want and necessity put them upon and now they have got their ends all those are soon out-dated they have faith and so are justified and sure of their estate and so now they may sin securely there is no condemnation to them they are in Christ and all the sins nay all the devils in the world shall never separate them And this is a sanctified religious piece of infidelity in men which think they have made sure of the main and so never think of the Consectaries they have faith and so T' is no matter for good works the lease is sealed the wedding solemniz'd and then never dream or care for Covenants And these mens fate is like to be the same spiritually which we read of Samson's bodily strength he vowed the vow of a Nazarite and as long as he kept unshaven no opposition could prevail against him but as soon as he broke his vow when he had let his Mistress cut his locks his strength departed from him All the promises and priviledges of our being in Christ are upon condition of our obedience and our vow being broken the Devil and the Philistins within us will soon deprive us of our eyes and life Whatsoever livelihood we presume we have in Christ we are deceived we are still dead in trespasses and sins Thus do you see the three degrees of infidelity frequent amongst Christians 1. a not taking him at all 2. a mistaking of his person 3. a breaking off the Covenants now that you may abhor and fly from and get out of each of them by a lively faith my next particular shall warn you the greatness of this sin and that first positively in its self it shall be very tolerable for that City Faith may be conceived in a threefold relation either to men the subjects of it and those sinners or 2. to Christ and his suffering the objects of it with all the effects remission of sins and salvation attending it or 3. to God the Father the Author and Commander of it as the only condition annext to all his promises And consequently infidelity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be aggravated by these three depths or degrees each adding to its exceeding sinfulness As Faith respects its subject and that a sinful miserable one engaged and fixt in an unremediable necessity of sinning and suffering for ever so is it the only means upon earth nay in the very counsel of God able to do us any help all the arts and spiritual engins even in Heaven besides this are unprofitable Nay the second Covenant now being seal'd and God for ever having establisht the rule and method of it I say things thus standing God himself cannot be presum'd to have mercy upon any one but who is thus qualified it being the only foundation on which our heaven is built the only ground we have to hope for any thing as is manifest by that place Heb. xi 1. being rightly weighed Now faith is the substance of things hoped for where the Greek phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the ground or foundation of every of those things which can be the object of a Christians hope So that where no ground-work no building if no faith no hope no possibility of Heaven If the Devil could have but stoln this jewel out of the world he had shut up Heaven gates eternally and had left it as empty of Saints as it is full of glory not capable of any flesh but what Christ's hypostatical union brought thither And this is no more then I conceive the learned mean by necessitas medii that faith is necessary as a means i. e. there is no means besides of power either absolutely or ex hypothesi of it self or on supposition of Gods Covenant to bring us to Heaven Nothing is of force besides in reason to prepare or morally accommodate and God hath not promised to accept in mercy of any thing else For whereas the promises are sometimes made to repentance sometimes to obedience as whosoever repenteth shall be saved and the like you are to know that it is on this ground of the necessary union of these graces that where one of them is truly and sincerely there the rest are always in some degree there being no example of penitence or obedience in any subject which had not faith also For he that comes to God must believe that he is c. Heb. xi 6. And he that heartily believes he is and is a rewarder of them that seek him will not fail to search pursue and follow after him So that though the promises are made promiscuously to any one which hath either of these graces yet 't is upon supposal of the rest if it be made of faith 't is in confidence that faith works by love Gal. v. 6. and as St. James enforces it is made perfect by works James ii 22. So that in the first place infidelity is sufficiently aggravated in respect of the subject it being a Catholick destroyer an intervenient that despoils him of all means all hope all possibility of salvation finding him in the state of damnation it sets him going suffers him not to lay hold on any thing that may stay him in his precipice and in the midst of his shipwrack when there be planks and refuges enough about him hath numm'd his hands depriv'd him of any power of taking hold of them In the second place in respect of Christ and his sufferings the objects of our Faith so Faith is in a manner the Soul of them giving them life and efficacy making things which are excellent in themselves prove so in effect to others Thus the whole splendor and beauty of the world the most accurate proportions and images of nature are beholding to the Eye though not for their absolute excellency yet for both the account and use that is made of them for if all men were blind the proudest workmanship of nature would not be worth the valuing Thus is a learned piece cast away upon the ignorant and the understanding of the auditor is the best commendation of a speech or Sermon In like manner those infinite unvaluable sufferings of Christ if they be not believed in are but as Aristotle saith of divine knowledge a most honourable thing but of no manner of use if they be not apprehended they are lost Christ ' s blood if not caught up in our hearts by Faith but suffered to be poured out upon the earth will prove no better then that of Abel's Gen. iv 10. crying for judgment from the ground that which is spilt is clamorous and its voice is toward Heaven for vengeance only that which is gathered up as it falls from his side by faith will prove a medicine to heal the Nations So that infidelity makes the death of Christ no more then the death of an ordinary man in which there is no remedy Wisd ii 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no cure no physick in
our souls as an harbinger to prepare a place within us for the worm in Hell where it may lye and bite and gnaw at ease eternally 'T is an Examination that will deserve the most precious minute of our lives the solemnest work of our souls the carefullest muster of our faculties to shrift and winnow and even set our hearts upon the rack to see whether any fruit or seed of infidelity lurk in it and in a matter of this danger to prevent Gods inquest by our own to display every thing to our selves just as it shall be laid open before God in judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. iv 13. naked and discernible as the entrals of a Creature cut down the back where the very method of nature in its secrecies is betrayed to the eye I say to cut our selves up and to search into every crany of our souls every winding of either our understanding or affections and observe whether any infidel thought any infidel lust be lodged there and when we have found this execrable thing which hath brought all our plagues on us then must we purge and cleanse and lustrate the whole City for its sake and with more Ceremony then ever the heathen used even with a superstition of daily hourly prayers and sacrificing our selves to God strive and struggle and offer violence to remove this unclean thing out of our Coasts use these unbelieving hearts of ours as Josiah did the Altars of Ahaz 2 King xxiii 12. break them down beat them to powder and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron that Cedron which Christ passed over when he went to suffer Joh. xviii 1. even that brook which Christ drank of by the way Psal cx 7. And there indeed is there a remedy for infidelity if the Infidel will throw it in If he will put it off be it never so dyed in the contempt of Christs blood that very blood shall cleanse it and therefore In the next place let us labour for Faith let not his hands be stretched out any longer upon the cross to a faithless and stubborn generation 'T were a piece of ignorance that a Scholar would abhor to be guilty of not to be able to understand that inscription written by Pilate in either of three languages Jesus of Nazareth King Joh. xix 19. Nay for all the Gospels and Comments written on it both by his Disciples and his works still to be non-proficients this would prove an accusation written in Marble nay an Exprobration above a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a word Christ is still offered and the proclamation not yet outdated his sufferings in the Scripture proposed to every one of you to lay hold on and his Ministers sent as Embassadors beseeching you to be reconciled 2 Cor. v. 20. and more then that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist his body and blood set before our eyes to be felt and gazed on and then even a Didymus would believe nay to be divided amongst us and put in our mouths and then who would be so sluggish as to refuse to feed on him in his heart For your Election from the beginning to this gift of Faith let that never raise any doubt or scruple in you and forslow that coming to him this is a jealousie that hath undone many in a resolvedness that if they are not elected all their faith shall prove unprofitable Christ that bids thee repent believe and come unto him is not so frivolous to command impossibilities nor so cruel to mock our impotence Thou mayest believe because he bids Believe and then thou mayest be sure thou wert predestinated to believe and then all the decrees in the World cannot deny thee Christ if thou art thus resolved to have him If thou wilt not believe thou hast reprobated thy self and who is to be accused that thou art not saved But if thou wilt come in there is sure entertainment for thee He that begins in Gods Councels and never thinks fit to go about any Evangelical duty till he can see his name writ in the book of life must not begin to believe till he be in Heaven for there only is that to be read radio recto The surer course is to follow the Scripture to hope comfortably every one of our selves to use the means apprehend the mercies and then to be confident of the benefits of Christs suffering and this is the way to make our Election sure to read it in our selves radio reflexo by knowing that we believe to resolve that we are elected thereby we know that we are past from death to life if we love the brethren 1 Joh. iii. 14. And so is it also of faith for these are inseparable graces So Psal xxv 14. Prov. iii. 32. Gods secret and his Covenant being taken for his decree is said to be with them that fear him and to be shewed to them i. e. their very fearing of God is an evidence to them that they are his elect with whom he hath entred Covenant Our faith is the best argument or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which to make a judgment of Gods decree concerning us I say if we will believe God hath elected us 't is impossible any true faith should be refused upon pretence the person was predestined to destruction and if it were possible yet would I hope that Gods decrees were they as absolute as some would have them should sooner be softned into mercy then that mercy purchased by his Son should ever fail to any that believes The bargain was made the Covenant struck and the immutability of the Persian laws are nothing to it that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. iii. 15. Wherefore in brief let us attend the means and let what will or can come of the End Christ is offered to every soul here present to be a Jesus only do thou accept of him and thou art past from death to life there is no more required of thee but only to take him if thou art truly possessor of him he will justifie he will humble he will sanctifie thee he will work all reformation in thee and in time seal thee up to the day of redemption Only be careful that thou mistakest not his Person thou must receive him as well as his promises thou must take him as a Lord and King as well as a Saviour and be content to be a subject as well as a Saint He is now proclaimed in your ears and you must not foreslow the audience or procrastinate To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts He holds himself out on purpose to you and by the Minister wooes you to embrace him and then it nearly concerns you not to provoke so true so hearty nay even so passionate a friend if he be not kissed he will be very angry Lastly if in this business of believing so vulgarly exposed there yet
appear some difficulties in the practice to be overcome before it prove a possible duty if self-denial be incompetible with flesh and blood if delights and worldly contentments if an hardned heart in sin and a world of high Imaginations refuse to submit or humble themselves to the poverty of Christ if we cannot empty our hands to lay hold or unbottom our selves to lean wholly on Christ then must we fly and pray to that spirit of power to subdue and conquer and lead us captive to it self to instruct us in the baseness the nothingness nay the dismal hideous wretchedness of our own estate that so being spiritually shaken and terrified out of our carnal pride and security we may come trembling and quaking to that Throne of Grace and with the hands of Faith though feeble ones with the eye of Faith though dimly with a hearty sincere resigning up of our selves we may see and apprehend and fasten and be united to our Saviour that we may live in Christ and Christ in us and having begun in the life of grace here we may hope and attain to be accomplished with that of Glory hereafter Now to him which hath elected us c. The XII Sermon Acts XVII 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent THE words in our English Translation carry somewhat in the sound which doth not fully reach the importance of the Original and therefore it must be the task of our Preface not to connect the Text but clear it not to shew its dependence on the precedent words but to restore it to the integrity of it self that so we may perfectly conceive the words before we venture to discuss them that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle phrases it first represent them to you in the bulk then describe them particularly in their several lineaments Our English setting of the words seems to make two Propositions and in them a direct opposition betwixt the condition of the ancient and present Gentiles that God had winked at i.e. either approved or pitied or pardoned the ignorance of the former Heathens but now was resolved to execute justice on all that did continue in that was heretofore pardonable in them on every one every where that did not repent Now the Original runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is in a literal construction God therefore passing over the times of ignorance as if he saw them not doth now command all men every where to repent Which you may conceive thus by this kind of vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sensible proceeding in God God always is essentially and perfectly every one of his Attributes Wisdom Justice Mercy c. but yet is said at one time to be peculiarly one Attribute at another time another i. e. to be at one time actually just at another time actually merciful according to his determination to the object As when God fixes his eyes upon a rebellious people whose sins are ripe for his justice he then executes his vengeance on them as on Sodom when he fixes his eyes upon a penitent believing people he then doth exercise his mercy as on Nineveh Now when God looks upon any part of the lapsed world on which he intends to have mercy he suffers not his eye to be fixed or terminated on the medium betwixt his eye and them on the sins of all their ancestors from the beginning of the world till that day but having another accompt to call them to doth for the present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look over all them as if they were not in his way and imputing not the sins of the fathers to the children fixeth on the children makes his covenant of mercy with them and commandeth them the condition of this covenant whereby they shall obtain mercy that is every one every where to repent So that in the first place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must not be rendred by way of opposition he winked then but now commands as if their former ignorance were justifiable and an account of knowledge should only be exacted from us And in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word read but this once in all the New Testament must be rendred not winking at but looking over or not insisting upon as when we fix our eyes upon a hill we suffer them not to dwell on the valley on this side of it because we look earnestly on the hill Now if this be not the common Attical acception of it yet it will seem agreeable to the penning of the New Testament in which whosoever will observe may find words and phrases which perhaps the Attick purity perhaps Grammar will not approve of And yet I doubt not but Classick authorities may be brought where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall signifie not a winking or not taking notice of but a looking farther a not resting in this but a driving higher for so it is rendred by Stephanus Ad ulteriora oculos convertere and then the phrase shall be as proper as the sense the Greek as authentical as the doctrine that God looking over and not insisting upon the ignorance of the former Heathen at Christs coming entred a covenant with their successors the condition of which was that every man every where should repent And this is made good by the Gr. Schol. of the N. T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is spoken not that the former heathen should be unpunished but that their successors to whom St. Paul preached if they would repent should not be called to an accompt of their ignorance should not fare the worse for the ignorance of their fathers and at this drives also Chrysostome out of whom the Scholiasts may seem to have borrowed it their whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gleanings out of the Fathers before them I might farther prove the necessity of this interpretation if it were required of me and thus far I have stay'd you to prove it because our English is somewhat imperfect in the expression of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle Two cubes are not a cube but another figure very different from it and indeed our English Translations by making two Proposition of this Verse have varied the native single Propositions in that regard and made it unlike it self which briefly if I can inform my self aright should run thus by way of one simple Enunciation God therefore not insisting on but looking over those times of ignorance doth now command all men every where to repent of which those three lines in Leo his fourth Sermon de Passione Domini are a just Paraphrase Nos sub veteris ignorantiae profunda nocte pereuntes in Patriarcharum societatem sortem electi gregis adoptavit So then the words being represented to you in this scheme or single diagram are the covenant of mercy made with the progeny of
ignorant Heathens upon condition of repentance in which you may observe two grand parallel lines 1. the ignorance of the Heathen such as in the justice of God might have provoked him to have pretermitted the whole world of succeeding Gentiles 2. the mercy of God not imputing their ignorance to our charge whosoever every where to the end of the world shall repent And first of the first the ignorance of the Heathen in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the times c. If for the clearing of this bill we should begin our inquest at Japhet the father of the Gentiles examine them all by their gradations we should in the general find the evidence to run thus 1. that they were absolutely ignorant as ignorance is opposed to learning 2. ignorant in the affairs of God as ignorance is opposed to piety or spiritual wisdom 3. Ignorant supinely perversly and maliciously as it is opposed to a simple or more excusable ignorance Their absolute ignorance or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their want of learning is at large proved by St. Austin 18. de Civ Dei Eusebius Prepar 10. Clemens in his Protrep and others some of whose writings to this purpose because it is easier for my Auditors to believe me in gross then to be troubled with the retail is this that the beginnings of learning in all kinds was among the Jews whilst the whole Heathen world besides was barbarously ignorant that Moses appointed Masters among the tribes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which initiated the youth of Israel in all kind of secular learning or if you will believe Patricius and his proofs that Sem erected and afterwards Heber enlarged Scholas Doctrinarum Schools or Seminaries of learning where learning was professed and taught that Abraham as Eusebius cites Nic. Damascenus for it was excellent in the Mathematicks and dispersed and communicated his knowledg in Chaldea from whence the Aegyptians and from them the Grecians came to them that Enoch was probably judg'd by Polyhistor to be that Atlas to whom the Heathen imputed the beginning of Astronomy that in the sum all learning was primitive among the Hebrews and from them by stealth and filching some seeds of it sown in Phaenicia Aegypt and at last in Greece For they make it plain by computation that Moses who yet was long after Enoch and Sem and Heber and Abraham all in confesso great Scholars that Moses I say was 1500 years ancienter then the Greek Philosophers that all the learning that is found or bragg'd of amongst the Grecians whose ignorance my Text chiefly deals with St. Paul's discourse here being addrest to the Athenians was but a babe of a day old in respect of the true antiquity of learning that all their Philosophy was but scraps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which fell from the Jews tables that in their stealth they were very imprudent glean'd only that which was not worth carrying away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. stuft their sacks which they carried into Aegypt to buy food only with some unprofitable chaff with empty speculations that would puff up not fill or nourish the soul but brought no valuable real commodity away with them whereby they might improve their knowledg or reform their manners upon which two grounds 1. the vanity and unprofitableness of their learning 2. the novelty of it in respect of the Hebrews from whom they stole it afar off they are not thought worthy of the title of Scholars and for all the noise of their Philosophy are yet judged absolutely ignorant as ignorance is opposed to learning In the second place for their ignorance in the affairs of God their own Authors examination will bring in a sufficient evidence If you will sort out the chiefest names of learned men amongst them you will there find the veriest dunces in this learning The Deipnosophists the only wits of the time are yet described by Athenaeus to imploy their study only how to get good chear a free-cost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they fed deliciously and yet were at no charge for the provision and amongst them you shall scarcely find any knowledg or worship of even their Heathen Gods but only in drinking where their luxury had this excuse or pretence of religion that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an experiment of the power of that good God which had provided such a creature as Wine for them to abuse which perhaps a drunken Romish Casuist stole from them where he allows of drinking supra modum ad glorificandum Deum c. to the glorifying of God Creator of so excellent a creature which hath the effect in it of turning men into beasts So that it seems by the story of them in brief that the Deipnosophists men of the finest politest conceits as Ulpianus Tyrius Calliphanes and the like in Athenaeus in the multitude of the Grecian Gods had but one Deity and that was their belly which they worshipped religioso luxu not singing but eating and drinking praises to his name to this add the Sophistae Protagoras Hippias and the like great boasters of learning in Socrates his time and much followed by the youth till he perswaded them from admiring such unprofitable professors and these are observed by Plutarch to be meer hucksters of vain-glory getting great store of money and applause from their auditors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silver and popularity but had no manner of profitable learning to bestow upon them as Plutarch dooms them in his Platonick questions and Socrates in his Dialogues in confutation of them and certainly by their very profession 't is plain that these men had no God to know or worship except their gain But not to insist on these or other their Professors of more curious trim polite learning as their Philosophers Grammarians and Rhetoricians it will be more seasonable to our Text to examine St. Paul's auditors here the great speculators among them 1. the deepest Philosophers and there where you expect the greatest knowledge you shall find the most barbarous ignorance in the midst of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Grecians the Philosophers saith Clem. and 't is plain by their writings finding out and acknowledging in private this multitude of Gods to be a prodigious vanity and infinitely below the gravity and wisdom of their profession took themselves off from this unreasonable worship and almost each of them in private worshipped some one God And here you would think that they jump'd with the Jews of that time in the acknowledging an unity but if you mark them you shall find that they did not reform the popular Atheism but only varied it into a more rational way Thales would not acknowledg Neptune as the Poets and people did but yet he deifies the water as Clem. observes another scorned to be so senseless as to worship wood or stone and yet he deifies the earth the parent of them both and as senseless as them both and does at
Gentiles is here meant by Gods commanding them we are to rank the commands of God into two sorts 1. common Catholick commands and these extend as far as the visible Church 2. peculiar commands inward operations of the spirit these are both priviledges and characters and properties of the invisible Church i. e the Elect and in both these respects doth he vouchsafe his commands to the Gentiles In the first respect God hath his louder trumpets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. xxiv 31. Mat. XXIV 31 which all acknowledge who are in the noise of it and that is the sound of the Gospel the hearing of which constitutes a visible Church And thus at the preaching of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Heathens had knowledge of his Laws Acts l. 25. and so were offered the Covenant if they would accept the condition For however that place Acts i. 25. be by one of our writers of the Church wrested by changing that I say not by falsifying the punctuation to witness this truth I think we need not such shifts to prove that God took some course by the means of the Ministery and Apostleship to make known to all nations under Heaven i. e. to some of all nations both his Gospel and commands Rom. X. 18. the sound of it went through all the earth Rom. x. 18. Psal XIX 4. cited out the xix Psal verse 4. though with some change of a word their sound in the Romans for their line in the Psalmist caused by the Greek Translators who either read and rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else laid hold of the Arabick notion of the word the loud noise and clamor which hunters make in their pursuit and chase Mar. XIV 9. So Mark xiv 9. This Gospel shall be preached througthout the world Mar. XVI 15. So Mark xvi 15. To every creature Matth. xxiv 14. in all the world Mat. XXIV 14 and many the like as belongs to our last particular to demonstrate Besides this God had in the second respect his vocem pedissequam which the Prophet mentions a voice attending us to tell us of our duty to shew us the way and accompany us therein And this I say sounds in the heart not in the Ear and they only hear and understand the voice who are partakers as well of the effect as of the news of the covenant Thus in these two respects doth he command by his word in the Ears of the Gentiles by giving every man every where knowledge of his laws Just l. 24. and so in some Latin Authors mandare signifies to give notice to express ones will to declare or proclaim And thus secondly doth he command by his spirit in the spirits of the elect Gentiles by giving them the benefit of adoption and in both these respects he enters a covenant with the Gentiles which was the thing to be demonstrated with the whole name of them at large with some choice vessels of them more nearly and peculiarly and this was the thing which by way of doctrine we collected out of these words but now commands Now that we may not let such a precious truth pass by unrespected that such an important speculation may not float only in our brains we must by way of Application press it down to the heart and fill our spirits with the comfort of that doctrine which hath matter for our practice as well as our contemplation For if we do but lay to our thoughts 1. the miracle of the Gentiles calling as hath been heretofore and now insisted on and 2. mark how nearly the receiving of them into covenant concerns us their successors we shall find real motives to provoke us to a strain and key above ordinary thanksgiving For as Peter spake of Gods promise so it is in the like nature of Gods command which is also virtually a promise it belonged not to them only but it is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts II. 39. Acts ii 39. From the first the miracle of their calling our gratitude may take occasion much to enlarge it self Pag. 158. 'T is storied of Brasidas in the fourth of Thucidides that imputing the victory which was somewhat miraculous to some more then ordinary humane cause he went presently to the Temple loaded with offerings and would not suffer the gods to bestow such an unexpected favour on him unrewarded and can we pass by such a mercy of our God without a spiritual sacrifice without a daily Anthem of Magnificats and Hallelujah's Herodotus observes it is as a Proverb of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 59 that if God would not send them rain they were to famish for they had said he no natural fountains or any other help of waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what God from above sent Pag. 130. So faith Thucidides in the fourth of his History there was but one fountain within a great compass and that none of the biggest So also was Aegypt another part of the Heathen world to be watered only by Nilus Herod p. 62 and that being drawn by the Sua did often succour them and fatten the Land for which all the neighbours fared the worse for when Nilus flowed Pag. 61 the neighbouring Rivers were left dry saith Herodotus You need not the mythology the Philosophers as well as soyl of Greece had not moisture enough to sustain them from nature if God had not sent them water from Heaven they and all we Gentiles had for ever suffered a spiritual thirst Aegypt and all the Nations had for ever gasped for drought if the sun-shine of the Gospel had not by its beams call'd out of the Well which had no bucket 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living or enlivening water John 4. 6. But by this attraction of the Sun these living waters did so break out upon the Gentiles that all the waters of Jury were left dry as once the dew was on Gideons fleece and drought on all the earth besides Judg. vi 37. Judg. VI 37. And is it reasonable for us to observe this miracle of mercy and not return even a miracle of thanksgiving Can we think upon it without some rapture of our souls Can we insist on it and not feel a holy tempest within us a fsorm and disquiet till we have some way disburthened and eased our selves with a powring out of thanksgiving That spirit is too calm that I say not stupid which can bear and be loaded with mercies of this kind and not take notice of its burthen for besides those peculiar favours bestowed on us in particular we are as faith Chrysostome Tom. 4. P. 824. in our audit of thanksgiving to reckon up all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all those common benefactions of which others partake with us
for 't is saith he an ordinary negligence in us to recount Gods mercies as we confess our sins only in gross with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are great sinners and God hath abounded in mercies to us never calling our selves to a strict retail either of our sins or his mercies and this neglect saith he doth deprive us of a great deal of spiritual strength For 1. the recounting of the multitude of Gods mercies to us formerly might give us confidence of the continuance of them according to St. Cyprian donando debet Gods past blessings are engagements and pawns of future 2. 'T is faith he of excellent use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring us acquainted and familiar with God and infinitely increaseth our love to him and desire of performing some manner of recompence Which one thing made the Heathen of old so love and respect their benefactors that they worship't them and would not suffer any common real benefaction to be done them without an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the author of it as might be proved through all ancient writings for on these grounds was it that they would needs sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas Acts XIV 13. Acts xiv 13. In the second place if we consider how nearly it concerns us that if they had been pretermitted we to the end of the world might probably have lived in the same darkness that we now hold our right to Heaven by the Covenant made to them that those commands belong also to us and our children then we must in some reason of proportion thank God liberally for that calling of the Gentiles as we cannot chuse but do for our present adoption and enlarge our thanksgiving not for our own only but for that first justification sanctification and salvation of the Gentiles And this effusion of our souls in thanks will prove of good use to us both to confirm our confidence and keep us in a Christian temper of humility and chearful obedience And therefore I thought good to present it to you in the first place as a duty of no ordinary moment 2. If God hath commanded and consequently expects our obedience if these commands concern us and contain in them all that belongs to our salvation if they are as hath been proved Gods covenant with the Gentiles then not to be wanting to our selves but earnestly to labour and provide that no one circumstance of them may be without its peculiar profit and advantage to our souls Lib. 1. p. 30. Polybius from the war betwixt the Numidians and Uticenses observes that if a victory gotten by the Captain be not by the Souldiers prosecuted to the utmost it likely proves more dangerous then if they had never had it if the King faith he take the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the multitude overjoy'd with the news begin to grow less earnest in the battle a hundred to one but the conquer'd will take notice and heart from this advantage and as the Uticenses did make their flight a stratagem to get the victory Thus is it in those spiritual combats where God is our leader our commander our conquerer against the Devils host if we of his command the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the many who expect our part in the profit of the victory do not prosecute this conquest to the utmost to the utter discomfiting and disarming of our fugitive enemy if we should grow secure upon the news and neither fear nor prevent any farther difficulties we may be in more danger for that former conquest and as 't was ordinary in story by that time we have set up our Trophie's our selves be overcome I might prescribe you many courses which it would concern you to undertake for the right managing of this victory which this our Commander hath not by his fighting but by his very commanding purchased us But because my Text requires hast and I go on but slowly I must omit them and only insist on that which is specified in my Text repentance which drives to the condition of the covenant the matter of the command which comes next to be discuss'd The word Repent may in this place be taken in a double sense 1. generally for a sorrow for our sins and on that a disburdening of our selves of that load which did formerly press down the soul for a sense of our former ill courses and a desire to fit our selves for Gods service for an humbling our selves before God and flying to him as our only succour and so it well may be called the condition of Gods covenant with us that which God requires at our hands under the Gospel for it was the first word at the first preaching of the Gospel by John Baptist Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand Mat. III. 2. Matth. iii. 2. which saith the Text was in effect Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight verse 3. So that briefly this repent is a straightning and rectifying all crookedness every distortion of the soul and thereby a preparing of it for the receiving of Christ and embracing his Gospel 2. In a nearer relation to the first words of the verse repentance is taken more specially by way of opposition for a mending and forsaking of that which of old was the fault and guilt of the Gentiles a reforming of every thing which was either formally or virtually contain'd in their ignorance and what that is you shall briefly judg 'T is observed by Interpreters that doing or suffering action or passion are exprest in Scripture by the word knowing so to know sin is to commit sin to know a woman and the like So Peter to the maid Matth. xxvi 70. I know not what thou saist i. e. I am not guilty of the doing what thou imputest to me According to which Hebraism to know God and his laws is to worship him and perform them and consequently to be ignorant of both is neither to worship God nor practise any thing which his laws command and so knowledge shall contain all piety and godly obedience or love of Gods commandments as God is said to know those whom he loves and ignorance all prophaneness and neglect yea and hatred either of God or goodness According to which Exposition are those two sayings the one of Hermes in his 10. Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ignorance of God is all manner of sin the other of Pastor in Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance is a great piece of knowledge or wisdom So that briefly the recovering of the soul to the pure knowledge of God and goodness the worshipping loving and obeying of God is the thing here meant by repentance which yet we may press into a nearer room into one single duty the directing all our actions to his glory for this is in effect to worship to obey to love God to worship for obedience sake because he commands it to obey him for love's sake because