a sollicitous diligent Respect to all God's Precepts is a melancholy Task but it is delightful to the Saints for Obedience is the continual exercise of Love to God the Paradise of holy Souls The mortification of the Carnal Appetites and the restraint from such Objects as powerfully insinuate and engage Carnal Hearts is with a freer Complacency to a Saint than a sensual Fruition of them The sharpest Sufferings for Religion are allayed nay sweetned to a Saint from the Love of God that is then most sincerely strongly and purely acted The Apostle more rejoiced in sharp Tribulation for Christ's sake than in Divine Revelation 4. The Love of God produces persevering Obedience Servile Compliance is inconstant A Slave hates the Duties he performs and loves the Sins he dares not commit therefore as soon as he is releas'd from his Chain and his Fear his Obedience ceases but a Son is perfectly pleas'd with his Father's Will and the Tenor of his Life is correspondent to it He that is press'd by Fear to serve in an Army will desert his Colours the first Opportunity but a Volunteer that for the love of Valour and of his Country lists himself will continue in the Service The Motion that is caused by outward Poises will cease when the Weights are down but that which proceeds from an inward Principle of Life is continual and such is the Love of God planted in the Breast of a Christian IV. We are to prove that from the Love of God and willing Obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the sincerity of our Love to his Children There is an inseparable Union between these two Graces and the one arises out of the other Godliness and Brotherly Kindness are joined by the Apostle And it will be evident that where this Affection of Love to the Saints is sincere and gracious there will be an entire and joyful respect to the Law of God by considering the Reasons and Motives of it First The Divine Command requires this Love These things I command you saith our Saviour that ye love one another This Precept so often repeated and powerfully re-inforc'd by him made so deep an Impression on the first Christians that they had one Heart and one Soul and their Estates were common between them And in the next succeeding Ages this fraternal Love was so conspicuous in the Professors of his sacred Discipline that their Enemies observ'd it as a rare and remarkable thing See how the Christians love one another see how ready they are to die for one another Now the same gracious Principle that inclines us to do one Command will make us universally willing to observe all for sincere Obedience primarily respects the Authority of the Law-giver which binds the whole Law upon the Conscience And as he that breaks the Law wilfully in one Point is guilty of all because the Violation of a single Precept proceeds from the same Cause that induces Men to transgress all that is Contempt of the Divine Majesty so he that sincerely obeys one Command does with consent of Heart and serious Endeavours obey all And from hence 't is clear that without a religious and unreserved regard of the Divine Commands 't is impossible there should be in any Person a gracious Affection to the Saints that is the product of Obedience to God and consequently the observance of his Precepts is the certain Proof of our Love to his Children Secondly Spiritual Love to the Saints arises from the sight of the Divine Image appearing in their Conversation Now if the Beauty of Holiness be the attractive of our Love it will be fastned on the Law of God in the most intense degree The most excellent Saints on Earth have some mixtures of Corruption their Holiness is like the Morning-light that is checker'd with the Shadows and Obscurity of the Night and 't is our Wisdom not to love their Infirmities but to preserve an unstained Affection to them But the Law of God is the fairest Transcript of his Nature wherein his glorious Holiness is most resplendent The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes This ravish'd the Heart of David with an inexpressible Affection O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day And he repeats the Declaration of his Love to it with new Fervor upon this ground I love thy Law because it is pure Now Love to the Commands of God will transcribe them in our Hearts and Lives As affectionate Expressions to the Children of God without the real supply of their Wants are but the shadows of Love so words of Esteem and Respect to the Law of God without unfeigned and universal Obedience are but an empty Pretence Thirdly The Divine Relation of the Saints to God as their Father is the Motive of Spiritual Love to them And this is consequent to the former for by partaking of his Holiness they partake of his Life and Likeness And from hence they are the dearest Objects of his Love his Eye and Heart is always upon them Now if this Consideration excites Love to the Children of God it will be as powerful to incline us to keep his Commands for the Law of God that is the Copy of his Sacred Will is most near to his Nature and he is infinitely tender of it Our Saviour tells us that it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fail If the entire World and all the Inhabitants of it were destroyed there would be no loss to God but if the Law lose its Authority and Obligation the Divine Holiness would suffer a Blemish The Use of the Doctrine is to try our Love to the Children of God to which all pretend by this infallible Rule our Obedience to his Commands This is absolutely necessary because the Deceit is so easy and so dangerous and it will be most comfortable if upon this Trial our Love be found to be Spiritual and Divine The Deceit is easy because Acts of Love may be expressed to the Saints from other Principles than the Love of God Some for vain-Glory are bountiful and when their Charity seems so visibly Divine that Men admire it there is the Worm of Vanity at the Root that corrupts and makes it odious to God The Pharisees are charged with this by our Saviour their Alms were not the Effect of Charity but Ostentation and whilst they endeavoured to make their Vices vertuous they made their Vertues vicious There is a natural Love among Persons united by Consanguinity that remains so entire since the Ruine of Mankind by the Fall and is rather from the force of Nature than the virtue of the Will and this is in all kind Offices may be express'd to the Saints There is a sweetness of Temper in some that inclines them to wish well to all and such tender Affections that are easily
short Life with its Conveniences on Earth before that which is eternally glorious in Heaven By which it appears how much it concerns us to fortify and fix our Minds by a stedfast Belief of God's supporting Presence with us in all Troubles and of his gracious Promise that in due time we shall reap if we faint not in well-doing 2dly They are incapable of the Comforts proper to an afflicted State Those arise from the Belief that God loves whom he chastens for the least Sin is a greater Evil than the greatest Trouble and his design is to take that away and from the expectation of a happy Issue Hope is the Anchor within the Vail that in the midst of Storms and roughest Seas preserves from Shipwrack The Character of Christians is that they are rejoicing in Hope But when the Afflicted are under fearful Impressions that God is an irreconcileable Enemy and sadly conclude their Miseries are past Redress those Divine Comforts that are able to sweeten the most bitter Sufferings to Believers are of no Efficacy Their deep Sorrows are not like the Pains of a travailing Woman that end in a joyful Birth but the killing Tortures of the Stone that are fruitless to the Patient An obstinate Grief and rejecting the Consolations of God is the beginning of Sorrows the first Payment of that sad Arrear of mourning that shall be exacted in another World The Use shall be to excite us to those Duties that are directly contrary to the Extreams forbidden viz. To demean our selves under the Chastenings of the Lord with a deep Reverence and humble Fear of his Displeasure and with a firm Hope and Dependance upon him for a blessed Issue upon our complying with his holy Will 1. With an humble Reverence of his Hand This Temper is absolutely necessary and most congruous with respect to God upon the account of his Soveraignty Justice and Goodness declar'd in his Chastenings and with respect to our Frailty our Dependance upon him our Obnoxiousness to his Law and our Obligations to him that he will please to afflict us for our good This is the reason of that Expostulation Will a Lion roar in the Forest when he hath no Prey Shall God's Threatnings and Judgments have no Effect Who ever hardned himself against him and prospored Do we provoke the Lord to Jealousy the most sensible and severe Attribute when it is incens'd Are we stronger than he Can we encounter offended Omnipotency Can we with an Army of Lusts oppose Myriads of mighty Angels 'T is not Courage but such a prodigious degree of Folly and Fury that one would think 't were impossible a reasonable Creature were capable of it Yet every Sinner unreformed by Afflictions is thus desperate He stretches out his Hand against God and strengthens himself against the Almighty he runneth upon him even on his Neck upon the thick Bosses of his Bucklers Such a furious Rebel was Ahaz who in the time of his Distress did trespass more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz But God hath most solemnly declared that he will be victorious at last over the most fierce obdurate Enemies As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bow to me His Power is Infinite and Anger puts an Edg upon his Power and makes it more terrible If our Subjection be not voluntary it must be violent 'T is our Wisdom to prevent Acts of Vengeance by humble Submissions The Duty of the Afflicted is excellently exprest by Elihu Surely it is meet to be said to God I have born Chastisements I will not offend any more That I know not teach thou me if I have done Iniquity I will do so no more Add further upon another account Reverence is due to God's Chastenings for when Love is the Motive that incites one to give us Counsel tho it be mixt with Reproofs and his Prudence is not great yet a Respect is due to the Affection Now God who is only wise chastises Men from a desire to make them better and happy he intends primarily to refine not to consume them by Afflictions so that a serious regard to his Hand is the most just and necessary Duty of the Creature Briefly every Chastisement should leave deep and permanent Impressions upon us the Sense of God's Displeasure should make our Hearts mournful and mollified broken and contrite that his Will may be done by us on Earth as it is in Heaven 2. Let us always preserve an humble Dependance and firm Hope on God for a blessed Issue out of all our Troubles The Support and Tranquillity of the Soul ariseth from hence Christian Patience suffers all things as well as Charity being incouraged by a continual expectation of Good from him Patience confirms all other Graces and is to the whole Armour of God what the Temper is to material Weapons that keeps them from breaking in the Combat Now to maintain a constant Hope in Affliction 't is necessary to consider the Reason of the Exhortation as 't is admirably amplified by the Apostle 1. The Relation God sustains when he afflicts Believers He is a Judg invested with the Quality of a Father The Covenant of Grace between God and Jesus Christ our true David contains this observable Clause If thy Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their Transgressions with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes The Love that ariseth from this Relation tho it cannot hate yet it may be displeased and chastise them for their Follies Moses tells the Israelites Thou shalt consider in thy Heart that as a Man chastens his Son so the Lord thy God chastens thee In Children Reason is not fully disclouded they are not capable to govern themselves and are only taught with sensible Pleasure or Pain So that a Father is obliged to join Correction with Instruction to form them to Vertue This is so far from being inconsistent with Paternal Affection that 't is inseparable from it For a Parent to suffer a Child to go on pleasantly in Sin without due Punishment is pure Cruelty disguised under the Mask of Pity for by the neglect of Discipline he is confirm'd in his vicious Courses and exposed to Ruin The Apostle therefore adds Whom the Lord loves he chastens As from the severest Wrath he sometimes forbeareth to strike so from dearest Love he afflicts Humble Believers through a Cloud of Tears may see the Light of God's Countenance for having elected them by special Love to a glorious Inheritance above he dispenseth all things here in order to the preparing them for it and all Temporal Evils as Means are transform'd into the Nature of the End to which they are subservient So that the sharpest Sufferings are really from God's Favour since they are beneficial for our obtaining real Happiness The Devil usually tempts Men in a Paradise of Delights to precipitate them
Feed my Lambs 'T is his Delight and Glory to be the Saviour of Sinners How dearly has he bought our Love How willingly did he redeem us when we were Enemies His Love condescended to our low State to become a Servant that he might exalt us to his State to be the Sons of God How does he out-love us We do not love his Glory as he loved our Meanness not him the blessed God as he did us cursed Creatures O the Miracle of his ardent Love to us O the Strangeness of our cold Affection to him Love cannot be idle but will add Fire and Vigor and cause unfainting Perseverance in our Lord's Service Love and Duty will overcome all Difficulties If we consider by how many Titles he deserves our Service and feel the dear Obligations he has laid upon us we shall compel them to come in that our glorious King's House may be full I shall only add that to save Souls the Work is glorious and the Reward is more glorious In the Assembly of immortal Spirits above all united in Perfection and Felicity Those who turn many to Righteousness shall shine with a brighter Glory like the Stars for ever and ever Who would be so unhappy as to prefer sluggish Ease before a brighter Crown in Heaven Lastly I will finish this Discourse with an earnest Perswasive that Men would comply with the Invitations of the Divine Mercy Who can without some sparks of Pity and Indignation seriously observe that Men are slight and foolish in things of eternal Interest beyond all the degrees of Folly in the Concerns of this World Who would that is in danger to lose his Life or Estate and has but one day to secure them waste it in frivolous Matters when the Opportunity is so short and the Omission is irreparable Yet altho the present Life be certainly short and uncertainly continued and Eternity depends upon our present securing the Favour of God and our Title in his Kingdom Men employ their Time to gain the World and neglect their Salvation in comparison whereof all the Affairs of Time are a busy Folly and vain Impertinence Stupendious Security Now to perswade Men to come to Christ for Life let them consider 1. 'T is God's Call to which present Obedience is due Carnal Sense is apt to object Is it not a Man I see and hear 'T is true but the Message is the King 's not the Embassador's that brings it A spiritual Eye looks beyond the Object of Carnal Sight and sees Christ in the Minister by the Light of Faith Were this believed how would it fasten our Minds and Senses in the most serious Attention to the preaching of the Gospel 2. Make judicious Comparisons between this World and the next As in the Light of the Sun there is an Influence that cherishes the vital Heat and a Power that extinguishes the Kitchin Fire so the Light of God's Word has a double Efficacy it kindles Heavenly and quenches Earthly Affections Indeed there wants neither Glory nor Joy nothing of compleat Happiness in the World to come to raise our Affections and fasten them upon it and in this World all is Vanity and Vexation to alienate our Affections from it What infinite Distance and Disproportion is there between the Objects of our Choice Who would think it possible but that 't is visible every day that they who have Mortal Souls should be careless of Eternal Things and spend all their Pains and Passions about Things that expire with the Flux of Time That they should neglect solid Happiness and pursue shining Bubbles But the present World fascinates their Understandings inspires their Fancy with Dreams of Happiness here Sensuality charms them into Stupidity they are unwilling to be disenchanted they enjoy their Error and are entertain'd with pleasant Delusions till awaken'd by eternal Flames Let the enlighten'd Mind consider and judg the Soul is of a Divine Original a Spiritual Substance of an everlasting Duration and can never be happy but in the Enjoyment of those Objects that are Divine and Spiritual commensurate to its Capacity and Duration Let a Man possess the World with all its Advantages and Delights the starved Soul would suffer infinite Want and can only be satisfied with the Fulness of God Under what Notion soever Happiness is conceived 't is only to be found in God What can inrich a Spirit but Spiritual Treasures Holiness is the richest Jewel in the Celestial Crown What can dignify and ennoble a Spirit but an Alliance to God as a Father and the Likeness of him in his Divinest Excellencies What can satisfy an Immortal Spirit and replenish it with Joy but vital Union with God and the immediate Influence of Almighty and Eternal Goodness Carnal Men when they obtain their immediate End Riches Honours and Pleasures they fail in their main End true Happiness they seem wise for the present and are Fools for ever The Scripture tells us the Less is blessed of the Greater How can the present World that is so inferiour to Man in the Nobility of his Nature afford Perfection and Satisfaction to him How unsutable how insufficient is it to fill the largest and strongest Desires of the Soul The World may cloy but cannot satisfy us but the Favour of God the more 't is enjoyed the more 't is desir'd and delighted in Carnal Joy seems but is not Fear and Stings of Remorse may be disguised and gloss'd over with a chearful Countenance and Carriage but are not extinguish'd Spiritual Joy seems not but is the Apostle tells us As sorrowful but alway rejoycing there may be a Winter in the Face and a flourishing Spring in the Heart There is a secret Sweetness in the Practice of Religion that the Unrenewed are Strangers to they cannot see a Taste Carnal Joy cannot repel its Contrary it cannot endure the Assaults of the slight and transient Evils to which we are expos'd here Sickness Disappointments Apprehensions of Evils that hover over us may imbitter the most pleasant Condition A wounded Spirit like an ulcerous Palat that is fretted and pain'd with the sweetest things turns all the Pleasures of the World into Vexation Fear struck Belshazzar at his Feast into a trembling But Peace with God and the Joy that flows from it the World can neither give nor take away 't is as unable to destroy it as to produce it Believers rejoice in Tribulations All Carnal Joys are of short Continuance The World passes away and the Lusts thereof Life is dying and the Comforts of it All Flesh is Grass and the Glory as the Flower of the Grass that by Heat or Cold by a Blast or a Worm is soon destroyed All the Objects of the sensual Passions are very fading The finest Stamp of Beauty in the Countenance how easily is it defac'd by Sickness or Sorrow by many Accidents or Age Riches take the Wings of the Morning and flee away from the Possessors Honour is casual and uncertain the
Thus Intemperance and Luxury shorten the Lives of Men and accelerate Damnation Fierce Desires and wild Rage are Fewel for the everlasting Fire in Hell The same Evils considered Physically are from the Efficiency of Sin consider'd legally are from the Guilt of Sin and the Justice of God This being a Point of great Usefulness that I may be more instructive I will consider the Evils that are consequential to Sin under these two Heads First Such as proceed immediately from it by Emanation Secondly Those Evils and all other as the Effects of God's Justice and Sentence First The Evils that proceed immediately by Emanation from it and tho some of them are not resented with feeling Apprehensions by Sinners yet they are of a fearful Nature Sin has deprived Man of the Purity Nobility and Peace of his innocent State 1. It has stain'd and tainted him with an universal intimate and permanent Pollution Man in his first Creation was holy and righteous a Beam of Beauty derived from Heaven was shed upon his Soul in comparison of which sensitive Beauty is but as the Clearness of Glass to the Lustre of a Diamond His Understanding was Light in the Lord his Will and Affections were regular and pure the Divine Image was imprest upon all his Faculties that attracted the Love and Complacency of God himself Sin has blotted out all his amiable Excellencies and superinduc'd the most foul Deformity the Original of which was fetch'd from Hell Sinners are the natural Children of Satan of a near Resemblance to him The Scripture borrows Comparisons to represent the defiling Quality of Sin from Pollutions that are most loathsom to our Senses from pestilential Ulcers putrifying Sores filthy Vomit and defiling Mire This Pollution is universal through the whole Man Spirit Soul and Body It darkens the Mind our supream Faculty with a Cloud of Corruption it depraves the Will and vitiates the Affections 'T is a Pollution so deep and permanent that the Deluge that swept away a World of Sinners did not wash away their Sins and the Fire at the last Day that shall devour the Dross of the visible World and renew the Heavens and the Earth shall not purge away the Sins of the guilty Inhabitants This Pollution hath so defil'd and disfigur'd Man who was a fair and lovely Type wherein the Skill and Perfections of the Creator was conspicuous that it repented God that he made Man As an Artificer having form'd a surprizing Piece either a Statue or Picture wherein Art almost equall'd the Life and Lustre of Nature if it be torn or broken throws it from his sight with sorrow impatient to see it so rudely defaced Thus God is said to hide his Face from Sinners to express his Displeasure as unwilling to behold the Disparagement of his Master-piece the excellent Product of his Wisdom and Power 2. Sin has degraded Man from his native State and Dignity Man by his Extraction and Descent was the Son of God a little lower than the Angels consecrated and crowned as a Priest for the Service and Communion with his glorious Maker and as King over the World But being in Honour he understood not his Dignity his Duty and Felicity and became like the Beasts that perish By his Rebellion against his Creator he made a Forfeiture of his Dominion and lost the Obedience of sensible Creatures and the Service of Insensible which I only mention and shall restrain my Consideration to shew how he is become like the Beasts as an Effect resulting from his Sin He is devested of his white Robe of Innocence and his noblest Perfections Reason and Religion Sense and Imagination the leading Faculties in Brutes are his Rulers The rational governing Powers of Man have lost their superior Sway and the Carnal Passions rove without Reins to forbidden Objects The lower Appetites are predominant which is the most ignominious and cruel Servitude wherein Human Liberty can be intangled and fetter'd His Understanding and Will that were capable of taking a flight for the Discovery and Fruition of Celestial and Eternal Things are debased and limited to sensual perishing Things and derive vilifying Qualities from them He is Earthly-minded his Aims Contrivances Desires are fastened to the Earth the Divine Spark within him is cover'd under Ashes He is carnally minded always studying and making Provisions for the Flesh. This is a viler Debasement than if the Counsellors of State were employed in the sordid Offices of the Kitchin or Stable Nay 't is a Diminution below the Rank of Beasts for by Nature they are uncapable of directing their Eyes and Desires towards Heaven but Man is Brutish by his voluntary Sin To see the Head of a rapacious Wolf or fierce Tyger or lustful Horse joined to the Body of a Man how monstrous would it appear But 't is more unnatural and ignominious for Men in whom Reason and Religion should govern to resemble them in the Brutish Appetites of Lust and Rage for there is a nearer Affinity between the Body of a Man and of a Beasts that agree in the common sensible Nature than between the Immortal Spirit of a Man and the Beasts that perish In short Sin has enslaved Men to Satan an Infernal Fiend They are taken Captives by him at his Pleasure And which is the lowest Degradation they are the Servants of Corruption 3. Sin has broke the sweet Peace and blessed Concord in the Soul the Felicity of our innocent State Peace is the Tranquillity that results from Order and Unity In Man there was a regular Harmony of all his Faculties the Affections were consonant with his Will his Will with his Understanding and his Understanding with the Law of God This was the inward State of his Soul in his Creation for having a derived Being it was natural and necessary that he should be appointed to his End and receive his Rule for the obtaining it from the Understanding and Will of his Maker Now whilst there was a Correspondence in his Faculties and their Operations with his Rule and End the Will of God and the Glory of God the Result of it as well as the Reward of it was Spiritual Peace with God Internal Peace with himself External Peace with others Now Sin has dissolved this Unity violated this sacred Order And from hence 1. Peace with God that consisted in his Favour and Friendship to us and our Filial Dependance upon him which is the Spring of full and satisfying Joy is broke God appears a fearful Enemy against the Sinners the penal Effects of his Wrath I shall speak of distinctly under the second General And that Divine Calm in the Conscience that Peace joyn'd with the purest Pleasure that was the Reflex of God's Favour on the Soul is changed into anxious Apprehensions of his just Power to punish us Guilt generates Fear and Fear Hatred and both cause a woful flight from God 2. Internal Peace is broke by Sin Whilst the Passions were subordinate to the Empire of
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 tho 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 Lawgiver 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 condens'd together 'T is our Wisdom and Duty to consider the Evil of Sin in its essential Malignity which implies no less than that God was neither wise nor good in making his Law and that he is not just and powerful to vindicate it And when tempted to any pleasant Sin to consider the due Aggravations of it as Joseph did which will controul the Efficacy of the Temptation I shall only add that when a Man has mortified the Lusts of the Flesh he has overcome the main part of the infernal Army that wars against the Soul Sensual Objects do powerfully and pleasantly insinuate into carnal Men and the Affections are very unwillingly restrain'd from them To undertake the Cure of those whose Disease is their Pleasure is almost a vain Attempt for they do not judg it an Evil to be regarded and will not accept distasteful Remedies 3. Fly all tempting occasions of Sin Joseph would not be alone with his Mistress There is no Vertue so confirmed and in that degree of Eminence but if one be frequently ingaged in vicious Society 't is in danger of being eclips'd and controul'd by the opposite Vice If the Ermins will associate with the Swine they must lie in the Mire if the Sheep with Wolves they must learn to bite and devour if Doves with Vultures they must learn to live on the Prey Our surest Guard is to keep at a distance from all engaging Snares He that from Carelesness or Confidence ventures into Temptations makes himself an easy Prey to the Tempter And let us daily pray for the Divine Assistance to keep us from the Evil of the World without which all our Resolutions will be as ineffectual as Ropes of Sand to bind us to our Duty 5. The Consideration of the Evil of Sin is a powerful Motive to our solemn and speedy Repentance The remembrance of our Original and Actual Sins will convince us that we are born for Repentance There are innumerable silent Sins that are unobserved and do not alarm the Conscience and altho a true Saint will neither hide any Sin nor suffer Sin to hide it self in his Breast yet the most holy Men in the World have great reason with the Psalmist to say with melting Affections Who can understand his Errors O cleanse me from my secret Sins discover them to me by the Light of the Word and cover them in the Blood of the Redeemer There are Sins of Infirmity and daily Incursion from which none can be perfectly freed in this mortal State these should excite our Watchfulness and be lamented with true Tears There are crying Sins of a Crimson Guilt which are to be confest with heart-breaking Sorrow confounding Shame and implacable Antipathy against them and to be forsaken for ever Of these some are of a deep die in their Nature and some from the Circumstances in committing them some are of a heinous Nature and more directly and expresly renounce our Duty and more immediately obstruct our Communion with God As a Mud-Wall intercepts the Light of the Sun from shining upon us 2. Some derive a greater Guilt from the Circumstances in the commission Such are 1. Sins against Knowledg for according to the Ingrediency of the Will in Sin the Guilt arises Now when Conscience interposes between the Carnal Heart and the Temptation and represents the Evil of Sin and deters from Compliance and yet Men will venture to break the Divine Law this exceedingly aggravates the Offence for such Sins are committed with a fuller Consent and are justly called Rebellion against the Light And the clearer the Light is the more it will increase the disconsolate fearful Darkness in Hell 2. Sins committed against the Love as well as the Law of God are exceedingly aggravated To pervert the Benefits we receive from God to his Dishonour to turn them into occasions of Sin which were designed to endear Obedience to us to sin licentiously and securely in hopes of an easy Pardon at last is intensive of our Guilt in a high degree This is to poison the Antidote and make it deadly There is a Sacrifice to reconcile offended Justice but if Men obstinately continue in Sin and abuse the Grace of the Gospel there is no Sacrifice to appease exasperated Mercy 3. Sins committed against solemn Promises and Engagements to forsake them have a deeper Die for Perfidiousness is join'd with this Disobedience The Divine Law strictly binds us to our Duty antecedently to our Consent but when we promise to obey it we increase our Obligations and by sinning break double Chains In short any habitual allowed Sin induces a heavy Guilt for it argues a deeper root and foundation of Sin in the Heart a stronger Inclination to it from whence the repeated Acts proceed which are new Provocations to the pure Eyes of God Accordingly in repenting
Reflections our Sorrow should be most afflicting our Humiliation deeper our Selfcondemnation most severe for those Sins which have been most dishonourable to God and defiling to us Not that we can make any Satisfaction for our Sins tho we should fill the Air with our Sighs and Heaven with our Tears but it becomes us to have our Sorrows inlarged in some proportion to our Unworthiness And this mournful Disposition prepares us for the Grace of God The Law does not allow Repentance but exacts entire Obedience 't is the Privilege of the Gospel that repenting Sinners are assur'd of Forgiveness without this Qualification 't is inconsistent with the Majesty Purity and Justice of God to extend pardoning Mercy to Sinners for they will never value nor humbly and ardently seek for Mercy till they feel the woful Effects of Sin in their Conscience only the stung Israelite would look to the brazen Serpent And this is requisite to prevent our relapsing into Sin for the Dominion of Sin being founded in the Love of Pleasure the proper means to extinguish it is by a bitter Repentance the Heart is first broken for Sin and then from it To conclude Let us renew our Repentance every day let not the Wounds of our Spirits putrify let not the Sun go down upon God's Wrath let us always renew the Application of Christ's Blood that alone can cleanse us from Sin SERMON III. 1 JOHN V. 2. By this we know we are the Children of God if we love God and keep his Commandments OF all the Marks that are useful in the Trial of our Spiritual State in reference to Eternity there is none affords a more clear and comfortable Assurance of God's special and saving Mercy than Love to the Saints This has often resolved the Doubts and quieted the Fears of afflicted enquiring Souls when other Graces have not been so apprehensible in their Operations But there is no Mark which the deceitful Heart does more securely rest upon through the mistake of Natural Human Love for that which is Spiritual and Divine It is therefore most worthy our serious Thoughts the Deceit being so easy and infinitely dangerous to shew what is the unfeigned genuine Love of the Brethren to which Salvation is annex'd to confirm the humble sincere Christian and undeceive presuming Hypocrites The great Design of St. John in this Epistle is to excite and enflame in Christians the Love of God and of their Brethren the two comprehensive Duties and bright Sum of the Law our principal Perfections in Heaven and Earth These he recommends by the most affectionate and obliging the most warming melting Perswasives the superlative Love of God to us and our Communion with the Saints in Nature and Grace In the former Verse the Apostle argues from the reality of the Effect as an Evidence of the Cause Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ that is the Saviour of the World foretold by the Prophets and expresses the Truth of that Faith in a sutable Conversation is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Grace is not less powerful in producing tender reciprocal Affections between the Off-spring of the same Heavenly Father than the subordinate Endearments of Nature The Pretence is vain of Love to God without loving his regenerate Children And in the Text he argues from the knowledg of the Cause to the discovering of the sincerity of the Effect By this we know that we love the Children of God with a holy Affection if we love God and keep his Commandments There is but one Difficulty to be removed that the Force of the Apostle's reasoning may appear 't is this a Medium to prove a thing must be a clearer Evidence than what is concluded by it Now tho a Demonstration from the Cause be more noble and scientifical yet that which is drawn from the Effect is more near to Sense and more discernable And this is verified in the Instance before us for the Love of God who is absolutely spiritual in his Being and Excellencies doth not with that sensible Fervour affect and passionately transport us as Love to his Children with whom we visibly converse and who are receptive of the most sensible Testimonies of our Affection Accordingly the Apostle argues He that loves not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen As the Motives to love our Brethren from our Conjunction in Nature and familiar Conversation are more capable to allure our Affections and more sensibly strike the Heart than the invisible Deity who is infinitely above us by the same reason we may more easily judg of the truth of our Love to them than of our Love to God To this the Answer is clear the Apostle doth not speak of the Love of God as a still silent contemplative Affection confined to the superiour Faculty of the Soul but as a burning shining Affection like Fire active and declarative of it self in those Effects that necessarily flow from it that is voluntary Obedience to his Commands and thus it becomes manifest to the renewed Conscience and is a most convincing Proof of the Sincerity of our Love to the Saints The Text being cleared affords this Doctrine Doct. The Sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is certainly discovered by our Love to God and Obedience to his Commands For the Illustration and Proof of the Point I will briefly shew I. Who are described by this Title The Children of God II. What is included in our Love to them III. What the Love of God is and the Obedience that flows from it IV. How from Love to God and willing Obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the Sincerity of our Love to his Children To explain the first we must consider that this Title The Children of God is given upon several accounts First By Creation the Angels are called the Sons of God and Men his Off-spring The reason of the Title is 1. The manner of their Production by his immediate Power Thus he is stiled The Father of Spirits in distinction from the Fathers of the Flesh. For tho the Conception and forming of the Body be the Work of his secret Providence yet 't is by the hand of Nature the Parents concurring as the second Causes of it but the Production of the Soul is to be entirely ascribed to his Power without the Intervention of any Creature 2. In their spiritual immortal Nature and the intellectual Operations flowing from it there is an Image and Resemblance of God from whence this Title is common to all reasonable Creatures and peculiar to them for tho Matter may be ordered and fashioned by the Hand of God into a Figure of admirable Beauty yet 't is not capable of his Likeness and Image so that neither the Lights of Heaven nor the Beasts and Plants of the Earth are called his Children Secondly By External Calling and Covenant
some are denominated his Children for by this Evangelical Constitution God is pleased to receive Believers into a filial Relation Indeed where there is not a cordial Consent and Subjection to the Terms of the Covenant visible Profession and the receiving the External Seals of it will be of no advantage but the publick serious owning of the Gospel entitles a Person to be of the Society of Christians and Filius and Foederatus are all one Thirdly There is Sonship that arises from supernatural Regeneration that is the communicating a new Nature to Man whereby there is a holy and blessed Change in the directive and commanding Faculties the Understanding and Will and in the Affections and consequently in the whole Life This is wrought by the Efficacy of the Word and Spirit and is called by our Saviour Regeneration because it is not our Original Carnal Birth but a Second and Celestial 'T is with the new Man in Grace as with an Infant in Nature that has the essential Parts that compose a Man a Soul endowed with all its Faculties a Body with all its Organs and Parts but not in the Vigor of mature Age. Thus renewed Holiness in a Christian is compleat and entire in its Parts but not in Perfection of Degrees there is an universal Inclination to all that is holy just and good and a universal Aversion from Sin tho the Executive Power be not equal And regenerate Christians are truly called the Children of God for as in Natural Generation there is communicated a Principle of Life and sutable Operations from whence the Title and Relation of a Father arises so in Regeneration there are derived such holy and heavenly Qualities to the Soul as constitute a Divine Nature in Man whereby he is Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself from hence he is a Child of God and has an Interest and Propriety in his Favour Power and Promises and all the Good that flows from them and a Title to the Eternal Inheritance II. I will shew what is included in our Love to the Children of God First The Principle of this Love is Divine The Soul is purified through the Spirit to unfeigned Love of the Brethren Naturally the Judgment is corrupted and the Will depraved that carnal Respects either of Profit or Pleasure are the quick and sensible Incitements of Love and till the Soul be cured of the sensual Contagion the Inclination can never be directed and the Desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite Beauty of God's Holiness so the Love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among Men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special Influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a Divine Purity Secondly The Qualifications of this Love are as follow 1. It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in Expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the Integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Love of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal Affection set off with artificial Colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judg of Hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him 2. 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous Man as a righteous Man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost 3. From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in Knowledg and Zeal and Love in active Graces others in Humility Meekness and Patience that sustain and adorn them in Sufferings some are in a higher Rank others are in humble Circumstances as in the visible World things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special Respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the Brightness and Power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more Reasons that make a Person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion But a dear Affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have Communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance 4. It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joins the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of Fire to direct and inflame us This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious Life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble tho our highest Expressions of Love and Compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect Imitation of his Divine Perfection I shall add farther This Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The Love of Esteem correspondent to the real Worth and special Goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his Eyes a vile Person is contemned however set off by the Glory of the World and the Ornaments of the present State that as a false Mask conceal their foul Deformity to carnal Persons but he honours them that fear the Lord tho disfigured by Calumnies tho obscur'd and depress'd by Afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comeliness in the Judgment of Fools In our Valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the natural or acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence human Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first-Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the World are but Dregs a corrupt Mass. They are stiled his Sons being Partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and
the weak or faint may be restored The first and last Lesson of Pagan Philosophy was to support Men under the Storms to which they are liable in this open State to render the Soul velut Pelagi rupes immota as a Rock unshaken by the Waves But all their Directions were unsuccessful and so could not secure them from Impatience or Despair But the Gospel that assures us of the Love of God in sending Afflictions for our Spiritual and Eternal Good is alone able to compose the Mind And whenever we faint in Troubles 't is either from Infidelity or Inconsideration 't is impossible a Person should be a Christian and be incapable of Comfort in the most afflicted State for we are really so by the holy Spirit who is the Comforter When we speak sometimes to those we judg infirm we speak to Infidels who only receive Remedy from Time which they ought to receive from Faith they they have the Name of God only in their Mouths but the World is in their Hearts Their Passions are strong and obstinate not subject to sanctified Reason The Difficulty they have of being comforted discovers the necessity of their being afflicted They need Conversion more than Consolation others who are sincere in Faith yet are apt to faint under Troubles from an Error like that of the Apostles when their Lord came upon the Waters in a stormy tempestuous Night to their Assistance they thought he was a Spirit So they look on God as an Enemy when he comes to sanctify and save them the Soveraign Remedy of our Sorrows is to correct the Judgment of Sense by a serious Belief of God's Promise Thus we shall reconcile the roughness of his Hand with the sweetness of his Voice he calls to us from Heaven in the darkest Night 'T is I be not afraid He corrects us with the Heart and Hand of a Father A due Consideration of these things will produce a glorified Joy in the midst of our Sufferings Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope SERMON VI. LUKE xiv 23. The Lord said to the Servant Compel them to come in that my House may be full OUR Blessed Saviour in the days of his Humility among other Instances of his admirable Condescension was pleased in his Sermons to stoop to the Capacity of the Hearers and instruct them in a familiar easy way The infirm Eye of Flesh cannot behold Spiritual Things in their immediate Purity and Glory but as shadowed under sensible Comparisons Therefore his excellent Goodness made use of Parables to illustrate and explain by Representations and Patterns borrowed from things common and known things of a sublimer Nature and more distant from our Apprehensions and by this ingaging lively manner to awaken the Spirit to consider by what is said what is signified and to insinuate into the Affections Divine Truths so pleasingly conveyed to us Now of all the Parables in the Gospel this of the Marriage-Feast both in respect of the Excellence of the Matter and the manner of Expression sutable to our Capacity deserves the serious Application of our Minds and Hearts I will make some Observations upon it that may be useful and introductive to the following Discourse Two general Parts are to be considered in it viz. I. The Narrative of the Prepations and the Persons invited to the Feast II. The Success of the Invitation In unfolding these Generals I shall consider the Substance of the Parable without straining it by far fetch'd Parallels beyond the Intention of our Saviour 'T is a curious Folly to turn every Figure in Scripture into an Allegory The Parable is the same in Substance with that in the 22d Chapter of St. Matthew from the 2d Verse to the 15th that indeed has more of Circumstance and Magnificence in the Relation The certain Man that made the Feast is there stiled a King that is the blessed God and the Feast is for the Marriage of his Son Under this Figure of a Royal Marriage is represented the Mystical Marriage between Christ and his Church and the Type is infinitely excell'd by the Reality If we consider the Persons join'd in this Divine Alliance the Son of God of the same Nature of equal and eternal Greatness with his Father to unite himself to sinful miserable Creatures in a Conjugal Relation the most tender and entire What an immense distance was to be overcome What a seeming Disparagement was it to him In order to this it was necessary there should be a Conformity of Nature between us he therefore was made Flesh that we might be one Spirit with him he assumed our Nature in a Personal Union to the Diety that he might marry our Persons in a Spiritual Union He was a Saviour to redeem us that he might be a Husband to inrich us Astonishing Love The Lord of Glory higher than the Heavens stoop'd so low as to espouse poor Dust he gave his Life for us and himself to us for ever What Honour and Happiness accrues to us by this Alliance the Lord of Angels is our Husband His Gifts are answerable to his Love he is Heir of all things and endows his Church with Heaven and Earth the Apostle assures Believers all things are yours and you are Christ's and Christ is God's Our Communion with him is so perfect that he discharges us of all the Evils that we cannot bear our Sins and the Curse due to them by taking them upon himself and bestows upon us all the Blessings and Blessedness we are capable to enjoy Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption By the great Supper prepar'd we are to understand the Manifestation of the Messiah with all the most precious and unvaluable Benefits purchased and conferr'd by him upon Believers the Pardon of Sins Adoption into God's Family the Graces and Comforts of the Spirit and eternal Glory the becoming Testimonies of his Greatness and Love The prime Guests invited to this Feast are the Jews the select People of God to whom pertained the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever When other Nations were excluded from the Alliance of God his Presence and Worship was their Privilege and for them this Feast was principally intended The Servants employed in the Invitation were first Moses and the Prophets inclusively to John the Baptist all to whom the Oracles of God were committed and by whom the eternal Counsels of his Wisdom were declar'd concerning the Messias All their Prophecies as so many Lines meet in this Centre The other Servants were the Apostles who were commanded to preach the Gospel first at Jerusalem The first order of Servants and the second both proposed the same Messias as the Object of our Faith
and Love but the Prophets under Shadows and Figures in the Promises the Apostles clearly in the Truth and Accomplishment The first invited while the Preparations were making but the Evangelical Ministers are more earnest and pressing Come for all things are now ready And in comparing these two Periods of Time there is the most shining and sensible Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion for the Marks of it are clear in the Prophecies by their exact References to the Accomplishment in the Person of Christ and they are clear in the Accomplishment by the Correspondence to the Prophecies Who can suspend Assent that our Redemption by Jesus Christ is the Work of Divine Providence when the design of it is so exactly delineated in the Prophecy Thus the unchangeable Firmness and Stability of God's Counsel is the Foundation of our Faith The Consummation of the Marriage will be at the second coming of Christ. II. The Success of the Invitation is related They all with one Consent began to make Excuse The first said I have bought a piece of Ground and I must needs go to see it Another said I have bought five Yoke of Oxen and go to prove them And another said I have married a Wife and I cannot come All the Carnal Affections are readily and presently conspiring in the refusal It may seem that the Allegations of a Purchase and Marriage for not coming to a Feast were very reasonable but the Feast represents Celestial Happiness in comparison of which all the Profits and Pleasures of this World are but Loss and Dung 'T is evident then their Excuses are strong Accusations of their Folly and Ingratitude Of Folly in preferring Shadows before substantial Felicity Moments before Eternity Of Ingratitude in rejecting contumeliously the most gracious and earnest Offer of such a Happiness This is spoken of the Jews who lived in the time of the Son of God's Descent for the Salvation of Men The love of the World caused them to despise his mean Appearance and neglect the Call of humble Mercy Upon their refusal the Servant came and shewed his Lord these things Then the Master of the House being Angry said to his Servant Go out quickly into the Streets and Lanes of the City and bring in hither the Poor and the Maimed and the Halt and the Blind And the Servant said Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and yet there is Room And the Lord said unto the Servant Go out into the High-ways and Hedges and compel them to come in that my House may be filled For I say unto you that none of those Men that were bidden shall taste of my Supper The Refusers are for ever excluded from the Joy of this Royal Feast being as unworthy as unwilling to partake of it This Judgment is still visible upon the Nation of the Jews who consent to their Progenitors rejecting and condemning the Messias and will not be convinced of the obstinate Imposture that was devised to prevent the Belief of his Resurrection But it did not become the Wisdom and Goodness of God that such costly Preparations should be lost it was requisite that some Persons should actually come to the Feast that is obey the Heavenly Call and receive the Gospel for otherwise the Redemption the Son of God so dearly acquir'd had been without Fruit he had died in vain which is directly contrary to the Promise of God to him I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth Accordingly the Servant is ordered to bring in the Poor the Lame and the Blind and to go into the High-ways and Hedges and compel them to come in that the House may be filled These Expressions declare the extream Misery of the Heathens who were at that time without Christ Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Compel them to come in The Papists allege this Text to give colour to their Cruelty in their violent ways of making Proselytes to their Idolatry Their convincing Arguments are Swords and Racks and Gibbets and Fires If this be a proper Method of converting Men to Religion the greatest Tyrants are the most infallible Teachers The Vanity and Impiety of the Pretence will appear by considering 1. 'T is ridiculous to Reason to use forcible Means for such an End for the Understanding is a reasonable Faculty and can only be convinc'd by instructing Reasons It cannot judg of things but as they appear nor assent against its Judgment Indeed Threatnings and Tortures may make Men Infidels but not sincere Believers it may make them Hypocrites and Comedians in Religion but not unseigned Professors This is abundantly exemplified in France where the vast number of servile Converts have been made by their Dragoons not their Doctors 2. This is most contrary to the Practice of our Saviour and to the Spirit of the Gospel The Sword that Christ useth in subduing his Enemies and making them willing Subjects to his Scepter goes out of his Mouth His Kingdom was introduced into the World by Preaching and Miracles by doing Good and suffering Evil he open'd the way for the Gospel not by killing his Enemies but by dying himself and in his Members The establishing and enlarging his Religion are by sutable means the Illumination of Mens Minds the Perswasion of their Wills the drawing of their Affections to embrace it Accordingly the Apostle tells us The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds Casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledg of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ. The Weapons are sutable to the Warfare and the Warfare to the Kingdom which is spiritual not of this World The using of Force to constrain Men to embrace the Christian Religion is contrary to the Love the Goodness Meekness Clemency and Benignity the blessed Temper the Gospel plants in the Breasts of Christians How severely did our Saviour rebuke the fiery Spirit in James and John You know not what manner of Spirit you are of the Son of Man came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them 'T is contrary to the Golden Rule given to all his Disciples What you would have others do to you do you to them But this must be acknowledged that 't is very congruous that the Papists make use of the material Sword when the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God strikes through the Heart of Popery The Doctrine of the Mass is a clear Contradiction to the Scripture and a notorious derogating from the Value and Virtue of Christ's Death they say 't is an unbloody Sacrifice of Christ propitiatory for the Living and the Dead Whereas our Saviour was offered up but once the Mass is ten thousand times
if we consider the Depravation of Mankind so inveterate and invincible we shall turn the Current of our Wonder another way that the obstinate Perverseness of any is subdued and that with consenting Wills they receive Christ as their Prince and Saviour Election is the Fountain of distinguishing Grace Many are called but few are chosen Conversion Adoption Justification Sanctification Glorification are all the Fruits of electing Mercy By the most gracious and free Act of his own Will he chose some out of the corrupt Generality and they are but a little diminutive Flock to make them Vessels of Honour that his Goodness might be the more admirable Those who are made a willing People were by the natural and contracted Hardness of their Hearts as averse and repugnant to the Heavenly Call as others if after a thousand Repulses the Spirit had been withdrawn they had died in their Sins but as 't is said of Lot's miraculous Rescue from the Flames of Sodom While he lingred the Angels laid hold upon his Hand the Lord being merciful to him and brought him forth and set him without the City so the free and omnipotent Grace over-rul'd their reluctant Hearts and strongly and sweetly inclin'd them to God their supream and satisfying Good and to come to Christ as the only means to restore them to the Favour and Enjoyment of God The natural Man is no more able to believe with a saving Faith in Christ than to obey the whole Law 't is the Gift of God He provides the Means of Salvation and applies them he by victorious Grace leads Captivity captive and bestows that most precious Gift upon his People How many that enjoy'd the same Gospel and did not reject so many Invitations nor so often grieve and vex the holy Spirit nor so long abuse the Patience of God were justly left in their Sins this will set a Lustre upon special and saving Mercy O what a conspicuous Discovery what a lively and thankful Sense will there be of this Grace in the next World Our Saviour tells the unbelieving Jews There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and you your selves turn'd out The Comparison of the opposite States will then be more joyful and transporting to the Saints and more manifest and tormenting to the Reprobates They shall feel a burning Thirst after the Happiness they have lost and be tortur'd between Desire and Despair for ever 2. Let those who make light of the Invitations of Grace consider what will be the Issue of their Obstinacy Within a little while Conscience will awaken the Remembrance of their careless Contempt of the Divine Mercy and that will awaken Despair To instruct such Persons and make them afraid that they may fly to the Sanctuary from the Destroyer let them consider 1. This will render them inexcusable Their Obduration and final Ruin will be of themselves God is pleased to appeal to the Human Understanding What could I do more for my Vineyard that I have not done His Works and his Words are declaratory of his Will how pleasing the Repentance and Life of Sinners is to him He has prepar'd a Saviour and Salvation and offers them to lost Souls In the Year of Jubilee Liberty was proclaim'd for all the Israelites who had been Servants but if any one would not leave his Master his Ear was bored and he was a Servant for ever Thus the acceptable Year of the Lord is proclaim'd in the Gospel a happy Freedom to Sinners by Jesus Christ but those who are in love with their reigning Lusts refuse this Freedom and are condemn'd to the worst Bondage for ever God by his Authority commands them to repent and believe the Gospel He invites them by the most gracious Promises to accept and receive them he expresses the most tender Compassions towards perishing Sinners Why will ye die He reproaches their unaccountable Folly How long ye simple ones will ye love Simplicity He urges them by terrible Threatnings not to neglect his offer'd Grace But they are deaf to his loudest Calls if a Lust whispers from their Earthly Affections they are presently moved No Mercy will soften them no Reproofs will reform them the richest Means of Grace are lost and they prodigally perish Now how justly do they fall under the condemning Sentence of the Law who slight the Mercy of the Gospel God takes no Pleasure in the Death of a Sinner but they take Pleasure in their Sins they die in their Sins because they will die they are deprived of Life because they will not come to Christ that they may have Life At the Day of Judgment lost Sinners will intirely clear God and deeply charge themselves with their deserved Ruin 2. Such are irrecoverable The Gospel is the only Dispensation of Grace if Men obstinately reject it their Condition is as desperate as if they were bound in Chains of Darkness to the Judgment of the great Day Mercy alone can heal us and if that be wounded our Sickness is incurable He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abides on him His Doom is sealed and irreversible God now speaks in a still Voice but hereafter he will speak in a Whirlwind to the Despisers of his Grace 'T is true we cannot say a Soul is quite lost while there is a delay of Judgment but the Scripture declares that Sinners by their stubborn Refusals of Mercy make God inexorable to their Prayers There is a day of Grace and the Lapse of it is fatal to the Neglecters Of this there have been very fearful Examples how many Despisers of the Grace of the Redeemer in the course of their Lives yet in the Agony of their last Departure when their Sins with a ghastly Aspect appear and with frightful Horror they look into the bottomless Pit Conscience anticipates the Divine Judgment Let the most compassionate Ministers offer them the Cordials of the Gospel and tell them they despair too soon the self-condemning Conscience replies they repent too late O that Men were early wise to secure their eternal Interest 3. The neglect of Salvation will aggravate Sin and the Judgment of Men. This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light The higher the Disobedience the lower the Damnation will be of Sinners The Heathens in their Race of ignorant Rebellion are not so guilty nor liable to so heavy a Sentence as those who disobey the Gospel The Israelites had so abus'd the Mercies of God to his Dishonour there were no such Rebels on Earth the Prophet was fain to descend to Hell for a Comparison to equal their Wickedness Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom Give Ear unto the Law of our God ye People of Gomorrah But those who turn the Grace of God into an occasion of
their sinful Security are not to be parallell'd in Hell The Devils rebel against the Creator against his Authority and Laws but Men rebel against their Soveraign and Saviour and 't is admirable Grace The Son of God interpos'd as Mediator to make God reconcilable to the World But he did not assume the Nature of Angels he took no hold of them nor can they take hold of him The Golden Scepter was never extended to them Justice was strict and severe for the first Sin they were presently expell'd from the Habitation of Glory and their Doom is irrevocable But Men are within the Reserves of Mercy God spares them in order to Pardon and renews his compassionate Calls to them to forsake their Sins and live by his Word and wonderful Patience he invites them to Repentance and by Repentance to his Favour and to Happiness Now what a violent Provocation is the Contempt of such Mercy The Furnace of Hell is heated seven times more for the Despisers of the Gospel How will the remembrance of their Folly rack their torn Minds The fiercest Furies cannot so torment them as their self-condemning Consciences 3. Let the Ministers of the Gospel be excited to discharge their Commission with Fidelity I shall set down some Directions and Motives in order to it The general Direction is this Salus Populi suprema Lex esto The Salvation of Souls is the End of Preaching and must regulate it The Qualifications of a Minister to make him successful are First Excellent Knowledg An ignorant Minister is a plain Solaecism as to say a blind Eye not capable to perform the Act proper to it The Office and Authority without Abilities to exercise it is in vain The Apostle declares the Perfection of the Scripture that 't is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works He is to instruct the Ignorant to remember the Careless to refute the Erronious to resolve the Doubting and comfort the Afflicted Not only Fidelity but Wisdom is requisite in the Servant whom his Lord made Ruler over his House to give them Meat in due season There must be substantial Learning to convince Gainsayers and spiritual Skill to understand the Arts of the Tempter who will fail with every Wind and make use of the various Dispositions of Men to do them Mischief He feeds the blazing Presumption of indulgent Sinners He speaks Peace to them when God is their Enemy if there be sometimes a sad Countenance the shadow of Repentance it is sufficient But he perplexes tender and fearful Spirits by suggesting they do not mourn enough to damp their Endeavours and make them heartless in God's Service Now 't is a principal Duty of an Evangelical Minister to unmask the Malice of Satan and defeat his Design to preach the Word in that distinct manner that secure Sinners may be afraid of Vengeance and that the Penitent may apply the Divine Mercy He that wins Souls is wise The Terrors of the Lord must be set in array against the rebellious obstinate Transgressors but the indulgent Love of our Heavenly Father the tender Compassions of our sensible Head and Saviour and the Consolations of the holy Comforter are the Portion of relenting and returning Sinners An understanding Minister instructs his People in their Duty and Happiness he will not offer them Stone for Bread intricate controversial Matters that astonish and cannot edify but plain Evangelical Truths the proper Food for the Soul The Manner and Language in Preaching must be answerable to the Majesty of Divine Truths There is nothing more odious than a sacred Subject triflingly handled The Affectation of Wit and flanting Eloquence frustrates the End of Preaching that is to convince Sinners of their Guilt and Misery and by the Conviction of Conscience to make them fly to the Sanctuary our blessed Saviour for Protection partly because those things that flatter the Fancy are not proper to affect the Conscience light trimmings of Language gaudy Expressions glittering Points of Wit please the Imagination but Conscience is excited and inflam'd by representing eternal Things with powerful Plainness and in a solemn manner and partly because the Human Spirit being limited while one Faculty is attentive another suspends its Activity and Operations so that the Exercise of the Fancy hinders the Mind from serious reflecting on Divine Truths and applying them to the Soul Vain Ornaments in a Sermon are like a painted Complection the more 't is advanc'd to the Eye the more 't is abased to the Judgment The Discourse of a Preacher should directly go to the Heart it should be so fram'd as to prove and illustrate the Subject and work on the Understanding and Affections We have the Pattern of this in Scripture where the Love and Mercy of God to his Children and his Justice and Power against his Enemies are represented in the most pathetical manner I will produce an Instance of both Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee What can be more supporting and comforting The other Instance is as terrible God is angry with the Wicked every day If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready He hath also prepared the Instruments of Death This Description of God's righteous Displeasure is more powerful to shoot through the Conscience of hardned Sinners than the bare threatnings that Justice will surely punish them Secondly A Minister should be zealous and diligent in the discharge of his Office St. Paul adjures Timothy in the most solemn and fearful manner I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine Did the Apostle stir up the Fire in so vigilant a Minister how much more needful is it to blow up the Embers in our drowsy Spirits Certainly if Conscience be not sear'd and dead so sharp a Charge will rouze it to the performance of our Duty Zeal for the Glory of our Saviour if it inflames our Hearts will fire our Lips and animate our Sermons Let Knowledg be the Breath to blow the sacred Fire and the most burning Zeal is not excessive But our Affections at the highest are very defective How many preach the Word so coldly as if they had no desire to save Souls from eternal Death How many Ministers lie down in their Laziness and wretchedly neglect their Duty to better themselves and benefit others in preaching the Gospel Idleness enervates and unstrings the Bent of the Spirit the Mind is benumm'd by a useless and ignoble Dulness Some who are deputed Shepherds may think it a Disparagement to their