we are unprofitable Servants and have done nothing but what was our duty yet God is pleased to accept what we can do because it is sincere and to forgive the defects and imperfections of our Obedience for his sake who fulfilled all righteousness And besides all this we have the encouragement of a great and everlasting Reward infinitely beyond all proportion of any service and Obedience that we can perform And if God be ready to assist and strengthen us in the doing of our duty and be willing so graciously to accept and to reward at such a rate the Sincerity of our endeavours to please him notwithstanding all the failings and imperfections of our best service and Obedience what can we possibly desire more for our encouragement to patient continuance in well-doing and to be stedfast and unmoveable and abundant in the work of the Lord. Fourthly and lastly The consideration of what hath been said upon this Argument may serve severely to rebuke the groundless Presumption of those who rely with so much confidence upon Christ for eternal Salvation without any conscience or care to keep his Commandments as if Salvation lay upon his Hands and he knew not how to dispose of it and were glad of any one that would come and take it off upon any terms No he came to save us from our Sins to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works So that the Salvation which he hath purchased for us doth necessarily imply our forsaking of our Sins and returning to God and our Duty and his Death and Sufferings are not more an argument of his great Love to Mankind than they are a demonstration of his perfect hatred of Sin So that if we continue in the Love and Practice of Sin we defeat the whole design of his coming into the World and of all that he hath done and suffered for us and the Redemption which Christ hath wrought for us will not avail us in the least Salvation is far from the wicked says David Psal 119. 155. If we have been workers of Iniquity the Saviour of the World when he comes to judge it will bid us to depart from him From all that hath been said it is evident that it is the greatest Presumption in the World for any Man to hope to obtain eternal Salvation by any device whatsoever or in the Communion of any Church whatsoever without Obedience and a holy Life For tho' our Obedience cannot merit yet it is necessary to qualifie and dispose us for it tho' it does not make us strictly worthy yet it makes us meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light SERMON VIII The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles MAT. XXVIII 18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World THESE Words are the last that our Blessed Saviour spake to his Apostles immediately before his Ascension into Heaven and there are these Three things contained in them I. A Declaration of his own Authority All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth II. A Commission to his Disciples grounded upon that Authority Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you III. A Promise to encourage them in this work And lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world I. Here 's our Saviour's Declaration of his own Authority All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Here 's an unlimited Power and Authority given him over all Creatures in Heaven and Earth This the Scripture tells us was conferred upon him as a Reward of his Sufferings Phil. 2. 8 9 10. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth that is that all Creatures Angels and Men and Devils should do Homage and acknowledge Subjection to him II. Here is the Commission he gave to his Apostles by virtue of this Authority Go ye therefore and teach all Nations The Commission which he here gives is founded in the Authority he had before received Having all Power committed to him he constitutes and appoints the Apostles and their Successors to manage the Affairs of this his spiritual Kingdom upon Earth And this seems to be the same Commission which St. John mentions in other words John 20. 21. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you that is as my Father commission'd me before so now having received full Authority from him I commission you Now in this Commission which our Saviour gave to his Disciples I shall take notice First Of the general Import and Design of it Secondly A more particular Declaration how they were to manage this Design First The general Import and Design of this Commission Go ye and teach all Nations The word which we translate teach is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disciple all Nations endeavour to make all the World Christians One would think here was a Power plainly enough given them to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews Which will more fully appear if we compare this passage in St. Matthew with the other Evangelists St. Mark ch 16. 15. hath it Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature From which Text I suppose St. Francis thought himself bound to preach to Beasts and Birds and accordingly did it very often and with wonderful success as they tell us in the Legend of his Life But to extend our Saviour's Commission so far is want of common sense in which St. Francis tho' they tell us he had other Gifts and Graces to an eminent degree was plainly defective But to proceed St. Luke ch 24. 47. tells us our Saviour commanded that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem So that their Commission did plainly extend to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews only they were to begin with the Jews and to preach the Gospel first to them and when they had gone over Judea and Samaria then to pass to other Nations as St. Luke doth most expresly declare Acts 1. 8. Ye shall receive power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses
The most Râ—verend Dr. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury R. White sculp Several Discourses Viz. Proving Jesus to be the Messias The Prejudices against Jesus and his Religion consider'd Jesus the Son of God proved by his Resurrection The Danger of Apostacy from Christianity Christ the Author Obedience the Condition of Salvation The Possibility and Necessity of Gospel Obedience and its consistence with free Grace The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles The Difficulties of a Christian Life consider'd The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Children of this World wiser than the Children of Light By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The FIFTH VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard 1698. THE CONTENTS Of the Fifth Volume SERM. I. Proving Jesus to be the Messias MATTH XI 2 3 4 5 6. NOW when John had heard in Prison the works of Christ he sent two of his Disciples and said unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again these things which ye do hear and see The Blind receive their sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel preached unto them And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me Page I. SERM. II III. The Prejudices against Christianity consider'd MATTH XI 6. And blessed is he whosover shall not be offended in me p. 47 91. SERM. IV. Jesus the Son of God prov'd by his Resurrection ROM I. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the dead p. 127. SERM. V. The danger of Apostacy from Christianity HEB. VI. 4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy-Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afâ—â—sh and put him to an open shame p. 155. SERM. VI. Christ the Author and Obedience the Condition of Salvation HEB. V. 9. And being made perfect he became the Authâ—â— of eternal salvation unto all them thaâ— obey him p. 197. SERM. VII The Possibility and Necessity of Gospel Obedience and its consistence with free Grace HEB. V. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him p. 231. SERM. VIII The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles MAT. XXVIII 18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World p. 265. SERM. IX The Difficulties of a Christian Life consider'd LUKE XIII 24. Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able p. 301. SERM. X XI The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus LUKE XVI 19 20. There was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in Purple and fine Linen and fared sumptuously every day And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of Sores p. 343 379. SERM. XII The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus LUKE XVI 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded tho' one rose from the dead p. 417. SERM. XIII The Children of this World wiser than the Children of Light LUKE XVI 8. For the Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light p. 447. SERMON I. Vol. V. Proving Jesus to be the Messias MATTH XI 2 3 4 5 6. Now when John had heard in Prison the works of Christ he sent two of his Disciples and said unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again these things which ye do hear and see The Blind receive their sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel preached unto them And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me ABOUT the time of our Saviour's appearing in the World there was a general expectation of a Great Prince that should come out of Judea and govern all Nations This the Gentiles had from the Prophecies of the Sybils which spake of a great King that was to appear in the World about that time So Virgil tells us that the time of Augustus was the utmost date of that Prophecy Vltima Cumaei venit jam carminis aetas And Suetonius tells us that all over the Eastern Countries there was an ancient and constant Tradition that such a Prince should spring out of Judea And for this Reason it is that our Saviour is call'd by the Prophet the Expectation of the Nations But more especially among the Jews there was at that time a more lively and particular expectation grounded upon the Predictions of their Prophets of a Prince whom they call'd the Messias or the Anointed and those who were more devout among them did at that time wait for his appearance as it is said of Simeon that he waited for the consolation of Israel Hence it was that when John the Baptist appeared in the quality of an extraordinary Prophet they sent from Jerusalem to enquire whether he were the Messias John 1. 19. The Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who art thou And he confessed and denied not but confessed I am not the Christ The Sanhedrim to whom it belonged to judge who were true Prophets sent to know whether he was the Messias or not He would not take this honour to himself but told them the Messias was just at hand and the next day when Jesus came to be baptized of him he bare record that he was the Son of God and that he saw the Spirit descending and abiding upon him So that it is plain that he knew him and bare witness of him which makes it the more strange that here in the Text he should send two of his Disciples to enquire whether he were the Messias or not Art thou he that should come or do we look for another That is art thou the Messias or not for so he is call'd in the ancient Prophecies of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
industrious than in truth they are they are rather Hypocrites the other way and would conceal their Covetousness and Ambition and not seem to aspire after Riches and Honours so much as indeed they do But in the pursuit of better things how cold and remiss are we With what a careless indifference do most Men mind their Souls How negligent and formal and many times Hypocritical are they in the Service of God and the Exercise of Religion With what a pitiful Courage and with what faint Spirits do they resist Sin and encounter the Temptations of it and how often and how easily are they foil'd and baffl'd by them 4thly The Men of the World are more invincibly constant and pertinacious in the pursuit of Earthly things they are not to be birbed or taken off by favour or fair Words not to be daunted by Difficulties or dasht out of Countenance by the Frowns and Reproaches of Men. Offer an Ambitious Man any thing short of his End and Aim to take him off from the prosecution of it he scorns the motion and thinks you go about to fool him out of his Interest Bait a Covetous Man with Temptations of Pleasure to get his Money from him how generously will this mean spirited Man trample upon Pleasure when it would tempt him from his Design of being rich Difficulties do not daunt them but whet their Courage and quicken their Endeavours and set a keener edge upon their Spirits Give an Ambitious Man almost a demonstration of the impossibility of his attempt contrà audentior ibit he will go on so much the more boldly and resolutely In the ways of Religion Men are apt to be discouraged and put out of Countenance by Contempt and Reproach but a Covetous Man is not to be jeer'd and flurted out of his Money and Estate he can be content to be Rich and give leave to those that are not so to laugh at him Populus mihi sibilat at mihi plaudo The Rich Worldling can hug himself and his Bags when the World hisseth at him he can bear to be hated and persecuted and have all manner of Evil spoke against him for Money sake And in the pursuit of these Designs Men will with great Resolution encounter Enmity and Opposition and endure great Sufferings and Persecution How many have been Martyrs to their Lusts and have Sacrificed their Ease and Health and even their Lives in the prosecution of their Ambitious and Covetous and Voluptuous Designs But on the other hand how easily are Men check'd and diverted from a good Course by the Temptations and Advantages of this World How many are cold in their Zeal for Religion by the Favour and Friendship of this World And as their Goods and Estate have grown greater their Devotion hath grown less How apt are they to be terrified at the apprehension of Danger and Sufferings and by their fearful Imagination to make them greater than they are and with the People of Israel to be dishearten'd from all further Attemps of entring into the land of promise because it is full of Giants and the Sons of Anak How easily was Peter frighted into the denyal of his Master And when our Saviour was apprehended how did his Disciples forsake him and flie from him And tho' they were constant afterwards to the Death yet it was a great while before they were perfectly armed and steel'd against the fear of Suffering 5thly The men of the World will make all things stoop and submit to that which is their great End and Design their End rules them and governs them and gives Law to all their Actions they will make an Advantage of every thing and if it will not serve their End one way or other they will have nothing to do with it If an ambitious Man seek Wealth it is but in order to his Design to purchase Friends and strengthen his Interest and make his rising the easier he will lay his whole Estate at the stake rather than miss of his End The covetous Man will quit his Pleasure when it lies cross to his Interest if he have any expensive Lust and chargeable Vice he will turn it off or exchange it for some more frugal and profitable Sin But in the affairs of Religion and the concernments of our Souls how frequently do Men act without a due Regard and consideration of their great End and instead of making other things submit to it they often bow and bend it to their inferiour Interests They make Heaven stoop to Earth and Religion to serve a worldly Design and the glory of God to give way to gain and the great Concernments of their Souls and their eternal Salvation to their Temporal Profit and Advantage The Men of the World are generally true to their great End and pay it that Respect which is due to it and will suffer nothing to take place of it in their Esteem and Affection and if Men were as wise for their Souls and for another World they would bring all things to their great End and make all the Concernments of this Temporal Life to yield and give way to the great Concernments of their Eternal Happiness I proceed in the Second Place to give some Account of this whence it comes to pass that the Children of this World are wiser in their generation than the Children of Light And this I shall do by considering what Advantages the Children of this World have as to the Affairs of this World above what good Men have as to the Concernments of another World I shall instance in four or five of the chief 1st The Things of this World are present and sensible and because of their nearness to us are apt to strike powerfully upon our Senses and to affect us mightily to excite our Desires after them and to work strongly upon our Hopes and Fears but the things of another World being remote from us are lessen'd by their distance and consequently are not apt to work so powerfully upon our Minds they are invisible to us and only discerned by Faith which is a more obscure and less certain Perception of things than we have of those Objects which are presented to our bodily Eyes The things which God hath prepared for them that love him the Glory and Happiness of the next World are things which Eye hath not seen nor ear heard The Children of Light do not see God as the Children of this World see Mammon 2dly The sensual Delights and Enjoyments of this World are better suited and more agreable to the corrupt and degenerate Nature of Men than Spiritual and heavenly things are to those that are regenerate In this lapsed and degenerate state of Mankind Appetite and Sense are apt to prevail above Reason and therefore those things which are most delightful to Sense we savour and mind and love to busie our selves about them because they are most suitable to the animal life which is the governing Principle of corrupt Nature And the
proper Pains and Torments of the damned but that his perfect Obedience and grievous Sufferings undergone for our sakes and upon our account were of that Value and Esteem with God and his voluntary Sacrifice of himself in our stead so highly acceptable and well pleasing to him that he thereupon was pleased to enter into a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with Mankind wherein he hath promised and engaged himself to forgive the Sins of all those who sincerely repent and believe and to make them partakers of Eternal Life And hence it is that the Blood of Christ which was shed for us upon the Cross is call'd the Blood of the Covenant as being the Sanction of that new Covenant of the Gospel into which God is entred with Mankind and not only the Confirmation but the very Foundation of it for which reason the Cup in the Lord's Supper which represents to us the Blood of Christ is call'd the New Testament in his Blood which was shed for many for the remission of Sins 4thly and lastly Christ is said to be the Author of our Salvation in respect of his powerful and perpetual Intercession for us at the right Hand of God And this seems to be more especially intimated and intended in that Expression here in the Text that being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Which Words of his being perfected do as I have shew'd before more immediately refer to his Sufferings and the Reward that followed them his Exaltation at the right hand of God where he lives for ever to make Intercession for us by which perpetual and most prevalent Intercession of his he procures all those Benefits to be bestowed upon us which he purchased for us by his Death the forgiveness of our Sins and our Acceptance with God and perfect Restitution to his Favour upon our Faith and Repentance and the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit to inable us to a sincere Discharge of our Duty to strengthen us against all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil to keep us from all Evil and to preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom And this is that which our Apostle calls obtaining of Mercy and finding Grace to help in time of need ch 4. v. 16. of this Epist Our blessed Saviour now that he is advanced into Heaven and exalted on the right hand of the Majesty on high doth out of the tenderest Affection and Compassion to Mankind still prosecute that great and merciful Design of our Salvation which was begun by him here on Earth and in Virtue of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings does offer up our Prayers to God and as it were plead our Cause with God and represent to him all our Wants and Necessities and obtain a favourable Answer of our Petitions put up to God in his Name and all necessary supplies of Grace and Strength Proportionable to our Temptations and Infirmities And by Virtue of this powerful Intercession of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer our Sins are pardoned upon our sincere Repentance our Prayers are graciously answered our Wants are abundantly supplyed and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit are plentifully afforded to us to excite us to our Duty to strengthen us in well doing to comfort us in Afflictions to support us under the greatest Tryals and Sufferings and to keep us through Faith unto Salvation And for this reason as the purchasing of our Salvation is in Scripture attributed to the Death and Sufferings of Christ so the perfecting and finishing of it is ascribed to the prevalency of his Intercession at the right Hand of God for us So the Apostle tells us ch 7. v. 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us He dyed once to purchase Salvation for us and that we may not fall short of it but receive the full Benefit of this Purchase he lives for ever to make Intercession for us and thus he saves to the uttermost all those that come to God by him that is he takes care of the whole business of our Salvation from first to last And now that he is in Heaven he is as intent to procure our Welfare and Happiness and as tenderly concerned for us as when he lived here among us upon Earth as when he hung upon the Cross and poured out his Soul an Offering for our Sins for he appears at the right Hand of God in our Nature that which he assumed for our sakes which was made subject to and sensible of our Infirmities and which was tempted in all things like as we are only without Sin and therefore he knows how to pity and succour them that are tempted and from the remembrance of his own Sufferings is prompted to a compassionate Sense of ours and never ceaseth in virtue of his Blood which was shed for us to plead our Cause with God and to intercede powerfully on our behalf So that the Virtue and Efficacy of Christ's Intercession on our behalf is founded in the Redemption which he wrought for us by his Blood and Sufferings which being entred into Heaven he represents to God on our Behalf As the high Priest under the Law did enter into the holy place with the Blood of the Sacrifices that had been offered and in virtue of that Blood interceded for the People So Christ by his own Blood entred into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us as the Apostle speaks ch 9. v. 12. He entred into the Holy Place that is into Heaven it self to make Intercession for us as the Apostle explains himself v. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands but into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And ch 10. v. 12. speaking of Christ's appearing for us at the right Hand of God this Man says he after he had offer'd one Sacrifice for Sin for ever that is a Sacrifice of perpetual Virtue and Efficacy sat down at the right Hand of God that is to intercede for us in virtue of that Sacrifice From all which it appears that the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession for us in Heaven is founded in his Sacrifice and the price of our Redemption which he paid on Earth in shedding his Blood for us From whence the Apostle reasons that there is but one Mediator between God and Men by whom we are to address our Prayers to God 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all His Mediation is founded in his Ransome or the Price which he paid for our Redemption The Apostle indeed does not say there is but one Mediator between God and Man in express words but surely he means so if by saying there is one God he means there is but one God for they
unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth But see the strange power of Prejudice to blind the Eyes even of good Men in the plainest matters The Disciples of our Saviour for all they had entertained a new Religion yet they retained the old Pride and Prejudice of their Nation against the rest of the World as if none but themselves had any share in the favour of God or were to have any part in the Salvation of the Messias Our Saviour did so far consider this Prejudice of theirs that he never in his life time acquainted them with this matter so as to make them fully to understand it because they were not able to bear it And it is very probable that this is one of those things which our Saviour meant John 16. 12 13. I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth That is he should lead them into the knowledge of those Truths of which they were not then capable And tho' our Saviour after his Resurrection seems to have declared this sufficiently to them yet by their practice after his Ascension it appears that they understood all this only of the Jews namely that they were to preach the Gospel first to the Jews that were at Jerusalem and in Judea and then to those that were dispersed in other Nations for 't is clear from the History of their first Preaching recorded in the Acts that they preached to none but to the Jews and the Proselytes of the Jewish Religion So strong was their Prejudice that they had not the least suspicion that this Blessing of the Gospel was intended for the Heathen World nor were they convinced to the contrary 'till St. Peter had a special Vision and Revelation to this purpose and the holy Ghost came upon the Gentiles in miraculous gifts as he had done before upon the Jews that were converted to Christianity And thus the Spirit of God led them into this Truth and then they understood this Command of our Saviour's in a larger Sense And to this St. Peter plainly refers Acts 10. 42. where he tells us how that Christ after his Resurrection appeared to them and commanded them to preach unto the People So likewise do Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. 46. where they speak thus to the Jews It was necessary that the word should first he preached to you but seeing you put it from you lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us Now he no where commanded this but in this Commission which he gave them before his Ascension Secondly You have here a particular declaration how they were to manage this work of making Disciples to the Christian Religion 1. By baptizing them into the Christian Faith 2. By instructing them in the Precepts and Practices of a Christian Life 1. By baptizing them into the Christian Faith which is here call'd baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Baptism is a solemn Rite appointed by our Saviour for the initiating of Persons into the Christian Religion But it was a Ceremony in use before both among the Jews and Gentiles The Heathen observed it at the initiating Persons into their Religious Mysteries and the Jews when they admitted Proselytes to their Religion at which time the Males as Maimonides tells us were both circumcised and baptized the Women were only baptized One Circumstance of the Baptism of grown Persons was that standing in the Water up to the Neck they recited several Precepts of the Law And as the Jewish Writers further tell us this Ceremony did not only belong to them that were of grown Years but to the Children of Proselytes if it were desired upon condition that when they came to Years they should continue in that Religion Now tho' this was a religious Ceremony used both by Jews and Gentiles and without any Divine Institution that we know of our blessed Saviour who in none of his Institutions seems to have favour'd unnecessary Innovations was so far from the superstition of declining it upon this account that it had been in religious use both among Jews and Gentiles that he seems the rather to have chosen it for that very reason For seeing it was a common Rite of all Religions and in it self very significant of that Purity which is the great design of all Religion it was the more likely to find the easier Acceptance and to be most suitable to that which he intended to be the universal Religion of the World As for the form of Baptism into the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost it plainly refers to that short Creed or Profession of Faith which was required of those that were to be baptized answerable to the reciting of the Precepts of the Law at the baptizing of Proselytes among the Jews now the Articles of this Creed were reduced to these three Heads of the Father Son and holy Ghost and contains what was necessary to be believed concerning each of these And this probably is that which the Apostle calls the Doctrine of Baptism Heb. 6. 2. viz. a short Summary of the Christian Faith the Profession whereof was to be made at Baptism of which the most ancient Fathers make so frequent mention calling it the rule of Faith It was a great while indeed before Christians tied themselves strictly to that very form of Words which we now call the Apostles Creed but the Sense was the same tho' every one exprest it in his own Words nay the same Father reciting it upon several Occasions does not confine himself to the very same Expressions A plain indication that they were not then strictly bound up to any form of Words but retaining the sense and substance of the Articles every one exprest them as he pleased So that to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost is to perform this Rite or Sacrament by the Authority of and with special Relation to the three Persons of the blessed Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost as the chief Objects of the Christian Faith whereof solemn Profession was then made So that upon this form in Baptism appointed by our Saviour compared with what is elsewhere said in Scripture concerning the Divinity of the Son and the holy Ghost is principally founded the Doctrine of the blessed Trinity I mean in that simplicity in which the Scripture hath delivered it and not as it hath been since confounded and entangled in the Cobwebs and Niceties of the Schools The Scripture indeed no where calls them Persons but speaks of them as we do of several Persons and therefore that word is not unfitly used to express the difference between them or at least we do not know a fitter word for that purpose By baptizing then
in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost is meant the initiating of Men by this solemn Rite or Ceremony into the Christian Religion upon their profession of the necessary Doctrines of it concerning the Father Son and holy Ghost and a solemn Stipulation and Engagement to live according to those Doctrines Which promise of a suitable Life and Practice was likewise made at the same time as Justin Martyr and other of the ancient Fathers do testifie But before I leave this Head it is very fit to take particular notice what use the Anabaptists make of this Text so as in effect to lay the whole stress of their Cause upon it as if by virtue of this Command of our Saviour's and the manner wherein it is exprest all Infants even those of Christian Parents who are themselves already admitted into the new Covenant of the Gospel were excluded from Baptism because it is here said by our Saviour Go ye and disciple all Nations baptizing them from whence they infer and very clearly and strongly as they think that none are to be baptized but such as are first throughly instructed in the Christian Religion and made Disciples which Infants are not but only those who are grown to some Maturity of Years and Understanding But the Opinion and Practice of the ancient Church in this matter is a sufficient Bar to this Inference at least to the clearness of it And indeed it cannot reasonably be imagined that the Apostles who had all of them been bred up in the Jewish Religion which constantly and by virtue of a divine Precept and Institution admitted Infants into that Church and to the benefits of that Covenant by the Rite of Circumcision and likewise the Infants of Proselytes by Baptism as I observed before I say no Man can reasonably imagine that the Apostles could understand our Saviour as intending by any consequence from this Text to exclude the Children of Christians out of the Christian Church and to debar them of the benefits of the New Covenant of the Gospel The Children of Christians being every whit as capable of being taken into this new Covenant and of partaking of the Benefits of it as Children of the Jews were of being admitted into the old Unless we will suppose which at first sight seems very harsh and unreasonable that by the terms of the Christian Religion Children are in a much worse condition than the Children of the Jews were under the Law So that the parity of Reason being so plain nothing less than an express Prohibition from our Saviour and an exception of Children from Baptism can be thought sufficient to deprive the Children of Christians of any Priviledge of which the Jewish were capable For the plain meaning of this Commission to the Apostles is to go and proselyte all Nations to the Christian Religion and to admit them solemnly into it by Baptism as the Jews were wont to proselyte Men to their Religion by Circumcision and Baptism by which Rites also they took in the Children of the Proselytes upon promise that when they came to Years they should continue in that Religion And if this was our Saviour's meaning the Apostles had no reason from the Tenour of their Commission to understand that the Children of Christian Proselytes were any more excluded than the Children of Proselytes to the Jewish Religion unless our Saviour had expresly excepted them for it is a favourable Case and in a matter of Priviledge and therefore ought not to be determined to debar Children of it upon any obscure consequence from a Text which it is certain was never so understood by the Christian Church for 1500 Years together I have done with the first part of their Commission which was to disciple or proselyte all Nations to the Christian Religion and to admit them into the Christian Church by the Rite or Sacrament of Baptism I proceed to consider the Second part of their Commission which was to instruct Men in the Precepts and Duties of a Christian Life teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you You see how their Commission bounds and limits them they were to teach others those Precepts which Christ had taught and deliver'd to them they had no Power by virtue of this Commission to make new Laws which should be of universal and perpetual Obligation and consequently necessary to the Salvation of all Christians they were only to be the Publishers but not the Authors of this new Religion And therefore St. Paul when the Corinthians consulted him about several things relating to Marriage and Virginity he only gives his advice but would not take upon him to make a Law in those cases that should be binding to all Christians And for the same Reason Christians do generally at this day think themselves absolved from the Obligation of that Canon which was made even in a Council of the Apostles as to all those Branches of it the reason whereof is now ceased But notwithstanding this the Authority which our Saviour conferred upon his Apostles to teach his Doctrine does in the nature of it necessarily imply a Power of governing the Societies of Christians under such Officers and by such Rules as are most suitable to the nature of such a Society and most fit to promote the great Ends of the Christian Religion For without this power of governing they cannot be suppos'd to be endowed with sufficient Authority to teach and therefore in pursuance of this Commission we find that the Apostles did govern the Societies of Christians by such Rules and Constitutions as were fitted to the then present circumstances of Christianity And as they did appoint temporary Officers upon emergent Occasions so they constituted others that were of perpetual use in the Church for the instructing and governing of Christians and that in such a subordination to one another as would be most effectual to the attaining of the end of Government which subordination of Governours hath not only been used in all Religions but in all the well regulated Civil Societies that ever were in the World And this may suffice to have spoken of the second part of their Commission The Third and last thing in the Text is the Promise which our Saviour here makes for the encouragement of the Apostles in this Work Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the World that is tho' I be going from you in person yet I will still be present with you by my Power and Spirit And surely this must needs be a great Encouragement to have him engaged for their Assistance who had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him as he tells them at the 18th verse I shall endeavour therefore as far as the time will permit to explain to you the true meaning and extent of this Promise That it is primarily made to the Apostles no Man can doubt that considers that it was spoken to them immediately by our Saviour and in
our selves towards one another in the greatest Differences of Religion None sure can be at greater distance than Abraham in Paradise and the Rich Man in Hell and yet our Saviour would not represent them as at terms of Defiance with one another One might have expected that Abraham should have reviled this poor Wretch and disdain'd to have spoken to him But this is not the Temper of Heaven nor ought it to be of good Men upon Earth even towards the worst of Men. How does this condemn our Rudeness and Impatience with one another in our religious Differences We think no Terms bad enough to use towards one another and yet one of the most famous Disputes that we find mentioned in Scripture and that between the most opposite Parties that can be imagined was managed after another Fashion I mean that recorded by St. Jude between Michael the Arch-Angel and the Devil v. 9. Yet Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the Body of Moses durst not bring a railing Accusation he durst not allow himself this no not in the heat of Dispute when Persons are most apt to fly out into Passion because it was indecent and would have been displeasing to God this I believe is the true reason why it is said he durst not bring a railing Accusation And yet I may add another which is not improper for our Consideration I am sure it hath a good Moral the Devil would have been too hard for him at railing he was better skill'd at that Weapon and more expert at that kind of Dispute Which Consideration may be a good Argument to us against reviling any Man If we revile the good we are unjust because they deserve it not if we revile the bad we are unwise because we shall get nothing by it I could almost envy the Character which was given of one of the Romans Nescivit quid esset malè dicere he knew not what it was to give bad Language I proceeed Son remember that thou in thy Life time receivedst thy good things Thy good things those which thou didst value and esteem so highly and didst place thy chief Happiness in as if there had been no other good to be sought after Thy good things and indeed so he used them as if he had been the sole Lord and Proprietor of them and they had not been committed to him as a Steward to be dispensed for his Master's use for the cloathing of the naked and the feeding of the hungry and the relieving of those in distress Ver. 27 28. Then he said I pray thee therefore Father that thou wouldest send him to my Father's house For I have five Brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of Torment Here the Rich Man tho' in Hell is represented as retaining some tenderness for his Relations as solicitous lest they should be involved in the same Misery with himself The last piece of that which commonly remains in Men is natural Affection which is not so much a Virtue as a natural Principle and is common to many brute Beasts When a Man puts off this we may give him up for lost to all manner of Goodness To be without natural Affection is the worst Character can be given of a Man Our Saviour represents this Rich Man in Hell as not so totally degenerate as to be quite destitute of this I think some attribute this Motion of the Rich Man concerning his Brethren to another Cause as if he had desired it not out of kindness to them but out of regard to himself as being afraid that if his Brethren who probably were corrupted by his Example had perisht by that means it would have been an Aggravation of his Torments But this Conjecture is too subtile and without any good ground for every Man carries his Burthen of Guilt with him out of this World and it is not increased by any Consequence of our Actions here For the Crime of a bad Example is the same whether Men follow it or not because he that gives bad Example to others does what in him lies to draw them into Sin and if they do not follow it that is no mitigation of his Fault I have but one Observation more and that is from the mention of his Brethren as his nearest Relations which is a great Aggravation of the Rich-Man's Uncharitableness because he is represented as having no Children to take care for and yet he would not consider the Poor And thus I have as briefly as I could endeavour'd to explain this Parable and have made such Observations from the Circumstances of it as may be useful for Instruction But as I premised at first I will not warrant all these Observations to be certainly intended by our Saviour I know very well that every Circumstance of a Parable is not to be prest too far the Moral Accommodation does chiefly belong to the main Scope of it and many Circumstances are only brought in to fill up the Parable and to make handsomer way for that which is most material and principally intended But so long as the Observations are true and useful and have a fair Colour and Occasion from the Circumstances it is well enough to be sure there is no harm done I proceed to the second sort of Observations namely such as are drawn from the main scope and intent of the Parable which I promised to speak more largely to and they are Six which I shall handle in order First I observe that Uncharitableness and Unmercifulness to the Poor is a great and damning Sin We find no other fault imputed to the Rich Man but this that he took no care out of his Superfluity and Abundance to relieve this poor Man that lay at his Gate He is not charged for want of Justice but of Charity not for having got a great Estate by Fraud or Oppression but that in the midst of this Abundance he had no Consideration and Pity for those that were in want I shall endeavour to make out this Observation by the parts of it 1st That Unmercifulness and Uncharitableness to the Poor is a great Sin 2dly Such a Sin as alone and without any other guilt is sufficient to ruin a Man for ever I shall speak to these severally 1st That Unmercifulness and Uncharitableness to the Poor is a very great Sin It contains in its very Nature two black Crimes Inhumanity and Impiety 1. Inhumanity it is an Argrment of a cruel and savage Disposition not to pity those that are in Want and Misery And he doth not truly pity the Miseries of others that doth not relieve them when he hath Ability and Oportunity in his Hands Tenderness and Compassion for the Sufferings of others is a Virtue so proper to our Nature that it is therefore call'd Humanity as if it were essential to Human Nature and as if without this we did not deserve the Name of Men. To see a Man like
the charitable Man will not have the least Portion 4. There is a worse Objection than all these made by some grave Men who would be glad under a pretence of Piety to slip themselves out of this Duty and that is this that it savours of Popery to press good Works with so much earnestness upon Men as if we could merit Heaven by them So that they dare not be charitable out of a pious Fear as they pretend lest hereby they should entertain the Doctrine of Merit But if the Truth were known I doubt Covetousness lyes at the bottom of this Objection However it is fit it should be answered And 1. I say that no Man that is not prejudiced either by his Education or Interest can think that a Creature can merit any thing at the hand of God to whom all that we can possibly do is antecedently due much less that we can merit so great a Reward as that of Eternal Happiness 2. Tho' we deny the Merit of good Works yet we firmly believe the necessity of them to Eternal Life And that they are necessary to Eternal Life is as good an Argument to perswade a wise Man to do them as if they were meritorious unless a Man be so vain-glorious as to think Heaven not worth the having unless he purchase it himself at a valuable Consideration And now let me earnestly intreat you as you love God and your own Souls not to neglect this Duty lest you bring your selves to the same miserable state with this Rich Man to whom the least Charity that could be askt was denied Our Saviour hath purposely left this Parable on record to be a testimony and a witness to us lest we being guilty of the same sin should come into the same place of torment And if any ask me according to what proportion of his Estate he ought to be charitable I cannot determine that Only let no Man neglect his Duty because I cannot and it may be no one else can tell him the exact proportion of his Charity to his Estate There are some Duties that are strictly determined as those of Justice but God hath left our Charity to be a free-will Offering In the proportion of this Duty every one must determine himself by Prudence and the Love of God God hath left this Duty undetermined to try the largeness of our Hearts towards him only to encourage us to be abundant in this Grace he hath promised that according to the proportion of our Charity shall be the degree of our Happiness 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully But let us be sure to do something in this kind any part of our Estate rather than none I will conclude with that excellent Counsel of the Son of Syrach Eccl. 4. My Son defraud not the Poor and make not the needy Eye to wait long make not a hungry Soul sorrowful neither provoke a Man in his distress add not more trouble to a Heart that is vexed defer not to give to him that is in need Reject not the supplication of the afflicted nor turn away thy face from a poor Man turn not away thy Eye from the needy and give him none occasion to curse thee For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his Soul his Prayer shall be heard of him that made him Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine Ear to the poor and give him a friendly answer with meekness Be as a father to the fatherless and instead of a husband to their mother so shalt thou be as the Son of the most high and he shall love thee more than thy Mother doth SERMON XI The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Sermon II. LUKE XVI 19 20. There was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in Purple and fine Linen and fared sumptuously every day And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of Sores I Proceed to our Second Observation that a Man may be poor and miserable in this World and yet dear to God This beggar Lazarus tho' he was so much slighted and despised in his life-time by this great rich Man yet it appeared when he came to die that he was not neglected by God for he gave his Angels charge concerning him to convey him to Happiness v. 22. The Beggar died and was carried into Abraham's bosom But this Truth is not only represented to us in a Parable but exemplified in the Life of our blessed Saviour Never was any Man so dear to God as he was for he was his only begotten Son his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased And yet how poor and mean was his Condition in this World Insomuch that the Jews were offended at him and could not own one that appeared in so much Meanness for the true Messias He was born of mean Parents and persecuted as soon as he was born he was destitute of worldly Accommodations The Foxes had holes and the Birds of the Air had nests but the Son of Man had not where to lay his head He was despised and rejected of Men a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief God could have sent his Son into the World with Majesty and great Glory and have made all the Kings of the Earth to have bowed before him and paid Homage to him but the Wisdom of God chose rather that he should appear in a poor and humble in a suffering and afflicted Condition to confound the Pride of the World who measure the Love of God by these outward things and think that God hates all those whom he permits to be afflicted Now it was not possible to give a greater and clearer Demonstration of this Truth that Goodness and Suffering may meet together in the same Person than in the Son of God who did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to Grief Afflictions in this World are so far from being a sign of God's Hatred that they are an Argument of his Love and Care whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Those he designs for great things hereafter he trains up by great Hardships in this World and by many Tribulations prepares them for a Kingdom This course God took more especially in the first planting of Christianity the poor chiefly were those that received the Gospel Not many mighty nor many noble but the base things of the World and the things that were despised did God chuse Hearken my beloved Brethren saith St. James ch 2. 5. Hath not God chosen the poor in this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Now this Consideration should perswade to Patience under the greatest Sufferings and Afflictions in this world God may be our Father and chasten us severely nay this very thing is rather an Argument that he is so God may love us