in the Holy Ghost and Christ tells us where it is to be set up The Kingdom of God is within you saith the King himself and where should the King be but in his own Kingdom they are blessed that feel him to Rule and that live under the swaying of his Righteous Scepter for when this Righteous One Rules the Earth the Sons of Men rejoyce So that no Man can truly Confess and rightly Believe Jesus to be the Christ and Son of God that do's not receive him to be his King to rule his Heart Affections For can a Man be said to believe in one that he will not receive but To as many as received Christ of Old gave he Power to become the Sons of God which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man but of God What is this will of God Paul answers the Question The Will of God is your Sanctification for this Christ came into the World So that those that believe and receive Christ he is made to them Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that is he has saved them from their Sins Guilt and Defilement and sanctified them from their Corruptions they live now by the Grace of God that teaches them to be of a Sober Righteous Godlike Life Ye shall know them by their Fruits saith Christ of the Pharisees so shall Men know them that sincerely believe confess Christ by their sanctified Manners and Blameless Conversations And wo to them that make other Distinctions for God has made no other there will be but Goats and Sheep at the Last Day Holy and Unholy Just and Unjust Therefore let that be our Distinction which ever was and will be God's Distinction for all other Measures are the Effects of the Passions and Presumptions of Men. But because it may be expected that I should fix upon some few General Heads of Christian Doctrine from the Mouth of Christ and his Apostles as requisite to Christian Communion I shall proceed to mention what Christ eminently taught He that reads his Sermon upon the Mount will find in the Entrance how many States and Conditions Christ Blessed The Poor in Spirit The Mourners The Meek They that hunger after Righteousness The Merciful The Pure in Heart and the Peace-makers which indeed Comprehend the whole of Christianity By Mourners we understand true Penitents Men of Unfeigned Repentance which leads them not only to Confess but Forsake their Sins This Godly Sorrow makes Men Poor in Spirit Empty of themselves wanting the Light Life and Power of Jesus to support and sustain them in which as they sted fastly walk the Attonement of the Blood is felt and it cleanseth them from all Unrighteousness which makes them Pure in Heart And in this Condition no Food will serve their Turn but Righteousness after this they Hunger and Thirst more than for the Bread that perisheth They are full of Meekness and Mercy Making Peace and Promoting Concord where-ever they come For being themselves reconciled to God they endeavour to reconcile all Men unto God and one unto another In short let us bring it home to our Consciences and deal faithfully with our selves Do we know this Holy Mourning this Godly Sorrow are we Poor in Spirit not Self-conceited but Humble Meek and Lowly in Heart like him that bid us be so Do we Hunger after the Kingdom of God and Righteousness of it and are our Hearts purified by the Precious Faith of the Son of God Infine Are we Merciful Tender-hearted Lovers of Peace more than lovers of our selves Persecuted rather than Persecutors such as receive Stripes for Christ's sake and not those that beat our Fellow-Servants No Man has true Faith in Christ Jesus that is not acquainted with these Blessed Qualifications This is Christ's Doctrine and to believe in him is to obey it and be like him The great Intendment of this Sermon is to press people to a more Excellent Righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees For saith Jesus to the Multitude Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no Case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 1. He taught not only that Killing but Anger without a very Just Cause is Unlawful to his Disciples 2. he prefers Concord above Devotion Mercy before Sacrifice He that will not use his Utmost Endeavour to be reconciled to his Brother shall find no place for his Prayers And Every Man is this Brother 3. He not only forbids Adultery which the Law forbids but Lust the Ax of his Doctrine is laid to the Root of the Tree it reaches to the First Seeds of things to the Innermost and most hidden Conceptions of the Mind 4. From Keeping and Performing Legal Vows to not Swearing at all and indeed what Use can there be of any Swearing where Mens Yea is Yea and their Nay Nay 5. He taught Not to resist Evil but to suffer Loss rather than enter into Contention his Divine Wisdom did fore-see how much easier it would be to Overcome the Violent Passions of Men by Patience than Controversie And he that considers the Unruliness of some Mens Dispositions their Heats and Prejudices it will be found that it is not alwayes a Real Injury or Loss but Passion Revenge or Base Interest that sets them to Sutes and Clamours 6. He taught us the Highest Complesance and Charity If any Man compel thee to go a Mile go with him â—wain Be of an Easie and Ready Mind to Do Good and to all Friendly Offices be easily perswaded and in which rather exceed than fall snort 7. He taught as great Liberality and Charity to give to him that asks and from him that would borrow not to turn away in short to be Stewards of our External Substance for the Good of Mankind according to our Respective Abilities 8. He advances the Doctrine of Loving Friends to the Degree of Loving Enemies Ye have heard said Jesus that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and shalt hate thine Enemy but I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you Surely then where no Anger dwells no Revenge can grow and if we must love Enemies there is no Man left to be hated This is the Doctrine of that Jesus that laid down his Life for all and this is the End for which he preached it That sayes he ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust It is as much as if Christ had said No Man can be like God that does not Love his Enemies and who cannot do good to all Consequently he that does Love Enemies and is ready to Do good unto all he
but a Moral Man he knows nothing of saving Grace be may be damn'd for all his Morality Nay some have gone so far as to say and preach if not Print That there are Thousands of Moral Men in Hell But 't is worth our while to consider that he that sins is not saved by Grace in that state and that the Virtuous Man is the Gracious Man for 't is the Nature and End of true Grace to make Men so Unanswerable is that Passage of the Apostle to the Romans Therefore if the Uncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Uncircumcision be counted for Circumcision and shall not Uncircumcision which is by Nature if it fulfill the Law judge thee who by the Letter and Circumcision dost transgress the Law For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly neither is that Circumâ—ision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God So that he that keeps the Law of God and abstains from the Impurity of the World that is the good Man the Just Liver he is the Apostle's true Jew and Circumcision Wherefore it is not Ill exprest by that extraordinary Man J. Hales of Eton The Moral Man says he is a Christian by the surer Side that is Speculations may fail Notions be mistaken Forms wither but Truth and Righteousness will stand the Test the Man that loves them will not be moved He tells us That the Fathers had that Opinion of the Sincerity of the Life of some Heathens that they believed God had in Store for such his even Saving Grace and that he would make them Possessors of his Everlasting Kingdom And measuring their Satisfaction by the Pleasure I took in reading what the Author both quotes and Comments upon this Subject I will venture to transcribe him at large Viz. Let it not trouble you saith he that I intitle them to some part of our Christian Faith therefore without Scruple to be received as Weak and not to be cast forth as Dead Salvianus disputing What Faith is Quid est igitur Credulit as vel Fides saith he Opinor fideliter hominem Christo credere id est Fidelem Deo esse hoc est Fideliter Dei mandata servare What might this Faith be saith he I suppose it is nothing else but Faithfully to believe Christ and this is to be Faithful unto God which is nothing else but Faithfully to keep the Commandments of God Not therefore only a bare Belief but the Fidelity and Trustiness of God's Servants faithfully accomplishing the Will of our Master is required as a part of our Christian Faith Now all those good things which Moral Men by the Light of Nature do are a part of God's Will written in their Hearts wherefore so far as they were Conscientious in performing them if Salvianus his Reason be good so far have they Title and Interest in our Faith And therefore Regulus that Famous Roman when he endured infinite Torments rather than he would break his Oath may thus far be counted a Martyr and Witness for the Truth For the Crown of Martyrdom sits not only on the Heads of those who have lost their Lives rather than they would cease to profess the Name of Christ but on the Head of every one that suffers for the Testimony of a good Conscience and for Righteousness sake And here I cannot pass by one very General gross Mistaking of our Age. For in our Discourses concerning the Notes of a Christian Man by what Signs we may know a Man to be one of the Visible Company of Christ we have so tied our selves tothis outward Profession that if we know no other Virtue in a Man but that he hath Cond his Creed by heart let his Life be never so prophane we think it Argument enough for us to account him within the Pale and Circuit of the Church On the Contrary side let his Life be never so Upright if either he be little seen in or peradventure quite ignorant of the Mystery of Christ we esteem of him but as dead And those who conceive well of those Moral good things as of some Tokens giving Hope of Life we account but as a kind of Manâ—ohees who thought the very Earth had Life in it I must confess that I have not yet made that Proficiency in the Schools of our Age as that I could see why the Second Table and the Acts of it are not as properly the parts of Religion and Christianity as the Acts and Observations of the First If I mistake than it is St. James that hath abus'd me for he describing Religion by its proper Acts tells us that True Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the Fatherless and the Widow in their Affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the World So that the thing which in an Especial refine Dialect of the New Christian Language signifies nothing but Morality and Civility that in the Language of the holy Ghost imports True Religion Thus far J. Hales He hath said so much on this Account that there is little need I should say any more yet give me leave to add Did Men mind the Language of the Holy Ghost more than their own Conceits they would not Stile those Moral Men in a way of Disgrace that are not of their Forms it would suffice That those that fear God and work Righteousness in all Nations are accepted of him That Christ himself hath said He that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and of them that work Iniquity Depart from me I know you not My Friends let us not deceive our selves God will not be mocked Such as we sow we shall certainly reap The Tree is known by its Fruits and will be Judg'd according to its Fruits The Wages of Sin is Death Men will find it so and every Man shall receive his Reward sutable to his Worâ—k For People to talk of Special Grace and yet be carried away by Common Temptations it is Provoking to God but to conceit that the Righteous God will Indulge his people in that Latitude which he condemns in other Men is Abominable 'T is Sanctification that makes the Saint and Self-Denyal that constitutes the Christian and not filling our Heads and Elevating our Fancies by applying those Promises to our selves which as yet we have no Interest in though we may think they belong to no body else this Spiritual Flattery of our selves is most pernicious I cannot but say with the Apostle 'T is neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Jew nor Gentile this nor t'other thing but the New Creature created after Christ Jesus in Holiness for without Holiness no Man shall ever see the Lord. And what is Holiness but Abstaining from Wickedness and what 's that
is like God the Father that is in Heaven who is Love 9. Christ teaches us to avoid Ostentation in our Charity Take heed that ye do not your Alms before Men to be seen of them 10. He teaches us the Duty of Prayer where and what not in the Corners of the Streets nor in the Synagogues to be seen of Men but in the Closet in the secret of the Heart betwixt God and the Soul 11. He forbids Hoarding and Laying up of Money in Bank presses Treasuring up of Wealth in Heaven and the Reason is this that the one is Corruptible and the other is Incorruptible 12. He teaches Dependence upon the Providence of God calling the Dis-trustful O ye of little Faith Which of you says he by taking Thought can add one Cubit to his Stature therefore take no Thought saying What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these things the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you 13. He sets up a Discrimination or Distinction between false and true Prophets those that are his Disciples from Counterfeits Ye shall know them said Christ by their Fruits Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figgs of Thistles even so every good Tree bringeth forth Good Fruit but a Corrupt Tree bringeth forth Evil Fruit. A Good Tree cannot bring forth Evil Fruit neither can a Corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall know them This was the Distinction given by Christ to his Followers the Tree was not accounted Good or Bad by the Leaves but the Fruits not by the Opinions but the Holy living The Faith in that Day was an Entire Resignation and Dependence upon God and not a Subscription to Verbal Propositions and Articles though never so True that was the Work of After-times more Corrupt and Superstitious Ages But 14. Lastly Christ preaches the General Judgment Many will say to me in that Day what Day the Day of Account and Final Reckoning with Mankind Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and done many wonderful works And then said Christ will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work Iniquity Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Therefore whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell not for it was builded upon a Rock And every one that beareth these Sayings of Mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a Foolish Man which built his House upon the Sand and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell and great was the Fall of it And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these Sayings the People were astonished at his Doctrine for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the Scribes By all which it is most plain that as Christ is the Rock on which true Christians build so none can be said truly to build upon this Rock but those that keep his Sayings that do his Commandments that obey his Doctrine Wherefore that Faith of JESUS to be the SON and CHRIST of GOD must be such a Faith as does the Will of the Heavenly Father and keepeth THESE SAYINGS of Christ There are Two places in which Christ seems to sum up his blessed Doctrine One is this Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Which Christ came not to destroy but to fulfill But the other Passage seems to be more full the first relating only to our Dealings with Men this Second Passage comprehends our Duty both to God and Men viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind this is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self In these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets This is the Perfection of the Christian Religion the Great Commandment of Christ the Certain Token of Discipleship A new Commandment said Christ I give unto you that ye Love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Again Christ speaks to his Disciples If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments and abide in his Love and this is my Commandment that ye Love one another as I have loved you Yet once more Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you and these things I command you that you Love one another He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him but he that loveth me not keepeth not my Sayings So that only those are Friends and Disciples of Christ Jesus that do his Sayings and keep his Commandments and the Great Commandment of all is LOVE for upon this One Commandment all the rest depend For he that loves God above all will leave all for God not one of his Commandments shall be slighted and he that loves his Neighbour will much more love the Houshold of Faith Well may such be True Christians when their Faith in Christ works by LOVE by the Power of this Divine Love he that dwells in this Love dwell in God if John say true for he is Love And in this he recommended his Love unto us that he sent his only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Also herein did Christ manifest his Love in laying down his Life for us This is my Commandment said Christ that ye Love one another as I have loved you and Greater love hath no Man than this that a Man lays down his Life for his Friends ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Indeed he gave his Life for the World and offered up One Common Sacrifice for Mankind and by this One Offering up of himself once for all he hath forever perfected that is quitted and discharged and taken into Favour them that are sanctified who have received the Spirit of Grace and Sanctification in their Hearts for such as resist it receive not the Benefit