religious Exercises and not only there but in the civil Concerns of your Lives Custom hath made it fashionable before you eat and drink Let Religion and Conscience oblige you to use it in and before all your other lawfull worldly Concerns Before you go about your lawfull business let it be your earnest Prayer to God to bless you with Success if it be for his Glory and your own good and withall to furnish you with that even Temper of Mind that your obtaining your Desires may not swell or lift you up nor your miscarying in your Attempts deject or despirit you This is the way to sanctifie all your Actions and to preserve the Spirit of Religion For want of this spiritual Wisdom you fall too often into great Anxieties of Mind and very disorderly Passions when you miss of your prey Prayer will quiet your Spirits This is conversing with God and while a great and glorious God is the Object of our Thoughts we are arm'd against immoderate Sorrow can triumph over Losses find comfort in our Disappointments learn to despise the World and encourage our selves to set our Affections on the things which are above SERMON II. St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 2. And he opened his Mouth and taught them saying HAving resolv'd upon an Explication of Christ's Sermon on the Mount and begun already with the first Verse I proceed this Day to the second which is part of the Evangelist's Preface or Introduction and though this Passage as well as the preceeding is purely Historical yet it affords very usefull Lessons and Instructions Of this I have already given a Specimen or Proof in the first and do not doubt but I shall make good the Assertion in the Exposition of the second And he opened his Mouth and taught them saying For the understanding of which Expression you must know that this Phrase opening the Mouth is used in Scriprure when the Oratour or Speaker intends to speak something great and weighty and of mighty Importance To this purpose it is that when David was going to rehearse the wonderfull Works and Providences of God toward the Children of Israel he thus begins Give ear O my People to my Law and incline your Ears to the word of my Mouth I will open my Mouth in a Parable Ps. LXXVIII 1 2. so Ps. XLIX 1 2 3 4. Hear this all ye People give ear all ye Inhabitants of the World Both low and high rich and poor together My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding I will incline mine Ear to a Parable I will open my dark saying upon the Harp So that this word and he open'd his Mouth bespeaks the Attention of all considerate Men and imports that the Lord of Preachers is going to publish things of the greast Consequence things of that Concernment that a Soul that hath any Sense of a future Salvation is bound to listen to the particulars and not to do it is as much as our life is worth To be sure the Son of God would not spend his sacred Breath in vain There never dropt any thing from his Mouth but what was grave and serious and being to teach the whole World as it were the way to Bliss we may suppose that matters relating to that Bliss are things of greater Concernment than all the Intrigues of Achitophel or any Politician in the World And therefore it will be neither unsuitable to Christ's design in this Sermon nor any way injurious to the Context or Connexion of these Words with the following To take notice here That Matters relating to the Bliss and Happiness of men's Souls are matters of the greatest weight and moment For of these Christ is going to speak here in the following Discourse and in order thereunto it 's said And he opened his Mouth which as it hath been already hinted imports uttering things of more than ordinary Consequence To be happy is that which most men seem to endeavour after for this the Souldier takes the Field and the Merchant plows the Sea for this the Husbandman dresses his Ground and the Artificer sits up late and rises early and puts himself into a sweat for this the Man of an Estate applies himself to variety of Sports and others run out into monstrous Sins and Vices According as Men fancy happiness one in one thing another in another so they follow hard after it and pursue it with very great Eagerness Thus all desire to be happy though the greater part mistake Pebbles for Pearls and the Meat which perisheth for that which endures to everlasting Life And yet all this does not make true Happiness a matter of fancy only for though the generality act as if it were so yet it is not and there are certain Laws and measures of real Happiness which like the Laws of the Medes and Persians alter not Men's mistaking the true Object of their Happiness shews indeed their Nature is corrupted and their Understandings vitiated but is no Argument that there is no true standard of solid Happiness no more than a blind Man's missing of the Mark proves there is none to shoot at Nothing can be call'd true Bliss with respect to Man but what makes the Soul happy for that being the great Agent that moves and orders and rules and actuates the Body it must needs be infinitely nobler than the Body and consequently if the nobler Part be destitute of its proper Happiness all the other Felicity the Body shares in must be nothing but shew and vanish This Happiness peculiar to the Soul cannot possibly consist in living or in having and enjoying Life for Plants and Trees and Herbs do that as well as the most Godlike and Angelical Spirits nor can it consist in smelling or tasting or seeing or hearing or feeling agreeable Objects or in eating and drinking or in gratifying a sensual Appetite for that Brutes can do as well as we nay better The Soul as it doth surmount all vegetable and sensitive Creatures in dignity and excellency so its Bliss must necessarily exceed theirs and it must be a Bliss that 's adaequate and suitable to her Nature which being rational it must necessarily follow that the happiness of the Soul consists in living up to the Dictates and Principles of right Reason But because Reason through the Fall of Adam is become dull and dim-fighted and hath lost much of its Beauty and Splendour God hath thought fit by the Revelation of his Will and Word to polish and brighten these Principles that we might not mistake in this reasonable Service and Christ particularly in this Sermon on the Mount hath set Reason on its Throne again and specified the true Principles of it shewing how and in what manner we are to live up to these Principles In this consists the happiness of the Soul while it sojourns in this World and this fits and qualifies her for a greater more lasting and more glorious Happiness hereafter
purchase it and when he had done to apply it to those for whom it was purchas'd If a rich Man buys an Estate for a Beggar the Beggar may justly call it his for he that had right and means and power and ability to buy it bought it for his Use. 2. Theirs by possession taken already in their Name The same Jesus that purchas'd this Kingdom for them he it is that hath taken possession of this Kingdom for them and in their Name For in my Father's house are many mansions If it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you saith Christ John XIV 2. All the Christian World knows that Christ ascended into Heaven There he actually enjoys the Kingdom of Glory which he keeps for the humble He is the great Trustee that secures and manages that vast Estate for their Use So that it may juâ—â—ly be call'd theirs because of the forerunner Jesus who is enter'd into Heaven being made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck as it is said Heb. VI. 20. There he appears for them as their Advocate and keeps their places for them against they come thither As a Guardian takes care and possession of the Orphan's Estate till the Pupil comes to Age so Christ takes possession of this Kingdom with an intent to deliver it up to the humble when they come in the Unity of the Faith unto a perfect Man in Christ Jesus to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. IV. 13. 3. Theirs by promise for so we read Matth. XVIII 3 4. Except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Whosoever shall humble himself as this little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven He hath promis'd it who is able to give it even God who cannot be worse than his word The humble Man may depend upon this Promise more than he can upon Bonds and Bills and Securities that Men can give him of an Estate in the World God cannot fail him he cannot disappoint him He not only will not but cannot as the Apostle saith He cannot lye Tit. I. 2. because that would imply an imperfection If a Man of Honour doth faithfully promise his Neighbour a living a place or an office in his gift the Man makes bold to call it his for he hath confidence in his honesty and word knowing him to be a Person that stands upon his credit and reputation and scorns to do any thing that 's base and mean How much more then may the humble Soul call the Kingdom of Glory hers since the God the Fountain of Truth and Truth it self hath peremptorily said it shall fall to her share and though such Persons do not actually as yet enjoy it yet they shall enjoy it as surely as if they did already walk through that Jerusalem and view the Towers and Bullworks and all because they have to deal with a God who changes not Mal. III. 6. 4. Theirs by way of earnest In humane Contracts men give earnest and that makes the Bargain sure and tho' the Covenant God makes with Men is not such a formal Contract as is betwixt Man and Man in buying and selling yet some resemblance there is in that God a most bountifull Master is willing to give earnest to the humble Soul to assure her that this Kingdom of Glory shall be hers This earnest is his Spirit which is therefore call'd The earnest of our future inheritance Eph I. 14. This Spirit is no fancy but a real thing which the humble Soul feels as much as other Men do the moving of the Wind by the effects This Spirit of God is discover'd by its operations which are kindly and great and powerfull and make a very wonderfull alteration in the Soul for the better This Spirit works Grace and that Grace is the earnest of Glory III. How and in what manner a Title to this Kingdom makes the poor in Spirit or the Humble blessed In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that may rejoyce much or who have very great reason to rejoyce or as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men not subject to Death or Corruption the word answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports a perfection or confluence of all good things The Isle of Cyprus was anciently call'd Macaria because of the mighty affluence and abundance of all good things that wer to be had there which was the cause why the Romans seiz'd it for their use But what is all this to the Kingdom of Heaven to the Kingdom of Grace and Glory Where all things that can make a Man truly and eternally happy do concur where there is no want of any thing that Reason can desire and all things that fill and satisfie the Soul are present where God gives himself the perfection of Beauty and Wisdom and Greatness and Love and Delight which gift as it is begun in the Kingdom of Grace so it shall be perfected in the Kingdom of Glory The humble Man is blessed 1. Blessed in himself 2. Blessed in the sight of God 3. Blessed in the Eyes of all good Men 4. blessed in the midst of all his outward Miseries 5. Blessed in the opinion of all Reprobates 6. Blessed because he hath a Title to the Kingdom of Heaven 1. Blessed in himself He hath reason to rejoice His humility gives him that content and secret Satisfaction that it may justly be call'd the Philosopher's-stone Content which surpasses all the Satisfaction that the luxurious the proud the voluptuous the sensual the carnal part of Mankind boasts of He hath Riches within and Pleasures within and a new Name within him even the white Stone which no Man knows save he who receives it Nor is he subject to corruption for when he dies he dies into an immortal life There is nothing of him dies but the garment of flesh nothing of him corrupts but the Clay and Dust he wears about him the earthly Tabernacle in which his Soul that noble Inhabitant lived decays and moulders and falls but his Soul at his Death is born again gets new life new light new irradiations nay and his Body must at last follow his Soul to Glory and therefore blessed blessed in himself for he feels that Bliss within which all the Gold of Ophir cannot purchase So true is that saying of our Saviour He that believes in me shall never die Joh. XI 26. 2. He is blessed in the sight of God God counts him so God looks upon him as happy and he must needs be so whom God judges to be so God cannot be mistaken He cannot be out in his Verdict He sees his heart sees the lovely the amiable the charming Vertue he is most enamour'd withal a Vertue very agreeable to his Divine Nature a Vertue which very much resembles the
in his Service Can the outward Man be good when the inward is rotten and putrefied Are you wise Builders do you think do you hope to make a good piece of work of it to build the Top of the House when you have not laid the Foundation This purity of heart produces a great sense of God and another World a great sense of the Love of God which constrains the Soul to live in conformity to his Will and this is the Foundation of all true Religion If this sense be setled in the Heart if this Ground be well manured the whole Garden of your Lives will abound with Flowers and Fruits of all Sorts Ay! but how is this Purity to be attain'd I answer not with Laziness not with crying There is a Bear there is a Lion in the way Not by being over curious about the Purity and Ornaments of the Body When People spend more time at the Glass than at their Prayers take more than ordinary satisfaction in dressing and adorning the Body seek more to please Men than God do all they can to pamper the Flesh the Mind will run out into a thousand Vanities But 1. By studying the Word of God For the Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes Psal. XIX 7 8. What made David wiser than his Enemies What made him understand more than the Antients What made him know more than his Teachers He tells you Psal. CXIX 97. Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Vers. 104. Through thy Precepts I get Vnderstanding Vers. 140. Thy word is very pure And it is so pure that if digested and ponder'd on it will purifie the Heart too 2. By taking notice of God in every thing While other Men talk of chance and take notice of the Shell and Outside and of the little Wheels whereby their own and other Men's affairs are turned about do you look still upon that God that hides himself behind the Curtain and turns all according to his good Pleasure Take notice of him in every Blessing whether you eat or drink or whatever Conveniency Mercy Providence comes upon you have an Eye to him and you will find your hearts will become very pure They looked upon him and were enlightened and their faces were not ashamed Psal. XXXIV 5. 3. By calling in the aid and assistance of his Holy Spirit For it is the proper Province of that Spirit to enlighten the Mind and Understanding and to purifie it from gross terrestrial and brutish Idea's and Imaginations and to replenish and fill it with a sense of spiritual things And this Spirit is ready to come ready to enter ready to lend his helping hand when he finds the Soul willing to be purified willing without Tricks without Reserves without Proviso's without Conditions Such as Lord suffer me first to go and bury my Father or suffer me first to go and take leave of those at my house In a word this Spirit loves to deal with down-right honest Men that mean what they say and think what they speak in their Addresses to God 4. By acquainting your selves with the true Nature of Sin For a principal part of this Purity of Heart consisting in an Aversion from sinfull Thoughts and Desires it is not possible a Person should arrive to that Aversion that sees not that Evil in Sin which is really in it What Shall I hate a thing I see no harm in Shall I dread the Appearance of a thing which I spy some Beauty and Satisfaction in The best the plainest and easiest way to acquaint our selves with the Nature of Sin is by reflecting on the Wages of Sin which is Death even everlasting Death and Misery It may be my Understanding is dull and weak and I cannot dive into all the Tendencies of Sin nor find out all the Indignities it offers to God's Attributes but this I know Eternal Misery is threatned to it This seems indeed to be unproportionable to its short duration But still God having certainly threatned it there must be something in it very nauseous very grievous very odious very dreadfull very injurious to God and to his infinite Purity the very shadow of it must be poysonous and infectious and by this the Heart will take fire and hate the very thoughts of it even every false way 5. By representing to your minds the infinite Purity of God with whom your Souls are to converse and who offers to make your Heart his Temple and the Place of his Residence If you are to receive a King a Sovereign Prince or a Person of extraordinary Quality into your House do not you make all clean and handsome and take care there may be nothing wanting that may give him content and satisfaction every Chamber every Room in the House is set out and garnish'd and adorn'd as far as your ability reaches and Neatness is a thing that at such a time you glory in But what is a great Man to Almighty God What is a Prince or a King to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords This Sovereign Majesty is willing to lodge nay to dwell in your Souls A God purer than Angels purer than the Sun and Stars and dwelling in Light inaccessible to whom ten thousand times ten thousand minister and by whose Order and Direction the whole Creation stands and falls And then how holy how pious how clean how pure ought your thoughts to be to give so great so rich so magnificent a Guest suitable Entertainment 6. By representing to your selves the vast advantages that come by this inward Purity I shall name some of them by and by In the mean while I will mention but this one It will make you pray without wandring worldly and base troublesome thoughts Many People complain that they are mightily troubled with wandering thoughts in Prayer Purity of Heart is a remedy against that distemper for that consists in a great measure in an habitual delight in holy serious thoughts And when you go to Prayer your thoughts will delight to fix upon that lovely and amiable object And the secret love to God which is another ingredient of this Purity will force your desires upward and keep your thoughts together and they 'll willingly quit all other hold and with cheerfulness gather about that All-sufficient Being to whom you pray and offer your Devotions For indeed wandring thoughts in Prayer come for the most part from want of fervent Love to God what we love we think of Therefore as this Purity of Heart teaches and inclines you to be enamour'd with that excellent Being so it will procure steddiness of thoughts and affections in Prayer will keep your thoughts in a great measure from roving and wandering up and down among Briars and Thorns meaner and baser Objects Thus
Purity of Heart is to be obtain'd But then To prevent Discouragements and to obviate the Mistakes and Objections of some pious serious Christians and to keep them from sorrow and dejectedness in their serious Prosecution of this Purity I must add here by way of Advertisement 1. That from an imperfect purity of heart a Christian must not therefore presently conclude he is a total stranger to it 2. That neither contemplation of sin nor unallow'd of blasphemous Thoughts defile the Heart 1. That from an imperfect purity of heart a Christian must not presently conclude he is a total stranger to it VVe do not think that Rome was built in a day no more do we imagine that this Purity of Heart is perfected in one Week Indeed when the seed of God is sown in the Heart there is an earnest desire and endeavour after perfection which discovers it self in a chearfull progress but it is not actually perfected but by degrees Ye that labour to remove sinfull Lusts and Desires and Designs and Passions from your hearts and to possess them with humble and meek and kind and charitable and religious Thoughts and to make God the darling and joy of your Souls be not dismay'd nor frighted if this Purity of Heart in you be not come up yet to that degree to which it is advanc'd in others Those other Christians in which that Diamond glisters and that Star doth shine have been many years to pollish it When you have labour'd so long as they and as hard as they your happiness will be the same with theirs Purity of Heart is that which will find us work will imploy us through the whole course of our Lives for it meets with many rubs with many clogs and impediments which to remove will find us work at all times Stop not stand not still the measure of Purity you are arrived to seek still to enlarge it to extend it make frequent journeys to Heaven with your Prayers and you will find it will spread forth as the Valleys as Gardens by the river side as the trees of Lignaloes which the Lord hath planted and as Cedar trees beside the waters Numb XXIV 6. II. That neither Contemplation of sin nor unallow'd of blasphemous Thoughts defile the Heart 1. Contemplation of sin doth not defile it But here we must distinguish for there is a Contemplation of sin that doth defile the Heart i. e. when a man acts his sin over again in his mind and having been in a vicious extravagant company the day before represents the scene of that folly meeting to his mind with delight thereby to whet his appetite into a desire of having such another opportunity and to confirm his love to that Sensuality Or when a man having committed Lewdness or been guilty of acts of Uncleanness by lively Thoughts of that sin makes the impure Pleasure skip and dance afresh in his memory thereby to prompt himself to new enterprizes in that Villainy Then indeed the Soul is stain'd with a witness and a Man becomes a Devil delighting in his own ruin But when the sins of our former life are thought on with sorrow and Contrition and the particular Circumstances of it rehearsed and represented with due Aggravations in order to work our selves into a detestation of that and all other sins here the Contemplation becomes wholsom and instead of defiling helps to purifie the Heart serves to keep it clean and to arm it against fresh assaults Such Contemplations are purgatives restore the soul to health give it new strength and courage to fight against the World and the Flesh and if this way were followed we should have purer Christians and the World would soon be better and men would learn to present their souls and bodies living sacrifices unto God which is their reasonable service I do not deny but this Contemplation may be driven too far into Terror and Consternation and into a belief that the sins are unpardonable but that is not the fault of Contemplation but weakness and infirmity of the Considerer 2. Vnallow'd of blasphemous or other wicked thoughts in the heart do not defile it This Doctrine must be often inculcated because of the great number of pious Souls who look upon themselves as the vilest Wretches in the World and are ready to run into Desperation because so many blasphemous thoughts and filthy suggestions present themselves to their minds and disturb them in their Devotions and other religious Exercises But not being allow'd of nor encourag'd nor consented to as dreadfull as heinous as they seem to be they do not defile the heart no more than boistrous Winds and the Commotion of the Water do fully the Pearl that lies at the bottom of the River That they are not their own Thoughts is evident because their Will is contrary to them their Understanding is convinc'd they are injurious to God and their hearts desire to be rid of them The Soul in this case is like the young Men in the fiery Furnace while a thousand Sparks fly about them not a hair of their head is singed Those blasphemous Suggestions as they are purely Satanical and thrown in by the Devil so when the Soul continues declaring War and Hatred and Resistance to them not all the Legions of the burning Lake not all the Whirlwinds they rouse not all the Dust they make can defile the Spirit which is secured by opposing its forces to those Hellish Troops and preserves its Purity by Contradictions 3. It may not be amiss to take notice here of the reason why the Soul is rewarded or punished before the body When men die the Body is laid in the Grave and returns to Dust and there it lies till the Arch-Angel's Trumpet rouzes it from its Slumber The Soul in the mean while is in a state of Bliss or Misery and the reason lies in the Text because of the Purity or Impurity of the Soul or Spirit The Soul was able to sin without the Body i. e. without the help and assistance of the Body could be lewd and proud and vain and envious and malicious without discovering it by bodily Actions This is the Impurity of the heart Therefore as the Soul did sin without the assistance of the Body so its fit it should be punished in the absence of the Body Again in sinfull actions when Soul and Body are concern'd the Mind sins first before the Body participates of the Poyson for the Will must consent before the outward Man can act As therefore the Soul is the first Actor in the sin so it 's fit it should be first in suffering the penalty of the Law And so it is in the future Reward or Recompence The Soul performs many excellent services in which the Body is not concern'd such as holy Thoughts and pious Meditations And the good which both Soul and Body are partners in begins in the Heart or Mind and from thence it runs down into the Actions as the precious Oyl
righteousness sake when God calls him to it and flinches and shrinks and like the Children of Ephraim turns back in the day of battle is so far from conquering that he falls basely loses ground cowardly kisses the Temptation and is enthralled by the worst of Enemies and therefore must necessarily fall a Prey to that Enemy by whom he suffers himself to be conquered and judge you whether such a Man can be blessed And now that I am talking of the Kingdom of Heaven I speak of the very blessedness which attends those that are persecuted for righteousness sake and consequentâ—y this calls me to explain the third and last Point III. How the Kingdom of Heaven shall be theirs This reward you see is the same with what was promised to poverty of Spirit or deep Humility v. 3. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven And the reason why Christ promises the same recompence to the persecuted for righteousness sake he doth to the humble is because there is a very great affinity betwixt humility and suffering for righteousness sake Suffering for righteousness sake is the deepest Act of Humiliation especially if that suffering be accompanied with death Humility can go no lower a Man in suffering and dying for righteousness sake pulls down all his lofty thoughts makes all stoop to the Cross of Christ submits his Faith to the Gospel and for things invisible denies himself in all the visible comforts of this life and that 's Humility in its Glory Therefore the reward is express'd in the same language but then as suffering for righteousness sake is the deepest Act of Humiliation so we must suppose that the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs in a peculiar manner and how that is the following particulars will declare And here to keep to the rule I have so often mention'd in the preceding Beatitudes that these rewards respect both this present and the next life 1. The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs on this side Heaven because even here they feel Heaven in their Souls and the Kingdom of Heaven is within them There is hardly any History of Martyrs and Confessours hardly any Martyrology but gives an account of the wonderfull joy that poor persecuted Christians have felt in the heighth of their Persecutions and what is this but a Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth what is it but a Heaven in their Souls The three young Men Dan. III. sang in a fiery Furnace St. Paul and Silas in a Dungeon lifted up their Voices in Hallelujah's The Apostles when beaten and whipt and scourged departed from the Council rejoycing because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ and St. Paul 2 Cor. VII 4. I am filled with comfort yea I exceedingly rejoice in all our Tribulation But not to mention any more passages of this nature out of ancient Histories our own Book of Martyrs shall serve to furnish us with instances I mean of the Protestant Martyrs that suffer'd in Queen Marys Days One Rogers coming to the Stake where he was to be burned fetcht a great leap for joy One Dr. Taylour approaching the Fire in which he was to be sacrificed danced and skipt to the Wonder and Admiration of the Sheriff I thank God for this Prison said one Bradford more than for the richest Parlour more than for any pleasure I ever found for here I find God my sweet God always After I came into this Prison said one Glover in a Letter to his Wife and had repos'd my self there awhile I wept for joy and gladness my belly full and said to my self Lord what am I that I should be counted worthy to be numbred among those that suffer for the Gospel's sake I am now in the Coal-house said one Philpott as dark and ugly a Prison as any is about London but I have six other faithfull Companions who merrily rouz upon the Straw and in our darkness do cheerfully sing Hymns and Praises to God I was never merrier in Cbrist than I am now in Prison said one Tims One Pierson with a cheerfull Countenance embraced the Stake at which he was to be burnt and kissing it said Now welcome my sweet Wife for this day thou and I shall be married together O how my heart leaps and skips for joy said another One Bainham when his Arms and Legs were half consumed by the Fire cry'd out in the Midst of the Flames Behold ye Papists ye are much for Miracles Here you may see a Miracle for in this Fire I feel no more pain than if I lay on a Bed of Down it is to me as a Bed of Roses Abundance more I could name to this purpose and what was all this but a Kingdom of Heaven in their Souls 2. In the next World the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs in a peculiar manner too because of the high degree of Glory they arrive to in the next life This hath been the belief of the Church in all Ages that for the Martyrs the higher and loftier Mansions of Heaven are reserv'd the ruines of this truth are preserv'd among Mahometans and Heathens The Mahometans fancy that those who die in the War against Christians are Martyrs and they assign them a higher place in Paradise and Geographers tell us of a People in the West Indies who believing the Immortality of the Soul fancy that those who die in defence of their Country are advanced after death to a very high degree of felicity These are nothing but reliques and remains of the Chriâ—â—ian Doctrine which Tradition hath left among them that those who are persecuted for righteousness sake are and shall be made partakers of higher degrees of Glory It 's certain their Bodies shall rise before the Bodies of other Men for so we read Revel XX. 4 5. And I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand Years But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand Years were ended This is the first Resurrection And in the Kingdom of Heaven they will out-shine other Saints in brightness and splendour All those that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality shall inherit Eternal life but those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake their sufferings work for them a far more exceeding Eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. IV. 17. a reward enough to make a Man fond of dying in love with suffering enamour'd with a Prison and desirous of Chains and Fetters for righteousness sake Wonder at this Blessing O my Soul For Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Inferences I. As one place of Scripture gives light to another so by this we are upon we may judge of
own Souls must be absolutely necessary Religion exalts Nature and the kindnesses which the Law written upon our Hearts requires of us toward the Bodies of our Neighbours Religion bids us exercise to their Souls which are the nobler substances Religion as it makes us concerned for our own Souls so it raises a desire to do good to the Souls of others Till a Man comes to be concerned about spiritual Affairs he is a Stranger to Religion As things unseen are the proper Object of the Soul so to be truly concerned about things unseen is the proper Character of a Religious Man And as Religion in imitation of its Author is communicative so the Soul of another Man comes to be very dear to us if our care and solicitude be once seriously employ'd about our own and this is the ground of the great Duty pressed here viz. preserving others from Sin and Corruption to which purpose our Saviour tells Peter with respect to his resurrection from his Apostacy when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren Luke XXII 32. And St. Paul in larger terms Exhort one another daily taking heed lest any of you be harden'd through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. III. 13. This being the true import of the similitude used here Let us II. Consider how this Salt comes to lose its Savour And this happens 1. When a Man after he comes to know his Duty either by reading or hearing the Word preached in season and out of season acts contrary to his Profession and enticed or overcome by the Cares Riches and Pleasures of this Life grows sensless of the weighty Concerns of his own and other Mens Souls and willfully and obstinately maugre all the Checks of his Conscience to the contrary continues so We all know that when Salt hath lost its Picquancy and Sharpness and Quickness it is gone and it can be call'd Salt no more Just so it is with a Man that owns himself a Christian if taken with these outward things that please the Flesh and pamper the Body and gratifie his Carnal Interest he boldly neglects exerting his Zeal and Fervour for his own and other Mens Souls which his Religion presses and urges him to he ceases to be a Christian for a Christian is a Person active that acts according to the Rules of his Profession Where it is so that the love of the World doth so blind and intoxicate him that he looks neither after his own Soul nor the Soul of his Neighbour and feels no love to either or if he feels something of it choaks it again with the Bryars and Thorns of this Life he loses the Spirit of Religion and then as the Body without the Soul is dead so his Christianity without this Love becomes dead also Indeed we call the dead Men still but that 's only a Name Properly speaking they are no Men and so it is here he that is a stranger to this Love is no Christian for this Love is as much of the Essence of Christianity as sharpness or quickness is to Salt 2. This Salt loses his Savour When a Man hath been for some time solicitous about his own Soul and the spiritual Concerns of his Neighbours and grows weary of it or for Carnal Reasons quits those hearty Endeavours of preserving others from Sin and Corruption This the Holy Ghost calls departing from the Holy Commandment delivered to us 2 Pet. II. 21. Though losing in Scripture imports sometimes neglecting that which is a Mans greatest interest to mind yet for the most part loss supposes having and that we once had that which is now gone from us and this is an aggravation of the fault and consequently of the Sin mentioned in the Text And he loses his Savour as a Christian i. e. loses his Christianity and Sense of God with a witness that begins in the Spirit and ends in the Flesh runs well for a time and suffers himself to be stopt in his Race hath endeavour'd to do good to the Souls of others and taken care that his Life and Actions might be edifying to those who conversed with him but having laid his hand to the Plough looks back with Lot's Wife who became a Pillar of Salt and of Disgrace and Infamy too Salt is used in Scripture for permanency that 's the reason of the expression Numb XVIII 19. A Covenant of Salt i. e. a lasting Covenant and a Christian that is to be Salt in one sense i. e. preserve others as much as he can from sinning must be Salt in the other sense too i. e. continue patiently in well-doing if he doth not he loses his Savour and Religion and then if the Salt hath lost its Savour wherewith shall it be salted Whether Salt can lose its Savour I leave to Naturalists to enquire and determine if it cannot the possibility of it may however safely be supposed for the instruction of the ignorant as St. Paul supposes an Angels Preaching a new Doctrin If an Angel from Heaven should Preach another Gospel to you than what we have Preach'd unto you let him be accurs'd not that its possible an Angel can do so but such a supposition makes the Argument in hand more powerful and convincing And having considered how the Salt or the Persons represented by Salt lose their Savour le ts go on and consider III. The nature of the Commination here spoken of which is That the Salt after that cannot recover its taste but is cast forth and troden under foot of Men. To explain this 1. As Salt when it hath lost its Sharpness is render'd incapable of recovering that Sharpness there being nothing in Nature that can give it the taste of Salt again so where People will not be perswaded either by good Examples or by other means to endeavour the preservation of others from Sin God very often hardens them and takes away from them a Heart and Will to do it for the future When Men neglect their known Duty or delay applying themselves to it though they have many Motions of God's Spirit to that purpose and hope to do it this time and that time and yet still find Impediments there it is just with God to put them in an incapacity of doing it at all and to take from them that Grace and Power he gave them to preserve others from Corruption or to bring upon them an impossibility of recovering that Grace and Power as much as Salt cannot be Salted again or recover its Sharpness when it hath once lost its Acrimony God cannot endure to see Men play with his Gifts He makes anotherguess account of his Gospel he vouchsafes to Men than the generality do and those who give up their Names to him and will not by the strongest Arguments be prevail'd with to act according to their Profession shall be in danger of being so infatuated that they shall not be salted again with the Salt of Grace and Favour and influences of his Spirit for this is to bury our Talents
time in court and caress in visiting great Persons and hunting after Preferment or Applause He went about doing good And in this he was indefatigable His heart was set upon it and this made him despise tbe difficulty which lay in his way Where-ever he went this was his business and design His Charity was large and diffusive It extended to the Bodies the Estates and Souls of Men. He fed and taught He instructed and comforted and relieved those who wanted help I cannot but apply to him what Libanius Sophista said of Socrates in his Apology for him Thus he pleads for him to the Athenians his Citizens Ye men of Athers says he in his Declamation save and preserve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a sincere Friend a kind Man a good Counsellor a righteous Citizen He could not lead an Army but he knew how to reprove c. Your laws and suffrages are of great value and Socrates is of no small price who watcheth those who transgress reproves the injurious that dischargeth this publick Office for the City How many think ye that once neglected to educate their Children by his means took that care upon them How many that quarrelled with their brethren did he reclaim How many that abused their parents did he bring to do them reverence They feared the reproofs of Socrates more than the Courts of Justice They knew they could buy off an Accuser there but they that did amiss could not escape his reproofs nor bribe him to be silent So it was this holy Man was a great Blessing to the Publick and more especially to the City where he reproved the transgressors encouraged the vertuous directed the scrupulous and relieved the indigent Libanius goes on and represents what Strangers and Foreigners would say when Socrates was dead and what Discourses they should be entertained with who should come to Athens to fee the man and coming too late for that shou'd visit his Tomb. One says he shall say to another pointing at the place Here he discoursed of Fortitude and there of Sobriety and in yonder place of Justice Here is the place where he run down Prodicus and there where he was too hard for Protagoras In another he overcame Eleius and Leontinus I am very sure it may be said of this holy Man The places may be shewn where he was doing good where he taught and where he relieved where he entred the lists with Papists and where with the other Enemies of the Church where he instructed the Youth and where he encouraged and directed the younger Christians and where he exhorted the elder There are those who can point to the places and truly say Here is the Family whom he relieved and here live the poor Widows whom he provided for Here is the place where he preached and where he perswaded his Auditors to frequent Communion and brought vast Multitudes of Men and Women to constant attendance on that holy Ordinance The truth is if the particulars were enumerated I say the particulars of his Charity they alone would make a Volume One piece of Charity deserves to be remembred to his honour and that was his telling Men of their faults not only publickly but privately too His reproofs may well be reckoned among his Charities I may truly say of him as Libanius does of Socrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. He made those better whom he did bite He bit and healed at once There was no gall no venom in him It all proceeded from unfeigned Charity to the Souls of Men. He could not suffer sin upon his Brother He had the zeal of John Baptist and durst and did admonish and reprove the greatest Of which matter I could say more than I think is convenient for me to be particular in In truth he had the Spirit of the Ancient Prophets and of the Holy Confessours of the Primitive Church A Man that conversed with him much wou'd be sure to hear of it if he did amiss He was far from slander and detraction from that lingua tertia as it is called among the Hebrews which does three mischiefs at once viz. to the speaker to the hearer and to the slandered There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword but the tongue of the wise is health Prov. XII 18. He had the perfect mastery of this member and used it to the benefit of his Brother I never knew any Man living that was more stout than this good man in reproving Vice and in appearing for the Truth never any Man that was farther removed from flattery and dawbing He was a Friend of a thousand He made little shew and was sparing in his profession of kindness But when he had occasion to serve his friend he was very industrious to do it and did not think much of pains and labour therein There are multitudes now alive that can attest this He was temperate to the greatest degree I had almost said to a fault I have often feared that considering his great and constant labours he hardly gave himself that refreshment which was fit He drank very little Wine at any time and in the latter part of his Life he did upon the matter wholly forbear it He had benè moratum ventrem as Seneca phraseth it a Stomach that was well nurtured not nice or curious it received the meanest Provision contentedly After the fatigue and labour of the day he would sup with an Apple or two with a little Bread and small Ale or Milk-Water This he would receive with great thankfulness to God and great chearfulness among his Domesticks He was very thankfull to God for a Morsel of Bread and received the meanest Provision with the greatest expressions of Gratitude And yet when he entertained his Friends he did it liberally He was always least concerned for himself in these things He very much deny'd himself but to others he was liberal and open-handed and rather than the Poor should want Bread he would fast himself He led an Ascetick Life kept under his Body and with great industry advanced in Holiness and a Life that was spiritual and heavenly For his Contempt of this lower World he hath given sufficient proof He despised both the sides or appearances of it I mean the Smiles and Frowns of it It is well known that when he lived with the Duke of Albemarle he might very easily have made his Fortunes as we usually express it Had he made his Court he could not have failed But instead of that he minded his charge and the duty of his place He minded the heavenly Kingdom and the doing good to Souls He would often speak very contemptibly of Riches and declare that the whole design of the Christian Doctrine tended to bring contempt upon Wealth and gâ—eat Plenty He was of opinion that Riches were as a great man hath it impedimenta virtutis i. e. the impediments of virtue and that a man could never arrive to any great pitch of virtue
Passage another before it which is suitable enough to their Design which was to give us an Account of the Treasure no matter in what order the Jewels lie And accordingly St. Luke sets down the Delivery of this Sermon or the Substance of it after the miraculous Cure wrought upon the Man who had the wither'd Hand Luke VI. 12. but St. Matthew chuses to speak of it before he mentions the Miracle not that one saith it was done before and the other after that would be a contradiction Only one thinks fit to take notice of it before he records the Miracle the other thinks it convenient to record the Miracle first and then the Sermon 2. The Agreement of the Evangelists appears chiefly in this that none denies what the other saith One mentions a Circumstance which another leaves out but though all do not mention the same yet none denies the thing To apply this to the Sermon before us St. Luke ch VI. 12. saith Christ went up into the Mountain to pray which St. Matthew takes no notice of yet his silence is no denial of that Circumstance St. Luke adds That going up into the Mountain he chose Twelve Disciples which might very well be though St. Matthew says nothing of it in this Chapter Both these Evangelists agree That Christ went up into a Mountain one indeed seems to affirm that he deliver'd this Sermon on the Mount the other after he came down from the Mount Both are in the right especially if we say that he deliver'd this Sermon on the Mount at large and when he came down by way of Summary or Epitome for the easier remembrance of his Hearers for indeed St. Luke's relation is nothing but a Summary of this Sermon And we know it 's customary with the Evangelists not only for one to set down the very Words of Christ for the other the Sense but also for one to repeat such a Discourse in its full Scope and Latitude and for another to give us only the Heads of it But II. What were the Multitudes that appear'd here and why did they come St Matthew ch IV. 25. tells us They were great Multitudes of People from Galilee and Decapolis from Jerusalem and from Judaea and from beyond Jordan and so saith St. Luke ch VI. 17. who adds That some came from the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon 1. It was a mixt Multitude some good some bad some well inclin'd others averse from Seriousness some whom meer Curiosity brought hither others whom a Sense of another World encourag'd to come and this is what we may say of all Multitudes that press into our Churches at this Day some are of Gallio's Mind and care for none of these things only come for fashion's sake others of Lydia's Temper whose Hearts God opens to attend to the things spoken by his Messengers Some with Festus make themselves merry with the Preacher's Discourse and Expressions others like Agrippa are almost perswaded to be Christians but very few prove true Converts 2. The end for which they came was partly to hear and partly to be healed as we find Luke VI. 17. Though in hearing it was with them as with the Seed in the Parable Some fell by the Way-side some in stony ground some among thorns some in a good natur'd soil as it is Matth. XIII yet hearing was their end and I wonder not to find them ambitious to hear this wonderfull Person who to his Doctrine join'd the Testimony of Heaven which is Miracles Had all Judaea believ'd him to be the Messiah where one ran after him Thousands and Millions would have come to hear him however the greater part took him for a Prophet mighty in Word and Deed and inspired and one that had more than ordinary converse with God and this was Temptation enough to hear him They had for many Years heard the insipid Discourses of the Scribes and Pharisees and were even tired with their superstitious Niceties and Traditions and Ceremonies and pressing the cleansing of the out-side of the Cup and Platter But here was a Person that spoke to the Heart and with Authority and things solid and great and weighty without design or interest or affectation of applause and there appear'd in his Discourses something more than humane even a Divine Light and Power which made them leave their Work and Employments to hear him Another reason of their coming was to be cured of their Diseases and Infirmities Though Christ's curing Gratis without Fee or Money might be a Temptation to many of the poorer sort to make use of him yet to others his miraculous Way of chasing away Distempers with a Word and By-way of Command and healing Diseases which mock'd all the Attempts of Surgeons and Physicians might be the greater Motive Christ's curing Distempers of the Body was in order to heal their distemper'd Souls To set up for a Physician only had been too mean an Employ and therefore we must suppose that his Charity to their outward was in order to conferr a greater Charity on their inward Man and their acknowledgment of his Power and Goodness was to lead them to a holy Obedience to his Precepts and particularly to Repentance and Reformation of Life and though it 's probable few came with that intent I mean to have their Souls freed from the Corruptions they had no Sense of yet being come many found by blessed Experience strange Cures wrought upon their Consciences and went away not only sound in Body but with a lively Sense of their Duty The outward Cure astonish'd them into consideration of their ways and they thought they could do no less in Gratitude than become Subjects to his Will who had conquer'd their Diseases Christ's Touch went farther than their Bodies and their Souls felt the Power of it as much as their Flesh and he that felt his Distemper departing found at the same time that his love to sin stole away and a new love succeeded a fervent love to God and his Holy Precepts But III. The next thing that occurs in this Historical Part is Christ's going up into the Mount St. Jerom takes notice that some weak Brethren of his time took this Mount to be the Mount of Olives others believe it to have been a Mountain distant about three Miles from Capernaum But the Scripture gives the Mount no Name and therefore they only speak their Guesses that are not content with these general Notices There is a Mountain at this Day in Judaea they say which is call'd Christ's Mount and the Fryars that get Mony by shewing Ancient Monuments will needs have it to be the Mountain spoken of in the Text and for Confirmation of their Story pretend to shew the very Stone on which Christ sat when he deliver'd the ensuing Precepts but there is no Credit to be given to such Reports nor indeed is it material to know what Mountain it was The reasons why he ascended into a Mountain will be more to the purpose and
or venting some charitable Wishes that he might be instrumental in their Reformation But as I said to do so a Man must have the Spirit of Christ to be touch'd with the Temporal Misfortunes and Calamities of Men a Man needs no more than common and natural Pity So the Persian Monarch fell a weeping when from a Hill he beheld his well disciplin'd Army to think that in less than a hundred Years all these brave Men would be dead and gone but to be touch'd with the everlasting Misery of Men's immortal Souls there must be an Illumination from above and the Spirit of Christ and a deep Consideration that must affect the Heart with a profound Sense of it A Soul taken up with the World and the Pleasures of it is unconcern'd who perishes or who is saved But he that understands what Salvasion means and labours hard after it himself and understands that the threatnings of the Gospel are no Bug-bears but very real things cannot but spend many a sad Thought about a concern of that consequence And oh that there were such a Heart not only in all the Ministers of the Gospel but in other private Men even in you all and that in your actual Endeavours to reclaim your wicked Neighbours you might discover the concern you have for their spiritual and everlasting Welfare If the World did not grow better under this Attempt your own Souls however would grow in Grace and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost 2. The Multitude came to hear Christ so do you at this Day It 's true you cannot hear Christ in Person but you hear him in his Messengers of whom he hath said He that heareth you heareth me Take heed therefore how you hear Faith comes by hearing but if you hear and for all that hearing believe not your hearing will aggravate your Condemnation It 's true you do believe but it is after the common Rate By believing I mean obeying which is the true Scripture Notion of believing how you are to hear the Blessed Virgin hath taught you by her Example for hearing the wonderfull things spoken of her Son it is said she kept them and ponder'd them in her heart Luke II. 19. This is true hearing to ponder in our Minds what we hear to ponder the reasonableness of the things which are spoken to us in the Name of the Lord to ponder the consequences of them and what will become of us if we neglect things of that importance and to rouze our selves into to suitable Actions Actions that may bear witness of our deep Sense of our danger and that we are really concern'd about our everlasting State and that our resolutions are strong and invincible to secure God's Love Such men as they hear so they shall see in the City of our God They hear of very glorious things in the Mansions Christ is gone to prepare for all his true Disciples and their Eyes shall see them and they shall see more than their Ears did hear and look so long upon the charming Objects till their sight is turned into Ravishment and Extasie 3. The Multitude came to Christ to be healed So do you at this day come to the Ministers of the Gospel I hope with the same intent It 's true we cannot cure the Dropsie and Stone and Gout and Strangury and such other Diseases of the Body But we can cure Diseases in your Souls which are very like the Distempers I just now spoke of the Tympany of Pride the Fever of Lust the Dropsie of Covetousness the Leprosie of Sensuality the Consumption of Envy and the Stone in the Heart c. When I say we can cure all these the meaning is not by our own strength and power but by prescribing such Remedies and Medicines which if you will but take you will recover infallibly Infallible Medicines I know are matter of sport among Men but here we may talk for we have God on our side of infallible Remedies very seriously Cicero wonders since Man consists of Soul and Body that the Cure of the Body should be so industriously sought after and admired insomuch that they are not ashamed to referr Aesculapius into the Number of the Gods but few or none touble their Heads about curing their Souls but the Wonder will soon cease if we consider that Men feel the Diseases of their Bodies but have no sense of the Distempers of their Souls and indeed how should they feel them when they cover their sins with Names of Vertue and Titles of Innocence their Luxury by generosity their being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ by modesty their breaking their most solemn Vows and Promises by weakness and infirmity their notorious mispending their time and extravagance in their Speeches Dresses and Behaviour by Christian liberty their Covetousness by discretion c. To be cured of your Sins which are the Diseases of your Souls the first thing to be done is to take off the Vizour from them to abjure the false Glosses and to renounce the soft Interpretations you put upon them And yet after all one cannot but wonder that at this time of day there should be so many Souls sick Is there no Balm in Gilead Are there no Physicians there Yes yes There is Balm in Gilead there are Physicians and very faithfull ones But O Jerusalem Jerusalem How often would I have gather'd thy Children as a Hen doth gather her Chickens and you would not Ay! that 's the dreadfull Cause why so many of you are sick and sick to death and find no cure There are excellent Medicines given there are admirable Remedies prescribed but like untowardly Patients you will not make use of the Physick that 's administred to you and thus you perish and thus you are undone But 4. St. Luke takes notice that when Christ intended to deliver this Sermon he was a whole Night before engaged in Prayer to God Surely this was to teach us not to attempt or begin any thing of Concernment without Prayer This is to be observed both in rellgious and civil matters Even before you go to Prayer send up some short Ejaculations in your mind to God to give you Hearts to pray and Power and Wisdom to offer to him the desires of your Hearts Before you read a Chapter in the Bible beg of God to enlighten your Minds and to work upon your Wills that you may chearfully do what he requires of you in his Word and to bestow spiritual Wisdom upon you that you may understand what you read Before you go to Church beg of him to give you attentive Minds sober Thoughts and a great sense of his Presence in the Assembly of the Saints Before you begin a religious Fast beg of him to quicken your Hearts to raise your Devotion to assist you with humble thoughts and to accept of your Humiliation and teach you to perform it so that it may be acceptable in his sight This Rule is to be observed in all other
And that matter relating to this Bliss and Happiness of the Soul are matters of the greatest moment and consequence will appear from the following Particulars 1. Name me any one Concern in the whole World that is so great or of that Moment The Prosperity of a Kingdom is a great Concern but you cannot reap half the Comfort and satisfaction from that Prosperity which you can do from the Bliss and Happiness of your Souls The welfare of a Family is a great Concern but the bliss of your Souls is much greater for the want of the former may be sweetned by Arguments but the want of the other cannot be excused or qualified by all the Logick in the World Health is a great Concern but the bliss of your Souls is greater the former makes you robust and fit to bear Burthens but the latter enables you to conquer Sin to overcome Temptations and to vanquish Lusts and vain Desires A livelihood or competency in the World is a great Concern but the bliss of your Souls is greater The former indeed may give you credit and reputation among your Neighbours but the other is a motive to God and his holy Angels to respect and honour you A good Name is a great Concern but the bliss of your Souls is greater for if you be deprived of the former you are still in a capacity of being loved of God and enjoying the light of his Favour but wanting the other God can have no kind thoughts no favourable inclinations towards you 2. Matters which concern the bliss and happiness of your Souls relate to Eternity and therefore must needs be the weightiest Concern whatever is in this World fades perishes and dies Nothing is firm or stable or permanent and therefore what lasts but for a few moments cannot be comparable in Excellency to that which lasts for ever The happiness we speak of hath indeed a beginning but knows no ending it is a Bliss which doth not fade with your Death nor expire when the Breath goes out of your Nostrils but a happiness which as the end of your days qualifies you for the embraces of Angels and these deliver you into the Arms and Care and Protection of an Omnipotent God who will love you with an everlasting Love and whereas your Comforts here were in the Nature of dim-burning Candles he 'll increase that shine into a light equal to that of the Sun and the light of that Sun he will multiply seven times and make it as the light of the seven days in the first Creation The things which are seen are all Temporal saith the Apostle 2 Cor. IV. 18. but the things which are not seen and such are our Souls and the Bliss they are design'd for they are Etergal and then it is soon decided which are the weightiest Concerns the Temporal or Eternal 3. The very Heathen have look'd upon the things belonging to the Bliss of their Souls as things of the greatest moment It is enough to astonish the considerate Reader what Pagans and Infidels have done for their Bliss more than they would have done for Father and Mother for Brethren and Sisters for Wife and Children for Women and Concubines It 's granted that with all this they have retain'd their customary Sins and Vices yet the Punishments and Acts of Justice and Revenge or Cruelty rather they have sometimes inflicted upon themselves Punishments they would not have undergone for the dearest Friends they had sufficiently shew in what esteem the things belonging to the Bliss of their Souls were with them Time was when they sacrificed their dearest Children unto Moloch and caus'd their Sons and Daughters to pass through the Fire to the Honour of that God or Devil And at this day in Japan and China some starving themselves to Death others shutting themselves up in Caves and Dens and receiving Air thro' some hollow Canes or Pipes others charging themselves with heavy Iron-Chains others putting themselves to most uneasie and tormenting Postures and continuing in them a considerable time and all this for the Bliss of their Souls is an Argument that they look upon the Concerns relating to the Bliss of their Souls as Concerns of the greatest weight and moment 4. The wisest Men in all Ages have thought so Who wiser than Solomon He hath God's own Testimony that none was so wise before him and none should be so wise after him It 's true in his Old-age be plaid the fool but while his Wisdom was vigorous and in its Prime and Glory he was fully perswaded that these Concerns were of the greatest Importance and made it his business to draw others into the same Belief and what is the Book of Proverbs and the other of Ecclesiastes but a Demonstration of this Truth Nay men of all Conditions have been of this Judgment how different soever in other matters If Divines and Preachers of the Word only had spread this Doctrine the profaner Sort would have imagin'd that it was Interest which made us cry up these Concerns as the weightiest of all but men of divers Callings Employments and Professions have judg'd so David a King Sergius Paulus a Governour of a Province Cornelius a Captain the Souldiers that addressed themselves to John the Baptist Zenas a Lawyer Luke a Physician Lydia a Purple-seller Simon a Tanner Stephanas a Jaylour Aquila and Priscilla Tent-makers Zachaeus a Publican Nicodemus a Ruler Joseph a Rich man Lazarus a Beggar and when Men of various Professions do all concurr in this Assertion their Testimony deserves to be valued 5. Even wicked Men either in some great Affliction or upon their Death-beds do look upon the things belonging to the Bliss of their Souls as the greatest and their Testimony is the more considerable because it is press'd and forc'd out of them as it were Take them in their natural bent and inclination or in their Prosperity they profess nothing less than this but at such times by a secret instinct or strong impulse which they are not able to conquer they are compell'd to acknowledge so much A wicked Man ordinarily is a profess'd Enemy of this Truth viz. that the Concerns relating to the Bliss of his Soul are of any great importance for he labours hard and doth what he can to ruine the Happiness of his Soul but upon a Sick-bed or Death-bed sometimes he is not able to smother this Truth and now you hear him cry out O how have I hated Instruction how hath my Heart despised Reproof O that I had obeyed the Voice of my Teachers O that I had inclined mine Ear to instruction O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Now he would give all he is worth for the Bliss of his Soul This was the Sense of Manasseh when the Iron enter'd into his Soul This was the Judgment of the Prodigal when he was denied so much as the Husks that the Swine did feed on this is the Sentiment of thousands
and thousands whose Eyes do not open till approaching Death doth clear them and the Testimony of an Enemy is sometimes very considerable But 6. What matter is it what Men think God surely cannot be mistaken and he is intirely of this mind For what shall it profit a Man if he gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul saith Christ Matth. XVI 24. a known place a place most Children can repeat a place often quoted in Sermons but where are the Persons that are concern'd at it I mean concern'd like Men that are in danger of losing so great a Treasure When a Man is in danger of losing an Estate or a few Acres of Land or his good Name or his Goods How pensive how melancholy doth he grow His mirth all flies away and how doth he storm and fret and rage sometime This very Man many times is in danger of losing his Soul yet he is merry and chearfull and sings and dances and one would think nothing ails him Notwithstanding all this the Foundation of God stands sure and God having affirm'd and pronounc'd that the gain of the whole World cannot counterballance the loss of one Soul The matters relating to the Bliss and Happiness of our Souls must needs be the greatest and weightiest Concerns imaginable I might easily enlarge upon this Subject but it 's needless Your understandings are commonly better than your Wills and Affections and being sensible that it is a greater and nobler Work to prevail with the latter than to convince the former give me leave to turn these Assertions into a serious Expostulation 1. Are the things belonging to the Bliss and Happiness of your Souls the greatest Concerns of all how is it that they are minded no more than they are How are they the greatest when they are regarded least of all How the weightiest when a Trifle is preferr'd before them What doth it signify to confess so much when your Actions give your Mouths the lye And do not you expose your selves to the laughter of all judicious Men when your Practices do so manifestly contradict your Profession How will you answer this Argument in the last Day How can you hope to come off when the Judge shall argue with you from this Topick Did you really look upon the Concerns relating to the Bliss of your Souls as the greatest how could you be so indifferent as to knowing whether your Souls are in a State of Bliss or not How could you forbear examining your selves by the Rules laid down by Christ in this Sermon whether Happiness is like to be the Portion of your Souls at last or not Can it be safe to take it for granted that your Souls are in a blessed State when a mistake in this matter is the most dangerous thing in the World What satisfaction can it be to you to believe at random that all is well when that very Confidence is an Argument that the Foundation is rotten and unsound If you do in good earnest believe these Concerns to be of the greatest importance I will tell you what the Effects will be and to avoid Prolixity I shall only name them 1. Your thoughts will be much employ'd about them you will certainly find time to think of them and all the little Excuses that you have a Trade and Business and a Family to look after will be laid aside for all this you may do in a moderate way and yet make these weighty Concerns the frequent Objects of your serious Thoughts What Are these the greatest Concerns and doth it not deserve one sober reflection have I Soul that is immortal Is this Soul capable of being either happy or miserable Is there a way to make it happy What is that way Where shall I find it If God hath revealed it in his word is it not worth enquiring or searching into it c. 2. In your lawfull Callings and Employments you will be very cautious of doing any thing that shall hurt or spoil or prejudice the Bliss and Happiness of your Souls as all sins against Knowledge and all wilfull sins will certainly do 3. You will take care that the Briars and Thorns of the World I mean the Riches the Cares the Pleasures of this Life do not choak your Care and Sollicitude about this Bliss of your Souls and to this end you will avoid burthening your selves with over-much Business which will engross your Care and Thoughts and Time and drown the other 4. You will not content your selves with general Notions of this Bliss but you 'll go deeper and descend to particulars and examine the special Ingredients that must make your Souls truly happy and which are described in this admirable Sermon of our Saviour and take them into consideration 5. You will pray hard and with fervour and importunity to be strengthen'd from above in order to a chearfull Performance of the Rules specified in this Sermon 6. If at any time you find that you grow dull and lazy in the conscientious observance and performance of these particulars you will rouze your selves by fresh Arguments into your first love and if at any time surpriz'd by a strong Temptation you neglect any Lesson injoin'd here you will chide and check and force your selves into a more vigorous watchfulness and diligence 7. You will not neglect the proper means whereby this Bliss of your Souls must be promoted one of which is the frequent and conscientious use of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper for here you see how dear your Souls were to the Son of God what he did for them to make them happy how he laid down his Life to procure their Life and Bliss and can there be a greater motive to prosecute the Bliss of your immortal Souls These will certainly be the effects of your Belief i. e. if from your Heart you believe that the Concerns relating to the Bliss and Happiness of your Souls are the greatest and weightiest Concerns if these effects appear not it 's plain you do not look upon these Concerns as things of the greatest importance and consequently you are unfit for the Kingdom of God 2. As Christ open'd his mouth and taught the People so the Ministers of the Gospel after their Great Master's Example are to read and learn their Duty for they are sent by Christ to supply his place on Earth to the end of the World Teaching is their Business not only with their Lips but with their Lives Their lives must be visible Comments upon the word they publish and as one said they must be like Gideon's Souldiers carry Trumpets of sound Doctrine in one Hand and Lamps of good Lives in the other A Minister whose Life contradicts his Preaching is one of the worst Men in the World and makes himself Two-fold more the Child of Hell than his Hearers that imitate his ill Example and if there be one place hotter than another in the
cannot be intended here To quit therefore the Negative and to come to an Affirmative resolution of this Point By poverty in Spirit is meant True CHRISTIAN HUMILITY for we cannot suppose that Christ would here lay down the way to Eternal Life and forget to press this darling Vertue and of all Accomplishments the most amiable and most charming indeed the very Foundation of all saving Religion and since there is no formal mention made of it in the ensuing Discourse we must necessarily referr it to this place and believe it to be comprehended in this Expression the rather because nothing expresses this Christian Humility better than poverty in Spirit A poor spirited Man we know is a Coward but such a poor Spirit could never be design'd by Christ here whose intent was to enable all his Followers to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and to trample on all the Powers of Darkness Luke X. 19. and they that do so or can do so are sar from being Cowards so far that nothing argues greater Courage and Magnanimity To represent to you the Nature of this poverty in Spirit or Christian Humility I shall describe it in the following Particulars As Humility is nothing but a generous contempt of our selves so this felf-contempt imports 1. A lively Sense of God's Greatness Holiness and Goodness That 's it which gives Humility being that 's it whereby the sacred Fire is kindled A lively Sense of God's greatness gives the Soul a clear sight of her own nothingness A lively Sense of God's holiness a clear sight of her sinfulness a lively Sense of his goodness and a clear view of her own Unworthiness The greater this Sense is the greater is the Humility while that Sense lasts this Humility lasts when that decays this vanishes This lively Sense sows the seed of Humility in the Soul and makes it grow and advance into fruitfulness it produces it waters it cherishes and keeps it warm Where that Sense is very lively the Soul knows not how to lay low enough before God A lively Sense of God's greatness makes Abraham cry out I have undertaken to speak to the God of Heaven who am but dust and ashes Gen. XVIII 27. A lively Sense of God's holiness makes Job fall down and say I ahhorr my self in dust and ashes Job XLII 6. A live Sense of God's goodness compels Jacob to prostrate himself before God and forces him into this Ejaculation I am not worthy of the least of all the Mercies and of all the Truth which thou hast shew'd unto thy Servant Gen. XXXII 10. And though I grant that all this may be said and is said daily by Hypocrites and Persons in whom Sin and the World are predominant yet it is not the bare saying so that makes a Man humble but the Sense which dictates these Expressions 2. From hence flow very low and despicable thoughts of our selves not transitory thoughts in the nature of flying Sparks once in a Month or once in a quarter of a Year or once in a melancholy Fit but habitual lowly thoughts which are constant Guests with the Soul and whereby the Soul for the most part entertains a very low or small opinion of her self or worth or any thing that belongs to her and if any proud or arrogant thoughts arise presently pulls them down again with such considerations as these What a poor contemptible Creature am I What have I that I have not receiv'd My Body what is it but the result of God's bounty My Soul the work of his hands what Parts what Abilities what external Accommodations and Conveniencies I have they are Effects of his liberality what Gifts what Accomplishments what Perfections what Excellencies what Graces what Vertues I have what are they but the Products of his undeserved Charity Of my self what am I but a sinner a Name which must fill me with horrour when I think of it a wretched Creature that have deserv'd the wrath and indignation of an offended God and the burning Lake a very poor inconsiderable thing or rather an inconiderable nothing And shall so vile so pitifull a thing the sport of Winds and whose Life is a shadow a dream and a vapour be proud of any thing Who live upon Alms and am maintain'd by the pure Charity and Compassion of an Omnipotent God Sustain'd by his breath upheld by his power cherish'd by his providence subsisting by his Will and moving at his pleasure and a thing no better than a Tennis-ball in his hand which he may strike away and call for another What proud of being in debt and having a severer Account to give For of this Nature are all my Mercies shew how much I am indebted to God and how great my Account will be when the Great Master of the World shall come and reckon with his Servants These are some of the low and despicable thoughts the humble Soul entertains I Tim. I. 15. And from hence flows 3. A hearty detestation and abhorrency of self-conceitedness self-admiration and desire of vain-glory so that if the humble Soul at any time admits vain imaginations whereby she pleases her self with what she hath done as her own Work or let drop a Word which look'd like admiring her own performances or done any thing which tended to raise her Credit and Reputation with Men though it was but by a side-wind that she sailed to that dangerous Port she presently chides her self laments her weakness cries out against her folly is angry with her inadvertency and declares an everlasting War against all such sinister and preposterous Purposes 2 Cor. XI 15 16. 4. From hence flows Humility to Men too and preferring others in honour before our selves according to the Command and Character of Humility given Rom. XII 10. Surely that Man cannot be truly humble to God that is not so to Men and in vain doth he talk of lowliness that shews no respect to his lawfull Superiours and Magistrates that will not let abler and wiser Men speak or sit or go before him that cannot be content Men of greater worth should be preferr'd to the Place he aim'd at that knows not how to condescend to Men of low Estate and is loath to shew civility to Persons that are good because they are miserable in the World that thinks it below him to lend his helping hand and to minister unto those whose Condition is mean or never learn'd yet in his practical Esteem to preferr a poor Saint before a rich Man who is a stranger to real Goodness that will not go one step out of the Road of his humour and will be affable and courteous no farther than is consistent with his Interest To be sure such a Person doth not think better of others than of himself which yet is the great ingredient of Humility It 's true the humble Soul is not to think of Persons openly profane and atheistical better than of her self yet the Rule holds where others appear to be vigilant and
that Lamb Behold the scene of his sufferings and you will see this Truth written with Sun-beams Thousands that are now in Heaven have been wrought upon by this great Example and shall it have no influence upon you Strange you should hope to be saved by him and neglect the way he hath appointed in order to Salvation 5. Take heed of a rash misconstruing of your Neighbour's words and actions Nothing provokes to passion sooner than such misinterpretations Either this Man said so to reflect upon you or he did not bow low enough before you or he did not shew you that Civility he ought or he did such a thing to express his contempt of your Person c. Put favourable constructions on your Neighbour's Deportment toward you and you will prevent those Fits of Anger which now you fall into to the scandal of others and the ruine of your Souls 6. Consider how profitable this Vertue is profitable to others who will sooner hearken to you and listen to your advice when deliver'd with Meekness you will edifie them engage them to praise God for the grace which is bestow'd upon you profitable to your selves it will be a safe-guard to you you will not only enjoy what you have more quietly but you will be able to bear adversity better when it comes and we know that God very often rewards these Acts of Meekness with turning the Hearts of Enemies toward the Meek into mercy and compassion To this purpose I remember a passage in Moschus of a certain pious old Man when some Thieves broke into his House the good Man stood silent by while the Barbarians rifled his Coffers having taken what they thought fit they departed but the old Man spying a Bag of Money they had either overlook'd or forgotten to take with them he runs out and calls after them that they had left something of value behind them and there it was if they would come back and fetch it The Thieves looking upon it as raillery or mockery had no mind to return but Curiosity at last prevail'd with them to go and see whether the Man were in good earnest and finding him real in what he said they were so confounded with the calmness and meekness of the Man that they restored him all they had robb'd him of and cry'd out this is a good Man indeed I conclude with St. Paul's obtestation Eph. IV. 30 31 32. Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Let all bitterness and wrath and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you SERMON VI. St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled There is nothing more common in Scripture than to express the Doctrine or Lessons God hath thought fit to reveal to us by Meat and Bread and Food and Milk and Wine and Water and our docility or readiness to imbibe or digest and obey these Lessons by eating and drinking all which is done on purpose to give us clearer and livelier apprehensions of things spiritual and unseen and as our knowledge comes by our senses so by those external Objects and Actions to lead us to higher thoughts sublimer notions This being so we need not wonder to find our Saviour speaking here of a hunger and thirst after Righteousness for this is but a continuation of the same Metaphor for though hunger and thirst be properly the office and function of the Body yet there being an appetite in the Soul which is very like it Christ chuses to express it by these known natural actions or inclinations And lest this hunger and thirst should be interpreted as a punishment rather than a mercy the God-like Preacher here not only pronounces a blessing upon it but encourages to it by a very weighty and precious promise in the Text Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled THree things call them Doctrines or Propositions or Conclusions or what you will are here suggested to us I. That there is a hunger and thirst after Righteousness which is very commendable II. Without this hunger and thirst after Righteousness a man cannot be blessed or happy III. The happiness of those who do hunger and thirst after Righteousness consists in being filled I. There is a hunger and thirst after Righteousness which is very commendable That 's as little as a man can gather from the Text this State being pronounc'd blessed that Blessedness makes it commendable at least By Righteousness here some do piously understand Christ Jesus who is call'd The Lord our Righteousness Jer. XXIII 6. and is said to be made unto us of God Righteousness 1 Cor. I. 30. and the reasons why he is called so are 1. Because he is the Fountain of all Righteousness 2. Because he is the Author of that Righteousness which is in us 3. Because by his perfect righteousness he covers the accidental and unallow'd of defects of our sincere though imperfect Righteousness And no doubt they that truly hunger and thirst after Christ desirous to be taught by him as their Prophet to be saved by him as their Priest and to be ruled by him as their King may be said to be in a blessed State but though the word here used may lawfully be applied to Christ yet this cannot be the direct sense of it in this place where Christs design is to represent all the Graces a Christian is to be adorn'd with and therefore by Righteousness here must be meant the whole circle of Vertues the whole compass of Goodness which a Christian is capable of on this side Heaven and this is the common acceptation of the word and in this sense we find it oppos'd to a sinfull life in general Rom. VI. 20. When you were servants of sin you were free from righteousness and this Righteousness is afterward v. 22. call'd becoming servants of God and having our fruit unto holiness The righteous man is indeed represented in Scripture as a just man in his dealings and Righteousness stands often for doing justice and rendring to all their due and doing every man right but it is not with an intent to separate the other vertues from it but to shew that the good man who is faithfull and conscientious in his worship and doing the will of God among other vertues which he practiseth exercises this also and doth by others as he would have others do by him So that by Righteousness here is to be understood an universal Goodness in all conditions and relations whereby both the outward and inward man becomes entirely subject to God and without it he cannot be said to deal justly and righteously with God and after this Righteousness it is that a hunger and thirst is commended here which hunger and thirst
grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly But this is not all 3. They shall be filled in the other World with the plenty of God's House with the light of his Countenance for ever when their Bodies do drop from them and their Souls shall be transplanted from this barren Wilderness into Eden the Garden of God and of this fulness David speaks Psal. XVII 15. As for me I shall behold thy face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness They shall be filled with the Joys of God their mouths shall be filled with laughter and their tongues with singing they shall be filled with the finest of the Wheat and with Honey out of the Rock shall they be satisfied not with material Honey not with such Honey as enlightned Jonatha's Eyes but with the sweetness of God's glorious presence for ever All their senses all their faculties shall be filled with unspeakable satisfaction with water of life that springs from the Rock of Ages for they shall be filled with infinite love like Vessels thrown into the Sea all shall be filled and their fulness shall last while the fountain of goodness and the Ocean of felicity lasts i. e. for ever Inferences There are three sorts of Persons that in the Close of this Discourse I must necessarily speak to I. Those that pretend to hunger and thirst after Righteousness but do not II. Such as neither condemn nor greatly care for this Hunger and Thirst but hanker after something else III. Such as do truly hunger and thirst after Righteousness and long to be filled with it I. Those that pretend to hunger and thirst after Righteousness but do not There is scarce a Vertue we speak of but there are several that flatter themselves that they are possess'd of it because they have something like it There are few of you I believe so harden'd as to have a total Aversion or an utter abhorrency from all goodness many have some general desires after it but if these cold general indifferent desires be taken for this Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness what gross mistakes must you needs run into Cold desires certainly do not deserve the Name of Hunger and Thirst to be sure no such Hunger and Thirst as I have described in the Premises What Shall we believe your Hunger and Thirst after goodness real when we see no effects no fruits no signs of it I suppose if you have this Hunger and Thirst you have withal a great sense of the danger of a sinfull and carnal Life and a very high Esteem of Righteousness and your desires after it are vehement and pressing and your endeavours to get it are great and strong and you make a conscientious use of the proper means and when you are come up to any degree of goodness you hunger and thirst and labour to extend the borders of your goodness and you are not frighted with the inconveniencies that may attend the pursuit of it for these are the ingredients of this sacred Appetite What Shall we take painted Fire for that which is in motion Or shall we call that Hunger and Thirst which wants the Essential Characters Do we take a Man of Straw for a rational Creature Ay! But saith the self-conceited Christian I am sure I have it for I desire to pay every Man their own to defraud and wrong no body and to live honestly among my Neighbours But why Is this all the Righteousness God stands upon What Is one link of the sacred Chain of Graces the whole Chain Is one step of the way the full length of it Do all the other Vertues stand for Cyphers Is all that the Gospel requires comprehended in this one qualification Moral honesty No no you do not truly hunger and thirst after any one Vertue if you do not hunger after all if your Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness be right you will enquire and take notice and observe what things are good and just and honest and pure and lovely and of a good Report and be enamour'd with them You will not speak of your spiritual wants slightly such as we all have all our failings and God amend us all c. but with some inpatience to have them supplied you will hunger and thirst after all the Graces of God's Spirit not only after Justice or Chastity or Temrance but after a lively Faith and Patience and Charity and Humility and Fervour and Love and Obedience and a truly spiritual Temper and after higher Degrees of all these and your Hunger and Thirst will be seen and known by your industry and care and labour and cautiousness of sinning and resisting of Temptations and by Groans which cannot be uttered and by your unwearied Attempts to climb the Hill of God and not to give over till you come to the Top of it and then expect the Blessing of my Text. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled II. Those who neither care for nor condemn this spiritual Hunger and Thirst but hunger and thirst after something else even after the sweet and comfortable Enjoyments the Riches the Honours and the Pleasures of this present World if they could but have such a Competency or so much a Year or such a Place or such an Office or live as such a one lives they would desire no more and this is all they hunger and thirst after O how happy should they be But such Persons I would ask whether they believe they have nothing but Body and Flesh about them Are your Souls made for God created for his Service design'd for Heaven fitted for an Eternal Duration redeem'd with the Blood of Jesus Christ and is there no regard to be had to these What can make them happy but Righteousness What can satisfie them but real Goodness What can fill or feed them but the love of God This World cannot satisfie them you see it you know it Experience is demonstration for when you have got as much as you can and come to lie upon your Death-beds you find they want some other Food Food which all the World cannot give Food which none can give but he who hath protested that without Holiness no Man shall see his Face Righteousness is their life their cordial their nourishment and without this they die without this they are lost and all that you can do cannot keep them from being miserable Without this Food they starve and while you deny them this Meat you murther them If the World or the Enjoyments of it be all you are to hunger and thirst after these Souls were given in vain and God who gave them lost his aime I do not deny but you may lawfully desire an honest livelihood in the World with submission to God's Providence and wish for Necessaries and Conveniencies but the Word is seek ye first God's Kingdom and its Righteousness and all other things shall be
mercifull shall obtain Mercy And here what I noted in the preceeding Beatitudes holds good here too that the recompence here promised relates both to this and the other Life And as to this present World 1. The mercifull Man may promise himself great Comfort in his Trouble whether it be sickness or some other sad accident to this purpose we have an excellent saying Psal. XLI 1 2 3. Blessed is he that considers the poor the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon Earth and thou wilt not deliver him into the hand of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness These words are not much regarded because the generality of men have but a very low opinion of the promises of the Bible though they believe it to be the Word of their God to which God will stand yet they dare not trust his Promises and so it fares with this that I have mention'd and yet would you make the experiment with an humble Confidence in God's veracity you would certainly find extraordinary Assistances in the time of sickness I will not say that you would recover without means or Physick but your sickness would either become more easie and tolerable or you would recover sooner or you would prepare for a long life your Acts of Mercy would be your security that you should find mercy in your distress This is a great truth and as loath as some of you may be to believe it I might furnish you if it were needfull with variety of Examples and instances of men who have found it by experience but God having asserted and promis'd it it is enough to engage you to believe it and to make the Trial. 2. This mercy God rewards signally even in this present World by blessing the mercifull Man's endeavours not only by turning the hearts of other men toward him into mercy when he stands in need of it but by encreasing or prospering his Substance Mercifulness is the true Art of thriving in the World what a multitude of examples could I alledge here of Persons who have given away either the tenth or the fifth Part or more of their incomes to pious Uses and have been blessed even to admiration It is a mighty mistake that you will be losers by being very mercifull Every thing you take in hand will prosper the better for it except your unbelief or wavering and trembling faith should hinder God from doing any mighty Works for you In shewing mercy you make God your debtor you lend him and he is concerned even in this life to repay you with Usury Prov. XVIII 17. Men that consider not the operations of God's hand will continue Infidels under all these asseverations but we know and find it so and are confident that there is one That scattereth and yet increases scatters in Charity and encreases in Temporal mercies The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be water'd himself Prov. XI 24 25. But 3. The greatest mercy is yet behind even the everlasting Mercy of God in the next life which the mercifull Man will certainly obtain God drops only some mercies on the mercifull man here but he will visit him with Showers in the other World He will take him into the bosom of mercy encompass him with mercy on every side and make mercy his Crown and Diadem He will be mercifull to his sins and remember them no more The mercies the Father of mercy sheds on him here are Items of larger mercies hereafter and what is but a Brook and a River here will be all Sea and Ocean there The mercifull Man will find God exceeding mercifull to him when he dies and his Soul enters into the Regions of Eternity a mercy which surpasses all the mercies he enjoy'd here to be sure the Souls in Hell the Spirits in the Everlasting Prison would value God's mercy upon their leaving this World at a higher Rate than all the rich Blessings they glutted themselves with on this side the Grave Here the mercies God sends upon the mercifull Soul are mixt with Clouds and Crosses in the next life they will be pure uninterrupted endless high and like the God that bestows them infinite and the mercifull Man will see and taste and feel the meaning of that glorious Promise Isa. LIV. 8 9 10. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee For this is as the Waters of Noah unto me as I have sworn that the Waters of Noah should no more cover the Earth so have I sworn that I will not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Inferences I. If mercy be the duty of every private Christian it must be the duty of whole Churches too Cruelty can be no mark of a true Church that 's not the Livery of the Prince of Peace but of him whose Name is Legion To destroy men's lives upon the Account of Religion can never be agreeable to the Nature of that God who waits to be gracious and to call for Fire from Heaven upon Samaritans because they will not acknowledge the High-Priest of Jerusalem to be infallible surely is not to know what manner of Spirit we are of A late Historian of the Roman Communion in his Life of Sixtus Quintus tells us of a very strange Maxim the Court of Rome makes the great Rule of her Practice That the Turks must be set upon with Arms Heathens with Arguments and Doctrine but Eretici col fuoco Hereticks with Fire If by Fire were meant that lambent one of Love and Charity we could not but highly extol the Motto but when that Church hath used so much material Fire whatever her Language may be at this present we have still reason to suspect that this Maxim is to be understood in the worst sense and when her unmercifull Practices and which she yet never publickly disown'd and renounc'd stand still upon record when we read of her proceedings against the poor Waldenses and Albigenses of whom more than a hundred thousand were destroy'd her St. Dominick being the Leader and Incendiary when we know the dreadfull Court of Inquisition is in force in Spain in Italy and in Portugal when we read of the fatal St. Bartholomew the Massacre of Paris in the Year 1572 where above 70000 Protestants were barbarously murther'd for which the Pope with his Cardinals gave solemn Thanks to God and when a Massacre nearer home lives still in our memories even that of Ireland in the Year 1641 where according to the common Account 200000 innocent Protestants were inhumanely butcher'd for which
the same Temper and Principles with our selves which is the reason that men of all Persuasions do what they can to make Proselytes A truly good man cannot forbear saying with St. Paul I wish that all men were even as my self 1 Cor. VII 7. I mean with respect to the good things the Grace of God hath infused into him And as no man can be sincerely good without endeavouring to unite and reconcile his disagreeing Neighbours so that Goodness will farther prompt him to bespeak those of his Acquaintance in St. Paul's language Brethren be followers together of me and mark them that walk so as you have us for ensamples Philip. III. 17. And from hence it will be an easie matter to give a just answer to the Objection I proposed at first whether all Peace-makers are indifferently concerned in the blessedness of the Text It 's plain from hence that not every one that makes Peace either by force or of necessity or for profit and interest or being tired with a long and tedious War Not every one of these comes into the number of those blessed men All the four Qualifications I have mention'd are requisite to entitle a man to this happiness making Peace with God and our Consciences living peaceably and from a sense of Christian love and charity endeavouring to reconcile disagreeing Neighbours and instilling this reconciling Principle into others And having thus laid down the true Characters of these Peace-makers whereby you may examine your selves let 's go on and II. Enquire into the reasons of the supposition or that which is implied here that those who have an aversion from this Peace-making cannot be blessed or happy The reasons are 1. Selfishness is plainly predominant in such persons and that 's no good character of bliss so far from it that the Apostle reckons it among the Plagues of the last days 1 Tim. III. 1 2. This know also that in the last days perillous times shall come for men shall be lovers of themselves It 's true to love our selves is a natural principle but to love our selves so as not to be concerned for the good of others is a sinfull self love which renders us contemptible to God and despicable to rational men He that matters not whether his Neighbours fight or agree whether they live in love or wrath and sees a fire kindled in their Breasts a fire lighted by the Flames of Hell a fire which breaks forth and threatens to lay their Consciences wast and doth not offer his helping hand to quench it hath a Soul base and low a poor pitifull Spirit guilty enough to suffer in Hell but alienated from that life which must give him a title to Heaven 2. He that doth not make Peace with God or with his own Conscience and cares not for it robs himself of the greatest comfort and surely that man can never be happy To be at Peace with God is to be at Peace with our judge with him who hath the same power over us that the Potter hath over his Clay and is able to destroy both Soul and Body into Hell with him whose voice breaks the Cedars divides the Flames of Fire shakes the Wilderness and makes the Mountains tremble and who hath a Prison to tame men in a Prison from whence there is no coming out till they have paid the uttermost Farthing To be at Peace with this Almighty and Sovereign Being must needs be a mighty satisfaction to the Soul that knows what God is and looks beyond this world To enjoy his Friendship to be sure of his favour to be secured of his good will this establishes the Soul and gives her courage in the time of the greatest Danger He that is indifferent whether he be at Peace with God or not not to mention that he is a Sot and a Fool and understands not his true interest he deprives himself of that which ought to be the greatest stay and staff of his life and therefore whatever his outward conveniencies and Accommodations may be he is unhappy 3. He that doth not or will not live peaceably with his Neighbours I need not tell you that he is unhappy for he himself finds by sad experience that he is so The Disorders and Tumults he finds within the uneasiness of his condition the danger he is in from without and the vexation and discontent he runs into are sufficient Items that he is as far from being happy as he is from being wise His lusts war within his members as St. James speaks Jam. IV. 1. His Soul is like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest Isa. LVII 20. He is no kin to God for he is the God of Peace Rom. XVI 20. No kin to Angels for they rejoyce in Peace on Earth Luk. II. 14. No kin to good men for they seek Peace and ensue it 1 Pet. III. 11. If he be related to any thing it is to the Prince of Darkness who delights in wrath and envy Rev. XII 17. 4. Such men are no Children of God and therefore cannot be blessed that 's the argument of the Text Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God therefore those that have an aversion from this Peace-making are not blessed because no Children of God surely no Children of God when so much of that Spirit reigns in them which rules in the Children of Disobedience He particularly that seeks not to be at Peace or to live peaceably with his Neighbour most certainly doth not love his Brother and he that loves him not is by the Holy Ghost in Scripture put into the number of strange Children for so we read 1 Joh. III. 10. Herein the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil he that works not righteousness is not of God neither he that loves not his Brother Not to love our Brother and to hate him in Scripture are equivalent different expressions for the same sin and if any man say I am in the light and hate his Brother he is in darkness and walks in darkness and knows not whither he goes because the darkness hath blinded his Eyes 1 Joh. II. 11. So that true Blessedness lies altogether in the opposite temper viz. the Peace-makers and of these it is that it 's said They shall be called the Children of God and how and upon what account they shall be called the Children of God is the III. And last particular I am to speak to And here I must premise that in Scripture Language to be called so is very often as much as to be so And thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the most High i. e. thou shalt be a Prophet Luk. I. 76. and after the same manner That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God i. e. shall be the Son of God so Matth. I. 23. They shall call his name Emanuel i. e. he shall be so God with us God and Man And after
this stile you are to understand the Phrase of the Text They shall be called the Children of God i. e. they are and shall be so Children of God! Why What great blessedness is there in this title beyond what other men enjoy Are not Princes and great Men who are commonly none of the best called the Children of God Psal. LXXXII 6. and is not God the Father of all mankind It is very true but still there is a very great difference between Children and Children All rational creatures both Men and Angels are God's Children as they are the works of his hands and with this respect even Devils come into that number because they owe their Being to an Omnipotent God Princes and great Men particularly are the Children of God upon the account of Power and Grandure and Authority God communicates to them but for all these respects they may be everlastingly miserable To be a Child of God by Regeneration to be born again to be born of God to be begotten again through a lively hope by the Word and Spirit this is it that makes the title truly comfortable and such Children are the Peace-makers commended here To be a Child of God in this sense is more and a greater honour than to be related to all the greatest Princes in the World For 1. Such Children of God have higher marks of favour set upon them They enjoy the Blessings of God's left hand in common with the rest but besides these they have Blessings of the right hand heap'd upon them Besides the Preservation Protection Provision for their bodies and common Deliverances from dangers they participate of with the greater number their Souls are visited by very magnificent Guests For if any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him saith our Saviour Joh. XIV 23. God Governs them by his Spirit and feeds them like a Shepherd gathers the lambs into his arms carries them in his bosom and gently leads those that are with young Isa. XL. 11. They are made Partakers of the divine nature love what God loves hate what he hates desire what he desires and aim at the same end God himself aims at to wit the Glory of God blessed for evermore 2. To such Children of God belong the Promises of the everlasting Covenant and there is no condemnation in them They are deliver'd from the wrath to come and Christ intercedes for them in Heaven For them the balm of Gilead flows and when their Souls are sick Physick is administred to them from the Clouds They are wash'd they are justified they are sanctified and shall at last be glorified To such power is given to tread on Serpents and upon all the powers of darkness For their sakes God spares whole Nations To go no farther than our own All sober men believe we are ripe for God to put in the Sickle of vengeance The Atheism Profaneness and Hypocrisie the dull Formality we are sunk into under the greatest encouragements together with other crying Sins which are among us are enough to make a rational man wonder that the Viols of the wrath of God are not yet poured out upon us but it 's for the Children of God's sake who are among us that we are spared thus long for their sakes it is that God brings the strangest things about and though they are tryâ—d often by Affliction yet the Fire that proves them doth only cleanse not crush the Frame To protect them God sends his own Guard a Troop of Angels to surround their persons and habitations and if so the blessedness of such must infinitely exceed the happiness of those who are called Children of God upon the account either of their Creation or Power and Authority But to come closer to the words the Peace-makers are in a very special manner the Children of God if you consider them either with respect to this life or with regard to that to come for to both these states as I have told you often does the recompences mentionâ—d in these Beatitudes relate As to this present life 1. They are Children of God because they are like him They express his Nature in their own For God is the God of Peace Philip. IV. 9. His Divine Essence is the true Pattern of Peace and Order The ever-blessed Trinity is the grand Exemplar of Concord and Unity It 's God that makes Peace within thy Borders saith David Psal. CXLVII 14. He speaks Peace to his People Ps. LXXXV 8. He creates Peace Isa. LVII 19. And calls to Peace 1 Cor. VII 15. And is the Authour of Peace 1 Cor. XIV 33. And is the Lord of Peace 2 Thess. III. 16. The peaceable and such as are of a peaceable Temper resemble this God of Peace He lives in them There is a great similitude betwixt that inexhausted Spring and these little Rivulets a great Conformity betwixt these Copies and that Original The features and lineaments of Peace that appear upon their Souls discover that they are the Children of God 2. They are the adopted Children of God in Christ Jesus Christ is the true natural and only begotten Son of God The peaceable and such as are of a peace-making Temper tread in the Steps of Christ imitate his peaceable Nature and upon that Account are admitted to the Honour of his Filiation and Son-ship The Spirit of Peace which dwelt in Christ Jesus dwells in them Col. III. 15. Christ is the Prince of Peace so he is call'd Isa. IX 6. Nay he is our Peace who made both one and pulled down the middle Wall of Partition between us having abolish'd in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Commandments contain'd in Ordinances making in himself of twain one new Man so making Peace Eph. II. 14 15. And he came and preach'd Peace to them that were a far off and to them who are nigh vers 17. He is the great Peace-maker who made Peace betwixt Heaven and Earth which makes the Angels sing at his Nativity Glory be to God on high and on Earth Peace Luke II. 14. Nor doth Christ's Saying Matth. X. 34. Think not that I am come to send Peace upon Earth I am not come to send Peace but a Sword I am come to set a Man at variance against his Father and the Daughter against the Mother c. I say this Oracle doth not at all invalidate or weaken the Character or Title given him which is Prince of Peace for in so saying he only describes the unnatural Events and Consequences of his Gospel 1. When a Man is truly converted to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ there is immediately infused into him a mighty hatred and indignation against sin and vice where-ever he meets with it though it be in a Father or Mother or Brethren or Sisters To find it in such Relations doth not make him like it the better nor can all their persuasions make
seriously ponder'd the Promises of the Gospel and who pretend they can believe nothing but what is agreeable to their reason to such I say this Argument must needs be of very great Weight provided that they seriously think of it for let a thing be never so rational if it be not minded or ponder'd it will do no good and neither Moses nor the Prophets nor a Man's rising from the Dead will make any impression upon them Whether a Man can comprehend the Immortality of his Soul or the Nature of its subsistence and operations after Death or not still if he believes a God this is a very natural and rational inference that this God will not let Men who give themselves up to his Conduct and make his Will the rule of their life and death go unrewarded and having no reward considerable here there must be one hereafter and then there is a Heaven and an everlasting Kingdom and an immense Felicity which deserves striving and wrestling and working and watchfulness and circumspection and self-denial and industry and a diligent care not to be barren or unfruitfull in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as dismal and rugged as the Way seems to be that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven Let me add VI. That it is a glorious thing to be persecuted for righteousness sake glorious with respect to the Company glorious with respect to the Honour which attends it glorious with respect to God's Account and Esteem of it glorious with respect to the present advantages which arise from it and glorious with respect to the reward to come The Company such a persecuted Christian suffers in is no less than the Company of the Son of God who was made perfect by suffering the Company of the Holy Apostles the Pillars and Foundations of our Religion the Company of so many admirable Men Saints and Martyrs who have wash'd their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb and whose Names and Memories are dear to us at this Day To suffer in such Company must needs be a very great Honour It 's true the generality of us can be very well content without this Honour and we count our selves very prudent for being so but surely there were wise Men before us who understood themselves and Religion better and were not so corrupted with ease and luxury and love of the World as we are now and they thought it a very great Honour to be Martyrs and sufferers for Righteousness sake We are grown more effeminate more luxurious more soft in our way of living and that makes us have so low an Esteem for those noble Sufferings It 's glorious with respect to the Account and Esteem God hath for such Sufferers These are the Champions of the Almighty the Hero's in his Army the Worthies of God and the Men that have lost an Eye a Hand an Arm a Leg or Life it self for his Name of these the Sanhedrin of Heaven is made up and they are the Elders of that City which hath Foundations for in Heaven rewards and preferments go not according to seniority or rank or quality or breeding but according to the degrees of suffering and self-denial It is glorious with respect to the present advantages arising from it This cancels and blots out all sin wipes away all offences and makes the Blood of Jesus most effectual and beneficial to the Soul This persecution for righteousness sake is the great deletory of guilt the great purgative of all uncleanness this opinion the primitive Church had of these sufferings especially when they were accompanied with the loss of life in God's Cause and this was it that made so many thousands desirous to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus It 's glorious with respect to the reward to come a reward which we are forced to express by little emblems and similitudes taken from things here on Earth but it surpasses all Rhetorick and Eloquence to express it Happy sufferers Their Wounds will be turned into Trophies their Scars into Sun-beams their wallowing in Blood into being rapt up into the third Heaven their Prison into a Banquetting-House the Banner whereof is Love their Dungeon into a Palace made without Hands their Stripes into Marks of Honour their Buffetings into Ensigns of Victory their Tears into Laughter their Mourning into Dancing their Poverty into Riches which perish not their Sack-cloath and Ashes and all their Mourning-dresses into triumphal Chariots and Acclamations and Joys and Hosannahs and Hallelujahs Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven SERMON XI St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil-against you falsly for my sake THE preceding Verse which I have already considered treated of Persecution in general this I have read to you of a particular or peculiar Persecution in which the Tongue is chiefly instrumental and Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you is as much as Blessed are you when men shall so persecute you as to revile you and speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Persecution is not only a Sin of the Hand or Actions there is a smiting with the Tongue as well as with the Hand Jer. XVIII 18. and Ishmael who was a Scoffer is said to persecute him that was born of the Spirit i. e. Isaac Gal. IV. 29. I need not tell you what it is to Revile for there are few of you but are very sensible of it without a Monitor or Interpreter when it falls to your share to be reviled however it is either to load a Person with reproachful Names or to object Crimes to him great and base odious and abominable and if this be done without a just Cause falsly and for the Name of Christ because Men will not sin against Christ it seems by the Rule of the Text that it turns to very good Account to those who lie under the Pressure or sharp Arrows of such evil and slanderous Tongues for Blessed are you when men shall revile you c. To entertain you with something useful and edifying I shall enquire I. What Instances there are of Men who have reviled and do revile and speak all manner of Evil of Persons who sincerely and conscientiously believe in Christ. II. What it is that moves them to be so base as to revile and to speak evil of such Conscientious Persons III. How that which is a Sin to one can be a Blessing to another Reviling innocent Persons being a great Sin how that can make those blessed who are reviled 1. What Instances there are of Persons who are guilty of the Crime in the Text. When a Sin looks black a charitable Man hopes that few or none are guilty of it So here reviling Men and speaking all manner of evil of Persons who conscientiously believe and obey their God and Saviour seems
in the Earth or to lay them up in a Napkin and from such shall be taken away even that which they have Matth. XXV 29. 2. As Salt having lost its savour is thereby rendered incapable of recovering its sharpness and is thence forth good for nothing but to be cast out and troden under foot of Men so it shall be with such unprofitable Servants that would not take any care or pains to Convert their Neighbours from the Errors of their ways God will cast them out and tread them under foot as base and unjust Stewards of his Gifts as Lyars and perjured Persons that made nothing of their Baptismal Covenant as Contemners and Despisers of his Gospel as ungrateful Wretches to the best of Masters who enlighten'd and assisted them with his Spirit gave them Opportunities reveal'd his Will to them directed them how to order their Steps yet would not be moved by all he hath done for them nor by their own Interest nor by their Neighbours Necessities and Miseries to make any Attempts to rescue them from the Devil's Snare and this as it is an Argument of Cruelty and Unmercifulness so it follows that they shall have Judgment without Mercy that have shewn no Mercy Jam. II. 13. Inferences I. We see here the reason why the World is so bad as it is Even because Christians do not do their Duty they were intended to be the Salt of the World but that Salt hath lost its savour Christians were intended to be like so many Angels in this Sodom of the World and by the Beauty of their Lives to attract and charm even the most barbarous And had they continued stedfast in that Innocence and Purity and Zeal the Apostles taught them there would not have been so much Heathenism and Idolatry and Impiety in the World as we see there is Their evil Lives after the Apostles decease confirm'd Infidels in their Vices and their Quarrels and Animosities made them a Laughing-stock to the Pagans that beheld them and from hence rose Mahometanism and Popery and a Thousand Heresies While they continued in the Apostles Doctrin and in Fellowship and in breaking Bread and in Prayer and fear was on every Soul and they were of one Heart and one Mind and their Charity was fervent Thousands came in to them daily left their Gods and their Sins and shook off the Yoak of the Devil But when the Piety of their Lives decay'd the Reformation of Mankind decay'd also And though I cannot say it 's altogether so bad now especially in Protestant Countries as it hath been in some of the darker Ages when Popery and Ignorance prevailed yet the greater part of Christians instead of being Salt do nothing but give Scandal and in Countries where Christians live mingled with Heathens and Infidels it 's hard to say which of these live better Lives nay many times the Pagans are Men of better Morals and less given to Cheating Defrauding Hypocrisie and Passion than those who call themselves Christians And among our selves what a lamentable sight is it to behold how Men lead one another into Hell and instead of Reforming entice and delude one another into Vices which should not be so much as named among Christians so that we need not wonder if the glorious and worthy Name whereby we are called be blasphemed and evil spoken of and Men even abhor the Offerings of the Lord. But such shall receive the greater Condemnation II. Behold here what a Noble Profession Christianity is A Christian is as it were a Tutor or Teacher to Mankind and therefore it is said here Ye are the Salt of the Earth The whole Earth is a Christian's Theater to walk and shew himself in where-ever he is whatever part of the World he is in his business is and must be by his grave and modest and blameless Life to shew others the way to Salvation and as far as he is able and hath convenience and opportunity to purge away the Dross that cleaves to others A very great Honour if People had Hearts to understand it an Honour not to make them Proud but Profitable to the World an Honour it 's true not much regarded and which very few are ambitious of yet an Honour which you and I must be very desirous of if we mean to be Christians indeed we profess our resolution to do so when we call our selves so and it 's our Calling to do it as much as it is a Painters or Limners to draw Pictures If a Man should profess himself to be a Carpenter or Shoo-maker or Joyner or any other Handy-crafts-man and yet through want of Skill were not able to do any thing belonging to his Calling you know he exposes himself to the Contempt and Scorn of Men and Men will look upon him as a Cheat and Impostor And do not you expose your selves as much or more to the Contempt and Scorn of a Just God in calling your selves Christians while you labour not to preserve others from Sin nor endeavour to make them Good for this work is Essential to your Profession and not to do it is to forfeit your Right and Title to the Profession We may therefore reduce the Dispute to this dilemma Either you are content heartily to endeavour after this Reformation of others or you are unwilling If unwilling leave your Profession for you may be Heathens more innocently than Christians and do nothing that belongs to the Profession If willing let us see you go about it but then how will you be able to Reform others except you first Reform your selves Thou that teachest another dost not thou teach thy self Thou that sayest a Man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a Man should not commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery Rom. II. 21 22. Indeed the great reason why we are not more intent upon the Reformation of others is because we have no serious regard to our own Souls did we prize our own Salvation we could not but prize that of others too But he that is unfaithful in his own spiritual Concerns how should he be faithful in those of other Men Did we apply our selves to a steady Conformity to the Rules of the Gospel a Conformity which neither Prosperity could melt nor Adversity break what abundance of good might we do How would People read their Duty in our Actions and Behaviour Wicked Men would be afraid of sinning in our Presence nay in our absence would may be think and reflect on the Grace of God they saw in us and who knows how this might work upon them especially if to our blameless Lives we added now and then some seasonable Exhortations Entreaties and Reproofs as opportunity serves Think not that this would interfere with the Work of the Ministry No no A Kings watching over his People doth not need not hinder a House keeper from watching over his Family Notwithstanding all your endeavours to reform evil and inconsiderate Men the Ministers of the Gospel will
Persons ignorant and not only ignorant but wicked for Ignorance is the Mother of Impiety and there is no doubt abundance of Men do things odious to God and pernicious and destructive to their own Souls because they know no better We whom God hath enlightned into greater Knowledge and Purity give but a bad Evidence of our being so if we do not as occasion and opportunity serves endeavour to enlighten them into a better sense of things Bashfulness in this case is sinful and where Nature is backward to the work it must be forced by Motives and Arguments into Courage to discharge this Duty of our Christian Calling to teach them better Principles The Light we have must be communicative if it be not it is painted and counterfeit not natural and genuine not is this being a busie body in other Mens matters and things which do not concern us Our Neighbours Souls are precious things in the saving of which we must not be negligent but resolutely imitate the example of Aquila and Priscilla who finding that Apollos though an eloquent Man yet was not throughly instructed in the Mystery of the Gospel they took him unto them and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly Acts XVIII 26. 3. Light is warming The light of the Sun is so So must a Christian not only heat and chafe the Principles of Light God hath bestow'd upon him into spiritual Fervour but by that Fervour endeavour to warm others into the same Zeal and Earnestness This must be one great end of his Fervour to attempt to make others like him Lukewarmness is the great Distemper that the generality of Christians who enjoy Ease and Plenty are sick of To Cure others of that Malady is part of our Imployment and this we cannot do except our Love to God be strong and vehement where it is so and that we love him with all our Might we may hope that others who see our ardent Desires will write Copies after us This Fervour as it rises upon Motives drawn from what God hath done for us and the particular instances of his miraculous goodness to us so if those Motives be suggested and represented to our Neighbours they may by the Blessing of God have the same effect upon them at least we have this satisfaction That we have done what became us as Lights It was no doubt from the mighty Zeal that appeared in St. Paul that the Galatians were warmed into that Fervour that if it had been possible they would have pluckt out their own Eyes and given them unto him Gal. IV. 15. 4. Light is comfortable It comforts not only the Spirit of Man but all other sensitive and vegetable Creatures so must a Christian comfort others that are in any trouble with that comfort wherewith himself hath been comforted of God 2 Cor. I. 4. This is pure Religion to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction Jam. I. 27. And when he saith Visit he means such Visits as are attended with suitable Consolations and this we shall be the better able to do if we call to mind the Comforts we our selves have felt and the Means whereby we have come to feel them This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me Psal. CXIX 50. The Word of God affords the richest Comforts to which purpose the Apostle Rom. XV. 4. That we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope so that acquainting our selves with the Word of God containing so many excellent Examples and precious Promises and making use of that Word in our own Troubles we shall be able to Administer Comfort to others also A Christian is a Person that imitates Christ not in his Miracles not in Raising the Dead not in Curing the Lepers not in Opening the Eyes of the Blind but in Charitable Actions And we all know what his Language was to Persons that were in Distress Be of good comfort saith he to the Woman who was troubled with a Bloody Issue Matth. IX 22. so he said to others and this was suitable to the Prophecies which went before of him particularly that Isa. LXI 2. where the Prophet speaking of him expresly tells us That his business would be to proclaim the acceptable year and to Comfort those that Mourn 5. Light is Cleansing for it clears the Air of Fogs and Mists So a Christian as much as in him lies is to cleanse his Neighbour from that Filthiness which sticks to him And as this is to be done by gentle Reproofs mingled with Pity and Compassion so if those Reproofs light upon a Person of Ingenuity it will be taken as a Kindness and prove an excellent Oyl which as it doth not break the Head so it very often breaks the Heart not into Despair but Repentance not to Destruction but Edification Psal. CXLI 5. This Cleansing the Apostle aim'd at when he said Eph. V. 11. Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather Reproach them And he calls the Sins of others Works of Darkness with Allusion to the Light of Reproof which he thought would be the most likely way to dispel them And a Light it is which very often shines into the Heart and inlightens the inward Man and dissipates the wrong Notions Men had of Religion and which makes them come to themselves again as it is said Luke XV. 17. 6. Light is directing so it is to the Traveller that hath lost his way in the Night So a Christian seeing his Neighbour go astray what should he do but direct him into the good way He is bound to do so much to his Neighbours Ass or Ox by virtue of that Law of Equity Deut. XXII 1. and what not use the same Civility to his Neighbours Soul Doth God take care of Oxen and not of the Souls of Men But here it is to be noted that this Duty of directing others hath respect not only to erroneous Opinions in Matters of Religion but to erroneous Practices too If the Errour in Opinion be an Errour of no great Consequence it 's not worth while to take pains to rectifie his Mistake but the erroneous Practices are more dangerous And this was the Duty intended in the preceding Character Ye are the Salt of the Earth and it is reinforced in this of Light to shew it is not a thing indifferent The Command being doubled and reiterated discovers the great necessity and the mighty importance of this Act of Charity and God's peremptory Will And as our own good Example is one part of this Direction so our Advice and Counsel is another to which purpose St. Paul Gal. VI. 1 2. Brethren if any Man be overtaken in a fault ye which are Spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burden and so fulfil the Law of Christ. Having thus explain'd the qualities of Light and shewn what Duties are required in the similitude
Vye with the Church of Rome for Antiquity and Duration and though they may not be able to boast of the same outward Splendor Plenty and Prosperity yet what is outward Splendor and Prosperity to a Christian Church when in Scripture it is made the Character of wicked Men more then of those who will live godly in Christ Jesus 3. We do not deny that the Church of Christ hath been visible so far from it that we believe it to have been visible in all Ages indeed some of our Divines talk of a visible and invisible Church but when they do so they consider the Church as we consider a Man who consists of two Parts a Body and a Soul the Body is visible the Soul invisible so it is with the Church the outward Society in which true and sincere Believers live is the Body and that 's visible the sincere Believers are the Soul of that Body and they are and must be invisible being known only to God the searcher of Hearts but the outward Society which profess the Faith of Christ and which is the Body wherein that Soul lives is and hath been always visible and that which makes it so is the Profession of the Fundamental Principles of Christianity contain'd in the Apostles Creed and understood in that Sense that the Primitive Church understood them in this makes and constitutes a Christian Church and there is none but must grant that these Fundamental Principles of Christianity have been visible in all Ages even in times of the greatest Persecution even in the midst of Arianism and consequently the Church of Christ hath been visible in all Ages and shall continue so to the end of the World and though in abundance of Churches for some Ages together these Fundamental Principles of Christianity have been mingled with many accidental Errours Superstitions and Idolatries yet still so far as these Fundamental Principles have been retained in the respective Churches so far the Church of Christ hath been always visible as a sound Egg swiming in a filthy nasty stinking Pool of Water is visible notwithstanding the Filth which surrounds it and therefore as sickly and corrupt as the Church might be in some Ages the essentials of Christianity being every where retain'd Heathens and Infidels had still Opportunity and Motives to joyn themselves to it for in these Principles and the Profession of them it was visible So that 4. To that common impertinent Query Where was your Church before Luther Calvin or Henry VIII The answer is this It was all the Christian World over even in all the Christian Societies that were either in Ethiopia or Egypt or Africa or Asia or Greece or Constantinople or Alexandria or Antioch or in Muscovy and even in the Church of Rome her self for since we profess the same Faith or the same Fundamental Principles of Christianity which were profess'd in all these Churches all along our Church must necessarily have been in all those Churches where those Fundamental Principles were Retain'd and Professed so that it is in vain to urge that our Church was not visible two hundred Years ago for it 's enough that the universal Church of Christ is always visible I mean the Church of Christ dispers'd through the four Quarters of the World This will be always some where and God will never suffer it to decay according to his Promise Matth. XVI that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it As for particular Churches they may either become invisible by being destroy'd or become visible whenever they appear in the World and hold the same Catholick Faith that the universal Church holds but from thence it follows not that either these particular Churches which have been destroy'd or which rise at such a time be it sooner or later are no true Churches As to particular Churches which decay it 's evident that the Churches of Africa of Carthage Hippo Numidia where St. Cyprian St. Austin St. Fulgentius and other eminent Bishops govern'd are totally destroy'd but no Man will therefore say that they were no true Churches when they were in being and as to Churches which are of no long standing their being of a late Plantation or Erection doth not make them false Churches else the Church of Rome her self would be in an ill case for the Churches they pretend to have erected in China and in other Eastern parts of the World are not much above a Hundred years Standing yet they will not think them false Churches because their Plantation is late and they cannot boast of many Hundred years continuance So that the Faith a Church holds must be the great Standart to judge by both of the Truth and Visibility of it where the aforesaid Fundamental Principles of Chrianity are retain'd professed Preacht and Maintain'd there the Church is visible and consequently the Church of Christ hath been visible in all Ages for in one part of the World or other those Fundamental Principles have been Profess'd and Retained from the beginning of Christianity unto this Day and if a Church appear'd but yesterday it holding these Fundamental Principles the Pillars and Foundations of Truth it would be a true Church and Visible and consequently hath been visible in those Churches where the same Truths have been Profess'd and had the Church of England been raised but Forty or Fifty years agon that would not make her either a false or invisible Church because she retains the Principles on which Christianity is founded But 5. Lest any Person should infer from this Discourse that since the Church of Rome hath been visible for many Ages as well as other Churches and hath retain'd and doth retain to this Day the Fundamental Principles of Christianity there is no reason to separate our selves from her or to leave her Communion I answer were it possible in that Church to eat only of the wholsome Fruit she hath kept and preserv'd without Participating of the Poison she hath added to it or mingled with it something might be pleaded for continuing in that Communion But that 's impossible now as the Case stands Of Children that are Baptiz'd in that Church and Baptiz'd only into the Faith deliver'd in the Apostles Creed and die before they come to be of Age we cannot but entertain a favourable Opinion But for the adult and Persons who are of years of Discretion that joyn with that Church It is evident they cannot be Members of that Church except they swallow the Rats-bane as well as the Milk the unwholsome as well as the wholsome Food especially since the Confession of Pope Pius IV. and the Councel of Trent which hath made the monstrous Sacrifice of the Mass Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints worshiping of Images Purgatory Indulgences seven Sacraments the Belief of human Traditions c. of the same necessity to Salvation that the Incarnation of the Son of God is They do indeed retain the Foundation of Christianity but then they have added also Fundamental Errours which