Causes forms them in the Womb brings them into the World by the ordinary way of the Earth and raises them from Infancy to a mature State according to the Rules of Nature Thus God could by one Act sanctify Sinners in Perfection but he is pleased by the preaching of the Word to convert Sinners and gradually perfect the Saints The Gospel is the Ministry of Reconciliation and of Regeneration And this is very congruous to the Human Nature for the Sinner is not converted as a Stone ascends by a forc'd and blind Motion but is instructed and affected by proposing Objects to his Mind and Will and acts according to the Impression he received from them Now the Natural Man being a Servant to Corruption the external propounding of the most powerful Objects and Motives cannot change him the converting Efficacy of the Word is from Jesus Christ. To make this more evident let us consider In every Action where an Instrument is us'd the Action is properly ascrib'd to the Agent God is a pure Spirit without any Composition of bodily Organs of Speech yet when he form'd a Voice in the Air for the proclaiming the Law He spake and whether by any created Voice or by the Voice of Men appointed for preaching the Gospel he speaks In human speaking the Voice is from the Tongue but the Sense and Meaning is from the Mind that directs it From hence it is that the Gospel preached is of admirable Efficacy and works above the Power of any Creature The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart It subdues open Rebels and makes their Pride and Confidence fall as low as Hell it mollifies the most obdurate and makes them compliant to the Invitations of Grace And altho the Minister be never so mean in his Person and Appearance yet a weak Instrument in an Almighty Hand does Wonders Our blessed Saviour in his Person was the first Preacher of the Gospel and in his Sermons we are directed how to work upon the Reason and the Affections of Sinners by which alone they are capable to be moved The Substance of his several Sermons was Repent ye and believe the Gospel 1. The Order and Progress of converting Grace is by the Conviction of the Mind to turn the Will and Affections Sin prevails in Men by the love of Pleasure and till there be a mixture of what is more bitter than Sin is sweet they will not forsake it The World corrupted by Lust is an imaginary Paradise wherein there is nothing but forbidden Fruit and the Fruit is so pleasant to the Eyes and Taste that only flaming Terrors will expel them out of it No Man will cut off his Right-hand till an incurable Gangreen has seiz'd on it The light neglected Notions of Heaven are ineffective to reform Sinners till the Terrors of the Lord are set in array against them they are fasten'd in their Sins Of this there is visible and frequent Experience how many that have lived in a careless Contempt of God till their last Sickness and when they feel themselves sinking to the Grave and Hell and Conscience is an exact Remembrancer and terrible Accuser of all their inward Wickedness and notorious Sins then what furious Reflections do they make upon themselves and what Promises do they make if they might be spar'd 'T is therefore the first Duty of Ministers by clearing Light and convincing Strength to work on Conscience and by the Mediation of it to apply Guilt and Wrath to the Sinner that he may be restless in his Sins The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men 't is decreed before the World was 't is denounc'd in the Word and shall be fully executed in the Day of Wrath and the Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God nothing is more certain than that Day and nothing so heavy as that Wrath. 'T is a Burden so insupportable that the Son of God was ready to sink under its Weight he meekly and silently endur'd all the cruel Rage of his Enemies but mournfully broke forth My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Who can understand the Consequence of that Complaint Who can support himself under the Apprehension of an absent and angry God When the convinced Person ponders his Sins what Indignities he has offered to the glorious God his Maker and Preserver his Law-giver and Judg that he has abus'd his Mercies perverted his Benefits and emploied them in the Service of Satan that he has despis'd his Justice and ventur'd upon his inflam'd Anger for transient Pleasure and trifling Profits when these killing Aggravations are duly consider'd and laid close to the Heart how are all the sorrowful Affections moved serious Grief that springs from the Depth of the Soul confounding Shame anxious inquiring Fear to stop the Execution of the fatal Sentence past against him Thus 't is related of those Converts at the first Sermon of St. Peter that being convinc'd of their Crimson Guilt in their crucifying of the Lord Jesus they were pricked in their Heart and said to the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do Then Sinners will humbly sue for Peace by the blessed Peace-maker Jesus Christ then Salvation will be so much the sweeter by how much the Danger was more threatning The Recovery from Death to Life is a double Life 2. The Lord Jesus must be propos'd as an all-sufficient and compassionate Saviour who invites the weary and heavy-laden to come to him for Rest. This is the order of the Spirit 's Operations first to convince of Sin then of Righteousness 'T is true there are diversities of Workings the Spirit instructs and terrifies Sinners by his Office of Bondage but not always in the same manner and degrees but the Soul is so humbled by the sight of Sin and impendent Wrath as it sees and feels the necessity of a Saviour and is willing to comply with the Terms of Mercy offered in the Gospel The whole need not a Physician but those who are sick A condemned Man values a Sheet of Paper wherein his Pardon is written and sealed more than the Conveyance of a rich Estate One near drowning values a Cord thrown out for his Rescue more than a Crown Thus when the Guilty are deeply sensible they have lost the Favour of God and cannot fly from his Power and there is but a step between them and Eternal Death then a Saviour will be infinitely precious and they will entirely close with him Now the Gospel represents the Son of God incarnate 1st An all-sufficient Saviour by his Propitiation and Intercession The Excellency of his Obedience and the Excellency of his Person were influential to obtain the Pardon of Sin His Propriety in the Sacrifice and the Value of
Reflections our Sorrow should be most afflicting our Humiliation deeper our Selfcondemnation most severe for those Sins which have been most dishonourable to God and defiling to us Not that we can make any Satisfaction for our Sins tho we should fill the Air with our Sighs and Heaven with our Tears but it becomes us to have our Sorrows inlarged in some proportion to our Unworthiness And this mournful Disposition prepares us for the Grace of God The Law does not allow Repentance but exacts entire Obedience 't is the Privilege of the Gospel that repenting Sinners are assur'd of Forgiveness without this Qualification 't is inconsistent with the Majesty Purity and Justice of God to extend pardoning Mercy to Sinners for they will never value nor humbly and ardently seek for Mercy till they feel the woful Effects of Sin in their Conscience only the stung Israelite would look to the brazen Serpent And this is requisite to prevent our relapsing into Sin for the Dominion of Sin being founded in the Love of Pleasure the proper means to extinguish it is by a bitter Repentance the Heart is first broken for Sin and then from it To conclude Let us renew our Repentance every day let not the Wounds of our Spirits putrify let not the Sun go down upon God's Wrath let us always renew the Application of Christ's Blood that alone can cleanse us from Sin SERMON III. 1 JOHN V. 2. By this we know we are the Children of God if we love God and keep his Commandments OF all the Marks that are useful in the Trial of our Spiritual State in reference to Eternity there is none affords a more clear and comfortable Assurance of God's special and saving Mercy than Love to the Saints This has often resolved the Doubts and quieted the Fears of afflicted enquiring Souls when other Graces have not been so apprehensible in their Operations But there is no Mark which the deceitful Heart does more securely rest upon through the mistake of Natural Human Love for that which is Spiritual and Divine It is therefore most worthy our serious Thoughts the Deceit being so easy and infinitely dangerous to shew what is the unfeigned genuine Love of the Brethren to which Salvation is annex'd to confirm the humble sincere Christian and undeceive presuming Hypocrites The great Design of St. John in this Epistle is to excite and enflame in Christians the Love of God and of their Brethren the two comprehensive Duties and bright Sum of the Law our principal Perfections in Heaven and Earth These he recommends by the most affectionate and obliging the most warming melting Perswasives the superlative Love of God to us and our Communion with the Saints in Nature and Grace In the former Verse the Apostle argues from the reality of the Effect as an Evidence of the Cause Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ that is the Saviour of the World foretold by the Prophets and expresses the Truth of that Faith in a sutable Conversation is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Grace is not less powerful in producing tender reciprocal Affections between the Off-spring of the same Heavenly Father than the subordinate Endearments of Nature The Pretence is vain of Love to God without loving his regenerate Children And in the Text he argues from the knowledg of the Cause to the discovering of the sincerity of the Effect By this we know that we love the Children of God with a holy Affection if we love God and keep his Commandments There is but one Difficulty to be removed that the Force of the Apostle's reasoning may appear 't is this a Medium to prove a thing must be a clearer Evidence than what is concluded by it Now tho a Demonstration from the Cause be more noble and scientifical yet that which is drawn from the Effect is more near to Sense and more discernable And this is verified in the Instance before us for the Love of God who is absolutely spiritual in his Being and Excellencies doth not with that sensible Fervour affect and passionately transport us as Love to his Children with whom we visibly converse and who are receptive of the most sensible Testimonies of our Affection Accordingly the Apostle argues He that loves not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen As the Motives to love our Brethren from our Conjunction in Nature and familiar Conversation are more capable to allure our Affections and more sensibly strike the Heart than the invisible Deity who is infinitely above us by the same reason we may more easily judg of the truth of our Love to them than of our Love to God To this the Answer is clear the Apostle doth not speak of the Love of God as a still silent contemplative Affection confined to the superiour Faculty of the Soul but as a burning shining Affection like Fire active and declarative of it self in those Effects that necessarily flow from it that is voluntary Obedience to his Commands and thus it becomes manifest to the renewed Conscience and is a most convincing Proof of the Sincerity of our Love to the Saints The Text being cleared affords this Doctrine Doct. The Sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is certainly discovered by our Love to God and Obedience to his Commands For the Illustration and Proof of the Point I will briefly shew I. Who are described by this Title The Children of God II. What is included in our Love to them III. What the Love of God is and the Obedience that flows from it IV. How from Love to God and willing Obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the Sincerity of our Love to his Children To explain the first we must consider that this Title The Children of God is given upon several accounts First By Creation the Angels are called the Sons of God and Men his Off-spring The reason of the Title is 1. The manner of their Production by his immediate Power Thus he is stiled The Father of Spirits in distinction from the Fathers of the Flesh. For tho the Conception and forming of the Body be the Work of his secret Providence yet 't is by the hand of Nature the Parents concurring as the second Causes of it but the Production of the Soul is to be entirely ascribed to his Power without the Intervention of any Creature 2. In their spiritual immortal Nature and the intellectual Operations flowing from it there is an Image and Resemblance of God from whence this Title is common to all reasonable Creatures and peculiar to them for tho Matter may be ordered and fashioned by the Hand of God into a Figure of admirable Beauty yet 't is not capable of his Likeness and Image so that neither the Lights of Heaven nor the Beasts and Plants of the Earth are called his Children Secondly By External Calling and Covenant
for some growing Distemper every Corrosive is for some proud Flesh that must be taken away In short they are deliberate Dispensations to cause Men to reflect upon their Works and Ways and break off their Sins by sincere Obedience Therefore we are commanded to hear the Voice of the Rod and who hath appointed it 'T is a Preacher of Repentance to lead us to the Knowledg and Consideration of our selves The Distress of Joseph's Brethren was to revive their Memory of his Sorrows caused by their Cruelty Now when Men disregard the Embassy of the Rod are unconvinceable notwithstanding its lively Lessons when they neither look up to him that strikes nor within to the Cause that provokes his Displeasure when they are careless to reform their Ways and to comply with his holy Will as if Afflictions were only common Accidents of this mutable State the Effects of rash Fortune or blind Fate without Design and Judgment and not sent for their Amendment this is a prodigious despising of God's Hand For this reason the Scripture compares Men to the most inobservant Creatures to the wild Asses Colt the deaf Adder to the silly Dove without Heart and the Advantage is on the Beasts side for their Inconsideration proceeds meerly from the Incapacity of Matter of which they are wholly compos'd to perform reflex Acts but Man's Incogitancy is the sole fault of his Spirit that wilfully neglects his Duty The Prophet charges this Guilt upon the Jews Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see 2. Insensibility of Heart is an eminent degree of despising the Lord's Chastenings A pensive feeling of Judgments is very congruous whether we consider them in genere Physico or Morali either materially as afflictive to Nature or as the signs of Divine Displeasure for the Affections were planted in the Human Nature by the Hand of God himself and are duly exercised in proportion to the quality of their Objects And when Grace comes it softens the Breast and gives a quick and tender sense of God's Frown An eminent Instance we have in David tho of Heroical Courage yet in his sad ascent to Mount Olivet he went up weeping with his Head covered and his Feet bare to testify his humble and submissive sense of God's Anger against him Now when Men are insensible of Judgments either considered as natural or penal Evils if when they suffer the loss of Relations or other Troubles they presently fly to the Comforts of the Heathens that we are all mortal and what can't be help'd must be endured without the Sense Humanity requires that Calm is like that of the dead Sea a real Curse Or suppose natural Affection works a little yet there is no Apprehension and Concernment for God's Displeasure which should be infinitely more affecting than any outward Trouble how sharp soever no serious deep Humiliation under his Hand no yielding up our selves to his Management this most justly provokes him of this Temper were those described by Jeremiah Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they refused to receive Correction Secondly The Causes of this despising of God's Chastenings are 1. A contracted Stupidity of Soul proceeding from a course in Sin There is a natural Stubbornness and Contumacy in the Heart against God a vicious Quality derived from rebellious Adam we are all hewn out of the Rock and dig'd out of the Quarry and this is one of the worst Effects of Sin and a great part of its Deceitfulness that by stealth it increaseth the natural Hardness by degrees it creeps on like a Gangreen and causes an Indolency The Practice of Sin makes the Heart like an Adamant the hardest of Stones that exceeds that of Rocks From hence proceeds such Unteachableness of the Mind that when God speaks and strikes yet Sinners will not be convinc'd that Briars and Thorns are only effectual to teach them and such an Untractableness in the Will that when the Sinner is stormed by Affliction and some Light breaks into the Understanding yet it refuseth to obey God's Call 2. Carnal Diversions are another Cause of slighting God's Hand The Pleasures and Cares of the World as they render Men inapprehensive of Judgments to come so regardless of those that are present Some when ever they feel the Smart of a Cross use all the Arts of Oblivion to lose the Sense of it The Affliction instead of a leading them to Repentance leads them to vain Conversations to Comedies and other sinful Delights to drive away Sorrow Others altho they do not venture upon forbidden things to relieve their Melancholy yet when God by sharp and sensible Admonitions calls upon them they have presently recourse to Temporal Comforts which altho lawful and innocent in themselves yet are as unproper at that time as the taking of a Cordial when a Vomit begins to work for whereas Chastisements are sent to awaken and affect us by considering our Sins in their bitter Fruits this unseasonable Application of sensual Comforts wholly defeats God's Design For nothing so much hinders serious Consideration as a voluptuous indulging the Senses in things pleasing like Opiate Medicines they stupify the Conscience and benumn the Heart 'T is Solomon's Expression I said of Laughter It is mad for as Distraction breaks the Connexion of the Thoughts so Mirth shuffles our most serious Thoughts into disorder and causes Men to pass over their Troubles without Reflection and Remorse And as the Pleasures so the Business of the World cause a supine Security under Judgments We have an amazing Instance of it in Hiel the Bethlemite who laid the Foundation of his City in the Death of his First-born and set up the Gates of it in his youngest Son yet he was so intent upon his Building that he disregarded the Divine Nemesis that was apparent fulfilling the terrible Threatning prophesied against the Builder of Jericho 3. An obstinate fierceness of Spirit a Diabolical Fortitude is the Cause that sometimes Men despise afflicting Providences so far as to resist them There is a passive Malignity in all an Unaptness to be wrought on and to receive Spiritual and Heavenly Impressions from God's Hand but in some of the Sons of Perdition there is an active Malignity whereby they furiously repel Judgments as if they could oppose the Almighty Their Hearts are of an Anvil-Temper made harder by Afflictions and reverberate the Blow like that Roman Emperor who instead of humbling and reforming at God's Voice in Thunder thundred back again All Judgments that befal them are as Strokes given to wild Beasts that instead of taming them enrage them to higher degrees of Fierceness The Prophet described some of this Rank of Sinners who said in the Pride and Stoutness of their Hearts the Bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewen Stones the Sycomores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars And many though not Explicitly yet
the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law neither can be As the Lusts of the Flesh are opposite to the Law of God so the Wisdom of the Flesh is to the Gospel This corrupt Nature makes the World such a dangerous Snare to Men for it blinds their Minds so as not to see the Dros of Earthly Things and the Glory of Heavenly St. John expresses the tempting Objects of the World by the vicious Affections that are drawn out and fastn'd upon them All that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life for the Lusts of Men put a Gloss upon them and make them pernicious The Poison is not in the Flowers but in the Spider that turns the Extraction from them into its own Nourishment Accordingly St. Peter speaks of the Corruption in the World through Lust. The vain Heart is more deceitful than the vain World for not only Reason that instructs the Wise but Experience that instructs Fools affords sufficient Conviction that all things here below are Vanity and Vexation there is none so low none so exalted in the World but finds it so By tasting a sprig of Wormwood the Bitterness is perceived as truly as by drinking a strong Infusion of it The World with all its Varieties is a multiplied and perpetuated Vanity it affords no solid Satisfaction the setting down a thousand Cyphers makes no Sum. But the carnal Heart is so enchanted with the false Lustre and seeming Pleasures of the World that by changing one Vanity for another it seeks and expects Satisfaction This verifies the Observation of the wise Preacher The Heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their Hearts while they live and after that they go down to the Dead What a prodigy of Madness is it for Men to catch at a shadow of Happiness to seek for that which they are uncertain to find and if they do find they are certain to lose and to neglect substantial Felicity which if they sincerely seek they shall obtain and if they obtain they shall enjoy for ever But that it may be more evident that the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts does powerfully interpose to hinder Men from embracing the Gospel I will particularly consider its Opposition to the supernatural Doctrines revealed in the Gospel the Objects of Faith to the holy Precepts of it the Rule of Obedience to the spiritual Rewards recommended to our Choice 1. The great Mystery of Godliness is the Incarnate Son of God who by an ignominious and accursed Death purchased a glorious blessed Life for his People this Doctrine is accounted Foolishness and rejected by the proud unrenewed Mind The Gospel is stiled the Word of Faith 't is conveyed to the Soul with Authority and Efficacy by Faith As Faith in Christ was required of the Sick and Blind and Lame that his healing Vertue might rest on them so the belief of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine is the first vital Qualification that makes us capable of spiritual healing Infidelity stops the Fountain of Grace The Apostle saith the Word preach'd did not profit them that heard it not being mixt with Faith Now altho the Light of the Gospel be so clear and convincing that the sincere considering Mind cannot suspend its Assent to it yet the carnal Mind stain'd with Prejudices and vicious Affections will not admit it An evil Heart is the principal cause of Unbelief The Jews from Pride Vain-Glory and the Love of the World rejected the Son of God tho all the Characters of the Messias were conspicuous in him he did not come with visible Glory and Observation according to their Expectations and Desires they saw no Form nor Comeliness in him and did not believe the Report concerning him they were scandaliz'd at his Parentage and mean Condition he discovered their beloved Sins and sharply reproved the reigning Vices among them which made his Person and his Preaching so odious to them Our Saviour tells us that Light was come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are evil The Prejudice of their Passions was so strong that they rejected the saving Truths of the Gospel and believed damnable Delusions Now the same Roots of Offence are in the Hearts of Men against the Gospel Such a Cloud arises from the Steam of carnal Lusts darkning the Understanding that it cannot discover Truths so high as the mysterious Doctrines of Christ. Love in the Heart is requisite as well as Light in the Mind to know spiritual things Obedience to the Will of God is the best Preparative to believe his Word Our Saviour justly tax'd the Pharisees they did not repent that they might believe Men are averse from receiving those Doctrines that condemn their Lusts and are Infidels that they may be freely wicked that the Shadow of Repentance may not disturb them 'T is said of Atheistical Scorners they are willingly ignorant The corrupt Will rules imperiously and turns the Thoughts from those Arguments which if duly considered Reason with a strong hand would constrain them to acknowledg there is a righteous God who has Authority to command and Power to punish those who rebel against his Laws 'T is true they pretend to offer something for a more colourable Denial of supernatural Revelation but the perversness of Infidelity appears through all their Pretences Some object against the Sublimity of the Doctrines of the Gospel It was the scornful Expression of one This is like the Peace of God that passes all Understanding As if the Reality of things depended upon the Conception and Capacity of the Human Mind and Divine Truths were impossible because incomprehensible Such foolish Pride obstructs the Reception of Divine Truths and from hence humble Christians are despised as led by a blind Belief Others are offended at the simplicity of the revealing them The Doctrines are so high they cannot reach unto the manner of conveying them is so low they will not stoop to But 't is evident these arguings are not from the Reason but the Lusts of Men. For the rare Accord of the Matter and Manner of the Gospel-Revelation is a sensible Character of its Descent from God The Doctrine is high and bright of an extraordinary Revelation the Delivery of it is easy and familiar since 't is for the Instruction and Salvation of Men and accordingly the Divine Wisdom has made an exact Temperament of these things Briefly the corrupt Affections pervert the Will to reject the Gospel and the perverted Will influences the Understanding to disapprove it Nay carnal Lusts force Men against their Light as the Jews did Pilate to condemn the Person of Christ to condemn his Doctrine There are many in this degenerate Age who altho they dare not publickly own the defil'd and abhorr'd Name of Infidels yet among their Companions employ their