World and does provide for himself lasting Comforts and faithful Companions which will never leave him nor forsake him a Happiness large as his Desires and Durable and Immortal as his Soul Let us then do all the good that possibly we can whilst we have opportunity Let us serve God industriously and with all our Might knowing that no good Action that we do shall be lost and fall to the ground that no Grace and Virtue that we Practise in this Life nor any Degree of them shall lose their Reward If we faithfully improve the Talents which are committed to us to our Masters advantage when he comes to call us to an Account and finds that we have done so we shall not fail to receive both his Approbation and Reward And what a Comfort will it be to any one of us to hear those Blessed words from the Mouth of our Lord Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee ruler over much enter thou into the joy of thy Lord We shall not need to plead our Services to him and put him in Mind of them Our Judge himself will celebrate our good Deeds upon the Theatre of the World and commemorate them to our advantage and interpret every good Office we have done to any of his Poor and Afflicted Members as if it had been a Kindness immediatly done to himself So our Lord represents the Proceedings of the great Judge and King of the World in the great day of Recompence Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Then shall the righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee in any of these circumstances hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and ministred unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Who would not be ambitious and glad to serve such a Prince who will so benignly Intepret and so bountifully Reward the least Service we do to him III. The Consideration of this should likewise be a great Argument and Support to our Patience under all those Evils and Sufferings and Persecutions which many times attend Good Men in this World They are for the present perhaps very heavy and grievous But there is a time shortly coming when we shall be at ease and perfectly freed from them when we shall find rest from our labours and sufferings when we shall enter into peace and rest in our beds every one walking in his uprightness that is reaping the Comfort and enjoying the Reward of his Sincerity towards God and constant Suffering for his Cause and Truth And therefore it was well said of a Good Man Blessed be God that we are to die because to Good Men that is a certain Remedy of all the Evils of this Life and will unquestionably put an end to them The Grave is a place of Rest and discharge from all Trouble as Job elegantly describes it Chap. 3.17 18 19. There the Wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest There the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressour The small and the great are there and the Servant is free from his Master So soon as we enter into the other World we are secure against the Pursuit and Danger of all those Evils which Afflicted us in this World and nothing will remain but the joyful remembrance of our Sufferings and the plentiful Reward of our Constancy and Patience under them And the more our Tribulations and Persecutions have abounded the greater will our Comfort and Happiness then be which saith St. Paul is a manifest token a clear demonstration of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence to you who are troubled Rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels 2 Thess 1.5 6 7. IV. The Consideration of the extream Sufferings which are to fall upon the faithful Servants of Christ in the last times and which seem now to be begun in the World should make us very contented to leave this World and glad of any fair Oportunity and Excuse to take our leave of it and to be out of the reach and danger of those violent and more than humane Temptations with which our Faith and Constancy may be assailed Nay to esteem it a particular Grace and Favour of God to us to be taken away from the Evil to come and to prevent if God sees it good those Extremities of Sufferings which are coming upon the World These seem now to be begun in some part of it They in our Neighbour Nation have a bitter Cup put into their hands a Cup of Astonishment to all those that hear of it Whether this be that last and extream Persecution spoken of here by St. John I shall not pretend positively to determine It is plainly distinguish'd in the Visions froth that under the first Beast described Rev. 13. from Verse the first to Verse 11. And Chap. 17. there is a description of the Beast upon which the woman sitteth on whose forehead is a name written Mystery Babylon the Great And this Beast is there said to have seven heads and ten horns which are thus explained by St. John Chap. 17.9 10. And here is the Mind which hath Wisdom the seven Heads are seven Mountains upon which the Woman sitteth and there are seven Kings that is as is generally agreed by Interpreters a succession of seven Governments And Verse 12 13 14. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdoms as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast and shall make war with the Lamb. And Verse 18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth So that this Beast is plainly the Roman Empire and the Woman that sitteth upon her is the great City standing upon seven mountains which reigneth over the Kings of the earth which can be no other than Rome as is agreed by Interpreters on all sides Bellarmine l. 2. c. 2. de Rom. Pontif. confesseth that St. John in the Revelations every where calleth Rome Babylon as Tertullian saith he hath noted and as is plain from Chap. 17. where Babylon is said to
Sixteen Sermons Preached on Several Subjects and Occasions VIZ. The Presence of the Messias the Glory of the Second Temple Christ Jesus the Only Mediator betwixt God and Men. The Nature Office and Employment of Good Angels The Reputation of Good Men after Death The Duty of Imitating Primitive Teachers and Patterns of Christianity The Encouragement to suffer for Christ and the Danger of Denying him The Blessedness of Good Men after Death The Vanities and Wickedness of honouring dead Saints and Persecuting the Living The Danger of Zeal without Knowledge The Best Men liable to the Worst Temptations from mistaken Zealots The Duty and Reason of Praying for Governors The Love of God to Men in the Incarnation of Christ By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The SECOND VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D.D. Chaplain to his Grace The Second Edition Corrected LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCC The CONTENTS SERMON I. The Presence of the Messias the Glory of the Second Temple Preached on Christmas-Day Haggai II. 6 7 8 9. FOR thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts pag. 1. SERMON II. Christ Jesus the only Mediator between God and Men. Preached on the Feast of the Annuntiation 1691. 1 Tim. II. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all p. 37. SERMON III IV. Christ Jesus the only Mediator between God and Men. 1 Tim. II. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all p. 63 87. SERMON V. The General and Effectual Publication of the Gospel by the Apostles Preached on Ascension-Day 1688. Mark XVI 19 20. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into Heaven and sat on the right Hand of God And they went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with Signs following p. 117. SERMON VI. The Nature Office and Employment of Good Angels Preached on the Feast of St. Michael Heb. I. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation p. 153. SERMON VII The Reputation of Good Men after Death Preached on St. Luke's-Day Psal CXII 6. The latter part of the Verse The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance p. 193 SERMON VIII The Duty of imitating the Primitive Teachers and Patterns of Christianity Preached on All-Saints Day 1684. Heb. XIII 7. The latter Part of the Verse Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation The whole Verse runs thus Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation p. 221 SERMON IX The Encouragement to suffer for Christ and the Danger of denying him Preached on All-Saints Day 2 Tim. II. 11 12. It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us p. 249 Two SERMONS X XI The Blessedness of Good Men after Death Both Preached on All-Saints Day Rev. XIV 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them p. 305 SERMON XII The Vanities and Wickedness of honouring dead Saints and Persecuting the Living Preached on All-Saints Day Luke XI 49 50 51. Therefore also said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this generation p. 331. SERMON XIII The Danger of Zeal without Knowledge Preached on November 5. 1682. Rom. X. 2. I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge p. 353 SERMON XIV The best Men liable to the worst Treatment from mistaken Zealots Preached November 5. 1686. John XVI 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service p. 383 SERMON XV. The Duty and Reason of Praying for Governors Preached on the 29th of May 1693. 1 Tim. II 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty p. 413 SERMON XVI The Love of God to Men in the Incarnation of Christ Preached in the Chapel at Lambeth-House on Christmas-Day 1691. 1 John XIV 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through him p. 445 Serm. I SERMON I. The Presence of the Messias the Glory of the Second Temple Preached on Christmas Day Haggai II. 6 7 8 9. For thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts THE Author of this Prophecy was the first of the three Prophets which God sent to the People of Israel after the Captivity VOL. II. and this Prophecy contains several Messages from God to the Princes and Elders and People of Israel in which he reproves their slackness and negligence in the building of the Temple and encourageth them thereto by the promise of his assistance and tells them that however in respect of the magnificence of the Building and the rich Ornaments of it it should be incomparably short of
Temple because it was his Presence that should fill that house with glory and it was in that place that the Messias who is called the Peace is promised to be given and in this place will I give Peace saith the Lord of Hosts And this is likewise most expresly foretold by the Prophet Malachi chap. 3.1 Behold I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye look for shall suddenly come into his temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts And accordingly Jesus our Blessed Saviour came during the second Temple he was presented there by his Parents and owned by Simeon for the Messias he Disputed there and Taught frequently there and by his Presence filled that house with glory For that the Son of God Taught publickly there was a greater Honour to it than all the Silver and Gold of Solomon's Temple And not long after his death according to his express Prediction this second Temple was destroyed to the Ground so that not one stone of it was left upon another And when some Hundred of Years after it was attempted to be Rebuilt Three several times the last whereof was by Julian the Apostate in opposition to Christianity and to our Saviour's Prediction Fire came out of the Foundation and destroyed the Workmen so that they desisted in great Terror and durst never attempt it afterwards And this not only the Christian Writers of that Age in great numbers do testifie but Ammianus Marcellinus a Heathen Historian who lived in that time does also give us a very particular Account of this memorable matter So that if by the Expectation of the Nations be here meant the Messias as I have plainly shewn then he is long since come and was no other than Jesus our Blessed Saviour who according to this Prophecy was to fill the second Temple with glory which hath now been demolish'd above One thousand six hundred Years ago and the Rebuilding whereof hath been so often and so remarkably hinder'd from Heaven The Consideration of all which were sufficient to convince the Jews of their vain Expectation of a Messias yet to come were they not so obstinately rooted and fixed in their Infidelity There remains now the IV. And Last Circumstance of this Prophecy viz. That the coming of the Messias was to be the last Dispensation of God for the Salvation of Men and consequently was to be perpetual and unchangeable Yet once more and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the Expectation of all nations shall come Yet once more from which Words the Apostle to the Hebrews argues the Perpetuity of the Gospel and that it was the Dispensation which should never be changed Heb. 12.27 And this word Yet once more signifies the removing of those things which are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain And then it follows Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved c. It was usual with the Jews to describe the times of the Gospel by the Kingdom of the Messias and accordingly the Apostle here calls the Dispensation of the Gospel a kingdom which cannot he moved In opposition to the Law which was an imperfect and alterable Dispensation For this is plainly the scope of the Apostle's reasoning namely to convince the Jews that they were now under a more gracious and perfect Dispensation than that of the Law ver 18. Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire meaning Mount Sinai which was a sensible literal Mountain a mountain that might be touched in opposition to the mystical and spiritual Mount Sion by which the Dispensation of the Gospel is described Which by the way prevents the Objection of its being called the Mountain that might be touch'd when it was forbidden to be touch'd upon pain of Death Ye are not come to the Mount that might be touched that is I am not now speaking of a literal and sensible Mountain such as was Mount Sinai from whence the Law was given but of that Spiritual and Heavenly Dispensation of the Gospel which was typified by Mount Sion and by Jerusalem but ye are come to mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant And then he cautions them to take heed how they reject him that came from Heaven to make this last Revelation of God to the World which because of the clearness and perfection of it should never need to receive any change ver 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth viz. Moses who delivered the Law from Mount Sinai much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven whose voice then shook the earth alluding to the Earthquake at the giving of the Law but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven that is the whole World in order to the coming of the Messias and the planting of the Gospel in the World and then he argues from the Words once more that the former Dispensation should be removed to make way for that which should perpetually remain And indeed there is no need of any farther Revelation after this nor of any change of that Religion which was brought from Heaven by the Son of God because of the Perfection of it and its fitness to Reform the World and to recover Mankind out of their lapsed and degenerate Condition and to bring them to Happiness both by the Purity of its Doctrine and the Power of its Arguments to work upon the Minds of Men by the clear discovery of the mighty Rewards and Punishments of another World And now the proper Inference from all this Discourse is the very same with that which the Apostle makes from the Consideration of the Perfection and Excellency of this Revelation which God had made to the World by his Son See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for how shall we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven And at the 28th Verse of that Chapter Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear that is Let us Live as becomes those to whom God hath made so clear and perfect a Revelation of his Will We have all the Advantages of the Divine Revelation which the World ever had and the last and most perfect that the World ever shall have We have not only Moses and the Prophets but that Doctrine which the Son of God came down from Heaven on purpose to declare to the World God hath vouchsafed to us that clear and compleat Revelation of
of the Church of Rome I mean the School-men who cannot be content to be ignorant of any thing do assign of the Knowledge which the Saints in Heaven have of the Condition and Wants of men here below They tell us that they know all our Prayers and Wants in the Glass of the Deity or Trinity which Metaphor of the Glass of the Deity or Trinity if it have any meaning it must be this that the Saints in Heaven beholding the Face of God or the Divine Essence in which the Knowledge of all things is contained they may in that Glass see all things that God knows But then they spoil all this fine Speculation again by telling us that this Glass does not necessarily represent to them all that Knowledge which is in the Divine Mind but that it is a kind of voluntary Glass in which the Saints are only permitted to see so much as God pleaseth but how much that is they cannot tell us Which amounts to no more than this that the Saints in Heaven know as much of our Condition here upon Earth as God is pleased to reveal to them And if this be all it is as good a Reason why we should pray to good men in the East or West-Indies to pray for us and help us because they also know as much of our Necessities and Prayers as God thinks fit to reveal to them But if the Saints must have a Revelation from God of our Prayers before that they know that we pray to them then the shortest and surest way both is to pray to God and not to them or however as Bellarmine confesseth it were very fit to pray to God before every Prayer we make to the Saints that he would be pleased to reveal that Prayer to them that upon this Signal and Notice given them by God they may betake themselves to pray to God for us But unless it were very clear from Scripture that God had appointed this Method it is in Reason such a way about as no Man would take that could help it And it seems to me to as little purpose for why should not a Man think God as ready to grant him all his other Requests without the Mediation and Intercession of Saints as this one Request of revealing our Prayers and Wants to them And if this way be not thought so convenient I know but one more and that is to pray to the Saints to go to God and beg of him that he would be pleased to reveal to them our Spplications and Wants that they may know what to pray to him for in our behalf which is just such a wise course as if a Man should write a Letter to his Friend that cannot read and in a Postscript desire him that as soon as he hath received it he would carry it to one that can read and entreat him to read it to him Serm. VI. So that which way soever we put the Case what course soever we take in this Matter it will be so far from seeming Reasonable that we shall have much ado and must handle the business very tenderly to hinder it from appearing very Ridiculous Thus I have examined their chief Pretences from Scripture for the Countenancing this Doctrine and Practice and have shewn how little or rather nothing at all is there to be found for it and That alone is Reason enough against it though there were nothing in Scripture against it that there is nothing in Scripture for it But I have already produced clear Proof out of the New Testament against it And because they think the least shew and probability from Scripture a good Argument on their side I will offer them a probable Argument out of the Old Testament upon which though I will lay no absolute stress yet I believe it would puzzle them upon their Principles to give a clear Answer to it and it is from 2 Kings 2.9 where Elijah just before he was taken up into Heaven says to Elisha Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee thereby intimating as one would think that then was the last Opportunity of asking any thing of him But if Elijah had understood the Matter right as the Church of Rome does now he should rather have directed him to have pray'd to him when he was in Heaven where he would have a more powerful Interest and be in a better Capacity to do him a Kindness For the Reason the Church of Rome gives why they did not pray to the Saints under the Old Testament namely because they were not then admitted into Heaven will not hold in the Case of Elijah who was taken up into Heaven Body and Soul and consequently in as good Circumstances to be prayed to as any of the Saints and Martyrs that have gone to Heaven since I should now have proceeded in the Fifth and last place to have shewen That this Practice is not only Needless and Vseless but very Dangerous and Impious because contrary to the Christian Religion and greatly derogating from the Merit and Virtue of Christ's Sacrifice and from the Honour of the only Mediator between God and Men Christ Jesus And indeed how can we apply our selves to any other Mediators and Intercessors with God in Heaven for us without a gross and apparent Contempt of the High Priest of our Profession Jesus the Son of God As if we either distrusted his Kindness and Affection or his Power and Interest in Heaven to obtain at God's hand all those Blessings which we stand in need of The Apostle to the Hebrews tells us expresly that he is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him that is who address their Prayers and Supplications to God in his Name and Mediation But if we will chuse other Mediators for our selves of whom we are not sure that they can either hear or help us we may fall short of that Salvation which the Apostle tells us we are secure of by the Mediation of Jesus Christ for he is able c. But this hath been shewn so abundantly in the former part of this Discourse and is so clearly consequent from the whole that I shall here conclude my Discourse upon the Second Proposition I laid down from the words of my Text viz. That there is but one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus As to the Third Proposition contained in the Text viz. That this one Mediator Jesus Christ gave himself a Ransom for all I have treated on that Subject particularly on another * A Sermon concerning the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ Printed in the year 1693. Occasion And as to the Fourth and last Proposition viz. That the Mediation or Intercession of Jesus Christ is founded in his Redemption of Mankind and because he gave himself a Ransom for all therefore He and He only is qualified to Intercede for all men in vertue of that Sacrifice which he offered for the
a Rack which yet ought to have been indifferent to them had they believed themselves and really esteemed that which others account Pain to be as Happy a Condition as that which is commonly called Ease But we need not trouble our selves to confute so stupid a Principle which is confuted by Nature and by every Man's Sense and Experience I think we may take it for granted that Freedom from Misery is a very considerable part of Happiness otherwise Heaven and Hell if we consider only the Torment of it would be all one But certainly it is no small endearment of Religion to the common Sense of Mankind that it promiseth to us in the next Life a Freedom from all the Evils and Troubles of this And by this the Happiness of Heaven is frequently described to us in Scripture Esai 57.2 speaking of the righteous Man he shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds 2 Thess 1.7 where the Apostle speaking of the Reward of those who should Suffer Persecution for Religion It is a righteous thing with God says he to recompense to you who are troubled Rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels And the Apostle to the Hebrews frequently describes the Happiness of Christians by entring into rest And Rev. 21.4 the State of the New Jerusalem is set forth to us by Deliverance from those Troubles and Sorrows which Men are subject to in this World and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are past away Thus it is with us in this World we are liable to Sorrow and Pain and Death But when we are once got to Heaven none of these things shall approach us The former things are pass'd away that is the Evils we formerly endured are past and over and shall never return to afflict us any more And is not this a great Comfort when we are Labouring under the Evils of this Life and Conflicting sorely with the Miseries of it that we shall one Day be past all these and find a safe Refuge and Retreat from all these Storms and Tempests When we are Loaded with Afflictions and even tired with the Burden of them and ready to faint and sink under it to think that there remains a rest for us into which we shall shortly enter How can it choose but be a mighty Consolation to us whilst we are in this vale of tears and troubles to be assured that the Time is coming when God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying There are none of us but are obnoxious to any of the Evils of this Life we feel some of them and we fear more Our outward Condition it may be is uncomfortable we are poor and persecuted we are destitute of Friends or have many Enemies we are despoiled of many of those Comforts and Enjoyments which we once had Our Bodies perhaps are in Pain or our Spirits troubled or though we have no real Cause of outward Trouble yet our Souls are ill Lodg'd in the dark Dungeon of a Body over-power'd with a Melancholy Humour which keeps out all Light and Comfort from our Minds And is it no reviving to us to think of that Happy Hour when we shall find a Remedy and Redress of all these Evils at once Of that blessed Place where we shall take Sanctuary from all those Afflictions and Troubles which pursued us in this World Where Sorrow and Misery and Death are perfect Strangers and into which nothing that can render Men in the least unhappy can ever enter Where our Souls shall be in perfect rest and contentment and our Bodies after a while shall be restored and reunited to our Souls not to Cloud and Clog them as they do here but so happily changed and refined to such a Perfection that they shall be so far from giving any disturbance to our Minds that they shall mightily add to their Pleasure and Happiness And when we are once Landed in those Blessed Regions what a Comfort will it be to us to stand on the Shore and look back upon those rough and dangerous Seas which we have escaped How pleasant to consider the manifold Evils and Calamities which we are freed from and for ever secured against To remember our past Labours and Sufferings and to be able to defie all those Temptations which were wont to assault us in this World with so much violence and with too much success And this is the Condition of the Blessed Spirits above They find a perfect cessation of all Afflictions and Troubles they rest from their labours But this is not all For. 2. They are not only freed from all the Evils and Sufferings they were exercised withal in this World but they shall receive a plentiful Reward of all the Good they have done in it their works do accompany them When Pious Souls go out of this World they do not only leave all the Evils of the World behind them but they carry along with them all the Good they have done to reap there the Comfort and Reward of it Just as on the other hand Wicked Men when they die leave all the good things of this World all the Pleasures and Enjoyments behind them but the Guilt and Remorse of their wicked Lives accompany them and stick close to them to Torment them there and that there they may be Tormented for them Thus the Scriptures represent to us the different Condition of Good and Bad Men Esai 3.10 11. Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Which is many times true in this World but however that happen will most certainly and remarkably be made good in the other And this is most Emphatically exprest to us in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16.25 where the Rich Man Petitions Abraham for some Ease and Abraham returns him this Answer 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 What a Change was here How Comfortable to the one and how Dismal to the other Lazarus found rest from all his Labours and Sufferings and his Piety and Patience accompanied him into the other World and conveyed him into Abraham's Bosom Whereas the Rich Man was parted from all his good things and the Guilt of his Sins went along with him and lodged him in the place of Torments But my Text confines me to the bright side of this Prospect The consideration of that Glorious Recompence which Good Men shall receive for the Good Works which they have done in this World Indeed the Text doth not expresly say
Solomon's Temple which some that were then alive had seen in its glory yet in other respects it should far excel it for the time would come that this second Temple should be graced with the Presence of the Messias which would be a greater Glory to it than all the Riches of Solomon's Temple And this is fully exprest in the words which I have read unto you Thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts Now that it is some very great thing which is here foretold and promised for the Honour of this second Temple no Man can doubt that considers in what a solemn manner it is here exprest this great and glorious Title the Lord of hosts being no less than five several times used within the compass of these four Verses the like Instance whereto is not perhaps in the whole Bible Thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth verse 6. And I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts verse 7. The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts ver 8. And twice ver 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts So that by the solemn manner of expressing of it we may imagine that it is some very great thing which is spoken of and such as the like had never been before and such was the incarnation and coming of the Messias I know that the Modern Jews will by no means have this Text to be understood of the Messias and not without cause for he that is spoken of in the Text was to come into the second Temple which hath now been destroyed above 1600 Years ago and they do not believe the Messias to be yet come and therefore whatever shift they make they must interpret this Text of some other Person than the Messias But then it is plain for what Reason they do so it being evident from their own Talmud that the Ancient Jews did understand of the Messias but being harden'd in their Unbelief they pervert all those Texts whereby they might be convinc'd that Jesus our Blessed Saviour was the True Messias And indeed whoever carefully considers the several Expressions and Circumstances of this Prediction cannot understand it of any other To make this Evident I shall explain the several Expressions in the Text Thus saith the Lord of hosts Yet once it is a little while Yet a little while so it is in the Hebrew Yet once more so the LXX render it and so it is quoted from the LXX in the New Testament Heb. 12.26 and this Sense the Hebrew word may likewise bear and our Translation of the Text takes them both in Yet once it is a little while If we take the Words in the first Sense Yet a little while they signifie that God was then beginning those Changes in the World which were to precede and make way for the coming of the Messias This indeed was not till about Four Hundred Years after but a great while before that time God began those Changes in the World which were to prepare the way for his coming and considering the long time which was past from the first promise made to Abraham Four Hundred Years in comparison of that may seem but a little while But I rather choose the latter Sense of this Phrase Yet once more because the Hebrew will bear it and because it is so quoted in the New Testament as if the Prophet had said That God had before done a great thing in the World and accompanied with great Miracles viz. The giving of the Law by Moses which was attended with great Commotions both in Egypt by bringing the People of Israel out from thence with a mighty hand and by destroying the Nations before them whose Land God gave them for a Possession but now he would do one greater thing more the sending of the Messias and the planting of his Religion in the World in order whereunto there should be much greater and more universal Commotions and Changes in the World and more and greater Miracles wrought Yet once more and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will shake all nations From which Words the Apostle to the Hebrews argues the abolishing of the Jewish Dispensation and the bringing in of another that should be unalterable Heb. 12.27 And this Word Yet once more says the Apostle signifies the removing of those things that are shaken that those things which cannot be shaken way remain And this I shall have occasion to explain more fully in the following parts of this discourse Yet once more I will shake the heavens and the earth c. For the understanding whereof we are to consider That the Hebrews have no one Word whereby to express the World and therefore they do it by an enumeration of the principal Parts of it So Gen. 1. when Moses would express the Creation of the World he says In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth And so St. Peter when he would express the Revolution of all things after the universal Conflagration of the World calls it a new heaven and a new earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth that is a new World a quite other Frame and State of things than that which we now see And so the Prophet here in the Text to express the great Commotions and Changes that should be in the World before the coming of the Messias says that God will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land that is he would cause great Revolutions in the World there should be great Wars and Confusions and the Empires of the World should pass from one Hand to another And thus we find this very expression interpreted ver 21 22. of this Chapter I will shake the heavens and the earth and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations And to shew that by shaking the heavens and the earth is meant great Changes in the World and as it were an universal Commotion of it he adds in the Text by way of farther Explication and I will shake all nations And then it follows and the desire of all nations
him King and spat upon him and under a pretence of rejoycing for his Birth to crucifie to our selves afresh the Lord of life and glory and to put him to an open shame I will conclude all with the Apostle's Exhortation Rom. 13.12 13 14. Let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light Let us walk decently as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christy and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Now to our most gracious and merciful God the great Friend and Lover of Souls who regarded us in our low and lost Condition and cast an Eye of pity upon us when we were in our Blood and no other Eye pityed us and when we had lost and ruined our selves was pleased in tender compassion to Mankind to send his only begotten Son into the World to seek and save us and by the Purity of his Doctrine and the Pattern of his Life and the Sacrifice of his Death to purchase Eternal Life for us and to direct and lead us in the way to it And to him also the Blessed Saviour and Redeemer of Mankind who came down from Heaven that he might carry us thither and took Human Nature upon him that we thereby might be made Partakers of a Divine Nature and humbled himself to Death even the Death of the Cross that he might exalt us to Glory and Honour and whilst we were bitter Enemies to him gave such a Demonstration of his Love to us as never any Man did to his best Friend Vnto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb that was slain to God even our Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ the first begotten from the dead and the Prince of the kings of the Earth to him who hath loved us Serm. II. and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and honour dominion and power now and for ever Amen SERMON II. Christ Jesus the only Mediator between God and Men. Preached at St. Peter's Cornhill ON THE Feast of the Annunciation 1691. 1 Tim. II. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all THESE Words contain in them these four Propositions three of them express and the fourth of them sufficiently implyed in the Text. I. That there is one God VOL. II. II. That there is one Mediator between God and men Christ Jesus III. That he gave himself a ransom for all IV. That the Mediation or Intercession of Jesus Christ is founded in the Redemption of Mankind For this seems to be the Reason why it is added that he gave himself a ransom for all to signifie to us that because he gave himself a ransom for all therefore he interceeds for all In virtue of that Sacrifice which he offered to God for the Salvation of Men he offers up our Prayers to God and therefore it is acceptable to him that we should pray for all men This seems to be the true connexion of the Apostle's Discourse and the force of his Reasoning about our putting up publick Prayers for all men I have in a former Discourse handled the first of these See a Sermon concerning the Unity of the Divine Nature Printed in the year 1693. I proceed now to the II. That there is one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus One Mediator that is But one for the expression is the very same concerning one God and one Mediator and therefore if the Apostle when he says there is one God certainly means that there is but one God it is equally certain that when he says there is one Mediator between God and men he means there is but one Mediator viz. Christ Jesus He is the only Mediator between God and Men. In the handling of this Argument I shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall endeavour to shew That God hath appointed but one Mediator or Advocate or Intercessor in Heaven for us in whose Name and by whose Mediation and Intercession we are to offer up our Prayers and Services to God 2. That this is most agreeable to one main End and Design of the Christian Religion and of our Saviour's coming into the World 3. That it is likewise evident from the Nature and Reason of the thing it self That there is but one Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us to offer up our Prayers to God and that there can be no more And then 4. and Lastly I shall endeavour to shew how contrary to the Doctrine of the Christian Religion concerning one Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome in this matter is in their Invocation of Angels and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints and making use of their Mediation and Intercession with God for Sinners as likewise how contrary it is to the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Christian Church And then I shall answer their several Pretences for this Doctrine and Practice and shew that this Practice is not only needless but useless and unprofitable and not only so but very dangerous and impious First I shall endeavour to shew That God hath appointed but one Mediator or Advocate or Intercessor in Heaven for us in whose Name and by whose Intercession we are to offer up all our Prayers and Services to God Besides that it is expresly said here in the Text there is but one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus and that the Scripture no where mentions any other I say besides this we are constantly directed to offer up our Prayers and Thanksgivings and to perform all Acts of Worship in his Name and no other and with a Promise that the Prayers and Services which we offer in his Name will be graciously answered and accepted John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it And Ch. 16.23 24. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be be full In that day that is when I have left the World and am gone to my Father as he explains it at the 28th verse In that day ye shall ask me nothing but whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you That is You shall not need to address your Prayers to me but to my Father in my Name And ver 26 27. At that day ye shall ask in my name that is from the time
that I am ascended into Heaven ye shall put up all your Prayers and Requests to God in my Name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you that is I need not tell you though I shall certainly do it that I will interceed with the Father for you for he of himself is kindly disposed and affected towards you for my sake The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved we St. Paul likewise commands Christians to perform all Acts of Religious Worship in the Name of Christ Col. 3.16 17. Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him And this Precept of addressing all our Prayers and Thanksgivings to God by Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and us is the more remarkable because it is given in opposition to the Worshipping of God by any other Mediators and Intercessors in Heaven for us and to that Superstition which had begun so early to prevail among some Christians at Calosse and Laodicea of Worshipping God by the Mediation and Intercession of Angels against which he had cautioned in the former Chapter Ver. 18 19. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels not holding the head Intimating that for Christians to address themselves to God by any other Mediator but Jesus Christ only was a defection from Christ the Head and High Priest of our Profession And that this is the Apostle's meaning Theodoret assures us in his Comment upon this Place where he tells us That some who maintained an observance of the Law together with the Gospel asserted also That Angels were to be worshipped saying That the Law was given by them And this Custom he tells us remained a long time in Phrygia and Pisidia and that upon this account it was that the Synod of Laodicea in Phrygia about the middle of the 4th Century forbad Christians by a Law to pray to Angels And yet more expresly in his Comment upon those Words Chap. 3. Ver. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him For because says he they meaning those of whom St. Paul warns the Colossians to beware because they did command men to worship Angels he enjoins the contrary that they should adorn both their words and actions with the memory or mention of the name of Christ their Lord And send ye up saith he thanksgiving to God and the Father by him and not by the Angels And then he makes mention of the Canon of the Synod of Laodicea which says he in pursuance of this Rule and being desirous to cure that old Disease made it a Law that none should pray unto Angels nor forsake the Lord Jesus Christ It seems then that some Reliques of that Impious Custom of praying to Angels which Theodoret here calls That old Disease had continued from St. Paul's time to the Council of Laodicea which was the occasion of that severe Canon then made about that matter the very Words whereof I will set down because they are remarkable viz. That Christians ought not to forsake the Church of God and go away from it and to invocate Angels and to make Conventicles all which are forbidden If any therefore be found giving himself to this secret Idolatry let him be Anathema because he hath forsaken our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and is gone over to Idolatry What shall be said to them who do not only secretly and in their Private Devotions but in the Publick Assemblies of Christians and in the most Publick Offices of their Church invocate Angels and pray to them So that it was praying to Angels or making use of them as Mediators and Intercessors with God for us which St Paul here reproves so severely in the Colossians as a Defection from Christ and the Christian Religion And indeed considering how frequently the Scripture speaks of Christ as our only way to God and by whom alone we have access to the throne of grace we cannot doubt but that God hath constituted him our only Mediator and Intercessor by whom we are to address all our Requests to God John 14.6 Jesus there saith unto Thomas I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me I am the way the truth and the life that is the true and living way to the Father which the Apostle calls a new and living way Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore boldnenss to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us No man cometh to the Father but by me that is we can have no access to God by Prayer or by any other Acts of Religious Worship but by him So St. Paul tells us Eph. 2.18 For through him speaking of Christ we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father We both that is both Jews and Gentiles Under the Law the Jews had access to God by their High Priest who interceeded with God and offered up Prayers in behalf of the People The Gentiles they addressed themselves to God by innumerable Mediators by Angels and the Souls of their departed Heroes which were the Pagan Saints Instead of all these God hath appointed one Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us Jesus the Son of God and by him all mankind both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit unto the Father And we have no need of any other as the Apostle to the Hebrews reasons Chap. 7.24 25. But this person speaking of Christ because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priesthood which doth not pass from one to another as the Priesthood under the Law did when upon the Death of one High Priest another succeeded in his Place but our High Priest under the Gospel since he abides for ever is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us So that Jesus Christ is an All-sufficient Mediator and able to carry on and accomplish the Work of our Salvation from first to last And as we do not find that God hath appointed any other so we are sure that there needs no other since he is able to save to the utmost all those that come to God by him and that he lives for ever to make intercession for us Secondly I proceed now in the Second place to shew That this Doctrine or Principle of one Mediator between God and men is most agreeable to one main end and design of the Christian Religion and of our Saviour's coming into the World which was to destroy Idolatry out of the World which St. John calls the works of the Devil 1
provide for the supply of those two great Wants which they seem'd always to have laboured under and concerning which they were at so great a loss viz. an effectual expiatory Sacrifice for Sins upon Earth and a powerful Mediator and Intercessor with God in Heaven And both these by the same Person Jesus Christ who appeared in the end of the World to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself and in the Merit and Vertue of that Sacrifice appearing in Heaven in the Presence of God for us is become a perpetual Advocate and a most powerful Intercessor with God in Heaven for us So that instead of the endless Sacrifices of the Jewish Religion which were ineffectual to the real Expiation of Sin and only Types and Shadows of the true expiatory Sacrifice and instead of the bloody and inhumane Sacrifices of the Heathen Idolatry the Son of God hath by one Sacrifice for Sin once offered perfected for ever them that are sanctified and obtained eternal Redemption for us And instead of the Mediation of Angels and the Souls of their departed Heroes which the Heathen made use of to offer up their Prayers to the Gods We have one Mediator between God and Men appointed by God himself Jesus the Son of God who in our Nature is ascended into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us And who so fit to be our Patron and Advocate as he who was our Sacrifice and Propitiation Thus the Method of our Redemption as it was by the Wisdom of God admirably suited to the common Apprehensions of Mankind concerning the necessity of a Sacrifice to make Expiation of Sin and of a Mediator to intercede with God for Sinners so was it likewise excellently fitted not only to put an end to the Jewish Sacrifices but likewise to abolish the barbarous Sacrifices and Rites of the Heathen Idolatry and to cashier that infinite number of Mediators and Intercessors by whom they address'd their Prayers to the Deity and instead of all this to introduce a more reasonable and spiritual Worship more agreeable to the Nature and Perfections of God and the Reason of Mankind which was one of the main and principal Designs of the Christian Religion And therefore to bring in any other Mediators to intercede in Heaven for us whether Angels or Saints and by them to offer up our Prayers to God is directly contrary to the Design of the Christian Religion Thirdly It is likewise evident from the Nature and Reason of the thing it self that there is but one Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven who offers up our Prayers to God and that there can be no more Because under the Gospel there being but one High Priest and but one Sacrifice once offered for Sin and Intercession for Sinners being founded in the Merit and Virtue of the Sacrifice by which Expiation for Sin is made there can be no other Mediator of Intercession but he who hath made Expiation of Sin by a Sacrifice offered to God for that purpose and this Jesus Christ only hath done He is both our High Priest and our Sacrifice and therefore he only in the Merit and Virtue of that Sacrifice which he offered upon Earth can intercede in Heaven for us and offer up our Prayers to God Others may pray to God for us as our Brethren upon Earth do and perhaps the Angels and Saints in Heaven but none of these can offer up our Prayers to God and procure the acceptance of them for that can only be done in Virtue of a Sacrifice first offered and by him that offered it this being the peculiar Office and Qualification of a Mediator or Intercessor properly so called It is the plain Design of the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews to prove that Christ is our only Mediator in Heaven in Vertue of that Sacrifice for Sin which he offered upon Earth and that he alone appears in the Presence of God for us to present our Requests to him and obtain a gracious Answer of them and he shews at large how this was particularly typified by the Jewish High Priest who upon the great day of Expiation after the Sacrifice was slain without enter'd alone into the Holy of Holies with the Blood of the Sacrifices in Vertue whereof he made Intercession for the People Answerable to this Jesus the High Priest of our Profession offered himself a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men and in vertue of that Sacrifice is enter'd into the High Place not made with Hands that is into Heaven it self there to appear in the Presence of God for us where he lives for ever to make intercession for us in Vertue of that Eternal Redemption which he hath obtained for us by the Price of his Blood as the Apostle declares in several Chapters of that Epistle So that this Intercession being founded in the Merit of a Sacrifice which he alone offered he is of necessity the only Mediator between God and Men. And for this Reason it is that the Mediation and Intercession of Christ is so frequently in Scripture mentioned together with the Expiation which he made for the Sins of Men or which is the same with the price which he paid for the Redemption of Mankind because the one is founded in the other and depends upon it So we find 1 John 2.1 2. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World And here likewise in the Text There is one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all therefore the only Mediator between God and men because he only gave himself a Ransom for all men The Efficacy and Prevalency of his Mediation being founded in the Merit and Vertue of the Ransom of his Blood And the force of these Texts and the reasoning from them is not to be avoided and turned off by distinguishing between a Mediator of Redemption and of Intercession and by saying that it is true that Christ is the only Mediator of Redemption but there may be many Mediators of Intercession For if the Force of his being Advocate or Intercessor be founded in the Virtue of his Ransom and Propitiation as I have plainly shewn to the Conviction of any that are not strongly prejudiced and that will read and consider what the Scripture says in this matter without Prepossession then it is plain that none can be a proper Mediator of Intercession but he that paid the Price of our Redemption So that the Mediator of our Redemption and our Mediator of intercession must of necessity be one and the same Person and none can appear in the Quality of our Advocate with the Father but he only who is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World I should now have proceeded to The Fourth thing I proposed in the handling of this Argument namely To
shew how contrary to this Doctrine of the Christian Religion concerning one only Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is in this matter namely in their Invocation of Angels and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints and flying to their Help and making use of their Mediation and Intercession with God for Sinners As likewise how contrary all this is to the Doctrine and Pratice of the Christian Church for several of the first Ages of it And then I should have answered their chief Pretences and Excuses for these things and shew'd that this Practice of theirs is not only needless being no where commanded by God but useless also and unprofitable and not only so but very dangerous and impious being contrary to the Christian Religion and highly derogating from the Virtue and Merit of Christ's Sacrifice and from the Honour of the only Mediator between God and Men. But of this another time SERMON III. Christ Jesus the only Mediator between God and Men. The Second Sermon on 1 Tim. II. 5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all IN these Words are four Propositions three exprest and the fourth implied I. That there is one God II. That there is one Mediator between God and men Christ Jesus III. That he gave himself a ransom for all VOL. II. IV. That the Mediation or Intercession of Jesus Christ is founded in his Redemption of Mankind That because he gave himself a Ransome for all men therefore he and he only is qualified to intercede for all Men in Vertue of that Sacrifice which he offer'd for the Salvation of all Mankind The Second of these I spake to the last time and endeavour'd to shew 1. That God hath appointed but one Mediator or Advocate or Intercessor in Heaven for us by whose Mediation we are to offer up all our Prayers and Services to God 2. That this Doctrine of one Mediator is most agreeable to one main End and Design of the Christian Religion and of our Saviour's coming into the World which was to destroy Idolatry 3. That from the Nature and Reason of the thing viz. because Intercession for Sinners is founded in the Merit of that Sacrifice by which Expiation of Sin is made there can be no other Mediator of Intercession Serm. III. but he who hath made Expiation for Sin by a Sacrifice offered to God for that purpose and this Jesus Christ only hath done Thus far I have gone I proceed now to The Fourth thing which I proposed in the handling of this Argument namely to shew how contrary to this Doctrine of the Christian Religion concerning one only Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us the Doctrine and the Practice of the Church of Rome is in this matter namely in their Invocation of Angels and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints and flying to their help and making use of their Mediation and Intercession with God for Sinners And that I may proceed more distinctly in this Argument I shall handle it under these particular Heads First I shall endeavour to shew That the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome in this matter is contrary to the Doctrine of the Christian an Religion concerning one only Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us Secondly That it is contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of the Christian Church for several of the first Ages of it Thirdly I shall endeavour to answer their chief Pretences and Excuses for this Doctrine and Practice Fourthly to shew that this Doctrine and Practice of theirs is not only needless being no where commanded by God but useless also and unprofitable Fifthly And not only so but very dangerous and impious because contrary to the Christian Religion and greatly derogating from the Vertue and Merit of Christ's Sacrafice and from the Honour of the only Mediator between God and Men. First I shall endeavour to shew that the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome in this Matter is contrary to the Doctrine of the Christian Religion concerning one only Mediator and Intercessor in Heaven for us namely in their Invocation of Angels and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints and flying to their Help and making use of their Mediation and Intercession with God for Sinners That Jesus Christ is our only Mediator and Intercessor with God in Heaven by whom we have access to God in any Action of Religious Worship and that all our Prayers and Services are to be offered up to God only by him and in his Name and Mediation and no other I have plainly shewed from Scripture and proved it by an invincible Argument taken likewise from Scripture namely because the Efficacy and Prevalency of his Mediation and Intercession is founded in the Vertue and Merit of his Sacrifice and that he is therefore the only Mediator between God and Men because he only gave himself a Ransom for all he is therefore our only Advocate with the Father because he only is the propitiation for our Sins and for the Sins of the whole World I have shewed likewise that the Scripture excludes Angels from being our Mediators with God from the main Scope and Design of the Epistle to the Colossians and much more are the Saints departed excluded from this Office being inferior to the Angels not only in the Dignity and Excellency of their Beings but very probably in the Degree of their Knowledge In short Prayer is a proper act of Religious Worship and therefore peculiar to God alone and we are commanded to Worship the Lord our God and to serve him only And no where in Scripture are we directed to address our Prayers and Supplications and Thanksgivings to any but God alone and only in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ Our Blessed Saviour himself hath taught us to put up all our Prayers to God our heavenly Father Luke 11.2 when you pray say Our Father which art in Heaven Which plainly shews to whom all our Prayers are to be address'd and unless we can call an Angel or the Blessed Virgin or a Saint Our Father we can pray to none of them And elsewhere he as plainly directs us by whom we are to apply our selves to God and in whose Name and Mediation we are to put up all our Requests to him John 14.6 I am the Way and the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me And then it follows Ver. 13 14. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it Nothing is clearer in the whole Bible than one Mediator between God and Men Christ Jesus and that he is our only Advocate and Intercessor with God in Heaven for us Secondly I shall endeavour to shew That the Doctrine and Practice of the
And have we any Reason to doubt either of his Inclination and good will or of his Power and Interest to do us good What need then is there to sue for the Favour or to take in the Assistance of any other even of those who are thought to be most powerful and the chief Ministers and Favourites in that Heavenly Court After such an Assurance that my Business will be effectually done there by that great Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous why should I apply my self to St. Peter though he be said to keep the Keys of Heaven or to Michael the Arch-Angel though he be the chief of the Ministring Spirits or to the Blessed Virgin her self notwithstanding those glorious Titles of the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy which they of the Church of Rome are pleased to bestow upon her and without her consent and as may reasonably be presumed against her will I will put a Case which may help to render this matter a little more plain and sensible to us so as every Man may be able to judge of it Suppose a King should constitute his Son the great Master of Requests with this express Declaration and Assurance that all Petitions that were addrest to him by his Son should be graciously received and answered in this case though every Man might use his own Discretion at his own Peril and take what course he pleased yet I should most certainly prefer all any Petitions to the King in the way which he had so plainly directed and should trouble never a Courtier of them all with my Business for fear the King should think that I did either distrust his Royal Word or despise his Son by my soliciting the Aid and Help of every little Courtier after I had put my Petition into the Hands of this great Master of Requests And now I will not distrust any of your Understandings so far as to make the Application I will only add that it is an Eternal Rule of Truth and which never fails in any Case Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora it is in vain to attempt that by more Ways and Means which may as well and as effectually be done by one because this would be perfect loss of time and pains And therefore they who would send us so far about as to trouble all the Saints and Angels in Heaven with our Petitions when they cannot deny but that our great Mediator is alone sufficient do seem to me to send us upon a very sleeveless Errand So that if with all their Skill in Fencing they could defend this Practice from being Vnlawful yet this one thing is a sufficient Objection in Reason against it that it is perfectly Needless Or if we could imagine any need of this all Addresses to them must be vain and unprofitable if they do not know our Wants and hear out Prayers that are put up to them which St. Augustin thought they do not know and hear Fatendum est saith he L. De Curâ pro mortuis nescire quidem mortuos quid hic agatur it must be acknowledged that the Dead are ignorant of what is done here This was his Opinion but we are certain that they cannot know our Wants nor hear our Prayers at all Times and in all Places unless they can either be present every where which no Finite Being can be or else God be pleased in some Supernatural way to communicate to them the Knowledge of our Wants and of the Prayers which we put up to them which we can never know that he does unless he have communicated to us that he is pleased to do so of which the Scripture no where gives us the least intimation But because they pretend that the Scripture gives us some hints of this I shall briefly examine what they say about this Matter I. That the Angels know our Condition here below because they are said to rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner and therefore the Saints do likewise know our Condition because they shall be like the Angels But this is not said of them till after the Resurrection when we shall have no Occasion to pray to them Besides that it may well enough be supposed that God may reveal both to the Angels and Saints in Heaven the Conversion of a Sinner because it may contribute to the Increase of their Joy and Happiness But will it hence follow that God reveals to them all other Circumstances of our Condition our Dangers and Temptations and Troubles our Sins and our Sufferings the Knowledge whereof would no ways contribute to the Increase of their Happiness And yet in order to their Intercession with God for us their Knowledge of these things would be most beneficial to us II. Because the rich Man was concerned in Hell for the Salvation of his Relations on Earth they argue that it is much more probable that the Saints in Heaven are concerned for us and are ready to pray for us and therefore it is very credible that some way or other they have the Knowledge of our Condition and Wants though we cannot certainly tell what that particular way is To which I answer 1. That it is a known Rule amongst all Divines that no certain Argument can be drawn from the Circumstances of a Parable but only from the main Scope and Intention of it nor is it so likely that the wicked in Hell should have any share in that which St. Paul tells us is the great Vertue of the Saints in Heaven I mean Charity and if they have it not then no Argument can be drawn from it Some of their Commentators think that this Motion of the rich Man to Abraham concerning his Brethren did not proceed from Charity to them but to himself lest his Torment and Punishment should be increased by their coming to Hell by the means of the ill Example which he had given them when he was upon Earth And Cardinal Cajetan thinks that he was concerned for his Brethren out of Pride and Ambition and because it would be for the Honour of his Family to have some of them in that Glory so far above any thing in this World which he saw Abraham and Lazarus possest of This is a Reason which I confess I should not have thought on and yet perhaps it might be likely enough to enter into the Mind of a Cardinal And I cannot but observe by the way that this Petition or Request which the rich Man in Hell made to Abraham is the only Instance we meet with in Scripture of any thing like a Prayer that was put up to any of the Saints in Heaven Well! But suppose that the rich Man in Hell had this Charity for his Brethren and we will easily agree that the Saints in Heaven have much more Charity not only for their Kindred but for all Men here upon Earth let us now consider the particular way and manner which the great Divines
very grievous to them if they be sensible of what is done here below I mean to Worship them and to Pray to them and to the great Disparagement of the powerful Intercession of our great High Priest Jesus the Son of God to make them the Mediators and Intercessors in Heaven with God for us Of this the Scripture hath no where given us the least intimation but hath expresly commanded the contrary to worship the Lord our God and him only to serve and to pray to him alone in the name of Jesus Christ who is the only Mediator betwixt God and Man Nor are there any Footsteps of any such Practice in the primitive Church for the first Three Hundred Years as is acknowledged by our most Learned Adversaries of the Church of Romer The Scripture no where propounds the Saints to us for Objects of our Worship but for the Patterns of our lives This is the greatest Respect and Veneration that we can or ought to pay to them and whatever is beyond this is a Voluntary Humility injurious to God and our Blessed Saviour and most certainly displeasing to those whom we pretend to Honour if they know how Men play the fool about them here below Let us then endeavour to be like them in the Holy and Virtuous Actions of their Lives in their constant Patience and Suffering for the Truth if God shall call us thereto And we may be like them if we do but sincerely endeavour it and pray to God for his Grace and Assistance to that end For these Examples were not left for our Admiration only but for our Imitation We frequently read the Lives of the Apostles and first Founders of our Religion But I know not how it comes to pass we choose rather lazily to admire them than vigorously to follow them as if the Piety of the first Christians were Miraculous and not at all intended for the Imitation of succeeding Ages as if Heaven and Earth God and Men and all things were alter'd since that time as if Christianity were then in its Youthful Age and Vigour but is since decayed and grown old and hath quite lost its Power and Virtue And indeed the generality of Christians live at such a faint and careless rate as to make the World believe that either all the Stories of the Primitive Christians are Fables or else that the Force of Christianity is strangely abated and that the Holy Spirit of God hath forsaken the Earth and is retired to the Father But Truth never grows old and those Laws of Goodness and Righteousness which are contained in the Gospel are still as reasonable and apt to gain upon the Minds of Men as ever God is the same he was and our Blessed Saviour is still at the Right Hand of God Interceding powerfully for Sinners for mercy and grace to help in time of need The Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel are still as true and powerful as ever and the holy Spirit of God is still in the World and effectually works in them that believe Let us not then deceive our selves in this matter The Primitive Christians were Men like our selves subject to the same Passions that we are and compassed about with the same Infirmities so that altho' that extraordinary Spirit and Power of Miracles which God endowed them withal for the first planting and propagating of the Gospel in the World be now ceased yet the sanctifying Power and Virtue of God's Holy Spirit does still accompany the Gospel and is ready to assist us in every good work In a word We have all that is necessary to work the same Graces and Virtues in us which were in them and if we be not slothful and wanting to our selves we may follow their faith and at last attain the end of it even the Salvation of our Souls Let us then from an idle admiring of those excellent Patterns proceed to a vigorous imitation of them and be so far from being discouraged by the Excellency of them as to make even that Matter and Ground of encouragement to our selves according to that of Tertullian Admonetur omnis aet as fieri posse quod aliquando factum est all Ages to the end of the World may he convinced that what hath been done is possible to be done There have been such Holy and Excellent Persons in the World and therefore it is possible for Men to be such Let us not then be slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Since we are compast about with such a Cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us and let us run with Patience the Race which is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and is now set down at the right hand of God SERMON IX The Encouragement to Suffer for Christ and the Danger of denying him Preached on All-Saints Day 2 Tim. II. 11 12. It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us IN the beginning of this Chapter St. Paul encourageth Timothy to continue steadfast in the Profession of the Gospel notwithstanding the Sufferings which attended it VOL. II. Verse 1. Thou therefore my Son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus and Verse 3. Thou therefore endure hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ And to animate him in his Resolution he quotes a Saying which it seems was well known and firmly believed among Christians a Saying on the one hand full of Encouragement to those who with Patience and Constancy Suffered for their Religion and on the other hand full of Terrour to those who for fear of Suffering denyed it It is a faithful saying This is a Preface used by this Apostle to introduce some remarkable Sentence of more than ordinary weight and concernment 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners and chap. 4.8 9. Godliness is profitable unto all things having a promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation Titus 3.8 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly Serm. IX that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works And here in the Text the same Preface is used to signify the Importance of the saying he was about to mention It is a faithful saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he will deny us The First Two Sentences are Matter of Encouragement to those who Suffer with Christ and for him and
Happier Life this will make Death attended even with Extremity of Terror to be tolerable as we read of some in that long Catalogue of Saints and Martyrs Heb. 11.35 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection It would make a Man to rejoyce in the Ruin and Dissolution of this earthly tabernacle to be assured that when it is dissolved we shall have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens as the same Apostle assures us 2 Cor. 5.1 Thus you see what Virtue there is in the firm Belief and Persuasion of a better Life to bear up Mens Spirits under those Sufferings and Torments which may seem unsupportable to Humane Nature And so indeed they would be without an extraordinary Grace and Assistance of God to enable them to bear those Sufferings which his Providence permits them to be exercised withal But of this extraordinary Grace we are assured not only from the consideration of the Attributes and Providence of God but likewise from the express Promises and Declarations of his Word The Attributes of God and his Providence give us good Grounds to believe that he who loves Goodness and Righteousness and hath a Peculiar Favour and Regard for good Men will never suffer his Faithful Friends and Servants to be brought into that Distress for Righteousness sake that they shall not be able to endure those Evils and Afflictions which befal them upon that Account And if in the Course of his Providence any thing happen to them that is above the ordinary Constancy and Patience of Humane Nature to bear that in such a Case God will extraordinarily interpose and give them Strength and Patience Support and Comfort proportionable to the Evils and Sufferings that are upon them and that he will either lighten their Burden or add to their Strength he will either mitigate their Pain or increase their Patience either he will check and restrain the Effect of Natural Causes as in the Case of the Three Children that were in the fiery Furnace and of Daniel who was cast into the Den of Lions or else which comes to the same Issue if he will suffer Causes to have their Natural Course he will afford Supernatural Comforts to ballance the Fury and Extremity of them This is very credible from the meer consideration of God's Goodness and of the Particular Care and Favour of his Providence towards Good Men. But besides this we have the Express Promise and Declaration of God's Word to this Purpose which puts us out of all doubt concerning that which we had good Reason to hope and expect before 1 Cor. 10.13 St. Paul there tells the Christians at Corinth that tho' they had met with some Troubles yet they had not been Tryed with the Extremity of Suffering But when that should happen they had no cause to doubt but God would enable them to bear it There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to man that is you have not yet been exercised with any Trial but what is Humane what the ordinary Strength and Resolution of Humane Nature is able to bear But in case it should come to extream Suffering and that they must either comply with the Heathen Idolatry or endure Extremity of Torments they had the Promise of God's Help to support them in that Case God is faithful says he who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it And then it follows wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry that is let no Suffering that you are Tempted withal make you guilty of this Sin And 1 Pet. 4.14 The Presence of God's Spirit in a very glorious manner for our Support and Comfort is promised to those who Suffer for him If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you And this consideration of God's Strength to support us under Sufferings makes the other of the Reward of them a Perfect and Compleat Encouragement which it could not be without it For if upon the whole matter the present Sufferings of Good Men were intolerable and Humane Nature were not Divinely assisted to bear them How great soever the Future Reward promised to them should be they that lay under them would be forced to consult their own present Ease and Deliverance I proceed to the II. Thing I proposed to consider namely How it may be made out to be Reasonable to Embrace and Voluntarily to submit to present and grievous Sufferings in Hopes of future Happiness and Reward concerning which we have not nor perhaps are capable of having the same degree of Certainty and Assurance which we have of the Evils and Sufferings of this present Life Now granting that we have not the same Degree of Certainty concerning our future Happiness that we have of our present Sufferings which we feel or see just ready to come upon us yet Prudence making it necessary for Men to run this hazard does justifie the Reasonableness of it This I take to be a known and rul'd Case in the common Affairs of Life and in Matters of Temporal Concernment and Men Act upon this Principle every Day The Husbandman parts with his Corn and casts it into the Earth in confidence that it will spring up again and at the time of Harvest bring him in a considerable return and advantage He parts with a Certainty in hope only of a great future Benefit And tho' he have no Demonstration for the Infallible Success of his Labour and Hazard yet he Acts very Reasonably Because if he does not take this course he runs a greater and more certain Hazard of perishing by Famine at last when his present Stock is spent The Case of the Merchant is the same who parts with a Present Estate in hopes of a Future Improvement which yet is not so certain as what he parts withal And if this be Reasonable in these Cases then the Hazard which Men run upon much greater Assurance than either the Husbandman or the Merchant have is much more Reasonable When we part with this Life in hopes of one infinitely better that is in sure and certain hope of a Resurrection to eternal life and when we submit to Present Sufferings to avoid an Eternity of Misery which is much more to be dreaded than Temporal Want this is Reasonable because here is a much greater Advantage in view and a more pressing Necessity in the Case nothing being so desirable to one that must live for ever as to be Happy for ever and nothing to be avoided by him with so much Care as everlasting Misery and Ruin And for our security of obtaining the one and escaping the other we have the promise of God who cannot lye which is all the Certainty and Security that Things Future and Invisible are
that their works shall be rewarded but that they shall go along with them and that they are blessed upon this Account and this implies that they shall receive a sure Reward For as the Apostle Reasons God is not unrighteous to forget our Work and Labour of Love Verily there is a Reward for the righteous as sure as there is a God that judgeth in the Earth But how Great and Glorious that shall be I am not in any measure able to declare to you It may suffice that the Scripture hath assured us in general that God is the Rewarder of Good Men and that he will make them Happy not according to what can now enter into our narrow Thoughts but according to the exceeding greatness of his Power and Goodness If we are to receive our Reward from God we need not doubt but it will be very large and such as is every way worthy of him to bestow For he is a great King and of great Goodness and we may safely refer our selves to him in confidence that he will consider us not according to the Meanness of our Service but according to the Vastness of his Treasures and the Infinite Bounty of his Mind If he hath promised to make us Happy tho' he have not particularly declared to us wherein this Happiness shall consist yet we may trust him that made us to find out ways to make us happy and may believe that he who made us without our Knowledge or desire is able to make us Happy beyond them both Only for the greater Encouragement of our Holiness and Obedience tho' he hath promised to Reward every Good Man far beyond the Proportion of any Good he hath or can do yet he hath declared that these Rewards shall be proportionably greater or less according to the degree of every Man's Piety and Virtue So our Saviour tell us that they who are persecuted for righteousness sake great shall be their reward in heaven Matt. 5.12 That there will be a difference between the Reward of a righteous Man and a Prophet that is of one who is more publickly and eminently useful for the Salvation of others And among those who are Teachers of others they that are more industrious and consequently more likely to be successful in this Work shall have a more Glorious Reward as we are told by the Angel Dan. 12.3 And they that be Wise or as it is in the Margin rendred they that be Teachers shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever So likewise we find in the Parable of the Talents that he that improv'd his Talent to Ten was made Ruler over Ten Cities And St. Paul 2 Cor. 9.6 speaking of the Degrees of Mens Charity and Liberality towards the Poor says expresly He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly but he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully which by Proportion of Reason may be extended to the Exercise of all other Graces and Virtues 1 Cor. 15.41 42. The Apostle there represents the different Degrees of Glory which Good Men shall be invested with at the Resurrection by the different Glory and Splendor of the Heavenly Luminaries There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another Star in glory So also is the Resurrection of the dead So that the more any Man suffers for God and the more Patiently he Suffers the more Holily and Virtuously the more Charitably and Usefully he lives in this World the more good Works will accompany him into the next and the Greater and more Glorious Reward he may hope to receive there which as the Apostle Reasons in the Conclusion of that Chapter concerning the Doctrine of the Resurrection ought to be a mighty Encouragement to every one of us not only to be stedfast and unmoveable that is fix'd and resolute in the Profession and Practice of our Religion but abounding likewise in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. Every Degree of Diligence and Industry in the Work and Service of God will most certainly one day turn to a happy Account Having therefore such Promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God The more perfectly holy we are here on Earth the more perfectly happy we shall be in Heaven and continue so to all Eternity I have now done with the Two Reasons which are here given in the Text of the Happiness that Good Men such as die in the Lord shall be made Partatakers of in another Life because they rest from their labours and their works accompany them they are freed from all the Evils which they suffer'd and shall receive the Reward of all the Good they have done in this Life I should now have proceeded to make some Inferences from this Discourse But those I will reserve for another Discourse on this Subject All that I shall add at present as the Application of what I have already said is That this should stir us up to a careful and zealous Imitation of those Blessed Persons described in the Text who are dead in the Lord and are at rest from their Labours and whose works do accompany them Let us Imitate them in their Faith and Patience in their Piety and Good Works and in their Constancy to God and his Truth which was dearer to them than their Lives Thus their Virtues and Sufferings are described in the Visions of this Book Chap. 13.10 Here is the Patience and the Faith of the Saints and Chap. 14.12 Here is the Patience of the Saints Here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus and Chap. 12.11 And they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death In this Way and by these Steps all the Saints and Martyrs of all Ages have ascended up to Heaven and attained to that Blessed State which they are now Possessed of after all the Evils which they Suffered in this World They are now at rest from their labours and all the good Works which they have done are gon along with them and they are now and shall for ever be receiving the Comfort and Reward of them And if we tread in their Steps by a zealous Imitation of the Piety and Holiness of their Lives and of the Constancy and Patience of their Sufferings we shall one Day be Translated into their Blessed Society and made Partakers with them of the same Glorious Reward If we have our Fruit unto Holiness our end shall be everlasting life If we be faithful unto death we shall receive a Crown of Life Let us then as the Apostle to the Hebrews exhorts Chap. 6.11 12. Every one of us shew the same Diligence to the full assurance
Patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus And then he immediately adds as it is in the Text And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do accompany them Thus much may suffice to have been spoken on this Text. SERMON XII The Vanity and Wickedness of honouring dead Saints and Persecuting the Living Preached on All-Saints Day Luke XI 49 50 51. Therefore also said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed front the foundation of the world may be required of this Generation from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this Generation THE latter part of this Chapter is a very sharp but just Invective made by our Saviour against the Hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisees VOL. II. of which he gives many instances and this among the rest for one that they pretended a great Honour and Respect for the Righteous Men and Prophets of former Ages whom their Fathers had Persecuted and Slain but yet were of the very same Spirit and Temper and as ready to Persecute Good Men as their Fathers were They raised indeed stately Monuments to the Memory of those Saints and Martyrs and adorned them with great Art and Cost and it is likely made a great Shew of Esteem and Veneration for them But all this while they were of the same disposition with their Fathers and bare the same implacable Hatred and Malice against the Prophets and Righteous Men who then lived among them yea against that great Prophet whom God had sent into the World Jesus the Son of God which their Fathers did against the Good Men of their Times And tho' they disclaimed the Wickedness and Cruelty of their Fathers with never so much Zeal and Vehemency yet for all that they were ready to do the same things Now this was so gross and odious a piece of Hypocrisie in them Serm. XII that our Saviour doth with great Reason denounce so severe a Wo against them Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets and your Fathers killed them Truly ye bear Witness that ye allow the deeds of youe Fathers For they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchres And then it follows Therefore also said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple There are considerable Difficulties in both these Passages As to the former Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets and your Fathers killed them Truly ye bear Witness that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers For they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchres The force of this Reasoning is at first sight not easie to be discern'd and therefore Expositors have gone several ways to explain it Some comparing this with the parallel Place in St. Matthew's Gospel Ch. 23.29 will not have our Saviour to mean that by building the Sepulchres of the Prophets they express'd their approbation of their Fathers killing them They did indeed testifie by their usage of the Righteous Men that liv'd amongst themselves that they were of the very same Temper and Spirit which their Fathers had been of and that they would have done just as their Fathers did if they had been in the same Circumstances with their Fathers So that they were Witnesses to themselves as it is in St. Matthew that they were the Children of them which killed the Prophets They own'd themselves their Children by Descent and their Actions Witnessed that they were their Children also in Resemblance nay as it is there farther intimated they seem'd resolv'd to fill up the Measure of their Fathers tho' all this while they pretended not to approve their Fathers Behaviour and therefore whilst they were building the Tombs of the Prophets and garnishing the Sepulchres of the Righteous they said if we had been in the days of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets And the Interpreters that go this way do accordingly render these words of St. Luke not as they are in our Translation ye bear Witness that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers But ye bear Witness and ye allow or are well pleas'd with the deeds of your Fathers that is ye own that they were your Fathers who did these things and tho' ye do not in words allow what they did yet your inward Tempers and Dispositions whether you know it or no are the very same with theirs which you too plainly testifie by your Actions so that when you build the Sepulchres of the Prophets you only expose the Deceitfulness and Hypocrsie of your Hearts your Pretences and your Actions directly contradicting each other Thus some Expositors give the Sense of this Passage But Others think that our Saviour intended somewhat more in St. Luke namely to retort upon them the Honour which they seem'd to do to the Prophets in building their Sepulchres as an Argument that they rejoyced in their Death seeing they were so well content to be at the Charge of a Monument for them like Herod who when he had Murdered Aristobulus made a Magnificent Funeral for him or as the Roman Historians say of Caracalla tho' he hated all Good Men whilst they were alive yet he would pretend to Honour them when they were dead This Some think our Saviour intended in these Words Truly ye bear Witness that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers For they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchers As if he had said Hereby ye testifie that ye allow and like very well what your Fathers did to the Prophets According to which latter Exposition there seems to be more Force and greater Sharpness in our Saviour's Reproof as not only charging them with their ill usage of the Righteous Men of their own Times but moreover making them by their building the Tombs and garnishing the Sepulchres of the Antient Prophets to become as it were Accessories to the Murder of them But leaving this Digression I now proceed to that which I primarily intended namely First to explain the following Words which I have chosen as my present Subject and then to make some Observations upon them Therefore also said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute that the blood of all the
otherwise a very good King sinned in Numbring the People and the Plague fell upon them he was Punisht in the Calamity of his People And this was in no wise unjust because there are always Sins enough in any Nation to deserve Punishment and God may take what occasion he pleases to send his Judgments upon them that deserve them for Princes and People make but one Civil and Political Body and what part of it soever is punished the other suffers And this is the true Ground and Reason of the Communication of Punishments betwixt Princes and People Another Consideration which should engage us to pray for those that are in authority is that we reap the great Benefit of their Care and Pains and Vigilancy for us under their shadow we are safe Our Innocency and our Rights are protected by their Power and Laws and by the just Punishments which they inflict upon evil-doers and upon those who go about to violate our Rights in any kind so that we ought to pray and to praise God for them as our great Benefactors and the chief Instruments of our Security and Welfare and therefore not only in Duty but in Justice and Gratitude we are bound to wish all good to them and to intercede with God for them for the Peace and Prosperity of their Government and to bless God on their behalf Yea we ought to do this out of love to our selves because their good and prosperity is ours their Goodness and Righteousness their Personal Piety and Virtues extend to us and have a Mighty Influence upon us to excite and encourage us to follow their good Example and to go and do likewise And we ought likewise to do this out of Charity and Compassion to our Princes and Governours whose Condition is in truth rather to be pityed than envied and whose high Place and Dignity is much more to be dreaded than desired by a wise Man considering how heavy a Burden they sustain what Dangers they are continually exposed to what Cares and Troubles and Censures they daily undergo for our Safety and Ease So that whatever Ambitious and Inconsiderate Men may think wise Men do certainly know and find by experience that to discharge with care and faithfulness all the Parts of a good Governor is a very difficult and troublesome Province Inferiour Magistrates find care and trouble enough in that small share and part of it which they sustain and if so then certainly the Care and Concernment of the whole must needs be a heavy Burden indeed and what Abilities are sufficient for it what Shoulders are strong enough to stand under it And as upon this account they have the greatest need of our Prayers for God's Direction and Assistance in the discharge of their high Office so likewise for his powerful Grace to preserve them from Sin and Evil in the midst of those manifold Temptations to which they are continually exposed in appearance much beyond other Men from the heighth of their Condition and the extent of their Power which are strong Temptations to weak Minds to Pride and Insolency to Injustice and Oppression from the abundance of all things which Minister to Luxury and Excess and from the officious fertility of Parasites and Flatterers who sooth them in their Faults and humour them in their Passions and comply with their Corrupt and Vicious Inclinations and are always ready at hand and forward Instruments to execute their Commands and to serve their Lusts and Vices And as Princes greatly need our Prayers upon these Accounts so it is just Matter of Praise and Thankfulness to God when a Nation hath wise just and good Princes who lay to heart the Interests of their People and endeavour by all the wise Methods and honest Arts of Government effectually to procure it who by their Authority and due Execution of the Law do discountenance and as much as in them lies restrain Wickedness and Vice and by their own Example encourage Virtue and Piety in their Subjects and thereby invite and even provoke them to the like Practices The life of a good Prince is a kind of Publick Censure of ill Manners and reproof of vicious Practices And I do not know whether there be a more delightful Sight on this side Heaven than to see those who are in Eminent Place and Power even if they might do whatever they would yet continually chufing to do what they ought as if their Power were so far from being a Temptation to them to do Evil that on the contrary the Consideration of it is one of the best and strongest Arguments to restrain them from it Weak Minds are apt to measure their Liberty by their Power and to think that the higher and greater they are so much the greater Priviledge they have to be more extravagantly bad than others but if the Matter be really considered the Argument runs the other way and he that Reasons wisely will certainly conclude with Tully in maximâ quâque fortunâ minimum licere that they who are in the highest Station and greatest Power have of all others the least liberty to do what they list Their Power supposing it never so uncontroulable and unaccountable would be so far from being in Reason a Temptation to them to do what they ought not that in truth it would set them above the Temptation of doing an ill thing because they would stand in awe of no body and there would be nothing that could hinder them from doing what is best if they had a mind to it and every one ought to have such a mind And nothing can be more mis-becoming and more directly contrary to the Nature of their Office and the Power wherewith they are intrusted than to give an Example of breaking those Laws which they are to see put in Execution God himself because he hath all Power is therefore all Goodness and is therefore holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works according to the reasoning of the Author of the Book of Wisdom who Argues thus with God It is not says he agreeable with thy Power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished that is it is not agreeable with infinite Power to do any thing that is unjust For thy Power saith he to God is the beginning of righteousness and because thou art the Lord of all it maketh thee to be gracious unto all Infinite Power is the Foundation and Principle of Goodness and Righteousness and an All-powerful Being is good and Righteous not only from Choice but from a Necessity of Nature And this is the true Ground and Reason of that Saying of St. James that God canot be tempted with Evil because his infinite Power sets him above all Temptation to it For what Reason can be imagined why he that hath all Power should have any inclination to be otherwise than good What can tempt him thereto Since he that hath all Power can neither have any hopes of being greater than he
his Will which he denied to many Prophets and righteous men who desired to see the things which we see but could not see them and to hear the things which we hear but could not hear them There were good Men in the World under those imperfect Revelations which God made to them but we have far greater Advantages and more powerful Arguments to be Good than ever they had And as we ought thankfully to acknowledge these blessed Advantages so ought we likewise with the greatest Care and Diligence to improve them And now how does the serious Consideration of this Condemn all Impenitent Sinners under the Gospel who will not be reclaimed from their Sins and perswaded to Goodness by all that God can do by the most plain Declaration of his Will to the World by the most perfect Precepts and Directions for a good Life by the most encouraging Promises to Obedience and by the most severe Threatnings of an Eternal and Unutterable Ruin in case of disobedience by the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men by the Terrors of the great day and the Vengeance of Eternal Fire by the wonderful and amazing Condescension of the Son of God appearing in our Nature by his merciful undertaking for the Redemption of lost and sinful Man by his cruel Sufferings for our Sins and by the kindest Offers of Pardon and Reconciliation in his Blood and by the glorious hopes of Eternal Life What could God have done more for us than he hath done What greater concernment could he shew for our Salvation than to send his own son his only son to seek and save us And what greater demonstration could he give of his Love to us than to give the Son of his Love to die for us This is the last Effort that the Divine Mercy and Goodness will make upon Mankind So the Apostle tells us in the beginning of this Epistle chap. 1.1 that God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son And if we will not hear him he will speak no more after this it is not to be expected that he should make any farther Attempts for our recovery he can send no greater and dearer Person to us than his own Son If we despise him whom will we Reverence If we reject him and the great Salvation which he brings and offers to us we have all the reason in the World to believe that our case is desperate and that we shall die in our sins This was the Condemnation of the Jews that they did not receive and believe on him whom God had sent And if we who profess to believe on him and to receive his Doctrine be found disobedient to it in our Lives we have reason to fear that our Condemnation shall be far heavier than theirs For since the appearance of the Son of God for the Salvation of men the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men especially against those who detain the truth of God in unrighteousness that is against those who entertain the Light of God's Truth in their Minds but do not suffer it to have its proper Effect and Influence upon their Hearts and Lives and make that a Prisoner which would make them free So our Lord tells us that the truth shall make us free but if after we have received the knowledge of the truth we are still the servants of sin our Condemnation is much worse than if the Son of God had never come For the Christian Religion hath done nothing if it do not take men off from their Sins and teach them to live well Especially at this time when we are celebrating the coming of the Son of God to destroy the works of the Devil we should take great heed that we be not found guilty of any Impiety and Wickedness because this is directly contrary to the main Design of the grace of God which brings Salvation and hath appeared to all men and the appearance whereof we do at this time commemorate for That teacheth men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godlily in this present world And we cannot gratifie the Devil more than by shewing our selves more diligent than ordinary to uphold his Works at this very time when the Son of God was manifested on purpose to dissolve them We cannot possibly choose a worse a more improper Season to sin in than when we are Celebrating the Birth of the Blessed Jesus who came to save us from our sins This is as if a sick Man for joy that a Famous Physician is come to his House should run into all manner of Excess and so do all he can to enflame his Disease and make his case desperate Not but that our inward Joy may lawfully be accompanied with all outward innocent Expressions of it but we cannot be truly thankful if we allow our selves at this time in any thing contrary to the Purity and Sobriety of the Gospel It is matter of just and sad complaint being of great scandal to our Saviour and his holy Religion that such irregular and extravagant things are at this time commonly cone by many who call themselves Christians and done under a pretence of doing Honour to the Memory of Christ's Birth as if because the Son of God was at this time made Man it were fit for Men to make themselves Beasts If we would honour him indeed we must take care that our Joy do not degenerate into Sin and Sensuality and that we do not express it by Lewdness and Luxury by Intemperance and Excess by prodigal Gaming and profuse wasting of our Estates as the manner of some is as if we intended literally to requite our Saviour who being rich for our sakes became poor This is a way of parting with houses and land and becoming poor for his sake for which he will never thank nor reward us This is not to commemorate the Coming of our Saviour but to contradict it and openly to declare that we will uphold the Works of the Devil in despight of the Son of God who came to destroy them It is for all the World like that lewd and sensless piece of Loyalty too much in fashion some Years ago of being Drunk for the King Good God! that ever it should pass for a piece of Religion among Christians to run into all manner of excess for Twelve days together in honour of our Saviour A greater Aggravation of Sin cannot easily be imagined than to abuse the Memory of the greatest Blessing that ever was Christ coming into the World to take away sin into an opportunity of committing it this is to represent the Son of God as a Patron of Sin and Licentiousness and to treat him more contumeliously than the Jews did who bowed the Knee to him and mocked him and called