save to the utmost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us By these Qualifications our High Priest is described in this Epistle and by these he is every way suited to all our Defects and Infirmities all our Wants and Necessities to instruct our Ignorance by his Doctrine and to lead us in the Path of Righteousness by his most Holy and most Exemplary Life to expiate the guilt of our Sins by his Death and to procure Grace and Assistance for us by his prevalent Intercession on our behalf By all these ways and in all these respects he is said to be the Author of Eternal Salvation 1st By the Holiness and Purity of his Doctrine whereby we are perfectly instructed in the Will of God and our Duty and powerfully excited and perswaded to the Practice of it The Rules and Directions of a holy Life were very obscure before and the Motives and Encouragements to Virtue but weak and ineffectual in comparison of what they are now render'd by the Revelation of the Gospel The general corruption of Mankind and the vicious Practice of the World had in a great measure blurr'd and defac'd the Natural Law so that the Heathen World for many Ages had but a very dark and doubtful knowledge of their Duty especially as to several instances of it The Custom of several Vices had so prevail'd among Mankind as almost quite to extinguish the natural Sense of their Evil and Deformity And the Jews who enjoy'd a considerable degree of Divine Revelation had no strict regard to the Morality of their Actions and contenting themselves with some kind of outward Conformity to the bare Letter of the Ten Commandments were almost wholly taken up with little Ceremonies and Observances in which they placed the main of their Religion almost wholly neglecting the greater Duties and weightier matters of the Law And therefore our Blessed Saviour to free Mankind from these wandrings and uncertainties about the Will of God revealed the Moral Law and explained the full force and meaning of it clearing all doubts and supplying all the defects of it by a more particular and explicite Declaration of the several parts of our Duty and by Precepts of greater Perfection than the World was sufficiently acquainted withal before of greater Humility and more Universal Charity of abstaining from Revenge and forgiving Injuries and returning to our Enemies Good for Evil and Love for ill-will and Blessings and Prayers for Curses and Persecutions These Virtues indeed were sometimes and yet but very rarely recommended before in the Counsels of wise Men but either not in that degree of Perfection or not under that degree of Necessity and as having the force of Laws and laying an universal obligation of indispensable Duty upon all Mankind And as our blessed Saviour hath given a greater clearness and Certainty and Perfection to the rule of our Duty so he hath reveal'd and brought into a clearer Light more powerful Motives and Encouragements to the constant and careful Practice of it for Life and Immortality are brought to light by the Gospel the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead being a plain and convincing Demonstration of the Immortality of our Souls and another Life after this and an Evidence to us both of his Power and of the fidelity of his promise to raise us from the Dead Not but that Mankind had some obscure Apprehensions of these things before Good Men had always good hopes of another Life and future Rewards in another World and the worst of Men were not without some fears of the Judgment and Vengeance of another World but Men had disputed themselves into great doubts and uncertainties about these things and as Men that are in doubt are almost indifferent which way they go so the uncertain apprehensions which Men had of a future State and of the Rewards and Punishments of another World had but a very faint influence upon the minds of Men and wanted that pressing and determining force to Virtue and a good Life which a firm Belief and clear Conviction of these things would have infused into them But now the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ hath scatter'd all these Clouds and chased away that gross Darkness which hid the other World from our sight and hath removed all doubts concerning the Immortality of Mens Souls and their future State and now the Kingdom of Heaven with all its Treasures of Life and Happiness and Glory lies open to our view and Hell is also naked before us and Destruction hath no covering So that the hopes and fears of Men are now perfectly awakened and all sorts of Considerations that may serve to quicken and encourage our Obedience and to deter and affright Men from a wicked Life are exposed to the view of all Men and do stare every Man's Conscience in the face And this is that which renders the Gospel so admirable and powerful an Instrument for the reforming of Mankind and as the Apostle calls it the mighty power of God unto Salvation because therein Life and Immortality are set before us as the certain and glorious Reward of our Obedience and therein also the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men So that considering the perfection of our Rule and the powerful enforcements of it upon the Consciences of Men by the clear discovery and firm assurance of the Eternal Recompence of another World nothing can be imagined better suited to its end than the Doctrine of the Gospel is to make Men wise and holy and good unto Salvation both by instructing them perfectly in their Duty and urging them powerfully to the practice of it 2dly The Example of our Saviour's life is likewise another excellent Means to this End The Law lays an Obligation upon us but a pattern gives life and encouragement and renders our Duty more easie and practicable and familiar to us for here we see obedience to the Divine Law practised in our own Nature and performed by a Man like our selves in all things like unto us Sin only excepted 'T is true indeed this exception makes a great difference and seems to take off very much from the encouraging Force and Virtue of this Example No wonder if he that was without Sin and was God as well as Man performed all Righteousness and therefore where is the encouragement of this example That our Nature pure and uncorrupted supported and assisted by the Divinity to which it was united should be perfectly conformed to the Law of God as it is no strange thing so neither doth it seem to have that force and encouragement in it which an Example more suited to our weakness might have had But then this cannot be deny'd that it hath the advantage of perfection which a Pattern ought to have and to which though we can never attain yet we may always be aspiring towards it and certainly we cannot better learn
Lives remembring that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God I will conclude with the words of the Apostle immediately after the Text The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned And how gladly would I add the next words But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak SERMON VI. Christ the Author and Obedience the Condition of Salvation HEB. V. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him THIS is spoken of Christ our great High Priest under the Gospel upon the Excellency of whose Person and the Efficacy of his Sacrifice for the Eternal Benefit and Salvation of Mankind the Apostle insists so largely in this and the following Chapters but the Summ of all is briefly comprehended in the Text that our High Priest being made perfect became the Author of eternal salvation to them that obey him In which words we have these four things considerable 1st The great Blessing and Benefit here spoken of and that is Eternal Salvation and this implies in it not only our Deliverance from Hell and Redemption from Eternal Misery but the obtaining of Eternal Life and Happiness for us 2dly The Author of this great Blessing and Benefit to Mankind and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God who is here represented to us under the notion of our High Priest who by making Atonement for us and reconciling us to God is said to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to Mankind 3dly The Way and Means whereby he became the Author of our Salvation being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having consummated his work and finish'd his Course and receiv'd the Reward of it For this word hath an allusion to those that run in a Race where he that wins receives the Crown And to this the Apostle plainly alludes Phil. 3. 12. where he says not as though I had already attained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as if I had already taken hold of the Prize but I am pressing or reaching forward towards it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or were already perfect that is not as if I had finish'd my Course or had the Prize or Crown in my hand but I am pressing forward towards it In like manner our blessed Saviour when he had finish'd the Course of his Humiliation and Obedience which was accomplish'd in his Sufferings and had receiv'd the Reward of them being risen from the Dead and exalted to the Right Hand of God and crown'd with Glory and Honour he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made perfect and therefore when he was giving up the Ghost upon the Cross he said John 19. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is finish'd or perfected that is he had done all that was necessary to be done by way of suffering for our Redemption And the same word is likewise used Luke 13. 32. concerning our Saviour's Sufferings I do cures to day and to morrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the third day I shall be perfected this he spake concerning his own death And therefore Chap. 2. 10. God is said to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through Sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus our High Priest being made perfect in this Sense that is having finish'd his Course which was accomplished in his Sufferings and having received the Reward of them in being exalted at the Right Hand of God he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to us 4thly You have here the qualification of the Persons who are made Partakers of this great Benefit or the Condition upon which it is suspended and that is Obedience He became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him These are the main things contained in the Text. For the fuller Explication whereof I shall take into consideration these five things 1st How and by what means Christ is the Author of our Salvation 2dly What Obedience the Gospel requires as a Condition and is pleased to accept as a Qualification in those who hope for eternal Salvation 3dly We will consider the possibility of performing this Condition by that Grace and Assistance which is offer'd and ready to be afforded to us by the Gospel 4thly The necessity of this Obedience in order to Eternal Life and Happiness And 5thly I shall shew that this is no prejudice to the Law of Faith and the free Grace and Mercy of God declared in the Gospel 1st We will consider how and by what means Christ is the Author of our Salvation and this is contain'd in these words Being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation that is as I told you before having finish'd his Course which was accomplish'd in his last Sufferings and having received the Reward of them being exalted at the right hand of God he became the Author of eternal Salvation to us so that by all that he did and suffer'd for us in the days of his Flesh and in the state of his Humiliation and by all that he still continues to do for us now that he is in Heaven at the right hand of God he hath effected and brought about the great Work of our Salvation His Doctrine and his Life his Death and Sufferings his Resurrection from the Dead and his powerful Intercession for us at the Right Hand of God have all a great influence upon the reforming and saving of Mankind and by all these Ways and Means he is the Author and Cause of our Salvation as a Rule and as a Pattern as a Price and Propitiation and as a Patron and Advocate that is continually pleading our Cause and interceding with God on our behalf for mercy and grace to help in time of need And indeed our condition requir'd an High Priest who was qualified in all these respects for the recovery of Mankind out of that corrupt and degenerate state into which it was sunk an High Priest whose lips should preserve knowledge and from whose mouth we might learn the Law of God whose life should be a perfect Pattern of Holiness to us and his Death a propitiation for the sins of the whole World and by whose Grace and Assistance we should be endowed with Power and Strength to mortifie our Lusts and to perfect Holiness in the Fear of God and therefore such an High Priest became us who was holy harmless undefiled and separate from Sinners who might have compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way and being himself compast with infirmities might have the feeling of ours being in all points tempted as we are only without sin and in a word might be able to
how God would have Men to live than by seeing how God himself lived when he was pleased to assume our Nature and to become Man And then we are to consider that the Son of God did not assume our Nature in its highest Glory and Perfection but compast with Infirmities and liable in all points to be tempted like as we are but still it was without Sin and therefore God doth not exact from us perfect Obedience and that we should fulfil all Righteousness as he did he makes allowance for the corruption of our Nature and is pleased to accept of our sincere though very imperfect Obedience But after all this his human Nature was united to the Divinity and he had the Spirit without measure and this would indeed make a wide difference between us and our Pattern as to the purpose of Holiness and Obedience if we were destitute of that assistance which is necessary to enable us to the discharge of our Duty But this God offers and is ready to afford to us for he hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him and the Spirit of him that raised up Christ Jesus from the Dead dwells in all good men who sincerely desire to do the Will of God in the working out our Salvation God worketh in us both to will and to do So that as to that Obedience which the Gospel requires of us if we be not wanting to our selves if we do not receive the Grace of God in vain and quench and resist his blessed Spirit we may be as really assisted as the Son of God himself was for in this respect all true and sincere Christians are the Sons of God so that St. Paul tells us Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God So that if all things be duly consider'd the Life of our blessed Saviour as it is the most perfect so in the main it is a very proper Pattern for our imitation and could not have come nearer to us without wanting that perfection which is necessary to a compleat and absolute Pattern The Son of God condescended to every thing that might render him the most familiar and equal Example to us excepting that which as it was impossible so had been infinitely dishonourable to him and would have spoil'd the perfection of his Example he came as near to us as was fit or possible being in all things like unto us Sin only excepted that is abating that one thing which he came to destroy and abolish and which would have destroyed the very end of his coming for if he had not been without Sin he could neither have made an expiation for Sin nor have been a perfect Pattern of Holiness and Obedience And as the Life of our blessed Saviour had all the perfection that is requisite to an absolute Pattern so that by considering his Temper and Spirit and the actions of his Life we may reform all the vicious inclinations of our Minds and the exorbitances of our Passions and the errors and irregularities of our Lives so it is a very powerful Example and of great force to oblige and provoke us to the imitation of it for it is the Example of one whom we ought to reverence and have reason to love above any Person in the World The Example of our Prince and Soveraign Lord of our best Friend and greatest Benefactor of the High Priest of our Profession and the Captain of our Salvation of the Author and Finisher of our Faith of one who came down from Heaven for our sakes and was contented to assume our Nature together with the infirmities of it and to live in a low and mean condition for no other reason but that he might have the opportunity to instruct and lead Mankind in the way to Life to deliver us from Sin and Wrath and to bring us to God and Happiness 'T is the Example of one who laid down his Life for us and sealed his Love to us in his Blood and whilst we were Enemies did and suffer'd more for us than ever any Man did for his Friend And surely these Considerations cannot but mightily recommend and endear to us this Example of our Lord and Saviour We are ambitious to imitate those whom we highly esteem and reverence and are apt to have their Examples in great veneration from whom we have received great Kindnesses and Benefits and are always endeavouring to be like those whom we love and are apt to conform our selves to the Will and Pleasure of those from whom we have received great Favours and who are continually heaping great Obligations upon us So that whether we consider the Excellency of our Pattern or the mighty Endearments of it to us by that infinite Love and Kindness which he hath exprest towards us we have all the temptation and all the provocation in the World to endeavour to be like him for who would not gladly tread in the steps of the Son of God and of the best Friend that the Sons of Men ever had Who would not follow that Example to which we stand indebted for the greatest Blessings and Benefits that ever were procured for Mankind Thus you see of what force and advantage the Example of our blessed Saviour is toward the Recovery and Salvation of Mankind 3dly He is the Author of Eternal Salvation as he hath purchased it for us by the Merit of his Obedience and Sufferings by which he hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us not only deliverance from the wrath to come but Eternal Life and Happiness when by our Sins we had justly incurred the wrath and displeasure of Almighty God and were liable to Eternal Death and Misery He was contented to be substituted a Sacrifice for us to bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree and to expiate the guilt of all our Offences by his own Sufferings He died for us that is not only for our Benefit and Advantage but in our place and stead so that if he had not died we had eternally perrish'd and because he died we are saved from that eternal Ruine and Punishment which was due to us for our Sins And this tho' it be no where in Scripture call'd by the Name or Term of Satisfaction yet which is the same thing in effect it is call'd the price of our Redemption for as we are Sinners we are liable and indebted to the Justice of God and our Blessed Saviour by his Death and Sufferings hath discharged this Obligation which Discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of his precious Blood without which the Scripture expresly says there had been no Remission of Sin why it may not properly enough be called Payment and Satisfaction I confess I cannot understand Not that God was angry with his Son for he was always well pleased with him or that our Saviour suffer'd the very same which the Sinner should have done in his own Person the
Temptations of a wicked World and are possest of so great a Happiness by the free Grace and Mercy of God to do any thing whereby they may forfeit their Happiness or so much as to entertain a Thought of offending that God to whom they cannot but be sensible how infinitely they are obliged In this imperfect state few Men have so little Goodness as to sin without a Temptation but in that state where Men are perfectly good and can have no Temptation to be otherwise it is not imaginable that they should fall from that state 2. As to the state of the damned that that likewise is immutable the Scripture does seem plainly enough to assert when it calls it an everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and uses such Expressions to set forth the continuance of their Misery as signifie the longest and most interminable Duration expressions of as great an Extent as those which are used to signifie the Eternal Happiness of the blessed and as large and unlimited as any are to be had in those Languages wherein the Scriptures are written Besides that wicked Men in the other World are in Scripture represented as in the same Condition with the Devils of whom there is no ground to believe that any of them ever did or will repent Not because Repentance is impossible in it's own nature to those that are in extream Misery but because there is no place left for it Being under an irreversible Doom there is no encouragement to Repentance no hope of Mercy and Pardon without which Repentance is impossible For if a Man did utterly despair of Pardon and were assured upon good ground that God would never shew Mercy to him in this case a Man would grow desperate and not care what he did He that knows that whatever he does he is miserable and undone will not matter how he demeans himself All motives to Repentance are gone after a Man once knows it will be to no purpose And this the Scripture seems to represent to us as the case of the Devils and damned Spirits Because their state is finally determined and they are concluded under an irreversible Sentence therefore Repentance is impossible to them Sorry no doubt they are and heartily troubled that by their own Sin and Folly they have brought this Misery upon themselves and they cannot but conceive an everlasting Displeasure against themselves for having been the Cause and Authors of their own Ruin and the Reflection upon this will be a perpetual spring of Discontent and fill their Minds with eternal Rage and Vexation and so long as they feel the intolerable Punishments of Sin and groan under the insupportable Torments of it and see no end of this miserable State no hope of getting out of it they can be no otherwise affected than with Discontent at themselves and Rage and Fury against God They are indeed penitent so far as to be troubled at themselves for what they have done but this Trouble works no Change and Alteration in them they still hate God who inflicts these Punishments upon them and who they believe is determined to continue them in this miserable state The present Anguish of their Condition and their despair of bettering it makes them mad and their Minds are so distracted by the wildness of their Passions and their Spirits so exasperated and set on Fire by their own giddy Motions that there can be no rest and silence in their Souls not so much as the liberty of one calm and sedate Thought Or if at any time they reflect upon the evil of their Sins and should entertain any thought of returning to God and their Duty they are presently checkt with this Consideration that their case is determined that God is implacably offended with them and is inexorably and peremptorily resolved to make them miserable for ever and during this Perswasion no Man can return to the love of God and Goodness without which there can be no Repentance This Consideration of the immutable state of Men after this Life should engage us with all seriousness and diligence to endeavour to secure our future Happiness God hath set before us good and evil Life and Death and we may yet chuse which we please but in the other World we must stand to that Choice which we have made here and inherit the Consequences of it By Sin Mankind is brought into a miserable State but our Condition is not desperate and past Remedy God hath sent his Son to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of Sins So that tho' our Case be bad it need not continue so if it be not our own fault There is a possibility now of changing our Condition for the better and of laying the foundation of a perpetual Happiness for our selves The Grace of God calls upon us and is ready to assist us so that no Man's Case is so bad but there is a possibility of bettering it if we be not wanting to our selves and will make use of the Grace which God offers who is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of Men. Under the Influence and Assistance of this Grace those who are dead in trespasses and sins may pass from death to life may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God So long as we are in this World there is a possibility of being translated from one state to another from the dominion of Satan into the kingdom of God's dear Son But if we neglect the oportunities of this life and stand out against the offers of God's Grace and Mercy there will no Overtures be made to us in the other World After this life is ended God will try us no more our final miscarriage in this World will prove fatal to us in the other and we shall not be permitted to live over again to correct our Errors As the Tree falls so it shall lie such a State as we are settled in when we go out of this World shall be fixt in the other and there will be no possibility of changing it We are yet in the hand of our own Counsel and by God's Grace we may mould and fashion our own Fortune But if we trifle away this Advantage we shall fall into the hands of the living God out of which there is no Redemption God hath yet left Heaven and Hell to our choice and we had need to look about us and chuse well who can chuse but once for all and for ever There is yet a space and oportunity left us of Repentance but so soon as we step out of this Life and are entred upon the other World our Condition will be sealed never to be reverst And because after this Life there will be no further hopes of Mercy there will be no possibility of Repentance This is the accepted time this is the day of Salvation therefore to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts lest God
concluded that if he were permitted to go on and work Miracles he would draw all men after him What do we say they for this man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all men will believe on him This they said upon occasion of the great Miracle of raising Lazarus from the Dead And in Reason Miracles are the highest Attestation that can be given to the Truth and Divinity of any Doctrine and supposing a Doctrine not to be plainly unworthy of God and contrary to those natural Notions which Men have of God and Religion we can have no greater Evidence of the truth of it than Miracles they are such an argument as in its own nature is apt to perswade and induce belief All Truths do not need Miracles some are of easie belief and are so clear by their own light that they need neither Miracle nor Demonstration to prove them Such are those self-evident Principles which Mankind do generally agree in others which are not so evident by their own light we are content to receive upon clear demonstration of them or very probable Arguments for them without a Miracle And there are some Truths which however they may be sufficiently obscure and uncertain to most Men yet are they so inconsiderable and of so small consequence as not to deserve the attestation of Miracles so that there is no reason to expect that God should interpose by a Miracle to convince Men of them Nec Deus intersit nisi dignus vindice nodus Inciderit But for such Truths as are necessary to be known by us but are not sufficiently evident of themselves nor capable of cogent Evidence especially to prejudiced and interested Persons God is pleased in this Case many times to work Miracles for our Conviction and they are a proper Argument to convince us of a thing that is either in it self obscure and hard to be believed or which we are prejudiced against and hardly brought to believe for they are an Argument à Majori ad Minus they prove a thing which is obscure and hard to be believed by something that is more incredible which yet they cannot deny because they see it done Thus our Saviour proves himself to be an extraordinary Person by doing such things as never man did he convinceth them that they ought to believe what he said because they saw him do those things which were harder to be believed if one had not seen them than what he said Miracles are indeed the greatest external confirmation and evidence that can be given to the truth of any Doctrine and where they are wrought with all the advantages they are capable of they are an unquestionable demonstration of the truth of it and such were our Saviour's Miracles here in the Text to prove that he was the true Messias here are Miracles of all kinds the blind receive their sight and the lame walk the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear and the dead are raised up For the nature of them they are such as are most likely to be Divine and to come from God for they were healing and beneficial to Mankind Our Saviour here instanceth in those things which are of greatest benefit and advantage and which free Men from the greatest miseries and inconveniencies the restoring of sight to the Blind and hearing to the Deaf soundness and health to the Lame and the Leprous and life to the Dead And then for the number of them they were many not one instance of a kind but several of every kind and great multitudes of most of them and for the manner of their operation they were publick in the sight and view of great multitudes of People to free them from all suspicion of fraud and imposture they were not wrought privately and in corners and given out and noised abroad but before all the People so that every one might see them and judge of them not only among his own Disciples and Followers as the Church of Rome pretends to work theirs but among his Enemies to convince those that did not believe and this not done once and in one place but at several times and in all places where he came and for a long time for three years and a half and after his death he endowed his Disciples and Followers with the same power which lasted for some Ages And then for the quality of them they were Miracles of the greatest magnitude those of them which in themselves might have been performed by natural means as healing the Lame and the Leprous and the Deaf he did in a miraculous manner by a word or a touch yea and many times at a great distance But others were not only in the manner of their operation but in the nature of the thing unquestionably miraculous as giving of sight to those that had been born blind and raising up the dead to life as Lazarus after he had lain in the grave four days and himself afterterwards the third day after he had been buried which if there ever was or can be any unquestionable Miracles in the World ought certainly to be reputed such So that our blessed Saviour had all the Attestation that Miracles can give that he came from God And this is the first Evidence of his being the Messias The Jews acknowledge that the Messias when he comes shall work great Miracles and their own Talmud confesseth that Jesus the Son of Joseph and Mary did work great Miracles and the History of the Gospel does particularly relate more and greater Miracles wrought by him than by Moses and all the Prophets that had been since the World began so that we may still put the same question to the Jews which they did in our Saviour's time to one another when Christ cometh when the Messias whom ye expect comes will he do more Miracles than these which this Man hath done But Secondly this will yet more clearly appear by the correspondency of the things here mentioned with what was foretold by the Prophets concerning the Messias Not to mention innumerable Circumstances of his Birth and Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven together with the success and prevalency of his Doctrine in the World all which are punctually foretold by some or other of the Prophets I shall confine my self to the particulars here in the Text. First It was foretold of the Messias that he should work miraculous Cures Isa 35. 4 5 6. speaking of the Messias he will come and save you then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstop'd then shall the lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing this you see was fulfilled here in the Text. 'T is true indeed the Text mentions another Miracle which is not in the Prophet that he raised the dead but if God did more than he promised and foretold this is no prejudice to the argument if all that he foretold was accomplish'd in him
appeared once in the Conclusion of the Ages to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself 3. He did appear at that Time in which the World stood most in need of him when the whole World both Jews and Gentiles were sunk into the greatest Degeneracy both in Opinion and Practice and the Condition of Mankind seemed to be even desperate and past Remedy This was the needful time when it was most seasonable for this great Physician to come and show his Pity and Skill in our Recovery God could have sent his Son many Ages before but he thought fit to try other ways first and to reserve this powerful Remedy to the last last of all he sent his Son 4. The Time of our Saviour's Appearing was of all Ages of the World the fittest Season for his Coming Whether we consider 1. That the World was at that Time best prepared and disposed for receiving the Christian Religion Or 2. That this was the fittest Season that ever had been for the easie diffusing and propagating of this Religion I assign these Reasons as tending to give Men some Satisfaction why this great Blessing was delay'd so long it being rather an Argument of Wisdom and Goodness than of the want of either to defer Things to that time in which they are most likely to have their effect Not but that perhaps other and better Reasons may be given To be sure God had very good Reasons for this Dispensation whether we can hit upon them or not In the mean Time these seem not to be altogether inconsiderable 1. That the World was at that time best prepared and disposed for receiving the Christian Religion All the while our Saviour's Coming was delay'd God's Providence was disposing things for it and training up Mankind for the entertaining of this great Blessing The Jewish Religion was always very burdensom but much more so towards the Expiration of the Jewish State partly by the Intolerable Multitude of external Observances which were daily multiplyed upon them under Pretence of Traditions from their Fathers and partly by reason of their Subjection to the Romans which made the Exercise of their Religion in many Respects more difficult And the Heathen World was in a very good Measure prepared for Christianity by being civilized About the time of our Saviour's coming into the World Philosophy and Learning had been so diffused by the Roman Conquests as had brought a great part of the World from Barbarism to Civility Besides that their Philosophy had this Effect upon Men to refine their Reason and in a good Degree to detect the Follies of the Heathen Idolatry and Superstition 'T is true indeed Learning and Philosophy flourisht a great while before in the Time of the Grecian Empire and perhaps before that in some other Nations and the Conquests of the Grecians were very speedy and of vast Extent But yet they were neither so Universal nor so well settled nor did they propagate their Philosophy and Civility together with their Conquests as the Romans did So that there was no Age of the World wherein Mankind were so generally prepared and disposed for the receiving of the Gospel as that wherein our Saviour appeared 2. This was likewise the fittest Season for the easie diffusing and propagating of the Christian Religion The Romans together with their Conquests did very much propagate their Language which made the ways of Communication far more easie And by the long and frequent Correspondence of the several Parts of that Empire one with another the ways of Travel and Passage from one Country to another were more ready and open So that no Age can be instanc'd in all Respects so convenient for the speedy propagating of a new Religion as that wherein our Saviour appear'd viz. when the Roman Empire was at its height And it was very agreeable to the Goodness and Wisdom of the Divine Providence that the bravest and most virtuous People in the World infinitely beyond either the Persians or Grecians should be chosen by God as one of the chiefest Means for the spreading of the best and most perfect Revelation that ever God made to the World Thirdly It is objected that we have not now sufficient Evidence of the Truth of Christianity the main Arguments for it relying upon matters of Fact of which at this Distance we have not nor can be suppos'd to have sufficient Assurance To this I answer 1. That Men not only may have but have an undoubted Assurance of matters of Fact ancienter than these we are speaking of and the distance of them from our Times creates no manner of Scruple in the Minds of Men concerning them That there was such a Man as Alexander the Great and that he conquer'd Darius and the Persians That Julius Caesar invaded our Nation and in some measure subdued it and that he overcame Pompey in the Battel of Pharsalia and innumerable other Things which I might instance in that were done before our Saviour's Time are firmly believed without any manner of Doubt and Scruple by Mankind notwithstanding they were done so long ago So that ancient matters of Fact are capable of clear Evidence and we may have sufficient Assurance of them And where there is equal Evidence if we do not give equal Belief the fault is not in the Argument but in the Passion or Prejudice of those to whom it is proposed 2. We have every whit as great Assurance nay greater if it can or needed to be of the matters upon which the proof of Christianity relies as of those which I have mentioned The matters of Fact upon which the Truth of Christianity relies are that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ that he wrought such Miracles that he was put to death at Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate that he rose again from the dead and was visibly taken up into Heaven that he bestowed miraculous Gifts and Powers upon the Apostles to make them competent Witnesses of his Resurrection and of the Truth of that Doctrine which they publisht in his Name that accordingly they preached the Gospel to the World and in a short space without any Human Advantages did propagate it and gain Entertainment for it in most parts of the then known World Now these matters of Fact have the same Testimony of Histories wrote in those Times and conveyed down to us by as general and uncontroled a Tradition as the Conquests of Alexander and Julius Caesar So that if we do not afford equal Belief to them it is a sign that we have some Prejudice or Interest against the one more than against the other though the Evidence for both be equal Nay I go further that the Evidence for these things which are the Foundation of Christianity is so much the greater because that which depended upon it was of far greater Concernment to the World and consequently Mankind were more obliged to search more narrowly into it For our Saviour's Life and Death and Resurrection we have the
called the Son of God St. Luke most expresly tells us Luke 1. 35. where the Angel tells the Virgin Mary that the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the Power of the Highest should overshadow her and therefore that Holy Thing which should be born of her should be call'd the Son of God And this our Saviour means by the Father's sanctifying him and sending him into the World For which Reason he says he might justly call himself the Son of God John 10. 35 36. If he call them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God If there had been no other Reason this had been sufficient to have given him the Title of the Son of God that he was brought into the World by the Sanctification or Divine Power of the Holy Ghost 2. Christ is also said in Scripture to be the Son of God and to be declared to be so upon Account of his Resurrection from the Dead by the Power of the Holy Ghost His Resurrection from the Dead is here in the Text ascribed to the Spirit of Holiness or the Holy Ghost And so in other places of Scripture Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you And 1 Pet. 3. 18. Being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit that is he suffer'd in that frail mortal Nature which he assumed but was raised again by the Power of the Holy Ghost of the Spirit of God which resided in him And upon this Account he is expresly said in Scripture to be the Son of God Psa 2. 7. I will declare the decree The Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee to which perhaps the Apostle alludes here in the Text when he says that Christ was decreed to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Dead To be sure these Words this day have I begotten thee St. Paul expresly tells us were accomplisht in the Resurrection of Christ as if God by raising him from the Dead had begotten him and decreed him to be his Son Acts 13. 32 33. And we declare unto you glad Tidings how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He was the Son of God before as he was conceived by the Holy Ghost but this was secret and invisible and known only to the Mother of our Lord And therefore God thought fit to give a publick and visible demonstration of it so as to put the matter out of all question he declared him in a powerful manner to be his Son by giving him a new Life after Death by raising him from the Dead and by this new and eminent Testimony given to him declared him again to be his Son and confirmed the Title which was given him before upon a true but more secret Account of his being conceived by the Holy Ghost And as our Saviour is said to be the Son of God upon this twofold Account of his Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Resurrection to Life by the Spirit of God So the Scripture which does solicitously pursue a Resemblance and Conformity between Christ and Christians does likewise upon a twofold Account answerable to our Saviour's Birth and Resurrection call true Believers and Christians the Children of God viz. Upon Account of their Regeneration or new Birth by the Operation of the Spirit of God and upon Account of their Resurrection to Eternal Life by the Power of the same Spirit Upon account of our Regeneration and becoming Christians by the Power and Operation of the Holy Spirit of God upon our Minds we are said to be the Children of God as being regenerated and born again by the Holy Spirit of God And this is our first Adoption And for this Reason the Spirit of God conferred upon Christians at their Baptism and dwelling and residing in them afterwards is call'd the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father And Gal. 4. 5 6. Believers are said to receive the Adoption of Sons God having sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts crying Abba Father That is all Christians for as much as they are regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God and have the Spirit of God dwelling in them may with Confidence call God Father and look upon themselves as his Children So the Apostle tells us Rom. 8. 14. That as many as are led or acted by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God But though we are said to be Children of God upon account of our Regeneration and the Holy Spirit of God dwelling and residing in Christians yet we are eminently so upon account of our Resurrection to Eternal Life by the mighty Power of God's Spirit This is our final Adoption and the Consummation of it and therefore Rom. 8. 21. this is called the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God because by this we are for ever deliver'd from the Bondage of Corruption and by way of Eminency the Adoption viz. the Redemption of our Bodies We are indeed the Sons of God before upon account of the regenerating and sanctifying Virtue of the Holy Ghost but finally and chiefly upon account of our Resurrection by the Power of the Divine Spirit So St. John tells us that then we shall be declared to be the Sons of God after another manner than we are now 1 Jo. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Now we are the Sons of God that is our Adoption is begun in our Regeneration and Sanctification but it doth not yet appear what we shall be we shall be much more eminently so at the Resurrection We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him But the most express and remarkable Text to this Purpose is Luke 20. 36. where good Men after the Resurrection are for this Reason said to be the Children of God because they are the Children of the Resurrection But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in Marriage neither can they die any more for they are equal to the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection For this Reason they are said to be the Children of God because they are raised by him to a new Life and to be made Partakers of that which is promised to them and reserved for them For all that are raised by the Power of God out of the Dust of the Earth are not therefore
the Children of God but only they that have part in the blessed Resurrection to Eternal Life and do inherit the Kingdom prepared for them Not those who are raised to a perpetual Death and the Resurrection of Condemnation These are not the Children of God but the Children of Wrath and the Children of Perdition But the Resurrection of the Just is the full and final Declaration that we are the Children of God not only because we are restored to a new Life but because at the Resurrection we are admitted to the full Possession of that blessed Inheritance which is purchased for us and promised to us And the Spirit of God which is conferred upon Believers in their Regeneration and afterwards dwells and resides in them is the Pledge and earnest of our final Adoption by our Resurrection to Eternal Life and upon this account and no other is said to be the Earnest of our future Inheritance and the Seal and Confirmation of it Eph. 1. 13. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance until the redemption of the purchased Possession that is the Holy Spirit of God which Christians were made Partakers of upon their sincere Belief of the Christian Religion is the Seal and Earnest of our Resurrection to Eternal Life as the Apostle plainly tells us in that remakable Text Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you I have been the longer upon this because it serves fully to explain to us those obscure Phrases of the Seal and Earnest and first Fruits of the Spirit which many have mistaken to import some particular and spiritual Revelation or Impression upon the Minds of good Men assuring them of their Salvation Whereas the Apostle intended no more by them but that the Spirit of God which dwells in Believers enabling them to mortifie the deeds of the Flesh and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit is a Pledge and Earnest to us of a blessed Resurrection to eternal Life by the Power of the Spirit of God which now dwells in us and is the same Spirit which raised up Jesus from the dead And in this Chapter the Spirit of God is said v. 16. To bear witness to our Spirits that is to assure our Minds that we are the Children of God that is that we are his Children now and consequently Heirs of a glorious Resurrection to Eternal Life For so it follows in the next Words and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together And this being glorified together with Christ at the Resurrection he calls v. 19. the manifestation of the Sons of God Thus you see how in Conformity to the Son of God our elder Brother we are said to be the Sons of God because we are now regenerated and shall at the last day be raised up to Eternal Life by the Power of the Spirit of God I proceed to the Second Thing I propounded to speak to for the clearing of these words namely in what Sense Christ is said to be declared or demonstrated to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead By which the Apostle means these two things 1. That by his Resurrection from the dead he was approved by God to be the true Messias and vindicated to the World from all Suspicion of being a Deceiver and Impostor And consequently in the 2. Place That hereby God gave Testimony to the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine 1. By his Resurrection from the dead he was approved by God to be the True Messias foretold by the Prophets and expected at that time by the Jews and sufficiently vindicated to the World to be no Deceiver and Impostor And for our fuller Understanding of this we are to consider these two Things 1. What the Apprehensions and Expectations of the Jews were concerning the Messias And 2. What the many Crimes were which they laid to our Saviour's charge and for which they condemned him 1. What the Apprehensions and Expectations of the Jews were concerning the Messias And it is very plain from the Evangelical History that they generally apprehended these two things of him That the Messias was to be the Son of God and the King of Israel and therefore that our Saviour by affirming himself to be the Messias did call himself the Son of God and the King of Israel John 1. 41. Andrew tells his Brother Simon We have found the Messias v. 45. Philip tells Nathanael We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write that is the Messias v. 49. Nathanael upon Discourse with our Saviour being convinced that he was the Messias owns him in these Terms Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel John 6. 69. Peter declares his Belief that he was the Christ or the Messias in these Words We believe and are sure that thou art the Son of the living God This appears likewise from the High-Priest's Question to him Matth. 26. 63. Art thou the Christ that is the Messias the Son of the living God or as it is in St. Mark the Son of the Blessed compared with Pilat's Question Art thou the King of the Jews And when he was upon the Cross some reviled him under the Notion of the Son of God Matth. 27. 40. If thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross Others under the Notion of the King of Israel v. 42. If he be the King of Israel let him come down from the Crost From all which it is plain that the Jews expected and believed that the true Messias was to be the Son of God and the King of Israel and whoever was not so was a Deceiver and Impostor But our Saviour affirmed himself to be the true Messias and the Son of God Now God by raising him from the dead did abundantly vindicate him to the World from all suspicion of Imposture and gave Testimony to him that he was all that he said of himself viz. the true Messias and the Son of God Which will further appear if we consider 2dly What were the Crimes which the Jews laid to our Saviour's Charge and for which they condemned him and they were mainly these two That by giving himself out to be the Messias he made himself King of Israel and the Son of God Of the first of these they accused him to Pilate hoping by this Accusation to make him guilty of Sedition against the Roman Government for saying that he was the King of Israel Of the other they accused him to the Chief Priests as being guilty of Blasphemy in that not being the Messias he call'd himself the Son of God And upon this they
here speaks of This may be bad enough and the greater Sins any Man who professeth himself a Christian lives in the more notoriously he contradicts his Profession and falls off from Christianity and the nearer he approacheth to the Sin in the Text and the danger there threatned but yet for all that this is not that which the Apostle speaks of 4thly But it is a total Apostacy from the Christian Religion more especially to the Heathen Idolatry the renouncing of the true God and our Saviour and the Worship of false Gods which the Apostle here speaks of And this will be evident if we consider the occasion and main scope of this Epistle And that was to confirm the Jews who had newly embraced Christianity in the profession of that Religion and to keep them from apostatizing from it because of the Persecutions and Sufferings which attended that Profession It pleased God when Christianity first appeared in the World to permit the Powers of the World to raise a vehement Persecution against the Professors of it by reason whereof many out of base fear did apostatize from it and in testimony of their renouncing it were forced to Sacrifice to the Heathen Idols This is that which the Apostle endeavours to caution and arm Men against throughout this Epistle Ch. 2. 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should fall away And Chap. 3. 12. it is call'd an evil heart of Vnbelief to apostatize from the living God Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Vnbelief to depart from the living God that is to fall from the Worship of the true God to Idolatry And Chap. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering not forsaking the assembling of our selves together that is not declining the Assemblies of Christians for fear of Persecution and v. 26. it is call'd a sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth and v. 39. a drawing back to Perdition And Ch. 12. it is call'd by way of Eminency the Sin which so easily besets the Sin which in those times of Persecution they were so liable to And I doubt not but this is the Sin which St. John speaks of and calls the Sin unto Death and does not require Christians to pray for those who fall into it with any assurance that it shall be forgiven 1 John 5. 16. There is a Sin unto Death I do not say that he shall pray for it All Vnrighteousness is Sin and there is a Sin not unto Death We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not that is does not fall into the Sin of Apostacy from Christianity to that of the Heathen Idolatry But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not And then v. 21. he adds this Caution Little Chrildren keep your selves from Idols Which sufficiently shews what that Sin was which he was speaking of before So that this being the Sin which the Apostle design'd to caution Men against throughout this Epistle it is very evident what falling away it is he here speaks of namely a total Apostacy from Christianity and more especially to the Heathen Idolatry 5thly We will consider the Reason of the difficulty of Recovering such Persons by Repentance If they fall away it is extremely difficult to renew them again to Repentance and that for these three Reasons 1. Because of the greatness and heinousness of the Sin 2. Because it renounceth and casteth off the means of Recovery 3. Because it is so high a Provocation of God to withdraw his Grace from such Persons 1. Because of the greatness and heinousness of the Sin both in the Nature and Circumstances of it It is a downright Apostacy from God a direct renouncing of him and rejecting of his Truth after Men have owned it and been inwardly perswaded and convinced of it and so the Apostle expresseth it in this Epistle calling it an Apostacy from the living God a sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth It hath all the Aggravations that a Crime is capable of being against the clearest Light and Knowledge and the fullest Conviction of a Man's Mind concerning the Truth and Goodness of that Religion which he renounceth against the greatest Obligations laid upon him by the Grace and Mercy of the Gospel after the free Pardon of Sins and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit received and a miraculous Power conferr'd for a Witness and Testimony to themselves of the undoubted Truth of that Religion which they have embraced It is the highest Affront to the Son of God who revealed this Religion to the World and sealed it with his Blood and in effect an expression of as high Malice to the Author of this Religion as the Jews were guilty of when they put him to so cruel and shameful a Death Now a Sin of this heinous Nature is apt naturally either to plunge Men into hardness and impenitency or to drive them to despair and either of these Conditions are effectual Barrs to their Recovery And both these Dangers the Apostle warns Men of in this Epistle Ch. 3. 12 13. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Vnbelief to apostatize from the living God but exhort one another daily whilst it is call'd to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin Or else the Reflection upon so horrid a Crime is apt to drive a Man to Despair as it did Judas who after he had betray'd the Son of God could find no ease but by making away himself the guilt of so great a Sin fill'd him with such Terrors that he was glad to flye to Death for Refuge and to lay violent hands upon himself And this likewise was the Case of Spira whose Apostacy though it was not total from the Christian Religion but only from the Purity and Reformation of it brought him to that desperation of Mind which was a kind of Hell upon Earth And of this danger likewise the Apostle admonisheth Ch. 12. 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God or as it is in the Margine lest any Man fall from the Grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and then he compares the Case of such Persons to Esau who when he had renounced his Birth-right to which the Blessing was annex'd was afterwards when he would have inherited the Blessing rejected and found no place of Repentance though he sought it carefully with Tears 2dly Those who are guilty of this Sin do renounce and cast off the means of their Recovery and therefore it becomes extreamly difficult to renew them again to Repentance They reject the Gospel which affords the best Arguments and Means to Repentance and renounce the only way of Pardon and Forgiveness And certainly that Man is in
most enormous Offenders they apply to themselves and when they hear of the Sin against the Holy Ghost and the Sin unto Death or read this Text which I am now treating of they presently conclude that they are guilty of these Sins and that this is a description of their Case Whereas the Sin against the holy Ghost is of that nature that probably none but those that saw our Saviour's Miracles are capable of committing it and excepting that there is no Sin whatsoever that is unpardonable As for the Sin unto Death and that here spoken of in the Text I have shewn that they are a total Apostacy from the Christian Religion more especially to the Heathen Idolatry which these Persons I am speaking of have no reason to imagine themselves guilty of And though great and notorious Crimes committed by Christians may come near to this and it may be very hard for those who are guilty of them to recover themselves again to Repentance yet to be sure for the common Frailties and Infirmities of Human Nature there is an open way of Pardon in the Gospel and they are many times forgiven to us upon a General Repentance so that upon account of these which is commonly the case of the Persons I am speaking of there is not the least ground of Despair and though it be hard many times for such Persons to receive Comfort yet it is easie to give it and that upon sure Grounds and as clear Evidence of Scripture as there is for any thing so that the first thing that such Persons who are so apt to judge thus hardly of themselves are to be convinced of if possible is this that they ought rather to trust the Judgment of others concerning themselves than their own Imagination which is so distemper'd that it cannot make a true Representation of things I know that where Melancholy does mightily prevail it is hard to perswade People of this but 'till they be perswaded of it I am sure all the Reason in the World will signifie nothing to them 4thly This should make Men afraid of great and presumptuous Sins which come near Apostacy from Christianity such as deliberate Murder Adultery gross Fraud and Oppression or notorious and habitual Intemperance For what great difference is there whether Men renounce Christianity or professing to believe it do in their Works deny it Some of these Sins which I have mention'd particularly Murder and Adultery were ranked in the same degree with Apostacy by the Ancient Church and so severe was the Discipline of many Churches that Persons guilty of these Crimes were never admitted to the Peace and Communion of the Church again whatever Testimony they gave of their Repentance I will not say but this was too rigorous but this shews how inconsistent with Christianity these Crimes and others of the like degree of heinousness were in those days thought to be They did not indeed as Tertullian tells us think such Persons absolutely incapable of the Mercy of God but after such a Fall so notorious a Contradiction to their Christian Profession they thought it unfit afterwards that they should ever be reckon'd in the number of Christians 5thly It may be useful for us upon this Occasion to reflect a little upon the ancient Discipline of the Church which in some places as I have told you was so severe as in case of some great Crimes after Baptism as Apostacy to the Heathen Idolatry Murder and Adultery never to admit those that were guilty of them to the Peace and Communion of the Church but in all Churches was so strict as not to admit those who fell after Baptism into great and notorious Crimes to Reconciliation with the Church but after a long and tedious course of Penance after the greatest and most publick Testimonies of Sorrow and Repentance after long Fasting and Tears and the greatest signs of Humiliation that can be imagined In case of the greatest Offences they were seldom reconciled till they came to lye upon their Death-beds And in case of other scandalous Sins not 'till after the Humiliation of many Years This perhaps may be thought too great Severity but I am sure we are as much too remiss now as they were over rigorous then but were the Ancient Discipline of the Church in any degree put in practice now what case would the generality of Christians be in In what Herds and Shoals would Men be driven out of the Communion of the Church 'T is true the prodigious Degeneracy and Corruption of Christians hath long since broke these Bounds and 't is morally impossible to revive the strictness of the ancient Discipline in any measure till the World grow better but yet we ought to reflect with shame and confusion of Face upon the purer Ages of the Church and sadly to consider how few among us would in those Days have been accounted Christians and upon this Consideration to be provoked to an Emulation of those Better Times and to a Reformation of those Faults and Miscarriages which in the best days of Christianity were reckon'd inconsistent with the Christian Profession and to remember that though the Discipline of the Church be not now the same it was then yet the Judgment and Severity of God is and that those who live in any vicious course of Life though they continue in the Communion of the Church yet they shall be shut out of the Kingdom of God We are sure that the Judgment of God will be according to Truth against them which commit such things 6thly and lastly The Consideration of what hath been said should confirm and establish us in the Profession of our Holy Religion 'T is true we are not now in danger of apostatizing from Christianity to the Heathen Idolatry but we have too many sad Examples of those who apostatize from the Profession of the Gospel which they have taken upon them in Baptism to Atheism and Infidelity to all manner of Impiety and Lewdness There are many who daily fall off from the Profession of the Reformed Religion to the gross Errors and Superstitions of the Roman Church which in many things does too nearly resemble the old Pagan Idolatry And what the Apostle here says of the Apostates of his time is proportionably true of those of our days that they who thus fall away it is extreamly difficult to renew them again to Repentance And it ought to be remembred that the guilt of this kind of Apostacy hath driven some to Despair as in the Case of Spira who for resisting the Light and Convictions of his Mind was cast into those Agonies and fill'd with such Terrors as if the very pains of Hell had taken hold of him and in that fearful Despair and in the midst of those Horrors he breathed out his Soul Let us then hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering and let us take heed how we contradict the Profession of our Faith by any Impiety and Wickedness in our
proper Pains and Torments of the damned but that his perfect Obedience and grievous Sufferings undergone for our sakes and upon our account were of that Value and Esteem with God and his voluntary Sacrifice of himself in our stead so highly acceptable and well pleasing to him that he thereupon was pleased to enter into a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with Mankind wherein he hath promised and engaged himself to forgive the Sins of all those who sincerely repent and believe and to make them partakers of Eternal Life And hence it is that the Blood of Christ which was shed for us upon the Cross is call'd the Blood of the Covenant as being the Sanction of that new Covenant of the Gospel into which God is entred with Mankind and not only the Confirmation but the very Foundation of it for which reason the Cup in the Lord's Supper which represents to us the Blood of Christ is call'd the New Testament in his Blood which was shed for many for the remission of Sins 4thly and lastly Christ is said to be the Author of our Salvation in respect of his powerful and perpetual Intercession for us at the right Hand of God And this seems to be more especially intimated and intended in that Expression here in the Text that being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Which Words of his being perfected do as I have shew'd before more immediately refer to his Sufferings and the Reward that followed them his Exaltation at the right hand of God where he lives for ever to make Intercession for us by which perpetual and most prevalent Intercession of his he procures all those Benefits to be bestowed upon us which he purchased for us by his Death the forgiveness of our Sins and our Acceptance with God and perfect Restitution to his Favour upon our Faith and Repentance and the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit to inable us to a sincere Discharge of our Duty to strengthen us against all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil to keep us from all Evil and to preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom And this is that which our Apostle calls obtaining of Mercy and finding Grace to help in time of need ch 4. v. 16. of this Epist Our blessed Saviour now that he is advanced into Heaven and exalted on the right hand of the Majesty on high doth out of the tenderest Affection and Compassion to Mankind still prosecute that great and merciful Design of our Salvation which was begun by him here on Earth and in Virtue of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings does offer up our Prayers to God and as it were plead our Cause with God and represent to him all our Wants and Necessities and obtain a favourable Answer of our Petitions put up to God in his Name and all necessary supplies of Grace and Strength Proportionable to our Temptations and Infirmities And by Virtue of this powerful Intercession of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer our Sins are pardoned upon our sincere Repentance our Prayers are graciously answered our Wants are abundantly supplyed and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit are plentifully afforded to us to excite us to our Duty to strengthen us in well doing to comfort us in Afflictions to support us under the greatest Tryals and Sufferings and to keep us through Faith unto Salvation And for this reason as the purchasing of our Salvation is in Scripture attributed to the Death and Sufferings of Christ so the perfecting and finishing of it is ascribed to the prevalency of his Intercession at the right Hand of God for us So the Apostle tells us ch 7. v. 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us He dyed once to purchase Salvation for us and that we may not fall short of it but receive the full Benefit of this Purchase he lives for ever to make Intercession for us and thus he saves to the uttermost all those that come to God by him that is he takes care of the whole business of our Salvation from first to last And now that he is in Heaven he is as intent to procure our Welfare and Happiness and as tenderly concerned for us as when he lived here among us upon Earth as when he hung upon the Cross and poured out his Soul an Offering for our Sins for he appears at the right Hand of God in our Nature that which he assumed for our sakes which was made subject to and sensible of our Infirmities and which was tempted in all things like as we are only without Sin and therefore he knows how to pity and succour them that are tempted and from the remembrance of his own Sufferings is prompted to a compassionate Sense of ours and never ceaseth in virtue of his Blood which was shed for us to plead our Cause with God and to intercede powerfully on our behalf So that the Virtue and Efficacy of Christ's Intercession on our behalf is founded in the Redemption which he wrought for us by his Blood and Sufferings which being entred into Heaven he represents to God on our Behalf As the high Priest under the Law did enter into the holy place with the Blood of the Sacrifices that had been offered and in virtue of that Blood interceded for the People So Christ by his own Blood entred into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us as the Apostle speaks ch 9. v. 12. He entred into the Holy Place that is into Heaven it self to make Intercession for us as the Apostle explains himself v. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands but into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And ch 10. v. 12. speaking of Christ's appearing for us at the right Hand of God this Man says he after he had offer'd one Sacrifice for Sin for ever that is a Sacrifice of perpetual Virtue and Efficacy sat down at the right Hand of God that is to intercede for us in virtue of that Sacrifice From all which it appears that the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession for us in Heaven is founded in his Sacrifice and the price of our Redemption which he paid on Earth in shedding his Blood for us From whence the Apostle reasons that there is but one Mediator between God and Men by whom we are to address our Prayers to God 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all His Mediation is founded in his Ransome or the Price which he paid for our Redemption The Apostle indeed does not say there is but one Mediator between God and Man in express words but surely he means so if by saying there is one God he means there is but one God for they
Obedience and good Works Chap. 3. 8. This is is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good Works All that now remains is to make some useful Inferences from what hath been said upon this Argument and so to conclude this Discourse First of all To convince us that an empty Profession of the Christian Religion how specious and glorious soever it be if it be destitute of the fruits of Obedience and a holy Life will by no means avail to bring us to Heaven No profession of Faith in Christ no Subjection to him tho' we be baptized in his Name and list our selves in the number of his Disciples and Followers tho' we have made a constant Profession of all the Articles of the Christian Faith and have performed all the external parts and duties of Religion have gone constantly to Church and frequented the Service of God and have joined in publick Prayers to God with great appearance of Devotion and have heard his Word with great Reverence and Attention and received the blessed Sacrament with all imaginable expressions of Love and Gratitude to our blessed Redeemer nay tho' we had heard our blessed Saviour himself teach in our streets and had eaten and drunken in his presence yet if all this while we have not done the will of God and obeyed his Laws none of all these will things signifie any thing to bring us to Heaven and make us Partakers of that Salvation which he hath purchased for Mankind But we cannot plead so much for our selves as those did of whom our Saviour speaks None of us shall be able to alledge for our selves at the great day that we had prophesyed in his Name and in his name had cast out Devils and in his name had done many wonderful Works and yet if we could alledge all this it would do us no good All that such can say for themselves is that they have call'd him Lord Lord that is they have made profession of his Religion and been call'd by his Name that they have paid an outward Honour and Respect to him and declared a mighty Love and Affection for him but they have not done his will but have hated to be reformed and have cast his Commandments behind their backs they have only born the Leaves of an outward Profession but have brought forth no fruit unto Holiness and therefore can have no reasonable expectation that their End should be everlasting Life So that when these Men shall appear before the great and terrible Judge of the World they shall have nothing to say but those vain Words Lord Lord to which our Saviour will answer in that Day why call ye me Lord Lord when ye would not do the things which I said Notwithstanding all your profession of Faith in me and subjection to me ye have been workers of Iniquity therefore depart from me I know ye not whence ye are Secondly The Consideration of what hath been said should stir us up to a thankful acknowledgment of what the Author of our Salvation hath done for us and there is great reason for thankfulness whether we consider the greatness of the Benefit conferred upon us or the way and manner in which it was purchased or the easie and reasonable terms upon which it may be obtained 1st If we consider the greatness of the Benefit conferred upon us and that is Salvation eternal Salvation which comprehends in it all the Blessings and Benefits of the Gospel both the Means and the End our Happiness and the Way to it by saving us from our Sins from the guilt of them by our Justification in the Blood of Christ and from the Power and Dominion of them by the sanctifying grace and virtue of the Holy Ghost And it comprehends the End our Deliverance from Hell and the Wrath to come and the bestowing of Happiness upon us a great and lasting Happiness great as our Wishes and immortal as our Souls all this is comprehended in eternal Salvation 2dly If we consider the way and manner in which this great Benefit was purchased and procured for us in a way of infinite Kindness and Condescension in the lowest Humiliation and the unparallel'd Sufferings of the Son of God for never was there any sorrow like unto his sorrow wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce Anger in his taking upon him the form of a Servant and the person of a Sinner and his becoming obedient to death even the death of the Cross which was the Punishment of the vilest Slaves and the most hainous Malefactors The Son of God came down from Heaven from the highest pitch of Glory and Happiness into this lower World this Vale of Tears and sink of Sin and Sorrow and was contented himself to suffer to save us from eternal Ruin to be the most despicable and the most miserable Man that ever was that he might raise us to Glory and Honour and advance us to a state of the greatest Happiness that Humane Nature is capable of 3dly If we consider the easie and reasonable Terms upon which we may be made Partakers of this unspeakable Benefit and that is by a constant and sincere and universal Obedience to the Laws of God which supposeth Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the Root and Principle of all the Virtues of a good Life that is by doing that which best becomes us and which is most agreeable to the original Frame of our Nature and to the dictates of our Reason and which setting aside the consideration of the Reward is really best for our present Benefit and Advantage our Comfort and Happiness even in this World for God in giving Laws to us hath imposed nothing upon us but what in all reason ought to have been our choice if he had not imposed it nothing but what is for our good and is in its own nature necessary to make us capable of that Happiness which he hath promised to us And what can be more gracious than to make one Benefit the Condition of a greater Than to promise to make us happy for ever if we will but do that which upon all accounts is really best and most for our Advantage in this present Life Thirdly Here is abundant Encouragement given to our Obedience we have the divine Assistance promised to us to enable us to the performance of the most difficult parts of our Duty we have the holy Spirit of God to help our Infirmities to excite us to that which is good and to help and strengthen us in the doing of it For our further Encouragement we are assured of the divine Acceptance in case of our sincere Obedience notwithstanding the manifold Failings and Imperfections of it for the sake of the perfect Righteousness and Obedience and the meritorious Sufferings of our blessed Saviour And tho' when we have done all that we can do
we are unprofitable Servants and have done nothing but what was our duty yet God is pleased to accept what we can do because it is sincere and to forgive the defects and imperfections of our Obedience for his sake who fulfilled all righteousness And besides all this we have the encouragement of a great and everlasting Reward infinitely beyond all proportion of any service and Obedience that we can perform And if God be ready to assist and strengthen us in the doing of our duty and be willing so graciously to accept and to reward at such a rate the Sincerity of our endeavours to please him notwithstanding all the failings and imperfections of our best service and Obedience what can we possibly desire more for our encouragement to patient continuance in well-doing and to be stedfast and unmoveable and abundant in the work of the Lord. Fourthly and lastly The consideration of what hath been said upon this Argument may serve severely to rebuke the groundless Presumption of those who rely with so much confidence upon Christ for eternal Salvation without any conscience or care to keep his Commandments as if Salvation lay upon his Hands and he knew not how to dispose of it and were glad of any one that would come and take it off upon any terms No he came to save us from our Sins to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works So that the Salvation which he hath purchased for us doth necessarily imply our forsaking of our Sins and returning to God and our Duty and his Death and Sufferings are not more an argument of his great Love to Mankind than they are a demonstration of his perfect hatred of Sin So that if we continue in the Love and Practice of Sin we defeat the whole design of his coming into the World and of all that he hath done and suffered for us and the Redemption which Christ hath wrought for us will not avail us in the least Salvation is far from the wicked says David Psal 119. 155. If we have been workers of Iniquity the Saviour of the World when he comes to judge it will bid us to depart from him From all that hath been said it is evident that it is the greatest Presumption in the World for any Man to hope to obtain eternal Salvation by any device whatsoever or in the Communion of any Church whatsoever without Obedience and a holy Life For tho' our Obedience cannot merit yet it is necessary to qualifie and dispose us for it tho' it does not make us strictly worthy yet it makes us meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light SERMON VIII The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles MAT. XXVIII 18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World THESE Words are the last that our Blessed Saviour spake to his Apostles immediately before his Ascension into Heaven and there are these Three things contained in them I. A Declaration of his own Authority All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth II. A Commission to his Disciples grounded upon that Authority Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you III. A Promise to encourage them in this work And lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world I. Here 's our Saviour's Declaration of his own Authority All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Here 's an unlimited Power and Authority given him over all Creatures in Heaven and Earth This the Scripture tells us was conferred upon him as a Reward of his Sufferings Phil. 2. 8 9 10. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth that is that all Creatures Angels and Men and Devils should do Homage and acknowledge Subjection to him II. Here is the Commission he gave to his Apostles by virtue of this Authority Go ye therefore and teach all Nations The Commission which he here gives is founded in the Authority he had before received Having all Power committed to him he constitutes and appoints the Apostles and their Successors to manage the Affairs of this his spiritual Kingdom upon Earth And this seems to be the same Commission which St. John mentions in other words John 20. 21. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you that is as my Father commission'd me before so now having received full Authority from him I commission you Now in this Commission which our Saviour gave to his Disciples I shall take notice First Of the general Import and Design of it Secondly A more particular Declaration how they were to manage this Design First The general Import and Design of this Commission Go ye and teach all Nations The word which we translate teach is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disciple all Nations endeavour to make all the World Christians One would think here was a Power plainly enough given them to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews Which will more fully appear if we compare this passage in St. Matthew with the other Evangelists St. Mark ch 16. 15. hath it Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature From which Text I suppose St. Francis thought himself bound to preach to Beasts and Birds and accordingly did it very often and with wonderful success as they tell us in the Legend of his Life But to extend our Saviour's Commission so far is want of common sense in which St. Francis tho' they tell us he had other Gifts and Graces to an eminent degree was plainly defective But to proceed St. Luke ch 24. 47. tells us our Saviour commanded that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem So that their Commission did plainly extend to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews only they were to begin with the Jews and to preach the Gospel first to them and when they had gone over Judea and Samaria then to pass to other Nations as St. Luke doth most expresly declare Acts 1. 8. Ye shall receive power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses
to greater Care and Watchfulness according to that of the Apostle Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall which Admonition were surely to little purpose if it were impossible for them that stand to fall Lastly Others venture all upon a Death bed Repentance and their Importunity with God to receive them to Mercy at last This indeed is only to seek and not to strive to enter in and these perhaps are they whom our Saviour represents as standing without and knocking at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us Or as St. Matthew expresseth it Many shall say to me in that day Lord Lord which is most probably meant of the day of Judgment when their Case is brought to the last extremity and next to that is the day of Death when Men are entring into a state of endless Happiness or Misery And no wonder if the Sinner would then be glad when he can no longer continue in this World to be admitted into Happiness in the next but the Door is then shut to most Sinners and it is a Miracle of God's Grace and Mercy if any Repentance that Men can then exercise which at the best must needs be very confused and imperfect will then be accepted if any Importunity which Men can then use will be available For with what Face can we expect that after all the evil Actions of a long Life God should be mollified toward us by a few good Words and accept of a forc'd and constrained Repentance for all our wilful and deliberate Crimes and that he should forgive us all our Sins upon a little Importunity when we can sin no longer and would repent no sooner Let us then by all that hath been said be effectually perswaded to mind the business of Religion in good earnest and with all our might especially the Practice of it in the exercise of all the Graces and Virtues of a good Life Let us heartily repent of all the Sins of our past Life and resolve upon a better course for the future and let us not delay and put off this necessary Work to the most unfit and improper time of old Age and Sickness and Death but let us set about it presently and enter upon a good Course and make all the Speed and Progress in it we can And let us remember that whatever we do in Religion will not bring us to Heaven if we do not do the will of our Father which is in Heaven if we do not give up our selves to a constant and universal Obedience of his Laws This is to strive to enter in at the strait Gate And tho' we strive to enter in a Thousand other Ways we shall not be able and after all our Confidence and Conceit of our selves and our own Righteousness and Security of our Salvation from the Priviledges of any Church it will be a strange Damp and Disappointment to us to see the sincere Christians who have done the Will of God and lived in Obedience to his Laws to come from all quarters and Churches in the World and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God when we who thought our selves the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out because we have been Workers of Iniquity I will conclude all with those plain Words of the Apostle Rom. 2. 7 8 9. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and Immortality eternal Life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulat on and anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil in the day when God shall judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel SERMON X. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Sermon I. LUKE XVI 19 20. There was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in Purple and fine Linen and fared sumptuously every day And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of Sores I Intend by God's Assistance to go over this Parable than which I think there is none in the whole Gospel which is more apt to affect Men or which is more artificially contrived and in the Circumstances whereof a greater Decorum is observed It is a great Question among Interpreters whether this Narration concerning the Rich Man and Lazarus be a Parable or a History or a mixture of both That it is not a History the resemblance between it and others of our Saviour's Parables will easily convince any Man that is not contentious besides that in some ancient Copies 't is usher'd in with this Preface And he spake a Parable to his Disciples A certain Rich Man c. But yet as some of the Ancients have not improbably conjectur'd it seems to be such a kind of Parable as had something of a real Foundation as namely that there was such a poor Man as Lazarus is here described and of that Name among the Jews For in a meer Parable 't is altogether unusual to name Persons nor is this done in any other of our Saviour's Parables But whether this be so or not is not worth the disputing because it alters not the case as to our Saviour's purpose and the Instructions which we may learn from it In the handling of this Parable I shall explain it as I go along and draw two sorts of Instructions or Observations from it The First sort of Observations shall be from the Circumstances which serve for the Decorum of the Parable And these I will not warrant to be all intended by our Saviour but only to be true in themselves and useful and to have a probable rise from some Circumstances of the Parable and therefore I shall speak but very briefly to them The Second sort of Observations shall be such as are grounded upon the main Scope and Intent of the Parable and these I shall insist more largely upon I begin First With those Observations and Instructions which I shall gather up from the Circumstances which serve for the Decorum of the Parable and I shall take them in order as they lie in the Parable Ver. 19. There was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every Day Some think that our Saviour in this description reflected upon Herod because he describes this Rich Man to be cloathed in Purple But this Conjecture is without reason for besides that it was not our Saviour's Custom in his Preaching to give secret Girds to the Magistrate 't is certain that it was long after our Saviour's time that Purple was appropriated to Kings It was then and a great while after the wear of rich and powerful Men and of the Favourites and great Men of the Court who are frequently in ancient Histories call'd the Purpurati those that wore Purple That which I observe from hence is that the rich Man is not here censured for enjoying what he had for wearing rich Apparel