THE Mission of the Holy Ghost (which we this day commemo­rate) was the Final Confirma­tion, and Completion of the Christian Re­ligion; which perfected the Mystery of the Redemption of Mankind; and at the same time set the last Seal to the truth of it. Our Saviour had indeed long before ga­thered a Select number of faithful Apo­stles and Disciples; but can scarce be said to have founded a Church, till he poured out the Holy Ghost upon them.

[Page 2] Till then their Notions of the intenti­on of Christ's coming into the World were dark and obscure, their apprehen­sions of the Nature and Constitution of the Kingdom, to be founded by him, false and frivolous; and as they certainly knew not what form of Faith to profess; so they dared not profess it openly. Their religious Meetings were yet in secret; and no Attempts yet made to form a Church, by Conversion of Jews and Gentiles. Their thoughts were not so much fixed upon the remembrance of what their Master had done and suffered, as upon the Expectation of somewhat more to be done by him; that is, upon the hopes of the Comforter, which he promised to them. They wanted yet those Perfections of mind, which might qualifie them for the Execution of their designed Office; that Zeal and Charity which might animate and direct all the Members of the Church; that Know­ledge and Understanding, which might fit them for Pastors and Teachers, in the absence of their Master.

All these Advantages were abundantly conferr'd, these Necessities supplied by the sending of the Holy Ghost, as upon this day. Then they received internal light, a full understanding of the My­steries [Page 3] of the Messias, a clear Knowledge of all that had been delivered to them; then they obtained Abilities to execute the Office of Preaching, to which they were designed; and Courage to under­take it. Then they began, as to possess an assured and rational Belief of Christ, so to profess and declare their Belief in him. So that the Reception of the Ho­ly Ghost was to them, what Baptism is to us, an entrance into the Church of Christ; according to what our Saviour had foretold to them after his Resurre­ction: Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

These were the Advantages conferred upon the Faithful, by the coming of the Holy Ghost; but these were not all. The chief design of his coming was to lay the Foundations of propagating the Be­lief of Christ through the whole World, and to offer the benefits of his Death and Passion to all the Members of Mankind; to assert the Divinity of Christ, to ma­nifest the truth of his Doctrine, to vin­dicate the Honour of God, to convince the World of their Obligation to be­lieve in him, and to confound the oppo­sition of his Adversaries. To this grand Design, the aforementioned Gifts be­stowed upon the Apostles were subser­vient, [Page 4] being such as enabled them to Preach the Word, and confirm the Truth of it to all Nations under Heaven.

The Publication of the Gospel had hi­therto been reserved, shut up in dark Speeches and Parabolical Expressions; confined to an Hundred and twenty Dis­ciples, which we read to have been the number of them in the First of the Acts. But from this day it was to be set in a clear Light, communicated to all, with­out obscurity or reserve, and propagated to all parts of the habitable World. The Person of our Saviour Christ had hither­to appeared mean and contemptible; no Signs or Tokens of his glorious King­dom were yet to be found; but now he was to be rescued from that Imputati­on by visible and undeniable Effects of Divine Power; his Kingdom was to commence in the hearts of Men; and be­come Glorious both from the Number and Piety of his Followers.

The Jews had without controul dared to reject his Doctrine, vilifie his Person, and put him to an ignominious Death; but now they were to be convinced by uncontestable Proofs from Heaven, that his Person was more than Humane, his Do­ctrine Divine, and themselves guilty of the most Enormous wickedness in crucifying [Page 5] the Lord of Life. The Justice of God the Fa­ther had suffered Aspersions, in not reveng­ing the Sufferings and rewarding the La­bours of his Son: But now this was to be cleared, and the Jews convinced; that neither their Wickedness should pass un­punished, nor his Merits unrewarded. The Devil had triumphed in his supposed Conquest over Christ, and his imagination of having baffled the Design of the Re­demption of Mankind, by procuring the Author of it to be put to Death; but his arrogant Pretensions were henceforth to be checked, his Hopes to be defeated, his Empire to be dissolved. All these Ad­vantages were to flow from the Mission of the Holy Ghost; and all these our Lord sums up and Promises in the words of my Text: And when he is come; he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. In which words we may enquire,

• I. In what Sense all these Effects and Advantages, are to be ascribed to the Mis­sion of the Holy Ghost.
• II. How far these promised Effects and Advantages of his Mission were per­formed.

As to the First, the word reproving, [...], which is used in the Text, in the Original is taken from judicial Proceed­ings, [Page 6] and signifieth a Confutation of the adverse Party, by such Proofs and Te­stimonies, as by an impartial Judge should be allowed to be valid. The Office therefore of the Holy Ghost was to be the Paraclet, the Advocate of our Saviour upon Earth, to plead his Cause, to produce these Proofs, to urge and pro­pose them to the World. There were indeed abundant Proofs before in the Na­ture of the thing; but Proofs are not convictive, till laid open, declared and proposed.

This was the Office of the Holy Ghost, in this he was to be the Advocate of our Saviour; and this he performed by pour­ing extraordinary Gifts upon the Apo­stles, as on this day; which might enable them with Power and Eloquence, with Courage and Success, to propose those Proofs, and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. They were to be the Instruments of this Re­proof, this Conviction; not only by their Gifts received, and Labours performed as upon this day; but by all their Mira­cles, Sermons, and Preaching performed in the whole Course of their Ministry. All these Actions were equally directed to the same end, the conviction of the World; yet all in vertue of those Abi­lities [Page 7] which they received upon this day.

All their Gifts and Labours were sole­ly owing to his power, and derived from his Grant; their Knowledge to his Inspira­tion, their Courage and Constancy to his Support, their Speaking to his Impulse, their Miracles to his Power, their Suc­cess to his Blessing. So that all which they performed ought truly and proper­ly to be ascribed to him. All the Miracles, Actions, and Prophesies of their Lord before the Mission of the Holy Ghost; all the Miracles and Labours of themselves after it, were to contribute to the Con­viction of the World; but all the Effi­cacy, the Application of this Conviction was to proceed solely from the Abilities conferred on them, at the time of his Mission.

And thus the Holy Ghost continueth his Office of Advocate, not only during the Apostles times, but in all Ages of the Church; since those Gifts which he then began to dispense to the Apostles, he still continueth to diffuse to the Faithful; and by the Efficacy of these Gifts it is, that the Church is maintained, the Faith­ful enlivened, the Conviction continued. He then convinced the World by the Preaching of the Apostles; and he now [Page 8] convinceth it, by the Preaching of their Successors acted with the same Spirit, and by the reading of the Holy Scriptures, written by them through his assistance and direction. His Gifts indeed confer­red on them were far more eminent, be­cause more necessary; his Administra­tion of the Church in their time more remarkable, because manifesting the Com­pletion of many particular Prophesies of our Saviour. Upon which account the Promises of this Text were then more eminently fulfilled. And that they were so, I come next in Order to consider.

First then, the Holy Ghost by his com­ing, reproved or convinced the World of Sin; because they believed not on Christ, as it follows in the 9. Verse. By the World we are here primarily to understand the Jews; who notwithstanding all the migh­ty Signs and Miracles performed by Christ, denied Assent to his Doctrine. This disbelief of theirs before the Mission of the Holy Ghost, our Saviour in many places seems to excuse and pardon; and St. Pet. in the III. of the Acts V. 17. extenuates their crucifying the Lord of Life by their Ignorance: Which Plea would have been but trifling, had not their Ignorance in some measure been excusable; but after the Mission of the Holy Spirit to stand [Page 9] out against those manifold Convictions that were then offer'd, could be no other than an inexcusable Perverseness and In­credulity. Of this we may assign two several Reasons.

First, that although our Lord had in his own Person performed many, and those stupendious Miracles; yet these affected no other than the Spectators of them. For while alive, he never blazoned a­broad his Miracles, nor employed his Disciples in spreading the Report, and testifying the Truth of them. So that however many particular Persons, who were Eye-witnesses of his Miracles, could not but be abundantly convinced of his Divinity; yet the universal Conviction of the whole Nation of the Jews was to be reserved to the Mission of the Holy Ghost: When the Apostles were to be en­dued with Courage, and Power from on high, to proclaim his Actions, and Do­ctrines to all Men, and if need were, to assert the Truth of them, by other no less extraordinary Miracles.

Secondly, the chief Note affixed by God, whereby to judge of the Truth of any Prophet, and particularly of the Mes­sias, was the Completion of his Prophe­sies. Thus in Deut. XVIII. when Moses assureth the Children of Israel, That God [Page 10] should raise them up in the latter days a Prophet like unto himself, whom they should be obliged to hear in all things; he gives them this Token, whereby to judge be­tween the true and any false Messias: If the Predictions of him, who took upon him the Name and Character of the Mes­sias, did really come to pass; then they should acknowledge him to be the true Messias. The most eminent, and almost only Predictions of our Lord, which could serve as Signs of this nature to the Jews of that Age, were the Mission of the Holy Ghost, the Resurrection of him­self after three days Imprisonment in the Grave, and the Final destruction of Jerusalem, before that Generation should pass away.

The first was happily accomplished upon this day; when the Gifts of the Holy Ghost were poured out upon the Apostles, in so illustrious a manner; as the Jews could not but take notice of the exact Completion of his Promise, of send­ing the Comforter not many days after his Ascension; in such a manner as drew the eyes of all the Inhabitants of Jerusa­lem, both Jews and Strangers upon them, and tended no less to demonstrate the Power, than the Truth of Christ. The second Prediction indeed, that of his Re­surrection, [Page 11] was fulfilled fifty days be­fore, but became not an Argument of Conviction to the Jews till now; as be­ing not till now publickly attested by the Apostles, who were the Witnesses of it. The Report of his Resurrection, had been indeed rumoured in Jerusalem; which put the Sanhedrim upon that shameful De­vice of corrupting the Soldiers, who guarded his Sepulchre; but the certain and publick Knowledge of it was not delivered, till the Apostles were enabled and enboldened to proclaim and testifie it to the whole World by those Gifts which they received upon this day.

After the exact Completion of these Prophesies and the authentick attesta­tion of them, no excuse remained to the Jews, whereby to extenuate their unbe­lief; according to the Rules laid down by Moses, they were now obliged to ac­knowledge Christ to have been a true Prophet, and the true Messias; and were convinced of their hainous Sin before commited by them, in the Rejection of his Doctrine, and Crucifixion of his Person; the horror of which Sin might induce them the more readily to believe in Christ, and lay hold of his Merits; that so they might obtain Remission of it. Otherwise they were to expect the most [Page 12] severe Execution of Divine Vengeance for their wilful obstinacy and disbelief; as Moses had assured them in the same place, Deut. XVIII. 19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name; I will require it of him. This Sen­tence, and therein the Prophesie of Christ, was in a most eminent manner, executed and fulfilled, in the Destruction, and intire Desolation of the whole Na­tion of the Jews, about forty years after the Ascension of our Lord; whereby the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord then alive, acted by the Holy Ghost, were farther enabled invincibly to plead his Cause, against the opposition of the unbelieving World, both Jews and Gen­tiles.

For however the Mission of the Holy Ghost, and the Consequences of it, did more especially convince of Sin the Jews, who were then alive, and had been guil­ty either of rejecting the Preaching, or contriving the Death of our Lord; yet it contributed no less effectually to mani­fest the Unreasonableness of all both Jews and Gentiles, who either in that, or in all Ages to come, should reject the Faith of Christ, when proposed to them. For the Belief of him was to be proposed to [Page 13] all Creatures under Heaven, and con­firmed by Arguments drawn from hence; which were so rational and convictive, so clear and demonstrative, that they could not be rejected without the most extream Perverseness; and if rejected, the Holy Ghost should hereby plead the cause of Christ against them, and con­vince the whole World, and their own Consciences also, if rightly judging, that in rejecting the Gospel they had sinned against their own Souls; and that no­thing remained to them, but a certain fear­ful Expectation of the fiery Judgment, to be most justly inflicted on them.

The second point of which the Com­forter was to reprove or convince the World, was of Righteousness; the rea­son of which is assigned in the 10th Verse; Because I go to my Father; and ye see me no more. The Justice of God had to the eyes of Men been clouded; when he per­mitted his only begotten Son to be deli­vered up, and crucified by wicked Men; when he abandoned him to the Rage of his Enemies, and rescued him not from the Insults of the Jews by an extraordi­nary Interposition from Heaven. The Majesty of the Deity seemed then to be e­clipsed, and suffer diminution; when sub­jected to the Contradiction and Affronts [Page 14] of unreasonable Men. Men naturally ex­pect that God should even in this World declare in behalf of oppressed Innocence; either by rescuing it from the Malice of its Enemies, or taking a severe Revenge upon the Oppressors of it. And even Christians, who have a better and more certain Knowledge of the Methods of Providence, cannot but expect, and are allowed so to do; that if no Discrimina­tion be made between the Good and the Bad in this life, yet at least that it shall be in the next; when Innocence shall be crowned with Rewards, which shall be enhanced by Patience in Sufferings; and Violence chastised with Punishments, which shall be so much the sharper, if re­served intire to another World; if no part of them be inflicted in this. This a faithful Christian expects from the Justice of God; and this the Scripture assureth them, Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest; 2 Thess. I. 6. And God is not un­righteous to forget your work and labour; Heb. VI. 10. If then this Justice may be securely hoped for from God by all the Members of Mankind; how much more by the Son of God, whose Person was of infinite Dignity, his Sufferings fraught [Page 15] with the highest Aggravations of Misery, and his Persecutors guilty of the most enormous Wickedness? That the Justice of God might be therefore vindicated herein; that Sin might no longer tri­umph, and Innocence pass unregarded; God exalted his Son to his own right hand, seated him in the Heavens, gave him Do­minion over all things, crowned him with glory and worship.

The knowledge of this was published to the World by the Mission of the Holy Ghost; by whose Direction and Assist­ance the Apostles openly testified the Ascension of their Lord; and by which all might be convinced what Place and Power Christ now obtained in Heaven, who could showre down such glorious Gifts and Priviledges upon his Followers on Earth. These were so many undeni­able Testimonies that the Malice of his Enemies was defeated, that our Lord was yet alive, set above their reach and In­sults; and not only so, but invested with supreme Majesty and Dominion, able to protect his Church, and punish his Ene­mies; that his former Sufferings had not been then more calamitous, than his pre­sent State was now glorious; that if God had for a time withdrawn in appearance his Favour and Protection from his Hu­mane [Page 16] Nature, he had now in recompence exalted it to an eternal Throne in Hea­ven.

The last thing, of which the Comforter was to reprove or convince the World, was of Judgment; and that for this rea­son, Ver. 11. Because the prince of this world is judged. It is a Principle even of Natural Religion, that God is the supreme Judge of the World, and that of invisible as well as visible Beings. The Devil, who is frequently in Scripture called the prince of this world, had now for many Ages exercised an uncontrouled Tyranny in the World: He had withdrawn the far greatest part of Mankind from the worship of the true God; and caused the worship of himself to become the publick Religion of all Nations, except the Jews. Even the Jews he had often seduced to Idolatry, and Disobedience to the Divine Commands; and had newly instigated them to imbrue their hands in the Blood of their Messias. All these enormous Crimes, this continued Rebellion against God, and particularly the last and great­est, the Death of Christ, did require from the Judge of all the World a severe Punishment; which is therefore called Judgment in the Text, because a Sentence proceeding from the Rules of Justice.

[Page 17] This Sentence was to be executed un­der the Gospel of Christ, as we are told above in the XII. 31. Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. The Execution of it was to be performed by the Preaching of the Gospel, which should destroy the Powers of Hell, free Men from the Cap­tivity of Sin, and withdraw the World from the Worship of Devils. This to those proud Spirits was the sharpest Pu­nishment, which could possibly be in­flicted; and this was begun by the Mis­sion of the Holy Ghost, and carried on and compleated by the Gifts, and Graces derived down, and continued to the Church from his blessed Influence.

From the Blessings of this day it was, that the Apostles received Abilities and Courage to preach the Gospel to the ut­termost parts of the Earth, to beat down the strong holds of Sin, to ruin the power of Satan, to turn Men to the Knowledge and Obedience of God. From the Con­tinuation of these Blessings the Church hath been always defended from the se­cret and open Assaults of these infernal Spirits; the Governors and Ministers of the Church have been enabled to preach the Truth, and discharge their Office suc­cessfully; [Page 18] and all the Members of the Church have been established in the Faith, and supported against all the Temptati­ons of wicked Spirits. So eminently did God upon this day exercise Judgment up­on the Prince of this World, that thence­forward his Kingdom continually de­creased, his Oracles were silenced, his Altars abandoned, his Worship relin­quished, his Disciples diminished, until a glorious Church was founded in all parts of the Earth; which by a solemn Engagement, (her Vow in Baptism) professeth Enmity unto him.

Upon all these accounts did the Holy Ghost, as a most faithful Advocate, at his first Mission, plead the Cause of Christ against his Adversaries, whether the De­vil, or the Jews his Persecutors: and upon the same accounts doth that blessed Spi­rit, who was promised to remain with the Church till the end of the World, and execute the Office of Advocate till the Consummation of all things, still conti­nue to plead the Cause of Christ against all his Enemies; and that he should do so, is highly requisite.

The Devil still assaults the Church by open Force, or secret Temptations; and to these the Holy Spirit opposeth his [Page 19] Gifts and Graces: Infidels and Hereticks still profess Unbelief to the Doctrines of it; and to these he opposeth the same Arguments of Conviction, which were before manifested to have proceeded from his Mission. All these remain yet in their full force. Lastly, even in the bosom of the Church, among the Professors of Christianity, are many to be found, a­gainst whom it is necessary that the Holy Spirit should still plead the Cause of Christ, which they discredit by their Sins, and blaspheme by their Lives, cruci­fying afresh the Lord of life, and putting him to an open shame: In that, no less guilty, than all those Enemies of Christ, which the Holy Ghost at his first Mission was to convince.

For did the Jews disbelieve the Do­ctrine of Christ, before the undeniable Confirmation added to it in the Mysteries of this day? These Men by their Actions proclaim their Unbelief even after the Re­ception of this Confirmation. Did the Spirit of God take so much pains to ma­nifest the unerring Justice of God in the distribution of Rewards and Punishments? After all these, Men live insensible of ei­ther; slighting his Rewards, and defying his Punishments. Did Christ come into [Page 20] the World, and die a painful Death? Did God exert his Power in so many Miracles? Did the Holy Spirit des­cend as upon this day, to put an end to the Empire of the Devil? These Men by Perseverance in Sin endea­vour to re-establish it in the World, and do effectually restore it in their own Souls.

Justly therefore may this Eternal Ad­vocate implead these Men before the last Tribunal. I have conveyed the Know­ledge of the true God even to these Sin­ners; I have convinced them of the Truth of the Christian Faith; at least they will pretend themselves to have been convin­ced; I have nourished this Knowledge by causing the Holy Scriptures to be writ for their Edification; I have endeavoured the Improvement of it by the constant Ex­hortation of those my Officers which I have settled in the Church; I have as­sisted it by the grant of all necessary Gra­ces, as often as desired: yet notwith­standing all this, they have lived as if they knew not of it, much less as if they were convinced of it. All my Graces and Sollicitations of them have produced no other effect, than to render their Sin the more hainous; in that they have wilfully [Page 21] disobeyed my Commands, slighted my Directions, contemned my Exhortations, and stifled my Motions. All false Per­swasions, which might betray them to Sin and Disobedience, I have long since corrected. If they imagine the Disbelief, or which is all one, the Neglect of my Doctrines, to be no hainous Crime; I have long since convinced the World of Sin. If they fancy God not to be an un­erring and infallible Judge in the Dispen­sation of Rewards and Punishments; I have long ago reproved the World of Righteousness. If they pretend the Temp­tations of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil to be irresistable, I have long since judged the prince of this world, taken away his Kingdom, and limited his Power. These then are the most criminal Ene­mies of the Name of Christ, who being by me convinced of their Duty to obey his Laws, refused to perform them; who serving under his banner, and kindly in­treated by him, deserted his Service, and delivered up themselves to his and their own Enemy, from whose Tyranny I had before freed them. What then shall we plead in behalf of our selves at that dreadful day? Shall we alledge want of Conviction? That we pretend not to; or [Page 22] if we should, the Holy Ghost hath by the Wonders and Benefits of this day effectu­ally confuted that pretence. Shall we say that we believed not God to have been in earnest, when he allured us with Rewards, or threatened us with Punishments? That Plea is removed by the Assertion of the Righteousness of God made upon this day. Or shall we excuse our selves with want of extraordinary Assistances and Graces of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to perform our Duty, and overcome all Temptations? That Excuse is overthrown by the con­stant Continuation of the kind Influences of the Holy Ghost.

We receive not now indeed those mi­raculous Gifts, with which the Apostles were once endued. Nor is it necessary that we should receive them. Those con­tribute not directly to the securing of our Salvation, which may be equally ob­tained without them, and lost with them. All that is necessary, all that is convenient for us, is yet continued to us. The Holy Ghost still diffuseth his inestimable Bene­fits to the Souls of Men, excites them by inward Motions, confirms them by his Assistance, perfects them by his Gra­ces; which least we should doubt that he still plentifully bestoweth on us for want [Page 23] of some external Assurance, he hath insti­tuted the Holy Sacraments, more particu­larly the Eucharist, as visible Pledges of his Distribution of Grace to all faithful Believers; herein bestowing no less a Be­nefit to the Members of the Church, than he did when he formerly descended, as upon this day, attended with mighty Signs and Miracles, with the Gift of Tongues, and Cure of Diseases.

We are assured, that altho' any one speak with the tongues of Men and Angels; altho' he be able to remove Mountains; yet it is possible for him to miscarry, and be­come a cast-away. But to him that receiveth this Holy Sacrament worthily; to him that bewails his former Sins, and seriously endeavours to reform them; to him that enters a new into Covenant with God, and lays hold of the Merits of his Crucified Saviour in the Participation of these sa­cred Mysteries; to him that herein re­conciles himself to Christ his head, by a lively Faith and Repentance, and to all the Members of the Church by unfeigned Charity; it is not possible to miss his desi­red end, the Salvation of his Soul; because God, who cannot lie, hath promised it by his Word and Spirit; the Son hath sealed it by his Blood; and the Holy Ghost confirmed [Page 24] it; as at first by his Descent upon this day, so now also by the sensible effects of his Grace, which he diffuseth to all wor­thy Communicants. To these three Persons, but one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed all Honour, Power, and Glory, hence­forth and for evermore.

THE Doctrine of the Holy and Ever-blessed Trinity (in Honour of which this Day hath, for some Ages, been Instituted and Celebrated in the Church) is that alone, among all the Principles of Christianity, which carri­eth an undeniable difficulty along with [Page 26] it, and hath been always made use of by the Enemies of the Cross, to oppose the Revelation of Christ.

Other Doctrines, such as the Resur­rection of the Body, Incarnation of the Son of God, and such like, may appear Incredible; but at the same time it can­not be denied, that they are possible: And when the Motives of Faith are added to them, must by all men, right­ly Judging, be allowed to be credible. But it is pretended, that the Existence of a Trinity of Persons, in the same Di­vine Nature, is even contradictory, and therefore impossible; that it overthrow­eth the Primary Notions of our Under­standing, and allowed Principles of Rea­son. Even many Professors of Christi­anity, who acknowledge all the Reve­lations of Christ to be true, and believe him to have acted by a Divine Mission, yet Stumble at this Stone of Offence; and therefore to avoid it, have taken up un­warrantable Opinions, plainly repug­nant to the whole Tenour of the Gospel, as the Arrians of old, and Socinians in later Days.

That we therefore may not be scan­dalized with the same Difficulties, that we may be able to resist the Delusions, [Page 27] and even overcome the Prejudices of these Men, it will not be amiss to consi­der, as far as we may with Safety and Modesty, that Doctrine which is the peculiar business of this Day. For al­tho' it becomes us not too narrowly to pry into the Secrets of Heaven, and rashly determine Matters, the cogni­zance of which belongeth not to us; yet since it hath pleased God to reveal this Mystery to Mankind, and make it an Article of Faith, it now ceaseth to be a Secret of Heaven, and it is both our Duty and Concern to enquire into the Credibility of it.

For the Christian Religion debars us not from a scrupulous search into the Truth of her Doctrines, and placeth no Merit in a blind belief of her Proposi­tions. It is accepted indeed by God, as an act of Obedience and Merit (I mean Merit in a large sence) to believe his Promises of a Resurrection and eternal Life after Death; as it was imputed un­to Abraham for Righteousness, that trust­ing in the Promises of God, of giving him a better Inheritance in another Land, he forsook his own Country, and his Father's House; although nei­ther we nor he have received the Assu­rance [Page 28] of those Promises, by the Evidence of Sence: He had not yet seen the Land of Canaan, and we do not yet en­joy the Possession of those Glorious Pro­mises. Notwithstanding all this, God neither requires nor accepts an irrational Belief in Man; but as He at first endu­ed him with reasonable Faculties, so He expects he should make use of them to his Glory; which is by no other thing so much diminish'd, as by affixing to him Revelations repugnant to Reason, and including Contradictions; and that the Doctrine of the Trinity is not such, I will endeavour to manifest, as plainly as the obscurity of the Subject will per­mit.

The Foundations of my intended Dis­course are laid down by the Apostle in the Text, and in the Context of it; which therefore it will be necessary to explain; and therein I desire you to ac­company me, by looking upon the place. The Apostle had, in the first eight Ver­ses of this Chapter, declared the nature and simplicity of his Preaching and Do­ctrine; that it was not recommended by pompous and affected Ornaments of Rhetorick; that it depended not upon Sillogisms and nice Speculations, as did [Page 29] that of the Gentile Philosophers, who were esteemed the only knowing Men of the Age; that the Matters declared by him, were not such as might be found out by the natural Light of Rea­son; or when found out, were such as would be applauded by the World as extraordinary flights of Speculation. [They were not the Wisdom of Men, nor the Wisdom of this World,] Ver. 5, and 6. [But the Wisdom of God;] Matters not to be found out by the sole Guidance of Reason, but deliver'd by the infallible Revelation of God, who had attested the Truth of them, by the wonderful effects of his Power and Spirit, ma­nifested in the Miracles and successful Preaching of Christ and his Apostles.

And least it should seem incredible to any, that the Matters of Divine Reve­lation should be inconceivable to Human Reason, acting by its own Power, he sheweth us in the ninth Verse: That this was no more than was foretold by the ancient Prophets, whose Veracity was allowed by the far greater part of those to whom he writ. For it was written in the Prophet Isaiah, [Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have en­tred into the Heart of Man, the things [Page 30] which God hath prepared for them that love him.] So that it is undeniable, that the Will of God, and the Mysteries of Hea­ven may be unknown to Men, acting by the sole Light of Reason; but to Men acquainted with the Divine Reve­lations concerning them may be certain­ly known: Now this is the case of Chri­stianity. For as it followeth in the tenth Verse, [God hath revealed them un­to us by his Spirit,] that is, by his Son acting by the Spirit and Commission of God, and by his Holy Spirit instructing the Apostles in the knowledge of them, and confirming them by Signs following. And that such Revelation is infallible, none can deny; for that it proceedeth from one who infallibly knew the Truth of what he taught, even the Spirit of God, [For the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God.]

And least any one should except to these Revelations, and deny assent to them, because they are things which he never thought of before; and which, even when revealed to him, he cannot well conceive; The Apostle shews us, that we have no reason to wonder or stumble at this, from the obvious Ex­ample of the Soul of Man, in the 11th. [Page 31] Verse: The Nature of which cannot be conceived by any Being inferiour to it, nor the Secrets, or the secret Thoughts of it found out by any Being equal to it. [For what Man knoweth the things of a Man, save the Spirit of Man which is in him?] Yet would it be unreasonable for an inferiour Being (if it could speak and argue) to deny that the Soul of Man is endued with noble Faculties, because it cannot conceive the Nature of them; or for one Man to deny that there are any secret Thoughts in the Soul of another, because he cannot attain to the know­ledge of them. And if things be so, then we must allow the Conclusion drawn in the Text, [Even so the things of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God;] and not unreasonably doubt of the truth of them, because we cannot conceive the manner and nature of them.

So then all Objections drawn from the difficulty of the Conception cease; and it remains only to consider, whether the alledged Revelation be truly Divine. This therefore the Apostle asserts in the 12th. Verse; declaring his Preaching of it to be founded not upon bare Conje­ctures and nice Conclusions, as were the Systems of Philosophy then received and [Page 32] applauded in the World; from which he distinguisheth the Christian Faith by these two Characters, that this proceed­ed from the Revelation of God, that from the Invention of Men, [Now we have received not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God.] And that whereas the Gentile Philosophy, the Wisdom of this World, contributed no­thing to promote the Happiness of Man, and secure to him the Favour of God, The other effected both, the end of it being no other, than [that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.]

Further, these Matters when once Revealed, and come to our Knowledge, as we propose not to others with Artifi­cial Sophistry and Rhetorick, so we judge not of the truth of them by pure Arguments of Natural Reason and Lo­gical Inferences, [Which things also we speak not in the Words, which Man's Wis­dom teacheth, Ver. 13.] But as we teach them with that plainness and simplicity which God directeth, and confirm the truth of them with those Miracles which he effecteth; so we judge of the truth of them, no otherwise than by compa­ring the Nature of the Things revealed, [Page 33] with the general Motives of Christian Faith, as it followeth, [But with the Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual.] Now the necessity of this Method in our Enquiry herein, the Apostle demon­strates in the 14th. Ver. [But the natural Man.] He who judgeth these Revela­tions only according to his Preconceived Notions taken up from natural Reason, and refuseth to believe any thing which he receiveth not from them, who weigh­eth not the external Motives of Credi­bility reinforcing these Revelations, [He receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,] believeth not these revealed Truths, which surmount the reach of naked reason. For which reason also, [They are foolishness unto him] because he considers only the difficulty of them, and regardeth not the external Argu­ments of Revelation, by which they are recommended. So that while he acteth in this irrational Method [he cannot know them;] it is impossible to be convinced of them [because they are spiritually dis­cerned,] not to be found out by the sole Light of Reason, but to be received on­ly upon the account of Divine Revela­tion. Whereas he who understandeth [Page 34] well the Motives of Christian Faith, and compareth the weight of them with the difficulty of the things Revealed, [He that is Spiritual, Ver. 15. judgeth all things,] may safely, and without Error, pronounce of this Matter. And in doing so, he is not justly to be over-ruled with the Objections of those, who consider the thing absolutely in it self, and not com­pared with its Motives of Credibility, [Yet he himself is judged of no Man.] Since plain Reason directeth, that if the Motives be found weightier than the Difficulties, he should declare in favour of the thing Revealed, and not be start­led at the Difficulties, as concerning a subject exceeding the natural Under­standing of Man, and to be known no otherwise than by the Revelation of God, who best knew the truth of it; which Revelation we have, as it follows in the last Verse. [For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that he may Instruct him? But we have the Mind of Christ.]

From all that hath been laid down by the Apostle in the Context thus explain­ed, we may form these two Considerati­ons, whereby to determine the Truth of this Matter.

[Page 35] I. That we ought not to reject any Articles of Revelation, nor be offended at them, meerly because we cannot fully conceive the manner of them.

II. That in judging of the Truth of these Matters, we must not consider their internal Probability, so much as their external Motives of Credibility.

First then, we ought not to reject any Articles of Faith, nor be scandali­zed at them, because we cannot fully conceive the Nature or manner of them. For this we cannot rationally do, unless we were assured, that we fully knew all things, and were able to conceive the nature of all Objects. Which that we are not, we may be convinced, if we consider either the Imperfection of our own Understanding, or the excellen­cy of many Objects exceeding the Capa­city of it.

1. The Imperfection of our Under­standing appears, both from the Consi­deration of our Nature, and from mani­fold Experience. The nature of the Soul of Man is finite, and so must the Faculties of it also be. One of these is the Understanding, which if it were in­finite, could be no part of a finite Soul. It hath its bounds and sphere of Activi­ty [Page 36] fixed to it, which if it exceeds, it can­not judge without danger of Error and Illusion. If we desire to extend our Knowledge to all Things and Objects, the desire is unreasonable; if we pretend to it, the pretence is foolish. The li­mitation of our Nature hath excluded all such Hopes, which can be obtained no otherwise, than by altering our Nature, and raising us from the condition of Fi­nite, to Infinite Beings. It becomes us to receive with grateful Acknowledge­ments those Perfections which God hath bestowed on us; not to repine, that he gave us not better, much less be angry that they are not infinite; since it is impossible, that any Creature should have an infinite Understanding.

Further, the Imperfection of our Knowledge is manifest from Experi­ence. The greatest part of Mankind are detained in miserable Ignorance, even of plain and sensible Matters. A bar­barous Indian could never be perswaded of the Truth of many things, which by their frequency are not in the least admir'd by us. The fabrick of a Watch, or the mutual Communication of Thoughts by Writing, is no less incon­ceivable to him, than the Mysteries of the [Page 37] Trinity are to us. And yet we shou'd by no means allow his Conclusion, if he should peremptorily deny the Existence of such things, because he cannot con­ceive them.

Among us, Men, who have not im­proved their Reason by Thought and Study, are far more unable to conceive those things which are certainly known by more Learned Men, than the latter are to conceive the greatest Mysteries of the Deity. And even in these the same Imperfection of Understanding may be discovered. For however they may flatter themselves with knowing the Na­ture of Finite Beings and Causes of vi­sible Effects, which indeed are the pro­per and suitable Objects of Human Un­derstanding; yet they must acknow­ledge their Ignorance in many other things of the same kind; and what they do pretend to know in Natural Philoso­phy, others oft-times no less Learned will deny; and if themselves now fancy that they know the Truth; yet they must confess, that they once knew it not, or perhaps had different Conceptions of it. And then that very improvement of their Knowledge is an undeniable Argu­ment of the Imperfection of it. So that [Page 38] if Men should always deny the truth of what they cannot conceive, even all natural knowledge would be destroy'd, and things most certain would be denied to exist. And then surely we cannot but allow a greater distance to be between the infinite Know­ledge of God, and that of the most learn­ed Man, which how far soever improved, yet still continueth to be finite, than be­tween the most perfect, and most imper­fect Understandings of any two Men liv­ing.

Secondly, The Excellency of the Ob­ject may be such, that it can never be fully conceived by the understanding of any created Being. And such is God; of whose Existence altho' we be most certain, yet we have no other than an im­perfect Idea of his Essence. We con­ceive him indeed to be a most perfect Being, but his Perfections we cannot comprehend in one single Idea; we are forced to consider them apart; and e­ven then obtain the knowledge of them rather by removing all Imperfections from him, then by conceiving the Na­ture of the Perfections themselves. And after all, many Attributes of God, which none deny to be his Attributes, and with­out which the Divine Nature cannot sub­sist, [Page 39] include no less Difficulties, than the Doctrine of the Trinity. I will instance only in two, his independent Existence, and his Omnipresence.

For the first, nothing can exist without a cause; and since there can be no external cause to God, the cause of his Existence must be sought for in himself; and that is the infinity of his Nature. Now altho' all Men firmly believe that God never recei­ved his Existence from any external Cause, nor needed to do it; since the infinity of his own Nature was a necessary Cause of independent Existence: Yet cannot the Soul of Man conceive how any thing should be the cause of it self, without be­ing involved in inextricable darkness.

Again no Man can deny God to be Omnipresent, who grants his Exi­stence; yet can we not conceive the Pre­sence of God in all places, without con­ceiving at the same time an Extension of parts; altho' we be assured that God is an immaterial Being, and as such, can have no Extention of parts.

Further not only the infinity of the Subject may exceed our Apprehension, but the Spirituality of it, altho' finite, may confound us in this Life, wherein we are so much inured to judge by the re­port [Page 40] of our Senses, that few or none can form a distinct Conception of an imma­terial Being. All allow the Soul of Man to be such; yet the greatest part of Man­kind are not able to form any Concep­tion of an immaterial Being; and even those who can, yet have no other than a very confused Idea of it; which con­sists rather in a Negative Conception of it, to wit, that it is not material, than in any positive Notion of its Immateriali­ty. If then things which are on all sides allowed, continue to be inconceive­able, if we cannot solve the Difficulties arising from many Attributes in God, which yet we cannot deny to be in him, without denying his Existence at the same time; if we be so much at a loss in the Conception of any immaterial Be­ing; we ought not to be astonished or scandalized, that the Doctrine of the Trinity cannot be fully conceived by us.

So then since humane Reason cannot by its own Conceptions alone find out and determine all which may relate to the Nature of God; the Second Conside­ration proposed will take place, namely, That in judging the truth of these Mat­ters, we must not consider their Inter­nal Probability, so much as their exter­nal [Page 41] Motives of Credibility. For since we cannot perfectly comprehend the Na­ture of God, many Properties may be in it, which we could never discover by the light of Reason, nor yet when discover­ed to us, fully conceive them. But what we cannot conceive, we cannot judge of from internal Arguments, which are to be drawn from the Nature and Essence of the subject; the perfect knowledge of which being denied to us we cannot form any Arguments from thence. It remains therefore that we respect only the exter­nal Arguments of its truth; and those can be no other than external Revelation. We cannot doubt, that God fully know­eth his own Nature; and that as he is most wise, he is most veracious; that as he cannot be deceived himself, so he cannot deceive us. If then we be suffi­ciently assured that God hath revealed this, all scruples ought to cease, which is the Apostles Argument in this Case.

It must be indeed acknowledged, that we may be deceived in our belief of a Divine Revelation; and that since God cannot affirm any thing which is false, it is an invincible Argument against any pretended Revelation; this Matter is false, therefore it cannot be revealed by [Page 42] God. We must have therefore some rule, whereby to direct our Assent and Judgment in this Case; and that is very obvious. For the understanding necessa­rily (at least reasonably) inclining to that part, which carrieth the greatest evidence along with it; if the Evidence of the Revelation of any Proposition be greater than the Evidence of its falsity, we must in obedience to the Laws of reason embrace and believe it. But if the Evidence of its falsity exceeds the Evidence of its Revelation, we may safely reject it. Let us therefore com­pare the Evidence of both sides.

Matters of Revelation may concern either finite or infinite Nature. Exam­ples of the first sort in the Christian Re­ligion, are all such Propositions, as re­late to the natural Body of Christ: Of the second, all such as respect the Divine Nature. In the first Case, which exceed­eth not the natural Capacity of our Un­derstandings, nothing can be true, which may not be fully conceived by us. For altho' many Properties and Qualities of finite Beings, may lie for ever undisco­vered to the natural light of Reason, yet when discovered to us, they may be ea­sily conceived by us, if they carry any [Page 43] truth with them. So that whatsoever in finite Natures is inconceivable to us, can be no part of Divine Revelation. For we cannot imagine any Revelation to be made without an intended Obliga­tion of Assent; now since God hath re­quired us to judge according to the grea­ter Evidence, he could never require us to believe a Proposition, the Evidence of whose falsity exceeds the Evidence of its Revelation. And since we are proper Judges of the Nature of finite Beings, when discovered to us; not to be able to conceive any Proposition relating to them, is an unanswerable Argument of the falsity of it; since if it were true, we should be easily able to conceive it, and reconcile it to all other truths, and the received Laws of Reason. And up­on this account the Doctrine of Transub­stantiation, can never be any part of a re­vealed Religion. But in Matters relat­ing to infinite Beings it is far otherwise. In those it is no Objection against the truth of them, that we are not able to conceive them; as we before shewed.

The only internal Argument, which can be used in this Case against the truth of any Revelation, must be founded up­on a Contradiction included in it; to wit, [Page 44] if the Revelation proposeth any thing which destroyeth the Idea of the Ob­ject; or which is all one, introduceth a Conception, which cannot consist with it. Such would be to affirm there are two or more God's, or that he is a cor­poreal Being, and such like. For the ve­ry Notion of God being no other than that of an infinite and most perfect Be­ing, the Primary cause and Author of all other Beings; to suppose any other Be­ing independent from him, or himself to be capable of Division and Limitation, the inseparable Property of all corporeal Beings, would destroy the Notion of him. In this Case we should affirm and deny the same thing; or which is all one, Contraries of the same thing; where­in consists the absurdity of a Contradi­ction. So that the only internal rule which is left us to judge of any Revela­tion concerning the Divine Nature, is, whether or no it includeth a Contradi­ction either in Terms, or by Self-evident consequence; For no other consequence can be allowed in this Case; since the consequences, upon which a Contradicti­on is to be founded, must be of equal evi­dence with a Contradiction in Terms, which is always Self-evident.

[Page 45] If we apply these Rules to the que­stion of the Trinity, it will be no hard Matter to determine it. For God being confessedly an infinite Being; and the Doctrine of the Trinity a Matter relat­ing to his Nature and Properties; we may from hence perceive, that we are not to require a distinct Knowledge of it, but only whether it be Contradictory. And first, it is manifest, that it includeth no Contradiction in terms. For we do not say, That there is one God, and three Gods; (which would be all one as to say, there is one God, and not one God.) Nei­ther do we say, There is one Person in the Deity, and three Persons; (which would be all one as to say, There is one Person, and not one Person.) Nor do we say that the Father is the Son, at the same time that we say he is not the Son. These are the only imaginable Contra­dictions in terms; and these are no part of the Doctrine of the Trinity.

The consequential Contradictions chief­ly insisted on by the Adversaries of the Trinity, are these Two. 1. If there be three Persons, and each Person be God, then there are three Gods: which is Contra­dictory to an allowed Proposition: (there is but one God.) 2. If these three [Page 46] Persons agree in a third, viz. in the Nature of God, they must agree among themselves, and so there will be but one Person, which is contradictory to the Proposition laid down, viz. [There are three Persons.] The first Consequence is founded upon this Proposition; There cannot be a plurality of Persons, with­out a plurality of Natures. The second upon this, there cannot be a communi­cation of Natures, without an Identity of Persons. Now, who will say, that either of these Propositions is self-evident, nay, that they carry the least evidence with them; since nothing can be evident to us, of which we cannot judge; and we cannot judge of these two Proposi­tions, unless we fully understood the ve­ry Nature of God? It is generally ima­gined indeed, that it cannot be so in finite Beings, but that is no Argument that it cannot be so in infinite Beings: nor are we yet sure that it cannot be so in Finite Beings. For even in the Soul of Man there is no small resemblance of it, where are several Faculties which can operate independently from each other; and yet all singly possess all the Proper­ties and Qualities of the Soul consider'd as such, as its Immateriality, Immorta­lity, [Page 47] and such like. So in the Deity, there are several Persons obtaining di­stinct Operations, but partaking in all the commune Attributes of the Deity; such as Eternity, Omnipotency, and o­thers.

After all, it must be acknowledged by all sober Men, that the Difficulties up­on which the Adversaries of this Do­ctrine proceed, are far less evident than are the general Motives of Credibility of the Christian Faith; as that Christ died and rose again; performed many Mira­cles, which were attested and confirmed by his Disciples, who were Eye-witnesses of them, wrought other Miracles in te­stimony of them, and at last laid down their Lives for the same Cause; having first consigned the memory of them to Writing, which hath been invariably handed down to us in all Ages. These Arguments are plain, obvious, and cer­tain; whereas the forementioned Dif­ficulties are obscure and inconceivable to many, and to all uncertain.

There are indeed many Erronious Christians, and have formerly been more, who pretend that Christ and his Apostles revealed no such thing. But these Men proceeded chiefly upon those Objections, [Page 48] which we have already Refuted; and upon unreasonable and forced Interpre­tations of Scripture, which they wrested to their sense, while they endeavour to solve the Difficulties of this Doctrine, by removing it wholly. But while they at­tempted this, they involved themselves in far greater Difficulties, and even in flat Contradictions. For God having commanded, that all should Worship the Son, even as they do the Father, and them­selves never daring to deny that divine Adoration was to be paid to Christ; hereby they have been forced to main­tain, that divine Adoration is to be gi­ven to a Being which is not God; which is a most palpable Contradiction, infi­nitely greater than all the Difficulties of the Trinity, which they so much dread­ed. For an act of Divine Adoration consists chiefly in an awful conception of the Infinity of that Nature which is to be adored; and therefore cannot be paid to any Object, but under the Notion of God. So that in adoring Christ with Divine Honour, the Mind must consider him as God, while at the same time it denieth him to be God, which is a plain Repugnance of Conception, and a ma­nifest Contradiction. So that all the [Page 85] Arguments of Christianity remain in full force, in favour of the Doctrine of the Trinity, and those Difficulties which may attend it; being, as we have shew­ed, far less evident than are those Argu­ments; it remains, that if we act ratio­nally, we assent unto it.

I am sensible, that what I have said in this matter, is more obscure, than Dis­courses from this place are wont to be. But that could not be avoided in a sub­ject of this Nature. I hope it may be of some use to you, not only in confirm­ing the steadiness of your Faith in gene­ral; in manifesting the excellency of the Christian Religion, which requireth no­thing to be believed repugnant to Rea­son; and in giving you some Rules for the conduct of your Understanding in matters of Religion; but also in arming you against the Snares and Delusions of a Pestilent Sect, which hath very late­ly taken advantage from our Divisions to revive their Objections, and publick­ly to propose them.

May what hath been said, conduce to the confirmation of your Faith, to the clearing of your Thoughts, to the removing of your Doubts, if any such [Page 50] be, and therein to the Glory of the eternal and ever-blessed Trinity, Fa­ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, Three Per­sons and One God. To whom be ascri­bed all Honour, Might, Majesty, Domi­nion and Adoration, henceforth and for evermore.

AMONG all the Errors and false Perswasions to which Man in this mortal State is subject, none are more dangerous, and at the same time more common, than those relating to the hap­piness of his Nature. All the rational parts of the Creation propose to them­selves, and the irrational part are di­rected by their Creator to, some supreme end. The more ignoble part fail not to obtain their end, being directed by [Page 88] an infallible hand; while Man, the most noble part of the visible Creation, mis­carrieth in the acquisition of it. It is a rational Soul, capacious Faculties, and the uncontrouled use of a Free-Will, which bestow on Man a possibility of being truly happy: Yet such is the Mis­fortune of Mankind, that even these are the occasion of his Fall and Miscarriage. He sets the Faculties of his Soul on work to invent new Methods of Hap­piness; he runs through all the Pleasures, whether of Sense or Reason, of which his Nature is capable; he fixeth his de­sire upon those which most of all strike his Imagination, or gratifie his Senses; he applieth himself to obtain them by the use of his Free-Will: When he hath discovered the Vanity and Unsatisfacto­riness of one End, he invents another; he grows wanton in his Desires, and the more he indulgeth his roving Thoughts, the farther he is removed from the posses­sion of his true End.

A miserable Calamity indeed, that Man alone should miscarry in his supreme End; yet a Calamity which cannot be denied; a Calamity which hath invol­ved the far greater part of Mankind, who know no other End than what is termi­nated [Page 89] in this Life; seek no other Happi­neth than what ariseth from the report of their Senses, and expireth with them. Many have indeed, by the excellency of their Thoughts, rescued themselves from this common Calamity, and all Christi­ans are by the benefit of Revelation de­livered from it: They know a better and more lasting Happiness; they are not unacquainted with the supreme End of their Nature; yet by a miserable cor­ruption of Judgment they are betrayed to neglect this End, to stifle their Know­ledge, and over-rule the Convictions of their own Minds.

This ariseth from an unjust esteem of Corporeal and Temporal Happiness, which recommending it self to the Soul of Man by the impression of Sense, di­verteth it from the consideration of a better and more noble End, taketh root in his Imagination, raiseth his Passions, and by their assistance continueth its Pos­session. Nothing therefore will conduce more to the retrieving a just conception of real Happiness, to rectifie the Thoughts, and secure the End of Man, than to ob­viate the deceitfulness, to defeat the de­lusions of sensual and temporal Happi­ness; by manifesting how unsatisfactory [Page 54] it is in its own Nature, how unable to fill the capacious Faculties of our Souls, how vain and trifling, how unworthy our study and desire. This will effectu­ally perswade us to raise our Thoughts, and apply our utmost diligence to the acquisition of a more noble End: When we shall be convinced of the insufficien­cy of that End, which withdraws us from the pursuit of the other, when we shall perceive that no real Happiness will arise from thence; that however it may flatter the Sense, and please the Imagi­nation, it will fill no one Faculty of the Soul.

To effect this Conviction therefore, the Scripture makes use of various Ar­guments; the uncertainty of Life, the mutability of Fortune, the loss of an e­ternal Reward, forfeited by a blind pur­suit of worldly Happiness; the Vanity of it when obtained; the miserable Con­sequences of it when expired; but above all, the Examples of worldly Men, who after they had obtained all which they could desire in this Life, rested unsatis­fied, or became unhappy; were divest­ed of their Felicity, and reduced to Mi­sery; or amidst all their Enjoyments, by a conviction of Judgment, which they [Page 55] could not resist, declared and confessed the emptiness and vanity of that Felicity, which themselves had so much courted, and others so much admir'd.

An eminent Instance of this, is that of Haman in my Text, who, amidst all his Honours and Titles, his Wealth, and the Favours of his Prince; amidst all the Pleasures which this Life can receive, convinced by undeniable experience, con­fess'd, that all this availed him nothing. That both these Considerations there­fore, both the nature of the Thing, and the evidence of Experience confirming it, may be useful to us, I will proceed upon these two Heads.

• I. The Example of Haman, confes­sing, that all the Satisfactions of this Life availed him nothing.
• II. The Reasons, why they did not avail him, nor will avail any others, who, with Haman, placeth his Happi­ness in the fruition of them.

I. The Example of Haman is very re­markable and instructive, a most evi­dent Argument of that Truth for which we now contend; which will appear, if we view the several Circumstances of his Life and Greatness. He enjoyed all those Advantages which could en­hance [Page 92] the Opinion of his own Happiness. Among these, none of the least is, that he rose to this Grandeur from a mean E­state, which set a better relish upon his Happiness, and made it the more valu­able to him.

To one who had all his Life long en­joy'd the uninterrupted course of Pro­sperity, these Honours might appear of lesser value. A Satiety of Pleasures might in such have extinguished an e­steem of them. He might not know how to prize them, because he never knew the want of them. To be brought up in a constant Plenty of all that Sense can desire, will oft-times produce a Greatness of Mind, surmounting at last those petty Objects. For the desire of Man in this Life is restless; so that what he hath always possest he will scarce think desirable. 'Tis Novelty which recommendeth Temporal Enjoyments: The want of them first raised a desire of them; and their absence ministers an e­steem of their Greatness.

Haman had, no doubt, while yet in a mean Condition, before he was taken notice of or advanced by his Prince, ad­mir'd the Honour and Riches of other Men, envied their Happiness, and boun­ded [Page 93] his Hopes in the Acquisition of a like Fortune. He had often imagined he should be truly Happy when he should have obtained what he so much desired. The opinion of this Happiness had taken deep root in his Mind, had filled his thoughts and possest his Soul. And now after his Desires were accomplished, his Hopes fulfilled; when he was raised to a greater Dignity, than himself before had e­ven dared to hope; when he was far advan­ced above all those, whose Happiness he had so long both envied and admired; when he was newly entred upon the Possession of his Hopes, and had not so long enjoy­ed the Pleasures of them, as to be glutted by them, yet notwithstanding all these Advantages, he declares, this availed him nothing.

Again, if such a Confession should pro­ceed from the mouth of a Philosopher, it might possibly be attributed to somewhat else than Conviction of Judgment. It might arise from Vain-glory, and the Desire of be­ing reputed Superior to all the Satisfactions of sense, and the vanity of this Life. It might be thought to be spoken with design of rai­sing an Opinion of his own extraordina­ry Wisdom or Mortification. As it was usually objected to the Heathen Philoso­phers, [Page 58] that they secretly entertained the love of those Vices, against which they so furiously declaimed, and directed their Discourse rather for applause than con­viction. Or if such a saying should pro­ceed from a firm Perswasion in them, it still deserved not to be admired: because they knew, or pretended to know, a more real and desirable Happiness; so that to depress the Pleasures of Sense, and exag­gerate those of the Mind, was no more than their Profession did require of them. Or if a Christian should make such a De­claration after a serious Meditation of the vanity of this Life, and the Rewards pro­posed to him in another, we should much less be moved at it. In him, that would be but natural: He professeth himself a Citizen of another world, a Pilgrim and Stranger upon the Earth, whose Hopes and Expectations are placed in Heaven. But when a professed Worlding, who knows no Happiness, but what is to be received in this Life, who never consi­dered or conceived a spiritual Felicity, who greedily seeks after secular Advan­tages, and makes those the only Objects of his desire: If such an one, in the midst of his Fruition, declares his unsa­tisfaction; this is an unanswerable Evi­dence, [Page 59] which nothing but the force of truth can extort, which cannot be denied. And such was Haman, a stranger to the Promises of God, an Enemy to Religion, a Slave to his Passions, a Votary to Lust and Pleasure; and yet even he in the Fruition of all which he had hither­to so ardently desired, confest, that it availed him nothing.

Further, this Speech of Haman was not the effect of any sudden Motion, but of mature Deliberation. A worldly Man perhaps may be driven by some Disap­pointment or unwelcome Accident, to blaspheme his Mammon, and in a hasty Concession to declare the Vanity of all sublunary Enjoyments; to renounce his part in them, and pretend that he doth not value them: yet would be unwil­ling to be taken at his word, and stript of all. Such Sallies of Passion declare not the fixed Judgment of a Man, and not proceeding from Deliberation, carry no Authority with them. But the resoluti­on of Haman in my Text was far other­wise. He pronounced this in a sedate Disposition, after long Consultation. He sent for his Friends to acquaint them with it; and when they were met, did not immediately break out into a transport [Page 96] of Passion, and bewail his misfortune. He recounted and amplified the Benefits of fortune to him, took a full Prospect of all his imaginary Happiness, as it is in the 11. Verse, And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his chil­dren, and all the things, wherein the King had promoted him; and how he had advan­ced him above the Princes and Servants of the King. He gave its due weight to every Circumstance of his present For­tune, insisted upon all the Topicks which might amplifie the greatness of it, mag­nified it in a set harangue, and yet after all at last concluded, that all this availed him nothing.

A strange Conclusion for an Haman to make; which yet will carry greater weight along with it, if we consider, that this proceeded not from any Repre­sentation made to him by his Friends, whom he had called together, of the vanity of his riches, the mutability of his Fortune, or the mortality of his Na­ture. Such Suggestions might possibly have diverted his Vain-glorious humour for a while to a melancholy Considera­tion of them, and in that Disposition have forced him to make this Concession. As Solon did to Craesus, making a pompous [Page 97] shew of his Treasur [...]s and Magnificence: and the Prophet reduced King Hezekiah to more humble thoughts, after he had in Ostentation exposed his riches to the view of the Embassadours of Babylon, by tell­ing him, that they should be carried away to Babylon. In that case, to restrain the love of worldly Pleasure, and for a while seem weary of it, may easily be ac­countable. But here the Friends of Ha­man, far from performing such an Office, sought rather to congratulate his For­tunes, to flatter his Passions, to foment his Pride and Ambition, by concurring in an Opinion of his extraordinary Happiness. Himself in order recoun­ted his Dignities; and they admired them. He reported the Favours of his Prince; and they extolled them. He boasted of his Grandeur and Riches; and they proclaim'd him Happy. Yet him­self, who best knew what Happiness he received from thence, declared himself unhappy, and all this to avail him no­thing.

Lastly, this was spoken by Haman, whilst yet in full Favour with his Prince, and expecting to receive greater Demon­strations of it. He suffered no Appre­hensions of losing his present Enjoyment. [Page 62] Such thoughts indeed distract a worldly Man, imbitter all his Pleasures, and suf­fer him not to rest contented. It would be impossible to him to relish any delight, while afflicted with Fears and Doubts, while despairing to retain his present Happiness. He would grow Pale at the Prospect of an approaching Storm, and instead of receiving any Complacency from his present Prosperity, distract his thoughts with the fear of future Misery. In such Circumstances an Epicure might well Confess, that all the outward Ad­vantages of his Life profited him no­thing; while he suffered inward Distra­ction from the Apprehension of his Fall, which would render him so much more miserable, by how much it deprived him of a greater Prosperity. Haman at this time had no such Fears, he had yet re­ceived no repulse at Court, his Favour daily increased, he had that very day re­ceived eminent Marks of his Princes af­fection, and was the day after to receive yet more. All this he was sensible of, and all this he acknowledged in the close of his Speech, Ver. 12. For he said more­over, Yea Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that she had prepared, but my self; and to morrow [Page 63] am I invited unto her also with the King. Far from fearing the loss of his present Greatness, he probably hoped the increase of it, and yet concluded, that all this a­vailed him nothing.

If then Haman under all these Circum­stances missed of his desired end, of being made Happy by worldly Enjoyments, we may reasonably suspect some defect to be in the Nature of them, upon the account of which neither Haman could, nor any other can, receive any real Hap­piness from thence. And this I proceed in the Second place to treat of in some few Considerations.

First then, nothing on this side Hea­ven is able to satiate the Soul of Man; and however temporal Benefits may at a distance ravish the Imagination, and create extraordinary Conceptions of their own Excellency; yet when obtained, they are found to be empty and trifling, unable to satisfie the Desires of the Soul, and fill its Capacity. They are like the Fruit of Sodom, which by their external Beau­ty attract the Eye, but when touched, crumble into Ashes. While they are yet only Objects of Desire, Men frame to themselves as it were Systems of Happi­ness, to be enjoyed in them. No sooner [Page 100] do they become Objects of Fruition, but the meanness of them is discovered; and after a full Enjoyment of them, Man is forced to Confess, this is not that he de­sired, that which he proposed to himself. He is never enabled by the Possession of them to say, I am now completely Hap­py, I here terminate my Desires. He is forced to carry his Desires yet farther, and seek true Felicity somewhere else; which, while constant to his Principle, he can place no where else, than in a grea­ter Degree of the same Happiness. This therefore he earnestly pursues, yet never attains that Degree. If he fixeth the measure of the Degree, he may indeed arrive at that; but when arrived, finds himself, as far as ever▪ removed from true Happiness. He turmoils and distracts himself, experienceth the Vanity of for­mer Projects, invents new Methods of Happiness; until Death puts an end to his Life and Designs together.

The greatest of these worldly Enjoy­ments are generally supposed to be Ri­ches, and sensual Pleasures. The latter are common even to Beasts, who are en­dued with Senses no less strong and lively, than Men. And then surely none will so far debase his Nature, as to level [Page 65] himself with Beasts by proposing to him­self a Felicity, of which they are no less capable. It cannot be denied indeed, that as we consist of Soul and Body, God in­tended Happiness to each part; that he put us into this World, to make our selves Happy, even in this Life; but then, as Soul and Body together constitute but one Person, the Pleasures of either must be such as consist with the Nature of both. As the Soul ought not to tyran­nize over the Body, by imposing on it unnecessary Rigours and Mortifications; so the Excellency of the Soul ought not to be debased for the satisfaction of the Body. A limitted use of Pleasures is not to be denied to the Body; but then that very Limitation supposeth a better and more noble end of Man, for the sake of which they are limited. And after all, the real Happiness of such limited Pleasures consists not so much in the report of the Senses enjoying them, as in the reflex thoughts of the Soul forming to its self an Act of Complacency, for having limited them according to the Laws of God. The unlimited use of these Pleasures in­stead of conferring a real Benefit, involves Men in Troubles and Anxieties; in Cares and Dangers; and when enjoyed, endures [Page 66] but for a Moment, no longer than the im­pression of Sense continueth; when ex­pired, leaves only a Weariness and Nause­ousness behind them. So then sensual Pleasures conduce little to the Supreme end of Man; unless we should be so foolish as to imagine that to be the utmost Happiness of Man, which renders him happy but for a few moments.

And then as to Riches, the natural use of them is subordinated to sensual Pleasures, and the Conveniencies of Life, and therefore can bestow nothing beyond them. If any imagine, as it cannot be deni­ed that too many do, that the very satis­faction of possessing Riches, without any respect to the use of them, bears any part in the Happiness of Man; this is so gross and unmanly a Conception, as no­thing can exceed the wickedness of it, nothing can equal the Folly of it. This is a greater Depravation of Nature, than all the Villanies of Sense, or Sins of vio­lence; and if no Punishment attended it hereafter, would rather deserve our Scorn than Envy. The Acquisition of Riches is generally indeed, at least indirectly, re­ferred to the Enjoyment of sensual Plea­sures to be procured by them; and as such, can carry the Happiness of them no [Page 67] farther, than the Nature of them will permit, which we before considered. Not to say, that it is an invincible Ar­gument of the unsatisfactoriness of Ri­ches, that those who seek after them, sel­dom or never set bounds to their Desires; and although in the acquiring of them, they generally please themselves with the thoughts of commanding all sensual Plea­sures, when they shall have obtain'd them; yet they seldom begin in earnest a Fruiti­on of them; ever proposing an end to them­selves and never taking possession of them.

Secondly, by the Fruition of tempo­ral Pleasures no provision is made for the Happiness of the Soul, the far nobler part of Man, which ought therefore to be satisfied in the first place. The want of real Happiness in the Soul may for a time be stifled by powerful impressions of Sense, but when those Motions cease, the Soul cannot but be conscious of, and be­wail the want of true Happiness. To ob­tain this, a Happiness agreeable to her Na­ture, which is spiritual; and to her Durati­on, which is immortal, must befound out. This can never be placed in sensual Enjoyments, which expire with the per­ception of Sense; and while continuing, affect not the Soul, unless with weariness [Page 68] in attending the violent motions of Sense.

It is the reflex thoughts of the Soul alone, which render it Happy: when it can re­flect upon its own State without Remorse or Sorrow; when it can view all its past A­ctions, and present Condition with a sweet Complacency; when it considers it self u­nited to God by executing his Commands, and by a similitude of Holiness. None of all these Conditions can be found in tem­poral Enjoyments. For what satisfaction is it to a Man, after the Enjoyment is passed, to have gratified this or that Sense? Do we applaud our good Fortune for having once enjoyed a Pleasure, the Sense of which is long since expired? Or shall we receive any Comfort after Death in the remembrance of having possessed Riches and Pleasures when alive? And all this, although our use of those Pleasures and Riches were moderate and lawful, where­as if it was immoderate, the stings and re­morse of Conscience will perpetually af­flict the Soul, when reflecting on it. And in that State it cannot but reflect continu­ally, when it shall not be diverted by ra­pid Motions of the Body, drowned by Sleep, or stupified by Sense; when the sole Object of her thoughts will be her past Be­haviour, and the consequences of it her present Condition.

[Page 69] From this Consideration it will mani­festly appear, how much more condu­cing Piety and Vertue are to solid Hap­piness than temporal Prosperity; even altho no Rewards or Punishments should attend the Soul in another Life. For altho' Heaven and Earth should conspire together to render any Man externally Happy in this World; let an uninterrup­ted Possession of Riches and Pleasure, of Health and Vigour, of Honour and Power be bestowed on him: No one Act of Pleasure, none of all these Blessings, will be of advantage to him after the Cessation of the actual Enjoyment of them. Where­as the Satisfaction and Happiness arising from the Exercise of Piety, Justice and Charity will continue to all Ages. The same Complacency, which the Soul re­ceived, when it first exerted any one of these Actions, the same it shall receive for ever, as often as Reflection shall be made upon it; nay much greater after Death, when all the Faculties of the Soul will be enlarged, and that which is now a simple Act of Complacency, will then be advanced into an Extasie of Joy.

Thirdly, Altho' Haman, when he spoke these words, had no Apprehension of being actually deprived of his Riches and [Page 70] Greatness, yet could not he, nor any other in the like condition deny, but that the Deprivation and loss of all their tempo­ral Advantages is at least possible. The knowledge of this possibility alone de­feats all the Pleasure which may arise from the Fruition of temporal Happi­ness; at least suffers it not to become such as may satisfie the Soul of Man. For all must acknowledge, in the midst of their Enjoyments, that they want at least this satisfaction to compleat their Hap­piness, the assurance of the continuance of it. The Possessors of it are continual­ly distracted with Fears of losing it, with Cares of preserving it; and that very so­licitude proclaims the imperfection of their Happiness.

This Consideration might abundantly convince Mankind, that true Felicity consists not in the Pleasures of Sense or secular Enjoyments. For can we believe that God hath proposed such a supreme end to Man, as the greatest part of Men shall never be able to obtain; such as is placed beyond their Power, not possible to be attained by them? All other parts of the Creation infallibly fulfil their end; and shall Man alone be rendred incapa­ble to arrive at that end, which God and [Page 71] Nature proposed to him? Or shall such an Happiness be assigned to him, which a Sickness may defeat, the Malice of an Enemy may ruin, a petty Accident may overthrow? Let us not entertain such mean Conceptions of our own Nature. If worldly Men will pretend to know no other Happiness, than what ariseth from Sense, they must at least Confess the im­perfection of their Happiness, from the possibility of Deprivation. And what is possible in this, cannot but be always feared by them, since they have no hope left beyond it.

Lastly, Let the continuance of their present Happiness be assured to them, yet can it never be hoped, but little Crosses will intervene; that all their Passions will not always be gratified; and then, even the least Cross, or the Disappointment of any single Passion, will be sufficient to in­terrupt their whole satisfaction and spoil their Pleasure Haman enjoyed all which his Sense, or most extravagant Lusts, could crave, and had reason to hope the con­tinuance of it; yet a petty Affront put up­on him by Mordecai afflicted him beyond measure; took away the satisfaction of his Riches and Honour; and forced him amidst them all to conclude himself un­happy.

[Page 72] Temporal Felicity depends upon a complication of so many Causes, that it never can arrive at Perfection, since it is impossible that some of those Causes should not miscarry; and the miscarriage of any one will render the Operation of all the rest ineffectual. It will not in that case be sufficient to compensate for the loss of one, by the possession of all other temporal Advantages; rather Man will conclude himself more unhappy in the absence of that, than in the Presence of all these. Nay the greater share he obtains of other Be­nefits of fortune, the more he will afflict himself for the want of what he in vain Desires; since the concurrence of so ma­ny Gifts of fortune most frequently pro­duces a Haughtiness of mind, which flat­ters it self with a fond Opinion of its own worth and Greatness, and cannot bear the least Disappointment.

If then, Men devoted to the Pleasures of this World have concluded themselves unhappy amidst the affluence of all world­ly Enjoyments; if temporal Felicity be unable to satisfie the Desires of the Soul, to fill its Capacities, or perfect its Na­ture; if it be attended with perpetual Cares and Distractions; if often impos­sible to be obtained by us; and always [Page 73] possible to be taken from us; if it may be defeated by petty Accidents and Crosses, and that such should happen, cannot be avoided: If for these Reasons, and many others which we cannot now insist upon, they are unable to render any Man truly happy; what remains, but that we seek for true Happiness somewhere else. If the former cannot be the Supreme end of Man, and if it be natural to us to di­rect all our Actions to some end; it will be necessary for us to find out some other end, and when found out, to apply our utmost Diligence to obtain it.

And here perhaps humane Reason, ha­ving thus far proceeded, might continue to grope in the dark, and after a tedious disquisition be unable to discover either the end or the means of obtaining it. God hath therefore, in Compassion to our Infirmities, marked out both the Nature and the means of Supreme Happiness. The Nature of it is Peace of Conscience here, and therein the hopes of the Frui­tion of God hereafter, which Hopes shall then be turned into Possession: the means of it obedience to his Laws, and Faith in Christ. By these we shall obtain an Hap­piness, which shall fill the utmost Capa­cities of the Soul, which shall be co-ex­tended [Page 74] with the duration of it; which shall satisfie us but never weary us; which shall affect all the Faculties both of Soul and Body; which shall be inter­rupted by no Crosses and Disasters; which will never expire, but be renew­ed every moment; which no adversity of Fortune, nor infirmity of Body, which neither the Malice of Men or Devils shall be able to take from us.

To a serious Application of your selves to obtain this blessed State, I hope what has been said will be no small Motive to you. You all desire Happiness; and if the Soul be once fully convinced, what is the only true Happiness, it cannot but move towards it, and exert all its Facul­ties in the Acquisition of it. After a firm perswasion, that this is indeed the end of Man, there needs no Exhortation to pursue it. The pursuit of it will then be no less natural, than the satisfying of Hunger, or any other reasonable Ap­petite.

The misfortune is, that we suffer our selves to be deluded by the impressions of Sense and unruly Passions, represen­ting and amplifying to us the Happiness arising from the Fruition of carnal Plea­sures and secular Delights; we are not [Page 75] unwilling these Passions should arise; we permit these false Judgments to be for­med; we are pleased at first with the Delusion, altho' conscious of it; and at last become so far stupified, that we do not perceive it; until at last a terrible Affliction or the approaches of Death a­waken the Soul, and revive its better No­tions. What those dreadful remembran­cers may then do, Reason may now much more easily and more certainly effect; to reflect upon the Nature of worldly Enjoyments, to consider their Vanity, and discover their Emptiness. When this Conviction is throughly formed, we shall be even necessitated to look up­ward, and fix our hopes in Heaven, and then we are assured, that our Labours directed thither shall not miscary; that they shall be assisted by God, promoted by his Spirit, and Crowned with Suc­cess; Success which will give us satisfa­ction of Mind here, and fulness of Joy hereafter. To this Joy, may God, &c.

THE ground of all Religion, whether Natural or Revealed, consists in the knowledge of the Nature of God, and of his Conduct in the Government of the World. The first representeth him to Man, as a fit object of Adoration; the latter perswadeth Man to adore him. [Page 77] Without the first there would be no rea­son to adore him; without the latter no Obligation. The perfection therefore of any Religion consists in an accurate Deli­very of these Matters; in giving right Notions of the Nature of God, and in teaching with certainty the method of his external Actions. The former is al­ways the same, and admits no Variation; the latter may receive Improvements in relation to Man, and lay greater Obliga­tions on him under one Dispensation than under another.

So much of both may be known by the light of Reason, as may direct Men aright to the Worship of God, if they imploy their reason in a due manner; and convince them at the same time of their Obligation to worship him; but both may be mistaken in the natural use of the understanding; and when mistaken, will equally defeat the Worship of God; a mistake of the first Nature leading Men into Idolatry, of the second into Negli­gence and Impiety. It is not so easie in­deed to mistake concerning the first, the Nature of God, which may easily be discerned by the weakest understanding, I mean so much of it, as serves to beget Notions of Religion in Men. All Men, [Page 78] whether true Believers or Idolaters, agree in this common Notion of God, that he is a most perfect Being; and then surely it is no hard matter to determine whe­ther Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omni­presence, and such like, be necessary Per­fections; without which a most perfect Being cannot subsist. Yet Mankind hath most miserably mistaken in this plain and easie matter; hath deified Creatures, which have none of all these Perfecti­ons, hath quitted sometimes even the No­tion of God, but oft-times corrupted it. And these mistakes Revealed Religion doth rectifie; and restore to Men, what they had willfully lost, the knowledge of the Divine Nature.

But this is not our present Design, which concerns the external Actions of God, and his Government of the World, wherein it is no hard matter for Man to mistake, deriving his knowledge from the light of Reason only. It is possible for such a one to form such right Concep­tions of the external Conduct of God, from the Consideration of his Attributes, as may incite him to the Worship of God, and direct him in it. But this perswa­sion will fall infinitely short of that Con­viction, and this Direction of that cer­tainty, [Page 79] which is to be had in Revealed Religions; and even in Revelations ad­mit of greater or lesser Degrees, accord­ing to the greater or lesser manifestation of the Will of God therein, and his in­tended Benefits to the followers of that Revelation. So that however the prima­ry Reasons of worshipping God continue the same in both Cases, being drawn from the Attributes of God, which are always the same, yet in Revealed Religions they are both improved and enhanced, and also secured from the danger of Error.

And how great that Danger is, the Scripture fully declareth to us, by the Example of Job and his Friends. That whole Book being employed in discour­sing of the Laws and method of the Di­vine Government in relation to Man, as far as the light of Reason could discover. For none of them had yet received the benefit of Revelation, which was not made to them till after the Conclusion of their discourse, in the end of the Book. All of them both knew and worshipped the true God, were eminent for Wisdom in their Generations, and one of them approved by an extraordinary Testimony of God himself; yet all of them proposed so many different Opinions concerning the [Page 80] external Government of God; and all of them were mistaken. All of them agreed in the common Reasons of the worship of God, yet all of them mistook in the Ap­plication of those Attributes from whence they were formed. The Reasons are well summed up in the words of my Text; and in them also sufficient matter to con­fute the several Errors proposed by these Men. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Therefore do men fear him. The words therefore will naturally give me an occasion to Discourse.

• I. Of the Reason of the Worship of God, founded in the Attributes of the Text.
• II. Of the Errors committed by Job and his Friends, which they drew indeed from these Attributes, but may more truly be confuted by them.

The Reason of the worship or fear of God among Men, is declared by Enu­meration of those Attributes, which are chiefly to be considered by us in the con­ception and worship of God. Our first Notion of him, and on which all the rest are founded, is, that he enjoyeth all Per­fections, which can meet in one and the same Being. And this is designed by the [Page 81] first part of the Text; where the word Al­mighty in our Translation, signifieth All-sufficient or supremely perfect, in the Origi­nal. We admire single Perfections in other Objects; in one Power, in another Wisdom, in a third Vertue; and these not only possessed by so many several Ob­jects, but also in a limited manner. Yet we revere and admire these single and limited Perfections, wheresoever we find them, and acknowledge it to be unjust to deny that Deference which is due to them. When therefore all imaginable Perfecti­ons are conjoyned in God, it is but natu­ral to conclude that all the Fear, the Awe, the Regard, the Love we pay to other Ob­jects, upon account of those single Per­fections, we discover in them, ought to be conjoyned, when we reflect on God, and be paid as a just Debt to him. Who­soever considers them, may perhaps thro' a stupid or depraved Mind omit or even reject the Worship of God; but at the same time he cannot deny him to be most worthy to be Worshipped.

In the next place, as the Nature of God is infinite, so his Actions are un­searchable; or, as it is in the Text, We cannot find him out. Which may respect either the incomprehensible Essence of [Page 82] the Deity, or the unsearchableness of his Judgments in the Government of the World. As to the first, it is no small Argument of our Obligation to render the most profound Adoration to him, that he is of infinite Dignity, so great that we cannot comprehend it or measure the extent of it. Here below, we propor­tion our Esteem and Devotion to the Me­rits and Dignity of Persons; and should confess our selves unjust, if we made not a distinction therein. The same Rules of Justice therefore, will require us to form of God the most noble Conception, to render to him the most humble Submis­sions which are possible to the Faculties of the Soul.

Again, if the Methods of the Divine Conduct be unknown and unsearchable to Man, this will yet farther raise our Opinion of the Infinity of his Nature; since if his external Effects exceed our Conception, much more will his Nature, the Cause and Fountain of them. This will also teach us not to enquire too curi­ously into the Secrets of his Providence, not to determine any thing rashly con­cerning it, which is not revealed to us. Indeed when the Knowledge of the Rules of his Government is bestowed on us by [Page 83] Revelation, we are firmly to believe it, and may without danger of Error and Presumption apply those Rules to parti­cular Cases. But as we ought not to have fixed any Rules to him, before we received the light of Revelation; so after the Reception of it, we are not to carry our Conjectures of Assertions beyond what is revealed to us. We might con­clude indeed without it, that God could do nothing unjust, nothing which is not Holy: But this would not have warrant­ed us to determine the way, wherein his Justice and Holiness should exert themselves by external Effects.

Upon account of these Attributes God is most worthy of Adoration; but there wants yet somewhat to perswade Men to pay that Tribute to God. If neither Hope nor Fear interposed, Men would esteem themselves unconcerned in the Worship of God, the Obligation of it weak, the Trouble of it unnecessary. This there­fore is abundantly supplyed by the fol­lowing Attributes; whereof the first is his Omnipotence; He is excellent in power, God is able to vindicate the Honour of his Name, by inflicting exemplary Pu­nishments upon those who neglect to worship him; or worship him in a man­ner [Page 84] unbecoming his Nature, and contra­ry to the light of Reason or Revelation. So then it is a most effectual Motive of Divine Worship to consider, that as it is the Duty of Man to worship God, so it is most just; and if most just, must cer­tainly be required by God; that if this Duty be neglected, we are in the hands of him to whom the Injury is offered, may be annihilated by a single Nod, may be chastifed with severe Punishments, may be rendred miserable for ever.

This Attribute of Power, in Affairs of the World, produceth Fear and the Signs of external Respect, beyond all other Ar­guments. This secures the Authority of Laws, and Majesty of Princes; that the one cannot be violated, the other cannot be contemned without Danger. This is generally supposed to have at first begat Idolatry; when Men following the re­port of their Senses more than the light of Reason, fondly imagined, that their Princes, their Leaders or Conquerors, were the most powerful of all Beings; and upon that account rendred that Tri­bute to them which is due to Omnipo­tence, I mean Adoration. They found themselves to be at their disposal, their Lives at their Mercy; or extraordinary [Page 85] Actions effected by them; and believing these to be the most illustrious Marks of Power, deifyed the Possessors of them. If then the Prospect of that little Power, which is vested in Men, could procure Adoration from those who followed the Dictates of their Senses only; much more will the excellence of the Divine Power, as it is here called, induce Men to the Wor­ship of God, being manifested both from Sense and Reason.

In mortal Men, Power, far from be­ing adorable, may oftimes become exe­crable, may occasion the unhappiness of others, may administer Assistance to sins and violence; and notwithstanding such wicked Power may awe and terrifie Men (as both ancient and modern Idolaters have worshipped Devils, lest they should hurt them) this will never create an in­ternal Reverence in Men, in which chief­ly Adoration consists. The most exalt­ed Power of finite Beings cannot rescue them from their own Imperfections; re­ceiveth Limits, and is capable of Disso­lution. If yet such a Power can strike thy Mind, can affright thee from per­forming what is displeasing to it; if thou darest not resist its Commands, and quiet­ly submitest to it; how much more art [Page 86] thou obliged to revere the Omnipotence of God, where Power and Goodness are sweetly joyned together, where no Limi­tations can be found, nothing excluded from the reach of it, no Cessation to be expected? If thou pretendest not to know this Power, consider the Nature of God, and judge whether Omnipotence be not a necessary Attribute of a most perfect Being. If thou appealest to Sense, view the Fabrick of the World, pass through Heaven and Earth; thou shalt discover the Footsteps of Omnipotence in every part of it. If thou pretendest yet not to see what is most evident, reflect upon the Faculties of thy own Soul, and say, who gave them to thee? consider the Fabrick of thy Body, who formed it for thee. These are undeniable Marks of thy Subjection to an Almighty Power, which even if thou dost deny, it is by Faculties of Soul and Body created by him, that thou canst deny it.

Thus we perceive, that the Power of God is uncontroulable and infinite; that he is able to inflict whatsoever Pu­nishment he pleaseth on his disobedient Creatures. And then lest we should vainly imagine this Power to be useless in respect of us, and like antiquated Laws, [Page 87] never put in execution, we are told in the next place; that God is excellent in Judg­ment also; that he will most certainly judge Manking, and punish them for the Omission of their Duty. For so Judg­ment doth almost every where signifie in Scripture, the infliction of Punishment upon Delinquents. This is the chief Mark of the Divine Government of the World, to take a Survey of the Actions of Men, and punish them for the Viola­tion of those publick Laws, which are fixed to Mankind and prescribed for their direction. Nothing but the most extreme stupidity can defeat the Success of this Argument of Divine Worship; since this equally affects both the Wife and Foolish, by striking their Imaginations with the fear of Misery. A Fear which will af­fect the Mind of Man, when no other Argument can prevail. The Perfecti­ons of God may be slighted; the Infi­nity of his Nature may be neglected; his Power may be derided, when not put in execution; but the belief of Judg­ment to be inflicted upon Sinners will a­waken the Consciences, and affright the Thoughts of Men; And that even altho' the manner of the Execution of this Judgment should be unknown to them; [Page 88] as in natural Religion. For let the Pu­nishments be uncertain as to their quali­ty; let the time of their Execution be hid from Sinners; yet this they can­not but know, that God is the Supreme Governour of the World; that as such he will exercise Judgment; and that as his Power exceeds that of the most formida­ble Judicature on Earth, so his Punish­ments will be correspondent, exceeding what Man can inflict.

And herein appears the excellence of this Judgment, mentioned in the Text. Hu­mane Judicatures can take hold only of the external Actions of Men, and even these may sometimes be hid from them; the Power of the Offender may set him above the reach of Punishments; they may be evaded by crafty Defences, may be hin­dred by the Interposition of some greater Power, may be avoided by Death, and will certainly be finished by it. But in the Execution of the Divine Judgment it is far otherwise: There the most secret Actions of Men are call'd in question, e­ven their Thoughts cannot escape disco­very. The Judge cannot be blinded by crafty Insinuations, nor diverted from his Resolution by extraneous Causes. No­thing can rescue us out of his hands, not [Page 89] even Death it self; his Dominion extends beyond the Grave, reaches the Soul of Man, and surmounts the resistance of all created Beings. If then Fear can affect Men; if Punishments can deter them; if Power can awe them; if the certainty of all these can convince them; they do all combine to secure the Worship of God, and continue Religion in Man­kind.

But then, lest we should seem Slaves to God, and Servants, through Fear only, he dispenseth Rewards as well as Punish­ments to Men. He is excellent in plenty of Justice, in the words of the Text. He rewards the Obedience of Men to his Precepts, not because any Reward was due to them, but because he delighteth in dispensing his Benefits; and then his Justice will require, that he dispense them to the most worthy, We are not igno­rant, how powerful an Argument Inte­rest is in moving the Hearts of Men. What draweth Attendants to Princes, or Servants to Great Men, but the Power of rewarding them, and the prospect of Preferment to be attain'd by their Fa­vours? This seldom fails to secure to them those Duties, which are due from Dependants, Honour and Service.

[Page 90] And if we would but raise our Souls from the Earth, and carry them beyond the Objects of Sense, it would no less ef­fectually secure what is due to God from us; Adoration of his Majesty, and Obe­dience to his Laws. The Rewards to be attained are far greater, such as the Donor will not, and such as all the other Powers of the World cannot take away from us; such as shall not be determined by Time, nor restrained by any Limita­tion. The assurance also of obtaining them is far more certain, being found­ed on the Promise of him, who can give what he pleaseth, and will give what he Promiseth; whereas the Favours expe­cted from Men may be defeated by For­getfulness, by Unfaithfulness; may be in­tercepted by others, may become impos­sible to be bestowed. If then God by his Infinite and most certain Rewards cannot procure what Men obtain by their Petty and uncertain Favours, Fear and Reverence; we must deplore the Ingra­titude and obstinate Perverseness of Men, who, refusing to hearken to the Argu­ments of obedience propos'd by God, yield to those proposed by Men▪ which yet af­fect the same Passion (that of Desire) but in a much lower Degree.

[Page 91] Lastly, to secure in our Minds such Thoughts of God, as are befitting his Majesty and Holiness, lest our Adorati­on of him should be corrupted with any Suspicions of Injustice entertained at the same time, it is added in the end of the Verse, He will not afflict. In this Life, the Rules and Method, whereby God dispenseth his Rewards and Punishments, may be very obscure to us. He may suf­fer the righteous to be afflicted; he may permit the wicked to Prosper; he may in appearance cut off the Hopes of good Men by present Miseries, and encourage the Disobedience of bad Men by tempo­ral Felicity; His ways may be unsearchable, and his judgments past finding out. But from hence we must not conceive any Opinion of Injustice in God, or Imperfe­ction in the Administration of his Go­vernment. Although the Secrets of Pro­vidence be unknown to us, this we are assured of, that he is infinitely Just and Holy, and that being such, he will not afflict.

The Mysterious Obscurity of Provi­dence herein, was the occasion of the Mi­stakes of Job and his Friends, which I proposed, and come now to consider, in the second place.

[Page 92] To Solve this Difficulty, every one of them formed a different Opinion; yet all came short of Truth. Eliphaz, who spake first, asserted that God inflicted temporal Misfortunes on no Man, but by way of Punishment for some enormous Sins; and therefore urged Job, to confess his secret Sins, and give Glory to God, as it is XXII. 5. Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite? And so on: Where he affirmeth Job to be the greatest of Sinners, only because God had heaped extraordinary Calamities upon him.

Bildad maintaind, that God might, as the supreme and absolute Governour of the World, afflict Man without any respect to antecedent Sins; but then that he was bound in Justice to recom­pense it to him by subsequent Prosperity. For thus he expresseth himself, VIII. 6, 7. If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the Ha­bitation of thy Righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small; yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Zophar delivereth his Opinion through­out the whole XI. Chap. that God might in right of his supreme Power, lay the heaviest Afflictions upon Men, without any respect [Page 93] either to Antecedent Sin, or subsequent Recompence.

Elihu thought that God might afflict good and bad Men indifferently; but that if good Men received the Affliction hum­bly and with submission, and addressed themselves to God by Prayer for the re­moval of it; and if bad Men were moved to repent through it, God would remove the Affliction, and restore prosperity to them, especially if an Angel interceded for them, as he expresseth himself at large in the XXXIII. Chap.

Lastly Job. whatever his Opinion might be, while his Calamity was yet fresh, and any hopes remained of the speedy removal of it; or however he might alter his Judgment after the Revelation of God, in the end of the Book; yet in the midst of his Troubles, when the Disease grew inveterate, and no hope of Delivery yet appeared; he seems to have thought, that God inter-medled not in the proceedings of the World, and reserved neither Re­wards for the good, nor Punishments for the bad. Which Opinion he proposeth chiefly in the XXI. Chap.

All these Opinions were alike errone­ous, and yet all founded upon the Attri­butes of God; those of Eliphaz, Bildad [Page 94] and Elihu, upon his Justice; those of Zo­phar and Job, upon his Power. The Er­rors of the Three first, plainly arose from hence, that they pretending to determine Matters above their knowledge, confined the Exercise of the Divine Judgment, and consequently the Dispensation of Re­wards and Punishments, to this Life on­ly: Had this, which they all supposed, been indeed true, one at least of their Opinions must necessarily have been re­ceived; otherwise the Justice of God could not be cleared.

But what ground had they to conclude, that God exercised his Judgments in this Life only? Might not the Nature of Man, the quality of the Rewards and Punish­ments to be inflicted on an immaterial and immortal Soul, teach them that another World was a far more conve­nient Tribunal for this Judicature? Or if they knew not the Nature of the Re­wards for want of Revelation, yet at least the example of the Patriarchs, with which they were not unacquainted, and wherewith our Saviour afterwards con­vinced the Jews; might not, I say, the ex­perience of their Afflictions and Trou­bles, have taught them, that God did not ultimately bestow his Rewards, and con­sequently [Page 95] not his Punishments, in this Life? They had received glorious Pro­mises of some extraordinary Benefits to be received from God, Promises, which might justly make them expect some e­minent Advantages beyond the rest of Mankind▪ yet none of all these just Expe­ctations were satisfied in this World, wherein they were Strangers and Pil­grims, exposed to Injuries, and troubled with frequent Afflictions, and that till Death; an invincible Argument, that God reserved the Consummation of their Hopes and his Promises to another Life.

As to the Opinion of Zophar, that God might bring Afflictions on Men for no o­ther end, than to demonstrate his abso­lute and arbitrary Power over Mankind, that overthroweth both the Wisdom and Justice of God: It would render his Go­vernment Tyrannical, and even like to that of Hell, which Sports in the Misery of Mankind. God is a most wise Being, and cannot do such a vain Act; he is a most just Being, and cannot execute such an un­just Sentence. He never afflicts, or pro­spers Men by extraordinary Power in this Life, but either for their Reward, their Punishment, or their Correction. As for the Prosperity or Affliction, which may [Page 96] befall Men in the ordinary Course of the Government of the World, they may respect indeed none of all those Ends, nor do they concern our present Case.

Lastly, The Opinion of Job, that God interpofeth not extraordinarily in the Af­fairs of Mankind, might be confuted from the same Attributes and Conside­rations. For we must not suppose that God allowed and ratified whatsoever he had said, when he gave such an illustrious Testimony of Integrity to him in the close of the Book. That was only to vindi­cate him from the Aspersions of his Friends, more particularly Eliphas and Elihu, maintaining that his Afflictions had befallen him for the Enormity of his an­tecedent Sins. God confirmed not his Speeches made in answer to them by this Suffrage; and therefore Job himself deploreth the rashness of his Opinion in XLII. 6. Wherefore I abhor my self, and repent in dust and ashes. And indeed no­thing could be more false, or derogatory to the Majesty of God, and the Preser­vation of his Honour among Men. On­ly Job asserted not pertinaciously, as his Friends did their Opinions; he conclud­ed not peremptorily, but only confessed, that he could not discover any extraordi­nary [Page 97] interposition of God, by visible Ef­fects in this Life.

An Opinion indeed, which too many have taken up; and some do yet maintain; but which cannot be allowed without the utter ruin of Religion, and Reason also. For do we not believe that God is infi­nitely good and just; that he is the su­preme Governour of the World both in this Life, and after Death? But can we conceive him to be infinitely good, who after having created Man and settled him in the World, takes no farther care of him, abandons him to Chance, and there stops the Emanations of his Goodness? Can he be perfectly just, who makes no provi­sion for the universal Calamities, or Opres­sions of Mankind, which cannot but of­ten happen notwithstanding the ordinary Laws of his Government, which consist on­ly in maintaining the Course of Nature? Do we not destroy his Government, when we confine it only to another Life, or per­haps allow it no place in either? Since God hath created the World, the Go­vernment of it hath become necessary to him; and then not to derive at any time, any extraordinary influences up­on it, will be no more commendable, than for a temporal Prince to sit still and [Page 98] be unconcerned for the Affairs of his Kingdom.

Thus far Reason will direct us; but then Revelation giveth us greater assurance of the constant and immediate Protection of God even in this Life. We have the Promises of this Life, and of that which is to come; we are told, That all things shall work together for good to us; That whatso­ever we shall ask of God with Faith, ex­cluding doubt, he will do it; and that he will never leave us, nor forsake us. All these and many more such Arguments, include an extraordinary influence of God, where­by he Administers the Government of the World, satisfies his Justice, and declares his Goodness.

Thus all the Attributes of God natu­rally lead us to the Worship of him; thus we cannot conceive his Nature without adoring it; cannot consider his Judgments and Justice without fearing his Displeasure, and obeying his Commands; thus are we on every side surrounded with Arguments of our Duty. May God by his Grace improve the Efficacy of these Arguments to every one of us, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMONG all the miscarriages of Mankind, none are more fatal, and at the same time more ordinary, than those which proceed from a mista­ken Opinion of their own Nature or Me­rits. It is a deplorable misfortune in­deed, that Man should be subject to Mi­stakes in a Matter so nearly concerning [Page 100] himself; that he, who pretends to Fa­thom Heaven and Earth, to discover the Properties of invisible Beings, and ex­tend his Knowledge both to precedent and future Times, should remain in the dark as to his own Condition, and enter­tain erroneous Opinions of his own, ei­ther natural or acquired Merits.

Not to comprehend perfectly the Na­ture of God, is no wonder; the infinity of his Essence surpasseth the Capacity of our finite Understandings. Not to con­ceive accurately the Properties of imma­terial Beings, whether Angels or separate Souls, may be excusable; immateriality may easily confound an Apprehension inu­red only to sensible Objects: but to be mi­staken in the Nature, the Dignity, the Ca­pacities of our selves, might be justly ad­mired, if the frequency of such Mistakes did not take off the Admiration of them. If they extended no farther than Specula­tion, they might perhaps be pardoned, and befit the Consideration of Philosophers only and thinking Men; but when they reach to almost all the Actions of the Soul, introduce false Principles of Pra­ctice, which at last become fatal to the real Interest of Mankind, it will concern all Men to take notice of them, and to acquire more just Conceptions.

[Page 101] To this purpose Reason invites us, the Scripture directs us, to enter into the serious Consideration of our selves, to contract our Thoughts, and not carry them beyond our Merits, to form a just Esteem of our Perfections, and not in an over-weening Confidence of them en­large our Pretensions beyond the Rules of Justice and Sobriety. Which is the sum of the Exhortation delivered by the Apostle in the words of the Text; be­ing directed indeed more particularly to those Christians of his time, who upon pretence of extraordinary Gifts, whether of Knowledge, Miracles or other Graces, despised their Fellow Christians, who were less gifted; became proud and ar­rogant; invaded the Offices of their Su­periors, and violated the publick Order of the Church; but delivered in such ge­neral Terms, as equally oppose all other Errors of Men concerning the Dignity of their Nature, or the Greatness of their Merits; recommended by a peculiar Pre­face of Divine Authority. For I say unto you, through the Grace given unto me, di­rected to all Christians, To every Man that is among you; altho' all cannot be sup­posed to have been guilty of that par­ticular Exorbitance; and proposed in [Page 102] such a general Precept, as will obviate all the aforementioned Mistakes and In­conveniencies: Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.

I shall consider it then as such a gene­ral Precept; and shew

• I. The Reasonableness of it.
• II. The Usefulness of it.

I. The Reasonableness of it will ap­pear by comparing the fond and exorbi­tant Pretensions of Men, with the Im­perfections of their Nature. Man is apt fal [...]ly to perswade himself that he is a grea­ter and more noble sort of Being, than he really is. He pleaseth himself with vast Conceptions of his own Dignity, and up­on Confidence of them raiseth his Pre­tensions to Matters beyond his Capacity, at least beyond his Merit.

This was the Original of all the mis­fortunes of Mankind; from hence was de­rived the Fall of our first Parents; to this we are to ascribe our present and future Misery. The wicked Angels had led the way, who were no sooner created, but reflecting on the Excellency of their Nature, the Dignity of their Order, and the Capacity of their Understandings, be­came Proud and Insolent, rebelled against God, and attempted an Independency on [Page 103] the Crown of Heaven. Man soon fol­lowed the Example of those wicked Spi­rits; who reflecting on the Faculties of his own Soul, which were then intire and vigorous, exalted with the Happiness of his present Condition, which was then free from Cares and Crosses, entertained a foolish Ambition of improving his Na­ture to somewhat yet greater, even of making himself like to God himself; and so being falsely perswaded by the Ser­pent, that the way to Compass his De­signs, was to eat of the forbidden Fruit, he fell from his former Happiness, and entailed Misery upon all his Posterity; whose Happiness was from thence abat­ed, their Faculties enervated, and their Perfections lessened.

Yet could not the dreadful Example of their first Parents, nor the Conscience of their much greater Imperfections divert succeeding Mankind from engaging themselves in the same Mistakes. They lost the Dignity, but retained the Pride of their Forefathers, keep up their Pre­tensions, and flatter themselves with an over-great Opinion of their own Perfe­ctions. For not to mention the Impiety of Atheists, who pretend to be wholly in­dependent from God, and deny to have re­ceived [Page 104] their Existence from him; to omit the Profaness of ancient Epicureans, and many modern Deists, who disown his Government of the World, and imagine themselves to be freed absolutely from his Dominion; even those who own the Existence of God, his Government of the World, and their own Dependance on him, still continue extravagant Pretences to greater Perfections, than were design­ed for them. We commonly imagine our selves to be the top of the Creation; and that all other Beings, Heaven and Earth, Angels and Animals, were crea­ted merely for our Service. Hence we form a lofty Conceit of our own Excel­lence, and look down upon other Crea­tures with disdain; we grow angry, if Hea­ven and Earth do not continually conspire to advance our Interests; we think our selves injured, if the general Laws of Pro­vidence be not violated for the Promoti­on of our Concerns; we project extraor­dinary Schemes of Happiness, and then are apt to murmur against God, if they are not effected. We scorn that imper­fect Happiness, which his Providence hath assigned us in the World; we esteem it inferiour to the supposed Dignity of our Nature, and think it impossible, that so [Page 105] noble a Being should not enjoy some greater Happiness, than what we find be­longs to us in this Life.

This Happiness most Men place in the satisfaction of their Senses; but then quickly perceiving that even more igno­ble Beings enjoy the same satisfaction, they turmoil themselves about enhancing the Pleasures of Sense. To this Purpose they either seek after Riches, or let loose the Reins to Luxury; but after all, find­ing themselves disappointed they be­come discontented, because not obtaining a Happiness correspondent to the Esteem of their own Merits. Or if any of bet­ter Education and more noble Thoughts, seek this Felicity in the Perfection of their Souls, yet are not they free from the like Mistake, but aim at greater Perfections than their Nature will bear; carry their Enquiries into Matters too hard for them, and then become disquieted, because the Knowledge of such things is denied to them; because they find their Souls to be oft-times dull and devoid of Vigour, and cannot hinder the Perturbation of them by Commotions from the Body; and oft­times Experience the decay of their Fa­culties. With these Thoughts they af­flict themselves; and imagining their [Page 106] Nature to be somewhat greater, than it really is, vainly endeavour to free them­selves from all these Imperfections.

Such are the common mistakes of Man­kind; mistakes which few escape. But then there are other particular, yet fre­quent Mistakes derived from the same Fountain, which are no less gross, and far more prejudicial to the Interests of another Life. From this irrational Opi­nion of their own Excellency many Men are tempted to believe, that they lay an Obligation upon God, when they execute his Commands and perform his Will. They imagine the Benefit redoundeth to God, and that it is no small kindness to him to hearken to his Proposals of Salva­tion: and thence are often drawn into a false Perswasion, that God will wink at their Impenitence, rather than forfeit the satisfaction of saving them.

This Error hath prevailed so far, that among many Christians it is believed, that God may in a strict Sense be made a Debtor to Man by works of Supereroga­tion: and others perswade themselves in­to a belief of particular Decrees of Ele­ction and Predestination made in Favour of them. They may pretend indeed for the ground of their Perswasion the arbi­trary [Page 107] Will of God, but the true Founda­tion of it will be discovered to be no o­ther than a proud Opinion of their Ex­cellency beyond their fellow Christians; which makes them arrogant and morose, and so possesseth their Brains, that they imagine God to be in Love with them, and ready to relax the general Terms of Salvation, and forego his Commands of a strict Obedience, for their sakes. This false perswasion sometimes advanceth so far, as to believe themselves placed by their extraordinary, and at the same time unaccountable, Excellency beyond the Obligation of the common Laws and Dis­cipline of the Church, and thence bold­ly invade those Offices which were ne­ver entrusted to them, and disturb the publick Order of the Church, as not o­bliged to perform those Duties which are owing to the whole Church in ge­neral, and to all the Members of it in particular; which Offence the Apostle more particularly complains of in this place.

These are the most notorious Errors which proceed from the unreasonable Conceit of Men concerning their own worth. If we enquire into the Founda­tion of all these Pretences, we shall find [Page 108] them very frivolous. Man is far from such an excellent Being, as these Pre­tences suppose him to be. His Original is mean and common to him with the most ignoble Animals. While yet an In­fant, nothing can be discovered in him, which distinguishes him from brute Beasts, except a greater Inability of helping him­self. Nothing of Reason can be discer­ned in him, which must afterwards be in­stilled by Degrees, by the Care and Di­ligence of others; or if born with him, yet exerts it self but slowly, and would never become considerable without the direction of others. So that it is no ill Conceit of the Philosopher, that Man at first is born an Animal, and after­wards becomes rational. Were it not for this Education, it is not improbable, that Man would creep upon all four, and imi­tate Beasts as well in the posture of his Body, as in the brutishness of his Life. When after a thousand Chances, which might have destroyed him, he is grown up to be a Man, he still leads a more pre­carious Life, than any other part of the Creation. If any one of the Elements perform not their Office; if the Earth should deny her Fruits, or the Air its be­nign Influences; if any one of ten thou­sand [Page 109] possible Accidents should light upon him, his Life is ended; which whilst it continueth, is perplexed with continual Cares, turmoiled with constant Labours, exposed to infinite Adversities, and after all supported with inconsiderable Plea­sures.

For what greater Matter do we enjoy here below, than more ignoble Creatures do? Length of Life, Agility, Accuracy of Sense, satisfaction of it, and all carnal Pleasures are even common to them. We can employ indeed the Thoughts of a rational Soul, which is more than they can do; but alas this Priviledge would have been scarce desireable, had not God promoted Arts and Sciences among Men, by raising their Apprehensions at first with extraordinary Revelations. For al­though God did not at first reveal these Arts and Sciences, yet would Man never have obtained that Sagacity, which was necessary to the Invention of them, if God had not raised them from the present Objects of Sense, and excited them to the Improvement of Knowledge, by commu­nicating to them supernatural Revelati­ons. That part, and that the greatest part of Mankind, which have not yet re­ceived those Advantages, do so little [Page 110] exercise these Faculties of the Soul; that it would be no great increase of the Hap­piness of an unthinking Beast, to be put into their Condition. Or if all Men could naturally obtain clear and noble Thoughts of things; yet would this but add little to their Happiness; while uncertain of its future State, for want of Revela­tion.

To a Soul which graspeth Eternity, it cannot but be a continual Affliction to re­flect upon the certainty of Death, and the uncertainty of what will succeed it. If he endeavours to remove these melan­cholly Thoughts by sensual Pleasures, he will find little satisfaction in them; if he gives himself up wholly to them, he will soon grow weary of them. When he hath run through all the Scenes of Plea­sure, and looks back upon his Enjoyments, he will confess the Emptiness of them, and scarce desire to retrieve them. Such a Man when he comes to die, may per­haps wish to live over his Life again, but then 'tis only in Hopes of obtaining grea­ter Happiness therein than he did before. Scarce any Man, however having plenti­fully enjoyed all the satisfactions of this Life; if his Life could be renewed to him upon Condition of living again in the [Page 111] same and in no other manner than he did before, would esteem it any great Benefit. He might perhaps accept it through fear of Death; because he knows not what it is to die: but for the intrinsick Merit of it, he would hardly judge it to be de­sirable. Such is the Condition of hu­mane Life considered in a natural State, and what great Excellency can be dis­covered in all this, which may nourish our Pride, or enlarge our Pretences? So inconsiderable a part of the Universe is Mankind.

And then, shall so mean a Being vie with God, require the general Laws of Providence to be over-ruled for his sake, become swoln with Pride, think himself more worthy than all the rest of the Crea­tion, and continually aspire to greater Priviledges, than were at first assigned to him? Alas poor Mortal, however thou mayst advance thy Pretences, and flatter thy self with a fond Opinion of thy own Greatness; that Body which thou carriest about with thee, and canst not shake off; that very Body upon which, and the de­pendances of it, thou so much valuest thy self, proclaim thy Imperfection. If I should call thee Dust and Ashes; thy end will manifest thee to be no more; but [Page 112] this will only express thy Infirmity: I want a word to express the Vanity of thy mind. If I should call thee nothing; thy self hast often confessed thy self to be worse than nothing; when amidst the Crosses of fortune, or torments of Dis­eases, thou hast often wished to become nothing, for to avoid them; and wilt once again wish it after Death, if thou dost not correct thy foolish Arrogance. So little Reason hath Man in general to value himself upon the Excellency of his Nature; and as to the divers Pretenti­ons before-mentioned, hath yet much less.

If Atheists pretend an independent Existence from God, let them demon­strate it by continuing their Existence for ever. If they could at first bestow Exi­stence upon themselves, they may by the same Power always continue it: if this exceeds their Ability, much more will the other. If Deists assert the Actions of Man to be uncontrouled by God, and the Government of the World to be wholly neglected by him; let them reconcile to such stupid Negligence the eternal Attri­butes of Justice, Wisdom, and Goodness, which they allow to be in God; let them stifle, if they can, the Checks of their [Page 113] Conscience for Sins committed in secret; and solve the undeniable Characters of extraordinary Providence interposing in the World.

These impious Opinions indeed can­not be received by the followers of any revealed Religion; but the others may.

As first, That all other parts of the Creation were made for the sake, and the service of Man alone. An Opinion, which however generally taken up by Men, and in some measure Useful to ex­cite their Gratitude to their Creator, yet seems to have proceeded from too great an esteem of humane Nature, and tendeth directly to [...]oment its Pride. It is certain indeed, that almost all parts of the visible World are subservient to the use of Man; that God hath not denied to us the use of any one of them; in which sense it may indeed be said, that all things were created for the use of Man; as it is said in Scripture, Man was created for the Woman, and the Woman for the Man, that is, not for that end alone, but for that among other Reasons. And thus even the Angels are subservient to Man, being sent forth as Ministring Spi­rits to such, as are heirs of Salvation. [Page 114] But to imagine that all things were Cre­ated only for the use and the sake of Man, hath no appearance of Truth. To affirm that of the blessed Angels, who are so far superiour to us in Digni­ty, would be an intolerable Arrogance; and to assert it even of other created Be­ings, would be a vain Presumption. Perhaps not the thousandth part of the Universe is visible to us; And then what are we concerned in so many vast Orbs as are beyond our Heavens? I know many have imagined them to have been created for the Seat of God, and the Reception of our glorified Bodies after the Resurrection; but that is too gross a Conceit to need any Refutation. Even in the visible World no small part of the Creation lays undiscovered, and not a little of what we know is wholly un­useful to us. It becomes us rather with Reverence to reflect upon our Subjection to God our common Creatour, than en­deavour to set our selves before the rest of the Creation, and flatter our selves into an ambitious Opinion of an Universal Monarchy.

In the next place to ascribe so much Excellency to our Nature, as to imagine that the general Laws of Providence [Page 115] ought to be violated for the Convenience of it, is a Pride exceeding all Compari­son; as if the petty Interests of Man in this Life were of greater moment, than the Preservation of the publick Order, and therein the Harmony of the World. Is it not sufficient to have received from God the benefit of Existence, to enjoy all the Blessings of Earth and Heaven, which the ordinary course of Nature, di­rected by the Author of it, bestoweth on us; but the Fabrick of the World must be overturned, and the general Laws of its Government be reversed for us? Yet this unreasonable Expectation generally seizeth Men in Afflictions; when all the hard Words which they heap upon ad­verse Fortune, are directed against the Divine Government of the World; the impartial Execution of which, without respect to the little Interests of private Men, produceth that diversity of Acci­dents, which is generally called For­tune.

Farther, to murmur at the Divine Ad­ministration of the World, because no more excellent or more certain Happiness is assigned to Men in this Life, is an effect of the same unreasonable Ambition of being more noble Creatures than we re­ally [Page 116] are. For while we are a compound of Soul and Body, endued with gross Organs of Sense, and subject to the pub­lick Order of the World, it is impossible that our Pleasures should be other than gross, and adapted to the Organ of their Reception, that is, our Sense. We may tire our selves in hunting after new Me­thods of Happiness, and afflict our selves in the Disappointment of them; but while our Natures continue to be what they are, and the same Order is prefer­ved in the World, it is impossible that the Pleasures of Life should be any other than what they are, that is, mean in their own Nature, and uncertain in their Duration. To propose the acquisition of a compleat Knowledge of all things in this Life, of an absolute imperturbation of Mind, and constant Infallibility, is no less Vain; and to boast of such Per­fections as some have done, little less than Madness. Our present Nature ad­mitteth no such Improvements, which while we are content to own, we must also own those Imperfections which ne­cessarily do attend it.

Errors of this nature in matters of Reli­gion, are yet much more Dangerous, and at the same time more unreasonable, be­cause [Page 117] not founded in internal Perfections of our Nature; but in extraneous Ad­vantages, such as the extraordinary and unaccountable Favour of God, whereby he prefers some Men before others, with­out any respect to the Merits or Demerits of either. An easie way indeed of gaining Heaven; and, as what flatters the Am­bition of Men, is commonly acceptable to them, a pleasing Delusion. But such Men are to know, that altho' themselves proceed herein without any other Prin­ciples than a strong Imagination prompt­ed by a vehement Pride; yet that the most wise God never Acts without suffi­cient Reason, is not to be swayed by any Partiality, and Dispenseth his Favours with the most exact Justice. If they be­lieve God will oversee Faults in them, which he will not pass by in others; they prefer themselves to the inestimable Blood of the Son of God, which being shed to purchase a particular Covenant of Re­mission of Sins, they fondly imagine that the Conditions of it shall be Dispensed with for their sake.

Lastly, If any imagine themselves to lay an Obligation upon God by their own Acts of Piety and Obedience, this in­deed will be a strong Perswasion of ex­traordinary [Page 118] Dignity, since it implies an absolute Independency from God. But as this is Blasphemous, so the Belief of that is highly Criminal. If we perform­ed an exact and unsining Obedience, we should still do no more than our Duty; it is what we owed to God in Right of our Creation and Dependence on him. And then surely even in Affairs of this Life, we do not believe our selves to have obliged any Person, when we pay a just Debt to him. But if we reflect upon our many Sins, more numerous than our Acts of Obedience; and consider that the first is the sole Act of our own Will, the lat­ter the effect of the Grace of God enabling us and working with us; that the first is always perfect; the latter, even when best, still imperfect; we shall find abun­dant Arguments of Humility, but none of Arrogance.

II. The usefulness of this Exhortation of the Apostle, and what hath been Dis­coursed by me in the Prosecution of it, appears not only in preventing these fatal Errors, which have been markt out, and opposed by us; but also extends to ma­ny Actions of Life and Duties of Re­ligion.

[Page 119] As first, This will secure to us constant Peace and Satisfaction of Mind, amidst all the inconveniences of Life. Whatso­ever is wont to render the Mind of Man uneasie, may be reduced either to the want of some desired Good, or the pre­sence of some vexarious Evil. And here­in Men put no Bounds to their Desires or Resentments, They passionately de­sire the acquisition of some Good, or re­moval of some Evil, which is sometimes impossible in Nature, and ofttimes denied them by the ordinary Providence of God. Hereupon they grow Discontented, many times repine against God, and think them­selves injured▪ and all upon a mistaken supposal of their deserving whatsoever they shall desire. Whereas if they would contract their ambitious Desires and think Soberly, as the Apostle adviseth; they would soon be convinced, that Man is no such excellent Creature, for whose sake the ordinary course of the World should be changed, or God work Mira­cles to please his Fancy. That if Infir­mities and Diseases attend his Body, it is no more than the natural Consequence of the Constitution of it. If adverse For­tune doth afflict him, it is an effect of the steady Continuation of the same general [Page 120] Laws of Providence in the Universe, whereof himself is but an inconsiderable Member. If the grant of his Desires be denied to him, it is no Wonder; his Merits are too small to require the Per­formance of all his Wishes. If all these together trouble him; he hath no injury done unto him, he cannot accuse Heaven of Injustice. All these Inconveniences are the necessary Consequences of his Nature, and then if he be willing to con­tinue his Existence, it is no less than ab­surd to desire to change the Properties of it. If he murmurs against God, because his Nature is not more Excellent, he shews himself yet more Unreasonable; since all proceeds from the free Gift of our Creator, to whom we ought rather to be thankful, that we are raised above the Order of Beasts, than repine because we are set beneath the Dignity of An­gels.

Secondly, this will teach us Humility; which is nothing else but a sobriety of Thought, or just esteem of our own Me­rits: And that first with our fellow Chri­stians; which was the peculiar design of the Apostle, when he laid down this ge­neral Precept, directing it against those, who upon supposal of their extraordinary [Page 121] Merits above other Men, boasted of a particular Favour with God, despised their Brethren as Carnal and perhaps Re­probate, made Ostentation of those Gra­ces which were the free Gift of God, or pretended to those which really they did not possess: And in Confidence of either invaded those Offices in the Church, which were not committed to them, vi­olated the Rules of Ecclesiastical Disci­pline, and presumed to exempt them­selves from the Obligation of it. Such Spiritual Pride hath in all Ages conti­nued to infest the Church, and still con­tinues to molest it. But since I have hi­therto waved the Prosecution of this par­ticular Design of the Apostle, I will re­turn to the more general Use of his Ex­hortation, and observe in the last place, That

3. This will teach us Humility to­wards God, and give us a just Idea of our relation to him. It is almost impossible to form any rational Act of Adoration to him, without obtaining a true Notion of the infinite Distance betwixt him and us: That there is nothing in our Nature which could attract his Love; that our most perfect Obedience can confer no Be­nefit upon him; that neither our cele­brating [Page 122] him on Earth, nor our Society in Heaven will add to the infinity of his present Happiness. It will demonstrate the inconceivable Greatness of the Di­vine Mercy towards us, in sending his Son to dye for us, in proclaiming Pardon to our Sins, in offering terms of Salva­tion to us, when nothing could be found in us, which could deserve so great a Fa­vor. It will add to the Love of Christ, that he was content to lay down his Life for such inconsiderable Creatures; and thereby not only bestow upon us one full Pardon of all precedent Sins, but renew his Pardons, as often as Men should sin­cerely renew their Repentance; in giving assurances to us of all this by the Partici­pation of his own precious Body and Blood, which for that purpose should be for ever continued and often celebrated in the Church.

To this whosoever approacheth with Humility, Faith, and Repentance, will assuredly receive Remission of his Sins past, and Grace to avoid them for the future. But without these preparative Dispositions of Mind, it is vain to ex­pect the Benefit, upon a presumptuous Opinion of a peculiar unaccountable Love of God, dispensing with the Necessities [Page 123] of these Conditions in any one; or in­dulging to him more than to another. Such are the Presumptions indeed, and such is the ordinary Success of Favo­rites on Earth, where Favour is often di­stributed not according to the Merits, but the Fancies of Men. But with God it is otherwise; the Reasons of whose Favour are certain, fixed, and univer­sal: Equally distributed to all who shall perform the Conditions of it; bestowed on none, who shall not qualifie himself by performance of these Conditions. May we all therefore upon a full Con­viction of the impartiality of God in the distribution of his Favours, seriously apply our selves to the acquisition of 'em, by the ordinary and certain Means. Then shall we not doubt to obtain our Desires, the assurance of which our Lord giveth to us in this blessed Sacrament; that as surely as we here eat his Flesh and drink his Blood, so surely will he compleat his Promises to us of Happiness hereafter.

IT is not the least Benefit of the Chri­stian Religion, that it makes known to Men the Causes and Occasions of that depravity of Nature and proneness to Sin, that aversion to their Duty and rea­diness of complying with unlawful Sug­gestions, which all discover in them­selves. All cannot but take notice, that [Page 125] it is not without Labour and Difficulty, without assiduous Care and Vigilancy, that any habits of Piety or Vertue can be formed, that it cannot be without strug­ling against the natural Desires, and over­ruling the Propensity of the Soul; when negligence alone, or letting loose the Reins to the natural Appetite will pro­duce an habit of Vice: Whereas if we consider the nature and the end of Man, we might rather hope the contrary; since the performance of his Duty is no more than the end of his Creation, and all things naturally tend to the acquisi­tion of their end: And Vice being a de­viation from that end, doth thereby be­come unnatural.

Yet the Experience of that Deprava­tion of the Will of Man, which we complain of, is so undeniable, that it hath put Men in all Ages upon enquiring into the Causes of it. Some resolved it into Fate; others into the contexture of the Body; some into the malign Influences of the heavenly Bodies; and not a few into the innate Principles of the Soul. But as all these Conceptions were gross in them­selves, they could give no satisfaction to the Mind of Man, and the matter would have still continued to have been Unac­countable [Page 126] without the assistance of Re­velation.

Nor doth all Revelation clear this Doubt: In the Jewish Religion little light was added to it; it is Christianity alone which fully manifests the Causes and Oc­casions of this Unhappiness; and as the discovery of Diseases facilitates the Cure of them, thereby enables us to avoid, or at least overcome the Contagion of it.

The Occasions, manifested by Revela­tion only, are two, the Corruption of our Nature succeeding the fall of Adam, or Original Sin, and the temptation of evil Spirits or Devils. The knowledge of both is of great concernment to us, that so we may be able to apply fit Remedies to them; yet the nature of both is little known by the ordinary Sort, and fre­quently mistaken by the more knowing Sort of Christians. I intend at this time to discourse of the latter, taking occasi­on from the words of the Apostle, who enforceth his Exhortation of Sobriety and Vigilance, from the consideration of the constant Danger whereto Christians are exposed by the perpetual Snares and Temptations of the Devil, who as their Adversary, walketh about seeking their De­struction; from the violence of Rage and [Page 127] Force wherewith he assaults the Faith­ful, denoted by comparing him to the most terrible of Wild Beasts, when en­raged, as a roaring Lion; and from the miserable Consequence of being seduced by him, which is, to be devoured by him; as utterly deprived of spiritual Life and Happiness, as that Man is of natural Life, who is devoured by a Wild Beast: For Your Adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith.

Which Words will oblige me to treat of,

• I. The manner and method of the Temptations of the Devil.
• II. Our Duty, Ability, and Means of resisting him.

First then, Altho' the manner, where­by the Devil tempteth us, be very ob­scure, as are all the Actions of immate­rial Beings; and altho' it becomes us not to determine rashly, what we do not certainly know; yet our enquiries herein will be Lawful, while guided by Rea­son; and useful, because teaching us a Matter which doth so nearly concern us▪ rectifying our Mistakes, which may be fatal to us; and convincing the opposi­tion of unbelieving Men, who mock at [Page 128] this Article of our Belief. And here it is not my present purpose to prove the Existence of such evil Spirits. For al­tho' the common and constant Opinion of Mankind herein, produced by their vi­sible Effects, doth render it highly pro­bable; altho' the nature of Things, and the Existence of other immaterial Beings, differing only in accidental Qualities, prove it to be possible; and altho' Divine Revelation added to all these, hath put it beyond all Doubt; yet it is not my design to improve and urge these Arguments; since we enquire not after the Existence of Devils, but the Manner of their Ope­ration. It will however be necessary to speak somewhat of their Nature, and the Motives which induce them to busie themselves in tempting Men.

Their Nature is the same with that of the blessed Angels, from whom they dif­fer no otherwise, than as bad from good Men; save that as the Purity of Angels exceedeth that of the best Men: So the Wickedness of Devils exceedeth that of the worst Men▪ They were once, at their first Creation, of the same Order with Angels, endued with the same Fa­culties, and enjoyed the same Happiness; but when through Pride and Ambition [Page 129] they rebelled against God, disobeyed his Commands, forsook that Station where­in he had placed them, and aimed at higher Dignities, they were deprived of their former Happiness, and thrown down from Heaven. That whereas be­fore they were infinitely happy in re­flecting upon the Purity of their own Na­ture, the Favour of God, and that per­petual Communication of Light and Joy, which the Angels may be supposed to receive from God in extraordinary Ema­nations; they having now debased their Nature, by violating the end of their Creation, drew upon themselves the dis­pleasure of God, and being deprived of the Fruition of any Divine Illuminations, were reduced into that State of Dark­ness which the Scripture describeth.

The thoughts of this Loss could not but infinitely disquiet them, as soon as they perceived the Disappointment of their ambitious Designs; and as they are quick and knowing Spirits, they could not but immediately perceive their Un­happiness, and make a just Estimate of the Greatness of it. The Sense of this indeed could not but make them lament their Folly, and repent also, if a violent Sorrow only for past miscarriages could [Page 130] be called Repentance. For that the De­vils have such sorrow, cannot be denied; since in this consists their Torment; but an unsuccessful Sorrow, a Sorrow without submission to the just hand of God, a Sorrow which God will not accept, and which therefore will continue for ever, heightened by the greatest Aggravations, as being the result of an unspeakable, and which is more, irrecoverable Loss; not to be ended by Death, nor diverted by a stupid inconsideration; but placed in a knowing, active, always thinking, and immortal Spirit.

Such a Spirit endued with such active Faculties, and tormented with such dis­mal Thoughts of Unhappiness, may well be supposed to conceive the utmost De­gree of Rage and Malice. The Disap­pointment of Pride naturally produceth those Effects in Men; which Effects could not but be so much the stronger in the fallen Angels, by how much their Faculties were more lively and capacious. In Men indeed there are many sins, which they are not capable of, as all those which arise from the inordinate Appe­tite of the Body, as Lust, Intemperance, and Covetousness; but there are others, which are purely immaterial, and take [Page 131] place only in the Soul, as Malice, Hatred, Envy, and Revenge. These, those un­happy Spirits possess in their full Perfecti­on; which they continually exert either aganist God, who inflicted that Unhappi­ness as a Punishment upon them, and altho' he might have annihilated them in their first Attempt, yet continues their Exi­stence to them, and therein their Misery; or against Man, who by the Favour of God is made capable of attaining that Happiness which they lost; and placed in Dignity above them, who had endea­voured to set themselves above their fellow Angels, and even equal to God himself.

Inspired with these wicked Thoughts, they employ themselves continually in opposition to the Will of God; and be­cause this Opposition can take place, only in hindring the Happiness of Man de­signed and desired by God, use their ut­most Endeavours to effect it. The Dis­position of all inanimate Bodies, and the Course of the material World, God hath determined by fixed and certain Laws of Motion, which it exceeds their Power to reverse or change; but Man, being left to the use of his own Free-will, and not determined by the Power of God to [Page 132] any certain Actions, admits the interpo­sition of evil Spirits. It is true, they al­leviate not their own Torments, nor gain any real Advantage hereby; yet ought not this to make us believe, that they do not busie themselves in tempting of us; since it cannot be denied, that Man reaps no real Profit by his sins, and yet it is too sad a Truth, that Men do often sin: and that false satisfaction, which Men receive from gratifying their Lusts, the Devils obtain by serving their Re­venge and Envy.

So then, that the Devils should desire to draw us into the same Unhappiness with themselves, is no wonder. It is only some­what difficult to conceive, how they should effect their Desires, and have any influence upon our Wills. To satisfie this Difficulty many have entertained false Notions of things, which it will be adviseable to remove, before I enter in­to the direct Consideration of the manner, whereby evil Spirits tempt us.

And first, It were needless to refute the Errour of the Manichees or Valenti­nians, who gave to the Devil an indepen­dent Existence from God and uncontrola­ble by him; nay all the Attributes of God, save that of Goodness: allowed him an [Page 133] infinite Power, whereby he could force the Wills of Men, and bind them to the Observation of his wicked Counsels. It is not much to be feared, that any Chri­stian would at this time be guilty of such an absurd Heresie. Yet many per­haps, from the frequent Experience of their own yielding to the Temptations of the Devil, may be so far corrupted in Judgment, as to believe them irresisti­ble, or at least plead this in excuse of their Impenitence. To such it may not be amiss to observe, that it exceeds the Power of any finite Being to force the Will of Man; for that were to overthrow the very Essence of Man, and thereby change the ordinary Laws of Nature, to which all Creatures, and amongst them Devils also, are subjected. Add to this the ma­ny Exhortations in Scripture to resist their Temptations, which would have been vain, if these had been irresistible; the Promise of God also, that we shall not be tempted above what we are able to bear; which would not have taken place, if we could not overcome all Temptations; and the Experience of good Christians, who daily resist and surmount them. E­ven the worst of Men might baffle them, if they would use the natural Power of [Page 134] their Souls, assisted with that common Grace, which is denied to none. So that what the Aposte saith of some Men, 2 Tim. II. 26. That they are taken captive by him at his Will; is not to be understood without their own Consent, yielding up themselves to his Conduct, and volunta­rily following his Suggestions; which also appears from the Apostles command to Timothy in the precedent words of instru­cting them, That they may recover them­selves out of the snare of the Devil.

A second Errour in this Matter is, that God giveth to the Devil an extraordinary Power of tempting Men; a Mistake, which may be observed in many of the ancient and even modern Writers, who hence take occasion to magnifie the Grace of God, and the Merits of Mans obedi­ence; the First, in that God hath graci­ously contrived this impediment of obe­dience to Man, that so his obedience might become the more meritorious; and the latter, in that Man performs his Duty, notwithstanding so great Impedi­ments. This opinion, altho' received, would not in the least clear our doubt, since it would still remain to be enquir­ed, in what manner the Devils exercise this delegated Power; but that it should [Page 135] not be admitted, it is enough to say, That it is injurious to the Honour of God. If it were is, God might justly be said to tempt us, contrary to what the Apostle teach­eth; Let no man, when he is tempted, say, that he is tempted of God. For God tempt­eth no man.

It is impossible that so excellent a Be­ing should be guilty of such double Deal­ing, as to command the Observation of his Laws, and at the same time tempt us to the Violation of them; to allure and enable us to obey him by Promises, by Threats, and by the assistance of his Ho­ly Spirit, and to divert us from it by the interposition of evil Spirits employed by him. This were to ascribe no less In­justice to him, than to the Devils them­selves. Nay to blacken Him, and to clear them, in the matter of Temptation. For if the Devils herein act by the extraor­dinary Power of God, they act in obedi­ence to him, and then Temptation in them will be so far from being a Crime, that it will be an Act of Duty. On the other side, God could not be excused from the Imputation of all those ill Consequen­ces, as might attend such Temptation. For whatsoever is performed by a super­natural Power derived from him, is to [Page 136] be ascribed to him only. Whatsoever happens in the ordinary Course of things, or is effected by the natural Power of a­ny Creature, is only permitted by him, he is not to answer for it; but what is caused by his extraordinary Power dele­gated to any Creature, may truly be said to be done by his direct Will and special Commission.

So that to avoid the charging of In­justice upon God, we ought not to en­tertain any such Opinion of him. He permits indeed the Devil to exert his Malice in the continual Temptation of Men; and hinders not his Operations by a perpetual interposition of his Almighty Power, nor would it be reasonable for us to expect it, much less to conceive un­worthy Thoughts of the Divine Govern­ment of the World, which hath so set­tled the Frame of things, that, as if the Pleasures of the World, the violent crav­ing of a sensual Appetite, and the Diffi­culty of Vertue were not sufficient to di­vert Men from their Duty, the restless Sollicitation of evil Spirits is added to all these Arguments and Incentives to sin. That it should be so, was not a primary institution, but a depravation of Nature, accidental to the order of the World at [Page 137] first settled by the Author of it; which when once happened, God was no more obliged to remove or suspend by an ex­traordinary Miracle, than he is to hinder the bad example, Suggestions or Sollici­tations of one Man to another.

And this is no small Encouragement to us to oppose the assaults of evil Spirits with Constancy and Resolution, to con­sider, that they act not against us by any extraordinary Communication of an in­finite Power; but by their own natural force only, which must be finite and li­mited. We read indeed in Scripture, that the Devils are sometimes extraordi­narily employed by God to execute his Will, and that in relation to Mankind, in which case they act by a supernatural Power derived from him; but this ex­tendeth not to Temptation. They were at their first Creation, intended for Mini­sterial Spirits, an Office which the Bles­sed Angels still enjoy; and although those wicked Spirits endeavoured to free themselves from Subjection to God, which endeavour occasioned their fall, yet, what is none of their least Torments, they are forced to acknowledge their subjection, by executing his Commands.

An eminent example of this we find to [Page 138] have been frequent in the Apostles times, when Persons who were Excommunicat­ed by the Church with the highest cen­sure, or formally delivered up to Satan, were seized on by him in a conspicuous manner, and either wholly possessed by him and deprived of the use of their reason, or immediately afflicted with violent Diseases. Thus in the case of the ince­stuous Corinthian, St. Paul commandeth the Governours of that Church solemnly to excommunicate him, to deliver such an one unto Satan, for the destruction of the Flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. V. An em­ployment surely very ungrateful to the Devils, since nothing could tend more to the confirmation of the Christian Faith, the Glory of God, and the con­viction of Men, than such visible punish­ments, which conduced also to the Sal­vation even of those, who were affected with them; striking them with a due awe of the Almighty Power of God, and for­cing them to enter into a serious conside­ration of their unhappy State, and abhor­rence of those sins, which occasioned it. If such exemplary punishments do not at this day attend the solemn Censures of the Church, it is for the same reason for [Page 139] which the Gift of Miracles is denied to it; although it is to be believed, that the Devil acquires still no small power over such Persons, when the Sentence is rightly and justly pronounced, by their loss of that supernatural Grace, which all true Christians receive in their Com­munion with the Church, and in vertue of which they are chiefly enabled to with­stand the wiles of the Devil.

Another example of this extraordina­ry power given to the Devils, may be that of Demoniacks, whose number seems to have been considerable at the time of our Saviour; and perhaps somewhat of a like, if not the same kind, may still be found. That the Devils possessed these unhappy Persons, not by their own na­tural power, but by extraordinary com­mission derived from God, seems un­questionable. For it cannot be imagi­ned, that any finite Being could by its ordinary power, alter the course of Na­ture. If so, Miracles would be no Ar­gument of Divinity, and the foundation of all revealed Religion would fall. One of the most eminent and frequent Mira­cles of our Saviour, was the cure of De­moniacks. Now if the Devils could take possession of Men by their own pow­er, [Page 140] they might also quit that possession at their will, and by quitting it oppor­tunely, perform the same Miracle as to the Eyes of Men, which Christ himself did. They acted therefore herein as the Executioners of God, who might com­mand and impower them to seize on the Bodies of Men, to alter their natural Constitutions, bereave them of the use of their Reason, and afflict them with continual Torments, in punishment of their Sins. For which reason also we may well believe these Demoniacks to have been more numerous among the Jews, than they ever were among Chri­stians. For the Covenant of the Jews included chiefly Temporal Rewards and Punishments; in vertue whereof the Honour of God was concerned to inflict dreadful Punishments upon Notorious Sinners, even in this Life; while he had not yet made fully known to the World his Resolution of punishing Men in ano­ther Life.

But neither of these Cases doth infer a Command or Commission to the Devil to tempt Men; yet there is one instance in Scripture, which if not rightly under­stood, may seem to infer it: And that is the case of Job, whose Patience and Sub­mission [Page 141] God tried by the Ministry of the Devil. It were enough to say, that such extraordinary Examples are no more to be brought in proof and illustration of the ordinary conduct of God in relation to us, than was his Command to Abra­ham of offering up his Son Isaac. How­ever, neither here did the Devil receive any extraordinary Power of tempting Job, in a strict Sense. He was impow­ered indeed to raise that Tempest where­by the Sons of Job were buried in the ruins of their House. But this is very agreeable with what I laid down before, and may well be supposed to have been in punishment of their Sins; of the greatness of which Job was so sensible, that he daily offered Sacrifice to God in expiation of them. The Devil was fur­ther enabled to destroy his Possessions, and torment his Body with a loathsome Di­sease. But all this directly affected not his Mind, which still remained untouch­ed, exposed indeed to the ordinary as­saults of the Devil, which assaults as they were not suspended by God, so nei­ther were they assisted by him. Which assaults how they are affected by the na­tural power of the Devil, I come next to enquire, having first observed to you, [Page 142] that although we could not conceive or explain the manner of it, we should have no reasonable cause to doubt of it. Our own experience will not suffer us to ad­mit such doubts, and that the Faculties and Operations of immaterial Beings are imperceptible to us, we have the ex­ample of our Soul, which although it be so nearly related to us, we know but ve­ry imperfectly the manner and spring of all her Actions.

The Devil is said to tempt us two ways, properly and improperly. In­numerable Examples of each may be brought from Scripture. The latter is not hard to be conceived, and is no more than this; that as the Devil was the first Apostate and Rebel against God, and still continueth his opposition to him, so he is the Captain and Head of all which opposeth God; as are the Lusts, the Passions, and the Sins of Men: Which being excited by sublunary Objects, by worldly Pleasures, whatsoever is done by these in opposition to God, is ascribed to him, as done after his Example, and un­der his Banner. Since his Fall, the World is in a manner divided between God and him; whatsoever is good and excellent proceeds from God, and is [Page 143] done by his Influence, Command, Di­rection, and Perswasion: Whatsoever is bad and repugnant to the Laws of God is done by the example of the Devil, by imitating him, following his Conduct, and entring into his Government. For thus, all Beings disobedient to God, may be said to constitute one Society, where­of the Devil is the Head. And because this Society busie themselves wholly in the things of this World, and are delud­ed by gross Pleasures; he is called the Prince of this World, and the Prince of the Air; not that he hath, or ever had, the disposition of things here below, the disposal of Kingdoms, or distribution of temporal conveniencies or inconvenien­cies; which hath been the mistake of some. Such Power never belonged to him. He told our Saviour indeed in tempting of him, that all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them were his; and that he would give them to him, if he would fall down and Worship him. But he was a Liar from the Beginning; it was more than he could perform.

The Devil is said properly to tempt Men, by acting immediately upon their Souls, by suggesting wicked thoughts un­to them, by instigating them to Wicked­ness [Page 144] and Disobedience: And this is that temptation, by which we so much suf­fer, which we so much fear, and by which he executes his Malice and Ha­tred upon Mankind. There are but two possible ways by which this can easily be supposed to be performed, since an ex­traordinary Derivation of Power from God is rejected.

The first is, by moving the imagina­tions of Men, and producing whatsoever Thoughts and Ideas he thinks fit, by mo­ving their Animal Spirits, which in Man have so near a Connexion with the thoughts of the Soul, that such motions in them will infallibly and unavoidably produce such thoughts in the Soul. Now it is not impossible to conceive, that the Devils, as they are most sagacious Spi­rits, and of long experience, may have observed and found, to which motions of the Spirits such and such thoughts of the Soul are annexed, and accordingly pro­cure those motions, as often as they de­sire to introduce such thoughts. For it is highly probable, that all immaterial Beings have a natural power of moving matter. We find that in our own Soul, which is the lowest of all such Beings, that moveth our Spirits, and by the as­sistance [Page 145] of those our whole Body: It no sooner formeth an Idea, but the Spi­rits attend the Formation of it, and are moved according to its Diversity. There is no more necessary Connexion between the Thoughts of the Soul and the Moti­ons of the Body, than between the lat­ter, and the Thoughts of any other im­material Being. So that the Devil may well be supposed to be able to make im­pressions on our Imagination, by the Mo­tion of these Spirits. Yet it will not fol­low from hence, that he is able to move or disorder our whole Bodies; since to the former is required the consent of our Will, which is in our own Power, and doth not necessarily follow any Motion of the Spirits: To the latter is required a Power transcending the ordinary Laws of Nature, whereby the Causes and Ef­fects of Health and Strength are settled and preserved, which are not in the least violated by such Motions in the Brain, as produce a bare Idea or naked Conception of any thing.

This way of impressing Thoughts in our Mind is possible: But it is more pro­bable that all immaterial Beings can com­municate Thoughts, and make impres­sions on each other. Without this it [Page 146] not be imagined how a Society of Angels or Devils can consist; and yet that there are a Society of each, the Scripture as­sures us. If one Man cannot immedi­ately impress a Thought in the Soul of another; it is no wonder. We are here inchained in a Body, in which state no approaches can be made to us but by the Organs of the Body. Nature hath pro­vided another way for Men to communi­cate their Thoughts, which when it shall cease by putting off the Body, we have just ground to believe, that we shall ob­tain that Priviledge common to other imaterial Beings, of communicating our Thoughts to each other by immediate influence. At least it is most certain, that Angels and Devils have that Priviledge, because they have formed Societies, which they could not have done without it. And if they can impress any Thoughts upon each other, that is, upon Beings of equal Dignity; they are surely much more able to do it upon those of an in­feriour Rank and Capacity; such as are the Souls of Men.

Both these ways are possible; but that the Devils do tempt us by either of these Methods, I dare not determine. It is suf­ficient to shew that what we believe con­cerning [Page 147] the Temptation of evil Spirits, is possible and agreeable to Reason. And this I have spoken to you as Persons de­siring satisfaction in the Truth of this Article of Christianity; I will now re­turn and speak to you as Christians firm­ly perswaded of this Truth, that the Devils do tempt us.

From what hath been said, you may take a just Estimate of the efficacy of the De­vil's Temptations, and our Ability to re­sist him. He can proceed indeed no far­ther than to suggest the first Cogitations of any Object; and if Man also stopped here, he would never forfeit his Inno­cence, the Devil would never obtain his desired End. He can do no more indeed, yet this he improves to great advantage, and with that success which we all lament. He knoweth the Constitutions of all Men, and can cunningly suggest those Sins un­to them, to which they are most prone. He is unwearied in his Nature as well as Malice, and so can continually renew his Suggestions. He can improve them with the introducing of all those false Arguments, which can recommend any Sin. He can propose the Pleasures of the World under the most specious appear­ance; is not discouraged by any repulse; [Page 148] renews his Sollicitations with the most constant Diligence. If Man considers, what Pleasures the World can give him; he amplifieth to him the Greatness of them. If the Commands of God be re­flected on; he suggesteth their Diffi­culty. If past Sins be recalled to Mind; he exaggerates their Enormity, and sug­gests them to be Unpardonable. If good Christians through long strugling and Constancy baffle him in all these At­tempts, by stifling his wicked Impressi­ons in their first rise, by withholding their assent, and refusing to embrace his Motions▪ he employeth other Methods, and exciles wicked Men, who seldom resist his Suggestions, because always recommended with the apparent shew of Profit or Pleasure, or some other Ad­vantage, to assist him in his Design, by bad Examples, or Counsels; and if these be not sufficient, by Injuries and Per­secutions; which was the very case St. Peter particularly speaks of in this place. Thus we see, what a vigilant and powerful Adversary we have to en­counter; the Conviction of which will oblige us to reflect seriously upon our ability and means of resisting him; to enquire the most secure Methods of op­posing [Page 149] him, and seriously apply our selves to the Acquisition and Successful use of them. This I proposed in the se­cond place to treat of; which, God wil­ling, shall be the Subject of another Discourse.

HAVING represented to you in my former Discourse upon these words the powerful and constant Oppo­sition made to Mankind, in the Prosecu­tion of their Duty, by the Temptations of evil Spirits; it is but necessary to lay open the Means of resistance, which are afforded to Men against these violent and [Page 151] continual Assaults; lest the Consideration of that Vigour, and for the most part Success, wherewith the Devil carrieth on his Assaults should discourage you from a resolute resistance.

What in other Combats is wont to en­courage Men, may be reduced either to the Concern of some great Interest, as Life and Liberty, lying then at stake, to be recovered or even improved by Vi­ctory, and forfeited by a defeat; or to the apparent Hopes of Success. These Arguments we find by daily Experience want not their Effect to move Men to venture their Lives and Fortunes; even singly and without the Conjunction of each other. The fear of the Loss of all worldly Happiness will induce Men to fight, even when there is little probabi­lity of Success; and the assured Hopes of Success will produce the same Effect, altho' no great Interest be decided by it.

It may be wondred indeed, that what is so ordinary in temporal Matters should seldom be discovered in spiritual Con­cerns, where both these Motives are al­ways joyned together, and yet both sel­dom obtain their Effect. Here a far great­er Interest lieth at stake, than is ever the occasion of temporal Quarrels: Here [Page 152] greater certainty of Success appears; since here to obtain a Victory depends not up­on the Faithfulness of Allies, the Cou­rage of other Men, or the lucky Acci­dents of Fortune, but upon the single Power of every private Man, for which every one can become answerable. If after all this, the resistance made by Men to the Assaults of evil Spirits be feeble and oft-times unsuccessful, we must ascribe it not to the want of Evidence in these Arguments, or Conviction of it in the minds of Men, but to want of Conside­ration; that Men blindly pursue the Ob­jects of Sense, raise not their Souls from the Earth, and seldom enter into the Consideration of their spiritual Interests, enquire not what opposition they are like to meet with in the Prosecution of them, or what Abilities are conferred on them, whereby they may defeat this Oppo­sition.

Men indeed are always ready to ascribe this want of Success to any thing else ra­ther than their own default, and so they may excuse themselves, care not either to vilifie the Divine Justice, or depress their own Natures. Thus the Marcionites, and other Hereticks of old pretended that the Devil was an Almighty Being, whose [Page 153] Will could not be resisted. And which is much to the same Purpose in relation to Man, some others fear not to maintain, that God giveth not sufficient Grace to all, whereby he may be resisted with Success. If things were so, in vain would Men endeavour to resist him; nay, it would be even irrational to undertake a resistance, which we were before assured would be unsuccessful. We should then have no more to do than to resign up our Wills to the Suggestion of those evil Spirits, and submit our selves quietly to that Tyranny, which we foresaw could never be shaken off. But far from advi­sing this Submission, St. Peter exhorts us to resist stedfast in the faith, that is, with assured Hopes of Success and Delive­rance; and that, after he had described the fierceness and violence of the Assaults made upon us by our Adversary the Devil, by comparing him to a roaring Lion; and amplified the dreadful Exe­cution which he performs upon conquer'd Men, by saying that he doth devour them: Notwithstanding all this, he ex­horts us to resistance, and in resisting him assureth us of Success.

In pursuing the Design and improving the Exhortation of the Apostle, I will [Page 154] consider the Means of resisting the Devil, which are possible to Men; and these are either Internal; the result of their own natural Power or Faculties of their Soul; or External; the supernatural, yet ordi­nary Gift of God. Of these in their Or­der.

First then, Man is enabled to resist the Temptations of the Devil by his own natural Power; and by the due Ex­ercise of the internal Faculties of his Soul. To understand this fully, it will be necessary to take a View of the me­thods whereby evil Spirits obtain their influence upon the Minds of Men and effect their Temptations. This I treated largely of in my former Discourse, and shall only repeat the Summ of it unto you. The Devil then operates herein as a natural Agent only, whose Nature be­ing finite, his Operations must be of a limited Power also. He cannot violent­ly over-rule the Minds of Men, nor for­cibly restrain the Exercise of their Free-wills. For this were to change the Na­ture of Man; whereas himself as well as all other Creatures cannot exceed the ordinary Laws of Nature fixed by the great Author of it in the first Crea­tion of the World. That therefore Men [Page 155] by their natural Power may resist and surmount his Temptations, especially since they are not enforced by an extra­ordinary Assistance of God; who as he giveth no Commission to the Devil to tempt Men, so neither doth he give him any Assistance in the tempting of them. That only natural Means therefore re­main unto him; and that this natural Means can be no other than by working upon the Imaginations of Men; that this he effects by imprinting Ideas and Conceptions of several Objects therein, either by producing such Motions in the Brain, which create such Conceptions in the Soul; or by immediately Commu­nicating such Conceptions to it; or per­haps by some other unknown way; but whatsoever the manner of his Operation may be, that the effect is and can be no other than the Production of bare Ideas or first Cogitations in the mind of Man. For as for his tempting one Man by the Sollicitation or Persecution of another, that must be reduced to the same Origi­nal; since he could induce one Man to tempt another no otherwise than by tempting that first Man in a proper and strict Sense.

From this short view of the manner [Page 156] of the Devils effecting his Temptations, and the Power which attends them, we may easily conceive our own Abilities to resist them. For the same Power which we have either to approve or reject the first Thoughts of any Object arising in our Minds, the same Power we have to repel the Insinuations of evil Spirits; since these extend no farther, without our own Concurrence. The first Thoughts of the Mind are the bare Con­ception of any Objects, before any Judg­ment be formed of them, or the Will be yet inclined on either side in relation to them. As if the Mind should con­ceive the material Act of any sin, and even with all the Circumstances of it, and run over all the apparent Advanta­ges which may arise from the Recepti­on of it, and yet hath not determined whether it shall admit or reject it. Such a bare Conception precedes every Ope­ration of the Will. The Imagination or Understanding first represents the Ob­ject to the Will, and then the Will form­eth a Judgment of it; either consenting to, or disapproving the thing proposed. The latter, the use of the Will, is al­ways in our Power, and cannot beforced by any Power whether of Men or Devils; [Page 157] nay, with Reverence be it spoken, cannot be over-ruled by God himself. For the mea­sure of his Power is his Will; and this can­not be supposed to alter the Nature of things which himself hath fixed; and if he should by an extraordinary Act of Power constrain the Will of Man, the Operati­on would be neither good nor bad, be­cause not free, and so capable neither of Reward nor Punishment. So that Man is secure on this side, his Will always re­mains untouched; the only Approaches, which can be made to him, are by his Imagination or Faculty of Conception. And this is not always in his Power. Evil Spirits may impress Ideas in it with­out his own Concurrence; the Presence of Objects will naturally produce them, and the secret workings of Memory will recal them. In all this the Will is not concerned; such Thoughts will enter into the Soul not only without the Con­sent, but even against the Desire of Man. He cannot avoid the Conception of those Objects, which are presented to him ei­ther by evil Spirits, or external Objects, or the Suggestion of his own Memory.

But then as Man cannot avoid them, so neither is he to answer for them, no more than when he hears the Relation of [Page 158] a Sin committed by another, or seeth it with his own Eyes; in which Case he cannot avoid the Conception of it, and yet is not rendred Guilty thereby. Which sufficiently confutes the Opinion of some Men, who maintain these first Cogitations to be in our own Power; and that as such we are answerable for them. For whether the Conception be imprinted in the Mindby the Suggestion of evil Spirits, or by the Fruitfulness of our own Inven­tion, it is of the same Nature, and hath no more necessary Effect, than that which is produced by the Report of the Senses, whether seeing or hearing. In which last Cases it cannot be denied, that a Con­ception of the matter related or seen can­not be prevented. The Soul is so quick a Being, that no sooner doth the Object strike the Organ of sense, but it frameth an idea of it. If then in such obvious Cases the first Thoughts of the Soul may be absolutely involuntary; if the Mind cannot prevent the gross Operations of Sense, much less will it be able to ex­clude the more subtle Impressions of spi­ritual Beings, such as are the Temptati­ons of Devils, or the inward Suggesti­ons of Imagination. But then, as I said before, Man is not accountable for these, because not within his Power.

[Page 159] A Man indeed may turn away his Eyes from beholding Sin; he may stop his Ears when he heareth pleasing Rela­tions of Sin; he may for the most part stifle these Suggestions, whether of evil Spirits, or a depraved Imagination; he may expel them from his Mind, and per­mit them not to Lodge themselves with­in his Breast. This was the Practice of our blessed Saviour, whose Example should be our constant Pattern. He had framed such a clear Conviction of his Duty and firm Resolution of per­forming it, that in him to master any Temptation was no more than to dis­cover, that it was contrary to the Com­mands of God and his own Duty. No sooner did the Devil suggest to him the miraculous Conversion of Stones into bread for the satisfying of his Hunger, but he rejected the Proposal, because contrary to a due Reliance upon the Divine Promises of Protection. When he would have perswaded him to work an unnecessary Miracle in throwing him­self off the Pinacle of the Temple, he immediately remembred that God had forbidden Men to tempt his Providence, and the remembrance of that Prohibi­tion was a sufficient Safeguard against [Page 160] the Suggestion of the Devil. When he tempted our Lord to fall down and wor­ship himself, by promising him in Re­ward the Kingdoms of the earth and all the glory of them, he opposed to this the Divine Command of worshipping▪ God a­lone; and did not so much as enter into debate whether he should admit the Pro­posal, but with a generous Disdain im­mediately rejected all▪ Thoughts of it with a Get thee behind me Satan. His Re­solutions of Obedience to God alone, were as quick as his conceptions of what was proposed to him by the subtle Temp­ter, and that because he had firmly rooted this Principle in his Mind, that whatsoe­ver was his Duty he would perform; whatsoever was unlawful, he would reject.

If we by assiduous Meditation would take care to fix the same Principle in our Minds; if we would diligently recall it to mind, as often as any Object of choice were presented to us; if the same pious Indignation would seize us, as often as any thing were proposed to us Deroga­tory to the Honour of God and our own real Interest; it would be no less easie for us to overcome the Temptations of the Devil, than it was for our Lord and Master. The manner of Temptation in [Page 161] each Case was not different; being in each Case effected by inward Suggestion. For we must not suppose that the Devil visibly appeared to our Lord and spake to him face to face; to have proposed his alluring Temptations without any disguise would more have prejudiced the Efficacy of them, than all the specious Arguments wherewith he recommended them, could have enforced them. He tempted Christ by insinuating secretly into his mind such Thoughts as these, that since he was Conscious to himself of his Power of working Miracles, he had better satisfie his Hunger by turning the Stones into Bread, than endure it any longer in awaiting the ordinary Provi­dence of God; that to leap off the Pi­nacle of the Temple, and to be seen to be carried safe in the Air, would contribute very much to raise his Glory and Fame among Men; and that if he would em­ploy that Power of Miracles, which he had received from God for the Conver­sion of the World, to the Conquest of it; it would be no hard Matter in a short time to gain all the Kingdoms of the Earth and the Glory of them.

Thus the Devil tempted our Lord, and thus he continueth to tempt us; with this [Page 162] only difference, that our Lord by his ex­cellent Wisdom knew that all those Sug­gestions proceeded from that wicked Spi­rit; and we when we are tempted by him are wont to ascribe those evil Motions, which we then find within our selves, to any thing rather than the Suggestion of evil Spirits. For since these Sugge­stions are usually specious Arguments of the extraordinary Pleasure or Profit to be found in sin, Men are apt to ascribe all this to the Excellency of their Under­standing, which, as they imagine, rais­eth them beyond the trifling superstition of religious Fools; who are content to forfeit the chief Satisfactions of this Life, for fear of offending they know not whom, and suffering they know not what; or to their own extraordinary Sa­gacity whereby they alone can discern what is the true Happiness of Man; or perhaps reconcile all these sins wherein they delight, to their Pretences of future Happiness. When indeed pious Men know, no less than they, what are the spe­cious Arguments recommending sinful Pleasures, and by what Methods they may be best enhanced; but they will not entertain themselves with such Con­siderations, and if suggested to them, [Page 163] presently do remove them; not only be­cause by Attention to them, they are en­dangered to be allured or betrayed to Consent to them; but also because vo­luntarily to continue such thoughts in the mind and dwell upon them, is a sin; since this includes a Connivence of the Will, not restraining the Imagination from such impure Ideas; and is common­ly attended with a sort of Complacency; which wanteth nothing but a fit occasion to put the pleasing sin in Practice.

So then the most secure method of eluding the Temptations of the Devil, is to decline his suggestions immediately, to remove even the first Thoughts of them, and divert the Soul to some lawful Ob­ject. But because the imagination of Man may be so strongly excited by some violent Object or Impression; that it shall not be even in the Power of the Soul to suppress it for some considerable time; as we see in violent Passions, which can no more be allayed by one Act of Dissent in the Will, than a tempestuous Sea be calmed in one minute; therefore it will be necessary to provide Remedies against such Adventures. And the most effectual is that prescribed by our Sa­viour, Matth. V. 29. 30. If thy right [Page 164] Eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee, &c. That is, if by the Enjoyment of any otherwise indifferent Object, thou find thy self often betrayed to an unlawful use of it, or to any other sin, deprive thy self even of that lawful Pleasure, rather than for the sake of that expose thy Soul to the Danger of total Destruction; and thereby forfeit, not only that apparent, but even, all real Satisfactions. If by any pleasing Objects of sight, thou art apt to be tempted to unlawful Desires; by a prudent Caution debar thy self even of those otherwise lawful Pleasures, which thou mightest receive from that noble Faculty. If grateful Objects of touch do often excite such vehement Passions in thee, as cannot be satisfied without the Commission of sin; renounce even all lawful Pleasures, which thou mightest receive from thence. If thou canst not look upon a Woman without lusting after her, suffer not thy Eyes to gaze upon her. If thou canst not engage in Company, without being tempted to Drunkenness, deny thy self so dangerous a Satisfacti­on; and so in all other Cases. A most Divine Counsel, and excellently fitted to [Page 165] defeat the Temptations of the Devil, or the Propensity of our own Nature to sin.

Every Man may discover in himself a Proneness to some particular sin beyond others; of which evil Spirits make their advantage, and most frequently assault Men by inciting them to the Commission of it. Here a Man should be chiefly careful, and rather than suffer himself to be led into it, dread even the Approa­ches of it, suspect even his lawful En­joyments of that Object, to which the sin relates; and if all this Circumspection prevents not the returns of his unlawful Passions, as oft as the Object is renew­ed, to renounce even all lawful use of it; at least until those Passions can be so far allayed, that the Soul can again entertain the Object without any Danger of sin.

But the most frequent Case remaineth yet to be provided for; that is, when the Idea produced by the Object, or by the suggestion of the Devil, is so violent, that it cannot be removed by a single Dissent of the Will; and notwithstand­ing all the forementioned rules of Caution, is, either by our own Negligence, or by the subtilty of our Adversary, or both, actually produced. Here it is that the Efficacy of Temptations chiefly appears; [Page 166] the Devil is vigilant and unwearied in the prosecution of his Designs, attacks us on all sides successively; if he be re­pulsed at one Post, he assaults us at ano­ther, and never gives over till he gain­eth entrance. Here is the chief Conflict of a Christian; when the Suggestion of evils Spirits exciteth his Imagination; when his Passions are raised by this Con­ception; when his sensual Appetite grows impetuous, opposeth the Directions of Reason, and requireth blindly to be satis­fied. The repugnancy of this to the ra­tional Faculties of the Soul giveth the Devil opportunity to assault us, and suc­cess in it. This proceeds no farther than the bare satisfaction of Sense, it lyeth grovelling on the Earth, looks not up to Heaven, nor discerns any future Hopes; therein common with Beasts, who pursue the Enjoyment of present Objects with­out any regard to Futurity. This conti­nually inciteth a Man to enjoy the Object, which is set before him, without enqui­ring whether it be allowed or forbidden by God; considers no further than whe­ther it be grateful and acceptable to the Sense; becomes clamorous if denied; and can never be wholly rooted out, while we carry this Body about with us, [Page 167] whose Wants and natural Motions are the Spring of it.

It is indeed absolutely subject to the command of the rational Faculty, if this exerts its self vigorously, and maintains a constant Guard; but if it grows remiss, if those natural Motions, either by Neg­ligence, or the Impression of evil Spirits, be raised into strong Passions, the Danger is evident; Sin lieth at the doors, and if not repelled by a vigorous Opposition, will force its entrance.

This constant Rebellion of the sensual Appetite against the Reason of Man, is that unhappiness, which St. Paul so much complains of, Rom. VII. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into Captivity to the law of sin, &c. This alone is a constant Temptation to Mankind; but then most dangerous, when excited and fomented by the impression of evil Spi­rits, which imprint in the Imagina­tion all those Arguments, which can en­force the Desires of the sensual Appetite, and render them plausible.

In Opposition to these, we should pre­pare our selves by a frequent Meditation and full Comprehension of all those Ar­guments, which may perswade us to the [Page 168] performance of our Duty, to the restrain­ment of our Lusts, to the continuance of our Obedience. If by an assiduous En­tertainment of these Arguments in our Thoughts, they become familiar, and as it were habitual to us; no sooner shall we be prompted to sin by the Insurrection of our carnal Appetites, or the Sollici­tation of infernal Spirits, but the contra­ry Arguments will present themselves, oppose and defeat the other. If it be suggested to us, that this sin includeth some considerable Pleasure; the mind on the other side will remember, that God sent us not into the World to take our Pleasure, as we should think most con­venient; but to perform those immuta­ble Rules of Justice and Sobriety which he hath prescribed; and for the sakes of which he bestowed Existence on us; that this proposed Pleasure is indeed mean and trifling, depriving us of a far greater Pleasure, and drawing eternal Misery upon us. If the Body or Imagi­nation now affected urgeth vehemently for the Grant of their Desires; the Soul will consider, that it is better to deny an unnecessary Gratification to it, than to destroy both Soul and Body by a soolish Compliance with it. If Secrecy and Se­curity [Page 169] in the Commission of this sin be sug­gested; Reason will oppose the all-seeing Eye of God, will dread his Majesty and fear his Anger. If the smallness of the sin be pleaded; a knowing Soul will presently call to mind that every wilful Sin is mortal, and an open Rebellion against God. If the uncertainty of future Re­wards and Punishments be objected; Reason silenceth the Objection and ap­peals to the Evidence of those Argu­ments, from whence by frequent Medi­tation it hath received a thorough Con­viction. And thus in all other Argu­ments of sin, suggested either by the sensual Appetite, or the Temptation of the Devil, if the Soul be prepared with an exact and ready Comprehension of all the Motives of Obedience; if it hath fully weighed them, thoroughly dige­sted them, and firmly retains them; it cannot want the proposed end, the de­feat of Temptations, continuance of In­nocence, and increase of Piety.

To prepare the mind with such Con­siderations will indeed successfully baffle the Assaults of our spiritual Enemy; and to employ it continually in such would wholly prevent his Attempt. But be­cause such continual Attention to spiritual [Page 170] Meditations is, I will not say rare, but impracticable in this imperfect State of Life; instead of that, Men should endea­vour to employ their Souls continually with some certain Thoughts, which if not Pious, yet at least may be innocent. It is a no less true than common Maxim, That Idleness lays men open to the snare of the Devil. The reasonableness of which Position, plainly appears from what I have already laid down, concerning the manner of the Devils Operation in his Temptation. For this Being, by im­printing the first Thoughts of any Ob­ject in the minds of Men, he hath no where so easie an entrance, as where the Soul lies open on all sides, uncultivated, unemployed. In such a state, the mind of Man is capable of any Impressions, and ready to receive them, and when it hath received them, will scarce make any other than a feeble Opposition to the plausible Insinuations of evil Spirits. And for this Reason, I suppose, the Ha­bitation of the Devil is so often in Scri­pture said to be more particularly in the Wilderness and in Desart Places, where Men for want of Business or innocent Society, wherewith to entertain the Fa­culties of the Soul, lay open to his As­saults. [Page 171] Whereas if the mind busieth it self continually either in pious Medita­tions, lawful Concerns of the Body, Knowledge and Prosecution of useful Arts and Sciences, in a chast Society, or in­nocent Recreations; the Imagination be­ing prepossessed with the Conception of those Objects, wherein the mind is em­ployed, leaves no room for the Suggesti­ons of the Devil, and happily precludes them.

Man is a thinking Being, enjoying an active and immaterial Soul; which as such, must necessarily be always em­ployed in some Cogitation or other. If then Men will take no care to direct and regulate their Thoughts at all times, the infallible effect will be, that they must blindly follow, either the for­tuitous Conceptions of a roving Imagi­nation, or the impressions of external Ob­jects, or the secret insinuations of subtile and wicked Spirits. In this Condition Man inconsiderately follows that Idea which first strikes him; and then no wonder the Devil makes use of this fa­vourable opportunity to take Possession of his Imagination, and turn it to his own Destruction.

[Page 172] Having thus represented to you the principal and most effectual Methods of resisting our grand Adversary the De­vil, arising from our own natural Power and Faculties; I proceed to consider the external Assistances, whereby Man is ena­bled to carry on the same Design with Success; and these are chiefly two, the Grace of God, and the Assistance of good Spirits. And of these briefly in their Order.

The Grace of God and the Inspirations of his Holy Spirit are never wanting to faithful Christians in this spiritual Combat. He hath engaged that he will never suffer us to be tempted above what we are able, but will with the temptation also make a way for us to escape. And this Promise he observes in­violably; by enlightening our minds, by directing our Thoughts, by influencing our Wills. Not that all the aforemen­tioned Faculties of the Soul of Man, and Abilities of resisting the Temptations of evil Spirits, are less owing to him, than these more extraordinary Emanations; both equally proceed from his Gift, both are to be ascribed to his Liberality. But the former are the natural Faculties of Man, which cannot be wanting to him while he is Man; which depend not up­on [Page 173] the good or bad use of them, and are never withdrawn from us, nor denied to us. The latter are the supernatural Gift of God, which Man cannot claim in right of his Nature, are conferred on­ly to the worthy receiver; and are withdrawn upon the abuse or neglect of them.

It is no hard matter to conceive, how God herein influenceth the Soul of Man, after it hath been shewed, that even fi­nite Spirits can effect it. If they could by long Experince find out what Cogi­tations of the mind were annexed to such Motions in the Brain; He surely, who did at first unite them, cannot be ignorant of them. If evil Spirits, by the Priviledge of immaterial Beings, can communicate Thoughts to the Soul of Man by immediate influence; He certain­ly who is the supreme Lord of all, can do much more. He may proceed in other Methods, nothing being impossible to him, nor himself subject to the Laws of Nature. However this we must assured­ly believe, that God changeth not the Order of Nature herein, in violently with-holding our Wills from Consenting to the Sollicitations of the Devil. He deals with us as with rational Beings, [Page 174] pointeth out the right way to us, per­swadeth us to enter into it, fixeth Re­wards at the end of it, moveth us gent­ly by his Holy Spirit to embrace it: but after all, will not forcibly carry us into it. And thus he deals with us when tempt­ed by the Devil, he giveth us sufficient strength to withstand him, enlightens our Souls with a full Prospect of those Argu­ments which may withdraw the Will from his Sollicitations; but after all leaves it at Liberty, and awaits the issue. Not that this extraordinary Assistance is given to all, who are tempted of the Devil; but that it is denied to none, who right­ly seek it. He withdraws his Grace, if it be not earnestly desired, if it be not thankfully received, if it be not soberly used, if it be not rightly improved; as he formerly delivered up the Rebellious Israelites to their own hearts lusts, and to follow their own Imaginations; and as still by the solemn Censures of the Church, when rightly applied, wicked Christians are delivered up to Satan, to be led captive by him at his Will.

Another method, whereby God assist­eth Mankind extraordinarily against the Temptations of the Devil, is by restrain­ing his force and limiting his Malice. [Page 175] The Devil cannot perform any Act of Temptation without the ordinary per­mission of God; and oft-times he is ex­traordinarily restrained by his Almighty Power from tempting faithful Men be­yond the proportion of their Ability to endure. God putteth a Hook in the Nose of this Leviathan▪ and fixeth his bounds unto him, how far he shall pass and no farther; as in the Case of Job, where he determined, how far his Power of Temp­tation should extend, and forbad him to proceed any farther than to such a De­gree. And this is one of the general and most conspicuous Benefits of Christiani­ty, that by the Reception and publick Profession of it, the Devil, that old Dragon in the Revelations, is chained up, his Power abridged, his Malice weakned.

Before the Promulgation of the Chri­stian Religion, he had procured to him­self an universal Worship in the World; except in the small spot of Judea, erected Oracles, and daily effected lying wonders. Men were from their Infancy trained up in his Service, and to be subject to him was the Unhappiness of their Education. If any opposed his Worship, he was presently decried as an Atheist, as an in­troducer of new Religions, obnoxious to [Page 176] severe Punishments by the Laws of the Empire; if Men entertained a Suspicion of that irrational Worship which he had formed; he could amuse the Minds of his followers by seeming Miracles, Fright them into his Obedience by Prodigies, keep up the Reputation of Divinity by Sorceries and Predictions. All this was then permitted to him, till the glo­rious Light of the Gospel appeared; his Power then sensibly decreased, untill the open Exercise of it was wholly determi­ned, by the publick Profession of Chri­stianity in the World. He was then re­manded to the bottomless Pit, ceased to be the Prince of the Air, deprived of the Power of working apparent Miracles, at least in Christian Countries; confined to secret and dark Operations only; and e­ven those in great measure enervated and defeated by that ordinary Grace, which is bestowed on all Christians in the publick Sacraments and Offices of the Church.

It remains that I add somewhat of the Assistance given to us by good Spi­rits against the Temptations of evil Spi­rits; of which the Solemnity of this day doth particularly require a grateful Ac­knowledgment; which was piously in­stituted by the Church in Commemora­tion [Page 177] of those many and eminent Benefits, which we receive from the Holy Angels. Among these none of the least is what we now treat of, their assisting us in resisting the Temptations of evil Spirits. For being ministring Spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall be Heirs for Salvation, as it is Heb. I. 14. they apply themselves with unwearied Diligence to this Charitable Office; attending the Motions of our Minds, insinuating good Counsels, countermining the Stratagems of the Devil, enlightning the Mind, moving the Affections, promoting the good of the Soul.

How all this is performed by them, we may easily conceive, after a clear Comprehension of the method whereby evil Spirits operate in our Souls. For whatsoever natural Power these Possess, equally belong to the Holy Angels, who partake of the same Nature, and differ only in the quality of good and bad. If they have the Power of moving Matter, and so of affecting our Imagination; much more these, who are the Messen­gers of God. If they can imprint Ideas in our Mind by immediate influence; much more these, whose pious Designs are bles­sed and prospered by their Almighty pa­tron. [Page 178] If they by long Observation have found out the turnings and windings of the Heart of Man; these possess by Na­ture an equal knowledge, and have ob­tained a much greater by Divine Com­munication. If they have discovered the less defensible places of the Soul of Man, where the Attempt may most successful­ly be made; these have discerned the Arguments of Obedience, which are most perswasive to every single Man, and fail not to apply them fitly. If they prose­cute their hatred and wicked Designs a­gainst Mankind with unwearied Malice; these continue their good Offices with no less constant Diligence and Charity. If they be rendered vigorous and powerful in all their Actions by their Subtilty, Agility, long Experience and comprehen­sive Knowledge; these obtain the same Faculties in equal Perfection, and with far greater Probability of success in the use of them; in as much as therein these act in Obedience to God, they in opposi­tion to him; these with a constant Com­placency and Prospect of reward to be obtained by it; those with a perpetual Vexation, as knowing the increase of their Punishment, doth attend it; these assisted and directed by God, those restrained and [Page 179] with-holden by him. In short, if the Devils bring great Detriment to the spi­ritual Interests of Mankind, the Angels bring no less advantage to it; that it may be questioned whether it were more eli­gible for Man to suffer the Temptation of evil, for the Assistance of good Spi­rits, or to want them both together. Only the same Caution, which we before observed to be necessary in procuring and continuing the Grace of God, is also required here; that we render our selves worthy of it by a diligent Concurrence; and that as we should not by our Perverse­ness grieve the Holy Spirit of God, so neither should we by our Negligence and obsti­nate Perseverance in Sin grieve the Holy Angels.

And this is the only Reward, which for all their Labour and Care bestowed on us, they require of us; that together with them we pay a due Obedience to our common Master; that we defeat not their Charitable Designs by our own Wil­fulness. Worship and other Signs of Di­vine Honour they affect not; nay this they will not receive from us. The end of their Labour is to procure Happiness to Man, and the Reward of it, next to the Conscience of having obeyed their [Page 180] great Master, is the satisfaction of their Success in it. Their only aim is that we would joyn with them here in paying intire Obedience to our common Crea­tor; that so we may joyn with them hereafter in singing Praises to him.

To him therefore be ascribed the Glory and Thanks of all their Charitable Ope­rations in relation to Mankind; to him be rendred all Praise and Honour, who at first Created such excellent Beings, and afterwards sent them forth to Minister to our Salvation; who hath placed in us Souls not unlike to these noble Beings; and hath Promised, that if we be not wanting to our selves, he will in due time make us fully like unto them. To him, with his Son and blessed Spirit, be ascrib­ed all Power, Might, Majesty, Dominion and Adoration, henceforth and for evermore.

IT is the peculiar Character of the Christian Religion, that it is adapted as well to the Interest as the reason of Mankind; that it is not only Consentaneous to our Natures, but advantageous to our Persons; that it not only prescribes to us our Duty, but directs us in the way of Happiness. Herein it infinitely surpasseth even all the more refined Systems of the Gentile Divinity and Philosophy. They [Page 182] pretended to no more than to refine our Reason, and enlighten our Understand­ing, by the Knowledge and considera­tion of Truth. But then they could pro­duce nothing, wherewith to satiate the unbounded Appetite of the Will, and create a real Happiness. Many of them indeed asserted the immortality of the Soul; but neither hoped a Resurrection of the Body, nor any reward of the Soul, beside the Conscience of a vertu­ous Life.

The Jewish Oeconomy indeed had a reward annexed to it, but such as fell infinitely short of the Desires of Man­kind, and the Capacity of rational Be­ings: as being wholly restrained to the Pleasures of this Life, and appropriated to the more ignoble part of Man the Body. Whereas our Saviour, in this last Revelation of God communicated by him to the World, whereby the Hap­piness of Mankind was fully to be com­pleated, and our Natures raised to the highest Perfection, hath consulted not only the Reason, but the interest of Mankind.

He hath satisfied the first, by giving us a spiritual and rational Religion, not tied up to the beggerly Elements of the [Page 183] World, nor wholly immersed in Rites and Ceremonies; but agreeing to the Di­ctates of Nature, and first Principles of Reason. And then in the second Place he hath advanced our Interest by pro­posing to us an infinite and eternal Re­ward far surpassing all the Pleasures and Delights of this World.

Our most Wise and ever Blessed Law­giver knew very well, that the greatest part of Men are more moved with Ar­guments of Profit, than with Considera­tions of Duty. The latter only affect our Understandings; but the first strike our Senses, and ravish our Will.

He might as well by the right of Creation as Redemption have enjoyned to us all the Precepts of the Christian Religion, without annexing any Reward to the performance of them. It had even then been our Duty to obey; and a sufficient Happiness by obeying to serve the great ends of our Creator. And therefore all the Patriarchs before Abraham served God without any ex­press promise of a Reward, much less a Reward of that Nature and Value, as is proposed to us Christians. They might indeed justly hope for the Fa­vour of God; but then that Favour [Page 184] might consist only in providing them food, and Rayment, and other common Bene­fits of humane Nature, and could not with any certainty be extended farther.

Since our Saviour therefore together with a most excellent Religion hath de­livered to us an assurance of eternal Hap­piness; and requireth our Obedience for no other end, than that we may thereby obtain this Reward: as we ought to admire and magnifie the infinite Goodness of God; so must we condemn our own extreme Folly if we neglect or contemn so great Hap­piness.

This is an Argument highly accom­modated to the Understanding and Capa­city of all Men, and therefore is very fre­quently urged by Christ, who begin­neth his Sermon upon the Mount in the V. Chap. of St. Matthew with affixing this Promise to the greater and more ar­duous Duties of the Christian Religion, that so the Difficulty of these might wil­lingly be overseen by us upon the Pro­spect of the Greatness of our Reward. So Matth. XIII. 44. he compareth the Kingdom of Heaven to a Treasure hid in a Field, the which when a Man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth [Page 185] and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field: and in the following Verses to a Merchant selling all his Estate to buy on Pearl of great price. By which Sale [...], and by the Joyfulness attend­ing it, he intimates that all worldly Considerations are to be foregone, when they stand in Competition with the hopes of another Life.

A Position which might justly be e­steemed a Paradox, if that infallible Mouth had not pronounced it; and Reason did not in some measure assure us of the Truth of it. But such was both the Wisdom and Goodness of our Saviour in prescribing to us a rule of Life; that he chose to make use of all the Arguments, wherewith either the Will or Understanding of Mankind could be incited, to engage us to the Obser­vation of it; that so if the Duty we owe to God for the Benefits of Creation, Pre­servation and Life, could not enforce us; if the wonderful Love of our Redeem­er dying for us could not perswade us; if Gratitude to both could not o­blige us; if neither Reason nor Autho­rity could prevail with us to endeavour the Perfection of our Nature, by Holi­ness and Submission to the Divine Will; [Page 186] and thereby to serve the great Ends of our Creation: yet the Promise of an eternal Crown, and the Consideration of so vast an Interest might enforce us to Obedi­ence.

This obviates all the Objections even of worldly Men, who must needs Con­fess, that in vain do they Labour for the Attainment of Felicity in this Life, if it can never truly be found on this side Heaven. A thorough perswasion of the Truth of this would banish all sinful Temptations, and extravagant Desires of carnal Pleasures. For Men would be the most deplorable and irrational of all Creatures, if they preferred a present trifle before a future Treasure, and vo­luntarily quitted the Life of Angels, to retain those Pleasures which are common to Beasts.

And not only doth this Truth hold in quitting the momentany Enjoyments of this Life, and suffering our selves to be deprived of them for an exchange of fu­ture Glory; but even in undergoing the greatest Afflictions of this Life, and em­bracing Death it self, upon the same Account. This our Saviour chiefly aims at in this place.

[Page 187] For when in the foregoing Verses he had foretold, that bearing the Cross should be inseparable from the Profes­sion of the Christian Religion; and that he who endeavoured to decline this Cross, and save his Life by a denial of his Faith, should thereby incurr a much greater Punishment than is the loss of this temporal Life, he subjoyns in the words of my Text, For what shall it pro­fit a Man, if he shall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul?

As if he should say. That System of Religion which I have instituted and recommended to you, is not intended to enlarge or satisfie the Pleasures of the Body; but to increase the Dignity of the Soul, improve its Faculties, and pro­cure to it a Happiness commensurate to the Vastness of its Desire, and the Libe­rality of its Creator. Whosoever there­fore seriously intends to become my Dis­ciple, and partake of the Benefits of my Gospel, must prepare himself with a firm Resolution to quit all the Interests and Advantages of the World, embrace Afflictions, and not decline Death, when­soever the Malice of wicked Men and the Obligation of my Commands shall require that Tryal and Testimony of his [Page 188] Obedience. And in so doing he shall not only perform his Duty, but secure and promote his Interest. For those, who shall basely renounce their Allegi­ance to me, or violate my Commands, to save their own Lives, and avoid the Malice of their Enemies, shall after this Life undergo a much greater Loss and Punishment, than that which they so Cowardly fear'd, and ungenerously de­clin'd.

On the other side, they who shall wil­lingly lay down their Lives, and slight all the Terrors of Men and Devils, to pre­serve their Obedience to me intire, and retain the Profession of my Gospel, shall be certainly Crowned with so great a Reward, that the loss of this temporal Life will be inconsiderable, in respect of that eternal Life which is attain­ed by it. This is your Interest as well as my Command; your Profit as well as Duty. For it is not only reasonable that every Man should quit that parti­cular share and Portion, which he hath in the Pleasures and Possessions of this World, to secure thereby his Hopes of a future Happiness; but even if all the Riches and Possessions of the World were [...]aped upon one single Man, or could be [Page 189] all obtained by denial of my Religion or Violation of my Laws, yet would it not be a sufficient Motive for so great a Crime. And he that should preva­ricate upon such mean Considerations, would find in the end, when he casts up his Account, that he hath gained no­thing.

To evince, illustrate and recommend to you this great Truth is the Design of my present Discourse. Which therefore I shall divide into these two Heads.

• I. That the Interests of the Soul are infinitely greater and more considerable, than those of the Body.
• II. That this Interest is destroyed, and the Soul rendred miserable by diso­bedience to the Laws of God.

I. That the Interests of the Soul are infinitely greater and more considerable, than those of the Body. And this appears, if we consider either the Reason and Na­ture of things, or the Revelation and Commands of God. Under the first Head may be comprised the Nature and Dig­nity of the Soul, and the Excellency of those peculiar Perfections and Rewards which the Soul is capable of.

First then, the Dignity and Precedence of the Soul, was ever acknowledged in [Page 190] all Ages, by wife and learned Men of all Sects and Perswasions; nay even the more rude and illiterate parts of Man­kind did ever firmly believe this, as an Opinion planted in them by the first Di­ctates of Nature, and arising from the first Principles of Reason.

That we have an immortal Soul, is a thing which ought to be supposed by all, who profess the least shew of Reli­gion; and cannot be denied without the total Destruction of it. All false Reli­gions were invented by Men, and the true Religion proposed by God, merely for the Improvement and direction of this noble Being. It is this only which distinguisheth us from the Rank and Condition of Beasts, which likens us to God, and makes us little inferiour to the Angels. It is this, whereby we contem­plate the admirable and wonderful Per­fections of God; understand the Wis­dom of his Government, and the Great­ness of his Works. It is this alone whereby we form Habits of Vertue, and do any thing grateful to our Creator: whereby we receive the Instructions of God, and know his Will. And there­fore Prov. XX. 27. the Spirit of Man is called the candle of the Lord: because by [Page 191] that only we receive the Divine Illumina­tions, and are instructed in the way to Happiness. This Dignity and Prefe­rence of the Soul beyond the Body might be at large demonstrated from many other Considerations, but I will insist only upon three which are plain and obvious to the understanding of all Men.

As first, by the Soul alone we receive the influence and benefits of God. Some Divine Benefits indeed belong also to the Body, as Creation and Preservation, but those are common to all other Creatures, and belong equally to the vilest of all created Beings: whereas the Favours granted to the Soul are peculiar to it, and to infinitely greater value. For to pass by the natural Priviledges of Knowledge, Desire and a Capacity of improvement; all the superadded Happiness of our Na­ture is intirely bestowed on it alone. All Revelation was given for the Instru­ction of this noble Being, that so it might not be inferiour to the Angels in Happi­ness, to whom it is little inferiour in Dignity. To rescue this from the Sla­very of Sin and Dominion of the Devil, the Son of God descended from Heaven, lived an afflicted Life, and died a shame­ful [Page 192] Death. Into this, as into a capaci­ous Treasure, are all the Divine Graces conveyed; Graces of which the Body is no more capable, than a Stock or Stone. Lastly by the Merits or Guilt of the Soul, the Body will be hereafter ei­ther saved or condemned. If then all the Blessings of Heaven be primarily be­stowed upon the Soul; if this be the only receptacle of moral Vertues and Di­vine Graces; if the Son of God vouch­safed to do and suffer so much for the Salvation of it; if all the future Happi­ness of the Body depends upon the well-doing of the Soul: certainly this Soul deserveth our greatest Regard and Con­sideration, as by which alone we obtain the Favour of God, and are made like unto him, by imitating his Perfections, as far as our finite Nature will permit us, in the Practice of Vertue and Holiness of Life.

In the next place, 'tis the Excellency of our Souls alone which distinguisheth one Man from another, and maketh a­ny Person more excellent than his Neigh­bour. It is a childish mistake of Men to imagine that Riches, or Honour, or temporal Greatness, gives a real Excel­lency to Mankind, or confers a true [Page 193] Dignity upon the Possessors of them; since all these outward Advantages are common to the worst and most profli­gate of Men; who as they are most mi­serable in themselves, so they deserve no other than the Slight and Contempt of all who know them. Not to say that all these things are frail and momentany, of which a Man may be bereaved in an hour, either by the inconstancy of For­tune, or the Malice of others. But we can­not imagine that our Wise Creatour should assign that to be our chief Per­fection, of which we might either be de­prived or defrauded; and that our Hap­piness should be in the Power, and at the Mercy of another Man. In that Case we should have been more mise­rable than all the rest of the Creation; if it were not in every Man's Power to become Happy. So true is it, that all the Excellency of Man consists in the great and eminent Endowments of his Soul; which the poorest of Men may obtain, and when obtained can by no Art or Fraud be taken from him.

Thus the Scripture, giving an account of the eminent Perfections of Daniel, the Honour and Reverence paid to him, and Dignities conferr'd upon him, gives this [Page 194] as the Reason of it: Because an excellent Spirit was in him, Dan. VI. 3. It was that alone which caused him to surpass the ordinary Rank of Men, and made him the Favourite of Heaven. Not that a more excellent and perfect Soul was infused at first into him, than into the rest of Men; (for all Souls are crea­ted equal, and are capable of the same Improvements) but that he had adorned it with all the Perfections of Reason and Religion, and thereby rendred it wor­thy the Favour of God, and Esteem of Men.

And herein clearly appears both the Goodness of God, and the Happiness of Men, that all these Improvements and Cultivations of the Soul are equally pos­sible to the Poorest, as well as the rich­est Men. Poverty and temporal Cala­mity cannot exclude us from the ut­most Perfection, and in that from the greatest Happiness. It is in the Power of the meanest Person to be truly more Excellent than his rich Neigh­bours, and to ensure to himself the Fa­vours of Heaven, although not the Riches of the Earth. Thus God hath in Truth made an equal Distribution to all Men, by assigning to all Souls an [Page 195] equal Capacity. For as for the Goods of Fortune, when put in the Scale with Piety and the interests of Religion, they deserve not the least Consideration. There are some Endowments of the mind indeed which are not common, and cannot be obtained by all Men, as Lear­ning and an exquisite Knowledge. These may put in a fair Plea for an intrinsick Worth and Excellency, as being insepa­rable from the Soul when once acquired; of infinite use in this Life, and perhaps greater in the next. But then there are disadvantages attending such acquired Knowledge, which may justly take off the immoderate Desire of it, and make it become no reasonable Ob­ject of Envy to a pious unlearned Christian. As that it renders the way to Heaven infinitely more difficult to the Possessors of it; exposeth them to many and great Temptations, not common to all other Persons; but chiefly because more and greater Duties are required of them, greater and more severe Punish­ments attend the neglect of them.

In the more unlearned sort God re­quireth no more than a hearty Sincerity, Belief and sure Trust in the Merits of a Crucified Saviour, and living up to the [Page 196] great Truths of Religion, and Principles of common Honesty. In them he wil­lingly over-seeth small and trivial Faults, and imputes not Errors to them, unless they influence and corrupt their Practice. But of the more learned sort of Chri­stians he requireth right Notions of Re­ligion, and worthy Conceptions of the Divine Majesty, employing their know­ledge to the good of others, the Edifica­tion of the Church; and after all, an ex­act Observation of the most minute Pun­ctilios of the Divine Laws. In them mistakes are dangerous, and Pardon not so easie to be obtained. If indeed at last they be thought worthy of the Joys of Heaven, they will shine there in a more eminent Station and brighter Glory. But then, even the lowest Degree in Hea­ven is a greater Happiness, than we can either imagine or conceive.

Thus all the truly desirable Perfections of the Soul are possible to all, and debarr'd from none. Those are no other than an ardent Love of God, an active Zeal to his Service, a strict Sobriety in our selves, and a fervent Charity to all our Neigh­bours. How far these will advance the Dignity of our Souls appears hence, that these only make us capable of the Joys [Page 197] of Heaven; that 'tis the perfect and un­interrupted Possession of these which maketh Angels, and the want of these which maketh Devils.

Lastly, Our Body, when considered a­lone, hath nothing excellent beyond other material Creatures, nor is capable of any Improvements. It is taken out of the same Mass of Matter with other Bodies, and after the Separation of the Soul by Death is resolved into the same Corrup­tion, becomes Filth and Rottenness, and in Truth the most odious of all things. Nay even in this Life, it would be subject to the same miserable Condition with the Beasts of the Field, if it were not actuated by a noble and generous Soul, which rescues it from the common Cala­mity of dull and vile Matter, and giveth it the Honour to be joyned to, and be the Companion of, a most excellent and immortal Spirit. And so far is this Body from receiving new Perfections in this Life, that it continually decays till it be laid in Ashes, and become as the Dung of the Earth. None yet with the great­est Care and Diligence could give Beau­ty to their Bodies, or as our Saviour ex­presseth it, add one cubit to their stature. None with the greatest Art and Industry [Page 198] can make their Senses more quick and accurate: But certainly not any can pro­cure immortality to their Bodies; a Pri­viledge which naturally belongs to the Soul.

We believe indeed, That our Bodies shall be hereafter invested with Immor­tality, and made Partakers of the Glories of Heaven, but then they shall be chang­ed into a spiritual Nature; devested of these gross Senses, which now accompany us, and are the great Instruments of our Worldly and admired Pleasures. For then, There will be neither eating nor drink­ing, marrying nor giving in marriage; but we shall be like the Angels of heaven, in the Fruition of purely spiritual Delights. Which is an invincible Argument of the Vanity and Vileness of earthly and car­nal Enjoyments: that we cannot be made happy without the loss of them. If they had been indeed of any real worth, God would have continued them to us in another Life. But since he hath made way to the Consummation of humane Happiness, by the Abolishment of all gross and sensual Pleasures; and despoils the Body, to enrich the Soul: We can­not but conclude these transitory Enjoy­ments are light and trifling, incompati­ble [Page 199] with real Happiness, and unworthy the Spirits of just men made perfect.

I come next to consider the Excellency of those peculiar Perfections and Re­wards which the Soul is capable of beyond the Body. Those Pleasures of which alone our Body is capable, and which we are apt so much to admire here below, consist only in the Gratifi­cation of our Senses; Delights which are so far beneath true Happiness, that they are common to Beasts, finite, short, and contemptible. The frequent Repe­tition of them may be thought to in­crease their worth; but then this very Repetition becomes nauseous, and is no­thing else but the Reiteration of the same thing. The desire of them is commonly produced by an irregular Appetite, but always by the infirmity of our Nature; and when performed they leave no Sa­tisfaction behind them. They cloy the Appetite, and by their frequency become troublesome and even odious to us; are finished in a few moments; and then leave nothing grateful behind them. But which is chiefly to be considered, end with our Life, and even in Life may be obstructed by Diseases and Cala­mities.

[Page 200] An eminent Instance of this we have in Solomon, in whom all the Greatness and [...]leasures of the World were joyned. He presided over a mighty and powerful People, and that in greater Glory, than all the Kings before or after him. So that if Ambition worldly Honour and Pomp, could make him Happy, he pos­sessed them all in great abundance. If the Fame of Wisdom, and a profound Veneration among neighbour Nations, could increase this Happiness, it was not wanting to him; to whom the Queen of Sheba came from the farthest parts of the East to hear the wisdom of his mouth. If Riches can confer any thing to this desired Perfection, none can put in a bet­ter Claim for it than he, in whose time Gold was esteemed no more than Iron, and Silver as stones for the abundance of it. Lastly, if the Pleasures of Sense can compleat our Happiness, none had greater Advantages than he, at whose Command was the most fruitful part of the World, and who was Blessed with a profound and uninterrupted Peace all his Life.

And least we should imagine, that he made no use of all these Advantages, and supposed means of Happiness; he assureth [Page 201] us, Eccles. II. 10. That whatsoever his eyes desired, he kept not from them; nor with-held his heart from any joy. Nay by a strange kind of Curiosity, that he might leave nothing unattempted, he tells us, That he gave his heart to know madness and folly, Eccles. I. 17. One who had all these Advantages, had run thro' all the Scenes of Pleasure, and could by his exquisite Wisdom and Knowledge of the Nature of things, heighten and re­fine these Pleasures, must be allowed to be a competent Judge of the worth and value of them. Yet after all, he gives this Verdict of them, Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity.

If then no real Happiness, if no solid Pleasure can be had from the Enjoyments of Sense, from Riches, and the outward Pomp of the World; we must recurr to the Faculties of the Mind, where we shall find an Happiness truly solid, and which is more eternal. None but a vast and infinite Good can satisfie the unbound­ed Desires of our Mind, nothing less than Eternity it self can satiate an immortal Being. For however our Souls be finite, as all other Creatures are, yet our Wills have no limits, but continually desire somewhat more; unless that Good which [Page 202] they already possess, can receive no far­ther Additions. This Good is no other than God, who alone can fix our restless Wills, and by his infinite Perfections ra­vish them with Wonder and Pleasure at the same time. This is a Happiness truly peculiar to spiritual Beings, who alone can contemplate the Majesty and inimitable Goodness of their Creator; and, by so doing, secure to themselves an Happiness infinite in it self, not inferior to the vast Desires of the Will, which surviveth all the changes of Fortune, Malice of Men, and even Death it self.

If we cannot, or will not, believe the Greatness of these spiritual Pleasures, their convenience to the Nature of our Souls, and the infinite duration of them; 'tis because we are unacquainted with them; immersed in gross and earthly Delights so far, that we are neither willing, nor perhaps able to receive these greater and more real Enjoyments, by attending so much to the things of this World, we have even changed the Nature and No­bleness of our Souls, and from Guides and Directors made them mere Instru­ments to our Bodies, devested them of all remembrance of their Divine Original, [Page 203] degraded them into a servile Condition, and were we not sometimes put in mind of the interest of another World, should perhaps forget that we were created in a Condition little lower than the Angels.

Thus far Reason teacheth us, That the interests of the Soul are to be prefer­red to those of the Body: Revelation doth the same no less fully. This was the great end of the Christian Religion, to wean our Affections from worldly Pleasures, and fix them upon things above; to withdraw us by degrees from the Earth, and seat us at last in Heaven. To this the whole Genius and Temper of our Religion plainly tends, command­ing us to be ready at all times to take up the Cross, undergo Persecutions, em­brace Afflictions, and even suffer Death, when the interest of our Souls requireth us to do it. Thus our Saviour tells us, He who loveth Father and Mother, Wife or Possessions, beyond him, is not fit to be his Disciple: and among other Precepts, commands that his Followers should deny themselves, that is, be ready to part with all the Pleasures of the World, and imaginary Delights of Nature, when they stand in Competition with the in­terests of another Life. This Duty is [Page 204] so strict, that for the Observation of the most minute Precept, all Considerations of wordly Profit and Pleasure must be fore­gone; and the whole Body destroyed, rather than the Soul in the least be in­jured.

Our Saviour gave us an eminent Ex­ample of this in himself; who in that Life which he was pleased to lead on Earth for the Salvation of a miserable and wretched World, used none of all those Pleasures, which we so much ad­mire, and greedily hunt after; denied to himself even the Conveniencies of Na­ture, and therein put his Body to greater Hardships than the very Beasts. For the Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the Air have nests: but the Son of Man had not whereon to lay his head. As for Pains and Torments, which we so much dread, and are certainly the greatest Calamities which can attend the Body, he willingly underwent them, suffered himself to be Crucified as a Malefactor, chiefly indeed to appease the Divine Anger, and atone for our Sins; but in the second place, to give us an Example with how great rea­diness and Patience, we ought to submit to all Afflictions, and even Death it self, when they tend to promote the interests of the Soul.

[Page 205] If then the Commands of God, and the Example of Christ can perswade us; if Divine Revelation, and the remem­brance of the Holy Jesus can move us; there is no doubt to be made of this great Truth, so plainly taught and revealed in Scripture, that I will not any longer in­sist upon it.

I pass to the second Proposition, that the Interests of the Soul are destroyed by Sin or Disobedience to the Laws of God. These Laws were at first given to direct the Soul in the way to Happiness; and, when complyed with, fail not to obtain their End. No wonder then, if when we neglect these means, we miss the End; and, by pursuing contrary Methods, ren­der our selves miserable. That ye may the better be convinced of this, I will speak of the Effects of Sin upon the Soul in general, and of this Sin of Apostacy, to which our Text more peculiarly re­lates in particular.

As to the first then, we may observe, That sin is contrary to the very Nature of the Soul, which is a rational Being, and as such ought to govern and direct its Actions according to the Laws of Reason. Otherwise it would be worse than insensible Beings, which all perform [Page 206] the several ends of their Creation, and by so doing perform the Commands of their Creatour. Whereas the Soul in contracting Habits of sin violates the Laws of Reason, debases its own Nature, rebels against God, and overthrows the end of its Creation. For for this very end our Souls were created, that they should Act as spiritual Beings, and govern them­selves by the Principles of Reason insert­ed in them. For this Purpose God gave us an understanding to distinguish be­tween good and evil, that we might be able to imitate the Perfections of our Creatour in Vertue and Holiness, and by a strict Observation of the Rules of Life formed by our Reason, at least maintain, if not advance our Nature. When after­wards through the Ignorance and Dege­neracy of Men, these Rules were cor­rupted, and our Judgments blinded, God gave us a standing Revelation, to ascertain to us our Duty, and let us know what we have to do. The performance of this was the end for which we were sent into the World, had Reason given us, and a Soul assigned to us. To neg­lect our Duty then, or violate it by the Commission of Sin, is no other than to deny and disclaim our Nature, defeat the [Page 207] ends of our Creation, and degenerate in­to a miserable sort of Beings. For as Sin turn'd Angels into Devils; so it doth the Souls of Men into somewhat worse than Devils. 'Tis true, they will still continue Souls, but that doth but aug­ment their Misery, because, being im­mortal, they will never cease to be mi­serable, always gnawed with the Con­science of their degenerous Actions, and the Horror of their own depraved Natures.

Secondly, Sin destroyeth the very for­mal Happiness of the Soul, which con­sists in the Love of God, the Contempla­tion of his Attributes, and the Admira­tion of his Perfections, as we before prov­ed. And in these will consist the Joys of Heaven, in a constant and serene Me­ditation upon the unparallel'd Perfecti­ons of our Creatour, in an ardent and perpetual Love of him, and Conscience of being loved by him. Now Sin sets a Man at Enmity with God, makes him unworthy his Favour, and hinders all such Contemplation. For how can we think on him with delight, whom we account our Enemy? Or how can we not esteem him our Enemy whose Laws we violate, and whose Precepts we contemn? The Conscience of this Divine Anger alone [Page 208] is a greater unhappiness than can be ea­sily imagined.

When a Soul is forced to say, God hath created me and doth now preserve me, but thinks me unworthy of his Be­nefits, and esteems me as the worst of his Creatures. 'Tis true he gave me Reason and Understanding, but they are to my Destruction and Misery. I acknowledge him to be an infinite Being worthy of all love and dread, but he denieth to me the influences of his Favour, doth not in­deed annihilate me; but 'tis because he reserveth greater Punishments for me. He put me here into a State of Probation on Earth, that I might fit my self to be his Attendant in Heaven; but now he hath excluded me from all Hopes of his Fa­vour, and destined me to be a Compa­nion of Devils. Such melancholly Thoughts will render the Soul truly mi­serable, and not only unhappy, but un­capable of Happiness.

For a Soul corrupted with Sin is no more capable of the Joys of Heaven, than is a blind Man of seeing the Light of the Sun. They are Delights of a purely spiritual Nature, and consist in an intire Conformity to the Will of God; so that if Heaven should by an unaccoun­table [Page 209] Miracle be bestowed upon wicked Men, the Pleasures of it would neither relish with them, nor be grateful to them.

Lastly, Sin defeats the future Interests of the Soul, by excluding it from its in­tended Reward, and engaging it in eternal Punishments. For in this Life the Soul is no more than Probationer for another, being a Being of it self capable of Per­fection, and by the singular Mercy of God to be endowed with it. So that it Acts here only in order to the Attain­ment of that great Perfection which we hope for hereafter; and by a prudent use of this World gaineth Admittance into the next, where it shall be received to the immediate Presence of God; and him whom it now views darkly and im­perfectly, shall then see face to face. This will give the last Perfection to our Na­tures, and raise them to the highest pitch, to which they can be advanced.

But Sin depriveth the Soul of this Hap­piness, and thereby permits it not to ob­tain its end. A Loss much greater, than Thought can imagine, or Tongue express; but still greater; when consi­dered, not only as a bare loss of the Joys of Heaven, but a fall into the bottom of [Page 210] Hell; where such Punishments will be inflicted, as will make the Soul desirous of Annihilation. And then the Excel­lency of its Nature will be so far from helping it, that it will infinitely aggra­vate the sharpness of its Pains. For its Immortality will render them eternal, and its Understanding will heighten the sense and feeling of them.

In this Life Sinners often are pleased with their own miserable Condition, and Fancy themselves seated in Paradise, when environed with Pleasures, and glut­ted with Enjoyments. They can stifle the Dictates of their Consciences, and se­curely make use of their imaginary Hap­piness. But in Hell their fire is not quenched, and their worm dieth not. The Sharpness of their Torments will not suffer them to rest. And if those should be extinguish­ed, yet will they still be tormented with an inward Fire, so much the more vio­lent, because then they will be certainly convinced in Judgment, that they acted against their own Interests, and the plain Rules of Reason, in running the Danger of eternal Punishments, for the sake of a few gross and trifling Pleasures.

We may next consider the peculiar influence of that Sin which our Saviour [Page 211] here chiefly intends. This is the Sin of Apostacy, or denial of the true Religion; against which Christ fore-arms his Fol­lowers by inculcating this necessary truth of preferring the goods of the Soul to those of the Body. For this foul Sin is ever committed for some temporal End, being too odious to recommend it self without some outward Advantages. Men deny not their God out of a dislike or dis­belief of him, but to secure to themselves a Fortune in the World, prevent some In­conveniencies, or gratifie some Lusts.

This is a Crime of the same Nature and Contagion with Idolatry under the old Law. For to worship a false God is the same thing as to deny the true one, and the first cannot be done without the latter. How heinous God accounted this, appeareth from the whole Tenour of the Mosaick Law, which is chiefly directed against this Sin alone. All the Writings of the Prophets are employed against it; and all the Judgments, which God ever inflicted upon his People of Israel are solely owing to this Cause: Insomuch, as there is no Record left in sacred Hi­story, of any Pardon ever granted to the Commission of this Sin.

And indeed a wilful Apostacy from the [Page 212] true Religion dissolves the very Union between God and Man, and leaves no place for Pardon. Such a Person openly by his Act proclaims to the World, that he will have nothing to do with God, bids defiance to him, and disclaims his Par­don. It would prostitute the Divine Mercy, and make it cheap and easie, to bestow it upon such execrable Villa­nies, which do violence to Heaven, and are the very last Efforts of Impiety. This cannot but degrade the Soul from its Affinity to God, and debar it from all nearer approach to his Presence. We cannot hope to have any Interest left in God after a denial of him, nor can with­out Horror entertain any remembrance of him. How then shall we make our Souls happy with the continual Meditation of his Perfections; or please our selves with the Hopes of the future Fruition of him? In that Case it will be our Inte­rest to banish all thoughts of God, and remove from our selves, as far as possible, all Considerations of a future State; that so we may not be alarmed with the dread of an angry God, and the Terrors of fu­ture Torments. Thus a denial of God against the Light of our own Consciences doth not only render us unhappy, but [Page 213] causeth us to endeavour to become yet more unhappy, by a total and wilful stifling of all Thoughts and Meditations of God, in which alone true Happiness consists.

And this is true not only in the Case of notorious Apostacy, when any one openly renounceth his Religion and deni­eth his belief of the true God; which Case, in these peaceable times of the Church doth not often happen; but also in the Commission of every deliberate Sin, which in truth is a no less formal Apostacy from God, than that before-mentioned; where the Sinner puts in the Scale the present Pleasure and Convenience of the Sin, with the future Consequence and Divine Pro­hibition of it; and after having weighed each rejects the Command of God, of which he is very Conscious, and prefers the present Satisfaction of the Sin. This is done in every deliberate Sin, and this is indeed a no less true Apostacy, than an open denial of God. For this we may be assured, that whosoever upon a de­liberate Choice prefers the seeming Plea­sures of any sin to the Command of God, would never foregoe all the Pleasures of this Life, and even Life it self, in obe­dience to the Will of God.

[Page 214] It remains that I make some Applica­tion of what hath been said. First then, if the Interests of the Soul be much greater than those of the Body, and the Happiness of the Soul consists only in the due Contemplation of God, and the pos­session of Piety and Vertue; let us en­deavour to render our Soul, even in this Life, as Happy as we possibly can. It is not reasonable, that all the Cares of our Life should be employed in provid­ing Necessaries or rather Superfluities to the Body, or attending to the Pleasures of it: That no farther use should be made of the Soul, than to serve as a Slave to the Body, to heighten its Enjoyments, and refine its Pleasures. Let us remem­ber that we carry about with us a more noble Being, which deserveth our Care in the first place, and cannot be neglected without the loss of Happi­ness.

May not God justly say to Mankind, I have given to you great and Celestial Souls, endued with wonderful Perfecti­ons, and capable of much greater, when rightly cultivated; your Bodies I formed from the Clay of the Earth, but your Souls I sent down from Heaven; the one I permit to return to Corruption, but [Page 215] the other I have invested with Immor­tality? How justly might I expect that you would have valued these two accord­ing to their several worth and Dignity: That you should not indeed starve the Body, nor Tyrannize over it, but how­ever attend chiefly to the Concerns of the Soul; that it might not fall short of that Happiness which I intended for it, nor be deprived of those spiritual En­joyments which it is capable of? But alas! Man is turned back and grown foolish, employeth himself with all his Diligence to procure Pleasures for his Bo­dy; rises early, sits up late, and eats the bread of carefulness, to heap up Riches for the Continuation of these Bodily En­joyments; makes this the only Business of his Life, and thinks of nothing else. As for his Soul he makes it a Slave to his Body, refuseth to receive Directions from it, and sometimes forgets that he hath any. What shall we answer to these Expostulations of God? I fear we can­not plead Innocence. Our Actions and the whole Course of our Lives de­monstrate the contrary. We are continually busie about enlarging our petty Acquisitions in the World, we trouble and turmoil our selves about [Page 216] the Conveniencies of the Body: but af­ford no leisure to the Soul to meditate upon the Greatness and Worth of her Creator, the necessity of her own Du­ties, and to form these Meditations into Habits of Vertue, and thereby procure to our selves that real Happiness even in this Life, which is infinitely more valua­ble, than all the Riches and Possessions of the World when joyned in one.

Again Secondly, If the Happiness of the Soul in this Life deserveth our greatest Care, much more doth the welfare of it in a future State, as being free from all Passions and Infirmities of the Body, and, which is more, eternal. This ought to be the Business and Employment of our whole Lives, that we fail not of the Consummation of our Hopes and Crown of our Happiness. And it would be so, if we were throughly perswaded of the Existence and immortality of our Souls, of the Greatness and Importance of their Interests, and the infinite Preference which is due to these beyond those of our Body. For can it be, that we are perswaded of the Truths of these things, and yet Act as though we had neither Souls nor Reasons; that we believe the Existence of another more Glorious and lasting [Page 217] State, and yet set up our rest in this; that we hope for the appearance of a Judge at the last day, and yet never think of making our Accounts ready? Let us reflect upon the Nature of our Souls, and justly weigh the great Interests of them; consider the Vanity of worldly Pleasures, and the shortness and inconstancy of this frail Life; remember the Glories of Hea­ven, and the inconceivable Happiness of another Life; and we must either put off our Reason, or employ it in pursuing those Interests, which do so greatly and so nearly concern us.

Let us be so brave and generous as not to think that we die like the beasts that perish; that we were made for greater and more noble Ends, intended for the Favour of God, and Society of An­gels; that we carry about with us spi­ritual Beings which cannot die, and will receive no Prejudice by the Dissolution of the Body; that these Souls were designed by God to receive a Participation of his own Glory, and will certainly do so, if they be not debarr'd from it by our fatal Stupidity and Neglect; and that in provi­ding for this more Excellent part of us, we secure likewise a Mansion for the Body, which at the general Resurrection shall [Page 218] be received into the same Station, and undergoe the same fate with the Soul.

If we were perfectly perswaded of the Truth of all this; we could not con­sign our selves up to pursue the Vanities of the World, and heap up Riches, which are of no Service for the Interests of another Life, and promote not our real Happiness in this. Can you be sup­posed to believe all this, and at the same time imploy your Lives upon the Pra­ctice of the contrary? Hope for the Per­fection designed, and make no step to­wards the Attainment of it; rather let us endeavour with our utmost Vigour to maintain that Degree which God hath assigned to us among created Beings; and not by our Degeneracy become the vilest and most miserable of all Crea­tures. Let us do nothing unworthy that noble Being, which is seated within us, nor cloath the Body with the Spoils of it. Let us maintain the Dignity and Character of our Natures, by a severe and unblemisht Integrity, and procure to our selves an assurance of those Per­fections which are allotted to us. Cer­tainly in worldly Matters, we willingly over-see lesser and more trivial Gains for obtaining of a greater and more substan­tial [Page 219] Profit; and should we not slight the impertinent Gayeties, and vile Allurements of the World, to secure to our selves a treasure which fadeth not, eternal in the Heavens?

Lastly, If the benefits of the Soul be ever preferable to the Interests of the Body; if all the Glories and Riches of this World be of small account, when opposed to the Happiness of the next; if the Favour of God, and Concerns of Re­ligion, be the only true Perfections of Mankind: a firm Constancy in the Exer­cise and Profession of Religion, although attended in this Life with the greatest Inconveniences, Discouragements and Afflictions, will not only be our Duty, but our highest Interest. This is the na­tural Consequence of the words of my Text, and the Conclusion which our Sa­viour himself drew from them, in the following Verse▪ with which I shall con­clude, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels.

THESE words are the Conclusion of a remarkable Parable of our Sa­viour, and seem to be the Scope to which his whole Discourse was therein directed; to shew the Vanity of that Pretence, wherewith unreasonable Men have been wont to defend or excuse their Sins; the uncertainty of the Rewards and Punish­ments of another Life, arising from the de­fect of a visible Experience of them, or an [Page 221] undeniable Attestation of the Truth of them by constant Miracles.

It was not for the peculiar Doctrines of Christ alone that the Jews required a Sign to be given to them, to demon­strate the Truth of them; but also in their ancient and received Doctrines they entertained Scruples, because not con­firmed by a constant Continuation of the same Miracles, which at first esta­blished them. An incredulity, as it should seem, Hereditary to the Jews, and renewed as often as the Divine Mi­racles were interrupted. No sooner was Joshua dead, and that Generation which had seen all the great works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel, as we are told in Judges II. but the next Generation even lost the knowledge of God, they knew not the Lord, as it is there expressed: and altho' Miracles were continued down a­mong them by the Ministration of the Pro­phets and Holy Men; yet as these could be visible but to a certain Number, they produced no universal influence, affe­cted not the rest; and even in those who saw them, they seemed to have produ­ced no other effect than wonder and A­musement. They still continued their disbelief of those Promises and Threats, [Page 222] which they saw not yet effected, and of that future State, which they did not yet perceive.

And it were to be wished that this in­credulity of the Jews had been so here­ditary to them, as to be peculiar to them; but it hath found place even among Chri­stians also; many of whom have even renounced and denied their Faith, be­cause themselves could not see those Mi­racles, upon the Authority of which Christianity was at first founded. Others become irresolute and remiss in the Pro­secution of their Duty, as being upon the same account unsatisfied in the e­vent of it. And all pretend that there is no Duty so difficult which they would not practise, no Pleasure so grateful which they would not Renounce; if God would satisfie their Doubts, raise their Atten­tion, and awaken their Thoughts, by some extraordinary Admonition or Ope­ration, such as the working of a Miracle, or sending one from the Grave, to assure them of the reality of another State from his own Experience.

That Men should make such Pretences for their Irreligion, is no wonder; sin appears odious and ugly to all even at the first Sight, and ever wants some Cloak [Page 223] to hide its Deformity; or that their Cu­riosity should prompt them to such un­reasonable Fancies, is not strange. The Desires of Men are wanton; and 'tis not the Body alone that hath irregular Lusts attending it. It is only to be admired that Men should not easily discover the Vanity of this Pretence; for the discovery of which our Lord hath plainly marked out the way to us in this excellent Parable; wherein the Example of a rich voluptu­ous Man is proposed to us, either disbeliev­ing, or at least putting far from him the Thoughts of another Life, and therefore busying himself wholly in the Pleasures of this World. On the other side we have a poor despised and afflicted Man, who in prospect of the Rewards of ano­ther Life patiently endured the Afflictions of this. Then the event of this different Conduct is proposed to us; the one tran­slated to the bosom of Abraham, that is, either to an eminent Station in Heaven, as some expound it, or to a Condition of Peace and Tranquility, as others: The other condemned to a State of Torments, to a Punishment so rigorous, that therein even the most inconsiderable Refreshment would appear to him the greatest Happi­ness; and that, altho' received by the [Page 224] means of one whom he had formerly so much contemned; desiring only that Lazarus, might be sent to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. He now becomes sensible of the certainty of those different States after Life, which he had before either disbelieved, or not con­sidered. The Rewards of good Men he finds in Lazarus whom he seeth afar off in Abrahams bosom. The Punishments of bad Men he experienceth in himself; and to compleat his Misery, is assured from Abraham, that the State of each is wholly unalterable, an unpassable gulf being fixt be­tween them.

In this miserable Condition, he cannot but reflect upon his own unhappiness; his incessant Pains will not permit him to lay aside those Thoughts; and then it is but natural to recal to Mind and bewail the Causes of it. He remembers, that all which now befalls him, had been in­deed foretold unto him; but that him­self had not, while alive, entred into a serious Consideration of it; as not being favoured with any extraordinary Admo­nition, which might strike his Thoughts and fix them to a serious reflection on his Duty. The Conscience of his own Mi­sery maketh him desirous, that none dear [Page 225] unto him, should fall into the same Ca­lamity; and then judging that what had been the occasion of his unhappiness, might also become their Ruin, the dis­belief or inconsideration of a future State; he desireth to prevent it; begging of Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead to his five brethren, to testifie unto them, least they also come into this place of torment. But in return to this, he is told, that his desire is unreasonable; since God hath provided an ordinary means for their Instruction, They have Moses and the Pro­phets, let them hear them; Ver. 29. and that even altho' granted, it would be unsuccessful: For if they hear not Moses and the Prophets; neither will they be per­swaded though one rose from the dead.

The Parable was spoken to the Jews, to whom nothing was expresly revealed concerning the Rewards or Punishments of another Life. So that it may be ad­mired how Abraham could remit the Bre­thren of Dives to Moses and the Prophets for Satisfaction in this Matter, when Mo­ses and the Prophets have nothing express concerning it.

To this we may answer, That the opinion of future Rewards and Punish­ments was at that time universally enter­tained [Page 226] among the Jews; and that drawn from the Law of Moses, and Writ­ings of the Prophets and inspired Men, by Interpretations generally received a­mong them. Their Scribes and Doctors, to whom our Saviour sends the People for Instruction, and from whom they received without scruple the Explicati­on of their Law, resolved all the Pro­mises and Threats of God into this Sense; so that those to whom our Lord spoke, made no doubt, but that all this was to be learned from Moses and the Prophets; and that it might be indeed deduced by just Inference, we may be sa­tisfied from that Argument of our Savi­our, wherewith he convinced the Sad­ducees; and on which the Author of the Hebrews so largely insisted after him; the not performing of any extraordi­nary Benefits to the Patriarchs in this Life by God, after the bestowing of very ample and magnificent Promises of Re­wards upon them. Whence it infallibly followed, that since God was true and could not be false to his Promise; he reserved the performance of it to another Life.

But we need not go so far to justifie this Expression of our Saviour; since his [Page 227] Design in this place was not so much to treat of the Nature or certainty of Re­wards or Punishments after Death, as to confute the Pretence of those Sinners, who in defence of their Sins alledged the want of extraordinary Conviction. For since God had prepared ordinary means of Conviction, and those abundantly sufficient for their designed end, in vain were any extraordinary means desired. Since if the Threats and Promises of God, whether relating to this or another Life, contained in the Writings of Moses and the Prophets; if all the Arguments, whereon the Truths of those Revelati­ons were at first established, could not engage Men to the Practice of their Duty, could not induce them to the belief or desire of those Promises, and to the fear of those Threats; if this ordinary me­thod of Conviction proved ineffectual, neither would the extraordinary Attesta­tion of the Divine Will by constant Mi­racles, or of the consequences of it, by the Apparition of deceased Men, who had experienced them, have any better Success. In Prosecution therefore of our Lords design in these words I will shew,

• [Page 228]I. That the Desire of extraordinary Conviction is unreasonable.
• II. That such extraordinary means of Conviction would be unuseful and un­successful.

As to the First, It is the Property not of God alone, but of all rational Agents also, not to Act in vain, but always for some Cause, and in Prosecution of some Design. When therefore God hath or­dained sufficient means for the Convicti­on of all Men in the ordinary methods of Salvation, which he hath established, it would be vain and trifling to practise extraordinary Methods; since this could tend to no end, every reasonable end be­ing supplied by the ordinary Means; and that the ordinary means doth sup­ply the end perfectly and sufficiently, we cannot doubt without calling in question the Wisdom of God who established it; but if it would be unreasonable in God to practise such extraordinary Methods, it will be absur'd in Man to desire it; since 'tis impossible that God should do any unreasonable thing.

Further, if the Majesty and Wisdom of God should permit it, it would yet be an intolerable Presumption in Man to desire or expect it. Our great Creator [Page 229] in framing the Universe, whereof Man­kind is but a small part, setled general Laws, whereby every part of it might be governed and directed. Not any part of the whole Creation moveth, but in Vertue of these general Laws, nor can all together deviate in the least from them. Now every Miracle is an Altera­tion of these general Laws; therein God supercedes the ordinary Course of the World, and produceth somewhat, which would never have happened without his extraordinary Interposition. What a Pre­sumption then would it be in Man to re­quire that God should exert his Omnipo­tence, as often as his vain Imagination should expect it; or that the constant Course of the World should be altered to please his Fancy?

It is indeed a great mistake of many Deists, that no Case can happen, wherein it shall be fitting to change the Course of Nature, and Act in a miraculous manner; that were to limit the Power of God, and to bereave him of the Attribute of infi­nite Goodness dispensing its self in extra­ordinary Emanations to Mankind. But it is a no less insolence to Desire, that the Divine Power should attend every idle Motion or Capricio, and work a Miracle [Page 230] as often as Man should entertain a doubt. Not to say that this would vilifie the Ma­jesty of God; and that it supposeth some greater Dignity in Man than is really in him, as if all the Creation should be re­versed or altered to satisfie his Will. This would destroy even the end of Miracles, which lose their Majesty and their Efficacy by being prostituted upon every mean Account. For if peculiar Miracles must be wrought to satisfie the Doubts of every Man, they must be so frequent, that it would be impossible to know what the fixed Course of Nature were, and so equally impossible to discern miraculous from natural Actions. Or if they could be separated, yet one would be no more regarded than the other; since it is the rareness and surprizingness of it which makes a Miracle considera­ble. And it is most certain, that the Power of God doth no less truly and fully exert it self in every ordinary Act of Nature, than in the greatest Miracle. Only the latter, being never performed but for some great and noble End, is justly esteemed the Indication of some particular Will of God; which it could not be, if it were as frequent as the or­dinary Effects of Nature; nor could it be [Page 231] less frequent, if it were always to be opposed to the Doubts and Scruples of private Men.

Again, it must be remembred, that in proposing any Religion to us, God deals with us as with rational Creatures; he giveth us sufficient means of Instructi­on; but as he forceth not our Will, so neither our Understanding. If the Prin­ciples of Faith were as demonstrative as Geometrical Propositions, as it would be impossible, that any should be Infidels; so neither would it be in the least com­mendable to be Believers: no more wor­thy of Reward, than to believe those Axioms which we cannot disbelieve, without forcing our Understandings, and giving the Lye to our own Reason.

All Religion, and the annexing of Rewards to it, supposeth somewhat in the Power of Man to embrace or reject, but this would not be, if as often as any Man should entertain a Doubt, God should visibly interpose, and deter him from it by some amazing Act of Omni­potence. Whereas the knowledge of God and true Religion, if it be sup­posed laudable or capable of any Re­ward, must require a suitable Diligence in Enquiry; a fit Preparation of Mind [Page 232] for the Reception of it, by removing all corrupt Passions and Inclinations, which may oppose the Admission of it; a seri­ous Examination of the Arguments which recommend it; a firm Expecta­tion of the Promises of God, although not yet perceived by Sense, nor as­certained by any Proof equivalent to Sense, yet confirmed by Arguments, which in a mind fitly disposed, and right­ly judging cannot be rejected. All these ends are excellently supplied in a fixed and standing Rule of Faith, wherein Di­vine Revelations are conveyed by the Ministration of Men; whereby neither the Divine Omnipotence is prostituted in working Miracles upon all occasions, nor the order of Nature continually re­versed, nor the Pride of Man fomented, nor his Understanding forced, nor the Merit of Faith defeated, but the Delive­ry of the Divine Will is performed in an easie, safe and sufficient method.

And when such an excellent method is once setled by the Divine Wisdom, it is most unreasonable to imagine, that God will violate or overturn it for the sake of any private Man▪ For this were to sup­pose, That some Emergencies may hap­pen not provided for in the general Con­stitution, [Page 233] and which God did not fore­see when he made that Establishment. Which sufficiently demonstrates not only the unreasonableness of those Men, who require particular Miracles for their pri­vate Scruples; but also the Vanity and mistake of those Enthusiasts, who after this ordinary Rule of Faith is setled, pre­tend to have received their System of Reli­gion from extraordinary Inspiration. For either the fixed Rule must be insufficient to teach them the Faith, which to affirm is a dishonour to God; or their Faith must be somewhat different from that contained in the ordinary Rule, which themselves will not allow; or God must Act in vain when he bestows such unne­cessary Illumination on them. The true Reason of such Mens fond conceit is no other than a vehement Pride, whereby they scorn to be included in the common Rank and Discipline of Christians; and from a haughty esteem of their own Me­rits affect to distinguish themselves from o­thers by bold Pretences, expecting some­what extraordinary should be done for them, as being extraordinary Persons. Which is true not only in them, but in all who desire particular Miracles to be wrought for their satisfaction. For of these, [Page 234] few or none are so unreasonable, as to think it convenient that the same Favour should be extended to all Mankind; but ima­gining themselves to be more worthy, and as it were of a higher Rank than their fellow Creatures, presume to expect that somewhat more should be done for them than for other Men.

After all, if none of these Reasons for­bid the Expectation of such extraordina­ry Methods to be indulged to any; yet if they should appear no less ineffectual, when bestowed, than the ordinary Me­thods are; it would be highly unrea­sonable to desire them. So that to all which I have offered upon this Head, a new Confirmation will arise from the Consideration of the second thing pro­posed, Namely

II. That such extraordinary means of Conviction would be no less unuseful and unsuccessful, than are the ordinary means. And that will appear, either if we reflect on the Reasons, which defeat the Success of the ordinary means, or the force of those Objections to which both Methods are liable. The true Cause which ren­ders the ordinary means unsuccessful, is not the want of Evidence, but the oppo­sition of it to the Lusts and Passions of [Page 235] Men. It finds no welcome Reception in World, because contrary to the Genius the of it; it abridgeth the Sensuality, the corrupt Desires and inclinations of Man­kind. A covetous Man will not obey it, least he should forgoe the immoderate Love of Riches. A carnal Man will not receive it, least he be obliged to restrain his admired Enjoyments. It forbiddeth Revenge, Envy and Malice, and there­fore Minds possessed with these Vices can­not bear it.

These are the Impediments which de­feat the Efficacy of the Christian Reli­gion; they plead more strongly, and perswade more effectually, than the Ar­guments, which recommend that excel­lent Religion. Few or none, who enter in­to the Consideration of it, perceive not the just Motives of its Credibility. They acknowledge it reasonable to Assent to it; but then comparing the Pleasure of sin forbidden by it, with the certainty of those Promises and Threats which are annexed to it; they willingly over see and reject the latter, that they may not forego the former. And while Men act thus against the Dictates of Reason, no Evidence of Miracles will be able to re­form them. If any such were perform­ed [Page 236] for their satisfaction; it could have no other Effect, than to convince them of the reasonableness and truth of that Religion, in Confirmation of which they were wrought; and this Conviction is al­ready sufficiently performed by the or­dinary means. So that in both Cases Reason directs them to embrace and o­bey this Divine Revelation; and if in one Case the direction of reason be re­jected, it can scarce be hoped that in ano­ther it will be admitted.

For all true Piety and Religion pro­ceeds upon this Principle, a Resolution of performing whatsoever Reason shall direct. And if this Principle be once violated, it is no matter, whether the Evidence of Reason be greater or less; since the Man is resolved not to obey it, any farther than it shall agree with his own Lusts. For Miracles affect the under­standing only, they reform not the Will of Man. They induce him indeed to look up to the Author of them, from whom he is to receive direction, but re­move not those Lusts and Passions, which oppose the performance of that Divine Direction. The same irregular Desires continue, the same Affections possess his Soul, and will infallibly render the great­est [Page 237] Evidence of Duty unsuccessful; until a firm Resolution be formed by him of performing whatsoever shall appear to be his Duty, of submitting to whatsoever Reason shall direct, of Assenting to what­soever it shall recommend. And when this Resolution is once formed, the ordi­nary means setled for the Conveyance of Religion, will obtain equal Success with any extraordinary methods whatsoever; since even in that, sufficient Evidence may be found to convince Mankind of the truth of it; and therefore Reason directs and requires Obedience and Assent to it.

No wonder then that the Jews, even under the Government of Moses, while they enjoyed the sight of frequent Mira­cles, nay for Forty years together were fed by a constant Miracle, continued still no less disobedient, made frequent Apo­stacies from God, rebelled against his Prophet, by whose Ministration those Miracles were performed, and could never be brought to any tolerable sense or pra­ctice of Religion. In departing out of Egypt they had not left their vicious In­clinations behind them, but retained the same Sensuality and Perverseness of mind. In which Case it was not possible that [Page 238] the clearest Demonstration of Divine Re­velation could make any impression on them. It was all one whether God wrought one or ten thousand Miracles for their satisfaction; since one alone might convince them, and all together could do no more; as a blind Man receives no more advantage from the light of the Sun, than from a single Star. Our Lord indeed saith, in Matth. XI. 21. That if the mighty works which were done in Beth­saida, (among the Jews) had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But this may well be supposed to have been said, rather to exaggerate the Impenitence and Perverseness of the Jews, than to declare what would have been the certain Event, if those Miracles had really been perfor­med in Tyre and Sidon.

Besides the Case was infinitely diffe­rent between the Jews and the Tyrians. The former had a standing Rule of Faith, whereby to receive the Knowledge of the Will of God, in the Writings of Moses and the Prophets; the others wanted that advantage. The Tradition of the first Patriarchs, whence they also descended, had been worn out by a long Succession of time; and the Notions of natural Re­ligion [Page 239] had been defaced by long disuse; so that Miracles were even necessary to sup­ply that defect and restore the Knowledge of true Religion among them; and had they seen the mighty works of the blessed Jesus, it is not improbable, but that they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

Farther, if we consider the common Objections, to which the ordinary me­thod of conveying Religion long since setled without Miracles, and the extra­ordinary method by Miracles, are sub­ject; we shall find them equal on both sides. The general Objection against the ordinary method, is the want of absolute Demonstration; and even altho' Miracles should be always continu'd that still would be wanting. Men desirous to retain their Vices, in Contradiction to the Precepts of Religion, would still alledge, That those Miracles were no other than Illusions, that their Senses deceived them, or were imposed on by Tricks and Impostures.

Particularly that sort of method, which the rich Man in the Text desired might be employed for the Conversion of his Brethren, would be of all others the most exceptionable; I mean the Apparition of the Spirits of deceased Men, assuring the living of the reality of another Life. It [Page 240] would be impossible to form Rules where­by to distinguish true from imaginary Apparitions, the appearance of humane Souls from Illusion of evil Spirits. Or if such Rules could be formed; Men could never be assured of the Truth of what they should reveal; since the Souls of Men put not off their Vices with the Body, and may still retain such Sins, as may be Exercised without the assistance of corporeal Organs, such as Envy, Ma­lice, Lying, and Fraud. Or if all these Difficulties were removed; the Terror and Affrightment attending such Appa­ritions would infallibly hinder all clear Perception either of the reality of the Apparition, or of the Matters revealed in it.

If then, there be any here, as it is a Prejudice common to many Christians, who imagines, that if he had lived in the time of Christ and his Apostles, and had seen with his own Eyes the miraculous Works performed by them; or if God should please to admonish him by the Admonition of some departed Soul, he should then carefully observe the Precepts of Religion, and live up to the Rules of it; let him be assured, That he deceiv­ [...]th his own Soul; that if the present Ar­guments [Page 241] of Christianity, afforded to him in the ordinary Rule, cannot induce him to the belief or practice of his Duty; neither would that extraordinary me­thod, which he so much desireth. He hath already sufficient Motives of Con­viction and Instruction in the Scripture, in the Exhortations of those who are ap­pointed by God for this very Office; and if he rejecteth these, neither would he be any more moved, altho' God should speak to him from Heaven. The same Lusts and Vices, which hinder the Effi­cacy of the one, would defeat the Suc­cess of the other; and even if he should be satisfied in his fond Desires, he would still fly off, and seek some other Cloak for his Impiety.

Let us rather be thankful to God for those ordinary means of Instruction a [...]d Admonition, which he hath afforded [...]s. Let us by a right use of them approve our selves worthy of them; and then that Satisfaction and Conviction, which o­thers may pretend they can receive alone from Miracles, Inspirations and Appari­tions, we shall infallibly find in Moses and the Prophets; in the common me­thods of Salvation; in the Writings of the Holy Pen-men, and in the constant [Page 242] Instructions of the Church. This Know­ledge will be raised and actuated by a careful discharge of the Duties enjoyn­ed by it; by a frequent Conversing with those means, whereby it is communica­ted; by a diligent use of all those Religious Offices, and Participation of Holy Rites, whereby it may be improved. So shall what we now know certainly indeed, but not Demonstratively, be at last advanced into an absolute and perfect Demonstrati­on, when we shall see our Lord Face to Face, and sensibly enjoy, what we now assuredly hope. To the Fruition of this Joy, and Completion of this Hope, God of his infinite Mercy bring us all for the sake of Jesus Christ, Amen.

AMONG all the Metaphorical Ex­pressions, wherewith Christ is ei­ther prefigured in the Old Testament, or denoted in the New, none is more ex­pressive of the Excellency of his Person, and the Nature and Design of his Office, than this of Light, which he applieth to himself in the Text. Nothing is more necessary and desirable to Men; nothing of more universal influence and benefit [Page 244] to the whole World, than Light. Upon which account the most Glorious Descri­ptions of God, and his Effects and Be­nefits, are in Holy Scripture generally re­presented by the Denomination or Com­parison of Light. Himself is called by that Name. God is light, saith St. John, 1 Epist. I. 5. and in him is no darkness at all. He is termed the Father of Lights, by St. James I. 17. His Habitation, because nothing more Glorious than Light can be conceived, is described to be in the Light. And the Light dwelleth with him, Dan. II. 22. Who only hath immortality dwelling in the Light, which no man can approach unto. 1 Tim. VI. 16. The Magnificence, and the Joys of Heaven are amplified by the exceeding Light of it, in Apoc. XXI. And in innumerable places of the Old Testament, the Joy and Comfort of Men is expressed by the conferring of Light upon them, or the Springing up of Light to them.

Among the Heathens, who knew little of Divine Matters, and followed the Di­ctates of their natural Inclinations, the Be­nefits of Light were always esteemed so far to exceed all other advantages of Nature, that in choosing to themselves a Deity, they all betook themselves in the first [Page 245] place to the Sun, that great Fountain of Light; and paid their Adoration to it as to the most beneficial of all visible Beings.

Now what the Sun is to the visible World, to the Eyes of Men, and to all corporeal Objects, which receive his In­fluences; the same is Christ to the Soul of Man; dispensing the same Benefits to it; producing the same Effects in it; dispelling the Darkness of it, animating, quickning and enlivening it, enlightning and directing it; and Communicating his beneficial Influences to all who re­ceive and follow the Light which he holds out to them. All this Christ af­firms of himself in the Text; the Great­ness and Brightness of his Light in the former words: I am the Light of the world. And the Communication of that Light and the Benefits of it to all his Followers, in the latter words: He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.

A great and eminent Character indeed to be the Light of the world; and which can be verified of none but that Messias, who was to enlighten the World. Yet a Character so exactly agreeing to our Lord, that if there were no other Argu­ments to prove him the true Messias, this alone might Evince it.

[Page 246] The Properties and Benefits of Light are to dispel Darkness, and to enlighten the World, whereby Men and other Crea­tures may be directed in their Motions and Actions. This our Lord hath in a most perfect manner performed to the intellectual World, the Soul of Man; and thereby approved himself the true Light of the World; and abundantly sa­tisfied those ancient Prophesies, which went before concerning him; that he should confer an extraordinary Light up­on Mankind, dispel the Darkness under which they laboured, and introduce a Glorious state of Light.

He was of old prefigured by the Name of a Star, which should arise in Jacob▪ But afterwards by more full and ample Significations, Isa▪ XLIX. 6. He is Pro­mised to be given for a Light to the Gen­tiles. A Prophecy renewed by Old Si­meon, Luk. II. 32. when at his Presenta­tion in the Temple he foretold, he should be a Light to lighten the Gentiles. A Pro­mise made in more than one place of the Old Testament. For we read also in the XLII. of Isa. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness; and will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a Light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes. And in [Page 247] the LX. Ch. Arise, shine; for thy Light is come; and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles, shall come to thy Light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising. And of the times of the Mes­sias it is foretold by the same Prophet, XXX. 26. Moreover the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun; and the Light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound, and LX. 19. The Sun shall be no more thy Light by day; neither for brightness shall the Moon give Light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light, and thy God the Glory. And as the Effect of all this, IX. 2. The people, which sate in darkness, saw great Light; and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death, Light is sprung up: Which Prophecy St. Matthew observeth to have been exactly fulfilled by our Saviour, in the IV. 16. of his Gospel.

After so many Magnificent Prophesies concerning the extraordinary Light to be brought into the World by the Messias; we cannot but raise our Apprehensions, and expect somewhat more than humane Knowledge to be communicated by him [Page 248] to the World, somewhat more than hu­mane Light to be dispensed by him. Nor shall we be deceived in our Expectations; the Light communicated by our Lord to the World is so universal in the extent, so resplendent in the Nature, so con­stant in the Duration of it; that it in no ways falls short of those Glorious Predi­ctions, which went before concerning it; and justly gives to our Lord the Author and Conveyer of it, the Title of the Light of the World: This will appear evident­ly; if we consider either,

• I. The Doctrine: Or
• II. The Example of Christ: Upon both which Accounts he was the Light of the World.

I. Then, the Doctrine of Christ gave Light unto the World, by removing the Errors of it, and teaching it the Rules of Truth, which might point out the way to Happiness.

To conceive the better the happy Effects of the Doctrines of Christ, let us take a view of the state of the World at that time; and we shall find; as in the beginning, Darkness to have over-spread the face of the Earth. A very small part of Mankind enjoyed the benefit of Revelation; and even they had corrupt­ed [Page 249] and almost effaced the Divine Truths revealed to them, by false Glosses and gross Interpretations; they had forsaken the weightier Matters of the Law; and even those who were most Conscientious among them, busied themselves wholly in observing such trivial Ceremonies, as themselves had for the most part formed by mistaken Interpretations. But the infinitely greater part of Mankind lived as without God in the Word. They had intirely lost those revealed Notions, which were delivered to their Fore-fathers, immediately after the Deluge; and the natural Notions of Religion they had so far corrupted; that their Worship was downright Impiety, and all their re­ligious Actions, so many gross Superstiti­ons. In the far greater part of the World, all Notions of Morality and a Natural Law were intirely lost; and it was a brutish Fear only, which kept up any sort of Religion among them: Which after all was such a Religion, as was their greatest Crime; being no other than a most stupid Idolatry.

In the more polite part of the World, which retained Civility and pretended to Letters; the natural Law indeed was kept up among the more Learned of [Page 250] them; but even by them so mistaken and corrupted, that they allowed as lawful the Practice of some enormous Vices; which to convince of unlawfulness need­ed no more than to consult the common Reason of Mankind; as Fornication, So­domy, practising the idolatrous Worship of the Country, although at the same time convinced of the Folly of it; Self-murder, and many other Vices, which the most refined of their Philosophers de­fended to be lawful.

As for the common People, their No­tions of God were such as the publick Religion of the Country infused into them; the most vile and unworthy of a Deity which can be imagined, such as patronized all the Crimes they could com­mit, provided they violated not the Laws of their Country. For by these Cor­ruptions no Notion of Morality was left among them, nor any other distinction of Good and Evil, than what the Laws of their Country imprinted in them. They could not but imagine that such Actions were good in their own Nature, which their chief Gods had practised; altho' their inconvenience to the publick had caused them to be forbidden. In a word conceive a People ignorant both [Page 251] of God and their own Nature; desirous of Happiness, but knowing not where to find it, and pursuing methods di­rectly contrary to it; groping in Dark­ness, without the least ray of Light; and such was the state of the World at that time.

To rescue the World from this mise­rable Darkness, to restore Light to the minds of Men, was a noble undertaking, and worthy the Son of God: an under­taking, which as it could be performed by none but the Son of God; so was it most happily effected by him. He saith of him­self that he came a Light into the World; that whosoever believeth on him should not abide in darkness, John XII. 46. His De­sign was to deliver us from the power of darkness; as the Apostle assures us, Coloss. I. 13. A Design first begun by himself in Person, and afterwards carried on by the Apostles and their Successors to this day, by his Command and through his Power: whom he sent (as St. Paul de­scribes his Commission, Acts XXVI. 18. To open the eyes (of the Gentiles or the ig­norant) and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Himself, while conversant on Earth, busied himself in nothing more than in [Page 252] detecting the false Explications of the Moral part of the Jewish Law, which was of equal Obligation to all Mankind; in discovering the Corruptions of it, and restoring it to its Primitive Integrity.

And not content only to discover the Errors of the World (as it was com­monly objected to the Heathen Philoso­phers, that they could easily overthrow the Opinions of one another, but could establish no Truth in the room of them) he plainly revealed their whole Duty to them; taught them even the Principles of the Moral Law, that so Men might no more be subject to mistake in it. To this he added the Revelation of the whole Will of God, which concerns ei­ther the Rewards or Punishments an­nexed to this Law, which might rein­force the Practice of it; or the future Fe­licity of Man to be obtained by the Ob­servation of it; or the means of Pardon in Case of the Violation of it.

Nor was this Light to be confined to a Corner, to be appropriated to a few; it was to be made truly the Light of the World, to be communicated to all, to be continued to the end of the World. The easiness and simplicity of it adapted to the Capacity and Practice of all Men, fit­ted [Page 253] it for such an universal Communica­on. And that it should be actually com­municated, he abundantly provided by proclaiming it himself to all while on Earth; by establishing a numerous Or­der of Disciples, who should propagate it successively to the end of the World; by inspiring Holy Writers to commit it plainly and intirely to writing; by founding a Church, the Members of which should by certain solemn Rites or Sacraments oblige themselves to the Practice of it; by contriving the Disci­pline and Government of this Church in such a manner as might best tend to the perpetual Continuation and Propagation of this Light once delivered. When there­fore by these means in a few Centuries almost all the known World was deliver­ed from the Power of darkness, freed from its ancient Errors, and received the Truth: when a considerable part of the World still continues to enjoy the same Benefits, Freedom from the darkness of Ignorance in Divine Matters, and an exact Knowledge both of the Nature of God, as far as relates to us, our Duty to him, and way to Happiness; may we not justly conclude all the Glorious Pro­phesies concerning the happy times of [Page 254] the Messias, and the Light to be conferred on the World by him, to have been ex­actly completed in our Lord; and that in removing the Ignorance of Mankind, and restoring and increasing the Know­ledge of truth among Men, he was in an eminent manner the Light of the World.

And so pure and unspotted, as well as clear and bright, is this light communi­cated by Christ unto the World; so ex­actly conformable to all the first Princi­ples of Truth and Reason imprinted in the Souls of Men, or to be deduced thence; that a more clear Argument of the Truth of the Christian Religion can­not be conceived or desired. A Refle­ction, which may be worth our Consi­deration a while, as being no small Con­firmation of the Excellency of that Light, of which we now treat.

It is impossible to conceive, that a Person devoid of all acquired Learning, as our Lord confessedly was, should in an Age over-run with universal Errors teach and deliver an entire System of Doctrine and Rule of Life, without the least Er­ror, if he had not been directed by a Divine Power, and really acted by that Divine Commission which he pretended. It might perhaps have been accounted [Page 255] possible, if he had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed in all the Learning of the Age; altho' even in that Case, it would have been very hard­ly possible, when the learned Men among the Jews are all known at that time to have been involved in so many Errors; and how grosly the learned Men among the Gentiles erred in the Rules of natural Religion we before instanced; and that any one Man should after the Reception of his Education, from these very Erro­neous Doctors, happily discover all the Errors both of Jews and Gentiles, and find out the exact Truth in all Questions of Morality and Religion, without the least mixture of Error or Mistake, seems a Matter wholly incredible. But that a Per­son devoid of all Learning and external Helps should effect it, is wholly impossible.

Now it is most certain, that in the whole System of Christian Religion, and among all the Rules of Life, as delivered by Christ and contained in his Gospel, not the least Flaw or Error could ever be found by all the Adversaries of it. Or if we trust not them, let every Mans Reason be his Judge. Let him view all the Commands of Christ, and see if he can find any thing contrary to Reason, [Page 256] any thing unworthy either of God or Man. An invincible Argument, that the Au­thor of it proceeded by a Divine Commis­sion, and derived his Knowledge from a supernatural Revelation.

It may not be amiss in a few words to carry this Argument a little higher, and apply it to the Religion of the Jews, before the coming of our Lord. Where if we think rationally, we shall find it absolutely impossible, that a People so barbarous as they were in the beginning, so devoid of all Assistances of Arts and Sciences in the whole Succession of their Government, should form such just and noble Notions of a Deity, contrive a Re­ligion without any mixture of Sin or Idolatry; unless they had been directed by God himself. View all the Nations round about, and you shall find them drowned in gross Ignorance and Idola­try. And then enquire if any other Cause of this so great difference can be assigned. Compare their Hymns formed in Honour of God, and Books treating concerning the Nature of him, now comprised in the Old Testament, with the Compositi­ons formed by the Grecians or any other Learned Heathen Nation in Honour of their Gods, and with their Theological [Page 257] Writings; you will find the first to con­tain just and noble Thoughts of God; true Judgments concerning the Relation between God and Man; nothing which is not agreeable to the Honour and Ma­jesty of God; nothing, which is not ex­actly true. Whereas in the other, you shall discover every where either childish or impious Notions of God, nothing an­swerable to his Majesty, and little agreeable to Truth. A difference which can never be accounted for, but by ac­knowledging the former to have pro­ceeded from a Divine Direction and In­spiration.

So clear and undeniable is the force of Light, that it discovers it self where-ever it Acts; it cannot be hid, dissembled or stifled; and according to our Saviour's own Comparison, like a City placed upon a Hill, appeareth at a distance, giving direction to all far and near. And thus our Saviour was also the Light of the World, upon the account of the Exem­plariness of his Life. In which Respect he tells his Disciples that they are the Light of the World, Matth. V. 14. giving Di­rection to Mankind in the practice of their Duty, by that eminent Vertue which shone forth in them, and could not but be observed by all Men. And of [Page 258] himself, John IX. 5. As long as I am in the World, I am the Light of the World. Not that he was wholly to cease to be the Light of the World, even after he should be removed from it: For both his Doctrine, and the Report of his Exam­ple were to enlighten the World to all Ages; but in the latter Respect, that of his Example; the Efficacy of it would de­crease upon his removal from the Earth, inasmuch as the Sight moveth more than the Fame of an illustrious Example.

An Example indeed so eminent, that whether seen or heard it was a Light to all Mankind; so resplendent and remarka­ble, that as the Light, it struck the Eyes of all Men, and could not but be taken Notice of; so just and adequate, that it included the whole Duty of Man in its utmost Perfection; and as the Light, di­rected Men in the right way. His Do­ctrine was the most exact System of all Moral and Divine Vertues, that ever was proposed to the World. And in all this System there is no one Vertue, which himself possessed and exercised not in the most perfect manner. All that Piety, Temperance, Meekness and Charity, which he prescribed to his Followers, himself practised in the whole Course of his Life. And that in a Degree which [Page 259] other Men cannot hope to attain to, with­out any interruption of Vice or Imper­fection. Such an Example might well be termed the Light of the World; in which alone, if all Rules of Piety, if all No­tions of good were lost among Men, they might be entirely recovered: And not only illustrious in it self, but also in­dustriously made so to all Mankind by a studious Communication of the Know­ledge of it. For this Purpose it was at first acted in the Cities, in the solemn Feasts, and in the publick Places of Judea; not in a Desert or in a Cell, not spent in a solitary Retirement or known to few. And after that, the History of it was by the wise Direction of the Holy Spirit committed to Writing; whereby the knowledge of it might be conveyed to all Ages and Nations; and that Light which first arose and shone in a small Corner of the World, might be diffused through the Universe, and become a ge­neral and eternal Standard of Duty to all Mankind.

The Second thing proposed to be spo­ken to were the Benefits, which this Light should conferr upon the World, by the Communication of it: Which our Lord expresseth in the latter part of the Verse, He that followeth me▪ walketh not [Page 260] in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. And this is but a natural Consequence; for if the Light, which Christ communi­cated to the World by his Doctrine and Example, were so illustrious, as we be­fore described; it was impossible that any Man, who obtained the Knowledge of the one, or imitated the other, should still continue in Darkness, in the same Ig­norance and Error, in which he was be­fore involved. He had thereby his Mi­stakes removed, the measure of his Duty ascertained to him, and the Knowledge of saving Truth conveyed to him; which was the thing our Lord chiefly intended in these Words; where he speaks of the Perfection of all necessary Knowledge of Divine Matters, which he would com­municate to those who should put them­selves under his Discipline.

But then, there is another easie and practical Sense of the words which may be of more use to us. Light and Dark­ness in Scripture do most frequently sig­nifie those two contrary States of Life, which ought to be led by the Professors of the Gospel, which enjoyed the Bene­fit of this revealed Light; and which was wont to be led by those who former­ly lived or still continued in the Dark­ness of Gentilism. Hence in the New [Page 261] Testament, the Disciples of the Christian Religion are often called the Children of light; and that State of Sin and Error, from which they were converted, ex­pressed by Darkness, as Ephes. V. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light; walk as the Children of light; and in many other places. And all Sin is called the work of Darkness, as Rom. XIII. 12. Let us cast off the works of Darkness; and Ephes. V. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness. Our Lord therefore in this place teacheth us; that his true Disciples, they who followed the Conduct of his Light, walked in the right way, cast off the works of Darkness, and were directed into, and followed the path, which leadeth unto Life.

Many Sins to which they were before subject, were the effect of their Igno­rance; occasioned by the Darkness of their Mind. They knew them not to be Sins. Their Judgment, which is the na­tural Light of Man, could not direct the Will aright, or betrayed it to a wrong Choice; even when it was disposed a­right, and as Reason Wills, resolved to follow the Direction of the Judgme [...]t. A miserable State indeed, when Men were willing to perform their Duty, and knew it not. The unhappiness of which [Page 262] our Lord fitly describeth, Matth. VI. 23. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness; (if thy Judgment be corrupted with Error or Ignorance of thy Duty;) how great is that darkness? From this un­happiness our Saviour fully freed his Dis­ciples, by teaching them all necessary Truth, by informing their Judgment, by setting their Duty in a full Light; where­by if they would use any ordinary Dili­gence, they could not mistake in the Knowledge and Practice of it.

Further, these works of Darknses, e­ven among the Gentiles, much less among Christians, proceeded not always from the defect of Judgment, from the Igno­rance of Duty; but more ordinarily from the Corruption of the Will were acted against the Dictates of Conscience, and known to be Sins while acted: Yet fitly called the works of Darkness, because (as our Lord told Nicodemus, John III. 20.) Every one that doth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, least his deeds should be reproved. There is a natural Detestation of Sin, when known to be such, in all Men; which maketh the most profligate, Men desire their Sins may be concealed from the knowledge of o­thers; not considering perhaps (as they seldom give themselves time to consider) [Page 263] that they cannot escape the knowledge of God. This Corruption of the Will, which occasions such works of Darkness, Christ hath also provided for and remov­ed, by proposing such Arguments of Reward and Punishment, as if seriously reflected on, cannot fail to perswade; by rectifying the Judgment, and thereby influencing the Will. For besides the external Arguments of our Obligation to God, and our own Interest concerned in it; every part of our Duty, when right­ly understood, carrieth internal and powerful Arguments of Perswasion with it.

Further, this Sentence of Christ may be of use to us, to the discovering the true Followers of Christ, and to the making a right Estimate of our own as well as others Relation to Christ. For as he that followeth this Light, cannot walk in Darkness, so it is impossible that he who walketh in Darkness should fol­low this Light. It was formerly the Con­demnation of the Jews; that Light came into the World, and Men loved darkness ra­ther than light, because their deeds were evil. They retained their Infidelity, and rejected the Doctrine of Christ, because contrary to their beloved Lusts and Vices. And it is now the Condemnation of as [Page 264] many Christians, that professing to follow the Light, they still walk in Darkness; that in the midst of all that Knowledge, which by Christianity is conferred to them, they practise the same Vices, which the Gentiles and Infidels were guilty of, betrayed to them by their Ignorance and Blindness: who nevertheless call them­selves the Sons of Light, pretend to be the Disciples of the Author of it, and to have a near Relation to him. Of such St. John hath pronounced, 1 John I. 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.

And indeed if the Light of Heaven was not intended only to gaze upon, and please the Eyes of Men; if much less the Light of the Soul, the Doctrine and Truth revealed by Christ, was not in­tended merely to promote the Speculati­ons, and gratifie the Fancies of Men; if a rational and vertuous Conduct of Life be the natural Effect of a sound Judg­ment and accurate Knowledge of Duty, and the Arguments enforcing it; it is but a natural Consequence that this Light, wheresoever it is found, should exert and discover it self in Actions conformable to it. But it is absurd to pretend that Light hath there any influence, where the [Page 265] works of Darkness are performed; or that two such Contraries can consist together. Let us rather give thanks to God, who hath sent this Glorious Light into the World; and then hath called us out of darkness into this marvellous light; hath rescued us from the former Darkness and Ignorance, and clearly revealed to us all necessary Truths. Let us secure to our selves, and improve the Benefits of this Light, by invariably following the Di­rections of it; so shall it become to us (what our Lord promiseth in the Text) the Light of Life.

THAT Christianity is no lazy Pro­fession, that the Acquisition of Sal­vation is no easie Undertaking, our Lord hath endeavoured to convince us, by those many Precepts of watching and constant Preparation to receive him, whensoever he should call us to Judgment; by those many Parables, which tend to the same Design; by those frequent Predictions of Persecutions, Hatred and Tribulation, which should attend his faithful Disci­ples. But in no place are we pressed to [Page 267] Vigilance and Diligence by a more cogent Argument than in these words, which reach all sorts of Men, both those who earnestly desire and pursue Salvation; and those who either not desire it, or with the desire of it retain those Sins, which are manifestly Destructive of it.

To increase the Diligence of the for­mer, they are told, that the Righteous, are not without extreme Difficulty, are scarcely saved. And to confound the vain hopes of the latter, or force them to change their vicious Course of Life, if they will with any appearance of Success continue their Desire of Happiness, they are assured that even the Righteous are but hardly saved; and then certainly no Hopes of Sal­vation can be left for them. To enforce this Argument upon each sort of Men, is the Design of the words in the Text; and shall be also of my Discourse.

I. Then, of the Difficulty of Salvati­on even to the Righteous, with the Rea­sons and the Justice of it. The Reasons of it were many of them peculiar to the Christians of that time, when St. Peter writ, and affect not us. Others are peculiar to us, and concerned not them; and ma­ny common to both. I begin with th [...] first; the Knowledge of which will also shew the occasion and dependance of the Text and Context.

[Page 268] 1. Of the Difficulties peculiar to the Christians of those times. The Principal intended by the Apostle in this place, was the Persecution to be brought upon them, by the Jews and other Enemies of Chri­stianity. He had prepared them for the patient enduring of this Persecution, both in this and in the precedent Chapter, by the Prediction of it, by the Example of Christ, by the Promise of Reward, by the certainty of Revenge to be executed by God upon their Persecutors: calls it a fiery Tryal in the 12th. Verse; tells them in the 16th. Verse, that it should be raised against them for this very Reason, that they were Christians; subjoyns in the 17th. Verse, for the time is come, that Judg­ment must begin at the house of God. The time now drew near, that the Predictions of Christ concerning the Destruction of the Jews were to be accomplished. But our Lord had also foretold in the XIII. Chap. of St. Matthew, and the XXI. of St. Luke, that this Destruction of the Jews should be preceded by a fierce Perse­cution of the Christians, who should be hated by all Men for his names sake; should be betrayed by their nearest Relations through a blind Zeal; driven from one City to another, delivered up to be afflicted and killed: an Affliction so great, as ne­ver [Page 269] was since the beginning of the World, no nor ever shall be; as himself saith, Matth. XXIV. 21. Insomuch as many should be offended, and Apostatize from the Faith; and if God did not in Mercy shorten those days, an universal Defection might possi­ble ensue. This was that Judgment then, which St. Peter saith should begin at the house of God; should cause that the Righ­teous should scarcely be saved; should shock their Faith, and almost extinguish their Hope; or if both Faith and Hope conti­nued, should tempt them to prefer the ease and quiet of the World to them both.

Men are apt to distrust the Providence, and sometimes even to disbelieve the Be­ing of God, when they see wickedness Triumphant in the World, Injustice un­punished, and Innocence oppressed, with­out any extraordinary Interposition or apparent regard of God. This Argument hath made all the Atheists of former and latter Ages; and when it was so signally visible, as in those dreadful Times, we cannot wonder, that it should stagger the Faith of many. In taking that Profession on them, they believed themselves to be, and were indeed the Elect of God; cho­sen out of the rest of Mankind to receive the peculiar Favours of God. When [Page 270] upon their first Entrance instead of pre­sent Advantages, they were encountred with all the Miseries and Afflictions, which a subtle and powerful Enemy could bring upon them: Such Discouragements could not but deterr from the Prosecution of their Duty many of these new Con­verts, who by their Education and pre­conceived Opinions were ill prepared to withstand such fierce Assaults.

The Jews having been brought up in Expectation of temporal Rewards and a powerful Messias, who far from the subject­ing them to their Enemies, should put the whole world under their Command: And the Gentiles having been wont freely to indulge themselves in all the Satisfactions of Sense and Pleasure: To bring off the one from these Prejudices, and the other from this Ease and Luxury, to follow a Crucified Saviour, not only in the belief of his Doctrines, but also in the imitation of his Sufferings; to exchange the Pleasures of the World, and the Hopes of earthly Happiness, for all those Calamities, which our Lord foretold, and daily experience did then confirm, to be a necessary Con­sequence of belief in him; must certain­ly have been such a Difficulty, as could be surmounted but by few.

If we should even remove those Dis­advantages [Page 271] of Education and Custom, and suppose a serious belief of the Do­ctrine and the Promises of Christ, an ear­nest desire of Salvation, and an hearty Endeavour to attain it; yet are we not se­cured against the force of such violent Temptations, as are the Effects of a Per­secution. It is not every Man, not an or­dinary Soul, that can surmount the Fears of Death, and without Astonishment a­wait the Execution; when the renouncing of a mere Opinion, of an invisible Inte­rest can prevent it. It is a Resolution of a far higher Nature, than what the World generally accounteth Courage; which is commonly no more than the effect of Pas­sion, and is still maintained by the Hopes of Success, and the Prospect of some visible Interest. When therefore, the Professors of Christianity retained their Faith with the universal Hatred of all Men, with the probable Loss of their Fortunes, and even of their Lives, as it was highly generous, so it was extremely difficult to retain a good Conscience, and therewith the Hopes of Salvation.

This was a Difficulty indeed so great, that your own Imagination will amplifie it more than any words I can use for that Purpose. If it seem strange to us, that God should suffer his chosen Servants to [Page 272] be thus afflicted and exposed to the Insults of wicked Men; we must reflect upon the Condition of those Christians, before they entred upon the Profession of Chri­stianity: That the far greater part of them had spent their Lives in the open Exercise of all those Sins, to which the Temptations of the World, the Flesh or the Devil could incite them; and that without any remorse of Conscience, or intervals of Piety. This the Apostle chargeth them with, in the 3d. Verse of this Chapter. It was incongruous to the Divine Justice, to suffer such enormous Sinners wholly to escape unpunished; and therefore his infinite Wisdom so ordered the state of the World, and of the Church at that time, that they should undergo sharp Afflictions and Persecutions in this Life; that so without any Diminution of his Justice he might receive them to Mer­cy in another World. Not that the most Glorious Martyrs have been the greatest Sinners, or that temporal Calamities do always attend the Sins of the Faithful. But as in a general Persecution brought upon the Church for the precedent Sins of the greater part of it, it would have been unreasonable for any particular Men, altho' not Partakers of the Sin, to have re­quir'd to have been excused from parta­king [Page 273] in the general Calamity: So neither may we flatter our selves, that we are more righteous than those first Christians were before their Conversion, for this Reason only, because we are not punished in the same visible manner; but ought rather to fear, that a far greater Punish­ment is reserved to us hereafter; if by a timely and hearty Repentance we prevent not the Execution of it.

This precedent sinful Course of Life was another great Difficulty to the Chri­stians of those days, who had contract­ed before their Conversion long and fix­ed habits of Vice; effaced by disuse all Notions of natural Religion and Hone­sty; which to restore could be the work of nothing less than an extraordinary Diligence and Application. If to these peculiar Difficulties of those Times, we add the common Difficulties of Chri­stianity, we shall soon perceive what just Reason the Apostle had to say, That the Righteous are scarcely saved.

I will not here insist upon the Diffi­culty of particular Duties, the depraved Nature of Man, and the Solicitations of evil Spirits, with many other disad­vantages of Piety, which we experience and lament. That which chiefly deser­veth to be considered, is the spiritual [Page 274] Nature, and Futurity of the Reward pro­posed by it. Man, in almost all the Acti­ons of Life, is inured to follow the Per­ceptions of Sense, which are easily form­ed▪ and affect the Mind without any pre­cedent Preparation of it. He is assured of the Existence and certainty of those Objects, which Sense presenteth to him, without entring into a serious Inquiry, or forming any Conclusions by the strength of his own Understanding. Whereas the Rewards proposed by Chri­stianity being purely spiritual, and Men not put into the present Possession of them, they cannot obtain nor yet con­ceive them without a regular proceed­ing of Judgment. They must first con­sider the Nature of God, his Dignity, Power, and other Attributes; their own dependence on him; the Manifestation of his Will, and the Contrariety of their own Actions to it; the necessity of Re­pentance; the certain Immortality of their Soul, and the possible Immortality of their Body; the assurance of both, from him who can perform it and can­not lie; and the end for which such Im­mortality shall be conferred; to receive then the Reward or Punishment of the good or bad Conduct of this Life. All this must be first considered and exami­ned, [Page 275] before any Conviction can be form­ed of the truth of Christianity.

And when the Mind is thus convin­ced, there wants a second Series of Thoughts to convince Mankind, that to embrace this Truth is their real Inte­rest. The Rewards proposed by it are chiefly spiritual, they affect not the Senses, nor strike the Imagination, by which Man is wont to measure the fruition of all Pleasures. He relisheth but little the Pleasures and satisfaction of the Mind, he scarce knoweth wherein they con­sist: And that which draweth nearest to it in this Life, the Conception and Meditation of intellectual Objects, he finds himself soon weary of it, or perhaps is wholly unacquainted with it. And when all these disadvantages are over­come, here is still required another train of Thoughts, to fix the Mind in a constant Expectation of the Reward, notwith­standing the bestowing of it is deferred till another Life.

If then so much Consideration be re­quired to render the Arguments of Chri­stianity effectual; if the Nature of the Reward be so hardly conceived, so far removed from present Fruition, and so little grateful to those Organs of Sense, by which Men are wont to judge of the Ex­cellency [Page 276] of Fruitions; it may easily be foreseen, that the Promises of the Gospel will lose their Efficacy upon the greater part of Men.

For how small a part of Mankind al­low their Souls to entertain any Concep­tions beyond what Sense administreth to them? How few ever entertain a Thought of immaterial Beings or spiritual Interests? Not that any extraordinary strength of Mind is required to form such Thoughts and Convictions. The Providence of God hath so ordered it, that these things are brought home to e­very Man's understanding, and frequently urg'd upon them. It is only required of them, that they would retain such Thoughts, improve them, and Act upon them. But even this is irksome to his depraved Nature, he seeth and feels his Body, his Soul he little knows; the Plea­sures of the Body are always present to him, the noblest Pleasures of the Soul are removed at a mighty distance. He is convinced of the one by his own Ex­perience, for the other he must rely upon the assurance of Reason. And this dis­advantage betrays him either to neglect the Consideration of the Interests of the Soul, or to prefer the Concerns of the Body before them, unless by frequent [Page 277] Meditation, and diligent Attention, he hath formed a full Conviction both of the Truth and the value of them; that as they will certainly follow the performance of the Conditions prescribed by the Gospel, so even the Reversion of them is infinite­ly more to be esteemed than the present Possession of all corporeal Pleasures.

Another Difficulty alike common to all, is the Extensiveness of the Duty re­quired: That it includeth every Action of Man; and that the defect of any one part destroyeth the benefit of the whole; that it is not sufficient to exercise this or that Vertue in the highest degree, unless the whole Life be uniform, and deficient in none of the parts of it. Which put­teth a Christian upon his constant Guard, least he should at any time be surprized. And surely a Surprize is hard to be avoid­ed, where so many passages must be guarded; when the Enemy may enter in by the Senses or Imagination, by the Ope­ration of external Objects or the sugge­stion of internal Thoughts; and all these as numerous and various, as are the Ob­jects from whence they proceed, or about which they are imployed. Scarce in the best of Men may we not discover some Passion predominant to the rest; and which might he be allowed to indulge, [Page 278] he would confidently undertake for the good Behaviour of all the rest. But this Liberty Christianity denieth to him, in­joyneth him an universal Conquest of all his Passions, a general performance of the whole Will of God; forbids the Omission of any one Duty, upon Pain of incurring the Guilt of all. And this is truly so great a Difficulty, that we need not seek any farther Reasons, why the best Chri­stians of all Ages are but hardly saved.

I proceed to the Difficulties peculiar to the latter Ages of Christianity, and which more nearly concern us. I will mention but two: 1. The want of an universal Example; and 2. The want of Miracles. By these the ancient Christi­ans converted the Heathen World; and through want of these we are almost re­turned to Heathenism.

It could not but be a powerful Argu­ment of Vertue to all ingenuous Men, when they could not so much as retain the Character they had undertaken with­out a diligent Exercise of Piety; when to be a vicious Christian was to be a Monster in the account of the World; when Vice was a Singularity and Dissent from all others of the same Denominati­on. Whereas in latter Ages the whole hath been inverted, the Character uni­versally [Page 279] retained without any regard to the Conditions of it. A pious Christian must dissent in the Course of his Life from the greater part of the Christian World, and Vertue is become a Singu­larity: inasmuch as, what cannot be suf­ficienty lamented, many ingenuous Minds have been betrayed to sin, to which o­therwise they were not inclined, least they should appear uncivil and morose. And when unlawful Customs can acquire the Esteem of Civilities among Christi­ans, we cannot but confess an extreme De­generacy of the true Spirit of Christianity.

It may truly be said of Examples in ge­neral, that they have more influence up­on the greater part of Mankind, than Reasons or Arguments. Men of ordina­ry Capacities (such as make up the Body of Christendom) take their measures of Christianity, from the Practice of the Pro­fessors of it; as Men do of the Laws of any Countrey, from the Practice of the Courts of Justice; and will hardly be perswaded that Christianity is so severe and serious a Matter, when they perceive the far greater part of Christians trifle with it. It is natural for Men to hope for impunity in a multitude; to fall into impiety, when no shame restrains them, when a prevail­ing Example leads them. As for Men of [Page 280] more raised Understandings, it is impossible they should thus deceive themselves a­bout the Obligation of their Religion; yet even those escape not this universal Contagion; they fear to be accounted singular, are forced to dissemble and per­haps at last to stifle their Knowledge; as not being able to withstand the force of such a mighty Torrent.

This Difficulty receives yet farther Aggravation, if we reflect, that it pro­ceeds from our own Guilt; that our selves are the Authors of it. The Difficulties of the Apostolick Age were purely ex­traneous, for which those Christians were not accountable. They brought not their Persecutions upon themselves, and their Sins committed before Conversion could not afterwards be justly imputed to them as Christians. Whereas this disadvan­tage, we now complain of, is the Effect of our Sins committed in the Profession of Christianity, to which every one of us have contributed somewhat; and be­sides the internal Guilt of the Crime committed, have upon that account in­creased our sin. The Sense of which ought to be a Motive to us to endeavour, by the Exemplariness of our future Con­duct, I will not say, to remove this Dif­ficulty, and retrieve the glorious Exam­ple [Page 281] of former times, (for that can scarce be hoped) but to compensate the Injury which we have done to the Christian Re­ligion, by our sinful Deportment.

The other disadvantage of the present Age, which I mentioned, the want of Miracles, cannot indeed be ascribed to any Fault of ours, nor yet be retrieved by us. Yet a sensible disadvantage it must be acknowledged; when we com­pare our selves with former times, whose Faith and Zeal were constantly awaken­ed, kept up, and enlivened by the fre­quent sight of Miracles; which confirm­ed to them the Truth of what they had received, the certainty of what they expe­cted, and the Power and the Favour of that God they worshipped. But I wave the farther Consideration of this Difficulty, be­cause the removal of it is not in our Power. Yet this use we may make of it, to take occasion from it to reflect upon the infi­nite Goodness and most Wise Providence of God, which hath so contrived the ad­vantages and disadvantages of former and latter Ages, that both of them have very near equal Assistances and Difficul­ties in the Prosecution of their Duty: that so he might without derogation to his Justice, perform what our Lord Pro­miseth in the Parable of the Housholder [Page 282] in the XX. of St. Matthew, reward those whom he had called in the eleventh hour, equally with those whom he had hired in the Morning, who had born the heat and burden of the day; which the Fathers ge­nerally expound of this very Case.

For now those whom he called first, who underwent such grievous Afflictions and fierce Persecutions for the defence of the Faith, cannot justly complain, that we are equally rewarded with them, who endured none of those Calamities.

The Church indeed in latter Ages hath enjoyed Peace and Quiet, hath not maintained the Faith of Christ with the expence of her Blood; so neither doth she enjoy those Miracles, with the sight of which they were Blessed. The re­membrance of the eminent Example, the Miracles and the Sufferings of our Lord, were yet fresh in the minds of Men: the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost were every where Conspicuous; the Apostles yet alive, who spoke and writ by the immediate impulse of God; and even after their death, the same Gifts and Miracles were continued, till Peace was given to the Church. All these advan­tages we want, which they enjoyed; Peace and Security we have, which was denied to them. If we proceed in the [Page 283] Comparison; we want also that glori­ous Example of universal Piety, which shone forth in their Days. But then on the other side we enter not upon the Profession of Christianity with the same Prejudices and Habits of Vice, with which they did. They felt not the mis­chief of an ill Example prevailing a­mong Christians: So neither did they enjoy the benefit of a Christian Educa­tion. Thus God hath most wisely in all Ages made the Aids and Difficulties of Christianity to be equal. I wish I could add, that the Effects were also equal.

And as we admire the Wisdom of God herein; so must we acknowledge his Justice also. It may perhaps seem too severe, that Salvation, the supreme Happiness of Man should be rendred thus difficult to him; that God should invite us to it, and then by so many Dif­ficulties exclude us from it. To this it is easie to reply, that Salvation is purely the Gift of God, which, as such, he might bestow upon whatsoever Conditions himself pleased. Nor in requiring so many, such laborious and difficult Du­ties of us, hath he raised the Price (I mean the Conditions) above the worth of it. It is the supreme end of Man, the utmost Improvement of his Felicity. [Page 284] Now look into the Writings of all Phi­losophers; consult the common Voice of Mankind; they do all confess, that the supreme end of Man not only ought to be his chief Design, but also can be ob­tained at no less Expence, than his utmost Diligence, the constant and most exqui­site Operations of all the Faculties of his Mind; that it must be the business of his whole Life. Look into your own Actions and daily Experience, and see whether any thing desirable in this Life, even as your selves value it, be not at­tended with a proportionable Difficulty. And then Confess, that God hath done no more than what the Nature of things required, when he annexed so many Dif­ficulties to the Acquisition of Salvation.

The second Part of my proposed De­sign, I mean the Consequence raised in the Text, If the righteous scarcely be saved; where shall the ungodly and the sinner ap­pear? is so evident, that I need say little to it. For if after the Conquest of so many Difficulties, so many Afflictions endured, and Labours employed, a righteous Man doth but very hardly obtain Salvation; surely no hopes can be left for him, who affrighted by these Difficulties, gives him­self to the Conduct of his own unruly Lusts, to the practice of Vices directly [Page 285] contrary to the means proposed to ob­tain this ultimate Happiness.

This Reason assureth, and the common Notions of the Divine Justice confirm­eth to us, not only that the ungodly and the Sinner shall miss of that excellent Re­ward, which shall be rendred to the La­bour and Diligence of the Righteous; but also shall draw upon himself the Wrath of God, and the consequence of it extreme Misery, in Punishment of his Sin. Which is more clearly expres­sed in the Proverbs XI. 31. from whence these words of St. Peter are word for word taken, according to the Septuagint Translation: But in the Original, ac­cording to our Translation they run thus. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner. That is, since God suffers not the failings of the Righteous to pass un­punished, but corrects and chastiseth them in this World, with sensible Affli­ctions; much more hath he reserved the extremity of Torment for the wicked and the sinner. As in this place of St. Peter, God thought fit to chastise the former Sins of the convert Christians, with a fierce and terrible Persecution: from whence the Apostle draweth a like Consequence in the 17th. Verse. And if [Page 286] judgment first begin at the house of God; what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?

And as the Doctrine so the Examples also of the Old and New Testament a­gree herein. Wherein we find, that God inflicted temporal Calamities upon his most beloved Servants, in Punishment of their Sins, even of inadvertency; that he might teach us, not to expect any Pardon for a wilful obstinacy and conti­nuance in Impiety. Thus Moses, who had this Testimony from God himself that he was faithful in all his house, yet for some slight appearance only of di­strust of the Divine Power, in bringing forth waters out of the Rock, was exclu­ded the Enjoyment of the Promised Land; altho' an ancient Writer aggravates the sin of Moses from hence, that in all that frequent and familiar Converse, which he afterwards had with God, he is ne­ver found to have begged Pardon for his Sin. But however that be, we must all Confess, that the best of us have far ex­ceeded Moses both in the number and the weight of our sins, and ought therefore much more to fear the Execution of the Divine Justice.

Afterwards, we read that God propo­sed to David, the Man after his own heart, [Page 287] the choice of three Signal Calamities, only in Punishment of a light Vain-Glory, manifested in his Design of num­bring his Subjects. For the same failure, he threatned good King Hezekiah with the deprivation and carrying away of his Treasures; and sent the great Apostle St. Paul a thorn in the flesh, (some bodily In­firmity) the Messenger of Satan to buffet him. And if God excused not these great and excellent Persons from Punishment, for such small Offences, with what reason can we promise Impunity to our selves? Do we Fancy our selves more dear to God, or more righteous, than they were? Surely no. Rather, if they were not saved without some Difficulty, we shall not without the most extreme hazard: and this altho' we did with earnest Study and sincere Endeavours apply our selves to attain Salvation; altho' we were worthy, which be it far from us to ar­rogate to our selves, to be ranged a­mong those, who in the Text are call'd Righteous.

But of the ungodly and the sinners what shall I say? But that if the Righteous scarcely be admitted to Mercy, they are wholly excluded from it. To them, as the Author to the Hebrews saith, Chapter X. 27. There remaineth only a certain fear­ful [Page 288] looking for of judgment and fiery indig­nation. Yet we find that the most pro­fligate Christians do flatter themselves with the hopes of Salvation, and upon Confidence of it proceed securely in a vicious Course of Life. For I am per­swaded, that there are very few Chri­stians who are not convinced of the truth of the Religion they profess, when­soever they give their Minds leave to reflect upon it. Only they put the Thoughts of it far from them; and whensoever either the workings of their own Minds, or the admonition of others represent to them the Obligation of it, they render both unsuccessful through a vain Hope, which they took up upon they know not what Reasons, that they are in the number of the saved.

To this foolish Perswasion many Cau­ses may contribute; a constant and hap­py Success in the World; too great an Opinion of the Endowments either of Body or Mind, or whatsoever may raise in Man a Conceit of his own worth; a strong Imagination; a false Notion of the Mercy and the Justice of God; or an unhappy illusion derived from the Tea­chers of absolute Predestination. All these and many other Causes may con­tribute to this fatal Error, notwithstand­ing [Page 289] the Scripture hath particularly pro­vided against it; notwithstanding the meanest Capacity cannot but conclude, that if God taketh so severe an account of the Actions of the Righteous; if he always noteth, and oft-times punisheth their smallest Failures; if with all their Care and Vigilance, their Mortification and Circumspection, they are but hardly saved; it is absurd to hope that Heaven will open to them, who have lived re­missly and securely, have betrayed their Profession, and by an impenitent Perseve­rance in Sin have dishonoured the Author of Salvation, and rebelled against the Author of their Being.

From what I have said, it doth appear what great Reason there is that those, who are careful of their Salvation, should continue and increase their Care; and that those who are negligent of it, should shake off their Stupidity, and ap­ply themselves with their utmost Dili­gence to the Acquisition of it. The difficulty of Salvation ought neither to discourage the good nor affright the bad. The Worth and Happiness of it infinite­ly countervaileth all the Labour which can be employed about it: Nor will the loss of it be a mere Deprivation, a State of insensibility; but the beginning of ex­ceeding [Page 290] and endless Torments. The Consideration therefore of the Difficul­ties, which attend it, ought to confirm the Diligent, and awaken the Negli­gent; to increase the Resolution of the one, and expel the Remissness of the other; that so the one may continue his Course so well begun; the other may find the right way to Happiness, and enter into it. God Grant, that what I have now said, may be of use to both.

NOT to trouble you with the vari­ous Interpretations of Yoke and Burden in the Text, and the Distinction made by some between them; I sup­pose the peculiar Scope of the words to be a Recommendation of the Christian Religion, from the easiness of its Pre­cepts, and agreeableness of its Consti­tution.

All Systems of Religion, whether Na­tural or Revealed, may be fitly expressed by the Metaphors of a Yoke and Burden, [Page 292] inasmuch as they restrain the Actions of Man, limit them to certain Rules, im­pose upon him the Practice of some, and Abstinence from other Actions, which otherwise he should not have re­garded, and used them as indifferent; which demonstrates their Subjection to God the Author of such Religion, as fully as a Yoke doth the Subjection of Beasts to their Possessors, or of Captives to their Conquerors.

Yet this difference ought to be obser­ved, that however the latter may be re­pined at with some shew of Reason, as being the Deprivation of precedent Li­berty; the former is no more than the re­sult and necessary Consequence of humane Nature; which deriving its Being from God, doth upon that account owe abso­lute Subjection to him; and enjoying the use of Freewill, is capable of receiving and practising such Rules of Conduct, as the Sovereign Lawgiver shall appoint.

So that altho' in the former Case it may be oft-times lawful to cast off the Yoke, or at least desire the removal of it; yet in this Case it is no more rea­sonable to deny Subjection, than to re­ceive any advantage, and yet refuse to perform the Condition of it.

While Men therefore put any value [Page 293] upon the benefit of Life and Being, it is but just that they should receive it with those inseparable Burdens, which it plea­sed the Author of it to annex to it; such as Subjection to himself, and obedience to his Laws.

And as natural Religion may upon this account be truly called a Yoke; so much more all instituted Religions. Wherein the Professors of it, beside the natural and common Reasons of Subjection to God, do in a peculiar manner, and for some more particular Reasons put them­selves under the Command and Directi­on of God, and testifie their Subjection, by solemn Professions and some external Rites.

The Jews did therefore fitly express the whole Obligation of their Law by the Denomination of a Yoke; and who­soever became a Proselyte to it, was said to take the Yoke of God upon them; and Men who denied all Obedience to God, either in their Opinions or Practice, were called Men of Belial, that is Men with­out a Yoke.

In Compliance to this received form of Speech among them, our Lord also calls his Religion a Yoke, and confesseth the Precepts of it to be a Burden. But then as well to distinguish it from other [Page 294] Religions, whether Natural or Jewish, as to encourage Mankind to take that Yoke upon them; he assureth them that his Yoke is easie, and his Burden light. In pursuance of which Design, I shall treat of the Words

• I. Comparatively, as this Description of the Yoke or Religion of Christ distin­guisheth it from all other Religions. And
• II. Absolutely, as it implieth the Pre­cepts of it, taken either separately or all together, to be easie of Practice, and not grievous to be undergone.

The Easiness and Gentleness of his Religion above all others, our Lord in­timates in his whole Discourse precedeing this final Sentence. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest: in the 28th. Verse. Which supposeth Men to have been oppressed, and even to have yielded under the weight of their Burdens, to have been so far from receiving any Satisfaction or compla­cency therein, that they grew weary of them; sought for rest and relief, and af­flicted themselves with the sense of the want of it. And surely not without Reason.

For to begin with the Yoke of Natural Religion; that could not but be very grievous, when no prospect of Reward [Page 295] appeared to the Conscientious Observers of it.

It is the hopes of some good to be obtained by it, which excites the Dili­gence of Man; and the Continuation of those hopes will support him under all Difficulties. Nothing less than the pro­spect of some excellent Reward could encourage the Soul of Man to break through all the Temptations of the World; to maintain a constant and vi­gorous War against the Lusts of the Body, to afflict it self with continual carefulness, and enter upon all the Dif­ficulties of a vertuous Life. When no Reward therefore is promised; when the Supreme Happiness is, if not un­known, yet at least uncertain; as they wanted an effectual Motive to the Pra­ctise of Vertue; so the very Ignorance of true Happiness was none of their least Anxieties.

They found themselves to be capable of more noble Enjoyments, than what their Senses could present to them, and they could not stifle the restless Desires of this Happiness. They set themselves to en­quire after it, framed nice Systems and subtle Definitions of it; yet all their La­bour ended in empty and uncertain No­tions. What a continual Vexation was [Page 296] it then to the Soul of Man, to consider that they were capable of great Improv­ments of Felicity, and yet knew not either wherein they consisted, or how they might be obtained. To view the extent of their Duty, the many and la­borious Vertues, which were required of them, and yet to be unsatisfied to what Purpose all this tended, or wherein they should receive any advantage by it. They could not but conclude indeed, that the Ju­stice of God did require a Discrimination of the good and bad: But then it did not appear, that because the bad were to be punished, the good must be Rewarded with any supernatural Favours. It was a sufficient Reward to Man for his Obe­dience to the Divine Laws, that he had received his Being and all the Benefits of his Life from God, and enjoyed them upon no other Condition.

Or if an extraordinary Reward might be reasonably hoped for from the Consi­deration of the Divine Justice, yet could no Man in that State conceive an Assu­rance of his Title to it; since no such Reward could be claimed but upon ac­count of an absolute and most perfect Obedience; and every one was Conscious to himself, that he could not put in any such Claim. Lastly, to remove all this [Page 297] Anxiety, it was not sufficient to renounce all hopes of future or supernatural Hap­piness, and live regardless of it. For the natural Reason of Man would still sug­gest to him, that this was his Duty, and that was unlawful to him. If he slight­ed the Suggestions; his Conscience would afflict and torment him, would upbraid him with it, and cause him to condemn himself. If he endeavoured to stifle these Suggestions, he would find it to be im­possible; and if he could effect it, he must conceive himself to be reduced to the State and Condition of a Beast. Up­on the whole, the Mind of Man could not but labour with great Anxieties, grow restless and impatient under the Burden of Natural Religion, and be there­by necessitated to betake it self to the direction of Christ, who promiseth Rest and Satisfaction to it.

But our Lord, in this place, more par­ticularly referreth to the severity of the Jewish Dispensation; a Religion encum­bred with so many Rites and Ceremo­nies, so many positive Precepts and Ob­servations, that St. Peter justly complain­eth of it in Acts XV. 10. as of a Yoke, which neither their Fathers nor themselves were able to bear. Nor indeed was it at first intended to perfect the Nature of [Page 298] Mankind, or immediately to procure Happiness, but rather to guard that stiff­necked People from the sin of Idolatry, to which they were so strongly inclined; that while they were busied about these Legal Observations, they might be drawn off from superstitious Rites, and even conceive an hatred of them. Other­wise they contributed little, to raise the Soul of Man, to improve his Faculties, or give him Assurance of what he most desired, an Happiness equal to the Capa­city of his Nature. They are not un­deservedly called the weak and beggarly Ele­ments of the world by the Apostle, and are by God himself in Ezek. XX. said to be statutes that were not good, and Judg­ments whereby the observers of them should not live; to have been given in his Anger; in Punishment of their many Rebellions and Apostacies.

And indeed if we consider the great number of their positive Precepts, Cere­monies and Observations; how little they contributed to the cleansing of the Will, or enlightning of the Understand­ing; how obscure the Reasons of them were; and how inconsiderable the Re­ward annexed to them; we must con­clude it to have been an Institution infi­nitely more severe, than what was after­ward [Page 299] introduced by Christ. There was [...]ndeed a Reward adjoyned to it, but [...]hat so far beneath the Capacity of hu­mane Nature, that it could by no means terminate the Desires of the Soul. And even this Reward they found by Expe­rience to be common to the Observers and Violators of the Law; and if it had been appropriated to the good alone, yet was subject to as many Variations, as was the Body, which it principally concerned.

Again, it could not but be a sensible Vexation to a considering Mind, that they were treated by God at such di­stance; debarred the Knowledge of the Reasons of those Ceremonies, which were required of them; were left whol­ly in the dark as to the Intention of God in prescribing of them; could disco­ver no Reasonableness or Excellency in them, no Agreeableness between them and their own Nature. It was not al­lowed them to enter into the Holy of Holies; to understand the Reasons why such carnal Observations were imposed on them: Or if they had understood them; yet when they viewed the number, the extent, and the Difficulty of them, they even despaired to perform them.

They had indeed all the Reasons [Page 300] common to Natural Religion, and some peculiar to themselves, to expect from the Divine Justice a better and more no­ble Reward. But then the Nature of Legal Righteousness consisting in an uni­versal and unsinning Obedience, extin­guished their hopes, and subjected them to the fear of all the Punishments denounced against the Transgressors of the Law, which had provided Remedies, expiatory Sacrifices, for Sins of Omission, inad­vertency, and a lesser Guilt; but gave no hopes of Pardon to Sins of a more hainous Nature; had assigned no Sacri­fices for their Expiation, nor allowed a­ny means of Pardon for them. Amidst all these Difficulties the Mind was af­flicted, being Conscious of her own Of­fences, but not discovering the Reme­dies of the guilt; despising the unsatis­factoriness of temporal Felicity, yet pro­mised no better; obliged to the Obser­vation of a multitude of Precepts, but taking no Complacency therein; fearing the wrath of God, and yet scarce able to avoid it. Thus was the Jewish Re­ligion in it self an heavy Burden, even without the addition of Pharisaical In­terpretations, who by their Scruples, Niceties and Supererrogations had at that time almost doubled the weight of it.

[Page 301] In relief of all these disadvantages our Lord invites the wearied Soul to take re­fuge in his Religion; assureth her of Rest and Satisfaction therein; ease of Scruples, and removal of Anxiety; in the 28th. Verse, bids his Disciples not be disquieted with the Conscience of their past Sins, nor despair of Pardon; not fear to ap­proach to him, as the Jews did to Mount Sina, when the Law was delivered by God from thence; for that himself was meek and lowly in heart; in the 29th. Verse, ready to forgive their Sins upon sincere Repentance, condescending to their In­firmities; willing to lay open all the Mysteries of his Religion to their Un­derstandings; to adapt it to the meanest; to treat all with a constant Sweetness and Gentleness; to fill all the Faculties of their Souls with the Promise and assu­rance of a Reward, which should be nothing Inferior to their most extended Desires. The farther Consideration of these things will fall under the Second Head proposed, Namely

II. The Easiness of the Yoke and Light­ness of the Burden imposed upon Man­kind by the Commands of Christ, sepa­rated from the Comparison of other Sy­stems of Religion, and as it more nearly respects our Practice and Observation of [Page 302] the Duties of it. This Yoke is no other than the performance of all Christian Duties, or of the Commands of Christ; which word St. John makes use of to express the same Sense, 1 Joh. V. 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. A Proposition, which might perhaps appear incredible to any one who reflects upon the Nature of the Obedience required, and other passages of Scri­pture; That every Action of our Life is limited and regulated by it; that it extends not to the outward Act alone, but includeth the most secret Motions of the Will; that it enjoyneth Man to for­sake Father and Mother, to quit his dearest Affections, to renounce the Plea­sures of the World, and upon occasion even Life it self; That therefore strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto Life; and few there be which find it; and the Life of a Christian is said to be a continual War against the united force of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. These Reasons might possibly affright Mankind from taking such a severe Profession on them, did not the Reason of the thing, the Experience of all good Men, and the infallible Asseve­ration of him who is Truth it self, assure [Page 303] us, That this Yoke far from being insup­portable, is light and easie. I might Evi­dence this by many Reasons, but shall at this time confine my self to Three.

• 1. The Agreeableness of it to the Nature of Man.
• 2. The Greatness and certainty of the Reward.
• 3. The external Assistances afforded in the Practice of it.

The first Reason is drawn from the Agreeableness of the Precepts of Chri­stianity to the Nature of Man. For what doth Christianity enjoyn, which Reason doth not confirm to be the Duty of Man? What doth it require, which doth not adorn, perfect and exalt his Nature? The Sum of Christianity is to conserve a reverent Conception of God, to obey his Authority, and prefer it to all other Reasons; to exercise a constant tempe­rance in the use of Pleasures; an univer­sal Charity in relation to our Fellow-Members; to be just and true; to oppress none, to defraud none, to do as we would be done by.

These are the great Lines of a Christi­ans Duty, these are the chief subject of the Law of Christ. To these indeed must be added to compleat a Christian, Faith in Christ, reliance on his Merits, Com­munion [Page 304] with him in those external Sa­craments, which he hath instituted, to declare the mutual Union between him­self and us; whereby we visibly joyn our selves to him, put our selves under his Command; declare, confirm, and re­iterate our Resolutions of obeying his Commands and following his Directions. Yet can these latter scarce be accounted any part of the Christian Yoke; since simply considered, they include no dif­ficulty, no restraint of the Will of Man, and would not even by the most sensual Person be accounted any Yoke or Burden; but as they are so many Marks and Con­firmations of the Covenant made with God by every Christian to observe those Primary Duties, which we before men­tioned.

These are no other than the necessary result of the Nature and Condition of Man in the World. As a created Being, he oweth Obedience to God; as posses­sing the use of Free-will and Reason, he is obliged to direct his Actions according to those Rules which reason prescribeth to him. From the light of this Reason, he is easily convinced, that it is his Duty to exercise all those Vertues we before men­tioned; that every Sin is a Violation of his Duty, inasmuch as it opposeth the Di­rection [Page 305] of his Reason which ought to guide him, and over turneth that Order and Decorum, which he ought to observe in the World. The Infirmities of his Body, the Imperfections of his Mind force him to confess his Dependence upon some greater Being; convince him that he was not put into the World to follow blindly the Inclinations of his own Will, but to conform himself to those Rules of Government, which the common Author of all Creatures hath established among them.

If when he undertaketh any Action or formeth any Resolution, he consults his Reason, it will tell him, that this is his Duty, that is unlawful to him; this is Decent, that unfit for him; this be­comes, that dishonoureth his Na­ture. Nay, whether he takes Councel from Reason or not, it will not fail to suggest to him in every Action, what is good, just, and honourable; what impi­ous, injust, and disgraceful to him.

Now all these natural Suggestions of Reason, are no other than those very Duties, which make up the Yoke of Christ. The Actions and Rules of Conduct are the same in both; the only difference lieth in the Greatness of the Obligation, and the reasons upon which every Action is to pro­ceed. [Page 306] For whereas Nature directeth that this should be performed, because consentaneous to Reason, that omit­ted, because repugnant to it: Christia­nity requireth that the one should be done, the other forborn, chiefly for the Love of God; in Conformity to his Will, and in gratitude for the Benefits of Creation and Redemption. However the Acts are still the same. For doth not the Reason of all Men agree in this, that Obedience and Reverence is due to God; that whatsoever opposeth his Will is an Act of Rebellion, and denial of De­pendence on him; that the Appetites, Passions, and Lusts of the Body ought to be subjected to the more noble Faculty of Reason; that it is this which consti­tutes a Man, and distinguisheth his Conduct from that of Beasts; that to let loose the Reins to these Lusts, to gra­tifie any of them without the Assent of Reason, is to pervert the Order of Na­ture, and violate the Dignity of Man­kind; that to be just, true, and charita­ble is what the Order and Peace of the World requireth, to which he ought to conform himself, while he continueth a Member of it; that he hath no Right to defraud or injure any other; that if he should do it, he is unworthy to continue his Station among Men?

[Page 307] All this natural Reason suggesteth to the Conscience of every Man. These draw not their Original from any reveal­ed Religion, but are only inforced by it. It hath been pretended indeed by some Patrons of Atheism, tho' it can scarce be believed, that themselves were perswaded of it; that all these Notions are derived from the precedent Impres­sions of some Revealed or supposedly Re­vealed Religion. On the contrary, all Ages and Nations, all Orders of Men have agreed in these common Notions; which cannot possibly proceed from any thing but an universal instinct of Na­ture.

View the most barbarous Nations of the World, who never heard of any insti­tuted Religion; they have the same ge­neral Conceptions of good and bad, which we have. Look back into the most ancient Ages of the World, ante­cedent to any supposed Revelation, the same Ideas of Vertue and Vice will be found in all. Consult the Schools of Philosophers. They differed from one another in almost all their Speculations: In these practical Truths they all agreed. Lastly, search the Conscience of every single Man; and because you cannot dis­cover the Secrets of other Men, appeal [Page 308] to your own Experience; whether every Action be not attended with an imme­diate Approbation or Condemnation of Reason; whether your Conscience doth not instruct you, that many things you ought to do, others to omit; and whe­ther if you refuse to follow the Directi­on of it, it doth not upbraid to you the Omission or Violation of your Duty.

If then all the momentous Duties of the Christian Religion be required by the Light of Nature; if what our Lord ex­acteth of us be no more than what Rea­son would have prescribed to us, if no Revelation had intervened; surely the Obligation laid upon us by Christianity is a Burden very easie to be born. For hence it will follow, that to execute the Office of a Christian is no more, than to perform the Duty of a Man; that it is but natural to Practise all the Precepts of it, and that a contrary Conduct is a force of Nature. Now that whatsoever is natural to any Being is most easie to be effected by it, is no more than what common Sense will teach us. For in being such, it is most adapted and pro­portioned to the Faculties of that Being to which it is natural.

This Argument will receive a farther Illustration from that sweet Compla­cency [Page 309] of Mind which is inseparable from all good Actions, and which doth infi­nitely alleviate the Burden and compen­sate the Difficulty of it. This our Lord seems to have had a particular regard to in the Text, when affirming his Yoke to be easie, he useth a word, [...], which in the Original more properly denoteth Sweet and Pleasant. What greater Ar­gument then can be conceived either of the Ea [...]iness of the Duties of Christianity, or of their Agreeableness to humane Na­ture, than that a grateful Complacency always attends them, while the Soul con­gratulates to her self the performance of her Duty, the Conquests of adverse Lusts, and the right use of her own Faculties? No Joy can be conceiv'd more intense than this, none more Serene and undisturbed, because none more Spiritual, or founded upon better Reasons.

The truth of this every good Man can confirm by his own Experience. Nor do even bad Men want the same Conviction. For none almost are found so totally cor­rupted, who do not sometimes Practise good Actions. And then I appeal to themselves, whether they receive not an inward Satisfaction from the Conscience of it. And if any Degree of Compla­cency be found in them, who through [Page 310] disuse are wont little to relish or value spi­ritual Pleasure, what infinite Satisfaction must good Men reap from thence, who by a well fixed Determination have per­swaded themselves, that the Exercise of Christian Vertues is the only means of present Happiness, and will hereafter procure yet more noble Enjoyments?

On the contrary, all vicious Actions are attended with a no less constant Dis­satisfaction and regret of Mind, raised by the Dictates of Nature only. For who can be impious or disobedient to God, and not conceive Indignation at his own Ingratitude? Who ever reflected upon any inordinate Lust committed by him, and did not afterwards vex him­self, that he had no more command of his Passions, and could not over-come a foolish Desire? Who ever yielded to Drunkenness, and did not at the return of his Wits conclude that he had done a thing unworthy of himself? Thus in all other Sins, Reason doth not fail to up­braid to Man, that he perverted the De­sign of his Nature, degraded his Soul, and dishonoured himself. This Remorse alone (without the Fear of future Punishments made known by Revelation) brings far more Affliction to the Mind of Man, than the Enjoyment of any Sin brings Plea­sure [Page 311] to it. These expire in a moment; those continue as long as the use of Rea­son remains; which altho' it may be suspended by violent Lusts for a while, yet will certainly break out with grea­ter force, and torment the Mind with in­ward Shame, Anxiety, and Distrust.

Upon the whole, a vertuous Life is most agreeable, most easie, and most ad­vantageous to the Nature of Man, even abstracting from the Obligation superad­ded by Revelation, and the Reward pro­mised by it. So that our Lord in making the moral Vertues the only practical Du­ties of his Religion, and the Exercises of them to be the Conditions of his proposed Reward, hath imposed a most easie and most desireable Yoke upon Mankind.

A Second Reason of the Easiness of the Christian Yoke, is the Greatness and the certainty of the Reward annexed to it. Which Reason more particularly rendereth easie that most arduous Duty of Christianity, the Patient enduring of Persecution, Affliction, and even Death it self in the defence of it: and is to that Purpose imploy'd by St. Paul, 2 Cor. IV. 17. For our light Affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceed­ing and eternal weight of Glory. Facility and Difficulty are relative Notions, and [Page 312] are to be measured by the Proportion which the worth of the end to be ob­tained beareth to the Labour and hazard, which are to be employed in the Acquisi­tion of it. If an eminent advantage may be obtained by a proportionable Indu­stry, we allow it to be an easie Condition. When therefore the greatest Happiness, which our Nature is capable of, is pro­posed to us upon Condition of such a right use of our Free-will, as is in our Power; the Imposition ought to be esteemed an easie Burden, when it procu­reth to us such an infinite Reward. And not only doth the Excellency of the Re­ward take off the Imputation of severity from Christ's imposing so strict and uni­versal Holiness upon us; but is also an effectual Motive to us of Vigilance and Industry, in the Execution of the Condi­tion required of us.

In all other Actions of Life our En­deavours are wont to be more or less vigorous, as the desire of the end we aim at is more or less intense. The Fer­vency of the Desire is always proportio­nable to our Esteem of the Excellency of the end. That we may therefore con­ceive an earnest Desire of this noble End, and be thereby incited to use a suitable Diligence for the Attainment of it, it is ne­cessary [Page 313] that we form to our selves a right Estimate of the Greatness and Worth of it; by reflecting on the infinite Duration, the inconceivable Pleasures, and immu­table State of it; by comparing it with all the trifling Enjoyments of this Life, and raising the Thoughts to an Expe­ctation of somewhat yet greater than can be now conceived. This will carry the Soul of Man through all the Difficulties of a Christian Life, baffle the Tempta­tions of the World, surmount the Fears of Death, or temporal Affliction, much more effectually, than the desire of Glory, the Ambition of a Crown, or the Prosecu­tion of some violent Passion hath engag'd many in the most desperate Undertakings.

For in these latter Cases, the Acquisition of the end was never ascertained to the Undertakers in the beginning of their Design. The most vigorous Industry and Courage was in them subject to the Chance of Fortune: Whereas in the former Case, there is an inseparable Con­junction between the end and the means, between eternal Happiness and true Chri­stian Obedience; which no change of Fortune can dissolve, no unforeseen Ca­lamity can overthrow. Therein the Undertaker is only to answer for his Diligence; nor is any thing required to [Page 314] compleat his Success but what is intirely in his Power. If he be not wanting to himself, he may rest secure of the Re­ward; the Nature, the Extent, the Du­ration, and the Seat of which our Lord hath fully made known unto Man; that so he might not any longer be distracted with anxious Thoughts about it; and so hath upon that account also, as he Promi­sed in the precedent Verses, given Rest un­to his Soul, wearied before with a Fruitless and uncertain Search of Happiness.

The last Argument, which I proposed to speak of, is taken from the external Assistance, which Christ hath Promised, and doth still continue to his Disciples in the Exercise of their Duty. Our Lord, in imposing his Yoke upon Man­kind, knew very well the Infirmities of their Nature, the Opposition of his Pre­cepts to their ordinary Passions, the Tenderness and Clemency, which be­came the Saviour, Redeemer, and Me­diator of Mankind; and therefore did not abandon them to the Conduct of their Free-will alone, but assisted their Obedience with the Motions of his Holy Spirit, with those supernatural Gifts and Graces, which he bestows upon all his sincere Disciples; which render the im­position of those Precepts, which he laid [Page 315] upon them, Easie and Pleasant to them.

To convey this Grace to all the wor­thy Receivers of it, he hath founded a Church, a Society of Men professing and publickly declaring Obedience to him in that manner, and with those Rites, which himself hath instituted. He hath made himself the Head of this Body, and as such Communicates the influences of his Blessed Spirit to all the Members of it, to us who continue in Communion with it. If any separate themselves from this Body, whereof himself is the Head, they cease to have any Relation to him, receive none of those supernatu­ral Assistances, which are derived from the Head to all parts of the Body: At least they cannot receive them by the or­dinary method appointed to convey them. And if any pretend new Lights and new Ways; they are such as have no Promise annexed to them.

It is not to be admired therefore, what may be truly observed, That all Here­ticks and Schismaticks dividing them­selves from the Communion of the Church, have in all Ages endeavoured to take away the Obligation of moral Duties, and set up the Pretence of greater Lights, of a more refined Knowledge, [Page 316] to compensate the neglect of Tempe­rance and Meekness, of Justice and Cha­rity. They having divided themselves from the Body of the Church, cut off the ordinary Communication between Christ and them; and thereby depriving themselves of the benefit of those Divine Graces and Assistances which are con­veyed by that Channel, found them­selves unable to Practise those Christian Vertues, which our Lord requireth of his Disciples; and therefore endeavoured to annul the necessity and Obligation of them.

But this is not to alleviate, but to cast off the Yoke of Christ; to Claim the Be­nefits, and refuse the Conditions of the Covenant which he made with Mankind: and in the mean while to cheat them­selves and others, with vain Perswasions and arrogant Pretences.

Our Lord hath Promised the Assistance of his Spirit, and therein he will not fail; he hath settled the means of con­veying it, and that he Will not change. If we slight the Assistance, we are un­worthy of it; if we forsake the means, we are incapable. Let us rightly esteem and implore this Assistance to our selves; let us hold fast the means, whereby we may receive it; that is, a constant Com­munion [Page 317] with his Body the Church in all her Holy Offices and Sacraments; so shall we Experience, that his Commands are not only Excellent in themselves, agreeable to our Nature, and rendred Pleasant by their Reward, but are also made Easie by his Grace and the Influen­ces of his Spirit. In the whole we shall be convinced of the Truth of what he affirmed, That his Yoke is easie, and his Burden light, and find assurance of what he Promised, Rest to our wearied Souls.

THE Apostle having exhorted to the Duty of Charity throughout this whole Chapter, and enforced his exhortation with many Arguments, at last concludeth his Arguments, with these words, whereby he proveth, that to act in a contrary manner, were to encroach upon the Prerogative of God, and invade what he claimeth peculiarly to him­self.

[Page 319] And surely no less an Argument than the fear of violating the Majesty and the Power of God could deter Men from the Practice and Prosecution of revenge, which at first Sight appears to be so na­tural a Passion in Man, and can plead for it self with more plausible Arguments than any other sin whatsoever. As that Nature directeth all Creatures to defend themselves and repel the Assaults of Ene­mies; that for this Purpose all Animals are endued with proportionable Strength and Courage; that to pass by one Enemy unrevenged exposeth a Man to the insults of Enemies, to the scorn of Friends, and to renewed Wrongs; that it is no other than Baseness and Cowardize, an Argu­ment of a mean and timorous Soul, to submit patiently to the Affronts and Wrongs of another Man; and that to return evil for evil, to punish the Ma­lice of an Offender by procuring Loss or Grief to him, is no other than a part of distributive Justice, of which every Man may be allowed to be the Admini­strator; that so as the smart of Revenge inflicted may punish the Malice of the Aggressor, the Pleasure of inflicting Re­venge may make some amends for the undeserved Sufferings of the injured Party.

[Page 320] Such Arguments Men are wont to plead in behalf of Revenge; and such did once introduce an universal Opinion in the World, that Revenge was not only a Matter allowed, but even a Vertue, the Duty of every Noble and Couragi­ous mind, Consonant to the intentions of Nature, and the Office of every pri­vate Man.

Thus the great Masters of Morality among the Heathens; among whom no­thing is more frequent than such Expres­sions as these; that Revenge is sweeter than Life it self; that Moderation is to be observed in creating, but none in reveng­ing Injuries; that not to revenge a Wrong, is an Argument of Fear and Sloth, of an unmanly and degenerous Mind.

On the contrary, we are taught, throughout this whole Chapter, to bless them which persecute us, to recompence to no Man evil for evil, to live peaceably with all Men, and in the last place (which concerns my present Design) not to a­venge our selves, but rather give place unto wrath; not to take upon us to inflict the Punishment due to any sin of Injustice committed against us, but to leave that to be inflicted by God, either by his own immediate Power, or by those Commis­sioners, [Page 321] to whom he hath delegated part of his Power: Not to prevent the Justice of God herein, and forestall his Judg­ment.

For that is the meaning of those words: But rather give place unto wrath. Leave room for the Wrath or just Anger of God against such Sinners to take place and display it self. Do not you therein arrogate to your selves the Office of a Judge, and by pretending to punish the Offender, prevent the Punishment de­signed by the proper Judge. The Rea­son follows, and that not new, but de­livered many Ages since in the Old Testament: For it is written; Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. I am the Supreme Judge of the World, the Lord of all Mankind. To me only, as such, it belongeth to execute Judgment, and punish the demerits of Men. Who­soever takes upon him to avenge himself, violates my Authority, and invades my Office.

An hard Lesson this, as it should seem; to restrain the natural Passions of Man; to forbid the returning of Evil to avow­ed Enemies; to tye up the hands of Men, and that not only (as it may happen) from retaliating past Injuries, but also from preventing future Wrongs, Nay [Page 322] to reluctant Minds this generally appears, and is represented, as yet more Difficult; as destroying the Peace of the World, taking away the means of Self-defence, and exposing the Observers of it, to the Injuries and Tyranny of all other Men.

Yet if the Matter be well considered, nothing is more reasonable, or more con­ducing to the Peace of the World; that as it may be universally affirmed of the Doctrine of Christ, that it is in all things agreeable to humane Reason, and the Law of Nature; so more eminently it will appear in this point to have restored the depraved Notions of natural Reason, and to have introduced a right Sense of the Duty of Man, in Relation to the suf­fering and returning of Injuries. To clear this we must first fix a right Noti­on of Revenge; and it will then be ma­nifest, that the Execution of it belongeth to God alone.

And here in the first place, Self-defence is to be distinguished from Revenge: the want of which distinction hath mightily promoted the cause of Revenge; while all the Arguments, which warrant a Self-defence, Men have employed in As­sertion of Revenge.

Christianity forbids not those lawful means of Self-preservation, which Na­ture [Page 323] allows, and hath not herein in the least abridged the Priviledges of Man­kind. It is still lawful to repel force with force, to seek the Preservation of Life and Fortune, even with the De­struction of an Adversary, if it can be obtained no other way; provided that this Priviledge be never employed to the disturbance of the publick Peace of the World, or in opposition to those lawful Powers, to whom both Life and Fortune are subjected.

So far was God from disarming his People in this Case, and forbidding to them the means of Self-defence; that he often exhorts them to fight their Bat­tels Couragiously, sent them Prophets to conduct them, endued their Comman­ders with Wisdom and Valour; and was even Content, that his own positive Pre­cepts should yield to Self-defence, when the latter could not be maintained with­out the Violation of the former, as in the Case of fighting on the Sabbath day. A plain Argument, that Self-defence is not only permitted by God to Men, but even commanded to them; otherwise it could never take place of a positive Divine Precept; and that it is a Sin to neglect the lawful means of Self-prefer­vation.

[Page 324] In the Gospel our Lord bids us indeed, If any one smites us on the one Cheek to turn to him the other also; and if he takes away our Coat, to give him our Cloke also. But all this, as it appears from the Con­text to have been spoken in opposition to that eager Prosecution of Revenge which was familiar to, and thought lawful by the Jews, so it plainly amounts to no more than this; that rather than to en­deavour Revenge, properly so called, ra­ther than to delight in the Misery of an Enemy retaliated by us upon him, we should suffer a yet much greater Loss; that it were more preferable to endure a double Injury, than to contract the guilt of Malice or Revenge.

Otherwise our Lord, who professeth it far from his Intentions to alter the least Tittle of the Moral Law, hath nei­ther forbidden nor discountenanced a Self-defence, when free from Revenge and Malice. On the contrary he hath ratified and approved, and even insti­tuted the Civil Magistrate (for St. Paul calls it the Ordinance of God) and put the Sword into his hand on purpose to punish Malefactors, and repel the Inju­ries of one Man from another by violence. For upon this Principle of Self-preserva­tion all Government is founded; and [Page 325] every Act of it, every Punishment in­flicted on a Malefactor, is done in Prose­cution of the same Design.

Thus doth not this Self-defence in the least interfere with the Prohibition of Revenge; since it necessarily includeth not Hatred or desire of Revenge; or if it should include it, it hath passed its Bounds, and is to be called by another name. The sole end of Self-defence is to preserve Life or Goods, not to offend any other; whereas the Nature of Re­venge consists wholly in designing or desiring the Death, Loss or Misery of another, not as contributing to our own Self-preservation, but as returning and punishing his Malice and hatred to us.

Thus Revenge, being separated from the Cause of Self-defence, will easily appear what it truly is; and will want those Arguments to recommend it, which it borrowed from the latter. It is the desire or endeavour of bringing Evil up­on another Man, solely or chiefly for this end, that he may suffer some loss or grief; when we return an Injury to any one for this only Reason, because we have received one either real or imaginary from him. Thus Self-defence may easily degenerate into Revenge; when a Man [Page 326] not Content to have secured his own safety, to have disarmed his Enemy, or to have made a fair retreat, presseth up­on his Adversary, pursueth his advan­tage, and seeketh the hurt or destru­ction of him; when any one Projects how to return a like Injury to that he hath received; when he conceiveth a personal Hatred of the Man, studieth to create some disadvantage to him; at least retains so much Malice in his Heart, that he envieth and maligneth him, and should entertain his Misfortunes with Compla­cency.

The methods and kinds of Revenge are as different, as are the secret workings of Malice; nor can either Malice or Envy be ever found without the conjunction of Revenge and Imagination of some past Injury. It is said, that Cain slew his Brother out of Envy; yet was that Envy accompanied with the desire of Revenge, for having as he thought, robbed him of the favour of God, by procuring the greater share of it to himself. Other Acts of Revenge may more eminently appear to belong to that Denomination; as when Joab killed Abner for the Death of his Brother; and Herod sought the Death of John the Baptist for reprehend­ing his incestuous Marriage; yet this we [Page 327] may be assured of, as Revenge can never be formed in the Mind without prece­dent Malice, and subsequent Envy of the others out-living, altho' but for one mo­ment, the Execution of his Revenge; so neither can Malice or Envy take place without a desire of Revenge. And then as in all other Sins, so in this also, the Guilt of it consists not so much in the Exe­cution of it, as in the precedent Appro­bation of it by the Will; and becomes not the less because not put in Execu­tion.

And as all other Sins are proposed to the Will under some specious Pretence; so Revenge assumeth the shew of Justice; and therein chiefly makes good the Charge, which we before mentioned, of incroaching upon the Prerogative and Authority of God. It is indeed a plau­sible Plea to pretend, that Justice must be strictly observed in the World; that it is not fit the least Injury of Men should pass unpunished; that they ought to ex­piate the Guilt of their Injury by a pro­portionable Punishment; that otherwise the Peace of the World cannot be main­tained, and good Men will be always exposed to the Insults and Oppression of others. Upon this ground, and with these Pretences, Men take upon them the [Page 328] Office of a Supreme Judge; they will needs determine the quantity of every Man's demerits, and inflict a Punish­ment upon it.

This Arrogance is visible in every Act of Revenge; where the Person reveng­ing proposeth to himself to punish the Malice of the Offender; not only to se­cure his own safety (for while it pro­ceeds no farther, it is not Revenge) but also to procure such a Punishment to the other, as may compensate for the Flagi­tiousness of the Injury which he hath committed. And herein chiefly consists the Offence of a revengeful Mind against God, (for as it is an Offence against our Neighbour, I do not now consider it) this constituteth the Guilt of it, that it invadeth the Office of the Supreme Judge, which belongeth to God alone. And upon this is founded the Reason brought against Revenge by the Apostle in the Text: Avenge not your selves; but rather give place unto Wrath (await the Execution of the Divine Wrath upon all Sinners,) For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord. In which words, God taketh the Execution of Re­venge from Men in the former part of them, and in the latter part appropriates it to himself.

[Page 329] I will consider both together; for that the same Reasons, which forbid the Ex­ercise of Revenge to Man, affix it to God; and for this very Cause it is un­lawful to Man, because it belongeth sole­ly to God. To pass Judgment upon the demerits of every sinful Action, to deter­mine the quantity of the Guilt, and affix a proper Punishment to it, belongs on­ly to the Supreme Judge of the World; which Office is invested in God, as being the Creator of all things living, and the absolute Lord of the World; which when he had formed, he quitted not to the blind Operations of Chance, nor to the Disposition of inferior Spirits, nor yet to the unruly Wills of Men; but retained the Government in his own hand, reserved to himself the distribu­tion of Rewards and Punishments, upon which account he is called the Judge of all the Earth, Gen. XVIII. 25.

One part of this Office of Judge is to execute Vengeance upon Sinners; for which Reason he is called the God of Vengeance more than once in the Ninth Psalm. The Execution of his just Sen­tence upon Sinners is termed Revenge; and Sinners the object of it are called his Adversaries, as Deut. XXXII. 43. He will render Vengeance to his Adversaries; [Page 330] and in many other places of Scripture. To teach us, that he claims that Office to himself, and that he alone is capable of recompencing in due manner the Guilt of every injurious Act, and all Sins are such to him.

He is the Supreme Lord of all, and therefore hath a full Right to judge his Creatures; he is the common Lord of all, and therefore cannot be suspected of par­tiality. His Justice will not suffer any Sin to escape unpunished. He is merci­ful; and far from punishing Offences be­yond their Merit, chastiseth Sinners less than they deserve. He searcheth the Conscience of every Man, cannot be deceived by false Representations, nor be drawn aside by Passion or Prejudice. He knoweth exactly the true demerit of every Sin; and can unerringly Propor­tion the Punishment to the Crime. He hath promised in a peculiar manner to revenge the Injuries done to his faithful Servants; and by a positive Precept hath taken Revenge out of the hands of Men.

If after all this, Men will presume to intermeddle in the Cause of Revenge, and pretend to punish the Pravity of any Action; they manifestly usurp the Office of God, and place themselves in his Seat [Page 331] of Judicature. An attempt, which he will not so easily pardon; who, as he saith of himself, is jealous of his Honour, and will not give his Glory to another.

Nor indeed can such Revenge be exe­cuted, without pretending to that Su­preme Power, which is invested in God. For not to say that this were to refuse Obedience to his Commands, and therein to renounce his Government, who hath commanded the contrary; to pass by that; to revenge an Injury must suppose an absolute Subjection of the Person, on whom the Revenge is to be inflicted.

For after every Man hath used the Priviledges of Self-defence in opposition to the other, he hath no more Right left of acting any against him. The Punish­ment of the others injurious Malice be­longeth not to him, unless the absolute Subjection of the other gives him just Title to it. And in this Case it is not sufficient, that the Body of the one should be subject to the other (for that doth often happen) but the Cognizance of the secret Actions of the Soul must also belong to him, who judgeth of the demerits of the Fact; otherwise it will be impossible to determine how much, or how little Malice the Injury included in it. Whereas in this respect no Man [Page 332] is subject to another; we are all equally Fellow-Servants to God. And then the Expostulation of the Apostle will take place: Who art thou, that judgest ano­ther Mans servant? to his own Master he either standeth or falleth. This cannot be done without assuming the Authority of the Master; and this is certainly done, as often as Revenge is intended or ef­fected.

But not only upon this account are we injurious to the Majesty of God, in­asmuch as we are all Fellow-Creatures and the works of his hands, if we take Re­venge, and in that make our selves Judges of such our Fellow-Servants; but in that, while we all equally hope for Pardon from the hands of God our common Judge, we deny it to one another, and presume to require that from God, which we will not Grant our selves. If in plead­ing for Revenge we alledge, that ano­ther hath injured us; and are not we in every Sin injurious to God? Thy Fellow-Servant hath perhaps injured thee once or twice; but thou hast injured God, the Lord of both, very often, perhaps every day of thy Life; and then what equality is there between injuring a Fellow-Ser­vant and a Master? He perhaps was pro­voked, nay first injured by thee, before [Page 333] he committed any Acts of Hatred or Malice against thee: But thou hast of­fended thy Lord, from whom thou never receivedst any Injuries, by whom thou hast been obliged with the greatest Be­nefits, by whose Favour thou livest, and from whom thou expectest all that can make thee Happy.

Consider, that if God should examine strictly, and immediately revenge all thy Offences against him, thou hast not one day to live: For if thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord who may abide it? So said a better Man than thou art; and much more must thou confess, if thou either dissemblest not with others or deceivest not thy self.

For to pass by all those secret Sins, which are known only to every Man's Conscience, and have no witness but God alone; if we should be required to give an account of those open and manifest ones which we daily commit, what Par­don could we expect? If God should take a severe Account of our Negligence and want of attention in Prayer, of all the idle Speeches proceeding from our Mouth, and the rash Judgments which we make, and such other Sins and Inad­vertencies committed but in any one day; [Page 334] we should have just Reason to despair of Pardon. But if he ransacks our Souls, and brings forth into Judgment all the secret Sins of it, the evil Desires and un­clean Thoughts, the unlawful Motions and vain Imaginations; we should then have no hope left. And if the Sins of one day bring inevitable Destruction up­on us, without the Mercy and the Par­don of God; what an Abyss of Mercy will the Sins of a whole Life require? Yet all these Sins he condescends to par­don, all this Mercy he extends to Man, with this single Condition, that he par­don the Offences of his Fellow-Christi­an. For this is an Argument against Revenge peculiar to the Christian Re­ligion.

To the Jews the Promises of Divine Pardon were neither so full nor so clear; and therefore God in giving Laws to them, thought it convenient to wink at their exercise of Revenge in some Cases. I will not reckon as such that Law of giving an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. For however it was afterwards most grosly mis-interpreted by the Jews; it included not any thing of Revenge in the first Institution and Design of it. But certainly that Law cannot be excused from Revenge, which alloweth to the [Page 335] Kindred of any Man slain unadvisedly to retaliate his Death upon the Author of it, if they overtook him before he entred into any City of refuge.

It is our Happiness, that as we have a better Religion and greater Promises, so we have stronger Arguments to per­swade us to our Duty. And in this Case, he, who gave us both, hath forbidden the Execution of Revenge to us, and ap­propriated it to himself. So that not only upon account of the Nature of the thing, but also of the Divine Command, Revenge is made injurious to God, and unlawful to us.

Further, not only do we want that Au­thority, which Revenge pre-supposeth; not only are we precluded by the express Prohibition of God; but we also want other qualifications absolutely necessary to us, before it be convenient that we be intrusted with the Execution of Re­venge. I will instance but in two:

First, Knowledge of the true Guilt of the Crime which we would revenge.

It must be acknowledged that the Me­rits of a Cause ought to be known, be­fore any Judgment be passed on it. In Humane Judicatures the Peace of the World and Interest of publick Societies require, that probable Evidence be ac­cepted, [Page 336] that Judgment be given accord­ing to the appearance of things. But if Men pretend to judge the Consciences of others, to define the Hainousness of the Guilt of their Offences, and to exe­cute the Punishment upon it, which is the Proper work of Revenge; they ought exactly to know the most private thoughts of the Soul; by what steps and arguments the Will was induced to com­mit that Injury; what Judgment the Understanding formed of it when it was committed. Otherwise Men may grosly mistake; they may Judge that to be an Injury, which was intended by the other for a Kindness; in which Case there is rather Merit than Guilt in the Offender: And if his intended Be­nefit doth really turn to the Detriment of the other, it will be a misfortune to them both; yet the Merit of the Benefit ought not to be esteemed less. Thus a passionate Revenge may be employed against its own Benefactors, and invert­ing the Course of Justice punish the Well­doers.

In other Cases Men may interpret Acts of inadvertency to proceed from a formed Malice, and punish what is indeed but a venial Injury, as a Mortal offence. They may prosecute the Execution of revenge, [Page 337] even after the other hath repented of the Injury in his mind, and resolved (if possi­ble) to make Reparation for it, and there­by hath expiated the guilt of the Offence.

In all these and many other Cases, Men may err most grosly in passing their Judg­ment upon the enormity of Injuries offered to them, which must be supposed to pre­cede all Revenge. And how dangerous such Errors are our Lord acquaints us, when he assureth us, Matth. VII. 2. With what Judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. This Reason makes it im­possible for Man to execute Revenge aright, if it should be permitted to him; and dan­gerous to be desired; and for this Reason it ought to be taken out of the hands of Man, and be committed to him alone, who is the Searcher of all Spirits.

Again, if it were possible for Man to form a right Judgment of the guilt of eve­ry Offence, and the quantity of the Punish­ment to be inflicted; he would still com­mit fatal Miscarriages in the Execution of it. His Passions are so violent, that he would far exceed the Limits of the prescribed Punishment, add weight and sharpness to it in Complyance with his own Hatred, and imagine that his Anger ought to be indulged therein. Nay I fear, that in all Cases of Revenge it will be found; [Page 338] that the Punishment is inflicted not out of abhorrence to the sin committed, but out of Malice and Hatred to the Person of the other; not to reform the irregularity of the other, but to gratifie his own Passion; not to oppose sin, but to harm a supposed Ene­my. And thus not only the Danger of in­curring the guilt of Injustice, Hatred and Malice would ensue; but also the Peace of the World would be wholly over-turned; Mankind would be involved in continual War; while he who were first injured car­ried his Revenge beyond the limits of a just Punishment, and the excess of that Pu­nishment, being a real Injury, Entitles the other to a fresh Revenge. I might there­fore insist upon the reasonableness of the Divine Prohibition of revenge to Man, from the advantage which it brings to the Pre­servation of the Peace and Order of the World; were it not an Argument too in­considerable to be employed in Conjunction with the former.

To return therefore to the former Consi­deration, since the Justice of all Punish­ment consists in the Parity of it to the guilt of the Crime committed; and vehe­mence of Passion, to which humane Na­ture is incident, suffers not Men to observe that Parity in execution of Revenge, and not to observe it is a sin against God; as in many other Respects, so in this also, that [Page 339] it is a Violation of Justice; we ought to esteem it a singular Benefit, that God hath taken the Execution of revenge into his own hands, and not left the Manage­ment of it to our Discretion; least it should unavoidably expose us to the Danger of sin, either in carrying it beyond its just Bounds, or in executing it for other Reasons than the Love of Justice or Hatred of sin.

And to this Consideration the Apostle seems to have had a peculiar regard, when he citeth that passage of the Old Testament, Vengeance is mine, &c. which in the place referred to, Deut. XXXII. 35. plainly re­lates to this Matter. For there God hav­ing denounced to the Jews the Punishments he would inflict on them, in Case of their Apostacy from him, telleth them among other things, that he would deliver them into the hands of their Enemies, into the power of strange Nations, who should ty­rannize over them, and mightily oppress them, and therein become the Executioners of those Punishments, which he designed to their sins. Not that thereby their Tyranny and Oppression should become the less un­lawful, because subservient to the secret purposes of God, to which they in oppres­sing the Jews, had no regard, but only to the satisfaction of their Hatred and other Passions. And therefore this Oppression, so far exceeding the Rules of Justice, God [Page 340] in the 35th. Verse aforecited threatens, that he will severely revenge upon them. And accordingly in XXV. of Ezekiel 12th. God foretels the utmost Execution of his Wrath upon Edom, for taking a too severe Revenge of the People of Israel, altho' himself had delivered them into their hands to be plagued by them. So that if no other Ar­gument disswaded us from the prosecution of Revenge, if a moderate Revenge were even permitted by God, yet the Difficulty of observing moderation in it, and the dan­ger of incurring sin thereby, should deterr us from it.

Thus Men are made unfit to be entrusted with the execution of Revenge, for that they know not certainly the just Proportion of the supposed Crime, and the Punishment due to it; and altho' they were secured of it, yet would rather consult the direction of their own Passions than the Rules of Ju­stice. Yet the Cause of revenge is still main­tained in the World; and no wonder, when it is supported by so many Passions, as En­vy, Hatred, Malice, and the like.

These indeed, to minds of more happy Education, and nobler Thoughts, naturally appear odious; and therefore such as pre­tend to a better Blood and greater Minds, found their Practice of revenge upon a Principle of Honour, to which they Fancy all other Considerations ought to yield; [Page 341] entertaining a vain Perswasion that this Ho­nour cannot consist with the patient indu­ring of Injuries, and that every Affront unrevenged draws upon them the imputa­tion of Cowardize.

An Opinion built upon false Notions of Honour and Valour; and which far from being an Argument of true Greatness of Mind, manifests a real weakness in it. For wherein is the Honour of Man to be placed, but in such Perfections, as may im­prove his Faculties, adorn his Nature, and promote his Happiness? If upon these Prin­ciples he raiseth the favourable esteem of other Men; his Honour is then truly founded. If for other Reasons, which are indeed no Perfections, he fancieth himself to be admired, he betrays the weakness of his Judgment, in that he prides himself in the Admiration of others no less injudici­ous. Such is, when Esteem is founded up­on Rashness or a precipitate Boldness, upon Impatience of bearing the least Indignity, and preferring this Resolution to all Consi­derations. If this be a real Honour, then such a passionate determination must be in­deed a perfection of Nature, an improve­ment of Reason; but if that be too gross to affirm, the pretence of Honour must be laid aside.

Nor yet can any Argument of Valour or Greatness of Mind, be drawn from such a [Page 342] Conduct. Valour indeed is such a con­stant Resolution of Mind, as cannot be moved or over-turned by any external Ac­cident, cannot be interrupted by Fears and Passions; and a Mind truly great is placed above all such mean Resentments, and ra­ther scorns than fears the Attempts of other Men. How then can he be said to make good this Character, whom an Injury shall torment and disquiet; whose Thoughts may be ruffled, and his Passions raised at the pleasure of any other; who by manife­sting so great a Concern in little matters, betrays the Consciousness of his own un­worthiness and imperfection, of the want of real Worth and Happiness, which can be so far impaired by Trifles and petty In­juries, that without Revenge it cannot be restored? In Truth there is no greater In­dication of an abject and mean Spirit, of Cowardize and Imperfection of mind, than that impatience, that fear and jealousie, which always attends Revenge thus found­ed upon mistaken Honour.

But I do injury to the Cause I handle, when I seek to recommend the Laws of God concerning Revenge by an Argument so far inferior to the weight of Divine Au­thority. To Christians (and in this place I presume my Speech doth reach no other) it ought to be a sufficient Confutation of the pretence of Honour in Revenge, that [Page 343] our Lord hath forbidden the practice of it. For since his Religion tends to advance the Perfection of humane Nature, and to re­store right Notions of all Moral Actions; it is impossible that true Honour or Valour should promote the exercise of Revenge which he hath forbidden.

The pretence of Honour in the Execu­tion of Revenge is vain indeed, yet not so Criminal as that other ordinary pretence of satisfying Justice therein: When Men prosecute their Revenge against others, un­der pretence of Zeal for Justice, and least the guilt of any sin should escape unpunished. This those are wont to alledge in defence of their Revenge, whose Revenge is found­ed upon a Principle of Malice, not of mi­staken Honour. To Confess openly that they take Revenge, because they hate their Neighbours, would be too shameless an Acknowledgment of their own baseness; and might also overthrow those Artifices, by which such Men commonly work their Revenge. For which they strain their Wits to find out plausible Pretences for the visible Effects of their secret Malice; assign­ing the Cause of all to be their Love of Justice, of their Religion, or of their Countrey. And such is the Credulity of Mankind, that these Pretences seldom want Success, covering the Malice and Rancor of a canker'd Soul; and giving [Page 344] the most easie and secure Opportunities of Revenge.

All are apt to censure and condemn Re­venge, when proceeding from the Prin­ciple of false Honour, which was before mentioned; because the Motive of it is not and cannot be dissembled; yet in Truth this sort of Revenge is infinitely less Cri­minal than the former arising from Hatred and Malice, however dissembled, and as­suming to it self more specious Names. This is formed by a violent Commotion of Mind, which lasteth not many hours; but that by an hardned Malice, which work­eth secretly for many years together. This is commonly effected in the heat of Blood, when the Soul hath scarce time to recollect it self or command the unruly Passions of the Body; but that is raised and carried on by deliberate thought and resolution, which is the utmost Aggravation that any sin can receive. This may sometime fall even upon a good Man, who through the heat of Passion, and from a violent In­dignation of receiving unworthy Injuries, may suddenly be betrayed to the Desire or the Execution of Revenge; but of the other a good Man can never be guilty, since it is impossible that Hatred and Malice, which are habitual sins, should consist with the least degree of Goodness.

In all habitual sins the Mind cannot but [Page 345] many times reflect upon its own Diseases, and be as often convinced of the unlaw­fulness of those Vices, which it nourisheth. The Divine Prohibition of those sins often recurs to the Memory, and the Soul cannot but be conscious of her own Diseases; yet in spight of all these Considerations the Man resolveth to retain his Hatred and Malice towards others. And in this Reso­lution is encouraged from the Considera­tion, that these sins (being close and secret) will consist with the pretence of Sanctity, and may be serviceable to him in his base Designs against his Neighbours.

And of this sort are all the sins of Hypo­crites; fixed and determinate Resolutions of persevering in opposition to the Laws of God; and still making use of his glorious Name to carry on private Designs. No wonder then, that in Scripture the most se­vere Punishments are still denounced a­gainst Hypocrites; since theirs are all de­liberate sins, such as Oppression, Covetous­ness, Injustice, Lying, Slandering, Perfidi­ousness, Hatred, and Malice, all sins of the most enormous Guilt, and heightened by this farther Consideration, that the speci­ous pretences of Piety, Religion, and Zeal are made use of to execute the several De­signs of them.

Particularly in the Case of malicious Re­venge, nothing is more ordinary than to [Page 346] pretend a zealous Concern for the Punish­ment of Evil doers, as if they would sup­ply the defect of the Divine Justice, or of the Laws of their Countrey, and punish the Guilt of sins, for which God hath or­dinarily provided no Punishment in this Life, reserving it to another. Yet often­times the sins of others, which these Men would pretend to punish, are indeed no­thing else but opposition to their Humours, Fancies, and Designs; it being in the ac­count of some Men an unpardonable Crime to be of a contrary or another Party; to have crossed or opposed a Design of the others, altho' never so unreasonable; or per­haps to have once performed their Duty without Partiality and corrupt Favour to others, when the Laws of their Countrey did require it. Certainly if the Guilt of sins is to be measured from the Evil Con­sequences of them; such malicious Revenge will be found the greatest of all sins: Be­ing the Cause and occasion of publick Ca­lamites, over-turning the Peace and Prospe­rity of whole Nations, and bringing them to Destruction.

Great and numerous Societies of Men, such as this Nation is, cannot easily be dis­solved without intestine Divisions; and such are always the effect of malicious Re­venge. In this manner we shall find almost all the great Societies of the World to have [Page 347] been broken, when they have divided into two or more Parties, and those continually practising upon each other, under Pretence of preserving the religious or civil Rights of the Countrey against the Invasion of the other; and as each prevail, employing their Interest and Power not to the upholding of the Religion or Laws, but to the ruin or vexation of the others.

I will not apply this to our own Nation, or bring any Instance from our Times, least I should be thought to engage in any Party: But if we call to mind the History of the Jews, we shall find many Examples of such malicious Revenge covered under such spe­cious pretences.

Thus when the Jewish Magistrates re­solved to take away our Saviour's Life; they put on a mighty shew of Zeal for the publick Service, and accused him to the Roman Governour, as an Enemy unto Ce­sar: Although themselves indeed cared so little for Cesar, that they had at that very time formed the design of a general Re­bellion against him, as appeared short­ly after. And when this Rebellion broke out, and the People unanimously attempt­ed to cast off the Roman Yoke and recover their ancient Liberty; the most bloody and wicked part of them, took upon them the name of Zealots, and under pretence of extra­ordinary Concern for the publick Interest, [Page 348] and punishing the secret Favourers and Friends of the Romans, murdered or rob­bed every Man his private Enemy; and by this Division made way to the Arms of the Romans, who without this advantage could not easily have overcome that popu­lous and resolute Nation.

These Considerations ought to divert Men from a resolved Prosecution of Re­venge; and much more those Arguments, which might be drawn from the Scope or Design of the Christian Religion might pro­duce this Effect, if we could perswade our selves, that Men did in earnest believe the Truth of it and submit to it. But when almost every Man pleads an Exemption from the Obligation of it in all Commands, which oppose his peculiar Passions; when little beside the Pretence of it is left among us, and even that pretence continued, not out of any Reverence to Religion, but be­cause it is serviceable to Secular and mean Designs, we cannot but despair of prevailing with the greater part of Men therein. How­ever we must declare, that nothing is more contrary to the Spirit and Design of Chri­stianity than to study Revenge, to continue Hatred and Animosity without end, and never to forget and forgive an Injury. Such a Conduct is directly opposite to the Do­ctrine and Example of our Lord; and how­ever covered with specious Colours of won­derful [Page 349] Zeal, or Purity, or Affection to any Party, will be no less damnable in a Chri­stian, than Idolatry in a Heathen.

Lastly, If neither the Reason of the thing, nor the Divine Prohibition, nor the regard of publick Security concerned there­in, nor the direct opposition of Christia­nity to it, can draw Men from the Love of Revenge; yet at least it cannot be denied, that the assurance of God in the latter part of the Text, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, hath taken from them that common pre­tence, before mentioned, of Zeal for the sa­tisfaction of Justice; least if Revenge should not be inflicted, the Guilt of any sin should escape unpunished.

This therefore God hath fully provided for; who as he is the supreme Lord of all, and Judge of the whole World, cannot be supposed to fall so far in the Distribution of Justice, as to permit any sin to pass un­observed by him, neither expiated by Re­pentance, nor attended with Punishment; and hath moreover obliged himself by Promise to revenge the Injuries offered to his faithful Servants; and that (as our Lord saith) he will do, although he bears long with them, Luk. XVIII. 25.

It would be unreasonable to expect that his Punishments should always be inflicted on the unjust Aggressor in this Life; nor hath he promised any such thing. The place [Page 350] in Deuteronomy referred to in the Text, in the Original runs thus: To me belongeth Vengeance or Recompence in time, or to be executed in due time. It cannot be expect­ed, that his Punishments should always immediately follow the Commission of every Crime or Injury, unless we desire the World should be in a manner dispeopled and become a Theatre of dreadful Trage­dies. It is sufficient, that he hath ordina­rily secured us from the more disquieting Injuries of unjust Men, by the Commission which he hath given to the Civil Magi­strate to revenge them in his stead. And if he should fail in the Execution of his entrusted Office; we are not so considera­ble, as singly to deserve an extraordinary Interposition of Providence in behalf of us. If we desire this Revenge should be extend­ed yet farther, and should punish in this Life, and for our Sakes even the Guilt of Injuries offered to us; we manifest an inhu­mane Disposition of Mind, delighting in the Miseries of other Men.

God hath promised indeed as a benefit to his faithful Servants, that he will re­venge the Injuries offered to them. But if this Revenge be taken in this Life; the benefit consisteth not in the Pleasure arising from the suffering of Enemies, but either in the Enjoyment of temporal Peace secured thereby, or in the perswasion which good [Page 351] Men may thence conceive, that they are beloved by God. If the Revenge be ta­ken in another Life, the benefit consisteth wholly in the latter. For far be it from the Spirits of good Men now in Heaven, who were injured by bad Men when alive, to take delight in the Torments of the Damned, because they were once their Enemies; and far be it from us to enhance the Joys of Heaven by such unworthy Considerations. Complacency in the Sufferings of other Men, which is to be found in all Revenge properly so called, can find no place in Heaven; and that it may find no place on Barth, may this Discourse conduce.

HOW Glorious the Resurrection of our Lord was, which we this day Com­memorate, how undeniable at that time, how powerful an assurance of all his precedent Promises and Revelations, what effect it had both in the Mind of his Disciples and his Crucifiers, how effectually it demonstrated to the whole World, the Divinity both of his Mission and his Person; as the whole Series of their Actions immediately subse­quent to it do demonstrate, so this Decla­ration made by them in the Text doth evince. They, who before had fled upon his ap­prehension, [Page 353] had lost all their hopes at his Crucifixion, had either denied or forsaken him; who began to doubt whether it were he that should have redeemed Israel, and gave up all for lost, resumed their Courage and their Faith at the news and assurance of his Resurrection. They now saw that Salva­tion wrought, which before they had even ceased to hope for. The most incredulous of them could now say to him, My Lord and my God; nor did they henceforward admit any doubt of those glorious Promises, of which they had herein received so great a Testimony. They feared not to profess their belief in him openly, to Arraign the Impiety of the Jews in Crucifying an in­nocent Person, and him, no other than their own Messias, the Lord of Life, to denounce to them the certainty of their Destruction without belief in him; not only to testifie his Resurrection in that great Concourse of the Jews met together at the Feast of Pentecost, but also to declare it impossible that he should not have risen again; as in these words, Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it, which present us with

• I. The Affirmation of the Resurrection of Christ. Whom God hath raised up.
• II. The manner of it. Having loosed the pains of death.
• [Page 354] III. The Reason of it. Because it was not possible, &c.

1. The words assure us of the Truth of Christ's Resurrection: a Truth both well known to the Apostles, who did then relate it, and attested by many infallible proofs, as it is in the foregoing Chapter, Verse 3. so that it could not be denied by those who should only hear it. Let us take a view of these Proofs, both for the Con­firmation of our Faith, and to amplifie the Glory of that Mystery, to the Memory of which this day is Sacred.

In relating then the Resurrection of our Lord, the Holy Penmen have been very exact in relating all the Circumstances and the Proofs of it; manifesting that he was really dead after his Crucifixion, and as truly alive again after his Resurrection; that this was known to his Enemies, as well as his Disciples; and attested from Heaven by the Ministry of Angels, and by God himself. In a matter of so great Concern it was necessary that all the Points of it should be clearly proved, and none remain liable to the least Exception.

In the first place, it was required that assurance should be given of his having been really dead. An Article which is ful­ly expressed in the Creed, the common Profession of our Faith; wherein we de­clare him to have been dead and buried, and [Page 355] to have descended into Hell; that his Soul was truly separated from his Body; the places being therein assigned, wherein each were contained from the time of his Burial to that of his Resurrection. His Body re­mained in the Grave. His Soul was in the state of other separated Souls, in Hell; whether we understand thereby, either the ordinary Condition of departed Souls, or the place of damned Souls. I will not now engage in that Controversie, it is sufficient to say, That either Opinion placeth his Soul in that interval of time among other Souls separated from the Body.

That the Soul of Christ was thus truly separated, appeareth from the concurrent Judgment of his Enemies, as well as Friends at that time. The Soldiers sent to break his Legs while hanging on the Cross, that so they might hasten his Death, whom they supposed not yet to have expired, found him already dead. Joseph of Arima­thea, and the devout Women which follow­ed him, taking him down from the Cross, laid him in his Grave, being well assured that he was then Dead. His Disciples, who if any shew of Reason might be of­fered, would not easily believe him dead, from whom they then expected a temporal Kingdom, yet were so far perswaded of it, that at his first appearing to them, they were affrighted, and supposed they had seen a [Page 356] Spirit. To these Proofs nothing more could be added to Evince the reality of his Death; an Evidence, which is wanting to all the Relations of Men raised from the Dead, op­posed by the Heathens to the Resurrection of our Lord. They alledged from Plato the Story of Eris lying for many days among the dead Bodies, and after that re­covering Life again; and pretended that Apollonius Tyaneus, whom they set up in opposition to Christ, had raised a certain Person to Life. But the first was not re­lated by any, for more than a thousand years after the Fact was pretended to be done; and in the second Case, the Heathen Historian confesseth, that he dare not af­firm that the Person was truly Dead.

Nor after his Resurrection was it less evident, that Christ was truly alive, in­vested with Soul and Body. All the Acti­ons of Life, and Arguments of a real Body met in his. He was seen by a great num­ber of his Disciples, who judged it to be such. He eat and drank with them, which proved his Body not to have been a meer Phantasm or Aerial Apparition. He talked and reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, which demonstrated that Body to be in­dued with a rational Soul. He appealed to their Sense of feeling, commanded them to handle him; said to unbelieving Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, [Page 357] and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, which manifests that the Body which he then offered to that Tryal, was that very Body which had suffered on the Cross, and still retained the Print of the Nails, and the Impression of the Spear. That this same Body and Soul reunited, was also joyned to the Divinity, as before his Passion, appeared from his many Mira­cles wrought after his Resurrection.

Thus we have a true, proper and real Resurrection. And that all these things were so, we have the Testimony, first of his own Disciples; the Faith of whom, although so nearly related to him, cannot be called in question, since they laid down their Lives in Confirmation of it: Nor can it be imagined that any Men should die for the Testimony of what they knew to be false. Of these the pious Women were first Blessed with the sight of him; whe­ther it were in Reward of their maintaining their Love and Fidelity to him, when his Apostles had forsaken him; or that they came into the Garden where the Sepulchre was, immediately after the Resurrection, and before he was yet departed out of it. They saw him, knew him, and saluted him, held him by the feet and worshipt him. The Apostles being advertised of it by them, hasted to see their Master, and received not only a transient view of him, but conversed [Page 358] with him for forty days together, and by many infallible proofs were assured of the truth of it. Afterwards he appeared to more than five hundred at once; and at last ascended up to Heaven in the presence of them all.

To the witness of Friends, we will add the Testimony of his Enemies, which in all Cases is allowed to be of great weight. The Soldiers who were employed by the Jews to watch his Sepulchre, plainly saw the Effects of Divine Power, which ac­companied his Resurrection, although be­ing astonished and confounded at such un­usual Prodigies, they did not well perceive it, or perhaps were not suffered by their Fears to stay, till Christ should proceed out of the Sepulchre. They felt the Earth­quake, which removed the stone rolled to the mouth of the Sepulchre, they saw the countenance of an Angel like lightning, and his raiment white as snow, upon which they did shake and became as dead Men, and coming into the City shewed to the chief Priests all the things that were done, as we read, Matth. XXVIII. II.

The Angels and heavenly Hosts had be­fore joyned with Men in celebrating the Nativity of Christ, and they here concur­red in witnessing his Resurrection. The Women coming to the Sepulchre betimes in the Morning, presently after the Resurre­ction, and looking for the Body of their [Page 359] beloved Lord in the Sepulchre, found there two Angels in white, sitting one at the head, the other at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had lain, who said to them, why seek ye the dead among the living? he is not here, he is risen, come see the place where the Lord lay.

Lastly, If we should imagine both his Friends and Enemies, the report of Sense oft-times repeated, to have been deceived in the Opinion of his Resurrection, God hath been pleased to confirm the Truth of it, and to set his Seal to it. This he hath done not only by his Holy Spirit comfort­ing, enabling, and encouraging the Apostles in Preaching the Mystery of Christ's Re­furrection, but also in confirming their Te­stimony with concurrent Miracles. As it is, Acts IV. 33. With great power gave the Apo­stles witness of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. They openly affirmed it upon their own Knowledge, and then in Proof of the truth of their Affirmation wrought Signs and Miracles; which to the Spectators did as fully evince the Truth of the Relation, as if they had seen it done with their own Eyes; since it was impossible, that God should exert his omnipotent Power, in working Miracles for the Attestation of a Lye. Thus much for the reality. I proceed in the second place to the

II. Manner of the Resurrection, expres­sed in those words, having loosed the pains of [Page 360] death, which are variously interpreted; some maintaining that they imply only a Deli­verance from Death, and rescue from the Grave; others that they point out the do­lorous Sufferings by which our Lord was brought to the Grave, and raising him up to a state opposite to that Humiliation; a third sort understanding by them a Destru­ction of the Power and Dominion of Death. All these Opinions are supported with great Reasons; nor will it here be proper to enter into a strict Examination which of them rather is to be embraced. They are all ra­tional, Consonant to the Design of the Apostle, and Significative of the manner of Christ's Resurrection. I will therefore apply them all.

The first Opinion includeth only a Deli­verance from Death, that is, a reunion of Soul and Body separated by Death. In which Sense it chiefly referreth to the words of David, and the Promises made to him, here alledged by the Apostle. David had been often brought by his Enemies into extreme danger of Death, which he com­monly expresseth by the same or the like words, as Psal. XVIII. 4. The sorrows of death compassed me, and Verse 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about, and Psal. CXVI. 3. The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of Hell gat hold upon me. Yet trust­ing in the Promises of God, amidst all these [Page 361] Calamities he rested assured of Deliverance, and expresseth his Confidence of it in the words cited by the Apostle in the following Verses, My flesh shall rest in hope; because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see Corruption.

It was a Matter at that time received, and on all hands granted by the Jews, that David was a Type of the Messias; that his Acti­ons, Sufferings, and Deliverance prefigured the Office, the Death, and Resurrection of Christ, who should descend from him; and particularly the Apostle sheweth, how this Passage was much more evidently and li­terally fulfilled in Christ than in David. He indeed was delivered from his Enemies and died in Peace; yet die he did, and after Death his soul was left in hell, that is, a­mong the Dead, or in the place of depart­ed Souls; and his Body did see Corruption, hav­ing been buried many hundred years. But as for Christ he died indeed, yet his soul was not left in hell, neither did his Body see Cor­ruption. His Soul was presently reunited to the Body, and even during the Separa­tion not left by the Divine Nature, which still continued to be joyned to it; neither was his Body corrupted, but raised up and united to the Soul in less than forty hours, in which time the Bodies of deceased Men are wont to be corrupted.

According to the second Interpretation, [Page 362] Christ was raised from a painful Death to an opposite State, to a condition of Glory, Happiness, Power, and Immortality. The Sufferings of our Lord so lively described to us in the Holy Offices of the last week we cannot forget, and over all these he eminently triumphed in his Resurrection upon this day. He was then made subject to Death, but is now become the Lord of life, and set above the reach of Death. For Christ being raised from the Dead, dieth no more; Death hath no more Dominion over him, Rom. VI. 9. He then bore the wrath of God for the sake of Man. He now dis­penseth the Favours of God granted to Men. He was then subjected to the Con­tradiction of Sinners, to the Will of his own Creatures, appeared as the vilest of Men, suffered as a Malefactor; he is now entred upon his Kingdom, raised above the Earth, seated at the right hand of God, An­gels, and Authorities, and Powers being made subject unto him, 1 Pet. III. 22.

The words explained in their third Sense infer the overthrow of the Power and Do­minion of Death, effected by the Resurre­ction of Christ. The whole Design of our Lords Incarnation, of his Death, Burial and Resurrection was, as it is expressed, Hebr. II. 14. That he might destroy him that had the power of Death, that is the Devil. To do this all the parts of his Life contributed. [Page 363] He converted Sinners from the Error of their way. He confuted the Mistakes of the seduced World. He founded a Church wherein open Enmity should be professed to the Devil. He took upon himself the guilt of Death, due to the sins of Men, and all this Dispensation he gloriously finished in his Resurrection. Therein he literally broke the bonds of Death, he led Captivity Captive, baffled the opposition, and trium­phed over all the Assaults of the Devil, who had vainly imagined, that by procuring the ever Blessed Jesus to be given up into the hands of wicked Men, he had put an end to the Salvation of Mankind. But to our eternal Happiness, and to the Glory of our Redeemer, his Designs and Attempts pro­moted that very end which he so much dreaded; he knew not that it was the de­terminate counsel and foreknowledge of God, as it is in the precedent Verse, that Christ should both die and rise again to perfect our Salvation; that he was for a while to be subject to Death, but that it was impossible he should be holden of it.

III. This was the third thing proposed to Discourse of, that it was not possible that Christ should continue in the state of Death. The Apostle foundeth the impos­sibility of it in this place, upon the Determi­nation of God to the contrary; so that here, it was not possible, is no more than it [Page 364] was not Consonant to the decree of God; it was not fit, just, or convenient; as it is said, Matth. IX. It is not possible for the Children of the Bride-Chamber to mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them; that is, it is not fit or convenient. In this Sense then I shall consider it; and

1. It was not possible or convenient, that Christ should be holden of death, because he was both God and Man; the Divine was united to his Humane Nature. It would have appeared surprizing to our Reason, and been an Argument of little affection of God to Mankind, if he should have suffered that very Body, which had the Honour to be joyned to his own Nature, wherein the fullness of the Godhead dwelled bodily, to continue in Hell, in the common state of Mortality, or to see Corruption. It was not possible that the Divinity should suf­fer that Nature to be corrupted, or lye neglected among the Dead; to which it self continued to be united even in the Grave. This we of the Catholick Church do believe; and if any should oppose this wonderful Union of the Divine and Hu­mane Nature in the person of Christ, his very Resurrection will convince their Error. For to raise a dead Body to Life again, must be allowed to be no less than the work of Omnipotence, that it can be effe­cted by God alone. Yet it appeareth from [Page 365] the express words of Scripture, that Christ had Power to raise up his own Body. He saith of himself to the Jews, John II. 19. Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up: Speaking of the Temple of his Body, as the Evangelist subjoyns. And a­gain, John X. 18. No Man taketh my Life from me, but I lay it down of my self. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. Our Lord, who came into the World to do the Will of his Father, and to glorifie him, would never have claimed this Power, had it not been inhe­rent in himself. He therefore by his own Power reunited his Soul to his Body. I mean not in Exclusion to the other persons of the Blessed Trinity, who all concurred therein. For Power being an essential At­tribute of the Divine Nature continueth undivided in the Persons of it. And there­fore it is no Objection against the Truth of this, that the Father is said in many places of the New Testament to have raised up his Son; since he is the chief Person in that Blessed Trinity, by whose Power the Soul of Christ was rejoyned to the Body.

2. Christ was the Author of our Salva­tion, the Founder of a revealed Religion; and therefore it was not possible, not conve­nient he should be holden of death. The Resurrection of Christ was to be the ul­timate and chief Proof of the Divinity of [Page 366] his Mission, and Authority of his Revela­tions; so clear a Testimony, that the Rea­son of Man should not be able to with­stand the Evidence thereof. To this there­fore he at all times refers, as to the last and greatest Proof of his Mission. This was the only Sign which he would give to the Jews demanding a Miracle in Confirma­tion of his Authority, that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Belly of the Whale, so the Son of Man should be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth. Upon this he had fixed the Expectation of his Disciples, and of all his Hearers; and by this he was to set the Truth of his Doctrine, and the Divinity of his Person, beyond all Contradiction.

Had he left his Body in the Grave af­ter all these Assurances, the Jews might have insulted over his Disciples with as much Reason, as Christians do over the Followers of Mahomet, who promised to rise again after a Thousand years; little imagining that his Name or Religion should continue so long in the World; although now after more than a Thousand years ex­pired, the Impostor still lieth in Hell. Had Christ not risen again, the Apostle confesseth, 1 Cor. XV. 14. Their preaching had been vain, and your faith also vain. But when so illustrious a Testimony of Divine Autho­rity hath intervened; when Heaven it self [Page 367] hath declared it so eminently; to deny As­sent would be to fight against God.

The Jews, in the most violent Execution of their Hatred and Malice, engaged to be­lieve on him, if he would come down from the Cross and save himself. It had been no less easie for our Blessed Lord to have descend­ed from the Cross, than to have ascended from the Grave. But first the Design of his Sufferings did not permit it, since he was to lay down his Life as an Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the World; and then he would not suffer the Exercise of Divine Power manifested in restoring himself to Life, to Labour under any doubts. Had he descended from the Cross before he died, he could not have attoned for the Guilt of our sin. Had he descended im­mediately after his Death, it would have been pretended that he had not died; yet even this they would have Confessed to be miraculous, but perhaps referred the Cause of it, as they did his former Mira­cles, not to a Divine Power, but to Magi­cal Operation. Whereas this Pretence did wholly vanish in the Miracle of his Resur­rection: Since no Magick or Diabolick Power remaineth after Death.

In short, so great was the Evidence of the Divinity of Christ arising from his Resur­rection, so undeniable the Fact, and so im­portant, that the Apostles in all their Ser­mons [Page 368] imployed this as the chief Argument of Conviction: And when they chose Mat­thias to the Apostleship, described his Office to be no other, than to witness the Resur­rection of Christ.

God had more than once before his Cru­cifixion, declared him by Voices from Hea­ven, by constant Miracles to be his Son; yet so far is the Evidence of this inferiour to that Proceeding from his Resurrection, that he is in many places said to have then adopted Christ for his Son, because he then eminent­ly declared to him be so. As Acts XIII. 33. The Promise made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled, in that he hath raised up Jesus again, as it is in the Psalm, II. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And Rom. I. 4. Jesus Christ our Lord declared to be the Son of God with Power, by the Resurrection from the dead. He was from all Eternity his Son as to his Divine Nature, he was from the Incarnation his Son as to his Humane Nature, but the Truth of this appeared to the World chiefly in his Resurrection.

3. By the Resurrection of Christ we are assured chiefly that we also shall rise again; and therefore, it was not convenient that he should be holden of Death. Christ had pro­mised to his Disciples, That where he was, there they should be also. When he therefore rose from the Dead, and ascended into an incorruptible State of Glory, they then [Page 369] raised their Hopes, and conceived full assu­rance of Immortality. Till then, Mankind had found by long Experience that there was no Redemption from the Grave; and by this alone could be convinced, that ei­ther their Nature was capable of Immor­tality, or that God would vouchsafe to confer it on them. They might perceive in the Person of Christ the Dissolution of Death, the Capacity of their Nature, and the Favour of God; and then considering their own Relation to Christ, might hope to partake of the same Happiness. Christ is the Head of his Church, and what more natural than for the Members to follow their Head? He was by his Resurrection de­clared to be the Son of God; and himself hath often promised that his faithful Fol­lowers should be Co-heirs with him. He is called the first born from the Dead, the first fruits of the Resurrection; which being accepted by God, Entitled the whole Mass, the whole race of Mankind, to the same Favour.

Only it is required, and that justly, if that we desire to follow him in his Resur­rection, we must also imitate him in his Death. For so the Promise runs in the whole VI. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. For if we have been planted toge­ther in the likeness of his Death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection. If [Page 370] we crucifie our Sin, as it is there expressed, if we as fully forsake all vicious Habits, as he who dieth is bereaved of vital Actions; if farther, we imitate the Death of Christ in the Perfection of it, that as he died but once, but liveth for ever; so we henceforward be dead unto sin, but alive unto righteousness, then we may reasonably assure our selves, that we shall follow the Example of him the forerunner in our Resurrection, which we have so nearly expressed in our Death; we are then truly Members of himself the Head, being made conformable to his Suffer­ings; we are sanctified by the gracious Ac­ceptation and raising up of him, the first fruits of them that slept, while we inviola­bly continue our Relation to him. Others indeed were before him raised from Dead to Life, as those raised by Elijah, Elishah, and by Christ before and at his Crucifixion. But these were all to die again, and so thereby gave no assurance of immortality to Man­kind. It was Christ alone, who being raised from the dead, dieth no more, who in behalf of Mankind hath taken Possession of im­mortality, which he hath acquired for us, and will communicate to us, unless we chuse rather to imitate the imperfect Resurrecti­on of those mortal Men before mentioned, that is, unless we rise from Sin to die again.

Lastly, the Justice of God, and the in­comparable [Page 371] Humility and Patience of Christ manifested in his Sufferings, rendred it not possible, not fit that he should be holden of Death. He died not for his own but for the Sins of others; and to demonstrate that his own Guilt drew not that Punishment upon him, it was agreeable to the Justice of God to raise him up, to relieve the Cause of oppressed Innocence, and not suffer his Per­secutors any longer to triumph in their wickedness. Further, by his exact Obe­dience, by his inimitable Patience in suffer­ing the Pains, and his admirable Humility in undergoing the Shame of the Cross, he did deserve to be raised up, that as he had humbled himself in so extraordinary a man­ner, so he should be exalted to a no less illustrious Glory. And therefore the Suf­ferings and Humility of Christ are frequent­ly assigned as the meritorious Cause of his Exaltation. It was long before Prophesied of him, Psal. CX. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up his head. And after his Passion and Ascension it is said of him by St. Paul, Philip. II. He humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the deash of the Cross. Where­fore God also hath highly exalted him.

The first step of his Exaltation was his Resurrection; which therefore was to re­late to both those parts of his Humane Na­ture, which had undergone that meritori­ous [Page 372] Humiliation. Not only his Soul had suffered Agonies and the Contradiction of sin­ners; had resigned it self intirely into the hands of God, and submitted quietly to the Execution of that bitter Sentence, which was inflicted on him as the Representative of sinful Men; had endured the Shame of the Cross, the insults of his Enemies, a vio­lent Separation from the Body with invin­cible Patience and Charity: But also his Body had partaken in his Agony, had sweat drops of Blood, had endured Scourgings and Buffettings, Crucifixion, and the wound of the Spear. Both Soul and Body there­fore were to share in the Reward of all these Sufferings, which began to be be­stowed on him in his Resurrection. His Body was to be raised from the Grave; and his Soul, being in no other Sense capable of Resurrection, was to be reunited to the Body, and both to continue for ever joyn­ed; since by his Death and Resurrection he is become the Mediator of a new and eter­nal Covenant.

Thus I have passed through the several parts of the Text: and from the whole I shall make but one Inference, proper to the Solemnity of this day. If the Resur­rection of Christ be the great and ultimate Confirmation of the Christian Religion; that upon which our Faith is founded, our hopes are raised; that by which the [Page 373] Mystery of our Redemption is compleated, the Author of it Crowned and advanced to be the Head of all the faithful who look for the same Resurrection; it becomes us to celebrate this Festival Dedicated to the Memory of it with a suitable Religion.

We are not to account it an Arbitrary institution, or the invention of the Church, that this day is accounted Sacred beyond all others of the Year. Our Lord hath made it so, by rising from the Dead, and compleating the Redemption of Mankind on it. No revealed Religion was yet ever professed in the World, which did not ce­lebrate some certain and solemn Festivals at fixed times of the year; and to cast off the publick Solemnization of those Festivals, upon which the most illustrious Acts of the Life of our Saviour were performed, is no other, than in Fact to deny all belief in him, and relation to him. It is not enough to say that he hath declared, he will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth. He was himself then going up to Jerusalem to cele­brate a solemn Festival, when he spake those words. And surely unless there be solemn times and places of worshipping him in Spirit and Truth, it will never ap­pear that he is so worshipped; nor is he worshipped in Truth, when Men pay no external Acknowledgments of those emi­nent Benefits, which he hath truly obtained to them.

[Page 374] Himself hath consecrated this day by his rising from the Grave on it. The Apo­stles have Dedicated it to this sacred Use, by their own, and by Divine Authority. The Jews had before celebrated one day in seven, in Recognition of their adoring that God, who had created the World in Six days, and rested on the Seventh; and that Seventh day which they celebrated rather than any other of the Week, was sanctified in Memory of their Deliverance out of Egypt, wrought upon that day, as it is, Deut. V. 15. Remember that thou wast a Servant in the Land of Egypt; and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm. Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. As the Jews there­fore dated their Seventh day for ever from that day of their Deliverance out of Egypt; so the Apostles began, and the Church hath to this day continued to date their Seventh day from the day upon which their Re­demption was compleated. A Redempti­on so far greater than that given to the Jews from the Bondage of Egypt; that well might the day instituted in remembrance of their Deliverance, give way to the day celebrated in Honour of our Redemp­tion.

This change therefore was made by the Apostles immediately upon the Resurrection [Page 375] of our Lord, and even before his Ascen­sion, and so no doubt by his personal Di­rection and Approbation. For all the reli­gious Assemblies we find of them, both before and after his Ascension, were upon the first day of the Week. That so, as the Jews ac­knowledged their belief in God the Creator of the World, by celebrating one day in seven; and manifested their Worship of that God, who brought them out of Egypt, by Solemnizing for ever that Seventh day, in which he brought them out: So we Christians should declare, that we wor­ship the same God the Creator of the World, by celebrating one day in seven; and also manifest that we worship him in and through Jesus Christ, by Sanctifying for ever that Seventh day, upon which the great and last Act of our Redemption wrought by him was performed, which is therefore in Scripture called the Lords Day, Rev. I. 10.

Farther, as the particular Day of the weekly Festival of the Jews was determi­ned by their Deliverance out of Egypt, wrought upon the Seventh day; so the far greatest of their Annual Solemnities was instituted in Commemoration of that Deliverance effected in the first Month of the year. This God did institute by a spe­cial Command, which was at large repeat­ed [Page 376] to you in the first Lesson of this day: And exacted the Observation of it with so great Rigour, that he declared, That Soul which did not keep this annual Feast should be cut off from Israel. And can we imagine that God should require such eminent ex­ternal Testimonies of Gratitude from the Jews, for Deliverance from a temporal cor­poreal Bondage; and leave us without any Obligation of rendring publick and solemn Honour to him for freeing us from a spiri­tual and eternal Slavery? The Redemption wrought by Christ, is to us what the Delive­rance out of Egypt was to the Jews. The Feast of Easter instituted in the remem­brance of the Completion of that Redemp­tion, is to us what the Feast of the Passover was to them, appointed in Memory of their Deliverance. Christ is our Passover, as we heard this Morning from 1 Cor. V. Let us therefore keep the Feast.

The Determination of our Christian Fe­stivals is to be taken from the most illustri­ous Actions of Christ our Redeemer; and when they are determined, they are to be celebrated with no less Religion than were the Festivals of the Jews; nay rather with greater Expressions of Joy, Gratitude and Devotion, because they Commemorate far greater Benefits. That this Festival there­fore was particularly instituted by the Apo­stles, [Page 377] those words of St. Paul do not ob­scurely intimate, but the Practice of the universal Church immediately after their times, do most evidently manifest it. Scarce was St. John, the last Liver of the Apostles, Dead, when the Eastern and Western Churches began to divide about the time of Solemnizing Easter; not whether it should be solemnized, but whether it should be a fixed or a moveable Feast, both con­tending for their own Custom as for an essential Point of Religon; in that indeed straining a Circumstance too far, but clear­ly proving thereby, that the solemn Obser­vation of Easter was then by all Christians accounted an essential Institution of Reli­gion, in that they esteemed it unlawful to vary the least Circumstance formerly re­ceived in the Observation of it.

And as this Festival hath succeeded in­stead of the Jewish Passover, which did prefigure the whole Mystery of our Re­demption; so the due manner of our Ce­lebration of it was typified by the Cere­monies prescribed by God to them, in eat­ing the Paschal Lamb. As they were com­manded to remove all Leaven out of their Houses; so we are to put away the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness, in the words of St. Paul. As they then sung Hymns of Thanksgiving to God for their Deliverance [Page 378] out of Egypt; so we ought to give Praise and Glory to God for consummating our Redemption by the Resurrection of our Lord upon this day. As they eat the Paschal Lamb with bitter Herbs, in a Habit and Posture expressing their readiness to go out of Egypt, with great Testimo­nies of rejoycing and mutual Kindness: So we should receive the Elements of Bread and Wine, representing the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God, once offered up­on the Cross for the sins of the whole World, (which is the chief and most so­lemn Act of our Worship to be paid upon this day,) with a bitter Repentance and Sorrow for past sins; with a stedfast reli­ance upon the Promises of God, with a perfect Submission to his Will, and readi­ness to go wherever he shall lead us; with a sincere Charity towards one another, and to all the Members of Mankind for whom Christ died, that is, for all Men without Exception; and with the most intense Thanksgiving that our Souls can form, for all the Benefits of our Redemption; but more particularly for raising to Life, as upon this day, him, who died for our sins, and rose again for our Justification. So by wor­thily Celebrating here on Earth the Me­mory of the glorious Resurrection of our Lord, we shall obtain to be hereafter ad­mitted [Page 379] to follow the Example of his Re­surrection, and share in the Glory which he now enjoys in Heaven. Which God of his infinite Mercy grant, for the sake of him who died and rose again, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom with the Father, &c.

PRAYER being one of the greatest Du­ties of a Christian Life; that whereby we chiefly pay our Adoration to God, where­by we obtain the Remission of our Sins, and the Relief of our Necessities; to which so many Promises are annexed, and so fre­quent Exhortation to the Practice of it to be found in Scripture; we ought to be well instructed in the Nature, the Necessi­ty, and the Conditions of it. To effect this was the chief Intention of the Apostle in this whole Chapter, in which this Verse being more comprehensive than the rest, [Page 381] I have chosen it for the Subject of my in­tended Discourse of Prayer. In it the words easily direct me to insist on these Four Heads.

• I. The Duty of Prayer, I will that Men pray.
• II. The Place of it, Every where.
• III. The posture of Prayer, Lifting up their hands.
• IV. The Conditions required to make it acceptable and effectual, Lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

I. The Duty of Prayer is expresly com­manded in the first words: I will, &c.

To inforce the Authority of which Com­mand the Apostle saith in the former Verse, that he was ordained a Preacher, an Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles, acted herein by Di­vine Commission. And surely it was no light Matter, when the Apostle, whose Au­thority was long since received in all the Churches founded by him, thought fit to produce his Commission, before he imposed the Command; a Command, not first in­troduced by him, but often repeated by our Lord himself, who taught his Disci­ples a Form of Prayer, and injoyned them to watch and pray. But since none (as I suppose) will dispute the Command, or deny the Authority of it; it will be of more advantage to shew the reasonableness and the use of Prayer: Which I proceed to do.

[Page 382] First then, Prayer is the principal Act of Adoration paid by Man to God, and upon that account becomes necessary to us. Man being the Creature of God, at first produced out of nothing by his Almighty Power, and afterward all his Life long depending on his Providence, and maintained by him, oweth to God all that Service, which he is capable to pay; and that is no other, than to adore his Majesty, to acknowledge his Power, to celebrate his Praises, to admire his infinite Perfections, in all things to own his dependence on him, to profess himself the Creature, the Servant, the Subject of God, and to behave himself as such.

This is all, which Man can pay to God for those infinite Benefits, which he hath received from him: God hath no Interests of his own to be promoted by us. The Infinity of his Nature hath set him beyond all want of external Aids, and even be­yond all increase of Happiness; even that Glory, which he receiveth from our Wor­ship, is of no advantage to him; yet is it not the less required of us, since it declares our Conviction of that Gratitude, Subje­ction and Obedience, which are due to his Benefits and his Power; that Honour, Wor­ship and Reverence, which belong to the infinite perfection of his Nature.

Adoration then consists as well in ac­knowledging and reverencing the Perfecti­ons [Page 383] of the Divine Nature absolutely consi­dered, as in professing our Subjection to God, considered as the Author of our Be­ing, and all those Benefits, which we either do already enjoy, or hope hereafter to re­ceive. In both these Respects Prayer is the most natural and significant manner of Adoration. For by it we profess our Wants, of which we desire relief: We thereby con­fess our selves finite and imperfect Crea­tures: We proclaim our selves the De­pendants of God, from whom we beg the Supply of our Wants: we confess our Belief of his All-sufficiency, from whom we expect the relief of all our Necessities; of his infinite Goodness, whence we raise our Hopes that he will grant our Petitions; of his Almighty Power, by which we are assured that he can effect our Desires. All these Acknowledgments are necessarily in­cluded in all Petitions for supply of Wants, which are the most ordinary subject of Prayer. For he who addresseth himself to another for the relief of any Wants, there­in confesseth there is somewhat wanting to his own Perfection; that the Person to whom he maketh this Address, is not only in being, (for otherwise all address to him would be frivolous) but also able to relieve him. If in all Cases and Wants he be­takes himself to that Remedy, he plainly supposeth that Being, from whence he [Page 384] hopeth relief, to be All-sufficient, and the Fountain of all Good.

In Confessions of sin, and Supplications of pardon, which among Persons especially professing revealed Religions are wont to constitute no small part of Prayer; the Power and Government of God, and the subjection of Man to him is more eminent­ly acknowledged. For from whence can this Confession and intreaty of Pardon pro­ceed, but from a Sense, that every sin is a violation of that Subjection, which is due to God; that the Sinner is hereby subject to the execution of the Divine Revenge, and that it will certainly follow, unless it be averted by obtaining of Pardon? Further it supposeth God to be indued with infi­nite Goodness and Mercy; otherwise all such Intreaties would be but vain; since it can be no less than an infinite Mercy, which can Pardon an offence against an infinite Ma­jesty. In both Cases, and in all other Forms of Prayer Man owneth himself to be the Creature and Dependant of God, even by making Application to him.

But that which chiefly manifests that Conviction which all Supplicants have of the Majesty and infinity of God, is that they direct their Prayers to him, altho' in­visible, and with the same assurance of be­ing heard in all places. Whence they evi­dently declare, that they believe God to be [Page 385] Omnipresent, and to know all things. And since the natural reason of Men tells them, that none but God possesses those Perfections, they thereby testifie their be­lief, that he to whom they direct their Prayers, is no other than God; that he is endued with all possible Perfections, that he is the supreme Lord of all, and extendeth the influences and efficacy of his Attributes, such as Power, Knowledge, Goodness and the like, to all places at the same time; that is, that he is Omnipresent.

And this alone, if nothing else were to be considered, will make all manner of Prayer to be a true and proper Act of Ado­ration, such as is due to none but God; nor can be paid to any Being, without suppo­sing it to possess truly the Divine Attri­butes, that is, without supposing it to be truly God. For it is unreasonable to ima­gine, that any Man directing his Prayers to any Being, should not believe at the same time that he is heard by it; nor do any pre­tend to it. They who address their Pray­ers to Saints and Angels, acknowledge themselves to believe that they are heard by them: Which since it cannot be, with­out beleiving at the same time that they know all things, and are present in all places; Attributes peculiar to God alone; it cannot be avoided, but that in praying to them they must be supposed to own [Page 386] them to be so many Gods, and every Peti­tion is a true and proper Act of Divine Ado­ration given to them. Justly therefore doth the Psalmist say, Thou that hearest the Prayers, unto thee shall all flesh come. Thou only, O God, hearest the Prayers of Men; therefore to thee only shall they di­rect their Prayers.

Thus Prayer, in the very Nature of it, is an Act of Adoration, and an Acknow­ledgment of the infinite Perfections of God, and our dependance on him, altho' no such explicit Acknowledgment be made in it. This will be more evident, if we consider the general Form of Prayers received in all Ages, and in all Religions. Not only in the Christian Religion, and in those ex­cellent Forms of Prayer, of which the Li­turgy of our Church is composed, but a­mong all Nations, among the Jews and Heathens, Men have been wont in the be­ginning of their Prayers, at least in some part of them, to confess the Authority of God, and their own Subjection to him, and more especially to magnifie those Attri­butes, the benefit of which they then im­plored.

If they desired Pardon, they magnified the Greatness of his Mercy, and the guilt of their own Sins committed in contempt of his Authority. If they begged extraor­dinary Relief and Assistance in any Emer­gencies, [Page 387] they declared their Opinion of his unlimited Power and Goodness; if in ge­neral any Favours, they confessed at the same time their dependance on him.

Nor is it easie to find, either in the Old Testament, or in the Writings of Heathens, (in both which a great number of Prayers is to be found), any, wherein such express words of Adoration are omitted. The first formal Prayer which we find in the Old Testament, is that of Abraham in Gen. XVIII. for the Deliverance of Sodom from the Destruction intended by God. And therein the Supplicant doth more than once acknowledge his own unworthiness, and the Power and Justice of God; that himself was but dust and ashes; that God was the Judge of the whole earth, and could not Act any otherwise than justly. The Prayers of the Heathens generally began with what in our Language is, O Almighty God, and O most merciful God. And that most excellent Form of Prayer, which our Lord gave his Disciples, and intended as well for a Pattern, as for a Form to us, both beginneth and endeth with an express Ado­ration of God. In the beginning we con­fess him to be our Father, the Author of our Life and Fountain of our Happiness; that he dwells in the highest Heavens, and from thence doth govern the Earth. In the end we profess, that to him belongeth the [Page 388] Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever; that he is the supreme Governor of the World, and of all Mankind; that he possesses infinite Power; that Glory be­longeth to him, and ought to be rendred to him; that all these Perfections are eternal in him.

Further, if every Supplicant to God doth therein by consequence adore him, and all received Forms of Prayer do expresly in­clude an Act and Confession of Worship, much more doth a fervent and devout Soul, which prayeth to God in the most perfect and excellent manner, truly adore him at the same time. For he who prayeth, as he ought to pray, doth at the same time submit himself to the Divine Will, with the most absolute Complacency and Subjection which his Soul can Form; conceives him­self to be so far the Creature, that he is as nothing in respect of God; as such, wholly devotes himself to him, and depends not only upon his Power for the execution of his Desire, but also upon his good Pleasure for the Grant, and upon his Wisdom for the convenience of it: In imitation of our Lord, who, in his admirable Transport of Devo­tions in the Garden, committed his request to the Will of God, with an intire Subje­ction. And all this put together is the most intense Act of Adoration, which Man can pay to God.

[Page 389] Add to this, that humble posture of Body, which Men of all Ages and Religi­ons have been wont to use in Prayer; and it will appear, that Prayer is in all Re­spects a compleat Act of Worship. Men have differed indeed as to the particular Posture, some using Prostration, others stretching out the Hands, and most Kneel­ing; but in this all have agreed, that that Posture was to be employed, which might best denote the Subjection of the Suppli­cant to God. But the farther Consideration of this belongs to the third Head proposed.

Upon the whole it is manifest, that Prayer is the most natural, and most expressive Act of Worship. And if so, the same ne­cessity, which we before shew to lye upon us of adoring God, will also require us to offer up Prayers to him. And as our Subje­ction to God, and other Reasons, for which we owe Adoration to him, always continue the same, and equally oblige a Man in every part of his Life; so Prayer for the same Reasons ought to be continually addressed to him, altho' we have many times no par­ticular Wants which we desire to be sup­plied by him.

Prayer as an Act of Worship, is a Debt at all times due to God, and as such is also founded upon eternal Reasons which admit no change. Our dependance upon God always continueth the same; the same in­finite [Page 390] Perfections are invariably possessed by him; the same Relation between God and Man persists unalterable. Adoration there­fore is in almost all Cases to be formed up­on the same Conceptions, to be raised by the same Considerations, to be founded upon the same Reasons, to consist in the same Operations of Soul and Body. So that altho' it be repeated in the same man­ner ten thousand times, it is no more than what is the Duty of Man to do, no more than what is reasonable; and a [...]ational Man can no more alter the Thoughts up­on which Adoration is founded, than he can the eternal Causes, upon which those Thoughts are raised. No wonder then, that in all well constituted Churches the publick Forms of Prayer, whereby Men worship God, always continue the same, are over and over again repeated every day, oft-times a day; and that for many Ages together. For it cannot be denied, that we owe Worship to God every day, every part of the day; altho' the Necessities of Life require, that not all but some cer­tain fixed times be employed in it. This Worship is to proceed upon the same Rea­sons. In adoring God we confess our selves his Creatures, we acknowledge his Su­preme Authority, we implore his Mercy, we sollicit his Goodness. When we wor­ship him a second time, the same Thoughts [Page 391] return; if a third time, 'tis but the renewal of the same Conceptions. What then can be more reasonable, than that the words of Prayer, which we employ in this Act of Adoration, should always continue the same?

It is therefore a most unreasonable Obje­ction against set Forms of Prayer, that in them the same words are repeated again and again every day. For is not God to be worshipped again and again? Are not his infinite Attributes deserving Adoration, the same yesterday, to day and for ever? Can our Conceptions be really changed, while the Object remains the same? Have these Persons discovered new Perfections in God, or new Foundations of Worship, since the last Act of it? Do they believe, that God continually affects new Complements and new Harangues; that there is any Vertue in the words themselves, or any Magical force in the Variation of them? That were to espouse the very grossest Error of the Heathens, which our Lord reprehendeth in the VI. of St. Matthew, who placed the Efficacy of their Prayers not in the Devo­tion of the Heart, but in the Vertue and multitude of their words.

Yet cannot this Error be avoided by those, who cry up the necessity of extem­pore Prayer, or frequent change in it.

For since the Internal Conceptions of the [Page 392] Mind in the Act of Adoration, being found­ed upon the eternal Attributes of God, al­ways continue the same; to what Purpose is any change in the external words, unless there be some secret Vertue in the words themselves? If they pretend, that this change more effectually promotes the De­votion of the Hearer; it is so far from true, that it rendreth all true Devotion absolute­ly impossible to the Hearers. For in hear­ing a Prayer before unknown and unheard of, even an understanding Man, and of quick Apprehension can do no more than singly examine every Sentence of the Prayer he heareth, whether he may safely joyn in it; least perhaps any Blasphemy, or Folly, or Indecency should be contained in it. As soon as one Sentence is thus examined, a se­cond Presents it self, and then a third; so that an intelligent Auditor, attending only to examine by parts the Prayer he heareth, hath no leisure to pray to God, or in pray­ing to adore him. And if the Devotion of a knowing Man be thus defeated, an Au­ditor of lower Capacities will never be able to form in his Mind such a rational Devo­tion as becometh the Soul of Man, and will wholly employ himself in diverting his Fancy with some new and surprizing Sen­tence, and expecting what next shall fol­low.

Whereas in set and known Forms of [Page 393] Prayer, the devout Hearer is before assured of the Lawfulness and Decency of the Prayer; and his Mind, being at rest upon that ac­count, attends wholly to form all those Acts of Devotion and Worship in the Soul, which the words of the Prayer express: and therein receiveth extraordinary As­sistance, in that the Mind being accustomed to that Form of Prayer, hath through long use formed noble Conceptions of God upon the hearing of some words, and raised intense Affections upon others; conceived an hearty Sorrow of sin upon these, and been excited to a most profound Reverence of God by the hearing of those words. The Soul ha­ving affixed all these Thoughts and Acts to those several Words and Sentences of the received Form of Prayer, the same affe­ctions and thoughts will easily recur as of­ten as the words of the Prayer are repeated, and immediately create a real Devotion in the Soul, which hath by frequent hearing and Meditation of those words fully attained the whole Scope of them, and long since received deep Impressions from them. By this Benefit, the devout Members of the Church, are enabled and directed to put themselves in a certain method of Devotion and Worship; which mightily facilitates their Conceptions, removes their Distracti­ons, and leaves them free to attend to that alone, on which they are then employed.

[Page 394] This alone ought to recommend the Du­ty of Prayer, and frequency of it to Man­kind, that it makes up the principal part of the positive Worship of God. Yet this Consideration will perhaps be more perswa­sive, that it produceth great Advantages and Benefits to Men; which are so amplified in Scripture; by the many Promises of grant­ing to devout Supplicants whatsoever they shall desire, by the frequent Examples of the wonderful Deliverances and Benefits obtained by Prayer; that 'tis almost impos­sible the Duty should be neglected by any, who are not either devoid of Faith, or re­gardless of their own Interest.

It is not only Promised by Christ, That whatsoever Men shall ask in his name, shall be given to them; That if they have Faith, no­thing which they desire shall be impossible to them; That the door shall be open to them that knock; That the effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man availeth much, even to obtain more than is included in the ordi­nary and general Promises of God, as is there illustrated by Examples: But God hath also been pleased to represent himself as labouring under the ordinary Passions and Infirmities of Men, who often Grant what they had not designed, to avoid the restless importunity of the Petitioner; that so no Sense of his own unworthiness might discourage Man from applying him­self [Page 395] to God by Prayer. Thus Luk. XI. our Lord describeth God under the Parable of an Housholder, who altho' he would not lend to his Neighbour upon the account of Friendship, yet did it to satisfie his Impor­tunity. And Luk. XVIII. he resembleth God to an unjust Judge, who altho' he would not do Justice to the poor Widow for Justice sake, as who neither feared God, nor regarded Man, yet did it to be rid of her troublesome Importunity.

These Representations may perhaps ap­pear surprizing, it being unaccountable, that God should dispense his Favours with­out respect to the Merits of the Petitioners, and impossible that he should fall under any Temptations common to Man. Yet if we look a little nearer, we shall find this whole Conduct agreeable to the Justice and Wis­dom of God. God indeed bestows not any Favours but upon the worthy Receivers. He hath affixed certain Conditions to all his Gifts, and will not separate them in favour of any one. He ever giveth Judgment ac­cording to the Merits of Causes, and is deaf to the Prayers of wicked Men, yet granteth many Petitions to the Importunity of the Petitioners, which without that Im­portunity would never have been obtained.

For he who prayeth importunately to God, doth thereby qualifie himself for his Favour; since it cannot easily be conceived, [Page 396] that any Man should address himself by fre­quent and fervent Prayer to God, and not at the same time purge his Conscience from e­very Sin, which may obstruct the Grant of his Desire. And herein his Care will be no less intense, than is his Desire of what he then requesteth. His very addressing him­self to God, manifests that he believeth him to be the Fountain of all Good, that he is convinced of his Power and Goodness, that he depends upon him, and founds the hopes of his Happiness in his Favour. If the Prayer be often repeated, as is always in Cases of Importunity, the Soul doth there­by contract an habit of Piety, of thinking upon God, and submitting to his Power, of fearing him, and depending on him. And when Man by the use of Prayer is brought to this Disposition, no wonder that God should then grant to him what at first he was unworthy of, and then indulge to him the Rewards of the Faithful, since he is now become as one of the Faithful. Thus Prayer hath a natural Efficacy to re­form the Mind of Man, to expel Propha­ness, Infidelity and the contempt of God, and to introduce all those Vertues, which will at last give a just Claim of Divine Fa­vour to him.

Man, by presenting himself to God in Prayer, doth accustom his Mind to just Conceptions of his Power, his Goodness [Page 397] and his Command over us; doth imprint therein an awful regard of his Majesty. After many Resolutions formed and renew­ed in Prayer, she findeth the very inclinati­ons of his Will changed: What at first he did but coldly desire, after many Reflecti­ons on the worth of it he vehemently af­fects; what at first he was but lightly per­swaded of, after many Professions he is fully convinced of; what in the begin­ning was but a weak impression of Mind, after frequent Iteration of the same thoughts becometh a well fixed Habit. It must be an unnatural sort of Perverseness, which dares to invoke the name of God in Prayer, to confess therein his Justice, Power and Omnipresence, and yet immediately Af­front them all; which can desire the Favour of God by frequent Petitions, and yet oppose him by constant Rebellions. The Minds of very few Persons are capable of such monstrous wickedness. And upon this ac­count Prayer is not only a Duty of Men already pious and religious, but also an ef­fectual method to make Men such; which when it is once performed, they then be­come qualified to receive the Benefit of all those illustrious Promises, which are an­nexed to Prayer.

Thus much of Prayer in general. I now proceed to apply all this to publick Prayer, for that was the principal design of St. Paul [Page 398] in this place. This whole Epistle is direct­ed to a Bishop, a Governor of the Church, and is almost wholly taken up in prescrib­ing Rules of external Worship and Govern­ment.

In this Chapter then, the Apostle giv­eth direction for publick Prayer; as ap­pears by his opposing the Form of Prayer he there commanded, to that in use among the Jews, in those words. I will that Men pray every where, or more literally, in every place. The publick and solemn Worship of the Jews was affixed to the Temple at Jeru­salem. The publick Worship of Christians was to be celebrated equally in all places, that is, in all parts of the World wherever Christianity prevails, God being equally pre­sent in all Congregations of devout Be­lievers.

Had the Apostle here spoken of private Prayer, the opposition of it to the Jewish manner of Prayer had been frivolous and also false. For the Jews did believe and maintain no less than himself, that private Prayer both might and ought to be offered up equally in all places. Besides in the very next Verse the Apostle giveth rules for the Dress of Women, in which they were to appear in the publick Place of Worship, that is, in the Church. All which put it beyond all doubt; that St. Paul doth in this place treat of the publick worship of God, and [Page 399] of publick Prayer to be used in Churches.

In the first place then, if all Prayer be an Act of Worship, publick Prayer is more eminently so. The intention of private Prayer is in the first place to obtain Supplies to the wants of the Petitioner, and then to worship God. Whereas in publick Prayer, on the contrary, the worship of God is the chief design, and the supply of Necessities but a Secondary intention. So that to inter­mit the use of publick Prayer, and pray only in private, is for Man to worship God only in Subordination to his own designs.

It cannot be denied, that publick Wor­ship and Prayer do far more effectually tend to the Honour and Glory of God; when Men do openly, and in the hearing of all others, confess their Subjection to God, mag­nifie his Benefits, deprecate his Anger, and acknowledge their own unworthiness. This is truly and properly to give Glory to God. Whereas he who confineth his Devotion to a Closet, may perhaps be allowed to have a just Esteem of the Divine Benefits, but seems ashamed to confess so much to other Men; that he is the Creature of God as well as others, that he equally depends up­on him, that he hath also violated his Com­mands and wants his Mercy. The Psal­mist therefore upon the receiving of great and eminent Benefits is wont to affirm, that he will praise God in the Congregation, as well [Page 400] knowing, that such a publick acknowledge­ment of them did far more contribute to the Honour of God, and was also more plea­sing to him.

It is not enough to say, that God receiv­eth no increase of Honour from our Praises: For neither doth he receive any such ad­vantage from private Worship; yet it would be impious to say, that the worship of God is not the Duty of Man. But by publick worship Men do more evident­ly manifest their gratitude to God, and the Sense which they have of his Benefits, and their own Obligation, than by private Prayer and Adoration. And upon this ac­count the former is more acceptable to God, who delights in the good of his Creatures, which good can be no otherwise procured or maintained, but by an exact discharge of their Duty, one part of which is a just return of Gratitude and Worship to him­self.

God receiveth not increase of Honour from the Praises of Angels, any more than from those of Men. Yet all the Descripti­ons, which we find of Heaven, represent them, as incessantly singing Praises to their great Creator: Who not content to retain a reverent Conception of the Divine Majesty in their own thoughts, communicate them to each other, and publish them to the whole World.

[Page 401] And indeed to what purpose can we ima­gine, that God should both under the Old and the New Testament, found Churches, that is, separate Societies of Men, united by certain Laws, and under one common Form of worship; if it be not the Duty of all the Members of those Churches to meet toge­ther at certain times and places, and adore him by one common Form? If God had intended to rest satisfied with private Wor­ship, in vain did he contrive and found Churches by wonders of Providence, as he hath that both of the Jews and Christians; in vain hath he given to them particular Laws, and annexed many Priviledges and Promi­ses to the whole Society, and to the Mem­bers of it as such.

Under the Old Law he required every Male to appear before him in the publick Place of worship three times in the year, and commanded publick Worship to be conti­nually paid to himself in daily Sacrifices. Yet as he declared, altho' he cared not for ten thousand Bullocks, nor for Rivers of Oyl, he would not remit the Duty; and adjoyned Rewards to it, because it pub­lickly declared the Subjection of the de­vout Sacrificers to himself.

In these publick Forms of worship in the Jewish Temple, our Lord while one Earth, constantly gave his Attendance at appoint­ed times. After his Ascension and the [Page 402] Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Apostles (as we find in the III. of the Acts) frequent­ed the Temple at the usual hours of Prayer, and joyned in the common Forms of Pray­er there made use of, altho' by the Operation of the Holy Ghost, then received by them, they could have poured out Extempore far more excellent and devout Prayers than those received in the Temple, which were of humane Composition.

If then God so strictly exacted the Pra­ctice of publick Worship in all times; if Christ and his Apostles so exactly perform­ed it; if for this very Purpose God hath gathered and united a Church, under com­mon Laws, and the hopes of a common Reward; what account can they make, who either lay aside all publick Worship as superfluous, or decry the daily Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God offered up in the Church; or when themselves meet once a week to worship God, place the Religion of the day in hearing a Sermon, which is pro­perly no part of Worship, but only an Exhor­tation to, and direction how to worship God?

In the next place, as the Obligation of publick Prayer is greater than that of pri­vate; so the Promises made to the one are far greater than to the other. Our Lord hath promised, That wheresoever two or three shall be gathered together in his name, where­soever there shall be an Assembly of Chri­stians [Page 403] joyned together to offer up Prayer and to worship God, he will be in the midst of them: He will watch over them with his Providence, he will own them as Members of his Body, he will excite and render effectual their Devotion by the Ope­ration of his Holy Spirit, he will intercede with God for the Grant of their Petitions. And how effectual must those Prayers be, wherein our Lord himself concurrs? Or what doubt can remain of the acceptance of our Worship, and the grant of our De­sires, when he is present with us?

All the glorious Promises of Assistance, Pardon, Favour and Protection, which were anciently made to the Jews worshipping God at the Temple in Jerusalem, are now tran­slated to the Christian Churches. The only difference is, that whereas among them the publick worship of God was confined to one place; in the Christian Religion, which was given not to one Family or Nation but to the whole World, the same Privi­ledge is made common to all places of publick Worship in all parts of the World, wherever Christianity doth prevail. To Worship offered up from publick places alone, the Promises of the greater and more illustrious Blessings of God are annexed. And no wonder; since by this alone the publick Religion of any Nation doth appear, by this alone the publick Honour of God is maintained in the World.

[Page 404] While the Tabernacle made by Moses, and afterwards the Temple at Jerusalem stood, while daily Sacrifices and Worship were performed therein; it was an unde­niable Evidence, that the Jews worshipped the true God, that he was their God, and they his people. When the people gene­rally forsook the publick Worship, thought it sufficient to perform the Duties of Reli­gion at home, to worship God upon every high Hill, and under every green tree; there then remained no farther Evi­dence of the publick Belief or Religion of the Nation. While therefore Worship was duly paid by them in the place ap­pointed by God, all the Promises, Blessings and Rewards mentioned in the Jewish Co­venant took place; they enjoyed Peace, se­curity and abundance; their Sins were ex­piated; their Petitions granted; no publick Calamity did attend them.

When this publick Worship was inter­mitted by them, God was no longer in­gaged by Promise to protect them: Since they did not now any longer appear to be his People, the only Evidence of which was publick Worship. All this doth fully appear from the whole History of the Old Testament, where we find the publick Prosperity or Misery of the Jews to depend upon the regular Observation or general In­termission of publick Worship.

[Page 405] In like manner, and for the same Rea­sons in the Christian Church, the more eminent Promises and Benefits of God are affixed to publick Worship; since by this alone the Honour of God is preserved and maintained among us. If Men should con­tent themselves to worship God in Private, and proceed no farther, it could never ap­pear what Religion any Nation professeth, what God they worship. No publick Ho­nour could be said to be paid by that Nation to him; and consequently no National Bles­sings could be expected. But when in any Countrey, places are solemnly Dedicated to the true God, when in them Divine Worship is constantly paid, especially if this Worship be daily renewed; if the Body of the Nation joyn in the Profession of the same Religion, in paying the same Worship, as they have opportunity; then such a Religion appears to be National; then all those Expressions, so frequent in the Old Testament, For my names sake, For my Temples sake, and Least my name should be blasphemed among the Heathen, will take place among us.

For Example, what greater Evidence can there be of the Profession of Christianity in this Nation▪ than that in this Sacred place Prayer hath been daily offered up to God, through Christ, for many Ages toge­ther? Such Sacred places are the stand­ing [Page 406] Monuments, and the undeniable Testi­monies of the Piety and Devotion of any Nation; by these we know that our Fore­fathers worshipped the true God; and by these our Posterity will know, that we con­tinued the same Worship. By this the Honour of God is chiefly kept up in any Countrey; and since he hath affirmed, That those who Honour him, he will Honour; then only can we rationally presume to receive from God publick and national Blessings, while such a publick Worship is duly main­tained amongst us.

Thus I have passed through the first Branch of my Text, the Duty of Prayer. The present time will not permit me to proceed to the Consideration of the rest; but give me leave to apply what hath been already said.

From hence it appears to be the indis­pensable and constant Duty of Men to worship God; that the best and most sig­nificant way of worship is Prayer; that pub­lick Prayer best answers the end of Wor­ship, and is also most acceptable to God. Such is the Duty of Man, and such are the Reasons of it.

Let us now look upon the general Pra­ctice of Christians, and more particularly those of our own Communion, who are better instructed, and have greater Advan­tages in the exact Discharge of their Duty [Page 407] than any other Society of Men. I would not be so uncharitable as to affirm, yet I much fear it, that great numbers of Chri­stians never worship God in private; altho' no Necessities of Life can be so urgent, as not to permit every one to address himself daily to God in that short Form of Prayer, which our Lord taught us, (of those who have more leisure, and Knowledge much more is required.) But to pass to the publick Worship of God, how few are there of those which frequent it, who perform it as they ought to do? Education Custom, and the Laws of the Countrey, oblige Men to cease from Labour upon those days which are dedicated to the worship of God; I wish I could add that the same Considerations obliged them to frequent duly the publick Place of worship upon those days; but from them who do fre­quent it, as many as have not given them­selves up to Irreligion, we expect a true, constant, and humble Devotion.

But instead of that, we cannot but ob­serve and deplore the great Negligence and stupid Carelessness of many who are present at the publick Prayers. Many sup­pose themselves to have discharged the Duty of this day, if they have heard a Sermon. Hence they are not at all con­cerned, if they enter after the Prayers are begun, after the Confession is made, and [Page 408] the Absolution pronounced by the Priest in the name of God. When they are present at them, they seem Irksome to them; They joyn not in them; far from any Devotion in the Soul, they will not be perswaded to pay any Bodily Reverence; they refuse to kneel, and some even presume to sit still at the time of Prayer. We want that cheerful Concurrence in the Congregation, in which the ancient Christians so much glorified, saying, that an Amen pronounced by the whole multitude, was like a clap of Thunder, which pierced Heaven. In our Assemblies how small a part joyn in re­peating the common Forms of Confession, Praise and Adoration of God; and not ma­ny vouchsafe to add an Amen to the end of the several Prayers. Such is the State of publick Devotion at this time, lamenta­ble indeed to be considered, but such as cannot be denied. To such therefore let me address my self.

Do not you believe your selves equally obliged to worship God with others? Were not you also created by him, and still depend upon him? Why then do you refuse to do Homage to him, to profess publickly your Subjection by such an humble Posture of Body as may declare it? If an Heathen should enter into our Churches, in the time of Prayer, and examine our Devo­tions (give me leave to put the Case, for [Page 409] St. Paul before put it to the Corinthi­ans) what would he say, when he should behold some kneeling, the greater part standing, and many perhaps s [...]tting? He could say no other, than that little De­cency is observed in the religious Assem­blies of Christians; that in them many Persons are present, but few of those wor­ship God; that the greater part express a strange unconcernedness in a Lazy posture of standing; and that some seem designedly to affront the Majesty of God by sitting in his immediate Presence, and when he is in­voked.

Let not these Reproaches any longer be said of Christians, who want no means of Instruction, and whose Religion teacheth them the contrary. Assure your selves, that it is not listning to a Sermon, which can suffice; this is not to worship God, but only to learn how to worship him, and to be excited to it.

The chief Design of your meeting in this holy Place is, that you may worship God herein. But how can you be said to worship him, who place your selves in no Posture of Worship, who express no Concern at the words of publick Prayer, joyn not in them, nor add an Amen to them? Can you really believe standing or sitting to be a posture of Worship? Or will you not confess kneeling to be really the [Page 410] most humble Posture? And if so, surely the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of Life and Death, is to be approached in the most humble and most devout manner. Be not ashamed to correct an ill Custom; study to offer up to God a compleat Ser­vice, to be present at the beginning of Prayers, to attend diligently to them, to joyn devoutly in them, to worship God both with Body and Soul, since both were created by him. So shall you truly wor­ship God; so shall you Entitle your selves to all those glorious Promises, which are annexed to true Piety and Devotion, obtain your Desires, and save your Souls.

IN my last Discourse upon these words, I treated largely of the Duty of Prayer, enjoyned in the former part of the Verse, I will that Men pray; and urged the Obliga­tion of this Duty from these two Con [...]ide­rations especially, that Prayer is a princi­pal Act of Adoration, and the most essen­tial part of the positive Worship of God; which being a Duty incumbent upon all Men, and at all times, maketh the Duty and the frequency of Prayer to be no less necessary.

In the Second place I laid open the Ad­vantages [Page 412] to be received from Prayer, and the Promises annexed to it; that so if the Sense of Duty could not engage, yet at least that of Interest might perswade.

I then proceeded to apply all this to pub­lick Prayer, having first proved to you that the Apostle in this place treateth of that especially; and therein manifested how much greater the Obligation is to publick Prayer, how more expressive of our Sub­jection to God, what greater Advantages it bringeth to devout Supplicants, and what more noble Promises are annexed to it. It remaineth now to pass through the other parts of the Text, which are these three.

• I. The place of Prayer, Every where.
• II. The posture of Prayer, Lifting up holy hands.
• III. The Conditions of Prayer required to make it acceptable and effectual. Lift­ing up holy hands, without wrath and doubt­ing.

I. The place of Prayer, the Apostle teacheth to be every where; that is, not in all places alike, but in all parts of the World, wherever any Members of the Christian Church are to be found. Herein he di­stinguisheth the publick Worship of Chri­stians from that of the Jews; among whom the more solemn parts of Divine Worship, nay all the parts of the positive Worship of God, instituted by himself, were affixed [Page 413] to one certain place, where the Priests daily offered Sacrifices, and perform­ed the other Offices of Legal Worship; and adult Males among the Jews thrice every year gave their Attendance.

This was both easie to the Jews, by rea­son of the small Dimensions of their Coun­try; and also necessary to preserve them from relapsing into Idolatry and Supersti­tion, which would not have been avoided in that stiff-necked People, had the publick Worship of God been permitted to them in many separate places, where the High Priest had not the immediate over-sight of them; as they did actually fall into Idolatry and corrupted their Religion, whensoever quit­ting the Temple at Jerusalem, they began to worship God upon every high Hill, and under every green Tree. To this Temple therefore, after the full Settlement of the Jews in the promised Land, the publick Worship of God was wholly affixed; out of which it was not lawful to offer Sacra­fice, nor was any Expiation of sin provided. To it many glorious Promises were appro­priated, as that God would hear the Prayers offered up in it, and be gracious to his Peo­ple for the sake of it.

But in the Christian Religion, which was not to be contained in one Family or Nation, but to be propagated to all the Members of Mankind; the Observation of this Institu­tion [Page 414] became both impossible and unnecessary, and was therefore abolished by God. The publick Worship of him was thenceforward commanded to be alike celebrated in all places, that is, in all parts of the Church. His Presence was not confined, nor his Promises annexed to one place; he is e­qually present in all Congregations of de­vout Believers, and receiveth their Petiti­ons with equal Favour. Upon this account the Apostle distinguishing the Christian from the Jewish Worship, directeth pub­lick Prayers to be offered up every where; as he had before distinguished it upon ano­ther respect in the first Verse of this Chap­ter, there commanding that Supplications, Prayers and Intercessions be made for all Men; whereas the Jews never prayed for any but those of their own Nation and Commu­nion.

This Enlargement of the place of Wor­ship could not indeed but be extremely sur­prizing to the Jews, who had been brought up in a profound Veneration of the Sancti­ty of the Temple of Jerusalem, to which the publick Worship of the true God had been now appropriated for near twelve hun­dred Years. And therefore the Divine Wis­dom, which from all Ages determined to enlarge his limits of the Church, and ga­ther into it as many of the Jews as by a right use of their Reason should be brought [Page 415] to believe in Christ, had, both by prece­dent and subsequent Facts, provided abun­dant Reasons to convince the Jews, that the publick Worship of himself should not always be confined to the Temple of Je­rusalem, but after the coming of the Messias should be extended into the whole Earth. Thus Zeph. II. 11. it is foretold, That when God should found the glorious Kingdom of the Messias, then Men shall worship him every one from his place, even all the Isles of the Heathen. And in Mal. I. 11. For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the Heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Which Prophesies did clearly instruct the Jews, that when the Gentiles should be gathered into the Church, that is, at the coming of the Messias, he should be worshipped alike in all places of the Earth; and even those Acts of publick Worship which were more peculiar to the Temple of Jerusalem, that is, Incense and Sacrifice, should be then offered up from the rising up of the Sun to the going down of the same, although in a more spiritual man­ner. This Doctrine and Institution there­fore ought not to have appeared strange unto the Jews, whose Minds God had pre­pared for the Reception of the Messias by the [...]e and many other Prophesies.

[Page 416] After the actual Institution of the Christian Religion he gave a more visible and demon­strative Argument of his Pleasure herein; an Argument which not only might have convinced the Jews of those days, but un­answerably confutes their Infidelity to this day, and grows more strong with time; that is, the Destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, and thereupon the perpetual Ces­sation of the Legal Worship of the Jews, contrived and effected by his Providence not many years after the Ascension of Christ, and as soon as the sound of the Gospel was gone out into all parts of the then known Gentile World. Which put it past all doubt, that God intended to put an end to the Jewish Dispensation, which could no longer take place, than while that Temple did exist, and continued in the Possession of the Jews; in which the more essential parts of it were necessarily to be performed.

Had God intended still to have obliged the Jews to the practice of their Ceremo­nious Worship in the Temple of Jerusalem, he must also be supposed to have obliged himself to continue the Existence and Pos­session of that Temple to them. The Tem­ple indeed was once before destroyed, and the Worship of it discontinued under the Captivity of Babylon. But that was only for one Generation, till that universal Ido­latry [Page 417] which had then corrupted the whole Nation of the Jews, should be worn out; and to preserve their Faith during that In­terruption, God foretold by his Prophets that they should return again, and serve him in that very place, fixed the number of years in which this Restauration should be ac­complished, in seventy years, and at that time accordingly did perform it. Where­as this latter Destruction of the Temple being without any Promise of Restitution; and the Jews now kept from the Possession of it for more than sixteen hundred years, no Prophet in the mean while appearing to Comfort, and keep up the external Pre­sence of God among them, as was emi­nently done during all the Captivity of Babylon; it cannot but be concluded, that they are no longer the peculiar People of God; that the Divine Wisdom will not any longer confine the publick Worship of him­self to one certain place; that by his Provi­dence contriving the Destruction of that Temple, he hath offered sufficient Reasons to the Jews, that he would not any longer ap­propriate his Worship to their Temple, and to us, that he heareth us alike in all parts of the World, since he hath appointed no o­ther fixed place of Worship in the room of it.

And thus much in Proof of what the A­postle advanceth in these words, the uni­versality [Page 418] of the Divine Worship, as to the place of it. A Doctrine necessary to be inculcated and set in a clear Light at that time, when the unbelieving Jews made it a matter of great Offence; and even the believing Jews were so hardly drawn from that perswasion which they once received, and which indeed once was true, that Wor­ship and Prayer were no where so accep­table to God as in the Temple at Jerusalem, that many of them continued to pay their publick Worship in that place, even until the final Destruction of it. Nor is this Do­ctrine of the Apostle without great use to Christians of all Ages; encouraging them to offer up Prayers with assurance of being heard, giving them more noble and en­larged thoughts of the Worship and the benefits of God, and a righter Notion of the Nature of Prayer.

The Encouragment ariseth from those many Promises made by God to the Tem­ple of Jerusalem, that he would be there pe­culiarly Present, that he would hear the Petitions of devout Supplicants presented in it, that he would be gracious to the whole Nation for the sake of it. Of all these Promises he gave assurance not only by the many Examples of Success attending the Prayers of Men offered up therein, which we read in the History of the Old Testament; but also by those visible Sym­bols [Page 419] of his Presence which he placed in it, such as were the Vrim and Thummim, the glorious appearances of the Mercy-Seat, the Fire consuming the Sacrifices, and o­thers, which induced all who came to pay their Worship at the Temple to address themselves boldly to the throne of Grace, and with assurance of Success; being convin­ced by those visible Symbols, and by the often repeated Promises and Protestations of God, that he was indeed there eminent­ly present, and ready to bestow those Fa­vours in it, which in vain had been begged in any other place.

Under the Gospel, God hath appoint­ed publick places of Worship in all parts of the Believing World; and to every one of these hath transferred those same Pro­mises of Favour and peculiar Presence, which were once appropriated to the Temple. The certainty of Success, the advantages of Prayer are the same in both: Only in the Christian Church the benefit is more universal. Which serveth also to raise the thoughts of Man in Relation to the Worship and the benefits of God. Wor­ship was equally due to God from all the Members of Mankind; but it was not morally possible that all should worship him in that single place. Yet at that time was there no other place in the World, where any revealed Promises of graciously [Page 420] hearing the Prayers, and rewarding the Devotions of Men were given.

So that it easily appeared that the Jewish Religion was calculated for a very small part of Mankind, and that the Divine Be­neficence was not yet displayed in its full Lustre; in that God confined his Presence, and appropriated his Promises to that place alone. Whereas in founding a better and more lasting Covenant under the Gospel, he hath communicated the Promise and blessed Effects of his peculiar Presence to all true Worshippers of him, in all places and at all times.

It is now undeniably manifest, that his Favour is founded in eternal Reasons of Piety, Justice and Goodness, not in Deno­minations of Sects, or Parties, or Nations, or Kindreds. All which raise a more no­ble Conception of the Nature of Religion, and of the Wisdom, Justice and Beneficence of God, the Author of it.

Lastly, it giveth to Men right Informa­tions of the Nature of Prayer; who while the peculiar Presence of God was annexed to one certain place, were prone to believe, that not so much the Devotion or internal Qualifications of the Supplicant, recom­mended the Prayer to God, as the place from which it was offered up. That God respected not so much the Fervour, Submis­sion and Attention of the Mind, as the [Page 421] Circumstances of place and time; or at least that the latter was chiefly regarded by him. But since the Promise of a kind Reception of Prayer directed to him, is, by God under the Gospel, alike granted to all places, it is evident, that no external Circumstance is so much respected, as the internal Condi­tions of it, Faith and Submission, Obedi­ence and Intention: That these he requir­eth in the first place, and the other only in Subordination to them.

For however the external Circumstances of place and time are required, but in Con­junction with the more essential Conditions of Prayer; yet they are still required. The necessity of publick Worship, whereof Prayer is the principal part, was in the for­mer Discourse largely treated of. This Worship cannot be reduced into Practice, unless it be determined to certain places and times. To speak of the times of Worship is not my present Purpose: And if the places of it be not fixed, no publick Worship can well consist. The Apostle therefore in com­manding Prayers to be offered up every where, hath not therein taught that all places are equally fitted in which Prayers may be made. He hath taken away the Singularity of one place, and the Appropriation of all publick Worship to that alone; but continu­ed the necessity of fixing some certain places, in all parts of the Believing World, for [Page 422] that Purpose; not left it indifferent, whe­ther Men pray to God in a place dedicated to religious Uses, or in a place made com­mon to all the ordinary Uses of Life. The Christian Religion hath taken away what­soever was merely Ceremonial in the Jewish Religion, but retained all which was deriv­ed from the Law of Nature or the light of Reason. And that the Consecration of certain places to the worship of God, and appropriating them to that use alone is such, will be useful to manifest; since there are not wanting some, who decry all difference between sacred and prophane places.

First then, it was not in the Institution of the Jewish Religion that God began to be a God of order and Decency; those Attri­butes were eternal in him, and evidently appear in that most beautiful and harmo­nious Order of the World, and all the parts of it, which himself hath fixed in the Crea­tion of it: Which is contrived with the most exact Symmetry, disposed in a most beautiful Order, and continued in it. The Worship which Man pays to God, being founded upon his Attributes; and the know­ledge of those Attrributes chiefly appear­ing by the Effects of them, it is Consonant to Reason that Man should direct his Wor­ship with respect to them. If then, in the visible Operations of God, such a decent Order be every where Conspicuous, in the [Page 423] publick Worship of him the same Order ought also to be maintained; otherwise no Acknowledgment is made, no Ho­mage paid to that divine Perfection, which was the Principle of that Order and Decency, which we see and admire in the Creation. God hath not only form­ed what was absolutely necessary for the Life of Man, but also added infinite va­riety of Lights, Minerals, Plants, and Animals for his Delight, and for the Or­nament of Life.

Since therefore the Rules of Divine Worship are to be taken from the Di­vine Perfections manifested by their Ope­rations, this conduct of God in crea­ting and governing the World, doth not only warrant the Addition of Ceremo­nies and many Circumstances to the more essential Parts of Worship, but also makes it to become a Duty. And to accuse such Additions and external Ceremonies of Superstition, is no less unreasonable, than to question the Wisdom of God, who hath added to the Creation many things not necessary, yet ornamental to it. How incongruous would it be to worship the God of Order and Decency in an irregular and slovenly manner? how improper a return for the additional, yet unnecessary Conveniences of humane Life, to adore the Author of them [Page 424] without any Order or external De­cency?

The Sense of this induced men before the Institution of the Jewish Religion, to dedicate certain Places to the Worship of God, and set them apart for that use only. The Monuments of those times are few, being all comprized in the Book of Ge­nesis; yet therein we find evident Foot­steps of such Dedications; more parti­cularly in Gen. xxviii. 16. where Jacob enjoying a Vision at Bethel, because it was a Mark of the Divine Presence, im­mediately concluded that the Place was dedicated to his Service. And he said, surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. How dreadful is this Place! this is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven. Which Reflection of Jacob proveth it to have been the Custom of the Patriarchs to Dedicate cer­tain Places to be the Houses of God, and to have been their Belief, that in those pla­ces God was more peculiarly present. And to manifest that his Notion of the House of God was no other than of a Place of Worship, he immediately ad­dressed himself to worship God in it; as it follows in the 18th. Verse.

I might add, that the Dedicating cer­tain Places to this use, was not the Pra­ctice of the Patriarchs alone, but of all [Page 425] Ages and Men professing any Religion, whether true or false; which general Practice and Perswasion is in all other Ca­ses allowed to be a certain indication of the Voice of Nature.

But I proceed to observe the Reason of it; where it may be considered, that as God is the Author of Soul and Body, of Heaven and Earth, of Life, and all the Conveniencies of it; so he requireth, as a just and necessary Act of Adoration, that some part of every one of these should be dedicated to himself, as an Acknowledg­ment of his Dominion over the whole. Thus the Operations of the Soul pay Homage to him in the more essential parts of Worship; the Body in the Con­comitant Parts of it, that is, in the exter­nal Gestures of Adoration; we acknow­ledge to have received our Goods and Wealth from him, by offering up some part of it to himself, to be employed as he shall direct; which in the Jewish Re­ligion consisted chiefly in Sacrifices and Oblations; in the Christian Religion, in Acts of Charity. We confess him the Author of Life, by dedicating certain times of it to his Service; and we con­fess him the Lord of the whole Earth, by appropriating and submitting some parts of it to his immediate Service. By [Page 426] this his Right and Title to the whole Earth is eminently acknowledged, and the Vassallage of Man the Inhabitant of it is declared.

Further, the Erection and Dedication of Churches to the Worship and the Honour of God, is an illustrious Testi­mony of the publick Religion of any Na­tion or Country, and upon that Account is both useful and necessary. It is our Du­ty to proclaim our Subjection to God, and Belief in him, by all significative Expres­sions; to testifie it to the whole World, and, if it be possible, perpetuate the Memory of this our Profession to all Ages, and communicate the Knowledge of it to all men. This, Fabricks dedi­cated to the Service of God do most na­turally signifie, which are so many stand­ing and lasting Monuments of our Belief in that God, to whose Service they were appropriated.

For this Reason, we often find in the Book of Genesis, that the Patriarchs erect­ed Pillars, and Heaps of Stones, to be so many lasting Monuments of their Belief in God and Subjection to him. And how graciously God accepted such visible Pro­fessions of Faith and Obedience to him­self, appears from that frequent Expres­sion employed by him in the Old Testa­ment, [Page 427] For my Temples sake at Jerusalem. What Reason can be assigned why God should be moved to do any thing for his Temples sake, which being purely material, was not capable of any Merit; but that it being erected to his Honour, and dedicated to his Service, by the Na­tion of the Jews, was an illustrious Sign to the whole World, that that Nation believed and trusted in him? While that Fabrick stood consecrated to his Name, and Prayers were offered up in it to him; it could not be dissembled that he was the God of that Nation, and they his People.

And indeed it is too sad, and yet un­deniable, that wherever the solemn and publick Worship of God in certain and fixed Places dedicated to that use is dis­continued, Religion, the Honour and Reverence of God immediately decays, and becomes forgotten. As in all Parts of the Christian Church it may be obser­ved, that wherever the publick Worship of God in Churches hath been taken from Christians, as in Persia and Africa, the Faith of Christ hath been wholly lost in one or two Generations; whereas the Church of Greece by the Advantage of the use of Churches permitted to them, hath continued to flourish and retain her [Page 428] Faith unshaken under the Government of the Turks; although continually op­pressed, discountenanced, injured, and persecuted by them.

It was therefore the Effect of the most benign Providence of God in the Primi­tive Church, that he suffer'd not any of their Persecutions to be of long Continu­ance; but restoring Peace to the Church, gave them Liberty therewith to exercise the true Worship of himself in publick, solemn, and sacred Places. Could the Religion of Christ have been maintained by private and clancular Meetings, the Zeal and Piety of those Times would have effected it. Yet then it was thought impossible to perform it. Nor would God have interposed by so many Mira­cles of Providence, to restore his Church to the Freedom of worshipping him in publick Churches, had not such Worship been more acceptable to him, than that directed from Corners of private Houses. And therefore no sooner was the Storm of any Persecution blown over, but the Christians immediately set themselves to erect magnificent Churches to the Ho­nour of the true God, and in them to ce­lebrate all Acts of Worship. Not that God heard not their Prayers directed to him from secret and private places; [Page 429] their Piety, Patience, and Constancy de­served no less: but himself received far less Honour from private than publick Worship, and therefore for his own Names-sake, as he frequently told the Jews, he restored them to the enjoyment of peace and quiet.

Thus the Jews also contented them­selves to worship in a movable Taberna­cle, while they travelled in the Wilder­ness, or were not fully settled in the Land of Canaan. But no sooner were all the Jebusites driven out of the Land, but David prepared to build a stately Temple in Honor of the God of Israel.

Thus the Erection and Dedication of Churches, is not only an open profession of the Worship of that God to whose Service they are consecrated, but also an eminent Monument of Gratitude to God for giving peace and quiet unto the Church, procuring to her Members the Liberty of offering up Prayers to him, and professing to believe on him in pub­lick. The Magnificence of these Fa­bricks, is a further Argument of Thank­fulness for the wealth and plenty of that People, by whom they were founded in Honour of God, and remain an eternal Mark of Acknowledgment, that both peace and plenty proceeded from his Gift, [Page 430] to whose Name they are sacred. They are the most obvious and sensible Demon­stration of the long and uninterrupted Continuance of the Faith of Christ in any Nation, and the Devotion and Zeal of his Followers; and thereby exceedingly promote the Honour of God in the World, which is the chief end of all publick Ex­ercise of Religion. To confine the Wor­ship of God to private Houses, or movable Congregations, is what the ancient Chri­stians thought the greatest Misfortune at­tending their Persecution. And they who in times of Peace pay no more so­lemn Worship to God, than what is re­ally necessary to pay in time of persecu­tion, if they should indeed be persecu­ted, it is more than probable will pay no manner of Worship. At least to decry the Erection and Consecration of sacred places, seems to be no other than to op­pose the Increase of Divine Honour, and to include a fear least posterity should know from those durable Fabricks, that their Fore-fathers worshipped the true God.

Lastly, if the publick Worship of God is to be celebrated in places solemnly set apart for that use, and the peculiar pre­sence of God is promised in such Places; if his Honour be promoted by erection of [Page 431] such sacred Buildings, and kept up by the Continuance of them; it follows that no small Reverence is to be paid to them. To treat them as unholy or common pla­ces in any matter, is to withdraw them from that use to which they were design­ed, to rob God of his peculiar possession, and to deny his presence in them. On the contrary, all external Acts of Reve­rence manifest our Acknowledgment of the Relation which they bear to him; of our Belief in him, to whose Honour they are dedicated; of our Gratitude to him, by whom we enjoy the open Pro­fession of our Religion; of our Zeal for his Glory, which is chiefly advanced, and maintained by them; of our perswasion of his constant and immediate presence in them; that Veneration therefore which the devout Members of this Church pay to sacred Places, is neither the Effect of Superstition, nor the Remains of Popery; but ariseth from a pious and rational per­swasion of the Honour due to God, and all things relating to him. A Practice as ancient as Christianity it self; and which St. Paul makes use of as received and confessed among all Christians, when re­proving the Indecencies committed by the Corinthians in their Churches, 1 Cor. XI. 22. he aggravates the Guilt of them [Page 432] by this Consideration, What have ye not Houses to eat and to drink in? or despise you the Church of God. Where opposing the Church of God to private Houses, it is plain that he speaks of material Churches; and no less plain that he taketh it for granted, and allowed by them, that so great Reverence is due to these Church­es, that even for the sole Consideration of their Holiness, no indecent Action ought to be committed in them.

Before him, our blessed Lord had by his own Practice given us an eminent Example of the same Regard due to sa­cred places; when he scourged the Mo­ney-Changers out of the Temple at Je­rusalem, although they had placed them­selves only in the outward Porches, and Avenues of the Temple, where no Act of religious and publick Worship was wont to be performed. And the Rea­son he assigned was this, It is written, my House shall be called the House of Prayer; which maketh this whole Observation concerning the Veneration due to Churches not improper in a Discourse concerning the place of Prayer.

III. I pass now to the third Branch [...] the Text, that is, the Posture that is [...] be used in Prayer, which is expressed in those Words, Lifting up holy Hands. Nor [Page 433] is the Posture of Prayer a Matter so in­different, as deserveth not our Enquiry. It is indeed the Error of some, that all external Modes of Worship are indiffe­rent; but to them who are no professed Enemies to Order and Decency, it ap­pears far otherwise. For since God is the Creator both of Body and Soul, since the Existence of both is derived from him, and continued by him; since he hath provided for the Body as well as Soul both in this Life and in the next, it follows that both ought to make Re­turns of Praise and Worship to God. This the Soul, the sole Fountain of Rea­son, doth, by loving, honouring, obey­ing, and submitting to him. The Body indeed is not capable of such noble Opera­tions, yet is it enabled to give Praise and Glory to God by Gestures implying A­doration, Submission, and Subjection to him. To worship God only with the Body, were to make no returns of Gra­titude for the Faculties of the Soul recei­ved from him; and to worship him only with the Mind, were to deny the Sub­jection of the Body to him; Both there­ [...] are alike necessary. The Worship [...] the Soul is indeed more acceptable, because the Faculties of it are far more noble: but the Worship of the Body is [Page 434] no less the Duty of Man; and that espe­cially in publick Worship, where the chief Design being the Glory of God; the Worship of the Body is the only vi­sible Testimony of the internal Honour pay'd by the Soul to God: and that not only because the Words of publick praise and adoration are expressed by the Or­gans of the Body, but also in that the ve­ry Gesture of the Body is a Mark of Sub­jection paid to God; since such Gestures used in sacred Places, and to an invisible Being, are notoriously known to be in­tended in Honour of God.

Bodily Worship therefore is absolutely necessary, and that such as may express the greatest Submission, and deepest Hu­mility. The most intense Operations of the Soul are due to God, and so are the most significative Humiliations of the Body. That posture therefore, which expresseth the most humble Submission, ought to be employed in Prayer, the principal Act of Worship; and is indeed, an essential Part of Worship. Only the particular posture is not determined in Scripture, because the Expressions of Civility, Honour, and Subjection, vary in several Ages and Countries. So that it was impossible to determine any one Gesture, since what was very expressive [Page 435] of Worship in one Nation, might be contrary in another.

The external Mode of Worship there­fore was left indifferent to the whole Church; because such Modes varied in the several parts of it; but in any parti­cular Church it is not indifferent, but that it be esteemed absolutely necessary, essential, and commanded by God; which according to the received Customs of that Nation is most expressive of Hu­mility, Submission and Subjection. If Kneeling be the most humble posture of Respect which obtains in any Nation, that ought to be employed in the Wor­ship of God; and in that Case to pretend to pray to God standing, is not only in­decent, but unlawful; a detaining from God the Honour due to him, and offering to him an inferiour degree of Worship, when a more exalted degree is possible. If by the Custom of the Country Pro­stration be the most significative posture of Humility, that then becomes necessa­ry in Divine Worship. If neither Pro­stration nor Kneeling be in use; neither ought it to be employed in Prayer; but the same infallible Rule is always to obtain, that whatsoever Posture by Custom, Institution, or Prescription, is most significative of Honour, and Sub­jection, [Page 436] that ought to be made use of in adoring God, and in Prayer, which is al­ways accompanied with Adoration.

To apply this Rule to our own pra­ctice: It is notorious and undeniable, that in the Nation wherein we live, Kneeling is the most humble posture; that whereof we should make use, were we to do Homage to our Prince, or to beg his Pardon. This posture therefore becometh our indispensable Duty in Pray­er, wherein we adore God, and implore his Mercy. In this Nation therefore, or in any other where Kneeling is the most submissive Gesture, to practise Standing in publick Prayer, is in truth to deny that the supream Honour is due to God, to refuse to pay that Homage to him which Men are content to pay to earthly Princes; as if either he were not worthy of it, or themselves were too great and noble to condescend to it.

In many Eastern Countries Prostration hath been in use; and there it was ne­cessary in the Worship of God for the same Reason. In others Standing, with either spreading forth the Hands, or gently inclining the Body, and laying the Hand upon the Breast. In all these Ca­ses the Custom of the Country was to give Directions to the posture of Religi­ous [Page 437] Worship. To enquire which of these is the best and most significative posture, is wholly vain, since no posture signifieth any Respect in that Country where it is not used; and what in one place includeth the highest Honour and Reverence, in another may signifie none at all. Among the Jews, Kneel­ing with Hands lifted up, or spread a­broad, was the most reverential Gesture as might be proved from innumerable places of Scripture. (Psal. CXLI. 2. Dan. VI. 10. Luk. XXII 41. Acts IX. 40. XXI. 5, &c.) and so also among the Gre­cians. St. Paul therefore writing to both of them, joyned in one Church in Corinth, expressed in this place the posture of Prayer to be lifting up of Hands, because that Custom did prevail among them, not that he intended to oblige us to the same posture in Prayer, who for the same Reason are left to be directed by the Custom of our particular Nation; amongst whom the most submiss, and at the same time most civil posture is Kneel­ing, with clasped Hands; and that if I be not mistaken, was always the most received Gesture in the Western World; but most certainly was in use from the very beginning of Christianity in the Western Church. vid. Tertul. & Cypr.

[Page 438] It hath been indeed received in all A­ges, and in all Countries as far as we can find, that in Sacrifices the Priest who offers them up, should do it standing. In Compliance with this universal Custom, our Church hath most certainly directed, that the Prayers presented to God from the Altar, where the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, the great Sa­crifice of the Christian Religion, is cele­brated, should be offered up by the Priest in a standing Posture; which I would not omit to observe to you, lest that Practice should be any Objection against the necessity of Kneeling in time of Prayer; since it is founded upon the same reasons, for which Kneeling is ne­cessary to the Priest at other times, and to the People at all times in praying, that is, upon the universal Consent and Custom of Nations and Countries, concerning the most proper and significative Postures of Humility, Subjection, and Duty in any Action whatsoever.

I have gone through the second and third Heads of my Text; It remains that I consider the last Part of it, viz. The Conditions of Prayer: but that, God willing, shall be the Subject of ano­ther Discourse.

HAving before discoursed at large concerning the Duty, the Place, and the Posture of Prayer, laid down in the former part of the Words; I pro­ceed now to treat of the Conditions of Prayer expressed in the latter part of them.

How necessary and useful the serious Consideration of these Conditions is, doth partly appear from the precedent Discour­ses. For if Prayer be a principal Duty of Man, the chief Act of Adoration which he pays to God, requisite for the Supply of his Wants, and the Conveyance of [Page 440] all necessary Benefits and Graces to him, he ought to be well instructed in the na­ture of those previous Qualifications, without which, his prayer will fall short of all the Ends and Designs of it; and not only so, but also become a Sin, and an Occasion of a Curse to him.

If the determination of the place and posture of prayer, not universally design­ed by God, be in all Cases so useful, and in some necessary to us, much more will those constant and unalterable Condi­tions of prayer be so, which ought to ac­company it in whatsoever place or pos­ture it be to be performed; and without which, it is at no time accepted by God. The more general and necessary of these Conditions the Apostle hath, in the latter Words of the Text, subjoyned to his Exhortation of Prayer, which are these Three.

• I. That it be offer'd up with holy Hands.
• II. Without Wrath, and
• III. Without Doubting.

Of the Reason and Necessity of these three Conditions in their Order.

First, it is required that Prayers be offered up with holy Hands, that is, with pure and clean Hands, defiled with no Rapine or Uncleanness, innocent from all Rebellion towards God, and In­justice [Page 441] towards Men. A Condition not first introduced in the Christian Religion, but of universal and eternal Obligation, allowed both by Jews and Gentiles. A­mong them, Prayer was directed to the same use, which it obtaineth among us; that is, in the first place to worship God, and in the next place to deprecate his Anger, or procure his Favour. Upon either of these Occasions, the Jews and Gentiles were wont to add Sacrifices to their Prayers, whensoever they intend­ed to pay a more solemn Act of Wor­ship, or more signally to engage the Fa­vour of God in their behalf. Yet at the same time, even the Gentiles placed the Efficacy of the whole Act of Worship rather in the Prayer, than in the Sacrifice, as appeareth by those many nice and su­perstitious Rules and Cautions used by them▪ in reciting the publick Forms of Prayer at the time of Sacrifice. So fully were they convinced, that Prayer alone, was that whereby Men could truly wor­ship God: and at the same time no less perswaded, that without purity their Prayers would be ineffectual.

Hence proceeded that ancient and con­stant Institution of preparing themselves to sacrifice by Washings, Lustrations, and other Signs of Purity. An Institution [Page 442] received also among the Jews, by the ex­press Command of God; who as we read Exod. XL. 32. commanded that the Priests should wash and cleanse them­selves, whensoever they approached to the Altar. Consonantly to which Insti­tution, David saith Psal. XXVI. 6. I will wash mine Hands in Innocency; and so will I compass thine Altar, O Lord.

It is so well known to all the Profes­sors of Christianity, that the external purity practised under the Law, did ty­pifie the internal purity to be received under the Gospel, that I will not insist to evince it to you. I will only desire you to consider that this purification of the Body was chiefly required in order to Prayer, which will instruct you in the necessity of internal Purity at the same time; and to reflect with what Care and Constancy both Jews and Gentiles puri­fied themselves before their Sacrifices; that so Christians may be ashamed, if with the same Diligence they cleanse not their Souls in preparing them for Prayer.

The same Argument perswadeth in both Cases; namely the Sense of Obli­gation arising from the Rules of that Re­ligion which either do profess. Yet al­though we never find that either Jews [Page 443] or Gentiles presumed to sacrifice with unwashen Hands, it is but ordinary to observe that Christians pray with impure Minds. It may be pretended indeed, that external Purity is an easie Imposi­tion, but internal Holiness a difficult Duty. A Difference indeed not incon­siderable, but infinitely outweighed by the greater Certainty of Truth, by the promises of more glorious Rewards, by the constant pleasure of Mind attending internal Purity, all which were wanting to the outward Ceremonies of Purifica­tion; and lastly by that Conviction which every one may have of the reason­ableness of it, whereas the Reasons of external Holiness were either obscure, as among the Jews; or none at all, as a­mong the Gentiles. Some of these rea­sons I will now insist on.

And first, that the Prayers of Men be accepted by God, it must be supposed that they are at Peace with him, which cannot be without innocence and purity. Every Sin is an Act of Rebellion against God, by which Man withdraws himself from his Obedience, pretends to be in­dependent from him, and proclaims En­mity to his Laws and Government. It is easie then to conceive, that while the Soul of Man is detained in any Vice con­trary [Page 444] to the Commands of God, his Pray­ers will be ineffectual and offered up in vain. If we look in the ordinary Actions of Life, we hold it to be absurd to beg any Favour of him whom we profess to hate, whom we declare our Enemy, whom we revile, affront and despise. All this we do to God by every deliberate sin, and himself professeth Hatred and Abhorrence of sinful Men. But that the Prayers of Men should obtain any Benefit from God, it must be supposed that they are dear and well-pleasing to him. As among human Benefactors, a Kindness is always supposed to precede the Benefit. But far be it from a rational Man to believe, that Sinners can be dear to God, or receive his Favour. Or if Man could flatter himself into such a Be­lief, yet the express Denunciations of God will not suffer him to entertain it: who far from allowing any kindness or favour to them, proclaims that there is no peace unto the wicked.

Eminent and innumerable promises of Favour are indeed annexed to the Pray­ers of penitent Sinners; but for this rea­son, because by Repentance they cease to be sinners. If the Repentance be true, perfect, and serious, the Sinner thereby cleanseth his Soul, and in that Moment [Page 445] may be truly said to lift up holy Hands in Prayer. If not so, an imperfect or a feigned Repentance will no more pro­mote the Efficacy of Prayer, than if the Supplicant had still continued in the open Practice of his Sins.

Nor ought this to be any Disswasion from early and constant Innocence, that the same Promises of Audience and Fa­vour are annexed to the Prayers of peni­tent Sinners, as to those of holy Men who need no Repentance, that is, no total Change of their Life and Actions. That was indeed objected by the envious La­bourers in the Vineyard against the good Housholder who rewarded the late-com­ers into his Vineyard equally with those who had born the Heat and Burden of the Day, as an Act of Injustice, and unequal Distribution. To this it may be suffici­ent to answer, what that good Houshol­der, representing God, in the Parable replied; Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine Eye evil, be­cause mine is good? That is in a strict Sense, a Man Pious from his Infancy, without any notorious Sin, deserveth no more from God, than a penitent Sinner newly return'd to Obedience; yet to as­sert both the exactness of the Divine Justice, and to inforce a constant Holi­ness [Page 446] from the Motive arising from this Consideration, I will proceed in it a lit­tle further.

It is most true, that God hath promi­sed pardon and Favour to the Petitions of repenting Sinners; that he will blot out their Iniquities, take away their Guilt, and remove the Punishment of their Sins. This he did to Manasseh, to the Ninevites, to many both under the Old and the New Testament. But we find neither Promise nor Example of any extraordinary Favour, beside Pardon, conferred immediately at the Prayers of Penitents; such as miraculous Delive­rance from Enemies, Prolongation of Life, Communication of Benefits to others for their sakes, Effusion of eminent Gra­ces, and the like. All which, seem to have been Rewards reserved to Persons of more illustrious and more constant Piety: who by a long Obedience gave undoubted Proofs of their Devotion to the Service of God; and were in their times as shining Lights in the World; such as Abraham, Moses, and Daniel, the Prophets, and Apostles, who were ne­ver defiled with any notorious Habit of Sin. And therefore as they distinguish­ed themselves from the World by re­markable Acts, and uninterrupted habits [Page 447] of Piety, so they were distinguished by God by visible and extraordinary Bene­fits and Graces consequent to their Pray­ers. Their Piety, Patience, and Obedi­ence, were raised far above the Standard of latter times. No wonder then that we who have so far degenerated from their Example, find not the same Effect of Prayer; and that we even dare not to ask those things which were so easily vouchsafed to them.

Many indeed of those extraordinary Benefits, granted at the Prayers of anci­ent Saints, were intended as so many miraculous Proofs of the Doctrine which they professed; and under the Law were the only promised Reward; and under the Gospel, were at first necessary to con­firm the Faith; yet still we may be as­sured, that the Efficacy of Prayer doth at this Day decrease with the Excellen­cy of Piety, and may be raised with it.

A second Reason of the Necessity of lifting up holy Hands in Prayer, is taken from the Nature and chief Design of it; which, as I before largely proved, is the Worship of God; in that it acknow­ledgeth his Dominion over Mankind, his Justice, his Power, his Goodness, and his Omniscience. In praying to God, man declareth his Belief of all these [Page 448] Divine Attributes, but without lifting up holy Hands at the same time, he af­fronts them all, defeats the End and De­sign of Prayer, and far from worship­ping God in it, denieth his Perfections, and overthroweth what otherwise he might be supposed to do. This we shall soon be convinced of, if we pass through all the Reasons, upon the Account of which, Prayer is an Act of Divine Wor­ship.

If it be considered as a Testimony of Obedience, because the Practice of a Du­ty enjoyned by God; no less is that con­comitant Purity commanded, for which we now plead. The same Authority which requireth Prayer, willeth withal that it be offer'd up with Innocence, and Purity of Mind. To perform the Act, and withhold the Condition, is then no other than to confess an Obligation, and immediately to deny it. If Prayer includeth a Confession of our Wants, and Imperfection, and Dependance upon God; continuance in Sin argueth that we have no Sense of that Imperfection, that we affect to be independent from God, and exempted from his Govern­ment. If in that, Man professeth Sub­jection to him, by not purging his Mind from Sin, he makes his Profession to be [Page 449] no other than a Protestation against plain Fact. If there, he implyeth a Belief of the Justice and Goodness of God; here he manifests by his practice, that he thinks it not just to be deprived by his Laws the satisfaction of his beloved Lusts. If by addressing himself to God, he con­fesseth him to know all things, and to be every where present; by his Sins he pre­tends to escape his Knowledge and re­tire from his Presence. If in the one he publisheth a Belief of his Almighty Power; in the other he defieth the Exe­cution of it. He boweth his Knee in­deed and prostrates his Body in Honour of God; but at the same time he giveth up the Government of his nobler part, the Soul, to the Adversary of God, the Devil. Thus a Sinner willfully conti­nuing in sin, destroyeth that Adoration, which by Prayer he pretendeth to pay to God. Nor is that the only Conse­quence attending Sin in Prayer, that it defeateth the Act of Adoration, and ob­structeth the Rewards annexed to it. It farther involveth the Soul of Man in a most horrid Crime; in that he therein affronteth all those Perfections of God, which in praying to him he professeth to believe. The guilt of Perjury consisteth in commiting the Fact, after a solemn [Page 450] and deliberate Invocation of the Divine Presence; and the guilt of Blasphemy in reviling the Attributes of God, after a particular mention and profession of them. Both these and many more Crimes are Acted, as often as a Love or Resolu­tion of sinning is retained with Prayer. So that if the mind of Man were not depraved to a most deplorable Degree, it would fear to approach to God in Prayer without a perfect Innocence, that is, either Conscience of having com­mitted no sin, or unfeigned Sorrow for it.

If we joyn all the Aggravations of sins in one, we still shall not conceive a greater than to fall down and worship God, professing his supreme Dominion, and at the same time proceed to violate the [...]aws which he hath founded: to call him by the Glorious name of God, and acknowledge his Power; yet nei­ther to revere his Majesty, nor to fear his Punishments: to celebrate his Justice, and at the same time to defraud, oppress and injure: to own his Goodness, and at the same time to deny Compassion to his Creatures made in his own Image: to intercede with him for new Benefits, and employ those already granted in op­posing his Authority: to acknowledge [Page 451] the having received Life and Being from him, and not to yield him any Service for it: to confess his unlimited Know­ledge and Presence, and therewith retain secret Resolutions of sinning. All these are as hainous Provocations as the Soul of Man can possibly form; all yet are the necessary Consequence of Praying with impure Hearts and Minds; and all yet receive this farther aggravation, that they are performed in the immediate Presence of God, that is, in Prayer.

Such are the universal Reasons of lift­ing up holy hands in Prayer; but to those who profess Belief in Christ there is a peculiar Reason, no less weighty than the former: Namely, that the Efficacy of our Prayers consists in our Relation to Christ, and are granted merely for his Sake, and through his Merits; which is acknowledged in the Conclusion of all Christian Prayers; and if our selves should not acknowledge it, yet the Scri­pture would abundantly inform us, that he is our only Mediator, and that in him and through him all good things are de­rived from God to us. No Christian therefore hath any other Title to the Fa­vour of God, than his Relation to his Lord and Master the Son of God; which Relation cannot consist without intire [Page 452] Obedience to his Laws and Doctrines, which are all directed to promote Pu­rity, Justice and Holiness. The want of these Conditions breaks off the Rela­tion between Christ and Man; who then in vain supplicates in the name of Christ, when by disobedience he ceaseth to be his Disciple. He may plead the Merits of the Death of Christ to be All-suffi­cient, but himself hath no share in them; he may fly to the Mercy Seat, but will find no High Priest to intercede for him; who by his Sins hath cast off the Yoke of Christ, and even Crucified him afresh, and put him to an open Shame.

II. The Second Condition of Prayer is, that it be offered up without wrath, that is without Malice or Hatred, which is no other than Anger grown inveterate. The Passion of Anger is indeed no less unlawful to those that apply themselves to Prayer; but that is not so much re­spected by the Apostle in this place, be­cause it is scarce credible, that while the heat of that Passion continueth, any one should be disposed to Pray. While that Commotion of the Spirits, which attendeth Anger, lasteth, the Mind can attend to nothing else, and cannot direct its thoughts and desires to God in Prayer; so that during that time it is not only [Page 453] impious but unnatural to undertake it.

In Prayer the Soul ought to engage its whole strength and intention, and offer them up to God; which it cannot do, when the Affections of it are divided between Prayer and Anger. It ought at the same time to compose it self in a sedate and quiet Disposition, to receive the Communications of the Divine Pre­sence and Favour; which it cannot do, while disordered by any Passion.

Which Reason will also make Prayer unbefitting, and Devotion in Prayer im­possible, not only in the heat of Anger, but also in such an Hatred, as by Rea­son of the violence of it continually em­ployeth the Passions of the Mind; espe­cially where the person hated is present to it, and alloweth to it no intervals of Calm and Quiet, until it be either satis­fied with Revenge, or expireth with long time. Such a degree of Hatred is a con­stant uninterrupted Anger, which for the former Reason excludeth all possibi­lity of Prayer during the continuance of it.

But such a Degree is monstrous; the most ordinary Case of Hatred alloweth frequent Intervals of Serenity to the Mind, frets not the thoughts continual­ly; [Page 454] and hath this immediate effect only, that whensoever the Memory of it doth return, or the Causes upon which it was first founded are recalled to Mind, either Resolutions or Desires of Revenge are conceived, and a Purpose formed of not forgiving. Even this moderate and most ordinary Case of Hatred rendereth the Soul unfit for Prayer, and always defeat­eth the Success of it.

For in Prayer, if directed and concei­ved aright, Man is supposed to resign up his Affections and Faculties intirely to the Disposition of God, to acknowledge him to be the supreme Judge of the World and Lord of all. But he who nourisheth Hatred in his Mind, on the contrary, neither resigneth up himself, nor confesseth the Dominion of God. For that very Affection he retaineth in opposition to his Will; and by seek­ing or desiring Revenge, he maketh him­self a Judge of the Merits of other Men, and the measure of the Punishment due to the Malice of their supposed Injuries; and thereby invades the Office and usurps the Authority of God; who if he be indeed the supreme Lord and Judge of all, hath the only right to exercise such a Judgment.

This Confession therefore of Subjecti­on [Page 455] and Self-resignation, which is so ne­cessary in Prayer, cannot consist with Hatred. And indeed the Sense of a Prayer joyned with Hatred can be no other than this, Lord I resign up my self to thy disposal; but will not commit my Cause to thy Decision. I devote my Affe­ctions and Faculties to thy Service; but will not quit my hatred for thy command. I acknowledge thee to be the Sovereign Lord and Judge of all Mankind; but reserve to my self a right to judge and punish by Re­venge my Enemy, who yet is my equal and thy subject. So absurd, incongruous, and repugnant are the thoughts and Petiti­ons of a malicious Soul compared toge­ther, as do not only justly defeat the Success of the Petition, but also deserv­eth an eminent Punishment for daring thus to collude with God.

But the chief Reason of the incon­sistency of Hatred with Prayer is yet be­hind: Namely, the institution of God; who may justly affix whatsoever Condi­tion himself pleaseth to his own Favours. And to the assurance of Success in Prayer, he hath above all other Qualificati­ons, pre-required Freedom from En­vy, Hatred and Malice, and forgiveness of Injuries. This he hath commanded to be done, before any Act of Worship, [Page 456] and especially that solemn one of Prayer, be paid to himself, as in Matth. V. 23. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee, Leave there thy Gift before the Altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy Brother; and then come and offer thy Gift. He hath made this the indispensable Condition of Pardon to Mankind. Forgive, that ye may be for­given. For if ye forgive Men their Tres­passes; your heavenly Father will also for­give you. But if not, neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses, Matth. VI. 14. He hath inserted this Condition into that Prayer, which he hath given both as a Form, and as a Pattern, to all Chri­stians. Forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that Trespass against us; that so as truly, sincerely and unfeignedly as we desire Pardon, so truly and really we may Pardon others; and not only pro­fess Pardon to others in using this form of words, but also renounce all hopes or claim of Pardon from God, if what we then profess, we do not indeed intend.

All the Benefits of God which we im­plore by Prayer proceed from his own Beneficence, and are undeserved by Men. If he vouchsafes to grant them, he may well be allowed to affix what Conditions [Page 457] himself pleaseth to them. He might have commanded some very difficult Prepa­ration, some extraordinary return of Thanks; but when he hath resolved all into a Condition so easie, so agreeable to our Nature, so much conducing to the Happiness of Mankind, as the mu­tual remission of Injuries; he hath left Men without excuse, and manifested that all the Duties exacted by him are de­signed rather for their Benefit, than the increase of his own Glory.

If it seems a hard Condition to forgive those many Provocations and Injuries, which one Man may receive from ano­ther, without any Compensation or Satis­faction; we ought to consider, how much greater Provocations, and more numerous Injuries the best of Men have offered to God, and how much more they stand in need of his Pardon. We are injured by others, who are our Equals, who possibly have no Dependence on us, have received no Obligations from us, and may have been provoked by us; but we by our Sins offer violence to our Creator, by whom we subsist, on whom we depend, who hath conferred on us already eminent Benefits, and intends yet greater. We may have been injured once or twice; but whoever calls to [Page 458] mind the wandring Thoughts, the im­pure Desires, the vain Imaginations, and perhaps the more flagrant Sins of any one day, will find, that he hath more grievously offended God in that little time, than by all the Injuries of other Men he can have been provoked in his whole Life. If then, it be necessary to depre­cate the Anger of God for the Sins of any one day, and much more for the sins of a whole Life; and Pardon be of­fered by God upon no other Condition, than Freedom from wrath and hatred, it will be no less our Interest than our Duty to lift up holy hands in Prayer with­out wrath.

III. To this Condition the Apostle adds in the last place, that Prayer ought to be offered without doubting. The word in the Original signifieth a Disputation and reasoning in the Mind concerning an Opinion, and in this place concerning that Opinion, which all true Believers ought to entertain of the Efficacy of Prayer. This doubting may relate ei­ther to the whole System of Religion, or to the peculiar Promises concerning Prayer, or to the particular worthiness of the Supplicant.

In the first Case it is evident, that doubting overthrows the Success of [Page 459] Prayer. He that cometh to God, must first believe that God is, and that he is a re­warder of those who seek him; that is, he must be fully perswaded of it. If he doubts, he dishonoureth God, and cannot perform the Essential parts of Prayer. For shall he be said to commit himself entirely to God, who questions his Exi­stence? Or can he rely upon God, who is not satisfied that he is Infinite or Al­mighty? The least mixture of doubt herein taketh off so much from that Sub­mission, Reliance, Subjection and Devo­tion, which ought to intervene in every Act of Worship, and more particular­ly in Prayer; which thereby ceaseth to be perfect and sincere.

So also in the Articles of Christian Re­ligion, upon which the Efficacy of Chri­stian Prayers are chiefly placed; in vain doth he plead in the Name of Christ, who is not well assured of the Dignity and the Merits of Christ. Audience of Prayer is promised as a Reward of Faith, which cannot consist with doubting. It is the confidence and assurance which we have in God and Christ, which pro­cureth Acceptance to our Prayers; if we firmly believe it, because he hath said it, if for the sake of his Authority we esteem things future as present to us, [Page 460] which is the Condition laid down by our Lord, Mark XI. 24. Whatosever things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. This made the Prayers of the ancient Saints and Patriarchs so successful, as is at large described, Hebr. XI. that having seen the Promises afar off, they were per­swaded of them, and embraced them; and, as a sure Testimony of their perswa­sion, quitted their present Pleasures and Possessions in exchange for future Re­wards.

It is said of our Lord while conver­sant on Earth, that he could not do many mighty works among the Galileans, because of their unbelief: and himself required it as the previous Condition of his mi­raculous Cures; believe, and thou shalt be made whole. Not that it was impossible to his Almighty Power to have wrought Miracles without the concurrent Belief of Men; but that he wrought not upon them, as upon so many Machines, but dealt with them as with rational Beings, and therefore distributed his Favours in proportion to their Faith. And herein an imperfect Faith, or a cold perswasion will not suffice; St. Peter demonstrated much more, when he adventured him­self upon the water at the command of [Page 461] Christ; yet because he still retained some doubt and fear, our Lord permitted him to sink, that so he might reprove the im­perfection of his Faith: O thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

A Second sort of doubting, is a Diffi­dence concerning the peculiar Promises of Success and Advantage consequent to Prayer; when the Existence or the power of God is not called in question, but his Will disputed; and it seems incredible that such an Almighty and most perfect Being, having no need and receiving no benefit from the Service or Prayers of Men, should condescend so far as to be­stow such eminent Favours, and so rea­dily, at the Petition of mean and un­worthy Creatures.

To overcome this doubt, it is suffi­cient to manifest, that God hath indeed promised such favourable Audience to the Prayers of Men; and for the truth of this, (because I speak to those convinced of the Authority of Scripture) to remit you to those many Promises contained in the Gospel. The places are numerous and evident. I will now insist but on one of them, namely the Parable of the un­just Judge, Luk. XVIII. delivered as the Evangelist saith for this end, that Men ought always to pray, and not to faint, not [Page 462] to doubt of Success. There the unjust Judge is represented, as granting that to the importunity of a poor Widow, which neither the Justice of her Cause, nor the fear of God, nor the regard of Men could obtain from him. And this inference drawn from the whole, Verse 7. And if so, shall not God avenge his own Elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

To allure us to the practice of Prayer, Christ proposeth the Efficacy of it with an unjust Judge. It had been sufficient to have introduced the Person of a just and benign Man; that so his Justice, if compared with the Divine Clemency, might demonstate the force of Prayer. For if a good Man receives those kindly who address themselves to him; how much more will God, the Greatness of whose Bounty exceeds our comprehen­sion? It had been enough, as I before said, to have proposed the Person of a just Judge; but to represent a cruel, im­pious, inhumane Judge, unmerciful to others, but kind and easie to Suppli­cants; instructeth us, that even a wicked Nature may be by Prayer inclined to Le­nity and Mercy. This therefore our Lord chose to do, more lively to express the force fo Prayer.

[Page 463] When in the next place, he carrieth us from the Consideration of this severe Judge, cruel by Nature, but mollified by Prayer, to the Consideration of God the Father, most good, kind, gentle, mer­ciful, slow to anger and forgiving sins, bearing with insuperable Patience, the daily Affronts of Men, the Honours paid to his Adversary the Devil, and the Contumelies therein offered to his own Son; what Success may we not then hope to our Prayers made to him, if they be presented with a due Reverence, and necessary Preparation? The unjust Judge although he feared not God, nor re­garded Man, yet did Justice to the Wi­dow for her importunity. What Fear could not do, Prayer obtained. Neither Threats nor the Fear of Punishment could incline the Man to Justice; yet the Cries and Supplications of a poor Widow softned his Nature, and made him tra­ctable. If she could obtain so much from a rough ill-natur'd Man; how much greater Kindness, Goodness and Love may we not expect from God, who always desires to shew Mercy, but never to exercise Severity; whose very Threats and Punishments are intended for our good, and directed to deterr us from Diso­bedience?

[Page 464] Let us once more review the effect of Prayer upon this unjust Judge, that we may the better discover the infinite kind­ness and love of God to Men. If he, who never willingly and of his own ac­cord did any good, changed on the sud­den by the Petitions of a poor Supplicant, and was moved to Compassion; much more will the importunate Prayers of Men be prevalent with him, whose Na­ture includeth an infinity of Goodness; and who dispenseth the Emanations of that Goodness in vast and constant Be­nefits, even without intreaty. For who doth not see that the Light of the Sun, the influences of Heaven, the Fruits of the Earth, Riches, Life and Health are given by God to all Men, to the good and to the bad; and that only for his im­mense Kindness to Mankind, but if he so favours, cherisheth and maintaineth those who ask him not, and are not per­haps so much as sensible that the Benefit proceedeth from him; what will he not bestow on those, who spend a conside­rable part of their Lives in Prayer and Supplication?

The last Reason of doubting in Prayer is the Conscience of unworthiness in the Supplicant, which Conscience is either founded in the natural unworthiness of [Page 465] Man, or arises from the Sense of his want of these Qualifications of Prayer, which are required to make it accepta­ble. The former falls in with that doubt, which I last spoke of, and the latter is in the Power of every Man to remove; and to perswade the necessity and con­venience of that removal, hath been the Subject of this days Discourse, I shall therefore add no more upon this Head.

Upon the whole it doth appear, that the Duty of Prayer is necessary, the place of it to be regarded, the posture not to be neglected, the Conditions indispensa­ble, and the Success certain.

THE Resurrection of our Lord from the Dead, being so illustrious a Confirmation of the Truth of that Re­ligion which he taught, so undeniable an Argument of the Divinity and Authori­ty of his Person, so firm an Assurance of those Hopes which we conceive of our own Resurrection, deserveth at this Sea­son more than a single Consideration. It is the knowledge and conviction of that, which chiefly Establisheth the Faith of a Christian, continueth his Expecta­tions of enjoying hereafter a better State; [Page 467] and after a serious Meditation of the Actions of his Saviour here on Earth wrought for his sake, compleats his Joy.

In the ancient Church therefore, all the time between Easter and Whitsunday was dedicated to the Memory of this wonderful Mystery, as was manifest by the particular expressions of Joy, during that whole Season, in the publick Of­fices and Ceremonies of the Church. And as the benefit of Christs Resurre­ction doth no less extend to the Chri­stians of these Times, than to those of more ancient Ages; so our Gratitude and Rejoycing in Memory of it ought to be no less intense.

It may be pretended, that those an­cient Christians living nearer to the time of Christ, had more certain assurance of the Truth of the Fact related, than we now have at so great a distance; and that the Will of Man always acting a­greeably to the perswasions of the Un­derstanding, cannot now be so much af­fected by the consideration of an uncer­tain Interest, as they were then, when the Experience of frequent Miracles ren­dred it most certain. Or that however the Apostles and those Five hundred [Page 468] Disciples, who were blessed with the presence of Christ after his Resurrection, had no less just Cause of Joy than Admi­ration: Yet that others, who were not convinced of the same Truth by the re­port of their own Senses, could not but be less concerned at the relation, by how much the less they were ascertained of the reality of it. And as the Mind of Man is fruitful in inventing Argu­ments opposing the Obligation of Reli­gion; some have been brought to doubt of, and others even to deny the Resur­rection of Christ, upon this considera­tion, that after he is said to be risen from the Dead, he appeared not in Publick, conversed not in solemn Places and a­mong the Multitude, as before; but on­ly shew himself to some few Disciples of his own, whom he had chosen for that purpose.

To take off this Objection, and assert the Truth of our Lord's Resurrection, I will endeavour to manifest the rea­sonableness of that conduct of Christ related in the Text: Whom God raised up, and shewed openly, not to all the People, but to Witnesses chosen before of God. To this purpose I will divide my designed Dis­course into these three parts.

• [Page 469]I. That to have shewed Christ after his Resurrection to the whole unbe­lieving Multitude of the Jews, was un­becoming the Majesty, Justice and Wis­dom of God.
• II. That it would have failed of cre­ating an universal Conviction.
• III. That God hath notwithstanding offered to Mankind sufficient Arguments of reasonable Conviction.

First then, neither the Wisdom, Ju­stice and Honour of God, nor the design of Christs Ministerial Office here on Earth, would permit him to expose him­self after his Resurrection to the publick View of the unbelieving World. As God is the Fountain of all Wisdom, it is impossible he should act any thing with­out just Cause and Reason. It is not in the ordinary direction alone of created Beings that he exerts not his Power without just occasion; upon which ac­count it hath been long since received as an Axiom in Philosophy, that Nature works nothing in vain; but also in the dispensation of Spiritual Concerns, in founding Methods for the Salvation of Mankind, he proceeds by just and ade­quate Rules exactly fitted to produce the effect intended: Fitted, I mean, to [Page 470] produce that effect, if the Will of Man, which is herein the Subject of the Di­vine Operation, rejects not wilfully what is intended for its benefit. In that case God seeks not other Remedies, exceeds, not the ordinary Rules of Salvation fix'd by him, nor employeth new and more powerful Engines to effect his Design. Those he before employed were suffici­ent; and that they should fail of their end, is to be ascribed, not to their want of Force, but to the Wickedness of Man hardening his Mind against receiving the effects of them.

Thus God giveth to every Man a Pow­er of Acting according to the dictates of Reason, of overcoming the violent Moti­ons of his sensual Appetite, of resisting all Temptations offered to him. If not­withstanding this, Man useth not his Free-will aright; if he yieldeth to his Passions, and embraceth sinful Temp­tations, God doth not by his Almighty Power restrain these sinful Actions, or violently over-rule the inordinate Moti­ons of the Will of Man.

When the Serpent tempted our first Parents, God, if he had pleased, might as well have interposed before their con­sent to the suggestion of the Serpent, in [Page 471] eating the forbidden Fruit, as he did af­terwards denounce their Punishment; and had he done so, it is scarce possible to be imagined that they would have dared to transgress; yet would it be unreasonable to have required, that God should have interposed in such a manner. He had given them sufficient strength of Will to maintain their Innocence; and having done that, justly left them to their own choice.

Thus also after the Fall of Man, God hath granted to Man, in vertue of particu­lar Promises and Covenants, such a Mea­sure of assisting Grace, as may repair the weakness of the Will enervated by that Fall, and fully enable him to discharge the several Duties required of him: But if neither with this the Will of Man di­rects if self aright, God doth not double, treble, or multiply his Grace, or put a force upon the Will. That were not to deal with Man as with a rational Be­ing; and to over-rule or force the Will, would be to take away the very essence of Good and Bad, which consists in the free determination of the Will.

And as God directs his most wise Me­thods in relation to the Will of Man, so also he acts in relation to his Under­standing. [Page 472] He hath proposed sufficient Motives of Conviction to every point which he requireth to be believed by Man: If he gaineth not assent, he pro­ceeds no farther, heapeth not one de­monstration upon another.

To apply this to the case of the Re­surrection. Our Lord, in his triennial Preaching before his Crucifixion, had offered to the Jews abundant reason to perswade them of the Authority of his Mission, by almost daily Miracles, by proving that the ancient Prophesies con­cerning the Messias did clearly belong to his Person, by visible declarations from Heaven, by his own incomparable Per­swasions, by the Preaching of John Bap­tist and his Apostles. After so many and evident Arguments produced in vain, and rendred ineffectual by the per­verseness and unreasonable Prejudices of the Jews, Can we think it just to require, that God should change his Methods, and propose other yet more forcible Argu­ments? Or must we not confess that God had done enough, and that to go yet farther, were to exceed the bounds of Reason, and depress the Majesty of God? He had before the Deluge, when no such extraordinary Methods of Con­viction [Page 473] were employed, justly resolved, My Spirit shall not always strive with Man. And after so many Miracles wrought by Christ, so many Revela­tions conferred on the unbelieving Jews, to have still strove with their unbelief by the publick Manifestation of Christ after his Resurrection, would have been unnecessary and unreasonable.

Thus the Wisdom of God was con­cerned to deny to the unbelieving Jews the personal Conversation of Christ raised from the dead. His Justice also may well be thought to have inclined him to the same. That People in rejecting the Messias, in opposing the evidence of his Doctrine, in withstanding the force of his Miracles, had committed as great a Sin as the Soul of Man is even capable of; had offered as great an affront to the Majesty of God, as can possibly be conceived. So signal an Impiety de­served a no less eminent Punishment from the Hands of God. The visible Execu­tion of which Punishment might be de­ferred, as it was for near forty Years, till the total Destruction of their Nation; yet other Punishments less visible, but no less grievous, the Justice of God did immediately inflict; and that was, In [Page 474] giving them up to their own Hearts Lusts, and letting them follow their own Imagi­nations; not offering to them the most undeniable Argument of the Truth of their Messias, the Conviction of his Re­surrection by their own Senses, when they had rejected all those precedent Ar­guments, which would more than have sufficed to convince and inform them, if their wicked perverseness had not pre­vented the Conviction.

They had by denying belief to the Doctrine of Christ, confirmed by so many and such evident Arguments, de­clared themselves to be given up to a reprobate Mind, and far from deserving so great a Blessing, as the Conversation of the Son of God now raised from the Dead. That was a Favour, than which a greater could not be granted to the Apostles. And then what was given by Christ to his beloved Disciples, as a re­ward of their Faith and Patience, could not in Justice be communicated to the worst of Men.

Nor doth it extenuate the Guilt of the Jews therein, that they proceeded ac­cording to their present Judgment, and acted upon the Direction of a mistaken Conscience. For first, it is manifest, [Page 475] that many of them opposed him, even while inwardly convinced of the Truth of his Mission, and the Arguments of it; as those did to whom he upbraided the Commission of the Sin against the Holy Ghost. And then Conscience sim­ply is not the Rule and Warrant of hu­mane Actions, but Conscience directed by right Reason. God hath given to Man a faculty of Understanding as well as Will; full Power of judging right in all Matters absolutely Necessary, as well as of following the report of this Judg­ment when made. He requireth a like right use of both these Faculties, and punisheth equally the Miscarriage of ei­ther, if it concerns matters of Obedience to himself, or of ordinary Duty. In which case, it is no less Fatal or Criminal to pervert the Understanding, than to corrupt the Will; and then, to plead Ignorance or a mistaken Conscience, will be no more allowed, than to plead Drunkenness for Crimes committed in that absence of right Reason.

There is not in all History a more en­ormous Sin to be found, than the Infi­delity of the Jews, and the Crucifixion of their Messias by them; none so severely branded in Scripture, or punished with [Page 476] so remarkable a Judgment in this Life: Yet our Saviour hanging on the Cross de­clared that those his Persecutors knew not what they did. And altho' he then, out of the abundance of his Charity, inter­ceded for their Pardon, yet the Justice of God would not grant it, much less continue to them the former Favours of Heaven. And such would have been the visible and publick Preaching of Christ after his Resurrection.

Farther, the Honour of God was en­gaged herein; nor was it agreeable to the Divine Majesty, that the Person of Christ, after his Resurrection, should be exposed to the publick view of the Na­tion of the Jews. Reason did require, and all the Prophets had foretold, that the Messias should pass through a double State, that is of Humiliation and Glory. In his State of Humiliation, before his Death, he had undergone all the Mise­ries, Ignominies and Calamities, to which humane Nature is subject. He was pressed with the want of the Neces­saries of Life, was afflicted with the In­sults, Provocations and Injuries of the Jews, was delivered up into the Hands of wicked Men to be treated at their Pleasure. To these meritorious Suffer­ings [Page 477] was to ensue a State of Glory; wherein Christ should be placed far a­bove the Rank and the Power of mor­tal Men, should be exempted from the infirmities of Nature, and enter upon an everlasting Kingdom. This State of Exaltation was begun in his Resurre­ction, perfected by his Ascension, and continued without interruption to all Ages.

It was not then agreeable to the Di­vine Honour, that the Sacred Body of the ever Blessed Jesus now exalted to a State of Glory, should be again subject­ed to the Attempts and Persecution of the Jews. That it should be exposed to the rage of Men, and reduced to his for­mer mean Condition. Yet all this could not have been avoided, if Christ had appeared publickly among the People af­ter his Resurrection. The same Hatred and Persecution would have returned, unless he had pleased by a Miracle to re­scue his Body from their Attempts. A Miracle indeed was no less easie to his Almighty Power, than any other ordi­nary Operation. Yet the Honour of God is concerned not to work Miracles, but for great Reasons; and the Impiety of that People deserved not to have a [Page 478] Miracle conferred on them: Or had Christ appeared openly among them, even altho he could have been secured from their Persecution, it must either have been in his former meek and hum­ble Habit; and as such, they would have despised him; or what they greedily ex­pected, as a glorious Prince, armed with Power and temporal Greatness; and that was contrary to his Design, who decla­red his Kingdom not to be of this World.

Nor in this respect only was the pub­lick appearing of Christ after his Resur­rection, contrary to his Design for which he came into the World. To have then publickly manifested himself for this purpose, to have removed the incredulity of the Jews, and convinced them of the Truth of his Mission, would have been to have continued his Prophetical Office after his Crucifixion: For therein did his Prophetical or Ministerial Office consist, in declaring the Will of God, in preach­ing of Repentance, in converting of Sin­ners. This Office was to expire with his Life; and after his Resurrection, his State of Glory, and therewith his Regal Office was to commence. Upon which account, himself when ready to expire [Page 479] upon the Cross, said, It is finished. All the parts of his Ministerial Office were now fully compleated, not to be perso­nally renewed again. He had perform­ed all that the Divine Wisdom had de­termined to be effected by him in Person, towards the Conversion and Salvation of the World; the rest he was to commit to his Apostles and their Successours. Himself was no longer to remain in the form of a Servant, which he had taken on him; but entring upon his Kingdom, to govern that Church which he by his former Preaching and Death had founded. I proceed to the second Pro­position, namely.

II. That even if Christ, after his Re­surection, had appeared and conversed Publickly, it would yet have failed to produce an universal Conviction, and remove all Doubts. This is undeniably manifest in respect of our selves, for whom we are most concerned, and of all Ages subsequent to that time: For allowing that the whole Nation of the Jews had been ocular Witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ, yet all other Per­sons, both of that and all succeeding Ages, would have had no other Proof than what we now have, that is, the Testi­mony [Page 480] of those who saw him after his Resurrection. All others, even in that case, would have equally wanted the Demonstration of Sense, and must have depended upon the Relation of others. So that all the certainty which any can have of Matters seen and related by o­thers, we have; unless we imagine that five hundred cannot as certainly judge of a plain Matter of Fact as so many mil­lions. And even if so many millions had seen it, we should not have expect­ed, that every one should severally com­mit it to writing, and so testifie it to us; we must still have relied upon the Te­stimony of some few Historians, and that in this case we have. So that notwith­standing the number of ocular Witnesses was then confined to five hundred; we who were not Blessed with that Sight, have the same Evidence of it, as if all the Members of Mankind then living had seen it.

Whatever force therefore the Objecti­on might have in that Age, it hath none in ours. We have sufficient Arguments offered to us to prove the Truth of it; equal and even Superiour to those, upon which we believe the Truth of any Mat­ter of Fact, which our selves did not see. [Page 481] And if we reject these Arguments, it is not probable that even Demonstration would move us, if it could be had.

For whatever Men may pretend in excuse of their Infidelity, it is most cer­tain, that he who will not believe what is proposed to him upon reasonable, al­tho' but probable Motives, will not even yield to Demonstration, if the Truth pro­posed opposeth his Lusts and Passions. And this indeed is the true cause of all those Doubts, which unreasonable Men produce in defence of their unbelief. It would be too gross and shameless to as­sign the true Cause, and alledge that they will not submit to the Yoke of Religion, because it checks their Vices, restrains their Lusts, forbids the Gratification of many beloved Passions. They would gladly be esteemed to act Reasonably in shaking off this encumbrance from them; and therefore pretend they cannot be­lieve the Divinity of that Religion which lays it on them. Whereas in truth, they seldom consider the Arguments recom­mending the Truth of any Religion, least the Obligation of it also should re­turn into their Minds. Or if they can­not avoid the Thoughts of it, yet their Wills struggle against their Understand­ing. They would esteem it the greatest [Page 482] Unhappiness which can befal them, to be thoroughly convinced of that Truth, which if obeyed, would deprive them of all their darling Pleasures.

For the Truth of what I here ad­vance, I appeal to your own Experience. View all these Scepticks in Religion, and see if you can find any in all your Know­ledge, who make any Conscience of ob­serving moral Vertues, of being Chast, Temperate, and Just. It is the Imposi­tion and enforcing of these Vertues, which hath made the Christian Religi­on grievous and distasteful to such Men; not the want of Evidence of the Truth of it. These Pretenders are seldom of such raised Capacities as to discern be­tween true and false reasoning, with greater accuracy than other Men; or to discover the weakness of an Argument, which before their Sagacious Enquiry was universally allowed. They wilful­ly betray their Judgment, or rather the Pretence of it, to the depraved inclina­tion of their Wills; which that they may enjoy, they are content to undergo the Ignominy of groping at Noon-day, and not discovering a Truth set in so great a Light. But this Consideration being more general, I dismis it; only reminding you how unjustly an Objecti­on [Page 483] is raised by these Men from Christ's not publickly appearing after his Resur­rection; since if he had so done, the Evi­dence of his Resurrection at this distance of time could have been no more than now it is.

Farther, not only would the publick appearance of our Lord after his Resur­rection have been of no advantage to us; but would even have failed of convin­cing, at least converting the Jews, who should have been Spectators of it. The Jews had continued their Infidelity not­withstanding so many hundred Miracles, that it could not be hoped the Addition of one Miracle more should create a Be­lief among them. They had rejected all those many undeniable Proofs, which our Lord was pleased to offer to them in Testimony of his Divine Mission; and after the long Experience of such a strange Perverseness, it is scarce credible, that the Resurrection alone should effect, what all other Arguments and Proofs joyned together could not perform.

In the first Place, the Prophesies con­tained in the Old Testament, (to the Di­vine Authority of which the Jews did own Submission) all the Predictions and Descriptions concerning the Messias deli­vered [Page 484] in it, were to them the most cogent Argument, which could be offered. By the Concurrence and Completion of all these Prophesies in the Person of Jesus, it did so evidently appear, that he was the Christ, that they could not deny it, without proclaiming at the same time their disbelief of those sacred Oracles. And then as our Lord truly said in a not unlike Case; If they would not believe Moses and the Prophets, neither would they have been perswaded, though one rose from the dead; although himself had rose from the Grave in the sight of the whole Na­tion. If the greatest Argument had no effect upon their Minds, lesser Proofs would certainly lose their Force.

However, because it may with some shew of Reason be alledged, that how­ever the Concurrence of the ancient Pro­phesies in his Person were in the Nature of things the better Argument; yet that Miracles as being more surprizing, and more affecting the Mind of Man, were the more effectual Demonstration; let us compare the Miracles of Christ wrought before his Crucifixion, with the Evidence which would have been produced by his Resurrection, if he had been pleased vi­sibly to manifest it to the whole Nati­on of the Jews.

[Page 485] The number of Miracles, which we find recorded in the Evangelists, is very great; and yet St. John assureth us, That what is written contains but a small part of the Actions of Christ. Every one of these Miracles gave as full a Proof of that Divine Power by which they were wrought, as the Resurrection could have done.

The Resurrection indeed is infi­nitely more considerable to us Chri­stians, than any other Miracle; because it is the assurance of our own Resurre­ction, the entrance of our Lord upon his state of Glory: But to Unbelievers, it is of no more Efficacy than the many other Miracles wrought by him.

What could be more admirable than that he commanded the Elements, the winds and the seas, and they obeyed him: That he removed Infirmities, and cured all manner of Diseases immediately and by a single Command? What greater Proof could be offered of his own Divinity, than that he did this by his own Authority, without invoking the name of God, or intreating his Presence? If stupendious Acts were required; what more won­derful than his feeding whole multi­tudes with a few Loaves? If nothing [Page 486] less than the sensible Experience of his raising the Dead to Life could convince them, what more notorious than the raising of Lazarus known to the whole City of Jerusalem; than the raising of the Widows Son of Naim, performed in Presence of the whole City attending him to his Grave; than the Bodies of Saints departed arising at his Crucifixion, entring into Jerusalem, and appearing unto many?

If in all his Miracles precedent to his Death, the Jews not able to deny the Fact, pretended they were done by a Diabolick Power, (a Pretence more than once alledged in their own Talmud ex­tant at this day, and published by them­selves) the same Pretence would with equal Reason have been retained after his Resurrection. For if the absolute dis­posal of Life and Death were to them, the only confessed Proof of a truly Divine Power, it was offered to them in raising those to Life, whom I before mentioned. Although by other Arguments he had given abundant Demonstration, that he acted not by any Commission from in­fernal Spirits. The whole Design of his Doctrine tended to overthrow the Power and Dominion of the Devil; to root out [Page 487] Idolatry and Sin, whereby Mankind was held Captive to the Devil; to establish Truth and Piety, than which nothing could be more contrary to the interest of Hell. His Miracles consisted chiefly in casting out Devils from the Bodies of unhappy Persons, whom they had pos­sessed, than which nothing could be more ungrateful to them: in relieving the Wants and curing the Infirmities of Mankind, than which nothing could be more opposite to their Practice and In­clinations, who always endeavoured the Destruction, but never the benefit of Mankind.

This same Power of working Mira­cles he communicated to his Disciples long before his Crucifixion; which re­futeth the idle Pretence of the Jews in the Talmud, that his miraculous Power was a personal Quality, obtained by un­folding a Spell placed of old by Solomon in the Temple. All these Proofs of Di­vine Power, our Lord had exercised a­mong the Jews for three years together; and that not in private, in a corner, a­mong his own Followers, but in all the great Cities of that Nation, in the Pre­sence of multitudes, in their Streets and Synagogues, before the Scribes and Pha­risees, [Page 488] the most Learned, and discerning Men among them; in the solemn Fe­stivals and Concourse of the Jews at Je­rusalem, where every Male was bound to appear three times a year before the Lord, and where Christ never failed to be pre­sent, and to declare his Mission by Mi­racles, and by Oral teaching. So that it is not improbable but that every Male of Judea, arrived to Man's Estate, had at the time of his Death personally seen some Miracle wrought by him. Even at his Death, such manifest Indications of his Divinity appeared, that an unpreju­diced Heathen, the Roman Centurion, who guarded his Cross, could not forbear to confess that he was the Son of God, that is, in the Language of the Heathens, a Di­vine Person.

Yet notwithstanding all these Proofs and Miracles, it was found that the Jews retained their Infidelity; that far from being converted by them, even while the Sense of them remained, they did affront and revile him; accused him of Combination with the Devil, even while they saw him cast out Devils; and were scandalized at his Doctrine, even before they had digested the Bread, wherewith he had miraculously fed them; as we read, Joh. VI.

[Page 489] What then could be concluded from this whole Carriage of the Jews, but that they were a People, whom no Argu­ments could perswade, no Miracles could affect; who deserved no farther to be re­garded by God, and who would have treated the visible Resurrection of Christ, with no less Contempt than they had done his former Miracles.

It is at first sight somewhat incredible indeed, that Man endued with a rational Soul could possibly so far deprave his Reason, as to withstand such powerful Arguments, and deny the Truth set in so clear a Light. And some have not fail­ed hereupon to object to the whole Hi­story of the Life of Christ, that it is im­possible he should have wrought so many Miracles; since had he done it, it can­not be conceived that the Jews should disbelieve him, and deny Assent to his Revelations. But alas! who can account for the Perverseness of the Will of Man, or the Failures of his Understanding? A little reflection upon our own Experi­ence of humane Life will convince us, how gross, and to us unaccountable Errors, many Men commit: How often a Mat­ter, which seems most clear and evident to us, when proposed to others, cannot [Page 490] or will not be understood by them.

To recurr to more particular Exam­ples; this very Nation of the Jews con­tinued stubborn, incredulous, and rebel­lious amidst all the Miracles, which Mo­ses wrought in the sight of them. They murmured against him, even while they subsisted by his miraculous Ministry; and notwithstanding all the wonderful Benefits and Punishments of God daily visible to them for Forty years together, often renounced their Allegiance to the true God.

Nor are they the former Ages only, which have committed such prodigious Mistakes; even in our own Age, we have no less eminent Instances of unac­countable Corruption of understanding in some Men, which because they are ordinary and common we cease to won­der at; but in Truth had the Ancients by Revelation foreseen them, they would have no less admired the Folly of subse­quent Ages, than we now do the Errors of precedent times.

To name only one now among ma­ny; who could have then believed, that in the latter times of the World, there should exist a large Society of Men, who should pretend to eat their God, [Page 491] to devour his Body ten thousand times, and yet retain it whole; to divide it in­to as many parts, every one of which should be equal to the whole; and infi­nite other like Absurdities? And yet this we know the Papists do.

Upon the whole, it ought not to be concluded, that because such a Perverse­ness of Will or Corruption of Judg­ment cannot be well conceived by us, or seems incredible to us, judging according to the Nature of the things themselves; that therefore it is impossible Mankind should be ever Guilty of them. For it doth appear, that there is no Error so gross, no Miscarriage so enormous, which Man may not commit. And that if the Jews had seen and handled the Body of Christ after his Resurrection, it is more than possible, that they who had re­jected so many antecedent Proofs, would have been insensible of this also; but it is most certain, that they were not worthy, to whom such a Favour should be granted.

It remains, That I speak to the third and last Consideration, that notwith­standing our Lord vouchsafed not to the unbelieving World, the visible Presence of his Body after his Resurrection; yet [Page 492] that he hath by other Methods offered to Mankind sufficient Arguments of rea­sonable Conviction of the truth of it. This was absolutely necessary not only in Relation of the rest of the World, who had not seen his precedent Miracles; but also in regard of his undertaking to the unbelieving Jews, whom demanding a Sign from him, he had referred to his Resurrection from the Dead after three days continuance in the Grave. And this he hath effectually performed by the Testimony of unexceptionable Wit­nesses, his Apostles and other Discliples; who as they were well assured of the Truth of it themselves, so they were fitted and enabled to testifie it to the World, beyond all Contradiction.

They had seen and Familiarly convers­ed with their Lord after his Resurrection; handled his Body; clearly perceiv'd that a rational Soul was united to it, and the Divinity to both, as before his Resurre­ction. They were afterwards enabled to testifie this to all Nations of the World, by the gift of Tongues; and to do it suc­cessfully, by the Power of working Mira­cles, not only conferred upon themselves, but upon whomsoever they laid their hands for that Purpose. They confirm­ed [Page 493] the Truth of their Testimony by vo­luntary laying down their Lives, by un­dergoing all the Hardships of Life; the Persecution of the Jews, and the Con­tradiction of Heathen Philosophers; all which none can be supposed to have been done without an inward Conviction of the Truth of what they Preached. And if they were indeed so convinced, it is impossible that in forming their Judg­ment of it they should have been mi­staken. Or if it can be imagined, that any should be so Vain-glorious, as to forego the Pleasures of Life, and suffer a Death in defence of what they knew to be false, yet are we not in this Case permitted to believe it, by Reason of the many and wonderful Miracles wrought by them, by the various Ope­rations of the Holy Ghost working in them, and communicated by them; by which God himself gave a concurrent Testimony to the Resurrection of Christ preached by them, and set to his Seal, that what they taught and affirmed was true. But of this Head, I need add no more, having more largely treated of it in my Discourse upon Easter-day, which I will not repeat.

WE lately celebrated the Memory of the Ascension of our Lord; and the Offices of our Church direct us to employ our thoughts upon it, in this intermediate time between that and Whitsunday. To do this, we are not on­ly induced by that near Relation, which it bears to Christ, who by it took his last Farewel of his Disciples, and entred upon the Possession of his Kingdom; but also by those eminent Benefits, which the [Page 495] whole Church received from it, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the Confirmation of Faith, and the increase of Hope.

In Discoursing of it, I will confine my self to these three Considerations.

• I. The necessity and convenience of the Ascension of Christ.
• II. The Truth of it.
• III. The Advantages and Benefits, which we receive by it.

I. That it was necessary our Lord should leave the Earth, and ascend into Hea­ven, himself often declared, and in Joh. XVI. 7. gives the Primary Reason of it. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is con­venient for you, that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. The Mission of the Comfor­ter, that is, the Holy Ghost, was abso­lutely necessary, and the necessity of it confessed by the Disciples of Christ; yet could not this be effected, untill Christ should ascend into Heaven. It was convenient for the Apostles that the Comforter should be sent, as by whom they received a most invincible Confirmation of their Faith and their Hopes.

What greater Consolation can be ima­gined [Page 496] to Disciples afflicted for the De­parture of their beloved Lord, than to receive such an infallible Assurance of his Being placed in Power and Glory in Heaven, as did arise from the eminent Operations of Divine Power brought down by the Holy Ghost at his Interces­sion? What stronger Confirmation of their Faith could they receive, than that the Promises of their Master concerning a Comforter were effected, which de­monstrated the Truth of all he had said, the actual Possession of that Glory, which was vailed in the Infirmities of his hu­mane Nature, while he conversed upon Earth, and the Prevalency of his Inter­cession with God the Father in their be­half? What more could be desired to assure them of the continuance of their Masters Love after his Departure, or to enable them successfully to discharge that Office of converting an unbelieving World, which was imposed on them; than that such Gifts should be conferred on them, as were never before vouch­safed unto Mankind; the knowledge of all Tongues, the Faculty of speaking Eloquently and Boldly, and the Power of working Miracles? All these Reasons made it convenient and desirable to the [Page 497] Apostles, that the Comforter should be sent unto them.

To the whole Church this was much more necessary, which without that Mis­sion could never have had Existence, be­ing founded and maintained by those Divine Gifts and Influences, which were derived from thence. Yet neither could the Apostles, nor the Church have been Blessed with this so necessary, so often Pro­mised, and so much to be desired Mission of the Holy Ghost, had not our Lord first ascended into Heaven, and there by his Power and Intercession have procured it. The Comforter, as he was to be the Advocate, the Deputy, to plead the Cause of Christ on Earth, could not naturally take place but in his Absence; and the ve­ry Mission of him, as it was an Act of Re­gal Power, could not be administred by Christ until he had taken Possession of his Kingdom, which commenced at his As­cension into Heaven.

Nor is this the only Reason, which made it convenient for the Church, that our Lord should remove his visible Pre­sence from us; but the Possibility, at least, the increase of Man's Reward did de­pend upon it. The Design of the com­ing of the Messias so long expected was [Page 498] known and confessed to be to restore the lost Happiness of Mankind, to redeem them from their former Misery, and to advance them to a State of Glory. In prosecution of this Design, if we consi­der either the Wisdom of God, or the Nature of Man, it could not but be ex­pected, that this Happiness should be affixed to certain Rules, consequent to certain Conditions to be performed by Man; not indifferently bestowed on all, nor yet on any without Respect to their peculiar Merits. The Application of it was to be directed and determined ac­cording to the right use of Reason and Free-will in every Man. The whole of this consists in Obedience to the Laws of God, and one great Branch of it, in as­senting to his Authority, and believing all his Revelations. And as an Assent to all the Revelations of God, made at all times, was the Duty of Man; so more especially an Assent to those last and most considerable Revelations made by his own Son incarnate was required of Man, and was farther intended to qualifie him for the Reception of that super-natural Happiness, which was by him to be conveyed unto the World: Since no greater Evidence of a right use [Page 499] of Reason and Veneration of the Divine Majesty could be offered, than to in­quire after, to Assent to, and obey the Revelations communicated by him.

It would be tedious and unnecessary to repeat those great Commendations of this eminent Act of right Reason call'd Faith, and those many Promises of Re­ward annexed to it, which may be found in the Scripture. But from the whole it appeareth, that this was to be the principal Condition of the Justification, and therein of the Happiness of Man. That this Act therefore might be the more Illustrious, and might be Crowned with a more noble Reward, it was con­venient that Christ should withdraw his visible Presence from the World, and therein give way to the Operation of Faith, which is the Evidence of things not seen.

Had Christ continued for ever upon Earth in that glorious Majesty, which was to take place after his Resurrection; had he presented to the Senses of every Man sensible Demonstrations of his Di­vine Power; in that Case, to have be­lieved on him, would have been no more praise worthy, no more meritori­ous, than to assent to the ordinary Re­ports of Sense.

[Page 500] Who ever pretended to have acquired Merit by believing an Axiom of Mathe­matical Demonstrations? Or who ever thought it an Argument of a true and just [...]anagement of the Will and Under­standing, to believe that one Colour dif­fereth from another, or that the Sun doth shine? These things strike our Senses, and force a Belief whether we will or no; in this Case, to offend while the Soul enjoys its Reason, and the Body the Organs of Sense, is not so much as possible.

To have believed the Divinity of Christ, while the Sense of an illustrious Miracle wrought by him was yet pre­sent; to confess he came in the Flesh, while his Body was yet visible; to ac­knowledge his Resurrection from the Dead, when the Senses of every Man proclaimed no less; all this would have been so slight an Argument of the right use of Reason, so little deserving any Commendation or Reward, that it would be no more than the necessary result of the Faculties, and even not in the Power of the Will to avoid.

But when the Object is removed from the Sense, and yet discovered by Rea­son; when the Eye doth not see what [Page 501] the Affections still embrace, when the Soul ceaseth not to hope upon probable and just Motives, what it never received by Demonstration of Sense; this is in­deed a noble Act of right Reason, wor­thy of a spiritual Being, and worthy of a Divine Reward. And such a Reward hath our Lord annexed to it; pronoun­cing, Joh. XX. 29. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. This Blessedness Christ by his Ascension hath communicated to the whole Church; which without that, had wanted the Qua­lification of a rational and well grounded Faith, to acquire the Favour of God.

Further the Ascension of our Lord, and therein his Exaltation to the supreme Degree of Glory, was in Justice due to his precedent meritorious Sufferings; which are therefore assigned as the cause of his Exaltation by St. Paul, Phil. II. He made himself of no Reputa­tion, and took upon him the form of a Ser­vant, &c. wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, &c. The Humility mani­fested by him in his Incarnation, in the whole Course of his Life, and in his Pas­sion, infinitely surpassed all the Exam­ples of former times. That the Son of God should vouchsafe to descend from his Seat of Glory in Heaven, to leave the [Page 502] Bosom of the Father, and cloath himself with the Infirmities of humane Nature; that in this Nature he should not take upon him the Majesty of a Prince, nor so much as allow himself the ordinary Satisfactions and Pleasures of it; but live an afflicted Life, and die a shameful Death; and all this for his own Crea­tures, who far from deserving such a Fa­vour from him, had rebelled against him from their Creation, would lay violent hands upon themselves, and continue their Contempt of his Authority till the Dissolution of all things; this was such an extraordinary Humiliation, that none other but the Son of God could have effected: And therefore was in Justice to be Crowned with such a Reward, as none but the Son of God could re­ceive; namely, that that Body, which had been thus depressed, should be raised above all Creatures, should be placed above Angels and Archangels, should be advanced to the immediate Presence of God, should for ever remain united to the Divine Nature, and therewith be translated into the principal Seat and Throne of the Deity, that is, into Heaven.

Lastly, To name no more Reasons; it was necessary for Christ to ascend into Heaven, that so he might fulfill all righ­teousness, [Page 503] perform all which the ancient Prophets had foretold of the Messias, or he had denounced of himself. It was long since Typified by the Ceremonies used by the High Priest among the Jews in the Day of Propitiation; which re­presented the Final Attonement to be made by Christ for the Sins of the World. It was commanded by God, that the High Priest should enter but once every year into the Holy of Holies, that is, up­on that Day, when with the Blood of the Sacrifice he passed thro' the Taber­nacle and the parts of it into that place.

It was a received Opinion among the Jews, that the Holy of Holies represent­ed the Heaven of Heavens, and the Ta­bernacle this visible World. From which Opinion joyned with the legal Ceremo­nies of that day, it appeared, as the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews argueth, IX. 11, 12. That the High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands, was to enter into the holy place, ha­ving obtained eternal Redemption for us: That he should lay down his Life as an Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the People, and being slain should pass thro' all the Stages of this World here below, [Page 504] and ascending into the highest Heavens, the Throne of the Divine Majesty, should there present his Blood; Blood of that inestimable value, as need not be shed and presented every year; but as he once appeared in the lower World to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself; so once for all he ascended into the higher Heavens, not to appear again, until he shall come in the Clouds with Majesty and great Glory, to judge the quick and Dead.

The same was fortold by the Prophet David, Psal. LXVIII. 18. and from thence urged by St. Paul, Ephes. IV. 8. Thou hast ascended up on high (into Hea­ven, as it is in the common Acceptation of the Original word) thou hast led Captivity Captive, thou hast received Gifts for Men. A Prophesie, which, notwith­standing all the Pretences of the Jews, can neither be applied to Moses, nor to Joshua, nor to David himself, nor to any illustrious Conqueror of that Nation, who never ascended into Heaven, but to Christ alone; who really and bodily ascended into the highest Heaven, unto the Throne of the Majesty of God.

By his Death and Resurrection he subdued Sin, Death, Hell and the De­vil; and in his Ascension visibly trium­phed [Page 505] over them, and led them Captive. When that Body, which by the Sacri­fice of it self had destroyed Sin, was in Reward of that meritorious Suffering, advanced into Heaven, there to be con­tinually present with God; when that Body which had been subjected to Death, and afterwards was raised from it, re­ceived now a certain Proof of its Im­mortality, was raised into Heaven, where is no place of Corruption left; when the Captain of Man's Salvation visibly as­cended unto the eternal Place of Happi­ness, having first Promised to draw all his faithful Followers after him; and from whence he dispensed the precious and glorious Gifts of the Holy Ghost to the Sons of Men.

If these Prophesies and Types foretel­ling and prefiguring the Ascension of the Messias should seem obscure, yet it can­not be denied, that the Messias was to receive a glorious Kingdom. This, we are well assured, the Nature of our Lords Office, the Design of his Coming, the Dignity of his Person permitted him not to receive on Earth; and therefore it was necessary he should ascend into Hea­ven, there to take Possession of it.

It had been a mean Reward to his [Page 506] Humility, Patience, and Sufferings pre­ceding his Resurrection, to have been advanced to a temporal Kingdom, to be dignified with a Reward common oft­times to the worst of Men. The great­ness of this World was inconsistent with his Design, the Pleasures of it were con­temned by him; and that Divinity, which was no longer to be clouded or depressed, but to shine forth in its full Lustre, could find no fit Habitation upon Earth, which in Scripture is faid to be the foot­stool of God. Upon all these Reasons, it was necessary, just, and convenient that Christ should ascend into Heaven.

II. And that he really did ascend thi­ther, (which was the 2d. Head proposed) evidently appeared, from the History of his Ascension recorded in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles. That Body of Christ which the Apostles had felt and handled, that with which they had con­versed for forty days together, that whereof they were assured by many infallible Proofs, that it was no other than the material Body of Christ which hung upon the Cross, and was laid in the Grave, which was united to the Soul again, and had performed all manner of vital Actions; that very Body they saw ascend into [Page 507] Heaven. For that Jesus, who had rose again and conversed with them, who had led them out of Jerusalem, and was vi­sible and present to them till the very moment of his Ascension, as he was yet speaking with them, was parted from them and carried up into Heaven; as we read, Luk. XXIV. Which refutes the Opinion of those ancient Hereticks, who taught that Christ ascended in Spirit on­ly, having first put off and returned to the several Elements that Body, which he had received from them.

Again that Body, which the Apostles saw and felt to be locally present with them upon Earth, they saw soon after to be really removed from the Earth and carried into Heaven. For as it is related in the sacred History, When he had spo­ken unto the Disciples and blessed them (which being performed by laying his hands upon them, testified his real and corporeal Presence with them in that moment; in the next moment, even) while he blessed them, he parted from them, and while they beheld he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Which proved his Ascension to have been a true proper and local Translation from the parts here below to those above; [Page 508] and that at that moment he was indued with a perfectly humane Body, what­ever glorious Changes it underwent af­ter its Reception into Heaven, the Seat of Immortality and Spiritual Beings. Other Circumstances deserve to be ob­served in the History of this Ascension, And

First, Our Lord at his Ascension was pleased to call together many, if not all his Disciples, and admit them to the sight of it; a Favour which was not vouchsafed to them at his Resurrection. The Conduct indeed was different, but the Reason not unlike in both Cases. Both the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ were thenceforth to pass into ne­cessary Articles of Belief, to the princi­pal supports of the Faith and Hopes of Mankind; both therefore was to be pla­ced beyond all doubt and contradiction, by the Attestation of many and credible Witnesses.

To effect this at his Resurrection, it was not necessary that any witnesses should be present; since the Actions of Life, visibly and in the Presence of many, performed by him after his known Cru­cifixion and Burial, abundantly and even demonstratively proved, that he was [Page 509] really risen from the Dead. They were well assured, that some few days before he was truly Dead, their Senses assured them that he was now truly alive: Whence they might as certainly conclude that he was risen from the Dead, as if they had actually seen his Resurrection.

Whereas in the Case of his Ascension, he was to be taken from them, no more to be seen by them in this Life; no Mortal was thenceforward to see his State of Glory, or testifie his Station in Heaven: upon which account it was absolutely necessary that his Disciples should be present at his Ascension, and be Eye-witnesses of that Action, which afterwards they were to testifie and preach to others.

In the second Place, it deserveth to be observed, that the Testimony of Angels was added to that of the Apostles. Those blessed Spirits, far from repining that the Nature of Man in Christ was by his Ascension exalted to a superior Degree of Glory, descended from Heaven to bear the glad Tidings of his Arrival there, as at his Nativity they had done to proclaim the Descent, of the Deity up­on Earth. For it follows, Acts I. 10. Be­hold two Men stood by them in white Ap­parel, [Page 510] which also said, Ye Men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven. This same Jesus which is taken up from you in­to Heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into Heaven.

Nor was this Apparition of Angels an empty Pageant or an unnecessary Ad­dition to the Glory of our Lords Ascen­sion. By their Ministry and Attendance, they demonstrated the Divinity and Dig­nity of his Person; by their Testimony concerning his Ascension, they proved the truth of it. The Apostles indeed saw him received upon the Clouds, they looked up and followed him with their Eyes, as far as their sight could reach; but that being terminated in the lower Regions, and not able to penetrate into the highest Heavens, their Sense could not assure them that their Lord was car­ried thither. To evidence therefore the truth of it, it remained, that God by these ministerial Spirits should declare it to the Disciples.

These Angels were wont to Minister before and see the face of God in Hea­ven; they were known to come down from thence. They testified that Christ had ascended thither from whence they had descended, and thereby perfected [Page 511] the Testimony of the Disciples concern­ing the Ascension of Christ into Heaven, whose sight could not reach so far. Far­ther, these blessed Spirits, not only brought Evidence to the Disciples of the real Ascension of their Master into Hea­ven, but also gave them Comfort and alle­viated their sorrow conceiv'd for his De­parture, by adding those words, This same Jesus, which ye have seen taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like man­ner as ye have seen him go into Hea­ven.

Elisha had seen his Master Elijah car­ried up into Heaven; yet knowing not certainly how the Divine Goodness would dispose of him, and despairing of ever seeing him again, he entertained the sight with Grief, and in Testimony of it rent his Clothes. Nor had the Disci­ples been free from the same Anxiety, without the present Consolations of these Angels. When their Lord had before his Death declared to them his Resolu­tion of returning to the Father, (John XVI.) they could not dissemble their Grief, as himself observeth, Verse 6. Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. And immediately before his Ascension, still [Page 512] retaining their erroneous Opinion of a temporal Kingdom to be founded by him, they had asked him whether he would not at that time restore the Kingdom unto Israel, which hopes were totally de­feated by his Departure into Heaven.

Both these occasions of Sorrow there­fore, the Angels happily do remove in these words. They assure them that the Presence of their Master shall not be for ever taken from them, but themselves should see him return in the last of days; and that they may not imagine his King­dom to be abolished, they add that he shall return in like manner as they saw him go, that is, in Power and great Glory; as our Lord describeth his com­ing to Judgment, Matth. XIII. 26. It will be of little use to inquire into what part of the Heavens the Body of our Lord was translated; yet not unfit to observe, that our Lord is said to have ascended into those Heavens, by which the most glorious Presence of the Divine Majesty is in Scripture expressed. Thus it is said of him, Ephes. IV. 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all Heavens, and Hebr. VII. 10. That he was higher than the Heavens, and Heb. IX. 12. passing into the holy place, even into [Page 513] Heaven it self, to appear before the Pre­sence of God, that is, he was advanced to the same state of Glory with God the Fa­ther; his Body was translated to the place of his more immediate Presence in Hea­ven, which is fully expressed by his sitting at the right hand of God.

To determine the place, whether in the third, in the fourth, or above the Heavens, is rash and unwarrantable. But this we may be assured, that whatso­ever part of Heaven is the immediate resi­dence of the Divine Majesty, whatsoever Region is most Holy, whatsoever Place is of greatest Dignity in those Celestial Orbs; thither Christ ascended, and there now Reigns in Glory.

III. The Advantages, which the Church and all the Members of it recei­ved from the Ascension of Christ, are many and great. The first and most eminent Benefit derived from it was the Mission of the Holy Ghost, of which I spoke before. A Benefit, which was indeed more sensible in the Apostolick times, when it communicated to many the gift of Tongues, the power of working Mi­racles, or a prophetick Spirit; but is at this day no less advantageous; since by the Influences and Operations of the Ho­ly Ghost the Church is still maintained, [Page 514] the Faithful are enabled to perform their Duty, and the unfaithful are converted. Thus the Ascension of Christ became a lasting Benefit to all his Followers, pro­curing to them those Graces, which otherwise could never have been ob­tained. The Ascension of Elijah made one Elisha, left a double Portion of his Spirit with one Disciple to be communi­cated to no other; but the Ascension of Christ was of universal Benefit, produ­cing blessed Effects, which should ex­tend to all Believers, and to all Ages.

A second Benefit of the Ascension of our Lord, is the Confirmation of our Faith, which from thence received firm Assurance of the truth of his Doctrine and the Divinity of his Person. He had proclaimed to the unbelieving Jews, as well as to his own Disciples, in the VI. of St. John, that he would ascend into Heaven. What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? Af­ter his Resurrection he said unto the Wo­men, Go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father. It was not therefore unexpected to the Apostles, they were acquainted with his Resolutions herein, and when they faw effected what he had before foretold them, they could no longer doubt that [Page 515] he was the true Messias. Thus although the prophetical Office of our Lord expi­red upon the Cross; all his subsequent Actions offered convincing Arguments to Mankind of the truth of his Mission, and the certainty of those things he taught. No greater Proof of either could be imagined than his Resurrection from the Dead; and when to this was added his Ascension into Heaven, there was no more place left for doubt.

Thus the Faith of the Apostles was confirmed by the Ascension of Christ, but their Hopes were much more exalted. By this glorious Triumph they saw him put into Possession of that am­ple Power, which they so long wished to be assumed by him, which might en­able him to reward his Followers, and effect those Promises which he had made to them. In John XIV. he had told them there were many Mansions in his Fathers house; and that he went before to prepare a place for them, intending to receive them afterwards to himself, that where he was, there they might be also. The former part of the Promise they saw to be effected in his Ascension, and thence conceived assured Hope that the latter would be accomplished.

There can be no greater Motive to [Page 516] believe the truth of Prophecies or Pro­mises, than to consider the performance of those which went before. The same foreknowledge of our Lord, which fore­saw the Exaltation of himself, could as easily foresee the like Reward to be given to his Followers; and the same Power which advanced him to the right hand of God, could exalt whomsoever he pleased into Heaven. So that his Power could not be questioned; and his Will therein he had often declared, assuring them, Joh. XII. 32. When I am lifted up from the Earth, I will draw all Men unto me.

Herein the Hopes of all Mankind re­ceived increase and strength. They had all impatiently wished for Immortality; it was easie to believe that their Souls should still exist; but their Bodies were equally parts of themselves. They were equally concerned for the future Happiness of both; yet that either should be hereafter Happy, they were assured only by the Revelation of Christ. He affirmed it, he promised it, he confirmed it by wonderful Signs and Miracles; yet it could not but seem strange, that Flesh and Blood should inherit the Kingdom of God; that such a gross corporeal Being should be admitted to the Society of [Page 117] Angels; that Man who was exclud­ed from an Earthly Paradise, should be taken up to the immediate Presence of God. All this did seem incredible, till they saw an Example of it in the Body of Christ, which consisting of the same Flesh and Blood, partaking of the same Nature, was visibly received into Hea­ven, and placed in eternal Happiness.

By this they were convinced, that the like Immortality of their own Bodies was not impossible; and while they con­sidered the Promises of Christ, and their own Relation to him, that he was the first Fruits of humane Nature, their fore­runner which is entred into Heaven for them, the Captain of their Salvation, and the Head of their Society; they were fully satisfied that it should in time be granted to them; since what he foretold of his own Ascension they saw effected; since it was but natural to follow their Captain, their Head, and their Forerun­ner; and with him to be received into the place of their desired Happiness.

Farther, as Christ is our King and our Priest, the Benefits which we hope to receive from either of those his Offices, received increase by his Ascension into Heaven. As King, he is thereby invested [Page 518] in the actual Dominion of his Church, enabled to bestow upon her all those Graces and extraordinary Assistances, which are necessary for her Well-being. As our Priest, his Intercessions with God the Father in our behalf, are made much more prevalent by his personal Presence with him.

Under the Law, the Efficacy of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice depended upon its being presented by the High Priest, in the Holy of Holies, the place where God was pleased to Promise his im­mediate Presence. How much more Effi­cacious then must be conceived to be the Intercession of our High Priest; who not once a year, but continually; not with the Blood of Bulls or Goats, but with his own Blood; not in an Earthly Taberna­cle, but in the highest Heaven, maketh Intercession for us? If the Mediation of the Jewish High Priest could avert tem­poral Punishments due to the Sins of the People; much more will the Mediation of our High Priest free Mankind from eternal Punishments. If their Priest being cloathed with the same Nature could more sensibly commiserate the Unhap­piness of his People; our's for the same Purpose took our Nature on him. But [Page 519] whereas their Priest was subject to the Guilt of the same Sins for which he interceded, our's knew no Sin; their's was admitted no farther than to the Symbols of God's Presence, to the Che­rubims and the Mercy Seat, our's to the very Throne of his Majesty; where he continually pleadeth his Sufferings on our behalf, diffuseth his Graces to us, and prepareth Mansions for us.

Lastly, if we consider Christ as the great exemplar of humane Life, his As­cension will upon that Account also be of great use to us; teaching us with him to exalt our Affections, to withdraw them from the Earth, and to place them in Hea­ven. This Inference the Apostle draweth from his Resurrection and Ascension, Colos. III. 1. If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Christ died to the World, to instruct us, that we ought to mortifie our worldly Lusts, to restrain and subdue to Reason the use of Carnal Pleasures. He left the World and Ascended into Heaven, to teach us that there our Affections ought princi­pally to be fixed, that there our chief In­terest is placed, and there only perfect Happiness to be expected. Could the [Page 520] Pleasures, the Power, and the Prosperity of this World have given the most com­plete Happiness; our Lord, who deser­ved it by the most complete Obedience which was ever paid, who was more dear to God than all the Sons of Men, who was himself heir of all things and Lord of all, would have fixed his abode here, and not removed it into Heaven. But when immediately after his Exaltation, as soon as he began to receive the Reward of his Obedience and Sufferings, he forsook the Earth, and returned unto the Bosom of his Father, he hath thereby instructed us, that in vain is true Felicity to be sought here below; that this World can afford no adequate recompence for Ver­tue and Piety; that we are indeed but Strangers and Pilgrims upon the Earth; and that as many as pursue the end of their Creation, and study to be truly Happy, ought to seek a better Countrey, even that into which Christ the forerunner is entred for us, that so where he is there we may be also, receive the same Reward, and be Crowned with the same Happiness; that so as we have imitated his Ascension, we may share in his Glory. Which God of his infinite Mercy Grant.

THESE words are part of our Lord's Sermon upon the Mount, which was directed to a mixed multi­tude of Auditors, and treats altogether of universal Duties incumbent upon all, who receive the Doctrine, and acknow­ledge the Authority of him who spoke it.

Upon which Account we have just reason to reject the Opinion of those, [Page 522] who would restrain to the Apostles only and their Successors, the Preachers of the Gospel, the Duty prescribed in this and the three foregoing Verses: which re­quireth the Professors of Christianity, not to confine the exercise of their Duty to their single Breasts, or rest satisfied in having discharged the Office of Piety in secret; but to perform such eminent Acts of Devotion, Temperance, and Cha­rity, and so to direct them, as may pro­mote the Glory of God and Instruction of Men.

The whole preceding part of this Sermon was directed to all Christians in General, delivering the Promise of those Beatitudes, in which all the Disciples of Christ are equally concerned. What follows, treats concerning the general Laws of Justice, Temperance and Cha­rity: so that with no good Reason can these intermediate Verses be restrained to the Apostles only. If they are here cal­led the Salt of the Earth, Verse 13. our Lord addressed himself in the same words to great multitudes, as we read, Luk. XIV. 25. If they are stiled the light of the World in the 14th. Verse; St Paul applieth the same Expression to the Philipians, II. 15. exhorting [Page 523] them to be without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation, shining among them as Lights in the World.

It must be acknowledged indeed, that the Apostles were, and their Suc­cessors in the ministerial Office ought to be, more eminently, the Salt and Light of the World, purging away the Corrup­tions, removing the darkness of Man­kind, by Example and Instruction. To effect this by their Doctrine, is peculiar to them, not common to other Chri­stians: to promote it by their Example, is a Duty common to them with all other Christians.

It is my present Purpose to treat of it as an universal Duty; to which my Text directs me, by placing the Light of this Exemplariness, which is command­ed, not in verbal Instructions, but in good Works, which are acknowledged to be the Duty of all Christians. Of this then I will Discourse under these four Heads.

• I. The Duty imposed, such an exem­plary Conduct, as may become a Light of the World.
• II. The manner of being thus Exem­plary, by good Works.
• [Page 524] III. The end, to which it ought to be directed, the Glory of God.
• IV. The good Effects of it, the In­struction of Men, and Promotion of the same good Works in others.

I. Concerning the Duty, which is that of an illustrious Example, to the practice of which our Lord hath dire­cted us both by his Laws, and by his own Example. He stiles himself, and truly was, the Light of the World; he was fore­told under the Figure of the Sun of righ­teousness, who should enlighten the World with his Doctrines, and demon­strate the Possibility of performing them by his own Example. His Precepts chiefly concern Moral Duties, which he restored, first to their Primitive Notions and Purity; and then urged the Pra­ctice of them upon his Followers, in a more strict manner than had ever before been done. What before was esteemed an attempt fit only for great and noble Minds, he made the Duty of all the Members of Mankind: what others thought a sufficient Glory to practise singly, to excell in this or that single Vertue, he required to be performed conjunctly, without the Omission of any thing which is justly to be accounted laudable.

[Page 525] For if we consider the great Lines and main Parts of the Doctrine of Christ, they will be found to direct the Practice of those Actions, which by all the World must be acknowledg­ed to be good and excellent, to be lau­dable and divine; such as are Justice, Sobriety, Devotion and Charity. It is not among Christians alone, that such. Actions are esteemed Praise-worthy. All Parties of sober Men, as well Hea­thens as those professing revealed Re­ligions, have agreed in this common Sentiment, in the Veneration and Praise of all such Vertues.

From hence it was, that even when the Heathens derided the Faith of the Cross, they still acknowledged the Excellency of those Persons, who pro­fessed it. They also were convinced, that all those moral Vertues were the Perfection of Mankind: only in this they disagreed; that whereas they ac­counted the uniform Practice of them to be an undertaking possible only to more exalted Minds, Christ had made it the Duty of all his Followers. Al­though even this difference of Opini­on, could not but raise their Thoughts [Page 526] to an extreme Veneration of that Di­vine Person, who formed these Laws, and even forced from them a Confessi­on of that Praise which was due to such an Institution, and the Author of it.

Thus the very Nature of a Chri­stian Life, as it is directed by the Pre­cepts of our Lord, fitteth it to be an eminent Example to others. He di­stinguished his Religion from all o­thers, by the Excellency of his Laws and Precepts: so that whosoever should observe them, must distinguish themselves from the rest of the World, by a more perfect exercise of Vertue and Holiness. And hence it is, that he naturally infers in the twentieth Verse: Except your Righteousness ex­ceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was the exact perfor­mance of all the Legal Institutions of the Mosaical Law, of Sacrifices, Wash­ings and other Ceremonies; which (abstracting from the positive Com­mand of God) had nothing excellent [Page 527] in the Practice of them. To see the Jews killing their Sacrificed Beasts, washing their Bodies often or Circum­cising themselves, was no Motive of Holiness, or giving Glory to God, to those who were not of the same Re­ligion. They discerned nothing lau­dable in all this; and were rather prompted to pity the Slavery, than to imitate the Devotion of their Service. Whereas the Practice of those good Works, which Christianity imposeth is amiable and lovely in the sight of all Men, ever carrieth along with it the Commendation and Approbation of all Spectators.

Thus our Lord fitted his Doctrine to be a light to the World; and least it should fail of its designed End, he hath commanded us to improve it to its right use, and therein hath led the way by his own Example. He confined not himself to a Desart, as did John the Baptist; but conversed in their Cities, and more frequented Meetings; that all Men might see the constant Piety, Goodness and Charity, which attended all his Actions, be instru­cted by them, and drawn to the Imi­tation [Page 528] of them. He indulged his Con­versation to Publicans and Sinners; that he might gain them, first to a love of his Person, and then to an imitation of his Vertue. He disdained not the Company of any, who might receive advantage from his Doctrine or Ex­ample.

And that he might fit his Life for an universal Pattern to all his Fol­lowers, he engaged not in the con­stant Practice of extraordinary Auste­rities, as did John the Baptist; but amidst the most severe and strict Ex­ercise of all Vertues, allowed to him­self the innocent Pleasures and Enter­tainments of the World. He refused not to sit down with those who invi­ted him to splendid Entertainments, as with Levi and Zacheus, nor to be present at the Marriage-Feast. At other times he was content to suffer Hunger and Cold, Contempt and the vilest Injuries, to undergo long watch­ing in Prayer and Fasting. For so it be­hoved him even in this Sense also, to perform all Righteousness, who was to be the grand Exemplar to all succeeding Ages: Not to confine himself to any [Page 529] one method of Life, least thereby his Example should become deficient to those who should be engaged in ano­ther; but to pass through all the more ordinary Actions and Varieties of hu­mane Life; that in all Cases we might be able to approve and direct our Actions, by conforming them to his Practice, and if any doubt should arise concerning them, might be able to ju­stifie them by the Authority of his Example.

Both the Observation therefore of the Precepts, and the Imitation of the Practice of Christ, which are equally the Duty of every Christian, engageth him to be exemplar in his Life and Conduct. And thus first the whole Body of Christians will become a light to the rest of the World, and then every Member of the Church to each other. Our Lord describeth both in this place very lively. Ye are the Salt of the Earth, Verse 13. The rest of the World will remain in Sin and Cor­ruption; but in the numerous Society, which I shall found and call by my Name, Piety and Vertue, and what­soever is good and excellent, shall be [Page 530] maintained: Yet not to be confined to that Society alone, but to be communicated to all who shall re­ceive Instruction from it. Ye are the light of the World, Verse 14. The grea­ter part of Mankind remain in Dark­ness and Ignorance; but I have placed my Church, as a glorious Light to dispel this Darkness, and remove this Ignorance; that so all who do but lift up their Eyes, have the least inclination to Truth and Goodness, may there dis­cover the light and repair to it. And this cannot fail to take effect, while the brightness of this Light shall re­main, while the Church shall conti­nue glorious and unspotted, while the Members of it shall all, or the more part of them, perform their Duty. For, as it followeth, a City placed on a Hill, or a Light placed in a Room, cannot be hid.

If indeed those Vertues, which I command, be observed by those who profess my Name; if Justice, Chasti­ty, Beneficence, and other Marks of Goodness be indeed so eminently ex­ercised by so numerous a Body of Men; it cannot be but the rest of Mankind will take notice of it, and as many [Page 531] as desire to be freed from Darkness, will approach to this Light: Or if thro' sloth and negligence they still continue afar off, however they will not be able to deny that they see the Light; and must admire both it, and the Author of it.

Thus the meanest Christian may make himself truly Exemplary, by performing his Duty conscientiously in the Station, in which God hath placed him: Although his Understanding and Abilities have not fitted him to be an Example to others singly considered. If he well dischargeth his single Sta­tion, although never so mean in the Church, he contributeth to this great Design of Christ, of making his Church a light and example to the unbelieving World; and, in so doing▪ performeth the Duty prescribed in this place, and entituleth himself to the Re­ward of it. Whereas every one de­viating from this Rule, and violating the Laws of Christ, concerning moral or religious Actions, becometh a Spot in this light, an Exception to the Plea of the Church against Unbelievers. He defeateth one of the chief Advantages, [Page 532] which Christ proposed to produce in founding of a Church; and thereby becomes Guilty not only of the mis­carriage of his own Soul, but also of the miscarriage of all those Infidels or prophane Persons, who miscarried for want of discovering that Exemplari­ness in the Church, which was to have convinced them.

If the Institution of Christ herein be in these latter Ages in a great mea­sure defeated, and no such frequent or sincere Effects of Conversion be to be found; it may well be resolved into this Cause, that by the disobedience and vicious Lives of the greater num­ber of the Members of the Church, this once glorious Light is well nigh covered with Spots, and almost turned into Darkness.

This Luminary of the Church, ne­ver indeed was without Spots, even in its greatest Vigour and Purity, in the beginning of the Gospel: but while the number of them was incon­siderable in Comparison of those who performed their Duty, the Diminu­tion of Light which arose from thence was scarce discernible. In succeed­ing [Page 333] times, as the number of wicked Christians increased, the Light propor­tionably diminished, until our days, wherein the State of the first times of Christianity is so far inverted, that the number of pious Christians is very small in respect of the others, and thereby the Light of the Church is al­most extinguished. Whosoever then addeth to this remaining Light by his own single Piety, doth the greater Ser­vice; and whoever detracts from it by his ill Example, doth the greater Mischief, because every Addition and Diminution, is more sensible in a less than a greater quantity of Light.

Thus all Christians may become Exemplar, in conspiring to complete the Example of the Church to those who are without it. For not every one is fitted in particular, and singly to make himself an Example to other Men. Many things must concur to that, which oftimes are not in the Power of Man. The minds of other Men, on whom his Example must be supposed to have any influence, must be first possessed with an opinion of his Wis­dom, or Authority, or any other Qua­lity, [Page 534] which may induce others to fol­low his Example. And where such Qua­lities are found, the Obligation of being Exemplar, becomes much more strict. In that Case, he is not only to Act in common as a Member of the Church, but in particular also, as a Director of all those, who may be influenced by his Example. Such are Parents to their Children, Masters to their Ser­vants, great Men to their Inferiors, Kings to their Subjects, wise and lear­ned Men, to those who have an Opi­nion of their Wisdom and Learning. All such are as Lights to those subje­cted to them, whose Eyes are fixed on them, and are wont to form Di­rections to themselves from their Pra­ctice.

And this is what God particularly requires of great and knowing Men, in return for their Power and Wisdom, that they employ it for the Instructi­on, or Perswasion of others in the dis­charge of their Duties; their Power and their Knowledge, hath distingui­shed them from the rest of Men, and set them in an eminent Station, at least in respect of those who are subjected, [Page 535] or inferior to them; and therefore every Action of them hath some in­fluence, but ordinarily every Habit fixeth even a Rule to the Conduct of Inferiors, of whom the most part look no farther than to the de­meanour of those whom they sup­pose in Power or Knowledge to ex­cel themselves. If they observe no Rules of Order and Decency, these cannot so much as know them. If they practise forbidden Pleasures, or give way to unlawful Passions; these will lose even all Sense of the unlaw­fulness of them. They will not be ashamed to practise what they see their Superiors, the supposed Judges of De­cency and Lawfulness, without fear to pursue. If they conscientiously ob­serve the Precepts of Religion, even respect to their Persons, will engage others in the same Course of Piety; as being generally perswaded, that those who are greater and wiser than them­selves, are more enabled to discover the means of attaining true Happiness. Thus every good Man, fitted by the Opinion of others concerning him for being an Example to them, becomes a [Page 536] publick Blessing. He enters not into Heaven alone; but carrieth with him the welcome Attendance of those, whom his Example hath drawn thi­ther with him.

It is not indeed in the Power of all Men to fit themselves for such Exem­plars; yet most Men are concerned in this, as being Superior to some others, who are ready to take Rules of Di­rection from them; and not a few are placed in such eminent Stations, as de­rive exceeding influence upon all those who are seated under them. And such, if careless of their Duty, be­come a Snare, and the occasion of De­struction to all those, who by their Example were betrayed into Sin. They fall not alone, but like Lucifer seated on an eminent Throne, draw Legions of Apostate Angels with them into Hell; for the miscarriage of all whom they will be obliged to an­swer; and cannot plead, as do those Sinners who Act in the lowest Sphere, that thereby they hurt themselves a­lone. Rather the guilt of so many Souls, ruined by their ill Example will be laid to their Charge, and be reven­ged [Page 537] on them. It is frequently added in Scripture to the Charge of Jeroboam, as the utmost Aggravation of his Crime, that he made Israel to sin. He was not Guilty of a single Apostacy, but drew the whole Nation into Ido­latry by his Power and Example.

We need look no farther, than the History of that and other Kings of the Jews, to be convinced of the influence of a great Example. For as often as those introduced Idolatry, or restored true Religion, so often did the genera­lity of the People fall into Apostacy, or return to the worship of the true God. The Reward of those pious Princes will receive infinite increase from the blessed Effects of their Example; and the Damnation of the others will be heigh­tened, from the infection communicated to others by their wickedness.

And what Princes are in relation to their Subjects in this matter, the same are all Superiors in relation to their Inferiors, whether in Authority, Ri­ches, or Knowledge. The Piety of a Master reformeth, or his Dissoluteness corrupteth a whole Family. The Exemplariness of a rich Man instruct­eth, [Page 538] or his wickedness debaucheth all his poorer Dependants. The religious Conduct of a knowing Man corrects, or his unwary Behaviour perverts all his Admirers. And all such shall cer­tainly receive the reward of the good Effects of their exemplary Piety; or if their Conduct be contrary, the Pu­nishment of their private Sins will be much sharpened in Consideration of the unhappy influence, which their Actions had to dispose othen Men to sin.

The Duty of Exemplariness, and the excellent Design of our Lord in requi­ring it of his Followers, being thus cleared, I pass to the Second Head, to consider the manner, which he hath fixed, whereby to raise this Example, that is, by good Works: Let your Light so shine before Men, that they may see your good Works. None but these will have any influence upon the Minds of those, who are without the Church, or who judge rightly: and none but these will avail such as are within the Church, or make little use of their Judgment.

[Page 539] To become a light and a glorious Ex­ample in the World, it is necessary to be eminent in those Actions, which are acknowledged by the World to be good, excellent, and of intrinsick worth. Such are all Actions of Moral Vertues, but more especially such as are posi­tive, as Justice, Truth, Zeal for the Honour of God, Kindness and Charity to Men. Such are in many places of the New Testament, and in common Speech also, called good Works; which whosoever doth illustriously perform, all other Men, although of a different or no Religion, will bear him Witness, that the Lawgiver, whose Precepts he therein obeyeth, is good and just; that his Example deserveth Praise and Imi­tation.

And what Effect must we not be­lieve, this Example had upon the Jews and Heathens, before the brightness of it was obscured by the prevailing wickedness of latter Ages? when the Church could challenge her Adversa­ries to produce from among her Fol­lowers an unclean or an injust, an in­temperate or a prophane Person; when their Piety was so undeniable in the [Page 540] constant frequenting of the publick Prayers and Sacraments of the Church, even in the midst of Persecutions: when their Charity appeared so conspi­cuous, not only in relation to their own Members, but now even to their Enemies, in feeding the Hungry, in clothing the naked, in redeeming Cap­tives, in communicating to all: When an Heathen Governour, and he the most Learned Man of his Age, employ­ed by his Emperor to examine the Do­ctrine and Conduct of the Christians, made this report to him; That they were a sort of men, who injured no Man, defrauded none, abstained from Murder, Lust and Perjury, gave frequent Demonstrations of admirable Charity; and meeting once every Week in the publick Service of God, bound themselves by religious Ties and Sacra­ments to do all this. When a Learned Adversary after a full Search could make no other report than this; what remained, but to conclude that God was indeed among them? So wisely Christianity contrived to draw in un­believing, but unprejudiced Specta­tors, by the Beauty of its Example: the force of which none could with­stand, [Page 541] while its greatest Adversaries dared not to deny that the Exercise of good Works, was the Primitive Reli­gion of the World; and if not the Duty, yet at least the Interest and the Ornament of Mankind.

Our Lord proposed not to form this Example by extreme Austerities and Macerations, by Paradoxes in Doctrine or Practice, by Raptures or Extasies; which might easily raise the Amaze­ment, but not the Reverence of o­ther Men. Judicious Men would e­steem them Follies, if proposed as mat­ters of intrinsick Excellence, and en­tertain them with Scorn: and even ig­norant Persons might be astonished at them, yet could they never discover any real worth in them, or the Rea­son of them.

It is the unhappiness of latter Ages, to have introduced such gross Concep­tions, instead of what our Lord dire­cted, the Practice of good Works; and thereby have in a great measure de­feated those excellent Ends, which he intended. Thus the Church of Rome in her latter Saints hath chiefly respe­cted extravagant Austerities, and the [Page 542] Report of foolish Miracles: and some others have made the Indications or Signs of Saint-ship to be unaccounta­ble Raptures, or internal pretended Consolations, or union to God and Christ, which have no necessary ex­ternal Effect, or cannot be discovered by unbelievers; or if discovered, would not affect them. With them no Example, but of such Actions as are universally allowed to be Excel­lent, namely of good Works, will be of any Power; and therefore our most wise Saviour hath appointed no other: and if this be not continued, all other means of continuing the Glory of this Light, which our Lord proposed, will be found wholly ineffectual.

And as to those without, so also to those within the Church, but need­ing the Direction of Example, no other will be of any advantage. The be­nefit in relation to them consists in leading the way to such, who are in­clined to imitate the Actions of those whom they admire or respect, or to whom they are subject: which Acti­ons, if they be such as are here re­quired, good Works, the Design of our [Page 543] Lord is happily effected, the Duty of such Persons promoted, their Salvati­on secured, the Reward of those, who give the Example increased. But if the Actions be of any other Nature; they are either unlawful or indifferent, not worthy Imitation, and without any Promise of reward.

In the third Place our Lord in the Text proposeth the end, towards which these exemplary good Works should be directed; which is, that others may see them, and glorifie your Father, which is in Heaven, that is, in seeing them may glorifie God. Least Men should be betrayed into Pride or Arrogance, through an Opinion of their own good Works; they are commanded to re­fer all not to their own, but to the Di­vine Glory. Least they should swell with the Conceit of being a Light to the World, of giving a Rule to the Actions of other Men by their own Conduct; they are taught, that all this ought not to be employed to promote their own Esteem in the World, but to advance the Honour and Worship of God. While good Works are in­deed directed to this end, it is impossi­ble, [Page 544] that any thing of Pride should intervene. And if notwithstanding, peevish and morose Men will detract from them, as done for sinister Ends and vain Glory; our Lord hath provid­ed for this a Remedy in the 11th. Verse of this Chapter, immediately preceding this Exhortation to a good Example: Blessed are you, when Men shall revile you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Nothing indeed is more odious and distasteful, than Ostentation in Religi­on, or more to be avoided. This raised the Indignation of our Lord against the Pharisees, and still exciteth the Scorn of all judicious Men, when Acts of Religion are formed on purpose to be seen by Men; when their Praise and Applause is thereby courted and studi­ously contrived. But in this Duty of being exemplary in good Works, as there is no Command of contriving the or­dinary performance of them in such a manner, as may be most taken notice of by other Men; so there is for the most part no necessity of it in Order to their being observed by them.

[Page 545] Many of them are of such a Nature, as cannot but be observed, whether he who performs them intends it or not, they cannot be concealed or pass unre­garded. Upon which account Christ justly resembleth them to a City placed on a Hill, and to a Candle set on a Can­dlestick, in the 14th. and 15th. Verses, which naturally appear and give Light to all round about them: as if he should say: Do but you take care to perform good Works; and the very Nature of them will cause them to become Exem­plar. I do not require you to publish and Blazon them abroad; nor is there any need of it: For if they be indeed performed, they cannot escape the Knowledge and Observation of other Men.

Farther, not only the Nature of good Works maketh the Ostentation of them to be unnecessary in or­der to become Exemplar; but also they carry with them less Tempta­tion to Pride and Arrogance, than any other Acts either of true or sup­posed Religion. If the grounds and more ordinary Reasons of Pride and Self-conceit in Religion be searched; [Page 546] it will be found, that they are wont to be grounded in the more easie and com­monly in mistaken Points of Religion. As of old among the Pharisees, in the punctual performance of Washings and other Ritual Observations; among the more Ignorant of the Church of Rome at this day in Pilgrimages, Beads, and other Trifles; among their Saints in extraordinary Austerities or unusual Acts of Self-denial; among Enthu­siasts in Raptures and pretended In­spirations. All these naturally tend to foment the Pride and Self-conceit of Men; they draw the Eyes of others on them; and serve to make un­wary People believe them extremely Conscientious; and have this farther advantage towards the Design of Hy­pocrites, that they are cheaply perfor­med, cross no Passion, restrain no Lust, make a great shew, and cost them no­thing. And when they are performed; not affording any inward Satisfaction of Mind, as having no internal worth; it is but natural for the Actors of them to seek that Satisfaction from the Praises and Applause of other Men, which they reaped not from the Reflections of their own Conscience.

[Page 547] Whereas the performance of good Works raiseth in the Soul of Man so sweet a Complacency, when reflected on, that external Commendations can add nothing considerable to the inter­nal Satisfaction of the Mind, and will be neglected when compared with it.

To which I may add, that the Exer­cise of many good Works, and most signally the greatest of them, that of Charity towards the Poor, do natural­ly dispose to Humility, accustoming the Mind to consider and compassio­nate the Wants and Infirmities of inferi­or Persons, and condescend to the re­lief of their Condition. It being most certain, that Pride or an over-valuing of their own Dignity, is in some Men the Cause of uncharitableness; as well as the love of Riches, betraying them to imagine it beneath their Quality to take into their Consideration the ne­cessities of distressed Persons, and to be aggrieved for them. Which sort of Pride cannot consist with real Chari­ty; and where this is to be found, the former can have no place. At least it is most certain, that Hypocrisie may consist with all those mistaken Indica­tions [Page 548] of Holiness I before mentioned; but with good Works, with Mercy, Ju­stice, Truth, and Charity, it is im­possible it should consist. For that whosoever performeth these, doth real­ly perform what he pretends to do, that is, satisfieth the Obligation of the Religion, which he professeth.

However, although ordinarily it be not necessary so to direct the perfor­mance of good Works, that they may not escape the Knowledge of Men, and it be always unlawful to direct them in that manner for this end alone, to obtain the Praise of Men: Yet in some extraordinary Cases, it is not on­ly lawful to perform them publickly with this Design, that they may be seen of others, (not to obtain their Praise, but to promote the Honour and Glory of God;) but it is also highly accepta­ble to God, and serviceable to his Church. This is warranted by the express words of our Lord in the Text, which require his Disciples to cause their Light so to shine before Men, that they may see their good Works and glorifie God. If this Design doth at last terminate in the Honour of God, and be so intend­ed, [Page 549] it is not only warrantable, but re­commendable by God, and will be cer­tainly rewarded by him.

Only great Caution is to be used in the Management of it, and a scrupu­lous Care to be observed, least any thing of vain Glory, any sinister End should intervene; and is to be put in Practise only in Cases of exceeding moment. Such are, when any Age or large Society of Men are especially de­ficient in any Duty. In which Case, it is a laudable and noble Undertaking for any private Persons, to give the greatest and most publick Lustre to their performance of that Duty, that so, if it be possible, by their eminen: Example therein they may retrieve the publick Practice of it; and whensoever any great and common Good, altho' of another Nature, may be attained or promoted thereby.

Such was the Case more particular­ly of the Apostles, who were sent to preach Faith and Repentance among Jews and Heathens, generally de­void not only of Faith, but of all Mo­ral Vertues. For this Reason it was necessary, that those noble Acts of [Page 550] Charity, which they exercised, in heal­ing the Sick, and restoring the use of their Limbs and Senses to those who be­fore wanted them, should be performed publickly; that themselves should de­cline no opportunity of manifesting the Excellency of the Christian Religi­on, and the deep Impression of it upon their own Minds. For this Cause also St. Paul was not ashamed to relate at large, and to Glory in the many Afflicti­ons, Hazards and Persecutions, which he had undergone for the Testimony of Christ; because the amplifying of his Labour and Patience, tended to the spiritual Good of the Corinthians, to whom it is directed, and consequently promoted the Honour of God. This Design also justified the Bravery of those ancient Christians, who volunta­rily and unsought for, delivered up themselves into the hands of their Per­secutors, when they observed a gene­ral Cowardize, and frequent Examples of Apostacy among other Christians, who were apprehended and brought before the Heathen Tribunals: that so by their Courage and Constancy they might excite others to persist resolutely in the Profession of their Faith.

[Page 551] It must be acknowledged, that sim­ply to throw themselves into Danger, to expose themselves to the Fury of their Persecutors, was unlawful. Our Lord in Matth. X. 23. had command­ed his Disciples, When they should be persecuted in one City, to fly into another: And the Doctrine and Discipline of the ancient Church had forbidden the ordinary Practice of such rash Under­takings. Yet whensoever so great a Good might be attained thereby, as to raise the dejected Courage of other Christians, and to assert the Honour of Christ against the Heathens, boasting in the subversion of many weaker Chri­stians, it was not only lawful to engage in voluntary Martyrdom, but highly meritorious, and rewarded as such by God, if no vain Glory, or desire of humane Praise were intermixed there­with; but the sole Design was the Ad­vancement and Vindication of the Di­vine Glory.

For far be it from us to censure or condemn of Rashness all those noble ancient Martyrs, who without any Force confessed the Faith of Christ at the Heathen Tribunals, and thereby [Page 552] drew upon themselves Torments and Death, that they might give an Ex­ample of Constancy to less couragious Christians, who could not otherwise withstand the force of Persecution. It was found by Experience, that such generous Examples did more effectu­ally raise the Courage of other Chri­stians labouring under Persecution, than the Sense of their Duty, or the hope of all those glorious Rewards proposed by Christ, to those who should suffer for his Name. And to justifie this pro­ceeding in such extraordinary Cases, St Paul himself, as we read Acts XXI. had resolved to go up to Jerusalem, and continued his Resolution; although it was foretold to him by Agabus and o­ther Prophets, and himself knew by the Spirit, that Bonds and Imprisonment did abide him; that he should there suf­fer a grievous Persecution.

Nor is this the only Case, wherein it may be lawful or commendable to perform good Works publickly, and with this Design, that they may be seen of Men. Many other such Cases may be found. I will instance but in two, Pennance and Charity. As for [Page 553] the first, the Practice of publick Pen­nance, it must be confessed by all, who know the State of the ancient and pre­sent times of Christianity, that the use of it was then the great Preserver of unfeigned Piety among Christians, and that the Discontinuance of it now is the chief Cause of the want and cold­ness of Religion in our times. They very well knew formerly, as well as we do now, that God chiefly regard­eth inward Repentance, the Contriti­on of the Soul. That Admonition of our Saviour was then, as well as now, contained in the Gospel: But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy Head, and wash thy Face, that thou appear not unto Men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in Heaven, where what is said of Fasting, may be applied to all other Acts and Indications of Repentance: Yet the in­finite Benefit, which the Church re­ceived from the publick performance of Pennance, required the Institution, and the great Advancement of the Glo­ry of God, which arose from thence, justified the Practice of it.

Then was Religion and Piety main­tained in its full Vigour, when Persons [Page 554] guilty of any scandalous Crimes, how­ever eminent by Birth or Station, were put to open Pennance, secluded from the rest of the Faithful, placed by them­selves in a separate part of the Church, and there appearing in Sackcloath, or other penitential Dress begged the Par­don of God with Tears, and desired Reconciliation; and this not only for many days, but oftimes for many years together.

Such Discipline could not but pro­duce in the Minds of all Christians, who beheld it, an exceeding dread of Sin, and Caution in abstaining from such Scandals, as would certainly draw upon them, either a total Separation from the Church, and the Hopes of Salvation, or the necessity of under­going the same Severities. The sight of those Penitents was more instructive to ordinary Christians, than all the most elaborate Invectives against Sin, or Exhortations to Repentance; repre­senting to them at once the Guilt, the Horror, the Shame, and the Punish­ment of Sin. Nor was their Repen­tance to be accounted less real or inter­nal, because attended with such out­ward [Page 555] Professions: rather these gave an evident Argument of the reality and sincerity of their Repentance; since to take away the Guilt and remove the Scandal of their Sin, and reconcile themselves to God and his Church, they refused not to undergo the long and strict Severities of publick Pen­nance, and which of all things is most repugnant to the Inclinations of hu­mane Nature, to put themselves to open Shame.

In like manner, however ordinarily speaking, Charity ought to be done in secret; and our Lord hath largely warned us, To take heed, lest we do our Alms before Men, to be seen of them: that is, for this only Reason, that we may be seen and praised by them; yet if we do our Alms before Men, that they may see them, and by seeing them may be excited either to glorifie God, or to practice the like Charity, then it is not only lawful, not only secureth the Rewards promised to Charity, but also becometh of excellent advantage to the Church, and the Honour of God, and entitleth to the Rewards due to the Propagation of Religion, and the Di­vine Glory.

[Page 556] However it might be in ancient Times or former Ages, when almost all Christians exercised Charity even to profuseness; certainly in our Age, which is chiefly deficient in the pra­ctice of, this Duty, it would be a noble Undertaking in any to restore the Pra­ctice of it by the Lustre of any emi­nent and publick Example. And al­though very great Rewards be promi­sed to secret Charity; it is not to be doubted, but that to publick Charity ex­ercised in such Cases much greater are reserved, if it be not corrupted with any mixture of vain Glory, or ignoble Designs: because such hath not only all the Effects of secret Charity, in re­lieving the Wants of others, but, far­ther also, contributeth very much to the Honour of God, the common good of the Church, and the Edification of other Men.

In all these and other like Cases, the advantage produced thereby to the Church, consists not so much in exci­ting others by the force of Example, to the Imitation and Practice of the same good Works, although that be very great, as in the Conviction of [Page 557] the truth of Christianity, which it invin­cibly formeth in the Minds of Men. To Persons of ordinary Capacities and Knowledge, such as constitute the far greater part of the Church, there can be no more certain Argument of the Truth of that Religion which they profess, than that the same is professed by so great a number of eminent and excellent Persons. If they believe the Profession of others to be sincere and real, themselves will Assent without any Scruple: if they suspect their rea­lity, themselves will be tempted to Infidelity.

Now the publick and eminent per­formance of good Works, give the only evident Demonstration of the sincerity of the perswasion of other Men; since in a Countrey where any Religion pre­vails by Custom and Education, a ver­bal Profession of it may be only the effect of either, and not to contradict it, may be due only to common Civi­lity. But whoever publickly perform­eth good Works, giveth an undeniable Te­stimony, that he doth in earnest believe the Truth of what he professeth, and thereby disposing others to the same be­lief, [Page 558] increaseth the number of the Faith­ful, and advanceth the Glory of God; performeth the Duty enjoyned in my Text, and shall receive the Reward of it.

Thus much of the End, to which exemplary Piety ought to be directed, the Glory of God; and that this End will really be obtained by it, I proceed in the last place to shew. The Honour of God is promoted by the Praises and by the Service of Men. The Praise of God is directly promoted by the good Works of his own Servants, while other Men viewing the Excellency of their A­ctions, raise their Thoughts to God the Fountain of them, and conceive some­what yet greater and more excellent in him: Necessarily concluding, that if that imperfect Light, which may be dis­covered in the Soul of Man, be yet so glorious, the Perfection of the Divine Nature exceedeth all Imagination: That if such eminent Acts of Goodness be performed by frail Men in Obedi­ence to his Will; in him devoid of Frailty and Imperfection, the Fulness of all Goodness dwells: if the Actions of his Servants deserve Love and [Page 559] Praise, much more will the Operations of him their Lord and Master proclaim him worthy of Honour and Adoration.

But this manner of reflecting Ho­nour upon God, from the good works of his faithful Servants, is not so much respe­cted by our Lord in this place, as the Instruction and Conversion of other Men, who by the good Example of true Christians may be brought to the know­ledge of the Truth, to the love of Ver­tue, and to the practice of their Duty: to effect which, eminent Examples have no less force than Reason or Arguments. This giveth Authority to Vertue, and taketh off the Reproach of being sin­gular. It relieveth the Modesty of new Beginners; and encourageth to pursue their Course, so well begun, notwith­standing the Scorn and Derision of pro­phane Men.

To tender and unexperienced Minds, there is no greater Obstacle of Good­ness, than the fear of being singular thereby. The natural impressions of Reason may incline to the Exercise of Vertue; but yet they have not the Cou­rage to swim against the Stream, to op­pose their single Example to the prevail­ling [Page 560] Corruption of a sinful World, nor bear up against the Contempt of wick­ed Men, without the Patronage and Assistance of other great and good Ex­amples, whose practice they may plead in their own behalf; and that defence, which the weakness of their Judg­ment inableth them not to draw from Reason, they may draw from their Authority. Altho' not only weaker Minds, but even more ingenuous and understanding Persons, while unexpe­rienced in the World, are not able to shock the Power of a general Exam­ple. If they be convinced of their Duty, they yet want Boldness to exe­cute it; and dread nothing more than the Suspicion of Affectation, or fear of appearing singular. Whence it is, that youth especially suffers by ill Examples; who through a natural Modesty are ever wont to accommodate themselves to the prevailing Fashion.

Further, a good Example instruct­eth the more ignorant part of Man­kind, both in the Rules and the Obli­gation of their Duty. Few are ena­bled, at least few take the pains, to exa­mine the Grounds of that Religion, into [Page 561] which they were baptized, to disco­ver the Truth, and convince them­selves of the Obligation of it. They re­ly herein upon the Judgment of others, whom they esteem wiser than them­selves; whom they find to profess no Religion, or (which is all one) to Act as if they had none; they supercede the Labour of any further Enquiry, and dismiss all Resolutions of Good­ness.

On the contrary, if it be found by them, that wise Men, or so accounted, who by their Learning were fully ena­bled to discover the truth of things, to find out the Cheat of Religion, if it were indeed such, have after a dili­gent and accurate search been so fully convinced of the truth of it, that they have been content to hazard their Lives, to restrain their Pleasures, to deny their Passions, from the perswasion of it; if great and illustrious Persons, who had opportunity of improving all the Plea­sures of Life to the most exquisite satis­faction, yet moderated and limited them in Obedience to the Laws of Re­ligion: To a vulgar Mind there can be no greater assurance than the experi­ence of this; and if he finds this, he [Page 562] there rests satisfied; if not, he pro­ceeds no farther. And from this ex­perience also he draws the Rules of his Conduct, even after a general Con­viction of his Obligation. In all doubt­ful Actions and Cases of Conscience he consults the example of his Superi­ours; and pursueth the way, which they have marked out to him; follow­ing them, as he supposeth them to fol­low the true Light.

Nay to generous as well as vulgar Minds, example is an effectual Motive of Vertue. To such, Emulation is the most powerful Argument, and a noble disdain of being exceeded in any thing that is Excellent and Praise-worthy. To them the preference of any other is a reproach of their own Sloth; and when others have gone before with Reward and Praise, it is uneasie to stay behind. It was this Principle of ge­nerosity, which kept up Vertue among the Heathens; it is this which gave rise and increase to Arts and Sciences, and which now maintaineth Valour. Our Lord hath improved the use of it, and directed it to a yet more noble End; proposing the Excellency and the Rewards of Obedience, holding out [Page 563] the Crown of Victory, and encourag­ing us to strive for the Mastery.

He hath in this Precept concerning Exemplariness, given to us a yet fur­ther Scope for the Exercise of Gene­rosity; not only proposing Rewards to the Conquerors, to those of a more elevated Vertue, but also to such, who excited by their illustrious Example, should follow them, altho' at a distance, making them thereby the Instruments of saving others, and that possibly in great numbers. At least there is scarce any one of us so inconsiderable, who may not have so much Influence and Authority upon some one or other, as to move and direct him by his Ex­ample; which if he doth, he will for ever enjoy this satisfaction, that he hath been the occasion of infinite Happiness to another: which to a good and a ge­nerous Mind, is a strong Argument of the pursuit and practice of those Vertues and Perfections, which may make him Exemplary, that so he may promote the Reformation of the World, and the eternal Happiness of other Men.

It may seem indeed past hope, that in this degenerate Age, when so few endeavour to obtain their own Salva­tion, [Page 564] or are good for their own sake any should attempt it for the sake of other Men. Yet I do not despair, that there are yet such generous Minds left in the World, who esteem it no small Felicity to themselves to promote the good of other Men; and acting upon this perswasion, study to be good and excellent, that by their Example others may be drawn to the same Practice, and thereby secure to themselves a state of Happiness.

To such exemplary Persons frequent Praise is given, and eminent Rewards promised, more particularly in Daniel, XII. 3. They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament; and they that turn many to Righteousness, as the Stars for ever and ever.

The Lustre of our Lord's Example is compared to the brightness of the Sun, the Example of wise and holy Men to the fixed Stars, which however far inferior to the Glory of the Sun, yet are seated in Heaven, and communicate to the Earth, a Light never to be extinguished, and that at a great distance. The nearer we approach to these luminous Bodies, the greater Light we shall receive from them.

[Page 565] The Examples of holy Men while alive are so many shining and burning Lights in their several Generations; and even after their Deaths will derive exceeding influence to succeeding Ages, so long as the Memory of their eminent Piety and good Works shall be continued. Those excellent Graces, wherewith they were endued, those noble Testimonies of Vertue and Holiness, which they gave, tended no less to the benefit of the whole Church, and the instruction of other Christians, than to their own Salvation, and if they be not equally beneficial to us at this distance of time, it is because we either take no Care to obtain the knowledge of them, or suf­fer the remembrance of them to slip out of our Minds.

It is undeniable indeed, that in this present Age, and among us especially, the Memory of these things is almost lost, which is not the least cause of the prevailing wickedness of the Age; and present Examples of equal Lustre are very rare, or indeed scarce any: yet for all that, those Holy Persons cease not to retain their glorious Seat in Heaven, and there as the Prophet saith, To shine as the brightness of the Firmament, as the [Page 566] fixed Stars always maintain their Sta­tions, and preserve their Light, altho' at any time not seen by us. To this glorious Station in Heaven our Lord hath promised to advance all those, who by extraordinary Piety and the emi­nent Exercise of good Works, shall en­deavour not only to save their own Souls, but also to Profit the Church in general, and to promote the Salvation of any other in particular.

May the hope of this glorious Re­ward excite every one of you to the performance of this Duty of Exempla­riness; And may God of his infinite Mer­cy accept and Crown your Endeavours, for the sake and Merits of our Lord and Sa­viour Jesus Christ, to whom &c.

WHAT the Patriarchs saw afar off and desired, what the Pro­phets foretold, and just Men in all pre­ceding Ages did assuredly expect, the Manifestation of God in the Flesh, and the Salvation of Mankind to be wrought thereby, did this Day receive its Final accomplishment by the Birth of our Lord and Saviour; the Commemora­tion of which is the occasion of this present Solemnity.

Nor can we more fitly commemo­rate it, than by this admirable Hymn, which the Angels and heavenly Host [Page 568] upon this occasion sang before us; and the Church hath in all Ages since retained in her most Sacred Offices, Glory be to God in the highest, and on Earth Peace, Good-will towards Men.

This Hymn seems to have been a part of the publick Service of the Jews, and to have been employed by them, to express and celebrate the most illu­strious Instances of the Divine Good­ness to them. For we find Acclama­tions very like to it in several places of Scripture; and particularly upon the triumphant Entry of Christ, into Je­rusalem. The Jews being perswaded, that their long-looked for Messias was now come, and all the temporal Ad­vantages which they fancied would at­tend his Coming, cryed out, Peace in Heaven, and Glory in the Highest. But sure­ly upon no occasion was it ever so justly used, as by the Angels upon this Day, in which the Divine Glory did so emi­nently shine forth, and the eternal Hap­piness of Mankind did commence.

For from the Angels we receive this Hymn, and are taught to sing it by their Example; which is related in the Verse preceding the Text: And sud­denly there was with the Angels a multi­tude of the heavenly Host, praising God [Page 569] and saying, &c. One Angel declared to the Shepherds the glad Tidings of great joy which should be to all People, the Birth of Christ: but the whole Quire of An­gels, the Host of Heaven joyned to sing Praise to God, and celebrate those Benefits which were that day derived down upon all Mankind. Themselves received not like Benefits to Men from the Incarnation of the Son of God; yet returned Glory to God for it. The Reasons of which it may not be amiss to lay down, before I proceed to con­sider the parts of this Hymn singly.

First then, the Angels were moved to give Thanks to God by the increase of the Divine Glory among Men, which they foresaw would be consequent to this Incarnation. Their Office is to attend continually before the Throne of God, and sing Praises without Inter­mission to him; so that every new in­crease of the Divine Glory inflames their Zeal in this Holy Office. The primary Reasons indeed of that Glory and Praise which they continually yield to God, are eternal, being drawn from his immutable Attributes of supreme Power, Wisdom, Goodness and Ma­jesty: Yet every illustrious Manifesta­tion of any of these glorious Attributes [Page 570] by external Effects, becometh also the Subject of their Praise. Thus in in Revel. IV. 8. we find the Angels celebrating the eternal Attributes of God in that Hymn, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come: And in many other places celebrating the Effects of these Attri­butes, as Rev. XV. 3. Great and marvel­lous are thy Works Lord God Almighty, and XIX. 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce, and give Honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come.

Nay as it should seem, by comparing the several forms of Doxology to be found in the Book of Revelations, the Angels, since the Manifestation of the Mystery of God incarnate, have in a manner changed the Subject of their Doxologies, and confined themselves almost wholly to the Contemplation of this Mystery, and the glorious Effects▪ of it. For in the beginning of that Book, while the secrets of Heaven are still supposed to be Sealed up, the won­derful Effects of this Mystery not yet to be fully disclosed, all their Doxolo­gies insist upon the general Attributes of the Divine Nature. But after the full Declaration and Completion of those glorious Events and Effects of [Page 571] this Mystery, which are there describ­ed, the Argument of the heavenly Hymns is altered, and imployed in the celebrating the Victories of the Lamb, the overthrow of Satan, and the Happi­ness of the Kingdom of the Messias. That is, so eminent and admirable is the Mystery of this Day, so much condu­cing to the Divine Glory, that since the Completion of it, it is become the chief Subject of the Contemplation of those Holy Spirits; who hereby best of all discern, and are enabled to celebrate that Power, Wisdom and Goodness, which they before admired in God.

Farther, the Angels celebrated the Birth of Christ, as rejoycing at the Salvation of Men which was to be procured thereby. Those excellent Spirits are inclined by their own Goodness and Benignity to wish well to their Fellow-creatures, to be con­cerned at their welfare, and rejoyce in it: Especially for those who are endued, if not with equal, yet with like Rea­son, who possess Souls of the same spi­ritual Nature, and alike immortal. By these, if by any means, the number of the heavenly Host, formerly diminish­ed by the fall of Lucifer and his Asso­ciates, was to be repaired: All which [Page 572] would not permit them to be uncon­cerned in the Felicity of Mankind; and that, although the Divine Dispo­position had not obliged them to have a peculiar regard of it. But when by the Order of God, They are all mini­string Spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall be Heirs of Salvation, as we read, Hebr. I. 14. there was abundant Reason for this their Exultation; since without the Incarnation of Christ, their Labour had been wholly vain, and the condition of Man not capable of relief. But after they saw this, at once made both possible and easie, in a Rapture of Joy they broke forth into this Hymn of Praise. For if there be joy among the Angels of Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth and is saved: How much more when the whole Mass of Man­kind was redeemed and made capable of Salvation?

Even the Angels themselves, altho' not in the same Degree with Mankind, received signal Benefits from the Ma­nifestation of this Mystery: And there­fore had reason to rejoyce upon the Completion of it. Their Happiness consists in contemplating and praising the Nature, the Attributes, and the Effects of God. Their knowledge of [Page 573] all these things is Finite, as is their Na­ture; and therefore every addition of Knowledge is an encrease of Happiness: and the Manifestation of this great My­stery of Heaven was the greatest Benefit, which in their State they could receive.

Of the Mysteries of the Gospel, St. Peter saith, 1 Pet. I. 12. that the Angels desired to look into them; and that before this they were ignorant of it, appears from those words of Christ, Matth. XXIV. 36. But of that day, and hour knoweth no Man, no not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only. When therefore the Son of God took Flesh upon him, and thereby began to com­plete the wonderful Mystery of Man's Salvation: Then clearly appeared to these Blessed Spirits, what was before obscure to them, the Reasons of the Divine Conduct, in relation to Man in all preceding Ages; the Mysterious Se­crets of his Providence; the Significa­tion of Prophesies which went before; the purport of the Divine Decrees con­cerning the future State of other ratio­nal Beings. This new Knowledge administred to them fresh Reasons, of admiring the Goodness and the Wis­dom of God, and thereby increased their Happiness.

[Page 574] Thus we find the Angels moved by great Reasons, to joyn in the Solemnity of this Day. But why they chose to do it audibly, so as to be heard of the Shepherds, as St. Luke relateth, we are still to enquire. That Angel, which was peculiarly designed to this Office, had newly finished his Message of the Birth of Christ, and that Happiness, which would thence ensue to all Man­kind: when immediately a multitude of the heavenly Host was present with him, and sang this Hymn. This without doubt was to convince those who heard it, and others who should know by their Relation, of the Greatness and impor­tance of the Message; of the Excellen­cy of the Benefits to be derived to the World from the Incarnation of Christ; of the Dignity of his Person, whose Birth was celebrated by the whole Host of Heaven, that he could be no other than the Son of God, on whom the Angels so attended.

We find not that the entrance of any Prophet was ushered in by the Mi­nistry of Angels: On the other side, we read not of the immediate Presence of God on Earth, as on Mount Sina to Moses, on Mount Horeb to Elias; but it was still attended with some other vi­sible [Page 575] Sign; as in both those places by extraordinary Commotions in the Air, which also represented the severity of the old Law: And in this Mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord, by which God descended upon Earth, was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, we find it fore­told by one Angel, proclaimed by an­other, and celebrated [...] the whole Host of Heaven. This declared his Majesty, and was an evident Proof of the Di­vinity, if not of his Person, yet at least of his Mission.

Now least we should imagine our selves unconcerned in the Reasons of the Angels praising God upon this occasion, and make no use of what hath been hitherto said: I will shew that all those Reasons, which might induce the An­gels to break forth into this Hymn of Praise, are common to Men, and ought to be much more perswasive to them.

If the Angels were affected with the increase of Divine Glory wrought here­by: And are not we obliged to mag­nifie the glorious Attributes of God, and the several Emanations of them, both as we are his Creatures, and as we are endued with rational Souls? If the Angels so far rejoyced in the Benefit and Salvation of others; how much [Page 576] doth it become us to be thankful, who reap the advantage, upon whom the Benefit is bestowed? If the Angels were glad to see the Salvation of Man­kind accomplished; much more surely should Men esteem themselves oblig­ed who enjoy it. So that upon all Ac­counts, if the Angels had Reason, Men have much more, to celebrate the In­carnation of Christ with this Hymn, Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace, Good-will towards Men. I will consider the several parts of this Hymn singly. And first,

Glory to God in the Highest, which is not so much a desire of what hath not, as an Approbation of what hath happened towards the Exaltation of the Divine Glory. The addition of in the Highest, signifieth either in Hea­ven, and so is opposed to what follow­eth, Peace on Earth, being a Comple­tion of those Prophesies of Isaiah, sing O Heaven, and rejoyce O Earth, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, &c. or more naturally it is [...] rendred, Glory to God in the highe [...] [...]gree; in which Sense this Phrase is [...]ost frequently under­stood in Scripture, as in Psal. XCIII. 4. where the same Phrase is used in the Septuagint, The Lord is mighty in the [Page 577] Highest, that is, mighty above all. And surely with great Reason we are di­rected to give the highest Glory to God which can be conceived, by reason of the Incarnation of his Son, wherein the Perfection of his eternal Attributes, is more conspicuous than in any other effect whatsoever; and from whence he re­ceived the greatest Glory, which was ever paid by Mankind to God.

To pursue this in particular Conside­rations. The Love of God towards Man­kind did never appear so eminently as in the completion of this Mystery. Truly did St. John say, 1 Joh. IV. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World. He had before employed sufficient means of procuring universal Happiness to Man­kind. He had given to Man in his first Creation a distinct Knowledge of Good and Evil; left to him indeed the Liberty of Choice, but deterred him from the Choice of Evil, as well by the Dictates of his own Conscience, as by the Denunciation of extreme Punish­ment which should attend it. When notwithstanding all this, Man embra­ced the Evil, God in his abundant Mercy provided an Expiation for this sin, which in after Ages should be ac­complished [Page 578] by the Incarnation of his own Son. Upon this he pardoned the sin of Man, received him to Mercy, and made him capable of eternal Happi­ness. That this intended Happiness might not be frustrated by the disobe­dience of Men, he allured them by Promises, directed them by his Laws, taught them by his Prophets, and sup­ported their Faith by the Expectation of a Messias or a Saviour to come.

So that upon the Incarnation of Christ is founded, not only the Mercy, the Grace and Bounty of God to the Christian Church, but also all Acts of Goodness and Favour vouchsafed to Mankind since the fall of Adam. All these were conferred for the sake of him, who in time should take humane Nature upon him, and therein make full satisfaction for the Sins of Men.

The Benefit indeed was from the be­ginning of the World, but then the Divine Glory became chiefly manifest, when this Mystery was fulfilled, when the Son of God was manifested in the Flesh. Before, it lay hid in the secret Purposes of God, but was now de­clared to the whole World. Before, the Divine Glory which should hence arise, was darkly foretold in Types and Pro­phesies, but now set in a full Light.

[Page 579] Now were all subsequent Ages obliged to magnifie God, for the accomplish­ment of that Mystery in due time, which had so long been the Hopes of preced­ing Ages, and was the Happiness of both.

Further, the Wisdom of God in con­triving and effecting the Incarnation of his Son was most illustrious. If Wis­dom be taken for Excellency of Know­ledge, what greater Argument can be desired of the Divine Wisdom, than that it foresaw this great Event so long before; foretold it, and all the Circum­stances of it in the same manner as they were effected? Or if Wisdom, which is the truer Notion of it, be understood to be the prudent direction of means to obtain any end proposed; we can no longer doubt of the perfection of the Divine Wisdom, when we consider the Blessing of this Day.

When Mankind had committed that foul Apostacy in their Fore-father Adam, when succeeding Generations were found no less Rebellious, the Laws of God violated, and his Exhortati­ons slighted; what seeming hope of Salvation could remain to Man? To have pardoned all these Sins simply, and without any Condition was indeed possible to God, but neither consistent [Page 580] with his Honour nor his Justice. He was Lord and Judge of the whole Creation, and as such could not pass by the Sins of Men without inflicting any Punishment upon them. He had threatned to punish them; and then his Veracity obliged him to do it.

Again, the Sins of Men were of such Guilt, as could not be expiated by a slight Punishment, being offences a­gainst an infinite Majesty, who called for proportionable Punishment on the Offenders. If they were indeed in­flicted; the whole Mass of Mankind, inasmuch as all had sinned, was for ever miserable. If they were not in­flicted, the Denunciations of Punish­ment made by God would appear vain, his Office of Judge must be disowned, and his Justice called in Question. In this seeming impossibility of reconci­ling the Salvation of Man to the Ju­stice of God; the Divine Wisdom, de­creed to effect it by sending the ever Blessed Jesus into the World, who being partaker of the Divine Nature, should take humane Flesh upon him, and in that undergo the Punishment due to the Sins of Men. This Mystery after ma­ny Ages was this Day made manifest, and therewith the supreme Perfection of the Divine Wisdom.

[Page 581] Lastly, The Power of God did ne­ver receive a more evident Demonstra­tion, and that in effecting all those Circumstances, which were long before foretold, concerning the Birth of Christ. These Circumstances having been so often repeated by the Prophets to the Jews, and so much enquired after by them (as nearly concerning them) were so fully known to them, so earnestly expected by them; that the comple­tion of them must of necessity become the clearest and the strongest Argu­ment of the Divine Power, which ever was exhibited.

As first, That the Messias should be Born of a pure Virgin, a Circumstance which should effectually declare both the Dignity of the Person to be Born, and the Power of him, who should produce it▪ Which should never be conferred upon any other Member of Mankind, and could be effected by no other than the Author, and the Lord of Nature; who at first formed all things out of nothing, and ever after directed them as himself pleased. That the Mother of our Lord was indeed a Virgin, could not ordinarily appear to the Jews: yet this they were fully as­sured of by the Prophets, that the Mes­sias should be born of a Virgin. And [Page 582] that the Prophesie took place in Jesus, God provided abundant Arguments to convince them, as the Apparition and the Testimony of Angels; the Miracles afterwards ensuing to the Affirmation of his Disciples; the Testimony of Joseph accounted by all a good and a just Man; and he assured so by a Message from Heaven.

As to the Circumstance of place, it was foretold that Christ should be born in Bethlehem. To effect this, the Di­vine Power directed the Mind of Au­gustus Caesar to command an universal Tax, at that very time, (a thing before not known in the Roman Empire) that so the Mother of Christ, going from Nazareth where she dwelt, to Bethle­hem, the place whither the Descendants of David resorted to be Taxed, might be delivered of her Son in the place long since foretold.

As for the time, Jacob moved by the Holy Ghost, had Prophesied, That when the Scepter should fail from Judah, then should Shiloh or Messias come. And at this time the Divine Provi­dence so ordered, that Herod had ob­tained the Kingdom, who was the first that being not a Jew obtained that Go­vernment. Daniel had foretold, that after seventy Weeks of Years, that [Page 583] is seventy times seven Years, Messias should be cut off for the sins of the people: And exactly thirty three Years before the Expiration of this time our Lord was born, who is known to have suffered in the thirty third Year of his Age.

All these Completions of ancient Prophesies concerning the Messias in the Person of Jesus, are so many in­fallible Proofs of the Almighty Power of God; who can dispose of Times and Seasons, of the Hearts of Men, and the Kingdoms of the World, and can assuredly bring to pass whatsoever himself proposeth. The Considera­tion of this Almighty Power contributes greatly to the Divine Glory; when all the Signs and Tokens which God had given to Mankind to discover his Power thereby, in the Accomplish­ment of this Mystery are come to pass.

But not only is it just and reasona­ble, that from the Consideration of the Incarnation of Christ, Glory should be given to God; but also this effect hath actually been produced, and greater Glory hath thence ensued, than from all other Causes whatsoever. I will not insist upon the Praise which the ancient Patriarchs, Prophets, and good Men gave to God, when they [Page 584] foresaw this Incarnation, altho' it all ought to be resolved into this Cause. I will only alledge the increase of Divine Glory subsequent to the Birth of Christ: And do that, by comparing the State of the World at that time, with that which followed to it.

Before this Sun of Righteousness arose, an universal darkness had over­spread the face of the Earth. The worship of Idols and Devils had in every place prevailed. The true God so far from being honoured, that he was not so much as known. No Praises, Honour or Glory given to him, but his Laws violated without Remorse, his Authority not acknowledged, and his Benefits wholly forgot. Indeed the small Country of Judea is to be excep­ted; altho' that was now possessed by a Pagan Government, and was shortly to be wholly destroyed by them. And even of this small part of Mankind an inconsiderable Proportion maintained their Obedience to God entire. Their Teachers had made void the Com­mandments of God by their Traditi­ons: the most Sacred Offices of their Religion were slighted and publickly set to Sale; and what remained of true Piety, just then expiring.

Consider now the State of the World [Page 585] in after times. We find this Darkness dispelled, this impiety removed, Armies of Saints, Martyrs and devout Per­sons, who should for ever continue to sing that Hymn to God, which the Host of Heaven began upon this day. The knowledge of the true God was introduced in all parts of the World; vast numbers of Persons professing the Worship of him converted in a few Years; their number daily increased, until after three hundred Years the whole civilized World did in a man­ner embrace the Christian Faith, and joyn in offering up Praise to God, in magnifying his glorious Attributes, in confessing his Authority, in adoring his Majesty, in obeying his Laws, if not in reality, yet at least in Profession.

These blessed Times indeed were not for ever to continue; it was foretold, That in the latter times Men, and that the greatest number, should depart from the true Faith, walking after their own Lusts. And the effect of this Prophe­sie the Church hath now for many Ages lamented. Yet after all, the pub­lick Worship of the true God is still kept up, if not in the greater, yet in the more understanding part of the World; vast numbers of devout Per­sons yet remain; continual Praise is [Page 586] daily offered up to God; and all this is owing to the happy Incarnation of our Lord as upon this day. And to ac­knowledge this, and give Glory to God for it, we are this day met together, and so are all other true Members of the Catholick Church, in their several places.

The second Branch of the Angelick Hymn in the Text, is Peace on Earth. By Peace according to the usual Expres­sion of the Jews, we may well under­stand all manner of Happiness, of which Mankind is capable, to be inferred; yet in considering it, I shall confine my self to the strict Acception of it. This day then were signally accomplished the an­cient Prophesies concerning the peacea­ble Times of the Messias. Now was God reconciled to Mankind, and those Reasons founded, upon which Men should for ever be reconciled one to another. This was the greatest Bene­fit, which Men could possibly receive, to be restored to the favour of their Creator, and the Love of one ano­ther. God could receive no other from the Incarnation of his Son, but the in­crease of Glory; and Man no greater than the Gift of Peace; justly therefore, after Glory to God in the highest, the An­gels subjoyn, Peace on Earth.

[Page 587] Peace in the first Sense, as it is Recon­ciliation to God, was foretold by Isaias of the times of the Messias, LVII. 19. And that to be granted to all Men who should accept the Condition of it. Peace, Peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord: and I will heal them. This Reconciliation was actually begun in the Incarnation of our Lord, and finally compleated by his Preaching and Suffering here on Earth; upon which Account he is called the Prince of Peace. And we are said, Rom. V. 1. To have Peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Before, Men had by their Sins proclaimed themselves Enemies to God, and more eminently by putting themselves under the Dominion of the grand Enemy of God, the Devil, and the protection of evil Spirits; which was notoriously done among the Heathens. Christ by taking our Flesh upon him, and doing and suffering what afterwards he did, brought a great part of Mankind, to the acknowledgment and subjection of the true God; and having done so, of­fering up his Life as a Ransom for their Sins, obtained of his Father to be re­conciled to them.

In the Second Sense, Peace upon Earth signifieth the mutual Peace of Men. [Page 588] This also was foretold by the Prophets, concerning the times of the Messias, particularly by Isaiah, in XI. and LX. Chapters, under the Representation of that peaceable Temper which should then be visible even in Beasts of Prey. It cannot be denied, that the Princi­ples of Christianity do strangely in­cline Men to the Observation of this excellent temper of Mind; that if the Precepts of our Lord were indeed uni­versally regarded, Hatred, Malice and Revenge would necessarily vanish out of the World.

And if Experience doth not justifie this, it is to be ascribed to the Perverse­ness of Men, not to the defect of the Christian Laws. Our Lord reconciled all Men to God, yet so as that he left several Conditions to be performed by Man in order to it; which if he neg­lects, he will receive no benefit by the Incarnation of Christ, and be punished as an Enemy of God. In like manner Christ hath settled Peace on Earth, yet not forced the Will of Men to observe it, but hath given such Rules and Pre­cepts, as if observed, cannot but pro­duce an universal Peace. And so the ancient Prophesies are to be understood, not of the effect but of the Tendency of the Religion of the Messias; altho' [Page 589] it cannot be denied, that in a great mea­sure they actually were accomplished, and to have taken place wherever the true Spirit of Christianity was retained.

Our Lord was born in the most war­like Empire, that ever the World saw; which in more than seven hundred Years had enjoyed no more than two years Peace. Yet at the time of his Birth the Wisdom of God directed that an universal Peace should then obtain, as well to typifie the Peaceableness of his Doctrine and Gospel, as to facilitate the Propagation of it. Afterwards for several Ages the peaceable Principles of the Gospel seldom wanted their effect in private Christians: And even wrought so far in publick Societies professing Christianity, that for more than five hundred years after Christ, it is certain that Christians never warred against others of the same Communion. Nor is the blessed Effect of it wholly expired in these degenerate times. Witness that great number of Christians, which still frequent the Holy Sacrament; of whom it is charitably be to supposed, that none presumes to approach this holy Table, without an entire Resolution of forgiv­ing Injuries, and maintaining Peace with all Men.

The last part of the Angels Doxo­logy, [Page 590] is Good-will towards Men: Which expresseth much more than Reconcilia­tion of God to Man; implying no less than his favour and kindness to them: u­sing the very same word in the Original, which God did of his Son, when he said of him, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Incarnation of Christ, and there­in the Assumption of the humane to the Divine Nature, so far propitiated God in regard to Men, that he not only forgave their Sins, and was recon­ciled to them, but also admitted them to his Favour, made them capable of even preter-natural Happiness, even of enjoying himself in Heaven. Inso­much that he who had once thro' abhor­rence of their Sins repented himself that he had made them, and resolved that his Spirit should not always strive with them, did now adopt them for the Darlings of his Creation, and as the Ori­ginal word in the Text implieth, even took Pleasure in them: vouchsafed to Honour theirs by joyning it to the Di­vine Nature in the Person of his Son, and therein raised it to a degree even above that of Angels; not only ad­mitting them to that Pardon of past Sins which was never vouchsafed to the Angels, but also sending the Prince of [Page 591] Angels, and the Lord of Glory, to take hu­man Flesh upon him, who afterwards ascend­ing with it into Heaven, should thereby con­secrate the whole Mass of Mankind, of which his Body was the first Fruits, and thereby make it capable of the same Glory.

And surely no greater Argument of the Good will of God towards Men, or of his de­light in Mankind, could be desired, than to raise them to the Society of himself in Heaven. This was the Effect of the delight which he testified to take in his beloved Son, the ut­most Reward of his obedience, that he advan­ced his Human Nature to his own right hand in Heaven (for his Divine Nature was placed there from all Ages) and for his Sake admitted all those, who should imitate his Life and O­bedience, to the same Glory. The possession of Heaven, wherewith the Human Body of Christ is now invested, is an Argument that our Nature is capable of it, and an Earnest that we shall in due time be raised to the same Honour: For Christ our forerunner is entred into Heaven for us.

Yet are we not left without other visible Pledges of the same hope; more particularly this blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, wherein is lively represented the Truth of his Human Nature, and our rela­tion to it. The Bread declares his Body, the Wine his Blood; the breaking of the Bread the Mortality of his Body, the pour­ing out of the Wine, the shedding of his Blood to purchase Redemption for Mankind. The Distribution of both to every Communicant manifests that they are peculiarly concerned in all this; that they are Members of the My­stical [Page 592] Body of Christ; and by receiving his Figurative Body, are assured of obtaining in due time the same Happiness with his true Body now in Heaven.

By these Figures of his true Body we open­ly profess our Belief of his Incarnation, that he really took Human Flesh upon him for our Sakes, and not only in appearance, as was the vain Imagination of ancient Hereticks, for that cannot be so much as represented, which is not real. We acknowledge his Di­vine Nature at the same time, by that Ado­ration both of Mind and Body, which ought to accompany this religious Action: We pro­fess our Belief that he came in the fulness of time, and that in time all the ancient Pro­phesies were fullfilled, in that we celebrate the very time of his Coming; as the Intenti­on, and the Offices, of this Festival directs.

Lastly, We secure to our selves the Benefits of this wonderful Mystery; if we do all this with sincere Faith, Repentance and Charity. So shall we give occasion to the Holy Angels to renew their Hymn, to sing Glory to God, who is honoured by this Devotion and Thank­fulness of his Servants; Peace on Earth, where­in Men are hereby reconciled to God, and to each other; and Good-will towards Men, who are hereby admitted to the Favour of God, and will be hereafter to the Fruition of him. Which God of his infinite Mercy Grant.