Mankind are generally wedded to their own Opinions and Practices and are more influenc'd by Education and Custom than Reason so that tho' they are convinc'd they are in the wrong yet it goes against the Grain to confess and acknowledge their Error For Wisdom and Knowledge is the distinguishing Character of Mankind that which renders one Man more excellent than another and by consequence gives the Superiority for whoever is mistaken must acknowledge his defect in Wisdom or Prudence at least as to that Particular and that he was in some measure a Fool which is the greatest Reproach and Imputation can be cast upon a Man For tho' 't is the necessary consequence of the Fall of our first Parents and the Weakness and Corruption of our Natures that amidst the hurry of worldly Business and the many Emergencies of humane Life the best and wisest Man in the World is frequently guilty of Follies and Over-sights yet we shall find few Men willing to acknowledge it and 't is Grace alone which by rendring us truly humble can make us sensible of our miserable and indigent Condition Rev. 3.17 and how poor and blind and naked we are These are the Difficulties which must be encountr'd withal by that Man who undertakes to Reprove his Neighbour which would be sufficient to discourage any wise Man from venturing upon this Province were he influenc'd only by prudential Principles and temporal Inducements but since God has made it the Duty of every good Man we may be assur'd III. That he has given us sufficient Motives to go thro' with it and Encouragements to perform it which are such as these Consider 1. That much Glory will accrue to God by a faithful Discharge of this Duty 2. Much Good-will redound to our Neighbour 3. We our selves shall reap much Benefit thereby 4. We shall avoid those Mischiefs which the neglect of this Duty will certainly bring upon us 1. By a faithful Discharge of this Duty we shall bring much Glory to God by encouraging Vertue and Goodness and preventing a multitude of Sins for the best way to keep out that Deluge of Atheism and Profaneness Looseness and Debauchery which of late years is broke in upon us and is like to be our Ruine is vigorously and courageously to oppose our selves against the Stream and by shewing our open Detestation and Abhorrence of it if possible to stem the Tide of prevailing Vice At such a time as this when the Calamity is grown Publick there is no standing Neuter he that is not active and zealous in this Matter and doth not use his utmost Endeavours to discourage Vice and Profaneness is to be deem'd a Rebel and Traytor against Vertue and Religion For when Men who profess that they believe the Gospel of our Saviour Christ and expect Salvation thro' his Merits shall sit still and hear the Holy Scripture made the Subject of the Jests and Drollery of prophane Men his Gospel ridicul'd his holy Name dishonoured and not be mov'd and transported against such blasphemous Discourse when they shall shew no open Abhorrence and Detestation at unjust unrighteous or wicked Actions they give these impious Wretches too much Reason to believe that tho' they make Profession of Religion with their Mouths yet they are such Fools Psal 10.1 as to say in their hearts There is no God and that they have as little true Sense and Reverence for a supream Being as themselves For what generous Man can be contented to sit still and hear his best Friend reproach'd and spoken ill off What dutiful Son can endure that any Aspersions should be cast upon his Father that his Words and Actions should be ridicul'd without taking notice of and resenting the Affront much more Reason have we to be zealous when we hear prophane Wretches set their mouths against Heaven and blaspheme the God that made them and with one Breath of his Displeasure can reduce them into nothing or into a Condition worse than nothing If good Men would resent this Dishonour done to God and Reprove those who are guilty of it Men might be privately wicked but they durst not be so publickly Prophane there might be many ill Men but there would be very few ill Examples Vice would be out of Countenance and be depriv'd of its keenest Weapon and most prevailing Argument Fashionableness and Imitation Dan. 12.3 and if those who turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars of the Firmament certainly those who hinder and prevent others from being wicked shall not miss of a due Reward 2. Our Neighbour would receive much Benefit by a friendly Admonition For tho' at first Reproof will be unwelcome and troublesome and he may be rather enrag'd than amended by it yet by degrees a gentle Reproof will make its way and Gain upon him and if ever he comes to be reform'd he will reap the Benefit of it Peace of Conscience and Quiet of Mind in this Life and everlasting Happiness in the Life to come And who can be justly sensible what inestimable benefits he confers upon his Neighbour and what apparent Danger he delivers him from by being instrumental in his Reformation and yet think any Pains too great to bring about this excellent Work For shall wicked Men take more Pains to pervert and ruin the Souls of Men then good Men shall to save them alive Shall the Drunkard and Lascivious Person be more diligent to draw others into the same excess of Riot than the Chaste and Temperate are to reclaim them from those Vices This would be to Dishonour our Christian Profession and publickly to own that the Devil has more faithful Servants than our great Lord and Master Let us therefore follow the Example of the blessed Jesus who made it his chief Business to reprove the World of sin of Righteousness and Judgment John 16.8 he came upon this Errand liv'd a Laborious Life and dy'd a painful and ignominious Death for this very End that he might turn Sinners from the evil of their ways and promote Vertue and Piety in the World To Reprove our Neighbour is therefore the highest Instance of Charity since hereby we design him the greatest good Imaginable the Happiness both of Body and Soul And this we should be the rather prevail'd upon to attempt since 3. By Reproving others we may reap much Benefit and Advantage by it our selves First hereby we shall provide our selves a Friend to do the samekind Office for us For most Men are apt to recriminate and when they are touch'd to the quick themselves they think to extenuate their Crimes by finding fault with those who Reprov'd them and since we are all weak and infirm Creatures and subject to the like Passions with other Men a most excellent use may be made of such Recriminations We may hence discover our most secret Faults and form an effectual Motive to amend them For 2. It will make us asham'd to be guilty of those Sins which
nearer we resemble him the more we shall enjoy of him in which the Happiness of our future State doth consist 'T is a State of perfect Purity and Holiness and consists in repeated Acts of Love and Zeal and Devotion and therefore the better fitted and prepar'd we are in this World by furnishing our Souls with vertuous Habits and those Divine Qualities of Humility Meekness Charity c. the more capable we shall be of partaking of those heavenly Pleasures Psal 16.11 Which are at Gods right hand for evermore Our time in this World was given us for this very Purpose that we might furnish our selves with such Vertues and Graces those wedding Garments which will render us fit Guests for the Marriage of the Lamb. 'T was easie for me to demonstrate that every Vertue has an influence upon our future Happiness and is a necessary Qualification which we must obtain before we are capable of enjoying it but this would take up too much time at present Dr. Scot in his Christian Life Part. 1. and has been already largely treated on by an excellent hand I shall therefore only remark That nothing can be more absurd than to frame a Notion of our future State from the Pleasures and Delights of our present Condition Or to take those figurative Descriptions of it which we meet with in the Holy Scripture in a literal Sence Our Saviour Christ has plainly told us That in Heaven we shall neither eat nor drink Mark 12.25 nor marry nor be given in marriage A sensual Paradise might reasonably be expected by a Turk or Pagan but not by a Christian whose Religion teaches him to Crucifie the Flesh with the sinful Lusts and Desires of the same It permits him indeed the moderate use of the good things of this World to render his Pilgrimage more easie and his Journey to Heaven more comfortable But yet it teaches him that his chief Happiness ought not to be plac'd in transitory Delights that they are Joys of a more Sublime Nature Such as neither eye hath seen 1 Cor. 2.9 nor ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to understand which God hath prepared for those who love and serve him such Blessings as are agreeable to our immortal part such as the blessed Society of Saints and Angels and the Spirits of just Men made perfect the Vision of God in which our Souls being transform'd into his Image will be continually delighted and transported in admiring and adoring the Perfections of their Creator If therefore we hope to be Happy hereafter Heb. 12.14 we must practise Holiness in this Life For without Holiness no man can see God We must make it the business of our Lives to keep our Passions within their due Bounds and under the Government of our Reason to mortifie our immoderate Appetites and exercise our Graces such as Faith Hope Patience and Charity This is that Godliness which has the Promises of the Life that now is and that which is to come And now what remains but that every one who hears me this day be perswaded to embrace this pleasant Course of Life And methinks there should need no more Arguments to prevail with you presently to enter upon it since I have already prov'd that it is unquestionably both for your temporal and eternal Interest For what doth God require of you which is not highly just and reasonable What doth he command you But to do Justice to love Mercy Micah 6.8 and to walk humbly with your God i. e. to live up to the Dignity of your Natures and to Act as becomes reasonable and dependent Beings Consider what can you wish for which is not to be obtain'd by observing the Precepts of Religion Length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour she shall give thy head an ornament of Grace Pror 3.16 and a Crown of Glory Exalt her and she shall promote thee and bring thee to Honour it shall be an Ornament of Grace to thy head and as a Chain about thy neck What Allurement can there be in the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Season and perish even in the Enjoyment that you should prefer them before those which flow from a vertuous and religious Life And now may not God justly expostulate with us as he did with the People of Israel and Judah Isa 5.4 What could I have done to my Vineyard which I have not done unto it What more probable and more rational Methods could God have taken to perswade us to be Good and by consequence Happy than he has made use of He has address'd himself both to our Hopes and Fears he has plac'd eternal Happiness on one hand and eternal Misery on the other And moreover has strow'd our way to Heaven with the good things of this Life And now if notwithstanding all that God has done for us we resolve to be miserable and to take even Hell by force we have nothing to blame but our own stupendious Folly We can't sure be so silly as to imagine that God reaps any benefit by our Service or that our Praises make any addition to his Glory Job 35.6 for as Elihu very well argues If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiply'd what dost thou unto him if thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thy hand thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man And therefore 't is evident that 't is only our Welfare God seeks 't is our Good he is so sollicitous for and as he made us at first with a Design to communicate Happiness unto us so he still retains the same gracious Intentions towards us And shall not we be wise for our selves Shall we willfully and obstinately go on to defeat all the gracious Purposes of his Mercy and Goodness to trample under feet the Blood of his dear Son and grieve his Holy Spirits Shall not these Cords of a Man be able to move us Shall neither our eternal nor our temporal Interest have any influence upon us This would certainly be such unaccountable Folly and monstrous Ingratitude as no considering Person can be Guilty of Let me therefore beseech you by the Mercies of God Rom. 12.1 that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is but your reasonable Service Let me beg and entreat of you in the name and for the sake of your blessed Lord and Redeemer that you would so far consult your own Interest as to lead a pure holy and devout Life which is the only way to pass your time chearfully and comfortably in this World And to make sure of everlasting Happiness in the world to come SERMON II. PSALM CXIX 59. I thought on my Ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies THERE is nothing which with greater Reason hath
Ordinances of Religion are tiresome and a weariness to the Flesh that the Holy Scripture tells us Acts 14.22 Heb. 12.6 That thro' much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God That those whom God loves he chastneth and That straight is the Gate Matth. 7.4 and narrow is the way that leads to Heaven and eternal Happiness And if so then certainly it cannot be so happy and pleasant a State of Life as I have represented it To which I shall briefly Answer That many of those Texts of Scripture which speak of the Difficulties attending a religious Course of Life are to be understood of those times when the Christian Religion was persecuted by the Heathen Emperors of Rome and the Professors of it in danger of losing their Lives for the Testimony of the Gospel It must be confess'd That even in our Times when Kings are become the nursing Fathers of the Church those Persons who have been long habituated to a sinful and wicked Course of Life will find it a very difficult matter to forsake it and to give themselves entirely up to obey the Commands of God and the Duties of the Christian Religion But yet it may be a mighty Incouragement to consider That 't is only the first Entrance on a religious Course of Life which is attended with so great Difficulty that it will become every day more and more easie and at last pleasant and delightful to them When they have for some time accustom'd themselves to it the Comforts of a well-spent Life will flow in upon them and nothing will yield them greater Satisfaction than to be allow'd the Privilege of pouring out the Desires of their Souls before God and begging Supplies from him and returning him thanks for his Blessings bestow'd upon them They will earnedly desire to come and appear before God and as the Hart panteth after the water Brooks Psal 42.1 so will their Soul pant after their God and their Redeemer But yet supposing that there should be some Difficulty in the leading of a good Life that God should see fit to make the Profession of his Truth hazardous and the Practice of their Duty chargeable Yet what generous and Praise worthy undertaking can be perform'd without Pains and Diligence All that is excellent and noble requires Labour and Industry and the Pains Men take makes the dear-bought Blessing more acceptable to them Do they not undergo much greater Difficulties for things of lesser moment tho' their Success is seldom answerable to their Expectations Do they not compass Sea and Land leave their best Friends and nearest Relations and dig even into the very Bowels of the Earth in quest of Wealth tho' for the most part they find a Grave where they seek their Treasure Do they not toil and sweat and wade thro' a Sea of Blood in pursuit of Honour tho' they expect no other recompence for their Pains but a Lawrel-Wreath or the Applause of the People And shall not Heaven and eternal Happiness deserve our Care Shall we not take as much Pains for a never fading Crown as we do for a withering Garland But let us suppose the greatest Difficulties we can possibly imagine in the Practice of a good and Holy Life Suppose as we are apt to fancy that there are Lyons in our way to Heaven Mountains which cannot be remov'd by our natural Strength and Ability yet even the most formidable Evils will not fright us from the Practice of Virtue and Holiness if we consider Thirdly That the worst Circumstances a good Man can be reduc'd to are to be preferr'd before the prosperous Condition of the wicked as will appear from these following Considerations 1. That in the lowest and most afflicted Condition the good Man enjoys the Comfort of a quiet Mind and the Peace of a good Conscience which is a sufficient Compensation for all the Evils he can possibly endure in this Life All other Evils are supportable and may be undergone by a stable and well resolved Mind The spirit of a man may bear his Infirmities Prov. 18.14 but a wounded spirit who can bear This is the only Load which is insupportable and is for the most part the Lot of the prosperous wicked Man 2. The good Man is furnish'd with never-failing Remedies against all the Evils of this present Life He is assur'd that all Afflictions shall be for the good of those that serve God and that God disposes all things with the Wisdom and Love of an indulgent Father that the Wheels of God's Providence have an Eye within them which always guides them to some wise end or other 2 Cor. 12.9 That Gods grace will be sufficient for him and that he will proportion his Assistance to his Wants so that if he should call him out to give his Body to be burned and to lay down his Life for his sake he will also give him strength to undergo the fiery Tryal and chearfully to praise him in the Flames And 3. The good Man is assur'd that the Evils he suffers will soon be at an end that the time draws on apace when he shall be eas'd of all his Troubles Rev. 7.17 Have all tears wiped away from his Eyes and receive a Hundred fold for all those momentary Afflictions he has undergone in this Life Whilst he endures the Cross his Faith shews him the Crown of Glory hanging over his head and the lively Hopes of it make him not only patient but thankful for and chearful under Affliction And I am perswaded that St. Paul when in Chains and under all his Calamities and Persecutions was infinitely more contented than Caesar or Seneca than any of the most fortunate Princes or wisest Philosophers amongst the Heathens From these and such like Considerations I think it is sufficiently evident 1. That there is very little true Pleasure to be found in a debauch'd and wicked Course of Life 2. That the way to lead a comfortable Life even in this World is to be vertuous and religious 3. That the worst Circumstances a good Man can fall into are to be preferr'd before the most prosperous Condition of the wicked And if so then from hence we may reasonably conclude That Godliness has the Promises of the Life that now is i.e. That our Happiness in this World is best secur'd by leading a Holy and religious Life It only remains that I shew Secondly That a Holy and religious Life fits and prepares us for everlasting Happiness in the world to come And this is evident because a State of Grace and a State of Glory only differ in degree Grace is Glory begun and Glory is Grace perfected and consummated So that every good Action and religious Duty that we perform is a step towards our everlasting Happiness it both qualifies us for it and leads us nearer to it for by a Holy and religious Life we Copy out the Perfections of the Divine Nature and become more like God and the
our Ways as to turn our feet unto God's Testimonies Which God of his Mercy grant for the sake of our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord. SERMON III. 2 TIM III. 5. Having a form of Godliness but denying the Power from such turn away THIS know saith St. Paul Ver. 1. That in the last days periolous times shall come because of the wickedness of Men as he goes on in the second Verse for Men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous proud boasters blasphemers and all which he comprehends under one Character in the words of the Text Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power And this is the chief Reason why the times would be so perilous because the greatest part of these wicked Persons should conceal their Crimes under a Form and shew of Godliness Were they professedly and openly wicked there were some Ingenuity even in their Impudence because they could not be tax'd or upbraided with Hypocrisie Were they covetous proud blasphemers without a shew of Zeal and pretence of Religion then all Men might plainly discern and detect them Psal 55.12 and from an open Enemy I would have hid my self says David Shelves and Quicksands that have Lights always burning to discover them by are the more easily avoided and we are forewarn'd against the Dog that barks first But these Deceivers of whom St. Paul speaks have a fair and glorious outside tho' they are foul within These workers of Iniquity cry Lord Lord and are great Professors of Religion They put on the Form of Godliness tho' they deny the Power thereof and therefore they have the greater Sin From hence it is that they are the more dangerous Company and we have the greater Reason to observe the Caution laid down in the Text from such turn away Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power from such turn away From these words I shall shew I. What is here meant by Godliness what by a Form and what by the Power of it II. That we may have a Form without the Power of Godliness III. How we may discover whether we have the Power of Godliness or else only the Form of it IV. And Lastly how far we must turn away from such as have only the Form but not the Power of Godliness 1. What is here meant by Godliness what by a Form and what by the Power of it Godliness in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a devout and sincere Worship of the only true God in Spirit and in Truth both inwardly and outwardly according to his Word Or to describe it more fully and expresly 1 Tim. 1.5 'T is an earnest Love of God out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned whereby we are incited to glorifie God and to do good towards Men So that in this one word is imply'd our whole Duty towards God and Man This is express'd by St. 1 Tim. 2.2 Paul by leading a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 4.8 This is that Godliness which is profitable unto all things and has the Promises of the Life that now is and that which is to come By a Form of Godliness is meant an outward Resemblance a colourable shew or likely appearance of Godliness when a Man puts on the Face and outside of Religion Acts and Mimicks it so well as to deceive and impose upon those who converse with him who judging according to the outward appearance believe him to be an honest holy and religious Man tho' in truth he is nothing less He may not only deceive others but delude himself also and be confidently perswaded that he is the Child of God and one of the chief Favourites of Heaven when indeed he is a Servant of the Devil and a Firebrand of Hell And in truth the Form must be like the Pattern or else it is no Form at all for we do not say a Picture or Statue is such a Man's Picture or Statue unless it bears a lively Resemblance of his Looks and Person Thus a Form of Godliness must be such a shew and outside of Religion as is of the same hew and complection with true Religion and a lively Portraicture of it tho' in many Respects it falls short of the Power of Godliness which implies that Force and Efficacy that internal Principle and Spring of Action which is well express'd by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby a Man is made as St. 1 Tiâ—â— 41 8.12 Paul says An example of Believers in word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity and has the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation teaching him to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world If a Man has Charity in Conversation Faith and Purity in Spirit so as to deny all worldly Lusts and to live soberly in himself and righteously towards others and godly towards his Maker and Redeemer Then is his Soul and Body entirely subject to the Cross of Christ then his Form of Godliness proceeds from the Power of it And this is that Power of Godliness which works mightily unto Salvation And this Power of God is most evidently seen in reducing the most Stiff-neck'd and Hard-hearted Sinners in prevailing with them to leave their beloved Sins and bosom Vices and in beating down and subduing the most stubborn and unruly Passions such as Pride Envy Malice and Revenge those Sins our corrupt Nature is most subject to and in making so great a Change in us that we do not seem to be the same Men. The Lyon becomes a Lamb and the Serpent a Dove a natural Man a Man wholly Spiritual and a Servant of the Devil a Child of God He aims at new ends Acts by new Principles and is ready to expose his Life by giving his Testimony to those Truths which before were foolishness unto him And therefore the Gospel is call'd Rom. 1.16 the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes This is that Power of Godliness which those Hypocrites mentioned by St. Paul in the Text are without here 't is they are defective which brings me to shew 2. That the Form of Godliness may be without the Power of it And this is confirm'd by many other Texts of Scripture We are forewarn'd that we do not look to the outward appearance 2 Cor. 11.14 for the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of Light and then 't is no wonder that his Servants can put on the guise and appearance of the Children of God There are numerous instances set down in the Holy Scripture sufficient to convince us of this Truth We are told that a Man may pretend to be sent from Heaven and yet Preach another Gospel than that which our Saviour reveal'd to the World and hereby deserve an Anathema Nay he may Preach the true Gospel with such force of Reason and wonderful Efficacy
to keep at home and finds that a right Management of his own Actions is a full Employ sufficient to take up all his time and thoughts he is not willing to intermeddle with other Mens Concerns or to intrude himself into Business which doth not belong to him Or he is sensible that he himself is guilty of many Miscarriages and the Reflection on his own Infirmities with-holds him from Reproving the Failures of other Men who as he is apt to think are better than himself 2. A good Man is apt to Err on the Charitable side he is with Difficulty perswaded to believe ill of his Neighbour tho' the Crime which is charg'd upon him is apparently and notoriously true Charity will find out many Excuses turn the best side of things and make the most candid Representation of his Neighbour's Actions they will bear and in this Sence at least 1 Eph. 4.8 Covers a multitude of sins 3. A good Man is apt to be too timorous A mild and humble temper of Mind makes him fearful of disobliging those with whom he maintains a fair Correspondence and to whom probably he may have been beholding for many good Offices and for these and such like Reasons he may be very averse and backward to the performance of this Duty tho' it must be confess'd he is much to blame for being so For Difficulty is so far from being a just Excuse for the non-performance of our Duty that it is the best Argument can be made use of to perswade us to set about it more manfully and courageously Thou knewest that I was an austere man said the Lord to his idle and unprofitable Servant taking up that I laid not down Luk. 19.22 and reaping that I did not sow Wherefore then gavest thou not my Money into the Bank i. e. Since nothing but a diligent and vigorous Endeavour to serve God will enable us to perform our Duty therefore we ought to employ all our Strength and Industry turn every stone use all just and likely means which will yield us any help and assistance And so much the rather because the Difficulty of performing this Duty will appear still greater by considering 2. The Person who is to be Reprov'd For we must not alway expect to meet with a kind and favourable Acceptance of what we Design for the good of our Neighbour Many Men are like those Swine mentioned in the Gospel if we throw the Pearls of good Advice before them they will be so far from thinking themselves beholding to us for this our kind and charitable Office That they will turn again and rent us Matth. 7.6 We must expect to lose their good Opinion and Friendship and that they will become our Enemies because we tell them the Truth For 1. We shall find that some Men think themselves too great to be Reprov'd They are indeed conscious of their own Failings they know that they are guilty of many scandalous Crimes and gross Immoralities but yet they Fansie that they may live without any manner of Restraint because they are above the common Rank and Level of Mankind They have Plenty of all the good things of this World sufficient to maintain them in Pomp and Grandeur without a servile Dependance on any one and therefore they look upon it as an Intrenchment on their Privilege to be call'd to an Account for their Words or Actions or to be Reprov'd for their evil Deeds tho' with never so much Prudence and Discretion Mildness and Submission What is more frequent than for Men of plentiful Fortunes to lavish out those good Gifts of God's Providence of which they are only the Stewards and Trustees in Rioting and Drunkenness Chambring and Wantonness on this false Supposition That they may do what they please with what they thro' mistake call their own How many are there that fill all places where they come with Oaths and Execrations and the blasphemous Abuse of God's most holy Name and yet would look upon it as a great piece of Rudeness Ill-breeding and an intolerable Affront should any one reprove them for so doing 2. Others there are and those of all Ranks and Degrees who think themselves too good to be Reprov'd There are too many who are so puff'd up with a Pharisaical Opinion of their own Righteousness that they make their own Words and Actions the Standard whereby they try all Religion and Vertue they first lay it down for a Rule that that Church or Party of which they are Members is the only true one upon Earth they Fansie themselves the only Elect of God and Favourites of Heaven and then make this false and dangerous Inference That they can neither think nor Act amiss for since they are the Elect and precious in whom God sees no sin therefore 't is high Injustice for any one else to take any notice of their Miscarriages To how little Purpose would it be to reprove a Man that is so full of his own Righteousness that he thinks he has attain'd unto Perfection and is so pufft up with the Contemplation of his own Performances that he aspires to Works of Supererogation for to be so humble as to disclaim any Pretence to merit and to be truly sensible of our own Wants is a Qualification absolutely necessary to render a Man capable of receiving benefit by good Advice And Lastly most Men are too Wise to be reproved Self-conceit is so natural and graceful a Vice that all Men are more or less given to it Prov. 3.5 we are all apt to lean too much to our own Vnderstandings and to esteem those Opinions false and those Practices ridiculous which do not exactly fall in with our Pre-conceptions till by use they are render'd Customary and Familiar to us we have a kindness for every thing which carries our own Badge upon it or has any Relation to us and are fond of the Off-spring either of our Minds or Bodies tho' never so much deform'd With what Extenuating Circumstances do we cloath our darling Vices so that they may appear if not like Vertues yet more venial and excusable Reprove the Covetous Man for his Avarice and he will tell you you are mistaken that he is only laying up against a rainy Day and wisely provident against future Contingences and what you call Sordidness is only Foresight and Frugality Admonish the Prodigal and tell him that he will soon squander away what his more frugal Ancestors took so much Care to rake together and he will smile upon you and make you this Answer that he hates to be sneaking and niggardly and what you term Profuseness and Luxury he mis-calls Liberality You will find it a difficult Matter to perswade the Superstitious that Religion doth not consist in splendid shews or ritual Performances Or the blind Zealot that whilst he destroys his Brother he doth not do God good Service Or the giddy Enthusiast that his tongue is not touch'd with a Coal from the Altar
Faith which he formerly persecuted and from an Enemy to become a Martyr for the Christian Religion Consider him now as a Christian and then you will find him remarkable for the exact Government of his Life his Graces his Afflictions his Infirmities 1. He was remarkable for his austere Life and Conversation Like one who strove for the Mastery he abstain'd from all things which might hinder him in his Christian Course 1 Cor. 9.27 1 Cor. 15.10 beating down his Body and bringing it into subjection he labour'd more abundantly than all the rest of the Apostles travelling from Nation to Nation from City to City never wearied with Preaching never baffled with Opposition never tired with disputing and all this thro' the Grace of God which was sufficient in him 2 If you would take a Survey of his Graces you may read That he prophesied he spake with Tongues he wrought Miracles what shall I say he was enlightned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an abundance an Excess a multitude of Revelations he was caught up into the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.4 and heard words which it was not possible for Man to utter These were such Privileges such evident Demonstrations that he was belov'd of God and a Favourite of Heaven that nothing could keep him from being puft up with them but an extraordinary measure of God's Grace with which he was endow'd And as God's Grace was sufficient for him in Prosperity so 3. Did it support him in a day of Adversity and Affliction he was as he himself tells us 2 Cor. 11.23 24 25. in stripes above measure in Prisons frequent in Deaths oft Of the Jews five times received he forty stripes save one thrice was he beaten with rods once was he stoned thrice he suffered shipwrack a night and a day he was in the deep in Journeyings often in perils of Waters in perils of Robbers in perils by the Heathen in perils by his own Countrymen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils amongst false Brethren in Weariness and Painfulness in Watchings often in Hunger and Thirst in Fastings often in Cold and Nakedness c. And at last after Forty years Persecution he was beheaded at Rome had not the Grace of God been sufficient for him he could not have suffered so courageously nor have gloried in his Sufferings with such Christian Bravery nor have promis'd himself the Crown of Righteousness with such an earnest Hope and stedfast Assurance And Lastly we have his Infirmities there was sent him a Thorn in the Flesh S. Chryso the Iliack Passion Tertul. the Head-ach Cyprian some Bodily Disease as the Messenger of Satan to buffet him by which some of the ancient Fathers understood some bodily Disease and Infirmity but the generality of Interpreters with more Probability affirm That by this Thorn in the Flesh is meant not any particular Evil but all manner of Temptation by which the Devil strove either to undermine his Faith or to beat him from it And that he might get the better of all these and be more than a Conquerour God Promises him his Grace and assures him that it should be sufficient for him and we find by the Consequence that it had its desired Effect This Grace of God was sufficient to keep him humble when he beheld the most glorious Revelations and was rapt up into the third Heaven to support him amidst the most grievous Tribulations and Afflictions to strengthen and confirm him under Temptations and tho' by earnest Prayer he could not obtain a present Deliverance from his Temptations yet by the Grace of God he reap'd the Fruit and Benefit of them an Addition of Grace and spiritual Strength whereby he was enabled to obtain the Victory over them in this World and an eternal and never-fading Crown of Glory in the next And now what remains but that we make a right Improvement of all these Considerations and direct our Thoughts from the Contemplation of these words in the General to consider the influence they ought to have on our particular Lives and Conversations And to this end I shall endeavour to draw such Inferences as naturally flow from the Truths already deliver'd And 1. 'T is the Interest of every Man to state the Case plainly between God and his own Soul and to examine his own Heart whether he has got saving Grace or no for since this alone is sufficient to support a Man in Affliction and to keep him steady under all the Turns and Vicissitudes of humane Affairs it certainly behooves every one to be well assured that he is possess'd of this Jewel of great Price especially since 't is so frequently counterfeit ed and Men are so ready to impose upon themselves and deceive their own Souls and to embrace the shadow of Religion instead of the Substance Try and examine well your selves know you not your own selves that you must have this true saving Grace of God unless ye are Reprobates Take heed all things are not according to the outward appearance the Prince of darkness often transforms himself into an Angel of Light A Man may hear and read God's Word and pray frequently and fervently and yet not have the true Gift of Understanding and Spiritual Wisdom He may saith the Apostle Give his Body to be burnt 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. and all his Goods to feed the Poor and yet not have the Gift of Love he may have a Faith sufficient to remove Mountains and yet be nothing he may have all Knowledge and all Prophecies and the tongue of Men and Angels to utter it and yet be only a sounding Brass and a tinkling Cymbal But a true saving Grace will discover it self by such Effects as these by a sincere Love to God a fervent Charity to your Neighbour and a sober Meekness in the Estimation of your selves If you have a sincere Love to God you will avoid Evil and do Good out of such Principles and Motives as these because the one is pleasing the other hateful in the sight of God because Sin debases our Nature and provokes God to withdraw his Grace from us and grieves his Holy Spirit If you have fervent Charity to your Neighbour you will Love him for God's sake because he enjoyns it and maintain an universal Charity for all Men as well Enemies as Friends Luk. 6.13 you will Love those who hate you bless those who Curse you and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you If you have sober Meekness and a just Valuation of your selves you will have a low and mean Opinion of your Self and your Performances and readily acknowledge your own Frailties and be sensible of your Infirmities and confess that naturally you are insufficient for every good work 1 Cor. 15.10 and that 't is from God's Grace alone that you are what you are You will rely on the infinite Mercy of God and the sole Merits