CONTENTS TO VOL. IV.

SERMONS.

SERMON LV.

[Preached at Kingston, July 29, 1694.]

OF SINCERITY TOWARDS GOD AND MAN.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.—John i. 47.

WHO this Nathanael was, upon whom our Saviour bestows this extraordinary character, doth not certainly appear, his name being but once more mentioned in the whole history of the gospel: for certain, he was a good man who deserved this extraordinary commendation; and none but our Saviour, who knew what was in man, and needed not that any should tell him, could have given it, especially of one, whom he had never seen before that time: for when Jesus saw him “coming to him, he saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed.”

The whole nation of the Jews were Israelites by natural descent, being the seed of Jacob or Israel; but, in a special and more excellent sense, none are esteemed the true posterity of Israel, but those who resembled this father of their nation in true piety and goodness; for (as the apostle reasons) “they are not all Israel who are of Israel;” they only are Israelites indeed who resemble good old Jacob in the sincerity of his piety, and the simplicity of his temper and disposition: for our Saviour seems here to allude to that character which is given of Jacob, (Gen. xxv. 27.) that “he was a plain man,” or, as the Hebrew word signifies, “a perfect and sincere man,” in opposition to his brother Esau, who is said to be cunning: so that, to be an Israelite indeed, is to be a downright honest man, without fraud and guile, without any arts of hypocrisy and deceit.

In speaking of this virtue of sincerity, which is the highest character and commendation of a good man, I shall consider it as it respects God and man. As it respects God, so it imports the truth and sincerity of our piety and devotion towards him. As it regards men, so it signifies a simplicity of mind and manners in our carriage and conversation one towards another: both these are included, and very probably were intended in the character which our Saviour here gives Nathanael.

I. I shall consider this grace or virtue of sincerity, as it respects God, and so it imports the truth and sincerity of our piety towards him, that we heartily believe, and fear, and honour him, and that the outward expressions of our piety and obedience to him are the genuine issue of our inward apprehensions of him, and affections towards him; and this no doubt our Saviour intended in the first place, in the character of this good man; that he was a man of a real, and substantial, and unaffected piety, and in truth what he appeared to be: that he did sincerely love God and his truth, and was ready to embrace it whenever it was fairly proposed to him, as did plainly appear in his carriage towards our Saviour: for when Philip invited him to come and see him, he did not conceal the prejudice and objection he had against him, grounded upon a common, but uncharitable, proverb, that “out of Nazareth ariseth no prophet;” but, having an honest and sincere mind, he was not so carried away by a popular prejudice, as not to have patience to be better informed, and therefore was easily persuaded to go and see our Saviour, and to discourse with himself; and, being satisfied that he was the Messias, he presently owns him for such, calling him “the Son of God and the King of Israel.” And because sincerity is the very heart and substance of religion, it concerns us not only to endeavour after this temper and disposition, but to inquire into the nature and properties of it, that we may know when we have it, and may have the comfort of it. I shall mention five or six properties of a sincere piety, by which men may sufficiently know the integrity of their hearts towards God.

1. Our piety is then sincere, when the chief reasons and predominant motives of it are religious; and I call that a religious or rational motive, which regards God and another world, in opposition to men and to our present temporal advantages; when the principal and swaying motives of our piety, are a sense of God’s authority over us, and of our duty and obligation to him; a fear of his displeasure and threatenings, and the hopes of the glorious reward which he hath promised to obedience: these motives are properly religious, because they respect God, and are the arguments to obedience which he himself offers to us, to persuade us to our duty; and that is, a sincere piety which is wrought in us by these considerations, how unequally soever mixed: for even in the most of men, fear does many times prevail more than love, and, in case of great temptation, may preserve men from sin, when perhaps no other consideration will do it. On the contrary, that is an unsincere piety, to which we are moved merely by the regard of men, and the consideration of some temporal advantages; and, when these have the chief influence upon us, it is easy for any man to discern in himself; for he that will carefully observe himself, can hardly be ignorant of the true spring and motive of his own actions: but there is one sign whereby a man may certainly know that his heart is not right towards God, and that is—if, when these motives are absent, our piety and zeal for the true religion doth either cease, or is sensibly cooled and abated; as if impiety, or popery, or any thing else that is bad, begin to be in fashion, and to have the countenance of great examples; if those whom we fear, and upon whom we depend, do discover any inclination that way; if the garb of religion cease to be for our interest, or, in the revolution of things, happen to be contrary to it: if in any of these cases we let fall the profession of our religion, or neglect the practice of it, this is a plain and undeniable demonstration of the insincerity of our former piety.

2. A sincere piety must be rooted in the heart, and be a living principle within us; for, as the apostle reasons in another case, “he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but he who is one inwardly, and in the heart;” and without this all outward acts of piety and devotion are hypocrisy, a picture of religion, and a form of godliness, without the life and power of it.

3. A third evidence of a sincere piety is, when men are religious in private and in secret, as well as in public and in the open view of men. He is truly devout, who is so in his family, and in his closet, where he hath no witness but God, and his own soul, as well as in the church. He is a downright honest man, who will make good his word, and perform his promise, when no proof can be made of it, and no law compel him to it, as readily as if there had been an hundred witnesses of it. He is sincerely just, who will not detain from another his right, though he be ignorant of it; nor wrong any man, though he could do it with all the secrecy and safety in the world; who will not impose upon another’s ignorance or unskilfulness, though never so much to his own benefit and advantage. He is truly charitable, who would not only as soon, but rather sooner give his alms in secret, than in the sight of men: and he is truly grateful, who, when there is occasion and opportunity, will acknowledge a kindness and requite a benefit to the relations of his deceased friend, though he be sure that all memory of the obligation died with him, and that none are conscious of it, but God and his own conscience. And indeed there is scarce any act of piety and virtue, the sincerity of which may not by this evidence be known by us: as, on the contrary, a man may for certain conclude himself a hypocrite, if he be not the same in the presence of God and his own conscience that he is in the sight of men.

4. Another evidence of a sincere piety is a constant tenor of goodness in the general course of our lives. I do not now speak of the first beginnings of piety in new converts, which are many times very imperfect, and such as afford little or no evidence of a man’s sincerity; but in those who have made any considerable progress in goodness; the habits of any known sin, and the wilful and deliberate neglect of our duties, and even the single acts of more heinous crimes, will bring in question our sincerity, and are by no means to be sheltered under the name of infirmity: for these the grace of God, if we be not wanting to ourselves, will enable us to subdue; and he is not sincerely good, who doth not seriously endeavour to be as good as he can, and does not make use of that grace which God is ready to afford to all the purposes, though not of a perfect, yet of a sincere, obedience to the laws of God.

5. Another evidence of a sincere piety is, that our obedience to God be uniform and universal, equally respecting all the laws of God, and every part of our duty, that it do not content itself with an especial regard to some precepts of the law, though never so considerable, and allow itself in the breach or neglect of the rest; no, nor with observing the duties of one table of the law, if it overlook the other; no, nor with obedience to all the commandments of God, one only excepted. St. James puts this case and determines, that, “he that keeps the whole law, saving that he offends in one point, is guilty of all;” that is, is not sincere in his obedience to the rest. And, therefore, we must take great heed that we do not set the commandments of God at odds, and dash the two tables of the law against one another, lest, as St. James says, we “break the whole law:” and yet I fear this is too common a fault, even amongst those who make a great profession of piety, that they are not sufficiently sensible of the obligation and necessity of the duties of the second table, and of the excellency of those graces and virtues which respect our carriage and conversation with one another. Men do not seem to consider, that God did not give laws to us for his own sake, but our’s; and therefore, that he did not only design that we should honour him, but that we should be happy in one another; for which reason he joins with our humble and dutiful deportment towards himself the offices of justice and charity towards others. (Mich. vi. 8.) “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” And, 1 John iv. 21. “This commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also.” And yet it is too visible that many, who make a great profession of piety towards God, are very defective in moral duties; very unpeaceable and turbulent in their spirits, very peevish and passionate, very conceited and censorious, as if their profession of godliness did exempt them from the care and practice of Christian virtues. But we must not so fix our eye upon heaven, as to forget that we walk upon the earth, and to neglect the ordering of our steps and conversation among men; lest, while we are gazing upon the stars, we fall into the ditch of gross and foul immorality.

It is very possible, that men may be devout and zealous in religion, very nice and scrupulous about the worship and service of God, and yet because of their palpable defect in points of justice and honesty, of meekness and humility, of peace and charity, may be gross and odious hypocrites. For men must not think for some acts, either of outward or inward piety, to compound with God for the neglect of mercy and judgment, or to demand it as a right from men to be excused from the great duties and virtues of human conversation; or pretend to be above them, because they relate chiefly to this world, and to the temporal happiness of men: as if it were the privilege of great devotion, to give a licence to men to be peevish and froward, sour and morose, supercilious and censorious in their behaviour towards others. Men must have a great care, that they be not intent upon the outward parts of religion, to the prejudice of inward and real goodness, and that they do not so use the means of religion, as to neglect and lose the main end of it: that they do not place all religion in fasting and outward mortification; for though these things be very useful and necessary in their place, if they be discreetly managed, and made subservient to the great ends of religion; yet it is often seen, that men have so unequal a respect to the several parts of their duty, that fasting and corporal severity, those meagre and lean duties of piety, in comparison, do, like Pharaoh’s lean kine, devour and eat up almost all the goodly and well-favoured, the great and substantial duties of the Christian life: and therefore men must take great heed, lest, whilst they are so intent upon mortifying themselves, they do not mortify virtue and goodnature, humility and meekness and charity, things highly valuable in themselves, and amiable in the eyes of men, and in the sight of God of great price.

For the neglect of the moral duties of the second table is not only a mighty scandal to religion, but of pernicious consequence many other ways. A fierce and ill-governed, an ignorant and injudicious zeal for the honour of God, and something or other be longing necessarily, as they think, to his true worship and service, hath made many men do many unreasonable, immoral, and impious things, of which history will furnish us with innumerable instances in the practice of the Jesuits, and other zealots of the church of Rome; and there are not wanting too many examples of this kind amongst ourselves: for men that are not sober and considerate in their religion, but give themselves up to the conduct of blind prejudice, and furious zeal, do easily persuade themselves that any thing is lawful, which they strongly fancy to tend to the honour of God, and to the advancement of the cause of religion. Hence, some have proceeded to that height of absurdity in their zeal for their religion and church, as to think it not only lawful, but highly commendable and meritorious, to equivocate upon oaths, and break faith with heretics, and to destroy all those that differ from them; as if it were piety in some cases to lie for the truth, and to kill men for God’s sake.

So that, if we would approve the integrity of our hearts to God, and evidence to ourselves the sincerity of our obedience, we ought impartially to regard all the laws of God, and every part of our duty; and, if we do not, our heart is not upright with God. It is observable, that sincerity in Scripture is often called by the name of integrity and perfection, because it is integrated and made up of all the parts of our duty.

6. The last evidence I shall mention of the sincerity of our religion is, if it hold out against persecution and endure the fiery trial. This is the utmost proof of our integrity when we are called to bear the cross, to be willing then to expose all our worldly interest, and even life itself, for the cause of God and religion. This is a trial which God doth not always call his faithful servants to; but they are always to be prepared for it, in the purpose and resolution of their minds. This our Saviour makes the great mark of a true disciple: “If any man (saith he) will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” This is a certain sign, that men have “received the word into good ground,” and are well rooted in their religion, when they are not shaken by these fierce assaults; “for many (as our Saviour tells us) hear the word, and with joy receive it; but having no root in themselves, they endure but for a while, and when persecution and tribulation ariseth because of the word, presently they are offended:” nay some, when they see persecution coming at a distance, wheel off and bethink themselves of making their retreat in time, and of agreeing with their adversary whilst he is yet in the way.

So that constancy to our religion, in case of danger and suffering for it, is the best proof of our sincerity. This is “the fiery trial,” as the Scripture calls it, which will try what materials we are made of, and whether we love God and his truth in sincerity.

And thus I have considered sincerity as it respects God, and imports true piety and religion towards him; and I proceed to the second consideration.

II. Of sincerity, as it regards men; and so it signifies a simplicity of mind and manners in our conversation, and carriage one towards another; singleness of heart, discovering itself in a constant plainness and honest openness of behaviour, free from all insidious devices, and little tricks, and fetches of craft and cunning: from all false appearances and deceitful disguises of ourselves in word or action; or, yet more plainly, it is to speak as we think, and do what we pretend and profess, to perform and make good what we promise, and, in a word, really to be what we would seem and appear to be.

Not that we are obliged to tell every man all our mind; but we are never to declare any thing contrary to it: we may be silent and conceal as much of ourselves, as prudence, or any other good reason requires; but we must not put on a disguise, and make a false appearance and empty shew of what we are not, either by word or action. Contrary to this virtue is, I fear, most of that compliment which is current in conversation, and which, for the most part, is nothing but words to fill up the gaps, and supply the emptiness, of discourse, and a pretence to that kindness and esteem for persons, which either in truth we have not, or not to that degree which our expressions seem to import; which, if done with design, is that which we call flattery—a very odious sort of insincerity, and so much the worse, because it abuses men into a vain and foolish opinion of themselves, and an ill-grounded confidence of the kindness and good-will of others towards them; and so much the more dangerous, because it hath a party within us, which is ready to let it in: it plays upon our self-love, which greedily catcheth at any thing that tends to magnify and advance us; for, God knows, we are all too apt to think and make the best of our bad selves, so that very few tempers have wisdom and firmness enough to be proof against flattery: it requires great consideration and a resolute modesty and humility to resist the insinuations of this serpent; yea, a little rudeness and moroseness of nature, a prudent distrust and infidelity in mankind, to make a man in good earnest to reject and despise it.

SERMON LVI.

[Preached at Whitehall 1686, before the Princess Anne.]

THE EXCELLENCY OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son: of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.—Heb. xi. 17, 18, 19.

THE design of this Epistle to the Hebrews is to recommend to them the Christian religion, to which they were but newly converted, and to encourage them to constancy in the profession of it, notwithstanding the sufferings which attended it. He sets before them in this chapter several examples in the Old Testament of those, who, though they were tinder a much more imperfect dispensation, yet by a stedfast belief in God and his promises, had performed such wonderful acts of obedience and self-denial.

He begins with the patriarchs before the flood; but insists chiefly upon the examples of two eminent persons of their own nation, as nearest to them, and most likely to prevail upon them—the examples of Abraham and Moses: the one the father of their nation, the other their great lawgiver; and both of them the greatest patterns of faith, and obedience, and self-denial, that the history of all former ages, from the beginning of the world, had afforded.

I shall, at this time, by God’s assistance, treat of the first of these—the example of Abraham, the constancy of whose faith, and the cheerfulness of whose obedience, even in the difficultest cases, is so remarkable above all the other examples mentioned in this chapter. For, at the command of God he left his kindred and his country, not knowing whither he should go: by which eminent act of obedience he declared himself to be wholly at God’s disposal, and ready to follow him. But this was no trial in comparison of that here in my text, when God commanded him to offer up his only son: but such was the immutable stedfastness of his faith, and the perfect submission of his obedience, that it does not appear that he made the least check at it; but, out of perfect reverence and obedience to the authority of the Divine command, he went about it as readily and cheerfully, as if God had bid him do some small thing: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.”

For the explication of which words, it will be requisite to consider two things:

First, The trial or temptation in general.

Secondly, The excellency of Abraham’s faith and obedience upon this trial.

First, The trial or temptation in general: it is said, that “Abraham, when he was tried;” the word is πειραζόμενος, “being tempted;” that is, God intending to make trial of his faith and obedience: and so it is expressed, Gen. xxii. 1. where it is said, that “God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Take now thy son, thine only son.”

Now there are two difficulties concerning this matter. It seems contrary to Scripture, that God should tempt any man; and contrary to reason: because God, who knows what every man will do, needed not to make trial of any man’s faith and obedience.

First, It seems contrary to Scripture, which says, “God tempts no man:” and it is most true, that God tempts no man, with a design to draw him into sin; but this doth not hinder, but he may try their faith and obedience with great difficulties, to make them the more illustrious. Thus God tempted Abraham; and he permitted Job, and even our blessed Saviour himself, to be thus tempted.

Secondly, It seems contrary to reason, that God, who knows what any man will do in any circum stances, should go to make trial of it. But God does not try men for his own information; but to give an illustrious proof and example to others of faith and obedience: and though after this trial of Abraham, God says to him, “Now I know that thou lovest me, because thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me;” yet we are to understand this as spoken after the manner of men; as God elsewhere speaks to Abraham concerning Sodom; “I will go down now to see whether they have done altogether according to the cry which is come up unto me; and, if not, I will know.”

I proceed to the second thing I proposed—the excellency of Abraham’s faith and obedience upon this trial: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.” God accepts of it, as if he had done it; because he had done it in part, and was ready to have performed the rest, if God had not countermanded him.

And this act of faith and obedience in Abraham will appear the more illustrious, if we consider these three things:

I. The firmness and stedfastness of his faith, notwithstanding the objections against it.

II. The constancy of his resolution, notwithstanding the difficulty of the thing.

III. The reasonableness of his faith, in that he gave satisfaction to himself in so hard and perplexed a case.

I. The firmness and stedfastness of his faith will appear, if we consider what objections there were in the case, enough to shake a very strong faith. There were three great objections against this command, and such as might in reason make a wise and good man doubtful whether this command were from God.

The horrid nature of the thing commanded. The grievous scandal that might seem almost unavoidably to follow upon it.

And the horrible consequence of it, which seemed to make the former promise of God to Abraham void. First, The horrid nature of the thing commanded, which was, for a father to kill his own child. This must needs appear very barbarous and unnatural, and look liker a sacrifice to an idol than to the true God.

It seemed to be against the law of nature, and directly contrary to that kindness and affection, which God himself had planted in the hearts of parents towards their children.

And there is no affection more natural and strong than this: for there are many persons that would redeem the lives of their children with the hazard of their own. Now that God hath planted such an affection in nature, is an argument that it is good, and therefore it could not but seem strange that he should command any thing contrary to it; and in this case there were two circumstances that in creased the horror of the fact—that his son was innocent, and that he was to slay him with his own hands.

1. That his son was innocent. It would grieve the heart of any father to give up his son to death, though he were never so undutiful and disobedient.

So passionately was David affected with the death of his son Absalom, as to wish he had died for him, though he died in the very act of rebellion, and though the saving of his life had been inconsistent with the peace of his government.

How deep then must it sink into the heart of a father to give up his innocent son to death? and such a son was Isaac, for any thing that appeared to the contrary. God himself gave him this testimony, that he was “the son whom his father loved, and there is no intimation of any thing to the contrary. Now this could not but appear strange to a good man, that God should command an innocent person to be put to death. But,

2. That a father should be commanded, not only to give up his son to death, but to slay him with his own hands; not only to be a spectator, but to be the actor in this tragedy. What father would not shrink and start back at such a command? What good man, especially in such a case, and where nature was so hard pressed, would not have been apt to have looked upon such a revelation as this, rather as the suggestion and illusion of an evil spirit, than a command of God? And yet Abraham’s faith was not staggered, so as to call this revelation of God in question.

SERMON LVII.

[Preached at Whitehall 1687, before the Princess Anne.]

MOSES’ CHOICE OF AFFLICTED PIETY, RATHER THAN A KINGDOM.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.—Heb. xi. 24, 25.

THE text sets before us a great pattern of self-denial: for our better understanding whereof I will give a brief account of the history of Moses, to which our apostle in this passage doth refer.

When Moses was born, his parents (for fear of the cruel law which Pharaoh had made, that all the male children of the Hebrews, so soon as they were born, should be put to death) after they had hid him three months, did at last expose him in an ark of bulrushes upon the river Nile, and committed him to the providence of God, whom they despaired to conceal any longer by their own care.

Pharaoh’s daughter, coming by the river side, espied him, and had compassion on him; and, guessing him to be one of the Hebrew children, called for an Hebrew nurse to take care of him, who, as the providence of God had ordered it, proved to be the child’s own mother. As he grew up, Pharaoh’s daughter took care of his education in all princely qualities, and adopted him for her son: and Pharaoh (as Josephus tells us) being without a son, designed him heir of his kingdom.

Moses refused this great offer. But why did he refuse it, when it seemed to be presented to him by the providence of God, and was brought about in so strange a manner; and when by this means he might probably have had it in his power to have eased the Israelites of their cruel bondage, and perhaps have had the opportunity of reducing that great kingdom from the worship of idols to the true God? Why would he refuse a kingdom which was offered to him with so fair an opportunity of doing so much good?

That which seems to have prevailed with Moses was this, that he could not accept the offer without forsaking God, and renouncing his religion; for, considering how strangely the Egyptians were addicted to idolatry, he could never hope to be accepted for heir of that kingdom, unless he would violate his conscience, either by abandoning or dissembling his religion.

And how unlikely it was, that he should prevail with them to change their religion, he might easily judge by the example of Joseph, who, though he had so much authority and esteem amongst them, by having been so great a benefactor to their nation; yet he could never move them in the least in that matter.

Now seeing he had no hopes of attaining, or enjoying that dignity, without sinning grievously against God, he would not purchase a kingdom at so unconscionable a price. And as for the deliverance of his people, he was content to trust the providence and promise of God for that; and in the mean time was resolved rather to take a part in the afflictions of God’s people, “than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”

From the words, thus explained, I shall take occasion to consider these four things:

I. Moses’ self-denial, in preferring and choosing a state of afflicted piety, before any sinful enjoyments whatsoever, before the greatest earthly happiness and prosperity, when it was not to be attained and enjoyed upon other terms than of sinning against God.

II. I shall consider those circumstances of this self-denial of Moses, which do very much commend and set off the virtue of it.

III. The prudence and reasonableness of this choice, in preferring a state of afflicted piety and virtue, before the greatest prosperity and pleasure of a sinful course.

IV. Supposing this choice to be reasonable, I shall inquire how it comes to pass, that so many make another choice.

I. We will consider Moses’ self-denial, in preferring a state of afflicted piety before the greatest earthly happiness and prosperity, when it is not to be enjoyed upon other terms, than of sinning against God. He was adopted heir of the kingdom of Egypt (one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms then in the world); but he could not hope to attain to this dignity, and to secure himself in the possession of it, upon other terms, than of complying with that nation, in their idolatrous religion and worship.

Now being brought up in the belief of the true God, the God of Israel, by his mother, to whom Pharaoh’s daughter had committed him, he could not, without great violence to his conscience, and the principles of his education, renounce the true God, and fall off to the idolatry of the Egyptians: and for this reason “he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction” with the worshippers of the true God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of any thing that was not to be had without sin; for so the word ought to be rendered ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, “than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.” So here was Moses’ self-denial, that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the worshippers of the true God, than to gain a kingdom, by the renouncing of God and religion.

II. We will consider those circumstances of his self-denial, which do very much commend and set off the virtue of it.

1. What it was he refused to be called; “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;” that is, to be heir of one of the greatest and most flourishing kingdoms in the world: a temptation so great, that the devil himself could not find but one much greater, when he set upon the Son of God to tempt him to fall down and worship him.

And when we consider for what inconsiderable things some men sell their religion and their consciences, we shall think it no small temptation which Moses here resisted. Si violandum est jus, regnandi causa violandum est; “If a man would do any unjust thing, and violate his religion and conscience, he would not do it for less than a kingdom;” and it would be a very hard bargain, even upon those terms.

2. Consider not only what he refused, but what he chose in the place of it—a state of great affliction and suffering. Had he refused a kingdom, and chosen the quiet condition of a subject of middle rank, (beneath envy and above contempt) his self-denial had not been so great; nay, perhaps he had made a wise choice, in the account of the wisest men, in preferring a plentiful and quiet retirement, before the cares of a crown, and the burden of public government.

But it is very rare to find a man that would choose rather to be oppressed and persecuted, than to be a prince, and to have the sweet power to use others as he pleased.

3. Consider how fair a prospect he had of enjoying this kingdom, if he could but have come up to the terms of it. He did not reject it, because he despaired of attaining it: for he had all the right that a good title could give him, being adopted heir to it; and yet he refused it.

To which I may add, that his breeding was such as might easily kindle ambitious thoughts in him. He was brought up in Pharaoh’s court, and was the darling and favourite of it; exceeding beautiful (as Josephus tells us) and “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians;” than which no two qualities are more apt to puff up and swell a man with big thoughts of himself.

They that are bred in a low condition, never think of a kingdom; men not being apt to aspire to things which are remote, and at a great distance from them.

But nothing is more rare in persons of great and generous minds, than such a self-denial as this.

4. Let it be considered, in the last place, that this was a deliberate choice, not any rash and sudden, determination made by him when he was of incompetent age to make a true judgment of things. And this the apostle takes notice of in the text, as a very memorable circumstance, that “when he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” And St. Stephen tells us, that he was “full forty years old” when he made this choice. (Acts vii. 23.) “When he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.” When he was of ripest judgment, and in the height of his prosperity and reputation, he made this choice; for it is said in the verse before, that “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and mighty in word and deed;” that is, he was in great reputation for his wisdom and valour.

This seems to refer to other passages of his life, which are not recorded in Scripture history, but related at large by Josephus, out of historians extant in his time. For he tells, that when the Ethiopians had invaded Egypt, and almost over-run it, Pharaoh was directed by the oracle at Memphis to make Moses his general, who by his extraordinary conduct and courage overthrew the Ethiopians, and drave them out of Egypt.

This Moses did not think fit to relate of himself; but St. Stephen seems to allude to it, when he says, that “he was mighty in word and deed:” and then it follows; “and when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel;” that is, when he was at full maturity of judgment, and in the height of his prosperity and reputation, he quitted the court of Egypt, and went to visit his afflicted brethren, and chose rather to take part with them in their sufferings, than to accept those great offers that were made to him.

There is likewise another passage in Josephus concerning Moses, which seems to be a forerunner of the contempt which he shewed afterwards of the crown of Egypt; that when Moses was about three years old, Thermuthis, the daughter of Pharaoh, brought the child to him, who took him in his arms, and put his diadem upon his head; but Moses took it off, and cast it to the ground, and trampled it under his feet. This was but a childish act, and they who saw it would easily believe, that, for all his childish contempt of it then, if it were put upon his head in good earnest, when he came to be a man, he would hold it on faster, and use it with more respect.

And it is not improbable, but that the apostle might have some regard to this, when he says, that “Moses when he came to years;” intimating, that he did not only trample upon the diadem of Pharaoh, when he was a child; but when he was come to years, and was capable of judging better of those things, “he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”

But before I proceed any farther, I cannot but take notice of an objection, which may seem to reflect greatly upon the integrity of Moses. Can we think him so very conscientious a man, who persuaded the people of Israel, and pretended God’s direction in the case, to cheat the Egyptians of their jewels, under a fraudulent pretence of borrowing them? There is some difficulty in the thing, as at first sight it appears: and yet I doubt not, with your favourable attention, and free from prejudice, to vindicate Moses clearly in this matter.

And I shall not insist upon that which is commonly and truly said in this case; that God, who is the supreme Lord of all things, may transfer the rights of men from one to another; because the objection doth not lie against God’s right to take away from any man what he hath given him; but against the fraudulent manner of doing it, which seems unworthy of God to command or encourage.

Now this matter, I think, is capable of another and much clearer answer; which, in short, is this, and grounded upon the history, as we find it related, Exod. xii. The providence of God did, it seems, design by this way to make some reparation to the Israelites, for the tyrannical usage which they had received from the Egyptians; and that first (as the text expressly tells us) “in giving them favour with the Egyptians;” who, in truth, for their own ends, and to get rid of such troublesome guests, were disposed to lend them any thing they had.

Thus far all is right; here is nothing but fair borrowing and lending: and if the Israelites acquired a right to those things afterwards, there was then no obligation to restitution.

Let us see then how the providence of God brought this about: namely, by permitting the Egyptians afterwards, without cause, and after leave given them to depart, to pursue them, with a design to have destroyed them; by which hostility and perfidiousness they plainly forfeited their right to what they had only lent before. For this hostile attempt, which would have warranted the Israelites to have spoiled them of their jewels, if they had been in the possession of the Egyptians, did certainly warrant them to keep them when they had them; and by this means they became rightful possessors of what they had only by loan before, and could not have detained without fraud and injustice, if this hostility of the Egyptians had not given them a new title and clear right to them.

SERMON LVIII.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us holdfast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that hath promised.—Heb. x. 23.

THE main scope and design of this Epistle to the Hebrews is to persuade the Jews, who were newly converted to Christianity, to continue steadfast in the profession of that holy and excellent religion which they had embraced; and not to be removed from it, either by the subtle insinuations of their brethren the Jews, who pretended that they were in possession of the true ancient religion, and the only true church of God upon earth; or by the terror of the heathen persecution, which was so hot against them at that time. And to this end the author of this Epistle doth by great variety of arguments demonstrate the excellency of the Christian religion above the Jewish dispensation; and shews at large, that in all those respects upon which the Jews valued themselves and their religion (as, namely, upon the account of their lawgiver, their high-priests, and their sacrifices) the Christian religion had every way the advantage of them.

And having made this clear, he concludes this with an earnest exhortation to them to continue steadfast in the profession of this excellent religion, which was revealed to them by the Son of God, the true propitiatory sacrifice, and the great high-priest of their profession, and into which they had solemnly been initiated and admitted by baptism. Ver. 19, 20, 21, 22. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an High-priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith;” that is, let us sincerely serve God with a firm persuasion of the truth and excellency of this holy religion, into the profession whereof we were solemnly admitted by baptism; for that is undoubtedly the meaning of the following words: “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;” the water with which our bodies are washed in baptism, signifying our spiritual regeneration, and the purging our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God. From all which he concludes, “let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” This refers to that solemn profession of faith, which was made by all Christians at their baptism, and which is contained in the ancient creed of the Christian church, called by the ancient fathers, “the rule of faith.”

Let us hold fast, κατέχωμεν, “let us firmly retain;” the same with κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας. (Chap. iv. 14.) “Seeing then we have a great High-priest which is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us take fast hold of our profession.” So here in the text, the apostle upon the same consideration exhorts Christians to retain, or hold fast, τὴν ὁμολογίαντῆς ἐλπίδος, “the confession, or profession of their hope;” that is, the hope of the resurrection of the dead, and everlasting life, which was the conclusion of that faith or creed, whereof in baptism they made a solemn profession. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith or hope, without wavering;” the word is ἀκλινῆ, inflexible, unmoveable, steady, and not apt to waver and be shaken by every wind of contrary doctrine, nor by the blasts and storms of persecution.—“For he is faithful that hath promised.” If we continue faithful and steady to God, he will be “faithful,” to make good all the promises he hath made to us.

In the words, thus explained, there are two things which I shall distinctly consider.

First, The exhortation: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith, without wavering:” and,

Secondly, The argument or encouragement used to enforce it; “He is faithful that hath promised.” I begin with the

First, The exhortation to be constant and steady in the profession of the Christian religion: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” In the handling of this, and that we may the better understand the true meaning of this exhortation here in the text, I shall do these two things:

I. I shall shew negatively, wherein this constancy and steadiness in the profession of the true religion does not consist. And here I shall remove one or two things, which are thought by some to be inconsistent with constancy and steadfastness in religion.

II. I shall shew positively what is implied in a constant and steady profession of the true religion.

I. I shall shew negatively, what constancy and steadfastness in the profession of the true religion does not imply. And there are two things which are thought by some to be implied in “holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

SERMON LIX.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that hath promised.—Heb. x. 23.

I HAVE already made entrance into these words, which I told you do contain in them,

First, An exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

Secondly, An argument or encouragement there to; “because he is faithful that promised.” If we continue steadfast and faithful to God, we shall find him faithful to us, in making good all the promises which he hath made to us, whether of aid and support, or of recompense and reward of our fidelity to him.

I have begun to handle the first part of the text, viz. The apostle’s exhortation to Christians to be constant and steady in their religion: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” The word ἀκλινῆ, which we render “without wavering,” signifies inflexible and unmoveable, not apt to waver and to be shaken with every wind of contrary doctrine, nor by the blasts and storms of persecution. And that we might the better comprehend the full and true meaning of this exhortation, I propounded to do these two things:

I. To shew negatively, wherein this constancy and steadiness in the profession of the true religion doth not consist. And,

II. To shew positively, what is implied and in tended here by the apostle in “holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

I. To shew negatively, wherein this constancy and steadiness in the profession of the true religion doth not consist. This I spake to the last day; and shewed at large, that there are two things which are not contained and intended in this exhortation.

1. That men should not have the liberty to examine their religion, and to inquire into the grounds and reasons of it; such I mean as are capable of this examination and inquiry; which some, I shewed, are not; as children, who, while they are in that state, are only fit to learn and believe what is taught them by their parents and teachers: and likewise such grown persons, as, either by the natural weakness of their faculties, or by some great disadvantage of education, are of a very low and mean capacity and improvement of understanding. These are to be considered, as in the condition of children and learners, and therefore must of necessity trust and rely upon the judgment of others.

2. This “holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering,” does not imply, that when men upon examination and inquiry are settled, as they think and verily believe, in the true religion, they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against them. Both these principles I shewed to be unreasonable, and arguments of a bad cause and religion.

I shall now proceed to explain the meaning of this exhortation, to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering,” by shewing, in the

Second place, What it is that is implied in the constant and steady profession of the true faith and religion: namely, that when upon due search and examination, we are fully satisfied, that it is the true religion which we have embraced, or, as St. Peter expresses it, 1st Epistle, v. 12. that “this is the true grace of God, wherein we stand;” that then we should adhere steadfastly to it, and hold it fast, and not suffer it to be wrested from us, nor ourselves to be moved from it, by any pretences, or insinuations, or temptations whatsoever: for there is a great deal of difference between the confidence and steadfastness of an ignorant man, who hath never considered things, and inquired into the grounds of them; and the assurance and settlement of one, who hath been well instructed in his religion, and hath taken pains to search and examine to the bottom, the grounds and reasons of what he holds and professeth to believe. The first is mere wilfulness and obstinacy. A man hath entertained and drank in such principles of religion by education, or hath taken them up by chance; but he hath no reason for them: and yet, however he came by them, he is resolved to hold them fast, and not to part with them. The other is the resolution and constancy of a wise man. He hath embraced his religion upon good grounds, and he sees no reason to alter it: and therefore is resolved to stick to it, and to hold fast the profession of it steadfastly to the end. And to this purpose there are many exhortations and cautions scattered up and down the writings of the holy apostles; as that we should be “steadfast and unmoveable, established in the truth, rooted and grounded in the faith,” and that we should “hold fast that which is good,” and not suffer ourselves “to be carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine, through the sleight of men, and the cunning craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive;” that we should “not be removed from him that hath called us unto the grace of Christ, unto another gospel;” that we should “stand fast in one spirit and one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, and be in nothing terrified by our adversaries;” and that, if occasion be, we should “contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints;” and here in the text, that we should “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” For the explaining of this, I shall do two things:

I. Consider what it is that we are to hold fast; namely, “the profession of our faith;” and,

II. How we are to hold it fast, or what is implied in “holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

I. What it is that we are to hold fast; namely, “the profession of our faith;” i. e. of the Christian faith or religion; for, I told you before, that this profession or confession of our faith, or hope (as the word properly signifies), is an allusion to that profession of faith, which was made by all those who were admitted members of the Christian church by baptism; of which the apostle makes mention immediately before the text, when he says, “let us draw near in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water:” and then it follows, “let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” The profession of faith; which we made in our baptism, and which by the ancient fathers is called the rule of faith, and which is now contained in that which we call the Apostles’ Creed, and which is called by St. Paul, (Rom. vi. 17.) “the form of doctrine which was delivered to them,” t. e. to all Christians; and (2 Tim. i. 13.) the “form of sound words:” “hold fast (saith he) the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus;” and, by St. Jude, “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

So that it is the first and ancient faith of the Christian church, delivered to them by Christ and his apostles, which we are here exhorted to “hold fast;” the necessary and fundamental articles of the Christian faith; and by consequence all those truths which have a necessary connexion with those articles, and are implied in them, and by plain consequence are to be deduced from them. It is not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men; nor the partial dictates and doctrines of any church, since the primitive times, which are not contained in the Holy Scriptures and the ancient creeds of the Christian church, but have been since declared and imposed upon the Christian world, though with never so confident a pretence of antiquity in the doctrines, and of infallibility in the proposers of them: these are no part of that faith which we are either to profess or to hold fast; because we have no reason to admit the pretences, by virtue whereof those doctrines or practices are imposed; being able to make it good, and having effectually done it, that those doctrines are not of primitive antiquity; and that the church, which proposeth them, hath no more claim to infallibility, than all other parts of the Christian church; which since the apostles time is none at all.

In a word, no other doctrines, which are not sufficiently revealed in Scripture, either in express terms, or by plain and necessary consequence; nor any rites of worship, nor matters of practice, which are not commanded in Scripture, are to be esteemed any part of that faith in religion, the profession whereof the apostle here commands all Christians to “hold fast without wavering;” much less any doctrines or practices which are repugnant to the word of God, and to the faith and practice of the first ages of Christianity; of which kind I shall have occasion in my following discourse to instance in several particulars. In the mean time I shall only observe, that that faith and religion which we profess, and which, by God’s grace, we have ever held fast, is that which hath been acknowledged by all Christian churches in all ages, to have been the ancient catholic and apostolic faith, and cannot (as to any part or tittle of it) be denied to be so, even by the church of Rome herself.

I proceed to the

II. Second thing which I proposed to consider; namely, How we are to hold fast the profession of our faith, or what is implied by the apostle, in this exhortation, “to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” And I think, these following particulars may very well be supposed to be implied in it:

1. That we should hold fast the profession of our faith, against the confidence of men, without Scripture or reason to support their confidence.

2. And much more against the confidence of men, contrary to Scripture, and reason, and the common sense of mankind.

SERMON LIX.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith with out wavering; for he is faithful that promised.—Heb. x. 23.

IN these words, I have told you, are contained,

First, An exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith,” or hope, “without wavering.”

Secondly, An argument or encouragement thereto; “because he is faithful that promised.” I am yet upon the first of these; the exhortation to Christians, to be constant and steady in the profession of their religion: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” And that we might the better comprehend the true and full meaning of this exhortation, 1 shewed,

First, Negatively, what is not meant and intended by it. And I mentioned these two particulars:

1. The apostle doth not hereby intend, that those who are capable of inquiring into, and examining the grounds of their religion, should not have the liberty to do it. Nor,

2. That when upon due inquiry and examination, men are settled, as they think and verily believe, in the true faith and religion, they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against their present persuasion. Both these I shewed to be unreasonable, and arguments of a bad cause and religion: and therefore neither of them can be intended by the apostle in this exhortation.

Secondly, I proceeded positively to explain the meaning of this exhortation. And to this purpose I proposed,

I. To consider what it is that we are to hold fast, viz. the confession or profession of our faith. The ancient Christian faith, of which every Christian makes profession in his baptism: for of that the apostle here speaks, as appears by the context; not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men, nor the impious dictates and doctrines of any church not contained in the Holy Scriptures, imposed upon the Christian church; though with never so confident a pretence of the antiquity of the doctrines proposed, or of the infallibility of the proposers of them. And then I proceeded in the

II. Second place, to shew, How we are to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” And I mentioned these following particulars, as probably implied in the apostle’s exhortation.

1. That we should “hold fast the profession of our faith,” against the confidence of men, without Scripture or reason to support their confidence.

2. And much more against the confidence of men, against Scripture and reason, and the common sense of mankind.

3. Against all the temptations and terrors of the world.

4. Against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition, and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms in another religion.

5. Against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busy and disputing men, whose design is to unhinge men from their religion, and to gain proselytes to their party and faction.

1. We are to “hold fast the profession of our faith,” against the confidence of men, without Scripture or reason to support their confidence. And of this I gave several instances, as in the pretence of the church of Rome to infallibility, without any proof or evidence of it, either by Scripture or miracles: I mean such miracles as are sufficiently attested. For as for their legends, since the wisest among themselves give no credit to them, I hope they do not expect that we should believe them, or be moved by them. And then their pretence that the church of Rome is the mother and mistress of all churches; which is now made an article of their creed. And that the bishop of Rome, as successor of St. Peter there, is by Divine appointment the supreme and universal pastor of Christ’s church. And that it is necessary to salvation, for every human creature to be subject to him. And, lastly, their invocation and worship of the blessed virgin and saints departed; without any warrant or example of any such thing, either in Scripture, or in the practice of the first ages of the Christian religion: and without sufficient ground to believe that they hear the prayers which are put up to them.

2. Much more are we “to hold fast the profession of our faith,” against the confidence of men, contrary to Scripture and reason, and the common sense of mankind. And here I instanced in the worship of images, the locking up of the Scriptures from the people, and celebrating the public prayers and service of God in an unknown tongue; and their doctrine of transubstantiation, their communion in one kind, and their daily repetition, in the sacrifice of the mass, of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ; which was offered “once for all,” and is of eternal virtue and efficacy; and therefore ought not, because it needs not, like the Jewish sacrifices under the law, to be repeated.

To these instances, which I have already spoken to, I shall add one or two more; as, namely, that to the due administration of the sacraments, an intention in the minister at least to do what the church does is requisite. This is expressly defined, and under an anathema upon all that shall say otherwise, by the council of Trent. Sess. the 7th, Can. 11th; which is to make the validity and virtue of the sacraments to depend upon the intention of the priest or minister. So that if, in the administration of baptism, he do not intend to baptize the party he pretends to baptize, then it is no baptism, and consequently the person baptized is not made a member of Christ’s church; nor is any grace or special benefit conferred upon him, nor is he a Christian. So likewise in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, if the priest do not intend to consecrate the host, then is it no sacrament; and they that receive it receive no benefit by it; and (which according to their opinion is a dreadful consequence) by the words of consecration there is no change made of the elements into the body and blood of Christ, and consequently, they that give adoration to the sacrament in such cases, worship bread and wine for God; which is idolatry. And so, likewise, in their sacrament of penance, though the priest pronounce the words of absolution, yet if he do not intend to absolve the penitent, though he be never so truly penitent, and God on his part is ready to forgive him, yet if the priest do not intend to do so, there is nothing done, and the man is still in his sin. So, likewise, in ordination, (which is another of their sacraments) if the bishop do not intend to ordain the man, he is no priest, and all that he does as a priest afterwards, either in administration of baptism or the Lord’s supper, or the absolution of penitents, all is vain, and of no effect. Nay, in marriage, (which they will needs have to be a sacrament too) if the intention of the priest be wanting, there is nothing done, the contract is nulled, and they that are so married do really live in adultery, though they do not know it, nor have any suspicion of it.

Now this is contrary to Scripture and the whole tenor of the gospel, which promiseth the benefit and efficacy of the sacraments, to all those that perform the conditions of the covenant, which are required on their parts, and declares forgiveness of sins to those who confess them to God, and truly repent of them.

And there is not the least intimation given in the Bible, that the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments does depend upon the intention of him that administers them, or that the forgiveness of sins is suspended upon the intention or absolution of the priest, but only upon the sincere resolution of the penitent. And surely nothing can be more absurd, and contrary to reason, than that when men have performed all the conditions which the gospel requires, yet they should, notwithstanding this, be deprived of all the blessings and benefits which God hath promised, and intends to confer upon them, because the priest hath not the same intention. So that when a man hath done all he can to work out his own salvation, he shall never be the nearer, only for want of that which is wholly out of his power—the right intention of the priest.

Besides, that after all the boasts of the safe condition of men in their church, and the most certain and infallible means of salvation to be had in it, this one principle (that the intention of the priests is necessary to the validity and virtue of the sacraments) puts the salvation of men upon the greatest hazard and uncertainty; and such as it is impossible for any man either to discover or prevent, unless he had some certain way to know the heart and intention of the priest. For, upon these terms, who can know whether any man be a priest, and really ordained, or not? Nay, whether he be a Christian, and have been truly baptized, or not? and, consequently, whether any of his administrations be valid, and we have any benefit and advantage by them? because all this depends upon the knowledge of that which we neither do nor can know.

So that when a man hath conscientiously done all that God requires of any man to make him capable of salvation, yet without any fault of his, the want of intention in an idle-minded man may frustrate all: and though the man have been baptized, and do truly believe the gospel, and hath sincerely repented of his sins, and lived a most holy life, yet all this may signify nothing, and after all he may be no Christian, because his baptism was invalid; and all the promises of God to the means of salvation, which his goodness and wisdom hath prescribed, may be of no efficacy, if the priest do not intend in the administration of the sacraments to do that which God and the church intend.

Now if this be true, there is certainly no church in the world in which the salvation of men runs so many hazards; and yet all this hazard and uncertainty has its rise from a scholastical point, which is directly contrary to all the notions of mankind concerning the goodness of God, and to the clear reason of the thing, and to the constant tenor of the gospel, and which was never asserted by any of the ancient fathers, much less defined by any council before that of Trent; so that it is a doctrine new and needless, and in the necessary consequences of it, unreasonable and absurd to the utmost degree.

The last instance I shall mention, is their rule of faith. The rule of faith universally received and acknowledged by the Christian church in all ages, before the council of Trent, was the word of God, contained in the canonical books of Holy Scripture; which were therefore by the church called canonical, because they were the rule of faith and manners, of the doctrines to be believed, and the duties to be practised, by all Christians. But when the errors and corruptions of the Romish church were grown to the height, and the Pope and his council of Trent were resolved not to retrench and reform them, they saw it necessary to enlarge and lengthen out their rule; because the ancient rule of the Holy Scriptures would by no means reach several of the doctrines and practices of that church, which they were resolved to maintain and make good by one means or other: as, namely, the doctrine of transubstantiation, of purgatory, and of the seven sacraments; and the practice of the worship of saints and images; of the Scriptures, and the service of God, in an unknown tongue; of indulgences, and the communion in one kind; and several other superstitious practices in use among them.

SERMON LX.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.—Heb. x. 23.

IN these words, I have told you, are contained these two parts:

First, An exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

Secondly, An argument or encouragement there to; “because he is faithful that promised.” I am yet upon the

First of these; the exhortation to Christians, to be constant and steady in the profession of their religion: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” And that we might the better comprehend the true and full meaning of this exhortation, I shewed,

I. Negatively, what is not meant and intended by it. And I mentioned these two particulars:

1. The apostle doth not hereby intend, that those who are capable of inquiring into, and examining the grounds and reasons of their religion, should not have the liberty to do it. Nor

2. That when upon due inquiry and examination, men are settled, as they think and verily believe, in the true faith and religion, they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that can be offered against their present persuasion. For reason, when it is fairly offered, is always to be heard. I proceeded in the

II. Second place, positively, to explain the meaning of this exhortation. And to this purpose I proposed to consider,

First, What it is that we are to hold fast, viz. “the confession or profession of our faith;” the ancient Christian faith, which every Christian makes profession of in his baptism: not the doubtful and uncertain traditions of men, nor the imperious dictates and doctrines of any church (which are not contained in the Holy Scriptures) imposed upon the Christian world, though with never so confident a pretence of the antiquity of the doctrines, or of the infallibility of the proposers of them. And then I proceeded, in the

Second place, to shew, how we are “to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;” and I mentioned these following particulars, as probably implied and comprehended in the apostle’s exhortation:

1. That we should “hold fast the profession of our faith,” against the confidence of men, without Scripture or reason to support that confidence.

2. And much more against the confidence of men, contrary to plain Scripture, and reason, and the common sense of mankind; under both which heads I gave several instances of doctrines and practices imposed with great confidence upon the world, some without, and others plainly against Scripture, and reason, and the common sense of mankind.

3. Against all the temptations and terrors of the world—the temptations of fashion and example, and of worldly interest and advantage; and against the terrors of persecution and suffering for the truth. Thus far I have gone; I shall now proceed to the two other particulars, which remain to be spoken to.

4. We are to “hold fast the profession of our faith,” against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition, and groundless hopes of getting to heaven upon easier terms in some other church and religion. God hath plainly declared to us in the Holy Scriptures, upon what terms and conditions we may obtain eternal life and happiness, and what will certainly exclude us from it; that, “except we repent,” i. e. without true contrition for our sins, and forsaking of them, “we shall perish;” that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord;” that “no fornicator, or adulterer, or idolater, or covetous person, nor any one that lives in the practice of such sins, shall have any inheritance in the kingdom of God or Christ.” There is as great and impassable a gulf fixed between heaven and a wicked man, as there is betwixt heaven and hell. And when men have done all they can to debauch and corrupt the Christian doctrine, it is impossible to reconcile a wicked life with any reasonable and well-grounded hopes of happiness in another world. No church hath that privilege, to save a man upon any other terms, than those which our blessed Saviour hath declared in his gospel. All religions are equal in this—that a bad man can be saved in none of them.

The church of Rome pretends their church and religion to be the only safe and sure way to salvation; and yet, if their doctrine be true, concerning the intention of the priest (and if it be not, they are much to blame in making it an article of their faith), I say, if it be true, that the intention of the priest is necessary to the validity and virtue of the sacraments; then there is no religion in the world, that runs the salvation of men upon more and greater hazards and uncertainties, and such as, by no care and diligence of man in “working out his own salvation,” are to be avoided and prevented.

As for the easier terms of salvation which they offer to men, they signify nothing, if they be not able to make them good; which no man can reasonably believe they can do, that hath read the Bible, and doth in any good measure understand the nature of God, and the design of religion. For instance; that after the long course of a most lewd and flagitious life, a man may be reconciled to God, and have his sins forgiven at the last gasp, upon confession of them to the priest, with that imperfect degree of contrition for them, which they call attrition, together with the absolution of the priest.

Now attrition is a trouble for sin, merely for fear of the punishment of it. And this, together with confession, and the absolution of the priest, without any hatred of sin for the evil and contrariety of it to the holy nature and law of God, and without the least spark of love to God, will do the sinner’s business, and put him into a state of grace and salvation, without any other grace or disposition for salvation, but only the fear of hell and damnation. This, I confess, is easy: but the great difficulty is, to believe it to be true. And certainly, no man, that ever seriously considered the nature of God and religion, can ever be persuaded to build the hopes of his salvation upon such a quicksand. The absolution of all the priests in the world will not procure the forgiveness of God for any man, that is not disposed for his mercy by such a repentance as the gospel requires; which, I am sure, is very different from that which is required by the council of Trent.

They that offer heaven to men upon so very large and loose terms, give great cause to suspect, that they will never make good their offer; the terms are so unreasonably cheap and easy, that there must be some fraud and false dealing. And on the other hand, nothing ought to recommend our religion more to a wise and considerate man, than that the terms of salvation which we propose to men, viz. faith, and repentance, and a sincere obedience to the precepts of the gospel, manifested in the tenour of a holy and virtuous life, are not only perfectly agreeable to the plain and constant declaration of Holy Scripture; but do likewise naturally tend to engage men most effectually to a good life, and thereby to make them “meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” And therefore every body ought to be afraid of a religion, which makes such lavish offers of salvation, and to take heed how he ventures his soul upon them. For if, after all the hopes that are given of salvation upon such and such terms, the sinner doth really miscarry and miss of heaven; it is but very ill comfort to him to be put into a fool’s paradise, for a minute or two before he leaves the world, and the next moment after to find himself in the place of torments. I proceed to the

5. Fifth and last particular I mentioned, as implied in the exhortation here in the text, viz. That we should “hold fast the profession of our faith with out wavering,” against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busy and disputing men, whose design it is to unhinge men from their religion, and to gain proselytes to their party and faction. To this purpose there are several cautions given by our blessed Saviour and his apostles. (Matth. xxiv. 4.) “Take heed, that no man deceive you; for many shall come in my name, and shall deceive many.” (Eph. iv. 14.) “That ye henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men; εν τῇ κυβείᾳ, (the word signifies the cunning of gamesters at dice;) by the sleight of men, and the cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” And chap. v. 6. “Let no man deceive you with vain words.” (Col. ii. 8.) “Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit;” that is, by sophistry and vain reasoning, under a pretence of philosophy. (Heb. xiii. 9.) “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.” (2 Pet. iii. 17.) “Beware, lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” And this caution is enforced by an express prediction of a great apostacy, which should happen in the Christian church, by which many should be seduced by pretence of miracles, and by several arts of deceit and falsehood. This apostacy St. Paul expressly foretels, 2 Thess. ii. 1, 2, 3. “We beseech you, brethren, by the coining of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, (that is, by pretence to inspiration) nor by word, (or message) nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” And, after a particular description of him, he adds, (ver. 9.) “Whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all deceitfulness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” From all which he concludes, (ver. 15.) “Therefore, brethren, stand fast.”

The particular nature and kind of this apostacy the same apostle describes more fully, 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, (i. e. under a great pretence of sanctity spreading their pernicious errors) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats.” This is a very lively and pat description of that great apostacy in the Christian church, which began in the western part of it, and hath spread itself far and wide. For there the spirit of error and falsehood has prevailed, under an hypocritical pretence of their being the only true church and true Christians in the world. There marriage, and several so r its of meats, are forbidden to several ranks and orders of men. All the difficulty is, what is here meant by doctrines of devils; and these certainly can be no other than doctrines tending to idolatry, which the Scripture every where doth in a particular manner ascribe to the devil, as the inventor and great promoter of it. And this is very much confirmed by what we find added in some ancient Greek copies in this text, which runs thus: “In the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith; for they shall worship the dead, as some also in Israel worshipped.” And then it follows, “giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” So that the particular kind of idolatry, into which some part of the Christian church should apostatize, is here pointed at; that they should worship souls departed, or the spirits of dead men; which was part of the heathen idolatry, into which the people of Israel did frequently relapse. So that the Spirit of God doth here foretel such an apostasy in some part of the Christian church, as the people of Israel were guilty of, in falling into the heathen idolatry. “They shall be worshippers of the dead, as the Israelites also were.”

And this is the great and dangerous seduction which the Christians are so much cautioned against in the New Testament, and charged to hold fast the profession of the faith against the cunning arts and insinuations of seducing spirits; not but (as I said before) that we are always to have an ear open to reason, and to be ready to hearken and to yield to that, whenever it is fairly proposed: but to be overreached and rooted out of one’s religion, by little sophistical arts and tricks, is childish and silly. After we are, upon due trial and examination of the grounds of our religion, settled and established in it, we ought not to suffer ourselves to be removed from it, by the groundless pretences of confident people to infallibility, and to be practised upon by cunning men, who lie at catch to make proselytes to their party. This is to be “like children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”

And we ought to be the more careful of ourselves; because there never was any time wherein seducing spirits were more bold and busy to pervert men from the truth. Against these we should hold fast our religion, as a man would do his money in a crowd. It passeth in the world for a great mark of folly, when a man and his money are soon parted: but it is a sign of much greater folly, for a man easily to quit his religion; especially to be caught by some such gross methods, as the seducers I am speaking of commonly use, and which lie so very open to suspicion; such as ill-designing men are wont to practise upon a young heir, when they have insinuated themselves into his company to make a prey of him. They charge him to tell nobody in what company he hath been; nor to ask the counsel and advice of his friends concerning what they have been persuading him to; because they for their own interest will be sure to dissuade him from it. Just thus do these seducers practise upon weak people. They charge them not to acquaint their minister with whom they have been; nor what discourse they have had about religion; nor what books have been put into their hands: because then all their kind design and intention towards them will be defeated. But above all they must be sure to read no books on the other side, because they are no competent judges of points of faith; and this reading on both sides will rather confound than clear their understandings. They tell them that they have stated the matter truly, and would not for all the world deceive them; and they may easily perceive, by their earnest application to them, that nothing but charity and a passionate desire of the salvation of their souls, makes them take all these pains with them. But this is so gross a way of proceeding, that any man of common understanding must needs discern, by this kind of treatment, that these men can have no honest design upon them.

To come then to a more particular consideration of the arts and methods which they use (I mean particularly those of the church of Rome) in making proselytes to their religion: as,

SERMON LXI.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.—Heb. x. 23.

I HAVE already made a considerable progress in my discourse upon these words, in which I told you there is an exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering:” and an argument or encouragement thereto, because “he is faithful that promised.” I am yet upon the first of these, the exhortation “to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;” by which, I told you, the apostle doth not intend, that those who are capable of examining the grounds and reasons of their religion, should not have the liberty to do it; nor that, when, upon due inquiry, they are, as they verily believe, established in the true faith and religion, they should obstinately refuse to hear any reason that is fairly offered against their present persuasion.

And then I proceeded to shew positively,

First, What it is that we are exhorted to hold fast, viz. “the confession,” or “profession of our faith;” the ancient Christian faith, of which every Christian makes profession in his baptism. For it is of that the apostle here speaks, as appears plainly by the context.

Secondly, How we are to “hold fast the profession of our faith.” And of this I gave account in these following particulars:

SERMON LXII.

OF CONSTANCY IN THE PROFESSION OF THE TRUE RELIGION.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.—Heb. x. 23.

THESE words contain an exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering,” and an argument or encouragement thereto, because “he is faithful that promised.” By the exhortation to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering,” is not meant, that those who are capable of examining the grounds and reasons of their religion should blindly hold it fast against the best reasons that can be offered; because upon these terms every man must continue in the religion in which he happens to be fixed by education, or an ill choice, be his religion true or false, without examining and looking into it, whether it be right or wrong; for, till a man examines, every man thinks his religion right. That which the apostle here exhorts Christians to hold fast, is the ancient faith, of which all Christians make a solemn profession in their baptism, as plainly appears from the context. And this “profession of our faith” we are to hold in the following instances, which I shall but briefly mention, without enlarging upon them.

1. We are to “hold fast the profession of our faith,” against the confidence of men, without Scripture or reason to support that confidence.

SERMON LXIII.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, A LIFE OF FAITH.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.—2 Cor. v. 7.

IN the latter part of the former chapter, the apostle declares what it was that was the great support of Christians under the persecutions and sufferings which befel them—viz. the assurance of a blessed resurrection to another life: (ver. 14.) “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus;” “for which cause (saith he, ver. 16.) we faint not; but though our outward man perish, our inward man is renewed day by day;” that is, though our bodies, by reason of the hard ships and sufferings which we undergo, are continually decaying and declining; yet our minds grow every day more healthful and vigorous, and gain new strength and resolution, by contemplating the glory and reward of another world, and as it were feeding upon them by faith; “for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, whilst we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.”

And he resumes the same argument again at the beginning of this chapter: “For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens;” that is, we are firmly persuaded, that when we die, we shall but exchange these earthly and perishing bodies, these houses of clay, for a heavenly mansion, which will never decay nor come to ruin: from whence he concludes, (ver. 6.) “Therefore we are always confident;” θαῤῥοῦντες οὖν πάντοτε, therefore whatever happens to us, we are always of good courage, and see no reason to be afraid of death: “knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;” that is, since our continuance in the body is to our disadvantage, and while we live, we are absent from our happiness, and when we die we shall then enter upon the possession of it. That which gives us this confidence and good courage, is our faith; for though we be not actually possessed of this happiness which we speak of, yet we have a firm persuasion of the reality of it, which is enough to support our spirits, and keep up our courage under all afflictions and adversities whatsoever: (ver. 7.) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

These words come in by way of parenthesis, in which the apostle declares in general, what is the swaying and governing principle of a Christian life; not only in case of persecution and affliction, but under all events, and in every condition of human life; and that is faith in opposition to sight and present enjoyment: “We walk by faith,” and “not by sight.” “We walk by faith:” whatever principle sways and governs a man’s life and actions, he is said to walk and live by it. And as here a Christian is said to “walk by faith,” so elsewhere the just is said to “live by faith.” Faith is the principle which animates all his resolutions and actions.

And “not by sight.” The word is εἴδους, which signifies, the thing itself in present view and possession, in opposition to a firm persuasion of things future and invisible. Sight is the thing in hand, and faith the thing only in hope and expectation. Sight is a clear view and apprehension of things present and near to us, faith an obscure discovery and apprehension of things at a distance: so the apostle tells us, (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) “Now we see through a glass darkly;” this is faith; “but then face to face,” this is present sight, as one man sees another face to face: and thus likewise the same apostle distinguisheth betwixt hope and sight, (Rom. viii. 24, 25.) “Hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, why doth he yet hope for it? but if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Sight is the possession and enjoyment; faith is the firm persuasion and expectation of a thing; and this the apostle tells us was the governing principle of a Christian’s life; “For we walk by faith, and not by sight:” from which words I shall observe these three things.

I. That faith is the governing principle, and that which bears the great sway in the life and actions of a Christian: “we walk by faith;” that is, we order and govern our lives in the power and virtue of this principle.

II. Faith is a degree of assent inferior to that of sense. This is sufficiently intimated in the opposition betwixt faith and sight. He had said before, that “whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;” and gives this as a reason and proof of our absence from the Lord, “for we walk by faith,” and “not by sight;” that is, whilst we are in the body, we do not see and enjoy, but believe and expect; if we were present with the Lord, then faith would cease, and be turned into sight; but though we have not that assurance of another world, which we shall have when we come to see and enjoy these things, yet we are firmly persuaded of them.

III. Notwithstanding faith be an inferior degree of assurance, yet it is a principle of sufficient power to govern our Jives; “we walk by faith;” it is such an assurance as hath an influence on our lives.

I. That faith is the governing principle, and that which bears the great sway in the life and actions of a Christian. “We walk by faith;” that is, we order and govern our lives in the power and virtue of this principle. A Christian’s life consists in obedience to the will of God; that is, in a readiness to do what he commands, and in a willingness to suffer what he calls us to; and the great arguments and encouragements hereto, are such things, as are the objects of faith and not of sense; such things as are absent and future, and not present, and in possession. For instance, the belief of an invisible God, of a secret power and providence, that orders and governs all things, that can bless or blast us, and all our designs and undertakings, according as we demean ourselves towards him, and endeavour to approve ourselves to him; the persuasion of a secret aid and influence always ready at hand to keep us from evil, and to strengthen and assist us to that which is good; more especially the firm belief, and expectation of the happiness of heaven, and the glorious rewards of another world, which, though they be now at a distance, and invisible to us, yet being grounded upon the promise of God “that cannot lie,” shall certainly be made good.

And this faith, this firm persuasion of absent and invisible things, the apostle to the Hebrews tells us, was the great principle of the piety and virtue of good men from the beginning of the world. This he calls, (chap. xi. ver. 1.) the ὑπόστασις, or “the confident expectation of things hoped for, and the proof or evidence of things not seen,” viz. a firm persuasion of the being and providence of God, and of the truth and faithfulness of his promises. Such vas the faith of Abel; he believed “that there was a God, and that he was a rewarder of those that faithfully serve him.” Such was the faith of Noah, who being warned of God, of things at a great distance, and lot seen as yet, notwithstanding believed the Divine prediction concerning the flood, and prepared an ark. Such also was the faith of Abraham, concerning numerous posterity by Isaac, and the inheritance of the land of Canaan; and such likewise was the faith of Moses, as he did as firmly believe the invisible God, and the recompense of reward, as if he had beheld them with his eyes.

And of this recompense of reward, we Christian have a much clearer revelation, and much greater assurance, than former ages and generations had; and the firm belief and persuasion of this, is the great motive and argument to a holy life; “The hope which is set before us” of obtaining the happiness, and the fear of incurring the misery of another world. This made the primitive Christians, with so much patience to bear the sufferings and persecutions, with so much constancy to venture upon the dangers and inconveniences which the love of God and religion exposed them to.

Under the former dispensation of the law, though good men have received good hopes of the rewards of another life, yet these things were but obscurely revealed to them, and the great inducements to obedience were temporal rewards and punishments, tin promises of long life, and peace, and plenty, and prosperity, in that good land which God had given then, and the threatenings of war and famine, and pestilence, and being delivered into captivity. But now, under the gospel, “life and immortality are brought to light;” and the great arguments that bear sway with Christians, are the promises of everlasting life and the threatenings of eternal misery; and the firm belief and persuasion of these is now the great principle that governs the lives and actions of good men: for what will not men do, that are really persuaded, that as they do demean themselves in this world, it will fare with them in the other? “That the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal?” I proceed to the

Second observation, namely, that faith is a degree of assent inferior to that of sense. This is intimated in the opposition betwixt faith and sight; “We walk by faith, and not by sight;” that is, we believe these things, and are confidently persuaded of the truth of them, though we never saw them, and consequently cannot possibly have that degree of assurance concerning the joys of heaven, and the torments of hell, which those have who enjoy the one and endure the other.

There are different degrees of assurance concerning things, arising from the different degrees of evidence we have for them. The highest degree of evidence we have for any thing is our own sense and experience; and this is so firm and strong, that it is not to be shaken by the utmost pretence of a rational demonstration; men will trust their own senses and experience, against any subtilty of reason whatsoever: but there are inferior degrees of assurance concerning things, as the testimony and authority of persons every way credible: and this assurance we have in this state concerning the things of another world; we believe, with great reason, that we have the testimony of God concerning them, which is the highest kind of evidence in itself: and we have all the reasonable assurance we can desire that God hath testified these things; and this is the utmost assurance which things future, and at a distance are capable of.

But yet it is an unreasonable obstinacy to deny, that this falls very much short of that degree of assurance which those persons have concerning these things who are now in the other world, and have the sense and experience of these things. And this is not only intimated here in the text, in the opposition of faith and sight, but is plainly expressed in other texts of Scripture; (1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10.) “We know now but in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.” That degree of knowledge and assurance which we have in this life is very imperfect, in comparison to what we shall have hereafter; and (ver. 12.) “We now see, as through a glass darkly,” ἐν αἰνίγματι, as in a riddle, in which there is always a great deal of obscurity; all which expressions are certainly intended by way of abatement and diminution to the certainty of faith; because it is plain, that by “that which is in any part,” or imperfect, the apostle means faith and hope, which he tells us shall cease, “when that which is perfect,” meaning vision and sight, “is come.” We see likewise in experience, that the faith and hope of the best Christians in this life is accompanied with doubting concerning these things, and all doubting is a degree of uncertainty; but those blessed souls who are entered upon the possession of glory and happiness, and those miserable wretches who lie groaning under the wrath of God and the severity of his justice, cannot possibly, if they would, have any doubt concerning the truth and reality of these things.

But however contentious men may dispute against common sense, this is so plain a truth, that I will not labour in the farther proof of it; nor indeed is it reasonable, while we are in this state, to expect that degree of assurance concerning the rewards and punishments of another life, which the sight and sensible experience of them would give us; and that upon these two accounts:

1. Because our present state will not admit it; and,

2. If it would, it is not reasonable we should have it.

1. Our present state will not admit it. For while we are in this world, it is not possible we should have that sensible experiment and trial how things are in the other. The things of the other world are remote from us, and far out of our sight, and we cannot have any experimental knowledge of them, till we ourselves enter into that state. Those who are already passed into it, know how things are; those happy souls who live in the reviving presence of God, and are possessed of those joys which we cannot now conceive, understand these things in another manner, and have a more perfect assurance concerning them, than it is possible for any man to have in this world; and those wretched and miserable spirits who feel the vengeance of God, and are plunged into the horrors of eternal darkness, do believe upon irresistible evidence, and have other kind of convictions of the reality of that state, and the insupportable misery of it, than any man is capable of in this world.

2. If our present state would admit of this high degree of assurance, it is not fit and reasonable that we should have it. Such an overpowering evidence would quite take away the virtue of faith, and much lessen that of obedience. Put the case that every man, some considerable time before his departure out of this life, were permitted to visit the other world, to assure him how things are there, to view the mansions of the blessed, and to survey the dark and loathsome prisons of the damned, to hear the lamentable outcries of miserable and despairing souls, and to see the inconceivable anguish and torments they are in; after this, what virtue would it be in any man to believe these things? he that had been there and seen them, could not disbelieve them if he would. Faith in this case would not be virtue, but necessity; and therefore it is observable, that our Saviour doth not pronounce them blessed, who believed his resurrection, upon the forcible evidence of their own senses, “but blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” They might be happy in the effects of that faith, but there is no praise, no reward belongs to that faith which is wrought in man by so violent and irresistible an evidence. It was the great commendation of Abraham’s faith, that “against hope he believed in hope,” he believed the promise of God concerning a thing in itself very improbable: but it is no commendation at all to believe the things which we have seen, because they admit of no manner of dispute; no objection can be offered to shake our assent, unless we will run to the extremity of scepticism; for if we will believe any thing at all, we must yield to the evidence of sense. This does so violently enforce our assent, that there can be no virtue in such a faith.

And as this would take away the virtue of faith, so it would very much lessen that of our obedience. It is hardly to be imagined, that any man who had seen the blessed condition of good men in another world, and had been an eye-witness of the intolerable torments of sinners, should ever be tempted knowingly to do any thing that would deprive him of that happiness, or bring him into that place of torment. Such a sight could not choose but affect a man as long as he lived; and leave such impressions upon his mind, of the indispensable necessity of a holy life, and of the infinite danger of a wicked course, that we might sooner believe that all the men in the world should conspire to kill one another, than that such a man, by consenting to any deliberate act of sin, should wilfully throw himself into those flames: no, his mind would be continually haunted with those furies he had seen tormenting sinners in another world, and the fearful shrieks and outcries of miserable souls would be perpetually ringing in his ears; and the man would have so lively and terrible an imagination of the danger he was running himself upon, that no temptation would be strong enough to conquer his fears, and to make him careless of his life and actions, after he had once seen how “fearful a thing it was to fall into the hands of the living God:” so that in this case, the reason of men’s obedience would be so violent, that the virtue of it must be very little; for what praise is due to any man, not to do those things which none but a perfect madman would do? for certainly that man must be besides himself, that could by any temptation be seduced to live a wicked life, after he had seen the state of good and bad men in the other world; the glorious rewards of holiness and virtue, and the dismal event of a vicious and sinful course. God hath designed this life for the trial of our virtue, and the exercise of our obedience; but there would hardly be any place for this, if there were a free and easy passage for us into the other world, to see the true state of things there. What argument would it be of any man’s virtue to forbear sinning after he had been in hell, and seen the miserable end of sinners? But I proceed to the

Third and last observation; namely, that notwithstanding faith be an inferior degree of assent, yet it is a principle of sufficient force and power to govern our lives: “We walk by faith.” Now that the belief of any thing may have its effect upon us, it is requisite that we be satisfied of these two things.

1. Of the certainty; and, 2. Of the great concernment of the thing. For if the thing be altogether uncertain, it will not move us at all; we shall do nothing towards the obtaining of it, if it be good; nor for the avoiding and preventing of it, if it be evil: and if we are certain of the thing, yet if we apprehend it to be of no great moment and concernment, we shall be apt to slight it, as not worth our regard. But the rewards and punishments of an other world, which the gospel propounds to our faith, are fitted to work upon our minds, both upon account of the certainty and concernment of them. For,

1. We have sufficient assurance of the truth of these things, as much as we are well capable of in this state. Concerning things future and at a distance, we have the dictates of our reason arguing us into this persuasion, from the consideration of the justice of the Divine Providence, and from the promiscuous and unequal administration of things in this world; from whence wise men in all ages have been apt to conclude, that there will be another state of things after this life, wherein rewards and punishments shall be equally distributed. We have the general consent of mankind in this matter: and to assure us that these reasonings are true, we have a most credible revelation of these things, God having sent his Son from heaven to declare it to us, and given us a sensible demonstration of the thing, in his resurrection from the dead, and his visible ascension into heaven; so that there is no kind of evidence wanting, that the thing is capable of, but only our own sense and experience of these things, of which we are not capable in this present state. And there is no objection against all this, but what will bring all things into uncertainty, which do not come under our senses, and which we ourselves have not seen.

Nor is there any considerable interest to hinder men from the belief of these things, or to make them hesitate about them. For as for the other world, if at last there should prove to be no such thing, our condition after death will be the same with the condition of those who disbelieve these things; because all will be extinguished by death: but if things fall out otherwise (as most undoubtedly they will) and our souls after this life do pass into a state of ever lasting happiness or misery, then our great interest plainly lies, in preparing ourselves for this state; and there is no other way to secure the great concernments of another world, but by believing those things to be true, and governing all the actions of our lives by this belief. For as for the interests of this life, they are but short and transitory, and consequently of no consideration in comparison of the things which are eternal; and yet (as I have often told you) setting aside the case of persecution for religion, there is no real interest of this world, but it may be as well promoted and pursued to as great advantage, nay, usually to a far greater, by him that believes these things, and lives accordingly, than by any other person: for the belief of the rewards and punishments of another world, is the greatest motive and encouragement to virtue; and as all vice is naturally attended with some temporal inconvenience, so the practice of all Christian virtues doth in its own nature tend both to the welfare of particular persons, and to the peace and prosperity of mankind.

But that which ought to weigh very much with us, is, that we have abundantly more assurance of the recompence of another world, than we have of many things in this world, which yet have a greater influence upon our actions, and govern the lives of the most prudent and considerate men. Men generally hazard their lives and estates upon terms of greater uncertainty than the assurance which we have of another world. Men venture to take physic upon probable grounds of the integrity and skill of their physician; and yet the want of either of these may hazard their lives: and men take physic upon greater odds; for it certainly causeth pain and sickness, and doth but uncertainly procure and recover health; the patient is sure to be made sick, but not certain to be made well; and yet the danger of being worse, if not of dying, on the one hand, and the hope of success and recovery on the other, make this hazard and trouble reasonable. Men venture their whole estates to places which they never saw; and that there are such places, they have only the concurrent testimony and agreement of men; nay, perhaps have only spoken with them that have spoken with those that have been there. No merchant ever insisted upon the evidence of a miracle to be wrought, to satisfy him that there were such places as the East and West Indies, before he would venture to trade thither: and yet this assurance God hath been pleased to give the world of a state beyond the grave, and of a blessed immortality in another life.

Now, what can be the reason that so slender evidence, so small a degree of assurance, will serve to encourage men to seek after the things of this world with great care and industry; and yet a great deal more will not suffice to put them effectually upon looking after the great concernments of another world, which are infinitely more considerable? No other reason of this can be given, but that men are partial in their affections towards these things. It is plain they have not the same love for God and religion, which they have for this world and the advantages of it; and therefore it is, that a less degree of assurance will engage them to seek after the one, than the other; and yet the reason is much stronger on the other side: for the greater the benefit and good is, which is offered to us, we should be the more eager to seek after it, and should be content to venture upon less probability. Upon excessive odds a man would venture upon very small hopes; for a mighty advantage, a man would be content to run a great hazard of his labour and pains upon little assurance. Where a man’s life is concerned, every suspicion of danger will make a man careful to avoid it. And will nothing affright men from hell, unless God carry them thither, and shew them the place of torments, and the flames of that fire which shall never be quenched?

I do not speak this, as if these things had not abundant evidence; I have shewn that they have; but to convince men how unreasonable and cruelly partial they are about the concernments of their souls, and their eternal happiness.

2. Supposing these things to be real and certain, they are of infinite concernment to us. For what can concern us more, than that eternal and, unchangeable state, in which we must be fixed and abide for ever? If so vast a concern will not move us, and have no influence upon the government of our lives and actions, we do not deserve the name of reasonable creatures. What consideration can be set before men, who are not touched with the sense of so great an interest, as that of our happy or miserable being to all eternity? Can we be so solicitous and careful about the concernment of a few days; and is it nothing to us what becomes of us for ever? Are we so tenderly concerned to avoid poverty and disgrace, persecution and suffering in this world; and shall we not much more “flee from the wrath which is to come,” and endeavour “to escape the damnation of hell?” Are the slight and transitory enjoyments of this world worth so much thought and care? and is an eternal inheritance in the heavens not worth the looking after? As there is no proportion betwixt the things which are temporal, and the things which are eternal; so we ought in all reason to be infinitely more concerned for the one than for the other.

SERMON LXIV.

THE DANGER OF APOSTACY FROM THE TRUE RELIGION.

But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.—Heb. x. 38.

THE great design of this Epistle (whoever was the author of it, which 1 shall not now inquire into) is plainly this—to confirm the Jews, who were but newly converted to Christianity, in the steadfast profession of that faith which they had embraced, and to arm them against that temptation which Christians were then exposed to, viz. the fierce and cruel persecutions which threatened those of that profession.

And to this purpose he represents to them the excellency of that religion, above any other former revelation, that God had made of himself to the world, both in respect of the author and revealer of it, who was the Son of God, and in respect of the revelation itself; which, as it contains better and more perfect directions for a good life, so likewise more powerful and effectual motives thereto, better promises, and more terrible threatenings, than were annexed to the observation of the Jewish law, or clearly and certainly discoverable by the light of nature. From these considerations, he earnestly persuades them, all along throughout this Epistle, to continue constant in the profession of this faith, and not to suffer themselves to be frighted out of it by the terror of persecution: (chap. ii. ver. 1.) “Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip;” and (chap. iv. 1.) “Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should come short of it;” and (ver. 23. of this chapter), “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith, without wavering;” and to encourage them to constancy, he sets before them the glorious rewards and recompences of the gospel, (ver. 35.) “Cast not away therefore your confidence,” τὴν παῤῥησίαν ὑμῶν, “your free and open profession of Christianity, which hath great recompence of reward.”

And then, on the other hand, to deter them from apostacy from this profession, he represents to them the horrible danger of it here in the text: “But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

I shall briefly explain the words, and then prose cute that which I mainly intended in them. “If any man draw back,” Ἐὰν ὑποστείληται: these words, with the foregoing, are cited out of the prophet Habakkuk, (chap. ii. 3, 4.) and they are cited by the apostle according to the translation of the LXX. which differs somewhat from the Hebrew; and the difference ariseth from the various readings of the Hebrew word, which is rendered by the LXX. “to draw back;” but by the change of a letter, signifies “to be lifted up,” as we render it in the prophet; but however that be, the apostle follows the translation of the LXX. and accommodates it to his purpose. Ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, “if any man draw back;” the word signifies to keep back, to withdraw, to sneak and slink away out of fear, to fail or faint in any enterprise: and thus this word is rendered in the New Testament. (Acts xx. 20.) οὐδέν ὑποεστειλάμην, “I did not withhold,” or “keep back any thing that was profitable for you;” and so it is said of St. Peter, (Gal. ii. 12.) ὑπέστελλεν ἑαυτὸν, “he slunk away,” or “withdrew himself, fearing them of the circumcision;” and the Hebrew word which is here rendered by the LXX. “to draw back,” is rendered elsewhere ἐκλείπειν, which is “to fail,” or “faint;” from all which it appears, that by “drawing back,” the apostle here means, men’s quitting their profession of Christianity, and slinking out of it, for fear of suffering for it.

“My soul shall have no pleasure in him:” these words are plainly a μείωσις, and less is said than is meant; for the meaning is, that God will be extremely displeased with them, and punish them very severely. The like figure to this you have Psal. v. 4: “Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness;” which in the next verse is explained, by his hatred and detestation of those who are guilty of it, “Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity.” So that the plain sense of the words is this, that apostacy from the profession of God’s true religion, is a thing highly provoking to him, and will be most severely punished by him.

In speaking to this argument, I shall consider these four things.

I. The nature of this sin of apostacy from religion.

II. The several steps and degrees of it.

III. The heinousness of it.

IV. The great danger of it, and the terrible punishment it exposeth men to. And when I have spoken to these, I shall conclude all with a short exhortation, “to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.”

I. We will consider the nature of this sin of apostacy from religion: and it consists in forsaking or renouncing the profession of religion, whether it be by an open declaration in words, or a virtual declaration of it by our actions; for it comes all to one in the sight of God, and the different manner of doing it does not alter the nature of the thing. He indeed that renounceth religion by an open declaration in words, offers the greatest and boldest defiance to it; but he is likewise an apostate, who silently withdraws himself from the profession of it, who quits it for his interest, or for fear disowns it and sneaks out of the profession of it, and forsakes the communion of those who own it. Thus Demas was an apostate, in quitting Christianity for some worldly interest; “Demas hath forsaken us, having loved this present world,” saith St. Paul, (2 Tim. iv. 10.)

And those whom our Saviour describes, (Matt. xiii. 20, 21.) “who received the word into stony ground,” were apostates out of fear—“they heard the word, and with joy received it; but having no root in themselves, they endured but for a while, and when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word, presently they fall off.”

And there is likewise a partial apostacy from Christianity, when some fundamental article of it is denied, whereby, in effect and by consequence, the whole Christian faith is overthrown. Of this Hymeneus and Philetus were guilty, of whom the apostle says, that they “erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection was past already, and thereby overthrew the faith of some;” (2 Tim. ii. 17, 18.) that is, they turned the resurrection into an allegory, and did thereby really destroy a most fundamental article of the Christian religion.

SERMON LXV.

OF SELF-DENIAL AND SUFFERING FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.—Matt. xvi. 24.

“THEN said Jesus to his disciples;” that is, upon occasion of his former discourse with them, wherein he had acquainted them with his approaching passion, that he must shortly go up to Jerusalem, and there suffer many things of the “elders and chief priests and scribes,” and at last be put to death by them: “then said Jesus to his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

“If any man will come after me,” or follow me; that is, if any man will be my disciple, and under take the profession of my religion; if any man choose and resolve to be a Christian; he must be so upon these terms, he must “deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me;” he must follow me in self-denial and suffering.

In the handling of these words, I shall do these four things.

I. I shall consider the way and method which our Saviour useth in making proselytes, and gaining men over to his religion. He offers no manner of force and violence to compel them to the profession of his religion; but fairly offers it to their consideration and choice, and tells them plainly, upon what terms they must be his disciples; and if they be contented and resolved to submit to these terms, well; if not, it is in vain to follow him any longer: for they cannot be his disciples.

II. I shall endeavour to explain this duty of self-denial, expressed in these words, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

III. I shall consider the strict and indispensable obligation of it, whenever we are called to it; without this we cannot be Christ’s disciples: “If any man will come after me, or be my disciple, let him deny himself.”

IV. I shall endeavour to vindicate the reasonableness of this precept of self-denial and suffering for Christ, which at first appearance may seem to be so very harsh and difficult; and I shall go over these particulars as briefly as I can.

I. We will consider the way and method which our Saviour here useth in making proselytes, and gaining men over to his religion. He offers no manner of force and violence to compel men to the profession of his religion; but fairly proposeth it to their consideration and choice, telling them plainly upon what terms they must be his disciples; if they like them, and are content, and resolved to submit to them, well; he is willing to receive them, and own them for his disciples: if not, it is in vain to follow him any longer: for they cannot be his disciples. As, on the one hand, he offers them no worldly preferment and advantage to entice them into his religion, and to tempt them outwardly to profess what they do not inwardly believe; so, on the other hand, he does not hale and drag them by force, and awe them by the terrors of torture and death to sign the Christian faith, though most undoubtedly true, and to confess with their mouths, and subscribe with their hands, what they do not believe in their hearts. He did not obtrude his sacraments upon them, and plunge them into the water to baptize them, whether they would or no, and thrust the sacrament of bread into their mouths; as if men might be worthy receivers of the blessed sacrament, whether they receive it willingly or no.

Our blessed Saviour, the author and founder of our religion, made use of none of these ways of violence, so contrary to the nature of man, and of all religion, especially of Christianity, and fitted only to make men hypocrites, but not converts; he only says, “If any man will be my disciple;” he useth no arguments, but such as are spiritual and proper to work upon the minds and consciences of men. For as his kingdom was not of this world, so neither are the motives and arguments, to induce men to be his subjects, taken from this world; but from the endless rewards and punishments of another. The weapons which he made use of to subdue men to the obedience of faith were not carnal; and yet they were “mighty through God,” to conquer the obstinacy and infidelity of men. This great and infallible Teacher, who certainly came from God, all that he does, is to propose his religion to men, with such evidence and such arguments as are proper to convince men of the truth and goodness of it, and to persuade men to embrace it: and he acquaints them likewise with all the worldly disadvantages of it, and the hazards and sufferings that would attend it; and now if upon full consideration they will make his religion their free choice, and become his disciples, he is willing to receive them; if they will not, he understands the nature of religion better than to go about to force it upon men, whether they will or no.

II. I shall endeavour to explain this duty or precept of self-denial, expressed in these words, “Let him deny himself and take up his cross,” These are difficult terms, for a man to deny himself, and take up his own cross, that is, willingly to submit to all those sufferings which the malice of men may inflict for the sake of Christ and his religion. For this expression of taking up one’s cross, is a plain allusion to the Roman custom, which was this; that he that was condemned to be crucified, was to take his cross upon his shoulders, and to carry it to the place of execution: this the Jews made our Saviour to do, as we read John xix. 17, till that, being ready to faint under it, and lest he should die away before he was nailed to the cross, they compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry it for him, as is declared by the other evangelists: and yet he tells them, they that will be his disciples must follow him, bearing their own cross; that is, being ready (if God call them to it) to submit to the like sufferings for him and his truth, which he was shortly to undergo for the truth and their sakes.

But though these terms seem very hard, yet they are not unreasonable, as I shall shew in the conclusion of this discourse. Some, indeed, have made them so, by extending this self-denial too far, at tending more to the latitude of the words, than to the meaning and scope of our Saviour’s discourse: for there is no doubt but that there are a great many things which may properly enough be called self-denial, which yet our Saviour never intended to oblige Christians to. It is, no doubt, great self-denial for a man, without any necessity, to deny himself the necessary supports of life; for a man to starve and make away himself: but no man, certainly, ever imagined that our Saviour ever intended by this precept to enjoin this kind of self-denial.

It is plain, then, that there is no reason or necessity to extend this precept of our Saviour, concerning self-denial, to every thing that may properly enough be called by that name; and therefore this precept must be limited by the plain scope and intendment of our Saviour’s discourse; and no man can argue thus such a thing is self-denial, therefore our Saviour requires it of his disciples; for our Saviour doth not here require all kinds of self-denial, but limits it by his discourse to one certain kind, beyond which self-denial is no duty by virtue of this text; and therefore, for our clearer understanding of this precept of self-denial, I shall do these two things:

First, Remove some sorts of self-denial which are instanced in by some, as intended in this precept.

Secondly, I shall shew what kind of self-denial that is, which our Saviour here intends.

First, There are several things brought under this precept of self-denial, which were never in tended by our Saviour. I shall instance in two or three things, which are most frequently insisted upon, and some of them by very devout and well-meaning men; as that in matters of faith, we should deny and renounce our own senses and our reason; nay, that we should be content to renounce our own eternal happiness, and be willing to be damned for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. But all these are so apparently and grossly unreasonable, that it is a wonder that any one should ever take them for instances of that self-denial which our Saviour requires; especially considering that in all his discourse of self-denial, he does not so much as glance at any of these instances, or any thing like to them.

1. Some comprehend under self-denial the denying and renouncing our own senses in matters of faith: and if this could be made out to be intended by our Saviour in this precept, we needed not dispute any of the other instances. For he that renounceth the certainty of sense, so as not to believe what he sees, may after this renounce and deny any thing. For the evidence of sense is more clear and unquestionable than that of faith, as the Scripture frequently intimates, as (John xx. 29.) where our Saviour reproves Thomas for refusing to believe his resurrection upon any less evidence than that of sense—“Because thou hast seen thou hast believed: blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed;” which plainly supposeth the evidence of sense to be the highest and clearest degree of evidence. So likewise that of St. Paul: (2 Cor. v. 7.) “We walk by faith, and not by sight;” where the evidence of faith, as that which is more imperfect and obscure, is opposed to that of sight, as more clear and certain. So that to believe any article of faith, in contradiction to the clear evidence of sense, is contrary to the very nature of assent, which always yields to the greatest and clearest evidence.

Besides that, our belief of religion is at last resolved into the certainty of sense: so that by renouncing that, we destroy and undermine the very foundation of our faith. One of the plainest and principal proofs of the being of God (which is the first and fundamental article of all religion) relies upon the certainty of sense; namely, the frame of this visible world, by the contemplation whereof we are led to the acknowledgment of the invisible Author of it. So St. Paul tells us, (Rom. i. 20.) that “the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.”

And the great external evidence of the Christian religion, I mean miracles, is at last resolved into the certainty of sense, without which we can have no assurance that any miracle was wrought for the confirmation of it.

And the knowledge likewise of the Christian faith is conveyed to us by our senses; the evidence whereof, if it be uncertain, takes away all certainty of faith. “How shall they believe, (saith St. Paul, Rom. x. 14.) how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard?” and, ver. 17. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So that to deny and renounce our senses, in matters of faith, is to take away the main pillar and foundation of it.

2. Others, almost with equal absurdity, would comprehend under our Saviour’s precept of self-denial, the denying and renouncing of our reason in matters of faith. And this is self-denial with a witness, for a man to deny his own reason; for it is to deny himself to be a man. This, surely, is a very great mistake; and, though the ground of it maybe innocent, yet the consequences of it, and the discourses upon it, are very absurd.

The ground of the mistake is this: men think they deny their own reason when they assent to the revelation of God in such things as their own reason could neither have discovered, nor is able to give the reason of: whereas, in this case, a man is so far from denying his own reason, that he does that which is most agreeable to it. For what more reasonable than to believe whatever we are sufficiently assured is revealed to us by God, who can neither be deceived himself, nor deceive us?

But though the ground of this mistake may be innocent, yet the consequences of it are most absurd and dangerous. For if we are to renounce our reason in matters of faith, then are we bound to believe without reason, which no man can do; or. if he could, then faith would be unreasonable, and infidelity reasonable. So that this instance, likewise, of self-denial, to renounce and deny our own reason, as it is nowhere expressed, so it can not reasonably be thought to be intended by our Saviour in this precept.

3. Nor doth this precept of self-denial require men to be content to renounce their own eternal happiness, and to be willing to be damned for the glory of God, and the good of their brethren. If this were the meaning of this precept, we might justly say, as the disciples did to our Saviour, in another case, “This is a hard saying, and who can bear it? The very thought of this is enough to make human nature tremble at its very foundation. For the deepest principle that God hath planted in nature is, the desire of our own preservation and happiness: and into this the force of all laws, and the reason of all our duty, is at last resolved.

From whence it plainly follows, that it can be no man’s duty in any case to renounce his own happiness, and to be content to be for ever miserable; because if once this be made a duty, there will be no argument left to persuade any man to it. For the most powerful arguments that God ever used to persuade men to any thing, are the promise of eternal happiness, and the terror of everlasting torments: but if this were a man’s duty, to be content to be miserable for ever, neither of these arguments would be of force sufficient to persuade a man to it.

The first of these, namely, the promise of eternal happiness, could signify nothing to him that is to be eternally miserable; because, if he be to be so, it is impossible that he should ever have the benefit of that promise: and the threatening of eternal misery, could be no argument in this case; because the duty is just as difficult as the argument is powerful, and no man can be moved to submit to any thing, that is grievous and terrible, but by some thing that is more terrible: for if it be not, it is the same thing whether he submit to it, or not; and then no man can be content to be eternally miserable, only for the fear of being so; for this would be for a man to run himself upon that very inconvenience which he is so much afraid of: and it is madness for a man to die for fear of death. Quis novus hic furor est, ne moriare, mori?

By this it plainly appears, how unreasonable it is to imagine, that by this precept of self-denial, our Saviour should require men to renounce everlasting happiness, and to be content to be miserable for ever, upon any account whatsoever; because this were to suppose, that God hath imposed that upon us as a duty, to oblige us whereto there can be no argument offered that can be powerful enough.

As for the glory of God, which is pretended to be the reason, it is an impossible supposition; because it cannot be for the glory of God, to make a creature for ever miserable, that shall not by his wilful obstinacy and impenitence deserve to be so. But this is only cast in to add weight.

The other reason of the good and salvation of our brethren, is the only consideration for which there is any manner of colour from Scripture; and two instances are alleged to this purpose, of two very excellent persons, that seem to have desired this, and to have submitted to it; and therefore it is not so unreasonable as we would make it, that our Saviour should enjoin it as a duty. The instances alleged are these. Moses desired of God that he might be blotted out of the book of life, rather than the people of Israel, whom he had conducted and governed so long, should be destroyed: and, in the New Testament, St. Paul tells us, that “he could wish that himself were accursed from Christ for his brethren;” so earnest a desire had he of their salvation.

But neither of these instances are of force sufficient to overthrow the reasons of my former discourse; for the desire of Moses amounts only to a submission to a temporal death, that his nation might be saved from a temporal ruin. For the expression of “blotting out of the book of life,” is of the same importance with those phrases, so frequently used in the Old Testament, of “blotting out from the face of the earth,” and “blotting out one’s name from under heaven,” which signify no more than temporal death and destruction; and then Moses’s wish was reasonable and generous, and signifies no more, but that he was willing, if God pleased, to die to save the nation.

As for St. Paul’s wish of “being accursed from Christ,” it is plainly an hyperbolical expression of his great affection to his countrymen the Jews, and his zeal for their salvation; which was so great, that if it had been a thing reasonable and lawful, he could have wished the greatest evil to himself for their sakes; and therefore it is observable, that it is not a positive and absolute wish, but expressed in the usual form of ushering in an hyperbole: “I could wish:” just as we are wont to say, when we would express a thing to the height, which is not fit nor in tended to be done by us,—I could wish so or so; I could even afford to do this or that; which kind of speeches, no man takes for a strict and precise declaration of our minds, but for a figurative expression of a great passion.

And thus I have done with the first thing I proposed for the explication of this precept, or duty, of self-denial, which was to remove some sorts of self-denial, which by some are frequently instanced in, as intended by our Saviour in this precept. I proceed now to the

Second thing I proposed, which, is to declare positively, what that self-denial is, which our Saviour here intends; and it is plainly this, and nothing but this: that we should be willing to part with all earthly comforts and conveniences, to quit all our temporal interests and enjoyments, and even life it self, for the sake of Christ and his religion: this our Saviour means, “by denying ourselves;” and then (which is much the same with the other) that we should be willing to bear any temporal inconvenience and suffering upon the same account: this is to take up our cross and follow him.

And that this is the full meaning of these two phrases, of denying ourselves, and taking up our cross, will clearly appear, by considering the particular instances, which our Saviour gives of this self-denial, whenever he hath occasion to speak of it; by which you will plainly see, that these expressions amount to no more than I have said. Even here in the text, after our Saviour had told his disciples, that he that would come after him, must deny himself, and take up his cross; it follows immediately, “for whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” You see here, that he instanceth in parting with our lives for him, as the highest piece of self-denial which he requires. And he himself else where tells us, that “greater love than this hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friend.” Elsewhere he instanceth in quitting our nearest relations for his sake. (Luke xiv. 26, 27.) “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple; and whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, he cannot be my disciple.”

Which expressions, of hating father and mother, and other relations, and even life itself, are not to be understood rigorously, and in an absolute sense, but comparatively; for it is an Hebrew manner of speech, to express that absolutely, which is meant only comparatively; and so our Saviour explains himself in a parallel text to this. (Matt. x. 37, 38.) “He that loveth father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me; he that loveth son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” In another place our Saviour instanceth in quitting our estates for his sake. (Matt. xix. 29.) “Every one that shall forsake houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake;” by all which it appears, that this self-denial which our Saviour here requires of his disciples, is to be extended no farther, than to a readiness and willingness, when ever God shall call us to it, to quit all our temporal interests and enjoyments, and even life itself, the dearest of all other, and to submit to any temporal inconvenience and suffering for his sake. And thus much for the explication of the precept here in the text. I proceed in the

III. Third place, to consider the strict and indispensable obligation of this precept of self-denial, and suffering for Christ and his truth, rather than to forsake and renounce them. “If any man will come after me, or be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me;” that is, upon these terms he must be my disciple, in this manner he must follow me; and in the text I mentioned before he declares again, that he that is not ready to quit all his relations, and even life itself, for his sake, is not worthy of him, and cannot be his disciple; and whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after him, cannot be his disciple; so that we can not be the disciples of Christ, nor be worthy to be called by his name, if we be not ready thus to deny ourselves for his sake: and, not only so; but if for fear of the cross, or of any temporal sufferings, we should renounce and deny him, he threatens to deny us before his Father which is in heaven, i. e. to deprive us of eternal life, and to sentence us to everlasting misery. (Matth. x. 32.) “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven: but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven;” and (Mark viii. 38.) “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels:” that is, when he cometh to judge the world, they shall not be able to stand in that judgment; for that by his being ashamed of them, is meant, that they shall be condemned by him, is plain from what goes before: (ver. 36, 37.) “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” and then it follows, “Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, and of my words.”

But because some have the confidence to tell the world, that our Saviour doth not require thus much of Christians; but all that he obligeth us to, is to believe in him in our hearts, but not to make any outward profession of his religion, when the magistrate forbids it, and we are in danger of suffering for it; I shall therefore briefly examine what is pretended for so strange an assertion, and so directly contrary to the whole tenor of the gospel, and to the express words of our Saviour.

The author of the book called the Leviathan tells us, that we are not only not bound to confess Christ, but we are obliged to deny him, in case the magistrate requireth us so to do: his words are these—“What if the sovereign forbid us to believe in Christ?” He answers, “Such forbidding is of no effect, because belief and unbelief never follow men’s commands. But what (says he) if we be commanded by our lawful prince to say with our tongues we believe not, must we obey such commands?” To this he answers, that “profession with the tongue is but an external thing, and no more than any other gesture, whereby we signify our obedience, and wherein a Christian, holding firmly in his heart the faith of Christ, hath the same liberty which the prophet Elisha allowed to Naaman. But what then (says he) shall I answer to our Saviour, saying, ‘Whosoever denieth me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven?’ his answer is, “This we may say, that whatsoever a subject is compelled to in obedience to his sovereign, and does it not in order to his own mind, but the law of his country, the action is not his, but his sovereign’s; nor is it he that in this case denies Christ before men, but his governor, and the laws of his country.”

But can any man, that in good earnest pays any degree of reverence to our blessed Saviour and his religion, think to baffle such plain words by so frivolous an answer? there is no man doubts, but if the magistrate should command men to deny Christ, he would be guilty of a great sin in so doing: but if we must obey God rather than men, and every man must give an account of himself to God, how will this excuse him that denies Christ, or breaks any other commandment of God upon the command of the magistrate? And, to put the matter out of all doubt, that our Saviour forbids all that will be his disciples upon pain of damnation to deny him, though the magistrate should command them to do so, it is very observable, that in that very place, where he speaks of confessing or denying him before men, he puts this very case of their being brought before kings and governors for confessing him: (Matt. x. 17.) “Beware (says he) of men; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the gentiles.” But what testimony would this be against them, if Christians were bound to deny Christ at their command? But our Saviour goes on, and tells them how they ought to demean themselves, when they are brought before kings and governors: (ver. 19.) “But when they shall deliver you up, take ye no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that very hour what you shall speak.” But what need of any such extra ordinary assistance in this case, if they had nothing to do but deny him, when they were required by the magistrate to do it. And then (proceeding in the same discourse) he bids them: (ver. 28.) not to fear them that can “kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do;” that is, not to deny him, for fear of any temporal punishment or suffering the magistrate could inflict upon them; but to fear and obey him who can destroy body and soul in hell. And upon this discourse our Saviour concludes: (ver. 32, 33.) “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven: but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” And now can any thing be plainer, than that our Saviour requires his disciples to make confession of him before kings and governors, and not to deny him for fear of any thing which they can do to them? But let us in quire a little farther, and see how the apostles, who received this precept from our Saviour himself, did understand it. (Acts iv. 18.) We find Peter and John summoned before the Jewish magistrates, who “strictly commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” And when they still persisted in their course, notwithstanding the command of the magistrate, and were called again before the council, (chap. v. 28.) and “the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you, that you should not teach in this name? and behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine:” they return them again the same answer: (ver. 29.) “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

And let any man now judge whether our Saviour did not oblige men to confess him even before magistrates, and to obey him rather than men. And, indeed, how can any man in reason think, that the great king and governor of the world should invest any man with a power to control his authority, and to oblige men to disobey and renounce him, “by whom kings reign, and princes decree judgment?” this is a thing so unreasonable, that it can hardly be imagined, that any thing but downright malice against God and religion could prompt any man to advance such an assertion.

I should now have proceeded to the fourth and last particular, which I proposed to speak to, namely, to vindicate the reasonableness of this precept of self-denial and suffering for Christ, which, at first appearance, may seem to be so very harsh and difficult. But this, together with the application of this discourse, shall be reserved to another opportunity.

SERMON LXVI.

OF SELF-DENIAL AND SUFFERING FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.—Matt. xvi. 24.

“THEN said Jesus to his disciples;” that is, upon occasion of his former discourse with them, concerning his approaching passion, and that he must shortly go up to Jerusalem, and there suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and at last be put to death by them; “then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me;” that is, if any man will be my disciple, and undertake the profession of my religion, he must do it upon these terms of self-denial and suffering.

In the handling of these words, I proceeded in this method.

First, I considered the way which our Saviour here useth in making proselytes, and gaining men over to his religion. He offers no manner of force and violence to compel men to the profession of it; but fairly proposeth it to their consideration and choice, telling them plainly, upon what terms they must be his disciples: if they like them, and be resolved to submit to them, well; if not, it is in vain to follow him any longer; for they cannot be his disciples. And to use any other way than this to gain men over to religion, is contrary both to the nature of man, who is a reasonable creature; and to the nature of religion, which, if it be not our free choice, cannot be religion.

Secondly, I explained this duty or precept of self-denial, expressed in these words, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross;” which phrase, of taking up one’s cross, is an allusion to the Roman custom, which was, that the malefactor, that was to be crucified, was to take up his cross upon his shoulders, and to carry it to the place of execution.

Now, for our clearer understanding of this precept of self-denial, I told you, that it is not to be extended to every thing that may properly be called by that name, but to be limited by the plain scope and intendment of our Saviour’s discourse; and therefore I did, in the

First place, remove several things which are instanced in by some, as intended and required by this precept. As,

1. That we should deny and renounce our own senses in matters of faith. But this I shewed to be absurd and impossible; because, if we do not believe what we see, or will believe contrary to what we see, we destroy all certainty, there being no greater than that of sense. Besides, that the evidence of faith being less clear and certain than that of sense, it is contrary to the nature of assent, which is always swayed and borne down by the greatest and clearest evidence. So that we cannot assent to any thing in plain contradiction to the evidence of sense.

2. Others would comprehend under this precept, the denying of our reason in matters of faith; which is in the next degree of absurdity to the other; because no man can believe any thing, but upon some reason or other; and to believe without any reason, or against reason, is to make faith unreasonable, and infidelity reasonable.

3. Others pretend, that by virtue of this precept, men ought to be content to renounce their own eternal happiness, and to be miserable for ever, for the glory of God, and the salvation of their brethren. But this I shewed cannot be a duty, for this plain reason: because, if it were, there is no argument left powerful enough to persuade a man to it. And as for the two scripture instances alleged to this purpose, Moses’s wish of being blotted out of the book of life for the people of Israel, signifies no more than a temporal death; and St. Paul’s, of being “accursed from Christ” for his brethren, is only an hyperbolical expression of his great passion and zeal for the salvation of his countrymen; as is evident from the form of the expression, such as is commonly used to usher in an hyperbole; “I could wish.” And, in the

Second place, I shewed positively, that the plain meaning of this precept of self-denial is this, and nothing but this; that we should be willing to part with all our temporal interests and enjoyments, and even life itself, for the sake of Christ and his religion. This is to deny ourselves. And then that we should be willing to bear any temporal inconvenience and suffering upon the same account this is to take up our cross. And this I shewed from the instances which our Saviour gives of self-denial, whenever he had occasion to discourse upon it.

Thirdly, I considered the strict and indispensable obligation of this precept of self-denial, rather than to forsake Christ and his religion. Without this disposition and resolution of mind we cannot be his disciples; and if we deny him before men, he will also deny us before his Father which is in heaven. And this confession of him and his truth we are to make before kings and governors, and notwithstanding their commands to the contrary, which are of no force against the laws and commands of God. Thus far I have gone. There remains only the Fourth and last particular, which I proposed to speak to; viz. to vindicate the reasonableness of this self-denial and suffering for Christ, which at first appearance may seem to be so very difficult. And this precept cannot be thought unreasonable, if we take into consideration these three things:

I. That he, who requires this of us, hath himself given us the greatest example of self-denial that ever was. The greatest in itself, in that he denied himself more, and suffered more grievous things, than it is possible for any of us to do: and such an example as, in the circumstances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it, because all his self-denial and sufferings were for our sakes.

II. If we consider, that he hath promised all needful supplies of his grace to enable us to the discharge of this difficult duty of self-denial and suffering, and to support and comfort us therein.

III. He hath assured us of a glorious reward of all our sufferings and self-denial, beyond the proportion of them, both in the degree and duration of it. I shall go over these as briefly as I can.

I. If we consider, that he, who requires us thus to deny ourselves for him, hath given us the greatest example of self-denial that ever was. Our Saviour knowing how unwelcome this doctrine of self-denial and suffering must needs be to his disciples, and how hardly this precept would go down with them, to sweeten it a little, and take off the harshness of it, and to prepare their minds the better for it, he tells them first of his own sufferings, that by that means he might, in some measure, reconcile their minds to it, when they saw that he required nothing of them, but what he was ready to undergo himself, and to give them the example of it. And upon this occasion it was, that our Saviour acquaints them with the hard and difficult terms upon which they must be his disciples: (ver. 21.) the evangelist tells us, that “Jesus began to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be killed.”—“Then said Jesus unto his disciples;” that is, immediately upon this discourse of his own sufferings, as the fittest time for it, he takes the opportunity to tell them plainly of their own sufferings, and that, unless they were prepared and resolved to deny themselves so far, as to suffer all manner of persecution for his sake and the profession of his religion, they could not be his disciples. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me;” that is, let him reckon and resolve upon following that example of self-denial and suffering in which I will go before him. Now the consideration of this example of self-denial and suffering, which our Saviour hath given us, hath great force in it to reconcile us to this difficult duty, and to shew the reasonableness of it.

1. In that he who requires us thus to deny ourselves, hath himself in his own person, given us the greatest example of self-denial that ever was. And,

2. Such an example as, in all the circumstances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it; because all his self-denial and sufferings were for our sakes.

1. He, who requires us thus to deny ourselves, hath himself in his own person given us the greatest example of self-denial that ever was; in that he denied himself more, and suffered more grievous things, than any of us can do. He bore the insupportable load of all the sins of mankind, and of the wrath and vengeance due to them. “Never was sorrow like to his sorrow, wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce anger. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; his visage was marred more than any man’s, and his form more than the sons of men:” i. e. he underwent more affliction, and had more contempt poured upon him, than ever was upon any of the sons of men: and yet he endured all this with incredible patience and meekness, with the greatest evenness and constancy of mind, and with the most perfect submission and resignation of himself to the will of God, that can be imagined.

Such an example as this should be of great force to animate us with the like courage and resolution in lesser dangers and difficulties. To see the Captain of our salvation going before us, and leading us on so bravely, and made perfect by greater sufferings than we can ever be called to, or are any ways able to undergo, is no small argument and encouragement to us, to take up our cross, and follow him. The consideration of the unknown sufferings of the Son of God, so great as we cannot well conceive of them, should make all the afflictions and sufferings that can befal us, not only tolerable, but easy to us. Upon this consideration it is, that the apostle animates Christians to patience in their Christian course, notwithstanding all the hardships and sufferings that attended it. (Heb. xii. 2.) “Let us run with patience the race which is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross, and despised the shame. For consider him, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye also be weary and faint in your minds.”

And this example is more powerful for our encouragement, because therein we see the world conquered to our hands, and all the terrors and temptations of it baffled and subdued, and thereby a cheap and easy victory over it obtained for us. By this consideration, our Saviour endeavours to inspire his disciples with cheerfulness and courage in this great conflict: (John xvi. 33.) “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

2. This example of our Saviour, is such as, in all the circumstances of it, is most apt and powerful to engage and oblige us to the imitation of it, because all his self-denial and sufferings were for our sakes, in pity and kindness to us, and wholly for our benefit and advantage. We are apt to have their example in great regard, from whom we have received great kindness and mighty benefits. This pattern of self-denial and suffering, which our religion proposeth to us, is the example of one, whom we have reason to esteem, and love, and imitate, above any person in the world. It is the example of our Lord and Master, of our sovereign and our Saviour, of the founder of our religion, and of “the author and finisher of our faith:” and surely such an example must needs carry authority with it, and command our imitation. It is the example of our best friend and greatest benefactor; of him, who laid down his life for us, and sealed his love to us with his dearest blood; and, even when we were bitter enemies to him, did and suffered more for us than any man ever did for his best friend. If we should be reduced to poverty and want, let us consider him, “who being Lord of all, had not where to lay his head; who being rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.” If it should be our lot to “be persecuted for righteousness sake,” and exercised with sufferings and reproaches, let us look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross, and despised the shame” for our sakes. In a word, can we be discontented at any condition, or decline it in a good cause, when we consider how contented the Son of God was in the meanest and most destitute, how meek and patient in the most afflicted and suffering condition? how he welcomed all events, and was so perfectly resigned to the will of his heavenly Father, that whatever pleased God pleased him?

And surely in no case is example more necessary than in this, to engage and encourage us in the discharge of so difficult a duty, so contrary to the bent and inclination of flesh and blood. A bare precept of self-denial, and a peremptory command to sacrifice our own wills, our ease, our pleasure, our reputation, yea, and life itself, to the glory of God, and the maintenance of his truth, would have sounded very harsh and severe, had not the practice of all this been mollified and sweetened by a pattern of so much advantage; by one, who in all these respects denied himself, much more than it is possible for us to do; by one, who might have insisted upon a greater right, who abased himself, and stooped from a greater height and dignity; who was not forced into a condition of meanness and poverty, but chose it for our sakes; who submitted to suffering, though he had never deserved it. Here is an example, that hath all the argument and all the encouragement that can be to the imitation of it,

Such an example is of greater force and authority than any precept or law can be: so that well might our Lord, thus going before us, command us to follow him, and say, “if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” For if he thus denied himself, well may we, who have much less to deny, but much more cause and reason to do it. He did it voluntarily, and of choice; but it is our duty. He did it for our sakes; we do it for our own. His own goodness moved him to deny himself for us; but gratitude obligeth us to deny ourselves in any thing for him. We did not in the least deserve any thing from him; but he hath wholly merited all this, and infinitely more from us. So that such an example as this is, in all the circumstances of it, cannot but be very powerful and effectual, to oblige us to the imitation of it. But the reasonableness of this precept will yet farther appear if we consider, in the

Third place, That God hath promised to all sincere Christians all needful supplies of his grace, to enable them to the discharge of this difficult duty of self-denial, and to support and comfort them therein. For the Spirit of Christ dwells in all Christians, and the same glorious power that raised up Jesus from the dead, works mightily in them that believe. (Eph. i. 19.) “That ye may know (saith St. Paul, speaking in general to all Christians) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” Of ourselves we are very weak, and the temptations and terrors of the world very powerful; but there is a principle residing in every true Christian, able to bear us up against the world, and the power of all its temptations. “Whatsoever is born of God (saith St John) overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

And this grace and strength was afforded to the first Christians in a most extraordinary manner, for their comfort and support under sufferings; so that they were strengthened with all might, according to God’s glorious power, unto all long-suffering with joyfulness, as St. Paul prays for the Colossians, chap. i. 11. And these consolations of the Spirit of God, this joy in the Holy Ghost, was not peculiarly appropriated to the first times of Christianity; but is still afforded to all sincere Christians, in such degree as is necessary and convenient for them. And whenever God exerciseth good men with trials more than human, and such sufferings, as are beyond the ordinary rate of human strength and patience to bear, he hath promised to endue them with more than human courage and resolution. So St. Paul tells the Corinthians: (1 Cor. x. 13.) “He is faithful that hath promised; who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” And why should we be daunted at any suffering, if God be pleased to increase our strength, in proportion to the sharpness of our sufferings?

And, blessed be God, many of our persecuted brethren at this day have remarkably found this comfortable assistance and support; though many likewise have fallen through fear and weakness, as it also happened in the primitive times. But wherever this promise is not made good, it is (as I have formerly said) by reason of some fault and failing on our part. Either men were not sincere in the profession of the truth, and then no wonder if, “when tribulation and persecution ariseth, because of the word, they are offended,” and fall off. Or else they were too confident of themselves, and did not seek God’s grace and assistance, and rely upon it as they ought; and thereupon God hath left them to themselves (as he did Peter), to convince them of their own frailty and rash confidence; and yet, even in that case, when there is truth and sincerity at the bottom, there is no reason to doubt, but that the goodness of God is such, as by some means or other to give to such persons (as he did to Peter) the opportunity of recovering themselves by repentance, and a more steadfast resolution afterwards

Fourthly, If we consider, in the last place, that our Saviour hath assured us of a glorious and eternal reward of all our self-denial and sufferings for him; a reward infinitely beyond the proportion of our sufferings, both in the degree and duration of it. Now the clear discovery of this is peculiarly owing to the Christian religion, and the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel.

And as our blessed Saviour hath assured us of this blessed state of good men in another world; so hath he likewise assured us, that greater degrees of this happiness shall be the portion of those who suffer for him and his truth: (Matth. v. 10, 11, 12.) “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, for my name’s sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven.” And nothing surely can be more reasonable, than to part with things of small value for things of in finitely greater and more considerable; to forego the transient pleasures and enjoyments, and the imperfect felicities of this world, for the solid and perfect and perpetual happiness of a better life; and to exchange a short and miserable life, for eternal life and blessedness: in a word, to be content to be driven home, to be banished out of this world into our own native country, and to be violently thrust out of this vale of tears, into those regions of bliss, where are “joys unspeakable and full of glory.”

This consideration St. Paul tells us supported the primitive Christians under their sharpest and heaviest sufferings: (2 Cor. iv. 16) “For this cause (says he) we faint not, because our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; whilst we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” So that our sufferings bear no more proportion to the reward of them, than finite does to infinite, than temporal to eternal, between which there is no proportion.

All that now remains, is to draw some useful inferences from what hath been discoursed concerning this great and difficult duty of self-denial for the sake of Christ and his religion; and they shall be these following.

I. To acknowledge the great goodness of God to us, that all these laws and commands, even the hard est and severest of them, are so reasonable.

God, as he is our maker, and gave us our beings, hath an entire and sovereign right over us, and by virtue of that right might have imposed very hard things upon us, and this without the giving account to us of any of his matters, and without propounding any reward to us, so vastly disproportionate to our obedience to him. But in giving laws to us, he hath not made use of this right. The most severe and rigorous commands of the gospel are such, that we shall be infinitely gainers by our obedience to them. If we deny ourselves any thing in this world for Christ and his religion, we shall, in the next, be considered for it to the utmost, not only far beyond what it can deserve, but beyond what we can conceive or imagine; for this perishing life, and the transitory trifles and enjoyments of it, we shall receive “a kingdom which cannot be shaken, an in corruptible crown which fadeth not away, eternal in the heavens.” For these are faithful sayings, and we shall find them to be true, that “if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him;” if we be persecuted for righteousness sake, great shall our reward be in heaven; if we part with our temporal life, we shall be made partakers of eternal life. He that is firmly persuaded of the happiness of the next world, and believes “the glory which shall then be revealed,” hath no reason to be so much offended at “the sufferings of this present time,” so long as he knows and believes, that “these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, will work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

II. Seeing this is required of every Christian, to be always in a preparation and disposition of mind to deny ourselves, and to take up our cross; if we do in good earnest resolve to be Christians, we ought to sit down and consider well with ourselves, what our religion will cost us, and whether we be content to come up to the price of it. If we value any thing in this world above Christ and his truth, “we are not worthy of him.” If it come to this, that we must either renounce him and his religion, or quit our temporal interests, if we be not ready to forego these, nay, and to part with even life itself, rather than to forsake him and his truth, “we are not worthy of him.” These are the terms of our Christianity, and therefore we are required in baptism solemnly to renounce the world: and our Saviour, from this very consideration, infers, that all who take upon them the profession of his religion, should consider seriously beforehand, and count the cost of it. (Luke xiv. 28.) “Which of you, (says he) intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Or what king going to war with another king, cloth not sit down and consult, whether with ten thousand he be able to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand. So, likewise, whosoever he be, that forsaketh not all he hath, cannot be my disciple.” You see the terms upon which we are Christians: we must always be prepared in the resolution of our minds to deny ourselves, and take up our cross, though we are not actually put upon this trial.

III. What hath been said is matter of great comfort and encouragement to all those who deny themselves, and suffer upon so good an account: of whom, God knows, there are too great a number at this day, in several parts of the world; some under actual sufferings, such as cannot but move compassion and horror in all that hear of them; others who are fled hither, and into other countries, for refuge and shelter from one of the sharpest persecutions that perhaps ever was, if all the circumstances of it be duly considered. But, not to enlarge upon so unpleasant a theme, they who suffer for the truth and righteousness sake, have all the comfort and encouragement that the best example and the greatest and most glorious promises God can give. They have the best example in their view: “Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith, who endured the cross, and despised the shame.” So that how great and terrible soever their sufferings be, they do but tread in the steps of the Son of God, and of the best and holiest man that ever was; and he, who is their great example in suffering, will likewise be their support, and “their exceeding great reward.”

So that though suffering for Christ be accounted great self-denial, and he is graciously pleased so to accept it, because, in denying things present and sensible for things future and invisible, we do not only declare our affection to him, but our great faith and confidence in him, by shewing that we rely upon his word, and venture all upon the security which he offers us in another world; yet, according to a right estimate of things, and to those who “walk by faith, and not by sight,” this which we call self-denial, is, in truth and reality, but a more commendable sort of self-love; because we do herein most effectually consult and secure and advance our own happiness.

IV. and lastly, Since God hath been pleased for so long a time to excuse us from this hardest part of self-denial, let us not grudge to deny ourselves, in lesser matters, for the sake of his truth and religion, to miss a good place, or to quit it upon that account; much less let us think much to renounce our vices, and to thwart our evil inclinations, for his sake. As Naaman’s servant said to him concerning the means prescribed by the prophet for his cure, “If he had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much more, when he hath only said, Wash and be clean?” So, since God imposeth no harder terms upon us, than repentance and reformation of our lives, we should gladly and thankfully submit to them.

This I know is difficult to some, to mortify their earthly members, to “crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts” of it; it is like cutting off a right hand, and plucking out a right eye. Some are so strongly addicted to their lusts and vices, that they could with more ease despise life, in many cases, than thus deny themselves. But, in truth, there is no more of self-denial in it, than a man denies himself when he is mortally sick and wounded, in being content to be cured, and willing to be well. This is not at all to our temporal prejudice and in convenience, and it directly conduceth to our eternal happiness; for there is no man that lives a holy and virtuous life, and in obedience to the laws of God, that can lightly receive any prejudice by it in this world. Since God doth not call us to suffer, we should do so much the more for him. Since he doth not put us to testify our love to him by laying down our lives for him, we should shew it by a greater care to keep his commandments.

God was pleased to exercise the first Christians with great sufferings, and to try their love and constancy to him and his truth, in a very extraordinary manner, by severity and contempt, by the spoiling of their goods, and the loss of all things; by bonds and imprisonments; by cruel mockings and scourgings; by the extremity of torments, and by resisting even unto blood; by being “killed for his sake all the day long, and appointed as sheep for the slaughter.” God was pleased to make their way to heaven very sharp and painful, and to “hedge it in,” as it were, “with thorns on every side,” so that they could not, but through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Thus we ought all to be in readiness and resolution to submit to this duty, if God should think fit at any time of our lives to call us to it. But if he be pleased to excuse us from it, and to “let this cup pass from us,” (which may lawfully be our earnest prayer to God, since we have so good a pattern for it) there will be another duty incumbent upon us, which will take up the whole man, and the whole time of our life, and that is to “serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives.”

SERMON LXVII.

[Preached at Whitehall, before the Royal Family, Nov. 1, 1666.]

GOOD MEN STRANGERS AND SOJOURNERS UPON EARTH.

And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.—Heb. xi. 13.

The verse runs thus:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises; but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

THE apostle having declared, at the latter end of the foregoing chapter, that faith is the great principle whereby good men are acted, and whereby they are supported under all the evils and sufferings of this life, (ver. 38.) “now the just shall live by faith;” in this chapter he makes it his main business, to set forth to us at large the force and power of faith; and, to this purpose, he first tells us what kind of faith he means, viz. a firm persuasion of things not present and visible to sense, but invisible and future: (ver. 1.) “Now faith (saith he) is the confident expectation of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Faith represents to us the reality of things which are invisible to sense, as the existence of God and his providence; and of things which are at a great distance from us, as the future state of rewards and punishments in another world.

SERMON LXVIII.

GOOD MEN STRANGERS AND SOJOURNERS UPON EARTH.

And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.—Heb. xi. 13.

The verse runs thus:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises; but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

I HAVE lately in this place (upon a particular day and occasion) begun to handle these words; I shall briefly give you the heads of what hath been already delivered, and proceed to what remains. And that which I designed from this text was, to represent to us our present condition in this world, and to awaken our minds to a due sense and consideration of it. It is the same condition, that all the saints and holy men that have gone before us were in in this world; and we may all of us say with David, (Psal. xxxix. 12.) “I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.”

It is very frequent, not only in Scripture, but in other authors, to represent our condition, in this world, by that of pilgrims and sojourners in a far country. For the mind, which is the man, and our immortal souls, which are by far the more noble and excellent part of ourselves, are the natives of heaven, and but pilgrims and strangers here on the earth; and when the days of our pilgrimage shall be accomplished, are designed to return to that heavenly country from which they came, and to which they belong. And for the explication of this metaphor, I insisted only upon two things, which seem plainly to be designed and intended by it.

I. That our condition in this world is very troublesome and unsettled; “they confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth.”

II. It implies a tendency to a future settlement, and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition, into which we shall enter when we go out of this world.

And these I told you are two very weighty and useful considerations; that we should both understand our present condition in this world, and our future hopes and expectation after our departure out of it; that so we may demean ourselves suitably to both these conditions; both as is fit for those who look on themselves as pilgrims and sojourners in this world; and likewise as it becomes those who seek and expect a better country, and hope to be partakers of a blessed immortality in another world.

I. That our condition in this world is very troublesome and unsettled; and this is principally in tended by the metaphor of pilgrims and strangers. Such was the life of the patriarchs here spoken of in the text; they had no constant abode and fixed habitation, but were continually wandering from one kingdom and country to another; in which travels they were exposed to a great many dangers and sufferings, affronts and injuries; as we read at large in the history of their travels in the Old Testament. And such is our condition in this world: it is often troublesome, and always uncertain and unsettled; so that whatever degree of worldly felicity any man is possessed of, he hath no security that it shall continue for one moment.

II. Our condition in this world being a state of pilgrimage, it implies a tendency to a future settlement, and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition, into which we shall enter so soon as we leave this world. For so it follows immediately after the text: “They confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth; for they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country.” They that say such things; that is, they that acknowledge themselves to have lived in such a restless and uncertain condition in this world, travelling from one place to another, as the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did; and yet pretend to be persuaded of the goodness of God, and the faith fulness of his promise, in which he so solemnly declares himself to be their God; do hereby plainly shew, that they expect some happier condition here after, wherein that great promise of God will be made good to them to the full: so that he need not be ashamed to have been called their God.

Having handled at large these two particulars, I come now to shew, what influence the consideration of them ought to have upon our lives and practices. And if this be our condition in this world, and these our hopes and expectations as to another life; if we be pilgrims and strangers on the earth, and look for a better country, that is, an heavenly; this ought to have a great influence upon us in these following respects, which I did but briefly mention before, but shall now prosecute and press more largely.

I. Let us entangle and incumber ourselves as little as we can in this our pilgrimage: let us not engage our affections too far in the pleasures and advantages of this world, because we are not to stay in it, but to pass through it. Upon this consideration, the apostle St. Peter doth so earnestly exhort Christians to preserve themselves from fleshly lusts: (I Pet. ii. 11.) “Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts: which war against the soul/ The gratifying of our inordinate lusts, and our carnal and sensual inclinations, is directly opposite both to the nature of our immortal spirits, and to their great design and business in this world. Fleshly lusts do not only pollute and defile, but even quench and extinguish our diviner part, and do work the ruin and destruction of it: they sink our affections into the mud and filth of this world, and do entangle and detain them there: in a word, they do wholly indispose and unfit us for that pure, and spiritual, and Divine life, which alone can qualify us for our heavenly country and inheritance. And, therefore, while our souls are sojourning in this world, we should abstain from them, and preserve ourselves unspotted and untainted by them, as being altogether unuseful, and perfectly contrary to the laws and manners of our heavenly country. If we wallow in brutish and filthy lusts, as we pass through this world; our native country, when our souls think to return to it, will reject us and cast us out: when we come to heaven’s gate, and knock there, expecting to be admitted, and shall cry, “Lord, Lord, open unto us;” he will bid us to depart from him, because we have been workers of iniquity. Nothing that is unclean can enter into heaven. He who is to receive us into those blessed mansions, hath declared it to be his immutable resolution and decree, that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord. And therefore, as ever we hope to see God in that happy and blissful state, we must “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God;” that having rendered ourselves as like him as we can in this world, we may be capable of the blessed sight and enjoyment of him in the other.

And as for the advantages in this world, let us not pursue them too eagerly; we may take the conveniences which fairly offer themselves to us, and be content to want what we cannot honestly have, and without going out of the way of our duty, considering that we are travellers, and that a little will serve for our passage and accommodation in our pilgrimage. And beyond that why should we so earnestly covet more, and trouble ourselves for that which is not necessary to our journey? why should we at any time deal unjustly to attain any of this world’s goods? They will stand us in stead for so little a while, that we can have no temptation to injure or oppress any man, to break the peace of our consciences, and to wound our souls for the attaining of them. If the providence of God offer them to us, and bring them to our hands, in the use of honest diligence and lawful means; as we are not to refuse them, so neither are we to set our hearts upon them, nor to suffer our affections to be entangled in them.

The wisest use we can make of them, will be, to do like those who traffic in foreign parts, to consign our estates into our own native country, to send our treasures before us into the other world, that we may have the benefit of them when we come there. And this we may do by alms and charity, Whatever we spend upon the flesh, we leave behind us y and it will turn to no account to us in our own country; but whatever we lay out for the relief of the poor, is so much treasure laid out and secured to ourselves against another day. So our blessed Saviour assures us, (Luke xii. 33.) that giving of alms is providing for ourselves “bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.”

II. If we be “pilgrims and strangers,” then it concerns us to behave ourselves with great caution, and to live blamelessly and inoffensively; remembering that the eyes of people are upon us, and that those, among whom we sojourn, will be very prying and curious, and narrow observers of our manners and carriage. They that are in a strange country, are not wont to take that liberty and freedom which the natives of the place may do, but to keep a perpetual guard upon themselves, knowing how strictly they are observed, and that they live among those who bear no good-will to them, and that every bad thing we do reflects upon our nation, and is a reproach to the country to which we belong. “Ye are not of the world (says our Lord); if ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but ye are not of the world; therefore the world hateth you.” Upon this account the apostle chargeth Christians to be harmless and blameless, and as it becomes the sons of God to be, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we should shine as lights. The same argument St. Peter useth: (1 Pet. ii. 11, 12.) “I beseech you, as pilgrims and strangers, to abstain from fleshly lusts, having your conversation honest among the gentiles;” that is, considering that you are among strangers and enemies, and therefore ought to be very careful to bring no scandal upon your holy profession, among those who will be ready to take all advantages against you. Particularly, we who pretend to the same heavenly country, must be kind to one another, and whilst we live among strangers, have no quarrels amongst ourselves. In a strange country, it useth to be a mighty endearment of men to one another, that they are of the same country and fellow-citizens, and this alone is commonly sufficient to unite their affections, and link their interests together. But how little of this is to be seen among Christians! How shame fully do they quarrel among themselves, in the midst of enemies and strangers! as if they had no relation to one another, and never expected to meet at last in the same country, and there to live together for ever.

III. Let us be as patient and cheerful as we can, under all the troubles and afflictions which we meet with in this life. They who are in strange countries must expect to encounter many injuries and affronts, and to be put to great difficulties and hard ships. Those which are lighter and more tolerable, we must bear with cheerfulness. Upon a journey men use to put on all the pleasantness they can, and to make sport of all the inconveniences of the ways and weather, and little cross accidents that befal them: and thus, if we had but the art and wisdom to do it, many of the lesser inconveniences of human life might well enough be played off, and made matter rather of mirth and diversion, than of melancholy and serious trouble.

But there are some evils and calamities of human life, that are too heavy and serious to be jested withal, and require the greatest consideration, and a very great degree of patience to support us under them, and enable us to bear them decently; as the loss of friends and dearest relations; as the loss of an only son, grown up to be well fixed and settled in a virtuous course, and promising all the comfort to his parents that they themselves can wish: these certainly are some of the greatest evils of this world, and hardest to be borne. For men may pretend what they will to philosophy, and contempt of the world, and of the perishing comforts and enjoyments of it; to the extirpation of their passions, and an insensibility of these things, which the weaker and undisciplined part of mankind keep such a wailing and lamentation about: but when all is done, nature hath framed us as we are, and hath planted in our nature strong inclinations and affections to our friends and relations; and these affections are as naturally moved upon such occasions, and pluck every string of our hearts as violently, as extreme hunger and thirst do gnaw upon our stomachs.

And therefore it is foolish for any man to pretend to love things mightily, and to rejoice greatly in the enjoyment of them; and yet to be so easily contented to lose them, and to be parted from them. This is to separate things which nature hath strongly linked together. Whatever we mightily love, does thereby, in some sort, become part of ourselves, and it cannot hang loose to us, to be separated and divorced from us without trouble; no more than a limb, that is vitally and by strong ligaments united to the body, can be dropped off when we please, or rent from the body without pain. And whoever pretends to have a mighty affection for any thing, and yet at the same time does pretend that he can contentedly, and without any great sense or signification of pain, bear the loss of it, does not talk like a philosopher, but like a hypocrite; and, under a grave pretence of being wise, is in truth an ill-natured man. For most certainly, in proportion to our love of any thing, will be our trouble and grief for the loss of it.

So that under these great and heavier strokes, we had need both of faith and patience. And, in deed, nothing but the firm belief of “a better country, that is an heavenly,” of another life after this, and a blessed immortality in another world, is sufficient to support a man in the “few and evil” days of his pilgrimage, and to sustain his spirit under the great evils and calamities of this life. But this fully answers all—that “the afflictions and sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Nay, that if we bear these afflictions patiently, and with a due submission to the will of God (especially our sufferings for his truth and cause), it will certainly increase our happiness in the other world, and “work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

IV. The consideration of our present condition, and of our future hopes, should set us above the fondness of life, and the slavish fears of death. For our minds will never be raised to their true pitch and height, till we have, in some good mea sure, conquered these two passions, and made them subject to our reason.

As for this present life, and the enjoyment of it, what is it that we see in them that should make us so strangely to dote upon them? Quae lucis miseris tam dira cupido! This world, at the best, is but a very indifferent place, and he is the wisest man, that bears himself towards it with the most indifferent mind and affection, that is always willing to leave it, and yet patient to stay in it as long as God pleaseth. And, as for death, though the dread of it be natural, yet why should the terrors of it be so very surprising and amazing to us, after we have considered, that to a good and pious soul, it is no other but the gate of heaven, and an entrance into eternal life? We are apt to wonder to see a man undaunted at the approach of death, and to be not only contented, but cheerful at the thoughts of his departure out of this world, this sink of sin, and vale of misery and sorrow. Whereas, if all things be duly considered, it is a greater wonder that men are so patient to live, and that they are not glad of any fair excuse and opportunity of getting out of this strange country, and retiring home, and of ridding themselves of the troubles and inconveniences of life. For, considering the numerous troubles and calamities we are liable to in a long pilgrimage, there are really but three considerations that I can readily think of, that can make this world, and our present condition in it, in any good measure tolerable to a wise man; viz. that God governs the world; that we are not always to stay in it; that there is a happiness designed and reserved for us in another place, which will abundantly recompense and make amends to us for all the troubles and sufferings of this life.

And yet it is strange to see how fast men cling to life; and that even in old age, how they catch at every twig that may but hold them up a little while, and how fondly they hanker after a miserable life, when there is nothing more of pleasure to be enjoyed, nothing more of satisfaction to be expected and hoped for in it. When they are just putting into the port, and one would think, should rejoice at their very hearts that they see land; yet how glad would they be then of any cross wind that would carry them back into the sea again, as if they loved to be tossed, and were fond of storms and tempests.

Nay, the very best of us, even after we have made that acknowledgment of David “I am a stranger and a sojourner with thee, as all my fathers were,” are apt, with him, to be still importuning God for a little longer life: “O spare me a little, that I may recover strength before I go hence, and be no more.” And when God hath granted us this request, then we would be spared yet “a little longer.”

But let us remember, that God did not design us to continue always in this world; and that he hath on purpose made it so uneasy to us, to make us willing to leave it; and that so long as we linger here below, we are detained from our happiness; “while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord.” This consideration made St. Paul so desirous to be dissolved, because he knew, that when his “earthly house of this tabernacle” was dissolved, he should have a much better habitation, “a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” This was that which made him so full of joy and triumph at the thoughts of his leaving the world: (2 Tim. iv. 6.) “I am now ready (says he) to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which God the righteous Judge shall give me in that day.”

SERMON LXIX.

THE PRESENCE OF THE MESSIAS, THE GLORY OF THE SECOND TEMPLE.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is a little, while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: and 1 will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shad come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.—Haggai ii. 6-9.

THE author of this prophecy was the first of the three prophets, which God sent to the people of Israel after the captivity; and this prophecy contains several messages from God, to the princes, and elders, and people of Israel, in which he reproves their slackness and negligence in the building of the temple, and encourageth them thereto, by the promise of his assistance; and tells them, that how ever in respect of the magnificence of the building, and the rich ornaments of it, it should be incomparably short of Solomon’s temple (which some that were then alive had seen in its glory) yet in other respects it should far excel it: for the time would come, that this second temple should be graced with the presence of the Messias, which would be a greater glory to it, than all the riches of Solomon’s temple.

And this is fully expressed in the words which I have read unto you: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and 1 will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.”

Now, that it is some very great thing which is here foretold and promised, for the honour of this second temple, no man can doubt that considers in what a solemn manner it is here expressed; this great and glorious title, “the Lord of hosts,” being no less than five several times used within the compass of these four verses; the like instance whereto is not, perhaps, in the whole Bible: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth.” (ver. 6.) And I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts, (ver. 7.) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts;” (ver. 8.) and twice, (ver. 9.) “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.” So that by the solemn manner of expressing it, we may imagine, that it is some very great thing which is spoken of, and such as the like had never been before; and such was the incarnation and coming of the Messias.

I know that the modern Jews will by no means have this text to be understood of the Messias, and not without cause; for he that is spoken of in the text was to come into the second temple, which hath now been destroyed above one thousand six hundred years ago; and they do not believe the Messias to be yet come; and therefore whatever shift they make, they must interpret this text of some other person than the Messias: but then it is plain for what reason they do so, it being evident from their own Talmud, that the ancient Jews did understand it of the Messias; but being hardened in their unbelief, they pervert all those texts where by they might be convinced, that Jesus our blessed Saviour was the true Messias.

And, indeed, whoever carefully considers the several expressions and circumstances of this prediction, cannot understand it of any other. To make this evident I shall explain the several expressions in the text: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is a little while. Yet a little while,” so it is in the Hebrew. “Yet once more,” so the LXX render it, and so it is quoted from the LXX in the New Testament, (Heb. xii. 26.) and this sense the Hebrew word may likewise bear, and our translation of the text takes them both in; “yet once it is a little while.”

If we take the words in the first sense, “yet a little while,” they signify, that God was then beginning those changes in the world, which were to precede and make way for the coming of the Messias. This indeed was not till about four hundred years after; but a great while before that time God began those changes in the world, which were to prepare the way for his coming; and, considering the long time which was past from the first promise made to Abraham, four hundred years in comparison of that may seem but a little while. But I rather choose the latter sense of this phrase, “yet once more; 1 because the Hebrew will bear it, and because it is so quoted in the New Testament; as if the prophet had said, that God had before done a great thing in the world, and accompanied with great miracles; viz. the giving of the law by Moses, which was attended with great commotions, both in Egypt, by bringing the people of Israel out from thence with a mighty hand, and by destroying the nations before them, whose land God gave them for a possession; but now he would do one greater thing more—the sending of the Messias, and the planting his religion in the world; in order whereunto there should be much greater and more universal commotions and changes in the world, and more and greater miracles wrought. “Yet once more, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land, and I will shake all nations.” From which words the apostle to the Hebrews argues the abolishing of the Jewish dispensation, and the bringing in of another that should be unalterable. (Heb. xii. 27.) “And this word, yet once more, (says the apostle) signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” And this I shall have occasion to explain more fully in the following parts of this discourse.

“Yet once more I will shake the heavens and the earth,” &c. For the understanding whereof we are to consider, that the Hebrews have no one word whereby to express the world, and therefore they do it by an enumeration of the principal parts of it. So (Gen. i.) when Moses would express the creation of the world, he says, “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” And so St. Peter, when he would express the revolution of all things, after the universal conflagration of the world, calls it, a new heaven and a new earth. (2 Pet. iii. 13.) “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth;” that is, a new world, a quite other frame and state of things, than that which we now see. And so the prophet here in the text, to express the great commotions and changes that should be in the world before the coming of the Messias, says, that God “will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;” that is, he would cause great revolutions in the world; there should be great wars and confusions, and the empires of the world should pass from one hand to another. And thus we find this expression interpreted, (ver. 21, 22.) of this chapter: “I will shake the heavens and the earth, and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations.” And to shew that, by shaking the heavens and the earth, is meant great changes in the world, and as it were an universal commotion of it, he adds in the text, by way of farther explication, “and I will shake all nations.”

And then it follows, u and the desire of all nations shall come.” This we (as the ancient Jews also did) take to be a plain character and description of the Messias: he is “the desire of all nations;” he whom all nations had reason to desire, because of those great blessings and benefits which he was to bring to the world. Thus interpreters generally understand these words, and it is very true the Messias was so: but this does not seem to be the true importance of this phrase: for the Hebrew word signifies expectation as well as desire, and so I should rather choose to render it, “the expectation of all nations shall come;” which signifies, that about the time of the coming of the Messias, not only the Jews, but other nations, should be in a general expectation of some great prince then to appear; which was most eminently accomplished in our blessed Saviour, as I shall shew by and by.

” And I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts,” speaking of the second temple, which was then in building, which though it fell very much short of Solomon’s in point of state and magnificence; yet by being honoured with the presence of the Messias, it should be much more glorious than Solomon’s temple. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts;” not that God wanted the command of gold and silver, to have made the second temple equal to Solomon’s in outward glory and splendour; he could easily have made it so in that respect: and Josephus tells us, that not long before the time of our Saviour’s coming, Herod had built and beautified it to that degree, that in some respects it excelled Solomon’s; and of this some understand the next words: “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former;” namely, that this was accomplished in that beauty and magnificence which was added to it, when it was re-edified by Herod the Great: but how ever that be, this is certain, that it was much more glorious in another respect, namely, that it entertained the Messias, “the great expectation and blessing of all nations.”

” And in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.” Some understand this of that universal peace which was throughout the world, when our Saviour was born in the reign of Augustus Caesar. Others with great probability interpret this of the Messias himself, who is called here by the name of Peace; and so some of the ancient Jews understood it; “in this place will I give peace,” that is, the Messias. For the Hebrew word signifies all kind of happiness, and so it includes all those blessings and benefits, that happiness and salvation, which the Messias brought to the world. And this will appear very probable, if we consider, how frequently in Scripture this title is given to the Messias. (Isai. ix. 6.) He is called “the Prince of Peace; and (Zach. ix. 10.) it is said of him, that he should speak peace to the nations: and the apostle to the Hebrews parallels him with Melchisedech in this particular, that “he was King of Salem,” that is, “King of Peace;” and, which is very little different from this, he is frequently in Scripture called “Salvation,” which signifies the happiness of being rescued and delivered from all kind of evil; as peace signifies all kind of good. (Isai. xlix. 6.) “I will also give thee for a light to the gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation to the end of the earth:” and (Luke ii. 30.) when Simeon had our blessed Saviour in his arms, when he was first brought into the temple, he calls him the Salvation of God; “mine eyes (saith he to God) have seen thy Salvation;” and (John iv. 22.) “Salvation is of the Jews;” that is, the Messias was to be of that nation. But, which is more express, Christ is called “our peace.” (Eph. ii. 14.) Nay, he is expressly called—peace, or the peace. (Micah v. 5.) “And this man (speaking of the Messias) shall be the peace;” that is, one of his names or titles shall be “Peace.” So that I make little doubt, but that in this expression in the text, of “giving Peace,” is meant, giving the Messias; and that this is rendered as the reason, why the glory of the second temple should be greater than of the first, because in that place the Messias should appear, and remarkably shew himself. God could have given this second temple, if he had thought fit, as much outward glory and beauty as that of Solomon’s building; for “silver and gold are his,” and all the riches of the world are at his command; but he chose to put a far greater honour upon it than that of silver and gold, and to make it much more glorious in another respect, “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former;” because in this place I will give the Messias, the peace, and happiness, and salvation of mankind, and incomparably the greatest blessing that ever was given to the world.

The words being thus explained, it will now be easier to shew how the several parts of this prediction do agree to our blessed Saviour, and to no other.

I. That there should be great changes and commotions in the world before his coming: “I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land, and I will shake all nations;” and then he should come.

II. That about the time of his coming, the world should be in general expectation of him; “and the expectation of all nations shall come.”

III. That he should come during the continuance of the second temple; for it was his coming that should fill that house with glory, and in that place the Messias, who is called peace, is promised to be given: “and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.”

SERMON LXX.

[Preached at St. Peter’s, Cornhill, on the feast of the Annunciation, 1691.]

CHRIST JESUS THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.—1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

THESE words contain in them these four propositions; three of them express, and the fourth of them sufficiently implied in the text.

I. That “there is one God.”

II. That “there is one mediator between God and men; Christ Jesus.”

III. That he “gave himself a ransom for all.”

IV. That the mediation or intercession of Jesus Christ, is founded in the redemption of mankind. For this seems to be the reason why it is added, that he “gave himself a ransom for all,” to signify to us, that because he “gave himself a ransom for all,” therefore he intercedes for all. In virtue of that sacrifice which he offered to God for the salvation of men, he offers up our prayers to God; and therefore it is acceptable to him, that we should pray for all men. This seems to be the true connexion of the apostle’s discourse, and the force of his reasoning, about our putting up public prayers for all men.

I have in a former discourse handled the first of these. I proceed now, to the

SERMON LXXI.

CHRIST JESUS THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.—1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

IN these words are four propositions: three expressed, and the fourth implied.

I. That “there is one God.”

II. That “there is one mediator between God and men: Christ Jesus.”

III. That he “gave himself a ransom for all.”

IV. That the mediation or intercession of Jesus Christ, is founded in his redemption of mankind: that because he “gave himself a ransom for all men,” therefore he, and he only, is qualified to intercede for all men, in virtue of that sacrifice which he offered for the salvation of all mankind.

The second of these I spake to the last time, and endeavoured to shew,

1. That God hath appointed but “one mediator,” or advocate or intercessor in heaven for us; by whose mediation we are to offer up all our prayers and services to God.

2. That this doctrine of one mediator is most agreeable to one main end and design of the Christian religion, and of our Saviour’s coming into the world, which was to destroy idolatry.

3. That from the nature and reason of the thing (viz. because intercession for sinners is founded in the merit of that sacrifice, by which expiation of sin is made), there can be no other mediator of intercession, but he who hath made expiation for sin, by a sacrifice offered to God for that purpose; and this Jesus Christ only hath done. Thus far I hare gone: I proceed now to

The fourth thing which I proposed in the hand ling of this argument, namely, To shew how contrary to this doctrine of the Christian religion, concerning one only mediator and intercessor in heaven for us, the doctrine and the practice of the church of Rome is in this matter; namely, in their invocation of angels, and the blessed Virgin, and the saints, and flying to their help, and making use of their mediation and intercession with God for sinners.

And that I may proceed more distinctly in this argument, I shall handle it under these particular heads.

First, I shall endeavour to shew, that the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome, in this matter, is contrary to the doctrine of the Christian religion, concerning one only mediator and intercessor in heaven for us.

Secondly, That it is contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Christian church, for several of the first ages of it.

Thirdly, I shall endeavour to answer their chief pretences and excuses for this doctrine and practice.

Fourthly, To shew that this doctrine and practice of theirs is not only needless, being no where commanded by God, but useless also, and unprofitable.

Fifthly, And not only so, but very dangerous and impious; because contrary, to the Christian religion, and greatly derogating from the virtue and merit of Christ’s sacrifice, and from the honour of “the only mediator between God and men.”

First, I shall endeavour to shew, that the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome in this matter, is contrary to the doctrine of the Christian religion concerning one only mediator and intercessor in heaven for us; namely, in their invocation of angels, and the blessed Virgin, and the saints, and flying to their help, and making use of their mediation and intercession with God for sinners.

That Jesus Christ is our only mediator and intercessor with God in heaven, by whom we have access to God in any action of religious worship, and that all our prayers and services are to be offered up to God only by him, and in his name and mediation, and no other, I have plainly shewed from Scripture, and proved it by an invincible argument, taken likewise from Scripture; namely, because the efficacy and prevalency of his mediation and intercession is founded in the virtue and merit of his sacrifice; and, that he is, therefore, “the only mediator between God and men,” because he only “gave himself a ransom for all;” he is therefore “our only advocate with the Father,” because “he only is the propitiation for our sins, and for the sins of the whole world.”

I have shewed likewise, that the Scripture excludes angels from being our mediators with God, from the main scope and design of the Epistle to the Colossians; and much more are the saints departed excluded from this office, being inferior to the an gels, not only in the dignity and excellency of their beings, but very probably in the degree of their knowledge.

SERMON LXXII.

CHRIST JESUS THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all.—1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

IN the two former discourses upon this text, I have treated on the second proposition 1 laid down from these words: viz. that there is but “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” In treating of this proposition, I shewed,

First, That it is agreeable to Scripture.

Secondly, That it is agreeable to one great end and design of the Christian religion, and of our Saviour’s coming into the world, which was, to destroy idolatry out of it.

Thirdly, That, from the nature and reason of the thing, there can be but one mediator or intercessor in heaven with God for sinners; and that he can be no other than Jesus Christ.

Fourthly, I shewed how contrary to this doctrine the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome is, in their invocation of angels and the blessed Virgin, and the saints, and making use of their mediation and intercession with God for sinners.

This I endeavoured to do, by shewing first, How contrary this is to the doctrine of the Scriptures. Secondly, How contrary to the doctrine and practice of the church, for several of the first ages of it. And thus far I have gone.

SERMON LXXIII.

[Preached on Ascension-day, 1688.]

THE GENERAL AND EFFECTUAL PUBLICATION OF THE GOSPEL BY THE APOSTLES.

So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.—Mark xvi. 19, 20.

IN these words you have these two great points of Christian doctrine:

I. Our Saviour’s ascension into heaven, and exaltation at the right hand of God; “he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”

II. The effect or consequence of his ascension and exaltation, which was the general and effectual publication of the gospel; “they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” And both these are very proper for this day; but I shall at this time handle the latter point, namely, the effect or consequence of our Saviour’s ascension into heaven, and exaltation at the right hand of God; “they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”

And these words contain two things in them.

I. The general publication of the gospel by the apostles; “They went forth and preached every where.”

II. The reason of the great efficacy and success of it; namely, the Divine and miraculous power which accompanied the preaching of it; “The Lord wrought with them, and confirmed the word with signs following.”

I. The general publication of the gospel by the apostles; “They went forth and preached every where.” And, indeed, the industry of the apostles and the other disciples, in publishing the gospel, was almost incredible. What pains did they take! what hazard did they run! what difficulties and discouragements did they contend withal in this work! And yet their success was greater than their industry, and beyond all human expectation: as will appear, if we consider these five things.

1. The vast spreading of the gospel in so short a space.

2. The wonderful power and efficacy of it upon the lives and manners of men.

3. The weakness and meanness of the instruments that were employed in this great work.

4. The powerful opposition that was raised against it.

5. The great discouragements to the embracing the profession of it. I shall speak briefly to each of these.

1. The vast spreading of the gospel in so short a space. This is represented (Rev. xiv. 6.) by “an angel flying through the midst of heaven, and preaching the everlasting gospel to every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people.” No sooner was the doctrine of the Christian religion published and made known to the world, but it was readily embraced by great numbers, almost in all places where it came. And, indeed, so it was foretold in the prophecies of the Old Testament. (Gen. xlix. 10.) “That when Shiloh (that is, the Messias) should come, to him should the gathering of the people be:” and (Isa. ii. 2.) that “in the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house should be established in the top of the mountains, and be exalted above the hills, and that all nations should flow unto it.” Isa. lx. 8. The prophet, speaking of men’s ready submission to the gospel, and the great number of those that should come in upon the preaching of it, they are said “to fly as a cloud, and as the doves to the windows.”

So quick and strange a progress did this new doctrine and religion make in the world, that, in the space of about thirty years after our Saviour’s death, it was not only diffused through the greatest part of the Roman empire, but had reached as far as Parthia and India. In which we see our Saviour’s prediction fully verified, that, before the destruction of Jerusalem, the gospel should be preached in all the world: (Matt. xxiv. 14.) “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” But this is not all; men were not only brought into the profession of the gospel; but,

2. This doctrine had likewise a wonderful power and efficacy upon the lives and manners of men. The generality of those that entertained the gospel, were obedient to it in word and deed, as the apostle tells us, concerning the Gentiles that were converted to Christianity. (Rom. xv. 18.) Upon the change of their religion, followed also the change of their manners, of their former course of life. They that took upon them the profession of Christianity, “did thenceforth not walk as other gentiles did, in the lusts of the flesh, and according to the vicious course of the world; but did put off, concerning their former conversation, the old man which was corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts; and were renewed in the spirit of their mind, and did put on the new man, which after God was created in righteousness and true holiness.” So strange an effect had the gospel upon the lives of the generality of the professors of it, that I remember Tertullian, in his apology to the Roman emperor and senate, challengeth them to instance in any one that bore the title of Christian, that was condemned as a thief, or a murderer, or a sacrilegious person; or that was guilty of any of those gross enormities, for which so many pagans were every day made examples of public justice, and punished and executed among them.

And this certainly was a very admirable and happy effect, which the gospel had upon men, to work so great and sudden a change in the lives of those who entertained this doctrine, to take them quite off from those vicious practices which they had been brought up in and accustomed to; to change their spirits and the temper of their minds; and of lewd and dishonest, to make them sober and just, and “holy in all manner of conversation;” of proud and fierce, contentious and passionate, malicious and revengeful, to make them humble and meek, kind and tender-hearted, peaceable and charitable.

And that the primitive Christians were generally good men, and of virtuous lives, is credible, because their religion did teach and oblige them to be such; which, though it be not effectual now, to make all the professors of it such, as it requires they should be; yet it was a very forcible argument then, in the circumstances in which the primitive Christians were: for Christianity was a hated and persecuted profession: no man could then have any inducement to embrace it, unless he were resolved to practise it, and live according to the rules of it; for it offered men no rewards and advantages in this world; but, on the contrary, threatened men with the greatest temporal inconveniences and sufferings; and it promised no happiness to men in the other world upon any other terms, than of denying “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and “of living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

And besides this consideration, we have the best testimony in the world of their unblamable lives, viz. the testimony of their professed enemies, who did not persecute them for any personal crimes which they charged particular persons withal, but only for their religion, acknowledging them otherwise to be very innocent and good people. Particularly Pliny, in his letter to Trajan the emperor (who had given him in charge, to make particular inquiry concerning the Christians), gives this honourable report of them: “That there was no fault to be found in them, besides their obstinate refusal to sacrifice to the gods; that at their religious meetings it was an essential part of their worship to oblige themselves by a solemn sacrament, against murder, and theft, and adultery, and all manner of wickedness and vice.” No Christian historian could have given a better character of them than this heathen writer does. But,

3. The success of the gospel will appear yet more strange, if we consider the weakness and meanness of the instruments that were employed in this great work. A company of plain and illiterate men, most of them destitute of the advantages of education, went forth upon this great design, weak and unarmed, unassisted by any worldly interest, having no secular force and power on their side, to give countenance and authority to them; and this not only at their first setting out, but they remained under these disadvantages for three ages together.

The first publishers of the Christian religion offered violence to no man; did not go about to compel any by force to entertain the doctrine which they preached, and to list themselves of their number: they were not attended with legions of armed men to dispose men for the reception of their doctrine, by plunder and free quarter, by violence and tortures: this modern method of conversion was not then thought of; nor did they go about to attempt and allure men to their way, by the promises of temporal rewards, and by the hopes of riches and honours; nor did they use any artificial insinuations of wit and eloquence to gain upon the minds of men, and steal their doctrines into them: but delivered themselves with the greatest plainness and simplicity; and without any studied ornaments of speech, or fine arts of persuasion, declared plainly to them the doctrine and miracles, the life, and death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, promising life and immortality to them that did believe and obey his doctrine, and threatening eternal woe and misery in an other world to the despisers of it.

And yet these contemptible instruments, notwithstanding all these disadvantages, did their work effectually, and, by the power of God going along with them, gained numbers every day to their religion, and in a short space drew the world after them.

SERMON LXXIV.

[Preached on the feast of St. Michael.]

THE NATURE, OFFICE, AND EMPLOYMENT OF GOOD ANGELS.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?—Heb. i. 14.

THIS is spoken of good angels, whose existence, as well as that of evil spirits, the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, do every where take for granted, no less than they do the being of God, and the immortality of the soul. And well they may, since they are all founded upon the general consent of all ages, derived down to us from the first spring and original of mankind; of which general consent and tradition, it is one of the hardest things in the world to assign any good reason, if the things themselves were not true. Therefore I shall not go about to force my way into this argument concerning the existence of spirits, and beings distinct from matter, by dint of dispute (which perhaps would neither be so proper, nor so profitable for this assembly), but shall take the thing as I find it received by a general consent of mankind. And so the books of Divine revelation do; nor was there reason to proceed in any other method, than to suppose these things, and take them for granted, as generally assented to by mankind, without either asserting them for new discoveries, or attempting to prove what was so universally believed. The Scriptures indeed have more particularly declared the nature of these spirits, as also their order and employment; as in the words which I have read to you, where the office and employment of good angels is more particularly discovered; “Are they not all (says the text) ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

The author of this Epistle to the Hebrews having had occasion, in comparing the two dispensations of the law and the gospel, to speak of the angels, by whose ministry the law was given, did not think fit to entertain those to whom he wrote with any nice and curious speculations (for school divinity was not then in fashion) about the nature and order of angels; but tells us, what it concerns us more to know, namely, what their office and employment is in regard to us. Concerning their nature, he only tells us, that they are spirits; as to their office and employment, he says, in general, that they are “ministering spirits;” that is, that they stand before God to attend upon him, ready to receive his commands, and to execute his pleasure; more particularly, that they are upon occasion appointed and set forth by God to minister on the behalf, and to do good offices “for them that shall be heirs of salvation.” Which last words are a description of pious and good men, such as had sincerely embraced the Christian religion, and were thereby become the children of God, and heirs of eternal salvation. So that these words are a brief summary of the doctrine of good angels, and of what the Scripture has thought fit to reveal to us concerning them: which may be referred to these three heads:

First, Their nature; “Are they not spirits?”

SERMON LXXV.

[Preached on St. Luke’s Day.]

THE REPUTATION OF GOOD MEN AFTER DEATH.

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.—Psal. cxii. 6.

AS the desire and hope of immortality, which is implanted in human nature, is some evidence of the thing, so likewise, that natural desire which is in men to have a good name perpetuated, and to be remembered, and mentioned with honour, when they are dead and gone, is a sign that there is in human nature some presage of a life after death; in which they hope, among other rewards of well doing, to meet with this also, to be well spoken of to posterity: and though probably we should not know the good that is said of us when we are dead, yet it is an encouragement to virtue, to be secured of it beforehand, and to find by experience, that they who have done their part well in this life go oft with applause, and that the memory of their good actions is preserved and transmitted to posterity.

And among the many advantages of piety and virtue, this is not altogether inconsiderable, that it reflects an honour upon our memory after death; which is a thing much more valuable than to have our bodies preserved from putrefaction: for that 1 think is the meaning of Solomon, when he prefers a good name before precious ointment: (Eccl. vii. 1.) “A good name is better than precious ointment.” This they used in embalming of dead bodies, to preserve them from noisomeness and corruption: but a good name preserves a man’s memory, and makes it grateful to posterity; which is a far greater benefit than that of a precious ointment, which serves only to keep a dead body from stench and rottenness.

I shall briefly explain the words, and then consider the matter contained in them; “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” By the righteous, is probably here meant the good man in general; for though justice and righteousness are in Scripture frequently used for that particular virtue, whereby a man is disposed to render to every man his own, which is known by the name of justice; yet it is less frequently, and perhaps in this place, used in a larger sense, so as to comprehend all piety and virtue. For so the righteous man is described at the beginning of this Psalm, “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments:” and he is opposed to the wicked man, (ver. 10.) “the wicked shall see it and be grieved;” that is, he shall be troubled to see the prosperity of the righteous; the manifold blessings of his life, and the good name he shall leave behind him at his death; which is the meaning of his being “in everlasting remembrance;” that is, long after he is dead, perhaps for many ages, he shall be well spoken of, and his name mentioned with honour, and his good deeds recorded and remembered to all posterity.

So that the sense of the words amounts to this—that eminently good men do commonly leave a good name behind them, and transmit a grateful memory of themselves to after-ages. 1 say, commonly, for so we are to understand this kind of sayings; not that they are strictly and universally true, without exception; but usually, and for the most part. It is possible that a good man may soon be forgotten by the malice of men, or, through the partiality and iniquity of the age, may have his name blemished after death, and be misrepresented to posterity: but for the most part it is otherwise; and though the world be very wicked, yet it seldom deals so hardly and unjustly with men of eminent goodness and virtue, as to defraud them of their due praise and commendation after death. It very frequently happens otherwise to good men, whilst they are alive; nay, they are then very seldom so justly treated as to be generally esteemed and well spoken of, and to be allowed their due praise and reputation: but after death, their good name is generally secured and vindicated, and posterity does them that right, which perhaps the age wherein they lived denied to them. Therefore, in the prosecution of this argument, I shall inquire into these two things:

First, Whence it comes to pass, that good men are very often defrauded of their just praise and reputation, whilst they are alive: and,

Secondly, What security they have of a good name after death.

First, Whence it comes to pass, that good men are so frequently defrauded of their just praise and reputation, while they are alive. And to give ourselves full satisfaction in this matter, two things are fit to be inquired into.

1. From what cause this proceeds.

2. For what reason the providence of God doth often permit it.

SERMON LXXVI.

[Preached on All Saints Day, 1684.]

THE DUTY OF IMITATING THE PRIMITIVE TEACHERS AND PATTERNS OF CHRISTIANITY.

Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.—Heb. xiii. 7.

The verse runs thus:

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

THE great scope and design of this Epistle, is to persuade the Jews, who were newly converted to Christianity, to continue steadfast in the profession of it, notwithstanding all the sufferings and persecutions it was attended withal; and to encourage them hereto, among many other arguments which the apostle makes use of, he doth several times in this Epistle propound to them the examples and patterns of saints and holy men, that were gone before them; especially those of their own nation, who, in their respective ages, had given remarkable testimony of their faith in God, and constant adherence to the truth. (Chap. vi. 11, 12.) “And we desire, that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope, unto the end; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” And (chap. xi.) he gives a catalogue of the eminent heroes and saints of the Old Testament, who by faith had done such wonders, and given such testimony of their patience and constancy, in doing and suffering the will of God; from whence he infers, (chap. xii. 1.) that we ought to take pattern and heart from such examples, to persevere in our Christian course: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of (martyrs, or) witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us;” especially since they had greater examples than these, nearer to them, and more fresh in memory; the great example of our Lord, the founder of our religion; and of the first teachers of Christianity, the disciples and apostles of our Lord and Saviour. The example of our Lord himself, the captain and rewarder of our faith (ver. 2, of that twelfth chapter): “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame: (ver. 3.) for consider him, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. This indeed is the great pattern of Christians, and, in regard of the great perfection of it, surpasseth all other pat terns, and seems to make them useless; as having in it the perfection of the Divinity, not in its full brightness (which would be apt to dazzle rather than direct us), but allayed and shadowed with the infirmities of human nature; and, for that reason, more accommodate and familiar to us than the Divine perfections abstractedly considered.

But yet, because our blessed Saviour was God as well as man, and clear of all stain of sin (for though he was clothed with the infirmities, yet he was free from the corruption of human nature), therefore the examples of mere men, liable to sin as we are, may in many respects be more suitable and accommodate to encourage us to the imitation of those virtues, which are attainable by us, in this state of imperfection; for which reason the apostle hath thought fit likewise to propose to us the highest examples of that kind, the first teachers of our religion; for of these he seems to speak here in the text, namely, those apostles, or apostolical men, by whom they had been instructed in the faith of Christ, but who were now departed this life; it being very probable, that the apostle here speaks of such as were dead, when he says, “Remember them which have the rule over you, (or, those that have been your guides) who have spoken to you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

I say this is very probable, because he minds them to remember, which supposeth them to be absent; but especially, because he minds them to “consider the end of their conversation;” by which, surely, he means the blessed state of those good men after death; which is elsewhere called “the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.” (1 Pet. i. 9.) So, likewise, (Rom. vi. 22.) this is said to be the end of a holy life: “Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” And it very much favours this interpretation, that the apostle afterwards speaks of the living guides and governors of the church: (ver. 17.) “Obey them which have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls.”

SERMON LXXVII.

[Preached on All-Saints Day.]

THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST, AND THE DANGER OF DENYING HIM.

It is a faithful saying; for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.—2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.

IN the beginning of this chapter, St. Paul encourageth Timothy to continue steadfast in the profession of the gospel, notwithstanding the sufferings which attended it: (ver. l.) “Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus;” and, (ver. 3.) “Thou, therefore, endure hardship, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” And, to animate him in this resolution, he quotes a saying, which it seems was well known and firmly believed among Christians; a saying, on the one hand, full of encouragement to those who with patience and constancy suffered for their religion; and, on the other hand, full of terror to those who, for fear of suffering, denied it. “It is a faithful saying.” This is a preface used by this apostle, to introduce some remarkable sentence, of more than ordinary weight and concernment: (1 Tim. i. 15.) “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners:” and (chap. iv. 8, 9.) “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having a promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” (Titus iii. 8.) “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works.” And here in the text, the same preface is used to signify the importance of the saying he was about to mention: “It is a faithful saying; if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.”

The first two sentences are matter of encouragement to those who suffer with Christ, and for him, and are the very same in sense. “If we be dead with him,” that is, if we lay down our lives for the testimony of the truth, as he did, “we shall also live with him,” that is, we shall in like manner be made partakers of immortality, as he is: a If we suffer,” or endure as he did, “we shall also reign with him” in glory.

The other sentence is matter of terror to those who deny him and his truth. “If we deny him, he also will deny us;” to which is subjoined another saying much to the same sense: “if we believe not, εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν, if we be unfaithful; yet he remaineth faithful, he cannot deny himself;” that is, he will be as good as his word, and make good that solemn threatening which he hath denounced against those who shall for fear of suffering deny him, and his truth.

The words being thus explained, I shall begin with the first part of this remarkable saying: “If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” This, it seems, was a noted saying among Christians, and whether they had it by tradition of our Saviour, or whether it was in familiar use among the apostles, as a very proper and powerful argument to keep Christians steadfast to their religion, I cannot determine. It is certain, that sayings to this sense are very frequent, especially in the epistles of St. Paul. (Rom. vi. 5.) “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” And, (ver. 8.) “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (2 Cor. iv. 10.) “Al ways bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” And (ver. 11.) “For we which live are always delivered unto death, for Jesus sake; that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” And (Rom. viii. 17.) “If so be that we suffer with him, that we maybe also glorified together.” (Phil. iii. 10, 11.) “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death: if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Pet. iv. 12, 13.) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

You see that the sense of this saying was in frequent use among the apostles, as a powerful argument to encourage Christians to constancy in their religion, notwithstanding the dangers and sufferings which attended it. “This is a faithful saying; if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

And the force of this argument will best appear, by taking into consideration these two things:

I. What virtue there is in a firm belief and persuasion of a blessed immortality in another world, to support and bear up men’s spirits under the greatest sufferings for righteousness sake; and even to animate them, if God shall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion.

II. How it may be made out to be reasonable, for men to embrace and voluntarily to submit to present and grievous sufferings, in hopes of a future happiness and reward; concerning which we have not, nor perhaps are capable of having, the same degree of certainty and assurance which we have of the evils and sufferings of this present life.

I. What virtue there is in a firm belief and persuasion of a blessed immortality in another world, to support and bear up men’s spirits under the greatest sufferings for righteousness sake; and even to animate them, if God shall call them to it, to lay down their lives for their religion.

If men do firmly believe that they shall change this temporal and miserable life for an endless state of happiness and glory, that they shall meet with a reward of their sufferings infinitely beyond the proportion of them, both in the weight and duration of it; this must needs turn the scales on that side, on which there is the greatest weight: and there is a sufficient ground for a firm belief of this. For if any thing can certainly be concluded from the providence of God, this may, that good men shall be happy one time or other: and because they are very often great sufferers in this life, that there is another state remains for them after this life, wherein they shall meet with a full reward of all their sufferings for righteousness’ sake.

But besides the reasonableness of this, from the consideration of God’s providence, we have now a clear and express revelation of it; life and immortality being brought to light by the gospel. This St. John tells us is the great promise of the gospel: (1 John ii. 25.) “This is the promise which he hath promised us, even eternal life.” And this promise, our Saviour most expressly makes to those who suffer for him: (Matt. v. 10, 11, 12.) “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness* sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven.” (Mark x. 29, 30.) “Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, with persecutions, (that is, so far as a state of persecution would admit) and in the world to come eternal life.”

And if such a persuasion be firmly fixed in our minds; the faith of another world, and the assured hope of eternal life and happiness, must needs have a mighty force and efficacy upon the minds of sober and considerate men; because there is no proportion between suffering for a little while, and being unspeakably and eternally happy. So St. Paul tells us he calculated the matter: (Rom. viii. 18.) “I reckon (says he) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The vast disproportion between the sufferings of a few days, and the joys and glory of eternity, when it is once firmly believed by us, will weigh down all the evils and calamities of this world, and give us courage and constancy under them. For why should we faint, if we believe that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, will work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory?” as the same St. Paul assures us, 2 Cor. iv. 17. If our minds be but thoroughly possessed with the hopes of a resurrection to a better and happier life; this will make death, attended even with extremity or terror, to be tolerable; as we read of some, in that long catalogue of saints and martyrs, Heb. xi. 35. “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” It would make a man to rejoice in the ruin and dissolution of “this earthly tabernacle,” to be assured that, “when it is dissolved, we shall have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,” as the same apostle assures us. (2 Cor. v. 1.) Thus you see what virtue there is in the firm belief and persuasion of a better life, to bear up men’s spirits under those sufferings and torments which may seem unsupportable to human nature.

And so indeed they would be, without an extra ordinary grace and assistance of God to enable them to bear those sufferings, which his providence permits them to be exercised withal. But of this extraordinary grace, we are assured, not only from the consideration of the attributes and providence of God; but likewise from the express promises and declarations of his word.

SERMON LXXVIII.

[Preached on All-Saints Day.]

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOOD MEN AFTER DEATH.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.—Rev. xiv. 13.

I WILL not trouble you with any nice dispute about the author of this book of the Revelation, or the authority of it, though both these were sometimes controverted; because it is now many ages since this book was received into the canon of the Scriptures, as of Divine authority, and as written by St. John. Nor shall I at this time inquire into the particular meaning of the several visions and predictions contained in it. It is confessedly, in several parts of it, a very obscure book: and there needs no other argument to satisfy us that it is so, than that so many learned and inquisitive persons have given such different interpretations of several remarkable passages in it; as particularly concerning the slaying of the two witnesses, and the number of the beast.

The words which I have read to yon, though there be some difficulty about the interpretation of some particular expressions in them; yet in the general sense and intendment of them they are very plain, being a solemn declaration of the blessed state of good men after this life.

SERMON LXXIX.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOOD MEN AFTER DEATH.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.—Rev. xiv. 13.

IN my explication of these words, I told you that they are, in the general sense and meaning of them, a solemn declaration of the blessed estate of good men after this life; but delivered upon a special occasion, as is signified by that expression, “from henceforth;” that is, from the time of that vision, in which was represented to St. John the last and extremest persecution of the faithful servants of Christ, and which should precede the fatal downfal of Babylon; from that time, “blessed are the dead which die in the Lord;” that is, considering the extremity, and the cruel circumstances of this last and severest persecution, we may, from that time forward, reckon those who are already dead (sup posing that they died in the Lord) to be very happy; in that they do not live to see and suffer those grievous things, which then will befal the faithful servants of God.

In my former discourse, I considered the words according to the general intention of them, abstracting from the particular occasion upon which they were spoken endeavouring to set forth the happy estate of good men after this life, from the two reasons and grounds mentioned in the text, namely, they “rest from their labours,” and because “their works do follow,” or accompany and go along with them; which two particulars constitute the happiness of the future state.

That which farther remains, and to which I now proceed, is to make some inferences from what I have said upon this subject. And, in doing this, I shall have an eye on the special occasion of the words, as well as on their general intention. And the inference shall be these following:

First, If those that “die in the Lord” are at “rest from their labours” and pains; then the text concludes directly against the feigned purgatory of the church of Rome, which supposeth a great number of those that “die in the Lord,” and have obtained eternal redemption by him from hell, not to pass immediately into happiness: but to be detained in the suburbs of hell, in great pain and torment, till their souls be purged, and the debt of temporary punishment, to which they are liable, be some way or other paid off and discharged.

Secondly, Here is a mighty encouragement to piety and virtue to consider, that all the good we do in this world will accompany us into the other.

Thirdly, It is a gnat encouragement to patience under the sufferings and persecutions which attend good men in this world; that how heavy and grievous soever they are at present, they will end with this life, and we shall then rest from all our labours.

Fourthly, The consideration of the extreme sufferings of Christians in the last times, and which, perhaps, are not far from us, should render us very indifferent to life, and all the enjoyments of it, so as even to esteem it a particular grace and favour of God, to be “taken away from the evil to come,” and by death to prevent (if he sees it good) those extremities of sufferings, which seem to be hastening upon the world.

I. If those that “die in the Lord” are at rest from all their labours and pains, then this text concludes directly against the feigned purgatory of the church of Rome, which supposed) a great number, yea, the far greater part of those that “die in the Lord, “and have obtained eternal redemption by him from hell, not to pass immediately into happiness, but to be detained somewhere (they are not certain where. but most probably in the suburbs of hell) in great pain and torment, equal in degree to that of hell, and differing only in duration; 1 say, to be detained there till their souls be purged from the defilements they have contracted in this world, and the debt of temporary punishments, to which they are liable, be some way or other paid off and discharged.

They suppose, indeed, some very few holy men to be so perfect at their departure out of this life, that they do immediately, and without any stop, pass into heaven, because they need no purgation; and those likewise, who suffer martyrdom, because they discharge their debt of temporary punishments here; but the generality of Christians, “who die in the Lord,” they suppose so imperfect, as to stand in need of being purged by fire, and accordingly, that they are detained a longer or shorter time, as their debt of temporary punishments is greater or less.

And, indeed, they have a very considerable and substantial reason to exempt as few as possibly they can from going to purgatory; because the more they put in fear of going thither, the market of indulgences riseth the higher, and the profit thence accruing to the pope’s coffers; and the more and greater legacies will be left to the priests, to hire their saying of masses for the delivery of souls out of the place of torments: for, though the prayers of friends and relations will contribute something to this, yet nothing does the business so effectually as the masses and prayers of priests to that end.

But how is it, then, that St. John says, that those that “die in the Lord” are happy, because “they rest from their labours;” if so be the far greater part of those, who “die in the Lord,” are so far from resting from their labours, that they enter into far greater pains and torments than ever they endured in this world? And therefore Bellarmine, that their doctrine of purgatory may receive no prejudice from this text, would have “from henceforth,” in the text, to be dated from the day of judgment, when he supposeth the pains of purgatory will be at an end. But why “from henceforth” should take date from the day of judgment, he can give no reason, but only to save purgatory from being condemned by this text. For St. John plainly speaks of the happiness of those that should die after that time (whatever it be) which he there describes; but that time cannot be the day of judgment, because none shall die after that time. Just thus Estius (one of their most learned commentators) deals with another text, which, by the generality of their writers, is urged as a plain proof of purgatory: “He shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Upon which he says, “It is sufficient that there is nothing in this text against purgatory.” Sufficient! for what? Not to prove purgatory, as they generally pretend from this text, but to save it harmless from it; as if we had pretended that this text makes against it.

But there are others that make against it with a witness. Not only the perpetual silence of Scripture about it, when there are so many fair occasions of speaking of it; as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where the future state is so particularly described, and yet no mention made, nor the least intimation given, of this third state. But, besides the silence of Scripture about it, there are several passages utterly inconsistent with it; as, namely, St. Paul’s discourse in the beginning of the fifth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, where he plainly declares the assurance he had, that all sincere Christians, so soon as they quit the body, do pass into happiness: “For we know (says he) that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

The plain meaning of which is, that so soon as we quit the one, we shall pass into the other. And this consideration, he tells us, made Christians weary of this world, and willing to die. (Ver. 2.) “For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven;” and, (ver. 4.) “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened.” But had Christians believed that the greatest part of them, when they left the body, were to go into purgatory, to be terribly tormented there, they would not have been in such haste to die, but would have protracted the time as long as they could, and have contentedly borne the burden of this earthly tabernacle, rather than to quit it for a condition a thousand times more intolerable. But St Paul expressly says, that Christians knew the contrary; and that as soon as ever they went out of the body they should be happy, and with the Lord; and that this gave them courage against the fears of death: (ver. 6.) “Therefore we are always Confident,” θαῤῥοῦντες οὖν πάντοε, bono igitur animo sumus; “Therefore we are always of good courage, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” And, (ver. 8.) “We are of good courage, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.” The plain sense of which is, that Christians were willing rather to die than to live; because they knew, that so soon as they left the body, and departed this life, they should be “present with the Lord.” But now if the doctrine of purgatory be true this whole reasoning of St. Paul proceeds upon a gross mistake; and therefore I am certain it is not true: and so does the “voice from heaven” here in the text: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labours;” for there is no reason to restrain this general expression, that “die in the Lord,” only to the martyrs; for though they are certainly included, and, perhaps primarily intended in it, yet this phrase comprehends all those who die in the faith of Christ, and is most frequently so used in the New Testament.

But let this suffice to have been spoken of this matter; especially, since Bishop Fisher, and several of their own learned writers, do so frankly acknowledge, that their doctrine of purgatory hath no sufficient ground in Scripture. Other reasons I grant they have for it, which makes them very loth to quit it: it is a very profitable doctrine, and therefore they have taken care to have it more abundantly confirmed, by apparitions of souls from the dead, than any other doctrine whatsoever. In short, how little soever they can say for it, it is in vain to go about to persuade them to part with it. Demetrius, the silversmith, argued as well as he could for his goddess Diana, from the universal consent of the world in the worship of her; “the great goddess Diana, whom all Asia, and the world worshippeth.” But his trusty argument to his workmen was, “Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth, and this our craft is in danger to be set at nought.”

II. Here is a mighty encouragement to piety and virtue, to consider that all the good we do in this world will accompany us into the other. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; for their works accompany them.”

When we come to die, we can call nothing our own but the good works which, by the grace of God, we have been enabled to do in this life. These will stick by us, and bear us company into the other world, when we shall be stripped of all other things, and forced to part from them, whether we will or no. Our riches and our honours, our sensual pleasures and delights, will all take their leave of us when we leave this world; nay, many times they do not accompany us so far as the grave, but leave us very unkindly and unseasonably, when we have the greatest need and use of them.

There is one way, indeed, whereby we may se cure our riches, and make sure friends to ourselves of them, by laying them out in charity. By this means we may send them before us, and consign them over to another world, to make way for our reception there. So our Lord assures us, (Luke xii. 33.) that by giving alms we provide ourselves “bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens which faileth not;” and (Luke xvi. 9.) that by this way we may “make to ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when we fail, they may receive us into everlasting habitations.” “The mammon of unrighteousness,” What is that? It is what the Scripture elsewhere calls deceitful riches; because in other ways, in which men commonly lay them out, they turn to no certain account, but one way or other do deceive and frustrate our expectation: but by disposing of them in charity, to the relief of the poor and persecuted, we make sure friends of them, and consign the effects of them to our certain benefit and advantage in another world.

And as charity, so likewise all other graces and virtues are “that good part” which cannot be taken away from us. All the good actions that we do in this life will go with us to the grave, and bear us company into the other world, and will stand by us, when we come to appear before our Judge; and, through the merits of our blessed Saviour, will procure for us, at the hands of a gracious and merciful God, a most ample and eternal reward.

And what an encouragement is this to holiness and virtue, to consider that, it will be all our own another day, and turn to our unspeakable advantage at our great account! To be assured, that whoever serves God faithfully, lays up so much treasure for himself, which he may take along with him into the other world; and does provide for himself lasting comforts and faithful companions, which will never leave him nor forsake him; a happiness large as his desires, and durable and immortal as his soul!

Let us then do all the good that possibly we can, whilst we have opportunity: let us serve God industriously, and with all our might, knowing that no good action that we do shall be lost and fall to the ground, that no grace and virtue that we practise in this life, nor any degree of them, shall lose their reward. If we faithfully improve the talents, which are committed to us, to our Master’s advantage; when he comes to call us to an account, and finds that we have done so, we shall not fail to receive both his approbation and reward. And what a comfort will it be to any one of us, to hear those blessed words from the mouth of our Lord—“Well done thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a little, I will make thee ruler over much; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” We shall not need to plead our services to him, and put him in mind of them: our Judge himself will celebrate our good deeds upon the theatre of the world, and commemorate them to our advantage; and interpret every good office we have done, to any of his poor and afflicted members, as if it had been a kindness immediately done to himself. So our Lord represents the proceedings of the great Judge and King of the world, in the great day of recompence. (Matth. xxv. 34.) “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee in any of these circumstances; hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and ministered unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Who would not be ambitious and glad to serve such a Prince, who will so benignly interpret, and so bountifully reward, the least service we do to him?

III. The consideration of this should likewise be a great argument and support to our patience, under all those evils, and sufferings, and persecutions, which many times attend good men in this world. They are for the present perhaps very heavy and grievous; but there is a time shortly coming when we shall be at ease, and perfectly freed from them; when we shall find rest from our labours and sufferings; when we shall enter into peace and rest in our beds, every one walking in his uprightness; that is, reaping the comfort and enjoying the reward of his sincerity towards God, and constant suffering for his cause and truth. And therefore it was well said of a good man, “blessed be God that we are to die;” because to good men, that is a certain remedy of all the evils of this life, and will unquestionably put an end to them. The grave is a place of rest, and discharge from all trouble, as Job elegantly describes it: (chap. iii. 17, 18, 19.) “There the wicked cease from troubling: there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.”

So soon as we enter into the other world, we are secure against the pursuit and danger of all those evils which afflicted us in this world; and nothing will remain but the joyful remembrance of our sufferings, and the plentiful reward of our constancy and patience under them. And the more our tribulations and persecutions have abounded, the greater will our comfort and happiness then be, which (saith St. Paul) is a manifest token, a clear demonstration, “of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer; seeing it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.” (2 Thess. i. 5, 6,7.)

IV. The consideration of the extreme sufferings which are to fall upon the faithful servants of Christ in the last times, and which seem now to be begun in the world, should make us very contented to leave this world, and glad of any fair opportunity and excuse to take our leave of it, and to be out of the reach and danger of those violent and more than human temptations, with which our faith and constancy may be assailed; nay, to esteem it a particular grace and favour of God to us, to be “taken away from the evil to come,” and to prevent (if God sees it good) those extremities of sufferings which are coming upon the world.

These seem now to be begun in some part of it: they in our neighbour nation have a bitter cup put into their hands; a cup of astonishment to all those that hear of it. Whether this be that last and extreme persecution spoken of here by St. John, I shall not pretend positively to determine. It is plainly distinguished in the visions, from that under the first beast, described Rev. xiii. from verse the first to ver. 11, and chap. xvii. There is a description of the beast upon which the woman sitteth, “on whose forehead is a name written, MYSTERY! BABYLON THE GREAT!” and this beast is there said to have “seven heads and ten horns,” which are thus explained by St. John: (chap. xvii. 9, 10.) “And here is the mind which hath wisdom; the seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sitteth; and there are seven kings;” that is, (as is generally agreed by interpreters) a succession of seven governments: (and ver. 12, 13, 14.) “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdoms as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast; and shall make war with the Lamb.” (Ver. 18.) “And the woman, which thou sawest, is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”

So that this beast is plainly the Roman empire; and the woman that sitteth upon her, is the great city, standing upon seven mountains, “which reign eth over the kings of the earth;” which can be no other than Rome, as is agreed by interpreters on all sides. Bellarmine (l. 2. c. 2. de Rom. Pontif.) confesseth, that St. John, in the Revelation, every where calleth Rome, Babylon, as Tertullian (saith he) hath noted; and as is plain from chap. xvii. where Babylon is said to be seated on “seven mountains,” and to have dominion “over the kings of the earth:” there being no other city than Rome, which, in the time of St. John, had dominion “over the kings of the earth;” and that Rome was built upon seven hills is famous.—Thus much Bellarmine acknowledgeth, constrained by the force of truth; and, for another small reason, namely, because St. Peter writes his First Epistle from Babylon, by which, if Rome be not meant, they have no proof from Scripture that St. Peter was ever there.

SERMON LXXX.

[Preached on All-Saints Day.]

THE VANITY AND WICKEDNESS OF HONOURING DEAD SAINTS, AND PERSECUTING THE LIVING.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation from the Hood of Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.—Luke xi. 49, 50, 51.

THE latter part of this chapter is a very sharp, but just invective, made by our Saviour against the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees, of which he gives many instances; and this among the rest for one, that they pretended a great honour and respect for the righteous men and prophets of former ages, whom their fathers had persecuted and slain; but yet were of the very same spirit and temper, and as ready to persecute good men as their fathers were. They raised, indeed, stately monuments to the memory of those saints and martyrs, and adorned them with great art and cost, and, it is likely, made a great shew of esteem and veneration for them: but all this while they were of the same disposition with their fathers, and bear the same implacable hatred and malice against the prophets and righteous men who then lived among them, (yea, against that great prophet, whom God had sent into the world—Jesus, the Son of God) which their fathers did against the good men of their times. And though they disclaimed the wickedness and cruelty of their fathers, with never so much zeal and vehemency, yet for all that they were ready to do the same things. Now this was so gross and odious a piece of hypocrisy in them, that our Saviour doth with great reason denounce so severe a woe against them: “Woe unto you; for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly, ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.” And then it follows: 4 therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple.”

There are considerable difficulties in both these passages. As to the former, “Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly, ye bear witness, that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.” The force of this reasoning is at first sight not easy to be discerned; and therefore expositors have gone several ways to explain it.

Some comparing this with the parallel place in St. Matthew’s Gospel, (chap. xxiii. 29.) will not have our Saviour to mean, that by “building the sepulchres of the prophets,” they expressed their approbation of their fathers killing them. They did indeed testify, by their usage of the righteous men that lived amongst themselves, that they were of the very same temper and spirit which their fathers had been of; and that they would have done just as their fathers did, if they had been in the same circumstances with their fathers; so that they were witnesses to themselves (as it is in St. Matthew) that they were children of them which killed the prophets; they owned themselves their children by descent, and their actions witnessed that they were their children also in resemblance; nay, (as it is there farther intimated) they seemed resolved to fill up the measure of their fathers, though all this while they pretended not to approve their father’s behaviour; and, therefore, whilst they were building the tombs of the prophets, and garnishing the tombs of the righteous, they said, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. And the interpreters that go this way do accordingly render these words of St. Luke, not as they are in our translation, “ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers;” but “ye bear witness, and ye allow (or are well-pleased with) the deeds of your fathers;” that is, ye own that they were your fathers, who did these things; and though you do not in words allow what they did, yet your inward tempers and dispositions (whether you know it or no) are the very same with theirs, which you too plainly testify by your actions; so that when “you build the sepulchres of the prophets,” you only expose the deceitfulness and hypocrisy of your hearts, your pretences and your actions directly contradicting each other. Thus some expositors give the sense of this passage.

But others think that our Saviour intended some what more, in St. Luke; namely, to retort upon them the honour which they seemed to do to the prophets, in building their sepulchres, as an argument that they rejoiced in their death; seeing they were so well content to be at the charge of a monument for them; like Herod, who, when he had murdered Aristobulus, made a magnificent monument for him; or as the Roman historians say of Caracalla, though he hated all good men whilst they were alive, yet he would pretend to honour them when they were dead. This, some think, our Saviour intended in these words: “Truly, ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres;” as if he had said, hereby ye testify that ye allow and like very well what your fathers did to the prophets. According to which latter exposition, there seems to be more force and greater sharpness in our Saviour’s reproof; as not only charging them with the ill usage of the righteous men of their own times, but moreover making them, by their building the tombs, and garnishing the sepulchres of the ancient prophets, to become as it were accessaries to the murder of them.

But, leaving this digression, I now proceed to that which I primarily intended; namely, first, to explain the following words, which I have chosen as my present subject, and then to make some observations upon them.

“Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute; that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.”

There are three considerable difficulties in the words, which I shall endeavour to explain to you.

I. What is meant by “the wisdom of God.”

II. Who this Zacharias was, here mentioned by our Saviour; “from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the temple.”

III. In what sense, and with what reason and justice it is here threatened, “that the blood of all the prophets and righteous men, shed from the foundation of the world, should be required of that generation.”

I. What is here meant by “the wisdom of God.” “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles,” &c. In St. Matthew, our Saviour speaks this in his own name, “Wherefore, behold I send unto you prophets: for which reason, some think that by “the wisdom of God” our Saviour here designed himself; as if he had said, Therefore I, who am the “wisdom of God,” declare unto you. But this is not very probable, our Saviour no where else in the gospel speaking of himself in any such style; though St. Paul calls him “the power of God, “and “the wisdom of God.” Others think that our Saviour here refers to some prophecy of the Old Testament to this purpose: “therefore, the Wisdom of God hath said;” that is, the Holy Spirit of wisdom, which inspired the prophets in the Old Testament. But this conceit is utterly without ground, for we find no such passage, nor any thing to that sense, in any of the prophets of the Old Testament.

But the most plain and simple interpretation is this: “therefore hath the wisdom of God said;” that is, the most wise God hath determined to send among you such messengers and holy men, and I foresee that ye will thus abuse them, and thereby bring wrath and destruction upon yourselves. And whereas our Saviour says, in St. Matthew, “behold I send unto you prophets;” it is very probable, he speaks in God’s name, and that it is to be under stood, Behold, says God, I send unto you. And this phrase of “the wisdom of God,” for the most wise God is very agreeable to other forms of speech, which we meet with in the Jewish writers; as, dicit norma judicii, “the rule of judgment” says, that is, the most just and righteous God; which serves very well to explain the phrase in the text, “therefore, saith the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles.”

By apostles is here meant, all sorts of Divine messengers: for so St. Matthew expresseth it, “I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes;” that is, several holy and excellent men, endowed with all sorts of Divine gifts; “prophets, and wise men, and scribes;” which were the most glorious and admired titles among the Jews.

” And some of them they shall slay and persecute.” St. Matthew expresseth it more particularly, “some of them ye shall kill and crucify;” as it was afterwards fulfilled in the two James’s, and Stephen, who were slain by them, and in Simon the son of Cleophas, and before him in Jesus the Son of God, who were crucified; and “some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues,” as we read they did to Peter and John; and “persecute them from city to city,” as they did Paul and Barnabas. The sending of these messengers of God among the Jews, and this ill usage of them, the all-wise and all-knowing God had determined and foreseen.

II. Who this Zacharias was, here mentioned by our Saviour. And there are so many of them (no less than four of this name) to whom it may with some probability be applied, but especially to two of them, that it is very hard to determine which of them our Saviour means. Three Zacharias’s are mentioned in Scripture, and one more in the history of Josephus.

There was Zacharias the father of John the Baptist; but whose son he was we do not read: and though of his death the Scripture is silent, yet there are two traditions about it; one, that he was slain by Herod’s officers, because he would not tell where his son John the Baptist was, when Herod sent for him. But the credit of this relies upon very doubtful authors. The other is mentioned by several of the fathers, and the substance of it is briefly this; that there being a place in the temple, where the virgins by themselves used to pray, the Virgin Mary coming to that place to pray among the virgins, was forbidden, because she had had a child; and that Zacharias, for maintaining her virginity, was set upon, “and killed between the temple and the altar.” But this tradition is rejected by St. Jerome: and I doubt there is little ground for it.

Zacharias, one of the lesser prophets, was the son of Barachias, which agrees so far with St. Matthew’s description of him: but there is no mention in Scripture that he was slain; nor could he well be in the temple, which was but building in his time; though the author of the Targum says, that Zacharias, the son of Ido, was slain by the Jews “in the house of the Lord’s sanctuary,” on the day of the propitiation; because he admonished them not to do evil before the Lord. Now Zacharias, the son of Barachias, was the grandson of Ido; but yet, I think, this was only lapse of memory, and that he means Zachary in the Chronicles, who was slain by Joash.

And he is the third Zacharias I mentioned, (2 Chron. xxiv. 21.) who, as he was reproving the people “for transgressing the commandment of the Lord, was stoned with stones at the commandment of the king, in the court of the house of the Lord.” And this our Saviour seems more particularly to reflect upon, immediately after the text: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that stonest the prophets,” &c. Now this one would think was certainly the person intended by our Saviour, and fit to be mentioned with Abel, whose blood is said to have cried to the Lord. For of Zacharias, it is likewise said, that “when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it and require it.” And Drusius cites a Jewish writer, speaking thus by way of complaint against the Jewish nation; “because in the midst of thee fell the priests of the Lord, and his prophets, and because before the holy temple in the midst of thee was slain the godly and righteous prophet Zacharias, who lay unburied, nor did the earth cover his blood, but to this day it goes up and speaks in the midst of thee.” So that none could have been more fit to have been joined with Abel in this respect

But, as probable as this looks, there are two very great objections against it. One is, that St. Matthew calls the Zacharias spoken of by our Saviour, the son of Barachias; whereas this Zacharias, slain by Joash, was the son of Jehoiada; and though it be very considerable, which St. Jerome observes, that, in the Hebrew or Nazarene gospel, it is Zacharias, the son of Jehoiada; yet it is hard to rely upon that, against all the Greek copies. But a more difficult objection, in my opinion, is, that our Saviour seems to design to mention the two extremes, the first and last righteous man that was slain, and, between them two comprehended the good men of all ages, that were persecuted and slain; and, if so, then that Zacharias in the Chronicles, who was slain so long before, can by no means be the person.

There is yet a fourth Zacharias, (mentioned by Josephus, lib. 4.) the son of Baruch (which is probably enough the same name with Barachias), who was the last remarkable good man that was slain, immediately before the siege of Jerusalem , and that, as Josephus tells us, in the midst of the temple; which agrees with our Saviour’s description of it, “between the altar and the temple;” not the al tar of incense, but of burnt-offerings, which was in the outward court, before the ascent to the temple. So that Grotius thinks this was the man intended by our Saviour; yet so, that he does both allude to the history of the former Zacharias, and foretel the death of this. And there is but one objection against this; that our Saviour speaks of this as al ready past; “whom you have slain;” whereas this Zacharias was not slain till after our Saviour’s death. But I think that a satisfactory answer may be given to this; viz. that our Saviour foretelling those future persecutions, which should (ill up the measure of their sins, and bring final destruction upon them, he speaks of this as already past; because before that destruction should come upon them, it would be true. “they had slain him:” so that, speaking of the vengeance coming upon them, well might he say, that “upon them should come the blood of all the righteous men, from Abel to Zacharias, whom they had slain,” &c.

III. The third difficulty remains: and that is. in what sense, and with what reason and justice it is here threatened, that “the blood of all the prophets and righteous men, shed from the foundation of the world.” should be required of that generation. Some understand this more strictly: they should be charged with it, and formally punished for it, because, in imitating their cruel predecessors, they should be guilty of all their cruelty. But there is no necessity of this. All that our Saviour seems to intend, is this: that their punishment in the destruction of Jerusalem, should be so horrible, as if God had once for all arraigned them of all the righteous blood that ever had been shed in the world, and brought the punishment of it upon them; though in truth the punishment did not exceed the desert of their own sins. And if this be the meaning of it, there is nothing harsh and unreasonable in it. And thus I have explained, as well as I can, the several difficulties in the text. I shall make two or three observations from the main scope and design of it, and so conclude.

I. That it hath been the lot of holy and righteous men, in most ages of the world, to meet with very bad usage, to be “persecuted and slain.” The devil began this work early. When there were but three men in all the world, and two of them brethren; the one slew the other, “because he was more righteous, and served God better than he did. And this trade hath continued, and been practised more or less, in most ages and generations of the world, as might be deduced through the history of the Old and New Testament, and of most ages since; though “the rod of the wicked hath not always abode upon the back of the righteous, lest at last piety should be quite discouraged, and “the faithful fail from among the children of men.” The people and the church of God have had many intervals of peace and prosperity; and sometimes, for a long continuance, the favour and countenance of authority, and the powers of the world, and the laws of nations on their side.

But yet there is a continual enmity between the seed of the woman and the serpent, between the righteous and the wicked, between those that serve God, and those that serve him not; because their ways are contrary one to another, and quite of another fashion, their principles and practices do contradict and clash with one another; the virtues of good men are a continual upbraiding of the bad, a living reproof and reproach to them: go that it is no wonder, that evil men do so violently hate and persecute the good, and do by all means endeavour to remove out of the way those who are so opposite and offensive to them.

II. We may observe likewise, hence, how great a sin they are guilty of who persecute the righteous, and how terrible a vengeance from God waits on them. Particular examples of this have been in all ages: but as the guilt of this sin never went higher than at this time foretold by our Saviour, when God sent to the Jews such “prophets, and wise men, and scribes,” and such a number of them as never upon any occasion were sent into the world, and they used them in that bloody and barbarous manner; no wonder, if the vengeance that came upon them was such as never had been before; and if, after they had filled up the measure of their sins, by crucifying the Lord Jesus, and persecuting his apostles, and stoning and killing all the prophets that were sent unto them, “the wrath of God came upon them to the utmost,” and such a terrible destruction from the Lord, as never befel any people; insomuch that our Saviour, upon the foresight and mention of it, forty years before it happened, could not but weep over them, and express himself in those compassion ate words, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem: thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings; but ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate.”

III. From this whole passage of our Saviour, which I have been explaining to you, we may learn how vain it is for men to pretend to honour the dead saints, when they persecute the living. This was the great hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees among the Jews in our Saviour’s time; and is at this day of the rulers and governors of the Roman church among us Christians; nay, they exceed the scribes and pharisees, not only in their veneration of the ancient saints and righteous men, but also, if it be possible, in their malice and cruelty towards the living. For they not only build costly monuments to their memory, which was the utmost the scribes and pharisees did, but they honour them with shrines and rich offerings, with prayers and vows to them, more frequent than to Almighty God himself, and our blessed Saviour: but then they hate and persecute the living, with as great violence and cruelty, as ever was used by any part of mankind towards one another. It is true they do it under the notion of heresy; and so did the scribes and pharisees too, as St. Paul witnesseth. “After the way which ye call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and in the prophets.” So they call us heretics; though we receive and believe all that is written in the Holy Scriptures, only rejecting their additions, whereby they would make the commandment of God of none effect. And as Rome is parallel with Jerusalem in many other respects; so especially in the bloody persecution of righteous men: and as Jerusalem is charged by our Saviour with the blood of all the prophets and righteous men of all ages; so St. John in the Revelation says of Rome, that “in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth: (chap. xviii. 24.) which is no less true of Rome Christian, than of Rome pagan. In all the churches and religions in the world, and perhaps in Rome pagan herself, hath not so much innocent blood been shed, as in Rome Christian and catholic, and that under a pretence of religion: and no doubt there is a day coming, when she shall be called to a heavy account for these things, “when the heavens shall rejoice over her, and the holy angels and prophets, because God hath avenged them on her.”

SERMON LXXXI.

[Preached Nov. 5, 1682.]

THE DANGER OF ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE.

I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God; but not according to knowledge.—Rom. x. 2.

THERE is nothing more commonly cried up than zeal in religion: and yet there is nothing in which men do more frequently and fatally mistake and miscarry, and in the expressions and effects whereof men ought to govern themselves with more care and caution. To speak the truth, zeal is as all other passions are, in its own nature indifferent, and of itself neither good nor bad, but according to the object and degree of it; for zeal is nothing else, but an earnest concernment for, or against, something, and a violent pursuit and prosecution of it. For if it be applied to a right object, so as we be earnestly concerned for things that are unquestionably good; and against things that are unquestionably evil, and in a due degree; that is, if the expression of it be proportionable to the less or greater good or evil of things; then it is a commendable quality or virtue: but if it be wrong placed, and we be earnestly concerned for that which is evil, and against that which is good, or about things which are of an indifferent or doubtful nature, as to the good and evil of them; or if we notoriously exceed in the degree of it, being more zealously concerned about things than they deserve, and zealously concerned about lesser things, to the prejudice of greater; in any of these cases, it is so far from being a virtue, that it is a vice, of a most pernicious and mischievous consequence, and many times hath as bad effects as can proceed from the worst principle or disposition of mind.

It is sometimes used in a good sense; but it is, when it is applied to the best things in which the honour of God and the salvation of men is concerned, to the great and unquestionable duties of religion. As zeal for the honour of God, and the place of his public worship, in opposition to profaneness: (John ii. 17.) “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up:” for an earnest desire of those gifts, whereby we are to edify the church: (1 Cor. xii. 31.) “But covet earnestly the best gifts,” so we render the words; “be zealous of the best gifts;” so it is in the Greek: for a forwardness and readiness to relieve the necessities of the saints: (2 Cor. ix. 2.) “I know the forwardness of your minds, and your zeal hath provoked very many.” And to the same purpose is that expression, (Tit. ii. 14.) “zealous of good works.” And then for a zeal for the salvation of men’s souls: (2 Cor. xi. 2.) “I am zealous of you with a godly zeal.”

But the word is much more frequently in Scripture used in a bad sense, for a malicious and furious rage, against the professors of Christianity: (Acts v. 17, 18.) “Then the high-priest, and they that were with him, were filled with indignation (the word is zeal) and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in prison.” And, (chap. xiii. 45.) it is said, “the Jews were filled with zeal, and spake against those which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” And, (chap. xvii. 5.) “The Jews, which believed not, moved with zeal, gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar.”

It is frequently reckoned amongst the works of the flesh, and mentioned in the company of the greatest vices and crimes: wrath, contention, division, sedition, murders, tumults, confusions: (Rom. xiii. 13.) “Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and zeal.” (1 Cor. iii. 3.) “Whereas there is among you zeal, and strife, and divisions; are ye not carnal?” (2 Cor xii. 20.) “Lest there be debates, zeal, wrath, strife.” (Gal. v. 19, 20, 21.) “The works of the flesh are manifest;” among which the apostle reckons “hatred, variance, zeal, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders.” St. James calls it a “bitter zeal:” (James iii. 14, 15, 10.) “But if ye have bitter zeal and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above; but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where zeal and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” By which it appears, that zeal most frequently goes under a bad name and character in Scripture; zeal, I mean, in matters of religion; for of that most of the texts I have mentioned speak; and this is that which St. Paul means here in the text, by a “zeal of God;” that is, a zeal about religion and Divine things. “I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God; but not according to knowledge.”

In which words the apostle being desirous to say the best he could of his countrymen, the Jews, he commends the good meaning of their zeal, and blames the ill conduct of it. “I bear them record, μαρτυρῶ αὐτοὶς, I give this testimony on their behalf, that they have a zeal of God;” that is, that by all this fierceness against the Christian religion, they intend the honour of God, and think they do him service: but yet this zeal is greatly to he condemned; because it is a mistaken and misguided zeal not at all directed as it should be: “they have a zeal of God; but not according to knowledge.”

From which words I shall take into consideration these three things:

I. What are the qualifications and properties of a zeal “according to knowledge.”

II. By what marks and characters we may know that zeal, which here, and elsewhere in Scripture, is condemned, as not being “according to knowledge.”

III. How far the doing of any thing, out of a zeal for God, doth mitigate and extenuate the evil of it. For when the apostle here testifies concerning the Jews, that they had “a zeal of God;” he speaks this in favour of them, and by way of mitigation of their faults. When I have handled these three particulars, I shall apply my discourse to the present occasion of this day.

I. What are the qualifications and properties of a zeal “according to knowledge.” I shall mention these three:

1. That our zeal be right, in respect of its object.

2. That the measure and degree of it be proportioned to the good or evil of things, about which it is conversant.

3. That we pursue it by lawful ways and means.

1. That our zeal be right, in respect of its object; F mean, that those things which we are zealous for, be certainly and considerably good; and that those things which we are zealous against, be certainly and considerably evil. A mistake in any of these quite mars our zeal, and spoils the virtue of it: and though it be never so much intended for God, it is not at all pleasing and acceptable to him; because it is a blind, and ignorant, and mistaken zeal: and the hotter the worse; it is not a heavenly fire, that comes down from above; but it is like the fire of hell, heat without light. If we mistake good and evil, and be zealously concerned against that which is good, or for that which is evil; the greater our zeal is, the greater is our fault; and instead of doing God and religion service and credit, we do the greatest mischief and dishonour we can to them both: or if the thing, about which our zeal is conversant, be of a doubtful and uncertain nature, this is not properly an object of zeal. Men should never be earnest for or against any thing, but upon clear and certain grounds, that what we contend so earnestly for, is undoubtedly good; and that which we are so violent against, is undoubtedly evil: if it be not, we are zealous for we know not what, and that I am sure is a zeal “not according to knowledge.”

And if the thing be certainly good or evil, which we are so concerned about, it must also be consider ably so; otherwise it will not warrant our being zealous about it. All truth is good, and all error bad; but there are many truths so inconsiderable, and which have so small an influence upon practice, that they do not deserve our zeal and earnest contention about them; and so likewise are there many errors and mistakes of so slight and inconsiderable a nature, that it were better men should be let alone in them, than provoked to quarrel and contend about them.

Thus that great heat that was in the Christian church, about the time of observing Easter, was, in my opinion, a zeal “not according to knowledge.” They were on both sides agreed in the main, which was to celebrate the memory of our Saviour’s resurrection: but there were different customs about the time, which was a matter of no such consideration, as to deserve so much heat and zeal about it, especially considering the uncharitable and mischievous consequences of that difference.

2. That our zeal may be “according to knowledge,” the measure and degree of it must be proportioned to the good or evil of things, about which it is conversant. That is an ignorant zeal which is conversant about lesser things, and unconcerned for greater. Such was the zeal of the scribes and pharisees, who were mightily concerned about external and lesser matters; but took little or no care of in ward purity, and real and substantial goodness: they were very careful, not to eat with unwashed hands, and to make clean the outside of the cup and platter; but then they were full of extortion, and all unrighteousness: they paid tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin; but omitted the weightier things, judgment, mercy, and fidelity; or, as St. Luke expresseth it, they past over “judgment and the love of God.”

A zealous strictness about external rites and matters of difference, where there is a visible neglect of the substantial duties of religion, and the great virtues of a good life, is either a gross ignorance of the true nature of religion, or a fulsome hypocrisy. And so likewise is a loud and zealous outcry against rites and ceremonies, and the imposition of indifferent things in religion, when men can release themselves from the obligation of natural and moral duties, and pass over mercy, and justice, and charity.

3. A zeal that is “according to knowledge,” must be pursued and prosecuted by lawful and warrantable means. No zeal for God and his glory, for his true church and religion, will justify the doing of that which is morally and in itself evil. “Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him?” We do not know what belongs to the honour of God and religion, if we think to promote his glory by means so dishonourable and offensive to him. The apostle pronounceth it a damnable sin, for any to charge this doctrine upon Christianity, that evil may be done for a good end, and to promote the glory of God: (Rom. iii. 8.) “As we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil that good may come: whose damnation is just.”

And yet nothing is more frequent, than for men, out of a zeal for God and religion, to overlook the evil and unlawfulness of the means they use, for the advancing so good an end. This is that which hath sanctified those refined arts of lying and perjury, by equivocation and mental reservation; those seditious ways of disturbing the peace of kingdoms, by treason and rebellion, by the excommunicating and deposing of princes, upon pretence of heresy; of extirpating those whom they please to call here tics, by inquisitions, and croisados, and massacres; and this, not only in the opinion of private persons, but in the judgment of popes, and of general councils. I proceed, in the

Second place, To shew by what marks and characters we may know the contrary zeal, that which is u not according to knowledge, which is condemned here in the text, and very frequently in other places of Scripture: and though this may be sufficiently known b y the contrary marks and properties (which I shall but briefly mention), yet to discover it more fully, I shall add one or two more very gross and sensible signs and instances of it.

1. It is a zeal without knowledge, that is mistaken in the proper object of it; that calls good evil, and evil good; a zeal for gross errors and superstitions, plainly contrary either to the revelation of God’s word, or the light of reason, or to common sense; any or all of these cannot be a zeal “according to knowledge.” A zeal for the worship of images, for praying to saints and angels, contrary to the plain law and word of God; a zeal for the sacrilegious depriving of the people of half the sacrament, contrary to our Saviour’s plain institution, and the acknowledged practice of the catholic church, for a thousand years; a zeal for that most absurd of all doctrines that ever was taught in any religion, I mean the doctrine of transubstantiation, not only without any sufficient authority from Scripture (as is acknowledged by several of the most learned of the Roman church), but contrary to reason, and in defiance of the sense of all mankind; a zeal for these, and many more like gross errors and practices, can not possibly be a zeal “according to knowledge.”

2. That is a zeal without knowledge, the degree whereof is manifestly disproportioned to the good or evil of things about which it is conversant; when there is in men a greater and fiercer zeal for the externals of religion, than for the vital and essential parts of it; for the traditions of men, than for the commandments of God; for bodily severities, than for the mortification of our lusts; for the means of religion, than for the end of it: a greater zeal against the omission and neglect of some senseless and superstitious practices, than against the practice of the grossest immoralities; and against the deniers of the doctrines of transubstantiation, and of the pope’s infallibility, an equal, if not a greater zeal (I am sure a more severe prosecution) than against those who deny our Saviour to be the true Messias, and the Son of God: this certainly is not a zeal “ac cording to knowledge.” Nor,

3. That which is prosecuted by unlawful and unwarrantable means. That cannot be “a zeal of God, according to knowledge,” which warrants the doing of evil, that good may come; the violating of truth and faith, and of the peace of human society, for the cause of the catholic church; and breaking the eternal and immutable laws of God, for the advancing of his glory. Nor,

4. An uncharitable zeal, which is an enemy to peace and order, and thinks itself sufficiently war ranted to separate from the communion of Christians, and to break the peace of, the church upon every scruple, and upon every fancy and conceit of unlawful impositions, though in the most indifferent things; nay, upon this single point, because a thing which they acknowledge lawful, and indifferent in itself, is in the worship of God enjoined by authority; the most unreasonable principle that I think ever was avowed among Christians; not to do a thing which otherwise they might do, only because it is enjoined; and to fancy that an indifferent thing be comes presently unlawful, because it is commanded by lawful authority; and that it is a sin to do any thing, in the worship of God, which is not left to their liberty, whether they will do it or not. This is not only a zeal without knowledge, but contrary to common sense. Nor,

5. A furious and cruel zeal, which St. James calls a bitter or a wrathful zeal, and which tends to “confusion and every evil work,” which is blind with its own rage, and makes men, as St. Paul says of himself, when he persecuted the Christians, “exceedingly mad” against all that differ from them, and stand in the way of their fierce and outrageous zeal.

6. And, lastly, A zeal for ignorance is most certainly not a zeal “according to knowledge;” and this is a zeal peculiar to the church of Home, by such strict laws to forbid people the use of the Holy Scriptures in a known tongue; nay, not so much as to allow them to understand what they do in the service of God; to require them to be present at their public prayers, and to join with them in them, without letting them know the meaning of them; to pretend to teach them, by reading lessons to them in an unknown tongue; and all this under pretence of increasing their devotion: as if the less men understand of the service of God, the more they would be affected with it, and edified by it.

And yet there is nothing in which the church of Rome hath been more zealously concerned, than to keep the people in ignorance: nothing they have opposed with more obstinacy, against the repeated application of princes and people, at the beginning of the Reformation, than to allow the people the use of the Scriptures, and their public prayers, in a known tongue. And their obstinacy in this point was not without reason; nothing being more certain, than that if the people were once brought to understand the Scriptures, they would soon quit their religion, which in so many things is so directly contrary to the word of God. The

Third and last thing remains to be spoken to; viz. How far the doing of things, out of a zeal for God, doth mitigate and extenuate the evil of them. For when the apostle here testifies concerning the Jews, that they had a zeal of God, lie speaks this in favour of them, and by-way of mitigation of their fault. “I bear them record;” I, who was once acted by this ignorant and furious zeal, which now possesseth them, and persecuted the Christians in the same outrageous manner, as they still continue to do, and all this with a very good conscience, as 1 thought, and out of a zeal for God and the true religion. So he tells us, (Acts xxvi. 9.) “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” So that his zeal was sincere, and with a real intention to do service to God and religion; and yet for all that was very faulty and sinful, and, if he had persisted in it, damnable; so that his confidence, that he was in the right, and the sincerity of his zeal in acting according to the persuasion of his conscience, did not alter the nature of the actions he did out of this zeal, and make them less wicked in themselves; though it was some mitigation of the fault of the person, and rendered him more capable of the mercy of God by repentance, than if he had done contrary to his conscience, and the clear convictions of his own mind.

And therefore, the best way to understand the great evil and wickedness of this furious and blind zeal, will be, to consider the account which St. Paul, after his conversion, gives of his own doings, and what a load he lays upon himself, notwithstanding the sincerity of his zeal, and that he acted according to his conscience. Acts viii. and ix. you have the history at large of his outrageous doings, how “he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women to prison;” how he breathed “out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” (Acts xxii. 4.) “I persecuted (says he) this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” (And chap. xxvi. 10, 11.) “Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them; and 1 punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and, being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to strange cities.” (Gal. i. 13, 14.) “Ye have heard (says he) of my conversation in times past, in the Jews religion; how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.” (1 Tim. i. 13.) “Who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious.” So that he chargeth himself with the guilt of blasphemy and murder, and a most furious and outrageous persecution of good men; for which elsewhere he pronounceth himself” the chief of sinners.” From whence it evidently appears, that men may do the most wicked and damnable sins out of a zeal for God.

And this was the case of many of the Jews, as our Saviour foretold, that the time should come, when they should kill them, thinking they did God good service. But yet for all this, the apostles of our Lord make no scruple to charge them with down right murder: (Acts ii. 23.) speaking of their putting our Saviour to death, “whom ye by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” (And, Acts vii. 52.) “The just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.”

Yet notwithstanding their sin was of this high nature in itself, it was some mitigation of the fault of the persons, that they did these things out of an ignorant zeal, and rendered them more capable of the mercy of God, upon their repentance. And upon this account our Saviour interceded with God for mercy for them: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” St. Peter also pleads the same in mitigation of their fault: (Acts iii. 17.) “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” And St. Paul tells us, that he found mercy, upon his repentance, on this account: (1 Tim. i. 13.) “But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, and in unbelief.” But still, for all this, wicked things done out of conscience and zeal for God are damnable, and will prove so, without repentance.

I shall now draw some inferences from this discourse, by way of application.

1. If it be so necessary that our zeal be directed by knowledge, this shews us how dangerous a thing zeal is in the weak and ignorant sort of people. Zeal is an edge-tool, which children in understanding should not meddle withal; and yet it most frequently possesseth the weakest minds; and commonly by how much the less knowing people are, by so much the more zealous they are: and in the church of Rome, where knowledge is professedly discouraged, and suppressed in the common people, zeal is mightily countenanced and cherished. And they make great use of it; for this blind and furious zeal, is that which inspires them to do such cruel and barbarous things, as were hardly ever acted among the heathen. Zeal is only fit for wise men; but it is chiefly in fashion among fools.

Nay it is dangerous in the hands of wise men, and to be governed and kept in with a strict rein; otherwise it will transport them to the doing of undue and irregular things. Moses, one of the wisest and best of men, and most likely to govern and manage his zeal as he ought, and to keep aloof from all excess and extravagance, being the meekest man upon earth; yet he was so surprised, upon a sudden occasion, that in a fit of zeal he let fall the two tables of the law, which he had but just received from God, and dashed them in pieces. A true emblem of an ungoverned zeal, in the transport whereof even good men are apt to forget the laws of God, and let them fall out of their hands, and to break all the obligations of natural and moral duties.

2. From hence we plainly see, that men may do the worst and wickedest things out of a zeal for God and religion. Thus it was among the Jews, who engrossed salvation to themselves, and denied the possibility of it to all the world besides; and the church of Rome have taken copy by them, as in an arrogant conceit of themselves, so in the blindness, and fury, and uncharitableness of their zeal towards all, who refuse to submit to their authority and directions.

And as the teachers and rulers of the Jewish church did of old, so doth the church of Rome now: “they take away the key of knowledge from the people, and will neither enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, nor suffer those that would to enter in.” They brand for heretics those who make the Holy Scriptures the rule of their faith and worship; as St. Paul tells us the Jews did in his time. (Acts xxiv. 14.) “After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.” They establish the merit of their own righteousness, “not submitting to the righteousness of God,” by the faith of Jesus Christ. So St. Paul tells us the Jews did, in the verse immediately after the text; “for they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.” And as the Jews anathematized and excommunicated the first Christians, and persecuted them to the death, as our Saviour foretold, that the time would come, when they should put them out of their synagogues, yea, and kill them, thinking they did God good service; so the church of Rome hath, for many ages, used the sincere professors of the same religion, persecuting them, first with excommunication, and then with fire and faggot: and with all the violence and fury in the world endeavouring the utter extirpation and ruin of them, by bloody croisados and a barbarous inquisition, by treacherous massacres, and all sorts of hellish plots and machinations: witness the monstrous design of this day, never to be remembered or mentioned without horror, to have destroyed at one blow, and have swallowed up in common ruin, our king, and prince, and nobles, and the representative body of the whole nation! witness the bloody massacre of Ireland, and all their wicked designs and practices continued to this very day!

3. And lastly, That zeal for God and religion does not alter the nature of actions done upon that account. Persecution and murder of the sincere professors of religion, are damnable sins, and no zeal for God and religion can excuse them, or take away the guilt of them: zeal for God will justify no action that we do, unless there be discretion to justify our zeal.

SERMON LXXXII.

[Preached Nov. 5, 1686.]

THE BEST MEN LIABLE TO THE WORST TREATMENT FROM MISTAKEN ZEALOTS.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that lie doth God service.—John xvi. 2.

THESE words were spoken by our blessed Saviour, when he was about to leave the world; at the thoughts whereof, finding his disciples to be exceedingly troubled, he comforts them by the consideration of the great benefit and advantage which from thence would accrue to them; he tells them that he was going to heaven to intercede for them, and to make way for their admission there; and withal promiseth, that his Father would send the Holy Ghost, who should abundantly supply the want of his presence with them; but he tells them, at the same time, that they should meet with very ill entertainment and usage from the world: but so had he: (chap. xv. 18.) “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you;” and why should they expect to be better treated than he was? (Ver. 20.) “Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the Lord; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

And at the beginning of this chapter, he tells them, that he did on purpose forewarn them of these things, to prepare their minds beforehand, and to arm them against the worst that might happen: (ver. 1.) “These things have J spoken unto you that you should not be offended.” And then he declares more particularly, how far the rage and malice of men should proceed against them, and in what kind they should suffer: “They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service.”

So that our Saviour here foretels two sorts of persecution, which his disciples should be exercised withal—excommunication: “they shall put you out of their synagogues:” and excision: “yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service.” And these, perhaps, were but several kinds and degrees of excommunication; for the clearer understanding whereof, it will be requisite briefly to explain the three degrees of excommunication among the Jews.

The first called Niddui, is that which our Saviour here means by putting out of the synagogue; and which he elsewhere expresseth by ἀφόρισμος, or separation. (Luke vi. 22.) “Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company.” And the effect of this excommunication was to exclude men from the communion of the church and people of God, and from his service, which was a great disgrace; because after this sentence none of the Jews were to converse with them, but to look upon them as heathens and publicans.

The second degree of this censure was called Cherem; which included the first, but extended farther, to the confiscation of goods into the sacred treasury, and devoting them to God; after which there was no redemption of them. And of this we find express mention (Ezra x. 7, 8.) where it is said, that “they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; and that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the councils of the princes and elders, all his substance should be devoted, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.”

The third degree was Shammatha, when the rebellious and contumacious person was anathematized and devoted, and, as some conceive, according to the law (Levit. xxvii. 29.) was to be put to death; though other very knowing men in the Jewish learning think it amounted to no more than a final sentence, whereby they were left to the judgment of God, by some remarkable judgment of his to be cut off from the congregation of Israel.

Of the first and last of these degrees of excommunication our Saviour seems here to speak; but whether, in both instances in the text, he alludes in the one to the lowest, and in the other to the highest degree of excommunication among the Jews, is not so certain. To the first he plainly does, when he says, “they shall put you out of the synagogues:” and then he adds, that they should proceed much higher against them, even to put them to death: if the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service;” that is, they should not only think it lawful to kill them, but look upon it as a duty, as a high act of religion, as an acceptable piece of worship, and “a sacrifice well-pleasing to God.” For so, indeed, the word does not only import, but most properly signify, “Whosoever killeth you shall think,” λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ Θεῷ, “that he offers a sacrifice to God;” for so the word λατρεία is sometimes used for a sacrifice; but, being joined with προσφέρειν, seems necessarily to be determined to that sense.

From the words, thus explained, I shall make these following observations, very proper for our consideration upon the occasion of this day.

1. That the best of men may be separated and excluded from the communion of those who may assume to themselves to be the true and the only true church; yea, and suffer under the notion of very bad and criminal persons. This our Saviour here fore to Id of his apostles, some of the best men that ever lived: “They shall put you out of the synagogues.”

2. That they who are thus excommunicated by the pretended true church, may nevertheless be real members of the true church of Christ. Though the apostles were thus dealt withal by the Jewish church, they did not cease, for all that, to be members of the true church of God.

3. That from uncharitable censures men do easily and almost naturally proceed to cruel actions. After they had put the disciples of our Lord out of their synagogues, and thereby concluded them to be here tics and reprobates, they presently proceed to kill them, as not worthy to live. “They shall put you out of their synagogues;” and when they have done that, they will soon after think it a thing not only fit, but pious and meritorious, to put you to death; the time will come, that they will think it a good service to God to kill you.

4. That men may do the vilest things, and the most wicked, not only under a grave pretence of religion, but out of a real opinion and persuasion that they do religiously. Murder is certainly one of the greatest and most crying sins; and yet our Saviour fortels, that the Jews should put his disciples to death, being verily persuaded that in so doing they offered a most acceptable sacrifice to God: “Yea the time shall come, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offers a sacrifice to God.”

5. That such actions are nevertheless horribly impious and wicked, notwithstanding the good mind with which, and the good end for which, they are done. The Jews were not excused from the guilt of persecution and murder, for all they thought they did well in killing the disciples of our Lord.

6. I observe that the corruption of the best things is the worst. Religion is the highest accomplishment and perfection of human nature; and zeal for God and his truth an excellent quality, and highly acceptable to God: and yet nothing is more barbarous, and spurs men on to more horrible impieties, than a blind zeal for God, and false and mistaken principles in the matter of religion; as is plain from the instances here before us in the text. I shall speak as briefly as I can to these observations.

1. That the best of men may be separated and excluded from the communion of those, who may assume to be the true and only true church, and that under the notion of very bad and criminal persons. This our Saviour foretels in the text should be the fate of his apostles, some of the best and holiest persons that ever lived; “they shall put you out of the synagogues.”

And what the Jews did in the beginning of Christianity to the apostles of our Lord and Saviour, hath been too frequently practised since, by some of the professors of Christianity towards one another; and very good men have in several ages fallen under the censure of excommunication, and have been separated from the external communion of the church, and branded with the odious names of heretics and apostates, by those who have arrogated to themselves to be the only orthodox and true church, and have got the external power and management of religion into their hands; witness the case of Athanasius and others, in the reign and prevalency of Arianism; and the ill treatment, that not only particular persons, eminent for their learning and piety, but whole churches have met with in this kind, from that haughty and uncharitable church, which makes nothing of thundering out this most fearful sentence of excommunication against persons, and churches much better and more Christian than herself, and against all that will not submit to her pretended in fallibility, and usurped authority over the souls and consciences of men.

But it is our great comfort, that the apostles and disciples of our Lord and Master were thus used, by a church that made the same pretences that they do, and upon grounds every whit as plausible, as I could clearly shew, if I were minded to pursue and make out this comparison.

2. They who are thus excommunicated, by the pretended only true church, may nevertheless be true members of the church of Christ. Though the apostles were thus deal t withal by the Jewish church, they did not cease for all this to be real members of the true church of God. For it is not calling here tics first, that proves them that do so to be no heretics, or acquits them from the same or greater crimes, than those which they are so forward to charge upon other men; nor will God condemn all those who are excommunicated by men, and deny salvation to every one whom they shall please to separate from their society, and to call by some odious name. Men may be put out of the synagogue, and yet received into heaven; for the judgment of God is not according to the uncharitable censures of men, but according to truth and right.

The sentence of excommunication is certainly very dreadful where it is duly inflicted; and, next to the judgment of God, men ought to be afraid of justly incurring the danger of censure; and it ought to be upon very plain and evident grounds that men either separate themselves, or endanger their being cut off from the communion of the church they live in: but when it once comes to this, that a church is infected with gross errors and corruptions, plainly contrary to the word of God, especially if that church will impose her errors upon all that are of her communion; then those who refuse to comply, do not separate themselves, but are cut off; do not depart, but are driven out of the communion of that church; and separation in that case is as innocent and free from the guilt of schism, as the cause of it is; for the terms of communion are become such, that those who are convinced of those errors and corruptions can have no salvation, if they continue in that communion, and then I am sure their salvation will not be endangered by leaving it, or being excommunicated out of it; for that would be the hardest case in the world, that men should be damned for continuing in the communion of such a church, and damned likewise for being cast out of it.

Therefore no man ought to be terrified because of the boldness and presumption of those, who with so much confidence, and so little charity, damn all that are not in their communion; for we see plainly from the text, that men may be in the right and surest way to salvation, and yet be excommunicated by those who call themselves the true church, and will not allow salvation to any but those of their own communion. The disciples of our Lord and Saviour were certainly very good men, and in a safe way of salvation, though they were excommunicated, and put out of the synagogue by the chief priests and rulers of the Jewish church. I proceed to the

3d Observation, which was this, that from uncharitable censures, men do by an easy step and almost naturally proceed to cruel actions. After the Jews had put the disciples of our Lord out of their synagogues, and thereby concluded them to be heretics and reprobates, no wonder they should proceed to kill those, whom they thought not worthy to live; “they shall put you out of their synagogues,” (says our Saviour) and when they have done that, they will soon think it a thing not only fit and reasonable, but pious and meritorious, and a good piece of service done to God, to put you to death. Uncharitableness naturally draws on cruelty, and hardens human nature towards those, of whom we have once conceived so ill an opinion, that they are enemies to God and his truth.

And this hath been the source of the most barbarous cruelties that hath been in the world; witness the severity of the heathen persecution of the Christians, which justified itself by the uncharitable opinion which they had conceived of them, that they were despisers of religion and the gods, and consequently atheists; that they were pertinacious and obstinate in their opinions; that is, in the modern style, they were heretics. And the like uncharitable conceit among Christians hath been thought a sufficient ground (even in the judgment of the infallible chair) for the justification of several bloody massacres, and the cruel proceedings of the inquisition against persons suspected of heresy; for after men are once sentenced to eternal damnation, it seems a small thing to torment and destroy their bodies.

4. Men may do the vilest and most wicked things, not only under a grave pretence of religion, but out of a real opinion and persuasion of mind, that they do religiously. Murder is certainly one of the great est and most crying sins; and yet our Saviour foretels, that the Jews should put his disciples to death, being verily persuaded that in so doing they should offer a most acceptable sacrifice to God; “yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offers a sacrifice to God.”

Not but that the great duties and virtues of religion are very plain and easy to be understood; and so are the contrary sins and vices: but then they are only plain to a teachable, and honest, and well-disposed mind; to those who receive the word with meekness, and are not blinded with wrath and furious zeal; to those that receive the truth into an honest heart, and entertain it in the love of it: they are plain to the humble and meek; for the humble God will guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his ways; such as these God seldom suffers to fall into fatal mistakes about their sin, or duty, so as to call good evil, and evil good; to call light darkness, and darkness light; to think uncharitableness a virtue, and downright murder a great duty.

But if men will give up themselves to be swayed by self-love and self-conceit, to be governed by any base or corrupt interest, to be blinded by prejudice, and intoxicated by pride, to be transported and hurried away by violent and furious passions, no wonder if they mistake the nature, and confound the differences of things, in the plainest and most palpable cases; no wonder if God give up persons of such corrupt minds to strong delusions to believe lies. It ought not to be strange to us, if such men bring their understandings to their wills and interests, and bend their judgments to their prejudices, make them stoop to their pride, and blindly to follow their passions, which way soever they lead them; for God usually leaves such persons to themselves, as run away from him, and is not concerned to se cure those from splitting upon the most dangerous rocks, who will steer their course by no compass, but commit themselves to the wind and tide of their own lusts and passions.

In these cases men may take the wrong way, and yet believe themselves to be in the right; they may oppose the truth, and persecute the profess ors of it, and be guilty of the blackest crimes, and the most horrid impieties, malice and hatred, blasphemy and murder; and yet all the while be verily persuaded that they are serving God, and sacrificing to him.

Of this we have a plain and full instance in the scribes and pharisees, the chief priests and rulers among the Jews, who because they sought the honour of men and not that which was from God, and loved the praise of men more than the praise of God; because they were prejudiced against the meanness of our Saviour’s birth and condition, and had upon false grounds (though, as they thought, upon the infallibility of tradition, and of Scripture interpreted by tradition) entertained quite other notions of the Messias, from what he really was to be; because they were proud, and thought themselves too wise to learn of him: and because his doctrine of humility, and self-denial, did thwart their interest, and bring down their authority and credit among the people; therefore they set themselves against him with all their might, opposing his doctrine, and blasting his reputation, and persecuting him to the death; and all this while did bear up themselves with a conceit of the antiquity and privileges of their church, and their profound knowledge in the law of God, and a great external shew of piety and devotion, and an arrogant pretence and usurpation of being the only church and people of God in the world: and, by virtue of these advantages, they thought they might do any thing; and that whosoever opposed the authority of so ancient and good a church, must needs be very bad men, and deserve to be proceeded against in the severest manner. As if any pretence of piety could give a privilege to do wickedly, and by how much the wiser and holier any man took himself to be, he might do so much the worse things.

There is another remarkable instance of this in St Paul, who, out of a blind furious zeal for the traditions of his fathers, persecuted the true church of God, by imprisonment and death, and all manner of cruelties; and all this while he verily thought that he was in the right, and that he ought to do all these things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And if God had not in a miraculous manner checked him in his course, and changed his mind, he would have spent his whole life in that course of persecution and cruelty, and would (with Pope Paul IV. upon his death-bed) have recommended the inquisition (or if he could have thought of any thing more severe), to the chief priests and rulers of the Jewish church.

I will not trouble you with nearer instances; though the Jewish church is not the only church in the world, that hath countenanced the destruction and extirpation of those who differ from them, as a piece of very acceptable service to God, and meritorious of the pardon of their sins.

5. I observe that such actions as these are nevertheless horribly wicked and impious, notwithstanding the good mind with which, and the good end for which, they are done. The Jews were not excused from the guilt of persecution and murder, for all they thought they did well in killing the disciples of our Lord.

For to make an action good and acceptable to God, the goodness of all causes, and of all circumstances, must concur; and any one defect in any of these does vitiate the whole action, and spoil the goodness of it. We must do it with a good mind, being verily persuaded that what we do is good and acceptable to God; in which sense St. Paul saith, “whatever is not of faith is sin;” and we must do it for a good end, for the honour of God, and the service of religion, and the benefit and edification of men. But there is one thing wanting yet, which is often forgotten, but is mainly considerable, viz. what we do with a good mind, and to a good end, must be good and lawful in itself, commanded or allowed, or at least not forbidden by God: if it be, what good circumstances soever may belong to the action, the whole action is stark naught; because the very matter and substance of it is evil, and unlawful, and damnable, though done for never so good an end. So St. Paul tells us, that they who say they might do evil, that good might come, their damnation was just. He tells us, indeed, that some would have charged this doctrine upon the Christians, and particularly upon himself; but he rejects it with the greatest detestation; and (which is not unworthy our observation) in his Epistle to the Ro man church, as if the Spirit of God, to whom all times are present, had particularly directed him to give this caution to that church, that in future ages they might be warned against so pernicious a principle, and all wicked practices that are consequent upon it.

And we find that St. Paul, after his conversion, did think it no sufficient plea and excuse for himself, and his persecution of the Christian profession, that what he did was out of zeal for God, and his true religion, as he was verily persuaded; but, notwithstanding that, acknowledged! himself a murderer, and one of the greatest sinners; for which, without the great mercy of God, he had perished everlastingly.

6. And lastly, I observe, that the corruption of the best things is the worst. Religion is certainly the highest accomplishment and perfection of human nature; and zeal for God and his truth an excellent quality, and highly acceptable to God: and yet nothing is more barbarous, and spurs men on to more horrid impieties, than a blind zeal for God, and false and mistaken principles in the matter of religion.

Our Saviour compares the Christian religion, and the ministers and professors of it, to salt and light, the most useful and delightful things in the world, enlightens the minds of men, and directs them in the way wherein they should go; it seasons the spirits and manners of men, and preserves them from being putrefied and corrupted; but if the salt lose its savour, if that which should season other things be tainted itself, it is thenceforth the most insipid and offensive thing in the world, “good for nothing, but to be cast upon the dunghill; if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Mistakes and false principles are no where so pernicious, and of such mischievous consequence, as in religion. A blind and misguided zeal in religion is enough to spoil the best nature and disposition in the world. St. Paul (for aught appears) was of himself of a very kind and compassionate nature; and yet what a fury did his mistaken zeal make him! It is hardly credible how madly he laid about him, but that he himself gives us the account of it: (Acts xxvi. 9, 10, 11.) “I verily thought with myself (says he) that I ought to do many things, contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth; which thing I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them; and I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them, even to strange cities.”

I might descend lower, and give instances both of former and latter times, of emperors and princes, both heathen and Christian, that of themselves were mild and gentle; and yet through a mistaken zeal, and the instigation of the chief priests, have been carried to cruel and bloody things. And, indeed, nothing gives so keen an edge, even to the mildest tempers, as an erroneous and wild zeal for God and religion; it is like quicksilver in the back of a sword that is not very sharp of itself, which gives a mighty force and weight to its blow, and makes it cut terribly.

And it is very sad to consider, that the zealous prosecution of mistakes in religion, hath produced sadder and more barbarous effects in the world, and more frequently, than the ordinary corruptions and degeneracy of natural light is apt to do; as the decay of the richest and most generous wines makes the sourest vinegar: so that the pasquil, or libel against Pope Urban VIII. upon occasion of his taking off the brazen roof of the old capital (which had held out so many ages, and that notwithstanding Rome had been so often sacked by barbarous nations) and his selling it to enrich his family [quod non fecerant Barbari, fecerunt Barberini] may, with: changing the name and occasion, be applied to a great many others; that they have been guilty of those cruelties against Christians, upon account of difference in religion, which the most barbarous nations never exercised upon one another.

I have done with the observations and the text; and shall I now need to make any application of what hath been said to the occasion of this day? The thing applies itself; since the horrid design of this day was undertaken and carried on upon the same pretences and principles, upon which the Jews persecuted the disciples of our Lord, and much in the same method; for they first thundered out an excommunication against them, and then took it for granted, that it would be an acceptable sacrifice to God to destroy them.

SERMON LXXXIII.

[Preached on the 29th of May, 1693.}

THE DUTY AND REASON OF PRAYING FOR GOVERNORS.

I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications and giving of thanks be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.—1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

I NEED not tell any here, that this day is appointed, by authority, for an anniversary solemnity, in a grateful commemoration of the great mercy of God to these nations, in putting an end to the intestine wars and confusions of many years, in restoring to us our own ancient government and laws, and in bringing home, as upon this day, the rightful heir of these kingdoms, to the crown and throne of his fathers: and though the glory of this day hath been not a little sullied and obscured by many things which have happened since that time, fitter now to be buried in silence and oblivion, than to be mentioned and raked up; yet it hath pleased God, in scattering those black clouds, which not long since hung over us, to restore this day to its first lustre and brightness; so that we may now with great joy look back upon it, as designed by the wise providence of God, to make way for the happiness which we now enjoy under their present majesties, by whom, under God, we have been delivered from that terrible and imminent danger which threatened our religion and laws, and the very constitution itself of our ancient government. And to this occasion, no kind of argument can be more proper and suitable than that which the text affords to our consideration, in this injunction of St. Paul to Timothy, to take care that in the public worship of God, supplications and thanksgivings be put up to God, “for kings, and all that are in authority.” “I exhort, therefore,” &c.

In which words there are four things considerable.

First, The duty here enjoined, which is prayer, -expressed to us in several words, which seem to denote the several kinds or parts of prayer; “I exhort, therefore, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority,” &c. Some of these words are of a very near signification; and yet there seems some difference betwixt them, most probably this:

1. By δεήσεις, which we render supplications, is probably meant that part or kind of prayer, wherein we supplicate God for the pardon of our sins, and for the averting and removing of evils, whether temporal or spiritual, from ourselves or others.

2. By προσευχὰς, which we render prayers, seem to be meant petitions for blessings and good things from God; and these are most properly called prayers.

3. By ἐντεύξεις, seems to be particularly meant pleadings and intercessions on the behalf of others.

4. By εὐχαριστίας, is certainly intended praise and thanksgivings to God, for his blessings and goodness to ourselves and others. This seems to be the difference between them, which, whether it be exactly so or not, is not very material, since these are unquestionably the several kinds or parts of prayer. All these several sorts of prayer, St. Chrysostom, in his comment upon this text, tells us, were publicly used in his time, in the daily service of the church: “This (says he) all communicants do know is done every day, morning and evening; how that we pray for all the world, ‘for kings, and all that are in authority.’”

Secondly, For whom we are to pray; in general, “for all men.” Our prayers are one of the greatest and best expressions of our charity, and therefore ought to be as large and extensive as our charity is. We are bound in common charity to love all men, and to wish well to them; but our bare wishes signify nothing, unless we direct them to God, who is able to confer upon them the blessings and good things which we wish to them.

And this is a charity which God hath put into every man’s power, and which the poorest man in the world, as well as the richest, is capable of exercising at all times, and upon all occasions; for the ear of God is open to the prayers of the poor, as well as of the rich, and they are every whit as prevalent with him; nay, the Scripture seems to say, that God hath a more particular regard to the prayers of the poor. So that we may be liberal and bountiful in our prayers to those to whom we are able to give nothing else; and when our hands can not reach to relieve them, we may pour out our hearts to God for them; we may pray for their spiritual and temporal good, and we may praise God for the good which befals them, though it was out of our power to be any ways instrumental to procure it for them.

Thirdly, For whom we are more especially, and in the first place, to pray; viz. for those who have the greatest and most public influence of all others upon the peace and happiness of mankind, “for kings, and for all that are in authority;” that is, for the supreme magistrate, and for all inferior magistrates, who derive their power and authority from the supreme.

Government is necessary to the welfare of mankind, because it is the great band of human society, the guard of its peace, and the security of every man’s person and property; and, therefore, we are concerned, as much as is possible, both to pray for our governors, and to bless God for them; because without them we should be in a most wretched condition. Mankind would be unavoidably miserable without government; human society would presently disband, and all things would run into confusion. It is a remarkable saying of one of the Jewish masters, “pray for the happiness of the kingdom or government; for if it were not for the fear of that, men would devour one another alive.” And Josephus tells us, that “when the Jews were made subject to the Romans (though it was by conquest) twice a day they offered up sacrifices for the life and safety of the emperor.” And this was very agreeable to what God had commanded that people by his prophet, in a much like case, when the Jews were conquered by the King of Babylon, and carried away captives (Jer. xxix. 7.) “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” And surely the reason is much stronger why we should pray for our natural princes and governors. I come now to the

Fourth and last thing considered in the text, and which I principally design to speak to; namely, the reason or argument which the apostle uses, to engage us to pray for our princes, and for all that are in authority; “that we may live a quiet and peace able life, in all godliness and honesty.” The manifold benefits and advantages which redound to us from our governors, is a sufficient argument why we should pray to God for them, and praise him likewise for so great a blessing, and that in the first place: “I exhort, therefore, first of all,” (saith the apostle) &c. Now the apostle here in the text expresseth two great advantages of government, which upon the matter do comprehend all the rest.

1. That by government we are secured in our civil rights and interests, in the quiet and peaceable possession of what is our own.

2. That we may thereby be protected in the free practice and exercise of religion and virtue.

These are the two greatest and most desirable things to man; and neither of these can be had without government. I shall briefly consider these two particulars, and then endeavour to shew, what obligation the consideration of them lays upon us, both to pray to God in the behalf of our princes and governors, and likewise to praise God for them: and then I shall conclude all with a brief application of this whole discourse to the solemn occasion of this day.

First, I shall begin with the benefits and advantages of government mentioned in the text, namely, these two:

1. That by it we are secured in our civil rights and interests, in the quiet and peaceable possession of what is our own.

Without government there could be no such thing as property in any thing beyond our own persons; for nothing but laws can make property, and laws are the effect of government and authority: nay, without government, we have no security of our persons and lives, much less of any thing that be longs to us, and is at present in our possession. Were we not protected by Jaws (which are the effect of government) we could have no safety, no quiet enjoyment of any thing; but every man must be perpetually upon his guard against all the world, and exposed to continual violence and injuries from those, who are too many and too strong for him; so that all our quiet and security from fear and danger, from the fraud and oppression of those who are more crafty and powerful than ourselves, from end less confusions and distractions, and from a state of perpetual feud and war with all mankind, is entirely due and owing to civil government.

And this alone is so unspeakable a benefit, that without it, men, of all creatures, would be the most miserable; because all that wit and sagacity, all that cunning and contrivance, which mankind hath above the brute creatures, would but enable them to do so much the more mischief to one another, and to devise and find out more powerful and effectual means and instruments to harm and destroy one another.

In short, that we live, and that we live well, in any tolerable condition either of safety or plenty, and that we are able to call any thing our own for one day, or for one hour; that we are not in perpetual terror and apprehension of mortal dangers, and that we are at any time free from the invasion of what we at present possess, by the fraud and force of others, is solely the effect of this great blessing and Divine appointment of government, to preserve the peace of human society, and by wise and wholesome laws, to tie up men’s hands from mutual injuries and violence. Upon this all the comfort and all the security of human laws does depend. From hence it comes to pass (that, as the Scripture expresseth it,) we may “sit down every man under his own vine, and under his own fig-tree,” and that there shall be none “to make us afraid.” So that if security is necessary to the comfort and happiness of mankind; then government is so too: for without this, the societies of men would presently dissolve and fall in pieces, and all things would run into confusion and disorder.

2. Another great benefit which may reasonably be expected from government (though it does not always so happen) is, that men are protected by it in the free exercise and practice of religion and virtue. Therefore we should pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority, (says the apostle) that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty;” that is, in the practice of piety and devotion towards God; of sobriety and temperance in regard to ourselves, and of justice and charity toward all men.

It is true, indeed, (and so the apostles and first Christians found it by experience) that the edge and authority of laws may be, and sometimes is, turned upon the true religion, and the sincere professors of it: but even then, though good men may receive great harms and injuries from persecuting princes and governors \;as the primitive Christians did from several of the Roman emperors); yet then it so happens, that good men have some considerable benefit and protection from the civil government and laws, being for the most part preserved from the fury and rage of the multitude; so that, though particular persons undergo the trial of cruel sufferings, yet much greater numbers do escape and are preserved.

And which is very considerable in this matter, against several of the main and essential parts of religion, there never were any human laws made; as against inward love, honour and reverence of Almighty God, and the worshipping him in our hearts, and in secret; of this great part of religion human laws can make no cognizance: nay, farther yet, against humility and meekness, against modesty and patience, against temperance and chastity, against peaceableness and obedience to government, against justice and gratitude, against charity and forgiveness of injuries, against these and such-like virtues, the apostle has told us, there is no law. Against the practice of these (without some of which government could not possibly subsist) no persecution was ever raised, no, not by the worst of governors! on the contrary, in the practice of these virtues, good men have been in all ages and times protected by law.

It is true, indeed, that good men have many times been grievously persecuted by the civil government and authority, for the external profession of revealed religion; which was the case of the Christians at that time, when the apostle commanded them to pray for kings, and all that were in authority; that, under their protection, they might lead quiet and peaceable lives, “in all godliness and honesty.” St. Paul knew very well, when he gave this injunction to them, that supplications and prayers be made for kings, “and for all that are in authority,” that the powers of the world did not at that time favour Christianity; but he knew, likewise, that government was necessary to the happiness of mankind, and that Christians, even in that state of persecution, did enjoy many considerable benefits and advantages by it, so that they were not perpetually exposed to popular rage and cruelty, and the violence of wicked and unreasonable men; which would not only have hindered the progress of Christianity, but would in a short time have endangered the extinguishing of it. Besides that, by the favour and protection of government, the Christians had many considerable intervals of peace and ease, which gave Christianity a breathing time, and opportunity to recover itself; and though the secular authority did for a long time discountenance Christianity, and keep it under hatches; that was but an accidental effect and abuse of government, and obedience was still due, and prayers for it so much the more necessary, yea, and thanksgivings to God for it very reasonable, upon account of the common benefits and advantages of it to human society.

Besides that, Christians did hope and believe, that the civil government might in time be gained to give its countenance and assistance to Christianity, and that kings and princes might become nursing fathers to the church, as was expressly foretold by the prophets, and afterwards in God’s due time was remarkably accomplished. In the mean time, Christians were patiently to obey and suffer, in expectation of those glorious rewards in another world, which were promised to their faith and patience; and to pray for the powers that persecuted them, that they also might be brought to the acknowledgment of the truth, and might use that power which God had committed to them for the protection of truth and innocency, and for the continuance and support of the true religion; which, blessed be God, was afterwards the case of Christianity for several ages. I proceed, in the

Second place, To shew what obligation the consideration of the mighty benefits and advantages of government lays upon us, both to pray to God on the behalf of princes and governors, and likewise to praise God for them.

Because in their welfare and prosperity the public peace and happiness doth chiefly consist, and in the public good consists the good of particular persons; and, above all, the piety and goodness of princes and magistrates (especially those who are in the highest place of authority) have a general good influence upon the manners of men, both for the discountenancing of wickedness and vice, and for the encouragement of religion and virtue, which are the main pillars and foundation of public peace and prosperity. A king sitting “in the throne of judgment (saith Solomon, Prov. xx. 8.) scattereth away all evil with his eyes.” The pattern of a religious and good prince is a living law to his subjects, and more than the example of ten thousand others, to mould and fashion the manners of the people to a conformity to it.

Besides that, there is (as one expresseth it) a kind of moral connexion and communication of evil and of guilt betwixt princes and people, so that they are many times mutually rewarded for the virtues and good actions, and punished for the sins and faults, of one another. Of which proceedings of the Divine justice towards the people of Israel, there are many remarkable instances in Scripture, where God rewarded the piety of good princes with great blessings upon their people, and punished the personal faults of their kings with public judgments upon the whole nation. So that in truth it is the greatest kindness and charity to ourselves, to pray for our princes and governors; because our welfare is involved in theirs, and we suffer not only in all the misfortunes and calamities which befal them, but many times upon account of their personal faults and miscarriages. Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur achivi—the extravagances of princes are punished in the misfortunes of their subjects. Thus David (otherwise a very good king) sinned in numbering the people, and the plague fell upon them; he was punished in the calamity of his people. And this was in no wise unjust, because there are always sins enough in any nation to deserve punishment, and God may take what occasion he pleases, to send his judgments upon them that deserve them; for princes and people make but one civil and political body, and what part of it soever is punished, the other suffers. And this is the true ground and reason of the communication of punishments betwixt princes and people.

Another consideration which should engage us to pray for those that are in authority, is, that we reap the great benefit of their care, and pains, and vigilancy for us—under their shadow we are safe. Our innocency and our rights are protected by their power and laws, and by the just punishments which they inflict upon evil-doers, and upon those who go about to violate our rights in any kind; so that we ought to pray and to praise God for them, as our great benefactors, and the chief instruments of our security and welfare; and therefore not only in duty, but in justice and gratitude, we are bound to wish all good to them, and to intercede with God for them, for the peace and prosperity of their government, and to bless God on their behalf: yea, we ought to do this out of love to ourselves; because their good and prosperity is our’s, their goodness and righteousness, their personal piety and virtues extend to us, and have a mighty influence upon us, to excite and encourage us to follow their good example, and to “go and do likewise.”

And we ought likewise to do this out of charity and compassion to our princes and governors, whose condition is in truth rather to be pitied and envied, and whose high place and dignity is much more to be dreaded than desired by a wise man, considering how heavy a burden they sustain, what dangers they are continually exposed to, what cares, and troubles, and censures, they daily undergo for our safety and ease. So that, whatever ambitious and inconsiderate men may think, wise men do certainly know and find by experience, that to discharge with care and faithfulness all the parts of a good governor, is a very difficult and troublesome province. Inferior magistrates find care and trouble enough, in that small share and part of it which they sustain; and, if so, then certainly the care and concernment of the whole must needs be a heavy burden indeed; and what abilities are sufficient for it what shoulders are strong enough to stand under it?

And as upon this account they have the greatest need of our prayers for God’s direction and assistance in the discharge of their high office, so likewise for his powerful grace to preserve them from sin and evil, in the midst of those manifold temptations to which they are continually exposed, in appearance much beyond other men, from the height of their condition, to pride and insolency, to injustice and oppression; from the abundance of all things, which minister to luxury and excess, and from the officious servility of parasites and flatterers, who soothe them in their faults, and humour them in their passions, and comply with their corrupt and vicious inclinations, and are always ready at hand, and for ward instruments to execute their commands, and to serve their lusts and vices.

And, as princes greatly need our prayers upon these accounts; so it is just matter of praise and thankfulness to God, when a nation hath wise, just, and good princes, who lay to heart the interest of their people, and endeavour by all the wise methods and honest arts of government, effectually to procure it; who, by their authority and due execution of the law, do discountenance, and, as much as in them lies, restrain wickedness and vice; and by their own example encourage virtue and piety in their subjects; and thereby invite, and even provoke them to the like practices: the life of a good prince is a kind of public censure of ill manners, and reproof of wicked practices. And I do not know, whether there be a more delightful sight on this side heaven, than to see those, who are in eminent place and power, even if they might do whatever they would, yet continually choosing to do what they ought; as if their power were so far from being a temptation to them to do evil, that, on the contrary, the consideration of it is one of the best and strong est arguments to restrain them from it.

Weak minds are apt to measure their liberty by their power, and to think, that the higher and greater they are, so much the greater privilege they have to be more extravagantly bad than others; but, if the matter be really considered, the argument runs the other way; and he that reasons wisely, will certainly conclude with Tully—In maxima quaque fortuna minimum licere: that “they who are in the highest station and greatest power, have, of all others, the least liberty to do what they list.” Their power, supposing it never so uncontrollable and unaccountable, would be so far from being in reason a temptation to them to do what they ought not, that in truth it would set them above the temptation of doing any ill thing; because they would stand in awe of no body, and there would be nothing that could hinder them from doing what is best, if they had a mind to it; and every one ought to have such a mind: and nothing can be more misbecoming, and more directly contrary to the nature of their office, and the power wherewith they are entrusted, than to give an example of breaking those laws, which they are to see put in execution.

God himself, because he hath all power, is therefore all goodness, and is therefore “holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works,” according to the reasoning of the author of the book of Wisdom, who argues thus with God: “It is not (says he) agreeable with thy power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished;” that is, it is not agreeable with infinite power, to do any thing that is unjust; “for thy power (saith he to God) is the beginning of righteousness, and because thou art the Lord of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all.” Infinite power is the foundation and principle of goodness and righteousness, and all-powerful being is good and righteous, not only from choice, but from a necessity of nature.

And this is the true ground and reason of that saying of St. James, that “God cannot be tempted with evil,” because his infinite power sets him above all temptation to it: for what reason can be imagined, why he that hath all power, shall have any inclination to be otherwise than good? What can tempt him thereto, since he that hath all power can neither have any hopes of being greater than he is, nor any fear of becoming less? And all temptation is founded either in hope or fear; and where neither of these can have any place, there can be no occasion, no possible motive or temptation to evil; for to be evil, and to do evil, is always an effect of weakness and want of power.

The sum of what I have said upon this argument, and the design indeed of it, is to shew, that the greater power and authority any one hath, the less liberty he hath to do any thing that is bad. And I have been the larger upon this, because I would fain imprint upon the minds of persons, whom the providence of God hath invested with great power and authority, that, as they have great opportunities of doing more good than others, so they have greater reason, and more advantages of doing it, and are more inexcusable if they do any thing that is bad; not only because their actions are of a more public influence and observation; but because their temptations to evil, how great soever they may seem to be, are in truth and reality much less than other men s. Happy are those princes that wisely consider this, and make their power and authority over others an argument to be so much better themselves, and to do so much more good to others; and because they are less subject to the coercive power of law, do for that reason think themselves so much the more obliged to be a law to themselves. Blessed be God for the happiness which we enjoy in this respect; and let us earnestly beseech him, that he would be pleased to bestow such a plentiful mea sure of his grace and Holy Spirit on our most gracious king and queen, as may effectually both engage and enable them to use their power to the best purposes for the public good.

And thus I have briefly gone over, and explained to you, the several particulars in the text: the duty of prayer here enjoined; for whom we are to pray, in general for all men; and for whom more especially, and, in the first place, “for kings, and all that are in authority;” and upon what considerations we are to pray for them; and to praise God in their behalf, because of the great benefits we receive by them, and because, both in respect of the dangers and difficulties of their condition, they stand in need of our prayers above other men; besides that in praying for their welfare and prosperity, we pray for our own peace and happiness.

And now to apply this to ourselves, and to the occasion of this day. By all that hath been said, we cannot but be convinced what cause we have to bless God for that happy government which we live under, that excellent constitution, under the gentle influences whereof we enjoy more liberty, more plenty, and more security from all manner of injury and oppression, than any nation this day on the face of the earth. Therefore, with what thank fulness should we this day commemorate the happy restoration of this government to us, after the miserable distractions and confusions of twenty years, by the restoration and return of our banished sovereign, in so peaceable, and yet so wonderful a manner, that a remembrance of it, even at this distance, is almost still matter of amazement to us!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who alone doth wondrous things.”

And with our joyful praises let us join our most devout and fervent prayers to Almighty God, for the king’s and queen’s majesties, and for all that are in authority. And I may truly say, that there was hardly ever greater reason and occasion for it, from both our distractions at home, and our dangers from abroad; never was there greater need of our earnest supplications and prayers, than at this time, when our armies and fleets are in motion, and when God seems already to have given us some earnest of good success:—blessed be his great and glorious name!

We have indeed a great army, and a more powerful fleet, than ever this nation sent forth; but unless God be on our side, and favour our cause, in vain are all our preparations; for whenever his providence is pleased to interpose, “by strength shall no man prevail.” Have we not reason then to cry mightily unto God, when the only strength of the nation is at stake, when our sins and provocations are so many and great, and there lies so heavy a load of guilt upon us? when the person of his sacred majesty is exposed to so much hazard, not only in the high places of the field, but from the restless attempts of the malicious and implacable enemies of our peace and religion, that he would be graciously pleased to go forth with our armies and fleets, and not remember our iniquities against us, but save us for his mercies sake?

We are too apt to murmur and complain of miscarriages, and the ill management of affairs; but surely the best thing we can do, and that which best becomes us, is to look forward, and to turn our censures of our governors and their actions into humble supplications to God in their behalf, and in behalf of the whole nation; “that he would be pleased to turn us every one from the evil of our ways, that he may return to us, and have mercy on us, that so iniquity may not be our ruin; that he may rejoice over us to do us good, and may at last think thoughts of peace towards us, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give us an expected end of our troubles.”

Let us then betake ourselves to the proper work of this day, hearty prayers and thanksgivings to Almighty God for the king and queen, and for all that are in authority; that as he hath been pleased by a wonderful providence to rescue us from the imminent danger we were in, and from all our fears, by the happy advancement of their majesties to the throne of these kingdoms; so he would of his infinite goodness still preserve and continue to us this light of our eyes, and breath of our nostrils, princes of that great clemency and goodness, which render them the true representatives of God upon earth, and the most gracious governors of men.

And let us earnestly beseech him, that he would confirm and strengthen them in all goodness, and make them wise as angels of God, to discern betwixt good and evil, that they may know how to go in and out before this great people; that he would give them the united affections of their people, and a heart to study and seek their good all the days of their lives.

And, finally, That he would be pleased to continue so great a blessing to us, and to grant them a long and prosperous reign over us: and that their posterity in this royal family may endure for ever, and their throne as the days of heaven; that under them the people of these nations, we and the generations to come, may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty; for his mercies sake in Jesus Christ, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, dominion and power, now and for ever. Amen.

SERMON LXXXIV.

[Preached in the Chapel of Lambeth-house on Christmas-day, 1691.]

THE LOVE OF GOD TO MEN IN THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST.

In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.—John iv. 9.

THESE words contain a clear and evident demonstration of the love of God to us; “in this was manifested the love of God towards us;” that is, by this it plainly appears, that God had a mighty love for us, that he “sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” In which we may consider this threefold evidence of God’s love to mankind.

I. That he should be pleased to take our case into consideration, and to concern himself for our happiness.

II. That he should design so great a benefit to us, which is here expressed by life; “that we might live through him.”

III. That he was pleased to use such a means for the obtaining and procuring of this benefit for us; he “sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Each of these singly is a great evidence of God’s love to us; much more all of them together.

I. It is a great evidence of the love of God to mankind, that he was pleased to take our case into consideration, and to concern himself for our happiness. Nothing does more commend an act of kindness, than if there be great condescension in it. We use to value a small favour, if it be done to us by one that is far above us, more than a far greater done to us by a mean and inconsiderable person. This made David to break out into such admiration, when he considered the ordinary providence of God towards mankind. “Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that thou shouldest consider him!” This is a wonderful condescension, indeed, for God to be mindful of man!

At the best we are but his creatures, and upon that very account at an infinite distance from him; so that were not he infinitely good, he would not be concerned for us, who are so infinitely beneath the consideration of his love and pity. Neither are we of the highest rank of creatures; we are much be low the angels, as to the excellency and perfection of our beings; so that if God had not had a peculiar pity and regard to the sons of men, he might have placed his affection and care upon a much nobler order of creatures than we are, and so much the more miserable, because they fell from a higher step of happiness—I mean the lost angels; but yet, for reasons best known to his infinite wisdom, God passed by them, and was pleased to consider us. This the apostle to the Hebrews takes notice of, as an argument of God’s peculiar and extraordinary love to mankind, that “he sent his Son, not to take upon him the nature of angels, but of the seed of Abraham.”

Now that he, who is far above us, and after that we by wilful transgression had lost ourselves, had no obligation to take care of us, but what his own goodness laid upon him; that he should concern himself so much for us, and be so solicitous for our recovery, this is a great evidence of his kindness and good- will to us, and cannot be imagined to proceed from any other cause.

II. Another evidence of God’s great love to us is, that he was pleased to design so great a benefit for us. This the Scripture expresseth to us by life; and it is usual in Scripture to express the best and most desirable things by life; because, as it is one of the greatest blessings, so it is the foundation of all other enjoyments: and therefore the apostle useth but this one word to express to us all the blessings and benefits of Christ’s coming into the world; “God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

And this expression is very proper to our case; because life signifies the reparation of all that which was lost by the fall of man. For man, by his wilful degeneracy and apostacy from God, is sunk into a state of sin and misery, both which the Scripture is wont to express by death. In respect of our sinful state we are spiritually dead; and in respect of the punishment and misery due to us for our sins, we are judicially dead, dead in law; for “the wages of sin is death.” Now God hath sent his Son into the world, that in both these respects “we might live through him.”

1. We were spiritually dead, dead in trespasses and sins, as the apostle speaks: (Eph. ii. 1, 2.) “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world.” Every wicked man, though in a natural sense he be alive, yet in a moral sense he is dead. So the apostle, speaking of those who live in sinful lusts and pleasures, says of them that “they are dead while they live.” (1 Tim. v. 6.) What corrupt humours are to the body, that sin is to the soul their disease and their death. Now God sent his Son to deliver us from their death, by renewing our nature, and mortifying our lusts; by restoring us to the life of grace and holiness, and “destroying the body of sin in us, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” And that this is a great argument of the mighty love of God to us, the apostle tells us: (Eph. ii. 4, 5.) “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.” It is an argument of the riches of God’s mercy, and of his great love to us, to recover us out of this sad and deplorable case. It is a kindness infinitely greater than to redeem us from the most wretched slavery, or to rescue us from the most dreadful and cruel temporal death; and yet we should value this as a favour and benefit, that could never be sufficiently acknowledged: but God hath sent his Son to deliver us from a worse bondage, and a more dreadful kind of death; so that well might the apostle ascribe this great deliverance of mankind from the slavery of our lusts, and the death of sin, to the boundless mercy and love of God to us. “God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he loved us, hath quickened us together with Christ, even when we were dead in sins:” when our case was as desperate as could well be imagined; then was God pleased to undertake this great cure, and to provide such a remedy, as cannot fail to be effectual for our recovery, if we will but make use of it.

2. We were likewise judicially dead in law, being condemned by the just sentence of it. So soon as ever we sinned, eternal death was by the sentence of God’s law become our due portion and reward; and this being our case, God, in tender commiseration and pity to mankind, was pleased to send his Son into the world, to interpose between the justice of God and the demerits of men; and by reversing the sentence that was gone out against us, and procuring a pardon for us, to rescue us from the misery of eternal death; and not only so, but, upon the condition of faith and repentance, of obedience and a holy life, to bestow eternal life upon us; and by this means to restore us to a better condition than that from which we were fallen, and to advance us to a happiness greater than that of innocency.

And was not this great love, to design and provide so great a benefit and blessing for us; “to send his Son Jesus to bless us, in turning away every one of us from our iniquities?” Our blessed Saviour, who came from the bosom of his Father, and knew his tender affection and compassion to mankind, speaks of this as a most wonderful and unparalleled expression of his love to us: (John iii. 16.) “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son.” “God so loved the world,” so greatly, so strangely, so beyond our biggest hopes, nay, so contrary to all reasonable expectations, as to send his only-begotten Son to seek and to save the sinful sons of men.

If it had only in general been declared to us, that God was about to send his Son into the world upon some great design, and been left to us to conjecture what his errand and business should be; how would this have alarmed the guilty consciences of sinful men, and filled them with infinite jealousies and suspicion, with fearful expectations of wrath and fiery indignation to consume them? For considering the great wickedness and degeneracy of mankind, what could we have thought, but that surely God was sending his Son upon a design of vengeance to chastise a sinful world, to vindicate the honour of his despised laws, and to revenge the multiplied affronts which had been offered to the highest Majesty of heaven, by his pitiful and ungrateful creatures? Our own guilt would have been very apt to have filled us with such imaginations as these, that in all likelihood the Son of God was coming to judgment, to call the wicked world to an account, to proceed against his Father’s rebels, to pass sentence upon them, and to execute the vengeance which they had deserved. This we might justly have dreaded; and. indeed, considering our case, how ill we have deserved at God’s hands, and how highly we have provoked him; what other weighty matter could we hope for?

But the goodness of God hath strangely outdone our hopes, and deceived our expectation; so it follows in the next words, “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world” (intimating that this we might justly have imagined and feared), but upon a quite contrary design, “that through him the world might be saved.” What a surprise of kindness is here! that, instead of “sending his Son to condemn us,” he should “send him into the world to save us;” to rescue us from the jaws of death and of hell, from that eternal and intolerable misery which we had incurred and deserved!

And if he had proceeded no farther, this had been wonderful mercy and kindness: but his love stopped not here; it was not contented to spare us and free us from misery, but was restless till it had found out a way to bring us to happiness; for “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,” not only “that whosoever believes in him might not perish,” but “might have everlasting life.” This is the second evidence of God’s great love to us, the greatness of the blessing and benefit which he hath designed and provided for us, “that we might live through him;” not only be delivered from spiritual and eternal death, but be made partakers of eternal life.

III. The last evidence of God’s great love to us, which 1 mentioned, was this, that God was pleased to use such a means, for the obtaining and procuring of this great blessing and benefit; “he sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” And this will appear to be great love indeed, if we consider these four things:

1. The person whom he was pleased to employ upon this design; “he sent his only-begotten Son.”

2. How much he abased him, in order to the effecting and accomplishing of this design, implied in these words, “he sent him into the world.”

3. If we consider to whom he was sent, to the world. And,

4. That he did all this voluntarily and freely, out of his mere pity and goodness; not constrained hereto by any necessity, not prevailed upon by any application or importunity of ours, nor obliged by any benefit or kindness from us.

1. Let us consider the person whom God was pleased to employ in this design, “he sent his only-begotten Son;” no less person than his own Son, and no less dear to him than “his only-be gotten Son.”

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