them to differ Who told you you may observe one and not another Where are the distinguishing Marks to discern which is to be practised and which is not Doth not the same Spirit run through all In a word if you love God to any purpose you will not only dread crying Sins but even those which looser Men make no great matter of and it 's certain that Soul is not yet truly converted that doth not seriously watch against evil Thoughts Desires Passions Affections c. for these are usually counted lesser Sins as well as against greater Abominations And therefore You may easily perceive that we are not to break a Command of our dear Lord and Master because it seems little or because the World esteems it so What hath the World to do with my Religion Doth God govern himself by the Verdict of the World and sensual Men What if Men who have no right Apprehensions of God make nothing of corrupt Communications must I be guided by their Example Can any Commandment that proceeds out of the Mouth of God be termed little Might not we as well say that God spoke in jest If God commands me to follow Righteousness Faith Charity and Peace with all them that call on him out of a pure Heart and to flee youthful Lusts shall I neglect this Command because the World makes a pish of it Hath the Great God of Heaven and Earth thought fit to send his Son into the World to tell me that private Revenge is unlawful and conforming to the World in their Vanities and Fooleries and Revellings and Extravagancies is displeasing to him and my covetous Thoughts and Desires are offensive to his Holiness and have not I all the reason in the World to stand in awe of his Command though a thousand wicked Men say it 's either needless or impracticable How can a Divine Command be little that concerns Mens Immortal Souls Is there any thing greater in this World than the good and welfare of their precious Souls Doth God tell me such a Sin though it seems never so small in the Eyes of the World will help to kill my Soul and is Ingratitude to him in whom I live and move and have my Being and shall I venture upon it God forbid Yea let God be True but every Man a Lyar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and be clear when thou judgest Rom. iii. 4 II. Let none of you wonder at Christ's peremptory Determination here Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven You 'll say What! break but one of these Commandments and one of the least and be damn'd Where then is the Grace of the Gospel What becomes then of the vast Treasures of Mercy which came in with Jesus Christ At this rate our Yoak is heavier than that of the Jews Marvel not my Brethren the greater the Grace is the greater will be the Account the greater the Mercy the greater will be the Reckoning And yet this ought to be no discouragement to any of us for the meaning is not that every surprize or accidental Failing or breaking one of these Commands against our Will or before we are aware or after we have used all possible Watchfulness excludes from the Kingdom of Heaven for then no Flesh could be saved But he that wilfully breaks one and makes a Trade of it knows or hears God's Will in that particular and yet will not be perswaded to do it and teaches others too either by his Discourse or Example neglects such a Command and feels no Remorse knows the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death and not only doth the same but hath pleasure in them that do them as it is said Rom. i. 32 That 's the Man who shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven And do not you think there is a great deal of Justice in all this What! For a Man first to disregard an express Command of Christ and then that he may not think himself obliged to it to call it little and inconsiderable and so to neglect it and after all prompt others to do so too Is not this a manifest contempt of God's Sovereignty and Mercy and Love and Charity in Christ Jesus Doth not this look like Enmity against God Is not this a sign of a secret Hatred and Indignation against the ways of God Is not this an Argument of Obstinacy and Stubbornness Doth not this infer want of Sense and want of Fear And would you have God save a Man that doth not fear him Would you have him receive Men into the Kingdom of Heaven that do not only not think it worth while to obey him in so small a matter small in their own account and therefore surely the easier but encourage others to do the like Doth not this argue a delight in a sinful sensual Life And what Do you think God will let a Man or Woman in at the Gates of Glory that looks upon the Prophet as mad because he bid him do so small a thing Wash in the River Jordan seven times that he may be clean God measures our Actions by our Hearts and if the Heart be averse from him or from the ways of Righteousness Is such a Person fit to sing with Angels to triumph with Martyrs and to sit and rejoice with Souls that loved God with all their Hearts and with all their Minds Ay but to break one of these least Commandments and to teach another to do so What great Matter is there in that My Friends He that breaks one will break another and is in a Disposition to offend against more He will never stop there one Sin engages him into the Practice of another and if he propagates the Evil too and like a rotten Sheep infects others doth not that one Folly discover a Heart that hath no Desire no Inclination to take Christ's Yoak upon him and loath unwilling backward to entertain Christ upon his own Terms and is this following him in the Regeneration And he that doth not follow him in the Regeneration How shall he be able to sit with him in his Throne And this puts me in mind of another Observation III. That he that lives ill teaches another to live ill too He that shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so c. In order to be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven it is not necessary a Man should get into a Pulpit and there proclaim that it is lawful to lie to cheat to defraud to sing filthy Songs to break obscene Jests to hate our Neighbour or to return Evil for Evil this needs not Thy Actions Christian spread the Poison and teach the next Man thou meetest withal to do as thou doest for in breaking such a known Command of the Gospel and being unconcerned What can thy fellow Christian think
SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE Fifth of St. Matthew Being Part of CHRIST's SERMON On the Mount. By ANTHONY HORNECK D.D. Late Preacher at the Savoy The SECOND Volume Compleating the Chapter LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the three Pigeons against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1698. THE Texts of the Sermons IN THIS SECOND VOLUME SERMON XVI ST Matthew the Fifth Verse 15. Neither do Men light a Candle and put it under a bushel but on a Candlestick and it giveth Ligth to all that are in the House Page 1. SERMON XVII Verse 16. Let your Light so shine before Men that others may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven p. 16. SERMON XVIII Verse 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil p. 35. SERMON XIX Verse 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled p. 53. SERMON XX. Verse 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandements and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom p. 73. SERMON XXI Verse 20. For I say unto you that except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven p. 91. SERMON XXII Verse 21 22. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the Judgment But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in danger of the Judgment and whosoever shall say to his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Council but whosoever shall say thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire p. 119. SERMON XXIII Verse 23 24. Therefore if thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift p. 139. SERMON XXIV Verse 25 26. Agree with thine Adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him lest at any time the Adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into Prison Verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing p. 161. SERMON XXV Verse 27 28. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not commit Adultery but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart p. 179. SERMON XXVI Verse 29 30. And if thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell And if thy right Hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell p. 195. SERMON XXVII Verse 31 32. It hath been said Whosoever shall put away his Wife let him give her a Writing of Divorcement But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his Wife saving for the cause of Fornication causes her to commit Adultery and whosoever Marries her that is Divorced commits Adultery p. 213. SERMON XXVIII Verse 33. Again 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 p. 273. SERMON XXIX Verse 34 35 36. But I say unto you swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King neither shalt thou swear by thine Head because thou can'st not make one Hair white or black p. 309. SERMON XXX Verse 37. But let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more than these comes of Evil. p. 329. SERMON XXXI Verse 38 39. Ye have heard that it hath been said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth But I say unto you that ye resist not Evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right Cheek turn him the other also p. 349. SERMON XXXII Verse 40 41. And if any Man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also And whosoever shall compel thee to go a Mile go with him twain p. 385. SERMON XXXIII Verse 42. Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away p. 401. SERMON XXXIV Verse 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy p. 417. SERMON XXXV Verse 44. But I say unto you Love your Enemies Bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you p. 434. SERMON XXXVI Verse 45. That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he makes the Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and Vnjust p. 459. SERMON XXXVII Verse 46 47. For if you love them which love you what Reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brother only what do you more than others Do not even the Publicans so p. 479. SERMON XXXVIII Verse 46 47. For if ye love them which love you c. p. 501. SERMON XXXIX Verse 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect p. 527. ADVERTISEMENT THIS Worthy Author hath likewise left Sermons of the Sixth and Seventh Chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel Compleating our Blessed Saviour's Sermon on the Mount making an excellent Body of Divinity Which will be suddenly Printed Uniform to this Volume SERMON XVI ON THE Fifth of St. Matthew VOL. II. St. Matth. Ch. v. Ver. 15. Neither do Men light a Candle and put it under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and it giveth Light to all that are in the House HAD I consulted Brevity I might have handled the 13 14 15 and 16 th verses together because they all speak of the same Subject viz. The Exemplary Lives of Christians But being willing to examine the Emphasis of every Expression I have resolved to treat of these distinctly As our Saviour hath compared his true Followers to the Salt of the Earth with respect to their Reforming others To the Sun or Light of the World with respect to their Enlightning and Enlivening others To a City set on an Hill with
these and a thousand things of this nature spoken of concerning the Gospel times in the Law and in the Prophets were most punctually fulfilled and particularly the Types of the Ceremonial Law which were so many prefigurations and obscure hints and characters of the Glory which should after be revealed in the Gospel 2. By what hath been fulfilled we may very safely and rationally infer That the rest of the things which have not yet been will certainly be fulfilled in their due time Such are the lofty Prophecies of the great Unity of the Church of Christ Isai. ii 4 and xi 6 the Spiritual yet visible splendour and largness of it Isai. lx 19 of the Temple which Ezekiel spake of Chap. xl xli xlii c. of the Conversion of the Jews Ezek. xxxvii 26 27. of Antichrist and the state of Christ's Church under him and the consequences of it in Daniel and in other places c. If such abundance of things in the Law have been already fulfilled no doubt the rest will all be fulfilled And this shews That both the Old and the New Testament and the Books and Writings thereof are of God For as the New Testament contains the things that are fulfilled and the Old the things that were to be fulfilled so it must necessarily follow that he that could foretel such things and after he had foretold them so many hundred years before was able to fulfil them could be nothing but God himself it being impossible for any Creature either to foretel or fulfil things so abstruse and out of the common reach of the wisest part of Mankind And since the Scriptures are of God with what Reverence ought we to entertain them with what Seriousness to read them with what Attention to peruse them and with what Strictness to obey them When the Letters and Messages of Sovereign Princes are so venerable and precious with us how dear ought the Oracles and Messages of God to our Souls be to us surely dearer than thousands of Gold and Silver Psal. cxix 72 127. And one great thing that ought to make them so dear to us is this That they will last till Heaven and Earth pass Which brings in the III d Proposition That the Scriptures and the Word of God will last to the Worlds end even till Heaven and Earth do pass away for till then one jot or one tittle of the Law shall not pass away Indeed when the World is at an end there will be no need of Scripture for the Scriptures are given to direct Men here on Earth how to obtain Eternal happiness and while Mankind and Christians particularly abide in this Valley of Tears the Scriptures are profitable for Correction for Reproof for Doctrine that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work and upon this account they are sufficient to make Men wise unto salvation 2 Tim. iii. 15 16. But when this lower World and the Inhabitants of it shall be removed or taken away there will be no Inhabitants to be instructed at least we have no Revelation that there will be any and consequently the means of Instruction will be insignificant If we take a view of the great Day of Judgment and the People that will then appear before the Judge we find they either will be good or bad either Sheep or Goats the Sheep as we are told by him who must be the Judge Matth. xxv 46 will enter into Life everlasting where they shall see darkly no more no more through a Glass and therefore not through the Glass of Scripture as here they do but face to face They will know all that is in the Scripture and infinitely more The Scriptures then will be of no use to them they will be taught immediately of God and behold all things in their highest perfection The Divine Essence and Glory will enlighten them and teach them and instruct them and make them glad for ever and ever The Scripture as it is said of the Law is our Schoolmaster to lead us to Eternal glory When we are got to our Journeys end we have no need of this Guide of these Leading-strings or of that Schoolmaster The Scriptures are our staff and our comfort in the House of our Pilgrimate Psal. cxix 54 when that Pilgrimage ceaseth the Staff will be useless and we shall be Travellers no more but inhabit and fix there where we shall go out no more Rev. iii. 12 Who the Goats are that stand at the left hand of Christ and where they will be and whither they will be sent and what will become of them we all know for they shall go into Everlasting punishment saith our Saviour Matth. xxv 46 Nor will these have any need of Scripture to teach to instruct to exhort to reprove and to direct them how to save themselves for they will be cast into a Prison from whence there is no going out till they have paid the uttermost Farthing In that day God will have another way to teach them even by Torments and Miseries and sad experiences They will be past Repentance and Obedience and all possibility of Conversion and will be determined to evil So that the Scriptures are intended only as our Teachers while this World lasts and while the Sun and Moon continue their courses God will preserve this precious Book He that preserv'd it so many hundred years already in despight of Fire and Flames and the rage of Enemies and Persecutors who would feign have banish'd abolish'd and exterminated it out of the World And that very Preservation shews He will continue these Instructions to Mankind till the Heavens be no more and the Earth doth melt away How great is God's care of our Souls who from age to age preserves this Treasure to us Neither Wars nor Exiles neither Plague nor Sword nor Famine nor all the changes mutations and revolutions in the World have been able to destroy this Treasure Therefore while we are here and have the use of it let us consult it upon all occasions let us run to this Shop for Medicines and Remedies when our Souls are sick and when our outward Man is in trouble whatever state we are in whether Prosperity or Adversity be our lot this Scripture will direct us how to behave our selves and how to order our Conversation Let 's chearfully make it a Lanthorn to our feet and a Light to our paths and we cannot go amiss we cannot stumble we cannot walk in darkness and we shall be able to stand when Heaven and Earth do pass away which leads me to the Fourth Proposition IV. Heaven and Earth will certainly pass away This is plainly supposed here in this saying Till Heaven and Earth pass And the manner how they will pass away St. Peter hath left upon Record 2 Pet. iii. 7 But the Heaven and the Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and more
fully ver 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein will be burnt up The same he repeats ver 12. which is conformable to what the Stoicks either from the light of Nature or from Tradition gather'd would be and to what Josephus saith of Adam That he prophecied the World should be destroy'd first by Water and afterward by Fire But then as it is ver 11. of the aforesaid Chapter seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness Whether the Christians in St. Peter's time believed that the day of Judgment was at hand and that it should be upon them in that Age is not my business to enquire Now. That which makes the Exhortation seasonable at all times even at this day is the uncertainty of the time of Christ's coming to Judgment and whether this day of Judgment may come in this Age or in the next as it is probable it is not far off especially if the old saying of R. Hillel be true That the World shall continue two Thousand Years before the Law two Thousand under the Law and two thousand under the Messiah but as I said whether it will be this year or next is not material but this I am sure of that the day of our death is the most uncertain thing in the World and as Death finds us so will the Great day And since the day of our death is so uncertain the Inference drawn from the uncertainty of the day of Judgment will also fit the uncertainty of the day of our death It 's a marvelous thing how Men delay their Holy Conversation and Godliness even till Death comes and surprizes them I know this is a very common Theme but how can we forbear to speak of it when we see that Men instead of mending run deeper and deeper into the Gulf young and old Death comes Lord How unprepared doth it find most Men How few can welcome it How few can with Simeon rejoyce at its coming I know Pain and extremity of Misery makes many Men long for it but that alone is no rational ground while that Holy Conversation and Godliness is wanting We all dread an unprepared death and we pray against it We think sometimes in a serious fit how sad it would be with us if it should be our case And yet how few arm themselves against its Terrors and dreadful Consequences The Day the Hour is very uncertain and we see Men are catch'd and snatch'd away before they are aware yet we take no warning still we wait for a convenient Season for a fair Opportunity and when we have got in the World what we would have when we have setled our Affairs on such a Basis or Foundation once and when our Condition is better and our Circumstances more favourable then we 'll set about that seriousness which becomes Candidates of Eternity God sees our Folly and pities us for he sees how we fool our selves He calls and intreats us to redeem the time O that we were wise and would consider our latter End Heaven and Earth must pass away and we must pass away therefore this I say Brethren nay the Apostle says so 1 Cor. vii 19 It remains that they that have Wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passes away Indeed that which ought to make us reflect very seriously on all this is that the Word of God is unchangable which calls me to the last Proposition V. Sooner shall Heaven and Earth perish than the least tittle of Gods Word shall fail In this Sense the Words and Expressions used in the Text are sometimes taken so that here is a double Asseveration which makes the Truth Christ delivers here the weightier 1. Verily I say unto you In the Original it is Amen which the Jewish Interpreters of the Old Testament affirm to be an Oath and that 's a very immutable thing 2. Till Heaven and Earth pass i. e. Sooner shall these be hurl'd into their former Chaos and Confusion than the least tittle of his word shall prove false And if so then the Threatnings and Promises of the Gospel and of the Law of God will undoubtedly be fulfilled And I beseech you Beloved Hearers Consider what the Veracity of Gods Threatnings and Promises doth import If the Promises of the Gospel will certainly be fulfilled why cannot the wonderful Rewards promised prevail with you to fulfil the Conditions upon which those Rewards are promised God promises Eternal Life upon patient continuance in Well-doing the Kingdom of Heaven upon striving against Sin and conquering Temptations and a Crown of Glory to those who keep under their Bodies and bring their sensual Desires into Subjection Upon these Terms and no other the great Felicity is promised Will any of you after all these Protestations of God promise himself this Happiness upon other Terms and Conditions What then becomes of Gods Veracity If God be true to his Word then those who come not up to these Terms cannot enjoy the Bliss spoken of If God saves Men upon other Terms he cannot be true to his Word and then how can he be God To these Absurdities Men reduce themselves when they promise themselves Heaven without any regard to the Conditions upon which God doth promise it It 's God that must bestow it the same God that hath promised it and since he will bestow it only upon these Terms Why Christians why will ye feed your hopes with Air and Wind and Vanities Is it possible that God will prove false Is it possible that he will depart from his Word I am sure you cannot think so if you will consider it in cool Blood And shall the World and your present Gain and Profit blind you into Ruin The same must be said of the Threatnings of the Gospel Take but a serious View of them God protests for you believe the Scripture to be the Word of God That no unrighteous Person shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Covetous nor Extortioners nor Drunkards nor Lascivious nor Quarrelsom nor Envious nor Malicious Persons nor Men that mind Earthly Things altogether shall enter into that Glory The Scripture is full of these Protestations Is there any of you here that 's guilty of any of these Sins and yet do ye hope to be happy 'T is true you 'll say none can be so that continues in these Sins but I hope I shall leave them all before I die But why Man Dost thou know when thou
but that thou approvest of it And supposing thou approvest of it if the Grace of God restrains him not he soon begins to think that what is lawful for thee may be lawful for him and thus he learns of thee though thou doest not open thy Lips to him There are few Men so bold as in their Words and Speeches to defend and justify things directly contrary to the Will of God in the Gospel but you do mischief enough to the Souls of Men by your evil Practices The Mutes among the Turks teach by their Gestures much more may Men be taught by Actions especially where there is already a Disposition to embrace that which is Evil. Physicians and Naturalists talk of transplanting Diseases from Men into Beasts nay some go so far as to prescribe ways to transfer Distempers from Men into Herbs and Plants Whether it be so I enquire not but sure I am that the Diseases of the Soul are and may be transplanted and conveyed from one Man to another even by evil Practices and this is teaching and making Proselytes to Hell and to the Kingdom of Darkness the readiest way to be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven which will give me occasion IV. To represent to you what it is to be the least or to be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Fancy you saw a poor miserable Man starving with hunger and so placed that directly over against him he could see the richest Banquet the most delicate Dishes huge plenty of Victuals of all sorts the Company eating their fill and satiating themselves with all the Variety that Earth and Sea and Air can yield and the poor Wretch that is over against this Company but a few paces removed from them unable to get the least Morsel of Bread ready to tear his own Flesh from off his Shoulders and yet in an utter impossibility to get so much as the Crums that fall from those Rich Mens Tables Do not you think this would be as great a Torment as can well be imagined Why this is the Emblem of being the least or excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven The Soul that is so unhappy as to miss of it will see Abraham a far off and Lazarus in his Bosom be ready to perish ready to burst see all the Glory and Joy of blessed Creatures before his Eyes the Delicates the Dainties the Pleasures the Festivals the rich Entertainments they enjoy and swim in passing before him and yet not able to touch not able to reach the least Extremity of all though his Soul be big with ten thousand desires after them What a Torment what a Plague what a Vexation must this be What Grief what Sorrow what Anguish must this cause And if this must continue to Eternal Ages what Tongue is able to express the Torment And can you after all this call any of the Commandments of the Gospel little ones and break them and pass by them as if they did not belong to you and tempt others to do so too when this is the high way to be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven But V. Are there no Ambitious Men here Are there none among you that desire to be Great Have none of you a mind to be prefer'd and exalted to eminent Places You must be either very mortified or very dull if Greatness can make no Impression upon you Preferment What is there that is more hunted after How do many break their Sleep and fall into Discontent and Vexation because they cannot be advanced What waiting at Court What cringing what bowing to Great Men What running to this Friend and to th' other Friend What Flattery what Dissembling what Compliances are used and all to be Great Behold We can tell you a way to be Great greater than Caesar or Pompey or Alexander greater than all the Kings or Rulers of the Earth Great Where Not at Court not in the Camp or Army Not in Church-Dignities or Preferments but great in the Kingdom of Heaven And is not the Kingdom of Heaven a more lofty and more spacious Empire than the whole Roman Monarchy in all its greatest Extent and Glory It 's true we cannot shew you this Kingdom we cannot make it visible to your Eyes but we can tell you that St. Paul saw it and Christ did enter into it and he that hath power to dispose of all the Glories of it hath sent us to tell you That you may be great and he 'll make you so great as Angels great as the Worthies of God greater than Kings greater than all the Princes of the Earth greater than all the proud things which make so great a noise in the World now and all this if you will close with his Desires and both do and teach the Commandments Christ recommends to in his famous Sermon Little they may seem and contemptible they may appear in the Eyes of the Men that have their portion in this Life But as little as they may seem to be your Conscientious and Impartial Respect to them all to the least as well as to the greatest shall exalt you exalt you far above all the Glory and Splendor of this World raise you from the Dunghil take you out of the Dust and set you with Princes even with the Princes of God's People If you are great already this shall make you greater Lay up therefore these Commandments in your Hearts and in your Souls bind them for a Sign upon your Hands let them be as Frontlets between your Eyes teach them your Children speak of them when you sit in your Houses and when you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up Assure all those you Converse with that these Commandments are Life and Peace and Rational and Equitable and Just and Necessary and Health to the Soul Foretasts of Happiness and Prefaces to an endless Glory Thus do and thus teach Teach by your Discourses teach by your Actions teach by your Example So Noah taught the unbelieving World by building an Ark to the saving of his House to save themselves from the Wrath to come So do you and build upon the Word of the Son of God That you shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven SERMON XXI St. Matt. Ch. v. Ver. 20. For I say unto you That except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven A Preface or Introduction will be needless It 's enough that these Words are part of Christ's Famous Sermon on the Mount The Method I shall observe in handling them shall be this following to Enquire and Consider I. Who these Scribes and Pharisees were II. What their Righteousness was and wherein it consisted III. How and in what our Righteousness is to exceed their Righteousness IV. The danger if we do not ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven I. Who these Scribes and Pharisees were 1. The Pharisees You
he hath promised though thou seeest them not The Reasons for the one are as convincing as the other In a word Believing God's Promises is to venture upon that Piety to which the greatest Blessings are promised And therefore not letting thy Light shine before Men it 's a sign thou dost not believe his Promises and not to believe his Promises is either to suppose that he hath made no such Promises or to think if he hath made any they are not true And what an injury this is to God judge you to whom God hath given Reason and Wisdom and Understanding to know that Heaven and Earth shall sooner perish than one jot or one tittle of his Word shall fail 3. It is an injury to Men too For by not letting the Light of your Piety shine forth you hinder others from the Ways of God Men are led by Example if you have an aversion from the Ways of Righteousness will not this tempt others to have an aversion too If you offer the Blind and the Lame will not others imitate you If to serve God be a weariness to you will it not be so to others It is true God may restrain them from following your example but if he doth not is not this the natural consequence of it It was very well said of St. Chrysostom There would not be a Heathen left in the World if we all of us labour'd to be Christians indeed and strictly obey'd the Counsels and Admonitions of the Gospel if being affronted we did suffer it if we did not render evil for evil if being cursed and abused we did bless if we render'd good for evil There is hardly any Man would be such a Brute as not to apply himself to the Fear of God whose Precepts cause such an admirable Temper if all of us shew'd the same Zeal for the Gospel But when we like Gallio care for none of these things we make others as careless as our selves We especially whom the meaner sort look upon as better Bred and more Knowing and having had the advantage of Education For this is the common Language Such a Man is a Scholar he can Read and Write and hath the Bible at his Fingers Ends If that Man believed these things were necessary he would certainly practise them But making no Conscience of them why should I who am not learned and know not so much as he doth So that this must needs be a manifest injury to Men for we make others regardless of Piety while we our selves do not place that Light on the Candlestick of our Lives and Conversations that it may give Light to all that are in the House But 4. This is not all for hereby we do not only hinder them from the Ways of Piety but we encourage them in Evil we harden others in their Sins help them to be miserable see them perishing and promote their Ruin Though we may not be so bad as others yet in not being so good as we might be and ought to be we confirm them in their Opinion that what they do is harmless And thus we turn Fiends and Devils teach others to Sin and prompt them to be Children of Perdition Our evil Actions are unhappy Schoolmasters to instruct others in the Art of Sinning We destroy Souls and instead of being helpers of their Faith we are helpers to hasten their Damnation And if this be not a signal Injury done to Men I know not what we can call Injury But it 's time I should III. In the last place shew you What the Advantages are of letting this Light of our Piety shine forth before Men. And though this be properly the subject of the next Verse yet something of it I will mention by way of preparation for the Discourse I intend upon that Exhortation of our Saviour 1. Are not we fond of Peace of Conscience Do not we talk of it Do not we commend it Do not we say all the kind things of it Do not we prize it in those that have it Do not we hear Men upon their Death-beds wish for it If it be so precious a thing why this is the way that leads to it even this letting the Light of our Piety shine forth How often have you heard that Saying of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World Ay this is the Spring the Fountain the Root the Vein from which Peace of Conscience flows It can no more arise from a sinful carnal sensual Life than Olive-berries can grow upon a Thorn-bush The Light of Piety causes Light in the Conscience this makes it easy and lightsome under all Burdens and gives a chearful merry Heart under the sharpest Dispensations of Providence All the Joys of Sinners and Hypocrites are not to be compared with it for they die when the Body dies and fill the Soul with Horrour But Peace of Conscience survives the mortal Part and leaps and skips and mounts with the Soul into the boundless Ocean of Eternity 2. Would you see and tast how sweet and gracious God is Why this setting the Light of your Piety on a Candlestick that it may enlighten all that are round about you is the way to it God can never appear truly Sweet to that Soul that hath an Aversion from his Service It is impossible that he should look amiable and charming to that Eye that delights in beholding Vanity It is the Holiness of God that makes him sweet and amiable to the Soul And how can that Soul delight in his Beauty that sees no Beauty in Holiness We wonder not that many Men stare and wonder and think we tell them Stories and Romances when we speak of the admirable Sweetness of God which a Soul enlightened from above is sensible of as well may a Horse understand the Study of the Mathematicks as He apprehend how sweet and amiable God is that rushes into Sin as the Horse rushes into the Battel But notwithstanding all this there is such a thing and the Soul whose pious Life shines before Men feels and sees and tastes how sweet and charming and lovely God the best of Beings is Sweet beyond Roses sweet beyond Perfumes sweet beyond Comparison sweet to Admiration sweet to Extasy And now I should add after all that this letting the Light of your Piety shine forth is the way to engage others what in you lies to Praise God But that must be the subject of my next Meditation However because it is very pertinent to my purpose I will add that which must be the beginning of my next Discourse Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven I shall conclude with a word or two to those that intend this Day to partake of the Blessed Sacrament 3. Think what
them and to raise Hallelujahs Gratitude and Thanksgivings in them Or if by beholding the good Works which shine in our Lives they become sensible of their own spiritual Wants and come to see how far short they fall of the Perfection which is in us and thereupon grow importunate with God for the same degree of Faith and Love they spy in our Conversation and begin to use the proper means in order to it this surely is glorifying God when they see our good Works 4. When others take occasion by the good Works they behold in us to spread Religion and Goodness and use their Talents to make others conformable to the Rule of the Gospel as those pious Christians did we read of Acts xi 19 who taking Example by what they saw the Apostles do to propagate the Faith of Christ in this Case our good Works prove Incentives to others to exhort those who are afar off to draw nigh to God and thus the Glory of God pleads when our shining and burning Lamps convey Fire into other Men's Hearts which makes them communicate the Light they feel to as many as have Faith to be heal'd of their Infirmities And these Beloved Hearers are the Ends you must propose to your selves in letting your Light even the Light of your good Works shine before Men Ends great and fit for Christian Philosophers These are Royal Ends and therefore not unbecoming those who by their Profession are Kings and Priests to God The greater a Person is the higher ought his End and Design to be A Christian is a Person highly exalted and therefore the End we speak of being High and Masculine is to be the Object of his Thoughts And now give me leave to ask you Is not this Work and this End the most proper Task of Persons who have renounc'd the Devil and all his Works You have all done so and all the Evasions and Excuses you can make cannot dissolve the Obligation to let your Light shine thus and for this End May so much Good be done by letting the Light of your good Works shine before Men Is it certain that by doing so you put your selves in a capacity of Converting others of engaging the Praises of others for your selves and them and of encouraging them to promote the Honour and Glory of God and shall you and I stand idle in the Market-place What if no Man hath hired us Is not the excellency of the Work enough to make us run into the Vineyard Nay there is a Penny to be earn'd by it a Penny at Night when you die a Reward which will be all Light all Glory all Splendour to be sure an infinite Recompence for all your Labours Behold you are permitted to aim at Glory in all your good Works not at your own Glory not at your own Praise but at the Glory of God even that others may Glorifie God And do but think what a satisfaction it will be to you in the last Day when you shall hear the Confessions of those who were illuminated edified and comforted by your good Works when you shall hear them say I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth for giving me an opportunity to be acquainted with such a Saint and to know the Conversation of such a holy Man of such a holy Woman and to see the Light of their good Works for by that sight my Soul was inflamed Hence it was that I received the first Sparks of Grace and the Seed of God and hence flowed all that Happiness I now enjoy The Satisfaction that must naturally issue from such a Confession is not to be expressed it will be so great And that 's it the Apostle aim'd at when he said to the Thessalonians 1 Thes. ii 19 What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing Are not ye even in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ for ye are our glory and joy And now what shall I say more to oblige you to let the Light of your good Works shine before Men Yes there is one Motive more and the Text suggests it and with that the last Proposition V. That one great Motive to let the Light of our good Works shine before Men is this Consideration That God is our Father which is in Heaven That others may Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven How sweet how charming is the Motive What! Not let your Light shine before Men when 1. A Father speaks to you a Father who will deal gently with his Children will overlook many accidental Failings and Infirmities will not proceed against you according to the Rigour of his Justice knows how to remember Mercy in the midst of his Anger and will consider more the Sincerity than the Perfection of your good Works Say not therefore my good Works have Spots in them every thing I do hath so much Frailty and Imperfection in it that God will never accept of my Endeavours and therefore I may as well let them alone as apply my Mind to them for it will be much to the same purpose What! Christian harbour such Thoughts of a Father who is all Love all Mercy all Kindness to those that fear him to those that do their best to please him that do not wilfully and obstinately offend him and rejoice before him with trembling Can a Father reject or forget such Children What if they be weakly and sickly is it likely he will turn them out of Doors or cast them away from his Presence Is it not more agreeable to a Father's Name and Nature to help their Faith to cherish their Hope to strengthen their Love and to supple and establish their Charity 2. Remember he is your Father He is so to Angels who are therefore called the Sons of God Job i. but he is yours too not only theirs but you that dwell in Tabernacles of Clay may very justly call him so Nay yours in a special manner not only because he gives you a Natural Life and Being and watches over you Night and Day but yours by giving a Son for you his only Son his Eternal Son yours reconciled to you by that Son even by the Blood of his Cross. And have not you reason to please such a Father Can such a Father leave or forsake you May not you very justly be confident that such a Father will assist you strengthen you bestow his holy Spirit upon you and enable you to let the Light of your good Works shine before Men What! Can such a Father Command any thing that 's unreasonable or that is not fit for you or which is against your Interest What! such a Father to call to you Let your Light shine c. and can you refuse to do it 3. Remember it is your Father which is in Heaven In Heaven not that Heaven holds or imprisons him but there he manifests his Glory his Goodness his Perfection his Beauty in a special in a very eminent manner In Heaven What a Condescension
which the Gospel is the most perfect System Therefore so speak and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty and whatever your Business Calling Employment and Condition be remember there is a time coming when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with all his mighty Angels to take Vengeance on those who have not obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ To whom be Glory and Dominion for Ever and Ever SERMON XIX St. Matt. Ch. v. Ver. 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled THose who endeavour to prove from this place that the present Hebrew Character is the same with that which was in use in Christ's time and consequently that no change of Letters hath been introduced by Ezra but that the Character the Jews use at this day is the same with that which Moses made use of when he writ the Law and all because Christ here represents the Letter Jot as the least in all the Alphabet and as a thing that had always been so I say those who endeavour to prove so much from this place do indeed oblige the curious World but that 's not my Business now A Preacher's design is different from the Criticks and our Work is not so much to make Men Learned as to make them Good And though we are to inform their Understandings too yet what Light we give to that Intellectual Frame it is with an intent to rectifie the Actions to mend the outward and the inward Man to destroy the body of Sin and to overthrow the Power and Dominion of natural Corruption But this on the by that which will be more Edifying to you will be to put you in mind that Christ in the preceding Verse had removed and baffled a grand Objection which was in those days made against his charitable Attempts to reform the World The Jews were mighty Admirers of the Law of Moses and the Prophets yet so brutish were they grown that never any thing was more abused than they had the Law and the Prophets which Abuses when Christ as became him went about to rectify and reform they suspected no less than that he was going to reverse the Law and the Prophets so dangerous so sottish a thing is Prejudice This Objection I say Christ had answered in the preceding Verse and I have already treated largely of that Controversy What our great Master hath begun he prosecutes in the Verse before us asserting the Divinity and Perpetuity of the Law and Prophets For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Though in saying so he doth not mention the Prophets yet in naming the Law he names and aims at them too there being nothing more common in the New Testament than by the Law to understand the whole System of the Jewish Religion or all the Books of the Old Testament the Writings both of Moses and the Prophets which succeeded him partly because the Law is the principal part of that Sacred Volume partly because all that the Prophets have said even all the remarkable things they speak of are vertually contained in the Law of Moses I might divide the Words into a Preface or Preamble Verily I say unto you and the Maxim or Truth Christ delivers Till Heaven and Earth pass one jot c. But this I conceive needless you 'll understand the words as well and better too I am sure to your greater Edification if I resolve them into certain Propositions which are plainly hinted in the Text. I. The whole Oeconomy of the Gospel lies hid in the Law and in the Prophets II. There is nothing in the Old Testament relating to the Affairs of the Gospel or the Time of the Messiah but hath been and shall certainly be fulfilled to the least tittle of it III. The Scriptures or the Word of God will last to the Worlds end IV. Heaven and Earth shall certainly pass away V. Gods Veracity is unchangable and sooner shall Heaven and Earth perish than what God hath said in his Word shall fail I begin with the first 1. The whole Oeconomy of the Gospel lies hid in the Law and the Prophets for Christ was here delivering the Law of the Gospel To assure the Jews that he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets he tells that his Doctrine and Discipline was nothing but a fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets and if so then certainly the whole must be contained in the Law and in the Prophets This the Apostle is so sure of that he doth not only tell us that Christ is the end of the Law Rom. x. 4 but peremptorily affirms that the Gospel was preached to the Israelites in the Wilderness the time when God gave the Law Heb. iv 2. And to this purpose he tells us 1 Cor. x. 1 2 3 4. Moreover Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized into Moses i. e. into the Faith of Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ And particularly of Moses who was the glorious Instrument by whom God gave the Law we read that he esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of Egypt Heb. xi 26 which he could not have done if he had been a Stranger to the Knowledge of the Mystery of Christ no doubt he had it for so we read Joh. v. 46 If ye had believed Moses you would also have believed me for he wrote of me but if you believe not his Writings how shall you believe my Words So that it may be truly said as it is Heb. xiii 8 Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever only in the Old Testament he was veiled in the New that Veil is taken away there a Cloud covered him here he appears in his Meridian Brightness there the Mount on which he was seen was encompassed with Mists and Darkness Here he is seen on Mount Tabor transfigured and his Garments shining The difference betwixt the Saints of the Old Testament and those of the New is not that the latter believed in Christ the former did not but as we believe in Christ who is to come so they did in Christ who was to come and they had reason for the Vertue of his Sufferings and Merits was retroactive and like a mighty Stream spread it self backward and forward and like the Mystical Creatures Rev. iv 6 were full of Eyes before and behind And could we unfold all the Riddles of the Ceremonial Law we should see the Gospel Mysteries lie very orderly
in those Shells and discover the admirable Foetus even all its Parts and Members and Lineaments in those Membranes And therefore we have no new Religion but a Religion as old as Paradise the same Religion that Adam and Abel and Enoch and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Moses c. professed And we believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they as it is said Acts xv 11 And we say no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew Light unto the People and unto the Gentiles Act. xxvi 22 23. They worshiped one Great Eternal Independent and All-sufficient Being Creator of Heaven and Earth Neh. ix 6 And so do we They believed there was a wise over-ruling Providence that managed and governed and disposed all for the good of Gods Children Psal. cxlvi 7 8. And so do we They believed there was a Necessity for a Saviour and Mediator betwixt God and Man to bear our Sins and to expiate our Transgressions Isai. 53.4 5 6. And so do we They believed there was a future Judgment and that the dead would certainly rise again and be obliged to give an Account of all their Actions Eccles. xii 14 Dan. xii 2 And so do we They worshiped God without Images and external Representations I speak of the true Israelites not of those who corrupted themselves with Idolatry Exod. xx 14 And so do we In their Prayers they went directly to God without seeking to Saints or Angels to mediate for them Psal. l. 15 And so do we They believed that confessing our Sins to God and forsaking them is the readiest way to get Mercy and Pardon Prov. xxviii 13 And so do we Their publick Prayers were in a Tongue known and understood by the People Ezr. viii 6 And so are ours That People were not only permitted but commanded to read the Scriptures diligently Deut. vi 7 8. And so are we They had two Sacraments and so have we Their Circumcision admitted them into the Church and made them visible Members of it Gen. xvii 10 So doth our Baptism In their Passover by eating of a roasted Lamb they remember'd their deliverance from Egypt and the Angels passing over their Houses to save them from Destruction and in eating they said of the roasted Lamb This is the Passover Exod. xii 27 So in our Eucharist by feeding on Bread and Wine we remember the great deliverance of Mankind from the Power of the Devil by Christ Jesus and of the Bread we eat we say This is the Body of Christ. They believed that without a practical Love to God and unfeigned Charity to our Neighbour none could please God Deut. vi 5 Lev. xix 18 And so do we They believed nothing was necessary to Salvation but what God had clearly revealed to be so Deut. xii 32 And so do we And therefore those who accuse our Religion of Novelty are either blinded with Prejudice or besotted with stupid Ignorance There never was but one and there is but one and there never shall be but one true Religion in the World and the Religion which Christ and his Apostles and Moses and the Prophets agree in is that true Religion And the same may be said of the different Religions among Christians that which all or most of the different Christian Churches do agree in is most likely to be the true Religion seeing that which all or most of them do agree in is most agreeable to the Doctrine of the Law and of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles That Christ and his Apostles do exactly agree with Moses and the Prophets besides what hath been alledged already is evident also from this II. That there is nothing in the Old Testament relating to the affairs of the Gospel or the time of the Messiah but hath been and shall certainly be fulfilled to the least tittle of it Which is the second Proposition I am come to speak to The fulfilling Christ speaks of having respect to the Gospel Doctrine he was going to deliver the Observation must needs be the result of what Christ saith here Jot is a Hebrew Letter answering to our i and is the very least of all the Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet and looks like a Comma or Point or Tittle What Gulielmus Postellus saith that this Letter hath three Points in one and that consequently it is an Emblem of the Trinity in Unity and of the Unity in Trinity as being a matter of Fancy I lay no stress upon But what Christ saith here of the Letter jot is purely proverbial to shew that as the jot in the Alphabet is the least Letter so there is nothing so minute or little in the Law or Prophets which relate to Christ and the Gospel but it is and shall certainly be fulfilled and accomplished 1. If we examine the things that have been fulfilled already we cannot but admire the exactness of the completion Let 's take a view of some Instances The Messiah was to be the Son of a Woman that had known no Man the Son of a Virgin Isai. vii 14 Accordingly Christ Jesus was so Matth. i. 22 23. He was to break the Devil's Power according to Gen. iii. 15 Accordingly Christ Jesus did so for by death he destroy'd him that had the power of Death Hebr. xi 14 He was to appear in the World when the Sceptre was departed from Judah Gen. xlix 10 And Christ Jesus did so Matth. ii 1 He was to be God as well as Man Isai. ix 6 Accordingly Christ Jesus was so Rom. i. 3 4. He was to be a Priest Ps. cx 4 Christ Jesus was so Heb. vi 20 He was to be a Prophet according to Deut. xviii 18 Christ Jesus was so Joh. iv 19 He was to be a King Psal. xi 6 Christ Jesus was so Joh. xviii 37 He was to suffer and to make his Soul an offering to God for the Sins of the World Isai. liii 10 Christ Jesus did so Heb. ix 14 The Gentiles were to be called by him and became part of his Flock and People Isai. lx 3 Accordingly they were miraculously converted by Christ Jesus and became Votaries of the Gospel Acts xv 14 The Messiah was to rise again and to spread the knowledge of the true God all the World over Isai. liii 9 Accordingly the Gospel was preach'd to every Creature that is under Heaven Gal. i. 23 Even the minute circumstances of Christ's Sufferings and Death and Burial and Resurrection as they were foretold in the Old Testament so they were fulfilled in the New such as his drinking Gall and Vinegar their parting his Garments and casting Lots upon his Vesture his being crucified with Thieves and Malefactors the care that was taken that not a Bone of him should be broken his lying in a rich Man's Grave c. All
shalt die Have not Thousands and Thousands hoped so and yet been mistaken Away with these deluding hopes There is Death in the Pot. There is Ruin and Destruction and Plague and Hell and Misery in these Fancies and Imaginations God must be true to his Word and it is not all your Crys at last Lord Lord open to us that will help you or reverse your doom Heaven and Earth shall sooner Perish the Sun shall sooner fall from his Orb and all the Stars of Heaven drop out of their Sockets sooner than God will prove a Lyar. Let the Truth of the living God prevail with you and be persuaded to act like reasonable Creatures Nothing proclaims your unreasonableness more than to think God will save you whether you act according to his Word or no. Therefore whatever the World or your Flesh and Appetite may suggest that God will not be so severe as he hath said he will remember that he who hath conquered Death and Hell hath protested Verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Amen SERMON XX. St. Matth. Ch. v. Ver. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandements and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven THere is nothing more agreeable to Christianity than Liberty and yet there is nothing more contrary to it If by Liberty be meant a freedom from all sinful Courses from the Power of Corruption from the Bondage of the Devil and after all from those tedious external Washings Purifications Sacrifices and distinctions of Meats and Drinks c. so usual so famous so strictly required of the Jews under the Mosaick Law to this Liberty Christianity is a Friend a Patron and Defender and this is of the very Essence of our Religion But if by Liberty be understood Licentiousness and that which should be a modest Virgin is drawn and represented in the looser habit of a Strumpet and Men fancy they are and cannot be free except they have Elbow-room in Sin and may gratifie their Senses and carnal Desires as they please If this be the notion of Liberty Christianity is a professed Enemy to it and declares an Eternal War against it It is a very wilful and notorious mistake to think Christ came to free us from Obedience or that he descended from Heaven to loose us from the Bonds of our Duty so far from it that he came to require it upon greater Motives and enjoined it with greater Sanctions pressed Observance not only of the greater but lesser Commands and in case of failure declared that we shall find we have a God to deal with who will not be mocked for so it is in the Text Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandements and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least c. To give you the sense of these words 1. By the Commandements here spoken of are meant the Commands and Precepts delivered and laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount both those that go before the Text and those that follow after it and therefore it is emphatically said these Commandements i. e. These I am now delivering to you and which lie so much out of the common road of Practice that few believe they are concerned in them 2. They are called little Commandements and the least not that any Command of God in Scripture is so in it self or in the nature of a Trifle but because they were so in the Opinion of the Scribes and Pharisees and the People of that Age who either called the Commandements of the Ceremonial Law the greatest and those of the Moral the least or if they allowed the Title of great Commands to any part of the Moral Law it was to such Commands as forbid the more scandalous and barbarous Sins i. e. Thou shalt do no Murther This they called a great Commandement but thou shalt not be angry with thy Brother without Cause nor revile him nor abuse him nor give him ill Names and opprobrious Language c. These they called little and the least Commands Counsels rather than Commands the Omission of which they thought would be no way prejudicial to the Eternal Welfare of their Souls 3. To break these little or least Commandements and to teach Men so was the Sin of the Pharisees who not only neglected these Commands of God themselves but taught others too not to discompose themselves about the neglect of them as long as they kept close to the bigger Commands such as Sacrificing Circumcision frequenting the Passover putting on their Phylacteries c. or such as enjoined forbearance of the Overt Acts of some notorious Sins Adultery Fornication Perjury Stealing c. And to break these Commandements is to slight them to disregard them to act contrary to them and wilfully to do what they forbid or wilfully to omit what they do enjoin 4. To be called or to be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven though this Phrase Matth. xi 11 is used to describe a Person that is an Infant a Babe a Novice a young beginner in Christ's Religion who is sensible and knows indeed that Christ's Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom but knows it in a very low degree and is therefore said to be greater in some respect than St. John the Baptist who from the vulgar Error of his Country seem'd to cherish some relicks of that Opinion that the Messiah was to appear with External Pomp and marks of Authority But though this be the meaning of that Phrase there yet what is a Comparison in that Place is a Threatning here and therefore requires another Sense And it being spoken with Allusion to breaking these least Commandements and by way of Retaliation that as they sinn'd in that which was the least so they should be rewarded with being the least in the last day it must necessarily be as much as being excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Whether by the Kingdom of Heaven we understand the Kingdom of Grace or the Kingdom of Glory And though the Church be sometimes called the Kingdom of Heaven as Matth. xiii Yet even in this Sense the Threatning will appear to be dismal enough for the meaning will be that such a one as breaks these least Commandements will be can be no true no living Member of the Church of Christ and if so he can be no Heir of the Kingdom of Glory And hence it is that St. Chrysostom renders the word least by no body or nothing i. e. He shall be nothing in the Kingdom of Heaven and will be a very despicable contemptible Creature when Christ shall come in Glory 5. And from hence it will be easie to guess what must be the import of the Promise that 's added here But whosoever shall do and teach
to make Proselytes and Converts to their Religion for they compassed Sea and Land to do it Matth. xxiii 15 They were so strict or so nice rather that they were afraid of touching a Person who was counted an open and scandalous Sinner would not only not Eat with him but not so much as Touch him which was the reason why the Pharisee in whose House Christ dined found fault with our Saviour for suffering himself to be touch'd by a Woman who had been a notorious Sinner Luc. vii 39 And this is the account the Scripture gives of them St. Epiphanius adds that many of them would Vow very strict Chastity and Abstinence from the Partners of their Beds some for Four years some for Eight and some for Ten. They were very watchful against all Nocturnal Accidents and partly to prevent them and partly to awake the sooner to Prayer they would Sleep upon Boards not above nine Inches broad that falling or rolling off from those Boards on the Ground they might go to their Devotion some would stuff their Pillows with Stones and Pebles and some would venture even upon Thorns for that purpose Besides their Tythes they separated their First-Fruits and the Thirtieth and Fiftieth part of their Incomes to Pious Uses and as to all Vows and Sacrifices no Persons were more punctual to pay or discharge them than they This was the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees All this looks well and hath a very good Gloss. And one would wonder at first sight how Christ could find fault with these Performances One would think that in stead of blaming he should have commended them for so doing How many Thousands are there in the World that do not do half so much in Matters of Religion and some would look upon themselves as extraordinary Saints if they came up to what the Scribes and Pharisees did so far are they from dreaming of going beyond them But have not You seen some counterfeit Pearls so Artificiously contrived that the ignorant Spectator hath taken them for truly Oriental Have not you seen some curious Limner draw Infects and Butterflies with that Life that one would take them for living Animals The same may be said of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees As specious as glorious as it look'd it was perfectly or the Nature of the Glow-Worm and shined bright in that dark Night of Ignorance but view'd by Day-light was nothing but a squallid Worm a mere Skeleton of Devotion which leads me II. To shew You the Defects of their Righteousness and they will appear from the following Particulars 1. They laid the Stress of their Devotion upon the Opus Operatum the bare Outward Task and Peformance without any regard to the Inward Frame very indifferent whether their Minds at the same time were season'd with a due sense of God's Greatness and their own Imperfections Just as the People of the Church of Rome at this Day will say so many Credo's so many Pater Noster's so many Ave Maria's and fancy they have done admirably well when they have absolved their Task though their Minds or Thoughts all the while like the Evil Spirit in Job have been wandring to and fro in the Earth And I wish too many who profess themselves Members of the best Church in the World I mean the Church of England did not split their Vessel against this Rock I am sure the Scribes and Pharisees did They made no account of the inward Frame but rested in the Shell and thought God would be pleased with the slaying of a Bullock or Lamb or He-Goat and they measured the Goodness of their Prayers by their Length and Number more than by the great Sense they had of the Shekinah or Divine Presence whereas an humble and devout Mind in the Religious Service was the thing God required at their Hands Mat. xv 8 2. They were very Zealous for the Ceremonial part of Religion but very reguardless of the Moral and more Substantial part of it hot as Fire for the one cold as Ice with respect to the other The neglect of a Ceremony anger'd them more than the omission of a sober and pious Conversation much as the Greeks at this Day look upon breaking a Fast of the Church as a more heinous Crime than Killing or Murthering a Man and to this purpose Christ tells the Pharisees Mat. xxiii 22 23. Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites who strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Ye pay Tithe of Mint and Cummin and Anise and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith 3. They were abominably selfish in all their Religious Undertakings for all their Works they do to be seen of Men saith our Saviour Matth. xxiii 5 This was the Worm that corrupted their Alms their Prayers their Fasts their Self-Denials their Mortifications and all they did even a design to advance and promote their Profit Interest and Credit and to gain the Applauses and Admirations of Men and though they made long Prayers yet it seems it was to devour Widows Houses Matth. xxiii 14 Their very Doctrins were suited to their Profit and Interest As Transubstantiation Purgatory Private Masses Indulgences Auricular Confession c. in the Church of Rome are invented to aggrandize the Honour and Profit of the Priest so the Tenents they held were accommodated to their Gain and Lucre for they taught the People that there was greater Holiness in the Gold of the Temple than in the Temple and greater Sanctity in the Gift upon the Altar than in the Altar it self thereby to oblige the People to bring Gold and Gifts into the Temple whereby the Priests who were of the Order of the Pharisees suckt no small advantage Matth. xxiii 16 17. 4. They took care to purifie the outward Man but took none to cleanse the Heart and the Soul Such Acts of Piety and Devotion as were stately and favour'd of Pomp and served to attack the Eyes of Spectators they were for and of this Nature were all their External Severities and Rigors and Revenges they used upon themselves But as to Mortifying their inward Pride and Rancour and Hatred and Malice and Covetousness and love of the World they were so great Strangers to it that they did not think it part of their Religion which makes Christ tell them Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the Cup and Platter that the outside of them may be clean also Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which appear fair unto Men but within are full of Rotten Bones even so ye appear outwardly Righteous unto Men but within are full of Covetousness Matth. xxiii 26 27. 5. Though they own'd professed and taught the Law of Moses yet in effect they preferr'd their wild and phantastick Traditions before it Not to mention their common Proverb That the Words of the Scribes i. e. of their Traditionary Divines were more Lovely
almost all they did and they did not would not know what a contrite and humble Heart meant and what it was to lie low before God with a deep Sense of their Unworthiness and of the great Imperfection of their Services and though they Fasted often yet that was not so much to arrive to an humble Sense of their Corruptions and Infirmities as to increase their Merits and to do Things which might Challenge Gods kinder Inclinations and this was the Rock against which these Men stumbled And as they were unacquainted with true Humility toward God so they understood not what it was to condescend to Men of low Estate In Humility therefore we are to exceed them in Humility toward God and Man for as there is nothing that separates more betwixt the Creator and the Creature than Pride and Self-Conceitedness for which Reason God is said to behold the Proud afar off so nothing unites Heaven and Earth God and the Soul more than Humility for thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity I dwell in the High and Holy Place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit Es. lvii 15 4. In Charity or a compassionate Temper toward all sorts of distressed Persons I say all sorts for that of the Pharisees was narrow and sneaking and confined to People of their own Sect. I need not tell you that Charity consists not only in giving Alms that 's but one part of it nay it may happen so that it may not be so much as a part of it according to the case St. Paul puts 1 Cor. xiii 3 where he makes it possible for a Man to bestow all his Goods to Feed the Poor and yet to have no Charity Had Almsgiving been all the Charity that was necessary to Salvation the Scribes and Pharisees had been considerable Men for they were free and liberal enough of their Purses toward Men of their own Party but Charity is a larger and nobler Virtue if it be of the true Eagle kind an unfeigned Love of God is the cause of it and the effect is ever answerable to the Beauty which produces it St. Paul hath given so genuine a Character of it 1 Cor. xiii that it 's impossible to mistake the Nature of it except Men be wilfully Blind It extends its Arms not only to all sorts of Objects whether Friends or Foes whether Relations or Strangers but as far as it's Ability reaches and opportunity offers it self to all sorts of Distresses It doth not only Feed and give Drink and Cloth and Visit but Admonish too and Reprove and Teach and Entreat and Counsel and Advise and help and assist and sometimes Correct and Punish It embraces Enemies and like the wounded Earth receives even those that cut and digg'd it into its Bosom and like the kind Balsom Tree heals those that made Incisions upon it It Judges favourably of Pious Heathens much more of Pious Christians tho differing from it in Opinion it Damns none whom God hath not Damned in a Word it works no Evil to its Neighbour but is ready unto every good Word and Work And in this Charity we are to exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees 5. In Vniversality of Obedience or in making Conscience of the several Commands of the Gospel of one as well as of another Joh. xv 14 Then we exceed them without any danger of being over-much Righteous when at the same time that we are fervent for Circumstances in God's Worship we are not forgetful of the substantial part of Religion when we do not let our Publick Devotion justle out our private nor the private the publick when we do not make the Practice of one Precept an argument to justify our neglect of another nor excuse our not doing Good by our not committing of Evil but are impartial in our Obedience and cheerfully submit not only to the gentler but harder Injunctions of the Gospel not only to such as are agreeable but to those also which are contrary to our natural Temper and Inclination The Pious Christian will not easily get the better of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees except his Obedience becomes larger and spreads more than theirs Had these Men carried on their Obedience to that Extent I speak of as St. Paul a Pharisee and the Son of a Pharisee afterwards did there would not have been greater Men in the World than they and the Proverb which was unjustly made concerning them would not have been altogether False viz. If there were but two Men to be Saved the one would be a Scribe the other a Pharisee And these are the particulars in which our Righteousness is to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees If it doth not we shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Danger and the Last Part which will deserve our Examination IV. The Danger Except Your Righteousness shall exceed the Rigteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees Ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This Word one would think should rouze every Soul here present and put us all upon a serious Inquiry Whether our Righteousness doth actually exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees If it doth not we hear our Doom And can any Man think Christ was very serious in saying so without being concerned how to prevent and escape that fatal Exit All Ye that have any Care of your Salvation and believe another World and know what the Terrors of the Lord mean and what it is not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Awake awake why should you not when Your Great Redeemer calls and take this Threatning into serious Consideration Either it will be fulfilled or not If it will not be fulfilled where is Christ's Veracity If it be where is Your Security I say unto You Thus the Commination begins which shews the Thing is firm and like the Laws of Medes and Persians unalterable Our Master even He whom we believe to be God as well as Man hath spoke the Word He that is Truth it self hath said it and thus it must be nor will all the Intreaties of Men and Angels oblige him to depart from his peremptory Declaration You that hear and now read all this cannot pretend Ignorance that you did not know the dreadful Consequence of this Neglect We suggest we intimate so much to you we pull you by the Sleeve we proclaim these Words in your Ears as poor as mean as inconsiderable Creatures as we are I would to God they might sink into your Hearts We beg of You to lay aside your Divertisements and your Businesses for a while and allow this Threatning some Attention of Mind If you go no farther in your Righteousness than these unhappy Men did not all your Cries at last Lord Lord open to us Not all your Tears and Calls Lord have Mercy upon us Not all your Arguings and Pleadings with God Not all your dying Groans not
Connection And therefore I conceive the antient Expositors of the Law contracted what Moses had said into this Motto Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment 2. What is said here of Killing is meant of killing a Man and hath respect to the sixth Commandment Thou shalt do no Murder By which Law as the killing of Beasts for Man's use could not be intended nor destroying venomous and noxious Animals nor executing of Malefactors by order of the Magistrate nor depriving Men of their Lives in a just and lawful War but an unjust depriving a Man of his Life so there was a punishment suitable annex'd to the breach of that Law which Punishment was to be ordered and inflicted by the Magistrate and so far as the Law of God given by Moses went all was right and just and reasonable but here the Masters of Tradition had made a Distinction that if a Man had hired another to kill his Neighbour or had let loose a wild Beast upon him whereby he died the Magistrate was not to inflict the Punishment of Death upon him but he was to be left to the extraordinary Judgment of God but if he killed him in Person either by a Sword or by a Stone or by some other Weapon then the Magistrate was to execute the Penalty appointed by the Law of Moses upon him but this was not all for they taught moreover that though a Person who killed another was liable to capital Punishments yet the Wrath the Anger and the Malice that prompted him to it was a thing that deserved no Punishment and therefore this was not a thing to be feared and here came in Tradition which mis-interpreted the Law of Moses though it stands to Reason that he who forbids a Sin at the same time doth forbid the occasion of it and all such things as do naturally lead to the Commission of it 3. Our Saviour to shew that Wrath and Anger and Malice and reproachful Language were liable to Punishment as well as Murder and that God would certainly lash them as well as the greater Enormities takes notice of several degrees of unjust Wrath and Anger The first is a sudden Effervescence or Boyling up of the Blood or some violent Agitation and Commotion of the Passions upon a frivolous occasion and therefore adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without sufficient Cause which though it be not in some Copies yet must necessarily be understood here not denying but that Anger in some Cases may be lawful but shewing withal that if the occasion of the Anger be slight and trivial and the Anger even in a lawful Cause be excessive and going beyond its just Bounds it provokes God's heavy Displeasure But then if this secret Anger within or the first boyling over of the Blood proceeeds farther to contemptuous Words and that a Man in Wrath and Malice gives his Neighbour reproachful Language despising and undervaluing him by using Expressions and Names which wound his Reputation intimated by the Word Rakah i. e. vile and worthless Wretch though I am apt to believe that an angry and threatning noise and posture is chiefly meant by that Word in this Case the Sin rises higher and becomes greater and consequently deserves a severer Judgment but then if this Anger mounts higher yet and from an angry threatning Posture and Noise which betrays Wrath and Indignation it proceeds to the calling our Neighbour Fool i. e. wicked and reprobate Wretch deserving the eternal Anger both of God and all good Men which is the meaning of the Word Fool in the Proverbs of Solomon as the Sin becomes more heinous by this Aggravation so the Punishment of it in the other World will be greater yet 4. What our Saviour saith here of a certain Gradation of Punishments due to the several Lusts and degrees of Wrath and Anger Judgment Council Hell Fire must be understood of Penalties in the next World yet with allusion to the degrees of Punishment among the Jews in this Life Now among the Jews there were three degrees of publick Infamy according to the nature of the Punishment inflicted on Men for their Crimes and the more publick the Punishment was the greater was the Infamy If an Offender were brought before the Court of Three and twenty which was an inferiour Court of Judicature called here being guilty of the Judgment and there condemn'd he was infamous and a great Disgrace it was to him but in a lower degree If he were brought before the Sanedrin or the Great Council of the Nation consisting of LXX Elders in the nature of our Parliament and by them adjudged to Death the Infamy and Disgrace was greater Yet if lastly a Man were condemn'd to be burnt in the Valley of Hinnon or Tophet where all the Trash and Filth of the City of Jerusalem the Garbage and dead Carcasses were burnt and where antiently they offered their Children to Moloch and where a perpetual Fire was kept to consume all things that were offensive and nauseous and which by the Jews themselves was look'd upon as an Emblem of Hell Fire the Infamy was greatest of all According to these degrees of Infamy here on Earth Christ shews there will be degrees of Punishment for the several degrees of unjust and unlawful Anger in the other World for most certainly this Threatning cannot be understood with respect to this Life there being no such thing inflicted upon Men for Anger and reproachful Names on this side the Grave and whereas the Jews were generally afraid chiefly of Punishments in this Life Christ thought sit to acquaint them and us that we had far greater reason to be afraid of the Punishments in the next as more dreadful and more grievous than any they could fear here on Earth And this is the meaning of the Commination in the Text Whosoever c. From the Words thus explained arise these following Truths I. Antiquity is no warrant for erroneous Doctrines and Practices II. Murder is a Crime which the Magistrate must by no means suffer to go unpunish'd III. Wrath and Anger without a just Cause hath its degrees and according to the degrees of the Sin the Punishment in the next World will be proportionable 1. Antiquity is no warrant for erroenous Doctrines and Practices The Scribes and Pharisees here pretended that what they taught and practis'd concerning the sixth Commandment was deliver'd to them by them of old Time But our Saviour shews that this pretence could be of no use to them but rather betray'd than cover'd their Nakedness Error pleads Antiquity as well as Truth and though nothing be more antient than Truth for it is from Eternity and before ever Error appear'd in the World Truth had the universal Monarchy yet Error is as ancient as the Fall As soon as the Apostate Angels forsook their Habitation and Integrity together Error began to shew it self which soon spread it self through the habitable World when Man tempted by the Devil consented to his false
be a Fool. 7. An Oath must be taken with great Deliberation being a thing of the greatest Consequence where the safety and welfare and interest of our Immortal Souls are in a special manner concern'd We use this Deliberation in lesser things and therefore must not be omitted in a thing of that Weight and Moment which shews That Children and Madmen and Persons very like them Men in Drink or in a Passion are no fit Persons to take an Oath because they are not capable of mature Deliberation while under these Circumstances and therefore we are injoyn'd and directed to Swear with Judgment Jer. iv 2 8. An Oath taken to Hereticks and Infidels to Enemies to Turks Jews and Heathens even to the worst of Men must inviolably be kept as we see in the Example of the Oath the Israelites took to the Gibeonites Josh. ix 18 I will not charge every Member of the Church of Rome with the contrary Doctrine and Practice especially as it relates to Hereticks and Infidels but certain it is that it was both the Doctrine and Practice of the Council of Constance and the Advice of Martin V. to Alexander Duke of Lithuania whom he exhorted to break his Faith and Oath given to the Bohemian Protestants and of Urban VI. to Wenceslaus to do the like to Persons who differ'd from the Church of Rome If such a Principle were part of Christ's Religion it would not only contradict the Law of natural Justice which Christ came to establish but were enough to render Christianity odious to the sober sort of Mankind who in this Case might justly say as he in the Case of Transubstantiation Let my Soul be with the Philosophers These are some of the principal Rules to be observ'd in taking of an Oath if there be any more they shall be discoursed of in the Prosecution of the Subject Let us go on and enquire III. Why Perjury or Forswearing our selves or not performing unto the Lord our Oath is so strictly forbid and wherein the virulency or heinousness of the Sin consists 1. It is Dishonesty in the highest degree a most base Treachery and Perfidiousness not only to Man but to God He that either Swears falsly or doth not perform unto the Lord his Oath deceives not only Man but doth as much as in him lies to Cheat God if it were possible at least he discovers his good Will to do it tho' he is not able He that Cozens another with counterfeit Wares or gives him a Stone for Bread a Serpent for a Fish is not so great a Cheat as the Perjur'd Creature because the Person he Affronts and seeks to impose upon in this Case is infinitely greater He attempts at the same time to rob Heaven and Earth God and Man of their due which is the performance of his Oath a performance due to the Creator and the Creature by all the Laws of Property and a most solemn Contract He gives both God and his Neighbour Shells for Kernels Husks for Dates and Words for Deeds and Lyes for Truths and deceives his Neighbour particularly in that which all Mankind looks upon as Rational to put the greatest Trust and Confidence in and there cannot be greater Dishonesty 2. It 's playing with God and deriding his Justice and Omniscience for it is as much as granting and denying these Attributes The Swearer in taking an Oath grants that God is the searcher of Hearts and a discerner of his Thoughts and Words and Actions and that he takes notice of them and remembers them and yet by his non-performance acts as if all this were but Fable and Romance Who can read the Passage of the Soldiers without trembling who Crown'd our Saviour with Thorns put a Reed in his Hand bow'd the Knee before him and cryed Hail King of the Jews Such a mocking of God is Perjury the Oath shews that the Perjur'd Man acknowledges all his great Attributes and yet his Behaviour discovers that he was in Jest when he made that Confession and Dionysius when he robb'd Jupiter of his Golden Beard did not mock that fictitious Deity more than such a Man doth the living God He deals with him as if he were some Idiot or Heathen Idol which hath Eyes and sees not Ears and hears not and how great must be this Impiety 3. It 's profanation of the most sacred and the most serious Thing in the World An Oath is one of the highest Acts of Religion It is a most solemn Invocation of his Name a most solemn declaration of his Excellencies and Perfections above all Created Beings and a most solemn Appeal to him from all Creatures whatsoever This Opinion the very Heathens had of it so that Perjury is profaning the most solemn Worship of God and Belshazzar was not guilty of so great Prophaneness in Drinking out of the Hallow'd Vessels of the Temple as the Man who doth not perform unto the Lord his Oath for he profanes not Vessels dedicated to his Service but his glorious Name and prostitutes it to the contempt of Men and Devils 4. It is a Sin next to Atheism for there is very little difference betwixt believing there is no God and believing there is one whose Omnisciencee and revenging Eye deserves no regard at all It is a Sin Man cannot well attain to till he hath stupified his Conscience and saith at least in his Heart or Wishes There is no God And what shall I say more It is a Sin which kills at one stroke It doth not waste the Soul by degrees as other Sins but makes the Sinner a Child of Death presently so that if Death should arrest him immediately upon his Perjury the Man is miserable as Dives unhappy as Judas undone as Corah Dathan and Abiram and must drink the Potion of the Sinners Cup. It is a crying Sin brings a Curse upon the Perjur'd Man and his Family It calls aloud for Vengeance awakens the Divine Justice and will not let it be quiet till it brandishes its Sword against the daring Sinner It makes a Man infamous and odious among Men when it comes to be known It defiles the Land where it goes unpunish'd and helps to hasten the intended Judgment upon a City or Nation It leads to other dreadful and clamorous Sins for God withdraws his Spirit from the Man who Affronts him thus and he tumbles down lower and lower and becomes every Day more and more a Child of Hell and of the Devil It causes mighty Terrors of Conscience even on this side Eternity and God is so concern'd to Revenge the Profanation that very often he stays not till the Sinner drops into the burning Lake but even here the Profane Creature must feel his Vengeance Zedekiah for his Perjury to King Nebuchadnezzar is taken Captive by his Army and hath his Eyes pull'd out Saul for his Perjury to the Gibeonites is the ruine of seven of his nearest Relations Uladislaus for the same Crime loses the Battel at a time when Victory
to subdue the disorderly Motions of the Flesh to stop our Ears against the blandishments of the World If all of you have not taken both these Oaths I mean the Baptismal and the Eucharistical I hope the greater part of you have Now it hath been said by them of old Time God hath said it and Christ hath said it and the Gospel saith it nay Nature says Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths In the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper your Oath is voluntary you cannot complain it is imposed upon you against your Will and therefore you have no excuse You voluntarily call God to witness and the great Saviour of the World and all the Angels that stand round the Altar to witness and all the Congregation to witness that you will be faithful to the Holy Trinity that God shall be your Governour and Christ your King and the Holy Spirit your Guide that you will resolutely depart from Iniquity that Sin shall not reign in you that Corruption shall no longer have dominion over you that you will serve him who gave his Son to die for you that you will conscientiously obey him who laid down his Life for you and that you will submit to the blessed Breathings and Motions of the Holy Ghost and that as you are bought with an inestimable Price and are not your own so you will behave your selves like Persons who are entirely at God's disposal Search your Hearts my Friends and examine your Lives Are these Oaths observed Are these Engagements kept Are these solemn Promises fulfilled Do you make Conscience of the Stipulation If you do not do you think God sits like an idle Spectator of your Perjuries What can keep you in awe if Oaths cannot How desperate must your Condition be if after this solemn League and Pacification with God you wallow in your former Sins again How shall ye be cured of the Phrensie of Sin if you will not be tyed by this treble Cord where Father Son and Holy Ghost are call'd in as Witnesses and judges of your Treachery How can God trust you again if you make a shift to break through these Fences which one would have thought had been Security enough against the wildest Beasts in Nature I counsel thee that thou keep the King's Commandment and that because of the Oath of God saith Solomon Eccles. viii 2 Christians I counsel you all that you keep the Commandment of the King of Heaven and Earth and that because of the Oath of God Thy Vows are upon me O God I will render Praises unto thee saith David Psal. lvi 12 The Oath of God is upon thee O Christian thou hast Sworn and promised to perform that Oath in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist thy Lips have said or thy Heart hath resolved to keep his Righteous Judgments not to be sloathful in the business of Religion but fervent in Spirit rejoicing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing Instant in Prayer distributing to the necessity of Saints given to Hospitality to bless them that curse you to pray for them that despitefully use you and to tread in the steps of the Lord Jesus If one Man sin against another the Judge will Judge him but if a Man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him said Old Eli 1 Sam. ii 28 In breaking your Sacramental Oaths you sin directly against the Lord you profane the Sacrament fling the Holy Bread and Wine as it were upon a Dunghil and cast those Pearls before Swine and who shall entreat for you It 's true there is an Intercessor that sits at the right Hand of God to intercede but for whom doth he do that kind Office Is it not for those that follow and obey him that their imperfect yet sincere Obedience may be accepted Men that despise the Oath of God come not within the compass of those powerful Intercessions till a deep Remorse doth change them I would stand upon Mount Gerizim and dismiss you with a Blessing but the Anger of God against Perjury being so very great to fright you from the very Appearances of it and to oblige you to perform unto the Lord your Oaths I must step over to Mount Ebal and conclude with that Commination denounced against Zedekiah Ezek. xvii 18 19. Seeing he hath despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant when loe be had given his Hand and hath done all these things he shall not escape Therefore thus saith the Lord God as I live surely mine Oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own Head SERMON XXIX St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 34 35 36. But I say unto you swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one Hair white or black SO strangely doth corrupt Nature lean toward things forbidden that if by God or by the Stings of Conscience driven from a strong Hold of a certain Sin it will then sculk and hide it self in Holes and Caves and Dens for a while at least till the Storm be gone If Men cannot enjoy the satisfaction of the whole Sin they 'll be content with half of it and if that be denied them too they 'll seek to retain at least some little Portion of it and being driven out of Sodom take shelter in some Zoar in a word do any thing rather than part with all When Pharaoh saw he must of necessity let the Children of Israel go he fell to making Bargains The Men may go but the Flocks and Children and the little ones shall stay behind It is so with an unregenerate Man that hath severe Checks and Convictions of Conscience upon him He is spoiled for an open Sinner but is not made a Saint is sensible he must not Sin and yet hath no Courage to be a true Convert He is content such a dreadful Sin he hath been guilty of should go but so fond is he of the Garment spotted by the Flesh that he will lay hold on the Skirts and the little ones shall stay behind if he cannot have what he would have It was so particularly with the Jews in Christ's time They were sensible that Swearing in their common Discourses directly by the living God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Martial corruptly expresses by Anchialum I say being sensible that Swearing in their ordinary Communications by the living God carryed something of Horrour with it was dreadful and hainous and black and an Insolence Great and Abominable and therefore were content some of them at least to forbear it but their Mouths being used to Swearing something they must have in lieu of it and though they were willing to quit the greater Profanation yet the lesser they thought would do no harm and therefore they
Sware by Heaven by the Earth by Jerusalem and by their Heads and other things of this Nature a Custom which Christ doth here peremptorily declare against shewing that whatever Palliations Excuses and Apologies they might make for it it was as bad as Swearing by God himself But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne c. So that 1. When Christ saith Swear not at all the Words are not to be extended to the utmost Latitude they will bear but the Universality must be Restrained to the Subject Matter and measured by our Saviour's Hope and Design and by the Sins he intends to reprove When Christ John x. 8 tells us All that came before me were Thieves and Robbers it 's evident this general Expression must be restrained to those who gave out that they were the Messiah else St. John the Baptist and all the Prophets of old must be comprehended under the Notion of Thieves and Robbers So when St. Paul saith All things are lawful for me 1 Cor. vi 12 It must necessarily be restrained to things not forbid else an Inference might be drawn from the Words that St. Paul thought Lying and Stealing and Fornication was lawful for him After the same manner the expression I became all things to all Men 1 Cor. ix 22 must be understood of things indifferent else it might be interpreted of his becoming an Idolater to please Idolaters and so here Swear not at all must necessarily be Restrain'd to the Sins Christ intended to reprove which were the lesser Oaths as they call ' them used in common Discourse and in ordinary Transactions and Negotiations so that Christ denies not but that upon extraordinary occasions before Superiours and at their Command in a serious and weighty Matter a Difference may be ended and a doubtful Truth confirm'd by an Oath the lawfullness of which we proved in the last Discourse But these extraordinary occasions excepted the Prohibition is Universal Swear not at all 2. The Oaths Christ chiefly alludes to and doth so strictly forbid were the Oaths which most of the Jews had used themselves to in their Discourses Dealings and Communications and had been Taught by the Pharisees to make nothing of or to look upon as Harmless and such as inferr'd no Obligation of performance And there are two things that Christ reproves here 1. Their using any thing like an Oath in their ordinary Communications 2. The particular Oaths by any Creature such as Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem c. That in this Prohibition Christ did not mean taking an Oath in a judicial Court when the nature of the Thing and Superiors require it is evident from hence because such Oaths by Heaven or Earth or Jerusalem c. were never used among the Jews upon those publick Occasions for then they Sware by the Great Creator of Heaven and Earth as the Lord lives God do so unto me and more c. and consequently this Prohibition must be understood of ordinary Communications as appears also from v. 37. 3. That which Christ intends to prove is this that their excuses and pretences of not taking the Name of God in vain when they Sware by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem c. were impertinent and frivolous for in Swearing by the Creatures they did in effect Swear by the Maker of them and when they Swore by Heaven they Swore by the God whose Throne is in Heaven when by the Earth their Oath was as injurious and offensive to God as if they had Sworn by him whose Foot-stool the Earth is when by Jerusalem it was as bad as Swearing by the Great King God blessed for evermore who had taken that City into his peculiar Care and Protection and when by their Heads it was less than Swearing by that God whose Power and Goodness appeared in the smallest things about them such as the hairs of their Heads which they had so little command of that they could not in the Root of it turn a white one black or a black one white This is the thing Christ declares to the Sinners of his time and the ground of his Assertion is plainly this because in an Oath not Pretences but the Nature and Import of the thing are considered by Almighty God Men always Swear by a greater viz. a Supream being This is an Eternal Rule and whatever Trivial things may be brought or put into an Oath that doth not alter the Nature of it which hath still Relation to God who is the Creator of all the lesser Things Men Swear by and is as much profaned by such Oaths as if they had particularly named him From the words thus explained arise the following Observations which I shall run over with as much brevity as the respective Subjects will bear Observations I. Here we see that changing a Sin or making some Alterations of it is not leaving or repenting of it The Sinners Christ had to deal with in this place thought they were safe enough if they did but alter the Name of God in their common Oaths and changed it into that of a Creature either Heaven or Earth or Jerusalem or their Heads yet that did not excuse them from the guilt of a false or profane Oath such are the Oaths we find used among the Papists by St. Mary or by St. Paul or by St. Peter or by St. James and of this Nature are the wicked Oaths of Men among our selves when they Swear by their Souls or by some thing that is not God The Crime is the same whatever Alterations may be made in Names and Words and Phrases and therefore he that should be so silly as to think he repents of Swearing in common Discourse because he doth not mention God in his Oaths or Swears only by his Faith or by his Troth or by his Soul or by something meaner and more frivolous talks like a Changling and is as far from Repentance as he is from the Kingdom of God for Swearing by any thing that is not God is made so great a Crime in Scripture that God seems to be in doubt whether he shall pardon it Jerem. v. 7 How shall I pardon thee for this thy Children have forsaken me and Sworn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by that which is not God nay it 's called a forsaking of God and then are these Oaths by the Creatures such light things as Men make of them away with this folly The smaller the thing is by which you Swear the greater is the Crime the rather because ye ascribe that to a Creature which is proper only and due to God such as knowing the Heart being a Discerner of Secrets and an Avenger of Falshood This being in the intention of an Oath ascribed to that being by whom the Oath is taken all these are in effect attributed to the Creature by which Men Swear and then besides the Prophanation of the most sacred Thing the Swearer commits Idolatry and is not this a
Sin black and to be abhorr'd by all that have any sense of another Life For an Oath relates to God whatever the thing be that 's named in it The change of the Name doth not alter the Nature of it and if it be unlawful to Swear so much as by the Hairs of our Heads how can it be lawful to Swear by something of greater worth than these Excrements As it is in common Swearing so it is with other Sins Because such a Man doth not invent downright lies concerning his Neighbour and so spreads them abroad it doth not follow that he doth not hate him The change of the outward Act doth not make a change in the nature of the Sin and therefore if with delight you speak evil of your Brethren though it be no more than what you have heard and designedly report it to render them Ridiculous or Contemptible or do them no good when their necessities require it or it lies in the power of your hand to do it it is Hatred and Malice and Baseness and Unkindness still whatever alteration there may be in the manner of venting it So you may be guilty of Intemperance by eating and drinking more than Nature requires or becomes a modest Person though you are not Drunk and be notoriously guilty of Luxury by a constant indulging your Fancy Appetite and Love to the World to the tickling and satisfaction of the Flesh though with Dives you are not every day cloath'd in Purple and fare Deliciously every day and guilty of Revenge by Word and Thought though you do not break down your Neighbours Hedge nor Assault him when you meet him with a Sword and guilty of unworthy receiving of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist by continuance in known Sins though with some of the Corinthians you do not come disguised and disordered to this Feast and guilty of Covetousness by being greedy and anxious after the Riches of this World though you are not quite so sordid as some old Usurers and of Fornication by your Lustful Desires and Concupiscences though you do not commit the outward Act where a Sin hath several Branches shooting out of it's Trunk there a Man repents not till all those dangerous Boughs be lopt of nay the Axe be laid to the very Root of the evil Tree and to the sinful inclination II. We see here how want of Consideration is the cause that Men see not or are not sensible of the heinousness of their Sins It was want of thinking that made the Men against whom my Text is level'd fansie there was no harm in their Swearing by Heaven and Earth or by Jerusalem c. whereas a little serious pondering of the thing would have made them know that all the while they Swore by and consequently abused that God in their common Discourses to whom Heaven and Earth had peculiar Relation There are abundance of Sins swallow'd without chewing which were they laid open in their Native Colours would appear big enough to choak the Conscience and be found Morsels which have Death and Eternal Misery in them more dangerous than the wild Herbs in the Pot in the time of Elisha Going to Stage-plays as they are ordered and managed in this corrupt Age seems to be a harmless Recreation at the worst but a tolerable Infirmity but if it be considered that it is making our selves partakers of other Mens Sins that by our presence we encourage an unlawful calling that by going we expose our selves to very dangerous Temptations which in stead of running into we should flee and shun and are apt to laugh at that Profaneness which should make us weep that hereby we harden others in their Impiety and give scandal to weaker Christians that these Theatrical shews are inconsistent with the very design of Christianity which commands us not to conform to the World and requires that filthiness and foolish talking and jesting should not be so much as named among us Eph. v. 3 4. and bids us to be grave and modest and serious and shun the very appearances of Evil that they are contrary to our Vow in Baptism and the Doctrine of the Cross which enjoyns us to mortifie lightness of Behaviour and to abstain from frothy and unsavoury Discourses and allows no delight in sinful sights c. If this were seriously considered in stead of alluring these plays would fright instead of enticing they would discourage us from ever beholding such shews where God is so often affronted and Religion derided and Vertue Ridiculed and Gravity laught at and modesty look'd upon to be a beggarly qualification and Vice represented in amiable colours Neglect of daily Self-examination in the Eye of the World is an inconsiderable fault but if it were considered that by this Neglect our Sins and Defects remain unknown to us our Vertues thrive not our Graces grow not and Blindness seizes upon our Understandings and the greater and weightier matters of the Law are omitted and the Soul sinks into a form of Godliness and contents her self with Shews and Shadows of Devotion I say if this were considered the neglect would appear more heinous I Instance only in these particulars but I would advise you to carry on the Notion to other particular Sins and Neglects you find your selves prone to and in doing so you 'll see an absolute necessity of shuning many things which now you pass by without taking notice of and of restraining your selves in that in which now you allow your selves very great Liberty In a Word most Sins appear little till they come to be examined and viewed by the Word of God and by the concomitant and consequent dangers which attend them not that I would have any one think himself into despair or make every Molehill a Mountain but I would intreat you so to consider your suspicious Words and Actions and Desires that you may get just Apprehensions of your Faults and become more conformable to the Canons of Repentance and the Rule of Righteousness III. We see here since Heaven is said to be the Throne of God with what Reverence we ought to look up to Heaven where God is seated as it were in his Chair of State The Phrase Christ makes use of is borrow'd from Es. lxvi 1 Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my Throne the Earth is my Footstool which imports no confinement of God to a certain place but is only a Metaphorical Expression taken from great and mighty Princes and Potentates who appear in Majesty when sitting on their Thrones with a Footstool under them So that all these Sayings express only God's infinite Greatness and Excellency above all his Creatures In Heaven God gives the most visible and most conspicuous Signs and Marks of his glorious Presence and Love and therefore it is call'd his Throne and because there is a lesser manifestation of his Glory here on Earth it is call'd his Footstool because there is less Art bestow'd on that than on the Throne With what
wonder ought we to look on that embroider'd and bespangl'd Sky that lower Heaven where so many Lamps and Lights and Stars do shine Good Lord what Art what Curiosity what Order what Harmony what methodical Motions do we see there enough to justifie David's saying The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament his handy work If the outside be so gay what must be the inside How justly may we admire God's Goodness Wisdom and Power and cry out with the Psalmist How wonderful are thy Works in Wisdom hast thou made them all But with what Astonishment and Joy together ought we to look upon the third and the highest Heaven where the true Pleasures are Spiritual Great Infinite and Everlasting where God in a most eminent manner displays his Glory to Angels and to glorify'd Saints a place which we have hopes to come to If there were no other Promise made us but that of bare seeing it it were enough to oblige Curiosity to do all that 's possible to come to the sight of it How much more then are we obliged to do our utmost when we are promised not only to see but to enjoy it too even the Riches the Splendor and the Lustre of it and how this is to be compassed I need not tell you David having done it to my hand for having ask'd the Question Lord who shall ascend the Hill of the Lord or Who shall dwell in his Holy Place he answers He that walks uprightly and works Righteousness and speaks the Truth in his Heart He that back-bites not with his Tongue nor takes up a reproach against his Neighbour in whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord c. IV. We see here what a mean Opinion we are to have of this Earth wherein we dwell since it is God's Foot-stool It is God's Foot-stool and it ought to be ours too i. e. As God hath put it under his Feet so should we put it under ours i. e. undervalue and despise it not as it is God's Creature but as it tempts to seduce our Hearts from him who most justly claims them Poor Mortals How do we dote upon this Globe Creatures made for Heaven and designed to be Companions of Angels How highly do we prize these Inferiour Comforts How fond are we of this Dust How enamour'd with the Minerals of Gold and Silver which God hath hid in the Bowels of the Earth to keep them from being admir'd With what eagerness do we bring them forth and then fall down and worship them Where these grow they say nothing else will grow It is so with an Earthly Mind where that Rules no Grace no Vertue no Devotion thrives yet this is a Lesson which we will not understand nor consider how inconsistent the fondness of this Earth is with our love to Heaven We would enjoy both and lose neither would take our fill of the good things of this Life and of the Comforts hereafter though Abraham in the Mansions of Glory and he should know God's Mind was of another Opinion when discoursing to Dives rolling in Flames Son remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luk. xvi 25 It 's true we must live and Converse and endeavour after a livelihood here but is it therefore necessary to cling with our warmest Affections to it Is it therefore necessary to rejoyce in it as in our greatest Felicity Is it necessary to grieve for the loss of these outward Blessings as if all our Happiness were gone Is it necessary to make them an impediment to our Duty an obstacle to Vertue or a stumbling-block in our way to the Mansions of Glory The Apostles were aware of these Excesses and therefore they lay down Rules for our deportment as to the comforts of this Life St. Paul especially 1 Cor. vii 29 The time is short it remains therefore that those who have Wives be as though they had none and those that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyc'd not and those that buy as though they possess'd not and those that use this World as not abusing it V. God is call'd a Great King here He is so greater than Herod whose Grandure the Jews at that time admir'd greater than the Roman Emperors whose Magnificence was cryed up in those Days by all the World greater than Sennacharib than Ahasuerus than Nebuchadnezzar than Darius and all the mighty Names which have filled the World with their Splendor But why do I mention these Bubbles All Nations before him are but as the Dust of the Balance and as a drop in the Bucket and if so what a small pittance of that little drop must the greatest Monarch be Is God so great a King and is it not reasonable we should come before him when we come to pray to him or to praise him with the deepest Humility and as St. Bernard speaks Conceive our selves to be entring into the Court where the King of Kings sits on a bright and shining Throne surrounded with an Host of glorious Angels and crowned Saints as poor Worms crawling out of our Holes vile Frogs creeping out of our Mud and approaching the Divine Majesty With such Thoughts let 's appear before him and whatever Greatness or Magnificence we see and observe in Princes and great Men here on Earth let 's conceive something infinitely greater in God which cannot be expressed And if his Greatness were duly represented to our Minds and preserved in our Hearts how devoutly should we pray how humbly should we beg how reverently should we adore him how readily should we stand in awe of him How circumspectly should we walk How diligently should we obey him How afraid should we be of offering him sleepy careless dull and drouzy Devotions the blind and the lame Services I mean the unwilling sick and hypocritical and such as our Governors would scorn and therefore God cannot but despise For Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and Vows and Sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadful among the Heathen Mal. i. 14 VI. See here what poor weak and infirm Creatures we are since we are not able to make one Hair of our Heads white or black One would think so small and inconsiderable a thing shou'd be within the reach of our Power but it seems it is not and if we are not able of our selves to do the least how shall we be able to do the greatest thing i. e. become wise to Salvation So true is that Saying of the Apostle We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing that 's good as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. iii. 5 In natural common temporal and ordinary Concerns his help is absolutely necessary for
Except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it Ps. cxxvii 1 2. How much more must this hold in Spiritual And therefore Christian since the Eyes of all do wait upon that God that gives them their Meat in due Season behold the Rock from which thy Water of Life must flow Thy Faith is weak go to him and he will make it mount up with Wings as Eagles Thy hope is faint run to him and he will give it Life and Spirit Thy Love wants Fire address thy self to him and he will enflame it Thy Charity languishes apply thy self to him and he will breathe Vigour and Activity into it Thy resistance of Temptations is feeble follow him with fervent Tears and Prayers and he will make thee bold as a Lyon Happy that Soul that is truly sensible of her weakness this sense will make her breathe and pant after the Living God When I am weak then am I strong saith St. Paul 2 Cor. xii 10 i. e. when I am most sensible of my weakness God follows and blesses me with greater Strength God loves to manifest his Power in our Weakness and the weaker we are I mean so as to be sensible of it and make it a motive to earnest Prayer the fitter we are for God's fortifying Grace For you see your calling Brethren God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the things which are mighty c. 1 Cor. i. 26 27 28. Hence arises the Glory of God's Grace and that joyful acknowledgment of St. Paul and all good Men By the Grace of God I am what I am Every true Believer finds this by Experience and joyfully sings with the Royal Prophet as it is Psal. lxxxiv 11 12. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will be withhold from those that walk uprightly Blessed be God who is both ready and willing and hath promised over and over to give his enlightning strengthning sanctifying comforting and assisting Grace to the hungry and thirsty Soul that calls upon him in Truth For this Cause as the Apostle did for the Colossians Col. i. 9 10 11. We will not cease to pray for you all and to desire that you may be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdom and spiritual Understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and encreasing in the knowledge of God strengthen'd with all Might according to his glorious Power unto all long-suffering and patience with joyfulness SERMON XXX St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 37. But let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil CHRIST having in the foregoing Verses declar'd all Swearing except it be in Cases of very great Necessity and Weight and Moment altogether unlawful and utterly condemn'd not only Swearing by the supream Being in common Discourses but particularly Swearing by the Creatures as a thing horrid and dreadful and not to be suffered among his Disciples he proceeds and lets us see what decency modesty sincerity and simplicity is to be observed in our Communications and Speeches such especially as relate to Promises and Bargains and the ordinary Affairs of the World And whereas Men might object that they had used themselves to Swearing in their Discourses and therefore could not leave it he passes by that Objection as frivolous and childish and silly and not worth taking notice of supposing that he who hath learned an evil Custom if he will use the proper Means may unlearn it again and to be sure will most heartily abandon it if he be a true Disciple of the Gospel and seriously touch'd with a sense of another Life and the weight and importance of Christ's Doctrine Taking no notice I say of this common Objection he peremptorily declares what he expects of his Followers with respect to their Discourses Speeches Answers and Communications and Colloquies with their fellow Christians But let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil Where we have First A Precept Secondly The Reason of it The Precept But let your Communication be yea yea The Reason For whatsoever is more than these comes of evil We begin with the Precept and that imports three Duties With respect to our Speeches and Discourses Constancy Veracity and Plainness 1. Constancy as it is opposed to Saying and Unsaying in which sense we find the Expression used by St. Paul 2 Cor. i. 17 When I therefore was thus minded did I use lightness or the things that I purpose do I purpose according to the Flesh that with me there should be yea yea and nay nay i. e. yea and nay lightness fickleness inconstancy and unsteddiness in Promises saying one thing this Hour and another the next 2. Veracity as it is opposed to Falshood and Lying and in this place also we find the Apostle uses this Phrase 2 Cor. i. 20 For all the Promises of God are yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us i. e. They are firm immovable not so much as a shadow of Falshood mingles with them and Heaven and Earth shall sooner sink and be dissolv'd than these Promises shall fail 3. Plainness as it is opposed to Oaths and strong Asseverations which is the thing directly aimed at by our Saviour here and hath respect chiefly to our Promises to Men and imports that we are to content our selves with bare Negatives and Affirmatives and such Affirmations and Negations that People may depend upon them as much as if we had confirmed them with an Oath Not but that if the thing be Weighty and of great Moment some Asseveration may be added such as Verily Amen of a Truth I say unto you as we see Christ himself doth in the Gospel where the Souls and the Salvation of Men are concern'd but in ordinary Affairs or things relating to our Business Calling and Employment Bargains and Negotiations in all Discourses and Speeches and Promises of this Nature not only great Veracity but bare Affirmations and Negations are the Things which become us as we are Christians and profess our selves Followers of the best of Masters So that when it is said here Let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay the meaning is not that in our Answers and Discourses we must use no Words whatsoever but only yea and nay according as the Question is which is ask'd us That 's contrary to Christ's Practice and the Apostles Example which are the best Comment on the Text. No doubt we may Discourse with our Neighbours as long as we think fit and say as much as is needful to the purpose But 1. The general intent is to teach us that to avoid greater Sins we are to shun the lesser To avoid Swearing in Discourse we must
among us St. Austin in his Confessions tells us that he and his Mother standing together and looking out of a Window into a Garden fell a discoursing of the nature of the everlasting Felicity in Heaven and drawing Comparisons from the Herbs and Flowers they saw before them and then running higher to the Contemplation of the Sun and Moon and Stars and reflecting on the far greater Glory in the higher Mansions they were so ravish'd with one anothers Discourses that they forgot they were on Earth Indeed till Men come to delight in such Discourses they have not yet receiv'd that Spirit whereby we relish the things which are freely given us of God These are some of those many Directions which might here be given And to put all this in practice there are two things to be observed 1. We must oblige our selves to do it by all the Arguments which have power to bind us And among these a vigorous Resolution and punishing our selves if we break it may justly be said to be one of the most effectual Methods to compass it 2. As we know how Good Men have been concern'd about this watchfulness over their Tongues so with them we must pray and pray earnestly for the Divine Assistance for the Tongue is not easily tamed or reduced to good Order God must be interessed and his Victorious Grace implored in the endeavour and if you want a form of Prayer to that purpose David hath given us one Psal. cxli. 3 Set a watch O Lord before my Mouth and keep the door of my Lips I conclude with St. James's remarkable Sentence Jam. i. 26 If any Man among you seems to be Religious and bridles not his Tongue deceiving his own Heart that Man's Religion is vain SERMON XXXI St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 38 39. Ye have heard that it hath been said An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth But I say unto you That ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right Cheek turn to him the other also I Expect that upon the reading of these words of our Saviour many of you will be ready to reply as the Men of Capernaum when they heard Christ discoursing of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood This is a hard Saying who can hear it But not to mention that Hardships are no Discouragements to industrious Men from prosecuting their Designs and that unwilling Minds will be ever complaining of Difficulties the true reason of such Complaints is not any internal difficulty of the thing it self but want of a renew'd and sanctify'd Heart That may appear difficult to one which is not so to another and sick Men may not be able to bear what vigorous and healthy Persons can But of this I shall have occasion to Discourse of more largely in the sequel As to the Text Christ seems to contradict and oppose his Saying to the Command of God but he doth not He only shews what is better and establishes that which is better into a Law but doth not find fault with a Law of God's making To make this appear I shall consider I. What was said of old and upon what Account And II. What Christ says to us that pretend to be his Followers I. What was said of old and upon what Account Ye have heard that it hath been said An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth I do not doubt but Christ quotes and repeats these words not precisely as they are in the Law of Moses but as the ancient Masters of Tradition and from them the Scribes and Pharisees had expressed and contracted and applied them to the lawfulness of private Revenge And therefore Ye have heard saith our Saviour that it hath been said i. e. by them of old Time by the Learned Doctors of the former Ages Indeed the Words are in the Law of Moses only in that Fountain they are larger and fuller than in the Stream as deliver'd to the Jews by their Ancestors However though Christ quotes these words as the Saying of the ancient Masters of Tradition yet it 's certain that those ancient Doctors had regard to the Law of Moses for so we read Exod. xxi 23 And if any mischief follow then thou shalt give Life for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot Burning for Burning Wound for Wound Stripe for Stripe Concerning which Law I note 1. That this was the most ancient way of punishing Offenders especially private Men when they had offered any Injury to the Body of their Neighbour He that had unjustly hurt another in a certain Limb or Part suppose the Eye or Foot or Hand or Tooth he was to suffer in that Part in which he had been prejudicial to the other and this was usual not only among the Jews but among the ancient Greeks and Romans too and it 's probable they learned the use of this Retaliation from the Methods of God's Providence which they observed working after that manner which makes Adonibezeck take notice Judg. i. 7 Threescore and ten Kings with their Thumbs and right Toes cut off have gathered their Meat under my Table as I have done so God hath required me 2. In process of Time by Example and Consent it was agreed that the Person hurt should have Cost given him for the Damages he sustained and the Retaliation or Punishment in the same kind was changed into pecuniary Mulcts or so much Money or so much in Goods as was judged by wise Men to tantamount to the Hurt done was given to the Party Injured if he complain'd and thus compensation was made And yet 3. This Law of God in Moses did not forbid the Jews Patience under Injuries Notwithstanding this Law they might very lawfully suffer themselves to be Hurt without Contradiction or Revenge which is the reason why Moses is commended for his Meekness and Patience when Aaron and Miriam murmured against him And David's Patience under Shimie's Revilings 2 Sam. xvi 10 was not the least Jewel in his Crown I mean was one of the most eminent Vertues of his Life However 4. This Law did not give the Jews liberty to exercise any private Revenge i. e. By virtue of this Law a Jew could not of his own accord wound him in the Eye or Foot or Tooth c. who had wounded him in any of those Parts But he had liberty to go and accuse the Offender to the Magistrate who was oblig'd to do him Justice and to retaliate the Injury upon the Offender and therefore it is said Exod. xxi 22 That the Judges were to determine it Add to all this 5. That even to bring the Offender before the Magistrate in order to have him punish'd was rather permitted than commanded much like the Divorces we have spoken of to prevent a greater Evil such as Murther and excessive private Revenges Just as our Law permits Men to take Interest Six per Cent. but for all that a Man may chuse
Fashions that will make you Masters of this Love No the School of the Cross teaches this Self-denial and the Sacrament is that School There a Crucify'd Saviour dying for his Enemies is seen and what were all his Prayers and Tears and Agonies but kindnesses to Enemies These we contemplate in this Ordinance at least they come to very little purpose that approach not with this Consideration Here to see his Love and Charity spread and diffuse it self with all the acts of Love my Text speaks of and to believe all this must needs help to melt the Heart and make us willing to bless them that curse us to do good to them that hate us and to pray for them which despitefully use us Let the Soul walk about the Cross and think Behold the Son of God whom I have promised to follow and to imitate even he who bleeds on the Cross he blessed me that had cursed him did good to me that had hated him and pray'd for me that had despitefully used him If I am not like him how shall I be washed with his Blood The Language of the Gospel is that I must be conformable to his Image and chang'd into it and tread in his Steps if I mean to be partaker of his Merits and shall not I consider the importance of this Truth and contrive that the same Mind may be in me which was also in Christ Jesus Thy Death sweet Jesu must do it Thy Death must kill my Hatred and my Rages Thy Love must burn that dross away and whenever my unruly Passions rise against my Enemy I 'll tâ—row the whole weight of thy Love upon them that they may be crush'd to Death and expire I conclude with a Passage of St. John and the rather because he was the great Preacher of this Love and St. Jerom takes notice that when he was very old and his Disciples came to visit him still he would say My little Children love one another and being ask'd why he did repeat this so often he said This is all Love one another as you ought to do it is enough you need no more I conclude I say with 1 John ii 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in Darkness even until now He that loves his Brother abideth in the Light and there is none occasion of Stumbling in him But he that hateth his Brother is in Darkness and walketh in Darkness and knows not whither he goes because that Darkness hath blinded his Eyes SERMON XXXVI St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he makes the Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and Unjust OUR Saviour having in the two foregoing Verses endeavour'd to rectifie the wilful Mistakes of Men the Jews especially about loving their Neighbours and hating their Enemies confuted their false Maxims and Notions establish'd a standing Law among his Followers and charged them as they hop'd for the everlasting Kingdom he promised and proclaim'd to love their Enemies to bless them that curse them to do good to them that hate them c. He lays down some Motives and Arguments in the Text which he thought would prevail with rational and considerate Men and such who had a serious sence of God and another Life prevail I mean if seriously thought of and consider'd and ponder'd in the Heart It 's thinking that puts Men upon Action and we see with what violence and vehemence Men fall to work if they apprehend in it something that 's profitable or pleasant or preservative from Evil and indeed in in so great a work as loving our Enemies and doing good to them that hate us a work so contrary to corrupt Nature and the receiv'd Customs of Men the motives must not be survey'd slightly or superficially but so regarded that no Objection no Temptation of Flesh and Blood may stop or hinder the Votary from doing so Carnal Men may fancy that no Motive can be strong enough to effect it but if it were so our blessed Master would have been under a great Mistake which is impossible yea let God be true and every Man a Lyar. He knew they would prevail and no doubt they will prevail with Men who are ambitious of things unseen ambitious of the invisible future Glory ambitious of being Children of their Father which is in Heaven for so we read That you may be Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he lets the Sun rise upon the Evil and the Good and sendeth Rain upon the Just and Unjust Concerning the Phrases and Expressions of the Text I have only this to observe That for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children some ancient Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like your Father which is in Heaven which it 's probable was at first only a Marginal Note and was afterward by the Transcribers put into the Text. However the sence is the same and to be Children is to be like our Father which is in Heaven In Heaven not that he is confined to that place for he is not far from every one of us Act. xvii 27 and The Heaven even the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee saith Solomon 1 Kings viii 27 And whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence If I ascend into Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost Parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me saith David Psal. cxxxix 7 8 9. yet he is in Heaven because there is his Court his Palace his Throne where he manifests himself in a most signal manner and his Power Goodness Mercy Influences are felt and dispensed there infinitely beyond what is known here on Earth This is all I think necessary to observe concerning the Expressions used here The more material things may be resolv'd into these following Propositions I. Men are made Children of God not born so II. The great design of the Gospel is to make us like God like our Father which is in Heaven III. The greatness and vastness of God's Bounty is to be seen in his letting the Sun rise upon the Evil and the Good and sending Rain upon the Just and Unjust I. Men are not born Children of God but made so That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven which shews there is something to be done that they may become God's Children and come into the World with that Privilege Indeed if we consider God as the Original Cause of all things as in him we all live and move and have our being and as of one Blood he hath made all Nations of Men in that respect he is the Father of us all and all are his Children and born so But I do
kindness O Lord toward them that fear thee and put their trust in thee before the Sons of Men They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasure for with thee is the Fountain of Life and in thy Light we shall see Light This must needs be a very comfortable Consideration to all that by patient continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Rain and Sun-shine and the common Blessings of this Life are not the proper Rewards God intends you These are Mercies design'd chiefly for his Slaves and meaner Servants They are greater richer and nobler Blessings that are appointed for his Friends and Children Eye hath not seen and Ear hath not heard and Heart cannot conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him Grieve not ye in whom the fruits of the Spirit do appear that God doth not give you the Blessings of his Left-hand the Blessings of Men who have their portion in this Life If he should put you off with these you would be miserable The Joys above the triumphs of Paradise the felicity of Angels the festivals of Heaven the eternal Enjoyments of God the everlasting rest the endless beatitude in your Father's House These are the Portions of his Children This World indeed is inhabited by his Friends but the greater part of those who dwell in the Earth are his Enemies Among these good Men live as Strangers and Pilgrims but they are higher larger and loftier Mansions that are prepared for them and when their Earthly House of this Tabernacle shall be dissolv'd there will fall to their share a building of God a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens SERMON XXXVII St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 46 47. For if you love them which love you what Reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do you more than others Do not even the Publicans so LAws are best understood by the Preamble because that gives an account of the occasion to these Words by the preceding Among the Rules of Holy Living prescrib'd by our Saviour to his Disciples in this Chapter that of loving our Enemies blessing them that curse us and doing good to them that hate us and praying for them which despitefully use us is most remarkable He was sensible Flesh and Blood would raise Objections against this Duty and therefore he backs it with Arguments great and powerful to let us see how equitable and reasonable it is In the preceding Verse he sets before us the Example of God who receives greater Affronts and Injuries and Abuses from sinful Men than one Man can possible receive from another And yet as ill as that Supream Being is used he lets his Sun rise upon the Evil and the Good and sends Rain upon the Just and Unjust The next Motive is taken from the nature of the Christian Discipline which transcends all other Religions in the World and whose very design it is to raise Men above the common level of Nature and Education and consequently requires greater degrees of Love and Goodness to Men than natural Men Heathens and Sinners and Publicans usually pay for if ye love them which love you what Reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same and if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so The Publicans here mention'd were Persons that sate at the receipt of Custom or receiv'd the Customs due to the Roman Emperors in Palestinae from Commodities Imported or Exported Such a one was Matthew the Writer of this Gospel Matth. ix 9 and Zachaeus Luk. xix 2 i. e. before they were Converted for though Tertullian will not allow that any Jews were Custom-House Men or would suffer themselves to be employ'd in the receipt of Customs yet that in this Point he is under a very great Mistake is evident from the Examples of Matthew and Zacchaeus who were both Jews and of the Stock of Abraham Mar. ii 14 Luk. xix 9 It 's possible there might not be so many Jews of that Profession as there were Greeks or Romans yet that even the Jews did sometimes court and accept of these Employments and personally discharg'd them what has been alledg'd is as good as Demonstration These Publicans were properly Gatherers or Receivers of the Customs or a kind of Under-farmers For the Roman Government under which the Jews at this Time were used to let the Customs of the several Countries under their Dominion to Farm or to be farmed by the Noblemen Knights and Gentlemen of Rome These undertook to pay the Government a certain Summ for the Customs of such a Country And these Farmers had Officers under them who either farmed the Customs of them again or were at the trouble of Gathering and Receiving them whereby they had great Opportunities and were under very great Temptations to Cheat and Exact upon the Merchants and others they had to deal with and such were the Publicans in the Text. And therefore they were commonly look'd upon as Extortioners Unjust Unrighteous and Oppressors and among the Jews particularly they had so ill a name that they were called Sinners by way of eminency and a Heathen and a Publican were with them convertible Terms Nay the Pharisees seem'd to exclude them from all hopes of Salvation which was one great reason I suppose why many of them I mean of these Publicans did so readily close and join with Christ when he preach'd to them Repentance and offer'd them the Kingdom of Heaven But though they were guilty of great Oppression and Extortion and false Accusation and lived by it and by that means lay expos'd to other Vices as one Sin seldom goes alone yet they were not so bad those who were Jews especially as to neglect the common Duties of Religion or the ordinary Offices of Civility and Humanity which makes our Saviour say and affirm that they loved those who were loving and friendly to them and saluted those who were their Brethren and Acquaintance and were civil to Men of their own Religion This being premised the Observations the Text affords may be reduc'd to these three Propositions I. Even wicked Men do and may perform the common Duties of Religion and Morality II. Those who would be Christians indeed must do more than Carnal Men in Matters of Religion and Morality III. If they do not they have no Reward I begin with the first which imports that even wicked Men do and may perform the common Duties of Religion and Morality a truth plainly intimated in the Text for the Publicans were Men wicked and scandalous who got their Livelihood by Cheating Lying Defrauding False-accusation c. It 's true there lay no necessity upon them to do so for St. John the Baptist told some of them who came to him for Advice that they might continue in their Calling provided they
an Enemy than we are constrained and to lose our Cloak and Coat and Garments when we are abused what hopes of Mercy have we if we will not so much as prevent an Enemy in the point of Civility and Salutes Thou say'st I shall be laugh'd at if I do so Mad-man that thou may'st not be despis'd by Men dost thou offend thy God That thy Fellow-servant may not Jeer thee dost thou dishonour thy Creator and greatest Benefactor The more thy Fellow-Creature despises thee for doing thy Duty the greater is thy Reward for thou suffer'st that Contempt for God's sake and let me tell you that it 's greater and better to be despised for God's sake than to be honour'd and caress'd by all the Princes of the World 2. Another Perfection which requires our Imitation is his Patience See how God bears with Sinners See how loath he is to strike see how unwilling he is to afflict the Children of Men. They abuse him and he lays by his Rod they wrong him and he with-holds his revenging Arm. St. James to engage his Auditors to Patience sets the Examples of the Prophets before them Jam. v. 10 But we have a greater Example to follow even him that teaches his Prophets Wisdom Is God so Patient and shall we burn with Rage and Revenge immediately upon an Injury that 's offer'd to us Is this to be like our Father which is in Heaven We would not have God deal with us in this manner Foolish Creatures And shall we deal thus with our Brethren 3. In his Veracity God cannot lye Tit. i. 2 and we must not Lye Wherefore putting away Lying speak every Man Truth to his Neighbour Eph. iv 25 It is our Duty upon several Accounts but more particularly upon this because our Father in Heaven whose Children we profess our selves to be is a God of Truth How unlike God is that Man who talks deceitfully to his Neighbour that tells him one thing and means another How contrary is this to the Temper of our Father which is in Heaven whose Promises are steddy like Pillars of Brass and Heaven and Earth shall sooner perish than the least tittle of his Promise shall fail When he saith the Word Men may as firmly depend upon it as if it were confirm'd with Oaths This must be our Example and a strict Veracity must attend our Speeches He that in his Words hath not a strict regard to Truth not only Deviates from the Temper of his Father which is in Heaven but is like the Devil the Father of Lyes a likeness from which Good Lord deliver us 4. In his Purity To this purpose is the standing Command Be ye Holy as I am Holy 1 Pet. i. 16 God is a hater of Sin and so must we abhor that which is evil Rom. xii 9 God is an Enemy particularly to all Uncleanness Lasciviousness and unlawful Mixtures and so must we For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour 1 Thess. iv 3 4. And purity in our Thoughts Desires Words and Actions is the surest sign that we belong to him who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity For I will be Sanctified in all them that draw nigh unto me And what shall I say more God is a Lover of good Men dwells with the Humble and Lowly prizes Holiness and an active Faith beyond all the Riches and Honours and Grandeur of the World esteems a Saint before the most potent and unsanctified Wretch condescends to Persons of the meanest Rank executes Judgment for the Oppressed relieves the Fatherless and Widow takes care of the Stranger pities them that are in Bonds commiserates the Needy comforts the Afflicted counsels the Stubborn reclaims the Impenitent encourages the Pious and Serious strengthens them that do stand raises those that are fall'n He heals the broken in their Heart and binds up their Wounds in all which Particulars our imitation of him becomes a necessary Duty And this is to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect To imitate his Perfection is our Perfection a Duty necessary because commanded and some other Reasons which make it so are these following Reasons 1. In this imitation we cannot be mistaken Here we are sure we are in the right Were there danger of going astray or falling into Waters or running upon Precipices it would be some discouragement God can do nothing that 's Evil. The Perfections which are in him are undoubtedly good and right Here is no fear of a false Light of an Ignis fatuus of a false Teacher of a Barcacab of a Deceiver God can deceive no Man it is against his Nature and his Will He is the fountain of Goodness He is good and doth good and is a guide to them that walk in darkness Whatever he doth must be praise-worthy and commendable and in following his Example we cannot run into By-paths into Labyrinths into dangerous Gulfs He is Light and in him is no darkness at all and therefore we have reason to walk in the Light even as he is in the Light for in following that Light we do and cannot but do that which is Holy and Just and agreeable to the Rules of Wisdom and Righteousness and which will lead us into the ways of Peace and Satisfaction and Joy and Comfort even to the still Waters to the fountain of living Waters whereof whoever drinks shall never thirst again 2. Our Interest our Duty our Life our Breath and Being and all the Mercies we enjoy oblige us to love him but how can we love him except we imitate him Love doth naturally incline to imitation The ancient Egyptians are said to have a mighty veneration for their Kings and that love so wrought upon them that they would imitate their Princes in their Halting Lameness and such other Defects and Infirmities The Persians had that love for Cyrus that they would even bow their Childrens Noses to make them Aquiline or like Bills of Eagles because that of Cyrus was so So did Alexander's Courtiers hold their Heads on one side because Alexander went so and the Disciples of Aristotle would go stooping out of Love to their Master who used that Posture If Love hath that power with Men that it constrains to imitate those whom they love even in their Blemishes and that with Pain and Uneasiness can we talk of loving God while our Love works in us no imitation of his Goodness Righteousness Veracity Mercy Clemency c. than which nothing is more profitable or edifying to our Souls and in which our very Perfection consists Perfection is that which we very earnestly desire and endeavour after in other things perfect Health perfect Strength perfect Liberty c. and is perfection in Goodness no motive no temptation 3. It is certain we are to tread in our Saviour's steps It 's this that makes us Christians We have vow'd it we