and duration and so could not give us a just measure of the demerits of sin 3. If we consider the sufferings of Christ they will prove that the evil of sin is unmeasurable they were such as could not be expressed and therefore the Ancient Christians used in their Prayers to beg of Christ that he would deliver them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by thy unknown torments Lord deliver us And hence we may infer that the Love of Christ must needs be unmeasurable because he delivered us from unmeasurable wrath by unconceivable torments 2. The Love of Christ to sinners is unmeasurable for these Reasons 1. Reas We have no scale in nature in which we can weigh no line in created things by which we can measure it § 1. If we examine the love of Relations we find them all limited and bounded and they ought to be so The love of a Father to a child is an intense love the love of a Father to an undutiful child a rebellious child may stretch the line somewhat farther yet this will fall vastly short of the Love of Christ to sinners The highest instance of this love that I remember was that of David to his rebellious Son Absalom expressed 2 Sam. 18.33 O Absalom my son my son would God I had died for thee O Absalom my Son my Son Here is Paternal love strained up to the highest pitch imaginable That a King should desire to die for a Rebellious Subject that a Father should be willing to die for the most disingenuous and rebellious of Sons This was great but yet we find this love extended but to a natural death he would have been unwilling to have died a Cursed death to have been made a Curse for him to have been made sin for him And yet the torrent of this impetuous love soon dryed up it was founded in passion rather than judgment and perhaps in cool blood he would have been unwilling to have died that such a wretch might live I question much whether David durst deliberately advisedly and premeditately have laid down his life to save that of a vitious debauched Son yet such was the Love of Christ who laid down his life for sinners the greatest of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And laid it down voluntarily when none could take it away John 10.18 and not only died against the persuasions of his friends to save his life Mark 8.32 but against that bitter malice of his Enemies which always sparkled and at last flamed out in the most cruel bloody implacable fury that ever was in the World nay against the just displeasure of God as a Judge all which he had a clear prospect into and yet gave this great pregnant proof of his unconquerable Love that he not only poured out his Soul in tears Luke 19.41 his Soul in prayers Luke 23.34 Father forgive them but his Soul in sacrifice too unto the death Isa 53.12 But if the love of a Father to his Son will not measure this Love of Christ perhaps the love of a Mother to her Son may And this is indeed naturally the more soft and passionate Sex and of this love the case is put Isa 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb The case is put exceeding strong A Child a sucking Child that hangs upon the breast and is always crying for pity in its natural dialect the Son of the Womb that 's more than the Child of the breast she can hardly forget that at any rate which she brought forth at such a dear rate yet the circumstances may be such that this tender Mother may forsake and forget nay kill and destroy too this innocent Child such exigences they have been in that Nature has prov'd unnatural or Nature in one instance has overcome Nature in another A Mothers hunger has caus'd her to forget her pity to the Child of her Womb Lam. 4.10 The hands of the pitiful Women have sodden their own children to forsake to forget to kill to cook and at last to eat is certainly the greatest stemming of the current and stream of natural affection that we can conceive of but Christ's Love will not suffer him to forget to forsake he has oftens forgotten himself to remember them he has forgotten his own food that he might provide for their Souls John 4.34 he has forgotten his own approaching death that he might provide for their life 1 Cor. 11.23 The same night in which he was betrayed he took bread c. And yet perhaps the love of the Husband to his Wife may come up to this example of Love Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it Here 's an argument indeed to enforce that conjugal Love and here 's a president for conjugal Love to look upon but that As is not a note of equality but of some general similitude for the Husband gives himself to his Wife but will not is not bound to die for his Wife he cannot be persuaded to have her sins charg'd upon his Soul How short are all the Loves the Affections of Relations to give us a pattern and example of the Love of Christ But possibly we may find a love in Nature more strong than any of these And that if any where must be amongst some of those great instances of Love which have been amongst friends It is indeed said 1 Sam. 18.1 3. That Jonathan loved David as his own Soul and in Deut. 13.6 The friend is said to be as a Mans own Soul But yet when we come to examine these expressions they fade away and signifie nothing but the life where is the friend that will make his Soul an offering for sin Isa 53.10 However this is the highest flight that ever humane love took to lay down life for a friend but Christ has put this quite out of countenance John 15.13 Greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friend but a far greater Love than this had Christ that he laid down his life for enemies Christ laid down a better life for them that were worse And this is proposed to our consideration as that which has out-done all the love in the World Rom. 5.7 8. Scarcely for a righteous Man will one die No I think it s out of question that none will for who would be so friendly to him that walks by the rules of strict justice that will do no wrong yet shews no mercy but peradventure for a good Man some would even dare to die If there be an instance found in the World of any that has laid down his life for another it must be for a good Man one that is a publick blessing to the age wherein he lives some one may throw away his private life which is not very useful for so generous a Person that is a Common good to his Country but if such an instance be found which
knowledge of Christ in comparison of which all other things were loss and dross and dung That he might know Christ and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.8 10. And this is one way of clearing the difficulty and reconciling the seeming contradiction 2. Others have recourse to a Hyperbaton and would clear the Thing by transposing the words And they order the words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To know the surpassing Love of the knowledge of Christ and then the sense will be this I pray that you may know that surpassing that incomparable Love of God which appeared in giving you the knowledge of Christ And it must be for ever acknowledged that this was a marvellous instance of the Love of God that he was pleased to Communicate to the World the knowledge of a Redeemer but yet it seems rather to impoverish the sense than to give us the full import of the expression 3. There is no need to fly to Critical Niceties nor to call in Rhethorick and its figures to our Relief The words will be consistent and freed from all appearance of self-contradiction if we attend to these following Positions 1. That which cannot be known by a meer humane understanding may yet be understood by the Spirit of Christ which searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 And the Spirit of God is given for this end to shed abroad the Love of God and so the Love of Christ in our Hearts Rom. 5.5 2. That which cannot be fully known of the Love of Christ in this present state where our understandings are very much clouded and our faith weak thro' the remainders of inward Corruption yet shall be more gloriously known when we come to see God in Christ face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we know but in part but then we shall know as we are also known 3. Although there be much of the Love of Christ which passes all our present knowledge yet there 's enough of that Love that may be known enough to feed our knowledge that it starve not in this life and yet to whet the edge of the Souls appetite to know more in the life to come enough to guide us and conduct us thro' our pilgrimage and abundance more reserv'd for our portion The Love of Christ has Depths in it wherein the daring Soul may drown and yet those shallows wherein the humble Soul may safely wade and comfortably bathe it self without danger of being swallowed up And we have some parallel expressions in Scripture which may well illustrate this of the Text Phil. 4.7 The peace of God passes all understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it exceeds all conception and yet there is that in the Peace of God which may be conceived and expressed too even something of that inward satisfaction which arises from a well grounded hope that our peace is made with God and that peace copied out upon and exemplified in a pure and quiet Conscience so in the verse following my Text we read that God is able to do exceeding abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above that we can ask and think and yet we may conceive something of what God will do for us and cloath those conceptions with suitable expressions and make our humble Addresses to him for what he has promised to give to us and do for us in such a way as shall be acceptable to God thro' the Interest of our Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ In a word As Moses could not see Gods face and live Exod. 33.20 And yet Moses could not live except he saw Gods face so is there a measure a degree of the knowledge of the Love of Christ which we cannot reach if we would die for 't and yet there is such a measure such a Degree of the knowledge of that Love of Christ which we must reach or we die for 't And hence I will briefly touch upon two Propositions I. Prop. There is something in the Love of Christ which in this present state surpasses all perfect knowledge of it Something of which we may say as one said of a Learned Book If that which I understand be so admirable what is that which I do not understand Take any one mystery of the Gospel and when we have pursued it as far as our faculties are able to trace it we must be forced to make a stand and as Paul upon the shore of the Ocean of Gods unsearchable untraceable Counsels Rom. 11.33 to cry out O the Depth or as Job chap. 26.14 Lo these are parts of his ways and how little a portion is heard of him There are two things that are unmeasurable The evil of sin and the Love of a Saviour And the Love of a Saviour must be therefore unmeasurable to the sinner because the evil of sin is unmeasurable He that knows not the exceeding greatness of his debt can never fully know the exceeding greatness of his Love that became a surety for it He that cannot measure the greatness of the Curse he lay under can never measure the Love of his Deliverer And he that never could fully estimate the misery of his bondage can never fully value or conceive aright of the Love of his Redeemer 1. The evil of his is unmeasurable It is so whether we consider the Object against whom sin is committed or the Punishment which sin hath deserved or the Agonies which the Redeemer suffer'd to Atone it 1. If we consider sin as committed against an infinite God so sin is infinite objectively and therefore unmeasurable the malignity of sin is unconceivable it strikes at the Authority the Glory the very Being of the chiefest Good Every sin would in its tendency dethrone the most High 2. If we consider the demerit of sin it is that which passes all understanding Psal 90.11 Who knows the power of thine anger We cannot take the just and Adequate measure of that wrath which is due to sin by all the Plagues and Judgments by which God ever bore witness against the evil of sin The fire of Sodom and Gomorra was dreadful fire but yet it was quencht a little time extinguisht it but that fire of wrath which burns upon but never burns up sinners is inextinguishable fire Mark 9.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fire is inextinguishable It is everlasting punishment Matth. 25.46 The Deluge that drowned the old World argued great Displeasure against sinners yet neither was that a just measure of Gods wrath that is due to sin for the waters of the Deluge were soon dryed up but so will not the Floods of Divine Vengeance poured out upon sinners to the uttermost for the breath that is the anger of the Lord as a stream of fire and brimstone kindles and feeds the matter of those flames The Plagues of Egypt were exceeding great demonstrations of Divine anger against sin yet they were determinate for number
controule the strongest temptations to sin against God A wicked believer is more guilty than a wicked infidel How could we conceive it possible were it not visible in their actions that Men who have judicative faculties to compare and distinguish things and accordingly be moved with desires or fears should with ardent affections pursue despicable vanities and neglect substantial happiness and be fearful of the shadows of dangers and intrepid in the midst of the truest dangers He is a desperate gamester that will venture a Crown at a throw against some petty advantage yet this is really done by sinners who hazard the loss of Heaven for this World they hang by slender strings a little breath that expires every moment over bottomless perdition and are insensible without any palpitation of Heart any sign of fear How strong is the delusion and concupiscence of the carnally minded The lusts of the flesh bribe and corrupt their understandings or diverts them from serious consideration of their ways and the issues of them From hence it is they are presently entangled and vanquisht by sensual temptations they are cozened by the colours of good and evil and Satan easily accomplishes his most pernicious and envious design to make Men miserable as himself How just is the reproach of Wisdom How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and fools hate knowledge The light of reason and revelation shines upon them they have not the excuse of ignorance but the righteous and heavy condemnation of those who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil 'T is no mean degree of guilt to extenuate sin and make an apology for sinners The wisest of Men tells us Fools make a mock of sin they count it a fond niceness a silly preciseness to be fearful of offending God They boast of their deceitful arts and insinuations whereby they represent sin as a light matter to corrupt others But 't is infinitely better to be defective in the subtilty of the Serpent than in the innocence of the Dove A meer natural who is only capable of sensitive actions and is distinguisht from a Brute by his shape is not such a forlorn sot as the sinful fool What the Prophet Jeremy speaks of one who gets riches unjustly that he shall leave them and in the end die a fool will be verified of the wilful obstinate sinner in the end he shall by the terrible conviction of his own mind be found guilty of the most woful folly and how many have acknowledged in their last hours when usually Men speak with the most feeling and least affectation how have they in words of the Psalmist arraigned themselves So foolish have we been and like beasts before thee 2. From hence we may be instructed of the wonderful patience of God who bears with a World of sinners that are obnoxious to his justice and under his power every day If we consider the number and aggravations of Mens sins how many have out-told the hairs of their Heads in actual transgressions how mighty and manifest their sins are that the Deity and Providence are questioned for the suspending of vengeance and yet that God notwithstanding all their enormous injuries and violent provocations is patient towards sinners it cannot but fill us with admiration His Mercy like the cheerful light of the Sun visits us every Morning with its benign influences his Justice like Thunder rarely strikes the Wicked He affords not only the supports of life but many comforts and refreshments to the unthankful and rebellious 'T is not from any defect in his Power that they are not consum'd but from the abundance of his Mercy He made the World without any strain of his Power and can as easily destroy it he has an innumerable company of Angels attending his Commands and every Angel is an Army in strength one of them destroyed a hundred and fourscore and five thousand in a Night he can use the most despicable and weakest Creatures Frogs and Lice and Flies as instruments of vengeance to subdue the proudest Pharoah the most obstinate Rebels He sees sin where-ever it is and hates it where-ever he sees it yet his Patience endures thâ—â— crying sins and his long sufferance expects their repentance The Lord is not slack as some Men count slackness but he is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance He spares sinners with such indulgence in order to their Salvation 'T is deservedly one of his Royal Titles the God of Patience Our fierce Spirits are apt to take fire and revenge for every injury real or suppos'd but the great God who is infinitely sensible of all the indignities offer'd to his Majesty defers his anger and loads them with his benefits every day What is more astonishing than the riches of his Goodness unless it be the perverse abuse of it by sinners to harden themselves in their impieties But altho his Clemency delays the punishment the sacredness and constancy of his Justice will not forget it when patience has had its perfect work Justice shall have a solemn triumph in the final destruction of impenitent unreformed sinners 3. The Consideration of the Evil of Sin so great in it self and pernicious to us hightens our Obligations to the Divine Mercy in saving us from our sins and an everlasting Hell the just Punishment of them Our Loss was unvaluable our Misery extream and without infinite Mercy we had been under an unremediable necessity of Sinning and Suffering for ever God saw us in this wretched and desperate State and his eye affected his heart in his pity he redeemed and restored us This is the clearest Testimony of pure Goodness for God did not want external Glory who is infinitely Happy in his own Perfections he could when Man revolted from his Duty have created a new World of Innocent Creatures for infinite Power is not spent nor lessened by finite Productions but his undeserved and undesired Mercy appeared in our Salvation The way of accomplishing it renâ—ers Mercy more Illustrious for to glorifie his Justice and preserve the Honour of his Holiness unblemish'd he laid upon his Son the Iniquity of us all This was Love that passeth all Understanding Our Saviour speaks of it with admiration God so loved the world and hated Sin that he gave his only begotten Son to dye for it that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life And how dear are our Engagements to Jesus Christ The Judge would not release the Guilty without a Ransom nor the Surety without Satisfaction and the Son of God most compassionately and willingly gave his precious Blood to obtain our Deliverance If his Perfections were not most aimable and ravishing yet that he died for us should infinitely endear him to us To those who believe he is precious to those who have felt their undone Condition and that by his Merits and Mediation are restored to the
be exerted thence That thoughtless Idle Souls should be luke-warm is no such wonder or strange thing The contrary would be stranger even to a miracle And being thus awakened and prepared your selves drive all things home upon each other and plead the cause of every Duty Truth and Motive throughly in free and frequent conversation each with other Mal. iii. 16. Luke xxiv 32. i Thes v. 11-15 Rom. xv 13-16 Col. iii. 16. ii Thes iv 18. Christian conference well managed makes and speaks warm hearts and leads and helps to better lives Men that rarely transiently or triflingly think upon or talk about the things of God must needs be cold within and when such pray that God should warm them can they expect returns to prayer when neither hearts nor pains are after them And here How many heart warning Topicks of discourse and edifying conference might I now entertain you with but let the text speak for it self and though it here offer but one yet is that one impregnated with many 1. It is the day 2. 'T is an approaching day and 3. They saw it thus approaching 4. The sight ought because so fit to quicken them to growthful care and diligence in this heart-warning course and work Whence 4. Preserve and practically answer and improve a quick deep constant sence of the approaching day i Thes v. 1-11 ii Pet. iii. 1. 14. and Jude 20 21. Col. iii. 2-5 Luke xxi 34-36 xii 35-40 Perhaps the Reader will not lose his time and labour in perusing and pausing upon these cited Texts Nor find them impertinent nor inexpedient as to the case in hand See also ii Pet. i. 5-13 How copiously and closly might all these passages be insisted on did not the Press stay for me and the stated confines of a short discourse restrain me and the fruits and labours of abler heads and better pens and hearts urge me severely because deservedly to give place thereto Well Sirs Consider the Approaching day and represent it to your thoughtful and concerned selves in all its Grandeurs and Solemnities of Process and Results and try then if it do not warm your hearts and urge you pungently and severely to Good works As to the persons here most Immediately concerned these Christian Hebrews There was a day of reckoning with their malignant Enemies by Providential Controversies and Rebukes which also was a day of great Redemption and Establishment to the persecuted faithful Christians There was to be a day of great Conversion and divine Attestations to the Christian Faith and to its Proselytes and what was more congenial herewith than this endeavoured provocation to love and to good works And they that are provoked hereto are also fittest for a day of tryal But I shall here consider it as the great day of Christs appearance and his Kingdom ii Tim. iv 1.8 i 18. That day of God of Christ of Judgment and Perdition of Vngodly Men. That day of Revelation of God and Christ in their Majestick glory that day of searches sentence and full execution and adjustments in all the accuracies of governing wisdom holiness and grace Who can contemplate this and yet be Cold and Barren Then in the glorious splendours solemnities and proceedings of that day shall it be evident who and whose Son Christ is What cost and care he hath been at to bring men to this warm and active course and temper and what an estimate he and his Father set hereon by what they then dispense and testify by way of recompence of reward thereto Christ in his threefold glory Luke ix 26. God sending him forth and appearing in him by him and for him as his own dear Son the Son of such a King i Tim. vi 3-16 Father and Son making so vast a difference amongst the Sons of men by everlasting punishments and rewards as they are differently found as to Christian love and practice Rom. ii 6-10 ii Cor. v. 9-11 Mat. xxv 34-46 And all that vast Assembly and Convention applauding Gods proceedings and joyfully Congratulating the great endeavours and rewards of our provoked and Successful love Are not these warming thoughts Secondly The Case And of this I have given you this textual resolution You have seen 1. The Seat of this distemper of a Luke-warm Frame or Temper that it is in the heart or will 2. The formal nature of it 'T is a defect or chilness of practical love and zeal to and for God and their concerns with us and ours with them The things which claim and merit the highest place in and that should engage and exercise our best affections and most active zeal are 1. Gods glory in the Church and World 2. The life and growth and the vivid Exercises Profession and Effects of Godliness in our selves Tit. ii 11. 14. Rom. xiv 17 19. Jude 20 21. ii Pet. i. 3. 11. For we must begin at home and set our all in order there 3. The Power Peace and Progress of the Gospel in the World Phil. i. 3. 11. ii 19.21 That it may have its free course and be glorified 4. The Harmony and Prosperity of the Church of Christ wherever this Gospel is accepted and profest 5. The Case and Circumstances of particular professours as they variously are and are evidently considerable as to their Growth Tryals Duties Dangers Decays Wants or Weaknesses c. 6. And the Sons of men as Strangers Enemies Persecutors or any ways Endeavouring to supplant the Gospel interest or to obstruct it or discourage it And these it considered as reducible or incorrigible Now heartlessness Neutrality or Sluggishness of our affectionate concernedness about these things is what we call Luke-warmness 3. The Cure hereof doth formally consist in our Enflamed love Exercised and Exprest unto the life by constant activity congenial with this principle The practical accommodating of all the regency vigours of this principle of love to the concerns of Christian godliness and of those that are concerned therewith pursuant to the growth and prosperousness thereof When we so value these concerns have such Sympathizing with and such genuine adherence to resolutions and activity for and satisfaction in the prosperousness of the things of God and Christ and Souls and Christian Churches as that nothing can stand before us nor be regarded or dreaded by us that rivals or opposes them then are we indeed effectually cured Here our thoughts naturally fix and work here our hearts cleave and flame and hereunto our vigors time interest and treasures are most entirely and cheerfully devoted Where is there then the least remainder of a Luke-warm Temper When we are wrought up to this Frame and pitch 4. The way and means of working this great cure are 1. Persons considered 2. Assemblies attended on 3. What there and thence and otherwise is or may be derived improved by Mutual Exhortation 4. And all this under the powerful influences of and in fit and full proportion to a quick and constant apprehensiveness and
first Call though I have neglected to hear him so as to have any practical regard to what he said all my Life The thoughts of what you say would amaze me did I believe it But I hope to find it otherwise Answ 1. Do not flatter your selves with vain hopes but let what I have spoken fright you to your Duty not from it You may expect as much from Christ as you can reasonably desire Would you have Christ to be to you like a foolish Mother to a cocker'd Child Let the Child do what he will do but chide him or threaten him he runs to his Mother and she 'll excuse all and bear him out in all though it be to his future undoing of Soul and Body Christians never expect it Christ will never do so Christ tells us before hand that none shall be more ready than he to help us against sin provided we will be ruled by him But we shall find none will be more severe against it if they be impenitently rebellious (a) Zech. 7 1â— As he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts And 2. How absurdly disingenuous is it to be careless of our account and to expect that Christ should answer for us Christ was more ready to answer for his Disciples than they could be to ask him when through Infirmity they were Sleeping when they should have been Praying But 't is absurd to expect any thing like it when 't is not Infirmity but Wilfulness through dislike of his Service and hatred of Holiness You 'd verifie the Pharisees slander of Christ that he is a friend of Publicans and Sinners a friend to their sins not to their Souls In short therefore be Conscienciously sollicitous to give an account to Christ such as may be graciously acceptable and though there 's nothing beyond this yet there may be something over and above Let this therefore be my last Direction 4. Make it your care to give a silencing account to the Devil and all his Agents I grant that neither he nor they will ever be silent they 'll reproach and revile you they 'll mutter and whisper and secretly say and do all they can against you and they 'll never want something out of which they 'll force matter of reproach You have Christ in this very Context saying (b) Mat. 11.16.17 18. Whereunto shall I liken this Generation It is like unto Children sitting in the Markets and calling unto their fellows and saying We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented for John came neither eating nor drinking and they say He hath a Devil The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man Gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners But Wisdom is justified of her Children They do as it were say of John the Devil enables him to endure such hardship and therefore they reject his Doctrine and they reproach Christ's person as if his more free temper encouraged Licentiousness Let a Godly Mans Conversation be what it will 't will never please those that hate Holiness But yet my Brethren 't will strangely muzzle them they can but grumble out a reproach or if they speak out 't is by clamour to drown the whispers of their Consciences when they can say something like that (c) Ruth 2.15 18 19 So she gleaned in the field until even and beat out that she had gleaned And she took it up and went into the City and brought forth and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed and her Mother in Law said unto her Where hast thou gleaned to day c. q. d. Such of Christs Harvest-men have been at work and I have been gleaning after them I have met with that which to me hath been a feast the Word hath been refreshing and I can shew you some of the handfuls that I have gleaned I have attended upon the Ministry of the Word and have pickt up some Knowledge who was before an ignorant wretch and never minded my Soul I have pickt up something of food for my Soul whereas I was pining away in mine iniquities My Conversation will witness where I have been gleaning and I humbly resolve there I 'll abide in the use of such means while God vouchsafes them When you thus resolve you must expect Satan will do his utmost to flatter or fright you out of your purposes But while you can approve your ends to Christ your selves may answer Satan in the hindrances he 'll throw in your way e. g. Satan Why art thou so sollicitous for thy Soul thou mayest be saved without all this adoe 't is more then needs Soul No Satan all I can do is too little did not Christ undertake for me but I will not do the less for Christs doing so much Satan All thou dost is to no purpose thou shalt be damned at last Soul Should it be so I 'll rather serve God for nothing than thee for all thy flattering lying Promises I 'll do God all the service I can for the Mercies I have received though I should never have more the very work of Religion is better than the work of Sin even without a Reward Satan Spare thy self poor Soul thou art not all Spirit thou hast Flesh and Blood as well as others why wilt thou expose thy self to Contempt and Sufferings no Man in his Wits will court a general hatred Soul Peace Satan be it known to thee and to all thy Imps I had rather have your hatred than your love all your kindness to me is to ruine me Satan Be not so conceited of thine own Wisdom look about thee in the World have not others Souls to save as well as thee and they don 't proudly pretend to be wiser than their Neighbours Soul Be gone Satan I 'll parly no longer if others neglect Salvation therefore must I Will their missing of Salvation relieve me for the loss of mine Though a Peter perswade Christ to spare himself Nay when (d) Mar. 3.21 31. his friends went out to lay hold of him thinking his Zeal had crazed him Nay when his Brethren had wheedled in his Mother to send to him to abate his work he would not yield a minute By the Grace of God though I shall come infinitely short I 'll make Christ my Pattern and therefore Satan say thy worst and do thy worst through Christ I defie thee Will not some such account in some respect I may say to the Devil himself more confound him When he shall see all his spightful insinuations work out comfortable Evidences of present Grace aye of growing Grace and future Glory If this will not silence him 't will make him roar in his Chains When he finds himself tyed up from doing what mischief he would he roars for vexation while the gracious person Thanks to Christ laughs
to think that I came not from thee who art the Mirrour of Wisdom and Love He imployed all his Sacred Breath to pluck men out of the power of the Devil the World and the Flesh to promote Faith Repentance and Holiness and to guide our feet into the way of peace And accordingly the Apostles tell us That the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Let not us therefore dishonour our Redeemer let us not calculate a new Gospel let us not lay too great a stress on small matters let us not provoke men to think that our great Master came to tithe mint anyse and cummin who came about far other work and taught us far greater matters It is recorded of Alexander Severus an Heathen Emperour that seeing two Christians contending he forbad them to assume the name of Christians upon them for that by their quarrelling they disgraced their Master How many now by this Rule would be interdicted that worthy Name 4. These Uncharitable Contentions do grieve the Holy Spirit of God He descended like a Dove and cannot brook the gall of bitterness When therefore the Apostle had dehorted the Ephesians c. 4.30 from grieving the Holy Spirit of God he adds in the next verse Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted c. This sweet Dove will never lodge in a Vultures nest You heard the fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace c. And whatsoever pretences any may make to the Spirit if they do not verifie them by a meek loving and charitable behaviour to others they abuse the Holy Spirit and deceive others For as nothing is more grateful to this good Spirit than Love and Peace so nothing more distastfull than Wrath and Contention 5. These Contentions do stir up much Corruption both in the Aggressour and the Defendant There is a great deal of folly in the wisest and best of men and this either lurks in the habit or is produc'd into Act more or less as there is greater or lesser temptation Sin dwells in our Natures as the mud in the bottom of a glass of water when it is shaken it appears and stains the whole glass There is a world of pride anger envy and revenge in mens hearts and these Contentions draw them forth strengthen them and make them rampant Prov. 26.21 As Coals to burning Coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife So that the Wise Man concludes That he loveth transgression that loveth strife Prov. 19.19 And hereupon some have made observations upon the deaths of Bishop Ridley and Bishop Hooper that they suffered with more torture than others and that because of their Contentions together before 6. They do greatly hinder the Conversion of the Vngodly and the progress in Holiness of the Godly Whereas the great work of God's Ministers should be to instruct the ignorant to convince and reform the profane to build up God's Children in their Faith and Holiness this should be their study in private this their business in publick Now the ignorant and ungodly are left quiet in their sins the Sober and Pious are little improv'd in their Christian course and mens Talents of Time Parts and Pains are laid out in dry and unprofitable Controversies And then private persons who should imploy their converse together to their mutual edification they are perpetually irritating one another by these fruitless Contentions .. I have heard of a Monster born in Scotland in the Reign of James the Fourth with two Heads and one Body which two heads would be still arguing and knocking each other in eager disputes too fit an Emblem of this disputing Age But we that have but one Blessed Head yet the members are alwayes contending among themselves Instead of exhorting we are censuring instead of reproving we are reproaching instead of provoking to Love and good works we provoke one another to wrath and discontent And then for the devout use of Prayer doubtless these wrathfull Contentions must needs greatly disturb it For if Husband and Wife should maintain a constant amity that their Prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3.7 a continual contesting with our Brethren must greatly clog and damp them Whereupon Cyprian citing those words of our Saviour When two agree on Earth to ask c. hath this Observation Plus impetrari potest paucorum concordi prece quam discordi oratione multorum A few in concord shall obtain more than many in discord 7. These Contentions in Religion tempt men to be Atheists When they read and hear such unmercifull rage in Christians one against another and that they who profess agreement in nineteen things are ready to anathemize one another about the twentieth what a stumbling-block must it needs be unto weak and unresolved persons and tempt them to throw aside all Religion So Optatus observed of old in the like Case Vos dicitis Licet nos dicimus Non licet Inter licet vestrum non licet nostrum nâ—t ant animae populorum I say this tempts men but it is only a temptation For who that hath a present Journey to go for his Life will sullenly forbear to set forward because all his Friends in the Town are not agreed what a Clock it is at his setting out Every Man is bound upon peril of everlasting damnation to win Christ and be found in him to work out his own Salvation and to set about it without delay Now what a weak thing is it for any man to refuse or neglect this necessary work because some men are not agreed about a Gesture or a Ceremony Such fools shall dye in their sin but their blood shall be required at their hands who have been a scandal to them 8. These biting and devouring Contentions are Vncivil Inhumane and barbarous It hath been always reckoned for good Breeding not to be confident and peremptory in asserting any thing whereof any in the Company modestly doubts And on the other side if any cannot comply with the Sentiments of another to enter his dissent with all possible respect and without any reflexion or provocation We account it barbarous rudeness in discoursing yea or in discussing any point to signifie in civil company the least provoking gesture much more to fall into a rage or to express revenge And yet if you hear the Harangues and read the printed discourses of some Gentlemen you would conclude that they have but a small pittance either of good humour or of ingenious Education Man is a rational Creature and is not born with Teeth nor form'd with Sting or with Horns neither is he teachable or ductile by such boisterous methods When Love indites the reproof when that accompanies the argument it penetrates and prevails Dilige dic quod vis But there not only were Psal 52.2 but yet there are
continues still to do in order to the freeing and delivering the Children of God from the fear of death and the bondage that ensues thereon 1. He worketh and increaseth those Graces of his Spirit in them which are destructive hereof and opposite hereunto you 'l say which are they 1. There is the Grace of Faith This is the Grace that conquers the World that conquers the Devil and that conquers also the slavish fear of Death This excellent Grace of Faith hath such an excellent hand in the conquering of all these that it is call'd the conquest and victory it's self This is the victory says the Apostle John 1 John 5.4 even your Faith Our Saviour tells Peter Luke 22.31 32. That Satan had desired to have him that he might sift him as Wheat And with what did he sift and shake him Why it was with the fear of Death he was afraid they would deal with him as they did with his Master It was his slavish fear of Death that made him deny Christ and to do it once and again but anon he recovered himself and got above this fear he was reâ—dy by and by boldly to confess Christ and that in the face of Death and danger How came this about Why it was by means of Faith Christ had pray'd for him that his Faith should not fail it may be said of those that are fearful of death that they are of little Faith 2. A second Grace is Love An ardent love of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ will banish all slavish fear of death out of the Soul 1 John 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear Of what fear doth he speak The next words tell you he speaks of slavish tormenting fear of that fear which hath torment By perfect love he means a greater measure and degree of love I said but now of fearfull Christians that they have but little Faith I may add also that they have but little Love for perfect or great love expells all tormenting and servile fear 3. A third Grace is Hope The very nature of Hope is quite contrary to fear Where there is a Hope of eternal life there can be no prevailing fear of Death 'T is said of the righteous Prov. 14.32 that they have Hope in their death and those that have Hope in their death they are not afraid to dye Then Hope doth more especially free us from an inordinate fear of Death when it grows up to that which the Scripture calls The full assurance of Faith Heb. 6.11 this is a gracious Gift which the Father bestows upon many of his Children they know that they are in him that they are pass â—â— from death to life 1 John 2.5.3.14 2 Cor. 5.1 that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolv'd they shall have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Ay this is that which steels and fortifies them against the fear and terror of Death This leads me to consider of a second way or means whereby Christ delivers the Children from a slavish fear of death 2. He delivers them from it by convincing and parswading them that they shall not be Losers but Gainers yea great gainers thereby It was this perswasion that made the Apostle Paul to desire death rather than to dread it I desire says he to depart or to be dissolv'd which is far better Philip. 1.23 And again v. 21. he saith For me to dye is gain It were easie here to expatiate and shew the advantage the exceeding great advantage that Believers have by Death It is commonly said to consist in these two things in a freedom from all Evil in the fruition of all Good 1. It consists in a freedom from all Evil which is sub-divided into the evil of Sorrow and the evil of Sin Believers are freed by Death from the evil of Sorrow 'T is one blessed Notion of the life to come that God will wipe off all tears from his peoples eyes and remove all sorrow and causes of Sorrow from their Hearts Believers also are freed by Death from the evil of sin which is indeed the greatest evil the evil of evils all the evils of sorrow are but the effects and fruits of the evil of sin By Death they are deliver'd from all actual sins not only from Fleshly but Spiritual filthiness Now they are deliver'd ordinarily from inordinate actions but then also from inordinate affections they shall never any more be troubled with Pride Passion Discontent Unbelief or the like By Death also they are discharg'd from Original sin and all remainders thereof when the Body dies Believers are rid of that body of death which dwelleth in them and is always present with them they no more complain of themselves as wretched creatures upon the account thereof 2. It consists in the fruition of all Good Believers when they dye they enjoy God Himself who is the chiefest Good He is bonum in quae omnia bona all other things that are good and desireable are comprized in him as the Sun-beams are in the Sun the Saints enjoyment of God in this life is a Heaven upon Earth but our enjoyment of God after death will be the Heaven of Heavens David says in one Place Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee There are Saints and Angels and Arch-Angels in Heaven says Musculus with whom David and such as he will have to do but what are these to God Believers won't barely enjoy God after death but they will enjoy him fully In this life they enjoy a little of God and oh how sweet and refreshing it is But in the life to come they shall have as much enjoyment of God as their hearts can wish or hold Now they enjoy God in the use of means in Prayer in hearing the Word and in receiving the Lords Supper but hereafter they shall have not only a full but an immediate fruition of God Now they see the Face of God in the Glass of his Word and Ordinances and 〈◊〉 what a lovely sight is it But then they shall see God face to face and what tongue can mention or heart imagine the loveliness of that sight If it were not too great a digression I could readily demonstrate the gain and advantage of Death from other Topicks Believers in the other life shall possess and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven which doth more transcend the Kingdoms of this World and all the glory of them than the light of the Sun doth excell the light of a Candle they shall be most gloriously perfected both in their Souls and in their Bodies their vile bodies at the Resurrection shall be changed and fashioned like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.21 Their gain and happiness will be greatly augmented in the other life by the work and employment that they shall do and by the Society and Company that they shall
hath provok'd layes the hand of his Faith upon Christ and humbly beggs that Christ's Death for him may be accepted instead of his own which he had deserved But now to give a further illustration of my Text and Subject if he pleads thô for Christ's sake for pardon of sin and yet retains a love and liking to his sin if he desires never so earnestly that he may not dye for sin and yet is willing that his sin may live these are vain Oblations vain Prayers but most real and dreadfull provocations There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Beast within us which we must kill I mean every corruption or no Sacrifice no not of the Lamb of God himself will be accepted for us Habes in te quod occidas Every Man hath some sin or other within him nay a whole body of sin which he must slay by at least a sincere continued endeavour or all Legal and Gospel sacrifices too in the World will not avail him we must mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 or we cannot live And now we may easily understand who they are that name the Name of Christ And to what purpose For our Saviour is he who is so called the same with Messias from his being anointed by God to those Offices of King Priest and Prophet to his Church All Christians name the name of Christ Now those that apply themselves unto him for Life and Salvation are necessitated to name his Name And so they do 1. In their Profession 1. In their Profession Hence we are call'd Christians and we own the Name and rejoyce and glory in it as a name divinely imposed on the Disciples of the Blessed Jesus by God himself for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does import and in our Baptism we agree to be listed amongst his Souldiers Acts 11.26 and to fight under his Banner nay we name Christ's Name and 't is our ambition to be call'd by it 1. Owning him as our Father 1 Pet. 1.23 By whose Spirit we are born again thrô his Word and as Jacob would have his Name named on the Children of Joseph Gen. 48.16 thereby owning and respecting of them as if they were his own Children so does Christ look upon all Believers as his Children and condescends to have his Name named on them nay he names them his Children when he says Here am I Hebr. 2.13 Isa 8.18 and the Children which thou hast given me 2. Looking upon Christ as our Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 to whom this Apostle tells us that we are espoused It is as ancient as the Prophet Isaiah's time to have the Wife called by the name of her Husband Isa 4.1 which is the meaning of their desire Let us be called by thy name i. e. that being married they might change their names for that of their Husbands and this was the custom amongst many of the Romans as still amongst us Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia And thus all that look upon Christ as their Father and hope for the Inheritance he hath so dearly bought for them or whosoever beholds him as their Husband and esteem his Love and long for the enjoying of him are concerned in this Obligation to depart from Iniquity As also 2. In their Petition naming Christ 2. In their Petition In every Prayer to be sure they name the Name of Christ in that they ask all in his Name that is in his strength and for his sake So indeed runs the Promise John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name and i' th next verse If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it especially after our Saviours Ascension when he had paid the price for his People and for all the Pardons and Graces Strength or Comfort they should want he bids them expresly to mention his Name relying on his Merit for the obtaining of them He told them a little before his going to suffer for them John 16.24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name thô doubtless they had prayed according as they were commanded Luke 11.2 the Lords Prayer day by day and implicitely at least desired all those mercies thro a Mediator They knew that the High Priest was to appear with the Names of God's Israel and to offer up Incense for them yet clearly and explicitely Christs own Apostles did not enjoy this great priviledge And doubtless some new advantages have accrewed to the Disciples of Christ since that Prayer was recommended or commanded by his Death and Resurrection Now the explicit naming of Christ is a very great encouragement in Prayer whether in those or any other words More particularly Pardon and Acceptance Justification and Peace with God must especially be desired in the Name of Christ and for his sake only for he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 and by being a Curse for us hath redeemed us from the Curse he was as accursed in our stead and did bear what the Curse did threaten to transgressors which being done and God's Justice and the Law satisfied it follows that in him God is well-pleased Mat. 3.17.17.5 which words are not only mention'd by the other Evangelists but repeated again in that extraordinary voice at his Transfiguration and are the more remarkable in that it is not said That Christ was God's beloved Son with whom God was pleas'd tho that was a truth from all Eternity but that God is pleased in him that is that God is well-pleased with all that are by Faith united to him and are as it were ingrafted in him Hence we are said to be justified freely by the Grace of God thro the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.24 So that all who are liable to condemnation have no other Remedy no hope or help but in Christ Jesus Acts 4.12 1 Cor. 6.11 and there is no other Name by which they can be saved but by the name of Christ for we are justified by Faith in his Name Justification properly speaking is not the making of any righteous or holy tho none are justified who are not also sanctified but it is the accepting of any person who duely comes in the Name of Christ as righteous and holy for so he is in God's sight Christ's Righteousness being imputed unto him and for Christ's sake he becomes one of those blessed ones unto whom the Lord does not impute sin Psal 32.2 as the Psalmist expresses it in those very words En Graecis bonis Latina fecere non bona Ter. Whatsoever the import of the Latin word from whence our English word Justification may seem to be the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle are Juridical words and relate to a Court of Judicature where when the accused Party upon sufficient ground is acquitted he is said to be justified and Justification or Absolution is the proper Antitheton
it Cant. 8.7 So much we know and may blush that our Love to Christ is so easily quenched discouraged and disheartned 3. Although our knowledge of Christ be imperfect yet so much we may know as may serve to guide and encourage our obedience to him All our knowledge of Christ is vain all our love to him is a pretense if we know him not that we may love him and love him not that we may keep his Commandments 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him for as that is not reputed with God to be any obedience which is not performed by a principle of love so neither is that accepted as any love that is not productive of obedience The Authority of Christ over us is the reason of our obedience but the Love of Christ in us is the true principle of that obedience John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Christ will not acknowledge any Man to love him that does not serve him And as the Love of Christ was an universal Love it extended to all our Spiritual necessities so must our Love to Christ be as universal and have a sincere respect to all his Commandments And upon lower terms than these Christ will not own our love to be any thing John 15.14 Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you 4. Although we cannot perfectly understand the Love of Christ in this our present state yet may we know so much of his Love as shall be of more true use and worth than all we know besides we may know something of God and know it to our terror and confusion There may be such rays of Divine knowledge let into a guilty Soul as may make it wish it could shut them out again And hence it is that sinners say Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways The most ungrateful unwelcom thing to an impenitent sinner in the World is to see God and to be convinced that God sees him That Gods omniscience looks into his rotten heart and the sinner must needs sit very uneasie under this knowledge of God till he can see God reconciled to him in Christ and have the light of that knowledge comfortably shinning into his heart in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 There is no knowledge to be compared with the knowledge of God no knowledge of God comparable to the knowledge of God as reconciled in Christ no knowledge of Christ to be compared with the knowledge of his Love nor any knowledge of his Love to be compared with that knowledge of it which subdues our hearts to his obedience transforms our Souls into his likeness and raises up the Soul to aspire after his enjoyment Thus it is that we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Rom. 5.11 All other knowledge may swell the head sooner than better the heart or reform the life A Man may go silently down to Hell by hypocrisie he may go triumphantly thither by open prophaneness and he may go Learnedly down to Hell with great pomp and ostentation what-ever he knows if he knows not the Love of Christ ruling in him and giving Laws to him and conforming him both to the Death and Resurrection of his Saviour And let this suffice to have spoken of the second Proposition That tho' the Love of Christ in its highest elevation passes all perfect knowledge in our present dark imperfect state yet there 's enough of the Love of Christ that may be known to engage our desires and endeavours to know more to shame us that we know so little of what may be known to engage our hearts to him and make us confess that whatever else we know without this is not worth the knowing Come we now to the second part of the Text viz. the Apostles Prayer for Grace the End That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God wherein we meet with a second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or something that implies a contradiction in appearance The Apostle prays that the Ephesians might and certainly we ought to add our Prayers to his that we may and to second our Prayers with endeavours that God would fill us with all his fulness And yet we are here aground again To be filled with Gods fulness With all his fulness seems rather the object of our Despair than of our Prayer 't is that which startles Faith discourages Hope which supersedes Prayer and Endeavour for how can our finite grasp his Infinite Our narrow vessel comprehend the Sea of his Divine perfections We can no more comprehend the incomprehensible of God than we can apprehend the unapprehensible Love of Christ Our hearts must needs be narrow because our minds are so we can see but little we can love no more than we can see what the Eye cannot behold the Hand cannot hold For the solution of this I shall only observe at the present That as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which cannot be known of God in which respect we are like the Athenians and erect our Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God Acts 17.23 so there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be comprehended of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which cannot be comprehended in which respects we are all scepticks and must confess 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot comprehend it For the clearing therefore of this difficulty perhaps we may have some relief from the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we may render thus That ye may be fill'd unto all that fulness of God There is a measure of Grace unto which the Divine Wisdom has appointed Believers unto that measure that degree of fulness we ought to aspire and to pray that God would fill us with it which seems to be the purport of that other Prayer of this Apostle for the Thessalonians 2 Thes 1.11 We pray always for you that God would fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is the Fountain his Saints are Vessels These Vessels are of several capacities God according to his good pleasure has gaged these Vessels now it is our duty to pray and strive to strive and pray that God from the inexhaustible Fountain of his goodness would fill these Vessels with Grace up to the brim and that according to that capacity which God has graciously bestowed he would graciously fill up that capacity For if you should pour the whole Ocean upon a Vessel yet it receives only according to its own Dimensions And this is the Interpretation of Theophylact who when he had recited and rejected some other interpretations fixes on this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive says he this
it was a rule amongst the Heathens that a wise man should worship all their Deities The Romans were so insatiable in Idolatry that they sent to forreign Countries to bring the gods of several Nations an unpolisht Stone a tame Serpent that were reputed Deities they received with great solemnity and reverence But the true God had no Temple no Worship in Rome where there was a Pantheon dedicated to the honour of all the false gods The reason he gives of it is that the true God who alone has Divine Excellencies and Divine Empire will be worshipt alone and strictly forbids the assumption of any into his Throne To adore any besides him is infinitely debasing and provoking to his dread Majesty Now sin in its nature is a conversion from God to the creature and whatever the temptation be in yielding to it there is signified that we choose something before his favour Sin is founded in bono jucundo something that is delectable to the carnal Nature 't is the universal character of carnal Men they are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God To some riches are the most alluring object The young Man in the Gospel when our Saviour commanded him to give his estate to the poor and he should have treasure in Heaven went away sorrowful as if he had been offer'd to his loss To others the pleasures that in strict propriety are sensual are most charming Love is the weight of the Soul that turns it not like a dead weight of the Scales but with election freely to its object in the carnal ballance the present things of the World are of conspicuous moment and outweigh Spiritual and Eternal blessings Altho the favour of God be eminently all that can be desir'd under the notion of riches or honour or pleasure and every atom of our affection is due to him yet carnal Men think it a cheap purchase to obtain the good things of this World by sinful means with the loss of his favour This their actions declare Prodigious folly as if a few sparks struck out of a Flint that can neither afford light or warmth were more desirable than the Sun in its brightness And how contumelious and provoking it is to God he declares in the most moving expressions Be astonished O ye Heavens Jer. 2.12 13. at this and be horribly affraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out broken cisterns that can hold no water This immediately was charg'd upon the Jews who set up Idols of jealousie and ador'd them rather than the glorious Jehovah and in proportion 't is true of all sinners for every vicious affection prefers some vain object before his Love and the enjoyment of his glorious presence that is the reward of obedience 5. The sinner disparages the impartial Justice of God In the Divine Law there is a connexion between sin and punishment the evil of doing and the evil of suffering This is not a mere arbitrary constitution but founded on the inseparable desert of sin and the rectitude of Gods nature which unchangably loves holiness and hates sin Altho the threatning does not lay a strict necessity upon the Lawgiver always to inflict the punishment yet God having declar'd his equal Laws as the rule of our duty and of his judgment if they should be usually without effect upon offenders the bands of Government would be dissolved and consequently the honour of his justice stain'd both with respect to his nature and office for as an essential attribute 't is the correspondence of his will and actions with his moral perfections and as Sovereign Ruler he is to preserve equity and order in his Kingdom Now those who voluntarily break his Law presume upon impunity The first rebellious sin was committed upon this presumption God threaten'd if you eat the forbidden fruit you shall die the Serpent says eat and you shall not die and assenting to the temptation Adam fell to disobedience And ever since Men are fearless to sin upon the same motive Psalm 50. God chargeth the wicked Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self not concern'd to punish the violation of his sacred Laws The sinner commits the Divine Attributes to fight against one another presuming that Mercy will disarm Justice and stop its terrible effects upon impenitent obstinate sinners From hence they become bold and hardnen'd in the continuance of their sins Deut. 29.17 19 20. There is a root that beareth gall and wormwood and when the curse of the Law is declar'd and denounc'd against sin the wicked blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace tho I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst This casts such a foul blemish upon the Justice of God that he threatens the severest vengeance for it The Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that Man and all the curses written in this book shall be upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Psalm 50. Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 6. The sinner implicitly denies Gods omniscience There is such a turpitude adhering to sin that it cannot endure the light of the Sun or the light of Conscience but seeks to be conceal'd under a mask of vertue or a vail of darkness There are very few on this side Hell so transform'd into the likeness of the Devil as to be impenetrable by shame What is said of the Adulterer and Theif sinners of greater guilt and deeper dye Job is true in proportion of every sinner If a Man sees them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death Now from whence is it that many who if they were surpriz'd in the actings of their sins by a Child or a stranger would blush and tremble yet altho the holy God sees all their sins in order to judge them and will judge in order to punish them are secure without any fearful or shameful apprehensions of his presence Did they stedfastly believe that their foul villanies were open to his piercing pure and severe Eye they must be struck with terrors and cover'd with Confusion Will he force the Queen before my face was the speech of the King inflamed with wrath and the prologue of Death against the fallen favourite Would Men dare to affront Gods authority and outragiously break his Laws before his face if they duly consider'd his omnipresence and observance of them it were impossible And infidelity is the radical cause of their inconsideration It was a false imputation against Job but justly applied to the wicked Jâ—â— 22.13 14 Thou sayest How does God know can he judge through the dark cloud Thick clouds are a covering to him that he sees not And such are introduced by
Favour of God he is eminently precious Who can break the Constraints of such Love If there be a spark of reason or a grain of unfeigned Faith in us We must judge that if one died for all then all were dead and those that live should live to his Glory who died for their Salvation Add to this that in the Sufferings of Christ there is the clearest Demonstration of the Evil of 〈◊〉 and how hateful it is to God if we consider the Dignity of his Person the Greatness of his Sufferings and the innocent recoilings of his humane Nature from such fearful Sufferings He was the eternal Son of God the Heir of his Fathers Love and Glory the Lord of Angels he suffered in his Body the most ignominious and painful Death being nail'd to the Cross in the sight of the World The Sufferings of his Soul were incomparably more afflicting For though heavenly Meek he indured the Derision and cruel Violence of his Enemies with a silent Patience yet in the dark Eclipse of his Fathers Countenance in the desolate state of his Soul the Lamb of God opened his Mouth in that mournful Complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me His innocent Nature did so recoil from those fearful Sufferings that with repeated ardency of Affection he deprecated that bitter Cup Abba Father all things are possible to thee let this cup pass from me He address'd to the Divine Power and Love the Attributes that relieve the Miserable yet he drank off the dregs of the Cup of Gods Wrath. Now we may from hence conclude how great an Evil Sin is that could not be expiated by a meaner Sacrifice then the offering up the Soul of Christ to atone incensed Justice and no lower a Price than the Blood of the Son of God the most unvaluable Treasure could Ransom Men who were devoted to Destruction 4. The consideration of the evil of sin in it self and to us should excite us with a holy circumspection to keep our selves from being defiled with it 'T is our indispensable duty our transcendent interest to obey the Divine Law entirely and constantly The tempter cannot present any motives that to a rectified mind are sufficient to induce a consent to sin and offend God Let the scales be even and put into one all the delights of the senses all the pleasures and honours of the World which are the Elements of carnal felicity how light are they against the enjoyment of the blessed God in glory Will the gain of this perishing World compensate the loss of the Soul and Salvation for ever If there were any possible comparison between empty deluding vanities and celestial happiness the choice would be more difficult and the mistake less culpable but they vanish into nothing in the comparison so that to commit the least sin that makes us liable to the forfeiture of Heaven for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season is madness in that degree that no words can express Suppose the tempter inspires his Rage into his Slaves and tries to constrain us to Sin by Persecution how unreasonable is it to be dismayed at the Threatnings of Men who must dye and who can only touch the Body and to despise the terrors of the Lord who lives for ever and can punish for ever Methinks we should look upon the perverted raging World as a swarm of angry Flies that may disquiet but cannot hurt us Socrates when unrighteously prosecuted to Death said of his Enemies with a Courage becoming the Breast of a Christian They may Kill me but cannot Hurt me How should these Considerations raise in us an invincible Resolution and Reluctancy against the Tempter in all his Approaches and Addresses to us And that we may so resist him as to cause his flight from us let us imitate the excellent Saint whose Example is set before us 1. By possessing the Soul with a lively and solemn Sense of Gods Presence who is the Inspector and Judge of all our Actions Joseph repell'd the Temptation with this powerful Thought How shall I sin against God The fear of the Lord is clean 't is a watchful Sentinel that resists Temptations without and suppresses Corruptions within 'T is like the Cherubim plac'd with a flaming Sword in Paradise to prevent the Re-entry of Adam when guilty and polluted For this end we must by frequent and serious Considerations represent the Divine Being and Glory in our Minds that there may be a gracious Constitution of Soul this will be our Preservative from Sin for although the habitual thoughts of God are not always in act yet upon a Temptation they are presently excited and appear in the view of Conscience and are effectual to make us reject the Tempter with Defiance and Indignation This holy Fear is not a meer judicial Impression that restrains from Sin for the dreadful Punishment that follows for that servile affection though it may stop a Temptation and hinder the Eruption of a Lust into the gross act yet it does not renew the Nature and make us Holy and Heavenly There may be a respective dislike of Sin with a direct affection to it Besides a meer servile Fear is repugnant to Nature and will be expell'd if possible Therefore that we may be in the fear of the Lord all the day long we must regard him in his endearing Attributes his Love his Goodness and Compassion his rewarding Mercy and this will produce a filial Fear of Reverence and Caution lest we should offend so gracious a God As the natural Life is preserved by grateful Food not by Aloes and Wormwood which are useful Medicines so the Spiritual Life is maintained by the comfortable Apprehensions of God as the Rewarder of our Fidelity in all our Trials 2. Strip Sin of its Disguises wash off its flattering Colours that you may see its native Ugliness Joseph's reply to the Tempter How shall I do this great wickedness Illusion and Concupiscence are the Inducements to Sin When a Lust represents the Temptation as very alluring and hinders the Reflection of the mind upon the intrinsick and consequential Evil of Sin 't is like the putting Poison into the Glass but when it has so far corrupted the mind that Sin is esteemed a small Evil Poison is thrown into the Fountain If we consider the Majesty of the Law-giver there is no Law small nor Sin small that is the Transgression of it Yet the most are secure in an evil course by conceits that their Sins are small 'T is true there is a vast difference between Sins in their nature and Circumstances there are insensible Omissions and accusing Acts but the least is Damnable Besides the allowance and number of Sins reputed small will involve under intolerable Guilt What is lighter than a grain of Sand you may blow away a hundred with a Breath and what is heavier than a heap of Sand condenst together 'T is our Wisdom and Duty to consider the Evil of Sin
pitch of holiness that ye may raise an admiration of you in the judgments of such as otherwise would have no great reverence for religion and give them occasion to say as it is reported that Libanius an Heathen Philosopher did Proh Quales faeminas habent Christiani Oh what excellent women have these Christians The Correspondence between the Text and the Question having been as I think sufficiently insisted upon I shall now apply my self to give a direct and satisfactory answer to the Question propounded And that I may speak to it the more intelligibly and profitably I shall consider 1. The Persons mentioned in it and they are private Christians 2. Their Duty and work and that is to be helpful to promote the entertainment of the Gospel 3 The way that they are to take and the Means that they are to make use of that they may be most helpful in the carrying on of that blessed work 1. The Persons specified And they are private Christians In which is intimated 1. Their general Character as Christians 2. The restrictive term that is added to denote their special circumstance as they are private Christians which limits our Enquiries or calls on us to speak more specially at least of the Duty and work of private Christians in the undertaking mentioned in the Question 1. It is supposed That Christians only will be willing or proper to be made use of in this holy work We may conclude that they who reject the Gospel and put away Salvation from them as those did who are mentioned Acts 13.46 will never while they continue in that temper and disposition promote the entertainment of the Gospel but will endeavour to obstruct and hinder it But all Christians in the most comprehensive latitude both stand obliged in point of Duty and may also Eventually be helpful to promote the spreading of the Gospel even every one who nameth the name of Christ 2 Tim. ii 19. Or that is called by his name as Jer. xiv 8. Even those Christians as are such only by External profession tho they remain destitute of Internal and Real Sanctification may be helpful herein by their common Gifts their Interests their Services and by contributing their Assistance and Encouragement to those who are engaged in this holy work And they may be influenced by such Motives and Inducements as may excite and engage them thereunto Such as these for ought I know may be admitted to contribute their help to Build the Temple of the Lord and are not to be excluded For probably Christs Aphorism Mark ix 40. He that is not against us is on our part may be understood of such But how far such may be Accepted or Rewarded falls not under our present Enquiry This I presume will be admitted by all That such only as are Christians indeed as Christ said of Nathanael John i. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed are the only Persons who are rightly principled and will be found sincerely affected to this blessed work and will be most vigorously Active in carrying it on This may suffice touching the Persons under their general Character as Christians 2. Their special circumstance as they are Private Christians whereby they are distinguished from such as are invested with publick Offices Such are Christian Rulers and Magistrates who are the Ministers of God who bear the Sword and such as are called to preach the Gospel who are Ministers of the Word I confess these come not directly within the compass of our Question for that concerns Private Christians neither yet ought they wholly to be excluded out of it because they are Christians and therefore are not silently to be passed over And so I shall say something yet but little of them Doubtless both Christian Magistrates and Ministers of the Gospel are as much obliged in point of Duty to promote the entertainment of the Gospel as private Christians and they may do more because they have greater Advantages put into their hands for that is a Rule laid down by our Saviour himself Luk. xii 48. Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required 1. For Christian Rulers when their Hearts are throughly knit to Christ in Faith and Love and they act upon Gospel-principles and according to the Rules thereof what wonderful things may they perform toward the enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ in the World If a poor Bond-slave who lies in the lowest rank of men may in his Station serve the Lord Christ Col. iii. 24. What eminent services may Princes and Potentates do him who are placed in the highest rank of men and dignified with the title of Gods The zeal of Constantine the Great for the Christian Religion is praised by more than are disposed to imitate it But when those who have given their Strength and Power to the Beast shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and devote their Crowns and Scepters to the Lamb we may hope for those blessed days wherein the light of the Gospel shall shine forth so gloriously as to illustrate the whole World This should excite all Private Christians to pray hard that God would put it into the Hearts of Kings and those who are in Authority to kiss the Son by whom they reign 2. As for the Ministers of the Gospel all they who understand and attend unto their Office and Duty must acknowledge that they are under the strictest and most forcible engagements in the World to lay out themselves entirely and to the uttermost of their Capacity to serve the Lord Jesus and to help forward the enlargement of his Kingdom And yet it is not the Duty and Work of every ordinary Minister to go up and down the World to preach the Gospel for the Conversion of the Heathen as the Apostles and Evangelists did Rom. xv 20. Yea so have I strived to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named Because they are commanded by Christ to attend upon their proper flocks Act. xx 28. 1 Pet. v. 1 2. But what Measures they are to take farther or what Methods they are to pursue to promote the spreading of the Gospel is indeed a very Christian and noble enquiry At the debate whereof I should most gladly stand as a silent Learner and not presume to be a Director However I hope it will be excusable if I offer one thing to the Consideration of those whose Piety and Learning may challenge a due esteem in the Hearts of all that fear God We have had among us Committees for the Encouragement and Increase of Trade And what if there were some to consult How the Gospel might be propagated The Papists have at Rome their Congregatio de propagandâ Fide Their design may be very ill while they contrive not How that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints may be propagated but how the Leven of their own Superstition may be diffused and especially How the Popes Kingdom may be enlarged And yet to deliberate How the
may be most helpful to promote the entertainment of the Gospel To assist those whose hearts the Lord shall bow over to mind this excellent work I shall lay before them two Directions 1. They must carefully avoid all those things that have a proper tendency to alienate their minds and affections from the Gospel or to exasperate them against it 2. They must endeavour to use such means and to take such courses as have an aptitude to beget in them an esteem and veneration for the Gospel and so dispose them to embrace it 1. They who design and endeavour to win upon others and to dispose them for the Reception of the Gospel must carefully avoid all such things as have an aptitude to alienate them from it I shall exemplifie this Direction in some instances as 1. Private Christians must prevent or suppress all bitter contentions among themselves It is sad to observe That differences among Brethren are usually managed with such mutual accusations and reproaches as make the name of Christians despicable or odious especially to those who are prejudiced against them Contentions and Animosities among Christians break out on two Occasions 1. There may Quarrels arise about Earthly things What can Heathens think of them when they see them to malign and worry one another for such things as their own Philosophy hath taught them to make little account of Abraham was very apprehensive of the evil consequences that might have attended the strife between his and Lots Herdsmen probably about their pasturage or watering-places and therefore he would not insist upon such pleas as he might reasonably have alledged on his own side but stifled the contention and sought an amicable composure because he dreaded the scandal which would have been given to the Heathen by their brabbles This is suggested Gen. xiii 8 9. The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt in the Land The Contentions and wranglings of the Corinthians about things that appertain to this life and their going to Law for them especially the bringing of their suits before Heathen-tribunals was to cast reproach on the Christian Religion as the Apostle intimates 1 Cor. vi 1 2. How can Christians without blushing and confuting themselves perswade others To embrace the Gospel which teacheth them to set their affections on things above and not on things on the Earth To have their hearts crucified toward the world and yet for the sake thereof to violate all the precepts and to despise all the Promises of the Gospel And like Dogs that fight about a bone to tear out one anothers throats in their rage and fury we may then conclude that men in whom a worldly Spirit is predominant are very unfit to recommend the Gospel unto others 2. The Cross-sentiments which men espouse and vindicate in things wherein Religion seems to be concerned have begâ—tten the widest breaches and the most furious contentions that were ever found among Christians If we enquire what spark hath kindled this raging fire We shall often find that this Earnest contending is not for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints but a dispute who shall be greatest or it may be about something that is dark doubtful or unnecessary or about some undetermined Mode Or possibly as in some great conflagrations we see the fire preys upon and devours all and yet we know not who kindled it or how it began This is and must be for a Lamentation Once I am sure the divisions among Christians and the bitter zeal which manageth their controversies about Religion is a mighty impediment and obstruction that stops the progress of the Gospel In the writings of the Ancients we find that the Heathen fortified themselves in their infidelity and resisted the arguments and perswasions of those who recommended the Faith of the Gospel to them with this Objection Ye Christians are not agreed among your selves ye are broken into many Sects and Factions ye confute and condemn one another therefore it is more adviseable for us to continue as we are than to leave our present station before we know where to fix with any assurance that we are in the Right All that I am able to do at present for the removal of this scandal is to beseech private Christians in the bowels of Christ To value love and follow after the things that make for peace Rom. xiv 19. For I fear the Gospel will hardly get ground in the world until the Spirit of Love reigning and acting the hearts of those that profess it do open the way for it In the first planting of it the Concord of believers Acts ii 42. did greatly contribute to its entertainment It became a Proverbial speech touching Christians Ecce quà m se diligunt invicem Behold how they love one another This is a Subject that cannot be too much insisted upon nor too zealously inforced I account them excellent and happy persons indeed who have a right to bear that Motto Beati Pacifici This may suffice touching the first obstruction that hinders the entertainment of the Gospel 2. It is apparent that they do not promote but obstruct the entertainment of the Gospel who would obtrude on those whom they perswade to embrace it such things to be believed or practised as a part of their Religion as are no where to be found in it much more if they be directly contrary to it e. gr The Gospel doth expresly determine that God only is to be the Object of religious worship Mat. iv 10. How then can they recommend the Gospel who tell their Proselites that they may admit mere Creatures to be sharers with God in that worship which is appropriated to him The Gospel saith That there is but one Lord Mediator between God and Man 1 Cor. viii 6. 1 Tim. ii 5. And yet there are these who pretend to win over men to the Gospel who tell them they must conjoin Angels and departed Saints with Christ in his Office and Work of Mediator The Gospel severely chargeth all those who believe it to flie from Idolatry 1 Cor. x. 14. 1 Joh. v. 21. which is the enforcement of the second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. What then can they whom they are to instruct think of it when they see them in profound devotion to creep to fall down before and worship Images especially when upon that very account it is notorious that Jews and Mahometans abhor the Gospel upon a supposition that the worship of Images is either Taught or allowed therein If I may have leave to declare my apprehensions I must say That the Gospel propounded in its own Native purity and simplicity as our Lord Jesus Christ delivered it and as they who were divinely inspired have recorded it without any Additional supplements or forreign mixtures is the most effectual way that God hath appointed and promised to bless for the subduing of the world to Jesus Christ And I should beseech those who endeavour the
cause that will pass for just and sufficient at the great day before they resolve upon a total separation from their Brethren 8. Christ is to be followed in his great humility and meekness Mat. 11.29 Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls Pride overcame the first man he affected Divinity and would needs be as God but behold the Lord Jesus who is the Eternal God and he humbled himself and became Man Humility was the constant attire and ornament of the Man Christ Jesus Though this great Redeemer be the chief of all the ways of God though more of God is visible in Him than in the whole Creation besides Though he glorifies his Father more than all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth put together and though he is exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion no◠only in this World but in that which is to come Yet our Lord never was in the least High-minded Humility is one most remarkable feature in the image of Christ therefore resemble him in being humble Be not proud of Habit Hair and Ornaments 1 Pet. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etymologists derive the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies nodus a knot Be cloathed or be knotted with Humility I wish that other knots were less and this which is incomparably most becoming were more in fashion Let not your Estates puff you up Riches are not always to men of understanding and there may be a great deal of Gold in the Purse where there is no true Wisdom in the Head no Grace at all in the Heart Let not your natural parts your acquired endowments your spiritual Gifts though never so excellent make you to look upon others with contempt upon your selves with admiration you owe all Glory to that God from whom you have received all Let Humility look out at your Eyes a proud look is one of the seven things which the Lord hates Prov. 6.16 17. Let Humility express it self at your Lips let it attend you in all your addresses to God and beautifie your whole behaviour and converses with Men. The more humble you are the more of every other Grace will be imparted to you the more Rest and Peace you will have within your selves and since you will be ready to give him all the Praise the Lord is ready to put the more honour upon you in making you useful unto others 9. Christ is to be followed in his love to God great care to please him and fervent zeal for his Name and Glory Joh. 14.31 The World may know says Christ that I love the Father and as the Father gave me Commandment even so I do He obeyed that first and great Commandment and loved the Lord his God with all his Heart and Soul and Mind and Strength Christs love made him do whatever his Father pleased Joh. 8.29 He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I always do those things that please him Christs love was stronger than Death no Waters no Flouds could drown it neither could the Baptism of blood quench it Christ was consumed with Divine and Holy zeal and he matters not what befal him so he might but glorifie his Father and finish the work which was given him to do Oh let us bring our cold and careless Hearts hither to the Consideration of this Great Example that the frost may melt care may be awakened and there may be something in us that may deserve the name of Warm zeal for God Let us be importunate in Prayer and restless till we feel the constraints of the Love of God forceable till we find really the greatest delight and pleasure in doing that which pleases him and aiming at his Glory we think not much of labour difficulty and hazzard that this our end may be attained 10. Christ is to be followed in his Sufferings and Death and unto this my Text has a more particular reference Christs Faith was strong though he was under a dismal Desertion The Sun of Righteousness did set in a dark cloud He submitted to his Fathers will and being confident of a joyful Resurrection he endured the Cross and despised the shame When Christians come to die their Faith should be most lively as being near finishing it should by no means fail when there is most need of it Though he slay me says Job yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Christians should submit when the Lord of time will grant no more time to them and they should gladly enter upon a holy and blessed Eternity When the body is about to be sown in corruption by Faith they should see that its lying there will be to advantage for it will be raised in Incorruption and Glory 1 Cor. 15.42 43. Let Death be more natural or violent it is yours in the Covenant if you are true Believers 1 Cor. 3.22 Fear not to follow our Lord Jesus through that dark passage into the House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens And all the while you remain on Earth study a Conformity to your Lords death by crucifying the Flesh and dying to the World The more dead you are with Christ in this sense you will live to the better purpose and die in the greater Peace In the third place I am to produce some Arguments to perswade to the imitation of our Lord Jesus 1. Consider the greatness of the Person that gives you the Example Christ has this Name written on his Vesture and on his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 A Roman Historian commends a Prince who is maximus imperio Velleius Paterculus l. 2. exemplo major greatest in authority and yet greater by his example Every thing in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth does bow and is subject to the Lord Jesus and yet whose obedience ever was so exact as his was He gives us precepts and he himself is the great Pattern of performance Claudian the Poet has a notable passage concerning the examples of Monarchs and what a mighty influence they have Tunc observantior aequi Fit populus nec ferre vetat cum viderit ipsum Autorein parere sibi componitur Orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vita Regentis Kings have many observers who very much Eye them and their high estate both awes and allures their Subjects to the imitation of them If they keep within the bounds of their own Laws their Subjects will be the more unwilling to transgress them Christ is the universal Soveraign who commands both Heaven and Earth and has the whole Creation at his beck He has kept the Laws he gives his Church 't is duty 't is interest 't is reasonable 't is honourable to resemble him in obedience 2. Remember the Relation wherein you that are Saints do stand unto the Lord
Pain or Ease Light or Darkness Sweetness or Bitterness c. are as one hours experience of your own will do Men that are born blind have not by all the advantages of reading to them or discoursing with them such clear discerning of light as a little opening of their own Eyes will help them to Beauty and Melody are and must be seen and heard before they can be duly understood but as far as I am able I shall adventure to describe it thus Love is the Pleasure of the Heart or Will in the discerned and valued excellency of its object So as delightfully to make it accommodate it self unto the Nature Pleasure and concerns thereof Or it is the endearment of apprehended excellence so as to sweeten all our contemplations and esteem thereof our motions towards it our reposes in it our sufferings and adventures for it and our reposes and abode therein Here we may briefly note these things 1. When its Object doth evidently transcend our reach and pitch in excellence then the formal Act of Love is a delightful Admiration of Perfection Infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness cast us upon the heighths and depths of wonder and astonishment and entertain us with the highest satisfactions in our severest and most awful Contemplations thereof these ravishing views or thoughts of the incomprehensible source and abyss of Perfection which is Essential Goodness and the very heighth thereof for what is Goodness but the heighth of Excellency affect us with the most reverend sence thereof 2. Where excellency appears as capable of being shadowed forth by imitations and resemblances and challenges our Conformities thereunto the formal act of Love is a pleased attempering of it self unto its much valued and endeared object joyfully loving and endeavouring a correspondency and agreement with all the communicable excellencies and allurements of such a valuable and admired pattern and exemplar thus love is an ambitious imitation of admired worth pleasing it self in all it 's gradual approaches to it's Object in it's attainments of what most resembles him whose mirrours we so much long and please our selves to be Thus our Christian love our Love to God and unto Christ his Image in it's nature it's operations and attainments is but the impress of Divine Perfections upon our selves with all the solaces which arise in and from our thus transformed selves 3. When excellency appears upon the Theater shewing it's lustre in exquisite performances and Productions bearing the Signatures of that Name whose works they are as the Invisible things of God are known by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead Rom. i. 20. Then the formal Act of Love is Pleasure in our notices and observations of the eminencies of the cause appearing in the effects thereof and in our delightful searches thereinto 4. When excellency appears upon the Throne of Government the formal Act of Love is our delightful acquiescence and satisfaction in and our chearful comporting with all the Laws and Interests of such Government Thus I delight to do thy will O God Psal xl 8. And this is love that we keep his Commandments i Joh. v. 3. And this is my meat to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Joh. iv 34. Authority owned Laws obeyed disposals rested in and all with chearfulness And then 5. When Goodness appears communicative designing and dispensing kindnesses directed and designed to the benefit and welfare of the Recipients of it's Communications The formal Act of Love in the thus befriended Persons is their thankful acceptances chearful acknowledgements and faithful improvement of what they thus receive in the service according to the Pleasure and Order and to the praise of him that gives them and as these favours are of several sorts and sizes Such as our beings and their receptiveness of Divine kindnesses and the kindness shewed us to make us good to do us good and to capacitate us to do good to others and to receive further good from God according to our different capacities stations relations opportunities and advantages conditions and other circumstances so hath our Love it 's diversified actings expressions and effects according to it 's various objects considered in their own proper Excellencies their several Relations to us their postures towards us and their concerns with us and ours with them which I here cannot mention much less enlarge upon even as they and we are related and concerned with the essential source of all communicative Excellence or Goodness and therefore I leave it to the deeper thoughts and further searches of better Heads and Hearts than mine 6. When Excellence espouses evidently some great Interests and Designs such as the recovery of lost Souls the reparation of declined Holiness the shaming and abandoning of all Sin the utter extirpation of Satans Interest and Kingdom the erecting of his Gospel House and Kingdom the Exaltation of his Son and the Edification of his Children in Christian Knowledge Holiness and Comfort and in all things fit to make them acceptable to himself and approved of men and to make them regular and easie in themselves When God designs and prosecutes the spreading of the Gospel the Sanctification of his Name in and before the eyes of all and the compleating the Divine Life and Nature in his own What then can be the formal Act of Love hereto in us but the endearment and espousal of these things to us as matters of the highest consequence and importance to the World the Church and us and as things more valuable and delightful to us in our contemplations and pursuits thereof than all our personal Interests and Pleasures in this World 7. When Excellence communicates it self discernibly to others then Love rejoyces in this Gift and Grace to them 8. When Excellence appears communicable to others and that through one another as appointed means and instruments for this end then Love is so far thankful and it covets enterprizes designs and prosecutes the thing and so it grieves or joyfully Triumphs as it discerns the matter to succeed or to be defeated or delayed and it forms and cherishes and exerts it Sympathies accordingly 9. When Excellence is rivall'd confronted and opposed then Love turns Jealous and Enraged and puts on fortitude and resolution to stand by it's darling Object and concerns in all the Agonies of Contention for them which they need and notwithstanding all the hazards cost and difficulties which attend them And 10. It accounts and uses all as Friends or Enemies as they appear against or for it's Object 3. The Genuine Practice and Productions of this love Here they are called Good Works a correspondent practice with this Divine and Active and diffusive Principle All Instances and Effects of this delightful conversation with God and man according to the Rules and Principles of Christianity must savour of illustrate and subserve this Principle and Grace Thus Love God and keep his Commandments think and speak of him
apprehension of the approaching day Now seeing the Text is Hortatory Directive and Encouraging hereto and hath as such been treated on accordingly I will wave all further application and only give you the Directions and Prescriptions for the curing of a luke-warm temper 1. Love-quenching and abating principles Interests and Practices are to be exploded and avoided If once you entertain hard thoughts of God as if he were morose and captious a barren Wilderness or Land of darkness and only careful to ruine and distress his creatures upon the meer accounts of Soveraignty and the Prerogative of Dominion tho a poor penitent lye prostrate at his feet for mercy in tears and shame and self abhorrence or in a readiness to do so were there but any hopes of merciful acceptance If you shall represent him to your selves as if he were so tenacious of revengeful purposes and of advantages put into his hands for the full executions of such deserved revenges through former crimes provoking thereunto Alas how can you think upon him or address your selves to him with hope and pleasure We find grace represented to us as Gods Image in his creatures we find that holiness in creatures makes them the sweetest of all persons in their dispositions and deportments and readiest to be charitable and abundant in benign and alluring and obliging remissions constructions and dispensations Such are most backward to make rigid interpretations and constructions of mens miscarriages and neglects when they arise from rather infirmity than malignity and from ignorance and surprize than from contrivance or perverse resolution They hate above all men every thing that savours of stinginess and of a sordid Spirit and they like not to retain revengeful purposes to ruin or disturb those criminals who seriously and pathetically implore their pardon and beg admission to their now much valued favour And doth grace make such persons better than their maker and is that Gods Image in them which hath nothing in God correspondent herewith Or can we think that the Image can exceed its Grand Exemplar Such black and dismal thoughts of God can never kindle love in us to him Did I not know and think that God is love how could I seek to him in hope and love him For my part I verily believe God sent his Son into the world to convince us of his love and goodness and to invite us to himself under the power of this alluring principle of Truth That God loves us dearly and that he will reject no sinner whose heart is touched with such love to him as makes it restless and uneasie in it self till it obtain his pardon image fellowship and presence See Heb. xi 6. And as for Jesus Christ the liveliest Image and the truest and most glorious Mirrour of the Invisible God that ever any Eye beheld or can behold How sweet indulgent humble gracious and endearing was he unto all and how ready to receive all that come to God through him O! do not then mistake his grace design or temper Love cannot live and do its work where Christ is not duly represented in his lovely Excellencies And yet on the other hand represent not God below himself as fond in his respects partial in his dealings slack and easie in his proceedings apt to favour us tho' neglected by us as one ready to indulge us in our sins and to connive and wink at our miscarriages or one that we may trifle with and fondly think that we can at any time procure his favour and extinguish or evade his anger and displeasure by some trifling applications to him or flattering Elogies of his name upon the knee or a copious verbose declaiming against our sins and selves in our stated or occasional addressings of our selves to him when pangs of Death horrours of Conscience or the tasts and expectations of his Wrath make us uneasie to our selves as if by complements and petty observances of God in lower matters we could turn and toss a ductile nature into any aspect shape or posture that may serve our private turns and please our arrogant and presumptuous humours and court God to strip himself of all the glories of his Name and Throne and prostitute his Interest and Honour Laws and Majesty unto the fond conceits of fools and sinners for this is blasphemy and presumption to the height both fit and sure to be punisht by the Judge Could God be Love or lovely in the eyes of sober and discerning men were he thus facile so as to be infuenced by the conceits and humours of sinners in their dotages He that would not signifie one thought of mercy to our revolted Parents before he had represented himself most awful in his Judiciary Process and that so guarded both his Laws and Throne with awful Majesty and Sanctions and that exacted so severe a satisfaction from his Son he surely neither will nor can debase himself and tempt his creatures by unfit relaxations of his Laws and Courses to think him despicable even by such unfit deportments of himself towards them That fool which takes Gods mercies and indulgencies to be at his commands so as to sin and pray and that makes such easie pardons and redresses the continual encouragements of sinful practices and hopes that fool I say again that is of this perswasion and deportment is no way likely to be cured of his luke-warm temper Deut. xxix 19 20. For so easie pardons and redresses would evidently and effectually mortifie the Spirit and defeat the glorious designs of Divine Government amongst men See Heb. xii 25-28 29. x. 26-31 Rom. ii 6-10 Gal. vi 7-9 i Sam. ii 2 3-29 30 ii Chron. xv 2. And if you take your Christianity to be a state of drudgery and disconsolateness if you degenerate into worldliness luxury or voluptuousness as in John ii 15-17 James iv 4. If you grow so tender of your selves as to be swayed more by what affects the outward than the inward man If you give way to partiality to jealousies heats and ferments to a censorious jealous and detracting Spirit or to the Spirit of domination and division or if you form your principles interests and actions according to the measures and concerns of this vain transient world and of the animal life This malady will prove incurable 2. Heart-warming objects are to be contemplated Such as the glories of Gods name The Grandeurs of his Majesty and Throne the Accuracies of his Government in all its Constitutions and administrations The Stores and Treasures of his Goodness with all their provident and yet generous distributions unto all his creatures the riches of his grace in his kindness to us by Jesus Christ the exhibition of his Son and all the amiable excellencies and endearing aspects and addresses made to us by him the life that is in Christ the grace and promises that are given us by him so great and precious all the fellowship and intimacies that we are hereby called and admitted to Gospel Treasures
it were set his Wisdom and Will against Gods Bellum cum Deo suscipit whatever he fancies to himself he undertakes and wages War with God This man sinneth against God as well as against man is a Rebel against the Majesty of Heaven as well as his Prince upon earth refusing the obedience he ows to his Ordinance and Command 3. From the evil and fatal consequence or effect of Rebellion and Resistance of which in the same verse they that resist shall receive unto themselves damnation They commit such a crime as shall most certainly and severely be revenged they had better never have done it for punishment will surely follow it and it may be with a quick and speedy pace either from the hand of the Magistrate to whom the Sword is committed with which he is to animadvert upon all disobedience or by the hand of God who will plead the cause and vindicate the honour of his Lieutenants and Vicegerents so that such Delinquents are never safe but in danger of a Temporal punishment here as Korah and his accomplices experienced and so did that unnatural wretch Absalom or an eternal one in Hell in case hearty repentance do not by an happy interposal prevent it 4. From the end of the Office and the business incumbent upon persons called to it which is singularly good and greatly necessary being designed for and tending to the preventing of vice and promoting of virtue and this is the argument used in my Text for Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes Magistrates they into whose hand the Sceptre is put or the Sword of Justice whether they be Supream or Subordinate whatsoever place they hold in the Political Body These are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a terrour a scare a fright they ought not to be it doth not become them to be It is no part of their Office and place to be And so long as they act conscientiously wisely so long as they observe the rules given them and carry in their several Stations as they should they will not be a terrour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to good works or to them that do them whom they ought to defend by their power and encourage with their smiles but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those which are evil It is the latter part of these words which falls under my present consideration My work is to take a view of Magistrates to discourse about them as they ought to be terrours unto evil works all of them so far as they come to their knowledge and fall under their cognizance The Question which I am desired to speak unto being this Quest What is the duty of Magistrates from the highest to the lowest for the suppressing of prophaneness In the handling hereof I shall observe this method First Enquire what is meant by prophaneness Secondly What is intended by the suppression of prophaneness Thirdly Prove it to be the duty of all Magistrates to imploy their Authority and power for that great and excellent end Fourthly Propound and offer sundry means which they may and should make use of in order thereunto Lastly Shut up our whole discourse with application and the great God assist in the work and bless that which shall be done Amen Our first enquiry then will be what are we to understand by prophaneness In answer whereunto we will consider the word which in Latin is prophanus and as some learned Criticks observe is as much as procul à Fano far from the Temple or holy place far from God that which is far from the mind and will of God that which God doth not approve will have nothing to do with which speaks those that love and practise it a company of persons at a distance from God The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now saith Aretius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth pure such a purity as is in the stars of Heaven or a serene Sky and the syllable Be doth change the signification and import of the word and accordingly we do well understand by it that which is unclean impure polluted filthy So that prophaneness is uncleanness of which there are two sorts First A Ceremonial uncleanness Thus we read of defiled hands and common meats Of the former Mark 7.2 There came together unto him certain of the Pharisees and Scribes and when they saw some of his Disciples eat Bread with defiled that is to say with unwashen hands they found fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with common hands impure ones That was counted by them a profane action which polluted the person that did it and so you read of common meats Acts 10.13 14. Peter saw Heaven opened and a certain Vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed Beasts of the Earth and Wild Beasts and Creeping things and Fouls of the Air and there came a voice to him Rise Peter Kill and Eat but Peter said Not so Lord for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There common is opposed to holy it was a thing not fit for that holy people whom God had called out from the rest of the world made his own peculiar That was common unclean or prophane which was lawful to the Gentiles but prohibited the Jews by the Ceremonial Law as to instance Swines flesh That Law is now abolished with this sort of uncleanness we at present have nothing to do as not being intended in the question Secondly There is a moral uncleanness and that is it here meant That is said to be profane which is impure polluted foul loathsome and defiling and so it may be and as we find in Scripture it is applied both to persons and to things First To persons Thus in Ezek. 21.25 when the Lord by the Prophet spake to Zedekiah it was in this language Thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel His prophaneness did arise from or rather consist in his wickedness for he had grievously polluted himself with Idolatry and Perjury with cursed persecutions and the blood of the Innocents He was both a stranger and enemy to all piety and purity he ingulph'd himself in wickedness and laboured with all his might to draw others of his Subjects both noble and base into the same practices and to Plunge them as deep as himself Esau hath the same brand set upon him Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his Birth-right A prophane person qui nihil habet sacri who hath in him nothing Sacred nothing of holiness who violates neglects tramples under foot holy things who so pleaseth himself in filthiness as to wallow in it in whom the love of the world is so predominant to pleasures riches and honours he is so addicted that he prefers them before the grace of God and the Kingdom