that we cannot hear them because Sounds are not the Objects of Sight nor Colours of Hearing Now no man pretends that the pure Natures and Essences of things or their Essential Reasons Properties Unions Operations are the Objects of Humane Reason for no man living knows any thing about them And yet this is all the Incomprehensibility men have to complain of in the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation That they cannot comprehend how God can beget an Eternal Son nor how Three Divine Persons should be so united as to be essentially One God nor how the Divine and Humane Nature can be united into one Person God-man All which concern the Essence and Essential Properties Operations Unions Relations of the Deity which a modest man might allow to be incomprehensible if God be Infinite though he could comprehend the Natures Essences and Essential Reasons and Properties of Created Beings but when all Created Nature is such a Mystery to us that we know not the pure Nature and Essence of any one thing in the World is it an affront to our Reason that we cannot comprehend the Divine Nature Such Matters as these are neither without Reason nor against Reason nor contrary to Reason because Reason has nothing to do with them and can take no cognizance of them They belong not to Reason but to that Infinite Mind which comprehends it Self and the Ideas of all possible Beings A perfect comprehensive Knowledge of Nature belongs only to the Maker of all things for it is not only to know what things are but how to make them which would be a vain Curiosity and useless Knowledge to those who have not a Making and Creating Power This is to know things à priori with an Intuitive Ideal Knowledge which is infinitely more superiour to Reason â—…an Reason is to Sense And it is the â—…ffectation of this Intuitive making Knowledge which makes some Men Atheists and others Hereticks 2dly Another great Objection against such a Revelation as contains matters which Natural Reason cannot comprehend is To what purpose such â—…a Revelation serves What Merit there can be in believing such Doctrines And of what good use such a Faith can be to us Now I confess I cannot think it meritorious merely to believe things which are incomprehensible or that God any more intended to puzzle our Faith with revealed Mysteries than to puzzle our Reason in making a Mysterious World Whether we receive our information from Sense or Natural Reason or Revelation it is certain we must believe Mysteries if we believe any thing for all things have something mysterious and incomprehensible in their natures what natural Reason cannot account for and what God never intended we should understand For God never intended to teach us how to make the World nor how every Creature was made and therefore we cannot and are not concerned to know the internal Frame and Constitution of Nature But though neither Natural nor Revealed Knowledge extends to the Reasons and Causes of Nature and of essential Properties and Operations yet both natural and revealed Knowledge is of as much use to us as if we did perfectly understand all the secret and incomprehensible Mysteries of the nature of God or of the Natures of Creatures Both natural and revealed Knowledge are alike upon this account That they only acquaint us what things are and what ends they serve and then we know what use to make of them without understanding the secret Mysteries of Nature Is this World or any thing in it the less useful to us because we cannot conceive how God created all things of nothing Or because we do not understand the Nature of Matter nor how the several parts of Matter came by their different Virtues and Qualities Is Corn or Fruit or Herbs the less nourishing or refreshing because we know not how they grow Does it require any Philosophy to know how to eat and drink and sleep Will not our Food nourish us â—…less we understand how it is concoctâ—… and turned into Chile and Blood â—…d Spirits Nay is it of no use to â—…ow that God is an Eternal Omnipoâ—…nt Omniscient Omnipresent Being â—…less we can conceive how any Being â—…n be Eternal without a Cause and â—…ithout a Beginning Or can compreâ—…end how he can do and know all things â—…d be present in all places at once â—…ithout Extension and without Parts â—…e may make all the use that can be â—…ade of this World and of every thing 〈◊〉 it without understanding the essential â—…easons and Causes or internal Nature â—…f any thing and we must do so if we will make any use of it and we know God to all the ends and purposes for which Creatures ought to know God â—…hough his Nature be incomprehensible And thus it is in matters of pure Revelation such as the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation how unaccountable soever the Mystery of a Trinity in Unity the Eternal Generation and the Incarnation of the Son of God be yet it is the most useful Knowledge in the World Though we know not how the Eternal Father begat an Eternal Son of his own Substance nor how this Eternal Son in time became Man yet it is the most desireable Knowledge in the world to Sinners to know That God has an Eternal Son and that he so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and that this Eternal Son of God became Man lived a poor necessitous laborious Life and died an accursed Death for the Salvation of Sinners and to know That the Holy Spirit which proceeds from Father and Son dwells in the Christian Church and quickens and animates the whole Body of Christ. If this be true as we must suppose in this Argument all Mankind must confess that this is a very useful Knowledge and never the less useful because a Trinity in Unity and the Eternal Generation and the Incarnation of the Son of God are great and unconceivable Mysteries Could we give a Rational and Philosophical Account of the Eternal Generation and of the Incarnation we should know more than we now do but Faith makes it as useful to all the purposes of Religion as the most perfect intuitive Knowledge could do This is a sufficient Answer to that Objection against the Usefulness of such Mysteries as have something incomprehensible and unconceivable in their Natures Which is an equal Objection against all created Nature which is but one great Mystery and yet the World is a very useful World and we know in some good degree what use to make of it And the Knowledge of those Gospel Mysteries which are the Subject of our present Dispute are manifestly of infinite use to us if the certain knowledge of the Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life by the Obedience and Sufferings and Death and Intercession of the Son of God Incarnate be of any use and
could things be better ordered for the encouragement of Virtue and Religion Good men whatever their Condition be have the Advantage of the Wicked even as to this present Life they may be easy and enjoy themselves in all Conditions for GOD has provided for their present Support but if bad men be Sufferers they have nothing to support them and though they be prosperous they feel such Disorders of Passions or such guilty Fears as sowre all their other Enjoyments 3. God has so wisely ordered things that we cannot support our selves under Sufferings without making a wise and good use of them for the best Arguments to comfort us under Sufferings will afford us no comfort unless they make us better It is a great comfort that Afflictions are appointed by a wise and good God But he who considers this will naturally enquire into the Reason why God strikes will search and try his way and turn unto the Lord will hear the rod and who it is that hath appointed it That Afflictions are ordered for our good will make us endeavour to reap the Spiritual Benefit of them for that Afflictions are useful is no Comfort at all unless we make a wise use of them unless they bring forth the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness No Man can take Comfort in the Rewards of the next World without bearing his Sufferings well in this for our Sufferings will have no reward unless they make us better unless they purify our Minds and exercise our Faith and Patience and Submission to the Will of God 3dly I observe That it is better to suffer than to sin even with respect to our present ease because Sufferings may be born by an innocent and vertuous Mind but Guilt inflicts an unsupportable wound upon the Spirit and â—…ose Sufferings which the Spirit of a Man can bear are rather to be chosen â—…han what the Spirit of a Man cannot â—…ear Lastly I observe That the Governâ—…ent of our own Passions contributes â—…ore to our Happiness than any exterâ—…al Enjoyments While our Minds are disordered with violent and tumultuâ—…us Passions we can never be Easy and Happy whatever else we enjoy for this gives such a Wound to the Spirits as no external Enjoyments can heal But he who has his Passions under government who knows how to Love and Fear Desire and Hope though he may be a great Sufferer can never be miserable because he can support himself under all other Sufferings What a wrong Course then do the generality of Mankind take to make themselves happy They seek for Happiness without when the Foundation of Happiness must be laid within in the Temper and Disposition of our Minds An easy quiet Mind will weather all the Storms of Fortune but how calm and serene soever the Heavens be there is no peace to the wicked who have nothing but noise and tumult and confusion within To God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost be Honour Glory and Power now and for ever Amen SERMON VII Preach'd at the Funeral of the Reverend Richard Meggot D. D. and late Dean of Winchester December the 10th 1692. at Twickenham I. Phil. 23 24. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you ST Paul wrote this Epistle to Philippi from Rome where he was in Bonds for the Gospel but though his Body was confined to a Prison his Soul his great Divine Soul was at Liberty to visit the Churches he had planted to advise and counsel and comfort them to encrease their Knowledge and to confirm their Faith to instame their Zeal and to spur them forward to more perfect Attainmens in all Piety and Virtue The Philippians seem greatly concerned least the Progress of â—…e Gospel should be hindred by St. Paul's Imprisonment and lest they and the whole Church should be deprived of the Labours and Ministry of so great an Apostle should this Persecution extend to Life as they had reason to fear it would As for the first St. Paul assures them That his Bonds were for the furtherance of the Gospel for his Imprisonment was taken notice of both in the Court and City which made Men curious to know what that Doctrine was which he preached and for which he suffered Bonds and this published the Gospel more effectually than his Preaching could have done Verse 12 13 c. As for the second he tells them He was no farther concerned either about Life or Death but that Christ might be magnified in his Body If he lived his Life was wholly devoted to the Service of Christ and of his Church if he died it would be for his own great Advantage To me to live is Christ and to die is gain verse 20 21. and this made it a hard choice to him whether he should desire to live or die whether he should get rid of his Bonds and make his Escape out of a troublesome World into the Regions of Ease and Rest to reap the Fruit of his Labours here in the eternal Enjoyment of his Lord whom he had so faithfully served or whether he should live to Encounter with a thousand Difficulties and Deaths in the Service of Christ and of the Souls of Men. What I should chuse I wot not for I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better nevertheless to abide in the Flesh is more needful for you Was there ever such a Dispute as this before That a Man who was as certain to go to Heaven as he was to die who had himself been snatch'd up into the third Heavens and had his Mind possest with strong and vigorous and lively Idea's of the Glories of that place who had seen and heard such things as could not be expressed who saw a Crown a glorious immarcessible Crown prepared for him I say that such a Man should make any question what he should chuse whether immediately to take possession of this Crown and Kingdom or to live longer in this World to suffer Bonds and Imprisonments Hunger and Cold and Stripes and all the ill usage which he had so often met with for no other reason but still to preach the Gospel and to enlarge the Borders of Christ's Church What a Contempt is this not only of the little Pleasures and Satisfactions but even of all the Miseries of Life What a Triumph is this over the World over all the Frowns and Terrours of it What a Triumph is this over Self such a degree of Self-denial as the Gospel it self does not command which is in some sence to deny Heaven to deny all the Joys of Christ's Presence for the sake of doing good For it is to delay to put off Heaven to adjourn his own Happiness that he may live the longer to serve his great Master though with great Difficulties and Labours What Love was this
would I cannot imagine that it should weaken the Argument to translate this Immortal Life from Earth to Heaven which is so much a happier Place than this Earth And yet I doubt not but were this the Case that Vertuous Men should be immortal in this World and none but Sinners should die Sin would render Men the most contemptible and infamous Creatures to prefer the short Extravagancies of Vice before a Vertuous Immortality In short the difference between Time and Eternity is such a Reason as no difficulties can answer Eternal Happiness is an abundant recompence for any temporal sufferings and whatever the difficulties of Virtue and Religion may be they must not be compared with Eternal Miseries 2dly As there is a vast difference between Time and Eternity so there is as vast a difference between Things Temporal and Things Eternal I do not intend at present to represent to you the Eternal Happiness or Miseries of the next Life as I find them described in Scripture nor either lessen the Happiness or aggravate the Sufferings of this present Life but shall keep close to my Argument and only consider the difference which Time and Eternity makes between things and a very few Words will explain this For it is evident that whatever is subject to Time is liable to Changes Revolutions Intermissions but what is Eternal hath an unchangeable Nature and is always the same And what a vast difference does this make between the Happiness and Miseries of this perishing Life and the Eternal Happiness and Miseries of the next The Happiness of this Life can't be very valuable because it is not constant the Enjoyments of it are frequently delayed disappointed or interrupted and the Miseries of it are not so very formidable because they have their Allays and Intermissions too and cannot continue long in great extremity This is the Nature of temporal things to change and alter which lessens the Pleasures and tempers the Miseries of Life But an eternal constant uninterrupted Happiness an eternal constant uninterrupted Misery a Happiness and Misery without any end and without any Intermission or Allay this is perfect Happiness and perfect Misery infinitely more to be desired and feared than what Time can alter This represents Temporal Things as in themselves of no great value and gives a Natural Preference to Eternal Things Which is the reason of our Saviour's Exhortation Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves cannot break through and steal This makes a natural Subordination between Temporal and Eternal Things and justifies the Wisdom of our Choice in making to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail they may receive us into â—…verlasting habitations Or like that wise Merchant in the Gospel who having found a treasure hid in a field went and fold all that he had and bought that field This is sufficient to convince those Men who believe another Life of the reasonableness of this Choice to govern our Lives by the Faith and Hope of unseen things not to look at the Things which are seen but at the Things which are not seen Bad Men themselves feel the force of this Argument and have no way to avoid it but by making these unseen things more invisible than they really are They love these seen things so well though they are but temporal that they are not willing to believe there are any such Unseen Eternal Things which they are convinc'd ought to have the Preference if there be any such Eternal Things And therefore for a Conclusion I shall briefly reason the Case with these Men nor directly to prove the Certainty of another World but to shew them how unreasonable and dangerous it is to entertain such an Aversion as they manifestly betray to the Belief of it For can any thing be more infamous than an Aversion to the Belief of Immortality Is any thing more natural to Mankind than the Desire of Immortality Next to the Fears of being miserable for ever is there a more terrible Thought than falling into nothing And how unnatural then is it for Men to be afraid of believing themselves immortal and to take great Pains to perswade themselves against all the Hopes and Inclinations of Nature that they shall dye like Beasts and to appear never better pleased than when they can start some difficulties to weaken the Belief and Hope of another World True you 'l say this seems somewhat unnatural but this is partially represented and not the whole of the Case the Gospel of Christ which promises Eternal Life to all Penitents threatens Eternal Death too against all impenitent Sinners and if upon the Authority of the Gospel we believe the Resurrection of the Just into Immortal Life we must believe the Resurrection of the Wicked to Eternal Punishments and these are such terrible things that it is more desireable there should be no Heaven then that there should be a Hell and they had rather reject these great Hopes than take the Hope and the Fear together This no doubt is the true Reason of Mens infidelity not that they absolutely despise Immortal Life the Desire of which is so natural and necessary but that they fear Eternal Miseries And yet in this case it is very unnatural to reject the Belief and Hope of Immortal Life For the Desire of Immortality is the first and most necessary Desire of Nature and therefore ought to govern all other Desires for it is unnatural to prefer any thing before it As fond as Men are of their Sins yet any Man of understanding would be ashamed to own that he had rather enjoy his Lusts thirty or forty Years than be immortal The Design of Infidelity is not only to cure Men's Fears but to salve their Reputation and to make their Vices less infamous If there be no Life after this let us eat and drink for to morrow we die seems natural and reasonable enough but to eat and drink and riot away Immortality must make a Man infamous Suppose God had promised Immortal Life to good Men and threaten'd not Eternal Punishments but Annihilation to the Wicked When Eternal Punishments were removed out of the way would you have thought it reasonable then to believe Immortality and to live vertuously for the Hopes of Immortality Would you have thought it infamous then to prefer Sin and Annihilation before Vertue and Immortality and is it not infamous then for the love of Sin to reject the Hopes of Immortality and to hope for Annihilation as such Men generally do if we think it reasonable to serve God that we may be immortal and that it would be infamous not to do so supposing the certain Knowledge of Immortal Life then the Threatnings of Eternal Punishments can be no reasonable prejudice against the Belief of Immortality
profligate Sinners can shelter themselves in a Schism and palliate or expiate their other Crimes by a factious Zeal and therefore if ever we desire to see Christianity flourish we must Pray heartily for Peace and Unity among Christians But that we may the better understand what we are to Pray for let us briefly enquire wherein the Unity of the Church consists and that is in the Unity of Faith the Unity of Communion and the Unity of Love and Charity 1st Unity of Faith Whereby I do not understand that all Christians must agree in all the Opinions and Speculations of Religion it would be well if it could be so but this can never be while men have such different Understandings and Abilities such different Skill and Opportunities of enquiry but the Unity of Faith is secured by an Agreement in all the Fundamental Articles of Religion though a little varied in some nicer Speculations which are like the different Features in mens Faces which distinguish them from one another but do not alter the Human Shape And this is the difference between the Disputes which divide Papists and Protestants and the Disputes of Protestants among themselves The first subvert the Foundations of Christian Faith and Worship and therefore these Differences can never be Accommodated and Reconciled they will not part with their Errors and we must not embrace them if we love our Souls for as dear a thing as Peace is we must not part with Truth for Peace But now the Disputes among all that are allowed to be Protestants whatever mistakes there may be on any side do not overthrow any necessary Article of the Christian Faith and therefore the Unity of the Faith may be secured amidst all these Disputes Some of these Disputes are only inconvenient Modes of speaking and the difference is only in Words when both Parties really mean the same thing which I believe if all Heat and Passion were laid aside would in a great measure appear to be the true State of that Protestant Controversy about Justification by Faith alone Others are mere Philosophical Disputes in which the Christian Faith is not peculiarly concerned for they have been and are disputed in all Religions such as the Controversy about God's Eternal Decrees and the Power and Efficacy of Nature and Grace which is only a reviving of that old Philosophical Dispute about Necessity and Fate and God's concourse with second Causes to produce their Effects And thus it is in some other Cases Now methinks such Disputes as these which do not properly belong to the Christian Faith should not divide the Christian Church Let men dispute about them as Philosophers but as Christians let it suffice them to believe what Christ and his Apostles have plainly taught us t at is enough to carry us to Heaven and methinks it should be enough to make us agree in the Way thither As to Explain this more particularly but very briefly There is no good Protestant but will confess That we are Justified only by the Merits of CHRIST's Death and Sacrifice as the only Expiation and Atonement for our Sins That no works of Righteousness which we can do can make Satisfaction to God for our Sins nor merit Eternal Life which is the Gift of God That Christ is our only Saviour and that he is the Saviour only of his Body or Church That we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and put into a state of Justification by Faith and the Christian Sacraments That no impenitent unreformed Sinner though he do profess to believe in Christ and be baptized shall be saved by Him and therefore though Repentance and a Holy Life do not merit the Pardon of Sin nor Eternal Rewards yet they are necessarily required in all those who shall be forgiven and saved by Christ. This I say all good Protestants agree in and all this is plainly taught in Scripture and whoever believes this and practises accordingly shall certainly be saved And what need is there then of reducing all this into Artificial Schemes wherein Mens Fancies and Conceits differ What necessity is there of disputing what the Office of Faith or what the Efficacy of Works is in our Justification when we all agree that we are saved only by the Mercy of God and the Merits of Christ through Faith in his Blood and the Exercise of Repentance and a holy Life To understand the reason and order of things conduces much to the beauty and perfection of Christian Knowledge but Men may be saved and the Peace of the Church better secured without such particular Determinations Thus all good Protestants agree that all God's Works are known to him from the foundation of the World That Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world That God knows who are his and always did so That we are predestinated to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved That we are predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will 1. Ephes. 5 6 11. That when God comes to judge the World he will appear infinitely just and good and merciful That bad men shall have no reason to complain of God and that good men shall have nothing to arrogate to themselves This secures the Glory of God of his Wisdom Goodness Justice Power and Soveraignty and what need is there to enquire any farther into the Divine Decrees than the Scripture has revealed in the particular explication of which when men follow their own Fancies they vastly differ from each other to the great disturbance of the Peace of the Church We are assured by plain Testimonies of Scripture That God desires not the death of a Sinner but rather that he should return and live That our destruction is of our selves That all the good we do is wholly owing to the Grace of God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure That all the evil we do is owing to our selves That every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death This we all agree in and this attributts the glory of all the good we do to God and the shame of all the evil we do to our selves this encourages us to do good in a confident assurance of the Divine Grace and teaches bad men that they must not think to excuse their wickedness by charging it on God And this is all that is necessary for us to know because it is all that is needful to the purposes of Religion and a holy Life But when men frame this into Philosophical Hypotheses they then divide as far from each other as East and West and all the attempts of reconciling them
â—…hird is open and bare-faced The Devil in express words tempts him to â—…dolatry with the Promise of all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them which he had drawn a beautiful Landskip of and shew'd him from a high Mountain All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Or as St. Luke relates it All this power will I give thee and the glory of them for it is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it Which in some sense was true at that time not that the Devil had the Supreme and Absolute disposal of Kingdoms for St. Paul assures us that all the Powers even of the Pagan World were of God and ordained by 13 Rom 1. God But yet he was at that time the God of this World and had a more visible Kingdom than God himself The true Worshippers of God were aâ—… that time chiefly confined to Iudea aâ—… very little spot of Earth but all the Power and Glory of the World was in the hands of Idolaters who Worshipped the Devil and wicked Spirits And the force of the Argument is as if he had said to our Saviour You call your self the Son of God and Worship him but will God do that foâ—… you which I can and will do if you Worship me You your self see that he has no Kingdom but Iudea to bestow on you and that also is at present in the hands of my Worshippers but what is that to all the Kingdom of the World which are at my disposal and which you see your self are mine and under my Government But our â—…aviour without disputing the value of â—…is World or what Power the Devil â—…ad in the disposal of it chides away â—…e Tempter with Indignation Be gone â—…atan For it is written Thou shalt worâ—…ip the Lord thy God and him only shalt â—…ou serve But though Christ refused â—…is proffer his pretended Vicar has â—…ken it and revived the old Pagan â—…olatry for the Kingdoms of the â—…orld and the Glory of them This is the prevailing Temptation 〈◊〉 this day to corrupt Religion the â—…aith and Worship of God for some â—…mporal Advantages too many Men â—…ink That the best Religion which â—…ill best serve a secular Interest â—…nd we have reason to think that â—…o many do this and know â—…hat they do that their furious â—…eal for a false Religion is not all â—…gnorance and Mistake but an undisâ—…mbled Love of this World For can â—…e think that the Devil never temptâ—… any Man but Christ knowingly â—…d willingly to renounce the true Reâ—…gion and the true Worship of God â—…r this World No doubt he does â—…d very often prevails too and these knowing Idolaters who make a downright bargain to Worship the Devil for the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them are those who abuse the Ignorant and Credulous with a false and hypocritical Zeal But let us remember that we musâ—… Worship the Lord our God and him only must we serve Let us remember what our Saviour tells us What shall it proâ—… a man if he gain the whole world aâ—… lose his own soul Or What shall a maâ—… give in exchange for his soul Let us â—…member that the end of Religion 〈◊〉 to please God to Glorify him to 〈◊〉 like him and to enjoy him for everâ—… and this will give us a secure Victoâ—… over the World and the Devil Whiâ—… God of his infinite Mercy grant throug our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with tâ—… Father and the Holy Ghost be Honoâ—… Glory and Power now and for ever Amen SERMON V. â—…each'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor at St. Bridget's Church on Tuesday in Easter-Week 1692. IV. LUKE 35. â—…t love ye your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil OUR Conformity to the Death and Resurrection of our Saviour consists in dying to 〈◊〉 and walking in newness of life â—…ich St. Paul tells us is represented 〈◊〉 the External Ceremony of Bapâ—…m the baptised Person being buried with Christ in Baptism and rising out of his watry grave a new born Creature 6. Rom. 3 4. For in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord 9 10. And the principal Exercise of this Divine Life which is our conformity to the Resurrection of Christ is a Divine Conversation If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth 3. Col. 1 2. And to set our affections on things above does not only signify to think sometimes of Heaven and to desire to go to Heaven when we dye which very worldly-minded men may do but to lay up for our selves Treasures in Heaven which are durable and eternal in opposition to those perishing Treasures on Earth which are subject to Thieves to Moths and Rust 6. Matth. 19 20 21. To make to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail they may receive us into everlasting habitations 16. Luke 9. Now ye all know what this means viz. To purge our minds from the love of Riches and from all covetous Desires to improve â—…r Estates in Acts of Piety and Chaâ—…ty for the Service of God and to â—…pply the wants of the poor and miâ—…rable to return our Money into the â—…ther World where it will encrease â—…to Eternal Life and Glory for this 〈◊〉 truly to have our Conversation in â—…eaven to live above this World to â—…t loose from all the Enjoyments of it â—…o live to God and another World â—…o improve every thing we enjoy here â—…o secure and advance our future Hapâ—…iness when men are Charitable upon â—…hese Principles and these Designs they â—…ust live a very heavenly Life For where our Treasure is there our hearts will be also This our Ancestors who appointed this Annual Solemnity seem to have been very sensible of That there is no particular Grace or Virtue the exercise of which is a more visible demonstration of a Divine and purified Mind which is risen with Christ and lives to God as Christ doth than the Grace of Charity and therefore that there was no time more proper to exercise Charity and to exhort Christians to Charity and to show Charity in all its Pomp and humble Bravery than the Feast of the Resurrection wherein we commemorate the Love of our Lord in dying for us and his triumph over Death and in full assurance of a blessed Immortality of which the Resurrection of our Saviour was an ocular Demonstration send our Hearts and our Eyes after him to Heaven and contemplate that Glory to which he is advanced
and to which he has promised to advance us This then is my proper work at this time to exhort you to Charity proper both to the nature of this Holy Feast and to the original Institution of this Solemnity and it may reasonably be hoped that the Annual Returns of it wherein all the Arguments to Charity are so earnestly pressed on you should keep this Divine Fire always burning and glowing in your Breasts You have so often heard all the Arguments to Charity that it is impossible you should forget them and there is one that is worth all the rest which no Christian can forget who remembers that there is a Heaven and a Hell and which no Christian can resist without despising â—…is Soul and Eternal Life and Death â—…nd that is That Heaven is the Reâ—…ard of Charity that Hell is the Puâ—…ishment of Uncharitableness which is â—…o plainly and expresly taught and so 〈◊〉 repeated by our Saviour â—…hat it is as certain and unavoidable as that there is a Heaven and a Hell and if Heaven be not a sufficient Encouragement to Charity nor Hell sufficient to deter us from Uncharitableness it is to no purpose to use any other Arguments which can never persuade if these can't or if they could would neither carry us to Heaven nor keep us out of Hell for to be charitable only for temporal reasons is to give our goods to feed the poor without a true Divine Charity which St. Paul tells us will profit nothing 1 Cor. 13. For such a Charity as does not raise us above this world can neither carry us to Heaven nor keep us out of Hell And therefore instead of drawing together all the Arguments for Charity which you have so often heard and shewing them in a new dress my design at present is to recommend to you a very excellent but a very neglected part of Charity which our Saviour presses on us in my Text viz. The Charity of Lending Do good and lend hoping for nothing again In speaking to which Words I shall 1. Shew you what this Duty is 2. What an excellent Charity it is to lend And how this may be improved to the most excellent purposes 1. What this Duty is or what our Saviour means by lending hoping for nothing again And it can signify but two things and I see no reason to think but that our Saviour might mean both 1. To Lend without hoping for any encrease or to lend freely without Usury 2. To lend where the very Principal may be in danger when we have little reason to hope that we shall ever see our own again 1. To lend freely without Usury for our Saviour commands this as an Act of Charity Do good and lend And though to lend even upon Usury may in many cases prove a great kindness to the Borrower yet Charity is not the motive of the Lender it is â—…ot Charity but Traffick and Merâ—…handize of Money and though the Iews were expresly forbid to lend their Brethren upon Usury yet our Saviour â—…ntimates there was something like this and equivalent to it which spoilâ—…ed the Charity of lending even without Usury that they would not lend â—…o the poor who though they should repay them what they borrowed yet were never likely to be in a condition to lend to them again but they would lend to the Rich from whom they expected the like returns of kindness as you may see in the Verses before my Text 33 34. And if ye do good to them that do good to you what thank have ye for sinners also do even the same And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive not only your own but the like kindness of lending to you when your occasions require it what thank have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal returns of kindness which if it be not Usury of Money is Usury of Kindnesses but is not Charity like inviting our Rich Friends and Neighbours to a Feast who can invite us again which though it be no fault is no Charity for that consists in entertaining the poor who can make us no return 14. Luke 12 13 14. And thus our Saviour exhorts us here but do you do good and lend hoping for nothing again neither for Usury nor for such returns and exchanges of kindness It was for the sake of this Duty that Usury was so strictly forbidden by the Iewish Law that men might the more freely lend their Money to those who wanted when they had no present use for it themselves and had no way to encrease it and as far as the Reason and Charity of this Law extends so far it still obliges and so far Usury is still forbid to Christians This is not well considered by those who so universally condemn all Usury and because the right understanding of this will be of great use to settle some men's minds and to explain and enforce this duty of Lending which I now recommend to you it cannot be thought a digression from my present Design to give you the true but short state of this matter It is confessed on all hands That Usury is forbid by the Law of Moses but the great mistake is concerning the Nature of Usury or what that is which the Law forbids and condemns by the name of Usury Some think that all Increase of Money when men lend a Sum of Money to receive the Principal again with Interest is the Usury which the Law forbids and therefore that this is absolutely unlawful in all cases and in all degrees though we all know That Trade to which we owe all the Riches and Greatness of our Nation and so many excellent Charities too cannot be maintained without it That some men who now live comfortably in the world maintain their Families with Credit and Reputation and do many acts of Charity themselves could not Trade at all others could not drive such flourishing and spreading Trades without borrowed Money nor borrow without Interest That many Widows and Orphans are maintained by Interest who must in a few years be Beggars had they no other way to live but to spend the Principal This is so contrary to the sense and reason of Mankind and to all the rules of Justice and Charity and so impracticable in the present state of the world that while it is possible to put any other sense upon the Law I would never think of this And the comfort is that the Law expounds it self otherwise and gives no colour for such an Interpretation as this That all Increase of Money is forbid by it For 1. The Law it self allowed the Iews to take Usury of Strangers of other Countries though not of their Brethren or natural Iews 23. Deut. 20. Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury And therefore God did not absolutely forbid the Iews to encrease their Money for they
Courtships of the World cannot defend us from our selves we cannot stop our ears against 〈◊〉 we cannot harden our selves against â—…s Terrors it is a domestick Fury â—…hich when it is provoked and awakenâ—…d will be heard and will make us â—…emble will make us judge and conâ—…emn our selves and begin our own â—…orments in frightful Horrors and Agoâ—…es of Mind 2dly Whereas Reason can fortify the â—…ind against all external Calamities â—…hen our Spirits are wounded that â—…ttle Reason we have left proves our â—…ormentor When we are under the â—…ransports of violent and disorderly â—…assions Reason can't be heard or is â—…ibed by Passion to justify its own Exâ—…esses Wise Counsels are lost on such â—…en as much as a Lecture of Philoâ—…phy would be in the Noise and Diâ—…raction of an Alarm or Battel What a sullen and obstinate thing is â—…rief how does it pore on its own â—…isfortune nourish its Disease and â—…espise all Arts of Diversion that it is â—…ommonly above the cure of any thing â—…ut Time which weakens the Impresâ—…on or tires men with their own Comâ—…laints When our Consciences are wounded with Guilt this arms all the Reason we have against us for Reason in such Cases can never be on our side then Reason discovers our Shame and Danger aggravates our Sins and many times drives such awaken'd Sinners into the very Horrors of Dispair disputes against the possibility of their Pardon and blots their Names out of all the Promises of the Gospel how large and universal soever they be The Guides of Souls who are always consulted upon such Occasions how much soever they are despised at other times could tell a great many sad Stories of thiâ—… kind enow to convince Sinners that even Wit and Reason is a very dangerous Enemy when a guilty Conscience turns the edge of it against our selves 3dly When there is no Ease and Comfort within there is no other Remedy but to seek for Support and Comfort from abroad and there are a great many pretty Diversions in the World to entertain Men who are at leisure to attend them but these are no Entertainments to a wounded Spirit When men are galled by their own Passions by Fear Emulation Jealousy Discontent in the very midst of laughter â—…e heart is sorrowful As great as Haâ—…n was all his Riches and Power â—…ailed him nothing while he saw â—…ordecai the Iew sitting at the King 's â—…ate 5. Esth. 13. The good things of this World are â—…ry considerable when there is an eaâ—… and cheerful mind to enjoy them â—…t they cannot make a man easy and â—…ppy whose Mind is disturbed they â—…ay entertain an easy Mind but canâ—…t quiet the Tumults and Disorders of â—…ssions nor give any Ease to a woundâ—… Spirit Much less can external things apâ—…ase the Horrors of a guilty Consciâ—…ce Away all ye vain Delights will â—…ch a man say what have I to do with â—…easure when Torments everlasting â—…orments must be my Portion Why â—…o you tell me of Riches and Honours â—…hen the great God is my Enemy â—…hen I am despised and abhorred of my â—…aker and am thought worthy of no â—…etter Portion than Eternal Flames 〈◊〉 am not at leisure to attend the Flatâ—…ering Courtships of this World my Thoughts are taken up with a more â—…readful Prospect of things to come O Eternity Eternity the never-dying Worm the never-dying Death 4thly Nor can a wounded Spiâ—… find any Support from the Considerations of Religion unless it find its Câ—… there If the Belief of a Divine Providence and another World can cure oâ—… Love to present things it will give uâ—… quiet and easy Passions too but without this a wounded and distemper'â—… Spirit will reproach God as well aâ—… Men and rage against Heaven it self â—… like that wicked King This evil is 〈◊〉 the Lord why should I wait on the Lâ—… any longer As Solomon observes Tâ—… foolishness of Man perverteth his waâ—… and his heart fretteth against the Lord. If the Fear of God and of thoâ—… Punishments He has threatned agaiâ—… Sin makes us true and sincere Peâ—…tents conquers our vicious Habiâ—… and reforms our Lives this is such 〈◊〉 wounded Spirit as God will bind up again such a broken and contrite heaâ—… as God will not despise but the Thoughâ—… of God and of a future Judgment aâ—… very terrible to Impenitent Sinners It is a dreadful Prospect to look intâ—… the other World and to see those Lakes of Fire and Brimstone prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this 〈◊〉 all that Bad men can see in the next â—…orld Thus we see how supportable all â—…ternal Evils and Calamities are how â—…supportable a wounded Spirit is and â—…e comparing these two Cases will â—…ggest some very useful Thoughts to â—…s As First This is a great Vindicatiâ—… of the Providence of God with â—…spect to those Evils and Calamities â—…at are in the World Sufferings are â—…ery necessary in this corrupt and deâ—…enerate State of Mankind but though â—…od sees it necessary to punish Sinners â—…et he has made abundant Provision to â—…pport us under all external Sufferâ—…gs He inflicts nothing on us but â—…hat the Spirit of a Man can sustain â—…d support it self under but our â—…reatest Sufferings are owing to our â—…elves and no more chargeable on the â—…rovidence of God than our Sins are â—…othing that is external can hurt us â—…hile our minds are sound and healthâ—…l but it is only a disordered or guilty â—…ind which gives a Sting to Afflictiâ—…ns God corrects in measure as we â—…re able to bear but we our selves tye the Knots or add the Scorpions to thâ—… Scourge Secondly This greatly recommendâ—… the Divine Wisdom in that Provisioâ—… God has made for our Support undâ—… Sufferings As â—…t Since the generality oâ—… Mankind were not likely to prove anyâ—… great Philosophers GOD hath bestowed on them such a measure of Naturâ—… Courage as will bear Afflictions betteâ—… than the Reason and Philosophy 〈◊〉 more thinking men and we may generally observe that those who maâ—… the least use of their Reason and haâ—… the least share of External Comforâ—… have the greatest Portion of this â—…taught Courage because they need 〈◊〉 most 2. God has provided the greatâ—… Supports for the best men Thoâ—… who use their Reason and examine thâ—… nature of things will more easily beâ—… Poverty and Disgrace and such otheâ—… Evils than men who judge by Opinion and popular Mistakes Those who live by Reason and govern their sensual Appetites and Inclinations and use the things of this World so as not to be mastered by them retain that Courage and Strength of Mind which is lost by softness and Effeminacy But a truly devout man who beâ—…ieves the Wisdom and Goodness of Providence and the Rewards of the next Life has the greatest Support of all Whereas an impenitent Sinner who wounds his Conscience with Guilt and an Atheist who believes neither a God nor a Providence have nothing but Sottishness and Stupidity to support them and
to his Lord what Love was this to the Souls â—…f Men it is certainly the most perâ—…ect imitation of the Love of Christ â—…at is possible to Man Christ so â—…oved us as to come down from Heaven to live a laborious Life and â—…o die an accursed Death for us this great Apostle so loved his Lord and so loved the Souls of Men that â—…e made it his choice to stay some time out of Heaven and to encounter all the Miseries and Terrours of this Life to serve Christ and his Church Where is this Divine Spirit now to be found Let us my beloved Brethren who are entrusted also with the Care of Souls by the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls blush to think how far short we fall of this Example let this inspire us with a flaming Love and Zeal for the Souls of Men for whom Christ died and make us at least contented to deny our selves some of the Ease and Security and Pleasures of Life to serve the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood But to keep my self within some Bounds I shall briefly Discourse on these two Heads which are very proper for this Occasion and very proper to my Text. First The great Rewards of faithful Pastors and Ministers of Christ and how much it is for their advantage to be removed out of this World St. Paul was very sensible of this which made him desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Secondly How necessary the Lives of such Men are to the Church and what a great loss it is when God removes them out of it Nevertheless to abide in the Flesh is more needful for you 1. Let us then consider in the first place the great Rewards of the faithful Ministers of Christ and how much it is for their advantage to depart and to be with Christ. Now I do not here intend a comparison between Heaven and Earth Good God! what different things are these and what Christian doubts whether Heaven be a happier Place than this World Heaven whither no Troubles or Sorrows can follow us no persecuting Sword no persecuting Tongue where we shall be delivered from all the Wants Necessities and Infirmities of the Body from â—…unger and Cold and Nakedness â—…m wracking Pains and languishing â—…cknesses where there is eternal Ease â—…d Rest and Joy without labour â—…ithout discontents without quarrels â—…here our Souls shall be perfected in â—…owledge and in love where we â—…all dwell in the Presence of God see â—…m as he is and know him even as â—…e are known where we shall dwell â—…ith Christ adore his Love behold â—…s Glory and be transformed our â—…lves into the likeness and image of â—…s Glory We have but obscure imâ—…rfect Conceptions of these things â—…w Heaven will out-do our highest â—…xpectations as much as the most â—…erfect state of Happiness in this World â—…ways falls short of what we expectâ—… and this is the case of all good â—…en it is a mighty happy Change â—…ey make when they remove from â—…arth to Heaven But there are different Degrees of Glory in the next World proportionâ—…d not only to our different attainâ—…ents in Virtue but to those different Trusts in Services which we have been employed in and have faithfully discharged here We read of the Reward of a Prophet that he who gives a Cup of cold Water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall have a Prophet's Reward which must signify some peculiar Reward that shall be bestowed on Prophets We know so little of the other World that we cannot conceive what these different Rewards shall be The Prophet Daniel represents it by an external Glory 12. Dan. 3. And 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 But our Saviour represents this by a different degree of Rule and Empire 12. Luke 42 43 44. And the Lord said Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his houshold to give them their meat in due season This is the honourable Character of Gospel Ministers in this World that they are Rulers in God's houshold to instruct and feed them with the Word of Life and their Reward is proportioned to their Work Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Of a truth I say unto you That he will make him ruler â—…ver all that he hath What this Rule â—…ignifies in the other World is a Mysteâ—…y to us especially since we have â—…ancied the other World to be only a State of Contemplation not of Actiâ—…n where we shall have nothing to do â—…ut to see God and to love and to praise him but no service to do for â—…im but we know there are different â—…orders of Angels who are employed in great Trusts and Offices Arch-Angels Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers which are names of Rule and Government though we know not what their Power and Authority is nor how they Govern in like manner our Saviour promises his Apostles Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel 19. Matth. 28. The like we may see in the Parable of the Pounds and Talents He who hath gained ten Pounds had Rule over ten Cities and he who gained five Pounds had Rule over five Cities for these Servants to whom the Lord gave these Pounds and Talents to improve plainly signify his Stewards and the Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom for no other Persons have in so peculiar a manner this honourable Character of the Servants of Christ throughout the Gospel And if there be Order and Government among the Angels themselves Why should we think that there is nothing like this among glorified Saints If Angels are the Ministers of God there is no reason to think that Heaven is a State of meer Rest and Contemplation especially when Happiness consists in Action And if Christ have any Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom in the next World it is most reasonable to think that those shall have the greatest Authority and be employed in the noblest Services who have been his faithful Stewards and Ministers in this World For the Church on Earth and in Heaven is the same Church though their State be very different and therefore they do not lose their relation to Christ nor their station in his Church by removing to Heaven It is a Sacerdotal Kingdom our High Priest is King and therefore a Priest of Iesus how mean soever this be thought now will be one of the highest Characters in Heaven What the Happiness of this is we cannot tell but we know that there are no empty Titles in Heaven but every degree of Dignity there signifies a peculiar degree of Happiness
him also freely give us all thingâ—… Who then shall separate us from the 〈◊〉 of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distreâ—… or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword Nay in 〈◊〉 these we are more than Conquerors throâ—… him that loved us For I am perswadâ—… that neither death nor life nor â—…gels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to coâ—… nor height nor depth nor any otâ—… creature shall be able to separate 〈◊〉 from the love of God which is in Câ—… Iesus our Lord 8. Rom. 32 35 37 〈◊〉 While our minds are warmed wâ—… such thoughts as these we shall 〈◊〉 able to bear up under the greaâ—… Trials if not with Chearfulness yet at least with Patience and a quiâ—… Submission to the Will of God Aâ—… if ever there were occasion for suâ—… comfortable and supporting Thougâ—… the Divine Providence has made it 〈◊〉 necessary at this time to bear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Incomparable Lady our most â—…acious Queen whose Death all â—…od Subjects must Lament and I â—…ay God forgive those that do not â—…ch severe Providences as these will â—…ach the greatest and most unbroken â—…inds to serve the Lord with fear and to â—…joyce with trembling But how seâ—…re soever Providence is in some parâ—…cular instances the sense of the Diâ—…ne Goodness iâ—… the Redemption of â—…ankind by the Incarnation and â—…eath of his own Son should teach 〈◊〉 to be dumb and not open our mouths â—…cause it is his doings In speaking to which words I â—…all 1. enquire What may be called â—…e doings of the Lord 2. What it 〈◊〉 to be dumb and not to open â—…ur Mouths 3. The force of this â—…rgument to oblige us to a quiet and â—…atient Submission under the greatâ—…st sufferings That it is God's doâ—…ng 1. What may be called the doâ—…ng of the Lord This may be thought 〈◊〉 very needless question for are â—…here any Events Good or Evil which are not God's doing If wâ—… believe a particular Providence wâ—… must answer No and yet somâ—… things are more peculiarly God'â—… doings than others are with respect to this present Argument aâ—… God's doing it is a reason for 〈◊〉 quiet and patient Submission to the Divine Will In many cases men bring Ruine and Misery upon themselves by theâ—… own sin and folly and then they may thank themselves for it but have no reason to complain of Providence and when they cannot charge Providence with their misfortunes patience it self is not properly a Submission to God because their sufferings are no more God's will than their sin and folly is If men destroy their Estates by profuseness and prodigality and their Bodies by intemperance and lust if ill-contracted Friendships indiscreet Bargains or an ungovernable Tongue perplex their Affairs and prove very troublesome or dangerous all this is owing not merely to Providence but to themselves and they must be contented to reap the fruit of their own doings and to implore the Divine Goodness and Providence to deliver them from the evil consequences of their own sin and folly Whatever evils we suffer which are not the natural or moral effects of our own sin or folly they are properly God's doings as inflicted by God either for the punishment of our sins or for the trial and exercise of our virtues or to serve the wise ends of his Providence in the world Those Evils which we do not immediately bring upon our selves God inflicts on us either by the ministry of wicked and injurious men or by the disorders of Natural Causes or by some seeming casual and fortuitous Events for the Actions of Men the Powers of Nature and what we call Chance and Fortune are all in the hands of God and therefore are more or less his doings But if we may say That some things are more peculiarly the care of Providence than others Life and Death are certainly so no man can be Born or Die without the particular Order and Appointment of God Our Saviour tells us not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father much less men and assures his Disciples that all the hairs of their head are numbred and their Lives are more sacred than their Hairs Some men are of opinion That God has absolutely Decreed the certain term and period of every man's life But I know no foundation for this neither in Scripture nor Reason nor does any man believe it but those who subject all Mankind and all the Things of this World to irreversible Necessity and Fate which is the strength of the Atheistick Hypothesis though incautiously espoused by some men who are so far from being Atheists that I hope they are very good Christians And therefore I suppose these Christian Fatalists if I may so call them mean no more than what we all own That no Sparrow much less a Man falls to the ground without our Father that God not only foreknows the period of every man's Life and by what means he shall Die but with Infinite Wisdom and â—…ustice Orders and Appoints it â—…ot by an absolute and unconditional â—…ecree but as the Wise Determiâ—…ation of a Free and Just Provâ—…ce And if God have any more conâ—…ernment for Nations and Commonwealths than he has for particular men as we who can attend but a few things at once and therefore make the matters of greatest importance our more particular care are apt to conceive then the Lives and Deaths of Princes must be more particularly Ordered and Determined by God because Nations it may be many Nations and Countries more than their own are concerned in the consequence of it and of the more universal concernment any thing is the more we are apt to think it belongs to the Care of God For this reason some Philosophers have confined the Providence of God to the Heavens and Heavenly Bodies which have such a univerversal influence on things below or to Nations and Publick Societies and to the several kinds and species of Beings not to particular Men or Creatures And so far they were in the right that if the Divine Providence could not equally take care of the whole World and of every particular Creature in it it would certainly in the first place take care of the great Springs of motion But though this be no reason for God's peculiar care of one thing more than another because his All-seeing Eye and Almighty Arm can equally take care of all yet our Saviour has taught us from the worth and value of things that God will certainly take the more care of them and in case of any Competition give the preference to things of the greatest moment Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they And if God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith
lashâ—… of spiteful and envenomed Tongueâ—… But what a Loss has Religion and the Church of England in such a critical Time in the Death of such a Queen and such a Prelate I pray God make up this Loss In a word That great Passion which afflicts and oppresses our good King gives an unexceptionable Testimony to the incomparable Worth of our deceased Queen The too severe and visible Effects of it shew that it is not an ordinary nor a dissembled Passion Nor is it an ordinary thing for a Prince of so great a Mind who can look the most formidable Dangers and Death it self in the face without fear whom all the Powers of France cannot make look pale or tremble to sink and faint and to feel all the Agonies of Death in the dying Looks of a Beloved Consort All Story cannot furnish us with many Examples of such soft and tender Passions in such a warlike and fearless Mind and what but a mighty Vertue could so charm a Prince as to forget his natural Constancy and Resolution I 'm sure though we â—…y very dear for the Experiment 〈◊〉 the loss of an excellent Queen â—…e have so much the more reason 〈◊〉 think our selves happy in a â—…ng for a due mixture and tempeâ—…ment of such fearless Courage and â—…avery and such tender Passions is â—…e most perfect Composition of an exâ—…ellent Prince And now it may be you will tell â—…e that I have taken great pains 〈◊〉 confute my Text and that I â—…ave done it effectually for we â—…ght not to be dumb but may â—…ery justly complain of such a loss â—…s this This I readily grant That we â—…ay complain of such a loss but â—…his is no confutation of my Text. â—…e may complain and give Ease â—…nd Vent to our Sorrows by such Complaints while we do not complain against God and accuse him foolishly To submit to the Will of God which is here exprest by being Dumb and not opening our Mouths does not signify not to feel our Losses and Sufferings or not to complain of them but not to reproach the Divine Providence noâ—… to cast off our Hope and Trust in God Iob felt his Sufferings and complained of them in as moving and tragical Expressions as any other Man could and yet is proposed to us as an Example of admirable Patience because he did not charge God foolishly nor cast off his hope in him This we never can have any reason for for whatever we suffer it is a wise and merciful Providence which inflicts it But yet Mankind are very apt when they suffer hard things either to deny a Providence or which is more absurd and unreasonable to reproach it for if there be a God he is Wise and Good and Merciful and Just which is the Notion all Mankind have of God and if this God governs the World all Events are ordered with Wisdom Justice and Goodness and all thinking Men in cool and sober Thoughts will be ashamed to quarrel with such a Providence But yet we are very apt to ask Questions which we cannot easily answer and then to make our own igâ—…rance an Objection against the Diâ—…ne Providence As in the Case before us the â—…dden and untimely Death of an â—…cellent Princess who had Strength â—…d Vigor of Age which promised 〈◊〉 much longer Life and who â—…ould certainly have done great â—…ood to the World as long as she â—…ad lived but is cut off in the â—…igor and Strength of Age and all â—…er Thoughts even all her great â—…d excellent Designs of doing Good 〈◊〉 the World perish with her â—…hile Tyrants and Oppressors live â—…o be the Plagues and Scourges of Mankind Now though we do not know â—…he particular Reasons of such Proâ—…idences yet it is easy to frame some general Answers which may â—…atisfy all the Friends of Providence If the Objection relates to our selves who suffer by this Loss there is a very plain Answer to it but a very terrible one That God is Angry with us and by the untimely Death of an excellent Princess who made it her whole Study and Design to do us Good threatens his Judgments against us if we do not take Care to prevent them by a timely Repentance If the Objection relates only to the untimely Death of an excellent Princess that she should so suddenly be snatched away from the Joys and Pleasures of a Throne this is no Objection at all at least not aâ—… Objection fit for Christians to make For can we think that the greatest and most happy Monarch loses any thing by the Exchange if he be translated from Earth to Heaven That the Joys of Paradise are not greater than a Crown Our good Queen did not think so who knew what an Earthly Crown meant but was willing to part with it for Heaven who saw Death approaching without fear and prepared to receive its Stroke with that calmness and sedateness of Mind as nothing could give but an innocent Conscience and much greater Hopes But as for our selves though we must acknowledge that we have reâ—…eived a very great Loss in the â—…eath of an excellent Queen yet we â—…ave no reason to quarrel at Proâ—…idence while God preserves our â—…ing to go in and out before us â—…e had indeed perpetual Day and â—…o sooner was one Sun withdrawn â—…ut another ascended our Horizon â—…ith equal Lustre and Brightness â—…his was a peculiar Happiness â—…hich we never had before and â—…hich the Necessities of our Affairs â—…equired now but though God has â—…ut us short in this we have a King still the Terror of France â—…nd the Protector of Europe a King whom Affection as well as Blood has Naturalized to us who loves our Nation and our Church which he has once delivered and God grant â—…e may live long to settle and proâ—…ect both We have no reason to fear our Enemies either at home or abroad while a Prince is at the Helm who wants neither Counsel nor Courage especially if we follow that noble Example which the Two Houses of Parliament have set us to give him such fresh Assurances of our Fidelity as may strengthen his Hands against his and our Enemies Abroad and make him easy and safe at Home To conclude This is God's doing and it becomes us to be dumb and not to open our Mouths because he has done it He is the Sovereign and Unaccountable Lord of the World who shall say unto him What dosâ—… thou Life and Death are in his hands the Fates of Princes and Kingdoms That he has done it should be a sufficient Reason to us to submit because though he does things great and wonderful and beyond our Understanding yet he never does any thing but what is wise and good This I 'm sure is the most effectual way to turn even the severest Judgments into Blessings to reverence God and to humble our selves under his mighty hand and implore his Mercy to repair those Breaches he has made upon us We must not complain of
is the surest side to believe or to disbelieve Christianity and a future State If Christianity be true and there be an Eternal State of Rewards and Punishments in the next Life if we disbelieve it we are miserable for ever but if we do believe it and it should not prove true we loose nothing by it but the transient Pleasures of Sin and instead of them have all the present Ease and Satisfaction of Vertue and great Hopes and those who have tried both will tell you that the Pleasures of Virtue far exceed the Pleasures of Sin and that the Hope and Expectation of Immortal Life does more ravish and transport than the Possession of this World can do The truth is the Eternal Miseries of the next World are so very terrible that no wise Man would run the least Hazard of them but instead of demanding a demonstrative Certainty that there is such a Place of Torment would demand a demonstrative Certainty that there is not before he would venture And the Happiness of the other World so exceeds all our Imaginations that a very little Evidence would perswade a wise Man to venture any thing to be happy for ever The Sum of what I have said in short is this To despise all Faith is to ridicule Human Nature and Human Conversation for God has made us such Creatures that three Parts of our Lives must be governed by Faith and if Faith be a foolish absurd unsafe Principle of Action I 'm sure Man is a very wretched and contemptible Creature for Man must live by Faith We cannot see each others Hearts and Thoughts and I believe no man desires that other Men should see his Heart how much soever he may desire to see theirs and then we cannot converse with each other with any Pleasure and Security without believing We are finite Creatures our Lives are short and we can be but in one Place at a time and if we must believe nothing but what we our selves see what a narrow contemptible thing is human Knowledge and therefore we must allow of the Testimony of Eye and Ear Witnesses and of credible Histories which is the Evidence of Faith and furnishes us with the best as well as with the largest Part of our Knowledge and with the wisest Rules and Examples of Life And though we may be and often are mistaken this only makes Men more prudent and cautious not Infidels But a Divine Faith gives us a much more infallible Assurance than Human Faith can do for we know God cannot deceive us as Men may and then if we have as great nay much greater Evidence for a Divine Revelation than we have for any other matters of Fact at such a distance we have all the Evidence of the most certain Human Faith and the infallible certainty of a Divine Faith Nay if they will but allow which no considering Man can deny that we have as good Evidence for the History of the Gospel as they have for any other History which they most firmly believe it will be impossible for them to give a wise Reason why they do not believe the Gospel Nay were there less Evidence than there is the vast Importance of it which is no less than Eternal Life and Death is reason enough to a wise Man to chuse the surest side and to live by the Faith of another World 2. Let us now consider the Reason and the Wisdom of this Choice We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal The difference between Temporal and Eternal is so demonstrative a Reason why we should prefer Eternal unseen things before temporal seen things that it is hard to add any thing to give a new Strength to it if Men do but understand what these Words Time and Eternity signifie Suppose you should ask any Man whether he would chuse to live threescore or fourscore years or to live for ever he would certainly wonder at your Question and think it an Affront since Nature teaches all Men to answer it without the least dispute or consideration about it All Men love Life and above all things desire to live for ever which is so strong a Passion that I doubt not at all but the generality of Mankind supposing no other Life after this would rather chuse to be Immortal Beggars than Mortal Princes or at least would content themselves with a very mean Station in this World and to take their Chance as to the Sufferings of it rather than not to be For Life is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to the Eye to behold the Sun And if Men who know no better would be contented to take their Fortune in this World and to venture an Eternal Round of uncertain and changeable Scenes and prefer this before fourscore or a hundred Years of the greatest Prosperity and Glory one would think there should be no Comparison between the most prosperous State of this Life and the eternal unchangeable Happiness of the next And yet we find by Experience that though most Men are desirous to live as long as they can in this World and would submit to any Conditions which would make them Immortal here they think the Case very much altered when you promise them Immortal Life in the next World as is very evident from this that they will not submit to such a State of Discipline and Mortification to save their Souls as they chearfully submit to to save their Lives Skin for Skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life but they will not part with all they have to save their Souls nay will venture their Souls to get or to save an Estate or a very little part of it And yet which makes it more wonderful there are great numbers of such Men who profess to believe that there is another World and that they must be happy or miserable for ever This is very unaccountable that all Men should agree that what is eternal ought to be preferred before what is temporal and yet that the Generality of Mankind should prefer temporal Things before the Things which are Eternal What is to be said to these Men Will you prove that Eternity is to be preferred before Time This is lost labour for they all own it and have a Natural Sense of it which is more powerful than any other Arguments Will you then perswade them to prefer Eternal before Temporal Things but by what Arguments will you perswade if Eternity it self cannot perswade In such Cases where there is no need of disputing no need to convince Mens Reasons I know nothing left but to paint and represent to draw such lively Images and Pictures as may move Mens Passions and give them a feeling Sense of the difference between Time and Eternity And to do this to as great Advantage as I can I shall 1st consider the