a Divine Nature First We will consider the Promises which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises And because the chief Promises of the Gospel are here intended I shall take occasion from this Text to handle the Doctrine of the Promises which is frequently discours'd of in Divinity but not always so clearly stated And to this purpose it will be proper to take into Consideration these four things 1. What the Promises are which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us Promises 2. Why they are said to be so great and precious exceeding great and precious Promises 3. We will Consider the Tenour of these Promises 4. When Men are said to have a right to them so as they may apply them to themselves These four Heads will comprehend what I have to say upon this Argument 1. What the Promises are which the Apostle here speaks of whereby are given unto us Promises And no doubt the Apostle here intends those great and excellent Promises which Christ hath made to us in the Gospel So that to satisfie our selves in this enquiry we need only to consider what are the Principal Promises of the Gospel Now the great Promises of the Gospel are these three 1. The Promise of the free Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance 2. The Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience 3. The Promise of Eternal Life to Reward it 1. The Promise of the Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance The Gospel hath made full and clear Promises to this Purpose that if we believe the Gospel and will forsake our Sins and amend our wicked Lives all that is past shall be forgiven us and that Christ died for this end to obtain for us Remission of Sins in his Blood The light of Nature upon consideration of the Mercy and goodness of God gave Men good hopes that upon their Repentance God would forgive their sins and turn away his wrath from them But Mankind was doubtful of this and therefore they used expiatory Sacrifices to appease the offended Deity The Jewish Religion allowed of no Expiation but for legal impurities and involuntary transgressions such as proceeded from ignorance and inadvertency but not for Sins of Presumption and such as were committed with an bigh hand If Men sin'd wilfully there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for such Sins But the Grace of the Gospel justifies us from the greatest Sins upon our Faith and sincere Repentance So St. Paul tells the Jews Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known â—nto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses There was no general Promise of Pardon nor way of Expiation under the Law perfect Remission of Sins is clearly revealed and ascertain'd to us only by the Gospel 2. Another great Promise of the Gospel is the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience Our Blessed Saviour hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him 'T is true indeed there was a peculiar Promise of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles and Christians of the first Ages which is not now to be expected namely an Extraordinary and Miraculous Power whereby they were qualified to publish the Gospel to the World and to give Confirmation to it But now that the Christian Religion is propagated and setled in the World the great End and Use of these Miraculous Gifts is ceased but yet the Spirit of God doth still concur with the Gospel and work upon the Minds of Men to excite and assist them to that which is good And tho' this Operation be very secret so as we cannot give an account of the manner of it yet the effects of it are very sensible and this influence of God's Holy Spirit is common to all Christians in all Ages of the World This Proposition is Universally true and in all Ages and Times If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his It must be acknowledged that the Spirit doth not now work upon Men in that sudden and sensible manner as it did in the first times of Christianity because then Men were strongly possest with the prejudices of other Religions which they had been brought up in and therefore as more outward means of Conviction were then necessary so likewise a more powerful internal Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men to Conquer and bear down those prejudices and to subdue them to the Obedience of Faith But now the Principles of Religion and Goodness are more gradually instilled into the Minds of Men by the gentle degrees of Pious Instruction and Education and with these means the Spirit of God concurrs in a more Humane way which is more suited and accommodated to our Reason and offers less violence to the Nature of Men. So that this Promise of God's Holy Spirit is now made good to us as the Necessity and Circumstances of our present State do require God does not use such extraordinary Means for the producing of those Effects which may be accomplish'd in a more ordinary way The assistance of God's Holy Spirit is still necessary to Men to encline and enable them to that which is good but not in that manner and degree that it was necessary at first Because the prejudices against Christianity are not now so great and many of those Advantages which were necessarily wanting at first are now supplied in an ordinary way and therefore it is not reasonable now to expect the same extraordinary operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men which we read of in the first beginnings of Christianity 3. There is likewise the Promise of Eternal Life to Reward and Crown our Obedience And this the Scripture speaks of as the great Promise of the Gospel 1 Job 2. 25. This is the promise which he hath promised us even Eternal Life And upon this account the new Covenant of the Gospel is preferred before the old Covenant of the Law because it is establish'd upon better Promises All the Special and Particular Promises of the Law were of Temporal good things and these were the great Encouragements that were given to Obedience under that imimperfect Dispensation but now Godliness hath not only the Promise of the Life that now is but of that which is to come as the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 4. 8. The Gospel hath clearly revealed to us a happy State of Immortality after this Life of which Men had but very obscure and doubtful apprehensions So the same Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1. 10. That it is now made manifest by the appearance of our Saviour Jâ—sus Christ who hath abâ—lisbed Death and hath brought Life and Immortality
violent degree of Temptation and Suffering which would be too strong for Humane Strength and Patience to bear And this is a great security to good Men against the fears of a final Miscarriage after all their Labours and Pains and Sufferings in a Religious Course by being over-born at last by the assault of a very violent and powerful Temptation Not but that the best of Men ought always to have a prudent distrust of themselves so as to keep them from security according to the Apostle's Caution and Counsel be not high minded but fear and let him that stands take heed lest he fall because 'till we come to Heaven we shall never be out of the danger and possibility of falling But yet for all this we may hope by the sincerity and firmness of our Resolution under the usual influences of God's Grace to acquit our selves like Men in ordinary Cases of Temptation and Suffering And to this end we should represent to our selves those exceeding great and precious Promises which he hath made to Good Men and his merciful Providence which continually watcheth over them and steers their course for them in this World among those many Rocks which they are in Danger to split upon that he is able to stablish us in the Truth and to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of hâ—s Glory with exceeding joy and to preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom and that if we do not forsake him and forfeit his Care and Protection he will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto Salvation either by his merciful Foresight and Prevention of those Temptations which would probably be too hard for us or if he thinks fit they should befal us by supporting us under them in an extraordinary Manner For I doubt not but that the best Men do own their Security and Perseverance in Goodness much more to the merciful Providence of God preventing the Assaults of violent and dangerous Temptations than to the Firmness and Constancy of their own resolutions For there are very few Persons of so firm and resolute Virtue but that one time or other a Temptation might assault them upon such a Disadvantage as would in all probability not only stagger them but bear them down Now herein thâ—â—â—ovidence of God towards good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very remarkable in secuâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—rom those Temptations which 〈◊〉 â—oo stâ—ong for them to grapple wiâ—â—al like a kind and tender Father who if he be satisfied of the dutiful Disposition of his Child towards him will not try his Obedience to the utmost nor permit too strong a Temptation to the contrary to come in his way So the Psalmist represents God's tender Regard and Consideration of the Frailty and Infirmity of his Children Psal 103. 13 14. Like as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust that is he considereth us as men and deals with us accordingly Provided we be sincere he will not suffer us to be set upon by Temptations that are too big for us Andtherefore our blessed Saviour makes it one of the Petitions of that excellent Prayer which he hath recommended to us Lead us not into Temptation that is we should every day beg of God that his Providence would keep us out of the Way of great and dangerous Temptations as knowing that this will be a greater Security to us than any strength and resolution of our own Secondly Or in case of such violent and extraordinary Temptations the Providence of God will not be wanting to give us the extraodinary Support and Comfort of his Holy Spirit to bear us up under them The Providence of God did take Care of Good Men in all Ages and did afford Comfort to them under great Tryals and Sufferings but God never made so express and general a Promise of this to all good Men as he hath done by the Christian Religion Never was so constant a Presence and Influence of the Divine Spirit vouchsafed and assured to Men under any dispensation as that of the Gospel wherein the Spirit of God is promised to all that sincerely embrace the Christian Religion to reside and dwell in them not only to all the purposes of Sanctification and Holiness but of Support and Comfort under the heaviest Pressures and Sufferings For which Reason the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit and is upon this account said to be more Glorious than any other Revelation which God had ever made to Mankind We are naturally apt to be very much disheartned and cast down at the apprehension of great Sufferings from the consideration of our own weakness and frailty but the Spirit of Christ dwells in all true Christians and the same Glorious Power which raised up Jesus from the dead works mightily in them that Believe St. Paul useth very high Expressions about this Matter Eph. 1. 19. That ye may know saith he speaking to all Christians what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who bâ—lieve accordâ—ng to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand So that every Christian is endowed with a kind of Omnipotence being able as St. Paul speaks of himself to do and to endure all things through Christ strengthning him Of our selves we are very weak and the Temptations and Terrors of the World are very powerful but there is a Principle residing in every true Christian that is able to bear us up against the World and the power of all its Temptations Whatsoever is born of God saith St. John overcometh the world for greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The Holy Spirit of God which dwells in all true Christians is a more powerful Principle of Resolution and Courage and Patience under the sharpest Trials and Sufferings than that Evil Spirit which rules in the World is to stir up and set on the Malice and Rage of the World against us Ye are of God little Children he speaks this to the youngest and weakest Christians Ye are of God little Children and have overcome because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The Malice and Power of the Devil is very great but the Goodness and Power of God is greater And therefore in case of extraordinary Temptation good Men by virtue of this Promise of God's Holy Spirit may expect to be born up and comforted in a very extraordinary and supernatural manner under the greatest Tribulations and Sufferings for righteousness sake And this was in a very signal and remarkable manner afforded to the Primitive Christians under those Fierce and Cruel Persecutions to which they were exposed And this may still be expected in like Cases of extraordinary Sufferings for the Testimony of God's Truth If ye be reproached saith St. Peter in this 4th
that can deny themselves to Dine with him in hopes to make better Meals upon his Estate when he is gone And if he be so penurious to himself the necesâ—ities of others are not like to movâ— him to be liberal I can but imagine one Occasion that could tempt such a Man to lay out what he hath namely when one part of his Estate is in danger to spend the other to secure it And yet even in that Case if his Cause were not very clear and good he would go nigh to lose it using it as he does himself that is by starving it And if this be all then a Man had as good be without an Estate and save himself the trouble either of getting it or securing it for if it were all gone he might live as well as he does and that with half the Care and Pains Secondly The Happiness of this World consists in a state of freedom from Evil. Now the great Evils that Men are liable to in this World are such as are incident to them either in the course of their Lives or at the time of their Death and Riches do not contribute to Mens Happiness by freeing them from either of these I shall speak to these severally 1. Not from the Evils which are incident to Men in the course of their Lives These are of two kinds inward or outward 1. Inward Evils by which I mean those of the Mind and our greatest troubles are from within from the anxiety of our Minds and the guilt of our Consciences from the vicious inclinations of our Wills and the irregularity and disorders of our Passions Now Riches were an admirable thing indeed and worth our Coveting if they would help to Cure these Distempers of our Minds but they are the least fitted for such a purpose of any thing in the World For not he that hath the greatest Estate but he that hath the fewest and most reasonable Desires and the best govern'd Passions and the most Virtuous Inclinations is the Happiest Man and dwells nearest to satisfaction Nemo malus foelix No bad Man can be Happy tho' he were possessed of the whole World because he hath that within him which frets and discontents him which galls his Spirit and keeps his Mind restless and uneasie and he that does not enjoy himself can enjoy nothing else Did but Men know how much Happiness hath been enjoyed by many a Pious and Virtuous Man in a mean Fortune how quiet and easie their Minds have been how much fuller of Joy and Pleasure than the Heart of any Covetous Worldling ever was in his most prosperous Estate and when his Corn and Wine and Oyl abounded did we I say but know this we should not envy the Men of mighty Fortunes Nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia solis Rich Men are not the only happy People in the World If they be not Good as well as Rich Happiness is a greater stranger to their Dwellings than to the Cottages of Poorer Men. Now Riches are so far from helping to make Men good that they are one of the greatest Temptations to them in the World to be otherwise which it the Reason why our Saviour says it is so very hard for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because considering the powerful and almost irresistible temptations of a great Estate and the impotency and weakness of humane Nature to govern it self in a plentiful Fortune it is very hard for a Rich Man to be so good as he ought it requires a great force and firmness of Resolution a very solid and vigorous constitution of Mind to bear a great Fortune and not to be corrupted by it and a Man hath never more Reason to implore God's gracious help and assistance and to consult his own best and coolest thoughts to know what he ought to do and how he ought to demean himself than when the outward Blessings of this Life flow in amain upon him felicitate corrumpimur nothing sooner debaucheth Men than Prosperity and he is a very happy Man whom Wealth and a good Fortune do not make licentious and dissolute because these tempt Men with the power and opportunity to do all the ill that their wickedâ— Hearts can design or desire The Temptation of Riches and the Power that goes along with them is so forcible and prevalent that the Devil who is a sagacious Spirit and hath great and long experience in this kind when he was making the Experiment whether Christ was a meer Man or the Son of God reserved this for his last Temptation resolving if that would not do to try him no farther After he had assaulted him in several kinds he represents to him at last that which was sufficient to have surfeited two of the most insatiable Desires of Humane Nature Ambitioâ— and Covetousness even all the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them in a moment or point of time he brings all the Rays of this Glory to one point that the Temptation might kindle and take hold the sooner and says to him all this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He supposed with great probability that if he were but a meer Man the strongest and most resolved Mind would bend and yield to so dazling a Temptation as this but when he saw that this Temptation was rejected he found himself baffled and gave him over since this did not move him he concluded now that he was the Son of God indeed and that it was in vain to tempt him any farther From all this it appears that Riches are so far from making Men Virtuous that nothing is more dangerous to Virtue than a full Condition if Men have not a great degree of Grace as well as Discretion to manage it Solomon tells us that the prosperity of Fools destroyeth them And yet how do most of us Court this Temptation and are forward to thrust and venture our selves upon it There are a great many other Things in which most Men make a right Judgment of themselves and will readily acknowledge that they are altogether unfit for them Every Man will not take upon him to be a Physician or a Lawyer to prescribe Medicines in dangerous Cases and to give Counsel to Men in knotty and difficult Points about their Estates but every Man thinks himself fit enough to be Rich and sufficiently qualified to manage a great Estate if he can but get it when perhaps there are few things in the World which Men are more insufficient for than to weild and govern a great Fortune nor wherein there is greater danger and miscarriage It is not every bodies Talent to be Wealthy and Wise Rich and Innocent 2. As for the outward Evils of this Life such as Want and Contempt Bodily Pains and Diseases Unhappiness in Friends and Relations a great Estate is by no means a sufficient Security or Remedy to a Covetous Man against these 1. As for want And surely
are but Pilgrims and Stranger in the World as all our Fathers were that we have here no abiding place no continuing City but are travelling towards our own Country And why should we load our selves whilst we are upon our journey and cumber our selves with those things which will be of no use to us there whither we are a going But the great wonder of all is that this Vice should so strongly reign and even grow upon Men in Old Age and get strength as weakness creeps upon us This very thought that we are to dye should work in us a great indifferency towards the Things of this World But when Men are convinc'd they cannot live long and that every step they take they are in danger of stumbling into the Grave this one would think should wean our Affections from this World and yet usually none take so fast hold of it and embrace it so kindly as Old Men like Friends who tho' they know they must leave one another yet are loth to part Do we not see many pursue these things with as much eagerness and appetite when they are leaving the World as if they were to stay in it a hundred years longer So that in this sense also they are Children again and are as fond of these Toys as if they were just beginning the World and setting out for their whole Life 3. There is another Life after this to be seriously thought on and provided for with great care and did Men firmly believe this they would not with Martha busie themselves about many things but would mind the one thing necessary and with Mary chuse that better part which could not be taken from them They would overlook the trifles of this World and scarce take notice of the things which are seen but be only intent upon the things which are not seen because the things which are seen are but Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal The great Concernments of another World would employ their utmost Care and their best Thoughts Whilst we are in this World we should remember that this is not our home nor the place of our rest and therefore as Men do in an Inn we should make a shift with those indifferent Accommodations which the World will afford us and which we can have upon easie terms without too much trouble and stir because we are not to continue long here and in the mean time we should cheer up our selves with the thoughts of the pleasure and the plenty of our Father's house and of that full contentment and satisfaction which we shall meet withal when we come to those Everlasting Habitations So that our great Care should be to provide for Eternity If we have unbounded Desires let us place them upon such Objects as are worthy of them Let us earnestly covet the best things and seek after the true Riches We should so mind the World as to make Heaven our great Care as to make sure to provide for our selves bags that wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not where no thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth as our Saviour adviseth Luke 12. 33. To the same purpose is the Counsel of St. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17 18 19. Charge them that are Rich in this World that they be Rich in good works willing to distribute ready to communicate laying up for themselves a good foundation or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may also be rendred a good treasure against the time which is to come that they may lay hold of Eternal Life I have told you that all these things will fail in a short space we shall either be stripp'd of them or separated from them when we come to dye and shall look over to that vast Eternity which we must shortly enter upon this World and all the Enjoyments of it will then be as nothing to us and we shall be wholly taken up with the thoughts of another World and be heartily sorry that the things of this World have taken up so much of our Time and Care and that the great and weighty Concernments of all Eternity have been so little minded and regarded by us Now seeing all these things shall be pardon me if I earnestly beg of you in the midst of all your Worldly Cares to have some Consideration for your Immortal Souls which are no wise provided for by a great Estate but are design'd for Nobler Enjoyments than this World can afford When you are taking care to Feed and Cloath these dying Bodies remember that better part of your selves which is to live for ever Let not all your enquiry be what shall I eat or what shall I drink or wherewithal shall I be cloathed But sometimes ask your selves this question what shall I do to be saved I have an Immortal Spirit it is but fit some Care should be taken of that to train it up to Eternity and to make it fit to be made partaker of an Inheritance among them that are sanctified The firm Belief and serious Consideration of the great Things of another World cannot surely but cool the heat of our Affections towards these dying and perishing Things and make us resolved not to do any thing whereby we may violate the peace of our Consciences or forfeit our Interest and Happiness in another World 2. By way of Remedy against this Vice of Covetousness it is good for Men to be contented with their Condition This the Apostle prescribes as the best Cure of this Vice Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being contented with the present and thinking that sufficient A Covetous Man cannot enjoy the present for fear of the future either out of fear that he shall come to want or out of a sickness and uneasiness of Mind which makes that nothing pleaseth him But if we could bring our Minds to our Condition and be contented with what we have we should not be so eager and impatient after more This Contentedness with our present Condition doth not hinder but that Men by Providence and Industry and lawful Endeavours may lay the Foundation of a more plentiful Fortune than they have at present For provided a Man use no indirect and dishonest ways to increase his Estate and do not torment himself with anxious Cares do neither make himself guilty nor miserable that he may be Rich provided he do not neglect better things to attain these and have not an insatiable Appetite towards them provided he do not Idolize his Estate and set his Heart upon these things and if he can find in his heart to enjoy them himself and to be Charitable to others nothing hinders but that he may be contented with his present Condition and yet take all fair Opportunities which the Providence of God puts into his hands of enlarging his Fortune It is a good Character which the Poet gives of Aristippus
duly Considered and all Accounts cast up it will appear upon a just Calculation of things that all the restraints which the Laws of God lay upon Men are highly reasonable and greatly for their benefit and advantage and do not abridge us of any true Pleasure or Happiness but are Wise and Merciful Provisions of Heaven to prevent our harm and mischief so that we are not Wise if we act without regard to God and his Laws and are not willing to be govern'd by him who loves us better than we do our selves and truly designs our Happiness and Commands us nothing but what directly tends to it For the Laws of God are not Arbitrary Constitutions and meer instances of Soveraign Will and Power but Wise Rules and Means to procure and advance our Happiness And in like manner all that Wisdom which Men use to compass their Worldly Designs of Riches and Greatness without Consideration of the Providence of God and Dependance upon it for the Success of our Affairs is all perfect Folly and Mistake For tho' the Design be never so well laid and vigorously prosecuted and no Means which Humane Wisdom can devise for the attaining of our End have been omitted by us yet if we leave God out of the Account we forget that which is Principal and signifies more to the Success of any Design than all other things put together For if God favours our Designs the most improbable shall take effect and if he blow upon them the most likely shall miscaâ—ry Whenever he pleaseth to interâ—oâ—e to cross the Counsels and Desigâ—â— of Mâ—n the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong neither yet bread â—o the wise nor riches to men of understanding nor favour to men of skill but time and chance happens to all So that it is great folly not to Consider the Providence of God in all our Designs and Undertakings not to implore his Favour and Blessing without which nothing that we take in hand can prosper That which is Principal to any Purpose ought to be considered in the first place nothing being to be attempted either without or against it And such is the Providence of God in all Humane Affairs it is more considerable to the promoting or hindering of any Event than all things in the World besides and therefore all Policy which sets aside God and his Providence is vain because there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. So likewise all that Wisdom which only considers and regards this short Life and the narrow Concernments of it and makes provision only for our welfare in this World and therefore can only be tempted with the hopes of Temporal Advantages and terrified only with the danger of Temporal Evils and Sufferings but hath no sense of an Immortal Spirit within us no prospect of a Life after Death no Consideration of a Happy or Miserable Eternity of Rewards and Punishments infinitely greater than all the Temptations and Terrors of Time and Sense I say all this is a preposterous and pernicious Wisdom and proceeds upon a false Supposition and a quite contrary Scheme of Things to what really is and consequently our whole Life and all the Designs and Actions of it do run upon a perpetual mistake and a false Stating of our own Case and whatever we do pursuant to this Mistake is foolish and hurtful and so far from conducing to our true interest that it is all either besides it or contrary to it because we act upon a Supposal only of this Life and a Being only in this World and that there is nothing either to be feared or hoped for beyond it and being thus grosly mistaken we set our hearts only upon Temporal Things and study our present security and satisfaction and in all our Counsels and Actions are swayed only by the Consideration of Temporal Good and Evil of the present Ease and Pleasure the Disturbance and Pain of our Fleshly and Sensual Parts without any sense of our own Immortality and of that Everlasting State which remains for us in another World But there is my Brethren most certainly there is another Life after this we are not Beasts if we do not make our selves so and if we die we shall not die like them neither shall our last End be like theirs For whatever we may think or wish it will not be in our power to extinguish our own Beings when we have a mind to be rid of them and to chuse whether or no we shall live for ever And if this be a false Scheme of things which we have framed to our selves and proceeded upon as undoubtedly it is then our whole Life is one great Error and a perpetual Mistake and we are quite wrong in all â—hat we design to do Our Wisdom haâ—â— begun at the wrong end and we have made a false Calculation and Account of things and have put our Case otherwise than it is and the farther we proceed ugon this Mistake our Miscarriage will be so much the more fatal in the issue But if our Wisdom begin at the right end and our Case be truly stated that God hath put into these frail and mortal Bodies of ours Immortal Spirits that shall live for ever and hath sent uâ— into this World to soâ—ourn here for a little while and to be disciplin'd and train'd up for Eternity and that after a short proof and trial of our Obedience we shall be translated into an Everlasting State of unspeakable Happiness or Misery according as we have demeaned our selves in this World if we believe this to bâ— truly our Case our Interest is then plainly before us and we see where our Happiness lies and what remains for us to do in order to the obtaining of it and what we are to expect to suffer if we do it not Now this Foundation being laid it is evident that the best thing we can do for our selves is to provide for our Future State and to secure the Everlasting Happiness of another Life And the best way to do that is to live in obedience to those Laws which our Maker and our Soveraign hath prescribed to us and according to which he will one day Sentence us to Eternal Rewards or Punishments It is evident likewise that all our sensual Appetites and Desires are to be bounded by the Rules of Reason and Virtue which are the Laws of God and that no present Ease and Pleasure Trouble and Suffering are to be considered and regarded by us in competition with the things which are Eternal and that Sin is of all other the greatest Evil and most mischievous to our main Interest and therefore with all possible Care to be avoided and that the favour of God is to be sought and the Salvation of our Souls to be provided for at any pains and expence whatsoever and even with the hazard and loss of our dearest Interests in this World yea and of Life it self And now if this
to light through the Gospel Holy Men had good hopes of it before but they had no sure distinct apprehensions of it no such full assurance concerning it no such clear and express Promises of it as the Gospel hath given us Thus you see what those great Promises are which the Gospel hath given us namely the Promise of the Free Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience and the Promise of Eternal Life and Happiness to Reward it These are the three Eminent Promises of the Gospel and in all probability those which the Apostle here calls great and precious Promises which brings me to the Second Thing which I propounded to Consider namely why they are said to be exceeding great and precious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest and the most valuable Promises And to satisfie us that they are such the very Consideration of the Bâ—essings and Benefits that they carry in them will be sufficient If we Consider the Condition that Mankind was in when God was pleased to make these gracious Declarations to us we shall see great Reason to set a high value upon every one of these Promises Mankind was extreamly degenerated all Flesh had corrupted its ways and the whole World was guilty before God and liable to all that Misery which the Sinner had reason to apprehend from the incensed Justice of the Almighty We had forfeited that Happiness to which our Immortal Nature was designed and which made our Condition more sad we were without strength to recover our selves out of it by our Repentance for what was past if God would have accepted of it and by our Future Obedience Now the Promises of the Gospel offer Relief to us in all these Respects and thereby obviate all the difficulties and disâ—ouragements which Mankind lay under The gracious Promise of Pardon frees us from guilt and sâ—cures us from the terrible wrath of God which our guilty Consciences did so much dread and without this Promise Mankind would have been under the greatest doubts and discouragements For when Men are afraid their Sins are greater than will be forgiven them they are apt to fall into Despair and Despair is an effectual bar to Repentance for when Men think their Condition is desperate they care not what they do And the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist and enable us to do our Duty does fully answer all the Discouragements and Objections from our own weakness and the power of temptation We may do all things through Christ strengthning us and how weak soever we are of our selves we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might If God be for us who or what can stand against us The Devil is a very powerful Enemy and much too strong for Flesh and Blood to Encounter in its own strength but there is another Principle in the World which is Mightier and more Powerful than he the Holy Spirit of God who is always ready to help when we do not repulse and refuse his assistance Greâ—ter is he that is in you than he that is in the World says the Apostle 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Spirit of God dwellâ— in all those who are willing to admit him and is ever ready to assist those who comply with his blessed Motions and do vigorously put forth their own endeavours And then the Promise of Eternal Life that answers all the difficulties of our Obedâ—ence and sets us above any thing that the World can threaten us withal for our Constancy to God and his Trâ—th A Wise Man will be content to suffer any thing or to quit any thing upon terms of far greater advantage And what greater Consideration can be offered to encourage our Constancy and Obedience than an Eternity of Happiness So that the Apostle had Reason to call these exceeding great and valuable Promises so valuable that if any one of them had been wanting our Redemption and Recovery had either been absolutely impossible or extreamly difficult I proceed to the Third thing I propounded which was to consider the Tenour of these Promises that is whether God have made them absolutely to us without requiring any thing to be done on our part oâ— upon certain Terms and Conditions to be performed by us That God may if he please make an Absolute Promise of any Blessing or Benefit to us there is no doubt and that God's grace does prevent many and is beforehand with them is as little to be doubted the Spirit of God goes along with the Gospel moving and inclining Men to yield Obedience to it many times before any inclination and disposition thereto on their parts But as to this Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit the great question is not about the first motion of it but the continuance of this assistance and the encrease of it and this I think may safely be affirmed is promised only Conditionally as also the Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life And concerning each of these the Matter may quickly be decided by plain Texts of Scripture Concerning the Promise of the grace and assistance of God's Holy Spirit the Scripture takes notice of two Conditions First that we beg it earnestly of God And this our Saviour expresseth by asking seeking and knocking which signifies the importunity of our Requests Our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that thus ask it And then Secondly That we improve and make use of the grace which God affords us To him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seems to have That is as appears plainly from the scope of the Parable to him that useth that grace and those advantages which God affords him more shall be given but from him that makes no use of them and therefore is as if he had them not shall be taken away that which he but seems to have because he makes no use of it Concerning the Pardon of Sins The Scripture plainly suspends that upon the general Condition of Repentance and the change of our Lives Repent that your Sins may be forgiven you And upon the Condition of our forgiving others If ye forgive Men their Trespasses then will your Heavenly Father also forgive you but if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses says our Saviour Mat. 6. 14 15. And then the Promise of Eternal Life is every where in Scripture suspended upon the Condition of Faith and Repentance and Perseverance in well doing He that believes says our Saviour shall be saved which indeed implies the whole Condition of the Gospel He that Believes that is he that effectually assents to the Doctrine of Christ and is so perswaded of the truth of it as to live according to it shall be saved But if Obedience were not included in the Scripture Notion of Faith yet the Scripture
excite us continually to our Duty and to enable us to the most difficult parts of Obedience such as are most contrary to our natural inclinations and against the grain of flesh and blood to bear down the strength of Sin and Temptation and in all our Conflicts with the World and the Flesh the Devil and all the Powers of Darkness to make us victorious over them and in a word to be a Principle within us more mighty and powerful than the Lusts and Inclinations of our evil Hearts than the most obstinate and inveterate habits of Sin and Vice and than all the Temptations and Terrors of sense So that if we will make use of this assistance and lay hold of this strength which God affords us in the Gospel and as the Apostle expresseth it be workers together with God we need not despair of Victory and Success for our strength will continually encrease and the force and violence of our Lusts will be abated God will give us more grace and we shall walk from strength to strength and our path will be as Solomon says of the way of the Righteous as the light which shines more and more unto the perfect day For the Holy Spirit of God conducts and manageth this great work of our Sanctification and Salvation from first to last by opening our Hearts to let in the light of Divine Truth upon our Minds by representing to us with advantage such Arguments and Considerations as are apt to perswade us to embrace it and yield to it by secret and gentle reprehensions softning our hard hearts and bâ—nding our stiff and stubborn Wills to a compliance with the Will of God and our Duty And this is that great Work which the Scripture calls our Regeneration and Sanctification the turning us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God a new Creation and a Resurrection from the Death of Sin to the Life of Holiness And then by leading and directing us in the ways of Holiness and Obedience by quickning our Devotion and stirring up in us Holy Desires and Dispositions of Soul rendring us fit to draw near to God in Prayer with a due sense of our own wants and unworthiness and an humble Confidence in the goodness of God that he will grant us those good things that we ask of him in supporting and comforting us in all our Afflictions and Sufferings especially for Truth and Righteousness sake and by Sealing and Confirming to us the Blessed Hopes of Eternal Life Thus the Spirit of God carries on the Work of our Sanctification and makes us Partakers of a Divine Nature by way of inward efficacy and assistance Secondly The Promises of the Gospel are apt likewise to have a mighty influence upon us by way of Motive and Argument to engage and encourage us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God For First A full Pardon and Indemnity for what is past is a mighty encouragement for us to return to our Duty and a forcible Argument to keep us to it for the future For since God who hath been so highly injured and affronted by us is so willing and ready to forgive us as not only to provide and purchase for us the Means of our Pardon by the grievous Sufferings of his dear Son but to offer it so freely and invite us so earnestly to accept of it and to be reconciled to him the Consideration of this ought in all Reason Ingenuity and Gratitude to melt us into Sorrow and Repentance for our Sins and a deep sense of the evil of them and to enflame our hearts with a mighty love to God and our blessed Redeemer who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And to make us extreamly unwilling nay most firmly resolved never more to offend that merciful and gracious God who is so slow to punish and so forward to forgive and effectually to engage us to a dutiful and constant and cheaâ—ful Obedience to God's holy Laws and Commandments lest by our wilful transgression and violation of them we should run our selves into a deeper guilt and aggravate our Condemnation Now that by the tender Mercies of our God we are made whole we should be infinitely afraid to sin any more lest worse things come to us lest we relapse into a more incurable state and bring a heavier load of guilt and misery upon our selves Secondly The Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit is likewise a very powerful Argument and Encouragement to Holiness and Goodness engaging us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that our Souls and Minds may be a fit Temple for the Holy Ghost which will not dwell in an impure Soul And likewise Encouraging us hereto by this Consideration that we have so unerring a Guide to Counsel and Direct us so Powerful an Assistant to strengthen us with all might in the Inner Man to stand by us in all our Conflicts with Sin and Satan and to make us as the Apostle expresseth it more than Conquerours over all our Spiritual Enemies For tho' we be weak and our Lusts strong our Enemies many and Temptations mighty and violent yet we need not be disheartned so long as we know that God is with us and the Grace of his Holy Spirit sufficient for us against all the strength of Sin and Hell tho' our Duty be hard and our strength small yet we cannot fail of success if we be sure that the Omnipotent grace of God is always ready to second our sincere tho' never so weak Endeavours So that when we see all the Enemies of our Salvation drawn up in array against us we may encourage our selves as the Prophet Elisha did his Servant when he told him that an Host compassed the City with Horses and Chariots and said Alas my Master how shall we do And he answered fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them 2 King 6. 16. Or as Hezekiah Comforted the People when they were afraid of the mighty force of the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 32. 7 8. Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him For there be more with us than with him With him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight for us This is the Case of every Christian the force that is against us is finite and limited but the Almighty God is on our side and fights for us and every one of us may say with St. Paul Philip. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Thirdly The Promise of Eternal Life and Happiness if duly weighed and considered hath a mighty force in it to take us off from the Love and Practice of Sin and to encourage our Obedience and patient continuance
upbraid the degenerate state of the Christian World at this day which does so abound in all kind of Wickedness and Impiety so that we may cry out as he did upon reading the Gospel Profectò aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Either this is not the Gospel which we read and the Christian Religion which we profess or we are no Christians We are so far from that pitch of goodness and Virtue which the Christian Religion is apt to raise Men to and which the Apostle here calls the Divine Nature that a great part of us are degenerated into Beasts and Devils wallowing in abominable and filthy Lusts indulging our selves in those Devilish Passions of Malice and Hatred of Strife and Discord of Revenge and Cruelty of Sedition and Disturbance of the Publick Peace to that degree as if the Grace of God had never appeared to us to teach us the contrary And therefore it concerns all those who have the face to call themselves Christians to demean themselves at another rate and for the Honour of their Religion and the Salvation of their own Souls to have their Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ and by departing from the Vicious practices of this present Evil World to do what in them lies to prevent the Judgments of God which hang over us or if they cannot do that to save themselves from this untoward Generation A SERMON ON 1 PETER IV. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator THIS Epistle was written by St. Peter who was the Apostle of the Circumcision to the dispersed Jews who were newly Converted to Christianity And the Design of it is to Confirm and Establish them in the Profession of it and to instruct them how they ought to demean themselves towards the Heathen or Gentiles among whom they lived and more particularly to arm and prepare them for those Sufferings and Persecutions which he foretels would shortly overtake them for the Profession of Christianity that when they should happen they might not be surprised and startled at them as if some strange and unexpected thing were come upon them at the 12 v. of this Chapter Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you that is do not wonder and be not asâ—onish'd at it as if some strange thing hapned unto you And then he instructs them more particularly how they ought to behave themselves under those Trâ—als and Sufferings when they should happen not only with Patience which men ought to exercise under all kinds of Sufferings upon what Account and Cause soever but with Joy and Cheerfulness considering the Glorious Example and Reward of them v. 13. but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding Joy And at the 14. ver he tells them that besides the Encouragement of so great an Example and so glorious a Reward they should be supported and assisted in a very extraordinary manner by the Spirit of God resting upon them in a glorious manner as a Testimony of the Divine Power and Presence with them v. 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you or as it is in the best Copies for the Spirit of Glory and of Power even the Spirit of God resâ—eth upon you that is the Glorious Power of the Divine Spirit is present with you to comfort and bear up your Spirits under these Sufferings But then he cautions them to take great Care that theiâ— Sufferings be for a good Cause and a good Conscience v. 15. But let none of you suffer as a Mâ—â—therer or as a Thief or as an evil-doer that is as an Offender in any kind against Human Laws made to preserve the Peace and good Order of the World or as a busy-body in other mens matters that is as a pragmatical Person that meddles out of his own Sphere to the Disquiet and Disturbance of Human Society For to suffer upon any of these Accounts would be matter of Shame and Trouble but not of Joy and Comfort But if they suffer'd upon Account of the Profession of Christianity this would be no Cause of Shame and Reproach to them but they ought rather to give God Thanks for calling them to suffer in so good a Cause and upon so glorious an Account V. 16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian if that be his only Crime let him not be ashamed but let him gloriâ—ie Gâ—d on this behalf for the time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God that is the wise and just Providence of God hath so order'd it at this Time for very good Reasons and Ends that the first Calamities and Sufferings should fall upon Christians the peculiar People and Church of God for their Tryal and a Testimony to the Truth of that Religion which God was now planting in the World And if iâ— first begin at us that is at us Jews who were the ancient People of God and have now embraced and entertained the Revelation of the Gospel what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God that is how much more severely will God deal with the rest of the Jews who have crucified the Son of God and still persist in their Infidelity and Disobedience to the Gospel And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear that is if good Men be saved with so much Difficulty and must through so many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God what will become of all Ungodly and Impenitent Sinners Where shall they appear How shall they be able to stand in the Judgment of the great Day From the Consideration of all which the Apostle makes this Inference or Conclusion in the last ver of this Chapter Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Thus you see the Connexion and Dependance of these words upon the Apostle's foregoing Discourse I shall explain the several Expressions in the Text and then handle the main Points contained in them The Expressions to be explained are these What is meant by those that suffer according to the will of God what by committing the keeping of our Souls to God â—s unto a faithful Creator and what by well-doing 1. What is meant by suffering according to the will of God This may be understood of Suffering in a good Cause such as God will approve But this is not so probable because this is mentioned afterwards in the following Expressions of committing the keeping of our Souls to God in well-doing that is in suffering upon a good Account And therefore the plain and
no express and direct Article of the Christian Religion yet it is a Fundamental Article of right Reason and common Sense Because the admitting of Transubstantiation does undermine the Foundation of all Certainty whatsoever and does more immediately shake the very Foundation of Christianity it self Yea tho' the Christian Religion were no ways concerned in this Doctrine yet out of reverence to Reason and Truth and a just animosity and indignation at confident nonsense a Man of an honest and generous Mind would as soon be brought to Declare or Swear that twice two do not make four but five as to profess his belief of Transubstantiation And tho' all Truths are not of equal Consequence and Concernment yet all Truth is of God and for that Reason tho' we are not obliged to make an open profession of all Truths at all times yet we are bound not to deny or renounce any Truth nor to make profession of a known Falsehood or Error For it is meerly because of the intrinsical Evil of the thing that it is impossible for God to lie and the Son of God thought it worth his coming into the World and laying down his Life to bear witness to the Truth So he himself tells us Joh. 18. 37. To this End was I born and for this Cause came I into the World that I should bear witness to the Truth Thus I have shewn you in these plain Instances to which most other Cases may be reduced when Men may be said to suffer truly for the Cause of Religion and Truth I shall mention two or three Cases wherein Men may seem to suffer for the Cause of Religion but cannot truly be said to do so First When Men rashly expose themselves to danger and run upon sufferings for the sake of Religion Thus several of the Primitive Christians voluntarily exposed themselves when they were not called in question and in the heat of their Affection and Zeal for God and Religion offered themselves to Martyrdom when none enquired after them This in the gracious interpretation of God who knowing the sincerity of their Zeal was pleased to overlook the indiscreet forwardness and rashness of it might be accepted for a kind of Martyrdom but cannot in Reason be justified so aâ— to be fit to be made a Pattern and to be recommended to our imitation For tho' God may be pleased to excuse the weakness of a well-meaning Zeal yet he can approve nothing but what is Reasonable To suffer chearfully for the Cause of God and his Truth when he calls us to fight this good fight of faith and to resist unto blood and when we are reduced to that strait that we must either die for God and his Truth or deny them to suffer I say in this Case with Courage and Patience is one of the Noblest of all the Christian Virtues But to be perfect Volunteers and to run our selves upon Sufferings when we are not called to them looks rather like the Sacrifice of Fools which tho' God may mercifully excuse and pardon the Evil of the action for the good Meaning of it yet he can never perfectly approve and accept of it But I think there is little need nowa-days to caution men against this rashness it is well if they have the Grace and Resolution to Suffer when it is their Duty and when they are called to it Secondly Nor can Men be truly said to Suffer for the Cause of Religion when they Suffer not for their Faith but their Fancy and for the wilful and affected Error of a mistaken Conscience As when Men suffâ—r for indifferent things which in heat and passion they call Superstition and Idoltary and for their own false Opinions in Religion which they mistake for Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith In this Case their mistake about these things will not change the Nature of them nor turn their Sufferings into Martyrdom and yet many Men have certainly Suffered for their own mistakes For as Men may be so far deluded as to think they do God good service when they kill his faâ—thful Servants so likewise may they be so far deceived as to Sacrifice their Lives and all that is dear to them to their own culpable Errors and Mistakes But this is Zeal without Knowledgeâ— not the Wisdom which descends from above but that which comes from beneath and is like the fire of Hell which is heat without light Thirdly and Lastly Nor can Men truly be said to Suffer for the Cause of God and Religion when they Suffer for the open Profession and Defence of Truths not necessary For tho' a Man be obliged to make an open Profession of all Fundamental and Necessary Truths yet he is under no such Obligation to make Profession of Truths not necessary at all times and unless he be called to deny them he is not bound either to declare or defend them he may hold his peace at other times and be silent about them especially when the open Profession of them will probably do no good to others and will certainly do hurt to our selves and the zealous endeavour to propagate such Truths will be to the greater prejudice of Charity and the disturbance of the publick peace of the Church It was a good Saying of Erasmus if we understand it as I believe he meant it of Truths not necessary adeo invisâ— sunt mihi discordiâ— ut veritas etiam contentiosa displiceat I am says he so perfect a hater of discord that I am even displeased with truth when it is the occasion of contention As a Man is never to deny Truth so neither is he obliged to make an open Profession of Truths not necessary at all times and if he Suffer upon that account he cannot justifie it to his own Prudence nor have Comfort in such Sufferings because he brings them needlesly upon himself and no Man can have Comfort but in Suffering for doing his Duty And thus I have done with the first thing I proposed to enquire into namely when Men may be truly said to Suffer for the Cause of Religion I proceed now to the Second Enquiry namely how far Men may rely upon the Providence of God to bear them out in such Sufferings To which I Answer That provided we do what becomes us and is our Duty on our part the Providence of God will not be wanting on his part to bear us out in all our Sufferings for his Cause one of these three ways First To secure us from that violent degree of Temptation and Suffering which would be too strong for Humane Strength and Patience Or Secondly In case of such extraordinary Temptation and Trial to give us the extraordinary Supports and Comforts of his Holy Spirit or else Thirdly In case of a Temporary Fall and Miscarriage to raise us up by Repentance and a greater Resolution and Constancy under Sufferings I shall speak severally to these 1. Either the Providence of God will not be wanting to secure us from that
design of them were to insinuate to us that God is to be prevailed upon by the meer importunity of our Prayers to grant our Requests but our Blessed Saviour who best knew his own meaning tells us that all he design'd by it was only to signifie that we ought always to pray and not to faint that is to continue instant in Prayer and not to give over after once asking as if we despaired of prevailing Not that meer importunity prevails with God to give us those things which he is otherwise unwilling to grant but because it becomes us to be fervent and earnest to testifie our Faith and Confidence in the goodness of God and the deep sense we have of our own weakness and wants and unworthiness and likewise that we set a true value upon the Blessings and Favours of God as worth all the earnestness and importunity we can use And in this decent and sober sense the success of our Prayers may truly be said to depend upon our importunity not that it is necessary to move God to grant our Requests but that it becomes us to be thus affected that we may be the more fitly qualified for the Grace and Mercy which God is willing to confer upon us I have been the longer upon this to give us a right notion of this matter and that we may the more distinctly understand the true Reason why our Saviour does require so much earnestness and importunity of Prayer on our part not at all to work upon God and to dispose him to shew mercy to us for that he is always inclinable to when ever we are fit for it but only to dispose and qualifie us to receive the grace and mercy of God with greater advantage to our selves Fifthly Provided moreover that we be not confident of our selves and of the force and strength of our own Resolution We know not our selves nor the frailty and weakness of our own Resolution 'till we are tried 'T is wise Advice which Solomon gives us and never more seasonable than in the day of trial Prov. 3. 5 6 7. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths be not wise in thine own eyes that is be not conceited and confident of thine own wisdom and strength or ability in any kind there is a secret Providence of God which mingles it self with the actions and spirits of Men and disposeth of us unknown to our selves and what we think to be the effect of our own strength and resolution of our own wisdom and contrivance proceeds from an higher Cause which unseen to us does steer and govern us So the Wise Man observes Prov. 20. 24. Man's goings are of the Lord how can a Man then understand his own ways And therefore we have reason every one to say with the Prophet Jer. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of Man is not in himself it is not in Man that walketh to direct his steps Our feet will soon slip if God do not uphold us by his hand Remember how shamefully the chief of our Lord's Disciples miscarried by too much confidence in himself I mean St. Peter in whose fall we may all see our own frailty if God do but permit the Devil to have the winnowing of us there will be a great deal of chaff found in the best of us What St. Paul said of himself 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I am weak then am I strong we shall all find true when it comes to the trial we are then strongest when in a just sense of our own weakness we rely most upon the strength and power of God Sixthly Provided furthermore that according to our ability we have been much in the exercise of Alms and Charity For well-doing or doing good is sometimes taken in a narrower sense not improper here to be mentioned tho' perhaps not so particularly intended here in the Text for works of Charity and Alms. As Heb. 13. 16. But to do good and to communicate that is to the necessities of the Poor forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased This kind of well-doing is a special Preservative in times of Evil there is no kind of Grace or Virtue to which there are in Scripture more special Promises made of our Protection and Preservation from Evil and Suffering of Support and Comfort under them and Deliverance out of them than to this of a Charitable and Compassionate Consideration of those who labour under want or Suffering Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed And ver 19. speaking of Righteous or Merciful Men They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of Famine they shall be satisfied Psal 41. 1 2. Blessed is he that considereth the Poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies There are likewise in the Apocryphal Books Excellent Sayings for the encouragement of Charity as that which will be particularly considered and rewarded to us in the times of Danger and Distress in the days of Affliction and Suffering Tob. 4. 7 8 9 10. Give Alms of thy substance and turn not thy face from any Poor Man and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee if thou hast abundance give Alms accordingly if thou hast but a little be noâ— afraid to give according to that little for thou layest up for thy self a good treasure against the day of necessity because that Alms do deliver from death and suffereth not to come into darkness Ecclus 3. 31. Speaking of him that gives Alms and is ready to do Kindness to others He is mindful of that which may come hereafter and when he falleth he shall find a stay And Chap. 29. 11 12 13. Lay up thy treasure according to the Commandment of the most High and it shall bring thee more profit than Gold shut up alms in thy store-houses and it shall deliver thee from all affliction it shall fight for thee against thine Enemies better than a mighty shield and strong spear I have often said it and am verily perswaded of it that one of the best â—igns of Gods Mercy and Favour to this poor Nation is that God hath been pleased of late years to stir up so general a disposition in Men to works of Alms and Charity and thereby to revive the Primitive Spirit of Christianity which so eminently abounded in this Grace and taught those who believed in God to be careful to maintain and practâ—se good works And nothing gives me greater hopes that God hath Mercy still in store for us than that Men are so ready to shew Mercy there are great Objects to exercise our Charity upon in this