brings to our remembrance the Death of Christ in that lively Sacramental Representation and seals the pardoning Mercy of God to our Souls and conveys all the precious Fruits of it to us A lively Faith on our suffering Saviour makes him ours by an intimate and inseparable union and fruition We dwell in him and he in us How many drooping Souls have been raised how many wounded Spirits have been healed how many cloudy Souls have been inlightened in that Ordinance Here the comforting Spirit breaths our Saviour shews his reviving Countenance God speaks Peace to his People A Believer tasts the hidden Manna and the Love of Christ that is sweeter than Wine The bruised Reed becomes a strong Pillar in the Temple of God the smoaking Flax is cherish'd into a purer and more pleasant Light than springs from the Sun in its brightness 3. Love to Christ is increas'd by partaking of this Ordinance wherein his bloody Death is represented Greater Love could not be express'd than in his dying for us and lesser Love could not have saved us from perishing for ever He dyed not only to satisfie his Father's Justice but his own Love to us 'T is said by the Prophet He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied The travel of his Soul implies his Affection and Affliction the strength of his Love and his immense Sorrows Now nothing is more repugnant to the Principle so deeply engraven in Humane Nature than not to return Love for Love Our Saviour by the dearest titles deserves our Love not only for his high Perfections but his deep Sufferings He was without Form and Comeliness in the Eyes of the Carnal VVorld when disfigured by his Sufferings But can he be less lovely in his Sufferings wherein he declar'd his dearest Love Astonishing Love appeared in his dying Countenance flam'd in his quenched Eyes flowed from his pierced Side To a spiritual Eye he is as amiable with his Crown of Thorns as with his Crown of Glory Our Love to Christ like Fire out of its sphere must be preserved by renewing its Fewel or it will decline Now there is nothing more proper to feed it than Christ's Love to us and in this Ordinance the sacred Fire is maintained The Eye affects the Heart The mournings the longings and delights of Love are most sensible in spiritual Communion with our Saviour at this Feast The inflamed Spouse in a Rapture of Admiration and Complacency breaks forth I am my beloved's and he is mine St. Paul who was rap'd up to the third Heavens and heard unspeakable things declares Christ crucified to be the most excellent Object of his Knowledge his most precious Treasure and dearest Joy 'T is true the carnal receiver of the Elements is a stranger to this Love and Joy that is only felt by Faith and Experience There are many Christians in title that never felt any vital emanations from Christ in this Ordinance The most content themselves with Sacramental Communion without Spiritual and feel no correspondent Affections to his extream Sufferings for us But if there be a spark of Life in the Soul if all be not cold and dead within the remembrance of Christ's bleeding and dying Love will inexpressibly endear him to us Now our Sanctification was a principal end of his Death The Apostle declares that Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of the water and by the word That he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Can we allow any Sin in our Hearts and Lives and defeat the design of his Love and disparage the vertue of his Sufferings Can we endure any Sin to reign in us that was the cause of his Death so full of Ignominy and Torment He has declared how precious our Sanctification is in his esteem 't is one of the richest Veins in the whole Mine of Grace and can we slight it Can we imagine that his Death obtain'd for us an impure Indulgence for our Lusts when the end of it was our absolute Purity Can we content our selves with low degrees of Holiness when he paid so dear a Price for our Perfection The comfortable assurance that he was crucified for us arises from our being crucified with him to all the Vanities of the world Indeed the external receiving this Ordinance is not beneficial to an Unbelieveâ— no more than that the setting a Feast before a dead Body that is uncapable of feeding and nourishment Men must believe before they can receive spiritual nourishment by it and have the Life of Grace before they can feed on the Bread of Life But the unfeigned Believer finds his inward Man renewed by it I will add to what has been said that in this Ordinance the Covenant of the Gospel is sealed by the contracting Parties God ratifies his Promise of Grace and we seal our Duty of Obedience 'T is true we are bound by an antecedent right and higher obligation than our own consent the Command of God binds us to take this Covenant and to keep it We are bought with a price and are not our own Now if the Blood of the Son of God be our Ransom from the bondage of Sin and Death and we in the Sacrament partake of his Blood and by that solemn Right dedicate our selves to him That whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to him how constraining is this to make us diligent in accomplishing the sacred ends of Christ's Institution How just is it that since he dyed for our Salvation we should live to his Glory and when we renew our Right in the Blessings of the Covenant we should sincerely renew our Obligations to the Duties of it If after our holy Engagement we renounce our Allegiance to our Prince and Saviour by entertaining his Enemies the Lusts of the Flesh we incur a double Guilt not only by transgressing the Law of God but by violating our Oath of Fidelity and double Guilt will bring double Damnation That the renewing our Coâ—â—â—ant aâ— the Lord's Supper may be more effectual let us consider 1. That holy Resolutions and Engagements are the immediate Principle of Obedience Till the Convictions of our Duty are wrought into Resolutionâ— they are of no efficacy 2. They must proceed from the dâ—liberate Judgment and determin'd Will. The Apostle declares The love of Chriâ—â— constrains us we thus judge if one dyed for all then were all dead and the consequence is strong that we should live 〈◊〉 him who dyed for us Empty valleitâ—â—â— are no volitions faint and waveâ—â—â—â— Purposes have no force Believers aâ—â— exhorted with full purpose of Hâ—art 〈◊〉 â—leave to the Lord. 3. The renewing our holy Engaâ—â—ments are very necessary for perseveraâ—â—â— in our Duty Our Hearts are false 〈◊〉 foolish and apt to fly from God thâ—â— are as changable
the dear Memorial of his purchasing blessedness for us His precious Blood appeas'd the just Anger of God and shall it not Cool and Calm our Inflam'd Passions In imitation of God and Christ we must abstain from all Revenge of the greatest Evils suffered by us We must extinguish any inclination to Revenge Sin begins in the Desire and ends in the Action We must not take the least pleasure that Evil befalls one that has been injurious to us for the root of it is Devilish Though the reparation of an Injury may in some cases be necessary yet Revenge is absolutely forbidden To retaliate an Evil without any reparation of our Losses is to do Mischief for Mischiefs sake which is the property of Satan As on the contrary to do Good for Evil is such a Divine Perfection that the Devil does not assume the resemblance of it 't is so contrary to his cursed Disposition Some will conceal their Anger for a time waiting for an Opportunity to take Revenge without the appearance of Passion Their Malice like slow Poyson does not cause violent Symptoms but destroys Life insensibly Some have such fierce Passions that strike Fire out of the least Provocation their Breasts are changed into a Tophet Some inflame their Resentments by considering every Circumstance that will exasperate their Spirits But the Command is Be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good The Duty is so pleasant in its exercise and attended with such comfortable Consequences that 't is recommended to our Reason and our Affections Love suffers long Love bears all things endures all things And what is more ingaging than the delightful disposition of Love The doing Good for Evil often gains the Heart of an Enemy If there be any vital spark of Humanity it cannot be resisted There is an Instance of it recorded in Scripture Saul the unrighteous and implacable Enemy of David yet being spar'd when he was entirely at his Mercy was moved and melted into tenderness Is this thy voice my Son David Before he in Contempt called him the Son of Jesse Thou art more righteous than I I will do thee no more evil How will some of the Heathens condemn Christians both as to the Rule and Practice of this Duty for whereas 't is esteem'd to be the Character of Pusillanimity or Stupidity to bear frequent and great Injuries unrevenged One of their Poets mixed this Counsel among other excellent Rules of Morality That Man is arrived at an heroick degree of Goodness who is instructed in a dispassionate manner to bear great Injuries And when Phocion who had deserved so highly of the Athenians was condemned unjustly to dye his Son attending him to receive his last Commands immediately before his Death he charged him never to revenge it on the Athenians CHAP. IX Divine Hope has an eminent Causality in the Life of a Christian. The nature of Christian Hope 'T is the Character of a Saint 'T is natural congruous and necessary to a Saint in the present state 'T is distinguish'd from carnal Presumption by its purifying Vertue Fear considered in its nature and cleansing Vertue The Attributes of God the motives of holy Fear There is a Fear of Reverence and of Caution 'T is consistent with Faith and the affections of Love Hope and Joy 'T is the fountain of Fortitude 3. DIvine Hope has an eminent Causality and Influence in the Life of a Christian. St. John speaking of the glorious likeness of the Saints to Christ in the Divine World inferrs from it Every Man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure Three things are observable in the words 1. The Character of a Christian by his Hope Every Man that has this hope in him 2. The distinction of this Hope from its counterfeit by its inseparable effect Purifies himself 3. The regulating of the effect by its Pattern Even as he is pure 1. Christian Hope is a firm expectation of future Happiness 'T is distinguish'd from Worldly Hopes by the excellency of the Object and the stability of its Foundation The Object is an eternal state of Glory and Joy wherein we shall be conform'd to the Son of God Worldly Hopes are terminated on empty vanishing things gilded over with the thin appearance of Good The foundation of Divine Hope are the unchangable Truth of God and his Almighty Power that always seconds his Word God cannot lye and consequently neither deceive our Faith nor disappoint our Hopes and he can do all things The Apostle declares the ground of his Confidence I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day All the Persons in the Deity are ingaged for our assurance and comfort Sometimes 't is said That our hope may be in God and Our Lord Jesus Christ our hope and That we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Worldly Hopes are always uncertain in this sphere of mutability There is so much of impotence or deceit in all the means used to obtain Humane Desires that the success is doubtful Fear mixes with the Desires and often Despair with Fear Young Men are flush with Hopes and of bolder Expectations than ancient Men who from Experience of many unforeseen and inevitable Difficulties that have travers'd their Hopes are inclin'd to Fear But Experience incourages and fortifies the Hopes of Christians which are attended with Patience and Joy If we hope we with patience wait for it Notwithstanding the distance of time and intervening difficulties before the accomplishment of what we expected no undiscernable Accidents can blast their assurance The interval of a thousand Years did not weaken Abraham's Hope of the promised Messiah Comfort is mix'd with the patience of Hope The Apostle saith That we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope The final security of the Blessedness promised is very joyful in an afflicted Condition This Hope is the Character by which a sincere Christian is denominated and distinguish'd from Heathens who are without God without Christ and without hope For God is the Object of it as our soveraign Good and Christ is the Means whereby we obtain and enjoy him This Grace is most natural congruous and necessary to a Christian in the present state 1. Natural Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for you The supernatural Birth entitles to the supernatural Inheritance if Sons then heirs and the hope of Heaven is a consequent Affection As in the Natural Life the most early exercise of Reason excites desires and hopes to obtain what may supply the wants of it So in the Spiritual Life when Faith discovers to us Coelestial Blessendness revealed in
when he leaves this World and enter naked and solitary into the next World where he will be poor for ever He is rich that carries with him Divine Graces and Comforts the Treasures of the Soul when he dyes and takes possession of the Inheritance undefiled that passes not away How often do Worldly Men in their last hours when the thoughts of the Heart are declared with most feeling and least affectation condemn their unaccountable Folly for their having set their Affections on things below and neglecting things above that with such fervour and constancy they prosecuted their secular ends and were so coldly affected to eternal things as unworthy of their care and diligence Those forlorn Wretches in their Extremities with what significant and lively Expressions do they decry the Vanity of this World and the Vanity of their Hearts in seeking it 'T is related of Philip King of the Macedonians that while one was pleading before him he drop'd asleep and waking on a sudden past Sentence against the righteous Cause Upon this the injur'd Person cryed out I appeal The King with Indignation ask'd To whom He reply'd From your self sleeping to your self waking and had the Judgment revers'd that was against him Thus in matters of eternal moment if there be an Appeal from the sleeping to the waking Thoughts of Men when Death opens their Eyes to see the Dross of false Treasures and the Glory of the true what a change would it make in their Minds Affections and Actions But O Folly and Misery they but superficially consider things till constrain'd when 't is too late From these Considerations we understand the Reasons of our Saviour's declaring 'T is as easie for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle as for a rich Man that trusts in his Riches to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But what is impossible with Men is possible with God He can by so strong a Light represent the Eternal Kingdom to Mens Minds and purifie their Affections that they shall so use the World that they may enjoy God We should from hence be excited to watchfulness against this Sin Our Saviour gave a double Caution to his Disciples Take heed and beware of Covetousness In some the Leprosie appears in their Foreheads their Company their Conversation make it evident that the World is set in their Hearts In others the Leprosie is in their Bosoms their Affections are intensly and entirely set on the World though the discovery is not so visible None but the circumspect can be safe In order to the mortifying this Lust the following means with the Divine Blessing will be very useful The inward causes of the greedy desires and tenacious humour of the Covetous are the irregular esteem of Riches and consequently the jealousie of losing what is so highly valued and sollicitude to prevent all possible future wants Now to take away these causes consider 1. There are Treasures infinitely more precious and durable and more worthy of our esteem and love than all the Gold that is drawn from the Mines in Peru the true inrichments of the Soul without which a Man possess'd of all the Wealth of the Flota is not rich towards God but wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked God offers himself to be our Portion who is rich in all Perfections whose Treasures are unsearchable and unwasted If we seek his Love and Grace to love him we shall inherit substance and durable Riches The Apostle when the scales were fallen from his Eyes discovered such an excellency in the knowledge of Christ that he counted all things loss and dung that he might have an interest in him This eminent advantage there is in seeking Heavenly Treasures we shall certainly obtain them and never be deprived of them whereas the most eager pursuit of Earthly Riches is uncertainly successful and if we do acquire them they will certainly be lost Now as inward bleeding that endangers Life is stop'd by revulsion in opening a Vein so if the stream of our Affections be directed to things above it will stop their impetuous current to things below 2. The liberal use of Riches for the Glory of God and in Charity to others is the best means to secure the tenure of our Temporal Possessions For the neglect of paying the Tribute we owe to God makes a forfeiture of our Estates and he can by Right and Power resume them in a moment Besides there is no Epithet more proper to be joyn'd with Riches than uncertain Is that Man certainly rich whose entire Estate is in a Ship sailing through dangerous Seas and open to frequent Piracies There is no greater a distance between a Tempest and a Shipwrack than between often and always Innumerable Disasters are imminent and nearly threaten the undoing of the richest Man But God who commands the Winds and the Seas and governs the Wills of Men whose Providence orders the most fortuitous Events has promised that the liberal Man who deviseth liberal things he shall stand He has a special Protection and as he is like to God in giving so he shall be in not being poorer for his giving The Apostle incourages Christians not to be covetous by this Argument God has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee We may firmly rely on his Promise for Truth is the foundation of trust and rest on his Providence which is Omnipotent Add to this Consideration there is an accessional security to the Charitable from the assistance of others Man is sociable by instinct and the civil Life that is proper to him will be dissolv'd without mutual assistance 'T is order'd by the Rule of Providence that there is no Man so compleatly sufficient in himself so absolutely and independently happy but he wants the Counsel the Courage the Help of others 'T is usual that he who possesses most can do less and that he that has less can do more From hence it follows that the Wealth of the one and the Strength of the other the giving that wherein one abounds and the receiving that which the other wants makes such an equipoise between the Rich and the Poor that they cannot be disjoyn'd Experience declares there is nothing does more endear and engage the Affections of others to us than acts of Kindness Beneficence joyn'd with Innocence render Men venerable and amiable conciliate Esteem and Love for a good Man one would even dare to dye Whereas the Covetous and Incompassionate not only provoke God for he that abuses a Benefit despises the Benefactor and by imprisoning their Treasures without doing Good the abuse is as real as by riotous wasting them but are exposed to Hatred and Contempt and if a Disaster surprises them a secret Joy touches the Hearts of others 2. 'T is a means to increase Riches 'T is a Rule not only in Spirituals but in Temporals As a Man sows so he shall reap both in the Recompences of Justice and the Rewards of
in his dying Hour A sincere Life is attended with a happy Death and that is attended with a more happy Life God is the Rewarder of Moral Vertues with Temporal Blessings but he is the Eternal Reward of Godly Sincerity This is the first Notion of perfect Holiness in the present state 2. There is an Integral Perfection of Holiness that is an entire conjugation of all those Sanctifying Graces of which the Image of God Consists The New Creature in its forming is not like the effects of Art but the living productions of Nature A Sculptor in making a Statue of Marble finishes the Head when the other part is but rude stone But all the parts of a Child in the Womb are gradually form'd together till the Body is complete The Holy Spirit in renewing a Man infuses a universal habit of Holiness that is Comprehensive of all the variety of Graces to be Exercis'd in the Life of a Christian. As the Corrupt Nature stil'd the Old Man is complete in its Earthly Members all the Lusts of the Flesh both of the desiring and angry Appetite and disposes without the corrective of Restraining Grace the Natural Man to yield to all Temptations he will be Fierce with the Contentious Licentious with the Dissolute Intemperate with the Drunkard Lascivious with the Impure Impious with the Scorners of Religion Thus the Divine Nature stil'd the New Man is complete in all Spiritual Graces and inclines and enables the Sanctified to do every good Work The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Although they are distinguisht in their Activity and particular Objects yet they always are joyn'd in the same Subject and Concentre in God who is Immutably Holy and One. They are mixt in their Exercise without Confusion As in a Chorus the variety of Voices is Harmonious and Conspiring Spiritual Graces according to the degrees of their Perfection such is the degree of their Union Every real Saint is conform'd to Christ of whom he receives grace for grace There are Spiritual Gifts of Arbitrary Dispensation the word of Wisdom the word of Knowledge the gifts of Healing the works of Miracles are separately given But when the Spirit prepares a Soul for his Habitation he purifies it from Sin and adorns it with every Grace if there be a defect of any Grace the opposite Sin in its power remains in the Soul and makes it impossible for the Holy Spirit to dwell there 'T is to be observed that when a Promise is made to any particular Grace in Scripture that Grace is to be considered in union with other Graces Our Saviour tells us Whoever believes shall be saved And St. Paul inspired by the Spirit of our Saviour saith That Faith separate from Charity is of no avail for Salvation Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing A Faith that does not work by Love and is not productive of Obedience is of no saving efficacy St. James puts the Question What doth it profit my Brethren though a Man says he hath Faith and hath not Works Can Faith save him 'T is evident it does not For nothing asserts or denies more strongly than a Question He that does not by Faith in the Son of God live a holy Life must dye for ever St. John assures us That we are in a state of favour with God if we love the Brethren We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren But the sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is proved by our Love to God and keeping his Commandments and is inseparable from it Where-ever Salvation is promised to a particular Duty it must be understood in a collective sense We read Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved But a prevailing Prayer must proceed from a holy Person that keeps the Commands of God and does those things that are pleasing in his sight The Prayer must be mix'd with Faith and Fervency The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much The connexion of saving Graces cannot be broken St. Peter excites us to give all diligence to add to our Faith in the Mysteries of Godliness Vertue an active power to render it lively and operative otherwise Faith is a mere speculative dead assent To Vertue Knowledge Prudence to direct its exercise in the seasons wherein and the manner how our Duties are to be performed To Knowledge Temperance to regulate our Appetites and Enjoyments in the use of things pleasing to the Senses To Temperance Patience to endure the Evils to which we are exposed in this lower state which is equally if not more necessary and excellent For Humane Nature is more affected and tempted by sharp Pains and Grief than delighted with Pleasure Without the exercise of these Graces our Religion will be by fits and flashes with interrupting intervals To Patience Godliness that is a respect to the Commands of God as our Rule and his Glory as our End that is distinguish'd from mere Morality that proceeds only from Humane Reason and respects the civil Happiness To Godliness Brotherly-kindness A sincere Love to all of the same Heavenly Extraction in whom the Image of God shines And to Brotherly-kindness Charity That extends to all the partakers of our common Nature All Spiritual Graces take their residence together in the Soul not one singly enters and keeps entire possession Our Saviour tells the young Man who had lived so regularly that he was lovely in his Eyes If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all and give to the Poor and come follow me He wanted Charity and Self-denyal to make his Obedience entire 3. There is a comparative Perfection This in Scripture is Intellectual or Moral 1. Intellectual Perfection The Apostle excites the Hebrews Wherefore leaving the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ let us go on to Perfection To more eminent degrees in the Knowledge of the Gospel both of the supernatural Doctrines of the Gospel or the Duties contained in it Of the first the Apostle is to be understood We speak Wisdom among those that are perfect That is declare Divine Mysteries to those who are prepared to receive them The Light of Nature declares the Being of God and his Essential Perfections Wisdom Power and Goodness shining in his Works but not his Counsels in order to our Salvation No Man hath seen God at any time The only begotten which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him There are some notices of Good and Evil of Vertue and Vice by the instructive Light of Reason but not sufficient to inform us of our full Duty The discovery of the purity and perfection of the Moral Law is from God The Gospel like a clear and equal Glass that discovers the beauties and blemishes of the Face makes known to us what defiles and
the vital Members From hence we are inform'd how to judge of our Hopes whether they are saving and will attend us to the Gates of Heaven If they purifie us they will certainly be accomplish'd in Heavenly Blessedness If we be like our Saviour in Grace we shall be like him in Glory But carnal and loose Hopes will issue in disappointment Our Saviour tells us that every visible Christian in a spiritual sense is a builder and raises a fabrick of Hope that may appear fair to the Eye but there is a time of tryal a coming that will discover how firm it is 'T is our Wisdom to descend to the foundation of our Hope that we may understand whether it be a Rock that cannot be shaken or the quick Sand that cannot bear the weight of it Those who hear the Words of Christ and do them build upon a Foundation more stable than the Centre the perfect Veracity of God is engaged in his Promises But those who hear without doing build upon the sinking Sand. Carnal Men will pretend they hope for Salvation only for the infinite Mercies of God and Merits of Christ 'T is true these are Eternal Foundations but to secure a Building the Superstructure must be strongly fasten'd to the Foundation or it cannot resist a Storm If we are not united to Christ by the sanctifying Spirit and a purifying Faith our Hopes will deceive us When Sin has dominion which is certainly discovered by the habitual course of Mens Lives when there is a remanent affection to it in Mens Hearts which is known by their reflections upon past Sins with pleasure and the prospect of future Sins with desire their Hope is like a Spider's web that can bear no stress Hope is subordinate to Faith and Faith is regulated by the Promise Some believe without Hope they are convinc'd of the reality of the Future State of the Eternal Judgment and the consequents of it but are careless and desperate in their wickedness Others hope to be well hereafter without belief of the Gospel Indeed there is none can bear up under despairing Thoughts when they are raging in the Breast He that is absolutely and with consideration hopeless falls upon his own Sword The Tempter deals with Sinners according to their conditions If they are swimming in Prosperity he stupifies Conscience and induces them to be secure if they are sinking in deep Distress he is so skilful in all the arts of aggravation that he plunges them into Despair And both Temptations are fatal but the most perish by fallacious hopes 'T is strange that the greatest number of Professors are more unwilling to suspect the goodness and safety of their condition than to mistake and be deceived for ever But they are so strongly allur'd by worldly Objects that though in their Lives there are the visible marks exclusive of Salvation they are unconcerned They are satisfi'd with carnal vain hopes which are the seed of all Evils committed and the spring of all Evils suffered Hope that should incourage Holiness emboldens Wickedness and that should lead Men to Heaven precipitates them into Hell How great will their fall be from a conceited Heaven into a real Hell Hope of all the Passions is the most calm and quiet but when utterly disappointed in a matter of high concernment 't is most turbulent for the consequent Passions Despair Impatience Sorrow Rage are the cruel tormentors of the Minds of Men. Now what will become of the hope of the Hypocrite when God shall take away his Soul He may feed and cherish it while he lives but in the fatal moment when he dyes his blazing presumption will expire not to be reviv'd for ever But the Righteous has hope in his death The sanctified Spirit inspires and preserves Life in it till 't is consummate in that Blessedness that exceeds all our Desires and excludes all our Fears for ever 2. The Hope of Glory should be a constant and commanding motive to purifie our selves Hope is the great spring of actions in this World it enters into all our designs and mixes with all our endeavours The Husbandman ploughs in all the Frosts and Snows to which he is exposed in hope of a fruitful Harvest The Mariner sails through dangerous Seas often inrag'd with Storms and Tempests and among Rocks and Sands for a hopeful Venture How much more should the Hope of Heaven make us active and ardent in seeking for it considering we have infinitely greater security of obtaining it the Word of God and the Object is above all comparison with the things of this World Here the wisest and most diligent are uncertain to obtain their Ends the trifles which they earnestly expect and are certain after a while to lose them But if we in the first place seek the Kingdom of God we shall certainly obtain it and 't is unforfeitable for ever I will conclude with the efficacy of this Argument declar'd by the Apostle The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation has appeared unto all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present World looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This will keep us stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. 4. The Fear of God is a Grace of excellent efficacy to perfect Holiness in us 'T is the Apostle's direction perfecting Holiness in the fear of God The Divine Wisdom has annex'd Rewards and Punishments to strengthen the authority of the Law to work upon Hope and Fear which are the secret springs of Humane Actions and for the Honour of his Goodness and Justice that are principally exercised in his Moral Government That Hope may be a powerful motive to do our Duty and Fear a strong bridle to restrain from Sin the reward must exceed all the temptations of Profit or Pleasure or Honour that can accrue by transgressing the Law and the penalty of all the Evils that may be inflicted for obedience to it From hence it is that divine Hope and godly Fear have such a commanding conquering power in the Hearts of true Believers and are so operative in their Lives that they will not neglect their Duty to avoid the greatest Evil nor commit a Sin to obtain the greatest Good The Grace of Fear I have discours'd of in another place and shall be the shorter in the account of its nature and cleansing Vertue here Fear introduces serious Religion preserves and improves it 'T is the Principle of Conversion to God and knocks at the door of the Soul that Divine Love may have admission into it It arises from the conviction of Guilt and the apprehension of Judgment that follows When Paul discoursed of Righteousness and Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled The Prisoner with the assistance of Conscience made the Judge tremble This Fear has more torment than reverence According to the greatness and
shall dwell in the holy hill of God that in his Eyes a vile person is contemned but he honours them that fear the Lord. Carnal Men are struck with outward Splendour but inward Beauty is not within their prospect They despise the holy who are poor and mean in their outward circumstances But the Spiritual Man looks upon those who are lofty and lawless with Contempt as beneath Men in an ignominious bondage to their Lusts But the godly who are dignified with the glorious Titles of the Saints and Sons of God are most precious and dear to him It is easie to know a Picture well drawn if we are acquainted with the Person whom it represents Those who know what Holiness is in God know what it is in Men. Holiness is the essential purity of his Nature whereby he is infinitely opposite to all Moral Evil. Accordingly those who are undefiled with sinful Evils are certainly his Children David stiles them The excellent in whom is all his delight It argues a clearer Spirit and more sacred Temper to discover the shining excellencies of the Saints notwithstanding their eclipse by the interposing medium of their Afflictions The Apostle tells us of some that wandred in sheeps-skins and goats-skins being destitute afflicted tormented confined to dens and caves of whom the World was not worthy The Divine Image is renewed in the Saints and shines in their Lives and makes them amiable in God's Eyes and so dear to him that he gives them in charge to the Angels the Armies of Light those bright and vigilant Guardians to secure them from Evil. They are glorious within tho' often disguised and shaded by Poverty and Afflictions Without an internal Light their value is not known 3. To preserve an equal temper of Mind and tenor of Conversation in the various turns and changes of the present state argues an excellent degree of Holiness The condition of Men in this World is like the Sea the Theatre of Inconstancy Their Affections are like the Wind some are Turbid others Serene and Chearful some Warm and Comforting others Cold and Sharp some Placid and Gentle others Stormy and Furious and 't is as difficult to regulate the Affections as to order those discordant Spirits in the Air. They are the most depraved Faculties in Man there are some sparks of Light and Purity in the Natural Conscience but the Passions are the Fountains of Sin and Folly By their unruly Insurrection the understanding is depos'd and Men are brought into a brutish Servitude They are sometimes Jealous to Rage Sad to Despair Dead with Fear Drunk with Joy and fond Hopes of conceited Happiness To free us from their Vanity and Tyranny is the most Noble effect of Grace Now these dark Powers are never more unruly and turbulent than in the change of Conditions whether Prosperous or Calamitous The observation of Hippocrates that the change of Seasons breeds Diseases in the Body is equally true in the change of Mens Conditions with respect to the distempers of the Mind especially if two Circumstances are joyn'd that the Changes be great and sudden as 't is an insufferable violence to Nature to pass immediately from one Extreme to another 'T is argued on both sides whether sudden and great Calamities do more disorder the Mind by Despair or sudden and great Prosperity by vain Presumption This may be said that Afflictions are more apt to restore Reason that was lost in Prosperity as is visible by frequent Experience and in sudden Prosperity many have lost the Understanding they had in a low Condition 'T is a point of high and holy Wisdom little understood and less practis'd to manage Prosperity with Humility and Discretion and bear Adversity with Patience to possess the Soul and guide it by clear and steddy Rules becoming every Condition St. Paul declares I have learn'd in whatsoever state I am to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need In Prosperity he was lowly and temperate ready to resign all at the first call of the Giver In Adversity he was content as if he had a secret Treasure a conceal'd Fountain issuing from within he was Rich in his deep Poverty for 't is not acquiring Possessions but the retrenching our Desires that makes us truly Rich. All the Gold and Silver of the West-Indies and the Pearls and Jewels of the East cannot truly enrich the Soul This Lesson he had learnt in the School of Heaven and by Experience and Exercise made it Familiar to him as our Saviour learnt obedience by his Sufferings This is a Duty as difficult as excellent therefore a wise and holy Man either conscious of his own weakness or suspicious of his strength so earnestly deprecated the Extremes Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord Or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of the Lord in vain He was not without doubt or danger lest he should be corrupted by Prosperity or foil'd by Adversity There is great hazard in either but more in Fulness than in Want as was touch'd on before He that rows in a Shallop near the shore needs not the Skill and Courage of a Pilot that directs a Ship through Tempestuous Seas and with his ill-govern'd Ship must sink to the bottom The Temptations of Prosperity are more numerous a swarm of Flyes come to sweet things and are very grateful to the sensual Appetites the Temptations of Adversity are troublesome and grievous and at their appearance Nature recoils from them and accordingly the Tempter manages them he insinuates into the Heart like a Serpent by Pleasures and transfuses his poison indiscernibly but like a Roaring Lion he pursues the Afflicted Experience instructs us that many have made an easie forfeiture of their Integrity when Prosperous and in sharp Afflictions have been recover'd But in heavy Calamities we are apt either to be fir'd with Discontent and constructively to dispute with God about the Righteousness of his proceedings or to faint and languish by bleeding inwardly Vexation and immoderate Sorrow hinder the free Exercise of Reason and Religion and Mens sufferings occasionally increase their sins As when Physick does not work well it improves the Disease and brings Death more speedily and painfully Now 't is rare to a wonder to see a Person wisely to manage these wide extreams and that there is not such a variation of Scenes in the Passions according to External accidents If the Sun should make a search it would discover but few among the numberless number of Christians that enjoy prosperity without Insolence or suffer Adversity without Impatience or such dejection as exceeds the Rule of the Passions To endure the burning Line and frozen Pole without distempering the Blood and
Appetites and pretend they cannot resist the attractiveness and unbind the charms that fasten them to the Objects of their impure Desires let it be considered that a little contempt or coldness of the Person by whom they are charmed a favourable aspect upon a competitor will turn their Love into Disdain and break all society between them And shall one Carnal Passion vanquish another and the Terrors of the Lord the Torments of an Everlasting Hell be ineffectual to restrain them The remembrance of this will cover them with Eternal Confusion in the next World The Traveller complain'd of the roughness of the way when a Thorn in his Foot made it uneasie Carnal Men complain 't is a sad task to obey the Gospel but their Lusts make it so 3. 'T is alledged that the striving after perfect Holiness is unnecessary by the Covenant of Grace a Man may be saved without it Before I discover the falseness of this pretence I shall observe that Carnal Men that they may live easily endeavour to make their Principles correspondent with their Practices they bend the Rule to their depraved Appetites and will not order their Life by the holy Rule The cursed and crafty Serpent will assist them in drawing false Conclusions from true Premisses and in opposing the Grace of the Gospel to its Precepts When the Carnal Affections corrupt the Judgment the Mind will give license to the Affections the case of such is dangerous if not desperate Thus the loose Opinion That Men may be saved without absolute Perfection therefore striving after it is unnecessary makes Men remiss in Religion and produces vain delusive hopes that end in fearful disappointments To undeceive Men the following Considerations may be effectual 1. 'T is true we must distinguish between the Preceptive Moral part of the Covenant of Works and of Grace and the Foederal They agree in the former and differ in the latter The Gospel injoyns perfect Obedience as well as the Law but the first makes it the Condition of the Covenant whereas the second makes provision for our Imperfections According to the tenor of the first the transgressing of one Command was a violation of the Covenant and Death was the unavoidable consequence of Sin for entire Obedience was the Condition of it Adam sin'd once and must dye for ever But to sin against the command of the Gospel and the Covenant is not the same The Mediator interposes between the Righteous Judge and the Sinner and Faith in him notwithstanding the killing Law and the accusing Conscience secures us from revenging Justice Only final Impenitence and Unbelief cut off from the benefit of the Gospel 2. Tho' the Gospel allays the severity and rigor of the Law and pardons our defects yet it as strictly requires our sincere earnest endeavours after Perfection as the Law requir'd exact Obedience We are commanded to grow in Grace 't is direct matter of Duty we are obliged to be holy as God is holy in all manner of Conversation the Rule is inflexible and none can by dispensation or priviledge be exempted from serious and constant endeavours to be intirely like God Those who are pleas'd with the pretence that perfect Holiness is unattainable here and indulge their imperfections are in the state of unrenewed Nature They are sure they shall be bad always and therefore will not labour to be better But the Consideration that we cannot attain to the highest pitch of Holiness is a spur and incitation to the Saints to greater diligence as appears by the example of St. Paul before cited 'T is true there are different ages of the Children of God some are as new born Babes in a state of Infancy and Infirmity others in their Minority others are arrived to more maturity and as the crying of an Infant discovers life as well as active mirth so mourning for our Imperfections discovers the truth of Grace And Saints of different Degrees are receiv'd into Glory but none are who did not aim and endeavour to â—leanse themselves from all pollutions of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness For without sincerity we are not capable of the present favour of God nor future blessedness and sincerity is inconsistent with the wilful neglect of our Duty Grace is a plant of Heaven productive of Fruits suitable to its quality and 't is proper to its nature to be tending to Perfection A Tree that ceases to grow before 't is come to its perfection and brings not forth Fruit in its season withers and dyes A Christian that is unfruitful has no Life but is expos'd to the just threatning of Excision and the Fire He that limits himself in Religion is in a state of Death I have insâ—sted the longer upon this matter that by clearness and Conviction Men may be dis-enchanted from that pernicious perswasion that without using sincerâ— endeavors to be perfectly Holy they may safely go to Heaven 3. I shall add to what has been discours'd of before some other Arguments and Motives to excite us to be intentive to this great work I shall first consider the perfection of the Rule laid down in the Gospel 1. The Moral Law in its purity and perfection that forbids Sin in every kind and degree Thou shalt not Covet and Commands Holiness in the most Spiritual Sublimeness Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy mind heart soul and strength is the Rule of our Duty prescrib'd in the Gospel 'T is true that Personal perfect Obedience as the Condition of Life is abolish'd as was before observed if that lives we must dye for ever But the command binds without relaxation There is no permission of the least Sin by the Gospel The looking to the Brazen Serpent did not alter the deadly quality of the poison of the Fiery Serpent but stopt its deadly operation Faith in Christ does not change the nature of Sin to make it Lawful but hinders its deadly malignity in Working Our Saviour tells us He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it And that heaven and earth should pass away before one tittle of it shall fail that is lose its binding Authority 'T is as unalterable as the Law-giver whose purity it represents Not only the Mysterious and Supernatural Doctrines the Objects of Faith but Moral Duties the matters of Practice are fully reveal'd only in the Gospel The Humane Understanding was Darkness to Supernatural Truths and dim with respect to the Rules of Life Our Saviour has clear'd the Law from the false Glosses of the Pharisees who by favourable Explications and Correctives of its strictness instead of curbing their Lusts did cherish and foment them But the Oracle speaks without ambiguity the Interpretation of our Saviour is clear and decisive that the purifying the Heart as well as the cleansing the Hand is an Indispensable Duty Holiness must be so pure that we must not only abstain from polluting acts but quench all polluting thoughts and desires we must not only