principles as might accommodate them for those works to which they were appointed And he Governs all things by such Laws as are suited to those several natures which he had at first implanted in them The most universal principle belonging to all kinds of things is self-preservation which in Man being a rational Agent is somewhat further advanced to strong propensions and desires of the Soul after a state of happiness which hath the predominancy over all other inclinations as being the supreme and ultimate end to which all particular designs and actions must be subservient 2. By Moral Duties I mean such Habits or Actions as are the most proper means for the attaining of this end About these we have a liberty of Acting to which we are to be induced in a moral way by such kind of Arguments and Motives as are in themselves sufficient to convince the Reason So that self-love and the proposing of happiness as our chief end though it be the Foundation of Duty that basis or substratum upon which the Law is founded yet it is not properly a moral duty because every Man must do it necessarily nor can he do otherwise Now to suppose that the Holy and Wise God should impose any thing as a duty upon his Creatures which is inconsistent with those principles that he himself hath implanted in their natures in their first Creation is an apprehension as absurd in it self as it is unworthy of God This natural Principle of endeavouring after happiness is the Foundation of all Moral Duties For the highest moral inducement or motive to perswâ—de men to any thing is to represent such a thing as necessary to their happiness so that our Obligation to Duty is from the Law of God but the great motive to it is Love to our selves and a natural desire of happiness 2. From the chief scope of all those promises and threats so frequent in Scripture which are certainly intended for this very purpose to excite and quicken us in our Obedience Now it cannot be denyed but that 't is our duty to make that the aim and end of our actions which the Scripture it self proposes to be so namely to avoid the evil and obtain the good therein mentioned Deut. 30.19 20. After that large Catalogue of Mercies and Judgments before recited Moses puts them in mind that he had set before them that day life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that thou and thy seed mayest live c. Upon this account it is that several precepts in Scripture are press'd upon us with so many affectionate insinuations taken from the consideration of our own good Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always that it might be well with them and their Children after them And Chap. 6. v. 24. The Lord Commanded us to do all these things for our good always that he might preserve us alive c. Now I say it is not only lawful but 't is our duty to serve God upon his own motives and encouragements and to make that a principal reason and end of our obedience which he himself proposes to us under those Considerations 3. From the nature of that Principle which hath the chief influence upon the very life and actions of every Religious Man and that is Faith The just shall live by Faith As Reason is the Foundation of all humane actions so is Faith of Religious dutys And every one under the notion of just or Religious is acted by this principle of Faith as brutes are by Sense and Men by Reason Now Faith v. 1. Is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Where among the things hoped for and not seen are clearly meant the happiness and salvation which we expect hereafter the rewards of a better life which Faith doth as realy discern in the promises as if they were actually present to the Sense Hence it is that Salvation is said to be the end of our Faith receiving the end of your Faith even the Salvation of your Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 So then if all Religious actions be derived from Faith as the main root and principle of them and if Faith doth chiefly refer to the rewards hoped for and not seen then it must needs follow that it is as necessary for a believer to have a principal aime at the rewards as it is for him to live by Faith And that he may as well pretend to be above the life of Faith as to be above the help of those encouragements of the rewards and promises proposed in Scripture and so far as Faith hath an influence upon our Religious actions so far must we respect the recompence of reward 4. From the nature of our Love which is another Principle whereby the Soul is acted and carried on in all its attempts and prosecutions Now the proper object of Love is not so much that which is absolutely good in it self as that which is relatively so to us And this being rightly understood will give very much light unto the chief difficulties about the Point in hand 'T is true indeed there are in the Deity attributes of such a superlative goodness that of themselves they do deserve infinitely more than the best of our affections but yet they prove effectual to the winning over of our love and desires so far only as they are apprehended to be convenient for us And therefore the exactest Schoolman who spends most of his time and endeavours in the contemplation of those transcendent excellencies which are to be found in the Deity after all his Studies may find his heart as cold and stupid as the most ignorant man These things may raise his wonder but not his affections or in the phrase of a good Divine they may dazle his understanding into a more distempered ignorance but will never be able to ravish his Soul with those angelical flames of love which sanctified men do feel on Earth and the glorified Saints do fully enjoy in Heaven Hence is it that though the Devil doth understand those absolute perfections in the divine nature better than any man in the World as that God is most wise most holy most glorious yet he doth not love him because he himself cannot receive any benefit by him And upon the same ground is it that though a man should be sufficiently perswaded that his neighbour hath more grace than himself and so is absolutely more lovely yet he is not bound to love his neighbour better than himself because it is not absolute but relative good that is the surest ground of love And therefore the beloved Disciple who had most skill in the nature of this grace tells us that we loved God because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4.19 Implying some kind of necessity of apprehending God under the notion of a Friend or a Saviour before we shall love him He that comes to God
himself and to love him for any thing else were to place somewhat above him For answer to this you may please to remember what was said before that we do then make God our chief end and give him that supreme honour which he expects when we place all our happiness in the enjoyment of him He doth not propose himself to us in Scripture as abstracted from our good but as comprehending it So he tells Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward So that the loving of God for himself and his own excellency so much talked of in Mystical Divinity is but another name 't is not another thing from Heaven and Salvation For the enjoyment of God is Heaven And as a man's love is to any thing so must his desire be of enjoying it Nor can it otherwise be but that if God be our objective happiness our enjoyment of him must be our formal happiness The force of this Argument supposes those things to be separated and opposed which do necessarily involve one the other 3. A third Objection may be from those two great examples of Moses the instance of the Text and St. Paul as some think the Pen-man of it 1. As for Moses we read of him that he was so desirous of his brethren's pardon that rather than his request for them should be denied he would have his own name blotted out of the Book of Life Exod. 32.32 2. And St. Paul speaking of the rejection of the Iews professes that he wished himself to be an Anathema from Christ for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.3 From whence it may seem that these holy men had so fully cast of all respects of their own that they could wish themselves damned for the salvation of their brethren So far were they from aiming principally at the recompence of reward To that of Moses I answer 't is evident from the context that 't is to be understood of temporal death not Eternal In the 10th Verse of that Chapter God had told Moses that if he would let him alone to destroy that People for their Idolatry he would make of him a great Nation ver 32. Moses rather desires that God would spare the People and destroy him rather than not forgive their sin blot me I pray thee out of the Book which thou hast written The phrase of a written Book being a metaphorical expression and signifying no more than the purpose of God which he hath decreed within himself in reference to future events so that to be cut off by an untimely death is to be blotted out of this Book Now to die for a man's Country is no more than what every wise and valiant man is ingaged to by the Rules of Morality There being a happiness beyond and above a temporal life which may be purchased by such sufferings As to St. Pauls wish of being an Anathema from Christ such a desire if understood in the strictest sence of it cannot be lawful upon any condition the reason is because a man cannot properly be an Anathema from Christ unless he be in a state of sin and consequently an enemy to God as well as in a state of misery And there is no imaginable condition that can make it lawful for a man to wish himself in a state of sin Besides that it implies a gross contradiction as if a man out of the zeal of his love to God should wish himself to be an enemy to him and to be eternally separated from him Or if any shall suppose the meaning of his wish to be that he might be only separated from the enjoyment of Christ without being an enemy to him Besides that this is inconsistent with the Divine goodness that those who love him in the highest degree should be debarred from the enjoyment of him It hath in it likewise a plain contradiction to the nature of love and zeal The proper notion of loving any thing with all our might is so to esteem and desire it as to place our chief happiness in the enjoyment of it And zeal is nothing else but a warm anger against any thing which may hinder us in this fruition So that for a man out of the Zeal of his love to God to be content not to enjoy him must needs be a plain contradiction And as for such a degree of love to to our brethren as the strictest sense of these words doth imply it is neither lawful nor possible 1. Not lawful because God hath proposed the love of our selves as the pattern of our love to others and it is not fit that in drawing the portraicture we should spoil the pattern That order in Charity to which we are obliged doth not permit this 2. Not possible because such a love would be in some sense greater than that which Christ shewed unto the World and greater than that hath no man Joh. 15.13 So that this phrase is not to be understood in the strictest literal sense or if it should 't is by no means lawful and therefore not to be drawn into example What the most proper and genuine sense of that Scripture may be is not so easy to determin St. Hierom understands it de occisione corporali so making it equivalent with that other saying of the same Apostle 1 Thes. 2.8 We were willing to have imparted unto you nor the Gospel of God only but also our Souls or lives because ye were dear unto us So Christ is said to be made a curse for us by reason of that ignominious death c. Some others would have the sense of it thus interpreted I could wish you were made partakers of the true faith though I were as yet alienated from it Others by this phrase of Anathema from Christ suppose to be meant Excommunication from the Church which is the body of Christ with those consequences which did commonly ensue upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destruction of the flesh i. e. several diseases and temporal afflictions which the Apostle was content to undergo for his brethrens sake 'T is observed by some that amongst the Iews unto whose customs and practice the Apostle doth here allude there were two sorts of Anathema's the one styled Niddui by which men were debarred the external Communion of the Church for the space of 30 days The other Cherem which did extend to a perpetual exclusion from the Church by execrations and curses The Apostle he styles it Anathema Maranatha 'T is thought that his wish in this place doth allude only to the first of these and doth import only his being content to undergo some temporary short separation from the Church privileges and from the consolations of Christ but not an eternal separation from the Spirit and Grace of Christ. Others would have this to be the sense of the words as if he should have said I could be content for my brethrens sake not only to want the honour of my Apostleship but
the controverted Points such things are no indication of a mans good or bad state and therefore you ought not to judge of mens conditions by them but in those more weighty and substantial duties of righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost whosoever lays out his strength and zeal in things of this nature shall be sure though he do mistake in other matters to be both accepted of God and approved of men That 's the connexion of the words The Text contains a description of those chief things wherein Religion consists 1. The thing described 2. The description it self By that phrase the Kingdom of God is meant Christianity or the state of Religion under the Government of the Messiah which was by the Iews commonly styled the Age of the Messiah or the Kingdom of God according to that famous Prophecy of Daniel c. 2. v. 44. That the God of Heaven should set up a Kingdom which should never be destroyed but should stand for ever Conformably whereunto the Apostle to the Hebrews c. 12. v. 28. calls the state and dispensation of the Gospel a Kingdom which cannot be moved This is described both by the Matter Principle and Effects of it 1. The Object matter wherein it consists and that both Negatively and Positively 1. Negatively 'T is not meat and drink that is it consists not in or is not to be judged of by those more circumstantial parts of Religion referring to external observances which as to the acts of them may be performed by all kind of persons whether good or bad and do not necessarily suppose or require any habitual goodness to the doing of them Not but that 't was a sin to neglect these under the law and 't was a duty to be rightly persuaded concerning our liberty from them under the Gospel but yet not of such moment or consequence that a man might hereby judge of his own or anothers state 2. Positively but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost That is in such internal habits and dispositions of the soul whereby the mind is renewed and changed and made conformable to the image of God particularly 1. Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is twofold 1. Imputed styled the righteousness of Faith Of which the Apostle had treated at large in the eleven first Chapters of this Epistle 2. Inherent that is such a sanctification of the nature whereby a man is carried on to a universal conformity unto the moral Law both in respect of the first and second Table Which latter seems to be more immediately intended in this place because it may more properly be considered under the notion of a duty and is likewise the most obvious and natural sign whereby a man may judge of his estate And is elsewhere called grace in opposition to meats Heb. 13.9 It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace not with meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein 2. Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Word also is capable of a twofold sense 1. It may signifie a quiet state of mind arising from an assurance of our reconciliation with God In which sense it is to be understood Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God This is sometimes stiyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is rather a privilege than a duty Or else 2. It may signify the grace of Peaceableness the desire and study of promoting peace amongst one another a readiness and willingness of mind to agree with such in affection from whom we differ in judgment And this is properly our duty being sometimes styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which tho it be but a branch of that general righteousness signified in the former Word yet the Apostle thought fit to specify this in particular because of its suitableness to the business in hand And that this is the proper sense of the Word in this place may appear by v. 19. where he returns again to a further enforcing of this duty Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace 3. Ioy in the holy Ghost This phrase likewise is capable of a twofold sense 1. It may signify a blessing or privilege consisting in the enlargement of the Soul by the shining in of the light of Gods Countenance when he is pleased to shed abroad a sense of his love in our hearts and by that means to fill us with joy unspeakable and glorious Or 2. A Grace or duty which Christians are bound to labour after and to attain And that is quiet submission to every dispensation of providence an ability of rejoycing in an afflicted estate as being acted by principles above these sensible things This is elsewhere styled rejoycing in hope Rom. 5.2 12.12 And in another place 1 Thes. 1.6 the Apostle doth particularly explain what he means by this joy in the holy Ghost namely the bearing of affliction with joy ye received the word in much affliction with joy in the holy Ghost 'T is styled by this name for its opposition to the joy of the World which is grounded only upon external prosperity whereas that which must support a man under an afflicted estate is something of an higher nature 2. Religion is here described by its principle or end whosoever in these things serveth Christ. There must be a serving of Christ in these things that is 't is not the mere performance of such moral duties as are of natural obligation unless they be done in obedience to him as our Lord and Lawgiver and in reliance upon him for his pardon and acceptance as our Priest and Saviour that can make us acceptable to Christ or entitle us to the name of Christians 3. From the fruits and effects of it It renders a man acceptable to God and approved of men 1. Accepted of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well-pleasing to God 'T is the same with that Word Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him 2. Approved of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is an expression frequently applied to gold to signify its purity and excellency and to money in general to express its currantness So the Septuagint Gen. 23.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 currant money And from thence 't is translated to signifie the integrity of persons such as pass for currant and approved amongst all sorts of men The Words thus explained may very properly afford these three Observations 1. That there are some things in Religion wherein a man may be very forward and zealous and yet fall short of the Kingdom of God 'T is not meat and drink 2. There are other things in Religion wherein if a man be faithful and sincere he shall be accepted by God tho he should mistake and fall short of his duty in other things But righteousness and peace c. 3. The Reason why Christians of several persuasions are less approved
men who are the Authors of it yet perhaps there may be too much occasion given on our parts for want of that holiness and zeal and prudence and gravity which should accompany our profession besides that many of us do by our sloth and idleness let other men outgo us in those very gifts and abilities which are more peculiarly required to our Calling Now I say that which must promote both the usefulness and the reputation of our knowledge is when our practice and conversation is made suitable to it 'T is not an ability to talk or to dispute of Religion for in these times what man nay what woman almost is there who do's not pretend to skill in this But it is a holy and prudent conversation that must adorn our profession and provoke others to the love of it And there are stronger engagements upon us to this purpose than upon any others Because by our Callings we profess our selves to be amongst those servants who do not only know but are able to teach our masters will and therefore our disobedience shall be punished with many stripes It cannot be denied but that skill in Controversies the Tongues History Philosophy the Arts are all of them not only great ornaments and advantages to particular men but in some sense also necessary for the Church but yet when all is done 't is this practical Divinity that must bring us to heaven that must poise our judgments and settle our consciences and strengthen our comforts and save our souls This must be our rejoycing at the last day the testimony of our consciences 2 Cor. 1.12 that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversations in this world 2. A second Use shall be for exhortation that we would apply our selves to those means which may help to remedy the sorrows and dangers to which those things of themselves will expose us There are divers things of excellent use in Physick which yet cannot be safely prescribed without the addition of some correctives to abate their noxious qualities Such is the condition of this natural wisdom and knowledge which of themselves have many flatuous and corroding qualities but yet being mixed with some proper correctives may be made of singular use and efficacy But you will say what are these other ingredients Why the Apostle doth prescribe a large recipe of them 2 Pet. 1.5 6. Add to your knowledge faith virtue temperance patience goodness brotherly kindness charity The mixture of these other Christians Graces will make our knowledge exceeding wholesome and useful I must not insist upon the particulars only there are two Graces amongst all the rest which I cannot omit being in Scripture phrase styled by the name of wisdom and knowledge and therefore of all others the study of these must needs be the most proper remedies to be applied in this case namely 1. Faith in Christ 2. Fear of God These are properly the graces the other but the gifts of wisdom and knowledge 1. Faith is wisdom unto salvation the other is but wisdom unto grief this leads us unto a practical acquaintance with the Doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ in whom are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos. 2.3 Those are but the refuse and the husks of knowledge which are to be had amongst the Creatures the treasures of it are only to be obtained by an acquaintance with the virtue of Christs death and resurrection Though a man should be very well skilled in the way of secular business knowing how to bring about his own ends to raise himself unto power reputation estate yet such an one is but a fool if he be either ignorant or careless how to save his own soul. And therefore if we aim at true wisdom we should make it our chief business to grow in grace and in this knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. St. Paul was a man of as great abilities as any that we read of bred up at the feet of Gamaliel very well versed in the chief Authors of his time Epimenides Menander Aratus whom he cites upon several occasions of a very powerful and masculine Oratory as may be seen by the effects of it in his discourse with Faelix Agrippa Festus and the men of Lystra who for this reason called him Mercury And for his skill in Languages he spake with tongues more than they all 1 Cor. 14. And yet this learned man notwithstanding all these great abilities doth profess that he desired to know nothing but Christ and him Crucified that is nothing in comparison to that knowledg or nothing but what might lead him to it or further him in it nay he counts all things but loss for the excellency of this knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord. Philip. 3. ◠2. The second Grace I mentioned is the fear of God Job 28.28 The fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding This is that which Solomon after all his other enquiries do's at last pitch upon as the only remedy against those anxieties of mind which every thing else did expose him unto And he sets down as the utmost result of all his experience that whosoever would be truly happy he must make it his chief business to keep up in his heart a holy awe and fear of the divine Majesty and to apply himself with an humble conformity unto the will of God This he makes the conclusion of his whole Sermon and I shall shut up all with the same advice If you would have your other enquiries and learning made useful and comfortable unto you then fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The End of the sixth Sermon The Seventh Sermon PROV IV. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom AMongst that great variety of subjects which Solomon treats of in this and his other moral discourses there is none more frequently mentioned or more largely insisted upon than this of wisdom He himself when he was put to his choice having preferred this before all other things and being so very eminent above all other men for his great abilities in this kind He doth thereupon take all occasions to celebrate the praise of it and to excite others to the love and study of it It is one of his Proverbs to this purpose which I have now made choice to speak of Being a subject amongst all others the most difficult to be treated of partly for the abstruseness of it and partly for the copiousness of it being that which we are still to be learning all the days of our lives And therefore is it no easy matter either to explain the nature or contract the doctrine of it within a narrow compass which yet I shall endeavour to do with as much plainness and brevity as I can The Word here translated Principal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉