I shall observe this following method I. Consider the Duty of Gospel-Bishops and Pastors which is to Feed and to Govern the Houshold of Christ. II. The Qualifications of Gospel-Ministers which are Faithfulness and Prudence a Faithful and Wise servant III. The great rewards of such men Blessed is that servant I. The Duty of Gospel Ministers whether Bishops or others and that consists of two parts 1. To Feed 2. To Govern the Houshold or Church of Christ. They are appointed Rulers of his Houshold to give them meat in due season 1. To Feed the Flock of Christ. This command Christ gave to Peter 20. Acâ—…s 28. and repeated it three times Simon son of Ionas lovest thou me more than 21. John 15 16 17. these then feed my lambs feed my sheep Now to Feed signifies to instruct men in the Knowledge of Christ for Knowledge is the proper food and nourishment of the Soul by which it grows in Spiritual Wisdom and all Vertue and Goodness and is as necessary to 1 Pet 2. 2. our Spiritual Life as natural food is to the Life of our Bodies This is life 17. John 3. eternal saith our Saviour to know Thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent For this reason our Saviour appointed Stewards and Dispensers of the Mysteries of his Kingdom whose whole business it should be to study the Divine Will themselves and to instruct others For this is a knowledge which must be taught Nature may instruct us in the Being of a God and the differences between good and evil and the plain Rules of Morality but the Mysteries of the Kingdom the whole oeconomy of mans Salvation by Jesus Christ is to be known only by Revelation Christ came down from Heaven to reveal this to us and he instructed his Apostles and his Apostles by their Preaching and Writings instructed the Church and have left us a standing Rule of Faith and Manners but yet it is necessary that there should be some Men peculiarly devoted to the Service of Religion the study of the Scriptures and the Work of the Ministry to instruct and teach those who have neither leisure not opportunities for enquiry nor capacity to learn without a Guide which is the case of the generality of Christians especially since Religion has been clogged with such infinite Disputes and there has been so much art used to make the plainest truths difficult obscure and uncertain to corrupt the Christian Faith and to make it comply with mens sensual Lusts or secular Interests A Guide and Instructor is absolutely necessary when there are so many Turnings and Labyrinths wherein men may lose themselves and their way to Heaven But though there were no Disputes in Religion no difficulty in understanding it though all men were agreed about the way to Heaven though the meanest Christian understood the Mysteries of Christianity as well as the greatest Divine yet there would be constant need of a Spiritual Guide while men are apt to be unmindful of their Duty and careless in the Practice of it The work of an Evangelical Pastor is not meerly to instruct the Ignorant but to exhort to reprove to admonish to watch over the Lives and Manners of Christians to make seasonable Applications to their Consciences to administer Comfort to afflicted Spirits to excite and quicken the slothful and to encourage the fearful and timerous and to assist and direct men in their Spiritual Warfare how to obtain a glorious victory over the World and the Flesh. This is to feed the Flock of Christ and to give them Meat in due season to instruct them in those things of which they are ignorant and to put them in mind of those things which they already know that their Faith may be turned into a principle of life and action and this heavenly Food may be digested into Blood and Spirits to the edifying of the Body of Christ in all Christian Graces and Vertues 2. Another part of the Ministerial Office consists in Acts of Discipline and Government Christ has made these Ministers and Servants Rulers over his houshold No Society can be preserved 5. Eph. 23. 10. John 14. without Order and Government which is as absolutely necessary in the Church as in the State Christ is the Head of the Church the Husband the Shepherd the Lord which are all names of Authority and Power and the Church is his Body his Spouse his Flock his Houshold and Family which are names of Subjection and denote a regular and orderly Society but Christ has now left this World and does not visibly appear among us to direct and govern the Affairs of his Church he is ascended into Heaven where he sits at the right hand of God and exerciseth an invisible Power and Providence for the defence and preservation of his Church on Earth He governs us by his Laws and by his Spirit and by his Ministers for when he 4. Eph. 8 11 12 13. ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the Perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. When our Saviour was risen from the dead he tells his Disciples All power is given unto me both in Heaven and in 28. Mat. 18 19 20. Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World This is their Commission to pâ—…ach the Gospel and to govern his Church which was not meerly a personal Commission to the Apostles but extends to all their Successors as appears from Christ's promise to be with them in the discharge of this Ministerial Authority to the end of the World Thus St. Iohn acquaints us that Christ after his Resurrection appeared to his Apostles when they were met together and said unto them Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent 20. John 21 22 23. me so send I you And as he had said this he breathed on them and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained This invested them with Authority but then the actual communication of Power which especially at that time was necessary to the discharge of their Office was reserved for the descent of the Holy Ghost and therefore our Saviour commanded them Not to depart from Ierusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father that is the gift of the Holy Ghost For says
had setled the Ark at Ierusalem and made that City the place of God's House and of Religious Worship and the Seat of Justice and Judgment There was the House of God verse 9. that is though the Temple was not yet built if this Psalm was composed by David as the Title of it signifies it was yet there was the Tabernacle and the Ark of God which formerly was in Shiloh and afterwards removed from one place to another till David setled it in Ierusalem Thither all the Tribes of Israel were to resort three times a year to worship God before the Ark of the Testimony 4 ver There was the Imperial Seat where David had built his Throne and Palace and where his Posterity were to dwell and govern Israel and therefore it was the Seat of Justice too as that must be where the Kings Throne and the House of God was placed There are set thrones of judgment the thrones of the house of David 5. ver These were the peculiar Privileges of Ierusalem above any other City in Iury. This was the reason of that peculiar affection and passionate concern which David had himself and exhorts all others to express for Ierusalem that he greatly rejoiced to go thither and to continue there I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord our feet shall stand within thy gates Ó Ierusalem That he exhorts all people to pray for the peace and prosperity of Ierusalem and promises a Blessing to those who love it as it is in my Text Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love thee peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces All this was not for the sake of the material Buildings the beauty of the place or the conveniency of its scituation but because it was the Center of Unity Which is builded as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord 3. 4. ver Which shews in what respect he commends Ierusalem that it is built as a City which is compact together not with regard to the Uniformity and regular Order and Union of its material Buildings but that it was the Center of a Religious Unity and Order in Worship where all the Tribes of Israel met and united in the same Acts of Worship and Praise to God There was the House of God there were the set Thrones of Judgment So that to Love Ierusalem to Pray for the Peace and Prosperity of it is to love the House the Worship the Name of God to love and pray for the Unity Happiness and Prosperity of the Church for the flourishing State of Religion and the peaceful Opportunities of Worshipping God in his Holy Temple together with the equal and impartial Administration of Justice which is so much for the Publick Good to promote the Temporal and Eternal Happiness of Men that our Love to Mankind but especially our Love to the Brethren as well as our Zeal for God's Glory and Worship requires this of us For my Brethren and Companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee Because of the House of the LORD our GOD I will seek thy good v. 8 9. Thus I have given you a very plain and easy Exposition of this whole Psalm and therein have sufficiently Explained my Text. I have but one thing more to add to make way for my intended Discourse and that is to shew you that this Exhortation does directly and not merely by Accommodation and Analogy concern Us as well as it did the Iews For Ierusalem was but a Type of the Christian Church as the carnal Israel or the carnal Seed and Posterity of Abraham were of true and sincere Christians who are the Children of Abraham by Faith in Christ And therefore St. Paul expresly distinguishes between the earthly Ierusalem and the Ierusalem which descends from above 4. Gal. 25 26. For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her Children but Ierusalem which is above or from above that is the Christian Church is free which is the Mother of us all Which in 12. Heb. 22. he calls Mount Sion the city of the living GOD the heavenly Ierusalem And 3. Rev. 12. it is called The city of GOD the new Ierusalem which cometh down out of heaven from GOD. And 21. Rev. 2. The new Ierusalem coming down out of heaven from GOD prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Which is a Description of the most reformed and purified state of the Christian Church on Earth So that this Exhortation To Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem does most properly belong to Christians because the Christian Church is the true Ierusalem the new the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from GOD v. 10. By this time I suppose you understand the meaning of my Text and how much we are concerned in it and there are two parts observable in the words 1. The Duty to Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem or of the Christian Church Peace be within thy Walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces 2. The Encouragement to this They shall prosper that love thee It is the first of these I shall at present speak to The Duty to Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem wherein I shall consider two things 1. What we must Pray for 2. How necessary Prayer is to obtain these Blessings I. What we must pray for Peace and Prosperity Peace be within thy Walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces Now the Peace of the Church signifies two things 1. The Unity and Agreement of Christians among themselves 2. The Preservation of the Church from external Oppressions and Persecutions 1. The Unity and Agreement of Christians among themselves When they profess the same Faith and join in the same Worship when they love like Brethren and have a tender affection and sympathy for each other as Members of the same Body This all Christians confess to be a great and necessary Duty and pretend to lament the many scandalous Dissentions and Divisions of the Christian Church This I am sure that though Divisions and Dissentions are destructive to all Societies yet there is no Society suffers so much by it as the Christian Church This destroys Love and Charity which is the true Spirit of the Gospel and the Badge and Cognizance of our Profession By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This turns the Christian Church into a School of wrangling Disputes and makes men more concerned what they believe than how they live this gives great offence to the World representing the Christian Faith as very doubtful and uncertain and Christianity it self as a great Disturber of the Peace of Mankind this overthrows all Government and Discipline in the Church and makes its Censures despised and scorned when the most
Vocal and Instrumental Musick was not only used in the Worship of God but this was the Chief if not the only Use of it This is acknowledged by all but some will not allow it to be a Pattern for Christian Worship They reckon Musick among the Ceremonies of the Iewish Law fitted to the carnal State of that People and abrogated with the other Legal Ceremonies by the more perfect Dispensation of the Gospel which requires a more Spiritual Worship But a few words will shew how unreasonable this Pretence is The Song of Moses and Miriam was before the giving of the Law and therefore no part of it and though this is the first time we read of Singing there is no Reason to think that this was the first beginning of it We read of no Institution of Singing though we do of Singers that Singing seems as Ancient and Natural as publick Worship But suppose Singing had been part of the Mosaical Law the Gospel of oâ—…r Saviour abrogates nothing of that Law but such Types as receive their accomplishment in Christ or such Appendant Ceremonies as were meer Signs and Figures of an Evangelical Righteousness But what is Singing a Type of any more than speaking For it is only a more Harmonious and Emphatical way of speaking and I see no Reason why Men may not reject Vocal Prayer as well as Vocal Musick because they were both used by the Iews Whatever Objections are now made against Church-Musick which I have not now time particularly to examine were as good Objections in David's time as they are now and yet then Prophets composed Hymns and Prophets set the Tunes for so the chief Musitians to whom David directs his Psalms as the Titles of some of them express were Prophets as well as Musitians and methinks Men should speak more favourably of such Practices as were under the Direction and Government of Inspired Men. In the Vision of the Prophet Isaiah 6 Ch. 1 2 3. v. The Seraphims are represented crying one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of his Glory This is acknowledged to be a great Example oâ—… Antiphonal singing in which one answers another But then they say this plainly refers to the Ancient Temple-Worship and must not be admitted a Precedent for Christian Practice But if the Temple-Worship be a fit Precedent for the Worship of Angels Why may it not be a Precedent for the Worship of Christians whose Worship as pure and Spiritual as it is falls vastly short of Angelical Worship But do not the Angels then thus Worship God in Heaven this would be a new Objection against our Liturgy never thought of before which in the Te Deum teaches us to Sing To Thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the Powers therein To Thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabboath Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory And if the Angels thus sing in Heaven surely the Precedent is not unworthy of the Christian Church on Earth The like Representation we meet with of the four Beasts and twenty four Elders Rev. 4. And the same Answer is given to it That the Images in the Apoâ—…lyptick Visions are fetched from the Law â—…d not from the Gospel But whensoever these Images were originally taken this Book was directed to the Christian Churches and therefore was a Rule and Precedent for them It all along describes the State of the Christian not of the Iewish Church and therefore their Worship too And if we look into the fifth Chapter we shall find these four Beasts and twenty four Elders were Christians who were redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb and sung the Song of the Lamb Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast Redeemed us to God out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us into our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon the Earth Ver. 9 10. This I take to be a Christian Hymn and therefore a Pattern for Christian Worship And as much as some smile at the Conceit I can't but think that the general Exhortations in the new Testament to sing to God To admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in our Hearts to the Lord though theâ—… are not an Apostolical Institution of Quire nor do prescribe the particulaâ—… Forms of Cathedral Worship yet theâ—… justifie it all as far as it is fitted to thâ—… true Ends of Devotion for the Apostleâ—… knew after what manner they sung iâ—… the Iewish Church and had this beeâ—… so unfit as is pretended for Christian Worship they would not have exhorted Christians to sing without giving them a Caution against Iewish Singing And now it does not seem to me much to the purpose to enquire whether this Practice was for any time intermitted in the Christian Church and When and upon what Occasion iâ—… was Restored For if what I have now discoursed hold good it justifies the Use of Musick in Religious Worship whenever it can be had though there may be some Times and Circumstances which will not allow it Though it could be certainly proved that this was disused for the first three Centuries in the Christian Church while they were under a state of Persecution This would be no greater Argument to me against Cathedral-Worship than it is against Cathedral Churches The Poverty and afflicted State of the Church at that time would allow neither but Prosperity by degrees restored them to both We may as well argue against the Use of Musick in the Iewish Church because under the Babylonish Captivity they hung their Harps upon the Willows and refused to sing the Songs of Sion in a strange Land to those who carried them away Captives The Primitive Christians in those days never declared their dislike of this way of Worship but their Condition would not bear it No Christian will deny that singing the Praises of God and their Saviour was always a principal part of Christian Worship and therefore was the worship of the Primitive Christians unless they were defective in a Principal part of Worship so that the only Dispute can be about the manner of Singing and the chief thing objected is the Antiphonal way of singing which is acknowledged to have been used in the Iewish Church and therefore has the same Authority that Singing has But yet I will yield the Cause if any Man can give me a good Reason why it should be very Lawful and an excellent part of Religion for a hundred Men suppose to sing a whole Psalm together but very Unlawful and a Corruption of Religion to sing it Alternately Fifty to sing One Verse and Fifty the Next when by their Answering each other they mutually excite each other's Devotion and signifie the Consent and Union of their Prayers and Praises in the Whole But setting
â—…hird is open and bare-faced The Devil in express words tempts him to â—…dolatry with the Promise of all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them which he had drawn a beautiful Landskip of and shew'd him from a high Mountain All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Or as St. Luke relates it All this power will I give thee and the glory of them for it is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it Which in some sense was true at that time not that the Devil had the Supreme and Absolute disposal of Kingdoms for St. Paul assures us that all the Powers even of the Pagan World were of God and ordained by 13 Rom 1. God But yet he was at that time the God of this World and had a more visible Kingdom than God himself The true Worshippers of God were aâ—… that time chiefly confined to Iudea aâ—… very little spot of Earth but all the Power and Glory of the World was in the hands of Idolaters who Worshipped the Devil and wicked Spirits And the force of the Argument is as if he had said to our Saviour You call your self the Son of God and Worship him but will God do that foâ—… you which I can and will do if you Worship me You your self see that he has no Kingdom but Iudea to bestow on you and that also is at present in the hands of my Worshippers but what is that to all the Kingdom of the World which are at my disposal and which you see your self are mine and under my Government But our â—…aviour without disputing the value of â—…is World or what Power the Devil â—…ad in the disposal of it chides away â—…e Tempter with Indignation Be gone â—…atan For it is written Thou shalt worâ—…ip the Lord thy God and him only shalt â—…ou serve But though Christ refused â—…is proffer his pretended Vicar has â—…ken it and revived the old Pagan â—…olatry for the Kingdoms of the â—…orld and the Glory of them This is the prevailing Temptation 〈◊〉 this day to corrupt Religion the â—…aith and Worship of God for some â—…mporal Advantages too many Men â—…ink That the best Religion which â—…ill best serve a secular Interest â—…nd we have reason to think that â—…o many do this and know â—…hat they do that their furious â—…eal for a false Religion is not all â—…gnorance and Mistake but an undisâ—…mbled Love of this World For can â—…e think that the Devil never temptâ—… any Man but Christ knowingly â—…d willingly to renounce the true Reâ—…gion and the true Worship of God â—…r this World No doubt he does â—…d very often prevails too and these knowing Idolaters who make a downright bargain to Worship the Devil for the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them are those who abuse the Ignorant and Credulous with a false and hypocritical Zeal But let us remember that we musâ—… Worship the Lord our God and him only must we serve Let us remember what our Saviour tells us What shall it proâ—… a man if he gain the whole world aâ—… lose his own soul Or What shall a maâ—… give in exchange for his soul Let us â—…member that the end of Religion 〈◊〉 to please God to Glorify him to 〈◊〉 like him and to enjoy him for everâ—… and this will give us a secure Victoâ—… over the World and the Devil Whiâ—… God of his infinite Mercy grant throug our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with tâ—… Father and the Holy Ghost be Honoâ—… Glory and Power now and for ever Amen SERMON V. â—…each'd before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor at St. Bridget's Church on Tuesday in Easter-Week 1692. IV. LUKE 35. â—…t love ye your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil OUR Conformity to the Death and Resurrection of our Saviour consists in dying to 〈◊〉 and walking in newness of life â—…ich St. Paul tells us is represented 〈◊〉 the External Ceremony of Bapâ—…m the baptised Person being buried with Christ in Baptism and rising out of his watry grave a new born Creature 6. Rom. 3 4. For in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord 9 10. And the principal Exercise of this Divine Life which is our conformity to the Resurrection of Christ is a Divine Conversation If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth 3. Col. 1 2. And to set our affections on things above does not only signify to think sometimes of Heaven and to desire to go to Heaven when we dye which very worldly-minded men may do but to lay up for our selves Treasures in Heaven which are durable and eternal in opposition to those perishing Treasures on Earth which are subject to Thieves to Moths and Rust 6. Matth. 19 20 21. To make to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail they may receive us into everlasting habitations 16. Luke 9. Now ye all know what this means viz. To purge our minds from the love of Riches and from all covetous Desires to improve â—…r Estates in Acts of Piety and Chaâ—…ty for the Service of God and to â—…pply the wants of the poor and miâ—…rable to return our Money into the â—…ther World where it will encrease â—…to Eternal Life and Glory for this 〈◊〉 truly to have our Conversation in â—…eaven to live above this World to â—…t loose from all the Enjoyments of it â—…o live to God and another World â—…o improve every thing we enjoy here â—…o secure and advance our future Hapâ—…iness when men are Charitable upon â—…hese Principles and these Designs they â—…ust live a very heavenly Life For where our Treasure is there our hearts will be also This our Ancestors who appointed this Annual Solemnity seem to have been very sensible of That there is no particular Grace or Virtue the exercise of which is a more visible demonstration of a Divine and purified Mind which is risen with Christ and lives to God as Christ doth than the Grace of Charity and therefore that there was no time more proper to exercise Charity and to exhort Christians to Charity and to show Charity in all its Pomp and humble Bravery than the Feast of the Resurrection wherein we commemorate the Love of our Lord in dying for us and his triumph over Death and in full assurance of a blessed Immortality of which the Resurrection of our Saviour was an ocular Demonstration send our Hearts and our Eyes after him to Heaven and contemplate that Glory to which he is advanced
to his Lord what Love was this to the Souls â—…f Men it is certainly the most perâ—…ect imitation of the Love of Christ â—…at is possible to Man Christ so â—…oved us as to come down from Heaven to live a laborious Life and â—…o die an accursed Death for us this great Apostle so loved his Lord and so loved the Souls of Men that â—…e made it his choice to stay some time out of Heaven and to encounter all the Miseries and Terrours of this Life to serve Christ and his Church Where is this Divine Spirit now to be found Let us my beloved Brethren who are entrusted also with the Care of Souls by the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls blush to think how far short we fall of this Example let this inspire us with a flaming Love and Zeal for the Souls of Men for whom Christ died and make us at least contented to deny our selves some of the Ease and Security and Pleasures of Life to serve the Church of Christ which he hath purchased with his own blood But to keep my self within some Bounds I shall briefly Discourse on these two Heads which are very proper for this Occasion and very proper to my Text. First The great Rewards of faithful Pastors and Ministers of Christ and how much it is for their advantage to be removed out of this World St. Paul was very sensible of this which made him desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Secondly How necessary the Lives of such Men are to the Church and what a great loss it is when God removes them out of it Nevertheless to abide in the Flesh is more needful for you 1. Let us then consider in the first place the great Rewards of the faithful Ministers of Christ and how much it is for their advantage to depart and to be with Christ. Now I do not here intend a comparison between Heaven and Earth Good God! what different things are these and what Christian doubts whether Heaven be a happier Place than this World Heaven whither no Troubles or Sorrows can follow us no persecuting Sword no persecuting Tongue where we shall be delivered from all the Wants Necessities and Infirmities of the Body from â—…unger and Cold and Nakedness â—…m wracking Pains and languishing â—…cknesses where there is eternal Ease â—…d Rest and Joy without labour â—…ithout discontents without quarrels â—…here our Souls shall be perfected in â—…owledge and in love where we â—…all dwell in the Presence of God see â—…m as he is and know him even as â—…e are known where we shall dwell â—…ith Christ adore his Love behold â—…s Glory and be transformed our â—…lves into the likeness and image of â—…s Glory We have but obscure imâ—…rfect Conceptions of these things â—…w Heaven will out-do our highest â—…xpectations as much as the most â—…erfect state of Happiness in this World â—…ways falls short of what we expectâ—… and this is the case of all good â—…en it is a mighty happy Change â—…ey make when they remove from â—…arth to Heaven But there are different Degrees of Glory in the next World proportionâ—…d not only to our different attainâ—…ents in Virtue but to those different Trusts in Services which we have been employed in and have faithfully discharged here We read of the Reward of a Prophet that he who gives a Cup of cold Water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall have a Prophet's Reward which must signify some peculiar Reward that shall be bestowed on Prophets We know so little of the other World that we cannot conceive what these different Rewards shall be The Prophet Daniel represents it by an external Glory 12. Dan. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever But our Saviour represents this by a different degree of Rule and Empire 12. Luke 42 43 44. And the Lord said Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his Lord shall make ruler over his houshold to give them their meat in due season This is the honourable Character of Gospel Ministers in this World that they are Rulers in God's houshold to instruct and feed them with the Word of Life and their Reward is proportioned to their Work Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Of a truth I say unto you That he will make him ruler â—…ver all that he hath What this Rule â—…ignifies in the other World is a Mysteâ—…y to us especially since we have â—…ancied the other World to be only a State of Contemplation not of Actiâ—…n where we shall have nothing to do â—…ut to see God and to love and to praise him but no service to do for â—…im but we know there are different â—…orders of Angels who are employed in great Trusts and Offices Arch-Angels Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers which are names of Rule and Government though we know not what their Power and Authority is nor how they Govern in like manner our Saviour promises his Apostles Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel 19. Matth. 28. The like we may see in the Parable of the Pounds and Talents He who hath gained ten Pounds had Rule over ten Cities and he who gained five Pounds had Rule over five Cities for these Servants to whom the Lord gave these Pounds and Talents to improve plainly signify his Stewards and the Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom for no other Persons have in so peculiar a manner this honourable Character of the Servants of Christ throughout the Gospel And if there be Order and Government among the Angels themselves Why should we think that there is nothing like this among glorified Saints If Angels are the Ministers of God there is no reason to think that Heaven is a State of meer Rest and Contemplation especially when Happiness consists in Action And if Christ have any Ministers of his spiritual Kingdom in the next World it is most reasonable to think that those shall have the greatest Authority and be employed in the noblest Services who have been his faithful Stewards and Ministers in this World For the Church on Earth and in Heaven is the same Church though their State be very different and therefore they do not lose their relation to Christ nor their station in his Church by removing to Heaven It is a Sacerdotal Kingdom our High Priest is King and therefore a Priest of Iesus how mean soever this be thought now will be one of the highest Characters in Heaven What the Happiness of this is we cannot tell but we know that there are no empty Titles in Heaven but every degree of Dignity there signifies a peculiar degree of Happiness
the thing and the only Dispute is about Matter of Fact whether God have revealed his Will to Mankind whether there ever were such inspired Men sent by God to instruct the World whether there ever were any true Miracles wrought or any certain Predictions of things to come and when Men are satisfied that such things may be as they certainly may be if there be a God it will dispose them to a more modest and impartial Examination of such Matters and not suffer them to despise Revealed Religion at all adventures For in Matters especially of such vast moment no wise Man will reject and scorn what may be true till he can prove it to be false 2. Since then we must confess that it is possible that God should reveal his Will to Mankind let us consider which is most probable which is most agreeable to those Notions we have of God that he should or should not make such a Revelation of his Will Now if we may judge of this by the general Sense of Mankind there was not a Man in the World in former Ages who believed a God but did believe also some kind of Commerce and Communication between God and Men. This was the Foundation of all their Religious Rites and Ceremonies which every Nation pretended to receive from their Gods This gave Birth to all their Superstious Arts of Divination that they believed their Gods had a perpetual Intercourse with Men and by various Means gave them notice of things to come â—…nd the Stoick in Tully thought That â—…e Acknowledgment of a God did as â—…ecessarily infer Divination as Divinaâ—…on did prove the Being of a God Ego â—…im sic existimo si sint ea genera diviâ—…andi vera de quibus accepimus quoeque coâ—…imus esse Deos vicissimque si Dii sint esse â—…ui divinent Is it possible as I observed before to â—…magine that God should make reasoâ—…able Creatures who are made to know â—…im and to be happy in the Knowledge and Love and Admiration of him and withdraw himself from them without giving them any visible Tokens of his Presence or any other View of his Glory then in the weak and glimmering Reflections of his Works Had Man preserved the Innocence and Purity of his Nature for whether we believe the History of Moses or not if we believe that God made Man we must believe that he made him Holy he had been fit for the Presence and Conversation of God as Angels and Holy and Pure Spirits are and in this State there can be no doubt but God would have shewn himself and his Glory to Man in some Measure and Proportion as he does to the Angels in Heaven as the History of Moses assures us that God did to Adam in Paradise So that Man was made if I may so speak with Reverence for the Conversation of God which pious and devout Souls recover in some measure on Earth and which we all hope perfectly to enjoy in Heaven Sin indeed as necessarily it must has made a greater distance between God and Man but if we must live in the other World and be happy or miserable there as the Deist professes to believe if God still exercises any Care and Providence over Mankind it seems absolutely necessary that he should give some sensible Tokens of his own Being and Presence and instruct them more perfectly in his own Nature and Will then the Light of Nature teaches For how much soever Men may magnifie the Light of Nature it is certain the State of the World was very ignorant and corrupt and Mankind knew little of God beyond a general Perswasion that there was such a Being and therefore worshipped a Multiplicity of Gods and any thing for God and that with such ridiculous and barbarous Rites as were a Reproach to the Naâ—…e both of God and Man And can â—…y Man who believes a Divine Proviâ—…nce think that God takes no care of â—…s own Glory and Worship nor of the â—…uls of Men And it is certain he has â—…ken none if he have not revealed â—…mself and his Will to the World Especially when we consider that in â—…ose dark Times of Paganism the Deâ—…l and Evil Spirits had every where â—…eir Temples and Altars and Priests â—…d Sacrifices frequently appeared to â—…eir Votaries in visible Shapes and inâ—…ituted their own Rites of Worship and â—…ave forth their Oracles and Responses â—…nd by their various Arts of Divinatiâ—…n gave them notice of many Events â—…or though these were Cheats and Imâ—…ostures they were not all the Cheats â—…f Priests but of Evil Spirits who imâ—…osed both upon Priests and People and â—…y these Arts begot in them a great Oâ—…inion of their own Divinity as we must confess unless we will deny the Credit of all Histories And when this by the secret and hidden Counsels of God was the miserable and degenerate State of Mankind can we think that God should leave himself without any other Witness than the Light of Nature should give no Demonstrations of a Power superior to all these vulgar Deities nor give Men any certain Notices of his Will no Rules of Conversation or Worship It is certain in Matter of Fact that all the Reformation which has been made in Mens Faith and Worship and Manners is owing to the Jewish and Christian Religion This put a stop to their absurd Idolatries and restored the Worship of the One Supreme God in the World which is so wonderful a Change as could not have been wrought without some visible and irresistible Proofs of Divinity This is sufficient to shew how unreasonable it is in those Men who believe a God to deny all Revelation For it is certain that God can reveal Himself and his Will to Mankind if he pleases and that the Nature and Providence of God and the State of the World makes it highly reasonable to think he has done it The Design of all which is no more but this to remove Mens Prejudices against the very Notion of a Revealed Religion For were this effectually done they would soon discover the most unquestionable Characters of Divinity in the Gospel of our Saviour I am sure if we do believe a God and another World nothing can be so desirable as a more explicite and perfect Account of â—…he Will of God and the Way to Heaven than meer Nature can give us What Impression this may make upon profess'd Deists I cannot tell they â—…ave so used themselves to laugh at eveâ—…y thing that is serious and to confute â—…he wisest Arguments with bold and profane Jests that little Good can be expected from them But I hope this may caution those who are not yet â—…nfected and make the Name of a Deist â—…n a Christian Nation as contemptible â—…s the Name of an Atheist they are both â—…wing to the same Cause they live much alike they are equal Enemies to Christianity and equally dangerous to any Government where they themselves are not â—…ppermost It is a
great Reproach to a Christian Nation where such Doctrines are publickly owned and profess'd and such Persons courted and flattered as â—…he most refined Philosophical Wits I pray God this Nation do not find the â—…ischievous Effects of it both in Church â—…nd State Government can never be long secure without the Sacred Authority of Religion and destroy Revealed Religion and we shall quickly have none as is too visible in the Lives of Deists I 'm sure it is a vain thing to talk of a Reformation of Manners while such Men are suffered to poison the very Fountains to undermine all Religion and to root up the very Foundations of Piety and Vertue I do not love to prophesie ill Things but that Nation cannot reasonably expect to receive Good from God which is so unconcerned for his Glory and Worship it being the standing Rule of his Government He that honoureth me I will honour but those which despise me shall be lightly esteemed To God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost be Honour Glory and Power now and for evermore Amen SERMON XII Preach'd on September 2. 1699. Being the Fast for the Fire of London at the Cathedeal Church of St. Paul's before the Right Honourable the Lord-Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of London Micah vi 9. The Lord's Voice crieth unto the City and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it WHen the State of this World is Happy and Prosperous it is no wonder to see Men indulge themselves in Ease and Luxury forget God or grow careless and formal in Religion For though it might reasonably be expected that happy Creatures who rejoice in the Blessings of Heaven should be very devout Worshippers of that God from whose Bounty and Goodness they receive all yet Humane Nature in this degenerate State is very fond of sensual Pleasures And when an easie and plentiful Fortune puts it into Mens Power to enjoy as much of this World as they will there are but very few who can set Bounds to their Enjoyments and taste the Pleasures of this Life without taking large and intoxicating Draughts of it and this sensualizes Mens Minds and a carnal Mind is Enmity against God saith unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledge of thy Ways Never any People had more sensible Demonstrations of the Power and Presence of God amongst them and his particular Care of them than the Israelites had and yet Moses tells us in his Prophetick Hymn Iesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with Fatness then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation Deut. 32. 15. And thus God complains Isa. 1. 2 3. Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider And as much as we may despise and abhor the Ingratitude of the Iews this is the general State of Mankind and we may find too many Examples of it in all Times and Nations But it seems much more unaccountable when the Iudgments of God are abroad in the World that the Inhabitants thereof should not learn Righteousness Because Judgments are apt to awaken Men and make them consider When God speaks in Thunder and Lightning those must be deaf indeed who will not hear This is the merciful Design of Providence in sending such terrible Judgments on the World to make Men consider their Ways and their Doings and to convince them that there is a God that judgeth in the Earth For Judgments have a Voice had we but Ears to hear They proclaim the Power and the Majesty of God a terrible Majesty and irresistible Power theâ—… scourge and they threaten Sinners anâ—… call for Weeping and Mourning anâ—… Fasting And how unthankful soever thâ—… Iews were to God for his great Mercieâ—… and Deliverances yet they were not so insensible of his Judgments When he sleâ—… them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God and remembred that God was their Rock and thâ—… High God their Redeemer Psalm 78â—… 34 35. This we are exhorted to in my Text To hear the Rod and who hath appointed it To consider for what reasons those Evils which we at any time suffer are come upon us and what God intends by the Rod which is the only way to grow better by our Afflictions and to prevail with God in great Pity and Compassion to remove them But this is the great difficulty Who shall reveal this Secret to us How shall we distinguish between the Corrections of God and the Wickedness of Men How shall we understand the Language of the Rod and to whom it speaks for what Sins it strikes and who are those Achans that are the Troublers of our Israel and what God expects from us in such Cases I shall briefly explain these things to you and apply it to the present Occasion But I must premise That I only address my self now to those who believe a God and a Providence and that God hath revealed his Will and the Rule of his Providence in the Holy Scriptures As for Atheists and Infidels who have neither Eyes nor Ears they can only feel the Rod like Bruits not hear its Voice like Men Though the Lord's Voice crieth unto the City it is only the Men of Wisdom that see his Name Now as for those who believe a God and the Holy Scriptures there are two very plain Interpreters of God's Judgments Natural Conscience and the Word of God For the Judgments of God have not an Articulate Voice to acquaint us in plain and express Words upon what Errand they come but they are Signs which speak by an Interpreter and if we carefully attend to the Dictates of Natural Conscience and to the Word of God we cannot mistake their meaning 1. As first No Man who attends either to the Dictates of Natural Conscience or to the Word of God can doubt who it is that hath appointed the Rod This is the first and most naturaâ—… question of all and yet a great many who profess to believe a God and a Providence seem not well satisfied in this Point They allow that some Judgments are the Hand of God but are not willing to grant this of all especially when they see what the immediate and visible Causes of such Sufferings are Some of the greatest Evils which either private Men or Publick Societies suffer are manifestly owing to the Injustice and Wickedness of Men and they can no more believe that it is the Will and Appointment of God that they should suffer such Evils than that it is the Will of God that others should do them And all such Rods as are not appointed by God can teach us nothing but the Wickedness of those by whom
we suffer for if God has not sent them they can bring us no Message from God And yet most Men are in some degree infected with this Disease We suffer many Evils which we are not willing to ascribe to God and then we learn nothing from them but a little Worldly Policy and Prudence to take better care of our selves and our Affairs to be jealous and distrustful of Men or it may be to watch our Opportunities to revenge the Injuries we suffer and to return them with Interest And yet we profess to believe a Providence though it were as Honourable to God to deny his Providence as to deny his Sovereign Disposal and Government of all Events or rather they are both an equal Reproach to him For a Providence which does not take care of Creatures is little worth and we cannot say that God takes care of his Creatures if any Evil befals them without his Will and Appointment But Natural Conscience sees the Hand of God in all the Evils we suffer Whatever the visible and immediate Causes and Instruments of our Sufferings are a guilty Conscience takes notice of the Divine Vengeance the Terrors of God take hold upon him and he trembles before his Judge though he do not see him he is afraid of God when he feels only the Hands of Men. And what is the meaning of this What is the Language of these guilty Fears but that whatever the Rod be that strikes it is moved and directed by a Divine Hand that the Wickedness and Injustice the Wrath and Fury of Men is no other than the Vengeance of God For why should the Evils we suffer from Men so terrifie a guilty Conscience had we not a Natural Persuasion that all these Evils are sent by God whoever are the Instruments of them Thus it is natural in all such Cases to fly to God for help Atheists themselves cannot wholly prevent this but when they are surprized with any sudden Dangers Nature is too quick and too powerful for their Philosophy and surprizes them into an Acknowledgment of God and a Providence which they must do Penance for when their Fright is over Sinners who forget God in Prosperity fly to him in their Distress remember that God is their Rock and the High God their Redeemer And if this be a Natural Acknowledgment of Providence as it certainly is it owns the Hand of God in our Sufferings as well as his Power to save for both equally belong to the Supreme and Sovereign Lord of the World and it is not meerly his Power to help which makes Sinners fly to God in their Distress but a Sense of his Anger in what they suffer They do not fly to God as Men do to a powerful Patron but as Criminals do to the Mercy of a provok'd Father or Prince When they fly to God it is to implore his Mercy as humble Penitents to appease his Anger that he may remove his Judgments and when we fly to the Mercies of God to remove the Rod it is an Acknowledgment that it is â—…e that strikes as well as he alone that can save And that Conscience judges right in all this however some Men may attribute it to a Superstitious Education is evident from Scripture which expresly tells us That God doth whatsoever pleaseth him both in Heaven and in Earth That none can stay his Hand or resist his Will or say unto him What dost thou That there is no Evil in the City which the Lord hath not done If Iob be stript of all his large Possessions in a day it is the Lord that gave and the Lord that taketh away If the mighty King of Assyria invade Israel and lay waste their Cities and Country he is the Rod of God's Anger and the Staff in his Hand is his Indignation Isa. 10. 5 6. Affliction cometh not forth of the Dust neither doth Trouble spring out of the Ground but God is the Iudge he putteth down one and setteth up another Psal. 75. 7 8. This shews us that whatever our Sufferings are it is God that appoints the Rod and then it must nearly concern us 2dly To hear the Rod what and to whom it speaks Now in this Case also Conscience and the Word of God are the best Interpreters of God's Judgments The Rod teacheth another way but teacheth the same thing that Conscience and Scripture teach us that is it proclaims aloud the Evil of Sin and God's Anger and Displeasure against it and calls us to Repentance and Reformation of our Lives When the Judgments of God are upon us Conscience knows their Errand and calls all our Sins to remembrance and sets them in order before us Nothing but Guilt makes us afraid of God and how quiet and secure soever Sinners are at other times the Judgments of God will awaken their guilty Fears and if Men will hearken to the Voice of an awaken'd Conscience it will certainly tell them why God strikes and we cannot take a safer Course than to reform those Sins of which our Consciences then accuse us All the Threatnings of Scripture are against Sin and all the Judgments there recorded especially Publick and National Judgments were inflicted for the Punishment of Sin and these are to be our Examples as they are the standing Rules and Measures of Providence God never punishes but for Sin though he may exercise particular good Men with difficult Trials and therefore when bad Men and a wicked Nation suffer they may certainly know the Cause they have sinned and God is angry and summons them to Repentance for this is the fruit of all to take away Sin The Voice of Judgments is the same with the Voice of Conscience and the Voice of God's Prophets Wash 〈◊〉 make ye clean put away the Evil of â—…our Doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do Evil learn to do well seek Iudgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Isa. 1. 16 17. This is plain enough and sufficiently known if it were but sufficiently laid to Heart and this is all that we are concerned to know of the Judgments of God The secret and hidden Deâ—…gns of Providence which many times surpize the World with unexpecteâ—… Events are the Care of God anâ—… belong not to us till the Scene oâ—… pens and we see what part is alloâ—… ted us in it Whatever God be aâ—… doing we have nothing to do but tâ—… amend our Lives which will removâ—… the Scourge from us and entitle us tâ—… the Care and Protection of Providencâ—… Whereas to busie our selves with Poliâ—… tick or Prophetick Guesses at unknowâ—… Events to paint our Imaginations witâ—… black and frightful or with gay anâ—… charming Scenes of Things as despondâ—… ing Fears or sanguine Hopes inspire thâ—… Prophet can do us no good but may dâ—… a great deal of hurt to our selves anâ—… the World This is not the Voice oâ—… the Rod which makes no new Reveâ—… lations to us but only awakens thâ—…
that can be made concerning the Presence of an omnipresent Being God is present in Heaven in Earth and in Hell but he manifests himself very differently in each and these different Manifestations are a different kind of presence As to keep to my present Subject God is present in all the Earth as the Supreme Lord Governour and Preserver of all things but in some Places he was peculiarly present to reveal his Will to Men and to receive their Homage and Adorations And this is that which is peculiarly called the Presencâ—… of God in Scripture as is evident froâ—… all the instances which I have already given But is not God present in all placeâ—… to hear the Prayers of good Men whâ—… call upon him Yes most certainly and so he was both before and under thâ—… Law and yet we see that he sanctifieâ—… some places with his more peculiar preâ—… sence for the Publick and Solemn Acts of Worship A Prince may receive 〈◊〉 private Petition from a private Hand 〈◊〉 wherever he is present but yet may think it very fitting to appoint a Presence of State to receive the publicâ—… Homage and Addresses of his Subjects 〈◊〉 thus in fact it was in the Iewish Temple and was as reasonable as the publick Solemnities of worship are without which Religion it self would be banished the World For did Men once believe that they could worship God as well at home as at Church that God is no more present in religious Assemblies than in their private Closets there were an end of Publick Worship and of Religion with it This is too visible in those who have entertained this Opinion they eitâ—… quite desert the Publick Worship and grow careless and unconcerned for Religion or if they do sometimes come to Church it is to comply with Popular Custom and Opinion or only to gratifie an itching Ear and Athenian like to hear some new thing But when God who has his Throne in Heaven has his Footstool and Presence on Earth where he commands us to pay our Homage this preserves the Sense of God and of Religion alive in the World and gives a just awe and reverence for God when we approach his Presence This is a very Sensible Reason for appropriated places of Worship where God vouchsafes his more peculiar Presence if this were not originally a Divine Institution as the Instances I have already given fairly intimate it was then meer natural Reason taught it all Mankind for there never was any Nation which worshipped any God but they erected Temples for their Worship The Poverty and persecuted State of the Christian Church for the three first Centuries have made some think that they had no Churches or appropriated Places of Worship but a learned Man of our own Mr. Mede has proved beyond all contradiction that this is a mistake and the Zeal oâ—… Christians in building Magnificent Churches in the Reign of Constantine the firsâ—… Christian Emperor shews plainly whaâ—… their Sense was of this matter And it is as evident that all Nations did believe that the Gods they worshipped were peculiarly present in their Temples The Pagans did not believâ—… their Gods to be Omnipresent and therefore endeavoured by Magical Spellâ—… and Charms to shut them up in theiâ—… Images and Temples that they mighâ—… know where to find them and in thiâ—… Notion the ancient Christians abominated the thoughts of Temples and Images since they worshipped a God whâ—… fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence this indeed was a corruption oâ—… Natural Religion as Polytheism and 〈◊〉 dolatry was but shews how necessary they thought a Divine Presence to 〈◊〉 place of Worship The Iews understood better thaâ—… God could not be confined to any placeâ—… that the Heaven and Heaven of Heavenâ—… could not contain him as Solomon owns in his Prayer of Dedication but yet begs that God would be graciously pleased to be present to hear and answer the Prayers and Supplications which should be made to him in that House which is all the peculiar Presence he prays for which is necessary to make a House of Prayer the name God himself gives to the Iewish Temple My House shall be called a House of Prayer Now if this be the proper notion of God's House that it is a House of Prayer a House where God is peculiarly present to hear our Prayers we must own that every Christian Church is as much the House of God as the Temple at Ierusalem was unless we will deny that God is as present in Christian Assemblies and in places dedicated to Christian Worship as he was in the Iewish Temple which is to make Christianity a more imperfect Dispensation than Iudaism for that is certainly the most perfect state of the Church where God is most peculiarly present There is indeed a great difference between the Iewish Temple and Christian Churches but as to the Presence of God which only makes a Temple the advantage is greatly on the Christian side The Ark of the Covenant the Tabernacle and Temple contained many Types and Figures of Christ but these Types were not the Presence of God nor the Object of their Religious Worship which had been Idolatry against the Second Commandment but for the sake of these Types God chose that place for his peculiar Presence Now instead of these Types we have the Antetype it self the Son of God made Flesh who though ascended into Heaven has promised his peculiar Presence in all the Assemblies of Christians which is such a Presence of God as never filled the Iewish Temple till Christ appeared for which Reason God tells them that the Second Temple though it fell vastly short of the External Beauty and Magnificence of the First yet should excel in Glory by the personal Appearance of Christ in it Haggai 2. 3 7. Malach. 3. 1. So that Christ having promised that wherever two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them every Christian Church has a Divine Presence greater than the Temple For though we should grant that this Promise extends to all the occasional Meetings of Christians whatever the Place be yet it much more extends to all the Solemn and Publick Places and Acts of Worship Thus there was but one Temple in the whole Land of Canaan God for Mystical Reasons confining his more peculiar Presence to that House where he had placed the Types and Figures of Christ through whom only we have Access to God but now this blessed Jesus who is greater than the Temple is in all Christian Assemblies and makes every Christian Church greater than the Temple In this Sense our Saviour told the Woman of Samaria Woman believe me the Hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Iohn 4. 21. which does not signifie that hereafter there should be no peculiar and appropriate Places of Worship but that the Presence and Worship of God should no longer be confined to any
would I cannot imagine that it should weaken the Argument to translate this Immortal Life from Earth to Heaven which is so much a happier Place than this Earth And yet I doubt not but were this the Case that Vertuous Men should be immortal in this World and none but Sinners should die Sin would render Men the most contemptible and infamous Creatures to prefer the short Extravagancies of Vice before a Vertuous Immortality In short the difference between Time and Eternity is such a Reason as no difficulties can answer Eternal Happiness is an abundant recompence for any temporal sufferings and whatever the difficulties of Virtue and Religion may be they must not be compared with Eternal Miseries 2dly As there is a vast difference between Time and Eternity so there is as vast a difference between Things Temporal and Things Eternal I do not intend at present to represent to you the Eternal Happiness or Miseries of the next Life as I find them described in Scripture nor either lessen the Happiness or aggravate the Sufferings of this present Life but shall keep close to my Argument and only consider the difference which Time and Eternity makes between things and a very few Words will explain this For it is evident that whatever is subject to Time is liable to Changes Revolutions Intermissions but what is Eternal hath an unchangeable Nature and is always the same And what a vast difference does this make between the Happiness and Miseries of this perishing Life and the Eternal Happiness and Miseries of the next The Happiness of this Life can't be very valuable because it is not constant the Enjoyments of it are frequently delayed disappointed or interrupted and the Miseries of it are not so very formidable because they have their Allays and Intermissions too and cannot continue long in great extremity This is the Nature of temporal things to change and alter which lessens the Pleasures and tempers the Miseries of Life But an eternal constant uninterrupted Happiness an eternal constant uninterrupted Misery a Happiness and Misery without any end and without any Intermission or Allay this is perfect Happiness and perfect Misery infinitely more to be desired and feared than what Time can alter This represents Temporal Things as in themselves of no great value and gives a Natural Preference to Eternal Things Which is the reason of our Saviour's Exhortation Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves cannot break through and steal This makes a natural Subordination between Temporal and Eternal Things and justifies the Wisdom of our Choice in making to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail they may receive us into â—…verlasting habitations Or like that wise Merchant in the Gospel who having found a treasure hid in a field went and fold all that he had and bought that field This is sufficient to convince those Men who believe another Life of the reasonableness of this Choice to govern our Lives by the Faith and Hope of unseen things not to look at the Things which are seen but at the Things which are not seen Bad Men themselves feel the force of this Argument and have no way to avoid it but by making these unseen things more invisible than they really are They love these seen things so well though they are but temporal that they are not willing to believe there are any such Unseen Eternal Things which they are convinc'd ought to have the Preference if there be any such Eternal Things And therefore for a Conclusion I shall briefly reason the Case with these Men nor directly to prove the Certainty of another World but to shew them how unreasonable and dangerous it is to entertain such an Aversion as they manifestly betray to the Belief of it For can any thing be more infamous than an Aversion to the Belief of Immortality Is any thing more natural to Mankind than the Desire of Immortality Next to the Fears of being miserable for ever is there a more terrible Thought than falling into nothing And how unnatural then is it for Men to be afraid of believing themselves immortal and to take great Pains to perswade themselves against all the Hopes and Inclinations of Nature that they shall dye like Beasts and to appear never better pleased than when they can start some difficulties to weaken the Belief and Hope of another World True you 'l say this seems somewhat unnatural but this is partially represented and not the whole of the Case the Gospel of Christ which promises Eternal Life to all Penitents threatens Eternal Death too against all impenitent Sinners and if upon the Authority of the Gospel we believe the Resurrection of the Just into Immortal Life we must believe the Resurrection of the Wicked to Eternal Punishments and these are such terrible things that it is more desireable there should be no Heaven then that there should be a Hell and they had rather reject these great Hopes than take the Hope and the Fear together This no doubt is the true Reason of Mens infidelity not that they absolutely despise Immortal Life the Desire of which is so natural and necessary but that they fear Eternal Miseries And yet in this case it is very unnatural to reject the Belief and Hope of Immortal Life For the Desire of Immortality is the first and most necessary Desire of Nature and therefore ought to govern all other Desires for it is unnatural to prefer any thing before it As fond as Men are of their Sins yet any Man of understanding would be ashamed to own that he had rather enjoy his Lusts thirty or forty Years than be immortal The Design of Infidelity is not only to cure Men's Fears but to salve their Reputation and to make their Vices less infamous If there be no Life after this let us eat and drink for to morrow we die seems natural and reasonable enough but to eat and drink and riot away Immortality must make a Man infamous Suppose God had promised Immortal Life to good Men and threaten'd not Eternal Punishments but Annihilation to the Wicked When Eternal Punishments were removed out of the way would you have thought it reasonable then to believe Immortality and to live vertuously for the Hopes of Immortality Would you have thought it infamous then to prefer Sin and Annihilation before Vertue and Immortality and is it not infamous then for the love of Sin to reject the Hopes of Immortality and to hope for Annihilation as such Men generally do if we think it reasonable to serve God that we may be immortal and that it would be infamous not to do so supposing the certain Knowledge of Immortal Life then the Threatnings of Eternal Punishments can be no reasonable prejudice against the Belief of Immortality
and what an advantageous exchange then is it for a faithful Minister of Jesus to be removed from Earth to Heaven For let us consider what the State of Christ's Ministers is in this World what it was in St. Paul's days he tells us 2 Cor. 6. 4 10. In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fasting by pureness by knowledge by long-suffering by kindnesses by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned by the word of truth by the power of God by the Armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet always rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things Which describes a most laborious Life a Scene of Wants of Difficulties of Sufferings a perpetual exercise of passive Virtues to reconcile the most appearing Contradictions to live and struggle and contend in this World and to fetch their Comforts and Supports from Heaven This indeed is not always the State of the Christian Church nor of the Ministers of it but yet in the greatest external Prosperity of the Church the Ministers of Religion who discharged their Trust with Diligence and Faithfulness find many difficulties to encounter The care of Mens Souls is it self a mighty Trust and Who is sufficient for these things consider but the Charge St. Paul gives to Timothy 1 Epistle 4. 11 c. Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example of the believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesy by laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee Here is work enough to employ the whole Man and our utmost care and diligence and prudence work for the Study for the Closet for the Pulpit as the same Apostle exhorts and charges Timothy to preach the word to be instant in season out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. But yet though there be Labour and Diligence in this it would be a delightful work were our Labours always blessed with success could we rescue the Souls of Men from the Dominion of their Lusts and from the power of the Devil could we turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God but we must often expect to labour all night and catch nothing we must contend with the Lusts and Vices of Men must bear their Folly their Frowardness their Reproaches and Censures and Injuries be thought Troublesome Pragmatical and Busy-bodies for our charitable Exhortations and Reproofs and watchfulness over their Souls And when the Church is at ease and rest from without how often is it rent and torn in Pieces with Schisms and Heresies as St. Paul forewarned Timothy The time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables 3 4. ver and what infinite Labours and Difficulties does this create to the Ministers of the Gospel to heal the Breaches of the Church to confute Heresies Atheism Infidelity and to be scorned and persecuted for it with a bitter Rage and Zeal That St. Paul might well add But watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy ministry 5 verse We ought not indeed to be discouraged by such difficulties as these because our Reward will be great in Heaven but it will be a happy Day when Our warfare shall be accomplished when we shall cease from our labours and our works shall follow us when we can say with St. Paul I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness 2. Thus to die is their gain Nevertheless it is more needful for the Church that they should abide in the flesh And a great loss it is to the Church when they die I need not use many words about this for the case is plain The Death of every good Man who is very useful to the World in what way soever he be useful is a very great loss for Death puts an end to his doing any more good in this World but as to take care of the Souls of Men is to do the greatest good to Mankind because the Happiness of our Souls is of the greatest concernment to us so to lose a faithful and a prudent Guide must be the greatest loss We indeed of this Church have great reason to bless God that he has sent forth so many able and painful Labourers into his Harvest that it is not the loss of every good Man that can much affect us at ordinary times for there are great numbers of wise and good Men to perpetuate a Succession of able and faithful Guides but a St. Paul is at any time and in any Age of the Church a great loss Nay Men who are much Inferiour to St. Paul but yet fitted with peculiar Abilities to serve the Church at some certain Seasons and in some difficult Circumstances are a very sensible loss at such a time when their service is most needful A Man of Counsel and Conduct who is fit to sit at the Helm and knows how to steer in a Storm is a great loss in times of Difficulty and Trouble when the Church is assaulted on all hands and it is hard to avoid one Mischief or Inconvenience without runinto another A Man of Goodness and Temper who knows how to govern his own Passions and how to soften and manage the Passions of other Men is a very sensible loss when the Passions of Men are broke loose and disturb the Peace of the Church and even threaten the ruine of it A Man of Learning and sound Judgment who can distinguish betwen Truth and Error in all its most artificial and flattering Disguises is a great loss when old Errors are revived and new ones broached when we must dispute over again the very Being of a God the truth of the Scriptures and Articles of the Christian Faith A Man of great Diligence and Industry Courage and Resolution to defend the Truth to oppose Heresies and Schisms to preserve the Unity of the Church and the Integrity of the Christian Faith is a very