the great advantages of Prayers Sermons and Sacraments other Judgments may the better be dispensed with Famine is another very sore Judgment when this rages God is said to march through the Land in indignation Hab. 3 12. and we will not stick to believe it when we consider the direful effects and consequences of Famine We read in our Chronicles that there was formerly such a dreadful Famine in this Island that when Malefactors were lead out of Prison towards the place of Exeeution the poor hungry People would presently fall upon them and tearing them in peices eat them up And we will not wonder at it when we read Ezek. 5 10. Of Fathers eating up their Sons and Sons their Fathers And which is stanger and more unnatural yet we find Lamen 4 10. Tender compassionate Women forced by the extremity of hunger to seeth their own Children These are horrid instances of a dreadful Judgment and yet we have a sadder instance of it and Famine is said to be such a devourer as causes a man to devour himself as you may read Isai. 9. 20. where every man is brought in eating the Flesh of his own Arm. Thus great and heavy a Judgment is Famine yea by some it is thought to be one of the sorest Heaven can inflict and yet it is inferiour to this of the Text when God in wrath removes our Candlestick out of his place when he takes his Gospel away from us and deprives us of all the priviledges and advantages of his Holy Ordinances No less than this is asserted Amos 8. 11 12. Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a Famine in the Land not a Famine of Bread not a thirst of Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East shall they run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it Thus a Famine of the Word is a sorer Judgment than the Famine of Bread and well indeed it may since the one destroys only the Body the other destroys the Soul If the Light of the Gospel be taken away worse than Egyptian darkness will ensue such as will cause us to fall and that into the bottomless Pit from whence there is no Redemption Thus I have dispatched the three Generals and shewn you that 't is an heavy Judgment to have our Candlestick removed out of his place For this heavy Judgment deprives a Nation of its Chiefest Honour and makes them become Lo-ammi or no people It deprives them also of God's special Care and Providence and renders them an easie prey unto their Enemies And lastly it surpasses the sorest of God's Judgments and a Famine of Bread is far more tolerable than a Famine of the Word These Considerations if any will teach us to value God's Ordinances at an higher rate than formerly we have and excite our greatest care and diligence to prevent such an heavy Judgment as this and to help us to perform this Duty the better I come in the fourth place Fourthly Briefly to consider some of those Causes which bring such an heavy Judgment upon a Nation And 1st Sin is the General Cause of this heavy Judgment we need no other proof of this than the Text it self where Christ bids the Church of Ephesus remember from whence she had fallen and repent and do the first works Nothing but our Iniquities can separate betwixt our God and us if we do not repent of them they will be our ruin For God will not continue his Gospel to a backsliding and disobedient People but will take it away and give it to a Nation that will better bring forth the Fruits thereof 2ly The contempt of God's Word and his Messengers is another Cause of this heavy Judgment This may easily be gathered from 2 Chron. 36. 15 16. Where we are told that the Lord God sent to the Iews by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his People and on his dwelling Place But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no remedy So Amos 8. where the Prophet threatens them with a Famine of the Word he assigns this among other reasons ver 5. namely because they prophaned his Sabbaths and despised his Ordinances And indeed when a Nation undervalues the Light of the Gospel and judg themselves unworthy of it it is but just with God to remove their Candlestick and carry his Gospel to a People more worthy of it 3ly Schisms and Divisions are another grand Cause of this heavy Judgment Historians tell us that this was it which opened the way to the Turks and Saracens to overflow the Eastern Churches and let Mahumetanism into the World It was this which brought that deluge of Goths and Vandals and other barbarous Nations upon the West And indeed we need not wonder at it since S. Iames tells us Chap. 3. 16. That where envying and strife is there will be confusion and every evil work Thus I have dispatched the fourth General and shewn you some of those Causes which provoke God to remove his Candlestick from a People and Nation Sin in the General is the Cause of it In particular the contempt of God's Messengers and his Ordinances and those Schisms and Divisions which rage in a Nation And if we should now reflect upon our selves I fear we should find so much wickedness and debauchery raging in the Land such gross prophanation of God's Sabbaths contempt of his Messengers and his Ordinances and withal so many dangerous Schisms and Factions amongst us as may justly cause us to dread the heavy Judgment of the Text. But I will not foretel your danger but exhort you to prevent it and that by Repentance as the Text directs Which Fifthly brings me to the fifth and last General proposed which is to shew you the Means to prevent this heavy Judgment Now this cannot better be learned than from that advice Christ gives the Church of Ephesus in this place remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works Repentance therefore is the best means we can take to appease God's Wrath and prevent his Judgments If we repent of the evil of our ways God also will repent of the evil we have reason enough to fear he is bringing upon us Hear what is said to this purpose in the Prophet Jer. 3. 12. Return O back sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful What a gracious motive is here urged What will perswade us to repent if the hopes of Mercy will not In what a sad condition should we be if God should remove our Candlestick out of his place if he should take away his glorious Gospel from us and deprive us of all the
1 Cor. 15. ult Wherefore my beloved Brethren be ye steadfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. This God of his Infinite Mercy grant unto us all for the sake of Jesus Christ c. SERMON IV. Psal. lxxvi 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain THIS Psalm is confessed by all to be a Psalm of Thanksgiving a Song composed to perpetuate the Memory of some wonderful and extraordinary Deliverance But what this Deliverance was is not so well agreed on by Interpreters Some would have it to be a Psalm of David penn'd to commemorate those Victories he obtain'd over the Philistines the Moabites and the Syrians others would have the occasion of it to have been the discomfiture of that formidable Army which was brought up by the Ethiopians in the days of Asa but most understand it of that remarkable defeat which was given by the Angel to Sennacheribs Army in the Reign of Hezekiah Upon this account the LXX inscribe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin Canticum ad Assyrâ—â—â— that is an Ode or Song made upon the Assyrians And this Interpretation will receive further Light from those words of vers 5. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands The Assyrian was now an Universal Monarch his Soldiers were reputed the stoutest hearted in the World having made their Valour renowned by their innumerable Conquests but yet notwithstanding all this when they brought a formidable Army against Ierusalem their Numbers and their Strength did signifie nothing for the Angel of the Lord went forth and in one Night slew 185000 men in the Camp of the Assyrians 2 Kings 19. 35. They indeed slept their sleep and the opinion of their own strength and Hezekiahs weakness made them secure but in the midst of their security God smote them in the night-time by his Angel so that the Mighty Men of valour slept indeed but it was the sleep of Death for they never awakned again never found their Hands Hence we read 2 Chron. 32. 21. That the Captains the Leaders and all the Mighty Men of Valour were cut off in the Camp of the King of Assyria Thus the God of Israel who had been blasphemed by the Assyrians vindicated his own Honour by this wonderful overthrow and his Servant Hezekiah who was delivered became Famous and Renowned amongst the Nations Hence we read 2 Chron. 32. 23. That many brought Gifts unto the Lord unto Jerusalem and Presents to Hezekiah King of Judah so that he was magnified in the fight of all Nations from thenceforth Thus the wrath of Man did praise the Lord the remainder of wrath he did restrain Before I can draw from the words such Observations as the Solemnity of the Day will require I must bestow some little explication on them First The wrath of Man the Hebrew word is Chamath and properly signifies Rage Tho' Anger Wrath and Rage be often in Scripture used promiscuously yet sometimes they are distinguished and indeed a real difference may be found between them For Anger is the boyling of the Blood about the Heart a Fever darted into the Veins which causes a violent Commotion in the Spirits Wrath is the manifestation of this inward distemper by Looks or Gesture or Actions tending to Revenge But Rage is the height or extremity of both the former it causes the Heart to study Destruction to mediate and contrive the utmost of Mischief and Villany and the outward Man to watch all opportunities of putting it in Execution and that with the greatest depth of Malice and height of Fury One would think this one word had been sufficient to express that Helish Malice which the Wicked bear against the Church of God But what is Chamath in the beginning of the Verse is Chemoth in the close What was put in the singular number is afterwards put in the plural for so the words should be rendred the wrath of Man shall praise the Lord the remainder of wraths or rages shalt thou restrain The Rage of the Wicked is not small their Fury does not terminate in one Plot but it is exceeding great ever working and multiplying by continuance so that there is not any Design so Barbarous any Conspiracy so Bloody or Devlish which their Rage will not put them upon if one Plot fail they are ready for another and like the troubled Sea they never rest but are still casting up Mire and Dirt Well then might the Psalmist call them Rages in the plural number they are as Gad a Troop or if you please you may call their Name Legion they are so many But Secondly It is called the wrath of Man in the Hebrew the wrath of Adam This Livery can fit the Shoulders of none but a very wicked Man one that is descended from the First Adam and is not yet ingrafted into the Second But yet it is some comfort that he is but a Man whose Heart is filled with all this Rage we may be safe it seems so long as the God of Heaven is on our side He can restrain all this wrath he can make it turn to the benefit of his People and his own Glory The LXX are very ingenious upon the last words of my Text for what we translate the remainder of Wrath shalt thou restrain they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rage of Man shall keep Holy-Day unto the Lord and give his People opportunity to Laud and Magnifie his Glorious Name By this you cannot but understand how well the Text and the Day will agree We shall in the Day as well as in the Text find Anger and Wrath and Rage yea Rages in the plural number And tho' our Adversaries call themselves Christians and pretend to be the only Catholicks in the World yet their Anger will be found to be fierce and Cursed their Wrath and Rage Cruel such as the Psalmist here calls the VVrath the Rage of Adam of one that is not yet regenerate or grafted into the New Stock Their Plots have been many their Conspiracies Black and Bloody but thanks be to Heaven we have found our Enemies to be but Men tho' Cruel and Wicked to the height we have had the experience of God's Power and Goodness over-ruling and restraining their Wrath and Fury so that if our Gratitude had kept pace with our Mercies and Deliverances we should have had more days of Thanksgiving in our Calendar than now we have But to help us a little in the performance of these Duties which this Solemn Day calls aloud for I shall observe from the words three Things First That the Rage of the Wicked against God and his People is very great Secondly God by his Providence wonderfully does over-rule the Rage and Malice of Wicked Men. And Thirdly The end that God hath in these
they reviled in a horrid manner as appears by the Blasphemies of Rabseca And yet even these stout-hearted Assyrians were spoiled the Army of this great Monarch Sennacherib was miraculously defeated either by the Pestilence as Iosephus reports or by a destroying Angel as the Scripture relates Even Sennacherib himself tho' then the greatest King upon Earth was not able to stand in God's sight when he was angry he came to a fatal end and was slain in the Temple of his God by his own Sons Nay farther yet after his death he had a Statue erected in the Temple of Vulcan with this pious Lesson inscribed on it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in English Whosoever beholdeth me let him learn Piety And since these things were so our Psalmist had good reason to make this Epiphonema in the Text Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy Sight when once thou art Angry From the words thus far explained I shall take occasion to shew you First That there is great reason to fear the Lord our God And Secondly The vanity of those reasons which cause most men to shew so little fear of God in their Lives and Conversations First Let me shew you what great reason there is to fear the Lord our God and this will appear at large by these particulars 1st We shall find reason enough to fear the Lord our God if we consider his Sovereign Power over all Creatures which he is able to command at his Pleasure and make them revenge his Quarrel upon impenitent Sinners As God Almighty by the bare speaking of a word created all things both in Heaven and in Earth so he can with as much ease command all Creatures to execute his Wrath and Vengeance upon Sinners It is the observation of the Eloquent Tertullian that God as soon as he had finished the great work of the Creation did then but not till then assume the dreadful Title of Lord of Hosts And it is further observed by others that this Dreadful Title is mentioned in Scripture more than two hundred times the better to deter Sinners from affronting Omnipotent Majesty It seems the Sinner cannot make War with Heaven but he must at the same time arm the whole Creation against himself he cannot fight against the Almighty but he must also fight against all those Creatures which are under the Command of this Lord of Hosts The Heathen Poet is able to tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All the Elements saith he are full fraught with Evils and ready when God pleaseth to pour forth ruin and destruction upon Sinners Sodom and Gomorrah did no sooner kindle their impure flames but the Element of Fire descending in sulphureous Streams made them most dreadful Monuments of Eternal Vengeance As soon as Israel began to murmur against Moses the Element of Air mingled Pestilential Vapours with their Vital Breath and chastised their Rebellion with a dreadful Plague When proud Pharaoh gathered together all the strength of Egypt and furiously pursued the Children of Israel to the Red Sea the waters thereof soon swelled themselves into mountainous Billows as if they had been proud to be imployed in the service of Heaven and the destruction of the Egyptians The Earth also as dull and sensless as it seems to be is yet able to resent such indignities as are offered to the Almighty and when commanded by God will open its devouring Mouth and swallow down alive Corah Dathan and Abiram Thus all the Elements are at Gods command yea even rejoyce to be employed by Heaven in executing Wrath and Vengeance upon Sinners And whither now will the Sinner fly from this Lord of Hosts Will his Alliance with Hell protect him from the Almighty Or can he hope to hide himself from the heat of his fury in the shades below No certes he may as well seek Heaven in Hell as expect one single beam of comfort from these Regions of Darkness for from these black quarters it was that God of old commanded an evil Spirit to vex Saul and drew whole Legions of Devils to punish the degenerous Iews in the days of our Saviour Nor does our God rule only in this sublunary World in the Seas and in all deep places but he ruleth also in the Heavens For if the Almighty doth at any time frown upon the Sinner each Planet will put on its Malign Aspect and every Constellation shall foretel his destiny Thus the Stars fought in their Ranks against Sisera and as Iosephus reports poured down such prodigious showers of Hail as served instead of Shot to destroy his Army Thus also the Sun and Moon became fixt Stars in Heaven that the Israelites might not want the benefit of the light to compleat their Victory over the Amorites Thus the Elements the Heavens and Hell it self are at the Command of Almighty God and if there yet be wanting more Forces to fight these Battles of the Lord the Angels are still remaining those mighty Hosts of Heaven and standing Militia of the Almighty Indeed God doth not always draw forth these Trainbands of Heaven an Army of Lice serves sometimes to baffle a proud Pharaoh and a silly Worm when commissioned by God is able to spoil the Divinity of a Blaspheming Herod But when the King of Heaven appears as it were in Person against his Enemies then these Courtiers of Heaven attend the Divine Presence and putting on their Robes of Light add what Lustre they can to the Majestatick Appearance Hence it is that Christ when he shall come at the last day to destroy at once all the Works of Satan he shall not only have Angels for his Trumpeters but Matt. 16. 27. he is said to come in the Glory of the Father because he shall come attended with these Glorious Angels And now when all these Battalions of the Almighty shall set themselves in array against the Sinner when he shall not only fear with Cain lest he fall a prey to every Wild Beast but with Pashur in the Prophet Ieremy becomes a Magor Missabib that is surrounded with fears from all parts of the Creation then doubtless he will say with the Psalmist Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Our Saviour in the Parable makes him more stout than wise who having only ten thousand is not affraid to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand But sure every Sinner stands guilty of infinitely greater madness who with his single valour dares the Almighty and bids defiance to him who comes not only with twenty thousand but with the whole Universe against him O consider this all ye that forget God lest he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you Take our Saviours advice send and sue for peace whilst this Almighty Adversary is but yet on his way Labour by your Prayers your Fasting and Humiliation to reconcile your selves to this Lord of Hosts
advantages and priviledges of his Holy Ordinances Indeed our sins call aloud for such heavy Judgments Our Superiours both in Church and State have acknowledged for us that prophane Swearing Perjury Drunkenness and a violation of God's Sabbaths have sadly made this Land to mourn And may we not add a great contempt of God's Word a misusing of his Messengers a slighting of his Ordinances besides those Factions and Schisms which abound among us And may not God justly visit for these things Oh then it is time that we should all smite upon our Breasts and return unto the Lord with humiliation and repentance that our iniquities may not be our ruin but every kind of Repentance will not serve the turn the Greek word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Lactantius translates mutationes mentis in melius that is a change of the Mind from worse to better not a change of the Looks or hanging down the Head like a Bullrush for all this may be done by a Pharisee or an Hypocrite It is not a change of our Apparel or a putting on of Sackcloath for such humiliation and repentance may be performed by a wicked Ahab but the Repentance of the Text denotes a real change of the Mind or as the Prophet Ioel describes it a turning unto the Lord with all our Hearts Chap. 2. 12. Such a Repentance as this will make us fruitful in every good word and work and pay an universal Obedience to all God's Commandments it will make us reform our Lives honour God's Gospel value his Ordinances and have no hand in the encouraging those Schisms and Divisions which are amongst us This is the Repentance Christ recommends and if it be carefully Practised by us we may prevent the heavy Judgment of the Text and procure the continuance of the Gospel amongst us which God Almighty grant for the sake of Jesus Christ c. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God c. SERMON III. 2 Pet. iii. 28. But Grow in Grace IT is a Famous Dispute among Papists and Protestants where St. Peter was when he wrote this and his former Epistle The Papists would have him to be at Rome that they may the better establish their Papal Monarchy and derive the Succession of their Bishops from that great Apostle But St. Peter himself tells us that he was at Babylon 1 Pet. 5. 13. The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you Indeed St. Iohn in his Book of the Revelations takes Babylon in a mystical sense for Rome which well became his prophetick and mystical style but there is no reason to believe that St. Peter who in these Epistles writes no Prophesie but only plain Instruction for the dispersed Iews should take Babylon in any other than a Literal Sense namely for that Antient and famous City which was the Metropolis of Chaldea and indeed there are sundry Arguments to induce this belief As First St. Paul who about this time wrote this Epistle to the Romans makes no mention at all of St. Peters being then at Rome notwithstanding he sends Commendation to all that were of Eminency in the Church Secondly It is agreed on by both Papists and Protestants that the Apostleship of the Iews was in a peculiar manner committed to St. Peter as that of the Gentiles was to St. Paul This St. Ierom calls Principale Mandatum the main of their Commission from whence it necessarily follows that St. Peters chief imployment must be where the greatest numbers of Iews were Now it is certain that Babylon in Chaldea was the place where the Iews resided in greatest numbers after their Captivity Thirdly St. Peter directs his Epistles to the Iews scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia which all belonged to the Jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Babylon Fourthly St. Peter writing to these dispersed Iews rehearseth several Nations where they resided as Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia but leaves out Chaldea where they resided in greatest numbers which he would never have done had not Chaldea been the place from whence he wrote these Epistles I shall add but one Argument more from Acts 18. 2. where we are told that Claudius Caesar commanded all the Iews to depart from Rome so that we may conclude St. Peter would not keep his residence there where he wanted his Flock committed to his Charge and therefore it is more rational to believe he resided at Babylon where vast numbers of the Iews resided also I have premised thus much to prove that St. Peter wrote these two Epistles from Babylon in Chaldea because it will follow from hence that the Papists have not one Text of Scripture to found their belief of St. Peters being at Rome tho' on it depends their whole Papal Monarchy For this is the only Text they pretend to and you see how little it makes for their purpose so that they have nothing but human Testimony to build this great Article of their Faith upon and that such as is derived from Papias a weak credulous person as Eusebius stiles him By this time you will in some measure understand the Place from which and the Persons to whom St. Peter writes and being shortly as he tells them to put off his Earthly Tabernacle we need not doubt the excellency of those Instructions he bequeaths to the Iews All which he concludes with the most important words of the Text Grow in Grace For the better understanding of which First We will first consider the Duty it self Grow in Grace Secondly We will enquire what is that degree or stature of Grace a Christian must grow to before he can assure himself of Eternal Salvation Thirdly Whether any farther growth in Grace be attainable in this Life Fourthly What Reasons and Encouragements we have to endeavour after the highest degrees of Grace I begin with the first of these First Namely to consider the Duty it self which is to Grow in Grace A Christians life must be a continual progress in Holiness he must not with Hercules erect his Pillars and write a non ultra upon them saying hitherto will I go and no farther for true Grace is of a growing and multiplying Nature so that the good Christian must not be content with his present attainments but with St. Paul he must always be pressing forward forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before To this purpose is that Character Solomon gives of the just Man Prov. 4 18. The Paths of the Iust is as the Shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day He is not like Iosuahs Sun that stood still in the Firmament much less like Hezekiahs which went ten degrees backward but he is like Davids Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber and rejoyceth as a Giant to run his Race Now this growth in Grace denotes at least these two blessings First The getting
come now Fourthly In the fourth place to shew you what Reasons and Encouragements we have to endeavour after the highest degrees of Grace And 1st Our serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Grace will be an excellent means to preserve that saving growth in Grace the pious Christian has already attain'd to There is a dangerous Opinion in the World that a man cannot totally and finally fall away from Grace According to these mens sentiments he that is once sincerely Righteous will infallibly hold on and persevere unto the end Now if this Opinion were true this exhortation would be vain But certainly nothing can be more contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Scripture Hear what St. Peter saith Chap. 1. of this Epistle vers 10. Give all dilligence saith he to make your Calling and Election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall You see he puts an if in the case such as fairly implies that we may neglect our Duty and fall from our own stedfastness For the same reason St. Paul gives this necessary Caution Rom. 11. 20. c. Be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fall severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off But a fuller confutation of this dangerous Opinion we cannot desire than what may be gathered from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 18. 24. VVhen the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live saith the Lord No All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Thus plain it is that a Christian may fall away from that saving state of Grace he has attained to And what I pray is more likely to secure his steadfastness than serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Holiness Our Apostle it seems thought so for having in the foregoing Verse given this necessary Caution Beware Brethren lest you fall from your own steadfastness he presently subjoins in the Text as the properest means to secure them from falling but grow in Grace It is the same in spiritual growths that it is in naturals For as a man by eating and drinking and other natural Actions preserves his natural Life so the Christian by serious endeavours after higher degrees of Holiness preserves his spiritual Life The Musician screws up his Peg to an higher pitch that he may be sure it will not fall lower than the true Note Even so the higher degrees of Perfection we aspire to the less danger shall we be in of falling lower than what is absolutely necessary And this certainly is sufficient encouragement to continue these our serious endeavours 2ly These serious endeavours after a further growth in Grace than what is absolutely necessary to Salvation will give the pious Christian a more comfortable assurance of Eternal Happiness It is no doubt a kind of Heaven upon Earth to be assured of Heaven whilst we are here upon Earth This is that hidden Manna mentioned in the Revelations which fills the Soul with all variety of Delights Now nothing besides a particular Revelation from Heaven can be more likely to create this full assurance in the Soul than these Heroick attainments of Grace and Vertue Grace is that Seal of the Spirit by which we are marked and sealed unto the day of Redemption And certainly the brighter and more evident that Grace is the more evident will it be to our own selves and the fuller our assurance of Heaven and Eternal Happiness Many good Christians are in a safe condition and yet their condition is not so comfortable by reason of those fears and doubtings which do often accompany these lower degrees of Grace But the more we abound in good Works and the more eminently our Graces shine the more comfortable will our Assurance be and the clearer our Title to Heaven and Eternal Happiness Read St. Paul's 11 Chap. to the Hebrews where he sets down a large Calendar of God's eminent Saints such as advanc't into the highest form of Piety and Vertue and you 'l find their Faith as great as was their growth in Grace and their assurance of Heaven bearing a just proportion to their improvements in Holiness For St. Paul describing their Faith ver 1. calls it the substance or subsistence of things hoped for the evidence or clear demonstration of things not seen 3ly These serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Grace as they will secure our Title to Heaven and give us a more comfortable assurance of it for the present so they will hereafter advance us to higher degrees of Glory in Heaven We know there are different degrees of Glory in Heaven even as one Star differeth from another Star in Glory so also saith St. Paul shall be the Resurrection of the Iust As St. Austin speaks Splendor dispar Caelum commune the Saints shall dwell together in the same Heaven but yet like Stars they shall shine with different Rays of Glory Now these higher degrees of Glory will be conferred on such who arrived at higher degrees of Grace Hence when our Saviour tells his Disciples John 14. 2. In my Fathers House are many Mansions Tertullian remarks thus upon the place Quomodo multae Mansiones si non pro varietate Meritorum Wherefore saith he should our Saviour mention many Mansions in his Fathers House if there were not several Rooms of different Size and Glory provided for his Saints according to the variety of their deserts Indeed Heaven has room enough to lodge all the Godly but as in other Magnificent Palaces so in this of Heaven there are higher and lower larger and lesser Mansions in which God's Saints shall be disposed of according to those Services they have performed upon Earth Their Rewards hereafter shall be answerable to their Obedience here See then what incouragement there is to endeavour after the highest degrees of Glory These it seems will create an Heaven in our Souls whilst we live here on Earth These will at our Deaths carry our Souls as high as Heaven nay which is more they will lodge them in the best Mansions there Hence is that of our Apostle Chap. 1. 11. If these things be in you and abound then shall an entrance be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Having therefore these Promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord. Let us go from Strength to Strength and grow from one degree of Grace unto another until we appear before our God in Sion I shall conclude all with St. Pauls Exhortation
Excellent Words of Solomon that Solomon who was once a Famous and Renowned King of Israel and who besides those Advantages of Education which he received from the pious Care of his Father King David was also inspired with Wisdom from on high and endued with such Understanding and Largeness of Heart as was commensurate to the Sand of the boundless Ocean Besides what has hitherto been said concerning the excellency of Proverbs in general and these of Solomon in particular there is one Observation still behind which will yet farther recommend the Text to your best Attention For of all those three Thousand Proverbs which are Recorded as the products of Solomon's Wisdom there is not any one the Holy Ghost has thought fit to repeat so often or inculcate more frequently than this of the Text for it is repeated thrice in this one Chapter besides what it is in other places of this Book of Proverbs In all which places the Wise man gives us to understand that the wonderful Providence of God does rule and govern all the Actions of Men. The Metaphor of a Way which is here used in the Text is known in Scripture to denote all the Actions of Men whether good or evil And according to this latitude the Metaphor here used is understood variously by Divines St. Cyprian refers it to the good Actions of Men and accordingly interprets the Text thus Cor viri cogitet justa ut à Deo dirigantur gressus ejus Let the Heart of Man saith he think righteous things that so his goings may be directed by the Lord. But tho' this be a very great Truth namely that Good Actions are govern'd and directed by the Providence of God yet others rather understand the Text of mens wicked Actions for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Deviseth is for the most part used in a bad sense and what we render Man is Adam in the Original which according to Luther's known Observation is seldom taken in a good sense So that the words taken in this limited and restrained sense will run thus A mans Heart i.e. the Heart of Adam or of a wicked Man deviseeh and contriveth his wicked ways but the Lord by his wonderful Providence governeth and directeth all his steps The Heathen may rage as the Psalmist speaks and the People devise vain things yet he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn the Lord shall have them in derision God as he is Omniscient can easily know all the wicked devices of sinful Men and as he is Omnipotent he can as easily over-rule them and direct them so as may be most for his own Glory and the good of his People God He is no idle Spectator in this vast Theatre of the World but doth continually as the Psalmist speaks whatsoever pleaseth him both in Heaven and in Earth Indeed he has made Man a free Agent and therefore as the Son of Sirach speaks He leaves him in the Counsel of his own hand and allows him to act according to the liberty of his Will But then as the Wise Rector and Almighty Governor of the Universe He over-sees and over-rules all the Actions and Devices of wicked Men so that such as will not do him true and laudable service by obeying the known Will of his Precept are forced to obey the secret Will of his Providence and are made subservient to his Everlasting Counsels Thus tho' the Heart a of wicked man deviseth his wicked ways yet the Lord governeth and directeth all his steps For the fuller opening of which Words I design to confine my present discourse to the discovering of these two things First How the over-ruling Providence of God is imployed about sin and wickedness whilst it is but in fieri or the Heart of Man is but yet devising it And Secondly How it governs and directs sin in facto esse when sin is brought forth into act And First Of the First how Gods over-ruling Providence is imployed about sin whilst it is yet but in fieri whilst the Heart of Man is yet but contriving and devising it And this will appear in some measure from these following Considerations 1st God's Providence orders and directs sin and wickedness to such objects as he thinks fit It is a true saying of Hugo de Sancto Victo i.e. Deus non dat malis voluntatibus corruptionem sed tantum ordinem God saith he never infuses any corruption or wickedness into the Wills of Men but only gives Order and Direction to their Wicked Actions All the preparations and contrivances of sin are from the depraved hearts of Men the ordering of them to particular and suitable objects from the good providence of God As the Huntsman in Bellarmines comparison holds the Hound in a Slip and suffers him only to run at such Game as he best liketh So God keeps a constant Watch upon the Wicked he puts his Hook in their Nose and his Bridle in their Lips and suffers not their Rage to break forth but only on such persons as he thinks fit We know Gods Providence extended it self to the very Swine and would not suffer Satan to enter into them without his particular Warrant and sure then we need not doubt but this Providence of God is more eminently concerned about Man whom he was pleased to make after his own Image and likeness God does therefore set a Guard upon the malice of Satan and his Instruments nor can it break forth but as he permits it sometimes on his Enemies for their destruction and sometimes on his own People for their chastisement A proof of the latter we have Isa. 10. 5 6 7. at the 5th Verse Sennacherib King of Assyria is called the Rod of God's Anger and the Staff of his Indignation which metaphorical expressions import thus much that Men are but Instruments in the Hands of Gods Providence and must expect the direction of a superiour Cause Now this Assyrian this Sennacharib is said to be sent and directed against Israel an hypocritical Nation and now become the People of God's Wrath. And at the 7th Verse we find that this Staff of Gods Indignation was more in the Hand than in the Heart of this proud Assyrian Howbeit saith God he meaneth not so neither doth his Heart think so but it is in his Heart to destroy and to cut off Nations not a few There was no need God should instil any wickedness into the Heart of Sennach arib who is here in the Prophet called the Assyrian it seems it was full enough and too full before Berosus an Antient Historian has left his Character of him Sennacherib qui apud Assyrios regnabat omnem Asiam Aegyptum bello infestabat Sennacherib saith he who was King of the Assyrians vexed and insested all Asia and Aegypt with Bloody Wars Ye see the Head and Heart of this Assyrian were full enough of devices how to satisfie his Ambition and raise his Empire on the ruins of
and hinder the Execution of his wicked Designs Tho' he can strike the Sinner with a Thunderbolt into Hell before he accomplishes his mischievous Enterprises yet having made Man a free Agent as I said before he allows him to act according to the liberty he has implanted in his Nature Ratio non est absque libertate Arbitrii saith Damascen there can be no Reason where there is no liberty to act But tho' God does permit the heart of man freely to devise and accomplish its ways yet still by his Providence he rules and directs his Steps Indeed the wicked themselves are far from designing any good but yet God makes their blackest designs subservient to his glory They do at best but resemble those monstrous People in Pliny whose Feet stood contrary to their Faces or if you please to take a more familiar comparison like Watermen they are made by Providence to row one way whilst they look another To this purpose is the known observation of St. Austin Bonus Deus non sineret fieri mala nisi Omnipotens ex malis bona elicere potuisset God who is good saith he would never permit sin but that being Omnipotent he is able to extract Good out of the greatest Evils The Rod of Moses whilst it lay upon the Earth was an ugly dreadful and poysonous Serpent but in the Hand of God and Moses an Instrument of great and glorious wonders Such is the Power and Wisdom of God that he is able to bring Light out of Darkness and work great and glorious ends out of the most black devices and machinations of sinful Men. Some few Instances of this I shall give you in these following particulars 1st God does often take occasion from sin to glorifie the Riches of his Goodness and Mercy It is the Tradition of the Antients that the Skull of Adam was found on Mount Calvary the very place of our Saviours Crucifixion And there is not less Comfort in St. Ieroms Note on Mat. 1. Namely that no holy Women but such Notorious Sinners as Thamar Raab and Bathsheba are mentioned in the Genealogy of the Blessed Jesus and all this to denote thus much unto us that sin was the Cause which brought our Saviour into the World and gave God an opportunity to magnifie his Free Grace and Mercy unto Sinners So that now we may take up the ranting language of St. Gregory O felix culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem O happy sin happy sure upon this account that it has through Gods good Providence obtained so great and so glorious a Redeemer The Whole saith our Saviour needs not the Physitian and where there is no Misery there is no need of Mercy Had there been no bitterness in the Waters of Marah Moses had not needed Sweet wood to have thrown into them So had there been no sin there had not needed the Tears of Repentance and consequently there had been no need of the Wood of the Cross to sweeten these bitter Waters 2dly As God has thus taken occasion from Sin to commend his Free Grace and Infinite Mercy to the World so he has also taken occasion from hence to glorifie his Holiness and Justice If bold sinners shall dare to run upon the Bosses of his Buckler and bid defiance to the great Majesty of Heaven If neither the Threats of his Law can drive them to Obedience nor yet the Promises of the Gospel invite them to their Duty there remains then nothing but a fearful looking for of Iudgment and fiery Indignation to devour these Adversaries Hence Solomon tells us ver 4 of this Chapter that God has made all things for himself yea even the wicked has he made for the day of Evil Tho' he may endure with much Long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath and employ them as Rods for the Chastisement of others yet at the last he casts these Rods into the Fire and magnifies his Power and Justice upon them when once they are ripe for destruction It is very observable that the first Hallelujah which we find in the Old Testament is in the Psalms where mention is made of the destruction of Gods Enemies and the first Hallelujah which is mention'd in the New Testament is where the overthrow of Antichrist is foretold in the Revelations Should God suffer sinners still to go unpunish'd it would reflect upon his Holiness and cast a stain upon his Justice Men would be apt to think God a Patron of Wickedness and would be very much encourag'd in the ways of Ungodliness God therefore to vindicate his Honour and deter Men from sin is pleased very frequently in this World to send signal Judgments upon the Workers of Iniquity Thus when proud Pharaoh had a long time withstood all the Miracles of Moses and wrought his Heart at last to the highest degree of hardness God did then resolve to glorifie himself in his ruin and destruction And that he might leave some signal Monuments of his Wrath to succeeding Generations Orosius an Ancient Author tells us that the prints and footsteps of their Chariots were a long time after to be seen on the shoar and in the bottom of the Red Sea We may do well also to remember that Fire and Brimstone which was rained from Heaven on Sodom and Gomorrha Brochardus and other sacred Geographers inform us that that very Land does still mourn in Dust and Ashes and such dismal Clouds of Smoak continually ascend from it as make it represent nothing so much as the very Mouth and Entrance of Hell Nay farther yet that God might make abundant provisions for the Honour of his Justice as some have computed this one single Judgment is mention'd in Scripture above twenty times God's Providence so ordering it that these wicked Sodomites might be set forth for an Example suffering the vengeance of Eternal Fire And this is the second End to which Gods Providence direct sin namely the glorifying of his Justice 3dly God's Providence does farther make use of sin to humble his own People When David had murther'd his loyal Subject Vriah and committed Folly with his Wife God does afterwards make use of these sins to keep his Servant humble To this end we find Shimei one a kin to Vriah sent by a secret impulse of Providence first to Curse David as a Bloody Man and so to remind him of the murther and then to make him sensible of his Adultery by casting Stones at him a Punishment under the Law appointed to the Adulterer Now what Influence this piece of Providence had upon David we learn from 2 Sam. 16. 9 10. where when the Sons of Zerviah would have slain Shimei according to his deserts David returns a Negative Answer in these passionate words What have I to do with you ye Sons of Zerviah And then see his Humility in the next words Let him Curse because the Lord has said unto him Curse David He knew God by this piece of Providence had a design to call
his sins to remembrance and the sense of these makes him so humble as to think himself worthy of all the Indignities a Cursed Shimei could offer to the Lords Anointed There is a great Truth in the Saying of St. Austin Audeo dicere superbis interdum utile esse in peccatum cadere I dare boldly affirm says that Holy Father that it is profitable for proud men to fall sometimes into Scandalous sins St. Peter that Great Apostle is observed by the Antients to have been one of the forwardest and most confident of Christ's Disciples And we may also gather so much from that Confident Answer he returned to Christ when he told him that tho' all Men forsook him yet he would follow him to the last But when God's Providence had allowed Satan to sift him and chastise his Confidence by a sore Fall we find him falling lower in his own Thoughts to For when Christ Iohn ult puts the Question to him Peter lovest thou me more than these And he puts it thrice to remind him of his thrice Denial Peter ver 17. returns this modest and humble Answer Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee There is indeed no better way to take down the Peacock's Plumes than by discovering her black Feet and hold but a Looking-Glass before the stout Elephant and you will soon teach him to abhor his Deformity 4thly One end more to which God directs the Wickedness of the World is the glorifiing his Wisdom The Prophet Esay tells us that God is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working Every Event of Providence is of such excellent contrivance and manag'd with such admirable Wisdom that we may say of the Works of God's Providence what the Psalmist does of the Works of Creation O Lord how manifold are thy Works In wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches So clear a Truth is this that it has not escaped the Observations of the Heathens hence it was that they set forth their Gods with Harps in their hands to shew the Harmony they observed in the Government of the World Tho' there may happen very often great Confusions here below and the World may seem to run upon Wheels as Ezekiel himself once thought yet the same Prophet found at last that there were Eyes in these Wheels a Wise Providence which did move and conduct them all to great and Glorious Ends. The truth of this might easily be made to appear more at large by considering some of the most rugged passages of Providence such as seem at first view to have been performed with the greatest negligence and deformity and yet when examin'd from the beginning to the end have been found to have admirable beauty and Comliness in them But because the Time will not allow of many Instances it may suffice at present to shew the truth of this in the famous History of Ionah That this Prophet when sent about so weighty a matter as the preservation of great Niniveh that he should make delays even when their destruction was but Forty days off Nay more that he should fly to Tarshish nay farther yet that he should be cast into the Sea by the malicious Mariners and swallowed up presently by a merciless Whale All these seemed at first to be so many Errata's of God's Providence and contribute little to the Conversion of Nineveh yet all these seeming Disadvantages were so wisely managed by God's Providence as to prove great Advantages to that so important business For it is more than a probable Opinion of Divines that these malicious Mariners were a special Occasion that Ionah's Preaching was so successful For it was these Mariners that informed the Ninevites what had hapned unto Ionah how he had been cast into the Sea swallowed up by the Whale and consequently could not but by a special Miracle have been conducted unto Niniveh And this was that which procured the more credit to Ionah's Preaching which frightned the Ninivites into that most rigorous Fast which was enjoyned by Sardanapalus both on Man and Beast Thus we see how the Wisdom of God's Providence directed the sin of Ionah and the malice of the Mariners to work out that end they seemed directly to oppose In this and such like Instances as may be observed in the World we cannot but take notice of the beauties of Providence and ought to admire and adore the infinite VVisdom of our God which does so eminently appear in the wonderful goverment of the greatest Disasters and Confusions here below I proceed now to draw some few Corolaries from what hath been delivered First We may learn from hence to abhor the Blasphemy of such men as seem to make God the Author of Sin Ye hear it is the Heart of Man which deviseth its own wickedness and that God by his wise Providence does only direct their Wickedness to great and glorious Ends. Just as a skilful Physician who does not put Poyson into Serpents and other Venemous Creatures but only converts their Poysons into Sovereign Medicines Secondly We also learn from hence whence it is that there is no more Mischief done in the World When we consider the great Malice of Satan and his Instruments how great also is their Power and how formidable their Numbers we may justly wonder that this World is any better than a larger Bethlehem But we owe our safety and happiness to the good Providence of God He sets an hedge about his People he curbs the Fury of their Enemies and directs even the Wickedness of Satan and his Instruments so as may best serve his own Glory and the good of his People It was well said of Antoninus that noble Philosopher Who would desire to live in this World if it were destitute of God and Providence If all were left to Chance and we exposed every where to innumerable Enemies and Dangers But since there is an over-ruling Providence saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I adore that Providence and live sweetly and pleasantly confiding always in Gods Almighty Protection To the same purpose is that of the Royal Psalmist Psal. 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce Let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof But Thirdly It is not enough that we rejoyce under the protection of God's Providence but we must also adore and worship his great and glorious Name who does such Wonders for the Children of Men. Psal. 78. 10. we are told that the Wrath of Man shall praise the Lord The remainder of Wrath he shall restrain The Septuagint read the latter part of the Verse thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rage of Man say they shall keep Holiday unto the Lord i. e. give his People opportunities of lauding and magnifying his glorious Name And sure no People in the World ever had more cause to praise and magnify the Name of God than we of this Church and Nation VVhat miraculous Preservations has his good Providence wrought for
the Enemies of Heaven It seems the Torments of this dreadful place is set forth by Fire one of the cruellest of the Elements Nay give me leave to observe farther to you that this Fire of Tophet can be no ordinary material Fire seeing we are told it was originally prepared for the Devil and his Angels For since they are Spiritual and Immaterial Beings they cannot be Tormented by any ordinary material Fire The Fire therefore of Tophet must be of such a strange and dreadful Nature that this Fire we use is only fit to be a cold and faint emblem of it and well may we conclude so much seeing it is said to be kindled by the Breath of the Almighty The fiery Furnace of Babylon was dreadful enough tho' it was kindled only by the breath of an Earthly King how dreadful then must the Furnace of Hell be which has all the Ingredients of Torture Omnipotent Vengeance can furnish it with This Fire of Tophet of Hell is said yet farther to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels Now we know these Hellish Fiends are the most malicious Enemies of Heaven These ambitious Spirits endeavoured at the very first to dethrone their Almighty Creator and since they failed in that black design they have ever since discovered their inveterate hatred of God by tempting Mankind into the same cursed Conspiracy against him Sure then that Fire which is prepared for these malicious Enemies of Heaven cannot possibly want any Ingredients of Torture Infinite Wisdom can invent or Infinite Power inflict Now such devouring Flames as these were prepared for obstinate sinners as well as for these fallen Angels There is one Consideration still behind which will make these Torments appear more dreadful and that is the Eternal Duration of them For here it is that the Worm never dies here it is that the Fire is not quenched When the sinner has lain in Hell as many millions of years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore he will be no nearer an end of his Torments than he was the first Moment of his entrance into them Who can read without trembling what St. Mark tells us Chap. 9. 49. Namely that the Damned shall be salted with Fire Such it seems is the dreadful Nature of the Infernal Flames that they do Torment but not Consume Like Salt they preserve those wretched Persons they seem to devour O cruel Mercy of Hellish Flames O Preservation worse than the most dreadful Destruction Thus great are those Evils we are delivered from and you will easily conclude how great that Salvation is which delivers us from them The Children of Israel did exceedingly rejoyce when they were delivered from the Tyranny of Pharaoh and the Slavery of Egypt But sure Hell is a more dreadful kind of Bondage than Egypts and Satan a worse sort of Tyrant than Pharaoh therefore the Salvation of the Text which delivers us from these dreadful and infinite Evils must needs be exceeding great 3ly The greatness of this Salvation will appear yet further if we consider that Infinite and Eternal Happiness it brings along with it This Salvation does not only deliver us from Hell and Eternal Damnation but it gives us also a Right and Title to the endless Joys of Heaven Even those Joys which Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive If the sweet society of Saints and Angels if the most ravishing enjoyment of the Blessed Trinity if an uninterrupted and eternal fruition of the most desirable Pleasures if all this be sufficient to make the Salvation in the Text exceeding great then we may pardon St. Paul's Emphasis and allow him to call it so great Salvation for this is that Salvation which Christ has purchast and the Gospel publish'd to the World Hence Christ is styl'd the Author of Eternal Salvation Heb. 5. 9. and is said to have obtained Eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. Ioshua was deservedly accounted a mighty Saviour because having delivered Israel from their malicious Enemies he gave them a quiet Possession of the Earthly Canaan How great a Saviour is our Ioshua or Jesus who having vanquished our Spiritual Enemies has purchased for us the possession of the Heavenly Canaan 4ly The greatness of this Salvation will further appear if we consider the Extent and Amplitude of it This Salvation is an universal Salvation all Men have a Right and Title to it tho' Salvation of old was only of the Iews yet now Christ is a Light to lighten the Gentiles as well as the Glory of his People Israel God is now no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him They are highly injurious to the goodness of God and to that Salvation which was wrought by Christ who would have it restrained to a certain number of Persons For it is most plain from Scripture that God would have all Men to be saved Hear what the Angels said unto the Shepherds Luke 2. 10. Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Ioy which shall be unto all People Hence Christ is said to give himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. as St. Iohn speaks 1 Epist. 2. 2. He is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World If these places of Scripture be not full and clear enough St Paul will tell you that Christ tasted Death for every Man Heb. 2. 9. I shall add but one Text more to convince you of this Truth and it shall be that of St. Peter 2 Epist. 2. 2. where he speaks of False Teachers such as privily bring in Damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift Destruction It seems Christ bought those that are Damned as well as those that are Saved and consequently the Salvation or Redemption which he wrought must needs be Universal None are excluded from it but such as exclude themselves by their Obstinancy and Impenitency Now if we lay these Four Cnsiderations together namely The greatness of the Price which was paid for this Salvation The greatness of those Evils it delivers us from The Infinite and Eternal Happiness it brings along with it And Lastly The Extent and Amplitude of it which is so great as to include both Iew and Gentile we may safely conclude with St. Paul that it is great Salvation Thus I have dispatched the First General I proposed and proceed now to the Second Secondly Namely To shew you that those Christians who neglect this great Salvation must expect the severest punishments in Hell This may be gathered from the words of the Text where St. Paul delivers himself in these Emphatical Expressions How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation As much as if the Apostle should have said Christians who disobey the Gospel must never hope to go unpunisht nay these of all others must expect the severest
enjoys the bright beams of Heavenly light whilst all the World besides groans under worse than Aegyptian darkness This is the true Gideons fleece which is watred with the dew of Celestial Grace whilst the other parts of the Earth lyes dry and parch'd not unlike some barren and cursed wilderness This in St. Austine's comparison is the true Ark in which alone we can be secure from the deluge of God's wrath Thus great is their happiness who are in the Church of Christ But some difficulty there is to find out the true Church as Tertullian observed of Old faciunt favos vespae faciunt Ecclesias Marcionitae the most dangerous Wasps have their Cells saith he even so the worst of Hereticks are ready to cry out the Temple of the Lord are we That therefore we may not mistake Leah for Rachel or embrace a Cloud instead of a Iuno we must carefully observe that description St. Paul gives us of the true Church he tells us it is founded on the Doctrine of Heaven or if you had rather take it in the words of the Text it is saith he that houshold of God which is built upon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets From the words thus far explained I shall crave leave to prove these four things First That the Doctrine of the Apostle and Prophets is the foundation on which the true Church is built Secondly That this Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is sufficiently delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures Thirdly That the Church of England is built upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And Fourthly That such as continue in the communion of this Church are as happy as were those Ephesians of whom St. Paul says they were no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints of this houshold of God I begin with the first of these to shew you that the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is the only foundation upon which the true Church is built The Church of Ephesus if we 'l believe St. Paul was the houshold of God or a true Church of Christ and it seems it was so because built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets we are sure these inspired Ministers of the Holy Iesus preached and planted none but the true Religion and we may be sure it can be no bad Church which owns and professes the same Religion I know there are several marks given of the true Church such as Unity Universality Antiquity Succession Sanctity and the like but tho' these where they are found are Great Ornaments to a Church yet the best and most infallible mark to know it by is its conformity to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles For the true Church as the Apostle speaks elsewhere is the ground and Pillar of Truth but it will not deserve this honourable Character if its Doctrines be repugnant to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles It 's said of the best and most Catholick Christians Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine And therefore such as follow the Primitive example will be far from deserving the brand of Hereticks Does not our Saviour himself tell us that his Sheep will hear his Voice and not the Voice of Strangers And where is this voice of Christ to be heard but sounding in the writings of these Apostles and Prophets This therefore is the sure word of Prophecy whereunto saith St. Peter ye do well if you take heed nor is this any other mark of the Church of God then what is generally own'd by the antient Fathers Tertullian brings in the Church speaking such words as these Sum Apostolorum sic teneo sicut illi testamento caverunt I am Heir saith she to the holy Apostles whatever Truth they left me in their Writings whatever Doctrines they bequeath'd me in their Testament these I firmly believe these I will constantly hold Ireneus calls the Gospel columnam firmamentum Ecclesiae the Ground and Pillar of the Church St. Chrysostome treating at large upon this Question How the true Church may be known returns this answer more than once The true Church is best known by the holy Scriptures saith he that is the Christian Church which agrees with these sacred Oracles and that is the Heretical which is repugnant to them None speaks more largely or more excellently to this point than the great St. Austine who in his admirable Book against the Donatists writes thus The question between us and the Donatists is where we shall find the Church What therefore shall we do shall we seek it in our own words or in the words of our Lord Iesus Christ I think we had rather seek it in his words who is the truth and best knoweth his own Church Let not therefore these Speeches be heard amongst us This I say and this thou sayest but let us hear Thus saith the Lord There are certain Books of God to whose Authority we both stand we both consent we both believe there let us seek the Church there let us try our cause I will not have the Church demonstrated by Man's teaching but by the holy Oracles of God Setting therefore aside all such matters let them shew forth the Church if they can not by the speech and rumours of the Africans not in the Councils of the Bishops not in the Writing of any Disputer not in Visions and Revelations not in Signs and false Miracles because God's word has abundantly prepared us and made us ready against these things But let them declare it out of the Prescript of the Law the predictions of the Prophets the Songs of the Psalms the testimonies of the Apostles the words of the Pastor himself whether they have a Church or no let them declare only by the Canonical Books of the holy Scripture these be the instructions these be the foundations these be the supporters of our cause Thus far St. Austine and because he is so clear and so full to this case I shall not need to trouble you with any further Authorities especially since the Church of Rome doth acknowledge in her Trent Catechism that no Church is Catholick that does not profess that faith which is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles She must not hold any new faith say they but that which was delivered of old by the holy Apostles And it follows in the same Catechism the Nicene Fathers did well to add the word Apostolick to their Creed saying I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church namely that all might know that is the only true Catholick Church which is Apostolick That therefore must needs be the truest mark of the Church which both Romanists and Protestants own to be so and indeed without this all those other marks which are pretended will signifie nothing Unity without Apostolical Doctrine is so far from being a mark of the Church that it may not only be found in the Societies of the worst of Men
We read also Gal. 2. 9 11. that he did not only rebuke St. Peter openly at Antioch but also took of him the right hand of fellowship Now we cannot suppose St. Peters Supremacy but we must convict St. Paul either of gross Ignorance when he said he was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles or of greater rudeness when he took place of his Prince and yet so true it is that he did so that in memory of it the Popes own Seal hath St. Paul and St. Peter engraven upon it and St. Paul is allowed to hold the dexter point 2. If we examin by Scripture that Controversie between the Church of England and the Church of Rome about the Deposing Doctrine we shall find which is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets For how does the Scripture every where abhor and detest that most disloyal and Antichristian Doctrine Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers saith St. Paul and that not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake Observe Let every Soul of what rank quality or degree soever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says St. Chrysostome upon these words Tho thou art an Apostle tho an Evangelist tho a Prophet yea what ever thou art thou must be subject to the higher Powers Thus saith St. Paul yea St. Peter also from whom the Pope pretends to derive his Power is so far from challenging any power over Kings and Princes either for himself or Successors that he requires Christians to submit themselves not unto him but unto the King as Supreme Nay he would have them be subject not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward And is not this the Apostolical Doctrine of the Church of England which teaches all her Members to pay active obedience unto all the lawful Commands of Princes and when their commands interfere with the Laws of God not to resist but to obey Passively 3. The Prayers of our Church are made in a Language well known unto the People and such as will tend if they are not wanting to themselves to their Edification And sure I need not tell you that this is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Apostles when St. Paul hath spent a whole Chapter to assure us of it For in 1. Cor. 14. 14. If I pray saith he in an unknown Tongue my Spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful but I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also Again ver 16. How shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayst Again v. 19. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown Tongue These are plain Texts of Scripture and shew the practice of our Church to be Apostolical 4. The Church of England allows the Laity the Cup as well as the Bread and this is no other Doctrine than what Christ and his Apostles teach For our Saviour delivering the Cup to his Disciples says Drink ye all of it Mat. 26. 27. And S. Paul assures us that in his time the People partook of the Cup as well as of the Bread 1 Cor. 12. 13. We have all been made to drink into one Spirit But I need not produce any more Texts of Scripture for the proof of this since it is acknowledged by the Church of Rome For in the Council of Constance we find these expressions Notwithstanding the Institution of Christ and the Practice of the Apostles we decree and determine that the Laity shall not partake of the Cup. It seems they find some inconvenience in the Institution of Christ and the Practice of his Apostles but our Church thinks it convenient to stick close to both 5. The Church of England condemns Transubstantiation as being contradictory to Sense Reason and Scripture Our Senses tell us it is Bread and not Flesh after Consecration Our Reason will not allow one and the same body to be in millions of places at the same time And as for Scripture S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. 26. c. calls it Bread at least three times after Consecration But tho we have all this to say for our selves yet we are anathamatized by the Church of Rome because we refuse as they say to believe as plain words as any are in the Bible For what can be plainer say they than these words of our Saviour This is my body But in truth if these words were as plain as they tell us we would be content to sacrifice both our Sense and our Reason to our Faith But if these words of our Saviour be taken in a literal Sense as they take them they are so far from being plain that their Learned men are very much divided about the meaning of them For ask them only what is the subject of the Proposition or what is denoted by this demonstrative Pronoun Hoc or This and you will find them mightily at a loss about it for Scotus says it is Hoc ens this entity is my body Aquinas this substance Bellarmine these species of bread the Sarbone this Individuum vagum and the famous Glossary Hoc nihil or this nothing Now if these words of our Saviour were so very plain and easie as they say 'T is very strange their Learned men should differ so much and at last make nothing of them But indeed if we take them in a figurative sense as Protestants use to do they will be plain and easie enough For the demonstrative particle Hoc or This must needs relate to bread for it is said in the Text that as they were eating Iesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take Eat This is my body It seems what our Saviour took blessed brake and gave to his Disciples was bread and of this and nothing else can he speak when he saith This is my body Now this bread is my body is false if we take it in a literal sense for bread is not flesh but it is true in a Figurative sense This bread is i. e. does signifie Christs body And this kind of Dialect or manner of speech is very usual in Scripture Gen. 41. 26. we read these words concerning Pharaohs Dream The seven kine are seven years i. e. they signifie seven years So again Exod. 12. 11. Moses speaking of the Paschal Lamb says it is the Lords Passover i. e. it signifies the Lords passing the Children of the Israelites when he destroyed all the First-born of Egypt Now if according to this known Dialect of Scripture we interpret our Saviours words This is my body the meaning will be plain and natural this bread does signifie or represent my body And this will appear to be the sense of these words if we consider what our Saviour says of the Cup namely This is my blood which must