CHAP. I.

IN order to this Demonstration it is ne­cessary to be premised, That the Holiness which is the Design of the Religion of Christ Jesus, and is by various Forms of Speech express'd in the Gospel (as by Godliness, Righteousness, Conversion and Turning from Sin, Partaking of a Divine Nature, with many other) is such as is so in the most proper and highest sense: Not such as is Subjected in any thing without us, or is made ours by a meer External applica­tion, or is onely Partial; But is Originally seated in the Soul and Spirit, is a Complica­tion and Combination of all Vertues, and hath an influence upon the whole man (as [Page 6] shall hereafter be made to appear) and may be described after this manner.

It is so sound and healthful a Complexion of Soul, as maintains in life and vigour what­soever is Essential to it, and suffers not any thing unnatural to mix with that which is so; by the force and power whereof a man is en­abled to behave himself as becometh a Crea­ture indued with a principle of Reason; keeps his Supreme Faculty in its Throne, brings in­to due Subjection all his Inferiour ones, his sensual Imagination, his Brutish Passions and Affections.

It is the Purity of the Humane Nature, en­gaging those in whom it resides, to demean themselves sutably to that state in which God hath placed them, and not to act disbe­comingly in any Condition, Circumstance, or Relation.

It is a Divine or God-like Nature, causing an hearty approbation of, and an affectionate compliance with the Eternal Laws of Righte­ousness; and a behaviour agreeable to the Es­sential and Immutable differences of Good and Evil.

But to be somewhat more express and distinct, though very brief.

This Holiness is so excellent a Principle, or Habit of Soul, as causeth those that are possessed of it (I mean so far forth as [Page 7] it is vigorous and predominant in them,)

First, To perform all Good and Virtu­ous Actions, whensoever there is occasion and Opportunity; and ever Carefully to abstain from those that are of a Contrary Nature.

Secondly, To do the one, and avoid the other, from truly generous Motives and Principles.

Now, in order to the right understand­ing of this, it is to be observ'd, That Actions may become Duties or Sins these two ways.

First, As they are Complyances with, or Transgressions of Divine Positive Precepts. These are the Declarations of the Arbitrary Will of God, whereby He restrains our liberty for great and wise reasons, in things that are of an indifferent nature, and abso­lutely considered are neither Good, nor Evil: And so makes things not good in themselves (and capable of becoming so, onely by reason of certain Circumstances) Duties; and things not evil in themselves, Sins. Such were all the Injunctions and Prohibitions of the Ceremonial Law; and some few such we have under the Gospel.

Secondly, Actions are made Duties or Sins, as they are agreeable or opposite to [Page 8] the Divine Moral Laws: That is, Those which are of an Indispensable and Eternal obligation, which were first written in mens hearts, and Originally Dictates of Hu­mane Nature, or necessary Conclusions and Deductions from them.

By the way, I take it for granted (and I cannot imagine how any Considerative supposing he be not a very Debauch'd, per­son can in the least doubt it,) That there are First Principles in Morals, as well as in the Mathematicks, Metaphysicks, &c. I mean such as are self-evident, and there­fore not capable of being properly demon­strated; as being no less knowable and easily assented to, than any Proposition that may be brought for the proof of them.

Now the Holiness we are describing is such, as engageth to the performance of the Former sort of Duties, and forbearance of the Former sort of Sins, for this Reason pri­marily, because it pleaseth Almighty God to command the one, and forbid the other: Which Reason is founded upon this cer­tain Principle; That it is most highly beco­ming all Reasonable Creatures to obey God in every thing; and, as much disbecoming them, in any thing to disobey him. And secondari­ly, upon the account of the Reasons (if [Page 9] they are known) for which God made those Laws. And the Reasons of the Posi­tive Laws contained in the Gospel are de­clared, of which I know not above three that are purely So, viz. That of going to God by Christ, and the Institutions of Ba­ptism and the Lord's Supper.

Again, This Holiness is such as engageth to the performance of the Duties, and for­bearance of the Sins of the second kind; not meerly because it is the Divine plea­sure to publish Commands of those, and Prohibitions of these; but also, and espe­cially, for the Reasons, which moved God to make those Publications: namely be­cause those are Good in themselves, and in­finitely becoming Creatures indued with Understanding and Liberty of Will; and these are no less evil in their own Nature, and unworthy of them.

That man that would forbear, gratefully to acknowledge his Obligations to God, or to do to his Neighbor as he would that he should do to him, &c. on the one hand; and would not stick at dishonouring his Maker, or abusing his Fellow Creatures in any kind, &c. on the other; if there were no written Law of God for the former, and against the latter; doth not those Duties, nor forbears these Sins, by virtue of an [Page 10] Holy nature that informs and acts him; but is induced thereunto by a meer Ani­mal principle, and because it is his interest so to do. And the Reason is clear, because no one that doth thus, onely in regard of the Written Precepts and Prohibitions of the Divine Majesty, doth so out of respect to them, as such, but as they have promises, but especially threatnings annexed to them: For to be sure, he that performs the one, and forbears the other from any Lovely notion he hath of Obedience, and any hateful one he hath conceived of diso­bedience, will also make Conscience of those and the like Duties, in regard of the good­ness, becomingness, and Excellency he di­scerns in them; and will abstain from these and the like Sins, because of the intrinsick Evil, Turpitude, and Deformity he appre­hends in them: For those are no whit less manifestly lovely, and Worthy of Man­kind, than is Obedience to the Divine Will, considered in an abstracted notion; nor these less apparently vile, and abominable than is Disobedience. For, that very Rea­son, that makes it an intolerable thing to disobey a Law of God, (viz. because it is highly Unjust so to do) makes it so also to Commit the forementioned, and such like Sins; and so on the Contrary. Now this [Page 11] Proposition; That it is a base thing to do unjustly, is one of those which I call first principles; than which there is nothing Man-kind doth more naturally assent to: And those Sins with many other are alike plain instances and expressions of that shameful vice Injustice, though not of an equal degree of it.

The summe of what we have said in this account of the Nature of True Holiness is this, viz. That it is such a Disposition and Temper of the inward man, as powerfully en­clines it carefully to regard and attend to, af­fectionately to embrace and adhere to, to be actuated by, and under the Government of all those Good Practical Principles that are made known either by Revelation, Nature, or the use of Reason.

Now though Nothing is more natural to the Souls of Men considered in their pure Essentials, and as they came out of their Creatour's hands, than this most Excellent Temper; yet by their Apostacy from God, and sinking into Brutish sensuality, did they sadly disposses themselves of it, and so became like the Beasts which perish. But it pleased the Infinite Goodness of the Divine Majesty not to give us o­ver so; For when we had destroyed our selves, in him was our Help found. [Page 12] He greatly concerned himself for the Recovery of Fallen Mankind by various means and Methods, and when the world was at the very worst, did he make use of the most Sovereign and effectual Remedy. He, who at Sundry times, and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, did in these last days send his dearly Beloved, and onely Begotten Son to us. And to prove that the Great Errand he came upon was the effecting of our Deli­verance out of that sinful State we had brought our selves into, and the putting us again into possession of that Holiness which we had Lost, is now our Next Business.

CHAP. II.

IN the first place, in order to the proof of this, it is worthy our observation, that S. Iohn the Baptist being sent to prepare the way before our Saviour, did so, by teaching the Doctrine of Repentance, and Baptizing men thereunto: And that we [Page 13] no sooner read of his appearing in Pub­lique, and entring upon his Office of Har­binger or Fore-runner, but we find him Preaching this Doctrine, and making use of the News of the Messiah's Approach, as a Motive to perswade them to that Duty. Matth. 3. 1, 2. In those days came Iohn the Baptist preaching in the Wilderness of Iudea, and saying; Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Hea­ven is at hand. And this was that which the Angel foretold Zacharias he should do, when he gave him the first notice that he should be the Father of such a Son. Luk. 1. 16, 17. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before him in the power, and Spirit of Elias, to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the disobedient to the Wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord: That is, He shall make way for the Messiah with the same zeal against all wickedness, as was expressed by Elias, and likewise with an immediate Commis­sion from Heaven, as he had, in order to the working of a General Reforma­tion among the Jews. This sheweth that Christ's Great errand into the world was mens thorow-conversion from Sin, and the making them truly Holy; seeing that the only preparation necessary for the enter­tainment [Page 14] of him consisted in having this work begun in them.

Secondly, Upon the first news of Christ's near Approach brought by Malachi the last of the Prophets, this is expressed by him as that which should be his Grand Bu­siness when he was come, Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3.—The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the Messenger of the Cove­nant whom ye delight in (or, have a longing expectation of:) Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts: But who may abide the day of his coming? Or who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a Refiner's fire, and like Fuller's Soap: And he shall sit as a Refiner, and purifier of Silver; and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi, and purge them as Gold is purged, &c.

Thirdly, Immediately after his concepti­on in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, this was foretold to Ioseph Concerning him by an Angel, Matth. 1. 21. She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his Name Jesus; for He shall save his people from their sins. This Blessing of making men Holy was so much the design of Christ's coming, that He had his very Name from it. Observe the words are; He shall save his people from their sins; not from the punishment of them: And (as will fully appear hereafter) that is the pri­mary [Page 15] sence of them, which is most plain­ly expressed in them: That he shall save his people from the punishment of sin is a true sence too, but it is secondary and implied only; as this latter is the never failing and necessary consequent of the former Sal­vation.

This again was foretold by Zacharias, betwixt his Conception and Birth. He saith, Luke 1. 72, &c. That God performed his covenant in sending Christ; which cove­nant consists in this, That He would grant us, that We being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in Holiness and Righteousness before him, all the days of our Life.

Fourthly, We likewise find this expres­sed by Simeon, immediately upon his Birth, Luke 2. 32. Where having called him God's Salvation, which He had prepared before the face of all people, he adds that, He is a Light to lighten the Gentiles: whereby is meant, that he should bring them into the way of Righteousness and true Holiness. Holiness is in not a few places expressed by the Metaphor of Light, and Wickedness by that of Darkness: Turning from Darkness to Light is explained by Act▪ 26. Turning from the power of Satan unto God. And the following clause, viz. And the Glory of thy people Is­rael, [Page 16] signifieth the same thing: Namely, that in the place of their outward and Ce­remonial observances, called by the Apo­stle Gal. 4. 9 Beggarly Elements; He should bring in among them a far more Noble, viz. an inward substantial and Everlasting Righte­ousness; and by abrogating that, and esta­blishing only this Righteousness, He should enlarge their Church, an accession of the Gentiles being by that means made un­to it.

Fifthly, This is expressed by S. Iohn the Baptist, immediately before our Savi­our's solemn entrance upon his office, as the business he was undertaking, Matth. 3. 11, 12. I indeed baptize you with Water unto re­pentance (that is especially from the more plain and confessed exorbitances) but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (which will take away those stains and pollutions, that Water cannot:) whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor.

Sixthly. Again, after our Saviour's en­trance upon his office, he himself declared, that, He came to call sinners to Repentance: And that he was so far from coming to de­stroy the Law and the Prophets, that he [Page 17] came [...], to fulfil, or perfect them,Mat. 5. 17. Or [...], may signifie Fully to Preach, as Rom. 15, 19. & Col. 1. 25. that is, by giving more and higher instan­ces of Moral Duties than were before ex­presly given: And he tells the Jews pre­sently after, that, Except their Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees (that is, unless it be above their Practical and meerly External Righ­teousness) they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And he abundantly made it appear, (as will be quickly shewn) that the Reformation of mens lives, and Purification of their Natures were the Great Business that he designed.

Lastly, This was frequently asserted, af­ter he forsook the World, by the Apostles he left behind him. S. Peter told his Countrey-men, Acts 3. 26. That as God sent Christ to bless them, so the Blessing de­signed them by him, consisted in turning them from their iniquities. To you first (saith he) God having raised up his Son Iesus, sent him to bless you, by turning eve­ry one of you from his iniquities. Again, Acts 5. 31. The same Apostle, with others, saith that, Him hath God exalted with his Right Hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of Sins. Repentance first, and then Forgive­ness. S. Iohn tells us, 1 Epist. [...]. 8. that, [Page 18] for this purpose the Son of God was mani­fested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. And S. Paul calleth the Gospel of Christ, The Mystery of Godliness, 1 Tim. 3.1 Tim. 6. 3. 16. The Doctrine that is according to God­liness. And gives us to understand that, that which the Grace of God which brings Salvation teacheth, is, that denying Vngod­liness, and all worldly Lusts, we should live Soberly, Righteously, and Godlily in this Pre­sent World, Tit. 2. 12.

CHAP. III.

BUT to give a more particular proof of what we have undertaken.

First, It is most apparent, That Holiness is the Design, the only Design of the Chri­stian Precepts, and that this is the Mark which they are wholly levelled at. What theRom. 7. Apostle spake of the Iewish, may be much more said of the Christian Law, that It is Holy, just, and Good. For as Cle­mens [Page 19] Alexandrinus in his Paedagogus saith, [...], &c. Even Infant­Christianity is perfection, compared with the Law or the Mosaical Dispensation.

There is no Affirmative Precept in the Gospel, but it either Commands Holiness in the general, or one or more Particular Vertue, or Habit of Holiness, or some Es­sential Act or Acts of it; or Means and Helps to the Acquiring, Maintaining, or Encrease of it. Such as Hearing and Read­ing the Word, Prayer, Meditation, Good Conference, Watchfulness against Temptati­ons, Avoiding occasions of evil, &c.

And there is no Negative Precept, but doth forbid the Contrary to some one or more of those Duties; but doth forbid some thing or other that doth tend either directly or indirectly, immediately or me­diately, in its own nature or by reason of some Circumstance to the depraving of Humane Nature, and rendring us Perfectly Wicked, or in some degree or other less holy.

To make this appear by going over the Several Precepts contained in the Gospel, would be a work of too much time; but whosoever, as he reads them, shall duly consider each of them, cannot be to seek for Satisfaction, concerning the truth of [Page 20] what I have now said; and I dare un­dertake he will readily acknowledge, That there is nothing that is not upon its own, or some one or other, account, greatly Becoming us, and Perfective of Humane Nature, in the whole Gospel Commanded: And that there is not any thing in it self, and in all respects inno­cent, there forbidden. This can be by no means said concerning the Precepts of the Law of Moses; but that it may concern­ing those of the Gospel, is absolutely Cer­tain.

But my whole Discourse upon this pre­sent Argument shall be confined to these two Heads: Namely to shew, That the Christian Precepts require the most Exten­sive, and most Intensive Holiness; that is, exactly such a Holiness as hath been de­scribed.

First, They require the most Extensive Ho­liness, Not onely towards God, but also towards our Neighbour, and our selves. In the forecited place, Tit. 2. 12. S. Paul puts all these together, under the Phrases of Living Soberly, Righteously, and Godlily, as making up that Holiness which the Grace of God, that brings Salvation, teach­eth. The Precepts of our Saviour command us not onely to give unto God the things [Page 21] that are God's; but also to Caesar the things that are Caesar's: Not only to obey God in all things, but to be subject like­wise to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords Sake, that is, to every Ordinance of Man that doth not Contradict the Law of God: Not only to fear God, but also to honor the King, and to obey our spiritual Governors likewise, which watch for our Souls, &c. and to behave our selves to­wards all persons sutably to the Relations we stand in to them: Wives to submit themselves to their own Husbands, as un­to the Lord; Husbands to love their Wives even as Christ loved the Church: Children to obey their Parents in the Lord; and Fathers not to provoke their Children to wrath, but to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Servants to be obedient to their Masters, with singleness of heart as unto Christ, &c. and Masters to do the same things unto them, forbearing threatning, or a harsh behaviour towards them, know­ing that they have a Master in Heaven, with whom is no respect of persons. WeEph. [...]. are commanded to love not our Relations or our Friends onely, but also all Man­kind; and to do good to all without ex­ception, though especially to the Houshold [Page 22] of Faith; to good men. Nay our Savi­our hath laid a strict charge upon us, not to exclude our malicious enemies from our love (that is, of benevolence) but to prayMat. 50 for them that despitefully use us, and to Bless those that Curse us. Which Law as harshly as it sounds to Carnal Persons, they themselves cannot but acknowledge that what it enjoyneth, is heroically and high­ly vertuous.

Secondly, The Christian Precepts require the most Intensive Holiness; Not onely Negative but Positive, as was now intima­ted; that is, Not onely the forbearance of what is evil, but the performance also of what is good: Not onely Holiness of Actions and Words, but likewise of Affecti­ons and Thoughts: The worship of God with the Spirit, as well as with the out­ward man; a Holy frame and habit of mind, as well as a holy life. They forbid cherishing sin in the heart, as well as pra­ctising it in the Conversation. They make Iusting after a Woman, Adultery, as well as the Gross Act of Uncleanness. They make Malice, Murther, as well as Killing; They forbid Coveting no less than defrauding; and being in love with this worlds goods, as much as getting them by unlawful means.

[Page 23]And I shall digress so far as to say, That there is infinite Reason that Thoughts and the inward workings of mens souls should be restrained by Laws, upon these two accounts.

First, Because Irregular Thoughts and Affections are the immediate Depravers of Mens Natures; and therefore it is as necessary in order to the design of making men Holy, that these should be forbidden, as that evil Actions and Words should. But suppose this were otherwise; Yet

Secondly, Laws made against evil words and Actions would signifie very little, if men were left at liberty as to their Thoughts and Affections. It would be to very little purpose to forbid men to do evil, if they might think and love it: For where the sparks of Sin are kept glowing in the Soul, how can they be kept from breaking out into a Flame in the Life? From the abundance of the Heart the Mouth will speak, and the Hands act.

But to proceed, The Precepts of the Go­spel command us not onely to perform good Actions, but also to do them after a right manner, with right ends, &c. or in one word, from good Principles. What­soever we do, to do it heartily, as to the [Page 22] [...] [Page 23] [...] [Page 24] Lord and not as to men. To be fervent inCol. 3. 23. Rom. 12. 11. 1 Cor. 10. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 15 Mat. 5. 48. Spirit in our service of God. To do all to the glory of God. To be holy as he that hath called us is Holy, in all manner of Conversation. To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect: Which Pre­cepts shew that we ought to imitate him, not onely in the matter of our actions, but likewise in the qualifications of them: Among which, that which I said is Essen­tial to true Holiness, is a principal one; namely, To do good actions for those Rea­sons which moved God to enjoyn them, and, I adde, which make it pleasing to him to perform them himself, viz. because they are either in themselves and upon their own account excellent, worthy and most fit to be done, or are made so to be by some Circumstance.

Our whole Duty to God and our Neighbour (as our Saviour hath told us) is comprehended in the love of them: But the love of God required by him is a most Intense love: we are commanded to love him with all the Heart and Soul, mind and Mat. 19. 19. strength; And that of our Neighbour which he hath made our duty, is such, as for the kind of it, is like the love which we bear to our selves; such as will not permit us to wrong him in his good name, [...]it. 3. 2. [Page 25] any more than in his estate or person; such as will not allow us rashly to speak, or so much as think ill of him; such as will cause us to put the best constructions on those actions of his that are capable of va­rious interpretations, &c. And for the de­gree, 1 Cor. 13. 5 such, as will make us willing to lay1 John 3. 16. down our very lives for him, that is, for the promoting of his eternal happiness.

To summe up all together, We are com­manded to adde to our faith vertue, to ver­tue 2 Pet. 1. knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience Godliness, to Godliness Brotherly Kindness, and to Bro­therly kindness Charity. To behave our selves in all respects towards our Creatour as becometh his Creatures, and those which are under unspeakable obligations to him; Towards one another, as be­cometh those that are indued with the same Common nature, and according to the diverse relations, engagements and o­ther Circumstances we stand in each to o­ther; and Towards our selves according as the Dignity of our Natures require we should. In short, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, What­soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatso­ever things are of good report, whatsoever [Page 26] things have vertue and praise in them, arePhil. 4. the objects of the Christian Precepts, and by them recommended to us. Let any one read but our Saviours incomparable Ser­mon upon the Mount, the 12^th to the Romans, and the third Chapter of the E­pistle to the Colossians, and well consider them; and it will be strange should he find it difficult to assent to the truth of that Proposition.

Even Trypho himself, in the Dialogue betwixt Iustin Martyr and him, confessed, that the Precepts contained in the Book called the Gospel are [...], Great and Admirable. He saith indeed, that they are so admirable, as that he suspected them not to be by Humane Nature Observable; but in that he spake not unlike to him­self, that is a prejudiced and Carnal Iew.

If it be now objected, that notwithstand­ing what hath been said concerning the Christian Precepts recommending the most elevated Vertue to be practised by us, it is acknowledged by all Sober Christians, that they are not to be understood in so high a sense as to require of us indefective and unspotted Holiness, or at least that our Sa­viour will accept of and reward that Ho­liness which is far short of Perfect; and [Page 27] therefore he can be no such Great Friend to it, as hath been affirmed: The answer is very easie and obvious, viz. That our Sa­viour's not rigidly exacting such a degree of Holiness as amounts to Perfection, pro­ceeds from hence, that the attainment of it is in this state impossible to us; and therefore it is not to be attributed to his liking or allowance of the least Sin, but to his Special grace and good will to fallen Mankind: Nay, moreover it proceeds from his passionate desire that we may be as pure and holy, as our unhappy Circum­stances will admit; he well knowing, that should he declare that nothing short of Perfection shall be accepted at our hands, he would make us desperate, and take the most effectual Course to cause us to give over all thoughts of becoming better, nay, and to let the reins loose unto all ungodliness. But yet nothing short of Sincerity, and diligent, serious endeavors to abstain from all Sin, will be admitted by him in order to our being made the ob­jects of his Grace and Favour: And as for Wilful and Presumptuous Sins of what kind soever, he makes no allowances for them, but hath by himself and his Ministers de­clared very frequently, that they shall not be pardoned, without our unfeigned Re­formation [Page 28] from them. And, Lastly, not­withstanding the allowances and abate­ments that in tender Compassion to us he is pleased to make us, no less than our ab­solutely Perfect Holiness is designed by him, though not to be effected in this, yet in the other World.

CHAP. IV.

SEcondly, The Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel have most apparently the promoting of Holiness for their onely Design.

First, The Promises, it is plain, have. This S. Peter assureth us, 2 Epistle, ch. 1. v. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, ha­ving escaped the Corruption that is in the world through lust. And S. Paul doth more than intimate the same, in 2 Cor. 7. 1. Ha­ving (saith he) these Promises, dearly be­loved, (viz. those which the foregoing [Page 29] Chapter Concludes with) let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord. Again, Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the Mercies of God, that ye present your bo­dies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your Reasonable Service. And be ye not conformed to this present world, but be ye transformed by the Renewing of your Minds, &c.

• 1. We always find these promises either limited to Holy persons, or made use of as encouragements and exciting motives to Holiness. The Apostle tells us, that it is
  1 Tim. 4.
  Godliness which hath the promises of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. The promise of the Beatifical vision is made to the Pure in Heart. Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God. That of the
  Mat. 5. 8.
  Kingdom of Heaven to the Poor in Spirit,
  vers. 3.
  or those that are of humble and lowly
  vers. 7.
  tempers. The promise of obtaining Mercy to the Merciful. That of inheriting the
  vers. 5.
  Earth (of temporal felicity) to the Meek, or such as live in obedience to Govern­ment, &c. That of Eternal life to those that patiently Continue in Well-doing. That
  Rom. 2. 7.
  of sitting with Christ on his Throne, to
  Rev. 3. 21. chap. 2. 10
  those that overcome, that is, that mortifie their Lusts and corrupt affections. The [Page 30] promise of a Crown of life is used as a mo­tive to perswade to faithfulness to the Death. But to what purpose do I multiply instances, when as there is not a particular promise throughout the whole Gospel, but it is expressed or plainly enough intima­ted, that its performance depends upon some duty of Holiness to be on our parts first performed, or at least heartily endea­voured. And whereas the Promises of Par­don, and of Eternal Life are very frequent­ly made to Believing, there is nothing more evidently declared than that this Faith is such as purisieth the Heart, and is produ­ctive of Good Works.
• 2. Nay the Nature of these Promises is such, as is of it self sufficient to satisfie us, That Holiness is the Design of them.

1. This is manifestly true concerning the Principal Promises, or those which relate to the other life. They may be reduced to these three Heads; That of the holy Spirit; of Remission of Sin; and of Eternal happi­ness in the Enjoyment of God.

Now for the first of these, viz. The Pro­mise of the Spirit, that is it to which we are beholden for grace and assistance in the great work of subduing Sin, and acquiring the habit of Holiness; and this is the very business for the [Page 31] sake of which that Promise is made to us.

And for the second & third, they are such as none but holy Souls are capable of. That none but such are capable of having the Guilt of their Sins removed, and of being freed from the displeasure and wrath of God, is self-evident; for the Guilt of Sin must needs remain while its power conti­nues; these two are inseparable from each other: Sin is so loathsome and filthy a thing (as shall hereafter be shewn) that it is perfectly impossible that the blood of Christ it self should render a sinner lovely or not odious in the sight of God, any otherwise than by washing away the pol­lution of it. And nothing is more appa­rent, than that holy Souls alone are in a Capacity of the Happiness that consists in the Enjoyment of God in the other World; than that, as without Holiness no man shall see the Lord, (as saith the Au­thor to the Hebrews) So without it none can see him: For the full and Complete participation of God, which our Saviour promiseth his Disciples and faithful fol­lowers, ariseth out of the likeness and Conformity of mens Souls to him: But there is such a perfect unlikeness and con­trariety in impure and polluted souls to [Page 32] the infinitely Holy God, that it is impos­sible there should be any Communications from him to them, any friendly agree­ment and complacency between Him and them. He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither can evil dwell with him. Psal. 5. 4. What Communion hath Light with Darkness, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 6. 14. But vicious and unholy souls are full of Darkness, whereas God is pure splen­did Light, and in Him is no Darkness at all. The Platonists would not admit that any man is Capable of being acquainted with Divine things, that is not purged from that which they called [...], and [...], Remissness of Mind and Brutish Pas­sions. How utterly impossible then is it, that such as are not so, should be acquaint­ed with the Divinity it self? Hierocles saith [...], &c. As a Bleer eye can­not look upon [...] things very bright and shining, so a Soul unpossessed of vertue is unable to behold the Beauty of Truth: How unable then is such a soul to behold the Beauty of God himself, to see him as he is, and be happy in the sight of him? Those eyes which have continually beheld Va­nity (as saith an Excellent late writer of our own) would be dazled, not delight­ed, with the Beatifick Vision. Thanks be to [Page 33] God (saith the Apostle) who hath made Col. 1. 12. us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in Light. Those can by no means partake of it, that are not by Holi­ness made meet and disposed for it. What happiness can we find in the enjoyment of God when he is of a perfectly contrary nature to our own? and moreover, how can we then enjoy him? There must be in us a likeness to him, or we cannot see him as he is; for S. Iohn proves, that when he appeareth, we shall be like him, by this Ar­gument. It was one of the Maximes of the Excellent Socrates: [...] It is unlawful for an impure nature to touch pure Divinity. Now this being the Happiness promised in the Gospel, we easily learn from the conside­ration of the Nature of it (it being not at all gross and sensual, but purely spiritual) what is the Design of those Promises that contain it. At the first hearing of them, though they should sound (as they do not) like Absolute ones; we may be cer­tain that Holiness, and sincere endeavours after a participation of a Divine Nature must necessarily be tacit conditions of them, as without which our Souls cannot possibly be qualified and put into an apt disposition for them.

2. As the Promises which concern the [Page 34] other life are such as none but Holy Souls are Capable of, So those that only relate to this li [...]e are such as none but such Souls will be contented with. They are onely necessaries which the Gospel gives us an assurance of, and such things as may be a help to the Exercise of Vertue and Holiness; not Supersluities and such as serve to gra­tifie liquorish appetites. So we are to un­derstand that of our Saviour, Mat. 6. 3. First seek the Kingdom of God, and his Righteous­ness; and all these things shall be added unto you: The words foregoing shew, that by [all these things] we are onely to un­derstand meat, drink, and clothes. The temporal blessings that Christ engageth himself to bestow upon his Disciples, are such alone as tend to answer moderate de­sires, not to satisfie inordinate cravings: in short, they are onely such as are needful to keep their bodies in such a state as that they may be meet habitations, and instru­ments of their souls, so long as it shall be fit for them to continue in them.

Secondly, And as for the Threatnings of the Gospel, which are most terrible and dismal, that they have the same Design that the Promises have, is out of Question: For they are never used to scare men from any thing but what tends to pollute and [Page 35] debauch their souls: And the end of them is every where to excite us effectually to diligence and industry in the pursuit of Real Righteousness and Substantial Ho­liness.

The wrath of God is revealed from Hea­ven in the Gospel against all Ungodliness, and Unrighteousness of men: Such asRom. 1. 18 disbelieving and disobeying Christ's Go­spel, in the general; And particularly, such as Idolatry, Adultery, Fornication and Un­cleanness 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Mat. 5. 22. Mat. 11. 26. [...]ha. 18. 28 [...]ha. 25. 42 1 John 3. 15. [...]. 7. 1. Revel. 21. 27. Jam. 4. 6. Matth. 23. 13 Rom 13▪ 1, 2. of all sorts, Theft, Covetousness, Drunkenness, Reviling, Wrath, Contemptu­ous Behaviour, Implacability, Unmerciful­ness, Illiberality, Malice, Censoriousness, Ly­ing, Pride, Hypocrisie, Rebellion and Disobe­dience to Governours, &c. And therefore are the Committers of these and such like sins threatned, that so those, which from the consideration of their vile nature and ug­liness will not be withdrawn from them, may from a principle of self-preservation be afraid of them: And our Saviour is in­finitely Good to us in his Terrifying Threatnings, as well as in his Alluring Pro­mises. For (as Clemens Alex. in his Paeda­gogus, saith) His Threatnings proceed not from Anger, but from Great Good Will; and he therefore threatneth punishment, that sin­ners being thereby scared into Reformation, [Page 36] may by that means prevent their being punish'd. He doth not (as he proceeds) like a Serpent bite before he giveth warning. And therefore onely doth he give warn­ing, that he may not bite.

CHAP. V.

THirdly, The Promoting of Ho­liness was the Design of our Savi­our's [Page 37] Whole Life, and Conversation among Men. All his Discourses that are on Re­cord carried on this great business: Not onely his Sermons, but likewise those which were less solemn, and that occasion­ally, and as it were by the Bye dropt from Him. There is not a Parable he uttered, but some thing highly conducing to the instilling of vertue into those to whom he directed it, was the Moral of it: And all advantages and occasions he greedily em­braced for the infusing of true piety and holiness into the Souls of Men.

To give a few instances: When it was told him that his Mother and Brethren sought for him; He took that opportuni­ty to tell them, that whosoever will do the will of God, the same is his Brother, Sister, and Mother, Mark 3. 35. When he ob­served a reasoning among the Disciples, which of them should be the Greatest in the Kingdom of God; He took occasion from thence to preach to them the neces­sity of the Grace of Humility and becoming as little Children, of Self-denial, Mortifi­cation of their most beloved Lusts, and to teach them several other very excellent Lessons, Matth. 18. in the beginning. Up­on a certain woman's saying to Him, Bles­sed is the Womb that bare Thee, and the Pap [...] [Page 38] that gave Thee Suck; He minded his Hear­ers of the Blessedness of Obedient persons: yea rather (said he) are they blessed that hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11. 28. Upon Martha's desiring him to com­mand her Sister to help her in serving, he reproved her over-solicitousness about the affairs of this life, and put her in mind of the one thing needful, Luk. 10. 41. From a Pharisees ma [...]velling that he washed not before dinner, he took an Advantage to reprove their Superstition, Hypocrisies, Partial Rig [...]eousness, Pride and several other Immoralities, Luke 11. 38, &c. From a Person's desiring him to speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him, he took an opportunity to discourse against Covetousness, and to disswade from s [...]ing the heart upon earthly riches▪ from solicitousness and Carking Carefulness and to exhort to several most weighty and im­portant duties, Luke 12. 15, &c. Upon some mens talking of the Lamentable dis­aster that befel the Galileans, he took oc­casion to give a caution against Rash Iudg­ing, and to preach to them the absolute necessity of Repentance, as that without which they should all perish Luke 13. begin. Upon his observing how that at a Feast they chose the Uppermost Rooms, he laid [Page 39] hold of that opportunity to teach the ver­tue of Humility, Luke 14. 7. And in the same Chapter he took the advantage that was offered him by other Passages for the instilling of diverse other profitable Instru­ctions. And you may find in the four E­vangelists abundance of Observations of this Nature.

And as it was the business of all his Di­scourses to teach vertue, so was it also of all his Actions: He Preach'd holiness to mens Eyes no less than to their Ears, by giving them the most stupendious Example in his own Person, of all the parts of it. His whole Life was one Continued Lecture of the most Excellent Morals, the most Sub­lime and exact Vertue.

For instance; He was a Person of the Greatest Freedom, Affability, and Courtesie, there was nothing in his Conversation that was at all Austere, Crabbed or Unpleasant. Though he was always serious, yet was he never sowr, sullenly Grave, Morose or Cy­nical; but of a marvellously conversable, sociable and benign temper. Those who had Checks from his Disciples, as rude and troublesome, were never accused by Him for being so, but were most kindly listned to, and lovingly received: even little Children, as unwelcome as they were to [Page 40] them, were tenderly embraced, and blest by him. He never blamed any for inter­rupting him in his Discourses, or other bu­siness; Nor was put into the least Chafe by their so doing, but ever patiently heard them, and sent none of them from him (supposing they had no ill design in co­ming to him) without Satisfaction. When he was invited to mens Tables (as little as their chear could tempt him) he readi­ly went; nor did he esteem it as disbeco­ming his gravity to make one at a Marri­age-feast; nor to contribute to it himself neither. He did not think himself defiled by bad company, nor baulked the Society of Publicans and Sinners themselves, (as loathsome as they were to worse men, the Pharisees) but freely in order to the re­forming of them sate down, when there was occasion, and conversed with them. His first entertainment of the woman of Canaan, as uncivil as it might seem, was nothing less than so; for the unkind and contemptu­ous Language he gave her, though it was but the same which the Iews always be­stowed upon those people, proceeded from no Contempt of her; nor was it de­signed, as the event shewed, in the least to discourage her, but on the Contrary, to give her occasion to shew the Greatness of [Page 41] her Faith, in the answer she returned to it. The ever and anon infirm, imprudent and impertinent talk of his Disciples and o­thers, could not at any time put him out of his good temper, but only gave him an op­portunity of imparting to them seasonable Instructions and Wise Counsels.

The Candour also and Ingenuity of his Spirit did to great admiration discover it self: Whereof take this one Instance. Where as he (as was said) forbad censorious judging of other men; and commanded, consequently, to put the best constructions upon those actions of others that are capa­ble of various interpretations, he hath giv­en us no small encouragement so to do, by his behaviour towards those three Disci­ples, whom he could not perswade for a little while to forbear sleeping, no not in his Agony; as infinitely great obligations as he had laid upon them, to do any thing he should please to desire of them. That their sleeping at such a time looked as exactly as could be like an infallible argument of ex­treme unconcernedness for their blessed Lord, and of excessive coolness of affection to him, especially he having (I say) before desired them to Watch with him, and given them the reason why he did so: Yet for all that, would he impute it to no worse a [Page 42] cause than meer infirmity, nor entertained any ill opinion of them upon that account; and when they themselves had nothing to say to excuse their fault, he makes this A­pology himself for them; The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak: Nay though, for all this, and notwithstanding that friendly expostulation of his with Peter, [Couldest thou not watch with me one hour?] they fell asleep again, yet did he not at his last return to them pass any censure upon them, but carried it towards them as he was wont to do.

And the Gentleness and meekness of his Disposition was very marvellous: When Iames and Iohn in a great heat, would have perswaded him to call for fire from Heaven after the Example of Elias to consume the Samaritans for their inhospitable and bar­barous refusal to give him entertainment, he rebuked them immediately for that re­vengful motion, and gave them this reply; [...]e know not what manner of Spirit ye are of; For the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them, Luke 9. 55. and so, silently went his ways, without gi­ving them so much as a lash of his Tongue for so rude an affront. Never had any one so strong provocations to Wrath and Re­venge, as the Blessed Jesus; but never were [Page 43] either so undiscernible in any as they were in him. In his carriage indeed towards the Pharisees he might seem to some to be once or twice transported with a fit of unordi­nary passion, but it would not have be­come the zeal he had for God and true Goodness to behave himself otherwise to­wards such Monstrously immoral wretches and most hatefully conceited and proud Hypocrites. Nor was his overturning the Tables of the Money-changers, or Whip­ping the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple, any other than a very befitting and seemly expression of his just displea­sure against those Sacrilegious and Pro­phane people. But he was never so con­cerned for himself, for his own Reputa­tion or ought else that belonged to him, as to be put into the least heat by all the ignominious Language that was from time to time given him, and the vile reproaches and unsufferable abuses that were heap'd upon Him. When he was acosted with a never-to-be-parallel'd impudence by his Old Disciple Iudas in the Front of an Armed Multitude; who could have for­born to receive such a villainous and into­lerably base Traytor with the most Em­phatical Expressions of an Exasperated and Enraged mind? But with what wonderful [Page 44] Mildnes was that Monster of Ingratitude & Dissimulation treated by our Dear Lord! The worst words he bestowed upon him being these, Iudas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a Kiss? Nor did he more an­grily bespeak the wicked Followers than he did their Leader, when they rudely as­saulted and apprehended him. And so far was he from revenging himself upon them, as able as he was to do it effectually; and notwithstanding (as he gave them to un­derstand) that he could, if he listed, have no fewer than twelve Legions of An­gels imployed in his service, that he wrought a miracle for the healing of the wound that one of them received from the Sword of Peter; and withal charged him to put up that Weapon.

Nor was it ever in the Power either of the Calumniating and black Tongues, or rude and Cruel hands, of his bitterest Ene­mies to draw from him so much as a revi­ling or fierce word. But of so rarely mo­derate a temper and serene spirit was he, that (as S. Peter saith) When he was revi­led, he reviled not again; When he suffered, 1 Pet. 2. 23. he threatned not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. He gave his Isa. 50. 6. back to the Smiters, and his Cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, he hid not his face [Page 55] from shame and spitting. He was oppressed Isa. 53. vers. 7. and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. And thus hath he taught us by the most excel­lent Example to obey those Precepts of his whereby the Practice of that vertue of Meekness and sedateness of spirit towards injurious persons is injoyned on us.

Nor was his Meekness less to be parallel'd or more observable than his great Humili­ty; from whence indeed that proceeded, and was of this no small expression. And especially considering his high descent, most transcendent perfections and infinite worth, it was impossible he should have been so meek as to put up such contemptu­ous usage and inexpressibly provoking af­fronts as he did, if his Humility were not equal to his other excellencies, if he had not been most lowly minded and of a pro­foundly submiss spirit. God onely had the Glory of all his mighty works, he would not ascribe to himself the least. The Father, said he, that dwelleth in me, he doth the works, John 14. 10. Verily, verily I say un­to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: For, what­soever things he doth, these doth the Son like­wise, [Page 46] John 5. 19. I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek not mine own Will, but the Will of the Father which hath sent me, vers. 30—I do nothing of my self: but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things, John 8. 28.

Though He was King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, yet did he hide his greatness, told his Di­sciples that his Kingdom is not of this world, and chose the condition of a Subject and a private Man in it: Nor would he be per­swaded to assume to himself so much au­thority, as judging but between two per­sons in a case of Civil right did amount un­to. In the above-cited place (Luke 12. 15.) When one desired him, to speak to his Brother, that he divide the inheritance with him, he returned him this Answer, Man who made me a judge or a Divider over you? Nay he put himself into the Condi­tion, not onely of a private, but also of a mean, a most despicably mean person. As He chose to be born of a mean Woman, in the meanest and even vilest of places, a Sta­ble, where a Manger was his Cradle, and Brute Beasts his Chamber-fellows; so did he afterwards subject himself to his poor Mother, and the Carpenter her Husband. [Page 47] He was not unacquainted, when he was but a Child, with the Nobility of his De­scent, the Greatness of his Extraction, He even then did well understand whose Son He was, and that no less a Person was His Father than the Infinite God of Heaven and earth; for said He to Ioseph & Mary, when af­ter a sorrowful search after him they found him in the Temple, Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's Business? Yet notwith­standing He went down with them from Ie­rusalem, and came to Nazareth, and was Subject unto them, Luke 2. 49, 51. And under Ioseph, though he knew him to be but his Reputed Father (if we may be­lieve Iustin Martyr. one of the most Ancient Fathers) he wrought at his own Trade, and, as he saith, [...], did Carpentry­work; and particularly busied him­self in making [...] Ploughs and Yokes.

Again, the persons that he took for his most intimate Associates were of no better quality than sorry Fishermen, and men of the lowest rank. As for his worldly estate, I cannot say 'twas mean, for he had none at all (that is, but what he was beholden to others for.) The Foxes, said he, have holes, and the birds of the air nests, but the Son of man hath not where he may lay his head. [Page 48] And as for employments, he thought not himself too good to undertake the vilest, even one in comparison of which making Ploughs and Yokes was most Gentile, viz. The washing of his Disciples feet. In short, so marvellously humble was this Infinitely Great Person, that (as he saith, Matth. 20. 28.) He came not to be ministred unto, but to minister; And was in this world as one that serveth, Luke 22. 27. and that, though he was rich, he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. That,2 Cor. 8. 9. though he was in the form of God, he thought it no robbery (or spoil) to be equal with God; but made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him­self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, Phil. 2. 6, 7. And our Saviour hath declared that he was our Pat­tern both in his Meekness and Humility; For, Learn (said he) of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matth. 11. 29. And there­fore did he submit to that meanest office of a Servant (which was but now mention­ed) that we might from the Considerati­on of his Example, not look upon the lowest, whereby we may serve our Bre­thren, as below us: For, after he had [Page 49] washed his Disciples feet, and was sate down again, he said thus to them, Iohn 13. 12. Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am: If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one anothers feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do, as I have done unto you. Verily, Verily, I say unto you, the Servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Considering what hath been said of his chusing so mean and despicable a condition in this world, I need not spend time in shewing what an Example he hath given us of Contempt of it. Never was any one so dead to its pleasures as he was: Nor were ever its Glories so trampled on by the feet of any, as by our Saviour's: And that, not as were the Carpets of Plato by that Cynick Diogenes, who was truly enough (no question) told by that great Philo­sopher, that he trod under foot the pride of Plato, with a greater Pride; for he was guilty of no insolent behaviour either to­wards Great men, or their Greatness, nor of any thing that looked in the least like it. But he gave most eminent demonstrations [Page 50] of the mean opinion he had of Popularity and Applause among men, of Titles of Ho­nour, and Vast Revenues, and that he infinitely despised them in comparison of mental Endowments and accomplishments. He confuted the idle fancies of the world concerning these and the like things, and disparaged those vain estimations that are founded upon them, in that he chose to be wholly devoid of them, and in the very other extreme to those which abounded with them: whereby he likewise signified how little evil he apprehended in Dis­esteem, Reproach and Poverty; which we vain Creatures have such frightful con­ceptions of, and so greatly dread; in that he did not at all matter them, nor in the least concern himself at them.

So Great, Generous, and Gallant a Soul had he; that he was so far from suffering his mind to be at all disquieted with them, that He voluntarily and freely chose them. For it lay in his power to be the Richest man under Heaven, and most to a­bound with this Worlds Goods, if it had so pleased him; and he could, if he had listed, have been also the most popular per­son upon earth; could always have kept the Credit which for a while he had among the Common People, and gained the like [Page 51] among all sorts: For he had infinitely the Advantage above all that ever appeared upon this Stage of the Word to have rai­sed to himself a most mighty Renown, and to be adored by all people. So that the truth of that saying of Epictetus, [They [...] are not the things themselves which so af­fright and seare men, but the false opinions they have conceived of them,] is greatly confirmed as to the forementioned reputed evils by our Saviour's Practice.

And this Blessed Person, Chusing so mean and contemptibly poor a condition of Life in the World, I need not tell you that he was perfectly contented with it; nor that he was altogether free (though he had many times scarcely from hand to mouth) from thoughtfulness & anxiety of mind concern­ing his future maintenance. For as he Cauti­oned his Disciples against taking thought for their Life, what they should eat, what they should drink, and wherewith they should be clothed; & shewed the folly and sinfulness thereof, as proceeding from dis­trustfulness of the Divine providence, (Matt. 6. 25, &c.) So was he so far from be­ing guilty of that fault himself, that he was no less liberal than he was poor. For when he was provided with a small pittance of vi­ctuals, instead of hoarding it up, or being [Page 52] saving of it, he would not think much of spending it upon others whose needs cra­ved it: We read twice of his bestowing the little stock that he and his Disciples had gotten between them, upon the Hungry Multitude, and of his working a Miracle to make it hold out among them.

And how full he was of Charity, and [...]nder Compassion, is beyond expression: For as he commended to his Disciples and inculcated upon them nothing more, nor scarcely so much; so in the exercise of no vertue was he more exemplary. We read often of the yerning of his Bowels towards miserable mortals, and his Pity did al­ways exert it self in acts of Mercy. Never did any make application to him for deli­verance from the Evils that did afflict them, that had not their requests granted them: Nor were any more forward to beg relief of any kind of him, than he was to bestow it upon them: Nay he frequently made poor Creatures the objects of his merey before it was sought for by them. It was even his whole business to oblige the world by signal kindnesses, and (as shall be farther shewn anon) he continu­ally went up and down doing good either to the bodies or souls of men. Nay his charity was of so large and Universal ex­tent, [Page 53] that the Wicked and unthankful, and even his bitterest enemies, were (as well as other [...]) very ample partakers of it. Whereas the duty of blessing those that curse us, and praying for those that di­spitefully use us, is to our corrupt natures one of the harshest and most difficult of any he hath imposed upon us, he hath ta­ken a course by the admirable Example he hath herein given us, to make it one of the easiest and most pleasant to us. For the Devilish Malice that by the vilest of men was exprest towards him, could not in the least imbitter his spirit or harden his heart against them: Nor could he be dis­swaded by it from persisting in doing good to them: but continued to entreat them to accept of life from him, to grieve at their infidelity, and with tears to bewail their most obstinate perverseness. And lastly, when their inveterate and implaca­ble hatred came to vent it self in the cru­ellest and most barbarous manner imagi­nable upon him, did he pray to his Fa­ther for them; even whilst they were tor­menting him, did he beseech him to for­give them; Nay, and in order thereunto laid down his very life for them; even for them, I say, that took it from him.

And this gives occasion to discourse [Page 54] something of his most wonderful Patience, & the stupendious submission of his Soul to God, which he gave us in his Extreme suf­ferings an Example of. We are exhorted, Heb. 12. 1, 2. to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith; who for the joy that was [...] before him, endured the Cross, despi­sing the shame, &c. The Ignominy that was cast upon him by ungodly Creatures, he despised; and as for the excessive tor­tures felt by him, them he endured: He did not indeed despise these also, but nei­ther did he saint under them; according [...] we are forbidden to do, vers. 5. of the [...]ow mentioned Chapter, My son, despise [...] thou the Chastisement of the Lord, nei­ther saint when thou art rebuked of him▪ There were on the one hand no Stoical Rants heard from him, such as that of P [...]donius in the Presence of Pompey (when he was afflicted with a fit of the Gout, or some such disease,) viz. Nihil [...]gis color, &c. O pain, thou art an insigni­ficant thing, I don't matter thee: For we find that our Saviour had as quick a sense of pain, as have other men; and his A­gony in the Garden did so affect his soul, as to force, [...], Clodders of blood through the Pores of his Body. We [Page 55] read that he was sore amazed, and very heavy; and he told his Disciples that his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: But yet on the other hand, not­withstanding the immense weight and most heavy Pressure of Grief his mind suf­fered under, through his Fathers with­holding the wonted influences of his love from him, and the intolerable torments of body that he underwent, (though both in regard of the greatness of his sufferings, and also his Most perfect innocence, and therefore non-desert of them, he might have the greatest temptations Imaginable to be impatient) he never uttered a mur­muring or discontented word, nor concei­ved the least displeasure at the Divine Ma­jesty, or doubted either of his Iustice or Goodness; but entirely submitted himself to this his severe dispensation of Provi­dence, and willingly acquiefced in it. He prayed indeed to his Father, that this Bit­ter Cup, if it were possible, might pass from him; but it was with this condition, that it might seem good to him. And as so much is implied in those words [If it be possible] so is it expressed, Luke 22. 42. where it is said, Father, if thou be willing, remove this Cup from me: And it immedi­ately followeth; Nevertheless not my will, [Page 56] but thine be done; according as he hath, in the absolute form he left us, required us to pray. And again, saith he, Iohn 18. 11. The Cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not drink it? And Iohn 12. 28. After he had put up the forementioned Petition to be delivered from that most dismal hour that was approaching near him, he doth as it were, recall it presently, in these words, But for this cause came I unto this hour; and then puts up this second, Fa­ther, Glorifie thy name: which is plainly as much as if he had said, Father, as dread­ful and terrifying as the thoughts are of my future sufferings, seeing Glory will redound to thy self by them, I am not only contented but also desirous to undergo them.

Celsus having mentioned that celebrated Bravado of Anaxarchus to the Tyrant of Cyprus, when he Cruelly pounded him in his Mortar; and the merry saying of Epi­ctetus to his Master when he brake his Leg, and thereupon scoffingly demanded of the Christians, what saying like to either of those, was uttered by their God in the midst of his sufferings, Origen makes this handsome Reply to him, viz. That our Saviour's silence, in the midst of the Tor­tures he endured, shewed greater Pati­ence and Fortitude of mind, than did all [Page 57] the sayings of the Greek Philosophers in the like cases: And he adds that those words of Christ, Not as I will, but as thou wilt, were not onely [...], &c. the voice of one that patiently suffered, but also that was well pleased with his sufferings, and spake his preference of what was appointed for him by the Divine Providence before his own desires and natural affections.

In the next place, our Saviour gave us the most noble and eminent example of Love to God, and the devoutest temper of mind towards him. That love of him, with all the heart and soul, mind and strength which he commended to us as our duty, did he himself give the highest de­monstrations of. His last mentioned Pati­ence, and perfect submission to the Divine Pleasure under the most Dreadful suffer­ings, is alone sufficient to Convince us that his Love to his Father was most in­tense: For it was utterly impossible that his will should be so entirely resigned up to the will of God, if his love of him had not been, as sincere, so of the highest de­gree and absolutely perfect. So his hea­venly Father might thereby be Glorified, he was willing to endure the extremest mi­series, that ever were inflicted on any [Page 58] Mortal: And indeed his meer well inter­preting so severe a Providence was a great and very significant expression of no small affection. And besides, it was (as he told his Disciples) his very meat to do the will John 4. of Him that sent him, and to finish his work. As he was heartily well pleased to suffer his will; so he took infinite Content, Satis­faction and Delight in the doing of it. It was to him the most pleasant thing in the whole world to be about his Father's Bu­siness; and therein he abounded, and was indefatigable. All that he did was refer­red by him to the honour of God; and of each of his Glorious works he gave him the Glory, and him onely: which thing was no less an argument of the ardency of his Love, than (as we have said it is) of the depth of his Humility. In all his ways he acknowledg'd God, and took all oc­casions to make mention of him, and to speak of his Excellent Perfections. When the Ruler called him but Good Master; which was an Epithet, had he been but a meer man, he was infinitely worthy of; as sleight an occasion as this may seem to some, it minded him to speak of God's Goodness, and he presently replyed, Why callest thou me good? there is none good (that is originally and from himself) but [Page 59] God onely. He was much in delightful con­verse with God, and in prayer to him, and ever and anon retired from all com­pany for that purpose; according as he hath enjoyned us to do, Mat. 6. 5, 6. And we read Luke 6. 12. of his continuing on a Mountain alone a whole night in Prayer.

A mighty confidence and Trust in God, as it could not but be an effect of our Sa­viour's most Passionate Love to him, so did he give of it very strange instances. The Storm that put his Disciples into a dread­ful consternation, could not terrifie, nor so much as discompose him; No, though he was suddenly awaked out of a sound sleep by their dismal cries. When he was hoysed up into the Air by his Grand Ad­versary, the Devil, and set upon a pinacle of the Temple, and then by abusing Scripture solicited to cast himself down; as much as he seemed to be abandoned to his power, and under as great a disad­vantage as he was through extreme fast­ing, his mind was as strong as his body weak, his Constancy remained unshaken, his thoughts undisordered, and with an undaunted courage he readily replyed to him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God: Matt. 4. 5. Where [Page 60] you have also two other signal instances of the like nature. By all which he shew­ed that his trust in God was so invincibly strong, and his adherence to him so inse­parably close, that the utmost attempts and fiercest assaults of the Devil could have no other effect than to prove them so. Our Saviour could never be prevailed upon to go the least Step out of God's way, in order to his preservation from the most eminent dangers, so firm was his Faith in him: And he still doing the things that were pleasing in his sight, he was confidently and undoubtedly assured of the Continuance of his presence with him. This he hath himself told us, Iohn 8. 29. And he that hath sent me, is with me, the Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him.

So visible and apparent was his Trust in God, that when he was given up to his Adversaries most barbarous rage, they themselves could not but take notice of it, and scoffingly when he hung on the Cross (and therefore seemed to be in a despe­rate condition) did they upbraid him with it: He trusted in God, said they, let him deliver him now if he will have him, for he said, I am the Son of God, Mat. 27. 43. And where as it hath been objected by [Page 61] some of our Saviour's Adversaries that a little before his death, he expressed very great distrust, if not perfect despair of his Father's love, in that Tragical exclama­tion, My God, my God, Why hast thou for­saken me? There are those that conceive that it may be satisfactorily enough an­swered, that it is an unreasonable and most barbarous thing to take any advantage from words uttered in the very pangs of death, accompanied with unsupportable torment, to the prejudice of those they are spoken by; it being not ordinarily supposable that those can be themselves that are in such Circumstances; and why the man Jesus, or our Saviour according to his humane nature should not be under as great disadvantages as others in such a condition, (He being (as was said) no less sensible of pain than others were) no reason can doubtless be given by us; But however we stand not in any necessity of this Reply. But I say, secondly, Though we should suppose our Saviour to be now as perfectly master of his thoughts as he e­ver was, these words may not be under­stood in so harsh a sence, for they were but a repetition of the first verse of the 22. Psalm; and thereby he declared him­self to be the true Messiah, for whom it is [Page 62] apparent (and by the Antient Jews them­selves not doubted) that this Psalm was penned; and is not to be understood to relate to David's case only, but also to his whom he often personated, and was a Type of. Nor can it be gathered from our Saviour's rehearsal of these words, that it is in the least probable that he either con­cluded or at all doubted that he was ut­terly rejected and cast off by his Father, but the contrary: For several verses in the forementioned Psalm do give us as­surance that they are not there to be so understood; for David doth diverse times afterward, not onely pray for, but like­wise expresseth good hopes, nay and un­doubted assurance of a gracious deliver­ance, and praiseth God for it too, as if it were already effected. So that this sad complaint of the Blessed Iesus, as it could not be occasioned by the least distrust, so it may be more than presumed, to have proceeded from the highest and intensest degree of Love, which caused in his soul the most pungent and smart sense of his Father's hiding his face, and absenting himself (though but for a while) from him. But the least favourable interpreta­tion that it is capable of is no worse than this, viz. That our Saviour did thereby [Page 63] express how excessive the misery was which he then felt, especially since the word [Lama] doth signifie How as well as Why. But lastly, his Dying words and the last he uttered did express his retain­ing his confidence in God (as much as he might seem to be cast off by him) to the very last; which were these, Father, into thine Hands I commend my Spirit.

I will instance in one Vertue more wherein our Saviour was also singularly exemplary. Whereas he advised his Di­sciples to be wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves, they beheld in his Conversation a pattern to walk by in followiug the for­mer as well as the latter part of this ad­vice: Nor was the Wisdom of the Serpent less Conspicuous in him, than was the In­nocence of the Dove. Prudence is the first of the Primitive vertues, or of those from whence all other take their Original, and are derived: She is the chief Governness of humane actions; and those which are performed without her direction, do want a main circumstance that is necessary to give them the denomination of truly ver­tuous. A rash and heady doing of those actions which are for the matter of them praise-worthy, will render them culpable as to the manner of their performance: [Page 64] And he that hath no regard to Prudence, though he may do good things, and possi­bly may some times mean well, yet he will never merit the Commendation of a Well-doer. I say therefore that our bles­sed Saviour, as he hath by his Example, no less than by his Doctrine, taught us the ex­ercise of all other vertues, so hath he of this also; and his prudence did wonder­fully discover it self through his whole life. As very great as was his zeal for the Glory of God, and the good of men, it was not too strong for, nor over-match'd his Reason; it was not a blind Zeal; but he was ever very careful to give each of his Actions their due Circumstances. As ea­gerly as he was bent upon accomplishing the work that he was sent into the world about, he was not for making more haste than good speed. He shewed great pru­dence in his injunctions, his preaching, and several discourses: He never urged any duties unseasonably, and had a care not to give such severe Precepts to his Novice Disciples as might discourage and over­burthen them. He was not for putting a piece of new Cloth into an old Garment,See Mat. 9. 14. to 17 nor new Wine into old Bottles.

He very wisely timed his discourses; did not preach all his Doctrines at once: What [Page 65] was said of the Orator Demosthenes, can­not be truly affirmed of him, viz. That he knew what to say well enough, but not what not to say: For as he well understood what Doctrines to Preach, so did he also what not to Preach. He spake the word un­to them as they were able to hear it, Mark 4. 33. And, said he, Iohn 16. 12. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye can­not bear them now. He knew both when to speak, and when to hold his peace; and in whatsoever he said, he considered the genius, temper and capacity of his Audi­tors. He would not cast Pearls before Swine, as he cautioned his Disciples not to do, for this reason, Lest they turn a­gain Mat. 7. and rend them. When he thought good to deliver those Doctrines that were likely to exasperate, as that of the calling of the Gentiles and rejection of the Jews, &c. he chose to fold them up in Parables, unfolding them in private to his Disciples, who were fitly disposed for the receiving of them; and therefore had the favour bestowed upon them to under­stand the Mysteries of the Kingdom, as he told them.

We find that till he knew his time of suffering was come, he wisely still avoided danger (wherein he properly shewed [Page 66] the wisdom of the Serpent) one while by withdrawing himself, as Matth. 12. 14. and at other times (as was now said) by concealing those Doctrines, which he was well aware the unbelieving Jews would be so far from embracing, and making good use of, that they would take occa­sion from them the more industriously to design his Ruine: We read Ioh. 10. 33. to 36. That he would not expresly owne himself to be the Son of God in any other sense than such a one as he might acknowledge with the least danger; and concealed that which he very certainly knew would but confirm them in their opinion of him as a wicked Blasphemer, and make him so much the more obnoxious to their Spight and Rage. So far was he from running headlong upon sufferings, and making him­self through a rash and indiscreet zeal ly­able to those that hated him; so far was he from being in love with Persecution that he did (as the Apostle exhorted the Ephesian Christians to do) [...] buy out or gain time, because the days were evil and full of danger.

Again, how wisely did our Saviour from time to time defeat and render un­successful, the Plots and Machinations of the Pharisees and his other enemies against [Page 67] him! We find in Matth. 22. 15. the He­rodians (or those of the Jews that adhe­red to the Caesarean and Roman Authori­ty) and the Pharisees (who esteemed it as an usurpation) combining together to intangle him in his talk: And they so ordered their plot, as that they might get an advantage from whatsoever he should say, either to render him Obnoxi­ous to Herod, and the Roman Party, or to Inrage the most popular and highly e­steemed Sect of the Jews, the Pharisees. In order hereunto they cunningly put to him this Question, viz. Whether it were lawful to pay tribute to Caesar? If he should answer that it was, he would make himself lyable to the latter mischief; if that it was not, to the former and the far greater. Now (as is to be seen in the 19, 20, 21. verses) our Saviour with such admirable prudence contrived his answer, that (vers. 22.) both factions are said to wonder at it, and to be basfled by it. When they had heard these words, they marvelled and left him and went their way. Diverse other Instan­ces there are of a like nature; as in Iohn 8. 3. to 9. Matth. 21. 23. to 27. Matt. 22. 41. to 46, &c.

And thus we have sufficiently and fully enough proved, that it was the whole bu­siness [Page 68] of our Saviour's life to make men in all respects Pertuous and Holy; and that thereunto were subservient, as his Dis­courses with them, so his Actions likewise and whole Behaviour. Plus docent exem­pla quàm praecepta: Examples are the most natural and easie way of teaching, and they are so by reason of Mankinds being so greatly addicted to imitation; and, I say, it doth from our past discourse sufficiently appear, That our Saviour's whole Conver­sation was a rare exemplification of all kinds of Vertue and true Goodness.

CHAP. VI.

BUt it cannot be amiss if we moreover adde, That it was not onely the De­sign of our Saviour's imitable Actions, to teach the world Vertue, but also of those [Page 69] which are not imitable, viz. Of his Mira­cles and Mighty works: And that these did not onely tend to the promoting of that Design, as they were convincing and in­fallible Arguments that he came forth from God, but were likewise very proper to effect it in a more immediate manner. For they were not onely Argumentative or a proof of the Truth of his Doctrine, but also Instructive, and minded men of their Duty. Those Miracles which he chose to work, were of such a nature, as to be hugely fit to accomplish at one and the same time both these businesses. They were not such as the foolish and carnal Jews expected, that is, signs from Heaven, that were apt to produce directly no other effect than that of pleasing their Childish Phansies, or striking their senses with ad­miration and astonishment by making pro­digious and amazing shews and Represen­tations before their eyes; but most of them were expressions of the greatest kind­ness and Charity to Mankind. For instance; his Healing the sick of all manner of Di­seases, his making the lame to walk and the blind to see, and the deaf to hear; his cleansing the Lepers, Feeding the Hun­gry, Raising the Dead, and ejecting of Evil Spirits out of those that were, miser­ably [Page 70] possessed with them and tormented by them, &c. In Acts 10. 38. The Apostle expresseth our Saviour's working of Mira­cles, by this Phrase [Doing good] who (saith he) went up and down doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil. And in his Miracles did he give Instances of great kindness and good-will even unto those which did least deserve it: For he made use of his Divine Power for the Healing & relief of the Disingenuous and Unthankful, Ill-natured and Wicked, as well as of the better-disposed and more worthy persons: Therein imitating his hea­venly Father (as he required us to do) who maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good, and sendeth Rain on the Iust and on the Unjust, Matth. 5. 45. And, as I take it, the last Miracle, that be­fore he ascended the Cross was wrought by him, was the Cure of one of those his Enemies that came with Clubs and Staves to apprehend him.

And the few Miracles besides those that consisted in doing kindnesses to Men (for those we have on record are almost all such) were such as by which he gave us an Example of other Vertues: As parti­cularly of Piety, Trust in God, and zeal for him. Of his Piety and Trust in God his [Page 71] Fasting fourty days and fourty nights was a great evidence: It was so of his Trust in him and constant adhering to him, as by thus doing he put himself by his Father's appointment upon most violent and strong temptations; in Conflicting wherewith (as hath been shewn) he came off a most Noble Conquerour. Of his Zeal for God was his whipping the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple no small expression; and I adde, it was so also of his most graci­ous and loving respect to the contemned Gentiles, whose Court (as Master Mede and others have most evidently demon­strated) they were whip'd out of; they making their house of Prayer a Den of Thieves, as our Saviour told them. And this may deservedly be numbered among his Miracles, because it is unconceivable how a Man unarmed, in no Authority, and of mean esteem in regard of his Parentage, poverty and low Circumstances, should strike such a fear into those people, as to force them without the least offer of Re­sistance to flee before him, if the cause thereof were not extraordinary and more than natural.

And even that Miracle which might seem the most inconsiderable, namely his causing his Disciple Peter to catch a Fish [Page 72] with a small piece of money in its mouth, was also Instructive of a Duty; It being an Instance of his Loyalty to the Supreme Magistrate; for the money was expended in paying Tribute, and taken out of the Sea in that strange manner for no other purpose.

In short, I know no one Miracle that our Saviour wrought, but over and above its being a Seal for the Confirmation of his Divine Mission, it teacheth some one or other good Lesson, and is proper for the bettering of the Souls of those that seri­ously consider it.

And that great Miracle, which after his Ascension (according to his promise) he shewed in sending the Holy Ghost, did promote the business of making men holy, in a far higher way than that of Example: For the grand & standing office of the Spi­rit in the world, is the exciting in us Holy Desires, and the assisting of us in the per­formance of Holy Actions: It is the making the Gospel and all means effectual to the Renovation and Reformation of our Hearts and Lives.

If it be objected that we read of two Miracles, namely, his cursing the Fig-tree, and sending the Devils into the Herd of Swine; which are so far from containing [Page 73] any Lessons of Morality, or tending to the least good, that they seem to be on the contrary onely of an Evil and Mischievous Consequence.

I answer, That as for our Saviour's Cur­sing the Fig-tree that bare leaves, and had no fruit on it, it was a most significant document unto Men, that their Professi­on, which is answerable to bearing Leaves, must be joyned with a sutable Practice, and have fruit accompanying, or 'twill be nothing worth: And Fruitless Persons were taught by that Emblem, what they must look for, if they continued so. But the most pregnant meaning of it is (as the Learned Doctor Hammond hath shewn) that the Jews which were just like that Leafie-tree without fruit at that time on it, a meer Professing People, were to expect speedy destruction from him, on supposition that they persisted in their un­fruitfulness. It is not once to be imagined that this which our Saviour did to the Fig­tree was any other than Emblematical; for no one that deserveth but the Name of a Man, would be guilty of such a piece of Impotent Revenge, as to wreak his anger on a Senseless tree, that was not upon the ac­count of its barrenness, or any thing else, in a capacity of being faulty or blame [Page 74] worthy. And besides it is mentioned in the story as related by S. Mark, Chap. 11. 13. that the time of figs was not yet, Or, it was not then a season for Figs; that is, it was not a good Fig-year; which is given as the cause of the Tree's being at that time without fruit: And it seems to me ve­ry probable, that, that clause was pur­posely added, that it might be the more easily observed that our Saviour's Curse was not designed to be terminated in the Tree, but that it was pronounced against it onely as it was an apt Resemblance of a Professor that is barren of good works. So that our Blessed Lord, who was so meek and forbearing towards wicked and the worst of men, and likewise so very gra­cious and kind to them, could not be sup­posed to have been at all, much less so ve­ry angry with an innocent Vegetable, as to destroy it for no other reason than that he once found no fruit upon it; but it is evident that he onely took hold of this opportunity to do as I now said. So that this Miracle was designed no less than the forementioned to be Instructive to the spectators of it, and to all that should af­terwards hear or read the story concern­ing it; which none could be so dull as not to understand, that had but the least knowledge of him.

[Page 75]And as for that other, viz. his sending the Devils, which he had ejected out of a Poor Man, into a Herd of Swine, and by that means causing them to run violently down a steep hill into the Sea, and to pe­rish there: We read, First, that our Savi­our did not command them, but onely suffered them (as 'tis expressed both by S. Mark and S. Luke) at their own requestMar. 5. 13 Luk. 8. 32 to take possession of those Beasts. Nor doth the saying unto them, Go, (which is in S. Matthew's Relation of the Story,) speak any more than a bare Permission; seeing their beseeching him to suffer them to goMatth. 8. 31, 32. is there expressed as the occasion of his so speaking. So that the Mischief that was done, the Devils onely were the Authors or the proper Cause of. Nor, secondly, could our Saviour permit this, either to make sport, or to please himself with the Destruction of the poor Creatures; for both these were infinitely below him, and per­fectly Contrary to the Seriousness of his Spirit, and Goodness of his Nature; but there were very weighty and great reasons why he should thus do.

As, first, To expose the Hateful Nature of the Devils, and to give men to under­stand and take notice, how extremely they delight in doing Mischief; which it [Page 76] doth greatly concern the wellfare of our Souls, both not to be ignorant of, and well to Consider. By this experi­ment it appeared, that those unclean Spi­rits are so maliciously disposed, and so bent upon mischievousness, as that rather than want objects to vent their Spite on, they will be glad to do it upon Bruit Beasts. But especially the Devils most inveterate and deadly hatred to man-kind was here­by shewed; in that when they were no longer permitted to do them a greater, they were glad of an opportunity to make them the objects of a less mischief: And to procure to them what hurt they were able in their Goods, when they ceased to be in a Capacity of tormenting them in their Minds and Bodies.

2ly, By this means there was a discovery made what a multitude there were of them that possessed that one, or at most (accord­ing to S. Matthew) two persons; insomuch as that those which were cast out of them were enough to actuate the Bodies of a great herd of Swine, and consisting of no fewer than about two thousand, as S. Mark saith; and none could tell (but he that cast them out of the men, and suffered them to enter the swine) how very many each of these might be possessed with. This [Page 77] was of great importance to be known, in order to the understanding of the Great­ness of the Miracle that was wrought in behalf of the Miserable wretches, and to their being made sensible of the exceed­ing vastness of the deliverance that by their Saviour was brought unto them. For though the Devils declared that their name was Legion, to signifie that they were a very mighty multitude; Yet what they said was too incredible to be received upon the bare word of those which from the very beginning were always Liars: but this permission of our Saviour gave a plain demonstration that in this saying of theirs they spake the truth.

Thirdly, These Persons were by this means most effectually taught how infi­nitely they were obliged to the Divine Providence, in not suffering this huge number of Fiends all the time they had possession of them to destroy them; when as they no sooner entred into the herd of Swine, but immediately they dispatch'd them all.

Fourthly, This permission was also a just punishment to the Gaderens to whom those Beasts belonged; who (as afterward it appeared) were a generation of Cove­tous Muck-worms, and preferred their [Page 78] Swine before their Souls; and so likewise it was as effectual and proper a course as could well be taken for their Reformati­on. Several other Reasons of this action might be instanced in, but these, nay any one of them, may well suffice. So that it is apparent that this Miracle was so far from being a Mischievous one or of no use, that there was scarcely any one wrought by our Saviour, that is so pregnant with profitable Instructions, and in so many re­spects of great importance to the good of our Souls as this is.

CHAP. VII.

FOurthly, the making of us Holy, as it was the Business of our Saviour's whole Life, so was it also the great End and Design of his Death. And this are we assured of by abundance of Express Scri­ptures; Some few of which we will here produce, Romans 6. 6. Knowing this that [Page 79] our Old man is crucified with him, that the Body of Sin might be destroyed, that hence­forth we should not serve sin.

2 Corinthians, 5. 15.—He dyed for all, that they which live should not hence­forth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Galatians, 1. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, (viz. From its corrupt practices) according to the Will of God and our Father.

Ephesians, 5. 25, 26, 27. Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the word, that he might present it unto himself a Glorious Church, not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Colossians, 1. 21, 22. And you that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your minds by wicked works, hath he now recon­ciled in the Body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and un­reprovable in his sight.

Titus, 2. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and pu­rifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of Good Works.

[Page 80]1 Pet. 1. 18. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with Corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, from your vain Con­versation received by Tradition from your Fathers▪ but with the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without blemish, and with­out Spot.

1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, &c. That is, saith Calvin upon the place, that we might be so consecrated to God as to live and die to him.

1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our Sins in his Own body on the Tree, that we be­ing dead to sins, should live to righteousness, by whose Stripes ye were healed.

Now the Death of Christ is greatly effe­ctual to this end of making us Holy, these several ways.

First, As it gave Testimony to the Truth of his Doctrine; which (as hath been shewn) hath no other Design. Christ took his Death upon it that that was true; was willing to expose himself in the De­fence thereof to a most ignominious and painful death.

Secondly, As the shedding of his blood was a Federal right confirming the New Covenant, wherein is promised in and [Page 81] through Him the Pardon of our Sins, and Eternal happiness, on Condition of our sincere Repentance, Faith and new obe­dience. So the Blood of Christ is called the Blood of the Covenant, Heb. 10. 29.

And the Blood of the Everlasting Cove­nant, Heb. 13. 20.

Thirdly, As it is exemplary of the high­est vertue. 1 Pet. 2. 21. Christ also suffer­ed for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his Steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatned not, but com­mitted himself to him that judgeth righte­ously. The Greatest Humility and Self­denial, the greatest Meekness, Patience and Submission to the Divine Will, the most wonderful Charity, and Forgiveness of Ene­mies, &c. are exemplified in our Saviour's Death; and so it must needs be very highly Effectual towards the promoting of these most Excellent Graces, and the like, in us, and the expelling and utter extirpating out of us the Contrary Vi­ces.

One would think it impossible that he should be of an Haughty Spirit and a proud mind, that seriously Considers how the Onely-begotten Son of God humbled [Page 82] himself to the death, even the shameful and ignominious death of the Cross: That he should Covet great things in the world, that frequently affects his mind with the thoughts of his Saviour's emptying him­self and becoming poor, that we through his proverty might be made rich, and pre­ferring the death of the Vilest of wretches before the life of the greatest and most Honourable Personages. How can he be vain and frothy, that considers his Savi­our's horrid Agony, what a man of Sor­rows he was, and how acquainted with Griefs? How can he storm at the receiv­ing of injuries, and swell with indignation against those that offer him incivilities and rudely behave themselves towards him, that fixeth his thoughts upon his Savi­our's meek putting up the Vilest and most Contemptuous usages, and considereth how gentle, sedate and Lamb-like he was when Barbarous Villains Mocked, Buffetted and Spit upon him, Crowned him with Thorns, put a Robe in a jear upon his Back, and a Reed for a Scepter into his hand, and at last acted the parts of the most inhumane Butchers towards him. One would think it no uneasie matter to per­swade our selves to forgive very heartily the Spitefullest & most malicious enemies, [Page 83] whilst we take notice that Christ shed e­ven his pretious blood for those that car­ried in their breasts the greatest malignity against him and bare him the most deadly hatred; that he suffered death for those which in the Cruellest manner they were able took away his life. What temptation can be forcible enough to prevail upon us sinners to murmure and repine at the hand of God in the afflictions he inflicts upon us, while we observe how much greater sufferings than ours are, were with pro­foundest Submission to, and likewise the heartiest approbation of the Divine Will, endured by the not onely perfectly inno­cent, but also the highly meriting and in­finitely Well deserving Jesus?

Fourthly, As the Death of Christ was likewise a Sacrifice for sin, it was in an E­minent manner effectual to this great pur­pose. In the death of Christ considered as an Expiatory and Propitiatory Sacrifice, is the offence that God Almighty hath ta­ken against sin, and the hatred he bears to it, as well as his Love to us sinners, in­finitely declared; in that he would not forgive it to us without the intervention of no meaner an offering than the Blood of his onely-begotten Son. Observe what the Apostle S. Paul saith to this Purpose, [Page 84] Rom. 3. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood, to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare I say at this time his Righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus. The Plain sense of which words (as I conceive) is this: That God might at one and the same time demonstrate how holy he is, and how much he hateth sin on the one hand, and how infinitely gracious he is in his willingness to forgive sinners on the other, was Christ set forth by him to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood. There are many (and they no Adversaries to the Doctrine of our Sa­viour's satisfaction) that do not question but that God could have pardoned sin without any other Satisfaction than the Repentance of the Sinner, (and in the number of them were Calvin, P. Martyr, Musculus, and Zanchy, as might be ful­ly shewn out of their several works, but that this is not a place to do it in) but he chose to have his Son die for it, before he would admit any terms of Reconcilia­tion, that so he might perform the high­est act of Grace, in such a way, as at the same time to shew also the greatest displea­sure [Page 85] against Sin. And therefore would he thus do, that so he might the more effectu­ally prevent wicked mens encouraging themselves by the consideration of his great mercy, to persist in their wickedness. Therefore was Christ set forth to be a pro­pitiatory Sacrifice for Sin, I will not say that his Father (who is perfectly sui ju­ris) might be put by this means into a ca­pacity of forgiving it, but that it might be a Cogent motive, and most prevailing Argument to Sinners to reform from it.

There is an excellent place to this pur­pose, Rom. 18. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh: God sending his own son in the like­ness of sinful flesh, and for sin (or by the means of sin) condemned sin in the flesh; that is, what the Precepts of the Mosaical Law could not do, in that they were weak by reason of the impetuosity of mens flesh­ly inclinations, that the Son of God (coming in the humane Nature, and in all respects becoming like to us, sin onely ex­cepted) did, and by being a Sacrifice for Sin (so the word [Sin] signifieth in diverse places, as Leviticus 4. 29. Chap. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21. and, as I suppose, also Gen. 4. 7.) Condemned Sin in his flesh; he by this means shewing how hateful it is to [Page 86] God, took the most effectual course to kill and destroy it. And moreover the most dearly beloved Son of God under­going such extreme sufferings for our Sins, it is evidently thereby demonstrated what dismal vengeance those have reason to ex­pect that shall continue impenitent, and refuse to be reclaimed from them: For saith he, Luke 23. 31. Is they do these things in a green Tree, what shall be done in the dry? If God spared not his own most innocent, holy and onely Son, than whom nothing was, or could be, more dear to him, but abandoned him to so shameful and horrid a death for our Sins; how great and severe sufferings may we con­clude he will inflict upon those Vile Crea­tures, that dare still to live in Wilful diso­bedience to him.

And from the Death of Christ consider­ed as a Sacrifice we farther learn, what an esteem God hath for his holy Laws, that he would not abate their Rigour, nor remit the punishment due to the Trans­gressors of them, without a Considera­tion of no meaner value than the most Pre­tious blood of his own Son.

And lastly, in that Christ hath laid down his life at the appointment of God the Fa­ther for the purpose of making an Atone­ment [Page 87] of Sin, this gives all men unspeak­ably greater assurance of the Pardon of True Penitents than the bare Considera­tion of the Divine Goodness could ever have done: And so by this means have we the greatest encouragement that our hearts can wish to become new men and return to obedience; and have all ground of Jealously and suspicion removed from us, that we have been guilty of such heinous and so often repeated impieties, as that it may not become the Holiness and Justice of God to remit them to us though they should be never so sincerely forsaken by us.

In the Death of our Saviour thus consi­dered, are contained (as we have seen) the strongest and most irresistible Argu­ments to a Holy Life; and I farther adde, such as are no less apt to work upon the principle of Ingenuity that is implanted in our natures, than that of self-love. For who that hath the least spark of it, will not be powerfully inclined to hate all sin, when he considereth, that it was the Cause of such direful sufferings to so incompara­bly Excellent a person, and infinitely ob­liging a Friend as Christ is? Who but a Creature utterly destitute of that princi­ple, and therefore worse than a Brute Beast, [Page 88] can find in his heart to take Pleasure in the Spear that let out the heart-blood of his most blessed Saviour; and to carry himself towards that as a loving friend, which was (and still is) the Lord of Glo­ry's worst enemy?

Again, hath Jesus Christ indured & done so much for our sakes, and are we able to give our selves leave to render all his suf­ferings and performances unsuccessful by continuing in disobedience? Can we be willing that he should do and suffer so many things in vain, and much more do our parts to make him do so? Is this possible?

Nay hath he been Crucified for us by the wicked Iews, and don't we think that enough? but must we our selves be Cru­cifying him afresh by our Sins, and put­ting him again to an open shame by pre­ferring our base lusts before him, as the Iews did Baral bas?

Hath he expressed such astonishing love to us in dying for us, and wo'nt we ac­cept of it? which we certainly refuse to do so long as we live in Sin. Hath he pur­chased Eternal Salvation for us, and such great and glorious things as Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, to be con­ceived [Page 89] by him; and can we perswade our selves to be so ungrateful to him, as well as so wanting to our-selves, as to refuse to receive these at his hands on those most reasonable terms on which he offers them?

Hath he bought us with such a price; and can we refuse to be his Servants, and rather chuse to be the slaves of Sathan, the Devil's Drudges?

Where can we find so many strongly inciting Motives to hate and abandon all sin, as are contained, and very obvious in the Death and sufferings of our Saviour for it?

Fifthly, The Death of our Saviour is in a special manner effectual to the making of us in all respects vertuous and holy, as he hath thereby procured for us that Grace and Assistance that is necessary to enable us so to be. In regard of his humbling himself as he did, and becoming obedi­ent to the death of the Cross, hath God highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name; that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth: And that every Tongue should Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, [Page 90] Phil. 2. 9, 10, 11. Now by vertue of the Authority he is by this means invested and dignified with, and particularly as he is King of his Church, hath he sent the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie us, to excite us to all holy actions, and to assist us in the per­formance of them.

Sixthly, The Death of Christ doth also apparently promote this great Design, as by his patient submitting to it he vindica­ted God's Right of Sovereignity over all his Creatures, and the power he hath to require what he pleaseth, and to dispose of them as seems good to him. Whereas the First Adam by Contumacy, Pride and Rebellion did put an high and unsuffer­able affront upon the Authority of his Maker, and his wretched posterity fol­lowed his Example, and have by that means done what lay in them to render his Right to their obedience questionable; this Blessed Second Adam by acting direct­ly Contrary, viz. by Obedience, Humility, & Subjecting himself to the Divine pleasure in the severest expressions and significati­ons of it, hath done publiquely and be­fore the world an infinite honour to his Father: And his absolute Right of Domi­nion over his whole Creation, and the power he hath to prescribe to it what [Page 91] laws he judges sitting (which was before so eclipsed by wicked sinners) hath he by this means in the most signal manner ma­nifested and made apparent. And of what force this is to promote our Holiness and Universal obedience, the dullest capacity may apprehend.

From what hath been said it appears to be a most plain, and unquestionable Case, that our Saviour in his Death considered according to each of the notions we have of it, had an eye to the great work of ma­king men Holy, and that this was the main Design which he therein drove at.

And I now adde, that where as it is fre­quently affirmed in the holy Scriptures, that the End of Christ's death was also the For­giveness of our sins, & the Reconciling of us to his Father, we are not so to understand those places where this is expressed, as if these Blessings were absolutely thereby procured for us, or any otherwise than upon Condition of our effectuall believing, and yielding obedience to his Gospel. Nor is there any one thing scarcely which we are so frequently therein minded of, as we are of this. Christ died to put us in­to a Capacity of pardon; the actual re­moving of our Guilt is not the necessary and immediate result of his Death, but [Page 92] suspended till such time as the forementi­oned conditions, by the help of his grace, are performed by us.

But moreover, it is in order to our be­ing encouraged to sincere endeavours to forsake all sin, and to be universally obe­dient for the time to come, that our Savi­our shed his blood for the Pardon of it: This was intended in his death as it is sub­servient to that purpose; the assurance of having all our sins forgiven upon our sin­cere Reformation, being a necessary mo­tive thereunto. Therefore hath he deli­vered us from a necessity of Dying, that we might live to God; and therefore doth God offer to be in his Son Jesus re­conciled to us, that we may thereby be prevailed with to be reconciled to him. Therefore was the Death of Christ design­ed to procure our Justification from all sins past, that we might be by this means provoked to become new Creatures for the time to come. Observe to this pur­pose what the Divine Author to the He­brews saith, Chap. 9. 13, 14. If the blood of Bulls and Goats, and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Unclean, Sanctifieth to the Purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit ofsered himself without Spot to God, [Page 93] purge your Consciences from dead works (for what end? it follows) to Serve (or in order to your Serving) the Living God.

And thus much may suffice to be spoken concerning the Design of our Saviour's Death.

CHAP. VIII.

I Might in the next place proceed to shew, that the Resurrection of our Sa­viour did carry on the same Design that his Precepts, Promises and Threatnings, Life and Death aimed at; but who knows not that these would all have signified no­thing to the promoting of this or any o­ther end, if he had always continued in the Grave, and not risen again as he fore­told he would. If Christ be not risen, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15. 13. then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. So that whatsoever our Saviour intended in those particulars, the perfecting and fi­nal [Page 94] accomplishment thereof must needs be eminently designed in his Resurrection. The Apostle Peter tells his Country-men the Jews, Acts 3. 21. that, To them first God having raised up his Son Iesus, sent him to bless them in turning every one of them from his iniquities. But farthermore we find the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrecti­on very much insisted on, by S. Paul espe­cially, as a principle of the Spiritual and Divine life in us; and proposed as that which we ought to have not onely a Spe­culative and Notional, but also a Practical and Experimental acquaintance with. And he often telleth us, that it is our Duty to find that in our Souls which bears an ana­logy thereunto. He saith, Phil. 3. 10. That it was his ambition to know (or feel within himself) the Power of his Re­surrection, as well as the fellowship of his sufferings; to have experience of his be­ing no longer a dead but a living Jesus by his inlivening him, and quickening his Soul with a new life. And again he saith, Rom. 6. 4. that, Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism unto Death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life; that is, Christians being plunged into the Water in Baptism [Page 95] signifieth their undertaking, and obliging themselves in a spiritual sence to die and be buried with Jesus Christ (which death and burial consist in an utter renouncing and forsaking of all their sins) that so answerably to his Resurrection, they may live a Holy and a Godly life. And it fol­loweth, vers. 5. For if we have been plant­ed together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrecti­on; that is, If we are ingrafted into Christ by Mortification to Sin, and so imitate his death, we will no less have a Resem­blance of his Resurrection, by living to God, or performing all acts of Piety and Christianity. And then from vers. 8. to 11. he thus proceeds: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall (or we will) also live with him: Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto Sin once (or for sin once for all) but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God, (that is, in heaven with God:) Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord; that is, after the Example of his Death and Resurrection account ye your selves obliged to die to Sin, and to [Page 96] live to the Praise and Glory of God.

And the same use that the Apostle here makes of the Resurrection of our Saviour, he doth also elsewhere of his Ascension and session at the Right hand of God, Coloss. 3. 1. 2. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God; set your Affections on things above, not on things on the earth: for you are dead (that is in profession, having engaged your selves to renounce your past wicked life) and your life is hid with Christ in God, &c. that is, and the life you have by embracing the Christian Religion obliged your selves to lead, is in Heaven where Christ is. So that this sheweth the Infor­mations the Gospel gives us of these things to be intended for Practical purposes, and Incitements to Holiness. And Christ's Re­surrection with his following Advance­ment we are frequently minded of, to teach us this most excellent Lesson, that Obedience, Patience and Humility are the way to Glory; and therefore to encourage us to be followers of Him, to tread in his holy steps, and make him our Pattern. This we have in the fore cited place, Phil. 2. 5, 6, 7, &c. And Hebr. 12. 1, 2. We are exhorted to lay aside every weight, and the [Page 97] sin which doth so easily beset us, and to run with patience the race that is set before us: looking unto Iesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Gross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God. And vers. 3. To con­sider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself (that is especially how he is now rewarded for it) l [...]st we be weary and faint in our Minds.

And that the meaning of our being so often minded of our Saviour's coming again to Iudgement, is to stir us up to all holiness of conversation, who can be so ignorant as not to know? For we are sufficiently told that we must be judged according to our Works, especially such works, as the Hy­pocrites of this age do most despise & leave to be chiefly performed by their contemned Moralists; as appears from M [...]. 25. 34. to the end of the Chapter. And, Lastly, that is very certain, which is intimated in the 123 Page of the Free Discourse, Namely, That all the Doctrines of the Gospel, as merely speculative as some at the first sight may seem to be, have a tendency to the promoting of Real righteousness & ho­liness, and are revealed for that purpose. But as I did not there, so neither will I here [Page 98] proceed to shew it, in all the several in­stances, or in any more than I have now done: and that for the reason that is there given. But besides I conceive that what hath been discoursed already in this Secti­on, is abundantly sufficient to demonstrate what we have undertaken, viz. That to make men truly vertuous and holy, is the design, the main and onely design of Chri­stianity.

CHAP. IX.

I Proceed in the next place to shew how it comes to pass, that of all other good things, the making Man-kind truly ver­tuous and Holy, is the grand and special [Page 100] Design of Christianity. There are these two Accounts to be given of it.

First, This is to do the Greatest Good to Men.

Secondly, This is to do the Best Service to God.

First, The Making of us really Righte­ous and Holy is the Greatest Good that can possibly be done to us. There is no blessing comparable to that of Purifying our Natures from Corrupt affections, and induing them with Vertuous and Divine qualities. The wiser sort of the Heathens themselves were abundantly satisfied of the truth of this: And therefore the only design they professed to drive at in their

Philosophy was the Purgation, and Perfection of the Humane life. Hie­rocles [...]. makes this to be the very Definition of it: And by the purgation of mens lives, he tells us is to be understood, the Cleansing of them from the dregs and silth of unreasonable appe­tites; and by their perfection, the Re­covery of that Excellency which reduceth [...] to the Divine likeness. Now the Blessing of making men Holy, is of all the greatest,

First, Because it contains in it a Deli­verance from the worst of Evils. Those [Page 101] are utterly ignorant of the nature of Sin, that imagine any evil greater than it, or so great. It was the Doctrine of the Stoicks that there is nothing evil but what is turpe & vitiosum, vile and vicious. And Tully himself who professed not to be bound up to the Placita of any one Sect of Philosophers, but to be free-minded and to give his Reason its full scope and liberty, takes upon him sometimes most stiffly and seemingly in very good earnest to maintain it & dispute for it. But as diffi­cult as I find it to brook that Doctrine as they seem to understand it, that more modest saying of his in the first book of his Tusculan Questions hath without doubt not a little of truth in it. viz. That there is no evil comparable to that of Sin. Hierocles a sober Philoso­pher,Nè malum quidem [...] ­lum cum turpitudini [...] malo comparandum. and very free from the high­flown humour and Ranting genius of the Stoicks, though he would allow that other things besides Sin, may be [...] very grievous and difficult to be born, yet he would admit nothing be­sides this to be [...] truly evil; and he gives this reason for it, viz. Because that certain Circumstances may make o­ther things good, that have the repute of evils; but none can make this so. He [Page 102] saith that the word [...] [well] can ne­ver be joyned with any vice, but so may it with every thing besides: As it is pro­per to say concerning such or such a per­son, [...] he is well disea­sed, he is well poor, that is, he is both these to good purpose, behaving himself in his sickness and poverty as he ought to do; but (proceeds he) it can never be said [...], &c. he doth injury well, or he is rightly and as be­comes him intemperate.

Now that wickedness is the greatest of evils, is apparent, in that it injures mens better part, their Souls, whereas it lyeth in the power of no other (as the now mentioned Philosopher also [...], &c. [...]. in Car. Pythag. pag. 10 [...]. observeth) so to do. Do I say, it injures them? that's too gentle a word, it even marrs and spoils them, as again that person doth [...]. pag. 162. in another place speak. Other evils may ruine our Bodies, our fortunes, &c. and may, I confess, by that means disquiet and disturb our Souls; but they can be depraved by nought but sin, this alone can deprive them of the image of God wherein consists their Excellen­cy. And when I say that Sin undoes our Souls and sin only, I say that this and this [Page 103] alone undoes our-selves: For (as saith the same brave man,) Thy Soul [...]. pag. 153. is thy-self; thy Body thine; and all outward things, thy Body's. And the Excellent Simplicius speaking of Death, hath this saying, that it is onely [...] an Evil to our Bo­dies, not to us. And this both the Stoicks and Platonists do much insist upon, and make great use of it. They stick not to tell us, that it is improper to say that a man consists of two parts, whereof the Body is one; and that this is not [...], a Constituent part of man, but onely his instrument: that it is but our Prison wherein we are confined, our Leather-bag, our Satchel, our Case, our Sheath, our House, our Cloathing, and the like. And we find such a notion of the Body in the Holy Scriptures, as well as in the Heathen Writings. S. Paul also calls it our Cloathing, our Earthly house, our Taber­nacle, 2 Cor. 5. 1, 4. S. Peter calleth his body, this Tabernacle; I think it meet, (saith he) so long as I am in this Taber­nacle, &c. 2 Pet. 1. 13. Knowing that short­ly I must put off this Tabernacle, vers. 14. So that other evils have that denomina­tion because they are so to such things onely (immediately I mean) as belong to [Page 104] our-selves, but sin is an immediate evil, and the greatest imaginable to our very selves; in that in whomsoever it is enter­tained, it changes the man's nature, spoils his constitution and makes him quite an­other thing: From a Lovely, Noble and Excellent, it transforms him into an igno­ble, base and contemptible Creature. We are not ignorant what names the Scripture bestoweth upon wicked men, even those of the Uncleanest and most impure Beasts. There is no such filthiness (said Cicero) [...] lib. [...]. de [...]. as the F [...]ditas Turpificati animi, that of an unclean Soul: And the Philosophers used to express vice by Turpitudo and [...] Filthiness, as being that which is infinitely disbecoming, below and unwor­thy [...]. [...]ieroc. pag. 78. of humane nature. And the Wise man in his Book of the Pro­verbs saith, that a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. There is no such hideous monster in na­ture as a Reasonable Creature living in Contradiction to the Dictates of his Un­derstanding, trampling under-foot the eternal Laws of Righteousness, and oppo­sing himself to the known will of the Great Sovereign of the World, of him in whom he liveth, moveth and hath his being, to whom alone he is obliged for all [Page 105] he is or hath, and for the Capacity he is in of having any thing for the future which for the present he is destitute of. A Body in which the Head and Feet have exchanged places, is not more deformed and monstrous than is a vitious Soul: For her Superiour and Governing part is sub­jected to, and Lorded over by her In­feriour and that which was designed by Nature to be kept in subjection and go­verned. Her [...] (as the Pythagoraeans Phrase it) or Holder of the Reins, and Ruling Faculty, is become the [...] the Reined in and Ruled Faculty.

I adde moreover, that well may sin be said to spoil and marr mens souls, for we read in the writings of the Apostles that it kills them. She that liveth in pleasures is dead, while she liveth, 1 Tim. 5. 6. You hath he quickened who were dead in Tres­passes and Sins, Eph. 2. 1. S. Iude speak­ing of certain ungodly wretches, saith, that they are twice dead, v. 12. And the very same notion had diverse of the Heathens also. Pythagoras used to put a [...] or empty coffin in the place of that Scholar that left his School, to betake himself to a vicious and debauch'd life, as thereby signifying, that he was dead, dead as to his nobler part. And his Followers tell us [Page 106] that the Souls of men died, when they apostatized from God, and cast off the Divine Life. And such a one, as in whom sin reigneth, may be called a dead man, because according to them, the Definition of a man belongs not to him, nor doth he any longer deserve the name of a Reason­able Creature. The Philosopher we have so often quoted, (and shall have occasion to do it oftener) will have wickedness to be [...] the death of the reasonable nature: And Simplicius doubts not to assert, that a man that is drowned in sensu­ality, [...]. Comment. in Epict. pag. 4. hath no more of Reason in him, than a Brute creature.

To return to God and to a right mind, to be without God and without un­derstanding, were of one and the same signification with those excellent men. And our Saviour tells us that the Prodigal came to himself when he resolved upon re­turning to his Father's house; as if that while he persisted in disobedience, he was as very a Brute, as were those whose husks he fed on, and had utterly lost his under­standing faculty. Though that last saying of Simplicius may seem somewhat hyper­bolical, yet this following, one of Hiero­cles hath not the least tittle of a Figure in it, viz. That wicked men do render the [Page 107] Reason that remaineth in them [...] more base and wretchedly con­temptible than the vilest slave. They use it altogether in matters of very bad, or (at best) of most mean concern; and there­fore as upon that account, it were bet­ter, so upon this it would be even as well, if they had none at all: For the Sagacity that is in Beasts is not less service­able to them, than is the Reason of a wick­ed man to him: Nay had he onely that Sagacity that is observable in many unrea­sonable Creatures, it might stand him in as much stead as his Reason doth, and per­haps more. So that from what hath been discoursed it appeareth very evidently that wickedness is the worst, incomparably the worst of Evils; that it is so in its own na­ture, as well as in its consequences: And therefore to deliver us from it, by puri­fying our lives and natures is to confer upon us the greatest blessing, and conse­quently is an undertaking, of all others, the most worthy of the Son of God.

CHAP. X.

SEcondly, This is the Greatest Blessing, because it is accompanied with all o­ther that are most desireable, and which do best deserve to be so called. Where sin is sincerely forsaken, it will certainly be Pardoned: The nature of God is such as that he is ready to be reconciled to a true Convert. They are our iniquities alone that make (or can make) a separation betwixt us and our God, and our sins onely that hide his face from us: But the cause being removed, the effect ceaseth. When the Divine grace that is offered to sinners, becometh effectual to the turn­ing any one from his evil ways, God's fa­vour doth naturally return to him: even [Page 109] as naturally as doth the Sun's light into those places, where that which before intercepted between it and them, is ta­ken away. He is of so infinitely benign and Gracious a Nature, that no man can con­tinue an object of his displeasure one mo­ment longer than while he is uncapable of his favour; and nothing, I say, but sin and wickedness (as he hath often e­nough assured us) can make men so. Nay a Holy Soul is ever the Object also of his Dearest and most special love. He is not onely friends with, but also takes pleasure in those that fear him, Psalm 147. 11. He is said to make his residence within such persons, so great is the de­light that he taketh in them. Isaiah 66. 1, 2. Thus saith the Lord, the Heaven is my Throne, and the Earth my Footstool, where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my Rest? For all those things have mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my word. John 14. 23. Iesus said unto him, If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. And it is said particularly of [Page 101] him that dwelleth in love (which is the fulfilling of the Law) that he dwelleth in God, and God in him. And I might shew that the Heathens themselves had this very notion. It was a saying [...] used by the Pythagoraeans; that God hath not in the whole earth a more familiar place of Residence than a pure Soul.

And Apollo is brought in thus speaking,

And Hierocles which reciteth that verse doth himself assert, that God hateth no man; but as for the good man, he — [...]. pag. 70. Embraceth him with an extraordi­nary and surpassing affection. The Righteous Lord loving righteous­ness, his countenance cannot but behold the upright. Wheresoever he finds any impressions of True Goodness, as he can­not but highly approve of them, so is it not possible but that they should attract his singular love to those which are the subjects of them: According to that mea­sure [Page 111] and proportion that any one partici­pates of his Goodness, he must needs have a share in his Grace and kind­ness. A holy person is a man after God's own heart, as his Servant David was said to be: He is a man that carrieth his image, and bears a Resemblance to him, and upon that account he cannot fail to be very dearly beloved by him. Now I need not go about to prove that there is no blessing whatsoever but is implyed in an interest in the Divine Love, and especi­ally in such a love as that which we have shewed Good men are made the objects of.

It might be here shewn also that those things which sensual and carnal persons are most desirous of, viz. Riches, Honours and Pleasures, are eminently to be found in the Blessing we are now discoursing of, and indeed those which best deserve to be so called and are in the properest sense so, no where else. Nothing inricheth a Man like the Graces of God's Holy Spirit: What S. Peter said of meekness, is true of all the ver­tues; 1 Pet. 3. they are in the sight of God (and he judgeth of things as they are) of great price. They are called Gold tryed Nihil Ne (que) meum est ne (que) cujusquam, quod auferri, quod eripi, quod amitti potest. Ci­cero in Paradoxis. in the fire, Rev. 3. 18. The true and our own Riches, Luk. 16. 12. Which is as much as to say, that these only [Page 112] are ours, and all but these are false and Counterfeit. These inrich our Souls, which alone (as was said) deserve to be called our-selves, and will abide by us when all other have bid adieu to us. These do as much excel in true value and worth all those things which the world calls Riches, as do our Immortal Spirits transcend our frail and corruptible Car­kasses. It was one of the Maximes of the Stoicks, [...] that the wise (whereby they meant the truly vir­tuous) man is the onely Rich man. And Tully hath this saying upon it. A mans Chest cannot properly be called Animus hominis di­ves, non arca appel­lari potest. Quamvis illa sit plena, dum te inanem videbo, divi­tem non putabo. In paradox. Rich, but his Mind onely: And though thy Coffer be full, so long as I see thee Empty, I shall not think thee a Rich man. And saith Hierocles, [...]. All things that are without a mans soul, are but little and insignificant trifles. And the Righ­teous, saith Solomon, is more excellent than his Neighbour; or he is of greater worth than any other person that is not righte­ous, Prov. 12. 26.

Nothing, again, makes men so honoura­ble as doth Vertue and True Goodness, or at all truly so. Seeing He and He alone that is indued with it, lives up to his high­est [Page 113] Principle, like a Creature possessed of a Mind and Reason; nay this man is moreover (as was said) like to God himself, and imitates his Glorious perfe­ctions. And therefore well might Wisdom say as she doth, Prov. 8. 18. Riches and Honour are with me. To overcome our un­ruly lusts, and keep in subjection all im­petuous desires and inordinate Appetites, makes us more deservedly Glorious than was Alexander or Iulius Caesar: For he that thus doth, hath subdued those that mastered those mighty Conquerours. And such a one hath praise of God, of the holy Angels, and of all men that are not fools, and whose judgments he hath cause to value. He that is slow to anger, is better than the Mighty; and he that ruleth his Spirit, than he that taketh a City, Proverbs 16. 32.

And no Pleasures are comparable to those that immediately result from vertue & ho­liness: for that man's Conscience is a very Heaven to him that busieth himself in the exercise thereof. While we do thus, we act most agreably to the right frame and constitution of our Souls, and consequent­ly most naturally; and all the actions of Nature are confessedly very sweet and pleasant. This also very many of the Hea­thens [Page 114] had a great sense of; even those of them which much doubted of another life wherein Vertue is rewarded, commended very highly the Practice of it, for this rea­son, that it is sibi praemium a reward to it self. Simplicius in his Comment upon Epi­ctetus hath this observable saying, that, The observation of the Rules of Vertue in that Book prescribed will make men so happy and blessed even in this life, that they shall not need [...], &c. to be promised any Reward after death, though that also will be sure to follow.

These things, I say, might be insisted on in this place▪ but they are such large and spacious fields of discourse, that should we make any considerable entrance into them, we shall find it no easie matter to get out of them. I therefore proceed.

CHAP. XI.

THirdly, whatsoever other Blessings a man may be supposed to have, that is utterly destitute of this of Holiness, they cannot stand him in so much stead as but to make him not miserable. We may by the first Particular, and what was said upon it, be sufficiently convinced of the truth of this: But I rather add, That sin­ful Lusts are extremely troublesome, dis­quieting, and painful. The Wicked (saith the Prophet Isaiah) is like the troubled Sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. The Labyrinths that Sin in­volves men in, are innumerable; its ways are so full of intricate turnings and wind­ings, [Page 116] that they sadly perplex those poor Creatures that walk in them, and it is im­possible but that they should do so. The greatest outward inconveniences and dis­astrous misfortunes are very frequently (as might be largly shewn) occasioned by them, but vexations of mind, and trouble­some thoughts are the constant and never failing effects of them. Tully in the fore­mentioned Book, saith thus to the vitious man, Thy lusts torment thee, all sorts Tuae libidines te tor­quent, te arumnae pre­munt omnes, tu dies noctes (que) Cruciaris. of cares oppress thee, and both day and night torture thee. And Hie­rocles saith that, It is necessary that — [...]. the worst life should be most miser­able, and the best most pleasant and delightful. Covetousness and Am­bition put mens minds upon the rack to contrive ways of inriching and advancing themselves: And when they have attained to so large a proportion of earthly profits, or so high a degree of ho­nour as they at first designed, they are so far from being at ease and rest (as they vainly promised to themselves they should) that their cravings encrease as do their fortunes, and in the middest of their Abundance they continue in the same streights that at first afflicted them. Nay so impetuous is the fury of those lusts, [Page 117] that they drive them into still greater, and cause in their Souls that are possessed by them a more pungent and a quicker sense of want than they felt when their condition was most mean, and their estate at the lowest. Nor is this mischief any other than a most natural and unavoidable consequent of forsaking God (who is, as the Scriptures call him, the Rest, and (as Plato) the center of Souls) and of seek­ing satisfaction in such things, as are in­finitely too little for their vast capacities: which the forementioned are, and all worldly enjoyments.

What a multitude of Tormenting cares is Independency on God and Distrust of his Providence perpetually attended with? How impossible is it to give a comprehensive and just Catalogue of the many mischiefs and miseries that are the necessary products and genuine off-spring of Intemperance and Lasciviousness? Solo­mon enumerates some of the evils that are the fruits of the former of these, Prov. 23. 29 but to give a perfect account of them would be an endless work. And as for the latter, besides the loathsome and painful disease that is ordinarily the consequent of satisfying the cravings of that filthy vice, the unclean person is continually in a rest­less [Page 118] Condition, and as it were, in a con­stant fit of a burning feaver; and the evil accidents that are occasioned by it are so many, that they are not neither to be reckoned up. The Epicuraeans, though they placed mans chief happiness in corpo­real Pleasures, did strictly notwithstanding forbid Adultery, for this reason because (as they said) in stead of performing its promise of pleasure, it robs men of it.

He that is proud and highly conceited of himself, is disordered and discomposed by the least sleighting word, or neglect of Respect, and (I had almost said) by the smallest commendation of his Neighbour too: And it lyeth in the power of any sorry Creature, when he list, to afflict him.

The Inward sad effects of Envy and Ma­lice are sufficiently observable in the dis­mal countenances of those that are under the power of them; and these hateful and devilish lusts do eat into and prey upon the very hearts of those in whose breasts they lodge, and are like Fire in their bo­somes uncessantly torturing them: Not to say any thing of the many Outward and [...]st direful mischiefs that are caused by a [...] satisfaction of them. In short, there is [Page 119] not any one inordinate affection, but is so disturbing and disquieting a thing in its own nature, that it cannot but make those who are in subjection to it, though they should have never so manyQui Appetitus longius evagantur &c. et non satis ratione [...]etinen­tur, [...]c. ab iis non mo­dò animi perturban­tur, sed etiam Corpora: licet era ipsa cernere iratorum, aut corum qui aus libidine aliquâ aut metu commoti sunt, aut voluptate nimiâ gestiunt: quo­rum omnium [...]ultus, voces, motus, status (que) mutantur. Cicero lib de Officiis primo. good things to set against it, ex­ceeding miserable in this, as well as in the other world. So that had our Saviour come into the world, onely upon such a design as the carnal Jews expected their Messia would, viz. that of making us partakers of a meer Temporal happiness, he must in order to the succeeding of it chiefly have concerned himself to make us holy.

If it were possible (as it hath been shewn it is not) that a wicked man should have God's Pardon, this would not make him cease to be Miserable; all it could signifie would be no more than an Ex­emption from being immediately by him punish'd; But though the Divine Majesty should not in the least afflict him, his ve­ry Lusts would be of themselves no light punishment, but such as under which he could never enjoy himself in this life, but wil be found to be intolerable in the life to come: Seeing there will then be nothing [Page 120] to be met with that can at all suite with his sensual inclinations, or that will have any aptness in it to please and gratifie them: whereas now all places abound with such things as are fit for that purpose; as are able, I say, to gratifie, though not to satisfie such appetites. So that this man's condition in the future state must needs be very exact­ly like to his, that is even parcht and dri­ed up with excessive thirst, but can by no means obtain wherewithal to quench it; no nor yet so much as a little to slake it, and mitigate the pain of it; as he in this state very frequently makes a shift to do.

Were it possible that Christ's Righteous­ness could be imputed to an unrighteous man, I dare boldly affirm that it would sig­nifie as little to his happiness, while he continueth so as would a gorgeous and splendid garment to one that is almost star­ved with hunger, or that lieth rackt by the torturing diseases of the Stone or Cho­lick.

And could we suppose such a man to be ne­ver so much an object of the Divine Benevo­lence, nay & Complacency too (as there is no­thing than this latter less supposeable) this could not make him, he continuing wick­ed, so much as not miserable: He being rendered by his wickedness utterly unca­pable [Page 121] of such effects of the love of God, as could have upon him so good an influ­ence.

Nay farther, were our Phansies so very powerful, as that they could place him e­ven in Heaven it self; so long as he conti­nueth unturned from his iniquities, we could not imagine him happy there; nay he would carry a Hell to Heaven with him and keep it there. It is not the being in a fine place, that can make any one cease to be miserable; but the being in a good state; and the place Heaven without the Heaven­ly state, will signifie nothing. An un­healthful and diseased body will have never the more ease for residing in a Princes Court, nor will a sick and unfound soul have an end put to its unhappiness, though it should live for ever in the presence of God himself. That saying to this purpose doth well deserve our repeating which I find in the excellent book called The Cau­ses of the Decay of Christian Piety; Alas, what delight would it be to the Swine to be wrapped in fine linnen, and laid in odours: his senses are not gratisied by any such deli­cacies, nor would he feel any thing besides the torment, of being withheld from the mire. And as little complacency would a brutish soul find in those purer and refined pleasures, [Page 122] which can only upbraid, not satisfie him.

It is not to be doubted that such habits of soul as men carry hence with them, they shall keep in the other state; and there­fore if we leave this earth with any un­mortified and reigning lusts, they will not only make us uncapable of the happi­ness of Heaven, but also of any happiness. For there will be (as was but now inti­mated) no satisfaction or so much as gra­tification of carnal and brutish, and much Iess of devilish appetites in the coelestial Mansions: and therefore they cannot be otherwise than very grieviously painful to the person that is fraught with them; though I say we could suppose him to be safely possessed of those glorious habita­tions.

To summ up all I shall say on this argu­ment, I fear not to assert, that Omnipo­tency it self cannot make a wicked per­son happy, no not so much as negatively so (except he should be annihilated) any otherwise than by first giving him his Grace for the subduing and mortification of sin in him: And that to deliver one from all mi­sery while sin is vigorous in his soul, and bears the sway there, is not an ob­ject of any power, and implieth in it a palpable and apparent contradiction. For [Page 123] misery is no less of the essence of sin and wickedness, than is light of the Sun; so that it is impossible they should ever be separated from one another, but that they must like the Twins of Hippocrates, live and die together.

CHAP. XII.

BUt in the last place, well may we call Holiness the greatest of Blessings, for when it is perfected, it is Blessedness it self, and the Glory of Heaven is not only entailed upon it, but doth chiefly consist in it. Be­loved (saith S. Iohn) Now are we the Sons of God; but it doth not appear what we shall be; but this we know that when he ap­peareth, we shall be like him &c. As if he should say, I cannot tell you particularly and distinctly what the bl [...]ness of the o­ther life will be but thi [...] [...] am sure of, that like [...] to God is the [...] notion of it; and that it consists, for the substance there­of, [Page 124] in a perfect resemblance of the Divine Nature. The happiness of Heaven doth not lie in a mere fixing of our eyes upon the Divine perfections, and in admiring of them, but mainly in so beholding and con­templating them, as thereby to be chan­ged into the express and lively image of them: And in having so affecting a sense of Gods infinite justice and goodness, purity and holiness,, as will make the deepest im­pressions of those most amiable qualities in our own souls.

The Glory that Heaven conferreth up­on its inhabitants, consists nothing so much in an external view of God and Christ, as in a real and plentiful participation of their glorious excellencies, whereby are chiefly to be understood those, that are implyed in that general word Holiness: For as for their other attributes such as Knowledge, Power, &c. the devils them­selves who are most of all creatures unlike them, have a large measure of them.

This Blessedness principally implyeth a rapturous love of God, a feeling as well as understanding the goodness that is in him; an inseparable conjunction of all the faculties of our souls with him, and a per­fect assimilation of our natures to him. The felicity of Heaven is an operative thing, [Page 125] full of life and energy, which advanceth all the power of mens souls into a sympathy with the Divine Nature, and an absolute compliance with the will of God, and so makes him to become all in all to them. So that the happiness of Heaven, and per­fect holiness, are by no means to be ac­counted things of a different nature, but two several conceptions of one and the same thing, or rather two expressions of one and the same conception. All that happiness (as said the Learned and Pious Mr. Iohn Smith) which good men shall be made partakers of, as it cannot be born up upon any other foundation than true good­ness, and a God-like nature within us, so neither is it distinct from it.

Neither are we to look upon this as a­ny upstart or late notion, for our antient Divines have long since taught it in this saying that was frequently used by them, viz. Grace is Glory begun, and Glory is Grace perfected.

And I cannot but by the way observe that those which have considered this, will need no other argument to satisfie and con­vince them, That that talk of some [That it is mere servile obedience, and below the ingenuity and Generosity of a Christi­an Spirit, to serve God for Heaven, as well [Page 126] as for the good things of this life only] is very grossely ignorant, very childish prattle: For, to serve God in hopes of Heaven according to its true notion, is to serve him for himself, and to express the sincerest, and also the most ardent affecti­on to him, as well as concernment for our own souls. And therefore it could do no other than infinitely become the Son of God himself to endure the Cross, and de­spise the shame, for the joy that was set be­fore him, taking that joy in no other sence than hath been generally understood, viz. for the happiness of Heaven consisting in a full enjoyment and undisturbed possession of the Blessed Deity: nor is there any rea­son why we should enquire after any other signification of that word which may ex­clude this.

And on the other hand, to be diligent in the service of God for fear of hell, un­derstanding it as a state perfectly opposite to that which we have been describing, is in a like manner from a principle of love to God and true goodness, as well as self-love, and is no more unworthy of a Son of God, than of a mere servant. And thus, the truth of this proposition, That to make men Holy, is to confer upon them the greatest of blessings, by the little that hath been said is made plainly apparent.

CHAP. XIII.

IT remains secondly to be shewn, That to promote the business of Holiness in the world, is to do God Almighty the best ser­vice: And this will be dispatcht in a very few words. For is it not without dispute, better service to a Prince to reduce Rebels to their Allegiance, than to procure a par­don under his Seal for them? This is so e­vidently true, that to do this latter, ex­cept it be in order to the former business, is not at all to serve him, nay it is to do him the greatest of disservices. I need not apply this to our present purpose. And therefore to be sure the work of making men holy and bringing over sinners to the obedience of his Father, must needs have been much more in the eye of our Blessed Saviour, than that of delivering them from their deserved punishments, simply and in it self considered: For his love to him [Page 128] will be (I hope) universally acknowledg­ed to be incomparably greater than it is to us, as very great as 'tis.

None can question, but that by our A­postacy from God, we have most highly dishonoured him, we have robbed him of a Right that he can never be willing to let go, viz. The obedience that is indispen­sably due to him as he is our Creator, con­tinual Preserver, our infinitely bountiful Benefactor and absolute Soveraign. And therefore it is as little to be doubted, that Christ would in the first place concern himself for the Recovery of that Right. And but that both works are carried on together, and inseparably involved in each other; he must necessarily be very greatly and far more solicitous about the effecting of this Design, than of that of delivering wicked Rebels from the mis­chiefs and miseries they have made them­selves lyable to, by their disobedience.

So that laying all these considerations together, what in the world can be more indisputable, than that our Savious chief and ultimate design in coming from Hea­ven to us, and performing and suffering all he did for us, was to turn us from our i­niquities, to reduce us to intire and uni­versal obedience, and to make us parta­kers [Page 129] of inward, real righteousness and true holiness? And we cannot from this last discourse but clearly understand, that it is most infinitely reasonable, and absolute­ly necessary that it should be so.

But now if after all this it be objected, that I have defended a notion concerning the Design of Christianity, different from that which hath hitherto been constantly received by all Christians, viz. That it is to display and magnifie the exceeding riches of God's Grace to fallen mankind in his Son Jesus: I answer that he will be guil­ty of very great injustice towards me, that shall censure me as labouring in this dis­course to propagate any new notion: For I have therein endeavoured nothing else but a true explication of the old one, it ha­ving been grossly misunderstood, and is still by very many to their no small prejudice. Those therefore that say, that the Chri­stian Religion designeth to set forth and glorifie the infinite Grace of God in Jesus Christ to wretched sinners, and withall understand what they say; as they speak most truly, so do they assert the very same thing that I have done. For (as hath been shewn) not only the Grace of God is abun­dantly displaied and made manifest in the Gospel to sinners for this end, that they [...]ay [Page 130] thereby be effectually moved and perswa­ded to forsake their sins: but also the prin­cipal Grace that is there exhibited, doth consist in delivering us from the power of them. Whosoever will acknowledge sin to be (as we have proved it is) in its own nature the greatest of all evils, and holiness the chiefest of all blessings, will not find it easie to deny this. And besides (as we have likewise shewn) men are not capa­ble of God's pardoning Grace, till they have truly repented them of all their sins, that is, have in will and affection sincerely left them: And also that if they were caPa­ble of it, so long as they continue vile slaves to their lusts, that Grace by being bestow­ed upon them cannot make them happy, nor yet cause them to cease from being very miserable, in regard of their disquieting and tormenting nature, in which is laid the foundation of Hell it self. The free Grace of God is infinitely more magni­fied, in renewing our Natures, than it could be in the bare justification of our persons: And to justifie a wicked man while he con­tinueth so, (if it were possible for God to do it) would far more disparage his Iustice and Holiness, than advance his Grace and Kindness: Especially since his forgiving sin would signifie so little, if it be [Page 131] not accompanied with the destruction of it.

In short, then doth God most signally glorifie himself in the world, when he most of all communicates himself, that is, his Glorious perfections, to the souls of men: And then do they most Glorifie God, when they most partake of them, and are ren­dered most like unto him.

But because nothing is, I perceive, more generally mistaken, than the notion of Gods Glorifying himself, I will adde some­thing more for the better understanding ofSee his se­lect dis­courses pag. 409. this, and I am conscious to my self that I cannot do it so well, as in the words of the Excellent man we a while since quoted, Mr. Iohn Smith sometimes Fellow of Queens College in Cambridge; When God seeks his own Glory, he doth not so much endeavour any thing without himself: He did not bring this stately Fabrick of the u­niverse into being, that he might for such a monument of his mighty Power, and Benefi­cence gain some Panegyricks or Applause from a little of that fading breath which he had made. Neither was that Gracious Con­trivance of restoring lapsed men to himself a plot to get himself some External Hallelujahs, as if he had so ardently thirsted after the Lauds of Glorified Spirits, or desired a Quire of Souls to sing forth his Praises: Neither [Page 132] was it to let the world see how magnificent he was. No, it is his own internal Glory that he most loves, and the Communication there­of which he seeks: As Plato sometimes speaks of the Divine Love, it ariseth not out of Indigency, as created love doth, but out of Fulness and Redundancy: It is an o­verflowing fountain, and that love which de­scends upon created beings is a free efflux from the Almighty source of love: And it is well-pleasing to him that those creatures which he hath made, should partake of it. Though God cannot seek his own Glory so, as if he might acquire any addition to himself, yet Chap. 1. 5. he may seek it so, as to communicate it out of himself. It was a good Maxime of Plato, [...] There is no envy in God, which is better stated by St. James, God giveth to all men liberally, and up­braideth not. And by that Glory of his which he loves to impart to his creatures, I understand those stamps and impressions of Wisdome, Justice, Patience, Mercy, Love, Peace, Joy and other Divine Gifts which he bestoweth freely upon the minds of men. And thus God triumphs in his own Glory, and takes pleasure in the Communi [...]ion of it.

I proceed now to consider what Useful inferences may be gathered from our past discourse.

CHAP. XIV. The First Inference.

First, it appears from what hath been said to demonstrate That our Saviour's Grand Design upon us in coming into the world was to subdue sin in us, and restore the image of God, that consisteth in righ­teousness and true holiness, to us; That he hath taken the most effectual course imagi­nable for that purpose; and that his Go­spel is the most powerful Engine for the battering down of all the strong holds that sin hath raised to it self in the souls of men, and the advancement of us to the highest pitch of Sanctity that is to be arrived at by Humane nature. This (as hath been shewn) was the business that the Phi­losophy of the Heathens designed to ef­fect; [Page 135] but alas what a weak and inefficaci­ous thing was it, in comparison of Christ's Gospel: wherein we have such excellent and soul-enobling Precepts most perspicu­ously delivered; and moreover such mighty helps afforded to enable us, and such infinitely pressing motives and argu­ments to excite us to the practice of them.

And it will not be amiss if we particu­larly shew, what exceeding great advan­tages Christians have for the attaining of true Vertue, and the sublimest degrees of it too in this state attainable, above any that were ever vouchsafed to the world by the Divine Providence, before our Saviour's descent into it. And (not to make a formal comparison between the Christian and best Pagan-Philosophy, this not deserving upon innumerable accounts to be so much as named with that, & much less to dishonour the Religion of our Savi­our so far as at all to compare it with any of those which were professed by Heathenish nations, or that of the impostor Mahomet, which as well as those, in not a few par­ticulars tends greatly even to corrupt and deprave mens natures) we will discourse according to our accustomed brevity▪ First, what advantages the Gospel gives us above those which such Heathens, as were [Page 136] privileged with extraordinary helps for the improvement of their understandings, had; and Secondly, above those which God's most peculiar people, the children of Israel, were favoured with.

First, as for those the Gospel contain­eth above such as the best and most refined Heathens enjoyed, it will be worth our while to consider

First, That the good principles that were by natural light dictated to them, and which reason rightly improved did perswade them to entertain as undoubtedly true, or might have done, are farther confirmed by Divine Revelation in the Gospel to us.

As, That there is but one God, That he is an absolutely-perfect Being, infinitely Power­ful, Wise, Iust, Merciful, &c. That we owe our lives and all the comforts of them to him, That he is our Sovereign Lord, to whom absolute subjection is indispensably due, That he is to be loved above all things; and the main and most important particu­lar duties which it becomes us to perform to him, our neighbour and selves. We Chri­stians have these things as plainly declared from Heaven to us, and as often repeated and inculcated, as if there were no other way to come to the Knowledge of them but that of Revelation. So that (as hath [Page 137] been shewn in the Free Discourse, pag. 88.) what the Heathens took pains for, and by the exercise of their Reason learnt, we have set before our eyes, and need but read it in order to our knowledge of it. It is true, for our satisfaction whether the Holy Scriptures are Divinely inspired, and have God for their Author, it is ne­cessary that we employ our Reason, ex­cept we can be contented to be of so ve­ry hasty and easie a belief as to give cre­dit to things, and those of greatest con­cernment too, we know not why; or to pin our faith on our Fore-fathers sleeves; and so to have no better bottome for our belief of the Bible, than the Turks have for theirs of the Alcoran. But although it is necessary that we should exercise here our Discursive Faculty, if we will believe as becomes Creatures indued with Rea­son, yet this is no tedious task, nor such as we need much belabour our brains a­bout. An unprejudiced person will soon be abundantly satisfied concerning the Scripture's Divine Authority, when he doth but consider how it is confirmed, and how worthy the Doctrine contained in it is of him whose name it bears. Now, I say, this little pains being taken for the establishment of our Faith in the Holy [Page 138] Scripture, we cannot but be at the first sight assured of the truth of the contents of it. For no man in his wits can in the least question the Veracity of him, whom even natural light assures us can be no other than Truth it self.

Secondly, Those good Principles that the Heathens by the greatest improvement of their Reason could at best conclude but very probable, are made undoubtedly Certain to us Christians by Revelation; As,

First, That of the Immortality of our Souls. The vulgar sort of Heathens who were apt to believe any thing that was by Tra­dition handed down to them, ('tis confes­sed) did not seem to doubt of the truth of this Doctrine, but to take it for grant­ed; which (no question) is also to be imputed to the special Providence of God, and not merely to their Credulity. But the more learned and sagacious, that would not easily be imposed on, nor believe any farther than they saw cause, though by Arguments drawn from the no­tions they had truly conceived of the Na­ture of Humane Souls they have diverse of them undertaken to prove them Immor­tal; yet could their Arguments raise the best of them no higher than a great opi­nion of their Immortality▪ Cato read Plato [Page 139] of the Immortality of the Soul, as he lay bleeding to death, with great delight; but that argues not that he had any more than great hopes of the truth of it. Socra­tes did so believe it, that he parted with this life in expectation of another; but yet he plainly and ingenuously confessed to his friends, that it was not certain. Ci­cero, that sometimes expresseth great con­fidence concerning the truth of it, doth for the most part speak so of it, that any one may see that he thought the Doctrine no better than probable. He discourseth of it in his book de Senectute as that which he rather could not endure to think might be false, than as that which he had no doubt of the truth of. And after he had there instanced in several Arguments which he thought had weight in them for the proof thereof, and expressed a longing to see his Ancestors, and the brave men he had once known, and which he had heard of, read and written of, he thus concludes that whole Discourse, If I erre in Quòd si in hoc erro, quod animos hominum immortales esse cre­dam, libenter erro: nec mihi errorem, quo de­lector, dum v [...]o, ex­torqueri volo. Sin mortuus, &c. believing the Souls immortality, I erre willingly; neither so long as I live will I suffer this errour which so much delights me, to be wrested from me. But if when I am dead, I shall be void of all sense, as certain [Page 140] little Philosophers think, I do not fear to have this errour of mine laught at by dead Philosophers.

But now the Gospel hath given us the highest assurance possible of the truth of this Doctrine; Life and immortality are said to be brought to light by it: He who declared himself to be the Son of God with power, gave men a sensible demon­stration of it in his own person, by his Re­surrection from the Dead, and Ascention into Heaven: And both by himself, and his Apostles (who were also indued with a power of working the greatest of Mira­cles for the confirmation of the truth of what they said) did very frequently, and most plainly preach it.

Secondly, The Doctrine of Rewards and Punishments in the life to come (which is for substance the same with the former) according to our behaviour in this life, the learned Heathens did generally de­clare their belief of; which they ground­ed upon the Justice, Holiness and Good­ness of the Divine Nature. They consider­ed that Good men were often exercised with great calamities, and that bad men very frequently were greatly prosperous, and abounded with all earthly felicities: And therefore thought it very reasonable [Page 141] to believe that God would in another life shew his hatred of Sin, and love of Good­ness, by making a plain discrimination be­tween the conditions of vertuous and wicked persons, by punishing these, and rewarding those without exception. But this, though it was, in their opinion, a very probable argument, yet they looked not on it as that which amounted to a Demonstration. For they could not but be aware, That that Doctrine which was so generally received by them, viz. That Vertue is in all conditions a Reward, and Vice a Punishment to it self, did very much blunt the edge of it: And that o­ther very harsh one, That all things be­sides Vertue and Vice are [...] neither good nor evil, did render it (as the per­fect Stoicks did seem too well to under­stand) too too insignificant. But I must confess that Hierocles, who (as hath been said) did not admit that notion, but in a very qualified sence, saith of those that think their Souls mortal (and consequent­ly that vertue will hereafter have no re­ward) that when they dispute in the be­half of vertue, [...] they rather talk wittily, than truly and in good earnest. The excellent Socrutes him­self, when he was going to drink off the [Page 142] fatal drug, thus said to those that were then present with him, I am now going to end my days, whereas your lives will be prolonged; but whether you or I up­on this account are the more happy, is known to none but God only: intima­ting that he did not look upon it as ab­solutely certain that he should have any Reward in another world, for doing so heroically vertuous an act, as chusing Martyrdom for the Doctrine of the Unity of the Godhead. But now, what is more frequently or clearly declared in the Go­spel, than that there will be Rewards and Punishments in the world to come sutable to mens actions in this world? than, that Christ will come a second time to judge the world in righteousness, and that all must appear before his Iudgment-seat, to re­ceive according to what they have done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, 2 Cor. 5. 10.

Thirdly, That mens sins shall be forgiven upon true Repentance, from the considera­tion of the Goodness and Mercy of God, the Heathens were likewise perswaded, or rather hoped: But we Christians have the strongest assurance imaginable given us of it, by the most solemn and often reiterated promises of God himself; and not onely [Page 143] that some or most, but also that all with­out exception, and the most heinous im­pieties upon condition of their being sin­cerely forsaken, shall in and through Christ be freely forgiven to those that have been guilty of them.

Fourthly, The Doctrine of God's rea­diness to assist men by his special grace in their endeavours after Vertue, could be no more, at the best, than probable in the judgement of the Heathens: but we have in the Gospel the most express promises thereof made to us, for our infinitely great encouragement. Tully in his Book de Naturâ Deorum saith, that their City Rome, and Greece had brought forth many singular men, of which it is to be believed none ar­rived to such a height nisi Deo juvante, but by the help of God. And after he tells us, that Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu Divino unquam fuit, No ex­cellent man was ever made so but by some Divine afflation. And Pythagoras in his golden verses exhorts men to pray un­to God for assistance in doing what be­comes them.

[Page 144]And Hierocles (with whom I confess my self so enamoured, that I can scarcely ever forbear to present my Reader with his excellent sayings, when there is occa­sion) He, I say, upon this clause of Pytha­goras, hath a discourse, concerning the necessity, of our endeavours after Vertue on the one hand, and of the divine bles­sing to make them successful on the other, which I have often admired. And even Seneca himself, very unlike a Stoick, saith, Bonus vir sine Deo nemo est, &c. No man can be made good without God, for can any one raise up himself without his help?

But none of these could have the least assurance, that God would not deny his special assistance to any that seriously seek after it, especially since men have brought themselves into a state of imbecillity and great impotence through their own de­fault. But this, I say, the Gospel gives all men very serious offers of, and assures them if they be not wanting to themselves, they shall obtain. Hence our Saviour saith, Ask, and it shall be given unto you: seek and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any that is a father, [Page 145] will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a Serpent? or if he ask an egge, will he offer him a Scor­pion? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit unto them that ask him, Luke 11. 9, &c. And the same thing is told us by S. Iames in these words chap. 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Antoninus the Philosopher puts men upon praying for a good mind above all things, but all the encouragement he could give was, [...] and see Lib. 9. Sect. 4 [...]. what will come of it.

Thirdly, We have other Doctrines made known to us by the Gospel, which no man could ever without Divine Reve­lation in the least have dream'd of. As,

First, That God hath made miserable sin­ners the objects of such transcendent kind­ness, as to give them his onely-begotten Son. And there are these five Doctrines implied in this, which are each of them very strong motives and incentives to Holiness, viz.

• 1. That God Almighty hath made such account of us, and so concerned himself for our recovery out of that most wretch­ed [Page 146] condition we had by sinning against him plunged our selves into, as to send his own Son from Heaven to us to shew us on what terms we may be recovered, and also in his name even to pray and be­seech us to comply with them. That he
  2 Cor. 5. 20.
  should send no meaner a person than one who was the Brightness of his Glory, and the express image of his Person, by whom also he made the world, upon this errand, is such a
  Heb. 1. 2, 3
  motive to holiness as one would think no sinner could be able to stand out against. That God should send an Embassadour from Heaven to us to assure us that he is Reconcileable, and bears us good-will, notwithstanding our high provocations of him, and to lay before us all the parts of that holiness which is necessary to restore our Natures to his own likeness, and so to make us capable of enjoying Blessedness; and most pathetically moreover to entreat us to do what lieth in us to put them in practice, that so it may be to eternity well with us; and that this Embassadour should be such a one also as we now said, never was there so marvelous an expres­sion of the Divine Love; and therefore one would even conclude it perfectly ir­resistible by all persons that have not extir­pated out of their natures all ingenuity.
• [Page 147]2. That this Son of God conversed up­on equal terms with men, and was incar­nate for their sakes. Great is the Mystery of
  1 Tim. 3. 16.
  Godliness, God manifested in the Flesh. That he should become the Son of Man, submit to be born of a Woman, is a De­monstration that God is so far from having cast off Humane Nature, that (as much as it is depraved) he beareth a very won­derful good-will still to it, and hath a real desire to readvance and dignifie it: even this simply considered and without joyning with it the consideration of the Design of it, might make us conclude this; seeing that Christ's taking our nature is the bringing of it so near to the Divine, as to lodge it therewith in one and the self-same Person. And therefore, besides the motive to holiness drawn from God's infinite love therein expressed, this Doctrine contain­eth another very powerful one, viz. That it must needs be a most notoriously vile thing to dishonour our nature by sin and wickedness, and far more so than it was before the Incarnation of Jesus Christ; in that it may now by the means thereof be properly said, that it is in his person ad­vanced above even the Nature of Angels; for him who is invested with it do they themselves worship. And how can any [Page 148] Christian while he considereth this, be able to forbear thus to reason with him­self? Shall I by harbouring filthy lusts de­base that nature in my own person, which God hath to such an infinite height exal­ted in his Son's? God forbid. What an additional motive is this, to do as Pytha­goras advised his Scholars, in these words, Above all things revere and stand in awe of
  [...].
  thy self. Do nothing that is disbecoming and unworthy of so excellent a nature, as thine is.
• 3. That this Son of God taught men their duty by his own example, and did himself perform among them what he re­quired of them. Now that he should tread before us every step of that way, which he he hath told us leadeth to eternal happi­ness, and commend those duties which are most ungrateful to our corrupt incli­nations, by his own practice; our having so brave an example is no small encourage­ment to a chearful performance of all that is commanded. For how honourable a thing must it needs be to imitate the one­ly begotten Son of God, nay and one who is likewise God himself? How glorious to follow such a pattern? Those which have any thing in their souls of true generosity, cannot but find themselves by the consi­deration [Page 149] hereof, not a little provoked to abandon all sin, and to set themselves very heartily to the performance of whatso­ever duties are imposed upon them. And as for those which we are so apt to look upon as unworthy of us, and too low for us (such as meek putting up of affronts, and condescending to the meanest offices for the serving of our brethren) how can his spirit be too lofty for them, that con­siders Christ's was not. Now these are all such motives and helps to holiness, the like to which none but those who have the Gospel, ever had.
• 4. That this Son of God was an expia­atory Sacrifice for us. We have already shewn what cogent Arguments to all holy obedience are herein contained.
• 5. That this Son of God being raised from the Dead, and ascended into Hea­ven is our High Priest there, and ever lives (as the Author to the * Hebrews saith) to
  Chap. 7.
  make intercession with his Father for us. The Heathens, it is confessed, had a no­tion of Daemons negotiating the affairs of men with the Supreme God; but they could never have imagined in the least that they should be so highly privileged, as to have one who is the Begotten Son of this God, and infinitely above all persons [Page 150] dear to him, for their perpetual Mediator and Intercessor. I need not say what an en­couragement this is to an Holy Life.

And as the Doctrine of God's giving his Son, which containeth the five foremen­tioned particulars, is such as the highest improvement of reason could never have caused any thing like it to have entered our thoughts, or that is comparable thereunto for the effectual provoking of men to the pursuance of all Holiness of Heart and Life, so

Secondly, The Doctrine of his sending the Holy Ghost, to move and excite us to our Duty, and to assist, chear, and comfort us in the performance of it, may go along with it. How could it have once been thought, without Divine Revelation, that a person indued with the Divine Nature, and Infinite Power and Goodness should take it upon him as his Office and peculiar Province to assist mens weakness in the prosecution of vertue? But this doth the Gospel assure us of; as also that those which do not resist and repel his good motions shall be sure to have alwaies the superintendency of this Blessed Spirit, and that he will never forsake them, but abide with them for ever, and carry them from one degree of Grace to another, till at [Page 151] length it is consummate and made perfect in Glory. And to this I adde

Thirdly, The Doctrine of our Union with Christ through this Spirit: which Union (to speak in the words of the Learned Dr. Patrick in his Mensa Mystica) Is not only such a Moral one as is between Husband and Wife, which is made by Love; or between King and Subjects, which is made by Laws; but such a Natural Union as is between Head and Members, the Vine and Bran­ches which is made by one Spirit or Life dwelling in the whole. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. As the body is one and hath many members; and also the members of that one body, being many, are one bo­dy, so also is Christ; for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Now see what use the Apostle makes of both these 1 Cor. 6. 15, 19, 20. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an Harlot? God forbid. And then he thus proceeds in the 19 and 20 Verses, What, know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, but ye are bought with a price: Therefore glorifie God in▪ your body and in your Spirit, which are God's. What [Page 152] helps and incitements we have to the per­fecting of Holiness in the fear of God, from these two Doctrines, is inexpressible.

Lastly, The Doctrine of the uncon­ceivably great Reward, that shall be conser­red upon all good and holy persons, which the Gospel hath revealed, is such as could not possibly by the mere help of Natural Light enter into the thoughts of those that were strangers to it. We are therein as­sured not only of another life, and that good men shall therein be rewarded, but likewise that the reward that shall be con­ferred upon them, shall be no less than an Hyperbolically Hyperbolical Weight of Glo­ry: as are the words of S. Paul 2 Cor. 4. 1 [...]. Those that overcome, are promised that they shall sit with Christ on his Throne, e­ven as he overcame and is set down with his Father on his Throne, Rev. 3. 21. In short, the happiness that our Saviour will reward all his faithful Disciples with, is so expressed, as that we are assured it is in­expressible, and likewise far exceeding the short reach of our present conceptions: of which their souls are not only to par­take, but their bodies also, they being to [...] [...]. [...]. be made (as vile as they are in this state) like the Glorious Body of Jesus Christ, and though sown in Corruption and dishonour to be raised in [...]lory, 1 Cor. 15.

[Page 153]Now though, as we said, the learned Heathens did many of them by the exer­cise of their reason make it probable to themselves that their souls were immortal, and that in another world vertuous per­sons shall be richly rewarded; yet no rea­soning of theirs could ever enable them so much as to conjecture that this reward shall be such an immensely great one, as that the Gospel assures us of: there being an infinite disproportion betwixt the best services that the most vertuous persons are in a possibility of performing, and such a reward as this is: and it being also im­possible that so great a felicity as that of the Soul only, should be a necessary and na­tural result from the highest degrees of ho­liness that are attainable in this low and imperfect state. But yet it is too well known to be concealed that the Pythago­raeans and Platonists do speak very great things of the happiness of Heaven; and those of them that discourse intelligibly concerning it, do give in the general the Gospel-notion of it. I have found Sim­plicius somewhere in his Comment on E­pictetus calling it an eternal rest with God. And the Pythagoraean verses conclude with these two

Where by [Thou shalt be an immortal God] the Commentator Hierocles under­stands, thou shalt be like to the immortal Gods, and by them he meaneth, as ap­pears by his Comment upon the first verse, those excellent spirits that are immedi­ately subordinate to their Maker the su­preme God, and the God of Gods, as he calls him; by which he seemeth to under­stand the same with those called in the Scripture Arch-Angels; for I find that he gives the name Angels to an order next be­low them. So that, according to him, it was the Pythagoraean doctrine, That good men shall, when they go to Heaven, be made in state and condition like to those that are likest to God Almighty. But how they should learn this by mere natural Light, is unimaginable. That which is most probably conjectured is, that they received these with several o­ther [Page 155] notions from the antient traditions of the Hebrews. But as for their [...], and [...] the splendid bo­dy, and spiritual vehicle they talk of, they mean not that Glorious Coelestial body, which the Apostle tells us this Terrestial one shall be changed into, but, a thin sub­tile body, which they say the soul even while it is in this gross one is immediate­lyThis noti­on of a fine body did Ter­tullian re­tain his belief of, after he was con­verted to Christia­nity, and took it for the inner man, spoken of in Scri­pture. inclosed in: And which being in this life well purified from the pollution it hath contracted from its Case of flesh, the soul taking its flight from thence with it, en­joyeth its happiness in it. But, I say, the change of this vile into a Glorious body they were perfectly strangers to.

Now what an unspeakable encourage­ment to Holiness is the happiness which the Gospel proposeth to us, and gives us assurance of also, that the now mentioned or any of the Philosophers could never by the best improvement of their Intellectu­als have conceived to be so much as like­ly to be attainable by mankind? And who would still serve their filthy lusts, and in so doing be the vilest of slaves here, that looks to reign with the King of the world for ever hereafter? He that hath this hope in him, saith S. Iohn, purisieth himself even as he is pure. 1 Iohn 3. 3.

[Page 156]And what hath been spoken of the greatness of the Reward which is promi­sed in the Gospel to obedient persons, may be said also of the punishment it threateneth to the disobedient. It would make (one would think) even an heart of Oak, and the most hardened sinner to tremble and shake at the reading of those expressions it is set forth by. Some of the Philosophers do speak very dreadful things concerning the condition of wicked men in the other world; but they fall extremely short of what the Gospel hath declared. But I confess a discourse on this head will not very properly come in here. For mere reason might make it exceedingly probable that so highly aggravated sins as those which are committed against the Gospel are, shall be punish'd as severely, if impenitently persisted in, as is declared by our Saviour and his Apostles they shall be. But however it is no small awaken­ing to us Christians, that we have such an undoubted assurance from God himself, what we must expect, if we will not be prevailed upon by all the means afforded us for our reformation, but shall notwith­standing them persevere in the neglect of known duties, and in the allowance of known wickedness.

CHAP. XV.

IN the second place, it is the clearest case That the Gospel of our Saviour containeth incomparably greater helps and advantages for the effecting of the great work of making men really righteous and truly holy, than God's most peculiar people, the Israelites, whom he knew and favoured above all the nations of the earth, were par­takers of.

First, Nothing is plainer than that the Gospel is infinitely more effectual for this purpose, than the Mosaical Law was. For [Page 158] indeed that was directly designed only to restrain those that were under the obliga­tion of it from the more notorious sins. It was added (saith the Apostle) because of Transgression, till the Seed should come &c. Gal. 3. 19. Iustin Martyr saith particu­larly of the Sacrifices, that the end of them was to keep the Jews from worshipping Idols, which Trypho also, though a Jew that greatly gloried in the Law, acknow­ledged. They were an extremely carnal and vain people, exceedingly prone to be bewitched with the Superstitions of the Gentiles; God gave them therefore a pompous way of worship that might gratifie their childish humour, and so keep them from being drawn away with the va­nities of the Heathens among whom they dwelt: and he gave them, withall, such Precepts inforced with threatnings of most severe and present punishments, as might by main force hold them in from those vile disorders, immoralities and exorbi­tances that had then overspread the face of the woefully depraved & corrupted world. It is certain that the Law of Moses, strict­ly so called, did properly tend to make them no more than externally righteous; and whosoever was so, and did those works it enjoined (which they might do [Page 159] by their own natural strength) was e­steemed according to that Law and dealt with as just and blameless; and had a right to the immunities and privileges therein promised. But much less was it accompanied with grace to indue the ob­servers of it with an inward principle of Holiness..

And the Apostle S. Paul expresseth this as the great difference between that Law and the Gospel, in calling this the Spirit, and that the Letter, as he several times doth. Not that God, who was ever of an infinitely benign nature, and love it self (as S. Iohn describes him) was want­ing with his Grace to well-minded men under the Old-Testament; or that the Jews were all destitute of an inward prin­ciple of Holiness; nothing less: But the Law which Moses was peculiarly the pro­mulger of, did not contain any promises of Grace, nor did the obligation thereof extend any farther than to the outward man. But there ran (as I may so express my self) a vein of Gospel all along with this Law, which was contained in the Cove­nant made with Abraham and his Seed, by virtue of which the good men among the Jews expected Justification and eter­nal Salvation, and performed the sub­stance [Page 160] of those Duties which the New Testament requireth, and which were both by Moses and the Prophets, at cer­tain times, and upon several occasions ur­ged upon them.

But as for this Law of Moses consider­ed according to its natural meaning, it is called a Law of a carnal Commandment, Heb. 7. 16. And the services it imposed, weak and beggerly Elements, Gal. 4. 9. And a Law which made no man perfect, Heb. 7. 19. Its promises therefore were only temporal; upon which account the Author to the Hebrews saith, that the Gospel is e­stablished on better promises. Nor was Justification before God obtainable by it, as S. Paul frequently sheweth; and there­fore did account the righteousness of it very mean and vile in comparison of that which the Gospel indued men with. No man could be acquitted by the severest observance of this Law from any other than Civil punishments, nor were its Sa­crifices able to make the offerers perfect as pertaining to the conscience, Heb. 9. 9. And though it be true (as Mr. Chillingworth observeth in his Sermon on Gal. 5. 5.) That the legal Sacrifices were very apt and com­modious to shadow forth the oblation and satisfaction of Christ; yet this use of them [Page 161] was so mystical and reserved, so impossible to be collected out of the letter of the Law; that without a special Revelation from God, the eyes of the Israelites were too weak to serve them to pierce through those dark clouds and shadows, and to carry their observation to the substance. So that (proceeds he) I con­ceive those Sacrifices of the Law in this re­spect are a great deal more beneficial to us Christians: For there is a great difference between Sacraments and Types: Types are onely useful after the Antitype is discovered, for the confirmation of their faith that fol­low. As for Example, Abraham's offering of Isaac by Faith did lively represent the real oblation of Christ; but in that respect was of little or no use till Christ was indeed Crucified; it being impossible to make that History a groundwork of their Faith in Christ. The like may be said of the Legal Sa­crifices.

And for a clear understanding of the direct use of this Law, I refer the Reader to that Sermon: Where it is fully, and (in my opinion) as judiciously discoursed as I have ever elsewhere met with it.

Secondly, Nor were these special Fa­vourites of heaven upon any other ac­counts in circumstances for the obtaining of a thorow reformation of life, renovati­on [Page 162] and purification of nature, comparable to those which our Saviour hath blessed his Disciples with. For though they had (as we said) for the substance the same Spiritual Precepts which are enjoyned in the Gospel over and above the Mosaical Law; yet these were inforced by no express promises of eternal happiness, or threatnings of eternal misery: Nor was so much as a life to come otherwise than by Tradition, or by certam ambiguous expressions (for the most part) of their inspired men, or by such sayings as onely implyed it, and from which it might be rationally concluded, discovered to them: As for instance, in that place particularly, where God by his representative, an Angel, declared him­self to his servant Moses to be the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Exod. 3. 6 Iacob; from whence our Saviour inferred that Doctrine for this Reason, That God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matth. 22. 3 [...]. And that the notices they had hereof were not very plain and clear, is appa­rent, in that there was a Sect among them, viz. the Sadduces, that professed to disbelieve it; and yet, notwithstanding, were continued in the body, and enjoyed the privileges of the Jewish Church. But that one forecited Assertion of the Apo­stle, [Page 163] 2 Tim. 1. 10. putteth this out of all question, viz. That Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel. From whence we may assuredly gather thus much at least, viz. That in the Gospel is manifestly revealed Life and Immortality which was never before made known so certainly.

I adde moreover that the Israelites were required to keep at such a distance from all other Nations, that they could not but be by that means greatly inclined to mo­rosity, self-conceitedness, and contempt of their fellow-creatures: And were ever and anon employed in such services as na­turally tended, through the weakness of their natures, to make their spirits too angry and fierce, not to say cruel. As for instance, that of destroying God's and their enemies, and sometimes their inno­cent children too, and the cattle that be­longed to them. And several connivances and Indulgences they had (as in the Cases of Divorce and Polygamy and Revenge) which did not a little conduce to the gra­tifying of Sensuality, and the Animal life in them: All which are taken away by our Saviour Christ. These things with di­verse others, made it in an ordinary way impossible for those people to arrive at [Page 164] that height of vertue and true goodness, that the Gospel designeth to raise us to. And though we find some of them very highly commended for their great San­ctity; we are to understand those Encomi­ums for the most part, at least, with a re­ference to the Dispensation under which they were; and as implying a considera­tion of the Circumstances they were in, and the means they enjoyed.

And thus have we shewed what a most admirably effectual course our Blessed Sa­viour hath taken to purifie us from all fil­thiness both of the flesh and spirit, and to make us in all respects Righteous and Ho­ly: And how much the Christian Dispen­sation excelleth others as to its aptness for this purpose. And from what hath been said we may safely conclude, That neither the world, nor any part of it was ever favored by God with means for the accomplish­ment of this work, comparable to those which are contained in the Christian Re­ligion.

So that, well might S. Paul call the Go­spel of Christ the power of God to Salva­tion, Rom. 1. 16 that is, both from misery and the cause of it. Well may the weapons of the Christian Warfare be said not to be carnal and weak, but mighty through God, to the [Page 165] pulling down of strong holds, and casting 2 Cor. 10. 5. down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Great reason had Clemens Alexandrinus to call our Saviour [...], the In­structer P [...]dag. pag. 120. and School-master of Humane Na­ture; and to say (as he doth in the fol­lowing words,) That he hath endeavoured to save us by using with all his might, all the instruments of Wisdom, or all wise cour­ses, and draws us back by many bridles from gratifying unreasonable appetites. And Iu­stin Martyr, speaking of the Gospel, had cause pathetically to break out as he did, in these words, [...], &cOratio ad Graeco [...]. pag. 40. O thou expeller and chaser away of evil af­fections! O thou extinguisher of burning lusts! This is that which makes us not Poets or Philosophers or excellent Orators, but of poor mortal men makes us like so many Immortal Gods, and translateth us from this low earth to those Regions that are above Olympus. And well, again, might the same good Father, having throughly acquaint­ed himself with the Stoick and Platonick Philosophy, (by which latter he thought himself to have gained much wisdom) and at last by the advice of an old man a [Page 166] stranger, having studied the Gospel, thus express himself, [...], &c. I found this alone to be the safe and profitable Philosophy, and Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 225. thus and by this means became I a Philo­sopher.

Symplicius faith thus of Epictetus his Enchiridion, That it hath [...] Pag. 2, so much of powerfulness and pungen­cy, that those which are not perfectly dead, must needs come to understand thereby their own affections, and be ef­fectually excited to the rectifying of them. Could he give such a Character as this of that little Book of his Brother­Heathen; what can be invented by us high enough for the Gospel? That, as ve­ry fine a thing as it is, being most ap­parently extremely weak and insuffici­ent for the purpose upon the account of which he praiseth it, if compared with this blessed Book.

CHAP. XVI.

IF it be now objected against what we have said of the admirable efficacy of the Christian Religion for the purpose of making men Holy, That there is but very little sign of it in the lives of those that profess to believe it: For who are more woefully lost as to all true goodness, who are more deeply sunk into sensuality and brutishness, than are the Generality of Christians? Nay among what sort of men are all manner of abominable wickednesses and villanies to be found so rife, as among them? Upon which account the name of Christian stinks in the nostrils of the very Jews, Turks and Pagans. Beastly intem­perance and uncleannesses of all sorts, the most sordid covetousness, wretched inju­stice, oppressions, and cruelties; the most Devilish malice, envy and pride; the dead­liest animosities, the most outragious feuds, dissensions and rebellions; the plainest and grossest Idolatry, highest Bla­sphemies and most horrid Impieties of all kinds are in no part of the world more ob­servable than they are in Christendom; nor most of them any where so observa­ble. And even in those places where the [Page 169] Gospel is most truly and powerfully preached, and particularly in this our na­tion, there is but little more to be taken no­tice of in the far greater number, than the name of Christian; nor any more of Reli­gion, than insignificant complementings of God, and a mere bodily worship of him. But what abominable vice is there, that doth not here abound? Nay where doth the highest and most daring of Impie­ties, viz. Atheism it self, so boldly shew its head as it doth here? And as for those among us that make the greatest pretences to Christianity, besides a higher profession, a more frequent attendance on ordinan­ces, and a mighty zeal for certain fruitless opinions they have taken up, and little trifles which signifie nothing to the better­ing of their souls & carrying on that which we have shewed is the Design of Christi­anity; there is little to be observed in very many, if not most, of them, whereby they may be distinguished from other people. But as for the sins of covetousness, pride & con­tempt of others, disobedience to autho­rity, sedition, unpeaceableness, wrath & fierceness against those that differ in opi­nion from them, censoriousness & unchari­tableness; it is too obvious how much the greater part of the Sects we are divided [Page 170] into are guilty of most, if not all of them. And that which is really the power of God­liness doth appear in the conversations of but very few.

God knows, the wickedness of those that enjoy and profess to believe the Go­spel, is an extremely fertile and copious Theme to dilate upon; and is fitter to be the subject of a great volume (if any one can perswade himself so far to rake into such a noisome Dunghil, as sure none can except enemies to Christianity) than to be discoursed by the bie, as it is here. Nor can there be an easier task undertaken than to shew, that not a few mere Hea­thens have behaved themselves incompa­rably better towards God, their Neigh­bour, and themselves, than do the Ge­nerality of those that are called Christi­ans. Nay I fear it would not be over-dif­ficult to make it appear, that the Gene­rality of those that never heard the Go­spel, do behave themselves in several re­spects better than they do.

But I have no list to entertain my self or Reader with such an unpleasant and dis­mally melancholy Argument, but will betake my self to answer the sad objection which is from thence taken against the truth of our last discourse.

[Page 171]1. And, in the first place, let the Go­spel have never so little success in promo­ting what is designed by it; whoever con­siders it, and what hath been said concern­ing it, cannot but acknowledge that it is in it self as fit as any thing that can be imagined for the purpose of throughly­reforming the lives, and purifying the na­tures of Mankind: And also incomparably more fit than any other course that hath ever been taken, or can be thought of. So that we may certainly conclude, That the depravedness of Christendom is not to be ascribed to the inefficacy of the Gospel, but to other causes; Namely, mens gross unbelief of the Truth of it, as much as they profess Faith in it: their inexcusable neg­lect of considering the infinitely-powerful motives to a holy life contained in it; & of using the means conducing thereunto pre­scribed by it. And these are inseparable con­comitants, and most effectual promoters of each other. Every mans Inconsideration is proportionable to his Incredulity, and his Incredulity to his Inconsideration: And how much of carelessness is visible in mens lives, so much of unbelief doth possess their hearts; and so on the contrary. Upon which account to believe and to be obedient and not to believe and to be disobedient, are [Page 172] synonymous phrases and of the same signi­fication in the New and likewise in the Old Testament. Now it is a true saying of somebodies, Contumaciae nullum posuit re­medium Deus, God hath provided no re­medy (that is, no ordinary one) against wilfulness. And though the Gospel hath such a tendency as hath been shewn, to work the most excellent effects in men, yet it doth not operate as Charmes do, nor will it have success upon any without their own concurrence and co-operation with it. The excellent Rules of life laid down in the Gospel must necessarily signi­fie nothing to those that only hear or read them, but will not mind them. Its Pro­mises or Threatnings can be exciting to none that will not believe and consider them: Nor can the Arguments it afford­eth to provoke to assent, be convincing to any but those that impartially weigh them; its Helps and Assistances will do no good, where they are totally neglect­ed. And though there be preventing as well as assisting grace going along with the Gospel, for the effectual prevailing on mens wills to use their utmost endeavour to subdue their lusts, and to acquire ver­tuous habits; yet this grace is not such as that there is no possibility of refusing or [Page 173] quenching it. Nor is it fit it should, seeing mankind is indued with a principle of freedom, and that this principle is as Essen­tial as any other to the Humane Nature.

I will add, that this is one immediate cause of the unsuccessfulness of the Go­spel, to which it is very much to be attri­buted; Namely, mens strange and unac­countable mistaking the Design of it. Multitudes of those that profess Christi­anity are so grosly inconsiderate, not to say worse, as to conceive no better of it than as a Science and a matter of Specula­tion: And take themselves (though a­gainst the clearest evidences of the con­trary imaginable) for true and genuine Christians, either because they have a general belief of the truth of the Christian Religion, and profess themselves the Di­sciples of Christ Jesus in contradistinction from Iews, Mahometans and Pagans; and in and through him alone expect salvation: Or because they have so far acquainted them­selves with the Doctrine of the Gospel, as to be able to talk and dispute, and to make themselves pass for knowing People: Or because they have joyned themselves to that party of Christians which they pre­sume are of the Purest and most Reform­ed Model, and are zealous sticklers for [Page 174] their peculiar forms and discriminating sentiments; and as stiff opposers of all other that are contrary to them. Now the Gospel must necessarily be as ineffectual to the rectifying of such mens minds, and Reformation of their Manners, while they have so wretchedly too low an opinion of its Design, as if it really had no better: And so long as they take it for granted that its main intention is [...] to make them Orthodox, not Vertuous, it cannot be thought that they should be ever the more Holy, nay 'tis a thousand to one but they will be in one kind or other the more unholy for their Chri­stianity.

And lastly, There are several untoward opinions very unhappily instilled into pro­fessors of Christianity, which render the Truths of the Gospel they retain a belief of, insignificant and unsuccessful as to the bettering either of their hearts or lives, as infinitely apt and of as mighty efficacy as they are in themselves for those great purposes.

2. Secondly, Whereas it was said also, that the Generality of Heathens live in diverse respects better lives, than do mul­titudes, and even the Generality, of those that profess Christianity; it is so far from [Page 175] being difficult to give a satisfactory ac­count how this may be without dispara­ging our excellent Religion; that it is to be expected that those people should be even much the worse for it, that refuse to be bettered by it. It is an old Maxime, that Corruptio optimi est pessima: The best things being spoiled do prove to be the very worst: And according to this, no­thing less is to be looked for, than that degenerated Christians should be the vi­lest of all persons. And it is also certain, that the best things, when abused, do or­dinarily serve to the worst purposes; of which there may be given innumerable Instances. And so it is, in this present case. S. Paul told the Corinthians, that he2 Cor. 2. 16. and the other Apostles were a savour of death unto death, as well as of life unto life. And our Saviour gave the Pharisees to understand, That for judgement he was come into the world; that those that see not, Joh. 9. 39. might see; and that those that see, might be made blind: that is, That it would be a certain consequent of his coming, not onely that poor ignorant Creatures should be turned from darkness to light, but also that those which have the light, and shut their eyes against it, should be judicially blinded. And the forementioned Apostle, [Page 176] in the first Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, saith of those that held the truth in unrighteousness, that would not suffer it to have any good effect upon them through their close adhering to their filthy lusts, that God gave them up to the most unna­tural villainies, permitted them to com­mit them by withholding all restraints from them; and likewise gave them over [...] to a reprobate mind. So that, from the just judgment of God it is, I say, to be expected that depraved Christians should be the most wicked of all people: And therefore it is so far from being mat­ter of wonder, that those that will not be converted by the Gospel, should be so many of them very horribly prophane; that it is rather so, that all those which, having for any considerable time lived un­der the preaching of it, continue disobe­dient to it, should not be such. In the purest ages of the Church, were degene­rated Christians made in this kind most fearful Examples of the Divine Venge­ance: And so utterly forsaken of God, that they became, (if we may believe Irenaeus, Tertullian, and others of the Antient Fathers) not one whit better than Incarnate Devils. Nor were there to be found in the whole world in those [Page 177] days, and but rarely since, such abomi­nable and most execrable Caytiffs as they were. I have sometimes admired that hu­mane nature should be capable of such a monstrous depravation, as several stories recorded of them do bespeak them to have contracted: But,

3. Thirdly, If we must needs judge of the efficacy of the Gospel for the making men Holy, by its success herein; Let us cast our eyes back upon the First ages of Christianity, and then we shall find it an easie matter to satisfie our selves concern­ing it, though we should understand no more of Christianity, than the effects it produced in those days.

For though there were then a sort of people that sometimes called themselves Christians, that were (as was now said) the most desperately wicked Creatures that ever the earth bare; yet these were esteemed by all others that were known by that name as no whit more of their number, than the Pagans and Iews that de­fied Christ. And their Religion was a motly thing that consisted of Christianity, Iudaism and Paganism all blended toge­ther; and therefore in regard of their mere profession they could be no more truly called Christians than Iews or Pa­gans. [Page 178] Or rather (to speak properly) they were of no Religion at all, but would sometimes comply with the Iews, and at other times with the Heathens, and joyned readily with both in persecuting the Chri­stians: And, in short, the Samaritans might with less impropriety be called Iews, than these Gnostiques, Christians.

'Tis also confessed that the orthodox Christians were calumniated by the Hea­thens as flat Atheists, but their only pre­tence for so doing was their refusing to worship their false Gods. And they like­wise accused them of the beastliest and most horrid practices; but it is sufficient­ly evident that they were beholden to the Gnostiques for those accusations; who, being accounted Christians, did by their being notoriously guilty of them give oc­casion to the enemies of Christianity to reproach all the professors of it as most silthy and impure creatures. I know it is commonly said, that those Calumnies pro­ceeded purely from the Heathens malici­ous invention, but it is apparent that those vile Hereticks gave occasion to them. But that the Christians were so far from being guilty of such monstrous crimes, that they did lead most inoffensive and good lives, doth abundantly appear by the A­pologies [Page 179] that diverse of the Fathers made to the Heathen Emperors and people in their behalf. Iustin Martyr in his Apolo­gy to Antoninus Pius hath this saying [...] &c. It is our interest that all persons should make a narrow inquisition in­to our lives and doctrine, and to expose them to the view of every one. And he af­terwards tells that Emperor, That his people had nothing to lay to their charge truly, but their bare name, Christians. And a­gain, That they which in times past took pleasure in unclean practices, do live now (that they are become converts to Christia­nity) pure and chast lives: They which u­sed magical arts, do now consecrate and de­vote themselves to the eternal and good God: They which preferred the incomes of their money and possessions before all things else, do now cast them into the common stock; and communicate them to any that stand in need: They which once hated each o­ther, and mutually engaged in bloody bat­tles, and (according to the custom) would not keep a common fire [...] with those that were not of the same tribe, now live lovingly and familiarly together with them; That now they pray for their very e­nemies; and those which persecute them with unjust hatred they endeavour to win to them [Page 180] by perswasions, that they also, living accor­ding to the honest precepts of Christ, may have the same hope, and gain the same re­ward with themselves from the great Go­vernour and Lord of the world.

Athenagoras in his Apology, saith thus to the Emperors Aurelius Antoninus; and Aurelius Commodus; As very gracious and benign as you are to all others, you have no care of us who are called Christians; for ye suffer us who commit no evil, nay, who (as shall hereafter appear) do behave our selves of all men most piously and just­ly both towards God and your Government, to be vexed, to be put to flight from place to place, and to be violently dealt with. And then he adds some lines after; If any of you can convict us of any great or small crime, we are ready to bear the most severe punish­ment, that can be inflicted upon us. And speaking of the Calumnies that some had fastened upon them, he saith; If you can find that these things are true, spare no age, no sex; but utterly root us up and destroy us with our wives and children, if you can prove that any of us live like to beasts &c.

And there is very much to the same pur­pose in Tertullian's Apology: Where he tels the Roman Governours, That they dealt o­therwise with the Christians, than with any [Page 181] other whom they accounted Malefactors; For whereas they tortured others to make them confess the faults they were accused of, they tortured these to make them deny them­selves to be Christians: And that having no crime besides to lay to their charge which carried the least shew of truth, their profes­sing themselves to be no Christians would at at any time procure for them their absolu­tion. And to this objection, that there are some Christians that do excedere à regula disciplnae, depart from the rules of their Re­ligion, and live disorderly; here turneth this answer, Desinunt tamen Christiani haberi pe­nes nos, But those that do so, are no longer by us accounted Christians. And by the way, let me recite Rigaltius his short note upon this passage, At perseverant hodiè in nomine et numero Christianorum, qui vitam omnem vivunt Antichristi; But those now a­days do retain the name and society of Christians, which live altogether Anti­christian lives. And (proceeds he) Tolle publicanos &c. Take away Publicans and a wretched rabble which he musters toge­ther, et frigebunt hodiernorum Ecclesiae Christianorum, and our present Christian Churches will be lamentably weak, small and insignificant things.

[Page 182]From these few citations out of the A­pologies of the forementioned Fathers, to which may be added abundance more of the same nature both out of them and o­thers, we may judge what rare success the Gospel had in the first ages, and what a vast difference there is between the Christians of those, and of these daies; that is, between the Christians that were un­der persecution, and those that since have lived in ease and prosperity. When the Christian Religion came to be the Re­ligion of Nations, and to be owned and encouraged by Emperors and Rulers, then was the whole vast Roman Empire quick­ly perswaded to march under its Banner; and the very worst of men for fashions sake, and in expectation of Temporal Ad­vantages, came flocking into the Church of Christ. Nay the worse men were and the less of conscience they had, the more forward might they then be so to do, the more haste they might make to renounce their former Religion and take upon them the Profession of Christianity. And no sooner was the Church set in the warm sun-shine of worldly Riches and Ho­nours, but it is apparent she was insensi­bly over-run with those noisome ver­mine, which have bred and multiplyed [Page 183] ever since, even for many Centuries of years, in her.

If any shall doubt whether the fore­mentioned Fathers might not give too good a character of the Christians whose cause they pleaded; I desire them to consider whether or no it be imaginable that they should so do, seeing their ene­mies, to whom they wrote their defences of them, could easily, they living among them, have discovered the falsity of their commendations. And we find them fre­quently appealing to the Heathens own Consciences whether they themselves did not believe that to be no other than the truth which they said of them: And more­over we have them ever and anon tri­umphing over them, and provoking them to shew such effects of their Philosophy and way of Religion, as they themselves could witness were produced by the Gospel of Christ.

Nay, and we have their Adversaries themselves giving them a very high Cha­racter. Tertullian in his forementioned Apology saith, that Pliny the second (who was a persecutor of Christians) wrote thus to the Emperour Trajan from the Province where he ruled under him, [Page 184] viz. That, Besides their Resolute re­fusing to offer Sacrifice, he could Praeter obstinationem [...]on sacrificandi, nihil aliud se d [...] sacramen­tis eorum compe [...]isse, quàm caetus antelu­ [...]anos ad canendum Christo & Deo, & ad confoed [...]randam Di­sciplinam▪ homicidi­ [...]m, adulterium, frau­dem, per fid [...]am &c [...]e­tera scelera prohiben­ [...]es. learn nothing concerning their Re­ligion, but that they held Meetings before day to sing praises to Christ and God, and to engage their Sect in solemn Leagues; forbidding Mur­ther, Adultery, Deceit, Disloyalty and all other wickednesses.

And in a now extant Epistle of his to that Emperor, we find him giving him this information, viz. That,Lib. 10. Epist. 9 [...]. [...]. some that had renounced Christianity, and now worshipped his Image, and the Sta­tues of their Gods, and cursed Christ, did affirm, That this was the Greatest fault or Errour they were guilty of, Affirmabant autem, haue fuisse summam vel culpae suae, vel er­roris, quòd essent so­liti stato die ante lu­cem convenire▪ car­men (que) Christo, quasi Deo, dicere secum in­vicem, seque Sacra­mento non in scelus a­liquod obstringere, sed me furta, ne latro [...]i­nia, ne adulteria com­mitterent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abnegarent, &c. that they were wont upon a set day to assemble together before it was light, and to sing a Hymn to Christ as to a God; and to bind them­selves by a Sacrament, not to any wickedness, but that they would not commit Thefts, Robberies, A­dulteries; that they would not be worse than their words, that they would not deny any thing instrusted in their hands when demanded of them: which done, it was their cu­stome to depart, and to meet again, ad ca­piendū [Page 185] cibū promiscuū, tamen & innoxiū, to eat a common but innocent and harmless meal: which was doubtless the Agape or Feast of Charity, which was in the primi­tive times in use among the Christians af­ter the Celebration of the Lord's Supper. This was an excellent account of them, and much too good to be expected from wicked Apostates, such having been ordi­narily observed to be of all others, the most deadly enemies of Christianity and the professors of it.

But to return to our Author, he a few lines after adds, that he put two Maid­servants upon the Rack, to extort from them as full a discovery as he could of the Christians Crimes; but he could not find any they were guilty of▪ ex­cept —Sed nihil aliud inveni, quàm Su­perstitionem pravam & immodicam. obstinate and excessive super­stition: So he called their constant perseverance and diligence in ob­serving the Precepts of their most excel­lent Religion.

And the Emperour Antoninus Pius, asIustin. Martyr. Apolog. ad Antoni­num Pium▪ much an enemy of Christians as he was, writes thus in an Epistle to the People of Asia (which is to be seen in Iustin Martyr, and affixed to the Apology he directed to him,) viz. That they could make no proof of the Crimes they laid to the Christians [Page 186] charge, and that they overcame them by chusing to lay down their lives rather than to do the things they required of them: And that he thought it sit to advertise them, that the Christians, when Earth-quakes happened, were not under such dreadful fears as they were; and that they were [...] indued with a firmer confidence and trust in God. And there next follow­eth another Epistle of the Emperour An­toninus Philosophus to the Senate and Peo­ple of Rome; wherein he gave them an account of an eminent danger that he and his Army were in, in the Heart of Germa­ny, by the sudden approach of nine hun­dred and seventy thousand Barbarians and Enemies: And how that finding his strength to oppose them very small, he commanded all those to appear before him who were called Christians, (as suspecting, 'tis like, either their sidelity or courage) and perceiving there were a great num­ber of them, very sharply inveighed a­gainst them: Which (saith he) I ought not to have done in regard of the vertue which I after found to be in them; whereby they beg [...] the fight not with Darts and Wea­pons and sound of Trumpets; which thing they approved not [...] out of respect to God whom they bear in [Page 187] their conscience. Wherefore (proceeds he) it is meet that we should know that those whom we suspect for Atheists, [...], have God willingly inclosed, or of his own accord inhabiting, in their Conscience: For lay­ing themselves flat upon the earth, they pray­ed not only for me, but also for my whole Ar­my, which was then present, that they might be a means of solace and comsort to us, in our present hunger and thirst, (for we could not come by any water for five days toge­ther:) But as soon as they were postrate up­on the Ground, and prayed to a God whom I knew not, immediately there fell Rain from Heaven, upon us, very cool and re­freshing, but upon our Adversaries [...] a fiery Hail-storm: And their pray­er was instantly accompanyed with the pre­sence of God, as of one invincible and insu­perable. Therefore let us permit these people to be Christians, lest they praying to have the like weapons imployed against us, they should ob­tain their desire. And a few lines after, the Emperour declared it his Will and Plea­sure, That whosoever accuseth a Christian as such, for the time to come, he shall be burnt alive.

What better satisfaction can be desired by us, concerning the truth of the fore­mentioned [Page 188] Fathers account of the Chri­stians that lived in their days, than that which the Pens of these their enemies have given to us?

There is one thing more I will adde concerning the primitive Christians, viz. That the most calm, meek, peaceable, gentle and submissive temper recommend­ed in the Gospel did mightily discover its self in them: And thereby we may judge what kind of people they were as to the other parts of Christianity; it being im­possible that such an excellent spirit should be alone, and unaccompanied with the other Vertues. Though they were for the most part very sorely persecuted, yet, as Tertullian saith (in his Book ad Natio­nes) Nunquam conjuratio erupit, there was never any uproar or hurly-burly a­mong them. And having, in his Apolo­gy, ask'd the two Emperors and the rest this Question, If we are commanded to love our Enemies, whom have we then to hate? He thus proceeds: How often do you your selves rage against the Christians who are obedient unto you, and moreover suffer them to be stoned and burnt by the rout of common people; but yet what Re­venge did ye ever observe them repaying for the injuries done unto them, as stout heart­ed [Page 189] as they are even to death it self?

If it be objected (as it is by some) that this might be attributed not to their good temper, but to mere necessity, seeing they knew themselves too weak to succeed in any rebellious or violent attempt: Let the same Tertullian give an answer; and he doth it in the very next words. In one night (saith he) with a few Firebands they could revenge themselves sufficiently up­on you, if they thought it lawful to render evil for evil. Nay, and not only so, but he tells them plainly that they were in circumstances to manage the parts of hostes exerti, open enemies against them, as well as of vindices occulti, [...]ly and secret revengers; and that they could raise an Army, if it pleased them, numerous and powerful enough to cope with them: and withal he thus proceeds: Hesterni sumus, & vestra omnia implevimus, &c. Though we are but as it were of yesterday, yet you have no place but is full of us; your Cities, your Islands, Castles, Towns, Council-houses; your fortresses, Tribes, Bands of Souldiers, Palace, Senate, Court, Sola vobis relin­quimus templa, Your Temples onely are em­pty of us. And he goes on Cui bello non idonei, &c. What battles are not we able to wage with you, who are so willingly slain by [Page 190] you; but according to the Laws of our Re­ligion we esteem it better to be killed than to kill. Nay, he next tells them, po [...]uimus inermes nec rebelles, &c. We need not take arms and rebel to revenge our selves upon you, for we are so great a part of the Em­pire, that by but departing from you, we should utterly destroy it, and affright you with your own Solitude, and leave you more enemies than loyal Subjects. And so far were they from making use of the advantages they had to deliver themselves by the way of violence, That (as not long after he saith to them) they prayed for the Empe­rours, and those in Authority under them, for peace and a quiet state of affairs among them, and (as some where he adds) very ready also to give them assistance against their enemies.

The story of the Thebaean Legion is won­derful to astonishment; it consisted of just six thousand six hundred sixty and six men, and all Christian. These when Maximianus Caesar went about to compel them to offer Sacrifice to the heathenish Gods at a place called Octodurum, they fled to another cal­led Agaunum; & when he sent after them to require them to obey that his command, they drew up together into a Body, and with one voice professed that they could [Page 191] not do it. Maximianus thereupon com­manded that every tenth man of them should be slain upon the place; which ac­cordingly was immediately done without the least resistance. Mauritius, the Gene­ral of this Legion, thus addressed himself to the Souldiers: Quàm timui ne quisquam, quod Armatis facile est, &c. How fearful was I lest any of you, being in Arms, and therefore no hard matter to do it, should attempt the defending of your selves, and by that means prevent a happy and most glorious death. And so goes on most excellently, to encourage them rather to submit to death, than resist their Emperour. When every tenth man was slain, the Emperour repeated his com­mand to the survivers, and they all thus answered: Milites quidem, Caesar, tui su­mus, &c. We are, it is confessed, thy Soul­diers, O Caesar, for the defence of the Roman Republique; nor have we ever proved either traytors, or cowards; but this command of thine we cannot obey; For know, we are all Christians; yet all our bodies shall be subject to thee, &c. At last Exuperius their Ensign concludes thus, Non nos adversum Te, Im­perator, armavit ipsa, quae fortissima est in periculis, desperatio, &c. Despair it self hath not armed us against thee, O Emperour; behold we have all our weapons in our hands, [Page 192] and yet resist not; because we had rather die innocent than live nocent. And thereupon they were all put to the slaughter, not a man of them once offering to defend him­self. You may find the Relation of this more at large, taken out of Fucherius by Grotius, and set down in his Book De jure Belli & Pacis.

Origen also tells Celsus that he or any ofPag. 115. his party were able to shew [...] nothing of Sedition that the Christians were ever guilty of: And yet, what Tertullian said of the Roman Empire in General, this Father elsewhere in the same book speak­eth of Greece and Barbary, viz. That the Gospel had subdued all that Country and the greater part of this, and had brought over to Godliness souls innumerable.

Thus you see how far the Primitive Chri­stians were from the tumultuous, fiery, and boisterous Spirit, that Christendom above all other parts of the world hath been since infested with. And thus we have shewn that there was once a time (God grant that the like may be again) when the success of the Christian Religion in conquering mens lusts and rectifying their Natures, was greatly answerable to the efficacy that it hath for this purpose. And so we pass to the second Inference.

CHAP. XVII. The Second Inference.

SEcondly, By what hath been said con­cerning the Design of the Christian Re­ligion, [Page 194] we easily understand how fearfully it is abused by those that call themselves the Roman Catholiques. Nor need we any other Argument to prove Popery to be no­thing less than Christianity besides this, viz. That the Grand Design of this is to make us holy; and also aimeth at the rai­sing of us to the most Elevated pitch of Holiness, and is admirably contrived for that purpose: But the Religion of the Papists as such doth most apparently tend to carry on a Design that is diametrically opposite thereunto: To serve a most car­nal and corrupt interest; to give men se­curity in a way of sinning; and pretendeth to teach them a way to do, at one and the same time effectually, the most contrary and inconsistent works: That is, to de­prave their natures, and save their Souls; and even in gratifying their wicked incli­nations to lay a firm and safe foundation for eternal happiness. So that, if this (as they pretend it alone is) be the Christian Religion, we must needs ingenuously ac­knowledge, that what we said in the In­troduction was by Celsus and Iulian char­ged upon it, is no calumny, but an accu­sation most just and well deserved. For as the Church of Rome hath rendred diverse excellent Precepts of Holiness contained in [Page 195] the Gospel very in-effectual, by making them Counsels onely, not Commands: and also not a few of its Prohibitions unneces­sary by her Distinction of sins into Mortal and Venial; understanding by Venial sins such as for the sake of which no man can deserve to lose the Divine favour; and therefore making them really no sins: So hath she enervated all the Evangelical Com­mandments both Positive and Negative, and made them sadly insignificant by a multi­tude of Doctrines that are taught by her most Darling-sons, and decreed or allow­ed by her self. That one Popish Doctrine of the Non-necessity of Repentance before the imminent point of Death, and that (though the Church requireth it upon Holy-days, yet) no man is bound by the Divine Law to it until that time, is of it self, with­out the help of any other, sufficient to take away the force of all the holy Pre­cepts of our Saviour, and to make them utterly unsuccessful to the Embracers of it: And this other goeth beyond that in aptness for this purpose, viz. That mere Attrition, or sorrow for sin for fear of Dam­nation, if it be accompanied with Confes­sion to the Priest, is sufficient for Salva­tion. For, as the former maketh a Death­bed-repentance onely necessary; So this [Page 196] lar [...]er makes that Repentance alone so, which is far from deserving to be so cal­led, and which wants the principal In­gredients of that Grace, viz. Hatred of sin, and Love to God and goodness; and conse­quently works no change in the nature of the sinner, nor makes him partaker in the least measure of true ho [...]iness.

The Threats of hell have they made a mere Bug-bear, and Scare-crow by their Doctrine of Purgatory; and the fear of this too have they taken a notable course to secure men from by that of Penances, and the Indulgences granted by their Popes very ordinarily for doing certain odde Trifles and idle things; but which by money can never fail to be procured. Nor are the most horrid impieties shut out from having their share in his Holiness his Indulgences; as more than sufficiently ap­pears by the Tax of the Apostical Chancery; where to those that will pay the price, Ab­solutions are to be had for the most abo­minable and not to be named villainies, nay and Licences also, for not a few wick­ednesses.

I may adde to the forementioned, their Doctrine of the Meritorious Supereroga­tions of the Saints, which, being applied to others; they teach to be available for [Page 197] their pardon; which besides its most im­pious making many Co-saviours with Jesus Christ, doth infinitely encourage to care­lessness and loose living.

The Religion of the means prescribed in the Gospel, have they done what lay in them to make both extremely ineffectual and highly irreligious. I say,

First, Most ineffectual: For they will have the bare saying of Prayers without the least minding of what is said, to be accept­able to and prevalent with Almighty God: And congruously to this fine Doctrine their Church enjoyns them to be said in a Tongue that is unknown to the gene­rality of her children. Though the Papists cannot for shame but acknowledge it a good thing to give attention of mind to what is spoken in the worship of God, yet I say it is well known that they deny it to be necessary so to do; and make the mere Opus operatum the work done suffici­ent, and that in all Acts of Devotion what­soever. And besides their Divine Service is made by them an idle and vain piece of Pageantry by the abundance of foppish Ceremonies it is burthened with. Nay,

Secondly, It is made as wicked as ineffe­ctual: It being accompanied with so great Immoralities as Gross Idolatries, [Page 198] together with other very impious practi­ces: whereof

First, Their worshiping of Images is a no­torious Instance: They making pictures of Christ and his Cross, and even of the holy Trinity, and giving (as they themselves profess to do) Latria or Divine Honour to them. And as for what they have, by stretching their wits upon the Tenters, in­vented to defend themselves from the guilt of Idolatry in those actions, it will do the Heathens as much service as them­selves, and no less successfully clear and ac­quit them from that soul imputation. Celsus in defence of their Idols saith, That they are not Gods, but [...] Gifts con­secrated to them. And the Heathens in La­ctantius are brought in saying, Non ipsa ti­memus simulachra, &c. We fear, or worship not the Images themselves, but those whose Representatives they are, and to whose names they are consecrated. And several other ci­tations might be produced to shew, that the Divine Honour that was by the Hea­thens bestowed on their Images, was Re­lative only (as the Papists say theirs is, and think they get a main matter by so say­ing) and not Absolute. But as for their worship of the Image of the Cross, it is gros­ser Idolatry than I believe can be shewn the [Page 199] wiser sort of Pagans were ever guilty of. For the Cross it self is the Ultimate Term of their Divine Adoration, and the Image is worship'd Relatively, as it represents the Cross: In short, their Image-worship is as expresly forbidden by the second Com­mandment as words can do it, and one may conclude that they themselves are not a little conscious of it, in that That Commandment is left out of their Offices of frequent use.

Secondly, Another plain Instance of their Idolatry is their Praying to Saints De­parted. And whereas they pretend that they confer not upon them any Divine Honour, and that they onely pray to the Saints to pray for them; this pretence is but a pityfully thin Cob-web to hide the Idolatry of that their practice. For besides that their Invocations of them and of the same Saints too in innumerable places at vast distances each from other, do imply an opinion of such an excellency in them, (viz. such a knowledge as can hardly be at all short of Omniscience) as we can no where find God Almighty hath vouchsafed to any Creature; they likewise make their prayers to them with professions of consi­dence in them, and with all the Rites of Invocation, in Sacred Offices, and in pla­ces [Page 200] set apart for Divine Worship; and moreover they set particular Saints over whole Cities and Countries (one single one over this and another over that) and put up petitions to them for their help and succour. And the Roman Catechism made by the Decree of the Council of Trent, and published by the Popes command doth give them encouragement so to do (as the late Bishop of Down sheweth in the former part of his Dissuasive from Popery) in these words; The Saints are therefore to be invocated, because they continually make prayers for the Health of man-kind, and God gives us many benefits by their merit and fa­vour: And it is lawful to have recourse to the favour or Grace of the Saints, and to use their help; for they undertake the Patronage of us. And he adds that the Council of Trent doth not onely say, It is good to fly to their prayers, but also to their aid, and to their help. And he furthermore minds them of this Distich in the Church of S. Laurence in Rome, [...]ss. 9.

[Page 201]So that over and above the Great Impiety of their praying to Saints, discovered in making them in some kind equal with Christ, and in derogating from the suffici­ency of his merits, satisfaction and inter­cession; God being prayed to with reli­ance on theirs as well as on his, and through them as well as him; (as may be farther and largly shewn in their prayers, and chiefly in those to the Blessed Vir­gin;) I say besides this gross Impiety of that practice, it can never be justified from the charge of Idolatry. And by whatsoever Arguments they endeavor therein to prove themselves no Idolaters, it will be no dif­ficult matter by the same to vindicate the Heathens from that abominable crime in worshipping their Daemons, Heroes and Deified Emperours. And for Hierocles his part, I cannot find that he alloweth of praying to any one but him whom he calls the Supreme God: For, speaking of the honour that is due to that order of spirits which is immediately subordinate to Him, and above the Daemons and Heroes, all he [...]aith concerning it is, that it consisteth in understanding the excellency of their na­tures,Pag. 22. and in endeavouring after a like­ness to them; where as he hath after­ward a very excellent Discourse of tho [Page 202] necessary obligation men are under of praying to God.

But I have not yet instanced in the worst part of the Popish prayers to departed Saints, the blasphemies contained in those to the Virgin Mary are such as I would not defile my pen with the recital of any of them, did I not know it to be too needful so to do. She is stiled in their publique prayers, the Saviour of Desparing Souls, the bestower of Spiritual Grace and Dispenser of the most Divine Gifts; One higher than the heavens, and deeper than the earth; and many such compellations as are proper onely to some one Person of the glorious Trinity, are given in them to her. In her Anthem she is supplicated for pardon of sin, for Grace and for Glory. And the foremen­tioned Learned Bishop observeth that in the Mass-Book penned One thousand five hundred thirty eight, and used in the Polonian Churches, they call the Blessed Virgin viam ad vitam, &c. the way to Life, the Governess of all the World, the Reconciler of sinners with God, the Fountain of Remission of sins, Light of Light: And at last she is there saluted with an Ave uni­versae Trinitatis Mater, Hail thou Mother of the Holy Trinity. And he adds that the Council of Constance in the Hymn they call [Page 203] a Sequence, did invocate the Virgin in the same manner as Councils did use to invo­cate the Holy Ghost: That they call her the Mother of Grace, the Remedy of the Mise­rable, the Fountain of Mercy, and the Light of the Church. And lastly his Lordship al­leageth a Psalter of our Lady, that hath been several times Printed at Venice, at Pa­ris and Leipsich, the Title of which is, The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin compiled by the Seraphical Doctor S. Bonaventure, &c. Which consisteth of the Psalms of David, One hundred and fifty in number: in which the name of Lord is left out, and that of Lady put in, and altered where it was necessary they should, to make sense. Therein, whatsoever David said, whe­ther prayers or praises of God and Christ, they say of the Blessed Virgin; and whether (saith he) all that can be said without into­lerable Blasphemy, we suppose needs not much disputation. Who would not readily con­clude it altogether impossible for any men to invent, or approve, nay or not to have indignation against such daring and most execrable Impieties, that are not utterly beref [...] of their senses, or are but one re­move from perfect Atheists? There are diverse other most prodigious sayings con­cerning the Virgin Mary transcribed out of [Page 204] the approved Books of Great Sons of the Roman Church, in the now cited Disswasive from Popery, to which I refer the Reader. And to them I will adde some which may doubtless vie with the worst that we can well imagine were ever uttered, of one Iohannes Argentus a Prime Catholique youth, which he hath exposed to the view of the world in a Right worthy piece, treating of the seven Excellencies of the most Blessed Virgin. Saith he, Christus servit atque assiduè ministrat Matri suae, Christ serveth and continually administreth to his Mother; and next thus vents him­self in a great fit of Devotion to her. O si liceret, quàm libenter me illi socium adjun­gerem, &c. If it might be lawful, Oh, how gladly would I joyn my self with him as his Companion! How willingly would I learn of him the way of perfectly serving thy self, and God! (the Reader will not anon judge his placing the Virgin before God himself as proceeding from inadvertency,) How wil­lingly would I ease my most sweet Iesus of this his labour! O Lord Iesu my most lovely Savi­our permit me to perform some service to thy Mother; but if thou wilt not grant me this, yet at least give me leave, that whilest thou servest thy Mother, I may serve thee. And he tells us afterward, that, God is in other [Page 205] creatures after a threefold manner, by his Es­sence, by his Presence, and by his Power; but in the most Blessed Virgin after a fourth manner, viz. by Identity or being one and the self-same with her. Who could think that the worst should be yet behind? Let the Reader judge whether it be or no. He farther saith, That her seventh degree of excellency consists in this, quòd sit Domina Dei, that she is the Mistriss of God. And then a line or two af­ter, as if he had thought that he had not yet sufficiently performed the part of a most impudent blasphemer, he adds that supra ipsum thronum Dei solium suum collo­cavit, she hath erected her seat above the very throne of God. This was a Fellow that had improved to purpose the Pray­ers he had learn'd of his holy Mother. Surely she could not find in her heart to deny so passionately devout a worshipper of the Holy Virgin a very considerable share in the Merits of her Supererogations: or rather may we not think that she would judge him so great a Saint as to stand in no need of them; and to have of his own to spare, wherewith to add to the riches of her treasury, for the relief of those who being conscious to themselves of being too dry and cold devotionists can be perswa­ded to go to the charge of them?

[Page 206]Have we not now infinite cause to won­der that the Papists should take it so very heinou [...]ly at our hands, that we fasten upon them the imputation of Idolatry! This very wretch would have been sensible of an unsufferable abuse, should one have call'd him Idolater, as Blasphemous a one as he was, and notwithstanding his having even more than Deified a mere Creature, and advanced her Throne even above her Creator's. Lord! to what heights of Im­piety will Superstition lead men! and how thick is that darkness she blindeth the eyes of her captives with, that it will not suffer them to discern that guilt which is no whit less apparent than is the Sun it self. But

Thirdly, The grossest Instance of the Church of Rome's Idolatry we have yet omitted; and that is their wor­shipping the Consecrated Bread, not as God's Representative, but (which is far worse) as God himself, in the Sacrament of the Altar (as they call it) and on other occasions. This is no where to be paral­lel'd for the sottishness of it, no not among the most Barbarous and Bruitish Nations; it being founded upon the most absurd, contradictious, portentous and monstrous conceit that ever entered the head of any [Page 207] mortal: as they have had it unanswerably and to the confusion of their faces proved to them by a multitude of Learned Per­sons of the Reformed Religion: who have also so fully, and with such mighty and irresistible strength made good the forementioned charge of Idolatry, and of other Impious Practices and Principles a­gainst them, that it is unimaginable how it should be possible that any who are not stark-blind, or resolved that they will not see, should not acknowledge them. And as for the elaborate tricks whereby they endeavour to justifie them­selves from those Accusations, and to per­swade the World that they are undeserv­ed, they may doubtless, whensoever they shall have a mind to it, devise others no less plausible with as little pains, to make forcing of Virgins no Rape, lying with other folks Wives no Adultery, cut­ting of Purses no Theft, Robbing of Churches no Sacrilege; and in one word, they may with as little exercise of their brains invent ways to do whatsoever is most flatly forbidden in the ten Com­mandments, without being guilty of trans­gressing any one of them.

I might proceed to instance in very ma­ny other Doctrines of the Romish Church, [Page 208] which by what we have said of the Chri­stian Religion we may be perfectly assured are Anti-Christian; but I will onely adde two or three more. As, their asserting the Insufficiency of the holy Scriptures for mens salvation, and denying them to be the Sole Rule of Faith, and joyning with them their own paltry Traditions as equal­ly necessary to be believed; and this a­gainst the express words of S. Paul to Ti­mothy, 2 Epist. 3 Chap. where he tells him that the holy Scriptures are able to make him wise unto Salvation, through faith which is in Christ Iesus. And that All Scri­pture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for cor­rection, for instruction in Righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, thorow­ly furnished unto all good works. And their teaching that the Gospel is obscure, and difficult to be understood even in things necessary to be believed and practised. Which, as it makes it greatly inefficaci­ous for the purpose which we have pro­ved it is designed for, so doth it open a gap for vile interpretations of any part of it, and exposeth it to the power of Here­tiques, and especially of the Romish ones, to make it a mere Nose of Wax: Which none can doubt, that consider also there­with [Page 209] their Doctrine of Implicite Faith; and that other upon which it is grounded, viz. That of the Infallibility of their Church: which, as the Iesuites define, is seated in the Pope's Chair. But whether it be assert­ed that the Popes have an unerring facul­ty, or they and their General Councils together, this Doctrine being received (as by them it is without the least ground) for unquestionably true, doth greatly ha­zard, nay and even necessitate the betray­ing of men to the very worst both of opi­nions and practices, whensoever this pre­tended infallible guide shall be pleas'd to propose them to them. And whosoever believes it, must (to use the words of M^r Chillingworth) be prepared in mind to esteem vertue vice, and vice vertue, Christianity Anti-christianism, and Anti­christianism Christianity, if the Pope shall so determine. And this Doctrine, with­out doubt, is that which causeth those of the Papists to stick so fast in silthy [...], and to persist so obstinately in their foul errours, who are not detained therein by the love of gain (with which their Popes, and other Ecclesiasticks by the means of diverse of them are mightily enriched) or by the dear affection they bear to their o­ther lusts, which they are so exactly fit­te [...] [Page 210] for the satisfaction of. Their Doctrines being very many of them so ridiculously absurd, plainly false and of such danger­ous consequence; I say, nothing else, cer­tainly, could hold the sincerer sort of Pa­pists in the belief of them, but this con­sideration, that any one of them being let go, their great Dagon of the Churches In­fallibility must necessarily to the ground with it.

I might also instance in their Doctrine of the Dispensableness of the most Solemn Oaths, which is no less destructive to Hu­mane Society, than it is to Piety. And in that of the Popes power to absolve Sub­jects from their Allegiance to their lawful Sovereigns: And to them adde a great number of Maximes of the most famous order among them, the Iesuites, and Re­solutions of Cases of Conscience, which are as wicked and destructive of a holy Life, as the Devil himself can well devise. But to be employed with Hercules in emptying the Augean stable would be as acceptable a work as stirring so far in this nasty Sink. Whosoever shall peruse the Mystery of Ie­suitism, may find more than enough there to turn his stomach, though it should be none of the most squeamish and quezy, and to make him stand astonished, and bless [Page 211] him, that ever such loathsome and abo­minable stuff should come from persons that derive their name from the Holy Iesus.

But to hasten to the conclusion of this Chapter, the most pure and holy Religi­on of our Saviour hath the Church of Rome defiled with as impure and unholy opini­ons and practices; and hath taken the most effectual course not only to render it a fee­ble and insignificant thing for accomplish­ing the Design for which it was intended by the Blessed Founder of it, but also to make it unhappily successful in serving the directly contrary. The great Mystery of Godliness hath she transformed into a grand Mystery of Iniquity; and by that means most excessively confirmed its professed ene­mies, the Iews and Mahumetans, in their enmity against it. And for my own part I should not stick to say, as did Averroes (when he observed that the Popish Chri­stians adored that they ate) Sit anima mea cum Philosophis, Let my soul take its fate with the Philosophers in the other world, did I think Christianity to be such a Religion as she makes it. As much as I admire it now, I should then prefer that of Socrates, Plato, and Cicero very far before it. Though I ab­hor so far to imitate the Papists in the De­vilishly [Page 212] cruel uncharitableness, as to pro­nounce them all in a state of damnation, yet I dare assert with the greatest and most un­doubted confidence▪ that all that continue in Communion with that degenerated and Apostate Church, run infinite hazards: And moreover that it is impossible that any sincere persons should give an explicite and understanding assent to all her Doctrines: but that whosoever can find in his heart to practise upon them, can be nothing better than a shamefully debauched and immoral wretch. Nor is it conceivable what should induce any to exchange the Reformed for the Popish Religion (as too many have of late done) that have but a competent un­derstanding of both, besides the desire of serving some corrupt interest. And we plainly see, that the generality of those that turn Apostates from the Church of England to that of Rome, are such people as were a Scandal to her, while they con­tinued in her: And that Atheism and Po­pery are the common Sanctuaries to which the most abominably vicious and profane of this Age do betake themselves.

CHAP. XVIII. The Third Inference.

THirdly, There is nothing we are more assured of by what hath been discoursed of the Design of Christianity, than that these two sorts of persons are guilty of extreme sottishness: Namely, Those that expect to have a share in the Sal­vation of the Gospel without true Holiness: And much more, Those that encourage them­selves by the grace of the Gospel in their Un­holiness.

First, Those that expect to have their share in the Salvation of the Gospel without true Holiness. I fear me that such people are not consined within the limits of the Romish Church; but that a vast number of Pro­testants also may be deservedly accused upon this account. But by so much more [Page 214] sottish are these than the Papists, by how much better things their Religion teacheth them than the Papists doth. Though I must likewise with sadness acknowledge that too many opinions have been unhap­pily foisted into it, that give too great encouragement to a careless life. But that those which promise to themselves an in­terest in the Salvation purchased by Jesus Christ, either from their Baptism, and partaking of certain Christian priveleges, or from their being of such or such a Sect and Mode of Professors, or from their sup­posed Orthodoxy and good belief, and zeal against erroneous Doctrines, or from their imagining Christ's Righteousness theirs and applying the Promises to them­selves, or from their abstaining from the grosser and more scandalous sins, or from their doing some externally good actions, and have in the mean time no care to be universally obedient, to mortifie every lust, and to obtain an inward principle of Holiness; that those, I say, which thus do, are guilty of most egregious and stupid folly, is most manifest from what hath been discoursed of the Design of Christianity.

For we have shewn not only that Refor­mation of Life from the practice, and pu­rification of heart from the liking of sin [Page 215] are as plainly as can be asserted in the Go­spel to be absolutely necessary to give men a right to the promises of it; but also that its Great Salvation doth even consist in it: that, Salvation from sin is the grand Design of the Christian Religion, and that from wrath is the Result of this. I will instance in two more Scriptures for the farther proof of this. The Apostle S. Paul saith, Ephes. 2. 5, &c. Even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath he quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are sa­ved) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Iesus. For by Grace ye are saved, through faith, (or by the means of believing the Gospel) and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God. Where, by the Salvation which the Ephesian Christians are said to have obtained, and in the bestowing of which upon them the exceeding Riches of God's Grace appeared, is plainly to be un­derstood their deliverance from their for­mer Heathenish Impieties and sinful Pra­ctices: And so is it interpreted by our best Expositors. Again it is said, Titus 3. 5. Not by works of Righteousness which we have [Page 214] [...] [Page 215] [...] [Page 216] done, but according to his mercy he saved us (how saved us? it follows) by the washing of Regeneration, & Renewing of the holy Ghost. Our Saviour giveth [...]ase to our Sin-sick Souls by recovering them to health: And his Salvation first consisteth in curing our wounds, and secondarily in freeing us from the smart occasioned by them. S. Peter tells the Christians that by his stripes they were healed, 1 Pet. 2. 24. It being a quotation out of Isaiah 53. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus in the second book of his Stromat. hath this saying to the same [...]. [...]. purpose, [...], Pardon doth not so much consist in Remission as in Healing; That is, the par­don of the Gospel doth chiefly discover it self in curing men of their sins; in deliver­ing sinners from the power of them, rather than from the mere punishment due to them. By which words that learned Fa­ther declared that he looked upon the subduing of sin as a more eminent act of grace, than the bare forgiveness of it. Now, would that man be accounted any better than a perfect Ideot, who being sore­ly hurt should expect from his Chirurgion perfect [...]ase, when he will not permit him to apply any plaister for the healing of his wound? Or that being deadly sick should [Page 217] look that his Physician should deliver him from his pain, when he will not take any course he prescribes for the removal of the distemper that is the cause of it? But of far greater folly are all those guilty, who will not be perswaded to part with their Sins, and yet hope for the Salvation of their Souls. He that looketh for this, expects that which implyeth a most palpable con­tradiction, and is impossible in its own na­ture to be effected. It hath been fully enough shewn that mere deliverance from misery, cannot possibly be without deli­verance from sin; and, much less Eternal Blessedness in the Enjoyment of God.

Secondly, But how excessively mad then are those, which turn the grace of God de­clared in the Gospel into wantonness, and take encouragement from the abundant kindness and good will therein expressed to wretched sinners, with the more secu­rity and boldness to commit sin? We read of such in the Epistle of S. Iude; And God knows there are too many such in these our days. But seeing it is so grosly foolish a thing for men to hope to be saved not­withstanding their living in the allowance of known sins, what desperate Madness then is it to be imboldened in ungodly practices, by the offers Christ makes of [Page 218] pardon and salvation to them. These de­clare that they look upon the Design of Christianity not onely as different from what it hath been demonstrated it is, but also as directly opposite, and perfectly con­trary thereunto. These do not only judge their Saviour to be no friend to holiness, but to be the greatest enemy likewise to it; and a Minister of sin and wickedness. They make him to be the very servant of the Devil, in stead of coming to destroy his 1 Joh. 3. 8. works. They make the Christian Religion more vile by [...]ar than that of Mahomet; and such a Religion, as those which have but the least spark of goodness must needs abominate. Shall we Sin (saith the Apo­stle) that Grace may abound? God forbid! Rom. 6. Those that think they can magnifie the free-grace of God in Christ by thus doing, or that they may take encouragement from it to continue in sin, do make this grace unworthy of mens acceptance, and no grace at all. Nay they make Almighty God the greatest enemy to Mankind in sending his Son Jesus and his Gospel among us. For sin being so apparently the great­est of evils, it can be no other than the highest and most significant expression of hatred to us, to encourage us to the com­mission of it. It is so far from being part of [Page 219] our Christian Liberty, to be delivered from our obligation to all or any of the Laws of Righteousness, that such a deliverance would be the most Diabolical yoke of Bondage. If any man can be so silly as to object that of the Apostle, Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace: Let him give himself an answer by read­ing the whole verse; and then make ill use of that passage if he can tell how. The words foregoing it in the same verse are these: Sin shall not have dominion over you, and these words are a proof of that assertion: For ye are not under the Law, but under Grace: That is, as if he should say, It is the most inexcuseable thing for you to continue under the dominion and power of sin, because ye are not under the weak and inefficacious Paedagogy of the Law of Moses, but a Dispensation of Grace, wherein there is not only Forgive­ness assured to truly Repenting sinners, but strength afforded to enable to the sub­duing and mortification of all sin. Our Saviour hath told us expresly that he cameMat. [...]. not to destroy the Law, (that is the Moral Law) but to fulfil it: And that Heaven and Earth shall soouer pass away, than that one jot or little thereof shall sail. And it is absolutely impossible, that our obligation [Page 220] thereunto should cease, while we continue Men. All the duties therein contained be­ing most necessary and natural results from the Relation we stand in to God and to one another, and from the Original make and constitution of humane souls.

But it is too great an honour to the Do­ctrine of Libertinism to bestow two words upon its confutation, it being so prodigi­ously monstrous, that it would be almost a breach of Charity to judge that Profes­sour of Christianity not to have suffered the loss of his wits that hath entertained it, or hath the least favour for it; suppo­sing he hath but the least smattering in the Christian Religion. It is a most amazing thing, that such a thought should have any admission into the mind of such a one, while he is compos mentis, and not utter­ly deprived of his Intellectuals: Our Sa­viour's Gospel being wholly levelled at the mark of killing all sorts of sin in us, and rendering us exactly obedient to the Divine Moral, and also all innocent humane Laws. Let me speak to such as so shame­fully abuse our incomparable Religion, as to take liberty from thence to be in any kind immoral, in the words of S. Paul, Rom. 2. 4, 5. Despisest thou the Riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long­suffering, [Page 221] not knowing that his goodness leadeth thee (or designeth the leading of thee) to Repentance? But after thy hard­ness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and Revelation of the Righteous Iudgment of God, &c.

CHAP. XIX. The Fourth Inference.

FOurthly, From what hath been said of the Design of Christianity may be clear­ly inferred the True notion of Iustifying Faith, and of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness.

First, Of Iustifying Faith. We thence learn, That it is such a belief of the Truth of the Gospel, as includes a sincere resolution of Obedience unto all its Precepts; or (which is the same thing) includes true Holiness in the nature of it: And moreover that it [Page 222] justifieth as it doth so. For surely the Faith which intitles a sinner to so high a privelege as that of justification, must needs be such as complieth with all the purposes of Christ's coming into the world, and especially with his grand purpose; and it is no less necessary that it should justifie as it doth this; That is, as it receives Christ for a Lord, as well as for a Saviour. But I need not now distinguish between these two, there being but a notional difference between them in this matter. For Christ (as was shewn) as he is a Saviour, design­eth our Holiness: his Salvation being chiefly that from the worst of evils, sin; and principally consisting in deliverance from the power of it.

I scarcely more admired at any thing in my whole life, than that any worthy men especially should be so difficultly perswa­ded to embrace this account of Iustifying Faith; and should perplex and make in­tricate so very plain a Doctrine. If this be not to seek knots in a Bulrush, I know not what is. I wish there were nothing throughout the Bible less easily intelligi­ble than this is, and I should then dare to pronounce it one of the plainest of all books that ever pen wrote. For seeing the great end of the Gospel is to make men [Page 223] good, what pretence can there be for thinking, that Faith is the Condition (or I'le use the word [Instrument] as impro­per and obscure as it is) of Iustification, as it complieth with only the precept of re­lying on Christ's Merits for the obtaining of it: especially when it is no less manifest than the Sun at Noon-day, that obedi­ence to the other precepts must go before obedience to this; and that a man may not rely on the merits of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, and he is most pre­sumptuous in so doing, and puts an affront upon his Saviour too, till he be sincerely willing to be reformed from them: And besides such a Relyance is ordinarily to be found among unregenerate, and even the very worst of men. And therefore how can it be otherwise, than that that act of faith must needs have a hand in justifying, and the special hand too, which distinguish­eth it from that which is to be found in such persons. And I adde, what good ground can men have for this fancy, when as our Saviour hath merited the pardon of sin, for this end, that it might be an effe­ctual motive to return from it. And can any thing in the world be more indispu­tably clear, than, if the only direct scope that Christianity drives at be the subduing [Page 224] of sin in us, and our freedom from its guilt or obligation to punishment be the consequent of this (as I think hath been demonstrated with abundant evidence;) that faith invests us with a title to this de­liverance no otherwise than as dying to sin and so consequently living to God are the products and fruit of it? And seeing that, one End, and the Ultimate End too of Christ's coming was to turn us from our iniquities, if the nature of Faith consider­ed as Iustifying must needs be made whol­ly to consist in Recumbence and Reliance on him, he shall be my Apollo that can give me a sufficient reason why it ought only to consist in Reliance on the Merits of Christ for the pardon of sin, and not also in his power for the Mortification of it. In short, Is it possible that faith in Christ's blood for the forgiveness of sin should be the onely act which justifieth a sinner, when such a multitude of plain Texts assure us, that he died also to make us holy, and that his death was designed to deliver us from dying in order to a farther end, name­ly to this, that we should live unto him who died for us.

I will never trust my discursive Faculty so long as I live, no not in the plainest and most undoubted cases, if I am mistaken [Page 225] here. And will take the boldness to tell those who are displeased with this account of Iustifying Faith, that (in my opinion) it is impossible they should once think of any other, if they did as seriously weigh and throughly consider the Design of Chri­stianity as they ought to do. I the more insist upon this, because those persons explication of this point hath been great­ly lyable to be used to ill purposes by insincere persons; and hath given infinite advantage to the dangerous errour of Antinomianism. And for my part I must confess that I would not willingly be he that should undertake to encounter one of the champions of that foul cause, with the admission of this principle, That faith ju­stifieth, onely as it apprehendeth the merits and righteousness of Iesus Christ: I must certainly have great luck, or my adver­sary but little cunning, if I were not forced to repent me of such an Engage­ment.

Secondly, And as for the other Doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness; we learn from the Design of Christianity that this is the true explication of it: Namely, That it consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons, as if they were perfectly so, for the sake and up­on [Page 226] the account of Christ's Righteousness. The grand intent of the Gospel being to make us partakers of an Inward and Real Righteousness, and it being but a seconda­ry one that we should be accepted and rewarded as if we were completely righte­ous; it is not possible that any other no­tion of this Doctrine should have truth in it. For as from thence it appeareth, that there can be no such Imputation of Christ's Righteousness offered in the Gospel, as serveth to make men remiss in their pro­secution of an Inward Righteousness; So is it manifest likewise, That that Doctrine is designed for a motive to quicken and excite men in their endeavours after such a Righteousness as this is. So far is it, from tending to cause in us an under­valuing and sleight esteem of it, that, as sure as that the Ultimate design of Chri­stianity is to indue us with it, it must be intended for no other purpose but to far­ther and promote that business: And it is effectual thereunto in that manner, that we shewed the exceeding great and precious Promises of the Gospel are.

But because both these points are discus­sed in the Free Discourse, I have said so little of the former, and will proceed no f [...]rther on this: but refer the Reader thi­ther, [Page 227] and to other much more elaborate Discourses for his fuller satisfaction. And indeed it was enough for me in this place to shew, That the notion laid down in that Book of both these Doctrines, doth evidently follow from that Proposition which is the Subject of this Treatise.

CHAP. XX. The Fifth Inference.

FIfthly, we learn from what hath been said of the Design of Christianity, what is the Great measure and standard whereby we are to judge of Doctrines; both whether they are true or false, and in what degree necessary to be received or rejected.

First, we understand how to judge of the Truth of Doctrines. We may be cer­tain that, seeing the Design of Christianity is to make men holy, whatsoever opinions do either directly or in their evident conse­quences [Page 228] obstruct the promoting of it, are perfectly false; and with as great perem­ptoriness and confidence as they may be by some that call themselves Christians ob­truded upon us, they are not of Christ, nor any part of his Religion. And those which do appear to us to discourage from serious endeavours after piety and true vertue, we ought for that reason, while we have such an opinion of them, most ve­hemently to suspect them to be erroneous. For it being the business of our Saviour's coming into the world, and of his blessed Gospel, effectually to perswade us to use our utmost diligence in subduing our lusts, and qualifying our Souls by purity and holiness for the enjoyment of God, and to make our endeavours successful for that purpose; we may be undoubtedly assured that he hath not either by himself imme­diately, or by his Apostles delivered any thing that opposeth this Design. If (saith S. Paul) I build again the things that I de­stroyed; [...]al. 2. I make my self a Transgressor: And no man that hath in him the least of a Christian, will once suspect, that the per­fectly wise as well as holy Jesus should so manage the business he hath undertaken, as what he builds with one hand, to pull down with the other; and frustrate that [Page 229] Design by some Doctrines which he promo­teth by others.

Those Doctrines on the other hand which in their own nature do evidently tend to the serving of this Design of Chri­stianity, we may conclude are most true and genuine: And those which, upon our serious considering of them, we are perswaded do so, we ought upon that ac­count to have a kindness for them, and to believe them of an higher than humane Original. And therefore those which give the most honourable accounts of God, his nature, and dealing with the sons of men; that most magnifie his grace, and best vin­dicate his Holiness, Justice, and Goodness; do commend themselves to our belief with infinite advantage: Because the most wor­thy conceptions of the Deity are extremely helpful and likewise necessary to the lov­ing of God, and serving him as becometh us, and have a mighty influence into the ordering and regulation of our whole man; as might be largly shewn.

Those Doctrines, again, that most dis­countenance all sins both against the first and second Table, and best enable to an­swer all pleas and pretences for security and carelesness; that are most highly a­greeable to the innate Dictates of our [Page 230] minds, and least gratifie and please our carnal part; we may from the considera­tion of the Design of Christianity be great­ly perswaded of the Truth of them.

And on the Contrary, Those which are apt to instil into mens minds any unlovely notions of the Divine Nature, that dis­parage his Holiness, or lessen his kindness and good will to his Creation, and the ob­ligations of the generality of the world to him and his Son Jesus, and so make his grace a narrow and scanty thing, or that naturally cast any dishonorable reflecti­ons on any person of the most holy Trini­ty; must needs be false. As also those that make Religion to be a mere Passive thing, wholly God's work, and not at all ours; or that cramp men, and perswade them that they are utterly void of the least ability to co-operate with the grace of God or to do any thing towards their own salvation; or any way whatsoever discourage them from the diligent prose­cution of Holiness; or deprive us of any help afforded us towards our gaining, and growth in grace, either by putting a slur upon the written word, in advancing a­bove it the light within men, and in En­thusiastical pretences to immediate Reve­lations, &c. Or else by teaching men to [Page 231] sleight any one Ordinance of the Gospel, &c. Or such Doctrines as tend to intro­duce confusion into the Church of Christ, and to deprive it of all Government and Order, or in short that give countenance to any Immorality whatsoever: I say, as sure as the Christian Religion is true, and that what we have proved to be the Design thereof, is so; such Doctrines as these must needs be false.

What our Saviour saith of false Pro­phets, is as true of most Doctrines, By their fruits you shall know them: we may understand whether they have any rela­tion to Christianity or no, by the Design they drive at, and their evident conse­quences.

And I may adde, that we may make a shrewd guess what those particular wayes and modes of Religion are (which the va­rious Sects we are cantonized into have espoused to themselves, and are so fond of) by the proper and most distinguish­ing effects of them. If we perceive that they make the great sticklers for them, to differ from others chiefly in unconcerned­nes about the most important & substantial duties of Morality, and in laying the great­est weight upon certain little Trifles, and placing their Religion in mere externals; [Page 232] or that the things whereby they are most peculiarly discriminated from other folk are spiritual pride, and fond conceited­ness of themselves, and a scornful and fierce behaviour towards those that ap­prove not of their way; uncharitable­ness, morosity, and peevishness; a sedi­tious, ungovernable and untameable spi­rit, &c. I say, if we observe such as these to be the most distinguishing effects of their several Modes and Forms, we have sufficient reason from thence alone great­ly to presume that they have not the stamp of Ius Christianum upon them, that they are not of Christ, but of their own inven­tion. The wisdom that is from above is quite another thing, and begets perfectly other kind of effects; as shall be shewn hereafter.

But to return, The Design of the Gospel is (as was said) the Great Standard by which we are to judge of the Truth of Opinions: Those that seem to us to oppose this Design, we are bound to suspect, be­cause they do so; but those which appa­rently do this, we must with heartiest in­dignation reject. And though we should meet with some places of Scripture that at first sight may seem to favour them, we may not be stumbled upon that account, [Page 233] but be confident that whatsoever is their true meaning, as sure as they have God for their Author, they cannot possibly pa­tronize any such Doctrines.

And, lastly, in examining which of two opinions is true, that oppose each other, and do seem to be much a like befriended by the holy Scriptures; it is doubtless a very safe course to consider as impartially as we can, which doth tend most to serve the great End of Christianity, and to prefer that which we are perswaded doth so.

CHAP. XXI.

SEcondly, The Design of Christianity is the great measure whereby we are to judge as of the Truth, so also of the Necessity of Doctrines either to be embraced or re­jected.

[Page 234]First, We may thereby understand, in what degree we ought to esteem those Necessary to be by all received, which we our selves are convinc'd of the Truth of; or, which of such are Fundamental Points of the Christian Faith, and which not.

First, It is plain, That in the general those and those only are primarily and in their own nature Fundamentals, which are absolutely necessary to accomplish in us that Design. Such, as without the knowledge and belief of which it is im­possible to acquire that Inward Righte­ousness and true Holiness which the Chri­stian Religion aimeth at the introduction of. It is in it self absolutely necessary, not to be ignorant of or disbelieve any of those Points, upon which the effecting of the great business of the Gospel in us doth necessarily depend. The particulars of these I shall not stand to enumerate, be­cause (as will appear from what will be said anon) it is not needful to have a just Table of them: And besides, any one that understands wherein the nature of true Holiness lyeth, may be able sufficiently to inform himself what they are.

Secondly, It is as evident, That those points of Faith are secondarily Fundamen­tal, [Page 235] the disbelief of which cannot consist with true Holiness, in those to whom the Gospel is sufficiently made known; al­though they are not in their own nature such, as that Holiness is not in some de­gree or other attainable without the be­lief of them. And in the number of these are all such Doctrines as are with indispu­table clearness revealed to us. Now the belief of these, though it is not in it self any more than in higher or lower degrees profitable, yet is it even absolutely neces­sary from an external cause, though not from the nature of the Points themselves, viz. In regard of their being delivered with such abundant perspicuity, as that nothing can cause men to refuse to admit them, but that which argueth them to be stark naught, and to have some unworthy and base end in so doing. But we must take notice here, that all such Points as these are not of equal necessity to be re­ceived▪ by all Christians; because that in regard of the diversity of their capacities, educations, and other means and advan­tages, some of them may be most plainly perceived by some to be delivered in the Scriptures, which cannot be so by others with the like ease.

And in the second place, what hath [Page 236] been said of Fundamental Truths, is ap­plicable by the Rule of Contraries to the opposite Errours, as I need not shew.

Now then, would we know whether we embrace all the Fundamentals of Chri­stianity, and are guilty of no damnable and destructive errours; among the great diversity and contrariety of Opinions that this kingdom abounds with (I think I may say) above all other parts of Chri­stendom; our onely way is to examine our selves impartially after this manner.

Am I sincerely willing to obey my Creatour and Redeemer in all things commanded by them? Do I entertain and harbour no lust in my breast? Do I heartily endeavour to have a right understanding of the holy Scriptures, and chiefly of the Gospel, and to know what Doctrines are delivered there in order to the bettering of my soul by them, and the direction of my life and actions accord­ing to them?

If we can answer these Questions in the affirmative; whatsoever mistakes we may labour under, they can be none of them such as will undo our souls; because we shall have cause to conclude from thence, that the Design of Christianity is in some good measure effected in us. And what­soever [Page 237] Tenets may be accompanied and consist with the true Love of God, and a solicitous care to keep a conscience void of offence towards him and men, we may be certain from the past Discourse of the Design of the Gospel, that they belong not to the Catalogue of Fundamental Errours. This obedient temper is the most infallible mark (of any I know) of an Orthodox man; He that is indued with it, though he may erre, cannot be an Heretique.

But there will be an occasion of speak­ing more anon to this purpose.

CHAP. XXII. The Sixth Inference.

SIxthly, We consequently learn what Doctrines and Practices we ought, as Christians, to be most zealous for or against. Those, surely, that are most available to the begetting and encrease of true holi­ness, it is our duty to concern our selves [Page 238] most for the defence of: And those which have the greatest tendency to­wards the endangering of it, to set our selves with the greatest industry and vi­gour against. The reason is plain, because the former do most promote the Design of the Gospel, and the latter do it most dis­service. S. Iude exhorts in the third verse of his Epistle, to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints; that holy Doctrine which was first delivered by our Saviour, and unani­mously by his Apostles after him; which is perfectly contrary to the wicked and a­bominable Doctrines taught by the pro­fane crew he speaks of in the next verse (and were more than probably the Gno­sticks) which were crept in unawares, who were before ordained to this condemnation (or whose Impostures first, and then the vengeance which should be taken of them, were formerly written of or foretold both by Christ and his Apostles) ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Iesus Christ. And we ought to contend a­gainst whatsoever is designed to over­throw and make ineffectual that most blessed Doctrine, more or less, accord­ing as it more or less tends so to do. Our [Page 239] zeal should be altogether employed for the promoting of personal and real Holiness, and mostly for the Essential parts of it, and the Necessary means and helps to it. But doubtless it cannot be worth our while to lay out any considerable matter of our heat, either for or against Doubtful Opini­ons, Alterable Modes, Rites and Circum­stances of Religion: They are not things on which much weight may be warranta­bly laid; for they are too weak to bear it, in regard of their being so little ser­viceable or disserviceable to the Design of Christianity, as 'tis plain they are. I say, eager defending or opposing of such kind of things, is (to use the similitude of an excellent person) like the Apes blowing at a Glow-worm which affords neither light nor warmth. Nay it is no less injuri­ous to the Design of Christianity, than un­serviceable and useless, as we have been effectually taught by very woful experi­ence. And nothing doth more harden Atheistically-disposed persons, than their observing the contention of Christians a­bout matters of that nature; for thereby do they take a measure of our whole Re­ligion. And besides an eager concerned­ness about them is too ordinarily accom­panied with a lukewarm or rather frozen [Page 240] indifference concerning the most important Points and the Indispensables of Christi­anity. It is too visibly apparent to be de­nied, That those which have such a seal­ding hot zeal either for or against things of no certainty and no necessity, are many of them (as their predecessors the Phari­sees were) in the very other extreme as to not a few of the weightyest matters of Religion.

CHAP. XXIII. The Seventh Inference.

SEventhly, we may be greatly satisfied by considering the Design of Christiani­ty concerning the Iust bounds and extent of our Christian Liberty. For that being to make men holy, it may safely be presumed [Page 241] that such things as have neither directly nor consequentially any tendency to the depraving of our Souls, are left free to us by our Saviour, either to do them or not to do them, as we shall see cause. What­soever doth neither promote no [...] hinder this Design, we have reason to believe is neither injoyn'd upon us Christians, nor forbidden to us.

Whatever things are any way necessary to the furtherance of it, must needs be matter of strict duty; and what are so pro­fitable thereunto, that the Omission of them doth make the effecting of this De­sign more difficult, cannot but be ordina­rily so also. Whatsoever is in its own na­ture, or by reason of some Circumstance in­separably adhering to it, a necessary occa­sion of gratifying some one or other cor­rupt affection, and that, by the doing of w^ch we shall certainly desile our own Souls or the Souls of others, either by drawing them thereby to, or hardening and encourage­ing them in any wickedness (which is that our Saviour means by offending or scandalizing little ones, and is so severely forbidden by him, and also by the Apo­stle in the eighth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians) can be no other than absolutely unlawful: And whatsoever is [Page 242] foreseen to be a probable occasion of any one of these mischiefs, must also be care­fully avoided by us. But those things which are none of all these, cannot be otherwise than perfectly indifferent under the Gospel.

And therefore whatsoever of such are commended by the Custome of the places we live in, or Commanded by Superiors, or made by any Circumstance convenient to be done; our Christian liberty consists in this that we have leave to do them. And, indeed, it is so far from being a sin to comply with our Country-men and Neigh­bours in their plainly innocent usages and harmless Customes, or with the will of our Governours when they command us such things; that it would be so, to refuse so to do. For our refusing to comply with ei­ther of these can hardly proceed from any thing better than a proud affectation of singularity, or at best from superstitious s [...]rupulosity; which, in calling it Super­stitious, I intimate to be very evil, as much of Conscience as there may be in it. For Superstition implyeth a frightful and over­timorous apprehension of the Divine Na­ture, and consequently a base and under­valuing conception of it, as the Greek word that expresseth it [ [...]] signifi­eth. [Page 243] That which makes men Superstitious, is such an opinion of God as represents him a very Angry and Captious Being, but yet such a one too as may be a [...]oned and pacified by a great care and exactness in certain little matters, in performances and abstinences of an insignificant and very tri­vial nature.

Now the Ancient Author of the Epistle to Diognetus therein acquaints him, that the Primitive Christians were no such squeamish or conceited Creatures as to live in a different way from the people among whom they inhabited; and saith that they distinguish'd themselves from their Neigh­bors and other folk [...] nei­ther by civil customes, nor a certain lan­guage, (or phrases or tone) proper to them­selves, [...], &c. nor that they affected to make themselves notifi [...]d by any peculiarities (that is, in harmless mat­ters) as a foolish Sect among our selves, and some other fanciful people, now a­days do.

I design not here so tedious a work as that of examining particulars by the Rule we have given, but only to shew in the general that we may be satisfied concern­ing the Extent of our Christian [...]berty by well weighing the Design of Christianit [...] ▪ [Page 244] and may understand what kind of things must needs be free to us under the Gospel­dispensation, and what not; leaving it to the Reader to make application, and con­sider the nature of particulars by compa­ring them with this Rule. But I presume I need not mind him, that I suppose all this while that whatsoever is plainly com­manded and forbidden in the Gospel, must be done and forborn by him, though he should not be sagacious enough to dis­cern how every thing there commanded is serviceable, or forbidden is injurious, to the Design of Holiness: For surely none can doubt but that they ought to under­stand me, in what I have asserted, to have this meaning onely, viz. That, as to those things which the Gospel speaketh nothing in particular and clearly concern­ing, the best course we can take in order to our knowing to what Heads to refer them (whether to that of things commanded, or to that of forbidden, or to that of Indiffer­ent things) is to examine them by this General Rule, viz. the Design of Chri­stianity.

But to conclude this, The great dif­ference between the Mosaical Law, and the Gospel, as to its preceptive part, is this, That by the former a vast multitude [Page 245] of perfectly Indifferent things were impo­sed, and many such also prohibited: But by the latter, onely those things are in­joyned that are in their own nature of in­dispensable necessity, or such as are means and helps towards them: And there is nothing thereby forbidden, but it is so, because it is evil; and is not therefore evil onely because forbidden. There is nothing either commanded or forbidden in our Saviour's Religion, but, as it is in order to our good, so is it in order to such a good too as consists in the Re­formation and Renovation of our lives and natures.

So that, I say, our past Discourse con­cerning the Design of Christianity may give us great light, as to the knowledge of what kind of things, we that are under the Gospel-dispensation, must do, and are matter of necessary duty; must not do, and are matter of sin; and may do or leave un­done without sin.

CHAP. XXIV. The Eighth Inference.

EIghthly, It may be plainly inferred from what hath been said of the De­sign of Christianity, That it is the most strangely unaccountable thing for men in de­fence or favour of that way of Religion, which they take to be most truly the Chri­stian, or of any opinions that are presumed by them to be Doctrines thereunto belonging, to do that which is essentially and in its own nature evil. For these act quite con­trary to the Design of the Christian Religion, and so consequently, do what lye [...]h in ther [...] to spoil it, and render it a [...] and insignificant thing by the co [...] [...] take [Page 247] for the advancement of it. The Pope and Church of Rome are most prodigiously guilty of this madness; they doing the most plainly vicious and immoral actions imaginable to promote the Interest (as they pretend) of that which they call the Catholique Faith. For, their imposing of their own sences upon the Word of God, and then Persecuting, Burning and Damning men for not subscribing to theirs as to God's words, can be no better than an Act of Devilish pride and barbarous cruelty. It is so of the former, in that it is a compelling men to acknowledge their wisdom to be such as that it may not be suspected in the least measure, no not in the determination of points that are the most doubtful and disputable: Nay neither in such Opinions and Practices of theirs as most apparently contradict a multitude of Texts of the holy Scri­ptures.

And moreover in endeavouring to force all men to act and think as they do in mat­ters of Religion, they with Luci [...]erian ar­rogance usurp the Empire of Almighty God, and sway that Scepter over mens consciences which is his peculiarly.

And I need not say that they are therein no whit less cruel than they are proud▪ [Page 248] For what greater cruelty can there be, than to inflict upon people the sad­dest of calamities and the horridest tor­tures (whereof the instances are innumer­able) for such things as they cannot have the least cause to think they are able to help; and which they have also the great­est reason to conclude they are not at all blame worthy for? I say what can be greater cruelty than this is? except their designing thereby to terrifie men to the owning of Doctrines and doing actions perfectly against the clearest sense of their minds and expres [...]est Dictates of their Con­sciences; which is an exercise of no less cruelty towards their Souls, than the other is towards their Bodies.

And what Villanies are there which the Pope and his Proselytes have stuck at com­mitting for the Propagation of their Reli­gion? Such as exciting subjects to take arms against their lawful Sovereigns, to whom they are obliged in the bonds of most Solemn Oaths; Poisoning and S [...]ab­bing of Princes, the most barbarous Mas­sacres that any History can give account of. In short, what Frauds and Perfidi­ousness, what Treachery, what Impo­stures, what Pe [...]juries, what Cruelties and horrid out-rages have they thought [Page 249] too wicked to be undertaken and persisted in for the sake of HOLY CHURCH?

But I would I could say that of all that are called Christians the Papists onely are lyable to this charge; but, alas, it is too manifest to be denied or yet dis­sembled, that not a few of those that profess enmity to Popery are sadly guil­ty, though not equally with the Papists, in this particular. But there is nothing more certain than that for any of us to be cruel and of a persecuting spirit, to be wrathful and furious, to backbite and slander, to be false and perfidious, to be ungovernable, rebellious, or seditious, to be uncharitable or in any kind whatso­ever unjust upon the account of Religion it self, is most unsufferable and inexcuse­able. For if it be lawful to behave our selves after this manner upon any account whatever, Religion would be the most useless thing in the whole world; and if this were lawful upon the account of Re­ligion onely, I will not stick to say that it would not be more useless and un­profitable than mischievous and hurt­full. Nor would the Christian Religi­on it self be worthy our profession, if it would give us leave, upon any design, to allow our selves in the foremention­ed [Page 250] Immoralities or in any one whatso­ever.

But there are none, it more absolutely or with greater severity forbiddeth than such as these. Who is a wise man and in­dued with knowledge among you (saith S. Iames) Let him shew out of a good con­versation his works with meekness of wis­dom; but if ye have bitter envyings and stri [...]e in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth, (that is, do not boast of your Christian wisdom, nor play the Hypocrites in pretending to be Spiritual) this wisdom des [...]endeth not from above (is not zeal kindled from heaven) but is earthly, s [...]nsual, Devilish: For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from a­bove, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be entreated, full of mer [...]y and good fruits, without Partiality, and with­out Hypocrisie: And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace, Iames 3. 13. to the end.

And S. Paul tells the Galatians, Chap. 4. 22, 23. That the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Ioy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance. And he reckoneth among the works of the [...]lesh, vers. 19, 20, 21. not onely Adlul­tery, [Page 251] Fornication, Uncle [...]nness, I ascivious­ness, Idolatry, Wit [...]herast, Heresies, Mur­ [...], Drunkenness, Revelling: but also Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Envyings: and saith, that they which do such things (such as these as well as the [...]ormer) shall not inherit the King­dom of God. And adds vers. 24. that They which are Christ's, have [...] the flesh with the af [...]ections and lusts, that is, all such as the foregoing.

And it appeareth from what hath been discoursed concerning the Design of Chri­stianity, that the grati [...]ication of any of these affections is so far from becoming lawful or more warrantable by being yielded to for the sake of it, that it is rendered the more wretchedly foolish and unaccountable by this means. For thus to do, is no other than to be irreligious to promote Religion, to be Un-christian to do service to Christianity; and therefore to go the directest way to destroy i [...], by the means we use for its preservation: And we do our particular Opinions and Forms of Religion more Mischief in alienating the minds of others from them, than their most Professed Adversaries will be able to do by all their Attempts against them, by such wild and wicked expressions of zeal [Page 252] for them. And lastly, thus to do is to oppose the interest of our Religion to that of our Souls, and to cast these away in the defence of that: As appears from our Discourse in the second Section. But what Madness is like to this?

CHAP. XXV. The Ninth Inference.

[Page 253]NInthly, Seeing our Saviour's grand and onely direct Design was to make men really Righteous and Holy, it must needs be a most unwarrantable thing for those that are his Ministers and Representatives to prefer any other before this; for those that are intrusted with the care of souls to concern themselves about any thing so much as this.

It is plainly their Duty to subordinate every thing they do, by virtue of their Sa­cred Function, hereunto; and to imitate their Great Master, all they can, in the discharge of it; to promote Holiness, as much as lyeth in them, both by their Do­ctrine and Conversations: with all perspi­cuity and plainness to instruct their Peo­ple in all the indisputable Doctrines of Christianity above any other; and to have a special care to shew them the aptness that is in them, to the furtherance of Ho­liness of Heart and Life: And most to in­culcate those upon them which have the greatest and most manifest and immediate tendency thereunto: to inform them of their whole duty relating to God, their Neighbour and themselves impartially; to press them to the performance of them with the greatest affection and fervency; and to back on their Exhortations with [Page 254] the most prevalent and inforcing Mo­tives; the most rational and convincing Arguments; couragiously, but with a discovery of tenderest compassion to sin­ners, to reprove all sins without excepti­on; and faithfully to shew the danger of living in any one whatsoever. And to do thus, not onely in publique, but, as there is occasion, in private also, and readily to embrace all opportunities for that pur­pose.

Thus (as hath been shewn) did our Blessed Saviour spend his time, and that it is the duty of his Ministers to come as near as they can, in their practice, to him, is out of question: And thus also did his immediate Successors, the Apostles em­ploy themselves; as might be largly made to appear. They preach'd the Word, were instant both in season and out of sea­son, they reproved, rebuked and exhorted with all long-suffering and Doctrine; ac­cording as S. Paul charged Timothy to do, in the most solemn and severe man­ner: even before God, and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the d [...]ad, at his appearing and his Kingdom. And that charge by parity of reason must concern the whole Clergy as well as that Bishop.

[Page 255]And as Christ and his Apostles taught men by their Lives, as well as Doctrine, and encouraged them to the performance of whatsoever duties they injoyned them, by their own Example; so it cannot but be of infinite concernment that all that have the conduct of Souls committed to them should do the like. S. Paul exhort­ed Timothy first to take heed to himself, and [...] Tim. 4. 16. then to the Doctrine; and the former ad­vice was of no whit less necessity and im­portance than was the latter. For (as woful experience assureth us) a Minister of a careless and loose life, let his parts and ability in preaching be never so great, nay though he should behave himself never so faithfully in the Pulpit, and be zealous against the very vi­ces he himself is guilty of (which would be very strange if he should) must needs do more hurt incomparably, than he can do good. And though (as some of them will tell them) it is the Peoples duty to do as they say, and not as they do; yet is there nothing more impossible than to teach them effectually that Lesson. Mankind (as we had before occasion to shew) is mightily addicted to imitation, and Examples (especially those of Go­vernors and Teachers) have a greater [Page 256] force upon people ordinarily than have Instructions; but chiefly bad Examples (in regard of their natural proneness to vice) than good Instructions. Had not the Apostles expressed as great a care of what they did, as of what they said, how they lived as how they preached, Christi­anity would (without doubt) have been so far from prevailing and getting ground as it hath done; that it could not have long survived its Blessed Author, if it had not bid adiue to the world with him▪ Most men, do what we can, will judge of our Sermons by our Conversations, and if they see these bad, they will not think those good; nor the Doctrines contained in them practicable, seeing they have no better effect upon those that preach them. And besides no man will be thought to be serious and in good earnest in pres­sing those duties upon others, which he makes no conscience of performing himself.

Nay every man's judgement in Divine things may warrantably be suspected, that is of a wicked and vicious Life. And those that are conscious to them­selves that they are not able to pass a judgement upon Doctrines, may not be blamed if they question their Minister's [Page 257] Orthodoxy, while they observe in him any kind of Immorality, and see that he lives to the satisfaction of any one Lust. For, the promise of knowing the Truth is made onely to such as continue in Christ's Joh. 8. [...] ▪ words, that is, that are obedient to his Precepts.

And I adde, that such a one's talks of Heaven and Hell are like to prevail very little upon his Auditors, or to be at all heeded by the greatest part of them, while they consider that the Preacher hath a soul to save as well as they. And there­fore the love that they bear to their lusts, with the Devil's help, will easily per­swade them, that either these things are but mere sictions, or else that the one may be obtained, and the other escaped, upon far easier terms than he talks of. But as for those few in whom the sense of true Vertue and Piety have made so deep an impression, as that they have never the slighter opinion of the necessity there­of, in regard of their Minister's wicked Example; the prejudice that they cannot but conceive against him renders his dis­courses insipid and unaffecting to them, and so they ordinarily take all opportuni­ties to turn their backs upon him, and at length quite forsake him. And then, if [Page 258] they are not as understanding as well mean­ing people, are too easily drawn away from all other Churches, when they have left their own, and become a prey to some demure and fairly pretending Secta­ry. And I am very certain from my own observation, that no one thing hath so conduced to the prejudice of our Church of England, and done the separating par­ties so much service as the scandalous lives of some that exercise the Ministerial Fun­ction in her. The late Excellent Bishop of Down and Connar hath this memorable passage in a Sermon he preached to the University at Dublin: If ye become burning & shining Lights, if ye do not detain the Truth in unrighteousness, if ye walk in light and live in the Spirit, your Doctrine will be true, and that truth will prevail: But if you live wickedly & scandalously, every little Schismalick will put you to shame, & draw Disciples after him, and abuse your flocks, and feed them with Colo­ [...]ynths and Hemlock, and place Heresie in the chair appointed for your Religion. But to hasten to the dispatch of this unpleasant Topick: wicked ministers are of all other ill-livers the most scandalous, for they lay the greatest stumbling block, of any what­soever, before mens souls; and what our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees, [Page 259] may in an especial manner be applyed to them, viz. that they will neither enter into heaven themselves nor yet suffer them that are entering to go in: so far are they from saving themselves and those that hear them. But I would to God, such would well lay to heart those sad words of our Saviour, Luke 17. 1, 2. It is impossible but that offences will come; but woe unto him through whom they come: it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the Sea, &c. And those words are not more effectual to scare them, than are these following of a Heathen, viz. Tully, concerning vicious Philosophers to shame them into a better life: saith he in his Tusculan Questions, the second book, Quotusquisque Philosophorun [...] invenitur, qui sit ita moratus, &c. What one of many Philosophers is there who so be­haves himself, and is of such a mind and life, as Reason requireth; which account­eth his Doctrine not a boast of Science but a law of life; which obeyeth himself, and is governed by his own precepts? We may see some so light and vain, that it would have been better for them to be wholly ignorant, and never to have learn▪d any thing: others so covetous of money, thirsty of praise, and honour, and many such slaves to their lusts, [Page 260] ut cum eorum vitâ mirabiliter pugnet ora­tio, That their lives do marvellously con­tradict their Doctrine. Quod quidem mihi videtur esse turpissimum, &c. Which to me seems the most filthy and abominable of all things. For as he which professing him­self a Grammarian speaks barbarously, and who being desirous to be accounted a Musi­cian sings scurvily, is so much the more shame-worthy for his being defective in that the knowledge and skill of which he arro­gates to himself; so a Philosopher in ratione vitae peccans, miscarrying in his manners, is in this respect the baser and more wretch­ed Creature, that in the office of which he will needs be a Master, he doth amiss; ar­tem (que) vitae professus delinquit in vitâ, and prosessing the art of well-living, or of teach­ing others to live well, is faulty and mis­carrieth in his own life. Could this excel­lent Heathen thus inveigh against wicked Philosophers, what Satyre can be tart and severe enough for ungodly Ministers of the Glorious and most Holy Gospel of the Blessed Jesus? I will adde one more saying of our Saviour's, which he spake to his Disciples, whom he was training up for the Ministry, Matt. 5. 13. Ye are the Salt of the earth; but if the Salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It [Page 261] is thence-forth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Well, I say that the Design of our Savi­our and his Gospel being to make men holy, those behave themselves infinitely disbecoming his Ministers and the Preach­ers of the Gospel, that live unholily; and so do all such also (as was at first intima­ted) as do not above all things endea­vour the promoting and furtherance of that Design. And of that number are those that are ever affecting to make people stare at their high-flown and Bum-baste Lan­guage, or to please their Phancies with foolish jingles and Pedantick and Boyish wit, or to be admired for their ability in dividing a hair, their Metaphysical acute­ness and Scholastick subtilty; or for their doughty dexterity in controversial squab­ble. And among such may those also, and those chiefly, be reckoned, that seek to approve themselves to their Auditors to be men of Mysteries, and endeavour to make the plain and easie Doctrines of the Gospel as intricate and obscure as ever they are able: These are so far from en­deavouring above all things to advance the Design of the Gospel, that it hath not any greater enemies in the whole world [Page 262] than they are. And to them I may adde such as preach up Free-grace and Christian Privileges otherwise than as Motives to excite to Obedience, and never scarcely insist upon any Duties except those of be­lieving, laying hold on Christ's Righte­ousness, applying the promises (which are all really the same with them) and renoun­cing our own Righteousness, which those that have none at all to renounce have a mighty kindness for. All which rightly un­derstood, may, I grant, and ought to be preached; but to make the Christians duty to consist either wholly or mostly in those particulars, and especially as they are explained by not a few, is the way, effectually to harden Hypocrites, and en­crease their number, but to make no sincere converts.

Those again do nothing less than chief­ly promote the business of Holiness, that are never in their Element, but when they are talking of the Irrespectiveness of God's Decrees, the Absoluteness of his Promi­ses, the utter disability and perfect impo­tence of Natural men to do any thing to­wards their own conversion, &c. and in­sist with greatest Emphasis and Vehemence upon such like false and dangerous opi­nions. And those may well accompany [Page 263] and be joyned with the foregoing, that are of such narrow, and therefore Un­christian Spirits as to make it their Great business to advance the petty interest of any party whatsoever, and concern them­selves more about doing this, than about promoting and carrying on that wherein consists the chief good of all Mankind: and are more zealous to make Proselytes to their Particular Sects than Converts to a Holy Life; and press more exact and rigid Conformity to their Modes and Forms than to the Laws of God and the Essential Duties of the Christian Religion.

Such as all the forementioned have doubtless little cause to expect a [well done good and faithful servant] from the mouth of their Saviour at the last day; their practice being so very contrary to that of his (whose Ministers they profess themselves to be) when he was in the world; and they making Christianity so infinitely different a thing from what he made it.

And furthermore, it is unquestionably the Duty of all the Stewards of the Myste­ries of God to take special heed that they do not by over-severe insisting on any lit­tle matters and unnecessary things, give their people a temptation to conclude [Page 264] that they lay the greatest weight upon them; but so to behave themselves to­wards them, as to give them assurance that there is no interest so dear to them as is that of the Salvation of their Souls. And lastly, to be so self-denying as to have a re­gard to the weaknesses of persons, so far as lawfully, and without disobeying Autho­rity they may, to prevent their departure from Communion with the Church they belong to; and to use all fair and prudent ways to perswade those back again there­unto, which there is any the least reason to hope are not irrecoverably gone away. It being very much the interest of their souls not to continue in separation: and not of theirs only but of others too, in that strifes and contentions, envyings and animosi­ties are like to be kept alive, and greatly to encrease, while men keep at a distance from one another; and where these are (as it was said S. Iames hath told us) there must needs be confusion and every evil work.

And this is no other than what the great S. Paul thought it no disparagement to him to be exemplary to us in. For saith he, 1 Cor. 9. 19, &c. Though I be free from all men, yet have I made my self a servant to all, that I might gain the more: And unto the Iews I became as a Iew, that I might [Page 265] gain the Iews; to them that are under the law as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law (or observe not the law of Moses) as without law, that I might gain them that are without law: To the weak be­came I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. The summe of which words amount to this, That he deny­ed himself in the use of his liberty to gain those who were not acquainted with the extent of it, and dealt with all sorts of men in that way which he thought most probable to convert them to Christianity, and keep them in the profession of it. Not that he sneaked and dissembled and made weak people think that he was of their mind, and so confirmed them in their mi­stakes and follies; or had any regard to the humours of unreasonable and meerly captious people that will be finding faults upon no ground at all: this must needs be unworthy of an Apostle; for it is so of all Inferiour Ministers and likewise of every private Christian.

And our past discourse assures us also that the promoting of Holiness in mens hearts and lives ought to be the only de­sign of Ecclesiastical Discipline and Church [Page 266] Censures: And 'tis easie to shew that if the Laws of all Christian Churches were framed and the execution of them direct­ed onely, or above any other, to the ser­vice of this Design; or that no interest did sway so much with their Chief Go­vernours, as that which was (and still is) most dear to the Great Founder and King of the Church whom they represent; and if they were willing to lose in their little and petty concerns, that they might gain in this Grand one, we should quickly see Christendome in most lovely and blessed Circumstances. All people that have any thing of sincerity, would quickly unite and agree together, and as for factious Hypo­crites they would be with ease supprest, and put out of all capacity of doing mis­chief. This I say might be easily shewn, and plainly demonstrated; but it needs not, there being nothing in the world more undeniably evident.

CHAP. XXVI. The Tenth Inference.

TEnthly, We learn what is the best Temper and Disposition of mind to bring to the Study of Christ's Gospel, in order to our firm belief and right understanding of it. Seeing its Design is to make men [Page 268] entirely obedient, and truly holy, it is evi­dent that a desire so to be is the most ex­cellent and necessary qualification for that purpose. Our Saviour saith, Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will (or is willing to do it) he shall know of the Doctrine whe­ther it be of God, or whether I speak of my self; That is, in the first place, he shall be throughly satisfied concerning the truth of the Gospel, shall be abundantly convinced that the Christian Religion is no Impo­sture, that the Author of it came from Heaven, as he declared he did, and was sent by God to reveal his Will. Such a one, when it comes to be sufficiently pro­posed to him, shall heartily embrace the Gospel as containing the true, the onely true Religion. And therefore observe what he saith, Iohn 8. 47. He that is of God, heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God: That is, as if he should say, He that is of an obedient Temper, and ambitious of do­ing the will of God, shall receive the Do­ctrine which in his name I preach to him; and the reason why you Iews, for your parts refuse so to do, is because you are in­sincere and hypocritical.

It is said Acts 13. 48. That as many of the Gentiles as were [...] (which is [Page 269] doubtless in this place to be rendred) di­sposed, or in a ready preparedness, for Eter­nal Life, believed; That is, Those which were Proselytes of the Gate, who were ad­mitted by the Iews to the Hope of Eter­nal Life, and to have their portion in the Age to come, without submitting to their whole law, or any more than owning the God of Israel, and observing the seven precepts of Noah (as Master Mede hath learnedly and with great conviction shewn;) These being desirous to live Godlily, and not prejudiced against the Christian Religion as the Iews generally were, did then at Antioch receive the Go­spel upon its first being made known to them: And of this sort was Cornelius, whose conversion to Christianity we read of before in the tenth Chapter.

Secondly, and consequently, this sence is also implied in the first cited words of our Saviour, viz. That, as he which is wil­ling to do God's will, shall know that Christ's Doctrine came from him, so he shall rightly understand that Doctrine too. For it would be to no purpose for him to believe the Gospel to be true, if his Faith be not accompanied with an ability to pass a right judgement on the sence of it. And therefore he must needs be able to distin­guish [Page 270] between the Doctrine of Christ and that which is falsly imposed at any time upon the world as his, and fathered upon him by ungodly Heretiques; as well as satisfied that what he delivered in the ge­neral is the Will of God. S. Iohn to this same purpose expresseth himself, 1 Epistle 4. 6. He that knoweth God (that is, pra­ctically, or is Obedient) heareth us; he that is not of God (or is not willing to obey him) heareth not us; hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error: That is, by this obedient temper we are capable of distinguishing betwixt these two Spirits. And, I say, from the Design of the Gospel, that being to make men Holy, it may be presumed, that whoso­ever considereth it with a desire of being so, must needs both believe it to have come from God, and also be inlightened in the true knowledge of, at least, all the necessary Points of it; and be enabled to give a particular, explicite and under­standing assent to them: So that it shall not lie in the power of any subtile seducer to rob him of his Faith, or to infect him with any Principles that are directly de­structive to it, or are so plainly in their consequences so, as that he shall see it, and make that ill use of them as to be per­swaded [Page 271] by them to let go his hold of any Fundamental Article of the Christian Re­ligion.

For our Saviour having so infinitely concerned himself for the destroying of sin in us, and to make us partakers of his ho­liness, as to aim at this above all things, in all he did and suffered in the world, and to make it the whole business of his Go­spel; we may be certain that those Honest Souls that come to the study of it, with a desire of reaping this advantage by it, can­not be left destitute of Christ's grace and blessing to make it successful to them for that purpose; which it is impossible it should be without a thorow-belief of it, and a right understanding of, at least, all its absolutely necessary and Essential parts. This we might be assured of from that consideration, though there were no Promise extant of that his grace to such well disposed people, as there are di­verse others besides that which we have produced.

But besides this, a sincere desire of being obedient and holy must needs of it self very greatly dispose us for the belief and sufficient understanding of the Gospel, and be very necessary in order thereunto also. For

[Page 272]First, It will help us to judge without prejudice and partiality concerning it and the particular Doctrines therein contained. He whose hearty desire it is to please God in doing his Will, will be unbyassed in his judgement in enquiries after it. He knows that he cannot make that to be Truth by thinking one way or other, which was not before so; and that truth will be truth whatsoever he thinks on it: And there­fore doth not wish that this or that may be so, and then endeavour to perswade himself that it is so; but will only examine what is so, that he may not entertain an er­roneous perswasion. He will bring his mind to the Gospel, and not wrest the Gospel to his mind. But vice and sin, being allowed and predominant in the soul, must needs warp the judgement and clap a heavy by­ass on it▪ that will draw it to favour, as much as may be, their interest in all mat­ters it is concerned in. And therefore a man of wicked and depraved Affections cannot but be exceeding unapt to study a Book whose Design is such as the Gospel's is. But the obediently-disposed will bring free, ingenuous and candid spirits to this work, and therefore are very fitly prepared to do it with good success.

Secondly, This honest and sincere tem­per [Page 273] of mind will help a man to evidence for his satisfaction concerning the main Doctrines of the Gospel, far excelling any that can arise from mere speculation [...] namely that of sense and Experience▪ The man that is indued with it, shall know of the Doctrine, that it is of God, he shall not onely believe it according to the strict no­tion of that Phrase. There is an inward sweetness in Holy Truths that a Good soul will relish, and savour, but the vitiated palates of those that are in love with any lust cannot taste it. How sweet (said Da­vid) are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than Honey unto my mouth. Now naked demonstrations give but very poor and slight satisfaction in comparison of that knowledge that ariseth from sense and Experience; and this latter alone will re­move from us all doubt and uncertainty▪ Therefore that was so far from being a weak and foolish, that it was a most worthy and laudable speech of the honest Martyr: Though I cannot dispute, I can die for Christ▪ No one that hath tasted honey, can at all doubt of its sweetness, though he may want cunning enough to answer the Arguments whereby a Sophister may attempt to prove it bitter. We say, seeing is believing. And the great evidence that our Saviour pro­ved [Page 274] himself to be the Messias by, was that of sense. By this was Thomas his incredulity, as very strong as it was, immediately overcome. And the Bodily senses are not more infallible than is the purified sense of the Soul.

Thirdly, The aforesaid temper of mind will secure those in whom it is, from the causes of errour in those Points of the Go­spel that are of weightiest importance. It is undoubtedly certain that mistakes about these cannot possibly arise from the ob­scurity of that Book, it being as plain as heart can wish in all matters of absolute necessity; as hath been shewn in the Free Discourse. Therefore errours that are of a damnable nature must necessarily proceed from vicious causes, such as,

• 1. Gross Ignorance: But 'tis not possi­ble to find this in any soul that is sincerely desirous to obey God.
• 2. A too high opinion of our parts and Reason: By which is often occasioned a rejection of whatsoever they are not able to comprehend. But the honest soul can have no such conceits of his Reason; he knows nothing more undoubtedly than that he is a weak and most shallow Crea­ture. He knows that the most contemptible Insect and common Weed are able to pose [Page 275] and put him to a non-plus▪ and that it would therefore be the highest of Arrogances in him to believe nothing revealed to him, but what is an adequate object of his un­derstanding. This man will submit his Reason to Divine Revelation, and not Di­vine Revelation to his Reason. 'Tis true he cannot, though he would never so fain, believe that which doth manifestly contra­dict the Reason of his mind, and the Innate sense of his soul; but therefore it is cer­tain that no such things are to be found in the Gospel, nor can be a matter of Divine Revelation.
• 3. Proud Affectation of being thought wiser than other folk. This was a great thing which made the first Heretiques that the Church of Christ ever knew, as ap­peareth by the Arrogant Title they assu­med to themselves, and distinguished their Sect by, viz. Gnostiques. But that temper of mind that makes men unfeignedly de­sirous of Piety and true Vertue is incon­sistent with all such ambitious and aspiring thoughts.
• 4. Liquorish curiosity and wantonness of spirit. When people are glutted with those wholesome truths which they have for many years been entertained with, and will be hunting after Novelties; when [Page 276] they grow weary of their honest Teachers, and will be following every Upstart that sets himself in opposition to them; it can hardly otherwise be but that they must fall into dangerous errors. The Apostle saith, 2 Tim. 4. 3. that, The time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine, but after their own lusts will they heap to them­selves Teachers: (But how comes it to pass that they will do thus? it followeth) having itching Fars. But the obediently­inclined soul will be careful to keep in that good way, which by experience he hath found to be so, and to avoid all bye-paths. Nor will he be running after Seducers, but shun them all he can, as being consci­ous of his own weakness and his apt­ness without the Grace of God to be misled.
• 5. The love of, and being wedded to any one lust whatsoever will certainly en­danger mens falling into the worst of He­resies. When men have some beloved sins or sin, which they are resolved they will not part with, and are as a Right Eye or
  M [...]tt. 5. 29, 30.
  Right Hand to them, they are easily per­swaded to entertain such Principles as will allow them to live in them, and to aban­don those that will not; and therefore to wrest the Scriptures (as those the Apostle [Page 277] speaks of, 2 Pet. 3. 16.) to their own de­struction, and put them upon the rack to make them speak such things as may con­sist with the interest of their corrupt affe­ctions. Quod volumus, facilè credimus, that which we would have to be true, we ea­sily believe is so; and what we desire should be false, we are with little diffi­culty perswaded to disbelieve. This there­fore, hath had such a very fearful influ­ence on not a few, as to cause them at length to throw away their BIBLES, to deny the Immortality of their Souls, and disbelieve as much as they can even the Being of a Deity, because they are sensible that while they continue in their sins, it is infinitely their Interest that the holy Scri­ptures should be false, that there should be no other life, and no God. But I need not say, that the Honest, Obedient Per­son is one that is not devoted to any Lust.
• 6. The just judgement of God upon these and the like accounts, is the last cause I shall mention of mens disbelieving the Gospel, and renouncing any of the Essentials of Christianity. Even as they did not like to retain God in their know­ledge, (that is to acknowledge him in their practice) God gave them up to a Re­probate [Page 278] (or an adulterate, corrupted) mind▪ Rom. 1. 28. Because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved; God shall send them [...] strength of delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess. 2▪ 10. The fore­mentioned particulars do of themselves lead to the most dangerous errours, how much more then must they needs so do, when they are backed on with the Divine Vengeance. But if honesty and an Obedient temper of Soul will secure from the other causes of errour and seduction, it will, in so doing, secure from this last.

So that it is manifest that a sincere desire of Righteousness and true Holiness will not fail to help men to a thorow-belief and sufficient understanding of that Book which is onely designed to indue them with it: And that nothing can occasion the contrary but a wilful adhering to some one or other immorality; and that this hath a very great aptness so to do. So that it is not the least matter of wonder, to see men of excellent wits and brave ac­complishments, either fall into gross er­rours or even into a flat disbelief of the Christian Religion. As strange as this may [Page 279] seem to some, it appears from our past Discourse, that there is not any real cause of admiration in it. For other endow­ments, of as excellent use as they may be when accompanied with that of an obedi­ent temper, must needs do more hurt than good to the Souls that are adorned and graced with them, when separated from it, and occasion those vices that may well make way for Heresies. And it is certain that an acute wit when it hath not a puri­fied sense going along with it, is so far from being a sufficient praerequisite to the right understanding of Evangelical truths, that it is as notable an Engine as the Grand Decei­ver can desire to make use of, in order to the bringing about his mischievous designs upon the person that is Master of it. So that indeed, it is on the contrary rather mat­ter of wonder, that any man that hath a naughty Will, should have a good Iudge­ment in Gospel-truths, though both his natural and acquired parts should be ne'r so great. And again we may with­out the least breach of Charity presume, that whosoever, to whom Christianity is sufficiently made known, doth either disbelieve it or any of the Fundamentals of it, his Heart is much more in fault than is his Head, and that he hath darken­ed [Page 280] his Discerning faculty and greatly dimmed the Eye of his Soul, by enter­taining some filthy lust that sends up a thick sog and mist of vapours to it. If any man teach otherwise (saith S. Paul, 1 Tim. 6. 3.) and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the Doctrine that is according to Godliness; he is proud, &c. not he is weak and cannot, but he is wicked and will not understand the Truth. And, by the way, this Discourse may conduce to the no small encouragement of the weaker sort: Let such be but heartily solicitous about doing God's Will and having the Design of the Gospel effected in them, and they need fear that their weakness will betray them into the wrong way to Blessedness.

CHAP. XXVII. The Last Inference.

LAstly, We learn from the Doctrine of the Design of Christianity, wherein the Essence, Power and Life of it consisteth, viz. [Page 282] In a good state and habit of mind, in a holy frame and temper of Soul; where­by it esteemeth God as the Chiefest good, preferreth him and his Son Jesus before all the world, and prizeth above all things an interest in the Divine Perfections; such as Iustice and Righteousness, universal Cha­rity, Goodness, Mercy and Patience, and all kinds of Purity. From whence doth naturally proceed a hearty complyance with all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel; and sincere endeavours to perform all those actions which are agreeable to them, are necessary expressions of those and the like vertues, and means for the ob­taining and encrease of them; and to a­void the Contrary.

The Kingdom of God (or Christianity) is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; as Saint Paul tells us, Rom. 14. 17. That is, it doth not consist in any merely external mat­ters, or bodily exercises, which (else­where he saith) do profit but little. And1 Tim. 4. 8 as not in such as he there meaneth, viz. things of a perfectly indifferent nature, and neither good nor evil; so neither in such as are very good and laudable for [Page 283] the matter of them. It is onely their flowing from an inward Principle of Ho­liness, that denominateth any whatso­ever Christian actions. But such as are onely occasioned by certain external in­ducements and motives, and proceed not from any good temper and disposi­tion of Soul, be they never so commenda­ble in themselves, bespeak not him that performeth them to be a true and sincere Christian. He is not a Iew, saith the same Apostle, that is one outwardly, neither is that Circumcision that is outward in the flesh: But he is a Iew, that is one inwardly; and Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whose praise is not of men but of God, Rom. 2. 28, 29. That is, he onely is a true child of Abra­ham, who in the purity of the heart o­beyeth those substantial Laws that are im­posed by God upon him. And if no one that doth not thus, might properly be called a Iew or child of Abraham, much less can the name of a Christian and a Di­sciple of the Holy Iesus be due to him. He (it is evident) is onely so, in whom the Design of Christianity is in some measure accomplish'd. And it appears from what hath been said that its Design is Primarily [Page 284] and immediately upon the Nature; which, being rectified and renewed, will cer­tainly discover it self so to be through­out the whole life. For a good tree will not bring forth corrupt fruit, nor a cor­rupt Matt. 7. tree good fruit, as our Saviour hath said. Were it possible (as it is not) that we should forbear all outward acts of sin, and yet our Souls cleave to it, we could not but be destitute of the Life and Power of Christianity. And should we abound never so much in the exercise of good duties, if our design in so doing be to gratifie any lust, and serve some carnal interest, they will be so far from Chri­stian actions, that they may be most tru­ly and properly called sins. There is no one duty more affectionately recom­mended in the Gospel to us than is Alms­giving; but to give alms to be seen and praised by men, is no better than base Hypocrisie (as Christ hath told us) so far is it from an expression of Christian Charity. And whatsoever materially ver­tuous actions proceed not from the prin­ciple of love to vertue, though I cannot say that all such are hateful to God, yet they want that degree of perfection that is requisite to make them truly Christian. [Page 285] And it is a plain case that he is not the Christian, that is much employed in the Duties of Prayer, Hearing God's Word, Reading the Bible and other good Books, &c. but he that discovereth a good mind in them, in whom the end of them is ef­fected, and who is the better for them. This is the business for the sake of which Prayer is enjoyned. We are therein to acknowledge God's Infinite Perfections, and our obligations to him, that we may express our hearty sense of them, and in order to our being the more affected with those, and our having the more grateful resentments of these. We are in that duty to address our selves to the Divine Ma­jesty, in the name of Christ, for what we want; that we may by this means both express and encrease our depen­dance on him, and trust in him for the obtaining thereof. And to confess and bewail our sins, to exercise Godly sor­row and contrition of Soul; and that by so doing we may be so much the more deeply humbled for them, and have the greater averseness in our wills against them. The communion which we are to enjoy with God in Prayer is such as con­sisteth in being enamoured with the Ex­cellencies [Page 286] that are in him, and in receiv­ing communications of his Nature and Spi­rit from him.

Therefore also are we commanded to Hear and Read God's Word, that we may come thereby to understand, and be put in mind of the several Duties he requires of us, and be powerfully moved to the doing of them.

And the like may be said concerning all the other Exercises of Piety and De­votion, the end of them is more and more to dispose our Hearts to the Love, and our wills to the obedience of our Blessed Crea­tour and Redeemer. And busying our selves in any of them without this Design may well be counted in the number of the fruitless and unaccountable actions of our lives. Thus to do is prodigally to wast and mispend our time: as the Jews were upbraided by one of their adversa­ries, with doing, upon the account of their Sabbath, saying, That they lost one day in seven. And those that are most constant in their Addresses to the Majesty of Heaven, both in the Publique and Pri­vate worship of him, if they go into his [Page 287] presence with the entertainment and al­lowance of any sinful Affection, they have never the more of the Divine Approba­tion upon that account. If I regard, saith David, iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. God esteemeth no better of such as do so, than as Hypocritical Faw­ners upon him, and false-hearted Com­plementers of him; and hath declared that their Sacrifices are an Abomination to him. The Generality of the Jews were such a people: God by his Prophet Isaiah speaks thus concerning them. They seek me dayly and delight to know my ways, as a Nation that did Righteousness, and forsook not the Ordinance of their God. They ask of me the Ordinances of Iustice, they take delight in approaching to God. They were a people that loved to fast and pray, and afflict their Souls, and to make their voice to be heard on high: But giving liberty to themselves in plain immoralities, God declared that all this was even hateful to him: As may be seen in the Fifty eighth of Isaiah. And he there likewise telleth them, that the Fast which he took plea­sure in, consisteth in loosing the bands of wickedness, in undoing the heavy burthens; and letting the oppressed go free; in break­ing [Page 288] every yoke; in dealing their bread to the Hungry; and bringing the poor that are cast out, to their houses; in covering the Naked; and the exercise of strict justice, mercy and kindness. And in the first Chapter, he asks them, To what purpose the multitude of their Sacrifices were (though they were no other than he him­self by the Law of Moses required) and charged them to bring no more vain obla­tions to him; told them that their In­cense was an Abomination to him, their New-moons and Sabbaths and calling of As­semblyes he could not away with, that their Solemn Assembly was iniquity, that their New-Moons and appointed Feasts his Soul hated, and that he was weary to bear them. And all this because these were the onely or main things they recommended them­selves to him by; their Religion chiefly consisted in them; and they gave them­selves leave to be unrighteous, cruel and unmerciful, as may there be seen.

God abhorrs to see men come cringing and crowching before him, bestowing a great heap of the best words upon him, and the worst upon themselves, and with dejected countenances bemoaning them­selves [Page 289] and making lamentable complaints of their wickedness to him, imploring mercy and favour from him, &c. when they resolvedly persist in disobedience. So far are such things as these from being able to make amends for any of their sins, that God accounts them no better than Additions to their most heinous impie­ties; as by the Sixty sixth of I [...]aiah, it further appeareth: It is said there, He that killeth an Ox, is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut off a Dog's neck; he that offereth an [...], as if he offered Swines blood; [...]e that burneth Incense, as if he [...] [...] [...] ▪ And how came this to pass? it follows▪ They have chosen their own ways, and their Soul delighteth in their Abomination [...] ▪ So that if he had such an opinion of the goodliest and most acceptable Sacrifices when offered by Disobedient and Immo­rall Persons, under the Law; it is im­possible that he should have one jot a better of the most affectionate Devoti­ons of those that take no care to be re­ally and inwardly righteous and holy under the Gospel. And in being so, con­sists (as was said) the Soul and Life of Christianity.

[Page 290]Not that a true Christian can have un­dervaluing and slight thoughts of the Ex­ternal worship and service of God; nor that he can contemn or neglect praying to him, singing his Praises, Hearing or Reading his Word, &c. Nothing less: For by the serious and diligent perform­ance of these and the like Duties he comes to acquire and encrease that good temper of Soul that gives him the deno­mination of such a one, through the assistance of the Divine Grace. He is one, to speak in the words of Hierocles, as [...], joyns Endeavours to [...], and Prayers also (with the other parts of Divine Worship) to his other Endeavours.

And besides the solemn acknowledge­ments of God, both in publique and pri­vate, are expressions of Natural Justice. Quid aliud est [...] (saith Tully) quàm Iustitia adversùs Deos? What is Piety or Devotion but Iustice towards God? And each of the significations of it, whether Natural or Positive, they are Payments of a due to him; so that men cannot be so much as honest, and omit the honouring [Page 291] of the Divine Majesty by them. But it is certain that these Performances do him no honour at all, any otherwise than as they proceed from a good and sincere Soul. And to this purpose our often cited Philosopher hath this other excellent saying, viz. The great­est abundance and profusest cost­liness [...]. Pag. 25. of Oblations bring no Ho­nour to God, except they are of­fered with a Divine mind: For the Gifts and Sacrifices of fools are but food for the fire. Sacri­fices in Ancient times were cal­led the Food of Almighty God, as being provision made for his house; but (saith this Philosopher) when they proceed from fools (or wicked men) they are at best but the Fire's meat, They signifie nothing to God, and are merely thrown away.

And indeed the best intelligible and most significant honour that our devout­est services bring to God, is by their being a means of making us more like unto him. And as I shewed, out of the Learned Master Smith's Treatise, how God most glorifieth himself, so I think it [Page 292] not amiss to transcribe more lines of that worthy person, wherein he excellently sheweth how we most glorifie God; and they immediately follow the former. Saith he, pag. 409. As God's seeking his own glory in respect of us is most properly the flowing forth of his Goodness upon us; so our seeking the Glory of God is most properly our endeavouring a participation of his goodness, and an earnest uncessant pursuing after Divine perfection. When God becomes so Great in our eyes, and all created things so l [...]ttle, that we reckon upon nothing as worthy of our aims or am­b [...]tions but a serious participation of the Divine Nature, and the exercise of Di­vine Vert [...]s, Love, Joy, Peace, Long­suffering, Kindness, Goodness and the like▪ When the Soul beholding the Infi­nite Beauty and Loveliness of the Divi­nity, and then looking down and behold­ing all created perfection mantled over with darkness, is ravished into love and admiration of that never-setting Bright­ness, and endeavours after the greatest res [...]blance of God in Justice, Love and [...]: when conversing with him [...], by a secret feeling of the [...], [...] and power of his Good­ness, [Page 293] we endeavour to assimilate our selves to him: Then we may be said to Glorifie him indeed. God seeks [...]o glory but his own, and we have none of our own to give him. God in all things seeks himself and his own Glory, as find­ing nothing Better than himself; and when we love him above all things, and endeavour to be most like him, we de­clare plainly that we count nothing Better than he is.

See more to the same purpose, Pag. 141, 142, 143. And this same Excellent No­tion the Pythagoraeans (however they came by it) did also teach. It was one of their sayings, Thou wil [...] best glorifie God, by assimilating [...]. and making thy mind like to God.

And I will trouble the Reader with one more of our Philoso­pher's sayings which is no less [...]. Com­ment. in Aur. Carm. Pag. 22. worthy of his observation than any of the past recited ones, viz. Thou canst not honour God in giving ought to him, but by becoming a meet and worthy Person to receive from him.

[Page 294]And the great and Infallible Oracle of Truth, our Blessed Saviour, hath as­sured us, that, Herein is his Father Glo­rified, Joh. 5. 18. that we bear much Fruit; that we are fruitful in all Holiness. And we learn from S. Paul, Phil. 1. 11. That they are the Fruits of Righteousness, which are by Iesus Christ (or the effects of his Grace and Holy Spirit) which redound to the praise and glory of God. And then do we praise him most signi­ficantly and effectually, when we are [...] (as there he prays that the Phi­lippians may be) with these Fruits: when Righteousness takes possession of our Souls, grows and encreases in them, and exerts it self in our Lives (as it must needs do wheresoever it is) and our whole conversations shine with it.

In short; Circumcision is nothing, and Uncircumcision is nothing, (neither any Opinions, nor Performances, nor For­bearances, that have no influence upon the Soul and Spirit, are any thing;) but the keeping the Commandments of God: This is all in all. In Christ Ie­sus nothing at all availeth but such a [Page 295] Faith as works by love ( [...] or is perfected by Charity) and a New­creature. And if any man be in Christ, he is a New creature; and whosoever is a New creature, is in Christ or a true Chri­stian. All which S. Paul hath plainly taught us, in 1 Cor. 7. 19. Gal. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Those in whom the Design of the Gospel hath taken good effect, are indeed Christians, and none but such: in the suc­cess of that must needs lie the power of Christianity, and in nothing else. And therefore whosoever they are in whom the Genuine effects of Righteousness and true Holiness are conspicuous, we ought to look upon them as Living Members of that Body whereof Christ is the Head. Whoever are ready to profess their Faith in God and Christ and the Holy Spirit in all Scripture Phrases (without perverting their manifest and apparent sense) and lead a life answerable, for ought that we can dis­cern, to the clear intimations of our Savi­our's will, and all the Rules plainly laid down in his Holy Gospel, (though it should not be their fortune to concur with us in all our sentiments) it is our duty to judge them to be indued with all the Essentials and Integral parts of Christia­nity, [Page 296] and accordingly to carry our selves towards them: Or we shall offer them too great a temptation to suspect, that we our selves are ignorant wherein they con­sist, and for all our great Profession are void of them.

There is one thing more which I can­not forbear to add concerning the weigh­ty and most important Point we are now discoursing, and which contains the summ of all that need to be said about it, viz. That it is impossible we should not have the Design of Christianity accomplished in us, and therefore that we should be de­stitute of the Power of it, if we make our Saviour's most Excellent Life (a short ac­count of which we have been in this Tra­ctate presented with,) the Pattern of our [...]ves▪ if we write after that Fair Copy he hath therein set us, if we tread in his Blessed S [...]eps, and be such, according to [...] Measure and Capacity, as we have un­derstood he was in this World. Those that sincerely and industriously endeavour to imitate the Holy Jesus in his Spirit and [...], can never be ignorant what it is to be truly Christians; nor can they fail [...] [...]. And if the History of his Life [Page 297] were more perused and minded, and that he designed to be therein our Example (as both he and his Apo­stles have often enough assured us he did) were more seriously considered, it could not possibly be that the De­sign of his Gospel, and that wherein consists the Power of Godliness and Soul of Christianity, should be by so many so very miserably mistaken, as we see it is.