by St. Paul 1. Charity suffereth long is not hasty to return any evil or injury we may have received from others it makes a man patient forgetfull of wrongs and slow to demand satisfaction He that is possessed with this excellent grace of charity will defer righting himself when injured and seem for a great while as if he did not at all observe or take notice of those affronts and treâ—â—asses which the furious and wrathfull would be sure streight to revenge He doth not lie at catch and presently take all advantages against his neighbour and trouble him for every little offence and require strict reparation for every petty damage he may unjustly sustain he doth not take all forfeitures that the rigour of the law would give him or stand with his debtours for a day or streight break off friendship for the first unkindness but he will for a long time bear with the failures and miscarriages of other men as all of us do easily overlook and readily forgive the mistakes or misdemeanours of those whom we entirely love with great patience he waiteth their amendment and silently tarries till of their own accord they make him satisfaction and is always willing to hearken to any fair terms of accommodation and to accept of the least submission and acknowledgment Contrary to all this is the temper of those whom the Apostle calls fierce and Solomon hasty of spirit who when once offended breath forth nothing but utter ruine and slaughter and are for the present destruction of all who stand in their way Thus David in that great fit of impatience 1 Sam. 25. when displeased at Nabal's surly answer resolved streight to murther him and all his houshold and so the Servant in the Parable of our Saviour St. Matthew 18. who though his Lord had forgiven him a vast debt of ten thousand talents yet after this when he met with one of his Fellow-servants who owed him but an hundred pence laid violent hands on him took him by the throat would not tarry one hour for his money notwithstanding the poor man humbly besought him to have patience with him but for a-while and promised him he would honestly pay him all But a truly charitable man suffereth long and forgiveth much and dealeth with others as he hath experienced and yet hopes God will deal with him he giveth them time to recollect and bethink themselves doth not soon despair of their growing better but tries all the arts and methods of patience and kindness and is unwilling to be brought to extremities or to doe any thing that may seem harsh or rigid and in a word had rather suffer an hundred than doe one evil 2. Charity is kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gentle and courteous easie to be treated with is gratious and benign and as far as may be usefull to all Christian charity doth sweeten mens minds and spirits smooths the ruggedness and unevenness of their natures makes them tractable affable and as far as is consistent with their innocency complaisant Contrary to which is that roughness and sourness of disposition and manners which is distastfull to and grates upon every one that falls in its way as it was said of Nabal before-mentioned that he was such a son of Belial that a man could not speak unto him Such were the Pharisees of old grave formal and morose troublesome and uneasie to all who conversed with them sullen and froward And too many such there are in the world who pretend to great and high attainments in Religion and yet are of such techy and fiery dispositions that there is no living quietly by them nothing can please them a man is afraid of having any thing to doe with them they are of such waspish quarrelsome and churlish natures Whereas he in whom Christian charity dwells endeavours to oblige every one and carries himself fairly towards all so as to gain every man's good word and opinion he is calm and mild and friendly in his deportment receiveth every one that addresseth himself to him with civility and respect his demeanour is full of compliance and condescention his carriage and behaviour free candid and ingenuous and indeed there is no greater pleasure in the world than what is to be found in the conversation of those in whom the true Christian temper and spirit rules and prevails No one complains of such an one he is not grievous or offensive to any and if he cannot doe you all that courtesie you desire yet he so civily denies you that you are almost as much pleased as if he had granted your request Charity is kind 3. Charity envieth not the charitable man grudgeth not at another's good doth not mutter and repine because his neighbour thrives better hath a greater trade is of better repute hath got a larger estate or hath arrived to greater dignity and preferment than himself Charity rather rejoyceth and pleaseth it self in other mens doing well it addeth to a charitable man's contentment to see other men satisfied and doth really minister unto and encrease his own happiness to see the happiness of his neighbours and acquaintance He findeth almost as much delight and complacence in their good fortune and success as they themselves do thus making the happiness of every man to become really and truly his own it maketh him better to see other men in health and refresheth his spirits to see others chearfull and pleased No real benefit or advantage happens to any round about him but he comes in for his share and largely partakes of it and the pleasure of it becomes as truly his as it is the persons who is possessed of it Nay as it hath been observed by some here love hath the advantage I enjoy greater pleasure in my neighbour's good success and prosperity than he himself can possibly do for all the content and joy that his prosperity ministers to him I have pure and unmixt without bearing part in those cares and troubles with which it is usually attended Love makes us not apt to take disgust and pet though God should bestow the good things of this life more liberally upon some others than our selves whereas the envious man would not have God doe any good turn for any person without his leave and approbation He would alone engross and monopolize all the blessings of heaven and benefits of the earth or at least if he could have his will none should partake of them but some private friends of his and those he hath a good opinion of He would have God mind no one else in the world nor hear any other prayers besides his own nay he reckons himself ill dealt with and mutinies against heaven if any thing goes beside him or any one enjoys something he is without There is many a man in the world who thinks himself beyond all expression miserable for no other reason but onely because another man is happy the good things his neighbour enjoys eat up his flesh
I dare not Do I say he shall be saved I cannot What say I then will you free your self from all uncertainty in this matter Repent now whilst you are in health forsake your sins whilst you are able to commit them and then you are sure of pardon There is indeed another Church in the world that can teach men how to be saved on a death-bed even without repentance which hath found out ways to make it not onely possible but very easie for any ungodly wretch to secure himself from Hell at length when he comes to die by less than half an hours work but we have not so learned Christ nor dare we be so false to our trust or to the souls of men as to give them certain assurance of everlasting life on any other terms than a constant habitual obedience to the laws of the Gospel The onely certain way to die well is to live well Nor shall I go about to determine how much of our life must be spent in the practice of righteousness and goodness before we can be said to have lived well since this varies according to the circumstances of men which are infinite this is as if a man should ask how long it will be before a fool can become wise or an unlearned man a scholar which differs according to the capacity of the man his industry and opportunity and God's blessing but onely thus much I think may safely be said that so much time of our life is necessary to be spent in the practice of goodness as that we may from the temper of our minds and the course of our actions be truly denominated holy humble pure meek patient just temperate lovers of God and men for the Gospel promiseth not eternal life and glory to any but to persons so and so qualified and it is undoubted that a few pious wishes prayers and purposes or a good will made at our death will not suffice to denominate us such God doth not just watch how men die but he will judge every man according to his works and the deeds he hath done in the flesh and those dispositions we have nourished loved and delighted in all our life will follow and attend us to another world and an evil nature however loth we are to it or sorry for it will sink us down into the deepest Hell To conclude all the use we are to make of all I have now said is not to judge or censure others whose lives we may have been acquainted with and whose condition according to this doctrine may seem sad and deplorable such we are to pity and pray for and exercise our charity upon and leave to God's mercy but that we should all now resolve not to defer the doing of the least thing that we could wish done in order to the salvation of our souls to a sick or death-bed but that to day even whilst it is called to day we depart from iniquity and not be always beginning to live we ought not to lose so much time as it would take to deliberate about this matter for there is no room for consultation here he would be next to mad that should seriously advise whether he should be for ever happy or for ever miserable Let us all endeavour therefore so to live now as we shall wish we had done when we come to lie upon our death-beds or as we shall then resolve to live in case God should continue our life to us let us pursue those things now which we shall be able to think of and reflect upon with pleasure when we come to die and presently forsake all those things the remembrance of which at that time will be bitter to us let us now whilst we are well and in health cherish the same thoughts and apprehensions of things that we shall have when we are sick and dying let us now despise this world as much and think as ill of sin and as seriously of God and eternity as we shall then do for this is the great commendation of the righteous man that every one desires to die his death that at last all men are of his mind and persuasion and would chuse his condition Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his I end all with those words of the wise Son of Sirach Learn before thou speak and use physick or ever thou be sick before judgment examine thy self and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy Humble thy self before thou be sick and in the time of sins shew repentance Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vows in due time and defer not untill death to be justified Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put it not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed and perish in the day of vengeance A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL The Eighth Sermon St. MATTH V. 34. But I say unto you Swear not at all FOR our more clearly understanding the sense and extent of this prohibition of our blessed Saviour's Swear not at all these two things must be observed I. That it was a common practice amongst the Jews to swear by some of God's creatures which custome prevailed amongst them from a pretended reverence of God's holy name whenever they would affirm any thing with more than ordinary vehemence and earnestness or beget an assurance of what they said in another they thought it not fit or decent presently to invoke the sovereign God of Heaven and earth and on every slight and trivial occasion to run to the great maker and father of all things but in smaller matters and in ordinary talk they would swear by their Parents by the Heavens by the Earth by Jerusalem the Altar Temple their Head or the like nor did they count such forms of swearing equally obliging with those oaths wherein the name of God was solemnly and expresly called upon to this our Saviour in probability refers in the verse foregoing my Text Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths they thought such onely incurr'd the guilt and penalty of perjury who stood not to those promises they had confirmed by explicit calling the Lord himself to witness but that there was but little evil or danger either in the common use of swearing by creatures or in breaking such oaths Now our Saviour here absolutely forbids not onely swearing by the sacred name of God but also by any of his creatures Swear not at all no not so much as by the Heavens by the Earth or by Jerusalem and the reason he gives is because in all such forms of swearing by creatures though God is not expresly named yet he himself is really referred to and tacitly invoked who is the supreme Lord and maker of all when you swear by the Heavens you
sins before ever he will save us from the penal consequences of them So that the efficacy of Christ's undertaking for us and the necessity of our own personal righteousness do very well consist together and each hath its proper work in obtaining the pardon of our sins and the favour of God Our Saviour's incarnation and perfect obedience even unto death is the sole meritorious cause of our acceptance with God and of our salvation He alone purchased those great benefits for us made atonement paid our ransome and procured this covenant of grace from God wherein eternal life is promised to penitent sinners But then these great advantages are not immediately and absolutely conferr'd upon us but under certain qualifications and conditions of repentance faith and sincere obedience for the performance of which the holy Spirit is never wanting to sincere endeavours We do therefore vilely affront and disgrace our blessed Lord when we boldly expect to be saved by him whilst we continue in our sins Nay we ought to think our selves as much beholden to him for his doctrine and the assistences of his grace and the glorious promises of the Gospel by which we are made truly holy and righteous as for his sufferings and death by which he satisfied God's justice and purchased the pardon of our sins 2. I shall hence make that inference of the Apostle Heb. 2.3 How then shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hath God so abundantly provided for our happiness hath his onely begotten Son done and suffer'd so much for it and shall we be so sottish and stupid as foolishly to despise it when it hath been so signally the unwearied care of Heaven to procure it for us It is onely our own advantage that is design'd God projects no private profit nor doth any accrue to him from the salvation of all mankind Shall we our selves therefore madly defeat all these designs of grace and goodness towards us by our invincible resolution to ruine and undoe our selves Did the onely begotten Son of God as at this time descend from the regions of bliss and happiness was he born into this miserable world and did he humble himself to take our flesh that by that means he might exalt mankind and make us capable of dwelling in the highest Heavens and all this out of mere pity and compassion of our desperate condition and shall we think the denying our selves a lust or the satisfaction of a forbidden appetite or a short-liv'd pleasure too much for the obtaining the same glory Did he live here a poor mean and contemptible life and at last die a shamefull death to merit eternal life for us and for the obtaining the same shall we grudge to live a sober temperate and honest life Oh how will this consideration one day aggravate our torment What vexation and anxiety will it one day create in our minds with what horrour and despair will it fill our guilty souls Had God predestinated us from all eternity to everlasting misery so that it had been impossible for us to have avoided our sad fate had he never provided a Mediatour and Redeemer for us it would have been a great ease in another world to consider that we could no ways have escaped this doom But when we shall reflect upon the infinite love and kindness of God and how desirous he was that all men should be saved when we shall consider the wonderfull pity and compassion of our Saviour in being born and dying for us and procuring for us such easie terms of salvation and so often by his Spirit moving and exciting us to our duty and the care of our souls when we shall think of those many obligations he hath laid upon us and the wise methods he hath used for our recovery and amendment and how that nothing was wanting on God's part but that we might now have been praising blessing and adoring his goodness and wisedom amongst the glorified Spirits in the happy regions of undisturbed peace and joy and yet that we through our own most shamefull neglect though often warned to the contrary are now forced in vain to seek but for a drop of water to cool the tip of our tongues How will this heighten our future pains and prove the very essence of Hell Better shall it be in the last day for Tyre and Sidon for Sodom and Gomorrah places overrun with lust and barbarity for the Nations that sit in darkness and never heard of these glad tidings of a Saviour than for you to whom this salvation is come but you cast it behind your backs The fiercest vengeance the severest punishments are reserved for wicked Christians and what can we imagine shall be the just portion of those whom neither the condescension and kindness nor wounds and sufferings of the Son of God could persuade nor yet the excellency easiness and profitableness of his commands invite nor the promises of unexpressible rewards allure nor the threatnings of eternal punishment engage to live and be happy In vain therefore do such come hither to celebrate the memory of Christ's birth They of all men who despise this great salvation purchased by the Son of God have no great cause to rejoyce this day nay happy had it been for them who still persist in their sins notwithstanding all that Christ hath done to save them from them if this holy Jesus had never been born 3. Lastly Let us all improve this present opportunity to return our most humble praises and thanksgivings for so great and unvaluable a blessing and to join our voices as well as we are able with those bright Seraphims and that heavenly Host that attended and celebrated Christ's nativity when the Heavens proclaimed his birth with their loud shouts of joy saying Glory be to God in the highest on earth peace good-will towards men Blessed be God for ever blessed be his holy name who hath found out a way for our deliverance and hath raised up for us a mighty salvation that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life Praise therefore the Lord O our souls and all that is within us praise his holy name and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all our iniquities and healeth all our diseases who hath redeemed our life from destruction and hath crowned us with loving-kindness and tender mercies What shall we now return what do we not owe to him who came down from his imperial Throne and infinitely debasing himself and eclipsing the brightness of his glorious Majesty became a servant nay a curse for our sakes to advance our estate and to raise us to a participation of his divine nature and his eternal glory and bliss To him therefore let us now all offer up our selves our souls and bodies and spirits and that not onely to be saved by him but to be ruled and governed by him and
SERMONS Preached upon Several Occasions Never before Printed BY BENJAMIN CALAMY D. D. Late Vicar of St. Lawrence Jewry and one of His Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary LONDON Printed by M. Flesher for Henry Dickenson and Richard Green Booksellers in Cambridge and are to be sold by Walter Davis in Amen-Corner 1687. To his Worthy Friends The INHABITANTS Of the PARISHES OF St. LAWRENCE JEWRY AND St. MARY MAGD MILK-STREET Gentlemen I Here present you with some Sermons of my dear Brother deceased your late if I may be allowed to say it worthy and faithfull Pastour in transcribing them for the Press I have not presumed to make any alteration or to correct so much as the plain errata's of the original Copy except onely some few and those such as any Reader almost would have observed and may well be supposed to have been occasioned onely through his haste in writing and if after all there happen to be any such still remaining in the print I hope you will blame neither him nor me since I pretend not to publish any discourses designed or fitted by him for the Press but onely those very Sermons which you your selves heard just as I found them in his notes If it be asked why these rather than others I answer these were the Sermons which I found had been preached by him in the most publick places to which however because they would not alone have made a just volume I thought it necessary to add two or three more and I doubt not but you will find them all plain and usefull and every way fitted to doe good And if it be asked why no more I think it will be time enough to answer that question when I shall have seen what acceptance these now published meet with in the world It was some time before I could persuade my self to comply with your desire in publishing these Sermons because I have sometimes heard my Brother express an unwillingness that any thing of his should be printed after his death but when I had once resolved to print them it took me no time to consider it was not left to my choice to whom I should present them seeing you had an undoubted title to them and all the world would have blamed me if I had not taken this occasion of acknowledging with all thankfulness your extraordinary respect to his person whilst alive and to his memory after his decease one particular instance of which I must by no means omit I mean your generous Present to his Widow a kindness which as I am confident he never expected even from you from whom he might have expected any thing that was kind so I dare say if he could have foreseen it would have pleased him more than any nay than all the other kindnesses he ever received from you In the words therefore of Naomi concerning Boaz Blessed be ye of the Lord who have not left off your kindness to the living and to the dead I am Gentlemen Your most obliged Servant James Calamy The CONTENTS SERM. I. Act. X. 38. Who went about doing good Page 1. SERM. II. 1 Cor. XI 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body p. 37. SERM. III. Prov. I. 10. If sinners entice thee consent thou not p. 67. SERM. IV. Rom. XII 16. Be not wise in your own conceits p. 101. SERM. V. S. Matth. XV. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts p. 135. SERM. VI. 1 Cor. XIII 4 5 6 7. Charity suffereth long and is kind charity envieth not charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things p. 177. SERM. VII Numb XXIII 10. Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his p. 219. SERM. VIII S. Matth. V. 34. But I say unto you swear not at all p. 255. SERM. IX S. Matth. I. 21. And thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins p. 291. SERM. X. S. Mark VI. 12. And they went out and preached that men should repent p. 323. SERM. XI 1 Cor. XV. 35. But some man will say how are the dead raised up And with what body do they come p. 365. SERM. XII Job XXVII 5 6. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live p. 423. SERM. XIII 2 Tim. I. 10. And hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel p. 459. IMPRIMATUR Nov. 29. 1686. Ex Aedibus Lamb-hithanis Jo. Battely Rmo P rl ac D no D no Wilhelmo Archiep. antuariensi a Sacris domesticis A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL The First Sermon ACTS X. 38. Who went about doing good WHICH words give us a short account of our blessed Saviour's life here on earth it was spent in doing good They also teach us after what manner we his disciples ought to live in this World namely that we should omit no fair opportunity of doing good according to our several abilities and capacities I shall speak to them I. As referring to our Lord and Saviviour and describing his manner of life to us II. I shall consider them as prescribing to us our duty in imitation of his most glorious example who went about doing good I. As referring to our Lord and Saviour and describing his manner of life to us Now these words he went about doing good especially signifie these three things 1. That this was the chief business and employment of his life to doe good 2. That where he did not readily find he went about to seek objects of pity and compassion 3. This he constantly persevered in notwithstanding the foul ingratitude and malicious opposition his good works met with in the World 1. This was the chief business and employment of his life to doe good To propound to you the several instances of it were to give you an history and account of his whole life the four Gospels being nothing else but the authentick records of those good works Jesus of Nazareth did containing his excellent instructions his free reproofs the wise methods he used for the bettering and reforming men's minds together with those various kindnesses he shewed to their bodies and outward estates with a generosity and charity not to be parallell'd by any thing but the divine goodness it self I shall not therefore descend to particulars but onely take notice 1. That doing good was his ordinary daily employment 2. That to the same end tended all his extraordinary miraculous works and 3. That this was also the sum and substance of his Religion From all which it will easily appear that he made doing
us It loseth all its grace and acceptableness when it is done grudgingly and as of necessity Nay our Saviour denied not to converse familiarly with Publicans and the greatest Sinners he endeared himself to them by signal condescensions though this also proved matter of reproach and infamy to him as if he countenanced those vices he attempted to cure or it were any disgrace to a Physitian to visit his patients He refused not the civil offer of a Pharisee though his sworn enemy and would go to the houses and eat at the table of those who sought his ruine and whatever ill design they might have in inviting him yet he always improved the occasion for the doing them some considerable good 3. And Lastly He constantly persevered in this notwithstanding the foul ingratitude and malitious opposition his good works met with in the World Never did any one meet with greater discouragements or more unworthy returns than the Son of God when all his acts of beneficence all the good offices he had done amongst them were so far from obliging that they rather tended to exasperate and provoke that untoward generation and the more kindness he expressed toward them the greater hast they made to betray and destroy him This great Patron and Benefactour this generous friend and lover of Mankind was mortally hated and cruelly persecuted as if he had been a publick enemy and had done or designed some notorious mischief They continually laid traps to ensnare him loaded him with malitious slanders greedily watched for an advantage to animate the multitude against him took up stones to throw at him as a reward of his gratious attemt to make them wise and happy put bad constructions and made sinister interpretations of all the good he did as if he designed to caress the people and by such arts to gratify his ambition and make himself popular So that this great and gallant person was looked upon as a dangerous man and the more good he did the more he was feared and suspected yet all this and a thousand times worse usage could not disswade him from persisting in doing good to them He was ready to repay all these injuries with courtesies even his bitterest enemies were partakers of his kindness and he still continued to entreat them to accept of life from him and with tears of true compassion bewailed their infidelity and wilfull folly Nay at last when they laid violent hands upon him and put him to the shamefull death of the Cross yet then did he pray to his Father to forgive them and which is still most wonderfull and is the very perfection of charity he willingly laid down his life for them who so cruelly and treacherously took it from him Thus our Lord went about doing good Let us who are his disciples and followers go now and doe likewise which brings me to the second thing I was to consider in these words viz. II. Our duty in imitation of his most glorious example who went about doing good But we you 'll say are not in a capacity we have not ability or opportunity of doing good in that ample manner in that measure and degree our Lord did We cannot by any means however willing to it or diligent in it come up to the perfection of this noble and heroical example Were such miraculous powers communicated to us as were to our Saviour so that by a word speaking we could heal all manner of sickness and restore sight to the blind and feet to the lame could we instruct the ignorant reprove the propâ—ane admonish the erring with so much ease advantage and authority as our blessed Lord did we should then perhaps be very free and liberal in imparting those great favours and blessings Heaven had so signally bestowed upon us for the good and benefit of others but alas as things now stand with us we have neither power nor skill nor means to doe good at all after that illustrious manner our Saviour did To which all I shall at present reply is that though we cannot after that stupendious manner be beneficial to mankind as our Saviour was yet there are very many things which we are able to doe for the good of others which our blessed Saviour could not doe by reason of his poverty and low estate in this World without the expence of a miracle Few of us but as to our outward circumstances in this life are in a far more plentifull condition than the Son of God himself was whilst here on earth and it is in our power by ordinary ways to relieve and succour oblige and benefit many so as our Lord could not doe without employing his divine power to furnish himself with means for it Be pleased therefore to take notice that it is not doing good just in the same instances or after that same wonderfull manner that this example obligeth us unto but onely to a like willingness and readiness to doe good upon all fit occasions as far as our power and activity reacheth it obligeth us all in our several stations according to those opportunities God hath afforded us and those abilities he hath endued us with and those conditions of life his providence hath placed us in to endeavour as much as in us lieth the welfare and prosperity ease and happiness of all men so that others may bless the divine goodness for us the state of their bodies or minds being bettered by our imparting to them what God hath more abundantly bestowed upon us Contrary to which is a narrow selfish stingy spirit when we are concerned for none but our selves and regard not how it fares with other men so it be but well with us when we follow our own humour and with great pleasure enjoy the accommodations of our own state when we think our own happiness the greater because we have it alone to our selves and no other partakes of it which of all other things is the most directly opposite to that benign and compassionate temper which our Saviour came into the World by his doctrine and example to implant in men I shall not undertake to set before you the several instances of doing good to others since they are so various and infinite and our duty varies according to our circumstances and opportunities which are very different and every one may easily find them out by considering what good he would have other Men doe for him What he should reasonably expect or would take kindly from those he converseth with or is any ways related unto all that he is in like cases to be willing to doe for another so that this doing good is a work of large comprehensive extent and universal influence it reacheth to the souls and bodies of men and takes in all those ways and means whereby we may promote the temporal spiritual or eternal advantage of others And to so happy and noble an employment one would think there should be no need of persuasion However I humbly
our Church even to those who are without especially be persuaded to join all your endeavours against this vice by keeping a strict guard against it in your selves by keeping from all appearance of it by not suffering it in your inferiours or those that have any dependance upon you by mildly and seasonably warning and reproving those of your neighbours and acquaintance that are guilty of this folly In a word let us all observe such exact truth in all our chat and discourse be so constant to our promises that at any time our word may pass without any farther engagement that we may never think it necessary to assure our credit or faith by an oath Amongst the Romans the Priest of Jupiter was in no case permitted to swear because it was not handsome that he who was so nearly related to their great God and charged with such divine matters as the care of Religion should be distrusted about small things And we know amongst our selves solemn formal oaths are not in many cases required from persons of honour their word upon their honour hath equal credit with the express oath of inferiour persons Now such would our blessed Saviour have all his disciples to be so true and faithfull that there should be no need of oaths to confirm their speeches but that the holiness and strictness of their lives should give such undoubted testimony to and command so firm a belief of all they say as that no farther asseveration should be able to vouch it more I conclude all with those sayings of the wise Son of Sirach Ecclus. 23.9 10 11 12 13. Accustome not thy mouth to swearing neither use thy self to the naming of the Holy one For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity and the plague shall never depart from his house If he shall offend his sin shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sin he maketh a double offence And if he swear in vain he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of calamities There is a word that is clothed about with death God grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be far from the godly and they shall not wallow in their sins Vse not thy mouth to intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin But I say unto you swear not at all A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL The Ninth Sermon St. MATTH I. 21. And thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins THAT the appearance of the ever blessed Son of God in our mortal nature was upon some very great and most important design not otherwise at all or at least not so happily by any other means to be accomplished every one must needs grant at first hearing It could not be any indifferent trivial errand or business that a person of such infinite honour and dignity was employed about which brought down God himself from the regions or glory and light inaccessible to dwell in an earthly tabernacle and to veil the splendour of his Majesty with a body of flesh This was such a surprizing condescension of him that had lived from all eternity in the bosome of his Almighty Father this signified such wonderfull love and regard to that humane nature he assumed that all men cannot but reasonably promise themselves the greatest advantages imaginable from such a gratious undertaking That our forlorn nature should be thus highly honoured and exalted as to be after such an unspeakable manner united to the divine doth evidently assure us of God's good-will towards sinfull men that he yet entertained thoughts of mercy towards us and was loth that the folly of his creatures should prove their irrecoverable ruine Had God sent a message to us by the meanest servant in his heavenly Court it had been a favour too great for us to have expected and for which we could never have been enough thankfull Had he commanded an host of illustrious Angels to have flown all over the earth and loudly to have proclaim'd God's willingness to have been reconciled to men should we not all with mighty joy and wonder have regarded and adored such stupendous grace and goodness crying out Lord what is man that thou art thus mindfull of him or the son of man that thou thus visitest him But that God himself should descend from his heavenly habitation to be clothed with our rags that he who thought it no robbery to be equal with God should take on him the form of a servant and be found in the fashion and likeness of sinfull flesh this astonishes not onely men but Angels themselves for he took not on himself the nature of Angels nor appeared for their rescue and deliverance who had left their first mansions of glory but was pleased so far to humble himself as to undertake the cause and patronage of us vile worms sinfull dust and ashes even whilst we were enemies traytours and rebels to his divine Majesty and utterly unworthy of the least gratious look from him though we had never so earnestly besought it in our behalf it was that he did mediate and intercede he stepp'd in between guilty wretched us and God's justice perfected our redemption procured our liberty and purchased eternal life and happiness for all men on the easie and pleasant conditions of the Gospel And thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins In my discourse on these words I shall onely I. Shew you how or by what means the Son of God became our Jesus or did save men from their sins II. Draw some plain inferences from it I. How or by what means the Son of God became our Jesus or did save men from their sins Now in order to the salvation of sinners the great end of our Saviour's Incarnation these two things were necessary to be done one of which principally respects God the other sinners themselves 1. In order to the salvation of sinners it was necessary to obtain and purchase the pardon of their sins and reconciliation with God 2. It was farther necessary that sinners themselves should be reform'd and turned from their sins to the love and practice of true righteousness and goodness that so they might be in some measure qualified and disposed for God's grace and mercy 1. In order to the salvation of sinners it was necessary to obtain and purchase the pardon of their sins and reconciliation with God It is true indeed that God Almighty by the unlimited goodness and compassionateness of his own nature is infinitely inclin'd to all acts of favour and pity and he might without wrong to any one if he had seen it fit absolutely have pardoned the sins of mankind without any other consideration than their repentance but out
this he will take as a better expression of our gratitude than if we spent never so many days in verbal praises and acknowledgments of his love and bounty Let us all open our hearts and breasts to receive and entertain this great friend of mankind this glorious lover of our souls and suffer him to take full possession of them and there to place his throne and to reign within us without any rival or competitour and let us humbly beg of him that he would be pleased to finish that work in us which he came into the world about that by his bloud he would cleanse and wash us from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit that he would save us from our sins here and then we need not fear his saving us from everlasting destruction hereafter Which God of his infinite mercy grant to us all for the alone sake of our blessed Lord and Redeemer to whom with the Father c. A SERMON Preached on ASH-WEDNESDAY The Tenth Sermon St. MARK VI. 12. And they went out and preached that men should repent THOUGH repentance be a duty never out of season nay is indeed the work and business of our whole lives all of us being obliged every day to amend yet there are some particular times wherein we are more especially called upon to review our actions to humble our souls in God's presence to bewail our manifold transgressions and to devote our selves afresh to his service such are times of affliction either personal or publick when extraordinary judgments are abroad in the earth or are impendent over us or when we our selves are visited with any sickness or grievous calamity so also before we receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we are then more strictly to examine our selves and renew our vows and resolutions of living better And to name no more the Church in all ages hath thought fit to set a-part some solemn times to call upon men more earnestly to repent and to seek God's face before it be too late such were the fasting-days before the feast of the resurrection or Easter and accordingly our Church as you have heard in the exhortation this day read to you doth at this time especially move us to earnest and true repentance that we should return unto our Lord God with all contrition and meekness of heart bewailing and lamenting our sinfull lives acknowledging and confessing our offences and seeking to bring forth worthy fruits of penance And such as now seriously set themselves to repent of all the sins they have committed using such abstinence as is necessary for the subduing the flesh to the spirit do certainly keep Lent far better than they who for so long time onely scrupulously abstain from all flesh and call filling themselves with the choicest fish sweet-meats and wine fasting I shall at this time suppose you sufficiently instructed in the nature of repentance it being one of the first principles of the doctrine of Christ as the Apostle to the Hebrews calls it Heb. 6.1 and also that you will readily acknowledge the indispensible necessity of it in order to the obtaining the pardon of your sins and eternal life and that which I now design is onely to set before you some if not the main hindrances and impediments that keep men from repentance and to endeavour to remove them and I shall discourse in order of these three of the many that might be mentioned I. Want of consideration II. The unsuccesfulness of some former attempts when men have resolved and begun to reform but have soon found all their good purposes and endeavours blasted and defeated this discourageth them from making any farther trials III. The hopes of long life and some better opportunity of repenting hereafter One of these is commonly the ground and cause of those mens remaining in an impenitent state who yet are convinced of the absolute necessity of repentance in order to their peace and happiness I. Want of consideration For could men but once be persuaded seriously and in good earnest as becometh reasonable creatures to consider their ways and actions patiently to attend to the dictates of their own minds and soberly to weigh the reasons and consequences of things their is no doubt to be made but Religion would every day gain more proselytes vertue and righteousness would prosper and flourish more in the world and men would soon become ashamed and afraid of nothing so much as vice and wickedness Of such infinite moment are the matters of Religion so mighty and strong are the arguments which it propounds to us so clear and convincing are the evidences it gives us of its truth and certainty so agreeable to our minds are all its principles so amiable and excellent its precepts so pleasant and advantageous is the practice of them that there seemeth nothing farther required to make all men in love with it but onely that they would open their eyes to behold its beauty that they would not stop their ears against all its most alluring charms Let men but once throughly ponder the folly and mischief of sin with the benefits and rewards of piety and an holy life let them but compare their several interests together and look sometimes beyond things present unto that state wherein they are to live for ever and use their understandings about these matters as they do about other affairs and it is impossible they should enjoy any tolerable peace or ease without a carefull and strict provision for another world Vice oweth its quiet possession of mens minds onely to their stupidity and inadvertency to their carelesness and inconsideration it reigns undisturbedly onely in ignorant secure unthinking spirits but streight loseth all its force and power when once men begin to look about them and bethink themselves what they are doing and whither they are going Could we but once gain thus much of wicked men to make a stand and pause a little and to cease but a while from the violent pursuit of their pleasures and fairly reflect upon their lives and see what is the fruit of all their past follies and consider the end and issue of these things could we I say but obtain thus much we might spare most of our pains spent in persuading them to repent their own thoughts would never suffer them to be in quiet till they had done it Let us but once begin to deliberate and examine and we are sure on which side the advantage will lie sin and wickedness can never stand a trial let our own reasons be but judges it hates nothing so much as to be brought to the light A vitious man however he may brave it in the world yet can never justify or approve himself to his own free thoughts and however he may plead for sin before others yet he can never answer the objections his own conscience would bring against it would he but once dare impartially to consider them But the misery of wicked men is that they