Compassion 'T is that which was required in all Times in all Cases of all Men Never any Dispensation in this Matter Never any Allowance to the contrary 'T is a Matter of full Resolution and required with a general Non-obstante And this cannot be said of very many Points in Divinity * Now this Disposition is requisite for our own Ease and Safety A Man would live in Love if it were but for his own Peace and Quiet For that Man is at Hearts ease that neither is nor hath an Enemy Whereas he that is an Enemy is never quiet if he carry Displeasure in his Breast so if he have justly made an Enemy he looseth the Liberty of his own Thoughts the Freedom of his own Mind he feareth and is feared So that the Peace Quiet and Security of our selves depend upon the Composure of our own Minds If a Man live in Love he is devoid of Fear for there is no Fear in Love whereas Fear hath Torment But perfect Love casteth out Fear If a Man hath an Enemy he is either meditating Revenge or Defence and a Man had better be asleep in his Bed than thus employed In a due Consideration of one another we shou'd live in hearty Love and Good-will For such is the Condition of Man in this World that we stand in need of one another's Help For we are all of us very weak and exposed to many Evils from within and from without and every Man finds that he hath enough to do to govern his own Spirit and to bear his own Burden Let us not add to it by Offence and mutual Provocation of one another It may be did we but know and were acquainted with the Condition of others we our selves would think it very hard measure to add to their Sorrow and we would rather help to bear their Burdens 'T is but a just Allowance for the Frailty of the present State For no Man's Bodily Constitution is the Matter of his own Choice or within his own Power If it be Choler that exposeth a Man to Rashness and Fury if Melancholly to Sourness and Severity if Flegmatick that exposeth a Man to Dullness Heaviness and Sleep if Blood to Frowardness Petulancy and Wantonness And our Minds are tempted to comply with Bodily-Temper 'T is only by Vertue that a Man doth bear up against Bodily-Temper and Constitution It is very apparent that the Material Part of Vertue and Vice have a Foundation in Bodily-Temper * tho' it * be neither Vertue nor Vice as it is the effect thereof but Vertue and Vice are constituted by the Consent of the Mind Yet this I say that our Souls pay the dearest Rent in the World for their Habitation in these Bodies Therefore to pass this He is little sensible of the Frailty of Humane Nature who doth not make fair Allowance and candid Construction who doth not easily incline to the better part who cannot over-look Mistakes and have Patience with Men a-while till they recover themselves out of Passion And much more unmindful are they and forgetful of the Incidencies belonging to this State who set themselves to exasperate inflame and further to provoke by unkind Returns and Misconstructions beyond and against a Man's Meaning and Intention But I see there is one thing that will rise up with a colourable Pretence against all that I have said if it be not removed and that is in case of different Apprehension in some things about Religion in which case Men say it is Zeal of God for Truth and that they ought to be zealous for the Truth and think they may prosecute their Brother upon that account because he is not of their Judgment he is in an Error they say and therefore they think they ought to bear him down upon this account Therefore this Pretence must be examin'd To which end I shall suggest these several Considerations First It cannot be avoided but that Men must think as they find cause For this is most certain that no Man is Master of his own Apprehensions but he must think and cannot avoid it according as he finds cause Secondly It is no Offence to another that any Man hath the Freedom of his own Thoughts By this he doth his Neighbour no Wrong For Thoughts make no Alteration abroad nor make any Disturbance and a wise Man will enjoy these and not expose them in a disorderly manner For a generous Notion is not to be prostituted Truth is too noble a thing to be * exposed in case of Mens Dullness and Incapacity in case of Indisposition and Prudence Men may be unqualified for hearing Truth as I Cor. 3. 3. where there is Envying Strife and Division He is a conceited Fool that cannot enjoy his own Thoughts and keep them from such as are not capable to receive them This was the Notion of the Philosophers who distinguished between the Truths that were fit to be communicated to those without and to those that were prepared They would not cast their Pearls before Swine But Thirdly Serious and considerate Persons * such as are real and sincere in their Religion do not greatly differ to wit not in those things wherein the Honour of God or the Safety of Mens Souls are concerned for these are the substantial things in Religion neither do they see that that follows which one that doth dissent from them doth infer to the Prejudice of either Yea they are so far from admitting any such Consequence that they will much rather renounce their Opinion than hold any thing that is either prejudicial to God's Honour or the Safety of Mens Souls This I dare undertake is really true of all that are sincere and hearty in their Profession of Religion And therefore to these there is due Patience and Charity I am much of his Mind that did thus apologize for those that did dissent tho' they were in an Error They do not err in their Affection to God Religion and Goodness tho' perhaps they are mistaken in their Choice But then 't is far better for Men to have some Mistakes in their way than to be devoid of Religion 'T is better for Men to be in some Mistakes about Religion than wholly to neglect it These very things argue that the Persons are awake and are in search after Truth even there where they have not attained to it Fourthly Whatever private Apprehensions are in other Matters wise and good Men do observe the Measures of Peace and Order in foro externo For they go by this Rule that Peace and Good-will among Men is of greater consequence than any private Apprehension Therefore wise and good Men do so moderate themselves that they will observe the Rules of Peace and Order Zeal in defence of Truth Conscience in observation thereof are high Titles Things of great Name But greatest Mischief follows when Passion and Interest are so cloath'd The Priests and Pharisees were our Saviour's Accusers The Zealots were the Destruction of the City and Temple as
our Author has appear'd so signally Whatsoever says he some have said Man's Nature is not so untoward a Thing unless it be abused but that there is a secret Sympathy in Human Nature with Vertue and Honesty which gives a Man an Interest even in bad Men. God in infinite Wisdom has so contrived that if an Intellectual Being sink it self into Sensuality or any way defile and pollute it self then Miseries and Torments should befall it in this State VERTUE and VICE says he are the Foundations of Peace and Happiness or Sorrow and Misery There is inherent Punishment belonging to all Vice and no Power can divide or separate them For tho' God should not in a positive Way inflict Punishment or any Instrument of God punish a Sinner yet he would punish Himself his Misery and Unhappiness would arise from Himself Thus speaks our excellent Divine and truly Christian Philosopher whom for his appearing thus in Defence of Natural Goodness we may call the Preacher of Good-nature This is what he insists on every-where and to make this evident is in a Manner the Scope of all his Discourses And in conclusion of all this 't is hop'd that what has been here suggested may be sufficient to justifie the Printing of these Sermons As for our Author himself what his Life was how great an Example of that happy Temper and God-like Disposition which he labour'd to inspire how much he was for the Excellency of his Life and admirable Temper esteem'd and belov'd of all and even in the worst of Times when Feuds and Animosities on the Account of Religion were highest during the Time of the late great Troubles how his Character and Behaviour drew to him the Respect of all Parties so as to make him be remarkably distinguished how much in Esteem he was with the greatest Men and how many constant Hearers he had of the best Rank and greatest Note even of the most eminent Divines themselves this is sufficiently known And the Testimony which the late Arch-bishop Tillotson has given of him tho' it be in a Funeral Sermon is known to be in nothing superiour to his Desert The Sermons whieh are here Printed have been selected out of Numbers of others less perfect there being not any of our Author 's extant but such as were written after him at Church He having used no other than very short Notes not very legible Tho' these have been of great Use to the Publisher in whose Hands they have been The unpolish'd Style and Phrase of our Author who drew more from a College than a Court and who was more used to School-Learning and the Language of an University than to the Conversation of the fashionable World may possibly but ill recommend his Sense to the Generality of Readers And since none of these Discourses were ever design'd for the World in any other Manner than as he once for all pronounc'd them from the Pulpit they must of Necessity appear to have a Roughness in them which is not found in other Sermons more accurately penn'd by their Authors For tho' the Publisher has sometimes supplied him out of himself by transferring to a defective Place that which he found in some other Discourse where the same Subject was treated yet so great a Regard was had to the very Text and Letter of his Author that he would not offer to alter the least Word And wheresoever he has added any Thing to correct the most apparent Omission or Fault of the Pen-man he has taken Care to have it mark'd in different Characters That nothing might appear as our Author 's own which was not perfectly His. Tho' some others in the World have been very far from this Caution Since of late some things have been set out in our Author's Name which his best Friends disown to be his and which any one who studies him in his Genuine Works will easily know to be unworthy of him And now when these Disadvantages which have been mentioned are considered since they are no more than what sensible People will easily make Allowance for 't is presum'd there may be in the World some Persons who will notwithstanding think these Sermons to be of Worth and may perhaps discover in them some peculiar Beauties such as are not to be despised for want of that Ornament which might have accompany'd them I know that there are now growing up in the World too many who are prejudic'd against all Pulpit-Discourses and who in this prophane Age are led to think not only the Institution of Preaching but even the Gospel it self and our Holy Religion to be a Fraud But notwithstanding all the Prejudice of this kind 't is to be hop'd that even some of these Persons if they have any Candour left may be induced to applaud some Things that they may meet with here So as from hence perhaps to like Christianity the better This we may with Assurance say that were there besides ours any Religion Ancient or Modern that had so Divine a Man as this to shew these very Men would admire and reverence him and tho' a Priest of that Religion and bound to comply with establish'd Superstition would praise his Vertue and perhaps be the forwardest to extol his Sentences and Works in Opposition to our Sacred Religion But this is hard that even Heathen Religion and Paganism can be more mildly treated and cause less Aversion than Christianity To such Men as these I can say nothing further But if they who are thus set against Christianity cannot be won over by any Thing that they may find here yet we may assure our selves at least of this good Effect from hence that the excellent Spirit which is shewn here and that Vein of Goodness and Humanity which appears throughout these Discourses will make such as are already Christians to prize and value Christianity the more And the Fairness Ingenuity and Impartiality which they may learn from hence will be a Security to them against the contrary Temper of those other irreconcileable Enemies to our Holy Faith NOTE THAT whatever has been added by way of Suppliment to any defective Place whether it be one single Word or Particle is mark'd in different Characters with this Mark * prefix'd The Sermons are divided into Two Parts In the First Part the Foundations of Natural and Reveal'd Religion are laid and Christianity proved These being Sermons which properly succeed one another in this Order and were thus preach'd The Second Part contains several Sermons preach'd at several Times without Relation one to another on different Subjects of Religion and Morality ERRATA PAge 53. line 14. read sets us at p. 61. l. 10. r. Spiritual p. 92. l. 29. r. all but. p. 196. l. 13. r. Wariness p. 211. l. 14. r. hard p. 226. in the Margin r. John 18. p. 247. l. 21. r. Temper p. 271. l. 18. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 278. l. 19. r. Sheepishness p. 324. l. 4. r. disable p. 325. in
of Man when he was Apostatized from the Truth of first Inscription The former of these is of things necessary in themselves in their Nature and Quality so immutable and indispensible The latter is the voluntary Results and Determinations of the Divine Will Things that are of an immutable and indispensible Nature we have Knowledge of them by the Light of first Impression The voluntary Results of the Divine Will we have by Revelation from God Man's Observance of God in all Instances of Morality these are Truths of first Inscription and these have a deeper Foundation greater Ground for them than that God gave the Law on Mount Sinai or that he did after ingrave it on Tables of Stone or that we find the Ten Commandments in the Bible For God made Man to them and did write them upon the Heart of Man before he did declare them upon Mount Sinai before he ingraved them upon the Tables of Stone or before they were writ in our Bibles God made Man to them and wrought his Law upon Mens Hearts and as it were interwove it into the Principles of our Reason and the things thereof are the very Sence of Man's Soul and the Image of his Mind So that a Man doth undo his own Being departs from himself and unmakes himself confounds his own Principles when he is disobedient and unconformable to them and must necessarily be self-condemn'd The Law externally given was to revive awaken Man after his Apostacy and Sin and to call him to Remembrance Advertency and Consideration And indeed had there not been a Law written in the Heart of Man a Law without him could be to no Purpose For had we not Principles that are Concreated did we not know something no Man could prove any thing * For he that knows nothing grants nothing Whosoever finds not within himself Principles sutable to the Moral Law whence with Choice he doth comply with it he hath departed from himself and lost the natural Perfection of his Being And to be conformable to this is the Restitution to his State Things of Natural Knowledge or of first Inscription in the Heart of Man by God these are known to be true as soon as ever they are proposed And he hath abused himself and forc'd himself from his Nature and deformed the Creation of God in him whosoever doth not take Acquaintance with subscribe to make acknowledgement of these great Things The great Principles of Reverence of Deity Of Sobriety in the Government of a Man 's own Person Moderate use of the Pleasures and Contentments of this Life The great Instances of Righteousness and Justice in Mens Transactions one with another For they are Connatural to Man Then for Truth of Gospel-Revelation that speaks for it self recommends it self and shews it self to be of God In this Case we may say as the Samaritans to the Woman They were brought to take Cognizance of our Saviour by the credible Report of the Woman But after they had had converse with him Now say they we believe in him not for thy Words but we credited thee so far forth as to come and see him but because we have seen and heard Such are the Declarations of Faith in God by Jesus Christ of Remission of Sins of God's accepting of Sinners upon Repentance that any Man that is awake to any true Apprehensions of God he will readily believe them and embrace them when they are declared to him by any Instrument The great Things of Reveal'd Truth tho' they be not of Reason's Invention yet they are of the prepar'd Mind readily entertain'd and receiv'd As for Instance Remission of Sins to them that repent and deprecate God's Displeasure it is the most credible Thing in the World For God made us Creatures fallible at the best Now here is finite and fallible failing and miscarrying repenting and reforming upon a Declaration from God So false is it that the Matter of our Faith is unaccountable or that there is any thing unreasonable in Religion that there is no such Matter of Credit in the World as the Matters of Faith nothing more intelligible It was a Mystery before God in Christ reconciling the World Now all the World is taken into a Possibility of receiving Benefits hereby Tho' there be nothing of Merit on the Creature 's side nothing that we can do that can deserve yet it is a Matter of very fair Belief that the Original of all Beings the Father of all our Spirits the Fountain of all Good will one way or other pardon Sin and do what behoves him for the Recovery of his laps'd Creation And any probable Narration made in the Name of God of the Way and Means and the particular Circumstances whereby God will do it will fairly induce Belief with sober serious and considerate Minds And what have we to do with others upon the Account of Religion If they be not serious and considerate they are not in a Disposition towards Religion That Promise of the Seed of the Woman breaking the Serpent's Head God hath been speaking this out further and further by his various Revelations in the several Successions of Time He has represented it in divers Shapes But now we have it expounded For the Seed of the Woman is God manifested in the Flesh And breaking the Serpent's Head is destroying the Work of the Devil The Anti-type doth exactly answer the Variety of the Types All foretold of our Saviour was fulfill'd in him We have many things in prophane Stories in several Ages that give Testimony and Light to Parts of Reveal'd Truth Many of their Stories are in Imitation of Scripture History As Nisus's Hair in Imitation of Sampson's Deucalion's Floud in Imitation of Noah's Hercules in Imitation of Joshua c. Many of the Heathens that were not corrupted by Education or Interest or the Strain of the Time do relate many things that are consistent with those that are in the Bible St. Austin tells us he found the Beginning of the First Chapter of St. John's Gospel among the Platonists Eusebius read in the Commentaries of the Heathens those Circumstances and Matters of Fact that the Evangelists do mention and also the Signs at our Saviour's Crucifying as the Eclipse of the Sun and an Earthquake and other Accidents Tertullian speaks of sundry things which Pilate writ to Tiberius sutable to what the Evangelists relate concerning our Saviour Yea Mahomet himself who is the last great Impostor doth mention the Souldiers apprehending our Saviour with an Intention to put him to Death Acknowledging him to be a great Prophet but he tells us when those Souldiers were stricken down God took him away and they lighted upon another something like him and crucify'd him Plutarch an Eminent Author gives us an Account of Pan the great Daemon of the Heathens who was heard greatly to complain that a Hebrew Child was born and they never heard him after all the Oracles then ceasing Porphiry tho' of no great Credit
says that after one whom they called Jesus came to be worshipp'd they never could receive any more Benefits by any of their Gods One of the Roman Emperors was so possess'd with what was related concerning a Kingly Race among the Jews and was so startled with the Credibleness of the Report that he set himself to destroy all of the Family Publius Lentulus gives the Senate an Account that he saw himself and was an Eye-witness of the Man Jesus among the Jews who cured all Diseases and raised from the Dead Insomuch that Tertullian bids the Heathen Emperor search their Records For your own Kalender * says he recites the Things that are done by our Saviour This in the Days of Julian who was turn'd off by the Feuds and Exasperations by the Factions and Divisions among those that were call'd Christians Insomuch that he hated Christianity but otherwise a Man of eminent Justice and Good to the Common-wealth One who was a Philosopher gives an Account of the Christian Religion The Christian Religion says he consisting in Spiritual Worship and Devotion to God Purity of Mind holy and unblameable Conversation of all things that are call'd Religion it is the most Entire most Pure but only mightily hurt by some who have fill'd it with superstitious Things So that we may resolve that the Difficulty of Faith arises from the wicked State of the Subject rather than from the Incredibility of the Object It is hard to act otherwise than the State from within doth dispose a Man It is not imaginable that any Man can believe contrary to the Life he lives in When he lives in the State of eternal Death to believe eternal Life Or to believe the Pardon of Sin when he lives in it and slights the Sin he lives in For our Saviour says You cannot believe because of your wicked Hearts It cannot stand together To live in Sin and to look for Pardon of Sin For God doth not give to any one that is impenitent the Power of Faith Be not conform'd to this wicked World but be ye transform'd by the renewing of your Mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable Will of God Intimating that if a Man lead a wicked and ungodly Life if a Man in respect of State Complexion and Constitution of Soul be in Contradiction to the Principles of Religion the Principles of God's Creation he cannot prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God They that were in a Religious Disposition did readily believe and entertain our Saviour and acknowledge him to be the Messiah that was promis'd of old But those that were perfectly obstinate in the Pharisaick Disposition they rejected him And this is clearly true that Men cannot believe while they live in Sin and are in Impenitency and are under the Commands of their Lusts. For we find that an ingenuous Mind and one that is a true Penitent he doth with more Difficulty forgive himself than God doth He that is truly affected and cordially turns to God he is truly sensible of the Deformity and Impurity of Sin Though Repentance give Heart's Ease and Satisfaction and tend to the Quiet of his Mind yet he doth more hardly excuse himself than God doth But a Man that is wedded to the World that is under the Power of his Lusts that applauds and magnifies himself in Self-will is given up to the Affectation Arrogancy and Self-assuming how can this Man give himself Satisfaction concerning Pardon of Sin when he is in a contrary Spirit in a contrary Disposition He cannot believe that God will pardon Sin because he himself doth not pardon any other Offender God's Goodness well consider'd speaks him to be propitious and inclinable to Compassion But Impenitency speaks a Man's Incapacity of being pardon'd This is the Sum. All Divine Truth is of one of these two Emanations Either it flows from God in the first Instant and Moment of God's Creation and then it is the Light of that Candle which God set up in Man to light him and that which by this Light he may discover are all the Instances of Morality of good Affection and Submission towards God the Instances of Justice and Righteousness of Men and Temperance to himself Or else it is of an after Revelation and Discovery Man being out of the Way of his Creation by his Defection from God is recover'd by this Revelation Upon this Consideration that Man was never better than finite and fallible and considering that we have given an Offence and * considering the Relation that God stands in to his Creatures and that he is the first and chiefest Goodness it is * what may be fairly supposed that God will recover his Creation one way or other Wherefore that which the New Testament doth discover is that which was in general Expectation Now the Terms of the new Covenant are possible to Sinners They are Just and Fit Reasonable and Equal They are to us who are departed from Truth Restorative They are satisfactory to our Mind and quieting to our Conscience For if I have offended against the Rule of Right I ought to repent of it confess it be sorry for it and do my endeavour to commit it no more And there is Reason to think that God can pardon For every ones Right is in his own Power Every one doth dispose of his Right in that way which he will Since therefore it is God's Right upon the Failure of Obedience to reduce the Creature by Punishment it is in his Power to abate of Punishment if he pleases or to remit it And it is most reasonable to think that God should be allow'd to do this in what way he would Therefore we conclude that all the Instances of Christian Doctrine either they are fairly knowable if we use our Faculties and Understanding * and these are the great Instances of Morality and Principles of Reason or else if we do consider those Things that are considerable in the Case the Things of Reveal'd Truth are of fair and easie Belief The former of these the great Principles of Reason they are * by awakened Minds easily and readily found out The latter are * by prepar'd Minds fairly admitted and entertained This I say against the Atheism of the prophane World and those that do affect to be Infidels because they pretend they have not the Assurance of former Times * nor of powerful Miracles I will now instance in those Assurances that we have to settle us in the Entertainment of Divine Truth And they are these Five I. They are concurrent with the Sence of the Heathens and Strangers who do agree with us in all the Instances of Morality in these we cannot speak beyond them they speak and act so as to shame us For how many of us do act below them in these Particulars and as to many Things of the New Testament concerning Christ we have great Testimony from them as was shew'd II. The Representation
Constitution in the State of Innocency And for Reveal'd Truth that fits and supplies Man in his lapsed State Every Man that knows his State feels want in himself of Health and Strength And Reveal'd Truth is that which doth supply this Want And is that which he would have wish'd for from God In this he hath Terms proposed to him of Pardon and Reconciliation upon Repentance and returning to God Never did Patient and Physician meet more happily Disease and Physick than Man in a lapsed Condition and the Proposals that are through the Grace of God in the Gospel In the one there is Man full of Misery in the other the Grace of God for Mercy and Forgiveness Man's Language in that State is O wretched Man who shall deliver me from this Body of Death The Grace of the Gospel puts these Words into his Mouth I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord that he hath deliver'd me And he is bid to have no evil Heart of unbelief There is a State of Guilt on the one side a State of Justification on the other A State of Sin and a State of Holiness Fear of eternal Death And a Promise of eternal Life So that the Grace of the Gospel is fitted to Man in his lapsed State and Condition in order to his Restoration and Recovery The fifth and last Argument is the Agency of the Divine Spirit in pursuance of what God hath done in the Way of Divine Truth For God sends not his Truth into the World alone But having done one thing will also do another to make the former effectual Now they that have not the Divine Spirit want the great Commentator upon Divine Truth in the World And therefore let such Men look after it For this is a great and a certain Truth that God in his Grace and Goodness will give his Spirit to guide and teach and assure the Minds of good Men Tho' none know it but those that feel him But they who have the Spirit of God know nothing more certain For they have Satisfaction and inward Peace and Joy in believing They perceive such Operations of God in themselves whereof the World cannot receive any Account The Divine Spirit doth open their Understandings as it did the Apostles brings Things to their Remembrance mekes them consider the Inwards of Things and calls them to Advertency and Consideration The great Work of the Divine Spirit is to lead Men into right Apprehensions and stay a Man's Thoughts in Consideration till the Principles do receive Admittance and become a Temper and Constitution till they infuse and instil themselves and make a lasting Impression Tho' for my part I do believe that the Scripture is clear and full of Light as to all Matters of Conscience as to all Rules of Life as to all necessary Matters of Faith So that any well-minded Man that takes up the Bible and reads may come to Understanding and Satisfaction And hence it is that we have Sufficiency from God to preserve us from Cheats of all sorts So that a well-minded Man that hath this Instrument of God need not be mistaken in any necessary Matters of Faith For the Bible is sufficient and intelligible in the Way of Religion and for all the Purposes thereof as any other Book for the Learning of any other Art or Science And upon this Account God hath done that which will justifie him and at our Peril be it if we be found ignorant or have been deceived For we needed not ever have been ignorant or mistaken in any thing that is vital in Religion and to this Purpose there is also the Divine Spirit still to attend upon this Instrument of God So that they who do acknowledge God and pray unto him for his Help and Assistance have the Advantage of being taught by the Spirit and by Means thereof are in a sure Way of Knowledge with the consequent Effects of Holiness and Goodness By these Five Arguments a Man may be resolved against the Atheism Infidelity and Prophaneness of the World And from this Discourse about which I have been long I do infer That Atheism and Infidelity are the most unaccountable Things in the World and inexcusable The Athiest must be every where self-condemned And the Infidel within the Pale of the Church There is nothing that God hath done more in any way whatsoever than he hath done for the Security of Men against Atheism For I dare say if any Man do but think and use Reason he may know all Natural Truth And what can a Man do less How is he a Man if he do not either of these Doth any Man know any thing but by Thinking and Considering Yea perhaps this is all that we pretend to For we are born to nothing else All Habits and Dispositions all actual Knowledge is our own Acquisition with respect to the Grace of God No Man is born to any actual Knowledge in the World or to speak a Word or understand a Notion But all Habits and Dispositions are acquired And therefore an Atheist shall be self-condemned as one that never used his Reason nor so much as exercised his own Thoughts And for the Infidel within the Pale of the Church If he will but search and consider he may find that which will beget Faith and Belief And therefore the Athiest and the Infidel are the most unaccountable and unexcusable Persons in the World For they have done nothing themselves They have not so much as thought or consider'd they have not seen with their own Eyes If a Man living in the World or in the Church be either an Atheist or an Infidel he hath been an idle Person in the World and a Sluggard His Understanding hath received no Culture or Care he hath made no Improvement of himself nor done any thing worthy of a Man SERMON II. ROMANS I. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ For it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek I Have declared several Assurances we have of Divine Truth Natural and Reveal'd in Scripture against Atheists Infidels and the Prophane As 1. The great Acknowledgement it hath met with in the several Ages of the World 2. The Representation that is hereby made of God * which is agreeable to what Man is made to know The Proposals made to us by God the Invitations made by him the Prohibitions Commands and Promises all these testifie of God and declare worthily concerning him 3. The ingenuous Effects and Operations of Divine Truth upon Mens Spirits and in their Lives 4. The Suitableness of Natural Truth to Man in his State of Institution and of Reveal'd Truth to Man in his lapsed State in order to his Restitution and Recovery 5. The Agency of the Divine Spirit in pursuance Now if * this be so we may concur in Sence and Resolution with the Apostle I am not ashamed of the Gospel c. I
Juice or Glebe of Earth should produce such Variety of Colours We say in Natural Philosophy we know not the Modes of any thing No Man knoweth the Mode how his Soul and Body are united How the several Particles of Matter meet We are puzzled to know what Motion is We can give no Account of these Things Now there being an Amplitude and Fulness of Being in God he is the more intelligible He hath all Being perfectly in him He is therefore more knowable than Creatures that are of limited confin'd narrow Beings The divided separated scatter'd Perfections of the whole Creation are united in God and with that Advance and Improvement extended to infinite Perfection 2 dly The Ways of our knowing do more truly hold of God than of any thing else * There are two Ways of coming to the Knowledge of Things The Way of Perfection and the Way of Negation By these two Ways we come to a more full Knowledge 1. In the Way of Perfection we cannot exceed we need not fear to add to much If you speak of Man's Soul you may say too much But speaking of God you cannot transcend Divine Existence in the Enumeration of any Perfections If we would express a Notion of our Maker we should employ our Mind and Understanding to find out what is best and what is most perfect and then attribute and ascribe it to God And this is the best Way to come to the Knowledge of God 2. In the Way of Negation we are also certain For we cannot remove Imperfection Contraction Limitation far enough from him Therefore we say that Words and Phrases are all to be purg'd and purified from their Contraction and Limitation before we can ascribe them to God Therefore where in Scripture God is represented by the Eyes or other Parts of our Body we must not understand these things formally but in a Way of Perfection So that our Ways of knowing do more truly hold of God than of any thing else For in the Way of adding Perfection we cannot do too much And in the Way of Limitation we cannot take away too much 3 dly Our Relation to God We stand nearer related to God than we do to any thing in the World Our Souls and Bodies are not nearer related than our Souls to God God is more inward to us than our very Souls In him we live move and have our Being God is nearer to us than what is most our selves Also it is the natural and proper Employment of Mind and Understanding to make Search and Enquiry after God The wise Man says God is known by the Fitness and Proportion of one thing to another Mind and Understanding in Man is given on purpose that Man should search after God and acknowledge him So that there is a greater Propriety of Man's Rational Faculties to God than there is of his Eye to Light or his Ear to Sound And it is of greater Deformity for a Man to be void of Sence of Deity than for any Man to be blind so as not to see 4 thly Our Dependance upon God his Conservation of us and his Co-operation with us this leads us to know him Universal and general Causes have ready Acknowledgment Because to them so many things are beholding Aristotle well observes the Sun which is the universal Cause doth concur with every particular Cause to every Production So the Psalmist Nothing is hid from the Heat of it For tho' the Earth be not perceptive of the Light of the Sun because of its Grossness and Opacity yet it hath the Vertue of it So God is acknowledg'd God's concerning himself in our Affairs and our Dependance upon him hath a kind of Universal Acknowledgment Take any Man of any Sobriety of Mind if he relate any thing that befals him he will interpose as God would have it If he escape any Danger he will say as God put it into my Mind and give God the chief Place Thus in several Cases As in Distress O God! our Undertakings in the Name of God Our Protestations in the Presence of God Tho these in the Mouths of many be but Words of course spoken without inward Sence of God in the Mind yet the Custom of them proceeds from a good Original They carry Reason in them and shew Nature's Sence What is without Ground is not of any long Continuance But these meet with no Reproof gain Credit give Assurance find Acceptance and become Religious Persons when us'd in weighty Cases and with serious Minds and due Intention Since therefore there is such a Dependance of our Souls upon God it is impossible but that we should know him They who are in any degree Spiritual or Intelectual and are not altogether sunk down into a brutish Spirit and sensual Affection find and feel within themselves Divine Suggestions Motions and Inspirations Any Man that hath obtain'd any Degree of the Perfection of Reason that doth follow the Divine Governour of Man's Life Reason he doth find that there are Suggestions and Inspirations and that many times when he was resolv'd another way there comes a Light into his Mind a still Voice he hears and he is better directed Except the Atheistical and Prophane and those that are Diabolical all others feel God in his Motions and Suggestions Thus is God most knowable of any thing in the World Here you have an Account of the Use of Reason in Matters of Religion The Natural Knowledge of God And the Knowledge of the Revelation of his Will The Natural Knowledge of God that is the very Issue Effect and Product of Reason Revelation is the other part of Religion And Reason is the Recipient What doth God give his Commands to or his Councels but to the intelligent Agent and the Reason of Man So that Reason hath great place in Religion For Reason is the Recipient of whatsoever God declares And those things that are according to the Nature of God the Reason of Man can discover It is either the Efficient or the Recipient of all that is call'd Religion of all that is communicated from God to Man The Natural Knowledge of God is the Product of Reason The Resolutions of his Will for our further Direction are proposed and communicated to Reason and * in both these ways we are taught of God In the former we are made to know And in the latter we are call'd to be made Partakers of God's Councel By the former we know what God is his Nature that he is By the latter what God would have us to do So here you see the Use of Mind and Understanding in the Way of Religion God teaches us in his Creation in giving us such Faculties he teaches us further in the Resolution of his Will because he satisfies us in what he doth impose upon us Therefore the Use of Reason in Matters of Religion is so far from doing any Harm to Religion that it is the proper Preparatory for Men to look out to God
is Darkness Confusion and inward Torture All proves contrary to God's Design Justin in his History reports concerning the ancient Scythians That they had neither Houses nor Enclosure of Ground yet Justice had Honour among them not from Positive Laws but the GOOD NATURE of the People A thing to be admired that Nature should bestow that on the Scythians which the Grecians long instructed by Precepts of Philosophers had not attain'd that formed Manners should be transcended by uneducated Barbarity Hence it appears that the Condition of Humane Nature is not so very rude as some report since so much is found in the uncivilized parts of the World Nature is Sovereign to them that use it well in respect of that Modesty and Averseness to that which is not fair and handsom till Men pervert and abuse Nature's Temper by ill Use Custom and Practice Goodness and Vertue are more suitable to Nature's Sence than Wickedness and Vice Vice is contrary to the Nature of Man because contrary to the Order of Reason which is Man's highest Perfection Vice is grievous to Nature witness Irreverence to Deity Intemperance Fury and Cruelty every one feels it so in himself and judges so in others Man forces himself at first before he can at all satisfie himself in any of these In this Sense I understand Heb. 10. 16. I will put my Laws into their Hearts I will write them in their Minds * This is to be understood in respect of Spiritual Precepts founded in Reason and in the Law of the Creation concerning which we need not that one should teach another as in the carnal Institutions of the Law which being foreign to Nature and so many we have need to ask what next what in such a case Men may work themselves out of Nature's Sence out of Judgment of Truth by ill Use Custom and Practice They will not long continue to think * well after once they are come to affect and to do otherwise These two in Conjunction viz. the Affection of the Mind and Practice will bear up with too great a force against Judgment alone Wherefore unless Persons love Goodness and live well we have no hold of them tho' now they seem to think and speak well See the case of Hasael his present Sence and Words Am I a Dog c. but he did so Single Judgment and Understanding will not long hold out against habitual Inclination and Disposition Men unduly practice upon their own Judgments that they may not be disturbed and disquieted in pursuit of their Lusts but if Judgment be once corrupted there is nothing left to make any resistance Evil comes on a main Men go on with full sail Hence Men are Shipwrackt in their Fortunes within themselves broken and come to naught Wherefore in the state of Religion Two things are indispensibly necessary indivisible inseparable Care that Judgment be informed by Truth * and that Heart and Life be reformed by Tincture of it and by Practice And this is Religion PROFESSING THEMSELVES WISE THEY BECOME FOOLS This is said of Persons out of the way of true Reason and Religion These Words may be considered absolutely or in relation to their Conjunction with words which go before or follow after In the former way they afford this Observation That these that think themselves wise are least so for they know not themselves to fail in many things It is the Direction of Wisdom to acknowledge God in all thy ways and not to lean to thy own Understanding For he who trusteth to his own Heart is a Fool. SELF-CONCEIT intoxicates Men and makes them neglective of the Means of Knowledge They who are conceited are Self-Flatterers and towards others Importune grievous troublesom Whosoever falls into the hands of a Self-conceited Person who always is a Dictator and an Imposer upon others to him the Beauty and Excellency of the Divine Vertues Modesty and Sobriety are abundantly testified and recommended The Conceited have lightly considered the Uncertainty of things Variety of Temptations the Representations which are made to Man and our Disparity and Insufficiency to act or determine wisely in several Occasions of Life These are full of themselves but indeed are empty and shallow He knows not himself who thinks himself able enough for his own defence Wise enough to direct himself or who is Good enough to his own Satisfaction The Words taken in a Conjunction with what follows afford this Observation That it is not the Wisdom of Men but their Headiness Presumption and Folly to do in Religion without Reason or otherwise than as they have Direction from God There is no grosser Folly in the World no greater Wrong to one's self than upon account of Religion to come under Obligation to any thing in point of Judgment and Conscience which is not materially true as verified in Reason or Scripture All such is the Persons Superstition which tho' it be not imputed as a Crime to the Person who means well yet is not a Foundation of reward Builders with Hay Stubble suffer loss so far forth tho' themselves stand on the Foundation Man enslaves himself parts with his Liberty which is a dear and choice thing * when he subjects himself to that which made him not to that which is not soveraign to him as Reason is which is his natural Perfection his Home-informer and Monitor within his Breast neither is restorative to him in his Lapsed State as the Principles of Religion are He lays stress upon that which will bear no weight therefore will deceive him As the Superstitious imagines so things are to him but things attain not Effects according to our Fancies but their own Existencies and what they are in Truth and Vertue This other where is accounted Weakness * and Shallowness Nothing betrays Men more than lying Refuges and false Confidencies Religion is that which attains real Effects worthy what we mean by Religion viz. it makes Men humble not conceited Mild gentle not revengeful Good-natured not all for Self Loving not hard-hearted Kind not harsh or cruel Patient not furious not wrathful Courteous affable and sociable not morose soure or dogged Governable not turbulent ready to forgive not implacable favourable in making best Interpretations fair Constructions of Words and Actions not making Men Offenders for a Word ready to commiserate tender-hearted like the Samaritan not as the Jews who would not converse with them If this be in Men then shall the World be sensible of the Good of Religion and find themselves the better for it Lastly let us not run on in a Mistake We see how the Apostle goes on He begins at the Gospel of Christ See how he pursues it He treats of * the Natural Knowledge of God and Fatal Issue of ineffectual Entertainment of it They do preach Christ tho' they do not name him in every Sentence or Period who contend for all Effects of real Goodness and decry Wickedness For
To forgive Injuries and to lay aside all thoughts of Revenge This I represent to you as LOVELY This is contrary to the common Guise of the World for the World doth account it Dulness and Sâ—eepishness to suffer Wrong and for a Man not to do himself Right To do Good for Evil. Not one Man of a hundred thinks he is bound to it For no Humane Law requires it and it is generally thought to be just to return the like to every Man and the Rule of our Saviour's resist not Evil is not reckon'd a Precept but a Counsel and so above Usage Custom and Practice To have Patience invincible in case of Provocation For this is commonly alledged and it is thought a good Justification of a Man if a Man have transgress'd never so much that he was provoked Why did he provoke me And Men think this a sufficient Account Not to give way to Jealousie Suspicion or evil Surmise in Case of Doubtfulness or Uncertainty of another's Meaning in such or such an Action The Rule of Policy is if any thing be doubtful always to suspect the worst But it is the Height of Religion to imagine the best and to make a good Construction It is noble and generous to make a candid Construction where Words and Actions incline to the contrary For this may change the Quality of the Action and oblige the Party And this is a noble Way of overcoming a Man To overbear our Resentment of an injurious Action by the Recollection of former Acts of Kindness and Courtesie It is extream to make an old Friend an Enemy for one Mistake and Miscarriage But this is ordinary For if once he fail if once he deny then you account him an Enemy and account him false And then Never trust him that is false Never trust a false Friend So he is concluded This is hard Measure for a Man to wipe out the Sense of many antecedent Favours and various Expressions of Faithfulness because through some Unhappiness the Person hath been mistaken and hath done an Injury in the Case A Man should rather think in this Case that the Injury now done was occasional and accidental not intentional Because of the former good Offices Many think themselves disobliged for abundance of Favours because of one mistake of latter date Now this is Lovely to let every Man with whom we have to do have this Advantage Let the Experience we have had of his Fidelity and Faithfulness and many good Offices be so minded as to overbear one Failing of latter Date Suppose it was an ill Office a real Injury let him have the Advantage of all his former * Acts of Friendship And let these be consider'd to overbear the Sense of his last Failure or Miscarriage To be meek calm and gentle in the Hands of fierce furious and violent Spirits In one way or other all Men are good for some Purpose Now it is highly Christian yea also Prudent in Converse to draw every one forth according to his better part and to help him to bear that that is his Burden For this is the Rule Bear ye one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ. It is even Devilish to provoke a passionate Man If you make Application to a Man at least observe his Temper If he be under the Power of his Complexion he is not fit to be applied to and must be forborn at that time Therefore observe to take him in his good Humour For he is burden'd by his Temper and Constitution and thou art free To be of a pacifying peace-making reconciling Spirit To be of a tender Disposition ready to compassionate and help Men in Misery This was a foul Miscarriage in Job's Friends tho' otherwise good and worthy Men Yet out of a mistaken Zeal they lay heavy upon him And while they thought they had the Cause of God to justifie they gave hard Measure to their Friend To be ready to hinder other Mens Sins and Harms To rejoyce in God's Goodness to others where we have no share nor are our selves concern'd To be a Friend to Goodness Vertue Sobriety Temperance Righteousness where the contrary is in use and applauded To be a Friend upon all Occasions to Vertue upon its own Account To be communicative of Knowledge ready to instruct the Ignorant lead the Weak guide the Feeble in Ways of Religion To keep the Mind immoveable so far as may be and undisturb'd by the casual Contingencies of Life I mean the Things without us and that are not in our Power Now in all Reason these Things should not over-bear us over which we have no Power It is becoming the noble Soul of Man to be above the World loose to the World and independant on it Not to be beholding to the World for its Welfare nor to fear it for its Ill-fare A Man is not to seek himself without himself But how many lose themselves in the World and become Slaves and Drudges Some there are that feed the Beast the luscious Appetite Others there are that follow the childish Part in themselves Their full and adequate Employment is the Business of the Body * Such have no free Enjoyment of themselves And in the last Place To be moderate in Power Humble in Prosperity Modest with great Parts and Gifts for the Apostle tells us Knowledge is apt to puff Men up These Cases I have represented to you wherein if you reach these Rules and comply with these Notions you do that that is truly Noble Generous Honourable that that is in Resemblance and Imitation of God and that doth tend to advance the State of Human Affairs And this is to do that that is LOVELY But you will say If this be a Reality in what way is it attainable Therefore I will propose something in Respect of God between God and us viz. a serious Consideration of what God doth for the Universe Consider the Action of excellent Agents And their Action is the Way to affect our Minds No Force reacheth the Mind of Man No Man's Mind is changed or better'd but by his own particular Consideration If therefore you will bring your selves to this Temper to do Things that are Lovely in the first place consider what God is and what his Actings and Dealings with his Creatures are And if we propose to our selves what God doth in the World and how he carrieth it in his Family this Consideration will promote in us this Disposition and Temper For He is the Universal Father It is He whose Family the whole World is It is He that doth maintain the Universe and doth settle and establish the Order and Government of Things And certainly we cannot write after a better Copy It is the Definition of Religion in us Divine Imitation Godliness is God-likeness Now see what God doth He is universally Good He maketh the Sun to shine without Difference or Distinction on the Righteous and the Unrighteous He maketh his Rain
Nature and Nativity from above For whosoever professes that he believes the Truth of these things and wants the Operation of them upon his Spirit and Life he doth in fact make void and frustrate what he doth declare as his Belief and so he doth receive the Grace of God in vain unless this Principle and Belief doth descend into his Heart and establish a good Frame and Temper of Mind and govern in all the Actions of his Life and Conversation RELIGION is not a particular Good only as Meat against Hunger or Drink against Thirst or Cloaths against Cold but it is Universally Good a Good without Limitation or Restraint * For Holiness and Purity of Mind is the self same thing to the Mind that Health and Strength is to the Body It is good * also in point of Satisfaction to the Judgment For no Man that useth Reason can otherwise sit down contented unless he be in Reconciliation with God unless there be fair Terms between God and him It is good * also upon the account of Peace and Settlement of Conscience upon which the greatest Good of Man doth depend for want of which nothing without him can make any Compensation Now to shew it in Particulars RELIGION which is in substance our Imitation of God in his Moral Perfections and Excellency of Goodness Righteousness and Truth * is that wherein our Happiness doth consist And we then relish the truest Pleasure and Satisfaction when we find * our selves reconciled to God by Participation of his Nature They who have not * this Sence of God may have a Religion to talk of and profess * a Religion to give them a Denomination but they are not at all in the true State and Spirit of Religion nor have they any real Benefit by it nor are they any whit enabled by it nor have they the more Peace and Satisfaction from it But when our Minds are transformed by Religion then we feel at least at times strong and vigorous Inclinations towards God And with these Motions * our Minds are best pleas'd and satisfied because these are most suitable to Nature and the highest Use and Employment that Humane Nature is capable of Upon this account it is that there is more Pleasure and Satisfaction in Contemplation than in any of the Pleasures of Sense and that those Men that live a-part from the World and are taken up in Meditation and Contemplation their Pleasures are more intense and solid than those * of the Licentious and * of such as please themselves in all the Gratifications of Sense There is no Heart's-ease like to that which riseth from Sence of Reconciliation to God and walking in Ways of Righteousness For in these Ways Mens Hearts never check them nor occasion them any Disquiet For let the World say what they will to be challenged by the Reason of a Man's Mind goes nearer to a Man's Heart than the Censure of all the World besides To act contrary to the Reason of * one 's own Mind is to do a thing most unnatural and cruel it is to offer Violence to a Man's self and to act against a Man's truest Use and Interest For all manner of Wickedness is a Burthen to the Mind and every Man that doth amiss doth abuse himself For it is not possible for any Man to run away from himself or to forget what he hath done He must stand to the Bargain that he hath made and abide by the Choice that he hath taken And in the whole World there is nothing so grievous for a Man to think of as that when he did amiss and made a mad Choice he went against the Sense of his own Mind For in this Case he is not Heart-whole There is no Man who knows himself but knows what I now speak is true Tho' I know it is common in the World for Men to do against Reason and to live by Chance and not to pursue any true Intention or follow any worthy Design But as it happens and as Company and Occasion leads them so they act be it better or worse Not considering that what Matter of Disease is to the Body which many times is very grievous and so indisposes a Man as to put him quite out of Self-enjoyment * the same Is Malignancy in the Mind Guilt in the Conscience Nay I may say that These are much more troublesome and grievous to be born than any malignant Matter of Disease can be to the Body They make not true Judgment of Religion that take it to be a Limitation and Restraint upon Man's Liberty Yet some are so foolish as to think that if God would we might have lived as we list and have been released from those many Obligations that Religion seems to lay upon us Whereas this is as great a Lye as ever the Father of Lyes could invent For Religion is not a burthensome and troublesome Thing which if God had not commanded might have been forborn and all Things have been as well No There is nothing in real and true Religion that is of that Nature And this I dare defend against the whole World that there is no one thing in all that Religion which is of God's making that any sober Man in the true Use of his Reason would be released from tho' he might have it under the Seal of Heaven For such a Dispensation would be greatly to his Loss and Prejudice As much as if the Physician instead of giving wholsome Physick to his Patient should give Poyson For all Things in real Religion tend either to conserve or * restore the Soundness and Perfection of our Minds and to continue God's Creation in the true State of Liberty and Freedom So that if a Man did understand himself and were put to his Choice he would rather choose to part with the Health and Soundness of his Body than with the Purity and Integrity of his Mind For as much as the one is his far greater Concern And he had much better live with a distempered crazy Body than with a troubled disquiet Mind and guilty Conscience But * on this Subject I have many Things to say and therefore will digest them into Five Heads First Man by his Nature and Constitution as God made him at first being an intelligent Agent hath Sense of Good and Evil upon a Moral account All inferior Beings have Sense of Convenience or Inconvenience in a natural Way And * accordingly all inferior Creatures do chuse or refuse For you cannot get a meer Animal either to eat or drink that which is not good and agreeable to its Nature And whereas we call this Instinct it is most certain that in intelligent Agents this * other is INSTINCT at least And for this Reason Man is faulty when either he is found in a naughty Temper or any bad Practice For he hath Judgment and Power of Discerning He is made to know the Difference * of Things And he acts * as a mad Man that
mistaken and we acknowledge it and say we would not have done this or that if we had once thought or imagined as things are fallen out Therefore we must give Allowance when Men mistake There are sudden Apprehensions which should be allowed for Some are too quick and conceit before they have duly weighed and considered and 't is a hard matter to rectifie a Misconceit Job's Friends failed at first They were rash in their first Apprehensions and therefore they ran on in their Severity Censure and harsh Dealings till God interposed Therefore take heed of the first Stumble for 't is ominous or at best a good Step is lost He is a Person very ingenuous that upon shewing will vary from his first Thoughts for if once Men have taken up an ill Opinion 't is hard to satisfie them By reason of which many Men run on in an Error and pursue their first Fault These are Considerations that I offer for fair and equal Consideration one of another for mutual Patience and fair Allowance And these things never were but in this fixed Frame and Temper of Spirit recommended in the Text. * But now on the other hand There are some Persons that are always Murmuring Complaining and Finding Fault never Pleased themselves nor Pleasing others that either are Provoking or Provoked both which are to be condemned I will not Provoke because I will leave no Body less himself than I found him he shall not be so much the worse for my Company and Acquaintance I will not be Provoked because I will not disorder my self nor loose the Composure of my own Mind than which nothing without me can be more valuable There seems to be an Enmity to Peace and Quietness in some Dispositions * These are malicious and turbulent Spirits whose Pleasure is to make Disturbance who were never taken with the Beauty of Order nor ever tasted the Sweet of Peace nor framed themselves to Duty and Obedience What should such do in Heaven where all is Order and Harmony * They are only fit for the infernal Hurry Company for Fiends and Devils whom they exactly resemble In HELL is Darkness Perplexity Confusion They lead a HELLISH LIFE who always are Quarelling Contradicting Traducing Yet some applaud themselves in this And can they delight in the Presence of a Good and Merciful God of a Compassionate Saviour in the Harmony of a Heavenly Quire who have not been acquainted with Charity nor exercised in Love and Good-will No. They will not relish such Company nor endure their Employment They must first be discharged of their Malignity alter'd in Temper reconciled to Righteousness naturalized to things of the Heavenly State before that Place can make them happy For Place Condition and Employment unsuitable to Disposition are burdensome and cannot afford Content or Satisfaction * Since to Hearts-ease and Settlement all things must be proportionable and accommodate They flatter themselves greatly they grosly cheat and abuse themselves who think of Admittance into God's blissful Presence hereafter or into the Society of blessed Angels and glorified Souls whose Minds are not in this preparatory State discharg'd of SELFISHNESS and PARTIALITY which make Men importune troublesome and very unpleasing Company * For the Pleasures of Eternity are Mental and Intelectual Delightsome and Satisfactory without Molestation or Contest Man is in a sort Felo de se by harbouring Displeasure in his Breast He makes himself uneasie by evil Surmises and Discontents If one designed to do a Man the greatest Mischief imaginable one would contrive to raise in him Jealousie and Suspicion to beget in him Malice Ill-will Displeasure provoke him to Envy and to malign others He will then lead the Life of a Fiend of Darkness The Malignity of his own Breast will more corrode him than the sharpest Humours that can infest the Body It lies upon every one to studdy himself to rectifie his own Temper * and where by Constitution we are inclin'd to that which Reason or Religion cannot approve there Care is to be taken to amend such Inclination and to govern it by Rules of Vertue As One replied when a Physiognomer reported him Vicious in several Instances Thus * said he I am by Bodily Constitution but by THE POWER OF MY MIND these things are subject to my REASON 'T were a Reproach to a Man if a Physiognomer by viewing his Countenance or an Astrologer by casting his Nativity should tell what he is in respect of the Principles of his Mind Or what he will do upon a Moral Account If so what Effect * is there of Principles of Reason of Grounds of Religion and Conscience of Measures of Vertue and Rules of Prudence If by Study Exercise and Good Use of himself Man be not better than when he came at first into the World if * there be neither Improvement nor Refinement what Effect * is there of Christianity Now I do purposely challenge as Enemies to Christianity Peevishness Frowardness Male-contentedness which are the more dangerous Evils because Men warrant themselves in them supposing there is Cause for their Discontent and that they are justifiable in it So Jonah chap. 4. ver 9. I do well to be angry This is the Case of Ungovern'd Minds and Cholerick Constitutions Those who transgress in their Rage and Fury when they return to themselves and to the use of sober Reason either find cause to be ashamed and to wish they had kept in better compass which is the Recovery of Good-Nature or Vertue or else loose themselves upon this occasion and become more immodest and unreasonable and more settled and confirmed in Naughtiness For Good-Nature and the Effects of it in Man are the SOIL wherein the Seeds of Vertue being sown will grow and thrive But let a Man degenerate into Hard-heartedness or Cruelty Vertue becomes a Stranger to such a Constitution We have woful Examples what Monsters of Rational Agents on a Moral Account some Men become by unnatural Use of themselves wrought quite off from all Ingenuity Candour Sweetness unlike themselves what they were formerly known to be There are indeed many ways of Miscarrying for there are SOILS of Vices But if a Man would at once spoil his Nature raze his very Foundation and absolutely indispose himself to all Acts of Vertue let him allow himself in Frowardness Peevishness Male-content Let him conceive Displeasure in his Breast let him bear Ill-will live in Envy Malice and out of Charity For since GOD is Love this Temper is most abhorrent to him So as that he only can dwell in God who dwells in Love By Discomposure of Mind a Person is unfit to attend upon God and uncapable of enjoying Him The Mind that doth contemplate God must be God-like 'T is only the Quiet and Serene Mind that can contemplate God and enjoy Him For God will not dwell where Violence and Fury is We read that God was not in the Fire nor in the Whirlwind nor in the Earthquake but in the
STILL VOICE And as we are not fit to attend upon God nor to enjoy Him so likewise not to enjoy our selves In such a Temper we have not the free Use of our Reason nor any true Content For what is all the World to a troubled and discomposed Mind Therefore give me Serenity of Mind Calmness of Thought For these are better Enjoyments than any thing without us Therefore for these Things will I daily praise God For upholding the Foundation of Reason and Understanding which are so much in Danger by the Distemper of the Mind For continuing me in the Priviledge of Liberty and Freedom for hereby I can present God with a Free-will-Offering and bring unto him the Consent of my Mind * And for giving me Power of Self-enjoyment and of taking Content in my self One may have much in the World as to Right and Title and yet have nothing as to Power of Self-enjoyment * For in the Case of Misgovernment by Lust Passion and Self-will we dispossess our selves of our selves and all that we may call OURS 'T is a sinful Temper to be hard to Please and ready to take Offence It is grievous to those about us And we shall soon suffer for it For Men will soon withdraw from unquiet and turbulent Spirits Solomon hath observed that he that would have a Friend must behave himself Friendly But these Men are unacceptable every-where especially to those that are under them for as for Equals and Superiors they will soon withdraw But every good Man will take Care of those that are under him And upon this Head I shall observe Three or Four Things First That we ought to make the Lives of all those that live with us as happy and comfortable as we can and their Burthens as easie as may be Let our Advantages be never so much above theirs and our Power over them never so great yet we should equally consider Things and do as we would be done unto if in their Circumstances Consider * also that Things may as well be done with Gentleness and by fair Means as otherwise And that Things that are so done are done with Pleasure and Satisfaction and will better hold For Things that are done by Force and with Offence will no longer last than that Force continues There is more Care to please when Men are not Captious Peevish Froward or easie to take Offence Men that are often Angry and for every Triffle in a little time will be little regarded and so loose the Advantage of giving grave Reproof They will say 'T is the Manner of the Person and no one can help it And so these Persons will be less considered when they reprove with Reason Displeasure when there is weighty Reason for it may prove to the Offender a Principle of Reformation and Amendment But hasty and passionate Men are not considered Their Fury is looked upon as a Clap of Thunder And no one will much regard it Take notice what Care God hath taken for the Welfare and Happiness of those that are Inferiors and under the Power of others The Parent must not provoke his Children to wrath Parents that have all Authority over their Children must take Care how they use it The Husband must not be bitter against his Wife He must give her no harsh Language but give Honour to her as the weaker Vessel Masters must render to their Servants that which is Just and Equal Forbearing Threatnings Knowing that they have a Master in Heaven Then for those that labour for us that are but for a Day and are gone again God hath required that their Wages be payed them Otherwise their Cry will come up into the Ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth Then for Strangers that are without Friends Relations or Acquaintance What Care doth God take for them Be not forgetful to entertain Strangers Then for the Widow and the Fatherless Persons that are most helpless What Care hath God taken for them So great that He will be revenged on those that wrong them and on the contrary will reckon those to have pure Religion and undefiled that shall visit the Widows and Fatherless in their Affliction This is the RULE The lower any ones Condition is in the World by so much the more he his pitiable and so much the greater Care should we take to ease him He having Burthen enough upon him without any other Addition to his Misery I will conclude this Discourse with Three Rules Whosoever will do his Work with fair Words I would not have him chid into it I would never blame any one for common Incidencies such as might befal my self or any one else * Nor ever blame any one for not doing that wherein he had not particular Direction You will say these are LOW Things to be spoken in a Pulpit But let them be as Low as they will the Disorder of our Minds many times is occasioned for want of them And great Disquietness is occasioned in many Families for want of that peaceable Temper which my Text speaks of SERMON VI. PSALM XVIII 21 22 23. For I have kept the Ways of the Lord And have not wickedly departed from my God For all his Judgments were before me And I did not put away his Statutes from me I was also upright before him And I kept my self from mine Iniquity I Am now to give you an Account of the Effect and Demonstration of RELIGION in the Subject If we would not be imposed upon let us take just Measures The Text tells us what Judgment we are to make of Religion and Religious Persons * And by it we may learn how to guide our selves with Judgment in a Matter of the highest Nature * viz. if we proceed by the Rule which in the Schools we call a Demonstration by the Effect which I take to be the best As for instance if you come to prove there is a God the best Account is from the Effect Prove the Cause from the Effect Prove the Being of a GOD from the World that he hath made and is his Work so prove RELIGION from its Operation a Religious Person from what he does And this is the Way which our Saviour hath taught us A good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit c. For we are in great Danger of making false Judgment both concerning Persons and Things This we often find that the World esteems a Person of a pleasant Humour and that hath a good * Assurance a good Put-off and value for himself especially if he be a Man of a ready Wit * and that such a Man shall meet with Respect and Reputation much above what there is Ground for and more a great deal than those that are of far greater Worth of higher Improvements and better Spirits Thus are Men esteemed not so much from Integrity and Simplicity not from Pureness of Mind and exact Walking according to the Difference of Good and Evil but as they comply
Victorious and overcomes the World Of these I shall treat but not severally and distinctly Nor will I undertake to give you a particular account of these in the Order I have now laid them for this would be to make this Text the whole Bible I will therefore speak of them in Conjunction as things offer themselves because these things run one into another RELIGION makes us live up to our Highest Faculties so as becomes Rational Beings that are indued with Intellectual Nature It enables us to live and to act suitably to our Height and Excellency so as to keep up the Grandure of our Being as Those that bear the Image of the Immortal GOD and are exalted above the Inferiour Creation * as Those that represent HIM in the World not only in respect of Intelligence but in respect of Authority and Power to dispose and govern It makes us to scorn all Actions that are base unhandsom or unworthy our State and the Relation we stand in to God To have GOD in our sight and to have right Apprehensions of Him doth above all things tend to the Nobleness Amplitude and Freedom of our Spirits For this we observe that the Greatness of an Object and the Excellency of the Act of any AGENT about a transcendent Object doth mightily tend to the Enlargement and Improvement of HIS Faculties Whereas those who are employ'd in mean Businesses and are conversant about little Objects have nothing in them that is excellent but are of limited and narrow Spirits It hath been observed that Men that have been of mean Parts and ordinary Perfections after they came to be truly RELIGIOUS their Parts have grown upon them and they have appear'd to be other kind of Men. The account of this is easie It is to be imputed to their Application to God who is the noblest Object in the World and to their Attendance upon Him For there is no Motion in the World so generous and tending to the Accomplishing the Agent as the Motions of Religion are By our RELIGION we are preserved from those things that would sink us into the order of Beasts by Sensuality and Carnal-Mindedness or that would transform us into the Likeness of Devils by Pride Presumption and Self-Conceit By Religion we come to imitate the Divine Perfection become God-like in Wisdom Righteousness Goodness Charity Compassion in forgiving Injuries pardoning Enemies and doing Hurt to None but Good to All as we have Ability and Opportunity RELIGION doth restrain the Extravagancy of Mens Passions and Appetites and regulates the Exorbitancy of Mens Wills IT is the most conducive instrument in the whole World to the Pleasure of Mind and Body Our Misery and Infelicity ariseth from our undue and naughty Practice And all that which we call Punishment is let in upon us by Sin Religion permits us the Pleasure of our Body as far as it is for our Health and not destructive of the Tranquility of our Mind nor the Indolency of the Body Religion produceth a sweet and gracious Temper of Mind calm in its self and loving to Men. It causeth a Universal Benevolence and Kindness to Mankind For these are the Things of which it doth consist Love Candour Ingenuity Clemency Patience Mildness Gentleness and all other Instances of GOOD-NATURE It hath such a Quality in it as will make them Good natur'd that it finds bad Religion makes Men Humble Affable Meek and Charitable Modest and Prudent Tender and Compassionate It detests nothing more than * either a Peevish Froward Passionate Furious or Troublesome Temper a Morose or Churlish Disposition RELIGION begets in us a true Liberty Freedom of Spirit and Largeness of Soul It causeth the greatest Serenity and Chearfulness to the Mind and prevents groundless Fears foolish Imaginations needless Suspicions and dastardly Thoughts It takes away from us all bad Thoughts of God or jealous Suspicions of Men. Religion makes us not suspect Evil from God but to look upon Him as the most Gracious and Benign Being that designs nothing more than the Happiness of his Creatures It is not Religion but SUPERSTITION that dreads God Religion makes us reverence him and delight in him It makes us to entertain good Thoughts of God and to conceive aright of him that He doth transact all things with Mankind as a Loving and Tender Father with his Child I further add that RELIGION advanceth the Soul to its just Power and Soveraignty enabling the Mind to govern all Bodily Appetites and Exorbitant Desires and this not only because of the intrinsick Baseness of Brutish and Sensual Lusts in a Nature that is indued with transcendant Faculties but also because of the mischievous Effects that follow upon it Intemperance doth by a natural Necessity weaken our Reason and thwart the very End and Purpose of Religion For Intemperance doth either stupifie or enrage our Spirits We see sometimes that Persons of a good Constitution well inclined to Vertue fair and conversable whose Company is pleasant and delightful that these very Persons are made Cholerick and Ungovernable when they are disorder'd by Intemperance And so they are not what they were but emptied of all those things to which their Constitutions did lead and incline them Our Work therefore in the World is to maintain the just Authority and Soveraignty of Reason against the Assaults of rude intemperate and boisterous Passions And so to tame that rude Beast THE BODY which by the Divine Providence is ty'd to our Souls in this State that it may not prove a constant Temptation and Provocation to our Mind but that it be kept in Subjection I add further that RELIGION is a most lively vigorous and sprightly Thing satisfying to the Subject and putting it upon all good Employment Worldly Men Persons of no Experience may think otherwise As that Religion would make a Man Morose and Soure and fill him with Discontent Whereas Religion drives away sad and gloomy Melancholy and begets in us a rational Confidence and gives a Man great Joy and Pleasure in the Divine Goodness And if any that are Religious think otherwise and are otherwise affected I must tell them that it doth not arise from Principles of Religion but from Bodily Temper in respect of which they are troubled or from some occasion from without And that their Religion is their Relief Of all the the Things in Religion none is so much suspected to tend to Melancholy and Sadness as is the Motion of Repentance So that if I can vindicate this Piece of Religion you will be satisfied for all the rest But to think that this is accompanied with Sadness and Melancholy is the greatest Mistake in the World True indeed Worldly Sorrow as the Apostle saith causeth Death This hath no Life in it because it hath no Respect to God but is rather an Act of Rebellion against him For here the Unquietness comes from Want of Submission to God The Person is discontented because Things are not to his Mind and as
more of the same Therefore our Business in time is to get the Victory over those unreasonable Passions which annoy us that so we may readily ascend into the State of Intelectual Beings * Our Business here is to qualifie our Souls by Holiness and Vertue for the Happiness of Heaven and to separate our Minds from the Dregs of Matter and Bodily-Sense Which will not be till the Mind get the Victory and the Soul become God-like and in some Measure partake of the Divine Nature But here I might lose my self and yet can speak but little of the Happiness of that State Let it be our Care at present to cleanse our selves from all Pollutions of Flesh and Spirit For can we be so blind as to think that a contrary Way will bring us to our intended End We do observe that Things are in Men according to their Temper What is Food tho' never so wholesome if a Person be sick Or Musick to those that are Melancholy What is Exercise or Recreation to Men that are weak and feeble What are the Things of the World to him that hath no Power to enjoy them So it is in this Case They that take no delight in the Exercise of Vertue in this State if after this Life God should remove them into Local Heaven they would take little Satisfaction in the Place because of an unsuitable Frame of Spirit For Men must be suitable to the Object in the Enjoyment of which they receive Satisfaction Therefore suppose tho' it is impossible that a Man * being unregenerate and not renew'd in his Spirit nor refined in his Temper that God by Power should remove such a Man into Heaven when he came thither he would not be satisfied either in the Persons or in the Employment of that Place Because all these would be contrary unto him Tho' when we speak of Heaven we understand rather a State than a Place A Frame and Temper Within rather than any thing Without Therefore it is absolutely necessary that we should by Goodness here qualifie and prepare our selves for Happiness hereafter For there is no Happiness in the Meeting of Things that are Unlike Thus now I have given you an Account of the State of Religion and its Operation upon the Body and the Mind in this State and the other And this is enough to recommend Religion and to make us to look upon it not as an Arbitrary Exaction but as a Thing highly pleasurable and most desirable as that which is effectual to purifie our Natures and to raise our Minds as that which is the Health and Strength and good Temper of our Minds For as a Man knows that he is in Health when the Offices of Nature are well performed and discharged * So is he sure of his Mind's Health and Strength when all the several Offices and Duties of Life are easily and well perform'd They are very little acquainted with Religion that look upon it as a Burthen as that which puts too great a Restraint upon Human Nature and upon Liberty And therefore the Poet wrote his Book to release the Minds of Men from the Obligation of Religion I confefs he might well do so * as to that which he call'd Religion For that was to release the Minds of Men from those UNNATURAL Obligations their Religion laid upon them But no such Thing can be said of that Religion which we profess For the Work of our Religion is to teach Men to avoid Evil and to do Good And this doth no more confine Mens Liberty than for Men to confine themselves within the Measures of Sobriety and Temperance and to avoid those Things which would do them Hurt and Prejudice No Man thinks he is under Restraint if he be confin'd to eat and drink only those Things that will do him Good For if this were Liberty and Perfection to do one thing as well as another Evil as well as Good without Difference or Distinction then let me ask you Where is GOD's Liberty From hence it would follow that of all the World God is most tied and bound that HE in whom there is Fulness of Liberty having all Power is most limited For God saith of himself that he cannot do Evil that he doth banish it from his Throne and that he is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity I conclude therefore 't is not Power but Weakness not Perfection but Deformity for any one to be able to do otherwise than what is right and fit to be done For this cannot be said of God himself For all the Ways of God are Ways of Goodness Righteousness and Truth Now the better to inforce what hath been said about Religion I will balance the two opposite States that which is founded in Religion and that which is founded in Evil and Sin That by comparing both together you may understand the one and the other For Contraries are tâ—â— best Comments one upon another And to this purpose I will take into Consideration these Particulars First It doth not deserve the honourable Title of RELIGION or to be taken for the Effect of Respect to God or Conscience to Right which doth not refine Mens Spirits rectifie their Apprehensions and regulate their Actions Even Nature's Sense as depraved as it is doth startle at any vile Practice For nothing is more true than that all Evil is against the NATURE of Man till it is marr'd and spoil'd by consenting to Iniquity For witness hereof take Hazael as an Instance Who startled at the Mention of those Sins which the Prophet told him of Insomuch that he saith Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do such Things For Impudency Immodesty and Cruelty are not primarily in the Nature of Man but they are contracted by base Use Custom and Practice Of Wickedness there is no Account to be given either of its Self or of the Degree of it For it is contrary to Reason And when the Rule of Right is once broken and violated no Man knows where a Person will stay Let us consider the open Declarations that are from God agaiâ—â—â— Wickedness both by Denunciation and Execution 'T is true God oftentimes hath long Patience with a wicked World But it is in order to their Repentance Tho' Men are very apt to mis-understand this Compassion of God towards Sinners For it is observed Ecclesiastes 8. 11. That because Sentence against an evil Work is not speedily executed therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men are set to do Mischief But yet there is a present Recompence of Evil For all Inordinacy of Mind carries with it it s own Punishment All Wickedness carries with it Uneasiness of Spirit and Dissatisfaction Another Thing that I would offer to your Consideration is the malign Nature of Evil and the dismal Consequenence thereof For it is that which poysons the Nature of Man and turns Angels into Devils MAN which by Nature is a loving mild and gentle Creature it makes fierce and cruel
Vigour which we ought and should dave done or as we have done our Sensual Appetites But have suffered our noble Faculties to be interrupted by Bodily Indisposition or Worldly Pleasure Whence they become untoward to Things Spiritual Whereas if * these Faculties had been inured as they should have been we should have found more and more that Heavenly Acts were become suitable con-natural and easie Just as in Persons that live a Contemplative Life and delight in Reading and Meditation to these Men it is Ten thousand times more Satisfaction to be alone or in Company that will improve their Understanding than in any other Business whatsoever And of such Men it may be said that they are never less alone than when alone This is the great Priviledge of Men that lead Contemplative Lives that they never want Employment When other Men that sink down into Sensuality or that violate the Peace of their own Minds and Consciences are fain to seek the worst of Company that they may drive away their Time But if we did exert our Minds and Understandings about God and Heavenly Things our Souls would be so habituated that upon all Occasions they would with great Delight and Freedom without any Aversation or Backwardness exercise themselves in Heavenly Medication For Heavenly Things are the greatest Truths and Realities in the World And our Life is in them Whereas they that are drown'd in Sensual Pleasures are dead whilst they live This I account That in Morality we are as sure as in Mathematicks GOD in infinite Reason and Wisdom hath so contrived that if an Intelectual Being sink it self into Sensuality Love of this outward World or any way defile and pollute it self then Miseries and Torments Afflictions and Vexations should befal it in this State This being the surest Way to rescue and recover a lapsing and delcining Soul And so I have given you an account of the * several Particulars whereby you may understand that this which the Psalmist saith is a true Representation of the State of Religion FINIS Leviathan pag. 47. †Expression of Dr. Whichcot's Joh. 4. 42. Am. Ma. Rom. 12. 2. * Gal. 5. 20. * Gal. 5. 22. * Isa. 57. 20. * Rom. 7. 24. * Col. 1. 26. * John 1. 12. Mat 3. 11. * Eph. 4. 13. Mark 6. 20. Hos. 13. 9. Ez. 18. 31 Psal. 19 .9 Mat. 13. 12. 2 Chrou 18. 7. 1 John 3. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 3. Vers. 19. Isa. 46. 8. Vers. 20. * Isa. 6. 10. Psal. 19. 1. Psal. 19. 6. Acts 17. 27. Ps. 145. 9. Isa. 66. 3. Prov. 15. 8. Mat. 12. 20 Job 32. 18. Pro. 18. 14. Isa. 57. 20. 1 Tim. 5. 24. V. 21. V. 28. V. 32. Luke 18. 2. 2 Kings 8. 13. 1 Tim. 6. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Tit. 1. 15. Ver. 22. Prov. 3. 5 6 Prov. 28. 26. 1 Cor. 3. 15. Ver. 16. Ver. 19. Acts 3. 26. Vers. 24. 26. Ver. 28. Vers. 27. Mat. 3. 15. Mark 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. Joh. 12. 40. Act. 28. 27. Rom. 11. 8. Rom. 9. 14. Gen. 18. 25. Act. 17. 31. Psa. 96. 13. Job 8. 3. Hos. 13. 9. Jam. 4. 6. Prov. 14. 14. Prov. 1. 31. Jam. 1. 13. Vers. 27. Ezek. 18. 2. Rom. 3. 4. Hos. 13. 9. Prov. 4. 30. Prov. 3. 16. Rom. 2. 14. Rom. 10. 6. Vers. 27. Job 36. 3. Pro. 28. 22. Mat. 8. 9. Prov. 16. 32. Vers. 27. 2 Pet. 2. 3. Mark 7. 22. Psal. 10. 3. Jer. 51. 13. 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. Mat. 5. 3. Ps. 34. 18. Isa. 57. 15. Gen. 19. 14. Mat. 19. 23. Psa. 78. 18. 1 Tim. 5. 8. Pro. 28. 20. Psal. 73. 25 Vers. 29. 1 John 4. 16. Gen. 32. 1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 10. 1 Kings 12. Ps. 119. 142. Joh. 81. 38. * See the first Sermons of Part 1. Rom. 1. 18. Joh. 8. 32. Prov. 10. 19. 17 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 18 23. Rom. 14. 14. Tit. 1 15. Job 8. 6. Prov. 20. 9. Prov. 21. 8. Mic. 6. 11. Jam. 1. 27. Mat. 23. 27 Mat. 15. 8. Heb. 7. 26. 2 Cor. 6. 17. 1 Tim. 5. 22 Jer. 2. 3. 1 Thes. 4. 7. 1 Cor. 7. 34. John 5. 5. 1 Sam. 21. 6. Mat. 12. 4. Act. 10. 34. Hos. 6. 6. Mic. 6. 6. Isa 1. 11. Isa. 66. 3. Eurip. Med. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaudia pelle Pelle timorem c. Nubila mens est Vinctaque fraenis Haec ubi regnant Simplicius Mat. 22. 20 Prov. 12. 10. 1 Joh. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 13. Ver. 4. V. 5. V. 8. V. 7. V. 13. V. 8. Ps. 103. 13. Isa. 49. 15. 2 Sam. 9. 8. Mat. 5. 45. Luke 7. 5. Luke 10. 33. 2 Sam. 1. 26. 1 Sam. 20. 2 Sam. 11. 8. 11. Neh. 5. 14. Gen. 50. Acts 7. 60. 2 Chron. 24. 22. Heb. 11. 25. Mat. 8. 17. Rom. 5. 10. Mat. 5. 29. Gal. 6. 2. Job 19. 1 Cor. 8. 1. Mat. 5. 45. Acts 14. 17. Prov. 15. 8. Prov. 21. 27 Isa. 1. 11. Isa. 66. 3. Jer. 6. 20. Amos 5. 22 Mat. 23. 23 Act. 17. 27. Prov. 12. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 3. and ver 5. Pro. 14. 15. Prov. 3. 17. Rom. 6. 33. John 3. 16. Acts 5. 31. 1 Cor. 5. 19. Eph. 3. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6. Job 39. 14. ver 17. Isa. 28. 21. Iam. 3. 33. Rom. 6. 23. 1 Kings 17. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 21. Ps. 103. 14. Jude 4. Mat. 18. Psal. 49. 8. Psa. 5. 4. Mat. 5. 45. 18. 33. Psal. 50. 21. Gen. 3. 15. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Ver. 22. Ps. 49. 7 8. Luke 22. 19. Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11. 29 Prov. 15. 8. Psal. 66. 18. Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 6. 12. Mat. 11. 15 Gen. 3. 6. Numb 3. 4. 1 Sam. 6. 19. 2 Sam. 6. 7. Eph. 4. 2. Heb. 1. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 1. I Joh. 4. 8. Mal. 3. 16. Heb. 10. 25 Pro. 31. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Jam. 3. 8. Mat. 12. 34. Rom. 14. 4. Luk. 12. 45 Eccl. 4. 10. Acts 17. 26. Ps. 50. 21. Mat. 15. 18. Pro. 25. 28. Gen. 30. 1. Gen. 49. 5 6. Isa. 11. 6. 65. 25. Matt. 5. 2 Tim. 2. 25. Jam. 1. 21. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Psal. 25. 9. Num. 12. 3. Isa. 11. 2. 61. 1. 2 Cor. 10. 1. 1 Joh. 4. 8. V. 16. 1 Kings 19. 11. Pro. 18. 24 Eph. 6. 4. 1 Pet. 3. 7. Eph. 6. 9. Jam. 5. 4. Heb. 13. 2. Exod. 22. 22 23 24. Jam. 1. 27. Mat. 7. 17. Psal. 19. 13. Lake 1. 6. Jam. 4. 8. See the first Sermons of Part 1. Act. 17. 27. Rom. 1 20. Jer. 17. 23. Acts 7. 51. Psal. 19. 13. 2 Sam. 16. 23. Mal. 3. 17. 2 Cor. 7. 10 Jon. 4. 9. 2 Cor. 7. 10 Eccl. 2. 2. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 6. 12 Gen. 30. 1. Hab. 1. 13. 2 Kin. 8. 13 Rom. 1. 18. Prov. 1. 26. Jam 4. 1. Pro. 20. 27. Isa. 57. 20.