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MINISTRY AND ORDINANCES 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
SEMOIS 
 
 ON THK 
 
 MINISTRY AND ORDINANCES 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 BY 
 
 THE RIGHT REJITreND FATHER IN GOD, 
 
 WILLIAM BEVERIDGE, D. D 
 
 LORD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH. 
 
 THIRD EDITION. 
 
 NEW-YORK : 
 C. SHEPARD, 191 BROADWAY. 
 
 1847. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 Page 13. 
 
 Christ's presence with his ministers. 
 
 Matt, xxviii. 20. 
 
 And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of tJte world. 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Page 45. 
 
 THE institution OF MINISTERS. 
 
 Actsi. 26. 
 
 And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias. 
 And he was numbered with the eleven Apostles, 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Page 68. 
 
 SALVATION IN THE CHl'RCH ONLY, UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 
 
 Acts ii. 47. 
 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Page 105. 
 
 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, CHRIST's AMBASSADORS. 
 
 2 Cor. V. 20. 
 
 Now then ice are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
 beseech you by us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled 
 to God. 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Page 124. 
 
 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS TO EE USED BY MINISTERS. 
 
 2 Tim. i. 13. 
 
 Holdfast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, 
 
 in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 Page 150. 
 
 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 
 
 1 Cor. XV. 58. 
 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveahle, 
 always abounding in the work of the Lood, forasmuch as ye 
 know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 Page 176. 
 
 ADMISSION INTO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, BY BAPTISM, 
 NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 
 
 John iii. 5. 
 Jesus answered. Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man he 
 born of ivater and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the 
 kingdom of God. 
 
CONTENTS. Vll 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Page 194. 
 
 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 '0 yug iadicov aal nivcov dcva^ia)g, xgtfia kavico iadlec xul 
 Txivei, fi-q diaxoivojv t6 Gwua xov Kvglov. 
 
 1 Cor. xi. 29. 
 
 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh 
 damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 Page 221. 
 
 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 
 
 Luke i. 6. 
 
 And they were both righteous before God, •^miking in all the 
 commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 Page 247. 
 
 ADVANTAGES OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
 
 Psalms cxxii. 1. 
 
 / was gild when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of 
 the Lord. 
 
VUl CONTENTS. 
 
 SERMON XI. 
 
 Page 269. 
 
 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 1 Cor. ix. 27. 
 
 Bui 1 keep under my body, and bring it into subjection ; test that 
 by any means, when I have preached to others, 1 myself shotUd 
 be a cast-away. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This great and good Bishop had very early addicted himself 
 to piety, and a religious course of life ; and as his piety was early, 
 so it was very eminent and conspicuous in all the parts and sta- 
 tions of his life. As he had formed such good "resolutions, he 
 made suitable improvements upon them ; and they at length grew 
 up into such settled habits, that all his actions savored of nothing 
 but piety and religion. His holy example was a very great 
 ornament to our Church, and he honored his profession and func- 
 tion, by zealously discharging all the duties thereof. How 
 remarkable was his piety towards God ! What an awful sense 
 of the Divine Majesty did he always express ! How did he 
 delight in his worship and service, and frequent his house of 
 prayer ! How great was his charity to men, how earnestly was 
 he concerned for their welfare, as his pathetic addresses to them 
 in his Discourses plainly discover I How did the Christian spirit 
 run through all his actions, and what a wonderful pattern was 
 he of primitive purity, holiness, and devotion ! 
 
 How his mind was affected at his first entrance into holy 
 Orders, may be seen by the Thoughts on Religion, which were 
 about that time drawn up by him, for the settling his principles, 
 and the conduct of his life. And what might not be expected 
 from one who had laid so good a foundation .' 
 
 And truly he more than answered the great hopes he had 
 given the world sufficient reason to entertain concerning him ; he 
 constantly put the good resolutions he had made in practice, and 
 pressed on still towards perfection : he took all imaginable care 
 to fulfil the ministry he had received, and spared no pains to do 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 good to the souls of men : he was instant in season, and out of 
 season, and unwearied in his preaching and private exhortations. 
 
 From the time he was constituted parish priest,* he ear- 
 nestly desired and endeavored to render his flock a pattern to 
 others for true piety and holiness. " How happy," said he, upon 
 his entrance upon this good work, " should I think myself, if it 
 would please God to make me, the unworthiest of his servants, 
 an instrument in his almighty hand, towards the effecting of it 
 in this place !" Accordingly, he revived the primitive practice 
 among them, of administering the Sacrament to them every 
 Lord's day ; and was so diligent and faithful in the discharc:e of 
 every part of his office, and had his labors crowned with such 
 remarkable success, that as he himself was deservedly styled, 
 TTie great reviver and restorer of primitive piety, so his parish, 
 becoming by this means very exemplary for holiness and a 
 Christian conversation, was justly proposed as the best model 
 and pattern for the rest of its neighbors to follow. I cannot here 
 omit one particular instance of the success of his labors. One 
 of his flock, when he was near his end, expressed a wonderful 
 resignation to the will of God, and very little fear of death ; 
 great comfort in reflecting upon the better part of his life, es- 
 pecially his charity to the poor, and much zeal in recommending 
 that duty to those about him ; and, above all, a very delightful 
 anticipation of those ecstacies of joy and happiness which he 
 was going to in another world ; and an uncommon and enlarged 
 understanding of the great mysteries of religion : and in the 
 midst of these holy raptures, he owned his great obligations to 
 Dr. Beveridge, for those spiritual blessings. 
 
 Thus vigilant and faithful was he in the cure of his single 
 parish ; and when he was advanced to higher stations in the 
 Church, his care and diligence increased in proportion. He was 
 very faithful in watching over both clergy and laity, imparting 
 to them all necessary instructions for the regular discharge of 
 their respective duties. As soon as ever he was advanced to the 
 episcopal dignity, he, in a most pathetic and obliging Letter to 
 the Clergy of his diocese, recommended to them " the duty of 
 
 ♦ At St. Ptter's, Comhill 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 catechising and instructing the people committed to their charge 
 in the principles of the Christian religion ; to the end they might 
 know what they were to believe and do in order to salvation : " 
 and told them, " he thought it necessary to begin with that, 
 without which, whatever else he or they should do, would turn 
 to little or no account, as to the main end of the ministry." And 
 to enable them to do this the more effectually, he sent them a 
 plain and easy Exposition upon the Church Catechism. In short, 
 he so behaved himself all along in the discharge of this high 
 fmiction, that he approved himself a truly primitive Prelate. 
 
 As he was remarkable for his great piety and zeal for religion, 
 so he was highly to be esteemed for his learning, which he 
 wholly applied to promote the interest of his great Master. He 
 was one of extensive and almost universal reading : he was well 
 skilled in the oriental languages, and the Jewish learning, as may 
 appear from many of his Sermons : and indeed he was furnished 
 to a very eminent degree wifh all useful knowledge. 
 
 He was very much to be admired for his readiness in the 
 Scriptures : he had made it his business to acquaint himself tho- 
 roughly with those sacred oracles, whereby he was furnished 
 unto all good works ; he was able to produce suitable passages 
 from them on all occasions, and was very happy in explaining 
 them to others. 
 
 Thus he improved his time and his abilities in serving God, 
 and doing good, till he arrived at a good old age, when it pleased 
 his great Master to give him rest from his labors, and to assign 
 him a place in those mansions of bliss, where he had always 
 laid up his treasure, and to which his heart had been all along 
 devoted, throughout the whole course of his life and actions. He 
 was so highly esteemed among all learned and good men, that, 
 when he was dying, one of the chief of his order deservedly 
 said of him. There goes one of the greatest and one of the best 
 men that ever England bred. 
 
 As his whole life was spent in acts of piety and charity, so 
 he gave remarkable instances of both at his death. He left the 
 main of his estate, at his decease, for the propagation of the 
 Gospel, and promoting of Christian knowledge at home as well 
 as abroad. 
 
XU PREFACE. 
 
 To the Curacy of Mount- Sorrel in particular, and Vicarage of 
 Barrow in the county of Leicester, in a thankful remembrance of 
 God's mercies vouchsafed to him thereabouts, he bequeathed a ' 
 plentiful accession for ever, that prayers might be read morning 
 and evening every day, according to the Liturgy of the Church 
 of England, in the chapel and parish-church aforesaid : with a 
 certain sum to be divided equall}' , upon the eve of our blessed 
 Saviour's Nativity, among six poor housekeepers of Barrow, as 
 the ministers and churchwardens should agree ; regard being had 
 especially to those who had been most constantly at prayers, and 
 at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the foregoing years 
 " And if it shall so happen (which God forbid !) that the Common 
 Prayer cannot be read in the church or chapel aforesaid, my will 
 is (saith this good Father of our Church), that what should have 
 been given in either place for that, be in each place allowed to 
 one chosen by the Vicar of Barrow to teach school, and instruct 
 the youth in the principles of the Christian religion, according to 
 the doctrine of the Church of England." 
 
 Thus lived this good Prelate, and thus he died 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 Christ's presence with his MimsTERa 
 
 Matt, xxviii. 20. 
 
 And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. 
 
 We are here assembled in the name and in the pres- 
 ence of Jesus Christ our Lord ; and not only ours, but 
 the Lord of the whole world, having absolute and su- 
 preme dominion over the whole creation ; not only as 
 he is God, and the Creator of all things, but likewise as 
 man too : his human nature, by reason of its union to the 
 Divine person and its perfect obedience to the Divine will, 
 being exalted above, and invested with power, over all 
 other creatures whatsoever. For even as he is the Son 
 of man, there is given him dominion^ and glory, and a 
 kingdom, that all people, nations, aud languages should 
 serve him, Dan. vii. 14. And he having humbled himself 
 and become obedient to death, even the death upon the 
 cross ; therefore God also hath highly exalted him, and 
 given him a name, which is above every name ; that at the 
 name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven^ 
 and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that 
 every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 
 the glory of God the Father, Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11. Hence 
 we find the holy angels themselves waiting upon him at 
 2 
 
14 Christ's presence 
 
 his birth, in the wilderness, in his agony, and at his re- 
 surrection, when they also acknowledged him to be the 
 Lord, saying, Come and see the j)lace where the Lord lay. 
 Matt, xxviii. 6. Yea, all the angels of God w^orship 
 him, and are commanded so to do, Heb. i. 6. And as 
 for this lower world, he hath the heathen for his inherit- 
 ance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his posses- 
 sion, Psalm ii. 8. He hath dominion from sea to sea, and 
 from the river to the ends of the earth. All kings are bound 
 to fall dawn before him, and all nations to serve him, Psalm 
 Ixxii. 8, 11. 
 
 All creatures, therefore, both in heaven and earth, are 
 now subject to our Lord Christ ; and he orders, governs, 
 and disposeth of them all, according to his own will and 
 pleasure, and so as shall most conduce to his own glory, 
 and his Church's good. For God, having raised him from 
 the dead, hath set him at his own right hand, far above 
 principality, and jjower, and might, and dominion, and 
 every name that is named, not only in this world, but also 
 that which is to came ; and hath put all things under his 
 feet, and made him head over all things to the Church, 
 which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, 
 Eph. i. 20, 21, 22, 23. He is the head, therefore, not 
 only of the Church, but over all things, to or for the 
 Church : so that nothing is exempted from his dominion : 
 nothing in heaven, in earth, or hell, but what is subject 
 to his power ; and, therefore, nothing but what he can 
 do for his own Catholic Church, which he hath purchas- 
 ed with his own blood. He can assist it with his grace, 
 sanctify it by his Spirit, protect it by his power : he can 
 make all things in heaven and earth work together for 
 its present peace and future glory, maugre all the oppo- 
 sition that men or devils can make against it. 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 15 
 
 Thus much I thought good to premise concerning our 
 Lord's power, in order to the exphcation of the words 
 which I have now read, because he himself taught so 
 when he spake them. For being now about to send his 
 Apostles into the world to preach and propagate the 
 Gospel which he had planted, he first shows them, as it 
 were, his own commission ; acquainting them with the 
 power he had to send them, and that in such words as 
 comprehended all that I have said concerning it, yea, as 
 much as words are able to express. All power ^ saith he, 
 is given unto me in heaven and in earth : go ye therefore, 
 and teach all nations, &c., ver. IS, 19. As if he should 
 have said, I have now all power over all things in the 
 world conferred upon me ; by virtue wherof I command, 
 empower, and commissionate you to enlarge, settle, and 
 govern the Church that I have founded ; to administer 
 the Sacraments that I have instituted ; and to persuade 
 mankind to embrace my doctrine, to submit to my disci- 
 pline, to obey my laws, and to come up to the terms 
 which I have procured for them, and propounded to 
 them, in order to their salvation. 
 
 Go ye therefore J says he, and teach all nations ; or, as 
 the word fiadrjTB-6aaT8 properly signifies, make all nations 
 my disciples:^ bring them over to my religion, that both Jews 
 and Gentiles may become one flock under rne, the great 
 Shepherd and Bishop of their souls. And this, saith he, 
 I would have you do two ways : first, by baptizing them 
 in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; and so 
 initiating them into my Church, upon their consenting to 
 the faith which I have published to the world. And, 
 secondly, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
 have commanded you ; that so they may be my disciples 
 indeed ; and not only by an outward profession of the 
 
16 Christ's presence 
 
 faith, which I have taught them, but likewise by per- 
 forming sincere and universal obedience to all the com- 
 mands that I have laid upon them. 
 
 When our Saviour gave this charge to his Apostles, 
 we may easily imagine that they were strangely surprised 
 at the hearing of it. As when God bade Moses go and 
 bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, iifoses said unto 
 hhrij Wlio am J, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I 
 should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt ? 
 Exod. iii. 11. So when our Lord bade his Apostles go 
 and bring all nations out of their idolatries and supersti- 
 tions, into the profession of his religion, the Apostles 
 certainly could not but wonder at it, and say, at least 
 within themselves. Who are we, a company of poor, 
 weak, and illiterate men, that we should go to all nations, 
 that we should bring them off from the religions of their 
 forefathers, and that we should ever persuade the world 
 to believe in a crucified Christ ? This our Lord fore- 
 saw ; and therefore, as God answered Moses, saying, 
 Certainly I loill be with thee ; so does our Saviour here 
 encourage his Apostles, saying. And, behold, I am with 
 you alway, even to the end of the world. 
 
 Words of very great importance to us all, to the whole 
 Church of God, especially to the governors of it, and to 
 those that administer the Word and vSacraments in it : 
 forasmuch as all the success that can be expected from 
 the execution of any ecclesiastical function depends upon 
 the performance of this promise, which therefore our 
 Lord has so worded, that there is not a word in it, but 
 what hath its emphasis, and is much to be observed by 
 us ; as he himself seems to intimate by prefacing it with 
 ldoi)j behold, take special notice of what I now say unto 
 you. 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 17 
 
 Hence, therefore, we shall first very briefly consider 
 the words apart, that so we may come to the better un- 
 derstanding of the whole. First, saith he, I am with 
 yon ; I, the Eternal Son of God, and now become the Son 
 of man too ; I, who have the angels at my beck, and 
 make the devils tremble with my looks ; I, who in your 
 sight have caused the storms to cease, the blind to see, 
 the lame to walk, the dead to rise, only with a word of 
 my mouth ; I, who was delivered for your offences, but 
 am now raised again for your justification ; I, who have 
 all power both in heaven and earth committed to me ; I 
 am ivith you. Not I will be with you, but I am with you, 
 in the present tense ; minding them thereby, of his Di- 
 vine essence and power, to which all things are present. 
 And, therefore, as he elsewhere sai^. Before Abraham 
 was, I am, John viii. 58, so here, I am with you at all 
 times, to the end of the world, as really as at this present. 
 
 And then it follows, I am f^ed' x\uwp, with you my 
 Apostles. For that these words were spoken, and this 
 promise made, only to the Apostles, is plain, from that 
 the eleven only are said to be present at this time, ver. 16. 
 And that besides, this promise is made only to those who 
 now receive commission to go and convert all nations to the 
 Christian faith, to baptize and teach mankind the com- 
 mands of Christ ; which commission being granted only to 
 the Apostles, this promise also, annexed to it, must needs 
 belong to them only. But then we must observe like- 
 wise, that as it belongs to them only, so it belongs to 
 them all alike. lam with you, saith he, not with Peter 
 only, or any one or more of you, but with you all equally, 
 one as well as another. Yea, saith he, / am with you, 
 ndcrag tus i)f/^Qug, every day ; wheresoever you are, 
 whensoever you do anything toward the executing the 
 
18 Christ's presence 
 
 commission which I have now given j^ou, I am with you 
 in the doing of it. And that too, ewe t^? avvTelslag tov 
 alwvogj to the very end of the world ; that is, so long as 
 I have a Church upon earth, which shall be till my 
 coming again to judge the world : all this while I pro- 
 mise to be with you, and therefore as long as the world 
 shall last. 
 
 The words being thus explained apart, that we may 
 rightly apprehend our Lord's meaning in the whole, there 
 are two things to be considered : 
 
 First J In what sense the Apostles were to continue to 
 the end of the world. 
 
 Secondly, In what sense our Saviour here promises 
 to be with them all that while. 
 
 As for the first^^t is plain, that our Saviour here sup- 
 poseth that apostles were to continue upon earth to the 
 end of the w^orld ; for otherwise it would be impossible 
 for him to be with them so long, and by consequence to 
 perform this promise to them. But it is as plain like- 
 wise, that the persons to whom our Saviour speaks these 
 words, were not to be here so long, being all long ago 
 dead. And therefore I do not see how we can possibly 
 understand the words in any other sense than this, even 
 that our Lord spake them to his Apostles, not as private 
 persons, as Peter, James, or John, &c., but as apostles, 
 as persons now placed by him in an office, that should 
 always continue in his Church. So that the promise is 
 made not so much to the persons of the Apostles, as to 
 the Office Apostolical ; or at least to their persons only, 
 as vested with that office, and by consequence to all per- 
 sons to the end of the world, that should ever have that 
 office conferred upon them. 
 
 For our better understanding of this, we must con- 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 19 
 
 sider what it is properly to be an apostle of Christ, or 
 wherein the office purely apostolical consisted. For 
 which we must know, that those whom the Scriptures., 
 and we from them, call apostles^ had many extraordinary 
 privileges granted to them, which were not essential to 
 their office, nor peculiar to them as apostles, but com- 
 mon to them with other disciples, and therefore w^ere to 
 die with them. As for example, were they called im- 
 mediately by Christ himself.? So were the seventy, who 
 were the ear and eye-witnesses of what Christ taught 
 and did : so were many others as well as they. Were 
 they divinely inspired to speak all manner of languages ? 
 to foretell things to come } to work miracles to confirm 
 their doctrines } So were they which were no apostles, 
 as well as they that were. And therefore such things as 
 these cannot be looked upon as any part of the apostoli- 
 cal office, but only as extraordinary favors and privileges 
 vouchsafed to the persons of the Apostles. 
 
 But the office, properly apostolical, consisted only in 
 such things as had an immediate reference to the propa- 
 gating, edifying and governing of the Church in all ages. 
 Indeed, our Saviour himself gives the Apostles a partic- 
 ular description of their office, in the very commission 
 he here grants them for the execution of it ; command- 
 ing them to convert all nations to his religion, to admin- 
 ister the Sacraments to them, and to teach them all 
 things that he had commanded them. Under which is 
 contained whatsoever is necessary to the instruction 
 and government of his Church in all ages ; as the or- 
 daining persons to do it, censuring those who refuse in- 
 struction, comforting and encouraging those who receive 
 it, and the like. This was properly the office apostoli- 
 cal, which therefore was not to die with the persons of 
 
20 CHRIST S PRESENCE 
 
 the Apostles, but was to be transmitted by them to all 
 after-ages, as our Lord himself intimates in the very de- 
 scription of it. For he here bids his Apostles go and 
 make all nations his disciples ; which, it is plain, the 
 persons he spake these words to neither did, nor ever 
 could, accomplish, being to continue, as we know they 
 did, but a little while upon earth, wherein it was im- 
 possible for them to go over all nations, much more to 
 persuade them all to embrace the Christian faith. And 
 therefore this command itself, as well as the promise, 
 must needs be so understood, as to be given not only to 
 the persons of the Apostles then present, but to all that 
 should succeed them in that office to the end of the 
 world. So that from this very command, we reasonably 
 conclude, that these words were meant not only of the 
 Apostles themselves, but of their successors in that office 
 all along, until all nations have received the Gospel of 
 Christ : much more if we consider the promise annexed 
 to it. And, lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the 
 world; which cannot possibly be fulfilled, unless there 
 be apostles, or persons vested with the apostolical office, 
 alway unto the end of the world. 
 
 Hence, therefore, it was that the Apostles, having re- 
 ceived this command and promise from our Lord, and 
 understanding from thence that it was his pleasure that 
 they should transfer their office to all future ages, by 
 ordaining others into it, took care to do it. For besides 
 the eleven to whom these words were' spoken, we find 
 Matthias, Paul and Barnabas, admitted into the same 
 office, and expressly called apostles as ^\ell as they. So 
 is Epaphroditus, Bishop of Philippi, called by St. Paul 
 himself, Phil. ii. 25. And if we consult the ancient re- 
 cords of the Church, we shall there find that James, 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 21 
 
 bishop of Jerusalem, Mark of Alexandria, Timothy of 
 Ephesusj Titus of Crete, and Clemens of Rome, were 
 all called apostles. And, as Theodoret observes, to^? 
 rvv xaXovfiBvovg 'Eniaxonovg Anoaiolovg ^v6[ia'Qov : those 
 which we now call bishops, the primitive Christians 
 called apostles. And so indeed may all bishops, rightly 
 ordained, be called, as having the same office in the 
 church which the Apostles had. And therefore the office 
 which Matthias was chosen into is called imaxonii^ the 
 office of a bishop. Acts i. 20. Hence St. Cyprian some- 
 times calls bishops by the name of apostles, sometimes 
 apostles by the name of bishops. And the reason is, 
 because bishops, as St. Hierom expresses it, apostoloriim 
 locum tenentj they supply the place of the Apostles. 
 Hence also, not only St. Cyprian, but Irenajus and Ter- 
 tullian, assert bishops to be the Apostles' successors, 
 and reckon up the succession of several of them from 
 the Apostles themselves. And St, Hierom himself, hav- 
 ing affirmed all bishops, of whatever city, great or small, 
 to be ejusdem meriti^ ejusdem et sacerdotii, he adds, conterum 
 oimies Apostolorum succeswres sunt^ they are all successors 
 to the Apostles. 
 
 And therefore whatsoever our Lord said to the Apos- 
 tles, as such, all succeeding apostles or bishops are 
 obliged by it, as well as they : as St. Cyprian observed 
 long ago, saying, Christus qui dicit ad apostoloSj ac per 
 hoc ad omnes prcepositos^ qui apostolis vicaria ordinatione 
 succediint ; for the office is the same now as it was then. 
 So that in the Apostles' days, and in after-ages, and in 
 all places of the world, as the same Father words itj 
 episcopafns iinus est, cujus a singulis in solidum pars 
 tcnetur ; there is but one episcopacy, but one episcopal 
 office, a part whereof is wholly possessed by every bishop. 
 2* 
 
22 Christ's presence 
 
 Which, as it quite overthrows the supremacy which the 
 bishop of Rome pretends to over all other bishops, so it 
 sufficiently proves the true sense and meaning of the 
 words in my text. For seeing the office is still one and 
 the same now, which was in the Apostles' days, and so 
 will continue to the end of the world ; seeing also there 
 always will be such apostles in the Church ; our Saviour, 
 speaking to the eleven as apostles, might well say, io, 
 I am icith you to the end of the world. 
 
 Having thus discovered in what sense the Apostles 
 were to continue in the Church to the end of the world ; 
 we are now to consider in what sense our Lord here 
 promises to be always with them. To find out which, 
 we need not have recourse to the wild and extravagant 
 opinion of the Ubiquitarians, asserting the human nature 
 of Christ to be everj'-where present. Neither is it suf- 
 ficient to observe, that his divine essence is present with 
 them ; for so it is with every creature, no creature being 
 able to subsist without it : whereas our Saviour heie 
 promiseth to be with his Apostles in some such peculiar 
 sense, as can belong only to them, and to them only as 
 his Apostles. And that we might not be mistaken in a 
 matter of such consequence as this, he himself hath else- 
 where explained himself, and left upon record how these 
 \vords are to be understood. For, as he here promises 
 his Apostles, that he will be with them to the end of the 
 world ; so he elsewhere tells them, that his Holy Spirit 
 shall be always with them. And I will pray the Father, 
 saith he, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he 
 may abide with you for ever, even the Spint of truths John 
 xiv. 16 ; which is the same in eflect with his own being 
 always with them. For the Spirit proceeding from the 
 Son, as well as from the Father, and being of the same 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 23 
 
 nature and essence with him, ivheresoever the Spirit is, 
 there is Christ also. So that, in short, our Saviour here 
 promiseth his Apostles, that he will be always with them 
 to the end of the world, by his Holy Spirit acompanying 
 and assisting them in the discharge of their apostolical 
 office. In the discharge, I say, of their apostolical office ; 
 for we are still to remember what I observed before, 
 even that these words were spoken to the Apostles and 
 their successors only as such : and therefore Christ's pre- 
 sence with them by his Holy Spirit here promised, can- 
 not be understood only of his illuminating, or sanctifying, 
 or comforting presence, which he vouchsafeth to all be- 
 lievers, as well as unto them ; but it must be understood 
 in such a sense as is proper to the apostles, pastors, and 
 governors of the Church in all ages : which, in brief, 
 amounts to no more nor less than this, even that Christ 
 having constituted such an office in his Church, for the 
 government and edification of it to the end of the world ; 
 he here promiseth that he himself, by his Holy Spirit, 
 will be always present at the execution of it, so as to 
 make it effectual to the great ends and purposes for 
 which it was designed. 
 
 To explain this more fully to you, it will be necessary 
 to instance in the several parts of the apostolical office, 
 and to show how Christ, according to his promise, is 
 always present by his Spirit at the performance of them. 
 Now the first and principal part of this office is the or- 
 daining others into it, and giving them power to ordain 
 others, and so successively to the end of the world; 
 which is necessarily supposed in the promise itself, as 
 that without which it could never be fulfilled. 
 
 The first, therefore, that were ordained into this office, 
 were ordained by Christ himself The fofm and manner 
 
24 CHRIST'S PRESENCE 
 
 of which ordination is set down, John xx. 21,22 ; where 
 it is said, that Christ, coming to his Apostles, said to 
 them. Peace he with you : as my Father hath sent me, even 
 so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on 
 them, and said unto them. Receive ye the Holy Ghost : 
 where we may plainly see how our Saviour would be 
 with his Apostles, after his body was removed from 
 them, even by his Holy Spirit, which he therefore 
 breathes from himself into them, by that means conse- 
 crating them his apostles and vicegerents upon earth ; 
 telling them withal, that as the Father sent him, so he 
 sent them. Whereby he certifies them, that whatsoever 
 power he had received from the Father, for the instruc- 
 tion and government of his Church, he now left the 
 same with them, or rather with the Holy Spirit which 
 he breathed into them : and by consequence, that as he 
 sent them, so were they to send others, by conferring 
 the Spirit upon them, and so from one to another all 
 along, that the Spirit which they now received might 
 continue with them and their successors, and so supply 
 his place upon earth, until his coming again. 
 
 Hence the Apostles, being thus ordained and instruct- 
 ed by our Lord, took special care to transfer the same 
 Spirit to others, which they had received from him. 
 But this they could not do after the same manner as 
 Christ had done it to them : for that way was peculiar 
 to Christ, from whom the Spirit proceedeth. Wherefore, 
 they being doubtless directed thereto by the same Spirit, 
 transmitted it to others by laying their hands upon 
 them ; which was the old way that had been used in the 
 Church before : for so Moses communicated the Spirit of 
 wisdom to Joshua, thereby constituting him his succes- 
 sor in the government of Israel, even by laying his hands 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 25 
 
 upon him, Deut. xxxiv. 8. Thus Paul and Barnabas 
 were ordained by the special appointment of the Holy 
 Ghost himself, Acts xiii. 3 ; for it is said, that they, hav- 
 ing /a^^ec? and prayed^ laid their hands upon them, and so 
 sent them out : who, thereupon, are said in the next 
 verse to be sent by the Holy Ghost ; it being now con- 
 ferred upon them by the imposition of hands. Thus St. 
 Paul communicated, ;^(i9tcf,aa tov Qeov, as he calls it, the 
 gift of the Spirit unto Timothy, 2 Tim. i. 6. And 
 wheresoever we read that the Apostles ordained any, they 
 still did it after this manner, even by laying their hands 
 upon them : and that too, whether they ordained them 
 into their whole office, or else into any part of it. For 
 the whole care of the Church being committed unto 
 them, they had power to constitute what officers they 
 thought fit under them. But still they did it by laying 
 their hands upon them, and so communicating of the 
 same Spirit unto them, which they had received from 
 Christ. As when they found it necessary to have Dea- 
 cons in the Church, to take care of the widows, they 
 ordained them, by laying their hands upon them. Acts iv. 
 6 ; thereby transferring so much of the Spirit upon them, 
 as was necessary for that office. And when they after- 
 wards saw it very necessary that there should be other offi- 
 cers in the Church, which we now call presbyters, that 
 should have power under them to preach the gospel, and 
 administer the Sacrament, in places where they them- 
 selves could not be always present ; upon these also they 
 laid their hands, and by that means communicated so much 
 of the Spirit unto them, as was necessary for the due 
 and effiictual execution of the said office. 
 
 Thus, therefore, it is, that the apostolical office hath 
 been handed down from one to another ever since the 
 
26 Christ's presence 
 
 Apostles' days to our time, and so will be to the end of 
 the world, Christ himself being continually present at 
 such imposition of hands ; thereby transferring the same 
 Spirit, which he had first breathed into his Apostles, 
 upon others successively after them, as really as he was 
 present with the Apostles themselves, when he first 
 breathed it into them. Insomuch, that they w4io are thus 
 ordained, are said to be made bishops by the Holy Ghost 
 himself, as well as the Apostles were ; Acts xx. 28. By 
 which means the Holy Catholic Church always hath been, 
 and still is, truly apostolical, as it is called in the Nicene 
 Creed. And the several parts of the apostolical office 
 are now as effectually performed by their successors, and 
 others ordained under them, as they were while the 
 Apostles themselves lived. For it w^as not the persons 
 of the Apostles, but their office, influenced and assisted 
 by the Spirit of God, that made the Sacraments they ad- 
 ministered to be valid, and their preaching the Gospel so 
 prevalent upon those that heard it. Though Paul him- 
 self planted, and Apollos watered, it was God only that 
 gave the increase. 
 
 And so it is to this day : all the efficacy that there is 
 or can be in the administration of any ecclesiastical office 
 depends altogether upon the Spirit of God going along 
 with the office, and assisting at the execution of it. With- 
 out which, the Sacraments we administer would be but 
 empty signs, and our preaching no more than beating of 
 the air. Whereas, on the other side, Christ, according 
 to his promise, being always present by his Holy Spirit 
 at the administration of the several offices which he has 
 ordained in his Church, they can never fail of their de- 
 signed effect, if the persons to whom they are adminis- 
 tered be but ri«;htly disposed and qualified for it. By 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 27 
 
 this means, they that are duly baptized are horn again, 
 not only of water, but of the Spirit also, John iii. 5. , and 
 so, together with the washing of regeneration, iheij have the 
 renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. iii. 5. Hence also, in 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the worthy receiver 
 does really by faith partake of the mystical body and 
 blood of Christ, and of such influences of the Holy Spirit, 
 as shall enable him to walk as becomes a member of 
 Christ. And whensoever we read, preach, or publish 
 the Gospel as Christ taught it, the Holy Spirit goes along 
 with it, so that it becomes the power of God unto salva- 
 tion unto every one that believeth. And seeing our Lord 
 thus continually accompanies the Apostles and their suc- 
 cessors, so as to vouchsafe his Spirit to those on whom 
 they lay their hands, and toco-operate by the same Spirit 
 with those who are so ordained by them, in their admin- 
 istration of the Word and Sacraments ; hence he may 
 well be said to be always with them, according to the 
 promise he makes them in my text. 
 
 But besides that imposition of hands, whereby the 
 Apostles transmitted the Spirit they had received, toge- 
 ther with their apostolical office, down to succeeding 
 ages, w^e find them sometimes laying their hands on be- 
 lievers baptized, that thereby the Holy Ghost might 
 come upon them, not with respect to any office, but only 
 to confirm and strengthen them in the Christian faith. 
 
 For when the Samaritans had received the word of 
 God, and were baptized by Philip, who was no apostle, 
 but only a deacon, the apostles at Jerusalem, hearing of 
 it, sent Peter and John unto them, who having laid their 
 hands upon them, they received the Holy Ghost ; Acts 
 viii. 17. Philip, indeed, having had the Apostles' hands 
 laid upon him, had thereby received power to baptize 
 
28 CHRIST^S PRESENCE 
 
 them with water and the Holy Ghost ; but it seems he 
 had no power to lay his hands upon them, and by that 
 means to confer any greater measure of the Spirit upon 
 them. No, that was to be done only by the Apostles 
 themselves ; who therefore sent two of their body, as far 
 as from Jerusalem to Samaria, on purpose to do it : 
 which certainly they would never have done, had this 
 been a useless ceremony ; or if Philip, or any one under 
 an apostle, could have done it. So that this instance is 
 of itself sufficient to prove that this was an act peculiar 
 to the apostolical office ; and that our Saviour, according 
 to his promise, was really present at the performance of 
 it ; seeing the Apostles had no sooner laid their hands 
 upon them, but they immediately received the Holy 
 Ghost. Another instance of the same nature we find, 
 Actsxix. 6., where St. Paul being at Ephesus, and finding 
 some disciples there, baptized only with the baptism of 
 John ; he laid his hands upon them, and so they received 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Hence the Catholic Church, in all ages, hath not only 
 retained this apostolical rite, which we now call Confirm- 
 atiouj but hath always esteemed it an essential part of 
 the apostohcal. office, and therefore to be performed by 
 none but the Apostles themselves and their successors 
 to the end of the world. And therefore it was the ancient 
 and constant custom of the primitive Church, as it is 
 ours, for the bishop of ev^ery diocese to go into the lesser 
 cities and villages belonging to him, and there lay his 
 hands upon those who were baptized by priests or dea- 
 cons, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, as we 
 learn from St. Hierom himself, whose words are, non 
 abnuo heme esse ecclesiariim consuetudinein, ut ad eos qui 
 ■mmnrihns urhibus per preshyferos et diaeemos haptizafi sinif^ 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 29 
 
 episcopus ad invocationein Sancti Spiritus manum imposi- 
 turus excurrat. 
 
 And therefore, how any bishops in our days dare neg- 
 lect so considerable a part of their office, 1 know not ; 
 but fear they will have no good account to give of it, 
 when they come to stand before our Lord's tribunal. 
 And as for others, who, contrary to the practice of the 
 primitiv^e Christians, either refuse or neglect confirma- 
 tion, when they may have it administered to them, they 
 have just cause to suspect that they have no good sense 
 of religion, nor regard for the gifts and graces of the Holy 
 Spirit : for if they had, they would use all means for the 
 attainment thereof; especially this, which hath been 
 found effectual for that end by the Catholic and Aposto- 
 lic Church in all ages, where persons have been duly 
 prepared for it : our Lord being, according to his promise 
 in my text, always present at the performance of this, 
 as well as of any other part of the apostolical office. 
 
 There is one thing still behind, which we must by no 
 means omit, especially upon this occasion ; and that is, 
 the power of governing the Church, which our Lord left 
 with his Apostles and their successors, to the end of the 
 world ; but so that he, according to his promise, is al- 
 ways present with them at the execution of it. For this 
 . power is granted to them in the very charter to which 
 this promise is annexed : for here our Lord gives them 
 commission not only to baptize, but likewise to teach 
 those who are his disciples, to observe whatsoever he had 
 commanded. Whereby they are empowered both to de- 
 clare what are those commands of Christ which men 
 ought to observe, and also to use all means to prevail 
 upon men to observe them : such as are, correcting and 
 punishing those who violate, rewarding and encouraging 
 
30 Christ's presence 
 
 those who keep them. But our Saviour's kingdom being, 
 as himself saith, not of this world, but purely spiritual, 
 he hath authorized his substitutes in the government of 
 it, to use rewards and punishments of the same nature ; 
 even to admonish delinquents in his name to forsake their 
 sins, and if they continue obstinate, and neglect such ad- 
 monitions, to excommunicate, or cast them out of his 
 Church ; and, upon their repentance, to absolve and re- 
 ceive them in again. This power our Saviour first pro- 
 mised to St. Peter, and in him to the rest of the Apostles, 
 Matt. XVI. 19. But it was not actually conferred upon 
 them till after his resurrection, when having breathed, he 
 said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whosesoever 
 sins ye remit^ they are remitted unto them ; and whosesoever 
 sins ye retain^ they are retained^ John xx. 23. As if he 
 should have said, I, the Son of Man, having power upon 
 earth also to forgive sins, do now commit the same to 
 you ; so that whose sins soever are remitted or retained 
 by you, are so by me also. From whence it is plain, 
 both that the Apostles received power to remit and retain 
 sins, and that Christ himself concurs with them in the 
 exercise of that power ; and how he doth it, even by his 
 Holy Spirit now breathed into them. 
 
 To explain the full extent and latitude of this power, 
 would require more time than can be allowed upon this 
 day, whereon it is to be exercised : and therefore, I shall 
 observe only two things concerning it ; whereof the first 
 is, that how great soever the power be, which our Lord 
 committed to his Apostles and their successors, for the 
 government of his Church in all ages, it is but ministerial ; 
 they act only under him as his ministers and stewards, 
 and must one day give an account to him of all their ac- 
 tions. Fea, whatsoever power they have of this nature, 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 81 
 
 it is still his power in their hands ; they derive it con- 
 tinually from him, who is always present with them. 
 And therefore, as they themselves need to have a care 
 how they exert this power, or neglect the exerting of it ; 
 so others had need to take care too, that they neither 
 resist nor despise it. 
 
 The other thing I would observe unto you is, that for 
 the better execution of this power, it hath been the con- 
 stant custom of the Apostles and their successors, in all 
 ages, to visit the Churches committed to their charge ; 
 to inquire into the faith and manners, both of the clergy 
 and laity that are under them ; and to use so much of 
 their authority, and give such orders, as they found ne- 
 cessary for the due observation of their Lord's commands. 
 Thus we find the Apostles frequently visiting the Church- 
 es they had planted ; and St. Paul particularly keeping 
 a solemn visitation at Miletus, where he sent for the 
 elders of Ephesus, and of all Asia (Irenseus affirms, and 
 the context itself proves), and summoned them to appear 
 before him there ; where he gave them many apostolical 
 admonitions and directions, how to feed the flock, over 
 which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers, Acts 
 XX. 28. Afterwards we find it recorded in ecclesiastical 
 history, that St. John often visited the Asiatic Churches, 
 as his peculiar province. And I do not question, but 
 where we read of Pinytus bishop of Gnossus, and Dio- 
 nysius of Alexandria, laying their commands upon their 
 clergy, in the first ages of the Church, it was at such a 
 visitation as this : and we cannot doubt of St. Cyprian's 
 care in this particular, so long as he resided upon his 
 bishopric, seeing that in his very recess, when he was 
 forced to retire, he visited them, as himself saith, by his 
 letters, sending several both to the clergy and laity, still 
 
82 Christ's presence 
 
 extant in his works ; wherein he sometimes reproves, 
 sometimes admonishes, and directs them how to carry . 
 and behave themselves inthatjunctm^e. 
 
 Indeed this is so necessary to the discharging of the 
 episcopal or apostolical office, that it cannot be imagined 
 that ever any conscientious bishop durst neglect it. In- 
 somuch, that in several ages after the Apostles, we have 
 no ecclesiastical law or canon, as I remember, about 
 episcopal visitations ; because there w^as no need of 
 them till about the sixth or seventh century, when there 
 were several canons made concerning the time and man- 
 ner of keeping them : as the sixth Council at Aries de- 
 creed, that every bishop should go about his diocese once 
 every year. Ivo quotes an ancient canon of the second 
 Council at Seville, that every bishop shall once a year go 
 about his diocese, and confirm and teach the people. 
 The second Council at Braga in Portugal decreed, that 
 bishops in their visitations should instruct their clergy 
 how to administer the Sacrament. The fourth at Tole- 
 do, that they shall then inquire into the fabric of their 
 several churches, and examine what repairs they wanted. 
 Another at Augusta Vindelicorum, or Augsburg, as 
 some think, as others at Ratisbon in Germany, de- 
 creed, that when the bishop goes about his diocese to 
 confirm the people, the presbyters shall be always ready 
 to attend him. There are several other canons, enjoin- 
 ing bishops to visit at least once a year, and directing 
 them what to do at their visitations ; but none, that I 
 know of, that they shall visit in general : the Church 
 taking it for granted all along, that no bishop would total- 
 ly omit so necessary a part of his duty, but would some 
 time, and after some manner or other, visit the diocese 
 that belonged to him : which certainly none can choose 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 33 
 
 but doj who considers either the account he must one 
 day give of his stewardship, or the encouragement our 
 Lord himself has given him to do it, in that he hath pro- 
 mised to be always with him in the discharge of his 
 office ; saying to his Apostles and their successors for 
 ever, io, I am ivith you ahoay, even to the end of the 
 world. 
 
 Now the promises being duly weighed, even that our 
 Lord himself is always present by his holy Spirit with 
 his Apostles and their successors in the execution of the 
 apostolical office ; many useful inferences might be 
 thence deduced. I shall instance in some few, which I 
 hope will not be altogether unworthy of your considera- 
 tion at this time. 
 
 Hence, therefore, in the first place, I observe, how 
 much we are all bound to acknowledge the goodness, to 
 praise, magnify, and adore the name of the Most High 
 God, in that we were born and bred, and still live in a 
 Church, wherein the apostolical line hath through all 
 ages been preserved entire, there having been a constant 
 succession of such bishops in it, as were truly and properly 
 successors to the Apostles, by virtue of that apostolical 
 imposition of hands ; which being begun by the Apos- 
 tles, hath been continued from one to another, ever since 
 their time, down to ours. By which means, the same 
 Spirit which was breathed by our Lord into his Apostles, 
 is, together with their office, transmitted to their lawful 
 successors, the pastors and governors of our Church at 
 this time ; and acts, moves, and assists at the administra- 
 tion of the several parts of the apostolical office in our 
 days, as much as ever. From whence it follows, that 
 the means of grace, which we now enjoy, are in them- 
 selves as powerful and effectual as they were in the 
 
34 Christ's presence 
 
 Apostles' days : and if they prove not always so success- 
 ful now as they w^ere then, that cannot be imputed to 
 any want of efficacy in them, but to some defect or other 
 in those who use them. For they w^ho are duly prepar- 
 ed, cannot but always find the same effect from them, 
 because there is always the same cause, even the Spirit 
 of God moving upon his Word and Sacraments, when 
 administered by our Church, as well as when administer- 
 ed by the Apostles, to whom it was first given. 
 
 And here it may not be amiss to observe, what I have 
 often thought of, not without admiration, how strangely 
 the spirit of the Apostles hath run through our Church, 
 all along, ever since the Reformation, diffusing itself 
 from the head which first received it, into all her real 
 members ; as may easily be seen, not only in the disci- 
 pline of our Church, but likewise in its doctrine, manner 
 of worship, patience under sufferings, universal charity, 
 and particularly in its loyalty and submission to the civil 
 magistrate ; which the Apostles, assisted by the Spirit of 
 God, did not only press upon others, but practised them- 
 selves. And the same Spirit hath enabled our Church 
 constantly to do the same : insomuch, that malice itself 
 could never fasten anything of rebeUion upon our Church, 
 as now constituted, nor upon any of her members that 
 lived faithfully in her communion. Many of them have 
 suffered imprisonment, sequestration, yea martj-rdom 
 itself, as the Apostles did ; and yet all hav^e been as free 
 from rebellion and treason as they w^ere : which to me is 
 a great instance of the same Spirit still working in our 
 Church, which wTought so effectually upon them. 
 
 And this I verily believe is the great reason, why the 
 devil had such a spite at our Church, still stirring uji ad- 
 versaries of all sorts against it ; papists on the one hand, 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. " o5 
 
 and sectaries on the other, and all, if possible, to destroy 
 it : even because the Spirit, which is ministered in it, is 
 so contrary to his nature, and so destructive of his king- 
 dom, that he can never expect to domineer and tyrannize 
 over the people of the land, so long as such a Church is 
 settled among them, and they continue firm to it. And 
 therefore seeing he cannot, by all his secret plots and 
 contrivances, totally overthrow it, he still uses the utmost 
 of his skill and power, to draw as many as he can from 
 its communion, and so make them schismatics ; that so 
 being separated from the body, they may not partake of 
 the Spirit that is in it, nor by consequence receive any 
 benefit from this promise of our blessed Saviour to the 
 governors of the Catholic and Apostolic Church in all 
 ages, Loj I am with you alway, to the end of the world. 
 
 The next thing I would observe unto you, from what 
 we have now discoursed of, concerns us of the clergy, 
 who are entrusted with any part of the apostolical office . 
 For being ordained by those who succeeded the Apostles 
 in a direct line, by the imposition of their hands upon us, 
 we received not only power to administer the Word and 
 Sacraments, but likewise the Spirit of Christ to accom- 
 pany and influence such administrations : by whom 
 therefore Christ himself is always present with us, 
 whensoever we are employed in the work that he hath 
 set us. Which consideration, methinks, should strike an 
 awe and terror into us, and make us dread the thoughts 
 of doing the work of our Lord negligently. And there- 
 fore, whether we minister unto him in the public Liturgy 
 of our Church, read or preach his holy Word, or adminis- 
 ter his blessed Sacrameats, let us all be persuaded to 
 have an especial care that we do it, not after a careless 
 or perfunctory manner, but with all that reverence and 
 
36 CHRiST^S PRESENCE 
 
 Godly fear, with that earnestness and devotion, with that 
 seriousness and intention of mind, as becomes those who. 
 beheve that our Lord himself is always present- with us, 
 not only to take notice of what we do, but to bless and 
 sanctify it to the salvation of men's immortal souls. 
 
 Hence also it concerns us all, to carry and behave 
 ourselves at all times, to the utmost of our power, as be- 
 Cometh the ministers of Christ ; to whom the eternal Son 
 of God hath vouchsafed so high an honor, as not only 
 to employ us in his own immediate service, but likewise 
 to reside himself continually with us. And therefore, 
 seeing he is pleased to honor us with his own presence, 
 let us endeavor to honor him too, by walking in holiness 
 and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 
 Especially, let us take all the care we can to avoid 
 whatsoever is offensive to him, or unworthy of that high 
 and heavenly calling in which he hath placed us. It is 
 true, the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments is not im- 
 peded by the wickedness or unworthiness of him by 
 whom they are administered, as our Church hath rightly 
 determined ; because thai depends not upon the person, 
 but the office, and Christ's promise to it. But howsoev- 
 er, it behoves us, who attend continually upon him, to 
 walk in all the commandments of the Lord blameless ; 
 lest otherwise we bring a scandal upon our profession, 
 and give too much occasion to the enemies of our Lord 
 to blaspheme his most sacred name : especially consider- 
 ing what a sad and dismal thing it would be, if we, who 
 are employed by Christ to persuade others to obey his 
 Gospel, should not obey it our5elves, and so not save 
 ourselves as w^ell as those tbat hear us ; but be instru- 
 ments in God's hand to bring others to heaven, and yet 
 we ourselves be cast down to he.ll ; which is not only 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 37 
 
 possible, but impossible lo be avoided, unless we look 
 very narrowly to ourselves. I am sure St. Paul thought 
 so, and therefore saith, I keep binder my body, and bring 
 it into subjection, lest that by any means when I ham 
 preached to others, I myself should be a castaway, 1 Cor, 
 ix. 27. And if so great an apostle was forced to take so 
 much pains with himself, lest when he had preached 
 salvation unto others, he himself should not attain it ; 
 what cause have you and I to do so ? But our comfort 
 is, that our Lord is always present with us, and therefore 
 we can never want assistance from him, if we be not first 
 wanting to ourselves. 
 
 Hoping therefore that this consideration of Christ's 
 promise to us will have itis desired effects upon us of the 
 clergy, I shall, in the next place, show what use others 
 also may and ought to make of it ; and for that end, shall 
 apply myself unto you all. Seeing therefore that our 
 Lord hath promised to be with his Apostles and their suc- 
 cessors to the end of the world ; seeing the succession of 
 the Office Apostolical hath, without interruption, been 
 continued in our Church to this day ; and seeing there- 
 fore, that Christ, according to his promise, is always 
 present by his Holy Spirit at the Word and Sacraments, 
 as administered by our Church, to quicken, actuate, and 
 make them effectual to the salvation of our souls : hence 
 in his name, and for his sake, and your own too, 1 hum- 
 bly pray and beseech you all, that you would take all the 
 opportunities you can to meet your Lord and Saviour in 
 the public offices of the Church, to which he hath thus 
 promised his peculiar presence. And think it not enough 
 to be there, but consider all the while in whose presence 
 you are, and deport yourselves accordingly. And while 
 we read or preach the Gospel, call upon you, exhort, 
 3 
 
.38 CHRISTS PRESENCE 
 
 and pray you to observe whatsoever Christ hath com- 
 manded ; still remember the Apostle's vv'ords, that we 
 are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you 
 by wSj we pray you, in Christ'' s stead, be ye reconciled to 
 God; 2 Cor. v. 20. And therefore receive it, not as 
 the word of man, but, as it is indeed, the word of God 
 himself. 
 
 Above all things, take heed that you have not men's 
 persons in admiration, so as to think the Word and Sa- 
 craments one' jot the better or worse, because adminis- 
 tered by one person rather than another. For they that 
 do so, it is evident, regard the person more than the of- 
 fice ; and then it is no wonder if they receive no benefit 
 or advantage from it. For all the hopes and expecta- 
 tions that we have, or can have, from the exercise of 
 any ecclesiastical office, by whomsoever performed, are 
 grounded only upon Christ's promise to the oflSce itself, 
 to be present with it by his Holy Spirit ; without which, 
 all the fine words and phrases in the world can never 
 mortify one lust, nor convert one soul to God and good- 
 ness. And therefore ye, whensoever you address your- 
 selves to the public prayers of our Church, to hear God's 
 word read or "preached, or to receive the Holv Sacra- 
 ment, still keep the eye of your faith fixed upon Christ, 
 as there really present according to his promise, ready to 
 dispense his heavenly blessings by his Holy Spiritfwork- 
 ing together with the ordinance, to make it accomplish 
 the end of its institution, even your sanctification in this 
 world, and your eternal salvation in the world to come. 
 Do but observe these few rules, in all your solemn devo- 
 tions, as performed by that part of the Catholic Church, 
 which, by the blessing of Almighty God, is settled 
 amongst you ; and then I dare assure you, in the name 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 39 
 
 of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ, that you will all 
 experience the truth of what you have now heard, even 
 that Christ is always present with his Apostles in the dis- 
 charge of their office to the end of the world. 
 . Moreover, from the premises duly weighed, you may 
 all very easily observe, what reason you all have to con- 
 tinue steadfast in the communion of our Church, wherein 
 the Word and Sacraments are so powerfully and effect- 
 ually administered, and not to deviate from her, either 
 into popery on the one hand, or schism on the other. 
 For, as to popery, although we do not deny but that the 
 apostolical succession hath been continued in the Church 
 of Rome ; yet we cannot but affirm also, that they have 
 made very bad use of it, or rather, have most egregiously 
 abused it : having clogged the several offices with so 
 many superstitious ceremonies, that they quench the 
 Spirit which should inflame and quicken them, or else 
 perform them so imperfectly and irregularly, that they 
 are not the same that were instituted by Christ, and so 
 not capable of having this promise fulfilled to them. I 
 shall instance only in two, the reading of the Scriptures, 
 and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 
 
 As for the first, the public and solemn reading of the 
 Word of God by a minister of Christ, lawfully ordained 
 and appointed thereunto, I look upon it as a thing of 
 much greater consequence, than it is commonly thought 
 to be : yea, I cannot but reckon it amongst the most 
 useful and prevalent means of grace, that we do or can 
 enjoy. For although it be our duty to read the Scrip- 
 tures in private, which I hope you all do, yet none of you 
 but may find by experience, that a chapter once read in 
 public, as before described, is of greater force, and makes 
 deeper impression upon you, than if you run it ten times 
 
40 Christ's presence 
 
 over by yourselves. And the reason is, because the 
 same Spirit, which indited the Scriptures, accompanies 
 such solemn reading of them, and sets it home upon the 
 hearts and consciences of them that hear it. So that 
 besides the majesty and authority that appear in the 
 Scriptures themselves, as they are the very word of God, 
 much more than any exposition of them can be ; there 
 is likewise at such a time the power and efficacy of the 
 Spirit of Christ then present, to press and enforce it upon 
 the minds of all such as duly attend to the reading of 
 them. But now, in the Church of Rome, all this is 
 lost. For although they read the Scriptures indeed, yet 
 they read them as they do their prayers, in an unknown 
 tono-ue, at least to the greatest part of the congregation, 
 and commonly to the very reader himself. By which 
 means the people are deprived, not only of the Scriptures 
 themselves, but likev/ise of the assistance of God's Spirit, 
 which otherwise would accompany the reading of them. 
 For as they order the matter, the Spirit of God himself 
 cannot make his own word effectual to their salvation 
 without a miracle. He nmst first give them the gift of 
 tono-ues, and make them understand a language they 
 never learned, before it is possible for him to make his 
 own word of any use or advantage to them. For he 
 never works upon our minds, but in a way suitable to 
 our natures, as we are rational creatures, so as first to 
 clear up our apprehensions of the good he propounds to 
 us, and so incline our w^ills to the embracement of it. 
 But where the w^ord of God is propounded in an unknown 
 tongue, it is iinpossible for the people to have any appre- 
 hensions of it at all, for the Spirit of God to work upon, 
 and to clear up so as to influence the will by them. By 
 which means the word of God itself is made of little or 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 41 
 
 no effect to those who hve in the commanion of that 
 Church. 
 
 The same reason holds good also, as to the Sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper, as administered by the Romish 
 Church. For the whole office belonging to it is wrap- 
 ped up in a language the people do not understand, and 
 therefore know not what the priest saith, nor whether 
 he consecrates the host or no ; only they see him perform 
 a great many ceremonies as unintelligible as the language 
 he speaks, and at length he puts a wafer into their mouths. 
 Now what is there in all this, that the Spirit of God can 
 make use of, to the comfort and edification of the peo- 
 ple ? especially considering that the priest intends not to 
 minister the Spirit of Christ unto them, but only his real 
 body, as they are bound to believe the wafer to be. But 
 if it was possible, as it neither is, nor can be, to convert 
 the bread into the body of Christ, and give it to the peo- 
 ple, what good could that do them, if abstracted from 
 the Spirit ? for, as our Lord himself said, It is the Spirit 
 that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing^ John vi. 63. 
 But after all this, T do not see how the promise of the 
 Spirit can belong to the Sacrament, as they manage it. 
 For the promise is made not to any one part of it as dis- 
 tinct from the other, but to the whole, as it was institut- 
 ed by Christ. And where the institution is not rightly 
 observed, neither can the promise annexed to it be per- 
 formed. But it is plain, that our Saviour instituted the 
 cup as well as the bread : and it is as plain, that the 
 Church of Rome administers the bread only, and not the 
 cup. And therefore they, by depriving the people of 
 one half of the communion, do thereby deprive them of 
 the comfort and benefit of the whole. 
 
 And therefore were there no other, as there are many, 
 
42 Christ's presence 
 
 arguments to deter sober and considering men from the 
 communion of that Church, this, one would think, is of 
 itself sufficient to do it ; even because those great means 
 of grace, the Word and Sacrament itself, are so admin- 
 istered by it, as to be made of no use at all to the peo- 
 ple. 
 
 And as for schism, they certainly hazard their salva- 
 tion at a strange rate, who separate themselves from such 
 a Church as ours is, wherein the apostolical succession, 
 the root of all Christian communion, has been so entirely 
 preserved, and the Word and Sacraments are so effectu- 
 ally administered ; and all to go into such assemblies and 
 meetings, as can have no pretence to the great promise 
 in my text. For it is manifest, that this promise was 
 made only to the Apostles and their successors to the 
 end of the world. Whereas in the private meetings, 
 where their teachers have no apostolical or episcopal im- 
 position of hands, they have no ground to pretend to suc- 
 ceed the Apostles, nor by consequence any right to the 
 Spirit which our Lord here promiseth ; without which, 
 although they preach their hearts out, I do not see 
 what spiritual advantage can accrue to their hearers by 
 it. And therefore, whatsoever they may think of it, for 
 my own part, I would not be without this promise of 
 our Saviour for all the world, as knowing, that not only 
 myself, but the whole Catholic Church, is highly con- 
 cerned in it ; it being by virtue of this promise, that the 
 Church is continually acted, guided, and assisted by the 
 Spirit of God, and so the ordinary means of grace are 
 made effectual to salvation, which otherwise would be of 
 no force or efficacy at all. And therefore, to speak mo- 
 destly, they must needs run a very great hazard, who cut 
 themselves off from ours, and by consequence from the 
 
WITH HIS MINISTERS. 48 
 
 Catholic Church, and so render themselves incapable of 
 receiving any benefit from this promise, or fpom the means 
 of grace which they do or may enjoy. 
 
 Upon these, therefore, and such like considerations, 
 which this text will readily suggest to your serious and 
 more retired thoughts, I humbly advise and beseech you 
 all in the name of Christ your Saviour, and as you do 
 tender j^our salvation by him, that you would not heark- 
 en unto those, who go about to seduce you from our 
 'Church, but that you would continue firm and faithful to 
 it. For so long as you do so, I dare undertake for you, 
 that you are in the ready way to heaven. But if you 
 once forsake that, whither you will next go, I know not ; 
 no, nor you neither. 
 
 But when I speak of your continuing firm and faithful 
 to our Church, I do not mean that you should only talk 
 high for her, much less inveigh against her adversaries, 
 or damn all those who are not of her communion ; for this 
 is contrary to the Divine and apostolical spirit that is in 
 her, which is a spirit of meekness, and soberness, and 
 charity. But my meaning is, that you firmly believe 
 whatsoever she, from the word of God, propounds as an 
 article of faith, and faithfully perform whatsoever she, 
 from the same word, requires as a necessary duty to 
 God or man ; and, by consequence, so live in the com- 
 munion of our Church, as to live up to the rules and 
 constitutions of it. 
 
 And that all we, who are here present, and all that 
 profess to be of our Church, wheresoever they are, would 
 for the future do so ! what a holy, what a happy peo- 
 ple should we then be ! how pious towards God, how 
 loyal to our sovereign, how just and charitable towards 
 all men ! This would be the way to convince our ad- 
 
44 CHRIST^S PRESENCE. 
 
 versaries of their errors and mistakes, when they see 
 how far we excel them in virtue and good works : and 
 this would be the way, too, to secure our Church against 
 all the attempts that men or devils can make upon her. 
 For then our Lord himself would delight to dwell 
 amongst us, and be alw^ays present with us, not only by 
 his Spirit, but likewise by his power too. And if he be 
 with us, we need not fear what flesh can do against us ; 
 so that we may lay it down as a most certain truth, that 
 our Church can never be destroyed but by itself. For if 
 we do not first fail of performing our duty unto him, be 
 sure Christ will never fail of performing his promise un- 
 to us. But how proud, how malicious soever our adver- 
 saries are, and M^hatsoever designs they may carry on 
 against us, he that sitteth in the heavens will laugh them 
 to scorn, our Lord will have them in derision : he will 
 abate their pride, assuage their malice, or else confound 
 their devices, so as to make them fall themselves into 
 the same pit that they dig for others. And notwithstand- 
 ing all their endeavors to the contrary, he will settle our 
 Church upon such foundations, that the gates of hell 
 itself shall never be able to prevail against it. Neither 
 will he only continue his Church to us, but likewise his 
 Spirit to our Church, so as always to perform this pro- 
 mise in my text, io, / am with you alway^ even imto the 
 end of the world. Amen. 
 
 O blessed Jesu ! thou eternal Son of God, to whom, 
 with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be everlasting honor, 
 praise, and glory, from this time forth and for evermore. 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 Acts i. 26. 
 
 And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias. And he was 
 numbered with the eleven Apostles. 
 
 This portion of Scripture, appointed for the Epistle 
 this day, suits as well with the work that is to be now 
 done, as it doth with the day for which it is appointed. It 
 is appointed for the feast of St. Matthias, whose memory 
 we this day celebrate ; of whom we have read, that he 
 was taken into the number of apostles in the Church of 
 Christ. And there are several persons here present, to 
 be ordained now into the sacred ministry of the same 
 Church, whereof he was ordained an apostle. And 
 therefore I shall not insist upon the words themselves, 
 but I shall take occasion from hence to discourse of Ordi- 
 nation in general, under which, that of St. Matthias in 
 particular will come in of course. 
 
 Now by Ordination in general, I mean, the setting 
 
 apart some certain persons to direct, govern, assist, and 
 
 influence others in the public worship of Almighty God, 
 
 and to administer such means unto them as he hath 
 
 3* 
 
46 THE INSTITUTION OK MINISTERS. 
 
 appointed for their eternal salvation. Concerning which, 
 \ve shall consider two things : 
 
 First, The necessity of it. And, 
 
 Secondly, The way and manner of performing it. 
 
 As to the first, we need not say much, it being a thing 
 that mankind in general seems to be agreed in. For as 
 there is no nation in the world, but where they pro- 
 fess some kind of religion or other ; so there is no religion 
 professed in the world, but where they have some per- 
 sons or other set apart for the celebration of the several 
 rites and ceremonies in it ; without which, indeed, it is 
 impossible that any religion should subsist. For if no 
 places were set apart for the worship of God, men would 
 soon worship him nowhere ; if no times, they would 
 never worship him ; so if no persons were set apart for 
 it, none would ever do it at all, at least not as they 
 ought. 
 
 And if it be so in natural, how much more in revealed 
 religion, of which this seems to be one of the integral 
 or essential parts ; without which, it is not that religion 
 which God hath revealed. For whensoever he, the 
 great Creator and Governor of the world, hath revealed 
 his will and pleasure to his creatures how he would have 
 them worship and serve him that made them ; he hath 
 still at the same time constituted certain officers amongst 
 them, to assist them in it : which officers, being as it 
 were, his own domestics, or immediate servants or mi- 
 nisters, waiting continually upon himself and his service, 
 he always hath reserved to himself the constitution or 
 ordination of them ; not suffering any one that had a 
 mind to it to meddle with anything belonging to the said 
 offices, without his leave and order first obtained. And 
 if any presume to do it, he doth not only make ^vhat they 
 
THE mSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 47 
 
 do void, and of no effect, but he punisheth them severely 
 for it : as we find by many instances in Holy Scripture. 
 
 Hence the Apostle saith, No man taketh this honor 
 unto himself^ hut he that is called of God, as was Aaron, 
 Heb. V. 4, that is, no man can be really a priest, a minis 
 ter of God, as Aaron was, but such as are called and 
 constituted by God himself, as he was. And they that 
 do undertake the said ministry without such a call, what* 
 soever they may fancy or pretend, they are not God's 
 ministers : and therefore all they do is in vain, and to no 
 purpose, as the Apostle saith eleswhere, Hotu shall they 
 preach except they be sent ? Rom. x. 15. They may 
 speak the same words, deliver the same truths, press the 
 same duties, as they do, who are really God's ministers ; 
 but this is not preaching, properly so called : they do not 
 publish and proclaim the will of God, with any power or 
 authority over their hearers, for they have received 
 none from God, as not being called and sent by him. 
 
 This the Apostles and first disciples of our blessed Sa* 
 viour were so sensible of, that when they wanted an 
 apostle, although there were doubtless many excellent 
 persons amongst them, that might think themselves fit for 
 the place, yet none of them would undertake it of their 
 own heads ; but they all, with one accord, left it to Al- 
 mighty God, to determine and declare whom he had 
 chosen and called to it : who having, by his disposal of 
 the lots they cast, accordingly acquainted them that 
 Matthias was the person he pitched upon, he was pre- 
 sently numbered with the Apostles. 
 
 But all this will appear more clearly under the second 
 head, which I design principally to consider ; and that 
 is, the way and manner, whereby God hath been pleased 
 to ordain and set apart persons for his own service and 
 
48 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS, 
 
 ministry. In speaking to which, I shall not trouble you 
 with any conjectures how this w^as done in the 
 Church before Moses's time, but shall begin there, where 
 we have a certain rule to walk by. 
 
 In the day therefore that the Lord smote all the 
 first-born in the land of Egypt, he sanctified to himself 
 all the first-born among the children of Israel, Numb, 
 iii. 13. But afterwards, instead of them, he took one 
 whole tribe, even the tribe of Levi, ver. 12, they being 
 about the same number with the first-born of all Israel. 
 For all the males of the tribe of Levi, from a month old 
 and upwards, were numbered 22,000 ; and all the first- 
 born of the males among the children of Israel were 
 22,273. So that all the first-born males of Israel w'ere 
 only 273 more than the Levites ; wdiieh odd number be- 
 ing redeemed at five shekels apiece by the poll, the whole 
 tribe of Levi was from thenceforward set ajDart to be em- 
 ployed wholly in the service of God, instead of all the 
 first-born in Israel, Numb. iii. 8. And out of this tribe 
 he chose one family, even that of Aaron, to minister con- 
 tinually to him in the priest's office ; to burn incense, to 
 slay and offer sacrifices, to instruct the people in his law^, 
 and the like. And out of this family, he chose Aaron 
 himself, and so the first-born of that family all along, to be 
 his high-priest ; to whom he appointed not only the over- 
 sight of all the rest, but likewise some certain offices, 
 which no other Priests or Levites could meddle with. 
 
 So that we here have three distinct orders of men, 
 settled and established by God himself to minister unto 
 him, the High-priests, the Priests, and the Levites. Which 
 last, in Moses's time, were employed wholly about the 
 tabernacle and the vessels belonging to it ; but when the 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 49 
 
 temple was built, they were also made treasurers, and 
 judges, and porters, and singers, 1 Chron. xxiii. 45. 
 
 Now God having thus constituted these several orders 
 of men for his own service, he gave directions how they 
 should be all consecrated to their several offices. First, 
 Aaron by himself, as the High-priest ; then his sons, as 
 the second or ordinary Priests, Levit. viii., and after- 
 wards the Levites, Numb. viii. By which consecration, 
 not only the persons then in being, but their posterity, 
 were all ordained into the same offices that they them- 
 selves were. By Aaron's ordination into the office of 
 High-priest, the first-born, or eldest sons of his family, 
 were ordained so too. By his sons' consecration, all 
 their sons, or the younger sons of that family, were or- 
 dained priests. And so for the Levites, when they were 
 consecrated, all the males that should ever proceed from 
 them, were consecrated together with them, as being 
 then contained in their loins. So that although there 
 might be some certain ceremonies used at their entering 
 upon the execution of their office, when they came to 
 years of discretion, yet they were not properly ordained 
 or consecrated again ; but the office came to them in 
 course, or, if you will, ex traduce ; the ordination, which 
 their ancestors had from God himself, being by virtue of 
 this institution and command, propagated and derived 
 down to them. And thus it continued all along, during 
 the Mosaic dispensation, which was about 2000 years, 
 even until the death of our blessed Saviour ; which be- 
 ing typified and foreshown by the sacrifices which these 
 priests offered, the priesthood itself must needs continue 
 in force and virtue till that was accomplished. 
 
 And therefore all the while that Christ lived, he made 
 no alteration at all in it ; neither did he ever , properly 
 
§0 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 abrogate, or repeal the laws that were formerly made 
 about it, but when he died, they expired together with 
 him ; both the time, and the end, for which they were 
 made, being now accomplished. But from that time 
 forward, though the Jewish nation still continued till the 
 destruction of Jerusalem, which was forty years after, 
 yet they had not really any priesthood among th«m, the 
 time for which it was ordained being now expired. 
 
 When our Lord therefore was upon earth, fore- 
 seeino; that all the Mosaic orders would cease in course 
 upon his death, and knowing that his Church could never 
 subsist without some such orders of men set apart for 
 the administration 'of his Word and Sacraments ; be- 
 fore he died, he took care to lay the platform of others, 
 suitable to his own religion. For which purpose, out 
 of the many disciples that followed him, he first chose 
 twelve Apostles ; to whom he gave commission to bap- 
 tize, to preach the Gospel, and to work miracles for the 
 confirmation of it, Matt. x. And afterwards he sent out 
 seventy other disciples, and gave them power also to 
 preach the Gospel, and cast out devils in his name, Luke 
 X. So that he still kept up the same number of orders 
 in his Church whilst himself lived, that was in the Jewish 
 Chruch : for he himself was truly the High Priest, of 
 whom they, under the Law, were only types. Then 
 there were the twelve Apostles, answerable to the priests 
 of the second order ; and the seventy disciples, resem- 
 bling the great number of Levites. 
 
 But all this while we do not read that the Apostles 
 had any solemn consecration to their oliice, during our 
 Saviour's life. It is said indeed, in Mark iii. 14., that 
 he ordained twelve ; but the words are ^noirjas dadetta^ 
 he made or appointed twelve to be his apostles, or mes- 
 
THE INSTITUTION O^ MINISTERS* 51 
 
 sengers» But we do not find that he ordained them, so 
 as to confer any sacerdotal power upon them. He pro- 
 mised indeed St. Peter, and the rest of the Apostles with 
 him, that he would give them the keys of the kingdom 
 of heaven, Matt. xvi. 19. But they were as yet in the 
 hands of the Levitical priesthood ; and he would not 
 take them from thence to give them to his Apostles, so 
 long as that priesthood continued in force. But he was 
 no sooner dead and risen again, but he presently per- 
 formed his promise. For then the Levitical priesthood 
 being expired, and by consequence the kej^^s, which he 
 had before committed to it by his servant Moses, return- 
 ing on course into his own hands, he then, according to 
 his promise, gave them to his Apostles. 
 
 For upon the same day that he rose again, in the even- 
 ing, his Apostles being met together, he came to them, 
 and said to them. Peace be unto you : as my Father hath 
 sent ine, even so send I you. And when he had said so, 
 he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the 
 Holy Ghost : whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted 
 unto them ; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retain- 
 ed; John XX. 21, 22, 23. As my Father sent me, even 
 so I send you ; that is, as my Father sent me to preach 
 the Gospel, by anointing me with his Holy Spirit, Isa. 
 Ixi. 1, Luke iv. 18, even so, after the self-same manner, 
 I send you : receive ye the Holy Ghost ; at the speaking 
 of which words he breathed upon them, and so issued 
 forth the Holy Spirit from himself into them. Which, 
 as it is an undeniable argument of the Spirit's procession 
 from the Son as well as from the Father ; so it was the 
 highest and truest consecration of the Apostles that could 
 be, far beyond that of Aaron and his sons. For they 
 were anointed only with material ointment, which was 
 
5^ THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 poured upon Aaron's head, Levit. viii. 12, and sprinkled 
 afterwards upon his and his sons' garments, together with 
 the blood of the sacrifice, ver. 30. But this was only a 
 type of that Holy Spirit wherewith the Apostles were 
 anointed by our Lord, when he breathed it immediately, 
 from himself into them. 
 
 And now were the keys of the kingdom of heaven, ac- 
 cording to the promise before mentioned, given to the 
 Apostles. And therefore our Lord, after he had breathed 
 upon them, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; presently 
 adds. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto 
 them ; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. 
 Whereby all sacerdotal power was now conferred upon 
 the Apostles, even whatsoever is necessary^ to the gov- 
 ernment and edification of the Church, to the world's end. 
 And therefore, immediately before his ascension, the 
 eleven Apostles being met together again, in the place 
 that he appointed them, our Lord goes to them again, 
 and saith. All power is given to me, both in heaven and 
 earth : go ye therefore, and make all nations my disciples, 
 by baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all 
 things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am 
 with you alway, even unto the end of the world. That is, 
 I, by my Holy Spirit, which I have breathed into you, 
 am now with you ; and so I am always with you and 
 your successors to the end of the world. 
 
 Now the Apostles being thus solemnly ordained and 
 consecrated by Christ himself, and having received so 
 ample a commission from him, soon after his ascension 
 into heaven, they, with some other disciples, met toge- 
 ther, and consulted how to fill up their number again ; 
 for Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, by betray- 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 53 
 
 ing his master, had lost both his office and his hfe, and 
 another was now to take his bishopric, or apostleship, 
 according to the prophecy in the book of Psalms, which 
 St. Peter put them in mind of. And therefore they all 
 agree to have the number made up again out of these, 
 who had, like the other Apostles, been conversant with 
 our blessed Saviour all along, from first to last. And 
 they found two considerable persons among them, who 
 had been so, Joseph surnamed Justus, and Matthias ; 
 both, in their apprehensions, equally qualified for the 
 place : yet nevertheless, they would not undertake to 
 choose either of them. Forasmuch as the}'- themselves, 
 having been chosen by Christ himself, it was not fit to 
 take any into their number but whom Christ himself had 
 chosen : and therefore they resolved to refer it wholly 
 unto him. 
 
 But how could that be done, now that Christ was gone 
 from them into heaven ? There was no other way but to 
 cast lots, which should be the person ; a way that had 
 been commonly used in such cases. For by the com- 
 mand of God himself, lots were cast upon the two goats, 
 which should be the Lord's, and which should be the 
 scape-goat, Lev. xvi. S. The land of Canaan was di- 
 vided among the twelve tribes by lot. Josh, xviii. 6. Saul 
 was chosen king of Israel by lot, 1 Sam. x. 2L The 
 several ministrations and charges of the priests were di- 
 vided amongst them by lot, 1 Chron. xxiv. 6. There 
 are many such instances in the Old Testament, of refer- 
 ring doubtful cases to God's dec4sion, by casting lots upon 
 them ; for, as the wise-man saith. The lot is cast into the 
 lap, hut the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord, Prov. 
 xvi. 33. 
 
 This course therefore the Apostles took, to know which 
 
54 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 of these two persons our Lord would have taken into 
 their number ; but before they cast their lots, they first 
 address themselves in a more solemn manner to Christ 
 himself, saying, Thoii^ Lord^ which knoweth the hearts of 
 nil men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he 
 may take part of this ministrij and apostleship, from which 
 Judas hy transgression fell, that he might go to his own 
 place. Where we may observe, they do not pray that 
 our Lord would choose one now, but that he would show 
 whether of the two he had chosen already ; for so the 
 words run, ix toj5t(wv rS)v dvo ava 6y i^sle^M, which one of 
 these two thou hast chosen ; as supposing that he had 
 chosen one of them already, though they did not know 
 which. And therefore, when they had cast lots, and the 
 lot was fallen upon Matthias, they took it for granted, as 
 they well might, that he was the person whom Christ 
 had before chosen to be one of their number ; and there- 
 fore, without any more ado, he ivas numbered with the 
 eleven apostles, so as to make up the number of twelve 
 again. 
 
 But here it may be asked, how this Matthias should 
 be an apostle of equal power with the other, seeing he 
 was not present when the other were ordained by our 
 Saviour, and received the same Spirit from him. I an- 
 swer, that the same doubt may be made concerning St. 
 Thomas, for neither was he present when our Lord 
 breathed his Holy Spirit upon his other apostle ; and yet 
 none ever denied but that he was an apostle of equal au- 
 thority with those that were then present. And indeed, 
 the question concerning both may be clearly answered 
 by a parallel case : for we read, Nuiub. xi., how that 
 when Moses had, by the appointment of God, chosen 
 eventy of the elders of Israel to be endowed with his 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 55 
 
 Spirit, and had ordered them to go to the tabernacle of 
 the congregation, the Lord came down in a cloudy and 
 spake unto hinij and took of the Spirit that was upon him^ 
 and gave it unto the seventy elders ; and it came to pass, 
 that when the Spirit rested upon them^ they prophesied, and 
 did not cease. But two of the seventy remained in the 
 camp, Eldad and Medad ; and though they were not pre- 
 sent, the Spirit rested upon them also, and they prophe- 
 sied as well as the other. And this remark is put upon 
 them, that they were of them that were written, but went not 
 to the tabernacle. Numb. xi. 25, 2Q. The case is the 
 self-same here : for as Eldad and Medad, being chosen 
 by Moses into the number of the seventy, received the 
 some Spirit which was given to the other sixty-eight, 
 although they were not present at the place where the 
 Lord came down in a cloud to them ; so here, Thomas 
 and Matthias being in the number of the twelve, which 
 were chosen by our Lord to be his Apostles, although 
 they were not present at the place where our Lord gave 
 the Holy Spirit to the other ten, yet they received it as 
 effectually to all intents and purposes as the other did. 
 For wheresoever they were, the Holy Ghost breathed 
 upon the Apostles as such, rested upon them also, be- 
 cause they also were chosen into the number of Apostles, 
 even Matthias himself, as I observed before. 
 
 This formal admission of St. Matthias into the num- 
 ber of the Apostles, was upon one of the ten days be- 
 tween the ascension of our Lord to heaven, and the 
 descent of the Holy Spirit upon the day of Pentecost, 
 Acts ii. And then was fulfilled what our Saviour had 
 promised his Apostles, saying, And I will pray the 
 Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he 
 may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit o truth, John 
 
56 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 xiv. 16, which therefore is called another Comforter, 
 because he was to supply our Saviour's place and pre- 
 sence upon earth ; guide his Apostles into all truth ; and 
 direct, assist, and order the afiairs of his Church until his 
 coming again. And therefore it was, that now, upon the 
 day of Pentecost, he made, as it were, his public en- 
 trance into the Church, appearing visibly to the disci- 
 ples, and enabling them to speak all manner of languages, 
 in order to the conversion of all nations to the faith of 
 Christ. 
 
 Now this Holy Spirit of Christ, having thus taken 
 upon him this office, to show that he could and would do 
 for the Church whatsoever our Saviour himself either 
 would or could was he still present in person, as well as 
 by this his Spirit : hence, as he had chosen twelve Apos- 
 tles, his Spirit chooses two other, in as plain and appa- 
 rent a manner as Christ himself had done it. For there 
 being certain prophets and teachers in the Church at An- 
 tioch, Barnabas J Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul, as 
 they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost 
 said. Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work where- 
 unto I have called them^ Acts xiii. 1,2. From whence 
 we may observe, that he had before this called them to 
 the work ; and now he expressly commands the prophets 
 and teachers there present to separate, or set them apart 
 for it. He did not employ the Apostles that were con- 
 secrated by our Lord to do it, that their consecration 
 might appear to be wholly from himself; and so the 
 Church might rest fully satisfied, that although our Sa- 
 viour, the head of it, be gone to heaven, yet he hath still, 
 and always will have, one upon earth, that can exercise 
 his power so effectually, that he himself may be truly 
 said to be always Mith it, as he said he would. But 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 57 
 
 howsoever, notwithstanding that he himself had called 
 them, yet he would have them publicly ordained by the 
 persons before mentioned, supposed to be the bishops of 
 Syria, to show that whatsoever call from him any should 
 afterwards pretend to, yet he would never employ them 
 in his work and ministry, until they were publicly ordain- 
 ed, and separated for it, by the governors of the Church 
 empowered by him to do it. And then he would have it 
 done too by the imposition of hands, to show that this 
 was the way that he had appointed for it. For it is said, 
 that when theij had fasted and prayed^ and laid their hands 
 on them, they sent them away, ver. 3 ; or, as the word 
 ^nllvcrav signifies, they dismissed them, or let them de- 
 part : for they were not properly sent by them, but by 
 the Holy Ghost, as it is expressly said in the following 
 words. So then, they being sent forth, ixTtsjtKpdivTsg, were 
 sent forth by the Holy Ghost; and as the twelve were 
 sent by Christ, so were these two, Barnabas and Saul, 
 sent by his Holy Spirit, and so were as truly his apostles 
 as the other. And therefore one of them, even Saul, 
 otherwise called Paul, is not only called an apostle of 
 Jesus Christ, but saith expressly, that he was so, not of 
 men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, 
 Gal. i. 1 ; because he was thus sent by the Holy Ghost 
 himself, the same God with the Father and the Son. 
 
 From whence we may observe, by the way, upon what 
 good grounds the last revisers of the Common Prayer 
 added two new holidays in the Calendar, which had been 
 omitted in the former editions, even the Conversion of St. 
 Paul, and St. Barnabas's day ; for these being apostles 
 of the same power and dignity with the other twelve, 
 there was all the reason in the \i'orld that we should com- 
 memorate and give God thanks for them as well as for 
 
58 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 the other. But to distinguish them from the others, the 
 eves or vigils of these days are not appointed to be ob- 
 served, so as those of the others are. 
 
 'Now the Apostles being all thus ordained and conse- 
 crated by Christ's Holy Spirit, they were thereby invest- 
 ed with full power and authority, not only to preach and 
 propagate the Gospel, and to add to the Church daily 
 such as should be saved, and to rule and govern the said 
 Church at present ; but likewise to institute and estab- 
 lish such officers in it, by whom it may be rightly gov- 
 erned according to our Saviour's mind in all future ages. 
 In order whereunto, the twelve first instituted the otfice 
 of deacons, upon occasion of the Grecians murmuring 
 against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglect- 
 ed in the daily ministration. For, it not being fitting that 
 the Apostles themselves should leave the word to serve 
 tables, they ordered seven men of honest report to be 
 chosen out for that work ; which seven being set before 
 the Apostles, they prayed, and then laid their hands on 
 them. Acts vi. 6. By which imposition of hands they 
 received power, not only to look after the widows and 
 poor, but also to baptize and preach the Gospel. For 
 Stephen, who was one of the seven, was no sooner or- 
 dained, but we presently find him preaching so pow- 
 erfully, that the Jews were not able to resist the 
 wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake. Acts vi. 
 10. And Philip, another of the seven, preached Christ 
 so effectually to the Samaritans, that they received the 
 word gladly, and were baptized of him ; and so was the 
 eunuch too, that was treasurer to Candace, queen of the 
 Ethiopians, Acts viii. 38. And this office of deacons, 
 thus instituted by the Apostles, hath continued in the 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 59 
 
 Church ever since, and so must do to the end of the 
 world. 
 
 But these deacons being ordained only to minister in 
 the Church, they could have no share in the government 
 of it : which was the main thing that the Apostles were 
 to take care of: and therefore, considering that the Spirit, 
 which they had received, must, according to Christ's 
 promise, abide with his Church for ever ; it was neces- 
 sary they should find out some way, to transfer it upon 
 others ; and so successively from one to another, to the 
 world's end. Now they found by experience, what they 
 were doubtless directed to by the Holy Ghost himself, 
 that upon whomsoever they laid their hands the Holy 
 Ghost presently fell upon them. Thus when Philip, the 
 aforesaid deacon, had converted and baptized the Sama- 
 ritans, the Apostles sent Peter and John to them ; who 
 having prayed, and laid their hands on them, they re- 
 ceived the Holy Ghost, Acts viii. 17. Philip did not so 
 much as offer to lay his hands upon them ; and if he had, 
 it would not have done the work, because he was only a 
 deacon, and none of the Apostles, who had so received 
 the Holy Ghost themselves, as to have power to confer 
 it upon others. As we find St. Paul also did, by laying 
 his hands upon the disciples, at Ephesus, Acts xix. 6. 
 
 Hence it is, that this power always was, and still is, 
 appropriated only to the Apostles themselves, and their 
 successors, the bishops of the Church. And it is that 
 which we now call Confirmation, when a bishop rightly 
 ordained, after the example of the holy Apostles, prays 
 for those that are baptized, and lays his hand upon their 
 heads, that they may receive the gifts and graces of God's 
 Holy Spirit, to confirm them in the faith, and in all good- 
 ness ; which duly performed, is certainly as effectual now 
 
60 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 as ever, in those who are rightly disposed and qualified 
 for it ; as, blessed be God, we find at this very day, to. 
 our unspeakable comfort. 
 
 The Apostles therefore, finding by experience that the 
 Holy Ghost was given by the laying on of hands, for the 
 confirmation of believers ; they could not but conclude 
 this to be a proper way also, for the conferring of it upon 
 those who were to succeed them in the government of the 
 Church. Especially considering, that this was the way 
 whereby Joshua, by the command of God himself, was 
 constituted the successor of Moses ; for Moses laid his 
 hands upon him, by which means the Spirit of wisdom 
 came upon him. Numb, xxiii. 23, Deut xxxiv. 9. 
 From whence this rite was commonly used by the Jew- 
 ish Church, in the constitution of their governors ; and 
 the Holy Ghost himself did not only approve of it, but 
 appointed it to be used in the ordination of Barnabas and 
 Saul. Upon these and the like considerations, the Apos- 
 tles took this course for the conveying of the Spirit, 
 which they had received, to their successors in all ages. 
 For the way whereby Christ bestowed it upon the twelve , 
 by breathing on them, was proper and peculiar to him- 
 self, from whom the Spirit proceedeth. But this was a 
 way, which both they and their successors in all ages 
 would be capable of: for their bodies, as well as souls, 
 being made the temples of the Holy Ghost, at their con- 
 secration, whensoever they laid their hands upon any 
 person, so as to touch his body, with a design of trans- 
 ferring the same Spirit upon him, it is easy to imagine 
 how such a person comes to be endowed with it : espe- 
 cially, seeing the Holy Ghost had instituted and appoint- 
 ed this to be the way of doing it, and therefore it is im- 
 possible it .should ever fail. Insomuch, that as the same 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 61 
 
 power which w^as given to Aaron at his consecration, 
 w^as propagated and continued in that Church by succes- 
 sive generations from father to son, so long as the Church 
 itself lasted ; so is the same Spirit and power, which was 
 given to the Apostles at their consecration, propagated 
 and continued in the Church of Christ, by the successive 
 imposition of hands from one to another, and will be, so 
 long as the world endureth. 
 
 This, therefore, being the method that the holy Apos- 
 tles, by the direction of the Spirit itself, had agreed upon 
 before their dispersions, wheresoever any of them went, 
 so soon as they had converted any considerable number 
 to the faith, enough to make a Church, before they de- 
 parted from them, they still laid their hands upon one, 
 whom they judged the fittest among them, and so left 
 the same Spirit, which they themselves had, with him, 
 for the government and edification of that Church. For 
 whosoever was thus ordained, did by that means receive 
 the Spirit. And therefore, St. Paul having thus ordained 
 Timothy at Ephesus, in his second Epistle to him, he 
 useth these words. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance^ 
 that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the 
 putting on of my hands (2 Tim. i. 6). And what this 
 gift of God was, he declares in the following words, saying, 
 for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, 
 and of love, and of a sound mind. As if he should 
 have said. For that Spirit which God hath given us, 
 even me and thee, is not a spirit of fear, but of power, 
 to instruct and govern the Church ; of love, to regulate 
 our passions in the doing it : and of a sound mind, to 
 keep both steadfast in the faith : plainly implying, that by 
 the laying of his hands upon him, God had given the 
 same Spirit to Timothy, that he himself, the Apostle, had, 
 4 
 
62 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 But elsewhere, the same Apostle tells Timothy, that 
 this gift was given him by prophecy, with the laying on of 
 the hands of the presbytery , 1 Tim. iv. 14. From whence 
 it may seem, that some of the elders of the Church join- 
 ed with St. Paul, in laying their hands upon him ; and 
 yet St. Paul ascribes it wholly to the laying on of his 
 hands, and saith, the gift was given him by that, and only 
 with the other, because he being the only Apostle that 
 laid on his hands, and so the only person that had power 
 by that means to confer the Holy Spirit, although it was 
 given to him, together with the laying on of the others' 
 hands upon him, yet it was not given by that, but by the 
 laying on of St. Paul's hands^ as he himself saith. As 
 it is in our Church at this time, and so hath been in the 
 Latin for many ages, in the ordination of a priest ; the 
 priests there present join with the bishop in their laying 
 their hands upon him, and yet he is ordained only by the 
 bishop's laying on his hands. For how many priests 
 soever lay their hands upon another's head, they can 
 never make him a real priest, unless there be a bishop 
 with them ; but a bishop, by the imposition of his hands, 
 can make a priest, although there be never another priest 
 with him. Neither doth the law require, that any 
 priests should be present at such ordination, but only 
 that the bishop, with the priests present (if there happen 
 to be any), shall lay their hands upon him that is to be 
 ordained ; the imposition of the priests' hands being only 
 to signify their consent, that such a person should be 
 received into their order, and so take off the blame from 
 the bishop, in case he should prove to have been unwor- 
 thy of it. But still, it is only by the imposition of the 
 bishop's hands, that he is made a priest, as St. Paul saith, 
 that Timothy received the Spirit, by the laying on of his 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 63 
 
 hands, notwithstanding the presbytery joined with him 
 in it. 
 
 But of this, the Spirit's being given by such imposi- 
 tion of hands, so that it is by him principally that the 
 person is ordained, we have a very remarkable instance 
 in the Acts of the Apostles, chap, xx., where we read 
 how St. Paul having ordained many elders or bishops in 
 Asia, he summoned them to a visitation that he held at 
 Miletus, and in the charge he gave them, among other 
 things, he said, Take heed therefore to yourselves^ and to 
 all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you 
 overseers^ or bishops, ver. 28. For from hence it appears, 
 that when they were ordained by the imposition of the 
 Apostles' hands, the Holy Ghost so came upon them, 
 that he constituted them in the office they were ordained 
 to : it was he that made them bishops, the apostle^ and 
 whosoever else might join with him in laying on of 
 hands, were only his instruments, the Holy Ghost was 
 the principal agent ; and so questionless he is, and 
 always will be, in all such ordinations. So that all who 
 are regularly ordained, may be truly and properly said 
 to receive their power and commission from the Holy 
 Ghost, that is then conferred upon them, and so from 
 Christ himself. 
 
 Having thus considered the course that the Apostles, 
 by Christ's direction, took and instituted in the Church, 
 for the conferring of Holy Orders, so as that they might 
 transfer the same Spirit, which they themselves received, 
 upon those who were admitted into them, and so con- 
 tinue it in the Church for ever; we may further observe^ 
 that besides that of deacons before mentioned, they 
 found it necessary to establish two other orders in the 
 Church, to remain through all ages. First, their own^^ 
 
64 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 which we now call the order of bishojDs, who are there- 
 fore by the ancients commonly termed the Apostles' suc- 
 cessors, because that by a successive imposition of hands, 
 continued all along from the Apostles themselves, they 
 receive the same Spirit and power which the Apostles 
 had, not only for the administration of the Word and 
 Sacraments, but likewise for the government of the 
 Church, and for the conferring of the Holy Spirit by the 
 imposition of their hands, as the Apostles did, both for 
 the confirmation of believers, and likev/ise for the ordi- 
 nation of persons into their ov/n and other offices in the 
 Church. 
 
 The other order is that of priesthood, which being in- 
 stituted for the due administration of all the ordinary 
 means of grace, it was necessary that they, who were 
 admitted into this order also, should have the Holy 
 Ghost, the fountain of all grace, conferred upon them, to 
 influence their several administrations, without which it 
 is impossible they should ever attain their end. And 
 hence it is, that, according to the practice of the Catho- 
 lic and Apostolic Church, though not in that of deacons, 
 yet in the ordination of priests, as you will see presently, 
 the bishop, when he lays his hand severally upon every 
 one that receives that order, saith, Receive the Holy 
 Ghost for ike office and work of a priest in the Church 
 of God J now committed unto thee, by the imposition of 
 hands : whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven ; 
 and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained. Where 
 we may observe, that although some other words are in- 
 serted to determine and distinguish the office committed 
 to them, yet all the same words are repeated, which our 
 Lord himself used at the ordination of his Apostles; 
 which the Catholic Church always judged necessary, 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 65 
 
 not only in imitation of our blessed Saviour, but like- 
 wise, because that the persons who are ordained priests 
 in his Church, are to preach the same Word, administer 
 the same Sacraments, and exercise the same power in 
 the censures of the Church, as the Apostles themselves 
 did. And therefore it is necessary that they should be 
 endued with the same Spirit, ordained after the same 
 manner, and entrusted with the same power of the keys, 
 as the Apostles themselves were. By which means, the 
 means of grace and salvation administered by priests thus 
 ordained, become as effectual to those that use them 
 aright, as when they were administered by the Apostles 
 themselves ; the Spirit, which they receive by this im- 
 position of hands, being always ready to assist at their 
 several administrations, and to bless and sanctify them to 
 those who are duly prepared and disposed for them. 
 
 Now from what we have thus briefly, as the occasion 
 would permit, discoursed upon this subject, I shall draw 
 only two inferences ; whereof the first concerns those 
 who are now to be admitted into Holy Orders, either 
 priests or deacons. For from what ye have now heard, 
 ye may easily see the duty as well as dignity of the 
 office you are called to, to be ministers of Christ, and 
 stewards of the manifold mysteries of God. And there- 
 fore I hope you have prepared yourselves, according to 
 the directions that have been given you, by prayer and 
 fasting, for so great an undertaking ; and so are both duly 
 disposed to receive the power and Spirit that shall be 
 committed to you, and also fully resolved, by the grace 
 of God, to exercise and improve it for your Master's use. 
 For which purpose, as 1 do not doubt but you have seri- 
 ously considered what questions will be propounded to 
 you, and what answers ye must give to them ; so I must 
 
66 THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 
 
 entreat you to keep it always in j^our minds, how so- 
 lemnly you this day devoted yourselves to the service of 
 God and his Church, and what vows and promises you 
 have made in his presence, to be diligent in praying, in 
 reading the Holy Scriptures, and in framing your lives 
 accordingly ; in ministering the doctrine, the sacraments, 
 and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord commanded, 
 and as this Church and realm hath received the same ; to 
 drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, and to 
 maintain and set forward, as much as in you lies, quiet- 
 ness, love, and peace, among Christian people, and rever- 
 ently to obey your ordinary, and those to whom is com- 
 mitted the charge and government over you. If ye do 
 these things according as ye then promise, ye will save 
 both yourselves and them that hear you ; but otherwise, 
 after all your preaching unto others, you yourselves will 
 be cast-aways. 
 
 The other inference respects all here present : for 
 from the premises duly weighed, you cannot but all infer 
 both the necessity and dignity of those Holy Orders 
 which are now to be conferred ; the necessity, in that the 
 means of salvation cannot be administered effectually 
 without them ; and the dignity, in that they are effectu- 
 ally administered by them. Upon which account, you 
 cannot but acknowledge there is a real honor and res- 
 pect due to those who are thus ordained, though not for 
 their own, yet for their office sake ; and for his sake, 
 whose officers and ministers they are, in conveying the 
 greatest blessings to you that you are or ever can be 
 capable of. 
 
 Wherefore, as St. Paul said to Timothy, let no man de- 
 spise thy youth, 1 Tim. iv. 12, so say I to you, do not de- 
 spise Christ's clergy for their youth, or poverty, or upon 
 
THE INSTITUTION OF MINISTERS. 67 
 
 any other account whatsoever ; but esteem them as ye 
 ought, for his sake, whose clergy they are : and thank 
 God that you have such a clergy among you, as is or- 
 dained according to Christ's own institution, and endowed 
 with the same Spirit which he breathed into his holy 
 Apostles, handed down from them to us, by a continued 
 and uninterrupted succession ; which is the great glory of 
 our Church, and that which you can never sufficiently 
 thank God for : as considering, that by this means you 
 have the Word and Sacraments so truly and powerfully 
 administered among you, that nothing but the extreme 
 neglect of yourselves can hinder any of you from being 
 happy for ever. 
 
 But that you may all be so, you must not think it 
 enough that you have such a clergy ordained among you, 
 nor that the means of grace are so duly and regularly 
 administered to you, but you must exercise yourselves 
 continually in them, otherwise your having of them will 
 signify nothing, unless it be to sink you lower in the 
 abyss of misery. Neither must you use only some, but 
 all the means that are appointed for the begetting or 
 increasing of true grace and virtue in you. For if you 
 neglect any, you had even as good neglect all ; one being 
 as necessary in its kind as another, and all assisting one 
 another, in -order to the attainment of the end. And 
 after all, though you use the means, and all the means, 
 you must use them only as means ; and therefore not 
 rest in them, nor trust on them, but only upon him who 
 hath appointed them, and hath sent his Holy Spirit to 
 move in them, to make them effectual to the purposes 
 for which they are used. 
 
 Do but this, and you will soon find, by your own ex- 
 perience, what infinite cause you have to bless God for 
 
68 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 your living in a Church where Holy Orders are confer- 
 red, and by consequence the nr\eans of salvation adminis- 
 tered so exactly, according to the institution and appoint- 
 ment of Christ our Saviour : to v^honn, with the Father 
 and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, now and 
 for ever. Amen. 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, UNDER SUCH 
 A MINISTRY. 
 
 Acts ii. 47. 
 
 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. 
 
 The eternal Son of God having taken our nature upon 
 him, and in it, by his one oblation of himself once offered^ 
 made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and 
 satisfaction for the sins of the w^iole world ; he is now 
 able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by 
 him f'Heb. vii. 25). But forasmuch as he took not on him 
 the nature of angels-^ but the seed of Abraham (chap ii. 16), 
 the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own 
 habitation, are all still reserved in everlasting chains, under 
 darkness, unto the judgment of the great day (Jude, ver. 
 6). And as for those who partake of that nature, which 
 he assumed, and in which he suifered, and so are capable 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 69 
 
 of pardon and salvation by him, it is much to be feared, 
 that a great, if not the greatest, part of them also, will, 
 notwithstanding what he hath done and suffered for them, 
 perish everlastingly : not by reason of any defect or in- 
 sufficiency in his merits and power to save them, but by 
 reason of their own obstinacy or negligence, in not per- 
 forming those easy conditions which he requires of them, 
 in order to their being actually vested in that salvation 
 which he hath purchased for them. But whosoever, 
 among the sons of men, will come up to his most gra- 
 cious terms, and submit themselves wholly to be govern- 
 ed and saved by him, he will take care that they shall 
 be certainly saved, and advanced to eternal glory in hea- 
 ven. And for that purpose he always so orders it in his 
 providence, that ail such are first admitted into, and made 
 members of, that Church, which he hath established on 
 earth; as the Holy Ghost here witnesseth, saying. And 
 the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be 
 saved. 
 
 For the better understanding of which words, we shall 
 briefly consider, 
 
 First, What is here meant by the Church. 
 
 Secondly, Who by such as should be saved. 
 
 Thirdly, What by the Lord's adding to the Church 
 daily such as should be saved. 
 
 As for the first, we must remember, that when our 
 Lord was upon earth, he said he would build himself a 
 Church, and that upon such a rock, that the gates of hell 
 should not prevail against it (Matt. xvi. 18). In order 
 whereunto, he first chose twelve persons, called his 
 Apostles, to whom he revealed the design he came into 
 the world about, and the great mysteries of the Gospel ; 
 and then sent them out to acquaint others with what he 
 A* 
 
had taught them, and to work miracles for the confirma- 
 tion of it ; and to admit all as would receive it into their 
 society, by baptizing of them. By which means he soon 
 had a considerable number of disciples ; out of which he 
 selected seventy others, to whom he gave power also to 
 preach the Gospel, and to work miracles j Luke x. 1. And 
 having thus laid the foundation, he soon after purchased 
 to himself an universal Church, with his own most pre- 
 cious blood And rising again the third day, he presently 
 took care to settle the perpetual government of it, by 
 granting to his Apostles the like power and commission, 
 which he had received from his Father for that, purpose. 
 And then he gave them orders to go and preach the Gos^ 
 pel to all nations^ and make them his disciples, by baptiz- 
 ing them in the name of the Father^ and of the Son^ and 
 of the Holy Ghost^ and to teach them all things that he 
 had commanded them ; assuring them withal, that he 
 himself, by his Holy Spirit, would he with them, and their 
 successors, to the end of the world. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. 
 Our Lord having thus done all things which were ne- 
 cessary for the establishment of his Church upon earth, 
 he ascended up into heaven, there also to take the su- 
 preme care of it. And ten days after, upon the day of 
 Pentecost, he, according to his promise, sent down the 
 Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner upon his Apostles, 
 to assist them in speaking the languages of all nations, 
 in order to their conversion, and to set home what they 
 preached upon the hearts of those who heard it : which 
 wrought so effectually with them, that by one short ser- 
 mon preached the same day by St. Peter, about three 
 thousand souls received the word gladly, and were baptized. 
 Acts ii. 41. And from that day forward, many others did 
 80 J who therefore in my text are said to be added to the 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 71 
 
 Churchy that is, to the society or congregation of the 
 faithful before described ; consisting of the Apostles, as 
 the governors of it, and of such as were joined to them, 
 and held communion with them in the Word and Sacra- 
 ments, which our Lord had instituted. 
 
 And when the said society was dispersed, as it soon 
 was, over the whole world, it was still the same, and re- 
 tained the same name, being still called the Church. 
 And not only the whole, but wheresoever any part of it 
 was settled in any city, and the territories belonging to 
 it, that also was called the Church of that city ; as the 
 Church of Jerusalem, the Church of Corinth, &c. And 
 wheresoever there were several such cities and Churches 
 in them belonging to any province or country, they are 
 called the Churches of that country ; as the Churches 
 of Asia, Macedonia, &c. But as every private Christian 
 is a member of some particular Church, so is every par- 
 ticular Church a member of the catholic or universal, 
 which is always meant, when we read in Scripture of 
 the Church in general, without the addition of place or 
 country. And where it is said, that Christ also loved the 
 Churchy Eph. v. 25. and Christ is the head of the Church, 
 ver. 23, so here, and the Lord added to the Church daily 
 such as should be saved, abi'C,ouevovg^ or such as are saved, 
 as the word may be rendered ; but the sense is much the 
 same ; for our salvation plainly begins in this life, al- 
 though it be perfected only in the other. It commenceth 
 from our repentance and conversion ; from our being 
 saved from our sins, or from this untoward generation. 
 Acts ii. 40, as the Apostle in this chapter words it. And 
 they, and only they, who are thus saved from their sins 
 upon earth, can ever attain to the salvation of their souls 
 in heaven. By such therefore as are or should be saved^ 
 
72 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 we are to understand such as being pricked in their 
 hearts, and convinced of their former errors in opinion 
 and practice, do heartily repent them, and gladly receive 
 the word, and embrace the terms propounded in the Gos- 
 pel, for the pardon of their sins, and for the assistance of 
 God's grace and Spirit, that they may so serve him here, 
 as to enjoy him for ever. Such as these, which shall 
 certainly be saved, the Lord daily added to the Church. 
 
 What we are to understand by that phrase, even the 
 Lord's adding them to the Churchy may be easily and 
 clearly gathered from the context : for these doubtless 
 were added to the Church after the same manner as the 
 3000 were upon the day of Pentecost. Now of those 
 it is here said, that they were baptized. Acts ii. 41, which 
 was the way that our Lord had instituted for the admis- 
 siorr of any into his Church. And then it follows in the 
 next verse, that they continued steadfastly in the Apostles^ 
 doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in 
 prayers, Acts ii. 42, that is, they constantly professed to 
 believe the doctrine delivered by the Apostles ; they held 
 constant communion or fellowship with them, as became 
 members of that society, whereof the Apostles and their 
 successors were deputed governors by Christ himself; 
 they frequented the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 
 and the public prayers of the Church. By which means 
 they were so added to the Church, as to continue in it, 
 and neglect no duty which was enjoined or performed by 
 it. And thus questionless it was, that the Lord after- 
 wards also added to the Church daily such as should be 
 saved. 
 
 A thing much to be observed ; especially when the 
 Church of Christ is so slighted and undervalued, as it is 
 in our days : for it is plain from these words, that our 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 73 
 
 Lord did not only thus add to his Church daily such as 
 should be saved; but he hath left it upon record, that all 
 generations might know that he did so, and, by conse- 
 quence, that all which shall be saved, must be added to 
 the Church as they were. Forasmuch as this being the 
 way and method that he hath settled in the world for the 
 saving of souls, or for the applying that salvation to 
 them, which he hath purchased for them ; we have no 
 ground to expect that he should ever recede from it, es- 
 pecially considering how strictly he himself hath observ- 
 ed it, even to a miracle ; as might easily be shown from 
 several instances in the holy Scripture. I shall mention 
 only three, which are very remarkable. 
 
 The first shall be that of Cornelius the centurion, 
 whose prayers and alms being gone up for a memorial 
 before God, God was pleased to send down an angel to 
 him. What to do } To reveal the mysteries of the 
 Gospel to him ? To tell him what he must believe and 
 do, that he might be saved ? No ; his commission was 
 only to direct Cornelius to send for Peter the Apostle of 
 Christ, who should tell him what he ought to do. Acts x. 
 6. And at the same time that he sent for him, Peter had 
 a vision from heaven, whereby he was fully assured, that 
 he ought to receive the said Cornelius into the Church ; 
 and therefore he accordingly did so. From whence we 
 may observe, what care our Lord took, what supernatu- 
 ral means he used, to bring Cornelius into his Church, in 
 order to his saving of him. 
 
 The next instance shall be that of the eunuch, trea- 
 surer to Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who having 
 been at Jerusalem to worship God, the angel of the Lord 
 spake to Philip to go to such a place. Acts viii. 26. 
 When he came there, he saw the eunuch sitting in a 
 
^4 
 
 chariot, and the Spirit bade him to go near to that chariot ; 
 •which when he had done, he heard the eunuch read the 
 prophet Isaiah. From whence Philip took occasion to 
 expound the whole Gospel to him ; insomuch that, be- 
 fore they parted, he was baptized, ver. 38, and so added 
 to the Church. At the same time that the Lord sent his 
 angel to order Philip to go and meet the eunuch, he 
 could have sent him directly to the eunuch himself. 
 And when the Spirit spake to Philip, to join himself to 
 the chariot where the eunuch was, he could, if he had 
 pleased, have spoken to the eunuch himself, and have 
 caused him to understand the Scriptures without the as- 
 sistance of any man. But it seems that our Lord having 
 now established his Church upon earth, as he would not 
 send his angel to do it, so neither would the Spirit him- 
 self undertake to direct the eunuch how he might be 
 saved loithout the Church ; but only to bring him into the 
 Churchy that so he might be saved. 
 
 But that which is most of all to be observed in this 
 case, is the conversion of St. Paul ; to whom our Lord 
 himself was pleased to appear in a miraculous manner, 
 and to converse familiarly with him : and yet he himself 
 would not m.ake known any part of the Gospel to him ; 
 no, not so much as that he was the Christ, but only that 
 he was Jesus whom he persecuted. Yea, although Saul 
 asked him particularly, what he would have him to do, 
 yet our Lord would not tell him himself, but sends him 
 to the Church to know it ; Arise^ saith he, go into the 
 city., and it shall be told thee what thou must do., Acts ix. 
 6. And then he appeared miraculously to Ananias, one 
 of his disciples in that city, and ordered him to go to 
 Saul, and acquaint him with what he must do. By 
 which means he, being fully instructed in the Gospel, 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 75 
 
 was baptized^ and so brought him into the Church- From 
 all which it is plain and evident, that our- Lord is so re- 
 solved to add those who shall be saved to his Churchy that 
 he would rather work miracles to bring men into it, than 
 save any without it. 
 
 Seeing therefore that the Holy Ghost hath so positively 
 affirmed, that the Lord added to the Church such as 
 should be saved, and likewise hath given us such extra- 
 ordinary instances of it ; it is no wonder that the Fathers so 
 frequently assert, that there is no salvation to be had out 
 of Christ's holy catholic Church ; but that whosoever 
 would be a member of the Church triumphant in heaven, 
 must first be a member of the Church here militant on 
 earth. Cyprian, ep. 62. ad Pompon, ep. 73. ad Jubajan. 
 Ambros. in Psal. xl. Augiistin. ep. ad Dona, post colL 
 de sijmb. ad catech. lib. iv. c. 10. 
 
 Now that which I principally design, in discoursing 
 upon this subject, is, to inquire into the reasons of it : 
 not that I think it necessary or possible for us fully to 
 understand that infinite reason which our Lord hath for 
 all his actions, and in a particular manner for this. It is 
 sufficient for us that we know, that he is both able and 
 willing to save us, and that this is the way wherein he is 
 pleased to do it. And therefore we, who can never be 
 saved any other way but by him, are obliged by our own 
 interest to submit to it, whether we apprehend any rea- 
 son for it or no. Howsoever, seeing it is a matter 
 wherein the glory of his name, the honor of his Church, 
 and the welfare of our own souls, is so highly concerned, 
 by his leave and assistance, which I humbly beg his Di- 
 vine Majesty to vouchsafe unto me, I shall present you 
 with some such considerations, from whence ye may 
 
7© SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 conclude it to be both reasonable and necessary, that 
 they who shall he saved, should be added to the Church. 
 For, first, it is acknowledged by all Christians, that in 
 order to our being saved by Christ, it is necessary that 
 we know and believe his Gospel, and the fundamental 
 truths revealed in it. And therefore as God would have 
 all men to be saved, so for that purpose he would have 
 them come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. 
 But it is as plain also, that, as things now stand, w^e can- 
 not come to the knowledge of the truth, but only by the 
 Church, which is the witness and keeper of holy writ, 
 and so, as the Apostle saith, the pillar and ground of 
 truth, 1 Tim. iii. 15, by which the truth is upheld and 
 maintained in the world, the Gospel preserved and propa- 
 gated, and so true religion, and the way of salvation by 
 Christ, is divulged and made known to mankind. Inso- 
 much, that although I do not doubt, but that whilst the 
 Church was confined to one family, God, the Creator 
 and Preserver of all mankind, did manifest in an extra- 
 ordinary manner, to some that were not of that Church : 
 yet now that the partition-wall is broken down, and the 
 Church dispersed over the whole world ; now, I say, we 
 have no ground to expect any such extraordinary revela- 
 tions ; but they that would know the only true God, and 
 Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, must go to the Church for 
 it ; where they may read the Scriptures, and have them 
 truly interpreted to them, and so fully understand what 
 God would have them to believe concerning himself and 
 his son. For what greater revelations can be expected, 
 than either by an angel, or by the Spirit, or else by our 
 blessed Saviour ^ Yet, in the instances before mention- 
 ed, we see that the anger would not instruct Cornelius, 
 the Spirit would not instruct the eunuch, our Lord him- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 77 
 
 self would not instruct Saul, in the articles of the Chris- 
 tian faith ; but they all sent them, every one his man, to 
 the Churchy to be instructed by her. Wherefore seeing 
 we cannot be saved without the knowledge of the Gos- 
 pel, or know the Gospel, but by the Church ; it is no 
 wonder that the Lord added to the Church daihj such as 
 should be saved. 
 
 Moreover, as we cannot come to the knowledge of 
 God's word but by his Church, so neither can we rightly 
 believe what is there revealed, nor duly perform what is 
 there commanded, without the assistance of God's Holy 
 Spirit, which is given by the ministry of the Church, 
 and shall abide with it for ever, as our Lord hath promised. 
 For the promise being made only to Christ's disciples, 
 John xix. 26, and so to his Church, none but such as are 
 of that society can receive any benefit by it. And there- 
 fore when they who heard St. Peter's sermon were soli- 
 citous to know what to do, the Apostle said to them, 
 Repent, and be bajytized, in the name of Jesus Christ, for 
 the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the 
 Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 38. Plainly implying, that they 
 must first be baptized, and so received into the Church, 
 before the Holy Ghost would come upon them. There 
 are many such passages in the New Testament, which 
 clearly show that they only which are of the Church can 
 partake of the Spirit which is in it ; that they only who 
 are members of that body, whereof Christ is head, can 
 be influenced and assisted by that blessed Spirit which 
 flows from him. And this certainly is one great reason 
 why the Lord added to the Church such as should be 
 saved. 
 
 But that which I intend, by the blessing of God, to 
 insist chiefly upon, is taken from the method and means 
 
78 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 of salvation, which are used in the Church, and nowhere 
 else, as they ought to be. I know it is by Christ only 
 that we can attain to salvation, and that it is by the 
 Spirit only that we can be fitted and qualified for it. But 
 howsoever we must not, we cannot expect that he should 
 act upon us immediately from himself, without the use of 
 those means which he himself hath prescribed for that 
 end ; for he would never have prescribed them, but that 
 he designed to act by them. I know also that the effi- 
 cacy of the Word and Sacraments, and all the means of 
 grace which he hath ordained, are not to be ascribed to 
 themselves, but only to his Spirit moving in them, and 
 working together with them. But howsoever, in that he 
 makes use of those means in his working upon us, it is 
 necessary that we also make use of them, if we desire 
 to be wrought upon by him : and by consequence, that 
 we be added to and continue in the Churchy if we would 
 he saved ; forasmuch, as it is there only that we can en- 
 joy those means, which our Saviour hath appointed in 
 order thereunto. 
 
 To prove this, we need only consider the means which 
 Christ's holy Catholic Church hath prescribed out of his 
 word, and the excellent course she takes to train up her 
 children for heaven, and fit them to converse with the 
 holy angels, and with Christ himself in the other world : 
 for he that duly considers this, will soon acknowledge, 
 that the like is nowhere else to be found, but only in the 
 Church. 
 
 But how shall we know what the catholic Church hath 
 always done in this case ? Must we read over the 
 Councils, consult the Fathers, and search the records 
 of the Church in all ages ? No ; we need not give our- 
 selves that trouble : for whatsoever means of grace and 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 79 
 
 salvation have been used by the catholic Church in all 
 ages, the same, and none else, are to this day used by our 
 own. Insomuch that if we do bat cast our eye upon 
 the Church we live in, we may in that, as in a mirror, 
 behold the constant practice of the universal Church, in 
 all things necessary to men's salvation. 
 
 This therefore is that which I shall now do, even 
 briefly survey the constitution of our Church, and con- 
 sider the excellent method observed in it for the bringing 
 of souls to heaven. In order whereunto, I must first 
 premise one thing in general ; which is, that the bishops 
 and pastors of our Church having, by successive imposi- 
 tion of hands, continued all along from the Apostles, re- 
 ceived the same Spirit which was breathed into them ; 
 and so regularly succeeding the Apostles, and supplying 
 now their places in this part of the world, hence they 
 cannot but have the same power and authority which the 
 Apostles had, to confer, by the laying on of their hands, 
 as they did, both the Spirit which they themselves re- 
 ceived, and so their whole office, upon other bishops ; 
 and likewise so much of it as is necessary for the right 
 administration of the Word and Sacraments to other in- 
 ferior officers in the Church, which we call priests and 
 deacons : of which there are so many ordained every 
 year by the imposition of their hands, that our whole 
 Church is sufficiently supplied with them. So that 
 there is no parish, or particular congregation of Chris- 
 tians in the whole kingdom, but hath, or may have, a 
 priest thus ordained, and so rightly qualified for the 
 eflectual administration of the Word and Sacraments, 
 and other means of grace and salvation among them : 
 the Spirit which they have received being always ready, 
 at the execution of their several offices, to bless and 
 
80 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 sanctify what is done by them, to the sanctification and 
 salvation of those who attend upon it, and prepare them-- 
 selves for it as they ought. 
 
 But, seeing the means of grace, thus administered by 
 them, become effectual to the purposes for which they 
 are used, only by this, viz. the co-operation of Christ's 
 Spirit with them ; hence all that desire or expect any 
 real benefit from them, must look higher than the means 
 themselves, trusting upon God for his blessing upon them, 
 and for the assistance of his Spirit in them, according to 
 the promises which he hath made to that purpose ; 
 without which, we have no ground to expect they 
 should be performed to us. 
 
 This being premised concerning the means of grace in 
 general, we shall now consider them particularly, in the 
 same method wherein the catholic, or, which is all one, 
 our Church appoints them to be used : by which we 
 shall clearly see, what an excellent course she takes to 
 bring up her children in the true faith and fear of God, 
 and so to make them heirs to the crown of glory. For 
 which purpose it is necessary that we begin at the first 
 admission of them into her communion by baptism. 
 Concerning which we may observe, that the errors and 
 iniquities of the times and place we live in are such, that 
 there are many heathens amongst us, persons of riper 
 years, and yet not baptized : for whose sakes, therefore, 
 our Church, to show her readiness to receive them, upon 
 their repentance and conversion, hath appointed an office 
 for baptizing of them : for which there was no occasion 
 in this nation, for many ages, until now. But although 
 there be many such persons now among us absolutely 
 considered, yet they are but very few, in comparison of 
 those who are baptized in their infancy : and therefore I 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 81 
 
 shall begin with those, and concern myself no further at 
 present with the other. 
 
 A child, therefore, being born of Christian parents, and 
 by them offered to the Church to be received into her so- 
 ciety, the Church, in obedience to Christ's command, 
 according to the practice of the universal Church, ex- 
 presseth her wiUingness to receive it. But withal, con- 
 sidering the frailty and mortality of the parents, she 
 require th some other persons, called godfathers and god- 
 mothers, to be specially present at it, as witnesses, 
 proxies, and sureties. As witnesses, to attest upon occa- 
 sion, that this child M'^as baptized : as proxies for the 
 child, by whom he may promise (or they in his name) 
 that he will perform the conditions of the covenant 
 which he is now admitted into : and, lastly, as sureties 
 to the Church, that this child shall be brought up in the 
 Christian religion. So great care doth our Church take, 
 that all who are admitted into her society, may believe 
 and live as becometh Christians. 
 
 By these, therefore, the child being brought to the 
 Church, it is there presented to the Lord (as Christ was 
 in the temple), whose minister finding it there, and un- 
 derstanding that it hath not been baptized, puts the peo- 
 ple in mind of the necessity of baptism, and exhorts them 
 to pray that this child may have it administered effectu- 
 ally to him. Upon which, the whole congregation there 
 present join with him in supplicating the Most High God, 
 that he would wash and sanctify this child, so that it may 
 be saved. Then the minister reads to them part of the 
 Gospel concerning the children that were brought to 
 Christ, draws some plain and proper inferences from it, 
 and gives God thanks for the same. After that, he 
 addresseth himself to the sureties, and acquaints them. 
 
82 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 that as Christ hath promised to hear their prayers for this 
 child, which they have now brought to him ; so th6 
 child must for his part promise, by them his sureties, 
 that he will renounce the devil and all his works, con- 
 stantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep his 
 commandments. Which being accordingly done, by 
 questions propounded by the minister in the name of the 
 Church, and answered by the sureties in the name of 
 the child ; the minister prayeth, that the child may have 
 grace to perform what he hath now promised. And then 
 having asked by what name they would have the child 
 called, he poureth water upon it, and, calling it by that 
 name, he saith, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Which being 
 the very words wherewith our Lord commanded this 
 sacrament should be administered, the child is now fully 
 and perfectly baptized. And to testify her acknowledg- 
 ment that it is so, the Church immediately receiveth it 
 into her communion, and solemnly declareth it to be now 
 a Christian, not only by words, but also by making a 
 cross upon the child's forehead, the common sign where- 
 by Christians were always distinguished from Jews and 
 Heathens : the minister saying, in the name of the 
 Church, We receive this child into the congregation of 
 Chrisfs flock, and do sign it with the sign of the cross, &c. 
 After which the minister stirs up the people there present 
 to give God thanks for this favor, and to pray unto him 
 that this child may lead the rest of his life according to 
 this beginning. Which done, he puts the sureties in 
 mind of their duty, now incumbent upon them, to see 
 that the child be taught, so soon as he shall be able to 
 learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession he 
 hath made by them, and all other things which a Chris- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 83 
 
 tian ought to know and believe to his soul's health ; and 
 then to bring it to the bishop to be confirmed by him. 
 
 This is, in short, the substance of that excellent 
 Office, which our Church hath appointed for the public 
 baptism of infants. But in case of extreme necessity, 
 lest the child should die without it, she admitteth of pri- 
 vate baptism, and absolutely pequireth no more in the 
 administration of it, than what is essential to it, even 
 that the child be baptized with water, in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. But if 
 it lives, she requireth that it be afterwards brought to the 
 church, and that whatsoever was before omitted of the 
 public Office, be there performed to it. 
 
 Now the Church having thus gotten a new member 
 added to her, and taken security for its education in the 
 faith of Christ ; for the better performance of it, she hath 
 drawn up a short Catechism for the child to learn (when 
 he is able), consisting of all things necessary for it to 
 know, and nothing else. And that she may be certified 
 whether the child hath learnt it or no, and likewise con- 
 tribute what she can towards his understanding all and 
 everything contained in the said Catechism, she com- 
 mands that the minister of the parish where he lives do 
 frequently and openly in the church examine and instruct 
 him in it. 
 
 By this means, therefore, this new Christian, now come 
 to years of discretion, understanding what his sureties 
 promised in his name when he was baptized, is by them, 
 or some other, brought to the bishop, to be confirmed by 
 him. In order whereunto, he, in the presence of God 
 and of the congregation there assembled, renews the 
 solemn promise and vow which was then made in his 
 name, ratifying and confirming the same in his own per- 
 
84 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 son, and acknowledging himself bound to believe and 
 do all those things which his godfathers and godmothers 
 then undertook for him. And that he may be enabled so 
 to do, the bishop, with the whole congregation there pre- 
 sent, jointly pray to God to assist and strengthen him 
 with his grace and Spirit. And then the bishop, after 
 the example of the holy Apostles, lays his hand upon 
 the child's head, and prays to God for him, saying, De- 
 fend., O Lord, this thy child with thy heavenly grace, &c. 
 After w^iich the whole congregation join again with the 
 bishop in some other prayers to the same purpose. All 
 which being duly performed as it ought, cannot certainly 
 but be very effectual to the great ends and purposes for 
 which it is used ; as Christians in all ages have found by 
 their own experience. 
 
 Our Christian being thus confirmed, he is now looked 
 upon in the «ye of the Church as no longer a minor, but 
 of full age to receive and enjoy all the blessings and pri- 
 vileges which his heavenly Father in the holy Gospel 
 hath settled upon him. And therefore his spiritual 
 guardians, the godfathers and godmothers, being discharg- 
 ed, he is now to stand upon his own legs : and well he 
 may, having so indulgent, pious, and wise a mother upon 
 earth, as the Church is, to take care of him. For if he 
 be but dutiful and obedient to her, and follow those good 
 directions which she gives him, there is no fear of falling. 
 For she considers what potent enemies he ^s to fight 
 with ; that the flesh, the world, and the devil, which he 
 renounced, will all strive to recover their possession of 
 him ; and therefore she, out of God's word, furnisheth 
 him with such spiritual armor, that if he be not failing 
 to himself in the use of it, he may not only withstand, 
 but conquer them all. She considers every distemper he 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 85 
 
 can be^subject to, and finding suitable remedies prescrib- 
 ed for it in the Holy Scriptures, she directs him how to 
 apply them, so as to prevent or cure it. In short, she 
 considers the great work he has to do, no less than to 
 work out his salvation with fear and trembling ^^hat he can 
 never do it without the assistance of God's Spirit, and 
 that he hath no ground to expect any such assistance, but 
 in the use of those means which God hath appointed 
 for that end ; hence she often calls upon him to use those 
 means, instructs him how to do it aright, assists him in 
 it, and so keeps him in continual exercise and employ- 
 ment about the work he hath to do, that he may be 
 saved. 
 
 For in the first place, considering that in order to the 
 preventing those many sins which are occasioned by the 
 prevaihng humors of the body, and also to the preserv- 
 ing his mind in a fit temper, both to perform his duties 
 unto God, and to receive divine illuminations and assist- 
 ances from him, it is necessary to keep his body always 
 under ; and considering likewise, that God himself hath 
 for that very purpose commanded not only temperance at 
 all times, but at some times abstinence and fasting ; hence 
 the Church hath set apart some certain days every year, 
 whereon her son, we now speak of, should by fasting 
 bring his body into a constant subjection to his soul ; 
 lest otherwise, if there were no set times appointed for 
 it, he should be, as most are, too apt to neglect it, and 
 never fast .at all, or at most, but very seldom, and so to 
 no purpose. 
 
 Now the days which she directs him to spend in fast- 
 ing are the forty days of Lent, according to the custom 
 of the Catholic Church, every year before Easter ; and 
 the three Rogation-days immediately preceding Holy- 
 5 • 
 
86 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLYj 
 
 Thursday. Besides which, she appoints three days, viz. 
 Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, in each of the four 
 Ember-weeks, whereon to fast, not only for the purposes 
 aforesaid, but likewise that he may the more effectually 
 implore a blessing both upon the bishops who are to or- 
 dain, and upon those who shall be ordained to any holy 
 function the Sunday following ; which if he neglect to 
 do, he must blame himself, if any unworthy persons be 
 then admitted into the sacred ministry of the Church. 
 Whereas, if he perform his duty aright at that time, he 
 may upon good grounds expect a greater blessing from 
 the Word and Sacraments administered by those who are 
 then ordained. Be sure his prayers will, one time or 
 other, return into his own bosom : and therefore, I 
 heartily wish, that all the devout and pious souls in the 
 Church would, after the example of Christ and his Apos- 
 tles, join together in fasting and praying, upon so 
 solemn occasions as those are. What a glorious Church, 
 what an excellent clergy, should we then have ! But to 
 return to our Christian : the Lent-fast coming but once 
 a year, and the Ember-weeks but once a quarter, for fear 
 lest his body should in the mean time grow rampant, or 
 his passions headstrong and unruly, the Church orders 
 him to fast one day in every week, viz. Friday, the day 
 whereon our Lord was crucified ; as also, the eves or 
 vigils of some certain holy-days, the better to perform 
 the duties, and to praise God for the mercies commemo- 
 rated the day following. And if he be temperate in all 
 things, and besides that, observes these prescribed by our 
 Church, as really days of fasting and abstinence, it is 
 very much if his body be not kept in due subjection to 
 his soul. But if at any time he finds it is not, he may 
 add some more days as he sees occasion : especially Wed- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 87 
 
 nesdays, which were also observed by the primitive 
 Christians, and upon which our Church hath appointed 
 the Litany to be used, as well, as upon Fridays. And 
 whatsoever degrees of grace and virtue he shall attain to, 
 he nnust never think, that so long as he continues in 
 health, he stands in no need of fasting : as considering, 
 that the great Apostle himself was forced to keep his body 
 tinder, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, 
 when he had preached unto others, he himself should be a 
 cast-away^ 1 Cor. ix. 27. 
 
 By this means, therefore, our Christian keeping his 
 mind continually serene, and free from any annoyance 
 or disturbance from the humors of the body, is always 
 in a right disposition to receive such impressions as are 
 necessary to the making him a real and true saint ; which 
 that he may be, the Church useth all the means she can, 
 to keep his soul continually possessed with a deep sense 
 of God, and with as high apprehensions of the great 
 mysteries of the Gospel, as it is capable of. For which 
 purpose she so orders it, that everything relating to the 
 public service, which she requires him to perform to God, 
 as well as the service itself, strikes an awe and rever- 
 ence of the Divine Majesty into him, as being set apart 
 and appropriated only to that use. Thus she appoints 
 some certain days, wherein to lay aside all other business, 
 and apply himself wholly to this ; especially she, out of 
 God's own word, enjoins him to keep holy the first day 
 in every week ; which is therefore called the Lord's-day^ 
 because devoted to his service. Besides which, to keep 
 the great mysteries of the Gospel always fresh in his mind 
 and memory she prescribes him some certain days every 
 year, whereon to commemorate the Nativity, Circumci- 
 sion, and Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, his Pre- 
 
88 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 sentation in the temple, his Passion, Resurrection, and 
 Ascension, and his Mission of the Holy Ghost ; the An- 
 nunciation of the Blessed Virgin ; v/ith the lives and 
 deaths of the Apostles and Evangelists, who did not only 
 propagate the Gospel in the world, bnt sealed it too with 
 their own blood. For the very setting apart of these and 
 the like days for the pubhc worshipping of God, condu- 
 ceth very much to his remembering and understanding 
 the great things transacted on them ; and so to his better 
 apprehending and admiring the power and goodness of 
 God discovered in them. 
 
 And for this reason also it is, that she requires him to 
 perform his public devotions to God, in God's own house, 
 a place consecrated wholly to him and his service. And 
 for his better doing of it there, she appoints one of God's 
 own ministers, a person set apart for that very office, to 
 assist him in it. And she commands this person, at that 
 time, to be in a different habit from what he w^ears at any 
 other time ; and all to take off our Christian's thoughts, 
 as much as may be, from all things else, and to fix them 
 only upon God, and the great work he is now about ; the 
 place, the minister, the habit, every one putting him in 
 mind that he is not now about any common or worldly 
 employment ; but in the special presence of Almighty God, 
 worshipping him, and therefore, both in soul and body, 
 should carry himself accordingly w^ith reverence and 
 godly fear. 
 
 And then as for the service itself, the Church hath 
 provided him such a Liturgy, wherein all things are done 
 to his edifying. So that he can never come to God's 
 house, but, if it be not his own fault, he may return 
 home again wiser and better than he came ; for he can 
 want for nothing, but he there prays for it ; he can 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 89 
 
 have nothing, but he there gives God thanks for it ; he 
 can be ignorant of nothing that is needful for him to 
 know, but he is there taught it. And, lest he should at 
 any time be seduced into error, or tempted to sin : lest 
 he should grow flat in his devotions, cool in his charity, 
 remiss in any duty to God or man, or careless of his own 
 eternal good ; she hath ordered the holy Scriptures to be 
 often expounded, or a Sermon preached to him ; and 
 that too, not by any one that will undertake it (for then 
 the remedy might prove worse than the disease), but by 
 one who, by fasting and prayer, and the solemn imposi- 
 tion of the bishop's hands, is ordained to that office ; by 
 one who hath subscribed to all the Articles of religion ; 
 by one who hath publicly declared his unfeigned assent 
 and consent to the use of all things contained and pre- 
 scribed in the Book of Common Prayer ; by one approved 
 of, and licensed thereunto, by the bishop of the diocese ; 
 who, if he find just cause for it, is empowered and oblio-ed 
 to take away his license again, and to suspend him from 
 the execution of his office. So that if our Christian lives 
 under a minister that doth not act according to the rules, 
 or doth not preach according to the doctrine, of the 
 Gospel, or doth not perform his duty in everything as he 
 ought ; it is, in a great measure, his own fault, in that 
 he doth not acquaint the bishop with it, whose office it 
 is to redress such grievances as these are. So that if he 
 will himself, he may be sure to have the word of God 
 rightly, duly, and constantly administered to him : and 
 not only the Word, but likewise the Sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper, which he is required to receive as often 
 as possibly he can, to put him in mind of what his 
 Saviour hath done and suffered for his sins ; and so to 
 eonfirm^his feith in him, inflame his love to him, and to 
 
90 
 
 dispose and qualify him the better to converse with 
 Christ in heaven ; to which nothing contributes more 
 than frequent address to him in this holy Sacrament upon 
 earth. 
 
 Thus therefore it is, that he who holds constant Com- 
 munion with our Church, is continually employed by 
 her, about some or other of those means, which Christ 
 hath ordained for his salvation, and to which he hath pro- 
 mised the assistance of his own Spirit. By virtue where- 
 of, the Christian we have hitherto discoursed of is enabled 
 to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly ^ 
 righteously J and godly in this present world. But having 
 spent some time in such holy exercises as these are, we 
 must suppose him at length to be seized with some dis- 
 temper, in order to his departure into the other world : 
 and then the Church, to show her great care of him to 
 the last, requires the minister of the parish where he 
 lives to go and give him a solemn visit. And that he 
 may be sure to have the best directions that can be given 
 him at that great juncture, she herself hath drawn up an 
 Order for the visitation of him, and likewise for the ad- 
 ministration of the holy Communion to him ; which is 
 the best cordial he can take to support his spirits, and 
 carry him through the great work he hath now to do. 
 And when it hath pleased Almighty God, of his great 
 mercy, to take unto himself the soul of this our dear 
 brother, the minister, by order and in the name of the 
 Church, commits his body to the ground, in certain and 
 sure hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Thus we see how our Christian, from his first admis- 
 sion into the Church militant upon earth, is conducted 
 and governed all along by her, until at length he is ad- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 91 
 
 vanced to the Church triumphant in heaven. From 
 whence it is easy to observe what an excellent method 
 she proceeds in, and what effectual means she useth, for 
 the attaining so great an end ; and, by consequence, how 
 necessary it is for all of us to be so added to the Churchy 
 as to continue steadfast in her communion, and carefully 
 to follow all her directions, if ever we desire to be saved. 
 For although I have instanced only in one single person, 
 we are all equally concerned in what has been said of 
 him : yea, every one of us should look upon himself as 
 the person spoken of all along. For I hope we are all 
 baptized, and so admitted into the Church, as I supposed 
 him to be : and therefore if we do but observe these 
 rules, which she out of God's holy word hath laid before 
 us, as I supposed him to do, there is no doubt but that 
 we also ere long shall be glorified saints in the heavens. 
 
 But I am very sensible, that for all the great care that 
 our Church taketh of all her children, many of them are 
 very undutiful and disobedient to her, and so careless of 
 their own salvation, that they do not only neglect, but 
 despise, the means which she administers for the attain- 
 ment of it. But what then doth she do with such as 
 these .'' In short, she in great wisdom and prudence 
 makes use-of all the fair means that can be thought of for 
 the reclaiming of them. But if that will not do, she deli- 
 vers them over to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, 
 that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. But 
 seeing the excellency of our Church appeareth in the 
 exercise of her power, as much as in anything else, it 
 may not be amiss if we take a short view of that wise 
 and excellent method which she observeth in it. 
 
 First, therefore, our Church being, by the blessing of 
 God, of the same extent with the kingdom in which we 
 
92 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 live, and as so, subject to the same prince, as its su- 
 preme governor upon earth ; for the better management 
 of that power which Christ hath left with it, it is divided 
 into two provinces, over each of which there is an arch- 
 bishop : each province is sub-divided into several dioceses, 
 over every one whereof there is a bishop : in every 
 diocese there is one or more archdeacons : every archdea- 
 conry is divided into several deaneries, and every deanery 
 into several parishes. And in every parish, as there is a 
 priest rightly ordained for the administration of the Word 
 and Sacraments, to all the Christians that live there ; so 
 there are other officers, called church-v/ardens, chosen 
 every year, and appointed not only to look to the fabric of 
 the church belonging to the said parish, and to provide 
 all things necessary for the worshipping of God in it, but 
 likewise to inspect the lives and actions of all the Chris- 
 tians that live there ; to take notice of all that live in 
 any notorious sin, or neglect the means which God hath 
 ordained for their salvation, and to certify and present 
 their names to such officers as the Church hath appoint- 
 ed to consider what to do in such cases. And although 
 such persons, being Christians, are obliged by their reli- 
 gion to take all the care they can of their neighbors' 
 souls, and therefore to acquaint the Church with their 
 evil and pernicious courses, that she may interpose her 
 power for the reclaiming of them ; yet to bind them more 
 strictly to it, when they are admitted into that office, they 
 take a solemn oath, in the presence of Almighty God, 
 truly and faithfully to execute the same, to the best of 
 their skill and knowledge. And that none of them may 
 be ignorant of what they are to present, they have Arti- 
 cles of Inquiry delivered to them, wherein all and 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTKY. 93 
 
 every thing and person presentable is plainly and distinct- 
 ly set down. 
 
 And as this is certainly the best and surest way that 
 the Church could ever find out, whereby to understand 
 which of her members either neglect those duties which 
 should further their salvation, or commit such sins as will 
 impede and hinder it ; so is the course too that she takes 
 for the correcting and reforming them. For as the 
 church-wardens are obliged to make their presentments 
 twice a year, and may do it oftener if occasion require 
 it ; so is the bishop obliged to go about his diocese once 
 every three years, that he may understand the state of 
 the flock committed to him, of which he must one day 
 give a strict account to the great Shepherd of souls. 
 And lest anything should happen in the mean time, that 
 may require a more speedy examination, he, according 
 to the custom of the primitive and catholic Church, hath 
 one or more archdeacons under him, canonically ordain- 
 ed, authorized, and required, every one to visit so much 
 of the diocese, as is under his jurisdiction, once a year, 
 or oftener, if need be, to receive the foresaid present- 
 ments, and to inspect, and, what in him lies, reform all 
 irregularities, either in clergy or laity. And moreover, 
 that the Church may never want an opportunity of being 
 informed of any misdemeanors that she is bound to take 
 cognizance of, she hath other officers both under the 
 bishop and archdeacon, who keep her courts all the year 
 long, as occasion happens, and have power to cite all 
 delinquents that are presented, and to examine and try 
 all such ecclesiastical causes and matters as are brought 
 before them. 
 
 But here we must observe, that as the church-wardens 
 of every parish, who present offenders to any of these 
 5* 
 
91 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 courts, are always laymen, so the chancellors, commis- 
 saries, officials, and other officers in these courts, who 
 receive and examine such presentments, are ordinarily, 
 laymen too ; and it is but reasonable, and in some sense 
 necessary, they should be so. For if none but cler- 
 gymen should search into the faults of the laity, the laity 
 might be apt to suspect they were too severely dealt 
 with : whereas being tried by men of their own rank and 
 brotherhood before sentence is passed upon them, they 
 cannot blame the Church for it, nor imagine that she can 
 have any other design upon them, but only to do them 
 good, and make them better. Besides that the causes 
 which are brought into these courts are many, and take 
 up a great deal of time before they can be brought to an 
 issue : and therefore, if clergymen only should be em- 
 ployed in them, it would take them off too much from 
 the ministry of the Word and Sacraments, which they 
 are obliged by their office continually to attend : espe- 
 cially considering that the causes are not only many, but 
 diverse too, and some very intricate and mixed ; so that 
 to search into the bottom of them all, and fully to under- 
 stand what is just and meet to be done in every one of 
 them, requires great knowledge and skill in the whole 
 body of the ecclesiastical laws, and the temporal too, 
 so far as they any way concern the Church ; which no 
 man can attain to, without making it his constant busi- 
 ness and study. Which not consisting with the many 
 other duties incumbent upon those who are ordained to 
 any holy function, the Church always found it necessary 
 that her bishops, and all that exercise her jurisdiction un- 
 der them, should have some of her members learned in 
 the laws, to direct and assist them in the administration 
 of it, and under them to transact and try all causes relating 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 95 
 
 thereunto. Which doubtless, all things considered, is the 
 best way the Church could ever think of, whereby to 
 secure her governors from being maligned, her laws from 
 being violated, and so her members from being injured 
 through mistake or ignorance. 
 
 Neither must we look upon this as any novel inven- 
 tion, but as the sense and the practice of the universal 
 Church for many ages : for we find such ecclesiastical 
 officers as those are, mentioned near 1200 years ago by 
 Justinian the Emperor, who, in his Code and Novel, 
 sometimes calls them by their Greek name Ecdicos Ec- 
 clesicB or Eccle.siecdicos, 1. xlii. C. de Episcop. et Cler. : 
 sometimes by the hsitmj Defensores Ecclesue, that is, pro- 
 perly, church-advocatesj ecclesiastical lawyers : and 
 sometimes Episcoporum EcclesiecdicoSj the bishop's ec- 
 clesiastical advocates, lib, vi. C de his qui ad Ecclesiam 
 confiig. Novell 56, which he reckons amongst lay-officers, 
 and yet supposeth them to be in every Church, and to 
 take care of the affairs of it under the bishop, 1. xlii. C, 
 de Episc. et Cler. § 9. 1. xxxiv. C. de Episcop, Au- 
 dientiaj § 5. Before this, we meet with them in the 
 Novels of Valentinian the Third, Valent. Novel, tit. 12. 
 As also in the Canons of the fourth General Council, held 
 at Chalcedon, A. D.451, which requires that clergymen 
 and monks, which stay at Constantinople without having 
 any business there, should be expelled thence by the 
 ecdic, or, as we say, the chancellor, of the Church : 
 Chalced. Can. 23. And elsewhere the same General 
 Council reckons these ecdics, or advocates, ibid. Can 2, 
 amongst those ecclesiastical officers which are not admit- 
 ted into Holy Orders, and yet ought not to give any 
 money for their places. From whence it appears, that 
 these lay-officers were at that time received and estab- 
 
96 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 lished in all the provinces and dioceses of the universal 
 Church : for otherwise this General Council, consisting 
 of above six hundred bishops, gathered together from all 
 parts of the Christian world, would never have made any 
 laws about them. 
 
 How long before this they were brought into the 
 Church, I shall not undertake to determine. Only this 
 we know, that the African bishops assembled in Coun- 
 cil, A. D. 407, Concil. Carthag. Can. 100. edit. Oxon.y 
 made it their request to the emperors Arcadius and Ho- 
 norius, that they might have liberty to choose and con- 
 stitute church-advocates out of those who pleaded in the 
 civil courts, who might manage the affairs, and defend 
 the rights and privileges, of the Church there. And that 
 this request w^as readily granted, is plain from the rescript 
 of the said emperors to that purpose, directed within six 
 months after to the proconsul of Africa, still extant in the 
 Theodosian code, 1. xxxviii. C. T. Episcopis Eccles. et 
 Cler. From whence it seems, that those advocates were 
 not suffered before this time to plead for the Church 
 in the civil courts of Africa ; but it doth not follow but 
 they might be employed before, both there and elsewhere, 
 in the ecclesiastical. And it is very probable that these 
 offices began to be erected, if not before, at least soon 
 after, the empire became Christian, so that the Church 
 had free liberty to exercise her power and authority in it, 
 and was not only allowed to do it, but countenanced and 
 assisted by the secular power. For then there was a 
 necessity for having such officers, not only for the reasons 
 before mentioned, but likewise because the emperors 
 themselves, in favor of the Church, put forth several 
 edicts and laws concerning ecclesiastical persons and mat- 
 ters : which being drawn up in the same form and man- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 97 
 
 ner, and intermixed with the civil laws, could never be 
 duly executed but by persons skilled in the imperial, as 
 well as the ecclesiastical, laws, and in the way and man- 
 ner of proceeding upon them. And therefore from that 
 time forward it was necessary that such advocates, as had 
 been trained up in the civil law, should he-, appointed and 
 empowered to order and manage the ecclesiastical courts 
 under the bishop in every diocese, that so both the laws 
 of the empire that had any relation to the Church, and 
 those which were made by the Church itself, might be 
 duly executed in due form and manner, so as not to con- 
 tradict, but be assistant to, one another. 
 
 But at what time, and for what reasons soever, these 
 officers were first brought into the Church, it is manifest, 
 from the aforesaid Canons of the fourth General Coun- 
 cil, that the universal Church had then received them ; 
 and that they have been all along continued ever since, 
 can be doubted of by none that are conversant in church 
 history. Neither can any man yet imagine, that the uni- 
 versal Church for so many ages together should agree in 
 such a thing as this, but upon very good grounds and 
 reasons. Howsoever, the general practice of the Catho- 
 lic Church is a sufficient obligation as well as warrant to 
 every particular church, to observe the same as near as it 
 can. And therefore it was, that our Church at the Re- 
 formation, looking upon herself as obliged to hold com- 
 munion with the Catholic, as well as to separate from the 
 Romish, Church, retained this ancient and general form 
 of keeping her courts by advocates learned in the civil and 
 canon law ; who are nominated and approved of by the 
 bishop in every diocese, but receive their power and au- 
 thority not only from him, but from the laws of the 
 Church ; yea, and of the State too, there being scarce any 
 
98 SALVATION IN THE CHtfRCH ONLV; 
 
 custom or usa^e (upon which the common law of the 
 land is grounded) in the whole kingdom, that can plead 
 longer prescription than this can. 
 
 But seeing these, as all other courts in the world, may- 
 be liable to abuses and corruptions, to prevent them as 
 much as may be, the Church in her Canons doth not only 
 require a solemn oath to be taken by every one that shall 
 be admitted into any office there. Can. 127, to deal up- 
 rightly and justly in the same, without respect or favor 
 of reward ; but hath likewise provided suitable punish- 
 ments. Can. 134, to be inflicted upon those who shall 
 either neglect their duty, exceed their commission, or do 
 anything unbeseeming the place they are in. And if, not- 
 withstanding all this, any one shall be unjustly dealt with, 
 or but think himself to be so, he may appeal from the 
 lower to the higher courts, from the archdeacon to the 
 bishop, from the bishop to the archbishop, and from him 
 to the queen : who being in all her dominions supreme 
 governor over all persons, in all causes, as well eccle- 
 siastical as temporal, as it is necessary that she should 
 have these ecclesiastical as well as temporal courts under 
 her, where such cases may be judged ; so when they 
 are brought up so high as to herself, they must needs be 
 finally determined, forasmuch as from her no appeal can 
 be to any other court or person upon earth. 
 
 Now these courts being thus established in the Church, 
 when any offender is presented into any of them, he is 
 cited to appear there, which if he neglect or refuse to do, 
 he is pronounced contumacious, one that resisteth or 
 contemneth the power that Christ hath given to his 
 Church, which for many reasons was always judged one 
 of the greatest sins that a Christian can be guilty of : and 
 therefore is proceeded against accordingly. But if he ap- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 99 
 
 pear, his cause is impartially searched into ; and if upon 
 due examination he be found innocent, he is presently 
 discharged : but if he appears to be guilty of any noto- 
 rious crime, which the Church is bound to take notice of, 
 she useth all means possible to bring him to a just sense 
 of his sin, to a hearty repentance for it, and to make what 
 satisfaction he can for the offence that he hath given to all 
 good Christians by it. But if all other means prove in- 
 effectual, she casts him out of her communion, and so 
 from the society of all good Christians, according to the 
 saying of our Lord, If he neglect to hear the Churchy let 
 him be unto thee as an heathen man, and a publican, Matt, 
 xviii. 17. But so, that if he shall afterwards repent and 
 submit himself, the Church is always ready to receive 
 him into her bosom again, there to nourish and provide 
 all things for him, that he may be saved. 
 
 Thus in that of our own, I have briefly run through 
 the whole constitution of the Catholic Church, and the 
 several means that are used in it, and in it only, for the 
 salvation of men's souls, which whosoever seriously con- 
 siders, can never wonder that they who shall be saved^ 
 should be added to the Church. 
 
 Nothing now remains, but to show what influence the 
 consideration of these things should have upon our minds 
 and actions, which shall be soon despatched. For if we 
 recollect what hath been said upon this subject, and lay 
 it so together, that we may take a full view of the whole 
 method observed in the Church, for the making us holy 
 here, and happy for ever, we cannot but easily see, both 
 what necessity there is of our being added to the Church 
 in general, and what infinite cause we have to give our 
 most humble and hearty thanks to God, both for his set- 
 tling and restoring such a Church as this is to us. A 
 
100 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY, 
 
 Church wherein all the means of grace and salvation are 
 so duly and effectually administered to us, that if we be 
 not failing- to ourselves in the use of them, we cannot but 
 be saved. A Church so exactly conformable to the 
 Catholic in all things, that none can separate from her 
 without making a schism in Christ's mystical body, and 
 consequently endangering the salvation of his own soul. 
 A Church so far exceeding those of Rome and Geneva, 
 that would either papists or sectaries lay aside their pre- 
 judices, and impartially consider what our Church is, 
 and compare it with their own, they would need no other 
 arguments to persuade them to return unto her, and to 
 live and die in constant communion with her. A Church, 
 to say no more, as orthodox in its doctrine, as regular in 
 its discipline, as grave and solemn in its worship, as 
 agreeable to Scripture-rules, as well accommodated to the 
 whole design of the Gospel for the bringing of souls to 
 heaven, as any Church in the whole world. And that 
 such a Church as this should be at first planted amongst 
 us, and after it had been destroyed by the malice of the 
 devil and his agents, should be again restored to us by 
 the immediate hand of God, who can think of it without 
 adoring the hand that did if? 
 
 But we must remember to show forth his praise for so 
 great a mercy, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by 
 giving up ourselves wholly to his service, according to the 
 rules and orders of the Church, which he hath thus 
 graciously settled amongst us ; that as we have the best 
 of Churches, we may be likewise the best of people ; and 
 so shame our adversaries on all sides into an hearty com- 
 pliance with our ecclesiastical constitution, by letting 
 them see how far we exceed them in true piety and de- 
 votion, and read the excellency of our Church in the ex- 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 101 
 
 cellency of our lives, who hold communion with her. By 
 this means, as many, by the blessing of God, have been 
 lately added to our Churchy there will be daily more and 
 more. This also would be a most effectual way, where- 
 by to secure and defend our Church against heresy and 
 schism, against popery and superstition, against profane- 
 ness and debauchery, and against all those diabolical stra- 
 tagems and devices, those seditious principles and prac- 
 tices, whereby it was destroyed once, and was like to 
 have been so again but very lately. For if we do but 
 live answerably to the means that we enjoy, and serve, 
 and please, and worship, and obey God, as our Church 
 directs us, we need not fear what men or devils can do 
 against us, nor concern ourselves with what may, or 
 what may not, happen hereafter ; but still trust in God, 
 who as he hath delivered us, he will yet deliver us. We 
 have no cause to doubt of his kindness and favor to our 
 Church, having had so great, so wonderful, experience 
 of it already. 
 
 But for that end, we must be sure to live, as in the 
 true faith and fear of God, so also in humble obedience 
 and steadfast loyalty to the queen ; for that is'absolutely 
 necessary, not only as a duty in itself to God, but like- 
 wise as a means for the supporting our Church, by 
 strengthening the hands of her, whom God is pleased to 
 make the happy instrument of preserving it to us. And 
 therefore I cannot but admire with what confidence we 
 can profess any value or kindness for the Church, and yet 
 talk or act seditiously against the queen : for that is to 
 pretend to uphold the Church with one hand, and to en- 
 deavor in good earnest to pluck it down with the other. 
 Be sure, all the real members of our Church are as faith- 
 ful subjects to the crown ; neither can they be otherwise, 
 
102 
 
 forasmuch as the spirit which runs through the whole 
 body of the cathohc, and by consequence our, Church, 
 as 1 have shown, puts them upon universal obedience to 
 all the commands of God ; and to these amongst the rest, 
 of honoring the king, and being subject and obedient to 
 the higher powers. And hence it is, that as we never 
 heard of any rebels in the primitive Church, so neither 
 are there, nor can be, any such amongst those who are 
 really of ours; which is the great glory of our Church, 
 and a clear demonstration of its apostolical constitution, 
 and that which, if duly considered, would make all the 
 Christian princes in the world endeavor to reform the 
 Churches seated in their dominions according to her pat- 
 tern and example ; and to protect them too, when they 
 are so reformed : although it was for nothing else, but to 
 keep their kingdoms quiet, and so make the government 
 easy to themselves; much more, if they respect their 
 own and their people's souls, that they may be saved. 
 
 But that we may all be so, we must not think it 
 enough to be admitted into the Church, and made visible 
 members of it. For though all that shall be saved, are 
 added to the Church : yet it doth not follow, that all who 
 are so added to the Church, shall be saved. It is true, 
 all such are in a state of salvation, and in the way to it ; 
 but except they continue in that state, and walk in that 
 way, they can nev^er attain to the end of their faith, even 
 the salvation of their souls. 
 
 Wherefore, I humbly pray and advise all that desire 
 in good earnest to be saved, that you would not content 
 yourselves with being members of the Church in gene- 
 ral, nor yet with doing only some of those things which 
 she requireth of you ; but to use all the means, and ob- 
 serve the whole method, which she out of God's holy 
 
UNDER SUCH A MINISTRY. 103 
 
 word hath prescribed for that end ; otherwise you will 
 certainly deprive yourselves of something that would 
 have been very beneficial, if not necessary, for you ; as 
 ye may easily see, if ye will but look back upon that 
 short scheme which I have now given you of it. As, for 
 example, I suppose ye are all baptized, but are ye con- 
 firmed too ? If ye be not, ye still want one of those 
 means which the holy Apostles, and their successors, in 
 all ages, have used, whereby to obtain the gifts and graces 
 of God's Holy Spirit for those who are baptized. And 
 suppose you are confirmed, do ye also observe the seve- 
 ral fasts of the Church ? If ye do not, it will be very 
 difficult, if not impossible, to keep your bodies in that 
 due frame and temper, as that they may be fit temples 
 for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. And supposing ye fast, 
 do ye also pray to Almighty God, both publicly and pri- 
 vately ? And do ye perform your public devotions to 
 God in that form, after that manner, and at such times, 
 as the Church hath appointed ? Do ye hearken to God's 
 holy word, as read and expounded by her ? Do ye re- 
 ceive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as oft as she 
 is ready to give it to you ? If ye neglect all, or any of 
 these, and the like means of salvation, which are there 
 administered, you had as good be out of the Church as 
 in it, and have no more ground to expect to be saved, 
 than you have to accomplish any other end without using 
 the means. _^ 
 
 Whereas, do ye but truly and constantly observe all 
 and every one of those means which our Church, as I 
 have shown, administereth to you, and trust and depend, 
 as ye ought, upon the promises of God, for the assistance 
 and co-operation of his Holy Spirit with them ; and I 
 dare assure you, in the name and in the presence of my 
 
104 SALVATION IN THE CHURCH ONLY. 
 
 great Lord and Master Jesus Christ, you shall soon find 
 them, by his grace and blessing, effectual to the great 
 ends and purposes for which they are ordained, even to 
 the enlightening of your minds, to the regulating of your 
 passions, to the confirnjing of your faith, to the mortify- 
 ing of your lusts, and to the making you real and true 
 saints, sincerely pious towards God, loyal to our sover- 
 eign, just and charitable towards all men : by which 
 means ye will be fitted and qualified not only for the par- 
 don of your sins by the blood of Jesus, but likewise for 
 heaven and eternal glory. So that when ye depart out 
 of this world, ye will be admitted into the blessed society 
 of the holy angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, 
 where you will live with God himself, and laud and mag- 
 nify his great and glorious name, both for his continuing 
 his Church to you, and for his adding you to his Church, 
 that ye might be saved, by the merits and mediation of 
 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : to whom, with the 
 Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, now 
 and for ever. Amen. 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, CHRIST'S AMBASSADORS. 
 
 2 Cor. v. 20. 
 
 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by 
 us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to Godj 
 
 We live in an age and among a people that place a 
 great part, if not the whole, of their religion in hearing 
 sermons ; and yet we find but few that are ever the more 
 religious for all they hear, most contenting themselves 
 with coming to church, and continuing, or perhaps sitting 
 down, there all the while that the prayers are read, and 
 a sermon preached, and then going home again, without 
 ever concerning themselves any further about what they 
 have heard, nor so much as thinking of it any more ; and 
 then it is no wonder that they are never the wiser nor 
 the better for it. But it may justly seem a greater won- 
 der, how it comes to pass, that the word of God, which 
 of itself is sharper than a two-edged sword, should, not- 
 withstanding, make so little impression upon those who 
 hear it : but though they hear it over and over again, 
 they are never pricked in their hearts, as St. Peter's hear- 
 
106 
 
 ers were, nor any way touched or affected with it ; but 
 still continue just as they were, careless and unconcerned 
 about their future state and everything relating to it, 
 how plainly, how powerfully soever it is pressed upon 
 them. 
 
 This may justly seem strange to one that considers 
 how commonly the word of God is preached among us, 
 both in the city and country : but several reasons may be 
 assigned for it ; one of the chief is, that men, in hearing 
 the word preached, usually look no further than to him 
 that preacheth it ; taking what he saith to them as com- 
 ing only from him their fellow-creature, a man of like 
 passions with themselves ; and therefore regard it no 
 more than what is said by any other man : whereas if 
 they really believed and considered, that the word they 
 hear is the word of God himself; and that he who preach- 
 eth it, preacheth not in his own name, but God's, and 
 accordingly received it as the Thessalonians did, not as 
 the word of man hut as it is in truth the word of God^ which 
 effectually worketh in them that believe, 1 Thess. ii. 13, they 
 would soon find it working effectually also upon them : it 
 would then come with that power and force upon them, 
 that it would cut them to the heart, and make them cry out, 
 as St. Peter's hearers did, Men and brethren what shall 
 we do ? Acts ii. 37. 
 
 This therefore is that which St. Paul, in my text, puts 
 the Corinthians in mind of; and the better to prepare 
 them for it, he first acquaints them, in the foregoing 
 verses, that God hath reconciled mankind to himself by 
 Jesus Christ, and that he hath committed the word and 
 ministry of this reconciliation to us, the Apostles and 
 their successors in all ages ; that we, in his name, and 
 by his authority, might publish it to the world, and per- 
 suade men to accept of the peace which he now offers to 
 
Christ's ambassadors. 107 
 
 them, so as to be reconciled to him, as he is to them by- 
 Jesus Christ. And having said this, the Apostle draws 
 this conclusion from it, Now then we are ambassadors for 
 Christy as though God did beseech you bi/'tis ; we pray you 
 in Christ''s stead he ye reconciled to God. 
 
 This is a truth so necessary for all Christians to know, 
 that it is the first thing that St, Paul put those he wrote 
 to in mind of in all his Epistles (which he wrote as from 
 himself only, without joining any other with him), be- 
 ginning them with saying, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christy 
 or Paul called to he an apostle^ or the like ; that they to 
 whom he wrote might know, that he did not write to them 
 as a private person, but as an apostle of Jesus Christy that 
 is, as the word signifies, a legate or messenger of Christ, 
 sent and empowered by him to write : that so they might 
 receive what he was about to write to them not as coming 
 from him, but from Christ himself; an apostle being in 
 effect the same with an ambassador. But foreseeing that 
 this name would in process of time be appropriated only 
 to the twelve, and such as were called immediately by 
 Christ himself, as he and some others were ; therefore in 
 my text, speaking not only of these, but of such also as 
 should succeed them in any part of their apostolical office 
 in all ages, he alters the phrase, not saying, we are apos- 
 ties, but we are ambassadors for Christ ; a word that is 
 commonly known to signify such as are sent by a prince 
 into a foreign country, to treat in his name about matters 
 of state, as particularly about peace and war. And so 
 Christ himself useth the word, w^here, speaking of a king 
 going to make war with another king, he saith, that he 
 sits down first, and consults ivhether he be able to meet him 
 or no : or elsCj while the other is a great way off^ he sendeth 
 an embassage^ and desireth conditions of peace j Luke xiv. 
 
lOS MINISTEKS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 32. So here, although Ahnighty God can meet with us 
 when he pleaseth, and we are no way able to withstand 
 him ; yet howsoever he is graciously pleased to send some 
 men to treat with others in his name about peace with 
 him, to acquaint them with the easy conditions that he 
 hath made and expects from them, and to assure them, 
 that upon their performance of the said conditions, he will 
 be reconciled to them, and at peace with them. And 
 therefore all who are thus sent or commissioned by him, 
 to act in his name, are properly called ambassadors^ and as 
 the apostle here saith, ambassadors for Christ , or in the 
 place and stead of Christ. As it was he that procured this 
 peace for mankind, so he is the chief manager of all things 
 relating to it ; therefore called, the angel ^ or, as we trans- 
 late it, the messenger of the covenant, Mai. iii. 1. Because 
 he w^as sanctified and sent by the Father, to publish and 
 declare it to the world, John vi. 57. viii. 29, and x. 36, and 
 did it so faithfully, that before he wen tout of the w^orld, he 
 could truly say unto the Father, I have manifested thy name 
 unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world, — I have 
 given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they 
 have received them, and have known surely that I came out 
 from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me, 
 John xvii._6, 8. Where we may likewise observe, that, 
 like a wise and faithful ambassador, he kept strictly to the 
 instructions, and to the very words which the Father had 
 given him ; in whose name he professeth that he came, 
 and spake, and acted all along while he was upon earth, 
 John V. 43, vii. 38, and x. 25. 
 
 Wherefore Jesus Christ, being the mediator between 
 God and men, and as such having all power given him in 
 heaven and earth, for the transacting the great business of 
 reconciliation between them ; when he was about to leave 
 
CHRIST S AMBASSADORS. 109 
 
 the earth, as man, and go up to heaven, to reside there as 
 our advocate with the Father, he delegated some men to 
 suppl}^ his place upon earth, and carry on the great work 
 which he had begun amongst men : these he called his 
 apostles or ambassadors, because they were sent by him, 
 and empowered to act in his name and stead, and accord- 
 ing to the instructions that he gave them. Which, that 
 the world in all ages might be fully assured of, he ordered 
 the commission which he granted them to be recorded, 
 John XX., where it is M^itten, that the same day on which 
 he rose from the dead, in the evening, he came to them 
 where they were assembled, and when he had convinced 
 them that he was the same person that had been crucified 
 three days before, by showing them his hands and feet 
 that were nailed to the cross, he then said unto them 
 again. Peace he unto you. As my Father sent wie, even so 
 send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on 
 them, and saith unto them^ Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; 
 whosesoever sins ye remit., they are remitted unto them ; and 
 whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained, ver. 21, 
 22, 23. 
 
 Where we may observe, that he sent them after the very 
 same manner as the Father had sent him. As my Father, 
 saith he, sent me, even so send I you. And therefore as 
 the Father had sent him, by anointing him with the Holy 
 Ghost, for the office he was to perform, Isa. Ixi. 1, Luke 
 iv. 18, Acts X. 38, which was signified by the Spirit de- 
 scending like a dove, and lighting upon him, when he was 
 baptized, and inaugurated into the said office ; even so he 
 sent his Apostles : for he breathed on them, and saith. Re- 
 ceive ye the Holy Ghost ; the Holy Ghost proceeding from 
 him, as it doth from the Father. When Christ breathed 
 upon his Apostles, he thereby anointed them with the 
 6 
 
110 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 Holy Ghosty and with power ^ to execute the office which 
 he now committed to them. And that they might know, . 
 that this was designed not only for them, but for all that 
 should succeed them in the said office to the end of the 
 world, when he afterwards gave them his instructions for 
 the execution of it, he said to them, io, I am with you 
 always^ even to the end of the worldy Matt, xxviii. 20. 
 From whence the Apostles clearly understanding that 
 their office was to continue to the end of the world, they 
 took care to confer it upon others, by laying their hands 
 upon them, and so transferring to them of the same Spirit 
 which they had received from Christ, the same way that 
 Moses had done it by God's own appointment to Joshua, 
 Numb, xxvii. IS, 23. And therefore such, upon whom 
 they laid their hands, are said to be sent by the Holy 
 Ghost, particularly Paul and Barnabas, Acts xiii. 4. And 
 the same St. Paul tells the elders of Ephesus, upon whom 
 he had laid his hands, that the Holy Ghost had made them 
 bishops or overseers^ Acts xx. 28, and put Timothy in 
 : "lind of the gift of God which was in him by the laying 
 on of his hands, 2 Tim. i. 6. Thus the Holy Ghost, 
 which the Apostles received immediately from Christ him- 
 self, hath been handed down from them to others, and so 
 to others successively to this day, and will be to the end 
 of the world. And all such on whom they, who regu- 
 larly succeed the Apostles in their whole office, lay their 
 hands with an intention to confer the Holy Ghost, as in 
 the ordination of priests among us ; they also receive such 
 a measure of it, whereby they are qualified and commis- 
 sioned to act in Christ's name and stead, in the adminis- 
 tration of the Word and Sacraments, as the Apostles 
 themselves did ; and therefore are properly ambassadors 
 for Christ, as they were : and Christ is as really with them, 
 
Christ's ambassadors. Ill 
 
 as he was with his first Apostles, in the execution of their 
 office in all ages, according to the promise he made them, 
 of being with them always, even to the end of the world. 
 
 It was necessary to make this as plain as I could in few 
 words, that ye may understand how we came to be am- 
 bassadors for Christ, as the Apostle here speaks, so as to 
 act in his name, and by his commission, without which 
 nothing we do can signify anything. Any man may read 
 the Scriptures, or make an oration to the people, but it is 
 not that which the Scriptures call preaching the word of 
 God, unless he be sent by God to do it. For how can 
 they preach except they he sent? Rom. x. 15. A butcher 
 might kill an ox or a lamb, as well as the high-priest ; 
 but it was no sacrifice to God, unless one of his priests 
 did it. And no man taketh this honor to himself hut he 
 that is called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. v. 4. Any 
 man may treat of public affairs as well as an ambassador ; 
 but he cannot do it to any purpose, without a commission 
 from his prince. As suppose a foreign nation should set 
 up one among themselves to make a league with England, 
 what would that signify, when he is not authorized by the 
 king to do it ? And yet this is the case of many among 
 us, who, as the Apostle foretold, cannot endure sound doc- 
 trine, hut after their own lusts heap to themselves teachers^ 
 having itching ears, 2 Tim. iv. 3. But such teachers as 
 men thus heap to themselves, howsoever they may tickle 
 their itching ears, they can never touch their hearts : for 
 that can be done only by the power of God, accompany- 
 inof and assistins: his own institution and commission. In- 
 somuch that if I did not think, or rather was not fully as- 
 sured, that I had such a commission to be an ambassador 
 for Christ, and to act in his name ; I should never think 
 it worth the while to preach or execute any ministerial 
 
112 
 
 office. For I am sure, that all I did would be null and 
 void of itself, according to God's ordinary way of work- 
 ing ; and we have no ground to expect miracles. But 
 blessed be God, we in our Church, by a successive impo- 
 sition of hands, continued all along from the Apostles 
 themselves, receive the same Spirit that was conferred 
 upon them for the administration of the Word and Sacra- 
 ments ordained by our Lord and Master, and therefore 
 may do it as effectually to the salvation of mankind as 
 they did. For as they were, so are we, ambassadors for 
 Christ. 
 
 As though God did beseech you by us, or, as the words 
 may be rendered, as if God did call upon you by us ; by 
 us, as he did by Christ, whose ambassadors we are, and 
 proxies in things pertaining unto God. So that God 
 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times 
 past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days 
 spoken unto us by his Son, Heb. i. 1.- He still continues 
 to speak by those whom his Son hath sent to speak in 
 his name. As the Son himself said to his Apostles, and 
 in them to all that should regularly succeed them. It is 
 not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speak- 
 eth in you, Matt. x. 20. Whatsoever we speak accord- 
 ing to the instructions which Christ our Master hath 
 given us, it is in truth the word of God, 1 Thes. ii. 13. It 
 is God that speaketh by us ; according to that of David, 
 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in 
 my tongue, 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. For we speaking only 
 what Christ our Lord spake before us, and speaking it 
 only in his name, and by his authority, as what he spake 
 was the word of God, so is that which we speak too : 
 for we speak, or as it were, repeat it only after him, as his 
 ambassadors, sent by hitn to speak it in his place and stead. 
 
Christ's ambassadors. 113 
 
 And therefore it follows in the text, we pray you in 
 Chrisfs stead; as if Christ himself was here present. 
 For he being now, as to his body, in heaven, he sends 
 his ministers or ambassadors to represent him, and supply 
 his place upon earth, and to do in his name what he him- 
 self did when he was here, and would still do if he was 
 now present in body as he is by his Spirit and power ; 
 according to the aforesaid promise, which he made to 
 his apostles and ambassadors in all ages, io, I am with 
 you always even to the end of the world ; and according to 
 what he told them upon another occasion, saying, He 
 that heareth you^ heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, 
 despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that 
 sent me, Luke x. 18. Whereby he plainly signified what 
 he afterwards told them in express terms, that as the 
 Father sent him, so he sent them, as his ambassadors, to 
 treat in his name ; and that as the persons of ambassa- 
 dors are always reckoned sacred and inviolable, so what 
 an ambassador doth in the name of his prince, is look- 
 ed upon as done by the prince himself; and as an affront 
 offered to an ambassador reflects on the prince that sent 
 him, so whatsoever is done to the ministers or ambassa- 
 dors of Christ as such, is done to Christ himself. They 
 who hear them, haar him ; and they who despise them, de- 
 spise him ; as they who despise him whom the Father 
 sent, despise the Father who sent him. 
 
 From hence, therefore, ye may see, how truly the 
 Apostle here saith, We pray you in Chrisfs stead ; and 
 how necessary it is for you to hearken to what we say 
 in his name, lest ye be found in the number of those who 
 despise Christ, together with the doctrine that he teach- 
 eth, and the advice that he gives you by us : for it is in 
 his stead, we pray you. But what do we pray you in 
 
114 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 his stead to do ? Nothing but what is really for your 
 good ; nothing but what tends to your eternal happiness 
 and welfare ; and therefore nothing but what it is your 
 interest to do, whether we prayed you to do it or no. For 
 seeing Christ came into the world for no other end but 
 to make you happy, and hath done and suffered so much 
 as he hath for that only purpose : ye cannot imagine, 
 that he by us, or we from him, should pray you to do 
 anything but what is indispensably necessary in order to 
 your attainment of true fehcity. And although we do 
 not command, but only pray you in ChrisPs stead ; yet it 
 being in his stead we pray^ ye ought to give the same 
 deference to it, as if we commanded you. The request 
 of an earthly prince is taken by his faithful subjects as a 
 command : how much more when the King of kings and 
 Lord of lords is pleased to condescend so far as to make 
 a request to you } That surely is to be received as the 
 highest sort of commanding, in that it doth not only sig- 
 nify his will, but also lays a fresh obligation upon you to 
 observe it, seeing he is graciously pleased to deal so 
 gently and kindly with you, in such a waj" as that your 
 obedience to him may be your own voluntary act ; not 
 being forced into it only by his peremptory command, 
 but drawn with the bands of love. 
 
 Love indeed ! the highest that can be shown you. 
 For, after all, what is it that we thus pray you in Christ's 
 stead 1 nothing else but to be reconciled to God ; We 
 pray you, saith the Apostle, in Christ^ stead be ye reconcil- 
 ed to God. One would think there was no great need 
 that such a request should be made to you, much less 
 that it should be made in no less a name than his that 
 made and governs the world. For, who would not of 
 his own accord be reconciled to God, if he might ? If 
 
Christ's ambassadors. 115 
 
 men would but consult their own real interest, this cer- 
 tainly would be the first thing they would all strive after. 
 And yet God knows there are but few that do it : and 
 therefore, out of his infinite love and mercy, he is pleased 
 to send his ambassadors one after another, rising up early y 
 and sending them to call upon men, and to pray them in 
 his name to do it. And he hath sent me this day to 
 make the same request and prayer to you, even that ye 
 would be reconciled to him. 
 
 But that ye may fully understand what is that / pray 
 you in Christ's stead to do, and likewise how ye may do 
 it aright, ye must take notice, that by nature ye are all 
 the children of wrath, one as well as another, Ephes. ii. 3. 
 For he that made you, is angry with you for not answer- 
 ing his end in making you, which was to serve and glorify 
 him, in obeying and observing the laws which he for that 
 purpose hath set you. Whereas ye have all broken his said 
 laws, and so instead of glorifying, ye have dishonored 
 him through the whole course of your lives, and therefore 
 are justly fallen under his displeasure : but he, notwith- 
 standing, hath been graciously pleased to find out, and 
 put you into a way oi being reconciled to him; not by suffer- 
 ing your sins to go unpunished, but by not imputing them 
 to you, but laying the punishments which were due unto 
 you for them upon another, even upon his only-begotten 
 Son, as the Apostle here acquaints us from him, saying, 
 For he hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, or an 
 offering for our sin ; that is, as the prophet expresseth it, 
 He hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, Isa. lii. 6. 
 And his only begotten Son having thus borne the punish- 
 ments which his justice required for our sins, he is now 
 ready to extend his mercy to us, and to receive us again 
 into his-iavor, upon such easy terms and conditions, 
 
116 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 that it is our own fault, unless we perform them, so as to 
 be reconciled again to God. 
 
 For all that is required on your parts is only to repent 
 and believe the Gospel^ Mark i. 15. This was all that 
 our Lord himself called upon mankind to do, when 
 he first entered upon his ministry, and the substance of 
 all that he taught afterwards, and commanded his Apos- 
 tles to teach. He himself saith that he came to call sin- 
 ners to repentance, Luke v. 32, and told his disciples, that 
 repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his 
 name among all nations, Luke xxiv. 47. First repent- 
 ance, and then remission of sins, but both in his name ; 
 and among all nations, that all might believe in him for it. 
 And accordingly when the people desired to know of St. 
 Peter and the rest of the Apostles, what they should 
 do ; St. Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized 
 every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 
 sion of sins. Acts ii. 38. They must not only repent, so 
 as to forsake their former superstitions and vices of all 
 sorts ; but they must also believe in Jesus Christ so as to 
 be baptized in his name, and become his disciples indeed, 
 believing and practising all that he had taught them, be- 
 fore they could be reconciled to God, so as to have their 
 sins pardoned. This is that which Christ himself also 
 gave in charge to his Apostles, at the same time that he 
 sent them out as his ambassadors into the world. " Go 
 ye," saith he, " and teach, or rather make, all nations 
 disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to ob- 
 serve all things whatsoever I have commanded you ; 
 and, lo, I am with you alM'ays, even unto the end of the 
 world." Matt, xxviii. 19. 20. These are the instruc- 
 tions which he gave them and their successors, together 
 
CHRIST S AMBASSADORS. 117 
 
 with their commission to be his ambassadors to the end 
 of the world. He requires them to go and call upon all 
 nations to become his disciples^ and to make them so by 
 baptizing them according to his institution in the name of 
 the. Father J Son^ and Holy Ghost : and then to teach them 
 to observe not only some, but all things whatsoever he hath 
 commanded^ whether with his own mouth, or else by his 
 prophets, apostles, or holy men of God, who spake as 
 they were moved by his Holy Spirit. 
 
 These, therefore, being the orders and instructions 
 which Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of mankind, 
 hath given to all whom he sends and employs as his am- 
 bassadors upon earth ; in his name and in his stead I pray 
 and beseech all here present, to come up to the terms 
 which he hath made for your reconciliation to God : re- 
 pent, repent of all your former sins : you cannot but all 
 know, every one, the sins that he hath hitherto been 
 guilty of, and is still addicted to. If ye do but look into 
 your own hearts and lives, you cannot ^but see how little 
 good and how much evil you have done, since ye came 
 into the world. You cannot but be conscious to your- 
 selves, that you have often transgressed the laws and 
 commandments of Almighty God, who sent you hither, 
 by doing what ye ought not to do, and by not doing what 
 ye ought ; and so have broken also that solemn vow and 
 promise which ye made to God, when ye were baptized 
 and made the members and disciples of Jesus, and are 
 still apt to do so one way or other every day. 
 
 Now, therefore, I pray you in Christ's stead break off 
 your sins, all your sins, by repentance and amendment of 
 life. '' Let not sin reign any longer in your mortal body, 
 that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof,'*' but mortify 
 the deeds of the body, and destroy the ill habits ye have 
 
118 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 contracted by a long continuance in any sort of vice or 
 wickedness : set yourselves in good earnest upon deny- 
 ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly^ right- 
 eously and godly in this present world. Take heed that 
 your hearts be never overcharged with surfeiting and 
 drunkenness, or the cares of this life ; be just and righteous 
 in all your dealings, and if ye have wronged any man, be 
 sure to make him restitution. " As ye have opportunity, 
 do good unto all men, especially to them who are of the 
 household of faith ; and whatsoever ye would that men 
 should do unto you, even so do ye unto them." ^* Love 
 the Lord your God with all your hearts, and with all 
 your souls : pray without ceasing, and in everything 
 give thanks unto him : sanctify his holy name, and make 
 him your only fear and dread." Live with a constant 
 dependance upon his word, and submission to his will ; 
 acknowledge him in all your ways, honor him with 
 all your substance, serve and worship him with reverence 
 and godly fear : let your hearts be always running after 
 him, your spirits rejoicing in him, and your whole souls 
 be reconciled and inclined to him, and to those holy ways 
 that he hath prepared for you to walk in. Study all ye 
 can to promote his glory, in your several places and sta- 
 tions in the world : and for that purpose, cease to do evil, 
 learn to do ivell; and whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do 
 all in the name of the Lord Jesus : believe on him, as your 
 only Saviour, Mediator, and Advocate with the Father, 
 who ever liveth to make intercession for those who come unto 
 God hy him. And therefore as you thus truly repent of 
 all your sins, and come unto God by him, trust also and 
 depend upon him to make your peace with God ; noth- 
 ing doubting but that he will intercede so efifectually for 
 you, that for his sake, and upon the account of his merits 
 
Christ's ambassadors. lid 
 
 and mediation for you, your sins being all pardoned. 
 God will be reconciled to you, and you shall be reconciled 
 to God, and restored to his love and favor again, as 
 much as if ye had never offended him in all your lives. 
 
 Having thus prayed you in Christ's stead, and for the 
 most part in his very words, to be reconciled to God, it 
 may seem needless to use any arguments to persuade 
 you to it ; for ye will not hearken to what Christ himself 
 desires of you, much less will you regard anything that 
 I can say unto you. But in this also I shall not speak 
 in my own name, but his ; and in his stead pray you to 
 consider, first, who it is that desires this of you : not I, 
 your fellow-worm, but Christ himself, Christ the eternal 
 Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father, the Lord 
 God Almighty : Christy who being in the form of God, 
 thought it no robbery to be equal to God : and yet for 
 your sakes made himself of no reputation^ and took upon 
 him the form of a servant ; Christ, who being thus found 
 in fashion as a man^ really and truly man as well as God, 
 became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross ; 
 and all to appease the wrath of God, and reconcile him 
 to you : Christ, who is now at the right-hand of the 
 Father, and is made head over all things for the Church, 
 that nothing may hinder their reconciliation to God, who 
 apply themselves to him, and do what he requires in 
 order to it. This is that Christ, who requires you to do 
 what ye have now heard : and will ye not do anything 
 ye can for him, who hath done and suffered so much for 
 you ? For him who loved you so as to lay down his 
 own life for you ? Surely you can never deny him any- 
 thing, much less when he desires nothing of you, but 
 only that ye would be reconciled to God. This is the 
 only end of all he did for mankind upon earth, the end of 
 
120 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 all that he is now doing in heaven, and the end of his 
 sending me at this time to solicit and pray you in his 
 stead to do it : and if ye still stand out, and refuse to 
 come in upon his most gracious advice and request, 
 what favor can ye ever expect from him ? None, cer- 
 tainly ; he will be so far from showing you any kindness, 
 so far from saving you from your sins, and from the wrath 
 of God, that he hath told you beforehand what he will 
 say to you; Because I have called^ and ye refused; I 
 have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; hut ye 
 have set at naught all my counsel^ and would none of my 
 reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity^ I icill mock 
 when your fear comet h, Pro v. i. 24, 25, 26. 
 
 And your calamity will most certainly come ere long, 
 whether ye fear it or no : greater calamity than ye are 
 aware of, greater than ye can yet imagine. For con- 
 sider, in the next place, that until ye are reconciled to 
 God, as you are enemies to him, so he is an enemy to 
 you : he that made you is angry with you, he is incensed 
 against you. And who can imagine the dismal effects 
 and consequence of his displeasure ? If his wrath be 
 kindled^ yea, hut a little, who is able to stand before it ? 
 The thoughts of it are sufficient to make the stoutest 
 heart among us tremble : to have Jehovah, the Lord of 
 Hosts, the supreme Governor of the world, to have him 
 angry with us, who can think of it without horror and 
 amazement } Who then can describe the deplorable 
 condition which they are in, that lie under his displea- 
 sure .'* For my part, I am so far from being able to give 
 you a description, that I dread the very thoughts of it ; 
 only we know in general, that it is a fearful thing to fall 
 into the hands of the living God ; that all that he con- 
 tinues to be angry at, will most certainly do so, and by 
 
Christ's ambassadors. 121 
 
 consequence be as miserable as it is possible for them to 
 be : for so long as he who governs all things in the world 
 is angry with you, there is nothing in it can do you good, 
 nothing but what will contribute some way or other to 
 your ruin and destruction. All things are cursed to you, 
 those also which you think to be blessings ; and all the 
 judgments that God hath threatened in his word against 
 sinners, seeing he is angry with you, stand ready 
 every moment to fall upon you. And if he should once 
 open your eyes, to see him frowning upon you, you 
 would not be able to endure yourselves, but would wish, 
 with all your souls, you could cease to be, or be anything 
 rather than what you are, the vessels of ivrath fitted for de- 
 struction : but all in vain. All the world cannot help 
 you, unless he that made and governs it be reconciled to 
 you ; but ye must be punished with everlasting destruc- 
 tion from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of 
 his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, 
 and admired in all them that believe in that day : 2 Thess. 
 i. 9, 10. When ye will be cast into hell-fire, where 
 the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark 
 ix. 44. 
 
 If these things were laid to your hearts as they ought 
 to be, they would make you very restless and uneasy, 
 until you have made your peace with God, and done all 
 that ye have heard to be required in order to your recon- 
 ciliation to him. And how happy would you then be } 
 as happy in the love and favor of God, as the other are 
 miserable under his wrath and fury. For when you are 
 at peace with God, all things else will be at peace with 
 you ; he that made them, will make them to be so : 
 you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the 
 beasts of the field shall be ai peace with you, Job v. 23. 
 
122 MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 Yeaj when a man's ways please the Lord^ he maketh his 
 enemies to be at peace with him, Prov. xvi. 7. And not 
 only they, but all things else shall work together for your 
 good, so long as ye continue in his favor, who governs 
 and disposeth of all things as he pleaseth. For when ye 
 are reconciled to him, he will look upon you as his friends, 
 his favorites, his children, and will deal accordingly 
 with you. He will take you into his own particular 
 care and conduct. He will hide you under his wings, 
 that no evil may come near to hurt you. He will bless 
 and sanctify all occurrences to you. He will provide all 
 things necessary, that as you have nothing that is evil, so 
 ye may want nothing that is good for you. He will 
 cause the light of his countenance to shine upon you, and 
 manifest his special love and favor to you, that you 
 may see him smiling upon you, rejoicing over you, and 
 delighting to do you good, in which blessed sight our 
 happiness chiefly consisted. He will guide you by his 
 counsel, assist you by his grace, protect you by his 
 power, enlighten, quicken, actuate, support, and strength- 
 en you by his Holy Spirit, that you may pass through all 
 the changes and chances of this mortal life, so as to come 
 at last to live with him and his holy angels, in the perfect 
 vision and fruition of his eternal Godhead. 
 
 But what do I mean, to offer at describing the happi- 
 ness of those who are reconciled to God ? when to be in 
 his favor is itself the greatest happiness that a creature 
 is capable of, and such as none can apprehend but they 
 who have it. Yet this is that happiness which the eter- 
 nal Son of God hath purchased for mankind, and sends 
 his ambassadors about to invite them to it. It is in his 
 name I come to all that are present at this time, and pray 
 you in his stead, be ye all now reconciled unto God ; now 
 
CHRIST S AMBASSADORS. 123 
 
 while ye may. Blessed be God, ye all may as yet be 
 reconciled to him, if ye will but take the course for it, 
 which hath been now described to you out of his holy 
 word : otherwise, he would not have sent me to call up- 
 on you, nor brought you hither to be called upon to do 
 it ; but if ye turn your backs, and refuse or neglect to 
 hearken to him now, ye know not whether he will ever 
 call upon you any more. Wherefore I pray you again 
 in his steady put off this great work no longer, but begin it 
 now. For why will ye die ? Why will ye destroy your- 
 selves, when ye need not '? Why will ye continue any 
 longer under the displeasure of Almighty God, when ye 
 may be restored to his favor, if ye will but seek it } But 
 then you must seek it in his own way, in the constant 
 use of the means which he hath appointed, whereby to 
 obtain his grace and assistance to do what is required of 
 you. What the}'- are, ye all know ; and therefore I need 
 say no more- But as I have now prayed you in Christ^s 
 stead to be reconciled to God, so in his name I pray God 
 to be reconciled to you, and to open your eyes that ye may 
 see the things that belong to your everlasting peace, before 
 they be hid from you. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 
 
 2 Timothy i. 13. 
 
 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and 
 love which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 Although we are apt to wonder most at such things 
 as seldom happen in the world, yet certainly the most 
 common and obvious things that be, if duly considered, 
 deserve as much, if not much more, to be admired by us. 
 What more common to all mankind^and yet what more 
 strange and wonderful, than that by certain sounds in the 
 air, or by certain characters upon solid bodies, we should 
 be able to discover our thoughts to one another ? Thoughts, 
 we know, '^are the imminent acts of the soul, a spiritual 
 being, and so not capable of any external representations ; 
 and yet for all that, we can make such sounds and figures 
 utter such words, and write such letters, from whence 
 other persons may understand what we think as well as 
 we ourselves. And this indeed is the foundation of all 
 human society and conversation : for by this means we 
 can communicate our hopes and fears, our joys and griefs, 
 our desires and abhorrences, all our sentiments and no- 
 tions, to one another ; yea, by this means we can con- 
 verse with the ancients, and know what they thought, 
 tbat lived above a thousand years ago. Of so great use 
 are words, whether spoken or written, to mankind. 
 
A FORM OF SOUND WORDS. 125 
 
 And yet, as nothing may be more easily, so nothing 
 hath been more grossly abused than they ; for though we 
 can frame ideas and notions of things in our minds, with- 
 out any relation unto or dependence upon words, yet 
 having been all along accustomed to express our thoughts 
 by them, we are apt to be more intent upon words, than 
 we are 'upon things themselves ; and so to accommodate 
 and suit our notions to words, rather than words unto our 
 notions. So that whatsoever words we commonly use, 
 whereby to express such or such things, our apprehen- 
 sions of these things are according to the words whereby 
 we are wont to express them : if they be false, our ap- 
 prehensions being regulated by them cannot possibly be 
 true ; and if they be true, and rightly understood by us, 
 our apprehensions cannot possibly be false, being bound 
 up, as it were, and confined within the sense and mean- 
 ing of such words. But it being very hard and difficult 
 to find out fit and proper words in any language, where- 
 by fully and distinctly to express the nature of things, 
 and our own ideas of them ; most men, to save them- 
 selves the labor of a further search, take up with the 
 first they meet with, especially if they be but generally 
 received : which if they happen to be false, as they fre- 
 quently are, they infallibly lead them into false concep- 
 tions and erroneous opinions of the things themselves. 
 And therefore it cannot but highly concern us all to be 
 very cautious and wary in the choice of our words, espe- 
 cially in divinity, where every mistake is dangerous, and 
 many damnable. 
 
 This therefore being a matter of great importance, 
 much greater than is commonly thought of, it may justly 
 challenge to be the subject of our present discourse : for 
 which end I have chosen these words of St. Paul to Tim«- 
 
126 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 thy, Holdfast the form of sound words which thou hast 
 heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 Where we may observe three things : 
 
 First, That some time before the writing of this Epis- 
 tle, St. Paul had given to Timothy a form of sound words, 
 though not in writing, yet by word of mouth. This is 
 plain, in that he saith, a form of sound ivords which thou 
 hast heard of me. Timothy was now ordained bishop of 
 Ephesus, the metropolis of all Asia proconsularis, whither 
 the Apostle sent him to preach and propagate the Gos- 
 pel : and that he might rightly understand the principles 
 of that religion which he was to preach, and cause others 
 to do so too, the Apostle puts words into his mouth, such 
 as would clearly and properly express the great truths, 
 which he was mostly to insist upon ; which he therefore 
 calls -iYictlvovTag loyovg, sound words, such as would 
 make his hearers to be sancB mentis, men of sound judg- 
 ment and right notions in the mysteries of religion. And 
 whosoever doth not consent to those sound and whole- 
 some words, the same Apostle elsewhere saith, that such 
 a one is a fool, knowing nothing alia, voam- : but he is 
 sick, as the word signifies ; or, as our translation hath it? 
 he doats about questions and strifes of words, 1 Tim. vi. 4. 
 As if a malignant fever had affected his brain, distracted 
 his mind, and made him delirious, so as to rave and talk 
 nonsense. For so all do that use any other than right 
 and proper words in the mysteries of our religion ; what- 
 soever they say is nonsense, if not downright blasphemy. 
 Hence it is that the Apostle so often makes mention of 
 sound doctrine, in opposition to the extravagant and cor- 
 rupt opinions which false teachers, even in those days, 
 instilled into the minds of their ignorant and unwary dis- 
 ciples And lest Timothy, through any mistake or inad- 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 127 
 
 vertency, should fall himself, or lead others into the same 
 errors, St. Paul, before he sent him to preach the Gospel, 
 furnished him with such a form of sound words^ which if 
 he did but constantly observe, he could neither be de- 
 ceived nor deceive. 
 
 Secondly, We may observe, that this form of sound 
 words was both in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus ; 
 that is, both concerning the doctrine and the discipline, 
 what we are to believe and what to do, in obedience to 
 the Gospel of Christ. For as faith comprehends the one, 
 so doth love the other ; and St. Paul had given Timothy 
 a form of sound words in both : but first in faith, and then 
 in love, because it is faith that works by love ; and he 
 that doth not rightly believe, can never truly obey the 
 Gospel of Christ as he ought to do. But in one as well 
 as the other, St. Paul instructed Timothy how to express 
 himself, and by that means hath admonished us also to 
 be very careful how to speak, what words we use, whe- 
 ther in theoretical or practical divinity, concerning either 
 faith or manners. 
 
 Lastly, St. Paul did not think it enough to give Timo- 
 thy a form of sound words, but he charged him to hold it 
 fast, to keep it, to use no other words, but such as ex- 
 actly agreed with those which he had taught him. The 
 Greek words are {moTiTtcoacv M^s tiov ■byiai^vdvTMv Xdycav, 
 where the word inoTvnoiaig is variously rendered by in- 
 terpreters. I shall not trouble you with any critical ob- 
 servations about it ; but only observe in general, that it 
 is sometimes used for a pattern or example, 1 Tim. i. 16, 
 sometimes for a short description, or delineation, or sum- 
 mary, or compendium. Thus Clemens Alexandrinus 
 wrote a book, which he called "'TTtoivTiMuig, which Pho- 
 tius saith was a brief exposition of the Old and New Tes- 
 
128 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 tament j out of which the 'Enno^ai itt tcop Geodorov at 
 the end of his Works, I suppose, were taken. And in 
 this sense, the word here used intimates as if St. Paul 
 had given Timothy, if not that which we call the Apos- 
 tles' Creed, yet some silch-like form of sound words, con- 
 taining the sum and substance of what he was to believe 
 and preach. 
 
 But the Apostle lays no great stress upon that word. 
 For it follows, hold fast the form of sound words, 5)v nag^ 
 %[iov r^Kovaag, 5)v not ^?, which icords, not which form, 
 thou hast heard of me. So that it is not so much the 
 form, as the words themselves, which the Apostle would 
 have him to hold fast, to have them continually in his 
 mind, and in his mouth too, whensoever he speaks of 
 those divine truths, which are revealed to us in the 
 Gospel. 
 
 What these sound words were, which Timothy heard 
 of St. Paul, we know not ; but this we know, that it 
 doth as much concern us to use sound words in matters of 
 divinity, as it did him. And therefore having not heard 
 them at St. Paul's own mouth, as he did, it may not be 
 amiss if we consider of the most certain way to find them 
 out, that we may know how to express ourselves in all 
 the articles of our Christian faith by such words as the 
 Apostle here calls sound and icholesome, such as will give 
 us and those we speak to occasion to frame right notions 
 and conceptions of those things which belong to our ever- 
 lasting peace. 
 
 For this end, therefore, I shall in the first place lay 
 down this as a most certain and undeniable truth, that 
 the Scriptures, as being indicted by the Spirit of God, in 
 the languages wherein they were first written, do contain 
 the best and soundest words that possibly could be invent- 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 129 
 
 ed, whereby to express such truths as are necessary for 
 mankind to beheve or know. For they being designed 
 on purpose to be the rule both of our faith and manners, 
 and contrived for that end by infinite wisdom and good- 
 ness itself : it cannot be imagined but that everything 
 is^here expressed m the most plain and perspicuous, 
 the most fit and proper, the most full and significant words 
 that could be desired of Almighty God, whereby to 
 discover himself and his will to our capacities : to which 
 of his infinite mercy he is pleased to condescend, in all 
 these books, which are acknowledged by all Christians to 
 be written by men inspired, moved, assisted, and directed 
 in what they wrote, by the Spirit of God himself. By 
 which means the whole Scripture is indeed but as one 
 continued /orwi of sound words ; which if we do but hold 
 fast and understand aright, we can neither fall either into 
 heresy nor schism. And whatsoever words we use in the 
 mysteries of our religion, are either true or false, sound 
 or corrupt, as they do or do not agree with those which 
 are used in that holy writ. 
 
 But in the next place, we must consider withal, that 
 notwithstanding the extraordinary clearness and propriety 
 of speech, whereby divine truths are there revealed to us, 
 yet there never was any error, heresy, or schism in the 
 Church, but what was pretended by the authors and 
 abettors of it to be grounded upon Scripture. In this all 
 heretics, Greek and Latin, old and new, agree. They all 
 plead Scripture for what they say ; and each one pre- 
 tends that his opinion, be it ever so absurd and ridicu- 
 lous, is consonant to the words there used : which though 
 it may seem strange at first sight, we shall not much 
 wonder at, if we do but consider three things. 
 
 First, that most men, not understanding the original 
 
130 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 languages, read and consult the Scriptures no otherwise 
 than in some translation, which they notwithstanding look 
 upon as the word of God ; and if there be any word in 
 that translation that favors any erroneous opinion, they 
 presently conclude that the Scriptures do so too, though 
 they be as much against it as that translation is for it. 
 As for example ; in the first promulgation of the Gospel 
 to mankind. Gen. iii. 15. God said to the serpent that 
 beguiled our first parents. And I will put enmity between 
 thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed 
 l^kSn '\2W Kin : it, that is, the seed of the woman, which is 
 Christ, shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel ; 
 as our translation rightly expounds it. But the vulgar 
 Latin renders it. Ipsa conteret caput taum, as if a woman 
 should do it ; which the Papists interpreting of the Virgin 
 Mary, ascribe to her this great victory and triumph over 
 sin and Satan ; and are taught to say in their addresses to 
 her. Adore et benedico sanctissimos pedes tuos, quibiis anti- 
 qui serpentis caput calcasti. There are many other absurd 
 opinions as well as practices in that Church, which this 
 one word hath been the occasion of. 
 
 Thus, where the Apostle, speaking of marriage, saith, 
 t6 fivaTi\Qiop TouTO ixiya iailv^ the vulgar Latin again 
 translates it, sucramentum hoc magnum est ; from whence 
 they conclude matrimony to be a sacrament, such a one 
 as baptism, and the Lord's Supper. 
 
 Thus also immediately before his ascension, our blessed 
 Lord said to his Apostles, IIoQsvdiPTsg olv pad/jTsiaais 
 TtdvTa Tdc Wptj, ^ami'QovTsg a^roijg, which the vulgar Latin 
 renders, Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes, baptizantes eos ; 
 which most of our modern European versions follow. 
 And from hence I verily believe the error of the Anabap- 
 tists and Antiprpdobaptists took its first rise. For, appre- 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 131 
 
 bending our Saviour to say, according to this translation, 
 Go ye and teach all nations^ and then baptize them ; they 
 presently inferred, that persons ought first to be taught, 
 and then baptized ; and, by consequence, that children 
 not being capable of the fermer, cannot be so of the latter. 
 But if they had understood and consulted the original, 
 they would have found no such thing ; for fiadijTB^o) never 
 signifies to teach, but only to make a disciple. And so 
 the Syriac and other oriental translations constantly ren- 
 der the word. And therefore it is observable, that in all 
 the eastern churches this heresy was never heard of, nor 
 anywhere else, but only in such places where the vulgar 
 Latin prevailed : which plainly shows, that it was ground- 
 ed at first only upon that false translation of the word 
 (ladiiTEiaaxe by docete ; though afterwards they endea- 
 vored to prove it from other places of Scripture, either 
 translated, or at least falsely understood, as this is. Many 
 instances of this nature might be produced, to show how 
 false translations of the Scriptures have given the first 
 occasion to draw such opinions from them, which are di- 
 rectly contrary to what is asserted in them. And when 
 men have once espoused an opinion, whether it be true 
 or false, they look upon themselves as obliged to main- 
 tain it. 
 
 Secondly, although there be many, especially of late 
 years, who are able to read and understand much of the 
 original text, yet they also are to seek for the true mean- 
 ing of many places. For besides the ayral Xsyd/ueva, 
 many other words and phrases frequently occur, which 
 cannot be fully understood, except we first know the rites 
 and customs of the Jewish Church, consider the context 
 and scope of the places where such words are used, com- 
 pare one place with another, and observe many other rules 
 
132 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 requisite to the right interpretation of those holy oracles ; 
 which most men, by reason of their ignorance and sloth, 
 are either unable or unwilling to do ; and therefore are 
 apt to take up with the first sense that offers itself, with- 
 out giving themselves the troubte of a farther search. 
 
 Thus Clemens Alexandrinus observes of the heretics 
 in his days, that they would quote Scripture indeed, but 
 not in the sense which the context required, but would 
 take here and there a word, and apply it to their own 
 private opinions ; not considering what is signified by it, 
 aXV aiirrj ipdfi CiTtoxQibixEvov zri U^sv^ but abusing the na- 
 ked word itself, by putting what sense they please upon 
 it. The same may be observed of many in our days, who 
 getting a Scripture word by the end, away they run with 
 it, and never leave it, till they have forced some errone- 
 ous opinion or other from it : which therefore cannot be 
 imputed to any obscurity or uncertainty in the Scriptures 
 themselves, but to the darkness of men's minds, and the 
 perverseness of their wills, that they either cannot or will 
 not take the pains to understand what is clearly revealed 
 in them. And to this head most of the ancient and mo- 
 dern heresies may be referred. 
 
 Lastly, although some do understand the words where- 
 by it hath pleased Almighty God to reveal himself and 
 his pleasure to us, yet the things themselves signified by 
 those words are many of them so high, mysterious, and 
 divine, that their finite and corrupt apprehensions are not 
 able to reach them. And therefore, disdaining to believe 
 what they cannot comprehend, they detort those words 
 from their true and proper, to such a sense as will suit 
 with their understandings. Seeing they cannot appre- 
 hend so much as the words signify, they will make the 
 words sisfnify no more than they can apprehend. 
 
TO BK USED BY MINISTERS. 133 
 
 This St. Peter observed in his days ; where, speaking 
 of St. Paul, he saith, " As also in all his Epistles, speak-^ 
 ing in them of these things : in which are some things 
 hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and 
 unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to 
 their own destruction," 2 Pet. iii. 16 ; where he plainly 
 speaks, not of the words, but things themselves ; for it 
 is not 1^ alg^ in which Epistles, but ^r olg^ amongst which 
 things in those Epistles, there are dvav6i]xa nvuy some 
 things hard to be understood. 
 
 Such are those great mysteries of the most blessed 
 Trinity, the divinity and incarnation of the Son of God, 
 and the like ; which are as plainly revealed in Scripture, 
 as things of that nature could be ; and yet many have had 
 the impudence to deny them, only upon that account, be- 
 cause their reasons forsooth were not able to comprehend 
 them. These are they who, Lucifer-like, aspire to be 
 like God himself ; " who would measure the water in the 
 hollow of their hands, and mete out the heavens with a 
 span ; who would comprehend the dust of the earth in a 
 measure, weigh the mountains in scales, and the hills in 
 a balance ;" nay, which is worse, they would measure 
 heaven by earth, eternity by time, God by themselves ; 
 and believe nothing of his infinite, eternal, incomprehen- 
 sible essence, but what they can comprehend within the 
 narrow compass of their own reason, although God him- 
 self hath been pleased to affirm it : as if the testimony of 
 God was not a stronger ground whereupon to build our 
 most holy faith, than human reason ; which certainly 
 hath nothing else to do in such mysteries, but to search 
 into the truth of the divine revelation ; which being either 
 supposed or proved, we have all the reason in the 
 world to believe what is so revealed, wht ther we under- 
 
134 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 stand it or no. But these great masters of reason a 1/3 
 so little of that which they so much pretend to, as not to 
 believe this ; and therefore to make the Scriptures to 
 speak nothing but what they can comprehend, that is, 
 nothing but what themselves please, they rack every 
 word, particle, and sentence, transpose the commas, alter 
 the accents, violate all the rules of true construction ; 
 and then it is no wonder if they force the Scriptures to 
 say, not what God, but what themselves, would have 
 them. And by this means it is, that the most pernicious 
 and blasphemous of all heresies were first broached; 
 which whosoever swallow down, are certain to be poison- 
 ed and undone for ever. 
 
 Hence therefore we may observe, how that although 
 the Scriptures contain none but sound and wholesome 
 words, such as Timothy heard of St. Paul ; yet such is 
 the weakness of men's understandings, such the corrup- 
 tion of their judgments, such the perverseness of their 
 wills, the disorder ot their affections, and the pravity of 
 their whole souls, that they extract poison from that 
 which was intended for their food, draw error out of 
 truth, heresy out of the Scriptures themselves, so as to 
 learn to blaspheme God in his own words. But what 
 then shall we do in this case 1 How can we be ever 
 certain that the words we use in matters of religion be 
 sound, and by consequence our opinions orthodox, and 
 our sentiments of God and those eternal truths which he 
 hath revealed to us, such as he himself would have them ? 
 Why surely for this end it is necessary, that we indulge 
 not our own fancies, nor idolize our own private opinions, 
 but hold fast the form of sound words delivered to us in 
 the holy Scriptures, in that sense which the catholic 
 ('hurch in all ages hath put upon them. 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 135 
 
 For the eternal Son of God having with his own blood 
 purchased to himself an universal Church, we cannot 
 doubt but that he takes sure care of it, that, according to 
 his promise, the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. 
 For which end, he, the head of this mystical body, doth 
 not only defend and protect it by his almighty power, but 
 he so acts, guides, directs, and governs it by his Holy 
 Spirit, that though errors and heresies may sometimes 
 disease and trouble some parts of it, yet they can never 
 infect the whole ; but that is still kept sound and entire, 
 notwi hstanding all the power and malice of men or devils 
 against it. So that, if we consider the universal Church, 
 or congregation of faithful people, as in all ages dispersed 
 over the whole world ; we may easily conclude, that the 
 greatest part, from which the whole must be denominated, 
 was always in the right ; which the ancient Fathers were 
 so fully persuaded of, that although the word nadoXixbg 
 properly signifies universal, yet^they commonly used it in 
 the same sense as we do the word orthodox, as opposed 
 to an heretic ; calling an orthodox man a catholic, that 
 is, a son of the catholic Church ; as taking it for granted, 
 that they, and only they, which constantly adhere to the 
 doctrine of the catholic or universal Church, are truly 
 orthodox ; v/hich they could not do, unless they had be- 
 lieved the catholic Church to be so. And besides that, 
 it is part of our very creed, that the catholic Church is 
 holy ; which she could not be except free from heresy, 
 as directly opposite to true holiness. 
 
 He therefore that would be sure not to fall into dam- 
 nable errors, must be sure also to continue firm and stead- 
 fast to the doctrine of the universal Church, as being 
 grounded upon the Scriptures rightly understood : for so 
 everything is that she hath taught us. For the catholic 
 
136 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 Church never undertook, as the Romish hath done, to 
 coin any new doctrines of her own head : no, she always 
 took the Scriptures for the only standard of truth ; and 
 hath accordingly delivered her sense of them in such 
 words as she judged to agree exactly with those which 
 are there used. 
 
 And therefore it is observable, that the Church never 
 undertook publicly to determine any truth, until it was 
 first denied ; nor to interpret the Scriptures, until they 
 were first perverted. If no heretics had ever risen up 
 in the Church, the Church had never held any General 
 Councils ; and if the Scripture-words and phrases had not 
 been first abused, and wrested to a wrong and contrary 
 sense to what they were intended, she had never invent- 
 ed other words to explain them. But when the enemy 
 had sown tares in the Lord's field, the Church could not 
 but endeavor to root them out, or at least to keep them 
 from spreading any further : when wicked men had offer- 
 ed violence to the word of God, his spouse could do no 
 less than defend it, and declare the true sense and mean- 
 ing of it to her children. 
 
 As for example, that great fundamental article of 
 our Christian faith, upon which not only our religion, 
 but our eternal salvation, depends, — the divinity of our 
 blessed Saviour, — is so plainly, so fully, so frequently as- 
 serted in holy writ, that the Church did for many years 
 together believe, acknowledge, and preach it, only in 
 Scripture words, and needed not as yet any other words 
 whereby to express it. But when it was once denied, 
 and the Scripture words so far abused, as that a quite 
 contrary sense M-as extorted from them, then it was time 
 for the cathohc Church to appear in its behalf: and be- 
 ing accordingly assembled in a General Council at Nice, 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS- 187 
 
 she there determined, that the Son is oizooiuatos to TIcctqI, 
 of the same substance or essence with the Father. 
 Which words she then used only for the clearer explica- 
 tion of the several places in Scripture, where the divin- 
 ity of Christ is asserted. For Athanasius, who was 
 present at the Council, saith, that the Fathers, gathering 
 the sense of the Scriptures concerning our Saviour, 
 elQ-^Hacn t6 6^uoo6aiov, pronounced him to be d^ooiaiog. 
 And therefore, though the word was not in Scripture, 
 they intended no more by it than what was there ex- 
 pressed in other words. 
 
 I know that the Arians complained that the word 
 ovata was nowhere to be found in holy writ. But 
 though that Greek word be not, yet certainly there is no 
 word in all the Greek language that more exactly 
 answers to the most proper name of God nin"' than ovala 
 doth ; and indeed the word Kvgiog, which the Apostles 
 use, and whereby the Septuagint translate mn' is much 
 of the same signification in its original ; from the old 
 word Kigca^ the same with sl/nl and <)7tdQx^- And 
 besides that, the Council of Nice did not invent this 
 word, but it had been used in the Church all along be- 
 fore : for Athanasius saith, that some bishops, both of 
 Rome and Alexandria, had used it 250 years before that 
 time ; and thatEusebius Csesariensis himself acknowledged 
 as much, and upon that account afterwards subscribed to 
 the Council. Who those bishops were we know not, their 
 works being now lost : but Tertullian, who lived about 
 105 years before that time, in his Apology, saith, that 
 the Son is called God, ex unitate substantia; and in his 
 book against Praxeas, that the three Persons are one 
 God per substantioe imitatem, which perfectly agrees 
 with the Greek word dfxooiaiog : and seeing they that 
 
1^8 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 lived so very near to the Apostles used this vi^ord, it is 
 more than probable that thej"^ also Vi^ere not the first 
 inventors of it, but that they had received it from the 
 Apostles themselves. 
 
 Howsoever, this is certain, that in the writings both 
 of the Apostles and prophets, we frequently meet with 
 the truth itself, which is signified by this word ;^ which 
 having been confirmed by the Council of Nice, it hath 
 been constantly used by the universal Church, as the 
 true and full interpretation of the holy Scripture, con- 
 cerning the divinity of our blessed Saviour ; and so 
 generally received by all Christians of all ages, that 
 after the Arians were once silenced, it never met with 
 any considerable opponents in the world, but Mahomet 
 and Socinus with their followers, which deserve not the 
 name of Christians. 
 
 The same may be observed of the third General 
 Council held at Ephesus : for when Nestorius had 
 affirmed, that in Christ, as there are two natures, so there 
 are two persons likewise ; one person, as he was God 
 begotten of the Father ; the other as man, born of his 
 mother : and therefore that the blessed Virgin could not 
 properly be called 0EOT6xog : the Council, for the deter- 
 mination of this question, did not only consult the sever- 
 al texts in Scripture relating to our blessed Saviour, but 
 considered likewise in what sense those places had been 
 understood by the catholic Church before that time ; for 
 which end they caused the Nicene Creed, and several 
 passages out of St. Cyprian, St. Basil, Athanasius, 
 Gregory Nazianzen, and many others, to be read in 
 council. And from thence they gathered, and therefore 
 pronounced, that according to the Scriptures, as inter- 
 preted by the catholic Church, Christ, though he have 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 139 
 
 two natures, yet he is but one person, and by conse- 
 quence that the Virgin Mary might properly be called 
 Geordxogj because the same person who was born of her 
 is truly God as well as man ; which being once deter- 
 mined by an universal Council to be the true sense and 
 meaning of the Scriptures in this point, hath been ac- 
 knowledged by the universal Church ever since, till this 
 time. 
 
 I might instance in other General Councils, wherein 
 the same way and method of proceeding was religiously 
 observed. For they never took upon them to form new 
 Articles of Faith, but only to explain and establish the 
 old ones : which being delivered in Scripture, were be- 
 lieved all along by the catholic Church before that time. 
 And certainly whatsoever hath been thus approved by 
 General Councils, and received and taught by the uni- 
 versal Church in all ages, we have all the reason in the 
 world to believe it to be the true doctrine of the Gospel, 
 every way corresponding with what is delivered in the 
 Scriptures, though it be not totidem verbis contained in 
 them. Be sure no sober man but must acknowledge, it 
 is more possible for himself, yea, and for any particular 
 Church, to err, than it is for the universal Church to do 
 so : and therefore it must needs be the safest way to use 
 Scripture-words in such a sense as the universal Church 
 hath always put upon them, and, by consequence, such 
 words also, whereby the universal Church hath always 
 expressed her sense of God's mind as revealed to us in 
 Scripture ; and to look upon them all as sound words, 
 such as St. Paul here speaks of, such as will convey 
 right and sound notions of the divine mysteries to our 
 understandings. 
 
 I have insisted the longer upon this, both because it is 
 
140 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 so necessary to our being sound in the faith, and also be- 
 cause of the great use that may be made of it in defend- 
 ing our Church against its adversaries on all sides. For 
 our Church as to its doctrine as well as discipline, is set- 
 tled upon so firm a basis, so truly Catholic, that none can 
 oppose what she teacheth, without denying not only the 
 Scriptures, but the Scriptures as interpreted by the uni- 
 versal Church. So that we may justly challenge all the 
 world to show us any one point or article of faith, where- 
 in our Church differs from the Catholic in all ages, since 
 the Apostles' days ; which, I think, is more than can 
 be said of any other national Church in the whole world ; 
 there being no other, that I know of, which keeps to the 
 form of sound w^ords delivered in Scripture, as inter- 
 preted by the universal Church, so firmly and constantly 
 as ours doth. 
 
 Not to trouble you at present with any other, there is 
 the Church of Rome, that pretends herself to be the 
 only catholic Church in the world. Examine but the 
 words that she hath taken up of late, the great words 
 whereby she distinguisheth herself from all other 
 Churches, and you will find that they agree neither with 
 Scripture nor antiquity, much less with both, as all sound 
 words do. What those words are which she insists so 
 much upon, is easy to be found out, for we have a form 
 of them prescribed and published by Pope Pius IV. in 
 the acts of the Council of Trent, and inserted into their 
 canon law ; a form of words that every one is bound to 
 swear to, before he can be admitted into any degree in 
 their Universities, into any benefice, dignity, or prefer- 
 ment in their Church, or indeed into any public employ- 
 ment whatsoever ; as appears by the bull of the said 
 Pope to that purpose. But in this whole form of words 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 141 
 
 except the Nicene Creed, with which it begins, to make 
 the rest go down the better, there is scarce any one word 
 which can properly be called sound, in the sense that I 
 have now explained. There is transubstantiatio, piirga- 
 torium, and several such novel words, which many of the 
 papists themselves have acknowledged can never be 
 proved from Scripture ; and if so, I am sure they are 
 not consonant to the doctrine of the universal Church ; 
 for she never proposed anything as necessary to be be- 
 lieved, but what she could prove from Scripture. 
 
 It is not worth our labor to run over the whole form ; 
 but give me leave to single out one paragraph, because 
 of its relation to the conspiracy which was yesterday 
 prevented, and we praised God for our deliverance from 
 it. The words are these : Sand am cathoHcam et apos- 
 tolicain Romanam ecclesianij omnium ecclesiarium matrem 
 et magistram agnosco ; Romanoque pontifici^ Sancti Petri 
 apostolorum principis successori^ ac Jesu Christi vicario 
 veram obedientiam spondeo ac jtiro. An excellent form of 
 words truly for a man to swear to, directly contrary both 
 to the Scriptures and the Catholic Church ! the Church 
 of Rome as now established, a catholic and apostolic 
 Church ! the mother and the mistress of all other 
 Churches ! but that is nothing in comparison of what 
 follows : the bishop of Rome, successor to St. Peter, 
 and the vicar of Christ ! 
 
 And if you would know in what sense he is the vicar 
 of Christ, their authors commonly tell you, that he is 
 so Christ's vicar upon earth, that Christ and he are but 
 one and the same head of the Church ; and so every 
 creature is as much bound to be subject to the Pope, as 
 to Christ himself. And therefore Antonius Puccius, in 
 a speech he made in the Lateran Council to Pope I.eo 
 7* 
 
142 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 X. there present, was neither afraid nor ashamed to use 
 these words to him : quasi in te, unoj vew, et legitimo 
 Christi et Dei vicario, propheiicum illud debuerit rursus 
 implerlj Adorahunt eum omnes reges terrce, oiiines gentes 
 servient ei. So horribly hath this one word or title given 
 to the pope been abused by them ! it hath indeed been 
 the occasion not only of their pride and ambition, but 
 likewise of all the villanies, persecutions, and assassina- 
 tions that have been executed or attempted by them. 
 For the constant use of this word having imprinted in 
 their minds a fancy, that the bishop of Rome sits there 
 in Christ's stead, to manage and order the affairs of the 
 whole world, whatsoever he commands, be it ever so 
 wicked and impious, ever so cruel and so barbarous, they 
 look upon it as sacred, and reckon themselves obliged 
 to obey it, as much, yea much more, than what Christ 
 himself hath commanded. 
 
 But if, after all, you ask them what right he hath to 
 this name, how he comes to be Christ's vicar upon earth, 
 more than any other bishop ? their answer is, because 
 he is St. Peter's successor. And therefore to make out 
 this title, it is necessary for them to prove two things : 
 first, that St. Peter himself was made Christ's vicar more 
 than any other apostle ; and then, that the bishop of 
 Rome succeeds him in that office. 
 
 As for the first, they quote those words of our Lord 
 to Peter, Thou art Peter , and upon this rock Iivill build 
 my Churchy Matt. xvi. IS. But it is plain that the catho- 
 lic Church never understood those words in any such 
 sense, as if Peter was by them constituted the vicar of 
 Christ. And besides, it is plain also, that although we 
 should understand the words of St. Peter's person, yet 
 there is nothing at all conferred upon him by them. For 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 143 
 
 our Lord speaks not in the present, but only in the 
 future tense ; and so doth not grant him anything as yet, 
 but only promiseth to give him something hereafter: 
 Upon this rocky saith he, I will build my Churchy and I 
 will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And 
 therefore to understand these words aright, we must con- 
 sider when and how this promise was fulfilled : and that 
 we shall find to have been after the resurrection of Christ, 
 when he said to his Apostles, As my Father hath sent me, 
 so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed 
 on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whoseso- 
 ever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them : and whoseso- 
 ever sins ye retain, they are retained, John xx. 21, 22, 23. 
 Notv was that promise fulfilled, now were the keys of 
 heaven given to St. Peter ; but not to him only, but to 
 the rest of the Apostles with him : so that if St. Peter 
 was then made the vicar of Christ, so were all the other 
 apostles as well as he ; and by consequence, all other 
 bishops as well as he of Rome. 
 
 But after all this, suppose St. Peter was the chief of 
 all the Apostles ; suppose our Saviour did design him 
 some peculiar honor, by saying, Upon this rock I will 
 build my Church ; what is all this to the pope of Rome } 
 how comes he to be so much concerned in anything 
 that was said or done to St. Peter } It is nowhere re- 
 corded in the Gospel, that our Saviour ever so much as 
 mentioned the city of Rome, much less the bishop of that 
 city ; which certainly it was very necessary he should 
 have done, had he designed him for his perpetual vicatto 
 the end of the world. He that pretends to so high an hon- 
 or and dignity as this, had need have something more to 
 show for it, than the bishop of Rome hath ; who hath so 
 little, that it was a thousand years after Christ, before 
 
144 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 this title was given to him. For as I remember, St. 
 Bernard was the first that ever called him j^cct' ^Io/tjj', 
 the vicar of Christ ; and therefore it is far from being the 
 sense of the catholic Church. 
 
 But since this word hath been used, and this title hath 
 been given to the bishop of Rome, what mischief hath it 
 done in the world ? For he, conceiting himself to repre- 
 sent Christ's person upon earth, and to be invested with 
 all his power and authority, at length began to look upon 
 himself as something more than a man; at least, far 
 above all mortals upon earth : and therefore hath taken 
 upon him to depose kings, to absolve their subjects from 
 their allegiance, and to persecute, murder, assassinate all 
 sorts of persons that he is pleased to call heretics ; and 
 all this under the pretence of religion, and authority de- 
 rived from Christ himself as being his vicar upon earth. 
 
 blessed Jesus ! that ever thy sacred name should 
 ba- thus abused by the sons of men ! that ever any one 
 should dare to pretend power from thee, to destroy those 
 whom thou earnest to save with thine own blood ! What 
 shall we say unto thee, O thou Redeemer of men t We 
 blush and are ashamed of ourselves, that ever any of our 
 nature, which thou wast pleased to assume, should be so 
 injurious to thee. How long, Lord, holy and true, 
 dost thou not judge and avenge thyself on all those who 
 thus continually blaspheme thy great and all-glorious 
 name, and use it to palliate their most atrocious crimes 
 and barbarous enormities ! Abate their pride, assuage their 
 malice, and confound their devices, that thy name may be 
 no longer dishonored, thy Gospel perverted, nor thy 
 holy catholic Church oppressed by them ! 
 
 1 have taken the boldness to make this short address to 
 our i.ord and Master Christ, as being confident, that he, 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 145 
 
 according to his promise, is present with us, and will in 
 his good time grant what we have desired of him. In 
 the mean while, we must learn obedience and submission 
 to his divine will ; and above all things, take care to keep 
 rt^ithin the bounds that he hath set us, and to continue 
 sound members of that mystical body, whereof he is head. 
 For which end, we must be sure to observe this apostoli- 
 cal rule, to holdfast the form of sound words : which his 
 Apostle judge d so necessary, that he minds Timothy of 
 it, not only here, but likewise in his former Epistle to 
 him, saying, 1 Tim. vi. 20. O Timothij, keep that which 
 is committed to thy charge ; that is the fides depositum^ as 
 St. Jerome expounds it, that sound faith which is com- 
 mitted to thee : and then he adds, avoiding tu; §e§'^lovg 
 nsvocpwviag^ profane and vain babblings, as contrary to the 
 sound words before spoken of: or as the Latin Fathers 
 generally render it, devitaris profanas vocum novitates; 
 reading I suppose, ytaivocpmviag instead of xevocpcovlag ; but 
 the sense is much the same. For all new ways of speak- 
 ing in divinity, especially in our age, are at the best but 
 vain babbling, and commonly profane, possessing men's 
 minds with such notions and conceptions of things, as will 
 infallibly lead them into error and heresy. Read but the 
 wild extravagant opinions of the first heretics and schis- 
 matics, that disturbed the Church ; and afterwards take a 
 view of those which after-ages have produced, together 
 with such as have been e ither revived or invented in our 
 days ; and you will fi nd them all made up of new words, 
 strange phrases, and odd expressions, which please the 
 ears, and then debauch the minds of them which hearken 
 to them. We need not go far for instances ; every sect 
 amongst us will supply us with too many, insomuch that 
 they may be all known from one another merely by their 
 
146 A FORM OF SOUI^D WORDS 
 
 words, and new modes of speaking ; whereby they would 
 seem to interpret, when indeed they pervert the Scrip- 
 tures, and lorest them to their own destruction. 
 
 Hence, therefore, it wnll be our interest andwisdom, as 
 it is our duty, to avoid those new words and phrases, 
 which have been lately started in the Church, as well as 
 the opinions which are couched under them ; and to look 
 upon them at the best but superfluous and unnecessary, 
 upon that very account, because they are new. For 
 nothing certainly can be necessary to be believed or 
 spoken in our days, which hath not been so all along. 
 
 Especially it concerns us, who are to instruct others 
 in the way to bliss, to use none but sound words, such as 
 are consonant to the Scriptures, as interpreted by the 
 catholic Church in all ages. I speak not this of myself; 
 it is the express command of our Church, in the Canons 
 she put forth in the year 1571, where she hath these 
 words; Imprimis vero videhunt concionatores^ ne quid un- 
 qiiam doceant pro condone^ quod a populo religiose teneri 
 et credi velint nisi quod consentaneum sit doctrinoe Veteris 
 aut Novi Testamenfij quodque ex ilia ipsa doctrina catholici 
 patres et veteres episcopi collegerint. So wisely hath our 
 Church provided against novelties ; insomuch that had 
 this one rule been duly observed as it ought, there would 
 have been no such thing as heresy or schism amongst us ; 
 but we should all have continued firm both to the doc- 
 trine and discipline of the universal Church, and so 
 shoukl h^YQ held fast the form of sound words^ according 
 to the Apostle's counsel in my text, in the sense I have 
 now explained it ; which, therefore, that we may for the 
 future do, I shall conclude my present discourse with this 
 brief exhortation. 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 147 
 
 Men, brethreriy and fathers, 
 
 Give me leave to speak freely to you, of the Church 
 you live in : a Church, not only in its doctrine and disci- 
 pline, but in all things else exactly conformable to the 
 primitive, the apostolical, the catholic Church. For, 
 was that no sooner planted by Christ, but it was watered 
 by the blood of martyrs ? So was ours. Did the primi- 
 tive Christians suffer martyrdom from Rome ? So did 
 our first reformers. Hath the catholic Church been all 
 along pestered with heretics and schismatics } So hath 
 ours. Have they endeavored in all ages to undermine, 
 and so overthrow, her } In this also ours is but too 
 much like unto her. And it is no wonder ; for the same 
 reason that occasioned all the disturbances and opposi- 
 tions that the catholic Church ever met with, still holds 
 good as to ours too : even because its doctrine is so pure, 
 its discipline so severe, its worship so solemn, and all its 
 rules and constitutions so holy, perfect, and divine, that 
 mankind, being generally debauched in their principles 
 and practices, have a natural averseness from it, if not an 
 antipathy against it. They would willingly go to heaven, 
 but are loath to be at so much pains for it, as our Church, 
 out of the word of God, prescribes ; and therefore would 
 fain persuade themselves, that man}'' of her proscriptions 
 are either sinful or superfluous, because not suiting, for- 
 sooth, with their humor, interest, or deprared inclina- 
 tions. But all their little objections against her are 
 grounded either upon their ignorance of what she pre- 
 scribes, or else upon their unwillingness to perform it. 
 There are very few, either of the papists or sectaries, 
 that know what our Church is, and therefore all their 
 zeal against it must needs be without knowledge. And 
 they that have some general notions of it, would never 
 
148 A FORM OF SOUND WORDS 
 
 set themselves in good earnest upon the observance of 
 what she commands, and therefore cannot knovv^ what ad- 
 vantage it would be to them. 
 
 Whereas, let any one that hath a due sense of religion, 
 and a real desire of happiness, let such a one make trial 
 of our Church but for one year ; let him constantly read 
 the Scriptures, in the method that she prescribes ; let 
 him constantly use the Common-Prayer according to her 
 directions ; let him constantly observe all her fasts and 
 holy-days ; let him receive the Sacrament as often as she 
 is ready to administer it, and perform whatsoever else 
 she hath been pleased to command ; let any man, I say, 
 do this, and then let him be against our Church if he 
 can : I am confident he cannot. But our misery is, that 
 none of those who are out of our Church, and but few 
 of those that are in it, will make the experiment : and 
 that is the reason that those are so violent against her, 
 and these so indifferent for her. 
 
 But let others do what they please, and answer for 
 themselves as well as they can another day ; as for you 
 who are here at this time, in the especial presence of 
 God, I humbly beseech and exhort you in the name of 
 our Lord mid Master Jesus Christy that as he hath been 
 pleased to admit you into so holy and pure a Church, so 
 you would all endeavor to live up to the rules and or- 
 ders of it, as many here present do. First, keep close 
 to the words she uses in her Articles and common 
 prayers ; by this means you will have a right judgment 
 in all things, and holdfast the form of sound icords indeed. 
 By this m.eans you will be secure from heresy, and en- 
 tertain no doctrine but what is catholic and orthodox. 
 Ijy this means whatsoever happens, you will still be stead- 
 fast in the faith of Christ, and not suffer yourselves to l>e 
 
TO BE USED BY MINISTERS. 149 
 
 imposed upon by the adversaries of our Church on either 
 side ; for if they cannot fasten new words upon you, it 
 will be impossible for them ever to deceive you. 
 
 But then you must remember to conform to the disci- 
 pline, as well as to the doctrine, of our Church, not hy- 
 pocritically, indifferently, and partially, but sincerely, 
 constantly, universally, so as to observe and do whatso- 
 ever she commands, either in her Liturgy, Canons, or 
 Constitutions. By this means you will live as the primi- 
 tive Fathers did, and come short of none of the most 
 eminent Christians that ever lived since the Apostles' 
 times. By this you will shame the adversaries of our 
 Church into a compliance with her, when they see how 
 far you outstrip them in all true grace and virtue : yea, 
 by this means you will be really saints on earth, and glo- 
 rified saints in heaven. For be but you as pious to- 
 wards God, as loyal to our queen, as sober in yourselves, 
 as faithful to your friends, as loving to your enemies, as 
 charitable to the poor, as just to all, as our Church en- 
 joins you ; in a word, be but you as conformable to her, 
 as she is to the catholic Church in all things, and my 
 life, my eternal life for yours, you cannot but be happy 
 for evermore. Which God of his infinite mercy grant 
 we may all be, in and through our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, 
 
 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ j and the love of 
 God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost ^ <^c. 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 
 
 1. Cor. IV. 58. 
 
 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadlast, unmoveable, always abound- 
 ing in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not 
 in vain in the Lord. 
 
 As certain as we are now alive, it is not long but we 
 shall be all dead ; and as certainly as we ever die, we 
 shall one day rise again ; that is, the same bodies out of 
 which our souls depart, howsoever they are dissolved in 
 the meanwhile, and their parts dispersed and scattered 
 about, shall be put together again, and shall be quickened 
 and informed by the same souls which departed from them ; 
 and so the same individual persons that died before, shall 
 live again, yea, so live as never to die more. 
 
 This is that great article of our Christian faith, which 
 the Apostle in this chapter doth not only assert and prove 
 from many undeniable arguments, but likewise discourses 
 at large concerning the cause, the manner and the effects, 
 or consequences of it, especially with reference to those 
 who die in the true faith of Christ, real and sound mem- 
 bers of that body whereof he is dead ; concerning whom 
 he assures us, that every one of their bodies, though it be 
 as seed sown and rotten in the ground, it shall afterwards 
 grow up and flourish more than ever. ^' It is sown," 
 saith he, " in corruption, it is raised in incorruption ; it is 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 151 
 
 sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in 
 weakness, it is raised in power ; it is sown a natural 
 body, it is raised a spiritual body," ver 42, 43, 44. A 
 spiritual body, it w^ill be a body still, consisting of the 
 same elements it did before, but so rarely tempered, that 
 it will subsist without meat or drink, and be subject 
 neither to heat, nor cold, nor hunger, nor thirst, nor wea- 
 riness, nor ache, nor pain, nor any distress or distemper 
 whatsoever, but will be always as fresh and lively, as 
 nimble and active, as subservient and obedient to the 
 soul, as if itself was purely spiritual ; so that this cor- 
 ruptible body, which the soul is now clothed withal, 
 " will then put on incorruption, this mortal body will put 
 on immortality," ver. 53, that is, it will always be a fit and 
 proper vehicle for the soul to move in, which therefore 
 shall never any more depart from it, and so it will be- 
 come incorruptible and immortal, never subject to death 
 or corruption, but be always acted, influenced, and gov- 
 erned by the immortal soul that dwelleth in it ; so that 
 death shall then be swallowed up in victory, so perfectly 
 overcome, that it shall cease to be ; there shall never be 
 any more separation of the soul and body ; but they shall 
 live together like loving mates, in glory, and joy, and 
 bliss for evermore. 
 
 These things being thus premised by the Apostle in 
 this chapter, concerning the resurrection of the dead, he 
 concludes it with the words which I have now read, 
 which are only an inference or corollary drawn from the 
 said premises ; as if he had said, " Seeing the dead shall 
 not all rise again, and seeing they who die in the Lord 
 Jesus shall live with him and be happy for ever ; there- 
 fore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast," &c. 
 
 Where we may observe, by the way, how the Apostle 
 
152 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 having explained and proved the great doctrine of the 
 resurrection, and coming now to apply it to the Corinthi- 
 ans, to whom he wrote, and in them to all Christians, the 
 better to prepare and dispose them to receive and observe 
 what he was now to press upon them, he ushers it in 
 with this friendly compellation, my beloved brethren ; that 
 so calling them not only his brethren, as all are in Christ, 
 but brethren in a particular manner beloved by him, he 
 might thereby give them to understand, that what he was 
 now to put them in mind of, from his apostolical discourse 
 concerning the resurrection, and the application he was 
 about to make of the same doctrine to them, proceeded 
 from that brotherly love and kindness which he had for 
 them, that he had no other end or design in it, but what 
 one true friend hath for another, even to do them good, 
 by putting them in mind of those duties, which necessa- 
 rily follow from the doctrine he hath now delivered ; 
 therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfastj &c. Hav- 
 ing, therefore, thus prepared the way, he acquaints them 
 with three great duties now incumbent^upon them, which 
 he earnestly exhorteth them to observe ; be ye steadfast, 
 immoveable, always abounding in the icork of the Lord ; 
 and then he enforceth his exhortation with this urgent 
 reason, drawn from what he had premised concerning the 
 resurrection, /orasmwc^ as ye know that your labor is not 
 in vain in the Lord ; which reason always holding good, 
 the duties grounded upon it must needs be likewise of 
 perpetual obligation, and by consequence necessary to be 
 observed now as much as ever, and by us as much as by 
 any other ; which therefore that they may be, we shall 
 briefly consider and explain the true meaning of each of 
 them as they lie in order. 
 
 First, saith he, be ye steadfast ; that is, well grounded 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 163 
 
 and settled, as the word signifieth, in the Christian reh- 
 gion, as the way to obtain a glorious resurrection ; which 
 we cannot fail of, if we continue in the faith, grounded 
 and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the 
 Gospel^ as the same Apostle expresseth it in his Epistle 
 to the Colossians, chap. i. 23. To whom therefore he 
 gives this apostolical advice, ^' As ye have received Christ 
 Jesus, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, 
 and established in the faith as ye have been taught, 
 abounding therein with thanksgiving," chap. ii. 6, 7 ; 
 which is the same in effect with that in my text, he ye 
 steadfast. 
 
 But what it is in the Christian religion that we ought 
 in a more particular manner to be steadfast in, we may 
 learn from what the Holy Ghost hath left upon record 
 concerning the first converts to it after our Lord's ascen- 
 sion, where he saith, that they continued steadfast in the 
 Apostles'' doctrine and. fellowship^ and in hreaklncj of breadj 
 and in prayers y Acts ^ii. 42 ; which are plainly the true 
 marks or notes of a Christian church, whereby it may be 
 distinguished from all other assemblies or bodies of men, 
 and which by consequence all persons must be steadfast 
 in, who desire to continue real and sound members of that 
 Church which Christ Jesus hath established in the 
 world. 
 
 1. They continued steadfast in the Apostles' doctrine ; 
 they did not only hearken to what the Apostles said, and 
 beUeved what they taught, but they continued constant, 
 firm, and steadfast in it, so as to believe nothing as neces- 
 sary to salvation, but what the Apostles taught them, but 
 to believe everything that the Apostles taught them as 
 necessary to salvation, being confident that the Apostles, 
 being acted and directed in what they taught by the Spirit 
 
154 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 of God himself, would never teach them anything either 
 untrue or impertinent ; nothing but what was both infal- 
 libly certain, and absolutely necessary for them to know 
 and believe, in order to their obtaining eternal salv^ation 
 by Jesus Christ ; and therefore they would not hearken 
 to any Jewish fables, nor philosophical speculations, nor 
 yet to their cfwn fancies, nor to the opinions of other 
 men ; but kept close to the doctrine of the Gospel, as 
 delivered to them by the Apostles of Christ, the first 
 founder of it, who gave them authority to preach it, and 
 assisted them with his own Spirit in the preaching of it, 
 that so they might be sure to preach nothing but what he 
 would have them, nothing bnt what was agreeable to 
 those eternal truths that he himself had before revealed 
 to them : this the first Christians knew, and therefore 
 would never give ear to any other teachers but the Apos- 
 tles themselves, and such as were sent by them ; and this 
 indeed was one of the doctrines which the Apostles 
 taught, that they should not hearken to any other doc- 
 trine but what they taught, but keep fast to that ; as 
 where St. Paul saith to Timothy, " Hold fast the form of 
 sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and 
 love which is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. i. 13. And St. 
 Peter, M^uting to all Christians, saith, '' This second Epis- 
 tle, beloved, I write unto you, in both which I stir up 
 your pure minds by way of remembrance, that ye may 
 be mindful of the words which were spoken before by 
 the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apos- 
 tles of the Lord and Saviour," 2 Pet. iii. 1,2. The pro- 
 phets and apostles being all actuated with the same Spirit, 
 what they commanded to men to believe- or to do, that 
 was necessary to be accordingly believed and done, and 
 nothing else ; and therefore he adviseth all to continue 
 
CHURCH RECOxMMENDED. 155 
 
 steadfastly in their doctrine, without minding what others 
 said or taught. 
 
 And this certainly is the first and great thing that 
 Christians in all ages ought to be steadfast in, even in the 
 doctrine which Christ and his Apostles taught, for that 
 is the foundation of our whole religion ; and therefore, 
 unless we be well grounded in that, all our hopes of sal- 
 vation will soon fall to the ground 5 it is by this that we 
 believe aright in God, and in Jesus Christ whom he hath 
 sent ; and it is by this also that we rightly understand 
 our duty both to God and man ; and therefore, without 
 this we can neither believe nor live according to the Gos- 
 pel of Christ, and by consequence can never be saved 
 by him. 
 
 Wherefore, as ever ye desire to be saved, ye must be 
 sure to be steadfast in the doctrine, which the Apostles of 
 Christ by his order and commission delivered at first by 
 word of mouth, and afterwards in writing, that all gene- 
 rations might know it, by which means we are now as 
 fully assured of what the Apostles taught, as they could 
 be which heard them speak it. Their doctrine being 
 transmitted to us by the infallible testimony of the Holy 
 Ghost, by which they spake and writ it in that holy book 
 which we call the New Testament ; so that whatsoever 
 we there read, as taught by the Apostles, we are sure 
 was their doctrine, and therefore are bound steadfastly to 
 believe it, and diligently to frame our lives according to 
 it ; but what we do not find there written, we can never 
 be sure that they taught it, and therefore cannot be oblig- 
 ed to believe or observe it. 
 
 And hence appears the excellency of our Church, in 
 that it requires nothing to be believed as an article of 
 faith, or as necessary to salvation, but what the Apostles 
 
156 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 first taught, and what the Church of Christ in all ages 
 hath believed to be consonant to the doctrine contained 
 in their writings ; but whatsoever opinion hath no ground 
 or foundation in the said apostoHcal writings, that ours 
 together with the catholic Church rejecteth, as either ut- 
 terly false, or at best not necessary to be believed ; and 
 therefore in order to your continuing steadfast, as the first 
 Christians did, in the Apostles' doctrine, the surest way 
 is to keep close to the doctrine of our Church, which is 
 plainly the same with that of the Apostles in all points, 
 without any addition, diminution, or alteration whatsoev- 
 er ; which is the great glory of our Church, and should 
 make us not only to continue firm and dutiful to it, but 
 likewise to thank God that we live in such a Church, 
 wherein we are duly instructed in all the great truths 
 which our Saviour and his Apostles taught, and are not 
 required to believe anything else, as necessary to our 
 being saved ; by which means as our minds may be en- 
 lightened, and our hearts purified by that faith which 
 was once delivered to the saints ; so we are secure from 
 falling into any damnable heresy, or from being corrupt- 
 ed or perplexed with any of those new and dangerous 
 opinions, which the ignorance and superstition of after- 
 ages have brought into the Church. 
 
 What this doctrine of our Church is, you may easily 
 understand ; as from the holy Scriptures themselves, so 
 likewise from the Liturgy and Articles of our Church, 
 which are all taken out of the said Scriptures, or ground- 
 ed upon them ; and therefore whatsoever doctrine is con- 
 tradicted by anything contained in our Liturgy or Articles, 
 you may be sure it is contrary to something asserted in the 
 holy Scriptures ; whatsoever doctrine is nowhere taught 
 or declared there, you may be as confident that the Apos- 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 157 
 
 ties never declared or taught it ; and by consequence 
 you are so far from being obliged to believe it, that you 
 are rather obliged not to believe it, as a necessary article 
 of our Christian faith, howsoever specious or plausible it 
 may seem to you ; but vrhatsoever doctrine you find to 
 be clearly propounded, asserted, or suggested either in 
 our Articles or Common Prayer Book, you may and 
 ought to rest fully satisfied in your minds, that that is the 
 true doctrine of the Apostles, which you ought to con- 
 tinue firm and steadfast in. 
 
 But the first Christians, as they continued steadfastly in 
 the Apostles' doctrine^ so likewise in fellowship^ or com- 
 munion with them, as it follows in the text before men- 
 tioned, Acts ii. 42. For the understanding of which, we 
 may observe, that these persons being now baptized ac- 
 cording to Christ's institution, they were thereby admit- 
 ted into the number of his disciples, and so were incor- 
 porated into him, and made members of that body where- 
 of he is head, which is a distinct society from the rest of 
 mankind, founded by Christ himself, by the name of his 
 Church, which he promised to be always with, and to 
 assist with his own Spirit, in the use of those means 
 which he had instituted, and appointed to be there ad- 
 ministered for our obtaining that salvation which he pur- 
 chased for us with his own blood ; and therefore it is 
 there said, that the Lord added to the Church daily such 
 as should be saved, ver. 47. For which purpose he or- 
 dained and deputed his Apostles and their successors to 
 instruct and govern the said society, and to take care 
 that all who are admitted into it, might have the said 
 means of grace duly administered unto them, that so they 
 might want nothing necessary to their being saved by 
 him. 
 
158 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 Now these persons being of this society, fellow-citizens 
 with the saints, and of the household of God, as St. Paul 
 expresseth it, Eph. ii. 19, they always kept company and 
 held communion with them, not only in receiving and 
 believing the doctrine which the Apostles taught them, 
 but likewise observing the rules and orders which they 
 appointed, and using all the means of grace and salva- 
 tion, as administered by them, so as not to divide them- 
 selves into- parties and factions, nor separate from that 
 holy society they were now admitted into, under anj'- 
 pretence whatsoever. 
 
 And in this also we ought to follow their good exam- 
 ple. It is our great happiness that we are of the same 
 apostolic Church as they were, and therefore ought to 
 continue steadfastly in fellowship and communion with it, 
 as they did. It is true there were not so many schisms 
 and divisions in the Church then, as there are now ; but 
 the reason was, because the people did not make them, 
 as many do in our days, who, notwithstanding that they 
 are admitted into our Church, are so far from continuing 
 steadfast in communion with it, that they never think they 
 can separate themselves far enough from it. But let 
 such persons do what they please, and take what fol- 
 lows : I must advise and beseech you in his name, that 
 laid down his own life to save you, and for the same pur- 
 pose hath brought 3-ou into his Church, that you would 
 hold constant comumnion with it, as by believing the 
 doctrine, so by loving the members, observing the orders, 
 and submitting to the discipline of it, and exercising your- 
 selves continually in the means of grace, as they are 
 constantly and duly administered in it. For so long as 
 you do so, you are certainly in the ready way to heaven ; 
 whereas, if you leave the Church, and run into corners 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 159 
 
 and separate congregations, you expose yourselves at 
 least to very great uncertainties about your salvation. 
 
 While you live constantly in the communion of our 
 Church, you are sure to enjoy all the means which Christ 
 hath appointed for your salvation, faithfully administered 
 in the same way and manner that he appointed ; you are 
 sure to be fully instructed in your whole duty both to God 
 and man ; you are sure to pray together in such a form, 
 as both for the matter and method and manner of it agrees 
 exactly with the Word of God : you are sure to have the 
 Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper administer- 
 ed unto you, according to Christ's own institution, with- 
 out any additions to it, or detractions from it ; you are 
 sure to have all this done, by persons rightly ordained 
 and authorized thereunto by Christ himself, and you are 
 sure that what they teach you is sound and orthodox, 
 the very same doctrine which Christ and his Apostles 
 taught; for when they are ordained, they solemnly pro- 
 fess and promise in the presence of God, that they will 
 instruct the people committed to their charge out of the 
 holy Scriptures ; and that they will teach nothing (as re- 
 quired of necessity to eternal salvation) but what they 
 are persuaded may be concluded and proved by the said 
 Scriptures ; neither can they afterwards be admitted to 
 preach, till they have subscribed to the Articles and Lit- 
 urgy of our Church ; in which, as I observed before, the 
 doctrine of the Apostles is fully contained. And besides 
 all this, so long as you continue in the communion of our 
 Church you are sure to have the Words and Sacraments 
 administered to you, by those who have the charge of 
 your souls committed to them, and who are therefore 
 obliged both in duty and interest to take as much care of 
 you as themselves, their own eternal salvation depending 
 
160 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 in a great measure upon their faithful discharge of their 
 office towards you. To which also God hath promised 
 the assistance of his own grace and Holy Spirit, to make 
 it effectual to you for the great ends and purposes for 
 which it is ordained. So that all things considered, it is 
 morally impossible that you should be led into error, be 
 ignorant of the truth, or miss of grace and salvation, if 
 you hold constant communion with our Church, and sin- 
 cerely believe and live accordingly as you are there 
 taught. 
 
 But if you leave the communion or fellowship of our 
 Church, or join'yourself to any of the sects which are 
 risen up among us, as you will be certain to want many 
 of the means of grace which you here enjoy, you will be 
 uncertain whether you shall enjoy any of them, so as to 
 attain the end for which they are appointed, even the sal- 
 vation of your souls ; for you will be uncertain whether 
 they who administer them be lawfully called and sent by 
 Christ to do it, as be sure many of them are not. You 
 will be uncertain whether you can join with them in 
 prayer ; for in some places they know not what they say, 
 in other places they themselves know not what they in- 
 tend to say, until they have said it, and how then can 
 you know it t You will be uncertain whether you shall 
 ever receive any benefit from the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper ; for some never administer it at all, others do it 
 either so imperfectly or irregularly, that the virtue and 
 efficacy of it is very much impaired, if not quite destroy- 
 ed. You will be uncertain, whether they preach the true 
 doctrine of the Gospel, for they never subscribed to it, nor 
 solemnly promised to preach that and no other ; neither 
 are they ever called to an account for anything they say 
 or teach, be it never so false or contrary to what Christ 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 161 
 
 and his Apostles taught ; so that they may lead you blind- 
 fold whithersoever they please, without control: and, 
 after all, you will be uncertain whether they seek you or 
 yours ; for they have no more obligation upon them to 
 take care of your souls, than you have to take care of 
 theirs : and therefore the most favorable and the most 
 charitable construction that can be put upon the separa- 
 tion from our Church is, that it is leaving a certainty for 
 an uncertainty, which no wise man would do in anything, 
 much less in a matter upon which his eternal happiness 
 and salvation depends ; from whence ye may easily ob- 
 serve, that it is your wisdom and interest, as well as duty, 
 to be steadfast as in the doctrine, so likewise in fellowship 
 or communion with the Church, as the first disciples 
 were. 
 
 The next thing they continued steadfastly in was break- 
 ing of bread, or the celebration of the Lord's Supper; 
 which is so necessary to our holding communion with the 
 Church, that it hath got the name almost wholly appro- 
 priated to itself, being commonly called the Communion, 
 because in it we communicate both with Christ the head, 
 and in him with all the sound members of his mystical 
 body, the Church. In this therefore they continued stead- 
 fastly ; that is, they never failed to receive the Lord's 
 Supper when it was administered, which was at least 
 every Lord's day, as is plain from Acts xx. 7, where it 
 is said, and upon the first day of the week^ when the dis- 
 ciples came together to break bread. From whence it ap- 
 pears also, that this was the great and principal end of 
 their meeting upon that day, even to communicate in 
 Christ's mystical body and blood ; which therefore they 
 all did, none offering to go away without partaking of 
 that heavenly food ; and if any presumed to do it, with- 
 
162 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 out showing very just cause for it, they were looked upon 
 as heathens and publicans, and therefore cast out of the 
 Church as not worthy to be of that holy society : neither 
 was this severe discipline used only in the Apostles' times, 
 but a good while after, as appears from the Canons of 
 the primitive Church, which are so ancient that the3'-are 
 called Apostolical ; and as you desire to be such holy 
 persons as they were, you must be sure to make as much 
 conscience of this holy duty as they did. Blessed be 
 God for it, you have the same opportunity as they had, 
 of receiving the holy Sacrament every Lord's day, and 
 therefore be advised to follow their example, in being 
 constantly at it, or at least as oft as possibly you can ; do 
 not let every little trifling worldly business deprive you 
 of the greatest blessing you can have on this side heaven : 
 you cannot but all acknowledge, that the merits of 
 Christ's death, which are there offered to you, are infi- 
 nitely beyond all the crowns and sceptres upon earth, and 
 therefore let not anything in this w^orld hinder you from 
 partaking of them ; many of you, I dare say, have found 
 by your own experience unspeakable comfort and advan- 
 tage, by frequent or constant applying yourselves to your 
 blessed Saviour in that holy Sacrament, and you w^ould all 
 do so, if you would but make trial of it ; which therefore I 
 must again advise and beseech you all to do, especially 
 those whose souls are committed to my care. I know I 
 must give an account of my charge one day to my great 
 Lord and Master Jesus Christ, and therefore dare not but 
 administer this as well as the other mealis that he hath 
 appointed for your salvation, as oft as he and his Church 
 requires it ; and in his name I beseech and admonish you 
 to be as careful and constant in the use of it, so that I 
 may deliver up my accounts with joy, and not with grief; 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED, 163 
 
 which I do not question but I shall do it, if you would 
 but continue steadfastly as in doctrine and fellowship, so 
 in breaking of bread, and in prayers, which is the last 
 thing which the disciples are there said to continue stead- 
 fastly in : in prayers, that is, in the public prayers of the 
 Church ; for what they did in private, every one by him- 
 self, could not be so well known ; neither was it so ma- 
 terial to know that, as how they carried themselves in re- 
 lation to the Church, that fellowship or communion of 
 saints, into which they were now admitted, with whom 
 they constantly joined in their public devotions, or such 
 prayers as were common to them all, and so both testi- 
 fied their communion with them, and assisted in the wor- 
 ship of the most high God and imploring his mercy for 
 all in general, as well as every one for himself in parti- 
 cular, and that not only now and then, but every day, or 
 as oft as possibly they could. 
 
 And in this also we ought to follow their good and 
 pious example, by being steadfast and constant, not only 
 in our private but public devotions, according to that ex- 
 cellent apostolical form, which our Church hath prescrib- 
 ed on purpose, that all the members of it, not only in 
 this kingdom, but wheresoever they are, might join to- 
 gether in one heart and mind, in hearing God's holy word, 
 in praying to him, and praising his most glorious name ; 
 and therefore, all that desire to live and act as becometh 
 the real and sound members of ours, as she is the catho- 
 lic and apostolic Church, should take all opportunities 
 they can get of performing their solemn and public devo- 
 tions to God, according to the said form. This being the 
 principal means whereby to obtain the illuminations and 
 assistances of God's Holy Spirit, to withstand the tempta- 
 tions of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to live 
 
164 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and 
 to persevere to the end in so doing. 
 
 And, indeed, I know nothing in the world that, by the 
 grace and blessing of God, contributes more to our steadi- 
 ness in the doctrine and communion of our Church, than 
 frequent receiving of the holy Sacrament, and constant 
 attendance at her public prayers, which whosoever doth 
 heartily and sincerely as he ought, may defy the very 
 gates of hell, for they will never be able to prevail against 
 him ; whereas, they who make no conscience of these 
 great duties, are in continual danger of being caught in 
 the next trap that shall be laid for them. 
 
 Thus now you see what are the chief things in which 
 you ought to be steadfast ; you ought to be steadfast in the 
 Apostles' doctrine, steadfast in fellowship or communion, 
 steadfast in breaking of bread, and steadfast in prayers ; and 
 if you be steadfast in these things, you will be so in all 
 things, wherein you need be steadfast, in order to your ob- 
 taining eternal bliss, and so perform the first duty enjoin- 
 ed in my text, he ye steadfast. 
 
 But the foundation of a house may be well laid, and 
 the superstructure so carefully raised that it may continue 
 strong and steadfast for some time, and 3^et nevertheless, 
 such storms and tempests may afterwards beat upon it, as 
 may make it shake and move to and fro, and at last, per- 
 haps, fall down to the ground again ; so it is in religion : 
 a man may be well grounded in the fundamental articles 
 of our Christian faith, and make some considerable pro- 
 gress in the practice of it, so as to continue steadfastly for 
 a while in it, and yet after all may, by the violence of 
 temptations, or some other way, be moved and seduced 
 from it ; and therefore, as the apostle adviseth us, not only 
 to be steadfast, but unmoveable too, as the house which our 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 165 
 
 Lord saith was built upon a rock, and the rains descended, 
 and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon 
 that house, and it fell not, for it was built upon a rock, 
 Mat. vii. 25, or, as the same apostle elsewhere expresseth 
 it, that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, 
 and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight 
 of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to 
 deceive, Eph. iv. 14. 
 
 This was a necessary caution in those days, and so it 
 is in ours, there being so much sleight and cunning crafti- 
 ness used now, to pervert and draw men from the Church, 
 if not much more than ever ; and, therefore, all that mind 
 religion in good earnest, so as to obtain the end of their 
 faith, even the salvatio»of their souls, had need to have 
 a care, and not suffer themselves to be tossed to and fro 
 with every new wind of doctrine that is raised among us, 
 but only to resolve, by the grace of God, to continue not 
 only firm and steadfast to the Church, but immoveable, as 
 the rock upon which it is built ; for which purpose, there- 
 fore, you must not give heed to those seducing spirits, 
 which would draw you offfrom the Church, under the pre- 
 tence of greater purity, stricter devotion, or higher perfec- 
 tion, than is commonly practised, or can be obtained in it ; 
 for this is an old artifice, which the devil hath made use of 
 all along, to impose upon well-meaning people : if he 
 should appear in his own colors as the prince of dark- 
 ness, all men would withstand him, or else run from 
 him ; and therefore he transforms himself into an angel of 
 light, and under that disguise he insinuates himself into 
 ignorant and unwary people, and carrieth them captive as 
 he pleaseth ; this we may be sure of, for St. Paul saith it, 
 2 Cor. xi. 14. And a greater than St. Paul, Christ him- 
 self, forewarns us of the same thing, saying, Bevmre of 
 8* 
 
166 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 false prophets^ which come to you in sheep^s clothing, but 
 inwardly they are ravening wolves, Matt. vii. 15, whereby 
 he plainly intimates, that there will always be false pro- 
 phets in the Church, such as the devil sends upon his er- 
 rands, but that he will always send them in sheep's cloth- 
 ing, like innocent and harmless lambs, whereas, in truth, 
 they are ravening wolves, sent on purpose to devour and 
 destroy the flock ; but our Saviour bids us to beware of 
 them ; and so we had need be, for it was by such that all 
 the errors, heresies, and schisms, that ever infested the 
 Church, were first sown in it. 
 
 And, indeed, as Christ and his Apostles foretold it, so 
 there always have been such false prophets and false 
 teachers in the Church, who, under the color of greater 
 purity in doctrine and worship, have seduced men into all 
 manner of heresy and sin. This know, saith the apostle, 
 that in the latter days perilous times shall come ; for men 
 shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud — hav- 
 ing a form or show of godliness, but denying the power there- 
 of; from which turn away ; for of this sort are they which 
 creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with 
 sin, led away with divers lusts, 2 Tim. iii. 1, 2, 5, 6. Such 
 were they in the primitive Church, that called themselves, 
 Tovg xadaoovg^ the pure, as pretending to be more pure and 
 holy than others ; such have been in all ages, and such 
 there are in ours, who blame our Reformation as defec- 
 tive, as if the Church were not reformed, not purged 
 enough from the errors it had before contracted ; but if 
 such would lay aside all prejudices, and impartially con- 
 sider the constitution of our Church as it is now reformed, 
 they might clearly see, that as there is nothing defective, 
 so neither is there anything superstitious in it, but that it 
 exactly answers the pattern of the primitive and apostoli- 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 167 
 
 cal Church itself, as near as it is possible for a national 
 Church to do it ; insomuch, that they who truly believe 
 all that she teaches, and practice all that she requireth, 
 may be as pure and holy as any of the first Christians, or 
 the Apostles themselves, were, or can be, so long as they 
 continue in the Church militant here on earth ; and there- 
 fore, instead of making such frivolous and groundless ex- 
 ceptions against our Church, do but you sincerely believe, 
 and live as you are there taught, and you will be as pure 
 and holy as you need to be upon earth, and as happy as 
 you ever can be in heaven, and will be so far from being- 
 moved by such silly arguments to leave our Church, that 
 nothing will be able to move you to it, no, not any seem- 
 ing miracles themselves, which is the highest sort of ar- 
 guments that can be used in matters of religion. 
 
 For our holy religion having been confirmed by many 
 undoubted miracles, wrought for that purpose by Christ 
 and his Apostles, many have pretended miracles for the 
 confirmation of their private opinions in it, howsoever er- 
 roneous and contrary to the nature of that religion which 
 was so established ; which, therefore, cannot possibly be 
 real miracles, such as were at first wrought for the con- 
 firmation of our religion in general, but they must be de- 
 lusions either of men or devils ; for God having confirm- 
 ed the Scripture, which is the standard of our religion, 
 by miracles, nothing can be more absurd than to imagine 
 that he should work miracles, to confirm any opinion that 
 is contrary to the said Scriptures ; and therefore the apos- 
 tle saith, though we or an angel from heaven preach any 
 other Gospel unto you than that which ice have preached 
 unto you J let him be accursed^ Gal. i. S. If an angel should 
 come down from heaven, with all his rays of glory and 
 majesty shining about him, and so appear visible to us at 
 
168 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 this time, this would certainly be a very great miracle ; 
 yet if he should preach any other Gospel than that which 
 we have received, or affirm anything contrary to what is 
 there contained, we ought not to believe him, but rather 
 defy and curse him, as one that would lead us out of the 
 right way to heaven. 
 
 Neither must we wonder if there have been, or really 
 should be, strange things wrought (which look like mira- 
 cles, though they are not so) , to confirm some in a false 
 religion, to draw others into it ; for this is no more than 
 what Christ himself hath foretold shall come to pass, say- 
 ing, There shall arise false ChristSy and fake prophets j and 
 shall show great signs and wonders^ insomuch that, if it 
 were possible^ they should deceive the very elect^ Matt. xxiv. 
 
 24. But then he adds. Behold I have told you before y ver. 
 
 25, and so forewarns us both to expect and slight them, 
 and not to suffer ourselves to be moved at all by them, 
 but still to keep close to that more sure word of prophecy 
 which he hath delivered to us, notwithstanding all the 
 signs and wonders that ever were, or ever can be, wrought 
 to divert us from it ; and it is a great comfort to us, that 
 our Lord himself here plainly intimates, that whatsoever 
 becomes of others, it is not possible for the elect, who 
 truly love and fear God, to be deceived by them. 
 
 But the greatest danger that people are in, of being per- 
 verted or seduced into error, heresy, schism, or supersti- 
 tion, is from their own lusts and passions, which either 
 corrupt or overpower their judgments, and then carry 
 them headlong into anything that seems to gratify their 
 prevailing humors, especially the love of this world ; the 
 hope of getting, or the fear of losing something in it, 
 commonly stifles all the sense that people have of reli- 
 gion, or else puts them upon acting contrary to it. This 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 169 
 
 our Lord himself observes, where he tells us, that the 
 care of this world^ and the deceitfulness of riches^ choke the 
 wordy and make it become unfruitful ., Matt. xiii. 22 Demas 
 hath forsaken me, saith St. Paul, having loved this present 
 world, 2 Tim. iv. 10. There have been many such De- 
 mas's in all ages, who out of love to this world, and pre- 
 ferring it before the favor of God and their own eternal hap- 
 piness, have apostatized not only from the true religion to 
 a false one, but from all religion to none at all : and ver- 
 ily it is no wonder ; for the love of money , as St. Paul 
 saith, is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. vi. 10, and therefore 
 must needs be inconsistent with the love of God, the chief- 
 est of all goods, as St. John tells us, 1 Johnii. 15. Inso- 
 much, that whosoever really loves the world, may be con- 
 fident that he doth not really love God ; and he that doth 
 not really love God, will be easily tempted to leave his 
 service, whensoever it comes into competition with that 
 which he prefers before it. 
 
 Hence also it comes to pass, that as some are allured 
 from their religion by the hopes of gaining, others are af- 
 frighted out of it by the fear of losing, this world, or some- 
 thing in it which they love better ; as their estates, their 
 honor, their ease, their liberty, or their life. These are 
 things that are very dear to most men ; and therefore, al- 
 though they be not really in any danger, yet if they do 
 but fear it, many are ready to do anything to prevent it, 
 even to the parting with their religion itself, if they ima- 
 gine that will do it. We have had many instances of this 
 in all ages. God grant that we may have none in ours, 
 at least, not among us ; for which end, it will be neces- 
 sary to get our minds possessed with a true fear of God 
 above all things in the world besides, and then we shall 
 never be moved with the fear of anything else, according 
 
170 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 to that remarkable promise that God hath made us, Iwi . 
 put imjfear into their hearts^ that they shall not depart from 
 me, Jer, xxxii. 40. Which we see notably exemplified 
 in St. Paul, who, having the fear of God always before 
 his eyes and in his heart, could never be moved from his 
 duty unto God, by all the dangers and troubles he met 
 with in it ; The Holy Ghost y saith he, witnesseth in every 
 city, saying J that bonds and afflictions abide tne. But none 
 of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto 
 myself^ so that I might finish my course with joy ^ and the 
 ministry which 1 have received of the Lord Jesus , to testify 
 the Gospel of the grace of God, Acts xx. 23, 24. I^one 
 of these things move me ! O blessed temper of mind ! 
 This is to be unmoveable indeed, when nothing is able to 
 move us from our duty to God, but we still continue firm 
 and constant to that, whatsoever it costs us. So that the 
 apostle here teacheth us, by his own example, how to do 
 that which he requires in my text, saying. Be ye steadfast , 
 unmoveable. 
 
 And then it follows, always abounding in the work of 
 the Lord, which may well follow upon the former ; for 
 if we be unmoveable, we must needs be always abound- 
 ing in the work of our Lord ; in the work of the Lord, 
 that is, in such works which the Lord, the Lord of hosts, 
 the supreme Governor of the world, hath set us to do, 
 whether they be works of piety to himself, or of justice 
 and charity to our neighbor. But what are those works 
 of piety which Almighty God hath commanded you to do 
 to himself } He hath commanded you to love him with 
 all your hearts and souls, with all your might and mind. 
 He hath commanded you to sanctify his most holy name, 
 and to make him your only fear and dread. He hath 
 commanded you to put your whole trust and confidence 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 171 
 
 on him, to rejoice continually in him, and to give up 
 yourselves v^^holly unto him. He hath commanded you 
 to submit yourselves to his divine will, and to make it 
 your constant care and study to please and honor him. 
 He hath commanded you to read and hear his most holy 
 word, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give 
 thanks unto him. He hath commanded you frequently 
 to receive the mystical body and blood of his dear Son, 
 in remembrance of that death which he underwent for 
 you. In short, he hath commanded you to worship 
 and glorify him both in your souls and bodies, which are 
 his. 
 
 And as to your neighbors ; he hath commanded you 
 to bear no malice or hatred against them, but to love 
 them as you love yourselves ; to honor and respect your 
 parents, and to be loyal, obedient, and submissive to the 
 king, and to carry yourselves lowly and reverently to all 
 your governors both in Church and State. He hath 
 commanded you to be meek and humble in your own 
 eyes, faithful to your word, just and righteous in all your 
 dealings. He hath commanded you to feed the hungry, 
 to clothe the naked, to instruct the ignorant, to comfort 
 the disconsolate, to relieve the oppressed, to help the 
 weak, to admonish the wicked, to love your very ene- 
 mies, and to be true and trusty, and kind, and good, and 
 charitable towards all men ; in a word, he hath com- 
 manded you, that whatsoever you would that men should 
 do to youj that you do even so to them^ Matt. vii. 12. 
 
 These are, in short, those works of the Lord, which 
 we are here commanded not only to do, but to abound 
 in ; not as if we should or could do more than we are 
 commanded, and so perform works of supererogation ; for 
 we are bound to do all we can, and therefore can never 
 
172 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 do more than we are bound, unless we can do more than 
 we can, which is impossible ; nay, we are so far from 
 being able to do more than we are commanded, that 
 when we have done all that is commanded us, we are 
 still commanded to say, TVe are unprofitable servants^ we 
 have done what was our duty to do^ Luke xvii. 10. 
 
 But in what respect then are we to be always abound- 
 ing in the work of the Lord, both to ourselves and others ? 
 In respect of ourselves, we are to be always abounding, 
 by growing always wiser and better, and doing more and 
 more good if it be possible every day than other, accord- 
 ing to that of the apostle to the Thessalonians, Further- 
 more we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord 
 Jesus, that as ye have received of us how you ought to walk 
 and to please God, so you would abound more and more, 1 
 Thess. iv. 1. And therefore you must not content your- 
 selves with the exercise only of some graces, or with the 
 lower degrees of any, but endeavor to be always adding 
 one grace to another, and one degree of the same grace 
 to another, still advancing higher and higher, until you 
 come to the highest pitch of all : this St. Peter adviseth, 
 where he saiih, Giving all diligence, add to your faith vir- 
 tue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance^ 
 and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and 
 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness 
 charity, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7. But then he adds, If these 
 things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall 
 be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, ver. S, so that it seems these several 
 graces must not only be, but abound, in us, and we must 
 abound in them, by multiplying the acts, and so increas- 
 ing the habits, of them every day more and more ; and 
 unless we thus abound in the work of the Lord, we can 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 173 
 
 never continue steadfast in it ; and therefore the same apos- 
 tle concludes his said Epistle, saying to all Christians, as 
 I now say to you, Ye therefore, beloved , seeing ye knoiu 
 these things before, beware lest ye, being led away with the 
 error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. Bui 
 grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sa- 
 viour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for 
 ever, 2 Pet. iii. 17, 18. Which is the same in effect with 
 that in my text j Be ye steadfast, immoveable, always 
 abounding in the work of the Lord. 
 
 But we must abound, not only in respect of ourselves, 
 but of others too, so as to strive all we can to excel one 
 another in virtue and goodness, to be strong in faith, rich 
 in good works, eminent in meekness, in humility, in pa- 
 tience, in charity, and in everything that is pleasing and 
 acceptable to God ; more constant in our devotions, more 
 frequent at the communion, more reverent in the wor- 
 ship, more fervent in the service, more zealous for the 
 glory of God, more sober in ourselves, more liberal to 
 the poor, more just to all men, than others commonly 
 are ; that our light may so shine before men, that they may 
 see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in 
 heaven. Matt. v. 16, or, as the apostle words it, that we 
 may shine as lights in the world, Phil. ii. 15. That all 
 who are about us may be enlightened, inflamed, and ex- 
 cited by our example to serve the same Master, and to 
 prosecute the same designs that we do in the world ; 
 even to glorify him that sent us hither. This is the best 
 way to convince gainsayers of the excellency of our re- 
 ligion, when they shall see us who profess it excel others 
 in piety and virtue. All other arguments can never pre- 
 vail upon them so much as this one. But this would be 
 of itself sufficient to demonstrate, that our religion is in- 
 
174 STEADFASTNESS TO THE ESTABLISHED 
 
 deed the best religion professed in the world, when they 
 who profess it are the best men in the world, not only 
 steadfast and unmoveahle^ but always abounding in the ivorj^; 
 of our Lord. 
 
 And verily you have all the reason and encourage- 
 ment imaginable to be so, forasmuch as you know (as 
 the apostle here adds) that " your labor is not in vain 
 in the Lord," that is, whatsoever pains you are at, what- 
 soever care you take, whatsoever you do or suffer for the 
 Lord, you may be confident it will be worth your while. 
 It will not be in vain or to no purpose ; for the Lord you 
 serve is so good a Master, that he will be sure to reward 
 and recompense you for all the service you ever did him : 
 not as if you could merit or deserve anything from him, 
 by doing that which he himself enables you to do for him, 
 but because he is graciously pleased to give eternal life 
 to all who sincerely endeavor to serve him, not for their 
 own, but for Christ Jesus' sake. And that is the reason 
 why the apostle saith, that " your labor is not in vain in 
 the Lord," that is, in the Lord Christ ; in whom, and in 
 whom alone, God is pleased both to accept of what you 
 do in this world, and to reward you for it in the next ; 
 where you shall live with him, and enjoy his love and 
 favor, and all the good things you can desire for ever ; 
 where your minds shall be so perfectly enlightened, that 
 you shall see him face to face, and your wills so perfect- 
 ly sanctified, that all your inclinations shall rest in him, 
 as iheir only centre ; where you shall always live in per- 
 fect peace with him, yourselves, and one another ; where 
 you shall never know what care, or fear, or trouble, mean, 
 but shall live in perfect ease and quiet, in perfect joy and 
 happiness, and in the highest honor and glory that crea- 
 tures are capable of ; where ye will not only keep com- 
 
CHURCH RECOMMENDED. 175 
 
 pan}^ with the holy angels, but be made equal to them, 
 and fellow commoners with them in the pleasures that 
 are at God's right hand for evermore : where your bod- 
 ies also shall be incorruptible and immortal, sound and 
 healthful, quick and nimble, brisk and lively, and every 
 way like to the glorious body of Christ himself. In short, 
 where you shall have infinitely more glory, comfort, and 
 felicity, than you could ever deserve, yea, infinitely more 
 than you can as yet imagine or desire. 
 
 And although God will confer all this upon you, only 
 out of his infinite mercy in Jesus Christ, yet the more 
 you now abound in serving him, the more he will then 
 abound in his goodness and mercy to you. And hence 
 it is, that as there are degrees of misery and torment 
 among the damned in hell, so there will be degrees of 
 glory and happiness among the saints in heaven ; for as 
 one star differeth from another star in glory ^ so also^ saith 
 the apostle, is the resurrection of the dead, 1 Cor. xv, 42. 
 All shall shine as stars, but some shall be of one, others 
 of another, magnitude. All shall have as much joy and 
 bliss as they are capaljle of, but some shall be capable of 
 more than others, even they who have had more love and 
 zeal for God, and have done and suffered more for him. 
 Their capacities will be more enlarged, and how large 
 soever they are, they will be all filled ; all shall be then 
 happy, who are now sincerely holy ; but the more holy 
 you now are, the more happy you shall then be ; the 
 more care and pains you take here, the more shall be 
 your joy and glory hereafter. For the more you love 
 and honor God upon earth, the more shall you be belov- 
 ed and honored by him for evermore in heaven. " There- 
 fore, my beloved brethren, by ye steadfast, unmoveable, 
 always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as 
 ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 ADMISSION INTO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, BY BAPTISM, NECES- 
 SARY TO SALVATION. 
 
 John hi. 5. 
 
 Jesus answered, Verily, verily. I say unto thee, Except a man be born of 
 water and of the Spitit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
 
 Of all the sort of creatures we know upon the face of 
 the earth, there are none but what observe the laws, and 
 answer the end, of their creation, except mankind : but 
 mankind are all fallen from their first estate, they are all 
 gone out of the way they were made to walk in, and act 
 quite contrary to what they were at first designed to do ; 
 and therefore might justly have been all reserved, to- 
 gether with the fallen angels, m everlasting chains, under 
 darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. But the 
 Almighty Creator of all things, for the manifestation of his 
 infinite mercy and truth, was graciously pleased to find 
 out a way, whereby mankind might be restored to their 
 first estate, and be made as happy again, as if they had 
 never fallen from it : and that was by his only-begotten 
 Son, who, for that purpose, being in the form of God, of 
 one substance with the Father, was pleased to take upon 
 him the whole nature of man, uniting it to his own divine 
 Person, and then to ofier it up as a sacrifice for the sins 
 and offences of all mankind, by being obedient in it unto 
 death, even the death of the cross : by which meaps he be- 
 
ADMISSION BY BAPTISM. 177 
 
 came the Saviour of all men, especially of those who be" 
 lieve. So that all men are capable of being saved by him, 
 and they who believe shall most certainly be so. 
 
 For he, by the virtue of what he did and suffered in 
 their nature, and being himself both God and man, is the 
 Mediator between God and them, always appearing in 
 the presence of God, and there making intercession for 
 them ; that God would be graciously pleased to accept 
 of his death instead of theirs, and for his sake give them 
 all things necessary both for life and godliness ; that they 
 may become such as may be accepted of in him as right- 
 eous, and accordingly inherit eternal life. By means of 
 this mediation or intercession, which his only-begotten 
 SoUj in whom he is well pleased^ is continually making in 
 heaven for them, the Almighty Creator and Governor of 
 the world is so far reconciled to them, that he looks upon 
 them as his own children, takes them into his own parti- 
 cular care, works in them both to will and to do what he 
 would have them, prevents, directs, and assists them 
 by his Holy Spirit in what they do, and makes all things 
 work together for their good ; that they may serve him 
 faithfully while they are upon earth, and be duly qualified 
 to live with him and his holy angels in heaven : and then 
 he takes them to himself, that they may enjoy him there, 
 and praise him for ever, for all the blessings and favors 
 which they have received through his Son Jesus Christ ; 
 and above all, for him, through whom they have received 
 them. 
 
 Now seeing all his hopes of heaven, and of all things 
 relating to our coming thither, are grounded wholly upon 
 what our blessed Saviour is there doing for us ; we who 
 hope to obtain that glorious kingdom, through his merits 
 and mediation for us, must take special care to observe an 
 
178 ADMISSION BV BAPTISM, 
 
 do whatsoever he requires in order thereunto ; and parti- 
 cularly what he saith in the words which I have now 
 read. For here we see, that notwithstanding all that he suf- 
 fered upon earth, and is now doing in heaven for man- 
 kind, yet he positively asserts, that except a man he horn 
 of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 
 dom of God. He doth not only say, that such a one shall 
 not, but he cannot, enter into the kingdom of God ; that 
 none may ever expect it, but that all may look upon it as 
 a thing impossible. 
 
 But the better to clear the way for our finding out the 
 true sense and meaning of the words, it will be necessary 
 to look back a little, and see how they come in. Nico- 
 demus, a ruler of the Jews, hearing of the miracles which 
 our Saviour did, could not but from thence conclude, 
 that he was a teacher come from God ; and therefore had a 
 great mind to learn something of him : for which purpose 
 he came to him, but, for fear of offending his brethren the 
 Pharisees, he came by night. And while they were 
 discoursins: tog-ether, our Saviour took occasion to ac- 
 quaint him, that except a man be born again, he cannot see 
 the kingdom of God, ver. 3. Nicodemus, not rightly un- 
 derstanding his meaning, wondered at the expression, 
 and said. How can a man be horn when he is old ? Can 
 he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be 
 born? ver. 4. Our Lord, not regarding the absurdity 
 of such a question, but pitying the man's weakness, ex- 
 pressed his meaning in fuller and plainer terms, saying. 
 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, JExcept a man be born of 
 icater and of the Spirit, he cannot enter h.to the kingdom 
 of God. He useth the same asseveration that he did be- 
 fore. Verily, verily, I say unto thee ; that Nicodemus 
 might take the more notice of it, and believe it upon his 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 17 J 
 
 word, whom he had before acknowledged to be a teacher 
 come from God. And although these words were spoken 
 only to Nicodemus, they are left upon record, for the 
 benefit of all mankind ; that all who expect the kingdom 
 of God by Jesus Christ, may know jfrom his own mouth, 
 that none can enter into that kingdom, except they he horn 
 of water and of the Spirit. 
 
 That by the kingdom of God, or, as it is elsewhere 
 called, the kingdmn of heaven, in holy Scripture, is com- 
 monly meant that high and holy place, where the saints 
 and the servants of God enjoy perpetual rest and felicity, 
 none ever doubted ; and therefore I need not stand to 
 prove it, but shall only observe, that his expression is 
 used also in a larger sense, not only for the place itself, 
 but likewise for the way that leads to it, that also being 
 wholly under the rule and governance of Almighty God. 
 And seeing he always added to the Church those who 
 shall be saved, or inherit eternal life and glory in heaven. 
 Acts ii, 47, therefore the Church militant upon earth, as 
 well as that which is triumphant in heaven, is called also 
 the kingdom of God ; and not only that part of it which is 
 invisible, as being governed by the secret influence of 
 God's special grace and Holy Spirit ; but also the visible, 
 consisting of all that profess the true faith and fear of 
 God, although many of them do no more than only pro- 
 fess it. And therefore our Saviour himself compares the 
 kingdom of heaven to a field wherein tares are sown as 
 loell as wheat, Matt. xiii. 24, 25, and to a ?iet, that, being 
 cast into the sea, gathereth every kind of fish, both good 
 and bad, ver. 47. But howsoever, as once the whole 
 nation of the Jews, both good and bad, w^ere the people 
 of God, and had him in a peculiar manner for their King : 
 so now the whole Church of Christ, or the congregation 
 
180 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 of faithful people all the world over, is properly the king- 
 dom of God, where, in the administration of his Word 
 and Sacraments, he exerciseth his power in the hearts of 
 men, enlightening, renewing, and sanctifying them so as 
 to fit them to live with him in the other world, and then 
 he translates them into his kingdom in heaven, or rather 
 to that part of his kingdom that is there settled : 
 for, properly speaking, it is one and the same kingdom, 
 in different places, and under different circumstances ; 
 here it is militant, there triumphant ; here it consisteth of 
 sinners as well as saints, there they are all saints ; here the 
 saints themselves have many imperfections in them, there 
 they are all perfect. But though many may be admitted 
 into the kingdom of God upon earth, and yet, through 
 their own default, may not get to that which is in heaven ; 
 yet none can get to that which is in heaven, but only such 
 as are first admitted into the kingdom of God upon earth. 
 Now he who purchased this kingdom for mankind, 
 and is himself the head of it, here tells us, that except 
 a man be horn of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter it. 
 Immediately before he had said, that except a man be 
 horn again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; to show 
 the necessity of a man's being regenerated, and made an- 
 other kind of creature than he was at first born, before 
 he can be capable of seeing or enjoying the privileges 
 and delights of that kingdom. But here, speaking of be- 
 ing born of water and the SpiHt, he alters the phrase, and 
 saith, without that a man cannot enter it; he cannot so much 
 as be admitted into it, or made a member of that king- 
 dom, so as to have any right or title to the delights and 
 privileges of it. We have the word of Christ himself for 
 it, and therefore may well believe it : for it is he who 
 rules and governs this kingdom ; it is his own, he takes 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. ISi 
 
 in and keeps out whom he pleaseth, and how he please ih 
 to do it. And therefore it is not for us to argue the case 
 with him, why he hath made this or that way for our en- 
 trance into his kino;dom. We must give him thanks 
 that he hath made any way at all for it, and take care to 
 go in that way which he hath made, as ever we desire to 
 enter in at all ; and that is by being born of water and of 
 the Spirit ; for he himself here saith, that except a man 
 he sOj he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
 
 But what he means by being born of water and of the 
 Spirit J is now made a question : I say now ; for it was 
 never made so till of late years : for many ages together 
 none ever doubted it, but the whole Christian world took 
 it for granted, that our Saviour, by these words, meant 
 only, that except a man be baptized according to his in- 
 stitution, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ; this 
 being the most plain and obvious sense of the words, 
 forasmuch as there is no other way of being born again 
 of water as well as of the Spirit, but only in the Sacra- 
 ment of Baptism. 
 
 To understand what he means by being born again, 
 we must call to mind what he saith in another place. 
 J\Iy kingdom is not of this world^ John xviii. 36, 
 though it is in this world, it is not of it ; it is not a secu- 
 lar or earthly kingdom, but a kingdom purely spiritual 
 and heavenly : it is not meat and drink, but righteousness 
 and peace J and joy in the Holy Ghost , Rom. xiv. 17. 
 And therefore when a man is born into this world, he is 
 not thereby qualified for the kingdom of God, nor hath 
 any right or title to it, no more than as if he had not been 
 born at all ; but before he enter into that, he must be 
 born again, he must undergo another kind of birth than he 
 had before : he was^before born'of the flesh, he must now be 
 9 
 
18*^ ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 born of the Spirit ; otherwise he cannot be capable of 
 entering into such a kingdom as is altogether spiritual. 
 Thus our Lord himself explains his own meaning in my 
 text, by adding immediately in the next words, That 
 which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of 
 the Spirit is spirit, ver. 6. As if he had said, he that is 
 born, as all men are at first, only of the flesh, such a one 
 is altogether carnal and sensual ; and so can be affected 
 with nothing but the sensible objects of this world ; but 
 he that is born of the Spirit of God, thereby becomes a 
 spiritual creature, and so is capable of those spiritual 
 things of which the kingdom of God consisteth, even of 
 nghteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. And 
 he whose mind is changed, and turned from darkness to 
 light, and from the power of Satan unto God, is truly 
 said to be born again, because he is quickened with an- 
 other kind of life than he had before ; and to be born 
 of the Spirit of God, because it is by it that this new 
 and spiritual life is wrought in him. So that he is now 
 born into another world, even into the kingdom of God, 
 where he hath God himself, of whom he is born, for his 
 Father ; and the kingdom of God for his portion and in- 
 heritance. And therefore it is, that except a man be thus 
 born of the Spirit, it is impossible he should enter the 
 kingdom of God ; seeing he can enter into it in no other 
 way than by being born of the Spirit. 
 
 But that we may be thus born of the Spirit, we must 
 be born also of water, which our Saviour here puts in 
 the first place. Not as if there was any such virtue in 
 water, whereby it could regenerate us ; but because this 
 is the rite or ordinance appointed by Christ, wherein to re- 
 generate us by his Holy Spirit ; our regeneration is wholly 
 the act of the Spirit of Christ. But there must be some- 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 183 
 
 thing done on our parts in order to it ; and something that is 
 instituted and ordained by Christ himself, which in the 
 Old Testament was circumcision, in the New, baptism, 
 or washing with water ; the easiest that could be invent- 
 ed, and the most proper to signify his cleansing and re- 
 generating us by his Holy Spirit. And seeing this is insti- 
 tuted by Christ himself, as we cannot be born of water 
 without the Spirit, so neither can we, in an ordinary way, 
 be born of the Spirit without water, used or applied in 
 obedience and conformity to his institution ; Christ hath 
 joined them together, and it is not in our power to part 
 them ; he that would be born of the Spirit, must be born 
 of water too. 
 
 This is that which the apostle also teacheth us, where 
 he saith that God our Saviour, according to his mercy, 
 saves us by the washing of regeneration and by the renew' 
 ing of the Holy Ghosi^T'ii. iii. 5. By the w^ashing with 
 water, as the sign of our regeneration, and by the renew- 
 ing of the Holy Ghost, as the thing signified, which is 
 the same in effect with our being born of water and of 
 the Spirit^ and a clear explication of it. 
 
 But how we come to be born of water and of the Spirit 
 together in the Sacrament of Baptism, appears most 
 clearl}? from the commission which our Lord gave for the 
 administration of it, saying to his Apostles, Go ye there- 
 fore^ and make all nations disciples^ baptizing them in the 
 name of the Father^ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghosty 
 Matt, xxviii. 19. So the w^ords in the original plainly 
 signify and ought to be translated. I know that our 
 own, and other European translations, render the words, 
 Go ye and teach all nations , baptizing them, &c., which 
 gave the first occasion to the sect of the Anabaptists : 
 for ignorant people, imagining that our Saviour here 
 
184 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 commanded that all nations should be first taught, and 
 then baptized, from thence concluded, that none ought 
 to be baptized, till they are first taught the principles of 
 the Christian religion ; but the original word fiudjjTeTuuaze 
 will bear no such sense ; for it never signifies to teach, 
 but only to be, or to make, disciples, as Matt, xxvii. 57 ; 
 xiii. 52. Acts xiv. 21. And so it is constantly trans- 
 lated in all the oriental versions ; and therefore we never 
 heard of any Anabaptists in the Eastern Churches : and 
 there would have been none among us, if people did but 
 rightly understand the Scriptures, and particularly these 
 words of our Saviour ; in w hich he is so far from requir- 
 ing it as necessary that people should be taught before 
 they are baptized, that he requires that to be done after- 
 wards, saying in the words follow^ing, I'eaching them to 
 observe all that I have commanded you, ver. 20. 
 
 But whosoever understands and consults the original 
 words in this text, wdll plainly see, that our Saviour's 
 meaning is, that not only Jews, but all nations, should 
 be made his disciples, by being baptized in the name of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: and, 
 by consequence, that this is the way w hereby to be boj'n 
 of water, and of the Spirit, as he speaks in my text. 
 For as baptizing necessarily implies the use of water, so 
 our being made thereby disciples of Christ, as necessarily 
 implies our partaking of his Spirit : for all that are bap- 
 tized, and so made the disciples of Christ, are thereby 
 made the members of his body ; and are therefore said 
 to be baptized into Christ, Rom. vi. 3, Gal. iii. 27. But 
 they who are in Christ, members of his body, must needs 
 partake of the Spirit that is in him their head. Neither 
 doth the Spirit of Christ only follow upon, but certainly 
 accomj)anies, the Sacrament of l^aptism, when duly ad- 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 185 
 
 ministered according to his institution. For, as St. Paul 
 saith, by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body^ 1 
 Cor. xii. 13. So that in the very act of baptism, the 
 Spirit unites us unto Christ, and makes us members of his 
 body ,• and if of his body, then of his church and king- 
 dom, that being all his body. And therefore all who are 
 rightly baptized with water, being at the same time bap- 
 tized also with the Holy Ghost, and so born both of wa- 
 ter and the Spirit, they are, ipso facto ^ admitted into the 
 kingdom of God, established upon earth ; and if it be not 
 their own fault, will as certainly attain to that which is 
 in heaven. 
 
 Now from these words of our blessed Saviour, thus 
 briefly explained from what he himself and his Apostles 
 have taught us in other places of the holy Scripture, 
 many inferences may be raised, which are of great use, 
 and much to be observed, especially in our days, wherein 
 ignorant people are seduced by the devil and his agents 
 into so many erroneous and dangerous opinions about the 
 holy Sacrament of Baptism. I shall instance only in 
 those which are most proper to convince such of their 
 error, and confirm others in the truth. From hence, there- 
 fore, we may first observe, how necessary baptism is to our 
 entrance into the kingdom of heaven, seeing he, by whom 
 alone it is possible for any man to enter in, hath so posi- 
 tively affirmed, that none can enter in, except they be bap- 
 tized, or born of water and the Spirit : which St. Peter 
 was so sensible of, that when some asked him, and the 
 rest of the Apostles, what they should do to be saved ? he 
 answered roundly. Repent, and be baptized every one of 
 you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, 
 and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 
 38. Whereby he doth not only assure them in the name 
 
186 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 of God, that upon their being baptized, they should in- 
 fallibly receive the Holy Ghost to sanctify and regene- 
 rate them ; but this is the tirst and great thing which he 
 adviseth every one to, as without which, not any one 
 of them could ever enter into the kingdom of God, and 
 be saved. 
 
 And the same apostle, when upon his first preaching 
 unto the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost fell on them, so that 
 they immediately spake with tongues, although some 
 might have thought there had been no need of baptizing 
 them who had already received the Holy Ghost ; yet he 
 considering that this gift of the Holy Ghost was only to 
 enable them to speak with tongues, not to regenerate 
 them, he inferred from thence, that they ought the rather 
 to be baptized : Can any many saith he, forbid water, that 
 these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy 
 Ghost as well as we ? Acts x. 47. And therefore com- 
 manded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, ver. 
 48. Which he would never have done, if it was not 
 necessary for them to be born of water and of the Spirit. 
 And though our Lord himself appeared to Saul, as he 
 was going to Damascus, and called him with his own 
 mouth, yet he also must be baptized, before he could be 
 filled with the Holy Ghost, and so made a disciple, much 
 less an apostle, to him who had called him. Acts ix. 17, 
 18. xxii. 16. 
 
 There are many such places in holy Scripture, which 
 show the great necessity of baptism, where it may be 
 had ; but I shall add only these remarkable words, which 
 our Saviour spake to the Apostles after his resurrection : 
 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he 
 that believeth not, shall be damned, Markxvi. 16, Where 
 we see, that he, by whom alone it is possible for any 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 187 
 
 man to be saved, makes baptism necessary to salvation 
 as well as faith : he saith indeed, He that helieveth not 
 shall be damned : but he doth not say, He that helieveth 
 shall be saved, whether he be baptized or no ; but he that 
 helieveth and is baptized : as all to be sure are, or at least 
 desire to be, who truly believe in him. For all who 
 truly believe in Christ for their salvation, must believe 
 what he hath said to be true, and accordingly do what- 
 soever he requires in order to it. But he requires all 
 that would be saved by him to be first baptized into 
 him ; and as plainly asserts in my text, that except a man 
 be born of watery and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 
 the kingdom of God : and therefore it is in vain to ex- 
 pect it. 
 
 This I would desire all here present to take special 
 notice of, that you may not be deceived by a sort of peo- 
 ple risen up among us, who being led, as they pretend, 
 by a light within them, are fallen into such horrid dark- 
 ness and damnable heresies, that they have quite laid 
 aside the Sacrament of Baptism, and affirm, in flat con- 
 tradiction to our Saviour's words, that they may be saved 
 without it. I pray God to open their eyes, that they 
 may not go blindfold into eternal damnation. And I ad- 
 vise you all, as you desire not to apostatize from the 
 Christian religion, and as you tender your eternal salva- 
 tion, take heed that you be never seduced by them, un- 
 der any pretence whatsoever ; but rather, if you be ac- 
 quainted with any of them, do what you can to turn them 
 from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto 
 God again ; that thpy may receive forgiveness of their 
 sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified by 
 faith in him, who said, Except a man he born of water, 
 &c. 
 
188 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 TSot only a man, in contradiction to a child, or a wo- 
 man, but, as it is in the original, 'Ed*' /uri n?, except any 
 one, any human creature, whatsoever, man, woman, or 
 child, except he be born of water and of the Spirit^ he 
 cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So that our Lord 
 is so far from excluding children from baptism, that he 
 plainly includes them ; speaking in such general terms, 
 on purpose that we may know, that no sort of people, 
 old or young, can ever be saved without it. And so he 
 doth too, where he commands, as was observed before, that 
 all nations should be made disciples^ by being baptized In 
 the name of the Father^ and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost : for, under all nations, children must needs be 
 comprehended, which make a great, if not the greatest 
 part of all nations. And although these general expres- 
 sions be sufficient to demonstrate the necessity of infant 
 baptism, yet foreseeing that ignorant and unlearned peo-.- 
 pie would be apt to wrest the Scriptures to their own 
 destruction, he elsewhere commands children particularly 
 to be brought unto him, saying. Suffer the little children 
 to come unto »?e, and forbid them not ; for of such is the 
 fdngdom of God, Mark x. 14. But if the kingdom of 
 God consists of children, as well as other people, they 
 must of necessity be baptized, or born of water and the 
 Spirit ; for otherwise he himself saith, they cannot enter 
 into the kingdom. 
 
 Hence it is, that we find the Apostles often baptizing 
 whole families, children, if any, as well as others : and 
 the whole catholic Church, in all places and ages ever 
 since, hath constantly admitted the children of believing 
 parents into the Church, by baptizing them according to 
 ihe institution and command of our Saviour ; none ever 
 making any question of it, but all Christians, all the 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 189 
 
 world over, taking it for granted, that it ought to be 
 done, till of late years. 
 
 But of late years, there is a sect sprung up among us, 
 who, contrary to Christ's command, forbid little children 
 to be brought unto him by baptism, the only way where- 
 by it is possible for them to come to him ; and so make 
 the children of Christian parents in a worse condition 
 than the Jewish were ; and the Law more favorable 
 than the Gospel. How they will answer it at the last 
 day, I know not : but I know, that it greatly behooves all 
 that have any care of their own, or their children's good, 
 to take heed of this sort of people, who creep into houses, 
 and lead captive silly women., laden with sins, led away 
 with divers lusts, 2 Tim. iii. 7. And by good words and 
 fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom, xvi. 
 18. But they must be very simple indeed, who suffer 
 themselves to be deceived by them, who so directly con- 
 tradict our Saviour's words, and deny that to children, 
 without which he himself hath said, they cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of God. 
 
 It is to be farther observed, that our Lord here saith, 
 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit : of wa- 
 ter in general, without specifying how much or how lit- 
 tle, or how to be applied, whether by dipping, or wash- 
 ing, or sprinkling ; having made it so necessary, he hath 
 made it likewise as easy as possible. He only requires 
 water, the most common thing that is, to be used and ap- 
 plied with such a form of words as he hath prescribed, 
 without determining the quantity or any other circum- 
 stances, which might sometimes make it difficult or dan- 
 o-erous, or perhaps impracticable. And therefore, al- 
 though in hot countries the persons baptized were usually 
 dippe.i in water, or washed all over, yet the washing any 
 
190 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 one part, or sprinkling water upon them, hath the same 
 effect : it is not the quantity of the water, but the insti- 
 tution of Christ, to which the promise of being born 
 again is annexed. One drop of water serves to this pur- 
 pose as well as a river ; and one part of the body, in this 
 case, is as much as the whole : as we learn from our 
 Lord and Master himself. 
 
 For when he, to show the necessity of our being wash- 
 ed by him, said to St. Peter, If I wash thee not, thou hast 
 no part with me ; St. Peter said unto him, Lord^ not my 
 feet only, but my hands and my head. Jesus said unto 
 him, He that is washed, needeth not, save to wash hisfeetj 
 but is clean every whit, John xiii. 10. Whereby he hath 
 taught us, that if any one part, as the face, the hands, 
 the feet, have water applied to it, according to his pre- 
 scription, and so is washed by him, the whole is thereby 
 cleansed : for it is not the water that cleanseth, but the 
 blood of Christ signified by the water, applied according 
 to his institution, which is therefore called the blood of 
 sprinkling^ Heb. xii. 24, because it is then sprinkled 
 upon us. St. Peter also speaks of the sprinkling of the 
 blood of Jesus Christy 1 Pet. i. 2 , which is most plainly 
 signified, by sprinkling the water upon the person bap- 
 tized, according to the custom that hath prevailed in all ex- 
 cept in very hot countries. Which seems also to be inti- 
 mated by God himself in the prophet Ezekiel, where, 
 speaking of the blessed times under the Gospel, he saith. 
 Then will I spiinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall bt 
 clean. A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit 
 will I put within you, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. For this is 
 the same, in effect, with our being born of water and the 
 Spirit, as our Saviour here expresseth it. 
 
 But after all we must observe, that although our bless- 
 
NECESSARY TO SALVATION. 191 
 
 ed Saviour here saith, that except a man be born of water 
 and of the Spirit^ he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ; 
 yet he doth not say, that every one that is so born, shall 
 inherit eternal life. It is true, all that are baptized, or 
 born of water and the Spirit, are thereby admitted into 
 the church or kingdom of God upon earth ; but except 
 they submit to the government, and obey the laws estab- 
 lished in it, they forfeit all their right and title to the 
 kingdom of heaven. They are brought into a state of 
 salvation, but unless they continue in it, and live accord- 
 ingly, they cannot be saved. For, as St. Peter observeth, 
 baptism now saves us, not the putting away the filth of the 
 fleshy but the answer of a good conscience towards God 
 by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. iii. 21. Bap- 
 tism puts us into the way to heaven, but unless we 
 walk in that way, we can never come thither. When 
 we were baptized, we were born of water and the Spirit, 
 so as to have the seed of grace sown in our hearts, suffi- 
 cient to enable us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, 
 to overcome temptations, to believe aright in God our 
 Saviour, and to obey and serve him faithfully all the 
 days of our life. And we then promised to do so ; for 
 being asked, whether we would do so or no, we answer- 
 ed, by ourselves or sureties, that we would. And if we 
 afterwards live in good conscience towards God, answer- 
 ably to the profession and promise that we then made to 
 him, we shall certainly be saved through the resurrection 
 of Jesus Christ, and the intercession that he makes at the 
 right hand of God for us. But if we neglect to perform 
 what he then promised, and so do not answer the end of 
 our baptism, by keeping our consciences void of offence 
 towards God and men, we lose all the benefit of it, and 
 
192 ADMISSION BY BAPTISM, 
 
 shall as certainly perish, as if we had never been bap- 
 tized. 
 
 Wherefore, brethren, we had all need look about us: 
 1 hope there are none here present, but who are baptized, 
 and so born of water and the Spirit : if there be any 
 that are not, I must advise them to take care of them- 
 selves. Do not mind what ignorant or designing people 
 tell you, but consider what Christ, your only Saviour, 
 hath told you : he hath told you, that except ye he horn 
 of water and of the Spirit^ ye cannot enter into the king- 
 dom of God. And if ye care not whether ye enter into 
 the kingdom of God or not, ye may still continue as ye 
 are, without Chri&t^ aliens from the conimomceallh of 
 Israel^ and strangers from the covenants of promise, having 
 no hope, and without God in the uorldj Eph. ii. 12, as 
 mere heathens as any in the Indies, and in a worse con- 
 dition than they : forasmuch as ye live in a place where 
 ye may be made Christians if ye M^ili : and if ye will not, 
 it will be more tolerable for them, than for you, at the 
 last da3\ But if ye desire to be fellow-citizens with the 
 saints, and of the household and kingdom of God, put off 
 your baptism no longer. It was your parents' fault that 
 you were not baptized before ; it is your own if ye be not 
 baptized now ; and therefore be advised to fit yourselves 
 for it, as soon as possible ; lest as ye have hitherto lived, 
 so ye die too without it, and so be damned for ever. 
 
 And as for you who are already baptized, and born of 
 water and of the Spirit, remember the promise which ye 
 then made, and perform it. Remember how ye then 
 renounced the devil, the world, and the flesh; and let 
 them not therefore have dominion over you ; remember 
 the articles of faith which you then professed -to believe, 
 and hold fast your profession without wavering : remem- 
 ber the holy commandments which you then promised 
 
NECESSAHY TO SALVATION. 193 
 
 to keep, and do all you can to walk constantly in all of 
 them : remember also the great privileges which God 
 Almighty then conferred upon you, in case you keep 
 your word with him, You were then made the mem- 
 bers of Christ, and so interested in all the merits of his 
 death and passion : you were then taken out of the 
 world, and translated into the Church of Christ, to be 
 instructed, governed, assisted, protected, sanctified, justi- 
 fied, and saved by him : you were then made the chil- 
 dren of God ; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, 
 and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ : and therefore heirs of 
 the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life ; which you can- 
 not miss of, unless you provoke your heavenly Father 
 to disinherit you, by the neglect of your duty to him, 
 and by the breach of the promise which you made, 
 when you were admitted into this happy state, and by 
 not repenting of it while ye may. 
 
 Wherefore, if ye have broke the promise which ye 
 made when ye were baptized, as I fear ye all have, 
 repent immediately, and set yourselves in good earnest 
 for the future, upon keeping it in all respects. Ye were 
 then born of the Spirit, and so have it always ready to 
 assist you. By his assistance, therefore, live now as 
 becomes the children of God, and the heirs of heaven : 
 avoid whatsoever ye know to be offensive to your heav- 
 enly Father, and do all ye can to please him. Live 
 above this world, and let your conversation be where 
 your inheritance lies. Strive all ye can to walk worthy 
 of the vocation wherewith ye are called ; that ye may 
 shine as lights in the world, and so be meet to he par- 
 takers of the inheritance of the saints in light ; where ye 
 will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of your Fa- 
 ther. Which God grant we may all do^ through Jesns 
 Christ our Lord. 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 1 Cor. xi. 29. 
 
 'O yuQ iadicou xal rclvcov (xvu^Lojg, xglfza ^airw iadlei> xal 
 Ttivei, fiiii dtaxgivojv t6 aib^ua jov Kvqlov. 
 
 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation 
 to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 
 
 There being no name under heaven given among 
 men, whereby they must be saved, but only the name of 
 Christ ; and there being no way to be saved by him 
 neither, without beheving on him ; hence man was no 
 sooner fallen, but presently Christ was promised, and so 
 made the object of his faith. Which promise being 
 made to Adam, and so to man in general, all man- 
 kind were equally obliged and concerned both firmlj'^ to 
 believe it, and also to express and exercise this their 
 faith in their promised Saviour, by their frequent sacrific- 
 ing of beasts to God, as types of that grand sacrifice 
 which he was to offer for them. But, some time after, 
 God having out of all the kindreds of the earth, pitched 
 upon Abraham for the person, out of whose loins this his 
 Son our Saviour should be born ; he for that reason 
 chose Abraham's posterity to be his own peculiar people, 
 as being more nearly related to him in blood ; to whom 
 therefore he renewed and explained the aforesaid prom- 
 ise more fully and clearly than to the rest of mankind. 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 195 
 
 And to put them constantly in mind of what his Son was 
 to suffer for them, and so to strengthen and confirm their 
 faith in his blood, he required them to slay and sacrifice 
 some kind of beasts or other every day unto him, as 
 types and representatives of it. And having in'a w^onder- 
 ful manner delivered them from an Egyptian bondage, 
 wherein they had been detained many years, and thereby 
 signified to them that eternal redemption which he de- 
 signed for them, he enjoined them to commemorate the 
 said deliverance once every year, by slaying, roasting, 
 and eating a lamb in every family ; which was so order- 
 ed, that almost every circumstance in it represented 
 something or other of what Christ was to suffer after- 
 wards, as well as what God had before done for them : 
 yea, the very manner of his death was plainly typified 
 by it ; for the Jews themselves acknowledge, that the 
 lamb was always roasted in such a posture, as to repre- 
 sent a person hanging upon a cross. 
 
 Now when the fullness of time was come, God, ac- 
 cording to his promise, sent his Son into the world ; who 
 having for several years together conversed with man- 
 kind in their own nature, and taught them whatsoever 
 was necessary for them to believe or do, in order to their 
 obtaining eternal salvation by him ; and being now ready 
 to offer up himself as a propitiation for the sins of the 
 whole worlds the same night wherein he was betrayed in 
 order thereunto, he, according to custom, eat the pass- 
 over, or lamb before spoken of, with his disciples : and 
 as they were eating, he took breads and, when he had 
 given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, say- 
 ing, Take, eat ; this is my body ivhich is given for you : 
 this do in remembrance of me. As likewise after supper 
 he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave 
 
196 THE WORTH V COMMUNICANT. 
 
 it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this ; for this is my 
 blood of the new te^tament^ which is shed for many for the 
 remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it in re- 
 membrance of me. 
 
 These words our Saviour spake in the Syriac tongue, 
 wherein there is no word that signifies to signify ; but 
 whensoever they would say, this signifies such a thing, 
 they always used to saj'^, this is such a thing. And 
 therefore the Apostles, to whom these words were spok- 
 en, could not but understand them according to the 
 common way of speaking then in use among them ; 
 and so apprehend our Saviour's meaning to be, as if he 
 should have said, The paschal lamb, which we are now 
 eating, hath hitherto, as ye know, typified the promised 
 Messiah, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of 
 the world. I am that Messiah or Christ, that Lamb of 
 God, who am now ready to offer up myself for the sins 
 of the world : and therefore this and all other sacrifices, 
 being only types of mine, are now to cease in course. 
 But that 3^ou, as well as your forefathers, may always 
 have something to put you in mind of me, and of my 
 death, which I am to suffer for you, behold I now insti- 
 tute this Sacrament in lieu of all other bloody sacri- 
 fices whatsoever : so that as this paschal lamb which we 
 are now eating (and so all olher bloody sacrifices) hath 
 hitherto represented my death and passion to you ; so 
 from this time forward that which I have now done shall 
 do it. For bread thus taken, and blessed, and broken, 
 and distributed, as ye see me do it, is now, and ever here- 
 after shall be, my body, in the same sense that this pas- 
 chal lamb hath hitherto been my body. And so also for 
 the cup : wine thus blessed, as you have seen me do it, 
 is my blood, and shall be so to the end of the world, as 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 197 
 
 eally as the blood of the paschal lamb, or other sacri- 
 fices, hath been so till this time. 
 
 This seems to me so plainly to be the proper and nat- 
 ural meaning of our blessed Saviour in those words, that 
 as I do not question but the Apostles understood them in 
 this sense, so I cannot but wonder how it came into 
 men's minds at first to put any other meaning upon them ; 
 especially that the papists should wrest them to such a 
 sense, or rather nonsense, as to ground their absurd doc- 
 trine of transubstantiation upon them ; a doctrine never 
 heard of, much less believed, in the primitive times. 
 
 But not to insist upon that now. It is further to be 
 observed in these words, that although our Lord doth ex- 
 pressly command his disciples to do this in remembrance 
 of him, yet he doth not prescribe them any set times 
 wherein to do it, nor acquaint them how oft he would 
 have it done ; only in the institution of the cup he inti- 
 mates, that he would have them do it often, saying, Do 
 this, as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. And as 
 the Jews, as oft as they offered any bloody sacrifices, 
 foreshowed the Lord's death until his first coming : so 
 Christians, as the apostle tells us, as oft as they eat this 
 bread, and drink this cup, they show forth the Lord^s death 
 until his coining again, 1 Cor. xi. 26. But still there is 
 no precise time or times prescribed for doing it by Christ 
 or his Apostles : neither was it proper or convenient 
 there should be. For if there had, there would have been 
 an indispensable necessity laid upon all Christians to do 
 it at all such times, whereas some Christians may at some 
 times be in such places, and under such circumstances, 
 that it may be morally impossible for them to do it. 
 
 But how then shall we know how often we are bound 
 to receive this holy Sacrament ? There are two ways to 
 
198 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 know it : from the practice of the holy Apostles and 
 primitive Christians ; and then from the reason of the 
 thing, and the end of the institution. 
 
 First, we find the holy Apostles, who perfectly under- 
 stood our Lord's mind, administering and receiving his 
 holy Sacrament whensoever they met together upon a 
 religious account : yea, so as that it seems to have been 
 the principal end of their meeting, especially upon the 
 Lord's day : for it is written, that upon the first day of 
 the weekj when the disciples came together to break bready 
 Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow^ 
 Acts XX. 7. From whence we may observe, that they re- 
 ceived this Sacrament at least every first day of the week, 
 which is the Lord's day : and that the main end of their 
 meeting upon that day was not to hear sermons, but to 
 break bread ; only the Apostle, being to depart on the 
 morrow, took that occasion of preaching to them. And 
 the same custom obtained, not only in the Apostles' 
 times, but for many ages after ; so that the primitive 
 Christians looked upon this Sacrament as the chief part 
 of their public devotions ; insomuch that they never held 
 any religious assemblies, without the celebration of it ; 
 and if any one went away without receiving it, he was 
 censured by the Church for it. Which plainly shows, 
 that the apostolical and primitive Church understood 
 our Lord's words in the institution of this Sacrament so, 
 as that they looked upon themselves as obliged to do 
 this in remembrance of him, as oft as they met together 
 to worship and serve God. 
 
 And verily he that considers the end of the institution, 
 will find reason enough why they did, and we ought to, 
 receive this Sacrament as oft as possibly we can : for, 
 seeing it was ordained in remembrance of Christ, and 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 1^9 
 
 seeing we cannot possibly rennember him too often who 
 laid down his life for us, it must needs be our duty to do 
 it as oft as we can, especially considering that the oftener 
 we remember him, the better we shall beheve in him. 
 For by frequent receiving of his most blessed body and 
 blood, that faith whereby we do it being frequently ex- 
 ercised, is thereby more and more confirmed, and by 
 consequence all other graces and virtues whatsoever be- 
 ing derived by faith from him, are thereby made more 
 strono; and vioorous in us. And therefore all that seri- 
 ously mind the concerns of another life, cannot but look 
 upon it as their interest as well as duty, to take all op- 
 portunities they can of receiving this holy Sacrament, 
 and to bless God for them. Be sure he that came into 
 the world on purpose to save us, would never have in- 
 stituted it, but that he knew how necessary it was, and 
 how much it would conduce to our salvation by him. 
 
 From hence, therefore, we may see what great reason 
 our Church had to appoint the Communion service to be 
 used every Lord's-day and Holy-day in the year, that all 
 her members, who desire it, might at all such times have 
 an opportunity to receive this holy Sacrament. And so 
 they generally did for some time after the Reformation. 
 But now, if people do but receive it thrice a year, and 
 so avoid the penalty of the law, they think they do a 
 great matter : as if we had no other obligations upon us 
 to do it, but only from the laws of the land ; which is a 
 sad instance of the great degeneracy of the age we live 
 in, and how far we are fallen from the zeal and piety 
 both of the primitive Christians, and our first reformers. 
 
 It is not my design at this time to search into the rea- 
 sons why this great duty is so commonly neglected among 
 us. But it may not be amiss to observe, that one great 
 
200 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 argument which the devil and his agents make use of to 
 deter men from it, is taken from these words which I 
 have now read, falsely understood, or at least not rightly 
 considered. For seeing the apostle here saith, He that 
 eateth and drinketh unwortMly^ eateth and drinketh dam- 
 nation to himselj] according to our translation, people 
 have been made to believe, that, if they be not worthy 
 to receive the Sacrament, and yet venture to do it, they 
 are certainly damned. But, that jou may see how great 
 and dangerous a mistake this is, I desire you to consider, 
 
 First, that this cannot possibly be the meaning of the 
 words. For if so, no man ever did or can receive the 
 Sacrament, but he must be damned ; forasmuch as no 
 man ever yet was, or is, or will be, or can be, w^orthy of 
 so great a blessing. And certainly our Saviour would 
 never command us to do that w^hich we cannot do with- 
 out being damned. 
 
 Moreover, the word which the apostle here useth, 
 xQl.ua^ doth not properly signify damnation, as it is trans- 
 lated in the text, but only judgment, as it is in the mar- 
 gin of our Bibles. And therefore the most that can be 
 deduced from it is, that they icho eat and drink nnwor- 
 thihj^ are obnoxious to the judgment of God for so doing, 
 as all they are, w^ho either pray, or hear, or do any other 
 duty otherwise than they ought to do it. And what kind 
 of judgment the apostle here means, he himself plainly 
 declareth in the words following my text, saying, for this 
 cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many 
 sleep; which are all temporal judgments, which God is 
 often pleased to inflict for other sins as well as this ; and 
 are so far from eternal damnation, that they often prove 
 the occasion of preventing it. 
 
 But that which is most of all to he considered, is what 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 201 
 
 the apostle means by eating and drinking unicorlhily. 
 For which we may observe, first, that he doth not say, 
 he that being unworthy eateth and drinkcik, but he that 
 doth it unworthily, and so doth not speak so much of the 
 qualifications of the person that doth it, as of his manner 
 of doing it. And what he means by eating and drinldng 
 unworthily^ or after an unworthy manner, we may easily 
 and fully understand both from the context, and the text 
 itself. 
 
 For first, as to the context, the apostle is here speak- 
 ing of the great disorders which he had heard of among 
 the Corinthians in their Christian assemblies ; that there 
 were divisions among them, even at those sacred times : 
 and that though the^^ intended to receive the Sacrament, 
 they did not really do it. When ye come together^ therefore^ 
 saith he, into one place^ this is not to eat the Lcrd'^s Sipper^ 
 ver. 20, where he plainly intimates what I observed be- 
 fore, that their main design of coming together was to 
 eat the Lord's wSupper ; but as they managed the busi- 
 ness they did not do it. JPor, saith he, in eating^ every 
 one taketh before the other his own supper ; and one is 
 hungry, and another is drunken : ichaty have ye T,ot houses 
 io eat and drink in ? or despise ye the Church of God^ and 
 shame them that have not ? ver. 21, 22. From whence it 
 is plain, that the sin which he here reproves in the Corin- 
 thians was, that they ate the Lord's Supper as if it had 
 been common food, without expressing any respect or 
 reverence to Christ's mystical body and blood ; and as 
 plain, that this is that which he here calls eating and 
 drinking umcorthily. They carried themselves at the 
 Lord's table as if they had been at their own. The 
 p-reat and rich men ate and drank too much ; the poor 
 had nothing to eat and drink : whence tl e Li])ostle saith, 
 
202 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 these were hungry ^ and the other drunk. And they who 
 eat this bread, and drink this cup, after this unworthy, 
 manner, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, as 
 the apostle tells us, ver. 27, that is, they violate and pro- 
 fane Christ's mystical body and blood, and so are guilty, 
 in a manner, of the same sin as the Jews were in derid- 
 ing and crucifying of him ; which also shows w^hat kind 
 of unworthy receiving the apostle here speaks of, even 
 such whereby they trampled upon the Son of God, and 
 accounted the blood of the covenant an unholy or pro- 
 fane thing, and behaved themselves accordingly in the re- 
 ceiving of it. 
 
 That this is the true sense of receiving unworthily, ap- 
 pears yet more plainly from the text itself. For here 
 the apostle saith, he that eateth and drinketh unwortMhj^ 
 eateth and drinketh damnation, or judgment, to himself , 
 not discerning the Lord'^s body. Which last words fully 
 explain the former ; for by them the apostle shows where- 
 fore they who eat and drink unworthily, eat and drink 
 damnation to themselves, even because they do not dis- 
 cern the Lord's body ; that is, they do not discern or dis- 
 criminate Christ's body from common food, by taking it 
 (veneratione singulariter dehita) with that veneration 
 which is in a peculiar manner due to it, as St. Augus- 
 tine explains the words, Eplst. 118 ad Janvar. — 
 Neither indeed can they admit of any other exposition. 
 And therefore to receive unworthily in the apostle's sense, 
 is plainly nothing else but to receive irreverently and pro- 
 fanely, in a manner unbecoming Christ's body and blood, 
 unworthy of so great a mystery as that is. As for peo- 
 ple to deport themselves no otherwise at the Lord's Sup- 
 per, than they do when they dine or sup at home, mak- 
 ing no difterence or discrimination betwixt that and their 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 203 
 
 ordinary meals ; but eating this bread, and drinking this 
 cup, as if it was not Christ's body and blood, but common 
 meat and drink ; expressing no more regard or reverence 
 towards it, than they do to bread or wine at their own 
 tables : this, which is but too common among some peo- 
 ple, is that which the apostle here calls eating and drink" 
 ing unworthily ; and they who do so, instead of Christ's 
 body and blood, which they do not discern, eat and drink 
 the damnation or judgment to themselves. 
 
 Having thus discovered what it is to receive the Sacra- 
 ment of the Lord's Supper unworthily, we may easily 
 see what is required to the worthy receiving of it. But 
 howsoever, it being a matter of so great importance, I 
 shall endeavor to explain it more fully to you. For 
 which purpose we must know, that although this worthy 
 receiving, as it is opposed to the unworthy before spoken 
 of, consists properly in the carrying and demeaning our- 
 selves, both in our souls and bodies, at the holy Sacra- 
 ment, in a manner worthy and suitable to that body and 
 blood which we there receive ; yet that we may do so, 
 it is necessary that our minds be first rightly disposed and 
 prepared for it. In order whereunto the apostle lays 
 down this general rule, but let a man examine (or prove) 
 hhnself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink oj that 
 cup, ver. 28. But he doth not tell us particularly what 
 it is that we must examine ourselves about : and there- 
 fore for that, our surest way will be to consult our Church, 
 which in her Catechism acquaints us, that it is required 
 of them who come to the Lord's Supper to examine 
 themselves about three things :'' 1. Whether they re- 
 pent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purpos- 
 ing to lead a new life .? 2. Have a lively faith in God's 
 mercy through Christ, with a thankful romenibranco of 
 
204: THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 his death : and, 3. Be in charity with all men." And 
 accordingly, in the Exhortation at the Communion, she 
 calls upon all the communicants actually to perform these 
 great duties. And verily these three things, repentance^ 
 faith, and charity, are absolutely necessary to the qualify- 
 ing us for the worthy receiving of Christ's body and 
 blood, in the sense now explained. 
 
 For, first, unless a man be so sensible of, and sorry for, 
 his former sins, that he is now resolved for the future to 
 forsake them, he cannot set that value upon Christ's 
 dying for them, as is necessary to his carrying himself 
 aright at the commemoration of it. For all the esteem 
 and respect we have, or can show to Christ, as dying for 
 our sins, is grounded upon a due sense of these sins for 
 which he died j which no man can in reason pretend to, 
 that is not both truly humbled for them, and as steadfastly 
 resolved against them. And therefore the first thing that 
 we ought to do, in order to the fitting ourselves for the 
 worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper, is to look back 
 upon our former lives, and consider seriously with our- 
 selves, what sins in thought, word, or deed, we have 
 heretofore committed : and what duties to God or man 
 we have hitherto neglected, and purpose with ourselves, 
 by God's grace and assistance, that we will for the future 
 do so no more ; and so renew and ratify those vows and 
 promises in this, which we made to God in the other Sa- 
 crament, even when we were baptized. He that doth 
 this heartily and sincerely, is so far rightly prepared for 
 the worthy receiving of that body and blood, which he 
 thus repenteth of. 
 
 The next thing required, in order thereunto, is faith, 
 as it is, according to the apostle's description, the substance 
 of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 
 
THE WORTHY COMMLTJ^ICANT. 205 
 
 xi. 1, whereby we are as fully persuaded, that God will 
 give us the good things he hath promised to us in Christ, 
 as if we had them already ; and are as certain of whatso- 
 ever he hath revealed, as if we saw it before our eyes. 
 Without such a faith as this, it is impossible for us to dis- 
 cern the Lord's body, and by consequence to receive it 
 worthily. For all that we see with our eyes is only 
 bread and wine. Neither is it possible for us to look 
 any further, but only by the eye of faith, whereby we be- 
 hold Christ's body and blood as broken and shed for us ; 
 and so verily and indeed receive, and apply it to our- 
 selves. And therefore, in order to our worthy receiving 
 the holy Sacrament, we must take special care to exam- 
 ine ourselves, whether we be in the faith, whether we 
 really believe all the articles of the Christian religion, and 
 have a sure trust and confidence on God's merciful prom- 
 ises for the pardon of our sins, and the salvation of our 
 souls, by the blood of Christ : for the main stress of our 
 receiving aright lies upon this, as presently we shall see 
 more clearly. 
 
 And then as for charity^ or a sincere and universal love 
 to all men, without that no man is fit to appear before 
 him who died for all men ; much less to receive that 
 body and blood which was offered up as a propitiation 
 for the sins of the whole world. For he cannot possibly 
 give it that honor and respect which is due to it, by rea- 
 son of his malice and hatred against some of those per- 
 sons for whom it was offered. And besides that, he that 
 is not in love and charity with all men, it is plain that 
 he doth not forgive the wrongs and injuries which he 
 hath received from some men, and therefore is not capa- 
 ble to receive the pardon of his own sins from God, and 
 by consequence not worthy to receive that Sacrament 
 10 
 
206 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 wherein it should he sealed to him. Wherefore, as ever 
 we desire to receive it worthily, we must be sure to lay- 
 aside all malicious and revengeful thoughts against all 
 persons whatsoever ; and come with love as large, and 
 of the same extent with that death which we there com- 
 memorate ; as freely forgiving all others, as we desire 
 that God, for Christ Jesus' sake, should forgive us. 
 
 If we thus repent us trul}^ for our sins past, have a 
 lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Saviour, amend 
 our lives, and be in perfect charity with all men, we shall 
 then be. meet partakers of these holy mysteries, as our 
 Church assures us. But for that purpose we must not 
 only have these graces beforehand, but we must likewise 
 act and exercise them all the while that we are at our 
 Lord's table ; which that we may do, our Church hath 
 so contrived that incomparable Oifice which she hath 
 made for the Administration of the Holy Communion, 
 that from the beginning to the end there is continual 
 matter and occasion given for the acting and exciting 
 these Christian virtues in us, and so for our due and 
 worthy receiving of Christ's most precious body and 
 blood ; which that I may demonstrate to you, and there- 
 with show how we may and ought to eat this bread and 
 drink this cup so duly and worthily, that we may not 
 eat and drink judgment, but health and salvation to our- 
 selves, I shall briefly run through the whole Office, be- 
 ginning at fhe Offertory. 
 
 Our minds, therefore, being rightly disposed and pre- 
 pared for so great a work, by an humble confession of 
 our sins, by fervent and solemn prayers to God for the 
 pardon of them, and for the grace to forsake them, by 
 praising and magnifying his all-glorious name, and by 
 hearing some part of his holy word read and expounded 
 
THE WORTHY COMMliNICANT. 207 
 
 to usj we then make bold to address ourselves to our 
 Lord's table, where the first thing we set about is to ex- 
 ercise our charity, and that two ways : first, by a liberal 
 contribution of what God hath given us, to the relief of 
 others' necessities ; and then by praying for Christ's whole 
 catholic Church militant here on earth, whereby we do 
 not only profess ourselves to be members of that society, 
 and to live in communion with it, but likewise express 
 our charity to all sorts of persons in it, as our Lord did, 
 by praying for them. 
 
 After which the priest, in an Exhortation composed for 
 that purpose, puts the people in mind of the great benefit 
 that will accrue to them, if with a true penitent heart 
 and lively faith they receive that holy Sacrament, and of 
 the greatness of the danger, if they receive the same un- 
 worthily ; and therefore exhorts them to the exercise of 
 the graces before mentioned, and to give their humble 
 and hearty thanks to God the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost, for the redemption of the world by the death and 
 passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and man, who 
 humbled himself to the death of the cross, that he might 
 exalt us to everlasting life. And that we might always 
 remember his said death, and the benefits of it, instituted 
 this holy Sacrament to our great and endless comfort ; 
 concluding with the great obligation that lies upon us to 
 bless God for this his inestimable love, and to show forth 
 his praise, not only with* our lips, but likewise in our 
 lives, by studying to serve him in true holiness and right- 
 eousness, all our days. 
 
 The Exhortation ended, the minister invites all, who 
 are thus prepared, to the Lord's Supper, saying to them, 
 Draw near tvith faith, and take this hohj Sacrament to your 
 comfort. He invites them, first, to draw near, thereby 
 
«> 
 
 208 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 putting them in mind, that they are now invited into 
 Christ's more especial presence, to sit down with him at 
 his own table ; and therefore, as an emblem thereof, 
 should come from the more remote parts of the church, 
 as near to the said table as they can. But then he ad- 
 viseth them to draw near withfaith^ as without which all 
 their bodily approaches will signify nothing, it being only 
 by faith that they can really draw near to Christ, and take 
 the holy Sacrament to their comfort. But seeing they 
 cannot act their faith aright, until they have first confessed 
 and repented of their sins ; therefore he calls upon them 
 to make their humble confession unto Godj meekly kneeling 
 on their knees. 
 
 And now all that are to comnmnicate, being prostrate 
 upon their knees before God, do in a most humble and 
 solemn manner jointly acknowledge and bewail their mani- 
 fold sins and wickedness j which they from time to time have 
 committed in thought^ wordy and deed against his divine 
 Majesty ; professing themselves most earnestly to repent of 
 them., humbly beseeching Almighty God to pardon what is 
 past, and to grant them grace for the future to serve and 
 please him in newness of life^for Christ Jesus'* sake. Ail 
 which is done wdth such grave, apposite, and pathetical 
 words, that I do not see how it is possible for us to ex- 
 press our hearty and sincere repentance better than we do 
 at that time. 
 
 And while the people continue in this humble posture, 
 begging for mercy and grace at the hands of God, the 
 minister stands up, and in the name of God assures them, 
 that he of his infinite mercy hath promised forgiveness of 
 sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith 
 turn unto him : and therefore he applies the said promises 
 unto them, praying, that Almighty God would accordingly 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 209 
 
 have mercy upon theniy pardon and deliver them from all 
 their sins, confirm and strengthen them in all goodness, and 
 bring them to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. 
 
 And here it is that our faith must begin to work, as it 
 is the substance of things hoped for, so as firmly and con- 
 stantly to believe, that upon our hearty and sincere re- 
 pentance we are now absolved from all our former sins, 
 and that from this time forward God will assist us with 
 his grace and holy Spirit, to serve and please him, accord- 
 ing to the prayers which we have put up to him, and the 
 promises which he hath made to us for that purpose, in 
 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : for all the benefit of 
 absolution, as pronounced by the minister, depends upon 
 this our believing in the promises and word of God, upon 
 which it is grounded. 
 
 Which, therefore, that we may do, the minister pre- 
 sently reads some choice sentences of Scripture, wherein 
 God hath promised or declared his willingness to pardon 
 and absolve us from our sins in the blood of his Son, 
 that so we may act our faith accordingly upon them. 
 And therefore he calls upon the people to hear, or hearken 
 diligently to them, and take special notice of them. 
 
 As first, these comfortable words which our Saviour 
 saith to all that truly turn to him, Matt. xi. 2S. Come 
 unto me, all that travail and are heavy laden, and I will 
 refresh you. 
 
 Which words contain so firm and solid a foundation 
 whereupon to build our faith, that if we be but truly peni- 
 tent, we cannot doubt of God's mercy towards us. For here 
 his only Son with his own divine mouth invites all that are 
 so to come to him, promising, or engaging his word, that 
 he will refresh them, give them peace in their minds, 
 
210 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 quiet in their consciences, and rest to their whole souls. 
 He will take care that they neither travail nor be heavy 
 laden any longer with the burden of their sins ; for he will 
 refresh them with the sense of God's mercy in the pardon 
 of all their faults, and with the assistance of his grace in 
 the mortifying of all their lusts. Sin shall no longer 
 have dominion over them, because they are not now under 
 the law, but under his grace, Rom. vi. 14. 
 
 Now these being the words of Christ himself, we ought 
 to have a sure trust and confidence on them, so as to be 
 fully persuaded, that we being in the number of those 
 whom he calls, and having obeyed his call in coming to 
 him, he, according to his word, will ease us of our sins, 
 and give us rest : especially considering that he himself 
 assures us with his own mouth, that God so loved the 
 world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that 
 all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
 life, John iii. 16. 
 
 Which words containino; the substance and design of the 
 whole Gospel, pronounced by Christ himself, are there- 
 fore read in the next place, that we might have an occa- 
 sion to exercise our faith in it all, and that no place 
 might be left for diffidence or doubting ; for seeing the 
 great reason that moved God to send his Son, was his 
 infinite love to mankind ; and the only end why he did it 
 was, that all that believe in him might not perish, but have 
 everlasting life ; what can we desire more to excite and 
 confirm our faith in him 1 for he that spared not his own 
 Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not but 
 vnth him also freely give us all things! Rom. viii. 32. 
 
 But lest the sense of our former sins should be apt to 
 make us despond or despair of mercy, that nothing may 
 be wanting to the completing of our faith at this time, 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 21.1 
 
 there are two other divine sentences read ; the one of 
 St. Paul, saying, This is a true saying^ and worthy of all 
 men to be received, that Christ Jesus carne into the world to 
 save sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15, and the other of St. John, If 
 any man sin, we hive an Advocate with the Father, Jesus 
 Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our 
 sins, 1 John ii. 1, whereby we are given to understand 
 and believe, that Christ came into the world on purpose 
 to save such sinners as we are ; and that he was made a 
 propitiation for our sins, having undergone all that shame, 
 and pain, and punishment, which was due unto us for 
 then, and is now our Advocate in heaven, always inter- 
 ceding for us, and ready to apply the merits of his death 
 and passion to us. For what an occasion have we here 
 given us to fix and exercise our faith, as St. Paul did, 
 saying. Who shall lay anythinrj to the charge of God^s 
 elect ? // is God that justifieth. Who is he that con- 
 demneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen 
 again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also 
 niaketh intercession for us, Rom. viii. 33, 34, &c. 
 
 Having thus exercised our faith, and so got above this 
 world, we are now ready to go into the other, and join 
 with the glorified saints and angels in praising and adoring 
 that God that hath dons so great things for us ; which 
 that we may do, the minister calls upon the people to 
 ift up their hearts. And their hearts being now by faith 
 wholly inclined to God, are as ready to do it, as he is to 
 desire it ; and therefore immediately answer. We lift them 
 up unto the Lord. And now their hearts being all lift up 
 together, and so fitted for celebrating the high praises of 
 God, the minister invites them all to join with him in the 
 doing it, saying. Let us gioe thanks unto our Lord God: 
 which they having consented to, saying, It is meet and 
 
212 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 right so to do ; he turns himself to the Lord's table, and 
 acknowledges to his Divine Majesty there specially pre- 
 sent, that it is very meet and right^ and our bounden duty^ 
 that we should at all times and in all places give thanks 
 lado him. And then, he looking upon himself and the rest 
 of the communicants as members of the Church triumph- 
 ant in heaven ; and all apprehending themselves by faith, 
 as in the midst of that blessed society, where th{?y hope 
 ere long to be indeed ; they join with them in singing 
 forth the praises of the most high God, saying, " There- 
 fore with angels and archangels, and with all the company 
 of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name," &c. 
 And certainly, if ever our souls be in heaven while our 
 bodies are upon earth, it must needs be in the singing of 
 this heavenly anthem ; when our spirits, Mnth those of 
 just men made perfect, yea, with the whole company of 
 heaven, in so solemn and seraphic a manner adore and 
 magnify the eternal God, our Maker and Redeemer. 
 Especially when we celebrate the nativity, the resurrec- 
 tion, and ascension of our blessed Lord, his mission of the 
 Holy Ghost, and the most holy Trinity ; for which there 
 are proper Prefaces appointed, to raise up our hearts as 
 high as possible, in praising God for such transcendent 
 mysteries and mercies as these are. 
 
 And now, if ever, our minds must needs be duly pre- 
 pared to receive the blessed body and blood of our dear 
 Lord ; and therefore the minister, having first acknow- 
 ledsied our unworthiness of so great a mercy, and prayed 
 to God to assist us with his grace to receive it worthily, 
 he then saith the Prayer of Consecration. 
 
 And now there is nothing either said or done, but w^hat 
 puts us in mind of something or other whereupon to em- 
 ploy and exercise our faith. 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 213 
 
 When we see the bread and wine set apart for conse- 
 cration, it should mind us of God's eternal purpose, and 
 determinate counsel, to send his Son into the world, and 
 to offer him up as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. 
 
 The minister's reading the Prayer of Consecration 
 alone, none of the people speaking a word, nor any ways 
 assisting him in it, should put us in mind how the whole 
 work of our salvation was accomplished by Christ alone, 
 no mere creature contributing anything at all towards it. 
 
 When we hear these words, who in the same night that 
 he was betrayed took bread ; we are by faith to behold 
 our Lord at his last suj^per, there instituting this sacra- 
 ment which we are now to receive, and distributing it to 
 his Apostles with his own blessed hands. 
 
 When we see the bread broken, then we should call 
 to mind all that grief and pain, those bitter agonies and 
 passions, which our Lord suffered for our sins, and in our 
 stead. How he was wounded for our transgressions, and 
 bruised for our iniquities ; that the chastisement of our 
 peace was upon him, that by his stripes we might be 
 healed : how his blessed body was broken, his hands and 
 feet fastened to the cross with nails drove through them, 
 and all for our sins, even for ours. 
 
 And so when the minister takes the cup into his hand, 
 then we are by faith to behold how fast the blood trickled 
 down from our Lord's head, when crowned with thorns ; 
 from his hands and feet, when nailed to the cross ; 
 from his side, when pierced with the spear ; and from 
 his w^hole body, when he was in his agony ; and all to 
 wash away our sins ; still believing that it was for our 
 sins that all this precious blood was shed ; for such and 
 such sins, which we know everyone of ourselves to have 
 been guilty of. 
 
 10* 
 
214 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 When we hear our Lord's words pronounced, the 
 words of consecration, this is mij body which is given for 
 you ; and this is my blood which is shed for you and for 
 many for the remission of sins ; then are we steadfastly to 
 believe, that although the substance of bread and wine 
 still remain, yet they are not now common bread and 
 wine ; as to their use, but the body and blood of Christ, 
 in that sense that he spoke the words ; insomuch that 
 *' whosoever duly receives these creatures of bread and 
 wine according to Christ's holy institution, in remem- 
 brance of his death and passion, are partakers of his 
 most precious body and blood :" as it is expressed in 
 the words of consecration. 
 
 When we see the minister distributing this sacramen- 
 tal bread and wine to the several communicants, we are 
 then by faith to apprehend our Lord offering his body and 
 blood, and all the benefits of his death and passion, to all 
 that are willing and ready to receive them at his hands. 
 
 But when it comes to our turns to receive, then we 
 are to lay aside all thoughts of bread, and wine, and min- 
 ister, and of everything else that is or can be seen ; and 
 fix our faith, as it is the evidence of things notseen, whol- 
 ly and solely upon our blessed Saviour, as communicating 
 his own body and blood to us, to preserve both our bod- 
 ies and souls to everlasting life. Which we are there- 
 fore to receive by faith, as it is the substance of things 
 hoped for ; steadfastly believing it to be what our Saviour 
 said, his body and blood, which, as our Church saith, is 
 verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the 
 Lord\s Supper. By which means, whatsoever it is to 
 others, it will be to us, who receive it with such a faith, 
 the substance of Christ's body and blood, and so of all 
 the good things we hope for upon his account. 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 215 
 
 And the better to excite and assist us in the exercise 
 of our faith, after this manner, at our receiving the sacra- 
 mental bread and wine, the minister, at the distribution 
 of it, first apphes the merits of Christ's death in general 
 to each particular person that receives it, saying to every 
 one singly, Tke body of our Lord Jesus Christ, lohich was 
 given for thee, and the blood which was shed for thee, 
 preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life, that 
 so I may apply it to myself, as the body and blood of 
 him that loved me and gave himself for me, to preserve 
 my body and soul to everlasting life. And then he adds, 
 at the distribution of the bread, take and eat this in 
 remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on him 
 in thy heart by faith with thanksgiving. Whereby I am 
 put in mind to eat it in remembrance that Christ died for 
 me in particular, and then am taught how to feed upon 
 him, even in my heart by faith with thanksgiving. In 
 my heart, because it is not bodily, but spiritual, food; 
 and by faith, as the only means whereby the heart or 
 soul can take its proper nourishment, and receive the 
 substance of things here hoped for, even the body and 
 blood of Christ. And then it must be with thanksgiving, 
 too, as the necessary consequent of faith. For as no man 
 can be truly thankful to and for Christ, without actually 
 believing in him ; so no man can actually believe in him, 
 but he must needs be truly thankful both to and for him. 
 And therefore in the distribution of the cup, after the 
 words, drink this in remembrance that Christ''s blood was 
 shed for thee, it is only added, and be thankful: because 
 this necessarily supposeth and requireth our feeding upon 
 him in our heart by faith, as without which it is impos- 
 sible for us to be truly thankful. 
 
 And hence also it is, that the Church requires us to 
 
216 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 receive the holy Sacrament kneeling, not out of any re- 
 spect to the creatures of bread and wine in themselves, 
 but to put us in mind, that Almighty God, our Creator 
 and Redeemer, the only object of all religious worship, 
 is there specially present with us, offering his own body 
 and blood to us, that so we may act our faith in him, and 
 express our sense of his goodness to us, and of our own 
 unworthiness of it, in the most humble posture that 
 we can. And indeed, could our Church be sure that all 
 her members would receive as they ought with faith, she 
 needed not to have commanded them to receive it kneel- 
 ing, for they could not do it any otherwise. For how 
 can I pray in faith to Almighty God to preserve both my 
 body and soul to everlasting life, and not make my body, 
 as well as my soul, bow down before him ? how can I 
 by a quick and lively faith behold my Saviour as com- 
 ing to me, and offering me his own body and blood, 
 and not fall down and worship him r how can I by faith 
 lay hold upon the pardon of all my sins, as there sealed 
 and delivered to me, and receive it any otherwise than 
 upon my knees r I dare not, I cannot do it. And they 
 that can, have too much cause to suspect that they do 
 not d'scern the Lord's body, and therefore cannot receive 
 it worthily. Be sure our receiving the blessed l)ody and 
 blood of Christ, as the catholic Church always did, in an 
 humble and adoring posture, is both an argument and 
 excitement of our faith in him : by it we demonstrate to 
 the world and our own consciences, that we discern the 
 Lord's body, and believe him to be really present with 
 us : and by it we excite and stir up both ourselves and 
 others to act and exercise our faith more steadfastly upon 
 him, in that by our adoring of him we actually acknow- 
 ledge him to be God as well as man ; and therefore an 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 217 
 
 all-sufficient Saviour, who is able to save to the utmost 
 all that come unto God by him; and by consequence one 
 whom we have all the reason in the world to believe and 
 trust on. 
 
 And then, lastly, when we have thus spiritually eaten 
 the flesh of Christ, and drunk his blood, then we are 
 firmly to believe, and rest fully satisfied in our minds, 
 that, according to his own words, Christ now dwelleth 
 in us, and we in him ; that Christ is one with us, and 
 we with him. And therefore, that God hath now sealed 
 to us the pardon of all our sins, and will enable us for the 
 future, by his own Spirit, to walk iri holiness and righte- 
 ousness before him all the days of our life ; which faith 
 we are still to exercise all the while that others are 
 receiving, adoring that infinite goodness that is so free 
 and ready to communicate itself to such unworthy crea- 
 tures as we are. 
 
 And when all have received, with the same humble 
 confidence we address ourselves to our heavenly Father, 
 as now reconciled to us in his own Son, in that divine 
 form of prayer, which he himself, whose body and blood 
 we have now received, was pleased to compose, and re- 
 quire us to use upon all occasions. After which, having 
 added another prayer, proper for this great and solemn 
 occasion, we join together in saying or singing that in- 
 comparable hymn, Glory be to God on high, &c. ; the 
 first part whereof was sung by the choir of heaven at our 
 Lord's nativity, and the rest added by the primitive, if 
 not by the apostolical, Church, it being the most ancient 
 hymn that we know was ever used both by the Greek 
 and Latin Churches all along. And if ever we be fit to 
 praise God in so seraphic a manner, it must needs be at 
 this time, now that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith. 
 
218 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 and so assists us in the doing of it. Bat for the perform- 
 ing it aright, it is necessary to keep our minds all the 
 while intent and fixed upon the great God, and our bless- 
 ed Saviour, to whom we speak in a peculiar manner ; 
 and with the eye of faith to look upon him as there pre- 
 sent with us, and observing how earnestly we beseech 
 him, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the 
 icorld^ to have mercy upon us ; and how heartily we adore 
 and magnify his sanctity, his authority over all things, 
 and his, together with his holy Spirit's, infinite height in 
 the glory of God the Father. 
 
 After all which duly performed, having prayed for 
 God's acceptance of what we have done, and for his 
 blessing upon us, we are accordingly dismissed as well 
 as may be with the peace of God which passeth all under- 
 standing : and with the blessing of God Almighty ^ the 
 Father^ the Son^ and the Holy Ghost ; which will cer- 
 tainly be and remain with those who thus receive the 
 holy Sacrament always. 
 
 Thus we now see how we may and ought to receive 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper worthily. Blessed 
 and thrice happy are they that do it, and that do it often : 
 for the oftener we do it, the more expert we shall be at 
 it, and the more benefit and comfort we shall receive 
 from it. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for them 
 who do it only now and then, ever to do it as they ought. 
 And therefore it is no wonder they are never the better 
 for it : it is rather a wonder if they be not much the worse. 
 It is by frequent acts that habits are produced: it is by 
 often eating and drinking of this spiritual food that we 
 learn to do it so as to digest and convert it into proper 
 nourishment for our souls, that they may grow thereby ; 
 which the primitive Christians and the Apostles them- 
 
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 219 
 
 selves were so sensible of, that they made this a neces- 
 sary and essential part of all their public devotions ; at 
 least, they never reckoned that they kept the Lord's day 
 aright, in remembrance of his resurrection, unless they 
 had been at his table, to do this in remembrance of his 
 death and passion. And could this primitive, this apos- 
 tolical practice be once revived amongst us, our Church 
 would soon put on a new face, and appear as excellent 
 in its members as it is in its constitution. For by this 
 means we should soon arrive at that degree of grace and 
 virtue, as to be, and live, as becometh Christians indeed ; 
 that is, the most holy, most righteous, and most excel- 
 lent persons upon earth ; such as the primitive Christians 
 were, and such as we must be, it ever we desire to go 
 to heaven. 
 
 What, therefore, if the laws of the land do not abso- 
 lutely require all men to communicate oftener than thrice 
 a year .'* the only reason why they require it at all is, that 
 all people may thereby manifest themselves to profess 
 the Christian religion established in the nation : for no 
 human laws can look any further ; and yet even for that 
 it is judged necessary, and therefore commanded, that all 
 persons should communicate at least thrice a year ; and 
 all priests and deacons in cathedral and collegiate churches 
 every Sunday at least ; which if they neglect to do, they 
 are looked upon as no Christians, and therefore are cast 
 out of the Church. But if so much be necessary to the 
 very outward profession of our most holy religion, what 
 shall we think of the practice of it ? certainly nothing 
 less is required to that, by the laws of Christ and his 
 Church, than to communicate as often as we can possibly 
 find an opportunity ; and to make one where we find 
 none, by requesting, and if need bo by requiring, the min- 
 
220 THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT. 
 
 ister of the parish where we Uve to administer it to us, 
 who neither in law nor conscience can refuse it, when 
 requested by a sufficient number of communicants. 
 
 I shall say no more, but that I never expect to see our 
 Church settled upon the lasting foundations of peace and 
 piety, till the holy Communion is oftener celebrated and 
 received, than for some years past it hath been used to 
 be ; and am sure, that if people were but sensible of the 
 advantage it would be to them, they would need no other 
 arguments to persuade them to the frequent receiving of 
 it. For we should soon find, as many have done already, 
 by experience, that this is the great means appointed by 
 our blessed Saviour, whereby to communicate himself, 
 and all the merits of his death and passion, to us. Inso- 
 much that by a due and frequent receiving of this holy 
 Sacrament, our souls would be as much strengthened and 
 refreshed by the bod}^ and blood of Christ, as our bodies 
 are by bread and wine. And we should receive such 
 constant supplies of grace and virtue from him, whereby 
 we should be enabled not only to avoid the sins and fol- 
 lies of this lower world, but always to live above it, and 
 to have our conversation in heaven. In short, by our 
 frequent conversing with our blessed Lord at his table 
 here below, we shall be always fit and ready to go to 
 him, and converse with him in his kingdom above, where 
 we shall have no more need of Sacraments, but shall see 
 him face to face, and praise and adore him for evermore. 
 
 " The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
 keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of 
 God, and of his Son Jesus Christ bur Lord : and the 
 blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the 
 Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you 
 always. Amen." 
 
SERMON IX. 
 
 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE REQUISITE TO SALVATION, 
 
 Luke r. 6. 
 
 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments 
 and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
 
 What these ordinances were, which Zacharias and 
 Elizabeth walked in, we have shown already ; and from 
 thence may easily gather what those are which we must 
 walk in, if we would be righteous ; for the ordinances 
 which they observed were those of the Levitical law, 
 which were all positive precepts, ordained by God to 
 make up the defects of their obedience to the moral law 
 by the exercise of their repentance and faith in Christ, 
 the great propitiation for the sins of the world. For 
 these being the terms upon which the merits of Christ's 
 death are applied to any person for the pardon of his 
 sins, and for the acceptance of his sincere instead of per- 
 fect righteousness, it was as necessary for them as it is for 
 us to have some means of God's own ordaining, whereby 
 to obtain and act them. And such, in the old law, were 
 the sacrifices which they were bound to offer for the sins 
 they had committfid : and, therefore, he that brought this 
 sin or trespass-offering, was first to confess his sin, and to 
 testify his repentance for it. " And it shall be," saith the 
 Law, " when he .shall be guilty in one of these things, that 
 
222 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing," Lev. 
 V. 5, Numb. V. 7. And the Jews have a tradition, 
 that this confession was made upon the head of the sacri- 
 fice w^hich the person brought : for laying his hands be- 
 tween the horns of the sacrifice, he was to say, " O Lord, 
 I have sinned, I have done wickedly, I have dealt 
 falsely before thee. Behold, I repent, I am ashamed of 
 my deeds, I will never do that thing any more ;" which 
 was as high and solemn an expression of their repentance 
 as could be w^ell devised. And the Jews themselves ac- 
 knowledge also, that the sacrifices were' of no efficacy 
 nor advantage at all, nor expiated any sin, without re- 
 pentance and confession. And therefore the prophets all 
 along make repentance necessary unto pardon, notwith- 
 standing all their sacrifice ; as, Repent and turn yourselves 
 from, your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin^ 
 Ezek. xviii. 30, and so frequently elsew^here. Indeed, 
 this was one great end of all the bloody sacrifices, to put 
 the people in mind of the heinousness of their sins, which 
 could not be expiated without the shedding of blood, and 
 so to put them upon an hearty and sincere repentance 
 for them. 
 
 And as for faith, they had continual occasion given 
 them for the exercise of that, in all the sacrifices which 
 were offered for the expiation of sin : faith in God, in that 
 the}^ were offered to him ; and faith in the promised Mes- 
 siah or Christ, in that they were offered for the expiation 
 of sin. For they could not imagine that there was any 
 such virtue in the blood of beasts, as to satisfy God, the 
 Almighty Creator of the world, for the sins which they 
 had committed against him, and so could have no ground 
 to expect or hope, that he would pardon them for the 
 sake of a company of slain beasts ; but all their hopes of 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 223 
 
 pardon were grounded upon God's promise annexed to 
 such sacrifices, as that was upon the death of Christ, typi- 
 fied and represented by them. For il is onlij through his 
 blood that we can have forgiveness of sins ^ Col. i. 14. He 
 is that true Lamb of God^ that taketh away the sin of the 
 worlds John i. 29, that Lamb without spot and blemish, by 
 whose precious blood ive are redeemed, 1 Pet. i. 19, ivho 
 gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a 
 sweet -smelling savor, Eph. v. 2, ichose soul teas made an 
 offering for sin, or a sin-offering, as the prophet himself 
 speaks, Isaiah liii. 7 0. All other sin-offerings were only 
 types and shadows of his : that which he offered, by offer- 
 ing up himself, was the substance, the true and real sa- 
 crifice which expiated the sins of the world. This they 
 knew before as well, though not so clearly, as we do 
 since it happened ; as appears not only from the prophet 
 before quoted, but from many places of the Old Testa- 
 ment. And therefore they believed in Christ as well as 
 we. Abraham rejoiced to see Christ'' s day ; he saw it and 
 was glad. John viii. 56. Moses esteemed the reproaches of 
 Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 
 xi. 26, for the Gospel was preached to them as ivell as 
 unto us, Heb. iv. 2. And, indeed, the chief end of their 
 sacrifices was to put them in mind of that which Christ 
 was to offer for them ; and so to give them occasion to 
 exercise their faith, and put their confidence in him for 
 pardon and salvation. And therefore these ordinances 
 were indeed their means of grace, whereby they obtained 
 the mercy and assistance of God for the pardon of their 
 sins, and the acceptance of their sincere instead of perfect 
 righteousness, through the blood of Christ and his merits 
 and intercession for them. 
 
 Now these ordinances having respect to Christ as to 
 
224: UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 come afterwards, and so being fitted only for that time, 
 before his coming in the flesh, they must needs cease in 
 course when he was once come, and had actually offered 
 up himself for the sins of the world ; and it was then ne- 
 cessary there should be other ordinances instituted in their 
 place, as the ordinary means whereby mankind might ob- 
 tain grace, and the favor of God, through Christ, to the 
 end of the world. And these we are now as much obliged 
 to walk in, as they were in theirs, if we desire to be 
 righteous before God ; that is, to come up to the terms 
 of the Gospel, by repenting of our sins, and believing in 
 Christ, so as that we may be justified before God, by his 
 merits and mediation for us. 
 
 Of this sort is, first, the solemn hearing of God's holy 
 word read, expounded, or preached publicly by a minis- 
 ter of his own, commissionated to do it in liis name. 
 They had something, I confess, of this before. For 
 Moses of old time had in every city them thai preached him, 
 being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day. Acts xv. 
 21. And so this might in some sense be one of those 
 ordinances which they also walked in : but the Scrip- 
 tures, especially such as related to our Saviour, were so 
 obscure then, and wrapped up in such types and figures, 
 that the reading of them could not be so effectual to the 
 working in them true repentance, and faith in Christ, as it 
 is now; when we have all the mysteries of our salvation 
 by him so clearly and fully revealed to us by himself and 
 his Apostles ; whereby the hearing of God's holy Word 
 is now become quite another thing, and so great a means 
 of grace and salvation, that many have been converted by 
 the hearing of one chapter read, or one sermon preached 
 as it ought to be : as St. Peter's preaching that one short 
 sermon upon tlu* day of Pentecost, about ihree thousand 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 225 
 
 souls were pricked in their hearts, and so repented and turn- 
 ed to Christ, Acts ii. 37, 41. And after the same Apostle 
 had preached another sermon in ihe temple, it is said, 
 Many that heard the word believed ; and the number of the 
 men was about jive thousand, Acts iv. 4. And while 
 the Apostle was preaching to Cornelius and his friends j 
 the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word, Acts 
 X. 44. Many such examples we have in the Acts, of 
 those who were turned from darkness to light, from the 
 powder of Satan unto God, by the preaching of the Gospel, 
 which St. Paul therefore calls, the power of God, 1 Cor. i. 
 18. And so it appeared to be, in that the greatest part 
 of the known woild was by this means converted to the 
 Christian faith. And to this day it hath the same power 
 and efficacy as it ever had, as many have found by their 
 own experience ; and if it ever fail of having the same 
 effect, it is not for want of power in the word preached, 
 but by reason of some indisposition in them that hear it : 
 the ground is bad, and then it is no wonder that the seed 
 sown never comes to perfection. 
 
 And besides, as by this means men are brought to a 
 due sense of their sins, and to a sincere repentance for 
 them, so likewise to true faith in Christ. For, as the 
 apostle saith, faith comes by hearing, Rom. x. 27. By 
 this we are instructed in what we ought to believe, and 
 by this we are enabled to believe what we are so in- 
 structed in : by this our faith is begun, and by this we 
 are confirmed and strengthened in it : by this our under- 
 standings are enlightened, our judgments informed, and 
 our hearts opened, as Lydia's was, to receive the Mord 
 in love of it : by this, God is pleased to manifest himself 
 to us, and to incline our minds to him, his own Holy 
 Spirit usually working together with his word, to make 
 
226 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 it effectual to those great ends and purposes for which he 
 haih ordained it. And therefore this is an ordinance 
 which we must always walk in, as ever we desire to 
 come to the end of our faith, even the salvation of our 
 souls. 
 
 Another ordinance is that of praying and praising God 
 together, which in the Jewish Church was joined with 
 their sacrifices and incense ; for every day throughout 
 the year, they were hound to offer two lambs, the one 
 in the morning, the other in the evening, for a burnt- 
 offering : and upon the Sabbath, and other extraordinary 
 days, they were to offer more ; at which times the peo- 
 ple were bound to be there, and they who made con- 
 science of their duty seldom failed. Now when the 
 burnt-offering began, the singers sang, the trumpeters 
 sounded, and all the congregation fell upon their faces, 
 and worshipped and prayed, as w'e read in Hezekiah's 
 time, 2 Chron. xxix. 28. So also, Eccles. 1. 17, 18, 19. 
 And this continued till the burnt-offering Avas finished : 
 after that the priest went to the altar of incense before 
 the veil, which the people without in the outward court 
 having notice of, they all fell to their prayers, every one 
 praying to himself, without speaking a word ; and this 
 continued all the while the incense was burning, which 
 was usually about half an hour, their prayers ascending 
 up to heaven, as they supposed, together with the in- 
 cense. And therefore none of them offered to go away 
 or leave off their prayers till, the incense being all burnt, 
 the j)riest came out to pronounce the blessing, Numb. vi. 
 24. This David alludes to, where he saith, Let my 
 prayer come before thee as hicense, and the lifting up of my 
 hands as the evening sacrifice, Psal. cxli. 2. This being 
 indeed their constant way of praying, they commonly 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 227 
 
 reckoning no prayers acceptable to God, except they 
 were joined with burnt-offerings or incense. But such 
 offerings were themselves looked upon as praying, and 
 called by that name, 1 Sam. xiii. 12. 
 
 These things I mention here, that you may understand 
 their way of praying under the old law, and some pas- 
 sages also in this history of Zacharias : for it is here said, 
 that whilst he was gone into the temple or tabernacle to 
 burn incense, " the whole multitude of the people were 
 praying without at the time of incense," Luke i. 10. 
 And afterwards it is said, " that the people waited for 
 Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the 
 temple," ver. 21. " And when he came out, he could 
 not speak to them," ver. 22. They had been at their 
 devotions longer than the incense used to be burning, and 
 therefore could not but wonder what should be the rea- 
 son he stayed so long : howsoever, they durst not go away 
 till he came to give them the blessing ; but when he 
 came out, he could not speak, he could not pronounce 
 the blessing, but only beckoned to them, by which they 
 perceived that he had seen a vision ; as he really had, 
 and was struck dumb with it too, to show that the fore- 
 runner of Christ, being now to be born, and by conse- 
 quence Christ himself to follow soon after, the Levitical 
 priesthood was now to cease ; that those kind of priests 
 were not much longer to bless the people, but that this 
 whole ordinance or way of worship and praying by typi- 
 cal sacrifices and incense was to be abolished, and another 
 introduced in its room. 
 
 And so verily there was; for praying under the Gos- 
 pel is quite another thing from what it m as then : for 
 our prayers are now directed to God in the name and by 
 the mediation of him v/hom all their legal sacrifices and 
 
"^ 
 
 228 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 incense only typitied ; which theirs were not : for we 
 seldom find them mentioning the Messiah in their pray- 
 ers, nor to have had any respect to him, but as he was 
 represented by their sacrifices ; whereas it is certain, that 
 it is only in and through him, that any prayers that men 
 make can be heard, or his praises accepted before God. 
 This himself takes notice of, saying to his disciple brought 
 up in the Jewish religion, " Hitherto have ye asked no- 
 thing in my name," John xvi. 24. But then he saith 
 withal, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye 
 shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you," 
 ver. 23. And again, " At that day ye shall ask in my 
 name : and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Fa- 
 ther for you ; for the Father himself loveth you, because 
 ye have loved me, and have believed that 1 came out 
 from God," ver. 26, 27. As if he had said, I need not 
 tell you, or I say not only to you, that I will pray for 
 you, that your prayers may be heard, but that my Father 
 loves you for my sake, and for my sake therefore ye 
 may be sure that he will hear your prayers. And else- 
 where he saith, ^' Whatsoever ye shall ask in my namei, 
 that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the 
 Son," John xiv. 13, 14. From whence we may observe, 
 that Christ being now in heaven, and there appearing as 
 our Advocate before the presence of God for us, he takes 
 notice of all the prayers which ar6 put up in his name, 
 and takes care they be all answered, so far as what we 
 ask is really good for us. 
 
 And that we may the better understand how he doth 
 this, it was clearly described in a vision to St. John, 
 when he saw an angel come and stand at the altar," hav- 
 ing a golden censer ; and there was given unto him much 
 incense, that he should oflfer it with the prayers of all 
 
REai^ISITE TO SALVATION. 229 
 
 saints, upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 
 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the 
 prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, out of the 
 angel's hand," Rev. viii. 3, 4. Where the angel is 
 Christ, the golden censer his body or human nature, the 
 incense his merits, with which he offers up the prayers 
 of all saints, and so makes them effectual. Of all which, 
 the incense that was used together with their prayers in 
 the Mosaic law, was only a type or figure : this of 
 Christ's merits is that real and substantial incense that 
 perfumes our prayers, and renders them acceptable to 
 God. 
 
 And not only our prayers, but our praises too, which 
 always are or should be joined with them ; for they also, 
 by reason of Christ's merits and mediation for us, are 
 accepted of as real sacrifices offered up to God by him. 
 "By him, therefore," saith the apostle, '' let us offer the 
 sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of 
 our lips, giving thanks to his name," Heb. xiii. 15. And 
 thus it is, that instead of the typical and material sacri- 
 fices of the old law, we now offer up real and " spir- 
 itual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, 1 
 Pet. ii. 5, 
 
 Hence, therefore? we may see, how great an ordinance 
 this of public prayer is, and how effectual a means of 
 grace and salvation, especially as it is managed in our 
 Church, wherein all our prayers to God are directed to 
 Him only in the name of his only begotten Son, all con- 
 cluding with these words, through Jesus Christ our Lord^ 
 or others to the same effect. Neither do we put them 
 up only once or twice a week ; but as the Jews had their 
 daily sacrifices, so we have.- our daily prayers, every 
 morning and evening ; and every time we meet together 
 11 
 
230 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 to offer up these our spiritual sacrifices, we praise God 
 for every good thing we have, and pray unto him for 
 everything we want, that can he good for us. And all 
 this being done only in the nanr.e of our great High 
 Priest, who is always interceding for us, and presenting 
 our prayers to his Father with the incense of his own 
 all-sufficient merits, if we be not failing to ourselves in 
 acting our faith upon him, we can never fail of a gracious 
 acceptance with Almighty God, nor, by consequence, of 
 the manifold blessings that follow upon it. So that by 
 this means we may obtain grace to repent of all the errors 
 of our life past : by this means we may obtain a quick 
 and lively faith in Christ our Saviour : by this means we 
 may obtain the pardon of all the sins we ever committed : 
 by this means we may obtain the Holy Spirit of God, to 
 mortify our lusts, and to quicken us with newness of 
 life : to keep us from heresy and vice, and lead us into 
 all truth and virtue ; to open our eyes, enlighten our 
 minds, purify our hearts, and sanctify us wholly in soul, 
 body, and spirit : in short, by this means we may be de- 
 fended from all our enemies, protected from all manner 
 of evil, directed in all our affairs, and endowed with all 
 things necessary both for life and godliness, to make us 
 holy here, and happy both now and for ever. 
 
 But for this purpose, there is another ordinance to be 
 often joined with this of prayer, and that is, the ordinance of 
 fasting, which though it be of no great power and virtue 
 without prayer, yet if duly performed, it adds great power 
 and virtue to it ; as our Saviour himself plainly intimates, 
 where he saith, there are some kind of devils^ that go not 
 out hut hy prayer and fasting together, Matt. xvii. 21 : 
 and therefore they who would be righteous, must 
 often walk in this, as well as any other ordinance. This 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 231 
 
 being the great means whereby to keep our bodies under, 
 and our passions in order ; to clear up our apprehen- 
 sions of spiritual things, and incline our affections to 
 them ; to take off our minds from the earth, and raise 
 them up to heaven ; to fix our thoughts in prayer, and 
 to make our desires more intense and fervent. In a 
 vs^ord, this is the great means whereby to cleanse our 
 hearts from vicious and corrupt humors, and so to make 
 them fit temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. 
 
 There are still two evangelical ordinances behind, 
 without which, where they may be had, the other will 
 not do our business, and they are the two Sacraments, 
 Baptism, and the Lord's Supper ; whereof the first was 
 brought into the place of Circumcision, which was no 
 part of the Levitical law, but an ordinance instituted long 
 before Moses, when God was pleased to establish his 
 covenant with Abraham, and to ordain this to be the sign 
 of it, saying, This is my covenant, which ye shall keep 
 betiveen me and you, and thy seed after thee ; Every male 
 child among you shall he circumcised. Gen. xvii. 10. 
 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it 
 shall be a token of the covenant between me and you, ver. 
 11. And from that time forward, this was the constant 
 way appointed by God himself, for admitting any into 
 the covenant with him, which covenant being established 
 in the blood of Christ, in token thereof none were admit- 
 ted into it without blood, which was shed in circumcision. 
 But instead of that troublesome and painful ordinance, 
 Christ hath commanded that persons be initiated into his 
 Church, and made his disciples, by being baptized in the 
 name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Matt, xxviii. 19. 
 Which is as plain and easy a way as could be found out ; and 
 is not, therefore, to be slighted or neglected, bipt rather the 
 more highly esteemed, and the more diligently observed. 
 
232 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 As when Elisha bade Naaman the Syrian only go and 
 wash himself seven times in Jordan, and he shall be cur- 
 ed of his leprosy. Naaman at first was angry that the 
 prophet required so little a thing of him, and therefore 
 would not do it ; until his servants, being wiser than their 
 lord, said to him, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee 
 do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it ? 
 How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, 
 and be clean ?" 2 Kings v. 13. So here, Christ only 
 bids us wash, and we shall be clean ; and tells us w ithal, 
 that " except a man be thus born again of water and of 
 the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,'' 
 John iii, 5. But that " whosoever believeth and is bap- 
 tized, shall be saved," Matt. xvi. 16. And therefore 
 they who despise or neglect to do so easy a thing as this, 
 at his command, have no more ground to expect to be 
 saved by him, than Naaman had to be cured of his leprosy 
 if he had not washed himself in Jordan as the prophet 
 bade him. 
 
 But this is an ordinance which we cannot so properly 
 be said to walk in, because it is to be done only once in 
 a man's hfe. But howsoever, as Zacharias and Eliza- 
 beth took care to have their son circumcised according 
 to God's command, so are all parents as much obliged to 
 have their children baptized according to Christ's institu- 
 tion, otherwise they are not like these two, righteous be- 
 fore God, as not walkinoj in all the commandments and 
 ordinances of the Lord, as they did. 
 
 The other Sacrament is that of the Lord's Supper, 
 which our Lord himself ordained immediately before he 
 was betrayed and apprehended, in order to his being 
 offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world ; for all 
 legal sacriik;es being only types of his, and therefore to 
 have an end, and expire together v/ith him, our Lord M'as 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 233 
 
 pleased to institute this, not for a propitiatory sacrifice, 
 as the papists absurdly imagine, but as a commemorative 
 sacrifice, to put his Church always in mind of that which 
 he then oiFered, by that one oblation of himself for the 
 sins of mankind. Do this, saith he, in remembrance of me, 
 Luke xxii. 17. By whicli means this Sacrament sup- 
 plies the defect of all the Levitical sacrifices, the paschal 
 lamb, the sin-offerings, the trespass-offerings, the peace- 
 offerings, tlie thank-offerings, the whole burnt-offerings ; 
 they are all now laid aside, and this one substituted in 
 their place, of more power and efficacy to the ends for 
 which they were ordained, than all they put together ; for 
 they only foreshowed Chrisi's death until it happened, 
 this shows it forth to the end of the world ; for, as the 
 apostle saith, " as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 
 cup, ye do show the Lord's death until he come," 1 Cor. 
 xi. 26. And that nothing might be wanting in this sacra- 
 ment which was of any use in the Levitical law, where- 
 soever it is administered, we offer up something of what 
 God hath bestowed upon us, as a free-will offering, in ac- 
 knowledgment, as of all the other blessings we have re- 
 ceived from him, and hold continually of him, so especial- 
 ly of this, the fountain and foundation of them all, even 
 the death which his only Son was pleased to undergo for us. 
 This, therefore, being that holy Sacrament, which our 
 Saviour himself substituted into the room of all legal 
 sacrifices, and ordained in memory of himself, we must 
 needs be obliged to receive it as oft as possibly we can. 
 It is true, he hath prescribed no set times for it, as he did 
 for the sacrifices under the law ; yet, howevrer, seeing it 
 comes into their place, it ought to bear some proportion 
 with them in this respect, at least so far, that as they, 
 besides their daily, had their weekly sacrifices more than 
 
234 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 ordinary upon the sabbath-day : so we should celebrate 
 this holy Sacrament once a week upon the Lord's-day, as 
 we find the Apostles did. And seeing Christ has limited 
 no time for it, we ought not to limit, but extend it as far as 
 we can, so as to lay hold of all opportunities that are put 
 into our hands, of celebrating the memory of the best 
 friend that we ever had, and the greatest act of love that 
 ever was or ever can be done for us. 
 
 Especially considering the mighty benefits and advan- 
 tages that accrue to us by a due and worthy receiving of 
 this holy Sacrament. Hereby we are put in mind of the 
 sinfulness of sin, and the dreadful punishments which are 
 due unto it, seeing nothing less than the blood of the Son 
 of God could expiate it. Hereby our minds are set 
 against it, and our w^hole souls are taught to abhor and 
 loathe it. Hereby we exercise our faith in Christ, for the 
 pardon of all our faults, and have them accordingly par- 
 doned to us : hereby we wash ourselves over again, as it 
 were in the blood of the Lamb of God w^hich cleanseth 
 us from all sin : hereby we derive power and virtue from 
 Christ, to withstand the temptations of the world, the 
 flesh, and the devil, and to serve God with a perfect 
 heart and a willing mind : hereby we dwell in Christ, 
 and Christ in us ; we are one with Christ, and Christ with 
 us : hereby our repentance is renewed, our faith con- 
 firmed, our sins weakened, our graces strengthened, our 
 hearts comforted, and our souls fitted to live with Christ 
 in the other world : for as our bodies are nourished by bread 
 and wine, so by the body and blood of Christ here mystical- 
 ly received, our souls are nourished and preserved to ever- 
 lasting life : as, I hope, many of us shall now find by 
 experience. 
 
 These are, in short, those ordinances which we must 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 235 
 
 all walk in, if we desire to be, like Zacharias and Eliza- 
 beth, righteous before God. Neither must we content 
 ourselves with anyone or more of them, but as we must 
 walk in all the commandments, so we must walk in all 
 the ordinances too : for they also are all commanded by 
 the same Lord ; and therefore all the same reasons that 
 oblige us to observe any of the commandments, oblige us 
 also to observe them ; and the omission or neglect of any 
 of them is as great a sin, and makes us liable to as great 
 punishments, as the transgression of any other command- 
 ment can do. 
 
 And besides, these are not only commanded themselves, 
 but they are appointed to be ordinances and means 
 whereby we may be enabled to keep all the other com- 
 mandments : and therefore they who do not keep these, 
 may be confident that they keep none at all, there being 
 no way to attain the end, without using the means ; all 
 the means that are necessarily required in order to it, as 
 be sure all these are ; for otherwise they would not be 
 required at all ; for it cannot be imagined, that he who 
 came into the world for no other purpose but to save us, 
 should require anything of us but what is necessary to 
 our salvation. And therefore he having commanded us 
 to be baptized, to read, and hear God's holy word ; to 
 fast and pray, and praise his sacred name, and to receive his 
 blessed Sacrament, we cannot possibly refuse or neglect 
 any of these ordinances, without manifest prejudice to our- 
 selves, and apparent hazard of our eternal salvation by him. 
 
 Neither must ye think, that the walking in any one of 
 these ordinances will serve your turn without the other. 
 He that walketh only part of his way will never come to 
 his journey's end. These ordinances are indeed the effec- 
 tual means of grace, not singly, but conjunctly : not one 
 
236 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 by one, but altogether : they are all the way that leads 
 to heaven, and he that goes not quite through them, had 
 as good stand still, and never step into them ; for they 
 all depend upon, and influence, assist, and forward one 
 another. By hearing God's holy word, we are made 
 sensible of our sins ; by fasting, we humble ourselves for 
 them ; by prayer, we obtain the pardon of them ; and 
 by the holy Sacrament we obtain that pardon sealed to 
 us in the blood of Christ. By hearing, our faith is be- 
 gun ; by fasting, it is quickened ; by praying, it is in- 
 creased ; and by the Sacrament, it is confirmed and 
 strengthened. Again, by hearing, we come to know our 
 duty ; by fasting, w^e are disposed for it ; by praying, 
 we are inclined to it ; and by the Sacrament, we are 
 enabled to perform it : or, in short, take it thus : hearing 
 makes us wise ; fasting, humble ; praying, devout ; and 
 the receiving of the Lord's Supper makes us '' steadfast, 
 unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," 
 assuring us, that " our labor shall not be in vain in the 
 Lord." 
 
 What, therefoi-e, will it avail you to observe any one 
 of these ordinances without the olher .' Will that make 
 you righteous before God.- No, surely. If it would, 
 he would never have ordained the rest ; but in that he 
 hath ordained them all, one as well as another, it is plain 
 they are all, in their several respects, as necessary to be 
 observed, in order to your being righteous, as it is for a 
 patient to go through the whole course of physic which 
 his able physician prescribes, if he desires to be cured of 
 his malady. 
 
 Hence, therefore, I cannot forbear to advise and be- 
 seech you all, especially those of this parish, who are 
 committed to my charge, that you would use all the care 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 237 
 
 and diligence you can, constantly to walk in all and every 
 one of these ordinances whi^li Christ your Saviour hath 
 ordained, in order to your obtaining salvation by him. 
 I am very sensible that I must ere long give up an ac- 
 count of my stewardship to my great Lord and Master, 
 and therefore dare not but administer these means of 
 grace to you as often as the Church or your necessities 
 require it. You have the word of God read constantly 
 every day in the week, and expounded or preached 
 every Lord's day, and that too in so plain and familiar a 
 way, that, I hope, the meanest capacity in the congre- 
 gation may understand it. You have the public prayers 
 and praises of our Church read to you every day through- 
 out the year, according to the best form that was ever 
 composed by any Church ; you are put in mind of keep- 
 ing your bodies under by fasting and abstinence, as often 
 as the Church requires it, or the common experience of 
 all Christians hath found it necessary. You have the 
 Sacrament of Baptism administered upon all occasions, 
 in your sight and hearing, to put you in mind of the sol- 
 emn vow and promise which you made when you your- 
 selves were baptized. You have the Sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper administered every Lord's day in the year, 
 and are as constantly invited to it, and exhorted to par- 
 take of it ; and if there be anything else that can conduce 
 anything towards the building you up in your most holy 
 faith, and so to your eternal salvation, I shall be as ready 
 to administer it as you can be to desire it. And what 
 defects Almighty God sees (as I am conscious to myself 
 he sees a great many) in the discharge of my duty 
 towards you, 1 hope, for his Son's sake, he will pardon 
 them all to me, and make them up some other way to 
 you. And therefore, if it be not your own faults, none 
 11* 
 
238 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 of you but may attain eternal life and happiness through 
 Christ, in the use of thes^ means, which he for that 
 very purpose hath ordained, and caused to be so con- 
 stantly administered to you, according to the order and 
 direction of that most excellent Church you live in. 
 
 But if you, after all, slight, despise, or neglect these 
 ordinances, or any of them, I shall lose the pleasure of 
 giving up my accounts with joy, but it is you that will 
 feel the smart of it. And then you will wish with all 
 your hearts, that you had neglected your carnal pleasures 
 and profits, rather than prayers and sacraments. But, 
 alas ! then it will be too late ; wishing will do no good ; 
 you once had these opportunities put into your hands, 
 but you would not make use of them. You might have 
 heard the word of God solemnly and publicly read every 
 day, but you would not. You might have joined together 
 every day in praying and praising God, but you would 
 not ; you might have received the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper every week, but you would not ; except perhaps 
 when j'^ou had nothing else to do. How will the remem- 
 brance of this grate upon your consciences ? How will 
 it fret and torment your souls ? What an aggravation 
 will this be of your misery then, as it is of your sin now } 
 So great an aggravation, that the consideration of it would 
 almost tempt me, if I durst, to lay aside some part of 
 these opportunities, so as not to administer the Word and 
 Sacraments so often as j'^ou now enjoy them. But, alas ! 
 I dare not ; it is my duty to administer them as I do, and 
 therefore must continue it, and leave the event to God 
 and you, as knowing that these are the means which God 
 hath appointed for your salvation : and hoping, that al- 
 though some, by the instigation of the devil, neglect 
 them, to their greater shame and confusion, yet others, 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 239 
 
 b}' the blessing of God, will improve them to their greater 
 glory and happiness in the other world. 
 
 All that I can do more is to admonish and exhort you 
 to walk with Zacharias and Elizabeth, as in all the com- 
 mandments, so likewise in all the ordinances, of the Lord 
 blameless. Do not take up with some without the other, 
 nor with any without all, nor yet with all, without walk- 
 ing blameless in them. Catch at all opportunities you 
 can get of presenting yourself before your heavenly Father 
 in our daily prayers, and before your blessed Redeemer 
 in the holy Sacrament : and come with that presence of 
 mind, with that simplicity of heart, with that humility, 
 reverence, and faith, as becomes such sacred ordinances : 
 and I dare assure you, your time will not be lost, but the 
 best spent of any part of your whole life. For by this 
 means your hearts by degrees will be emptied of all car- 
 nal and worldly thoughts, and filled with such a sense of 
 God and religion, as by his grace and assistance will keep 
 you firm and steadfast in his faith and fear all your life 
 long, and so make you righteous before God himself. 
 
 How this comes to pass, even how by this means you 
 will become righteous before God, is the last thing I pro- 
 mised to show, and may easily do it : for although I do 
 not deny, but that after all your endeavors to walk in all 
 the commandments, you will offend in some ; and after 
 all your endeavors to walk in all the ordinances of the 
 Lord, you will not be altogether blameless in any, as not 
 performing them with that perfect exactness as ye ought ; 
 yet so o-reat are the mercies of God, and so all-sufficient 
 are the merits of your Saviour, that God for his sake will 
 accept of what you thus do sincerely, as well as if it was 
 done perfectly ; and so, notwithstanding your daily in- 
 firmities and manifold imperfections, he will look upon 
 
240 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 you in his Son as righteous, and by consequence you tvill 
 be righteous before him, or, as the word signifies, in his 
 sight. He will overlook your infirmities, and take notice 
 only of your sincerity, and that shall be well-pleasing in 
 his sights through Jesus Christy Heb. xiii. 21. 
 
 Tiiis is that great mystery that is revealed to us in the 
 Gospel, wherein as we are assured, that by the deeds of 
 the law no flesh shall he justified^ or accepted of as right- 
 eous in the sight of God, Rom. iii. 20, so we are assured 
 withal, that we are justified freely by his grace, " through 
 the redemption that is in Jesus Christ," Rom. iii. 24, that 
 our spiritual sacrifices are "acceptable to God by Jesus 
 Christ," 1 Pet. ii. 5, that he " hath made us accepted in his 
 beloved Son," Eph. i. 6, that " he who knew no sin, was 
 made sin for us, that we might be made the righteous- 
 ness of God in him," 2 Cor. v. 21, who is therefore said 
 to be ''made righteousness to us," or for us, 1 Cor. 1. 30, 
 and called *' the Lord our rightsousness," Jer. xxiii. 6. The 
 meaning of all which is, that although we be not perfect- 
 ly righteous in ourselves, nor can be, so long as we are 
 in the body, yet the only begotten Son of God, in whom 
 he is w^ell pleased, having in our nature been obedient 
 to death for us, God in him is well pleased with us too, 
 and with what we can do, if we do but sincerely endea- 
 vor to do what we can to obey him, and believe in his 
 said Son, for his assistance of us in the doing it, and for 
 God's acceptance of it when it is done ; for then God 
 looks upon us, not as in ourselves, but as members of 
 that body w^hereof his Son is head, and so as partakers 
 of all the merits both of his life and death : whereby our 
 sins are not only pardoned, but all the defects and imper- 
 fections of our obedience are supplied and made up : that 
 most perfect obedience and righteousness which he per- 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 241 
 
 formed to God for us being made over to us, and reckon- 
 ed as ours. In which, therefore, although we be not 
 perfectly so in ourselves, yet we appear as righteous be- 
 fore God, and he is pleased to accept of us as much as if 
 we were perfectly so in ourselves, or rather more : the 
 righteousness which we have in Christ being far greater 
 than it was possible for us to have performed in our most 
 perfect state. 
 
 Thus it was that these two persons in my text became 
 righteous in the sight of God before Christ's coming ; 
 and therefore we cannot doubt that we who live after it 
 may be so too, if we do but follow their steps, icalking 
 in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blame' 
 less. 
 
 And who would not be so, if he can.^ If he can, did 
 I say : Who cannot be so, If he will : if he will, I say, 
 but set himself in good earnest about it. Blessed be 
 God, you are all as yet not only capable of being right- 
 eous, but you have all the means that can be desired in 
 order to it. And if you will not use them, whose fault 
 is it t Whom can you blame but yourselves ? You 
 must even lake what follows, and thank yourselves for 
 it : whereas if you be but willing and obedient, so as to 
 seek the righteousness of God before all things else, and 
 walk in all the ways that lead to it, you cannot miss of 
 it, but may as certainly have this testimony as ever Zacha- 
 rias and Elizabeth had it, that you are righteous before 
 God. 
 
 And one would think, that you should not need many 
 arguments, or much entreaty, to endeavor all you can 
 after it ; it being your own interest and concern, and that 
 the o-realest that you have or can have in the world ; 
 which that I may convince you of, I desire you to con- 
 
242 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 sider only one thing, and that is, that righteous persons 
 are the only happy persons in the world, both in this 
 world and the next. 
 
 In this world there are many, I know, esteemed very 
 happy : they that have crowns upon their heads, sceptres 
 in their hands, and whole kingdoms at their feet : they 
 that have stately houses, large estates, great possessions 
 at command: they that are beloved and honored by 
 their neighbors, and have many servants waiting con- 
 tinually upon them : they that, like Dives, are clothed 
 in purple and fine lincn^ and fare delicionshj every day: 
 they that feed upon dainties, drink the choicest wines, lie 
 upon beds of down, and have their fill of all earthly en- 
 joyments : these are reckoned the happy people of the 
 world, in comparison of whom the rest of mankind are a 
 company of miserable and contemptible wretches. But, 
 alas ! what is there in all this to make men happy ! No- 
 thing certainly, unless men were like brutes, capable of 
 no other happiness but what consisteth in pleasing their 
 senses, gratifying their appetites, or tickling their disturb- 
 ed imaginations. But true happiness is quite of another 
 nature, and so far above the reach of such low and little 
 things, that a man may be as happy without them as 
 with them, and as miserable with them as without them. 
 And therefore to find out those who are really the most 
 happy people upon earth, we must search for such as 
 have their portion not in this world, but the other ; for 
 such whose bellies are not filled with hidden treasure, 
 but whose souls are filled with the treasures of true wis- 
 dom and righteousness : for such as are righteous before 
 God^ walking in all the commandments and ordinances of 
 the Lord blameless. These we shall find to be the only 
 happy people in the world, in comparison of whom all 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 243 
 
 the rest of mankind, howsoever they may think of them- 
 selves, or appear in the eyes of their fellow-mortals, are 
 really poor and miserable creatures. As 1 do not question 
 but you will all acknowledge, if you do but consider the 
 great privileges that are conferred upon the righteous 
 above all other men. 
 
 The righteous, and they only, are in favor with God, 
 the supreme Governor of the world ; and in so great 
 esteem with him, that he calls them his especial, his 
 peculiar people, his treasure, his jewels. They have the 
 honor of waiting continually upon him, and of enjo3'ing 
 his presence, and the light of his countenance. They 
 are nearly related to all and every person in the most 
 sacred Trinity. They have God the Father to be their 
 God and their Father, to take care of them, and to pro- 
 vide all things necessary for them. They have God the 
 Son to be their God and their Saviour, to save them from 
 their sins, and to appear continually in heaven for them, 
 and to prepare them a place there, against they go out of 
 this world. They have God the Holy Ghost to be their 
 God, their Sanclifier, and their Comforter, to prevent 
 their falling into sin, to assist them in their duty, and to 
 support and comfort them in all conditions. They have 
 the holy angels to minister unto them, and to keep them 
 in all their ways. They have all the saints in heaven 
 and earth for their brethren, their companions and fellow- 
 citizens : they have the infinite wisdom of God to guide 
 and direct them in all their affairs, and to show them the 
 way they ought to walk in ; they have the almighty 
 power of God to defend them from all their enemies, and 
 to protect them from all danger and mischief: they have 
 all things in the world working together for their good, 
 and concurring to make them happy: they have God's 
 
244 UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE 
 
 blessing upon everything they do, and upon everything 
 they have, to make it the best that it can be in its kind 
 for them : they hav^e all things that are good, and nothing 
 that is evil or unprofitable for them : they have all occur- 
 rences, all circumstances, all conditions of life sanctified 
 to them : so that if they fall into poverty, that is made 
 better for them than riches ; and so is sickness and dis- 
 grace, than health and honor : they live under the imme- 
 diate care and conduct of God himself, whose eyes are 
 continually upon them, and his ears open to their prayers : 
 they have free access unto him upon all occasions, and 
 are sure to obtain whatsoever they ask that is really good 
 for themselves or others. For the effectual fervent prayer 
 of the righteous man availeth much^ James v. 16. They 
 are the salt of the earth, that keep the rest of mankind 
 from being consumed ; as we see in Sodom, if there had 
 been but ten righteous persons in it, God would have 
 spared it for their sakes, and would not destroy it till 
 righteous Lot was gone out. 
 
 Thus the Almighty Governor of the world hath a par- 
 ticular kindness for the righteous, guiding them by his 
 counsel all the while they are upon earth, and after- 
 wards receiving them into glory : for the wicked must go 
 into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eter- 
 nal. Matt. xxi. 46. So that after they have lived a few 
 years upon earth, they are all translated to heaven, where 
 they behold the glory, and enjoy the presence of the 
 chiefest good ; where they live with Christ, their dear 
 and blessed Saviour, and solace themselves continually 
 in the embraces of his love and favor ; where all tears 
 are wiped from their eyes, all cares and fears are ban- 
 ished from their hearts, and all manner of sin and imper- 
 fections perfectly rooted out from their souls; where 
 
REQUISITE TO SALVATION. 245 
 
 their spirits are made absolutely perfect, and their bodies 
 fashioned like to Christ's glorious body : where they 
 have the sweet and blessed society of their fellow glori- 
 fied saints, and of the holy angels, being made altogether 
 equal to them : where they have all things they can pos- 
 sibly desire, and so are fully satisfied with what they 
 have ; where they are as blessed as God himself can 
 make them, and have all the honor and glory that he 
 can confer upon them : where they shine as the sun in the 
 kingdom of their Father, Matt. xiii. 43 ; where, in short, 
 they live as cheerfully, as pleasantly, as honorably, and 
 gloriously, eveiy way as happily, as it is possible for 
 creatures to live, and that too, not only for some time, 
 but for ever more. 
 
 Consider these things, and tell me, whether ye do not 
 really think that the righteous are the happiest persons 
 in the world ? and whether it be not your interest as 
 well as duty, to endeavor all ye can to get into the num- 
 ber of them ? I am confident you cannot but all acknow- 
 ledge it ; and therefore hope that you will for the future 
 act accordingly. Blessed be God, you are all as yet in 
 a capacity of attaining to it ; yea, more than that, you 
 are invited, you are exhorted, you are commanded by 
 Almighty God, to ivalk in all his commandments and ordi- 
 nances blameless, and so to be righteous before him. 
 Neither do you want any of the means that can con- 
 tribute any way towards it. These God hath been 
 pleased to afford to you, and to all that live in the com- 
 munion of our Church, in a more than ordinary manner. 
 Let me, therefore, beseech you in his name to use these 
 means so duly, so constantly, so sincerely, so earnestly, 
 that you may at length attain the end of them, that it 
 may be said of every man and wife among you, as it is 
 
246 UNIVEIISAL OBEDIENCE. 
 
 here of these two, that they are both righteous before 
 God ; and that the same may be truly asserted of all 
 single persons, that you are not only hearers but doers 
 of God's word, walking in all the commandments and ordi- 
 nances of the Lord blameless. What a happy society, 
 what a blessed congregation of people, would you then 
 be, shining as lights in the w^orld, as all Christians ought 
 to do ? 
 
 For which purpose, therefore, let me beg of j'ou to 
 imprint what you have now heard so upon your minds, 
 that you may never forget it ; but always remember, that 
 as you can never be happy unless you be righteous before 
 God ; so you can never be righteous before God, except 
 you walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the 
 Lord blameless. But if you do that as heartily and sin- 
 cerely as you ought, and as near as possibly you can, 
 you will soon fmd it worth all the care and pains you 
 take about it ; for I dare assure you, in the name of God, 
 that he for his Son's sake will not only pardon what you 
 have hitherto done amiss, but likewise accept of you as 
 righteous before him, and by consequence receive you 
 into his protection here, and hereafter into his own kino-- 
 dom and glory, through the same our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ : to whom, &c. 
 
SERMON X 
 
 THE ADVANTAGES OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
 
 Psalm cxxii. 1. 
 
 I was glad when they said unto inf, Let us go into the house of the Lord. 
 
 Thus saith the Lord, 2'he heaven is my throne, and the 
 earth is my footstool: lohere is the house that ye build unto 
 me? and where is the place of my restl Isa. Ixvi. 1. 
 Whereby it hath pleased his divine goodness to signify to 
 us, that he lives and reigns on high, infinitely above all 
 that we can think, and that the earth is at his foot, to do 
 what he will with it, and with everything that is in it, or 
 upon it. So that the whole earth is full of his glory, and 
 the heaven of heavens is not able to contain it. Where 
 then shall v/e build a house } Where shall we find 
 a place for him to dwell in } Nowhere certainly, 
 so as that he should be included in it. Yet never- 
 theless, as he is said to dwell in heaven, because he 
 there unveils himself, and shines forth in all his glory, 
 before those pure and holy creatures that dwell there, 
 and are capable of beholding it : so he is said to dwell 
 in such places upon earth too, where he is graciously 
 pleased to manifest himself, and discover any of his di- 
 vine perfections in a more peculiar manner than he doth 
 elsewhere : as he is often said to dwell between the 
 cherubims over the mercy-seat, or covering of the ark, 
 from whence he was pleased to manifest his glory, and 
 
248 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 make known his will unto his people. And wheresoever 
 the ark was, there he was said to dwell. So long as it 
 was in the tabernacle, which Moses by his appointment 
 made for it, that was called his house or dwelling-place, 
 because he there met with his people, and acquainted 
 them with his pleasure. And when the ark was put 
 into the temple which Solomon bailt for it upon mount 
 Zion, that was called his house, not only in the Old Tes- 
 tament, but in the New, by Christ himself, John ii. 16. 
 
 This, therefore, is that which the Psalmist here calls 
 the house of the Lord, even the place where the ark then 
 w^as, and where the Lord had therefore promised to be, 
 in a special manner. Thither all tlie men in Israel were 
 bound to go, at least three times every year, though 
 many of them lived about a hundred miles off. And 
 some have thought that this Psalm was composed for 
 that occasion, that the people might better express the 
 joy and pleasure they had in that holy journey, saying 
 or singing to one another as they went, / icas (jlad, or 
 rejoiced, when they said unto me, We will, or Let us go 
 into the house of the Lard. Our feet shall stand in thy 
 gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is at 
 unity in itself for thither the tribes go np, even the tribes of 
 the J^ord, to testify unto Israel, to give thanks to the 
 name if the Lord, Sec. 
 
 Bui it might serve as well for those who, living near 
 it, went every day to the house of the Lord, to perform 
 their devotions to him, and to receive his blessino- ; as 
 all that were truly pious did. They took all opportuni- 
 ties they could get, of going thither at the hours of pray- 
 er, and were glad when any put them in mind of it, and 
 called upon them to go, saying. Let us go into the house 
 of the Lord. And so doubtless are all such at this day. 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 249 
 
 All that truly love and fear and honor God, are as glad 
 to go into his house now, as they were then. 
 
 It is true, we have no such outward signs of his special 
 presence in our churches, as they had of old in the 
 tabernacle and temple : but howsoever, we cannot doubt 
 but that he is as specially present with us in such places, 
 as he was with them. For we have his own word for 
 it ; saying, Where two or three are gathered together in my 
 name, there am I in the midst of themy Matt, xviii. 20. 
 Whereby we are fully assured, thai he doth not now pre- 
 sentiate himself only in one place, as he did under the 
 law, but that wheresoever his faithful people meet to- 
 gether in his name, to serve and worship him, he is 
 there with them, to assist them in what they do, and to 
 bless and sanctify it to them. And therefore every such 
 place dedicated to his service, may as properly be called 
 the house of the Lord, as the temple was. And every 
 pious and devout soul delights as much in going thither, 
 as David did ; and can as truly say, I uas glad when they 
 said unto me, Let as go into the house of the Lord. 
 
 This, therefore, is that which 1 shall now demonstrate 
 to you ; and for that purpose shall consider, first, the per- 
 sons who are always glad to go into the house of the 
 Lord ; and then, the reasons why they are so. 
 
 First, As to the persons ; we must not think that all 
 sorts of people delight in going to church, the house of 
 God. For v.^e see the contrary by daily experience : 
 even that many, yea, most of these too who profess the 
 faith of Christ, choose rather to go anywhere else than 
 thither. Some had rather go to an ale-house, or tavern, 
 or play-house, where they may please their flesh or their 
 fancy. Others are for a shop, a warehouse, or the ex- 
 change, where they may buy, or sell, and get gain ; like 
 
250 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 those in the prophet, who said, When will the new moon 
 be gone, that we may sell corn ? and the sabbath that ice 
 may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel 
 great, falsifying the balances by deceit ? Amos viii. 5 : 
 that is, in plain terms, they had rather be cheating their 
 neighbors, than serving God. Nay, there are many, too 
 many, who choose to sit still at home, and do nothing, 
 rather than go to church and do the work that is there 
 required of them. Such as these are not glad, but sorry 
 and troubled, when any say unto them. Let us go into the 
 house of the Lord ; and will look upon them as their ene- 
 mies, for offering to make such an impertinent and 
 troublesome motion to them. 
 
 And it is no vronder. For such people know not what 
 to do at church, nor can take any pleasure in what is 
 there done : they care not for praying or praising God ; 
 neither doth " the word preached any way profit them, 
 not being mixed with faith in them that hear it," Heb. iv. 
 2. The church is no more to them than an ordinary 
 house ; and the whole service that is there performed 
 seems to them an insipid business, which they can no 
 way relish or delight in. And the reason is, because 
 their minds being taken up with the affairs of this life, 
 they are altogether incapable of all things belonging to 
 their everlasting peace ; for, as the apostle observes, 
 " the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit 
 cf God ; for they are foolishness to him ; neither can he 
 know them, because they are spiritually discerned," 1 Cor. 
 ii. 14. Hence it is that such men, when they are at 
 church, they are restless and uneasy all the while, and 
 long to be out again, that they may follow the business, 
 or enjoy the pleasures, their hearts are set on : as for 
 what is done there, they know not what to make of it ; 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 251 
 
 and therefore it is no wonder that they care not how sel- 
 dom they come thither ; and if they ever do, it is not a 
 pleasure, but a grief and a trouble to them ; which not- 
 withstanding they are forced sometimes to bear with, to 
 keep up their credit and reputation in the world ; lest 
 their neighbors should think them to be what they are, 
 mere natural and carnal men, that have no sense at all 
 of religion, but live as without God in the world. 
 
 But although these be not, there are other persons 
 that are glad, as David was, to go into the house of the 
 Lord. But they are such as David was, of whom it is 
 said, that he was a man after God's own heart , 1 Sam. 
 xiii. 14 ; that is, he was a truly good and virtuous man, 
 one that loved God with all his heart, and lived con- 
 stantly in his true faith and fear, making it his chief care 
 and business to obey, and serve, and please, and honor 
 him. His heart was wholly inclined to God, and set to 
 obey his commandments, and to glorify his holy name, 
 and so was such a one as God would have him to be, a 
 man after his own heart : who therefore took great de- 
 light in everything that tended to the glory of God : par- 
 ticularly, what vast preparations did he make for the 
 building and adorning the house of God, where he might 
 be served and worshipped : and all because he had set 
 his affection upon it, as he himself said, 1 Chron. xxix. 
 3. What a mighty love and zeal had he for it ! " Lord," 
 said he, " I have loved the habitation of thy house, and 
 the place where thy honor dwellcth," Psal. xxvi. 8. 
 " The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up," Psal. Ixix. 
 9. How earnestly did he desire to go thither ! Psal. 
 xli'. 1, 2 ; Ixxxiv. 1, 2. How was he grieved when any- 
 thing hindered him from going to the house of God ! en- 
 vying the very sparrows and swallows that could get thi- 
 
252 THE ADVANTAGES OP 
 
 ther, when he could not, Psal. Ixxxiv. 3. How much did 
 he prefer the lime he spent there before all the rest of his 
 life ! and the lowest place in the house of God, before 
 the highest in all the earth besides ! " A day in thy 
 courts," saith he, " is better than a thousand. I had ra- 
 ther be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to 
 dwell in the tents of wickedness," ver. 10. And there- 
 fore he might well say, " 1 was glad when they said unto 
 me. Let us go into the house of the Lord." 
 
 And so may all good men as well as he ; for they are 
 all of the same temper, all actuated by the same spirit, as 
 he was. And therefore cannot but delight as much in 
 going to the house of God as he did ; and that upon sev- 
 eral accounts. First, because of the great comfort they 
 find in doing their duty to God, in worshipping and serv- 
 ing him that made them, and so answering his end in the 
 making of them : for being conscious to themselves of 
 the duty they owe to God, they can never be at rest in 
 their own minds, without paying it, as far as they can, 
 to him. Bat when they are doing that, their consciences 
 are quiet, and their minds satisfied, and pleased with the 
 thoughts of their doing what God would have them, and 
 that he is therefore well pleased with them. And what- 
 soever some may think, this is certainly the greatest 
 comfort that any man can have on this side heaven ; in 
 comparison of which, all the seeming pleasures of this 
 world are nothing but fancy and delusion. '' Our rejoic- 
 ing," saith the apostle, '^ is this, the testimony of our 
 conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have 
 had our conversation in the world," 2 Cor. i. 12. This 
 is the rejoicing of every good man, when he goes into 
 the house of God ; that his conscience bears witness 
 with him, that he is going about the works of God, the 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 353 
 
 works that he was made for, even to serve and gloriiy 
 his Maker : hence it is, that they whom God hath some- 
 times stirred up to go to church, if they afterwards leave 
 it off again, or neglect it upon any slight occasion, their 
 consciences usually fly in their faces, and torment them 
 for it : whereas they who, like Anna the prophetess, 
 never depart from the house of God, but serve him there 
 with fastings and prayer day and night, Luke ii. 37, that 
 is, never, or very rarely, omit either morning or evening 
 sacrifice, their consciences have nothing to say against 
 them for that, but bear witness for them that they do 
 their duty, and please God, and so always live under his 
 favor and protection ; and how great a pleasure that is, 
 none can tell but they who feel it : but they find and 
 feel it to be the greatest pleasure of their lives, the only 
 true joy and comfort of their hearts, and therefore must 
 needs rejoice and be glad at all opportunities they can 
 get of going into the house of the Lord. 
 
 And so they are too, because of the good company 
 they meet with there : for there they do not only meet 
 with their fellow Christians, ready to join with them in 
 the work they go about, but there they meet also with 
 the best friend they have in the world, with Almighty 
 God himself ; not as he is their Creator only, but as he 
 is their Saviour also and Redeemer. For as such, he 
 said, '' Where two or three are gathered together in my 
 name, there am I in the midst of them," Matt, xviii. 20. 
 But whensoever we go to perform our devotions in the 
 house of God, we always do it in his name. And there- 
 fore whatsoever company we may chance to meet with 
 there, we are sure of his. He is certainly among them, 
 in the midst of them ; for we have his own word for it, 
 which is infinitely more than as if we saw him there with 
 12 
 
254 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 our eyes, or heard him speaking to us, as Moses some- 
 times did in the tabernacle ; for our eyes and our ears 
 might deceive us, but God cannot ; " he cannot lie," Tit. 
 i. 2. And therefore he having said that he is in the 
 midst of us, when we meet together in his name, he 
 cannot but be there. And we may and ought to be as 
 confident of it, as we are or can be of anything in the 
 world besides ; so as never to doubt, but that as it is 
 his house where we meet, so we always meet with 
 him there. 
 
 But may we meet with our Lord and Saviour Christ, 
 whensoever we go into the house of God ? Is he always 
 there in the midst of us ? Who then would not go 
 thither as oft as he can ? Men generally delight in nothing 
 so much as in the company of one they love. But all 
 good men, all true Christians, love Christ Jesus above all 
 the things and persons upon earth. And therefore can- 
 not but long to be where he is, and enjoy his company, 
 " whom having not seen, they love ; in whom though 
 now they see him not, yet believing, they rejoice with 
 joy unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Pet. i. 8, though 
 they see him not with their bodily eyes, yet by faith, 
 which is the " evidence of things not seen," Heb. xi. 1, 
 they are fully assured that he is there, and therefore can- 
 not but delight and rejoice in being there, more than in 
 any other place or company upon earth besides. And 
 they that do not, have too much cause to suspect that 
 they have not that love and value for their Saviour which 
 a Christian ought to have, and without which no man 
 can truly be called a Christian : if they had, they could 
 never think much of spending an hour or two in a day in 
 his presence, but would look upon the time they are 
 with him, as the best spent of any part of the day ; 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 255 
 
 would joyfully embrace all opportunities of meeting with 
 him, and would be glad when any put them in mind of 
 it, saying, " Let us go into the house of the Lord." 
 
 Especially considering, in the next place, that he is in 
 the midst of them, not only as a spectator, auditor, and 
 observer of what they do, and speak, and think together ; 
 but he is there as their Saviour and Redeemer, to 
 assist them in what they do ; to sanctify it to them, 
 and to bestow its manifold favors and blessings upon 
 them, according to their several necessities and occasions. 
 Hear what he himself saith, " In all places where I re- 
 cord my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless 
 thee," Exod. xx. 24. But wheresoeA^er we meet to- 
 gether in his name, there his name is recorded or remem- 
 bered ; and therefore he doth not only come thither, but 
 he comes on purpose to bless us. But what blessings 
 doth he bestow on those who meet together in his name ? 
 In general, all sorts of blessings which they are capable 
 of and want : they were all purchased by him, with the 
 price of his blood ; and therefore are wholly at his dis- 
 posal. And he usually distributes them in his own 
 house, to those who meet there in his name, and so come 
 thither for them ; for when they are there, he, accord- 
 ing to his word, comes to them, and blesseth them ; 
 he blesseth them with spiritual blessings in heavenly 
 places ; he gives them a true sight of their sins, with 
 an hearty sorrow and repentance for them ; he fills their 
 souls with a sense of God's mercy in the pardon and for- 
 giveness of them ; he opens their ej^es, and turns them 
 from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto 
 God ; he enlightens their minds, that they may see the 
 wonderful things which are written in the Law and Gos- 
 pel ; he directs them how to work out their salvation 
 
256 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 with fear and trembling, and to make their calling and 
 election sure ; he grants whatsoever they ask in his 
 name, so far as he sees it to be good for them ; he per- 
 fumes their hymns and praises with the incense of his 
 own merits, that God may smell a sweet savor from 
 them : he strengtheneth and refresheth their souls with 
 his own body and blood, " that they may run with pa- 
 tience the race that is set before them ;" he poureth 
 down such a measure of his grace and Spirit upon them, 
 whereby they are enabled to walk in holiness and righte- 
 ousness before him all their days, and so makes them 
 " meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in 
 light." 
 
 These are some of those many and great blessings, 
 which God our Saviour usually distributes in his own 
 house, while his people are there praying, and praising 
 God, hearing his Word, and receiving the Sacrament of 
 his last supper ; which are therefore called the means of 
 grace, because they are the ordinary means that Christ 
 hath appointed, wherein to give us his grace and blessing, 
 which all wise and good men desire above all things else, 
 and therefore cannot but join with David in saying, " I 
 was glad when they said unto me. Let us go into the 
 house of the Lord." 
 
 But hath he no temporal blessings to bestow as well 
 as spiritual ? Yes, surely, they also are all at his dis- 
 posal, and he gives them to his servants, so far as they 
 are blessings ; that is, so far as they are good and neces- 
 sary for them ; for otlierwise they are not blessings, but 
 curses. But he gives them ordinarily with the other, or 
 rather upon their seeking the other before them, and 
 coming unto him for them, according to his word and 
 promise, saying, Seek ye frst the kingdom of Godj and 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 257 
 
 his righteousness^ and all these things, that is, ''all things 
 that are needful for you, shall be added to you, Matt. xvi. 
 33. Whereby his faithful servants have as great a secu- 
 rity as can be given them, that they shall never want any- 
 thing that is good for them ; for they have the infallible 
 word of God himself for it, from whom co7nes every good 
 and perfect gift, and with whom is no variableness, neither 
 shadow of turning, James i. 17. And therefore it is im- 
 possible that they who seek and serve him before all 
 things, should want anything that is really good for them, 
 so far as it is so : as impossible as it is for God to lie. 
 
 So that all who sincerely devote themselves to his 
 service, need never fear losing anything by leaving their 
 shops or houses, for a while, to go to church, the house 
 of God. But they should rather be confident, and rest 
 fully satisfied in their minds, that as they go thither to 
 wait upon him, and to do the work that he hath set them ; 
 so he, according to his word, will come unto them, and 
 will bless them in their going out, and in their coming in : 
 he will bless them in their basket and in their store : he 
 will bless them in their callings, that they may be sure to 
 get what is needful for them ; and he will bless what 
 they have so gotten, both to themselves and fami- 
 lies. This they may truly promise themselves, for God 
 himself hath promised it. And therefore they may well 
 rejoice and be glad at all opportunities they can get of 
 going into the House of the Lord. 
 
 This will appear further, if we consider also the great 
 pleasure that good men take in what is done while they 
 are in the house of God ; howsoever irksome and tedious 
 it may seem to other people, they who truly love and 
 fear God above all things, find more true joy and com- 
 fort in his house, th^n they can do anywhere else ; they 
 
25S THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 are in their proper elements, about the business they are 
 most inclined to, and therefore must needs be most de- - 
 lighted in, as being suitable to their renewed nature, and 
 agreeable to their spiritual temper and disposition. So 
 that the whole work of the place in itself affords them 
 great joy and pleasure, which is very much augmented 
 also by the Holy Spirit of God co-operating with them 
 in it ; whereby the hearts of those who are rightly dis- 
 posed for it, are usually filled with all the joy and com- 
 fort which as yet they are capable of; according to the 
 promise that God himself hath made to that purpose, 
 where, speaking of those who faithfully serve him, and 
 love his name, he saith. Them ivill I bring to my holy 
 mountain^ and make them joyful in my house of prayer^ Isa. 
 Ivi. 7. In my house of prayer ; that is, the place where 
 he usually cheereth and refresheth his people's spirits, 
 more than in any other place upon earth : as I do not 
 doubt but many here present have often found by their 
 own experience, who coming sometimes dull, and heavy, 
 and disconsolate, into the house of God, have there had 
 such discoveries of his greatness and glory, and such 
 intimations of his love and mercy to them, whereby 
 their hearts have been raised up to the highest pitch of 
 joy and cheerfulness, such as none could give them, but 
 he that promised to make them joyful in his house of 
 prayer ; and who never fails to perform his promise to 
 them who come thither duly prepared, and keep their 
 minds intent upon him, and upon the duties which are 
 there performed to him, according to the orders and direc- 
 tions of our Church. 
 
 I say, according, to the orders and directions of our 
 Church ; for I speak not of what is done in those private 
 assemblies, where the people have nothing to do but to 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 259 
 
 hearken to what is done by another ; and besides a ser- 
 mon, have nothing but an extempore prayer, which they 
 know not what it will be until they hear it, and so cannot 
 heartily join in it : but I speak only of the offices and 
 duties which are constantly performed in the house of 
 God, according to the appointment of our Church. All 
 which, by God's blessing upon them, and by his grace 
 working together with them, both jointly and severally 
 conduce very much towards the making his people joy- 
 ful, and therefore glad to go into the house of the Lord. 
 
 Which that I may demonstrate to you, I shall instance 
 more particularly in some of them, and show how they 
 do not only edify, but recreate and cheer the spirits of all 
 that are truly pious and devout, all the while that they 
 are duly exercised in them : for which purpose I may 
 first observe, that they having at their first entrance into 
 his house confessed their sins to God, and being thereby 
 possessed with a deep sense of the insupportable and eter- 
 nal torments which they have deserved by them, the min- 
 ister, in the name of God, and by his authority, solemnly 
 declares, that he pardoneth and absoheih all them that truly 
 repent^ and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Which to 
 them who are sensible of, and truly penitent for, their sins, 
 as all good people are, is certainly the greatest comfort in 
 the world : in that they are hereby assured, that notwith- 
 standing their manifold provocations of him. Almighty 
 God, upon their repentance and faith in Christ, is now re- 
 conciled to them, and receives them into his grace and 
 favor, as much as if they had never offended him. They 
 who are not comforted and rejoiced at this, have too much 
 cause to suspect that they do not feel the weight of their 
 sins, nor regard the love of God ; for if they did, they 
 would receive his absolution with the highest expressions 
 
260 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 of joy and thankfulness ; and -svoiild not only be glad to 
 go into the house of the Lord, but would be sure always 
 to go soon enough to receive it. 
 
 His faithful people now looking upon themselves as 
 absolved from their sins, and restored to the favor of God? 
 according to the promise he hath made in Jesus Christ 
 our Lord, they immediately address themselves to him, 
 as their gracious and most merciful Father, saying. Our 
 Father, which art in heaven. And so they go on in the 
 several parts of the service to present their petitions to 
 him, coming boldly, as the apostle speaks, to the throne 
 of grace, that they may obtain mercy, and find grace to 
 help in time of need, Heb. iv. 16, not doubting but that 
 he, being now reconciled to them through Christ, will grant 
 them whatsoever they ask in his name, according to his 
 own word, saying. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in 
 my name, he will give it you, John xvi. 23. In confidence 
 of which promise they accordingly ask whatsoever they 
 stand in need of, either as to this world or the next ; 
 still keeping their eye and their faith fixed upon the 
 Almighty Creator of the world, as their most loving Fa- 
 ther ; and upon his Son, as their most powerful Advocate 
 with him, continually making intercession for them, that 
 their services may be accepted, and their petitions grant- 
 ed by him, so far as he in his infinite wisdom knows 
 them to be expedient for them. Thus, all the while they 
 are upon their knees, they are conversing with Almighty 
 God, and exercising their faith in Christ, and so have 
 fellowship both loith the Father and the Son, 1 John 3. No w 
 what a mighty pleasure and comfort this is to all the 
 true saints and servants of God, I need not tell them: 
 though nobody else doth, they know it, they feel it to be. 
 the greatest, the only true joy and comfort of their 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 261 
 
 hearts. For hereby they enjoy communion with God, 
 the chiefest, the only good, and rest fully satisfied in 
 their minds, that they shall want nothing that is good for 
 them, nothing that can either do them or make them 
 good ; seeing they have him who is all good in himself, 
 and his word for whatsoever they ask that is so to them ; 
 whereby they, according to their capacities in this mor- 
 tal state, in some measure enjoy all the good things that 
 God hath made, and him too that made them. Which 
 is so great a happiness, that they who have once tasted 
 of it, cannot but always desire it, and therefore must 
 needs be glad to go into the house of the Lord to par- 
 take of it. 
 
 Besides that, they never go into the house of the Lord, 
 but they have some part of his own word solemnly read, 
 if not expounded also to them, and so they always there 
 hear their heavenly Father speaking and making known 
 himself and his holy will unto them, what he would have 
 them believe and do, that they may continue in his love 
 and favor, which all his dutiful and obedient children 
 prize and desire above all things in this world. " The 
 judgments of the Lord," saith David, " are true and 
 righteous altogether : more to be desired are they than 
 gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter also than honey 
 and the honey-comb," Psal. xix. 9, 10. " The law of thy 
 mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and sil- 
 ver," Psal. cxix. 72. " How sweet are thy words unto 
 my lips ! sweeter than honey to my mduth," ver. 103. 
 
 And verily it is no wonder that the children of God 
 thus highly value and delight in his holy word ; for as it 
 is by his word that they are begotten or born, again of 
 God, and so made his children at first, James i. 18, so 
 the same word is afterwards the proper nourishment of 
 12* 
 
262 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 their souls, whereby their new and spiritual life is sus- 
 tained and increased in them, so as to " grow in grace, 
 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ," 2 Pet. iii. IS. And therefore, as " new-born 
 babes, they cannot but desire the sincere milk of the 
 word, that they may grow thereby," 1 Pet. ii. 2. But 
 this is communicated to them by their heavenly Father 
 most effectually in his own house ; for although they 
 may read the word of God over and over again at home, 
 or in any other place, yet they find by experience, that 
 it never comes with so much power and efficacy upon 
 them, as when it is administered to them in his own 
 house, in his name, by an officer of his own appointment, 
 while his people are met together to serve and worship 
 him, and so have his Holy Spirit assisting and co-operat- 
 ing with his word, that it may work effectually in them 
 that believe, 1 Thess. ii. 13. Who therefore finding the 
 word of God to be quite another thing when publicly 
 read or explained in God's house, than it is at their own, 
 they cannot but be exceedingly glad of all opportunities 
 of going thither to hear it. 
 
 Especially seeing, when they come there, they do not 
 only pray and hear God's holy word, but they join to- 
 gether also in praising and magnifying his holy name ; 
 not only a little by the by, as occasion serves in the 
 prayers and lessons, but in a set and solemn manner : so 
 that this makes a great, if not the greatest, part of our 
 daily service ; which we have no sooner began, but we 
 presently call upon one another, saying, in the words of 
 the Holy Ghost, " O come, let us sing unto the Lord, 
 let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation : let 
 us come into his presence with thanksgiving, and show 
 ourselves glad in him with psalms." And then we ac- 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 263 
 
 cordingly go on to praise him with psalms, and hymns, 
 and spiritual songs : we commonly repeat several psalms 
 together, and, after every one of them, we constantly 
 give glory to God, saying, " Glory be to the Father," 
 &c. After the first Lesson we repeat the Te Deum ; 
 " We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be 
 the Lord :" or else the Benedicite ; " O all ye works of 
 the Lord, bless ye the Lord ; praise him, and magnify 
 him for ever." After the second Lesson, we say the 
 Benedictus ; " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he 
 hath visited and redeemed his people :" or else the hun- 
 dredth psalm, called the Jubilate ; " O be joyful in the 
 Lord, all ye lands ; serve the Lord with gladness, and 
 come before his presence with a song." And so, in the 
 afternoon, we sing the Magnificat, or the ninety-eighth 
 psalm, after the first Lesson ; and after the second, the 
 Nunc dimittis, or the sixty-seventh psalm: besides all 
 which, we constantly repeat the Creed, or confession of 
 our faith ; wherein we acknowledge the glory of the 
 eternal Trinity, and recount the wonderful things which 
 the Son of God hath done for us ; how " he was con- 
 ceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; 
 suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and 
 buried ; descended into hell, rose again the third day, 
 ascended up into heaven, and there sitteth at the right 
 hand of God, in the glory of the Father." By all which 
 we set forth the praises of the most high God, in the best 
 manner we can do it upon earth. 
 
 Thus whensoever we come into the house of the 
 Lord, we join together in praising him, our Almighty 
 Creator, and most merciful Redeemer, and so do the 
 great work for which he created and redeemed us; 
 which therefore must needs be very pleasant and delight- 
 
264 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 ful to those who beheve themselves to be not only 
 created, but likewise redeemed by him for that end and 
 purpose. As David found by experience, when he said. 
 My soul shall be satisfied even as it were with marrow and 
 fatnesSy when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lipSy 
 Psal. Ixiii. 6. Where we may likewise observe, that 
 joyfulness doth so necessarily accompany our praising 
 God, that we can never do it aright without it ; for we 
 must always praise him with joyful lips, we must sing 
 merrily to God our strength, and make a cheerful noise to 
 the God of Jacob , Psal. Ixxxi. 1, and rejoice in giving 
 praise for the operations of his hands, Psal. xcii. 4. 
 Which we cannot choose but do, if we duly consider 
 those infinite perfections we acknowledge in him, and the 
 glorious works we praise him for ; for the very agnizing 
 and celebrating of them, fills our souls with unspeakable 
 joy and pleasure, the highest that we are capable of. 
 This is that which makes heaven itself to be so pleasant 
 a place to those who dwell there, because they are 
 always praising God. There the cherubim and seraphin 
 continually do cry, Ilohj, holy, holy, Lord God of saba- 
 oth ; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory. 
 There the glorious company of the apostles praise him. 
 There the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise him. 
 There the noble army of martyrs praise Mm. There all 
 the spirits of just men made perfect praise him continu- 
 ally. And if we shall ever be so happy as to be admit- 
 ted into their blessed society, we shall join with them 
 in praising him that brought us thither : this will be our 
 work, and this will be our pleasure for evermore : and as 
 ever we desire to do it there, we must delight in doing it 
 here first ; otherwise our hearts will not be set right for 
 it, and so we shall not be meet to be partakers of th^ 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 265 
 
 inheritance of the saints in light : but that is the thing 
 which all that are truly wise and pious, most earnestly 
 desire above all things else, and therefore cannot but 
 always rejoice and be glad to go into the house of God, 
 that they may there praise him, and so begin that work 
 in time, which they hope to continue to all eternity. 
 
 But that which above all makes the saints and servants 
 of the Most High God so joyful in his house of prayer, 
 and therefore so glad to go thither, is the Sacrament of 
 the Lord's Supper, usually performed there, ordained by 
 our Lord, the Almighty God, our Saviour himself, on 
 purpose to put us in mind of him, and so to confirm our 
 faith in him, to inflame our love to him, to excite our 
 desires and longing after him, to fill our hearts with joy 
 and thankfulness for him, that our souls may be strength- 
 ened and refreshed by the body and blood of Christ, as 
 our bodies are with bread and wine. Here we receive 
 the pardon of all our sins, sealed to us in the blood of 
 the Son of God. Here we eat the flesh and drink the 
 blood of Christ by faith, so as that he dwelleth in us, 
 and we in him ; he is one with us, and we with him. 
 
 Hereby we are assured of God's love and favor to us , 
 and that we are very members incorporate in the mysti- 
 cal body of his Son, which is the blessed company of all 
 faithful people, and also are heirs, through hope, of his 
 everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most precious 
 death and passion of his dear Son. Where shall we find 
 matter of so great joy and comfort on this side heaven ? 
 Nowhere certainly but in God's own house, where he is 
 pleased to give it us at his holy table, when the Sacra- 
 ment of his most blessed body and blood is there admin- 
 istered, as it is every Lord's day in this, and some other, 
 and ought to be so in all the houses of God in the land : 
 
266 THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 that his people may never want that spiritual food which 
 he hath provided for them, wherewith to nourish and 
 preserve both their souls and bodies to everlasting life, 
 which his dutiful and obedient children, always hunger- 
 ing and thirsting after, cannot but be overjoyed at all 
 occasions of having it administered unto them. And 
 therefore as they always rejoice and are glad when any 
 say unto them, Let us go into the house of the Lord, so 
 especially when they say, Let us go unto the table of 
 the Lord ; and are always ready to say with David, 
 Psal. Ixv. 4. 
 
 These things I thought good to put you in mind of at 
 this time, not only to show what cause we have to thank 
 God that his house is refitted, and that we are got again 
 into it ; but likewise that you may see that it is your in- 
 terest, as well as duty, to frequent it as much as possibly 
 you can. I am very sensible, that all that I have now 
 said, and all that can be said upon this subject, will have 
 but little effect upon the greater part of them which 
 hear it ; for we live in an age that is only for hearing, not 
 for doing anything they hear ; much less, that which ye 
 now have heard ; which, as I observed before, none can 
 receive in the love of it, but only such as are renewed in 
 the spirit of their minds, and so are wholly devoted to 
 the services of God. All others will think what you 
 have now heard to be a mere paradox. They can never 
 get it into their heads that there is any profit or pleasure 
 to be had at church, because they could never find it 
 there : but the reason is, not because it is not to be had, 
 but because their minds being set upon other things, they 
 are not qualified or disposed for those pure and spiritual 
 joys which God vouchsafeth to his people in his own 
 house, and to none but them. All others are altogether 
 
PUBLIC WORSHIP. 267 
 
 unacquainted with them ; which being the many, or rather 
 the most, hence it comes to pass, that daily prayers are 
 so much slighted and neglected among us, far more, to 
 our shame be it spoken, than among any other sort of 
 people in the world. The Papists will rise up in judg- 
 ment with this generation, for they every day observe 
 their canonical hours for praying ; at least, for thatVhich 
 they believe to be so. The Jews will rise up in judg- 
 ment with this generation, for they never omitted to offer 
 their daily sacrifices, so long as they had a house of 
 God wherein to offer them. The Turks shall rise up in 
 judgment with this generation ; for when their priests 
 call the people to prayer, as they do several times every 
 day, they immediately run to their mosques or temples ; 
 and if any offer to stay at home, he is shunned by all, as 
 a wicked, atheistical wretch. The Heathens will rise up 
 in judgment with this generation, for if they had such 
 opportunities as we have, of praying and praising their 
 Almighty Creator every day, I doubt not but they would 
 do it far more constantly, than it is done by most of us. 
 What then can we expect but that some severe judgment 
 or other will, ere long, be inflicted on us ? when peo- 
 ple generally live as without God in the world, not- 
 withstanding the clear discoveries that he hath made o^ 
 himself unto them, and notwithstanding the means of 
 grace which are so constantly administered to him, but 
 they will not use them. 
 
 But let others continue, if they please, in this wicked 
 course, and take what follows. You have now heard 
 what a joyful and pleasant thing it is to go into the 
 house of God, to serve and worship him there ; be now 
 advised to do it, and to do it as oft as possibly you can. 
 I dare assure you ye will then experience the truth of all 
 
268 THE ADVANTAGES OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
 
 that I have now said of it, and far more than I anri able 
 to express. But for that purpose, whensoever ye go 
 into the house of the Lord, you must lay aside all other 
 business, and apply yourselves wholly to the duties of 
 that holy place ; ye must keep your minds intent all the 
 while upon him before whom ye are, and upon the work 
 which he hath there set you. You must confess your 
 sins heartily, you must receive his absolution faithfully, 
 you must hear his word attentively, you must pray sin- 
 cerely, you must praise him lustily, and with a good 
 courage ; and when ye receive the Sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper, ye must do it with that true repentance, 
 that strong faith, that heavenly joy and thankfulness that 
 is due to so great a mystery. Thus exercising your 
 souls continually in these holy and spiritual duties, that 
 are performed in God's lower houses upon earth, ye will 
 be every day more and more prepared and fitted to live 
 with him in heaven, there to enjoy and praise him for 
 ever. 
 
SERMON XI 
 
 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 1 Cor. XI. 27. 
 
 But I keep under my body, and bring it info subjection ; lest that by any 
 means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away. 
 
 From your presence here at this time, I cannot but in 
 charity infer three things ; first, that you all believe a 
 future state ; and that as really as you are now in this, 
 it is not long but you will all be in another world, either 
 in a world of happiness, or else in a world of misery ; 
 for if you do not believe this, it is to no purpose for you 
 to come hither ; this place and work having a peculiar 
 reference to the other world, and not to this where we 
 now are. Secondly, hence I infer likewise, that you are 
 fully persuaded that your condition in the other world 
 will be according to your behavior in this ; that if you 
 continue in your sins here, you will there be miserable ; 
 but if you repent and turn to God, you will be happy for 
 ever ; for certainly you would not come hither to learn 
 what to do in order to your future happiness, unless you 
 were fully persuaded beforehand, that you must do some- 
 thins: in order to it. Hence, therefore, in the third 
 place, I conclude also, that you all desire, when you 
 leave this, to go to a better world, even to heaven, the 
 only place of real and eternal happiness ; for what 
 
270 THE USEFULNESS OF TASTING. 
 
 need you to come hither to know how to get to heaven, 
 if you do not care whether you ever come there or no % 
 
 Taking it therefore for granted, that your minds are 
 possessed with a firm belief of another world, with a full 
 persuasion that you shall live there in happiness or 
 misery, according as you live here in holiness or sin, and 
 with hearty desires to carry yourselves so while you live, 
 that when you die you may go to heaven ; this, I say, 
 being taken for granted, it cannot but be very seasonable 
 and suitable to your design in coming hither, to explain 
 these words bf the apostle, which I have now read unto 
 you ; wherein you have the great end which the apostle 
 did, and you I suppose do, aim at in all your actions, 
 even how to get to heaven ; and then, secondly, one of 
 the means whereby he did, and you, by the blessing of 
 God, may, attain that end, even by keeping the body 
 under, and bringing it into subjection ; I keep under my 
 my body, saith he, and bring it into subjection, lest that 
 by any means, when I have preached unto others, I myself 
 should be a cast-away. 
 
 As for the first, it is plain from these words that one 
 of the great ends St. Paul aimed at, the great designs he 
 carried on in all he did, was to save himself as well as those 
 that heard him. He was conscious to himself, that the 
 efficacy of the Word and Sacraments which he adminis- 
 tered did not depend upon his own personal holiness, but 
 upon his apostolical office, and the promise of the Spirit 
 annexed to it ; and therefore that it was very possible for 
 him to be an instrument in God's hand to save others, 
 and yet he himself be damned ; that he might show 
 others the way to heaven, and yet he himself not walk 
 in it. Hence he took special care all along, lest that by 
 any means when he had preached to others, and taught 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 271 
 
 them how to obtain the crown of glory, he himself should 
 lose it, by being (kdoxi^o; a cast-away, a reprobate, one 
 not approved of as fit to have it set upon his head. 
 
 And if St. Paul himself used so much care and dili- 
 gence, lest, after all the pains he had taken for the sal- 
 vation of others, he himself should miss of it ; what cause 
 have we to do so, who are now entrusted with the ad- 
 ministration of the Word and Sacraments ? Certainly we 
 had need to look about us, lest after all our preaching 
 unto others, we ourselves should perish everlastingly ; 
 especially considering that we cannot but be all sensible, 
 that it is far easier to preach the Gospel, than to practise 
 it ; to tell others what to do, than to do it ourselves ; and 
 therefore whatsoever pains we take in the one, we had need 
 to take as much, if not much more, to do the other too : 
 for what a sad thing will it be, to see many converted by 
 our ministry shining in heaven's glory, and we ourselves 
 lie scorching in eternal flame ? To see them with Laza- 
 rus in Abraham's bosom, solacing themselves in those 
 rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand for ever- 
 more, and ourselves in the meanwhile with Dives in hell 
 torments, without so much as a drop of water to cool our 
 inflamed tongues ? And yet St. Paul foresaw this would 
 be the consequence of his preaching the Gospel to others, 
 unless he himself lived up unto it ; and therefore we may 
 be confident it will be so unto us too ; but I would not 
 have you think that this concerns us of the clergy only ; 
 the same argument holds good as to all others. For if 
 so holy a person, as we must all acknowledge St. Paul 
 to have been, after all his preaching salvation unto others, 
 was so solicitous about his own ; what cause then have 
 you to fear, lest after all your reading and hearing the 
 word of God, after all your public and private devotions, 
 
272 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 after all your receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Sup- 
 per, you at last be cast-aways and so lose all your pains 
 and labor? And, by consequence, how much doth it 
 concern you all to take as much care, if possible, as St. 
 Paul himself did, of your future happiness ? I am sure all 
 that are wise amongst you cannot but look upon this as 
 a matter of the greatest importance that you have or can 
 have in this world ; and howsoever any of you may think 
 otherwise at present, it is not long but you will all be of 
 the same mind ; which that you may be before it be too 
 late, I pray and beseech you all seriously to consider, 
 that you have another world to live in as well as this, an 
 eternal world, where you must abide either in the height 
 of happiness, or else in the depth of misery, for evermore : 
 so that as really as you now live amongst men, you will 
 there live either with Christ and his holy angels, or else 
 with the devil and his damned fiends, unto all eternity. 
 
 Do but seriously consider this, and you will need no 
 other arguments to persuade you to follow the example 
 of this great apostle in this particular, even to make it 
 your daily, your constant, your only care and business in 
 this world, to prepare and fit yourselves for the other ; 
 that when you come to die you may then begin to live, 
 to live with God, to live in light, in love, in rest, in peace, 
 in joy, in heaven itself; in heaven, I say, where we shall 
 be freed from all those griefs and troubles, from all those 
 cares and fears, that here distract our minds, and make 
 us restless and uneasy. In heaven, where we shall 
 trample upon this lower world, and ride in triumph over 
 both sin and Satan, so as never to be tempted or disturb- 
 ed more : in heaven, where our souls shall be reduced to 
 their primitive frame and temper, and be made so per- 
 fectly happy, as to be perfectly holy : in heaven, where 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 273 
 
 our thoughts shall be always pure, our minds serene, and 
 our hearts transported with love and joy in the chiefest 
 good : where we shall always behold the glory, admire 
 the perfections, and enjoy the presence of the great Jeho- 
 vah, so as always to apprehend him as well pleased with 
 us, rejoicing over us, and manifesting his infinite love and 
 goodness to us : which is so great, so exceeding great a 
 happiness, that it may justly strike us into admiration, 
 how it is possible for such silly creatures as we are to en- 
 joy and bear it ; yet how great soever it be, there is never 
 a soul here present but as yet is capable of it, and invited 
 to it ; and if you be not failing to yourselves, you may 
 all ere long be admitted into the actual possession of it. 
 
 But for that end you must still remember, that as 
 heaven is the highest happiness you can attain to, so it 
 is the hardest matter in the world to attain unto it : I 
 speak not this to discourage any of you, but I would not 
 have you fooled by the devil and his emissaries into a 
 groundless conceit that it is easy to get to heaven ; for 
 Christ himself, by whom alone it is possible for any of 
 you to come there, hath told you the contrary, assuring 
 you with his own mouth, that the gate is strait, and the 
 way narrow, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that 
 find it. Matt. vii. 14. And you cannot but all ac- 
 knowledge as much, if you do but consider what is 
 necessary in order to it ; for what must you do that you 
 inherit eternal life } or rather, what must you not do > 
 YoM must mortify every lust, for one sin will keep you 
 out of heaven as well as twenty ; you must exercise 
 every grace, and perform every duty that is required of 
 you both to God and man ; you must lualk in all the cotn- 
 mandnients of God blameless, to the utmost of your 
 knowledge and power, so as to be sincerely, entirely, and 
 
274 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 constantly holy in all manner of conversation ; for it is 
 the irrevocable decree of heaven, that without holiness no 
 man can see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. And therefore if 
 ever you desire to see the Lord in glory, you must live 
 above the world whilst you are in it, and contemn it 
 while you use it ; you must gather up all your scattered 
 affections from all things here below, and fix them upon 
 God, so that all the inclinations of your souls must meet 
 and rest in him as their only centre, otherwise you will 
 not be meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the 
 saints in light, nor capable of those pure and spiritual 
 joys, which are there prepared for you. 
 
 But if these things be so, you may say to me, as the 
 Apostles said to our Lord, Who then can be saved 1 for 
 who is sufficient for these things ? To that I answer, It 
 is true, if we look no further than ourselves, we may 
 justly despair of ever knowing what heaven is ; but our 
 comfort is, that our sufficiency is of God, who is always 
 ready to assist us in the use of those means that are ap- 
 pointed by himself; amongst which we are now, in the 
 second place, to consider one of the most effectual, even 
 that which the apostle tells us he himself used, saying, / 
 keep under m\j body, and bring it into subjection. 
 
 In speaking to which, I shall not trouble you with any 
 critical observations about the Greek words vTrw/rtd^w xal 
 dovXaycoyw here used ; for our English translation gives 
 you the full sense and meaning of them, as well as any 
 words are able to express it : I keep under my body, and 
 bring it into subjection; as if he should have said, I being 
 still in the body, and finding by experience that that is 
 very apt to resist and rebel against my soul, to tempt m ^ 
 to vice, and to hinder me in the exercise of virtue, \ 
 therefore take care to keep it under, in such a temper ar- 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 275 
 
 that it may be always subject unto, and ready to observe, 
 the dictates of my reason, and the motions of God's 
 Spirit within me, and so be no hindrance, but rather a 
 furtherance, to me in my progress to heaven. 
 
 But for our better understanding of this, we shall con- 
 sider two things. 
 
 I. How the apostle did, and w^e may keep our bodies 
 under, and bring them into subjection. 
 
 II. How much this conduceth to our being so holy 
 here, that we may be happy hereafter, and so not be cast- 
 aways, as the apostle here speaks. 
 
 The first will be soon dispatched ; for it is plain that 
 the apostle kept his body under, and brought it into sub- 
 jection, by fasting and abstinence, as the Fathers fre- 
 quently observe ; for as for those corporal chastisements 
 by whipping and scourging of themselves, so commonly 
 and ridiculously used by the papists in their solemn pro- 
 cessions, St. Paul never makes any mention of them. 
 He saith indeed, that he was thrice beaten with rods., and 
 five times received forty stripes , save one, 2 Cor. xi. 24 : 
 but he received them not from himself or his confessor, 
 as the papists do, but from his implacable enemies the 
 Jews. But when he afterwards saith, that he was in 
 hunger and thirst often, in fastings often, ver. 27 : by the 
 former the Fathers generally understand the hunger and 
 thirst which he was forced to undergo in his travels and 
 imprisonments ; by the latter, those voluntary fastings 
 which he undertook himself, whereby to keep his body 
 under, and to bring it into subjection, this being indeed the 
 most, if not the only, effectual means to do it ; forasmuch 
 as indulging the appetite, and constant feeding to the full, 
 though without excess, swells the veins, and breeds 
 those petulant and noxious humors in the body, which 
 
276 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 make it rampant and ungovernable ; whereas, on the 
 other side, fasting and frequent abstinence withdraws the 
 fuel which foments those combustions and tumults, those 
 wars and rebellions, which the body raiseth against the 
 soul, the inferior against the superior powers ; and there- 
 fore as it was by fasting that St. Paul did it, so it is by 
 fasting that we must keep our bodies under, if we eve? 
 desire to do it effectually. 
 
 And so I come to the other thing to be considered, even 
 how much this keeping the body under, by fasting and 
 abstinence, conduceth to our being holy here, and by 
 consequence happy hereafter ; which being a thing so 
 seldom thought of in our age, and yet of greater 
 importance than can easily be imagined, for the 
 better explication of it I shall lay down these propo- 
 sitions. 
 
 First, therefore, true holiness, we must know, is seated 
 only in the soul, and is indeed nothing else, but the right 
 disposition of the several faculties of the soul, and their 
 acting conformably to the law and nature of God ; and 
 therefore though the soul can perform many acts of holi- 
 ness without the body, the body can perform none with- 
 out the soul ; and although to some acts, both parts are 
 required to put forth themselves in their several capaci- 
 ties, yet they are no further acts of holiness, than as they 
 proceed from the soul. Hence the soul may be perfectly 
 holy, and perfectly happy too, without the body, as in 
 the state of separation, when the body is capable c' 
 neither. 
 
 2. Although the soul be a distinct substance from the 
 body, and so is capable of acting separately from it, even 
 whilst it is in it ; yet so long as it is tied to the body, and 
 actually informs it, so as to be but one part of that com- 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 277 
 
 position, which we call man, it ordinarily makes use 6f 
 the organs of the body, especially of the animal spirits, 
 in all its actions, and those only are properly called human 
 actions, which are thus performed even by the whole 
 man, which therefore cannot but depend very much upon 
 the temper of the body that concurs to the performance 
 of them ; as we find by daily experience they do ; for if 
 our bodies be out of tune, so are our minds too. If any- 
 thing affects our heads, disturbs our brains, and so disor- 
 ders the animal spirits which the soul makes use of in its 
 operations, they are likewise disorderly and irregular : as 
 in music, though the artist be never so skilful, yet if his 
 instrument be out of tune, there can be no harmony of 
 melody in what he plays upon it. Yea none of us but 
 may easily observe, that whatsoever humor prevails most 
 in the body, as phlegm, choler, melancholy, or the like, 
 our actions are usually tainted with it, insomuch that by 
 them we may discover what that humor is which is most 
 predominant : from whence it plainly appears, that so 
 long as the soul is in the body, although it was designed 
 to rule and govern it, yet it is apt to be governed by it, 
 and to humor it so far as to follow not its own reason 
 and judgment, but the more impetuous inclinations of the 
 sensitive part, although it be to its ruin and destruction. 
 
 Seeing, therefore, that the soul is the proper seat of 
 holiness, and yet, so long as it is in the body, it makes 
 more or less use of it in all human actions, and is very 
 apt to be swayed by it ; hence it necessarily follows, in 
 the third place, that the keeping the body under by fast- 
 ing, and so bringing it into subjection to the soul, cannot 
 but conduce very much to the exercise of all true holi- 
 ness J for by this means the soul being kept always in its 
 throne, with full power and authority over its subjects, 
 13 
 
27S THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 the inferior faculties being under no restraint, its reason- 
 ings would be clear, its judgments sound, its counsels 
 deliberate ; it would act like itself, a rational and spirit- 
 ual substance, and so would be as free from all sensual 
 vices as when separate from the body, which inclines it 
 to them ; and then it will begin to relish spiritual objects 
 as suitable to its own nature ; for it will look upon vir- 
 tue and vice, not as they are falsely represented by the 
 imagination, coiTupted with the humors of the body, 
 but as they are in themselves, and so discern how lovely 
 and amiable the former is, how odious and detestable the 
 latter, and by consequence exerts all its power to follow 
 the one and avoid the other. 
 
 To explain this more fully to ordinary capacities, I 
 might descend down to particulars, and show how keep- 
 ing the body under, by fasting and abstinence, does of 
 itself conduce to the mortifying of most lusts, and to the 
 quickening the contrary graces in us ; for which end I 
 need not instance in gluttony and drunkenness, for these 
 being directly contrary, yea contradictory, to true fast- 
 ing ; where this is rightly observed, those vices must 
 needs cease of their own accord, and the contrary virtues 
 of temperance and sobriety take their place : the same 
 maybe said of luxury anduncleanness, for that proceed- 
 ing only from too great a plenitude and luxuriancy of 
 humors in the body, if your bodies be kept under as they 
 ought to be, you will be as much averse from such sins 
 as ever you were inclined to them. 
 
 But I shall chiefly consider some other vices, which, 
 at first sight, may seem more remote to our present pur- 
 pose, as not depending so much upon the temper of the 
 body ; as, for example, are you apt to be angry and peev- 
 ish, to fret and to be disturbed at every littJe thing that 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTINa. 279 
 
 happens, as many are ? This commonly proceeds from 
 immoderate diet, or constantly feeding to the full, which 
 breeds abundance of choler, and over-heats the animal 
 spirits, whereby they are apt to take fire, and be inflamed 
 at everything that occurs contrary to our present desires j 
 but by constant abstinence the choler would be abated, 
 the spirit cooled, and so the mind reduced into a sedate, 
 meek, and gentle temper. 
 
 Are you addicted to pride ? although there be a spirit- 
 ual pride, which degenerate souls are subject to, as well 
 as fallen angels, yet that which mostly puffs up mankind 
 with vain and foolish conceits of themselves, usually 
 springs from the corruption of the fancy, caused by those 
 malign vapors, which by reason of over much eating are 
 exhaled from the stomach into the head, and there dis- 
 turb the imagination ; but fasting prevents the very en- 
 gendering of such fumes, and by consequence the corrup- 
 tion of the fancy by them ; by which means the mind is 
 able to judge of things as they are, and to see clearly that 
 we neither have nor can have anything in the world to 
 be proud of, but many things to be humbled for ; and 
 therefore . the keeping the body under is certainly the 
 best way in the world to keep the mind humble and 
 lowly. 
 
 Are you inclined to covetousness 1 To dote upon the 
 toys and trifles of this lower world ? This also must be 
 ascribed very much to the depraved imagination, repre- 
 senting these little things as in a magnifying glass, and 
 so making them seem to be what really they are not, 
 great and amiable ; and therefore, as fasting frees the 
 imagination from such exhalations as corrupt it, so it 
 must needs help to the mind's looking upon things as it 
 were with its naked eye, and so passing a right judg- 
 
280 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 ment upon them, by which means it is soon brought t(y 
 contemn and despise the world, as much as ever it ad- 
 mired or loved it. 
 
 Are you dull and heavy at your devotions j not able 
 to pray, to hear, to meditate, or serve the Lord without 
 distractions ? Whence comes that dulness ? Whence 
 these distractions, but from that hurry of gross vapors in 
 the brain, which obstruct its passages, and crowd about 
 it so disorderly, that the soul cannot without much time 
 and pains rally them together, and reduce them to such 
 an order as to make any tolerable use of them ? And 
 therefore, as these distractions are caused by over much 
 eating, so they may be cured by fasting : hence it is that 
 none of you but may find by experience that you can 
 never perform any spiritual exercise with that life and 
 vigor, that cheerfulness and alacrity, that constant pre- 
 sence and composure of mind, as when your bodies are 
 empty, and so kept under as to be in a due subjection to 
 the soul. 
 
 I might instance in many other particulars, from 
 whence to show how fasting doth of itself conduce much 
 to the extirpation of most vices, aud to the planting and 
 growth of true virtue and goodness in us ; but most 
 others depend upon, or at least may be referred to, these 
 already mentioned, therefore there is the same reason for 
 them as there is for those ; so that we may justly con- 
 clude this with a remarkable passage of St. Hierome, in 
 his Epistle to Celantio, where, speaking of the very 
 •words of my text, he saith, that " fasting and abstinence, 
 Non castitaliy tantummodoj sed omnibus omnino virtutibus 
 opitukitiiry helps not only to chastity, but to all manner 
 of virtues whatsoever." 
 
 But the great and principal reason of all why it doth 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 281 
 
 SO is still behind, and that is, because that fasting is so 
 pleasing and acceptable to Almighty God, that he hath 
 promised a blessing, a reward to it, whensoever it is 
 rightly performed, and that too, not by the mouth of a 
 prophet, an apostle, or an angel, but by his own divine 
 mouth when he was here upon earth ; for our Lord him- 
 self saith, "When thou fastest, anoint thine head, and 
 wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but 
 to thy Father which is in secret : and thy Father which 
 seeth in secret shall reward thee openly," Matt. vi. 17, 
 18. From whence it is plain, that if a man fast not out 
 of vain ostentation, to be seen of men and thought holy, 
 but out of a sincere desire to keep his body under, and 
 so fit himself the better for the service of God, that man 
 shall certainly be rewarded for it : but what reward shall 
 we have .? Why, God will bless and sanctify it to the 
 great ends and purposes for which it is designed. Fast- 
 ing, as I have shown, doth conduce much to our being 
 holy, but it cannot make us so ; that is only in the power 
 of God, the only fountain of all true grace and holiness ; 
 but he being well pleased with fasting, where it is duly 
 observed, doth by his own grace and Spirit make it ef- 
 fectual for the subduing our lusts, and for our perform- 
 ance of all holy and good works. 
 
 For our better understanding of this, we must con- 
 sider, that although God can work with means, or with- 
 out means, or by contrary means, as he himself sees good, 
 yet he ordinarily makes use of the most fit and proper 
 means that can be used for the effecting whatsoever he 
 designs ; and it is presumption in us to expect he should 
 do otherwise. But fasting, as we have shown already, 
 is a very fit and proper mean, as of itself conducing 
 much to a holy and virtuous life*; and therefore they 
 
282 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTINa 
 
 who give themselves to fasting and abstinence as they 
 ought to do, are always in God's way, using the proper 
 means for the obtaininor of true grace and virtue, and so 
 need not doubt but he will bestow it upon them ; whereas 
 they who refuse or neglect such means, have no more 
 ground to expect his blessing and assistance, than ihey 
 have to expect he should work miracles for them. 
 
 And besides that, although the most high God, the 
 chiefest, the only good, be always ready and free to 
 communicate of himself, and distribute the graces of his 
 Holy Sphit, it is to those who are rightly disposed for 
 the receipt of them,.Avhose bodies are fitted and pre- 
 pared for the inhabitation of the Spirit, or, as the apostle 
 words it, to he the temple of the Holy Ghost. But cer- 
 tainly no bodies are so fit and proper for so divine, so 
 pure a guest, as those which by fasting and abstinence 
 are kept in continual subjection to the soul ; for it being 
 the soul that is primarily inspired and sanctified by the 
 Spirit, unless the body be subject to the soul, it will not 
 be subject to the spirit that is in it, but the flesh will lust 
 against the Spirit, Gal. v. 17. Whereas if the body be 
 kept clean and pure, at the beck of the soul, always 
 ready and willing to observe its commands, then the 
 Spirit that enlightens, actuates, and quickens the soul, 
 will with great facility diffuse its influences over the 
 whole man, so as to sanctify it throughout : for then the 
 body being subject to the soul, and the soul to the 
 Spirit ; as the Spirit is, so will both soul and body be in 
 Iheir capacities, pure and holy. 
 
 Hence it is that the greatest discoveries that God hath 
 made of himself to men, and the most powerful eflfects of 
 the Spirit upon them, have usually been when they were 
 fasting, and so in & right disposition for them. Thus 
 
THE USEFUL-NESS OF FASTING. 283 
 
 Moses was fasting forty days and forty nights, even all 
 the while that he conversed with God upon mount Sinai, 
 and received the law from him, Exod. xxxiv. Elias 
 had fasted forty days and forty nights, when God 
 discoursed so familiarly with him upon mount Horeb, 
 1 Kings xix. Our Lord himself also, though he had 
 no need of it, his body being always perfectly subject to 
 his soul without it, yet he also for our example and imi- 
 tation fasted f^rty days and forty nights, even all the 
 while that he was overcoming the devil, and had the 
 angels to minister unto him in the wilderness, Matt. iv. 
 Daniel was fasting when the angel Gabriel was sent unto 
 him, to acquaint him with the precise time of the Mes- 
 siah's coming, Dan. ix. The disciples at Antioch were 
 fasting when the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner 
 spake unto them, saying. Separate me Saul and Barna- 
 bas for the ivork to which I have called them, Acts xiii. 
 To name no more, Cornelius, by whose conversion the 
 door of salvation was opened to the Gentiles, was also 
 fasting when the angel was sent to instruct him how to 
 get to heaven. Acts x. 30. By all which it appears, that 
 when men are fasting, and so their bodies are subject to 
 their souls, then God takes the opportunity of manifest- 
 ing himself and his will and pleasure to them, and also 
 of directing and assisting them in the way to bliss ; and 
 by consequence, that fasting is of greater moment to our 
 being holy, than it is commonl}^ thought to be. 
 
 Nay, after all, it is very observable, that it is so neces- 
 sary to our being holy, that we can never be perfectly 
 holy, until we fast perpetually, I mean in heaven, where 
 our bodies shall be fashioned like unto Christ\s glorious 
 body, and reduced to such an excellent temper, as neither 
 in want nor desire food ; then, and not till then, will our 
 
284 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING, 
 
 bodies be brour^ht into perfect subjection to our souls, 
 and our souls to God ; so that instead of eating and 
 drinking, we shall be always loving, always rejoicing, 
 always praising, always honoring and obeying him ; and 
 seeing that we can never arrive at the perfection of holi- 
 ness, until we come to fasting altogether, we cannot 
 surely but from thence conclude, that fasting must needs 
 contribute much, not only to our being, as near as we 
 can, like to the saints in heaven, but llltewise to our 
 coming to them ; and so, that the Fathers did not more 
 commonly than truly observe, that as it was by eating 
 that we were cast out of Paradise, so it is by fasting 
 that we are restored to it. 
 
 Thus I have briefly touched upon some of those many 
 arguments which might be produced to demonstrate the 
 excellency and usefulness of fasting. I am very sensible 
 that this will seem strange doctrine to many in our age, 
 like those St. Chrysostom speaks of, who Ttqoayj^iiaTt, 
 TcAet^TT^Tog, under a pretence of greater light and perfec- 
 tion, look upon themselves as far above so low a dis- 
 pensation as this is, and therefore indulge their appetites, 
 and laugh at such pitiful mean Christians as are forced 
 to give themselves to fasting ; and I fear many of you that 
 hear me at this time are of the same mind, and therefore 
 think that fasting perhaps may be very good and needful 
 for others, but not at all for themselves. 
 
 But what } Are you not commanded to fast as well 
 as pray .'' And how come you to be disobliged from one 
 duty more than from the other } Did not Christ himself say, 
 Luke V. 34, 35, that when he, the bridegroom, ivas taken 
 from them, then his disciples should fast 7 And are not 
 you in the number of his disciples ? Hath not he, your 
 Master, taught you how to fast, as well as how to pray 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 285 
 
 and to give your alms ? And do you think that he would 
 teach you anything, but what you are bound to do r Nay, 
 are you not therefore bound to do it, because he hath 
 taught you it r Did he not himself do it? Have not 
 all the saints both in the Old and New Testament, and 
 in all ages ever since, given themselves to fasting ? Did 
 not St. Paul himself do so ? And do you think your- 
 selves more pure, more holy, more perfect, than St. Paul 
 was ? 
 
 Men and brethren, I heartily wish that every soul here 
 present was so, even that you were all greater saints, 
 more eminent Christians, than that great, that eminent 
 apostle himself was ; that you were all so free from vice, 
 so full of grace, so sure of heaven, that you had not that 
 occasion as he had to keep your bodies under, lest after 
 all you be cast-aways I That you had all got that perfect 
 conquest over yourselves, and lusts, as never more to be 
 inclined or tempted to sin or vanity ; then I must confess 
 you would not have so much need of fasting as St. Paul 
 had, and therefore might be better excused from it than 
 he was. 
 
 But I beseech you not to flatter yourselves with such 
 groundless conceits as these are, as if you were more 
 holy and spiritual than St. Paul was. Do but deal faith- 
 fully with yourselves, and you cannot but believe that 
 you come far short of him in every point, in your love to 
 God, in your faith in Christ, in your zeal for the Gospel, 
 in every true Christian grace and virtue whatsoever ; and 
 therefore you must needs acknowledge, that if he, one of 
 the strongest, most pious, and famous Christians that 
 ever lived upon the face of the earth ; if he, I say, was 
 forced to keep his body under, and to bring it into sub- 
 jection by fasting, lest after all he should be a cast-away ; 
 13* 
 
286 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 certainly you have all Ihe reason in the world to fear^ 
 that you should be cast-avvays indeed, unless you do so. . 
 Do but consider these things seriously and 1 am con- 
 fident you will not blame, but thank our Church for put- 
 ting you in mind of this great duty ; you will admire her 
 prudence, and commend her care of those that live in her 
 communion, in that she, in conformity to the primitive 
 and universal Church, hath appointerl several days every 
 year for the performance of this duty, which otherwise 
 you would be too apt to forget ; and although some may 
 think them too many, yet the greatest part of Christians 
 in the world would rather judge them to be too few ; 
 epecially those that live in the East, for they observe 
 many more ; but our Church in this, as in all other 
 thino-s, keeps still in the mean ; and therefore besides the 
 nights or eves before some holy-days, she hath appointed 
 for days of fasting or abstinence only one day every week, 
 to wit Friday, which hath alwaj^s been observed in the 
 Church. One week in every quarter, viz. Ember week, 
 in hnitation of the Apostles, who always fasted before 
 they ordained any to the ministry : and lastly, the three 
 Roo-ation days, and this great fast of Lent once every 
 year, which was observed, if not by the Apostles them- 
 selves, yet at least by apostolical men, or those that 
 lived in the very next ages to the Apostles, and so hath 
 been continued as a time of fasting by all Churches in 
 all ao-es and places ever since ; which questionless would 
 not have been, had not Christians all along found extra- 
 ordinary benefit and advantage by it ; and I do not doubt 
 in the least, but that if all you that hear me at this time 
 would be persuaded to observe all these fasts as you 
 out^ht to do, you M'ould find yourselves other-guess 
 Christians at the year's end, than you are now ; for sup- 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 287 
 
 posing you to be always temperate, without which you 
 deserve not to be called Christians, and besides that, to ob- 
 serve these several fasts as they recur ; as your constant 
 tem{3erance would keep your bodies all in health, so your 
 frequent abstinence would kijep them always under, and 
 bring them into subjection to your souls : by which means 
 you would be every day more averse from your former 
 lust, more inclined to God and goodness, more capable 
 of his divine illuminations and assistances, more ready 
 and able to serve God here, and more fit to go to heaven 
 and enjoy him for ever. 
 
 Now these things being duly weighed, you cannot 
 surely but look upon yourselves as concerned in interest 
 as w^ell as duty to fast ; and therefore cannot but be very 
 solicitous to know how you may do it aright, even so as 
 to make it effectual to the purposes aforesaid ; which 
 therefore I siiall endeavor to resoh^e you in as briefly as 
 I can : for which end we must first know in general, that 
 there can be no certain rules laid down as necessary to 
 be observed by all men in this case ; for some require 
 more fasting, some less, some none at all, even such as 
 are weak and sickly, for to them their sickness supplies 
 the use of fasting, in keeping their bodies under: hence 
 it is that we commonly see sickly people have a deeper 
 sense of God and religion than others, because their 
 bodies, by reason of their often infirmities, are constantly 
 kept in subjection to their souls ; and they also who are 
 of strong and healthful constitutions, are not bound to 
 abstain for any long time from any manner of food, but 
 only from such both for quantity and quality, as is apt to 
 pamper the body, and' to make it rebel against the soul ; 
 and if we do but attain the end of fasting, even to keep 
 our bodies under, and bring them into subjection to the 
 
288 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTlKG. 
 
 soul, we need not, we ought not to be too scrupulous 
 about other thinos. 
 
 o 
 
 This being premised in general, I think it is not amiss 
 to mind you of some particular rules which I think ne- 
 cessary to be observed, in order to the attaining our ends 
 in fasting. 
 
 First, make no distinction at such times betv/ixt flesh 
 and fish, as the papists do, who if they do but abstain 
 from flesh, and what proceeds from it, think they fast 
 sufficiently, how much soever they eat or drink of other 
 things ; but neither the Scriptures nor the primitive 
 Church ever observed any such distinction, neither doth 
 it consist with the nature and end of fasting ; but the old 
 catholic way was, that when they fasted they abstained 
 from all manner of food until the evening, and still ob- 
 served Daniel's rule, who when he fasted eat no pleasant 
 or desirable /oof/, neither did fesh nor wine come into his 
 mouth, Dan. x. 3. This the primitive Christians observed 
 very strictly, that when they fasted they ate neither 
 more nor better food than, as we use to say, to keep soul 
 and body together ; and as for wine, they would not so 
 much as touch it ; which, I think, is still necessary to be 
 observed by all that would fast to any purpose. 
 
 2. Have a care of those superstitious ends which 
 the papists propound to themselves in fasting, who think 
 they worship God by it, and that they thereby make him 
 satisfaction for their former sins, and merit his grace and 
 favor for the future ; but you, when you fast, do it only 
 for that end which the apostle here mentions in my text, 
 even to keep your bcd'es under, cud to Irlng tlum hio 
 subjection to your souls, that so you may not at the lest be 
 cast-aways. 
 
 3. Have a care of falling into the other extreme, 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 289 
 
 even of fasting too much, as well as too little ; for, as 
 St. Chrysostom observes from my text, the apostle kept 
 his body under, but he did not kill it ; he brought it 
 into subjection, but not to destruction ; he used it as a 
 servant, not as an enemy, and therefore would not starve 
 it, for then he could expect no further service from it. Yea, 
 it is St. Basil's observation upon these words, that they who 
 fast too much, and so weaken and distemper their bodies, 
 violate the apostle's rule ; for he by fasting brought his 
 body into subjection to his soul ; they fast so as to bring their 
 souls into subjection to their bodies, forcing them to spend 
 their time in looking after their bodies, and serving them 
 instead of being served by them. Hence the same apostle 
 elsewhere commands us, not simply to make no provision 
 for thefiesh^ but not so, as to fulfil the lusts iherecf, Rom. 
 xiii. 14. I suppose there are not many that need this cau- 
 tion, but there are some, and therefore I durst not omit it. 
 
 4. To your fasting always join prayer ; these two 
 frequently go together in Scripture, and ought not to be 
 separated by us, for they strongly excite and quicken one 
 another, insomuch that our Lord himself tells us, there 
 are some kind of devils that cannot be cast out but by 
 prayer and fasting ^ Matt. xvii. 21. Some may be cast 
 out by one, some by the other, some by neither alone ; 
 but there is no devil so powerful but he may be expelled, 
 no sin so strong but it may be subdued, by both together ; 
 and therefore when you fast, spend more time than ordi- 
 nary in your private devotions, at least as much as you 
 use to spend upon other days in eating, by which means 
 you will lose no time from your particular, but gain 
 much for your general, calling. 
 
 5. To fasting and prayer add alms also, for these three 
 Christ joined together in his preaching, Matt. vi. And 
 
290 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 Cornelius in his practice, Acts x. And so must we too. 
 Insomuch that the ancients scarce ever speak of fasting, 
 but they prescribe this as necessary to the due perform- 
 ance of it ; and the general rule they lay down for it is 
 this, that what you save by fasting yourselves, you 
 must give away to the relief of others ; by which means, 
 without either the loss of time, or the impairing your 
 estates, you may perform the three great duties of the 
 Gospel, fast, and pray, and give alms ; which even sev- 
 erally are very acceptable to Almighty God, much more 
 when they go together. 
 
 Lastly, when you have performed this duty as exactly 
 as you can, have a care lest you place any confidence 
 in it, but trust, on Christ and him alone, to bless and 
 sanctify it to the great ends for which you use it ; for 
 Christ himself hath told you, that without him you can do 
 nothing^ John xv. 5. But by him there is nothing but 
 you may do, as St. Paul long a ;o experienced ; saying, 
 I can do all things through Christ that si enjthenelh 7we, 
 Phil. vi. 13. And therefore whensoever you fast, as you 
 must pray to God, so you must trust in Christ for his 
 assistance of you, and then you need not fear but it shall 
 most effectually conduce to the ke'j.ing your bodies under , 
 and the bringing them into subjection^ so that you shall not 
 he cast-aways^ bW h( ppy for ever. These are the rules 
 which I judge necessary to be observed in fasting; and 
 therefore whensoever I speak of fasting, I desire to be 
 understood of fasting according to those rules, and no 
 otherwise. 
 
 Thus now I have done my duty, in acquainting you 
 with yours. What effect a sermon of this nature will 
 have upon you, 1 know not, but fear it will meet with 
 the same fate that sermons now-a-days use to do ; some 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 291 
 
 will like one thing, some another, some nothing at all in 
 it, but dislike and censure the whole ; and such will be 
 so far from resolving to practise what they have heard, 
 that they are resolved already not to practise it ; and 
 such may now go out of the church, for 1 have no more 
 to say unto them, but only this, that this sermon will one 
 day rise up in judgment against them, and then they will 
 wish they had observed it better, when it is too late : 
 but as for such amongst you, as seriously mind the con- 
 cerns of another life, I have a few more words to speak 
 to you, which I desire you to hear with patience and at- 
 tenti3n. 
 
 Beloved in the Lord, you cannot but all ascribe it to 
 the infinite goodness and mercy of the most high God, 
 that you are still alive, and not in hell, but in a capacity 
 as yet of getting to heaven, whither, I suppose, you all 
 desire to go when you die : but heaven, you know, is a 
 place where but few come, nor indeed any but real and 
 true saints ; and therefore as ever you desire to go thither 
 when you die, you must while you live be sanctified 
 wholly, you must mortify all your lusts, and subdue your 
 passions, you must love and fear God above all things, 
 you must serve, honor, and obey him with a perfect 
 heart and a willing mind, and do all such good works as 
 he hath prepared for you to walk in, which being no easy 
 matter to do, you must lose no time, spare no costs, neg- 
 lect no means that may be any way helpful to you in it ; 
 especially you must be sure to take St. Paul's course, 
 you must keep your todies vnier, ard bring them into 
 subjection., otherwise you can expect r.o other lut to be cast- 
 aways and undone for ever. 
 
 Hence, therefore, I beseech you as your friend, I ad- 
 vise and exhort you as a minister of Christ, as you tender 
 
292 THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 
 
 your eternal salvation by him, that you would now set 
 upon this work, this great work, so long neglected by 
 you, even upon fasting, not after a careless, customary, 
 or hypocritical manner, but in good earnest, so as that it 
 may be effectual to the keeping of your bodies in con- 
 tinual subjection to your souls ; for which end, I suppose, 
 the strict observation of the days prescribed by our 
 Church may be sufficient for most people ; but if any 
 of you find that that will not do your business, fast 
 oftener, but still observing the rules laid down before, 
 and never leave off till you have brought your bodies 
 to such a temper, as no way to obstruct your passage 
 to heaven, till you have mortified all your members 
 that are upon the earth ; till you find no sin reigning 
 in your mortal bodies, so as to fulfil the lusts thereof; 
 for till then you may be sure you have not fasted enough, 
 or at least not aright ; for God is so ready to assist 
 the constant and conscientious performance of this duty 
 according to the aforesaid rules, that no sin, no devil, 
 is able to withstand it. 
 
 And do not say or think within yourselves, that this 
 is an hard work, who can bear it? for if you cannot 
 deny yourselves a meaPs meat, or a little wine now 
 and then, for Christ's sake, how is it possible for you 
 to deny yourselves anything at all for him? And then 
 with what face can you call yourselves his disciples, 
 when you have not so much as learnt the first part of 
 the first lesson that he hath taught all those that come 
 to him, even self-denial ? And besides, how hard soever 
 this duty may seem at first, by custom it will soon grow 
 easy ; when you have been once used to it for a while, 
 you will find that comfort and satisfaction in it, and 
 reap that spiritual benefit and advantage from it, that 
 
THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING. 293 
 
 not only itself, but all other duties will be both easy 
 and pleasant to you. 
 
 How happy, therefore, should I think myself, would it 
 please Almighty God to make me an instrument in his 
 hand, to persuade all you that hear me at this time to the 
 diligent performance of this duty ? For how happy 
 than should we all be ? Then our minds, being no way 
 disturbed by our bodies, would be always kept in so 
 fine, so delicate a temper, that we should think ourselves 
 in another world ; then we should despise the pleasures 
 of this world, and leave them for brute beasts, and such 
 men as live as if they were all body and no soul ; then 
 we should not be affrighted at the reproach of any evil, 
 as knowing that all things shall work together for our 
 good ; nay, death itself would then be no terror to us, 
 for we should not fear, but desire to be dissolved and to 
 be with Christ. 
 
 And when that blessed time shall once come, being 
 freed from these lumps of clay, which now put us to 
 all this trouble, we shall be made like to the glorious 
 angels themselves, and then we shall never be troubled 
 with eating or drinking more, but yet shall feast con- 
 tinually upon glory, goodness, all-sufficiency, pleasure 
 itself; always enjoying, praising, adoring, and magnifying 
 the eternal God, and our dear and ever-blessed Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, who hath purchased this grace and glory 
 for us : to whom, therefore, with the Father and the 
 Holy Spirit, three Persons, one glorious and eternal God, 
 be all honor, praise, and glory, from this time forth and 
 for evermore. Amen. 
 
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