his own Kingdom 2. They pretended that though he did many great Works yet he gave them no Sign from Heaven Matt. 16. 1. it is said They desired him to shew them a Sign from Heaven It seems they expected that God should give some immediate Testimony to him from Heaven as he did to Elias when Fire came down from Heaven and consumed his Enemies And particularly they expected that when he was upon the Cross if he were the true Messias he should have come down and saved himself And because he did not answer their Expectation in this they concluded him an Impostor Now what could be more unreasonable when he had wrought so many other and great Miracles perversly to insist upon some particular kind of Miracle which they fancied As if God were bound to gratifie the Curiosity of Men and as if our Saviour were not as much declared to be the Son of God by rising again from the Dead as if he had come down from the Cross Fourthly As to his Conversation they had these three Exceptions 1. That he used no severity in his Habit or Diet took too much Freedom as they thought came Eating and Drinking that is he freely used the Creatures of God for the end for which they were given with Temperance and Thanksgiving and did not lay those rigorous Restraints upon himself in these matters which many that were esteemed the most Religious among them used to do But he plainly shews them that this Exception was meerly out of their Prejudice against him For if he had come in the way of Austerity they would have rejected him as well They were resolved to find Fault with him whatever he did Matth. 11. 16. Whereunto shall I liken this Generation John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking and they say He hath a Devil He lived in a more austere and melancholy way he came in the way of Righteousness used great Strictness and Severity in his Habit and Diet and this they took Exception at Our Saviour was of a quite contrary Temper and that did not please them neither The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say behold a Wine-bibber and a Glutton So that let our Saviour have done what he would he could not have carried himself so as to have escaped the Censures of Men so peevishly and perversly disposed 2. That he kept Company with Publicans and Sinners To which Exception nothing can be more reasonable than our Saviour's own Answer that he was sent to be a Physician to the World to call Sinners to Repentance and therefore they had no Reason to be angry or think it strange if he conversed with his Patients among whom his proper Imployment lay 3. They objected to him Prophaneness in breaking the Sabbath and that surely was plain that he could not be of God if he kept not the sabbath-Sabbath-day The Truth was he had healed one on the Sabbath-day To this our Saviour gives a most reasonable and satisfactory Answer that surely it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day that that was but a Positive Institution but works of Mercy are Natural and Moral Duties and God himself had declared that he would have even his own Institutions to give way to those greater Duties that are of natural and eternal Obligation I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice And then from the End of the Sabbath The Sabbath was made for the Rest and Refreshment of Man and therefore could not be presumed to be intended to his Prejudice The Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath Fifthly Another great Prejudice against him was that Persons of the greatest Knowledge and Authority among them did not embrace his Doctrine John 7. 48. Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him So that here was the infallible Rule and Authority of their Church against him There is no doubt but the Example and Authority of our Guides ought to sway very much with us and over-rule us in doubtful Cases but not against plain and convincing Evidence there we ought to follow and obey God rather than Men. There is sometimes a visible and palpable Corruption in those who are to lead us they may have an Interest to oppose the Truth And thus it was with the Pharisees and Rulers at that Time And so it hath been among Christians in the great Degeneracy of the Roman Church The Christian Religion was never more endangered nor never more corrupted than by those who have been in greatest Authority in that Church who ought to have understood Religion best and have been the principal Support of it Men may err but God cannot So that when God sends a Prophet or by his Word does plainly declare his Will to us Human Example and Authority ceaseth and is of no force The last Prejudice I shall mention which the Jews had against our Saviour and his Doctrine was that it did abolish and supersede their Religion as of no longer Use and Continuance though it was plain it was instituted by God This had been a very specious Pretence indeed had not this been part of their Religion and had not their own Prophets foretold that the Messias should come and perfect what was wanting and defective in their Institution It was expresly said in their Law That God would raise unto them another Prophet like to Moses and that they should hear him when he came So that in Truth it was the Accomplishment of all those Revelations which were made to the Jews and did not reprove the Jewish Religion as false but as imperfect And did not contradict and overthrow but perfect and fulfill the Law and the Prophets And thus I have gone over the chief Exceptions and Offences which the Jews took at our Saviour and his Doctrine and I hope sufficiently shown the Unreasonableness of them I have not now time to proceed to what remains But by what hath been said you may easily see upon what slight and unreasonable Grounds Men may be prejudiced against the best Person and Things and yet be very confident all the while that they are in the Right For so no doubt many of the Jews who opposed our Saviour and his Doctrine thought themselves to be Therefore it concerns us to put on Meekness and Humility and Modesty that we way be able to judge impartially of things and our Minds may be preserved free and indifferent to receive the Truths of God when they are offer'd to us Otherwise Self-Conceit and Passion will so blind our Minds and biass our Judgments that we shall be unable to discern and unwilling to entertain the plainest and most evident Truths We see here by the sad Example of the Jews that by giving way to Passion and cherishing Pride and Self-Conceit Men may be so deeply prejudiced against the Truth as to resist the clearest Light and reject even Salvation it self when it is offer'd to them So that it is not in vain that the Scripture saith
called the Son of God St. Luke most expresly tells us Luke 1. 35. where the Angel tells the Virgin Mary that the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the Power of the Highest should overshadow her and therefore that Holy Thing which should be born of her should be call'd the Son of God And this our Saviour means by the Father's sanctifying him and sending him into the World For which Reason he says he might justly call himself the Son of God John 10. 35 36. If he call them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God If there had been no other Reason this had been sufficient to have given him the Title of the Son of God that he was brought into the World by the Sanctification or Divine Power of the Holy Ghost 2. Christ is also said in Scripture to be the Son of God and to be declared to be so upon Account of his Resurrection from the Dead by the Power of the Holy Ghost His Resurrection from the Dead is here in the Text ascribed to the Spirit of Holiness or the Holy Ghost And so in other places of Scripture Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you And 1 Pet. 3. 18. Being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit that is he suffer'd in that frail mortal Nature which he assumed but was raised again by the Power of the Holy Ghost of the Spirit of God which resided in him And upon this Account he is expresly said in Scripture to be the Son of God Psa 2. 7. I will declare the decree The Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee to which perhaps the Apostle alludes here in the Text when he says that Christ was decreed to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Dead To be sure these Words this day have I begotten thee St. Paul expresly tells us were accomplisht in the Resurrection of Christ as if God by raising him from the Dead had begotten him and decreed him to be his Son Acts 13. 32 33. And we declare unto you glad Tidings how that the Promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He was the Son of God before as he was conceived by the Holy Ghost but this was secret and invisible and known only to the Mother of our Lord And therefore God thought fit to give a publick and visible demonstration of it so as to put the matter out of all question he declared him in a powerful manner to be his Son by giving him a new Life after Death by raising him from the Dead and by this new and eminent Testimony given to him declared him again to be his Son and confirmed the Title which was given him before upon a true but more secret Account of his being conceived by the Holy Ghost And as our Saviour is said to be the Son of God upon this twofold Account of his Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Resurrection to Life by the Spirit of God So the Scripture which does solicitously pursue a Resemblance and Conformity between Christ and Christians does likewise upon a twofold Account answerable to our Saviour's Birth and Resurrection call true Believers and Christians the Children of God viz. Upon Account of their Regeneration or new Birth by the Operation of the Spirit of God and upon Account of their Resurrection to Eternal Life by the Power of the same Spirit Upon account of our Regeneration and becoming Christians by the Power and Operation of the Holy Spirit of God upon our Minds we are said to be the Children of God as being regenerated and born again by the Holy Spirit of God And this is our first Adoption And for this Reason the Spirit of God conferred upon Christians at their Baptism and dwelling and residing in them afterwards is call'd the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father And Gal. 4. 5 6. Believers are said to receive the Adoption of Sons God having sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts crying Abba Father That is all Christians for as much as they are regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God and have the Spirit of God dwelling in them may with Confidence call God Father and look upon themselves as his Children So the Apostle tells us Rom. 8. 14. That as many as are led or acted by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God But though we are said to be Children of God upon account of our Regeneration and the Holy Spirit of God dwelling and residing in Christians yet we are eminently so upon account of our Resurrection to Eternal Life by the mighty Power of God's Spirit This is our final Adoption and the Consummation of it and therefore Rom. 8. 21. this is called the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God because by this we are for ever deliver'd from the Bondage of Corruption and by way of Eminency the Adoption viz. the Redemption of our Bodies We are indeed the Sons of God before upon account of the regenerating and sanctifying Virtue of the Holy Ghost but finally and chiefly upon account of our Resurrection by the Power of the Divine Spirit So St. John tells us that then we shall be declared to be the Sons of God after another manner than we are now 1 Jo. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Now we are the Sons of God that is our Adoption is begun in our Regeneration and Sanctification but it doth not yet appear what we shall be we shall be much more eminently so at the Resurrection We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him But the most express and remarkable Text to this Purpose is Luke 20. 36. where good Men after the Resurrection are for this Reason said to be the Children of God because they are the Children of the Resurrection But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in Marriage neither can they die any more for they are equal to the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection For this Reason they are said to be the Children of God because they are raised by him to a new Life and to be made Partakers of that which is promised to them and reserved for them For all that are raised by the Power of God out of the Dust of the Earth are not therefore
speaking of Baptism is called Illumination And St. Cyprian gives us the Reason because by virtue of Baptism in expiatum pectus ac purum desuper se lumen infundit Light is infused from above into the purified Soul And that this Expression is so to be understood here in the Text as also Chap. 10. 32. the Syriac and Ethiopic give us good ground to believe for they render the Text thus It is impossible for those who have been once baptized and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift And at the 10th Chap. v. 32. which we translate But call to remembrance the former days in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions that is call to mind the former days in which after by Baptism ye had publickly embraced the Profession of Christianity ye were upon that account exposed to many grievous Sufferings and Persecutions So that I think there can be no great doubt but by those that were once enlightned the Apostle means those that were baptized To proceed then For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost these two Expressions seem to denote the Spiritual Benefits and Graces of the Holy Ghost conferred upon Christians by Baptism particularly Regeneration which is the proper work of the Holy Ghost and Justification and Remission of Sins So we find Faith whereby we are justified called the Gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Faith is the gift of God and our Justification is called a Gift and a free Gift five several times in one Chapter Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and what this free Gift is he tells us in the next words viz. Justification or Remission of Sins v. 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to Condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification For if by one man's offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life So that by the Heavenly Gift I understand remission of Sins and by being made partakers of the Holy Ghost the sanctifying Power and Efficacy of God's Spirit And have tasted the good word of God that is entertained the Gospel which is here called the good word of God by reason of the gracious promises contained in it particularly the Promises of Eternal Life and Happiness And the powers of the World to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Powers of the Gospel Age that is the miraculous Powers of the Holy Ghost which were bestowed upon Men in order to the propagation of the Gospel And that this is the true meaning of this Phrase will I think be very plain to any one who shall but consider that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is generally in Scripture used for miraculous Powers and Operations and particularly to express the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost which were bestowed upon the Apostles and first Christians I need not cite the particular Texts for the proof of this they are so many and so well known And then if we consider farther that the times of the Gospel the days of the Messias are frequently called by the Jews Seculum futurum The Age to come And indeed this is the very Phrase used by the LXX concerning our Saviour Isa 9. 6. where he is called according to our Translation The Everlasting Father but according to that of the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of the future Age. And this very Phrase is used once more in this Epistle to the Heb. ch 2. 5. For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the World to come whereof we now speak He had said before that the Law was given by Angels v. 2. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast but the dispensation of the Gospel which he calls The World to come or the future Age was not committed to them this was administred by the Son of God Vnto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the World to come And 't is observable that this Phrase is only used in this Epistle to the Hebrews because the Jews very well understood the meaning of it being that whereby they commonly exprest the times of the Gospel according to that ancient Tradition of the House of Elias which distributed the duration of the World into three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ages the Age before the Law the Age under the Law and the Age of the Messias which they called the Seculum futurum or the Age to come and which is likewise in Scripture called The last days or times and the conclusion of the Ages Concerning which it was particularly prophesied that the Holy Ghost should be poured forth upon Men in miraculous Gifts and Powers And to this very purpose the Prophet Joel is cited by St. Peter Acts 2. 16 17. This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie c. From all which it is very evident that by tasting the powers of the World to come is meant being partakers of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost which were poured forth in the Gospel Age by the Jews commonly called The World to come If they shall fall away that is if after all this they shall apostatize from this Profession out of love to this present World or from the fear of Persecutions and Sufferings It is impossible to renew them again to Repentance that is it is a thing very difficult hardly to be hoped for that such wilful and notorious Apostates should be restored again by Repentance For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Impossible is not always to be taken in the strictest sense for that which absolutely cannot be but many times for that which is so very difficult that it seems next to an impossibility So our Saviour that which in one place he calls exceeding hard viz. for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven he afterwards calls impossible with Men and so here I understand the Apostle that those who apostatize from Christianity after Baptism and the benefits of it 'T is exceeding hard to recover them again to Repentance This Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to renew them again to Repentance some understand of restoring them again to
the Peace and Communion of the Church by a course of Penance such as was prescribed in the ancient Church to great Offenders and then they understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Natural but a Moral Impossibility that which cannot be done according to the Orders and Constitutions of the Church that is the Church did refuse to admit Apostates and some other great Offenders as Murderers and Adulterers to a course of Penance in order to their Reconciliation with the Church This Tertullian tells us was the strictness of the Church in his time Neque Idololatriae neque Sanguini pax ab Ecclesiâ redditur they admitted neither Idolaters nor Murderers to the reconciliation of the Church Though they were never so penitent and shed never so many tears yet he says they were jejunae pacis lacrimae their tears were in vain to reconcile them to the Peace and Communion of the Church He says indeed they did not absolutely pronounce their case desperate in respect of God's Pardon and Forgiveness sed de veniâ Deo reservamus for that they referr'd them to God but they were never to be admitted again into the Church so strict were many Churches and that upon the Authority of this Text though the Church of Rome was more moderate in this matter and for that Reason call'd the Authority of this Book into question But I see no reason why these Words should primarily be understood of restoring Men to the Communion of the Church by Penance but they seem to be meant of restoring Men to the Favour of God by Repentance of which indeed their being restored to the Communion of the Church was a good sign This the Apostle says was very difficult for those who after Baptism and the several benefits of it did apostatize from Christianity to be recover'd again to Repentance Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame This is spoken by way of Aggravation of the crime of Apostacy that they who fall off from Christianity in effect and by interpretation do crucifie the Son of God over again and expose him to shame and reproach as the Jews did for by denying and renouncing of him they declare him to be an Impostor and consequently worthy of that death which he suffered and that Ignominy which he was exposed to and therefore in account of God they are said to do that which by their actions they do approve so that it is made a Crime of the highest Nature as if they should crucifie the Son of God and use him in the most ignominious manner even tread under foot the Son of God as the expression is to the same purpose Ch. 10 29. Thus I have endeavour'd as briefly and clearly I could to explain to you the true meaning and importance of the several Phrases and Expressions in the Text the sense whereof amounts to this that if those who are baptized and by Baptism have received Remission of Sins and do believe the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Promises of it and are endow'd with the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost if such persons as these shall after all this apostatize from Christianity it is very hard and next to an impossibility to imagine how such Persons should recover again by Repentance seeing they are guilty of as great a Crime as if in their own Persons they had put to Death and ignominiously used the Son of God because by rejecting of him they declare to the World that he suffered deservedly Having thus explained the words in order to the further vindication of them from the mistakes and misapprehensions which have been about them I shall endeavour to make out these five things 1st That the Sin here mention'd is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost 2dly That the Apostle does not declare it to be absolutely impossible but only that those who are guilty of it are recover'd to Repentance with great difficulty 3dly That it is not a partial Apostacy from the Christian Religion by any particular vicious Practice 4thly That it is a total Apostacy from the Christian Religion and more especially to the Heathen Idolatry which the Apostle here speaks of 5thly The Reason of the difficulty of the recovery of those who fall into this Sin 1st That the Sin here mention'd is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost which I have heretofore discoursed of and shewn wherein the particular Nature of it does consist There are three things which do remarkably distinguish the Sin here spoken of in the Text from the Sin against the Holy Ghost described by our Saviour 1st The Persons that are guilty of this Sin here in the Text are evidently such as had embraced Christianity and had taken upon them the Profession of it whereas those whom our Saviour chargeth with the Sin against the Holy Ghost are such as constantly opposed his Doctrine and resisted the Evidence he offer'd for it 2dly The particular nature of the Sin against the Holy Ghost consisted in blaspheming the Spirit whereby our Saviour wrought his Miracles and saying he did not do those things by the Spirit of God but by the assistance of the Devil in that malicious and unreasonable imputing of the plain Effects of the Holy Ghost to the Power of the Devil and consequently in an obstinate refusal to be convinced by the Miracles that he wrought but here is nothing of all this so much as intimated by the Apostle in this place 3dly The Sin against the Holy Ghost is declared to be absolutely unpardonable both in this World and in that which is to come but this is not declared to be absolutely unpardonable which brings me to the 2d Thing namely That this Sin here spoken of by the Apostle is not said to be absolutely unpardonable It is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost and whatever else it be it is not out of the compass of God's Pardon and Forgiveness So our Saviour hath told us that all manner of Sin whatsoever that men have committed is capable of pardon excepting only the Sin against the Holy Ghost And though the Apostle here uses a very severe Expression that if such persons fall away it is impossible to renew them again to Repentance yet I have shewn that there is no necessity of understanding this Phrase in the strictest sense of the word impossible but as it is elsewhere used for that which is extreamly difficult Nor indeed will our Saviour's Declaration which I mention'd before that all Sins whatsoever are pardonable except the Sin against the Holy Ghost suffer us to understand these words in the most rigorous Sense 3dly The Sin here spoken of is not a partial Apostacy from the Christian Religion by any particular vicious Practice Whosoever lives in the habitual practice of any Sin plainly forbidden by the Christian Law may be said so far to have apostatized from Christianity but this is not the falling away which the Apostle
proper Pains and Torments of the damned but that his perfect Obedience and grievous Sufferings undergone for our sakes and upon our account were of that Value and Esteem with God and his voluntary Sacrifice of himself in our stead so highly acceptable and well pleasing to him that he thereupon was pleased to enter into a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with Mankind wherein he hath promised and engaged himself to forgive the Sins of all those who sincerely repent and believe and to make them partakers of Eternal Life And hence it is that the Blood of Christ which was shed for us upon the Cross is call'd the Blood of the Covenant as being the Sanction of that new Covenant of the Gospel into which God is entred with Mankind and not only the Confirmation but the very Foundation of it for which reason the Cup in the Lord's Supper which represents to us the Blood of Christ is call'd the New Testament in his Blood which was shed for many for the remission of Sins 4thly and lastly Christ is said to be the Author of our Salvation in respect of his powerful and perpetual Intercession for us at the right Hand of God And this seems to be more especially intimated and intended in that Expression here in the Text that being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Which Words of his being perfected do as I have shew'd before more immediately refer to his Sufferings and the Reward that followed them his Exaltation at the right hand of God where he lives for ever to make Intercession for us by which perpetual and most prevalent Intercession of his he procures all those Benefits to be bestowed upon us which he purchased for us by his Death the forgiveness of our Sins and our Acceptance with God and perfect Restitution to his Favour upon our Faith and Repentance and the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit to inable us to a sincere Discharge of our Duty to strengthen us against all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil to keep us from all Evil and to preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom And this is that which our Apostle calls obtaining of Mercy and finding Grace to help in time of need ch 4. v. 16. of this Epist Our blessed Saviour now that he is advanced into Heaven and exalted on the right hand of the Majesty on high doth out of the tenderest Affection and Compassion to Mankind still prosecute that great and merciful Design of our Salvation which was begun by him here on Earth and in Virtue of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings does offer up our Prayers to God and as it were plead our Cause with God and represent to him all our Wants and Necessities and obtain a favourable Answer of our Petitions put up to God in his Name and all necessary supplies of Grace and Strength Proportionable to our Temptations and Infirmities And by Virtue of this powerful Intercession of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer our Sins are pardoned upon our sincere Repentance our Prayers are graciously answered our Wants are abundantly supplyed and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit are plentifully afforded to us to excite us to our Duty to strengthen us in well doing to comfort us in Afflictions to support us under the greatest Tryals and Sufferings and to keep us through Faith unto Salvation And for this reason as the purchasing of our Salvation is in Scripture attributed to the Death and Sufferings of Christ so the perfecting and finishing of it is ascribed to the prevalency of his Intercession at the right Hand of God for us So the Apostle tells us ch 7. v. 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us He dyed once to purchase Salvation for us and that we may not fall short of it but receive the full Benefit of this Purchase he lives for ever to make Intercession for us and thus he saves to the uttermost all those that come to God by him that is he takes care of the whole business of our Salvation from first to last And now that he is in Heaven he is as intent to procure our Welfare and Happiness and as tenderly concerned for us as when he lived here among us upon Earth as when he hung upon the Cross and poured out his Soul an Offering for our Sins for he appears at the right Hand of God in our Nature that which he assumed for our sakes which was made subject to and sensible of our Infirmities and which was tempted in all things like as we are only without Sin and therefore he knows how to pity and succour them that are tempted and from the remembrance of his own Sufferings is prompted to a compassionate Sense of ours and never ceaseth in virtue of his Blood which was shed for us to plead our Cause with God and to intercede powerfully on our behalf So that the Virtue and Efficacy of Christ's Intercession on our behalf is founded in the Redemption which he wrought for us by his Blood and Sufferings which being entred into Heaven he represents to God on our Behalf As the high Priest under the Law did enter into the holy place with the Blood of the Sacrifices that had been offered and in virtue of that Blood interceded for the People So Christ by his own Blood entred into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us as the Apostle speaks ch 9. v. 12. He entred into the Holy Place that is into Heaven it self to make Intercession for us as the Apostle explains himself v. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands but into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And ch 10. v. 12. speaking of Christ's appearing for us at the right Hand of God this Man says he after he had offer'd one Sacrifice for Sin for ever that is a Sacrifice of perpetual Virtue and Efficacy sat down at the right Hand of God that is to intercede for us in virtue of that Sacrifice From all which it appears that the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession for us in Heaven is founded in his Sacrifice and the price of our Redemption which he paid on Earth in shedding his Blood for us From whence the Apostle reasons that there is but one Mediator between God and Men by whom we are to address our Prayers to God 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all His Mediation is founded in his Ransome or the Price which he paid for our Redemption The Apostle indeed does not say there is but one Mediator between God and Man in express words but surely he means so if by saying there is one God he means there is but one God for they
regard to them the meaning of it is plainly this that our Saviour would send down the holy Ghost upon them in miraculous Gifts to qualifie and enable them for the more speedy planting and propagating of the Gospel in the World and that he would be with them and assist them extraordinarily in this Work And that this is the primary meaning of it in regard to the Apostles will be very plain by considering how this Promise is exprest by the other Evangelists Mark 16. 17. instead of this Promise you have these words immediately after our Saviour had given them Commission to go and preach the Gospel Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And then it follows These signs shall follow them that believe in my Name they shall cast out Devils and shall speak with new Tongues And Luke 24. 39. instead of lo I am with you it is said Bohold I send the promise of my Father upon you that is the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost for it follows in the next Words but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye be endowed with power from on high This St. Luke himself interprets of the Promise of the Holy Ghost Acts 1. 4 5. He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many days hence And v. 8. Ye shall receive power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth So that no Man that compares these Texts together can doubt but that this was the primary meaning of this Promise as it was made to the Apostles But then it is as plain likewise that this Promise is to be extended farther than to the Persons of the Apostles even to all those that should afterwards succeed them in this Work of Preaching the Gospel and baptizing because our Saviour adds that he would be with them to the end of the World which Words because they reach far beyond the Apostles Times as I shall shew by and by must necessarily be extended to such Persons in after Ages as should carry on the same Work There are two famous Controversies about the Sense of these Words in which this Promise is exprest The First is concerning the Circumstance of time mentioned in this Promise alway to the end of the World The other concerning the Substance of the Promise it self what is meant by our Saviour's being with them In the first we have to deal with the Enthusiasts in the latter with the Papists I shall examine the Pretences of both these as briefly and plainly as I can First Concerning the Circumstance of time exprest in these words alway to the end of the world The Enthusiasts would perswade us that the meaning of these Phrases is not to be extended beyond that Age and that this Promise is to be limited to the Apostles Persons and that the Sense of it is that Christ would be with the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all their Days so long as they should live and that would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end of that Age thus they translate it and with no worse design than to take away the Necessity of a Gospel Ministry But this Pretence will vanish if we can make good these two things 1. That the Letter of this Promise extends farther than the Persons of the Apostles and the continuance of that Age. 2. However that be it is certain that the reason of it extends to all that should succeed them in their Ministry to the end of the World 1. The Letter of this Promise extends farther than the Persons of the Apostles and the continuance of that Age. I will easily grant that the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only continually I will be with you continually but then the other Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until the end of the World is several times in Scripture undeniably used for the End and Dissolution of all things and cannot with any Probability be shewn to be ever used otherwise In this Sense it is unquestionably used three times Matth. 13. The Harvest is the end of the World v. 39. So shall it be at the end of the world v. 40. and v. 49. it is said that at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from the jâ—st and cast them into the Furnace which must either be understood of the end of the World and of the day of Judgment or there will be no clear Text in the whole Bible to that purpose and it is very probable that this Phrase is used in the same Sense Matth. 24. 3. where the Disciples ask our Saviour What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world as will appear to any one that considers our Saviour's Answer to this Question the latter part whereof cannot without too much Violence be accommodated to any thing but the final Dissolution of the World Now if this Phrase be every where else in Scripture used in this Sense there is no reason why it should be taken otherwise in the Text only to serve the purpose of an unreasonable Opinion I know there are Phrases very near akin to this which are used in a quite different Sense namely for the expiration of the Jewish State and that we may know how to distinguish them it is observable that when the Scripture speaks of the end of the World it is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the Age in the singular Number but when it speaks of the Times before the Gospel it always expresseth them in the plural the reason of which is that famous Tradition among the Jews of the House of Elias which distributed the whole duration of the World into three Ages the Age before the Law the Age under the Law and the Age of the Messias and this last Age they looked on with great difference from the rest as the famous and glorious Age which was to be as it were the beginning of a new World And therefore the Jews in their Writings constantly call it the seculum futurum the Age or the World to come And therefore the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews calls the State of the Gospel by that name as best known to them Heb. 2. 5. But unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we now speak that is the Law was given by the disposition of Angels but the dispensation of the Gospel which is call'd the World to come was managed and administred by the Son of God So likewise Heb.
The most Râ—verend Dr. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury R. White sculp Several Discourses Viz. Proving Jesus to be the Messias The Prejudices against Jesus and his Religion consider'd Jesus the Son of God proved by his Resurrection The Danger of Apostacy from Christianity Christ the Author Obedience the Condition of Salvation The Possibility and Necessity of Gospel Obedience and its consistence with free Grace The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles The Difficulties of a Christian Life consider'd The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Children of this World wiser than the Children of Light By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The FIFTH VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard 1698. THE CONTENTS Of the Fifth Volume SERM. I. Proving Jesus to be the Messias MATTH XI 2 3 4 5 6. NOW when John had heard in Prison the works of Christ he sent two of his Disciples and said unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again these things which ye do hear and see The Blind receive their sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel preached unto them And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me Page I. SERM. II III. The Prejudices against Christianity consider'd MATTH XI 6. And blessed is he whosover shall not be offended in me p. 47 91. SERM. IV. Jesus the Son of God prov'd by his Resurrection ROM I. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the dead p. 127. SERM. V. The danger of Apostacy from Christianity HEB. VI. 4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy-Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afâ—â—sh and put him to an open shame p. 155. SERM. VI. Christ the Author and Obedience the Condition of Salvation HEB. V. 9. And being made perfect he became the Authâ—â— of eternal salvation unto all them thaâ— obey him p. 197. SERM. VII The Possibility and Necessity of Gospel Obedience and its consistence with free Grace HEB. V. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him p. 231. SERM. VIII The Authority of Jesus Christ with the Commission and Promise which he gave to his Apostles MAT. XXVIII 18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World p. 265. SERM. IX The Difficulties of a Christian Life consider'd LUKE XIII 24. Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able p. 301. SERM. X XI The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus LUKE XVI 19 20. There was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in Purple and fine Linen and fared sumptuously every day And there was a certain Beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of Sores p. 343 379. SERM. XII The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus LUKE XVI 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded tho' one rose from the dead p. 417. SERM. XIII The Children of this World wiser than the Children of Light LUKE XVI 8. For the Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light p. 447. SERMON I. Vol. V. Proving Jesus to be the Messias MATTH XI 2 3 4 5 6. Now when John had heard in Prison the works of Christ he sent two of his Disciples and said unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again these things which ye do hear and see The Blind receive their sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel preached unto them And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me ABOUT the time of our Saviour's appearing in the World there was a general expectation of a Great Prince that should come out of Judea and govern all Nations This the Gentiles had from the Prophecies of the Sybils which spake of a great King that was to appear in the World about that time So Virgil tells us that the time of Augustus was the utmost date of that Prophecy Vltima Cumaei venit jam carminis aetas And Suetonius tells us that all over the Eastern Countries there was an ancient and constant Tradition that such a Prince should spring out of Judea And for this Reason it is that our Saviour is call'd by the Prophet the Expectation of the Nations But more especially among the Jews there was at that time a more lively and particular expectation grounded upon the Predictions of their Prophets of a Prince whom they call'd the Messias or the Anointed and those who were more devout among them did at that time wait for his appearance as it is said of Simeon that he waited for the consolation of Israel Hence it was that when John the Baptist appeared in the quality of an extraordinary Prophet they sent from Jerusalem to enquire whether he were the Messias John 1. 19. The Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who art thou And he confessed and denied not but confessed I am not the Christ The Sanhedrim to whom it belonged to judge who were true Prophets sent to know whether he was the Messias or not He would not take this honour to himself but told them the Messias was just at hand and the next day when Jesus came to be baptized of him he bare record that he was the Son of God and that he saw the Spirit descending and abiding upon him So that it is plain that he knew him and bare witness of him which makes it the more strange that here in the Text he should send two of his Disciples to enquire whether he were the Messias or not Art thou he that should come or do we look for another That is art thou the Messias or not for so he is call'd in the ancient Prophecies of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that should come Gen. 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shiloh come For the resolution of this difficulty it is very probably said by Interpreters and I think there is no Reason to doubt of it that John the Baptist did not send this Message for his own satisfaction but to satisfie his Disciples who were never very willing to acknowledge Jesus for the Messias because they thought he did shadow and cloud their Master From whence we may take notice how Men's Judgments are apt to be perverted by Faction and Interest and that good Men are too prone to be swayed thereby for such we suppose the Disciples of John to have been they will not believe their own Master when they apprehend him to speak against their Interest for they knew that they must rise and fall in their Reputation and Esteem as their Master did They believed that their Master was a Prophet and came from God yet for all that they could not digest his Testimony of Christ because that set him above their Master which they were sagacious enough to perceive that it tended to the diminution and lessening of themselves And that this was the thing which troubled them appears plainly from the Complaint which they make to their Master John 3. 26. The Disciples of John came to him and said he that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou barest witness behold the same baptizeth and all men come to him This troubled them to see him invade their Master's Office and that he began to have more Followers than John had he baptizeth and all men come to him This prejudice John had endeavoured to root out of their minds by telling them that he had always declared that he was not the Messias v. 28. You your selves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him But when he perceived it still to stick with them and that they observed all his Actions and the Miracles that he wrought as if they had a mind to pick a quarrel with him for St. Luke who relates the same Story tells us that when our Saviour had healed the Centurion's Servant and raised from the dead the Wodows Son at Naim the Disciples of John shewed him all these things I say John Baptist perceiving that they watched him so narrowly sent two of his Disciples to him that they might receive full satisfaction from him And St. Luke tells us that upon their coming to him he wrought many of his Miracles before them to convince them that he was the true Messias Luke 7. 21 22. And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits and to many that were blind he gave sight and then said to the Disciples of John Go your way and tell John what things ye have seen and heard how that the blind see and the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear and the dead are raised and to the poor the gospel is preached and blessed is he that is not offended in me So that you see that the Reason why John Baptist sent to our Saviour to know whether he was the Messias was not to satisfie himself for he had no doubt of it but perceiving his Disciples to be ill-affected towards our Saviour and hearing them speak with some envy of his Miracles he sent them to him that by seeing what he did and hearing what account he gave of himself they might receive full satisfaction concerning him I have been the longer in the clearing of this that Men upon every appearance of contradiction in the Evangelical History may not be too forward to suspect the truth of it but may be convinc'd that if they would but have patience to examine things carefully they would find that the Story does sufficiently vindicate it self and tho' it be pen'd with great simplicity yet there is sufficient care taken to free it from being guilty of any contradiction to it self The Occasion of the words being thus cleared there are in them these two things considerable First What it was that John the Baptist sent his Disciples to be satisfied about and that was whether he was the Messias or not Now when John had heard in Prison the works of Christ he sent two of his Disciples The Circumstance of his being in Prison seems to be mention'd to intimate to us the Reason why he did not come himself along with them he sent two of his Disciples to him who said unto him Art thou he that should come or do we look for another And then Secondly The Answer which our Saviour returns to this Message Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again the things which ye do see and hear the blind receive their sight the lame walk the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached unto them and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me So that these words contain First the Evidence which our Saviour gives of his being the true Messias Secondly an Intimation that notwithstanding all this Evidence which he gave of himself yet many would be offended at him and reject him blessed is he whosoever is not offended in me First The Evidence which our Saviour gives of his being the true Messias And to prove this there were but two things necessary 1. To shew that he was sent by God and had a particular Commission from him 2. That he was the very Person of whom the Prophets foretold that he should be the Messias The first of these he proves by the Miracles which he wrought and the second by the correspondency of the things he did with what was foretold by the Prophets concerning the Messias the Prophecies concerning the Massias were accomplish'd in him First By the Miracles which he wrought the blind receive their sight and the lame walk the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear and the dead are raised up Here is a brief enumeration of the several sorts of Miracles which our Saviour wrought and these were a testimony to him that he came from God and was sent and Commissioned by him to declare his Will to the World So he himself tells us Joh. 5. 36. I have a greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Upon the Evidence of these Miracles Nicodemus a Ruler among the Jews was convinced that he was sent by God John 3. 2. We know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him Nay his greatest Enemies were afraid of his Miracles knowing how proper an argument they are to convince men John 11. 47. when the Chief Priests and Pharisees were met together in Council against him they