Revelation and Rule of their Written Law and that they were not Infallibly Assisted is evident from the great Errors they fell into in making void the Commandments of God by their Traditions and in their Rejecting and Crucifying the true Messias and the Son of God In like manner the Apostles and first Teachers of the Christian Religion were immediately Inspired and Miraculously Assisted in the Publishing of the Christian Doctrine and for the speedy and more effectual Propagating and Planting of it in the World in despite of the violent Prejudices that were against it and the fierce opposition that was made to it But when this was done this Miraculous and Extraordinary Assistance ceased and God left the Christian Religion to be preserved and continued by more Humane and Ordinary ways the Doctrines of it being committed to Writing for a standing Rule of Faith and Practice in all Ages and an Order of Men appointed to Instruct People in those Doctrines with a Promise to secure both Teachers and People that sincerely desiâ—e to know and do the Will of God from all Fatal Errors and Mistakes about Things necessary to their Eternal Salvation and this is a Provision more likely to be made by God and better suited to the Nature of Man than the perpetual and needless Miracle of an Inspired or any otherwise Infallible Church Thirdly This way is likewise more agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith The Design of an Infallible Church is to secure all that continue in the Communion of it against all possibility of Error in Matters of Faith The Question now is not whether an Infallible Church would do this but whether that Church which arrogates Infallibility to it self does not pretend to do this And if they could do it it would not be agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith For Faith which is the Principle of all Religious Actions would be no Virtue if it were necessary A true and right Belief can be no Virtue where a Man is Infallibly secured against Error There is the same Reason of Virtuous and Criminal Actions and as there can be no Crime or Fault in doing what a Man cannot help so neither can there be any Virtue All Virtuous Actions are Matter of Praise and Commendation and therefore it can be no Virtue in any Man because it deserves no Commendation to believe and own that the Sun shines at Noon-day when he sees it does so No more would it be a Virtue in any Man and deserve Praise to Believe aright who is in a Church wherein he is Infallibly secured against all Error in Matters of Faith Make any thing necessary and impossible to be otherwise and the doing of it ceases to be a Virtue God hath so framed Religion and the Evidence of Truth and the Means of coming to the Knowledge of it as to be a sufficient Security to Men of honest Minds and teachable Tempers against all Fatal and Final Mistakes concerning Things necessary to Salvation but not so that every Man that is of such a Church should be Infallibly secured against all Errors in Matters of Faith and this on purpose to try the Virtue and Disposition of Men whether they will be at the pains to search for Truth and when it is proposed to them with sufficient Evidence tho' not by an Infallible Hand they will receive it in the love of it that they may be Saved Fourthly This is as much security against Error in Matters of Faith as God hath provided against Sin and Vice in Matters of Practice and since a right Belief is only in order to a good Life a Man would be hard put to it to give a Wise Reason why God should take greater Care for the Infallible Security of Mens Faith than of their Obedience The Reason pretended why God should make such Infallible Provision for a right Faith is for the better security of Mens Eternal Salvation and Happiness Now the Virtues of a good Life have a more Direct and Immediate influence upon that than the most Orthodox Belief The end of the Commandments i. e of the Declaration of the Gospel is Charity In the Christian Religion that which mainly avails to our Justification and Salvation is a Faith that worketh by Charity and the keeping of the Commandments of God He that heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them saith our Blessed Lord I will liken him to a Wise Man that Built his House upon a Rock and again not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord i. e. makes Profession of Faith in me shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven and again if ye know these Things happy are ye if ye do them And the Apostle St. Peter Exhorts Christians to add to their Faith and Knowledge Virtue and Godliness and Brotherly Kindness and Charity that so an abundant entrance may be ministred to them into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ So that the Virtues of a good Life have the greatest Influence upon our Salvation and the main stress of Christianity is to be laid there And therefore whatever Reason can be assigned why God should provide for the Infallible security of our Faith is much stronger why an equal Provision should be made to secure Holiness and Obedience of Life because without this Faith cannot Infallibly attain its End which is the Salvation of our Souls But this it is granted God hath not done and Experience shews it and therefore it is unreasonable to suppose that he hath done the other It is sufficient that in both kinds he hath done that which is sufficient to make us capable of Happiness if we be not wanting to our selves the rest he hath left to the sincerity of our Endeavours expecting that We on our part should work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure And if God hath made such Provision by the Gospel for all that enjoy the Light and Advantage of it that none can miscarry without their own fault then both his Goodness and Wisdom are sufficiently acquitted without an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and that Irreverent way of Arguing in the Canon Law might well have been spared that of necessity there must be an Infallible Judge of Controversies in Religion aliter Dominus non videretur fuisse discretus otherwise God would not seem to have Ordered Matters discreetly But what Infallible Security soever they have in the Church of Rome as to Matters of Faith they are certainly the worst provided of wholsom and safe Directions for the Consciences and Lives of Men of any Church in the World No Religion that I know of in the World ever had such Lewd and Scandalous Casuists Witness the Moral Divinity of the Jesuits which hath been so exposed to the World not only by those
us and when Men find the Condition in themselves they will without any great perswasion take Comfort from the Promise and apply it to themselves but till they discern the Condition in themselves it is impossible for a Man that understands himself to apply the Promise to himself for till the Condition be performed he hath no more right to the Promise than if such a Promise had never been made And 't is so far from being a Sin in such a Man to doubt of the benefit of such a Promise that it is his Duty to do so and no Man that understands himself and the Promises of God can possibly do otherwise Therefore 't is a vain and groundless trouble which perplexeth many People that they cannot apply the Promises of God to themselves whereas the true ground of their trouble should be this that they have not been careful to perform the Condition of those Promises which they would apply to themselves the other is an endless trouble let them but look to the Condition and the Promise will apply it self I speak all this on purpose to free Men from those perplexities wherewith many have entangled themselves by false apprehensions of the Promises of God either as if they were not made to us upon certain Conditions to be performed by us or as if any Man could comfortably apply them to himself before he hath performed those Conditions upon which God hath made such Promises For if Men will believe that which is not true or expect things upon such terms as they are not to be had they may trouble themselves Eternally and all the World cannot help it I have now done with the First thing I propounded to speak to namely the Promises which are here spoken of The Second thing viz. what Influence these Promises ought to have upon us that by them we may be made Partakers of a Divine Nature I shall reserve to another Opportunity The Second SERMON ON 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature I Made entrance into these words the last Day in the handling whereof I proposed to do these two things First To consider the Promises here spoken of Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises Secondly The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature The first of these I have done with and proceed now to the Second viz. The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature Not that we can partake of the Essence and Nature of God as some have blasphemously affirmed pretending in their canting and senseless Language to be Godded with God and Christed with Christ In this sense it is impossible for us to partake of the Divine Nature for this would be for Men to become Gods and to be advanced to the State and Perfection of the Deity But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently in Scripture signifie a temper and disposition and to be partakers of a Divine Nature is to be of a Divine Temper and Disposition to have our Corrupt Natures rectified and purged from all sinful Lusts and irregular Passions and from all Vicious and Corrupt Affections and therefore it follows in the Text having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust and besides this giving all diligence add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity So that we are made partakers of a Divine Nature as the Apostle here explains it these two ways by cleansing our selves from the Lusts of the Flesh which the Apostle here calls the corruption or defilement which is in the World through Lust and by a diligent endeavour after all Christian Graces and Virtues Faith and Temperance and Patience a sincere love of the Brethren and an Universal Charity and good-will towards all Men. And that this is the proper influence and efficacy of the great Promises of the Gospel upon the hearts and lives of Men the Apostle St. Paul fully declares to us 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having thâ—refore these Promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit that is from the lusts of the Flesh and of uncleanness and from all evil and corrupt affections of the Mind such as Wrath Envy Malice Hatred Strife Revenge Cruelty Pride and the like perfecting holiness in the fear of God that is continually aspiring still more and more after further degrees of Holiness and Virtue and goodness which are the great Perfections of the Divine Nature And thus by a constant and sincere endeavour to cleanse our selves from all impurity of Flesh and Spirit and by practising all the Virtues of a good Life we shall by degrees raise and advance our selves to a Godlike temper and disposition imitating in all our Actions the Goodness and Mercy and Patience and Truth and Faithfulness of God and all those other Perfections of the Divine Nature which are comprehended undâ—r the term of Holiness This is that which the Apostle here calls partaking of a Divine Nature or as our Blessed Saviour expresseth it to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect This the Gospel designs to raise us to and one of the great Instruments whereby this is effected are those exceeding great and precious Promises which I have insisted upon And they are capable of effecting it these two ways First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance and Secondly By way of external Motive and Argument Both these ways some or other of these Promises have a mighty influence upon us if we be not wanting to our selves to raise us to a Godlike temper and disposition that is to the greatest perfection of Virtue and Goodness which we are capable of in this Life First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance And this influence the Promise of God's Holy Spirit and of the gracious help and assistance thereof hath upon the Minds of Men inclining them to that which is good and enabling them to do it For the Holy Spirit is promised to us in consideration and commiseration of that impotency and weakness which we have contracted in that degenerate and depraved Condition into which Mankind is sunk to help us who are without strength to recover our selves out of that evil and miserable state into which by wilful transgression we are fallen to quicken us who are dead in Trespasses and Sins as the Scripture expresseth the Condition of unregenerate Persons to raise â—s to a new Life and to cherish this Principle of Spiritual Life which is commonly weak at first and to carry it through alldiscouragements and oppositions to
other things should be made subordinate and subservient to this great Design and be no further minded by us than they really are so For that which is our great End will subdue all other things and bring them into subjection to it and will reject them and throw them aside if they be inconsistent with it If Heaven be our utmost aim and in order to that it be our great study and endeavour to be Righteous and Holy this Resolution and Design sincerely entertained will over-rule all other Considerations and make all the things of this World to stoop and give way to that which is our chief End the Eternal Happiness and Salvation of our Souls And thus I have done with the Second Thing I proposed namely what is meant by seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and what by seeking them first I proceed in the Third place to lay down some plain Rules for our Direction and Furtherance in seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness that is in the great business of Religion First Let us always live under a lively and powerful sense of another World that we are placed here in this World but for a little while and that wholly in order to our preparation for a better and a happier Life Let this thought be often in our Minds that Eternity is the most considerable duration and the next World the place of our Everlasting abode where we must dwell and continue for ever and therefore our present state is but of little Moment and Consideration to us but only in order to our future and Everlasting Condition We may please our selves here for a little while with Toys and Trifles with Dreams and Shadows of Pleasure and Happiness and may be exercised with some Troubles and Afflictions for a short space for a moment as the Apostle calls it our light afflictions which are but for a moment and so indeed it is compared with all Eternity but the substantial and durable Happiness or Misery remain for Men in the other World and will certainly be their portion according as they have demeaned themselves in this World Now the serious Consideration of this cannot fail to put us upon vigorous preparations for another World and to make us wholly intent upon our Eternal Concernments and to resolve whatever becomes of us in this World to take effectual Care that we may be Happy for ever He that firmly believes the Immortality of his Soul and a Life after Death which will never have an end must needs take into Consideration his whole duration and bend all his Care and Thoughts how he may avoid the greatest and most lasting Misery and secure to himself an Immortality of Bliss and Happiness Secondly Let us be always under a Conviction of the absolute and indispensable necessity of Holiness and Righteousness as the only way and means whereby the Kingdom of God is to be attained and that Holiness and Happiness are not to be separated the one being a necessary Condition and Qualification for the other and consequently that it is the vainest thing in the World for any Man to hope to enter into the Kingdom of God without endeavouring after his Righteousness there is so strong a connexion between them that a Man may as reasonably expect to be well and at ease without Health as to be Happy without Holiness for this makes us like to God and our Likeness and Conformity to God is that alone which can make us capable of the Blessed Sight and Enjoyment of God We must be Partakers of a Divine Nature in order to our participation of the Divine Blessedness And the Consideration of this will effectually engage us to seek the Righteousness of God without which we shall never enter into his Kingdom and to follow Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. Thirdly Let us always remember that Righteousness is of a great extent and comprehends in it all goodness it takes in all the Duties of Religion and the Practice of all of them it is a Complication of all Graces and Virtues of all the Parts and Ingredients of all the Duties and Offices of a good Man To denominate a Man Righteous all Causes must concurr all the Essential Principles and Parts of Religion and Goodness must meet together Knowledge and Practice Faith and Good Works Right Opinions and Real Virtues an Orthodox Profession and a Holy Life abstaining from Sin and doing of Righteousness Purity of Heart and Unspotted Manners Godliness and Honesty the Bridling of our Tongue and the Government of our Passions and above all things Charity which is the Band of Perfection For Righteousness is our Conformity to the Law of God as Unrighteousness and Sin is the Transgression of it Now this if it be real and sincere will be uniform and universal equally respecting all the Laws of God and every part of our known Duty and will not content it self with an especial regard to one or two Precepts of the Law tho' never so considerable and then allow it self in the neglect and violation of the rest no nor with the observation of the Duties of one Table of the Law if it overlook the other no nor with Obedience to all the Commandments of God one only excepted St. James hath put this very Case and determined it that he that shall keep the whole Law save only that he offend in one point is guilty of all that is he is not sincere in his Obedience to the rest And therefore if we seek the Righteousness of God our Righteousness must be Universal as he that hath called us is holy so must we be holy in all manner of Conversation in the tenor of our Actions and the whole course of our Lives and any one Reigning Sin and Vice any gross and notorious defect in the Virtues of a good Life will spoil all our Righteousness and will effectually shut us out of the Kingdom of Heaven Fourthly Let us wisely subordinate the several parts and duties of Religion to one another according to the intrinsical worth and value of them that so we may mind every part of Religion in its due place and according to the true nature and importance of it Knowledge and Faith are in order to Practice and a good Life and signifie nothing unless they produce that the Means of Religion such as Prayer and Fasting diligent Reading and Hearing of the Word of God Reverent and Devout Receiving of the Blessed Sacrament are of less account and value than that which is the End of all these which is to make us inwardly and really good and fruitful in all the works of Righteousness which by Jesus Christ are to the Praise and Glory of God And therefore the Means of Religion which I have mentioned are to be regarded and used by us in order to the attaining of these Ends without which they are meer Formalility and Hypocrisie and instead of finding acceptance with God they are an
unexperienced Men and those who have taken no great pains with themselves imagine what Thought and Consideration what Care and Attention what Resolution and Firmness of Mind what Diligence and patient continuance in well-doing are requisite to make a truly good Man such a one as St. Paul describes that is perfect and entire and wanting nothing that follows God fully and fulfils every part of his Duty having a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man Who is there among us that is either wise enough for his own direction or good enough for the peace and satisfaction of his own Mind that is so happy as to know his Duty and to do it as to have both the Understanding and the Will to do in all things as he ought After our best Care and all our Pains and Endeavours the most of us will still find a great many defects in our Lives and cannot but discern great and manifold imperfections in our very best Duties and Services insomuch that we shall be forced to make the same acknowledgment concerning them which Solomon does concerning the imperfection of all things under the Sun that which is crooked cannot be made streight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred And when all is done we have all of us reason to say not only that we are unprofitable servants having done nothing but what was our duty to do but have cause likewise with great shame and confusion of face to acknowledge that we have been in many respects Wicked and Slothful Servants and so very far from having done what was our duty to do that the greatest part of the good which the most of us have done is the least part of the good which we might and ought to have done The Practice of Religion in all the Parts and Instances of our Duty is work more than enough for the best and greatest Mind for the longest and best order'd Life The Commandment of God is exceeding broad and an Obedience in any good measure equal to the extent of it extreamly difficult And after all as the Man in the Gospel said with tears to our Saviour concerning the weakness of his own Faith Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Mar. 9. 24. So the best of Men may say and say it with tears too concerning every Grace and Virtue wherein they excel most Lord I aspire I endeavour after it be thou pleased to assist my weakness and to help me by thy grace continually to do better The Summ of all is this If we be careful to do our best and make it the constant and sincere endeavour of our Lives to please God and to keep his Commandments we shall be accepted of him For God values this more than whole Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices more than thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oâ—l because this is an essential part of Religion To love God with all our hearts and minds and strength and to love our Neighbours as our selves The Duties comprehended in these two great Commandments sincerely practised by us though with a great deal of imperfection will certainly be acceptable in the sight of God in and through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ the Righteous Blessed are they saith St. John very plainly in the conclusion of that obscure Book of his Revelation Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22. 14. I speak now to a great many who are at the upper end of the World and command all the Pleasures and Enjoyments of it but the time is coming and whether we think of it or not is very near at hand when we shall see an end of all perfection and of all that is desirable upon Earth and upon which Men are apt to value themselves so much in this World and then nothing but Religion and the Conscience of having done our Duty to God and Man will stand us in stead and yield true Comfort to us When we are going to leave the World how shall we then wish that we had made Religion the great business of our Lives and in the Day of God's Grace and Mercy had exercised Repentance and made our Peace with God and prepared our selves for another World that after our departure hence we might be admitted into the presence of God where is fulness of Joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Let no Man therefore of what Rank or Condition soever he be in this World think himself too great to be good and too Wise to be Religious and to take care of his Immortal Soul and his Everlasting Happiness in another World since nothing but this will approve it self it to be true Wisdom at the last All other things will have an end with this Life but Religion and the Fear of God is of a vast extent and hath an influence upon our whole duration and after the course of this Life is ended will put us into the secure Possession of a Happiness which shall never have an end I will Conclude this whole Discourse with those words of our Blessed Saviour If ye know these things happy are â—e if ye do them Which thou who art the Eternal Spring of Truth and Goodness grant that we may all know and do in this our day for thy Mercies sake in Jefus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen A SERMON ON 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature THE Connection of these words with the foâ—mer is somewhat obscure but it seems to be this The Apostle had in the Verse before said that the Divine Power of Christ hath by the knowledge of the Gospel given us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness that is by the knowledge of the Gospel we are furnish'd with all Advantages which conduce to make Men happy in the next Life and Religious in this and then it follows whereby are given unto â—s exceeding great and precious Promises Whereâ—â— this seems to refer to the whole of the foregoing Verse as if it had beeâ—â—â—id Christ by the Gospel hath given to us all things that conduce to our Future Happiness and in order thereto all things which tend to make Men holy and good Or else Life and Godliness are by a Hebraism frequent in the New Testament put for a Godly Life And then among all those things which conduce to a Godly Life the Apostle instanceth in the Promises of the Gospel which do so directly tend to make Men Partakers of a Divine Nature In the handling of these words I shall First Consider the Promises here spoken of whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises Secondly The influence which these Promises ought to have upon us that by these ye might be made partakers of