervency and Devotion. Increase we pray thee, our too weak Faith: Help us to rely upon thy Mercy through the Merits, and Mediation of Jesus Christ; and grant us we pray thee at all times such encouragement in the gracious answer of our Prayers as may be most expedient for us; Grant us in this World knowledge of thy Truth, and in the World to come, Life Everlasting. We humbly pray unto thee for all Mankind, that thou wouldest be pleased to reveal thyself to them that know thee not, that all the People may praise thee. Bless thy Church with great increase of the Knowledge and Love of thee, and of thy Son Jesus Christ; and give it every where the happiness of a peaceable and quiet enjoyment of a pure Worship and Ordinances. We pray thee look in mercy upon that part of it, which thy right Hand has planted amongst us: Root up all the Tares of false Doctrine, and dividing Principles which the Enemy has sown among us, and unite us one to another again, that we may with one mind, and one mouth glorify thee our God. We pray for thy abundant Blessings upon our Sovereign Lord King William: Direct him in all his ways, that they may please thee, and make thou his Enemies to be at peace with him: Give him a long Health and Happiness, and upon his Head let his Crown long flourish. We pray thee continue, multiply, and bless the Royal Family, make all the Branches of it Illustrious in Piety, Wisdom, and virtue, as they are in Birth, and let it always be, as at present, the Glory and the Happiness of these Kingdoms. Do good to all our Relations according to their several necessities; Receive our Prayers which we have this day offered thee in the Name of Jesus Christ, and bestow upon us all what is requisite to our living to thy Glory, and our obtaining Everlasting Happiness. We implore thy Gracious Protection this Night, and that we may have comfortable rest, and yet continue to praise and serve thee in this World, if it be thy good Pleasure. All we humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, in whose words we conclude our poor Addresses, saying, OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE ASCENSION OF OUR Blessed Saviour, Represented and improved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Mark 16.19. So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into Heaven, and sat down on the right hand of God. IT is without doubt, that a great part of the Happiness of Heaven, will lye in the Devout Contemplation, and Praise of the Infinitely Glorious God, and his Wonderful Works: And among his Works, that, which 'tis likely will afford us the greatest delight, and him the greatest Praise, will be his most kind Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ. And then it is some measure of Heaven here, to be thus employed now; and to have devout Affections raised in us, by the serious Contemplation of the several steps and advances of this great Affair; and this, like a lower degree of the same thing, will be a sure way towards the higher Degrees, and the Perfection of it. To require and command this practise, then, is but to impose Happiness upon us; to require us to acquaint ourselves with some degrees of Heaven now, and to be in the way to more. The Holy Church has consulted our Interest and Advantage in directing a solemn and deliberate Meditation, on what the loving Jesus has done for our Salvation, at some particular and fixed times. Other Necessities, and other Duties will hinder us, that we cannot at all times so do this; and yet it will require such a Meditation on these things, to give them their due influence upon us, and to give us a true relish of the Pleasures which they afford. And if we do not set ourselves with very solemn application and care at such set times to Meditate on them, it will be likely to happen to us, as it too commonly does to those who slight this practise, that under pretence of more frequent meditating on these things, we shall never do it seriously at all; and instead of being, sensible always of and affencted with them, we shall never be duly so. We have good reason, to render such a sort of Impositions, to be no Impositions at all, by choosing the things imposed ourselves, and by a ready compliance with the Commands of the Church. At this Season we are invited to a Solemn and Religious Commemoration of our Lord's Ascension into Heaven, and his sitting down at the Right Hand of God. To promote which, I shall at present insist upon this Subject, and in the following Method. 1. I shall endeavour to explain, as far as the Holy Scripture allows it, this Article of our Lord's Ascension. 2. I shall make it appear, That the promised Messiah, was, according to the Prophecies concerning him, to ascend into Heaven. 3. I judge it proper, to produce briefly the Account and Proof which the Scriptures of the New Testament give us of the Ascension of Jesus, and his Sitting at the Right Hand of God. 4. I shall apply the Discourse to its proper Use and Improvement. It will be convenient, in the first place, to explain and state this Article, as far as we may. In order to which, I must give an Account of these following Matters. 1. Who it was that the Text says did ascend into Heaven. 2. What is meant by this, That he was received up into Heaven. 3. What by this, That he sate down on the Right Hand of God. 4. What are the Reasons and Ends of this his Ascension into Heaven. 1. We must endeavour rightly to understand who it was that ascended into Heaven. The Text says, The Lord, when he had spoken to those about him, did so; that is, the Son of God, the Second Person in the glorious Trinity. He ascended, that first descended, as the Apostle speaks,( Eph. 4.10.) and that was the Son of God. He begun his descent, when the Word was made Flesh; when he took upon him the Form of a Servant; being made under the Law: He carried it on further, when he suffered Death upon the across; and finished that, when he was butted and descended into Hell. He begun his ascent, when he rose from the dead; carried this on further, when he ascended into Heaven; and completed it, when he sate down at the Right Hand of God; advancing in this his human Nature to the Dignity and Glory of his Divine Person, as he had humbled and brought down the Divine Person before to the meanness and subjection of his human Nature. The Son of God was at the Right Hand of God in all the Dignity and Glory which this signifies before his Incarnation: In taking to himself the human Nature, he did in a manner leave that glorious station for a while, but was now exalted and restored to it again. He himself speaks thus of this matter, he says, John 16.28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the World; again, I leave the World, and go to the Father. He says to the Father, John 17.4, 5. I have glorified thee on Earth; I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do: And now, O Father, glorify thou me with the glory which I had with thee before the World was. He says to his Disciples, What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? John 6.62. All which Expressions plainly signify, that he was not in Heaven while he was on Earth, so as he was before he came to dwell on Earth, and as he was going to be again upon his ascension thither. 'tis true, he says, John 3.13. of himself, that the Son of Man was in Heaven even while he was on Earth; but this must be understood in a different respect: In his Divine Nature he is always in Heaven, because he is every where: But the Person of the Son of God, did, for a while, in a peculiar manner make his abode on Earth with the Nature and in the Quality of a Man. He that was superior to the Law, and made it, became subject to it. But at length, ascending again, he carried also his human Nature, which he assumed here; and exalted that to the Dignity and Glory which belongs to him, as Son of God at the Right Hand of God. To this purpose, one of the Ancients speaks of this matter,( to name no more) Angelici Spiritus( says he) delectantur in eo, Quod Forma servi sit reversa in Formam Dei: Et Exinanitio Humilitatis ad depositae Altitudinis redierit Majestatem.( Tract. de Resurrect. Ch. inter op. Cypr.) And a very learned Man of our own time says, with relation to the word {αβγδ}, in Phil. 2.7. Nor does the Son of God save me, but by emptying himself in a manner for a while of his first glory in Heaven.( Brevint Christ. sacr. p. 24.) We must thus speak of this Matter, and say, The Person of the Son of God descended and ascended; because we must not confounded the Person and the Divine Nature, as is too frequently done; and from thence occasion is given to others, to start into the contrary extreme, and, denying the Deity of Jesus Christ, to confounded the Person and the human Nature. This, then, is he that ascended even the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God. 2. Let us now observe, what is meant by this in the Text, He was received up into Heaven. By Heaven, is here meant, the Place beyond all that is visible to us of this World. For 'tis the import of that Scripture,( Heb. 4.14.( Pearson on the Creed) that he is passed through the Heavens; that is, through the visible Heavens, which contain all the Stars. He is ascended, and has carried the Human Nature into that place where the Angels chiefly reside, if they have all one dwelling place: Or where the highest and brightest Order of them dwells, if there be several and different Habitations for them; where the glory and majesty of the great God makes the greatest discoveries of himself; and where, from the largest and most bountiful Communications of the Divine fullness, there is the greatest Bliss and Happiness enjoyed. 3. It is said in the Text, He sate down on the Right Hand of God: Which we must understand is spoken after the manner of Men, and in allusion to what is customary among us. And, as among Men, the Right Hand is the chief Instrument of Action, and so is reckoned the chief Seat of Active Power: and the Right Hand is the place we give to those whom we honour; so, when it is said, Jesus Christ is sat down at the Right Hand of God, this means, he is exalted to the highest Dignity and Authority; he is instated in an universal Dominion over all things; and he has the disposal of all the Exercises of Almighty Power. And the Holy Scripture so speaks of this matter, as to give us ground thus to interpret this Expression: For he says of himself( Matth. 26.64.) to the chief Priests, That they should hereafter see him sitting on the Right Hand of Power; that is, exercising the Divine Omnipotency; perhaps he means in raising of the dead. And the Apostle says of him, God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own Right Hand, far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is name; not only in this World, but also in that to come, and hath put all things under his Feet, Ephes. 1.20, 21, 22. That is, he hath exalted his Authority above every other Authority and Dignity, whether in Heaven or Earth. 4. For further Explication of this Article of our Faith, I must produce what account the Holy Scripture gives us of the Reasons and Ends of this our Lord's Ascension into Heaven. It may be said, It was due to the Son of God to sit at the Right Hand of God, in all the Glory, Dignity, and Power, which that implies; and when he return'd to that, he was but restored to his natural eternal Right, as Son of God; from which he had, for a while, receded for the Glory of the Father, and out of Love to Men. Therefore is this remarkably called, His Glory, which he is entered into upon his ascension into Heaven, Luke 24.26. But yet even his ascension into Heaven, and sitting down at the Right Hand of God, as well as his coming down from thence, was designed, and does turn to our benefit and advantage; this was done for our sakes, as well as for his own; he rose from the dead, for our justification, because as he died in the quality of a Mediator, so he rose again in the same quality, and in the same he ascended up into Heaven, and sat down at the Right Hand of God. The Apostle therefore says, Ephes. 4.10. He is ascended up far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things. It might have been said fulfil; and so the Text may, according to other Scriptures, be reckoned to mean: He ascended, that he might perfectly accomplish and complete the Work of our Salvation, and effectually bring many Sons to glory. How this Ascension and Glorification of Jesus has an Efficacy towards this, the Scripture teaches us, in the following Particulars. 1. He is ascended into Heaven, to intercede with God the Father for us; and obtain, by his Prayer, all that Favour which is necessary to our Eternal Happiness. It is therefore said,( Heb. 9.24.) He is entred into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. And,( Heb. 7.25.) He ever liveth to make intercession for us. There were two parts of the High-Priests Office under the Jewish Dispensation, designed to represent the kind Offices of our Mediator: The first was, To make Sacrifice or Oblation for the People: The second was, To Pray or Intercede for the Favour of God, by virtue and through the merit of the Sacrifice. And the Holy Scripture ascribes both these to Jesus, the Christ: Of the Messiah, the Prophet, foretells, he should bear the Sin of many, which is the Scripture-phrase for suffering for Sin; this expresses his sacrificing: That he would make himself the Great Propitiatory Sacrifice; and then the Prophet adds also, He shall make Intercession for the Transgressors, Isa. 53.12. And the Apostle ascribes these things to Jesus, 1 John 2.1, 2. where he says, If any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our Sin. He intercedes to take our Prayers and present them to the Father, that they may be accepted with him. And very fitting it is, that God should honour himself so far, as to keep the distance of a wronged superior, from his guilty, rebellious Creatures and Vassals: That he should not suffer them, at first especially, to approach him, without the Intervention and Intercession of a very worthy Mediator. It is therefore said, That by Jesus Christ, we have access to God the Father, Ephes. 2.18. Further, Tho' he had, by his meritorious Life and Death, fully satisfied Divine Justice, and purchased for us all the Favour from God, that we need towards our Salvation, yet is it appointed and very fitting, that he should pray for this, and obtain it by his intercession, for this reason: It is by the free goodness of God to us, that this way of Salvation is allowed us; and that we have benefit by the Death and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our stead. The way to Heaven is not opened by Justice alone, but by a very glorious Mercy and Compassion to lost sinners. This Exercise of Free Goodness or Grace in all that is done by God in favour to us, is often expressed in Scripture: The Apostle for this says, We come to a Throne of Grace, when we make our Addresses to God, Heb. 4.16. And 'tis said, by Grace we are saved, Ephes. 2.5. And we are justified freely by his Grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Rom. 3.24. Tho this is by Redemption, yet is it of Free Grace too, because the allowance of a Redemption was from thence. Now, as the Sacrifice and Death of Christ acknowledged and honoured the Justice of God, and confessed the guilty Creatures desert of punishment; so this Intercession acknowledges his Mercy and Free Goodness: It signifies and owns, that we are beholden to such an Attribute for all the Favour that we receive: And it is certainly due to God's goodness to be thus acknowledged. 2. Jesus Christ is ascended into Heaven. To take Possession of that Happiness in our Name, and for us. Therefore is he said to be entred into Heaven as our Harbinger or Forerunner, Heb. 6.20. And he himself, when he spoken of going thither, tells his Disciples, He was going to prepare a place for them, John 14.2. He had made satisfaction for our Sins in his Death, and reconciled the Father to us; and it was just, that he should thereupon be released from Death, therefore he rose again on the third Day. And having merited the Favour of God for us, it was due to him even as Mediator, that he should take possession of what he had merited. So that we may look upon his Advancement into Heaven, as a Pledge and Assurance of ours; as showing, and as designed to show, that we have, by him, a Right and Title to Everlasting Joy and Blessedness in the presence of God, if we do embrace and comply with the Terms of the Gospel. 3. He is sat down at the Right Hand of God, partly for us too: In that he has therein Power and Authority to dispense and bestow the Favours which he has purchased for us. The Apostle teaches us this, when he says, He is made Head over all Things to the Church, Ephes. 1.22. That is, for the sake of that, and to the benefit of that. The Scripture also tells us, He is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance and Remission of Sins. 'tis said of this his Mediatorial Kingdom, 1 Cor. 15 25. That he must reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet. The Enemies meant here, are the things that oppose and hinder his grand Design, the Salvation of Men. So that we may understand, hereby, he is exalted to this Dignity and Power, that he might give us Grace to overcome the Temptations of the Devil, the wicked solicitations of our own sinful Nature; and that he might raise us up again from Death at the Last Day; for the last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death, ver. 26. It is very fitting, since by his deep Humiliation and Abasement he had purchased these things, that he should have the Honour to bestow them. It may seem indeed unsuitable to his Interceding and Praying for these things, to say, that he is instated in the Authority to dispense them: But these things very well consist together. For God the Father, as the Ancients speak, is the Fountain of the Deity. From him the Son and Holy Ghost eternally derive their Divine Nature: And the Son himself confesses, that the Father had given to him to have Life in himself. Therefore also must the First Person in the Trinity be accounted the first spring or source of all gracious and kind Communications to the Creatures: And the Grace that saves us, is obtained of the Father by the Son, and is applied to us by the Holy Ghost. For the sake of the Son does the Father afford all good by the Operation of the Holy Ghost. The Son of God, then, as Second Person in the Trinity obtains from the Father, all favour for us by his Intercession; and by pleading his own merits on our behalf. And he gives the good things thus obtained as Son of God too; that is as being of equal Authority and Power with the Father. And these things are represented, in that he is said, to be a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedek: Who, as Moses tells us, was both King and Priest. As a Priest towards God, he intercedes for us, as a King towards us, he bestows, as he pleases, the Graces necessary to our Salvation. Thus are we taught to own, that we have all good given to us for his sake alone, and not for any merit or worth in us: and are admonished thereby, as is very fitting, to have always an humble sense of our own unworthiness, even when we are most highly, and particularly favoured. And thus is the course of this great transaction, in all respects most suitable to the Nature and State of the Beings coucern'd in it. Thus much I think may suffice for Explication of this Great Article of our Faith: And so I have finished the first head of Discourse. The Second I proposed to insist upon is this, to make it appear, that the promised Messiah was to ascend into Heaven, and sit at the right hand of God, according to the Prophesies concerning him, which the Jewish Religion afforded. And for proof of this, I think it may be sufficient to produce these two places. The First shall be, that of Psal. 68.18. where we have these words, Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast lead captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for Men, yea even for the Rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. This place of Scripture the Apostle Paul applies to Jesus, as fulfilled in his Ascension into Heaven, Ephes. 4.8. and that it does belong to this, and foretell it, will plainly appear, if we consider, and rightly understand the Text. In these words the Psalmist does indeed Celebrate, according to the scope and design of the whole Psalm, those glorious deliverances which it had pleased God to give the People of Israel from their Enemies and his: But he speaks of this, after the manner of Prophesies, in Terms that have a force and meaning, above the particular occasion which they refer to, and which do thereby appear to be a Prediction of far greater things. Thou hast ascended on high; the word translated on high is commonly in the Hebrew Language used for Heaven itself. And when he speaks of ascending into Heaven, he implies, that there was first a descending; which can never be properly spoken of God the Father, but may be said of the Son of God, as the Jews did acknowledge the Messiah to be, Thou hast lead captivity captive: This may refer to the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt as past; and foretell the deliverance of some of the dead Saints from the Bonds of Death, at the Resurrection of Jesus; or else, that general Goal-delivery which he shall give to all the Dead at the end of the World; or it may be designed to intimate that Spiritual deliverance which he would give the World, in Saving his People from their Sins; as 'tis said in the Gospel Jesus would do. Thou hast received gifts for Men: The Hebrew word which we render received, signifies a receiving to give, according to the Phrase, not unusual in our own Language, take this to such an one; which means take this to give it to him; thus in particular the word is used, 1 Kings 17.10, 13. The Apostle might therefore well enough quote the words thus, Thou hast received Gifts for Men, as he does in that forementioned place: Understanding the Psalmist, as meaning, thus much thou hast received gifts to give to Men. And in that sense this Scripture cannot be applied to God the Father, who is the Original Fountain of all things, and does not properly receive any thing from any one: But it may be applied to the Son of God, and particularly to his receiving the promise of the Holy Ghost, as 'tis said, Jesus did, and that too upon his Ascending; as the Psalmist intimates this receiving should be granted upon the ascending on high: And to that receiving of the Holy Ghost, and sending his wonderful gifts into the World, which is ascribed to Jesus, the Apostle applies this expression of the Psalmist. He adds lastly, Yea even for the Rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell among them: which words may as fairly from the Original be rendered thus: Thou hast taken or brought the Rebellious also to God, that they might dwell with him: And so we may judge the Psalmist means, that these mighty deliverances had made some of the gentle World become proselytes to the Jewish Religion, and Worshippers of the true God, as the thing that was past; and did herein foretell the numerous Conversions of Heathens to the Faith of Jesus, which came to pass upon the Gift of the Holy Ghost to the World, and was indeed brought to pass thereby. Thus we may see this Scripture exactly speaks what may be applied to Jesus; and therefore may be reckoned to foretell the things which are said of his Ascension, and the consequences thereof. Another, and the last place I shall point to for this purpose is, Psal. 110.1. where David speaks thus, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool. It is evident, that David was the Composer of this Psalm; therefore he does not speak the things herein contained of himself, but of some other Person: And that Person he calls his Lord. It is apparent also, that the Ancient Jews understood these Words, as spoken of the Messiah: For when Jesus asked them, how they understood it could be proper for David to call him Lord, as he does here, who was to be his Son( Mat. 22.43, 44, 45.) they could not say for answer, that David in this Verse means some other Person, because indeed they understood the Messiah to be the Person spoken of here. And, if so, then 'tis here Prophesied concerning him, that he should sit on the right hand of God. According to this Opinion of the Jews in our Saviours time, some of the later ones do also understand these words to be spoken of the Messiah, tho they obstinately refuse to believe them fulfilled in Jesus. One says, that in time to come, God shall place Messiah the King at his right Hand, as it is witten in Psal. 110. Another says, hereafter God Holy and Blessed, shall set the Messiah on his right hand, as it is written in Psal. 110. The Lord said unto my Lord, &c.( Pearson on Creed) More then this I think need not be added to this matter. I proceed now to the Third thing intended, which is to review and produce briefly the History and Proof of the Ascension of Jesus, and his sitting at the right hand of God. When the time drew nigh, that he would Ascend into Heaven, he commanded his Disciples to return from Galilee, where he had chiefly conversed with them since his Resurrection; and to come to Jerusalem, where we now find them( Acts 1.4.) from thence he led them out as far as to Bethany; not to that Town, but to an equal distance with that from Jerusalem, on some part of the Mount Olivet( Luke 24.50. Act. 1.12.) Those whom he thus lead out, we may believe, were not all those that believed on him; but those especially who were of his Kindred and Family, and whom he had chosen to be the chief Witnesses to the World of his Resurrection and Ascension( Acts 1.14, 21.) It is reasonably judged, that the Number of Persons mentioned in the 15th Verse of that Chapter, which were an Hundred and Twenty, were at least the Company whom he Assembled, and lead out to be Eye-witnesses of his Ascension, When he was come to the place intended, and while he was taking his leave in a kind and gracious Blessing of them( Luk. 24.50.) He was lifted up: They saw him sensibly Ascend, and followed him with their Eyes, as long as they could, looking steadfastly towards Heaven as he went up( Acts. 1.10.) They looked after him, till a Cloud received him out of their sight( Acts 1.9.) and continued gazing towards that, till two of his bright Retinue, the Angels, who attended his Triumphant Ascension, awaked them, as we may say, out of their astonishment, and said, Ye Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall come again in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven,( Acts 1.10, 11.) Thus these Angels testified together with the intimation of their Sences, that Jesus was Ascended into Heaven. As for his Sitting or Being at the right hand of God there; the best proof of that, is, his sending the Holy Ghost at the time of Pentecost, which was soon after his Ascension. Yet we have also one said to be an Eye-witness of this, and that is the Blessed First Martyr St. Stephen; of whom we are told( Acts 7.55.) that as he stood before the Council of the Jews, He being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the Glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said this, in Verse 56. the meaning of which words must be, he saw the Glorified Jesus attended with such Circumstances, as evidently shew'd his supreme and Universal Dominion. This may suffice for History and Proof of the matter of Fact of the Ascension of Jesus. I come in the last place, to apply the Discourse to its due Use and Improvement; in doing which I shall briefly represent.( 1.) What hopes of our attaining the Happiness of Heaven are herein afforded us.( 2.) What things those glorious hopes do oblige us to. 1. In the first place, Let us observe what hopes of our attaining the Happiness of Heaven are herein afforded us; which will yield us a very pleasing and delightful prospect. This shows us that our Nature is actually admitted into Heaven; from whence we may conclude, this is a thing possible to be; that our Nature is capable of the blissful presence of God, and can dwell with joy and delight amid the Glory of Heaven. And if we consider Jesus Christ, as having entred into that happy Place, as a reward of having pleased God on Earth: We may look upon it as the Reward and Advancement which was prepared for Man, at the first Creation of him; which our Saviour speaks of, as the Kingdom prepared for us from the beginning of the World; to which it was originally intended, if Man had remained Innocent, he should have been translated after a time of Holy and virtuous living on Earth: And this may help us to expect the same Advancement, as the reward of our well-doing. If we consider Jesus as a Sacrifice for our Sins in his Death: Then his Resurrection from the Grave, and Ascension into Heaven may assure us, that he has made a full atonement for Sin; and so the forfeiture of this Happiness, which we lay under by our sin is removed: And thus the greatest hindrance of our Happiness and Salvation is taken away. Further, when we consider that Happiness possessed by him in the Name, and for the sake of his Followers; we may reckon, that it is possible for us to have a Right, and Claim to it: To come to look upon it as an Inheritance and Portion purchased for us; and which we may expect from the Justice and Promise of God: This hopeful expectation of it we may entertain, if we are true to the Gospel Covenant; the Covenant which we entered into at our Baptism. Hereby we maintain such an Union to him as that of Members to the Head, and may expect our Ascension into Heaven too, because he has promised, that where he is, there such Persons also shall be. And when from our own weakness, and the many temptations that surround us, we might justly doubt our sufficiency to be steadfast in that Covenant, and might fear lest we should fall short of our Duty and this Glory: The Ascension of Jesus Christ our Mediator gives us Assurance, that we have a tender and Compassionate Advocate with the Father; by whom we may hope to obtain Grace sufficient to assist us in all our Conflicts with the Flesh, the World, and the Devil; and by whom we may obtain the Pardon of those known defects and sins, which we particularly repent of; and also of those involuntary and unobserved Errors which at any time we may be guilty of. These are the grounds of Hope which we have of attaining Everlasting Happiness in the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven. 2. In the next place, Let us take notice at present, and always remember, what Obligations those glorious Hopes do lay upon us. And certainly it is very fit, that we do often and seriously consider what great and glorious things we may come to: We should frequently, and with great pleasure, meditate on the Happiness we may attain; reflect upon the possibility of attaining it, and consider this, as what we may reach, if we will. Every Man may say to himself, Whatever I am in this low Earth, I may be hereafter an Inhabitant of Heaven. Tho I am one of the highest among Mankind, a Prince on Earth, yet I may be much more advanced; I may attain the greater Honour, of being myself one of the Retinue of Jesus the King of Heaven. If I am poor on Earth, I may be rich above. If I am now mean and despised, and must herd with the lowest of Men, yet may I, hereafter, be a Companion of Angels and dwell in the presence of God. And then, Ought not such Thoughts to inspire us with earnest Desires to attain this Happiness? Shall we think of this, without wishing for it? Do I indeed love myself,( a Man might say hereupon) do I desire my own Happiness, and should I not desire and aim at the greatest Happiness that I may be advanced to? Are Pleasures, Riches and Honours, alluring things; even the poor, low, transitory ones of this World; and are there not Charms enough to engage me in the high and eternal ones of Heaven? We should think of this glorious Happiness to which Jesus is ascended, and learn to despise the alluring Trifles of this World; and resolve, that nothing here shall detain our Minds from the frequent thinking on that; nor divert our Endeavours from the diligent and earnest pursuit of that. It ought to be our chief Concern and Care, to attain that Happiness, to be looked upon as the most Important Business of our Lives; and therefore every other Business should be so followed as is consistent with a due pursuit, and with the hopes of that. It ought to be every Man's great Enquiry, What Grounds he has to hope, that he shall ascend with Jesus to Heaven. And he that finds himself in such a condition, as that he cannot hope for this, should be very restless till he can hope for it. Every such Person ought, without delay, to break off his Sins by Repentance, and betake himself to the following of Jesus in the Exercises of Piety and virtue. When such a Happiness may be had, we should be diligent to fit ourselves for it; be very careful to secure it, and very solicitous to see, that our hopes of it are well grounded and assured. I shall conclude with the apostles advice: Let us most earnestly desire, let us chiefly seek and endeavour for those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God. To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. THE PRAYER. GReat God! Thou art Infinite and Bounteous Goodness, and from thence didst make every thing at first very good. All thy Works were perfect and pleasing to thyself; And all things that were capable of Happiness were possessed of it. A great an noble degree of 〈◇〉 ●ss it pleased thee to design Mankind for, and make him capable to attain: Thou didst originally design 〈◇〉 to dwell in thy Presence, and to rejoice for ever in the enjoyment of thy infinite Love. But, alas, we have woefully sinned against thee, and have depraved and debased ourselves. And instead of the Happiness and Kingdom prepared for us, we are deservedly doomed to the Everlasting Punishment and Misery which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels. This is a very deplorable fall to our Nature, but we must submit to it, and must needs say, Righteous art thou O Lord, and Just are all thy Judgments. We fall down and abase ourselves before thee, in a sense of our guilt, we condemn, we abhor ourselves. And we fly to the hope set before us, to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant: Who is the Propitiation for our Sins, and our Advocate with the Father; who sits at thy right Hand, and ever lives to make intercession for us. We praise thee, O Lord, for thine Inestimable Love, in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ: We praise thee for his humble Incarnation, and Birth in our Nature, whereby he was made subject to the Law for us. We praise thee for the Meritorious Sacrifice of his Death, whereby he was a propitiation for the Sins of Men. We praise thee for his Resurrection from the Dead, whereby thou didst graciously declare the Acceptance of his Sacrifice on our behalf, and dost give us hopes to find favour with thee: We praise thee for his Glorious Ascension into Heaven, and his fitting at the Right Hand of God, whereby he has taken possession of the Happiness above for us, and is possessed of full Power and Authority to dispense to us the purchases of his precious Death, and to bring us also to Glory, upon the Terms of the Gospel. Oh Lord for the sake of this Jesus, the Christ, Pardon to us all our past Offences, remember not against us former Iniquities: Give us unfeigned Repentance, and receive us into Favour. And grant us, O Lord, the Grace to die unto Sin, and to live unto Righteousness. Help us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit, and to perfect Holiness in thy Fear. Grant that as we do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the Heavens; so we may in heart and mind thither ascend, setting our Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth. And so guide us by thy Grace and good Spirit here, that we may steadily follow him, and may come at length to be with him where he is, and may with him continually dwell, who Liveth and Reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghost, one God, World without end. We hearty pray to thee, O Lord, that the kingdom of Jesus Christ may be extended over all the Earth, and that the Heathen may be given to him for his Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his possession. We pray for the good Estate of the catholic Church, that it may be guided by thy good Spirit according to the Laws of the Gospel, that it may flourish in all true Piety and virtue, and may enjoy tranquillity and Peace. We humbly recommend to thy Mercy the Land of our Nativity. Pardon, O Lord, our Iniquities, and let them not withhold good things from us: Grant us always to enjoy the blessed Ordinances of thy Gospel, and to find a sweet and mighty Influence of them upon our hearts, and to express it in our Lives. And we pray thee be our defence against all the Enemies of thy true Religion Established among us. Bless, in particular, our most Gracious King, and all the Royal Family, bestow upon them all Temporal and Spiritual Blessings, the happiness of this Life on Earth, and that of a better whenever they remove hence; Let us be blessed in their Wisdom, Goodness, Clemency, Justice; and let them be blessed in our ready Duty and Obedience. Be merciful to all that are related to us, and led them in the way everlasting. We give thee thanks. O Lord, for all the means of Grace which we enjoy, and for the hopes of Glory: Grant that we may be considerably advanced in all Grace, and in those Glorious Hopes by the Ordinances, which we have this day enjoyed, and that we may persevere in both to the end of our Lives. We humbly commit ourselves to thy Care and merciful Protection this Night; keep we pray thee, both our Souls and Bodies both now and ever more from all Evil, and bring them at last to thy Heavenly Kingdom, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. In whose Name we make all our requests, and farther pray as he hath taught us. OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. The Communion OF THE HOLY GHOST explained; AND The Means to Obtain it REPRESENTED. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 Cor. 13, 14, later part. And the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. THE Holy Church does at this season require of us, to commemorate, with Joy and Thankfulness, the Coming of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, into this World, to carry on the Work of Man's Redemption and Salvation: Because it was at this season that he made his most remarkable and considerable descent for this purpose. It was at the time of the Jewish Pentecost, next after our blessed Saviour's Passion and Death, that the Apostles and Witnesses of his Resurrection and Ascension, were all, with one accord, in one place,( Acts 2.1, &c.) And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty Wind, and it filled all the House where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven Tongues, like as of Fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. When the famed of this wonderful thing was noised abroad in Jerusalem, and the Multitudes gathered together to see and hear them, and were in a doubtful amazement at what they observed, St. Peter gives them a large account of it: He tells them, it was what had been foretold by the Prophet Joel: Then he preaches to them concerning the Resurrection of Jesus; and after he had shown them, that this was foretold, he adds also,( Ver. 32, 33.) This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost,( says he) he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. This descent of this Divine Person into our World, it is very fit we should particularly remember, since even we are greatly concerned in it. For we have in this a glorious and most comfortable assurance of our Saviour's ascension into Heaven, and of his sitting at the right hand of God: For this is it which he said he would obtain, and afford upon his Exaltation to that Dignity and Glory. And it proves him true and faithful to perform his Promises, and worthy that we believe, and rely upon all that he has said. It proves him kind still too, and concerned for our Salvation, tho he is gone into Heaven; still mindful of our Interests and Necessities, and to promote our happiness. It shows him also able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him. Farther, it was by virtue of this descent of the Holy Ghost, that the right knowledge of Salvation came to be dispersed into all Nations of the Earth: And so it came to pass that we, who are of the Race of the Gentiles, were made acquainted with the true happiness of Mankind, and the true and only way to obtain it. Thus were the Rebellious, and we among the rest, made obedient, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Now the best and most agreeable manner doubtless of our Celebrating this Divine Person's most signal descent, is to take notice of the ends of his coming into our World: To observe what Gifts he comes chiefly to offer and bestow; and to excite our desires after them, and dispose ourselves to receive them, that so we may duly comply with the end of his coming. These words of the Apostle Saint Paul, which I have red to you, are part of a Prayer which he made for the Church of Corinth, and for all the Saints which were in all Achaia. He makes this request for the People, as well as for the Priests of that Church. For we find them all concerned in the Epistle, by the first Chapter and Verse of it, which directs it to them all. He does in these words make a distinct address to each Person in the Sacred Trinity, and implores the Peculiar Favour of each: That Favour which each Divine Person is pleased to afford towards the Salvation of Man; and herein he allows, and justifies such a way of address. He begs for those Christians the Love of God the Father; and that they might attain this by the Grace of Jesus Christ the Son of God, by being Partakers in his merits, and by the Blessed Communications of the Holy Spirit; for this is what he means by the Communion of the Holy Ghost; he preys that they might receive those Gracious Operations or Communications of that ever blessed Spirit, which give Men an Interest in the purchased Grace of Christ, and which fit us for, and bring us to the Possession of the Love of God the Father, which in its highest exercise and degree, is our final and complete Salvation and Happiness. These Communications of the Holy Spirit I am at present to discourse upon, because 'tis requisite, that I confine myself to my Text: And since that relates to all those of the Church of Corinth, as well the People as the Pastors, we may conclude, that the Communications or Gifts, which the Apostle chiefly means here, are those which are common to all Christians, and are necessary and useful to their Salvation. These are usually called the Ordinary Gifts of the Spirit, to distinguish them from those which were given only during the times of the first planting of Christianity in the World, and for the better planting, and propagating of it; such as the gift of Inspired Knowledge of Divine things, the Gift of unstudied Prayer, the Gift of working Miracles, the Gift of Healing, the Gift of Speaking and Understanding divers Languages, and the like. These are justly called Extraordinary Gifts, because they were given for an extraordinary purpose, which was to Convert the World to Christianity: And because they are not the Common Gifts of the Spirit, which he came chiefly to bestow, and which are necessary and useful to the Salvation of those who possess them. This our Saviour does evidently teach us, in Mat. 7.21, 22, 23. Where he tells us, that some of those who had enjoyed, and exercised these Gifts, shall be found among the Workers of Iniquity, at the great Day of judgement and trial; and shall be therefore rejected from the happiness of his Favour and Presence for ever. And they may be called extraordinary too, because, as it is evident they are ceased, so we may learn from the Apostle, that it was intended they should not continue always in the Church. For it is very probable, that this is what he means, when he says, Whether there be Prophesies they shall fail, meaning the Gift of Unstudied Prayer, and Praising of God: Whether there be Tongues they shall cease, the Gift of speaking divers Languages: Whether there be Knowledge it shall Vanish away; that is, the Gift of Inspired Knowledge, such as was in those times attained by some, without Education and Study,( 1 Cor. 13.8.) For we may suppose him speaking in the following words of the grown state of the Church on Earth, to which those things would in some measure belong, when it should be past the weakness, and Childhood, of its first planting, should abound in Knowledge, and be rooted and confirmed in Faith and Love, and so should no longer need those extraordinary Gifts. And he mentions in the close of his Discourse those Gifts, and Communications of the Spirit, which should for ever abide in the Church, when the other should be ceased. Now there remains, says he, Faith, Hope, and Charity, and the greatest of these is Charity. It is apparent that he does not design to speak only of the perfect Felicity of the Saints, tho his Thoughts carried him to hint at that, because he mentions Faith and Hope as remaining, both which we know the final Fruition does put an end to. I shall now proceed in the following method of Discourse. 1. I shall express somewhat particularly, What Gifts, or Communications of the Holy Spirit they are, which may be commonly expected by Christians, and which we may seek after. 2. What are the Operations of this Divine Spirit about these. 3. What we must do to obtain those Blessed Operations. In the first place, I shall somewhat particularly mention, what are those Gifts or Communications of the Holy Spirit, which we may expect and receive from him, and which are afforded promiscuously to all Good Christians, as being necessary to our Salvation. These are, indeed, all the whole Catalogue of Glorious Graces which Constitute, and Adorn an Excellent Christian. But it would be too long a task to speak of them all particularly in this Discourse. I shall therefore content myself to mention only two of these; but they shall be such to which the rest may be reduced, as included in the full Latitude of these; and these are Faith and Love. Under these two Names the Holy Scripture itself does sum up, and comprehend, all that which goes to the Constituting of a good Christian: In saying, That in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor Uncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by Love,( Gal. 5.6.) And these are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to Mankind. 1. Faith is the Gift of this Divine Person. By Faith I mean, a full, hearty, and powerful persuasion of those things revealed in the Gospel, the knowledge and belief of which is necessary to our Salvation. As it was requisite the Holy Spirit should reveal to us what we are to believe, so it was requisite also, that he should possess us with the belief of it. The mind of Man is in darkness, and Ignorant of the truths which should guide him to his Happiness. Whence 'tis said of us in general, There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God: They are all gone out of the way, Rom. 3.11: 12. And, besides our Ignorance of these things, we have a wretched aversion to them: Whence it is given as the Character of wicked Men, That they say unto God depart from us, for we desire not the Knowledge of thy ways. Job 21.14. And our Saviour says of the Revelations of the Gospel, That altho light be come into the World, yet do Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil,( John 3.19.) The Revelations of the Gospel condemn, and forbid the common Practices of the World, and are therefore commonly hated by Men. Thus we are disposed to reject them when they are proposed to us. And from both these causes there is a common carelessness among Men about the matters which concern their Salvation. And we commonly neither do know, nor do we mind or endeavour to know, wherein our true happiness consists, or the way to attain it. But the Holy Spirit, in working this Grace in us, awakens us to a very serious concern about these matters. He makes us sensible of our Guilt, and the Misery we are liable to: so he renders us humble and teachable, as they appeared at first to be in Acts 2. who at St. Peters Sermon Being pricked in their hearts, cried out to the Apostles, Men and Brethren, What shall we do? Then he gives us a sense of the Importance of those Truths which are proposed to us, shows us how highly we are concerned in them, and convinces us, that we must be guided by, and obedient to them, if ever we would be saved. Then he makes us embrace those Truths, and value and submit to them in the course of our Lives. Thus he brings Men to a true, lively, and saving Faith. And this Operation of the Holy Spirit, the Scripture means, when it says, The Lord opened the heart of Lydea, that she attended to those things which were spoken by St. Paul, Acts 16.14. That is, She received and believed them: For the next Verse says, she was thereupon baptized. In express terms does the Holy Scripture ascribe the Gift of Faith to this Divine Person, in calling it a Fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. And this also is meant, when 'tis said, as in Ephes. 2.8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the Gift of God. 2. Another Gift of the Holy Spirit is Love to God. This also we are to our Guilt and Misery destitute of, in the fallen and corrupt state of our Nature. Therefore the Apostle says, The carnal mind is enmity to God, and is not subject to his Law, Rom. 8.7. We naturally care not to think of him, we live as without God in the World, and put him as far from our thoughts as we can, and do not concern ourselves to please or honour him. But the Holy Spirit cures this Monstrous, and unhappy distemper of our Minds. He discovers God to us as our chief Good, and his Favour as our only true Happiness. He makes us see and know the exercises of his Goodness, even in his Laws, and so to consent unto the Law, that it is Good. And so the Mind, that before cared not either for the Knowledge of God or his ways, now highly loves, and valves both. And it is the right sense of the rectified Soul, what the Psalmist says concerning God, Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none on Earth, that I can desire besides thee,( Psal. 73.25.) And concerning the Law of God it can say, with another, The Law of thy Mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver,( Psal. 119.72.) He will love God with all his Heart, with all his Soul, with all his Might, and with all his Strength. And this Love is the fulfilling of the Law. It produces many other Graces, and acts and exercises itself in and by them. And the working of this in us is also in Holy Scripture attributed to the Holy Spirit, as we may see, Rom. 5.5. where the Apostle says to some Christians, That the Love of God had been shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, who had been given to them. I doubt not, it is very agreeable to the design and scope of the apostles Discourse there, to understand him as speaking those words of our Love to God. These are the two main Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are promiscuously given to good Christians, and which we may seek and expect to receive as necessary to our Salvation. And thus I have finished the first head of this Discourse. The second I am to insist upon is this; to show, what are the Operations of the Holy Spirit about these Gifts or Graces: Which I think may at least be reduced to these three Heads following. 1. He Creates, or puts these Graces into us. He possesses us of them. The Holy Scripture speaks of his giving, and putting into us both these Graces, under the general terms of Washing and Sanctifying us. So 'tis said of some Christians,( 1 Cor. 6.11.) They were Washed, and Sanctified by the Spirit of our God, upon the account of his giving us these, we are said to be born of God. Hence the Apostle St. John says of those that have Charity, they are born of God,( 1 John 4.7.) And in the fifth Chapter of that Epistle, at the first Verse, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: So that the general term of Regeneration, or being born of God, may be reckoned to include the happy Operations which possess us of these Graces. And this work, the Regenerating of us, our Saviour ascribes to the Holy Spirit, John 3.5. in saying, Except a Man be born of Water and of the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdem of God. For the sake of these Gifts, we are said to be renewed by the Holy Ghost( Tit. 3.5.) And that renewing is said, to consist in creating us in Righteousness and true Holiness,( Ephes. 4.24.) Holiness is a general Term, which may be sometimes understood to include all the Graces which belong to a good christian. It is from this Person's undertaking this Part and Office, towards the bringing us to Salvation, that he is called the Holy Ghost or Spirit. As he is called Spirit, not so much in regard to his Nature, as in regard to his manner of proceeding from the Father and the Son, so also is he called Holy, not as being thereby distinguished from the Father and the Son, for they both are Holy too; but because the Sanctifying, and making us Holy is the part which he is pleased peculiarly to assume and appropriate to himself in the Work of our Redemption. Very fitly therefore, as a Learned Man observes, do the Hebrews call him sometimes, according to this Work and Office, the Spirit of Holiness: By which Name, as being the common Phrase and Speech of the Jews, the Apostle Paul calls him, Rom. 1.4.( Lightf. Vol. 1. p. 482.) 2. Another Operation of the Holy Spirit about the Graces which he puts into us is, that he does continually excite, and stir up the Acts and Exercises of them: And thus does he maintain and increase them. It is for this, said, that God works in us both to will and to do, Phil. 2.13. And the Apostle speaking of good Christians, says, They are lead by the Spirit,( Rom. 8.14.) This is that which the Psalmist preys for in such Petitions as these, Order my steps in thy Word, and let no Iniquity have dominion over me: Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes: And after a very grievous and horrid fall indeed, we find him praying to God thus, Uphold me with thy free Spirit, Psal. 51.12. The Holy Spirit admonishes what is our duty in all circumstances, tells us what virtues and Graces they require to be exercised, makes us willing and desirous to exercise them, and enables us to do so whenever they are exercised. He excites and stirs up all the Exercise of Grace that is in us, both in our Holy and virtuous Living, and in our devout and fervent Prayers. And to exercise Faith and Love, Humility and Heavenly Mindedness, and the like gracious qualifications in our Prayers, is to pray by the Spirit as much as we can now do it: And this is the best way of doing it, if these are the best Gifts of the Spirit, as the Apostle says they are. The Holy Spirit by the continual Exercise of Grace maintains it; and unless he did thus excite it upon all occasions it would languish and die, and the continual opposition which it meets with here from the World, the Flesh and the Devil, would soon oppress and destroy it. The Holy Spirit by the continual exercise of our Grace, makes us grow and increase in it: According to what is promised, Mat. 25.29. To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; and to what is said, in Job 17.9. The righteous shall hold on his way, and he hath hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger. 3. The Holy Spirit assures and evidences to us the Graces which he has put into us, and thus he is also a Comforter. This Operation of the Spirit when we truly enjoy it, does always follow the former: And he shows the Graces which we have, by the Exercises of them. His consolations are not absolute and groundless, but are built upon an evident and rational Foundation. It is the presumption and pride of a Man that deceives himself, when any one fancies himself very good without doing good, and living well. The Fruits or Exercises of Grace are in Holy Scripture given as the Evidences and Proofs of it. In 1 John 3.7, 10. the Apostle says, He that doth Righteousness is Righteous, and the Children of God are Manifest by their abstaining from sin, and living well. So our Saviour says, A three is known by his fruit, Luk. 6.44. To show that Men must judge of themselves by the general course of their Thoughts, and Words, and Actions. The Holy Spirit evidences and assures to Men the Graces that are in them by the Testimony of a good Conscience; when they examine their course of Life by the rule of God's Word and Law, and find it well agreeing thereto: therefore it is said, The Spirit of God beareth witness with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God.( Rom. 8.16.) And then he helps us to conclude, as the Apostle adds in the next Verse, that If we are Children, then are we Heirs too, Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Jesus Christ. With the Evidence of his Grace in us, he gives us hope and confidence in God as in a wise, tender, and compassionate Father: And thus is he the Spirit of Adoption according to the 15th Verse of that Chapter. And with the Evidence of Grace, he gives us good hopes of Eternal Glory. These Sanctifying Gifts are therefore called the Earnest of our Inheritance, Eph. 1.14. He possesses us with the comfortable expectation, that he who has begun a good work in us will maintain and complete it: That the tender kindness of our Heavenly Father will pardon our unwilling failings, will heal our infirmities, and supply our wants and defects: That he will guide us by his counsel through this World, and after receive us to his Glory. These are the kind and happy Operations of this Divine Person, the Holy Spirit, about those Graces and virtues which Constitute a good Christian. And this may suffice to be spoken to the Second Head of Discourse. I proceed now to the Third and Last, which is, to suggest what we have to do, that we may obtain, and constantly enjoy these Blessed Operations of the Holy Spirit. If any thing is to be done on our parts towards the obtaining or promoting these, 'tis very necessary for us to know what it is, that we may do it. And very evident it is from Holy Scripture, that God requires and expects we should employ our own endeavour after those saving Graces which the Holy Spirit is given to work in us. Hence are we bid to Work out our own Salvation. And we may observe, that altho' God promises to those who had sinned against him, and forsaken their Duty, that he would give them a new heart, and put a new spirit into them, and cause them to walk in his Statutes, and keep his Judgments,( Ezek. 36.26, 27.) yet to the same sinful People he also says by the same Prophet,( Ezek. 18.31.) Cast away from you all your Transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit. He bids them do this for themselves, meaning, no doubt, that their own endeavour and care must be employed towards the accomplishing of such happy effects. There is something we must do, which we have a Natural Power to do; therefore he says to Sinners, Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doing, cease to do evil, learn to do well, Isa. 1.16, 17. and many such like Expressions and Exhortations the Scripture contains. The first beginning of his Operation in us is, to excite in us good desires, and some motions of will towards those Graces and virtues. These he excites in us by representing and recomending these Graces to us, either by the good examples of other Men, or by the descriptions of them, the Exhortations, Encouragements to practise them, which his Word and Sacraments present us with. And in this beginning he does indeed prevent us by his special Grace. But we ourselves may contribute something towards this in applying ourselves to use the appointed means of Grace which he affords us. And after he has begun the good work in us, he carries it on by ourselves, by the exercise of our own thoughts, endeavours, and care towards the cherishing, maintaining and improving those good Impressions, and the bringing them to fruit and perfection: These things following, then, are what we must do towards our enjoying these saving Operations of the Holy Spirit upon us. 1. We must diligently attend upon the public Ordinances of the Gospel, the Preaching of the Word and the Sacraments. These are the appointed means of conveying his Grace. 'tis said, Faith comes by hearing,( Rom. 10.17.) And our Saviour ascribes to Baptism the conveyance of Regenerating Grace, John 3.5. when he says, a Man must be born of Water, and of the Spirit. The same thing the Apostle intimates too, when he calls this the washing of Regeneration, and says, we are saved by this, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3.5. Of the Lord's Supper, St. Paul says, It is the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, 1 Cor. 10.16. by which he means, that in the use of this the Holy Spirit conveys, and bestows on Men the saving renewing Graces which are the purchases of Christ's precious Death. Here then we must wait, in the diligent use of these Ordinances and Means of Grace, that we may enjoy the Spirit's Operations upon us. And that is encouraged in Prov. 8.34. where wisdom says, Blessed is he that heareth me watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors: He that neglects no opportunity of using the means of Wisdom and virtue. 2. We must earnestly and patiently pray for these Operations of the Holy Spirit. This also does he himself direct us to do in Holy Scripture. In Luke 11.13. Our Saviour says, God will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Prayer for this is therein made necessary; so is it again, James 1.5. where the Apostle says, If any Man lack Wisdom, let him ask it of God, who gives to all Men liberally, and upbraids not, and it shall be given him. The same thing is intimated too, in that our Saviour says, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, for they shall be filled. Such eager desire is necessary to obtain, and such shall obtain: And such desire must needs be very importunate and craving. Till we obtain we should persevere to ask. Our Saviour put forth a Parable, we are told, to teach, That Men ought always to pray, and not to faint,( Luke 18.1.) So the Apostle bids us pray without ceasing,( 1 Thes. 5.17.) which places may justly encourage us to unwearied Supplications, at least, for spiritual and saving Graces. 3. We must set ourselves frequently to a private, and deliberate Meditation on the things revealed to us in the Word of God. This is requisite and useful towards our living well, and therefore to our obtaining the Grace of God. Joshua was commanded to meditate in the Law day and night, that he might do well,( Josh. 1.8.) And the Psalmist pronounces him blessed, who frequently meditates on the Law of God, because such an one, he says, shall be like a three planted by the Rivers of Water, bringing forth Fruit in due season,( Psal. 1.) When we separate ourselves from worldly business, and invite good thoughts and motions by reading the Holy Scriptures, or some good Books, we dispose and prepare ourselves for the Holy Spirit; and he who waits, and desires to do us good, will not fail to meet us when we regularly seek him, and are prepared to entertain him. Meditation cherishes the good motions of the Spirit; in this we cooperate with him. Whenever he works in us, he does it by engaging, and employing our own thoughts about those important matters, which ought to influence and govern us. 4. Lastly, Together with all that has been said, we must make it our great care, that we do not by any thing, grieve or offend the good Spirit of God. He will not dwell with us, if we do not use him with due Reverence and Respects. We must not think it is no matter how we behave ourselves towards him, or that he will bless us with his saving Operations however we regard him. It is sufficient caution against this which the Apostle gives, when he says, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption,( Ephes. 4.30.) He may be so offended as to forsake us, and leave us to Wickedness and Perdition. Let us carefully observe, then, what would so offend him, and avoid it: which I shall briefly represent in the following particulars. 1. We must not listen, or yield to any temptations to Sin. These must be carefully avoided as much as we may, and steadily resisted when we cannot avoid them. It is a dangerous presumption to put ourselves wantonly and needlessly into a state of Temptation, and gives him provocation to withdraw his Care and Assistance. But especially will it displease him to yield to a Temptation, and let it draw us into Sin. The Holy Spirit is displeased at our entertaining any sinful impurities; and when we defile his Temple we provoke him to forsake it. The unhappy David did not well consider this, when he sinned in the matter of Uriah. But we find him afterwards sensible of it, and afraid lest the Holy Spirit should abandon him. And in his repentance for those Sins, he particularly preys, that he might not suffer this greatest Punishment,( Psal. 51.11.) Cast me not away from thy presence, ( says he) take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 2. We must take a great deal of care, that we do not neglect the good Motions of the Holy Spirit, and let them pass unobserved; and that we do not reject and refuse them. And there is the more need of our watchfulness and care in this case, because we are liable to slight and refuse his good motions when we are not sensible that we do so. The Holy Spirit often moves upon our minds in such a way, that his operations are not be distinguished from the natural Operations of our own minds, and the Exercise of our own thoughts. Sometimes these are offered us under the cover, as we may say, of the Counsel and Advice of a Friend: And perhaps even with the reproaches and upbraidings of an Enemy. And they are usually offered in the Administrations of his Word and Sacraments. And the misery and folly of Man is great by reason that he does not discern him often times in these things; and so he sleights and refuses his good motions, under the name of somewhat else. This, then, should be a general Rule with us: To slight and refuse no good motions, by what means or way soever they may come to offer themselves to us. 3. We must not delay or put off our compliance with the good motions he offers to excite in us. For to do this is to offend him to. He expects and requires a ready and speedy compliance with him. To put off and delay this, is as much as to say, I will not at this time obey him, I will not yet be good. And this has proved fatal to many Souls. They have put off the Holy Spirits Convictions till another time; and perhaps the displeasure of God has not let them live till that time: Or if they have done so, they have been by that time hardened in their Sins; the Holy Spirit often offended with their delay, is withdrawn; and now they have no will to amend and become Religious: And so, after all, they die in their Sins unrepented of, which all along they proposed to themselves they would take care not to do. Let us comply with the Holy Spirit's motions while they are offered, because we know not if we delay to do so, whether they will ever be offered us again or not. God has very plainly said, His Spirit shall not always strive with Man. 4. Lastly, we must especially take care, that we be never lifted up with Pride, when we reflect upon the Grace we have received. We must avoid the trusting in our own Strength, the undertaking any Duty, or any conflict with Temptation without earnest addresses to Heaven for the Assistance of the Holy Spirit; or without relying more upon that than our own sufficiency. We must also avoid the ascribing to ourselves any good that we have done, the applauding and admiring ourselves. We must always exercise the Apostles Humility, who ascribes all his virtues and good Actions to the Grace of God, 1 Cor. 15.10. By the Grace of God I am what I am,( says he.) We must, further, avoid the despising or hating our Neighbour, because we think him not so well instructed in Religion, or not so improved in Grace and virtue as ourselves. We should consider, it is the free Grace of God, which has made any difference that there is between us. We must exercise compassion to him in his error, bear one anothers Infirmities: And if any one be overtaken with a fault, they which are Spiritual, must not disdain or hate him for this, but endeavour to restore and recover him with the Spirit of meekness considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted, as the Apostle advices,( Gal. 6.1.) These are the symptoms and exercises of Pride in this case which we must avoid, if we would be so happy ourselves as to enjoy the perpetual presence, and good influences of the Holy Spirit upon us. Let us consider, the Scripture says of God, He knows the proud afar off: And God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly, And when it is said, God regardeth the lowly, and the meek will he guide in judgement, the meek he will teach his way: These expressions may assure us, that the Holy Spirit requires a meek and humble disposition and state of mind, where he will dwell and bestow his Divine Gifts and Operations. We must take great care, then, at all times, that no instance of Pride do displease him, and provoke him to abandon us. This is the course which we must observe, to enjoy the Blessed saving Operations of the Holy Spirit. And certainly for so happy, so important, and so necessary Favours it is highly worth our while to do all that we can. Which God of his Infinite Mercy grant we may do, and with great success, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ: To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour, and Glory, World without End. Amen. THE PRAYER. ALmighty and most Glorious God! Oh God the Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon us miserable Sinners. We must with shane before thee confess, that we are dark and ignorant, weak and foolish, polluted and guilty. We cannot of ourselves do any thing that is good, and we find a lamentable proneness in us to do Evil: Too often, and too easily are we lead captive by the Laws of Sin and Death. We condemn, we abhor ourselves before thee for these things, and are exceedingly grieved and wearied with the burden of our Sins. We humbly present ourselves unto thee, who art, O Lord, the Lover, and the great physician of our Souls, who hast the words of Eternal Life. Oh quicken our dead Souls unto a New and Divine Life. Let us be transformed into what is most pleasing to thee by the renewing of our minds. O Lord, illuminate us with all necessary and saving Knowledge, grant us to have a right judgement in all things, give us a lively and effectual Faith, such as may purify our Hearts and govern our Lives: shed abroad the Love of God in our Hearts; fill us we humbly beseech thee with Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance, and whatever thou delightest in: That we may ever be pleasing to thee, and may ever enjoy thy happy Presence, and Communion. Pardon, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee all our Affronts of thee, all our neglects of thy good Motions, our opposition and resistance to thy Grace, which we now most hearty deplore; and with great indignation condemn ourselves for them. And from henceforth be thou pleased to take possession of us, to dwell in us: chase out of us all thine Enemies, and whatsoever is displeasing to thee. Let no Iniquity have dominion over us. enable us to mortify the deeds of the Body, that we may not obey the dictates and lusts of that, but may be always ready and disposed to obey thy Godly Motions. Let us be filled with Righteousness, who hunger and thirst after it, while we diligently seek and wait for it in attendance upon thy Sacred Ordinances. Oh Adorable and Blessed Spirit! We pray thee have pity upon the wretched World which lies in Wickedness, and find out ways effectually to turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Drive away every evil tyrannous Spirit, and rule thou in the Hearts of Men, that Order and Peace may flourish in the World, and Mankind may Adore and Praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and love one another. Bless the Christian Church with an abundant measure of thy Grace; that all those who call themselves Christians may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things: Purge thy Church we pray thee from all false Doctrine, heresy, and Schism, from Envy, Hatred, Malice, and all Uncharitableness. We pray thee bless these Nations unto which we belong, and prosper that part of thy Church planted among us; Let the Gates of Hell never prevail against it. Let us ever plentifully enjoy thy pure Ordinances, and give them a mighty Influence, and Power amongst us to the promoting of all true Piety and virtue: Grant us always to live in thy Love and Peace, that the God of Love and Peace may be with us. We pray thee dwell abundantly in our Sovereign Lord the King, and in all that are set in Authority under him, that they may truly and indifferently minister Justice to the punishment of Wickedness and 'vice, and the maintenance and promoting of thy true Religion and virtue. Dwell in the Bishops, and Pastors of our Church, that they may be burning and shining Lights in their several Stations; Faithful, and Industrious in the discharge of their Office; in all things a good Example to the Flock, and Instrumental to turn many to Righteousness. We pray thee possess the Hearts of all our Relations, Friends, and Benefactors, and even of our Enemies; forgive them and turn their Hearts: Make us duly thankful for all thy Mercies, for those of this day in particular: Grant us to make a right and good use of all. Keep us we pray thee in safety this Night, and be our Guide and counselor all our Days; Let us rejoice evermore in thy most Holy Comfort. All we ask through the Mediation of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be Honour, and Glory, Word without End. OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE Future Punishments REPRESENTED. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Matth. 25.46. former part. And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment. OUR Blessed Saviour having, from the 31st Verse of this Chapter, given a large and particular account of the great Day of Universal judgement: He sets down in this Verse, what will be the important Issue and Result of it. This, he says, shall be, that those who are Wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment: And those who shall be found Righteous in that Day, shall be received into Everlasting Life, or Happiness. These two different Fates will be the event of the Last judgement, and will include all Mankind. To one or other of these do all human Actions tend, and every one of us must be finally disposed. In a few words has our Saviour here comprehended, what all that we can say of them cannot fully express. And tho these things are soon spoken so generally, yet it will require an eternity to gain any proportionable conception of them. But we may now, if we will consider these things well, understand and conceive so much of them as to see, that the evils on the one side are incomparably greater, and more terrible than all the Afflictions and Calamities of this Life; and that the good things on the other side do as much excel all the good things of this World: Which to know and consider well is highly necessary, and may be very useful to us. If we apprehended those to be the greatest evils, and good things which shall finally and eternally reward our evil and good Actions in this Life( as upon a due consideration of them we cannot choose but do) then we shall be most concerned to avoid the one sort, and obtain the other of them; which is the true Wisdom and Interest of this our present Life. At present let us consider, that which is represented in our Text, the final sad Portion of wicked Men: These shall go away into everlasting Punishment. Which words present us with these two Heads of Meditation; the future Punishment of sinners, and the duration of that Punishment; so that, they require I should insist upon these two Heads of Discourse on this Subject. 1. To represent what will be the final Punishment of wicked Men. 2. To show the Importance and Truth of what is here said of it, That it will be Everlasting. At this time I shall represent, as fully as I can in a short Discourse, what will be the final Punishment of Wicked Men. And I shall leave out all that has been said to this matter, which seems to have no Foundation, but uncertain conjecture, and keep to the Intimations of Holy Scripture concerning it. But let us, I beseech you, apply very serious and attentive Thoughts to so important a Subject: We are going to inquire, what will be the certain end and consequence of a life of Wickedness: To see what a dismal Fate many thousands of careless, and obstinate sinners have already brought themselves to; and what every wretched Man who lives in any known, wilful, and presumptuous Sin is also tending to. We are now to look by Faith into the Eternal Prisons of the Damned, that we may by this view be deterred from following those ways which led to Perdition: That by seeing the sad end of other Mens Folly we may learn Wisdom; and that their Misery may occasion our Happiness. Now from the Holy Scriptures, we are allowed to represent the future Punishments under these Three Heads. 1. The Conditions or Nature of the Place of Punishment. 2. The sad and uncomfortable Society which will be there. 3. The State and Disposition of Mind which every Damned Person will be for ever under. Let us consider First, What is the Nature and Condition of the place of Punishment which is prepared for Sinners, according to what the Holy Scripture tells us concerning it. And since it is a place of Punishment, where Divine Almighty Justice executes deserved Wrath and Vengeance, we may justly believe it must needs be a very dismal place. It was first prepared we are told for the Devil and his Angels. When they rebelled against their Maker, and sovereign, and became unworthy to hold any longer the Honour and Happiness of his Presence and Glory in Heaven, then was this place prepared to receive them; where they are to be punished as their Wickedness does deserve. And without doubt, the nature and state of the Place is such, as to be very suitable to such a Design. And there are two things, the most certain and considerable, which the Holy Scripture expressly, and particularly tells us concerning this Place. 1. That it is a place of horrid Darkness. Our Saviour, speaking of the final Punishment which the hardened unbelieving Jews should bring themselves to, says, They should be cast into outer Darkness,( Mat. 8.12.) In the 30th Verse of this Chapter, He teaches us under the Person of the Wicked and Unprofitable Servant, That Wicked Men shall after the Trial of the Last judgement, be cast into outer Darkness. St. judas also speaks of Darkness, as that which Punishes Apostate Angels, in the 6th Verse of his Epistle, and shall punish Wicked Men, in the 13th Verse, To whom, he says, is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever. If we understand these places literally it is but reasonable; since they represent the place but such as is very suitable to the design of it. 'tis a place of Punishment, and Misery; and Darkness, is suitable to such a Design. Light is a cheerful pleasant thing; but Darkness is melancholy and sad. Without doubt a very bright Light, or Glory, will Adorn the Happy Mansions of Heaven, and make them the more happy: And so a dismal Darkness may be supposed to fully the deep Caves of Hell. We may imagine it, then, a place which shall never see the Light of this World's Sun or Moon: A horrid place which enjoys no other Light, than what may be afforded from smoky Brimstone Fires. If not, perhaps, an absolute Darkness: Tho, because it is the darkest place which God has made, it is therefore by St. judas called, according to an Hebrew phrase, the Blackness of Darkness. A gloomy dusky light we may suppose it has, because such an one seems to conduce more to the Horror of it, than a a perfect Darkness would do. And besides, 'tis more agreeable to that other property, which the Holy Scripture attributes to this sad place, which I come next to mention. 2. It is said to be filled with Fire. Our Saviour, in Mat. 18.8. intimates, That the Punishment of Sinners hereafter will be Everlasting Fire. In the 41th Verse of this Chapter, he says, The Judge( who will be himself) shall at the last judgement pronounce this sentence upon Wicked Men, Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire. And the Apostle judas says of those Sinners who were destroyed in the Flames of Sodom and Gomorrha, That they are Suffering the vengeance of Eternal Fire.( Verse 7.) Which expression must be understood of what they now endure in the other World, not of those Flames which destroyed them long ago in this World,( Hammond in loc and Tract. Hell Torments) There are some Difficulties in understanding this Fire literally; but yet ye may do it, I think, without any Imposition upon our Reason. What a sort of Fire, indeed, it is, We must not pretend to say: But that it is very different from that which we are here acquainted with, must be allowed from what is said of it. It is a Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; who we suppose are mere Spirits, and therefore it is such, as is able to afflict a Spirit with a sense of Torment and Pain. And such, too, it must be, that it may affect and punish the separate Souls of Men, while their Bodies yet remain dissolved into Dust: as St. judas says, it does torment the Souls of the wretched People of Sodom. It is also a Fire which in its Nature is Everlasting, and therefore is of a different Nature from ours. This is a transient Perishing thing; wasts its own Fuel and then dies itself: But that terrible Fire, tho it will exceedingly torment, yet it will never wast the Fuel it feeds upon, nor consume the Wicked Men and Devils, who shall be thrown into it: Nor will it ever languish or go out. It is a peculiar Fire for a peculiar terrible purpose; It is something the Divine Wrath has made to be his Instrument to punish and torment his Rebellious Creatures: to afflict the Bodies and Souls of Wicked Men, and even Spirits which have no Bodies. We must suppose, then, the Wretched Creatures, who are thrown into Hell, to be plunged into a mighty Sea of flamme: The Scripture calls it a Lake of Fire and Brimstone. We may suppose the Damned Wretches pierced through with Fire: Not only scorched on their out-side, but all within on Fire, as things that lye in a Furnace are. For this dreadful place is also called a Furnace of Fire, Mat. 13.42. Oh how terrible a Place, and Punishment is prepared for Sinners! How fearful a thing is it to fall into the Hands of the Living God! Who of us can dwell with devouring Fire! Who can endure Everlasting Burnings! These Conditions of this Place being, but such as are suitable to the design of it, we may understand them literally. But if any Obstinately refuse to do so, yet they must grant thus much: That as the Holy Scripture sets out to us the Joys and Felicities of Heaven, by things that are the most pleasant, and delightful of this World; and after all we are taught, that the Joys of Heaven do incomparably excel those things: So if it makes use of things which are the most sad and grievous in this World to represent the Future Punishments by; we may reasonably suppose those Punishments will be much more grievous, than the things made use of to represent them are. And then, from the Darkness and Fires which are said to be in Hell, we may conclude, that there will be a dismal want of all Joy and Comfort there; that 'tis a sad and melancholy place, altogether contrived for Horror: And that the unhappy Creatures there dwell in perpetual, and most exquisite Tortures. The condemned Wretches, we must believe, shall enjoy nothing pleasant there: Whatever they have to delight them in this World, they shall enjoy it no more for ever. And besides this, they shall be vexed with torment and pain, which shall universally possess and afflict them: No part of the Body shall be free from the smarting Punishment, and the whole Soul shall be filled with Misery. This will be the sad end of guilty Mirth and Pleasure! This will be the final reward of that which is now gaudy, prosperous, and envied Wickedness. Thus we must believe concerning the Place of the future Punishments: It is in the nature and condition of it, such as to be a sad and terrible part of the Punishment. Let us now, in the second Place, consider the Qulifications of the wretched society there: And this we shall see is such a company as will extremely add to the Misery and Punishment of Hell. The Holy Scripture tells us, that Wicked Men shall be condemned, and thrown into the Place of Punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels; from whence we may learn, that they are to dwell with them. And so the Society of Hell is, that of Wicked Men and Devils. All the Angels that fell into Rebellion against their Maker, and all the Obstinate and Impenitent Wicked Men, that ever died such, in all Ages of the World, shall be confined together in Hell. A rueful Company this! Such as no Comfort, no Pleasure can be derived from it! No, they shall rather greatly increase the unhappiness of one another. This we must needs conclude from these two common Qualifications of them: 1. That they are all of them extremely Wicked and Malicious. 2. That they are all utterly miserable. All the Company there are extremely Wicked and Malicious, Hateful, and hating one another. All are Enemies to each other there, all is in a state of War: Perpetual Factions, and Combinations one against another, always banish Peace from thence; Eternal Discords, Furious Contentions, and uncontrolled Liberty to do Mischief reign there: And Love, and Order, and Government are things too good, too happy for Hell. The exquisite Pain and Torment which all endure, Transports them with Rage and Cruelty one against another. We may suppose them continually railing against, and reviling one another. May we not believe that the Devils insult over Damned Men, and tell them what hopes of Happiness they are fallen from, what offers of Favour and Mercy, and even of Heaven they have refused: How they fooled away a precious space of Life on Earth in which they might have gained an Everlasting Happiness: How through an Excessive and Vain Care for their Bodies, they have lost their Immortal Souls. And may we not suppose the Damned Men revenging themselves as well as they can upon these Apostate Spirits: Telling them of the Glory and Bliss which they have thrown themselves from, the Wrath and Vengeance which they, too, have pulled upon themselves: And cursing them for their false suggestions, for their Importunate Temptations, and for being greatly accessary to the ruin and Damnation of Men. And we may well believe, that wicked Men will be but a very vexatious and uneasy Company to one another there. Those Companions in Wickedness, who were the most pleasing to each other here, will be some of the most odious and ungrateful there. This seems to be suggested by our Saviour's Parable, concerning the rich Man thrown at his Death into Hell,( Luke 16.) whom he represents, as concerned, that his Brethren might not come into that place of torment. Those who tempted and encouraged one another to do wickedly, who hardened each other into a contempt and defiance of all good Instruction and wholesome Reproof, will there hate and rage against one another, for these things, when they are all come to the sad end of their wickedness, which before they despised. Those that were known to each other here, if they are known there too, as 'tis likely they are, may, upon many accounts, be very uneasy and grievous to one another. He, who by fair Pretences covered a false and hypocritical Heart, and made a shift to pass for a Saint among some on Earth, must be sadly abashed to be found at last among the damned crew in Hell, by them who knew his Godly Pretences here. Some few of the Company there will be such as have been Emperors and Kings on Earth, and renowned Captains and Commanders: Some of them have been vastly rich, and some dignified and noble: But all these will be huddled and confounded among the vulgar Fry of Mortals there: These will be levelled with their Vassals, with those they have commanded or disdained, yea, and be subject to their contempt and reproaches. No Order, no respect of Persons is observed there; none will pity and compassionate another in Hell; this soft and kind Temper comes not there. Every one feels so much misery, as that no one is at leisure, neither is any one disposed for love and condolence. Those that made themselves uneasy to one another here, by their mutual Hatred, and frequent Provocations and Injuries, will continue Enemies, and continue to exercise all the Malice that they can against one another there. These things are the natural Products and Effects of extreme Wickedness, which is always malicious and prove to mischief. But from hence the wretched Company in Hell must needs be very vexatious to one another. What a torment may we easily imagine it must be, for implacable and furious Enemies to be confined together! for them to be shut up in one close Prison, who are filled with Envy, Malice and Rage against one another; who will only vex and torment one another. The straightness of their Prison, perhaps, will not allow, that any of them may retire from the rest, to lament his own Miseries alone, and be free from the Vexations of others. Secondly, This Society will be very uneasy to one another upon this account also, That they all are perfectly miserable. Every one there, dwells amongst a company of miserable and complaining Creatures. Every one is surrounded with only such; which way soever they look they can see none but spectacles of Horror. It must, sure, be easy for us to apprehended, that it is a terrible thing to dwell with those who are in continual Torment. We are commonly infected with the Sorrows of those whom we converse with; and it makes us sad and Melancholy to sit among those that are so. Certainly, then, it will be a very dismal thing to be confined in this dark and gloomy House of Mourning; amid eternal Howlings, rueful complaints of tortured and despairing Creatures! What a harsh and frightful sound will the mixture of their Shrieks, their Groans, and their Ravings make! What a ghastly Spectacle will it be to see one another surrounded with Flames, pierced through with Fire, and in all parts on a flamme! To see the woeful distorted looks by which each one is forced to betray the Torments that he feels! Thus the Damned Creatures, like burning Coals, burn all the more, and all are the more miserable for their being consin'd together in their Misery. I have spoken of seeing and hearing and feeling in Hell, as what may agree even to the separate Souls of the Damned when they are without their Bodies: Because, as external Objects here were brought to the notice of the Mind in several ways, by the several sences, while the Soul lived in a Body, so the Objects in that sad place may be so ordered, as that they may immediately make such Impressions upon the Soul, without the bodily sences, as were conveyed by the sences, and thus make themselves sensible and perceived. And so it might be, that the separate Soul of the rich Man in the Parable might complain of the torment of Thirst, and wish for a cool drop of Water; that is, his Soul might have such an uneasy impression made upon it there, as would have been conveyed to it by a feverish Thirst of the Body, and might wish for an alloy and refreshment to be communicated in the same way. And while human Souls from their frame and constitution do receive the Impressions or Notices of External Objects in those several ways and manners by which our sences convey them while we live in the Body; and other Spirits have perhaps some other way of receiving those Notices, and it may be but one way of perceiving all things, or the properties of things, this may be supposed as a main difference between human Souls and other created Spirits. Thus we have seen the outward part of their condition who are thrown into Hell: What external Woes and Miseries shall afflict them. I come now to speak to the Third Head of that Punishment which I mentioned. Which I said lies in the unhappy State and Disposition of Mind which every Damned Wretch shall be under. Let us now take notice of his internal Miseries. And these, I think, we may justly believe, as they are more near, and intimate to him, so they are more sensible, and yet more tormenting, than all that has yet been mentioned. And there are these three things which make up the unhappy State of his Mind, and do exceedingly add to his Misery, and Punishment. 1. His Violent and Tyrannous Lusts and Passions. The wretched hardened Sinner was abandoned to his own Vices and Passions, and he went out of the World possessed and governed by these; therefore he must remain subject and enslaved to them for ever. And Wicked Lusts and Passions are the disorders, the painful distempers of the Soul: They discompose its pleasing Harmony and disturb its easy Peace; they deform it, and fill it with Discords and Confusions. In the Nature of them, they deprive a Man of all Tranquillity and Peace, they make him even a Torment to himself, and he that is subject to them can have no enjoyment of himself. Hell, in a very sensible part of it, begins with Sin, and the Torments of it increase upon a Man as his Soul is more, and more enslaved to Wickedness. It is a Torment which attends every Lust and Passion, that it fills the Wretched Soul with violent and unsatiable Desires: And there cannot well be a greater Torment, than Violent Desire; But this the Damned Creatures are condemned to endure for ever: To desire a multitude of things, with the whole force of the Soul too, but to be crost, and disappointed of all that they desire. The Will remains and wishes for good, and pines, and languishes in the want of it; for it meets, alas, with nothing but evil. The Wretched Sinner had his Soul perhaps enslaved to sensual Pleasure: And when it goes out of the Body it retains still this sordid and mean propensity. For tho' we may observe that in some very mortifying distempers of the Body, the Appetites to some sensual Pleasures, and the relish of them seem to be lost, yet in that case we shall find in the voluptuous Sinner, a discontent even for the loss of his Appetite to those Pleasures which he formerly doted on. This distemper seems to dwell still in the mind, and may live there even when it decays and dies in the Body, with the Decay and Death of that. The Sinner, then, may even in Hell desire and wish for his sensual delights which are all past and gone, and never shall be repeated any more. He may upon this account feel a torment like a Hunger never satisfied, or an unquenchable Thirst. And his Memory will afflict him, by calling to to mind past frolics and Pleasures which are now past for ever. Tho he remembers his guilty frolics with remorse, and the causes of his present Misery, yet he cannot choose but wish, as he did while he was in them, that they would have endured for ever. He thinks with regret and rage how soon they were all gone: And mourns when he considers that such transient, such short and fading delights, were all the Portion of good that he, an Immortal Being, shall ever enjoy. From frustrated and vain, yet violent desire, the Sinner must needs conceive an unspeakable sorrow, and this like a heavy load will oppress him: He feels pure unmixed sorrow, such as has not the least alloy of comfort or Hope. This we may learn will be the sad case of Sinners in Hell, from our Saviours telling us often, That there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. They live in doleful anguish of mind, they can perceive, they can think of nothing but what gives them grief and sorrow. They mourn when they consider what they have been, and what they are: What they might have attained and enjoyed, and what they must now endure for ever. And it is very likely, that the Sinners in Hell are transported with a vain rage against Almighty God, who deals so severely with them; For we may observe what rage, what defiance of Heaven will sometimes possess such Men here, when they meet with any considerable Affliction, or but a Contradiction to their unreasonable Will and Humour. And if he is possessed with such anger and rage, there it will most exquisitely torment him, because it is vain and feeble. The Sinner in Hell cannot humbly submit to his griefs, nor take his Afflictions patiently, and so make them the more easy and tolerable to himself: He has never been wont to submit his will to the will and disposal of God, and therefore, to be sure, cannot do this now. He will therefore be always in a vain contest with one that is too mighty for him; always struggling with Adamantine Chains of Fate, which for all his struggling hold him fast. He is tormented with Envy too, we may believe, against the happy Inhabitants of Heaven. And with Envy and Disdain, sees some honoured whom he despised, some justified whom he condemned, some applauded whom he slandered and reproached: And some blessed and happy whom he persecuted, yea blessed for those very persecutions which they suffered from him, while he is condemned, and tormented for inflicting them. Thus a passionate, and vicious mind may be a severe torment to itself: And the Sinner in Hell will be a continual torment to himself, as he will continually desire to have what he shall never obtain, and wish he could avoid what he is eternally confined to. This leads me to mention, 2. Another torment of his mind which he shall endure in Hell, and that is a very bitter Despair. His own thoughts tell him there, that all the evils he meets with he must endure for ever: And he lies continually thinking on the Eternity of his Misery. Whatever grieves and vexes him, has this Additional sting from his own despairing mind, that it shall for ever so grieve and vex him. Are all his loved Pleasures and Joys gone? His own mind assures him they are gone for ever! Does he see himself condemned to a dismal place? Does he feel himself confined to a most vexatious Society? Does he feel himself universally afflicted with unspeakable Torment? All this his sad thoughts tell him he must endure for ever. As his condition is truly desperate, and remediless; so he knows this. And despair, accordingly, has got a full possession of his Soul, and afflicts him with all its bitterness: He is not able to flatter, to deceive himself with hope: He cannot gain there so much alloy, and ease, as even a false hope would afford: No, whatever he believes now concerning the duration of those Torments, he will then be assured that they shall last for ever: He will always remember the terrible sentence of the Judge, which has doomed him to everlasting Fire. And by his thus continually thinking on the Eternity of his Misery, he Afflicts himself with what is to come, as well as with what he actually endures: And gathers as it were into every moment of his duration, the Terror and Torment of an Eternal Misery. As hope can alleviate the heaviest Griefs, and give some ease under the smartest Pains, so Despair will make the lightest evil heavy and intolerable: How much more, then, must it needs aggravate the severe Torments of Hell. Lastly, There is another thing which will add yet much more to the Misery of Hell, and that is, the Self-condemnations and Rebukes of the Sinners own Conscience. This is what the Holy Scripture means by the Worm that never dies, which it tells us will be part of the Torment there. Tho the condemned Sinner be angry with God, who, he thinks, deals unjustly, or too severely with him; yet he is angry with himself too, for exposing himself to the terrible Wrath of God, and for provoking against himself, one that is too strong for him; who has him now at his Mercy, and who, he is sure, will show him no Mercy. He must blame himself for his Misery on these accounts, that he has pulled it upon himself by choosing the course which has brought him to it, and that he might have avoided it if he would. If any one could lay his misery on the score of an eternal Decree, which had determined him to it before he was born: This would exasperate the proud Creature into a Blasphemous rage against God under so exquisite Torments. But it would also deliver him from the Rebukes of his own Conscience. His Misery then would be his Destiny and Fate, not his own mad and foolish choice. But this is not the case of any one. God determines none but Sinners to everlasting Misery, and never passes an irreversible Decree of Punishment on them till they die impenitent. So that this will be the Condemnation which every Sinner will be liable to, that he has ruined and destroyed himself: And when he is in Hell, he will be ever tormented with such stinging thoughts as these. Whatever I endure here I must blame none but myself for it! I have brought myself to all this Misery. I was obstinately set upon the course which brought me hither, And when I had sinned and deserved these things, there was Favour and Mercy offered me, upon the conditition of leaving my Sins, but I refused it. I have sold my Soul for nought! I have lost myself in the pursuit of very Trifles! Oh how vain, how worthless are all those Pleasures, those Profits, and those Honours, for which I incurred my Damnation! If all the Kingdoms of the World, and the Glory of them had been offered me, and I could have enjoyed them all for as many Millions of years, as there are Sands on the Sea shore; yet I had been a Fool, if all this would have courted me to make myself everlastingly miserable! O how much more am I such, who for a few moments transient Enjoyments of a very small portion of the World, that is past with me, have sold myself to everlasting Destruction! Thus will the Condemned Sinner's own mind lash and torment himself. And a very grievous torment it is for a Man to be angry and quarrel with himself. It is especially, a very sad case with the Sinner in Hell, who has God his very terrible Enemy; Is confined amongst Devils and Wicked Men, his Cruel Enemies; and he is at the same time an Enemy to himself too. No one else will pity him, nor can he pity himself; and whatever Woes and Torments he endures, he redoubles, and improves them all with this spiteful thought, all this have I brought upon myself. And in Hell these lashes and rebukes will give him no intermission, because they will continually be provoked and edged with the Miseries, which he shall there continually endure. Thus I have briefly represented the future Punishments of Sinners: And I doubt not but it has been done very imperfectly: I believe they are such as we cannot now conceive what they will be. But if I have said too much of them, and if they are not so terrible as they are represented, it would be safest to err on this hand, since the effect of this would be but to render us the more careful to avoid them. And without doubt it is better, that we should fear the worst that can be said, than that we feel the least that can be true. Let us seriously consider what has been said, that it may beget in us such a fear of God, as to make us depart from all Iniquity. Which God of his infinite Mercy Grant through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. Amen. THE PRAYER. GReat and Glorious God! Thou art the supreme, and Rightful Judge and Governor of the World. Thou rulest it with Wisdom, and thou Judgest it with Equity: Thou lovest Righteousness, and hatest Iniquity. We must needs acknowledge, O Lord, that our Sins do deserve to be exceeding vile and odious ●n thy sight. Oh what Enormity can we see in them! and much more of it must be Obvious and Offensive to the pure Eyes of thy Glory, When we seriously consider them, what Unrighteousness and Injustice appears in them towards a Just and Righteous God! What falsehood and treachery is there in them against the God of Truth! What affront, and contempt of the Majesty of Heaven, whom the highest Orders of Glorious Angels Reverence and Adore! Oh what Ingratitude is there in them against the most free, and the most abundant Goodness! And how exceedingly are our Sins aggravated by their mighty number, by our frequent repetitions of them! By the very small and contemptible Inducements, which have drawn us to commit them! O Lord, we are even confounded to think how easily we have been drawn into our Rebellion against thee! How we have exercised and despised thy Patience and Forbearance of us, and have encouraged ourselves to do wickedly still, by that which should have lead us to Repentance. O Lord, we must own thou art altogether just in designing the most terrible Punishments for such guilty Creatures. And we shall deserve to endure worse things than we can now conceive or imagine, if we will persevere in our Wickedness to the end. O Lord, of thy infinite Mercy spare us: Let thy mighty Grace prevent our ruin. Pardon our past Sins, and turn us from the way that leads to Perdition: From all Evil and Mischief, from Sin, from the Crafts and Assaults of the Devil, from thy Wrath, and from Everlasting Damnation, good Lord deliver us. Blessed be thy Name, thou hast been so kind and gracious, as to reveal and discover to us the terrible Punishments designed for Sinners, that we might avoid them. O Lord, we pray thee, possess us with a due and wholesome fear of thee, and of thy Judgments: Make us, as we ought, to fear above all things, thy Wrath, that so we may take care to avoid it, and may depart from all Iniquity. Let the sad event, and end of Wickedness be much in our thoughts; that it may help us to mortify our most beloved Sins. Let us always remember, that the wages of Sin is eternal Death, tho the Pleasure and Profits of it, are all but for a very short season. Let us not so greedily pursue, nor so excessively enjoy the things of this World, as to provoke thee to put us off with these. Let us not follow a multitude to do evil, nor choose the broad road which leads down to Perdition: But direct us to find the narrow way, and assist us to enter in at the straight Gate, which leads to Life Everlasting. Direct us O Lord, in the wise, the safe, and happy way of thy Commandments. writ thou thy Law in our Hearts, that we may never depart from it: And do thou graciously pardon all our unwilling failings and defects, and accept our sincere but poor services, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ. We humbly pray to thee, O Lord, for all Mankind, that they may all be brought from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God. We pray thee look in Mercy upon thy Church, cleanse, and defend it from all Evil, and grant that every Member of it may so discharge the duties of his place and station, as may be for the Honour of our Religion, for the Peace and Welfare of the whole Body of Christ, and to thy Glory. We earnestly beg thy favour to the Land of our Nativity: Oh pardon our crying Sins, turn us from every evil way, make us to love and practise the True Religion, and be thou, we pray thee, our defence against all the Enemies of thy True Religion established amongst us. Bless, and direct, and assist thy Servant, and our Sovereign Lord the King; make him a glorious Instrument of thy Churches Prosperity and Peace, and give Him Prosperity and Peace with it. Do good abundantly to the Royal Family, due them plenteously with Heavenly Gifts, prosper them with all Happiness, and let us be always blessed in them. We pray for all that are related to us; Oh let them live in thy sight, let their ways be directed to keep thy Statutes, and bring them at last to thy Heavenly Kingdom. We give thee thanks for all thy Mercy and Goodness towards us, particularly for the Means of Grace which we have this day enjoyed; O let them become by thy Blessing, the Effectual means of our Salvation. We humbly commit ourselves to thy Gracious keeping this Night, we pray thee let no evil come near us. Let our Nights be spent in tranquillity and safety, and our days in thy excellent service, and do thou accept us in Jesus Christ our mediator and Advocate, with whose most comprehensive Words, we conclude our poor Addresses, saying, OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE ETERNITY OF THE Future Punishments ILLUSTRATED and proved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Matth. 25.46. former part. And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment. IT has pleased the Great governor of the World, very justly, to require our Homage and Obedience, as the Condition of enjoying his Favour, and our Happiness thereby. And to enforce that Obedience, that we might enjoy his Favour and be blessed in it, he has represented to us the Terrors of his Anger, and declared how severely he has determined to punish Obstinate, and Impenitent Sinners. This he has so fully revealed and declared, as is sufficient, if we consider what he has said, to give us as full and complete a conception of the Future Punishments as we can possibly attain without feeling them. This method of the Divine Wisdom and Goodness is very fit to have a mighty force and power upon us. It is reasonable we should fear what he threatens, and that it should restrain or divert us from those things which it is threatened against. But so foolish we are and easy to be deluded, that the adversary of our Souls finds out ways to hinder this. He who endeavours to bring us under the sad evils that are threatened, is able in many Men to stifle or weaken the Fear of them. This he does for the most part, by keeping Men from a sober consideration of these things. He fills their Minds with other thoughts, and Industriously keeps them entertained with the Cares and Pleasures of this World. And he easily obtains the diverting of their Minds from the thoughts of such things as these: Because, as the sins of Men are very agreeable to their corrupt Inclinations they are of themselves loth to consider or believe how displeasing they are to Almighty God, and how mischievous they are likely to prove themselves. But if he cannot always prevent a Man from looking forward, and bethinking himself, at least in some starts of thought, what is likely to be the Event and Consequence of his Course of Living: Then, that yet he may not be much alarmed, this Enemy endeavours to soften the future Punishments, and represent them with as little terror as he can. He helps the bold wit of Man to find out plausible pretences to believe, that God does not mean to fulfil the utmost severity of his threatenings in this matter: and by wit so employed, he truly helps a Man certainly to befool himself, and perhaps some others. This Discourse is intended, if it may please God, to frustrate both these Arts of the Adversary upon some. By calling to mind, and reviving the thoughts and consideration of the future Punishments in as many as it shall be communicated to; and by representing to them these Punishments in their true weight and terror, so far as we may learn this from the Holy Scripture. It has therefore been said, that the words of our Text do afford us Two Heads of Meditation on this Subject. The First, Concerning the Nature and Kind of the Punishment which is prepared and designed for Wicked Men in the other World. The Second, concerning the duration of that Punishment; for the Text says, they shall go away from the judgement of the Great Day into Punishment, and that Punishment shall be Everlasting. The former of these I have already insisted on and finished. And I thought fit to represent the Future Punishment under these Three Heads. 1. It consists partly in the Nature of the Place: Which I said the Holy Scripture speaks of, as sullied with a gloomy Darkness, and as filled with Fire. It is certainly destitute of all things comfortable and pleasant, and also furnished with that which is exceedingly tormenting and grievous. 2. It consists in the Qualifications of the Society which are met with there. These will be the Apostate Angels and Sinful Men: All very uneasy and vexatious to one another, by their extreme Wickedness and Malice, and by their common Misery. 3. It consists also partly in the Wretched State and Disposition of the Sinners own mind there. Who will be vehemently tormented with the violence of his own Passions and Lusts, with his most bitter and perfect despair, and with the eternal rebukes of his own Conscience, the gnawings of the never dying Worm. I shall make no more redemption of what was then said; But proceed to the second part of the Discourse: To say what is necessary concerning the duration of this terrible Punishment, which, if it be rightly stated, it will add very much to the terror of the Punishment. And on this Head I purpose to Illustrate a little the import and meaning of this Expression, that we may have the larger, and more effectual apprehensions concerning it: And to prove also the Truth of what shall be represented as the import and meaning of it. We may, then, observe that these Three things following may be reckoned included in this, that it is said to be Everlasting. 1. That there will be no interval or intermission of the Torments of Hell. 2. That they will never abate or decay. 3. That they will never come to an end. These Three things I shall a little insist upon, but chiefly on the last of them. 1. The future Miseries designed for the Punishment of Sinners, will know no intervals or intermissions. As they are to be Everlasting, they will be continual. They will give the condemned Wretches no respite from vexation and torment, no moments of ease or repose. No beam of cheerful Light can ever pierce into that dark World: And the sad Night there is without any rest or sleep. The Fire will continually torment, and the Worm of Conscience continually gnaw; they will constantly despair all of them, and be constantly vexatious and uneasy to one another. Never will the Ears be free from the loud sounds of doleful complaints: Never will the Eyes cease to be afflicted with ghastly and horrid spectacles. In this Life those that are most unhappy, yet have some intervals of Good to alloy the evils they meet with; and there is a mixture of some good in our Condition however evil it is: But there is nothing in Hell but pure unmixed and continual Misery: So the wretches there can at no time entertain themselves with any thing that can divert or deceive their Woes and Sorrows. This the Holy Scripture very plainly teaches us. St. John speaking of those who shall be thrown into that dismal place of Punishment, says,( Rev. 14.10, 11.) They shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, and shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone: And they shall have no rest day nor night. He means their Torment shall be incessant: And as day and night do perfectly measure the time of this World, and without any interval succeed each other, so their Torments shall without any intermission or respite, measure out their long abode in this place of Punishment. Our Blessed Saviour also may be understood to suggest the same thing in his Parable of the Luxurious and Unmerciful Rich Man, who was thrown into Hell. Whom he represents as in great Torment, and begging for a little refreshment but could obtain none. No, he could not obtain so short and small a Refreshment, as that of one poor drop of Water, to cool his Tongue for a Moment: as we see, Luke 16.24. There will not be any intermissions of Torment, then, as the foolish Jews imagine: Who have a fancy among them, that when they begin their Sabbath on Earth, there is a signal given in Hell, and the wretched Creatures there are released from their Tortures; but when their Sabbath is ended they must return to them again. This is a very vain imagination, and has no Ground or Foundation in Holy Scripture, nor does need a Confutation. 2 We must understand from the Word Everlasting in the Text, that the Torments of Hell will continue without any abatement or decay. As that Fire will never go out, we are to believe it will never languish or decay. It is made of a more lasting Nature, than that which we are acquainted with. This is a Temporary World, and all things here are subject to alterations: But that is an eternal one, and all things in it are steady and unchangeable. The Wrath of God towards the Condemned Wretches will not abate; there will be nothing to diminish that: Which is that Breath of the Lord, as the Prophet speaks, that kindles the infernal Flames. The behaviour of the abandoned Sinners under their Misery, is more likely to inflame and increase, than abate it. The Almighty can never be weary of Punishing. The Divine Wrath, then, will keep up the everlasting Fire continually in all its Vigour and Fury: And as long as their Misery endures their own self-tormenting thoughts will continue to afflict them too. And the Sinners sense of their Miseries will not grow less by their continuance; they will not in Hell acquire any such virtue, as Patience to fortify, and compose their minds under their Afflictions. Nor will they ever gain the least glimpse of hope to alloy their sorrows. They never have the less to endure for any thing which they have already endured, and therefore they have not the thoughts of that to comfort them. Since their Punishment is Everlasting, it will never be near to an end, therefore will never either the hopes, or the approach of that abate their sorrows. Tho the weary traveller is most tired at his Journeys end, yet he is comforted and forgets his weariness, when he is come within a short prospect of his home. But it is not so with the Damned, they have never any prospect of an end of their Miseries to abate their sense of them. They expect nothing but their continuance, and that they will continue in all their extremity, as well as in their duration. We may observe our Saviour represents the Wicked Rich Man in Hell as denied the least refreshment, and even the most transient one that could be imagined. As the Damned shall never be favoured with one Moments absolute and perfect Rest, so they shall neither have any degrees of rest, or any refreshment to abate or relax their unspeakable Torments. 3. The last thing mentioned as included in the Word Everlasting is, That the Torment and Misery of the Damned in Hell shall never come to an end. On this I shall somewhat longer insist, to Illustrate and Prove it. And how considerable! How terrible is this! The Torment and Miseries of the Damned shall never come to an end! We should often and deliberately consider so weighty a thing, that it might have its due and suitable impression upon us. It is what nearly concerns us all; for this is what we have deserved by our Sins; and what we are in great danger of falling into, as we are surrounded with temptations to Sin. That which will never end when it is once begun, and which will quickly begin with us, if it be not prevented by a speedy Repentance deserves to be very soberly thought upon. Let us, then, fix our thoughts a while upon this matter at present, the rather if any of us have never yet seriously considered this important matter. Let us consider a little the vastness of an endless Duration. Oh unmeasurable! Oh amazing Eternity! While we strive to fathom it with our thoughts it is still vastly deeper than they can reach: While we strive to express it in words all, tho words that we can say beside can never exhaust the full meaning of this one Word Eternity. No space of time, not even the longest that we can imagine is able to measure this duration. If we should compute, and reckon up how many grains of Sand there are in the whole Earth, and should put together so many Millions of Years, all that mighty Number would not be able near to reach Eternity. If we should suppose the whole space between the Earth, and the highest Skies, consisting of many Thousand Miles in Diameter, all filled with grains of the smallest Sand: And an Angel were appointed to take from this heap one grain of Sand in an Hundred Thousand Years, it would be a very long space of time, we must think before that whole heap would be removed: Yet would not this long space of time be able near to reach the duration of the Sinners Torments in Hell. Yea, if we suppose that whole space of time, how great soever it is to be repeated, and multiplied as often as there would be single grains in that large heap: Yet would not all this be able to measure out the duration of the Sinners Torments in Hell. Neither can we suppose all this to be the one half of Eternity; no nor a quarter, nor an Hundredth part of it! All this would bear no proportion to it! When the wretched Sinners have lain thus long in Misery, they have still as long to lye there as ever they had, as even at the first moment of their falling into it. Eternity does not wast at all as time does: There is not the less duration to come for all that is past, because the duration will never be at an end. The Sinners are not at all nearer an end of their Punishment after all this, nor will ever be nearer an end of it, than they were when they first fell into it! They will always have an Eternity of Torments to expect and endure! And this is the very Hell of Hell, this is that which is most terrible in it! Oh how should this at present amaze, and affect us! But this is that which Men are most loth to believe of the Future Punishments: And tho it be most evidently and expressly taught us in Holy Scripture yet they find out Cavils against it: As indeed it is easy for the wit of Men to do, so as to baffle and confounded itself, even in the most evident, and clearest matters. I shall therefore endeavour the confirmation of this Truth, that the future Punishment of Sinners shall never come to an end. This, for method sake, I shall attempt under these Three Heads of Discourse. 1. I shall make it appear, that the Persons of the Damned shall endure for ever. 2. That their Punishment shall also continue for ever. 3. I shall answer some of the chief Objections against this Truth. I begin with the first of these; To prove that the Persons of the Damned shall endure for ever. This I do because some would persuade themselves and others, that the condemned Wretches shall be consumed in the Fire of Hell, and be turned into nothing. Against which vain imagination these things may be urged. It is evident that Mankind were in their Original Constitution designed to endure for ever; we were made with immortal Souls for this purpose: And this is the Excellency and Dignity of our Natures. It is therefore hard to imagine, that God should ever turn to nothing again any such Creatures, and certainly is not to be believed, unless he has expressly said it, as we shall find he has not. It is not suitable to the Wisdom and Power of God to alter and change his designs and purposes. Further; According to this design of our endless Duration, the Holy Scripture plainly tells us, there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just, and of the Unjust. The Bodies of Wicked Men shall be raised again, and reunited to their Immortal Souls. And it is the common condition of the Resurrection, that what before was Corruptible shall then become Incorruptible, and the Mortal Bodies of Men, shall become Immortal. All shall rise again with spiritual Bodies, and in that respect be as the Angels in Heaven, as our Saviour intimates in his discourse on this Subject with the Sadducees. But what can we imagine this is for, but that they shall endure for ever? Can we think that the Bodies of Wicked Men are raised Immortal, only to appear before the Tribunal, where they shall be judged, and then immediately, or after a little while, to be consumed in the Flames of Hell? But farther, The place of Punishment, and the Instruments of their Torment, are every where in Scripture said to be such as endure for ever. The Fire is everlasting Fire: The Blackness of Darkness that shall endure for ever: And the Worm death not. But can we imagine that, he who prepared not Hell but for sinful Creatures should continue that when they are consumed and are no more? Is it to be imagined, that an everlasting Fire is prepared to consume, and not rather to torment for ever without consuming? And let us observe what is meant by the Worm which death not: This must be allowed to signify the Sharp rebukes and upbraidings of the Sinners own Conscience, blaming himself for his own destruction. But can this Worm live when the Sinner dies? Or has he any Conscience to torment him, or can he be sensible of any such Torment as self-rebuke who ceases to be? But they who would be of this Opinion pretend to defend it from Scripture; and they urge, that the Scripture speaks of the Damned as destroyed, and perishing, and as falling under a second Death. To which it must be said, if we would rightly understand the Holy Scripture, we must let it interpret itself. And that affords these just prejudices against their Interpretation of those expressions. The Scripture speaks of the Punishment of Sinners as everlasting Punishment, particularly in our Text; But everlasting Punishment must be founded in everlasting being; for that which is not, cannot any longer be said to be punished. And it is said of Ungodly Men,( 2 Thess. 1.8, 9.) They Shall be punished with everlasting Destruction. This were a very improper way of speaking, if it means only, that they shall be everlastingly destroyed; for such cannot be said to be punished with everlasting Destrustion. And it is well enough known, that in all Languages it is very usual to say of some, that they are utterly undone, and perish when they continue still to be, but are fallen into a desperate state of Misery, from whence they have no hopes to recover. It is observable to our purpose also, that the Holy Scripture uses the Word Life alone for happy Being very frequently, as in Mat. 19.17. where our Saviours says to one. If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments? and again, in the latter clause of this verse in connexion, with our Text. Which certainly leads us to understand the Word Death in Holy Scripture of miserable Being. As for the Second Death which Sinners shall fall under it is apparent, that this is spoken of as a Punishment. Therefore of good Men, it is said, They shall not be hurt by the second death, Rev. 2.11. And the second death shall have no power over such, 'tis said, Rev. 20.6. But if this be a Punishment, it cannot mean, that those who are thrown into the Everlasting Fire, are consumed by it and turned to nothing: For by this Death they would be released from their Torments. Is it not very evident, that Punishment must rather lye in the enduring of Torment, than in being released from it? Do not these Men fall into this imagination, that Sinners shall be consumed and cease to be, as thinking it too severe, that they should be endlessly tormented? And yet will they say, 'tis a Punishment to be consumed in the Fire of Hell, and to be delivered from that Torment? But the Scripture itself plainly interprets this Phrase, the second Death, of endless Torment and Misery. In Rev. 20.10. the Apostle says, of those who should be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, That they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And in the 14th Verse of that Chapter, he says of that Lake of Fire, This is the second death. Again of several sorts of Sinners, he says, in Rev. 21.8. They shall have Their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second death, wherein he plainly calls their Torment and Misery, the second Death. So much I think may suffice to prove the first Assertion, That the Persons of the Damned shall endure for ever. The second thing to be proved is this, that their Punishment also shall endure for ever: Or they shall always be confined to a State, and Place of Torment and Misery. For some would fain believe, that the damned after the enduring a great deal of Misery in Hell, shall be released from their tortures, and translated to Happiness: Which vain Opinion has no Foundation in Scripture, but we shall meet with much there against it. Let these things following be considered. We may observe, That the word which the Holy Scripture makes use of to express the duration of these miseries by, is also often used there, to express the duration of God himself. Thus the Ancient Greek Translation, which our Saviour, and his Apostles refer to, applies the very word which is used in our Text, particularly, in Isa. 40.28. where 'tis said of God He is the everlasting God. By which it appears, that the Holy Scripture does sometimes mean by this word a duration which is without end; and a Learned critic says, there is not one place in the New Testament, where the word in the Text must be understood of a less duration. ( Hammonds Tract. Hell Torments.) Again, It is to our purpose to observe, That the same word is made use of in the other part of the Verse, where our Text is, to express the Duration of the Future Happiness which shall reward good Men. If that must be understood to be Eternal, then, we have good reason to believe this will be so too. Our Saviour speaks of both exactly in the same manner, and does not give the least intimation of any difference in the duration of them. Further, The Word which we render Everlasting does, where it is used to signify a less than endless duration, yet signify, that the thing spoken of, shall endure as long as the subject of it does endure. For instance, when the Prophet Elisha threatened Gehazi( 2 Kings 5.27.) That the leprosy of Naaman should cleave to him, and his Posterity for ever. It means, That he should be infected with that leprosy as long as he should live, and his Race or Posterity as long as they should endure. So that the word according to the lowest signification which ever belongs to it, must mean in our Text, at least, that the damned Persons shall be tormented, and suffer as long as they continue to be. If then I have proved that they shall be for ever; it follows, that they shall be tormented for ever, since our Text says, their Punishment shall be Everlasting. Further, Our Saviour forces us to believe thus of the Future Punishment of Sinners, in that large and significant expression concerning it, which we have, in Rev. 20.10. where he says of some wicked Men, that They shall be tormented for ever and ever: Which is an Expression often used in this Book, to signify the Eternity of God, and several times to signify the Duration of the Future Torments of Sinners, and is no where used in any expression where it may be understood to mean less than an endless Duration. In that Expression then, our Saviour plainly means, that the Condemned Sinners shall suffer endless Affliction and Torment by the everlasting Fire of Hell. And this is also evidently taught us, in Rev. 14.11. Where 'tis said of them, The smoke of their torment shall ascend up for ever and ever. But it cannot be, that the smoke of their Torment should ascend for ever and ever, and yet their Torment should not so endure. And when the Scripture says of them, Their Worm death not, and their Fire shall not be quenched, as Isa. 66.24. And three times in the Ninth Chapter of Mark, We must needs understand it, as meaning, that the Condemned Wretches shall always feel the rebukes of their own Consciences, and the pains of Hell. And thus I think is this matter also sufficiently proved: For it cannot well be imagined, how the Eternity of the future Torments, could be expressed in more full, plain, and significant terms than the Scripture uses, in those places which have been produced: So that the Adversaries of this Opinion cannot device any expressions which the Scripture should have used to teach us this, if it were intended we should believe it, and which it has not used, or else has used others with as much significancy as they. I proceed now in the last place to endeavour the confirmation of this, by answering the chief Objections which are urged against it: And there are some who urge, that to punish Wicked Men with Everlasting Misery and Torment, does not well agree with the Justice, or with the goodness of God. Against which Objections we have these things following to say, which I suppose will fully answer them: But at least they will deserve, that no Man should suffer himself to be influenced by them, or presume that they are true. And in the first place it is worthy to be considered, That a thing may, well enough accord with the Divine Attributes, which we cannot well apprehended to do so. As we cannot by searching find out God, we cannot find out the Almighty to Perfection; so 'tis hard for us to determine what does well agree with the Divine Attributes, and what does not. Certainly we must always reckon upon this, that he knows better what it becomes him to do than we can know it. Again, Whatever God does resolve and determine to do is certainly well enough agreeing with the Excellencies and Perfections of his Nature: For he will do nothing that is not so. And what he has very manifestly declared, he will do, we may reasonably believe does agree to him: And then, since there is so much ground in Scripture to believe, that God has determined and declared this thing. It is a very bold and unreasonable presumption to think it does not svit well with any of his Attributes to do it. Further, Whereas some pretend, it is unsuitable to the exact Justice of God to punish the short, and transient Sins of Men in this Mortal Life, with Endless Torments in another: It may serve to answer this, that no Government in the World ever thought it a Rule to be observed in Punishing, as required by Equity and Justice, that the Pain and Penalty inflicted should last no longer, than that space of time which the Crime took up in the Commission of it. Therefore have some been put to Death from whence they can never be restored, and some have been banished or Imprisoned for a long time in Punishment of Crimes, which were committed in a very small space of time. And there is good reason for this; because there are other things to be considered in the Crimes which are punished besides that: Other Circumstances may greatly heighten and aggravate the evil of them. And since Justice does require, that the Punishment be proportionate to the Nature of the Crime; it does by consequence require, that this circumstance alone should not be the Rule of Punishing. But if Men would seriously consider the vile and heinous Nature of Sin, which it derives from the excellency of the Person against whom it is committed; from the meanness of us who oppose, and affront him in all our Wickedness; from the many Obligations which we lye under to love and obey him; and from the slight and trivial inducements which draw us into Sin: I say if these things were well considered, we could not choose but think, that an eternal Punishment might be justly enough inflicted for so vile and enormous a thing. And it is because Men have a very slight opinion of the Nature of Sin, that they fancy the Punishment of it, may be less severe, than the Divine threatenings do import. We may consider again; That it is very just with God, who is an Eternal Being, to retain an eternal Hatred and Displeasure against him, who has justly provoked and deserved his displeasure. And this is acknowledged by those who suppose, that the future Punishment of Sinners does soon consume them, and turn them into nothing. Again, It must be allowed to be just, that God should give a Creature such a duration of being, as he has made it capable of, or designed it for. Since then he has given Man a being capable of Eternal duration, and seems to have designed him for it, in the first forming of him, he may justly continue his Being for ever. And then since he may justly be eternally displeased with this everlasting Creature he may justly exercise his displeasure, and punish him. The Objection from the infinite Goodness of God, is very weak and frivolous upon these accounts. We must not say, That God exercises his Goodness necessary: He is a free Agent tho he is good: And from thence can, as he pleases, exercise his goodness differently, and make some in a greater, some in a less degree partakers of it. And he can choose the Objects of Goodness; so as to exercise it towards some while he does no more exercise it towards others. And this Objection is of no force at all, unless we could suppose, that God as he is good, must needs exercise his Goodness for ever to wards all that are capable to partake of his Goodness. This is not to be said, and therefore it may be, that some Men may lye under eternal Miseries not withstanding the Goodness of God. Further, Such Beings as are naturally capable to partake of the Divine Goodness, may be legally uncapable of it: They may be condemned and put into such a State, as the great governor of the World has determined shall not partake of his Goodness. According to the settled and fixed Order of Government they may fall into such a condition. And this is the case of condemned Sinners in another Life. It is determined very justly that the Favours of the other Life shall be secured in this, or be lost for ever: And that they shall be offered in this, but not in the other. Hence 'tis said in Scripture of the time of this Life, Now is the accepted time, this is the day of Salvation. 2 Cor. 6.2. But if it be consistent with the Divine Goodness to prescribe such Rules to itself, and such Rules are fixed and settled, then he who refuses or neglects to secure the Everlasting Favours of God, during all that time in which they are offered, and may be secured, he must notwithstanding the Divine Goodness, after that eternally want them. And he is become legally, and Judicially uncapable to receive them. Again; 'tis true, Punishment is not an Exercise of Goodness: But when it comes from God, it is always an exercise of Justice. And God may, as being both good and just, choose which of these Attributes, he will exercise towards any Beings which are capable of being the Objects of those Exercises. He may have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, if it be just, he may harden, and punish, and with-hold his Mercy from them. And it were absurd to imagine, that God, who is insinitely just as well as good, must be partial to either of these Attributes, and exercise without any limits his Goodness, so as to deny himself the opportunity to Exercise or glorify his Justice. He may as well be supposed in some instances, to let his Goodness give way to his Justice in the Eternal Punishment of some Sinners, as to let his Justice give way to his Goodness in saving others, and making them eternally happy. The former of these is as suitable, as agreeing to the Divine Nature and Attributes as the latter: Everlasting Punishment of some Sinners is as agreeing to him, as the Everlasting Happiness of others. He Exercises and Glorifies his Goodness on some while they dwell in Life Everlasting; and the everlasting Punishment of others for their sins greatly magnifies that Goodness, and adds a mighty lustre to it; as it makes it appear from how great misery the happy Saints are delivered, which they were liable to, and had deserved: It makes the Exercise of his Goodness to others the more Glorious; tho it be not an Exercise of Goodness to them. And thus I think the main Objections against this Truth are sufficiently answered; and it is sufficiently confirmed, that the Punishment of condemned Sinners in Hell shall be without End. It remains now, That we do very seriously consider this matter. Oh what an important thing is it that both the Rewards, and Punishment of our Life on Earth shall be without end! What solicitude and concern should we be possessed with to know what we must do to be saved: In what course we may avoid these everlasting Miseries! And what care should this make us take of our Life, and Actions! That we might always do well, and abstain from doing Evil; take the way that leads to Life, and avoid the Paths of Perdition! How should it quicken us to a speedy Repentance of our evil ways, and the forsaking of them! To consider, how much Misery it is which, till we repent, we are obnoxious to: To consider that there is nothing but the uncertain remainder of a Frail Life between us and endless Misery! That we know not but the next moment may be our last; and if it should be so, and we should die impenitent, we were irrecoverably undone! We should consider, we are by our Transgressions become obnoxious and liable to these eternal Punishments: But by the favourable Patience of God we have yet time allowed us to avoid them if we will. As yet is Life proposed to us; we have Life and Death set before us, and are at liberty to choose: We are told, that Wicked Men shall go away into everlasting Punishment, but the Righteous into Life Everlasting, on purpose that we might fear the fate of the former and avoid it, and desire the Happiness of the latter, and seek, and obtain it. And as we have it herein evidently shown us what is our main Interest and Concern, so we must reckon, that we shall perish with great and sore Aggravation if we neglect it. Which God of his infinite Mercy forbid for the sake of Jesus Christ. THE PRAYER. O Eternal, Infinite, and Incomprehensible Lord our God! Thou art most Glorious and Excellent in thy Nature, and in all thy Works: In all things like thyself, and there is none besides thee like unto thee. Wonderful, O Lord, and glorious are the exercises of thy Favour and Goodness; and most terrible, yet Just and Righteous are thy Judgments. Thy favour is Eternal Life, and Unspeakable Happiness: And thy Wrath is Eternal Death and Unspeakable Misery. O Lord, when we consider the terrors of thy Wrath, we are afraid: We cannot choose but be troubled and ashamed to think how extravagantly careless we have been of offending thee! How little heed we have taken to our ways! And especially how frequently; how easily we have been drawn into known Sin, and how slight inducements have been able to make us provoke thy just Wrath and Indignation against ourselves. O Lord, we abhor, we condemn ourselves for this our folly and madness. We admire, we praise, and thank thee for that glorious patience and long-suffering of thine, which has hitherto spared us. It is of the Lord's Mercy, that we are not consumed, and because thy compassions fail not. It is because thou art slow to Anger, and of great Mercy, and thou waitest to be gracious. We give thee thanks for that we have yet time allowed us to consider our ways, and be wise to our advantage: To reflect upon our doings, and repent of, and forsake the evil of them. O Lord, we beseech thee add to thy Mercy towards us the gift of an unfeigned Repentance, that we may be qualified to receive the Remission of our Sins. Give us such a lively, and sound Faith in Jesus Christ, as that we may share in the propitiation which he made for Sin, by the shedding of his Blood for us. And when we repent and return unto thee, as thou hast spared, do thou pardon us. O let it please thee to receive us graciously: For thou hast said thou delightest not in the Death of a Sinner, but had rather that he should turn to thee and Live. O Lord writ thy Law in our hearts, that we may never depart from it. Make us to fear thee and to depart from all iniquity: To take heed to our ways, and walk circumspectly, and to avoid, as we can, the Occasions and Temptations to Sin. Grant us grace to subdue and mortify all the Corrupt Inclinations of our Nature, to resist the Temptations we shall meet with from the World, or the Devil: To oppose all our Spiritual Enemies with such success, that being final Conquerors of them, the second Death may never have power over us. We pray to thee O Father of Mercies for the Welfare, and Happiness of all Mankind: And especially, that they may know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, whom to know is Life Eternal. We pray for the good estate of the catholic Church. O let a plentiful effusion of thy Holy Spirit upon it, fill it with Divine Light and Knowledge, and bring into the way of Truth, all such as have erred, and are deceived. Promote in it all true and acceptable Piety, every glorious virtue, together with Union and Peace. We beseech thee to be merciful to the Land of our Nativity. O Lord continue the Light of thy Gospel among us, and make us to abound in all good works, diligently performing our several duties towards thee and towards one another: And give us the Blessings of Health, and Plenty, and Peace. We pray thee, abundantly bless our gracious King: Give him long Life, Health, and Happiness, and a long and prosperous Reign among us. Make the Royal Family always a Blessing to us in affording us such as are Wise, and Pious, and Good to Rule over us. Bless all our Relations and Friends with all Spiritual Blessings: And grant that whatever their outward Circumstances are, all may work together for their good, and may promote their Salvation. We give thee thanks for the Mercies of this day especially for the means of Grace: O grant that we may use them always so as may be to our Salvation, not our sorer Destruction. Keep us we pray thee in peace and safety this Night; make us to aclowledge thee in all our ways, and do thou direct our steps. All we humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Mediator: In whose words we conclude our Prayers, saying, OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE Separate State OF GOOD SOULS, Represented and improved. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Rev. 14.13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven, saying unto me, writ, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labours, and their works do follow them. IT is a very grievous, and afflicting train of Thoughts, which our present wretched Mortality exposes us to: And it damps all our Joy, possesses us with a gloomy pensiveness, and makes us even disdain our Being to consider soberly, that there is no man that liveth, and shall not see Death. It troubles us to think of those whom we most dearly love, that the time will come when they must be struck by the rude Hand of Death, be ravished from all that they love and enjoy of this World, and the loved Creature must be turned into rottenness and undistinguishable Dust. The time will come that we must be partend from them either by their death or our own. We ourselves must inevitably go the way of all flesh, and leave them if they do not leave us: Within a little while we must be separated from all that is most dear and comfortable to us of this World. Against these griefs our Religion affords us the best, and most effectual Consolations, that ever the World had. And a very pleasant remedy against them it is, to be assured, as we are by it, of a general Resurrection of the Dead; when all that are in the Graves, or state of the Dead, shall hear the Voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth, and live again: And after that, all shall live for ever; and all Religious and good Persons, whose loss from this World we are apt chiefly to lament, shall rise all Glorious and Perfect, and so shall live in perfect Bliss, and Happiness for ever. These are indeed very comfortable expectations. But methinks there is something more yet necessary to support us under the expectation of our own Death, or the Affliction which we feel for the Death of those whom we love. And it will somewhat alloy the Pleasure of these expectations to consider, that these things may for ought we know be very far off. It may be many Hundreds, perhaps some Thousands of Years before they shall come, The days of darkness, as the Wise Man says, are many. We must needs, therefore, be very solicitous to know, what shall become of us immediately at our death; and how we shall pass those many days of Darkness, before the bright dawnings of the Resurrection day shall arise upon us. We cannot choose but wish we could know, that it shall be well with us and our dear Friends immediately upon our departure hence, and without this assurance it would be still with great grief and reluctancy, that we should think of dying, and especially receive the Summons to it. But in this case too, the Holy Scripture, the Fountain of our Religion, affords us very effectual Consolations. It gives us a very good, and satisfying account of our separate State, the State of Death; it assures us, that it shall be well with all Good and Holy Persons, even in the space between their Death, and their Resurrection: And informs us of several very comfortable particulars concerning that State. Among the many places of Holy Scripture which speak of it, and which I shall have occasion to mention in the several parts of the following discourse; I have thought fit to choose this, which I have now red, for our prefent Text, because 'tis one of the most comprehensive ones. St. John tells here, that he Heard a voice from Heaven, saying, writ, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. By those that die in the Lord, the Apostle means all Good and Holy Persons; among whom I doubt not to reckon the Infants of Religious and Christian Parents; especially such as have been baptized, or were intended to be baptized. All such he pronounces Blessed immediately upon their departure out of this World. He says, Blessed are the dead; even those who are in the state of Death. And he gives such reasons for their Blessedness as may belong to that State: In that he says, They rest from their labours, and their Works do follow them. Which suggests to us, that they are then freed from all the Evils and Inconveniences of this Life, and shall not meet with any other to give them any Labour or Exercise; and their Goodness and Religion shall be blessed with some very sensible and comfortable reward. If their Works follow them in this sense, and it can have no other, then they do not cease to be when they die. And then also they have not a mere rest, as in a senseless sleepy State, but they have some actual fruition of Good: They are happy and sensible that they are so, for no being can justly be said to be happy without being sensible of its Happiness. the words, from henceforth, in the Text, refer it to the particular occasion, on which the Spirit communicated this matter to St. John. He had told him, as we see in the Verses before the Text, That there would be a time of very great Affliction, which would befall the Christian Church: Such a time as would severely try the Faith and Patience of the Saints: And henceforth, says he, or when ever this time comes it will be, and will be thought a great Advantage to be removed from this World by a Religious Death. Happy is the good Christian that is dead, and does not live to see these miseries, and to endure these Temptations and Trials. In speaking to this Subject, I shall endeavour to prove the Blessedness of Good Souls, immediately upon their departure out of this World; and then suggest some use which may be made of this Truth. For the proof of it, to perform this in the shortest and most effectual method that I can, I shall represent in several particulars, gathered evidently from Holy Scripture, wherein this Blessedness does consist. 1. All good Souls, upon their departure out of this World, are at the end of their Labours, and enter upon a State of Peace and Rest. This our Text expressly assures. It says, They rest from their Labours. The time of Work is now in this Life, the time of Reward is in the next. And when the good Soul is gone from hence, the Works and Labours of his Particular Office and Calling, are all at an end. The Ruler has no more the Burden or trouble of Ruling, and the Teacher has no more the Labour of teaching upon him, the Labourer lays his weary limbs to rest, and the Servant is free from his Master. The labour and care which was necessary to provide for and support the poor crazy Tabernacle of this Mortal Body, will now be at an end for ever. The happy Soul is set out of the reach of all Trouble and Affliction, and so is delivered from the labour of bearing them with patience and perseverance in his Duty. No sufferings shall come where he is; there is no Eye that weeps, no Tongue that complains, no Breast that swells with disconsolate sighs. He must be delivered from pains and diseases of his Body, because he lives at present without that: He shall not be troubled with the treachery of seeming Friends, nor with the Death or alteration of real ones: Nor shall he be ever afflicted any more with the Persecutions of weak and imperfect Friends, or of Enemies. To that State we may apply what the Apostle says, Rev. 21.4. 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. The Saint is indeed unclothed, as the Apostle speaks, he has left his Body in the Dust, he has partend at the same time with its importunate Appetites too, with all its backwardness to do good, and with all its inclination to do evil. He has partend with a very perverse bias, as we may speak, which often made him move wrong when he had aimed right. He is delivered from that which cost him a great deal of pains to watch, to deny, to mortify, that he might govern it, and keep himself innocent. He is now no more conversant with this World; all the pleasant things here he forsakes for ever. But then, he forsakes those things too, which were apt to steal away his Heart from God, his chiefest Good, to make him negligent, and forgetful of his true interests: Things which might indeed please his Body, but at the same time were dangerous to his Soul: Now he is delivered from all the Allurements, and Temptations to Sin, which this World is furnished with, and has no more War, or Opposition against them to Maintain. The happy Saint in his removal from this World, is taken out of the reach of his Adversary the Devil; who here, indeed, goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, but shall never come near him there, nor give him the trouble to watch, or fight against him any more. The happy Soul has now no more to do for the working out of his Salvation. He is already in a good measure possessed of it, and is now infallibly assured of the rest. His Happiness is now infallibly fixed, and he shall never know a fear, or be in danger of losing it. He has Fought the good fight of Faith, has finished his Laborious Course, and henceforth is laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness, which God the Righteous Judge shall give him at the last Day. And we must needs believe, this Rest will be extremely pleasant after a great deal of labour; and his safety be much the more pleasing for the dangers which he has past and avoided. When he remembers what terrible conflicts he sustained against the Enemies of his Salvation, how weak he was in himself; how often he was foiled and overcome, and yet did get a final Victory at length; this reflection highly pleases, this adds abundant satisfaction and joy to the rest and safety of his present condition. 2. We may believe, that all good Souls at their departure out of the Body, do find themselves attended by kind, and good Angels. We are told, these are all ministering Spririts sent forth to Minister for them who are Heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1.14. which intimates, that they are often employed in doing good Offices to good Men. We may therefore believe they will be commanded, and ready, to do this necessary and kind Office, and to receive into their care and charge, the departing Souls of such Men. And this we may reckon is taught us by our Saviour, Luke 16.22. Where he says in a Parable concerning a good Man, That when he died, He was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom, or a place of Bliss. He designed to teach us herein, that this is a privilege common to good Souls to be attended by Holy Angels at their departure out of the Body. The departing Saint does not find himself desolate and alone, in this new and unknown state, which would necessary possess him with sadness and perplexity, while he must remain in doubt whither to go, and what must now become of him. No, he immediately finds he is amongst the kind and happy Inhabitants of Heaven, among those who caress and soothe him, and prove better Lovers and Friends than ever he met with before, and in this respect Heaven even comes to him before that he can be translated thither. These blessed Spirits we may believe are not silent at their meeting him. We may reasonably suppose they deliver a kind and encouraging Message from the King of Heaven: They let the anxious Soul know, that it is a Favourite of his, and they are come to conduct it to the Lord Jesus, its Kind mediator and Saviour. We may suppose them speaking the kindest things imaginable, comforting the weary Soul, and entertaining it with applauses for past diligence in well-doing, for invincible Patience in suffering, for bold and steaddy opposition to the Enemies of its Salvation, and assuring him that his Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. They let him know that his Labours and sufferings are now for ever at an end; that his former contempt shall be now his Honour, his former Poverty shall redound to his Wealth, and all his pains and sufferings turn to everlasting Joys and Pleasures. And by what they appear to him, and by what they tell him he will easily believe, that he shall be translated quickly to a place and state, where he shall soon forget all his Sorrows and Afflictions: He begins already not to regret his departure from this World. 3. These kind and glorious Guides, and Companions of his Journey, conduct the glad Saint in a very little space of time, to a place of Bliss and Happiness. Scarce can he think over what they promise him, before he finds himself already in it. Our Saviour, we may observe, promised the penitent Thief, that he should be that very day with him in Paradise, and that, when it was now towards the end of the day. We may suppose, then, that they pass with their beloved charge through all the Regions of the visible Heavens, with a motion so quick, as none in the material World can equal it. This Paradise St. Paul speaks of, 2 Cor. 12. and intimates, that he had been translated to it for some short space of time, in the 4th Verse of that Chapter: And he says it is in the Third Heaven, for in the 2d Verse, he had said, He was caught up into the third Heaven. There is not the least ground in the Text to interpret him, as speaking of two distinct places under these two Names. And we have yet further ground to remove this place from all the visible material World, in what St. Paul says again in the Fifth Chapter of this Epistle, at the first Verse: Where he speaks of the Habitation which receives the Souls of good Men, when the Tabernacles of their Bodies are dissolved, and calls it, An house not made with Hands Eternal, and in the Heavens. He says, it is in the Heavens, and is an Eternal House: And therefore teaches us to conclude, that it is above those Heavens which shall at the last day be dissolved, as the Scripture tells us the visible Heavens and the Earth shall be. And since this their Habitation is called by the Apostle an Eternal House, I think this renders it very probable, that the place where the separate Souls of good Men dwell, is the same with that, which they shall dwell again in after the Resurrection of their Bodies. This place is all serene and calm, all Beautiful and Harmonious. A bright, eternal Day constantly there shines with a very great but a very pleasing Glory. Of this, perhaps, the Apostle speaks, Rev. 21.23. When he says, of what he calls the New Jerusalem, That it had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it. For the Glory of God did enlighten it, and the Lamb was the Light thereof, meaning hereby the Lord Jesus Christ. This Place is certainly furnished with all that the Inhabitants can desire it to have for their Convenience and Pleasure. It has, as we may say, the beauty of an Eternal Spring, and the Wealth and Plenty too of an Eternal Autumn. Since God has furnished this World we live in now, which is common to Men and Beasts, and which bad as well as good Men enjoy, with so great abundance, and with so admirable a varity of good things, since he causes this Sun to shine, and fertile showers to fall now on the Just, and on the Unjust; what a Glory, must we believe, will adorn, and what plenty of good must fill that better World, which is designed only for good of Men, and the peculiar Favourites of Heaven. Those who are there we may be sure will have no need of any of the good things which they left below, and therefore we need not doubt but they have lost even the desire to them too. If I or my departed Friend, a Man may say, must in Death forsake the most glorious Palaces, the most Delightful Prospect, the most delicious Gardens, the richest Furniture, and all that can make a Habitation Commodious, Pleasant, and Glorious; yet to come to this place, we may be sure will soon teach us to disdain all that we have left below. This is the happy Kingdom prepared for good Men from the Foundation of the World of which the earthly Paradise, in which Adam in his Innocency dwelled, was but a poor Type, and a shady Representation. The Saint arrived here will soon say, it is good to be here, and will not at all desire to return to the low, dark, miserable Earth again. He will certainly be unspeakably glad, to think, that he shall make his eternal abode here. 4. The separate Soul of a good Man is happy, even immediately upon his departure hence, in its own most excellent Qualifications. His Graces and virtues like Plants in an unkind climate, could not thrive so well in this adverse World as to attain their just growth and maturity. The Appetites of the Body, the Allurements of this World, the Temptations of the Devil did all oppose them here. But as soon as he is set free from the Body, and out of the reach of other Enemies, they begin to flourish. The Divine Life, the Principle of these, finds all clog and oppression now taken off, and exerts itself freely, and acts more perfectly than it could do before. So that, the Inhabitants of this pleasant World are said to be The Spirits of just Men made perfect, Heb. 12.13. Now the Understanding is perfectly enlightened, and the happy Saint sees clearly and distinctly the wonderful truths of our Religion. If he had received any wrong Impressions before in these matters, they are now perfectly removed. There is no uncomfortable doubt, no disparaging error remaining in his mind. And the discovery of former mistakes, or the finding that he had none, by this bright light which is now shed into him, are both of them things which will be highly pleasing to the Soul. Divine Knowledge is accounted a rich Treasure, and a noble glorious Ornament among the Inhabitants of Heaven. Again, the Will of the Good Men is now perfectly rectified and cured. It has regained all its pleasing Liberty, it is no longer subject to a false bias. It steadily sixes upon the Chief Good, the center of Happiness and Rest. It is no longer wavering or undetermined between God and this World, which if it were it must needs be still unhappy. It has found the Chief Good, is come to some enjoyment of him, and in him it rests with perfect satisfaction and content. Now, too, all the affections of the Soul are well ordered and regular; all is, then, composed and at peace within him, there are no disagreeing contesting Principles to disturb him. He shall never more have reason to complain, that the good which he would he does not, and the evil which he would not that he does, he will never fall out with nor rebuk himself for any thing any more. Now the happy Saint enjoys greater manifestations of the Divine Glory, and is blessed and favoured with greater exercises of the Love of God, than ever he received before: And these things do, to a higher degree, kindle and inflame his Love to God; now he may better than ever be said to dwell in Love. The Beauty and the Goodness of the chief good, tho not yet discovered in the best and highest degree, do now appear to him so glorious as does even transform him into Love, all his Powers become subject to Love, this is the happy principle of all his actions, and this makes all his present employment incomparably pleasant: He contemplates, praises, adores the great God, whom he loves, and considers the wonderful works in that glorious World with unspeakable delight. Every thing moves and pleases his Love, and he is continually ravished in the pleasing Ardours of Divine Love. Now the Saint perfectly submits and resigns himself without the least reluctancy to the good Pleasure of God: And therefore he is perfectly easy and contented with his condition, tho that be not yet perfectly happy. He reposes a firm trust and confidence in God; whom he now, more than ever, believes to be God Abundant in Goodness, and in Truth, and without any doubt expects, in God's due time, to see the happy and desired Redemption of his Body. And with all this Rectitude and Holiness, he cannot choose but be highly pleased in himself: This is that he groaned, and longed, and laboured after during his abode on Earth, and he must needs be very joyful to receive the accomplishment of long and ardent desires. And it is the more pleasing to him to be thus completely sanctified, in consideration, that all the company which he is to dwell with for ever are so too. Hence he knows he shall hereby be the more pleasing to them; He reckons, indeed, that he should be sadly ashamed, and could have no enjoyment of himself, if he were unlike to all the Company there. But now knowing and finding himself such as they, he believes himself the more acceptable to them, and therefore he is also the more easy, and the more pleasing to himself. 5. The excellent society which the Saint shall there enjoy of his Fellow Creatures, shall add much to his Happiness. He shall not spend his long abode there in an uncomfortable Solitude: Even in this Paradise it would not be good for Man to be alone. He shall therefore here enjoy much, and that very excellent Society. He, then, meets and shall dwell for ever with, all those excellent Persons, those brave examples of Piety and virtue whom he has seen, or, heard or red of in this World: With the goodly fellowship of the Prophets and Apostles, the Noble Army of Martyrs and Confessors. There he shall meet perhaps many dear Relations, and intimate Friends, and perhaps some Enemies, who shall then, to his great joy and satisfaction, be perfectly reconciled to him; which was that he most passionately desired before, but it may be could not find means to accomplish it. Souls joined below in virtuous Love, and sad at parting here, shall meet again there, and love again, and dwell together for ever. He shall dwell with the Souls of all the good Men that have ever lived in this World: And the Company there is a great multitude, which no Man can number, of all Nations, and Kindred, and People, and Languages, as the Apostle seems to represent it, Rev. 7.9. That mighty number is rendered Beautiful by Order, and kept in perfect Peace and Concord, by Reverence to the King of Heaven, and Love to one another. No Pride nor Envy, no Malice nor Treachery, no Ambition, nor Covetousness ever come there to disturb the Peace. To that Holy Place no unclean thing can come: Which the Apostle seems to tell us, in Rev. 21.27. where he says of the Heavenly Jerusalem, There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever loveth or maketh a lye. All the Company there are perfected Saints; and all wickedness of Men and Devils is for ever banished thence, and by consequence all those Passions and Vices which disquiet this World, and spoil the Pleasures of Society and Conversation, shall be Strangers there. All the Company of Heaven are satisfied with their own Happiness, and by mutual Love are pleased with the Happiness and Glory of each other; it may be said, every one does in a manner enjoy the Happiness of all, since that is a delight to every one. And with what ravishing Conversation, with what advertisements, with what charming Discourse may we justly suppose so excellent Persons do entertain one another! How pleasant and delightful must they, who are so wise, and so full of Love, make themselves to one another! How pleasant too is their unanimous concurrence in the high Praises of God! None there dissent from, or despise what others honour God by: Nor will purchase to themselves a fancied mistaken Purity at the boast of Disobedience: But all the company do cheerfully join in the Common Praises, of the most High God, and his Wonderful Works. O happy World! O Blessed Peaceful Society! How much might the strifes, the contentions, and the consusions of this World justly make one long to be there! Further, To the Society of the Spirits of Just Men made perfect, the Holy Scripture adds, as Inhabitants of the World above, an innumerable company of Angels. The Souls of good Men in that Happy place; shall be blessed with the frequent visits, and converses of those Kind and Glorious Spirits. They view the brighter Glories of the Deity, and such as are yet undiscovered to the Saints: And render their Conversation very charming, when they tell what they know of the Greatness and Goodness of God: What their high capacity, and long experience, and great opportunity of Learning has taught them, of the Nature, the Love, and the Works of God! And to find them so full of Love, and so abundant in expressions of Kindness, who dwell in the Holiest of all, and are admitted to the immediate presence of the King of Heaven, must needs be a very joyous and comfortable thing to the Souls of good Men, especially as it will assure them of the favour and good will of God himself to them. This is the Society to whom the departing Souls of good Men go, and with whom they must dwell for ever! And with such as these, how kindly, how cheerfully must a good Soul be received at his first coming amongst them! What welcomes, what applauses, what congratulations will they give him! If there be Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a Sinner, how much rather will there be great Joy at his Salvation, when he has conquered all his Enemies, escaped all Danger, and is landed safe at the Haven of Bliss! And, then, it must be great and unspeakable Joy to the Saint himself to be brought among those who receive him with so much joy and kindness. 6. The highest point of the Felicity which departed Saints enjoy in their separate State, is, that they dwell with Jesus Christ himself; they rejoice in his Glory, and partake of his Love. This the Holy Scripture abundantly teaches us. He himself intimates this, in his saying to the Penitent Thief, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise: And in that kind Prayer for his Followers, John 17.24. Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory. The Apostle Paul assures us this may be expected in his saying, I have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. And be speaks of being Absent from the Body, and present with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.8. He evidently speaks of the state of the separate Soul, when it is without its Body, and teaches that even then it dwells in the Blissful Presence of Jesus Christ. To him, then, the happy Soul of a good Man is soon conducted upon its departure hence: To the Mighty Jesus, the Glorious King of Heaven, and the great Lover of Souls. And without doubt he will receive it with the most ravishing demonstrations of Kindness. He who loved it so well as to come himself from Heaven, and to die, that he might Redeem and Save it: Who has loved it so well as to sanctify, and to guide it by his Good Spirit; with great Patience to bear with many Infirmities and Offences, and to continue still his care of it, while it abode in this World. He will doubtless receive with great kindness the purchase of his Blood, and of his Care. And by him the good Soul shall hear all its excellent virtues applauded; and the good Works he has done on Earth to the Glory of God, and the Good, but especially the Salvation of Mankind highly commended. It shall hear with joy the Loving Jesus say, Well done good and faithful Servant, enter thou into thy Masters Joy. And the Saints Kind and Gracious Master and Lord now heaps Unspeakable Favours and Glorious Honours upon him. He is always communicating some inestimable expressions of his Love. And now, more than ever before, will the Saint have reason to say as the Spouse in that matchless Song of Loves, As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood, so is my beloved among the Sons; I fit under his shadow with great delight, and O how sweet is his Fruit to my taste. He has brought me now into his banqueting House indeed, and his banner over me is Love. O I am almost overcome with Love, the tyrannous pleasure is too much for me to bear; and because it is so, His left hand is under my head, while his right hand doth embrace me. He, that I may be able to sustain my joy, kindly sustains me. No Words certainly can express, no Thought can conceive, the Raptures, the ecstasies of Joy, which the happy Saints in Heaven feel, when they receive the ravishing Loves of the Loving Jesus. The Saint is rejoiced at the Dignity and Honour of Jesus, whom he ardently loves, to see him at God's right Hand, invested with Authority and Power over all things in Heaven. He is glad of this for his own sake, because he can from thence with great assurance expect, that in due time his dissolved Body shall be raised up from the Dust. He is rejoiced to see in the glorified Body of Jesus a certain pledge, and assurance of the Resurrection of his own: And especially to see also therein a Pattern of his own raised Body: To consider that the poor, vile, contemptible, mortal Body, which he dwelled in on Earth, shall when 'tis raised again, be clothed with Glory, and adorned with Celestial Beauty, and be fashioned like to Christ's Glorious Body. Thus far, I doubt not, we may go in representing the Blessed state of those who are Dead in the Lord: For thus far the Holy Scripture itself does Evidently led us. And the Scripture leaves us to believe, that the Departed Saints have not yet attained their utmost degree of Bliss in the Beatifick Vision of God. They remain in their separate state, under an effect of Sin, and a mark of the Divine Displeasure against it. And so long it may seem very fit and agreeable, that the great Judge and Governor of the World do keep them at some distance from himself, and treat with them by the intervention of their Mediator. But all this while they enjoy, in this Sacred Temple where they dwell, the happy presence of Jesus their High Priest: And when the time of the general Resurrection is come, and the last judgement is over, and Jesus Christ, as the Apostle says, shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father, his Mediation shall be at an end, and the Father, who is eminently called God, shall be all in all. Then shall the veil be taken away, the way into the Holiest of all shall be opened; and the happy Saints shall be admitted to the immediate Fruition, and the happy Vision of God: Which is more than, either in this World or that above, they have enjoyed before. I come now to suggest what Improvement may be made of what has been said: Which I shall do very briefly in the following particulars. These things should excite men to an earnest endeavour to prepare themselves for their departure hence. They require, that we take a great deal of care to put ourselves into such a posture, that whenever our Death overtakes us, we may die in the Lord. To which purpose we must break off from all manner of Wickedness, and betake ourselves to all Holiness, and virtuous Living. It is only the Religious and Good Man who is Blessed in his Death, because He rests from his Labours and his Works follow him. And having taken care to put ourselves into this happy posture, the frequent thoughts of this Blessedness should reconcile us to the thoughts of our own Death; they should make us willing to die. Why should we be still fond of living amid the Miseries, the Labours, the Dangers, and the Temptations of this World, when we shall in Death be translated to Rest, and Safety, and Happiness. It would become all Christians, what he says of himself and some others, to be willing rather to be absent from the Body, that they might be present with the Lord. Should a man that has indeed been industrious to prepare for a happy departure hence, be after all that he has done unwilling to depart? Should we be loth to lay down this Flesh, when we have often denied it, have learnt to contradict its Appetites, and have well mortified it? Have we truly renounced this World, and yet are unwilling to leave it? And truly set our Affections on things above, and yet would not go to them? It is greatly to be feared, that our unwillingness to depart, proceeds in a great measure from our unfitness for it, and because we have neglected these preparations of ourselves. Let us, then, diligently apply ourselves to such preparation, that we may be willing to undergo what we cannot avoid, that we may have hope in Death, and be contented to leave temporal good things, by virtue of an assurance, that we shall go to enjoy eternal Ones. These things should also excite in Men a great concern and endeavour to promote Piety and virtue, as much as they may among their Relations and Acquaintance, and especially in those who are peculiarly dear to them. We may justly think, that to have been industrious towards the bringing others to Heaven, is a thing very Honourable, and of great esteem in that kind and happy World: And that the Company of any such as we have been instrumental to bring thither, shall be the most pleasant and acceptable of any. To possess them with Piety and virtue who are very dear to us, is to provide for our great comfort in their Death, if it pleased God to call them away before us. When, if they are religious here, we might assure ourselves they are gone to Happiness; and are indeed become more happy by their departure than all our most prodigal wishes, or kindest designs for them could have made them here. And it should comfort us in the death of Religious and Excellent Persons, to consider, that they are still, tho they are gone hence. They are translated to Bliss. They are delivered from the miseries of this sinful World, are entered into Rest, and made partakers of Heaven's eternal Joys. Could I look into the Celestial Paradise, a mourning Person may say, I might there see my Faithful Friend, or my tender Parent, my loving Consort, or my dear Child amid throngs of bright rejoicing Spirits, himself all bright, and all joyous too; caressed by the Prince of Love the Blessed Jesus, and joined with other glad Souls in the Harmonious Praises of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We may comfort ourselves too with hopes of meeting them again in that Happiness, if we will take care to get thither ourselves, and promise ourselves the content and satisfaction of enjoying them again, within a little while, more lovely and more happy than here; and to meet to dwell with them for ever. Let us consider this very comfortable Truth in our Text that, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, because they rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them: And let us comfort ourselves and one Another with these words. Now to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, &c. THE PRAYER. ALmighty and most merciful God, who art abundant in Goodness, and delightest to bestow Blessings and Favours upon thy Creatures. It is thou that hast made, us and not we ourselves, and thy Wisdom and Goodness designed and fitted us, in our Creation, to be perfectly and perpetually happy. But alas, we foolish and guilty Creatures have by our Sin and Perverseness opposed, and contradicted thy gracious Design, to our own great Hurt and Damage. We have incurred thy most just Wrath and Displeasure, and so have pulled down great Misery and Affliction upon ourselves. We see, O Lord, and aclowledge thy great Displeasure against our Sins, in that thou hast doomed these Bodies of ours, which thy infinite Wisdom has curiously framed, to be dissolved and turned to Dust, and hast condemned our Souls to abide long in a preternatural and a separate State: Long must our wretched Bodies be dissolved into Dust, and be destitute and uncapable of any Sense of thy Goodness. O Lord, we fear thy Wrath, we tremble at thy Displeasure, and from thy Hatred against our Sins we will learn to hate them and to forsake all that is evil. We desire with a hearty Repentance, and a true Faith to turn unto thee. We fly O Lord, from thy just Displeasure to thy glorious Mercy in Christ, by whose Mediation thou wilt forgive Iniquity, Transgression and Sin. We pray thee, for his sake, to pardon all our past Transgressions, and receive us into thy Favour: And then we shall hope, that even this Curse which our Sins have brought upon us, shall be turned into a Blessing. And as all things shall work together for good to them that love God; so even our Death shall be Life to us, our Loss of this World the gaining of a better, and the Fall of our mortal Bodies shall redound to the Advantage of our Souls. Blessed be thy Name, that we may have Hope in our Death. O Lord sanctify us we beseech thee, and cleanse us from all Unrighteousness, that we may be fit for that holy Place, that Paradise above, where no unclean thing can come. And let us have to fortify us against the threatenings of our Mortality, the comfortable and assured Expectations, that when the earthly Tabernacles of our Bodies shall be dissolved, we shall be received into an House not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens; while our Bodies lye dead, yet our Souls shall live, and that a more free, more active, and sensible and happy Life than what they now enjoy; that when we are called away from all our kind Friends, and comfortable Enjoyments in this World, we shall be translated to the happy Abode and Society of the Spirits of just Men made perfect, to an innumerable Company of Angels, and when we are absent from the Body, that we shall be present with the Lord, and shall enjoy the Happiness of a near and intimate Communion with our most kind Saviour and Redeemer. Let this Hope encourage us in our Duty, and make us steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, as knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. We humbly recommend to thy infinite Mercy, all sorts and Conditions of Men. Let the wretched World, O Lord, partake of thy Favour and Goodness according to their several Necessities in temporal and spiritual Mercies. Pour down thy good Spirit plentifully upon thy Church, and increase in it thereby all true Piety and virtue: And grant that all Christians may live so as becomes the Citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem. We pray thee bless in particular that Part of thy Church which thou hast planted in these Nations. O make it to bring forth Fruit abundantly to thy Glory, according to the Plenty of the means of Grace afforded us, and do thou long continue those blessed Dews of Heaven upon us. Bless in particular our most gracious King, grant him in Health and Prosperity, long to live, and reign over us; and grant that under him we may enjoy tranquillity and Peace: Bless the Royal Family with a great increase, and with Plenty of all Noble and Royal Endowments, and grant that we may be happy in it, and duly obedient to it for ever. Be pleased to look in Mercy upon our Friends, and Relations, and Benefactors, to led them in the Ways of Truth, Peace, and Righteousness, and bring them at last to thy Heavenly Kingdom. We thank thee for all the Mercies of our Lives, for those of this Day in particular, and especially for the Means of Grace, and the Hopes of Glory. Let us not receive any Instance of thy Favour in vain, but to thy Glory and our Salvation. We pray thee let us be thy Care this Night, give us safe and comfortable Rest, and renewed Strength thereby to serve and glorify thee in our several Businesses and Duties. All we humbly ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, in whose Words also we sum up and conclude our Requests, saying, Our Father, which art in Heaven, &c. THE Final and complete HAPPINESS OF GOOD MEN REPRESENTED. The first Part. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Psal. 16.11. In thy Presence is fullness of Joy, at thy Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore. IT pleased the Great sovereign of the World, in making several sorts of Creatures capable of Happiness, to set some of them at first in the highest state of it, which they were capable to enjoy. Thus he disposed of the Angels above, and the Animals below us, if we may reckon these capable of Happiness. And as for Mankind, he did make them indeed very happy at first, but not in that highest degree which he intended they should obtain. He ordered they should arrive to this, but upon the condition, and in the way of behaving themselves well, and doing their Duty to him in a lower state of Happiness: And there was another and a higher designed them, to which all Men should, without Death have been translated if we had not sinned, after a time spent in pious and virtuous living on Earth; which is that state our Saviour means when he speaks of a Kingdom prepared for good Men from the Foundation of the World. It is, then according to the Original Design of our Creation, That our perfect complete Felicity is not to be attained in this Life: Even in our best Condition on Earth, we had still a better to aim at, and seek after; Much rather have we this to do now, when our Sin has pulled a Curse upon this World, and made the Creature subject to Vanity, and brought upon us a great deal of Misery and Vexation. And it is also, we must know, according to the Creator's original Design, That this Life is a Time of work and and well-doing, and the other is chiefly the Time of Rewards. Now we must procure our highest State of Felicity by good, and virtuous living, and hereafter chiefly, must we receive the Rewards of this in the attaimment of that Felicity. It shall be the Business of this Discourse to gather together, and represent, in the best Method that I can, what the holy Scripture tells us of the final, and consummate Happiness of good Men; the glorious Rewards prepared for our present Piety and virtue. We have a summary and comprehensive Account of this Matter in our present Text, where the Psalmist says to God, In thy Presence is Fullness of Joy, at thy Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore. I shall not spend any Time in taking notice of the Connexion of these Words, but at present consider them absolutely and alone. And the Psalmist here, as a learned Man well observes, ( Muis in loc.) seems to represent Almighty God as a Bounteous, Munificent Prince, calling his Favourites into his Presence, and with a full Hand largely bestowing upon them considerable Favours, the Testimonies, and Expressions of his Love and Esteem. He expresses, too, the Pleasure and Joy which this shall be to them, even fullness of Joy: and the long Duration of the Happiness, In Pleasures for evermore. I shall therefore, from these Words, represent the final, perfect Happiness of Man, as well as I can, under these three general Heads of Discourse. 1. I shall observe, what they are to be who shall attain this Happiness. 2. I shall represent what it is that they shall enjoy. 3. I shall illustrate a little the Import of this general Qualification of the Happiness mentioned, which is, That it shall continue for evermore. I begin with the first of these: To represent what the Scripture teaches us they shall be who shall attain the final, perfect Happiness of Mankind, for even this is a great Part of that Happiness. The holy Scripture teaches us there will be granted in Heaven, mighty Improvements of ourselves. And this, we may suppose, is what the Psalmist chiefly meant, under the Name of the Pleasures at God's Right Hand. This Head contains those bounteous Gifts which he will bestow upon the blessed Saints when they are advanced to Heaven. To represent this matter the more distinctly, I must show what will be the Condition, and Improvement of the Bodies of the Saints in Heaven: And what also will be the Advantages and Improvement of their Souls. Let us see, in the first place, what will be the Excellencies and Improvements of the Bodies of the Saints in that glorious, exalted State. As their dead Bodies shall be raised to Life again, so they must, indeed of necessity, be mightily improved; that they may be fit Habitations, and Instruments for their exalted Souls to dwell in, and may be capable to serve the excellent Operations of such, and perform the high Employments of Heaven: That they may be fit to dwell in a much more beautiful and glorious World, and be suitable Companions to the glorious Angels. The Apostle therefore says, Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven: To signify, that this dull Lump of Earth is not a fit Inhabitant for those glorious Mansions and Enjoyments which the Saints are advanced to in Heaven. And he says of those who shall be found living upon Earth at the last day, that although they shall not die, yet they shall all be changed in a moment; and we may believe, that, as all Mankind should have been translated to Heaven without dying, as Enoch and Elias were, so they also should have been changed upon that Translation. But, to make us the more sensible of the Improvement of the Bodies of the Saints: The holy Scripture acquaints us with these following Particulars concerning it. 1. They shall at their Resurrection and Admission into Heaven, become very beautiful and glorious. When the Prophet Daniel had spoken of the Resurrection of the Dead( Dan. 12.2.) He goes on, and says( in verse 3.) They that be wise, meaning good Men, shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament, and they that turn many to Righteousness, as the Stars for ever, and ever. So that he intimates, their Bodies shall be endowed in Heaven with a very glorious Splendour and Brightness. Our Saviour again, in Mat. 13.43. speaking of the same matter says, Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father. And, these vile Bodies the Apostle says, shall be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious Body( Phil. 3.2.) which certainly speaks, that they shall be clothed with a very wonderful Brightness: They in their Measure too shall be clothed with Light as with a Garment. Further, If the Bodies of the Saints shall have the Beauty of such Glory and Brightness, we cannot imagine that they will want the Beauty of a completeness, and Perfection of their Parts, and of an exact Proportion between them. All Defects of Members, all Deformity shall be there perfectly removed; there shall be no Uncomeliness of Visage, no mean and contemptible Appearance, no Weakness or want of any Part to disparaged their Bodies in Heaven. But when the Saints receive them, thus improved from the poor, homely, contemptible Dust; how glad, how joyful will they be! How willingly must the Soul enter its former Habitation, which it did desire to return to, when it finds the poor Tabernacle or Cottage, improved into a palace. The blessed Saints will be justly pleased with their Ornament then, because 'tis in a manner their own: They are fine, not with the Spoils of other Creatures, but with their innate adorning, and their clothing is indeed their Beauty, for it dwells in themselves. By virtue of this they are suited to the glorious Place which they dwell in, and to the beautiful splendid Company of Angels, and to the Glory of the Divine Presence. And so they can enjoy the Glory of Heaven, whereas without their own Glory and Brightness they must have been utterly ashamed and confounded there. 2. The Bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be endowed with great Activity, and vigour. The Apostle calls them Spiritual Bodies, and in they shall put on a Property of Spirits. They shall act without Weariness what they have to do, and shall never need any Refrefreshment or Rest: They shall act without Difficulty, and Labour, and therefore without any Weariness. The gross and heavy Body we now live in does incline towards this Earth, but the Celestial Body loses all its Weight, and Inclination one way, and therefore freely moves itself any way; and so traverses perhaps the vast Spaces of that glorious World, viewing with great Delight the various pleasing Wonders there, and this without any Fatigue or Trouble. This corruptible Body which we now have, as a wife Man said, presseth down the Soul. It hangs like a Clog and Load upon the Faculties of the Mind, which made saint Paul speak of it as a Burden,( 2 Cor. 5.4.) But then it is so advantageously changed, that it shall be no more a Burden to the Soul, than Wings to a bide, or Sails to a Ship. It will always be ready to serve the most sprightly, and noble Operations of the Soul, so far as this has occasion to employ it. The Saints are therefore capable to entertain themselves continually with the Pleasures of their Condition, and no Pleasure they enjoy shall ever become flat or tasteless, when the Faculty that enjoys them never tires. And, then, the Pleasures of Divine Cotemplation, the Pleasures of ardent Devotion, and thankful Praise will be constantly, and yet unweariedly enjoyed. Therefore the Apostle says of the Inhabitants of Heaven, They rest not Day and Night saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,( Rev. 4.8.) 3. Whatever Senses remain, they shall be exercised too, and shall be pleased with very agreeable and delightful Objects. Some Sensations shall not remain, because they would rather encumber and lessen that Happiness than promote it. 'tis the real Advantage of that State to be without the present Pleasures of eating and drinking: For thereby 'tis freed also from the Pain and Inconvenience of Hunger and Thirst, and from all the Care and Labour to satisfy these. The Apostle therefore, in Commendation of that State says, They, who are there, shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more,( Rev. 7.16.) Our Saviour says too, that they shall be like the Angels in Heaven. What Sensations they shall have no use of shall not remain there, because they may be happy enough without them, and because the Desires, which heighten the Pleasure of them now, are really such an Inconvenience as Heaven shall not be acduainted with. Perhaps the Sense of feeling in general may remain, and so be pleased with the easy Temperature of that kind World, which will be always agreeable to this sense, and will never afflict it with the Summers parching Heat, or the Winters pinching could; which the Apostle seems to suggest when he says, in the forementioned Place, Neither shall the Sun light upon them, nor the Heat incommode those who dwell there. But the nobler Sensations will without doubt remain in Heaven; and the Faculties of seeing and hearing we may easily believe will be exercised and pleased there. Many things may be there delightful to the Eye which we cannot now conceive: And whatever does now please this Sense, we may justly think will be in a far more excellent sort there. That Beauty, and Order, Proportion, and Light, Variety, and Extent which is so pleasing to the Eye now, will be in much greater Perfection, and therefore much more please it in Heaven. We may expect, this Sense shall be pleased with the Beauty and splendour which is put upon themselves: And also, with that excellent Beauty which they shall see their happy Friends adorned with, such as shall render them incomparably more amiable and lovely than ever they were before. It shall doubtless be highly pleased to view their glorified Saviour: To see him out-shining the most glorious Angels, and in Excellency, and Dignity advanced above those Thrones, and Principalities, and Powers. And, as that is a much more glorious World than this, the Faculty must be mightily strengthened and improved: For that which cannot now bear the direct Beams of this Sun, shall there converse with an innumerable Company of much brighter Lights than he: And must behold without being dazzled or confounded, that unconceivable Glory of God which shall there be discovered. Further, as we may justly believe, that the Inhabitants of that blessed World are not a sullen, silent Company, so we may expect that the hearing Faculty will be very pleasantly entertained there too. This will convey to each Saint the Subjects of their pleasing Conversations with each other. And as they are all vastly improved both in Knowledge and Love, their Conversation must be mightily improved too, and the Pleasure of it must be must unconceivably great. And as they are to spend an Eternity in the joint Praises of the great Author of their Being and Happiness, so without doubt there will be an admirable Harmony in their Praises: They will not utter them in any harsh discordant Sounds, nor in a wild Confusion: But we may justly believe they will be sounded forth in the exactest Measure, and sweetest Concord that can be, and will create to each of the glad saints a Pleasure far excelling that which the most charming music can give to any of us here. 4. In the last place, the Bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be blessed with a happy immortality. This excellent Property of Spirits they shall put on too. The Apostle says of our Bodies, They are sown in Corruption, they shall be raised in Incorruption, and this Mortal shall put on Immortality, and Death shall be swallowed up in Victory. Death itself shall then die, and cease to tyramnize any more over the wretched Sons of Men. In this our present dying Life our poor frail Bodies are subject to the Decays of Age, and the Infirmities of Sickness; which blast our Beauty, and abate our Strength and Vigour; which lessen and deprive us of Pleasure, and afflict us with grievous Pain, and at length dissolve the Mortal Body into Dust. But when they are brought to Heaven they are for ever freed from all these things. As they shall die no more, they shall no more decay, nor be sick, or in Pain. They shall enjoy there a per-Petual Health and Soundness, a perpetual vigour and Activity, and a perfect perpetual Beauty. They shall be for ever free from either the Care to live, or the Fear of dying. And this Advantage of Immortality greatly heighthens all the other: This assures the Enjoyment of them all for ever. These are the happy Improvements which the Bodies of the Saints shall gain in Heaven. Oh how joyful will they be to consider all these Excellencies and Advantages of them! How thankful must they needs be to the infinite Bounty of God? Which communicates lustre and Glory to a dark Clod of Earth! And mighty Activity, Sense and Power to a dull, heavy, weak thing! And the Honour of Eternity, and Unchangeableness to a poor Mortal Composition! If a good Man could see Reason to praise Almighty God for the Mortal Body in which he dwelled on Earth, because that was very curiously wrought and wonderfully framed, much more reason will every Saint have to magnify and praise the Divine Bounty and Goodness for his Heavenly and Glorified Body. I proceed in the second place to consider, and represent the happy and glorious Improvement which the Souls of the Saints shall also obtain in Heaven: For they shall be exceedingly advanced in that which is their greatest Excellency. I may represent this Matter in this general and short account of it: The Saints in Heaven shall be made perfect in Holiness, and advanced in this to the highest Measures and Degrees which such Creatures are capable to receive. This is an Advantage they cannot reach till they come to Heaven, but there they do attain to it, and it is a great Part of the Happiness there. The holy Scripture teaches us that this will be obtained in Heaven. It may be concluded from hence, that, of Good Men departed this Life, it is said, they rest from their Labours, which intimates that the Labour to improve in Holiness shall with them be at an end, as well as other Labours. Again, the Saints in Heaven are called by the Apostle, The Spirit of Just Men made perfect,( Heb. 12.23.) And the Psalmist speaking of his Admission into Heaven says, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness, Psal. 17.15.) When I am delivered from this stupid, sleepy Life into that more sensible, and lively, and active one above, then shall I be satisfied with thy Likeness: Then will the Divine Image in Righteousness and true Holiness be complete in me. It is of this State of the Church most true, and perhaps of this chiefly meant, what her heavenly Lover the blessed Jesus is represented saying,( Cant. 4.9.) Thou art all fair my Love, there is no Spot in thee. Every thing conceivable under the Notion of a Moral Excellency which the human Nature is capable of, is there to be found with the happy Saints, and they have it deep wrought into their Nature and Being. And when the Saints, by being so near to God as they are in Heaven, do the better know what the Perfection of the Divine Image requires, and wherein it consists, and do also find every Lineament and Character of that Glory appearing in themselves, this must needs be exceeding great Joy and Pleasure to them. But to make the Happiness of this advanced and perfect Holiness of the Saints in Heaven, the more distinctly appear: I think fit to represent it under these three different Aspects.( 1.) As it regards the Saint himself in whom it dwells.( 2.) As it regards Almighty God.( 3.) As it regards the other happy Inhabitants of Heaven. Let us first consider this, as it regards the Saint himself, and we shall easily see there are very joyful Advantages in it in this respect. And this State of Mind, we must know, is perfectly agreeing to the original and essential Frame and Constitution of the human Nature: Our very Nature was designed and fitted for it in our Creation: A sinful State is preternatural, but this is natural to Mankind. All Sin and Wickedness is the Sickness and Disease of the Soul, and the Disorder of our Faculties: By consequence this must needs be very uneasy and full of Pain; and the Scripture rightly says, a wicked Man can never be at rest, and there is no Peace to the Wicked. Every thing in the Soul out of due place and order, is uneasy as well as in the Body. But this happy State of Mind is the peaceful rectitude, the orderly Composure of it: This restores the Soul to itself, to its original and natural Frame and Constitution: Hence are the practices of Piety and virtue called by the wise Man, the Ways of Pleasantness and Peace. To improve in Holiness is to increase in the Health and Soundness of the Soul, and to be complete and perfect in that is, to be in perfect Health, and therefore also in perfect Peace. The Soul has now no inward Torment or Vexation, feels no more self-rebukes, is no longer liable to an uneasy self-loathing Discontent: She is now perfectly well, and finds her self so, and cannot choose but rejoice in the Ease, the tranquillity, and Peacefulness of her present Condition. This State of Mind is the perfecting of the Man, as Wickedness is the wretched and disparaging Corruption and Depravation of the human Nature. In the Perfection of Holiness he is advanced to the greatest Degrees of Worth and Excellency which he was designed for, and is capable of: This is the fullness of the Stature of a perfect Man. A diseased unnatural State of Mind stints the Growth, as well as it is painful and uneasy; and under it a Man can never attain the true Dignity and Excellency of a rational Creature. But with this Health and Rectitude of Mind, he gains also the due Dimensions, as we may speak, of spiritual Excellency; he now truly becomes little lower than the Angels, who had before made himself almost of an equal Rank with the poor Brutes. This State of Mind restores and raises all the Faculties of the Soul to their utmost Vigour and and Ability. In Sickness there is Weakness too, and in Health there is Strength and Vigour. And so the Soul has now the happy Advantage of being able and ready for all the Exercises of Holiness, for the noblest Operations of a reasonable Nature. As it is now in its most perfect State, it is also capable of, and disposed for its most excellent and perfect Operations. In a State of Wickedness the Soul is under the Tyranny of divers Lusts, which exhaust its Vigour, and weaken its Strength; and bow it down to a low animal Life, and to very mean and contemptible Operations; too many such as the Wretch himself is even ashamed of at some Flashes of Reason, or of Divine Light into his Mind. And how little acquainted is he with the Divine Life! how much a Stranger to the Acts, the Sensations, and the Pleasures of this! How insipid, how voided of Pleasure are the Thoughts of God, the chiefest good, to him! Yea, these are even unpleasant, and he cares not for the Knowledge of God or of his Ways. The very Fountain of Joy and Pleasure is unpleasant and distasteful to him, and he can see no Loveliness or Beauty in the supreme, and most glorious Beauty and Loveliness. And how irksome too, are all the Duties of Holiness! Alas, he is not able to perform them with any Relish or Delight; the Contemplation, Praise and Worship of the great God, and all Instances of Obedience are things he finds himself unfit and not ready for; his Faculties are indisposed for such things. But when a Man is renewed after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness, and this Image is become perfect and complete in Glory; then the Man is perfectly disposed for, and able to perform the noble Actions of the Divine Life, and then, too, are they highly pleasant to him. It is then his greatest Delight to contemplate, love, praise, and adore the great God: It is no matter of Labour or selfdenyal, no Violence nor Imposition upon any thing within him. It is never a Grievance or Burden to perform the Dictates of sound and vigorous Nature, which always flow easily and freely from their Principles. Since all the Instances of Duty are agreeable, and natural to us in our right and perfect State, and we are by them obliged to nothing but to be happy; it must be altogether pleasant to the perfect Saints to do such things. And with great Joy and Satisfaction it must be that they find themselves ready, and inclined, and able to do so great and excellent things. These are the happy Advantages of this State of Mind considered as it respects the Soul itself. In the second place, let us consider it as it regards Almighty God, and we shall see much Happiness in it in that respect too. This State of Mind is a State of perfect Resignation and Submission to the Will and Disposal of Almighty God. The great God is sovereign Lord, and Owner of all his Creatures, and he does always exercise a Dominion over them, and govern and dispose of them as he pleases. How necessary then is it to the Happiness and tranquillity of a Creature to be entirely resigned to the Disposal of him who will, whether we will or no, dispose of us as he pleases! And how happy a thing must it be to have no relucting Wishes against what he does with us! To desire nothing to ourselves, but what his holy, and just, and good Will allots to us. And this makes it easy and pleasant to the happy Saints above, that they know they are disposed of by infinite Wisdom and Goodness and Justice. This entire Resignation is the Foundation of a perfect Contentment in the different Degrees and Measures of Glory which shall be distributed in Heaven; for as one Star differs from another Star in Glory, so will it be among the Saints in Heaven: And though it be so, yet shall all be contented, and all perfectly happy. And this State of Mind disposes to a perfect Subjection and Obedience, as well as to a perfect Resignation: As they do not in the desire of their Wills contradict his Actions and Dealing with them; so they do not in their Actions contradict any Part of his Will concerning their Behaviour towards him: They have no Reluctancy at any of the Commands of God, nor Unwillingness to do what he requires of them. There is a perfect Agreement of Will between God and them: And as he kindly wills nothing concerning them but what is good and happy, so while they obediently will the same things, they must needs be very happy. And what they must do, what they ought to do, they are now most perfectly willing and ready to do, their own Will and Inclination carries them to it. Their Duty then, is in Heaven, their Inclination; their Business is their great Delight and Pleasure; and their very Work is Wages and Reward. The Pleasure of this Resignation and Subjection is further heightened in the apparent Fitness and Reasonableness of such a Temper of Mind, which does more perfectly and fully appear than ever it did before. By how much nearer the Saint comes to God, by so much the more is he sensible of his Distance from him: And the better he knows God, the more is he disposed to an humble Reverence and Submission, the more disposed he is to love him, and to obey all the Laws of Love. And when this holy Disposition is perfect, the Saint does joyfully find himself disposed to pay all that is due from him to God, and to aclowledge as he ought, what Excellencies he sees to be in God. He finds himself most perfectly such as he ought to be, and therefore must be at a perfect Agreement, and highly pleased with himself. But there is yet another thing very happy and pleasant in this perfect Holiness as it regards Almighty God, and that is, that it is a glorious and honourable Likeness and Resemblance to the excellent and glorious Deity. This Honour the holy Scripture does evidently ascribe to it. Upon this account it was that the Psalmist spoken of the State of Perfection in these Words, When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness. And the Apostle John speaking of this exalted State says of good Men, Now we are the Sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him,( 1 Joh. 3.1.) God has made us capable, as we are reasonable Creatures, of those we call Moral Excellencies, which also are infinitely in himself; to bear these then, is to bear his glorious Resemblance and Likeness: Therefore when we are merciful, 'tis said this is to be as our Father in Heaven, who is merciful. The happy Saints in Heaven do each of them advance to the utmost Likeness to him which they are capable of in these matchless Beauties and Glories. These are the Beauties of the Soul, and these render the Saints all glorious within, as the Improvement of their Bodies renders them so in their outward Appearance. And these things being the Glory of the Divine Nature, they must needs be also very honourable to us. Oh what an Honour must this seem to a Man's self, and oh what Esteem must it be with all the Company of Heaven, who see God and dwell in his immediate Presence! Certainly there the greatest Likeness to God must be accounted the greatest and the most honourable Accomplishment. And surely there cannot be a happier thing than to be like the happiest and most perfect Being that is. As the divine Excellencies, being in God in an infinite unmeasurable fullness, are to him an infinite Bliss, for he is his own Happiness, so this Participation of them in the glorified Saints must needs make them proportionably happy too; and when they have these in as great perfection as they are capable of, they must needs be as happy as 'tis possible for them to be. And what ravishing Transports of Joy and Wonder will it raise in them to view and compare the Glories of God, and those Resemblances of them which are in themselves! They will be delighted and pleased to view such Excellencies in God, they will be delighted to see them in themselves, and this Agreement and Likeness between the great God and them will add yet more Delight. It will be very joyful to the Saints to think they are now such as to be perfectly pleasing to God, and as he can take a Complacency and Delight in. And with great Pleasure and Joy they will reflect and consider from how vile and contemptible and wretched a Condition they are advanced to this Glory and Happiness: This will inspire them with eternal Thankfulness and Praise, to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the united Authors of this mighty Change. In the third place, let us briefly consider this Perfection in Holiness, as it regards the other blessed Inhabitants of Heaven. The Saint advanced thither dwells with an innumerable Company of Angels, and the general Assembly and Church of the first born, the Spirits of just Men made perfect, as the Apostle speaks( Heb. 12.22, 23.) And by this Perfection of Holiness he is perfectly suited to that bright Society, suited to those with whom he must live for ever, and by consequence is the more acceptable and easy to them, as they also are to him. By this Perfection in Holiness there is a perfect Agreement, and Concord among the blessed Inhabitants of Heaven: They converse together with an entire Confidence in each other, without any jealousy or Suspicion; without Fraud or Envy; without Malice or ill Design: They are all of them easy and pleasing to one another. Every one there is very wise and very kind, full of Love to all the rest, and they are full of Love to him. By this Perfection in Holiness every one knows and valves true Worth and true Love, and seeing these in all the Company, he takes the more Delight in them whom he finds so eminently possessed of both. Every Saint loves all the rest for the sake of that Love which they all appear to have to God the great author of their Being, and the kind Contriver and Accomplisher of their Redemption from Misery, and the Fountain of their Happiness. Because they are all pleasing to him, they are the more pleasing to one another. 'tis delightful to every one to see all the rest such as he would have them to be. And then with one Mind and one Mouth they join, and offer harmonious and agreeing Praises to God for what he is in himself, and for his Bounty and Goodness to one another, and to themselves. Oh happy World! Oh blessed Union! There Brethren dwell together in the most perfect Unity, and there especially is it experienced how good and pleasant a thing this is: And there, therefore especially, does God, the author of Peace and Lover of Concord, Shower down his Blessings upon the whole Society, even Life for evermore. Thus far is the utmost, that it is convenient for us to go at present in displaying the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance of the Saints. And what has been said does deserve our deliberate Meditation. Here then let us stop for the present, and look back and seriously meditate on these things, till Opportunity shall be afforded us to hear the rest. Oh let us seriously bethink ourselves what we now are, how weak and poor, and how miserable by the Effects of Sin upon us. And let us consider too, what we may be! What glorious Bodies we may attain, and how much more glorious Souls! That we, the vile sinful Inhabitants of this low Earth, may become the pure, glorious, and happy Inhabitants of Heaven! The Companions of glorious Angels and fit for the most glorious Presence of God. Let us consider these things till we resolve to prosecute with utmost Diligence this Dignity, and Advancement; and consider them still, that we may put such a Resolution into vigorous practise and Endeavour. If we would hearty resolve thus, and steadily follow such a Resolution, how wise should we be! How well should we consult our Interest and Happiness: We should consult and pursue the highest, and the everlasting Interest both of Soul and Body. And what incomparable Content and Pleasure might a Man even now take in such a Course, when he might tell himself: In my Endeavours to be pious and virtuous I endeavour but to be happy: I aim at the rectifying of my Nature, at the Health, and Soundness, and Perfection of it! In all my Advances in Grace, and virtue I advance towards the Glory, and the Happiness of Heaven. In this way I shall grow up at last to a glorious Likeness to the infinite and perfect Deity. This aspiring Course will lift me at length above all that is mean and poor, above all that is little and contemptible, above all that is uncertain and Perishing, above all that is vexatious and hurtful, and will bring me to the greatest Attainments of Glory, and Happiness, which my Nature is capable to receive. Thus let us think and do accordingly, and may God of his infinite Mercy bring us all to this Happiness, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour, Glory and Praise, World without End. Amen. THE PRAYER. O Infinite, and Glorious! Good and Gracious God! Thou art abundant in Goodness! O how great is the Goodness which thou hast exercised and shown to the Children of Men! And how much greater is that which thou hast prepared for them that love thee! Eye has not seen, neither hath the Ear heard, nor can the Heart of Man conceive the Riches and Glories of those Rewards which thou hast prepared for thy faithful Servants. We adore, we praise thee O God, for making us with such excellent Natures as we have; and we thank thee for designing us to, and making us capable of so vast Improvements of our Nature as thy Word gives us leave to expect, and invites us to seek. O Lord we are utterly ashamed, we abhor ourselves when we consider how much we are fallen below what thou didst make us: That we who bore thine Image in Righteousness and true Holiness, have born the Image of the Devil in Sin and Wickedness: We who were made little lower than the Angels, have ranked ourselves among the brute Beasts, and made ourselves more vile than they, We must needs condemn our selves, for that we have neglected the Dignity, and Honour, and Happiness for which thy Goodness designed us; we have had little or no Concern to advance and improve even our corrupted and depraved Natures. We condemn ourselves before thee as foolish and guilty Creatures. We aclowledge our Destruction is of ourselves, and only in thee is our Help. We humbly fly to thy Mercy in Jesus Christ: We beseech thee for the sake of that Propitiation which he has made for Sin to pardon all our past Iniquity; to heal our distempered Souls to enlighten our dark Minds, to rectify our foolish and perverse Wills, to sanctify us throughout in Body, Soul, and Spirit, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Help us through the Spirit to mortify the Deeds of the Body that we may live: To resist the Temptations of the World and the Devil. Make us industrious to cleanse ourselves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and to perfect Holiness in thy Fear: And do thou, we pray thee, so bless our Endeavours, that we may continually grow in Grace, and may persevere in Holiness to the End of our Lives. Let us no more excessively dote on this vain World, but set our Affections on things above, and with pure Hearts and Minds follow and seek the Enjoyment of thee who art our only Happiness. Have Mercy we pray thee upon all Mankind, and let them be taught to know and be persuaded to pursue the true Happiness. Bless thy Church with a great increase of all Piety and virtue, and with Abundance of Peace. O that we might see the Time when there shall be no hurting nor destroying in all thy holy Mountain. Lord be merciful we beseech thee to these unhappy Nations in which we live. O let us all see and know the things that belong to our Peace, that our Lusts and Passions, our Humours and private Interests may not so divide and distracted us, so disturb and weaken us as they do. Make as all join together in the Reverence, and Love and Worship of thee, in due Obedience and Subjection to our Governours, and in mutual Endeavours for one anothers welfare. Bless our King we pray thee with the choicest Blessings, protect his Person, direct his Counsels, prosper his mighty Labours and Endeavours to the promoting thy Glory and our Peace and Welfare, and the Happiness of much People. Continue our Royal Family as long as the Sun and Moon shall endure; due them plenteously with Heavenly Gifts, prosper them with all Happiness, make us an Honour to them, and them a Blessing to us. Do good to all our Relations, benefactors and Friends, and forgive our Enemies. Accept our humble and hearty Thanks for thine inestimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ: For the means of Grace we so abundantly enjoy, particularly for those of this Day: Let them always O Lord have such Influence upon us, that they may beget and maintain in us the well-grounded Hope of Glory. We implore thy gracious Protection this Night, and beseech thee to grant us Rest and Refreshment, that we may arise the next Morning with renewed Strength for all our Work and Duty. All we ask in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose most comprehensive Words we sum up our Desires, saying: OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, and ever, Amen. THE Final and complete HAPPINESS OF GOOD MEN REPRESENTED. The second Part. Let us Pray. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our Doings, with thy most gracious Favour, and further us with thy continual Help, that in all our Works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy Holy Name, and finally, by thy Mercy, obtain Everlasting Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Psal. 16.11. In thy Presence is fullness of Joy, at thy Right Hand are Pleasures for evermore. AS we cannot in this our present Life enjoy our perfect and consummate Felicity, so neither can we now fully know what it is; as the holy Scripture itself tells us. One Apostle says, We now know but as by a Glass: Another says, It does not yet appear what we shall be. The Mind of Man indeed is not at present suited, nor are our Faculties capable to entertain a full and adequate Conception or Idea of that Blessedness: Therefore the holy Scripture says, It cannot enter into the Heart of Man what things God hath prepared for them that love him. But yet: As very much is, by the Favour of God, revealed to us concerning that excellent Happiness in his Word, and we may from thence derive a good Measure of the Knowledge of it, though not a perfect one; so there may be so much said of this from the Intimations of holy Scripture concerning it, as may by the Blessing of God possess us with the Desires of knowing more, and of attaining the perfect Fruition of this Blessedness. Just as the Queen of Sheba, could not have an adequate and full Conception of the Glory of Solomon, by all that she had heard of it, in her own Country: But yet such Representations might be made of it to her, and were so effectually made, that she might be, and was possessed with an earnest Desire to go her self to it, and to know by seeing what it was. I have therefore begun to represent this Happiness, as well as I can, from the Revelations concerning it in holy Scripture: That I might thereby, if it may please God, possess some worldly and and careless Hearts, with some Sense of its Excellency, and with some warm and vigorous Desires to attain it; which things are the necessary and first Steps towards the attaimment of it, I have taken notice, that in these Words of the Psalmist we have a very large and comprehensive account of this final and perfect Happiness. And from this account of it I proposed to insist upon these three general Heads of Discourse concerning it. 1. To represent what they are to be who shall enjoy that Happiness, for even what they are is a great Part of it. 2. To show what the Saints in Heaven shall enjoy. 3. To observe and illustrate the Import of the general Qualification of that Blessedness mentioned in the Text, which is, that it shall endure for evermore. The first of these Heads I have sufficiently spoken to, and shall now, with the Divine Assistance, proceed to what remains. The next thing then which I am to do is, to show what it is that the Saints in Heaven shall enjoy. It may be said indeed, that I have done this in some measure already, in the two Discourses foregoing this. For it has been said, They shall have a very happy Enjoyment of the glorious Place which they dwell in, and of the Fellowship and Conversation of perfect Saints, and the glorious and kind Angels, and also of their own Excellencies and Improvements of Body and Soul▪ They shall enjoy these, that is, all all these things shall be matter of great Delight and Pleasure to them. But besides all these things, there is so much more of Bliss yet remaining which shall be immediately derived from God himself, and the Enjoyment of him, that all the rest is as nothing in comparison to this. That therefore, which still remains to be spoken to, being our most eminent and considerable Enjoyment, and much the most considerable Part of our final Happiness, I thought I might fitly enough distinguish this from the rest under the Name of what the Saints shall enjoy in Heaven. That( whatever it is) will not only vastly exceed and transcend all other Particulars, but even comprehend them too, or, as we may say, will swallow them up. The other things are as the Streams, and God is the Ocean of Delight and Joy: They are as the Stars, he as the Sun of Glory. His Glory will comprehend, and even conceal theirs as the Light of the Sun does that of the Stars; and the Delight and Pleasure which all things else afford will be scarce observable with the Enjoyment of him, as Rivers lose all their Distinction when they fall into the Sea of Waters. Thus God becomes all in all, as the Scripture speaks. It will be his Glory which the Saints shall chiefly admire, and be pleased with, in every other Glory, and his Goodness and Pleasantness will be chiefly minded, and delighted in, in every other Goodness, when the Saints come to this perfect and consummate Bliss in seeing and enjoying of him. Let us now see what the holy Scripture tells us concerning this matter: And that seems to represent it to us under this general and comprehensive Notion of it, the Admission into an immediate and special Presence of God. Thus the Psalmist in our Text speaks of it. In thy Presence is fullness of Joy, says he to God. So in Psal. 140.13. he says, The Upright shall dwell in thy Presence. Now the Presence of God( according to the use of the Word in the Hebrew Language) seems to include two things; the seeing him, and the partaking of some Instances and Expressions of his special and peculiar Favour. So when 'tis said in the Hebrew, in Prov. 29.26. Many seek the Face of the Ruler, we translate it, Many seek the Ruler's Favour, because without doubt it means so much. And a learned Father of our Church fitly interprets it thus, Many are ambitious to be known to their Prince, and to obtain his Favour for Honour and Preferment.( Bishop of Ely Paraph. in loc.) So when 'tis said Cain went out from the Presence of the Lord,( Gen. 4.16.) The same Father teaches us to understand it thus; there was a divine Glory made visible( which by the Jews was called the Shechinah) which appeared from the beginning to those of Mankind whom it pleased God to converse with; the Sight of which Cain never after this enjoyed, but by the Divine Curse was banished from it. And God withdrawing his gracious Presence from Cain, he was forsaken by God, and put out of his special Protection;( Ib. in loc.) so that he had no more granted any Tokens or Expressions of the Divine Favour to him, but rather knew himself an abject, abhorred of God as well as hated of all Men. This general Notion then of an Admission into the Presence of God in Heaven we may reckon affords two distinct particulars towards the Happiness there, which are these. ( 1.) An immediate Manifestation of the Divine Excellencies and Glories.( 2.) Immediate Communications or Expressions of his Goodness, the endearing Caresses of his Love. For doubtless we are not to think, that all the Happiness of Heaven is fitly and adequately represented under the Name of Vision alone, or that it consists in a mere gazing upon, and admiring the Divine Glories. And since even those who call it by that general Name do think themselves obliged to explain that Vision as including also the Communications of Divine Love, I think it more fit and proper to speak of these things distinctly and severally. For though these are indeed never separated, yet they may be distinguished. In the first place then, we may learn, that the Saints in Heaven shall receive, and enjoy the immediate Manifestations of the Divine Excellency and Glory. These in holy Scripture are represented under the Name of the Face of God. Of this, I doubt not, Job speaks, Job 33.26, when he says of a true Penitent, He shall see his Face with Joy: For those Words may be understood as spoken of what shall be afforded such a Person in the other World.( Greg. Mag. Expos. Moral in Job l. 24. Cap. 7.) This also is what the Psalmist means when in hopes of attaining this Happiness at last he says( Psal. 17.15.) I shall behold thy Face in Righteousness. And the Apostle Paul calls it a seeing God Face to Face, 1 Cor. 13.12. The Face of God is in Scripture put for any Manifestation of himself to Men: But this which shall be enjoyed in Heaven we have reason to believe will consist in very peculiar Manifestations of the Glory and Excellency of God. The holy Scripture interprets this Face, by the Glory of God and says, it cannot be seen with mortal Eyes. Therefore when Moses requested that he might see this in Exod. 33.18. in those Words, I beseech thee show me thy Glory. We have God's Answer to his Request in v. 20. in these Words. Thou canst not see my Face, for there is no Man shall see me and live. This is a Manifestation of the Divine Glory which is reserved for the perfect Happiness of Heaven. It is the Glory and Excellency of the Divine Nature immediately manifested, and shown to his Creatures. The blessed Saints in Heaven enjoy this: They have their Understandings elevated, and strengthened by the heavenly Glory, and they steadily fix their Minds upon God, and immediately view him. They see the Glory of the Lord, and the Excellency of our God, as the Prophet speaks( Isa. 35.2.) It is a Manifestation of the essential Being or perfect Majesty of God. Hence the Scripture says, that when it is afforded to the blessed Saints in Heaven, they see him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2. He is not now veiled or concealed from them by any thing, nor is he represented by any thing but himself. In his Light they see Light. They have such an Apprehension of his Excellencies, and Glories, as we now have of things which we see, and which are presented to an open immediate View. The Beatisick Vision is Intuition or intellectual Sight. But who can express, who can possibly conceive the Pleasure and Happiness which this will afford! If it be wonderful and pleasing to observe and contemplate the Divine Perfections as they are now represented in the Word of God; this must be yet much more pleasing and delightful. They are indeed very bright and charming things which our Faith now receives, by hearing, concerning him; but if we come to the new Jerusalem, and there see the King of Glory immediately manifested in his incomprehensible Brightness and Glory, how much more joyful and pleasant may we easily imagine this must needs be. We know by ordinary experience, that what the Eye sees does affect us much more, whether it be with Pleasure or Vexation, than what we only hear of by the Ear. It is somewhat more to see God in his wonderful and glorious Works than only to know him by what we hear: And yet, after that the Saints have considered and admired the glorious Works of God which appear in this World, and have viewed and considered with great Wonder and Delight, the much more glorious Works which will appear in that far more glorious World above, still will this immediate Manifestation of the divine Nature, wherein all those Excellencies center and dwell which show themselves in those Works, be incomparably more delightful and pleasant to the Saints. This Manifestation of the divine Nature and Attributes, will give the Saint a ravishing Apprehension of further Effects yet possible to be produced. And will occasion the active Mind to entertain itself with the Treasures of Divine Wisdom, Power, and Goodness not yet drawn forth into Exercise; with the unexhaustible, unbounded Wealth of the Deity! It will awaken him to conceive innumerable Worlds yet possible, and to suppose things incomparably more excellent and glorious than any that are yet produced. This will very brightly demonstrate that the divine Perfections are infinite, and extend themselves far beyond the Reach of utmost and most enlarged Thought, as well as beyond all the past and actual Exercise of themselves. So will the happy Saints be pleased to find that these Perfections have no Bounds nor Limits. And they have a most sublime and ravishing Joy to imagine Worlds of unknown Beauties and Glories in the Deity: To think that if their Capacity were infinitely larger than it is, yet could the infinitely glorious Object enlighten it all, and fill it with Light and Glory: To think that the most excellent and capable Creatures, though they know most of God, yet cannot know all, but indeed do fall infinitely short of him, nor can he be known fully, and perfectly by any one but himself. And with vast Pleasure do they multiply in their Thoughts all that they know of the glorious Deity, they suppose endless Additions to it, and after all the Additions to it in their Thoughts, they know he infinitely surpasses all. And with this the Mind in Heaven is delighted and pleased, the infinite Glories of the Deity do not amaze nor discourage it: The Saint can entertain himself still with the unmeasurable Object, and with vast unwearied delight plunges still his admiring Thoughts into an Abyss of Glory. By this Manifestation of the divine Excellencies and Glories in themselves, the Saints will better apprehended them in the Marks and Characters which they have left of themselves upon their wonderful Effects, they will much the better know them again wherever they meet them. And so this bright Light will illuminate all that was dark in the Works of God before: And will enable the happy Saints with Wonder and Joy, to call to mind even those very Operations of God which were some time grievous to them, because they did not understand them. They now see and praise that infinite Goodness, and admirable Wisdom, and Almighty Power which have exercised themselves in the Creation and Government of the World: And these evidently appear to them upon many things where they could not see them before: They see the Glory of these shining particularly in the Dealings of God with Mankind, and in all those Dispensations by which they themselves have been brought to everlasting Happiness. Thus will the Memory of past things refresh and please them, as in them they will now very plainly see the charming Impresses and Characters of the divine Perfections. This Manifestation of the great God gives at once a very large and comprehensive Knowledge of him. The Saints do not now gather this by a tedious and laborious Train of Reasoning and Discourse which gains Knowledge, as we may say, but by Sparkles, and gives, too commonly, but very partial and imperfect Notions of the Deity. This makes him entirely known, as far as they are capable, and that by one, easy, perpetual View, by full Beams of divine Glory always resting upon the Mind: And thus must he needs be more perfectly known in Heaven than ever he was before, and therefore with more Pleasure too. The Saints there know more of God than ever they could before, and they know it all more evidently and certainly than ever. And as Light is pleasant to the Eye, so is Knowledge to the Mind, and this is always so much the more pleasant as it is more important, full, and clear: This Manifestation, then, must give the happy Saints the highest Pleasure as it gives them the clearest and the fullest Knowledge of him who is the most excellent and perfect Being, and in whom every thing that can be known is admirable, glorious and pleasing. This Manifestation of the divine Glories fills the Mind with Light and Glory. As the perfect Sanctification of Heaven leaves no Spot of Corruption, so this leaves no Shadows of Ignorance or Darkness: All the enlarged Capacity is filled with the Light of a clear and distinct Knowledge: And of the happy Soul it may now be said that itself also is Light, and in it is no Darkness at all; the Soul itself is even transformed into Light and Glory: Now is that most perfectly fulfilled which the Apostle speaks( 2 Cor. 3.18.) saying, We all as with open Face beholding the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory. And as the Light of this Knowledge thus fills and transforms the Mind, it must be most inwardly and entirely possessed and sensible of unspeakable Joy and Pleasure too. 2. To these immediate Manifestations of the divine Excellency and Glory are joined in Heaven, the immediate Expressions and Communications of his Goodness and Love. And this Addition is what does properly add Fruition to Vision, and gives the Saints an entire and a blissful Enjoyment of God. It is easy to conceive there would be very little Pleasure in having such bright and glorious Manifestations of the divine Excellency and Greatness made to them without suitable Expressions, and Evidences of Goodness and Love. Yea, we may justly suppose they would render him even terrible to poor mean Creatures, and overwhelm them with Astonishment, rather than give them Delight and Pleasure. But the great Happiness of Heaven is, that all those Excellencies and Glories which shall be manifested shall appear as kind as great. They shall mightily adorn his Love, and his Love shall sweeten them: His Love makes them appear good and kind, and they make his Love appear great and glorious. Such Communications and Expressions of divine Love the holy Scripture gives us leave to expect, will be afforded in Heaven. Our Text intimates this in saying, that the Presence which is manifested there will afford fullness of Joy, and Pleasures for evermore. It must be a favourable Presence which shall do this, and so be attended with Exercises and Expressions of divine Love. The Psalmist must be reckoned to mean these especially when he says, Oh how great is the Goodness which thou hast prepared for them that fear thee! Psal. 31.19. In the same admiring manner he speaks of them again in Psal. 36.7. where he says, How excellent is thy loving Kindness O God! And to show that he had his Thoughts chiefly upon these Communications of divine Love, he tells, in Vers. 8, 9. where the loving Kindness which he celebrates is chiefly to be enjoyed, and says, They, that is those good Men who would worship and put their Trust in him, shall be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House, even of thy holy Temple, and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures, for with thee is the Fountain of Life: By which Expressions we may justly believe that he chiefly means Heaven, and that Presence of of God which will be afforded there. The immediate Caresses and Expressions of divine Love may be expected by holy Souls, as appears by that Wish which Solomon puts into the Mouth of the Spouse, Cant. 1.4. Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth, thy Love is better than Wine. But surely these are to be enjoyed in Heaven if any where, and if any where, then especially, and in the sweetest manner there. There indeed will he most abundantly and immediately make the Saints sensible of his Love to them. There they shall to the greatest Purpose know that God is Love. They shall perceive and partake of his Goodness, not only in his Gifts or Works, but even in himself. As his Glory shall be represented to them by its own Light, so his Love shall be made sensible by its own immediate Sweetness and Goodness. They shall always see him regarding them, as we may say, with a kind and gracious Aspect. He will never turn away his Face from them, nor ever make it uneasy or terrible by Frowns and Displeasure. He will make his Love apparent and sensible by the most charming Endearments and Consolations, and display it in all its Magnificence and Glory: But how great Joy, how unconceivable Pleasure must it needs create in the happy Saints, to enjoy the Love of a God! To have Infinite Perfections exercised in Expressions of Kindness and Love to them! These Communications and Expressions of the divine Love do necessary kindle a mighty flamme of Love in the Saints to him. It is not possible that they can dwell and converse with so much Love without being themselves even transformed into Love. As his Glory communicates and fills them with Glory, so his Love communicates and fills them with Love. They now most perfectly love him with all their Soul, and with all their Strength; with all the Strength of raised and improved Faculties of Mind and Soul. And Love and Pleasure are things that always go together; all the Exercises of Love are highly pleasing. Love is so pleasant a thing it can sweeten those that are bitter, it can sweeten Labour and Pain, and make even the long Delays of lingering Expectation tolerable. But more must it be pleasant to the happy Saints in Heaven, where they are possessed of him they supremely love, and do enjoy from his Love all that their own can desire. This mutual Love produces a sort of Union between God and the Saints in Heaven; a very intimate, and without doubt, a very sensible Union, of which we may believe St. John speaks when he says, He that dwells in Love dwells in God, and God in him, 1 Joh. 4.16. And surely this cannot choose but be an unspeakable Happiness. To be united to God, and to dwell in him is to be united to infinite Glory and Love. And they that could dwell in the Sun we may be sure would not want Light, nor they that dwell in the Sea Water: Much rather must they who dwell in God and are united to him, be filled with Glory and Love and Happiness. As the Understanding of the Saints immediately views and apprehends the Glory of God, so their Will is intimately and immediately joined to his Goodness by mutual Love; and it perceives the chiefest Good, God himself, embracing and caressing the Saint with ineffable Love. In Love, God communicates even himself to them, and they have in a sort a Possession of him. All the happy Company of the Saints can say, this great, this glorious God is our God for ever and ever! And each happy Saint can there with most Reason and most Pleasure say of him, My beloved is mine and I am his: Since he is an infinite Good, every one may say he is mine, though they be an innumerable Company. All the Riches, all the Glories of the divine Nature are by his condescending Love their Possession, and shall be their Felicity for ever. God himself is their Portion, and he surely must be an exceeding great Reward. God is the universal Good; he contains in himself the Perfection and Goodness of all other things, and that in the highest Eminency. And he affords to the Saints, and they enjoy in him, the Love of all other the kindest Relations, and the Goodness of all other the best things, and much more than all this. The Riches of ten thousand Worlds were a dismal Poverty to what they possess and enjoy. In mutual Love, he freely communicates himself to them, with overflowing Bliss; they wholly apply themselves to praise and honour him. For this mutual Love and Union is attended with suitable Actions between them, and with very intimate and friendly Communion and Converse. As Friends embrace with mutual Endearments, and with great Pleasure and Delight converse together, so it is between God and the happy Saints in Heaven. God delights in them and they in him; and in the kindest ways they express their mutual Satisfaction and Delight in each other. The Communications of his Love and Goodness excite and enable them for very high and transporting Expressions of their Love to him: And the more he gives to them, the more they render and repay to him: The more he loves, the more they return of Love. He is always delighting over them, to do them good, and make them happy; and they are always pleased to make the best Returns of Love and thankful Praises to him. The whole Company of Heaven laud and magnify him: They join together, and they assist one another to love and praise him, for what he is in kimself, and for his Goodness to them. These Communications of the divine Goodness must needs give the happy Saints in Heaven a perfect Contentment and full Satisfaction; and they shall feel what the Psalmist expresses, a Fullness of Joy. They are now possessed of the chiefest, the universal Good, beyond whom there is nothing more that they can desire, and they have the fullest and most perfect Possession and Enjoyment of him which they can desire. They have gained now, all that they have to wish for, and are now perfectly at rest: They are in the Center of Joy and Bliss. Oh how great a Felicity is this! May not our wretched craving Minds, which are still thirsting after Happiness whatever it is that we can enjoy of this World, and still unsatisfied while we remain here, easily make us sensible of the Pleasure and Felicity of Satisfaction and Rest? The Saints possessed of God and heavenly Bliss are no longer bound to labour and toil, no longer vexed with uneasy Cares, and uncertain Solicitudes, that they may provide for themselves what they want or desire. They easily and continually derive from the infinite Fountain of Goodness a full Satisfaction to all their Desires: They derive from his everflowing fullness without asking or any patient waiting for his Communications. He gives continually and they receive: They feast continually upon the Celestial Entertainments of his Love, and with all the Pleasure but without the Pain of Hunger and Thirst: They always relish with incomparable Pleasure what they receive, and always are filled with Bliss and Joy. But this brings me to the third and last Head of Discourse which I am to insist upon: And that is, to illustrate a little the Import of that general Qualification of this Blessedness, mentioned in the Text, That it shall continue for evermore. In thy Presence is fullness of Joy, says the Psalmist, at thy right hand are Pleasures for evermore. This the holy Scripture frequently assures us of. That blessed State above is the enduring City. What will be there enjoyed is the Treasure which neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt, Thieves break through and steal: It is a Felicity made up of things which will neither fail of themselves, and shall never be taken from us. It is an Inheritance that shall never fade away. And Life eternal, or everlasting. Oh happy and most comfortable Assurance! It is indeed necessary to the Perfection of this Happiness that it should be everlasting: And it is this which makes it complete and absolute Bliss, that it shall endure for ever. The greater our Happiness were there, the greater would our Trouble be if we must fear or expect that it would have a Period. And it would embitter the Pleasures even of Heaven itself to know that they should come to an end, though that End were at never so great a Distance. But this is not the State of the heavenly bliss: That shall be everlasting. And this includes these three very comfortable Particulars which are worth our Meditation. 1. The Happiness of Heaven shall never be, for the shortest Space, interrupted. There shall no Sin enter there to cloud the Face of God, or hinder the Communications of his Love; the one shall perpetually shine, and make a Day without any Night, the other like an eternal River of Delights and Pleasures shall continually flow. The Faculties shall continue for ever, and the Objects of Happiness and the Union between them shall endure for ever, without the least Intermission. The spiritual Body, and immortal Soul shall be able to act with unwearied vigour, and shall never cease to feel their tasteful Pleasures. There will be no Spaces wherein they shall do nothing or be doing somewhat else; nothing but blissful and pleasant Action shall spend their Eternity. Oh how desirable is this State, where they shall have nothing to do but to be happy! And which is not mingled with Labour and enjoyment, with Toil or Pain and Pleasure, but is only an uninterrupted, unintermitted Pleasure and Enjoyment. 2. The Happiness of Heaven shall never suffer any Diminution or Decay. These are not fading or transitory Pleasures which Heaven affords the Saints, but lasting and abiding ones. That which is eternal can never decay: For, to decay is to draw nearer to an End, but that which shall never end can never approach nearer to an End. The divine Glory Manifested shall never fade, nor shall the Fountain of Love, then fully opened, ever be exhausted or run low. The Good enjoyed there is an unchangeable, as well as an infinite Good: And the happy Saints themselves in the mighty Improvement of their Faculties are made capable to enjoy perpetually the highest Pleasures. All the Capacities indeed which we have now are so weak that they cannot long bear even a high Pleasure: But the sweeter, and the more delicious it is, the sooner are we satiated, and cloyed with it; then it grows flat and insipid, and it becomes a Drudgery and Burden to continue in it; and we are forced to lay it aside while that we may relish it again. But it is not thus with the Celestial Pleasures. The improved Faculties of the Saints shall there enjoy the rich Delights without Weariness, there they are rather improved than tired by Exercise and Motion. They are capable of perpetual Transports and ecstasies of Joy and delight. They shall always then be happy, and always enjoy the highest Happiness they can desire: They shall always be perfectly and completely happy. 3. The Happiness of Heaven shall continue without End. The Saints shall have there an endless perfect Enjoyment of the eternal Good. No Number of Ages shall ever put an End to an eternal Life. This Felicity will endure after so many thousands or Millions of Years as there are Stars in the Heavens, and Drops of Water have fallen in Rain since the Creation, and as there are Sands upon the Sea-shore. And after all this it will continue as much longer; yea, as long as all this repeated a great many times! Oh vast Eternity! All the Words which we can speak besides can never exhaust the rich sense and Meaning, or measure the Duration of Eternity! To say the most that can be said towards this in one amazing Expression, we may say: The Happiness of the Saints in Heaven shall continue as long as the eternal, unchangeable God himself shall endure! O joyful Thought! O vast Expectation! An Eternity of Bliss! What Pleasure does it possess us with now to think of it! And how much more Pleasure will it be to enjoy this! It will add yet more Delight to every other rich Delight in Heaven, and make every other Pleasure there the more pleasant. This brings the Joy and Sweetness of an Eternity of Bliss into every Pleasure they enjoy. Thus I have briefly represented the final Happiness of Mankind according to what the holy Scripture teaches us of it. And now, what remains for us to do, who are still the wretched Inhabitants of Time, and this miserable World? But to think often of the great and glorious, the delightful and eternal Happiness which waits to receive us hereafter: Which is offered to us now, and which we may secure to ourselves, or which we may forfeit, and lose for ever. It becomes us certainly to study in what way we may come thither, and to make ourselves diligent and steadfast in that way by considering this incomparable Happiness. In the Ways of Piety and virtue which led to Life everlasting, we ought to be steadfast and unmovable: No present Wants or Afflictions, no threatenings or Persecutions, no Labours which are but for a moment should ever be able to divert us from the way to eternal Bliss and Rest. And on the other hand, no present Profits or Honours, no worldly Pleasures or Allurements which are things but for a Season, should be able to 'allure us from the Ways of Piety and virtue; which led to the truest Riches, the highest Dignities and Honours, and to the sweetest and most abiding Pleasures. Oh let us be very careful and earnestly endeavour so to run this Race as that we may obtain the eternal Crown and Reward: So to fight the good Fight of Faith as that we may finish our Course with Joy: So to govern ourselves always here, as that we may grow up to a due Fitness for the holy and spiritual Happiness of Heaven, and for that pure Place where no unclean thing can come: And so we may be at last admitted to the Presence of God where is fullness of Joy, and to his Right Hand where are Pleasures for evermore. Through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour, Glory, and Praise World without End. Amen. The PRAYER. OH most glorious, bounteous and merciful God. Thou delightest in doing good, and waitest to be gracious. We cannot choose but admire the Riches, the Condescensions, and the Patience of thy Goodness and Love towards the Children of Men. Thou loadest us with the Blessings of this Life, who commonly abuse them in the Service of divers Lusts, and do affront and injure thee as far as we can. And especially are we moved to admire thee, and praise thy glorious Goodness when we consider the great and glorious Happiness, which thou hast designed us for and made us capable of: And which, though we have rendered ourselves utterly unfit for and unworthy of it, yet thou kindly invitest us to seek it, thou art ready to help us obtain it. We who are unworthy to enjoy the Comfort of thy meanest Creatures dost thou invite to thy glorious and unconceivable Felicity of enjoying thyself: Who art an infinite, eternal Good, in whom all fullness dwells, who wilt enlarge and fill the Capacities of those that enjoy thee and abundantly satisfy them with the Joys and Pleasures of thy Presence for ever. Lord what Rewards hast thou prepared for them that will love and serve thee! How great is thy Goodness which will recompense the short, transitory Labours and Sufferings of this Life in thy Service with an Eternity of Rest and Peace and Happiness. We are ashamed to think O Lord, that thy rich and bounteous Rewards have had so little Influence upon us, that we have lived careless and forgetful of them. O pardon our Folly and make us wiser for the future. Let us be made deeply sensible that our true Happiness lies only in the Enjoyment of thee, that thou art our chief Good, thou alone canst make us perfectly and eternally happy. Convince us effectually of the Emptiness and Vanity of this World, that it is cursed by reason of Sin, and was never intended for our chiefest Happiness. And let our Hearts and Affections be therefore raised from these low things, and set upon the things above. Make us to love most, and desire above all things the glorious Happiness which thou hast promised to those that love and serve thee. And let thy great Mercy O God, teach us thy Statutes, led us in the Way of thy Commandments, make us to love and choose that which thou hast commanded, to be diligent and steadfast here in all the practise of Piety and virtue which thou requirest. Pardon we beseech thee all our past Iniquity to our unfeigned Repentance of it; for we do earnestly repent and are hearty sorry for all our Misdoings, we hate ourselves for our unreasonuble Enmity to thee, and are angry with ourselves for displeasing thee. O turn us from every evil way, and show thyself reconciled to us, and grant us the comfortable Hopes of the future Blessedness now to encourage us in our Duty, that we may persevere in it to the End of our Lives. Giude thou us we pray thee by thy Counsel till thou hast brought us to thy Glory. Have mercy we beseech thee upon all Mankind. Let thy Way be known upon Earth, thy saving Health among all Nations. Let thy glorious Gospel run and be glorified, give it every where such Influence and Power, that all those who profess to believe it may forsake all that is evil, and walk as Children of the Light, and as having their Conversation in in Heaven. We pray thee bless these Nations in which we live: Give us Peace and Plenty of all good things, especially establish Truth, and promote all true Piety and virtue, that we may duly honour and glorify thee, and may be mutually comfortable to one another. We pray thee bless abundantly our most gracious King, bless him in his Person, and in his Government, with long Health of Body, great increase of all virtues, with great Success in his Affairs, and with much Honour and Obedience from his People. We pray thee bless, prosper and continue our Royal Family: Let it always afford these Nations such a Person as will rule over us in thy Fear, as will love and practise thy true Religion established among us, and study to preserve the People in Wealth, Peace, and Godliness. Bless all our Relations and Friends with all temporal and spiritual Mercies in this Life, and with the eternal Favours of Heaven in the next. We give thee hearty Thanks O Lord, for all thy gracious Revelations to us, of thyself, and of thy Will and Law, and of our true Happiness Let them by thy blessing make us wise to our Salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ. We humbly commit ourselves to thy gracious Protection this Night, and for all the Remainder of our Days, imploring thy merciful Regard to us for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Mediator and Advocate, for whom we bless thee, and in whose Words we sum up and conclude our Requests, saying, Our Father, &c. FINIS. A Catalogue of Books, Printed for and Sold by J. wyatt, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard. Books Published by Mr. Theophilus Dorrington. FAmily Devotions for Sunday-Evenings throughout the Year, in four Volumes. Each containing Thirteen Practical Discourses, with suitable Prayers, for the Four Quarters of the Year. Consolations to a Friend upon the Death of his Excellent and Pious Consort: Applicable also to a Resentment of the Death of our late Gracious and Incomparable Queen. This Discourse may be useful in the Loss of other dear Relations and Friends. A Familiar Guide to the right and profitable Receiving of the Lord's Supper: Wherein also the Way and Method of our Salvation is briefly and plainly declared. Reformed Devotions in Meditations, Hymns and Petitions for every Day in the Week, and for every holiday in the Year. The Excellent Woman, described by her true Characters and their Opposites; being a Just and Instructive Representation of the Virtues and Vices of the Sex; and illustrated with the most remarkable Instances in Ancient and Modern History: in Two Parts complete: Done out of French. An Enquiry into several remarkable Texts of the Old and New Testament, which contain some Difficulty in them; with a probable Resolution of them: in Two Volumes, Octavo. A Discourse concerning the Authority, Style and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament: in Three Volumes, in Octavo. Wherein the Author's former Undertaking is further prosecuted, Viz. An Enquiry into several remarkable Texts, which contain some Difficulty in them: All by John Edwards, B. D. sometime Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. A Vindication of the Truth of Christian Religion, against the Objections of all Modern Opposers; written in French by James Abbadie, D. D. one of the French Preachers at the Savoy. The complete Mother: or an Earnest Persuasive to all Mothers; especially those of Rank and Quality, to nurse their own Children. By Henry Newcome, A.M. Rector of Tattenhall in the County Palatine of Chester. The Constitution, Discipline, Government, Unity and Worship of the Primitive Church, that flourished within the first three Hundred Years after Christ. Faithfully collected out of the Extant Writings of those Ages: By an impartial Hand: in Two Parts. A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments, with other Sermons: in Two Volumes, Quarto. Sermons or Discourses on several Subjects: in Three Volumes, in Octavo. All by the Right Reverend Father in God Ezekiel Hopkins, Late Lord Bishop of London-Derry. The Christian Virtuoso, showing that by being addicted to Experimental Philosophy, a Man is rather assisted than indisposed to be a good Christian. Experimenta& Observationes Physicae: Wherein are briefly treated of several Subjects relating to Natural Philosophy in an Experimental Way; to which is added a small Collection of strange Reports: in Two Parts. Both by the Late Honourable Robert boil, Esquire. The History of Catharine de Medicis, Queen-Mother and Regent of France, or an Exact Pattern of the Present French King's Policy.