u Of THK AT PRINCETON, N. J. a* <_» VB A. -j.* i € » EV D W SAMUEL AQNEW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. Q4o. Case. Forty Five SERMONS O N Several Subjects, In Three Volumes. By Andrew S n a p e, D. D. late Provoft of Ki?ig's-Collegey in Cambridge. Prepared for the Prefs by the Author, and now firft publifhed from his Original Manufcripts, (except Ten that were printed in his Life-time.) B Y John Chapman, D. D. Chaplain to his Grace the Lord Archbifliop of Canterbury. And WilliAxM Be rr i man, D. D. Fellow of Eton-College. VOL. III. LONDON: Printed for S. Bir r, m Aye-Mary-Lam i and R. Man by, and H. S. Cox, on Ludgate-Hill. MDCCXLVT THE CONTENTS O F T H E THIRD VOLUME. SERM. I. Page i Divine Worfhip due to the whole Trinity. Mr. Hutchins'j Gift on St. Mark'* Day, at St. Mary le Bow. Mat. iv. 10. Thou Jhalt worfhip the Lord thy God, and him only Jhalt thou ferve. SERM. II. 44 The Character of hearing Prayer, a proper Ground for coming to God. Psalm lxv. 2. O thou that hear eft Prayer, unto thee JJjall all Flejh come. SERM. III. 73 The Duty of publick Prayer, and Excel- lency of the EngliJJj Liturgy. RoM.xii. 1 2 . — continuing inftant in Prayer. SERM. 1 The CONTENTS. SERM. IV. n6 The Duty of private Prayer. RoM.xii. 12. Second Sermon on the fame Text. SERM. V. 148 The Safety and Stability of Chriftian Prin- ciples. Col. ii. 6, 7. As ye have therefore re- ceived Chrifl jfefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him : Rooted and built up in him, and ftablijhed in the Faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with Thankf giving. SERM. VI. 180 The Direction of Practice, the true End of Hearing. Jam. 1.23, 24. For if any be a Hearer of the Word, a?id not a Doer, he is like un- to a Man beholding his natural Face in a Glafs : For he beholdeth himfelf, and go- eth his Way, and fir ait way forget teth what Manner of Man he was% SERM. VII. 209 The Folly of 111 Men, in reproaching the Good. 1 Pet. iv. 4, 5. Wlierein they think it ■ jlrange that you run not with them to the fame Excefs of Riot, [peaking Evil of you : Who pall give Account to him that is ready to judge the Quick and the Dead. A The CONTENTS. SERM. VIII. 238 A Spittal Sermon at St. Bride's, on Wed- nefday in Eafier-Week, 1707. Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another s Burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Chrijl. SERM. IX. 272 A Spittal Sermon at St. Bride's, on Wed- nefday in Eafter-Week, April 16, 171 8. Job xxix. 1 5, 1 6. 1 was Eyes to the Blind, and Feet was I to the Lame. I was a Father to the Poor, SERM. X. 303 A Spittal Sermon, at St. Bride's, on Tuef- day in Eajler-Week, 1731. 2 Tim. iii. 2. Former Part, For Men fall be Lovers of their own fives. — SERM. XL 320 A Sermon before the Lord-Mayor, fan. 30, 1709-10, 1 Kings xxi. 9, 10. Proclaim a Faft, and fet Naboth on high amo?rg the People : And fet two Men, Sons of Belial, before him, to bear Witnefs againft him, fay-* ing, Thou didfi blafpheme God and the King : and then cany him out and Jl one him, that he may die. SERM. XII. 365 A Sermon on the General Fail, before the Houfe of Commons, March 28, 17 1 1 . Amos The CONTENTS. Amos iv. 10. your young Men have I Jlain ewith the Sword ; and have taken away your Horfes, and I have made the Stink of your Camps to come up unto your Nojlrils : Yet have ye not returned unto me, faith the Lord. SERM. XIII. 394 Anniverfary Sermon for the Charity Schools at St. Sepulchres, May 24, 171 1. Mat. xi. 25. At that Time Jefus anfwer- ed and J aid, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becaufe thou haft hid thefe Things from the Wife and Prudent, a?id hajl revealed them unto Babes. SERM. XIV. 425 At the Opening of the Church of St. Mary at Hill, after Reparation. Dec. 31, 171 6. Exod. xxv. 2. Speak unto the Children of Ilrael, that they bring me an Offering : of every Man, that giveth it willingly with his Heart, yejhall take my Offering. SERM. XV. 451 Thankfgiving for the Reftoration, May 29/1660, before the Houfe of Commons, May 29, 1717. Psalm lxxvi. 10. Surely the Wrath of Man /hall praife thee ; the Remainder of Wrath Jhalt thou refrain. Serm. SERMON I. Divine Worfhip due to the whole Trinity. Mr. Hutchins Gift on St. Mark's Day at St. Mary le Bow. s"K n«« >"< jM« s»« >*"' y"4 v"4 i* 4 ft > ^ >"$ >"-< >"'4 jws >v/4 y'^ s*5 jws yfi SMS jflK Matt. iv. 10. Thou Jhalt Worfhip the Lord thy God) and him only (halt thou ferve. HE worthy Perfon deceafed, Serm< who gave Occafion to our af- I. fembling here on this Day, having recommended, as a Subject of this Anniverfary Difcourle, the Excellency and Ufe of the Liturgy of the Church of "England ; I (hall endeavour, in my Pro- Vol. III. B portion, 2 Divine Worjlrip due Serm. portion, to contribute to the End propofed I- by him. That there is a God, or Supreme Being, of infinite Power and Perfection, who both originally framed this Syftem of the Univerfe which we behold, and of which we are a Part, and has continued, ever fince its nrir. Formation, to fuftain, uphold, and govern it : And that it is the Duty as well as Intereft of all the rational Part of the Creation, to worfhip and pay Homage to that great Author of their Being, is demonftrable from the Light of Nature: The Beauty, Proportion, and Order of the Workmanfhip may ferve to con- vince us of the one j and a Feeling of our Wants and Imperfections, and a Confci- oufnefs of our dependent Condition, of the other. It is likewife apparent (as one has lately obferv'd) from the univerfal Har- mony of Nature, that all Things both in the Heavens and the Earth are under one Diredion, under the uniform Direction of one Supreme Will. But as it was a Point of great Uncer- tainty before, whatSort of Service would be mod to the whole Trinity. . 3 mod acceptable to that Sovereign Power, Serm. the Chriftian Revelation has clear'd up all fuch Doubts, and taught us how to ferve him with a well-pleafing and regular De- votion. We are directed how and for what to pray to him, with what Frame and Diipofition of Mind we muft. approach him, and thro' whofe Mediation and In- tercemon we muft make our Requefts to him : How to conceive rightly of his Di- vine Nature and Attributes, to pofTefs our felves with juft Sentiments of him, and addrefs him in proper Terms : To keep the happy Mean between fuperftitious Horrour, and rude Irreverence : How to behave our felves toward him in the Clo- fet, and how in the publick Congrega- tion of the Faithful. PursuAxNT to fuch general Directions, and conformably to the Scripture Rules, not only private Chriftians have put up their Supplications to him for the Relief of their refpective Wants, but Churches or Congregations of Chriftians have join'd their united Prayers for BleiTings of a pub- lick Nature, and fuch as related to the Good of the Community, not forgetting B 2 to 4 Divine Worfhip due Serm. to recommend to the Father of Mercy !• i and Fountain of all Goodnefs, the feveral Occafions and Neceffities of the particu- lar Members that compofe the Body. And for the performing this Duty with the greater Reverence and Solem- nity, flated Forms have been appointed, as by other national Churches, fo by the Church of England in particular, the Vin- dication of whofe Worfhip fliall be the Bufinefs of this Difcourfe. But as this is a Subject of large Ex- tent, confifting of different Branches, and capable of being handled in various Me- thods, as our Co?nmon-Prayer may be con- fider'd, with regard either to its intrinfick or comparative Excellence, as one's La- bour may be ufefully imploy'd either in pointing out Beauties, or wiping off Afperfions, as the Judicioufnefs of its Com- pofition, the Propriety and UnafFectednefs of its Stile, the Harmony of its Offices, the Decency of its Ceremonies, its Ten- dency to promote a Spirit of true Piety arid Devotion, and its Conformity to the Rules of Scripture and the Model of an- tient Liturgies, would be very proper To- picks to the whole Trinity. r picks of Difcourfe, on fuch an Occafion, Serm. and as there is much to be faid in Vin- I- dication of Forms of Prayer in general, as well as our own in particular j you will eafily conceive that fuch a Variety of Matter cannot well be comprehended within the Compafs of a fmgle Difcourfe. And I doubt not but thofe who have gone before, and are to come after me in this Undertaking, have or will fully difcufs the before-mention'd and many other Points by me omitted. That which I mall have principally in View, and on which I mail lay the main Strefs of my Endeavours, will be, to jumTy our publick Worfhip, not fo much with refpect to Circumftantials, as to the true Object of our Worfhip : The QuefHon now before us will not be, how we pay our Adoration, but to whom we pay it : And I trail it will be prov'd to you, to your entire Satisfaction, that in praying according to the Liturgy of the Church of England, we do not mifplace our Devotion, that we equally avoid the dangerous Extremes of Idolatry and Pro- fanenefs, that we render Divine Honours B 3 to 6 Divine Worfhip due Serm. to whom Divine Honours are due, and J« to no other, and that, according to the Direction in my Text, we worjhip the Lord our God, and him only do we ferve. I have the lefs Inclination at prefent to enter into any Argument with thofe who make a Scruple of conforming to our Service, on the Score of fome Matters of Ceremony, and under the Pretence of purer Ordinances and better Edification -y becaufe I hope and believe that fome of their Prejudices are greatly leffen'd, and much of that Stiffnefs and Rigour abated, with which they formerly inveigh'd a- gainft our Communion. A farther Reafon why I forbear en- tring into that Controverfy, is, becaufe we have a more dangerous, and at this Time a more growing Sort of Adverfaries to deal with, who are impatient to have our Liturgy new model'd, in compliance with their heretical Notions, with a Pre- tence indeed of avoiding Matters of doubt- ful' Difputation, but with a manifeft View of fubverting the Fundamentals of the Chriftian Faith, and robbing two of the Divine Perfons in the ever-blefled Trinity, of to the whole Trinity. y of that Honour and Worfhip, which isSERM. unqueflionably due to them. *■ That in Fact, as our Liturgy now ftands, we jointly adore the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and pay an equal De- gree of Reverence to all three, as equal in Power, Majefty and Glory, and eternally fubfifting in the fame undivided ErTence, is plain and evident, and there is fcarce a fingle Office in the whole Service-Book, from whence it does not manifestly ap- pear, that we worihip and praife, afcribe Honour and Glory to the whole Trinity : The Inflances are too numerous to be repeated, too well known to the Fre- quenters of our Church to need a Repe- tition, many, tho' not all of them ready collected by an unfriendly Hand, who has mark'd them out as Rocks of Offence, and yet too ftrong to be eluded: And whatever Artifices have been, or can be ufed to enervate the Force of them, or to infinuate that fuch ParTages are ca- pable of being underftood in any Senfe, that falls lhort of the higheil and moil confummate Perfection, or be made con- fiftent with any Notion that implies the B 4 leail 8 Divine Worjhip due Serm. leaft Abatement or comparative Diminu- *• tion in any of the Perfons of the God- head, fave in the Point of Order only, muft be fallacious and forc'd, and as great a Violence as can be put upon Words It highly concerns us then to fatisfy our felves, that in worfhipping the three Di- vine Perfons, and afcribing to them the fame infinite Perfections, we are guilty of no Idolatrous Proftitution of the fole and fovereign Prerogative of God ; that we do not provoke his Jealoufy by transferring his Glory to them, who by Nature are no Gods ; that we adore the Creator and not the Creature, and as I faid before, that we worjhip the Lord our God, and him only do we ferve. The Prohibition of Idolatry is the rirft and great Command of the Law -, and this Quotation of our Saviour, in his Difpute with Satan, is a Re-inforcement, under the Gofpel, of that and all other Precepts to the fame Purpofe : And I have made Choice of thefe Words for the Subject of my Difcourfe, to vindicate them from Mif- conftmction, becaufe, however our Ad- verfaries may object that they ftare us in the to the whole 'Trinity. 9 the Face, and are a Condemnation of our Serm. Practice, as if it mufl neceffarily follow that *« three co-effential and co-eternal Perfons mufl be underftood of as many Gods ; yet the Charge at lafl will be found to recoil upon themfelves, fo many of them at leaft as allow any Sort of Worfliip to be due to our blefTed Saviour, as the Socinians and Arians do ; and thofe who allow him none will fall under the Charge of great Impiety and Profanenefs. The Socinians degrade him into a meer Man, and will not acknowledge that he had any Being, before he was conceived in the Womb of the bleffed Virgin, and yet they not only agree that Worfliip is due to him, but they even contend for it : But how can any Acts of Devotion, at- tended with fuch Principles, be excus'd from the Imputation of Creature- Worfliip, or how can fuch Supplicants be faid to worfhip the Lord their God, and to ferve him only ? The antient Arians confefs'd our Sa- viour's Pre-exiflence before the Worlds, but denied his Co-eternity with the Fa- ther, alledging that there was a Time when io Divine W or flip due bERM.when he was not, nor would they except him from the Number of Creatures, and yet they worshiped and invoked him, for which they were juftly taxed as Ido- laters by the Catholick Fathers. The modern Arians (I was going to tell you what they maintain in reference to thefe Matters, but as, in the prefent critical Conjuncture, they do not feem dif- pos'd to fpeak out plainly what they allow or difallow, but to be waiting for a favour- able Opportunity of opening more largely their whole Scheme, it would be difficult to afcertain what their Tenets are). The modern Arians^ I fay, have fometimes acknowledg'd, thatChrift was not only be- fore the Worlds, but that he was the inftru- mental Caufe, under God the Father, of making the Worlds, nay, and fometimes too, that he is God, or a divine Perfon, but not God coequal with the Father ; that he is to be worfhiped, but not with abfolute, fupreme Worfhip. But as it is moft cer- tain that there can be no Medium between the Creator and Creatures, nor any lawful Worfhip but to the Creator, 'tis as cer- tain, that if he is the Creator, he is en- titled to the whole Trinity. 1 1 titled to all Worfhip, or if a Creature, toSERM. none. So that they alfo are comprehen- J. ded under the Guilt of Idolatry, as hear- tily as they would be thought to abhor it : And they feem indeed fo fenlible of it, that they have cautioufly avoided, in their lateft Writings, the fame Concef- iions they had made before, of which I fhall give you a flagrant Inftance, before I finifh this Difcourfe. In the farther Profecution whereof, I fhall aim at thefe two Ends. Firjl, To fatisfy you, that the Adora- tion of the bleffed Trinity, as that Doctrine is taught in our Articles, and the Practice enjoyn'd in our Li- turgy, is our bounden Duty, and agreeable to the Will of God, as revealed in Scripture : And that the confining all our Reverence to tl?ie Perfon of the Father only, in Ex- clufion of any other Perfon, is, upon any Principle, impious and profane : I have fhewn you already that upon fome it is idolatrous. Secondly, <^nro 12 Divine Worjhip due Serm. Secondly, To give you a feafonable Cau- I._ tion againft being enfnared by fome unfair Devices which have lately been contriv'd, in order to beguile unwary People infenfibly out of this Faith, and miflead them from the true Worfhip. Firjl, I mall endeavour to fatisfy you, In the Name of thefe three Divine Per- fons, we receive our firft Initiation into the Chriftian Church, according to our bleffed Lord's own Command and Inftitu- tion. Go ye and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghojl, were his own Words to his Difciples, and his final Charge with which he took his Leave of them j when he was juft going to afcend to his Father. Can it be imagin'd that he would have put himfelf and the Holy Spirit fo much upon the Level with the Father, as to have join'd their Name with bis, with that Name for the Sandification of which he exprefs'd fo great Concern, and taught them to petition in their daily Prayer, to the whole Trinity. 1 3 Prayer, that it might be hallow'd, if %Serm. were not equally entitled to Homage and ^J- Adoration ? This will appear more un- likely, when we confider what is faid juft before, that when they faw him, they worfhiped him. If fuch Worfhip had been faulty, here furely had been a proper Oc- cafion for him to have check' d their mif- guided Zeal, as the Angel did that of St. John, and to have reprov'd them with a -m See ye do it not, for I am your Fellow- Servant, and of your Brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the Sayings of this Book : Worjhip God, Rev. xxii. 9. Or as St. Peter rebuked Cornelius, when he fell down at his Feet and worfhiped him, — Stand up, I my felf alfo am a Man, Adls x. 25, 26. Or as Paul and Barnabas retrained the Men of Lyfira from doing Sacrifice to them, by faying, Sirs, Why do ye thefe Things $ We alfo are Men of like Pafjions with you, Acts xiv. 15. Thus did holy Men, thus did a holy- Angel difclaim and decline, with Abhor- rence, the receiving to themfelves divine Ho- nour; and thus would our bleffed Lord have done likewife, if he, like them, had been a created 14 Divine Worfoip due SERM.created Being, and were not infinitely fu- I- perior to Men and Angels. But when in- ftead of any Reproof or Inftruction to the contrary, he proceeds rather to magnify than lerTen the Veneration they had for him, how certainly may we conclude, that he who would be far from entrench- ing on his Father's Prerogative, or aflu- ming any more than juftly belong'd to him, well knew, and was willing they mould understand, that he was a proper Object of their reverential AddrefTes ? fo that we have here both an Example of Worfhip paid to Chrift, and a Precept in Confirmation of that Example. And perhaps it may be not unworthy our Obfervation, that the Author of the Scripture Dofirine of the Trinity, in his Collection of Texts relating to the Worfhip of the Son, has totally omitted thefe Words in St. Matthew, When they Jaw him they ivorftiped him, though he cites the parallel Place in St. Luke, where they do not hap- pen to be placed in fo flrong a Light, nor to be folio w'd by fo remarkable an Allow- ance and Juftincation of the Practice. There to the whole Trinity, 1 5 There is another Paffage where theSERM. Worfhip of the Son is exprefly mentioned, I- not by Men indeed, but, which, is much ^^ more, by the Heavenly Hoft, Heb. i. 6. When he bringeth in the fir ft begotten into the World, he faith \ And let all the Angels of God worfhip him. If he is the Object of their Reverence, how much more necef- farily muft he be of ours ! He was their Creator indeed, but us he both created and redeem'd ; for verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels, but he took on him the Nature of Man, fo that he has certainly the higheft. Right to our Adora- tion, both as remov'd from him at a more awful Diftance, and indebted for the ftrongeft Obligations. And this Paflage, by the Way, will fur- nifh us with a Confutation of one Evafion urged by the Arian Writers, who can ac- quiefce in the Worfhip paid to Chrift, but not as he is God, or as having been with the Father from all Eternity, but in re- fpecl to his Redemption of Mankind ; nor will they allow it any higher Date than from the Commencement of his mediato- rial U-y^ 1 6 Divine Worjhip due SERM.rial Kingdom, nor other Foundation than !• ^ his acquired Dominion over us. But I fay, the Place of Scripture now under Confideration, mews his Right to be founded on an antecedent Dominion : For what Claim could he have to the Worfhip of Angels, whom he did not re- deem, if his being the Mediator between God and Man were the only Thing that gives him a Title to Adoration ? To which let me add, that it appears from the Place in St. Matthew which was juft now under Confideration, that the Difciples actually worfhiped him, before he acquainted them, that All Power in Heaven and Earth was given to him j from whence it may be in- ferr'd, that their Reverence towards him did not take its Rife from that Principle, but from that Conviction of his divine Power, which made St. Thomas cry out, My Lord, and my God. A memorable Confeflion this ! from his juft-before unbelieving Difciple ; nor can I help obferving, that this Inftance of De- votion alfo, by not being condemn 'd by our Saviour, flands allow'd : He who thus profefs'd his Faith, meets with a gentle Rebuke to the "whole 'Trinpty* 1 7 Rebuke indeed for not believing foonerSERM. and on lefs Evidence, but is not blamed *• for carrying his Devotion too far, or ad- dreffing him in Terms of too high a Re- verence. But with a higher Aflurance ftill did the firft Martyr St. Stephen pray to our blefled Lord, and invoke him with his dying Breath, faying, Lord Jefus, receive my Spirit. And of him it is particularly to be noted, that he was not only in ge- neral an infpired Perfon, and full of the Holy Ghoil:, but had the Advantage of an immediate and perfonal Revelation : The Heavens were opened to him, and he had a Foretafte of the Beatinck Vifion, at the Time when he was uttering thofe Words : He beheld the Divine Glory, not as thro' a Glafs darkly, not merely with the Eye of Faith, but with his natural Eye : Could iuch a Perfon, in fuch a Situation, be de- luded or mifled ? Could he look into Hea- ven, and not perceive to whom the Ado- ration of the blefled Inhabitants was di- rected ? How imperfect muit our Know- ledge be, who walk by Faith, if Intuition its felf is no Prefervative from Error ? On Vol. III. C this 1 8 Divine TVorJhip due Serm. this Suppofition it would follow, that the I« Members of the triumphant, as well as militant Church, live in Darknefs and Ig- norance, and our Hope of feeing God as he is, when once we are exalted to his heavenly Kingdom, would be groundlefs and imaginary. The Cafe then will ftand thus. Either St. Stephen, in the mid ft of fo bright a Direction, and glorious Illumination, was miftaken and prayed amifs) which I believe no one will be hardy enough to affirm) or this was no Prayer to Chrift, which whoever denies, may as well deny that our Lord's own laft Words were a Prayer to his Father : Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit : and, Lord Jefus, receive my Spirit, are Exprerlions very nearly allied, or if there be any Dif- ference, it ' is in this, that the Words of the Martyr are in a more direct petitio- nary Form : Or laftly, if it be allowed, both that St. Stephen did pray to Chrift, and that he prayed aright ; then will it undeniably follow, that Chrift is a proper Object, of Prayer and Supplication. Again. to the whole Trinity. 1 9 Again, there is a great Number ofSERM* Texts in the New Teftament, wherein it I. is not only remotely hinted or implied, but ftrongly and roundly averted of Chrift, that he was the Creator of the Univerfe. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 'The fame was in the Beginning with God. All things were made by him j and without him was 7iot any thing ?nade that was made : Thus we read in the Entrance of St. jfohn's Gofpel. And again, Heb. i. 2. fpeaking of the Son, by whom alfo he made the Worlds, and ver. 10. Thou, Lord, in the Beginning haft laid the Foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens are the Works of thy Hands, with what follows. I for- bear to enumerate any more, or to para- phrafe on thefe, the Words are fo expreis, and fo confelTedly afcribe the Work of the Creation to our Saviour Chrift, that fome, who are very unfavourable to his real Di- vinity, will not difpute, but that he was the Accompliiher of that ftupendous Ope- ration. And one would think it mould admit of as little Difpute, that he who C 2 built 20 Divine TVorfoip due Serm. built all Things not only is God, but to f« be worfhiped as God. ^-'v^ But here they come in with a Di- ftinction, and care not to attribute any more to him than a minifcerial Creation, and nominal Divinity, and in Confequence of that, an inferior Sort of Worfhip. All Things were made ', fays one [ J quity with mine Heart, the Lord will net hear me j as much as to fay, if I venture to approach him, without a due Prepara- tion of Heart and Soul, with polluted Hands and a corrupted Mind, if I do not firft fincerely confefs and bewail my Sins, and form holy Refolutions of Amend- ment for the Time to come, before I prefume to implore the Mercies I ftand in Need of, my moil: earneft Intreaties will be of no Account, I mall be looked upon by him as an idle Babler, and mail never obtain any of my Defires. So proper and reafo- nable is it always to begin our Prayers with a Confefiion of our Sins. For unre- pented Sin is a certain Bar to God's Fa- vour, and till that Obilruction be remo- ved, we may be affured, that whatever we ask we mall ask in vain. But if we will firft warn our Hands in Innocency, we may then with Confidence appear be- fore him, and may depend upon it, that he will both hear and anfwer our Pe- titions. But, E 3 Udly, 54 The Char a&er of hearing Prayer, Serm. Hdly, I am now to fhew, that this II. is a Property belonging to God alone. Thou emphatically, and no other, art a God that he are (I Prayer : I mean, there is no other but God, that can either hear or judge of the Sincerity of internal and men- tal Prayer. He only underftands the' Language of the Heart, and the Meaning of that which is yet unuttered. He only can liften to all Supplicants at once, let them be never fo disjoined in Place, or let their Wants be never fo various and difagreeing. And none but he can fo hear, as to be able to anfwer and relieve them all. We Mortals indeed are capable, in fome little Meafure, of underftanding one another's WTants, of receiving Petitions from our Fellow Creatures, and offering our own to them : We are capable too, in fome Degree, ot relieving one another, and Complying with the Requefts that are made to us. But this our Power is greatly limited and reftrained. We can hearken but to a few Petitioners at a Time, and it is but to a fmall Part of them, to whofe Necemties we are able to apply the proper Re- a proper Ground for coming to God. 5 5 Remedies. We can no otherwife difco- Serm. ver what it is they fland in Need of, but H. by outward ExprefTions and Significations : Nor does it always happen that we are fufficiently in Humour, or that we have fo much Humanity about us, as will in- cline us to fupply thofe Needs that have been fully reprefented to us, and which according to the Ability wherewith God has been pleafed to profper us, we are abundantly able to alleviate and make eafy. Sometimes too it may fo fall out, that even thofe who have the largefl Ca- pacity of doing good, and who withal are ever ready to hear as many as they can. and ever inclinable to grant to as many as they do hear, are hindred from applying their Benevolence where it is moil want- ed and beil deferved, by the Forwardnefs and Importunity of lefs worthy Per fons, who by crafty Suggeflions and falfe Re- prefentations, divert to their own Benefit thofe Streams of Favour, which were de- figned to flow in a much better Channel, and fatten on the Spoils of the modefl and unheard. E 4 Tip 5 6 77je CharaEicr of hearing Prayer, Serm. These Inconveniencics and Inequalities "■ are unavoidable in the Courfe of human Affairs, nor is it poiTible for the greatefl: Sagacity or fharpeft Penetration wholly to guard againft them. For Men can but judge according to the befl outward Ap- pearances that offer themfelves, and the beft Information they can procure. But as thofe Appearances and that Information are not always agreeable to the Nature of Things ; hence many Miftakes and Mif- underftandings arife. When our Rule its felf becomes thus deceitful, we muff of Neceffity err. But our Comfort is, that Error, when it is thus unavoidable, is ne- ver iinful. God only is omnifcient and unerring. It is he alone that cannot be impofed on by any deceitful and imperfect Views. He clearly difcerns between real Merit and fpecious Plaufibility. He fees the artful Turns and colourable Pretences that are given to ill-grounded Requefts, the fecret Springs from whence they proceed, and the latent Referves wherewith they are attended. He hears all his Addreffers equally, and all thoroughly ; they may always be fure of an a proper Ground for coming to God. 57 an eafy Accefs and favourable Audience. Serm» He will fo direct and proportion his Gifts, that what is bellowed on one fhall be no Detriment to another, and will fo order Events, that no one who makes a due Application, (hall want any Thing that i? fit and convenient for him. To whom then can we fo properly betake ourfelves for the obtaining any of our reafonable De- fires, as to that Benefactor who is able to do all Things, to whofe Prefence we are at all Times lure to be admitted, and who, we know, will never reject, nor fend us away empty ? O thou that hcareji Prayer, unto thee fiall all Flejh come. Which brings me to confider, Illdly, The Reafonablenefs and Force of the Inference drawn from the AiTertion I have been proving. Becaufe he heareth Prayer , therefore jhall all Flejh come unto him. The Probability or Prof- pect of Succefs is, next to the Worth inefs of the End we purfue, one of the chief Things to be confidered in all human Ac- tions. To attempt Things impofiible, or fuch as are very hardly to be attained, tho* the Objects in themfelvcs may be well ■w§rth 58 The Char after of hearing Prayer^ Serm. worth the pofTefling, will caufe any Man's II- Difcretion to be call'd in Queftion. To ask a confiderable Favour of a Perfon, in whom one has no Manner of Intereft, nor the leaft Acquaintance with him, and where one is morally afTured of meeting with a Refufal, is fuch a Piece of Con- duct as is peculiar to the worthlefs and the bold, but which no Perfon of Modefty or Serife will care to venture on. Or let the Thing to be requested be never fo juft and reafonable, and he of whom we would ask it never fo well known to us, yet if we know him to be of a rigid and inflex- ible Temper, fpiteful and envious, chur- lifh and morofe, and one who is naturally averfe to doing good Offices, and contri- buting to the Happinefs of others, and who takes a Pleafure in denying the moft ordi- nary Favours and Matters of common Ci- vility j this will fufficiently warrant our Backwardnefs in applying to him, nor ought we to be taxed with being wanting to our felves or to our Friends, if we forbear to ask, where our Hopes of pre- vailing are fo very fmall. But a proper Ground for coming to God. 59 But then on the other Hand, where Serm. a very flight Application will be fure to procure us very great Advantages, where ^^^ we have a candid and ingenuous Difpofi- tion to deal with, a Lover of Mankind, and one who delights in being ferviceable and beneficial, when we have no more to do, but to open our Cafe to him, and make him fenfible how much it is in his Power to make us happy and eafy, and have all imaginable Reafon to conclude, that the Requefl will be as foon granted as defired ; in this Cafe, we are guilty of the mofl inexcufable Folly, and may be juftly looked upon as the wilful Authors of our own Mifery, if we neglect fo eafy and obvious a Remedy. Now this is the Cafe between our Cre- ator and us. We have not only a Proba- bility, but a Certainty of fucceeding in our Petitions to him. There is Nothing that he is not able to give us, and Nothing convenient that he is not willing. He ne- ver with-holds his Bletfings from us out of Envy or ill Humour. We depend, in all that we feek from him, on no Uncertainty of Temper, we have none of thofe fofter Hours 60 The CharaEler of hearing Vrayer, Serm. Hours to watch, when he is moft cafy to be approached, which we are forced to obferve with regard to our earthly Bene- factors. And yet, ftupid and ungrateful as we are, how much more carelefs and remifs are we in our Carriage toward him, than toward the meanert of thofe from whom we expect any temporal Advan- tage ! With how exact an Obfervance do we attend their Motions, how careful to flip no Opportunity of caremng them, how fearful of doing any thing to dif- oblige them ! But as for our fupreme Lord, on whofe Will alone both our prefent and eternal Welfare depends, with what a cold Indifference do we treat him ! When we have nothing elfe to do, when we la- bour under outward Preflures, are bereft of all worldly Comforts, and have no o- ther Refort to fly to, we perhaps betake ourfelves for Sanctuary to him. But in the mean time we put him on the peti- tioning Side, and while we fhould be courting him to grant us his Benefits, he is in vain courting us to receive them. He calls and invites us, while we are fly- ing from him, and when we fhould en- treat a proper Ground for coming to God. 6 1 treat him to be reconciled to us, he ear-SERM. neftly befeeches us to be reconciled to him. Il- ls fuch a Behaviour as this toward one fo potent, and to whofe Difpofal we are fo abfolutely fubject, agreeable to the Max- ims of common Policy, or do we act thus inconfiderately in any other Matters, but in the great Concern of our everlafting Salvation ? Is it not natural and almofl mechanical for us thither to caft, our mofl wiftful Looks and paflionate Regards from whencefoever our Support and Main- tenance comes ? If in any Cafe we are fen- fible of our own Want and Indigence, does it not of Courfe prompt us to have Refort to fuch as we know are beft able to fup- ply that Want ? Thus our Experience tells us it is in the common Occurrences of Life, the greater the Abundance is, the more needy Followers it will be fure to draw, and wherefoever the Carkafs isy thi- ther 'will the Eagles be gathered together. When there was Corn no where but in Egypt, Egypt was the Place of Refort for all that were oppreft with Famine. Since then we know our felves to itand in Need of continual Supplies, both of 62 The Char after of hearing Prayer^ SERM.of temporal and fpiritual Bleffings, fince "• we have occafion not only for bodily Re- ^^"^ frefhments from Time to Time, but, which is much more material, we find in our felves a Decay of our fpiritual Strength, a Deficiency in every Grace and Virtue, and fuch a Wafte of Spirits in our inward Man, as can only be fupplied by that God, who has promifed to grant us thefe and all other Bleffings we will pray for, and who we are fure is abundantly able to perform his Promifes ; is it not clear, that, for this Reafon, we mould make our Supplications to him ? Are we not poor enough, and fuffici- ently devoid of Grace, to perceive we ftand in Need of fuch Affiftance ? Or are we fo blind, fo ill inftructed, and unac- quainted with our own Privilege, as not to know where this Affiftance is to be had, and to whom we muft apply our felves for it ? Or knowing all this, and that upon our due Application we may find Help and Relief, nay, not only that, but the mod enlivening Joy and Comfort, are we yet fo wilfully frubborn and re- gardlefs of our own Happinefs, as not to fly a proper Ground for coming to God. 6 3 fly to him for Succour, and beg to have Serm. all our inward Breaches repaired by the H. powerful Infiinon of Divine Grace, andv"orNs' the healing Virtue of his fanctifying Spi- rit ? How natural fhould it be for every one who reflects on his dependent Condition, and how unable he is to fubfift one fingle Moment without the repeated Marks of Divine Goodnefs, to fay, with the Holy Pfalmift, Unto thee lift I up mine Eyes, O thou that dwelleft in the Heavens. Be- hold, as the Eyes of Servants look unto the Hand oj their Mafters, and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the Hand of her Miftrefs, fo our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have Mercy upon us ! I have mown you the Juflnefs of the Inference or Conclufion in my Text, drawn from God's Readinefs to hear and Willing- nefs to fave, that therefore all Fief j fould come (and may they all be fo wife as to come) in a fuppliant Manner, unto him. Let us now in the IVth and lajl Place, Confider this Ar- gument by way of Reverfe, and fee how unreafonable and vain a Thing it is, to come 64 The CharaEler of hearing Prayer^ Serm. come unto any Being, i.e. to call unto "• any Being for Help or Succour, that can- not hear our Prayer. As the Profpect of Succefs is a very proper Inducement to ^any Enterprize, (as I before obferved to you) and goes a great Way toward deno- minating it wife and rational, and well- grounded, fo on the contrary, the enga- ging in fuch Methods of Action as can ferve to no Purpofe, and where their La- bour is fure, or at leafl: very likely to mif- carry, moft defervedly expofes fuch Un- dertakers to the Imputation of Vanity and Folly. And there is no greater Inftance of fuch vain and fruitlefs Labour, than praying to thofe who can neither hear, nor help us, if they could hear. Such was the Worfhip of the old Hea- then Idolaters, which we find fo often expofed in the Book - of Pfalms and in the Prophets. - They have no Knowledge, fays God ' himfelf by the Mouth of Ifaiab. they have no Knowledge, that Jet up the Wood of their graven Image, and pray unto a God that cannot fave. How flrange- ly were Men infatuated, and how extra- vagant a Project was it, to worlhip Crea- ture*-. a proper Ground for coming to God. 65 tures of their making inftead of their Serm, Creator, to pay Divine Honours to a Piece "■ of Wood or Stone, in Confidence of Fa- ^^ vour and Amitance from them, to pray for Life to Things Inanimate, and for Strength to that, which they fee is una- ble to fupport it felf ? How well does the Pfalmiji obferve, that they who make fuch Idols, are like unto them, and fo are all they that put their cTrufl in them, i. e. they who could have fo little Senfe as to perfuade themfelves that the Work of their own Hands had any real Power to be (low on them any Benefit, or preferve them from any Danger, were as ftupid and void of Reafon as the very Image they adored. Such Worfhippers, with thofe of Baal, might cry aloud from Morning until Eve- ning, faying, 0. Baal, hear us, they might cut themfelves, after their Manner, with Knives and Lancets, or torment themfelves after any other Manner that miftaken Su- perftition has invented ; but there would be neither Voice, nor any to anfwer, nor any that regardeth. Nor did they find it more availing to pay their Adoration to the Sun or Moon, or Planets, or any of the Hoft of Heaven, nor to any remark- Vol. III. F able 66 "The Chara&er of hearing Prayer, Serm. able Perfon deceafed, whom ignorant Zeal **• or corrupt Flattery, or fome worfe Caufe, had recommended to the deluded World under the Title and Character of a God. But blefTed be God, Mens Eyes are at this Time better opened, they have caft off the Belief of thofe imaginary Powers, and are generally agreed in acknowledging the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he has fent. And yet it were to be wifhed, that all who profeis to believe the Unity of the Godhead, were equally zealous in alTerting his undoubted Rights and Pro- perties j that they would not give his Ho- nour to another, nor impart that Adora- tion that is due to him, and to him alone, to any created Being. But herein the Church of Rome is no- torioufly to blame, which fo fir retains the Leaven of Heathen Rome, as to injoin her Members, under Pain of Damnation, to adore and pray to departed Saints and An- gels, in direct Opposition to our Helled Saviour's Doctrine, where he quotes a Paflage of the Old Te/lament, and makes it a Command of the New by his Repe- tition of it. Thou Jhalt worjhip the Lord thy a proper Ground fop covihig to God. 67 thy God, and him only JhaU thou JerVe : SfeR M. And to that of St. Paul, Let no Man be- *!■ guile you of your Reward, in a voluntary Humility ', and WQrJhipping of Angels, in- trading into thole Things which he hath not fen, vainly puffed up by his flejlly Mind. And we read that St. "John, when he would have worshipped the Angel that (hewed him the Things he has recorded in his Revela- tions, was forbad by him to do it, and re- quired to direct his Adoration to none but the Almighty. And when I had heard and fen, fays he, I fell down to wprjhip before the Feet of the Angel, which fewed me the I j "Things. Then Jaith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy Fellow-Ser- vant, and of thy Brethren the Prophet s9 and oj than which keep the Sayings of this Booh. IVorjlip God. Much might be laid to mew how injurious this Practice is to God, how it robs him of his Honour, and argues a Diitruft of 1 lis Goodriefs and All-iufficiencv, and of the Efficacy of our Saviour's Mediation, whillr. they dare not truft. to that alone, but feek out other In- terceflors, as if it v/ere to ftrengthen their Intersil with God, and add a greater F 2 Weight 68 The Char after of hearing "Prayer^ Serm. Weight ta that which fre urges in their II. Behalf. But fetting afide the Unlawfulnefs of the Thing, it will be more to my prefent Purpofe- to confider, how infignincant and vain it is, and how little Service it can do us. We are not fure they hear us, but we are fure we can be heard without them, and- that God- can underftand our Thoughts, without the Afiiftance of any created Subftance. Why then mould we go out of our Way in praying to them to pray for usy when we may apply our- felves, and are encouraged fo- to do, im- mediately to God ? Nor are we any where in Scripture exhorted to approach hirrs through* any other Mediator but his belo- ved Son. Whatfoever ye foal I ask the Fa- ther in my Namey he will give if you, arc his own Words. He does not fay, What- ibever you (hall defire fiieh a Saint or fucl'f an Angel to ask the Father, mall be grant- ed. As to the holy Angels, we have Rea~ fon indeed to conclude that they are not wholly unacquainted with human Affairs* We are told they are miniftring Spirits^ font forth to rninifter for thofe that fhalk be » ■ a froper Ground for coming to God. 69 be Heirs of Salvation. We know they Set* m, .have frequently been employed in the De- Q- livery of Meffiges from God to Man, and we have good Authority to believe that they are often fet as a Guard about good Men, to deliver them from Harm, and watch for their Prefervation. But it is much more certain, that as they are but finite Beings, they cannot be every where prefent at one and the fame Time, nor have we any Rule whereby we can judge when any one of them is prefent with us ; we know not which of them it is, by what Name he is called, to what Rank or Or- der of Angels he belongs, how long he makes his Abode with us, or whether he attends us in all our Motions, whether we are accompanied by one as our conftant and ftanding Guardian, or whether they re- lieve one another, and take care of us by Succeffion j whether the fame Perfon is under the Infpection of different Angels, or the fame Angel has the Tuition of diffe- rent Perfons. Thefe are Points of which we are wholly ignorant, and of which we have no poiiible Means of being informed, jinee the Scripture is iilent about them • F 3 And 70 *Thc Char abler of hearing Prayer ', Serm. And confequentiy under this Uncertainty, *** if we pray to Angels, we pray to we know not whom, and mifphce our De- votion that might be much better employ- ed, in reprefenting our Wants there, from whence only they can be fupplied a Alert- er and a nearer Way. But then as touching the Saints, i. c thofe holy Perfons that have departed in the Faith, our Uncertainty is yet greater, and the Invocation of them more prepofle- rous. They are fuppofed to be in Hea- ven, and can be no otherwiie privy to our State, but as God is pleafed to impart it to them 5 they know it not to be fure by im- mediate Intuition, for then they would be omnifcient, like Gcd. And by Conie- quence they cannot know when we pray to them but by Communication from God. And is it reafonable to fuppoie that God Almighty is to acquaint the Virgin Marx, or St. Peter, or St. Paul, that fuch a Chri- ftian in fuch a Place, or fuch a Congrega- tion of Chriftians defires one of them to intercede with himfelf in their Behalf? Whether or no the Souls of the Faithful after they are delivered from the Bur- a proper Ground for coming to God. y i Burden of the Flejh% have any Knowledge Serm. at all of what we do below, has been al- ways a Matter of Difputc, it has been doubted by feme, and denied by others* and is like to be fully determined by none, till the militant and triumphant Church mall be united, and that will not be till the general Refurreclion. In the mean Time, though we may think the affirma- tive Side of the Queftion the more pro- bable, and fee better Reafons to incline us to believe that they do intereft themfelves in our Affairs, than that they are wholly unconcerned about us, yet as we have no Affurance that they cm hear the Addref- fes we make to them, and as we have no Need of fuch Mediators to make our Re- queues known to God, this can be no fuf- ficient Ground either to authorize or per- fuade us to offer up our Supplications to them. I Speak this even on a Suppofal that thofe to whom we addrefs ourfelves, are real Saints, and certainly among the Num- ber of the bleffed, which is more than we can abfolutely pronounce of any others but thofe whofe Names are recorded in F 4 the 72 "The Char after of hearing Prayer^ &c. SERM.the Book of Life. As for the moft feerti- II. ingly innocent and righteous Perfons be- ^Vv' fides, we can but charitably fuppofe them to be in Heaven, but can have no Secu- rity that they are fo. And therefore, con- sidering how we Men are liable to be de- ceived in our Judgment of one another, and how often a counterfeit Devotion has paf- fed upon the World, how dangerous as well as abfurd a Thing is it, to pray to one as a Saint in Heaven, who for ought we know may be tormented in Hell ? And I cannot but add, that there are too many Saints of the Pope's making, who, we have reafon to fear, have had no better a Portion affign 'd them. And, as we hope for a better, let us be tender of God's Pre- rogative, and forbear to give the Honours that are peculiar to him, to any created Be- ing. Let us render to God, the Things that are God's, and neither neglect to call up- on him for Help, nor betake ourfelves to any other. i To that eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Gkoft, &c. , Sermon SERMON III. The Duty of Publick Prayer, and Excellency of the Englijh Liturgy. Rom. xii. 13. — continuing injla?tt in Prayer. M O N G many other neceflary Serm. J^nSSI and ufeful Rules to be obferved *"« gPBSmK by every good Chriftian in the ^^"^ Conduct of his Life and Man- ners, the Apoftle lays down this of conti- nuing in Prayer, and that inftantly, or, as he elfewhere exprefles it, without ceaf- ing, as a moft important and indifpenfahle Duty ; intending by tjiofe Expreflions of injlant and incejfant Prayer, not that Men fliould give themfelves up lo entirely to Devotion, 74 The Duty of pub lick Prayer, and Serm. Devotion, as wholly to neglect all the other !"• Offices and Duties of Life, and render them- felves ufelefs and unferviceable to the Com- munity whereof they are Members, or to abandon all their Civil, Natural, and Po- litical Engagements. But that they mould conflantly retain a Spirit of Devotion, and preferve an habitual Readinefs of applying themfelvcs to the Throne of Grace on every emergent Occafion : That they mould diligently obferve the ftated Times both of publick and private Prayer : That they mould pofTeis themfelves with a pious and affectionate Senfe of God's Power and Willingnefs to help them : That they mould look upon Him as the Sovereign Author of every good and perfect Gift, the fupreme Difpofer of their Fate, and the fole Director of all Events that befall them, whether they come as BleiTtngs or as Punifhments : That they mould receive Good- at His Hands with a fincere and humble Gratitude, and Evil with a quiet and patient Submiffion : That they fliould always be ready furniihed with pathetical and devout Ejaculations, ht to exprefs their moil hearty Praife and Thanks for the Mercies Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 7 5 Mercies he bellows on them, their modeftSERM. Refienation to his Will under thofe Af- "*- Mictions, wherewith he is pleafed to vifit them, either for the Exercile of their Pa- tience, or as a Chaftiiement for their Sins, fuoh as are fit for the imploring in all their Straits and PreiTures His Divine Favour and Protection, and the powerful Aflif- tances of Kis preventing and enlivening Grace, as alio for the deprecating His Wrath and Vengeance, the hiding the Light of his Countenance from them, and finally with-drawing His Holy Spirit. Although then we are not required to fpend our whole Lives in one continued Series of actual Prayer, without any In- termiflion j yet the Habit of Prayer mult never ceafe. Though the Fire of Devo- tion need, not always blaze out, though it may be covered and concealed at pro- per Seafcns ; yet muft. it never be totally extinguiihed : The Embers at lea ft mult. be always glowing, and in a con mint Rea- dinefs to be blown up into a Flame, as Opportunity fhall offer, and Need require. Though a good Chriftian may be con- verfant in other Places, befides the Clofet and 76 Tie Duty of pub lick Prayer, and SERM.and the Church, and may without any *"• Offence to God, and without robbing him of his Honour, be occupied about his law- ful Occafions, or amufe himfelf in harm- lefs and innocent Diverfions ; yet even in the midft of Bufinefs or Recreations, he may find room for pious Thoughts, and a grateful Reflection on the Goodnefs of that God, to whole kind Indulgence he is indebted for the Means and Opportu- nities that are afforded him of performing either. The Devotion of the belt, inclined and moft religious Perfons would by Degrees begin to flag and tire, if ft were bound without any Relaxation to keep up con- ftantly to the higheft Pitch, and were not allowed to let it felf down in order to re- cover frefh Strength and Vigour. But though it is not obliged to be always on the Wing, it mult, ever be prepared for a pew Flight, and, like a watchful Centinel, not only diligently obferve the fet Times of Dutv, but be ready to take the firft Alarm, in Cafe of any fudden and extra- ordinary Call, Jn Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy, 77 In this Senfe it is the Duty of every Serm» Chriftian, according to the Advice of our Apoftle in my Text, to continue injlant in Prayer : to the conftant and fincere Ex- ercife whereof, that I may the more ef- fectually incite you, I fhall endeavour to make good the following Proportions. Firjl, That Prayer in general is both our indifpenfable Duty, and our in- eftimable Privilege. Secondly, That the publick Invocation of God in Religious ArTemblies, is an acceptable and requisite Service. Thirdly, That it is not only lawful, but the moil expedient Manner of cele- brating flich publick Worfhip, when we call upon God in a fet Form of Prayer. Fourthly, That the Form prefcribed in the Liturgy of the Church of Eng- land, is as wife and judicious, as full and comprehenfive, as inoffenfive and unexceptionable a Form, as ever any Church was bleft with, fince the beft and earlieft Ages of Chriftianity. I SHALL jS The Duty of publick Prayer, and Serm. I shall fay little at this Time of our III. Obligation to private Prayer in particular, Which I may take another Occaiion of en- larging on -y as alfo of the feveral Parts whereof it confifts, the Qualifications ne- ceflary for a true Supplicant, and the Rules to be obferved in the Difchars:e of that Duty. The Points I have already propofed being more proper and natural for me to infift on at this Time, as a Con- firmation of the Willingnefs of that Sub- icription and Declaration of Conformity to the Uie of the Liturgy, which I have lately been called to make, in Refpecl of the Station I hold here, of that Afleht and Content to the Book of Commo?iPra\ct\ j which I have been required by lawful Au- thority openly and publickly to declare. I begin then with my fir ft AfTertion, That Prayer in general is both our indif- penfable Duty, and our ineftimable Pri- vilege. The next Step to our acknowledging the Exiftence of a God, is our worshipping and adoring him, and feeking to him for thofe Neceflaries which we are feniible we want, and he alone c;\n give us. There Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 79 There have been few who believed any Serm. Thing of a divine Being, who have not ***• carried their Religion thus far. This Na- ture itfelf could teach the Heathens who were guided by no other Light, and in vain would it have taught them that there was a Deity, if it had not been in Order to the imploring his Afliftance : they found their Condition was frail and impotent that they laboured under many Defects and Difabilities, which they could not pof- ilbly remedy by all the Force and Power of their natural Faculties ; and perceiving there was an All-wife and All-fufficient Being, who both knew their Infirmities, and was able to relieve them; the Cafe was very obvious, that the Way to obtain that Relief, mud be by humbly petition- ing for it. It was a plain Indication to them that the great Difpenfer of BlefTings, by fometimes flopping his Hand, and with- holding the Things they ftood in Need of, and at other Whiles pouring them out in great Abundance, had fome Regard to the Behaviour of thofc that depended on him, that fomething was to be done by them in Order to procure them, and they could think 8o 7%e Duty of publicl Prayer ', and oerm. think of no Expedient To proper and natu-» ^J^z: raK as fueing and entreating for thofe Fa- vours as a free and voluntary Gift, for which they were fenfibly convinced they were able to make no Manner of Requi- tal to an infinitely perfect Being, who flood in no Need of their Service, and could receive no Benefit from any Thing they could offer him. Thus far I fay the very Heathens them- felves were convinced of the Obligation to Prayer. But we Chriftians have much higher Demonftrations of it, both from the bright and memorable Patterns that have been fet us by the moft renowned Affertors of the Faith we profefs, whofe Flights of Devotion and elevated Piety are recorded to their eternal Honour in the facred Wri- tings; and alfo from many pofkive Pre- cepts and Injunctions, where we are not only required to pray inftantly and incef- fantly, and without Faulting, but more- over are taught how to pray. Where it is impoied on us as a Condition of receiving, that we nrft ask, and where we fee the happy Effects of fuch asking exemplified in divers Inftances, and thofe Inftances urged 'Excellency of the Englifh Liturgy. 8 r urged as an Encouragement to the Duty, S e r m. as when St. "James tells us, that Elias was a Man of like Infirmities with ourfdves, and be prayed eamefily that it might not rain, and it did not rain for the Space of 'Three Tears and fix Months: who alio makes this ge- neral Obfervation, that the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man availeth much. I might tranfcribe a greater Part of the Scripture than would fill this Difcourfe, mould I mention all the Directions and En- forcements to this Duty. But I mall add but one more for all the reft, and that is the Practice of our bleffed Saviour, who we know, prayed frequently and fervently to his Father : and he that after fuch an Example can think himfelf abfolved from the Neceffity of praying, rnuft perfuade himfelf that he has fewer Frailties and In- firmities, of greater Strength and Suffici- ency than the bleffed and immaculate Son of God. But fuppofe now that Prayer were not regarded of us as a Duty, were it only permitted and indulged to us, we have all imaginable Reafon to embrace it as ourhieh- £ ft Privilege. •Vol. III. C For 8 2 The Duty of puhlick Prayer, and S e R m. For Men in the moll diftreft and refe- rable Condition, naked and deftitute of all Comfort, full of Wants and Neceffities, and, which is worfl: of all, burden'd with a heavy Load of Guilt, from which they are unable to free themfelves, and which unlefs it be taken off mull unavoidably fink them to the bottomlefs Pit ; for fuch Men I fay to be told of a plain and eafy Remedy, by which they may free them- felves from all their Mifery, and be ad- vanced to a State of Joy and Happinefs, one would think mould be no unwelcome News, and that they mould need but little Perfualion to accept of the Deliverance that is offered them. And yet fuch a Remedy is Prayer, and this is offered to every Man as a fure Ex- pedient, let his fpiritual or temporal Wants be never fo great and preffing. We have our Saviour's own Word for it, that what- ever we ask the Father in his Name, he will vive its. Hereby we are admitted to the Ho- nour of holding an Intercourfe with God himfelf, who vouchfafes to receive us into his Prefence, allows us to open our Wants to Excellency of the Englifh Liturgy. 8 3 to him, and attentively liftens to our Sup- Serm. plications : he fuffers us to challenge the *"• Performance of his Promifes, and to urge the gracious Offers he has made to re- penting Sinners. I n a Word, this is fo honourable, and may be made fo delightful a Tafk, that there needs no Force or Compulfion to it, were it not that iome Men are fo wilfully ftirT-necked and perverfe, that as they are fond of many Thing?, which are really unpleafant and difagrceable, as well as wick- ed, merely becaufe they are forbidden j fo on the other Hand, they take up an un- reasonable Averiion to Prayer, though ex- ceedingly pleafant and full of Joy and Con- folation in itfelf, for no other Caule but becaufe it is a Duty. I am now to prove, in the Second Place, That the publick Invoca- tion cf God in religious Aflemblies, is an acceptable and requifite Service. Our Saviour has fufTiciently teitifled his good liking of fuch Worfhip, by declaring, that wherever two cr ihrce are gathered tc- get I ■ in his Name, tier: is he in the tmdft G 2 cf 84 T/je Duly of pub lick Prayer, and Serm. of thou, and the more are affembled, the III. greater Delight does he take in them, and ^^^ the more is he inclined to grant thofe Requefts, which are jointly offered by a great Number of devout and pious Souls. So many unanimous Petitioners agreeing in the fame Deiires, and breathing out the fame Wifhes, do, as it were, offer a Sort of pleafing Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven, and fuch violent Men take it by the Force of Prayer. It was when the Apoftles were aflem- bled together, and making their common Supplications, while they were all with one Accord in one Place, that the Holy Ghoff fell on them. And the fame divine Spirit reffed on 3000 at a Time, who had formed themfelves into a Congregation, and were lillninsj to St. Peter. And we meet with a remarkable In- stance of our Saviour's Zeal again ft fuch as profaned the Temple, where fuch Con- gregations were appointed to be held, when lie urged a Paffage out of the Old Testa- ment, where God's Houfe is peculiarly ftiied the Houfe of Prayer, in Jutlification of his Proceeding, when he took upon him Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 85 him to drive out from it, fuch as were fo Serm. irreverent as to turn it into a Market or ^^^ an Exchange. Now although there were other reli- gious Offices to be performed in the Tem- ple, fuch as facrincing, reading, and ex- pounding the Law, &c. yet we may learn from that fignal Elogy that is here given to publick Prayer, that that is to be efteem'd the chief and principal Part of the divine Worfhip, for the Performance whereof in a more convenient and decent Manner, the Temple, and for the fame Reafon our Chri- ftian Churches, were peculiarly erected, and feparated from profane Ules, that holy and devout Perfons might know whither to refort, like Soldiers to their Standard, to perform their common Duty, and repre- fent their common Wants. What a high Reverence and Value does Holy David exprefs for the Ploufe of God, and what an ardent Defire that his Condition would allow him to make his conftant Abode there, and never depart from it, where he could be contented even with the humble Office of a Door-keeper ! and, in the New T^ejlament too, we G 3 have S6 The Duty of public}. Prayer, and Serm. have the Practice both of our Saviour and ***• his Difciples, who we read after his Afcen- ficn were continually in the Temple prai- fmg and bleffing God. And the Apoftle gives it as an exprefs Charge, that Chri- ilians ihould not forfake the arTemblins themfelves together, and at the fame Time paifcs a Cenfure on thofe that did fo. Now that the Practice of the Church was agreeable to this Precept, we have Proofs enough both from Scripture and Antiquity. We find the Apoftles direct- ing what mould be done in their Aflem- blics, and reproving what was done amifs there, prefcribing Rules for their Behavi- our, and the Exercife of their feveral Gifts, forbidding Women to teach, and thofe who might lawfully officiate to pray in an unknown Tongue j and where fome par- ticular Cafes might happen, which were not iufficieiitly provided for, requiring them to obferve thefe general Inftrudtions, that evcrv Thing ihould be done to edifying, with Decency and in Order. From thefe and many other Proofs it it very clear and indifputable, that not only in the Jewijh, but Cbrijiian Church, ever Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. $7 ever fince the firft Foundation of it, God Serm. has been worshipped in Religious ArTem- *J^*^ blies. And we may be largely convinced by the Writings of the old Apologifts and Ecclefiaflical Hiftorians, how indefatigably zealous the primitive Chriftians were in the Celebration of this Duty 5 infomuch that when they laboured under the feve- red Perfecutions, and were forbid to meet together, under Pain of the mod exqui- fite Torture, no Suffering could difcou- rage, no Terrors affright them from it. When they were fo narrowly watch- ed, that it was impracticable to be done by Day, they would repair by Night to fome appointed Place, where they might join their united Prayers to God, that he would commiferate the fuffering Eftate of his Church, and either releafe them from thofe Opprefiions under which they groan- ed, if it mould be his good Pleafure, or elie enable them with Courage and Con- stancy to undergo the ftery Trial, and fuf- tain the utmoft Torments that could be inflicted on them, rather than deny the Faith, and apostatize from that holy Pro- feir.on in which they had engaged them- G 4 fclves. 8 8 'The Duty of pub lick Prayer^ and Serm. felves. Ever, before they parted, com- m» memorating the Death and Paffion of their l*'** gracious Redeemer, according to his own moft holy Inftitution. W e have heard much of a like Zeal and Firmnefs in our own Times among the perfecuted Protectants in a neighbour- ing Country, who would run all Hazards, rather than iofe an Opportunity of meet- ing with others of the fame Perfuafion, and the fame pious Difpofition, to wor- ihip God after their own Manner. And indeed it is too fad a Truth, that the Members of an opprefled and perfecu- ted Church, have at all Times been more eager and forward to embrace all poffibie Opportunities of alTemblingthemfelves toge- ther for the Performance of religious Acts, notwithstanding all the Dangers they were expofed to, than thofe who may do it with Eafe and Safety ; who have a fettled Miniftry, fixed Hours, open Churches, and not only the Allowance, but the Com- mand of the Civil Power to repair thi- ther. The Cafe is but too vifible, how a Jiundred lazy Pretences of Bulinefs or Com- pany, Excellency of the Englifh Liturgy* $9 nanv, or feigned Indifpofitions, or evenaSERM.' little Wet or Cold, will ferve to keep a- **■ way the one ; whilft Storms and Tempefts, Fire and Sword, Racks and Wheels, were all too little to deter the other. Having obferved thus much concern- ing publick Prayer, I pafs on to my Third Propqfition, viz. That it is not only lawful, but the moft expedient Man- ner of celebrating fuch publick Worfhip, when we call upon God in a fet Form of Prayer. If there were any Thing in a Form of Prayer that was fimply evil, there would not be fo many Forms prefcribed in the Old Te/lanient, as we meet with there, among which we may reckon the whole Book of PfalmSy which were appointed to be fung in the publick Service, and com- pofed for that very Ufe, as the Titles of many of them fet forth \ nor would our Saviour himfelf have prayed by a Form, as he evidently did, when he prayed three feveral Times in the fame Words. Nay, on the Crofs it felf he prayed by a Form, when he cried in the very Words of the Twenty- 9 2 The Duty of puhlick Prayer, and SERM.fay, they can pray with more Underftand- *"• ing, and be better allured that they per- form an acceptable Service, than when both the Matter and Expreffion are en- tirely new, and fometimes it is to be fear- ed, fuch as neither the one would have uttered upon mature Deliberation, nor the other have faid Amen to, if they had Time to recollect themfelves, and confider what improper Things had been requefted in their Name, or how irreverently and over- familiarly they had made their AddrefTes to Almighty God, with other Abufes of the like Nature. And as one that trufts to unftudied arbitrary Prayer, may be fometimes furpri- zed into an unwarrantable Expreffion ; fo (which is a more frequent Cafe) he may omit many Things which were proper, nay highly neceifary to be asked, whilit he enlarges with great Zeal and Fervency on others of lefs Moment. But both thefe Inconveniences are a- voided by following a prefcribed and well- cpniidered Form, where we are fure to defire nothing but what is fit and conve- nient, and that in the moft reverent anj decent "Excellency of '^Englifli Liturgy, 93 decent Terms, nor to omit any Thing Serm,1 that is fo. HI. Wh e n they object that in the Ufe of V^v>^ fet Forms, the Mind is fo fattened to the Words, that it cannot be affected with the Senfe ; this may with much better Rea- fon be retorted upon themfelves. For, as to the Minifter, let any one judge, whofe Attention is moft taken up with the Words, he that has Expremons to invent,' and is bufied in turning over his Imagina- tion to feek for new Phrafes, or he that only pronounces what is well invented al- ready. And as for our People, who ex- pect no Novelties, but a Repetition of the lame Prayers which they familiarly know and underftand, and which they have of- ten fuccefsfully put up ; they have the more Leifure to affect themfelves with the meaning of them, to raife their Thoughts, and join their Hearts and Souls to every Petition, and to expatiate and enlarge themfelves in Holy Deiires and Meditati- ons, which is the Life and Soul of Prayer. Oh but thefe Prayers, they cry, mufl grow rlat and infipid, and lofe all their Force and Energy by our conftant and daily 94 The Duty of publick Prayer ', and Serm. daily Iteration of them. The People will III. by Degrees be cloyed, and retain no Tafte ^"V"^ or Reiim 0f them, when they hear and repeat nothing but the fame Things they have heard and repeated a Thoufand Times before. But do we come together to pleafe Men, or God ? And can we think that He will be the better pleafed for our Va- riety of Expreffion ? Do we not fland in need of the fame Bleflings to Day as we did Yefterday ? And if {oy why may we not beg them in the fame Terms ? But even with Regard to the People, there is no Reafon to fear that any truly- pious Soul will be diftafted, or grow fick and weary of a well-compofed Form of Prayer ; but on the contrary will both like it the better, and edify the more by it, the longer he has ufed it. There are Multitudes of good and holy Perfons, who can teftify this from their own Experience j and if there are any who are lefs warmly affected, who find their Devotions cool and flatten, for want of a more pleafing Variety j the Fault is not in the Prayers, but in the Indifpofi- tion Excellency of the Englifti Liturgy. 95 tion of their own Hearts ; it is becaufe S e r m.' they run them over as Words of Courfe, HI- without confidering the Senfe, and then it is no Wonder if they do not edify. But 2dfy, It was before objected, that fet Forms of Prayer cannot fo well be adapted to the feveral Occafions that may arife, as Extempore Prayer. But to this I anfwer, That all the va- rious Cafes that may attend particular Per- fons, cannot be fpecifled at large, nor are they fb fit to be reprefented in the Church, which can only pray for them in general Terms : And in this Refpect there is the fame Incapacity of providing for them, whether the Congregation ufes a Form, or no. A n d as for fuch unexpected Events as may befall the Church or Nation in gene- ral, they may be (and are in our Liturgy) provided for by a Collection of occafional Prayers, to be applied or omitted as Rea- fon or NecefTity requires. 3^/v, Another Part of the Objection againft fet Forms was, That it is a ftinting and limiting the Spirit. But I have fhew- ed before, that a Man who prays by a F< 9 6 The Duty of pub lick Prayer, and SERM.Form, may earneftly and devoutly intend the Matter of what he prays for, that he may have a fervent Zeal, enflamed Affec- tions, eager Defires, and a Delight in the Exercife of it, and that is the true Spirit of Prayer. Far be it from me 'to deny, that the Holy Spirit of God is always ready to further the good Motions and Tendencies of every iincere and godly Chriftian ; or that lie affords a more peculiar Affiftance to thofe who are making their Supplica- tions to God, and pouring out their Souls to him. Bu r then it is as certain, that he affifts them only by his ordinary Operations, and not by thofe extraordinary and miraculous ones, which he exerted in the Apoftles Days, the Continuance whereof was nei- ther promifed to the Church, nor is ne- ceflary for it, fince its firm Eftablifhment, and the Delivery of a written Rule, indi- ted by that very Spirit. The Help then we may expecf from him in Prayer, is not the Gift of Utte- rance or Elocution, Fluency of Speech, or Force of Exprcflion, but a Quickning of our Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 97 our Affections, ftirring up of our Graces, Serm, fixing our Attention, and exciting in us HI. fuch a flagrant Zeal and Earneftnefs, as may make our Devotions acceptable to God. Now thefe Operations are not at all re- trained or limited by a Form ; there is at leaft the fame Room for the Spirit to ex- ert it felf, and it may act on the Soul with as vigorous an Influence, when the Prayers are ready prepared to our Hand, as when they are the Effect of a iudden Heat, and flow from extempore Con- ceptions. In fhort, if there be any Force in the Objection of our f tinting the Spirit, when we confine ourfelves to a Form, and not furTering him to guide us in the Matter and Manner ,of our Prayers, it mull be grounded on this Principle : That who- ever prays extempore, prays by the imme- diate Direction of the Spirit, i. e. by di- vine Infpiration j and coniequently that fuch Prayers are as true and authentick as the Scripture itfelf. But will any one venture to atTert this, who knows any thing of the Imperfecti- Vol. III. H ens, 98 77m Duty of publick Prayer^ mid SERM.ons, the Improprieties, and (to fay no III. worfe) the little Levities, with which fuch ^^^ Prayers are fometimes chargeable ; and who farther confiders that the different Seels who pretend to be thus gifted, do fre- quently take Occafion, in thofe Prayers, each of them to vent their own peculiar Notions, which are as oppoflte to each other, as all of them are to thofe of the eftablimed Church ? And can any one be- lieve that the Spirit of Truth itfelf is the Author and Inditer of fuch Contradicti- ons ? shall conclude this Head with the remarkable Conceflion of Mr. Baxter, a learned Divine of their own. " Is it not, fays he, a high Degree of Pride, to conclude, that almoft all Chri- :< flian Churches in the World, for thefe 1300 (he might have faid upward of 1 600) Years at leafl unto this Day, have offered fuch Worfhip to God, as that 'c you are obliged to avoid it ? and that :c almoft all the Catholick Churches on :c Earth at this Day, are below your Com- :' munion for ufing, Forms? And that ' even Calvin fand others whom he • ° names,) Excellency of the Englirti Liturgy, 99 " names), and the old Non-conformifts, Serm. " were unworthy your Communion ? HI. Having laid thus much in Juftincation ^*^J of Forms of Prayer in general, I now pro- ceed to my Fourth and Lad Proportion : That the Form prefcribed in the Liturgy of the Church of England^ is as wife and judici- ous, as full and comprehenfive, as inoffen- five and unexceptionable a Form as ever any Church was bleft with fince the beft and earlieft Ages of Chriftanity. It cannot be expected that in the little Remainder of my Difcourfe, I mould run through all the feveral Offices of the Litur- gy, and mew the peculiar Beauty and Ex- cellence of each of them : Much lefs that I mould fet myfelf to vindicate it from every Cavil that unreafonable Men have railed againfl it. There can be nothing fo well and commendably devifed, to which fome Ex- ception may not be taken by thofe who are refolved to find Fault. Nor is there any one Office, nay fcarce a Sentence of H 2 the. ioo The Duty of pub lick Prayer^ and Serm. the Common Prayer that has efcaped the H- Cenfure of fuch Men. It would hardly be believed by the de- vout Attendants on that Service, if the Objections were not too often and publickly urged, that many Parts of it which they have in the highefr. Veneration, and with which they feel themfelves moil: fen- fibly affected, mould prove an Offence to others, and keep them from our Commu- nion. 'Tis fcarce credible that any mould quarrel with us for confeffing to God that there is no Health in us : for praying againft fudden Death : for begging of Chrift that lie would deliver us by the Myflery of his Holy Incarnation, with the other pa- thetical Motives in that and the following Suffrage of the Litany : for befeeching him that he would give to all Nations, Unity, Pence, and Concord ; for declaring that with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven we laud and mag- nify his glorious Name : for begging of God that he would vouchfafe to give us thole Tilings for the Worthinefs of Chrift, which fur our own Unworthinefs we dare Excellency of the Engli/h Liturgy. 101 dare not, and for our Blindnefs we can- Serm. not ask. J]]# I shall eafily be excufed from return- ^^^ ing any Anfwer to thefe and the like Ex- ceptions againft particular Paflages. However, before I go on to fpeak of the Beauties, I fhall fray to wipe off ibme Stains, that feem to affecl the main Bulk of the Liturgy, as, i. They objecT: that the greatest Part of it is taken out of the Popijh Mafs-Book. And what if it be fo ? Was not the Mafs- Book itfelf in a great Meafure collected from the pureft ancient Liturgies that were pre- ferved in the Church from the Apoftolical Times ? But as Popery prevailed, thofe excellent Forms were difguifed and defaced hy being intermixed with many corrupt and idolatrous Petitions, and clogged with an intolerable Burden of needlefs Cere- monies. . B^T our Limrgy> as it is now reformed is reftored to its primitive Splendor, thofe Abufes are taken away, and there is no- thing remains that can be thought either MJeJefs or Superftitious. H 3 And ioo The Duty of pub lick Prayer, and SERM.the Common Prayer that has efcaped the H- Cenfure of fuch Men. It would hardly be believed by the de- vout Attendants on that Service, if the Objections were not too often and publickly urged, that many Parts of it which they have in the higheft Veneration, and with which they feel themfelves moil: fen- fibly affected, mould prove an Offence to others, and keep them from our Commu- nion. 'Tis fcarce credible that any mould quarrel with us for confeiTing to God that there is no Health in us : for praying againft iudden Death : for begging of Chriit that he would deliver us by the Myftery of his Holy Incarnation, with the other pa- thetical Motives in that and the following Suffrage of the Litany : for befeeching him that he would give to all Nations, Unity, Pence, and Concord ; for declaring that with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven we laud and mag- nify his glorious Name : for begging of God that he would vouchfafe to give us thole Things for the Worthinefs of Chrift, which for our own Unworthinefs we dare Excellency of the EngliQi Liturgy, i o i dare not, and for our Blindnefs we can- Serm. not ask. onA-* I shall eafily be excufed from return- ing any Anfwer to thefe and the like Ex- ceptions againft particular Paffiges. However, before I go on to fpeak of the Beauties, I fhall flay to wipe off lbme Stains, that feem to affect the main Bulk of the Liturgy, as, i. They object that the greatest Part of it is taken out of the Popijh Mafs-Book. And what if it be fo ? Was not the Mafs- Book itfelf in a great Meafure collected from the pureft ancient Liturgies that were pre- ferved in the Church from the Apoftolical Times ? But as Popery prevailed, . thofe excellent Forms were difguifed and defaced by being intermixed with many corrupt and idolatrous Petitions, and clogged with an intolerable Burden of needlefs Cere- monies. But our Liturgy, as it is now reformed, is reflored to its primitive Splendor, thofe Abufes are taken away, and there is no- thing remains that can be thought either Ufelefs or Superftitious. H 3 And 102 Ihe Duty of publick Prayer^ and Serm. And what then can we defire more ? in. fhall we make no DifHnction between what */'v"Nj is profitable and edifying, and that which is fcandalous and profane ? Or muft we caft away the one for the Sake of the other ? We have left the Church of Rome fo far as it was erroneous and corrupt, but where we could lawfully and ufefully conform to it, we did fo. And it were well if all Chriftians would do the fame, for the Sake of Peace and Unity. Upon the whole then, fince we have weeded up the Tares, and caft away the Chaff, we are very unjuftly cenfured for gathering the Wheat into our Garners. 2. They find Fault that our Service is divided into fo many fhort Collects, which they think would be more edifying, if it were one continued Prayer. Whereas there may be much better Reafons given for the Reverfe of that Opinion. As that the Minds of the Congregation may be kept more intent, and belefs fubject to Diffrac- tions, when they frequently break off, and are called upon to anfwer ■, than when they bear no Part in the Service till it is all concluded. That the frequent Invo- cation Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 103 cation of God by fome frefh Attribute, at Serm. the Beginning of every Prayer, is a great Ill- Help to Devotion, and puts us ftill in ^^ Remembrance in whofe Prefence we are. And that the frequent urging the Merits and Mediation of Chrift, as we do in the End of each Collect, is the fureft Way of obtaining what we ask ; fince whatever is granted us, muft be for the Sake of thofe Merits, and by the Virtue of that Inter- ceflion. 3. Another Objection, near of Kin to the former, (and the laft I mail mention) is this ; they fay it is diforderly for the People to. refpond, or to repeat any Part of the Service after the Minifter, and that it is an Intrenchment on his Office, who is appointed to fpeak for the People. In Anfwer to which it may be faid, that fuch Refponfals are very ancient ; that the People are directed in the Scripture to fay Ameny and are no where forbid to fay more ; that Pfalms and Hymns and Spiri- tual Songs are evidently compofed for the Ufe of the whole Congregation ; and that the joining in fuch Praifes is in Imitation pf the angelick Choir above 3 that in the H 4 Con- 104 T7je Duty cf puhlick Prayer^ and Serm. Confeffion of Sins, it is very proper for all **'• and every Perfon unanimoufly to exprefs the Senfe they have of their own Failings ; and that although it is the peculiar Office of the Miniftcr to lead and invite them to pray, yet there is no Reafon againft, and a great many for their following and faying after him in fome Parts of the Service. There is one Consideration more in Reference to this Subject, which the Place itfelf, where I am now treating of it, does naturally fuggeft to me, and that is, the Manner of performing Divine Service in this and other Collegiate and Cathe- dral Churches, which, becaufe it is cele- brated with Mufick, has for that Reafon been objected to us, not only as unwar- rantable and fuperftitious, but as a Vari- ation from cur Rule, and a Breach of that Uniformity among ourfelves, which we require of others, and for Default of which we tax them as Schifmatical. But why Superfluous ? What, becaufe the Romifl) Mais is fung, and whatfoever refembles their Practice, mult neceiTarily be, as fuch, erroneous and fuperftitious ? But if this Rule were to determine us, we muft 'Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 105 mull: not call upon God, we mufl notSERM. adore the Trinity, we mull: not pray, nor HI- preach, nor even obferve the Command- ^^^ ments ; for all thefe Things the Papifts do, or pretend to do, as well as we. How foul a Reflection do thefe Objec- tors cafl on Holy David himfelf, and the other Compofers of the Book of Pfalms, which (as I obferved before) were com- pofed for the Ufe of the whole Congrega- tion, and were not only fung, but accom- panied with mufical Inflruments of various Kinds, as appears from many Parages of the PJalms themfelvcs, where the Aifift- ance of fuch Instruments is called for ! Shall we fuppofe then the devout and inipired Pfabmfi, when he ordered the Trumpet to be blown up, to have required the founding an Alarm to Superflition ? Nay, (hall we caft the fame Imputa- tion even on our blefled Lord, when he fung an Hymn with his Difciples, or when he worshiped in the Temple at Jerufalem? Inftead of which, if he had thoughtChurch Multck as great an Abomination, as fome who in modern Times have born his Name, may we not well prefume, that, in 106 The Duty of publick Prayer, and Serm.iii the Zeal of his Heart for the Purity of *"■• that Temple, he would have drove out the Singers and Muficians, as greater Pro- faners of his Father's Houfe, as thofe who had made it lefs a Houfe of Prayer, and more a Den of Thieves than the Money- changers and Sellers of Doves. Nor can any thing be more frivolous than what is alledged, that this is a Breach of our Rule, and contrary to Uniformity. For our Rule itfelf has made a plain Pro- vifion for this Manner of Celebration, when both in the Title of the Book, and in the Rubricks this Expreflion fo often occurs, to be f aid or fung. Now where fuch an Alternative is propofed, he that complies with either Branch of it, dif- charges his Trufl faithfully, and is guilty of no Violation. The pretended DifTo- nancy therefore between Choral and Pa- rochial Service can have no Weight with any one, who coniiders that both the one and the other are within the Limits of that one regular Form and Method, by which we are directed to guide ourfelves in the publick Worfhip of God. It hap- pens pretty often in our Liturgy, that there are Excellency of the Englifli Liturgy. 107 are two Hymns or two Collects to the Serm. fame Effect, and it is left to the Difcretion H£ of the Minifter, whether of the two he will read. But I never heard it urged as inconfiftent with Uniformity, that one of thefe was read in one of our Churches, whilft the other was reading in another. And yet the fame Reafon by which that is juftified, will juftify the Practice I am arferting, which is, that the Matter is left indifferent, and in either Cafe, the dif- junctive Particle Or in the Rubrick gives a difcretionary Latitude. Tou may fay or firig> you may read this Prayer or that. If there are any who object, that ringing is too light and airy a Tone of Voice for humble Penitents confemng their Sins to God j what will they think of David's penitential Pfalms ? Do they imagine he was the lefs contrite, or that he felt the lets Compunction of Soul for thofe Crimes which he bewailed, becaufe his Confeffi- on was attended with another religious Act, the confecrating to God's Honour his muiical Faculty, which others proftituted to more ungodly Purpofes ? But 108 The Duty of pub lick Prayer^ and Serm. But there are fome, and thofe well- meaning People, who complain that in a Choir, they find themfelves at a Lofs, their Attention is interrupted, they cannot join in, and go along with the Service, as they can in a Pariih-Church. Perhaps a little Cuftom, and a conftant Eye to their Com- mon-Prayer-Book may in a great Meafure remove this Inconvenience. But if there are any, who find their Devotion rather hindered than exalted by the Mufick ; there is an eafy Remedy, fince there is fcarce any Choir, that has not a Parochial Church within a fmall Diftance, where thofe, who are fo difpofed, may pay their Devotions in the Way they think moft edifying and affecling. But for the better preventing alljuft Ex- ceptions to our Worfhip, it is highly in- cumbent on all who bear any part in the Performance of this Service, to behave themfelves with the utmoft Reverence and Decency, let them confider that it is their Bulinefs not to entertain the Ear but to raife the Devotion of the Congregation, and to employ thofe Talents they are pof- fefTed Excellency of the English Liturgy. 109 feffed of to the Honour of their great Serm. Creator. The Senfe of this mould have HI. a conftant Influence on their Conduct, not only in the Church, by a grave and feri- ous Deportment, by reverent and becom- ing Poftures, but even on their whole Con- vention, as they are all in fome Senfe eccleiiaflical Perfons, whether in holy Or- ders, or not. Leaft of all mould they fuf- fer thofe Voices, with which they celebrate God's Praifes, to be ever employed in Oaths and Curfes, or in finging profane or filthy Songs. I have done with what can be faid againft the Common Prayer, and now it is high Time to fay fomething for it, befides what I have offered in a defenflve Way. It is confeffed, that the Compilers of it were Men of great Judgment and Piety, and who had Refolution enough to fuffer Martyrdom for the Proteftant Caufe ; which is a farther Argument of the In- juflice of thofe who charge their Compo- fure with Popery. As to die Book itfelf, it is a found Form of Worfhip, agreeable to the Form of found Doctrine j every Tiling prefcri- bed no 77je Duty of public k Prayer, and SERM.bed in the Rubricks is lawful and allow- Hii able, fit and expedient, orderly and decent : The Ceremonies are few, and thofe not burthenfome nor improper, but chofen with great Deliberation, as may appear from the Preface or Declaration before the Book, relating to them. The Prayers are plain and unaffected, eafy and perfpicuous, expreffed in grave and fignificant Language, in a clear and rational Method, extended to all our com- mon Exigences, and fitted to all the Occafions that ought to be Matter of publick Prayer -y where there is Nothing omitted that we have any Encouragement to petition for, nor any Thing defired of God, but what we are warranted to ask> and have juft Reafon to expect, if he knows it to be proper and expedient for us, and conducive to our eternal Happinefs. Where we urs;e no Merits but thofe alone of our crucified Redeemer, not our own, not thofe of departed Saints or Angels. Where we pray to God alone, and feek not to approach him by any other Mediator but his beloved Son. Where we addrefs our- felves to him in the moft fuitable Terms of Reverence "Excellency of the Englifh Liturgy. 1 1 1 Reverence and Refpect, of Humility and Serm. Submiflion. Where we acknowledge all IH. his divine Attributes, confeffing his un- v"'rv^ bounded Power, when we call him the Almighty ; his unerring Wifdom, when we invoke him as the Fountain of it ; his Omnifcience, when we tell him that no Secrets are hid from him, and that he knows our Neceffities before we ask ; his Mercy, when we own him for the God of it ; and fo for his other Properties. And as we invoke, adore and praife him in Terms that exprefs the highefl Awe and Reverence ; fo do we confefs our Sins to him with the deepeft Sorrow and Humiliation, we intercede, with an univerfal Charity, for all Mankind, we fupplicate for future Mercies with a pious and humble Deference to his Will, and ac- knowledge pafl ones with a fenfible and hearty Gratitude. It is indeed a Syflem of Prayer fo wife- ly calculated for all the Purpofes of Devo- tion, that whatever Exceptions may have been made to it, it could never give jufl Caufe for any ; and in that Senfe I call it inoffenfive. not that none were ever of- fended 112 *The Duty of publick Prayer^ and Serm. fended at it, but becaufe none ought ■*■"• to have been offended. And we may reafonably challenge the Impugners of it, to produce any Liturgy, either ancient or modern, againfr. which as great if not greater Objections might not be brought, if Men would make it their Bufinefs to find Faults. I am lorry I muit contract my/felf where there is Room to be fo copious, but there is the lefs Need of enlarging, iince the Excellence of this Service has been fo fully difplayed in a celebrated Ser- mon that is in every body's Hands. Leaving therefore fuch intrinfick Proofs as might be drawn from the Exa- mination of the Liturgy itfelf in its feveral Parts, I fhall only urge the Teftimony of indifferent Perfons in its Favour. The learned G?'ctius confefled long fince, that it came nearer the primitive Pattern, than that of his own, or any other of the Reformed Churches. Those of the Reformation abroad at this Day have it in great Admiration. It has been tranflated into more than one Language, is already ufed in one Prote- ctant Excelle7tcy of the Englifli Liturgy. 1 1 3 ltant Country, with fome Alterations, (asSERM. the different Nature of Governments makes "*• it neceffary) and more have mown a Difpofition to receive it. And there is great Reafon to hope that on the next approaching Adve?:t Sunday^ being the beginning of the Ecclefiaftical Year, it will be received in the Dominions of a great Prince, who himfelf is zealous in promoting the Defign. Sure I am it was not long flnce very fairly advanced. But if it mould not immediately take Effect, the Difappoint- ment will not be owing to their want of Efteem and Veneration for our Common Prayer^ but to that Fear and Jealoufy that moft Men naturally have of the Effects of Innovations even for the better. But if it fhould pleafe God to profper this Defign, and that this little (nay more than a little) Leaven mould in Procefs of Time leaven the whple Lump of Prote- ftants abroad ; we may charitably hope, that our Brethren at home, who now dif- like our Liturgy, when they find it fo highly valued by the Foreign Churches, Vol, III. I will H4 *^e Duty of pub lick Prayer, and Serm. will not flay to be the laft Proteftants in HI. Europe that embrace it. I have but a Word or two more to add by way of Exhortation. Let us then who are Members of that Church, where God is ferved in fo com- mendable a Manner,, and where we have fo convenient a Help for our Devotion provided ; Let us I fey learn to know and value our own Happinefs, and make a right Ufe of the Opportunities we enjoy. For in vain is this Provifion made for us, in vain do we boafi: of the Excellence of our Form, if we our felves do not con- form to it : If we careleisly abfent our- (elves, or come to the Celebration of it without due Reverence and Attention, with wandring Minds and roving Thoughts, with cold lifelefs Hearts, and unmoved Affec- tions : If we lilten only to the Sound, and 2 re regard lets of the Senfe. May the good God grant that all of us, when we offer him this Service, may duly confider the Weight and Importance of thofe Petitions we are making : That \vc may lift up our Souls, as well as Voices : And that bv the united Fervour of Excellency of the English Liturgy. 115 of our Devotion, and Flagrancy of outSerm. Zeal, we may effectually obtain, what we III. faithfully ask, and draw down the feveral Bleflings we implore, on ourfelves and all for whom we intercede. And this for the Sake and through the Merits of Jefus Chrift our only Mediator. TO whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghofty &C. ^^mw^ 1 2 Sermon n6 S E R M O N IV. The Duty of Private Prayer. Rom. xii. 12. — continuing injlant 171 Prayer* Z£xi have already from thefe IV. gj| Words difcourfed to you bERM. of the Duly of Prayer in SBK^^ -:;- general, and of Publick Vr<-; :*» Prayer in particular. I ly&&sfei&a have mown you the Law- fulnefs and Expedience of worfhipping God in publick AlTemblies by a Set Form of Praver, and the peculiar Excellence of the Form prefcribed to us in the Liturgy of 72>e Duty of private Prayer. 1 1 7 of our Church. I mall now confider this Serm. Precept of the Apoftle, where he requires us to continue inftant in Prayer, as it re- lates to private Devotion, and that Wor- fhip of God of which the Clofet is the proper Scene. For there can be no Doubt but both of thefe are included in the Ex- hortation before us, our Obligation to ei- ther being equally flrong and binding ; nor can our mofl punctual Obfervance of one of them, attone for our Negligence, or Pretermiffion of the other, where fit Opportunities are not wanting for the Per- formance of it. For as they who neglect the aflembling themfelves together, and repairing to the Places of publick Worfhip, under Pretence of ferving God at Home, do not only vio- late an exprefs Command, but rob God of that Honour that is due to him, by refu- fing to acknowledge him in the great Con- gregation, themfelves of many fpirituaj Advantages, and their fellow Chriitians of their Communion with them, and the En- couragement of their good Example : and by fo doing, give great Caufe of Sulpicion, that they do not pray to God any where, I 3 Qnce 1 1 8 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.iince they are fo backward to offer their ly* Prayers to him, where he has promifed ^^^^to have a more immediate Regard to them : and that the Light which they hide under a Bufhel, is totally extin- guifhed ; As thefe, I fay, are the ill Confequen- ces of declining the publick Service -3 fo on the other Hand, they who only join in the Prayers of the Church, and never call upon God in Secret, 'tis greatly to be feared come thither only to be {ten of Men • and if fo, they have their Reward already. 'Tis plain fuch Men have but little Re- gard to our Saviour's Injunction, When he bids us enter into our Clofets, and pray there with the Doors (hut, /'. e. to be as retired in our private Devotions as we can, to pay our Adoration to Almighty God, with a fincere Defire to pleafe him, and only him, without the leaffc Mixture of Oflentation, or Concern for human Praife. He that can floop to fo poor an Aim, when he is required to act from fo much nobler a Principle, miaft furely perfuade himfelf He Duty of private Prayer. 1 1 9 himfelf, either that God cannot fee in Se-SERM« cret, or that he wants the Power or the *X* Will to reward openly ; or he muft think ^^ the Applaufe of miflaken Men a more defirable Reward, than any God is able to beftow. We find by the Hiftory of our blefTed Saviour, that he did not only worfhip in the Temple and the Synagogues, and with his Difciples alone, or a felect Number of them ; (which was a Sort of Family-Prayer, and ought to be a powerful Motive to that Duty) but moreover that he withdrew himfelf from Company at certain Seafons in Order to a Solitary Devotion, free from any Interruption or Difturbance, and without any other Witnefs than his Heavenly Fa- ther, who in his Clofet-Retirements wr.s always prefent, and he himfelf declare?, that he was never fo far alone, but that the Father was with him. "John 16. 32. Thus has he thought fit to encourage our Obedience to his Precept, when he qpjoyns us to enter into our Clofets, by his own moft glorious Example ; fubmit- ting in this, as in other Cafes, to the Ufe of fuch Remedies as he himfelf did J 4 not 120 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.not need, that we who do, might not IV. fcruple to have Recourfe to the fame Re- ^"Y"^ rnedies. For this Reafon he fufFered himfelf to be baptized in 'Jordan, by which Baptifm in others is lignified the Myftical Warning away of Sin, though himfelf was entirely clean and pure from all Sin whatever, that no one ever after, who profefTed him- felf to be. his Djfciple, mould decline that holy Inftitution which he had thus fanctified by his own Ufe : That they who were conceived and born in Sin, mould joyfully receive this figurative Purgation, which their immaculate Lord himfelf did not difdain, that thus he might fulfill all Righteoufnefs. S o far then as concerned himfelf, he might have difpenfed with that Ceremony; nor did he come out of the River after his Baptifmal Ablution a Whit cleaner than he went in. And as well might he have difpenfed with thofe devotional RecefTes and Retire- ments, as having none of thofe Occafions that make them neceffary for us. We 7ie Duty of private Prayer, 1 2 r We indeed have a Uriel Account toSERM. make of our Actions, a black Catalogue IV". of Sins to enumerate and bewail, a wicked and deceitful Heart to examine and ex- plore through many intricate Windings and fallacious Doublings : not only an ha- bitual Depravity and Pronenefs to Evil, but a numerous Train of actual Mifcarriages, all which, as far as we are able to recollect them, we are obliged to make a particular Confeffion of; ea/neftly to implore the Pardon of our offended God, for every fjngle Breach of his Commands, which af- ter the moil careful and {evere. Difquifition, we are confeious to ourfelves that we have been guilty of, befides that general Petition of the holy Pfalmift, that be would cleafjfe us from our fecret Faults. But how can all this be duly performed in the midft of Noife and Hurry, of Tu- mult and Diffraction, where the wanton Levities, or bufy Cares of the World will be ever and anon breaking in upon us, and interrupting the Chain of our Me- ditations ? The Service of the Church itfelf is not fufficient to anfwer all the devout Pur- pofes 122 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.pofes before- mentioned, which they who IV* frequent with the greateft Reverence and Attention, may ftill be ignorant of their fpiritual State, if they do not examine themfelves with a greater Nicety and Ex- actnefs than is poffible to be done in the publick ArTembly. And it is but a fmall Proportion of a Man's Sins, that will oc- cur to his Mind, while the general Con- feffion is reading. The Knowledge of ourfelves is not Co light and eafy a Thing, as to be fuddenly and haftily acquired. There is a Spring and Fountain of latent Malignity that lies deep buried within us, which is not to be difcovered without great heed and conii- derate Reflection. The Prophet tells us, that the Heart is deceitful above all Things, and dtjperately •wicked, and then fubjoins a Queftion, that well nigh imports an abfolute Negation, who can know it ? No one indeed can know it thoroughly, who contents himfelf with a curfory and fuperricial Review of his paif. Actions and prefent Purpofes, and does not fift himfelf to the Bottom. A The Duty of private Prayer, 123 A Man has need of great Diligence and S e r m. a clofe Application, that would find out V** all his paft Errors, and trace them back through the feveral Degrees and Stages by which they have infenfibly gained upon him, to their iiril Original : When the firft Breach was made in his Innocence, and what was the enfnaring Bait that drew him in : Seriouily to weigh and ponder the Guilt and Heinoufnefs of them, and the feveral Aggravations by which they have been heightened. And when after the moll: flricl and impartial Scrutiny, he has difcovered the Naughtinefs of his own Heart, and is fen- iibly convinced both how bad he is, and how he came to be lb; yet will this Knowledge or Difcovery be of no Avail to him, unlefs he proceeds to form a (Ted- dy and fettled Refolution of abftamiftg from thofe Actions for the Time to come, of avoiding the Snares, and keeping out of the Way of fuch Temptations and Al- lurements, by which he was before in- veigled. Now this is not to be done with Ram- nefs and Precipitancy, in a Hidden Heat, and 124 The Duty of private Prayer. Serm. and tranfient Guft of Paflion : But a Man iJ^>muft think confiderately, and refolve fo- berly, he rnuft arm himfelf with prudent Caution as well as with a firm and well- grounded Courage, and prepare for the Oppofition he muft expect to meet with in the violent Struggle between Duty and Inclination. And to this End Retirement and Pri- vacy muft greatly contribute ; nay, withr out it it is fcarce poffible to know any thing certain as to the State of our Souls, or to take up any wife and holding Refolu- tion for the Recovery of them from the Dominion of Sin and Satan. Let a Man's Mind be never fo religi- pufly employ'd, yet fo long as he lies open to all the Avocations that may offer themfelves, and will fuffer himfelf to be called off in the midft of his Devotions, he will find Caufe to regret not only the Lofs of fo much Time as was fpent in that Interval, but that after he is returned to his Prayers or Meditations, fomething he faw or heard during the Interruption will flick upon his Mind, and take up room in his Thoughts, fo that he cannot , without Tie Duty of private Prayer. 125 without fome Pains and Difficulty recover Serm. the fame Frame and Difpofition of Soul, IV. to which he had wrought himfelf up be-v fore he was diflurbed. Nor indeed can any Thing be more grievous and unwelcome to a devout and truly pious Soul, than, when it is mod agreeably occupied, and entertaining itfelf with the nobleft Objects, to be drawn off from the Contemplation of God and his Attributes of Heaven and Heavenly Things, on fome mean and frivolous Occafion, and fuch every Occafion may be accounted, that relates only to worldly Affairs, in Comparifon of thofe fublime and lofty Subjects in which it was wrapt up be- fore. But when a Man is wholly fecluded from all Company, and perfectly at Leifure for fuch devotional Exercifes, what Plea- fure can be equal to that of lb converfing with his Almighty Creator, difburthening his Soul before him, and cafting all his Care upon him that careth for him ? What Words can fufficiently exprefs the ravifh- ing Tranfports of Joy, which that Soul mull: experience, that in its Flights of De- votion 126 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.votion can, as it were, put off the FlefTi, IV"* divert itfelf of all Care or Concern for wordly and terreftrial Objects, and have its Converfation in Heaven ? What a true fpiritual Comfort and Confolation does it feel in every Part of that Holy Exercife ? With what a pleafing Ecftafy of Love and Gratitude does it praife God for his Mercies ? With what a full AiTurance of Hope does it implore his farther Benefits and deprecate his Judg- ments ? Nay, even from the deepeft Sor- row and Contrition for thofe Sins by which it has provoked him, what a Redundancy of Joy arifes ? For, as widely oppofite as they feern, Joy itfelf, the moft folid and fprightly Joy, is the Refult of that Godly Sorrow that worketh Repentance not to be repent- ed of. There is no Heart fo enlarged with Delight and Satisfaction, as that which has been ftraitned and diftreft with the Senfe of its own Guilt ; the broken and contrite Spirit is afterwards the moft rai- fed and exalted, and a Man is never fo truly glad, as when he is glad that he has been made forry after a godly Sort. Whilst lie Duty of private Prayer 127 Whilst the holy Recline is thus, atSERM. proper and convenient Seafons, withdrawn IV. from the World, and at Leifure to purfue *~ his heavenly Meditations, to perform the feveral Ads of fecret Piety, and enjoy an undifturbed Communication with God ; he opens all his Wants, difcovers all his hid- den Frailties, and pours out his Soul to him with a hearty and fincere Confidence, and without Extenuation or Referve : He knows 'tis in vain to cover or conceal any Crime from him, to whom it is already known, before it is confefTed, nay even be- fore it was committed. If he ufes any Help to his Devotion (ah there are very good and ufeful ones provi- ded) he does not think it enough to reft in a bare Repetition of the Words, but en- deavours heartily to affect himfelf with the Senfe and Meaning of them. And when he finds the Prayers too ge- neral, and not fufnciently adapted to his particular Cafe, but that he is directed therein to make a fpecial Mention of the Sins he has committed, the Duties he has neglected, the Mercies he has received, his own temporal or fpiritual Wants, or the Perfons 128 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.Pcrfbns he is more immediately bound to pray for ; his own affectionate Senfe and godly Difcretion is ready to fupply what could not be provided for in any written Form, inafmuch as the Cafe of each individual Chriftian is, in thefe Re- flects, differe/it from that of all others. But then he has this Advantage, that if proper and fuitable Expreffions do not readily occur to him, whereby he may fup- ply what remains to be accommodated to his particular Occafions, he has Lcifure to ftudy for them, and need not, through a caufelefs and inconfiderate Hafte, utter his Mind in indecent or improper Terms. God judgeth not as Man judgeth, nor does he at all regard how faft or fluently we pray, but how fervently and cordially : Infomuch that if no Words at all mould follow our Conceptions ; yet our Devotion will not be the lefs accepted, provided our Heart be touched with an inward Senfe and Feel- ing. We muft not expect to be the better heard for our much, or our fine fpeaking, nor can we imagine that God will be taken with Rhetorical Tropes and Figures. He is 77>e Duty of private Prayer, 127 is a Spirit, and 'tis with our Spirit he hasSERM. Communion ; while that is pure and un- IV". polluted, he beholds ibme Rays of his own **^- Perfection there, and is drawn to it by a kind of myftical Attraction. But empty Words and Sound can make no more Impref- fion on his fpiritual Nature, than Stripes or Blows. So long then as the internal Meaning of thofe Prayers, which only concern God and ourfelves, is found and uncorrupt, we may be aflured that he little regards the Elegancy of Stile or Politenefs of Expref- fion, provided we fay nothing irreverent or unmannerly. And the like may be faid as to our Gefture of Body. For though we cannot fall too low, nor humble ourfelves too much before him ; yet in vain are all Procurations of Body, if our Heart is not humbled as well as that. , But when all Pride and Haughtinefs are once effectually quelled, the devout Suppliant may make his private Addrefs to God in fuch bodily Poftures as the Senfe of his own Vilenefs and God's infinite Greatnefs will naturally extort from him, which fometimes perhaps will be Vol. III. K fuch 130 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.the feveral Books of private Devotion, IV. with which (blefled be God) this Nation is plentifully ftored, do at once both exem- plify and explain the Apoftle's Rule, where he exhorts that Supplications, Prayers, In- tercenions, and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. The two firft of which Particulars, viz. Supplications and Prayers, though they feem to be of the fame Import, are thus diftin- guiihed from each other, that the former of them is a Petition for Pardon, the lat- ter for Help : the one being grounded on our previous Confeffion of Guilt, the other on our Acknowledgment of Want and Poverty, According therefore to this Exhortation, we firft muft make our humble Confeffion to Almighty God, bewailing our manifold Impurities and Corruptions, our original .Stain and natural Propenfity to Evil, with the daily and hourly Acceffion of actual Enor- mities : befeeching him for his own infinite Mercy, and thro' the Merits of his beloved Son, to blot out the Remembrance of them, to reftore us to his Grace and Favour,, and fet The Duty of private Prayer. 131 fet us free both from the Guilt and Domi- S e r m. nion of them. IV. In Confidence of his Pardon thus ob- ***^ tained, we next proceed to call for Help. We lay before him our Wants and Necef- iities, our naked and deftitute Condition* how unable we are to fubfift of ourfelves, if not daily relieved by his bountiful Pro- vidence : we befeech him to continue his Fatherly Indulgence to us, and ftill to af- ford us fuch Things as are neceflary both for our Souls and Bodies: to avert from us whatever would be hurtful to, or de- ftruclive of either ; to endue us with all Grace and Virtue, and guide us with his Jholy Spirit, and to bring us at laft to his Heavenly Kingdom, and crown us with cverlafting Glory. And to manifeft. as well the juft Senfe we have of his Sufficiency, and that we do not think his granting the Requefts of one, will lb impoverish him as not to leave him wherewith to relieve another, as it often happens to us mortals, and particu- larly in the Cafe of Ifaac, who when one Blemng was gone out from him, had not a ^econd to beftow, at leaft not equal to the K 3 firft : 132 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.firft: That, I fay, we may {how as well IV. the Opinion we have of his All-fuffici- s*/^s*'ency, as alfo our Christian Love and Charity ; we pray not only for ourfelves, but others. We intercede in a more efpecial Man- ner for thofe to whom we are any way related or allied by Birth or Affinity, by Service or Dependance, by Subjection or Subordination ; and more largely for all who belong to the fame civil Community with ourfelves, for all that profefs our common Christianity, nay for all that partake of the fame common Nature with us. But are we not exprefly told in Scrip- ture, that Jefiis Cbrift is the only Mediator between God and Man f With what Con- fidence then can one Man prefume to be- come a Mediator for another ? To which I anfwer : That our Prayers to God for one another are fo far from interfering with ChrifVs Mediation, that they acknowledge and recognize it. We offer up thofe very Interceflions in his Name, and confefs him to be our only Mediator and Advocate. We prefume not T/je Duty of private Prayer, 133 not to mediate by Virtue of our own Me- Serm. rits, but for the Sake of our bleiTed Re- IV. deemer, and in Subordination to him. We modeftly Petition for that which he can with Authority require, fince he has paid the Price of their Redemption. We can only beg of our heavenly Lord, that he would frankly forgive the Debt which neither they nor we have wherewithal to iatisfy, and that in Supply of our Difabi- lity, he would accept the Satisfaction made by his beloved Son. However, that the fervent Prayer of a righteous Man is oftentimes effectual for others as well as for himfelf, and that, not for fingle Perfons only, but alfo for whole Kingdoms, we have both the Teftimony of St. James j and divers Inftances likewife in Holy Scripture. We read that God would have condefcended fo far at the earncft Requeft of Abraham, as to have fpared SoJom, and forbore the Execution of his intended Judgment, if he could have found in that large and populous City but ten righteous Perfons to expiate for the Guilt of fuch a Multitude of bad ones. Thus when he was ready to have destroy- ed the difobedient Ifraelitcs, his Servant K 4 Mofes 134 T7je 'Duty of private Prayer. Serm. Mofes flood before him in the Gap, and IV* flayed his Fury. And at another Time when he had fent a Peflilence among them ; then flood up Phineas, and prayed [or executed judgment] and fo the Plague ceafed. Thus when Job interceded for his Friends, God was contented to hear him fpeak for them, tho' he would not permit them to plead for themfelves. But in thefe and all other Cafes, where the Prayers of a good Man are prevalent enough to obtain a Pardon for a bad one, we never find that he pretends to any Right, or infifls on his own Worthinefs, but leaves it entirely to the free Bounty and Beneficence of God. You fee with what Modefly and Sub- miffion Abraham makes his Addrefs ; how many Excufes he makes for prefuming to fpeak to God, when he was but Dufl and Ames. But that wherein the Difference be- tween our Saviour's Interceffion and that of all others does chiefly confifl, is this, that the mofl powerful of human Medi- ators, though they may poffibly contribute in fome Meafure to the averting the Pu- nifhmenr, 7 he Duty of private Prayer. 135 nifhment, yet can never take away theSERM. Guilt j they may prevail with God to have 4 * • fome Patience with his Debtor, for whom they fue, but can never cancel the Obli- gation. So that although, when we make our Petitions for one another with pious Minds and cordial Difpofitions, we may all in fome Sort be faid to be Mediators ; yet in the higheft and moft excellent Senfe of the Word, as it imports one who has fome Right and Authority lb to interpofe, it is a moft undoubted Truth which is affirm- ed by St. Paid, 1 Tim. ii. 5. That there is but one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Chriji Jefus. In the mean Time fure it is, we are in more than one Place of Scripture required to interpofe our charitable Requefts in be- half of our Chriftian Brethren : We are told they (hall be of fome Signirlcancy if they are fervent ; and we read of Cafes where they have been fo, and confequent- ly we both may and ought, as we are di- rected, to let one Part of our Prayers con- fill of Interceffion for others. The 136 The Duty of private Prayer. Serm. The laft Branch of Prayer mentioned *V* by the Apoftle in the Text above-named, is giving of Thanks. This we cannot but own to be a very juft and reafonable Debt, where we have received fo much, even all that we have, and where we owe our Dependance for all that is yet to come. What lefs Return can we make, than the thanking our Benefactor, owning him as fuch ? We ftand indebted to the divine Bounty for the Nourifhment that fuftains us, the Rayment that clothes us, and the very Air we breath. Whatever fpiritual or temporal Bleffings we enjoy, he is the fole Giver and Difpofer of them. And thefe he is at all Times ready to mower down upon us in great Abundance ; nor can any Thing but our Ingratitude for pari: Mercies, defeat us of a new Succeffion of them, and make him divert the Stream of his Bleffings into fome other Channel. Whatever Good befals us, we mud ever be careful to afcribc it to the fupreme Fountain of all Good. We muft be thank- ful both for general and particular Mercies : not only for thofe voucliiafed immediately to ourfelves, but for thofe we enjoy in Com- mon Tfje Duty of private Prayer. 137 mon with the reft of Mankind. We muft Serm. blefs and praife him for his Creation of the IV- World, his gracious and wife Adminiftra- tion of the Courfe of it, and for the great Variety of Comforts it abounds with : but efpecially for the greateft of them all, the railing us above it, and giving us a Profpect of a more glorious and happy State to come, which is purchafed for us by the Death of his-ever-bleffed Son, and reveal- ed to us in his Holy Word. The Blefling of our Redemption is of fo ineftimable a Price, that if we have any Cratitude, our Hearts will be always full and overflowing with the Senfe of it, and we fhall never ceafe devoutly to comme- morate it. And here I cannot but obferve to you, that the original Word for giving of Thanks in that PafTage of St. Paul, where the fe- veral Parts of Prayer are enumerated, is ou^apicpa* from whence is derived our Englif}} Word Eucbarift, by which we underftand that grateful Sacrifice of Praife and Thanks which we offer to Almighty God, in Remembrance of the Death and Pa/Tion of his Son, when we duly partake of 138 ^he Duty of private Prayer. Serm. of the Holy Communion of his Body and JV. Blood. Though every thing we receive at ^^^^ his Hands ought to be Matter of Thank- fulnefs, and deferves our moft fincere and hearty Acknowledgments, yet his fo loving the World as to give his only begotten Son to fuffer Death upon the Crofs for our Re- demption, is a Blefling fo tranfcendently great, as mould enflame us with the high- eft Degree of Love, and which requires the moft exalted Strains of Gratitude. Now the propereft Way of expreffing our moft grateful Rcfentment of the Be- nefits of that his precious Blood-fhedding, as in that Method which he himfelf has ^commanded and prefcribed us ; Symboli- cally to reprefent that Oblation of him, which he himfelf made really and truly, to do that myftically in Remembrance of him, which he has ftrictly done, and in a literal Senfe in Remembrance of us. When we perform this Holy Myftery with a due Preparation of Heart, and truly religious Frame of Spirit ; when we are fenfibly af- fected with the exceeding Greatnefs of his Love, and folemnly refolve to make him the utmoft Returns of Duty and Obedi- ence lie Duty of private Prayer. 139 ence which our finite and imperfect Na-SERM. ture can pofiibly attain to j this is in the IV". trueft Senfe c^j^a^eiv, to give cTha?tksi ^*^ which is the beft and moft acceptable Part of Prayer. Nay, the very Inftitution and Com- mand of our blefied Saviour, and his re- quiring us thus to mew forth his Death, is a Matter of frefh Obligation to us. For whilft we are thus offering our Tribute of Praife to him, we find all the real ad- vantage returns upon ourfelves. And as it is the ufual Confequence of a juft and unfeigned Gratitude, that it draws down on the grateful Perfon fome new additional Mercies j fo fares it with the devout and worthy Communicant : He feels fuch an Improvement in all his Graces, his Faith fo enlivened, his Hope fo confirmed, his Charity fo enflamed, and, in a Word, his whole inward Man fo much bettered and amended, that after he has been paying his Thanks to God, in and by the Holy Sacrament, he perceives he has frefh Occafion to thank him for it. And 140 The Duty of private Prayer, Serm. And thus have I reprefented to you the IV. feveral Parts of which our Prayers mull ^^Y^ ordinarily confift. 3 I mean thofe fet and ftated Devotions which we have Leifure and Opportunity to perform at large, either in the Church or Clofet, not excluding fuch fhort and concife Ejaculations in any one of thofe Kinds, as fudden and emer- gent Occafions may require of us, when we have not Room or Convenience to go through them all. Upon the whole Matter, if we expect any Blefling upon our Endeavours, or that our Undertakings mould thrive and prolper, we firft muft dedicate both our- felves and them to God, earneftly im- ploring his divine Patronage and Direc- tion, without which, all our own Care, and Induftry, and Watchfulnefs, is in vain. We may think highly of our own Power and Ability, and be big with ima- ginary Aims and Projects ; but if God does not approve and fecond them, we may be arTured that they will either not fucceed, or that our very Succefs will ruin us, And 7#£ Duty of private Prayer. 141 And it is no lefs fare, that he will ne- Serm. ver be induced to favour our Defigns, if IV". we do not think his Affiftance worth the v~*rv^ asking. But here it may be, and has been by fome objected : Are we not taught that the Divine Providence is continually watch- ing for our Good ? Does not the Almighty know all our Necerlities before we ask, nay, before we know them ourfelves, and more than we know or think we need ? And is not his fatherly Indulgence always ready to relieve thofe Neceffities under which he fees us labour ? And if fo, what Need is there of Praying ? Why fhould we trouble God with importunate Solici- tations, for that which he is of his own Accord inclined to give us ? But in Anfwer to fuch profane and un- godly Reafoners, we have God's own po- fitive Command to alledge ; that very God who is fo able and willing to affiir, us, who knows our Wants better than we do ourfelves, has himfelf required us to ask, that we may receive. He is always extending his Mercies toward us, and has an infinite Store of them ready provided for 142 The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.for us, but he has appointed Prayer as the IV- inftrumental Caufe of drawing them down upon us. It is true, he might, if he had thought fit, have granted us what we ftand in Need of, without our fuing or petitioning for it : And fo he might, if he had plea- fed, have refolved to fave us abfolutely and unconditionally, without any Regard either to the Soundnefs of our Faith, or Sincerity of our Obedience : He might have made a Heaven of this Earth, and Angels of us Men : But this is arguing for God's Power, in Oppofition to his Will, and contradicting the fettled Courfe of his Providence, which has appointed fuch Conditions as the Means of obtaining iiich Advantages. And what Condition can be more practicable and eafy, than on* ly to ask and have our Willi effected ? Our Prayers therefore do not become fuperfiuous from God's Willingnefs to grant, forafmuch as he is only willing to grant to them who are as willing to pray. To act otherwifc, would be to crofs the great End for which he made us, viz. The /Advancement of his own Glory, For The Duty of private Prayer. 143 For what Glory do they afcribe to him, Serm, who never adore him as their Creator, nor IV* invoke him as their Benefactor, nor intreat s-^ j him as their Judge ? Besides, there is a great Miftake in the Objection, when it fuppofes that God would be troubled or teazed with the Im- portunity of our Solicitations. This is a poor Epicurean Notion, which highly derogates from his infinite Perfection, and reprefents him as capable of intending but a few Objects at a Time : Whereas he furveys the whole Univerfe at one fingle View, and all the minuted Parts of which it is compofed, with as much Eafe as if it were one uniform Object. We may pray then without incommo- ding God, we mull pray if we would pleafe him, or if we expect any Benefit and Afliftance from him. And there are none who (land more in Need of our Prayers, than they who perfuade themfelves they need neither their own, nor ours. Others there are, who are better con- vinced of the Ukfulnefs of Prayer, and will own it to be fometimes rieceflary, but not always, though the Exhortation in Vol. III. L my 144- *The Duty of private Prayer. SERM.my Text requires us to continue infiant in IV. Prayer, and other Places there are to the fame Purpofe. But they cry, they have not always the fame Occafion for Succour, and why mould they call for it, when they do not want it ? 'Tis true, when they are in a helplefs and dejected Eftate, oppreft with Mifery, and laden with Misfortunes, they know whither to betake themfelves : That it is proper at fuch a Juncture to fly to Heaven for Relief, when they defpair of - any human Remedy. But while Matters go fmoothly and eafily with them, and they have all that their Heart can wifh, what can they defire more, or to what Purpofe mould they pray ? And they think St. J 'antes himfelf gives fome Countenance to this DiftincTion, when he prefcribes, that if any cne is afflicted he JJjouId pray -3 but if any one is merry , he Jloould fing. But is there then no Part of Prayer that is fit for a prosperous and flou riming Condition ? Do we forget to whofe Bounty and Indulgence we owe our Happinefs and Eafe ? And is there no Return of Thanks due to him \ Are we fure we are fo far Matters Tie Duty of private Prayer. 145 Matters of what we enjoy, that nothing Serm. can difpoffefs us of it ? And have we no IV- Reafon to pray for the Continuance of our Profperity ? Have we no ipiritual Wants to be fupplied, or do we look upon our Souls, as not worth our Care ? If our Health and Plenty makes us unmindful of God, and regardlefs of his Providence ; may not fuch Ingratitude very juftly pro- voke him to vifit us with the contrary Afflictions, and ftarve us into a better Mind ? As to St. James's Advice, 'tis true he directs thofe that are merry, i. e. who have no Calamity either fpiritual or temporal to difquiet them, who are at Eafe in their Bodies, their Eftates and their Confci- ences, to ring. But what would he have them ring ? Why, Pialms and Spiritual Songs. All then, that can be inferred from this Paflage is, that the afflicted and the happy Perfon, as they are not upon the fame Terms, are not to pray exactly to the fame Effect. The one muit be larger in his Supplications and Petitions, the other L 2 in 146 7 he Duty of private Prayer. Serm. in his Praifes and Thanksgivings : But frill IV\ they muft both pray. I shall now conclude all with a brief Exhortation, viz. that we would not only let our Prayers be hearty and fincere, ar- dent and affectionate, and fuch as proceed from a pure Heart j but that whatever we ask, we would do it with Faith, nothing doubting but that in due Time we mail be anfwered, and obtain our Requefts in Value at leaft, if not in Kind. Let us not be difcouragcd, nor grow impatient, Or think ourfelves neglected, or our Prayers infignifkant, if all we crave is not immediately granted. Let us have but a little longer Patience, and that that mail come, will come. Whatever we ask muft ftill be with an humble Deference and Siibmiffion to his Divine Will, who beft can judge what is proper and convenient for us, and who when we beg of him fuch Things as would be hurtful and per- nicious, does moil indulgently deny them to us, and it is our Privilege to be with- out them. Let any one but reflect on his pan: Life, and confider how many Things in the Courie The Duty of private Prayer. 147 Courfe of it, which he paflionately longed Serm. for, would have proved his Ruin if he had obtained them, and how many others which lie was moft averfe to, have turned to his greateft Advantage, and he will be convinced of the Shortnefs of his own Sight, and the Reafonablenefs of trufting all to God. However let us not ceafe continually to importune him, let us not be weary, or faint in our Supplications, but con- stantly urge both his own gracious Pro- miles, and the Merits of his beloved Son -, and we may reft firmly allured, that our Prayers will afcend for a Memorial unto him, that he will faithfully perform thofe Promifes, and in his own due Time and Manner effectually aniwer whatever Re- quefts we offer in the Name, and for the Sake of our crucified Redeemer. TO nsrfjom with the Father, and the Holy Ghojiy &c. L 3 Sermon 48 77je Safety and Stability mtm SERMON V. The Safety and Stability of Chri- ftian Principles. Col. ii. 6, 7. As ye have therefore received Chrifl Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him : Rooted a?td built up in him, and Jlablifted in the Faith, as ye have beeii taught, abounding therein with Thanjkgiving. Serm SllSSlr! HEN St. Paul perceived the V. Ojwl?^ Coloflia?is, whom he had lately *-^Wj gjfJ^fi-8 converted to the Chriftian Faith ^*~^ '■- by the faithful Miniftry of Epaphras, to be in Danger of relapfing from of Ch?*ijlia7i Principles, 149 from that Faith again, through the Infi- Sk km. nuations of fome crafty and ill-dcfigning V. Men, who made it their Bufinefs to un-^^ fettle them in their Principles, and to pull down again what the Apoitle had built up ; he fets himfelf in this Epiftle, and particularly in this Part of it, to warn them of the Snares that were laid for them, and the dangerous Confequence of deferting that Jesus, to whom they had devoted themfelves, or fufFering themfelves to be drawn off from their Allegiance, by worldly Philofophy, or forged Traditions, or any other Artifice whereby thofe cun- ning Seducers lay in wait to deceive them. That him whom they had folemnly ac- knowledged for their Lord, they mould conftantly adhere to, and be obedient to his Law in all Things. That it was by no Means for their Safety or Interefl, to let their Faith be light and fluctuating, and fvvimming on the Surface, but that it ought to fink down into their Hearts, and there take a deep and lafting Root. That they mould never warp from the Foundation they were built upon, but ftaad firm on their Bafis, encrealing daily L 4 in 150 7%e Safety and Stability SERM.in Heighth, without exfpatiating wider, or V. growing more narrow and contra&ed, fo ■syv%"/ as not to be fhaken or drove from it by the Violence of any Storms. That they mould not content them- felves with nightly tailing that falutary Doctrine, and fo flop fhort where they were nrft entered, but make a conftant Progrefs therein, and purfue it with all their Vigour, till they largely abounded with fpiritual Knowledge, returning all due Thanks* to that God who had called them from that State of Perdition in which they before lay, to be the Children of Grace and Heirs of Glory. This, or to this Purpofe, the Apoftle feems to drive at, by his Allufions to a Root and a Building, and other ExprefTions as well proper as metaphorical. A noble and highly neceffary Exhor- tation, and very fit to be applied to the Men of the Age we now live in, fince even at this Day there are not wanting too marry, who though they have received Chrift Jefus for their Lord, and have been folemnly initiated in his Myfleries, yet are very far from walking in him : So far from of Chriftian Principles. 1 5 * from being rooted and built up in him, Serm. that they are ready to be carried away v. by every the lighteft Breath of Phiiofophy and vain Do&rine, and not only turn De- fcrters themfelves, but make it their Bufi- nefs to pervert others. Against which foul and dangerous Apoftafie, I fhall now, by God's Ailift- ance, offer a Prefervative ; and though I am perfuaded I am not now fpeaking to any of that unhappy Number, who reject the firft Principles of Religion, but on the contrary, to a great many, who are not only thoroughly grounded, but have made large Improvements, and are far advanced both in Belief and Practice ; yet fince no one can be too well and fecurely fortified againft the deceitful Arguments he may meet with in the Courfe of his Converfa- tion, and fince it is an Injunction laid on every Chriflian, that he be ready to give an Anfwer to every Man, that asketh him a Reafon of the Hope that is in him ; I fhall not think my Time mifemployed, if I endeavour to ftrengthen and confirm you in the firft Articles of your Faith, on which all the others depend. It 152 'The Safety a?id Stability Serm. I t is no Disparagement to a high and V. well-built Structure, (to keep to our Apo- ftle's Metaphor) if the Foundations of it be fometimes fearched, to fee if Nothing there be at a Fault, but that all ftands faft and fure j for if that be unfound or weak, whatever is built upon it mufl ffand very loofe and tottering. And I think there can be no better Ex- pedient for Strengthening the Foundation of our Belief (and Nothing fure can be morejufl and reafonable) than that every Man mould firmly refolve never to heark- en to any one that goes about to perfuade him out of his Chriftianity, who does not offer to put him in a better Way, and fhow him fome other Syffem that either makes fairer Promiies, or of the Performance of whofe Promifes there is better Security, or that refts on a furer Bottom : When fach a Syilem indeed is propofed, (as I am fure it never yet has been) I will be far from hindering or oppofing his Converfion to it. That he would confider withhimfelf, as every prudent Man does, in all the Tranfactions of Life, efpecially in thofe of the highcft Concernment, whether his Gain, of Chrijlian Principles. 153 Gain or Lofs is like to be the greater ; S e r m. left while he ftarts at fome petty Difficul- V. ties, and is angry that all the Myfteries of ^y~s*^J Faith are not juft fuited to the Standard of his Reafon, he mould rly for Refuge to fuch Principles as are neither confident with Reafon, nor with one another, which pretend to fettle Nothing, and yet unfettle every thing, which leave a Man in the greateft Perplexity and Anguifh, with No- thing to believe, Nothing to hope, No- body to truft, and no whither to turn himfelf. That I may not affirm this without Proof, and that it may the more evident- ly appear how far thofe Men are from ha- ving bettered their Condition, who have bid Adieu to the Gofpel, and taken up the Liberty of Free-thinking, as they call it, I fhall endeavour to evince thefe three Proportions. Firjly That no Man can be eafy or happy, till he has, once for all, pitch- ed on fome Set of Principles, from which he is refolved never to depart. Secondly y v-/"V*v^ 154 Tie Safety and Stability Serm. Secondly, That neither Atheifm nor * • Deifm has any fixed or certain Prin- ciples, nor is it pofTible for any Man to cleave to either of them with a conftant uninterrupted Tenor. And, Thirdly, That the Chriftian Religion, and only that, is founded on fuch Principles, to which it is both fife for a Man to aflent, and poifible for him to adhere. Firft, That no Man can be eafy, £fc. So long as a Man is at a Lofs with himfelf, and in Doubt as to thefe great neceifary Points j Who gave him Life ; What is his End of Living ; To what Purpofe he acls j or, What he drives at, there is Nothing in the Creation fo con- temptible or fo miferable as he. It is indeed a Piece of Wifdom to coniider well, to examine and try every Thing before we give a rain ArTent, and take up our hold- ing Refolution : But to be always doubt- ing and uncertain, and never to acquiefce in the very firft Principles, is not only Im- piety, but Madnefs. A Mind thus vari- ous of Ghrifiian Pri?iciplcs. 155 oils and perplexed about the Objects ofSERM. Faith, is certainly the moft racking and fevere Tormentor in the World j when it believes Nothing fo furely, but that the leaft Shadow of an Argument on the other Side (hall undo all again, and unravel all its Purpofes. Having once fvverved from the ftrait Path of Truth, it bewilders itfelf in the perplexed Labyrinths of Doubt and Scepticilm, runs on in a perpetual Round of Errors, and is vainly difquieted in the Search of that which it can never find. I f a Man therefore will make a right Ule of his Reafon, he mufl not only con- fider what is juft before him, but provide for Futurity, and guard againft the Evils that may happen hereafter. He mufl: learn to feparate Truth from Falfhood, Honefty from Bafenefs, and to judge not only whe- ther a Thing be fimply good, but between the Degrees of Goodnefs : Of profitable Things, which will be moft gainful : Of hurtful Things, which will be leaft preju- dicial : And from all thefe duly weighed, he mull: lay down and form to himfelf a certain Rule of a&ing and believing, which he 156 The Safety and Stability SERM.he muft inviolably purfue and walk by, V- and fufFer no Temptation to divert him from it. When he is once fettled in fuch an even and undiftracted Courfe, it is then he begins to live, all that he had done before being loft Labour, and no Way conducive to the main Purpofe of his Life. Then does he enjoy a true Peace and Serenity of Mind, when without any farther Scruple or Hefitation, without Lofs of Time in going out of his Way, to feek for a better or a nearer ; he goes on directly to the Mark. He has fomething now in View, on which he can with Security depend : He knows what he aims at, he knows it to be worthy his Aim, he fees by what Means it muft be comparTed : And 'tis in vain after that for any one to pretend to draw him afide from fuch a rooted Per- fuafion. How much happier is fuch a State, than to be perpetually wavering, to ftand as it were on one Foot, and not know where to fet the other : not only to be ignorant of the Way that mould lead one Home, but to have no Home at all to be led to : To be governed of Chrijlian Principles, 157 governed by blind Chance, and carried Serm. backward and forward with every Tide : V. to be always doing and undoing : To act at Random we know not what, nor why, without ever carting up the Account of Life, or levelling our Defigns at any cer- tain Scope. In fhort, unlefs you are willing to wafte your whole Life before you have refolved what Method of Life you will fix to, once for all, take Reafon and Experience for your Guides, examine, deliberate, ponder every Thing, Caufes and Effects, Means and Ends, what has been faid or done, the Nature and Operations both of the Sou! and Body, lay all thefe together, and com- pare them with one another, and when you have fo done, chufe out the Way that you will walk in j I do not fay, fuch a one as is clogged with no Difficulties, which 'tis in vain for you to expect, but that which has the fewcfl, and thofe the moft eafy to be furmountcd. And, to finifli this Head in one Word, either give yourfelf wholly up to fome Religion, or declare yourfelf of none, and keep to it. But * 5 8 T/j4 Safety and Stability Serm. But that the latter of thefe cannot be, V» I am now going to fhow in my Second Head, which is this, That nei- ther Atheifm nor Deifm has any fixed or certain Principles, nor is it pomble for any Man to adhere with Conftancy to the fame irreligious Notions. It mutt be confefled indeed that the Abettors of thofe Notions, fo far as they are employed in oppofing the Tenets of others, and invalidating their Belief, may for a while pleafe and hug themfelves, and fancy they are tfce only Perfons of Senfe and Difcernment, while the reft of the World is blind and cannot fee the Cheat. They know very well that it is a much eafier Thing to ask a Queftion, than to an- fwer it, to tve a Knot than to unty it ; that a Sword to give a Wound with, is much more portable and light of Car- riage, than Armour to keep it off. This encourages them to fet up for Champions, where they think they can look big, and make a Figure upon the cheapeft Terms, Objections being eafy and obvious, fuch as every Fool can hit on, as f)f Chriftlan Prhtciphs. 159 as our Proverb fays, whilft the Solutions, S E p. m„ though very ftrong and folid, have often- * • times the Difadvantage of lying deep, and requiring a greater Application of Thought to comprehend them, than fuch loofe and fluttering Reafoners are willing to beftow. But the Weaknefs and Folly of that Caufe will more fully appear, when we confider, that fuch Infidels as either difown Religion in general^ or all revealed Reli- gion, have no other Aim, but to demolifh whatever has been built by others, to root out the moll: certain and acknowledged Truths, to difpofTefs Men of all Awe or Reverence for any Thing that is facred, all Inclination to Good or Abhorrence of Evil* all the Knowledge of God and invisible Things, which either has been revealed to us by himfelf, or demonftrated by the Light of Nature, and confirmed by the unanimous Confent of Mankind, the Ori- ginal of all which Notions they afcribe to Fear, and the Continuance of them to the Prejudice of Education, But they themfelves, in the mean Time, have nothing to offer in the Room Vol, IIL M fcf 160 The Safety and Stability Se-rm. of them. They can (how you no Support V. for the Mind, after they have dug away the old Foundation that fuftained it j and when they have ftripped you naked, and diverted you of all Principles, they can di* reel: you to no other Shelter. They have indeed fufficiently explained themfelves, and told us what they would not have j but what it is they would have, 'tis very hard for others to guefs, and more £han they themfelves can tell. For 'tis their conitant Practice to lurk as long as they are able, among Negatives, from which Hiding-places, they care not to be dragged out into the Light, fo as to be obliged to give an Account of their own Faith, if we may call it Faith > they care not to anfwer, in their Turn, to thofe weighty Objections with which their own Caufe is prened. As for Example, if you ask them, whence came this beautiful Structure of the Univerfe, if no Body built it ? What is it, even at this Day, that luilains and connects this pendulous Globe, and keeps it from burfting afunder with its Fulnefs, cr finking with its Weight ? Whether the numberlcN of Chrijlian Principles. 1 6 1 numberlefs Inftances of Wifdom and Power, Serm. and Order and Regularity, which No-body V. can help obferving in the Courfe of Things, ^^^^ are not a much fairer Proof of a divine Providence, than thofe few Irregularities which they think they can point to, in the Adminiftration of it, can furnifh them with again ft it ? If, as they pretend, there is nothing elfe but Matter and Motion in the World, yet v/ho was it that gave the firfl Motion to Matter, which of itfelf is heavy and iluggim, and like to have remained in one eternal Reft ? Or who is it now, that gives .flich Variety of Determinations to that Motion ? B y whofe Impulfe or Direction do thofe Creatures that are utterly deftitute of all Senfe or Reafon of their own, fo admira- bly confpire to bring about the wifeft and nobleft Ends ? Befides, iince there are evi- dently different Degrees of Perfection in the Beings that compofe the Univerfe, fome of which are more excellent than others, and others again than they ; I would only alk how high this Gradation is to be car- ried, where will they Hop at laft, and what M 2 will J 6 2 Tl:e Safety and Stability SERM.will they allow to be the moft abfolute * • and perfect Species of all ? We can fee nothing in this vifible World more perfect than ourfelves ; for we fee no other Being endued with Thought and Underftanding, which is the nobleft Ac- complishment we are yet acquainted with. And yet with all this comparative Excellen- cy, how vafliy mort is Man of abfolute Per- fection ? What various Infirmities and De- feds is he fubject to, and how plainly does he feel, though he cannot fee, another Power far more fuperior to him, than he himfelf is to the Beafts of the Field, and who can as abfolutely difpofe of him, as he can of them ? If I fay one preiTes fuch fceptical Per- fons with Queftions of this Nature, and obliges them to declare what it is they do believe in thefe Points, as well as what they do not, they have nothing at all to an- fwcr, unlcfs perhaps, that they may not remain wholly fpeechlefs, they fly to fome exploded Dreams of the old Philofophers, tvhich are far from being fatisfactory to themfelves, and which they cannot agree about with one another, how lo- vingly of Chrijlian Principles. 1 63 vingly foever they agree in crying downSERM. all that other Men account facred and divine. Now all the affirmative Creed they have ever yet been pleafed to give us, ei- ther as to the Original of the World, or the Government of it, comes to one of thefe Points. Either that it never had a Beginning, and is governed by a fatal Ne- ceffity, or, that it both began, and has ever fince been governed by meer Chance ; or that the World itfelf is God : Unlefs you will take this for another Affirmation, which is a Compound of all the Negatives in the World, that a Man can have no fure Knowledge of any Thing. Firft, I fay, they pretend that the World has been, as it is, from all Eternity, and neither had a Beginning, nor can have an End, that it is preferved by a perpetual Rotation of Matter pairing from one Form to another : That all Events are brought to pafs by invincible Neceffity and unalte- rable Fate or Deftiny, which nothing can, refift. But can you imagine any Man in his Senfes does in good earned believe, tha$ M 2 this, 1 64 Tlie Safety and Stability Serm. this Earth we live on has been in the State V. it is from all Eternity, which at this Day is not wholly peopled, nor altogether known, but daily admits of new Difco- veries ? For not to fpeak of A?nerica> which is but lately known, and vail. Regions elfe- where, which were once thought unin- habitable, through the excemve Heat or Cold of the Climate where they lay, but are now fufficiently peopled ; how great a Part even of Europe itfelf, even where it is molt, temperate, which not many Ages ago was nothing but a vafl: Defert, I mean the greater!: Part of Germany ■, does now abound with nourishing Towns and Cities? But if Mankind had been as numerous fome Thoufands of Ages ago, as they are at this Time, how came they to fufTer themfelves to be confined to fo narrow a Space, when they might have had fo much more Room ? Or if the Numbers of Men encreafe, as daily Experience tells us they do encreafe, it is certain that by this Time a Thoufand Worlds would not contain the Race of Men, though we mould of Chrijlian Pri?iciples. 165 mould allow the Encreafe but of oneSERM. Man in a Year from Eternity down to this Time. And not only from the late Difcovery of it, may we be aiTured that the World had a Beginning ; but alfo from the late Invention of Arts and Sciences, as well as of thofe that ftill remain a Secret, which give a Spur to our prefent Induftry, and are like to be the Reward of future Inge- nuity. Many of thofe we have lately in- vented, were too obvious to have lain hid fo long, if Men had been fearching for them from all Eternity, and too ufeful and neceflliry to have been loft again, or fallen into Difufe after they were once found out, unlefs we could fuppofe the whole Race of Men to be extinct at once, and the Secrets to have been buried with them. And even on that Suppofal, whence mould there arife a new Race of Men, after the Species had once failed, but by Creation ? We are informed by the moft authen- tick Hiftory, we may judge by the Short- nefs of all other Hiftory, which gives us the Tranfadtions but of a few Thoufands of Years, by the Improvements that have M 4 been^ 1 66 The Safety and Stability SERM.been, and are daily made, in the Admi- V. niftration of Government, the Advance^ K~'~sr^,> ment of Commerce, &c. that the World is but newly made, newly I mean, when we fpeak with Refpect to Eternity. But made it could not be, by any o- ther than an infinitely wife and perfect Au- thor, nor would that Author, renouncing his Title to his own Workmanfhip, abanr don it to a blind Neceffity. That the World is not fo adminiftred, that all Events come to pafs by inevitable Fate, but that fome Things do happen one way, which might have fallen out ano- ther 5 there is no Man whofe Senfes are not all ftupified, but may be convin- ced, not only from the elective Faculty of his own Mind, but even by the Call: of a Dye, the Death of the fmallefl Infect, or the very Turning of a Balance. Since therefore they mufl allow, that fome Things are contingent, their next Refuge is to Epicurus's Syftem, which fnppofes that all Things are fo. Now all Things they tell you are difpofed, not by a certain Fate, but by uncertain Chance. But of Chrijlian Principles* 167 But that a Parcel of fenfelefs Atoms, Serm. or little Particles of Matter, without any "• Skill or Knowledge of their own, and without the Direction of any intelligent Being, mould, by meer Hazard, jump into fuch a wonderful Order, and ftill fubfifl in their nrfl Harmony, is fo grofs an Ab- furdity, that I will not wafte your Time in confuting it at large. I will only mention one Thing which equally deftroys the pretended Dominion both of Fate and Chance, /. e . That nei- ther of them is any real Subftance, but only a meer Name j and can we think the World is under fuch Direction ? Let them point out to us, if they can, the Perfon of either Fate or Chance, or defcribe, of what Colour, Shape, or Stature either of them is. Will thofe very Perfons, who are fo hard to be perfuaded that all Things were made out of Nothing, be yet fo cre- dulous as to imagine, that thofe very Things have a meer Nothing for their Author, and a- meer Nothing for their Governor ? Will they who laugh at others for their Belief of invifible Powers, afcribe all Power to fuch imaginary Chimeras ? Well 1 68 The Safety and Stability Serm. Well then, fay they, fince it mull be "• fo, we will confefs a God. But what God will you confefs ? Why the World or Univerfe, the feveral Parts whereof we think to be Creatures, but take the whole together, the to iroiv, and then 'tis God or the Creator. And this indeed is the only Deity, which the Generality of thofe Men allow, who go by the Name of Deifts, which is juft as if they acknowledged none at all. For this is downright Atheifm in Effect, by whatever Name they may think fit to di- ftinguifh themfelves. For according to this Hypothefis too, we are at a Lofs for fome Power fuperior to Man, and more intelligent than he, which we can no where find in all this vifible Frame, as great and magnificent as it is. Here we find all the fame Difficul- ties return upon us, which I before obfer- ved to arife from the Suppolal of the World's Eternity, and a Thoufand new Abfurdities and Contradictions befides. For if the World be God, then every Thing in the World is a Part of God, every Blade of Grafs, every Grain of Sand, would at of Chrijlia?i Principles. 169 at this Rate, be a Parcel of the Almighty. Serm. Then God mud have a Share in every V. Thing that is done or fuffered by Men, he w^"v^ muft Miftake, and Sin, and Die, nay he muft be Living and Dead at the fame Time, with Abundance more fuch hope- ful Confequences. And yet 'tis by being fond of fuch miferable and ill-grounded Conceits as thefe, that fome of our refined Gentlemen think to give us Proofs of their Wit and Underftanding. Will any one then envy the Condition of fuch unhappy Wanderers ? Will any one wifli to rove like them, without any Guide, or any Rule, or any fettled Pur- pofe, and both to live and die with no better Expectation than the Beads that periih ? Let any one judge how little Reafon they have to feoff at others for trufting to uncertain Hope, when they themfelves have none at all. And which adds much to the Unhappinefs of their Cafe, though they have caft away all Hope, they cannot caft away their Fear. Since then, as I have (hewed in my Two fit-it Propofitions, a Man cannot be eafy 1 70 The Safety and Stability SERM.eafy or happy without keeping to fome V • fixed Belief, and acting according to it, and fince 'tis impoflible for any one to keep to the fame irreligious Principles, without of- ten fhifting his Faith and new modelling his negative Creed -y it will eafily follow, as I am now to prove in the Third Place, That the Chriftian Religion, and only that, is founded on fuch Princi- ples, to which 'tis both fafe for a Man to aflent, and poffible for him to adhere. That fuch a Perfon as Jefus of Naza- reth, whom we profefs to be Chrift our Lord, did live at the Time we fay he did, that he went about Judea, accompanied by Twelve Difciples, and gave out that he was fent from God, to reveal his Will to Mankind ; that, to gain Credit to his Do- ctrine, he did (in Show at leaf!:) perform many fignal Miracles, foretold many fu- ture Events, and, which was the Chief of all, that. he himfelf would rife from the Dead after he had been Three Days in the Grave ; that he did openly fuffer under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, and that on the Day on which he had of Chrijlian Principles. 171 had told them he would rife, his Body Serm. could not be found in the Sepulchre, tho* V. guarded with unufual Diligence by his Enemies, fo as to leave no Room for any Fraud or Collufion ; that he was feen alive after this by many who very well knew him before his Crucifixion ; nor did they only fee, but talk with him and handle him ; that they publickly declared this, and that with fo great Earneftnefs, that they died Martyrs to the Truth of what they fo attefted ; that thefe Things, I fay, did fo happen, the moft bitter Enemies of Chri- ftianity have readily confefTed. All that they pretend on the contrary is, that the Miracles he feemed to do, might all be counterfeit, and the Multi- tude, as they often are, might be impofed on. But if they had been fo, it muft be granted that this could not have been done without a Confederacy and Combination, and that his Difciples, who were fcarce ever from him, muft have been privy to the Secret, and engaged in his Defigns. And can any one perfuade himfelf, that thofe very Accomplices, if that had been the Cafe, were fo fooljihly mad, that they (hould 172 The Safety and Stability Serm. mould all of them to a Man fo obftinately V. perfift, even in Prifon, on the Rack, in the Fire, on the Crofs, to declare that ve- ry Perfon to be a wonderful Prophet, the true Son of the moil high God, nay, the moft high God himielf, invoking him as fuch with their iateft Breath, whom at the fame Time they knew to be a notorious Impoftor ? It may be poffible for Hi/lory to fur- nifh us with an Inftance or two, of fome lingle Perfon that has flood out to the lafl Extremity in a very unaccounta- ble Lye ; but out of many Witnefles to the fame Caufe, who were put to the Torture in fuch diflant Times and Places, fo that they could not confer with one another, that not one mould be prevailed with to retract his Teftimony ; if this does not amount to an unexceptionable Proof, I fee no Rule for Belief among Men, nor how it is pomble to prove any Thing. I forbear now to urge the uncorrupted Purity of Life and Manners both in Chrift and his Difciples, and how ill they were fitted of Chriftian Principles. 173 fitted to fet up for Deceivers of the Serm. World. v- I fay Nothing of the incredible Progrefs of our Religion through fo many Obftruc- tions, without any Afliftance of human Wit, without any Force of Arms, without any Countenance from the Civil Power j all which were violently employed againfl it. I pafs by the wonderful Completion of the Prophecies, and other Arguments of great Weight, becaufe I perfuade my felf, that whoever ferioully confiders that one Proof that is drawn from the Teftimony of the Apoftles, will need no other Con- viction. Now this Religion fo well grounded, delivered by fo divine an Author to fuch faithful and upright Minifters, and from them tranfmitted to us, is not only adorn- ed with fuch Excellency of Doctrine, to which one may fafcly give his Aflent, but is moreover guarded by fuch defireable Promifes, and fuch tremendous Threats, that a Man confefTmg its heavenly Origi- nal, may heartily embrace it, and hold faft to 174 ?%e Safety and Stability Serm. to it without ever being fhaken, or re« V. penting that he is a Chriftian. Here only can the Mind of Man find a fweet Repofe, after it has been tired with vain Searching, and puzzled with intricate and cloudy Doubts. Here he may have a fure Rule to truft to, fo that he need not difagree with himfelf, and be carried about from one Opinion to another. Here that immortal Part of us, that perceives it felf to be made for Eternity, and dreads Nothing fo much as Annihilation, may have a firm AfTurance that it mail not die. Here there is a Foundation for Love and Charity, and mutual Offices of Kindnefs among Men, and mutual Truft and Con- fidence too, all which Irreligion deftroys j fo that it is both one's Pleafure and Inte- reft conftantly to adhere to it, as many wife Men have done, and ftill do, to their prefent Satisfaction and everlafting Benefit* of whom I pray God increafe the Num- ber. It now remains that I add fomething by Way of Exhortation. Let me then very earneftly befeech all Men, that they would never be tempted by any Sugges- tions of Chrijlia?i Principles. 173 ftions whatsoever, to fwerve from this mofl Serm, juft and peifect Rule, nor be led by a vain V« Singularity, and an Affectation of feeming wife above the common Rate, into fuch a Way of thinking as can never make them happy, nor indeed does it fo much as pro- mife them they fhall be fo, but fairly in- vites them to what they will be fure to. find, viz. Mifery and Defpair. That they would have Nothing to do with fuch Men, but leave them to enjoy their own Conceits and curious Difcove- ries by themfelves, who are perverfely learned, and witty to their own Torment, and to the great Hazard of their own and their Neighbour's Salvation. That they would look upon thofe as their worfl Enemies, who go about to rob them of their belt Ornament and mofl comfortable Support of Life, and to leave them without Faith or Conference. Who firft throw Dirt upon Religion, and then point at it for being dirty, and would per- fuade you that thofe Stains which they have foinjuriouily call on it, are inherent in, and irifeparable from it. They firft Vol. III. N difturb 176 The Safety and Stability SERM.difturb the Fountain, and then complain, v • it is not clear enough to drink at. v"'~y^w' What Refuge, what Support do the Abettors of fuch Principles recommend to the troubled and afflicted, which fome Time or other muft be every one's Cafe ? What Equivalent to that Truft. and Reli- ance on God, which is the Chriftian's fure Retreat ? Why, in fuch Cafe, it is their Doctrine, (and too often their Practice) that when Life is grown uneafy, a Man may lawfully rid himfelf of it. To the Prevalence of fuch Notions we may af- cribe many of the Self-Murthers for which our Country is become fo infamous, as is openly avowed by the Perpetrators of a moft complicated Tragedy, frem in our Memories, who though but in low Life, had learned, it feems, to be as fafhionable Deifls as any of their Betters, and had fo far improved upon the Scheme, as to bring themfelves to a Perfuafion, that not only their Lives, but that of an innocent Babe, was at their Difpbfal. Behold a Specimen of that boafted moral Honefty, which is to fupply the Place of Revealed Religion ! Let of Chriftian Principles, ijj Let every one then take up for his own Serm, tart fuch a Refolution as this. ^ " As I have received Chrift Jefus for " my Lord, fo will I walk in him, being " fully convinced, that I muft either at- " tain to Happinefs through him, or that " there is no Poffibility for Man to be " happy, and that every Step I have ta- " ken from him is fo far on my Way to " apparent Ruin. " This holy Religion is like a Light " mining in a dark Place, which while I " keep before me, I fee how to walk, and " am in no Danger of Stumbling or of M Falling -, but if I turn my Back upon <£ it, there remains Nothing but a difmal " Gloominefs. u This is like Noah's Ark, that will tl bear me fecurely above all Floods ; but *' if like the Dove, I will fly abroad, I may " find Room enough to flutter and beat " my Wings in, but, like that, I know I M (hall be glad to come back to the Ark " again, being abl« to find no other Foot- *' ing, N 2 Adieu 178 7%e Safety and Stability Serm. " Adieu then to them who would de- V- " coy me from this Hold by idle Jefts and " trivial Objections. My Faith is a Thing u of too great Price to be thrown away •' in Sport. "Let others take thofe Scoffers for " wife and happy Men -, for my Part, " I am fure they muft be ftung, as " often as they reflect on how unequal " Terms they engage with the Advocates we are apt to pafs in our own Favour, that we mould make frequent Appeals, and fubmit our Caufe to the fair and un- biafs'd Decifion of thofe written and re- vealed igo 7?je DireEiton of PraSlicey Serm. vealed Truths, which were delivered to Us ▼*• as a fure and infallible Guide in all ouf U/*x,; Doubts and Emergencies, and to be the fettled Standard and Criterion of Good and Evil. Great therefore are thofe facred Truths, and mighty above all Things, abundantly fufficient to inftrucT: us in that moll ufeful Knowledge of ourfelves, to re- move the caufelefs Fears and Jealoufies of good Men, and to quafli the prefumptu- ous Hopes and groundlefs Confidence of bad ones. From hence only can we raife in our- felves a firm A flu ranee of our own Inte- grity 5 infomuch that lie who governs his Life, and meafures his Actions by any other Rule, who feeks for Comfort either from the good Opinion of others, who not being able to difcern that Treachery and Deceitfulnefs of Heart which lurks under a fair Outfide and Form of Godli- nefs, may, through a miftaken Charity, be induced to judge more favourably of him than he defer ves j or elie from the infinite Mercy and Goodnefs of God, which is not promifed; nor will be granted on any the true End of Hearing, igi any other Terms than thofe of a true lively Se r m. Faith, and an univerfal Obedience j if he fets up fome other Guide in Oppofition to God's known and indifpenfableLaws,by re- lying either on the uncertain Conduct of human Reafon, or elfe on fome counter- feit Rapture and Enthufiaftick Heat, a Pretence to a more than ordinary Meafure of the Spirit, and the preternatural Infu- fions of divine Light j that Man's Reli- gion is vain, his Hope unwarrantable, and both are built on a very weak and fandy Foundation. In fhort, if we really have a Mind to know whofe Subjects we are, to whofe Kingdom we belong, and whether we are chiefly influenced by the Fear of God, and a true Stnft of Religion, or by the In- stigations of Satan, and the enticing Al- lurements of Flefh and Senfe ; let every Man put himfelf upon this Trial. " I find my felf obliged by the ftrictefr. " Ties, and under the fevereft Penalties, to the Obfervance of the Divine Ordi- nances ; in Obedience whereunto, I u muft perform fuch Duties, and abftain " from fuch unlawful Pleafures. Are my Vol. III. O « Actions 192 The DireSfwn of Praftice, Serm." Actions agreeable to this Rule ? Have I VI. Cc performed what is thus enjoyned, and refrained from that which is fo prohi- " bited ; or where I have been guilty of " a Breach, have I been careful to repair 1 it again by a hearty and cordial Repen- " tance ? If fo, I may certainly conclude " that I am a Child of God, and in the " direct Way that leads to Happinefs and " Salvation. But if other wife, I am in " the broad Way that leads to Deftruction, " and can lay no Claim to the Promifes *' of the Gofpel : But whether the one or " the other, I have certainly got this Ad- " vantage, by thus referring my felf to " the Word of God ; that although the " Heart is deceitful above all Things, " and defperately wicked, which made " the Prophet ask with lb much Diffi- .<£ dence and Diftruft, Who can know it ? c£ I am able to aniwer with a juft Confi- *c dence and reafonable Aflurance, As de- ,a' true and proper Light, together with all the powerful Motives and Perfuafives in- viting to the one, and the fevere and fatal Judgments deterring from the other. And furely would but Men endeavour ferioufly to convince themfelves, as often as they repair to the Houfe of God, how great, how ufeful, how necefTary a Work they are undertaking, would they come with honeft Hearts, with humble Minds and cordial Difpofitions, duly prepared, and willing to be informed of fuch Things as they did not know, or to be put in Re- membrance of fuch as they had forgot, or did not fufficiently attend to; would they apply the Word of God to the true Ufe for which it was intended < it would have a greater Influence on their Manners, and they would give more evident and fenfible Proofs of it in their Lives and Converfation, than they generally do >, they would not hear, nor fhould we preach to fo little Purpofe, nor mould we have fo much Reafon to complain that fome Men, O 2 intfead 94 5^£ Direction of PraElice. SERM.inftead of reaping any Benefit from our **• Doctrine, do only employ it to their own Ruin and Deftruction, as will farther appear under my Second Particular, where I am to mow, to how bad Purpofesj this excellent De- sign is perverted and abufed by fome Sorts of Men. A s for thofe who wholly neglect and live in open Defiance to the external Or- dinances of Religion, who either are too proud to think they need any Inftructions, or too much addicted to their Pleafures, to allot any Part of their Time to the Ser- vice of God ; they do not fall under my prefent Confideration, both becaufe the not ufing a Thing cannot fo properly be called an Abufe of it, and alfo becaufe it would be a vain and fuperrluous Attempt, to direct my Difcourfe to fuch Perfons, whom the very Suppofal of their not be- ing fo much as Hearers of the Word, ex- cludes from being any Part of my Audi- tory. Leaving therefore fuch Wretches as are obftinately deaf to all Advice, to their own the true End of Hearing. ' 195 own voluntary Blindnefs, and the miferable Serm. State of Ignorance and Infenfibility, in VI. which they lie buried, let us pafs on to v^yr^ thofe, who though they do hear the Word, and that frequently, yet it is either to no Purpofe at all, or elfe a very ill one. And here the firft I fhall take Notice of, are the barren and unfruitful Hearers, [as being the Men, who are more imme- diately aimed at in my Text :] Men who pay a conftant Attendance at the Places of publick Worfhip, who are willing enough to receive the Word, and liften to their Teachers, but like a degenerate and un- thankful Soil, they make no Returns, nor anfwer the Care and Labour that is be- ftowed in cultivating and manuring them. Now under this Sort are comprehended, not only the Supine and inadvertent, the liftlefs and unthinking Hearers, who are affeded with the Sound, but not at all with the Senfe of what is fpoken, who tho' prefent in Body, are abfent in Spirit 5 but too many of thofe alfo, who give greater Attention, who pay a due Refpeft and Veneration to the Word, and apply the diftinguifhing Marks of a good or a O 3 bad ig6 7 he DireElion of PraSlice^ SERM.bad Man to their own particular Per- VI. fons. IS*^* n 0 fooner do we defcribe the Nature of fome mortal and contagious Vice, and fhow what is the Rife and Progrefs, and what the Symptoms of it, but they be- gin to reflect, whether they themfelves are free from the Infection or not ; no foo- ner do we reprefent a proud and imperi- ous, a malicious and revengeful, a lewd and intemperate Man, but many a guilty Wretch, whofe Confcience ftares him in the Face, looks back with Horror on his own Actions, and cannot forbear to fay within himfelf, " I am that bafe unworthy Man whofe *f Character is here difplayed j that Pride <{ and Cruelty, thofe ExcerTes and Enor- *f mities are all my own, the odious Pic- " ture refembles me too nearly, and every • Feature is as like, as if it were drawn " on Purpofe for me." Now fuch Men as thefe do indeed truly anfwer the firft Part .of that great End and Defign of the Word before-mentioned, inasmuch as it ferves them for a Glafs, by infpecting whereof, they become truly fenfible what Manner- the true End of Hearing. 197 Manner of Men they are. But then, asSERM. to the other Part of it, the making them VI. fuch as they ought to be, they render it ^** wholly ineffectual ; they only take a fhort and tranfitory View, lively enough per- haps for the prefent, but which leaves no lafting and fubftantial Images behind it, produces no Effects beyond itfelf, and all its JmprcfTions terminate in the very Act of beholding. And what a Pity is it, when a Man is arrived thus far, and has made fo confi- derable a Progrcfs in the Chriftian Race, when he is convinced of the fick and languifhing Eftate of his Soul, and fees by what Means it is continually wafted and impaired, and what is the only fure and effectual Remedy, by which it can be re • covered : When he is grown patient of Reproof, of a teachable Difpofition, when he can hear, without Offence, the mofl fevere and bitter Invectives againft his dar- ling Lufts, when he can hear the impeni- tent Sinner branded with the Marks of Folly, Brutidinefs and Madnefs, and con- fefs that he himlelf defervedly falls under thofe ungrateful Characters 5 what a Pity O 4 is 198 The DireSiion of Pra&ice, SERM.isit, I fay, that, after all this, he mould VI. ftop fo foon, without profiting by his Conviction, without digefting his pious Re- folutions into Action, without reforming any one of thofe Vices, which he has fo heartily acknowledged and bewailed ! And yet fo it is : For though the Word of God is fo powerful and prevailing that it will fometimes extort fuch Conferlions even from Men of corrupt and diffolute Lives, yet, on the other Hand, fo allur- ing are the Temptations of the World, the great Enemy of Mankind fo watchful for our Ruine, the Propenfity of a vicious Nature, and the Sway of evil Cuftom fo hard to be refitted, that they frequently baffle the Meafures, and elude the Holy Purpofes of fuch as are not well armed with Courage and Constancy againft them, and make them relapfe into thofe very Sins, which but juft before they had fo- lemnly renounced. Thus do Men divide between God and their Lufts, each of which does by turns lofe and regain the Afcendant over them ; But with this Difference, that they think they have done enough, if they have paid God the true End of Hearing. - 199 God a few empty Acknowledgements, Serm. whilft they dedicate almoft their whole VI. Life, and all the Studies and Endeavours of it, to the Service of their diforderly Ap- petites, and the Gratifications of Senfe. It cannot indeed be denied, but that to know and be convinced of one's Er- rors, is one great Step toward the Amend- ment of them : But yet how likely a Means focver it may feem, it is certain it very often fails. Saul could readily enough ac- knowledge, that David was more righte- ous than he, in that he had requited him Good for Evil. But though he was per- fuaded of his Innocence, the Spirit of Envy foon returned upon him, fo that he could not forbear to perfecute that righteous Man, and feek the Life of him, by whom he knew and confefled his own to have been fpared. Just thus vain and ineffectual is the Remorfe and Compunction of every irre- folute and unftable Chriftian. When he hears the Nature of God and his Attri- butes explained, how his Mercy tempers the Severity of his Juftice, how heartily he hates the Sin, and yet how tenderly he loves 200 'The DireStion of PraSiice^ Serm. loves the Sinner, how we daily forfeit his V f . Favour, and how he daily remits the For- ^■^"^feiture ; during, I fay, this impartial Prof- peel: and Survey of the Goodnefs of God and his own Unworthinefs, like the Skirt which David held up, it twits and up- braids him with his ungenerous Proceed- ing. He looks on himfelf as fomething of a very favage and untraceable Kind, that could continue to rebel againft fo in- dulgent and gracious a Mafter, that could not be foftened or civilized by fuch win- ning Ufage and obliging Treatment. But as foon as Time and Company have worn off thefe Impreffions of his Guilt, fuch melancholy Thoughts andSelf- accufations are fucceeded by Reflections of quite another Nature. He then re- aflumes his former Confidence, and begins thus to expoftulate with himfelf. " Where