Proportionable The Solitary good Man saves himself but he that is Religious in Society is in a way of saving both himself and those that see him In so wicked an Age as this is good Men had need shew themselves to the World to do something toward the Amendment and Reformation of it And without doubt some good they do and though it is to be wisht that the World were better yet that it is not worse they are beholding to such Examples which shews that some good is done by their Living and Conversing in Babylon III. Were I to speak to Princes to the Nobles to the Gentry of the Nation to Magistrates Ministers and to men in Authority this should be my Text. All such Persons who make some Figure in the World are like a City set upon a Hill to such the nether World the Plebeians the Commonalty and the Ordinary sort of People look up Their Example they take Notice of and these Examples they Ordinarily follow I would tell them that as God hath raised them above the Common level so God expects they should be eminent in Goodness and be as much above all Vice as they are above the common Rank I would tell them that their Sins are spreading and like the Plague destroy whole Cities and Towns I would tell them that in this Case they are more Barbarous than the Tyrants Mankind cries out upon for they lay several mens Consciences waste by their ill Practices which is more than sacking Towns and burning Cities All ye that are advanced to some Government and surely Parents and Masters of Families are so Behold your selves in this Glass according as your Examples are so will your Inferiours be I do not say it is so always but this is ordinarily the Effect of your Behaviour As you are so will your Children and Servants be at least there is Reason to think that so they will be for your Example strangely influences those that are under your Charge and Protection If you sanctify the Lords day both in Publick and Private by letting the Word of God dwell richly among you in all Wisdom Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your Hearts unto the Lord your Inferiours in time its possible would do so too If you are enemies to Pride to Intemperance to Drunkenness to Swearing there is hopes that your Inferiours will learn of you If you are Grave and Modest and curb your Passions and deny your selves for Heaven and Gods Service it is not improbable that your Inferiours will be wrought upon to make you their Patterns We see they do so in evil Things why should we despair of their following you in that which is good At least you have this Satisfaction that by your Example you shew'd them the Way to the Land which flows with Milk and Honey You will have this Comfort that your Example did not lead them into the Chambers of Death nor make them fling their immortal Souls away All ye that are Professours of Religion that pretend to be holier than ordinary the Eyes of the World will be upon you The least false step you make will be taken notice of See then that you walk Circumspectly as wise Men redeeming the Time because the days are Evil. IV. Such of you whom the Spirit of God hath made free from the Law of Sin you are not only a City set upon a Hill but behold you are come into mount Sion to the heavenly Jerusalem unto the City of the living God and to the innumerable company of Angels as the Apostle saith Heb. XII 18. Behold God hath called you to be Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem called you to be Companions of Angels called you to dwell on the Hill of God on the everlasting Hill How high is your Calling How excellent your Vocation How great the dignity God intends you Your conversation is to be in Heaven and will you mind the Trifles of the Flesh and so mind them as to set your Affections upon them Will you who are Born new Born I mean to an everlasting Kingdom will you be fond of this pitiful transitory World you that are intended for the highest Imployment will you do as the Children of the World do They are from Beneath you are from Above Do Eagles catch Flies and you that are intended to soar above the Clouds will you disgrace your Pedigree and and set your Affections on things Below God intends you as Conquerours and will you suffer your selves to fall a Prey to filthy Temptation and expose your selves to the Contempt and Scorn of the Fowler who Flatters you till he draws you into the Net and then Punishes you for being taken Behold the glorious City the City of our God the City set upon a Hill indeed the City which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God! Do you hope to be Members of that Community and will you disparage your selves by Actions that will certainly exclude you from that Republick At the Gates of it no unclean Thing shall enter A clean Heart and a clean Life must give you jus Givitatis make you free Denisons of that City and will not you prepare your selves for the Honour of that Naturalization Except you imitate the Manners of the Citizens above you can never hope to be Partners with them in their Glory and what are their Manners Why They love Love is their Trade their Employment their Business their Pleasure their Delight their Satisfaction They love nothing but God or if they love any Thing besides him they love it for his Sake and love God in it Love is their Principle their End their Mark and their Entertainment Love is their Meat and Drink and their Recreation They love Dearly they love Constantly they love Eternally God is love and he dwells in them and they in God To be like them see that ye love him that hath begotten you again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead See that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently See that your love be without dissimulation See that ye love not in Word nor in Tongue but indeed and in truth and when the Thred of your Life shall break that Love which dwelt in you will exalt you to the Regions of perfect Love where the Inhabitants speak of Love and think of Love and sing of Love and tell one another how Christ hath loved them and wash'd them from their Sins with his own Blood To him be Glory forever Amen FINIS * Anno 1641. †So call'ed as some think from Bacchi ara Vid. Misson's Trav. Tom. 1. Lett. 6 * An. 1665. †The Rectory of Doulton in Devonshire ‖ An 1669. * Charles Lodowick Elector Palatine †An 1671. * Plin. l. 1. ep 12. * Varen descript Japon †The learned W. Sclater us'd to call this Distemper to which he himself was much subject Studiosorum flagellum * Before this last Illness of which he died he fell in the year 1678 into along and languishing Sickness occasioned through his indefatigable Application to the Duties and Functions of his Ministry It brought him well nigh to his Grave The good Man ascribed his Recovery under God to the tender Care of his vertuous Wife with whom he always liv'd in great Concord and Union and to the Prayers of pious People put up to Heaven on his behalf as appears from some devout Meditations which he compos'd on that Subject and which have been found since his Decease among his Papers In Thanksgiving to God for his Preservation at that time which he himself look'd on as next to miraculous he kept a Day Monthly in his Family ever after and preach'd yearly a Commemoration Sermon to his beloved Congregation at the Savoy wherein he rehearsed God's Mereies to him and excited others to hope and trust in him in the like Extremities He also distributed largely to the Poor upon that Day This was his constant Method to treasure up God's Providences to him and to sanctifie and improve them not only to his own Use but to the Use and Benefit of others * Hieron vit Hilarion * Platon Axiochus * Vulg. lat in locum †Theophylact on Matth. 24. Crucific Jesus p. 557. †Socrat. Apolog. * Jul. Celsus de vit J. Caesaris * He commenc'd Doctor at Cambridge in the Year 1681. This is mention'd here it having thro'inadvertency been omitted in its proper place Vid. Grot in Loc. Vid. Cornel à Lap. in Luc. G. Leti Vid. Cornel. à Lap. in Jacobi 1. v. ult Pliny
Great God who dwells on high yet humbles himself to behold the things in Heaven and in Earth and seeing his own Image there he counts him blessed 3. Blessed in the Eyes of all good Men. A good Man that beholds Humility shining in his Neighbour and finds that this Grace hath taken deep root in his heart that he hath very low thoughts of himself that he is willing to submit to Persons wiser and abler in things ambiguous and doubtfull that he thinks more kindly and favourably of others than of himself that he ascribes all his Gifts and Blessings to the free and underseved Bounty of God and attributes nothing to his own merits and desert that he thinks himself unworthy of Honour and is not ambitious of worldly Glory that he speaks humbly of himself and is willing to converse with Persons mean yet good and to contribute to their welfare that he can bear reproof and bear injuries well c. The good Man that sees these admirable effects of Humility in his Neighbour what doth he see but the Character of God's Children And what can be more blessed here on Earth than a Child of God than a Son or Daughter adopted in Christ Jesus 4. Blessed in the midst of all his outward Misery Blessed he is in the midst of stripes and lashes and reproaches and calumnies Blessed in a Prison blessed in Dungeon blessed when Men contemn and despise him when all things go cross when he is reviled abused undervalued and despightfully handled for while this spiritual Poverty like a good Angel dwells in him while this Humility reigns in his Soul God's Spirit hovers over him the Almighty carresses him Angels visit and attend him his Conscience justifies him and the Lord Jesus that Pattern of Humility loves him and therefore blessed still 5. Blessed in the opinion of all Reprobates not in this World but in the next when they shall see the humble Man advanced above the Stars of Heaven seated among the Elder Sons of God rais'd from this dunghil World and made to sit with Christ together in heavenly Places then the proud the vain the foolish that counted the humble Man's life madness will all change their Notes and they that once look'd upon his Humility as baseness of Spirit will then be forced to acknowledge that such a Man chose the better part understood himself and was truly sensible of the Veracity of what God had said so long ago I am the lofty and holy one who inhabits Eternity with him also will I dwell that is of an humble Spirit Isa. LVII 15. 6. Blessed because he hath a Title to the Kingdom of Heaven The World calls an Heir to a great Estate or Honour or Dignity a happy Man And must not then the humble Man be happy and blessed that is Heir to the Crown immarcescible Heir to all the vast Territories of Heaven Heir of all the Land of Canaan Heir to all the huge Tract above that flows with Milk and Honey Nothing can make a Man so happy as the full enjoyment of God Is God happy or not The Epicureans held nay the Devil himself dares not deny that God is the most happy Being and is it possible to enjoy that God to be united to him to live in his glorious Presence and to participate of his Felicity and not be happy This blessedness the Kingdom of Heaven gives the humble Man He hath a right to the Tree of life and therefore blessed as we read Revel XXII 14. Inferences 1. Seeing so much depends upon this Humility and spiritual Poverty Is it not fit we should examine whether we are possess'd of this spiritual Treasure or not Though the words of the Text be express'd in the Affirmative yet a Negative is implied and it naturally follows that those who are not humble not poor in Spirit have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore are in no blessed State or Condition Surely this Consideration is enough to make a thinking Man inquisitive and indeed it is impossible seriously to believe it and not make application to our selves But where Men are superficial Christians and suspect that they are proud and high and lofty and self-conceited and strangers to Christian Humility and that they shall find all nought within if once they examine things and bring them to the Touch-stone there they will be loath to venture upon this Task for fear they should discover and see their Deformity and be obliged to reform So carefully do most Men shun their own Cure and shut their Eyes that they may not see the Sores and Ulcers of their Souls There is no Spiritual temper or qualification or perfection but God hath left Characters in his word whereby we may certainly know whether we are Masters of it and whether that which we have and looks like it be genuine or not and this is particularly applicable to Humility There is a painted and counterfeit Humility which hath base and sinister Ends and Designs and Pride may lie at the bottom of it But this Hypocrisie may soon be discover'd by the Characters before laid down I mean the Characters of that truly humble Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price St. Bernard very ingeniously observes and from him others have taken and improv'd the Notion True Humility faith he like the Violet grows low to the ground hangs the head downward and hides it self with its own leaves It prefers the approbation of a good Conscience before the applause of the World and were it not that its fragrant Smell betrays it to the observation of others it would chuse to live and die in its own well pleasing Secrecy Truly Christians did you know what stress God lays upon this qualification did you know the consequence the worth and necessity of it were you sensible what an influence it hath upon the whole frame of Religion and what power it hath with God and how its absence renders your spiritual Sacrifices useless and ineffectual you would not only examine your selves to know whether you have it and how much you have of it but labour to arrive to higher Degrees of it than ordinary That which turns the Religion which many of you seem to have into meer Formality is the want of this qualification Pride lies unmortified in your Souls that makes the Ground barren and no Grace will thrive in you Pretending to Religion while this Grace is neglected is as insignificant as building a House without laying the Foundation you are not fit to obey the Gospel till you cultivate this Plant in your Garden But then as I said in the preceeding Discourse the Heart the Mind the Soul the Spirit is the Place where Humility must first display its Beauty and Glory An humble Sense of your selves within humble low and despicable Thoughts of your worth in a word a very low opinion of your selves wrought up by frequent Meditation into a habit that 's it which will
therewith than an house full of sacrifices with strife Besides by this you avoid innumerable sins such as ill language odious names envy hatred malice and revengefull sins and desires and engaging other Men in sin with you and doing mischief to men c. But is not the Title in the Text given to the peaceable and peace-making Christian enough to make you endeavour to attain to this Character What Children of God And do you feel no desire to be so Did you ever seriously examine the privileges which attend the Children of God and are these no motives to you to come into the number Suppose the Children of God are not much regarded here but is there not a time coming when they shall be honoured before the whole World Is there not a life to come which shall manifest their Dignity and their Glory The Peace of Heaven shall fall to their share Do not you reflect sometimes on that Peace which the Children of the everlasting Kingdom shall enjoy Or is that Peace so inconsiderable that it deserves no consideration What is the future felicity but perfect Peace everlasting Peace uninterrupted Peace The peaceable Christian shall feel it feed upon it possess it live upon it peace with God peace with the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus peace with all the Angels of God peace with all the Spirits of Men made perfect No war shall disturb it no tumult discompose it no sedition annoy it no rebellion disfigure it The God of Peace shall live in him and he in the God of Peace God will tell him that he is his friend and one with him and that no Men no Devils shall pluck him out of his hands There Rivers of Peace shall flow upon him Rivers where no Wind doth blow no Storms do come no Tempests rise no Hurricanes molest I conclude with St. Paul's Obtestation Colos. III. 15. And let the Peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankfull Amen SERMON X. St. Matth. Ch. V. Ver. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven I Did once think to have joined this Verse and the next in the Explication but upon a more accurate Examination I find that this Verse I have read to you treats of Persecution in general but the next of a particular Persecution with the Tongue i. e. Calumniating and Reviling and therefore shall allow them a distinct Discussion or Consideration To be persecuted is to be robb'd plunder'd beaten buffeted bruised imprison'd tormented hanged burnt drowned c. And are these marks of Blessedness saith the Carnal Man What! to be beaten and think it a Kindness to be buffeted and look upon it as a Favour To be put in a Dungeon and delight in sinking into the mire To be led to the Stake and sing To be tormented and give God thanks To be robb'd of all and make a low bow for being so What! be happy in Misery and blessed in Chains and glorious in Torments and honourable in a fiery Furnace Yes all this is very good Divinity and very agreeable to the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ and if the Cause be good Gibbets and Gallows and Chains and Shackles and Fetters and Fire and Sword are a Christians Jewels and Pearls and Pendants and Necklaces and Ornaments For blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Three things will here deserve Consideration I. What it is to be persecuted for Righteousness sake and who they be that fall under that denomination II. Whether these words as well as the preceding imply a Negative That those who are not persecuted for Righteousness sake are not blessed III. I shall enquire into the Nature of the Blessedness here mentioned and shew how the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs that are persecuted for Righteousness sake I. What it is to be persecuted for Righteousness sake and who they be that fall under that denomination In answer to this 1. To persecute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original is properly to follow hard after a thing and with great earnestness to endeavour to seize upon a thing we desire or to pursue it as Hunters do their Prey which they quit not till they take it The word in Scripture is used sometimes in a good sometimes in a bad sense In a good sense when it is applied to Vertue as 1 Thess. v. 15. Follow that which is good Heb. xii 14. Follow Peace with all men 1 Cor. xiv 1. Follow after Charity 1 Tim. VI. 11. Follow after Righteousness In all which places for follow in the Original the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used which in other places we render persecute to shew that till it be joined with something else that alters the Sense it is no more than following hard after a thing When it is applied to Persons it is commonly taken in a bad Sense and implies pursuing with a desire or intent to hurt the Person pursued and that 's the usual Notion and Acceptation of the word even to prosecute or pursue a Person with an intent to afflict or hurt or punish him and that 's the meaning of the word in the Text where the persecuted must be persons hunted or haunted teazed tormented imprisoned abused or in a word evil entreated as is evident from Christ's scope in these Beatitudes which is to comfort those whom the World counts miserable 2. By Righteousness here is meant the whole Circle of Religious Duties and Offices or Obedience to the Laws of God or of the Gospel and it takes in both believing and practising i. e. believing what God hath commanded us to believe and practising what God in his Word hath commanded us to practise and consequently forbearing to believe or practise either what God hath not revealed or hath forbid to believe or practise I know the word Righteousness is used sometime for just dealing sometime for Mercy and Alms-giving but then there is some word in the Context that shews it must be restrained or confined to that Sense but here is nothing to give it that determinate Sense and therefore it must be the same with Goodness as it is opposed to Wickedness and in this Sense it 's ordinarily used both in this and the next Chapter in this v. 6. and 20. in the next v. 33. and is sometimes called The Righteousness of Faith as Rom. iv 13. i. e. a chearfull performance of the duties God hath commanded in the Gospel as the Righteousness of the Law is complying with God's Will and Commands under the Law or the Old Testament This being premised it follows 1. That to be persecuted for Righteousness sake is not barely to suffer or to endure Punishment for at this rate all Malefactors and such as our Law punishes either with the Sword or with Fire or the Gallows for Crimes which are destructive to Humane