our judgment for that which has least Now 't is certainly much more suitable to the reasonable Mind to acknowledge that things may be true which we are not able to conceive and comprehend than to deny the natural and proper sense of many clear and express texts of Scripture that declare those things And by this we may judge of the Glosses of Socinus and his followers who without reverence of the Majesty of God and the sincerity of his Word rack the Scriptures to make them speak what they do not and use all Arts to silence them in what they do reveal Unhappy men 〈◊〉 that affect to be esteem'd Ingenious and Subtil to the extreme hazard of their own Salvation How much safer and more easie is it to believe the plain sense of the Scriptures than the turns and shifts that are invented to elude it and extricate Heretical Persons out of the difficulties that attend their Opinions I shall add the Doctrine of the Trinity is so expressly set down in the Gospel of Christ that 't is impossible the Son of God who is Infinite and Eternal Love who gave himself for our Redemption should have declar'd it and engag'd his Disciples in all Ages and Places in an Error of such dreadful Consequence as the Worshipping those who are not God 2. 'T is alledged that if a Person sincerely searches into the Scripture and cannot be convinc'd that the supernatural Doctrines of the Trinity and others depending upon it are contain'd in them he shall not be Condemn'd by the Righteous Judge of the World for involuntary and speculative Errors To this I answer 1. This pretence has deceiv'd many who were guilty of damnable Heresies and there is great reason to fear deceives men still The heart is deceitful above all things and most deceitful to it self Who can say that neither Interest nor Passion neither Hope nor Fear neither Anger nor Ambition have interven'd in his Inquiry after Truth but he has preferr'd the knowledge of Divine Truths before all Temporal Respects and yet he cannot believe what the Scripture reveals of the Nature of God and the oeconomy of our Salvation let this Imaginary Man produce his Plea for I believe there was never any such There are many that make reason the Soveraign Rule of Faith and determine such things cannot be true because they cannot understand how they can be true Prodigious Inference the most absurd of all Errors that makes the narrow Mind of Man the measure of all things This is the proper Principle of that horrible Compofition of Heresies and execrable Impieties which so many that are Christians in Profession but Antichristians in Belief boldly Publish They will choose to Err in matters of Infinite Importance rather than Confess their Ignorance And which is astonishing they will readily acknowledge the defectiveness of Reason with respect to the understanding of themselves but insolently arrogate a right to determine things in the Nature of God 'T is true Ignorance the more invincible is the more excusable but when the Error of the Mind is from a vicious Will both the Error and the Cause of it are sinful and inexcusable When the corrupt Will has an Influence upon the Understanding and the Mind is stain'd with some Carnal Lust when a Temptation diverts it from a serious and sincere considering the Reasons that should induce us to believe Divine Doctrines their Unbelief will be justly punish'd The Scripture declares That an evil heart is the cause of unbelief Pride and obstinacy of Mind and Carnal Lusts are the Cause that so many renounce those Eternal Truths by which they should be saved 2. 'T is alleged That speculative Errors cannot be Damnable To this I answer 1. The Understanding of Man in his Original State was Light in the Lord and regular in its directions now 't is dark and disorder'd and in the points of Religion that are reveal'd any Error induces guilt and if obstinately defended exposes to Judgment Some Truths are written because necessary to be believed others are to be believed because written 2. According to the quality of the Truths reveal'd in Scripture such is the hurtfulness of the Errors that are opposite to them Some Truths are necessary others profitable some Errors are directly opposite to the Saving Truths of the Gospel others by Consequence undermine them Those who deny the Lord that bought them are guilty of damnable Heresies capital Errors not holding the head 3. The Doctrine of the Trinity is not a mere speculative Truth nor the denial of it a speculative Error the Trinity is not only an Object of Faith but of Worship In Baptism we are dedicated to the Sacred Trinity in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which clearly proves they are of the same Authority and Power and consequently of the same Nature for 't is impossible to Conceive of three Infinite Beings for by necessity one would limit another The Apostle declares without Controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh The Nature and End of this Divine Mystery is to form the spirits of Man to believe and love and obey God For in it there is the clearest Revelation of God's admirable Love to Men of his unspotted Holiness his incorruptible Justice the great Motives of Religion In that Divine Doctrine we have the most ravishing Image of Piety and Vertue the most becoming the Nature of God to give and of Man to receive Briefly God Commands us to believe in his Son without Faith in him we are uncapable of Redemption by him When Christ perform'd Miraculous Cures he requir'd of the Persons whether they did believe in his Divine Power and what he declar'd himself to be Electing Mercy ordains the Means and the End The Apostle gives thanks to God because he has chosen the Thessalonians to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the Truth Holiness and Faith in the Doctrine of the Gospel are indispensable qualifications in the Learn'd and Ignorant that would be saved by the Son of God 'T is a high Contempt of the Truth and Goodness of God not to yield a firm Assent to what he has reveal'd concerning our Salvation by his Incarnate Son He that believes not the Record that God hath given of his Son makes God a Liar This infinitely provokes him and inflames his Indignation To dis-believe the Testimony that Jesus Christ has given of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine is to despise him it robs him of his Essential and his acquir'd Glory by the work of our Redemption There can be no true Love of God without the true knowledge of him as he is reveal'd not onely in his Works but in his Word Our Saviour who is the Way the Truth and the Life has declar'd when he gave Commission to his Apostles to preach the Gospel to the World whoever believes and is baptised shall be saved whoever believes not shall
Lawgiver and Judge to Call them to an Account for their Actions can doubt of his Eternal Existence Now that there is a God being proved the necessary Consequence from that Principle is that he must be honour'd and serv'd according to his own Will and that it becomes his Wisdom and Goodness to reveal his Will to Men the Rule of their Duty and that this be done in the most instructive and permanent way in Writing that is less liable to Corruption than Oral Tradition and that the Holy Scripture has in it such Conspicuous Characters of its descent from Heaven besides the most undoubted Testimony that it was written by Men Divinely Inspired and Infallible that without violating the Rules of sound Discourse we must yield our Assent to its Divine Authority and supernatural Doctrines reveal'd in it I shall not here amplifie and illustrate these particulars having in some Discourses formerly publish'd of the Existency of God and the Immortality of the Soul and the Divinity of the Christian Religion manifested how desperate the Cause of the Atheists and Deists is to unprejudic'd Minds Now though the deduction specified be according to the true rule of Ratiocination yet there are some that account it a slavery to fix their belief upon any Authority but will be free in believing as they are in their actions I will therefore briefly produce some proofs of the Truth of Christian Religion that carry an uncontroulable Evidence in them The abolishing Idolatry in the Pagan World in the time foretold by the Prophets is a palpable proof that Christian Religion was from the true God The Instruments of this great Work were a few Fishermen that had neither Learning nor Arms nor Treasures Patience was their Strength Poverty their Choice Disgrace their Honour that without any Force but of Illumination and Perswasion of Humility and Charity and enduring the most terrible Sufferings they should vanquish the Pride of Philosophers the Tyrannous power of Princes the Rebellious Opposition of Mens Carnal Lusts is not Conceivable without the assistance of Divine Strength that convinc'd the most obstinate Enemies that the Doctrine was Divine by the Miracles done in Confirmation of it Besides that which the wise Men in all Ages were searching for that is the perfection of the Law of Nature at first engraven in the Hearts of Men by the Author of it but in vain for although Philosophy affords some notices of Good and Evil sufficient to check many notorious Vices yet 't is not sufficient to direct Men in their universal Duty towards God others and themselves but the Gospel is an instructive Light of our full Duty it speaks to the Heart and changes its Thoughts and Affections and reforms the Life according to the pure and perfect Rule reveal'd in it Now could an Imposture produce such a perfection of Vertue in the wicked World The true interpretation of the Moral Law in the Gospel is from God alone Vâ—x hominem non sonat Could such a change be made without visible Miracles If the Christian Religion was planted and propagated without the Confirmation of Miracles it were a transcendent Miracle And though we saw not the Miracles done by the Apostles yet we see the permanent effects of them in the belief and Lives of True Christians Infidels are apt to reply if they saw Miracles performed to assure them of the Divinity of the Christian Religion they would believe it 'T is a vain pretence that Men would submit to the power of God declar'd by Miracles who deny his Authority made known in that eminent degree of Evidence in his Word Abraham answer'd the Rich Man who desir'd a Messenger from the Dead might be sent to Convert his Brethren They have Moses and the Prophets and if they hear not them they would not be perswaded though one rose from the dead In short those who resist so strong a Light as shines in the Scripture the delusion of their Mind is from their depraved Hearts Speculative Truths obtain the present and easie Assent of the Mind but Truths directive of Practice if opposite to Mens Lusts though their Evidence be unexceptionable yet the carnal Mind is very averse from receiving them This account is given of the Pharisees Infidelity they repented not that they might believe in him When the Will is ingag'd in the love of Sin and Rebels against the Sanctity and Severity of the Gospel Commands 't is congruous to reject it The corrupt Affections hinder the due application of the Mind to consider the motives of Credibility and stain the Mind that it does not sincerely judge of them Though Infidels pretend to be the only discoursing Wits of the Age to have the Oracles of Reason in their Breasts and despise others as Captives of a blind Belief yet their Folly is palpable and penal for having provoked God by their Infidelity they are left to the power of their Lusts and of the Tempter and sink deeper into darkness and become more hardned and presumptuous Those who Embark with these distracted Pilots in such dangerous Seas have a mind to perish for ever 2. Hyprocrisie is a Spiritual Pollution In its Theological Consideration it implyes a Counterfeiting Religion and Vertue an affectation of the Name join'd with a disaffection to the Thing The having a form of Godliness with denying the power of it Accordingly 1. Every Titular Christian who professes Subjection to Christ and lives in Habitual Disobedience to his Commands is an Hypocrite The actions are the incarnate issues of the Heart wherein they are form'd and the clearest discovery of it A Rebellious Course of Sin declares a person to be an Infidel notwithstanding his owning Christ to be our King His Life is a continual Lye He vainly presumes that God is his Father when his Actions declare him to be a Child of the Devil 2. Hypocrisie in a stricter sense is when Men presume their spiritual condition to be good upon false grounds 'T is observable no Man is a Hypocrite to himself out of choice he does not deliberately deceive himself But one may be a Hypocrite without his knowledge by Ignorance and Error He may think his inclination to some Vertues and his aversion from some Vices to be Divine Grace But sympathies and antipathies proceed often from Natural Temper and not from the renewed Mind and Will from Judgment and Choice A tame Dog is as truly a beast as a wild Wolf A Man that performs only some good things and abstains from some evil from natural Conscience is as truly in the state of polluted Nature as one that is wholly careless of his Duty and freely indulges every carnal Lust. One may be exact in light matters as the Pharisees in tithing Mint and Cummin and neglect substantial Duties he may be zealous in the outward parts of Religious Worship and neglect Righteousness and Mercy and think to compensate his defects in the Duties of one Table by strict observing the Duties
be damned We cannot make Laws to be the Rule of God's Judgment but must receive them However some may flatter Erring Persons in their Security it will be found in the great Day that Infidelity in the Light of the glorious Gospel will have no Excuse before God The Doctrine of the Gospel is like the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire that was darkness to the Egyptians but inlightned the Israelites in their Passage out of Egypt 't is conceal'd from the Proud and reveal'd to the Humble The Humane Mind is imperious and turbulent and averse from submitting to God's Authority who Commands the Wise and most Understanding to yield full Assent to his Word as the meanest Capacities The Natural Man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd There is no proportion between the Faculty and the Object You may as well see an Angel by the Light of a Candle as see the great Mysteries of the Gospel by the Natural Mind their reality beauty and excellency so as savingly to believe them Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit who is stil'd the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation who discovers the Object and inlightens the Mind to see it and by free preventing Grace inclines the Will to embrace it The Holy Spirit alone can pull down strong holds and cast down Imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bring into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The Spirit overcomes the Pride of the Natural Understanding by the Authority of the Revealer and inlightens the Ignorance of it by the Infallible Revelation Violence and Temporal Respects may by Terrors and Allurements make Men Hypocrites but cannot make them sincere Believers there will be a Form of Religion without and Atheism within 'T is special Grace inspires the Elect of God with Light to see Spiritual things and requires special Thankfulness Let us Humbly pray to the Father of Mercies and of Lights that he would reveal the Mysteries of his Kingdom to the Minds of Men. If the Gospel be hid 't is hid to those that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them CHAP. VII The Power of Faith to overcome all that is opposite to our Salvation A Speculative Assent to Supernatural Truths is not Saving The Efficacy of Faith against the Temptations of the World proceeds from the Nature of its Objects and the degrees of Assent and the frequent application of them to our Hearts There is an incomparable difference between the good and evil things that are present and those that are future The Evidence and Importance of future good things and our interest in them fixes our Assent and makes it effectual Justifying Faith consider'd in its Nature and Purifying Virtue Faith in the disposals of Divine Providence is a Fundamental Principle from whence many Practical Consequences are derived The Heathens had very disparaging Conceits of God's Providence The Scripture declares that nothing happens without the knowledge the Will either permissive or approving and the Ordering Providence of God This is very influential to the Lives of Men. 4. I Will now Consider the Power and Efficacy of Faith to overcome all that is opposite to our Salvation I shall premise there is a common delusion that has a pernicious Influence into the Minds and Lives of many that those are true Believers who yield a dry and barren Assent to the Mysteries of the Gospel without the practical Belief of them They do not foment and authorise doubts by the pretence of Reason nor excite revolts in their Minds and entertain Objections against supernatural Truths but they never felt the spirit and power of Faith in raising them above the low descents of Carnal Minds and setting their Affections on things above The Love of the present World like a stupifying Wine causes in them a forgetfulness of Heaven and that which is the most dangerous Idolatry in the sight of God is seated in their Hearts The Understanding submits to divine Revelation but the Will is Rebellious against the divine Commands They believe what is necessary to believe but not what is necessary to do They are satisfied with a speculative Faith that costs nothing and will go with them to Hell for the Devils believe supernatural Truths They are rich in the Notions of Faith but poor in the Precepts of Obedience Now in the Language of Scripture saving Faith and knowledge of divine things are productive of such Affections and Actions as are correspondent to the Nature of the things believed If the Head be inlightned and the Heart in Darkness if one professes never so fully his Assent and Adherence to all the Articles of Faith and the Beams of Faith are not visible in his Conversation he is an Infidel He that sayes I know Christ or which is Equivalent believe in him and keeps not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him Every habitual Sinner is an Unbeliever Unfeigned Faith receives the Word of God in all its parts Doctrines Commands Promises not only as Infallibly true but Superlatively good and precious and intirely embraces them with a despising of all things that may come in Competition with them and expresses the esteem and love of them in the practise The two inseparable properties of Saving Faith are 't is Humble and Submissive to divine Revelation 't is Dutiful and Obedient to divine Precepts This being premis'd I will consider the power of Faith proceeding 1. From the Nature of the Objects upon which 't is exercis'd 2. From the degrees of its Assent and Adherence to them 3. From the serious and frequent Application of the Objects to our Heart 1. From the Nature of the Objects upon which 't is exercis'd now between them and the most enticeing good things and the most fearful evil in this present state there is an incomparable difference The Apostle tells us This is the victory that overcomes the World even our Faith Victory supposes a Fight and a Fight supposes an Enemy The Enemy is declar'd the VVorld including the Men of the VVorld and the things of it This Enemy is in Combination with the Devil and the Flesh. He is stil'd the Prince of this World that manages the Temptations of it for the ruine of Souls He tryes his poisons according to the dispositions of Men in hopes of working in them He presents to some a charming Cup to intoxicate them with the pleasures of Sin he tempts others with things of Lustre with Titles of Honour and Dignity that dazle their Minds that they cannot give a true and safe judgment of things he allures others with Riches And as heat is doubled by reflexion so he enforces his
the dear Memorial of his purchasing blessedness for us His precious Blood appeas'd the just Anger of God and shall it not Cool and Calm our Inflam'd Passions In imitation of God and Christ we must abstain from all Revenge of the greatest Evils suffered by us We must extinguish any inclination to Revenge Sin begins in the Desire and ends in the Action We must not take the least pleasure that Evil befalls one that has been injurious to us for the root of it is Devilish Though the reparation of an Injury may in some cases be necessary yet Revenge is absolutely forbidden To retaliate an Evil without any reparation of our Losses is to do Mischief for Mischiefs sake which is the property of Satan As on the contrary to do Good for Evil is such a Divine Perfection that the Devil does not assume the resemblance of it 't is so contrary to his cursed Disposition Some will conceal their Anger for a time waiting for an Opportunity to take Revenge without the appearance of Passion Their Malice like slow Poyson does not cause violent Symptoms but destroys Life insensibly Some have such fierce Passions that strike Fire out of the least Provocation their Breasts are changed into a Tophet Some inflame their Resentments by considering every Circumstance that will exasperate their Spirits But the Command is Be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good The Duty is so pleasant in its exercise and attended with such comfortable Consequences that 't is recommended to our Reason and our Affections Love suffers long Love bears all things endures all things And what is more ingaging than the delightful disposition of Love The doing Good for Evil often gains the Heart of an Enemy If there be any vital spark of Humanity it cannot be resisted There is an Instance of it recorded in Scripture Saul the unrighteous and implacable Enemy of David yet being spar'd when he was entirely at his Mercy was moved and melted into tenderness Is this thy voice my Son David Before he in Contempt called him the Son of Jesse Thou art more righteous than I I will do thee no more evil How will some of the Heathens condemn Christians both as to the Rule and Practice of this Duty for whereas 't is esteem'd to be the Character of Pusillanimity or Stupidity to bear frequent and great Injuries unrevenged One of their Poets mixed this Counsel among other excellent Rules of Morality That Man is arrived at an heroick degree of Goodness who is instructed in a dispassionate manner to bear great Injuries And when Phocion who had deserved so highly of the Athenians was condemned unjustly to dye his Son attending him to receive his last Commands immediately before his Death he charged him never to revenge it on the Athenians CHAP. IX Divine Hope has an eminent Causality in the Life of a Christian. The nature of Christian Hope 'T is the Character of a Saint 'T is natural congruous and necessary to a Saint in the present state 'T is distinguish'd from carnal Presumption by its purifying Vertue Fear considered in its nature and cleansing Vertue The Attributes of God the motives of holy Fear There is a Fear of Reverence and of Caution 'T is consistent with Faith and the affections of Love Hope and Joy 'T is the fountain of Fortitude 3. DIvine Hope has an eminent Causality and Influence in the Life of a Christian. St. John speaking of the glorious likeness of the Saints to Christ in the Divine World inferrs from it Every Man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure Three things are observable in the words 1. The Character of a Christian by his Hope Every Man that has this hope in him 2. The distinction of this Hope from its counterfeit by its inseparable effect Purifies himself 3. The regulating of the effect by its Pattern Even as he is pure 1. Christian Hope is a firm expectation of future Happiness 'T is distinguish'd from Worldly Hopes by the excellency of the Object and the stability of its Foundation The Object is an eternal state of Glory and Joy wherein we shall be conform'd to the Son of God Worldly Hopes are terminated on empty vanishing things gilded over with the thin appearance of Good The foundation of Divine Hope are the unchangable Truth of God and his Almighty Power that always seconds his Word God cannot lye and consequently neither deceive our Faith nor disappoint our Hopes and he can do all things The Apostle declares the ground of his Confidence I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day All the Persons in the Deity are ingaged for our assurance and comfort Sometimes 't is said That our hope may be in God and Our Lord Jesus Christ our hope and That we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Worldly Hopes are always uncertain in this sphere of mutability There is so much of impotence or deceit in all the means used to obtain Humane Desires that the success is doubtful Fear mixes with the Desires and often Despair with Fear Young Men are flush with Hopes and of bolder Expectations than ancient Men who from Experience of many unforeseen and inevitable Difficulties that have travers'd their Hopes are inclin'd to Fear But Experience incourages and fortifies the Hopes of Christians which are attended with Patience and Joy If we hope we with patience wait for it Notwithstanding the distance of time and intervening difficulties before the accomplishment of what we expected no undiscernable Accidents can blast their assurance The interval of a thousand Years did not weaken Abraham's Hope of the promised Messiah Comfort is mix'd with the patience of Hope The Apostle saith That we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope The final security of the Blessedness promised is very joyful in an afflicted Condition This Hope is the Character by which a sincere Christian is denominated and distinguish'd from Heathens who are without God without Christ and without hope For God is the Object of it as our soveraign Good and Christ is the Means whereby we obtain and enjoy him This Grace is most natural congruous and necessary to a Christian in the present state 1. Natural Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for you The supernatural Birth entitles to the supernatural Inheritance if Sons then heirs and the hope of Heaven is a consequent Affection As in the Natural Life the most early exercise of Reason excites desires and hopes to obtain what may supply the wants of it So in the Spiritual Life when Faith discovers to us Coelestial Blessendness revealed in
it are clear and pure directing us in our universal Duty the Promises are precious encouraging us by the prospect of the Reward the Threatenings terrible to preserve us from Sin There is an instrumental fitness in the Word preached to perfect the Image of God in us for the manner of conveying the Revelation to us has a congruity to work upon the subject to whom 't is revealed The first insinuation of Sin was by the Ear the first inspiration of Grace is by it Through the Ear was the entrance of Death 't is now the gate of Life In Heaven we shall know God by sight now by hearing When a Minister of the Gospel is inlightened from Heaven and zealous for the Salvation of Souls he is fitter for this Work than if an Angel were a ministring Spirit in this sense and imployed in this holy Office For he that Preaches has the same interest in the Doctrine declar'd by him his everlasting Happiness is nearly concern'd and therefore is most likely to affect others When a holy fire is kindled in the Breast it will inflame the Lips the Mind convinces the Mind and the Heart perswades the Heart But we must consider that as the Instrument cannot effect that for which 't is made without 't is directed and applyed for that end so without a superiour influence of the Holy Spirit that gives vital Power to the preaching of the Word 't is without efficacy What our Saviour speaks of the Natural Life is applicable to the Spiritual Man lives not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from God's mouth A Minister with all his Reason and Rhetorick cannot turn a Soul from Sin to Holiness without the Omnipotent Operation of the Spirit The Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the Gospel came not to them in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost The Gospel then comes only in Word when it pierces no further than the Ear that is the sense to try Words and distinguish different Sounds and Voices But the Truth of God directed and animated by the Spirit doth not stop at the Ear the door of the Soul but passes into the Understanding and the Heart that make a change so real and great in the qualities of Men as is express'd by substantial productions 'T is therefore said We are begotten and born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word The Word becomes effectual for the increase of Holiness when 't is mix'd with Faith which binds the Conscience to entire Obedience 'T is the Word of God our King Law-giver and Judge the Rule of our present Duty and of future Judgment in the great day of decision The Divine Law is universal and unchangable and the Duties of it are not necessary for some and needless for others but must be obeyed without partiality notwithstanding the repugnance of the Carnal Passions When 't is seriously believed and considered the hearers are induced to receive it with preparation and resolution of yielding to it There is no Truth more evident nor injur'd than this that perfect Obedience is due to the Will of God declar'd in his Word This all profess in the general but contradict in particulars when a Temptation crosses the Precept Now the first act of Obedience to the Truth is the believing it with so stedfast an assent wrought by the Spirit that it purifies the Heart and reforms the whole Man 2. With Faith there must be joyn'd an earnest desire to grow in Holiness This is declar'd by St. Peter As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby In the Natural Life there is an inseparable Appetite of Food to maintain it the inward sense of its necessities causes a hunger and thirst after suitable supplies to preserve and improve it This is experimented in every one that is born of the Spirit they attend and apply the Word of God to them not merely to prevent the sharp reflections of Conscience for the impious neglect of their Duty for that proceeds from Fear not from Desire but to grow in Knowledge and Holiness not in an aiery flashy Knowledge that is only fruitful to increase Guilt and Punishment but substantial and saving Knowledge that is influential upon practice Hearing is in order to doing and doing is the way to Happiness 'T is not the forgetful hearer but the doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed The bare knowledge of Evil does no hurt nor the bare knowledge of our Duty without practice does no Good Feeding without digesting the Food and turning it into Blood and Spirits affords no Nourishment nor Strength The most diligent hearing and comprehensive knowledge of our Duty without practice is not profitable The enemy of our Souls is content that Divine Truths should be in our Understandings if he can intercept their passage into our Hearts and Conversations He practices over continually the first Temptation to induce us by Guile to choose the Tree of Knowledge before the Tree of Life We are therefore commanded to be doers of the Word not hearers only deceiving our own Souls 3. That the Spiritual Life may be increased by the Word it must be laid up in the Mind and Memory and hid in the Heart David says I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I may not sin against thee His Affection to the Word caused his continual Meditation of it that it might be a living Root of the Fruits of Holiness in their season If there were the same care and diligence in remembring and observing the Rules of Life prescrib'd by the Wisdom of God in the Scriptures as Men use in remembring and practising Rules for the recovery of the Health of their Bodies and 't is justly requisite there should be more since the Life of the Soul infinitely excels the Life of the Body how holy and blessed would they be The Advice of the Roman Physician that is conducive for the Health of the Body is applicable to the Soul After a full Meal abstain from laborious Actions that the heat of the Spirits may be concentered in the Stomach for Digestion otherwise if diverted and imployed in Labour the Stomach will be filled with Crudities Thus after hearing the Word our thoughts should not be scattered in the World but we should recollect and revolve it in our Minds that it may be digested into practice 'T is said of the Virgin Mary She kept thâ—se sayings and pondered them in her heart There are powerful Motives to ingage us to a conscientious attendance upon this Duty Our Saviour tells us He that hears me that is with subjection of Soul hath Eternal Life And in one Instance he has declar'd how much approv'd and acceptable it was to him For when Martha was imployed about entertaining him and Mary was attentive to receive his Instructions he said Mary has chose the better part that shall not be taken from her His feeding Mary was more
of the other This is pernicious Hypocrisie The subtilty and strength of Satan are imployed to deceive Men by an airy Religion by an opinionative Goodness to prevent their being awakened from their drowsie and deadly state 'T is worthy of notice The Tempter has a double operation in the Minds of Men He deceives the hypocritical with false hopes by concealing or extenuating their Sins to induce them to presume of the Favour of God and to secure his quiet possession of them He troubles the sincere with vain Terrors by concealing their Graces to discourage their progress in the way to Heaven He is an envious Explorator and searches to find out their defects to accuse them to God and he defames God to them as if he would not spare his Sons that serve him He is triumphant in the unsanctified and militant in the Saints 3. Some hide their crying Sins under the colourable appearance of Vertues and pretend to Holiness that they may sin with less suspicion and more security He will speak of those Sins in others with severity which he freely indulges in himself The Characters of Religion are drawn in his Countenance but his Lusts are deeply ingraven in his Heart These our Saviour compares to painted Sepulchres that within contain sordid dust and rottenness This is perfect Hypocrisie a deadly pollution that wounds the Vitals sears the Conscience quenches all Goodness in the Will for this Hypocrite is voluntarily so Hypocrisie in the Heart is like Poyson in a Spring that spreads it self through all the veins of the Conversation This Sin our Saviour never speaks of but with detestation For this he denounc'd such a heavy Woe against the Pharisees that used Religion as a masking habit to appear glorious in the Eyes of Men and disguised their Worldly Aims in Devotions and made long Prayers to be esteem'd of Men. This is so odious to God that he forbids all the emblems and resemblances of it to the Jews Linsy-wolsey Garments and miscelain Corn. Our Defects acknowledged with ingenuity excite his Compassion but counterfeit Vertues excite his Indignation For what can be more provoking than to appear to be like God in Holiness the Glory of the Deity for this end to be secretly wicked and to affront his Omniscience as if he could not discern them through all their close and dark concealments A Hypocrite is fearful of Men but faces God Pride mix'd with Hypocrisie was the Devil's original Sin he abode not in the Truth and Religious Hypocrites are his Natural Children The hottest climate in Hell will be their habitation For our Saviour threatens some Sinners their portion with Hypocrites that is aggravated Damnation This Sin is difficultly cured in that 't is not easily discovered by Men and does not expose to shame but is subservient to many carnal ends Men cannot dive into the Hearts of others and cannot discern between the Paint of Hypocrisie and the Life of Holiness The mixture of beautiful Colours in the Countenance may be so artificial that at distance it may be thought to be natural Besides Hypocrisie turns the Remedy into Poyson For the frequent exercise of Religious Duty which is the means to sanctifie us confirms and hardens Hypocrites The effectual means to cure it is a stedfast belief of the pure and flaming Eye of God who sees Sin where-ever it is and will bring it into Judgment A Hypocrite may hide his Sin from the Eyes of others and sometimes from his own Conscience but can never impose upon God And as nothing so confounds Men with shame as to be found false and perfidious in their dealings how much more will the Hypocrites be cover'd with confusion at the great day when they shall appear naked with their loathsome Ulcers before innumerable Angels and Saints They will desire the Rocks to hide them from that glorious Assembly The stedfast belief of this great Truth will cause frequent and solemn thoughts of God as our Inspector and Judge I have set the Lord always before me he is at my right-hand I shall not be moved This was the effect of David's Faith This will produce Sincerity in Religion unrespective to the Eyes of Men and preserve us from secret Sins 'T is the prescription of our Saviour Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known Whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the Ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the house tops 3. Envy at the Good of others and Malice wishing them Evil is a deep pollution of the Spirit This absolutely alienates Men from the Nature and Life of God For the clearest conception we have of the Deity is that he is Good and does Good This is contrary not only to supernatural Grace but to natural Conscience and turns a Man into a Fiend This Vice is immediately attended with itâ— Punishment The envious Man is his own tormentor and has the Vipers â—ate in the Fable that in biting the File wounded it self Besides this stops the descent of Divine Blessings and turns the Petitions of the Envious into Imprecations against themselves To finish this Head 't is observable nothing more discovers the necessity of Renovation than the defilements of the Spirit As Birds by incubation hatch their brood so from sinful Thoughts and Desires actual Sins proceed Our Saviour tells us Out of the Heart proceed Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies which defile a Man 'T is above all things necessary to keep the Heart for the issues of Death â—low from it The design contrivance and consent to sin are in the Heart the Body is only the Instrument of Sin To enforce this Counsel there are many Motives 1. God is infinitely dishonour'd and displeas'd by the Sins of our Spirits For the Soul is of near alliance with God and of incomparable more value than the vile Body Therefore the defiling it is highly provoking The Soul is the place of his special residence and the entertaining Sin in it is as a fouler Indignity than the bringing Dung into the Chamber of Presence of a King We should be more careful to approve our Thoughts and Desires to God than our Words and Actions to Men. 2. They are more easily contracted than those which are acted by the sensitive Faculties They secretly insinuate into the Soul External Sins require â—it time and place and means for their commission and are often hinder'd by the moral restraints of Fear and Shame But speculative Sins may be committed without convenient circumstances In whatever place or company Men are they may retire into their Hearts and please themselves with vicious thoughts and desires of future Sins and devices how to make provision for the Flesh with carnal representations and complacency of the Sins they have committed They may personate the Pleasures of Sin
and of different degrees of Goodness the Vine the Fig-tree the Apple-tree if an Apple-tree produce the best Fruits in its kind though not equal to the Fruit of the Vine 't is perfectly good Thus in the World there are several Conditions of Life among Men some are in places of Dignity and Superiority others of subjection and service A Servant that is faithful and diligent adorns the Gospel and excels in that Relation and is equally accepted of God as others in a higher order He that gain'd two Talents was esteem'd as faithful as he that gain'd five because the profit resulting from the improvement was in proportion to the stock entrusted with him There is a Perfection Relative to the various Spiritual States of Christians here St. John addresses his Counsel to Christians under several Titles to Children to Young Men and Fathers with respect to their different Ages in Christianity A Child is perfect in the quality of a Child when he has the stature the strength the understanding that is becoming his Age though he is distant from that compleat state to which he will arrive in his mature Age. A young Man has the Perfection proper to his Age. A new Convert that has such degrees of Knowledge and Holiness as are suitable to the Means and his Time of advancement by them is esteem'd Compleat in that state of Grace Some are enter'd into the School of Heaven and are in the first Lessons of Christianity others have made a higher progress in it to the fulness of the Stature Beyond the Perfection attainable here there is an absolute Perfection of Holiness in the extent of its parts and intention of degrees 'T is our present Duty to aspire and endeavour after this but attain'd only in Heaven where every Saint is renewed into the perfect Image of God and made glorious in holiness the great end of our Saviour's Love in dying for us By gradations Christians ascend to that Consummate state the period of Perfection CHAP. VI. Particular Graces Consider'd the internal Principles of Perfection Divine Faith Doctrinal Justifying and in the disposal of Providence Doctrinal Faith is not Imagination nor Reason The Objects of it The Motives consider'd The Essential Perfections of God Faith a divine Revelation is the most reasonable Act of the Humane Mind God's Truth a Principle immediately evident His Jurisdiction reaches to mens Understandings God never requires our Assent to supernatural Truths but he affords sufficient Conviction that they are reveal'd by him God reveals himself in Scripture by humane expressions according to our Capacity We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines no farther than they are reveal'd To attempt the Comprehensive knowledge of them is perfectly vain 't is impossible impertinent and dangerous Curiosity often fatal to Faith An Answer to Objections that supernatural Doctrines are not reconcileable to Reason That when men use all means sincerely to know the truth of them and are not Convinc'd of it they shall not be Condemn'd for involuntary speculative Errors I Will now particularly Consider those Graces that are of a more Excellent Nature and have a more powerful Causality and Influence in the lives of Christians Faith and Love Hope and Fear are the internal Principles of Christian Perfection I will first discourse of Divine Faith the first principle and foundation of Religion as the Apostle declares He that comes to God must believe that he is and the rewarder of them that diligently seek him The belief of his Being and Bounty is the Motive of Holy Worship This Grace is most Honourable to God and beneficial to us The understanding is our Supreme Faculty and by submitting it to divine Revelation we pay the most humble Homage to him By Faith we Conceive of God becoming his divine Perfections in believing the Revelation he has made of his Nature which is as Incomprehensible as 't is Invisible and the declaration of his Will though the things promis'd are encompass'd with opposition and seeming impossibilities we glorifie his perfect Veracity and Omnipotence in the highest manner He that believes the divine Testimony sets his Seal that God is true ratifies his word in the most solemn manner Faith is most beneficial to us 'T is the root of the Spiritual Life from whence all other Graces derive their flourishing and fruitfulness 'T is not only productive of its own acts but excites and animates every Grace in its distinct exercise Like the animal Spirits that give motion and vigour to all the Senses Faith in Christ conveys to a weak Christain a kind of Omnipotence The Apostle declares I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me The most eminent effects of other Graces either active or suffering Fortitude Zeal Self-denyal Patience are attributed to Faith as the Honour of a Victory is ascribed to the General by whose Conduct and Courage the Battle is managed though 't is obtained by the Valour of the Soldiers By Faith we are justified from the guilt of our many and mighty Sins We are purified from their deep Pollutions We are adopted into the line of Heaven and are saved from misery extreme and eternal I will consider Divine Faith under three Heads 1. Doctrinal Faith 2. Justifying Faith 3. Faith in the disposal of all things by the ruling Providence of God Doctrinal Faith I will consider 1. In its nature 2. The objects of it 3. The motives 4. The efficacy 1. The nature of it All the notions of Faith agree in this 't is a dependance upon the truth of another Thus Trust is called Faith because it relies upon the truth of a Promise And one is said to keep his Faith inviolate when he performs the Promise that another relyed on Faith in the propriety of expression is an assent for the veracity of the speaker Accordingly Divine Faith is a firm assent of the Mind to things upon the authority of Divine Revelation 'T is distinguish'd from Imagination and from comprehensive Reason Fancy draws a Copy of those Objects that are perceived by the external Senses or compounds many Copies together but creates no images of things not perceptible by the Senses We can imagine Mountains of Gold because we have seen Gold and Mountains We conceive monstrous mixtures in Dreams but no actors can appear on the theatre of Fancy but in borrowed habits from sensible things But the Objects of Faith are such things as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard and transcend the capacity of the Imagination to conceive and of the external Senses to represent Yet Infidels blaspheme the Eternal Truths of Divine Things as the fictions of Fancy 2. Faith is distinguish'd from Science acquired by Study and from Reason Reason implies a progress from one degree of Knowledge to another by consequences drawn from the first to the second But Faith asserts to things upon the account of superiour Authority that reveals them and commands us to believe them The same things may be
the Objects of Faith and of Reason buâ— in different respects Reason may discover them by ascending from effects to their causes or descending from causes to their effects Faith receives them as revealed in Scripture By Faith we know the Worlds were made which may be proved by clear Reason 2. The Objects of Faith The general Object of Faith is the Word of God the special are those Doctrines and Promises and Things that Reason cannot discover by its own Light nor perfectly understand when revealed The Word of God contains a Narrative of things past and Predictions of things to come The destruction of the old World by a deluge of Waters and the consumption of the present World by a deluge of Fire are Objects of Faith But the Unity of the Divine Nature and the Trinity of Divine Persons the Incarnation of the Son of God his Eternal Counsels respecting Man's Redemption never enter'd into the Heart of Man to conceive but are as far above our thoughts as the Heavens are above the Earth and cannot be comprehended God may be considered absolutely in himself or as revealing himself and his Will to us We have some knowledge of his Being and Divine Attributes Wisdom Power Goodness in his Works of Creation and Providence but we believe in him as declaring his Mind and Will to us in his Word We may know a Person and his excellent Vertues Intellectual and Moral but we cannot believe in him without some discovery of his Thoughts and Affections to us 3. The motives of Belief are to be considered Divine Faith must have a Divine Foundation Faith may be absolutely true and relatively false Many believe the Doctrine of the Gospel upon no other grounds than the Turks believe the Alcoran because 't is the reigning Religion of their Country and by the impression of Example From hence their Faith is like the House built on the Sand and when a Storm arises is in danger of falling The firm foundation of Faith is the essential supreme Perfections of God unerring Knowledge immutable Truth infinite Goodness almighty Power 'T is equally impossible that he should be deceived or deceive His infinite Understanding is the foundation of his perfect Veracity And whatsoever is the Object of his Will is the Object of his Power for to will and to do are the same thing in him 'T is true the knowledge of things by experimental Sense is a clearer perception than the perswasion of them by Faith The first is to see the original the other is to see the copy that usually falls short of it 'T is therefore said We now see in a glass darkly But the Divine Testimony in it self has the most convincing evidence above the assurance we can have by the report of our Senses which often deceive us through the indisposition of the Faculty or the unfitness of the medium or distance of the Objects or the knowledge of things by discursive Ratiocination The objective certainty of Faith is infallible We know with the highest assurance that God can no more lye than he can dye 'T is said All things are possible with God but to lye or dye are not possibilities but passibilities not the effects of Power but proceed from Weakness We know the sacred Scriptures are the Word of God by the signatures of his Perfections Wisdom Holiness Goodness Justice and by the Miracles perform'd by the Pen-men of them that proved they were divinely inspir'd and consequently infallible in what they wrote From hence Faith is often express'd by Knowledge Nicodemus gives this testimony of our Saviour We know thou art a teacher come from God We believe and are sure thou art that Christ the Son of the living God We know that if the house of this earthly tabernable be dissolved we have a building made without hands eternal in the Heavens We know that he was manifested that he might take away Sin We know that when Christ shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is I will not insist upon the particular supernatural Doctrines revealed in the Gospel for there is little new to be said upon those Points If Men with renewed Minds and Hearts considered the testimony of Scripture there would need no more arguing But I will lay down some Considerations that prove Divine Faith to be the reasonable act of the Humane Understanding 2. Answer the Objections alledged to justifie the disbelief of Divine Doctrines that we are not able to conceive nor comprehend 1. That God is true is a Principle immediately evident not dependently upon an antecedent motive This by its native irresistible evidence is beyond all dispute and exempted from all critical Inquiries There is no Principle written in the Minds of Men with clearer Characters 'T was the saying of a wise Heathen If God would converse visibly with Men he would assume Light for a Body and have Truth for his Soul God is most jealous of the Honour of his Truth Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name Truth is the supreme Character of the Deity The Apostle builds the assurance of Christians upon the Promises and their strong Consolation upon this infallible Rock God that cannot lye From hence it follows that in supernatural Doctrines we must first consider the authority of the revealer and then the nature of Doctrines 2. God's Jurisdiction extends to our Understandings as well as to our Wills He rules our Understandings by light our Wills by empire If God did command us to believe only Truths in themselves evident our receiving them would not be an undoubted respect to his Authority but to believe his testimony without the evidence of things is an Obedience worthy of him And we are equally obliged to believe his testimony concerning the truth of things notwithstanding the reluctancy of the carnal Mind and their seeming repugnance to the natural notions of Reason as to obey his Precepts notwithstanding the reluctancy of the corrupt Will and the inclinations to forbidden things 3. God never requires our assent to supernatural things revealed in his Word but affords sufficient conviction that they are Divine Revelations When God deputed any by Commission for an extraordinary Work he always afforded a Light to discover the Commission was uncounterfeit Moses was sent from God with a Command to Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their cruel Servitude and he had the Wonder-working Rod to authorise his Commission and confirm the truth of his Message by Miracles The Divinity of the Scripture the Rule of Faith shines with that clear and strong evidence that only those whose Minds are prevented with a conceit of the impossibility of the Doctrines contained in it and perverted by their Passions can resist it Colour'd Objects are not discern'd more clearly by their Colours nor Light by its Lustre than that the Scriptures are of Divine Revelation Reason is an Essential Faculty of Man and by it we are directed
why to Believe and what things are reveal'd as objects of Faith To believe and not to understand the reason of our belief is to turn Faith into Folly and Extravagance The Men of Samaria were first induced to believe in Christ for the testimony of the woman that told them Come and see the man that has told me all that ever I did but when they heard Christ speak they said Now we believe not for thy words for we have heard and know that he is the true Saviour of the World The Understanding is convinc'd by reason of the Divinity of the Scriptures and as a pole supports a Vine but does not give Life and Vertue to its Root so Reason assists Faith in directing it to the Scriptures the Rule of it but Faith in the Mysteries of the Gospel derives its Life from God the Author of them By Reason we discover the relation order distinction and dependence of Reveal'd Truths and reject the vain opinions of Men when propos'd as Divine Oracles and the fruits of Fancy that are propos'd as Mysteries of Faith 4. God reveals himself to us in Scripture by Humane Expressions according to our Capacity of receiving the Knowledge of Divine things and we are to understand them in their apparent sense unless the precise litteral sense contains an evident Contradiction to what is certainly known by Reason and disparaging the Divine Perfections The sure Rule of interpreting them is to separate whatever is defective in them and apply them to God in the highest degree of Perfection We read of the Hands and Eyes of God in Scripture which signifie the perfection of God's Knowledge and Power they are the Organs by which Men do and know things but 't is Infinitely unworthy of God to think that the Divine Operation has need of such Instruments Thus the Communicating of the divine Nature from the Father to the Son is express'd by Generation which is the most Noble Production of one Living Creature from another especially of an Intelligent Creature with all its properties but who can declare his generation We must not conceive it with the Imperfection of Humane Generation wherein the Effect is separate from the Cause and successive to it For 't is a contradiction that God should beget a Son in his most perfect Image but he must be Eternal as the Father otherwise he would be defective in the resemblance of the first perfection of the Deity All resemblances of God in Scripture have their disparity and defects which must be separated from him But excepting such Cases the Word of God is to be understood in its proper sense For we must suppose that God speaks to us with an intention that we should understand him otherwise it were not Just to require us to believe it Our Minds could not firmly Assent to his Word but would be floating between Faith and Doubts And if God intends we should understand his Meaning how can we reconcile his Wisdom with his Will if he does not speak to us in the same sense as Men do to one another 5. We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines no farther than they are reveal'd God does not require our Assent to an Object beyond the Merit of it that is the degrees of its Revelation We cannot see an Object more fully than 't is visible The truth of Evangelical Mysteries is clearly reveal'd the manner of them is not discover'd To attempt the Comprehensive knowledge of them is perfectly vain for 't is Impossible Impertinent and of Dangerous Consequence 1. 'T is Impossible Supernatural Truths cannot be primarily and immediately discover'd by Reason but are only known to the Divine Mind and communicated to Created Understandings according to the pleasure of God No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father has declar'd him The Gospel is called the Mystery of Christ the mystery of God the Father and of Christ. Because God and Christ is the Author and Revealer of it God Contrived in the secret of his Eternal Wisdom the design of our Redemption and reveal'd it in his own time 'T is therefore call'd the Mystery of his will 'T is call'd the Mystery of Faith that is 't is received by Faith 'T is call'd the Mystery of the Kingdom of God conceal'd from the World and only known in the Church The sublime Doctrines of the Gospel it is impossible for the clearest spirits of Men to discover without special Revelation were they as pure as they are corrupt and as sincere as they are perverse This Word Mystery is never applied to the Revelation that God has made of his Wisdom in the Framing the World and in the Effects of his Providence because since the Creation it has been expos'd to the sight of all Reasonable Creatures Men were not commanded to believe in order to Salvation till by Experience they were Convinced of the Insufficiency of Reason to direct them how to be restored to the Favour of God The Apostle declares for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe The Doctrine of the Trinity is purely supernatual for the internal distinction of the Persons in the Divine Nature by their incommunicable Characters is only proper to God The Counsels of the Divine Will are above any Created Understanding Who knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man so none knows the things of God but the Spirit of God The Angels are superior Spirits to us and excel us in sublimity and perspicacity of Understanding but they could never know the Decrees of God though in his immediate Presence but as gradually reveal'd 't is said of the Mysteries of his Counsels they desire to look into them We cannot form a Conception in our Minds but what takes its rise from sensible things 2. The attempt is Impertinent for God has reveal'd those great Mysteries sufficiently for saving Faith though not to satisfie rash Curiosity There is a knowledge of curiosity and discourse and a knowledge of doing and performance The art of Navigation requires a knowledge how to govern a Ship and what Seas are safe what are dangerous by Rocks and Sands and terrible Tempests that often surprise those who Sail in them but the knowledge of the Causes of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea is not necessary To believe savingly in Christ we must know that he is the Living and True God and True Man that dyed for our Redemption but 't is not necessary that we should know the manner of the Union of his two Natures 'T is prudent to Confine our inquiries to things which are possible and profitable to be known The discovery of the manner of Divine Mysteries is not suitable to the nature of Faith for 't is the evidence of things not seen the obscurity of the Object is
consistent with the certainty of the Assent to it and 't is contrary to the end of Revelation which is to humble us in the modest Ignorance of Divine Mysteries which we cannot Comprehend and to enlighten us in those things which are requisite to be known 'T is the Glory of God to conceal a matter He saveth us by the submission of Faith and not by the penetration of Reason The meanest Understanding as well as the most raised are equally capable of Salvation The light of Faith is as much below the light of Glory as 't is above the light of Nature 3. 'T is of dangerous Consequence There is an Hydropic Curiosity that swells the Mind with Pride and is thirsty after the Knowledge of things unsearchable This Curiosity has often been fatal to Faith 'T is like a man's endeavour to climb up to the inaccessible point of a Rock that is very hazardous to see the Sun in its brightness which may safely be seen from the plain Ground The searching into the unsearchable things of God's Nature and Decrees has been the occasion of many pernicious Errors 'T is like the silly Moths fluttering about the burning Light till its Wings are sing'd Beside the affecting to be Wise above what is written and the attempt to make supernatural Doctrines more receivable to Reason by insufficient Arguments weakens the Authority and Credit of Revelation the endeavour to make them more easily known makes them more hard to be believed To venture to explicate them beyond the Revelation of them in Scripture is like a man's going out of a Fortress wherein he is safe into an open Field and expose himself to the assaults of his Enemies 2. I will now consider the Objections against supernatural Doctrines 1. 'T is alledged they are irreconcilable with Reason and 't is not possible for the Understanding to believe against its own Light and Judgment In answer to this specious Objection the following particulars are to be consider'd 1. Sense Reason and Faith are the Instruments of our obtaining Knowledge Sense is previous to Reason and Reason prepares the way to Faith By our Senses we come to understand natural things by our Understandings we come to believe divine things Reason corrects the Errors of Sense Faith reforms the Judgment of Reason The Stars seem but glittering Points but Reason convinces us they are vast Bodies by measuring the distance that lessens their greatness to our sight We cannot imagine that there are Men whose Feet are directly opposite to ours and are in no danger of falling but Reason demonstrates there are Antipodes 'T is as absurd for Reason to reject divine testimony and violate the sacred respect of Faith as for Sense to contradict the clearest Principles of Reason To deny supernatural Truths because they are above our Conception and Capacity is not only against Faith but against Reason that acknowledges its own imperfection 'T is true Reason and Faith are emanations from the Father of Lights and consequently there cannot be a real repugnance between them for God cannot deny himself Errors are often contrary but Truth is always harmonious with Truth If there seem to be an opposition it proceeds not from the Light of the reasonable Mind but from the Darkness that encompasses it 'T is certain that a Proposition that contradicts right Reason the general Light of Nations that have nothing common between them but the Humane Nature cannot be true As the Doctrine of Epicurus That God was not to be worship'd because he had no need of our Service and the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation that imputes Contradictions to God We must distinguish between things that cannot be discovered by Reason nor comprehensively known when they are revealed and those that are contrary to Reason In Paradise Reason was an inferiour and imperfect Light Adam could not perfectly know God He dwells in Light inaccessible not only to mortal Eyes but to the immortal Angels They cannot penetrate to the centre of his Perfections The Propositions that involve a Contradiction have the plain characters of falsity but the Doctrines of the Gospel that are incomprehensible have the characters of sublimity Reason cannot measure the extent nor reach the heighth of the love of Christ that passes knowledge That supernatural Doctrines are incomprehensible now they are reveal'd is one Argument to prove they could never be invented and discovered by Men For that which naturally cannot enter into the Mind of Man cannot naturally proceed out of it 2. Since the Fall Reason is weaken'd and its Light is clouded In the narrow and low sphere of natural things how often is Reason mistaken and lost in a Labyrinth There is not a Flower a Fly a Stone but is a Mystery We cannot fully understand the vegetation of the one nor the sensation of the other nor the motion of the other Let us make a tryal of the Light of Reason upon our selves and we shall discover its defects Who can discern the vital bands wherewith the Soul and Body are combin'd By what power does the Soul represent absent Objects Sounds without Noise Colours without Tinctures Light without Clearness Darkness without Obscurity What account can be given of the admirable operations of the Soul in Dreams when the Senses are suspended from working and the Body seems to be a warm Carcass 'T is one of those Secrets that Humane Wits labours in vain to explain how it composes Discourses so just and regular as to the invention and stile which by their impression in the Memory we know were not the effects of wild Fancy but of sober Judgment and that awake and intent we could not so speedily and orderly frame 'T is as strange as that an Artificer should work more exactly with his Eyes cover'd than seeing that a Painter should draw a Face better in the dark than in open day-light That Man were totally deserted of Reason who not being able to see things that are but a just distance from his Eyes would not acknowledge that things distant from him the extent of the Horizon are beyond his sight We are finite Beings there is some proportion between our Minds and our Natures If we cannot understand our selves what folly is it to presume that we know God Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection It is high as Heaven what canst thou do Deeper than Hell what canst thou know The measure is longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea Who can unfold the Divine Attributes They are not confused in their unity nor divided in number they are not separable qualities but his Essence He is not only wise but Wisdom not only lives but is Life We cannot speak of some Attributes without distinction Wisdom and Power nor of others without a seeming opposition Justice and Mercy yet they are the same Divine Nature and cannot be separate but in our thoughts He is Eternal without succession with him there
temptations from the prevalency of these motives upon Men in all places and times If these Methods are unsuccessful to turn Men from God he tryes to make terrible Impressions upon the Minds of Men by afflicting Evils by the rage of the perverse World Now Faith is the victorious Principle that defeats all his designs and overcomes all his strength In Mechanical Operations we judge by the force of the Mover how easily a weight will be moved Thus when Eternal Realities are by Faith put into the Scales against Temporal Vanities they infinitely outweigh them The Apostle makes a judicious comparison Our light Afflictions that are but for a moment work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory He extreamly vilifies things present and magnifies things future All that is pleasant or painful here is but for a moment and in true value is infinitely inferiour to the good things and the evil to come I count saith the Apostle the Afflictions of the present time are not to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed And since the impressions of Pain are incomparably stronger and more affecting Humane Nature than impressions of Pleasure one sharp Pain deads the sensitive Faculties to the most vehement Pleasures We are assured by irresistible evidence that the Happiness of this World is in true value infinitely inferiour to the Happiness of the next The most pleasant things here cannot satisfie the narrow Faculties of Sense The Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing but the Favour of God and the blessed effects of it pass all Understanding our most comprehensive Faculty There is more Shadow than Light in our brightest Condition more Gall than Honey in our sweetest Fruitions But suppose the appearance of Worldly Happiness gilded with specious tinctures were truly great and goodly joyful and satisfying according to the Fancies of Carnal Men yet the Price would extreamly fall by considering they are of no longer continuance than the flight and expiring Breath of our present Life The Glory of this World is like a flash of Lightning in its appearing and vanishing The longest Line of Time from its first rise to its last period is but a point to Eternity Now that Happiness which is fading is not true Happiness in its own Nature nor correspondent to our reasonable Desires For the apprehension of its approaching end will imbitter the relish of the present enjoyment But the Happiness of the next Life is doubly infinite in the degrees and duration The least part of that Happiness is a perfect freedom from any touch or shadow of Evil. Humane Language has not words worthy or fully significant to describe it God who is an infinite Good and Goodness communicates himself to the immortal Soul according to its utmost Capacity and Desires It seems impossible for Men to offer such violence to their Understandings as calmly considering and in cold blood to prefer the Fashion of this World that passes away before the perfect and unchangeable Happiness in the next World 2. According to the degrees of our assent to future eternal things such is their victorious power in our Souls The objective efficacy of things is not from their existence but from their evidence to our Minds Now according as our Apprehensions are more clear and our Belief more stedfast of things future such impressions are made either of terrour or desire in our Breasts The Apostle defines Faith to be The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen It represents things future and distant as present and in our actual possession A superficial fluctuating belief of the good or evil things in the next state is of no force to encounter present Temptations and vanquish the Carnal Affections The report of the Senses concerning things present will preponderate the Authority of God's Word that declares things future infinitely to exceed them All Fire has Heat but not strong enough to melt down Gold and Silver There is an assent in every degree of Faith but not able to overcome the World A radicated firm belief of the infallible Truth the transcendent Goodness and our sure right in Heavenly things will cause all the false colours of this World the shadows in masquerade to disappear The evidence and importance of things fixes our Resolutions to adhere to them The Son of a King and Heir of a Kingdom will invincibly assert the truth of his Relation and Title A sincere Believer of the Heavenly Glory and his Eternal Interest in it will live in that Faith and dye in it and dye for it if necessity require The belief of it has a vital taste a Joy sincere and sweet that makes the pleasant temptations of the World nauseous As Faith is the foundation and basis of Hope 't is the substance of things hoped for so Hope is reciprocally as a strong Pillar that establishes the basis upon which 't is fix'd For one voluntarily and stedfastly believes that which is for his advantage and comfort The serious belief of the prepared Plagues for those who are unfaithful to God and their Souls hereafter will make all the Evils threatened and inflicted upon the godly here to be contemptible If we are surrounded with an army of Evils let Faith draw forth the Powers of the World to come we shall be more than Conquerors There are many Temptations we cannot avoid there are none but we may vanquish by the Power of Faith The Fear of God like Aaron's Rod turned into a Serpent that swallowed up the Rods of the Magicians will over-rule the Fear of Men and make those Evils that to naked Nature are invincible easily endur'd This is evident from the Courage and Constancy of the Martyrs who despised the proudest Tyrants upon their Thrones and the most cruel Executioners upon the Scaffold The effects of Faith in the time of its triumph If the same Objects have not the same efficacy in the Minds of Men 't is for want of Faith If Faith declines we shall faint and dye away Peter walk'd on the Sea while he relyed on the Word of Christ but when a blast of Wind shook his Faith he presently sunk The Apostles doubted of Christ's Power when a Storm fell upon the Ship Our Saviour first rebuk'd their Fear before he laid the Storm Why are ye afraid O ye of little Faith as a danger more near and of worse Consequence Let us try the singular efficacy of Faith by exercising of it upon eternal Objects Let our Faith represent to us in as lively a manner the eternal Judgment as Enoch had a prospect of it Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his Saints to judge all the ungodly Let Faith direct its view to him rending the Heavens and coming in his own Glory as the Son of God and in his Father's Glory as constituted by him to be Judge of the World and in the Glory of the mighty Angels his Attendants Let
Faith contemplate the Judge upon a white Throne the Emblem of his Holiness whom none can surprise or resist Let Faith make that day as present when there will be no place for Repentance when the Fountain of Mercy to Sinners will be sealed for ever when the Books of Eternal Life and Death shall be opened and all Men shall receive an irrevocable Judgment a Judgment so fearful that Sinners how great and terrible so ever they were in this World to others shall call to the Mountains to fall on them and the Hills to cover them from the Wrath of the Lamb For his day is come A Judgment so strict that the Righteous shall scarcely be saved Now what impressions of tormenting Fear or reviving Hopes will the strong Belief of the Eternal Judgment and the Consequences of it make in us when Heaven and Hell shall divide all Men according as we are prepared or unprepared for the Tryal of that deciding Day How will it make us circumspect and cautious to avoid Evil active and ardent in doing Good for every thing must be brought in Judgment How ambitious and diligent to be accepted of our Judge Let Faith open a Window into Heaven and represent the Saints in their Sun-like Brightness their Glory and Joy and triumphant Felicity in the Eternal Kingdom where God is all in all How will the believing view of this rectifie our Minds and convince us that nothing deserves our high Esteem and Love but the Favour and Fruition of the blessed God Let Faith open the fatal Gates of Hell that are never shut upon the Damned and discover the Scenes of Woe the Sights of Horror the tormenting Passions of Reprobates their desperate Sorrow for the loss of Heaven and fierce indignation that others enjoy it both which are implyed in their weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth How powerful will this representation be to keep us in awe and order to controle the Lusts and Licentiousness of Carnal Appetites How would this double Vision make us esteem all the good things here as vile as dross and all the evil as light as Feathers in comparison of eternal things How would this inspire us with resolutions to take Heaven by violence and to fly from the Wrath to come 3. The efficacy of Faith proceeds from the serious and frequent application of Eternal Objects to our Minds and Hearts All that are Christians in Profession prefer in the Idea and Speculation Eternal Things before Temporal but in Practice and Choice the most prefer Temporal before Eternal Present and sensible things strongly affect the Carnal Faculties and excite the Natural Inclinations that were dormant in the absence of alluring Objects but when awaken'd they distract and scatter the Mind from a just comparing of things present and things future and the Will applyes the Thoughts to what is delightful to the carnal part and the application determines the choice The interposition of Earthly things eclipse the Light of Faith and weakens the reflections of that Light upon the Mind A strong Temptation defaces the impression of things future though infinitely great and consequently the Passions prevail and Faith is vanquish'd What Man that has Heaven and Hell in his view and considers that the Day of Death and Judgment are equally uncertain as to the fix'd time and equally certain as to the event and that this short Life must issue either into rivers of Pleasure for ever or into an abyss of endless Misery can be doubtful a moment what to choose and what to avoid Yet 't is evident that vast numbers of Men that are between two Eternities are indifferent and unconcerned into which their Lot shall be determined The inchanting World darkens the remembrance and damps the desire of Heaven and extinguishes the fear of Hell Transient Thoughts of future things cannot excite and influence the Affections nor regulate the Will and Actions according as the moment of them requires Moses despised the Pomp and Pleasures of the Egyptian Court and chose Afflictions with the People of God because he had an intent and fix'd Eye upon the future Reward Paul had a Heavenly Vision the Idea of which was always bright in his Memory and a Heavenly Conversation Now Faith supplies the want of Vision and if its acts are not interrupted by Earthly Objects deadness will continually inspire us with suitable affections to eternal things Above all other means let us fly to Prayer that the Holy Spirit by his illuminating guidance would direct our Minds and actuate our Faith We have received the Spirit that we may know the things given us of God That the Spirit would be our Remembrancer and strongly impress eternal things upon us Without his Influence our Consideration will be cold and ineffectual 2. There is a justifying Faith The Apostle declares Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God This is very clearly open'd in the Gospel yet there have been lately publish'd some Contentious Writings about it mix'd with such Railleries and Contumelies that have opened a Scandalous Scene and exposed Religion to the Derision of Libertines and profane Spirits and affected the Godly with sorrowful impressions and with earnest longings after the Kingdoms of Light and Love where Ignorance and Strife are abolish'd for ever Injurious Language convinces none but renders the Minds of Men more averse from Instruction We are not likely to discover the Truth in a mist of Passion but when Truth is calmly convey'd the Mind is more attentive to receive it and its convincing and perswasive Power insinuates into us Christian Love would lessen the number and allay the heat of our Controversies I have discours'd elsewhere concerning Justifying Faith and shall now very briefly glance at some things wherein its Nature and purifying Vertue consists Justification is an Act of God as supreme Judge invested with the Relation of a Father wherein his Majesty and Mercy are equally illustrious in pardoning our Sins and conferring upon us a right to Eternal Life for the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ's Righteousness imputed to us and received by Faith Faith is the Condition that qualifies us to have Pardon applyed to us and its Nature consists in receiving Christ upon the terms of the Gospel that is our unfeigned accepting him as our Prince and Saviour and intire relyance upon him The general belief of the Gospel is not Justifying Faith but our regular trust in the pardoning Grace of God necessarily includes our performing the Condition of the Promise that is a relyance on Christ joyn'd with a sincere resolution to obey him A particular perswasion that our Sins are pardoned is not Justifying Faith We are commanded to believe that we may be pardoned Many sincere Believers have distracting Doubts about their Pardon The matter being of infinite importance they are fearful in the inquiries of their Title to it And others are deceived with Presumption in stead of Faith in Christ and Security in stead of
By inquiring whether we are proceeding to Perfection 2. Propound Directions how we should follow it 1. I shall lay down some Rules whereby we may discern whether we are proceeding to Perfection 'T is requisite to premise there may be an easie mistake in the Judgment about the truth and strength of Grace in Mens Souls Indeed there are clear and plain Rules in Scripture to judge of our Spiritual State but the dark and crooked Hearts of Men misapply them Carnal Men are apt to mistake Presumption for Faith and think the bolder they are in presuming without a Promise the stronger they are in believing They mistake a fruitless sorrow for Sin to be Repentance They sin and repent and after Repentance they sin and walking in a circle of Repentings and Relapsings take not one step towards Heaven But real Saints are often complaining of their want of Grace and condemning themselves for their not improving the Means of Grace Their desires are ardent and ascending to Perfection and they judge of their defects by that Measure He that Sails before the Wind in a River and sees men walking on the Shore to his Eye they seem to stand still because of the swift motion of the Boat Thus the Saints judge of their Imperfections by the swiftness of their desires after compleat Holiness I shall lay down two general Rules of Trial concerning growth in Grace and proceed to particular discoveries 1. The Vanquisting of Sin is a certain indication of the Power of Grace During the present Life from its first rise to its last fall the Corruption of Nature in some degrees remains in the Saints The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that we cannot do the things we would Now the strength of Sin is discover'd by the readiness of the heart to a Temptation Some are entangled at the first sight of a pleasant Object The Tempter needs not raise a battery against them for the treacherous Party within opens the Gates of the Senses to receive his Temptations Others though unrenewed by Sanctifying Grace yet there is in them such a resistance between the Law of the Mind and the Law of the Members such a conflict between Conviction and Corruption that they resolve to forsake Sin and by Restraining Grace are in some Instances kept from doing it but ordinarily when Temptations are very inviting they consent and commit Sin Nay the Saints are sometimes surpriz'd and soil'd by the Tempter David by a sudden glance was overcome and fell into a Sin of a very foul Nature Petâ—â— at the challenge of a Servant denied his Master and was almost frozen to death with Fear 'till the compassionate Eye of our Saviour warm'd and melted him into tears of Repentance To prevent Mistakes it must be consider'd that the ceasing from the acts of Sin does not always proceed from victorious Grace In the absence of alluring Objects there is a ceasing from the vicious acts but the sinful Affections may be then most intense as Hunger is more sharp in a time of Famine when there is no Food to satisfie it and Thirst in a Wilderness where there are no Springs or Fruits to refresh it is more burning and tormenting Sometimes through Impotence or Age Men are disabled from doing the Sin they still Love As a Disease causes such a distast of pleasing Meats and Drinks that an intemperate Person is forced to abstain from them Sometimes a Man from his Constitution may be averse from a particular lust without a Spiritual Change in the Heart Some are frightned from Sin by the Terrors of Conscience they dare not drink the pleasant Wines from an abhorrence of the dregs at the bottom and others are allur'd from a Sin by a new Temptation But Spiritual Mortification consists in this the Carnal Affections are Spiritualiz'd Sensual Love is fastâ—ed upon the Beauty of Holiness Covetous Desires change their Objects and are ardent after the Treasures of Heaven and the dearest Lusts are kill'd Now the more easie frequent and clear the victory over Sin is in proportion Grace is advanc'd in the Soul and its power is seen Every Renewed Person is a Soldier under the illuminating Conduct and Empire of the Spirit and acquires new strength by every new Victory over the Carnal part Sometimes the Carnal Appetite so strongly sollicits the Will to consent to a proposal that 't is wavering and although the Inclination does not proceed to the act of Sin and the Conception be Abortive the Victory is then imperfect and oâ—tain'd with difficulty There are lingering Inclinations still woâ—king in our Hearts towards present and sensible things but when Grace is in the Throne it enables a Man freely and readily to resist those enticing Objects that ravish the Carnal Affections We have an admirable Instance of this in Joseph when tempted to Folly by his Mistress he presently and constantly rejected her Importunity and repeated Sollicitations and as Paul easily shook the Viper from his Hand into the Fire without hurt so he preserved his Purity untainted This argued the dominion Grace had over the sensual Appetite The more frequent our prevalency over Temptations is argues the strength of Sin is broken and the firmer radication and vigour of the Divine Nature As the house of Saul grew weaker every day the house of David grew stronger As the old Man decays the new Man increases in strength The more compleat the victory is over Sin the more clear indication we have of the power of Grace The compleatness either implies the extent of the victory over the whole body of Sin all the Lusts of the desiring and angry Appetites when no Sin is indulged though pleasant and profitable and though it may seem never so small for the Command of God is strict and severe against every Sin as it was against the Amalekites all must be destroyed Indeed no Sin is truly subdued but all are in some degrees mortified Or the compleatness of the victory implies not only the abstaining from the outward act but the mortifying of the inward Affections the first seeds of Sin In short the excellent degree of Grace is most evident in destroying the select and superiour Lust that leads and animates many other as the honour and greatness of a Victory is from the strength of the Enemy that is vanquished And the power of Grace is discovered in securing us from being foil'd by sudden unexpected Temptations We read of the Tempter He came to our Saviour but found nothing in him and could not fasten any impression on him 'T is true 't is morally impossible to attain to this Perfection to be always watchful in this state of frail Flesh then militant Holiness would be triumphant But it should be our earnest endeavour to be so fortified by holy Resolutions and so vigilant that though we are surrounded by innumerable Enemies we may not be surprised by them The present reward of subduing Carnal Lusts exceeds all
Spiritual Perfection Unfolded and Enforced FROM 2 COR. VII 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 By WILLIAM BATES D. D. LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard and Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill 1699. Gulielmus Batesius S. S. Theol Prof Aetat 73. Nov 1608. THE PREFACE THE great Design of God in his saving Mercies is to transform us into the Image of his unspotted Holiness We are elected to be holy redeem'd to be holy call'd to be holy and at last we shall be receiv'd into Heaven and made glorious in Holiness without spot or blemish It was worthy of the descending Deity into this lower World to instruct and perswade Men by his perfect Rules and Example to be holy as God is holy in all manner of Conversation The Enemy of Souls in combination with the Carnal Mind use all their Arts to cool our endeavours in following Holiness and raise an army of Objections to dismay us and stop our progress to Perfection Sometimes the Deceiver inspires a Temptation with so soft a Breath that 't is not discern'd He suggests the Counsel of Solomon Be not Righteous over-much The intention of the wise Preacher is to direct us in the exercise of compassionate Charity towards others and not to censure them with Rigor and Severity for humane Frailties the Tempter perverts his meaning to make us remiss in Religion and shy of strict Holiness Moral Men value themselves upon their fair Conversation they are not stain'd with soul and visible Pollutions but are externally sober and righteous and they will advise that Men should not take a surfeit of Religion but rise with an appetite that 't is Wisdom to use so much of Religion as may quiet the Clamours of Conscience secure Reputation and afford some colour of Comfort But 't is a spice of Folly to be over-religious and justly exposes Persons to derision as vainly nice and scrupulous They commend the golden mean and under the pretence of temper luke-warmness The Objection in some part of it is specious and apt to sway the Minds of Men that do not attentively consider things To discover its false Colour and to make a true and safe Judgment of our Duty it will be useful to consider 'T is true there is a mediocrity between vicious extreams wherein the essence of inferiour Moral Vertues consists for they are exercised upon Objects of limited Goodness and must be regulated both in our Affections and Actions correspondently to the degrees of their Goodness Thus Fortitude is in the middle between base Fear and rash Boldness and the more firm and constant the habitual quality of Fortitude is the more eminent and praise-worthy it appears But in spiritual Graces that raise the Soul to God whose Perfections are truly infinite there can be no excess The divinest degrees of our Love to God and fear to offend him our endeavours in their heigth and excellency to obey and please him are our Wisdom and Duty That part of the Objection That strict Holiness will expose us to Scorn is palpably unreasonable Did ever any Artist blush to excel in the Art that he professes Is a Scholar asham'd to excel in useful Learning And shall a Christian whose high and holy Calling obliges him to live becoming its dignity and purity be asham'd of his accurate Conversation Can we be too like God in his Holiness his peculiar Glory Can that be matter of Contempt that is the supreme honour of the intelligent Creature A Saint when despised with titles of Ignominy by the Carnal World should bind their Scorns as a Diadem about his Head and wear them as beautiful Ornaments The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. What Reproaches did the Lord of Glory suffer for us And what Pride and Folly is it that we should desire to be glorified by his suffering Reproaches and not willingly endure Reproach for his Glory Our continual and ardent endeavours to rise to Perfection commend us to our Soveraign and Saviour A cold-dead Heathen is less offensive and odious to him than a luke-warm Christian. It is a common Objection That to live in all things according to Rule to walk circumspectly and exactly to be confin'd to the narrow way will not only infringe but destroy our Liberty This is so precious a possession that Men will defend their Liberty with their Lives An ingenuous Person will rather wear a plain Garment of his own than a rich Livery the mark of Servitude But if Men will appeal to their Understandings they will clearly discern that the word Liberty is abus'd to give countenance to Licentiousness There is a free subjection and a servile liberty The Apostle tells the Romans When ye were the servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness and being made free from Sin ye became the servants of Righteousness The Soul has two Faculties the Understanding and Will The Object of the Understanding is Truth either in it self or appearance the Object of the Will is Goodness either real or counterfeit Liberty is radically in the Understanding which freely deliberates and by comparative Consideration directs the Will to choose Good before Evil and of Good the greater and of Evil the less When the Understanding is fully illuminated of the absolute Goodness of an Object without the least mixture of Evil and represents it to the Will it is an act retrograde in Nature and utterly repugnant to the Rational Appetite to reject it The indifference of the Will proceeds from some defects in the Object or in the apprehension of it but when an infinite Good is duely represented to the Will the choice is most clear and free Of this there is an illustrious Example in the Life of Moses He refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt For he had an Eye to the recompence of Reward His inlightened Mind considerately ponder'd the Eternal Reward with the transient pleasure of Sin and his Judgment was influxive on his VVill to choose the glorious Futurity before the false Lustre of the Court VVhat is the goodly appearance of the present tempting VVorld but like the Rainbow painted Tears The heavenly Felicity is substantial and satisfying Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty He dispels the darkness of the Mind and by its illuminating guidance turns the VVill to accept and embrace those Objects that exceedingly satisfie its vast desires and capacity This is an eminent part of the divine Image engraven on the Soul in its Creation For God is soveraignly free and does all things according to the Counsel of his Will Our Servitude
was by Seduction Eve being deceived was in the Transgression Our Liberty is restor'd by Light The Truth makes us free The necessity that proceeds from external Compulsion and from the indeliberate and strong sway of Nature that determines to one thing is inconsistent with Liberty The Understanding is a free Faculty in the apprehension of Objects the VVill free in the election of them But in the consequent choice of the VVill that infallibly proceeds from Light and Love the perfection of its freedom consists VVhen God and his Commands are duely represented in their amiable excellencies the Love of the Law-giver and his Laws certainly produces Obedience to it with Choice and Complacency David expresses his Affection to the Divine Law and the principal motive of it I love thy Law because 't is pure As the Hands are free when they are directed by the Eyes and VVill so a Saint that with understanding and voluntary veneration worships God and obeys his Precepts which is our reasonable Service exercises and enjoys the truest sweetest and most honourable Liberty If the Son make you free ye are free indeed Freedom and Felicity are inseparable Servitude is the fatal concomitant of Vice VVhen a Philosopher was ask'd what Advantage he had obtain'd by the Study of Philosoyhy he replyed This among others that if all the Laws were cancell'd a Philosopher would live as uniformly according to the Rules of Decency and Honesty as before A Christian that has an inward Principle of Divine Knowledge and Love without the constraint of Paenal Laws will from a clear Judgment and Election obey God with delight and constancy There is a servile Liberty There are three mistakes in the VVorld of eternal destructive consequence to the Souls of Men concerning VVisdom and Folly Happiness and Misery Liberty and Servitude Some are seeming wise whose Ignorance is esteemed Judgment Such are the worldly wise who contrive and labour to lay up treasures for themselves here but are not rich towards God Our Saviour gives them a true Character They are Fools Others are esteemed happy in enjoying what they love whereas if they set their Love upon those Objects that deserve not that principal Affection but are pernicious to their Souls they are truly miserable in the fruition of them 'T is the sign of God's severe displeasure to give Men up to satisfie their vile Affections Some are seeming free whose Bondage is esteem'd Liberty Carnal Men presume of their Liberty because they follow the swinge of their Appetites But they serve divers Lusts and Pleasures and are under the dominion of Satan taken captive by him at his Will As if a Horse that takes a career in a pleasant Plain were free when the Bridle is in his Mouth and he is carb'd by the Rider at his pleasure The Apostles say of Idolaters That what they sacrific'd to Idols they sacrific'd to Devils 'T is equally true that when Men serve their Lusts they serve the Devil constructively doing things pleasing to them VVhen Man turn'd Rebel against God he became an absolute Slave His Understanding is now in the Chains of Darkness under Ignorance and Errors his VVill is inflav'd by infamous Lusts his Affections are fetter'd by insnaring Objects If no Man can serve two Masters how wretched is their Condition whose numerous and fierce Passions exact things contrary and are their Tyrants and Tormenters continually St. Peter speaks of impure Persons Their Eyes are full of the Adulteress they cannot cease from Sin This is true of all Sinners whose Hearts are possess'd by any kind of Lusts. They are hurried by them against the Reason and Rest of their Minds to the commission of Sin which is the most cruel and contumelious Bondage and the more shameful because voluntary But they are insensible of those subtle Chains that bind the Soul and think themselves to be the only free Men As when the Angel awaken'd Peter to release him from Prison he thought he saw a Vision so when they are excited to go out of their dark Prison they think the freedom of Duty the gracious Liberty of the Sons of God to be a mere Imagination Like one in the Paroxism of a Fever who sings and talks high as if he were in perfect Health but after the remission of the Disease feels his Strength broken with Pains and himself near Deaths Thus within a little while when the furious precipitancy of their Passions is cool'd and check'd by Afflictions they will feel and sink under the weight of their woful Bondage Another Objection and pernicious Fallacy of the Tempter whereby he frights many young Persons from the strictness of a holy Life is That Religion is a sowre Severity they must renounce all Delights turn Capuchins if they seriously engage themselves in a Religious Course and resolve to strive after pure and perfect Holiness But there is neither Truth nor Terror in this Suggestion to the inlighten'd Mind 'T is impossible true Holiness should make Men joyless and in the least degree miserable which is in the highest Perfection in God who is infinitely joyful and blessed Religion does not extinguish the joyful Affections but transplant them from Egypt to Canaan The Pleasures of Sin which are only forbidden in the first taste ravish the Carnal Senses But like Jonathan's Honey they kill by tasting when the Sweetness is vanish'd the Sting remains Whereas the Joy that proceeds from the exercise and improvement of Divine Grace and the Love of God shed abroad in the Heart by the Holy Ghost the Eternal Comforter the present Reward of it is vital and reviving the foretaste of Eternal Life 'T is true Carnal Men are strangers to this Joy they cannot relish Divine Delights but the Spirit of God like a new Soul inspires the sanctified with new Thoughts new Inclinations new Resolutions and qualifies them that Spiritual Objects are infinitely pleasing to them And whereas Carnal Pleasures are but for a season and within a little while dye and end in bitter distaste Amnon's excessive Love was suddenly turned into more excessive Hatred Spiritual Joys are increasing and ever-satisfying Now 't is an infallible Rule to direct our choice that is true Happiness which the more we enjoy the more highly we value and love I thought it fit to shew the Unreasonableness of these Objections that are perverse and poysonous which if not remov'd would blast my Design and desir'd Success in the subsequent Discourses But 't is more easie to prove our Duty to follow Holiness than to perswade Men to practice it I shall only add that the Reward of Holiness being so Excellent and Eternal our Zeal should encounter and overcome all Difficulties that oppose our obtaining it The strongest and swiftest Wings are too slow to dispatch our way to Heaven The Lord give his Blessing to make Sacred Truths effectual upon the Souls of Men. ERRATA PAge 15. Line 13 14. for Love read Law p. 29. in the Margent for iras