out how could he have been restored not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of our God It may be this was done that we might say no more The Lord liveth which delivered us from the Treason of pretended Catholicks but The Lord liveth which hath delivered us from the Tyranny and blood rage of the wild Fanatical Enthusiasts Surely all these things have been permitted that the Stone which the Builders refused might be made tried and precious and that his Patience his Piety his Constancy in Religion his Christian Magnanimity being manifest to all the World by the impatient desire of all Nations he might become the head of the Corner Surely these things were suffered that the Faith and Patience and Loyalty of the Church of England might be made bright and glorious by the Flames of Persecution and that in the day when God shall have given our most Gracious Sovereign the hearts or necks of all his Enemies it may not repent him of the Kindness he hath shewn to Religion and Government in lifting out of the dust the despised Head of that only Church for ought I know which makes Obedience without base restrictions and limitations an Article of its Religion Lastly these things it may be have been permitted that by the Triumph of this day and by the vengeance lately executed in the sight of this Sun the Atheistical world might be convinced that the Powers that be are ordained of God and that though the wicked do evil an hundred times and God prolong their days yet Vengeance is his and he will repay it and They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation FINIS Against the Antiscripturists A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL February 20. 1669 70. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum Printed by His Majesties Special Command LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. Against the Antiscripturists 2 Tim. iii. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God IN the verse preceding it is said concerning the Scriptures of the old Testament that they are able to make a man wise unto salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And it follows immediately All Scripture c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith is often by a Metonymy taken for the Gospel which is the Object of the Faith of Christians We read often of the Preaching and Hearing of Faith of the Analogy of Faith the common Faith which was once delivered to the Saints in the preaching of Christ and the Writings of his Evangelists and Apostles and so I conceive it is to be taken in this place So that the meaning of the whole is this The Old Testament understood and expounded according to the Analogy of the New is able to make a man wise And the Pen-men of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament wherein Timothy had been instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Books of the New Testament which except those of St. Iohn were extant before the writing of this Epistle were inspired and directed by the Spirit of God The words of the Text are an entire Proposition asserting the Divine Authority of the Canon of Scripture and my endeavour shall be at this time to prove the truth of that Proposition Wherein that I may proceed with all plainness and clearness I shall premise two words by way of Petition Precaution 1. By way of Petition I suppose and take for granted 1. The great principle of the power of God and his providence in governing the world 2. That our Body of Canonical Books of the Old Testament is the same with that which was in Use in the time of Christ and his Apostles And our body of the New Testament the same which was anciently received in the Church So that what shall be proved of those is applicable to the Original Scripture used in our time 3. That those Books of New Testament whose Authors were not anciently questioned were written by those Authors whose name they bear And that those few others which were sometimes questioned by some particular Churches and afterward Universally received contain in them no one point of Faith or Manners dissentient from the Contents of those Books which were never questioned 2. By way of Precaution and Admonition I must intreat you to take notice that I shall not now meddle with the Controversies concerning Apocrypha Translations Keri and Chetib Hebrew points various Lections dubious Authors or parts of Scripture But my endeavour at this time shall be to Assert the Divine Authority of the body and substance of the Original Books of the Canon of the Old and New Testament And this not in the way of common place but in a particular Examination or Refutation of the most dangerous Opinions of the Antiscripturists which are these I. Of those who pretend to believe the truth of the New Testament and yet they deny the Divine Authority of the Old II. Of those who pretend to believe the truth but deny the Divine Authority of the New Testament III. Of such as pretâ—nd to believe matters of Fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith and Manners IV. Such as deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole Body of Scripture Of these as briefly and plainly as I can I. The first Opinion is of those who pretending to believe the Truth of the New Testament deny the Divine Authority of the Old Testament The Severians and the Manichâ—es Basilides and Carpâ—â—rates of old The Catabaptists of later times some Anabâ—ptiâ—ts is Antinomians and other Fanatical Sectaries amongst our â—elves In opposition to these I shall shew that supposing the truth of the New Testament the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged Because the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is asserted by Christ and his Evangelists and Apostles in the New 1. Next to the Redemption of the world the great business which Christ had to do upon Earth was to Convince men that he was the Messias and so to assert his Legislative Authority And the great Argument which he used for the conviction of the world was this All the Marks and the entire Character of the Messiah and of his Actions and Passions were prefigured and foretold by the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms i. e. in the Volume of the Old Testament And all things foretold or prefigured concerning the Messiah were accomplished by himself So that though the great Works of Christ and the purity and excellency of his Doctrine and of his Life were of themselves sufficient to justifie the Introduction of his Law into the World yet he was pleased to resolve as it were his own Authority into the Divine Authority of the Old Testament and to make use of those otheâ—
manifestations of himself in a co-ordination with that principle And therefore we find him still pressing the Iews with this that if they did believe the Writings of Moses and their other Scriptures they must of necessity believe him also Moses wrote of me saith he wherefore did ye believe Moses ye would believe me The Scriptures testifie of me therefore search them diligently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the attaining of everlasting life he refers the Lawyer to the Law What is written in the Law how readest thou For the avoiding of the place of torments he makes Abraham refer the Relations of Dives to Moses and the Prophets In all his disputations with the Pharisees and Sadduces the Lawyers and the Scribes he makes his appeal to the Scriptures of the Old Testament And lest any one should think that in all this he did only argue ad homines that disputing with the Jews he only proceeded upon their own Hypothesis we find him in the course of his Ministration posiâ—ively asserting that the Scriptures must be fulfilled that they cannot be broken that he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them and that Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one jot or title of these should perish until all was fulfilled Thus he asserted the Authority of the Old Testament before his death And after his Resurrection he made a real demonstration that the Old Testament was given by inspiration of God for on the day of his Resurrection falling into company of two of his Disciples going to Emmaus He began at Moses and all the Prophets and expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself And afterward when the Eleven were come together as a recapitulation of this his method and that he might instruct his Disciples in it he said unto them These were the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were writâ—en in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psams in the Volume of the Old Testament concerning me He opened their understandings and said thus it is written and thus it beâ—oved And as a short Idea of what they were to do he tells them and ye are Witnesses of these things 2. In pursuance of this method we find the Evangelists very curious and very frequent in observing the accomplishment of the predictions of the Old Testament reciting sometimes the speeches of Christ saying that he did such or such a thing to the end that the Scriptures might be fulfilled I will not eat of the fruit of the Vine till all things be fulfilled Sometimes in their own Persons observing the accomplishment of particulars and noting either particular portions of Scriptures which were fulfilled or the fulfilling of the Scriptures cited at large without any particular Quotation Thus the Evangelists writing of the Conception Nativity Name of Christ of his coming out of Egypt dwelling at Nazareth migration to Capernaum riding to Ierusalem Say that these things were done that the Scriptures or the saying of the Prophet at large might be fulfilled So likewise for the circumstances of his Passion the flight of his Disciples casting lots upon his Garments Vinegar given him to drink piercing his side bones remaining unbroken c. Other times they note the particular Prophet Christ healed Diseases spoke in Parables that the saying of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled When Herod slew the Children then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremy the Prophet Rachel weeping for her Children c. and once we find a quotation of the second Psalm and the like This for the Evangelists 3. Lastly the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is asserted by the Apostles Whom we find every where in their Writings citing the Testimonies of the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms appealing to them what saith the Scripture the Scripture hath concluded so or so Arguing out of them oft times directly thus not only the Apostles but Apollos mightily convinced the Iews sometimes ab absurdo do ye think the Scripture speaks in vain In a word the Apostles followed the way and method which their Master tâ—ught them they aâ—serted that the Gospel was promised by the Prophets witnessed by the Law and the Prophets by all the Prophets Affirming of themselves that they believed all things written in the Law and in the Prophets and that they continued testifying and saying no other things than the Prophets and Moses did say should come Finally lest any place should be left for doubting concerning any part of the Old Testament the Apostles have expresly asserted concerning the Law that it is holy just and good that the Prophets are holy and the Scriptures holy that they are the Oracles of God lively Oracles that God spake by the Prophets that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Lastly in the Text that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein Timothy had been instituted by his Mother were gived by inspiration of God This is the sense of the New Testament concerning the Old Testament supposing therefore the Truth of the New Testament the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged contrary to the first Opinion of the Antiscripturists II. The Second Antiscriptural Opinion is of those who pretend to believe the Truth but they deny or doubt the Divine Authority of the New Testament either of the whole body of the New Testament or at least of that part which delivers the Speeches and Writings of the Apostles Of this sort there are said to be many who by the power and influence of their Education are restrained from denying or dis-believing the Truth of the New Testament and yet through the infelicity of corrupt conversation are fallen from that Veneration which is due to writings supposed to be of Divine Authority For the History of the New Testament they have the same respect which they have for Tacitus or Sallust or some such other History for the Mystery of the Gospel the same which they have for some part of Plato or remnants of Pythagoras for the practical parts the same which they have for some parts of Cicero or Seneca or Epictetus All which writings they believe to be true but no man believes them to be Divine And some there are who pretend a great veneration for the speeches of Christ but have a meaner esteem for the words and writings of the Apostles In opposition to these opinions I shall shew that supposing the words of Christ and the Apostles to be True it will follow that they are to be esteemed to be of Divine Authority Because Christ and the Apostles did profess and declare that what they delivered to the world was of
of men is into reasons of Duty and of Interest If there be Wickedness in Infidelity it is matter of Duty if there be Danger in it and Danger of it it is matter of Interest and Concernment to Beware of it This Heart of Unbelief is an Evil heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is Wickedness in it It grieves the Spirit of God It provoked him so that he sware in his wrath that he would take Vengeance for it there is Danger in it Yet it was a thing Ordinary and common amongst the Fathers of these Hebrews it was neque Novum neque Rarum there is Danger of it It is the Duty and Concernment of every one Professing Christianity to take heed lest there be in them an heart of Unbelief and to use all means to prevent it This is the Antecedent Wherefore take heed brethren c. which is the Exhortation by way of Caveat Exhort one another dayly c. which is the way to prevent it So then for the enforcement of the exhortation upon the whole matter I am to speak I. Of the Evil of Infidelity II. Of the Danger of falling into it III. Of the means of preventing it And then to conclude with IV. The Exhortation of the Text. In speaking of the Evil of Infidelity I shall not discourse at large but confine my self to an enquiry into two pretences Which having been broached in the late times of Infidelity towards the King are said to have operated very far towards a general Apostacy from the faith and the production of Infidelity towards God both which appealing to the tenor of the Scriptures must be examined by them The first is of a famous Author and it is this That the Scriptures do not make Infidelity to be a Sin at the time of the delivery of the Scriptures The second is of a Writer more obscure but in it self so agreeable to the disposition of the present generation that it hath possessed the minds of many it is this that Although Infidelity according to the Scriptures in the times of Christ and his Apostles were sinful and inexcusable yet in our times it is excusable These are the pretences to be examined The Substance of the Gospel as it immediately relates to Christian duty is summarily reduced to the Doctrines and Injunctions of our Lord Christ and his Apostles The Author of Leviathan cap. 42. pag 286. tells us in plain terms that We do not read any where in the Scriptures that they which received not the Doctrine of Christ did therein Sin And again that the Injunctions of Christ and his Apostles men might refuse without sin Now concerning this assertion I cannot chuse but say that had I not been acquainted with the works of that Author especially those relating to religion I should exceedingly wonder at it because it supposes men never to look into their Bibles which is the thing it would perswade In the 21. of Matth. Our Saviour askes the Jews this question Did ye never read in the Scriptures such a thing a question which I must repeat to the Assertors of this doctrine Did they never read in the Scriptures the Sinfulness the Danger the Heinousness of Infidelity Surely he that runs may read it Our Saviour Christ before his death did oftentimes vehemently rebuke his Disciples for Infidelity O faithless and perverse generation how long shall I endure you Quousque tandem abutemini patientiâ nostrâ And after his Resurrection he calls them fools and slow of heart for unbelieving Did they never read these Increpations The Author of this Epistle and the rest of the Apostles do every where vehemently and earnestly dehort from Unbelief Did they never read these Dehortations In the 8 of Iohn Christ tells the Jews that if they believe not they shall dye in their Sins That the wrath of God abideth on them that he that believeth not is damned already Did they never read these Denunciations Yes these last it seems this Author had read and as his manner is thinking he could accomodate an answer to these he hath pronounced securely of all the rest To these he saith that they import only a non-remission of the sins committed against the Laws of their Countrey that they should dye in them but that they do not evince any sinfulness to be in Infidelity Wherefore I must crave licence to proceed The Apostle in the 21 of the Revelations gives a Catalogue of such sinners as are of the highest rank Such as are most abominable in the eyes of God Such as are to have their portion in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone and he puts Unbelievers in the head of this Regiment The fearful and Unbelievers and Abominable and Murtherers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Lyars shall have their portion in that lake But it may be perhaps that the Scripture doth not in plain and express terms affirm Infidelity to be Sinful The Text tells us plainly and expresly that an heart of unbelief is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not incommodious but wicked But Philosophers and Mathematicians pretending strictness and demonstration in discourse regard not general words but have recourse to the Definitions of things and from thence proceed to affirm or deny the Attribution which is under question Let us therefore have recourse to the definition of Sin Those who have spoken most accurately concerning the nature of Sin they have resolved that the formal notion of it consists in a departure from God It is Aversio à Deo Conversio ad creaturam In the second of Ieremy and the twelfth we find the Prophet as it were in furore sacro in a prophetick rage breaking forth into this Exclamation Be astonished O ye heavens be ye horribly afraid be very desolate saith the Lord What ailes the Prophet to cry so loud to make the heavens resound his Exclamation My people saith he have committed two Great evils they have Forsaken me that 's the first An heart of unbelief is an evil heart in departing from the living God It is true that the Spirit of God in the Scriptures doth not usually descend to Logical accuracy to the quatenus or Causality to the observation of the rules of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this makes it oft◠times harder to deal with men of perverse minds then many do imagine But the more rare this is the more you will take notice of the Providence when you shall consider how accurately and how fully the Scripture hath determined that which is in Question In the 16. of Iohn v. 8. our Saviour tells them that the Spirit shall rebuke the world of Sin of righteousness of judgment Of Sin Because they believe not on him Joh. 3. 18. he that believeth not is Condemned because he believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rejection of the Gospel is said to be the
abominable Hypocrites and the cause of their Unbelief was not the want of miracles and Prophesies but Carnal prejudice and interest and the Vile affections of their hearts Did not Christ work miracles Was not he that Prophet which was to come Yet they took him and with wicked hands they slew him and brought upon themselves the bloud of all the Prophets But 2 ly If we shall examine the bottom of this fancy and resolve it into its Principles we shall find that it supposes these things 1. That the want of the sight of miracles is sufficient to Justifie unbelief 2. That to live in the very age of miracles is apter to create belief then to be born and educated in a believing nation after the world hath been convinced by the miracles of former times which is our Case 3. That the bare sight of miracles is of it self alone sufficient to create belief in every person that should see them Of which suppositions the first is contrary to common Reason and the two later are contrary to Scriptural Reason and to the experience of the world 1. If the want of the sight of miracles were enough to justifie Infidelity then for every Dogma to be believed Every Individual person were to expect the sight of miracles which if it should happen the wonder should cease and miracles become no miracles by the frequency of the performances of them and so they would be inept to create belief Every work of nature is in it self a miracle Who would not think it easier to recover a man who had all his parts and humours already formed from the dead then from that liquid principle whereof Iob speakes to raise up flesh and skin bones and finews to advance an understanding creature capable of adoring or blaspheming the maker of him Yet that is a miracle and this is none only through the rarity of one and frequency of the other Again if every one were to see miracles the merit of faith would be taken away Iesus said unto Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed Blessed are they that have not seen yet they have believed This for the first supposition 2. The second is this that to live in the very age of miracles is apter to create a belief then to live in a believing nation a good time after the times of Miracles But contrary to this we have instances both in Jews and Gentiles After near 4000 years how pertinaciously do the Jews adhere to Moses against whom their fathers Murmured and rebelled notwithstanding the sight of all his miracles and when he had wrought that great miracle upon Corah and for his rebellion the next day they rebelled again And we find now all the whole world especially the wiser part Converted to Christianity whereas the Apostles complain of the paucity of professors and the Infidelity of the Jews in the Age of Christ and his Apostles was so great and resolute that it hath a fatal operation upon that nation unto this day I am sensible that in the Comparison of later ages with the days of miracles I may be thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to advance a paradox where that I may not lean on my own understanding I beseech you to consider our Saviours decision of the Question which we have in hand I suppose I may take it for granted that the condition of the Jews in our Saviours time was in respect of Moses the same as to the matter in Question with our Condition in respect of Christ. The tradition of the law was accompanyed with mighty Signs and wonders And so likewise the tradition of the Gospel In the times succeeding Moses God for a Season continued the sensible manifestation of his presence by miracles So he did likewise in the times succeeding Christ. But before the time of our Saviour both miracles and Prophesies had a long time ceased We see not our Tokens saith the Psalmist there is not one Prophet left as it is with us at this day Onely they had the books of Moses and the prophets Just so Conveighed and propounded to them as our scriptures have been to us So that if the Question be proposed concerning those Jews whether the present miracles of Christ or the complexion of Motives which they had to induce them to believe the writings of Moses were apter to create belief It is the same with our Question Whether the living in the time of Miracles or our Motives are more powerful to believing To determine which Question we may observe That the Apostles after the sight of all our Saviours miracles continued in unbelief till he had opened unto them the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets That after many miracles he refers the Jews to the searching of the Scriptures bringing them à notiori ad ignotius And in the 5 of Iohn and the â—7 he decides this Question by another If ye do not believe the writings of Moses how shall ye believe my Words Thus much concerning the second supposition 3. The third is this that the sight of miracles is of it self alone sufficient to bring every person to believing We ought indeed to own it to the eternal glory of our blessed Redeemer that the Faith of Christians is founded upon his Miracles as well as on his Doctrine and example And he himself tells the Jews that if he had not done miracles they should not have had sin i e. the sin of Infidelity But Now to dream of miracles and hanker after them or to think to Excuse our Infidelity for want of the sight of them as if that alone would certainly make believers of us all it argues that we have been sloathful readers of the Scriptures It hapned to our Saviours miracles as it did to his Preaching according to his parable of the sower Some of them lighted upon hearts that were honest and good and brought forth the fruit of believing Others fell by the way side or upon stony places or among the Thorns The prepossession of their minds by an expectation of a temporal Messiah in the Rulers The sear of persecution by them in the People The Cares of the World and deceitfulness of riches The pleasures and and lusts to which the Austerities of the Gospel-rules were opposite and many other prejudices deeplyâ— rooted in the hearts of a perverse and froward Generation prevailed against the sight of miracles and none were more pervers and resolute unbelievers then some of those who had the Advantage of this great argument for believing If the sight of Miracles alone were sufficient to produce belief in all kinds of Spectators certainly the Scribes and Pharisees who by their learning were able to Judge of a miracle the Countrymen and Kinsmen of Christ with whom he was most Conversant should have been most Eminent in believing But behold the inchantment of prejudice and Carnal Interest In the 5. of Luke 21. The Pharisees and Doctors saw the miracles of
proceeded from him before his understanding was impaired Behold then a greater then Solomon even Adam in his full strength when he was newly made after the similitude of God a little lower then the Angels God several times appeared to him in the Garden Yet he fell through unbelief and drew all his posterity into his ruine 4. But Adam though he had perfection of Nature yet he wanted Grace whereby he might have held communion with God which having been once enjoyed would for ever have kept him from infidelity or deliberate sin which always proceeds from it Consider then the case of David of whom it is said that the Spirit of the Lord God came upon himâ— That God himself made a Covenant with him and Sware unto him by his holiness that he would not fail him And as for David who was like unto him for Devotion and Zeal for spiritual Communion and intercourse with God He was the sweet singer of Israel and how often do we find his Spirit inebriated and transported in the Celebration of his divine and ravishing enjoyments Yet we find him falling from all this height and great and terrible was his fall he went mourning for it all his days and bowed down his head continually 5. But perhaps it may be thought that though David was an Excellent man yet seeing his Eminency lay not in the gift of Faith but in Zeal or in some other Grace the danger may not yet be so very considerable Behold then even Abraham the Darling of the almighty who conversed with God as a man converseth with his Friend to whom God communicated his presence in Dreams in Visions in Apparitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was imbued with the Habit of Faith he exerted it in the noblest exercise he manifested it in the heroical degree so that he became the Father of the Faithful Yet once we find him offending tripping at this stone of stumbling Equivocating through unbelief 6. But all these instances were during the Ancient Dispensation when the Communication of the presence of God was more Obscure before the fulness of time was come when the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst men and they saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Besides we do not find that they were particularly and distinctly warned of their danger which may lessen the Wonder of the fall Consider then the Case of Peter the first of the Apostles He had been closely conversant with Christ during all the time of his Ministry Was a witness of his miracles saw his Transfiguration heard the Voyce which came to him from the Excellent glory saying this is my beloved Son As for his faith he it was that made that confession upon which the Christian Church is founded And Christ had prayed for him that his faith should not fail He was a Valiant man and he undertook that though he died he would neither forsake nor deny his Master When Christ forewarns him plainly and punctually that his faith would fail him that very night before a certain hour So that it was impossible he should be surprised You know his Undertakings and of his Failings it is unnecessary to speak 7. I know nothing now that can be alledged against the general propensity of all men to Unbelief but this that Peter was now â—ingle and alone that he failed only this time when he was invironed with Bills and Staves and in Danger of his Life Wherefore let us call to mind the Case of all the Apostles in the great Foundation of our Faith the Article of Christs Resurrection when these temptations were away The resurrection of the dead was in those times so commonly believed that it was conceived of Christ that he was one of the Old Prophets risen from the Dead and Herod said he was Iohn the Baptist risen from the dead Of the resurrection the Apostles had seen Experiments in Lazarus and in the bodies of the Saints which arose Concerning Christs resurrection how plainly and often were they forewarned After he was risen how often were they told of it Yet how grossely and often did they fail In they 8 of Mark 31 Christ tells his Disciples that he should be killed and the third day he would rise again He spake this saying Openly So Openly that the Jews took noâ— of it this deceiver said that the third day he would rise again moreover he promised them plainly that after he was risen he would go before them into Galilee and appointed them a certain Mountain where they should see him Yet after he was risen Mary Magdalen told them that he had appeared to her But they believed not Mary Magdalen Ioanna and Mary the Mother of Iames told them the same But their Speech seemed to them as Idle tales The two Disciples told the rest that he had appeared to them going to Emmaus but they believed them not He appeared in the midst of ten of them at once shewed them his hands and his side But they believed not for joy Christ when he appeared to the Women bade them tell the Disciples and Peter that according to his promise they should see him in Galilee And the eleven Disciples went into Galilee to a mountain which Iesus had appointed them And when they saw him they Worshipped But some doubted So that Christ almost in his last words Upbraided them with their Unbelief because they believed not them who had seen him after he was risen So prone are even the best of men after their highest attainments under the best advantages to fall sometime into Infidelity So great is the danger of Unbelief It is true indeed that all these might say with the Prophet Rejoyce not against â—ne O mine enemy for though I fall I shall arise again Yet all these things are written for our learning that he that thinketh he standeth may take heed lest he fall If these things have been done to the green tree what may be done to the dry If the worthies and the mighty have fallen how have the mighty fallen ought not the feeble to take care Yes certainly they ought And to use all means to prevent their falling which is the third thing supposed in the Caveat and expressed in the words following Take heed breâ—hren least c. Exhort one another daily Now the Means to prevent the falling into Infidelity are the Arguments evincing the truth of the Gospel which are very numerous Whereof I cannot now speak particularly The Apostle in this Epistle makes use of two sorts viz. 1. Scriptures of the Old Testament From 2. Common Reason whereof I shall speak a little The Argument from Reason is delivered in the 2. Chap. v. 3. 4. The Gospel was delivered by the Lord and confirmed to us by them that heard him God also hearing them Witness with Signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost God bare witness to Christ the Author
be we may perhaps hear of that which may meet with and remove the prejudice and imposture that is upon us It is neither our Negligence nor Infidelity that will make void the Truth of God Whether we will hear or Whether we will forbear the Words which I have read remain firm and unalterable and they clearly contain these Propositions 1. There is a Judgment to come 2. Thou shall be brought to Judgment 3. God will bring thee to Judgment 4. God will bring thee to Judgment for these things the ways of thy heart c. 5. God will bring thee to Judgment for All these things 6. All this is certain and evident for it is not think or believe but Know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment I. First then There is a Iudgment to come This is no Politick invention found out to fright thee from thy pleasures this is no Engine of State devised to keep you in a subordination to your Brethren this is no vain Thunder or foolish fire to affright you in to a blind obedience but it is the Tenor of the Scripture of the voyce of God King Agrippa believest thou the the Prophets I know that thou believest saith St. Paul Brethren do we believe the Scriptures I hope we do believe them This we do all profess to believe so often as we repeat our Creed and I hope the dissolution of our times has not yet shatter'd that foundation of our faith the ground work of our hopes even the Salvation of our souls Surely there are rewards for men doubtless there is a God which judgeth the earth What though the foundations of the world be out of course the pillar of Faith remains unshaken the Rod of the ungodly shall not for ever rest upon the back of the righteous I desire to make a little use of your faith for that which anon will be obtained from your reason There is a Judgment to come it 's as sure as death nay far surer they shall be judged which shall not dy they have been judged which could not dy the one at the end the other at the beginning of the world There is a Particular and a General Judgment the one at the dissolution of the lesser the other of the greater world the one at the hour of death the other at the day of Judgment A Judgment I say a strict examination an exact account a severe sentence words which make no thundring noise or tragical sound and so they may pass our hardned hearts without any motion wherefore let us judge of the tenor and moment of them by their antecedent signs Before one of them the evil days come The other is called the evil day Before one Solomon tells us that the Sun and the Moon and the Light and the Stars shall be darkned Before the other a greater than Solomon tells us that the Sun shall be turned into Darkness and the Moon into Bloud and the Stars shall fall from Heaven Before one the Keepers of the House shall tremble and the Strong men bow themselves Before the other the Mountains shall quake and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken Before one we shall rise at the voyce of the Bird Before the other at the sound of the Trumpet Before one the silver Cord shall be loosed and the golden Bowl broken and the Pitcher broken at the Fountain and the wheel broken at the Cistern Before the other the silver Zone of the ecliptick and the golden Globe of the Sun the Orbs and the Vortices shall be confounded the wheel within a wheel the Heavens shall be rivel'd as a scrowl of Parchment and the Earth and the Elements shall melt away with fervant heat In the one the dust shall return to the earth as it was and and the spirit to God that gave it At the other the dust shall return from the earth to be as it was and the spirit from God that gave it Come now and let us reason together Are all these the fore-runners and symptomes of approaching Judgment then why art thou so drowsâ—e O my careless soul and why are thou so secure within me What strange Lethargy hath seised on thee Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give the light The time of thy dissolution is coming and after death the Judgment Retire therefore a while into thy self and commune with thy heart Enter thou into thy Closet and shut thy Door upon thee Let us examine our selves before we come to that strict Examen Let us make a Judgment of our expectation before we come to Judgment Do we believe a Judgment will come Then how are we provided against that Day Are our accounts ready Art thou able to stand in Judgment Shalt thou be clear when thou art judged When Paul reasoned before Felix concerning the Iudgment to come Felix trembled and because it was an unpleasant argument he put him off to anâ—ther time There is no doubt but our treacherous hearts would gladly put off these Considerations and deferr them to a more convenient season Nay but there is no time so convenient as the present when we are wrought into some apprehension of Judgment if we stay till our present thoughts are over we shall again be brought to lose the apprehension to forget the import and moment of the Judgment we shall come again to hear the Name thereof and to neglect it as an idle Noise and empty Sound Let us therefore not neglect this opportunity Let us search our seleves to the bottom Let us make a discovery of our final Resolution and secret Reserves in reference to Judgment We profess openly to believe that Christ shall come with Glory to judge both the Quick and Dead What are our inward thoughts in that particular and how are we provided against the Day of Judgment There is a Judgment to come that Judgment terrible the Examination strict the Condemnation insupportable and most of us utterly unprovided yet for all this it 's possible it may be avoyded All these things are true in Judgments here below and we see the proof of them at every Assizes yet all Offenders are not brought to Judgment but many Thieves and Murderers escape it It may be thus in the Judgment to come it 's possible it may be avoidable A miserable hope if this be all for Thon shalt be brought to Iudgment That 's the second Proposition And it contains the Universality or Particularity of the Judgment which you please thou and every man singuli generum genera singulorum all sorts of men and every man of every sort from Him that sitteth on the Throne to Her that grindeth in the Mill For we must all appear before the Iudgment-seat of Christ. It is appointed for all men once to dy and after death the Iudgment Death shall deliver up our Souls to the first and death shall deliver up our Bodies to the second Judgment The Grave shall deliver up her