the weak or faint may be restored The first and last Lesson of Pagan Philosophy was to support Men under the Storms to which they are liable in this open State to render the Soul velut Pelagi rupes immota as a Rock unshaken by the Waves But all their Directions were unsuccessful and so could not secure them from Impatience or Despair But the Gospel that assures us of the Love of God in sending Afflictions for our Spiritual and Eternal Good is alone able to compose the Mind And whenever we faint in Troubles 't is either from Infidelity or Inconsideration 't is impossible a Person should be a Christian and be incapable of Comfort in the most afflicted State for we are really so by the holy Spirit who is the Comforter When we speak sometimes to those we judg infirm we speak to Infidels who only receive Remedy from Time which they ought to receive from Faith they they have the Name of God only in their Mouths but the World is in their Hearts Their Passions are strong and obstinate not subject to sanctified Reason The Difficulty they have of being comforted discovers the necessity of their being afflicted They need Conversion more than Consolation others who are sincere in Faith yet are apt to faint under Troubles from an Error like that of the Apostles when their Lord came upon the Waters in a stormy tempestuous Night to their Assistance they thought he was a Spirit So they look on God as an Enemy when he comes to sanctify and save them the Soveraign Remedy of our Sorrows is to correct the Judgment of Sense by a serious Belief of God's Promise Thus we shall reconcile the roughness of his Hand with the sweetness of his Voice he calls to us from Heaven in the darkest Night 'T is I be not afraid He corrects us with the Heart and Hand of a Father A due Consideration of these things will produce a glorified Joy in the midst of our Sufferings Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope SERMON VI. LUKE xiv 23. The Lord said to the Servant Compel them to come in that my House may be full OUR Blessed Saviour in the days of his Humility among other Instances of his admirable Condescension was pleased in his Sermons to stoop to the Capacity of the Hearers and instruct them in a familiar easy way The infirm Eye of Flesh cannot behold Spiritual Things in their immediate Purity and Glory but as shadowed under sensible Comparisons Therefore his excellent Goodness made use of Parables to illustrate and explain by Representations and Patterns borrowed from things common and known things of a sublimer Nature and more distant from our Apprehensions and by this ingaging lively manner to awaken the Spirit to consider by what is said what is signified and to insinuate into the Affections Divine Truths so pleasingly conveyed to us Now of all the Parables in the Gospel this of the Marriage-Feast both in respect of the Excellence of the Matter and the manner of Expression sutable to our Capacity deserves the serious Application of our Minds and Hearts I will make some Observations upon it that may be useful and introductive to the following Discourse Two general Parts are to be considered in it viz. I. The Narrative of the Prepations and the Persons invited to the Feast II. The Success of the Invitation In unfolding these Generals I shall consider the Substance of the Parable without straining it by far fetch'd Parallels beyond the Intention of our Saviour 'T is a curious Folly to turn every Figure in Scripture into an Allegory The Parable is the same in Substance with that in the 22d Chapter of St. Matthew from the 2d Verse to the 15th that indeed has more of Circumstance and Magnificence in the Relation The certain Man that made the Feast is there stiled a King that is the blessed God and the Feast is for the Marriage of his Son Under this Figure of a Royal Marriage is represented the Mystical Marriage between Christ and his Church and the Type is infinitely excell'd by the Reality If we consider the Persons join'd in this Divine Alliance the Son of God of the same Nature of equal and eternal Greatness with his Father to unite himself to sinful miserable Creatures in a Conjugal Relation the most tender and entire What an immense distance was to be overcome What a seeming Disparagement was it to him In order to this it was necessary there should be a Conformity of Nature between us he therefore was made Flesh that we might be one Spirit with him he assumed our Nature in a Personal Union to the Diety that he might marry our Persons in a Spiritual Union He was a Saviour to redeem us that he might be a Husband to inrich us Astonishing Love The Lord of Glory higher than the Heavens stoop'd so low as to espouse poor Dust he gave his Life for us and himself to us for ever What Honour and Happiness accrues to us by this Alliance the Lord of Angels is our Husband His Gifts are answerable to his Love he is Heir of all things and endows his Church with Heaven and Earth the Apostle assures Believers all things are yours and you are Christ's and Christ is God's Our Communion with him is so perfect that he discharges us of all the Evils that we cannot bear our Sins and the Curse due to them by taking them upon himself and bestows upon us all the Blessings and Blessedness we are capable to enjoy Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption By the great Supper prepar'd we are to understand the Manifestation of the Messiah with all the most precious and unvaluable Benefits purchased and conferr'd by him upon Believers the Pardon of Sins Adoption into God's Family the Graces and Comforts of the Spirit and eternal Glory the becoming Testimonies of his Greatness and Love The prime Guests invited to this Feast are the Jews the select People of God to whom pertained the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever When other Nations were excluded from the Alliance of God his Presence and Worship was their Privilege and for them this Feast was principally intended The Servants employed in the Invitation were first Moses and the Prophets inclusively to John the Baptist all to whom the Oracles of God were committed and by whom the eternal Counsels of his Wisdom were declar'd concerning the Messias All their Prophecies as so many Lines meet in this Centre The other Servants were the Apostles who were commanded to preach the Gospel first at Jerusalem The first order of Servants and the second both proposed the same Messias as the Object of our Faith
may stain the Execellence of an understanding Creature To live righteously which respects the State and Situation wherein God has disposed Men for his Glory It comprehends all the respective Duties to others to whom we are united by the Bands of Nature or of Civil Society or of Spiritual Communion And to live godly which includes all the internal and outward Duties we owe to God who is the Soveraign of our Spirits whose Will must be the Rule and his Glory the End of our Actions In short The Law is so form'd that prescinding from the Authority of the Law-giver its Holiness and Goodness lays an eternal Obligation on us to obey it Now Sin is not only by Interpretation a Reproach to the Wisdom and other Perfections of God but directly and foimally a Contrariety to his Infinite Sanctity and Purity for it consists in a not doing what the Law commands or doing what it forbids 'T is therefore said That the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God An active immediate and irreconcilable Contrariety to his holy Nature and Will From hence there is a reciprocal Hatred between God and Sinners God is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity without an infinite Displicence the Effects of which will fall upon Sinners and tho 't is an Impiety hardly conceivable yet the Scripture tells us that they are Haters of God 'T is true God by the transcendent Excellence of his Nature is uncapable of suffering any Evil and there are few in the present State arrived to such Malice as to declare open Enmity and War against God In the Damned this Hatred is explicit and direct the Fever is heightned to a Frenzy the blessed God is the Object of their Curses and Eternal Aversation If their Rage could extend to him and their Power were equal to their Desires they would dethrone the most High And the Seeds of this are in the Breasts of Sinners here As the fearful Expectation of irresistible and fiery Vengeance increases their Aversation increases They endeavour to raze out the Inscription of God in their Souls and to extinguish the Thoughts and Sense of their Inspector and Judg. They wish he were not All-seeing and Almighty but Blind and Impotent uncapable to vindicate the Honour of his despised Deity The Fool hath said in his Heart there is no God The Heart is the Fountain of Desires and Actions interpret the Thoughts and Affections from whence the Inference is direct and conclusive that habitual Sinners who live without God in the World have secret Desires there was no Soveraign Being to observe and require an Account of all their Actions The radical Cause of this Hatred is from the Opposition of the sinful polluted Wills of Men to the Holiness of God for that Attribute excites his Justice and Power and Wrath to punish Sinners Therefore the Apostle saith They are Enemies to God in their Minds through wicked Works The naked representing of this Impiety that a reasonable Creature should hate the blessed Creator for his most Divine Perfections cannot but strike with Horror O the Sinfulness of Sin 4. Sin is the Contempt and Abuse of his excellent Goodness This Argument is as vast as God's innumerable Mercies whereby he allures and obliges us to Obedience I shall restrain my Discourse of it to three things wherein the Divine Goodness is very conspicuous and most ungratefully despised by Sinners 1st His creating Goodness 'T is clear without the least shadow of Doubt that nothing can give the first Being to it self for this were to be before it was which is a direct Contradiction and 't is evident that God is the sole Author of our Beings Our Parents afforded the gross matter of our compounded Nature but the Variety and Union the Beauty and Usefulness of the several Parts which is so wonderful that the Body is composed of as many Miracles as Members was the Design of his Wisdom and the Work of his Hands The lively Idea and perfect Exemplar of that regular Fabrick was modell'd in the Divine Mind This affected the Psalmist with Admiration I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy Works and that my Soul knows right-well Thine Eyes did see my Substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my Members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them And Job observes Thy Hands have made me and fashioned me round about The Soul or principal Part is of a Celestial Original inspired from the Father of Spirits The Faculties of Understanding and Election are the indelible Characters of our Dignity above the Brutes and make us capable to please and glorify and enjoy him This first and fundamental Benefit upon which all other Favours and Benefits are the Superstructure was the Effect from an eternal Cause his most free Decree that ordained our Birth in the spaces of Time The Fountain was his pure Goodness there was no Necessity determining his Will he did not want external declarative Glory being infinitely happy in himself and there could be no superiour Power to constrain him And that which renders our Maker's Goodness more free and obliging is the Consideration he might have created Millions of Men and left us in our native Nothing and as I may so speak lost and buried in perpetual Darkness Now what was God's end in making us Certainly it was becoming his Infinite Unerstanding that is to communicate of his own Divine Fulness and to be actively glorified by intelligent Creatures Accordingly 't is the solemn Acknowledgment of the Representative Church Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power For thou hast created all Things and for thy Pleasure they were created Who is so void of rational Sentiments as not to acknowledg 't is our indispensable Dutry Our reasonable Service to offer up our selves an intire living Sacrifice to his Glory What is more natural according to the Laws of uncorrupt Nature I might say and of corrupt Nature for the Heathens practised it than that Love should correspond with Love as the one descends in Benefits the other should ascend in Thankfulness As a polish'd Looking glass of Steel strongly reverberates the Beams of the Sun shining upon it without losing a spark of Light thus the understanding Soul should reflect the Affection of Love upon our blessed Maker in Reverence and Praise and Thankfulness Now Sin breaks all those sacred Bands of Grace and Gratitude that engage us to love and obey God He is the just Lord of all our Faculties Intellectual and Sensitive and the Sinner employs them as Weapons of Unrighteousness against him He preserves us by his powerful gracious Providence which is a renewed Creation every Moment and the Goodness he uses to us the Sinner abuses against him This is the most unworthy shameful and monstrous Ingratitude This makes forgetful and unthankful Men more brutish than the dull Ox and the stupid Ass who serve those that feed
virtually declare a Resolution notwithstanding the most visible Discouragements from Heaven to proceed in their sinful courses with more greediness and from a sullen secret Atheism are more strongly carried to gratify their Lusts again when they are in Afflictions I shall proceed to consider the other Extream of fainting under God's Rebukes 1. The Original Word signifies the slackening and relaxing of things that were firmly join'd together The Strength of the Body proceeds from the Union of the Parts when they are well compacted together By their disjointing 'tis enfeebled and rendred unfit for Labour In this Motion the Apostle in the 12th Verse exhorts them to lift up the Hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble Knees That is to encourage and strengthen their Souls by a real belief of the Promises made to afflicted Christians 2. It may respect the sinking and falling away of the Soul like Water being hopeless of overcoming Troubles When Water is frozen into hard Ice it will bear a great Burden but when 't is dissolved and melted nothing is weaker So the Spirit of a Man confirmed by religious Principles is able to sustain all his Infirmities Si fractus illabitur orbis if the Weight of the heaviest Afflictions fall upon him yet his Mind remains erect and unbroken and bears them all with Courage and Constancy But if through Impatience under Tribulation and Diffidence in the Divine Promises we shrink from our Duty or reject the Comforts of God as if they were small and not proportionable to the Evils that oppress us this is to faint when we are rebuked by him The Causes of this Despondency are usually 1. Either the kind of the Affliction when there is a Singularity in the case it increaseth the Apprehension of God's Displeasure because it may signify an extraordinary Guilt and singular Unworthiness in the Person that suffers and upon that account that Sorrow swells so high as to overwhelm him 2. The number and degrees of Afflictions when like those black Clouds which in Winter-Days join together and quite intercept the Beams of the Sun so many Troubles meet at once and deprive us of all present Comfort Job lost his Children by a sudden unnatural Death and was tormented in all the Parts of his Body and reduced from his rich Abundance to the Dunghil and a Potsherd to scrape his Boils Indeed his Heroical Spirit was supported under those numerous and grievous Troubles but such a Weight were enough to sink the most 3. The continuance of Afflictions When the Clouds return after Rain and the Life is a constant Scene of Sorrows we are apt to be utterly dejected and hopeless of Good The Psalmist tells us All the Day long I have been plagued and chastened every Morning and from thence was strongly tempted to Despair 4. Comparing their great Sufferings with the Prosperity of those who are extreamly vicious inclines some to Despair For not only their present Evils are heightened and more sensibly felt by the Comparison but the prosperous Impiety of others tempts them to think there is no just and powerful Providence that distributes things below and looking no higher than to Second Causes that are obvious to Sense they judg their State past Recovery The next thing is to prove that 't is the Duty and Wisdom of the Afflicted not to Despise the Chastenings of the Lord nor to faint under them First 'T is their Duty carefully to avoid those Extreams because they are very dishonourable to God 1. The Contempt of Chastisements is high Profanation of God's Honour who is our Father and Soveraign and in that Quality afflicts us 'T is our Apostle's Argument Furthermore we have had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us and we gave them Reverence shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live 'T is a Principle deeply planted in the Human Nature which the most barbarous Nations have kept inviolable to express the reallest Respect to our Parents from whom we derive our Life and by whose tender Care we have been preserved and educated altho their Discipline be rigorous but it is infinitely more just and reasonable that we should reverently submit to the Father of Spirits who hath the highest Right in us As much as the immortal Spirit excels the infirm corruptible Flesh proportionably should our Reverence to God when he most sharply rebukes us exceed our Respects to our Earthly Fathers when they correct us The manner of the Apostle's Expression is very significant Shall we not much rather If there be any vital spark of Conscience remaining in our Breasts if Reason be not wholly declined to Brutishness we cannot do otherwise 2. Fainting under Chastenings reflects dishonourably upon God 'T is true in some respect those who are extreamly dejected are not so guilty as the Despisers for usually they acknowledg the Order and Justice of his Providence But that false Conception of the Father of Mercies either that he willingly afflicts the Children of Men or that he hates them because he afflicts them here is so contrary to his holy Nature and injurious to his Goodness the special Character of his Nature that 't is an equal Provocation with the slighting his Soveraignty How to bear Afflictions SERMON V. HEBREWS xii 5. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Secondly I Shall proceed to prove 't is the best Wisdom not to despise God's Chastenings nor faint under them I will not insist upon the Consideration that 't is the Counsel of the supream Wisdom to us nor that 't is the avoiding the vicious Extreams which is the chiefest Point of Moral Prudence but it is the only way to prevent the greatest Mischiefs that will otherwise befal us 'T is said he that is wise is profitable to himself that is either in obtaining Good or preventing Evils Now it will appear how pernicious those Extreams are by considering 1. The Contempt of Chastenings deprives us of all those Benefits which were intended by them God's End in them is to imbitter Sin to our Taste and make us disrelish that deadly Poison for as according to the Rules of Physick Contraries are cured by Contraries so Sin that prevails by Pleasure by something delightful to the Carnal Part is mortified by what is afflictive to Sense Repentance is a Duty that best complies with Affliction for when the Spirit is made sad and brought to the Sobriety of Consideration it will more readily reflect upon the true Causes of Troubles When the Springs overflow 't is but directing the Stream into a right Channel the changing the Object of our Grief viz. mourning for Sin instead of sorrowing for outward Trouble and we are in the way to Happiness Sensible Sorrow leads to Godly Sorrow The natural is first then the spiritual Now the Despisers of God's Hand that are unaffected with Judgments are incapable of this
Custom 2. By opposing those who sincerely comply with the Heavenly Call either by Scorn and Derision or Violence and Persecution Human Nature is very sensible of disparaging Reflections and 't is one of the spiteful Arts of Satan to make use of his Instruments to deride serious Religion out of the World 'T is equally profane and pernicious to turn into Raillery and wild Mirth the Impieties and Impurities of the Wicked and the Holiness that shines in the Lives of excellent Saints for the making a Mock of Sin takes away the just Horrour and Detestation of it and the scurrilous vilifying of Holiness takes away the Veneration and high Respect that is due to it Carnal Men who live in Pleasures without restraint of their licentious Appetites upbraided by the holy and heavenly Conservation of sincere Christians cannot with Patience suffer others to practise what they neglect and to countenance their own Looseness and from Revenge scurrilously abuse whom they will not imitate Pure and undefiled Religion is the Game that winged Wits fly at He that avoids the appearance and approach of Sin that strives to be holy as God is holy in all manner of Conversation is the Mark wherein their poison'd Arrows are fasten'd The just upright Man is laughed to scorn Nay even dull Wretches will set up for Wits and attempt by their insipid Jests and thredbare Fooleries to abuse the Saints But all the bitter Sarcasms that are darted upon Religion are infinitely more hurtful to the Despisers than the Despised It argues a prodigious Depravation of Mind in those who take a perverse delight in scorning Holiness the glorious Likeness of God in Man such in the account of Scripture are the worst Sinners the most forlorn Wretches whose Condition is dreadful if not desperate This scornful exposing Religion to make Men asham'd of it is most successful upon the Dispositions of young Persons and those who are of higher Birth and Rank in the World Youth is the blushing Age and has a Tenderness of Face that cannot bear the Prints of Disgrace If one in his early Age begins to breath the Life of Holiness if he abstains from fleshly Lusts that war against the Soul he is represented as fondly nice and ridiculously scrupulous no less than the special Grace of of God is necessary to fortify his holy Resolutions and make him superior to the Scorns of the Wicked The Honourable are fearful of Disgrace and more tender of their Reputation than others being in a greater Light and expos'd to more Eyes and Observations If one of noble Quality renounces the Vanities and Enticements of the World makes the Fear of the Lord his Treasure if he zealously endeavours to be more distinguish'd from others by his eminent Vertues than by the Splendor of his Condition he is scornfully traduc'd as a melancholy Fop as a low Spirit as if Constancy in Devotion and the Practice of Mortification were a descent from his Dignity and cast a dark sad Shade upon his Honour Thus the vain perverted World vilifies that Holiness in Men which the blessed Angels adore in God But alas how many that had serious Inclinations to be religious and were entred into the way of Life have been cool'd and check'd in their first Fervors they could not firmly sustain Reproach and endure Conflicts with the Passion of Shame therefore return'd to the Course of the World and with it have perish'd to Eternity We read of the Israelites after their coming out of Egypt they met in the way with Amalec who feared not God and smote the feeble and faint and weary of them Therefore the Lord strictly charged them to blot out the Memory of Amalec from under Heaven In this Type profane Scorners that discourage Beginners in Religion may see their Doom To conclude this first General I shall observe the Parable represents to us that those who were first invited not only made light of it but entreated spitefully the Servants and slew them Their neglect of the gracious Invitation was like the Sleep of one opprest with the Fumes of Wine that does not hear a Message sent to him their cruel Rage against those who invited them was like the awaking of a distracted Person who hearing the Voice that calls him and by an Error of Judgment mistaking what is said in fury snatches his Sword and destroys those about him Wicked Men are of Satan's Society he was a Murderer from the beginning and hates the Word of Life As soon as our Saviour was born and pointed out by a new Star in Heaven there was a design to destroy him 'T is true the subtile Tempter does not at first inspire Men with Rage against the Gospel but as in the Art of dying some Colours are preparatory for others the Cloth is first dipt in Blew before it takes a Black so by several degrees in sinning he brings them to extream Wickedness Thus the Neglect of the Gospel makes way for the Contempt of those who bring it and Contempt proceeds to Hatred and Hatred sometimes produces mischievous and deadly Effects Now the fear of Temporal Evils especially if extream to which Men are open and obnoxious for the Gospel will hinder them from embracing it or cause them to forsake it if they are not supernaturally enlightned and confirm'd by the Spirit of Power and Love and of a sound Mind SERMON VII LUKE xiv 23. The Lord said to the Servant Compel them to come in that my House may be full I Proceed to the second Hinderance of Mens rejecting the Call of the Gospel The Flesh that in the Language of the Scripture signifies the corrupt Nature and inbred Inclinations of Men to forbidden things obstruct their coming to Christ. The corrupt Nature is called Flesh not only as that is a term of vilifying for the Original and Resolution of Flesh is into the Dust but partly with respect to its Propagation and chiefly in that the usual attractive and defiling Objects of Mens Thoughts and Desires are carnal and are enjoyed by the carnal Faculties Our Minds and Affections are coloured and qualified distinguish'd and denominated from the Objects about which they are conversant This Corruption is spread through all the Faculties of the Soul the Mind is carnal in its Principles and Acts in opposition to the Spirit of the Mind renewed by Grace the Will and Affections are depraved Whatever is born of the Flesh is Flesh. The Apostle fully expresses this Corruption he saith the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God that implies the stubborn Aversness in the Will and Affections from spiritual things for they are Foolishness to him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned The natural Mind is indispos'd and incapable of knowing supernatural things in their Reality and Goodness so as to ravish the Will into a Compliance till 't is purified and spiritualiz'd by the holy Spirit The same Apostle tells us that
the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law neither can be As the Lusts of the Flesh are opposite to the Law of God so the Wisdom of the Flesh is to the Gospel This corrupt Nature makes the World such a dangerous Snare to Men for it blinds their Minds so as not to see the Dros of Earthly Things and the Glory of Heavenly St. John expresses the tempting Objects of the World by the vicious Affections that are drawn out and fastn'd upon them All that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life for the Lusts of Men put a Gloss upon them and make them pernicious The Poison is not in the Flowers but in the Spider that turns the Extraction from them into its own Nourishment Accordingly St. Peter speaks of the Corruption in the World through Lust. The vain Heart is more deceitful than the vain World for not only Reason that instructs the Wise but Experience that instructs Fools affords sufficient Conviction that all things here below are Vanity and Vexation there is none so low none so exalted in the World but finds it so By tasting a sprig of Wormwood the Bitterness is perceived as truly as by drinking a strong Infusion of it The World with all its Varieties is a multiplied and perpetuated Vanity it affords no solid Satisfaction the setting down a thousand Cyphers makes no Sum. But the carnal Heart is so enchanted with the false Lustre and seeming Pleasures of the World that by changing one Vanity for another it seeks and expects Satisfaction This verifies the Observation of the wise Preacher The Heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their Hearts while they live and after that they go down to the Dead What a prodigy of Madness is it for Men to catch at a shadow of Happiness to seek for that which they are uncertain to find and if they do find they are certain to lose and to neglect substantial Felicity which if they sincerely seek they shall obtain and if they obtain they shall enjoy for ever But that it may be more evident that the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts does powerfully interpose to hinder Men from embracing the Gospel I will particularly consider its Opposition to the supernatural Doctrines revealed in the Gospel the Objects of Faith to the holy Precepts of it the Rule of Obedience to the spiritual Rewards recommended to our Choice 1. The great Mystery of Godliness is the Incarnate Son of God who by an ignominious and accursed Death purchased a glorious blessed Life for his People this Doctrine is accounted Foolishness and rejected by the proud unrenewed Mind The Gospel is stiled the Word of Faith 't is conveyed to the Soul with Authority and Efficacy by Faith As Faith in Christ was required of the Sick and Blind and Lame that his healing Vertue might rest on them so the belief of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine is the first vital Qualification that makes us capable of spiritual healing Infidelity stops the Fountain of Grace The Apostle saith the Word preach'd did not profit them that heard it not being mixt with Faith Now altho the Light of the Gospel be so clear and convincing that the sincere considering Mind cannot suspend its Assent to it yet the carnal Mind stain'd with Prejudices and vicious Affections will not admit it An evil Heart is the principal cause of Unbelief The Jews from Pride Vain-Glory and the Love of the World rejected the Son of God tho all the Characters of the Messias were conspicuous in him he did not come with visible Glory and Observation according to their Expectations and Desires they saw no Form nor Comeliness in him and did not believe the Report concerning him they were scandaliz'd at his Parentage and mean Condition he discovered their beloved Sins and sharply reproved the reigning Vices among them which made his Person and his Preaching so odious to them Our Saviour tells us that Light was come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are evil The Prejudice of their Passions was so strong that they rejected the saving Truths of the Gospel and believed damnable Delusions Now the same Roots of Offence are in the Hearts of Men against the Gospel Such a Cloud arises from the Steam of carnal Lusts darkning the Understanding that it cannot discover Truths so high as the mysterious Doctrines of Christ. Love in the Heart is requisite as well as Light in the Mind to know spiritual things Obedience to the Will of God is the best Preparative to believe his Word Our Saviour justly tax'd the Pharisees they did not repent that they might believe Men are averse from receiving those Doctrines that condemn their Lusts and are Infidels that they may be freely wicked that the Shadow of Repentance may not disturb them 'T is said of Atheistical Scorners they are willingly ignorant The corrupt Will rules imperiously and turns the Thoughts from those Arguments which if duly considered Reason with a strong hand would constrain them to acknowledg there is a righteous God who has Authority to command and Power to punish those who rebel against his Laws 'T is true they pretend to offer something for a more colourable Denial of supernatural Revelation but the perversness of Infidelity appears through all their Pretences Some object against the Sublimity of the Doctrines of the Gospel It was the scornful Expression of one This is like the Peace of God that passes all Understanding As if the Reality of things depended upon the Conception and Capacity of the Human Mind and Divine Truths were impossible because incomprehensible Such foolish Pride obstructs the Reception of Divine Truths and from hence humble Christians are despised as led by a blind Belief Others are offended at the simplicity of the revealing them The Doctrines are so high they cannot reach unto the manner of conveying them is so low they will not stoop to But 't is evident these arguings are not from the Reason but the Lusts of Men. For the rare Accord of the Matter and Manner of the Gospel-Revelation is a sensible Character of its Descent from God The Doctrine is high and bright of an extraordinary Revelation the Delivery of it is easy and familiar since 't is for the Instruction and Salvation of Men and accordingly the Divine Wisdom has made an exact Temperament of these things Briefly the corrupt Affections pervert the Will to reject the Gospel and the perverted Will influences the Understanding to disapprove it Nay carnal Lusts force Men against their Light as the Jews did Pilate to condemn the Person of Christ to condemn his Doctrine There are many in this degenerate Age who altho they dare not publickly own the defil'd and abhorr'd Name of Infidels yet among their Companions employ their
it was requisite to atone the just Displeasure of God for our Offences 'T is said he offered his own Body on the Tree his peculiar Right in it was requisite to make it a proper and acceptable Sacrifice 'T is true the Father and holy Spirit had the same Right in the Human Nature of Christ as the Son had with respect to the making it but the Son by assuming it into a Personal Union with himself has a peculiar Right in it and offer'd his own in a strict sense And in Consequence to this his Sacrifice was of infinite Value He did not compound with God but paid a Ransom equivalent to what was due for Sinners He bled a Fountain from his wounded Side that cleanses from all Sin 2dly By his Intercession He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him for he ever lives to make Intercession for them God pardons Sin as a Soveraign upon the Throne his Authority is preserved entire without any Condescension of his Person therefore the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross is pleaded in Heaven to reconcile God to us he satisfied Justice and sollicites Mercy his Blood speaks still and its Voice is as powerful as ever The Prevalency of his Intercession depends upon the Dignity of his Sacrifice the Dearness of his Person to the Father does also assure us of his favourable Audience He declar'd on Earth I know thou always hearest me 3dly The Gospel sets forth his Willingness to save us Faith has an Aspect upon Christ as able and willing to save for Power without a Will to save is unprofitable and the Will without Power is fruitless and ineffectual For the begetting of Faith we are to consider the Proposal and Offer of Grace in the Gospel and the Promise of it 1. In the Gospel there is a Proposal of Grace to all the Invitation is universal Whoever will let him come to the Waters of Life freely Our Saviour gave this Command to the Apostles Preach the Gospel to every Creature Neither the number nor quality of Mens Sins are a Bar against their coming to Christ for Life None are excluded but those who exclude themselves In the Parable those were earnestly invited by the Command of the Master of the Feast who refused to come This Offer of Grace and Life to all that will humbly receive it is the first Foundation of Faith and induces our Acceptance of it for without this the self-condemned Sinner sinks into Misery bottomless and helpless The most miserable Despair is drawn from Impossibility If Men think 't is impossible to obtain what they desire they will not endeavour to obtain 'T is easily clear'd by the Scriptures if Men will believe the Scriptures when they are clear that as the Brazen Serpent the Sign of Salvation was lifted up on high and made obvious to every Eye to convey healing Virtue to those who were stung by the fiery Serpents so our crucified Saviour is lifted up in the Gospel for every Soul-wounded Sinner to regard The belief of inviting Mercy opens the Springs of Godly Sorrow a Natural Sorrow arises from the sense of oppressing Evils and is terminated upon our selves a Spiritual Sorrow proceeds from the sense of our Unworthiness and the Divine Goodness that is so ready and desirous to save us 2. There is a Promise of Grace to all that repent and believe Our Saviour encourages us Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you Rest. Those who feel Sin as an intolerable Burden and their fainting Souls are without Support let them devolve their Burden upon him and trust entirely in him they shall obtain blessed Rest. The timerous Sinners that tremble under the Weight of their Guilt are encouraged for in this condition Christ invites them to come to him and promises Rest. Let them aggravate their Sins to the highest yet St. Paul challenges the Precedence as the chief of Sinners and obtained Mercy When the Heart is broken for Sin and from it not to believe the Promise of Mercy is dishonourable to our Saviour's Love and the Value of his Blood as if not sufficient to save poor Souls that would fain live in him We have the strongest Testimony of his Love in dying for us when we were Enemies Christ came with this Intention to save Sinners and when they come to him will he reject them He cannot deny himself he 's Truth and he has most expresly declar'd Whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out and this Promise is confirm'd by the Will of his Father that sent him Christ invites thirsty Souls to partake of the Waters of Life and when he has inspir'd them with ardent Desires and they come will he send them away empty 'T is absolutely impossible for him who is incarnate Love and Mercy to despise and reject the Soul that looks to him that longs and languishes after him and will be ever unsatisfied without him In short the precious Promises in the Gospel of the Pardon of Sin and eternal Salvation are so proposed to us that the Hope of returning Sinners may be cherish'd and confirm'd and the Presumption of secure Sinners may be dash'd and controul'd While we are in this middle State the fear of Caution join'd with the lively hope of Mercy is the most congruous Temper and becoming the Breast of a Christian. The Presumer is like a Ship without Ballast floating so lightly in his own Folly that every Gust of Temptation oversets him The fearful Spirit is like a Ship over-laden and if not lightned will certainly sink and perish Fearless Security exposes to all the Temptations that gratify the Carnal Appetites desponding Fear causes a neglect of the Remedy If there be no fear of Punishment or no hope of Pardon the Consequences are equally fatal 3. 'T is necessary in order to the bringing Men to Christ to remove their carnal Prejudices The first and most fear'd Difficulties are That serious Religion will be a damp to all their Joys a harsh and unreasonable Restraint of their Liberties a Bar against all the Advantages of the World the sickly Fancy is frighten'd at the thoughts of this If the Way to Heaven were short and fair Men would like it but 't is long and deep and they are discouraged as the Israelites with the tedious and troublesom Wilderness before their arrival at the Land of Promise Accordingly Carnal Men cast a slanderous Shade upon Religion as a melancholy severe and joyless Discipline Now we may rectify these Mistakes by the Light of Scripture of Reason and of Experience 1. The Scrpiture declares that the Ways of Wisdom are Ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace The Entrance the Progress and Continuance in these Ways is joyful to the renewed Soul Let us take a right View of the Divine Commands the Sum of them is this That Men would be happy here and for ever We are commanded