Genetal in the Field after a sharp and fierce encounter at first with a mighty resolution by his Souldiers when he finds by the number and fresh recruits of the enemy that his smaller forces are like to be born down before them and through meer weariness of fighting are ready to turn their backs or yield themselves up to the enemies mercy lie conjures them by the honour they have gain'd and the courage they had already expressed by their own interest and the example of their Leaders by the hopes of glory and the fears of punishment that they would bear the last shock of their enemies force and rather be the Trophies of their Courage than of their Triumphs so does our Apostle when he finds some among them begin to debate whether they had best to stand it out or no he conjures them 1. By the remembrance of their own former courage whereby they did bear as sharp tryals as these could be with the greatest chearfulness and constancy and what could they gain by yielding at last but great dishonour to themselves that they had suffer'd so long to no purpose unless it were to discover their own weakness and inconstancy 2. By the hopes of a reward which would surely follow their faithfulness v. 35 36. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise and the time will not be long ere ye come to enjoy it v. 37. but if ye draw back you lose all your former labours for he who alone is able to recompence you hath said that if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him v. 38. and then from the example of himself and all the genuine followers of Christ but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul v. 39. But lest these examples should not be enough to perswade them he conjures them by the name of all those who were as eminent for the greatness of their minds as the strength of their Faith who have despised the frowns as well as the smiles of the world and were not discouraged by the severest tryals from placing their confidence in God and their hopes in a life to come and all this done by persons who had not received the Promise Heb. 11. 39. and could there be a greater disparagement to the clearness of that light we enjoy above them if we only grew fainter by it And therefore in the beginning of this Chapter he encourages them by that army of Martyrs which had gone before them by that Cloud of witnesses which did both direct and refresh them that they would lay aside every thing which was apt to oppress or dishearten them but especially their sinful fears which they were so easily betray'd by and so run with patience the race that was set before them v. 1. But saith he if none of these will prevail with you there is an example yet behind which ought above all others to heighten your courage and that is of the Captain of your salvation the author and sinisher of your faith under whom you serve and from whom you expect your reward and as Caesar once said to his Souldiers when he saw them ready to retreat out of the field Videte quem quo loco Imperatorem deserturi estis Remember what kind of General you forsake and in what place you leave him one whom you have vow'd your lives and your service to one who hath thought nothing too dear which was to be done for your good one that will be ready to reward the least service you can do for him one that is ready to assist you to the utmost in what you undertake one that hath already undergone far more for your sakes than ever you can do for his therefore Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be weary and faint in your minds In which words we have represented to us the unparallel'd example of courage and patience under sufferings in our Lord and Saviour and the great influence that it ought to have on all those who are call'd by his Name that they would not dishonour so excellent a pattern of enduring sufferings by weakness or dejection of mind Christianity is a Religion which above all others does arm men against all the contingencies and miseries of the life of man yea it makes them serviceable to the most advantageous purpoâ—es that the greatest blessings can be designed for It raises the minds of men higher than barely to consider the common condition of humane nature the unavoidableness of such things which are out of our own power and the unreasonableness of tormenting our selves about the things which are so and that most mens conditions in the world as to their contentment depends more upon their minds than their outward circumstances though these are things very fit for us as men to consider and make use of yet they do not reach to that height which the consideration of a life to come and the tendency of all our sufferings here to the inhancement of our future glory may raise us to Especially considering not only the weight of the arguments in themselves but the force they receive from the example of him who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God By which mighty instance we find that the sufferings of this life are so far from being inconsistent with the joys of another that he who is the Captain of salvation was made perfect through sufferings and therefore none of his followers have cause to be dejected under them But that we may the better understand the force of this argument we shall consider 1. What those things were which he endured 2. From whom he suffer'd them it was the contradiction of sinners against himself 3. In that Way and manner he underwent them 4. For what ends he did it And when we have considered these we shall see the influence this example of Christs sufferings ought to have upon our constancy and patience which will be the most useful improvement of it to us 1. What those things were which Christ endured which are here comprehended under those words the contradiction of sinners It is agreed by the best Expositors both Greek and Latin that under this phrase of the contradiction of sinners the whole history of our Saviours sufferings is comprehended All the injuries reproaches false accusations all the cruelties indignities and violence which were offer'd him from the time of his publick appearance to his expiring upon the Cross being undergone by him by the malice of unreasonable men may be call'd the contradiction of sinners For the sense of this word extends
work so many miraculous cures by vertue of a temperament peculiar to themselves for how come they only to happen to have this temperament and none of the Jews who had all equal advantages with them for it Why did none of the enemies of Christ do as strange things as they did How come they never to do it before they were Christians nor in such an extraordinary manner till after the day of Pentecost Did the being Christians alter their natural temper and infuse a sanative vertue into them which they never had before Or rather was not their Christianity like to have spoyled it if ever they had it before by their frequent watchings fastings hunger and thirst cold and nakedness stripes and imprisonments racks and torments Are these the improvers of an excellent constitution if they be I doubt not but those who magnifie it in them would rather want the vertue of it than be at the pains to obtain it 2. But what a natural temper cannot do they think the power of imagination may and therefore in order to the enervating the power of miracles they mightily advance that of imagination which is the Idol of those who are as little Friends to reason in it as they are to Religion Any thing shall be able to effect that which they will not allow God to do nay the mostextravagant thing which belongs to humane nature shall have a greater power than the most holy and divine spirit But do not we see say they strange effects of the power of imagination upon mankind I grant we do and in nothing more than when men set it up against the power of God yet surely we see far greater effects of that in the world than we do of the other The power of imagination can never be supposed to give a being to the things we see in the world but we have the greatest reason to attribute that to a divine and infinite power and is it not far more rational that that which gave a Being to the course of nature should alter it when it pleaseth than that which had nothing to do in the making of it So that in general there can be no competition between the power of God and the strength of imagination as to any extraordinary effects which happen in the world But this is not all for there is a repugnancy in the very nature of the thing that the power of imagination should do all those miracles which were wrought by Christ or his Apostles For either they must be wrought by the imagination of the Agent or of the Patient if of the Agent then there can be no more necessary to do the same things than to have the same strength of imagination which they had what is the reason then that never since or before that time were so many signs and wonders wrought as there were then by the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord If Peter and Iohn cured the lame man by the strength of imagination why have no persons ever since cured those whose welfare they have as heartily desired as ever they could do his Certainly if imagination could kill mens enemies there would never need Duels to destroy them nor Authority to punish such as do it and if it could cure Friends there would need no Physitians to heal and recover them and death would have nothing to do but with persons that were wholly Friendless If they say that persons are not sufficiently perswaded of their own power and therefore they do see little good let any of those who contend the most for it attempt the cure when they please of any the most common infirmity of mankind and if they cannot do that let them then perswade us they can do miracles by that which they cannot cure the tooth-ach by But here they will say the imagination of the Patient is necessary in order to a miracle being wrought upon him not such I am sure as Christ and his Apostles wrought who not only healed the lame and the blind but raised the dead and what power of imagination do they suppose in Lazarus when he had lain four days in the Grave and however they think of the soul they must in this case allow this power of imagination to be immortal So that were there no other arguments but that of raising the dead that demonstrates it impossible that what Christ or his Apostles did did depend on the strength of Fancy in those on whom they wrought their miracles Object But say they did not Christ and his Apostles require believing first in all persons that had miracles wrought upon them and why should this be but because the strength of imagination was required to it And is it not expresly said that Christ could not do any mighty works among his own country men because of their unbelief by which it appears that the efficacy of his miracles did depend on the faith of the persons To which I answer Answ. 1. That Christ did not always require faith in the person on whom he wrought his miracles for then it had been impossible he should ever have raised any from the dead which we are sure he did And did not St. Paul raise Euâ—ychus from the dead and can any think so absurdly as that faith was required from a dead man in order to his resurrection So that the greatest miracles of all others were wrought where there was no possibility of believing in those on whom they were wrought 2. When in miraculous cures believing was required it was to shew for what end those miracles were wrought viz. to confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel by them they did not work miracles to be admired by the people as Simon Magus would have done the Apostles had no such intolerable vanity to be cried up for Gods though they did such great things not like that Caesar of the Atheists as some call him who concludes one of his Dialogues with that horrible piece of vanity to say no more of it aut Deus es aut Vaninus and Pomponatius his Master before him had said Philosophi sunt Dii terrestres and you must be sure to reckon him in the number but how was it possible for these men to discover more their mean thoughts of a Deity than by making him to be as despicable as themselves What boasting and ostentation would these men have made of themselves if they could have done but the thousand part of what the Apostles did But they were men did as far excel all such in all true vertue and real excellency as they did in that miraclous power which God had given them If they required men to believe whom they cured it was that they might cure both body and soul together but sometimes they cured persons whom they saw not as the hankerchiefs from St. Paul at Ephesus cured the diseased when they were carried to them But generally
SERMONS Preached on several Occasions To which a DISCOURSE IS ANNEXED Concerning the TRUE REASON OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST WHEREIN CRELLIUS his Answer to GROTIUS IS CONSIDERED By EDWARD STILLINGFLEET D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty LONDON Printed by Robert White for Henry Mortlock at the Sign of the Phoenix in S t. Paul's Church-Yard and at the White Hart in Westminster Hall 1673. THE CONTENTS PART I. Six SERMONS upon AMOS IV. XI I Have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. pag. 1 PROV XIV IX Fools make a mock at Sin pag. 23 LUKE VII XXXV But Wisdom is justified of all her Children pag. 42 ROMANS I. XVI For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto salvation to every one that believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek pag. 62 HEBREWS II. III. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation pag. 79 HEBREWS XII III. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be weary and faint in your minds pag. 97 JUDE V. II. And perished in the gainsaying of Corah pag. 120 MATTHEW XXI XLIII Therefore say I unto you the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruit thereof pag. 141 JOHN VII XX XIX But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified pag. 162 ISAIAH LVII XXI There is no peace saith my God to the Wicked pag. 178 II CORINTH V. II. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men pag. 198 MATTHEW XVI XXVI For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall he give in exchange for his soul pag. 217 PART II. A Discourse concerning the true Reason of the Sufferings of CHRIST CHAP. I. OF the Socinian way of interpreting Scripture Of the uncertainty it leaves us in as to the main articles of Faith manifested by an Exposition of Gen. 1. suitable to that way The state of the Controversie in general concerning the sufferings of Christ for us He did not suffer the same we should have done The grand mistake in making punishments of the nature of Debts the difference between them at large discovered from the different reason and ends of them The right of punishments in God proved against Crellius not to arise from meer dominion The end of punishment not bare Compensation as it is in debts what punishment due to an injured person by the right of Nature proper punishment a result of Laws Crellius his great mistake about the end of Punishments Not designed for satisfaction of Anger as it is a desire of Revenge Seneca and Lactantius vindicated against Crellius The Magistrates interest in Punishment distinct from that of private persons Of the Nature of Anger in God and the satisfaction to be made to it Crellius his great arguments against satisfaction depend on a false Notion of Gods anger Of the ends of divine Punishments and the different nature of them in this and and the future state pag. 239 CHAP. II. The particular state of the Controversie concerning the sufferings of Christ. The Concessions of our Adversaries The debate reduced to two heads The first concerning Christs sufferings being a punishment for sin entred upon In what sense Crellius acknowledgeth the sins of men to have been the impulsive cause of the death of Christ. The sufferings of Christ proved to be a punishment from Scripture The importance of the phrase of bearing sins Of the Scape-Goats bearing the sins of the people into the Wilderness Grotius his sense of 1 Pet. 2. 24. vindicated against Crellius and himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never used for the taking away a thing by the destruction of it Crellius his sense examined Isa. 53. 11. vindicated The argument from Matth. 8. 17. answered Grotius constant to himself in his notes on that place Isa. 53. 5 6 7. cleared Whether Christs death be a proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and whether that doth imply that it was a punishment of sin How far the punishment of Children for their Fathers faults are exemplary among men The distinction of calamities and punishments holds not here That Gods hatred of sin could not be seen in the sufferings of Christ unless they were a punishment of sin proved against Crellius Grotius his Arguments from Christ being made sin and a curse for us defended The liberty our Adversaries take in Changing the sense of words The particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being joyned to sins and relating to sufferings do imply those sufferings to be a punishment for sin According to their way of interpreting Scripture it had been impossible for our doctrine to be clearly expressed therein pag. 265 CHAP. III. The words of Scripture being at last acknowledged by our Adversaries to make for us the only pretence remaining is that our Doctrine is repugnant to reason The debate managed upon point of reason The grand difficulty enquired into and manifested by our Adversaries concessions not to lye in the greatness of Christs sufferings or that our sins were the impulsive cause of them or that it is impossible that one should be punished for anothers faults or in all cases unjust the cases wherein Crellius allows it instanced From whence it is proved that he yields the main cause The arguments propounded whereby he attempts to prove it unjust for Christ to be punished for our sins Crellius his principles of the justice of punishments examined Of the relation between desert and punishment That a person by his own consent may be punished beyond the desert of his own actions An answer to Crellius his Objections What it is to suffer undeservedly Crellius his mistake in the state of the question The instances of Scripture considered In what sense Children are punished for their Parents sins Ezec. 18. 20. explained at large Whether the guilty being freed from the sufferings of an innocent person makes that punishment unjust or no Crellius his shifts and evasions in this matter discovered Why among men the offenders are not freed in criminal matters though the sureties be punished The release of the party depends on the terms of the sureties suffering therefore deliverance not ipso facto No necessity of such a translation in criminal as is in pecuniary matters pag. 295 CHAP. IV. The Death of Christ considered as an Expiatory Sacrifice for sin What the expiation of sin was by the Sacrifices under the Law twofold Civil and Ritual The Promises made to the Iews under the Law of Moses respected them as a People and therefore must be temporal The typical nature of Sacrifices asserted A substitution in the Expiatory Sacrifices under the Law proved
of the doctrine he hoped to preach among them Had Christ come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great deal of pomp and state into the World subduing Kingdoms and Nations under him had St. Paul been a General for the Gospel instead of being an Apostle of it the great men of the World would then allow he had no cause to be ashamed either of his Master or of his employment But to preach a crucified Saviour among the glories and triumphs of Rome and a Doctrine of so much simplicity and contempt of the world among those who were the Masters of it and managed it with so much art and cunning to perswade them to be followers of Christ in a holy life who could not be like the gods they worshiped unless they were guilty of the greatest debaucheries seems to be an employment so lyable to the greatest scorn and contempt that none but a great and resolved spirit would ever undertake it For when we consider after so many hundred years profession of Christianity how apt the greatness of the world is to make men ashamed of the practice of it and that men aim at a reputation for wit by being able to abuse the Religion they own what entertainment might we then think our Religion met with among the great men of the Age it was first preached in when it not only encountered those weaker weapons of scoffs and raillery but the strong holds of interest and education If our Religion now can hardly escape the bitter scoffs and profane jests of men who pawn their souls to be accounted witty what may we think it suffered then when it was accounted a part of their own Religion to dispise and reproach ours If in the Age we live in a man may be reproached for his piety and virtue that is for being really a Christian when all profess themselves to be so what contempt did they undergo in the first Ages of the Christian World when the very name of Christian was thought a sufficient brand of infamy And yet such was the courage and magnanimity of the Primitive Christians that what was accounted most mean and contemptible in their Religion viz. their believing in a crucified Saviour was by them accounted the matter of their greatest honour and glory For though St. Paul only saith here that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ yet elsewere he explains that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is contained in these words when he saith God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ by whom the World is crucified to me and I unto the World Gal. 6. 14. i. e. Although he could not but be sensible how much the world despised him and his Religion together yet that was the great satisfaction of his mind that his Religion had enabled him to despise the World as much For neither the pomp and grandeur of the World nor the smiles and flatteries of it no nor its frowns and severities could abate any thing of that mighty esteem and value which he had for the Christian Religion For in his own expression he accounted all things else but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord Phil. 3. 8. Which words are not spoken by one who was in despair of being taken notice of for any thing else and therefore magnifies the Profession he was engaged in but by a person as considerable as most of the time and Nation he lived in both for his birth and education So that his contempt of the World was no sullen and affected severity but the issue of a sober and impartial judgement and the high esteem he professed of Christianity was no fanatick whimsey but the effect of a diligent enquiry and the most serious consideration And that will appear 2. By the grounds and reasons which St. Paul here gives why he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ 1. From the excellent end it was designed for and that is no less than salvation 2. From the effectualness of it in order to that end it is the Power of God to Salvation 3. From the necessity of believing the Gospel by all who would attain that end to every one that believes the Iew first and also to the Greek 1. From the excellent End it was designed for the recovery and happiness of the souls of men both which are implyed in the term salvation For considering the present condition of humane Nature as it is so far sunk beneath it self and kept under the power of unruly passions whatever tends to make it happy must do it by delivering it from all those things which are the occasions of its misery So that whatever Religion should promise to make men happy without first making them vertuous and good might on that very account be justly suspected of imposture For the same reasons which make the acts of any Religion necessary viz. that we may please that God who commands and governs the World must make it necessary for men to do it in those things which are far more acceptable to him than all our sacrifices of what kind soever which are the actions of true vertue and goodness If then that accusation had been true which Celsus and Iulian charged Christianity with viz. that it indulged men in the practice of vice with the promise of a future happiness notwithstanding I know nothing could have rendred it more suspicious to be a design to deceive Mankind But so far is it from having the least foundation of truth in it that as there never was any Religion which gave men such certain hopes of a future felicity and consequently more encouragement to be good so there was none ever required it on those strict and severe terms which Christianity doth For there being two grand duties of men in this world either towards God in the holiness of their hearts and lives or towards their Brethren in a peaceable carriage among men which cannot be without justice and sobriety both these are enforced upon all Christians upon no meaner terms than the unavoidable loss of all the happiness our Religion promises Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. This is then the grand design of Christianity to make men happy in another world by making them good and vertuous in this It came to reform this world that it might people another so to purifie the souls of men as to make them meet to enjoy the happiness designed for them This is that great Salvation which the Gospel brings to the world Heb. 2. 3. and thence it is called the Word of Salvation Acts 13. 26. the way of salvation Acts 16. 17. the Gospel of salvation Ephes. 1. 13. So that though Christianity be of unspeakable advantage to this world there being no Religion that tends so much to the peace of mens minds and
but too much will unfit them for greater business But do men believe these things to be true or not when they say thus if they be true why need they fear their uncertainty if they be certain what pains and care can be too great about them since a little will never serve to obtain them Let but the care and diligence be proportionable to the greatness of the end and the weight of the things and you never need fear the want of a recompence for all your labour But suppose you say if you were fully convinced of their certainty you would look more after them What hinders you from being so convinced Is it not a bad disposition of mind which makes you unwilling to enquire into them examine things with a mind as free as you would have it judge seriously according to the reason of things and you will easily find the interests of a life to come are far more certain as well as more desireable than those of this present life And yet the great uncertainty of all the honours and riches of this world never hinder the covetous or ambitious person from their great earnestness in pursuit of them And shall not then all the mighty arguments which God himself hath made use of to confirm to us the certainty of a life to come prevail upon us to look more seriously after it Shâ—ll the unexpressible love of the Father the unconceiveable sufferings of the Son of God and the miraculous descent and powerful assistance of the Holy Ghost have no more impression on our minds than to leave us uncertain of a future state What mighty doubts and suspicions of God what distrusts of humane Nature what unspeakable ingratitude and unaccountable folly lies at the bottom of all this uncertainty O fools and slow of heart to believe not only what the Prophets have spoken but what our Lord hath declared God himself hath given testimony to and the Holy Ghost hath confirmed 3. But is not your Interest concerned in these things Is it all one to you whether your souls be immortal or no whether they live in eternal felicity or unchangeable misery Is it no more to you than to know what kind of Bables are in request at the Indies or whether the customs of China or Iapan are the wiser i. e. than the most trifling things and the remotest from our knowledge But this is so absurd and unreasonable to suppose that men should not think themselves concerned in their own eternal happiness and misery that I shall not shew so much distrust of their understandings to speak any longer to it 3. But if notwithstanding all these things our neglect still continues then there remains nothing but a fearful looking for of judgement and the fiery indignation of God For there is no possibility of escaping if we continue to neglect so great salvation All hopes of escaping are taken away which are only in that which men neglect and those who neglect their only way to salvation must needs be miserable How can that man ever hope to be saved by him whose blood he despises and tramples under foot What grace and favour can he expect from God who hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace That hath cast away with reproach and contempt the greatest kindness and offers of Heaven What can save him that resolves to be damned and every one does so who knows he shall be damned if he lives in his sins and yet continues to do so God himself in whose only pity our hopes are hath irreversibly decreed that he will have no pity upon those who despise his goodness slight his threatnings abuse his patience and sin the more because he offers to pardon It is not any â—elight that God takes in the miseries of his Creatures which makes him punish them but shall not God vindicate his own honour against obstinate and impenitent sinners He declares before hand that he is far from delighting in their ruine and that is the reason he hath made such large offers and used so many means to make them happy but if men resolve to despise his offers and slight the means of their salvation shall not God be just without being thought to be cruel And we may assure our selves none shall ever suffer beyond the just desert of their sins for punishment as the Apostle tells us in the words before the Text is nothing but a just recompence of reward And if there were such a one proportionable to the violation of the Law delivered by Angels how shall we think to escape who neglect a more excellent means of happiness which was delivered by our Lord himself If God did not hate sin and there were not a punishment belonging to it why did the Son of God die for the expiation of it and if his death were the only means of expiation how is it possible that those who neglect that should escape the punishment not only of their other sins but of that great contempt of the means of our salvation by him Let us not then think to trifle with God as though it were impossible a Being so merciful and kind should ever punish his Creatures with the miseries of another life For however we may deceive our selves God will not be mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flâ—sh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting I shall only propound some few Considerations to prevent so great a neglect as that of your salvation is 1. Consider what it is you neglect the offer of Eternal Happiness the greatest kindness that ever was expressed to the World the foundation of your present peace the end of your beings the stay of your minds the great desire of your Souls the utmost felicity that humane Nature is capable of Is it nothing to neglect the favour of a Prince the kindness of Great Men the offers of a large and plentiful Estate but these are nothing to the neglect of the favour of God the love of his Son and that salvation which he hath purchased for you Nay it is not a bare neglect but it implies in it a mighty contempt not only of the things offered but of the kindness of him who offers them If men had any due regard for God or themselves if they had any esteem for his love or their own welfare they would be much more serious in Religion than they are When I see a person wholly immersed in affairs of the World or spending his time in luxury and vanity can I possibly think that man hath any esteem of God or of his own Soul When I find one very serious in the pursuit of his Designs in the World thoughtful and busie subtle in contriving them careful in managing them but very formal remiss and negligent in all affairs
the soul for the sake of the world yet he doth imply the danger may be as great although a mans ambition never comes to be so extravagant as to aim at the possession of the whole world The whole world can never make amends for the loss of the soul yet the soul may be lost for a very inconsiderable part of it although all the wealth and treasures of the Indies can never compensate to a man the loss of his life yet that may be in as great danger of losing upon far easier terms than those are It is not to be thought that those whom our Saviour speaks to could ever propose such vast designs to themselves as the Empire of the whole world was but he tells them if that could be supposed it were far more desirable to save a soul than to gain the world yet such is the folly of mankind to lose their souls for a very small share of this present world For the temptations of this world are so many so great so pleasing to mankind and the love of life so natural and so strong that inconsiderate men will run any hazard of their souls for the gain of one or preservation of the other The highest instance of this kind is that which our Saviour here intends when men will make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience to escape the danger of their lives or with Iudas will betray their Saviour for some present gain although very far short of that of the whole world And if I be not much mistaken it is upon this account that our Saviour pronounces it so hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because in such difficult times of persecution on the account of Religion as those were such men would be shrewdly tempted to venture the loss of their souls in another world rather than of their estates in this For it was the young mans unwillingness to part with his great possessions to follow Christ which gave him occasion to utter that hard saying It is on this account St. Paul saith the love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows It was on this account that Demas forsook Paul having loved this present world and that the friendship of this world is said to be enmity with God and that our Saviour saith no man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon Which doth suppose that these two do require two contrary things at the same time for if a hundred Masters did all require the same thing a man might in doing that be said to serve them all But when Religion requires that we must part with all for that and the world requires that we must part with Religion to preserve our interest in it then it is impossible to serve God and Mammon together for we must hold to the one and dispise the other But what then Is there no danger of the loss of the soul for the sake of this world but only in the case of persecution then some may say we hope there is no fear now of mens being too rich to go to Heaven Thanks be to God that we live in times free from such dangerous tryals as those of persecution are and wherein men may quietly enjoy their Estates and the best Religion in the world together but although there be no danger of splitting upon the rocks there may be of sinking with being overcharged or springing too great a leak within us whereby we let in more than we can be able to bear And supposing the most prosperous and easie condition men can fancy to themselves here yet the things of this world are so great occasions of evil so great hindrances of good that on these accounts men always run a mighty hazard of their souls for the sake of this world The Devil knew well enough where his greatest strength lay when he reserved the temptation of the glories of this world to the last place in dealing with Christ himself when nothing else would prevail upon him he was yet in hopes that the Greatness and Splendour of this world would bring him to his terms And surely if the Devil had not a mighty opinion of the power of these charms of the Kingdoms and glory of this world he would never have put such hard terms to them which were no less than falling down and worshipping him which we do not find he ever durst so much as mention before till he held this bait in his hand And although our Saviour baffled him in this his strongest temptation yet he still finds that far less than what he here offered will bring men in subjection to him How small a matter of gain will tempt some men to all the sins of lying of fraud and injustice who pawn their souls and put them out at interest for a very small present advantage although they are sure in a very little time to lose both their interest and the Principal too How many for the sake of the Honours and preferments of this World are willing to do by their consciences as the Indian did by his letter lay them aside till their business be done and then expect to hear no more of them What poor and trifling things in this world do men continually venture their souls for As though all were clear gains which they could put off so dead a commodity as the Salvation of their Souls for How apt are such to applaud themselves for their own skill when meerly by a little swearing and lying and cheating things which cost them nothing but a few words they can defeat the designs of their enemies and compass their own But how low is the rate of souls fallen in the esteem of such persons as these are If they had not been of any greater value they had not been worth any ordinary mans much less the Son of Gods laying down his life for the redemption of them Is this all the requital men make him for the travail of his soul the wounds of his body the bitterness of his passion to sqâ—ander away those souls upon any trifling advantages of this world which he shed his most pâ—ecious blood for the redemption ofâ— When ever men are tempted to sin with the hopes of gain let them but consider how much they undervalue not only their own souls but the eternal Son of God and all that he hath done and suffered for the sake of the souls of men If theâ—e had been no greater worth in our souls silver and gold would have been a sufficient price of redemption for them for if men lose their souls for these things it is a sign they set a higher
value upon them But Gods justice was not to be bribed his wrath against sin was not to be appeased by the greatest riches of this World nothing but the inestimable blood of Christ would be accepted for the purchase of souls and when they are so dearly bought must they be cast away upon such trifles as the riches and honours of this world are in comparison with them These are men who lose their souls upon design but there are others so prodigal of them that they can play and sport them away or lose them only because it is the custom to do so With whom all the reasons and arguments in the world cannot prevail to leave off their sins if it once be accounted a fashion to commit them Yea so dangerous things are fashionable vices that some will seem to be worse than they are although few continue long Hypocritical in that way that they might not be out of the fashion and some will be sure to follow it if not out-do it though to the eternal ruin of their souls But although all damn'd persons at the great day will be confounded and ashamed yet none will be more ridiculously miserable than such who go to Hell for fashion sake What a strange account would this be at the dreadful day of judgement for any to plead for themselves that they knew that chastity temperance sobriety and devotion were things more pleasing to God but it was grown a Mode to be vicious and they had rather be damned than be out of the fashion The most charitable opinion we can have of such persons now is that they do not think they have any souls at all for it is prodigious folly for men to believe they have souls that are immortal and yet be so regardless of them Yet these who are vicious out of complyance are not the only persons who shew so little care of their souls what shall we say to those who enjoying the good things of this life scarce ever do so much as think of another Who are very solicitous about every little mode of attire for their bodies and think no time long enough to be spent in the grand affairs of dressing and adorning their out sides but from one end of the year to the other never spend one serious thought about eternity or the future State of their souls Their utmost contrivances are how to pass away their days with the greatest ease and pleasure to themselves and never consider what will become of their souls when they come to die Alas poor immortal souls are they become the only contemptible things men have about them All care is little enough with some for the body for the pampering and indulging of that and making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof but any cure is thought too much for the soul and no time passes so heavily away as the hours of devotion do The very shew of Religion is looked on as a burden what then do they think of the practice of it The Devil himself shews a greater esteem of the souls of men than such persons do for he hath been always very active and industrious in seeking their ruin but is ready enough to comply with all the inclinations of the body or mens designs in this world nay he makes the greatest use of these as the most powerful temptations for the ruin of their souls by all which it is evident that being our greatest enemy he aims only at the ruin of that which is of greatest value and consideration and that is the thing so much despised by wicked men viz. the soul. These do in effect tell the Devil he may spare his pains in tempting them they can do his work fast enough themselves and destroy their own souls without any help from him And if all men were so bent upon their own ruin the Devil would have so little to do that he must find out some other imployment besides that of tempting to divert himself with unless it be the greatest diversion of all to him to see men turned Devils to themselves But are the temptations of this world so infatuating that no reason or consideration can bring men to any care of or regard to their souls we have no ground to think so since there have been and I hope still are such who can despise the glittering vanities the riches and honours the pleasures and delights of this world when they stand in competition with the eternal happiness of their souls in a better world And that not out of a sullen humour or a morose temper or a discontented mind but from the most prudent weighing and ballancing the gain of this world and the loss of the soul together For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall he give in exchange for his soul 3. Which is the last particular to represent the folly of losing the soul though it were for the gain of the whole world Which will appear by comparing the gain and the loss with each other in these 4. things 1. The gain here proposed is at the best but possible to one but the hazard of losing the soul is certain to all And what folly is it for men to run themselves upon so great and certain danger for so uncertain gain which never any man yet attained to or are ever like to do it our Saviour knew how hard a matter it was so set any bounds to the ambitious thoughts or the covetous designs of men every step the ambitious man takes higher gives him the fairer prospect before him it raises his thoughts enlarges his desires puts new projects into his mind which like the circles of water spread still farther and farther till his honour and he be both laid in the dust together The covetous person is never satisfied with what he enjoys the more he gets still the more he hopes for and like the grave whither he is going is always devouring and always craving Yet neither of these can be thought so vain as to propose no less to themselves than the Empire or riches of the whole world But our Saviour allows them the utmost that ever can be supposed as to mens designs for this world let men be never so ambitious or covetous they could desire no more than all the world though they would have all this yet this all would never make amends for the loss of the soul. It is a thing possible that one person might by degrees bring the whole world in subjection to him but it is possible in so remote a degree that no man in his wits can be thought to design it How small a part of the inhabited world have the greatest Conquerours been able to subdue and if the Macedonian Prince was ever so vain to weep that he had no more worlds to conquer he gave others a just occasion to laugh at so
they took all opportunities to convey the Doctrine of Christianity into the minds of those out of whose bodies they cast either diseases or Devils But is it not said that Christ could do no mighty works among them because of their unbelief and the power of his disciples could not be greater than his own To which I answer 1. It is no where said in the Scripture that Christ could do no miracles at all among them because of their unbelief for in one place it is said And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief He did miracles enough to convince them but when he saw their obstinacy he would not cast away any more upon them And in that other place where it is said that he could there do no mighty work it is presently added save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them And what absurdity is there that Christ should do no extraordinary miracle among them among whom he saw that himself and his miracles were both equally contemned It is not the method of divine goodness to bestow the largest kindnesses at first those who improve the beginnings of savour shall have more but those who despise the first may justly be rejected from any farther kindness 2. When it is said that he could not that expression doth not imply any impossibility in the thing but a deliberate resolution to the contrary so it is used Acts 4. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Who questions but there was a possibility in the thing that they might have held their peace but it was a thing which upon great deliberation they had resolved not to do So thou canst not bear them which are evil and we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth From which it appears that this can be no prejudice to the power of Christ in working miracles but only shews his just resolution not to do it considering the contempt wherewith he had been entertained among them 2. It is pretended by those men who set themselves to undervalue those miraculous gifts which the Apostles had that the gift of tongues might be only the effect of an Enthusiastick heat or some distemper of their brains as men in a high Fever are apt to speak such things and words which while they are in health they could never do But that such unreasonable imaginations do more argue a distempered brain than any thing we assert concerning these divine persons will easily appear from these considerations 1. That no violent heat whatsoever can form a new language to a man which he never knew before If language had been natural to man there might have been some reason for it but that we all know to be an arbitrary thing and as well might a blind man paint with an exact difference of colours or one write plainly who could never read as any person by the meer heat of his Phancy speak suddenly in a tongue which he never learnt There have been some who have said that the mind of man hath naturally all kinds of languages within it self and it wants nothing but some mighty heat to stir men up to speak in any kind of them But we are to take notice that those things are accounted wit when spoken against Religion which would have been non-sense and contradictions if spoken for it And certainly nothing could be more absurdly said than for the same men to make all the imaginations we have of things to come in by our senses and yet to say that the mind of man can have those things in it which he never learnt or heard If this supposion were true we might invert that saying of Festus to St. Paul much learning hath made thee mad for then madness or that which is the next to it a great heat of brain would make men the most learned If this were true there would be a much easier way of attaining to speak in the languages of all nations than that which many take to gain a very few of them for the heightening of Phancy either by Wine or a degree of madness would inspire men with skill in tongues to a miracle 2. But supposing such a thing possible which is far from being so yet it is very remote from our present case for the Apostles made it manifest to all persons that they were far enough from being inspired with the vapours of wine or touched with any Enthusiastick madness They spake with strange tongues but in such a manner as convinced great numbers of their hearers of the excellency of that doctrine which was delivered by them As St. Paul answered Festus I am not mad most noble Festus but speak forth the words of truth and soberness so they did not speak incoherent and insignificant words which madness makes men do nor any mean and trivial things meerly for ostentation of their gifts but they spake though with divers tongues the great or wonderful things of God So their auditors confessed with admiration These are not the effects of Wine or Madness as St. Peter at large proves against the unreasonable cavils of some who mocked and said they were full of new wine Which he doth with so great success that the same day 3000 persons disowned their former course of life and embraced Christianity Surely madness was never more infectious never made men more wise and sober than this did if the Apostles were acted only by that When was there ever better and more weighty sense spoken by any than by the Apostles after the day of Pentecost With what reason do they argue with what strength do they discourse with what a sedate and manly courage do they withstand the opposition of the Sanhedrin against them they never fly out into any extravagant passion never betray any weakness or fear but speak the truth with boldness and rejoyce when they suffer for it It could be no sudden heat which acted them on the day of Pentecost for the same Spirit and power continued with them afterwards they lived and acted by vertue of it so that their life was as great a miracle as any that was wrought by them Their zeal was great but regular their devotion servent and constant their conversation honest and prudent their discourses inflaming and convincing and the whole course of their lives breathed nothing but glory to God and good will towards men If they are called to suffer for their Religion with what constancy do they own the truth with what submission do they yield to their persecutors with what meekness and patience do they bear their sufferings If differences arise among Christians with what care do they advise with what caution do they direct with what gentleness do they instruct with what tenderness do they bear with diffenters with what earnestness do they endeavour to