A SERMON Preach'd before the KING AT His Majesty's Chappel IN WINDSOR-CASTLE NOVEMB 10. 1695. By GREG. HASCARD D. D. Dean of Windsor and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty Published by His Majesty's special Command LONDON Printed for Daniel Brown at the Bible and Swan without Temple-Bar M DC XC VI. ACTS XVI part of the 30 31 Verses Sirs What shall I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house THE Conversion of the Jaylor here is an effect of the precedent Miracle v. 26. which was wrought by the Power of God not only to reclaim the Pagan World from Idolatry and Superstition but to vindicate the Persons also of Paul and Silas who through some covetous Masters who were angry that their Servant a Damsel who brought so much gain unto them by Sooth-saying by these Apostles was now dispossest of her divining Spirit So much did Covetousness outweigh their Charity and Religion v. 19. and by the giddy Multitude who under pretence of aged Customs and Superstition is soon fired into Cruelties Riots and Disorder v. 21 22. And through the Magistrates here who were perhaps forc'd to comply from the Clamour and Noise of the Herd which many times grows the lowder from commanding Silence these two innocent Persons are condemned to the Rods and Prison and the busy Jaylor to please his Masters and the Rabble bestows upon them the darkest Room in his Jayl v. 24. where these two Saints did not warm their Heads to contrive Revenge nor whine at and bewail the Severity of the Judge or the madness of the People nor sink into despair for fear of further Punishment Axes or Rods that might attend them but flaming with Devotion like Souls upon the Wing Spiritual and Divine truly Citizens of another World merrily and loudly send up their Prayers and tune their Praises unto God who soon heard and by a miraculous Change in Nature the shaking of the Earth the moving of the Foundation of the Prison the Bands and Shackles of the Captives flying off own'd the Faith and Creed that Paul and Silas taught evidenc'd the vigour of a fervent Prayer righted the Innocency of their Persons and baptiz'd the Jaylor into the Religion of his Prisoners For seeing these mighty Wonders his Soul that hitherto was kept in straiter Bonds and a darker Dungeon than ever St. Paul lay in look'd now like the Prison that he kept from a clear Conviction upon his Mind that he was a gross Sinner and that Paul and Silas's Religion brought Salvation with it and was very true full of fears and agonies of Mind astonishment and confusion of Spirit comes trembling and falls down to them that he had whipt before begging their charitable Advice in this great concern Sirs c. In which words these two Parts are to be considered I. The Question of great importance that is ask'd here Sirs what must I do to be saved II. A plain and sufficient Answer given to it Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house The State of the Jaylor here is the condition of all Mankind who from the natural Light that shines within and divine Discovery from above sent into the World clear up an immortal State with infinite Sorrows or eternal Joys to attend their different Actions which puts the Souls of Men upon the Search and Passion Fears and Hopes Jealousies and Desires to fly from the Flames which burn under their Feet and to attain the Crown of Glory which hangs o're their Head There is no Man of so sear'd or cauteriz'd a Confcience there is no Man of so bold and daring a Spirit but some time or other shivers and waxes Pale to think that either he must take an eternal Sleep in the Grave and never be again or else be lash'd and scourg'd for his Follies if he doth survive No Man's Blood is so warm and feverish with the pleasures and joys of this Life but hath its cool intermission when Conscience and Reason debate the Case and ask him What will be the issue of all these things What will be the result and conclusion of all my Lusts and Vices Live I cannot Dye I dare not Where shall I fly What Spirits shall I be company for As the Apparation said to Saul I e're long must be with them Such is my dismal Streight and Condition What must I do to be saved No Man's Methods and Arts are so fly and cunning to extinguish the notion of a God to pull down Heaven and put out the Fires below to smother the cries of Conscience and draw the Curtain upon the light of Reason but some time or other either when Afflictions or Troubles arrest him and stop him in the full career of his vicious Pleasures or when Sickness Disappointments or a Dying Bed seize his Passions then he cries out like the Sorcerer Oh! let me dye the death of the righteous and whatever my life was in the beginning let my latter end be like his Call a Confessor and a Guide for I am a going I know not whither and Hell and Despair begin to appear And what shall I do This is the Language of all Mankind of the Timorous and Inquisitive the Young and Aged the Melancholy and the Gay the Sensual and Vicious the Pagan and Christian the Question in every Man's Breast God hath been so kind by the Gospel to give us a plain and sufficient Answer to this important Question telling us what we were what we are and what we must be pointing out our Joys discovering our Dangers describing our Countrey and the Inhabitants above giving us wise Counsel and wholesom Directions how we must walk and arrive there In short only thus to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ And which Words may be discours'd on by this Method 1. To consider who the Persons are who can properly ask this Question 2. What is the Nature of this Belief or Faith that will save us 3. To evidence that this Answer is plain and sufficient 4. Some Conclusions from the whole 1. 'T is the Question of a Pagan to a Christian and 't is the Case of the Jaylor here who sadly complains that his Notions and Evidences for Immortality were very uncertain and obscure and that the most Learned among them and the best of their Guides did confess this Seneca therefore acknowledgeth upon what Grounds his Hopes of another Life was founded I did believe saith he the Opinions of our great Men about the blessed State for departed Souls not for the sake of their Arguments but the Perswasion was Pleasant and I could wish that it was True And Socrates coming to dye after he had made his fine Oration about the Soul and Virtue and the Blessed Mansions above said Upon this account I could dye Ten thousand Deaths but concludes whether this be so or no only the Gods above do know And the Reasonings of their great
Antoninus as famous for his Philosophy as for his Empire and several others about the Nature of the Soul and the Justice of Providence whatever strength they have in them as a great deal they have yet are above the ordinary level of Mankind and the Rules and Maxims of their Philosophers for a Virtuous Life as the way to Heaven were many times above sometimes below and some parts of their Religion unworthy of their Practice that they were distracted and confounded among themselves about the best end of Life and the chiefest Good that they drew but imperfect Notions and Features of the first Mover or Supreme Deity and therefore serv'd him by the rude Addresses of the Dii Medioxumi their intermediate Gods and Saints derogatory to his Honour and Greatness And the vulgar World was so enslav'd in their Lusts and Apprehensions that they not only ador'd the Sun or Stars a Lyon or an Oak things that were Great Generous and Useful but like the Sottish Egyptians below their Nature Crocodiles and Monkies Leeks and Onions of which they might have a new Crop of young Gods and Goddesses every Year And besides all this the Pagan had an active Reason and a busy Conscience within and a lively impression of God enstamp'd upon his Soul which he had much abus'd though he could no more utterly deface than put out the Sun and that he should survive this Life and be lash'd and scourg'd crown'd or rewarded in the other World And therefore he cries Allay my Fears and support my Hopes and tell me What must I do to be saved The Christian can prescribe him that Physick which cur'd his own Disease and is approv'd by the Testimony of numerous Converts Believe in the Lord Jesus c. But that he may not wink and swallow this down and cure himself only by a warm Fancy thinking he is well and have no reason for the Prescription the Jaylor here had the mighty Argument of Miracles for his Conversion and all Mankind justly challenge some reason for their Persuasion And therefore the Christian Guide tells the Pagan That the Christian Religion or way of Salvation hath the clearest Evidence on its side being confirm'd by greater and more Miracles than any other Perswasion That its Doctrines are suitable to the reason and dictates of humane Nature highly serviceable to the true Interests of Men here in all Capacities and Relations and an endless Life hereafter That its Authour Jesus had a stupendious Birth his Person Offices and Actions Prophecy'd of long before and exactly fulfill'd in all their due Circumstances A Person he was of an unsullied Life and without any design of secular Interest or Popularity hugely Generous and Charitable to all sorts and degrees of Men who sign'd his Discoveries and Truths with the smartest Agonies and Effusion of his Blood and Crown'd and Confirm'd all his Laws by a greater Wonder his Resurrection from the Grave Who continu'd the Arguments for our Faith in the Mission of his Spirit by the miraculous Gift of Tongues upon his Apostles Men of the greatest Sincerity and Integrity who with the succeeding Ages without any sinister Design convey'd in an undoubted way the History of this Religion to this present Age a way equivalent to the hearing of our Ears and seeing of our Eyes a faithful Tradition supplying our Senses These and many more are the Arguments of our Christian Faith and fit to prevail upon an honest and unprejudic'd Mind What shall the Pagan the Atheist or the doubting Christian who is always for laying the Foundation again but never building up the Superstructure of an holy Life by reason of some particular Vices that he is loth to part withal do to be saved Let them weigh and consider try and examine for the Christian Religion by such Reasons as these hath prevail'd upon the Great and Learned upon all Tempers and Professions of Men and if they will let their Passions and Prepossessions submit to their Judgment they will find Arguments sufficient to believe in the Lord Jesus and to be baptiz'd into the Christian Faith 2. 'T is the Question of a Christian troubled with the Divisions of Christendom not knowing to what Church to adhere The honest Christian sadly finding Religion torn into so many Parts and Pieces and every Division and Sect of Christians confining Christ with all his Privileges and Promises to their private Sect small Fraternities and Cloysters single Families and particular Persons have bestow'd upon themselves the great Names of the only Church and Houshold of Faith and Sentenc'd all the World for Reprobates not within their narrow Bounds and Pale and have chain'd as the Tyrians did their gods to their City Providence and Religion Heaven and Eternity only to their own side and every one with a Damnamus fix'd unto their Creeds The Seed of Isaac in this too much like that of Ishmael he against every Man and every Man against him discharging Censures and Excommunications one against another The plain Christian that thinks a Soul and God infinite Rewards or Miseries are too great to be plaid withal and frighted with the confident pretences of some and acted upon by the sly Methods of others begins to be wavering in his Faith uncertain in his Hopes and Profession and like a bewildred Pilgrim standing where variety of Ways do meet surrounded with Woods and Waters and hearing different Voices crying Come hither and here is Christ go thither and there is Jesus and pointing yonder Lo there lys the way that leads to Sion He begins to tremble and begs of some charitable Guide to lead him by the Hand to the House where Christ dwells asks him the way how we may walk securely What must be do to be saved He is the safest and most faithful Guide that tells him this Believe in the Lord Jesus he is the way the truth and the lise For this is the Summary of the Gospel the Epitome of all true Religion wherein all Christians do agree and a general prospect of that new and living way alone whereby we must be sav'd manifest to Men in the Schools and at the Plow the Learned and Illiterate Faith to whatever God hath revealed in Holy Writ and a Life conformable to his Laws Which Compendium of our Faith when Men of Wit and Interest drew out into longer and smaller Threds and multiply'd Fundamentals defining obscure Notions for Divine-Light and Evident Truth by an Authority more dark than they they sour'd Religion made it a fardle of Perplexities and an indigested heap of Speculations The Apostle forseeing this 2 Tim. 1.13 reminds his Son Timothy to keep close to the form of sound words which was this belief on Jesus and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness Which when Men of Fancy and nice Conception mixt with Secular Designs slighted and contemn'd they ruin'd that Faith that was once deliver'd unto the Saints And when the great Commission was sign'd unto the Apostles
to go and preach to and baptize all Nations they receiv'd an Abridgment of that Religion which they were to teach which was only this That Jesus was the Christ and this became the Character of a true Christian and 't was the brand of the Man of Sin whosoever and wheresoever he is that either directly or by natural Consequence he should deny That Jesus was come in the flesh that the Son of God had taken upon him Humane Nature 1 John 4.2 3. And 't was the Wisdom of the first Planters of Religion to prevent the Cavils of the Gnosticks and other peevish Disputants whose Heats are most kindled by Straw and Stubble laid upon the Foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 12. Variety of Phrases and changing of Syllables to reduce all the Fundamentals of Religion and comprize them under shorter Forms call'd our Creeds which when after Ages drew into thin and invisible Surfaces our Faith turn'd into Faction and sophistical Niceties the easiness of Religion its true Honour was confounded the Commandments of Men the Institutes of the Schools Aristotle Canoniz'd the Prejudices and Craft of the Age brought into the Temple and call'd the Holy of holies Christian What shall you do to be saved You are safe and secure in this Church that preserves this Faith intire as its Author did deliver it neither wresting its Articles from their natural Sense not adding any pretending a Divine Commission nor diminishing the number of them whose Doctrine is Apostolical Discipline primitive and Ceremonies few and decent all leading to an holy Life the solemn end of all Religion As for those Controversies that are not of his Foundation which warm the Heads of the Learned and Studious and stir up the Blood of the Angry and Peevish if the unhappiness of your Education the privacy of your Living or greatness of your Employment will not permit you to state and determine their Truth the Spirit of God will either lead you into it or else your industry probity and sincerity of Mind will excuse your Ignorance which in such matters will never hazard your Salvation 3. 'T is the Question of a Vicious Christian to his Spiritual Guide who having been baptized into this most Holy Faith made his solemn Vows for a Virtuous Life and by entertaining the hopes of a blessed Eternity listed himself under the Banner of Christianity yet notwithstanding all this he hath fouly apostatized and run from his Colours betraying his Faith and his Conscience his Resolution and his Reason into Lewdness and grosser Follies and prostituting all Holy Things crucified the Lord of Life again whereby he has degraded his Nature wounded Religion stain'd his Family damnified his Prince and Countrey scandaliz'd all that are good and wise and abus'd his God and now being and Aged and Gray headed Sinner labouring under Infirmities of Body the Punishment of his Greener Days and a distemper'd Conscience within and now taking a view of all his Pleasures and Follies that are past giving this sad account That he began them in Fancy carried them on in Labour and now end in Dissatisfaction and Disdain and this sorrowful Question here after a Life so ill spent What shall he do to be sav'd Sinner What shall you do to be sav'd Renew your Vows repeat your Resolution abhor and detest your Follies that are past and take the Propher's Advice to the Tyrant Break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor and it may be a lengthning of your Tranquility your Possessions will be enjoy'd with a more easy mind and your lawful Pleasures will taste the sweeter for this is believing on the Lord Jesus Faith being a complexive term signifying not only our Assent but our Obedience too our Creed and Practice So to Believe as to Repent so to Repent as to bring forth fruits meet for repentance So to Believe as to change your ill habits to reform your Manners to restrain your Passions and vain Desires and put a final conclusion to all your Lusts and Follies and the time past of your life may suffice you to have wrought the will of the Gentiles If you have been guilty of Violence and Oppression Restitution must be made a large and Heroick Charity must be exercis'd and Satisfaction made in all Capacities You must run counter to and unraffle all the Ill Customs you have contracted recant and unsay wherein you have deceiv'd by a Virtuous Example Discourse and Behaviour allure unto Piety where by your Vicious Actions you have seduc'd in time to come use mortification and self denial Go and sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto you and now be more Brave and Generous and like St. Paul because once a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious upon his Conversion he laboured more abundantly and his faith wrought and was perfected by love The Sinner so believing and so acting let his former Crimes be of never so deep a dye never so many of a long continuance and cloath'd with all their aggravating Circumstances is heavy laden yet hath his Pardon seal'd in Heaven Remission of Sins by Christ being as certainly true as Jesus is the Christ This is the Plank after Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience by which we may swim to Shore This is the way to redeem time that is mispent and fled away to call Life back and act it o're again The Sinner thus sincere and resolv'd is accepted into Favour treated like a righteous Person his Debts cancell'd no former Miscarriages to upbraid him but look'd upon as a Saint and a Friend of God his Question Answer'd and he eternally sav'd through Christ on whom he did believe 4. 'T is the Question of an honest Christian troubled in Mind whose wounded and timerous Spirit viewing a large Catalogue of black and crying Sins though now repented of fancies them beyong the Divine Mercy and Reprieve Sometimes an Hypocondriacal Passion the effects of his Constitution over-clouds his Soul which he calls the Anger of God the withdrawing of his Spirit and the doom of Heaven To day he is disappointed and some Calamity of Life Fire or Mildew blasts his Hopes he measuring his Assurance in God by Success and Sunshine thinks Heaven is gone and Eternity will Miscarry His pensive Thoughts grime every Frailty for an habitual Sin and swells every Error into the Sin against the Holy Ghost unpardonable and dye he must Sometimes his Thoughts are confus'd about another World and hath dismal Apprehemsions about eternal Decrees and some severe Men have denounc'd Damnation against him because he is not of their Party and Division and because of some unintelligible Characters which Enthusiasts have set for Men to judge by whether they shall be sav'd or no and overaw'd by the greatness of Eternity and God and the sly Deceiver who first tempts Men to presumption and then to despair improving Scruples into Despondency David's roaring for the Disquietness of his Mind and the
the good Confession that Christ himself witness'd before Pontius Pilate 1 Tim. 6.13 This was Mary's Creed And this was that the doubting Disciple made upon his Conviction My Lord and my God Joh. 20.20 28. And all this naturally producing Charity and Meekness and such excellent Virtues And the belove Disciple tells us this was the Character of one that is born of God That he should believe that Jesus was come in the flesh And the great Apostle makes this the Sum of all Religion Charity out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 a good conscience and faith unfeign'd And when the rest of the Apostles and Apostolical men laid down the several Notes for men to judge by whether they should be sav'd or no as Grace and Spirit Decrees and Church and the like they all center here tho express'd by different Names Faith Sanctification Regeneration purifying and cleansing and all Prayers and Sacraments Temples and Altars Discipline and Ceremonies aim at this to guard this short Creed and an honest Conversation That no Age nor Sex Interest nor Party of men might call themselves the People of God except they wrought Righteousness chang'd their Manners and by Evangelical allowance became perfect and holy as their supposed Heavenly Father was And such a Religion as this and this alone is pure and undefiled The Conclusions that follow from this whole Discourse are these Two 1. That if such a Faith as this will save us we are safe and secure in this Church fo England notwithstanding the Damnation that some men denounce against us and the Anger of others that separate from us For this is the Creed of our Church this we firmly and sincerely believe And if these early Christians could be undoubtedly sav'd by the Confession of such a Faith why not we who believe this in the same sense that Christ and his Apostles delivered it and in a more diffused and explained manner as the Christians about the first 300 years taught us in their Three most famous and celebrated Creeds and also what is necessarily presupposed or implied in this short Creed or by natural Consequences deduc'd from it But those things that have no dependance upon or relation to this Creed or endeavoured to be derived from it only by dark or remote Implications and rather seem destructive of it we cannot Christen Articles of Faith or Fundamentals in Religion How comes it to pass that those First Christians could be sav'd by this Faith and nor we upon whom the ends of the World are come Are there Articles of Faith necessary for one Age of the Christian World and not for another Or was there any other Authority given to stamp new Articles for the urgent Necessities of the Church Or how come these new Necessities And why must the narrow way be made narrower still Those that do dissent from our Church could never justly charge any Rules or Doctrines upon it leading to Ill Manners or Impiety but that it reaches universal Justice and Charity towards all and especially all Humble Deportment and Duty to our Superiors And we are sure upon the Word of an Apostle That our Creed is full and firm And if he that believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God we are sure then that we are the Sons of God And with Peace and Security to our Minds and Consciences we may say of our Church which is nothing else but Old Christianity as the Disciples did of its Author the Blessed Jesus Thou art He and we look for no other 2. Let us consider the Nature of the Faith that we rely upon for our Salvation For many are so fond of and dear to their own Persons as to call themselves Saints and Favourites of Heaven who are violent in their false hopes and by force storm Heaven with no other Title than the Mad man of Athens had to the Ships coming into that Port his Fancy or his Frenzy Give a reason therefore of your Hopes and Expectations You perhaps believe That Jesus is the Christ his Person Innocent and his Doctrine Pure but if this be all if it reach not your Lives 't is but the Creed of the Spirits in despair who perhaps do more than you both believe and tremble too Your Passions sometimes are warm and you magnify the Atchivements of your dying Lord extol his Charity court and admire his Promises and the Purchase he hath made for you but will this heat of Devotion alone serve the turn then Hypocrites and other Vicious Persons can be lovers at an equal rate who cannot but admire Jesus who hath secur'd Heaven for them and given them a dispensation for their Vices at the same time You Pray and Communicate you Vow and Resolve and once in a Year you give your Souls a little Physick in the Spring and keep a Lenten Fast 't is well run hitherto but if your Devotion be out of breath not to outstrip and leave your Sins 't is Road and Custom Popular Fame or Slavish Fear but no true Principle or Ground of Hope You Sin and Repent to give your Mind a little ease but you go not forward for you Sin and Repent again and you are got into a Circle and such a round as this will make you giddy that at length by Custom you will scarce know which is Virtue and which is Vice And 't is hard to conceive that Men are fully perswaded that the Flames burn under their Feet and yet make from them only by such dull Paces or that Heaven and a Soul are of that moment yet put them both upon perhaps and peradventures In short no Man's Faith is true no Man's Hope is well-grounded no Man can truly call himself a Son of God except he be baptized into and live in the Jaylor's Faith What is that To make Confession of his Faith and Sins together the Commands and Creed to be equally reverenc'd to make him a true Christian a better and braver Man than the common Lump and Mass of Mankind and to reduce his extravagant Passions to the Regal Authority of Christ Such a Faith this must be that chuseth Christ to be his King as well as his Priest to become his Sacrifice or his Prophet only to tell him Futurities That when Interest and Pleasure come in Competition and rival his Religion and Innocency he can shake Hands with all those and stick fast to his Conscience and his God Such a Faith this is that believes the Incarnation of Christ to condemn Sin in the Flesh Such as believes his Circumcision in order to Mortification and Purity Such as believes his Resurrection not only to ascertain us of Glory but to remind us also of newness of Life Such which makes the solemn Design of the Gospel all the Mysteries of the Blessed Jesus with Prayers Praises and Sacraments and the whole Frame of his Religion not only to assure us of Imortality and to carry our Burthens but to be Arguments and Inducements also for our Obedience here and Preparations for that Divine State we call Heaven hereafter Such that are so minded in their Faith there will be Peace and Salvation upon them and the whole Israel of God and their Hopes will be well founded that when Christ the Author of their Life and their Religion too shall appear they all may appear with him in Glory To whom be all Honour Glory and Praise both now and for evermore Amen FINIS