__________________________________________________________________ Title: The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury. Vol. 07. Creator(s): Tillotson, John, (1630-1694) Print Basis: London: Richard Priestley (1820) CCEL Subjects: All; __________________________________________________________________ THE WORKS OF DR. JOHN TILLOTSON, LATE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ WITH THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, BY THO^S. BIRCH, M.A. ALSO A COPIOUS INDEX, AND THE TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE CAREFULLY COMPARED. __________________________________________________________________ IN TEN VOLUMES.--VOL. VII. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ LONDON: PRINTED BY J. F. DOVE, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE; FOR RICHARD PRIESTLEY, HIGH HOLBORN. 1820. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS TO VOL. VII. SERMONS. Page CXLIV. CXLV. CXLVI.--The Goodness of God 1. 17. 36 CXLVII.--The Mercy of God 51 CXLVIII. CXLIX.--The Patience of God 75.91 CL. CLI.--The Long-suffering of God 106. 134 CLII.--The Power of God 150 CLIII.--The Spirituality of the Divine Nature 171 CLIV.--The Immensity of the Divine Nature 188 CLV.--The Eternity of God 201 CLVI.--The Incomprehensibleness of God 212 CLVII.--God the first Cause, and last End 226 CLVIII.--The Necessity of Repentance and Faith 241 CLIX. Of confessing and forsaking Sin, in order to Pardon 258 CLX.--Of Confession and Sorrow for Sin 281 CLXI. The Unprofitableness of Sin in this Life, an Argument for Repentance 299 CLXII. CLX1II. CLXIV. CLXV.--The Shamefulness of Sin, an Argument for Repentance, &c. 320. 338. 352. 371 CLXVI. CLXVII. CLXVIII.--The Nature and Necessity of Holy Resolution 398. 414. 431 CLXIX. CLXX.--The Nature and Necessity of Restitution 447. 465 CLXXI.--The Usefulness of Consideration, in order to Repentance 486 CLXXII.--The Danger of Impenitence where the Gospel is preached 503 CLXXIII. CLXXIV. CLXXV.--Of the Immortality of the Soul, as discovered by Nature and by Revelation 520. 541. 563 __________________________________________________________________ SERMONS. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLIV. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.--Psal. cxlv. 9. IN the handling of this argument, I proposed to do these four things: First, To consider what is the proper notion of goodness, as it is attributed to God. Secondly, To shew that this perfection belongs to God. Thirdly, To consider the effects of the Divine goodness, together with the large extent of it, in respect of its objects. And, Fourthly, To answer some objections which may seem to contradict, and bring in question, the goodness of God. I have considered the two first; and in speaking to the third, I proposed the considering these two things: I. The universal extent of God's goodness to all his creatures. II. More especially the goodness of God to man, which we are more especially concerned to take notice of, and be affected with. The first of these appears in these four particulars: 1. In his giving being to so many creatures. 2. In making them all so very good; considering the number and variety, the rank and order, the end and design of all of them. 3. In his continual preservation of them. 4. In his providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all of them, so far as they are capable and sensible of it. The first of these I spoke largely to; I proceed to shew, in the 2. Second place, That the universal goodness of God appears in making all these creatures so very good, considering the number and variety, the rank and order, the end and design of all of them. His goodness excited and set a-work his power to make this world, and all the creatures in it; and, that they might be made in the best manner that could be, his wisdom directed his power; he hath made all things in number, weight, and measure; so that they are admirably fitted and proportioned to one another: and that there is an excellent contrivance in all sorts of beings, and a wonderful beauty and harmony in the whole frame of things, is, I think, sufficiently visible to every discerning and unprejudiced mind. The lowest form of creatures, I mean those which are destitute of sense, do all of them contribute, some way or other, to the use, and conveniency, and comfort, of the creatures above them, which being endowed with sense, are capable of enjoying the benefit and delight of them, which being so palpable in the greatest part of them, may reasonably be presumed, though it be not so discernible, concerning all the rest; so that when we survey the whole creation of God, and the several parts, we may well cry out with David, (Psal. civ. 24.) "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all." It is true, indeed, there are degrees of perfection in the creatures, and God is not equally good to all of them. Those creatures which are of more noble and excellent natures, and to which he hath communicated more degrees of perfection, they partake more of his goodness, and are more glorious instances of it; but every creature partakes of the Divine goodness in a certain degree, and according to the nature and capacity of it. God, if he pleased, could have made nothing but immortal spirits; and he could have made as many of these as there are individual creatures of all sorts in the world; but it seemed good to the wise Architect, to make several ranks and orders of beings, and to display his power, and goodness, and wisdom, in all imaginable variety of creatures, all of which should be good in their kind, though far short of the perfection of angels and immortal spirits. He that will build a house for all the uses and purposes of which a house is capable, cannot make it all foundation, and great beams and pillars; must not so contrive it, as to make it all rooms of state and entertainment; but there must of necessity he in it meaner materials, rooms and offices for several uses and purposes, which, however inferior to the rest in dignity and degree, do yet contribute to the beauty and advantage of the whole: so, in this great frame of the world, it was fit there should be variety and different degrees of perfection in the several parts of it; and this is so far from being an impeachment of the wisdom or goodness of Him that made it, that it is an evidence of both: for the meanest of all God's creatures is good, considering the nature and rank of it, and the end to which it was designed; and we cannot imagine how it could have been ordered and framed better, though we can easily tell how it might have been worse, and that if this or that had been wanting, or had been otherwise, it had not been so good; and those who have been most conversant in the contemplation of nature, and of the works of God, have been most ready to make this acknowledgment. But then, if we consider the creatures of God with relation to one another, and with regard to the whole frame of things, they will all appear to be very good; and notwithstanding this or that kind of creatures be much less perfect than another, and there be a very great distance between the perfection of a worm, and of an angel; yet, considering every thing in the rank and order which it hath in the creation, it is as good as could be, considering its nature and use, and the place allotted to it among the creatures. And this difference in the works of God, between the goodness of the several parts of the creation, and the excellent and perfect goodness of the whole, the Scripture is very careful to express to us in the history of the creation, where you find God represented, as first looking upon and considering every day's work by itself, and approving it, and pronouncing it to be good; (Gen. i. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25.) at the end of every day's work it is said, that "God saw it, and it was good:" but then, when all was finished, and he surveyed the whole together, it is said, (ver. 31.) that "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good:" "very good," that is, the best; the Hebrews having no other superlative. Every creature of God, by itself, is good; but take the whole together, and they are "very good," the best that could be. 3. The universal goodness of God further appears in the careful and continual preservation of the things which he hath made; his upholding and maintaining the several creatures in being, in their natural state and order; those which have life, in life, to the period which he hath determined and appointed for them; in his preserving the whole world, his managing and governing this vast frame of things in such sort, as to keep it from running into confusion and disorder. This is a clear demonstration, no less of the goodness than of the wisdom and power of God, that for so many ages all the parts of it have kept their places, and performed the offices and work for which nature designed them; and that the world is not, in the course of so many thousand years, grown old and weak, and out of repair, and that the frame of things doth not dissolve and fall in pieces. And the goodness of God doth not only take care of the main, and support the whole frame of things, and preserve the more noble and considerable creatures, but even the least and meanest of them. The providence of God cloth not overlook any thing that he hath made, nor despise any of the works of his hands, so as to let them relapse, and fall back into nothing, through neglect and inadvertency; as many as there are, he takes care of them all, (Psal. civ. 27, 28.) where the Psalmist, speaking of the innumerable multitude of creatures upon the earth and in the sea, "These (saith he; wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give them their meat in due season; that thou givest them, they gather; thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good." And to the same purpose, (Psal. cxlv. 15, 10.) "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season; thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." The inanimate creatures, which are without sense, and the brute creatures, which, though they have sense, are without understanding, and so can have no end and design of self-preservation, God preserves them, no less than men, who are endowed with reason and foresight to provide for themselves: (Psal. xxxvi. 6.) "Thou preservest man and beast." And, (Ps. cxlvii. 9.) "He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry." And so our Saviour declares to us the particular providence of God towards those creatures: (Matt. vi. 26.) "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." (Ver. 28, 29.) "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And though all the creatures below man, being without understanding, can take no notice of this bounty of God to them, nor make any acknowledgments to him for it; yet man, who is the priest of the visible creation, and placed here in this great temple of the world, to offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God, for his universal goodness to all his creatures, ought to bless God in their be half, and to sing praises to him in the name of all the inferior creatures, which are subjected to his dominion and use; because they are all, as it were, his family, his servants and utensils; and if God should neglect any of them, and suffer them to perish and miscarry, it is we that should find the inconvenience and want of them; and therefore we should on their behalf celebrate the praises of God; as we find David often does in the Psalms, calling upon the inanimate and the brute creatures to praise the Lord. 4. The universal goodness of God doth yet further appear, in providing so abundantly for the welfare and happiness of all his creatures, so far as they are capable and sensible of it. He doth not only support and preserve his creatures in being, but takes care that they should all enjoy that happiness and pleasure which their natures are capable of. The creatures endowed with sense and reason, which only are capable of pleasure and happiness, God hath taken care to satisfy the several appetites and inclinations which he hath planted in them; and according as nature hath enlarged their desires and capacities, so he enlargeth his bounty towards them; "he openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing." God doth not immediately bring meat to the creatures when they are hungry; but it is near to them, commonly in the elements wherein they are bred, or within their reach, and he hath planted inclinations in them to hunt after it, and to lead and direct them to it, and to encourage self-preservation, and to oblige and instigate them to it; and that they might not be melancholy and weary of life, he hath so ordered the nature of living creatures, that hunger and thirst are most implacable desires, exceeding painful, and even in tolerable; and likewise, that the satisfaction of these appetites should be a mighty pleasure to them. And for those creatures that are young, and not able to provide for themselves, God hath planted in all creatures a storge, a natural affection towards their young ones, which will effectually put them upon seeking provisions for them, and cherishing them, with that care and tenderness which their weak and helpless condition doth require: and reason is not more powerful and effectual in mankind to this purpose, than this natural instinct is in brute creatures; which shews what care God hath taken, and what provision he hath made, in the natural frame of all his creatures, for the satisfaction of the inclinations and appetites which he hath planted in them; the satisfaction whereof is their pleasure and happiness. And thus I have done with the first head I proposed, the universal extent of God's goodness to his creatures: let us now proceed, in the II. Second place, To consider more particularly the goodness of God to men; which we are more especially concerned to take notice of, and to be affected with it. And we need go no farther than our own observation and experience, to prove the goodness of God; every day of our lives we see and taste that the Lord is good; all that we are, and all the good that we enjoy, and all that we expect and hope for, is from the Divine goodness: "every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights," (Jam. i. 17.) And the best and most perfect of his gifts he bestows on the sons of men. What is said of the wisdom of God, (Prov. viii.) may be applied to his goodness; the goodness of God shines forth in all the works of the creation, in the heavens and clouds above, and in the fountains of the great deep, in the earth and the fields, but its delight is with the sons of men. Such is the goodness of God to man, that it is represented to us in Scripture under the notion of love: God is good to all his creatures, but he is only said to love the sons of men. More particularly the goodness of God to man appears, 1. That he hath given us such noble and excellent beings, and placed us in so high a rank and order of his creatures. We owe to him that we are, and what we are: we do not only partake of that effect of his goodness which is common to us with all other creatures, that we have received our being from him; but we are peculiarly obliged to him for his more especial goodness, that he hath made us reasonable creatures of that kind which we should have chosen to have been of, if we could suppose that, before we were, it had been referred to us, and put to our choice, what part we would be of this visible world. But we did not contrive and choose this condition for ourselves, we are no ways accessary to the dignity and excellency of our beings: but God chose this condition for us, and made us what we are; so that we may say with David, (Psal. c. 3-5.) "It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. O enter into his gates with thanks giving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his name: for the Lord is good." The goodness of God is the spring and fountain of our beings; but for that, we had been nothing; and but for his farther goodness, we might have been any thing, of the lowest and meanest rank of his creatures. But the goodness of God hath been pleased to advance us to be the top and perfection of the visible creation; he hath been pleased to endow us with mind and understanding, and made us capable of happiness, in the knowledge, and love, and enjoyment of himself. He hath curiously and wonderfully wrought the frame of our bodies, so as to make them fit habitations for reasonable souls, and immortal spirits; he hath made our very bodies vessels of honour, when of the very same clay he hath made innumerable other creatures of a much lower rank and condition: so that though man, in respect of his body, be akin to the earth, yet, in regard of his soul, he is allied to Heaven, of a Divine original, and descended from above. Of all the creatures in this visible world, man is the chief; and what is said of behemoth, or the elephant, (Job xl.) in respect of his great strength, and the vast bigness of his body, is only true absolutely of man, that he is, Divini opificii caput; "the chief of the ways of God, and upon earth there is none like him." The Psalmist takes particular notice of the goodness of God to man, in this respect of the excellency and dignity of his being; (Psal. viii. 5.) "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." And this advantage of our nature above other creatures we ought thankfully to acknowledge, though most men are so stupid as to overlook it; as Elihu complains, (Job xxxv. 10, 11.) "None saith, Where is God my Maker, who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and make thus wiser than the fowls of heaven?" 2. The goodness of God to man appears, in that he hath made and ordained so many things chiefly for our use. The beauty and usefulness of the creatures below us, their plain subserviency to our necessity, and benefit, and delight, are so many clear evidences of the Divine goodness to us, not only (discernible to our reason, but even palpable to our senses, so that we may "see and taste that the Lord is gracious." This David particularly insists upon as a special ground of praise and thanksgiving to God, that he hath subjected so great a part of the creation to our dominion and use: (Psal. viii. 6-8.) speaking of man, "Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field: the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." What an innumerable variety of creatures are there in this inferior world, which were either solely or principally made for the use and ser vice, pleasure and delight, of man! How many things are there, which serve for the necessity and support, for the contentment and comfort, of our lives! How many things for the refreshment and delight of our senses, and the exercise and employment of our understandings! That God hath not made man for the service of other creatures, but other creatures for the service of man, Epictetus doth very ingeniously argue from this observation; that the creatures below man, the brute beasts, have all things in a readiness, nature having provided for them meat, and drink, and lodging; so that they have no absolute need that any should build houses, or make clothes, or store up provision, or prepare and dress meat for them: "For, (says he,) being made for the service of another, they ought to be furnished with these things, that they may be always in a readiness to serve their lord and master; a plain evidence that they were made to serve man, and not man to serve them." And to raise our thoughts of God's goodness to us the sons of men yet higher, as he hath given us the creatures below us for our use and convenience, so hath he appointed the creatures above us for our guard and protection, not to say for our service: (Psal. xxxiv. 7.) "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them;" and then it follows, "O taste and see that the Lord is good!" And, (Psal. xci. 11, 12.) "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways: they shall bear thee up in their hands." Nay, the apostle speaks as if their whole business and employment were to attend upon, and be serviceable to, good men; (Heb. i. 14.) "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" The goodness of God to men appears in his tender love, and peculiar care of us above the rest of the creatures, being ready to impart, and dispense to us the good that is suitable to our capacity and condition, and concerned to exempt us from those manifold evils of want and pain, to which we are obnoxious: I do not mean an absolute exemption from all sorts and degrees of evil, and a perpetual tenure of temporal happiness, and enjoyment of all good things; this is not suitable to our present state, and the rank and order which we are in among the creatures; nor would it be best for us, all things considered. But the goodness of God to us above other creatures, is proportionable to the dignity and excellency of our natures above them; for, as the apostle reasons in another case, "Doth God take care for oxen," and shall he not much more extend his care to man? To this purpose our Saviour reasons: (Matt. vi. 26.) "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" And, (ver. 30.) "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you?" And, (chap. x. 29-31.) "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." It is true, God hath a special care of his people and servants, above the rest of mankind; but our Saviour useth these arguments to his disciples, to convince them of the providence of God towards them, as men, and of a more excellent nature than other creatures. And, indeed, we are born into the world more destitute and helpless than other creatures; as if it were on purpose to shew that God had reserved us for his more peculiar care and providence; which is so great, that the Scripture, by way of condescension, expresseth it to us by the name of love; so that what effects of care the greatest and tenderest affection in men is apt to produce towards one another, that, and much more, is the effect of God's goodness to us; and this affection of God is common to all men (though, of all creatures, we have least deserved it), and is ready to diffuse and shed abroad itself, wherever men are qualified for it by duty and obedience, and do not obstruct and stop the emanations of it, by their sins and provocations. And though the greatest part of mankind be evil, yet this doth not wholly put a stop to his goodness, though it cause many abatements of it, and hinder many good things from us; but such is the goodness of God, notwithstanding the evil and undutifulness of men, that he is pleased still to concern himself in the government of the world, and to preserve the societies of men from running into utter confusion and disorder; notwithstanding the violence and irregularities of men's wills and passions, the communities of men subsist upon tolerable terms; and notwithstanding the rage and craft of evil men, poor and unarmed innocence and virtue is usually protected, and sometimes rewarded in this world, and domineering and outrageous wickedness is very often remarkably checked and chastised. All which instances of God's providence, as they are greatly for the advantage and comfort of mankind, so are they an effectual declaration of that goodness which governs all things, and of God's kind care of the affairs and concernments of men; so that if we look no further than this world, we may say with David, "Verily, there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth the earth." I know this argument hath been perverted to a quite contrary purpose: that if goodness governed the world, and administered the affairs of it, good and evil would not be so carelessly and promiscuously dispensed; good men would not be so great sufferers, nor wicked men so prosperous, as many times they are. But this also, if rightly considered, is an effect of God's goodness, and infinite patience to mankind, that "he causeth his sun to rise, and his rain to fall upon the just and unjust;" that, upon the provocations of men, he does not give over his care of them, and throw all things into confusion and ruin: this plainly shews, that he designs this life for the trial of men's virtue and obedience, in order to the greater reward of it; and therefore "he suffers men to walk in their own ways," without any great check and control, and reserves the main bulk of rewards and punishments for another world: so that all this is so far from being any objection against the goodness of God, that, on the contrary, it is an argument of God's immense goodness, and infinite patience, that the world subsists and continues, and that he permits men to take their course, for the fuller trial of them, and the clearer and more effectual declaration, of his justice, in the rewards and punishments of another life. Fourthly, and lastly, The goodness of God to man kind most gloriously appears, in the provision he hath made for our eternal happiness. What the happiness of man should have been, had he continued in innocency, is not particularly revealed to us; but this is certain, that by wilful transgressions we have forfeited all that happiness which our natures are capable of. In this lapsed and ruinous condition of mankind, the goodness and mercy of God was pleased to employ his wisdom for our recovery, and to restore us not only to a new but a greater capacity of glory and happiness. And in order to this, the Son of God assumes our nature for the recovery and redemption of man; and the pardon of sin is purchased for us by his blood; eternal life, and the way to it, are clearly discovered to us. God is pleased to enter into a new and better covenant with us, and to afford us inward grace and assistance, to enable us to perform the conditions of it; and graciously to accept of our faith and repentance, of our sincere resolutions and endeavours of holiness and obedience, for perfect and complete righteousness, for His sake who fulfilled all righteousness. This is the great and amazing goodness of God to mankind, that, when we were in open rebellion against him, he should entertain thoughts of peace and reconciliation; and when he passed by the fallen angels, he should set his affection and love upon the sinful and miserable sons of men. And "herein is the love of God to men perfected," that, as he hath made all creatures, both above us, and below us, subservient and instrumental to our subsistence and preservation; so, for the ransom of our souls from eternal ruin and misery, "he hath not spared his own Son, but hath given him up to death for us;" him, whom "he hath commanded all the angels of God to worship," and to whom he hath made subject all creatures in heaven and earth: him, "who made the world, and who upholds all things by the word of his power, who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person." And after such a stupendous instance as this, what may we not reasonably hope for, and promise ourselves, from the Divine goodness? So the apostle hath taught us to reason; (Rom. viii. 32.) "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLV. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.--Psalm cxlv. 9. IN handling this argument, I proceeded in this method; First, To consider what is the proper notion of goodness. Secondly, To shew that this perfection of goodness belongs to God. Thirdly, I considered the effects of the Divine goodness, under these heads: I. The universal extent of it, in the number, variety, order, end, and design of the things created by him, and his preservation, and providing for the welfare and happiness of them. II. I considered more particularly the goodness of God to mankind, of which I gave these four instances: 1. That he hath given us such noble beings, and placed us in so high a rank and order of his creatures. 2. In that he hath made and ordained so many things chiefly for us. 3. In that he exerciseth so peculiar a providence over us above the rest, that though he is said to be "good to all," he is only said to "love the sons of men." 4. In that he hath provided for us eternal life and happiness. There only now remains the Fourth and last particular to be spoken to, which was, To answer some objections which may seem to contradict and bring in question the goodness of God; and they are many, and have (some of them especially) great difficulty in them, and therefore it will require great consideration and care, to give a clear and satisfactory answer to them, which, undoubtedly, they are capable of; the goodness of God being one of the most certain and unquestionable truths in the world. I shall mention those which are most considerable and obvious, and do almost of themselves spring up in every man's mind; and they are these four: the first of them more general, the other three more particular. First, If God be so exceeding good, whence comes it to pass, that there is so much evil in the world of several kinds; evil of imperfection, evil of affliction or suffering, and (which is the greatest of all others, and indeed the cause of them) evil of sin? Secondly, The doctrine of absolute reprobation; by which is meant, the decreeing of the greatest part of mankind to eternal misery and torment, without any consideration or respect to their sin or fault: this seems notoriously to contradict, not only the notion of infinite goodness, but any competent measure and degree of goodness. Thirdly, The eternal misery and punishment of men for temporal faults seems hard to be reconciled with that excess of goodness which we suppose to be in God. Fourthly, The instances of God's great severity to mankind upon occasion in those great calamities which, by the providence of God, have, in several ages, either befallen mankind in general, or particular nations; and here I shall confine myself to Scripture instances, as being the most certain and remarkable, or at least equal to any that are to be met with in history; as, the early and universal degeneracy of mankind, by the sin and transgression of our first parents; the destruction of the world by a general deluge; the sudden and terrible destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, by fire and brimstone from heaven; the cruel extirpation of the Canaanites, by the express command of God; and lastly, the great calamities which befel the Jewish nation, and the final ruin and perdition of them at the destruction of Jerusalem. These are the objections against the goodness of God, which I shall severally consider, and, with all the brevity and clearness I can, endeavour to return a particular answer to them. The first objection, which I told you is more general, is this: if God be so exceeding good, whence then comes it to pass, that there is so much evil in the world of several kinds? It is evident, beyond denial, that evil abounds in the world: "The whole world lies in evil," says St. John, en to ponero keitai, "lies in wickedness," (so our translation renders it) is involved in sin; but, by the article and opposition, St. John seems to intend the devil: "We know (says he) that we are of God, and the whole world, en to ponero keitai, is subject to the evil one," and under his power and dominion. Which way soever we render it, it signifies that evil of one kind or other reigns in the world. Now, can evil come from a good God? "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing? Doth a fountain send forth, at the same place, sweet water and bitter? This cannot be," as St. James speaks in another case. But all evils that are in the world, must either be directly procured by the Divine Providence, or permitted to happen; and, next to the causing and procuring of evil, it seems to be contrary to the goodness of God to permit that there should be any such thing, when it is in his power to help and hinder it. Answer.--To give an account of this: it was an ancient doctrine of some of the most ancient nations, that there were two first causes or principles of all things, the one of good things, the other of bad; which, among the Persians, were called Oromasdes and Arimanius; among the Egyptians, Osiris and Typhon; among the Chaldeans, good or bad planets; among the Greeks, Zeu`s and Hades: Plutarch expressly says, that the good principle was called God, and the bad, Daemon, or the devil; in conformity to which ancient traditions, the Manichees (a sad sect of Christians) set up two principles; the one infinitely good, which they supposed to be the original cause of all good that is in the world; the other infinitely evil, to which they ascribed all the evils that are in the world. But, besides that the notion of an infinite evil is a contradiction, it would be to no purpose to suppose two opposite principles of equal power and force. That the very notion of an infinite evil is a contradiction will be very clear, if we consider, that what is infinitely evil must be infinitely imperfect, and, consequently, infinitely weak; and, for that reason, though never so mischievous and malicious, yet, being infinitely weak, and ignorant, and foolish, would neither be in a capacity to contrive mischief, nor to execute it. But admit that a being infinitely mischievous were infinitely cunning, and infinitely powerful, yet it could do no evil; because the opposite principle of infinite goodness being also in finitely wise and powerful, they would tie up one another's hands: so that, upon this supposition, the notion of a Deity would signify just nothing, and by virtue of the eternal opposition and equality of these two principles, they would keep one another at a perpetual bay, and, being an equal match for one another, instead of being two deities, they would be two idols, able to do neither good nor evil. But to return a more distinct and satisfactory answer to this objection: There are three sorts of evil in the world; the evil of imperfection, the evil of affliction and suffering, and the evil of sin. And, first, for the evil of imperfection, I mean natural imperfections, these are not simply and absolutely, but only comparatively evil: now comparative evil is but a less degree of goodness; and it is not at all inconsistent with the goodness of God that some creatures should be less good than others; that is, imperfect in comparison of them; nay, it is very agreeable, both to the goodness and wisdom of God, that there should be this variety in the creatures, and that they should be of several degrees of perfection, being made for several uses and purposes, and to be subservient to one another, provided they all contribute to the harmony and beauty of the whole. Some imperfection is necessarily involved in the very nature and condition of a creature; as, that it derives its being from another, and necessarily depends upon it, and is beholden to it, and is likewise of necessity finite and limited in its nature and perfections; and as for those creatures which are less perfect than others, this also, that there should be degrees of perfection, is necessary, upon supposition, that the wisdom of God thinks fit to display itself in variety of creatures of several kinds and ranks; for though, comparing the creatures with one another, the angelical nature is best and most perfect, yet it is absolutely best that there should be other creatures besides angels. There are many parts of the creation which are rashly and inconsiderately by us concluded to be evil and imperfect, as some noxious and hurtful creatures, which yet, in other respects, and to some purposes, may be very useful, and against the harm and mischief whereof we are sufficiently armed, by such means of defence, and such antidotes, as reason and experience are able to find and furnish us withal; and those parts of the world which we think of little or no use, as rocks and deserts, and that vast wilderness of the sea, if we consider things well, are of great use to several very considerable purposes; or, if we can discern no other use of them, they serve at least to help our dulness, and to make us more attentively to consider and to admire the perfection and usefulness of the rest; at the worst they may serve for foils to set off the wise order and contrivance of other things, and (as one expresseth it very well) they may be like a blackmoor's head in a picture, which gives the greater beauty to the whole piece. Secondly, For the evils of affliction and suffering; and these either befal brute creatures, or men endowed with reason and consideration. 1st, For those which befal the brute creatures; those sufferings which nature inflicts upon them are very few; the greatest they meet withal are from men, or upon their account, for whose sake they were chiefly made, and to whose reasonable use and gentle dominion they are consigned. It is necessary, from the very nature of these creatures, that they should be passive, and liable to pain; and yet it doth in no wise contradict either the wisdom or goodness of God to make such creatures, because all these pains are, for the most part, fully recompensed by the pleasure these creatures find in life; and that they have such a pleasure and happiness in life is evident, in that all creatures, notwithstanding the miseries they endure, are still fond of life, and unwilling to part with it: no creature but man (who only hath perverted his nature) ever seeks the destruction of itself; and, since all brute creatures are so loath to go out of being, we may probably conclude, that if they could deliberate whether they should be or not, they would choose to come into being, even upon these hard conditions. But, however that be, this we are sure of, that they suffer chiefly from us, and upon our account; we, who are their natural lords, having depraved ourselves first, are become cruel and tyrannical to them; nay, the Scripture tells us, that they suffer for our sakes, and "the whole creation groaneth, and is in bondage" for the sin of man. And this is not unreasonable, that, being made principally for man, they should suffer upon his account, as a part of his goods and estate, not as a punishment to them (which, under the notion of punishment, they are not capable of), but as a punishment to him who is the lord and owner of them, they being, by this means, become more weak and frail, and less useful and serviceable to him for whom they were made; so that the sufferings of the creatures below us are, in a great measure, to be charged upon us, under whose dominion God hath put them. 2dly, As for the afflictions and sufferings which befal men, these are not natural, and of God's making, but the result and fruit of our own doings, the effects and consequences of the ill use of our own liberty, and free choice; and God does not willingly send them upon us, but we wilfully pull them down upon ourselves; for "he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men," as the prophet tells us, (Lam. iii. 33.) Or, as it is in the Wisdom of Solomon, (chap. i. 12, 13.) "God made not death, neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living; but men pull destruction upon themselves, with the works of their own hands." All the evils that are in the world, are either the effects of our own sin, as poverty, and disgrace, pains, diseases, and death, which are sometimes more immediately inflicted upon men by a visible providence and hand of God, but are usually brought upon us by ourselves, in the natural course and order of things; or they are the effects of other men's sins, brought upon us by the ambition and covetousness, by the malice and cruelty, of others: and these evils, though they are procured and caused by others, yet they are deserved by ourselves; and though they are immediately from the hand of men, yet we ought to look farther, and consider them as directed and disposed by the providence of God; as David did when Shimei cursed him; "God (saith he) hath bid him curse David," though it immediately proceeded from Shimei's insolence and ill-nature. Now, upon the supposition of sin, the evils of affliction and suffering are good, because they are of great use to us, and serve to very goods ends and purposes. 1. As they are the proper punishments of sin. Evil is good to them that do evil; that is, it is fit and proper, just and due: (Psal. cvii. 17.) "Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted." And it is fit they should be so; crooked to crooked, is straight and right. "A rod for the back of fools," saith Solomon; and elsewhere, "God hath made every thing for that which is fit for it, and the evil day for the wicked man." 2. As they are the preventions and remedies of greater evils. Evils of affliction and suffering are good for wicked men, to bring them to a sense of their sin, and to reclaim them from it, and thereby to prevent greater temporal evils, and preserve them from eternal misery; and not only good to the person that suffers, but likewise to others, to deter and affright them from the like sins; to prevent the contagion of sin, and to stop the progress of iniquity, upon which greater guilt and worse mischiefs might ensue; and they are good to good men, to awaken and rouse them out of their security, to make them know God and themselves better; they are almost a necessary discipline for the best of men, much more for evil and depraved dispositions; and we might as reasonably expect that there should be no rod in a school, as that there should be no suffering and afflictions in the world. 3. As they are the occasions and matter of many virtues. God teacheth men temperance by want, and patience by reproach and sufferings, charity by persecution, and pity and compassion to others by grievous pains upon ourselves. The benefit of afflictions, to them that make a wise use of them, is unspeakable; they are grievous in themselves, "Nevertheless (saith the apostle to the Hebrews) they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, to them that are exercised therewith." David gives a great testimony of the mighty benefit and advantage of them, from his own experience; (Psal. cxix. 67.) "Before I was afflicted, went astray, but now have I kept thy word." And, (ver. 71.) "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes." 4. The evils of suffering, patiently submitted to, and decently borne, do greatly contribute to the increase of our happiness. All the persecutions and sufferings of good men in this life, "do work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." And if they contribute to our greater good and happiness at last, they are good. The glorious reward of the sufferings which we have met with in this life, will in the next clear up the goodness and justice of the Divine Providence from all those mists and clouds which are now upon it, and fully acquit it from those objections which are now raised against it, upon account of the afflictions and sufferings of good men in this life, which "are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in them." Thirdly, As for the evil of sin, which is the great difficulty of all, how is it consistent with the goodness of God, to permit so great an evil as this to come into the world? For answer to this, I desire these two things may be considered: 1. That it doth not at all contradict the wisdom or goodness of God, to make a creature of such a frame, as to be capable of having its obedience tried, in order to the reward of it; which could not be, unless such a creature were made mutable, and by the good or bad use of its liberty, capable of obeying or disobeying the laws of his Creator: for where there is no possibility of sinning, there can be no trial of our virtue and obedience; and nothing but virtue and obedience are capable of reward. The goodness of God towards us is sufficiently vindicated, in that he made us capable of happiness, and gave us sufficient direction and power for the attaining of that end; and it does in no wise contradict his goodness, that he does not, by his omnipotency, interpose to prevent our sin: for this had been to alter the nature of things, and not to let man be the creature he made him, capable of reward or punishment, according to the good or bad use of his own free choice. It is sufficient that God made man good at first, though mutable, and that he had a power to have continued so, though he wilfully determined himself to evil: this acquits the goodness of God, that "he made man upright," but he found out to himself many inventions. 2. If there had not been such an order and rank of creatures as had been in their nature mutable, there had been no place for the manifestation of God's goodness in away of mercy and patience: so that though God be not the author of the sins of men, yet, in case of their wilful transgression and disobedience, the goodness of God hath a fair opportunity of discovering itself, in his patience and long-suffering to sinners, and in his merciful care and provision for their recovery out of that miserable state. And this may suffice for answer to the first objection if God be so good, whence then comes evil? The second objection against the goodness of God, is from the doctrine of absolute reprobation: by which I mean, the decreeing the greatest part of mankind to eternal misery and torment, without any consideration or respect to their sin and fault. This seems not only notoriously to contradict the notion of infinite goodness, but to be utterly inconsistent with the least measure and degree of goodness. Indeed, if by reprobation were only meant that God, in his own infinite knowledge, foresees the sins and wickedness of men, and hath from all eternity determined in himself, what in his word he hath so plainly declared, that he will punish impenitent sinners with everlasting destruction; or if by reprobation be meant, that God hath not elected all mankind, that is, absolutely decreed to bring them infallibly to salvation: neither of these notions of reprobation is any ways inconsistent with the goodness of God; for he may foresee the wickedness of men, and determine to punish it, without any impeachment of his goodness: he may be very good to all, and yet not equally and in the same degree: if God please to bring any infallibly to salvation, this is transcendent goodness; but if he put all others into a capacity of it, and use all necessary and fitting means to make them happy, and, after all this, any fall short of happiness through their own wilful fault and obstinacy; these men are evil and cruel to themselves, but God hath been very good and merciful to them. But if by reprobation be meant, either that God hath decreed, without respect to the sins of men, their absolute ruin and misery, or that he hath decreed that they shall inevitably sin and perish; it cannot be denied, but that such a reprobation as this doth clearly overthrow all possible notion of goodness. I have told you, that the true and only notion of goodness in God is this, that it is a propension and disposition of the Divine nature, to communicate being and happiness to his creatures: but surely, nothing can be more plainly contrary to a disposition to make them happy, than an absolute decree, and a peremptory resolution to make them miserable. God is infinitely better than the best of men, and yet none can possibly think that man a good man, who should absolutely resolve to disinherit and destroy his children, without the foresight and consideration of any fault to be committed by them. We may talk of the goodness of God; but it is not an easy matter to devise or say any thing worse than this of the devil. But it is said, reprobation is an act of sovereignty in God, and therefore not to be measured by the common rules of goodness. But it is contrary to goodness, and plainly inconsistent with it; and we must not attribute such a sovereignty to God, as contradicts his goodness; for if the sovereignty of God may break in at pleasure upon his other attributes, then it signifies nothing, to say that God is good, and wise, and just, if his sovereignty may at any time act contrary to these perfections. Now, if the doctrine of absolute reprobation, and the goodness of God, cannot possibly stand together, the question is, which of them ought to give way to the other? What St. Paul determines in another case, concerning the truth and fidelity of God, will equally hold concerning his goodness; "Let God be" good, "and every man a liar." The doctrine of absolute reprobation is no part of the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, that ever I could find; and there is the rule of our faith. If some great divines have held this doctrine, not in opposition to the goodness of God, but hoping they might be reconciled together, let them do it if they can; but if they cannot, rather let the schools of the greatest divines be called in question, than the goodness of God, which, next to his being, is the greatest and clearest truth in the world. Thirdly, It is farther objected, that the eternal punishment of men, for temporal faults, seems hard to be reconciled with that excess of goodness, which we suppose to be in God. This objection I have fully answered, in a discourse upon St. Matthew, (chap. xxv. 46.) and therefore shall proceed to the Fourth and last objection against the goodness of God, from sundry instances of God's severity to mankind, in those great calamities which, by the providence of God, have, in several ages, either befallen mankind in general, or particular nations. And here I shall confine myself to Scripture instances, as being most known, and most certain and remarkable, or at least equally remarkable with any that are to be met with in any other history: such are the early and universal degeneracy of all mankind, by the sin and transgression of our first parents; the destruction of the world by a general deluge; the sudden and terrible destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, by fire and brimstone from heaven; the cruel extirpation of the Canaanites, by the express command of God: and, lastly, the great calamities which befel the Jewish nation, especially the final ruin and dispersion of them at the destruction of Jerusalem: these, and the like instances of God's severity, seem to call in question his goodness. Against these severe and dreadful instances of God's severity, it might be a sufficient vindication of his goodness, to say, in general, that they were all upon great and high provocations; and most of them after a long patience and forbearance, and with a great mixture of mercy, and a declared readiness in God to have prevented or removed them, upon repentance; all which are great instances of the goodness of God: but yet, for the clearer manifestation of the Divine goodness, I shall consider them particularly and as briefly as I can. 1. As for the transgression of our first parents, and the dismal consequences of it to all their posterity: this is a great depth; and though the Scripture mentions it, yet it speaks but little of it; and in matters of mere revelation, we must not attempt "to be wise above what is written." Thus much is plain, that it was an act of high and wilful disobedience to a very plain and easy command; and that, in the punishment of it, God mitigated the extremity of the sentence (which was present death), by granting our first parents the reprieve of almost a thousand years: and as to the consequences of it to their posterity, God did not, upon this provocation, abandon his care of mankind; and, though he removed them out of that happy state and place in which man was created, yet he gave them a tolerable condition and accommodations upon earth: and, which is certainly the most glorious instance of Divine goodness that ever was, he was pleased to make the fall and misery of man, the happy occasion of sending his Son in our nature for the recovery and advancement of it to a much happier and better condition than that from which we fell So the apostle tells us, at large, (Romans v.) that "the grace of God by Jesus Christ," hath redounded much more to our benefit and advantage, than "the sin and disobedience of our first parents" did to our prejudice. 2. For the general deluge, though it look very severe, yet, if we consider it well, we may plainly discern much of goodness in it; it was upon great provocation, by the universal corruption and depravation of mankind: "The earth was filled with violence, and all flesh had corrupted its ways; the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually;" which is not a description of original sin, but of the actual and improved wickedness of mankind: and yet, when the wickedness of men was come to this height, God gave them fair warning, before he brought this calamity upon them, "when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah," for the space of "a hundred and twenty years;" at last, when nothing would reclaim them, and almost the whole race of mankind were become so very bad, that it is said, "it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth, and it grieved him at his heart;" when things were thus extremely bad, and like to continue so, God, in pity to man kind, and to put a stop to their growing wickedness and guilt, swept them away all at once from the face of the earth, except one family, which he had preserved from this contagion, to be a new seminary of mankind, and, as the heathen poet expresseth it, Mundi melioris origo, "The source and original of a better race." 3. For that terrible destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone from heaven, it was not brought upon them till "the cry of their sin was great, and gone up to heaven;" until, by their unnatural lusts, they had provoked supernatural vengeance. And it is very remarkable, to what low terms God was pleased to condescend to Abraham for the sparing of them; (Gen. xviii. 32.) if in those five cities there had been found "but ten righteous persons, he would not have destroyed them for those ten's sake." So that we may say with the apostle, "Behold the goodness and severity of God!" Here was wonderful goodness mixed with this great se verity. 4. For the extirpation of the Canaanites, by the express command of God, which hath such an appearance of severity, it is to be considered, (hat this vengeance was not executed upon them, until they were grown ripe for it. God spared them for above four hundred years, for so long their growing impiety is taken notice of, (Gen. xv. 16.) where it is said that "the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full:" God did not proceed to cut them off until their case was desperate, past all hopes of recovery, until "the land was defiled with abominations," and sur charged with wickedness to that degree, as to "spew out its inhabitants;" as is expressly said, Levit. xviii. 28. When they were arrived to this pitch, it was no mercy to them to spare them any longer, to heap up more guilt and misery to themselves. Fifthly, and lastly, As for the great calamities which God brought upon the Jews, especially in their final ruin and dispersion at the destruction of Jerusalem; not to insist upon the known history of their multiplied rebellions and provocations, of their despiteful usage of God's prophets whom he sent to warn them of his judgments, and to call them to repentance; of their obstinate refusal to receive correction, and to be brought to amendment, by any means that God could use; for all which provocations, he at last delivered them into their enemies hands, to carry them away captive: not to insist upon this, I shall only consider their final destruction by the Romans, which, though it be dreadfully severe, beyond any example of history, yet the provocation was proportionable; for this vengeance did not come upon them, until they had, as it were, extorted it, by the most obstinate impenitency and unbelief, in "rejecting the counsel of God against themselves," and resisting such means as would have brought Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, to repentance; until they had despised the doctrine of life and salvation, delivered to them by the Son of God, and confirmed from heaven by the clearest and greatest miracles; and by wicked hands had crucified and slain the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world. Nay, even after this greatest of sins that ever was committed, God waited for their repentance forty years, to see if in that time they would be brought to a sense of their sins, and to "know the things which belonged to their peace." And no wonder if, after such provocations, and so much patience, and so obstinate an impenitency, the goodness of God at last gave way to his justice, and "wrath came upon them to the utmost." So that all these instances, rightly considered, are rather commendations of the Divine goodness, than just and reasonable objections against it; and notwithstanding the severity of them, it is evident that God is good, from the primary inclinations of his nature; and severe only upon necessity, and in case of just provocation. And to be otherwise, not to punish insolent impiety and incorrigible wickedness in a severe and remarkable manner, would not be goodness, but a fond indulgence; not patience, but stupidity; not mercy to mankind, but cruelty; because it would be an encouragement to them to do more mischief, and to bring greater misery upon themselves. So that if we suppose God to be holy and just, as well as good, there is nothing in any of these instances, but what is very consistent with all that goodness which we can suppose to be in a holy, and wise, and just Governor, who is a declared enemy to sin, and is resolved to give all fitting discountenance to the breach and violation of his laws. It is necessary, in kindness and compassion to the rest of mankind, that some should be made remark able instances of God's severity; that the punishment of a few may be a warning to all, that they may hear and fear, and, by avoiding the like sins, may prevent the like severity upon themselves. And now I have, as briefly as I could, explained and vindicated the goodness of God; the consideration whereof is fruitful of many excellent and useful inferences, in relation both to our comfort and our duty: but these I shall refer to another opportunity. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLVI. THE GOODNESS OF GOD. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.--Psalm cxlv. 9. I HAVE made several discourses upon this argument of the goodness of God; shewing what it is; on what accounts we ascribe it to God; what are the effects and large extent of it to the whole creation, and more particularly to mankind; and, in the last place, considered the several objections which seem to lie against it. I proceed now to the application of this excellent argument, the consideration where of is so fruitful of useful inferences, in relation both to our comfort and duty. And, I. This shews us the prodigious folly and unreasonableness of atheism. Most of the atheism that is in the world, doth not so much consist in a firm persuasion that there is no God, as in vain wishes and desires that there were none. Bad men think it would be a happiness to them, and that they should be in a much better condition if there were no God, than if there be one. Nemo deum non esse credit, nisi cui Deum non esse expedit; "No man is apt to disbelieve a God, but he whose interest it is that there should be none." And if we could see into the hearts of wicked men, we should find this lying at the bottom, that if there be a God, he is just, and will punish sin; that he is infinite in power, and not to be resisted, and therefore kills them with his terror so often as they think of him: hence they apprehend it their interest that there should be no God, and wish there were none, and thence are apt to cherish in their minds a vain hope that there is none, and at last endeavour to impose upon themselves by vain reasonings, and to suppress the belief of a God, and to stifle their natural apprehensions and fears of him. So that it is not Primus in orbe deos fecit timor, "Fear that first made gods," but the fear which bad men have of Divine power and justice, that first tempted them to the disbelief of him. But were not these men as foolish as they are wicked, they would wish with all their hearts there were a God, and be glad to believe so: and the Psalmist gives them their true character, who can entertain any such thoughts or wishes; (Psal. xiv. 1.) "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God:" for they are fools who do not understand nor consult their true interest. And if this be true which I have said concerning the goodness of God, if this be his nature, to desire and procure the happiness of his creatures; whoever understands the true nature of God, and his own true interest, can not but wish there were a God, and be glad of any argument to prove it, and rejoice to find it true; as children are glad of a kind and tender father, and as subjects rejoice in a wise and good prince. The goodness of God gives us a lovely character of him, makes him so good a father, so gracious a governor of men, that if there were no such being in the world, it were infinitely desirable to mankind, that there should be: he is such an one, Qualem omnes cuperent, si deesset; "As, if he were wanting, all men ought to wish for." The being of God is so comfortable, so convenient, so necessary to the felicity of mankind, that (as Tully admirably says) Dii immortales ad usum hominum fabricati pene videantur; "If God were not a necessary being of himself, he might almost seem to be made on purpose for the use and benefit of men." So that atheism is not only an instance of the most horrible impiety, but of the greatest stupidity; and for men to glory in their disbelief of a God, is like the rejoicing and triumph of a furious and besotted multitude in the murder of a wise and good prince, the great est calamity and confusion that could possibly have befallen them. If the evidence of God's being were not so clear as it is, yet the consideration of his goodness ought to check all inclination to atheism and infidelity; for if he be as good as he is represented to us, both by natural light and Divine revelation (and he is so, as sure as he is), if he tender our welfare, and desire our happiness, as much as we ourselves can do, and use all wise ways and proper means to bring it about; then it is plainly every man's interest, even thine, O sinner! to whom, after all thy provocations, he is willing to be reconciled, that there should be such a being as God is; and whenever thou comest to thyself, thou wilt be sensible of thy want of him, and thy soul will "thirst for God, even the living God, and pant after him as the hart pants after the water-brooks;" in the day of thy affliction and calamity, "when distress and anguish cometh upon thee," thou wilt flee to God for refuge, and shelter thyself under his protection, and wouldest not, for all the world, but there were such a being in it to help and deliver thee. Deos nemo sanus timet (says Seneca); furor est metuere salutaria; "No man in his wits is afraid there is a God: it is a madness to fear that which is so much for our benefit and advantage." Human nature is conscious to itself of its own weakness and insufficiency, and of its necessary dependance upon something without itself for its happiness; and therefore, in great extremity and distress, the atheist himself hath naturally recourse to him; and he who denied and rejected him in his prosperity, clings to him in adversity, as his only support and present help in time of trouble. And this is a sure indication, that these men, after all their endeavours to impose upon themselves, have not been able wholly to extinguish in their minds the belief of God, and his goodness; nay, it is a sign, at the bottom of their hearts, they have a firm persuasion of his goodness, when, after all their insolent defiance of him, they have the confidence to apply to him for mercy and help, "in time of need:" and therefore, our hearts ought to rise with indignation against those who go about to persuade the belief of a thing so prejudicial to our interest, to take away "the light of our eyes, and the breath of our nostrils," and to rob us of all the comfort and support which the belief of an infinite power, conducted by infinite wisdom and goodness, is apt to afford to mankind. II. We should take great care of preventing and abusing this great goodness, by vain confidence and presumption. This is a provocation of a high nature, which the Scripture calls, "turning the grace of God into wantonness;" making that an encouragement to sin, which is one of the strongest arguments in the world against it. God is infinitely good and merciful: but we must not, therefore, think that he is fond and indulgent to our faults; but, on the contrary, because he is good, he cannot but hate evil. So the Scripture every where tells us, that "He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity;" that "the face of the Lord is against them that do evil: he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with him: the foolish shall not stand in his sight; he hateth all the workers of iniquity." He is ready to shew mercy to those who are qualified for it by repentance, and resolution of a better course: but as long as we continue impenitent, God is implacable, and will deal with us according to the tenor of his laws, and the desert of our doings. Despair is a great sin, but presumption is a greater: despair doubts of the goodness of God, but presumption abuseth it; despair disbelieves, but presumption perverts the best thing in the world to a quite contrary purpose from what it was intended. III. The consideration of God's goodness, is a mighty comfort and relief to our minds, under all our fears and troubles. Great are the fears and jealousies of many devout minds concerning God's love to them, and their everlasting condition; which are commonly founded in one of these two causes, a melancholy temper, or mistaken notions and apprehensions of God; and very often these two meet together, and hinder the cure and removal of one another. Melancholy, as it is an effect of bodily temper, is a disease not to be cured by reason and argument, but by physic and time: but the mistakes which men have entertained concerning God, if they be not set on and heightened by melancholy (as many times they are), may be rectified by a true representation of the goodness of God, confirmed by reason and Scripture. Many good men have had very hard and injurious thoughts of God instilled into them, from doctrines too commonly taught and received; as if he did not sincerely desire the happiness of his creatures, but had, from all eternity, decreed to make the greatest part of mankind, with a secret purpose and design, to make them miserable; and, consequently, were not serious and in a good earnest in his invitations and exhortations of sinners to repentance; and it is no wonder if such jealousies as these concerning God, make men doubtful whether God love them, and very scrupulous and anxious about their everlasting condition. I have already told you, that these harsh doctrines have no manner of foundation, either in reason or Scripture; that God earnestly desires our happiness, and affords us sufficient means to that end; that he bears a more hearty good-will to us, than any man does to his friend, or any father upon earth ever did to his dearest child; in comparison of which, the greatest affection of men to those whom they love best, is "but as the drop of the bucket, as the very small dust upon the balance." If we have right apprehensions of God's goodness, we can have no temptation to despair of his kind and merciful intentions to us, provided we be but careful of our duty to him, and do sincerely repent and forsake our sins. Plainer declarations no words can make, than those we meet with in the Holy Scriptures, that "God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live;" that "he would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth;" that "he is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance;" that "he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall have mercy:" that "if the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return unto the Lord, he will have mercy, and will abundantly pardon." As for outward calamities and afflictions, the consideration of God's goodness is a firm ground of consolation to us, giving us assurance, that God will either prevent them by his providence, or support us under them, or rescue us out of them, or turn them to our greater good and happiness in this world, or the next. St. Paul speaks of it as the firm belief and persuasion of all good men, that, in the issue, all their actions should prove to their advantage: "We know (says he) that all things shall work together for good to them that love God." And one of the greatest evidences of our love to God, is a firm belief and persuasion of his goodness: if we believe his goodness, we cannot but love him; and if we love him, "all things shall work together for our good." And this is a great cordial to those who are under grievous persecutions and sufferings, [1] which is the case of our brethren in a neighbouring nation, and may come to be ours, God knows how soon. But though the malice of men be great, and backed with a power not to be controlled by any visible means, and therefore likely to continue; yet the goodness of God is greater than the malice of men, and of a longer duration and continuance. And thus David comforted himself when he was persecuted by Saul; (Psal. lii. 1.) "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually." The persecution which Saul raised against him was very powerful, and lasted a long time; but he comforts himself with this, that "the goodness of God endures for ever." IV. The consideration of God's goodness, is a powerful motive and argument to several duties. 1. To the love of God. And this is the most proper and natural effect and operation of the goodness of God upon our minds. Several of the Divine attributes are very awful, but goodness is amiable; and, without this, nothing else is so. Power and wisdom may command dread and admiration; but nothing but goodness can challenge our love and affection. Goodness is amiable for itself, though no benefit and advantage should from thence redound to us: but when we find the comfortable effects of it, when "the riches of God's goodness, and long-suffering, and forbearance" are laid out upon us, when we live upon that goodness, and are indebted to it for all that we have and hope for; this is a much greater endearment to us of that excellency and perfection, which was amiable for itself. We cannot but love him who is good, and does us good; whose goodness extends to all his creatures, but is exercised in so peculiar a manner towards the sons of men, that it is called love; and if God vouchsafe to love us, well may this be "the first and great commandment, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." 2. The consideration of God's goodness is likewise an argument for us to fear him; not as a slave does his master, but as a child does his father, who the more he loves him, the more afraid he is to offend him. "There is forgiveness with thee, (saith the Psalmist) that thou rnayest be feared:" because God is ready to forgive, we should be afraid to offend. "Men shall fear the Lord, and his goodness," saith the prophet. (Hosea iii. 5.) And, in deed, nothing is more to be dreaded than despised goodness, and abused patience, which turns into fury and vengeance: "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and long-suffering, and forbearance, (says the apostle) and treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?" 3. The consideration of God's goodness, is a powerful motive to obedience to his laws, and (as the apostle expresseth it) "to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, being fruitful in every good work." This argument Samuel useth to the people of Israel, to persuade them to obedience; (1 Sam. xii. 24.) "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you." And, indeed, the laws which God hath given us, are none of the least instances of his goodness to us, since they all tend to our good, and are proper causes and means of our happiness: so that, in challenging our obedience to his laws, as acknowledgments of our obligation to him for his benefits, he lays a new obligation, and confers a greater benefit upon us. All that his laws require of us, is to do that which is best for ourselves, and does most directly conduce to our own welfare and happiness. Considering our infinite obligations to God, he might have challenged our obedience to the severest and harshest laws he could have imposed upon us: so that as the servants said to Naaman, "Had the prophet bid thee to do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more when he hath only said, Wash, and be clean?" If God had required of us things very grievous and burthensome, in love and gratitude to him, we ought to have yielded a ready and cheerful obedience to such commands; how much more when he hath only said, Do this, and be happy. In testimony of your love to me, do these things which are the great est kindness and benefit to yourselves. 4. The goodness of God should lead men to repentance. One of the greatest aggravations of our sins is, that we offend against so much goodness, and make so bad a requital for it; "Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise!" The proper tendency of God's goodness and patience to sinners, is to bring them to a sense of their miscarriage, and to a resolution of a better course. When we reflect upon the blessings and favours of God, and his continual goodness to us, can we choose but be ashamed of our terrible ingratitude and disobedience? Nothing is more apt to make an ingenuous nature to relent, than the sense of undeserved kindness; that God should be so good to us, who are evil and unthankful to him; that though we be enemies to him, yet, when we hunger, he feeds us; when we thirst, he gives us to drink; heaping, as it were, coals of fire on our heads, on purpose to melt us into repentance, and to over come our evil by his goodness. 5. The consideration of God's goodness is a firm ground of trust and confidence. What may we not hope and assuredly expect from immense and boundless goodness? If we have right apprehensions of the goodness of God, we cannot possibly distrust him, or doubt of the performance of those gracious promises which he hath made to us; the same goodness which inclined him to make such promises, will effectually engage him to make them good. If God be so good as he hath declared himself, why should we think that he will not help us in our need, and relieve us in our distress, and comfort us in our afflictions and sorrows? If we may with confidence rely upon any thing to confer good upon us, and to preserve and deliver us from evil, we may trust infinite goodness. 6. The goodness of God is likewise an argument to us to patience and contentedness with every condition. If the hand of God be severe and heavy upon us in any affliction, we may be assured that it is not without great cause that so much goodness is so highly offended and displeased with us; that he designs our good in all the evils he sends us, and does not chasten us for his pleasure, but for our profit; that we are the cause of our own sufferings, and our sins separate between God and us, and withhold good things from us; that in the final issue and result of things, "all things shall work together for good" to us; and therefore we ought not to be discontented at any thing which will certainly end in our happiness. 7. Let us imitate the goodness of God. The highest perfection of the best and most perfect Being is worthy to be our pattern: this Scripture frequently proposeth to us; (Matt. v. 48.) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." How is that? In being good, and kind, and merciful, as God is: "But I say unto you, (says our Lord) love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust:" and then it follows, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The same pat tern St. Paul proposeth to us; (Ephes. iv. 32.; and chap. v. 1.) "Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted; forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love." We cannot in any thing resemble God more than in goodness, and kindness, and mercy, and in a readiness to forgive those who have been injurious to us, and to be reconciled to them. Let us then often contemplate this perfection of God, and represent it to our minds, that, by the frequent contemplation of it, we may be transformed into the image of the Divine goodness. Is God so good to his creatures? with how much greater reason should we be so to our fellow-creatures? Is God good to us? Let us imitate his universal goodness, by endeavouring the good of mankind; and, as much as in us lies, of the whole creation of God. What God is to us, and what we would have him still be to us, that let us be to others. We are in finitely beholden to this perfection of God for all that we are, and for all that we enjoy, and for all that we expect; and therefore we have all the reason in the world to admire and imitate it. Let this pattern of the Divine goodness be continually before us, that we may be still fashioning ourselves in the temper of our minds, and in the actions of our lives, to a likeness and conformity to it. Lastly, The consideration of the Divine goodness should excite our praise and thankfulness: this is a great duty, to the performance whereof we should summon all the powers and faculties of our souls: as the holy Psalmist does; (Psal. ciii. 1, 2.) "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." And we should invite all others to the same work, as the same devout Psalmist frequently does; (Psal. cvi. 1.) "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." And (Psal. cvii. 8.) "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." And we had need to be often called upon to this duty, to which we have a peculiar backwardness. Necessity drives us to prayer, and sends us to God for the supply of our wants; but. praise and thanks giving is a duty which depends upon our gratitude and ingenuity; and nothing sooner wears off, than the sense of kindness and benefits. We are very apt to forget the blessings of God, not so much from a bad memory, as from a bad nature; to for get the greatest blessings, the continuance whereof should continually put us in mind of them, the blessings of our beings. So God complains of his people; (Deut. xxxii. 18.) "Of the God that formed thee thou hast been unmindful:" the dignity and excellency of our being above all the creatures of this visible world; (Job xxxv. 10, 11.) "None saith, Where is God my Maker, who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven;" the daily comforts and blessings of our lives, which we can continually receive, without almost ever looking up to the hand that gives them. So God complains by the prophet Hosea; (chap. ii. 8.) "She knew not that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold." And is it not shameful to see how, at the most plentiful tables, the giving of God thanks is almost grown out of fashion? as if men were ashamed to own from whence these blessings came. When thanks is all God expects from us, can we not afford to give him that? "Do ye thus requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise?" It is just with God to take away his blessings from us, if we deny him this easy tribute of praise and thanksgiving. It is a sign men are unfit for heaven, when they are backward to that which is the proper work and employment of the blessed spirits above: therefore, as ever we hope to come thither, let us begin this work here, and inure ourselves to that which will be the great business of all eternity: let us, with the four-and-twenty elders in the Revelation, "fall down before him that sits on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast our crowns before the throne," (that is, cast ourselves) and ascribe all glory to God, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast made all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." To him, therefore, the infinite and inexhaustible fountain of goodness, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation, who gave us such excellent beings, having made us little lower than the angels, and crowned us with glory and honour; who hath been pleased to stamp upon us the image of his own goodness, and thereby made us partakers of a Divine nature, communicating to us not only of the effects of his goodness, but, in some measure and degree, of the perfection itself; to Him, who gives us all things richly to enjoy which pertain to life and godliness, and hath made such abundant provision not only for our comfort and convenience in this present life, but for our unspeakable happiness to all eternity; to Him who designed this happiness to us from all eternity, and whose mercy and goodness to us endures for ever; who, when by wilful transgressions and disobedience we had plunged ourselves into a state of sin and misery, and had forfeited that happiness which we were designed to, was pleased to restore us to a new capacity of it, by sending his only Son to take our nature, with the miseries and infirmities of it, to live among us, and to die for us: in a word, to Him who is infinitely good to us, not only contrary to our deserts, but beyond our hopes; who renews his mercy upon us every morning, and is patient, though we provoke him every day; who preserves and provides for us, and spares us continually; who is always willing, always watchful, and never weary to do us good: to Him be all glory and honour, adoration and praise, love and obedience, now and for ever. __________________________________________________________________ [1] This Sermon was preached before the late happy Revolution. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLVII. THE MERCY OF GOD. The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy.--Numb. xiv. 18. I HAVE considered God's goodness in general. There are two eminent branches of it his patience and mercy. The patience of God is his goodness to them that are guilty in deferring or moderating their deserved punishment: the mercy of God is his goodness to them that are or may be miserable. It is the last of these two I design to discourse of at this time; in doing of which I shall inquire, First, What we are to understand by the mercy of God. Secondly, Shew you that this perfection belongs to God. Thirdly, Consider the degree of it, that God is of great mercy. First, What we are to understand by the mercy of God. I told you, it is his goodness to them that are in misery, or liable to it; that is, that are in danger of it, or have deserved it. It is mercy to prevent the misery that we are liable to, and which may befal us, though it be not actually upon us. It is mercy to defer the misery that we deserve, or mitigate it; and this is, properly, patience and forbearance. It is mercy to relieve those that are in misery, to support or comfort them. It is mercy to remit the misery we deserve, and, by pardon and forgiveness, to remove and take away the obligation to punishment. Thus the mercy of God is usually, in Scripture, set forth to us by the affection of pity and compassion; which is an affection that causeth a sensible commotion and disturbance in us, upon the apprehension of some great evil that lies upon another, or hangs over him. Hence it is that God is said, in Scripture, to be grieved and afflicted for the miseries of men; his bowels are said to sound, and his heart to turn within him. But though God is pleased in this manner to set forth his mercy and tenderness towards us, yet we must take heed how we clothe the Divine nature with the infirmities of human passions. We must not measure the perfection of God by the expressions of his condescension; and, because he stoops to our weakness, level him to our infirmities. When God is said to pity us, we must take away the imperfection of his passion, the commotion and disturbance of it, and not imagine any such thing in God; but we are to conceive, that the mercy and compassion of God, without producing the disquiet, do produce the effects of the most sensible pity. Secondly, That this perfection belongs to God. All the arguments that I used to prove the goodness of God, from the acknowledgment of natural light, and from Scripture and reason, serve to prove that he is merciful; because the mercy of God is an eminent branch of his goodness. I will only produce some of those many texts of Scripture which attribute this perfection to God. (Exod. xxxiv. 6.) "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious." (Deut. iv. 31.) "The Lord thy God is a merciful God." (2 Chron. xxxiv. 9.) "The Lord your God is gracious and merciful." (Nehem. ix. 17.) "Ready to pardon, gracious and merciful." (Psal. xxv. 10.) "All the paths of the Lord are mercy." (Psal. lxii. 12.) "Unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy." (Psal. ciii. 8.) "Merciful and gracious." (Psal. cxxx. 7.) "With the Lord there is mercy." And so (Jer. iii. 12. Joel ii. 13. Jonah iv. 2. Luke vi. 36.) "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." The Scripture speaks of this as most natural to him. 2 Cor. i. 3, he is called "the Father of mercies." But when he punisheth, he doth, as it were, relinquish his nature, and do a "strange work." "The Lord will wait, that he may be gracious." (Isa. xxx. 18.) God passeth by opportunities of punishing, but his mercy takes opportunity to display itself: "He waits to be gracious." To afflict or punish is a work that God is unwilling to do, that he takes no pleasure in; (Lam. iii. 33.) "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." But mercy is a work that he delights in; (Micah vii. 18.) "He delighteth in mercy." When God shews mercy, he does it with pleasure and delight; he is said to rejoice over his people, to do them good. Those attributes that declare God's goodness, as when he is said to be gracious or merciful, and long-suffering, they shew what God is in himself, and delights to be: those which declare his wrath and severity, shew what he is upon provocation, and the occasion of sin; not what he chooseth to be, but what we do, as it were, compel and necessitate him to be. Thirdly, For the degree of it; That God is a God of great mercy. The Scripture doth delight to advance the mercy of God, and does use great variety of expression to magnify it: it speaks of the greatness of his mercy; (Numb. xiv. 19.) "According unto the greatness of thy mercy." (2 Sam. xxiv. 14.) "Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great." It is called an abundant mercy; (1 Pet. i. 3.) "According to his abundant mercy." (Psal. ciii. 8.) He is said to be "plenteous in mercy;" and "rich in mercy," (Eph. ii. 4.) Psal. v. 6. he speaks of the multitude of God's mercies; and of the variety of them. (Nehem. ix. 19.) "In thy manifold mercies thou forsakest them not." So many are they, that we are said to be surrounded and compassed about on every side with them. (Psal. ciii. 4.) "Who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies." And yet further to set forth the greatness of them, the Scripture useth all dimensions. Height; (Psal. lvii. 10.) "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens." Nay, higher yet; (Psal. cviii. 4.) "Thy mercy is great above the heavens." For the latitude and extent of it, it is as large as the earth, and extends to all the creatures; (Psal. cxix. 64.) "The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy." (Psal. cxlv. 9.) "His tender mercies are over all his works." For the length, or duration and continuance of it; (Exod. xxxiv. 7.) "Laying up mercy in store for thousands of generations," one after another. Nay, it is of a longer continuance: Psal. cxviii. it is several times repeated, that "his mercy endureth for ever." And to shew the intense degree of this affection of mercy, or pity, the Scripture useth several emphatical expressions to set it forth to us. The Scripture speaks of the tender mercies of God; (Psal. xxv. 6.) "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies." Yea, of the multitude of these; (Psal. li. 1.) "According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." (Jam. v. 11.) "The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." They are called God's bowels, which are the tenderest parts, and apt to yearn and stir in us when any affections of love and pity are excited; (Isa. lxiii. 15.) "Where is the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? are they restrained?" (Luke i. 78.) "Through the tender mercy of our God;" so it is in our translation: but, if we render it from the original, it is, "through the bowels of the mercies of our God." How doth God condescend, in those pathetical expressions, which he useth concerning his people? (Hos. xi. 8.) "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned with in me, and my repentings are kindled together." Nay, to express his tender sense of our miseries and sufferings, he is represented as being afflicted with us, and bearing apart in our sufferings; (Isa. lxiii. 9.) "In all their afflictions he was afflicted." The compassions of God are compared to the tenderest affections among men: to that of a father towards his children; (Psal. ciii. 13.) "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Nay, to the compassions of a mother towards her infant; (Isa. xlix. 15.) "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may," it is possible, though most unlikely: but though a mother may turn unnatural, yet God can not be unmerciful. In short, the Scripture doth every where magnify the mercy of God, and speak of it with all possible advantage; as if the Divine nature, which doth in all perfections excel all others, did in this excel itself. The Scripture speaks of it as if God was wholly taken up with it, as if it was his constant exercise and employment, so that, in comparison of it, he doth hardly display any other excellency; (Psal. xxv. 10.) "All the paths of the Lord are mercy:" as if, in this world, God had a design to advance his mercy above his other attributes. The mercy of God is now in the throne; this is the day of mercy; and God doth display it, many times, with a seeming dishonour to his other attributes, his justice, and holiness, and truth. His justice; this makes Job complain of the long life and prosperity of the wicked; (Job xxi. 7.) "Wherefore do the wicked live, yea, become old?" &c. His holiness; this makes the prophet expostulate with God, (Habak. i. 13.) "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue?" &c. And the truth of God; this makes Jonah complain, as if God's mercies were such as did make some reflection upon his truth. (Jonah iv. 2.) But that we may have more distinct apprehensions of the greatness and number of God's mercies, I will distribute them into kinds, and rank them under several heads. It is mercy, to prevent those evils and miseries that we are liable to: it is mercy, to defer those evils that we have deserved, or to mitigate them: it is mercy, to support and comfort us when misery is upon us; it is mercy, to deliver us from them: but the greatest mercy of all is, to remit the evil and misery we have deserved, by pardon and forgiveness, to remove and take away the obligation to punishment. So that the mercy of God may be reduced to these five heads: I. Preventing mercy. Many evils and miseries which we are liable to, God prevents them at a great distance; and when they are coming towards us, he stops them, or turns them another way. The merciful providence of God, and those invisible guards which protect us, do divert many evils from us, which fall upon others. We seldom take notice of God's preventing mercy; we are not apt to be sensible how great a mercy it is to be freed from those straits and necessities, those pains and diseases of body, those inward racks and horrors which others are pressed withal, and labour under. When any evil or misery is upon us, would we not reckon it a mercy to be rescued and delivered from it? And is it not a greater mercy that we never felt it? Does not that man owe more to his physician, who prevents his sickness and distemper, than he who, after the weakness and languishing, the pains and tortures of several months, is at length cured by him? II. Forbearing mercy. And this is the patience of God, which consists in the deferring or mode rating of our deserved punishment. Hence it is, that "slow to anger," and "of great mercy," do so often go together. But this I shall speak to hereafter in some particular discourses. III. Comforting mercy. (2 Cor. i. 3.) "The Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." The Scripture represents God as very merciful, in comforting and supporting those that are afflicted and cast down: hence are those expressions of" put ting his arms under us; bearing us up; speaking comfortably; visiting us with his loving-kindness:" which signify God's merciful regard to those who are in misery and distress. IV. His relieving mercy, in supplying those that are in want, and delivering those that are in trouble. God doth, many times, exercise men with trouble and afflictions, with a very gracious and merciful design, to prevent greater evils, which men would otherwise bring upon themselves. Afflictions are a merciful invention of heaven to do us that good, which nothing else can; they awaken us to a sense of God, and of ourselves, to a consideration of the evil of our ways; they make us to take notice of God, to seek him, and inquire after him. God doth, as it were, by afflictions, throw men upon their backs, to make them look up to heaven. (Hos. v. 15.) "In their affliction they will seek me early." (Psal. lxxviii. 34.) "When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and inquired early after God." But God does not delight in this; "he "doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." When afflictions have accomplished their work, and obtained their end upon us, God is very ready to remove them, and command deliverance for us; (Isa. liv. 7, 8.) "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy redeemer." V. Pardoning mercy. And here the greatness and fulness of God's mercy appears, because our sins are great: (Psal. lxxviii. 38.) "Being full of compassion, he forgave their iniquity." And the multitude of God's mercies because our sins are many; (Psal. li. 1.) "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." (Exod. xxxiv. 7.) He is said "to pardon iniquity, transgression, and sin." How manifold are his mercies, to forgive all our sins, of what kind soever! The mercy of God to us in pardoning our sins, is matter of astonishment and admiration; (Mic. vii. 18.) "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity!" But especially, if we consider by what means our pardon is procured; by transferring our guilt upon the most innocent person, the Son of God, and making him to bear our iniquities, and to suffer the wrath of God which was due to us. The admirable contrivance of God's mercy appears in this dispensation; this shews the riches of his grace, that he should be at so much cost to purchase our pardon; "Not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of his own Son." (Eph. i. 6, 7.) "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Having dispatched the three particulars I proposed to be spoken to, I shall shew what use we ought to make of this Divine attribute. Use 1. We ought with thankfulness to acknowledge and admire the great mercy of God to us. Let us view it in all its dimensions; the height, and length, and breadth of it: in all the variety and kinds of it; the preventing mercy of God to many of us. Those miseries that lie upon others, it is mercy to us that we escaped them. It is mercy that spares us: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, and because his compassions fail not." It is mercy that mitigates our punishment, and makes it fall below the desert of our sins. It is mercy that comforts and supports us under any of those evils that lie upon us, and that rescues and delivers us from them; which way soever we look, we are encompassed with the mercies of God; they "compass us about on every side; we are crowned with loving-kindness, and tender mercies." It is mercy that feeds us, and clothes us, and that preserves us. But, above all, we should thankfully acknowledge and admire the pardoning mercy of God; (Psal. ciii. 1, 2, 3.) where David does, as it were, muster up the mercies of God, and make a catalogue of them; he sets the pardoning mercy in the front; "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thy iniquities." If we look into ourselves, and consider our own temper and disposition, how void of pity and bowels we are, how cruel, and hard-hearted, and insolent, and revengeful; if we look abroad into the world, and see how "full the earth is of the habitations of cruelty," we shall admire the mercy of God more, and think ourselves more beholden to it. How many things must concur to make our hearts tender, and melt our spirits, and stir our bowels, to make us pitiful and compassionate? We seldom pity any, unless they be actually in misery; nor all such neither, unless the misery they lie under be very great; nor then neither, unless the person that suffers be nearly related, and we be some ways concerned in his sufferings; yea, many times not then neither upon a generous account, but as we are some ways obliged by interest and self-love, and a dear regard to ourselves, when we have suffered the like ourselves, and have learned to pity others by our own sufferings, or when in danger or probability to be in the like condition ourselves; so many motives and obligations are necessary to awaken and stir up this affection in us. But God is merciful and pitiful to us out of the mere goodness of his nature; for few of these motives and considerations can have any place in him. This affection of pity and tenderness is stirred up in God by the mere presence of the object, without any other inducement. The mercy of God, many times, doth not stay till we be actually miserable, but looks forward a great way, and pities us at a great distance, and prevents our misery. God doth not only pity us in great calamities, but considers those lesser evils that are upon us. God is merciful to us, when we have deserved all the evils that are upon us; and far greater, when we are less than the least of all his mercies, when we deserved all the misery that is upon us, and have with violent hands pulled it upon our own heads, and have been the authors and procurers of it to ourselves. Though God, in respect of his nature, be at an infinite distance from us; yet his mercy is near to us, and he cannot possibly have any self-interest in it. The Divine nature is not liable to want, or injury, or suffering; he is secure of his own happiness and fulness, and can neither wish the enlargement, nor fear the impairment of his estate; he can never stand in need of pity or relief from us, or any other, and yet he pities us. Now if we consider the vast difference of this affection in God and us, how tender his mercies are, and how sensible his bowels; and yet we who have so many arguments to move us to pity, how hard our hearts are, and how unapt to relent, as if we were born of the rock, and were the offspring of the nether mill-stone: sure, when we duly consider this, we cannot but admire the mercy of God! How cruel are we to creatures below us! with how little remorse can we kill a flea, or tread upon a t worm! partly because we are secure that they cannot hurt us, nor revenge themselves upon us; and partly because they are so despicable in our eyes, and so far below us, that they do not fall under the consideration of our pity. Look upward, proud man! and take notice of Him who is above thee: thou didst not make the creatures below thee, as God did; there is but a finite distance between thee and the meanest creatures; but there is an infinite distance between thee and God. Man is a name of dignity, when we compare ourselves with other creatures; but compared to God, we are worms, and not men; yea, we are nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. How great then is the mercy of God, which regards us, who are so far below him, which takes into consideration such inconsiderable no things as we are! We may say with David, (Psal. viii. 4.) "Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?" and with Job, (chap. vii. 17.) "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" And then, how hard do we find it to forgive those who have injured us! If any one have offended, or provoked us, how hard are we to be reconciled! how mindful of an injury! how do anger and revenge boil within us! how do we upbraid men with their faults! what vile and low submission do we require of them, before we will receive them into favour, and grant them peace! And if we forgive once, we think that is much; but if an offence and provocation be renewed often, we are inexorable. Even the disciples of our Saviour, after he had so emphatically taught them forgiveness, in the petition of the Lord's Prayer, yet they had very narrow spirits as to this; (Matt. xviii. 21.) Peter comes to him, and asks him, "How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" he thought that was much: and yet we have great obligations to pardoning and forgiving others, because we are obnoxious to God, and one another: we shall many times stand in need of pardon from God and men; and it may be our own case; and when it is, we are too apt to be very indulgent to ourselves, and conceive good hopes of the mercy of others; we would have our ignorance, and inadvertencies, and mistakes, and all occasions, and temptations, and provocations, considered; and when we have done amiss, upon submission and acknowledgment of our fault, we would be received into favour: but God, who is not at all liable to us, how ready is he to forgive! If we confess our sins to him, he is merciful to forgive: he pardons freely; and such are the condescensions of his mercy, though he be the party offended, yet he offers pardon to us, and beseeches us to be reconciled: if we do but come towards him, he runs to meet us, as in the parable of the prodigal, (Luke xv. 20.) What reason have we then thankfully to acknowledge and admire the mercy of God to us! Use 2. The great mercy of God to us, should stir up in us shame and sorrow for sin. The judgments of God may break us; but the consideration of God's mercy, should rather melt and dissolve us into tears: (Luke vii. 47.) the woman that washed Christ's feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, the account that our Saviour gives of the great affection that she expressed to him, was, "she loved much, because much was forgiven her;" and she grieved much, because much was forgiven her. Especially, we should sorrow for those sins which have been committed by us after God's mercies received. Mercies after sins should touch our hearts, and make us relent: it should grieve us that we should offend and provoke a God so gracious and merciful, so slow to anger, and so ready to forgive: but sin against mercies, and after we have received them, is attended with one of the greatest aggravations of sin. And as mercy raises the guilt of our sins, so it should raise our sorrow for them. No consideration is more apt to work upon human nature, than that of kindness; and the greater mercy has been shewed to us, the greater our sins, and the greater cause of sorrow for them; contraries do illustrate, and set off one another; in the great goodness and mercy of God to us, we see the great evil of our sins against him. Every sin has the nature of rebellion and disobedience; but sins against mercy have ingratitude in them. Whenever we break the laws of God, we rebel against our sovereign; but as we sin against the mercies of God, we injure our benefactor. This makes our sin to be horrid, and astonishing; (Isa. i. 2.) "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." All the mercies of God are aggravations of our sins; (2 Sam. xii. 7, 8, 9.) "And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hands of Saul: and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thon despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?" God reckons up all his mercies, and from them aggravates David's sin; (1 Kings xi. 9.) he takes notice of all the unkind returns that we make to his mercy: and it is the worst temper in the world, not to be wrought upon by kindness, not to be melted by mercy: no greater evidence of a wicked heart, than that the mercies of God have no effect upon it; (Isa. xxvi. 10.) "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness." Use 3. Let us imitate the merciful nature of God. This branch of God's goodness is very proper for our imitation. The general exhortation of our Saviour, (Matt. v. 48.) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect;" is more particularly expressed by St. Luke, (chap. vi. 36.) "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Men affect to make images, and impossible representations of God; but, as Seneca saith, Crede Deos, cum propitii essent, fictiles fuisse, We may draw this image and likeness of God; we may be gracious and merciful as he is. Christ, who was the express image of his Father, his whole life and undertaking was a continued work of mercy; he "went about doing good" to the souls of men, by preaching the gospel to them; and to the bodies of men, in healing all manner of diseases: there is no thing that he recommends more to us, in his gospel, than this spirit and temper; (Matt. v. 7.) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." How many parables cloth he use, to set forth the mercy of God to us, with a design to draw us to the imitation of it? The parable of the prodigal; of the good Samaritan; of the servant to whom he forgave ten thou sand talents. We should imitate God in this, in being tender and compassionate to those that are in misery. This is a piece of natural, indispensable religion, to which positive and instituted religion must give way. (Hosea vi. 6.) "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice;" which is twice cited and used by our Saviour. (Micah vi. 8.) "He hath shewed thee, O man, what it is that the Lord thy God requires of thee; to do justice, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." This is always one part of the description of a good man, that he is apt to pity the miseries and necessities of others; (Psal. xxxvii. 26.) "He is ever merciful, and lendeth." He is far from cruelty, not only to men, but even to the brute creatures; (Prov. xii. 10.) "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast." There is nothing more contrary to the nature of God, than a cruel and savage disposition, not to be affected with the miseries and sufferings of others: how unlike is this to "the Father of mercies, and the God of consolation!" When we can see cruelty exercised, and our bowels not to be stirred within us, nor our hearts be pricked; how unlike is this to God, who is very pitiful, and of tender mercies! but to rejoice at the miseries of others, this is inhuman and barbarous. Hear how God threatens Edom for rejoicing at the miseries of his brother Jacob, (Obad. ver. 10-14.) But to delight to make others miserable, and to aggravate their sufferings; this is devilish, this is the temper of hell, and the very spirit of the destroyer. It becomes man, above all other creatures, to be merciful, who hath had such ample and happy experience of God's mercy to him, and cloth still continually stand in need of mercy from God. God hath been very merciful to us. Had it not been for the tender mercies of God to us, we had all of us, long since, been miserable. Now as we have received mercy from God, we should shew it to others. The apostle useth this as an argument why we should relieve those that are in misery and want, because we have had such experience of the mercy and love of God to us; (1 John iii. 16, 17.) "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, &c. how dwelleth the love of God in him?" That man hath no sense of the mercy of God abiding upon his heart, that is not merciful to his brother. And it is an argument why we should forgive one another; (Eph. iv. 32.) "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Chap. v. 1.) "Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children." (Col. iii. 12, 13.) "Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." And we continually stand in need of mercy both from God and man. We are liable one to another; and in the change of human affairs, we may be all subject to one another by turns, and stand in need of one another's pity and compassion; and we must expect, that "with what measure we mete to others, with the same it shall be measured to us again." To restrain the cruelties, and check the insolences of men, God has so ordered, in his providence, that very often, in this world, men's cruelties return upon their own heads, and their violent dealings upon their own pates." Bajazet meets with a Tamerlane. But if men were not thus liable to one another, we all stand in need of mercy from God. If we be merciful to others in suffering, and forgiving them that have injured us, God will be so to us, he will pardon our sins to us: (Prov. xvi. 6.) "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged." (2 Sam. xxii. 26.) "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful." (Prov. xiv. 21.) "He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he." (Prov. xxi. 21.) "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life." (Matt. vi. 14.) "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." But, on the other hand, if we be malicious and revengeful, and implacable to those that have offended us, and in exorable to those who desire to be received to favour, and cruel to those who lie at our mercy, hard hearted to them that are in necessity; what can we expect but that the mercy of God will leave us, that he will "forget to be gracious, and shut up in anger his tender mercy." (Matt. vi. 15.) "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." That is a dreadful pas sage: (St. James ii. 13.) "He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy." How angry is the lord with the servant who was so inexorable to his fellow-servant, after he had forgiven him so great a debt, as you find in the parable; (Matt. xviii. 24.) he owed him ten thousand talents, and, upon his submission and entreaty to have patience with him, he was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him all: but no sooner had this favour been done to him by his lord, but, going forth, he meets his fellow-servant, who owed a small, inconsiderable debt, a hundred pence; he lays hands on him and takes him by the throat, and roundly demands payment of him: he falls down at his feet, and useth the same form of supplication that he had used to his lord; but he rejects his request, and puts him in prison. Now what saith the lord to him: (ver. 32-34.) "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due unto him." Now what application doth our Saviour make of this? (Ver. 35.) "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye, from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." God's readiness to forgive us should be a powerful motive and argument to us to forgive others. The greatest injuries that we can suffer from men, if we compare them to the sins that we commit against God, they bear no proportion to them, neither in weight nor number; they are but as a hundred pence to ten thousand talents. If we would be like God, we should forgive the greatest injuries; he pardoneth our sins, though they be exceeding great; many injuries, though offences be renewed, and provocations multiplied; for so God doth to us: "He pardoneth iniquity, transgression, and sin." (Exod. xxxiv. 7.) (Isa. lv. 7.) "He will have mercy, he will abundantly pardon." We would not have God only to forgive us seven times, but seventy times seven, as often as we offend him; so should we forgive our brother. And we should not be backward to this work; God is "ready to forgive us." (Nehem. ix. 17.) And we should do it heartily, not only in word, when we retain malice in our hearts; and while we say we forgive, carry on a secret design in our hearts of revenging ourselves when we have opportunity, but we should, "from our hearts, forgive every one;" for so God doth to us, who, when he forgives us, "casts our iniquities behind his back, and throws them into the bottom of the sea, and blots out our transgression, so as to remember our iniquity no more." If we do not thus, every time we put up the petition to God, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us," we do not pray for mercy, but for judgment; we invoke his wrath, and do not put up a prayer, but a dreadful imprecation against ourselves; we pronounce the sentence of our own condemnation, and importune God not to forgive us. Use 4. If the mercy of God be so great, this may comfort us against despair. Sinners are apt to be dejected, when they consider their unworthiness, the nature and number of their sins, and the many heavy aggravations of them; they are apt to say with Cain, that "their sin is greater than can be forgiven." But do not look only upon thy sins, but upon the mercies of God. Thou canst not be too sensible of the evil of sin, and of the desert of it; but whilst we aggravate our sins, we must not lessen the mercies of God. When we consider the multitude of our sins, we must consider also the multitude of God's tender mercies: we have been great sinners, and God is of great mercy; we have multiplied our provocations, and he multiplies to pardon. Do but thou put thyself in a capacity of mercy, by repenting of thy sins, and forsaking of them, and thou hast no reason to doubt but the mercy of God will receive thee: "If we confess our sins, he is merciful and faithful to forgive them." If we had offended man, as we have done God, we might despair of pardon; but it is God, and not man, that we have to deal with; and "his ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts: but as the heavens are high above the earth, so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts." We cannot be more injurious to God than by hard thoughts of him, as if fury were in him, and, when we have provoked him, he were not to be appeased and reconciled to us. We disparage the goodness and truth of God, when we distrust those gracious declarations which he has made of his mercy and goodness; if we do not think that he doth heartily pity and compassionate sinners, and really desire their happiness. Doth not he condescend so low as to represent himself afflicted for the miseries of men, and to rejoice in the conversion of a sinner? And shall not we believe that he is in good earnest? Doth Christ weep over impenitent sinners, because "they will not know the things of their peace?" and canst thou think he will not pardon thee upon thy repentance? Is he grieved that men will undo themselves, and will not be saved? and canst thou think that he is unwilling to forgive? We cannot honour and glorify God more, than by entertaining great thoughts of his mercy. As we are said to glorify God by our repentance, because thereby we acknowledge God's holiness and justice, so we glorify him by believing his mercy, because we conceive a right opinion of his goodness and truth; we set to our seal, that God is merciful and true: (Psal. cxlvii. 11.) it is said, that "God takes pleasure in them that hope in his mercy." As he delights in mercy, so in our acknowledgments of it; that sinners should conceive great hopes of it, and believe him to be what he is. Provided thou dost submit to the terms of God's mercy, thou hast no reason to despair of it: and he that thinks that his sins are more or greater than the mercy of God can pardon, must think that there may be more evil in the creature than there is goodness in God. Use 5. By way of caution against the presumptuous sinner. If there be any that trespass upon the goodness of God, and presume to encourage themselves in sin, upon the hopes of his mercy; let such know that God is just, as well as merciful. A God of all mercy is an idol, such a God as men set up in their own imaginations, but not the true God whom the Scriptures describe: to such persons the Scripture describes him after another manner: (Nahum i. 2.) "God is jealous; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his enemies." If any man abuse the mercy of God, to "the strengthening of himself in his own wickedness, and bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, and add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven." (Deut. xxix. 19, 20.) Though it be the nature of God to be merciful, yet the exercise of his mercy is regulated by his wisdom; he will not be merciful to those that despise his mercy, to those that abuse it, to those that are resolved to go on in their sins to tempt his mercy, and make bold to say, "Let us sin that grace may abound." God designs his mercy for those that are prepared to receive it; (Isa. lv. 7.) "Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." The mercy of God is an enemy to sin, as well as his justice; and it is no where offered to countenance sin, but to convert the sinner; and is not intended to encourage our impenitency, but our repentance. God hath no where said that he will be merciful to those who, upon the score of his mercy, are bold with him, and presume to offend him; but "the mercy of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them." There is forgiveness with him, "that he may be feared," but not that he may be despised and affronted. This is to contradict the very end of God's mercy, which is, to "lead us to repentance," to engage us to leave our sins, not to encourage us to continue in them. Take heed, then, of abusing the mercy of God: we cannot provoke the justice of God more, than by presuming upon his mercy. This is the time of God's mercy; use this opportunity: if thon neglectest it, a day of justice and vengeance is coming; (Rom. ii. 4, 5.) "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance? and treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God?" Now is the manifestation of God's mercy; but there is a time a coming, when the righteous judgment of God will be revealed against those who abuse his mercy, "not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance." To think that the goodness of God was intended for any other end than to take us off from sin, is a gross and affected ignorance that will ruin us; and they who draw any conclusion from the mercy of God, which may harden them in their sins, they are such as the prophet speaks of; (Isa. xxvii. 11.) "A people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not save them; and he that formed them will shew them no favour." Mercy itself will rejoice in the ruin of those that abuse it, and it will aggravate their condemnation. There is no person towards whom God will be more severely just, than towards such. The justice of God, exasperated and set on by his injured and abused mercy, like a razor set in oil, will have the keener edge, and be the sharper for its smoothness. Those that have made the mercy of God their enemy, must expect the worst his justice can do unto them. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLVIII. THE PATIENCE OF GOD. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. iii. 9. IN the beginning of this chapter, the apostle puts the Christians, to whom he writes, in mind of the predictions of the ancient prophets, and of the apostles of our Lord and Saviour, concerning the general judgment of the world, which by many (and, perhaps, by the apostles themselves) had been thought to be very near, and that it would presently follow the destruction of Jerusalem; but he tells them, that before that, there would arise a certain sect, or sort of men, that would deride the expectation of a future judgment, designing, probably, the Carpocratians (a branch of that large sect of the Gnostics), of whom St. Austin expressly says, "That they denied the resurrection, and, consequently, a future judgment." These St. Peter calls scoffers, (ver. 3, 4.) "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" The word is epangeli'a, which signifies a declaration in general, whether it be by way of promise or threatening. What is become of that declaration of Christ, so frequently repeated in the gospel, concerning his coming to judgment? "For since the fathers fell asleep," or, saving that the fathers are fallen asleep, except only that men die, and one generation succeeds another, "all things continue as they were from the creation of the world;" that is, the world continues still as it was from the beginning, and there is no sign of any such change and alteration as is foretold. To this he answers two things: I. That these scoffers, though they took themselves to be wits, did betray great ignorance, both of the condition of the world, and of the nature of God: they talked very ignorantly concerning the world, when they said, "all things continued as they were from the creation of it," when so remark able a change had already happened, as the destruction of it by water; and therefore, the prediction concerning the destruction of it by fire, before the great and terrible day of judgment, was no ways incredible. And they shewed themselves, likewise, very ignorant of the perfection of the Divine nature; to which, being eternally the same, a thousand years and one day are all one: and if God make good his word some thousands of years hence, it will make no sensible difference concerning his eternal duration; it being no matter when a duration begins, which is never to have an end; (ver. 8.) "Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thou sand years, and a thousand years as one day." This, it seems, was a common saying among the Jews, to signify, that to the eternity of God, no finite du ration bears any proportion; and therefore, with regard to eternity, it is all one whether it be a thou sand years, or one day. The Psalmist hath an expression much to the same purpose; (Psal. xc. 4.) For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night." And the son of Sirach likewise, (Ecclus. xviii. 10.) "As a drop of water to the sea, and as a grain of sand to the sea-shore, so are a thousand years to the days of eternity." The like expression we meet with in heathen writers; "To the gods no time is long," saith Pythagoras: and Plutarch, "The whole space of a man's life, to the gods, is as nothing." And in his excellent discourse of the slowness of the Divine vengeance (the very argument St. Peter is here upon), he hath this passage, "that a thousand, or ten thou sand years, are but as an indivisible point to an in finite duration." And therefore, when the judgment is to be eternal, the delay of it, though it were for a thousand years, is an objection of no force, against either the certainty, or the terror of it; for, to eternity, all time is equally short; and it matters not when the punishment of sinners begins, if it shall never have an end. 2. But because the distance between the declaration of a future judgment, and the coming of it, though it be nothing to God, yet it seemed long to them; therefore he gives such an account of it, as doth not in the least impeach the truth and faithfulness of God, but is a clear argument and demonstration of his goodness. Admitting what they said to be true, that God delays judgment for a great while, yet this gives no ground to conclude that judgment will never be; but it shews the great goodness of God to sinners, that he gives them so long a space of repentance, that so they may prevent the terror of that day, whenever it comes, and escape that dreadful ruin, which will certainly overtake, sooner or later, all impenitent sinners: "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise," that is, as to the declaration which he hath made of a future judgment, "as some men count slackness;" that is, as if the delay of judgment were an argument it would never come. This is a false inference from the delay of punishment, and an ill interpretation of the goodness of God to sinners, who bears long with them, and delays judgment, on purpose to give men time to repent, and, by repentance, to prevent their own eternal ruin: "God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." In the handling of these words, I shall do these three things: First, I shall consider the patience and long-suffering of God, as it is an attribute and perfection of the Divine nature; "God is long-suffering to us-ward." Secondly, I shall shew that the patience of God, and the delay of judgment, is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity, as the scoffers, here foretold by the apostle, argued, that because our Lord delayeth his coming to judgment so long, therefore he would never come; "God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness." Thirdly, I will consider the true reason of God's patience and long-suffering towards mankind, which the apostle here gives; "He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." First, I will consider the patience and long-suffering of God towards mankind, as it is an attribute and perfection of the Divine nature; "God is long-suffering to us-ward." In the handling of this, I shall do these three things: I. I shall shew what is meant by the patience and long-suffering of God. II. That this is a perfection of the Divine nature. III. I shall give some proof and demonstration of the great patience and long-suffering of God to mankind. I. What is meant by the patience and long-suffering of God. The Hebrew word signifies, one that keeps his anger long, or that is long before he is angry. In the New Testament it is sometimes expressed by the word upomone`, which signifies God's forbearance, and patient waiting for our repentance; sometimes by the word anoche`, which signifies God's holding in his wrath and restraining himself from punishing; and sometimes by makrothumi'a, which signifies the extent of his patience, his long-suffering, and forbearing for a long time the punishment due to sinners. So that the patience of God is his goodness to sinners, in deferring or moderating the punishment due to them for their sins: the deferring of deserved punishment in whole, or in part, which, if it be extended to a long time, it is properly his long-suffering: and the moderating, as well as the deferring of the punishment due to sin, is an instance likewise of God's patience; and not only the deferring and moderating of temporal punishment, but the adjourning of the eternal misery of sinners, is a principal instance of God's patience; so that the patience of God takes in all that space of repentance which God affords to sinners in this life; nay, all temporal judgments and afflictions which befal sinners in this life, and are short of cutting them off, and turning them into hell, are comprehended in the patience of God. Whenever God punisheth, it is of his great mercy and patience that we are not consumed, and because his compassions fail not. I proceed to the II. Second thing I proposed, which was to shew, that patience is a perfection of the Divine nature. It is not necessarily due to us, but it is due to the perfection of the Divine nature, and essentially be longs to it: it is a principal branch of God's goodness, which is the highest and most glorious perfection of all other; and therefore we always find it in Scripture, in the company of God's milder and sweeter attributes. When God would give the most perfect description of himself, and, as he says to Moses, "make all his glory to pass before us," he usually does it by those attributes which declare his goodness; and patience is always one of them. (Exod. xxxiv. 6.) "The Lord passed by before Moses, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." (Psal. lxxxvi. 15.) "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psal. ciii. 8.) "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." And the same you find, Psal. cxlv. 8. Jonah iv. 2. Joel ii. 13. Sometimes, indeed, you find a severer attribute added to these, as that "he will by no means clear the guilty," (Exod. xxxiv. 7.) But it is always put in the last place; to declare to us, that God's goodness, and mercy, and patience, are his first and primary perfections: and it is only when these fail, and have no effect upon us, but are abused by us, to the encouragement of ourselves in an impenitent course, that his justice takes place. Nay, even among men, it is esteemed a perfection, to be able to forbear and to restrain our anger; passion is impotency and folly, but patience is power and wisdom. (Prov. xiv. 29.) "He that is slow to wrath, is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit, exalteth folly." (Prov. xvi. 32.) "He that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." (Rom. xii. 21.) "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." To be impatient, is to be overcome; but to forbear anger and revenge, is a victory. Patience is an argument of great power and command of ourselves; and therefore God himself, who is the most powerful being, is slow to anger, and of infinite patience; and nothing doth more declare the power of God, than his patience; that when he is provoked by such vile and despicable creatures as we are, he can withhold his hand from destroying us. This is the argument which Moses useth, (Numb. xiv. 17, 18.) that the power of God doth so eminently appear in his patience; "And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is gracious, and long-suffering." And yet power, where it is not restrained by wisdom and goodness, is a great temptation to anger; because where there is power, there is something to back it, and make it good: and therefore the Psalmist doth recommend and set off the patience of God, from the consideration of his power; (Psal. vii. 11.) "God is strong and patient; God is provoked every day:" God is strong, and therefore patient; or, he is infinitely patient, not withstanding his almighty power to revenge the daily provocations of his creatures. Among men, anger and weakness commonly go together; but they are ill matched, as is excellently observed by the son of Sirach: (Ecclus. x. 18.) "Pride was not made for man, nor furious anger for him that is born of a woman." So that anger and impatience is every where unreasonable. Where there is power, impatience is below it, and a thing too mean for omnipotency: and where there wants power, anger is above it; it is too much for a weak and impotent creature to be angry. Where there is power, anger is needless, and of no use; and where there is no power, it is vain and to no purpose. So that patience is every where a perfection, both to God and man. I proceed to the III. Third thing I proposed, which was, to give some proof and demonstration of the great patience and long-suffering of God to mankind. And this will evidently appear, if we consider these two things: 1. How men deal with God. 2. How, notwithstanding this, God deals with them. 1. How men deal with God. Every day we highly offend and provoke him, we grieve and weary him with our iniquities, as the expression is in the prophet: (Isa. xliii. 24.) "Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins; thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities." Every sin that we commit is an affront to the Divine Majesty, and a contempt of his authority: by denying submission to his laws, we question his omnipresence, and say, "Doth God see? and is there knowledge in the Most High?" Or if we acknowledge his omnipresence, and that he regards what we do, the provocation is still the greater; because then we affront him to his face; we dare his justice, and challenge his omnipotency, and "provoke the Lord to jealousy," as if "we were stronger than he." Is not God patient, when the whole world lies in wickedness, and the earth is overspread with violence, and is full of the habitations of cruelty? when he, who is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity," and is so highly offended at the sins of men, hath yet the patience to look upon "them that deal treacherously, and to hold his peace?" when the "wicked persecutes and devours the man that is more righteous than he?" when even that part of the world which professeth the name of God and Christ, do, by their vile and abominable lives, "blaspheme that holy and glorious name whereby they are called." Every moment God hath greater injuries done to him, and more affronts put upon him, than were ever offered to all the sons of men; and, surely, provocations are trials of patience, especially when they are so numerous, and so heinous; for if offences rise according to the dignity of the person injured, and the meanness of him that cloth the injury, then no offences are so great as those that are committed by men against God, no affronts like to those which are offered to the Divine Majesty by the continual provocations of his creatures. And is not this an argument of God's patience, that the glorious Majesty of heaven should bear such multiplied indignities from such vile worms? that he who is the Former of alt things, should endure his own creatures to rebel against him, and the work of his hands to strike at him? that he who is our great Benefactor, should put up such affronts from those who depend upon his bounty, and are maintained at his charge? that he, "in whose hands our breath is," should suffer men to breathe out oaths, and curses, and blasphemies against him? Surely, these prove the patience of God to purpose, and are equally trials and arguments of it. 2. The patience of God will farther appear, if we consider how, notwithstanding all this, God deals with us. He is patient to the whole world, in that he doth not turn us out of being, and "turn the wicked" together "into hell, with all the nations that forget God." He is patient to the greatest part of mankind, in that he makes but a few terrible examples of his justice, "that others may hear and fear," and take warning by them. He is patient to particular persons, in that, notwithstanding our daily provocations, he "prevents us daily with the blessing" of his goodness, prolonging our lives and vouchsafing so many favours to us, that, "by this great goodness, we may be led to repentance." But the patience of God will more illustriously appear, if we consider these following particulars, which are so many evidences and instances of it. 1. That God is not obliged to spare and forbear us at all. It is patience, that he doth not surprise us in the very act of sin, and let fly at us with a thunderbolt so soon as ever we have offended; that the wrath of God doth not fall upon the intemperate person, as it did upon the Israelites, "while the meat and drink is yet in their mouths;" that a man is not struck dead or mad whilst he is telling a lie; that the soul of the profane and false-swearer does not expire with his oaths and perjuries. 2. That God spares us, when it is in his power so easily to ruin us; when he can with one word command us out of being, and by cutting asunder one little thread, let us drop into hell. If God were disposed to severity, he could deal with us after another manner, and, as the expression is in the prophet, "ease himself of his adversaries, and be avenged of his enemies." 3. That God exerciseth this patience to sinners, flagrante bello, while they are up in arms against him, and committing hostilities upon him; he bears with us even when we are challenging his justice to punish us, and provoking his power to destroy us. 4. That he is so very slow and unwilling to punish and to inflict his judgments upon us. As for eternal punishments, God defers them a long while, and by all proper ways and means endeavours to prevent them, and to bring us to repentance. And as for those temporal judgments which God inflicts upon sinners, he carries himself so, that we may plainly see all the signs of unwillingness that can be; he tries to prevent them; he is loath to set about this work; and when he does, it is with much reluctance; and then he is easily persuaded and prevailed withal not to do it; and when he does, he does it not rigorously, and to extremity; and he is soon taken off, after he is engaged in it: all which are great instances and evidences of his wonderful patience to sinners. (1.) God's unwillingness to punish, appears in that he labours to prevent punishment; and that he may effectually do this, he endeavours to prevent sin, the meritorious cause of God's judgments: to this end, he hath threatened it with severe punishments, that the dread of them may make us afraid to offend; and if this will not do, he does not yet give us over, but gives us a space of repentance, and invites us earnestly to turn to him, and thereby to prevent his judgments; he expostulates with sinners, and reasons the case with them, as if he were more concerned not to punish, than they are not to be punished: and thus, by his earnest desire of our repentance, he shews how little he desires our ruin. (2.) He is long before he goes about this work. Judgment is, in Scripture, called "his strange work;" as if he were not acquainted with it, and hardly knew how to go about it on the sudden. He is represented as not prepared for such a work; (Deut. xxxii. 41.) "If I whet my glittering sword;" as if the instruments of punishment were not ready for us. Nay, by a strange kind of condescension to our capacities, and to set forth to us the patience of God, and his slowness to wrath, after the manner of men, he is represented as keeping out of the way, that he may not be tempted to destroy us; (Exod. xxxiii. 2, 3.) where he tells Moses, that he would send an angel before them; "For I will not go up in the midst of thee, lest I consume thee in the way." At works of mercy he is very ready and forward. When Daniel prayed for the deliverance of the people of Israel out of captivity, the angel tells him, that "at the beginning of his supplication, the commandment came forth," to bring him a promise of their deliverance. The mercy of God, many times, prevents our prayers, and outruns our wishes and desires: but when he comes to affliction, he takes time to do it; he passeth by many provocations, and waits long in expectation, that, by our repentance, he will prevent his judgments: "He hearkened and heard, (saith God in the prophet Jeremiah) but they spake not aright; no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done?" He is represented as waiting and listening, to hear if any penitent word should drop from them; he gives the sinner time to repent and reflect upon his actions, and to consider what he hath done, and space to reason himself into repentance. For this reason the judgments of God do often follow the sins of men at a great distance; otherwise he could easily make them mend their pace, and "consume us in a moment." (3.) When he goes about this work, he does it with much reluctance: (Hosea xi. 8.) "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim; how shall I deliver thee, Israel? Mine heart is turned within me, and my repentings are kindled together." He is represented as making many essays and offers before he came to it: (Psal. cvi. 26.) "Many a time lifted he up his hand in the wilderness to destroy them." He made as if he would do it, and let fall his hand again, as if he could not find in his heart to be so severe. God withholds his judgments till he is weary of holding in, as the expression is, (Jer. vi. 11.) until he can forbear no longer; (Jer. xliv. 22.) "So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed." (4.) God is easily prevailed upon not to punish. When he seemed resolved upon it to destroy the murmuring of the Israelites, yet how often, at the intercession of Moses, did he turn away his wrath? That he will accept of very low terms to spare a very wicked people, appears by the instance of Sodom, where, if there had been but "ten righteous persons," he would not have destroyed them for the ten's sake. Yea, when his truth seemed to have been pawned (at least in the apprehension of his prophet), yet even then repentance took him off, as in the case of Nineveh. Nay, how glad is he to be thus prevented! With what joy does he tell the prophet the news of Ahab's humiliation! "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? Because he humbleth himself, I will not bring the evil in his days." (5.) When he punisheth, he does it very seldom rigorously, and to extremity, not so much as we deserve; (Psal. ciii. 10.) "He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." Nor so much as he can, he doth not let loose the fierceness of his anger, nor pour forth all his wrath; (Psal. lxxviii. 38.) "He being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath." (6.) After he hath begun to punish, and is engaged in the work, he is not hard to be taken off. There is a famous instance of this, 2 Sam. xxiv. when God had sent three days pestilence upon Israel, for David's sin in numbering the people, and, at the end of the third day, the angel of the Lord had stretched forth his hand over Jerusalem, to destroy it; upon the prayer of David, it is said, that the "Lord repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough; stay now thine hand." Nay, so ready is God to be taken off from this work, that he sets a high value upon those who stand in the gap to turn away his wrath; (Numb. xxv. 11-13.) "Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel (while he was zealous for my sake among them), that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." That which God values in this action of Phinehas, next to his zeal for him, is, that "he turned away his wrath, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." 5. And lastly, The patience of God will yet appear with farther advantage, if we consider some eminent and remarkable instances of it; which are so much the more considerable, because they are instances not only of God's patience extended to a long time, but to a great many persons; the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah upon the whole world, as is probably conjectured, for the space of a hundred and twenty years. God bore with the people of Israel in the wilderness, after they had tempted him ten times, for the space of forty years; (Acts xiii. 18.) "And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness." And this instance of God's patience will be the more remarkable, if we compare it with the great impatience of that people; if they did but want flesh or water, they were out of patience with God; when Moses was in the mount with God but forty days, they presently fall to make new gods; they had not the patience of forty days, and yet God bore their manners forty years. God had spared Nineveh for some ages; and when his patience was even expired, and he seems to have passed a final sentence upon it, yet he grants a reprieve for forty days, that they might sue out their pardon in that time: and they did so; "They turned from their evil ways, and God turned from the evil he said he would do them, and he did it not." But the most remarkable instance of God's long-suffering is to the Jews, if we consider it with all the circumstances of it; after they had rejected the Son of God, notwithstanding the purity of his doctrine, and the power of his miracles; after they had unjustly condemned, and cruelly murdered, the Lord of life, yet the patience of God respited the ruin of that people forty years. Besides all these, there are many instances of God's patience to particular persons: but it were endless to enumerate these; every one of us may be an instance to ourselves of God's long-suffering. I shall only add, as a farther advantage to set off the patience of God to sinners, that his forbearance is so great, that he hath been complained of for it by his own servants. Job, who was so patient a man himself, thought much at it; (Job xxi. 7, 8.) "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes." Jonah challengeth God for it; (chap. iv. 2.) "Was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger," &c. Jonah had observed God to be so prone to this, that he was loath to be sent upon his message, lest God should discredit his prophet, in not being so good (shall I say, so severe) as his word. I have done with the first thing I proposed to speak to; viz. The great patience and long-suffering of God to mankind. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CXLIX. THE PATIENCE OF GOD. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.--2 Pet. iii. 9. I HAVE made entrance into these words; in the handling of which, I proposed to do these three things: First, To consider the patience and long-suffering of God, as it is an attribute and perfection of the Divine nature; "God is long-suffering to us-ward." Secondly, To shew, that the patience of God, and the delay of his judgment, is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity; "God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness." Thirdly, To consider the true reason of God's patience and long-suffering towards mankind; "He is long-suffering to us-ward; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." I have already spoken to the First of these; namely, The patience and long-suffering of God, as it is an attribute and perfection of the Divine nature. I proceed now to the Second thing I proposed; namely, To shew, that he patience of God, and the delay of judgment, is no just ground why sinners should hope for impunity; "God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;" that is, as the scoffers, here mentioned by the apostle, did ignorantly and maliciously reason, that because our Lord delayed his coming to judgment so long, therefore he would never come. There was, indeed, some pretence for this objection; because the Christians did generally apprehend that the day of judgment was very near, and that it would immediately follow the destruction of Jerusalem; and it seems, the disciples themselves were of that persuasion before our Saviour's death: when our Saviour discoursing to them of the destruction of the temple, they put these two questions to him: (Matt. xxiv. 3.) "And as he sate upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" "When shall these things be? that is, the things he had been speaking of immediately before, viz. the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dissolution of the temple; that is plainly the meaning of the first question; to which they subjoined another, "and what shall be the sign of thy coming?" that is, to judgment, "and of the end of the world?" which, in all probability, was added to the former, because they supposed that the one was presently to follow the other, and therefore the same answer would serve them both: and it appears by our Saviour's answer, that he was not concerned to rectify them in this mistake, which might be of good use to them, both to make them more zealous to propagate the gospel, since there was like to be so little time for it; and likewise to wean their affections from this world, which they thought to be so near an end. One thing, indeed, our Saviour says, which (had they not been prepossessed with another opinion) does sufficiently intimate, that there might be a considerable space of time betwixt the destruction of Jerusalem and the day of judgment; and this we find only in St. Luke, (chap. xxi. 24.) where, speaking of the miseries and calamities that should come upon the Jews, he says, "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be carried into captivity into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the gentiles, until the time of the gentiles be fulfilled." So that here were a great many events fore told, betwixt the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world, the accomplishment whereof might take up a great deal of time, as appears by the event of things; Jerusalem being at this day still "trodden down by the gentiles," and the Jews still continuing "dispersed over the world:" but the disciples, it seems, did not much mind this, being carried away with a prejudicate conceit, that the end of the world would happen before the end of that age; in which they were much confirmed by what our Saviour, after his resurrection, said of St. John, upon occasion of Peter's question concerning him, (John xxi. 21, 22.) "Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" Upon which words of our Saviour concerning him, St. John himself adds, (ver. 23.) "Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, That that disciple should not die;" that is, that he should live till the coming of our Lord, and then be taken up with him into heaven: from all which, they probably (as they thought) concluded, that the day of judgment would happen before the end of that age, whilst St. John was alive: but St. John, who writ last of the evangelists (as Eusebius tells us), and lived until after the destruction of Jerusalem, as he acquaints us with this mistake, which was current among the Christians, so he takes care to rectify it, telling us, that "Jesus said not, He should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" He tells us, that our Saviour did not affirm that "He should not die;" but, to repress St. Peter's curiosity, he says, "If it were my pleasure that he should not die at all, but live till I come to judgment, what is that to thee?" And St. Peter, likewise (or whoever was the author of this Second Epistle, or, at least, of this third chapter, which seems to be a new epistle by itself), takes notice of this mistake, about the nearness of the day of judgment, as that which gave occasion to these scoffers to deride the expectation of a future judgment among the Christians, because they had been already deceived about the time of it; and this the scoffers twitted them with in that question, "Where is the promise of his coming?" Therefore, the learned Grotius conjectures very probably, that this last epistle (contained in the third chapter) was written after the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the time fixed for Christ's coming to judgment; and, therefore, there could be no ground for this scoff until after that time. St. Peter, indeed, did not live so long; and therefore Grotius thinks, that this epistle was writ by Simeon, or Simon, who was successor of St. James in the bishopric of Jerusalem, and lived to the time of Trajan. I have been the longer in giving an account of this, that we might understand where the ground and force of this scoff lay; namely, in this, that because the Christians had generally been very confident, that the coming of Christ to judgment would be presently after the destruction of Jerusalem, and were now found to be deceived in that, therefore there was no regard to be had at all to their expectation of a future judgment; because they might be deceived in that as well as in the other. But herein they argued very falsely: because our Saviour had positively and peremptorily foretold his corning to judgment, but had never fixed and deter mined the time of it: nay, so far was he from that, that he had plainly told his disciples, that the precise time of the day of judgment God had reserved as a secret to himself, which he had not imparted to any, no, not to the angels in heaven, nor to the Son himself; (Mark xiii. 32, 33.) "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father; take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when, the time is." So that if they presumed to make any conjectures about the time when the day of judgment would be, they did it without any warrant from our Lord: it was great presumption in them to determine the time of it, when our Saviour had so expressly told them, that the Father had reserved this as a secret, which he had never communicated to any; and, therefore, if they were mistaken about it, it was no wonder. But their mistake in this, was no prejudice to the truth of our Saviour's clear prediction of a future judgment, without any determination of the time of it, for that might be at some thousands of years distance, and yet be certain for all that; and the delay of it, was no sign of the uncertainty of our Saviour's prediction concerning it, but only of God's great patience and long-suffering to sinners, in expectation of their repentance; "God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward." And this brings me to the Third and last particular in the text; namely, The true reason of God's patience and long-suffering to mankind: "He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." And for this, St. Peter cites St. Paul: (ver. 15, of this chapter.) "And account that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation;" that is, that the great end and design of God's goodness and long-suffering to sinners, is, that they may repent and be saved: "Account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you." Now these words are not expressly found in St. Paul's writings: but the sense and effect of them is, (viz. in Rom. ii. 4.) "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" God hath a very gracious and merciful design in his patience to sinners: he is good, that he may make us so, and that his "goodness may lead us to repentance:" he defers punishment on purpose, that he may give men time to bethink themselves, and to return to a better mind; "He winks at the sins of men, that they may repent," says the son of Sirach. The patience of God aims at the cure and recovery of those who are not desperately and resolutely wicked. This is the primary end and intention of God's patience to sinners; and if he fail of this end, through our hardness and impenitency, he hath other ends, which he will infallibly attain: he will hereby glorify the riches of his mercy, and vindicate the righteousness of his justice; the damned in hell shall acknowledge, that the patience of God was great mercy and goodness to them, though they abused it; for God does not lose the glory of his patience, though we lose the benefit of it, and he will make it subservient to his justice, one way or other. Those great offenders whom he spares, after there are no hopes of their amendment, he, many times, makes use of, as instruments for the punishing of others, "as rods of his wrath, for the discipline of the world;" and he often reserves those who are incorrigibly bad, for a more remarkable ruin: but, however, they are reserved to the judgment of the great day; and if, after God hath exercised much patience towards sinners in this world, he inflicts punishment on them in the next, it must be acknowledged to be most just: for what can he do less, than to condemn those who would not be saved, and to make them miserable who so obstinately refused to be happy? Before I come to apply this discourse concerning the patience and long-suffering of God to sinners, I must remove an objection or two: I. The severity of God to some sinners in this life, and to all impenitent sinners in the next, seems to contradict what hath been said concerning God's patience and long-suffering. As for the severity of God towards impenitent sinners in the next life, this doth not at all contradict the patience of God; because the very nature of patience, and forbearance, and long-suffering, does suppose a determinate time, and that they will not last always: this life is the day of God's patience, and in the next world his justice and severity will take place. And, therefore, the punishment of sinners in another world, after God hath tried them in this, and expected their repentance, is no ways contrary to his patience and goodness, and very agreeable to his wisdom and justice; for it is no part of goodness to see itself perpetually abused; it is not patience, but stupidity and insensibleness, to endure to be always trampled upon, and to bear to have his holy and just laws for ever despised and contemned. And as for his severity to some sinners in this life--as to Lot's wife; to the Israelite that gathered sticks on the sabbath-day; to Nadab and Abihu; to Uzzah; to Ananias and Sapphira; and to Herod Agrippa--in all which instances God seems to have made quick work, and to have executed judgment speedily. To these I answer, that this severity of God to some few, doth rather magnify his patience to the rest of mankind; he may be severe to some few for example and warning to many, that they may learn to make better use of his patience, and not to trespass so boldly upon it; and, perhaps, he hath exercised much patience already towards those to whom at last he is so severe, as is plain in the case of Herod, and it may well be supposed in most of the other instances; or else the sin, so suddenly and severely punished, was very heinous and presumptuous, of a contagious and spreading nature, and of dangerous example. Lot's wife sinned most presumptuously against an express and an easy command, and whilst God was taking care of her deliverance in a very extraordinary manner. That of Nadab and Abihu, and of the man that gathered sticks on the sabbath-day, were presently after the giving of the law, in which case great severity is necessary; and that of Ananias and Sapphira, at the first publishing of the gospel, that the majesty of the Divine Spirit, and the authority of the first publishers of it, might not be contemned: that of Uzzah was upon the return of the ark of God from among the Philistines, that the people might not lose their reverence for it after it had been taken captive. So that these necessary severities to a few, in comparison of those many that are warned by them, are rather arguments of God's patience than objections against it. II. It is objected, That if God do not desire the ruin of sinners, but their repentance, whence comes it to pass that all are not brought to repentance? for who hath resisted his will? To this I answer: 1. That there is no doubt but God is able to do this: he can, if he pleaseth, conquer and reclaim the most obstinate spirits; he is able out of "stones to raise up children unto Abraham:" and sometimes he exerts his omnipotence herein, as in the conversion of St. Paul, in a kind of violent and irresistible manner: but he hath no where declared that he will do this to all, and we see plainly, in experience, that he does not do it. 2. God may very well be said, "not to be willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," when he does, on his part, what is sufficient to that end; and upon this ground the Scripture every where represents God as desiring the repentance of sinners, and their obedience to his laws: (Deut. v. 29.) "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them!" So Jer. xiii. 27. "O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?" (Isa. v. 3, 4.) We find God there solemnly appealing to the people of Israel, whether there had been any thing wanting on his part that was fit to be done: "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard: what could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done to it? wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" God may justly look for the fruits of repentance and obedience from those to whom he affords a sufficiency of means to that end. And if so, then, 3. The true reason why men do not repent, but perish, is because they are obstinate, and will not repent; and this account the Scripture every where gives of the impenitency of men, and the ruin consequent upon it: (Psal. lxxxi. 13.) "O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me." (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) "Why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Prov. i. 2931.) "That they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices." The ruin of sinners doth not proceed from the counsel of God, but from their own choice. And so likewise our Saviour every where chargeth the ruin and destruction of the Jews upon their own wilful obstinacy. The inferences from this discourse concerning the patience and long-suffering of God towards man kind, shall be these three: I. To stir us up to a thankful acknowledgment of the great patience of God towards us, notwithstanding our manifold and heinous provocations. We may every one of us take to ourselves those words: (Lam. iii. 22.) "It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." They are "renewed every morning." When ever we sin, (and "we provoke God every day") it is of his "patience that we are not destroyed:" and when we sin again, this is a new and greater instance of God's patience. The mercies of God's patience are no more to be numbered than our sins: we may say with David, "How great is the sum of them?" The goodness of God in sparing us is, in some respect, greater than his goodness in creating us; because he had no provocation not to make us, but we provoke him daily to destroy us. II. Let us propound the patience of God, for a pattern to ourselves. Plutarch says, "That God sets forth himself in the midst of the world for our imitation, and propounds to us the example of his patience, to teach us not to revenge injuries hastily upon one another." III. Let us comply with the design of God's patience and long-suffering towards us, which is "to bring us to repentance." Men are very apt to abuse it to a quite contrary purpose, to the encouraging themselves in their evil ways. So Solomon observes: (Eccl. viii. 11.) "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." But this is very false reasoning; for the patience of God is an enemy to sin, as well as his justice; and the design of it is not to countenance sin, but to convert the sinner: (Rom. ii. 4.) "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Patience in God should produce repentance in us; and we should look upon it as an opportunity given us by God to repent and be saved: (2 Pet. iii. 15.) "Account that the long-suffering of God is salvation." They that do not improve the patience of God to their own salvation, mistake the true meaning and intent of it. But many are so far from making this use of it, that they presume upon it, and sin with more courage and confidence because of it; but that we may be sensible of the danger of this, I will offer these two or three considerations: 1. That nothing is more provoking to God than the abuse of his patience. God's patience waits for our repentance; and all long attendance, even of inferiors upon their superiors, hath something in it that is grievous: how much more grievous and provoking must it be to the great God, after he hath laid out upon us all the riches of his goodness and long-suffering, to have that despised! after his patience hath waited a long time upon us, not only to be thrust away with contempt, but to have that which should be an argument to us to leave our sins, abused into an encouragement to continue in them! God takes an account of all the days of his patience and forbearance: (Luke xiii. 7.) "Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" 2. Consider that the patience of God will have an end. Though God suffers long, he will not suffer always; we may provoke God so long, until he can forbear no longer without injury and dishonour to his wisdom, and justice, and holiness; and God will not suffer one attribute to wrong the rest: his wisdom will determine the length of his patience; and when his patience is to no purpose, when there is no hopes of our amendment, his wisdom will then put a period to it; then the patience of his mercy will determine. "How often would I have gathered you, and you would not? therefore your house is left unto you desolate." And the patience of God's judgments will then determine. "Why should they be smitten any more? they will revolt more and more." Yea, patience itself, after a long and fruitless expectation, will expire. A sinner may continue so long impenitent, till the patience of God, as I may say, grows impenitent, and then our ruin will make haste, and destruction "will come upon us in a moment." If men will not come to repentance, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night," as it follows in the next verse after the text; the judgment of God will suddenly surprise those who will not be gained by his patience. 3. Consider that nothing will more hasten and aggravate our ruin than the abuse of God's patience. All this time of God's patience his wrath is coming towards us; and the more we presume upon it, the sooner it will overtake us: (Luke xii. 45, 46.) the wicked servant, who said his "lord delayed his coming," and fell to rioting and drunkenness; our Saviour tells us, that "the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him." And it will aggravate our ruin; the longer punishment is a coming, the heavier it will be: those things which are long in preparation are terrible in execution; the weight of God's wrath will make amends for the slowness of it; and the delay of judgment will be fully recompensed in the dreadfulness of it when it conies. Let all those consider this who go on in their sin, and are deaf to the voice of God's patience, which calls upon them every moment of their lives. There is a day of vengeance a coming upon those who trifle away this day of God's patience: nothing will sooner and more in flame the wrath and displeasure of God against us than his abused patience, and the despised riches of his goodness. As oil, though it be soft and smooth, yet, when it is once inflamed, burns most fiercely; so the patience of God, when it is abused, turns into fury; and his mildest attributes into the greatest severities. And if the patience of God do not bring us to repentance, it will but prepare us for a more intolerable ruin: after God hath kept a long indignation in his breast, it will, at length, break forth with the greater violence. The patience of God increaseth his judgments by an incredible kind of proportion; (Levit. xxvi. 18.) "And if you will still (says God to the people of Israel) walk contrary to me, and if ye will not be reformed by all these things, I will punish you yet seven times more." And, (verse 28.) "I will bring seven times more plagues upon you, according to your sins." At first God's justice accuseth sinners; but, after a long time of patience, his mercy comes in against us, and, instead of staying his hand, adds weight to his blows; (Rom. ix. 22.) "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction?" They upon whom the patience of God hath no good effect, are "vessels of wrath, prepared and fitted for destruction." If ever God display his wrath, and make his anger known, he will do it in the most severe manner upon those who have despised and abused his patience; for these, in a more peculiar manner, "do treasure up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." To conclude: Let us all take a review of our lives, and consider how long the patience of God hath waited upon us, and borne with us; with some twenty, forty, perhaps sixty years, and longer. Do we not remember how God spared us in such a danger, when we gave ourselves for lost? and how he recovered us in such a sickness, when the physician gave us up forgone? and what use have we made of this patience and long-suffering of God to wards us? It is the worst temper in the world not to be melted by kindness, not to be obliged by benefits, not to be tamed by gentle usage. He that is not wrought upon, neither by the patience of his mercy, nor by the patience of his judgments, his case is desperate, and past remedy. "Consider this, all ye that forget God," lest his patience turn into fury; for "God is not slack, as some men count slackness; but long-suffering to sinners, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CL. THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.--Eccles. viii. 11. NOTHING is more evident, than that "the world lies in wickedness," and that iniquity every where abounds; and yet nothing is more certain, than that "God will not acquit the guilty," and let sin go unpunished. All men, excepting those who have offered notorious violence to the light of their own minds, and "have put the candle of the Lord, which is in them, "under a bushel," do believe that there is a God in the world, to whose holy nature and will sin is perfectly contrary, "who loves righteousness, and hates iniquity;" that "his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings;" that "there is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." All men, except those whose consciences are seared, as it were, with a hot iron, are convinced of the difference of good and evil, and that it is not all one, whether men serve God or serve him not, do well or live wickedly. Every man from his inward sense and experience, is satisfied of his own liberty, and that God lays upon men no necessity of sinning, but that whenever we do amiss it is our own act, and we choose to do so; and sc far is he from giving the least countenance to sin that he hath given all imaginable discouragement to it, by the most severe and terrible threatenings, such as one would think sufficient to deter men for ever from it, and to drive it out of the world; and to make his threatenings the more awful and effectual, his providence hath not been wanting to give remarkable instances of his justice and severity upon notorious offenders, even in this life: and yet, for all this, men do, and will sin; nay, they are zealously set and bent upon it. Now here is the wonder; what it is that gives sinners such heart, and makes them so resolute and undaunted in so dangerous a course. Solomon gives us this account of it; because the punishments and judgments of God follow the sins of men so slowly, and are long before they overtake the sinner; Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil." The scope of the wise man's discourse is this; that, by reason of God's forbearance and long-suffering towards sinners in this life, it is not so easy to discern the difference between them and other men; his life is the day of God's patience, but the next will see a day of retribution and recompence. Now because God doth defer and moderate the punishment of sinners in this world, and reserve the weight of his judgments to the next; because, through the long-suffering of God, many great sinners live and die without any remarkable testimony of God's wrath and displeasure against them; "therefore the heart of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil." If we render the text word for word from the original, it runs thus; "Because nothing is done as a recompence to an evil work, therefore the heart of the sons of men are full in them to do evil;" that is, because men are not opposed and contradicted in their evil ways, because Divine justice doth not presently check and control sinners, because sentence is not immediately passed upon them, and judgment executed, "therefore the heart of the sons of men is full in them to do evil;" that is, therefore men grow bold and presumptuous in sin: for the Hebrew word which we render "is fully set in them," we find, (Esth. vii. 5.) where Ahasuerus says, concerning Haman, "Who is he? and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so?" Whose heart was full to do so? Fervit in iis cor filiorum hominum; so some render it, "the hearts of men boil with wickedness;" are so full of it, that it works over. Men are resolute in an evil course, "their hearts are strengthened and hardened in them to do evil," so others translate the words. The translation of the LXX. is very emphatical, eplerophore'the kardi'a, "the heart of the sons of men is fully persuaded and assured to do evil." All these translations agree in the main scope and sense; viz. that sinners are very apt to presume upon the long-suffering of God, and to abuse it, to the hardening and encouraging of themselves in their evil ways. In the handling of this, I shall, First, Briefly shew that it is so. Secondly, Whence this comes to pass, and upon what pretences and colours of reason, men encourage themselves in sin from the patience of God. Thirdly, I shall endeavour to answer an objection about this matter. First, That men are very apt to abuse the long suffering of God, to the encouraging and hardening of themselves in an evil course, the experience of the world, in all ages, does give abundant testimony. Thus it was with the old world, "when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while he was preparing an ark, for the space of a hundred and twenty years," (1 Pet. iii. 20.) For the wickedness of man, which was great upon the earth, a general deluge was threatened: but God was patient, and delayed his judgment a great while: hereupon they grew secure in their impenitency, and went on in their course, as if they had no apprehension of danger, no fear of the judgment threatened. So our Saviour tells us: (Matt. xxiv. 38, 39.) "As in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away." And so it was with Sodom: (Luke xvii. 28.) and "likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built." And so, our Saviour tells us, it will be in the end of the world; "Even thus shall it be in the lay when the Son of man is revealed." So likewise the apostle St. Paul, (Rom. ii. 4, 5.) "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." The goodness and long-suffering of God, which ought in all reason to lead men to repentance, is to many an occasion of greater hardness and impenitency. So also St. Peter foretels, (2 Pet. iii. 3.) "That in the last lays there should come scoffers, who should walk after their own hearts' lusts, saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" And we see, in daily experience, that the greatest part of sinners grow more obstinate and confirmed in their wicked ways, upon account of God's patience, and because he delays the punishment due to them for their sins. Let us consider, in the Second place, Whence this comes to pass, and upon what pretence and colour of reason men encourage themselves in sin, from the long-suffering of God. And there is no doubt but this proceed? from our ignorance and inconsiderateness, and from an evil heart of unbelief, from the temptation and suggestion of the devil, one of whose great arts it is, to make men question the threatenings of God and to insinuate, as he did to our first parents either that he hath not denounced such threatenings, or that he will not execute them so severely. All these causes do concur to the producing this monstrous effect: but that which I design to inquire into, is, from what pretence of reason, grounded upon the long-suffering of God, sinners argue themselves into this confidence and presumption For when the wise man saith, that "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil;" he does not intend to insinuate that God's long-suffering fills the hearts of men with wicked designs and resolutions, and does, by a proper and direct efficacy, harden sinners in their course; but that wicked men, upon some account or other, do take occasion, from the long-suffering of God, to harden themselves in sin; they draw false conclusions from it to impose upon themselves, as if it were really a ground of encouragement; they think they see something in the forbearance of God, and his delay of punishment, which makes them hope for impunity in an evil course, notwithstanding the threatenings of God. And, therefore, I shall endeavour to shew, what those false conclusions are, which wicked men draw from the delay of punishment, and to discover the sophistry and fallacy of them; and I shall rank them under two heads; those which are more gross and atheistical; and those which are not so gross, but yet more common and frequent. I. Those conclusions which are more gross and atheistical, which bad men draw to the hardening and encouraging of themselves in sin, from the delay of punishment (which we, who believe a God, call the patience or long-suffering of God), are these three: either that there is no God; or, if there be, that there is no providence; or that there is no difference between good and evil. I shall speak more briefly of these, because I hope there are but few in the world of such irregular and besotted understandings, as to make such inferences as these, from the delay of punishment. 1st, From hence some would fain conclude, that there is no God. That some are so absurd as to reason in this manner, the Scripture tells us, (Psal. xiv. 1.) "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt, and have done abominable works." Now the argument that these men frame to themselves is this; God doth not take a speedy course with sinners, and revenge himself immediately upon the workers of iniquity, therefore there is no God; for if there were, he would shew himself, and not bear the affronts of sinners, when it is so easy for him to vindicate himself by a swift and speedy vengeance. Thus the poet represents the atheist arguing; Nullos esse deos, inane caelum, affirmat Selius, probatque, quod se factum, dum negat hoc, videt beatum. "Selius affirms, there are no gods, and that heaven is an empty place, and proves it, because, whilst he denies God, he sees himself in a very happy and prosperous condition." And here it is worthy our notice, at what a contradictious rate these men reason. First, They would have no God, lest he should be just, and punish them as they deserve; and then, in another mood, they would have him to be nothing but justice and severity, lest there should be a God: as if no other notion could be framed of the Divine nature, but of a rash fury, and impetuous revenge, and an impotent passion, which, when it is offended and provoked, cannot contain itself, and forbear punishment for a moment. Justice is not such a perfection as doth necessarily exclude wisdom, and goodness, and patience; it doth in no wise contradict the perfection of the Divine nature to bear with sinners, in expectation of their repentance and amendment; or if God foresees their final impenitency, to respite their punishment to the most fit and convenient season. God may suffer long, and yet be resolved, if sinners persist in the abuse of his goodness and patience, to execute vengeance upon them in due time. It is a pitiful ground of atheism, that because God is so much better than wicked men deserve, they will not allow him to be at all. 2dly, Others infer from the delay of punishment, that there is no providence that administers the affairs of the world, and regards the good and bad actions of men. For though the being of God be acknowledged, yet, if he do not regard what is done here below, nor concern himself in human affairs, sinners are as safe and free to do what they please, as if there were no God; and upon this ground, the Scripture tells us, many encourage themselves in their wickedness; (Psal. lxiv. 5.) "They encourage themselves in an evil matter; they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?" And more expressly, (Psal. xciv. 4-7.) "How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it." And if this were so, well might they encourage themselves. If it were true which Epicurus saith, "That God takes no knowledge of the actions of men; that he is far removed from us, and contented with himself, and not at all concerned in what we do:" if this were true, the inference which Lucretius makes were very just; Quare religio pedibus subjecta vicissim obteritur; "Men might trample religion under their feet, and live without any regard to the laws of it." But let us see how they infer this from the long-suffering of God, that he neglects the affairs of the world, and hath no consideration of the actions of men, because they see the ungodly to prosper in the world equally with others that are strictly devout and virtuous, yea, many times to be in a more prosperous and flourishing condition; "they are not in trouble like other men, neither are they plagued like other men." So that if there be a God, it seems (say they) that he connives at the crimes of men, and "looks on upon them that deal treacherously, and holds his peace whilst the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than himself," as the prophet expresseth it, (Habak. i. 13.) For answer to this, I shall only give this reason able and credible account of the long-suffering of God, and the impunity of wicked men in this life, which not only the Scripture gives us, but the heathen were able to give from the light of nature, and is agreeable to the common sense of mankind; namely, that this life is a state of probation and trial, wherein God suffers men to walk in their own ways without any visible check and restraint, and does not usually inflict present and remarkable punishments upon them for their evil deeds; because this, being a state of trial of the dispositions and manners of men, is rather the proper season of patience, than of punishments and rewards; and therefore it is very reasonable to suppose that God reserves sinners for a solemn and public trial at the great assizes of the world, when he will openly vindicate the honour of his justice upon the despisers of his patience and long-suffering, when he will make "his judgment to break forth as the light, and his righteousness as the noon-day." In the mean time, the providence of God, when he sees it fit, gives some remarkable instances of his justice upon great and notorious offenders in this life, as a pledge and earnest of a future judgment; and these, sometimes, more general, as in the destruction of the old world by an universal deluge, when "he saw the wickedness of men to be great upon the earth:" and such was that terrible vengeance which was poured down upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them; which, as St. Jude tells us, "are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire," that is, of a perpetual destruction by fire. 3dly, Another gross and atheistical inference, which men are apt to make from the delay of punishment; is, that there is no such difference of good and evil as is pretended; because they do not see the good and bad actions of men differenced in their rewards; because Divine justice doth not presently manifest itself; and every transgression and disobedience doth not immediately receive a just recompence of reward, therefore they cannot believe that the difference between good and evil is so great and evident. For answer to this: not to insist upon the difference which the providence of God sometimes makes between them in this life, I appeal to the consciences of men, whether they do not secretly and inwardly acknowledge a clear difference between good and evil. Are not the worst of men apt to conceive better hopes of success, when they are about a just and honest undertaking, than when they are engaged in a wicked design? Do not bad men feel a secret shame and horror, when no eye sees them, and the wickedness they are about to commit doth not fall under the cognizance and censure of any human court or tribunal? Have they not many checks and rebukes in their own spirits, much disturbance and confusion of mind, when they are enterprising a wicked thing? And does not this plainly argue, that they are guilty to themselves, that they are about something which they ought not to do? It is very true, that most men are more sensible of the evil of an action, when they feel the ill effects and consequences of it, and suffer the punishment that is due to it: but yet the sense of good and evil is so deeply impressed upon human nature, that I think no man, remaining a man, can quite deface and blot out the difference of good and evil. So that if men will but attend to the natural dictates and suggestions of their own minds, they cannot possibly infer, from the delay of punishment, that there is no difference of good and evil. But because those who are thus are but few, in comparison, there being not many in the world arrived to that degree of blindness, and height of impiety, as to disbelieve a God and a providence; and I think none have attained to that perfect conquest of conscience, as to have lost all sense of good and evil; therefore I shall rather insist, II. Upon those kind of reasonings which are more ordinary and common among bad men, and whereby they cheat themselves into everlasting perdition; and they are such as these: 1. Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, therefore sin is not so great an evil. 2. Therefore God is not so highly offended and provoked by it. Or, 3. God is not so severe in his own nature, as he is commonly represented. 4. Therefore the punishment of sin is not so certain. Or, however, 5. It is at a distance, and may be prevented time enough, by a future repentance in our old age, or at the hour of death. By some such false reasonings as these, which men think may probably be collected from the patience and long-suffering of God, they harden and encourage themselves in an evil course. 1. Because the punishment of sin is deferred, therefore they conclude it is not so great an evil; they do not feel the ill effects of it at present; all things go well and prosperously with them, no less than with those who are so strict and conscientious; and therefore they hope there is no such great evil in sin, as melancholy people are apt to fancy to themselves. For answer to this, (1.) Consider seriously what sin is, and then thou wilt see reason enough to call it a great evil. To sin. against God, is to contemn the greatest authority in the world, to contradict the greatest holiness and purity, to abuse the greatest goodness, and to provoke almighty justice to take vengeance upon thee, and to make thee as miserable as thou art capable of being. To sin against God, is to be disobedient to thy sovereign, and unthankful to thy best benefactor, and to act contrary to the greatest obligations, against thy best reason and truest interest; to disoblige thy kindest friend, and to gratify thy worst and bitterest enemy: it is to disorder thyself, to create perpetual disquiet to thy own mind, and to do the greatest mischief possible to thyself; to deprive thyself of the greatest happiness, and to draw down upon thyself extreme and eternal misery. And what do we call a great evil if this be not, which contains in it all the kinds and all the aggravations of evil that can be, and hath all the circumstances of ugliness and deformity in it that can be imagined? (2.) Whatever sin be in itself, yet from hence we can in no wise conclude that it is not a great evil, because the punishment of it is deferred for a while: from hence, indeed, it follows, that God is very good in deferring the punishment which is due to thee for thy sins, but by no means that sin is not very evil. The reprieve of a traitor does, indeed, argue the goodness and clemency of the prince, but doth not at all abate of the heinousness of the crime for which he is sentenced. The great evil of sin is evident, because the holy and just God hath for bidden it, and declared his hatred and detestation of it, and threatened it with most severe and direful punishment; but that God respites the punishment which is due to sin, and does not immediately take vengeance upon sinners, but affords them a space, and means, and opportunity of repentance, this doth not at all lessen the evil of sin, but is rather an aggravation of it, that we should offend and provoke that God who is so patient and long-suffering towards us, so very loath to bring those evils upon us, which we are so rash and forward to pull down upon ourselves. 2. If God doth not immediately punish sin upon the commission of it, and instantly let fly at the sinner, this they would construe to be a sign that he is not so highly offended and provoked by it; if he were, he would manifest his displeasure against it, by the sudden and violent effusions of his wrath. For answer to this, I desire these two things may be considered: (1.) That God himself, in his word, every where plainly declares to us his great displeasure against sin: (Psal. v. 4, 5.) "Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all the workers of iniquity." "Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness." The words are a mei'osis, and less is spoken than is meant and intended; viz. that God is so far from taking pleasure in the sins of men, that he is highly displeased at them, and bears an implacable hatred against them. And do not the terrible threatenings of God against sin declare him to be highly offended at it, when he says, "that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that know not the gospel" of his Son; and that they "shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power?" Can we think that all the threatenings of God's word, and all those direful curses which are written in his book, shall return empty, without doing any execution? Thou that now flatterest thyself in vain and groundless hopes, that none of these evils shall come upon thee, when thou comest to stand before the great Judge of the world, and to behold the killing frowns of his countenance, and to hear those bitter words of eternal displeasure from the mouth of God himself, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" thou wilt then believe that God is heartily angry and offended with thee for thy sins. We shall find in that day, that the threatenings of God's word, which we now hear securely, and without terror, had a full signification; or rather, that no words could convey to us the terror of them. What the Scripture says of the happiness and glory of the next life, is true also of the misery and punishments of the other world, that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, those terrible things which God hath reserved for the workers of iniquity." But, above all, the direful sufferings of the Son of God, when sin was but imputed to him, are a demonstration of God's implacable hatred of sin; for that rather than sin should go unpunished, God was pleased to subject his own Son to the sufferings due to it: this plainly shews that he hated sin, as much as he loved his own Son. But, (2dly,) God may conceive a very great displeasure against sin, and be highly incensed and provoked by it, and yet suspend the effects of his displeasure, and defer the punishment of it for a great while: and to imagine other wise, argues a gross mistake of the nature of God, arising from our not considering the attributes and perfections of God in conjunction and consistency with one another. When we consider one attribute of God singly, and separate it from the rest, and frame such wide and large apprehensions of it, as to exclude his other perfections, we have a false notion of God; and the reason of this mistake is, because among men, an eminent degree of any one excellency doth commonly shut out others; because, in our narrow and finite nature, many perfections cannot stand together; but it is quite otherwise in the Divine nature. In infinite perfection, all perfections do meet and consist together; one perfection doth not hinder and exclude another; and therefore, in our conceptions of God, we are to take great heed that we do not raise any one attribute or perfection of God upon the ruin of the rest. So that it is a false imagination of God, when we so attribute justice or anger to him, as to exclude his patience and long-suffering: for God is not impotent in his anger, as we are; every thing that provokes him, doth not presently put him out of patience, so that he cannot contain his wrath, and for bear immediately to revenge himself upon sinners. In this sense, God says of himself, (Isa. xxvii. 4.) "Fury is not in me." There is nothing of a rash and ungoverned passion in the wise and just God. Every sin, indeed, kindles his anger, and provokes his displeasure against us, and, by our repeated and continued offences, we still add fuel to his wrath; but it doth not of necessity instantly break forth like a consuming fire, and a devouring flame. The holy and righteous nature of God, makes him necessarily offended and displeased with the sins of men; but as to the manifestation of his wrath, and the effects of his anger, his wisdom and goodness do regulate and determine the proper time and circumstances of punishment. 3. From the patience of God, and the delay of punishment, men are apt to conclude, that God is not so severe in his nature as he is commonly represented. It is true, he hath declared his displeasure against sin, and threatened it with dreadful punishments; which he may do, in great wisdom, to keep the world in awe and order: but great things are likewise spoken of his mercy, and of the wonderful delight he takes in the exercise of his mercy: so that, notwithstanding all the threatenings which ire denounced against sin, it is to be hoped, that when sentences come to be passed, and judgment to be executed, God will remember mercy in the midst of judgment, and that mercy will triumph over judgment; and that, as now his patience stays his hand, and turns away his wrath, so, at the last, the milder attributes of his goodness and mercy will interpose and moderate the vigour and severity of his justice; and of this, his great patience and long-suffering towards sinners for the present, seems to be some kind of pledge and earnest: he that is so slow to anger, and so loath to execute punishment, may probably be prevailed upon, by his own pity and goodness, to remit it at the last: and this is the more credible, because it is granted on all hands, that no person is obliged to execute his threatenings, as he is to make good his promises: he that promiseth, passeth a right to an other; but he that threateneth, keeps the right and power of doing what he pleaseth in his own hands. I shall speak a little more fully to this, because it is almost incredible how much men bear up themselves upon vain and groundless hopes of the boundless mercy of God, and "bless themselves in their hearts, saying, they shall have peace, though they walk in the imagination of their hearts, to add drunkenness to thirst;" that is, though they still persist in their vices, and add one degree of sin to another. Now, for answer to this, (1.) Let it be granted, that a bare threatening does not necessarily infer the certainty of the event; and that the thing threatened shall infallibly come to pass: no person is obliged to perform his threatenings, as he is his promises; the threatenings of God declare what sin deserves, and what the sinner may justly expect, if he continue impenitent and incorrigible. But then we are to take notice, that repentance is the only condition that is implied in the threatenings of God, and will effectually hinder the execution of them: (Jer. xviii. 7-10.) "At what instant I speak (says God) concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, and obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them." Now if, when God hath promised to do good to a people, sin will hinder the blessing promised, and bring down judgments upon them, much more when it is particularly threatened. But as to the case of final impenitency and unbelief, God, that he might strengthen his threatenings, hath added a sign of immutability to them, having confirmed them with an oath; "I have sworn (saith the Lord) that they shall not enter into my rest:" which, though it was spoken to the unbelieving Jews, the apostle to the Hebrews applies it to a final unbelief and impenitency under the gospel, of which the infidelity of the Israelites was a type and figure. Now, though God may remit of his threatenings, yet his oath is a plain declaration that he will not; because it signifies, the firm and immutable determination of his will, and thereby puts an end to all doubts and controversies concerning the fulfilling of his threatenings. (2.) It is certainly much the wisest and safest way to believe the threatenings of God in the strictness and rigour of them, unless there be some tacit condition evidently implied in them; because if we do not believe them, and the thing prove otherwise, the consequence of our mistake is fatal and dreadful. It is true, indeed, that God, by his threatenings, did intend to keep sinners in awe, and to deter them from sin: but if he had any where revealed, that he would not be rigorous in the execution of these threatenings, such a revelation would quite take off the edge and terror of them, and contradict the end and design of them; for threatenings signify very little, but upon this supposition, that, in all probability, they will be executed: and if this be true, it is the greatest madness and folly in the world to run the hazard of it. (3.) As for those large declarations which the Scripture makes of the boundless mercy of God to sinners, we are to limit them, as the Scripture hath done, to the time and season of mercy, which is this life, and while we are in the way. This is the day of mercy and salvation; and when this life is ended, the opportunities of grace and mercy are past, and "the day of recompence and vengeance" will begin. Now God tries us, and offers mercy to us; but if we obstinately refuse it, judgment will take hold of us. And then we must limit the mercy of God to the conditions upon which he offers it, which are, repentance for sins past, and sincere obedience for the future: but if men continue obstinate and impenitent, and encourage themselves in sin, from the mercy and patience of God; this is not a case that admits of mercy, but, on the contrary, his justice will triumph in the ruin and destruction of those who, instead of embracing the offers of his mercy, do despise and abuse them: "He will laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear comes; when their fear comes as desolation, and their destruction as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon them, then they" may "call upon him, but he will not answer; they" may "seek him early, but they shall not find him." If we "despise the riches of God's goodness, and long-suffering, and forbearance," he knows how to handle us, and will do it to purpose; "with the froward he will shew himself froward," and will be, in a more especial manner, severe towards those who take encouragement from his mercy, to disbelieve and despise his threatenings. And this God hath as plainly told us, as words can express any thing: (Deut. xxix. 19, 20.) "And if it come to pass, that when he heareth the words of this curse, he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy, shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." Whatever might and power God hath reserved to himself about the execution of his threatenings, he hath plainly declared, that, of all others, those who encourage themselves in a sinful course, from the hopes of God's mercy, notwithstanding his threatenings, shall find no favour and mercy at his hand: whatever he may remit of his threatenings to others, he will certainly not spare those who believe so largely concerning the mercy of God, not with a mind to submit to the terms of it, but to presume so much the more upon it. (4.) God hath not been wanting to shew some remarkable instances of his severity towards sinners in this world. As he is pleased sometimes to give good men some foretastes of heaven, and earnests of their future happiness; so likewise, by some present stroke, to let sinners feel what they are to expect hereafter; some sparks of hell do now and then fall upon the consciences of sinners. That fear which is sometimes kindled in men's consciences in this life, that horrible anguish, and those unspeakable terrors which some sinners have had experience of in this world, may serve to forewarn us of "the wrath which is to come," and to convince us of the reality of those expressions of the torments of hell, by "the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched." That miraculous deluge, which swallowed up the old world; that hell which was rained down from heaven in those terrible showers of fire and brimstone, to consume Sodom and Gomorrah: the earth opening her mouth upon Corah and his seditious company, to let them down, as it were, quick into hell: these, and many other remarkable judgments of God, in several ages, upon particular persons, and upon cities and nations, may satisfy us, in some measure, of the severity of God against sin, and be, as it were, pledges to assure sinners of the insupportable misery and torments of the next life. (5.) The argument is much stronger the other way, that because the punishment of sinners is delayed so long, therefore it will be much heavier and severer when it comes; that the wrath of God is growing all this while, and as we fill up the measures of our sins, he fills the phial of his wrath (Rom. ii. 5.) "And according to thy hard and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." God now keeps in his displeasure; but all the while we go on in an impenitent course, the wrath of God is continually increasing and will at last be manifested by the righteous judgment of God upon sinners. God now exerciseth and displayeth his milder attributes, his goodness, and mercy, and patience; but these will not always hold out: there is a dreadful day a coming, wherein (as the apostle speaks) God will "shew his wrath and make his power known," after he hath "endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction." All this long time of God's patience and forbearance his wrath is kindling, and he is whetting his glittering sword, and making sharp his arrows; and this long preparation doth portend a much more dreadful execution; so that we should reason thus, from the long-suffering of God--God bears with us, and spares us at present, and keeps in his anger; therefore if we go on to provoke him, time will come when he will not spare, but his anger will flame forth, and his jealousy smoke against us. This is but reasonable to expect, that they who in this world forsake their own mercies, the mercy of God in the next should forsake them. 4. Another false conclusion, which men draw from the delay of punishment, is, that because it is delayed, therefore it is not so certain: the sinner escapes for the present; and though he have some misgivings and fearful apprehensions of the future, yet he hopes his fears may be greater than his danger. It is true, indeed, we are not so certain of the misery of wicked men in another world, as if it were present, and we lay groaning under the weight of it: such a certainty as this, would not only leave no place for doubting, but even for that which we properly and strictly call faith; for "faith is the evidence of things not seen:" but sure we have other faculties besides sense to judge of things by; we may be sufficiently certain of many things which are neither present nor sensible, of many things past and future, upon good ground and testimony: we are sure that we were born, and yet we have no remembrance of it; we are certain that we shall die, though we never had the experience of it. Things may be certain in their causes, as well as in their present existence, if the causes be certain. The truth of God, who hath declared these things to us, is an abundant ground of assurance to us, though they be at a great distance: the certainty of things is not shaken by our wavering belief concerning them. Besides, the very light of nature, and the common reason of mankind, hath always made a contrary inference from the long-suffering of God, and the delay of present punishment. Though men are apt to think, that because judgment is deferred, therefore it is not certain, yet the very light of nature hath taught men to reason otherwise; that because God is so patient to sinners in this life, therefore there will a time come when they shall be punished; that because this life is a time of trial and forbearance, therefore there shall be another state after this life, which shall be a season of recompence. And by this argument chiefly it was, that the wisest of the heathen satisfied themselves concerning another state after this life, and answered the troublesome objection against the providence of God, from the unequal administration of things in the world, so visible in the afflictions and sufferings of good men, and the prosperity of the wicked; viz. that there would be another state that would adjust all these matters, and set them straight, when good and bad men should receive the full recompence of their deeds. The 5th and last false conclusion which men draw from the long-suffering of God, and the delay of punishment, is this; That it is, however, probably, at some distance, and therefore they may sin yet a while longer, and all this danger may be prevented time enough, by a future repentance in our old age, or at the hour of death; and they are confirmed very much in this hope, because they see men much worse than themselves, great criminals and malefactors, upon two or three days warning, to perform this work of repentance very substantially, and to die with great comfort and assurance of their salvation. This is the most common delusion of all the rest, and hath been, I am afraid, the ruin of more souls than all the other which I have mentioned; they may have slain their thousands, but this its ten thousands. For answer to this, be pleased seriously to lay to heart these following considerations, most of which I shall speak but briefly to; because I have, upon other occasions, spoken largely to them. (1.) If there be a future judgment, then it is certain, at how great a distance soever it may be. That which shall be a thousand years hence, will certainly be; and it is but very small comfort and encouragement, considering the vast disproportion between time and eternity, to think, that after twenty or forty years shall be past and gone, then must I enter upon eternal misery; then will those intolerable torments begin, which shall never have an end. (2.) But it is not certain that it is at such a distance: when we "put from us the evil clay," it is, many times, nearer to us than we are aware; and when we think the judgment of God is at a great distance, the Judge may be near, even at the door. Our times are not in our own hands, but we are perfectly at the disposal of another, who, when he pleaseth, can put a period to them, and cause our breath to cease from our nostrils, and we shall not be: "There is no man hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death," saith the wise man, a little before the text. Thou dreamest, perhaps, of many years continuance in this world, and, perhaps, in the height of this vain imagination, "the decree is sealed, and the commandment come forth" to summon thee out of this world, and thou art just dropping into that misery, which thou fanciest to be at such a distance; whilst thou art vainly promising thyself the ease of many years, God may say to thee, "Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee;" and then, where are all thy hopes? (3.) Supposing the evil day were at a considerable distance, yet men run an infinite hazard in venturing all the hopes of their salvation upon a future repentance: for what knowest thou, O man! but thou mayest be surprised by a sudden stroke, which may give thee no warning, leave thee no space of repentance? A violent disease may seize upon thee, which may disorder thy understanding, and so weaken all thy faculties, as to render thee unfit for all reason able operations: at the best how unfit are we for the most serious work of our lives, when we are hardly lit to do any thing? Old age is a very unseasonable time for repentance, when we are full of weakness and infirmity, and our minds are crooked and bowed down by vice, as our bodies are by age, and as hard to be recovered to their first straightness; much more is it an improper time for this work, when sickness and old age meet together. There are two things in which men, in other things wise enough, do usually miscarry; in putting off the making of their wills, and their repentance, until it be too late. Men had need then be of sound understanding, and perfect memory, when they set about matters of so great consequence in respect of their temporal and eternal concernments: especially, when men have the happiness of all eternity to take care of and provide for, they had need have their understandings about them, and all the advantages of leisure and consideration, to make a sober reflection upon their past lives, and make up their accounts with God, and to set all things right between him and them; and it is well if, after all, a repentance wilfully deferred so long, so short and imperfect, so confused and huddled up, will at last be accepted as a tolerable atonement for the crimes and miscarriages of a long life. (4.) Suppose thou wert sure to repent before thou leavest the world, and to do this work thoroughly, which no man can promise to himself, that deliberately delays it; yet this can be no reasonable encouragement to go on in an evil course, because we do but hereby aggravate our own trouble, and treasure up much more sorrow and affliction to ourselves against the day of repentance, and consequently sin on, in hopes of being hereafter so much the more troubled and grieved for what we have done; as if a man should go on to break the laws, in hopes of a more severe and exemplary punishment: sure this can be no encouragement or ground of hope to any reasonable and considerate man. Lastly, As to the encouragement which men take from the sudden repentance of great criminals and malefactors, and their dying with so much comfort and assurance; if this be well considered, there is little comfort to be fetched from such examples. For, 1st, Though a sincere repentance in such circum stances be possible; yet it is almost impossible for the party himself concerned, much more for others, upon any good ground, to judge when it is sincere. God, who knows the hearts of men, and whether, if they had lived longer, they would, in the future course of their lives, have justified and made good their repentance and good resolutions, only knows the sincerity of it. But, 2dly, No certain judgment is to be made for the comfort and confidence of the party concerned; for the business is not what comfort and confidence men have, but what ground they have for it; and whereas men are apt piously to suppose that so extraordinary a comfort and assurance is wrought in them by the Spirit of God, nothing is more uncertain: because we sometimes see those who give no such testimony of their repentance, to die with every whit as much courage, and comfort, and confident persuasion of their salvation, as those that do. But this, certainly, is not from the Spirit of God: a natural obstinacy and courage may carry men a great way; and false and mistaken principles may fill men, for the present, with as much comfort and confidence as well-grounded hopes. In the church of Rome, great numbers of those who have led very wicked lives, after a formal confession and absolution, and some good words of encouragement from the priest, die as full of peace and comfort, to all appearance, as the best of men. Indeed, it is very natural to men who find themselves in a desperate condition to be strangely elevated and raised, upon any hopes of escaping so great a danger as they apprehend themselves to be in; especially if these hopes be given them by a grave man, of whose piety and judgment they have a venerable opinion. When men have the sentence of death in themselves, as all wicked livers must have, they are naturally apt to be overjoyed at the unexpected news of a pardon. To speak my mind freely in this matter, I have no great opinion of that extraordinary comfort and confidence which some have, upon a sudden repentance, for great and flagrant crimes; because I cannot discern any sufficient ground for it. I think great humility and dejection of mind, and a doubtful apprehension of their condition, next almost to a despair of it, would much better become them; because their case is really so very doubtful in itself. There is great reason for the repentance of such persons, and it becomes them well; but I see very little reason for their great comfort and confidence, nor does it become their circumstances and condition. Let them exercise as deep repentance as is possible, and "bring forth all the fruits meet for it" that are possible in so short a time: let them humble themselves before God, and pray incessantly to him, day and night, for mercy; make all the reparation they can, for the injuries they have done, by confession, and acknowledgment, and by making satisfaction to the parties injured, if it be in their power; by giving alms to the poor; by warning others, and endeavouring to reclaim them to a better mind, and course of life; and for the rest, humbly commit themselves to the mercy of God, in Jesus Christ: let them imitate, as near as they can, the behaviour of the penitent thief, the only example the Scripture has left us of a late repentance that proved effectual, who gave the greatest testimony that could be of a penitent sorrow for his sins, and of his faith in the Saviour of the world, by a generous and courageous owning of him in the midst of his disgrace and suffering, when even his own disciples had denied and forsaken him: but we do not find in him any signs of extraordinary comfort, much less of confidence, but he humbly commended himself to the mercy and goodness of his Saviour, saying, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLI. THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.--Eccles. viii. 11. I HAVE considered how apt men are to abuse the long-suffering of God, to the hardening and encouraging of themselves in sin, and when this comes to pass; where I considered the several false conclusions which sinners draw from the delay of punishment, as if there were no God, or providence, or difference of good and evil; or else, as is more commonly pretended, that sin is not so great an evil, and that God is not so highly offended at it, or that God is not so severe as he is represented; that the punishment of sin is not so certain; or, however, it is at a distance, and may be prevented by a future repentance: all which I have spoken fully to, and endeavoured to shew the fallacy and unreasonableness of them. I shall now proceed to the Third and last thing I propounded, which was, to answer an objection to which this discourse may seem liable, and that is this; If the long-suffering of God be the occasion of men's hardness and impenitency, then why is God so patient to sinners, when they are so prone to abuse his goodness and patience? And how is it goodness in God to for bear sinners so long, when this forbearance of his is so apt to minister to them an occasion of their farther mischief and greater ruin? It should seem, according to this, that it would be much greater mercy to the greatest part of sinners, not to be patient toward them at all; but instantly, upon the first occasion and provocation, to cut them off, and so to put a stop to their wickedness, and to hinder them from making themselves more miserable, by increasing their guilt, and "treasuring up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath." This is the objection; and because it seems to be of some weight, I shall endeavour to return a satisfactory answer to it in these following particulars. And, I. I ask the sinner if he will stand to this: art thou serious, and wouldest thou, in good earnest, have God to deal thus with thee, to take the very first advantage to destroy thee, or turn thee into hell, and to make thee miserable beyond all hopes of recovery? Consider of it again. Dost thou think it desirable, that God shall deal thus with thee, and let fly his judgments upon thee, so soon as ever thou hast sinned? If not, why do men trifle, and make an objection against the long-suffering of God, which they would be very loath should be made good upon them? If. It is likewise to be considered, that the long-suffering of God towards sinners is not a total forbearance: it is usually so mixed with afflictions and judgments of one kind or other, upon ourselves or others, as to be a sufficient warning to us, if we would consider and lay it to heart, to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon us:" lest that judgment which we saw inflicted upon others come home to us. And is not this great goodness to warn us, when he might destroy us? to leave room for a retreat, when he might put our case past remedy? All this time of God's patience he threatens sinners, to awaken them out of their security; he punisheth them gently, that we may have no ground to hope for impunity; he makes examples of some in a more severe and remarkable manner, that others may hear, and fear, and be afraid to commit the like sins, lest the like punishment overtake them; he whips some offenders before our eyes, to shew us what sin deserves, and what we also may justly expect, if we do the same thing: and will nothing be a warning to us, but our own sufferings! Nay, God doth usually send some judgment or other upon every sinner in this life; he lets him feel the rod, that he may know that it is "an evil and bitter thing to sin against him." He exerciseth men with many afflictions, and crosses, and disappointments, which their own consciences tell them are the just recompences of their deeds; and by these lighter strokes, he gives us a merciful warning to avoid his heavier blows; when mercy alone will not work upon us and win us, but, being fed to the full, we grow wanton and foolish, he administers physic to us by affliction, and by adversity endeavours to bring us to consideration and a sober mind; and many have been cured this way, and the judgments of God have done them that good, which his mercies and blessings could not; for God would save us any way, by his mercy or by his judgment, by sickness or by health, by plenty or by want, by what we desire, or by what we dread; so desirous is he of our repentance and happiness, that he leaves no method unattempted that may probably do us good; he strikes upon every passion in the heart of man; he works upon our love by his goodness, upon our hopes by his promises, and upon our fears, first by his threatenings, and if they be not effectual, then by his judgments; he tries every affection, and takes hold of it, if by any means he may draw us to himself; and will nothing warn us but what will ruin us, and render our case desperate and past hope! And if any sinner be free from outward afflictions and sufferings, yet sin never fails to carry its own punishment along with it; there is a secret sting and worm, a Divine nemesis and revenge that is bred in the bowels of every sin, and makes it a heavy punishment to itself; the conscience of a sinner doth frequently torment him, and his guilt haunts and dogs him wherever he goes; for whenever a man commits a known and wilful sin, he drinks down poison, which, though it may work slowly, yet it will give him many a gripe, and, if no means be used to expel it, will destroy him at last. So that the long-suffering of God is wisely ordered, and there is such a mixture of judgments in it, as is sufficient to awaken sinners, and much more apt to deter them from sin, than to encourage them to go on and continue in it. III. Nothing is farther from the intention of God than to harden men by his long-suffering. This the Scripture most expressly declares; (2 Pet. iii. 9.) "He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." He hath a very gracious and merciful design in his patience towards sinners, and is therefore good, that he may make us so, and that we may cease to do evil. The event of God's long-suffering may, by our own fault and abuse of it, prove our ruin; but the design and intention of it is our repentance. "He winks at the sins of men (saith the son of Sirach) that they may repent." He passeth them by, and does not take speedy vengeance upon sinners for them, that they may have time to repent of them, and "to make their peace with them while they are yet in the way." Nay, his long-suffering doth not only give space for repentance, but is a great argument and encouragement to it. That he is so loath to surprise sinners, that he gives them the liberty of second thoughts, time to reflect upon themselves, to consider what they have done, and to retract it by repentance, is a sufficient intimation that he hath no mind to ruin us, that "he desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live." And should not this goodness of his make us sorry that we have offended him? Doth it not naturally lead and invite us to repentance? What other interpretation can we make of his patience, what other use in reason should we make of it, but to repent and return that we may be saved? IV. There is nothing in the long-suffering of God, that is in truth any ground of encouragement to men in an evil course; the proper and natural tendency of God's goodness is to lead men to repentance, and by repentance to bring them to happiness: (Rom. ii. 4.) "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" This St. Peter, with relation to these very words of St. Paul, interprets, "leading to salvation;" (2 Pet. iii. 15.) "And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, as our beloved brother Paul also hath written unto you. Now where did St. Paul write so, unless in this text; "not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance?" It is not only great ignorance, and a very gross mistake, to think that it is the design and intention of God's patience and long-suffering to encourage men in sin; but likewise to think, that, in the nature of the thing, goodness can have any tendency to make men evil; "not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance." V. That through the long-suffering of God sinners are hardened in their evil ways, is wholly to be ascribed to their abuse of God's goodness; it is neither the end and intention, nor the proper and natural effect of the thing, but the accidental event of it through our own fault. And is this any real objection against the long-suffering of God? May not God be patient, though sinners be impenitent? May not he be good, though we be so foolish as to make an ill use of his goodness? Because men are apt to abuse the mercies and favours of God, is it therefore a fault in him to bestow them upon us? Is it not enough for us to abuse them, but will we challenge God also of unkindness in giving them? May not God use wise and fitting means for our recovery, because we are so foolish as not to make a wise use of them? And must he be charged with our ruin, because he seeks by all means to prevent it? Is it not enough to be injurious to ourselves, but will we be unthankful to God also? When God hath laid out "the riches of his goodness and patience" upon sinners, will they challenge him as accessary to their ruin? As if a foolish heir, that hath prodigally wasted the fair estate that was left him, should be so far from blaming himself, as to charge his father with undoing him. Are these the best returns which the infinite mercy and patience of God hath deserved from us? "Do we thus requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise!" God's patience would save sinners, but they ruin themselves by their abuse of it: let the blame then lie where it is due, and let God have the glory of his goodness, though men refuse the benefit and advantage of it. VI. And lastly; But because this objection pincheth hardest in one point, viz. that God certainly foresees that a great many will abuse his long-suffering, to the increasing of their guilt, and the aggravating of their condemnation; and how is long-suffering any mercy and goodness to those, who he certainly foreknows will in the event be so much the more miserable, for having had so much patience extended to them? Therefore, for a full answer, I desire these six things may be considered: 1. That God designs this life for the trial of our obedience, that, according as we behave ourselves, he may reward or punish us in another world. 2. That there could be no trial of obedience, nor any capacity of rewards and punishments, but upon the supposition of freedom and liberty; that is, that we do not do what we do upon force and necessity, but upon free choice. 3. That God, by virtue of the infinite perfection of his knowledge, does clearly and certainly fore see all future events, even those which are most contingent, such as are the arbitrary actions of free and voluntary agents. This I know hath been denied, but without reason; since it is not only contrary to the common apprehensions of mankind, from the very light of nature, that God should not foreknow future events, but to clear and express Scripture; and that in such instances, for the sake of which they deny God's fore-knowledge, in general, of the future actions of free and voluntary agents; I mean, that the Scripture expressly declares God's determinate fore-knowledge of the most wicked actions; as the crucifying of Christ, who is said, "according to the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God," to have been "by wicked hands crucified and slain." 4. That the bare fore-knowledge of things future hath no more influence upon them to make them to be, than the sight and knowledge of things present hath upon them to make them to be present. I may see or know that the sun is risen, without being the cause of its rising; and no more is bare knowledge of future events the cause that they are when they are. And if any man ask, how God can certainly foreknow things which depend upon free and arbitrary causes, unless he do some way decree and determine them? I answer, that this is not a fair and reasonable demand to ask of men, who have but finite understandings, to make out and declare all the ways that infinite knowledge hath of knowing and of foreseeing the actions of free creatures, without prejudice to their liberty and freedom of acting. However, it is, of the two, much more credible to reason, that infinite knowledge should certainly foreknow things, which our understandings cannot imagine how they should be foreknown, than that God should any ways be the author of sin, by determining and decreeing the wicked actions of men. The first only argues the imperfection of our under standing; but the other lays the greatest blemish and imperfection that can be upon the Divine nature. So that this difficult controversy about the fore knowledge of God is brought to this point, whether a man had better believe that infinite knowledge may be able to foreknow things in a way which our finite understanding cannot comprehend; or to ascribe something to God, from whence it would unavoidably follow, that he is the author of sin. The first is only a modest and just acknowledgment of our own ignorance, the last is the utmost and greatest absurdity that a man can be brought to; and to say that we cannot believe the fore-knowledge of God, unless we can make out the particular manner of it, is more unreasonable, than if an ignorant man should deny a difficult proposition in Euclid, or Archimedes, to be demonstrated, because he knows not how to demonstrate it. 5. And consequently, fore-knowledge and liberty may very well consist; and, notwithstanding God's fore-knowledge of what men will do, they may be as free as if he did not foreknow it. And, Lastly, That God doth not deal with men according to his fore-knowledge of the good or bad use of their liberty, but according to the nature and reason of things; and therefore, if he be long-suffering toward sinners, and do not cut them off upon the first provocation, but give them a space and opportunity of repentance, and use all proper means and arguments to bring them to repentance, and be ready to afford his grace to excite good resolutions in them, and to second and assist them, and they refuse and resist all this; their wilful obstinacy and impenitency is as culpable, and God's goodness and patience as much to be acknowledged, as if God did not foresee the abuse of it; because his foresight and knowledge of what they would do laid no necessity upon them to do what they did. If a prince had the privilege of fore-knowledge, as God hath, and did certainly foresee that a great many of his subjects would certainly incur the penalty of his laws, and that others would abuse his goodness and clemency to them; yet, if he would govern them like free and reasonable creatures, he ought to make the same wise laws to restrain their exorbitancy, and to use the same clemency in all cases that did fairly admit of it, as if he did not at all foresee what they would do, nor how they would abuse his clemency; for it is nevertheless fit to make wise and reasonable laws, and to govern with equity and clemency, though it were certainly fore seen that they that are governed would act very foolishly and unreasonably in the use of their liberty. It is great goodness in God to give men the means and opportunity of being saved, though they abuse his goodness to their farther ruin; and he may be heartily grieved for that folly and obstinacy in men, which he certainly foresees will end in their ruin; and may, with great seriousness and sincerity, wish they would do otherwise, and were as "wise to do good," as they are "wilful to do evil." And thus he is represented in Scripture, as regretting the mischief which men wilfully bring upon themselves: "O that they were wise! O that they would understand, and consider their latter end!" And this is sufficient to vindicate the goodness of God in his patience and long-suffering to sinners, and to make them wholly guilty of all that befals them for their wilful contempt and abuse of it. I shall draw some inferences from this whole discourse upon this argument. I. This shews the unreasonableness and perverse disingenuity of men, who take occasion to harden and encourage themselves in sin from the long-suffering of God, which, above all things in the world, should melt and soften them. Thou hast sinned, and art liable to the justice of God; sentence is gone forth, but God respites the execution of it, and hath granted thee a reprieve, and time and opportunity to sue out thy pardon. Now what use ought we in reason to make of this patience of God to wards us? We ought certainly "to break off our sins by" a speedy "repentance, lest iniquity be our ruin;" immediately to sue out our pardon, and "to make our peace with God, while we are yet in the way," and to resolve never any more willingly to offend that God, who is so gracious and merciful, so long-suffering and full of compassion. But what use do men commonly make of it? They take occasion to confirm and strengthen themselves in their wickedness, and to reason themselves into vain and groundless hopes of impunity. Now what a folly is this, because punishment doth not come, therefore to hasten it, and to draw it down upon ourselves? Because it hath not yet overtaken us, therefore to go forth and meet it? Because there is yet a possibility of escaping it, therefore to take a certain course to make it unavoidable? Because there is yet hope concerning us, therefore to make our case desperate and past remedy? See how unreason ably men bring ruin upon themselves; so that well might the Psalmist ask that question, "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" But their folly and unreasonableness is not so great, but their perverseness and disingenuity is greater. To sin because God is long-suffering, is "to be evil because he is good," and to provoke him, because he spares us: it is to strive with God, and to contend with his goodness, as if we were resolved to try the utmost length of his patience; and because God is loath to punish, therefore to urge and importune him to that which is so contrary to his inclination. II. This may serve to convince men of the great evil and danger of thus abusing the long-suffering of God. It is a provocation of the highest nature, because it is to trample upon his dearest attributes, those which he most delights and glories in, his goodness and mercy; for the long-suffering of God is his goodness to the guilty, and his mercy to those who deserve to be miserable. Nothing makes our ruin more certain, more speedy, and more intolerable, than the abuse of God's goodness and patience. After God had borne long with that rebellious people, the children of Israel, and, notwithstanding all their murmurings, all their infidelity and impenitency, had spared them ten times, at last he sets his seal to their ruin: (Heb. iii. 8, 9.) "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers proved me, and saw my works forty years." This was a high provocation indeed, to harden their hearts under the patience and long-suffering of God, after forty years trial and experience of it: (ver. 10.) "Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They are a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways." And what was the issue of all this? Upon this God takes up a fixed resolution to bear no longer with them, but to cut them off from the blessings he had promised to bestow upon them; "He sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest.--To whom sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?" Or as the word may be rendered, "to them that were disobedient?" that is, to them who went on in their rebellion against him, after he had suffered their manners forty years. And as the abuse of God's patience renders our destruction more certain, so more speedy and more intolerable. We think, that because God suffers long he will suffer always; and because punishment is delayed, therefore it will never come; but it will come the sooner for this: so our Lord tells us, (Luke xii.) when the servant said, his lord delayed his corning; "the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looks not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites." None so like to be surprised by the judgment of God, as those who trespass so boldly upon his patience. III. To persuade us to make a right use of the patience and long-suffering of God, and to comply with the merciful end and design of God therein. 1. It is the design of God's long-suffering to give us a space of repentance. Were it not that God had this design and reasonable expectation from us, he would not reprieve a sinner for one moment, but would execute his judgments upon him so soon as ever he had offended. This our Saviour declares to us by the parable of the fig-tree, (Luke xiii. 6.) Were it not that God expects from us the fruit of repentance, he would cut us down, and not suffer us to cumber the ground: after he had "waited three years, seeking fruit and finding none, he spares it one year more, to see if it would bear fruit." 2. The long-suffering of God is a great encouragement to repentance. We see by his patience that he is not ready to take advantage against us; that he spares us when we offend, is a very good sign that he will forgive us if we repent. Thus natural light would reason; and so the King of Nineveh, a heathen, reasons, "Who can tell if God will turn and repent?" But we are fully assured of this by the gracious declarations of the gospel, and the way of pardon and forgiveness, which is therein established through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, who was made a "propitiation for the sins of the whole world." Therefore the long-suffering of God should be a powerful argument to us, "to break off our sins by repentance:" for this is the end of God's patience; "He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from his way and live." God every where expresseth a vehement desire and earnest expectation of our repentance and conversion. (Jer. iv. 14.) "O Jerusalem! wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved." And, (chap. xiii. 27.) "Woe unto thee, Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?" He who is so patient as to the punishment of our sins, is almost impatient of our repentance for them; "Wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?" And can we stand out against his earnest desire of our happiness, whom we have so often and so long provoked to make us miserable? Let us then return into ourselves, and think seriously what our case and condition is; how we have lived, and how long the patience of God hath suffered our manners, and waited for our repentance, and how inevitable and intolerable the misery of those must be who live and die in the contempt and abuse of it; let us heartily repent of our wicked lives, and say, "What have we done?" How careless have we been of our own happiness, and what pains have we taken to undo ourselves! Let us speedily set about this work, because we do not know how long the patience of God may last, and the opportunities of our salvation be continued to us. This day of God's grace and patience will have an end; therefore, as the prophet exhorts, (Isa. lv. 6.) "Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near." Now God graciously invites sinners to come to him, and is ready to receive them; nay, if they do but move towards him, he is ready to go forth and meet them half way; but the time will come, when he will bid them depart from him; when they shall cry, "Lord, Lord, open unto us," and the door of mercy shall be shut against the them. All the while thou delayest this necessary work, thou venturest thy immortal soul, and puttest thy eternal salvation upon a desperate hazard; and should God snatch thee suddenly away in an impenitent state, what would become of thee? Thou art yet in the way, and God is yet reconcileable, but death is not far off, and perhaps much nearer to thee than thou art aware; at the best thy life is uncertain, and death will infallibly put a period to this day of God's grace and patience. Repentance is a work so necessary, that methinks no man should lose so much time as to deliberate, whether he should set about it or not; De necessariis nulla est deliberatio; "No man deliberates about what he must do, or be undone if he do it not." It is a work of so great consequence and concernment, and the delay of it so infinitely dangerous, that one would think no wise man could entertain a thought of deferring it. What greater folly and stupidity can there be, than for men to venture their immortal souls, and to run an apparent hazard in matters of everlasting consequence. This day of God's patience is the great opportunity of our salvation; and if we let it slip, it is never to be recovered: if we misimprove this time of our life, we shall not be permitted to live it over again to improve it better. Our state of trial ends with this life; after that God will prove us no more; then we shall wish, "O that I had known, in that my day, the things which belonged to my peace! but now they are hid from mine eyes: therefore to day, whilst it is called to-day, harden not your hearts, make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day; for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed. Exercise repentance in the time of health, and defer not till death to be justified." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLII. THE POWER OF GOD. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God.--Psalm lxii. 11. IN treating of the attributes of God, I have considered those which relate to the Divine understanding, to which I referred his knowledge and wisdom; those also which relate to the Divine will; viz. God's justice, truth, holiness, and goodness: I come now to consider his power of acting, which is his omnipotency; this I shall speak to from these words. In the beginning of this Psalm, David declares that God was the great object of his trust and confidence, and that all his hopes and expectation of safety and deliverance were from him, (ver. 1, 2.) And this makes him challenge his enemies for all their mischievous qualities and devices against him, as vain attempts, (ver. 3, 4.) Hereupon he chargeth himself to continue his trust and confidence in God, from whom was all his expectation, and who was able to save and deliver him, (ver. 5-7.) And from his example and experience, he encourageth and exhorts all others to trust in God, (ver. 8.) and that from two arguments. 1. Because all other objects of our trust and confidence are vain and insufficient, and will fail those that rely upon them. If we will rely upon any thing in this world, it must either be persons or things; but we cannot safely repose our trust in either of these. Not in persons: they may be reduced to one of these two heads, either high or low: those that are of a mean condition, it would be in vain to trust them; they that cannot secure themselves from meanness, cannot secure others from mischief; "Men of low degree are vanity:" but the great ones of the world, they seem to promise something of assistance and security to us; but if we depend upon them, they will frustrate us; "Men of high degree are a lie." As for the things of the world, that which men usually place their confidence in, is riches; these are either got by unlawful or lawful means; if they be ill gotten, by oppression or robbery, they will be so far from securing us from evil, that they will bring it upon us; if they be well gotten, they are of such an uncertain nature, that we have little reason to place our hopes in them; "if riches increase, set not your hearts upon them;" that is, your hope; for heart in Scripture signifies any of the affections. 2. Because God is the proper object of our trust and confidence. We may safely rely upon any one, in whom these two things concur a power to help us, and goodness to incline him so to do. Now David tells us, that both these are eminently in God, and do in a peculiar manner belong to him; power, (ver. 11.) and goodness, (ver. 12.) I shall speak to that which David makes the first ground of our confidence, the power of God; "power belongs to God:" for which he brings the testimony of God himself; "once hath God spoken, yea, twice have I heard this." Some interpreters trouble themselves about the meaning of this expression, as if it did refer to some particular revelation of God: and then again, they are troubled how to reconcile God's speaking this but once, with David's hearing it twice: but I do not love to spy mysteries in those expressions, which are capable of a plain sense; for I understand no more by it but this, that God hath several times revealed this; he frequently declared himself by this attribute, ." once, yea twice;" that is, he hath spoken it often, and David had heard it often. This is answerable to that phrase of the Latins, Semel atque iterum; and it is usual in all writers, to use a certain number for an uncertain, and particularly among poets, Felices ter et amplius.--Horace. And so in the poetical writers of Scripture: (Job v. 19.) He hath "delivered thee in six troubles, yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee;" that is, in several and various troubles. (Eccles. xi. 2.) "Give a portion to seven, and also to eight;" that is, distribute thy charity to many: and, which is nearest to this, (Job xl. 5.) "Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no farther;" that is, I have had several discourses with my friends: and (xxxiii. 14.) "God speaketh once, yea, twice, in a dream, in a vision of the night;" that is, God reveals himself in several ways and manners to men: so here, "God hath spoken once, yea, twice;" that is, God hath often declared this. And if I would be so curious to refer to a particular declaration of God, I should think that it related either to the preface to the law, "I am the Lord thy God," that is, the great and powerful God, "that brought thee out of the land of Egypt;" or rather to the declaration which God made of himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of the Almighty God, (Gen. xvii. 1.) Concerning which revelation of God, it is said expressly, (Exod. vi. 3.) "I appeared unto Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah, was I not known to them." But that which I design to speak to is the proposition itself, that power belongs to God; that is, that the excellency of power, power in its highest degree and perfection, all power belongs to God; that is, that omnipotence is a property or perfection of the Divine nature. In the handling of this I shall shew, First, What we are to understand by the omnipotence of God. Secondly, That this perfection belongs to God. First, What we are to understand by the omnipotence of God. And this I shall consider, I. As to the principle. And, II. As to the exercise of it. I. As to the principle; it is an ability to do all things, the doing of which speaks power and perfection; that is, whatever is not repugnant either to the nature of things, or of God; whatever does not imply a contradiction in the thing, or an imperfection in the doer; an ability to do all things which are consistent with itself, and with the Divine nature and perfection; by which we must mean an executive power, the effect whereof is without himself; for what he is said to do within himself, the acts of his understanding and will, as we conceive his will to be distinct from his power, are not to be referred to his omnipotence. To have a right conception of omnipotence, we must imagine the most perfect active principle that we can, and it is still something more perfect than that, or any thing we can imagine. To help our conception, 1. Let us imagine a principle from which all other power is derived, and upon which it depends, and to which it is perfectly subject and subordinate. 2. A perfect active principle, which can do, not only what any finite being or creature can do, but what all beings joined together can do; nay, more and greater things than they all can do. 3. A perfect active principle, to which nothing can make any considerable, much less effectual resistance, which can check and countermand at pleasure, and carry down before it, and annihilate all other powers that we can imagine besides this; because we cannot imagine any other power, that is not derived from this, and does not depend upon it. 4. A perfect active principle, which can do all things in a most perfect manner, and can do all things at once, and in an instant, and that with ease. We can but do one thing at once; and the greater and more considerable it is, the more time it will ask us to do it, and we find it the harder and more difficult to be done: but God, to whose knowledge all things are present at once, and together, and the acts of whose will are as quick and perfect as of his understanding, hath a power answerable to the perfection of both; and therefore it is as easy to him to do all things, as one thing; at once, as successively, and in time. For this is the privilege of an infinite Spirit, that it does not only act without hands and material engines or instruments, as every spirit doth, but without motion from one place to another; because he is every where, and fills all places; he acts per modum voluntatis, as if his actings were nothing else but a willing that such a thing be done; and, ipso facto, every thing is so, as he wills it should be, and when he wills it should be; as if things did start up into being, or vanish out of being, as if they did break forth into being, and sculk again into nothing, and undergo such and such changes, ad nutum voluntatis, "at the beck of his will." And this is the most perfect way of acting that can be imagined, which the Scripture seems to express to us, when it represents God as making things by his word, up holding all things by the word of his power; as if he did but speak the word, and say, Let such a thing be, and it was so; as if there were nothing more required to the doing of any thing, but an express act of the Divine will, which is all we can understand by God's speaking, by his word, and voice, and saying, Let things be; but the least that it can signify, is the quick and speedy manner of working, whereby God is able to do things in an instant, as soon as a word can be spoken. And as he can do all things at once, and in an instant, so with ease, without any pain or laborious endeavour; for what is it that can object any difficulty to him? At the first creation of things, there was nothing to resist him; and since the creation, here is nothing but what was made by him, and consequently all, whose power is derived from him, and depends upon him, and is subject to him, and being finite and limited, is infinitely unequal to the infinite power of God; so that we may imagine the Divine power would pass through all the resistance hat all created power can make, and all the difficulties it can object to it, with more ease than a bullet passeth through the thin air, or a man would pass through a net of cobweb. 5. The most perfect active principle we can imagine, the utmost bounds and limits of whose perfection we cannot imagine, that is, when we have imagined it to be as perfect, and to act in as perfect a manner as we can imagine, yet we have not reached the perfection of it; but after all this, that it can do many things more than we can imagine, and in a manner much more perfect than we can imagine. This is the omnipotence of God as to the principle, which hath no bounds and limits. And, II. As to the exercise of it, it is only limited by the Divine will and wisdom. The Divine will determines it to its exercise, the Divine wisdom directs and regulates the exercise of it; that is, God exerciseth his power willingly, and not by necessity, and in such manner, for the producing such effects, and in order to such ends and purposes, as seem best to his wisdom. Hence he is said to act all things according to his good pleasure, and according to the counsel of his will; that is, freely and wisely. As to the extent of this power, I said it was an ability to do all things that are consistent with itself, and with the nature and perfection of God. First, That are consistent with itself; that is, with a power to do all things. It is a contradiction to imagine that omnipotence can do that, which, if it could be done, would render all power insignificant. Upon this account, the Divine power is not said to extend to the working of any thing which implies a contradiction, and the terms whereof speak a repugnancy to one another, and mutually destroy one another, and the doing whereof is contrary to the nature of the thing which is supposed to be done; that is, is nonsense, and cannot be imagined to be. For example, that a thing should be, and not be, at the same time. For a power to make a thing to be, so as it should not be while it is, signifies nothing, because such a being as is not, is nothing; and to make such a being, would be to do nothing, and consequently such a power would signify nothing. So likewise we cannot say, that the Divine power can cause that the same thing should be made and not be made; that that which hath been, should not have been; for the power which makes a thing, so as that it was not made, and causeth a thing to have been, so as that it hath not been, does nothing; and consequently is no power. Nor can we say, that the Divine power can effect that any thing should be made by itself; that is, be the cause of its own being; for that would be to cause that a thing should be before it is; that is, be when it is not, which signifies nothing. We cannot say, that the Divine power can effect, that twice two should not make four; for that would be to cause that things should not be what they are, if they be at all; which is to cause that things should be, and not be at all, when they are, which amounts to nothing. We cannot say, the Divine power can make a sound to be seen, and colour to be heard; for that would be to make colour and sound all one; that is, things that differ, to be the same while they differ, which is to make colour and sound not to be colour and sound while they are so; which is to do nothing, and consequently argues no power. We cannot say, that the Divine power can make that which is intrinsically and essentially good to be evil; and on the contrary: or that which is necessarily true to be false; and on the contrary. For to make that which is intrinsically and essentially to be evil, is to make that which is always good to be sometimes evil; that is, to be evil whilst it is good; that is, to make good and evil all one; which is to bring two things together, which so soon as they do exist, destroy one another, which is to no purpose, because it is to do just nothing; and there is the same reason of true and false. We cannot say, that the power of God can cause that the same thing should be hot and cold, dead and alive, at the same time, because these destroy one another; and if they were both, neither of them would be, and so the effect we attribute to this power would be nothing. We cannot say, that the Divine power can effect that the same impression should give a thing two contrary motions, upward and downward, at the same time; that the same body should be in two contrary postures, in motion and at rest, and in several places, which are the contradictions of transubstantiation; for the same body to be at the same time in two several places, is to be limited and circumscribed by each of these; that is, so to be in each of them, as not to be in the other, or in any other; so that if it be in this place, it is not in that, nor in any other besides this; if it be in that place, it is not in this, nor any other besides that; but if it be in two, it is both in this and in that, and therefore in neither of them, nor any where else; so that a power to make a body to be in two places at once, is a power to make it to be no where; that is, not to be at all, which is no power; and there is the same reason of the same bodies being in contrary motion, or in motion and at rest, or in two contrary postures at the same time. So that by all these instances, it appears, that a power to do any thing which implies a contradiction, and is repugnant to the nature of things, signifies nothing; and the supposed effect of it is only to bring terms together, which, if they could be brought together, so soon as they meet, will mutually take away and destroy one another, which would be vain, and to no purpose. I have the more explicitly laid open these contradictions, with relation to the gross doctrine of transubstantiation, in which all or most of the contradictions which I have mentioned, are involved. I know they stiffly deny that these contradictions follow from that doctrine, and use pitiful shifts to avoid them; but being not able to satisfy themselves that way, if the worst should come to the worst, they can grant these contradictions, but then they fly to the power of God, which can do things which we call contradictions; or else they say, there are as many contradictions in the doctrine of the trinity, which all Christians believe. And thus they reproach Christianity to defend popery; and if they cannot persuade men to be papists, do what they can to make them atheists, or at least to hinder them from being Christians; but there is not so much malice in this objection, but there is as little strength. Is it any contradiction, that the same thing should be three and one in several respects? which is all that the Scripture teacheth concerning the Trinity: but if men will undertake to explain this more particularly than God thought fit to do, and do it in such a manner, as that they cannot free themselves from contradiction, let them look to it; the Christian religion is not at all concerned in this farther than to censure such men's boldness and curiosity. But against this exemption of things that imply a contradiction from the compass and extent of the Divine power, there are two objections which are more considerable, and deserve to be taken notice of. I. We grant God's fore-knowledge of future events, which seem to us to be impossible to be foreknown. Now, why may we not as well grant that God can do things which seem to us impossible to be done by any other power, as foreknow things which it is impossible for any understanding to know? For why should we pretend to know the utmost of what infinite power can do, any more than the utmost of what infinite understanding can know? Answer.--I know no reason but that the argument should be granted, if there were an equal necessity of granting the possibility of those things which seem to us impossible to be done, that there is of granting the possibility of foreknowing future contingencies, though they seem to us impossible to be known. We must grant the possibility of foreknowing future contingencies, because the Scripture, which we believe to be a Divine revelation, expressly tells us, that God doth foreknow them, and gives us instances of it in several prophecies and predictions. Now, if any man can shew me as express texts, which say, that God can make a body to be in two places at once, I would believe it, though I do not see how it is possible; because it is reasonable I should believe that infinite power can do many things, the possibility of which my finite understanding cannot reach. Now, whereas the papists say, the Scripture hath said, that from which this necessarily follows, viz. "This is my body;" this is not enough, unless they could either prove that it is necessary to understand all texts of Scripture in a rigorous and strict propriety of the letter, without admitting of any trope or figure in the words, which they do not pretend; or else shew a clear reason why this should be understood so, more than a thousand others; which they have not done, and I think never can do. But if it be farther argued; if we grant in one case, that those things which seem to be contradictions to us, may be possible, why not in all cases; unless we had some certain way of distinguishing between seeming contradictions and real ones? And if we grant all contradictions possible, then there is no reason to exempt these from the extent of the Divine power; but we may safely say, that the Divine power can make a thing to be, and not to be, at the same time. To this I answer, 1. I do not grant that any thing which seems to me to be a contradiction, ought to be granted by me to be possible, unless I have higher assurance and greater reason to believe it to be possible, than I have to believe it to be a contradiction: for example, suppose it were clearly revealed in Scripture, that two bodies may be in the same place, and at the same time (which is not, nor any thing like it); then, having a revelation for this, and no revelation that it is not a contradiction, I have higher assurance, and greater reason to believe it possible, than that it is a contradiction; and consequently, I have reason to believe it is no contradiction, and that from thence it would not follow, that the same thing may be, and not be, at the same time: but though in case of Divine revelation, I may believe that to be no contradiction, which seems to me to be a contradiction; yet I am not, without great necessity and clear evidence, to offer violence to reason, and affront the faculty of understanding which God hath endowed me withal, by entertaining any thing which seems to me to be a contradiction; which the papists do in the business of transubstantiation, without any evidence of revelation, and consequently without necessity. 2. But if this were revealed in Scripture, that the same thing may be, and not be, at the same time, I could have no reason to believe that, because I could have no assurance, if that were true, that the Scriptures were a Divine revelation, or that it were to be believed if it were; for if it were true, that the same thing may be and not be, then a Divine revelation may be no Divine revelation; and when I am bound to believe a thing, I may be bound at the same time not to believe it; and so all things would fall into uncertainty, and the foundation of all assurance, and of all duty and obedience, both of faith and practice, would be taken away. The second objection is from the power of creation, which is generally acknowledged to be a making of something out of nothing. Now, say the objectors, this seems as palpable a contradiction as any thing else. Answer.--To us, indeed, who converse with material things, and never saw any thing made but out of pre-existent matter, it is very hard to conceive how any thing should be created, that is, produced out of nothing: but every thing that is strange is not a contradiction. It is strange to us, and hard to conceive, that there should be such a thing as a spirit, who never saw, nor can see any thing but matter; and yet we grant there are spirits. It is hard to us to conceive how any thing should be made but out of matter; and yet spirit, if it were made of any thing pre-existent, cannot be made of matter: but if we will attend to those common dictates of reason, which every man, whether he will or no, must assent to, we may easily understand creation to be possible, and free from contradiction. For the clearing of this, I will proceed by these steps: 1. The true notion of creation is, the bringing of something into being, which before had no being at all; for the phrase of making something out of no thing, or out of no pre-existent matter, does mislead our understandings into odd conceits, as if nothing could be the material cause of something, or as if nothing could be what is material. 2. Every one must grant, that something is; for we see that things are, however they came to be. 3. Every one must grant, that something is of itself, whether matter, or that being which we call God. 4. Every one must grant, that that which was of itself, was always; for nothing can begin of itself. 5. It is much more easy to conceive how a thing, that once was not, might sometimes be brought into being by another, than how a thing should be always of itself; for that which once was not, is supposed to have something before it, by which it might be made, though not out of which it was made; but that which was always, neither had, nor could have any thing, by which or out of which it could be made. And why cannot a thing come into being, when there was nothing before it out of which it was made, as well as a thing be always, when there could not be any thing before it out of which it should be? Secondly, I exempt those things from the extent of omnipotence, which imply imperfection, which are contrary to the nature and perfection of God, both natural and moral imperfections; for these also destroy power, because they are not arguments of power, but of impotence. Natural imperfections; as, to die, to be sick, to be in want, to eat, to sleep, to forget, &c. Moral imperfections, those which contradict the holiness of God, as sin and vice, or to compel any to sin; which contradict his goodness, as to be cruel; which contradict his truth, as to lie, to deceive, to break his promise, to deny himself. (Tit. i. 2; 2 Tim. ii. 13; Jam. i. 12.) He is said to be apei'rastos kakon, contrary to the constancy and immutability of his nature, as to change his decree, to repent; contrary to justice and equity, as for ever to spare and to pardon obstinate sinners, eternally to punish innocent and good men; for these are moral imperfections, and contradict the holiness, and truth, and goodness, and justice, and immutability of the Divine nature; and that distinction between God's absolute and ordinate power, that is, that God hath an absolute power of doing some things, which yet, upon supposition of his decree, or promise, or goodness, or justice, he cannot do, is vain and frivolous, unless men mean by it only this, that some things which argue an imperfection, do not imply a contradiction, which is most true; but both these are absolutely and equally impossible to God. I proceed to the Second thing I proposed, that this perfection be longs to God: and this I shall shew, I. From the dictates of natural light. II. From Scripture or Divine revelation. I. From the dictates of natural light. This was one of the most usual titles which the heathens gave to their supreme Deity, Optimus Maximus; next to his goodness they placed his greatness, which does chiefly appear in his power; and they did not only attribute a great power to him, but an omnipotence. Nihil est quod Deus efficere, non potest, (saith Tully de Div.) Now their natural reason did convince them, that this perfection did belong to God by these three arguments: 1. From those two great instances and expressions of his power, creation and providence; for the heathens did generally acknowledge the making of the world, and the preservation and government of it, to be the effects of power, determined by goodness, and regulated by wisdom. Hence they gave those titles to God of Opifex Rerum, and Rector Mundi. I say generally; I except Aristotle, who supposed the world not to have been made, but to have been from eternity; and Epicurus with his followers, who ascribed the regular and orderly frame of nature to a happy casualty and fortunate concourse of atoms: but, generally, the wiser did look upon the vast frame of nature, this stately fabric of the world, and the upholding and preserving of it, as an argument of a Divine and invisible power. And so the apostle tells us, (Rom. i. 20.) that by the light of nature "the invisible things of God were clearly seen by the things that were made, even his eternal power and Godhead." 2. Because all other perfections, without this, would be insignificant and ineffectual, or else could not be at all. Without this, goodness would be an empty piece of good meaning, and not able to give any demonstration of itself; knowledge would be an idle speculation; and wisdom to contrive things, without power to effect them, would be an useless thing. There would be no such thing as justice, if the Divine nature were without a power to reward and punish; no such thing as faithfulness, if he had not a power to perform what he promises; no providence, for it would be in vain for him that hath no power, to take upon him to govern and to intermeddle in the affairs of the world. 3. Without this there could be no religion. Take away the power of God, and there can be no foundation of faith and trust, no reason for fear; all arguments from hope and fear would be taken away; we could not expect any good, nor fear any harm, from an impotent being that could do nothing. The sanction of God's laws would be taken away. To give authority to laws, there must not only be a right to command, but power to back those commands; the grand security and last resort of all government and authority is power. (James iv. 12.) "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy." None can be a lawgiver, but he that hath this power, to reward and punish, to make men happy or miserable, "to save, or to destroy." Men would not pray to God, nor make any address to him, if they did not believe he was able to supply their wants, and relieve them in their straits; Nec in hunc furorem omnes mortales consensissent alloquendi surda numina et inefficaces deos.--Seneca. There would be no encouragement for men to serve God, if they did not believe that he was able to reward them, and bring them to happiness, and to defend them against all the enemies of their welfare, so that it should not be in the power of the most malicious spirits to hinder them of their happiness. II. From Scripture, or Divine revelation. In producing texts to this purpose, I will proceed by these steps: 1. Take notice of those which in general ascribe power, and might, and strength to God. (Psal. xxiv. 8.) "The Lord, strong and mighty." "So girt with power; the mighty God; thine is the greatness and the power; thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." Of the same nature are those places which call upon all creatures to ascribe this to God; "Give unto the Lord, ye mighty; give unto the Lord glory and strength." 2. Those which ascribe this to God in an eminent degree. (Job ix. 4.) "He is mighty in strength; excellent in power; who is like unto him? The Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." 3. Those texts which ascribe such a power as transcends any human or created power. Such as those which express all the power which men have to be derived from God: (John xix. 11.) "Thou couldest have no power at all, except it were given thee from above." And those which advance the power of God above the power of men: (Luke xviii. 27.) "The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God: he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think." (Eph. iii. 20. 2 Chron. xx. 6. Job ix. 4.) "According to his mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself." (Phil. iii. 21. Dan. iv. 35.) Those which declare all things to be equally easy to him, and nothing difficult: "There is no thing too hard for thee." (Jer. xxxii. 17. 2 Chron. xiv. 11. 1 Sam. xiv. 6.) 4. Those which ascribe all power to him, by the titles of "Almighty, All-sufficient." (Gen. xvii. 1. Rev. iv. 8. 11; xv. 3; xvi. 7; xix. 16. Job xlii. 2.) "Thou canst do all things." (Matt. xix. 6. Mark x. 27. Luke i. 37) I have dispatched what I proposed upon this argument; give me leave to apply all in the following particulars. Use. First, The consideration of God's omnipotence may cause terror to wicked men. All this power which I have described, or rather which is so great that I cannot describe it, is engaged against sinners; "his power and his wrath is against all that forsake him:" (Ezra viii. 22.) And who knows what those words signify, (Psal. xc. 11.) "Who knoweth the power of thine anger? as is thy fear, so is thy wrath." There is no passion in the heart of man more infinite than our fear, it troubles us with jealousy and suspicion of the utmost that may happen; but when we have extended our fears to the utmost, the power of God's wrath reacheth farther. Whenever we sin, we challenge the Almighty, and dare infinite power to do its worst to us. (Job xv. 25.) Speaking of the wicked man, "He stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengthened! himself against the Almighty." Whom wilt thou fear, if not him who can make thee extremely happy or miserable for ever? "Will ye provoke the Lord to jealousy? are ye stronger than he?" Because he doth nothing against thee for the present, thinkest thou he can do nothing? (Nah. i. 3.) "He is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked." There is a day coming, when "the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." Secondly, The consideration of God's omnipotence should check the pride and vain confidence of men. What have we to be proud of? "What have we that we have not received? Where then is cause of boasting? Who may glory in his sight?" Those that have the greatest power, should remember whence it is derived, and render back the glory of it to the fountain of it. (Psal. xxix. 1.) "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength." So likewise it should take men off from relying upon their own strength, which at the best is but "an arm of flesh," as the Scripture calls it, for the weakness of it. Do we not see, that many times "the battle is not to the strong?" that things are not done "by might and by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord?" When he appears against the most potent, "their hearts melt within them, and there is no more spirit left in them," as it is said of the mighty inhabitants of Canaan, (Josh. v. 1.) Thirdly, We should make this omnipotence of God the object of our trust and confidence. This is the most proper use we can make of this doctrine, as David does in this Psalm; and this was used for a form of blessing the people in the name of God; (Psal. cxxxiv. 3.) "The Lord that made heaven and earth, bless thee." And David, when he magnifies God's deliverance of his people from the multitude of their enemies, resolves it into this, "our help standeth in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Thus did the great pattern and example of faith encourage and support his confidence in God in a very difficult trial; he staggered not at it, because "he believed God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things that be not as though they were: therefore against hope he believed in hope," &c. (Rom. iv. 17, &c.) This gives life to all our devotion, to be persuaded that "God is able to do for us exceedingly above what we can ask or think," and that "his is the kingdom, the power, and the glory." I shall only caution two things, as to our reliance on the power of God. I. Labour to be such persons, to whom God hath promised that he will engage and employ his omni potence for their good. If we hope for any good from the Almighty, we must walk before him, and be perfect, as he said to Abraham. Good men have a peculiar interest in God's power; hence he is called "the Strength of Israel," and "the mighty One of Israel." If we do what God requires of us, we may expect that he will put forth his power, and exert his arm for us; but if we disobey, we must expect he will manifest his power against us, (Ez. viii. 22.) When we do well, we may "commit the keeping of our souls to him," (1 Pet. iv. 19.) II. Our expectations from the omnipotence of God must be with submission to his pleasure, and goodness, and wisdom; we must not expect that God will manifest his power when we think there is occasion for it; but when it seems best to him, he will so employ his omnipotence, as to manifest his goodness and wisdom. And with these two cautions, we may rely upon him in all our wants, both spiritual and temporal; for his Divine power can "give us all things that pertain to life and goodness," (2 Pet. i. 3.) We may trust him at all times, for the omnipotent God "neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; the Almighty fainteth not, neither is he weary. Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLIII. THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.--John iv. 24. THESE are the words of our Saviour to the woman of Samaria, who was speaking to him of the difference between the Samaritans and the Jews, concerning religion; (ver. 20.) "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; but ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Christ tells her, "The time was coming, when the worshippers of God should neither be confined to that mountain, or to Jerusalem; but men should worship the Father in spirit and in truth;" when this carnal, and ceremonial, and typical worship of God, should be exalted into a more spiritual, a more real, and true, and substantial religion, which should not be confined to one temple, but should be universally diffused through the world. Now such a worship as this is most agreeable to the nature of God; for he "is a spirit, and those who worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." In the words we have, First, A proposition laid down, "God is a spirit." Secondly, A corollary, or inference, deduced from it; "they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." I shall speak of the proposition, as that which concerns my present design; and afterwards speak something to the corollary, or inference, deduced from it, together with some other inferences drawn from this truth, by way of application. First, That "God is a spirit." This expression is singular, and not to be paralleled again in the Scripture; indeed we have often mention made in the Scripture of "the Spirit of God," and the "Spirit of the Lord, "which signifies a Divine power and energy; and of the Holy Spirit, signifying the third person in the Trinity; God is called "the God of the spirits of all flesh," (Num. xvi. 22; xxvii. 16.) much in the same sense as he is called "the Father of spirits;" (Heb xii. 9.) that is, the Creator of the souls of men; but we nowhere meet with this expression, or any other equivalent to it, that "God is a spirit," but only in this place; nor had it been used here, but to prove that the best worship of God, that which is most proper to him, is spiritual: so that the thing which our Saviour here intends, is not to prove the spiritual nature of God, but that his worship ought to be spiritual; nor indeed is there any necessity that i should have been any where said in Scripture, that "God is a spirit," it being the natural notion of God; no more than it is necessary that it should b told us, that God is good, or that he is infinite, an, eternal, and the like; or that the Scripture should prove to us the being of a God. Ail these are manifest by the light of nature; and if the Scripture mentions them, it is ex abundanti, and it is usually in order to some farther purpose. For we are to know that the Scripture supposeth us to be men, and to partake of the common notion of human nature, and therefore doth not teach us philosophy, nor solicitously instruct us in those things which are born with us; but supposeth the knowledge of these, and makes use of these common principles and notions which are in us concerning God, and the immortality of our souls, and the life to come, to excite us to our duty, and quicken our endeavours after happiness. For I do not find that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is any where expressly delivered in Scripture, but taken for granted; in like manner, that the Scripture doth not solicitously instruct us in the natural notions which we have of God, but supposeth them known to us; and if it mention them, it is not so much in order to knowledge as to practice; and therefore we need not wonder that this expression, which doth set forth to us the nature of God, is but once used in Scripture, and that brought in upon occasion, and for another purpose, because it is a thing naturally known. Plato says, that God is so'matos," without body." In like manner, Tully: Nec enim Deus ipse qui intelligitur a nobis alio modo intelligi potest, nisi mens quaedam soluta et libera; segregata ab omni concretione mortali; "We cannot conceive of God, but as of a pure mind, entirely free from all mortal composition or mixture." And Plutarch after him, nous ou'n o theo`s, choristo`n eidos toute'sti amige`s pa'ses u'les, medeni` pa'theto sumpeplegme'non, "God is a mind, an abstract being, pure from all matter, and disentangled from whatever is possible or capable of suffering." So that natural light informing us that "God is a spirit," there was no need why the Scripture should inculcate this: it is an excellent medium or argument to prove that the worship of God should chiefly be spiritual; and although it was not necessary that it should have been mentioned for itself; that is, to inform us of a thing which we could not otherwise know; yet the wisdom of God, by the express mention of this, seems to have provided against an error, which some weaker and grosser spirits might be subject to. You know God is pleased, by way of condescension and accommodation of himself to our capacity, to represent himself to us in Scripture by human imperfections; and gives such descriptions of himself, as if he had a body, and bodily members. Now, to prevent any error or mistake that might be occasioned hereby, it seems very becoming the wisdom of God, some where in Scripture expressly to declare the spiritual nature of God, that none through weakness or wilfulness might entertain gross apprehensions of him. In speaking to this proposition, I shall, I. Explain what is meant by "a spirit." II. Endeavour to prove to you that "God is a spirit." III. Answer an objection or two. IV. Draw some inferences or corollaries from the whole. I. For the explication of the notion of a spirit; I shall not trouble you with the strict philosophical notion of it, as, that it is such a substance as is penetrable; that is, may be in the same place with a body, and neither keep out the body, nor be kept out by it; and that the parts which we imagine in it cannot be divided; that is, really separated and torn from one another, as the parts of a body; but I will give you a negative description of it. A spirit is not matter, it doth not fall under any of our senses, it is that which we cannot see nor touch; it is not a body, not flesh, and blood, and bones; for so we find spirit in Scripture opposed to flesh and body; (Isa. xxxi. 3.) "Their horses are flesh, and not spirit." So Luke xxiv. when Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, they were terrified, and supposed it had been a spirit: (ver. 39.) but he said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." The most usual description of a spirit is by these negatives; it is not a body, hath not flesh and bones, doth not consist of matter, or of any thing that falls under our senses, that we can see or touch. II. For the proof of this proposition, that "God is a spirit." This is not to be proved by way of demonstration, for there is nothing before God, or which can be a cause of him; but by way of conviction, by shewing the absurdity of the contrary. The first and most natural notion that we have of God, is, that he is a being every way perfect-; and from this notion we must argue concerning the properties which are attributed to God, and govern all our reasonings concerning God by this; so that when any thing is said of God, the best way to know whether it be to be attributed to him, is to inquire whether it be a perfection or not; if it be, it belongs to him; if it be not, it is to be removed from him; and if any man ask, why I say God is so, or so, a spirit, or good, or just? the best reason that can be given, is, because these are perfections, and the contrary to these are imperfections. So that if I shew, that it would be an imperfection for God to be imagined to be a body, or matter, I prove that he is a spirit, because it is an imperfection, that is, an absurdity, to imagine him anything else: to imagine God to be a body, or matter, doth evidently contradict four great perfections of God. 1. His infiniteness, or the immensity of his being. Grant me but these two things, that there is something in the world besides God, some other matter, as the heavens, the air, the earth, and all those things which we see; and grant me that two bodies cannot be in the same places at once; and then it will evidently follow, that wherever these are, God is shut out; and consequently God should not be infinite, nor in all places; and so much as there is of another matter in the world besides God, so many breaches there would be in the Divine nature, so many hiatuses. 2. The knowledge and wisdom of God. It can not be imagined how mere matter can understand, how it can distinctly comprehend such variety of objects, and at one view take in past, present, and to come. Tully, speaking of spirits, saith, Animorum nulla in terris origo inveniri potest; "Their original cannot be found upon earth; for (saith he) there is no material or bodily thing," Quod vim memoriae, mentis, cogitationis habeat, quod et praeterita teneat, et futura provideat, et complecti possit praesentia; quae sola divina sunt, "Which hath the power of memory, of understanding, of thought; which can retain things past, foresee things future, and comprehend things present; all which powers are purely Divine." 3. Freedom and liberty. For the laws of matter are necessary, nor can we imagine any autexou'sion, any arbitrary principle in it. This puzzled the Epicureans, as we see in Lucretius; "For if (says he) all things move by certain and necessary laws, and there be a connexion of the parts of matter unto each other, so that if you move this, that must necessarily be moved, whence (saith he) is liberty?" Unde est haec inquam fatis avulsa voluntas; "Whence is this principle of will, whose motions are not under any law of necessity?" 4. Goodness. This follows from the former; for he is not good who does not know what he does, nor does it freely; so that take away understanding and liberty, and you take away goodness: now take away from God infiniteness, and knowledge, and liberty, and goodness, and you divest him of his glory; you take away his most essential perfections. So that these great absurdities following from the supposing of God to be mere matter or body, we are to conceive of him as another kind of substance; that is, a spirit. So that I wonder that the author of the Leviathan, who doth more than once expressly affirm, that there can be nothing in the world but what is material and corporeal, did not see that the necessary consequence of this position is to banish God out of the world. I would not be uncharitable, but I doubt he did see it, and was content with the consequence, and willing the world should entertain it: for it is so evident, that, by supposing the Divine essence to consist of matter, the immensity of the Divine nature is taken away; and it is also so utterly unimaginable how mere matter should understand, and be endowed with liberty, and consequently with goodness, that I cannot but vehemently suspect the man who denies God to be a spirit, either to have a gross and faulty understanding, or a very ill will against God, and an evil design to root out of the minds of men the belief of a God. I come in the III. Third place, to consider the objections. 1st Obj.--Why then is God represented to us so often in Scripture by the parts and members of men's bodies? Answ. I shall only say, at present, that all these descriptions and representations of God are plainly made to comply with our weakness, by way of condescension and accommodation to our capacities. 2d Obj.--How is it said, that "man was made after the image of God," if God be a spirit, of which there can be no likeness nor resemblance? Answ. Man is not said to be made after the image of God, in respect of the outward shape and features of his body, but in respect of the qualities of his mind, as holiness and righteousness; or of his faculties, as understanding and will; or, which the text seems most to favour, in respect of his dominion and sovereignty over the creatures; for, in the two former respects, the angels are made after the image of God. Now, this seems to be spoken peculiarly of men, (Gen. i. 24.) "Let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the air," &c. IV. I come now to draw some inferences or corollaries from hence, and they shall be partly speculative, partly practical. First, Speculative inferences. 1. That God is invisible. The proper object of sight is colour, and that ariseth from the various dispositions of the parts of matter which cause several reflections of light. Now, a spirit hath no parts nor matter, and therefore is invisible. (1 Tim. i. 17.) "Unto the eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God." (Heb. xi. 27.) "He endured, as seeing him who is invisible;" as seeing him by an eye of faith, who is invisible by an eye of sense. (1 Tim. vi. 16.) "Whom no man hath seen, nor can see." When Moses, and the elders of Israel, are said to have seen God, and Jacob to have seen him face to face, (Exod. ii. 6. Gen. xxxii. 30.) it is meant of an angel covered with Divine glory and majesty; as we shall see if we compare these with other texts. When Moses is said to have "spoken to him face to face," that is, familiarly; and so Micaiah (1 Kings xxii. 19.) is said to have "seen God upon his throne, and all Israel scattered up and down;" this was in a vision. And it is promised, that in heaven we shall see God; that is, have a more perfect knowledge of him, and full enjoyment; as, to see good days, is to enjoy them. Those texts, where it is said, "No man can see God and live," (Exod. xxxiii. 20. and John i. 18.) "No man hath seen God at any time," do not intimate that God is visible, though we cannot see him; but seeing is metaphorically used for knowing, and the meaning is, that in this life we are not capable of a perfect knowledge of God. A clear discovery of God to our understanding would let in joys into our souls, and create desires in us, too great for frail mortality to bear. 2. That he is the living God: spirit and life are often put together in Scripture. 3. That God is immortal. This the Scripture at tributes to him, (1 Tim. i. 17.) "To the King immortal, invisible." (1 Tim. vi. 16.) "Who only hath immortality." This also flows from God's spirituality; a spiritual nature hath no principles of corruption in it, nothing that is liable to perish, or decay, or die. Now this doth so eminently agree to God, either because he is purely spiritual and immaterial, as possibly no creature is; or else because he is not only immortal in his own nature, but is not liable to be reduced to nothing by any other, because he hath an original and independent immortality; and therefore the apostle doth attribute it to him in such a singular and peculiar manner, "who only hath immortality." Secondly, Practical inferences. 1. We are not to conceive of God as having a body, or any corporeal shape or members. This was the gross conceit of the Anthropomorphites of old, and of some Socinians of late, which they ground upon the gross and literal interpretation of many figurative speeches in Scripture concerning God, as where it speaks of his face, and hand, and arm, &c. But we are very unthankful to God, who condescends to represent himself to us according to our capacities, if we abuse this condescension to the blemish and reproach of the Divine nature. If God be pleased to stoop to our weakness, we must not therefore level him to our infirmities. 2. If God be a spirit, we are not to worship God by any image or sensible representation. Because God is a spirit, we are not to liken him to any thing that is corporeal; we are not to represent him by "the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above," that is, of any birds; "or in the earth beneath," that is, of any beast; "or in the waters under the earth," that is, of any fish; as it is in the second commandment. For, as the prophet tells us, there is nothing that we can liken God to; (Isa. xl. 18.) "To whom will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare to him?" We debase his spiritual and incorruptible nature, when we compare him to corruptible creatures. (Rom. i. 22, 23.) Speaking of the heathen idolatry, "Who, professing themselves wise, became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four-footed beasts, and creeping things." They became fools; this is the folly of idolatry, to liken a spirit, which hath no bodily shape, to things that are corporeal and corruptible. So that, however some are pleased to mince the matter, I cannot see how the church of Rome, which worships God by or towards some image or sensible representation, can be excused from idolatry; and the church of England doth not, without very just cause, challenge the Romish church with it, and make it a ground of separation from her. 3. If God be a spirit, then we should "worship him in spirit and in truth." This is the inference of the text; and, therefore, I shall speak a little more largely of it; only I must explain what is meant by worshipping "in spirit and in truth," and shew you the force of this consequence, how it follows, that because God is a spirit, therefore he must be worshipped "in spirit and in truth." 1. For the explication of it. This word spirit is sometimes applied to the doctrine of the gospel, and so it is opposed to letter, by which name the doctrine of Moses is called, (2 Cor. iii. 6.) "Who hath made us able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit;" not of the law, which was written in tables of stone, but which Christ by his Spirit writes in the hearts of believers. Sometimes to the worship of the gospel; and so it is opposed to the flesh: (Gal. iii. 3.) "Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" that is, by the works of the ceremonial law, which is therefore called flesh, because the principal ceremony of it, circumcision, was made in the flesh, and because their sacrifices, a chief part of their worship, were of the flesh of beasts; and because the greatest part of their ordinances, as washing, and the like, related to the body. Hence it is the apostle calls the worship of the Jews, "the law of a carnal commandment," (Heb. vii. 16. and Heb. ix 10,) Carnal ordinances, speaking of the service of the law, "which (saith he) stood in meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances." Now, in opposition to this carnal and ceremonial worship, we are to worship God "in the spirit." The worship of the Jews was most a bodily service; but we are to give God a reasonable service, to serve him with the spirit of our minds, as the apostle speaks; in stead of offering the flesh of bulls and goats, we are to consecrate ourselves to the service of God: "this is a holy and acceptable sacrifice," or reasonable service. "And in truth." Either in opposition to the false worship of the Samaritans (as "in spirit" is opposed to the worship of the Jews), as our Saviour tells the woman, that "they worshipped they knew not what;" or (which I rather think) in opposition to the shadows of the law; and so it is opposed, (John i. 17.) "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Not that the external service of God is here excluded, not that we are to shew no outward reverence to him; but that, as, under the law, the service of God was chiefly external and corporeal, so now it should chiefly be inward and spiritual; the worship of God, under the gospel, should chiefly be spiritual and substantial, not a carnal, and bodily, and ceremonious devotion. 2dly, For the force of the consequence, it doth not lie in this, that just such as God is, such must our worship of him be; for this would exclude all bodily and outward worship; our worship of God must therefore be invisible, eternal, &c. for so is he; and besides, the will of God seems rather to be the rule of his worship than his nature: but the force of it is this; God is of a spiritual nature, and this is to be supposed to be his will, that our worship should be as agreeable to the object of it, as the nature of the creature, who is to give it, will bear. Now, saith Christ to the woman, the Jews and the Samaritans limit their worship to a certain place, and it consists chiefly in certain carnal rites and ordinances; but, saith he, though God have permitted this for a time, because of the carnality and hardness of their hearts, yet the time is coming, when a more spiritual, and solid, and substantial worship of God is to be introduced, which will be free from all particular places and rites; not tied to the temple, or to such external ceremonies, but consisting in the devotion of our spirits, even the inward frame and temper of our hearts; all outward circum stances (excepting those of the two sacraments which are positive) being left by the gospel to as great a liberty, as natural necessity and decency will permit. We must worship God, and therefore it is naturally necessary that we should do it somewhere, in some place; now seeing somebody must determine this, it is most convenient that authority should determine it according to the conveniency of cohabitation. We must not be rude, nor do any thing that is naturally indecent in the worship of God: this authority should restrain; but farther than this, I doubt not but the gospel hath left us free; and to this end, that the less we are tied to external observances, the more intent we should be upon the spiritual and substantial parts of religion, the conforming of ourselves to the mind and will of God, endeavouring to be like unto God, and to have our souls and spirits engaged in those duties we perform to him. So that our Saviour's argument is this; "God is a spirit;" that is, the most excellent nature and being, and therefore must be served with the best. We consist of body and soul, it is true, and we must serve him with our whole man, but principally with our souls, which are the most excellent part of ourselves; the service of our mind and spirit is the best we can perform, and therefore most agree able to God, who is a spirit, and the best and most perfect being. So that the inference is this, that if God be a spirit, we must "worship him in spirit and in truth;" our religion must be real, and inward, and sincere, and substantial: we must not think to put off God with external observances, and with bodily reverence and attendance; this we must give him, but we must principally regard that our service of him be reasonable, that is, directed by our understandings, and accompanied with our affections. Our religion must consist principally in a sincere love and affection to God, which expresseth itself in a real conformity of our lives and actions to his will; and when we make our solemn approaches to him, in the duties of his worship and service, we must perform all acts of outward worship to God with a pure and sincere mind; whatever we do in the service of God, we must "do it heartily as to the Lord." God is a pure spirit, present to our spirits, intimate to our souls, and conscious to the most secret and retired motions of our hearts: now because we serve the Searcher of hearts, we must serve him with our hearts. Indeed, if we did worship God only to be seen of men, a pompous and external worship would be very suitable to such an end; but religion is not intended to please men, but God; and therefore it must be spiritual, and inward, and real. And wherever the external part of religion is principally regarded, and men are more careful to worship God with outward pomp and ceremony, than in "spirit and in truth," religion degenerates into superstition, and men embrace the shadow of religion, and let go the substance. And this the church of Rome hath done almost to the utter ruin of Christianity: she hath clogged religion and the worship of God with so many rites and ceremonies, under one pretence or other, that the yoke of Christ is become heavier than that of Moses; and they have made the gospel a more carnal commandment than the law; and whatever Christians or churches are intent upon external rites and observances, to the neglect of the weightier parts of religion, regarding meats and drinks, &c. to the prejudice of righteousness and peace, wherein the kingdom of God consists, they advance a religion as contrary to the nature of God, and as unsuitable to the genius and temper of the gospel, as can be imagined. It is an observation of Sir Edwin Sands, that, as children are pleased with toys, so (saith he,) it is a pitiful and childish spirit that is predominant in the contrivers and zealots of a ceremonious religion. I deny not, but that very honest and devout men may be this way addicted; but the wiser any man is, the better he understands the nature of God and of religion, the farther he will be from this temper. A religion that consists in external and little things, cloth most easily gain upon and possess the weakest minds; and whoever entertain it, it will enfeeble their spirits, and unfit them for the more generous and excellent duties of Christianity. We have but a finite heat, and zeal, and activity; and if we let out much of it upon small things, there will be too little left for those parts of religion which are of greatest moment and concernment; if our heat evaporate in externals, the heart and vitals of religion will insensibly cool and decline. How should we blush, who are Christians, that we have not learned this easy truth from the gospel, which even the light of nature taught the heathen? Cultus autem deorum est optimus itemque sanctissimus atque castissimus, plenissimusque pietatis, ut eos semper pura integra et incorrupti mente et voce veneremur.--Tully. "The best, the surest, the most chaste, and most devout worship of the gods, is that which is paid them with a pure, sincere, and uncorrupt mind, and words truly representing the thoughts of the heart." Compositum jus fasque animi, &c. "Serve God with a pure, honest, holy frame of spirit; bring him a heart that is but generously honest, and he will accept of the plainest sacrifice." And let me tell you, that the ceremonious worship of the Jews was never a thing in itself acceptable to God, of which he did delight in; and though God was pleased with their obedience to the ceremonial law after it was commanded, yet antecedently he did not desire it; but that which our Saviour saith concerning the law of divorce, is true likewise of the ceremonial, that it was permitted to the Jews "for the hardness of their hearts," and for their proneness to idolatry. God did not command it so much by way of approbation, as by way of condescension to their weakness; it was because of "the hardness of their carnal hearts," that God brought them under "the law of a carnal commandment," as the apostle calls it. (See Psal. li. 16, 17. Jer. vii. 21.) The reason why I have insisted so long upon this, is, to let you understand what is the true nature of Christ's religion, and to abate the intemperate heat and zeal which men are apt to have for external and indifferent things in religion. The sacrifices and rites of the Jews, were very disagreeable and unsuitable to the nature of God. (Psal. l. 13.) "Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?" Spirits neither eat nor drink; it was a very unsuitable way of service to kill oxen and sheep for God; and there is the same reason of all other rites, which either natural necessity or decency doth not require. Can any man in earnest think that God, who is a spirit, is pleased with the pompous bravery and pageantry which affects our senses? So little doth God value indifferent rites, that even the necessary external service of God, and outward reverence, where they are separated from spirit and truth, from real holiness and obedience to the indispensable laws of Christ, are so far from being acceptable to God, that they are abominable; nay, if they be used for a cloak of sin, or in opposition to real religion, and with a design to undermine it, God accounts such service in the number of the most heinous sins. You, who spend the strength and vigour of your spirits about external things, whose zeal for or against ceremonies is ready to eat you up; you, who hate and persecute one another because of these things, and break the necessary and indispensable commands of love, as an indifferent and unnecessary ceremony, "Go and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," which our Saviour doth so often inculcate, and that (Rom. xiv. 17.) The kingdom of God is not meat and drink," &c. And study the meaning of this, "God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLIV. THE IMMENSITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.--Psalm cxxxix. 7-10. THAT attribute of God which I last discoursed of is most absolute, and declares his essence most immediately--the spirituality of the Divine nature. I shall, in the next place, speak of those which relate to the manner of his being, immensity and eternity; that is, the infiniteness of his essence, both in respect of space and duration; that the Divine nature hath no limits of its being, nor bounds of its duration. I shall at the present speak to the first of these, his immensity, and that from these words which I here read to you, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit," &c. The meaning of which is this, that God is a spirit infinitely diffusing himself, present in all places, so that wherever I go, God is there: we cannot flee from his presence. "If I ascend into heaven, he is there; if I go down into the grave, the place of silence and obscurity, "he is there; (for that is the meaning of the expression, 'if I make my bed in hell;') if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ever there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me;" that is, if my motion should be as swift as that of the light, which, when the sun riseth, darts itself in an instant from one part of the world to another, over the earth and the sea, the remotest parts of the world which are unknown to us, yet would God be present to me in the motion, and all along as I go must I be led and upholden by him; so that all these expressions do but signify to us the immensity of God's essence, that his being is in finitely diffused and present in all places. In speaking to this attribute of God's immensity, I shall, first, explain it to you a little. Secondly, Prove that it doth belong to him. Thirdly, Answer an objection or two that may be made against it. Fourthly, Draw some doctrinal inferences from it. Fifthly, Make some use and improvement of it. First, For the explication of it. By the immensity of God, I mean, that his being hath no bounds or limits, but doth every way spread and diffuse itself beyond what we can imagine; so that you cannot define the presence of God by any certain place, so as to say, Here he is, but not there; nor by any limits, so as to say, Thus far his being reacheth, and no farther; but he is every where present, after a most infinite manner, in the darkest corners and most private recesses; the most secret closet that is in the whole world, the heart of man, darkness and privacy cannot keep him out; the presence of another being, even of a body, which is the grossest substance, doth not exclude him; the whole world doth not confine him; but he fills all the space which we can imagine beyond this visible world, and infinitely more than we can imagine. Secondly, For the proof of it, I shall attempt it, I. From the natural notions and dictates of our minds. II. From Scripture and Divine revelation. III. From the inconvenience of the contrary. I. From the natural notions and dictates of our minds. We find that the heathen, by the light of nature, did attribute this perfection to God, Tully tells us, De Nat. Deor. that Pythagoras thought, Deum esse animam per naturam rerum omnem intentum et comeantem; "That God is, as it were, a soul passing through and inspiring all nature." And in l. 2. de Leg. that this was Thales's opinion which he commends, Homines existimare oportere deos omnia cernere, deorum omnia esse plena; "That men ought to believe, that the gods see all things, that all things are full of them." So Sen. Epist. 95. Ubique et omnibus praesto est; "He is every where present and at hand:" and, de Benef. l. 4. Quocunque te ftexeris ibi illum videbis occurrentem tibi, nihil ab illo vacat, opus suum ipse implet; "Which way soever thou turnest thyself, thou shalt find him meeting thee; nothing is without him, he fills his own work." Not much differing from the expression of the Psalmist here. II. From Scripture and Divine revelation. I shall instance in some remarkable places: (1 Kings viii. 27.) "Behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee." (Job xi. 7-9.) "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" (Isa. lxvi. 1.) "Thus saith the Lord, Behold, heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" (Jer. xxiii. 23, 24.) "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him, saith the Lord? Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?" (Amos ix. 2, 3.) "Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent and he shall bite them." (Acts xvii.27, 28.) "Though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." III. From the inconveniences of the contrary. And this is the most proper way of proving any of God's perfections; for, as I have told you formerly, there being nothing before God, nor any cause of his being, his perfections cannot be proved by way of demonstration, but of conviction, by shewing the absurdity of the contrary. The first and most easy notion that we have of God is, that he is a being which hath all perfection, and is free from all imperfections. Now if I prove that the immensity of God's essence is a perfection, or, which is the same, that the contrary is an imperfection, I do sufficiently prove the thing intended. Now to suppose the Divine essence to be limited or confined, and his presence to be any where excluded, doth contradict both this necessary perfection of God, his universal providence; and the necessary duty of creatures, to worship and trust in him; and the voluntary manifestation and appearance of God in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 1. It contradicts the universal providence of God. The universal providence of God supposeth many perfections; viz. infinite knowledge and infinite power, his omniscience and omnipotence, neither of which can be imagined without omnipresence. We find that all finite beings have a finite knowledge and a finite power; and it cannot be conceived how infinite understanding and power can be founded any where else than in an infinite essence. To have an infinite knowledge of all things, even those things which are most secret and hidden, to be able to do all things, to steer and govern the actions of all creatures, and to have a perfect care of them, seems, to all the reason of mankind, to require immediate presence. 2. It contradicts the necessary duty of the creature, which is to worship God, to depend upon him for every thing, and in every thing to acknowledge him. Now all worship of God is rendered vain, or at least uncertain, if God be not present to us to hear our prayers, to take notice of our wants, and receive our acknowledgments: it will much abate our confidence in God, and our fear to offend him, if we be uncertain whether he be present to us or not, whether he sees our actions or not. 3. It contradicts a voluntary manifestation and appearance of God in the incarnation of Christ. He that supposeth God not to be every where present by his essence, must, in all reason, confine his presence to heaven, and suppose him to be present elsewhere only by his virtue and power: but if this were so, how could the Divinity be essentially united to the human nature of Christ which was hereupon earth? how "is God with us?" How does "he pitch his tabernacle amongst men," if his essential presence be confined to heaven? Thirdly, I come to answer objections against this doctrine. There are two objections against this: 1. From reason. 2. From Scripture. 1st Obj.--Reason will be ready to suggest, that this is a disparagement to the Divine nature, to tie his presence to this vile dunghill of the earth, and sordid sink of hell. This is a gross apprehension of God, and a measuring of him by ourselves. Indeed if we look upon God as capable of injury, and suffering, and offence, from the contagion of any thing here below, as we are, then, indeed, there were some strength in this objection: but he is a blessed and pure Being: Mens segregata ab omni concretione mortali; "A mind free from all mortal composition or mixture."--Tully. Medeni` patheto sumpeplegme'non, "Disentangled from every thing passable," as Plutarch. Those things that are nauseous to our senses do not affect him. Darkness is uncomfortable to us; but "the darkness and the light are all one to him." Wickedness may "hurt a man, or the son of man;" but "if we multiply our transgressions, we do nothing to God," as Elihu speaks, (Job xxxv. 6.) Nothing can disquiet or discompose his happy and blessed nature, but he converseth here in this dark and troubled world with less danger or disturbance, or any impure contagion, than the sun-beams. 2d Obj.--Does not the Scripture tell us, that "God sits in the heavens," and "dwells on high;" that "heaven is his throne," and that "it is the city of the great God?" Doth not the Lord's Prayer teach us to say, "Our Father, which art in heaven?" Is he not said to "look down from heaven," and to "hear in heaven, his dwelling-place?" Is it not said, that "he doth not dwell in temples made with hands?" And does not Solomon, (1 Kings viii. 27.) put it as a strange question, "Will God indeed dwell on the earth?" Is he not said to come down and "draw near to us," and to be "afar off from us?" Now how does this agree with his immensity and omnipresence? For answer to this, I must distinguish the presence of God. There is, first, his glorious presence; that is, such a presence of God as is accompanied with an extraordinary manifestation of his glory, and that is especially and chiefly confined to heaven, in respect of which it is called his seat, and throne, and "the habitation of his glory." Some degree of this was in the temple, which is the reason of Solomon's admiration, "Will God indeed dwell on earth?" Secondly, There is his gracious presence, which discovers itself by miraculous effects of his favour, and goodness, and assistance, and thereby he is said to "dwell in the hearts of good men, and with them that are of a humble and contrite spirit;" (Isa. lvii. 15.) and, in respect of this, he is said to "draw near to us," to "look down upon us;" and, in respect of the absence of this, to be "far from us." Thirdly, There is his essential presence, which is equally and alike in all places; and this is not excluded by those former expressions, which the Scripture useth to denote to us the glorious and gracious presence of God. Fourthly, To make some inferences. I will mention only such as the Scripture here takes notice of, speaking of God's immensity. I. Inf.--That God is a spirit. This necessarily flows from his immensity; for if the essence of God be every where diffused, the Divine nature must be spiritual, otherwise it could not be in the same place where body and matter is, but must be shut, out of the world. But this I spoke more largely to in my discourse of God's being a spirit. This the Psalmist observes here, "Where shall I go from thy Spirit?" If he were not a spirit, we might go from him, and hide ourselves from his presence. II. Inf.--That God is incomprehensible. That which is infinite cannot be measured and comprehended by that which is finite; and this, also, the Psalmist takes notice of, in the verse before my text, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain to it." III. Inf.--That God is omniscient. If God be everywhere, then he knows all things; yea, even the hidden things of darkness, the secrets of our hearts; nothing can be hidden from an infinite eye; he is present to our thoughts, intimate to our hearts and reins: this the Psalmist takes notice of, 1-4. and 12th verses. IV. Inf.--That God is omnipotent. He can do all things. Distance limits the power of creatures, and makes their hands short; but God is every where, nothing is out of his reach; and this, also, the Psalmist intimates in the text, (ver. 10.) "Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand hold me." Fifthly, The use and improvement I shall make of this, shall be, 1. To awaken our fear of him. 2. To encourage our faith and confidence in him. 1. To awaken our fear of him. The consideration of God's presence should awaken in us a fear of reverence. The presence of an earthly majesty will awe our spirits, and compose us lo reverence; yea, the presence of a wise and good man; how much more should the presence of the great, and glorious, the wise, and the holy, and the just God, strike awe upon our spirits? Wherever we are, God is with us; we always converse with him, and live continually in his presence. Now a heathen could say, Cum diis verecunde agendum, "We must behave ourselves modestly, because we are in the presence of God." And it should awaken in us a fear to offend God, and a fear of the Divine displeasure for having offended him. Fear is the most wakeful passion in the soul of man, and is the first principle that is wrought upon in us from the apprehensions of a Deity; it flows immediately from the principle of self preservation which God hath planted in every man's nature; we have a natural dread and horror for every thing that can hurt us, and endanger our being or happiness. Now the greatest danger is from the greatest power, for where we are clearly over-matched, we cannot hope to make opposition nor resistance with security and success, to rebel with safety: now he that apprehends God to be near him, and present to him, believes such a Being to stand by him as is possessed of an infinite and irresistible power, and will vindicate all contempt of the Divine Majesty, and violation of his laws. If we believe God to be always present with us, "fear will continually take hold of us," and we shall say of every place, as Jacob did of Bethel, "Surely God is in this place, how dreadful is this place!" When we have at any time provoked God, if we believe the just God is at hand to revenge himself, and if we believe the power of his anger, we shall say with David, (Psal. lxxvi. 7.) "Thou, even thou, art to be feared, and who may stand before thee when thou art angry?" (Psal. cxix. 120.) "My flesh trembleth because of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." Sinners, consider this, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" and every time you sin, you are within his reach. Let, then, the consideration of God's presence deter us from sin, and quicken us to our duty. The eye and presence of a superior will lay a great restraint upon men; the eye of our prince, our master, or our father, will make us afraid or ashamed to do any thing that is foolish or unseemly: and will we do that under the eye of God, which we should blush to do before a grave or wise person, yea, before a child or a fool? Did but men live under this apprehension, that God is present to them, that a holy and all-seeing eye beholds them, they would be afraid to do any thing that is vile and wicked, to profane and pollute God's glorious name, by a trifling use of it in customary swearing and cursing. Whenever you sin, you affront God to his face, and provoke omnipotent justice, which is at the door, and ready to break in upon you. And the consideration of this should especially deter us from secret sins. This is the use the Psalmist here makes of it. If we believe that God searcheth us and knows us; that he knows our down-sitting and our up-rising, and understands our thoughts afar off; that he compasseth our path, and our lying down, and is acquainted with all our ways; that there is not a word in our tongue but he knows it altogether; that he hath beset us be hind and before; that the darkness hideth not from him, but the night shineth as the day, and the darkness and light are both alike: I say, if we believe this, how should we live in an awful sense of the Majesty which is always above us, and before us, and about us, and within us, and is as inseparable from us, as we are from ourselves, whose eye is upon us from the beginning of our lives to the end of our days! Did men believe that God is always with them, that his eye pierceth the darkness, and sees through all those clouds with which they hide and muffle themselves, and pries into the most secret recesses of their hearts: how would this check and restrain them from "devising mischief in their hearts, or in their bed-chamber!" The holy presence, and the pure eye of God, would be to us a thousand times more than to have our father, or our master, or our prince, or him whom we most revere, to stand by us. Did but men repraesentare sibi Deum, "make God present to them," by living under a continual sense of his presence, they would, as the expression of the wise man is, "be in the fear of the Lord all day." Magna spes peccatorum tollitur, si peccaturis testis adsistat: aliquem habeat animus quem vereatur, cujus auctoritate etiam secretum suum sanctius facit; "The main hope of sinners is to remain undiscovered; let but somebody be privy to their designs, and they are utterly disappointed: it is fit for the mind of a man to have an awe of some being, whose authority may render even its privacy more solemn." This is the character of wicked men; (Psal. lxxxvi. 14.) "That they have not God before their eyes." One great cause of all the wickedness, and violence, and looseness, that is upon the earth, is, they do not believe that God is near them and stands by them. And as the consideration of God's presence should deter us from sin, so it should quicken and animate us to our duty. It is ordinarily a great encouragement to men to acquit themselves handsomely, to have the eyes of men upon them, especially of those whose applause and approbation they value. God alone is amplum theatrum, he is "a greater theatre" than the world; and it should be more to us that he stands by us, than if the eyes of all the world were fixed upon us. Seneca adviseth it, as an excellent means to promote virtue, to propound to ourselves, and set before our eyes, some eminently virtuous person, as Cato or Laelius, Ut sic tanquam illo spectante vivamus, et omnia tanquam illo vidente faciamus: "That we may live just as if he were looking upon us, and do all things just as if he beheld us." How much greater incitement will it be to us, to think that God looks upon us, and sees us, and really stands by us, than faintly to imagine the presence of Laelius or Cato? This should have an influence upon all the duties we perform, and the manner of performing them, that we do it to him who stands by us, and is familiarly acquainted with us, and is more intimate to us than we are to ourselves. This Cicero, in l. 2. de Leg. looks upon as a great principle of religion: Sit igitur hoc persuasum civibus, et qualis quisque sit, quid agat, quid in se admittat, qua mente, qua pietate religiones colat, deos intueri, et piorum impiorumque rationem habere: "Let men be thoroughly persuaded of this, that the gods observe both the disposition and the actions of every particular man, what he consents to, what he allows himself in, particularly with what meaning, with what degree of inward devotion, he performs his religious worship; and that they distinguish between the pious and the impious." 2. To encourage our faith and confidence in him. When we are in straits, and difficulties, and dangers, God is with us; when trouble is near to us, God is not far from us; wherever we are, how remote soever from friends and companions, we cannot be banished from God's presence; if we dwell "beyond the utmost parts of the sea, there his hand leads us, and his right hand holds us." (Psal. xvi. 8.) "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." The consideration of God's presence is the great stay and support of our faith. (Psal. xlvi. 1, 2.) "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." In the greatest commotions, and the most imminent and threatening dangers, this should charm and allay our fears, that God is a present help. This was the support of Moses's faith in his sufferings, as the apostle tells us, (Heb. xi. 27.) "He endured, as seeing him who is invisible." To conclude all: whenever we are under any pressure or trouble, we should rebuke our own fears, and challenge our anxious thoughts with David, (Psal. xlii. 11.) "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me? trust still in God;" believe that God is with thee, and that omnipotent goodness stands by thee, who can and will support thee, and relieve thee, and deliver thee, when it seems best to his wisdom. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLV. THE ETERNITY OF GOD. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.--Psalm xc. 2. THE immensity and eternity of God, are those at tributes which relate to his nature, or manner of being. Having spoken of the former, I proceed to consider the latter, from these words. The title of this Psalm is, "the prayer of Moses, the man of God." He begins his prayer with the acknowledgment of God's providence to his people from the beginning of the world; "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place from all generations:" "in generation and generation;" so the Hebrew. He was well acquainted with the history of the world, and the providence of God from the beginning of it; and, as if he had spoken too little of God, in saying, that his providence had been exercised in all the ages of the world, he tells us here in the text, that he was before the world, and he made it; he was from all eternity, and should continue to all eternity the same. "Before the mountains were brought forth," the most firm and durable parts of the world, the most eminent and conspicuous; "or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world," before any thing was created; "from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." In speaking of this attribute, I shall, First, Give you the explication of it. Secondly, Endeavour to prove that it doth be long to God, and ought to be attributed to the Divine nature. Thirdly, Draw some corollaries from the whole. First, For the explication of it. Eternity is a duration without bounds or limits: now there are two limits of duration, beginning and ending; that which hath always been, is without beginning; that which always shall be, is without ending. Now we may conceive of a thing always to have been, and the continuance of its being now to cease, though there be no such thing in the world: and there are some things which have had a beginning of their being, but shall have no end, shall always continue, as the angels and spirits of men. The first of these the schoolmen call eternity a parteante; that is, "duration without beginning;" the latter, eternity a parte post, "a duration without ending." But eternity, absolutely taken, comprehends both these, and signifies an infinite duration, which had no beginning, nor shall have any end: so that when we say God is eternal, we mean that he always was, and shall be for ever; that he had no beginning of life, nor shall have any end of days; but that he is "from everlasting to everlasting," as it is here in the text. It is true, indeed, that as to God's eternity a parte ante, as to his having always been, the Scripture doth not give us any solicitous account of it; it only tells us, in general, that God was before the world was, and that he created it: it doth not descend to gratify our curiosity, in giving us any account of what God did before he made the world, or how he entertained himself from all eternity: it doth not give us any distinct account of his infinite duration; for that had been impossible for our finite under standings to comprehend; if we should have ascended upward millions of ages, yet we should never have ascended to the top, never have arrived at the beginning of infinity; therefore the Scripture, which was wrote to instruct us in what was necessary, and not to satisfy our curiosity, tells us this, that God was from everlasting, before the world was made, and that he laid the foundations of it. So that, by the eternity of God, you are to understand the perpetual continuance of his being, with out beginning or ending. I shall not trouble you with the inconsistent and unintelligible notions of the schoolmen; that it is duratio tota simul, in which we are not to conceive any succession, but to imagine it an instant. We may as well conceive the immensity of God to be a point, as his eternity to be an instant: and as, according to our manner of conceiving, we must necessarily suppose the immensity of God to be an infinite expansion of his essence, a presence of it to all places, and imaginable space; so must we suppose the eternity of God to be a perpetual continuance, co-existent to all imaginable succession of ages. Now, how that can be together, which must necessarily be imagined to be co-existent to successions--let them that can, conceive. Secondly, For the proof of this, I shall attempt it two ways. I. From the dictates of natural light and reason. II. From Scripture and Divine revelation. I. From the dictates of natural reason. This at tribute of God is of all others least disputed among the philosophers: indeed, all agree that God is a perfect and happy being; but wherein that happiness and perfection consists, they differ exceedingly; but all agree, that God is eternal, and are agreed what eternity is; viz. a boundless duration: and however they did attribute a beginning to their heroes and demons, whence come the genealogies of their gods, yet the Supreme God they looked upon as without beginning: and it is a good evidence, that this perfection doth clearly belong to God, that Epicurus, who had the lowest and meanest conceptions of God, and robbed him of as many perfections as his imperfect reason would let him, yet is forced to attribute this to him: Tully (de Nat. Deor. lib. 1.) saith to the Epicureans, Ubi igitur vestrum beatum et aeternum quibus duobus verbis significatis Deum? "Where then is your happy and eternal being, by which two epithets you express God?" And Lucretius, who hath undertaken to represent to the world the doctrine of Epicurus, gives this account of the Divine nature: Omnis enim per se divum natura necesse est Immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur: "It is absolutely necessary to the nature of the gods, to pass an eternity in profound peace and quiet." The poets, who had the wildest notions of God, yet they constantly give them the title of atha'natoi; the heathen never mention the name of God, with out this attribute; Dii immortales! "Immortal gods!" was their ordinary exclamation; and they swear constantly by this attribute, Deos testor immortales; and to mention no more, Tully saith expressly, Nos Deum nisi sempiternum intelligere qui possumus? "How can we conceive of God, but as an eternal Being." Now, the reason of this is evident, because it would be the greatest imperfection we could attribute to his being; and the more perfect his being were otherwise, the greater imperfection would it be for such a being to die; so excellent a nature to cease to be; it would be an infinite abasement to all his other perfections, his power, and wisdom, and goodness, that these should all be perishing; nay, it would hinder several of his perfections, and contradict their very being: his self-existence; had he not always been, he had not been of himself: his necessary existence; for that is not necessarily, which may at any time not be, or cease to be what it is: and it would much abate the duty of the creature; we could not have that assurance of his promise, and that security of the recompence of the next life, if the continuance of his being, who should be the dispenser of them, were uncertain. Now, these absurdities and inconveniences following from the denial of this perfection to God, is sufficient evidence that it belongs to him; for I told you the perfections of God cannot be proved by way of demonstration, but only by way of conviction., by shewing the absurdity of the contrary. II. From Scripture and Divine revelation. There are innumerable places to this purpose, which speak of the eternity of God directly, and by consequence: by consequence those words, (2 Pet. iii. 8.) "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;" which words, however interpreters have troubled themselves about them, being afraid of a contradiction in them, yet the plain meaning of them is this--that such is the infinite duration of God, that all measures of time bear no proportion to it; for that this is the plain meaning appears by Psal. xc. out of which they are cited; "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night;" that is, as the time past, as a few hours slept away, for that is the meaning of" a watch in the night," that is as nothing. Now, St. Peter's conversion of the words, "One day is as a thou sand years, and a thousand years as one day," only signifies this, that the longest duration of time is so inconsiderable to God, that it is as the shortest that is, bears no proportion to the eternity of God. But directly, the Scripture frequently mentions this attribute: he is called the "everlasting God,: (Gen. xxi. 33.) "The eternal God," (Deut. xxxiii. 27.) and, which is to the same purpose, "he that inhabiteth eternity," (Isa. lvii. 15.) And this, as it is attributed to him in respect of his being, so in respect of all his other perfections, (Psal. ciii. 17.) "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to ever lasting." (Rom. i. 20.) "His eternal power." (1 Tim. i. 17.) "The King eternal." Those doxologies which the Scripture useth, are but acknowledgments of this attribute: "Blessed be the Lord for ever and ever," (Neh. ix. 5.) "To whom be glory, and honour, and dominion for ever and ever," (Gal. i. 5.) and in many other places. Hither we may refer all those places which speak of him as without beginning; (Psal. xciii. 2.) "Thou art from everlasting." (Micah v. 2.) "Whose goings forth have been from everlasting." (Hab. i. 12.) "Art not thou from everlasting, O Lord?" And those which speak of the perpetual continuance of his duration, (Psal. cii. 24-27.) "Thy years are throughout all generations; of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands: they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." And those which speak of him "as the first and the last." (Isa. xliii. 10.) "Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be any after me. I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God." And to mention no more, those which speak of his being, as co-existent to all difference of time, past, present, and to come: (Rev. i. 8.) "I am Alpha, and Omega, the beginning, and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come." Thirdly, I shall from hence draw, I. Some doctrinal corollaries. II. Some practical inferences. I. Doctrinal corollaries, that you may see how the perfections of God depend one upon another, and may be deduced one from another. 1st Corol.--From the eternity of God, we may infer, that he is of himself. That which always is, can have nothing before it to be a cause of its being. 2d Corol.--We may hence infer the necessity of his being. It is necessary every thing should be, when it is; now that which is always is absolutely necessary, because always so. 3d Corol.--The immutability of the Divine nature; for being always, he is necessarily; and being necessarily, he cannot but be what he is; a change of his being, is as impossible as a cessation. Therefore the Psalmist puts his immutability and eternity together: (Psal. cii. 27.) "But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." II. By way of practical inference or application. 1. The consideration of God's eternity may serve for the support of our faith. This Moses here useth as a ground of his faith; "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations; before the mountains were brought forth," &c. (Psal. lxii. 8.) "Trust in him at all times, ye people." His immensity is an argument why all should trust in him, he is a present help to all; and why they should trust in him at all times, his eternity is an argument, (Deut. xxxiii. 27.) "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." There are two attributes which are the proper objects of our faith and confidence--God's goodness, and his power; both these are eternal: "The goodness of the Lord endureth for ever," as it is frequently in the Psalms. And his power is eternal: the apostle speaks of his eternal power, as well as Godhead, (Rom. i. 20. Isa. xxvi. 4.) "Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." (Isa. xl. 28.) "The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary." We cannot trust in men, because there is no thing in man to be a foundation of our confidence; his good-will towards us may change, his power may faint, and he may grow weary; or if these continue, yet they that have a mind and a power to help us, themselves may fail: therefore the Psalmist useth this consideration of men's mortality, to take us off from confidence in man, (Psal. cxlvi. 3, 4.) "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help; his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." (Isa. ii. 22.) "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?" The greatest of the sons of men are but lying refuges to the everlasting God; they are but broken reeds to the rock of ages. And this may support our faith, not only in reference to our own condition for the future, but in reference to our posterity, and the condition of God's church to the end of the world. When we die, we may leave ours and the church in his hands, who lives for ever, and reigns for ever. The enemies of God's church, and those who have the most malicious designs against it, whatever share they may have in the affairs of the world, they can but domineer for a while, they must die, and "that very day their thoughts perish:" "But thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." 2. For the encouragement of our obedience. We serve the God who can give us an everlasting reward. The reward of the next life is called "eternal life, an eternal weight of glory," (2 Cor. iv. 17.) "Eternal salvation," (Heb. v. 9.) "An eternal in heritance," (Heb. ix. 15.) That place where good men shall be rewarded, is called "everlasting habitations," (Luke xvi. 9.) "A house eternal in the heavens," (2 Cor. v. 1.) As the promise of our future reward is founded in the goodness of God, and the greatness of it in his power, so the duration of it in his eternity. Now what an encouragement is this to us, that we serve him, and suffer for him, who lives for ever, and will make us happy for ever? When we serve the great men of this world, though we be secure of their affection, yet we are uncertain of their lives; and this discourageth many, and makes men worship the rising sun; and many times takes off men's eyes from the king, to his successor; but he that serves God, serves "the King everlasting," as the apostle calls him, who will live to dispense rewards to all those who are faithful to him. 3. For the terror of wicked men. The sentence which shall be passed upon men at the day of judgment, is called "eternal judgment," (Heb. vi. 2.) because it decides men's eternal state; the punishment that shall follow this sentence, which shall pass upon the wicked, is called "everlasting punishment," (Matt. xxv. 46.) "Everlasting fire," (Matt. xxv. 41.) "Everlasting destruction," (2 Thess. i. 9.) "The vengeance of eternal fire," (Jude 7.) "The smoke of the bottomless pit," is said "to ascend for ever and ever," (Rev. xiv. 11.) and the wicked "to be tormented day and night, for ever and ever," (Rev. xx. 10.) Now as the punishment of wicked men is founded in the justice of God, and the greatness of it in his power, so the perpetuity and continuance of it in his eternity. The apostle saith, (Heb. x. 31.) "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" because he that lives for ever, can punish for ever; as the eternal demerit of sin feeds, and animates, and keeps alive, the never-dying worm, so the wrath of the eternal God blows up the eternal flame. How should this awaken in us a fear of the eternal God! Sinners, what a folly is it, for the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, to incense that justice which will punish and torment you for ever! As good men shall have the everlasting God for their reward, and their happiness, so wicked men shall have him for their judge and avenger! We fear the wrath of men, whose power is short, and whose breath is in their nostrils, who can afflict but a little, and for a little while. Dost thou fear "man that shall die, and the son of man that shall be made as grass?" And is not the wrath of the eternal God much more terrible? (Luke xii. 4, 5.) "And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do: but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear; fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him." The wrath of man is despicable, because it hath bounds and limits; the fury of man can but reach to the body, it can go no farther; it expires with this life, it cannot follow us beyond the grave: but the wrath of the eternal God doth not only reach the body, but the soul; it is not confined to this life, but pursues us to the other world, and extends itself to all eternity. "Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell;" that is, to inflict eternal torments; "yea, I say unto you, fear him." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLVI. THE INCOMPREHENSIBLENESS OF GOD. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?--Job xi. 7. IN treating of the properties and perfections of God, I shall at present consider that which results from the infinite excellency of his nature and perfection, compared with the imperfection of our understandings, which is commonly called the incomprehensibleness of God. This you have expressed here in the words of Zophar, "Canst thou by searching find out God?"&c. There is no great difficulty in the words; "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Potesne pervestigare intima Dei, so Castalio translates it. Dost thou know God intimately and thoroughly, within and without? Canst thou pierce into the centre of his perfections, and dive into the bottom of them? and "Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?" Canst thou find out the Almighty, usque ad ultima, to the very last and utmost of him? so as thou canst say, after a thorough search and inquiry, "There is no perfection in God beyond this; there is nothing of him now that remains to be known; this he is, and no other; that he is, and no other wise; this he can do, and no more; hither doth his knowledge, and power, and wisdom reach, and no farther." Canst thou do this? These interrogations have the force of a vehement negation; as if he had said, No thou canst not; God is unsearchable, he is incomprehensible. The two questions in the text seem to be only two several expressions of the same thing. The first question is undoubtedly general, concerning the nature and perfections of God in general; "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Canst thou by the most diligent search and inquiry come to a perfect knowledge and understanding of him? The second question may seem to be a particular instance to the general truth implied in the first question; he seems to instance in his power, as if he had said, God is unsearchable, and then had instanced in a particular perfection, the power of God, "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Thou canst not comprehend the Divine nature and perfections in general; "Canst thou find out the Al mighty unto perfection?" Consider particularly his power, and see if thou canst know r the utmost of that. But I rather think that the latter question is altogether the same in sense with the former; and that the attribute of Almighty, which is here given to God, is used by way of description, and not in tended by way of instance. "Canst thou find out the Almighty," that is, God, "unto perfection?" Which way soever we take the words, it is not much material, we may ground this observation upon them: That God is incomprehensible. This term or attribute is a relative term, and speaks a relation between an object and a faculty, between God and a created understanding; so that the meaning of it is plainly this, that no created understanding can comprehend God; that is, have a perfect and exact knowledge of him, such a knowledge as is adequate to the perfection of the object. Or thus, the nature and perfections of God are above the understanding of any of his creatures; it is only his own infinite understanding that can frame a perfect idea of his own perfection. God knows himself, his own understanding comprehends his own perfections. But he is incomprehensible to his creatures. Indeed, there is nothing more obvious than God; for "he is not far from every one of us; in him we live, and move, and have our being;" there needs no great search to find out that there is a God: "An eternal power and Deity are clearly seen in the things which are made," as the apostle tells us; but the manner of the being, and properties, and perfections of this God, these cannot be comprehended by a finite understanding. I shall prove the doctrine, and then apply it. First, For the proof of it: I will attempt it these three ways: I. By way of instance, or induction of particulars. II. By way of conviction. III. By giving the clear reason of it. I. By way of instance. And I shall give you instances both on the part of the object, and of the subject, or the persons who are capable of knowing God in any degree. 1. On the part of the object. The nature of God, the excellency and perfection of God, the works and ways of God, are above our thoughts and apprehensions. The nature of God, it is vast and infinite: (Job xxxvi. 26.) "God is great, and we know him not." (Job xxxvii. 23.) "Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out." (Psal. 3.) "His greatness is unsearchable." The excellencies and perfections of God; his immensity, (2 Chron. ii. 6.) "The heaven of heavens cannot contain him:" the eternity of his duration, "from everlasting to everlasting he is God:" we cannot imagine any limits of his presence, nor bounds of his duration. The infiniteness of his knowledge: (Psal. cxlvii. 5.) "His understanding is infinite." When we think of the wisdom and knowledge of God, our best way is to fall into admiration: (Rom. xi. 35.) "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Where the Scripture speaks of those perfections of God, which the creatures do in some measure and degree partake of, as his goodness, and power, and wisdom, and holiness, and immortality, it attributes them in such a peculiar and Divine manner to God, as doth exclude and shut out the creature from any claim, or share, or title to them: (Matt. xix. 16, 17.) "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." (1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.) "Who is the blessed and only Potentate, who only hath immortality." (1 Tim. i. 17.) "The only wise God." (Rev. xv. 4.) "For thou only art holy." In so inconceivable a manner cloth God possess these perfections which he communicates, and we can only understand them as he communicates them, and not as he possesses them; so that when we consider any of these Divine perfections, we must not frame notions of them contrary to what they are in the creature, nor must we limit them by what they are in the creature, but say, the goodness and the wisdom of God are all this which is in the creature, and much more, which I am not able to comprehend; the transcendent degree, and the singularity of these Divine perfections, which are communicable, is beyond what we are able to conceive. The works of God; they are likewise unsearchable; the works of creation and of redemption. (Job v. 9.) "Which doeth great things, and unsearchable; marvellous things, past finding out." And then he instanceth in the works of God, (Job xxvi. 14.) "Lo, these are part of his ways: but ho w little a portion is heard of him! and the thunder of his voice, who can understand?" So that he tells us expressly, we cannot find out the works of God; we do but know part of them. The question which he puts, (Job xxxvii. 16.) "Dost thou know the wondrous works of him that is perfect in knowledge?" can only be answered by the words of the Psalmist: (Psal. civ. 24.) "O Lord, how wonderful are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all." The work of redemption: in this there shines forth such wisdom, mercy, and love, as our understandings cannot reach. This work is called "the wisdom of God in a mystery; hidden wisdom," sophi'a apokekrummene, (1 Cor. ii. 7.) The mercy, and grace, and love of it is called, "the riches of God's mercy, the exceeding riches of his grace," (Eph. ii. 4. 7.) Now riches is, when you cannot tell the utmost of them, pauperes est numerare. (Eph. iii. 18, 19.) "That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." When we have the largest apprehensions of this love, so that we think we comprehend it and know it, it "passeth knowledge;" yea, the effects of God's power and love, which he manifests in believers, are unspeakable; for "he is able to do for us exceeding abundantly, above what we can ask or think, according to the power which worketh in us," (Eph. iii. 20.) The peace which guards their souls "passeth all understanding," (Phil. iv. 7.) Those "joys which fill their hearts are not to be expressed." (1 Pet. i. 8.) We read of "joy unspeakable and full of glory." The happiness which they hope for is inconceivable; it is that which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man, which God hath laid up for us." The ways of God's providence, they are not to be traced: (Psal. lxxvii. 19.) "Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." (Eccles. iii. 11.) "No man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." We are but of yesterday, and know nothing. When we look upon God's providence, we take a part from the whole, and consider it by itself, without relation to the whole series of his dispensation; we cannot see the whole of God's providence at one view, and never see from the beginning of the works of God to the end; therefore our knowledge of them must needs be very imperfect, and full of mistakes, and false judgments of things; we cannot, by our petty and short-sighted designs, judge of the works of God, and the designs of providence; for "our ways are not as his ways, nor our thoughts as his thoughts; but as the heavens are high above the earth, so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts," (Isa. lv. 8, 9.) The ways of God's mercy: (Psal. ciii.) "As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is God's mercy." (Psal; cxxxix. 17, 18.) "How precious are thy thoughts unto me! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand." And the ways of God's judgments, the severity and greatness of his judgment is not known. (Psal. xc.) "Who knoweth the power of thine anger? and who may stand before thee when thou art angry?" And the reasons of his judgments are unsearchable: (Psal. xxxvi. 6.) "Thy judgments are a great deep." (Rom. xi. 33.) "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" These are the instances on the part of the object. 2. On the part of the subject, or the persons capable of knowing God in any measure. The perfect knowledge of God is above a finite creature's understanding. Wicked men are ignorant of God, and full of false apprehensions of him. The Scripture gives this description of them: they are those that "know not God." (2 Thess. i.) Wicked men are so far from knowing God to perfection, that they have hardly any true knowledge of him; for as the man himself is, so will God seem to be to him; the idea and notions which men have of God, is but the picture of their own complexion. To a true knowledge there is required likeness; a man's mind must be like the thing he would understand; therefore the apostle tells us, "the natural or animal man doth not receive the things of God," he is not capable of them, because his mind is unsuitable to them; he is ple'res tou So'matos, "full of body," and he cannot relish spiritual things; even those natural notions which wicked men have of God, are strangely tinctured and obscured by the temper of the man; they are lux sepulta in opaca materia, "light buried and hid in matter and darkness," in the blackness of a foul and impure heart; so that there is no question of them, whether they comprehend God or not. But good men cannot find out God, they have some false apprehensions of him; all their apprehensions are dark, have much of obscurity in them; they know God to salvation, but not to perfection. In this life we do but know God in part; that is, in comparison of the knowledge which our natures are capable of. But I will instance yet higher: the angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, though they have true apprehensions of God, yet they do not arrive to perfect knowledge of him, they cannot pervestigare ultima, "know the utmost of God;" the cherubims themselves are continually looking at the mercy-seat. To which the apostle alludes, (1 Pet. i. 12.) when he tells us the mystery of God's mercy in the gospel, is a thing "which the angels desired to pry into." In heaven, "that which is in part shall be done away;" that is, our knowledge shall be as perfect as our natures are capable; but it shall be finite. When we shall "see God face to face;" that is, have an immediate vision of him, "and see him as he is;" that is, not having our understandings tinctured by any lust or passion that may darken our minds, or misrepresent the object; for the apostle tells us, "we shall see him, because we shall be like him;" yet then we shall have short and inadequate apprehensions of him, we shall still retain our limited natures and finite understandings. II. By way of conviction. Dost thou know perfectly the nature of a finite spirit, the perfection and the power of an angel, how, being immaterial, they can act upon the matter, and move that which can make no resistance to a spirit? Dost thou know how they can move themselves to a great distance in a moment, and dart themselves from one part of the world to another? Dost thou know how man is "formed in the lowest parts of the earth," as the Psalmist expresseth it, and the curious frame of our bodies is wrought from such rude principles in so dark a shop? Canst thou give an account how the soul is united to the body, by what bands or holds a spirit is so closely and intimately conjoined to matter? Dost thou know how thyself understandest any thing, and canst retain the distinct ideas and notions of so many objects without confusion? Dost thou know the least parts of matter how they are knit together; and by what cement they cleave so fast to one another, that they can hardly be separated? Now if the creatures be so unsearchable, and the knowledge of these be too hard for thee, is not the Creator of them much more incomprehensible, who possesseth all these perfections which he communicates, and many which cannot be communicated to a creature? If in natural and sensible things, maxima pars eorum quae scimus, est minima pars eorum quae nescimus; how much more is it true of God, that "our ignorance is more than our knowledge," when the whole earth and all the creatures bear no proportion to him? (Isa. xl. 15, 17.) "Behold, all the nations of the earth are as the drop of the bucket, and as the small dust of the balance; all nations before him are nothing, and are accounted to him less than nothing." III. By shewing you the clear reason of it, which is this the disproportion between the faculty and the object, the finiteness of our understandings, and the infiniteness of the Divine nature and perfections. "God is greater than our hearts;" and therefore as he knows more than we do, as the apostle reasons, (1 John iii. 20.) so he is more than can be known by us; he is too vast an object for our understanding to entertain, for our minds to receive. Thou mayest as well mete out the heaven with a span, and measure the waters in the hollow of thy hand, and comprehend the dust of the earth in a little urn, and weigh the mountains in scales, and the hills in a little balance, as think to circumscribe God in the narrow limits of thy thoughts, or to bring that which is infinite within the compass of that which is finite. And there is not only the vastness and greatness of the object, but the glory and resplendency of it does so dazzle our sight, that we cannot perfectly see it: (1 Tim. vi. 16.) "He dwelleth in light, which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." As God is too big, so he is too bright an object for our understandings; the presence of his glory overpowers our minds, and bears down our faculties, and conquers our understandings. I come now to apply this doctrine of the incomprehensibleness of the Divine nature. If the nature, and perfections, and ways, and works of God be incomprehensible, and past finding out; I. It calls for our admiration, and veneration, and reverence. These are the best apprehensions of him that is incomprehensible; a silent veneration of his excellencies, is the best acknowledgment of them. We must admire what we cannot apprehend or express, (Zech. ix. 17.) "How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!" The best way to celebrate the praises of God, is that which Nehemiah useth, (Nehem. ix. 5.) "And blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise." Whenever we speak or think of God, we necessarily detract from his perfections; but even this necessity is glorious to him, and this speaks his perfection, that the highest finite under standing must have imperfect thoughts of him. We should make up in reverence and veneration what we fall short of in knowledge. Reverence is an acknowledgment of distance; by our reverence of the Divine Majesty, we should best awe our hearts, in a sense of the distance which is between his in finite nature and perfection, and our finite apprehensions. Worldly greatness will cause wonder, the thoughts of earthly majesty will compose us to reverence; how much more should those excellencies which are beyond what we can imagine? (Isa. vi.) You have there God represented sitting upon his throne, and the seraphims about him, which are described to us as having "each six wings, and with twain they cover their faces." Creatures of the brightest understanding, and the most exalted purity and holiness, cover their faces in the presence of God's glory; they choose rather to venerate God, than look upon him. II. This calls for humility and modesty. The consideration of God's unsearchable perfections should make "the haughtiness of man to stoop, and bring down his proud looks, and God alone should be exalted." The thought of God's excellency should abase us, and make us "vile in our own eyes;" it should make all those petty excellencies that we pride ourselves in, to vanish and disappear. "Those treasures of wisdom and knowledge" which are in God, should "hide pride from man:" it should hide those little parts and gifts which we are so apt to glory in, as the sun hides the stars. When we consider God, we should be so far from admiring ourselves, that we should, with a humble thankfulness, wonder that God should regard such inconsiderable nothings as we are. (Psal. viii. 1, 3, 4.) "O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy glory above the heavens! When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?" He that considers the glory of God, and the greatness of his works, will think so meanly of himself, that he will be astonished that God should mind him or visit him. This is a noble strain of humility in David, by which he acknowledged that the great est king of the earth, how considerable soever he may be in respect of men, is yet but a pitiful thing to God. When we speak to God, we should do it with great humility. (Eccles. v. 2, 3.) "Let thy words be few, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth." We should say to God, (Job xxxvii. 19.) "Teach us what we shall say unto thee, for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness." And when we think or speak of him, we should do it with great modesty; we should not rashly pronounce or deter mine any thing concerning God. Simonides being asked what God was, desired one day's time to consider; then he desired two, and then four. The more we think of God, the less peremptory shall we be in defining him. He that considers that God is incomprehensible, will not pretend to know all the ways of infinite knowledge, and the utmost of infinite power, and all the reasons of God's ways and providences. He that rightly values his own short understanding, and the unlimited perfections of God, will not be apt to say, this God cannot do, this he cannot know, such ways are not agreeable to his wisdom. He that knows God and himself, will be modest in these cases; he will epe'chein, abstain from all peremptory pronouncing in these matters; he considers that one man many times differs so much from another in knowledge, and skill of working, that he can do those things which another believes impossible: but we have pitiful thoughts of God, if we think the difference between one man and another, is any thing to the vast distance that is between the Divine understanding and our ignorance, the Divine power and our weakness, the wisdom of God and the folly of men. III. The incomprehensibleness of God's perfections calls for the highest degree of our affection. How should we fear this great and glorious God! (Psal. xc. 11.) "Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath." Fear is the most infinite of all our passions, and fills us with the most endless jealousy and suspicions: God's wrath is greater than our fear; "according to thy fear, so is thy wrath." How should we love him, when we are astonished with admiration of God's goodness, and say, "How great is thy goodness, and how great is thy beauty! Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be stowed upon us!" How great should our love be to him! what manner of love should we return to him! This calls for the highest degree of our faith. With what confidence should we rely upon him, "who is able to do for us exceeding above what we can ask or think!" To conclude. This requires the highest degree of our service: how should our hearts be "enlarged to run the way of his commandments," who hath laid up for us such things, "that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man!" __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLVII. GOD THE FIRST CAUSE, AND LAST END. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.--Rom. xi. 36. HAVING considered the more eminent and absolute perfections of the Divine nature, as also that which results from the infinite excellency and perfection of God, compared with the imperfection of our under standings, I come, in the last place, to treat of such as are merely and purely relative: as, that he is the first cause, and the last end, of all things; to which purpose I have chosen these words of the apostle for the subject of my present discourse, "For of him, and through him," &c. The dependance of these words upon the former, is briefly this. The apostle had been speaking before in this chapter, several things that might tend to raise us to an admiration of the wisdom, and goodness, and mercy of God, in the dispensation of his grace for the salvation of men, both Jews and gentiles, and therefore would have us ascribe this work wholly to God; the contrivance of it to his wisdom, and not to our own counsels, (ver. 34.) "For who hath known the mind of the Lord; and who hath been his counsellor?" And the bestowing this grace to his free goodness and mercy, .and not to any desert of ours, (ver. 35.) "Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?" Yea, and not only in the dispensation of grace, but of all good things; not only in this work of redemption, but also of creation; God is the fountain and original, and first cause, from whence every thing proceeds; and the last end, to which every thing is to be referred; "For of him," &c. ex autou, "from him," the efficient cause producing all things; di autou, "by or through him," as the efficient conserving cause of all things; kai` eis auto`n, "and to him," as the final cause of all things, and the end for which they were made. The proposition I shall speak to, is, that God is the first cause, and last end. First, I shall a little explain the terms. Secondly, Confirm the proposition. Thirdly, Apply it. First, For the explication of the terms. I. That God is the first cause, signifies, 1. Negatively, That he had no cause, did not derive his being from any other, or does depend upon any other being; but that he was always, and eternally of himself. 2. Positively, That he is the cause of all things besides himself, the fountain and original of all created beings, from whom all things proceed, and upon whom all things depend; or, that I may use the expression of St. John, (John i. 3.) which I know is appropriated to the second person in the Trinity, "By him all things were made, and without him was nothing made, that was made." So that when we attribute to God, that he is the first, we mean, that there was nothing before him, and that he was before all things, and that all things are by him. II. The last end.; that is, that all things refer to him; that is, the design and aim of all things that are made, is the illustration of God's glory some way or other, and the manifestation of his perfections. Secondly, For the confirmation, I shall briefly, according to my usual method, attempt it these two ways: I. By natural light. The notion of a God contains in it all possible perfection. Now the utmost perfection we can imagine, is, for a being to be al ways of itself, before all other beings; and not only so, but to be the cause of all other things; that is, that there should be nothing but what derives its being from him, and continually depends upon him; from whence follows, that all things must refer to him as their last end. For every wise agent acts with design, and in order to an end. Now the end is that which is best, which is most worthy the attaining, and that is God himself. Now his being and perfections are already; and the best, next to the existence of his being and perfections, is the manifestation of them, which is called God's glory; and this is the highest end that we can imagine, to which all the effects of the Divine power, and goodness, and wisdom, do refer. And that these titles are to be attributed to God, is not only reasonable, when it is revealed and discovered, but was discovered by the natural light of the heathens. Hence it was that Aristotle gave God those titles of the first being, the first cause, and the first mover; and his master Plato calls God the author and parent of all things, the maker and architect of the world, and of all creatures, the fountain and original of all things. Porphyry calls him to` proton, "the first;" from whence he reasons to this sense, that he is the ultimate end, and that all things move towards God; that all motions centre in him; because (saith he) it is most proper and natural for things to refer to their original, and to refer all to him from whom they receive all. Antoninus, the emperor and philosopher, speaking of nature (which with the Stoics signifies God) had these words, which are so very like these of the apostle, that they may seem to be taken from him; ek sou pa'nta, en soi` pa'nta, eis se` pa'nta, "Of thee are all things; in thee are all things; to thee are all things." II. From Scripture. Hither belong all those places where he declares himself to be "the first and the last." (Isa. xli. 4.) "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he." (Isa. xliii. 10.) "Before me there was no God formed, (or, as it is in the margin, there was nothing formed of God, ) neither shall there be after me." (Isa. xliv. 6.) "I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God." (Isa. xlviii. 12, 13.) "I am the first; I am also the last: my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth; my right hand hath spread the heavens:" which is as much as to say, he hath made the world, and was the first cause of all things. (Rev. i. 8.) "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord; which is, and which was, and which is to come." But more expressly, (1 Cor. viii. 6.) "But to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we by him," kai hemeis eis auton, "and we to him, and for him." (Acts xvii. 24.) "God, that made the world, and all things therein." (Ver. 25.) "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Ver. 28.) "In him we live, and move, and have our being." (Ver. 29.) "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God." Hither we may refer those texts which attribute the same to the second Person in the Trinity, as the eternal wisdom and word of God, whereby all things were made, (John i. 3.) "All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made that was made." (Ver. 10.) "And the world was made by him." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) "And one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." (Eph. iii. 9.) "God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." (Col. i. 16, 17.) "By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Heb. i. 2.) "By whom also he made the worlds." And, (ver. 3.) "Upholding all things by the word of his power. Thirdly, and lastly, To apply this doctrine. Use. First, If God be the first cause of all things, who did at first produce all creatures, and does since preserve them, and govern them, and disposeth of all their concernments, and orders all things that befal them: from hence let us learn, . 1. With humility and thankfulness to own, and acknowledge, and admire, and bless God, as the author and original of our being, as the spring and fountain of all the blessings and good things that we enjoy. If we do but consider what these words signify, that God is the first cause of all things, we shall see great reason to own and acknowledge, to adore and praise him, and that with the greatest humility, because we have not given him any thing, but have received all from him; he is the cause of all things, who did freely, and of his own good will and pleasure, communicate being to us without any constraint or necessity, but what his own goodness laid upon him. (Rev. iv. 11.) "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." We could not before we were deserve any thing from him, or move him by any argument, or importune him by entreaties to make us; but he freely gave us being, and ever since we depend upon him, and have been preserved by him, and cannot subsist one moment without the continued influence of the power and goodness which first called us out of nothing. He is the author of all the good, and the fountain of all those blessings, which for the present we enjoy, and for the future hope for. When he made us at first, he designed us for happiness; and when we, by our sin and wilful miscarriage, fell short of the happiness which he designed us for, he sent his Son into the world for our recovery, and gave his life for the ransom of our souls. He hath not only admitted us into a new covenant, wherein he hath promised pardon and eternal life to us; but he hath also purchased these blessings for us by the most endearing price, the blood of his own Son, and hath saved us in such a manner as may justly astonish us. Upon these considerations we should awaken ourselves to the praise of God, and, with the holy Psalmist, call up our spirits, and summon all the powers and faculties of our souls, to assist us in this work. (Psal. ciii. 1-4, &c.) "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name; bless the Lord, O my soul, and for get not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;" it is he that "satisfies our soul with good things," that hath promised eternal life and happiness to us, and must confer and bestow this upon us; "therefore our souls, and all that is within us, should bless his holy name." 2. If God be the first cause, that is, orders all things that befal us, and by his providence disposeth of all our concernments, this should teach us with patience and quietness to submit to all events, to all evils and afflictions that come upon us, as being disposed by his wise providence, and coming from him: we are apt to attribute all things to the next and immediate agent, and to look no higher than second causes, not considering that all the motions of natural causes are directly subordinate to the first cause; and all the actions of free creatures are under the government of God's wise providence, so that nothing happens to us besides the designs and intention of God. And methinks this is one particular excellency of the style of the Scripture above all other books, that the constant phrase of the sacred dialect is to attribute all events (excepting sins only) to God; so that every one that reads it, cannot but take notice that it is wrote with a more attentive consideration of God than any other book, as appears by those frequent and express acknowledgments of God as the cause of all events; so that what in other writers would be said to be done by this or that person, is ascribed to God. Therefore it is so often said, that the Lord did this and that, stirred up such an enemy, brought such a judgment. And we shall find that holy men, in Scripture, make excel lent use of this consideration, to argue themselves into patience and contentedness in every condition. So Eli: (1 Sam. iii. 18.) "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." So Job, he did not so consider the Sabeans and Chaldeans, who had carried away his oxen and his camels, and slain his servants; nor the wind which had thrown down his house, and killed his sons and his daughters; but he looks up to God, the great governor and disposer of all these events; "The Lord giveth, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." So David, (Psal. xxxix. 9.) "I was dumb, and spake not a word; because thou, Lord, didst it." So our blessed Saviour, when he was ready to suffer, he did not consider the malice of the Jews, which was the cause of his death, but looks to a higher hand; "The cup which my Father gives me to drink, shall not I drink it?" He that looks upon all things as coming from second causes, and does not eye the first cause, the good and wise Governor, will be apt to take offence at every cross and unwelcome accident. Men are apt to be angry, when one flings water upon them as they pass in the streets; but no man is offended if he is wet by rain from heaven. When we look upon evils as coming only from men, we are apt to be impatient, and know not how to bear them; but we should look upon all things as under the government and disposal of the first cause, and the circumstances of every condition as allotted to us by the wise providence of God; this consideration, that it is the hand of God, and that he hath done it, would still all the murmurings of our spirits. As when a seditious multitude is in an uproar, the presence of a grave and venerable person will hush the noise, and quell the tumult; so, if we would but represent God as present to all actions, and governing and disposing all events, this would still and appease our spirits, when they are ready to riot and mutiny against any of his dispensations. Use the second. If God be the last end of all, let us make him our last end, and refer all our actions to his glory. This is that which is due to him, as he is the first cause, and therefore he does most reasonably require it of us. And herein, likewise, the Scripture doth excel all other books; that is, doth more frequently and expressly mind us of this end, and calls upon us to propose it to ourselves as our ultimate aim and design. We should love him as our chief end; (Matt. xxii. 37.) "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Thus to love God, is that which in the language of the schools is loving God as our chief end. So, likewise, the apostle requires that we should refer all the actions of our lives to this end: (1 Cor. x. 31.) "Whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God;" that we should "glorify him in our souls, and in our bodies, which are his." He is the author of all the powers that we have, and therefore we should use them for him; we do all by him, and therefore we should do all to him. And that we may the better understand ourselves as to this duty, I shall endeavour to give satisfaction to a question or two, which may arise about it. First, Whether an actual intention of God's glory be necessary to make every action that we do good and acceptable to God? Answer.--1. It is necessary that the glory of God, either formally or virtually, should be the ultimate end and scope of our lives, and all our actions; otherwise, they will be defective in that which in moral actions is most considerable, and that is, the end. If a man should keep all the commandments of the gospel, this excepted, of making God's glory his supreme end, only with a design to gain reputation, or some other advantage in the world, this very thing would vitiate all, and render him unacceptable to God. 2. It is very requisite and convenient, as a good sign, that we should very frequently actually think upon, and intend, this end; for if it be very much out of our thoughts, we have some reason to be jealous of ourselves, that we do not intend it at all. 3. It is so far from being necessary, that we should in every action have this intention of God's glory, that it is not morally possible that we should, no more than it is possible, that a man that goes a journey of a thousand miles, should every step he takes have actual thoughts of his journey send; nor is it more necessary; for consideration of the end, is only so far necessary, as it is necessary to guide and quicken us in the use of means; as it is not necessary for a man to think of his journey's end, farther than to direct and excite him to go thither. And this appears farther by the contrary; it is not necessary to make a sinful action, that a man should formally, much less actually, intend God's dishonour; it is enough to constitute a man a wicked man, if he willingly transgress God's law, the doing whereof does, by consequence, reflect a dishonour upon him; so, on the other hand, it is sufficient to make an action good and acceptable, if it be conformable to God's law, and such as by consequence redounds to God's glory. Second question. Whether the glory of God may or ought to be considered as an end separate and distinct from our own happiness? Answer.--I shall speak but briefly to this, because I have elsewhere spoken to it; but in that little which I have to say for satisfaction to this question, I will proceed by these steps: I. By the glory of God, we mean the demonstration, or illustration, or manifestation, of some or alt of his perfections, more especially his goodness, and mercy, and justice, and wisdom, and power, and holiness. II. It is plain, that the manifestation of some of these perfections is a thing that may be separated from the happiness of a creature; for his holiness, and justice, and power, may and shall be manifested in the final and eternal ruin of impenitent sinners. III. The manifestation of any of God's perfections, ought many times to be propounded by us as an end distinct and separate from our respective happiness; such a happiness as respects only some particulars, and some particular duration, in opposition to absolute and eternal happiness. In this sense our Saviour says, that he "sought not his own glory, but the glory of him that sent Him:" by which he does not mean, that he quitted everlasting glory and happiness; but that, in order to the glory of God, he did for a time lay aside his own glory, and divest himself of it while he was in this world; for the apostle tells us, that he was encouraged to do this out of a respect to a greater glory. (Heb. xii. 2.) "Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." And in this sense we are to understand the command of self-denial in the gospel, with reference to our particular or temporal, not our eternal interest; and that it is no more, is plain from the argument our Saviour uses to encourage this self-denial, the promise of a far greater happiness than that we deny; no man that "forsakes father or mother for my sake, but shall have eternal life:" and proportionably we are to understand those commands of loving Christ more than ourselves; that is, more than any temporal interest. IV. The manifestation of any of God's perfections, neither ought nor can reasonably be propounded by us as an end separated from, or opposite to our eternal blessedness; that is, we cannot naturally or reasonably desire the glory of God should be advanced, though it were to our final ruin, either by annihilation or eternal misery. 1. We cannot, either naturally or reasonably, desire God should be glorified by our annihilation. (1.) Not naturally. Because such a desire would be directly contrary to the natural desire of self-preservation, which God himself hath planted in us, and is most intimate and essential to our nature, (2.) Not reasonably. Because it is utterly unimaginable how God can be glorified by the annihilation of a creature. All the attributes that we can imagine can be manifested herein, are power ad sovereignty; his power hath already been as much manifested in creating .and making the creature out of nothing, as it can be by reducing it into nothing; for to create, is the very same demonstration of power as to annihilate. And as for his sovereignty, God will never manifest that in contradiction to his goodness, or wisdom, or any other perfection of the Divine nature. To unmake a creature, and take away the being which he had given, would argue either a failure of his goodness toward the creature, or that he did repent that he had made it, which would reflect upon his wisdom and constancy. I do not say, that injustice God cannot annihilate a creature; far be it from me: for what he gave was his own, and he might without any wrong to the creature take it again. 2. Much less can we naturally desire that God should be glorified in our eternal misery. The reasons which I give about annihilation are stronger here; therefore we cannot naturally desire it, nor reasonably, for the demonstration of his power, or sovereignty, or justice, or holiness, which, I think, are all the attributes which we can imagine to be glorified hereby: not as the manifestation of his power; for that would be as much manifested in the happiness, as misery of the creature: not of his sovereignty; for God will not manifest that in contradiction to his goodness, upon which nothing can reflect more, than merely, pro arbitrio, for his pleasure, to make an innocent creature for ever miserable: not his justice and holiness; for these presuppose sin and demerit in the creature, out of hatred to which he makes it miserable; but God hath declared that he esteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures, than by their sin and destruction; and if it were reasonable to desire the justice and holiness of God might be glorified in my eternal ruin, which I have deserved by sin; this would plainly follow from it, that it were reasonable to sin, that justice might abound: which of the two is a greater absurdity than that which the apostle condemns of "sinning that grace may abound." V. There is a strict and inviolable connexion between the greatest glory of God and our obedience and happiness; I say, between his greatest glory, because he esteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures, than by their ruin and misery: and that we may believe it, we have his oath for it; "As I live, saith the Lord, I delight not in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live." And it is observable, that the apostle, in 1 Cor. x. 31-33, "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God: giving none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the gentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved;" explains the glorifying of God, by edifying and promoting the salvation of others. VI. We may consider the glory of God, as some ways distinct from our happiness; that is, we may consider the manifestation of his goodness, and mercy, and wisdom, in our happiness, as that which results from it; but this is not enough to make it a distinct end, but the same diversely considered; as the public good is that which results from the general good of particular persons, but cannot reasonably be propounded by any man, as an end distinct from the general happiness of particular persons, without ruining and destroying the notion of public good. VII. Though considered as we are particular beings, we can have no greater end than our own happiness, in which God is eminently glorified; yet, as we are part of the whole creation and workman ship of God, which is the noblest consideration of ourselves, the glory of God, which results from the manifestation of all his perfections in and about his creatures, is precisely our ultimate end, and yet not an end really distinct from our own happiness; and therefore, it is most proper, and becoming, and agreeable to the wise style of Scripture, to give our end its denomination, not from the more particular and narrow, but the more noble consideration of ourselves, as we are parts of the whole creation and workmanship of God; as it is more generous and becoming for the members of a civil society to mention the public good as their end, than their private happiness and advantage, though that be so really and effectually promoted by the public good. Thus I have finished what I proposed on this argument, and concerning the attributes of God in general; "Of whom, and through whom, and to whom, are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen." __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLVIII. THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH. Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.--Acts xx. 21. TO have seen St. Paul in the pulpit, was one of those three things which St. Augustine thought worth the wishing for. And sure it were very desirable to have seen this glorious instrument of God, who did such wonders in the world, to have heard that plain and powerful eloquence of his, which was so "mighty through God, for the casting down of strong holds, and the subduing of men to the obedience of the gospel;" to have beheld the zeal of this holy man, who was all on tire for God, with what ardency of affection, and earnestness of expression, he persuaded men to come in to Christ, and entertain the gospel. This were very desirable; but seeing it is a thing we cannot hope for, it should be some satisfaction to our curiosity, to know what St. Paul preached, what was the main subject of his sermons, whither he referred all his discourses, and what they tended to. This he tells us in the words that I have read to you, that the main substance of all his sermons was "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The occasion of the words was briefly this; St. Paul being in his journey to Jerusalem, and intending to be there by the day of Pentecost, that he might not be hindered in his journey, he resolves to pass by Ephesus, and only to call to him the elders of the church, to charge them with their duty, and the care of the church; and to engage them hereto, he tells them how he had carried and demeaned himself among them, (ver. 18.) with what diligence and vigilance he had watched over them, with what affection and earnestness he had preached to them, (ver. 19, 20.) And here in the text he tells them what had been the sum of his doctrine, and the substance of those many sermons he had preached among them, and what was the end and design of all his discourses; viz. To persuade men to "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; testifying both to the Jews and Greeks," &c. I shall explain the words a little, and then fix upon the observations which I intend to speak to, because I design this only as a preface to some larger discourses of faith and repentance. For explication. "Testifying," the word is diamarturo'menos, which signifies to testify, to prove a thing by testimony; so it is used, (Heb. ii. 6.) "But one in a certain place testifieth, saying." In heathen writers the word is often used in a law sense, for contesting by law, and pleading in a cause; and from hence it signifies earnestly to contend or persuade by arguments and threatenings. In the use of the LXX. it signifies to protest, to convince, to press earnestly, to persuade. It is used most frequently by St. Luke in a very intense signification; and is sometimes joined with exhorting, which is an earnest persuading to a thing, (Acts ii. 40.) "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation;" and with preaching, (Acts viii. 25.) "And when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord;" and so (Acts xviii. 5.) "Being pressed in spirit, he testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ," "Being pressed in spirit" signifies intention and vehemency in testifying to them, that he did vehemently endeavour to convince them; it seems to be equivalent to the expression, (ver. 28.) where it is said, "Apollos did mightily convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ;" that is, did use such persuasions and arguments as were sufficient to convince; and to mention no more, (Acts xxviii. 23.) "He expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus." St. Paul, in his Epistle to Timothy, useth this word in a most vehement sense, for giving a solemn charge, (1 Tim. v. 21.) "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ;" the word is diamartu'romai; and so (2 Tim. ii. 14.) "Charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words;" and so (2 Tim. iv. 1.) "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ;" and here in the text the word seems to be of a very high and intense signification, because of the circumstances mentioned before and after; he tells us before, that he taught them "at all seasons," (ver. 18.) "publicly, and from house to house," (ver. 20.) And afterwards, at the 31st verse, that "he warned them day and night with tears." So that "testifying to the Jews repentance and faith," must signify his pressing and persuading of them with the greatest vehemency to turn from their sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; his charging on them these things as their duty, his pleading with them the necessity of faith and repentance, and earnestly endeavouring to convince then) thereof. "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:" what is the reason of this appropriation of repentance and faith, the one as properly respecting God, and the other our Lord Jesus Christ? I answer: Repentance doth properly respect God, because he is the party offended, and to whom we are to be reconciled; the faith of the gospel doth properly refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the chief and principal object of it; so that by "testifying to them repentance toward God," &c. we are to understand that the apostle did earnestly press and persuade them to repent of their sins, whereby they had offended God, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messias, the person that was ordained of God, and sent to be the Saviour of the world. From the words thus explained, this is the observation that doth naturally arise, That repentance and faith are the sum and substance of the gospel; and that ministers ought with all earnestness and vehemency to press people to repent and believe, to charge them with these as their duty, and by all means to endeavour to convince them of the necessity of them. In the handling of this I shall do these two things: First, Shew you what is included in repentance and faith, that you may see that they are the sum of the gospel. And, Secondly, Shew you the necessity of them. First, What is included in these. I. Repentance: this properly signifies a change of mind, a conviction that we have done amiss, so as to be truly sorry for what we have done, and heartily to wish that we had not done it. To repent, is to alter our mind, to have other apprehensions of things than we had, to look upon that now as evil which we did not before; from whence follows sorrow for what we have done, and a resolution of mind for the future not to do again that which appears now to us to be so evil, that we are ashamed of it, and troubled for it, and wish we had never done it. So that repentance implies a conviction that we have done something that is evil and sinful, contrary to the law we are under, and those obligations of duty and gratitude that lie upon us, whereby God is highly provoked and in censed against us, and we in danger of his wrath, and the sad effects of his displeasure; upon which we are troubled, and grieved, and ashamed for what we have done, and wish we had been wiser, and had done otherwise: hereupon we resolve never to do any thing that is sinful, that is contrary to our duty and obligations to God, and by which we may provoke him against us. These two things are contained in a true repentance, a deep sense of, and sorrow for, the evils that are past, and the sins we have committed; and a firm purpose and resolution of obedience for the future, of abstaining from all sin, and doing whatever is our duty: the true effect of which resolution, is the breaking off the practice of sin, and the course of a wicked life, and a constant course of obedience. II. Faith in Christ is an effectual believing the revelation of the gospel, the history and the doctrine of it: the history of it--that there was such a person as Jesus Christ; that he was the true Messias, prophesied of and promised in the Old Testament; that he was born, and lived, and preached, and wrought the miracles that are recorded; that he was crucified and rose again, and ascended into heaven; that he was the Son of God, and sent by him into the world, by his doctrine to instruct, and by the example of his life to go before us in the way to happiness, and by the merit and satisfaction of his death and sufferings, to appease and reconcile God to us, and to purchase for us the pardon of our sins and eternal life, upon the conditions of faith, and repentance, and sincere obedience; and that to enable us to the performance of these conditions, he promised and afterward sent his Holy Spirit to accompany the preaching of his gospel, and to assist all Christians to the doing of that which God requires of them: this is the history of the gospel. Now the doctrine of it contains the precepts, and promises, and threatenings of it, and faith in Christ includes a firm belief of all these; of the precepts of the gospel as the matter of our duty, and the rule of our life: and of the promises and threatenings of the gospel, as arguments to our duty, to encourage our obedience, and deter us from sin. So that he that believes the Lord Jesus, believes him to be the great guide and teacher sent from God, to bring and conduct men to eternal happiness, and that therefore we ought to hearken to him and follow him; this is to believe his prophetical office. He believes that he is the author of salvation, and hath purchased for us forgiveness of sins, ransom from hell, and eternal life and blessedness upon the conditions beforementioned, and therefore that we ought to rely upon him only for salvation, to own him for our Saviour, and to beg of him his Holy Spirit, which he hath promised to us, to enable us to perform the conditions required on our part: this is to believe his priestly office. And, lastly, he believes that the precepts of the gospel, being delivered to us by the Son of God, ought to have the authority of laws upon us, and that we are bound to be obedient to them; and for our encouragement, if we be so, that there is a glorious and eternal reward promised to us; and for our terror, if we be not, there are terrible and eternal punishments threatened to us; to which rewards, the Lord Jesus Christ, at the day of judgment, will sentence men, as the great Judge of the world: and this is to believe the kingly office of Christ. And this is the sum of that which is meant by "faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ," which the apostle saith was one subject of his preaching. And the proper and genuine effect of this faith, is to live as we believe, to conform our lives to the doctrine, to the truth whereof we assent. Hence it is that true Christians, that is, those who fashioned their lives according to the gospel, are called believers; and the whole of Christianity is many times contained in this word believing, which is the great principle of a Christian life. As in the Old Testament all religion is expressed by "the fear of God;" so in the New, by "faith in Christ." And now you see what is included in repentance and faith, you may easily judge, whether these be not the sum of the gospel, that men should forsake their sins and turn to God, and believe in the revelation of the gospel concerning Jesus Christ; that is, heartily entertain and submit to it. What did Christ preach to the Jews, but that they should repent of their sins, and believe on him as the Messias? And what did the apostles preach, but to the same purpose? When St. Peter preached to the Jews, (Acts ii.) the effect of the sermon and the scope of it was to persuade them "to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, that is, to profess their belief in him, (ver. 38.) And so (Acts iii. 19.) this is the conclusion of his discourse, "Repent therefore and be converted;" and then he propounded Christ to them as the object of their faith, being the great prophet that was prophesied of by Moses, who should "be raised up among them," (ver. 22.) So, likewise, St. Paul, when he preached to the Jews and gentiles, these were his great subjects, (Acts xvii. 30.) This is the conclusion of his sermon to the Athenians, to persuade them to repent by the consideration of a future judgment, and to persuade them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was to be the judge of the world, from the miracle of his resurrection: "But now he commands all men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day, &c. whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." So that you see that these are the great doctrines of the gospel, and were the sum of the apostles preaching; all their sermons were persuasives to these two duties of repentance and faith. Secondly, For the necessity of these doctrines. They are necessary for the escaping of eternal misery, and attaining of everlasting happiness. And this will appear, by considering the nature of them, and the relation they have to both these. For the avoiding of eternal punishment, it is necessary that guilt should be removed, which is an obligation to punishment, and that cannot be but by pardon: and sure we cannot imagine that God will ever pardon us without repentance: he will never remit to us the punishment of sin, so long as we tell him we are not at all troubled for what we have done, and we are of the same mind still, and will do the same again; and till we repent, we tell God this, and we may be sure God will not cast away his pardons upon those that despise them; so that repentance is necessary to the escaping of hell. And faith in Christ is necessary to it; for if this be the method of God's grace, not to pardon sin without satisfaction, and Jesus Christ hath made satisfaction for sin by the merit of his sufferings; and if it be necessary that we should believe this, that the benefit hereof may redound to us; then faith in Christ is necessary to the obtaining of the pardon of sin, by which the guilt of sin is removed; that is, our obligation to eternal punishment. And then for attaining salvation. Christ having in the gospel revealed to us the way and means to eternal happiness, it is necessary that we should believe this revelation of the gospel by Jesus Christ, in order to this end. So that you see the necessity of faith and repentance: because without these we can neither escape misery, nor attain to happiness. I should now come to draw some inferences from this discourse, but I will first give satisfaction to a query or two, to which this discourse seems to have given occasion. 1st Query.--You will say, why do I call repentance a doctrine of the gospel? It is a doctrine of nature. Natural religion tells us, that when we have offended God we ought to be sorry for it, and resolve to amend and reform. Answer.--I do not make the doctrine of repentance proper to the gospel, as if it had not been revealed to the world before; but because it is a doctrine which the gospel very much presseth and persuadeth men to, and because the great motives and enforcements of it are peculiar to the gospel. So that the doctrine of repentance, considered with those powerful reasons and arguments to it which the gospel furnisheth us withal, is in this sense proper to the gospel, and not known to the world before. There are two motives and enforcements to repentance which the gospel furnisheth us with. 1. Assurance of pardon and remission of sins in case of repentance, which is a great encouragement to repentance, and which, before the gospel, the world had never any firm and clear assurance of. 2. Assurance of eternal rewards and punishments after this life, which is a strong argument to persuade men to change their lives, that they may avoid the misery that is threatened to impenitent sinners, and be qualified for the happiness which it promiseth to repentance and obedience. And this, the apostle tells us in the forementioned place (Acts xvii. 30, 31.) is that which doth, as it were, make repentance to be a new doctrine that did come with the gospel into the world, because it was never before enforced with this powerful argument; "The times of that ignorance God winked at; but now he calls upon all men every where to repent; because," &c. When the world was in ignorance, and had not such assurance of a future state, of eternal rewards and punishments after this life, the arguments to repentance were weak and feeble in comparison to what they now are; the necessity of this duty was not so evident. But now God hath assured us of a future judgment, now exhortations to repentance have a commanding power and influence upon men: so that repentance, both as it is that which is very much pressed and inculcated in the gospel, and as it hath its chief motives and enforcements from the gospel, may be said to be one of the great doctrines of the gospel. Query 2.--Whether the preaching of faith in Christ, among those who are already Christians, be at all necessary? Because it seems very improper to press those to believe in Christ, who are already persuaded that he is the Messias, and do entertain the history and doctrine of the gospel. Answer.--The faith which the apostle here means, and which he would persuade men to, is an effectual belief of the gospel; such a faith as hath real effects upon men, and makes them to live as they believe; such a faith as persuades them of the need of these blessings that the gospel offers, and makes them to desire to be partakers of them, and in order thereto to be willing to submit to those terms and conditions of holiness and obedience which the gospel requires. This is the faith we would persuade men to, and there is nothing more necessary to be pressed upon the greatest part of Christians than this; for how few are there among those who profess to believe the gospel, who believe it in this effectual manner, so as to conform themselves to it? The faith which most Christians pretend to, is merely negative; they do not disbelieve the gospel, they do not consider it, nor trouble themselves about it; they do not care, nor are concerned whether it be true or not; but they have not a positive belief of it, they are not possessed with a firm persuasion of the truth of those matters which are contained in it; if they were, such a persuasion would produce real and positive effects. Every man naturally desires happiness, and it is impossible that any man that is possessed with this belief, that, in order to happiness, it is necessary for him to do such and such things; and that if he omit or neglect them, he is unavoidably miserable, that he should not do them. Men say they believe this or that, but you may see in their lives what it is they believe. So that the preaching of this faith in Christ, which is the only true faith, is still necessary. I. Inference.--If repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, be the sum and substance of the gospel, then from hence we may infer the excellency of the Christian religion, which insists only upon those things which do tend to our perfection and our happiness. Repentance tends to our recovery, and the bringing of us back as near as may be to innocence. Primus innocentiae gradus est non peccasse: secundus, poenitentia: and then faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, though it be very comprehensive, and contains many things in it, yet nothing but what is eminently for our advantage, and doth very much conduce to our happiness. The historical part of the gospel acquaints us with the person and actions of our Saviour, which conduceth very much to our understanding of the author and means of our salvation. The doctrinal part of the gospel contains what God requires on our part, and the encouragements and arguments to our duty, from the consideration of the recompence and rewards of the next life. The precepts of Christ's doctrine are such as tend exceedingly to the perfection of our nature, being all founded in reason, in the nature of God, and of a reasonable creature; I except only those positive institutions of the Christian religion, the two sacraments, which are not burthensome, and are of excellent use. This is the first. II. We may learn from hence what is to be the sum and end of our preaching, to bring men to repentance and a firm belief of the gospel: but then it is to be considered, that we preach repentance, so often as we preach either against sin in general, or any particular sin or vice; and so often as we persuade to holiness in general, or to the performance of any particular duty of religion, or to the exercise of any particular grace; for repentance includes the forsaking of sin, and a sincere resolution and endeavour of reformation and obedience. And we preach repentance, so often as we insist upon such considerations and arguments, as may be powerful to deter men from sin, and to engage them to holiness. And we preach faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, so often as we declare the grounds of the Christian religion, and insist upon such arguments as tend to make it credible, and are proper to convince men of the truth and reasonableness of it; so often as we explain the mystery of Christ's incarnation, the history of his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, and the proper ends and use of these; so often as we open the method of God's grace for the salvation of sinners, the nature of the covenant between God and us, and the conditions of it, and the way how a sinner is justified and hath his sins pardoned, the nature and necessity of regeneration and sanctification; so often as we explain the precepts of the gospel, and the promises and threatenings of it, and endeavour to convince men of the equity of Christ's commands, and to as sure them of the certainty of the eternal happiness which the gospel promises to them that obey it, and of the eternal misery which the gospel threatens to those that are disobedient; all this is preaching faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. III. This may correct the irregular humour and itch in many people, who are not contented with this plain and wholesome food, but must be gratified with sublime notions and unintelligible mysteries, with pleasant passages of wit, and artificial strains of rhetoric, with nice and unprofitable disputes, with bold interpretations of dark prophecies, and peremptory determinations of what will happen next year, and a punctual stating of the time when antichrist shall be thrown down, and Babylon shall fall, and who shall be employed in this work. Or, if their humour lies another way, you must apply yourself to it, by making sharp reflections upon matters in present controversy and debate; you must dip your style in gall and vinegar, and be all satire and invective against those that differ from you, and teach people to hate one another, and to fall together by the ears; and this men call gospel preaching, and speaking of seasonable truths. Surely St. Paul was a gospel preacher, and such an one as may be a pattern to all others, and yet he did none of these; he preached what men might understand, and what they ought to believe and practise, in a plain, and unaffected, and convincing manner; he taught such things as made for peace, and whereby he might edify and build up men in their holy faith. The doctrines that he preached will never be unseasonable, that men should leave their sins, and believe the gospel, and live accordingly. And if men must needs be gratified with disputes and controversies, there are these great controversies between God and the sinner to be stated and determined; whether this be religion, to follow our own lusts and inclinations, or to endeavour to be like God, and to be conformed to him, in goodness and mercy, and righteousness, and truth, and faithfulness? Whether Jesus Christ be not the Messias and Saviour of the world? Whether faith and repentance and sincere obedience be not the terms of salvation, and the necessary conditions of happiness? Whether there shall be a future judgment, when all men shall be sentenced according to their works? Whether there be a heaven and hell? Whether good men shall be eternally and unspeakably happy, and wicked men extremely and ever lastingly miserable? These are the great controversies of religion, upon which we are to dispute on God's behalf against sinners. God asserts, and sinners deny these things, not in words, but, which is more emphatical and significant, in their lives and actions. These are practical controversies of faith, and it concerns every man to be resolved and determined about them, that he may frame his life accordingly. And so for repentance; God says, repentance is a forsaking of sin, and a thorough change and amendment of life; the sinner says, that it is only a formal confession, and a slight asking of God forgiveness: God calls upon us speedily and forthwith to repent; the sinner saith, it is time enough, and it may safely be deferred to sickness or death: these are important controversies, and matters of moment. But men do not affect common truths; whereas these are most necessary: and, indeed, whatever is generally useful and beneficial, ought to be common, and not to be the less valued, but the more esteemed for being so. And as these doctrines of faith and repentance are never unseasonable, so are they more peculiarly proper when we celebrate the holy sacrament, which was instituted for a solemn and standing memorial of the Christian religion, and is one of the most powerful arguments and persuasives to repentance and a good life. The faith of the gospel doth more particularly respect the death of Christ, and therefore it is called "faith in his blood," because that is more especially the object of our faith; the blood of Christ, as it was a seal of the truth of his doctrine, so it is also a confirmation of all the blessings and benefits of the new covenant. And it is one of the greatest arguments in the world to repentance. In the blood of Christ we may see our own guilt, and in the dreadful sufferings of the Son of God, the just desert of our sins; for "he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities:" therefore, the commemoration of his sufferings should call our sins to remembrance, the representation of his body broken should melt our hearts; and so often as we remember that his blood was shed for us, our eyes should "run down with rivers of tears;" so often as we "look upon him whom we have pierced, we should mourn over him." When the Son of God suffered, "the rocks were rent in sunder;" and shall not the consideration of those sufferings be effectual to break the most stony and obdurate heart? What can be more proper when we come to this sacrament, than the renewing of our repentance? When we partake of this passover, we should "eat it with bitter herbs." The most solemn expressions of our repentance fall short of those sufferings which our blessed Saviour underwent for our sins. If "our head were waters, and our eyes fountains of tears," we could never sufficiently lament the cursed effects and consequences of those provocations which were so fatal to the Son of God. And that our repentance may be real, it must be accompanied with the resolution of a better life; for if we return to our sins again, "we trample under foot the Son of God, and profane the blood of the covenant," and out of "the cup of salvation we drink our own damnation," and turn that which should save us into an instrument and seal of our own ruin. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLIX. [Preached on Ash Wednesday.] OF CONFESSING AND FORSAKING SIN, IN ORDER TO PARDON. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.--Prov. xxviii. 13. SINCE we are all sinners, and liable to the justice of God, it is a matter of great moment to our comfort and happiness, to be rightly informed, by what means, and upon what terms, we may be reconciled to God, and find mercy with him. And to this purpose the text gives us this advice and direction: "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy." In which words there is a great blessing and benefit declared and promised to sinners, upon certain conditions. The blessing and benefit promised is the mercy and favour of God, which comprehends all the happy effects of God's mercy and goodness to sinners: and the conditions upon which this blessing is promised are two--confession of our sins, and forsaking of them; and these two contain in them the whole nature of that great and necessary duty of repentance, without which a sinner can have no reasonable hopes of the mercy of God. I. Here is a blessing or benefit promised, which is the mercy and favour of God: and this, in the full extent of it, comprehends all the effects of the mercy and goodness of God to sinners, and doth primarily import the pardon and forgiveness of our sins. And this, probably, Solomon did chiefly in tend in this expression; for so the mercy of God doth most frequently signify in the Old Testament; viz. the forgiveness of our sins. And thus the prophet explains it: (Isa. lv. 7.) "Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." But now, since the clear revelation of the gospel, the mercy of God doth not only extend to the pardon of sin, but to power against it; because this also is an effect of God's free grace and mercy to sinners, to enable them, by the grace of his Holy Spirit, to master and mortify their lusts, and to persevere in goodness to the end. And it comprehends also our final pardon and absolution at the great day, together with the glorious reward of eternal life, which the apostle expresseth, by "finding mercy with the Lord in that day." And this likewise is promised to repentance: (Acts iii. 19.) "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you;" that is, that when Jesus Christ, who is now preached unto you, shall come, you may receive the final sentence of absolution and forgiveness. And thus much shall suffice to have been spoken of the blessing and benefit here promised--the mercy of God; which comprehends all the blessed effects of the Divine grace and goodness to sinners, the present pardon of sin, and power to mortify sin, and to persevere in a good course, and our final ab solution by the sentence of the great day, together with the merciful and glorious reward of eternal life. II. We will consider, in the next place, the conditions upon which this blessing is promised; and they are two, the confessing and forsaking of our sins: "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall have mercy:" and these two do contain and constitute the whole nature of repentance, without which a sinner can have no reasonable hopes to find mercy with God. I begin with the First, The confession of our sins; by which is meant a penitent acknowledgment of our faults to God; to God, I say, because the confession of our sins to men is not, generally speaking, a condition of the forgiveness of them, but only in some particular cases, when our sins against God are accompanied and complicated with scandal and injury to men. In other cases, the confession of our sins to men is not necessary to the pardon of them, as I shall more fully shew in the progress of this discourse. All the difficulty in this matter is, that the confession of our sins is opposed to the covering and concealing of them: "He that covereth his sin shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth them shall have mercy." But no man can hope to hide his sin from God, and therefore confession of them to God cannot be here meant. But this objection, if it be of any force, quite excludeth confession to God, as no part of Solomon's meaning; when yet confession of our sins to God is granted on all hands to be a necessary condition of the forgiveness of them. And to take away the whole ground of this objection; men are said in Scripture, when they do not confess their sins and repent of them, to hide and conceal them from God: not to acknowledge them, is as if a man went about to cover them. And thus David opposeth confession of sins to God, to the hiding of them: (Psal. xxxii. 5.) "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord." So that this is no reason why the text should not be understood of the confessing of our sins to God. But because the necessity of confessing our sins to men (that is, to the priest), in order to the forgiveness of them, is a great point of difference between us and the church of Rome, it being by them esteemed a necessary article of faith, but by us, so far from being necessary to be believed, that we do not believe it to be true; therefore, for the clear stating of this matter, I shall briefly inquire into these two things: I. Whether confession of our sins to the priest, as taught and practised in the church of Rome, be necessary to the forgiveness of them. II. How far the disclosing and revealing of our sins to the ministers of God is convenient upon other accounts, and for other purposes of religion. I. Whether confession of our sins to the priest, and the manner in which it is taught and practised in the church of Rome, be necessary to the forgiveness of them. What manner of confession this is, the council of Trent hath most precisely determined; viz. "Secret confession to the priest alone of all and every mortal sin, which, upon the most diligent search and examination of our consciences, we can remember ourselves to be guilty of since our baptism; together with all the circumstances of those sins, which may change the nature of them; because without the perfect knowledge of these, the priest cannot make a judgment of the nature and quality of men's sins, nor impose fitting penance for them." This is the confession of sins required in the church of Rome, which the same council of Trent, without any real ground from Scripture or ecclesiastical antiquity, doth most confidently affirm, "to have been instituted by our Lord, and by the law of God to be necessary to salvation, and to have been al ways practised in the catholic church." I shall, as briefly as I can, examine both these pretences, of the Divine institution, and constant practice of this kind of confession. First, For the Divine institution of it, they mainly rely upon three texts; in the first of which there is no mention at all of confession, much less of a particular confession of all our sins, with the circumstances of them; in the other two there is no mention of confession to the priest: and yet all this ought clearly to appear in these texts, before they can ground a Divine institution upon them; for a Divine institution is not to be founded upon obscure consequences, but upon plain words. The first text, and the only one upon which the council of Trent grounds the necessity of confession, is John xx. 23. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." It is a sign they were at a great loss for a text to prove it, when they are glad to bring one that hath not one word in it concerning confession, nor the least intimation of the necessity of it. But let us see how they manage it to their purpose. The apostles and their successors (saith Bellarmine) by this power of remitting and retaining sins, are constituted judges of the case of penitents; but they cannot judge without hearing the cause; and this infers particular confession of sins to the priest, from whence he concludes it necessary to the forgiveness of sins. But do not the ministers of the gospel exercise this power of remitting sins in baptism? And yet particular confession of all sins to the priest is not required, no not in the church of Rome, in the baptism of adult persons. And therefore, according to them, particular confession of sin to the priest is not necessary to his exercising the power of remitting sins, and consequently the necessity of confession cannot be concluded from this text. And to shew how they are puzzled in this mat ter, Vasquez, by a strange device, concludes the necessity of confession from the power of retaining sins; for (says he) if the priest have a power of retaining sins, that is, of denying pardon and absolution to the penitent, then he may impose confession as a condition of forgiveness, and not absolve the penitent upon other terms. But supposing the priest to have this unreasonable power, this makes confession no otherwise necessary by Divine institution, than going to Jerusalem or China is, in order to the forgiveness of our sins, or submitting to any other foolish condition that the priest thinks fit to require: for according to this way of reasoning, this power of retaining sins, makes every foolish thing that the priest shall impose upon the penitent, to be necessary by Divine command and institution. But the truth is, this power of remitting and retaining sins, is exercised by the ministers of the gospel, in the administration of the sacraments, and the preaching of the gospel, which is called the word of reconciliation, the ministry whereof is committed to them. And thus the ancient fathers understood it; and as a great divine told them in the council of Trent, it was, perhaps, never expounded by any one father concerning the business of confession. The second text they allege to this purpose is, (1 John i. 9.) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Here, indeed, is confession; but general, not particular, as appears by the opposition, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but if we confess our sins;" that is, if we acknowledge ourselves to have been sinners. And then there is not a word of confessing to the priest; the confession here meant is plainly to God, because it follows, "he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins;" that is, God, who is necessarily understood in the former part of the sentence, as if it had run thus, "If we confess our sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." The third text is, (Jam. v. 16.) "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another." And here again there is only mention of confession, but not a word of the priest; and for another reason, if I had been to advise them, they should not have pressed this text for their service in this cause, because it does them as much hurt as good; for it is certain, the duty of confession here enjoined is reciprocal and mutual, "Confess your sins one to another:" so that if, by virtue of this text, the people are bound to confess their sins to the priest, the priest is hereby as much obliged to confess his sins to the people; which, I dare say, is more than they have a mind to prove from this text. The plain meaning whereof is this--that as Christians should be ready to perform all mutual offices of charity, so to assist and comfort one another by their counsel and prayers. And therefore the apostle adviseth Christians when they are sick, if at the same time they be under any spiritual trouble, by reason of the guilt of any sin lying upon their consciences, to lay open their case to one another, that so they may have the help of one another's advice and prayers; "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed," both of your bodily and spiritual distemper. Not that the priest or minister is here excluded; St. James had spoken of that particular before, that when "any was sick," he should "send for the elders of the church," that he might, in the first place, have the benefit of their counsel and prayers; and then, because private Christians may also be useful to one another in this kind, he adds, that they should also lay open their condition and troubles "to one another," that so they might have the help of one another's advice and prayers; and very probably all the confession here meant of private Christians "to one another," is of the offences and injuries they may have been guilty of one towards another; that they should be reconciled upon this occasion, and, as a testimony of their charity, should "pray one for another;" whereas they are bound "to send for the elders of the church," and they are "to pray over them," as an act, not only of charity, but of superiority, and by virtue of their office in the church, a more especial blessing being to be expected from their prayers. These three texts are the main arguments from Scripture, which they, of the church of Rome, bring to prove their auricular or secret confession to be of Divine institution; and woful proofs they are; which shews what miserable shifts they are reduced to, who resolve to maintain a bad cause. I proceed, in the second place, to discover the falsehood of their other pretences, that this kind of confession hath always been practised in the catholic church: and not only so, but believed absolutely necessary to the remission of men's sins, and their eternal salvation. The truth of the whole matter is this; public confession and penance for open and scandalous crimes was in use, and with great strictness observed, in the first ages of Christianity; and there was then no general law, or custom, that exacted secret confession of sins to the priest, as a necessary part of repentance, and condition of forgiveness: afterward public penance was by degrees disused; which plainly shews, that, in the opinion of the church, this discipline, how useful soever, was not of absolute necessity to restore men to the favour of God. In place of this came in private confession to the priest, particularly appointed to this office, and called the penitentiary; but, upon occasion of a scandal that happened, this also was abrogated by Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople; which shews that neither was this necessary. And this act of Nectarius was justified by his successor St. Chrysostom, who does, over and over, most expressly teach, that confession of our sins to men is not necessary to the forgiveness of them, but that it is sufficient to confess them to God alone; so that St. Chrysostom does plainly stand condemned by the decrees of the council of Trent. And thus, for several ages, the matter rested, till the degeneracy of the church of Rome, growing to wards it height, about the ninth and tenth centuries, some began to contend for the necessity of secret confession; and this, in the year 1215, in the fourth council of Lateran, under Pope Innocent III. was decreed and established. And this is the first public law that was made in the Christian church concerning this matter, not withstanding all the boasts of the council of Trent, about the antiquity of this institution and practice; for Gratian, who lived about fifty years before this council, tells us, that in his time several wise and religious men were of the contrary opinion, and did not hold confession necessary by virtue of any Divine law. Afterwards, in the council of Florence, and especially in that of Trent, this decree of the council of Lateran was confirmed and enlarged in many particulars, of which I have already given some account. And whereas they pretend for themselves, the universal practice not only of the past but present church, we are able to shew from clear testimony of their own writers, that confession, as taught and practised in the church of Rome, is no where else in use at this day, neither among the Abyssines, nor Indians of St. Thomas, nor the Nestorians, nor the Armenians, nor the Jacobites, churches of great antiquity and vast extent. And as for the Greek church, if we may believe Gratian, and the author of the gloss upon the canon law, the Greeks had anciently no tradition concerning the necessity of confession, nor do they at this day agree with the Roman church in all points concerning it. So that, in short, there is no nation nor church throughout the whole world, that bears the name of Christian, the Roman church only excepted, that doth fully embrace and maintain the whole doctrine of the council of Trent, concerning confession; and yet, according to their principles, the whole is of equal necessity to be believed, as any part of it. With what face, then, do they declare, that this manner of confession always was, and still is, observed in the catholic, that is, in the whole Christian church? I have not time to shew the great and manifold inconveniences and mischiefs of this practice: how infinite a torture it is to the consciences of men, by entangling them in endless doubts and scruples; and how great a scandal it is to the Christian profession, in the lewd management of it by the priests, is evident from the two bulls of Pope Pius IV. and Gregory XV. which mention things too shameful to be declared; not to insist upon other horrible abuses of it to the vilest and wickedest purposes; not so much to direct the consciences of men, as to dive into their secrets, of which there are so many plain and notorious instances, that they are past denial. The other thing pretended for it is, that it is a great restraint upon men from sin. And very probably it is so to modest and well-disposed persons; but experience shews how quite contrary an effect it hath upon others, who are the far greatest part of mankind. Does not all the world see in the popish countries, in the time of their carnival, just before Lent, the anniversary season of confession, how scandalous a liberty men take of doing lewd and wicked things; and that for this very reason, because their consciences are presently to be eased and scoured (as they call it) by confession and absolution? And they therefore take the opportunity to gratify their lusts, and fill up the measure of their iniquity at that time, because with one labour they can set their consciences right, and clear them of all guilt. And they look upon this as a special piece of spiritual good husbandry, to quit their scores with God at once, that so they may have no occasion to trouble him, nor the priest, nor themselves again for a good while after. So that confession, instead of being a restraint from sin, gives great encouragement to it, by deluding men into a vain hope of obtaining the pardon of their sins from time to time, though they still continue in the practice of them; by which device, men's sins are at once remitted and retained; the priest remits them by ab solution, and the penitent retains them, by going on still in the commission of them, in hope of obtaining a new absolution as often as occasion shall require. I proceed to the II. Second inquiry, namely, How far the disclosing and revealing our sins to the ministers of God may be convenient upon other accounts, and to other purposes of religion? To which the answer is very plain and short; so far as is necessary, either to the direction, or the ease of men's consciences. There are many cases wherein men under the guilt and trouble of their sins, can neither appease their own minds, nor sufficiently direct themselves, without recourse to some pious and prudent guide; in these cases, men certainly do very well, and many times prevent a great deal of trouble and perplexity to themselves, by a timely discovery of their condition to some faithful minister, in order to their direction and satisfaction, without which they shall never, perhaps, be able to clear themselves of the obscurity and entanglement of their own minds; but, by smothering their trouble in their own breasts, shall proceed from one degree of melancholy to another, till at last they be plunged either into destruction or despair; whereas the discovery of their condition in time, would prove a present and effectual remedy. And to this purpose, a general confession is for the most part sufficient; and where there is occasion for a more particular discovery, there is no need of raking into the particular and foul circumstances of men's sins, to give that advice which is necessary for the cure and ease of the penitent; a thing so far from being desirable, that it must needs be very grievous to every modest and good man. And thus far confession is not only allowed, but encouraged among protestants. In the Lutheran churches, Chemnitius tells us, that private general confession is in use and practice. And Calvin freely declares, that he is so far from being against people's repairing to their pastors to this purpose, that he earnestly wisheth it were every where observed before the receiving of the sacrament. And the same is the sense of our own church, laying no necessity upon men in this matter, but advising, especially before the sacrament, those who have any trouble upon their consciences, to repair to some discreet and faithful minister of God's word, for advice and satisfaction. And thus all the good use which can be made of confession may be had in our church, without the ill effects and consequences of the Romish confession, and without laying a yoke upon the consciences of men which our Saviour never laid. And now I have, as briefly and as plainly as I could, stated this controversy between us and the church of Rome, concerning the necessity and use of secret confession to the ministers of God, as the proper guides and directors of our consciences. But it is granted on all hands, that confession of our sins to God is necessary; and there is no doubt but it is here intended in the text, viz. a penitent acknowledgment of our sins; the nature whereof I shall briefly explain to yon. And it must not only be a general confession that we are sinners, but there must be a particular acknowledgment of our sins to God, so far as, upon a particular discussion and examination of our consciences, we can call them to remembrance; especially our most heinous sins, which our consciences will not suffer us to forget, must be particularly acknowledged, with the several aggravations of them. And this confession must be accompanied with such a shame and sorrow for our sins, as produceth in us a sincere resolution to leave them, and to be take ourselves to a better course. These are the principal ingredients of a penitent confession. 1. There must be a shame, without which there is no hope of amendment. Confession always supposeth conviction of a fault; and he that is truly convinced that he hath done amiss, cannot but be ashamed of what he hath done. And thus the penitents in Scripture were wont to make confession of their sins to God: (Ezra ix. 6.) "O my God, (says he) I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God." So Jeremiah; (chap. iii. 25.) "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us; for we have sinned against the Lord." And so, likewise, Daniel: (chap. ix. 5.) "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and done wickedly; unto us belongeth confusion of face." And thus our Saviour describes the penitent behaviour of the publican, as ashamed to look up to that God whom he had offended; (Luke xviii. 13.) "He would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven; but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." 2. Confession must be always accompanied with great sorrow for our sins, considering the great dishonour we have brought to God, and the danger into which we have brought ourselves; "I will declare mine iniquity (says David), and I will be sorry for my sin." And this sorrow must be proportionable to the degree of our sin. If we have been very wicked, and have sinned greatly against the Lord, and "have multiplied our transgressions," and continued long in an evil course, have neglected God, and "forgotten him days without number," the measure of our sorrow must bear some proportion to the degree of our sins: if they have been as scarlet and crimson (as the prophet expresseth it), that is, of a deeper die than ordinary, our sorrow must be as deep as our guilt; for it is not a slight trouble, and a few tears, that will wash out such stains. Not that tears are absolutely necessary, though they do very well become, and most commonly accompany, a sincere repentance. All tempers are not in this alike; some cannot express their sorrow by tears, even then when they are most inwardly and sensibly grieved. But if we can easily shed tears upon other occasions, certainly "rivers of tears" ought to "run down our eyes," because we have broken God's laws, the reasonable, and righteous, and good laws of so good a God, of so gracious a sovereign, of so mighty a benefactor, of the founder of our being, and the perpetual patron and protector of our lives: but if we cannot command our tears, there must, however, be great trouble and contrition of spirit, especially for great sins; to be sure to that degree as to produce the 3. Third property I mention of a penitent confession; namely, a sincere resolution to leave our sins, and betake ourselves to a better course. He does not confess his fault, but stand in it, who is not resolved to amend. True shame and sorrow for our sins, is utterly inconsistent with any thought of returning to them. It argues great obstinacy and impudence to confess a fault and continue in it. Whenever we make confession of our sins to God, "surely it is meet to say unto him, I will not offend any more; that which I know not, teach thou me; and if I have done iniquity, I will do no more." This is the first part of repentance mentioned in the text, the first condition of our finding mercy with God, the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to him. I proceed to the Second condition required to make us capable of the mercy of God, which is the actual forsaking of our sins; "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy." I shall not go about to explain what is meant by forsaking sin; it is that which everybody can understand, but few will do; there lies all the difficulty: I shall only put you in mind, that forsaking of sin comprehends our return to our duty, that necessarily follows from it. In sins of commission, he that hath left any vice, does thereby become master of the contrary virtue. Virtus est vitium fugere; not to be drunk, is to be sober; not to oppress, or defraud, or deal falsely, is to be just and honest: and for sins of omission, the forsaking of them is nothing else, but the doing of those duties which we omitted and neglected before. And therefore what Solomon here calls forsaking of sin, is elsewhere in Scripture more fully expressed, by "ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well," (Isa. i. 16.) By forsaking our sins, and turning to God: (Isa. lv. 7.) "Let the wicked man forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord." By turning from all our sins, and keeping all God's laws and statutes: (Ezek. xviii. 21.) "If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right." And this is a most essential part of repentance, and a necessary condition of our finding mercy with God. That part of repentance which I have mentioned and insisted upon before, the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to God, with shame and sorrow for them, and a firm purpose and resolution to leave them; all this is but preparatory to the actual forsaking of them: that which perfects and completes our repentance, is to turn from our evil ways, and to break off our sins by righteousness. And these terms, of confessing and forsaking our sins, are reasonable in themselves, and honourable to God, and profitable to us; and upon lower terms we have no reason to expect the mercy of God, nor, in truth, are we capable of it, either by the present forgiveness of our sins, or the final absolution of the great day, and the blessed reward of eternal life. God peremptorily requires this change as a condition of our forgiveness and happiness; "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," (Acts iii. 19.) "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments," (Matt. xix. 17.) "With out holiness no man shall see the Lord." And why should any man hope for the mercy of God upon other terms than those which he hath so plainly and peremptorily declared? It is a mean and unworthy thought of God, to imagine that he will accept men to his favour and eternal life upon other terms than of better obedience. Will any wise father or prince accept less from his children and subjects? Will they be satisfied with sighs and tears, as well as with obedience; and well-pleased if they be but melancholy for their faults, though they never mend them? We must not impute that to God, which would be a defect of wisdom and good government in any father or prince upon earth. God values no part of repentance upon any other account, but as it tends to reclaim us to our duty, and ends in our reformation and amendment. This is that which qualifies us for the happiness of another life, and "makes us meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." And without this, though God should be pleased to forgive us, yet we could not forgive ourselves; and notwithstanding the legal discharge from guilt, the sting of it would remain, and we should, like our first parents, after they had sinned, run away and hide ourselves from God, though he spake never so kindly to us. God hath placed in every man's mind an inexorable judge, that will grant no pardon and forgiveness but to a reformed penitent, to him that hath such a sense of the evil of his past life, as to be come a better man for the future. And whoever entertains any other notion of the grace and mercy of God to sinners, confounds the nature of things, and does plainly overthrow the reason of all laws, which is to restrain men from sin; but when it is committed, to pardon it with out amendment, is to encourage the practice of it, and to take away the reverence and veneration of those laws, which seem so severely to forbid it. So that, next to impunity, the forgiveness of men's sins upon such easy and unfit terms gives boldness and encouragement to sin, and must necessarily, in the opinion of men, lessen the honour and esteem of God's laws. And thus I have considered and explained both the blessing and benefit which is here promised and declared, viz. the mercy and favour of God, which comprehends both the present forgiveness of our sins, and power against them, and grace to persevere in goodness to the end, and our final absolution at the great day, and the glorious and merciful reward of eternal life: and likewise the conditions upon which this blessing is promised; viz. the penitent acknowledgment of our sins to God, with such shame and sorrow for them, as produceth a sincere resolution of leaving them, and returning to a better course, and the actual forsaking of them, which involves in it our actual return to our duty, and a constant and sincere obedience to the laws of God in the future course of our lives. I shall now make some application of this discourse to ourselves. I am sure we are all nearly concerned in it. The best of us have many sins to confess and forsake; some of us very probably have need to change the whole course of our lives, to put us into a capacity of the mercy of God. This work can never be unseasonable; but there cannot be a more proper time for it, than when we are solemnly preparing ourselves to receive the holy sacrament; in which, as we do commemorate the great mercy of God to mankind, so we do likewise renew and confirm our covenant with him; that holy covenant, wherein we engage ourselves to forsake our sins, as ever we expect the forgiveness of them at God's band. To persuade us hereto, be pleased to consider the reasonableness of the thing, the infinite benefit and advantage of it; and, which is beyond all other arguments, the absolute necessity of it, to make us capable of the mercy and forgiveness of God in this world and the other, and to deliver us from the wrath which is to come, and from those terrible storms of vengeance, which will infallibly fall upon impenitent sinners: so that we have all the reason, and all the encouragement in the world, to resolve upon a better course. Upon this condition, the mercy of God is ready to meet and embrace us; God will pardon our greatest provocations, and be perfectly reconciled to us. So he hath declared by the prophet: (Isaiah i. 16.) "Wash ye, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool." And what greater encouragement can we desire, than that, upon such easy and advantageous terms, God should be so ready to have an end put to all controversies and quarrels between him and us? "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God," to take up a serious resolution, "to break off your sins by repentance," and to reform whatever, upon due search and trial of your ways, you shall find to be amiss in your lives. "I beseech you by the mercies of God," that mercy which naturally leads to repentance, and which "is long-suffering to us-ward," on purpose that "we may not perish, but come to repentance;" which hath spared us so often, and is not yet exhausted and tired out by our intolerable obstinacy, and innumerable provocations; that mercy which moved the Son of God to become man, to live among us, and to die for us; who now, as it were, speaks to us from the cross, extending his pierced hands, and painful arms to embrace us, and, through the gasping wounds of his side, lets us see the tender and bleeding compassion of his heart; that mercy, which, if we now despise it, we shall in vain one day implore, and catch hold of, and hang upon, to save us from sinking into eternal perdition; that mercy, which, how much soever we now presume upon, will then be so far from inter posing between us and the wrath of God, that it will highly inflame and exasperate it. For whatever impenitent sinners may now think, they will then certainly find that the Divine justice, when it is thoroughly provoked, and whetted by his abused mercy and goodness, will be most terribly severe, and, like a razor set with oil, will cut the keener for its smoothness. "Consider this all ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: consider and shew yourselves men, O ye transgressors!" We do consider all this, (some may perhaps say) but we have been great sinners, so great, that we doubt whether our case be not already desperate. This, if it be sensibly said, with deep sorrow and contrition, with that shame and confusion of face which becomes great offenders, is a good confession, and the best reason in the world, why ye should now break off your sins: for if what you have already done, do really make your case so doubtful and difficult, do not, by sinning yet more and more against the Lord, make it quite desperate and past remedy; do but you repent, and God will yet return and have mercy upon you. And do not say you cannot do it, when it must be done, or you are undone. Power and necessity go together: when men are hard pressed, they find a power which they thought they had not; and when it comes to the push, men can do that which they plainly see they either must do, or be ruined for ever. But, after all this, I am very sensible how great a need there is of God's powerful assistance in this case, and that it is not an ordinary resolution and common measure of God's grace, that will reclaim those who have been long habituated to an evil course. Let us, therefore, earnestly beg of him, that he would make these counsels effectual, that he would grant us repentance unto life, that he would make us all sensible of our faults, sorry for them, and resolved to amend them; and let us every one put up David's prayer to God for ourselves, "Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, that I may keep them unto the end." I have now done; I am only to mind you of another duty, which is to accompany our repentance, and fasting, and prayer, as a testimony of the sincerity of our repentance, and one of the best means to make our fasting and prayer acceptable to God, and to turn away his judgments from us; and that is charity and alms to the poor, whose number is very great among us, and their necessities very pressing and clamorous, and therefore do call for a bountiful supply. And to convince men of the necessity of this duty, and the efficacy of it in conjunction with our repentance, and fasting, and prayers, I shall only offer to your consideration a few plain texts of Scripture, which need no comment upon them. (Dan. iv. 27.) It is the prophet's advice to Nebuchadnezzar; "Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquity by shewing mercy to the poor; if so be it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity." (Acts x. 4.) The angel there tells Cornelius, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." (Isa. lviii. 6, &c.) "Is not this the fast which I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward: then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer thee; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am." To which I will only add that gracious promise of our Saviour; "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy;" and that terrible sentence in St. James, "He shall have judgment with out mercy, that hath shewed no mercy!" __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLX. OF CONFESSION, AND SORROW FOR SIN. I will declare mine iniquity, and be sorry for my sin.--Psalm xxxviii. 18. IN this psalm David does earnestly beg mercy and forgiveness of God, and in order to the obtaining of it, he declares both his sins, and his repentance for them, in these words, which contain in them two of the necessary ingredients, or at least concomitants, of a true repentance; viz. confession of sin, and sorrow for it. I shall speak something of the first of these, viz. confession of sin: but the second, viz. sorrow for sin, shall be the main subject of my discourse. 1. Confession of sin; "I will declare mine iniquity;" or, as it is in the old translation, "I will confess my wickedness." Of which I shall speak under these three heads: I. What confession of sin is. II. How far it is necessary. III. What are the reasons and grounds of this necessity. I. What confession of sin is. It is a declaration or acknowledgment of some moral evil or fault to another, which we are conscious to ourselves we have been guilty of. And this acknowledgment may be made by us, either to God or man. The Scripture mentions both. Confession of our sins to God is very frequently mentioned in Scripture, as the first and necessary part of repentance; and some times, and in some cases, confession to men is no only recommended but enjoined. II. How far confession of our sins is necessary That it is necessary to confess our sins to God, the Scripture plainly declares, and is I think a matter out of all dispute. For it is a necessary part of repentance, that we should confess our sins to God with a due sense of the evil of them; and, therefore the Scripture maketh this a necessary qualification and condition of pardon and forgiveness. (Prov xxviii. 13.) "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy." (1 John i. 9.) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness;" implying, that if we do not confess our sins to God, the guilt of them will still remain; to God, I say, for of confession to him St. John plainly speaks, when he says, "He is faithful and just." Who? God surely, who, though he be not named before, yet is necessarily understood in the words before; "If we confess our sins, (i. e. to God), he is faithful and just." A general confession of our sins is absolutely necessary; and in some cases a particular acknowledgment of them, and repentance for them, especially if the sins have been great, and deliberate, and presumptuous; in this case a particular confessor of them, and repentance for them, is necessary sc far as we can particularly recollect them, and cal them to remembrance: whereas, for sins of ignorance and infirmity, of surprise and daily incursion, for lesser omissions, and the defects and imperfections of our best actions and services, we have all the reason that can be to believe, that God will accept of a general confession of them, and repentance for them. And if any man ask me, where I find this distinction in Scripture between a general and particular repentance? I answer, that it is not necessary it should be any where expressed in Scripture, being so clearly founded in the nature and reason of the thing; because in. many cases it is not possible that we should have a particular knowledge and remembrance of all our particular sins; as is plain in sins of ignorance, since our very calling them by that name does necessarily suppose that we do not know them. It is impossible we should remember those sins afterwards which we did not know when they were committed; and, therefore, either a general repentance for these and the other sins I mentioned of the like nature, must be sufficient, in order to the pardon of them; or we must say that they are unpardonable, which would be very unreasonable, because this would be to make lesser sins more unpardonable than those which are far greater. And yet, though this difference between a general and particular repentance be no where expressly mentioned in Scripture, there does not want foundation for it there. (Psal. xix. 12.) "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret sins;" i. e. such as we do not discern and take notice of when they are committed. And yet David supposeth, that upon a general acknowledgment of them, and repentance for them, we may be cleansed from them, though we cannot make a particular acknowledgment of them, and exercise a particular repentance for them, because they are secret, and we do not particularly understand what they are. As for our confessing our sins to men, both Scripture and reason do, in some cases, recommend and enjoin it. As, 1. In order to the obtaining of the prayers of good men for us: (James v. 16.) "Confess your sins one to another;" he said before, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." This, in all probability, is meant of the miraculous power of prayer, which St. Chrysostom reckons among the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, bestowed upon Christians in the first ages of the church: and this is very much countenanced and confirmed by what presently follows after this command, of confessing our sins one to another, and praying one for another, and given as the reason of it; for "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The original is de'esis energoume'en, "the inspired prayer;" which, in the verse before, is called "the prayer of faith," meaning that miraculous faith, in the power whereof Christians did obtain of God whatever they were inspired to ask of him; according to our Saviour's promise in the gospel, concerning the efficacy of the prayers of Christians, which we find mentioned among the other miraculous powers which were to be conferred upon them by the coming of the Holy Ghost. 2. Confession of our sins to men is likewise reasonable, in order to the ease and satisfaction of our minds, and our being directed in our duty for the future. In this case, common reason and prudence, without any precept of Scripture, will direct men to have recourse to this remedy; viz. to discover and lay open our disease to some skilful spiritual physician; to some faithful friend, or prudent guide, in order to spiritual advice and direction, for the peace and satisfaction of our minds. And then, 3. In case our sins have been public and scandalous, both reason and the practice of the Christian church do require, that, when men have publicly offended, they should give public satisfaction and open testimony of their repentance. But as for private and auricular confession of our sins to a priest in all cases, and as of absolute necessity to our obtaining pardon and forgiveness from God, as the church of Rome teacheth, this is neither necessary by Divine precept, nor by any constitution and practice of the ancient Christian church, as I have shewn in my former discourse. Not to mention the bad consequence of this practice, and the impious and dangerous use which hath been made of this seal of confession, for the concealing and carrying on of the most wicked and barbarous designs, and the debauching of the penitents, by drawing them into the commission of the same and greater sins than those which they confessed, which the more devout persons of that church have frequently complained of:--I proceed now to shew briefly in the III. Third place, the grounds and reasons of the necessity of confessing our sins to God; and I shall but just mention them. 1. From the precept and command of God; for which I have already produced clear proof of Scripture. 2. From the nature of the thing, because without this there can be no repentance towards God. He that will not so much as own the faults which he hath been guilty of, can never repent of them. If we will not confess our sins to God, we are never like to be sorry for them.--Thus much for the first thing in the text, the confession of our sins. I proceed now, to the Second ingredient of repentance mentioned in the text, which is sorrow for sin; "I will declare mine iniquity, and be sorry for my sin." In the handling of this argument, I shall, I. Consider the nature of this passion of sorrow. II. The reason and grounds of our sorrow for sin. III. The measure and degrees of it. IV. How far the outward expression of our inward grief by tears is necessary to a true repentance. I. For the nature of this passion. Sorrow is a trouble or disturbance of mind, occasioned by something that is evil, done or suffered by us, or which we are in danger of suffering, that tends greatly to our damage or mischief: so that to be sorry for a thing, is nothing else but to be sensibly affected with the consideration of the evil of it, and of the mischief and inconvenience which is like to redound to us from it: which if it be a moral evil, such as sin is, to be sorry for it, is to be troubled that we have done it, and to wish with all our hearts that we had been wiser, and had done other wise; and if this sorrow be true and real, if it abide and stay upon us, it will produce a firm purpose and resolution in us, not to do the like for the future. It is true, indeed, that we are said to be sorry for the death and loss of friends; but this is rather the effect of natural affection than of our reason, which always endeavours to check and moderate our grief for that which we cannot help, and labours by all means to turn our sorrow into patience. And we are said, likewise, to grieve for the miseries and sufferings of others; but this is not so properly sorrow, as pity and compassion. Sorrow rather respects ourselves, and our own doings and sufferings. I proceed, in the II. Second place, to inquire into the reasons and grounds of our sorrow for sin; and they, as I have already hinted, are these two--the intrinsical, or the consequent evil of sin; either the evil of sin in itself, or the mischiefs and inconveniences which it will bring upon us. For every one that is sorry for any fault he is guilty of, he is so upon one of these two accounts; either upon the score of ingenuity, or of interest; either because he hath done a thing which is unworthy in itself, or because he hath done some thing which may prove prejudicial to himself; either out of a principle of love and gratitude to God, or from a principle of self-love. And though the former of these be the better, the more generous principle of sorrow; yet the latter is usually the first: because it is the more sensible, and toucheth us more nearly. For sin is a base and ill-natured thing, and renders a man not so apt to be affected with the injuries he hath offered to God, as with the mischief which is likely to fall upon himself. And, therefore, I will begin with the latter, because it is usually the more sensible cause of our trouble and sorrow for sin. 1. The great mischief and inconvenience that sin is like to bring upon us. When a man is thoroughly convinced of the danger into which his sins have brought him, that they have "made him a child of wrath, and a son of perdition," that he is thereby fallen under the heavy displeasure of Almighty God, and liable to all those dreadful curses which are written in his book; that ruin and destruction hang over him, and that nothing keeps him from eternal and intolerable torments, but the patience and long-suffering of God, which he does not know how soon it may cease to interpose between him and the wrath of God, and let him fall into that endless and insupportable misery, which is the just portion and desert of his sins; he that lays to heart the sad estate and condition into which he hath brought himself by sin, and the mischiefs which attend him every moment of his continuance in that state, and how they are to him, and that there is but a step between him and death, and hardly another between that and hell; he cannot surely but be very sorry for what he hath done, and be highly displeased and offended with himself, that he should be the author of his own ruin, and have contributed as much as in him lies to his everlasting undoing. 2. Another and better principle of sorrow for sin, is ingenuity; because we are sensible that we have carried ourselves very unworthily towards God, and have been injurious to him, who hath laid all possible obligations upon us: for he hath made us, and hath given us our beings, and hath charged his watchful providence with the continual care of us; his bounty hath ministered to the necessities and comforts of our life; all the blessings that we enjoy, are the effects of his mere love and goodness, without any hope of requital, or expectation of any other return from us, than of love, of gratitude, and obedience; which yet are of no advantage to him, but very beneficial and comfortable to ourselves: for he does not expect duty and obedience from us, with any regard of benefit to himself, but for our sakes, and in order to our own happiness. Nay, his kindness did not stop here, but after we had abused him by our repeated provocations, yet he still continued his care of us; and when we had farther provoked him to withdraw his love, and to call in his abused goodness, and had done what lay in us to make ourselves miserable, he would not suffer us to be undone, but found out a ransom for us, and hath contrived a way for the pardon of all our offences, and to reconcile us to himself, and to restore us to happiness, by the most stupendous and amazing condescension of love and goodness that ever was, even by giving his only Son to die for us. And can we reflect upon all this, and not be sorry and grieved at our very hearts, that we should be so evil to him, who hath been so good to us; that we should be so undutiful to so loving a father, so unkind to so faithful and constant a friend, so ungrateful and unworthy to so mighty a benefactor? If any thing will melt us into tears, surely this will do it, to consider that we have sinned against him who made us, and continually preserves us, and after all our unkindness to him, did still retain so great a love for us, as to redeem us from hell and destruction by the death and suffering of his Son, and notwithstanding all our offences, does still offer us pardon and peace, life and happiness? Such considerations as these, seriously laid to heart, should, one would think, break the hardest heart, and make tears to gush even out of a rock. I proceed, in the III. Third place, to consider the measure and degree of our sorrow for sin. That it admits of degrees, which ought to bear some proportion to the heinousness of our sins, and the several aggravations of them, and the time of our continuance in them, is out of all dispute: for though the least sin be a just cause of the deepest sorrow, yet, because our greatest grief can never bear a due proportion to the vast and infinite evil of sin, God is pleased to require and accept such measures of sorrow as do not bear an exact correspondence to the malignity of sin, provided they be according to the capacity of our nature, and in some sort proportioned to the degree and aggravations of our sin: i. e. though the highest degree of our sorrow doth necessarily fall below the evil of the least sin, yet God requires that we should be more deeply affected with some sins than others. But what is the lowest degree which God requires in a true penitent, and will accept, as it is impossible for me to tell, so it is unprofitable for any body to know: for no man can reasonably make this inquiry with any other design, than that he may learn how he may come off with God upon the cheapest and easiest terms. Now there cannot be a worse sign that a man is not truly sensible of the great evil of sin than this, that he desires to be troubled for it as little as may be, and no longer than needs must: and none surely are more unlikely to find acceptance with God, than those who deal so nearly, and endeavour to drive so hard a bargain with him. And therefore I shall only say this in general, concerning the degrees of our sorrow for sin; that sin being so great an evil in itself, and of so pernicious a consequence to us, it cannot be too much lamented and grieved for by us: and the more and greater our sins have been, and the longer we have continued and lived in them, they call for so much the greater sorrow, and deeper humiliation from us: for the reasoning of our Saviour concerning Mary Magdalen, "She loved much, because much was forgiven her," is proportionably true in this case--those who have sinned much, should sorrow the more. And then we must take this caution along with us, that if we would judge aright of the truth of our sorrow for sin, we must not measure it so much by the degrees of sensible trouble and affliction, as by the rational effects of it, which are hatred of sin, and a fixed purpose and resolution against it for the future: for he is most truly sorry for his miscarriage, who looks upon what he hath done amiss with abhorrence and detestation of the thing, and wisheth he had not done it, and censures himself severely for it, and thereupon resolves not to do the like again. And this is the character which St. Paul gives of a godly sorrow, (2 Cor. vii. 10.) that it "worketh repentance," meta'noian, it produceth a real change in our minds, and makes us to alter our purpose and resolution: and though such a person may not be so passionately and sensibly afflicted for sin, yet it appears, by the effect, that he hath a deeper and more rational resentment of the evil of it, than that man who is sad and melancholy, and drooping for never so long a time, and after all returns to his former sinful course; the degree of his sorrow may appear greater, but the effect of it is really less. IV. As for the outward expressions of our grief and sorrow. The usual sign and outward expression of sorrow is tears; but these being not the substance of our duty, but an external testimony of it, which some tempers are more unapt to than others; we are much less to judge of the truth of our sorrow for sin by these, than by our inward sensible trouble and affliction of spirit. Some persons are of a more tender and melting disposition, and can command their tears upon a little occasion, and upon very short warning; and such persons that can weep for every thing else that troubles them, have much more reason to suspect the truth of their sorrow for sin, if this outward expression of it be wanting. And we find, in Scripture, that the sorrow of true penitents does very frequently discover itself by this outward sign of it. Thus, when Ezra and the people made confession of their sins to God, it is said, that "they wept very sore," (Ezra x.) Peter, when he reflected upon that great sin of denying his master, it is said, "he went forth and wept bitterly." David also was abundant in this expression of his grief. In the Book of Psalms he speaks frequently of his sighs and groans, and of watering his couch with his tears: yea, so sensibly was he affected with the evil of sin, that he could shed tears plentifully for the sins of others: (Psal. cxix. 136.) "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law." In like manner, Jeremiah tells us, that his soul did weep in secret places, for the pride and obstinacy of the Jews; that his "eye did weep sore, and run down with tears," (Jer. xiii. 17.) And so likewise St. Paul: (Phil. iii. 18.) "There are many that walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies even to the cross of Christ." And there seems to be this natural reason for it, that all great and permanent impressions upon the mind, all deep inward resentments, have usually a proportionable effect upon the body and the inferior faculties. But though this happen very frequently, yet it is not so constant and certain; for all men have not the same tenderness of spirit, nor are equally prone to tears: nay, though a man can weep upon natural accounts, as upon the loss of a child, or near relation, or an intimate friend, or when he lies under a sharp bodily pain, yet a man may truly repent, though he cannot express his sorrow for sin the same way, provided he give testimony of it by more real effects: and therefore the rule, which is commonly given by casuists in this case, seems to be more ensnaring than true and useful; namely, "That that man that can shed tears upon account of any evil less than that of sin (as certainly all natural evils are), ought to question the truth of his repentance for any sin that he hath committed, if he can not shed tears for it." This I think is not true, because there is scarce any man of so hard and unrelenting a spirit, but the loss of a kind father, or a dear child, or other near relation, will force tears from him; and yet such a man, if it were to save his soul, may not be able at some times to shed a tear for his sins. And the reason is obvious; because tears do proceed from a sensitive trouble, and are commonly the product of a natural affection; and therefore it is no wonder, if they flow more readily and easily upon a natural account; because they are the effect of a cause suitable to their nature. But sorrow for sin, which hath more of the judgment and understanding in it, hath not its foundation in natural affection, but in reason; and therefore may not many times express itself in tears, though it may produce greater and more proper effects. So that, upon the whole matter, I see no reason to call in question the truth and sincerity of that man's sorrow and repentance, who hates sin and forsakes it, and returns to God and his duty, though he can not shed tears, and express the bitterness of his soul for his sin, by the same significations that a mother doth in the loss of her only son. He that cannot weep like a child may resolve like a man, and that undoubtedly will find acceptance with God. A learned divine hath well illustrated this matter by this similitude: Two persons walking together espy a serpent; the one shrieks and cries out at the sight of it, the other kills it: so it is in sorrow for sin; some express it by great lamentation and tears, and vehement trans ports of passions; others by greater and more real effects of hatred and detestation, by forsaking their sins, and by mortifying and subduing their lusts: but he that kills it does certainly best express his inward displeasure and enmity against it. The application I shall make of what hath been said upon this argument, shall be in two particulars: I. By way of caution, and that against a double mistake about sorrow for sin. 1. Some look upon trouble and sorrow for sin as the whole of repentance. 2. Others exact from themselves such a degree of sorrow as ends in melancholy, and renders them unfit both for the duties of religion, and of their particular calling. The first concerns almost the generality of men; the latter but a very few in comparison. 1. There are a great many who look upon trouble and sorrow for their sins as the whole of repentance, whereas it is but an introduction to it. It is that which works repentance; but it is not repentance itself. Repentance is always accompanied with sorrow for sin; but sorrow for sin does not al ways end in true repentance: sorrow only respects sins past; but repentance is chiefly preventive of sin for the future. And God doth therefore require our sorrow for sin, in order to our forsaking of it. (Heb. vi. 1.) Repentance is therefore called "repentance from dead works." It is not only a sorrow for them, but a turning from them. There is no reason why men should be so willing to deceive themselves, for (hey are like to be the losers by it: but so we see it is, that many men are contented to be deceived to their own ruin; and among many other ways which men have to cheat themselves, this is none of the least frequent, to think that if they can but shed a few tears for sin upon a death-bed, which no doubt they may easily do, when they see their friends weeping about them, and apprehend themselves to be in imminent danger, not only of death, but of that which is most terrible, the heavy displeasure and the fiery indignation of Almighty God, into whose hands "it is a fearful thing to fall:" I say, they think that if they can but do thus much, God will accept this for true repentance, and hereupon grant them pardon and eternal life. And upon these fond hopes, they adjourn their repentance, and the reformation of their lives, to a dying hour. Indeed, if I were to speak to a man upon his death-bed, I would encourage him to a great contrition and sorrow for his sins, as his last and only remedy, and the best thing he can do at that time; but, on the other hand, when I am speaking to those that are well and in health, I dare not give them the least encouragement to venture their souls upon this, because it is a hazardous and almost desperate remedy; especially when men have cunningly and designedly contrived to rob God of the service of their lives, and to put him off with a few unprofitable sighs and tears at their departure out of the world. Our Saviour tells us, that it is "not every one that shall say unto him, Lord! Lord! that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;" and that there is a time when "many shall seek to enter in, but shall not be able." The sum of this caution is, that men should take heed of mistaking sorrow for sin for true repentance, unless it be followed with the forsaking of sin and the real reformation of our lives. Ahab humbled himself, but we do not find that he was a true penitent. Judas was sorry for his sin, and yet for all that was "the son of perdition." Esau is a sad type of an ineffectual sorrow for sin: (Heb. xii.) where the apostle tells us, that "he found no place for repentance," that is, no way to change the mind of his father Isaac, "though he sought it carefully with tears." If sorrow for sin were repentance, there would be store of penitents in hell: for there is the deepest and most intense sorrow, "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." 2. Another mistake which men ought to be cautioned against in this matter, is, of those who exact from themselves such a degree of sorrow for sin, as ends in deep melancholy, as renders them unfit both for the duties of religion, and of their particular callings. But because there are but very few who fall into this mistake, I shall need to say the less to it. This only I shall say, that those who indulge their sorrow to such a degree, as to drown their spirits, and to sink them into melancholy and mopishness, and thereby render themselves unserviceable to God, and unfit for the necessities of this life, they commit one sin more to mourn for, and overthrow the end of repentance by the indiscreet use of the means of it. For the end of sorrow for sin, is the forsaking of it and returning to our duty: but he that sorrows for sin, so as to unfit him for his duty, defeats his own design, and destroys the end he aims at. II. The other part of the application of this discourse should be, to stir up this affection of sorrow in us. And here, if I had time, I might represent to you the great evil of sin, and the infinite danger and inconvenience of it. If the holy men in Scripture, David, and Jeremiah, and St. Paul, were so deeply affected with the sins of others, as to shed rivers of tears at the remembrance of them; how ought we to be touched with the sense of our own sins, who are equally concerned in the dishonour brought to God by them, and infinitely more in the danger they expose us to! Can we weep for our dead friends; and have we no sense of that heavy load of guilt, of that body of death, which we carry about with us? Can. we be sad and melancholy for temporal losses and sufferings, and "refuse to be comforted;" and is it no trouble to us to have lost heaven and happiness, and to be in continual danger of the intolerable sufferings and endless torments of another world? I shall only offer to your consideration, the great benefit and advantage which will redound to us from this godly sorrow; "it worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of," saith St. Paul. If we would thus "sow in tears," we should "reap in joy." This sorrow would but continue for a time, and in the morning of the resurrection there would be joy to all eternity, "Joy unspeakable and full of glory." It is but a very little while, and these days of mourning will be accomplished; and then "all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; and the ransomed of the Lord shall come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted: but woe unto you that laugh, for ye shall mourn and weep." If men will rejoice in the pleasures of sin, "and walk in the ways of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes;" if they will remove sorrow from their heart, and put away all sad and melancholy thoughts from them, and are resolved to harden their spirits against the sense of sin, against the checks and convictions of their own consciences, and the suggestions of God's Holy Spirit, against all the arguments that God can offer, and all the methods that God can use to bring them to repentance; let them "know, that for all these things God will bring them into judgment;" and, because they would not give way to a timely and seasonable sorrow for sin, they shall lie down in eternal sorrow; "weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth shall be their portion for ever." From which sad and miserable estate, beyond all imagination, and past all remedy, God of his infinite goodness deliver us all, for Jesus Christ his sake. To whom, &c. __________________________________________________________________ SERMON CLXI. THE UNPROFITABLENESS OF SIN IN THIS LIFE, AN ARGUMENT FOR REPENTANCE. He looketh upon men; and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.--Job xxxiii. 27, 28. THE great folly and perverseness of human nature is in nothing more apparent than in this, that when in all other things men are generally led and governed by their interests, and can hardly be imposed upon by any art, or persuaded by any solicitation, to act plainly contrary to it; yet, in matter of their sin and duty, that is, in that which of all other is of greatest concernment to them, they have little or no regard to it; but are so blinded and bewitched with "the deceitfulness of sin, "as not to consider the infinite danger and disadvantage of it; and at the same time to cast the commandments of God, and the consideration of their own happiness behind their backs. And of this every sinner, when he comes to himself, and considers what he hath done, is abundantly convinced; as appears by the confession and acknowledgment, which is here in the text put into the mouth of a true penitent: "I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not,"&c. In which words here is a great blessing and benefit promised on God's part, and a condition required on our part. First, The blessing or benefit promised on God's part, which is deliverance from the ill consequences and punishment of sin; "he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light;" that is, he will deliver him from death and damnation. And though, perhaps, temporal death be here immediately intended, yet that is a type of our deliverance from eternal death: which is expressly promised in the gospel. Secondly, Here is the condition required on our part: "If any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not." In which words there are contained, I. A penitent confession of our sins to God; for "He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned;" that is, make a penitent confession of his sin to God. II. A true contrition for our sin; not only for fear of the pernicious consequences of sin, and the punishment that will follow it, implied in these words, "and it profited me not," this is but a very imperfect contrition; but from a just sense of the evil nature of sin, and the fault and offence of it against God, that we have done contrary to right and our duty. "If any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right. Here you see that true and perfect contrition for our sins, is made a necessary condition of the blessing and benefit here