Duty enjoined Strive to enter in at the strait gate Which words being Metaphorical I shall strip them of the Metaphor that so we may see the plain meaning of them Now by this Metaphor or rather Allegory these Three Things are plainly intended 1 st The Course of a Holy and Christian Life in order to the obtaining of Eternal Happiness is here represented to us by a way which every Man that would come to Heaven must walk in For so St. Matth. who expresseth this more fully makes mention of a way as well as a gate by which we must enter into it Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to Life And this tho' it be not express'd by St. Luke is necessarily understood Strive to enter in by the strait gate that is into the way that leads to life 2 dly The first Difficulties of a Holy and Religious Course of Life are here represented to us by a strait Gate For the Gate at which we enter and the way in which we walk can signifie nothing else but the beginning and progress of a Holy and Religious Course 3 dly Our Diligence and Constancy in this Course are represented by striving a word which hath a great Force and Emphasis in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor taken from the earnest Contention which was used in the Olympick Games by those who strove for Mastery in running or wrestling or any of the other Exercises which were there used Secondly Here is a Reason added to enforce the Exhortation or Duty for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able that is there are a great many that will do something in Christianity and make some faint attempts to get to Heaven who yet shall fall short of it for want of such a firm Resolution and Earnestness of Endeavour as is necessary to the attaining of it Having thus explained the Words I shall take occasion from the first part of them namely the Duty or Exhortation to handle these three Points very useful for us to consider and to be well instructed in 1 st The Difficulties of a Holy and Christian Course 2 dly The firm Resolution and earnest Endeavour that is required on our part for the conquering of these Difficulties 3 dly That these Difficulties are not so great and insuperable as to be a just Discouragement to our Endeavours if we will strive we may master them First The Difficulties of a Holy and Christian Course And these are either from our selves or from something without us 1. From our selves from the Original Corruption and Depravation of our Nature and the power of evil Habits and Customs contracted by vicious Practices Our Natures are vitiated and depraved inclined to evil and impotent to good besides that being habituated to Sin and Vice it is a matter of infinite Difficulty to break off a Custom and to turn the course of our Life another way Now because this is the difficulty of our first Entrance into Religion it is represented by a strait Gate which is hard to get through 2. There are likewise other difficulties from without as namely the Opposition and Persecution of the World which was very raging and violent in the first beginnings of Christianity And this our Saviour represents by the ruggedness and roughness of the Way as St. Matth. expresseth it Chap. 7.14 Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confragosa est via so Grotius renders it the Way is craggy full of Afflictions and Troubles So that these are the two great Difficulties in a Christian Course Indisposition from within and Opposition from without 1. Indisposition from within And this makes Religion so much the more difficult because it checks us at our very first Entrance upon our Christian Course and makes us unwilling to set out The Corruption of our Nature and those vicious Habits which by a long custom of Sin we have contracted do strongly encline us the contrary way so that a Man must offer great Force and Violence to himself that will conquer this Difficulty It is one of the hardest things in the World to break off a vicious Habit and to get loose from the Tyranny of Custom The Prophet Jeremiah speaks of it as next to a natural Impossibility chap. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil This requires great Striving indeed Nothing shows the Spirit and Resolution of a Man more than to contend with an inveterate Habit for in this case a Man strives against the very bent and inclination of his Soul and 't is easier to set a Man against all the World than to make him fight with himself and yet this every Man must do who from any wicked course of Life betakes himself seriously to Religion he must as it were lay violent Hands upon himself and fight with the Man he was before and this in Scripture is emphatically exprest to us by crucifying the old Man with the Affections and Lusts thereof A Christian when he first enters upon a Holy and good Course of life is represented as two Persons or Parties at civil Wars one with another the Old and the New Man So that whoever will be a Christian must put off himself and become another Man and 't is no easie matter for a Man to quit himself 2. In our Christian Course we must likewise expect to meet with great Opposition from without Blessed be God Christianity hath generally been for many Ages free from this Difficulty which attended the first Profession of it it was then indeed a very steep and craggy way very rough and thorny not to be travelled in without Sweat and Blood then the Dangers and Hazards of that Profession were such as were not to be encountred by a mere moral Resolution and the natural Strength of Flesh and Blood the Persecution that attended it was so hot and the Torments which threatned it so terrible that the sensual and inconsiderate part of Mankind would rather venture Hell at a distance than run themselves upon so present and evident a Danger But since these Ages of Persecution this Difficulty hath been in a great measure removed Not but that the true Religion hath still its Enemies in the world but they are not let loose as they were in those times It is still persecuted and exposed to the Malice and Reproach but not to the Rage and Fury of unreasonable Men. In the calmest times there is hardly any Man can be a strict and sincere Christian without being liable to Hatred and Contempt without denying himself many of those worldly Advantages which those who make no Conscience of the strict Laws of Christianity may make to themselves so that at all times it requires a good degree of Constancy and Resolution to persevere in a Holy Course and to bear up against the Opposition of the
before Few are so impartial as to quit those things which they have once laid great weight upon and kept a great stir about because this is to acknowledge that they were in an Error and mistaken in their Zeal which few have the ingenuity to own tho' it be never so plain to others and therefore it is no wonder that our Saviour's Doctrine met with so much resistance from those who were so much concern'd in point of Honour and Reputation to make head against it And this account our Saviour himself gives us of their Infidelity John 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which cometh of God only And Chap. 12.43 For they loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God And besides the point of Reputation those that were Rich were concerned in point of Interest to oppose our Saviour and his Doctrine because he call'd upon Men to deny themselves and to part with Houses and Lands yea and life it self for his sake and for the Gospel's which must needs be a very hard and unpleasant Doctrine to Rich Men who had great Estates and had set their Hearts upon them Upon this Account it is that our Saviour pronounceth it so hard for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God and compares it with those Things that are most difficult and Humanly impossible I say unto you it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God But now the Poor were free from these Incumbrances and Temptations they had nothing to lose and therefore our Saviour's Doctrine went down more easily with them because it did not contradict their Interest as it did the Interest of those who had great Estates and Possessions Secondly Another Reason of this is that those that are Poor and enjoy little of the good things of this Life are willing to entertain good News of Happiness in another Those who are in a state of present Misery and Suffering are glad to hear that it shall be well with them hereafter and are willing to listen to the good News of a future Happiness and therefore our Saviour when he had pronounced the Poor Blessed Luke 6.20 He adds by way of Opposition v. 24. But wo unto you that are rich for ye have received your Consolation They were in so comfortable a Condition at present that they were not much concerned what should become of them hereafter whereas all the Comfort that Poor Men have is the hopes of a better Condition non si male nunc olim sic erit that if it be bad now it will not be so always and therefore no wonder if the Promises and Assurance of a future Happiness be very welcome to them Thirdly If by the Poor we do not only understand those who were in a low and mean Condition as to the Things of this World but such likewise as had a Temper and Disposition of Mind suitable to the Poverty of their outward Condition which our Saviour calls Poverty of Spirit by which he means Meekness and Humility there is no doubt but that such a Frame and Temper of Spirit is a great Disposition to the receiving of Truth And that this is included in the Notion of Poverty is very plain both from the Words of the Prophecy I cited before Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings to the meek and to bind up the broken-hearted and likewise from our Saviour's Description of these Persons in one of the Evangelists Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God So that by the Poor who are so nearly disposed to receive the Gospel our Saviour intended those who being in a poor and low Condition in Respect of outward Things were likewise meek and humble in their Spirits Now Meekness and Humility are great Dispositions to the entertaining of Truth These Graces and Virtues do prepare the Minds of Men for Learning and Instruction Meekness and Modesty and Humility are the proper Dispositions of a Scholar He that hath a mean Opinion of himself is ready to learn of others he who is not blinded by Pride or Passion is more apt to consider things impartially and to pass a truer Judgment upon them than the Proud and the Passionate Passion and Pride are great Obstacles to the receiving of Truth and to our Improvement in Knowledge Passion does not only darken the Minds of Men but puts a false Biass upon our Judgments which draws them off many times from Truth and sways them that way which our Passion inclines them A Man of a calm and meek Temper stands always indifferent for the receiving of Truth and holds the Ballance of his Judgment even but Passion sways and inclines it one way and that commonly against Truth and Reason So likewise Pride is a great Impediment to Knowledge and the very worst Quality that a Learner can have it obstructs all the Passages whereby Knowledge should enter into us it makes Men refuse Instruction out of a Conceit they need it not Many Men might have known more had it not been for the vain Opinion which they have entertained of the sufficiency of their Knowledge This is true in all kinds of Learning but more especially as to the Knowledge of Divine things For God loves to communicate himself and bestow his Grace and Wisdom upon meek and humble Minds So the Scripture tells us Psal 25.9 The Meek will be guide in Judgment and the Meek will he teach his Ways And 1 Pet. 5.5 Be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth Grace to the humble And thus I have shewn in what Respects the Poor were more disposed for the receiving the Gospel than others I proceed now to the Second Thing namely What those Prejudices and Objections are which the World had against our Saviour and his Religion at their first Appearance as also to enquire into those which Men have at this Day against the Christian Religion and to shew the Weakness and Unreasonableness of them I begin First With those Prejudices which the World had against our Saviour and his Religion at their first Appearance Both Jews and Gentiles were offended at him and his Doctrine but not both upon the same account They both took Exceptions at him especially at his low and suffering Condition but not both upon the same Reason I shall begin with the Exceptions which the Jews took against our blessed Saviour and his Religion and I shall reduce them all or at least the most considerable of them as I find them dispersed in the History of the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles to these Six Heads First The Exceptions which they took against him upon account of his Extraction and Original Secondly At the Meanness of his Condition contrary to
is the governing Principle of corrupt Nature And the Reason of this is plain because that Principle in worldly and sensual men which pursues earthly things is in those who are unregenerate entire and undivided and consequently the Affections and Inclinations of the whole man do all tend one way and run out towards those things in a full and undivided Stream Whereas good Men are but regenerate in part and tho' they have a principle of spiritual Life in them yet their Affections are divided and there is a great struggling and conflict between flesh and Spirit and it is a great while before the spiritual Principle doth clearly prevail and get a perfect Victory over our sensual Appetites and Inclinations Mens Affections to the world are entire and unbroken and therefore they pursue these things with all their might But the best men are but good in part and that heavenly Principle which is in them is very much hindred in its Operations by a contrary Principle our earthly and sensual Inclinations which are hardly ever perfectly subdu'd and brought under in this world 3 dly The worldly man's Faith and Hope and Fear of present and sensible things is commonly stronger than a good man's Faith and Hope and Fear of things future and eternal Now Faith and Hope and Fear are the great Principles which govern and bear sway in the actions and lives of men If a man be once firmly persuaded of the reality of a thing and that it is good for him and possest with good hopes of obtaining it and great fears and apprehensions of the Danger of missing it this man may almost be put upon any thing The Merchant trafficks and the Husbandman plows and sows in Faith and Hope because he is convinced that Bread is necessary to the support of Life and hopes that God will so bless his Labours that he shall reap the fruit of them and plainly sees that if he do not take this Pains he must starve But how few are there that believe and hope and fear concerning the things of another world as the Children of this world do concerning the things of this world If any man asks me how I know this I appeal to Experience it is plain and visible in the Lives and Actions and Endeavours of men Good men are seldom so effectually and throughly perswaded of the Principles of Religion and the truth of the Sayings contained in the holy Scriptures as the men of the world are of their own Sayings and Proverbs Men do not believe that Honesty is the best Policy or as Solomon expressâ—th it that he that walketh uprightly walketh surely as the Men of the world believe their own Maxims that a man may be too honest to live that plain dealing is a Jewel but he that wears it shall die a Beggar Few Men's hopes of heaven are so powerful and vigorous and have so sensible an effect upon their Lives as the worldly Man's hopes of Gain and Advantage Men are not so afraid to swear as they are to speak Treason they are not so firmly perswaded of the danger of sin to their souls and bodies in another world as of the danger to which some Crimes against the Laws of Men do expose their temporal lives and safety therefore they will many times venture to offend God rather than incur the Penalty of human Laws 4 thly The Men of the world have but one design and are wholly intent upon it and this is a great Advantage He that hath but one thing to mind may easily be skill'd and excel in it When a man makes one thing his whole business no wonder if he be very knowing and wise in that Now the men of the World mind worldly things and have no care and concernment for any thing else It is a saying I think of Thomas Aquinas Cave ab illo qui unicum legit librum He is a dangerous man that reads but one Book he that gives his Mind but to one thing must needs be too hard for any Man at that Application to one thing especially in matters of Practice gains a Man perfect experience in it and experience furnisheth him with Observations about it and these make him wise and prudent in that thing But good Men tho' they have a great affection for Heaven and heavenly things yet the business and necessities of this Life do very much divert and take them off from the Care of better things they are divided between the Concernments of this Life and the other and tho' there be but one thing necessary in comparison yet the Conveniences of this Life are to be regarded and tho' our Souls be our main care yet some Consideration must be had of our Bodies that they may be sit for the service of our Souls some Provision must be made for their present support so long as we continue in these earthly Tabernacles and this will necessarily engage us in the world so that we cannot always and wholly apply our selves to heavenly things and mind them as the Men of the world do the Things of this world 5 thly and lastly The Men of the world have a greater Compass and Liberty in the pursuit of their worldly designs than good men have in the Prosecution of their Interest The Children of Light are limited and confined to the use of lawful Means for the compassing of their ends but the Men of the world are not so strait-laced quocunque modo rem they are resolved upon the Point and will stick at no Means to compass their End They do not stand upon the nice distinctions of good and evil of right and wrong invented by speculative and scrupulous Men to puzle business and to hinder and disappoint great Designs If Ahab have a mind to Naboth's Vineyard and Naboth will not let him be honest and have it for a valuable Consideration he will try to get it a cheaper way Naboth shall by False Witness be made a Traytor and his Vineyard by this means shall be forfeited to him And thus the unjust Steward in the Parable provided for himself he wronged his Lord to secure a retreat to himself in the time of his Distress The Third and last thing only remains to make some Inferences from what hath been said by way of Application And 1 st Notwithstanding the Commendation which hath been given of the Wisdom of this world yet upon the whole matter it is not much to be valued and admired It is indeed great in its way and kind but it is applied to little and low purposes imployed about the Concernments of a short time and a few days about the worst and meanest part of our selves and accompanied with the neglect of greater and better things such as concern our soul and our whole duration even our happiness to all Eternity And therefore that which the world admires and cries up for Wisdom is in the esteem of God who judgeth of things according to truth but Vanity
barely what he promiseth but he usually doth something over and above his promise That the Messias should heal the blind and the deaf and the lame Isaiah Prophesied and God makes good this Promise and Prediction to the full the Messias did not only do these but which is more and greater than any of these he raised the dead to life Secondly It was likewise foretold of the Messias that he should preach the Gospel to the poor Isa 61.1 the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach the Gospel or good tidings to the Poor so the LXX render the words and they are the very words used by our Saviour here in the Text. 'T is true indeed this was no Miracle but it was the punctual accomplishment of a Prophecy concerning the Messias and consequently an evidence that he was the Messias But besides it had something in it which was very strange to the Jews and very different from the way of their Doctors and Teachers For the Rabbies among the Jews would scarce instruct any but for great Reward they would meddle with none but those that were able to requite their pains The ordinary and poorer sort of People they had in great contempt as appears by that slighting expression of them John 7.48 49. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him but this People who knoweth not the Law are cursed And Grotius upon this Text tells us that the Jewish Masters had this foolish and insolent Proverb among them that the Spirit of God doth not rest but upon a rich man to which this Prediction concerning the Messias was a direct contradiction The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor In old time the Prophets were especially sent to the Kings and Princes of the People but this great Prophet comes to preach the Gospel to the Poor None have so little reason to be proud as the Sons of Men but never was any so humble as the Son of God our Saviour's whole Life and Doctrine was a contradiction to the false Opinions of the world they thought the rich and great men of the World the only happy persons but he came to preach glad tidings to the Poor to bring good news to them whom the great Doctors of the Law despised and set at nought and therefore to confound their pride and folly and to confute their false Opinions of things he begins that excellent Sermon of his with this Saying Blessed are the Poor for theirs is the Kingdom of God Thirdly It was foretold of the Messias that the World should be offended at him Isa 8.14 He shall be for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel And Isa 53.1 2 3. Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed he hath no form nor comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not and this likewise is intimated in the last words of the Text and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me Intimating that notwithstanding the great works that he did among them which testified of him that he came from God notwithstanding the Predictions of their Prophets concerning the Messias were so clearly and punctually accomplish'd in him yet notwithstanding all this they would take offence at him upon one account or other and reject him and his Doctrine but even this that they rejected him and would not own him for their Messias was another Sign and Evidence that he was the true Messias foretold by the Prophets for among other things this was expresly Predicted concerning him that he should be despised and rejected of men And thus I have done with the First thing I propounded to speak to namely the Evidence which our Saviour here gives of his being the true Messias First The many and great Miracles which he wrought prove that he came from God And Secondly The correspondence of the things he did with what was foretold by the Prophets concerning the Messias declare him to be the true Messias I now proceed to the next thing I propounded to speak to namely Secondly An Intimation in the Text that notwithstanding all the Evidence Christ gave of himself yet many would be offended at him and reject him and his Doctrine In speaking to which it will be very proper to consider First How the Poor came to be more disposed to receive the Gospel than others Secondly What those Prejudices are which the World had against our Saviour and his Religion at its first appearance as also those which men have at this day against the Christian Religion and to endeavour to shew the unreasonableness of them Thirdly How happy a thing it is to escape and overcome the common Prejudices which Men have against Religion First How the Poor came to be more disposed to receive the Gospel than others the Poor have the Gospel preached unto them Which does not only signify that our Saviour did more especially apply himself to them but likewise that they were in a nearer disposition to receive it and did of all others give the most ready entertainment to his Doctrine And this our Saviour declares to us in the beginning of his Sermon upon the Mount when he pronounceth the Poor blessed upon this account because they were nearer to the Kingdom of God than others Blessed are the Poor for theirs is the Kingdom of God So likewise St. James Chap. 2. v. 5. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him So that it seems the Poor were upon some account or other in a nearer disposition to receive the Gospel than the Great and Rich Men of this World And of this there are three Accounts to be given First The Poor had no Earthly interest to engage them to reject our Saviour and his Doctrine The High-Priests and Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews they had a plain worldly Interest which did engage them to oppose our Saviour and his Doctrine for if he were received for the Messias and his Doctrine embraced they must of necessity lose their Sway and Authority among the People and all that which rendred them so considerable their pretended skill in the Law and in the Traditions and Observances of their Fathers together with their external shews of Piety and Devotion would signify nothing if our Saviour and his Doctrine should take place And there are very few so honest and sincere as to be content for truth's sake to part with their Reputation and Authority and to become less in the esteem of men than they were
Meekness the Word of God which is able to save our Souls SERMON II. The Prejudices against Christianity consider'd MATTH XI 6 And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me I Have from these Words propounded to consider two things I. Those Prejudices and Objections which the World had against our Saviour and his Religion at their first Appearance as also to enquire into those which Men at this day do more especially insist upon against the Christian Religion Vol. V. and to show the Unreasonableness of them II. How happy a thing it is to escape and overcome the common Prejudices which Men have against Religion I have entred upon the first of these the Prejudices which the World had against our Saviour and his Religion When this great Teacher of Mankind came from God though he gave all imaginable Testimony and Evidence that he was sent from Heaven yet the greatest part of the World both Jews and Gentiles were mightily offended at him and deeply prejudiced against him and his Doctrine but not both upon the same Account I have already given you an Account of the chief Exceptions which the Jews made against our Saviour and his Doctrine and have shewn the Unreasonableness of them I proceed now to consider the principal of those Exceptions which the Gentiles and Heathen Philosophers took at our Saviour and his Doctrine Ser. 2. I shall mention these four First That Christianity was a great Innovation and contrary to the received Institutions of the World Secondly They objected against the Plainness and Simplicity of the Doctrine Thirdly That it wanted Demonstration Fourthly That the low and suffering Condition of our Saviour was unsuitable to one that pretended to be the Son of God and to be appointed by him for a Teacher and Reformer of the World These are the chief Exceptions which the Heathen and especially their Philosophers took at our Saviour and his Doctrine First That the Christian Religion was a great Innovation and contrary to the received Institutions of the World and consequently that it did condemn the Religion which had been so universally received and establish'd in the World by so long a continuance of Time And no wonder if this made a great Impression upon them and raised a mighty Prejudice in the Minds of Men against the Christian Religion no Prejudices being so strong as those that are fix'd in the Minds of Men by Education And of all the Prejudices of Education none so violent and hard to be removed as those about Religion yea though they be never so groundless and unreasonable Hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods Intimating to us that men are very hardly brought off from that Religion which they have been brought up in how absurd soever it be When Christianity was first propounded to the Heathen World had Men been free and indifferent and not prepossess'd with other Apprehensions of God and Religion it might then have been expected from them that they should have entertained it with a readiness of Mind proportionable to the Reasonableness of it But the Case was quite otherwise the World had for many Ages been brought up to another way of Worship and inur'd to Rites and Superstitions of a quite different Nature And this sways very much with Men Sequimur majores nostros qui feliciter sequuti sunt suos as one of the Heathens said in those Days We follow our Ancestors who happily follow'd theirs Men are hardly brought to condemn those Opinions and Customs in Religion which themselves and their Forefathers have always embraced and followed And Wise Men especially are loth to admit so great a change in a matter of so great Concernment as Religion is So that this must be acknowledged to have been a considerable Prejudice against the Christian Religion at its first Appearance But yet upon a through Examination this will not be found sufficient in Reason to withhold Men from embracing Christianity if we consider these four Things 1. No prudent Person thinks that the Example and Custom of his Forefathers obligeth him to that which is evil in it self and pernicious to him that does it and there is no Evil no Danger equal to that of a false Religion for that tends to the ruin of Men's Souls and their undoing for ever A Man might better alledge the Example of his Forefathers to justify his Errors and Follies in any other kind than in this which is so infinitely pernicious in the Consequences of it 2. In a great Corruption and Degeneracy it is no sufficient Reason against a Reformation that it makes a Change When Things are amiss it is always fit to amend and reform them and this cannot be done without a Change The wisest among the Heathen did acknowledge that their Religion was mixt with very great Follies and Superstitions and that the Lives and Manners of Men were extremely corrupt and degenerate and they endeavour'd as much as they could and durst to reform these things And therefore there was no Reason to oppose an effectual Reformation for fear of a Change a Change of Things for the better tho it be usually hard to be effected being always a thing to be desired and wish'd for 3. The Change which Christianity designed was the least liable to Exception that could be being nothing else in the main of it but the reducing of Natural Religion the bringing of Men back to such Apprehensions of God and such a way of worshipping him as was most suitable to the Divine Nature and to the Natural Notions of Men's Minds nothing else but a Design to persuade Men of the one true God Maker of the World that he is a Spirit and to be worshipp'd in such a manner as is suitable to his Spiritual Nature And then for matters of Practice to bring Men to the Obedience of those Precepts of Temperance and Justice and Charity which had been universally acknowledged even by the Heathens themselves to be the great Duties which Men owe to themselves and others And that this is the main Design of the Christian Religion the Apostle hath told us in most plain and express Words Tit. 2.11 12. The Grace of God that is the Doctrine of the Gospel which hath appeared to all Men and brings Salvation teacheth us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present World And all that the Christian Religion adds beyond this is means and helps for our Direction and Assistance and Encouragement in the Discharge and Performance of these Duties For our Direction God hath sent his Son in our Nature to declare his Will to us and to be a Pattern and Example of Holiness and Virtue For our Assistance he hath promised the Aids of his Holy Spirit and for our Encouragement he offers to us Pardon of Sin in the Blood of his Son and Eternal Life and Happiness in another World This is a short
any Consideration of Religion would in most Cases urge us to 4. As to the case of Persecution for Religion besides that it does not now happen so frequently as it did in the beginning of Christianity nay very seldom in comparison if all things be consider'd it cannot be thought unreasonable both because Religion offers to us in Consideration of our present Sufferings a Happiness unspeakably greater than that which we forego for the sake of Religion and because when it happens God does extraordinarily enable Men to go through it with Courage and Comfort as we see in the Examples of the primitive Christians who in great Numbers of all Tempers and Ages did voluntarily chuse to give up themselves to these Sufferings when there was no necessity laid upon them but fair terms of Retreat were offer'd to them by their Enemies It is one thing when a Man suffers by the Law and cannot help it and another thing when Men may avoid suffering In the former Case Men submit to necessity and bear it as well as they can in the latter Case if Men suffer it is a sign they firmly believe the Reward of it and if they suffer chearfully and with Joy as most of the Martyrs did it is a plain Evidence that God affords them extraordinary Support in their Sufferings and then the Case is not very hard when Religion puts them upon nothing but what it gives them cause and enables them to rejoice in the doing of it Fifthly It is objected That the Christian Religion is apt to dispirit Men and to break the Courage and Vigor of their Minds by the Precepts of Patience and Humility and Meekness and of forgiving Injuries and the like This Objection hath made a great Noise in the World and hath been urged by Men of great Reputation and a deep insight into the Tempers of Men and the Affairs of the World It is said to be particularly insisted upon by Machiavel and very likely it may though I think that elsewhere he is pleased to speak with Terms of Respect not only of Religion in general but likewise of the Christian Religion and which seems very much to contradict the other he says in the first Book of his Discourses upon Livy Ch. 11. That the Greatness and Success of Rome is chiefly to be ascribed to their Piety and Religion and that Rome was more indebted to Numa Pompilius for settling Religion among them than to Romulus the Founder of their State and the Reason he gives is much to our present Purpose For says he without Religion there can be no Military Discipline Religion being the Foundation of good Laws and good Discipline And particularly he commends the Samnites who betook themselves to Religion as their last and best Remedy to make Men couragious nothing being more apt to raise Men's Spirits than Religion But howsoever this Objection be I dare appeal both to Reason and Experience for the Confutation of it 1. To Reason and that as to these two things 1. That the Christian Religion is apt to plant in the Minds of Men Principles of the greatest Resolution and truest Courage It teacheth Men upon the best and most rational Grounds to despise Dangers yea and Death it self the greatest and most formidable Evil in this World and this Principle is likely to inspire Men with the greatest Courage for what need he fear any thing in this World who fears not Death after which there is nothing in this World to be feared And this the Christian Religion does by giving Men the assurance of another Life and a Happiness infinitely greater than any is to be enjoyed in this World And in order to the securing of this Happiness it teacheth Men to be holy and just and to exercise a good Conscience both toward God and Man which is the only way to free a Man from all inward and tormenting Fears of what may happen to him after Death This makes the righteous Man to be as Solomon says bold as a Lion Nothing renders a Man more undaunted as to Death and the Consequences of it than the Peace of his own Mind for a Man not to be conscious to himself of having wilfully displeased him who alone can make us happy or miserable in the other World So that a good Man being secure of the Favour of God may upon that Account reasonably hope for a greater Happiness after Death than other Men Whereas a bad Man if he be sober and have his Senses awakened to a serious Consideration of things cannot but be afraid to dye and be extremely anxious and solicitous what will become of him in another World And surely it would make the stoutest Man breathing afraid to venture upon Death when he sees Hell beyond it Possibly there may be some Monsters of Men who may have so far suppress'd the Sense of Religion and stupified their Consciences as in a good Measure to have conquer'd the fears of Death and of the Consequences of it But this happens but to a very few as the Poet tells us in the Person of an Epicurean Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas Atque metus omnes inexorabile fatum Subjecit pedibus strepitumque Acherontis avari There are very few that attain to this Temper and but at some times So that if Vice and Wickedness do generally break the Firmness of Men's Spirits it remains that nothing but Religion can generally give Men Courage against Death And this the Christian Religion does eminently to those who live according to it our blessed Saviour having delivered us from the fear of Death by conquering Death for us and giving us Assurance of the glorious Rewards of another Life 2. Meekness and Patience and Humility and Modesty and such Virtues of Christianity do not in Reason tend to dispirit Men and break their true Courage but only to regulate it and take away the Fierceness and Bruitishness of it This we see in Experience that Men of the truest Courage have many times least of Pride and Insolence of Passion and Fierceness Those who are better bred are commonly of more gentle and civil Dispositions But yet they do not therefore want true Courage though they have not the Roughness and Fool-hardiness of Men of ruder Breeding So in a true Christian Courage and Greatness of Mind is very consistent with Meekness and Patience and Humility Not that all good Men are very couragious there is much of this in the Natural Tempers of Men which Religion does not quite alter But that which I am concerned to maintain is that Christianity is no hindrance to Mens Courage and that caeteris paribus supposing Men of equal Tempers no Man hath so much Reason to be valiant as he that hath a good Conscience I do not mean a blustering and boisterous and rash Courage but a sober and calm and fixt Valour 2. I appeal to Experience for the Truth of this Did ever greater Courage and Contempt of Death appear
wrought in the Manners of Men we have clear and full Testimony from what the Apostles wrote concerning the several Churches which they planted in several Parts of the World What hearty Unity und Affection there was among Christians even to that Degree as to make Men bring in their private Estates and Possessions for the common Support of their Brethren we may read in the History of the Acts of the Apostles The City of Corinth by the Account which Strabo gives of it was a very vicious and luxurious place as most in the World and yet we see by St. Paul what a strange Reformation the Christian Religion made in the Lives and Manners of many of them 1 Cor 6.9 10 11. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor adulterers nor idolaters nor effeminate nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And such were some of you But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And surely it is no small matter to reclaim Men from such a profligate course of Life The Apostle instanceth in Crimes and Vices of the first Rate from which yet he tells us many were cleansed and purified by the Name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God that is by the Power and Efficacy of the Christian Doctrine together with the Co-operation of God's Holy Spirit After the Apostles the Ancient Fathers in their Apologies for Christianity give us a large Account of the great Power and Efficacy of the Christian Doctrine upon the Lives and Manners of Men. Tertullian tells the Roman Governors that their Prisons were full of Malefactors committed for several Crimes but they were all Heathens De vestris semper aestuat carcer Their Prisons were thronged with Criminals of their own Religion But there were no Christians to be found committed there for such Crimes Nemo illic Christianus nisi hoc tantùm c. There were no Christians in their Prisons but only upon account of their Religion Or if there were any Malefactors that had been Christians they left their Religion when they fell into those Enormities And afterwards he adds that if Christians were irregular in their Lives they were no longer accounted Christians but were banish'd from their Communion as unworthy of it And they appealed to the Heathens what a sudden and strange change Christianity had made in several of the most lewd and vicious and debauched Persons and what a visible Reformation there presently appeared in the Lives of the worst Men after they had once entertained the Christian Doctrine And these Testimonies are so much the stronger because they are Publick Appeals to our Adversaries which it is not likely they who were so persecuted and hated as the Christians were would have had the Confidence to have made if they had not been notoriously true even their Enemies themselves being Judges And that they were so we have the Confession of the Heathen themselves I shall produce two remarkable Testimonies to this Purpose and one of them from the Pen of one of the bitterest Enemies that the Christian Religion ever had Pliny in his Epistle to Trajan the Emperor gives him an Account That having examined the Christians setting aside the Superstition of their way he could find no Fault and that this was the Sum of their Error That they were wont to meet before Day and sing a Hymn to Christ and to bind themselves by Solemn Oath or Sacrament not to any wicked Purpose but not to steal nor rob nor commit Adultery nor break their Faith nor detain the Pledge So that it seems the Sum of their Error was to oblige themselves in the strictest manner against the greatest Vices and Crimes Which methinks is a great Testimony from an Enemy and a Judge one who would have been ready to discover their Faults and had Opportunity of enquiring into them My other Witness is Julian the Emperor and Apostate who in one of his Epistles tells us The Christians did severely punish Sedition and Impiety And afterwards exhorting the Heathen Priests to all Offices of Humanity and especially Alms towards the Poor he tells them they ought to be more careful in this particular and to mend this Fault Because says he the Galileans taking advantage of our Neglect in this kind have very much strengthned their Impiety for so he calls their Religion by being very intent upon these Offices and exemplary in their Charity to the Poor whereby they gained many over to them And in his 49th Epist to Arsacius the High-Priest of Galatia he recommends to him among other Means for the Advancement of Paganism the building of Hospitals and great Liberality to the Poor not only of their own Religion but others For says he it is a Shame that the impious Galileans should not only maintain their own poor but ours also wherefore let us not suffer them to outdo us in this Virtue Nothing but the force of Truth could have extorted so full an Acknowledgment of the great Humanity and Charity of the Christians from so bitter an Enemy of our Religion as Julian was If he owned it we may be sure it was very great and exemplary So that you see that the Christian Religion had a very great Power and Efficacy upon the Lives and Manners of Men when it first appeared in the World And the true Spirit and Genius of any Religion the Force of any Institution is best seen in the primitive Effects of it before it be weakned and dispirited by those Corruptions which in time are apt to insinuate themselves into the best things For all Laws and Institutions are commonly more vigorous and have greater Effects at first than afterwards and the best things are apt in time to degenerate and to contract Soil and Rust And it cannot in Reason be expected otherwise So that though it be a thing to be bewailed and by the greatest Care and Diligence to be resisted yet it is not so extremely to be wonder'd at if Christianity in the space of Sixteen Hundred Years hath abated much of its first Strength and Vigor Especially considering that there were several Circumstances that gave Christianity mighty Advantages at first especially the miraculous Powers which did accompany the first Publication of the Gospel which must needs be full of Conviction to those who saw the wonderful Effects of it The extraordinary Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men to dispose them to the receiving of it The persecuted and suffering State that Christians were generally in which made those who embraced the Profession to be generally serious and in good earnest in it and kept up a continual Heat and Zeal in the Minds of Men for that Religion which cost them so dear and for which they suffer'd so much And the fury of their Enemies against it did naturally inflame their Love and Kindness to one
of Temptation if we be not continually vigilant and upon our Guard Not confident in our selves because we stand by Faith and Faith is the gift of God therefore as the Apostle infers we should not be high-minded but fear Men may have gone a great way in Christianity and have been sincere in the Profession of it and yet afterwards may apostatize in the foulest manner not only fall off to a vicious Life but even desert the Profession of their Religion I would to God the Experience of the World did not give us too much Reason to believe the Possibility of this When we see so many revolt from the Profession of the Reformed Religion to the Corruptions and Superstitions of Rome And others from a religious and sober Life to plunge themselves into all kind of Lewdness and Debauchery and it is to be feared into Atheism and Infidelity Can we doubt any longer whether it be possible for Christians to fall away I wish we were as certain of the possibility of their Recovery as we are of their Falling and that we had as many Examples of the one as of the other Let us then be very vigilant over our selves and according to the Apostle's Exhortation 2 Pet. 3.17 Seeing we know these things before beware lest we also being led away with the Error of the wicked fall from our own stedfastness 2 dly This shews us how great an Aggravation it is for Men to Sin against the Means of Knowledge which the Gospel affords and the Mercies which it offers unto them That which aggravated the Sin of these Persons was that after they were once enlightned that is at their Baptism were instructed in the Christian Doctrine the clearest and most perfect Revelation that ever was made of God's Will to Mankind that after they were justified freely by God's Grace and had received Remission of Sins and had many other Benefits conferred upon them that after all this they should fall off from this Holy Religion This was that which did so heighten and enflame their Guilt and made their Case so near desperate The two great aggravations of Crimes are Wilfulness and Ingratitude if a Crime be wilfully committed and committed against one that hath obliged us by the greatest Favours and Benefits Now he commits a fault wilfully who does it against the clear knowledge of his Duty Ignorance excuseth for so far as a Man is ignorant of the Evil he does so far the Action is involuntary but knowledge makes it to be a wilful Fault And this is a more peculiar Aggravation of the Sins of Christians because God hath afforded them the greatest means and opportunities of Knowledge that Revelation which God hath made of his Will to the World by our Blessed Saviour is the clearest Light that ever Mankind had and the mercies which the Gospel brings are the greatest that ever were offer'd to the Sons of Men the free Pardon and Remission of all our Sins and the assistance of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to help the weakness of our Nature and enable us to do what God requires of us So that we who sin after Baptism after the knowledge of Christianity and those great Blessings which the Gospel bestows on Mankind are of all Persons in the World the most inexcusable The Sins of Heathens bear no proportion to ours because they never enjoyed those means of Knowledge never had those Blessings conferred upon them which Christians are partakers of so that we may apply to our selves those severe words of the Apostle in this Epistle How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Hear how our Saviour aggravates the Faults of Men upon this account of the wilfulness of them and their being committed against the express Knowledge of God's Will Luke 12.47 48. The Servant which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes for unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more The Means and Mercies of the Gospel are so many Talents committed to our Trust of the neglect whereof a severe Account will be taken at the Day of Judgment If we be wilful offenders there is no Excuse for us and little hopes of Pardon If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth says the Apostle in this Epistle there remains no more sacrifice for sin I know the Apostle speaks this particularly of the Sin of Apostacy from Christianity but it is in proportion true of all other Sins which those who have received the Knowledge of the Truth are guilty of They who after they have entertained Christianity and made some progress in it and been in some measure reformed by it do again relapse into any vicious course do thereby render their Condition very dangerous So St. Peter tells us 2 Pet. 2.20 21. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them Therefore we may do well to consider seriously what we do when under the Means and Opportunities of Knowledge which the Gospel affords us and the inestimable Blessings and Favours which it confers upon us we live in any wicked and vicious course Our Sins are not of a common rate when they have so much of Wilfulness and Unworthiness in them If Men shall be severely punish'd for living against the Light of Nature what vengeance shall be poured on those who offend against the Glorious Light of the Gospel This is the Condemnation that Light is come c. 3 dly The Consideration of what hath been said is Matter of Comfort to those who upon every Failing and Infirmity are afraid they have committed the unpardonable Sin and that it is impossible for them to be restor'd by Repentance There are many who being of a dark and melancholy Temper are apt to represent things worse to themselves than there is reason for and do many times fancy themselves guilty of great Crimes in the doing or neglecting of those things which in their nature are indifferent and are apt to aggravate and blow up every little Infirmity into an unpardonable Sin Most Men are apt to extenuate their Sins and not to be sensible enough of the Evil and Heinousness of them but it is the peculiar Infelicity of Melancholy Persons to look upon their Faults as blacker and greater than in truth they are and whatsoever they hear and read in Scripture that is spoken against the grossest and most enormous Offenders they apply to themselves and when they hear of the Sin against the Holy Ghost and the Sin unto Death
himself lived when he was pleased to assume our Nature and to become Man And then we are to consider that the Son of God did not assume our Nature in its highest Glory and Perfection but compast with Infirmities and liable in all points to be tempted like as we are but still it was without Sin and therefore God doth not exact from us perfect Obedience and that we should fulfil all Righteousness as he did he makes allowance for the corruption of our Nature and is pleased to accept of our sincere though very imperfect Obedience But after all this his humane Nature was united to the Divinity and he had the Spirit without measure and this would indeed make a wide difference between us and our Pattern as to the purpose of Holiness and Obedience if we were destitute of that assistance which is neceessary to enable us to the discharge of our Duty But this God offers and is ready to afford to us for he hath promised to give his holy Spirit to them that ask him and the Spirit of him that raised up Christ Jesus from the Dead dwells in all good men who sincerely desire to do the Will of God in the working out our Salvation God worketh in us both to will and to do So that as to that Obedience which the Gospel requires of us if we be not wanting to our selves if we do not receive the Grace of God in vain and quench and resist his blessed Spirit we may be as really assisted as the Son of God himself was for in this respect all true and sincere Christians are the Sons of God so that St. Paul tells us Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God So that if all things be duly consider'd the Life of our blessed Saviour as it is the most perfect so in the main it is a very proper Pattern for our imitation and could not have come nearer to us without wanting that perfection which is necessary to a compleat and absolute Pattern The Son of God condescended to every thing that might render him the most familiar and equal Example to us excepting that which as it was impossible so had been infinitely dishonourable to him and would have spoil'd the perfection of his Example he came as near to us as was fit or possible being in all things like unto us Sin only excepted that is abating that one thing which he came to destroy and abolish and which would have destroyed the very end of his coming for if he had not been without Sin he could neither have made an expiation for Sin nor have been a perfect Pattern of Holiness and Obedience And as the Life of our blessed Saviour had all the perfection that is requisite to an absolute Pattern so that by considering his Temper and Spirit and the actions of his Life we may reform all the vicious inclinations of our Minds and the exorbitances of our Passions and the errors and irregularities of our Lives so it is a very powerful Example and of great force to oblige and provoke us to the imitation of it for it is the Example of one whom we ought to reverence and have reason to love above any Person in the World The Example of our Prince and Soveraign Lord of our best Friend and greatest Benefactor of the High Priest of our Profession and the Captain of our Salvation of the Author and Finisher of our Faith of one who came down from Heaven for our sakes and was contented to assume our Nature together with the infirmities of it and to live in a low and mean condition for no other reason but that he might have the opportunity to instruct and lead Mankind in the way to Life to deliver us from Sin and Wrath and to bring us to God and Happiness 'T is the Example of one who laid down his Life for us and sealed his Love to us in his Blood and whilst we were Enemies did and suffer'd more for us than ever any Man did for his Friend And surely these Considerations cannot but mightily recommend and endear to us this Example of our Lord and Saviour We are ambitious to imitate those whom we highly esteem and reverence and are apt to have their Examples in great veneration from whom we have received great Kindnesses and Benefits and are always endeavouring to be like those whom we love and are apt to conform our selves to the Will and Pleasure of those from whom we have received great Favours and who are continually heaping great Obligations upon us So that whether we consider the Excellency of our Pattern or the mighty Endearments of it to us by that infinite Love and Kindness which he hath exprest towards us we have all the temptation and all the provocation in the World to endeavour to be like him for who would not gladly tread in the steps of the Son of God and of the best Friend that the Sons of Men ever had Who will not follow that Example to which we stand indebted for the greatest Blessings and Benefits that ever were procured for Mankind Thus you see of what force and advantage the Example of our blessed Saviour is toward the Recovery and Salvation of Mankind 3 dly He is the Author of Eternal Salvation as he hath purchased it for us by the Merit of his Obedience and Sufferings by which he hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us not only deliverance from the wrath to come but Eternal Life and Happiness when by our Sins we had justly incurred the wrath and displeasure of Almighty God and were liable to Eternal Death and Misery He was contented to be substituted a Sacrifice for us to bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree and to expiate the guilt of all our Offences by his own Sufferings He died for us that is not only for our Benefit and Advantage but in our place and stead so that if he had not died we had eternally perish'd and because he died we are saved from that eternal Ruin and Punishment which was due to us for our Sins And this tho' it be no where in Scripture call'd by the Name or Term of Satisfaction yet which is the same thing in effect it is call'd the prize of our Redemption for as we are Sinners we are liable and indebted to the Justice of God and our blessed Saviour by his Death and Sufferings hath discharged this Obligation which Discharge since it was obtained for us by the shedding of his precious Blood without which the Scripture expresly says there had been no Remission of Sin why it may not properly enough be called Payment and Satisfaction I confess I cannot understand Not that God was angry with his Son for he was always well pleased with him or that our Saviour suffer'd the very same which the Sinner should have done in his own Person the proper Pains and Torments of the damned but that his perfect
Obedience and grievous Sufferings undergone for our sakes and upon our account were of that Value and Esteem with God and his voluntary Sacrifice of himself in our stead so highly acceptable and well pleasing to him that he thereupon was pleased to enter into a Covenant of Grace and Mercy with Mankind wherein he hath promised and engaged himself to forgive the Sins of all those who sincerely repent and believe and to make them partakers of Eternal Life And hence it is that the Blood of Christ which was shed for us upon the Cross is call'd the Blood of the Covenant as being the Sanction of that new Covenant of the Gospel into which God is entred with Mankind and not only the Confirmation but the very Foundation of it for which reason the Cup in the Lord's Supper which represents to us the Blood of Christ is call'd the New Testament in his Blood which was shed for many for the remission of Sins 4 thly and lastly Christ is said to be the Author of our Salvation in respect of his powerful and perpetual Intercession for us at the right Hand of God And this seems to be more especially intimated and intended in that Expression here in the Text that being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Which Words of his being perfected do as I have shew'd before more immediately refer to his Sufferings and the Reward that followed them his Exaltation at the right hand of God where he lives for ever to make Intercession for us by which perpetual and most prevalent Intercession of his he procures all those Benefits to be bestowed upon us which he purchased for us by his Death the forgiveness of our Sins and our Acceptance with God and perfect Restitution to his Favour upon our Faith and Repentance and the Grace and Assistance of God's holy Spirit to inable us to a sincere Discharge of our Duty to strengthen us against all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil to keep us from all Evil and to preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom And this is that which our Apostle calls obtaining of Mercy and finding Grace to help in time of need ch 4. v. 16. of this Epist Our blessed Saviour now that he is advanced into Heaven and exalted on the right hand of the Majesty on high doth out of the tenderest Affection and Compassion to Mankind still prosecute that great and merciful Design of our Salvation which was begun by him here on Earth and in Virtue of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings does offer up our Prayers to God and as it were plead our Cause with God and represent to him all our Wants and Necessities and obtain a favourable Answer of our Petitions put up to God in his Name and all necessary supplies of Grace and Strength Proportionable to our Temptations and Infirmities And by Virtue of this powerful Intercession of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer our Sins are pardoned upon our sincere Repentance our Prayers are graciously answered our Wants are abundantly supplied and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit are plentifully afforded to us to excite us to our Duty to strengthen us in well doing to comfort us in Afflictions to support us under the greatest Tryals and Sufferings and to keep us through Faith unto Salvation And for this reason as the purchasing of our Salvation is in Scripture attributed to the Death and Sufferings of Christ so the perfecting and finishing of it is ascribed to the prevalency of his Intercession at the right Hand of God for us So the Apostle tells us ch 7. v. 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us He dyed once to purchase Salvation for us and that we may not fall short of it but receive the full Benefit of this Purchase he lives for ever to make Intercession for us and thus he saves to the uttermost all those that come to God by him that is he takes care of the whole business of our Salvation from first to last And now that he is in Heaven he is as intent to procure our Welfare and Happiness and as tenderly concerned for us as when he lived here among us upon Earth as when he hung upon the Cross and poured out his Soul an Offering for our Sins for he appears at the right Hand of God in our Nature that which he assumed for our sakes which was made subject to and sensible of our Infirmities and which was tempted in all things like as we are only without Sin and therefore he knows how to pity and succour them that are tempted and from the remembrance of his own Sufferings is prompted to a compassionate Sense of ours and never ceaseth in virtue of his Blood which was shed for us to plead our Cause with God and to intercede powerfully on our behalf So that the Virtue and Efficacy of Christ's Intercession on our behalf is founded in the Redemption which he wrought for us by his Blood and Sufferings which being entred into Heaven he represents to God on our Behalf As the high Priest under the Law did enter into the holy place with the Blood of the Sacrifices that had been offered and in virtue of that Blood interceded for the People So Christ by his own Blood entred into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us as the Apostle speaks ch 9. v. 12. He entred into the Holy Place that is into Heaven it self to make Intercession for us as the Apostle explains himself v. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands but into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And ch 10. v. 12. speaking of Christ's appearing for us at the right Hand of God this Man says he after he had offer'd one Sacrifice for Sin for ever that is a Sacrifice of perpetual Virtue and Efficacy sat down at the right Hand of God that is to intercede for us in virtue of that Sacrifice From all which it appears that the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession for us in Heaven is founded in his Sacrifice and the price of our Redemption which he paid on Earth in shedding his Blood for us From whence the Apostle reasons that there is but one Mediator between God and Men by whom we are to address our Prayers to God 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all His Mediation is founded in his Ransome or the Price which he paid for our Redemption The Apostle indeed does not say there is but one Mediator between God and Man in express words but surely he means so if by saying there is one God he means there is but one God for they are joined together and the very same Expression used concerning
will grant us whatever is good and necessary by which is certainly intended in the first place Spiritual good Things because these are the best and most necessary and to satisfy us that our Saviour did in the first place and more especially mean these St. Luke does particularly instance in the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit Luke 11.13 How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Spirit that is the continual Presence and Influence of it to all the purposes of Guidance and Direction of Grace and Assistance of Comfort and Support in our Christian Course And what else is the meaning of that Parable of our Saviour's concerning the Talents entrusted with every Man according to his Capacity and Opportunities Matth. 25. I say what else can be the meaning of it but this That God is before-hand with every Man by affording the Advantages and Opportunities of being happy and such a measure of Grace and Assistance to that end which if he faithfully improve he shall be admitted into the Joy of his Lord. And upon this Consideration of the gracious Promises of the Gospel to this purpose it is that the Apostle St. Paul doth so earnestly exhort Christians to endeavour after the highest Degree of universal Holiness and Purity that we are capable of in this Life 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God And so likewise Phil. 2.12 13. Wherefore my beloved work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling that is with great Care and Concernment lest you should fall short of it for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure The Consideration of God's readiness to assist us and of his Grace which is always at hand to stir up our Wills to that which is good and to strengthen us in the doing of it ought to be a great Argument and Encouragement to us to put forth our utmost Endeavours and so co-operate with the Grace of God toward our own Salvation And the Apostle St. Peter useth the same Argument to press Men to use their utmost Diligence to make their calling and election sure by abounding in all the Virtues of a good Life 2 Pet. 1.3 4. According as his Divine Power hath given us all things which pertain to Life and Godliness that is hath so plentifully furnisht us with all the requisites to a godly Life through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue that is by knowledge of the Gospel and the Grace therein offered to us whereby he hath given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be Partakers of a Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust And then from the consideration of this Divine Power conveyed to us by the Gospel and the Promises of it he exhorts Men to give all diligence to add to their Faith Virtue and Knowledge and Temperance and Patience and Godliness and brotherly Love and Charity And indeed the Scripture every where ascribes our Regeneration and Sanctification the Beginning and Progress and Perseverance of our Obedience to the powerful Grace and Assistance of God's holy Spirit we are said to be regenerate and born again of the Spirit to be renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost to be led by the Spirit and by the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Flesh and in a word to be kept by the mighty Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 3. What the Grace of God is ready to enable us to do if we be not wanting to our Selves may properly be said to be possible to us and in some sense in our Power That may be said to be possible to us which tho' we cannot do of our selves as of our selves that is by our own Natural Power yet we can do by the Help and Assistance of another if that Assistance be ready to be afforded to us as we are sure the Grace of God's Holy Spirit is because he hath promised it to them that seek it and he is faithful who hath promised That cannot be said to be wholly out of a Man's Power which he may have for asking that which we are able to do by the Strength and Assistance of another is not impossible to us Surely St. Paul did no ways derogate from the Grace of God when he said I am able to do all things thro' Christ strengthening me he reckons himself able to do all that which by the strength of Christ he was enabled to do And this is the true Ground of all the Perswasions and Exhortations which we meet with in Scripture to Holiness and Obedience which would all be not only to no purpose but very unreasonable if we were wholly destitute of Power to do what God commands but if he be always ready at hand to assist us by a Grace sufficient for us if he co-operate with us in the Work of our Salvation then is there abundant ground of Encouragement to our Endeavours and if we fall short of eternal Salvation it is wholly our own fault it is not because God is wanting to us in those Aids and Assistances of his Grace which are necessary but because we are wanting to our selves in not seeking God's Grace more earnestly or by neglecting to make use of it when it is afforded to us For it is really all one both to the encouragement of our Endeavours and to the rendring of our Disobedience inexcusable whether we be able of our selves to perform the Condition of the Gospel or God be ready to assist us by his Grace and Holy Spirit to that purpose Wherefore as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 12.12 13 14 15. Lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make strait paths for your feet lest that which is Lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed Follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord looking diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God intimating that it is want of care and diligence on our part if the Grace of God fail of its end and be not effectual to all the purposes of Faith and Repentance and Obedience God does not with-hold his Grace from us but Men may receive it in vain if they do not make use of it And thus I have done with the third thing I proposed to consider from these words I proceed to the Fourth viz. To consider the Necessity of this Obedience in order to our obtaining of Eternal Life and Happiness Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him that is to such and only to such as live in Obedience to the Precepts of his holy Gospel to them who frame the general course of their lives according to his Laws Some Men seem to be
Father Son and Holy Ghost is meant the initiating of Men by this solemn Rite or Ceremony into the Christian Religion upon their profession of the necessary Doctrines of it concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost and a solemn Stipulation and Engagement to live according to those Doctrines Which promise of a suitable Life and Practice was likewise made at the same time as Justin Martyr and other of the ancient Fathers do testify But before I leave this Head it is very fit to take particular notice what use the Anabaptists make of this Text so as in effect to lay the whole stress of their Cause upon it as if by virtue of this Command of our Saviour's and the manner wherein it is exprest all Infants even those of Christian Parents who are themselves already admitted into the new Covenant of the Gospel were excluded from Baptism because it is here said by our Saviour Go ye and disciple all Nations baptizing them from whence they infer and very clearly and strongly as they think that none are to be baptized but such as are first throughly instructed in the Christian Religion and made Disciples which Infants are not but only those who are grown to some Maturity of Years and Understanding But the Opinion and Practice of the ancient Church in this matter is a sufficient Bar to this Inference at least to the clearness of it And indeed it cannot reasonably be imagined that the Apostles who had all of them been bred up in the Jewish Religion which constantly and by virtue of a divine Precept and Institution admitted Infants into that Church and to the benefits of that Covenant by the Rite of Circumcision and likewise the Infants of Proselytes by Baptism as I observed before I say no Man can reasonably imagine that the Apostles could understand our Saviour as intending by any consequence from this Text to exclude the Children of Christians out of the Christian Church and to debar them of the benefits of the New Covenant of the Gospel The Children of Christians being every whit as capable of being taken into this new Covenant and of partaking of the Benefits of it as Children of the Jews were of being admitted into the old Unless we will suppose which at first sight seems very harsh and unreasonable that by the terms of the Christian Religion Children are in a much worse condition than the Children of the Jews were under the Law So that the parity of Reason being so plain nothing less than an express Prohibition from our Saviour and an exception of Children from Baptism can be thought sufficient to deprive the Children of Christians of any Privilege of which the Jewish were capable For the plain meaning of this Commission to the Apostles is to go and proselyte all Nations to the Christian Religion and to admit them solemnly into it by Baptism as the Jews were wont to proselyte Men to their Religion by Circumcision and Baptism by which Rites also they took in the Children of the Proselytes upon promise that when they came to Years they should continue in that Religion And if this was our Saviour's meaning the Apostles had no reason from the Tenor of their Commission to understand that the Children of Christian Proselytes were any more excluded than the Children of Proselytes to the Jewish Religion unless our Saviour had expresly excepted them for it is a favourable Case and in a matter of Privilege and therefore ought not to be determined to debar Children of it upon any obscure consequence from a Text which it is certain was never so understood by the Christian Church for 1500 Years together I have done with the first part of their Commission which was to disciple or proselyte all Nations to the Christian Religion and to admit them into the Christian Church by the Rite or Sacrament of Baptism I proceed to consider the Second part of their Commission which was to instruct Men in the Precepts and Duties of a Christian Life teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you You see how their Commission bounds and limits them they were to teach others those Precepts which Christ had taught and deliver'd to them they had no Power by virtue of this Commission to make new Laws which should be of universal and perpetual Obligation and consequently necessary to the Salvation of all Christians they were only to be the Publishers but not the Authors of this new Religion And therefore St. Paul when the Corinthians consulted him about several things relating to Marriage and Virginity he only gives his advice but would not take upon him to make a Law in those cases that should be binding to all Christians And for the same Reason Christians do generally at this day think themselves absolved from the Obligation of that Canon which was made even in a Council of the Apostles as to all those Branches of it the reason whereof is now câ—ased But notwithstanding this the Authority which our Saviour conferred upon his Apostles to teach his Doctrine does in the nature of it necessarily imply a Power of governing the Societies of Christians under such Officers and by such Rules as are most suitable to the nature of such a Society and most fit to promote the great Ends of the Christian Religion For without this power of governing they cannot be suppos'd to be endowed with sufficient Authority to teach and therefore in pursuance of this Commission we find that the Apostles did govern the Societies of Christians by such Rules and Constitutions as were fitted to the then present circumstances of Christianity And as they did appoint temporary Officers upon emergent Occasions so they constituted others that were of perpetual use in the Church for the instructing and governing of Christians and that in such a subordination to one another as would be most effectual to the attaining of the end of Government which subordination of Governors hath not only been used in all Religions but in all the well regulated Civil Societies that ever were in the World And this may suffice to have spoken of the second part of their Commission The Third and last thing in the Text is the Promise which our Saviour here makes for the encouragement of the Apostles in this Work Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world that is tho' I be going from you in person yet I will still be present with you by my Power and Spirit And surely this must needs be a great Encouragement to have him engaged for their Assistance who had all power in heaven and earth committed to him as he tells them at the 18 th verse I shall endeavour therefore as far as the time will permit to explain to you the true meaning and extent of this Promise That it is primarily made to the Apostles no man can doubt that considers that it was spoken to them immediately by our Saviour and in regard to them the
the Principles of a Holy Life were only the Birth of our own Resolution they would easily be born down but they are from God of a Heavenly Birth and Original and whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World John 1.12 13. As many as received him to them gave he power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God God considers the Impotency of Humane Nature in this deprav'd and degenerate state into which we are sunk and therefore he hath not left us to our selves but when he commands us to work out our own Salvation he tells us for our Encouragement that he himself works in us both to will and to do he does not bid us to be strong in our own strength for he knows we have no strength of our own but to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and what may not even a weak Creature do that is so powerfully assisted If we will but make use of this strength nothing can be too hard for us All that God expects from us is That we should comply with the motions of his Spirit and be as sincere in the Use of our own endeavours as he is in the offers of his Grace and Assistance 2. Let us consider That the greatest Difficulties are at first 't is but making one manful Onset and sustaining the first Brunt and the Difficulties will abate and grow less and our strength will every day encrease and grow more The Gate is strait but when we have once got through it our feet will be set in an open place After some strugling to get through we shall every day find our selves at more Ease and Liberty It will be very hard at first to master our vicious Inclinations to change the habit of our Minds and the course of our Lives and to act contrary to what we have been long accustomed but this Trouble lasts but for a little while these Pangs of the New-Birth tho' they be sharp yet they are not usually of long continuance It does indeed require great Resolution and firmness of Mind to Encounter the first Difficulties of Religion but if we can but stand it out for one brunt our Enemy will give way and the pleasure of Victory will tempt us on It is troublesome to conflict with great Difficulties and Men are loth to be brought to it but when we are engaged it is one of the greatest pleasures in the World to prevail and Conquer Many Men are loth to go to War but after a little Success they are as loth to give over that which was a terrour to them at first turns into a pleasure 3. Consider that Custom will make any course of life tolerable and most things easie Religion and the practice of a Holy Life is difficult at first but after we are once habituated to it the trouble will wear off by degrees and that which was grievous will become easie nay by degrees much more pleasant than ever the contrary practice was We see the daily experience of this in the most difficult and laborious Employments of this World a little pains tires a Man at first but when he is once seasoned and enured to Labour Idleness becomes more tedious and troublesome to him than the hardest work Custom will make any thing easie tho' it be a little unnatural Nothing is more unnatural than Sin 't is not according to our Original Nature and Frame but it is the Corruption and Depravation of it a second Nature superinduced upon us by Custom whereas the practice of Holiness and Virtue is agreeable to our Original and Primitive State and Sin and Vice are the perverting of Nature contrary to our Reason and the design of our Beings and to all Obligations of Duty and Interest But by returning to God and our Duty we return to our Primitive State we act naturally and according to the intention of our Beings and when the force of a contrary Custom is taken off and the Byass clapt on the other side we shall run the ways of God's Commandments with more delight and satisfaction than ever we found in the Ways of Sin For Sin is a violence upon our Natures and that is always uneasie yet it is made more tolerable by Custom but Religion restores Men to their natural State and then we are at ease and rest Religion is at first a yoke and burthen but unless we take this upon us we shall never find rest to our Souls 4 thly and lastly Consider the Reward that Religion propounds and this must needs sweeten and mitigate all the Troubles and Difficulties that are occasioned by it This strait gate through which we must enter and this craggy way which we are to climb up leads to life and he is a lazy man indeed that will not strive and struggle for Life All that a man can do he will do for his Life for this miserable Life which is so short and uncertain and born to trouble as the sparks fly upward a Life not worth the having nor worth the keeping with any great care and trouble if it were not in order to a better and happier life But 't is not this life which our Saviour means that indeed were not worth all this striving for 'T is Eternal Life a State of perfect and endless Happiness of joys unspeakable and full of glory And who would not strive to enter in at that gate which leads to so much Felicity Can a Man possibly take too much pains be at too much trouble for a few Days to be happy for ever So often as I consider what incredible Industry Men use for the Things of this Life and to get a small Portion of this World I am ready to conclude That either Men do not Believe the Rewards of another World or that they do not understand them else they could not think much to be at the same pains for Heaven that they can chearfully bestow for the obtaining of these Corruptible things Can we be so unconscionable as to think God unreasonable when he offers Heaven and Everlasting Happiness to us upon as easy Terms as any thing in this World is ordinarily to be had And are not we very foolish and unwise to put away Eternal Life from us when we may have it upon Terms so infinitely below the true worth and value of it I have now done with the Three Things which I propounded to speak to from the first part of these Words which are so many Arguments to enforce the Exhortation here in the Text to strive to enter in at the strait gate and to give all Diligence by the course of a Holy and Virtuous life to get to Heaven and we may assure our selves that nothing less than this will bring us thither So our Saviour tells us
I proceed to a Sixth Observation That a standing Revelation of God is Evidence sufficient for Divine things They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them that is they have the Books of Moses and the Prophets written by Men divinely inspired these do sufficiently declare to them the Will of God and their Duty and it is unreasonable to demand or expect that God should do more for their Conviction and Satisfaction I know very well the Text speaks only of the Scriptures of the Old Testament those of the New being not then extant when this Parable was deliver'd But what is here said concerning the Scriptures of the Old Testament is equally applicable to the New and tho' Abraham do only recommend Moses and the Prophets there is no doubt but he would have said the same concerning Christ and his Apostles if the Books of the New Testament had been then extant So that what I shall say upon this Observation does indifferently concern the whole Scripture And that I may make out this Observation more fully I shall take these Five things into consideration 1 st What we are to understand by a Divine Revelation 2 dly Give a brief Account of the several kinds of it 3 dly Shew what Advantage this standing Revelation of the Scriptures hath above any other way of conveying the will of God to the world 4 thly That there is sufficient Evidence for the divinity of the Scriptures 5 thly That it is unreasonable to expect that God should do more for our Conviction than to afford such a standing Revelation of his Mind and Will I shall go over these as briefly as I can I begin with the 1 st What we are to understand by a Divine Revelation By a divine Revelation we are to understand a supernatural discovery or manifestation of any thing to us I say supernatural because it may either be immediately by God or by the mediation of Angels as most if not all the Revelations of the Old Testament were A supernatural Discovery or Manifestation either immediately to our Minds by our Understandings and inward Faculties for I do not so well understand the distinction between Understanding and Imagination as to be careful to take notice of it or else mediately to our Understandings by the mediation of our outward Senses as by an external appearance to our Bodily Eyes or by a Voice and Sound to the Sense of Hearing A Discovery or Manifestation of a thing whether it be such as cannot be known at all by the use of our natural Reason and Understanding or such as may be discovered by natural Light but is more clearly revealed or made known or we are awakened to a more particular and attentive consideration of it For it is not at all unsuitable to the wisdom of God to make a supernatural Discovery to us of such things as may be known by the light of Nature either to give us a clearer manifestation of such Truths as were more obscurely known and did as it were lie buried in our Understandings or else to quicken our Minds to a more serious and lively consideration of those Truths 2 dly For the several kinds of Divine Revelation That they were various the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us ch 1.1 God who at sundry times and in several manners spake to the Fathers by the Prophets where by Prophets we are to understand not only those who did foretel future things but any Person that was divinely inspired and to whom God was pleased to make any supernatural discovery of himself Now the several Kinds of Revelation taken notice of by the Jews are Visions Dreams Prophecy Oracle Inspiration or that which they call the Holy Ghost voice Bath-col or that which was the highest of all which they call gradus Mosaicus the degree of Revelation which was peculiar to Moses The Jewish Writers especially Maimonides have many subtil Observations about the differences of these several kinds of Revelation which depends upon subtil and Philosophical Distinctions of the Faculties of Perception as that some of these Revelations were by impression only upon the Understanding some only upon the Imagination some upon both some upon the outward Senses But the simple and plain difference between them so far as there is any ground in Scripture to distinguish them seems to be this Vision was a Representation of something to a Man when he was waking in opposition to Dreams which were Representations made to Men in their Sleep Prophecy might be either Dream or Vision and the Jews observe that it was always one of these two ways which they grounded upon Numb 12.6 If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known to him in a Vision and will speak unto him in a Dream But Prophecy in the strict Notion of it had this peculiarly belonging to it that it was not only monitory or instructive but did foretel some Event of Concernment to others and the Jewish Doctors tell us that it was a clearer Revelation and carried greater assurance along with it and that this was common to all the three that there was something of Extasie and Transport of Mind in all these The fourth sort of Revelation which was by Oracle which is call'd Vrim and Thummim was a rendring of Answers to Questions by the High-Priest looking upon the Stones in the Breast-plate which how it was done is uncertain The Fifth sort of Revelation is that which they call the Holy Ghost which was a more calm and gentle Inspiration without any extraordinary Transport of Mind or Extasie such as David had in the writing of the Psalms The lowest of all was that which they call'd Bath col which was by a Voice from Heaven and this is the way of Revelation which the Jews observed did only continue among them from the days of the Prophet Malachi to our Saviour The highest of all was that which they call'd gradus Mosaicus to which the Jews give several Prerogatives above all the other ways of Revelation as that it was done by Impression merely upon the Understanding without Extasie or Rapture or Transport when he was waking and in his ordinary Temper and his Senses not bound up either by Extasie or Sleep that it was a Revelation immediately from God himself and not by the Mediation of Angels without any Fear or Amazement or Fainting which was incident to other Prophets and the Spirit of Prophecy rested upon him and he could exert it arbitrarily and put it forth when he would Of which thus much is evidently true from the Story of him that the Spirit of Prophecy did rest more constantly upon him and that he could exert it with greater freedom and without any discernable Amazement or Transport from his ordinary Temper But that it was by Impression merely upon his Understanding as that is a distinct Faculty from the Imagination is not so certain that it was always by an immediate Communication from God without