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A61620 A sermon preached before the Queen at White-Hall, February 22d, 1688/9 by Edward Stillingfleet ... Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699. 1689 (1689) Wing S5660; ESTC R14193 17,444 42

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A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN AT WHITE-HALL February 22d 1688 9. By EDW. STILLINGFLEET D. D. Dean of St. Paul's LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlocke at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-yard 1689. Imprimatur Hen. Wharton R. R. in Christo P. ac D. D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cant. à Sacr. Domest Ex Aed Lamb. March 1. 1688. I. PETER 4. 18. And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Vngodly and the Sinner appear THIS Epistle was written by S. Peter for the Incouragement of Christians under all their Sufferings but these Words seem to carry so much Terrour and Severity in them as though none but Martyrs and Confessours could have any Reason to hope for Salvation and all others were to be left in Despair Although Mankind be not easily satisfied concerning the Punishment denounced against the Vngodly and Sinner yet the Justice of God the Equity of his Commands the Freedom of their Choice the Contempt of Grace and their Wilfull and Obstinate Impenitency take away all just Cause of Complaint But that the Righteous should scarcely be saved seems hardly reconcilable with the Grace and Design and Promises of the Gospel For the righteous here are not vain proud self-conceited Hypocrites such who think they need no Repentance but such who by the Grace of God were brought off from their former Sins and were redeemed from their vain Conversation with the pretious bloud of Christ who had purisied their Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit Who were a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People yet of such as these it is said If the righteous scarcely be saved But how can this agree with the Infinite Goodness and Mercy of God declared in the Gospel whereby Sinners are courted and encouraged to repent with the Hopes and Promise of Salvation Did not Christ come to save Sinners and St. Paul call this a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation and yet after all shall the righteous scarcely be saved What Ioy in Heaven can there be over one Sinner that Repents if after his Repentance it be so hard to come to Heaven Doth not Christ himself invite those who are weary and heavy laden to come to him with a Promise that he will give rest to their Souls But what Rest can they have who notwithstanding their coming to him do with so much difficulty attain to Eternal Rest How can that be said to be an easie yoke and a light burthen which is of it self so hard to be born and the Reward which is to make it easie so hard to be attained If it be said that this Expression that the righteous are scarcely saved is to be understood of some Sufferings and Persecutions which the Christians were then to undergo and it was very hard for any though never so righteous to escape and that to this v. 17. refers I answer That this doth not clear the Difficulty For from whence doth this Necessity of Suffering arise Is it not enough to repent and forsake our Sins but we must undergo some Punishment for them in this Life although God remits that of the World to come But how is this consistent with the Fulness of Christ's Satisfaction and the Freeness of God's Remission of Sins And if God's Justice be satisfied and the Sins be forgiven what need can there be that Persons must here suffer for their Sins before they can come to Heaven So that for the clearing this Subject these thing must be spoken to I. In what Sense the righteous are said to be scarcely saved II. How this is consistent with the Grace of the Gospel III. What Incouragement there is for us to hope for Salvation when the righteous are said to be scarcely saved I. In what sense the righteous are said to be scarcely saved That may be understood Two ways 1. With Respect to Accidental Difficulties arising from the particular Circumstances of Times and Seasons 2. With Respect to the General Terms of Salvation which are common to all Persons and Times 1. With respect to Accidental Difficulties arising from the particular Circumstances of Times and Persons For the Difficulties of Religion are not alike in all Times nor to all Persons for they are not like a Geometrical Measure which is always exactly the same but rather like a Voyage at Sea which is to be managed by the same Compass and to the same Port but it sometimes proves Calm and Pleasant and at other times Stormy and Tempestuous Which chiefly happens when a Religion appears New or goes about to Reform the Old for then it is sure to meet with all the Opposition which the Passions and Interests and Prejudices of partial Men can raise against it It s true he that stills the raging of the Sea and the Madness of the People can when he pleases calm the most violent Passions of Mankind and make way for the Reception of Truth in their Minds but he thinks fit by such means to trie and discover what is in Men. Who never shew their Passions more violently and unreasonably than when they are mask'd under a pretence of Zeal against Heresie and Innovation For that blinds their Understandings corrupts their Wills inflames their Passions hardens their Hearts and shuts up all bowels of Pity and Compassion towards Brethren Thus it was among the Iews towards the Christians both in Iudea and in the several Places of their Dispersion For they looked on them as Apostates and Hereticks and treated them not onely with the utmost Scorn and Contempt but with all the Fury and Rage imaginable and where their own Power fell short they called in the Assistence of the Roman Governours representing the Christians to them as an Upstart and Pernicious Sect Seditious and Turbulent and therefore ought by all means to be supprest By such Insinuations the poor Christians in the Eastern Provinces of the Iewish Dispersion were miserably harassed and proceeded against as Malefactours Thus it was at that time when S. Peter wrote his Epistle to the Iewish Christians who were scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia where there were abundance of Iews and many Converts but very hardly used among them St. Peter having been imployed much among them the Apostleship of the Circumcision being committed to him and being withdrawn into the Kingdom of Parthia where he had planted a Church at Babylon not so desolate at that time as not to be sufficient for such a Number as appears by Strabo and Iosephus from thence he writes this excellent Epistle for the Advice and Comfort of the suffering Christians He adviseth them to behave themselves with great Prudence and Care of their Actions to give no Advantage against themseves by doing any ill things and then if it pleased God to call them out to suffer they ought not to murmur or complain or mistrust his Gracious Providence towards them but commit themselves to God in