SIXTEEN SERMONS Preached on Several Subjects By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The THIRD VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chilwell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCVI The most Reverend Dr. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury THE CONTENTS SERMON I. GALAT. I. 8 9. But tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Pag. 1. SERMON II III IV. JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Willâ— he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self p. 31 55 85. SERMON V VI VII VIII LUKE XII 15. And he said unto them Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth p. 109 139 165 193. SERMON IX X. MATTH VI. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you p. 223 253. SERMON XI PSAL. CXIX 96. I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Commandment is exceeding broad p. 285. SERMON XII XIII 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by thâ—se ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature p. 319 345. SERMON XIV XV. 1 PETER IV. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of Godâ— commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator p. 367 415. SERMON XVI JOHN IX 4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no Man can work p. 445. A SERMON ON GALAT. I. 8 9. But tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed BEfore I come to handle the words for our better understanding of them I shall give a brief account of the occasion of them which was this Some false Apostles had made a great disturbance in the Churches planted by the Apostles of Christ by teaching that it was necessary for Christians not only to embrace and entertain the Doctrines and Precepts of the Christian Religion but likewise to be Circumcised and keep the Law of Moses Of this disturbance which was raised in the Christian Church you have the History at large Acts 15. and as in several other Churches so particularly in that of Galatia these false Apostles and Seducers had perverted many as appears by this Epistle in the beginning whereof St. Paul complains that those who were seduced into this Error of the necessity of Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses had by this new Article of Faith which they had added to the Christian Religion quite altered the frame of it and made the Gospel another thing from that which our Saviour delivered and commanded his Apostles to teach all Nations For he tells us ver 6. of this Chapter that he marvelled that they were so soon removed from him that called them by or through the grace of Christ untâ— another Gospel that is so different from that which they had been instructed in by those who first preached the Gospel unto them For the making of any thing necessary to Salvation which our Saviour in his Gospel had not made so he calls another Gospel I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you by the grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is no other thing or by which I mean nothing else but that there are some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ as if he had said when I say that ye are removed to another Gospel I do not mean that ye have renounced Christianity and are gone over to another Religion but that ye are seduced by those who have a mind to pervert the Gospel of Christ by adding something to it as a necessary and essential part of it which Christ hath not made so This the Apostle calls a perverting or overthrowing of the Gospel because by thus altering the Terms and Conditions of it they made it quite another thing from what our Saviour delivered it And then at the 8 th and 9 th verses he denounceth a terrible Anathema against those whoever they should be yea tho' it were an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven who by thus perverting the Gospel of Christ that is by making any thing necessary to be believed or practised which our Saviour in his Gospel had not made so should in effect preach another Gospel but tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be Anathema an accursed thing And then to express his confidence and vehemency in this matter and to shew that he did not speak this rashly and in a heat but upon due consideration he repeats it again in the next verse As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed From the words thus explained by the consideration of the Context and of the main scope and design of this Epistle these following Observations do naturally arise First That the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation is a perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel Secondly That no pretence of Infallibility is sufficient to authorise and warrant the addition of any thing to the Christian Doctrine as necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation Thirdly That Christians may judge and discern when such additions are made Fourthly and consequently That since the declaration of the Gospel and the confirmation of it there is no Authority in the Christian Church to impose upon Christians any thing as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so Fifthly That there is no visible Judge how Infallible soever he may pretend to be to whose definitions and declarations in Matters of Faith and Practice necessary to Salvation we are bound to submit without examination whether these things be agreeable to the Gospel of Christ or not Sixthly and Lastly Whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to Salvation to be believed or practised besides what the Gospel of Christ hath made necessary does fall under the Anathema here in the Text because in so doing he perverteth the Gospel of Christ and preacheth another Gospel Now the
Apostle expresly declares that tho' we that is he himself or any of the Apostles or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than what we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed I. That the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation is a perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel This is evident from the Instances here given in this Epistle for the Apostle chargeth the false Apostles with perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel upon no other account but because they added to the Christian Religion and made Circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses an essential part of the Christian Religion and imposed upon Christians the practice of these things and the belief of the necessity of them as a Condition of Eternal Salvation That this was the Doctrine of those false Teachers we find expresly Acts 15. 1. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the Brethren and said except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses yâ— cannot be saved and ver 24. in the Letter written by the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem to the Churches abroad there is this account given of it forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your Souls saying ye must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Where you see that this Doctrine is declared to be of pernicious consequence tending to subvert the Souls of Men and likewise to be an addition to the Doctrine of the Gospel which was delivered by the Apostles who here with one consent declare that they had given no such commandment that is had delivered no such Doctrine as this nor put any such yoke upon the necks of Christians but on the con-contrary had declared that the death of Christ having put an end to the Jewish Dispensation there was now no obligation upon Christians to observe the Law of Moses And from the Reason of the thing it is very plain that the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so is preaching another Gospel because it makes an essential change in the Terms and Conditions of the Gospel Covenant which declares Salvation unto Men upon such and such Terms and no other Now to add any other Terms to these as of equal necessity with them is to alter the Condition of the Covenant of the Gospel and the Terms of the Christian Religion and consequently to preach another Gospel by declaring other Terms of Salvation than Christ in his Gospel hath declared which is to pervert the Gospel of Christ II. No pretence of Infallibility is sufficient to Authorise and Warrant the addition of any thing to the Christian Doctrine as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation After the delivery of the Gospel by the Son of God and the publication of it to the World by his Apostles who were Commissioned and Inspired by him to that purpose and the confirmation of all by the greatest and most unquestionable Miracles that ever were no person whatever that brought any other Doctrine and declared Salvation to Men upon any other terms than those which are declared in the Gospel was to be credited what pretence soever he should make to a Divine Commission or an Infallible Assistance The Apostle makes a Supposition as high as can be tho' we says he or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be an Anathema If the Apostles themselves who were Divinely Commissioned and Infallibly assisted in the Preaching of the Gospel should afterwards make any addition to it or declare any other Terms of Salvation than those which are declared in the Gospel which they had already published to the World they ought not to be regarded And the Reason is plain because what claim soever any Person may make to Infallibility and what demonstration soever he may give of it we cannot possibly believe him if he contradict himself and deliver Doctrines which do plainly clash with one another For if he spake true at first I cannot believe him declaring the contrary afterwards And if he did not speak true at first I cannot believe him at all because he can give no greater proof of his Divine Commission and Infallible Assistance and Inspiration than he did at first And the Reason is the same if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach a contrary Doctrine to that of the Gospel he were not to be believed neither because he could bring no better Credentials of his Divine Commission and Authority than Those had who publish'd the Gospel and consequently he ought not to be credited in any thing contrary to what they had publish'd before For tho' a Man were never so much disposed to receive a Revelation from God and to submit his Faith to it yet it is not possible for any Man to believe God against God himself that is to believe two Revelations plainly contradictory to one another to be from God and the reason of this is very obvious because every Man doth first and more firmly believe this Proposition or Principle That Contradictions cannot be true than any Revelation whatsoever for if Contradictions may be true then no Revelation from God can signifie any thing because the contrary may be equally true and so truth and falsehood be all one The Apostle indeed only makes a Supposition when he says tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you but by this Supposition he plainly bars any Man or Company of Men from adding to the Christian Religion any Article of Faith or Point of Practice as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so I say any Man or Company of Men whatever Authority or Infallibility they may lay claim to because they cannot pretend to a clearer Commission and greater Evidence of Infallible Assistance than an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven and yet the Text tells us that would not be a sufficient warrant to preach another Gospel it might indeed bring in question that which they had preached before but could not give Credit and Authority to any thing plainly contrary to it and inconsistent with it III. Christians may judge and discern when another Gospel is preached when new Articles of Faith or Points of Practice not enjoyned by the Gospel are imposed upon Christians This the Apostle supposeth every particular Church and for ought I know every particular Christian that is duly Instructed in the Christian Religion to be a competent Judge of and to be sufficiently able to
discern when another Gospel is preached and new Terms and Conditions not declared in the Gospel are added to the Christian Religion for if they be not able to judge of this the Apostle does in vain caution them against the seduction of those who perverted the Doctrine of Christ and endeavoured to remove them from him that had called them by the grace of Christ unto another Gospel It may perhaps be said that there was no need that they should be able to discern and judge of the Doctrines of those false Teachers it was sufficient for them to believe the Apostle concerning the Doctrines of those Seducers when he declared to them the falsehood and pernicious consequence of them But the Apostle speaks to them upon another supposition which does necessarily imply that they were able to discern and judge what Doctrines were agreeable to the Gospel and what not for he puts the Case that if he himself or any of the Apostles or an Angel from Heaven should preach to them another Doctrine contrary to that of the Gospel they ought to reject it with detestation but this doth necessarily suppose them able to judge when such Doctrines were preached and consequently that all things necessary to be believed and practised by all Christians are clearly and plainly declared in the Gospel all the Doctrines whereof are now contained in the Holy Scriptures in which all things necessary to Faith and a good Life are so plainly delivered that any sober and inquisitive Person may learn them from thence and the meanest Capacity by the help and direction of their Guides and Teachers may be Instructed in them And this is not only the Principle of Protestants but the express and constant Doctrine of the Ancient Fathers of the Church whatever the Church of Rome for the maintaining of her usurp'd Authority over the Consciences of Men pretends to the contrary And if this were not so that Men are able to discern and judge which are the Doctrines of the Gospel and what is contrary to them the Doctrine of the Gospel was in vain preached and the Holy Scriptures containing that Doctrine were written to no purpose Some things in Scripture are granted to be obscure and difficult on purpose to exercise the Study and Enquiries of those who have leisure and capacity for it but all things necessary are sufficiently plain otherwise it would be impossible to judge when another Gospel is preached which the Apostle here supposeth the Galatians capable of doing For if the Revelation of the Gospel be not sufficiently plain in all things necessary to be believed and practised then Christians have no Rule whereby to judge what Doctrines are agreeable to the Gospel and what not for an obscure Rule is of no use that is in truth is no Rule to those to whom it is obscure I proceed to the IVth Observation which is plainly consequent from those laid down before namely that since the Declaration of the Gospel and the Confirmation given to it there is no Authority in the Christian Church to impose upon Christians any thing as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so The Commission given by our Lord and Saviour to his Apostles was to preach the Gospel to all Nations or as St. Matthew expresses it to go and teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them and this is that which we call the Gospel viz. that Doctrine which Christ commanded his Apostles to preach and publish to the World and if the Apostles themselves had exceeded their Commission and added any other points of Faith or Practice to those which our Saviour gave them in charge to teach and publish to the World they had in so doing been guilty of that which St. Paul here in the Text chargeth the false Apostles with viz. of preaching another Gospel And if the Apostles had â—o Authority to add any thing to the Gospel much less can any pretend to it since they have neither so immediate a Commission nor such a miraculous power to give testimony to them that they are Teachers come from God Now this Doctrine of the Gospel which the Apostles preached to the World is that which Christians are so often and so earnestly by the Apostles in all their Epistles Exhorted to continue in and not to suffer themselves to be shaken in mind by every wind of new Doctrine because that which the Apostles had delivered to them was the intire Doctrine of the Gospel which was never to receive any addition or alteration This is that which St. Peter calls the Holy Commandment which was delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them speaking in all probability of those who were seduced by the errors of the Gnosticks from the purity of the Christian Doctrine delivered to them by the Apostles This likewise St. Paul calls the common Faith Titus 1. 4. and St. Jude ver 3. the common Salvation that is the Doctrine which contains the common Terms of our Salvation and the Faith w hich was once delivered to the Saints that is by the Apostles of our Lord who publish'd the Gospel once delivered that is once for all so as never afterwards to admit of any change or alteration This Faith he exhorts Christians earnestly to contend for against those several Sects of Seducers which were crept into the Christian Church and did endeavour by several Arts to pervert the Gospel of Christ and to deprave the Faith delivered by the Apostles So that the Doctrine of the Gospel publish'd by the Apostles is fix'd and unalterable and there can be no Authority in the Church to make any change in it either by taking from it or adding any thing to it as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation V. It follows likewise from the foregoing Observations that there is no visible Judge how much soever â—e may pretend to Infallibility to whose determination and decision in matters of Faith and Practice necessary to Salvation Christians are bound to submit without examination whether those things be agreeable to the Doctrine of the Gospel or not When our Saviour appeared in the World tho' he had Authority enough to exact belief from Men yet because there was a standing Revelation of God made to the Jews he appeals to that Revelation as well as to his own Miracles for the truth of what he said and offered himself and his Doctrine to be tried by the agreeableness of it to the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the Predictions therein concerning him And this was but reasonable it being impossible for any Man to receive two Revelations as from God without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to and consistent with one another In like manner the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour tho' they were guided
because the Pope it seems and no body else understands the true meaning of that Council at least is thought fit to declare it And therefore one may justly wonder at the presumption of those who after this Declaration of the Council have taken upon them to Expound the Catholick Faith and to represent that Religion to us as it is defined in that Council because if there be any Controversie about the meaning of its Definitions as there have been a great many even betwixt those who were present at the Council when those Definitions were made none but the Pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them Now in this Creed of Pope Pius there are added to the Ancient Creed of the Christian Church twelve or thirteen new Articles as concerning Purgatory Transubstantiation the Worship of Images the Invocation of Saints the Communion in one kind and that the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches and that there is no Salvation to be had out of it and several other Points all which have either no foundation in Scripture or are plainly contrary to it and none of them ever esteemed as Articles of Faith in the Ancient Christian Church for the first five hundred years and yet they are now obtruded upon Christians as of equal necessity to Salvation with the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed and this under a pretence of Infallibility which St. Paul tells us would not have justified an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven in making such additions to the Christian Religion and the imposing of any thing as necessary to Salvation which is not so declared by the Gospel of Christ And all that they have to say for this is That We do not pretend to be Infallible but there is a necessity of an Infallible Judge to decide these Controversies and to him they are to be referred Which is just as if in a plain matter of Right a contentious and confiâ—â—nt Man should desire a reference and contrive the matter so as to have it refer'd to himself upon a sleeveless pretence without any proof or evidence that he is the only Person in the World that hath Authority and Infallible Skill to decide all such differences Thus the Church of Rome would deal with us in Things which are as plain as the noon-day as Whether God hath forbidden the Worship of Images in the second Commandment Whether our Saviour did Institute the Sacrament in both kinds Whether the People ought not to read the Scriptures and to have the publick Service of God in a known Tongue These and the like they would have us refer to an Infallible Judge and when we ask who he is they tell us that their Church which hath imposed these things upon Christians and made these additions to the Gospel of Christ is that Infallible Judge But if she were as Infallible as she pretends to be even as an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven St. Paul hath denounced an Anathema against her for preaching another Gospel and making those things necessary to the Salvation of Men which are not contained in the Gospel of Christ The Inference from all this Discourse in short is this That we should contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and not suffer our selves by the confident pretences of Seducers to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of Christ unto another Gospel The necessary Doctrines of the Christian Religion and the common Terms of Salvation are so plain that if any Man be ignorant of them it is his own fault and if any go about to impose upon us any thing as of necessity to be believed and practised in order to Salvation which is not declared to be so in the Holy Scriptures which contain the true Doctrine of the Gospel what Authority soever they pretend for it yea tho' they assume to themselves to be Insallible the Apostle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them for he hath put the Case as high as is possible here in the Text when he says Tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I will conclude all with that Counsel which the Spirit of God gives to the Churches of Asia Revel 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Chap. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer be thou faithful unto the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life A SERMON ON JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self SINCE there are so many different Opinions and Apprehensions in the World about Matters of Religion and every Sect and Party does with so much confidence pretend that they and they only are in the truth The great difficulty and question is by what means Men may be secured from dangerous Errors and Mistakes in Religion For this end some have thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Church in the Communion whereof every Man may be secured from the dangers of a wrong Belief But if seems God hath not thought this necessary If he had he would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular Point of Faith whatsoever He would have told us expresly and in the plainest terms that he had appointed an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and would likewise have told us as plainly who he was and where we mighâ— find him and have recourse to him upon all occasions because the sincerity of our Faith depending upon him we could not be safe from mistake in particular Points without so plain and clear a Revelation of this Infallible Judge that there could be no mistake about him nor could there be an end of any other Controversies in Religion unless this Infallible Judge both that there is one and who he is were out of Controversie But neither of these are so It is not plain from Scripture that there is an Infallible Judge and Guide in Matters of Faith much less is it plain who he is and therefore we may certainly conclude that God hath not thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith because he hath revealed no such thing to us and that Bishop and that Church who only have arrogated Infallibility to themselves have given the greatest evidence in the World to the contrary and have been detected and stand convinc'd of the greatest Errors And it is in vain for any Man or Company of Men to pretend to Infallibility so long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their Infallibility If then God hath not provided an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith there is some other way whereby Men may be
Revelation and Rule of their Written Law and that they were not Infallibly Assisted is evident from the great Errors they fell into in making void the Commandments of God by their Traditions and in their Rejecting and Crucifying the true Messias and the Son of God In like manner the Apostles and first Teachers of the Christian Religion were immediately Inspired and Miraculously Assisted in the Publishing of the Christian Doctrine and for the speedy and more effectual Propagating and Planting of it in the World in despite of the violent Prejudices that were against it and the fierce opposition that was made to it But when this was done this Miraculous and Extraordinary Assistance ceased and God left the Christian Religion to be preserved and continued by more Humane and Ordinary ways the Doctrines of it being committed to Writing for a standing Rule of Faith and Practice in all Ages and an Order of Men appointed to Instruct People in those Doctrines with a Promise to secure both Teachers and People that sincerely desiâ—e to know and do the Will of God from all Fatal Errors and Mistakes about Things necessary to their Eternal Salvation and this is a Provision more likely to be made by God and better suited to the Nature of Man than the perpetual and needless Miracle of an Inspired or any otherwise Infallible Church Thirdly This way is likewise more agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith The Design of an Infallible Church is to secure all that continue in the Communion of it against all possibility of Error in Matters of Faith The Question now is not whether an Infallible Church would do this but whether that Church which arrogates Infallibility to it self does not pretend to do this And if they could do it it would not be agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith For Faith which is the Principle of all Religious Actions would be no Virtue if it were necessary A true and right Belief can be no Virtue where a Man is Infallibly secured against Error There is the same Reason of Virtuous and Criminal Actions and as there can be no Crime or Fault in doing what a Man cannot help so neither can there be any Virtue All Virtuous Actions are Matter of Praise and Commendation and therefore it can be no Virtue in any Man because it deserves no Commendation to believe and own that the Sun shines at Noon-day when he sees it does so No more would it be a Virtue in any Man and deserve Praise to Believe aright who is in a Church wherein he is Infallibly secured against all Error in Matters of Faith Make any thing necessary and impossible to be otherwise and the doing of it ceases to be a Virtue God hath so framed Religion and the Evidence of Truth and the Means of coming to the Knowledge of it as to be a sufficient Security to Men of honest Minds and teachable Tempers against all Fatal and Final Mistakes concerning Things necessary to Salvation but not so that every Man that is of such a Church should be Infallibly secured against all Errors in Matters of Faith and this on purpose to try the Virtue and Disposition of Men whether they will be at the pains to search for Truth and when it is proposed to them with sufficient Evidence tho' not by an Infallible Hand they will receive it in the love of it that they may be Saved Fourthly This is as much security against Error in Matters of Faith as God hath provided against Sin and Vice in Matters of Practice and since a right Belief is only in order to a good Life a Man would be hard put to it to give a Wise Reason why God should take greater Care for the Infallible Security of Mens Faith than of their Obedience The Reason pretended why God should make such Infallible Provision for a right Faith is for the better security of Mens Eternal Salvation and Happiness Now the Virtues of a good Life have a more Direct and Immediate influence upon that than the most Orthodox Belief The end of the Commandments i. e of the Declaration of the Gospel is Charity In the Christian Religion that which mainly avails to our Justification and Salvation is a Faith that worketh by Charity and the keeping of the Commandments of God He that heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them saith our Blessed Lord I will liken him to a Wise Man that Built his House upon a Rock and again not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord i. e. makes Profession of Faith in me shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven and again if ye know these Things happy are ye if ye do them And the Apostle St. Peter Exhorts Christians to add to their Faith and Knowledge Virtue and Godliness and Brotherly Kindness and Charity that so an abundant entrance may be ministred to them into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ So that the Virtues of a good Life have the greatest Influence upon our Salvation and the main stress of Christianity is to be laid there And therefore whatever Reason can be assigned why God should provide for the Infallible security of our Faith is much stronger why an equal Provision should be made to secure Holiness and Obedience of Life because without this Faith cannot Infallibly attain its End which is the Salvation of our Souls But this it is granted God hath not done and Experience shews it and therefore it is unreasonable to suppose that he hath done the other It is sufficient that in both kinds he hath done that which is sufficient to make us capable of Happiness if we be not wanting to our selves the rest he hath left to the sincerity of our Endeavours expecting that We on our part should work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure And if God hath made such Provision by the Gospel for all that enjoy the Light and Advantage of it that none can miscarry without their own fault then both his Goodness and Wisdom are sufficiently acquitted without an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and that Irreverent way of Arguing in the Canon Law might well have been spared that of necessity there must be an Infallible Judge of Controversies in Religion aliter Dominus non videretur fuisse discretus otherwise God would not seem to have Ordered Matters discreetly But what Infallible Security soever they have in the Church of Rome as to Matters of Faith they are certainly the worst provided of wholsom and safe Directions for the Consciences and Lives of Men of any Church in the World No Religion that I know of in the World ever had such Lewd and Scandalous Casuists Witness the Moral Divinity of the Jesuits which hath been so exposed to the World not only by those
nor use any Industry about them and he said unto his Disciples therefore I say unto you take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat neither for the Body what ye shall put on Now to avoid all Inconvenience from our Saviours words I think that it is commonly said by Interpreters that he does here only condemn a distrustful and anxious Care about the Things of this Life and an over-solicitous Industry and Diligence for the obtaining of them but that he allows a prudent Care and regular Industry about these Things And this were very well said if it would agree with the Scope and Design of our Saviour's Discourse but the Instances which he gives of the Fowls of the Air and the Lilies of the Field which are sufficiently provided for without any Care and Industry of theirs and which he seems to set before us for a Pattern behold says he the Fowls of the Air I say these Instances which he gives seem to exclude even all regular and ordinary Care and Diligence about these Things What shall we say then that our Saviour intended by his Religion to take Men off from all Labour and Industry in their Callings This seems to be unreasonable and indeed so it certainly were if our Saviour had given this for a standing and ordinary Rule to all Christians and not only so but contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who constantly charged Christians to labour with great diligence in their Callings that they might be able to provide for themselves and their Families But this Discourse of our Saviour's was not intended for a General and Standing Rule to all Christians but only designed for his Disciples to take them off from all Care about the Things of this Life that they might attend upon his Person and wholly give up themselves to that Work to which he had called them And therefore St. Luke takes notice that after he had cautioned his Hearers in general against Covetousness he applies himself particularly to his Disciples and tells them that he would have them so far from this Vice of Covetousness that they should not so much as use that ordinary Care and Industry about the Things of this Life which is not only lawful but necessary for Men in all ordinary Cases ver 22. and he said unto his Disciples therefore I say unto you take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat And this agrees very well with the Direction which our Saviour gave to his Disciples when he first sent them forth to Preach Mat. 10. 9. Provide neither gold nâ—r silver nor brass in your purses neither coat nor scrip which no Man ever understood as a general Law to all Christians but as a particular Precept to the Apostles at that time And if this be our Saviour's meaning there is then no Reason to think that this Caution against Covetousness does forbid Men to use a provident Care and regular Industry about the Things of this Life Thirdly Nor is every Degree of Love and Affection to the Things of this World Condemned in Scripture as any Branch or Part of this Vice of Covetousness but such a love of the Things of this World as is truly consistent with the Love of God and a due and serious care of our Souls is allowed both by Scripture and Reason St. John indeed seems to condemn all love of the World and of the Things of it as utterly inconsistent with the love of God 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the Things that are in the World if any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him But this is according to the Hebrew Phrase and manner of speaking to forbid Things Absolutely which are to be understood only Comparatively So Mat. 6. 19. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth but lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven i. e. be not so solicitous for the good Things of this World as for the Glory and Happiness of the next And Luke 12. 4. Be not afraid of them that kill the Body that is fear them not so much as him that can destroy both Body and Soul in Hell And Luke 14. 26. If any Man come unto me and hate not his Father and Mother and all that he hath that is if he do not love me more than all these Things he cannot be my Disciple And John 6. 27. Labour not for the Meat which perisheth but for that which endureth to Everlasting Life that is labour not so much for the one as for the other be not so solicitous about the Things of this Life as about the great Concernments of Eternity So likewise Colos 3. 2. Set your affections on things above not on things on the Earth i. e. set them more on Things above than on earthly Things So here Love not the World neither the Things of the World that is do not over-value them do not love them so much as not to be able to part with them for Christ for if any Man thus love the World he does not love God as he ought So that when the Scripture commands us not to love the World this is to be understood Comparatively that we should not love these Things in Comparison of God and the great Concernments of another World But it does not forbid us to love theâ—e Things in a due Degree and with a due Subordination to those Things which are more Excellent and of Infinitely greater Concernment to us For nothing can be more inconsistent than to recommend to Men Diligence in their worldly Callings and Employments as the Scripture frequently does and that in order to the attaining of the good Things of this Life and yet to forbid us to love these Things at all For if Men have no degree of love to them the best Argument to Diligence for the obtaining of them would be taken away Besides that we are commanded in Scripture to be thankful to God for bestowing on us the Blessings of this Life and we are to love him upon this account Now can any Man love the Giver for bestowing such Gifts upon him which if he do as he ought he must not love You see then what those Things are which the Scripture does not Condemn as any Branch or Degree of this Vice of Covetousness a provident Care and a regular Industry and such a degree of Love to the Things of this World as is consistent with the love of God and the care of our Souls 2. I come now to shew what is Condemned in Scripture under the name of Covetousness and by this we shall best understand wherein the Nature of this Sin doth consist Now Covetousness is a word of a large Signification and comprehends in it most of the Irregularities of Mens Minds either in desiring or getting or in possessing and using an Estate I shall speak to each of these severally First Covetousness in the Desire of Riches consists in an eager and unsatiable desire
a Divine Nature First We will consider the Promises which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises And because the chief Promises of the Gospel are here intended I shall take occasion from this Text to handle the Doctrine of the Promises which is frequently discours'd of in Divinity but not always so clearly stated And to this purpose it will be proper to take into Consideration these four things 1. What the Promises are which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us Promises 2. Why they are said to be so great and precious exceeding great and precious Promises 3. We will Consider the Tenour of these Promises 4. When Men are said to have a right to them so as they may apply them to themselves These four Heads will comprehend what I have to say upon this Argument 1. What the Promises are which the Apostle here speaks of whereby are given unto us Promises And no doubt the Apostle here intends those great and excellent Promises which Christ hath made to us in the Gospel So that to satisfie our selves in this enquiry we need only to consider what are the Principal Promises of the Gospel Now the great Promises of the Gospel are these three 1. The Promise of the free Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance 2. The Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience 3. The Promise of Eternal Life to Reward it 1. The Promise of the Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance The Gospel hath made full and clear Promises to this Purpose that if we believe the Gospel and will forsake our Sins and amend our wicked Lives all that is past shall be forgiven us and that Christ died for this end to obtain for us Remission of Sins in his Blood The light of Nature upon consideration of the Mercy and goodness of God gave Men good hopes that upon their Repentance God would forgive their sins and turn away his wrath from them But Mankind was doubtful of this and therefore they used expiatory Sacrifices to appease the offended Deity The Jewish Religion allowed of no Expiation but for legal impurities and involuntary transgressions such as proceeded from ignorance and inadvertency but not for Sins of Presumption and such as were committed with an bigh hand If Men sin'd wilfully there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for such Sins But the Grace of the Gospel justifies us from the greatest Sins upon our Faith and sincere Repentance So St. Paul tells the Jews Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known â—nto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses There was no general Promise of Pardon nor way of Expiation under the Law perfect Remission of Sins is clearly revealed and ascertain'd to us only by the Gospel 2. Another great Promise of the Gospel is the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience Our Blessed Saviour hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him 'T is true indeed there was a peculiar Promise of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles and Christians of the first Ages which is not now to be expected namely an Extraordinary and Miraculous Power whereby they were qualified to publish the Gospel to the World and to give Confirmation to it But now that the Christian Religion is propagated and setled in the World the great End and Use of these Miraculous Gifts is ceased but yet the Spirit of God doth still concur with the Gospel and work upon the Minds of Men to excite and assist them to that which is good And tho' this Operation be very secret so as we cannot give an account of the manner of it yet the effects of it are very sensible and this influence of God's Holy Spirit is common to all Christians in all Ages of the World This Proposition is Universally true and in all Ages and Times If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his It must be acknowledged that the Spirit doth not now work upon Men in that sudden and sensible manner as it did in the first times of Christianity because then Men were strongly possest with the prejudices of other Religions which they had been brought up in and therefore as more outward means of Conviction were then necessary so likewise a more powerful internal Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men to Conquer and bear down those prejudices and to subdue them to the Obedience of Faith But now the Principles of Religion and Goodness are more gradually instilled into the Minds of Men by the gentle degrees of Pious Instruction and Education and with these means the Spirit of God concurrs in a more Humane way which is more suited and accommodated to our Reason and offers less violence to the Nature of Men. So that this Promise of God's Holy Spirit is now made good to us as the Necessity and Circumstances of our present State do require God does not use such extraordinary Means for the producing of those Effects which may be accomplish'd in a more ordinary way The assistance of God's Holy Spirit is still necessary to Men to encline and enable them to that which is good but not in that manner and degree that it was necessary at first Because the prejudices against Christianity are not now so great and many of those Advantages which were necessarily wanting at first are now supplied in an ordinary way and therefore it is not reasonable now to expect the same extraordinary operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men which we read of in the first beginnings of Christianity 3. There is likewise the Promise of Eternal Life to Reward and Crown our Obedience And this the Scripture speaks of as the great Promise of the Gospel 1 Job 2. 25. This is the promise which he hath promised us even Eternal Life And upon this account the new Covenant of the Gospel is preferred before the old Covenant of the Law because it is establish'd upon better Promises All the Special and Particular Promises of the Law were of Temporal good things and these were the great Encouragements that were given to Obedience under that imimperfect Dispensation but now Godliness hath not only the Promise of the Life that now is but of that which is to come as the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 4. 8. The Gospel hath clearly revealed to us a happy State of Immortality after this Life of which Men had but very obscure and doubtful apprehensions So the same Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1. 10. That it is now made manifest by the appearance of our Saviour Jâ—sus Christ who hath abâ—lisbed Death and hath brought Life and Immortality
the only sure way to be happy for ever is so to improve the short and uncertain time of this Life that we may approve our selves to God in this World and enjoy him in the next or as St. Paul expresseth it that having our fruit unto Holiness our end may be everlasting Life And this Work consists in these three things First In the Care of our own Salvation Secondly In doing what we can to promote the Salvation of others Thirdly And in order to both these in the careful Improvement and good Husbandry of our time First In the Care of our own Salvation And this consists in two things 1. In the Worship of Almighty God 2. In the careful and conscientious Practice and Obedience of his Holy Laws 1. The Care of our own Salvation consists in the pious and devout Worship of Almighty God that we honour him and pay him that Homage and Respect which is due from Creatures to him that made them and is the great Soveraign and Judge of the World that we have an inward Reverence and Esteem of him and that we express this by all solemn externalacknowledgments of him as by praying to him for the supply of our Wants by praising him for all the Blessings and Benefits which we have received at his Hands and that we set apart constant and solemn times for the Performance of these Duties and that when we are employed in them we be serious and hearty and attentive to what we are about and perform every part of Divine Worship with those Circumstances of Reverence and Respect which may testifie our awful Sense of the Divine Majesty and our inward and profound Veneration of him with whom we have to do And this is that which is directly and properly Religion 2. This Care of our own Salvation does consist likewise in the conscientious and constant Obedience and Practice of all God's Holy Laws in the Conformity of our Lives and Actions to the Laws which he hath given us whether they be natural or written upon our Hearts or made known to us by the Revelation of his Word that we govern our Passions by Reason and moderate our selves in the use of sensual Delights so as not to transgress the Rules of Temperance and Chastity that we demean our selves towards others and converse with them with Justice and Fidelity with Kindness and Charity These are the Sum of the Divine Laws and the Heads of our Duty towards our selves and others all which are more powerfully enforced upon us by the Revelation of the Gospel and the plain Promises and Threatnings of it the Faith of Christ being the most firm and effectual Principle both of Piety towards God and of Universal Obedience to all his particular Commands And this is the great work which God hath sent us to do in the World so the Wise Man sums up our Duty Eccl. 12. 13. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The Fear and Reverence of the Divine Majesty is the great Foundation and Principle of Religion but Obedience to God's Laws is the Life and Practice of it God does not expect that we should spend the greatest part of our time in the immediate Acts of Religion and in the solemn Duties of his Worship and Service but only that we should allot a fitting Proportion of our time to these according to the Circumstances of our Condition in this World and the Example of Holy and Good Men that are in the like Circumstances with our selves For such is the Goodness of God that he does not only allow us to provide for the Necessities and Conveniencies of this Life but hath made it our Duty so to do It is one of the Precepts of the Gospel which the Apostle chargeth the Bishops and Teachers of the Gospel to inculcate frequently upon Christians that they which have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works that is to employ themselves in the works of an honest Calling for necessary uses that is for the support of their Families and the relief of those who are in want and necessity And the Apostle lays great weight and stress upon this as a very great Duty Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works These things are good and profitable unto Men that is of general benefit and advantage to Mankind So that no Man's Calling is a hindrance to Religion but a part of it and by performing the Duties of Piety in their proper Seasons and spending the rest of our time in any honest and useful Employment we may make our whole Life a perpetual serving of God we may glorifie God in our eating and drinking and in all other lawful and useful actions of Life in serving the Occasions and Necessities of Life with Sobriety and Temperance and in managing our Worldly Commerce with Justice and Integrity we may serve God and perform considerable Duties of Religion So that provided we do nothing that is sinful and manage the Actions and Concernments of this Life with a due regard and subserviency to the great interests of Eternity we may do the work of God all the while we are providing for our selves and employed in the works of an honest Calling For God who hath designed this Life in order to the other considers the necessities of our present state and allows us to make provision for it There are some Persons indeed whose Birth and Condition sets them above the common Employments of Life and the Works of an ordinary Calling But these also have a work given them to do for God hath sent no Man into the World to no purpose and only to take his pastime therein neque enim ita generati sumus à natura ut ad ludum jocum facti esse videamur sed ad severitatem potius quaedam studia graviora atque majora for â—e are not says Tully de Off. Lib. 1. so framed by Nature as if we were made for sport and jest but for more serious Employments and for greater and weightier business and those who are tied to no particular Calling may allow so much larger portions of their time to Religion and the Service of God and God likewise expects from them that they should be useful to Mankind in some higher and nobler way according to the publickness of their station and influence Such Persons may be serviceable to their Country and the Affairs of Government and in the care of publick Justice and may employ their time in preparing and rendring themselves more fit for this Service They may find a great deal of work to do in the good government of their Families and in the prudent care and management of their Estates and in reconciling differences among their Neighbours and in considering the necessities of the Poor and providing for their supply So