of this World can entertain and slatter Thus they did and thus they did prevail For the first Ages of the Church were but so many Centuries of Men that entertained Christianity with the Contempt of the World and Life it self They knew that to put themselves into Christ's Service and Religion was the same thing as to set themselves aside for spoil and Rapine dedicate themselves to Poverty and Scorn to Racks and Tortutes and to Butchery it self Yet they enter'd into it did not onely renounce the Pomps and Vanities of the World in their Baptism when they were new born to God quench their affections to them in those waters but renounc'd them even to the death drown'd their affections to them in their own heart bloud ran from the World into flames and fled faster from the satisfactions and delights of Earth than those flames mounted to their own Element and Sphere In fine they became Christians so as if they had been Candidates of death and onely made themselves Apprentises of Martyrdom Now if it were not possible it should be otherwise than thus as the World stood then it was necessary that the Captain of Salvation should lead on go before this noble Army of Martyrs if it were necessary that they must leave all who followed him then it was not possible that he should be here in a state of Plenty Splendor and Magnificence but of Poverty and Meanness giving an Example to his followers whose condition could not but be such To give which Example was it seems of more necessity than by being born in Royal Purple to prevent the fall of many in Israel who for his condition despis'd him I am not so vain as to hope to persuade any from this great Example here to be in love with Poverty and with a low condition by telling them this Birth hath consecrated meanness that we must not scorn those things in which our God did chuse to be install'd that Humility is it seems the proper dress for Divinity to shew it self in But when we consider if this Child had been born in a condition of Wealth and Greatness the whole Nation of the Jews would have received him whereas that he chose prov'd an occasion of falling to them Yet that God should think it much more necessary to give us an Example of Humility and Poverty below expression then it was necessary that that whole Nation should believe on him When of all the Virgins of that People which God had to chuse one out to overshadow and impregnate with the Son of God he chose one of the meanest for he hath regarded the low estate of his Handmaiden said she and one of the poorest too for she had not a Lamb to offer but was purified in formâ pauperis When he would reveal this Birth also that was to be the joy of the whole Earth he did it to none of that Nation but a few poor Shepherds who were labouring with midnight-watches over their Flocks none of all the great Ones that were then at ease and lay in softs was thought worthy to have notice of it Lastly when the Angels make that poverty a sign to know the Saviour by This shall be a sign unto you You shall â—ind the Babe wrap'd in swadling cloaths and laid in a Manger As if the Manger were sufficient testimony to the Christ and this great meanness were an evidence 't was the Messiah From all these together we may easily discover what the temper is of Christianity You see here the Institution of your Order the First born of the Sons of God born but to such an Estate And what is so original to the Religion what was born and bred with it cannot easily be divided from it Generatio Christi generatio populi Christiani natalis Capitis natalis Corporis The Body and the Head have the same kind of Birth and to that which Christ is born to Christianity it self is born Neither can it ever otherwise be entertain'd in the heart of any man but with poverty of spirit with neglect of all the scorns and the Calamities yea and all the gaudy glories of this World with that unconcernedness for it that indifference and simple innocence that is in Children He that receiveth not the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child cannot enter thereinto saith Christ True indeed when the Son of God must become a little Child that he may open the Kingdom of Heaven to Believers Would you see what Humility and lowliness becomes a Christian see the God of Christians on his Royal Birth-day A Person of the Trinity that he may take upon him our Religion takes upon him the form of a Servant and He that was equal with God must make himself of no Reputation if he mean to settle and be the Example of our Profession And then when will our high spirits those that value an huâ—â— of Reputation more than their own Souls and set it above God himself when will these become Christian Is there any more uncouth or detestable thing in the whole World than to see the great Lord of Heaven become a little one and Man that 's less than nothing magnifie himself to see Divinity empty it self and him that is a Worm swell and be puffed up to see the Son of God descend from Heaven and the Sons of Earth climbing on heaps of Wealth which they pile up as the old Gyants did Hills upon Hills as if they would invade that throne which he came down from and as if they also were set for the fall of many throwing every body down that but stands near them either in their way or prospect Would you see how little value all those interests that recommend this World are of to Christians see the Founder of them chuse the opposite extream Not onely to discover to us that these are no accessions to felicity This Child was the Son of God without them But to let us see that we must make the same choice too when ever any of those interests affront a Duty or solicite a good Conscience whensoever indeed they are not reconcilable with Innocence Sincerity and Ingenuity It was the want of this disposition and temper that did make the Jews reject our Saviour They could not endure to think of a Religion that would not promise them to fill their basket and to set them high above all Nations of the Earth and whose appearance was not great and splendid but look'd thin and maigre and whose Principles and Promises shew'd like the Curses of their Law call'd for sufferings and did promise persecution therefore they rejected him that brought it and so this Child was for the fall of many in Israel 2. This Child is for the fall of many by the holiness of his Religion while the strictness of the Doctrine which he brings by reason of mens great propensions to wickedness and their inability to resolve against their Vices
the Gospel Luke 4. 18. And when he comes to ordain succession he says as my Father sent me so send I you And he breathed upon them and said Receive the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 21. And after bids them tarry at Jerusalem 'till they should be endued with power from above Luk. 24. 47. That is endued with the Holy Spirit Act. 1. The present Barnabas and Saul were sent by his Commission in the Text and v. 4. And Saint Paul tells the Elders of the Churches of Asia the Holy Ghost made them overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20. 28. Timothy had his Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by immediate designation of the Holy Ghost 1 Tim. 4. 14. Clemens Rhomanus saith the Apostles out of those they had converted did ordain Bishops and Deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having first try'd them by the Holy Ghost and so taught by his revelation who should be the men And Clemens Alexandrinus says John after his return to Asia ordain'd throughout all the regions about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as were signified and design'd by the Holy Ghost So that Oeâ—â—menius pronounces in the general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishops that were made they made not inconsiderately on their own heads but such whom the Spirit did command Chrysostom said as much before and Theoplylact Nor can we doubt that he maintains his interest in this affair even at this day But that our Veni Creator Spiritus come Holy Ghost eternal God does call him to preside in these so concerning Solemnities For Christ when he commission'd his Apostles assuring them behold I am with you even to the end of the World which promise he performs only vicriâ Spiritûs prasentiâ by the presence of the Holy Ghost who is his Vicar as Tertullian expresses nor can the Spirit be with them till then but by making them be till then which being done by Ordination that Ecclesiastical procreation for so they derive themselves to the Worlds end upon the strength of that promise we may assure our selves he does assist as truly though not so visibly as when he said here separate The Ghost's concernment being thus secured I have this one thing only to suggest that they who set themselves against all separation to these Offices and Orders in and for which the Holy Ghost hath so appear'd what they be I dispute not now they â—ight against the Holy Ghost and thrust him out of that in which he hath almost signally interessed himself And they that do intitle the Spirit to this opposition do not onely make Gods Kingdom divided against it self or raise a faction in the Trinity and stir up division betwixt those Three One Persons but they set the same Person against himself and make the Holy Spirit resist the Holy Ghost You know the inference prest upon them that did this but interpretatively in the Devils Kingdom and did make Satan cast out Satan And is 't not here of force And they who make the Spirit cast out the Holy Ghost contrive as much as in them lies Gods Kingdom shall not stand I will not parallel the guilts Those Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit in his Miracles ascribing that to Beelzebub which was the immediate work of the Holy Ghost and such indeed do sin unpardonably because they sin irrecoverably for Miracles being the utmost and most manifest express wherein the Holy Ghost exerts himself they who can harden their understandings against them have left themselves no means of conviction and cannot be forgiven because they cannot be rectified or reclaimed These others do blaspheme the Spirit in his immediate inspirations and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascribing to the spirit of Antichrist all those Offices and Orders which these gifts of the Holy Ghost were power'd from Heaven immediately to qualifie for and separate to things in which he hath as signally appeared as in his Miracles and as he made these means to convince the World so he made those the Officers of doing it and set them to out last the other Now in the same nearness that these two guilts come up one towards the other just to the same degree these sin the sin against the Holy Ghost For the Holy Ghost said separate So I pass to the second to those whom this Injunction is directed to And thence I do observe in general that Notwithstanding all the interest and office that the Holy Ghost assumes in these same separations yet there is something left besides for Man to do Although he superintend they have a work in it He is the Vnction but it must be apply'd by laying on of hands I have call'd them saith he in the Text and yet to them that ministred the Holy Ghost said do ye separate I do not now examin what degree and order of men they were whom the Holy Ghost here commissions for this Office The Judgement of the Antient Church in this affair is enough known by the condemnation of Aerius and by the Fate of Ischyras and Colluthus and for the present instance in which they are call'd Doctors that are bid to do it there hath enough been said to prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Title of a Bishop to which I shall only add that it was a variation of Name that stuck by them untill Bede's age in which what Bishops signified does come under no question for he does say that Austin call'd together to the Conference Episcopos sive Doctores the Bishops or the Doctors of the Province Besides that there was then in Antioch a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the time of Claudius Emperour of Rome and of Euodius whom the Apostle Peter had ordain'd at Antioch those that before were call'd Nazarenes and Galileans were call'd Christians A thing which happen'd a little before this separation in the Text as you find Chap. 11. 26. But who they were that us'd to separate for every Execution of these holy Offices will appear from the Instances that I shall make to prove the present Observation that besides that of the Holy Ghost there was an outward call And whom soever the Spirit sent he commanded that they should have Commission from Men. And all my former Testimonies for the Holy Ghost bear witness for this too The Text is positive here was a Congè d'estire for Barnabas and Saul Timothy had his Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be designation of the Spirit 1 Tim. 4. 14. yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with laying on of hands ibid. yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the laying on of my hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. And Timothy was plac'd at Ephesus as Titus also left at Creet to ordain others in the same manner St. Paul providing for the succession of the Rite and Ceremony as well as of the Office And in St. Clement's Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit try'd but the Apostles constituted And down as low as
those that hold the truth in unrighteousness the one sort of these have some checks at sin they doubt and they demur the other sort sin merely because they would please God and offend out of zeal but the other sin because they will sin If actions lawful otherwise will make up an indictment to our condemnation don but with a doubting mind what guilt and what damnation is there in those that are undertaken against known command and present full conviction that muster up and recollect all the forementioned guilts which when they were divided did make actions so ruining at once they defy God and their own heart if he that doubts is damn'd if he eat tho what he eat were lawful to him what will become of him that eats to surfetting and knows that such things call for condemnation with what face can he blast a deceiv'd honest Heathen with his Gods who in the face of God and of all Laws in view of a believ'd hell and in despite of heaven and of his own conscience that suggests all these to him yet by frequent intemperances makes his belly his god and by uncleaness that new testament idolatry sets up as many idols as his foul heats find objects and by dishonesty and frauds serves covetousness which is idolatry They who defy their conscience thus are in the ready way to a reprobate sense the last offence that I will name When the heart gives a false judgment of things calls evil good and good evil in the Prophets words 't is not uneasy to deduce how arrive at this There is no pains bestow'd upon the education of their childhood they are made indeed to renounce the Devil the evil Spirit is exorcis'd out of that hold he had of them on the account of being born children of wrath but no provision for the Holy Spirit taken care of rather all that 's possible is don to grieve him thence and so the evil one returns finds the house emty and takes to him seven spirits worse than himself and they dwell there or to speak out of parable there are no principles of virtue planted in them no labor us'd to make impressions of Religion and the fear of God the sense of duty aversation to all vice but as far as conversation with example of all lewdness can have influence they are bred and fitted for the Temter and when they and temtations are grown up it is no wonder if they tast then swallow down the bait and so are taken then they get to themselves principles that may stop the mouth of natural conscience either Religion do's not mean so strictly or against the strictness they oppose the custome of the age or honor or the like and these together with the conversations of sin do clean take off the aversation and so by degrees the sense the mind first leaves to be afraid and startle at it and then leaves to check at it and having don this long the custome stupifies the conscience and makes the sins seem necessary to them and they cannot be without them and the absolute necessity makes them conceit them little sins and in a while no sins at all stick not to say those terrors Clergy-men do talk of are but Mormo's but religious spectres We have this daily experience that loosness in practice quickly grows into irreligion in heart that they who with all might and main do long resist the power of Godliness do at last proceed to cast off even the very form and they who would not receive the love of the truth but did prefer the satisfaction of their humors prejudices passions lusts before the doctrine of piety and virtue tho it came with the greatest evidence of reasonableness that such I say are given over to strong delusions to believe lies even lies of so eternal unhappy a consequence as this that virtue and religion are but emty names that conscience is but prejudice such are those St Paul describes 1 Tim. 4. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of branded consciences Now we use to account that person infamous that 's branded onely in his hand or forehead but these are men of stigmatiz'd hearts there is a brand upon their soul and conscience and you will find some other characters upon them there they depart from the faith they give heed to seducing Spirits lay out for a Religion that will give them hopes of safety tho they sin on and to doctrines of Devils fit Scholars for such Tutors seeds of a blessed education they have that have such Instructors and such they have whose consciences are branded and the whole progress of their wickedness you will find Rom. 1. from v. 18. because they hold the truth in unrighteousness join'd impious lives with the profession of the true Religion were vicious in despite of their own understandings which told them they should not be so upon which great proficiency in guilt v. 24. God withdrew his grace left them to the pursuit of all their foul desires permetted them to break out into all reproachfull villanies sins that were violences contumelies to their nature yea v. 28. because they acted perfectly against all notions they had of God he gave them up to that abominable state of mind to have no sense of guilt to have a judgment so perverted as not to think things of the most forbidden and most detestable nature to be foul and then see what a shole of consequents break in from v. 29. feind vices things that do not onely merit hell but possess enjoy and make the place These are the entertainments of those Regions but none more essential than those v. 32. they not onely commit those things but have pleasure in those that do them do not onely favor themselves in the transgressions for to that men may have some temtation from the flesh but to evince their understandings are debauch'd their consciences corrupted and that they are of a reprobate mind they take pleasure in others committing them from which they have no pleasure can enjoy nothing but the villany of being glad that others are debauch'd and vitiated this recommends men to them And truly now I have no words for them they do outgo expression I may apply that which the Psalmist saith of the fool in his heart there is no God I am sure there is none in theirs that will not let his Deputy be there not suffer conscience his Vicegerent to be within them and it were well if they could exclude it for ever But alas when their sins and pleasures shall begin to die then conscience will revive and be their worm that never dies however they have stupifi'd it here then it will gnaw eternally then oh that they could have no conscience no sting no lash but it will be an immortal feind to them and that which they so much trample on now will then be their great hell And now I can prescribe no exercise will remove this offence when
which he found death from till we labor under that which he sunk under we have no regard of his mercies to us but renounce all relation to him and close with his mortal enimy and cannot then hope to be received by him And thus you have the reason why these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the onely fit persons to be invited by him because till we are so we cannot truly come unto him depend upon him and till we are so we are not fit to be received by him And now for application But what cannot we truly come til we find our selves to be heavy laden till we labor and are tired and wearied with iniquity We see the perverse conditions of man whom nothing but misery can perswade to Heaven Heaven is no bait tho it prostitute all its glories Happiness is a word that hath no musick in it the pleasures with which God entertained himself from all eternity have no temtation in them compared to those of sin Come unto me is not an invitation till we labor till we find our selves perishing in our choice ruined in those sins we have embraced we never will uncling nor come to Christ we must have our happiness inflicted on us and be goaded into bliss But then 2. Learn hence how willing Christ is to have us come to him when he makes use of Hell not to punish onely them that will not come but to drive us to come to him Had it not bin enough for him to set before us life and death and bid us take our choice No he knows our blind and unadvised appetites would chuse the guilt poison the painted the pleasant death and make a Covenant with Hell and therefore he lets us feel part of that Hell to fright us and yet then receives us To force us to love ease he lets us travel under the burdens of our own desiring and yet after that invites us to rest he do's not onely accept them whose choice he is not but refuge when as he might reject us You would none of me but chose weight load and labor go and look for ease thence But alas if I should bid you seek refreshment from your pleasant sins what comfort would you find when you are tired with those sins and the pleasures of them do forsake you and leave you nothing but the stings and horror of the after expectations No no come to me yet I will receive you after all your refusals and tho you come to me but as to a last hold having nothing else to trust to tho you have already tri'd all other and slighted me you shall yet be welcome my pierced side is yet open to receive all of you that will yet come and let you into my very heart my arms are yet as wide as on the Cross at their full length to take you into their embraces Ah my Brethren Christ doth not send us back to our beloved miseries when we come to him but he makes those miseries a part of his Rhetoric to invite us uses our labour and weariness to perswade us to come makes those burdens the indearment of and provocation to his ease and Hell it self a part of his wooing And how will he receive and embrace us who doth thus desire and court us The story of the Prodigal is hugely evictive of this and so indulgent that it would almost invite a man to sin but then it do's far more invite a man that will repent him of his sin to be secure of God's acceptance He that had so villanously betraied his Father's dearness to his own beastliness and ruin to whom all kindness would seem lost and to receive him in again and to assist him would be but to encourage him and to furnish him for a return back to the prodigalities of sin and to the former riots of iniquity yet when he do's repent he do's obtain far more than he desires he is received to feast and bosom is entertain'd much more than the first born and had he never gon away he had not bin so dear Do but consult the story Luke 15. When weary and fainting under the burden of himself which his languishing spirits were scarce able to sustain he came at last to himself v. 17. and began to wonder that he chose to stay with husks with famine rather than to go to daily plenty and chose to dwell in the unclean uncomfortable company of swine before his Father's houshold and then strait to think of leaving that condition and society and to resolve on a return When he began to put those resolutions into act and his impotent starv'd limbs would scarce serve his desires at least he was unable to make hast in the pursuit of his intentions for he was yet a great way off v. 20. yet then his Father had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him His compassions did not keep state or stand expecting till his ungracious son should come and humble himself and deprecate and beg but he ran to meet him and made far greater hast to receive and entertain than the other could do to be received and as if the humiliations or weaknesses had bin on his side he fell at least the impotencies of his affection did vie with those of the others condition for he fell on his neck and kissed him And whereas his repenting son did resolve to become prostrate and low in condition as well as posture I will go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned before heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants v. 18 19. I dare not hope for favor from any tie of nature which I have broken all I do not beg thy kindness as the issue of thy Relation but as the wages of my labor I will serve for thy affections and let me have it as the hire of my repentance and endeavors but 't was enough it seems to have resolv'd thus lowly in earnest for when he comes to act it v. 21. as he had said I am unworthy to be called thy son his Father cuts him off and calls for the best Robe and for a Ring and for the fatted Calf will not let him so much as beg to be a servant but if he once acknowledge himself unworthy for a son he puts him strait in such an equipage as he may owne him in with credit in the best Robe and he rejoyces quickens and sets out his joy with Feasts and Music Now saith Tertullian Quis ille nobis intelligendus Pater What Father is this in the story Why certainly 't is God No one so much a Father no one so compassionate if the Sinner once come to himself as the prodigal son is said to do for while he do's go on he is indeed beside himself and in a fit and when he has collected sober thoughts about him and do's compare his wanting husks with the
his Body and his Bloud is he himself Therefore thou didst receive him as verily as thou didst those and if the Sacramental food be thine then Christ is thine and thou maist say my God My Brethren it was the Bloud of Christ that purchased all the glorious mercies of the Gospel all the blessed expectations of a Christian that was the price of all the joys of Heaven that reconciled God to us bought us an interest in him and the happy enjoyments of himself for us and then if in the Sacrament Christ do give me his bloud when I can shew God that bring him the price of the remission of my sins the value of those glories even the bloud of Jesus come with the purchase-money in my hands that bought my interest in God cannot I say those are mine my Heaven and my God Yea when I can say O Lord Christ whom I have undertaken to obey my God whom I have vowed to serve and worship thou art even my flesh for there I ate thy flesh and thou becamest flesh of my flesh Thou art the portion of my cup when thy very bloud doth fill full my cup and so thou art my flesh and my bloud then surely I may say with Thomas here my Lord and my God O Holy and Eternal Savior who art made both Lord and Christ and by thy Resurrection didst manifest the Omnipotency of thy person the truth of thy Promises and open a way to the everlasting glory and salvation which thou hast prepared for them that give themselves up to serve and worship thee their Lord and God pour down that blessed influence of this thy Resurrection on our hearts in raising us from the death of sin to the life of Righteousness Be thou our Lord and Christ ruling us by thy laws saving us by thy grace and by thy Spirit applying the mercies of thy death and so making us partakers of thy Resurrection therein turning us from our iniquities hereafter in raising us to Glory O Lord we have this day made a Covenant of this with thee and signed the Articles of it in the bloud of our God swore to them at the Altar give us grace we beseech thee to use the strictest care and watchfulness in our endeavors to perform with thee Regard not how we have in times past onely mock'd thee sacredly in these performances O let it from this day be otherwise We have bin onely on a stage of Religion when we are at our devoutest performances and having turn'd our backs unto the Church turn'd them also to our duty put off the vizards of Religion and we untired our selves of all our Piety almost as soon as the exercises of it were don and howsoever we tied our selves our froward wills have bin too strong for all our obligations and burst out of them broke all thy bonds asunder and cast away thy cords from us altho we tied them with all things that were most solemn and most sacred vows and oaths and tied them before the body of our crucified Lord and Savior with the body and bloud of Christ in our hands as if we had no other desires no other cares that should do us good than as we were careful to keep those resolutions and vows and yet O Lord we did let them instantly loosen and slack pass by and fail Yea we did break them wilfully and would not be held in by thine or our own bonds O Lord if thou look upon us in this guilt sure thou wilt have no more to do with us such false and perjured vow-breakers But O look upon us in thine own bloud which thou hast bid us pour out still to establish and renew our Covenant with thee and let this Covenant wherein we have now taken thee to be our Lord and God and taken thee who art so in us remain inviolable be there then with thy Power and Autority subdue our hearts and our desires and bring them under the obedience of thy laws Thou that art God Almighty that didst conquer Death and Satan bring it to pass that none of them prevail against thee now in our Souls where thou art but use thy strength O Lord to drive their power thence that thy servants and thy people may not be enslaved to corruption and ruin nor thy Enimy gain souls from thee which thou hast purchased with thy bloud that we having attain'd thee for our Lord and God may claim the privileges of thy People here have the watches and cares and securities that thou laiest out upon thy Treasures and the Jewels of thy Crown and by thy body and thy bloud being made one with thee and thou being ours all things may be ours thy grace here and thy joys hereafter thy Spirit may be ours and thy Heaven ours and we in thee and thou in us may all enjoy thy Kingdom Power and Glory for ever SERMON XIII THE BELIEVERS CONCERN to pray for Faith Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help thou my Vnbelief WHICH are the words of a poor parent passionately earnest and afflicted sadly for his child that from his infancy had bin tormented miserably by a Devil for which having sought help every way but finding none no not from Christ's Disciples at last he repairs to him himself beseeching him to have compassion on him and if he were able to relieve him To whom Christ replies that if he could believe then he could work the miracle and help his child all things being possible to be don for him that could believe but nothing otherwise whereupon strait way the father of the child cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief In which words we have first the necessary Qualification that is to make all that had ever heard of Christ capable of having any benefit from Christ that is belief in him I believe And since Christ hath made this qualification absolutely necessary and by consequence must be suppos'd to have provided means sufficient to work in us that belief that he requires so peremtorily we shall then In the second place enquire how it comes to pass that they so often fail that men do either not believe or their Faith is so weak that much unbelief do's mix with it as in our Confessor here in the Text who tho he did profess he did believe yet withal acknowledges his unbelief And thirdly to prevent and remedy all that here is discovered whither we are to betake our selves for help and where alone 't is possible to find it and that is Christ himself who alone is able to repair in us whatever degree of true belief is wanting in us Lord help thou my unbelief and how he do's repair it And fourthly when it is repair'd to that due height what that degree is can make us capable of those benefits which he hath promis'd to bestow on true Believers and whether such believers can say with our man here I believe yet say too Help my unbelief First of
the disturbance of his Faith as I declar'd convincing it that conscience is not to accuse or else excuse but by the measures of sincerity or insincerity in known real duty not from the events or dispensations of God's providence on one side nor on the other in little things wherein there is no Law to guide us and which onely prejudice or seduction can make doubtful assuring us the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink indifferent rites but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Thus as St Paul says Heb. 6. 4. they that have tasted of the heavenly gift the comfort of the pardon of their sins and consequent to that the peace of Conscience and v. 5. tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come have intimate experimental relish of the Gospel-promises those powers of heaven those omnipotent forces God hath prepar'd to cast down every reasoning or imagination that should rise against the Christian Doctrine and bring every thought to the obedience of it 2 Cor. 10. 5. All which are said to be effected there in them who had bin made partakers of the Holy Ghost By these means therefore he enflames the Will sets it all on fire with ardent love to God and his rewards and consequently to his service in all the works of Piety and Virtue and endued with firm and setled resolutions of adhering to him in faithful constant practice of all this And thus Christ by his Spirit as he was the Author the Beginner of the faith by which he is stil'd Heb. 12. 2. so by the same he is the Finisher and the completer of it He was the Author as that Testimony which the Spirit gave by miracles did evince the infallible certainty and the Divinity of the doctrine to the world for the Spirit is said to bear witness to it by those signs and wonders Heb. 2. 3. and those signs are called the demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. that which did irrefragably prove and demonstrate all the Doctrine of the Gospel and make certain Faith of it and in this sense it is that Faith is truly said to be resolv'd into the testimony of the Spirit So also by the same he is the Finisher by the graces the preventings and excitings overshadowings and assistings of that Spirit working in us as we shew'd a firm sincere adherence to that Faith and the obedience of it which when it is wrought Faith hath attain'd that height and in that degree that is to make us capable of those benefits which Christ hath promis'd to bestow on true believers The last thing I was to shew and withal whether such Believers in that true degree can say with our man here Lord I believe yet say too help my unbelief Faith as the Son of Syrach does define it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the principle of cleaving to God that which knits joints us to him and St Paul saith as much when he makes the formality of an evil heart of unbelief to consist in departing from the living God and to Faith by which the just must live opposes drawing back slinking away for fear of danger or affliction Heb. 10. 38. So that according as that cleaving and adherency must be firm and indissoluble so we are to judge of Faith But secondly 't is certain this adherency must be without waverings James 1. 6 7. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering for let not that man him that wavers think that he shall receive any thing at the hands of God A firm and infallible assurance of God's promises a confident expectation of a grant to his petitions tho the power of Praier be almost omnipotent on that account What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Mark 11. 24. yet those are not meant by Faith here for the person that is bid not to expect a grant is here suppos'd to think and to be confident he shall receive it but the Praier here spoken to is for wisdom how to behave ones self in times of chance and danger or affliction for the truth's sake in these trials of his Faith v. 3. Now that he may obtain that wisdom he is bid to ask for it of God but he is also bid to ask it in faith nothing wavering i. e. he must come to God for it with firm adherence to him with dependance on him onely and a mind resolv'd whatever happens to stick fast to him and his commands and methods not to labor or accept deliverance on terms not allow'd by God and a good Conscience must not waver betwixt duty and security nor be double minded so as to apply now to Christ and Religion now to worldly carnal politics Such double minded men that have a mind to God and their duty but a mind also to safety interest or some other satisfaction are unstable are divided betwixt two not knowing which to turn to now taking one now the other do not stick to God they are not faithful It is not sound Faith where there is not a resolv'd and setled cleaving such false-hearted wavering ulcerates and gangrenes all But then thirdly where there is that firm sincere adherency to God and duty with such a dependance on him there is Faith that is effectual to the ends of Faith for this is true Faith that works and is consummated by love and that begets an efficacious Hope by that hope works out the purifying of our selves as God is pure and consequently does entitle us to see God i. e. to the beatifick Vision I know there are some who besides this certainty of adherence do require an absolute certainty of evidence affirming there is no true Faith but such as stands on a clear resolution into Principles more evident and certain than those Propositions are which are made out to us by Demonstration than any Principles of Sciences which Principles since they are more necessary than that first one that which is is and the contrary to them more impossible than for the same thing that is to be and not to be at the same time while it is by consequence they cannot but infuse greater necessity and certainty into our Faith than there is in the knowledg of those Propositions so that 't is impossible for him that is a true Believer to say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief I shall not put it to the question whether the Rule of Faith be firm and immovable or the Principle which true Belief must be resolved into is most infallible and necessary for all those which resolve their Faith into God's Revelation and that make his Word the Rule must needs assert all that and where it is affirm'd that the motives laid in second Causes by God's Providence to perswade men to embrace the faith must be such as of their own nature cannot fail to conclude points true if they mean
as in its Persecutions that did it self enjoyn as hard and cruel things to flesh and bloud as they that hated it inflicted the duties and the punishments equally seem executed on its followers and a Religion whose performances had no retributions here but fatal ones no otherwise rewarded but with fire and faggot and whose after-promises were most incredible Those works that could produce all this had certainly Omnipotent conviction in them sure we are there must be prodigy of Miracle either in the causes or in the effect And yet the Scribes and Pharisees are not wrought on by them Their carnal Prejudices would not be removed not by the Finger of God The mean and despicable and as to all their worldly expectations and affections the unsatisfying condition of our Saviour had so clouded all his Works and their own pride so blinded them that they could see no argument in Miracle Now 't is the Devil that God of the World that hath the power of its Glories and the managery of its temptations who by raising these affections dazles so and blinds the minds of men that they should not believe S. Paul affirms it And 't is plain that unbelief is no one's Interest but Satan's For it is not Man's Not the vertuous man's certainly He 's concern'd as much as Happiness amounts to to believe there is a God whose cares and Providence watch over him whose Ears and Arms are open to him whose Bowels yearn for him whose Blood did purchase him whose everlasting Blessednesses do await him 'T is his Interest to trust that Vertue which the World so scorns or pities was yet worthy God should be Incarnated to teach it die to purifie us into it and will raise us up again to crown it Neither is this Unbelief Man's real Interest abstracting from these prejudices of Religion For if it were Man's real Interest then it were every man's wisest course to pursue that Interest But if every man did so and should persuade himself into Infidelity and that Religion and a Deity were but dreams or artifices and so arrive so far as to have no fear of God nor sense of Honesty or Vertue the whole World must needs return into the first confusions of its Chaos Villany and Rapine would have right When those Mounds are thrown down there is nothing that can hinder but that every man may lawfully break in upon and invade every thing There is no fence to guard thy Coffers nor thy Bed no not thy very Breast Rather indeed there can be nothing thine This is 't is true Leviathan's state of Nature and 't is so indeed with the Leviathans of Sea and Land the wild Beasts of the Deep and of the Desart But to prevent the necessary and essential mischiefs of this state amongst us Men he will have Nature to have taught us to make Pacts and Oaths But if there 's no such things as Vertue or Religion then there is no Obligation to keep Pacts or Oaths And why should he observe them that can safely break them Here it is indeed that Doctrine ends to this their Infidelity does tend And therefore 't is no Interest of States or Princes This the Atheist will confess Gods and Religions he says were invented for the meer necessities of Governours who could not be secure without those higher Obligations and these after-fears And are they not kind Subjects then who by promoting Atheism labour to break down that fence which themselves account necessary Or are they not good rational Discoursers too who labour to throw out a thing as false and vain because 't is necessary So necessary sure that they who weaken these bonds of Religion quite dissolve those of Allegiance all whose Sinews are made of those Sacred Ties which if you untwist the other Cords are burst as easily as threads of Cobweb Nay these Doctrines lay Principles that justifie Rebellion and King-killing Nor if there 's no such thing as Vertue or Religion then those are no Crimes And it is no wonder Treason hath been loved when Blasphemy hath been so They that hear men droll on God Almighty raille their Maker and buffoon with Him will quickly learn to speak with little reverence of their Superiours There 's no Kingdom but the Devil 's that can have support from Infidelity 't is the Interest of that indeed His work goes more securely on when there are no Religious apprehensions to check it Allow'd Vice cannot be at ease if it but think those things are true It is the infinite concern of wickedness that the Laws of Vertue and Religion should be onely Spiders webbs Snares for innocent and lesser Flies while venomous Spiders can pass safely through them and the Wasps can burst them are Entanglements onely for the Weak the Phlegmatick and Hypochondriack and that there should be no God that can bring them to an after-reckoning They that flatter and betray that hug and then trip up or that plot villanies and ruines under fair and godly vizards must needs be unwilling to believe that there is one who tries the reins and seâ—rches hearts and that will render every one according to his works The Drunkard who nor must nor can keep the remembrance of his Cups cannot endure to apprehend he must be call'd to an account of them The man whose Lust prevents the Grave that putrefies alive and drops by piece-meal into rotten dust ere he return to Earth must needs be loth that there should be a Resurrection to collect the scatter'd the soul atomes of his Sin and his Disease and shew them at that dread Tribunal before God his holy Angels and Mankind Such as these are the onely men that are concern'd against Religion Here we see whose Interest such promote who promote Infidelity And truly 't is so much the Devil's Interest that by those very measures that he weakens Faith he strengthens every sort of Wickedness By the steps and degrees of Infidelity men ascend towards the heights of sin And when they have surmounted all Religious apprehensions then they are upon the Precipice of Vice When the Flood-gates are remov'd the Torrent must break in impetuously For what is there that can hinder nothing certainly if present Interest be not able But 't is plain that Thieves and Murtherers and Rebels in fine every one whom we call Sinners do pursue that which they account their present Interest That therefore if there were no other would not be sufficient since the Devil does make use of that to work with under Infidelity This indeed he batters makes his spreading ruins with Therefore S. Paul calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit that works in filiis diffidentiae saith the Vulgar In the Vnbelievers so it bears in filiis insuasibilitatis in the men that will not be persuaded to believe In these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Possess'd and agitated by him 't is he spirits what they do their actions
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mind earthly things the fourth sort in whicâ— all their wisdom lies Which two last sorts of Enemies I shall attaque together The Cross of Christ amongst its other ends was set to be an instrument whereby the World is to be Crucified to us and we unto the World to be the means whereby we are enabled to prevail upon and overcome our worldly lusts and inclinations and to sleight yea and detest all the temptations of its Wealth Delights and Heights when they attempt to draw us into sin or take us off from Duty Now to this it works by these three steps First shewing us the Author and the finisher of our Faith nailed himself to that Cross his joints rack'd on it his whole Body strip'd and nothing else but Vinegar and bitter potions allow'd his thirst and thus convincing us that if we will be his Disciples we must take up his Cross and follow him at leastwise we must have preparedness of mind to take it up when ever it is fix'd to Duty to renounce all profits honours and delights of this World that are not consistent with our Christian profession This is the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ it being otherwise impossible to to be the Disciples of a Crucified Master And when this great Captain of our Salvation was himself consecrated by his sufferings and had for his Standard his own Body lifted up upon the Cross we that are listed under him and with that very badg the Cross too crucis Consecranei Votaries and fellow Soldiers of that Order if we shall avoid our Duty when it is attended with a Cross or straitned any ways and the provisions of this World are cut off from it and betake our selves rather to the contents of Earth we do not onely shamefully fly from our Colours Fugitive and Cowards Poltrons in the Spiritual Warfare but are Renegadoes false and traytours to our selves too such as basely ran away not onely from our Officer but from Salvation which he is the Captain of and which we cannot possibly attain except we be resolv'd to follow him and charge through whatsoever disadvantages to attend Religion vanquishing all those temptations with which the World assaults us in our course to Duty Thus the Cross of Christ first shews us the necessity we have to renounce and Crucifie the World But to encourage and enable us to do so it does also shew us Secondly The certainty of a good issue in the doing it assures us that those who deny themselves forbidden satisfactions here that will be vertuous maugre all the baits and threats of Earth will embrace Duty when it is laden with a Cross although so heavy as to crush out life and kill the body assures us that those lose not but exchange their lives shall save their Souls and that there is another World wherein their losses shall be made up to them and repaired with all advantage To the truth of this the Cross of Christ is a most pregnant and infallible testimony For as by multitudes of Miracles Christ sought to satisfie the World that he was sent from God to promise all this and justified his Power to perform it by experiment raising some up from the dead so when they said he did his Miracles by Beelzebub he justified it â—urther with his Life affirming that he was the Son of God no 't is impossible but he must know whether he were or no and consequently sent and able to do all he promised and resolv'd to do it also for our more assurance in himself that he would raise himself up from the dead within three days and saying this when he was sure he should be Crucified for saying so and sure that if he did not do according to his words he must within three days appear a meer Impostor to the world and his Religion never be receiv'd Now 't is impossible for him that must needs know whether all this were true or no to give a greater testimony to it than his Life For this that Bloud and Water that flowed from his wounded side upon Cross which did assure his Death is justly said to bear witness to his being the Son of God and consequently to the truth of all this equal to the testimony of the Spirit whether that which the Spirit gave when he came from Heaven down upon him in his Baptism or the testimony which he gave by Miracle for there are three that bear witness upon Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood Thus by his Death Christ did bring Life and Immortality to light his choosing to lay down his own life for asserting of the truth of all this was as great an argument to prove it as his raising others from the dead and Lazarus's empty Monument and walking Grave-cloaths were not better evidence than this Cross of Christ. 4. Once more this Cross not onely proves the certainty of a future state but does demonstrate the advantage of it and assures us that it is infinitely much more eligible to have our portion in the life to come than in this life That to part with every thing that is desireable in this World rather than to fail of those joys that are laid up in the other that to be poor here or to be a spoyl to renounce or to disperse my wealth that so I may lay up treasures for my self in Heaven and may be rich to God never to taste any one of these puddle transient delights rather than to be put from that right hand where there are pleasures for evermore to be thrown down from every height on Earth if so I may ascent those everlasting Hills and Mount Sion that is above that this is beyond all proportion the wisest course it does demonstrate since it shews us him who is the Son of God who did create all these advantages of Earth and prepare those in Heaven and does therefore know them both Who also is the Wisdom of the Father and does therefore know to value them yet for the joys that were set before him choosing to endure the Cross and despising the shame On that Beam he weigh'd them and by that his choice declar'd the Pomps of this World far too light for that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory that the whole earth was but as the dust upon the Ballance and despis'd it and to make us do so is both the Design and direct influence of the Cross of Christ. But as at first the Wise men of this World did count the Preaching of the Cross meer folly to give up themselves to the belief and the obedience of a man that was most infamously Crucified and for the sake of such an one to renounce all the satisfactions suffer all the dire things of this Life and in lieu of all this onely expect some after Blessednesses and Salvations from a man that they thought could not save himself seemed to them most ridiculous So truly