this is the Effect of Christ and his Business God gave him to bless us How by turning us away from Iniquity It is not Christianity to use the name of Christ as a Charm or Spell or Badge of Profession only as they do who use it unintelligibly irrationally unaccountably insignificantly Christ denotes as * in one sence a Person engaged for us in a way we well understand and give account of so a Nature in us which we very well feel and can express They therefore hold forth Christ who declare him one way or other to either of these Effects or Purposes SERMON V. ROMANS I. 26 27. For this Cause God gave them up to vile Affections c. Receiving in themselves that Recompence of their Error which was meet HAVING given an Account of the dreadful Miscarriage of Apostates who held the Truth of God in Unrighteousness and did not love to retain God in their Knowledge but affected to be Atheists that they might be Arbitrary Lawless and live without Fear or Controul and other Characters of them having been given I now proceed to the Second Part that is their PUNISHMENT You have had an Account of Man's Behaviour towards God Now take an Account of God's He gives them up to their own Hearts Lusts. To vile Affections To a reprobate Mind To do things which are not convenient And to have God justified They did but receive the Recompence of their Error To vindicate God from having any hand in the Miscarriages of Men or being * the Cause of it I will shew that neither the Evil of Sin nor the Evil of Punishment can be attributed to God For if God be the first and chiefest Good then Evil is not from him it is not that which he hath designed decreed or appointed But it is Consequential Necessary Fatal and by Consequence Inseparable from the Miscarriages of Sinners In the Sixth of Isaiah v. 10. it is said Make the Heart of this People fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes least they see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Heart and convert and be healed Which place is referr'd to six times in the New Testament And the Scripture never represents the forlorn State of Sinners but it refers to this place It is not that God hath such an Intention or that God will have it so But it is Consequential so it comes to pass so it falls out This is the natural Issue of not dealing ingenuously with Truth they are the worse for their Knowledge if Practice be not answerable * Now to give you an Account that Evil is not to be attributed to God Tho' we find Scripture doth frequently * seem to attribute it to him You must understand that the Scripture-Notion is this Because God is the first and general Cause of all things therefore the Scripture doth attribute all things to God but with great Difference and Distinction Some things as his Efficience such as he doth by himself immediately Some things which he doth by commissioning others i. e. by second Causes And some things by his Permission With this Difference we must understand Scripture attributing things to God For certainly we must resolve that God is no Cause of Evil. For nothing is more certain than that Holiness and Righteousness are the Divine Endowments And Holiness and Righteousness make it altogether repugnant and morally impossible for God to have a Hand in Evil such Evil where-to Iniquity and Deformity is annexed Wherefore we will conclude that whatsoever God doth by himself immediately or in Conjunction with any second Cause it is in it self Good and worthy the first and chiefest Goodness And if that be not true let any one give an Account of these places Is there Unrighteousness in God God forbid If he be unrighteous how can he judge the World Can the Judge of all the World do an unrighteous Act God is holy in all his ways c. He will judge the World in Righteousness Not by an Arbitrary Will But he will proceed according to Rule Can God by Power or Priviledge pervert Right Wherefore there is no Principle true from whence this may follow that God is the Author of Evil. * It is most certainly true of God in relation to his Creatures that he doth fully answer the Relation he stands in to his Creation and whatsoever he hath made Isa. 49. 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee He certainly doth what is requisite and due in pursuance of all the Principles of his Creation He is not vain as foolish Mortals are to have Beginnings frustrate He doth whatever becomes infinite Goodness He doth all Good upon the highest fullest and clearest Account of Goodness So that is a most real Truth thy Destruction is of thy self But in me is thy Help Nothing is more injuriously spoken of God than that God is the Cause of the Creatures Sin or of the Sinners Misery by the Absoluteness and Arbitrariness of his Will As if save for God's Will a Sinner might well enjoy himself be at Peace within himself be Happy Whereas Vertue hath Reward arising out of it self So Sin and Wickedness hath Punishment Nothing in the World so draws on another thing as Guilt doth Mischief and Punishment Wickedness is contrary to the Nature of Man Therefore cannot but be vexatious and tormenting No Wounds of Body equal the Torments of the Mind Antecedently to the Being of Evil God doth that which infinite Wisdom doth direct for the preventing of it to wit he doth warn he doth admonish he doth declare against it tho' he doth not absoly hinder by his Almighty Power Subsequentially to the Being of Evil when Evil is done by a defective and malicious Cause God if he pleases turns it into Good when he pleases and as he pleases And in this Sense St. Austin It is very happy that a proud arrogant self-conceited Man fall into a Sin that he may see himself That is if God make such a Sin as shames a Man a Means to humble him Else it is expected that God should resist the Proud and that the Back-slider in Heart be filled with his own Ways This is the Goodness of God when he will bring Good out of Evil and turn that which is a Man's Sin and great Fault to tend to his Advancement * But God is not challengable upon any Account for his not hindring For he would counter-work the Design of his Creation For Man by his Make is a free Agent is both intelligent and voluntary Positus in aequilibrio else could not sin Counterpois'd one way by that which is Honest the other way by Profit and Pleasure The Delightfulness of Sense is corrival to that which is in its Nature just and holy
each with other supposes it and depends upon it In CONVERSE the Rule is Give and receive Wherefore * this is call'd Intercourse * as implying a Communication by way of Exchange Notion for Notion Apprehension for Apprehension one Expression of Affection for another Wherefore better never meet as much as it is desirable in it self or recommended * in Scripture than to come together to provoke inflame exasperate one another It is a Charge on every one who comes into Company not to misbehave himself That neither he himfelf nor others part the worse for having met Whatever Converse is not peaceable tending to Love and Good-will and govern'd thereby is to Loss is no good Expence of Time is not accountable If we will be acquainted let Friendship be between us Else we should remain Strangers One wou'd wonder when one thinks on it that Persons who meet to converse together shou'd fall out and quarrel and that all shou'd end as it does sometimes in a Duel and Thirst after one another's Blood That instead of Pleasure and Satisfaction of Conversation there shou'd be Provocation Exasperation That where Acquaintance began for a Foundation of Love and Good-will mutual Kindness and Beneficence for the future there shou'd be Seeds sown of Ill-will and lasting Displeasure sometimes entail'd on Posterity But on the other side How well pleas'd Persons are severally when they part in Love How uneasie if in Displeasure What different After-thoughts in these two Cases other Apprehensions Purposes Intentions Resolutions And this according as Carriage has been in Company I conclude one wou'd not live out of Good-will for ones own Ease and Safety Whosoever bears not Good-will hath that within himself which tempts him to ill Offices His Thoughts run out on defence of himself and disabling the other as if he were his Enemy Sense of his own Ill-will in himself makes him jealous and suspicious of the like from the other For who suspects thinks himself suspected We do not think them our Friends to whom we are not Friends We think not better of others than our selves Nor impute to others the good Disposition we have not Now after all this said and shewn for general Love and mutual Good-will how grievous wou'd it be to come into any of your Company where any Matter of Offence were either given or taken any unkind Word spoken any Cause of Provocation or Ground of Displeasure or any thing contrary to Peace hearty Affection mutual Love and Good-will Things the Foundation whereof are laid in the Nature of Man who was made sociable and which the Gospel acknowledges and doth reinforce From all that hath been said I shall make some Inferences and so conclude In the First Place acknowledge we the Excellency of the Christian Religion whose Doctrine and Practice are such as you have heard Religion was given us by God for the Good of Men both severally and jointly 'T is for a Man's Security for his Benefit and Advantage It gives a Man Heart's-ease and Composure of Mind Sets him right in the Government of himself and also engageth him to good Behaviour to all other Men. Therefore I may say whosoever he be that hath heard read or consider'd the Doctrine and Principles of the Christian Religion if he wish well to Mankind he will stand up and bless that Doctrine and say as Solomon doth of his excellent Woman Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou hast excelled them all The very Principles of ordinary Philosophy if put in Practice do abate the Fierceness of Mens Minds and will not suffer them to be Exorbitant Furious Wild and Extravagant But Christianity roots out the very Foundation of all Ill-will and doth bind a Man absolutely to good Behaviour And engage him to all the Effects of Love Good-will and Charity So that did any Man rise up amongst us and act Christianity to the Life according to the Notions Rules and Principles of it it might be said of him as of Noah that he was a Preacher of Righteousness Tho' he held his Tongue tho' silent he shou'd yet speak and appear most admirable to all the World and be the most effectual Preacher But here is the Unhappiness We do not live up to our Christian Profession nor do that Good which we might And tho' we are Orthodox in our Judgment and speak well yet we speak and profess more than we practise And upon this account it comes to be prejudiced because we are not in Temper and Disposition nor in Life and Practice what we profess Secondly From hence we learn how unnatural to the Temper and Spirit of Christianity are our brave Warriors and mighty Conquerors that over-run Nations and put all into Hurry and Confusion to enlarge their Bounds and Territories How unnatural are these Things to Christianity Never any Thing in the World so contrary to Christianity as Wars Commotions Exasperations and Confusions Thirdly If we profess out selves to be Christians then let us take Care to govern our Spirits and rule our Tongues and to direct our Actions according to our Profession For we have no Religion if we do not these Things At least let us take Care to be Innocent and Harmless And especially how we use our Tongues For St. James hath told us what a World of Mischief comes by the Tongue that it is a little Member but full of deadly Poyson and doth set on fire and is set on fire of Hell But this is the Mischief too that the Tongue doth express the Sence of the Mind For Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh And Men shew their Spirits by their Words and Actions If the Heart were free from Rancour Malice and Ill-will the Miscarriage of the Tongue wou'd be very rare and * would be much less For then there wou'd be no Ill intended But Men do greatly disparage themselves by sudden rash and inconsiderate Speeches By nothing can a Man sooner discover an Unchristian Frame of Spirit than by an ungovern'd and unbridled Tongue Fourthly Let us still remember when there is any occasion of Dispute or Debate that we are under the Obligation of Christians And let any Man rather choose to abate of his Right than to lose his Charity Fifthly From hence we see that Peace-makers and Reconcilers are the Men that do truly Christian Offices and that * the contrary sort are the Devil's Instruments in the World Sixthly Government we see hath a good Foundation For it keeps all in Peace and binds Men to fair Carriage and good Behaviour Upon which Account it is of mighty Use in the World Lastly Whosoever hath not a Penny to bestow whereby he may express his Charity yet he may be more charitable than if he gave Pounds For it is the choicest Piece of Charity to make fair Interpretations and to give Allowance to make candid Construction of Mens Actions to afford civil and courteous Behaviour to be Conversant and Complacent
Beniamin Whichcot S. S. T. Professor Select Sermons OF D r WHICHCOT In TWO PARTS MAT. XI 15. He that hath Ears to hear let him hear LONDON Printed for Awnsham and John Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row MDCXCVIII THE PREFACE AMongst those many Things which are made Publick it may be thought perhaps of Sermons that they are of any other the least wanted and for the future least likely to be found wanting since to that rich and inexhaustible Store with which the Learned and Orthodox Divines of England have already furnished us there is daily fresh addition from worthy and able Hands Neither have we cause to fear a Cessation in this kind or that so great a Blessing is likely to fail us for the future having such security not only from the unwearied Zeal of present Divines of whom we may always hope a worthy Succession but from the just esteem which the Publick never fails to shew for such pious Discourses Upon which account we find that many of these are every day made Publick and as it were forced into the World notwithstanding the great Modesty of their Authors whose Humble Thoughts and devoutly resigned Affections lead them not towards Eminence and Advancement in the World It may seem strange therefore that in such an Age as this any one should be so officious as to search after and publish the Sermons of a Man long since dead who himself never meant to Publish any or thought so highly of himself as that he could benefit the World by such a Publication It is certain that we must not ever imagine nor can it enter into a Mind truly Christian that because we see not an apparent Change for the better in the Lives of Christian Professors that therefore all Preaching is ineffectual or that here in England the Labours of the most Eminent Divines that perhaps the World ever afforded have been of no use at all It might be said with the same reason tho' very prophanely and wickedly that because the Christians are not reported to exceed the other Nations of the World in Probity and Good Living but are said to be rather inferior in this respect to the Civilized People whether Pagan or Mahometan lying round them that therefore the Christian Religion is of no effect at all nor any ways operative upon the Lives of its Professors But if we consider this as becomes us and not perversely as many do it will be found that we are even in this sense the most highly indebted to Christianity and should look upon It as the greatest Blessing imaginable not only for its spiritual Advantages which are Unspeakable but for its Temporal Benefits and Securities inasmuch as that Mankind being so inclinable to Ill we should have a Religion so full of all good Precepts and so enforcing with respect to all the Duties of Morality and Justice So that our Amazement ought rather to be how Men with such a Religion should lead such Lives and how Malice Hatred or Division should have place in such Societies as these which we might expect to see distinguished from all others rather by a perfect Harmony and Agreement than by the fiercest Quarrels Contentions and Animosities And indeed when we consider the Nature of Preaching how excellent an Order and Establishment it is how highly raised and magnified in the Christian World When we consider Numbers of Holy Men set apart for this great Work having all advantages given them the better to set forth those Glorious Truths of Revelation and to create a Reverence of Religion in the Minds of Men when we consider the Solemnity of a Church-Assembly and the awful Presence and Authority of the Christian Orator we may be apt to wonder perhaps why we see not greater and more happy Effects hereof in the World However we must of Necessity conclude That this Institution being undoubtedly so powerful a support of our Religion if such Assemblies as these were not upheld if such Authority as this did not subsist the consequence would be that as in a little time there would be no more Christianity left in the World so neither any Morality since notwithstanding all the Helps of Preaching and the Assistance and Support which Virtue receives from hence the Lives of Men are still so far from being Reform'd and the World so little Improved in these latter Ages But how reverently soever we have cause to think concerning this Institution and the undoubted good Effects of it upon Mankind and whatever high Opinion and Esteem we may justly have of their Performance in whose Hands this Power is placed it seems not wholly impossible but that there may be some Defect in this great Affair and that the Causes of ill Success may not lye altogether in the Depravity Perverseness or Stupidity of Mankind who are the Hearers and Readers of these Doctrines In some Countries and amongst some sorts of Christians we have seen that the Whole of this Institution has not been appropriated to Spirituals but that a great part of those Divine Exhortations have had something in common with the Policies of the World and the Affairs of Government And of whatsoever Benefit this may have been to Mankind or to the Peace of the Christian World it must be own'd that Preaching it self will be so much the less apt to make any happy Revolution in Manners as it has at any time been serviceable to Revolutions in State or to the support of any other Interest than that of Christ's Kingdom Nor do we find since the Arts of Government and Mysteries of Religion have been thus suited together that either has been much advantag'd by the Union it having never yet appear'd that Divinity has been greatly better'd by Policy or that Policy has been any where mended by Divinity Amongst those Writers who have been forward in making this Unprosperous Alliance and Building a Political Christianity there has been * one of our Nation in the Time wherein our Author liv'd who whether he may have been serviceable any way to the Civil Government or Christian Church it may be concluded at least that he has done but very ill Service in the Moral World And however other parts of Philosophy may be obliged to him Ethicks will appear to have no great share in the Obligation He has indeed with great Zeal and Learning been oppos'd by all the eminent and worthy Divines of the Church of England And had the same Industry been applied to the Correction of his Moral Principles as has been bestow'd in refuting some other of his Errours it might perhaps have been of more Service to Religion in the Main This is He who reckoning up the Passions or Affections by which Men are held together in Society live in Peace or have any Correspondence one with another forgot to mention Kindness Friendship Sociableness Love of Company and Converse Natural Affection or any thing of this kind I say Forgot because I can scarcely think so
ill of any Man as that he has not by experience found any of these Affections in himself and consequently that he believes none of them to be in others But in the place of other Affections or good Inclinations of whatever kind this Author has substituted only one Master-Passion Fear which has in effect devour'd all the rest and left room only for that infinite Passion towards Power after Power Natural as he affirms to All Men and never ceasing but in Death So much less Good-nature has he left with Mankind than what he allows the worst of Beasts Having allotted to us in the way of our Nature such mischievous Passions as are unknown to them and not so much as allow'd us any Degree of their Good ones such as they All are known to have and are never wanting to exert towards their own Kind By which Excellency of Nature so little reckon'd upon in the Case of Mankind their common Interest is duly serv'd and their Species propagated and maintain'd Had not the Poyson of these Immoral and in reality Atheistical Principles been diffused more than 't is easie to imagine at that time especially when Dr. Whichcot appear'd we should perhaps where Morality was concern'd have heard less of Terror and Punishment and more of Moral Rectitude and Good-nature At least it should not have grown customary to explode Good-nature and detract from that Good which is ascrib'd to Natural Temper and is accounted Natural Affection as having Ground and Foundation in Meer NATURE On the contrary it would have been the Business of those who had manag'd the Cause of Religion to have contended for these better Dispositions and to have shewn how deep a Root and Foundation they had in Human Nature and not just contrary-wise to have built on the Ruine of these For with some people this was then become a Method to prove Christianity Revelation was to owe its Establishment to the Depression and Lowering of such Principles as these in the Nature of Man And the Weakness of these was made the Strength of Religion As if Good-nature and Religion were Enemies A Thing indeed so unthought of amongst the Heathens that PIETY which was their best Word to signifie Religion had more than half its Sence in Natural and Good Affection and stood not only for the Adoration and Worship of God but for the Natural Affections of Parents to their Children and of Children to their Parents of Men to their Native Country and indeed of all Men in their several Relations one to another It must be confess'd that it has been the Reproach of some Sects of Christians amongst us that their Religion appear'd to be in a manner opposite to Good-nature and founded in Moroseness Selfishness and Ill-will to Mankind Things not easily reconcileable with a Christian Spirit But certainly it may be said of the Church of England if of any Church in the World that this is not Her Spirit But it is by Characters and Features just contrary to these that this Church shews Herself above all others most worthily and nobly Christian. It is certain that there is nothing more contended for by those who would not willingly admit a Deity nor is there any thing of greater Use to them in their Way of Reasoning than to have it pass as current that there are in Man no Natural Principles inclining him to Society nothing that moves him to what is Moral Just and Honest except a Prospect of some different Good some Advantage of a different Sort from what attends the Actions themselves Nor is it strange that they who have brought themselves off from so much as believing the Reality of any Ingenuous Action perform'd by any of Mankind meerly through Good Affection and a Rectitude of Temper should be backward to apprehend any Goodness of that sort in a Higher Nature than that of Man But it is strange to conceive how Men who pretend a Notion and Belief of a Supream Power acting with the greatest Goodness and without any Inducement but that of Love and Good-will should think it unsuitable to a Rational Creature derived from Him to act after His Example and to find Pleasure and Contentment in Works of Goodness and Bounty without other Prospect But what is yet more unaccountable is that Men who profess a Religion where Love is chiefly enjoyn'd where the Heart is expresly call'd for and the outward Action without that is disregarded where Charity or Kindness is made all in all that Men of this Perswasion should combine to degrade the Principle of Good-nature and refer all to Reward which being made the only Motive in Mens Actions must exclude all worthy and generous Disposition all that Love Charity and Affection which the Scripture enjoyns and without which no Action is Lovely in the Sight of God or Man or in it self deserving of Notice or kind Reward But perhaps one Reason of this Misfortune has been that some Men who have meant sincerely well to Religion and Vertue have been afraid least by advancing the Principle of Good-nature and laying too great a Stress upon it the apparent Need of Sacred Revelation a Thing so highly Important to Mankind should be in some Measure taken away So that they were forced in a Manner to wound VERTUE and give way to the Imputation of being Mercenary and of Acting in a slavish Spirit in Ways of Religion rather than admit a sort of Rival in their Sense to the Faith of Divine Revelation Seeing that Christianity they thought would by this Means be made less necessary to Mankind if it should be allow'd that Men could find any Happiness in Vertue but what is in Reversion Thus one Party of Men fearing the Consequences which may be drawn from the Acknowledgment of Moral and Social Principles in Human-kind to the Proof a Deity 's Existence and another Party fearing as much from thence to the Prejudice of Revelation Each have in their turns made War if I may say so even on Vertue it self Having exploded the Principle of Good-nature all Enjoyment or Satisfaction in Acts of Kindness and Love all Notion of Happiness in temperate Courses and moderate Desires and in short all Vertue or Foundation of Vertue unless that perhaps be call'd Merit or Vertue which is left remaining when all Generosity free Inclination Publick-spiritedness and every thing else besides private Regard is taken away If this may be said to be our Case under this Dispute and that true Religion it self which is Love be thus endanger'd and Morality so ill treated between two such different and distant Parties if each of these notwithstanding their vast Disagreement do yet in this Matter so fatally agree to decry Human Nature and destroy the Belief of any immediate Good or Happiness in Vertue as a Thing any way suitable to our Make and Constitution there is then so much the more Need of some great and known Man to oppose this Current And here it is that
Men will be fill'd with the Fruit of their own Ways and they cannot think that things will finally prove otherwise if they at any time of their Lives think with Reason But if Men presume and be regardless and disorderly and do not consider Consequents by their Antecedents they may flatter themselves and go on in a State of Stupidity But if ever a Man be Rational in his Religion if he do use Reason at all worthy his Make he will foresee future Mischief in a wicked and naughty Course of Life In this Case every one hath within himself what will foretel and what will forewarn what doth daily reprove and condemn him He carries Arguments in his Breast contrary to his Suppositions No Husband-man expects a Crop in Harvest but according as he sows his Seed No Man that is in a Spirit opposite to God Goodness Holiness and Truth that lives in a State of Inconsistency to Religion can expect to be Happy in any Enjoyment of God in a future State unless he can believe Impossibilities and Absurdities * And as hereby we may have Foresight of the future State of Men so hence also is the Account how it comes to pass that some Men are of a most tortured distracted confounded Condition at least at Times and Seasons in this Life having Hell kindled in their Consciences Hell-fire flashing in their Faces Hell on this side Hell So it is with Sinners They are compounded of Inconsistencies They have more Knowledge of God than Love and Affection for him They have more Light in their Minds than Goodness in their Souls By Knowledge they are one way by Affection another way And these Men when they are apart out of worldly Distraction they must be in a tortured and in a confounded Condition When they consider they conceive within themselves things that are monstrous violent and unnatural things which are Upstarts Traytors to Humane Nature Lust Humour Will Passion have dethroned REASON Man's Natural Soveraign and have usurped the Government of Man Where These are not subordinate to Reason and Judgment where These have dispossest the natural inbred Soveraign where These have usurp'd the Government and dethroned Reason what a State is it No Society so distemper'd and confounded For none of these Four were made to govern but they were to be regulated Where Men will have their Will and live by their Humour and in Passion and Lust hath Dominion over them they must needs be in a State of great Confusion because there is so much of Disorder within them The Dictates of Reason calmly guide us But Will Humour Lust and Passion are Incendiary Principles We see the very best of many Men by what is outward who put a good Face on it when they come abroad but are very ill welcomed when they come to their inward home Therefore Persons of bad Lives and evil Consciences love not to be alone They had rather be in any Employment than that of Self-reflection and considering themselves Few Men would envy these Mens Conditions notwithstanding they have some worldly good Circumstances notwithstanding they make a good Show in the World if they were acquainted with their inward Aches Tortures Wrackings and Vexations It is observ'd by Tacitus concerning Tiberius the Emperor that being conscious to himself of horrid Wickednesses and unnatural Practices he could have no Quiet of Mind notwithstanding his Divertisements And he writes That if all the Deities should conspire to make him miserable they could not torment him half so much as the Torment of his own Mind Inward Perplexities Confusion of Mind and Thoughts occasion'd by Guilt of Conscience and Naughtiness of Mind these transcend all the Tortures of the Gout or Stone of which Men have such dreadful Apprehensions For the Spirit of a Man can bear his Infirmity But a wounded Spirit who can bear Who hath a Man to direct comfort or uphold him if he hath not the Reason of his own Mind Therefore tho' ignorant Persons represent the Ways of Religion and Conscience as Melancholy because Men are kept within the Compass of Reason and Sobriety it is the greatest Mistake in the World Because in Religion are joyful Apprehensions Men fear not God slavishly They do not think he will do them any harm But if a Man be in a malignant Disposition and have Naughtiness of Mind he is upon all Self-reflection troubled with inward Vexations and Fears The wicked are like the troubled Sea As Violence in the World Natural is attended with Conflagration so in the World Moral it is attended with Exasperation of Mind and with Fury * In the next place then observe That we are to have God excused in respect of the sharpest of all his Judgments There are Sins of Men * that are far higher in the Rank of Sins than any Judgments of God in this State are great in order of Punishment For there are Sins in this World of which we have Reason to think that they must necessarily go before-hand into Judgment upon account of God's Honour and the Necessity of Righteousness Also they who lie under the greatest Violence in this World Men of profligate Lives and debauched Spirits suffer less by the Judgment of God than from within themselves It is intolerable to suffer as a guilty Person and Malefactor It is intolerable for a Man to suffer the Torments of his own Breast because he is guilty of his own Iniquity If I suffer under a Power that cannot be resisted * and for no Fault I suffer either as a Martyr for a good Cause or under an unavoidable Necessity being under no Demerit or Contradiction to the Reason of my Mind And then I have all the Strength of my Reason all the Courage that is in my Nature to support me But if I suffer as a guilty Person I am not then true to my self I shall have the Reason of my own Mind against me For Guilt is the Sting of Punishment Judgments are to awaken sleepy Consciences Those that are guilty are very shye apprehensive and sensible till by Use Practice and Custom seardness be contracted So that the Judgments of God are little if Men be not guilty For Self-condemnation is founded in Man's Guiltiness and Faultiness So true is it thy Destruction is of thy self and that the Judgments of God in this World in the Order of Judgments are not so great as some Sins are in the Rank of Sins Wherefore O Man whosoever thou art that sufferest wouldst thou effectually ease thy Condition put thy self upon Examination and the Motion of Repentance This will alter the Case And all the World cannot give thee Heart's-Ease save in this way Lastly This Text is to be read in the Ears of Atheists wherein are Two Things for them to consider What it affirms as proved by Effects that God made Man to know that he is and his essential Perfections so that his Opinion is against his very Make And how it describes
God in his just Indignation high Displeasure at Man's foolish Affectation and wilful Choice in so unequal a Competition doth not hinder unless he please but saith Then let it be according to Hearts Lusts and be filled with thy own ways Wherefore let no Man say when he is tempted He is tempted of God but drawn aside by his own Lust. Then let us be careful and cautious how we attribute Evil to God or entail Sins of Men upon him We cannot dishonour God more than by so doing since his moral Endowments of Holiness Righteousness and Goodness are his prime Perfections His Will and Power are always in Conjunction with them and guided by them Even when he punishes Impenitency and Contumacy in Sin it is an Act of Goodness As it is Goodness to pardon Penitents so it is Goodness by Chastisements to reduce the Lawless and Rebellious There is a good Intention in Chastisements For notwithstanding our great Boasts of our Free-will we should be too great Strangers to Duties of Piety and Vertue unless God should now and then exercise us with Sicknesses and Afflictions as a Counterpoise to our Propensions to follow the Lusts and Pleasure of Life and the ordinary Allurements of the World Now since we impute not Murthers and Robberies committed under a well-established Government which rules by Laws and punishes such Offences much less ought we to impute the Miscarriages of Men to God Since Men sin at their own Peril God gave no such Power to Men For Power is concluded within Bounds of Reason and Right Lawless and exorbitant Acts are Impotencies and Deformities If we attribute Evil to God these Mischiefs are likely to follow We shall think of God contrary to what he is worse than he deserves of us So shall less love him The Fountain of Good is highly lovely But not the Author of Evil. We shall not think aright of Evil * nor hate Evil as we ought For what harm is there in that which God doth We shall excuse our selves more than there is Cause for and shall abate in our selves Sence of our own Faultiness We shall think our selves but God's Instruments We shall take but little care to repent Who will trouble himself about that which he thinks is the Will of God Who can resist his Will Why should we expose our selves to Temptations by attributing external Evils to God more than we have Assurance of It is not true that God doth whatsoever Evil befals us * Or that all the Evils which befal us are the Punishment of some Sins as was the Deluge the Destruction of Sodom the Death of Nadab and Abihu of Ananias and Saphira Some Evils do fall out from the State of the World Some we bring upon our selves by Neglect or Abuse of our selves as Diseases which follow upon Intemperance Hurts upon violent Motion Some are Effects of malicious Causes for which God will challenge accountable Agents RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THAT RECOMPENCE OF THEIR ERROR WHICH WAS MEET This gives us great Advantage to pursue this Truth that God is not to be charged with the Creatures Sin Or with the Creatures Misery For whosoever is punished doth but receive within himself the Recompence of his Error Whoever says otherwise of God that he is either the Cause of his Creatures Sin or of his Creatures Misery doth not say so well of God as a Man would think it fit to speak of a Man of common Honesty and Uprightness The greatest Suffering that is is not by any positive Infliction of God it is not God's Creation For God did not make Hell but it is the natural Issue of Creatures Miscarriage being wanting to themselves and contradicting the Principles of God's Creation And if this be true this is a sufficient Defence for God's Goodness Righteousness and Holiness And I have said enough to justifie all the Principles of Religion There is a Foundation laid of Self-condemnation to all evil doers It is a Form of Words that when I well considered them I could not overlook them that Sinners do receive in or FROM themselves the Recompence of their Error No one that fails or miscarries comes to Misery by any Soveraignty any Pleasure any thing that is Arbitrary any thing that is in it self unavoidable But Misery arises from within The Sinner destroys himself But I am well aware that it hath been the Practice of old to charge God with the ill fare of Men * that they might excuse themselves and lay the Fault upon God Where Men are voluntary as to the Antecedent in doing amiss they charge God with that which is the natural Consequent the Punishment that follows For this is most certain that the greatest Punishment of Sin is inherent in it self For tho' Almighty Power let the Sinner alone he will be his own Destroyer In this Case it may be said Let God be justified as the Lover of his Creatures as the Friend of Souls and every one that perishes be accounted the Author of his own Misery So it is in the Prophet O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Our greatest Hurt is within us from our selves Whosoever is hurt is hurt by himself INORDINATE APPETITE IS A PUNISHMENT TO IT SELF As will appear by an Account of three of the greatest Evils that we are capable of and that we lie under Guilt in Conscience Malignity and Naughtiness in the Mind A sickly diseased distemper'd Body Let any name an Evil that may befal Human Nature that is equal to these I st Guilt in Conscience This hath driven Men to cruel Practices upon themselves put them upon Despair and hurried them by their own Hands into external Hell to avoid internal Hell We are not sure of the Reason of our own Minds for own Preservation * Nor can we depend on this which is our greatest Security under God * either when our Reason is not satisfied in our Religion which makes a very uneasie Condition * or when our Practice is not justified by our Reason and Religion Now Guilt in Conscience is only consequent upon knowing and voluntary Acts when they are irregular unnatural monstrous contrary to the Order of Reason contrary to the Nature of Man For no Foreign Power whatsoever not the Almighty Power of God nor the Power of Angels nor the Power of all the Men in the World can make any Person in the World Guilty unless he doth consent to an evil Action No Man can be guilty but by his own knowing and voluntary Act For if we consent not it is not our Act. Guilt befals only moral Acts. Guilt in a Man's Conscience is his own Production 2 dly Malignity and Naughtiness of Disposition is a second Misery of Man This hath made Mens Conditions very tedious and uneasie to themselves as not having Power and Government of their Minds so having no true Self-enjoyment which can abide Reflection and after Consideration As also * this hath made them Pests and Plagues to
To forgive Injuries and to lay aside all thoughts of Revenge This I represent to you as LOVELY This is contrary to the common Guise of the World for the World doth account it Dulness and Sâ—eepishness to suffer Wrong and for a Man not to do himself Right To do Good for Evil. Not one Man of a hundred thinks he is bound to it For no Humane Law requires it and it is generally thought to be just to return the like to every Man and the Rule of our Saviour's resist not Evil is not reckon'd a Precept but a Counsel and so above Usage Custom and Practice To have Patience invincible in case of Provocation For this is commonly alledged and it is thought a good Justification of a Man if a Man have transgress'd never so much that he was provoked Why did he provoke me And Men think this a sufficient Account Not to give way to Jealousie Suspicion or evil Surmise in Case of Doubtfulness or Uncertainty of another's Meaning in such or such an Action The Rule of Policy is if any thing be doubtful always to suspect the worst But it is the Height of Religion to imagine the best and to make a good Construction It is noble and generous to make a candid Construction where Words and Actions incline to the contrary For this may change the Quality of the Action and oblige the Party And this is a noble Way of overcoming a Man To overbear our Resentment of an injurious Action by the Recollection of former Acts of Kindness and Courtesie It is extream to make an old Friend an Enemy for one Mistake and Miscarriage But this is ordinary For if once he fail if once he deny then you account him an Enemy and account him false And then Never trust him that is false Never trust a false Friend So he is concluded This is hard Measure for a Man to wipe out the Sense of many antecedent Favours and various Expressions of Faithfulness because through some Unhappiness the Person hath been mistaken and hath done an Injury in the Case A Man should rather think in this Case that the Injury now done was occasional and accidental not intentional Because of the former good Offices Many think themselves disobliged for abundance of Favours because of one mistake of latter date Now this is Lovely to let every Man with whom we have to do have this Advantage Let the Experience we have had of his Fidelity and Faithfulness and many good Offices be so minded as to overbear one Failing of latter Date Suppose it was an ill Office a real Injury let him have the Advantage of all his former * Acts of Friendship And let these be consider'd to overbear the Sense of his last Failure or Miscarriage To be meek calm and gentle in the Hands of fierce furious and violent Spirits In one way or other all Men are good for some Purpose Now it is highly Christian yea also Prudent in Converse to draw every one forth according to his better part and to help him to bear that that is his Burden For this is the Rule Bear ye one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ. It is even Devilish to provoke a passionate Man If you make Application to a Man at least observe his Temper If he be under the Power of his Complexion he is not fit to be applied to and must be forborn at that time Therefore observe to take him in his good Humour For he is burden'd by his Temper and Constitution and thou art free To be of a pacifying peace-making reconciling Spirit To be of a tender Disposition ready to compassionate and help Men in Misery This was a foul Miscarriage in Job's Friends tho' otherwise good and worthy Men Yet out of a mistaken Zeal they lay heavy upon him And while they thought they had the Cause of God to justifie they gave hard Measure to their Friend To be ready to hinder other Mens Sins and Harms To rejoyce in God's Goodness to others where we have no share nor are our selves concern'd To be a Friend to Goodness Vertue Sobriety Temperance Righteousness where the contrary is in use and applauded To be a Friend upon all Occasions to Vertue upon its own Account To be communicative of Knowledge ready to instruct the Ignorant lead the Weak guide the Feeble in Ways of Religion To keep the Mind immoveable so far as may be and undisturb'd by the casual Contingencies of Life I mean the Things without us and that are not in our Power Now in all Reason these Things should not over-bear us over which we have no Power It is becoming the noble Soul of Man to be above the World loose to the World and independant on it Not to be beholding to the World for its Welfare nor to fear it for its Ill-fare A Man is not to seek himself without himself But how many lose themselves in the World and become Slaves and Drudges Some there are that feed the Beast the luscious Appetite Others there are that follow the childish Part in themselves Their full and adequate Employment is the Business of the Body * Such have no free Enjoyment of themselves And in the last Place To be moderate in Power Humble in Prosperity Modest with great Parts and Gifts for the Apostle tells us Knowledge is apt to puff Men up These Cases I have represented to you wherein if you reach these Rules and comply with these Notions you do that that is truly Noble Generous Honourable that that is in Resemblance and Imitation of God and that doth tend to advance the State of Human Affairs And this is to do that that is LOVELY But you will say If this be a Reality in what way is it attainable Therefore I will propose something in Respect of God between God and us viz. a serious Consideration of what God doth for the Universe Consider the Action of excellent Agents And their Action is the Way to affect our Minds No Force reacheth the Mind of Man No Man's Mind is changed or better'd but by his own particular Consideration If therefore you will bring your selves to this Temper to do Things that are Lovely in the first place consider what God is and what his Actings and Dealings with his Creatures are And if we propose to our selves what God doth in the World and how he carrieth it in his Family this Consideration will promote in us this Disposition and Temper For He is the Universal Father It is He whose Family the whole World is It is He that doth maintain the Universe and doth settle and establish the Order and Government of Things And certainly we cannot write after a better Copy It is the Definition of Religion in us Divine Imitation Godliness is God-likeness Now see what God doth He is universally Good He maketh the Sun to shine without Difference or Distinction on the Righteous and the Unrighteous He maketh his Rain
to fall upon the Just and the Unjust He giveth us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons Wherefore to have God in our sight and to have right Apprehensions of him and a Sense of his Love and Goodness this above all Things tends to the Nobleness Amplitude Freedom and Liberty of our Spirits Secondly I propose something in respect of our selves That is Be not in a worldly Spirit Be not in love with bodily Ease Give not your selves up to the Pleasures of Sense Be not eagerly bent upon Gain But be loose to it For this you may observe Sensuality and Covetousness do narrow the Soul and limit and confine its Reaches and Desires For Sensuality marrs the Understanding And he that hath mean Thoughts hath but poor Performances And Covetousness doth contract to a little and very narrow point So that there can be no Motion in any large Sphere of Action God and Religion and the Concernments thereof are nothing where either a selfish Spirit hath place or a covetous Humour reigns That Rule that is common Every Man for himself and God for us all It is the Effect of the lowest the shallowest the meanest sorriest Spirit that is in the whole Creation of God And that Frame and Temper of Mind doth make a Man uncapable of Self-enjoyment In all Competition of Actions or Objects Man shou'd always prefer that that will do him Good and bring him to Perfection according to his inward Man For a Man is more by his Soul Ten thousand times than he is by his Body Thirdly I propose something in respect of others Suspect no Body before-hand till you have Ground and Cause from some Experience Take up against no Body upon bare report Impute no Evil to any of whom you do not know some And further Make fair Application in an honest Cause to any Person therein concern'd with a Confidence and Expectation that he will do what is fit And let him perceive your good Opinion of him If any thing in the World engage a Man this pre-conceiv'd Opinion and right Supposition will * engage and oblige him But observe the seasonable Time of Speaking And allow to every Man for his Pre-possession for his Anticipation Pre-conception and his Temper This is Christian Prudence and honest Policy And this will gain Advantage and increase Good-will And I dare say both Reason and Religion will allow this Respect of Persons There is another kind of Respect of Persons which we disallow But this Respect of Persons there is good Cause for and it may be used It is a great Piece of Prudence to apply handsomely to Men and to avoid the darker Part of Men and take them at the best And some are very good at it These are the Proposals I make which tend to the enlarging a Man's Soul and amplifying him and qualifying him to be an Instrument to advance and promote the Good of the World * Lastly This is a Challenge to the Corrupt Guise of this World and the degenerate Practice that is in it Do we profess our selves to be Christians Do we do LOVELY Things How is the World apostatized from the Divine Nature and degenerate into the Devilish Nature For commonly our Parts are employed and our Time spent in studying and contriving Defiances one against another In the Creation God made the Second in order to the First And if we answer the Order of our Creation we shou'd be so much the more provided for by how many more there are in the World It should be one Man a God to another But we through our Degeneracy make it to be every Man a Wolf to another For we see Men glory in their Cunning and their Craft And a cunning and crafty Man he is called a wise Man But This is no true Wisdom Whatsoever Things are of GOOD REPORT Things may be of good Report two Ways There are Majora Insigniora Jura The greater the higher more universal famous Rights And there are Minutiora Leviora The lesser more particular and obscurer Rights And there is difference between these two both in respect of the Matter and of the Evidence The former need no external Report no foreign Determination they are above it Loquuntur Res The Things speak themselves And the Voice and Language of Things is more certain and infallible then Sense of Persons liable to Prejudice who may be incompetent to make Report through Impotency or Partiality But the Voice of Things is uniform constant and what cannot be practised upon All Men acknowledge Piety Devotion towards God Justice Righteousness amongst Men Sobriety Temperance as every Man's Measure conducible to his Health conservative of his Life And we may take that to be the Sense of Human Nature wherein all Men agree Who commends not Modesty before Impudency Faithfulness before Treachery Charity before selfishness Mercifulness before Cruelty Moderation before Insolency and Usurpation Sobriety before Intemperance Love and Good-will before Malice and Envy As for the Latter Rights In these the Reason of the Thing is less evident and the Right of the Case * is of more hazardous and uncertain Determination because of Change or Variety of Circumstances There is some what a different account in this Case in respect of the Liberty of the interior Man in Foro interno as we speak and of the exterior Man in foro externo In the former no Creature hath Cognizance therefore doth not intermeddle As concerning the Acts of the external Man not only the Sense of one's private Judgment is to be taken into Consideration but in the Use of our Liberty a just Regard is to be had to others to Government and Authority to the Sense of other People to the maintaining of Charity For Universal Charity is a Thing final in Religion Wherefore the maintaining and enlarging Love and Good-will Order and Peace are to be preferr'd before the Use of Externals in particular Cases Modesty Humility Meekness Charity and such Vertues do sanctifie by their Presence and Operations Which cannot be affirm'd of those Things which belong to the Instrumental part of Religion as Prayer Hearing of Sermons Receiving the Sacraments all which are esteem'd from their Respect to an End and are then crown'd when they attain their Purpose For Scripture tells us * as to those who are immoral that the Prayers of Persons in such Circumstances may be Abomination I put these * Things in Competition with the other not to prejudice these but to prefer the other These are the Means the other the End Our Saviour justifies this Distinction between the greater and lesser Rights Judgment Mercy Faith the weightier Matters these ought ye to have done Tithe of Mint Annise Cummin these ought ye not to have left undone So far as Conscience may be concern'd there is Certainty enough in Things We may have sufficient Assurance from the Reason of Things themselves or their Reference to the End from the clear Report of so
creditable an Instrument as the Bible from the Sense of Human Nature from the joint Report and Agreement of all who have not neglected or abused their Faculties who are as Euripides says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that That hath but little or no place in Religion and is very mean and low which is doubtful and uncertain which is not of unquestionable good Report Wherefore it argues Carelessness and neglective Indifferency to be unresolved undetermined in Matters of any Weight in Religion For we may fetch most of it out of our selves Awaken Intelectual Faculties search consider examine Principles of God's Creation All but what is properly reveal'd Truth may be found out All Offices of Piety Devotion towards God all Acts of Righteousness all Ways of Moderation Kindness Benevolence towards Fellow-Creatures Subordination of Sense to Reason within thy self Wherefore it lies upon us to excel in these great Instances of Morality gain Repute and Esteem in Minds of Men by exact Conscience in them In these greater Things we should be resolved and peremptory against the evil Suggestions and Provocations of a profane degenerate World In the lesser Things where common Sense * and Opinion is contrary * to Private suspend a while for thy own sake forbear for thy Brother's General good Report is considerable and by particular Persons to be weigh'd in foro interno ' Twou'd make a Man jealous of himself suspicious of his own Reason so far as to make him examine further enquire and not be too peremptory In foro externo common Sense * and Opinion is a very great Abridgment Limitation Restriction upon our Liberty Our Credit may not be euough to defend us from Censure Or * on the other hand it may be consider'd too much so as to lead others to practise without Judgment of their own * We shou'd consider also our Uncertainty Fallibility Partiality where we are affected or have a Mind So that it is safe and prudent to see also with other Mens Eyes In Multitude of Counsellours is Safety 'T is a Thing very desirable to have the World be as smooth and calm as quiet and tolerable as may be Offences amongst Men are apt enough to arise Where we cannot yield internal Assent for want of Evidence and assurance in Things external Obedience and Compliance with Sense of others may be yielded for the maintaining of Peace Love and Good-will If there be any VERTUE Can any thing come after so many Excellencies * after so many Universals such transcendent Accomplishments this shou'd seem needless For what can be more or further * But the Apostle doth not say * here that there is any thing beyond any thing distinct any thing further to be added to what he had said before It is not positive For it is but if any Vertue He seems to suppose he might not think of all But intimates that * whatever were wanting he wou'd add that also if it did occur and leaves us to supply the Defect by Parity of Reason His Mind is that a Christian shou'd be very compleat The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a strict and peculiar Sense signifies Warlike Valour or Courage in a common and ordinary Sense any Perfection in a Philosophical Sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * as contrary to Vice and Wickedness This is also the Theological Sense and so is used by another Apostle twice * But St. Paul never uses this Word but in this place Tho' he oft insists on all the Christian Graces and Fruits of the Divine Spirit All which are Vertues as * consider'd in us and * are call'd Graces as from God To guess therefore at what the Apostle may mean here This is explicable in these Particulars In the Skill of several Mysteries of Arts and Sciences of Tongues and Languages of Trades and Professions in the Use of Gifts whether ordinary and acquired by our own Industry and Study or extraordinary as 1 Cor. 12. c. These are divers Ways in which Human Nature may be perfected and in which it may be employed The Apostle * therefore would not have Christians wanting * in any thing or think any piece of Morality below them be it as low as * meerly Civility Affability Courtesie The Apostle may be understood to have respect to the Peculiarities of Persons * There is that which is peculiar to each Sex The proper Excellence of one Sex is Modesty and loving Affection The proper Excellence of the other Sex is Judgment of the Reason of Things Courage and Resolution Some People besides their general Goodness Integrity and Uprightness as honest Men and good Christians are singularly good and useful in some particular Way and to some special Purpose Some are dexterous to put off an Abuse by innocent Wit and so prevent falling out Some are dexterous to put another out of a Fit of Passion without either speaking Untruth or Hurt to the Person who was the Cause of the Provocation Thus Abigal 1 Sam. 25. Some to put by ill Counsel and so to prevent Mischief as Hushai 2 Sam. 17. some to prevent Mistakes * in Conversation having Wit at Hand for better Construction than the Person concern'd was ready to make Some are good at Peace-making excellent Arbitrators Referrees ingenious at finding out Tempers and Terms of Accommodation Some are very good Company * able to relieve and recreate oppress'd drooping Spirits Some can handsomely bring another off when unhappily engaged These are good Effects of Nimbleness of Wit and Quickness of Apprehension which are oft found to prevent Mischief These several distinct Excellencies and Perfections are the Ornaments and Endowments of Human Nature and not all usually meeting in the same Person But divided and dispersed amongst Men. They are so many Rays and Beams of the Infiniteness of the Divine Knowledge and Wisdom the Flourishes of God's liberal and bountiful Creation These also recommend us one to another as needing each other in several Ways and to different Purposes * For by a joint Contribution of our several divided Perfections we make one Body compleat Whereas an Absoluteness and Self-sufficiency is not found in any Particular I conclude What is useful grateful beneficial tho' we cannot say it falls under particular Command is here recommended to us under the Name of VERTUE If there be any PRAISE PRAISE is a Note of Vertue and a Piece of its Reward It follows Vertue as Shadow a Body It accompanies worthy Action and is an Incentive and Spur to it 'T is true Vertue is in our Power praise not But that * Commendation which is from Persons not competent and who are themselves unworthy that which follows not good Action is not Praise or Honour Truth is great It may be oppress'd a while but will at last prevail When Men are incompetent to judge through their Insufficiency or are engaged in an evil Way we are then to approve our selves to their Consciences