worship of God signified nothing You see in the Jewish Religion what it was that was acceptable to God for it self and its own sake viz. the practice of moral Duties and that all Instituted Religion that did not promote and further these or was destitute of them was abominable to God And under the Gospel our Saviour prefers a moral Duty before any gift we can offer to God and will have it to take place Mat. 5. 23 24. If thou bring thy gift unto the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift But it should seem by this and what haâ—h been said before that God prefers Goodness and Righteousness to Men before his own Worship and obedience to the Precepts of the Second Table before obedience to those of the First But this does but seem so all that can be collected from this passage of our Saviour or any thing that hath been already said are only these two Things 1. That God prefers the practice of the Moral Duties of the second Table before any instituted Worship such as Sacrifâ—ce was and before obedience to the Laws of Religion which are meerly positive tho' they do immediately concern the Worship of God 2. That if we neglect the Duties of the second Table of Goodness and Righteousness towards Men God will not accept of our obedience to the Precepts of the first nor of any act of Religious Worship that we can perform This our Saviour means when he says leave there thy gift before the Altar first be reconciled to thy Brother then come and offer thy gift intimating that so long as we bear a revengeful mind towards our Brethren God will not accept of any Gift or Sacrifice that we can offer to him or indeed of any act of Religious Worship that we can perform Thirdly The great Design of the Christian Religion is to restore and reinforce the practice of the natural Law or which is all one of Moral Duties and therefore our Saviour begins his first Sermon by promising Blessedness to the practice of these Duties of Purity and Meekness and Righteousness and Peaceableness and Mercifulness and Patience and Submission to the will of God under Persecutions and Sufferings for Righteousness sake and tells us as I shew'd before that he came not to release Men from the practice of these Duties but to oblige them thereto more effectually and that as these were the Law and the Prophets that is the main Duties and the Foundation of the Jewish Religion so were they much more to be so of the Christian This the Scriptures of the New Testament do every where declare to be the great design of the Gospel and the Christian Religion to instruct us in these Duties and to engage us effectually to the practice of them In that known and excellent Text Tit. 2. 11 12â— The grace of God which is in and by the Doctrine of the Gospel hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldy lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And herein St. James tell us the true nature and the force and vertue of the Christian Religion doth consist Jam. 1. 27. pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and the Widows in their â—ffliction and to keep our selves unspotted from the World And Chap. 3. 17. The wisdom which is from above that is that Heavenly and Divine Knowledge revealed to us by the Gospel hath these Properties and is apt to produce these effects it is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and of good fruits And the planting of these dispositions in us is that which the Scripture calls the new Creature and the Image of God Eph. 4. 20 c. The Apostle speaking there of the Vices and Lusts wherein the Gentiles lived tells Christians that they were otherwise instructed by the Gospel but ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corâ—upt according to deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness or as the words perhaps may better be rendred in the holiness of truth for it immediately follows wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his Neighbour And this is that which the Apostle elsewhere makes to be all in all in the Christian Religion In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. which the Apostle in the Chapter before expresseth thus in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh or is inspired by Charity And yet more expresly 1 Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God By the comparing of which Texts it appears that the main thing in Christianity is the practice of Moral Duties and this is the new Creature and this the proper effect of the Christian Faith to produce these Virtues in us And indeed the great Design of the Christian Religion and every thing in it of the love of God in giving his Son to die for us of the pardon of our Sins and justification in his blood of all the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel and of the assistance therein promised is to engage and encourage and enable to the practice of Moraâ— Duties And thus I have done with the first thing I proposed to speak to namely that Natural Religion is the Foundation of Instituted and Revealed Religion and all Revealed Religion does suppose it and builds upon it I proceed to the Second Namely That no Revealed and Instituted Religion was ever designed to take away the obligation of Natural Duties but was intended to confirm and establish them And this also will be evident if we consider these three Things 1. That all Revealed Religion calls Men to the practice of Natural Duties Thus the Jewish Religion did The first Laws which God gave them and which hâ— distinguish'd from the rest by writing them in Tables of Stone with his own Finger were the Precepts of the Moral Law And the great business of the Prophets whom God raised up among them from time to time was to reprove not so much their defects in their Sacrifices and in the Duties of Instituted Worship as the breach of the natural Law by their Vices and Immoralities and to threaten them with the Judgments of God if they did not reform and amend these faults And now under the Gospel the preceptive part of it is almost wholly made up of Moral
Holiness of Life I have shewn at large and the Apostle explaining this New Creation most expresly tells us Ephes 2. 10 We are his wormanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God â—ath before ordained that we should walk in them and Colos 3. 10 12 13 14. where the Apostle tells them that they ought to give testimony of their Renovation and having put on the new Man by all the fruits of Obedience and Goodness Ye have put on the new Man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness longsuffâ—ring forbearing one another and forgiving one another and above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfection And the Apostle St. Peter tells us that our Regeneration which he calls Sanctification of the Spirit is unto obedience 1 Pet. 1. 2. So that our Renovation consisteth in the Principle and Practice of Obedience and a good Life And what is this but Faith perfected by Charity And Charity the Apostle tells us is the fulfilling of the Law and what is the fulfilling of the Law but keeping the Commandments of God And keeping the Commandments of God or at least a sincere Resolution of Obedience when there is not time and opportunity for the tryal of it is in Scripture as expresly made a Condition both of our present and final justification and acceptance with God as Faith is and in truth is the same with a living and operative Faith and a Faith that is consummate and made perfect by Charity Acts 10. 34 35. Of a truth I perceive saith St. Peter that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him which speech does as plainly as words can do any thing declare to us upon what terms all Mankind of what Condition or Nation soever may find acceptance with God Rom. 2. 6 7 8 9 10. Who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life but to them who are contentious and obey not the Truth but obey Unrighteousness Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil of the Jews first and also of the Gentiles but Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile As to our acceptance with God and the Rewards of another World it matters not whether Jew or Gentile Circumcised or Uncircumcised that which maketh the difference is obeying the Truth or obeying Unrighteousness working Good or doing Evil these are the things which will avail to our Justification or Condemnation at the Great Day To the same purpose is that Saying of the Apostle to the Hebrews Chap. 5. 9. That Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him I will conclude this Matter with two Remarkable Sayings the one towards the beginning the other towards the â—nd of the Bible to satisfie us that this is the tenour of the Holy Scriptures and the constant Doctrine of it from the beginning to the end Gen. 4. 7. It is God's Speech to Cain If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted And Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City And thus I have done with the Second thing I propounded which was to shew that according to the terms of the Gospel and the Christian Religion the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives is the great Condition of our justification and acceptance with God and that this in sense and substance is the same with Faith made perfect by Charity and keeping the Commandments of God The Third and last Particular remains to be spoken to namely That it is highly reasonable that this should be the Condition of our Justification and acceptance to the favour of God and that upon these two accounts First For the honour of God's Holiness Secondly In order to the qualifying of us for the favour of God and the enjoyment of him for the pardon of our Sins and the Reward of Eternal Life First For the honour of God's Holiness For should God have received Men to his favour and rewarded them with Eternal Glory and Happiness for the meer belief of the Gospel or a confident perswasion that Christ would save them without any change of their Hearts and Lives without Repentance from dead works and fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life he had not given sufficient testimony to the World of his Love to Holiness and Righteousness and of his hatred of Sin and Iniquity The Apostle tells us that God in the justifi-fication of a Sinner declares his Righteousness but should he justifie Men upon other terms this would not declare his Righteousness and love of Holiness but rather an indifferency whether Men were good and Righteous or not For a bare assent to the truth of the Gospel without the fruits of Holiness and Obedience is not a living but a dead Faith and so far from being acceptable to God that it is an affront to him and a confident reliance upon Christ for Salvation while we continue in our Sins is not a justifying Faith but a bold and impudent presumption upon the Mercy of God and the Merits of our Saviour who indeed justifies the ungodly that is those that have been so but not those that continue so And if God should pardon Sinners and reward them with Eternal Life upon any other terms than upon our becoming New Creatures than upon such a Faith as is made perfect by Charity that is by keeping the Commands of God this would be so far from declaring his Righteousness and being a testimony of his hatred and displeasure against Sin that it would give the greatest countenance and encouragement to it imaginable Secondly It is likewise very Reasonable that such a Faith that makes us New Creatures and is perfected by Charity and keeping the Commandments of God should be the Condition of Justification in order to the qualifying of us for the Pardon of our Sins and the Reward of Eternal Life that is for the favour of God and for the enjoyment of him To forgive Men upon other terms were to give countenance and encouragement to perpetual Rebellion and Disobedience That Man is not fit to be forgiven who is so far from being sorry for his fault that he goes on to offend he is utterly incapable of Mercy who is not sensible that he hath done amiss and resolved to amend No Prince ever thought a Rebellious Subject capable of Pardon upon lower terms than these It is in the nature of the thing unfit that an obstinate Offender should have any Mercy or Favour shewn to him And
Metaphor this third Doctrine follows well enough from them for it is agreeable enough that that which is effected by an irresistible act of Omnipotence without any concurrence or operation on our part should be done in an instant and all at once Not that this is necessary but that it is reasonable for why should Omnipotence use delays and take time and proceed by degrees in the doing of that which with the same ease it can do at once and in an instant especially considering how well this suits with the other Metaphors of Scripture as well as with this of a new Creation viz. the Metaphor of Regeneration and Resurrection A Child is born at once and the Dead shall be raised in a moment in the twinkling of an eye But notwithstanding all this plausible appearance and Conspiracy of Metaphors I shall shew that this Doctrine of the Conversion and Regeneration of a Sinner being effected in an instant and all at once is not well grounded either upon Scripture or Experience Not but that God can do so if he pleaseth and works this Change in some much sooner and quicker than in others but there is nothing either in Scripture or Experience to perswade us that this is the usual much less the constant and unalterable Method of God's grace in the Conversion of a Sinner to bring it about in an instant without any sensible steps and degrees But for the full clearing of this Matter I shall proceed by these steps First I shall shew upon what mistaken Grounds and Principles this Doctrine relies besides the Metaphors already mention'd which I have shewn to be of no force to prove the thing Secondly I shall plainly shew what Regeneration is by which it will appear that it is not necessarily effected in an instant and at once but admits of degrees Thirdly That it is evidently so in experience of the ordinary Methods of God's grace both in those who are Regenerated by a Pious and Religious Education and in those who are reclaimed from a vitious Course of Life Fourthly That all this is very consonant and agreeable to what the Scripture plainly and constantly declares concerning it First I shall discover several Mistakes upon which this Doctrine is grounded besides the Metaphors already mention'd and which I have shewn to be of no force to prove the thing viz. That Regeneration is in an instant and admits of no degrees As 1. That Regeneration and Sanctification are not only different Expressions but do signifie two things really different But this is a gross mistake for Regeneration and Sanctification are but different expressions of the self self same thing for Regeneration is a Metaphor which the Scripâ—ure useth to express our translation and change from one state to another from a state of Sin and Wickedness to a state of Grace and Holiness as if we were born over again and were the Children of another Father and from being the Children of the Devil did become the Children of God and Sanctification is our being made Holy our being purified and cleansed from Sin and impurity And hence it is that Regeneration and Sanctification are attributed to the same Causes Principal and Instrumental to the Spirit of God and to the word of God we are said to be born again of the Spirit and to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost to be begotten of the word of truth and to be sanctified by the truth which is the word of God So that the Scripture speaks of them as the same thing and they must needs be so for if Sanctification be the making of us Holy and Regeneration make us Holy then Regeneration is Sanctification 2. It is said that Regeneration only signifies our first entrance into this state and Sanctification our progress and continuance in it But this likewise is a great Mistake For tho' it be true that Regeneration doth signifie our first entrance into this state yet it is not true that it only signifies that for it is used likewise in Scripture to signifie our continuance in that state for Christians are said to be the Children of God and consequently in a regenerate state not only in the instant of this Change but during their continuance in it Besides that our first Change is as well call'd our Sanctification as our Progress and Continuance in a state of Holiness So that neither in this is there any difference between Regeneration and Sanctification They do both of them signifie both our first entrance into an Holy state and our continuance and progress in it ' tho' Regeneration do more frequently denote the making of this Change and our first entrance into it 3. It is said that one of the main Differences between Regeneration and Sanctification is this that Regeneration is incapable of degrees and all that are Regenerate are equally so and one Regenerate Person is not more or less Regenerate than another whereas Sanctification is a gradual progress from one degree of Holiness to another and of â—hem that are truly Sanctified and Holy one may be more Sanctified and more Holy than another But this likewise is a meer fancy and imagination without any real ground For as an unregenerate state does plainly admit of degrees so likewise doth the regenerate and for the same Reason That an unregenerate state admits of degrees is evident in that some unregenerate Persons are more wicked than others and thereby more the Children of wrath and the Devil than others which are the Scripture expressions concerning the degrees of Mens Wickedness and Impiâ—ty In like manner they that are more Holy and more like God are more the Children of God and to be more a Child of God is surely to be more regenerate that is more renewed after the Image of God which consists in Righteousness and true Holiness So that it is a meer precarious assertion and evidently false to affirm that Regeneration doth not admit of degrees and that one is not more Regenerate than another 4 thly and lastly They ground this Conceit upon the Doctrine of the Schools which teach that in Regeneration and Conversion all the habits of grace are infused simul semel together and at once I confess I have no regard much less a veneration for the Doctrine of the Schools where it differs from that of the Holy Scriptures which says not one word of infused habits which yet are much talk'd of in Divinity and to speak the truth these words serve only to obscure the thing For to say that in Conversion the habits of all graces and virtues are infused together and at once is to say that in an instant Men that were vicious before in several kinds are by an Omnipotent act of God's grace and by a new Principle infused into them endued with the habits of the contraâ—y Graces and Virtues and are as Chast and Temperate and Just and Meek and Humble as if by the frequent practice of these Virtues they had become so That
plain from his following Discourse and the Character he gives of those Persons of whom he was speaking who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewn it unto them and this he proves because those who were destitute of Divine Revelation were not without all knowledge of God being led by the sight of this visible World to the knowledge of an invisible Being and Power that was the Author of it ver 20 21. For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God Haec est summa delicti nolle agnoscere quem ignorare non possis saith Tertullian to the Heathen This is the height of thy fault not to acknowledge him whom thou canst not but know not to own him of whom thou canst not be ignorant if thou wouldst neither were thankful they did not pay those acknowledgments to him which of right were due to the Author of their Being and of all good things but became vain in their imaginations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were fool'd with their own Reasonings This he speaks of the Philosophers who in those great Arguments of the Bâ—ing and Providence of God the Immoâ—allity of the Soul and the Rewards of another World had lost the truth by too much subtlety about it and had disputed themselves into doubt and uncertainty about those things which were naturally known for nimium alterâ—ando veritas amittitur Truth is many times â—lost by too much Contention and Dispute about it and by too eager a pursuit of it Men many times out-run it and leave it behind ver 22. and professing themselves to be Wise they became Fools Men never play the fools more than by endeavouring to be over subtle and wise ver 23. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds four footed Beasts and creeping things here he speaks of the sottishness of their Idolatry whereby they provoked God to give them up to all manner of lewdness and impurity ver 24. wherefore God also gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts and again ver 26. for this Cause God gave them up to vile affections and then he innumerates the abominable Lusts and Vices they were guilty of notwithstanding their Natural acknowledgment of the Divine Justice ver 32. who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them By all which it appears that he speaks of the Heathen who offended against the Natural Light of their own Minds and therefore were without excuse Quam sibâ— veniam sperare possunâ— impieâ—atis suae qui non agnoscunt cultum ejus quem prorsùs ignorari ab hominibus fas non est saith Lactantius How can they hope for pardon of their impiety who deny to worship that God of whom it is not possible Mankind should be wholly ignorant So that this is To hold the truth in unrighteousness injuriously to suppress it and to hinder the power and efficacy of it upon our Minds and Actions for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies as well as to hold fast and this every Man does who acts contrary to what he believes and knows he offers violence to the lighâ— of his own Mind and does injury to the truth and keeps that a Prisoner which would set him free ye shall know the truth says our Lord and the truth shall make you free And this is one of the highest aggravations of the Sins of Men to offend against Knowledge and that light which God hath set up in every Man's Mind If Men wander and stumble in the dark it is not to be wondred at many times it is unavoidable and no care can prevent it but in the light it is expected Men should look before them and discern their way That Natural Light which the Heathens had tho' it was but comparatively dim and imperfect yet the Apostle takes notice of it as a great aggravation of their Idolatrous and Abominable Practices Those natural Notions which all Men have of God if they had in any measure attended to them and govern'd themselves by them might have been sufficient to have preserved them from dishonouring the Deity by worshiping Creatures instead of God the common light of Nature was enough to have discovered to them the evil of those lewd and unnatural practices which many of them were guilty of but they detained and supprest the truth most injuriously and would not suffer it to have its natural and proper influence upon them and this is that which left them without excuse that from the light of Nature they had knowledge enough to have done better and to have preserved them from those great Crimes which were so common among them And if this was so great an aggravation of the impiety and wickedness of the Heathen and left them without excuse what Apology can be made for the impiety and unrighteousness of Christians who have so strong and clear a light to discover to them their duty and the danger of neglecting it to whom the wrath of God is plainly revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men The Truths of the Gospel are so very clear and powerful and such an improvement of Natural light that Men must use great force and violence to suppress them and to hinder the efficacy of them upon their lives And this is a certain Rule by how much the greater our Knowledge by so much the less is our Excuse and so much the greater Punishment is due to our faults So our Lord hath told us Luke 12. 47. That Servant which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes And John 9. 41. If ye were blind says our Saviour to the Jews ye should have no sin So much ignorance as there is of our Duty so much abatement of the wilfulness of our faults but if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful expectation of Judgment and fiery indignation says the Apostle to the Hebrews Chap. 10. 26 27. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth implying that Men cannot pretend ignorance for their faults after so clear a revelation of the will of God as is made to Mankind by the Gospel And upon this Consideration it is that our Saviour doth so aggravate the impenitency and unbelief of the Jews because it was in opposition to all the advantages of Knowledge which can be imagined to be afforded to
Mankind John 15. 22 23 24. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is in Comparison their Sin had been much more excusable but now they have no cloak for their sin He that hateth me hateth my Father also If I had not done among them the works which none other Man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father How is that Our Saviour means that they had now sinned against all the advantages of knowing the will of God that Mankind could possibly have at once opposing Natural Light which was the dispensation of the Father and the clearest revelation of God's will in the Dispensation of the Gospel by his Son Now have they both seen and hated both Me and my Father The two remaining Observations I shall reserve to another Opportunity SERMON XI The Danger of all known Sin both from the Light of Nature and Revelation ROM I. 18 19. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them I Have handled Four of the Observations which I rais'd from these Words and shall now proceed to the other Two that remain Fifth Observation That the Natural Knowledge which Men have of God if they live contrary to it is a sufficient evidence of their holding the trâ—th of God iâ— unâ—â—ghteousness For thâ—â—eason why the Apostle chargeth them with this is Because that which may be known of God is manifest in that God hath shewed it â—nto them There is a Natural Knowledge of God and of the Duty we owe to him which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of God which is obvious to be known by the light of Nature and is as much as is absolutely necessary for us to know There is something of God that is incomprehensible and beyond the reach of our Understandings but his Being and Essential Perfections may be known which he calls his Eternal Power and Godhead thâ—se he tells us are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made that is the Creation of the World is a plain demonstration to Men of the Being and Power of God and if so then God is naturally â—nown to Men the contrary whereof Socinus positively maintains tho' therein he be forsaken by most of his Followers an Opinion in my Judgment very unworthy of one who not without Reason was esteemed so great a Master of Reason and tho' I believe he did not see it undermining the strongest and surest Foundation of all Religion which when the Natural Notions of God are once taken away will certainly want its best support Besides that by denying any Natural Knowledge of God and his Essential Perfections he freely gives away one of the most plausible grounds of opposing the Doctrine of the Trinity But because this is a Matter of great Consequence and he was a great Man and is not to be confuted by contempt but by better Reason if it can be found I will Consider his Reasons for this Opinion and return a particular Answer to them First He says that if the Knowledge of God were Natural it would not be of Faith but the Apostle says that we must believe that he is The force of which Argument if it have any lies in this that the Object of Faith is Divine Revelation and therefore we cannot be said to believe what we Naturally know The Schoolmen indeed say so but the Scripture useth the word Faith more largely for a rela perswasion of any thing whether grounded upon Sense or Reason or Divine Revelation And our Saviour's Speech to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou hast believed does sufficiently intimate that a Man may believe what he sees and if so what should hinder but that a Man may be said to believe what he Naturally knows that is be really perswaded that there is a God from Natural Light Secondly His next Argument is because the same Apostle concludes Enoch to have believed God because he pleased God and without Faith it is impossible to please him From whence he says it is certain that Men may be without this Belief which if it be Natural they cannot Indeed if the Apostle had said that whoever believes a God must of necessity obey and please him then the Inference had been good that all Men do not Naturally believe a God because it is certain they do not please him but it is not good the other way no more than if a Man should argue thus that because whoever acts reasonably must be endowed with Reason therefore Men are not Naturally endowed with Reason For as Men may Naturally be endowed with Reason and yet not always make use of it so Men may Naturally know and believe a God and yet not be careful to please him His Third Argument is that the Scripture says that there are some that do not believe a God for which he cites that of David The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God which certainly proves that bad Men live so as if they believed there were no God nay it may farther import that they endeavour as much as they can to stifle and extinguish the belief of a God in their Minds and would gladly perswade themselves there is no God because it is convenient for them there should be none and whether David meant so or not it is very probable that some may arrive to that height of Impiety as for a time at least and in some moods to disbelieve a God and to be very confident of the Arguments on that side But what then Is the Knowledge and Belief of a God therefore not Natural to Mankind Nature it self as constant and uniform as it is admits of some Irregularities and Exceptions in Effects that are meerly Natural much more in those which have something in them that is voluntary and depends upon the good or bad use of our Reason and Understanding and there is no arguing from what is Monstrous against what is Natural It is Natural for Men to have five Fingers upon a Hand and yet some are born otherwise but in voluntary Agents that which is Natural may be perverted and in a great measure extinguisht in some particular instances so that there is no force at all in this Objection His Fourth and last Argument is that there have not only been particular Persons but whole Nations who have had no sense nor so much as suspicion of a Deity This I confess were of great force if it were true and for the proof of this he produceth the instance of Brasil in America But I utterly deny the matter of fact and History and challenge any Man to bring good testimony not only of any Nation but of any City in the World that ever were professed Atheists I know
the Natural Knowledge which Men have of God is when all is done the surest and fastest hold that Religion hath on Humane Nature Besides how should God judge that part of the World who are wholly destitute of Divine Revelation if they had no Natural Knowledge of him and consequently could not be under the direction and government of any Law For where there is no Law there is no Transgression and where Men are guilty oâ— the breach of no Law they cannot be Judged and Condemned for it for the Judgment of God is according to truth And now this being establisht that Men have a Natural Knowledge of God if they contradict it by their Life and Practice they are guilty of detaining the truth of God in unrighteousness For by this Argument the Apostle proves the Heathen to be guilty of holding the truth in unrighteousness because notwithstanding the Natural Knowledge which they had of God by the things which were made they lived in the practice of gross Idolatry and the most abominable Sins and Vices And this concerns us much more who have the glorious Light of the Gospel added to the Light of Nature For if they who offended against the Light of Nature were liable to the judgment of God of how much sorer Punishment shall we be thought worthy if we neglect those infinite advantages which the Revelation of the Gospel hath superadded to Natural Light He hath now set our Duty in the clearest and strongest Light that ever was afforded to Mankind so that if we will not now Believe and Repent there is no Remedy for us but we must die in our sins if we sin wilfully after so much knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation to consume us The Summ of what hath been said on this Argument is briefly this that Men have a Natural Knowledge of God and of those great Duties which result from the Knowledge of him so that whatever Men say and pretend as to the main things of Religion the Worship of God and Justice and Righteousness toward Men setting aside Divine Revelation we are all Naturally convinc'd of our Duty and of what we ought to do and those who live in a bad Course need only be put in mind of what they naturally know better than any body else can tell them that they are in a bad Course so that I may appeal to all wicked Men from themselves rash and heated and intoxicated with Pleasure and Vanity transported and hurried away by Lust and Passion to themselves serious and composed and in a cool and considerate temper And can any sober Man forbear to follow the Convictions of his own Mind and to resolve to do what he inwardly consents to as best Let us but be true to our selves and obey the Dictates of our own Minds and give leave to our own Consciences to Counsel us and tell us what we ought to do and we shall be a Law to our selves I proceed to the Sixth and last Observation namely that the clear Revelation of the wrath of God in the Gospel against the impiety and unrighteousness of Men is one principal thing which renders it so very powerful and likely a means for the Salvation of Mankind For the Apostle instanceth in two things which give the Gospel so great an advantage to this purpose the Mercy of God to Penitent Sinners and his Severity toward the Impenitent both which are so fully and clearly revealed in the Gospel The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth becaâ—se therein the Righteousness of God is revealed that is his great Grace and Mercy in the Justification and Pardon of Sinners by Jesus Christ which I have already shewn to be meant by the Righteousness of God by comparing this with the Explication which is given of the Righteousness of God Chap. 3. ver 22. The other Reason which he gives of the Gospel's being the power of God to Salvation is the plain declaration of the Severity of God toward Impenitent Sinners Because therein also the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men. The force of which Argument will appear if we consider these following Particulars First That the Declarations of the Gospel in this Matter are so plain and express Secondly That they are very dreadful and terrible Thirdly That there is no safety or hope of impunity for Men that go on and continue in their Sins Fourthly That this Argument will take hold of the most desperate and proâ—ligate Sinners and still retain its force upon the Minds of Men when all other Considerations fail and are of little or no efficacy And Fifthly That no Religion in the World can urge this Argument with that force and advantage that Christianity does First That the declarations of the Gospel in this Matter are most plain and express and that not only against Sin and Wickedness in general but against particular Sins and Vices so that no Man that lives in any Evil and Vicious Course can be ignorant of his danger Our Lord hath told us in general what shall be the Doom of the Workers of Iniquity yea tho' they may have owned him and made profession of his Name Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord c. then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity Math. 13. 49 50. So shall it be at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the Wicked from among the Just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Math. 25. 46. The Wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Joh. 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnatiom Rom. 2. 6. St. Paul tells us that there is a Day of wrath and of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of Man that doth evil 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power Nothing can be more plain and express than these general
them but the Remedy which he prescribes against this mischief of Knowledge is not to with-hold from Men the Means of it and to Celebrate the Service of God the Prayers of the Church and the Reading of the Scriptures in an unknown Tongue but quite contrary Chap. 14. of that Epistle he strictly enjoyns that the Service of God in the Church be so performed as may be for the edification of the People which he says cannot be if it be Celebrated in an unknown Tongue and the Remedy he prescribes against the accidental mischief and inconvenience of Knowledge is not Ignorance but Charity to govern their Knowledge and to help them to make a right use of it ver 20. of that Chapt. after he had declared that the Service of God ought to be performed in a known Tongue he immediately adds Brethren be not Children in understanding how-be-it in malice be ye Children but in understanding be ye Men. He commends Knowledge he encourageth it he requires it of all Christians so far is he from checking the pursuit of it and depriving the People of the Means of it And indeed there is nothing in the Christian Religion but what is fit for every Man to know because there is nothing in it but what is designed to promote Holiness and a good Life and if Men make any other use of their Knowledge it is their own fault for it certainly tends to make Men good and being so useful and necessary to so good a purpose Men ought not to be debarr'd of it Thirdly Let it be Consider'd that the proper and natural Effects and Consequences of ignorance are equally pernicious and much more certain and unavoidable than those which are accidentally occasioned by Knowledge for so far as a Man is ignorant of his Duty it is impossible he should do it He that hath the Knowledge of Religion may be a bad Christian but he that is destitute of it can be none at all Or if ignorance do beget and promote some kind of Devotion in Men it is such a Devotion as is not properly Religion but Superstition the ignorant Man may be zealously superstitious but without some measure of Knowledge no Man can be truly Religious That the Soul be without Knowledge it is not good says Solomon Prov. 19. 2. because good practices depends upon our Knowledge and must be directed by it when as a Man that is trained up only to the outward performance of some things in Religion as to the saying over so many Prayers in an unknown Tongue this Man cannot be truly Religious because nothing is Religious that is not a Reasonable Service and no Service can be Reasonable that is not directed by our Understandings Indeed if the end of Prayer were only to give God to understand what we want it were all one what Language we Prayed in and whether we understood what we asked of him or not but so long as the end of Prayer is to testifie the sense of our own wants and of our dependance upon God for the supply of them it is impossible that any Man should in any tolerable propriety of Speech be said to Pray who does not understand what he asks and the saying over so many Pater Nosters by one that does not understand the meaning of them is no more a Prayer than the repeating over so many Verses in Virgil. And if this were good Reasoning that Men must not be permitted to know so much as they can in Religion for fear they should grow troublesome with their Knowledge then certainly the best way in the World to maintain Peace in the Christian Church would be to let the People know nothing at all in Religion and the best way to secure the ignorance of the People would be to keep the Priests as ignorant as the People and then to be sure they could teach them nothing but then the mischief would be that out of a fondness to maintain Peace in the Christian Church there would be no Church nor no Christianity which would be the same wise Contrivance as if a Prince should destroy his Subjects to keep his Kingdom quiet Fourthly Let us likewise Consider that if this Reason be good it is much stronger for withholding the Scriptures from the Priests and the Learned than from the People because the danger of starting Errors and Heresies and Countenancing them from Scripture and managing them plausibly and with advantage is much more to be feared from the Learned than from the Common People and the Experience of all Ages hath shewn that the great Broachers and Abettors of Heresie in the Christian Church have been Men of Learning and Wit and most of the famous Heresies that are Recorded in Ecclesiastical History have their Names from some Learned Man or other so that it is a great mistake to think that the way to prevent Error and Heresie in the Church is to take the Bible out of the hands of the People so long as the free use of it is permitted to Men of Learning and Skill in whose hands the danger of perverting it is much greater The Ancient Fathers I am sure do frequently prescribe to the People the constant and careful reading of the Holy Scriptures as the surest Antidote against the Poison of dangerous Errors and damnable Heresies and if there be so much danger of seduction into Error from the Oracles of Truth by what other or better Means can we hope to be secâ—red against this danger If the word of God be so cross and improper a Means to this End one would think that the teachings of Men should be much less effectual so that Men must either be left in their ignorance or they must be permitted to learn from the word of truth and whatever force this Reason of the danger of Heresie hath in it to deprive the Common People of the use of the Scriptures I am sure it is much stronger to wrest them out of the hands of the Priests and the Learned because they are much more capable of perverting them to so bad a purpose Fifthly and lastly this danger was as great and visible in the Age of the Apostles as it is now and yet they took a quite contrary Course there were Heresies then as well as now and either the Scriptures were not thought by being in the hands of the People to be the Cause of them or they did not think the taking of them out of their hands a proper Remedy The Apostles in all their Epistles do earnestly Exhort the People to grow in Knowledge and commend them for searching the Scriptures and charge them that the word of God should dwell richly in them And St. Peter takes particular notice of some Men wresting some difficult passages in St. Paul's Epistles as likewise in the other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. where speaking of St Paul's Epistles he says there are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned
if ye know and do them Now to convince Men of so important a Truth I shall endeavour to make out these two things First That the Gospel makes the Practice of Religion a necessary Condition of our Happiness Secondly That the Nature and Reason of the thing makes it a necessary Qualification for it First The Gospel makes the Practice of Religion a necessary Condition of our Happiness Our Saviour in his first Sermon where he repeats the Promise of Blessedness so often he makes no promise of it to the meer knowledge of Religion but to the Habit and Practice of Christian Graces and Virtues of Meekness and Humility and Mercifulnâ—sâ— and Righteousness and Peaceableness and Pâ—râ—ty and Patience under Suffâ—rings and Persecutions for Righteousness sake And Matth. 7. 2. our Saviour doth most fully declare that the happinesâ— which he promises did not belong to those who made profession of his Name and were so well acquainted with his Doctrine as to be able to instruct others if themselves in the mean time did not practise it Not every one that â—aith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and done many wondrous works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of Iniquity Tho' they profess to know him yet because their Lives were not answerable to the Knowledge which they had of him and his Doctrine he declares that he will not know them but bid them depart from him And then he goes on to shew that tho' a Man attend to the Doctrine of Christ and gain the knowledge of it yet if it do not descend into his Life and govern his Actions all that Man's hopes of Heaven are fond and groundless and only that Man's hopes of Heaven are well grounded who knows the Doctrine of Christ and does it Ver. 24. whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a Wise Man who built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rocâ— and every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be liken'd to a foolish Man who built his house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it Tho' a Man had a knowledge of Religion as great and perfect as that which Solomon had of Natural Things large as the sand upon the sea shore yet all thâ—s Knowledge separated from Practice would be like the sand also in another respect a weak Foundation for any Man to build his hopes â—f Happiness upon To the same purpose St. Paul speaks Rom. 2. 13. Not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the dâ—ers of the Law shall be justified So likewise St. James Chap. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves and ver 25. Who 's looketh into the perfect Law of Libert that is the Law or Doctrine of the Gospel and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this Man shall be blessed in his deed and therefore he adds that the truth and reality of Religion is to be measured by the effects of it in the government of our words and ordering of our Lives Ver. 26. If any Man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this Man's Religion is vain Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widow in their affâ—iction and to keep himself unspotted from the World Men talk of Religion and keep a great stir about it but nothing will pass for true Religion before God but the Virtuous and Charitable Actions of a good Life and God will accept no Man to Eternal Life upon any other Condition So the Apostle tells us most expresly Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all Men and holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord. Secondly As God hath made the Practice of Religion a necessary Condition of our Happiness so the very Nature and Reason of the thing makes it a necessary Qualification for it It is necessary that we become like to God in order to the enjoyment of him and nothing makes us like to God but the Practice of Holiness and Goodness Knowledge indeed is a Divine Perfection but that alone as it doth not render a Man like God so neither doth it dispose him for the enjoyment of him If a Man had the understanding of an Angel he might for all that be a Devil he that committeth sin is of the Devil and whatever Knowledge such a Man may have he is of a devilish temper and disposition but every one that doth righteousness is born of God By this we are like God and only by our likeness to him do we become capable of the â—ight and enjoyment of him therefore every Man that hopes to be Happy by the blessed â—ight of God in the next Life must endeavour after Holiness in this Life So the same Apostle tells us 1 John 3. 3. Every Man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure A wicked temper and disposition of Mind is in the very Nature of the thing utterly inconsistent with all reasonable hopes of Heaven Thus I have shewn that the Practice of Religion and the doing of what we know to be our Duty is the only way to Happiness And now the proper Inference from all this is to put Men upon the careful Practice of Religion Let no Man content himself with the Knowledge of his Duty unless he do it and to this purpose I shall briefly urge these three Considerations First This is the great End of all our Knowledge in Religion to practise what we know The knowledge of God and of our Duty hath so essential a respect to Practice that the Scripture will hardly allow it to be properly called Knowledge unless it have an influence upon our Lives 1 John 2. 3 4. Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandmentâ— He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the truth is not in him Secondly Practice is the best way to increase and perfect our Knowledge Knowledge directs us in our Practice but Practice confirms and increaseth our Knowledge John 7. 17. If any Man will do the will of God he shall know of the Doctrine The best way to know God is to be like him our selves and to have the lively image of his Perfections imprinted upon our Souls and the best way to understand