keep silence in the Church Now here I cannot but observe the most insufferable contradiction of the practice of the Roman Church to the Apostles determination The Apostles you see would not allow that the prayers of the Church should be uttered in an unknown tongue but there they pray in a tongue unknown unto the people The Apostle would not allow this no not in them who spake by immediate Inspiration they practise contrary to the Apostles express Decree and that where no such Inspiration can be pretended with the least appearance and shew of reason The Apostle supposes no man edified by the prayers which he doth not understand they either judge that a man may be edified by such prayers or that they may be duly used although the Church be not edified by them both which expresly contradict the Apostle If the Church of Rome be in the right then the Apostle is mistaken if the Apostle be not mistaken the Church of Rome doth grosly erre in judging such prayers edifie which St. Paul affirms cannot edifie or in judging them fit to be used in the Church although they do not edifie at all And is it not now a wonderful thing that they who so grosly so expresly contradict the Doctrine of Sr. Paul should boast themselves to be infallible Is it not yet a greater wonder that any who have had the education where the Scriptures are read in a known tongue should suffer themselves to be overborn into a belief that they are infallible who erre in so plain and clear an instance and in a thing of such concernment Certainly if men were not infatuated by most unreasonable lusts and passions they would never apostatize never adhere to such a Church as sound nay infallible in all her Doctrines who uses its publick Prayers and Offices in a tongue unknown unto the people a thing so contrary to common sense and to the practice of primitive times and to what the Apostle himself teaches in as full and clear and express words as any thing possibly can be spoken 2. But to proceed to the second kind of the extraordinary gift of prayer which was when a man received all the conceptions in prayer from an immediate Inspiration but so far used his understanding as to contrive the expression of them into a tongue known to them that heard him and into plain and easie expressions in that tongue Concerning this I must observe that it was a gift of the Holy Ghost peculiar to the Apostles times or at least to those that immediately followed as the rest of those miraculous powers and gifts were which God did then bestow on the Church to confirm the truth of Christianity I do not deny but that God doth still in some cases suggest to the minds of good men that is convenient for their condition and what it is they should pray for I do not deny but that when they fall into such straits as that they know not what it is best to pray for God doth direct and guide their minds by the assistance of his Spirit For as there is need of such assistance in such cases so God denies not what is needful to such persons And this is the meaning of the Apostle Rom. 8.26 Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought He speaks in this place of times of great distress and danger when the Christians were often in such perplexities and doubts of mind that they knew not what to pray for at least with faith and resignation entire resignation to Gods will Now here it was that the Spirit of God directed them to pray for such things and in such a manner as might tend effectually to Gods glory though to their sufferings in the world And thus far I doubt not may we expect the like assistance of Gods Spirit in the like cases if we heartily pray for it But now for any man in these days to expect an immediate Inspiration of all the conceptions of a prayer such as the Apostles arid Prophets had in the primitive times of Christianity for any man to pretend to pray by the same immediate Revelation Whereby they prayed in the Christian Churches is a very groundless and great presumption And therefore when you hear men pray with a great torrent and flow of words you are not presently to imagine as divers ignorant persons do that such a man prays by an immediate Inspiration that what he speaks is just then dictated and suggested by the Holy Ghost as things were suggested to the Apostles unless he could also speak with tongues and heal the sick and cure the lame and in a word do such Miracles as they did and give the same proof of his Inspiration which they did evidently give of theirs which is a thing that is not done by any that now pretend unto it and therefore shews the pretence is vain and the Pretender to be deceived if not a cheat and Impostor likewise Is there then no way in these days whereby a man may truly be said to pray by the Spirit in the sense and language of the Scriptures and that in ordinary and common cases Yes that there is For 2. Such is that other way of praying which I have before mentioned to you which is when a man prays in the use of Faith and Hope and all the Graces of Gods Spirit and with such pious and good affections as are the effects of those Graces though not by immediate Inspiration that is to say the immediate dictate of the Spirit Such is the prayer our Saviour supposes in those words Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth not carelesly and without attention not without the affections of the heart and inward sense of the mind and spirit as the Jews had worshipped him in former Ages but fervently heartily and sincerely Such is the prayer the Apostle mentions Eph. 6.18 where he requires them to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit that is with spiritual and holy minds with fervent and devout affections Like whereunto was that singing also which he represents in these words Speaking to your selves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your hearts Eph. 5.19 Where you plainly see that the holy offices wherein the heart was moved and affected are said to be spiritual on that account See also Col. 3.16 Now concerning this way of praying by the Spirit wherein men pray in the use of Faith and with real and hearty and devout affections though not by immediate Inspiration I shall observe several things 1. That this way or manner of praying is grateful and acceptable to God This is in truth such a worship of God as our Saviour himself did understand when he said that they that worship God must worship him in spirit and truth This is the worship that God requires and therefore
was so far from being terrified either by his bonds or death it self that were it not for their sakes to whom his life might be more useful he should rather desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ He further acquaints them with his design to visit them again in order to their support and settlement if God should rescue him from his bonds In the mean time gives this admonition Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing thing terrified by your adversaries That ye stand fact c. In which words you have an account what are the most effectual means for any Church which God hath blessed with the true Faith of Christianity still to abide and continue in it Firmness of mind in every mans private belief of it close union amongst themselves zeal and diligence in joynt endeavours for its defence and propagation and courage against such oppositions as others may possibly make against it 1. Firmness of mind in every mans private belief of it which is suggested in these words Stand fast that is to say as it there follows in the faith of the Gospel 2. Union amongst themselves Stand fast in one spirit with one mind 3. Zeal and diligence in joynt endeavours for its defence and propagation Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel 4. Courage against such oppositions as other persons make against it And in nothing terrified by your adversaries These are the methods which our Apostle here propounds for a Church to retain the true Faith that is to continue a true Church 1. The first of which is firmness of mind in every mans private belief of truth For feeing that every particular Church is made up of particular persons so far as particular Members fail in the true Faith so far is that Church they are Members of maimed and mutilated in its parts and the whole in tendency to dissolution Now seeing the firmness of belief depends upon clear and evident proof I might here offer a demonstration of the truth and excellency of Christianity But being this is neither so needful nor yet so seasonable to the occasion of our meeting I shall rather chuse to address my self to what the occasion now requires which is to shew the truth and excellence of Christianity as it is professed in our own Church in opposition to that of Rome which I shall do by comparing theirs and ours together in point of Faith and Worship and Manners 1. And first of all for matter of Faith we firmly believe the holy Scriptures and every thing therein contained to be the infallible Word of God We believe the Scriptures do contain all things necessary to Salvation according as St. John assures us Joh. 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name Which we could not have if every thing necessary to Salvation was not written was not contained in this very Gospel of St. John Nay further yet we believe and receive all Creeds that were ever received in the Catholick Church These Creeds are taken into our Liturgy they are repeated in our Churches we signifie our assent to them by standing up when they are repeated and are we still to be judged Hereticks and deficient in the Catholick Faith On the other hand the Roman Church deny the Scriptures to be a compleat Rule of Faith they build their faith upon Tradition a thing uncertain They rely upon Councils which may erre nay upon such as have grosly erred They vary as well from the Primitive Church in many cases as from the holy Scripture it self And last of all they pretend a power of making new Articles of Faith that is such as were not made by our Blessed Lord and his Apostles which being so let reason judge whether they or we be likeliest to erre in point of Faith 2. For matter of Worship in the second place their publick Prayers are made and used in a tongue unknown unto the people ours in a tongue which we all understand And here let St. Paul decide the controversie that is between us I Cor. 14 15 16 c. I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with understanding also Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified From whence it appears what edification may be expected from their prayers that is to say none at all And therefore the Apostle further adds I thank God I speak with tongues more than you all yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue But to proceed as we make our prayers in a known tongue so in them we invoke the true God and him only We use no other Mediator no other Patron but only Christ whom God hath appointed so to be For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 But they that are of the Church of Rome make their addresses to Saints and Angels as well for patronage and protection as for their prayers to God for them and some of those the Virgin Mary do they invoke in as magnificent and high a stile as they invoke God himself We pay no worship to any Images seeing that God hath expresly said Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them But they bow down and prostrate themselves before the Images of Christ and others And though they affirm that the honour they give unto the Image passes through it to the person whom it represents yet still they acknowledge they worship the Image that this at least is a transient object of their Worship And then again we give the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unto the people as well as the Priests in both kinds So it was instituted by Christ himself so it was given all along for many Ages but others in perfect contradiction to the Institution of our Lord deny the Cup unto the Laity We believe that after Consecration the Bread and Wine set apart and consecrated for the Sacrament do still retain the natural substance of bread and wine And so the Apostle himself believed when he stiled that bread of
ends wherein the best and wisest men shall be esteemed the very worst superstitious cold and formal men by those that are zealous in some Faction and know no Religion but that zeal because such times as these may be it is safest to content our selves in gaining those rewards and blessings that are peculiar to Religion the testimony of a good Conscience and life eternal in the World to come 3. And then lastly Because hypocrisie is so deceitful and sly a sin as always serving worldly interest which is apt insensibly to blind the eyes and infatuate the minds of the wisest men and yet hide it self from them themselves it will concern us to be very frequent and impartial in the examination of our selves to weigh our counsels to try our ends to prove our designs in every action relating any way to Religion It will be needful to consider whether we indeed design it really intend to promote and practise it whereever we make a profession of it And then because that God alone knows the heart and because his Grace is most needful to discover our selves unto our selves in the midst of the many sins and passions that may infatuate and beguile us let us earnestly pray for his Holy Spirit to deliver us from all the infatuations and all the seductions of our lusts Let us make the Address which David did Psal 139.22 24. with whose words I shall conclude Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting The Eleventh Sermon John 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me The whole verse is thus Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me THESE words are a preface to a very large and kind discourse made by our Lord unto his followers wherein he delivers the main foundations of Christianity as well in matter of Faith as Practice which is the reason why he begins it with such words as might effectually stir them up to give both attention and belief to all that he should deliver in it Ye believe in God believe also in me In which words we have two parts 1. A concession or supposition Ye believe in God that is ye believe that there is a God and what is consequent hereupon that he is to be trusted and obeyed although some others read the words not as a Declaration Ye believe in God but as a Command Believe in God but there is no reason to depart from our own Translation in this matter 2. Here is a Precept also Believe in me that is to say believe that I am the Son of God sent by him into the world to reveal the Gospel of life eternal and therefore judge your selves obliged to believe whatsoever I reveal and obey whatsoever I command you Now being that belief in Christ in the sence I have now explained unto you is here required as an addition or further accession to the mere belief in God only as he may be known by the light of nature The Subject which the Words before us offer to our consideration is That the belief of Christian Doctrine as it is revealed to us in the Gospel over and above that knowledge of God which the light of Nature affords unto us is necessary to our eternal happiness In the prosecution of which Point 1. I must first consider That the firm belief of the Gospel of Christ is most expresly required by God and the denial of such belief forbidden under no less a penalty than the utter loss of life eternal Salvation is always promised to them who believe in him who hath revealed it and become his Followers and Disciples to other persons it is not promised As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.14 15. Nor is it only promised to those and those only that so believe but denied to them that believe not to them that refuse to yield their belief to him whom God hath sent and sanctified to be the Saviour of the World He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And so again omitting several other places of the same sense and signification in the first Epistle of St John chap. 5. ver 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son Thrice did God bear this Record and owne our Lord to be sent by him by an express voice from Heaven once at his Baptism in these words Matt. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased A second time at his transfiguration upon the mount with some addition to those words Matt. 15.5 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him And yet again a third time a little before our Saviours passion when praying to God in these words Father glorifie thy name he was answered by a voice from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again John 12.28 To all which clear and express testimonies given by the Father to his Son I might first add the glorious miracles wrought by Christ during his life then his resurrection from the dead and the effusion of his Spirit upon the Apostles sent by him and all the miracles wrought by them and all his other followers also which being evident demonstrations that he was the very son of God and sent by him to save the World highly aggravate the great sin of infidelity and unbelief and teach us to forbear to wonder that it should be punished with death eternal and that Christ himself should thus pronounce Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned 2. But then secondly lest you should think that God will have us believe the Gospel meerly because he will have it so and that he had no further end in the truth therein revealed unto us than that we should believe them only I further add that the belief of those truths is greatly necessary to several ends of infinite moment and importance 1. For the full and perfect knowledge of the duties which he requires from us 2. For the like knowledge of the great motions to those duties 3. For our better support under all our tryals fears and dangers 1. The belief of the great truths revealed unto us in the Gospel is necessary for the perfect knowledge of the duties which God requires from us and that upon several considerations namely 1. because that though the light of nature well improved may in some measure direct us to very many of them yet
mans mind whether these things be his will or not And though the Gospel in some cases that is when truth is contradicted require us rather to suffer for it than to forsake or to deny it yet seeing suffering in this case evidently tends to confirm the truth to the glory of God to the good of the World and hath also the promise of life eternal This very love of patient suffering in this case cannot offend the minds of any but those that are prejudiced by their lusts those who will not do Gods will although sufficiently propounded to them 2. As for those Articles of our faith that do not contain matter of practice since there is nothing of contradiction nothing at all of absurdness in them since those that declare matter of fact as that our Lord lived and dyed and rose again and sent the Spirit to his Apostles are attested by universal consent of those that could not but know the truth and had no reason to abuse it since all the rest were clearly confirmed by evident and undeniable miracles there is no cause we can imagine why any man should doubt or disbelieve them save only prejudice against the precepts against the Laws of the same Gospel wherein these Doctrines are revealed so that whosoever is so disposed as that he is willing to do Gods will is under an effectual preparation to believe and entertain the Gospel whensoever duly propounded to him 3. Add hereunto in the third place that God hath promised his holy Spirit to assist the upright and sincere and that a willingness to do Gods will whensoever we know and understand it is the very nature of sincerity Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knocks and it shall be opened unto you Luk. 11.9 and afterwards at the 13th verse If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him To whom is this promise of the Spirit made if unto all that pray for it much more to them that sincerely ask it to these at least or else to none to these although to no other persons The meek says David will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way Psal 25.9 and more expresly at the 14th verse The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant them will he bless with his assistance them will he guide by his Holy Spirit them will he govern and direct for as he sometimes offers his grace to them that refuse to entertain it so he never denies it to them that do sincerely desire and use it Now then to conclude the point in hand being they that are willing to do Gods will are willing to use the best endeavours to understand it being they are free from those prejudices that hinder the understanding of it being they have the promise of God to guide and assist them to this purpose hence we conclude what we have observed that a hearty and sincere inclination to do Gods will is a most effectual preparation to understand and believe the Gospel Now for the uses of this point 1. Hence you see that God is not wanting to those persons who can reasonably expect assistance from him to those that are willing to do his will when it is duly discovered to them whosoever he is that is thus disposed may assure himself of Gods assistance to guide him into all needful truth into all things necessary to salvation whosoever is not thus disposed cannot justly expect assistance from him for why should God make known his will where it is certain before hand that it will it not be complyed withall why should he discourse his will to them who are resolved to serve their lusts whatsoever the will of God should be nay to them who will scarce believe any thing that contradicts their lusts and passions though never so duly propounded to them which is the case of every false insincere person who is resolved to believe nothing which doth not comply with his own corruptions God hath not promised that they shall fee who suffer their lusts to shut their eyes who are not willing to have the light nor was their reason for such a promise This fully acquits Gods providence that he hath token sufficient care so to recommend the Gospel in all things needful for Salvation to give such evidence of its truth that whosoever is disposed to do whatsoever God commands which the light of nature it self suggests shall easily know and entertain whatsoever is necessary to Salvation such is the course that God hath taken in the revelation of the Gospel and of all things necessary to Salvation that none will complain of want of evidence but only those that want integrity those who will not do Gods will although they know and understand it And for this they are to blame themselves and consequently for the effects of it their infidelity or misbelief 2. But then secondly seeing they that are willing to do Gods will find the Gospel so attested as that they who will give credit to it shall know and understand whatsoever is necessary to Salvation hence we may guess at the great cause of infidelity and misbelief wheresoever the Gospel is revealed The Gospel forbids the Gospel threatens the sinful lusts and lives of men and therefore they who resolve to continue in their sins cavil and quarrel and contradict it they hate that Doctrine which reproves them and will not believe what they hate although it flash in their very faces These men seeing see not and hearing they hear not saith our Lord and in them is fulfilled the Prophecie of Isaiah which saith by hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive Matt. 13.14 And as there are some who disbelieve the whole Gospel meerly in favour of their lusts so others upon the same account grosly mistake and misunderstand it They will admit no sense of it but what is consistent with their sins what gives them leave to enjoy their lusts and hope for pardon notwithstanding Men who resolve to retain their lusts who will not part with their darling sins upon any conditions whatsoever must search out easie ways to Heaven find out other terms of Salvation than what the Gospel hath propounded Let the Gospel be never so express in the denunciations of Gods displeasure against those sins they live in they must find out some arts and shifts to evade and escape the plainest truths by some reserves or false glosses by clouding what is plain and evident Let it be never so expresly said and that by our blessed Lord himself If thy right eye offend thee pluck if out and cast it from thee and if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell Matt. 5.29 30. These men must find out some distinctions whereby they may retain that eye whereby they may reserve that hand secure their dearly beloved lusts and yet escape the flames of Hell It shall be answered to these and all other like expressions either that this is legal Doctrine and that Christ hath so fulfilled the Law as that there is nothing for them to do but to rely on his righteousness or else as it is on another hand that they will make satisfaction to God for those sins which they will not forsake they will confess them to the Priest they will receive his absolution they will most duly perform the penance which is prescribed them by the Priest give so much Alms say so many Prayers pass through a course of so many fasts And when they have found out these shifts then will they believe their sins forgiven although they wilfully still retain them they will believe that this is so in spight of common sense and reason in spight of the very light of nature in spight of the holy Scripture it self and the plain design of Christianity they will have a Creed which shall allow them in their lusts though clearly contrary to that Gospel which our Lord himself hath revealed to us From whence observe that no man can be secure of truth who is no friend to real Piety nor is he likely to understand the will of God who is not willing to obey it 3. Hence we understand that the only safe and certain way to know the will of God aright to know what true Religion is and what is the way to life eternal is such a sincere disposition of mind as renders us willing to obey whatsoever God prescribes unto us For so is the Gospel propounded to us that whosoever is so disposed will readily believe and entertain it upon the evidence which attends it seeing nothing obscures nothing eclipses this evidence but an aversation to the duties which are commanded in the Gospel There is no Doctrine no precept no promise or threat in the whole Gospel that contradicts the hopes or interests of any man that is really good 'T is no interest of good men that there should not be a day of judgment that Christ should not come to judge the World that he should not judge it by these Laws which are prescribed us in the Gospel 'T is no interest of good men that any thing should not be commanded which is commanded in the Gospel that every thing should not be forbidden which the same Gospel doth forbid on the other hand it is most suitable not only to the judgment and reason but to the inclinations of good men that God should command us to love himself with all our hearts to love our neighbours as our selves that he should command all the vertues that are commanded in the Gospels truth justice temperance patience meekness humility and the like that he should forbid what is forbidden pride and covetousness and animosity fornication adultery and excess it is suitable to their reason and hopes that he should distribute rewards and punishments in another world according to mens behaviour here and whosoever is thus prepared to understand and believe the Gospel will neither reject nor misbelieve it nor any thing that is contained in it which is absolutely necessary to Salvation especially seeing that God hath promised to guide and assist them with his Spirit who are resigned unto his will and willing to do what he commands them Observe we then the great security that good men have of being led into all truth which is needful unto their Salvation observe what is the ready way to be guided into all such truth it is to be upright and sincere it is to be willing to do Gods will willing to do whatsoever it be that God shall please to require of us If you find this willingness in your selves suffer not your selves to be overborn with their confidence who vainly boast of infallibility in the midst of most pernicious errours and in plain contradiction to the Scripture Truth is plain to them that love it to them that are willing to entertain it but as for them that are insincere that have no hearty love to it the plainest things are obscure to them showers and snares are in the way of the froward Prov. 22.5 which way soever they turn themselves because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie 2 Thes 10.11 4. Now therefore let the consideration of what I have said upon this point perswade sincerity towards God perswade to willingness to obedience in every instance whatsoever Sincerity is that which doth dispose us to know and believe all needful truth sincerity is that which God will bless with the assistance of his Spirit sincerity is that which he will reward not only with his conduct here but also with eternal happiness and everlasting life in the world to come The Fourteenth Sermon Malach. 1. 6. If then I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my fear The former part of the verse is thus A son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my fear THERE are several relative names or titles given to God in the Holy Scriptures amongst which are these of Father and Master He is styled our Father because we receive life from him He is called our Master because he hath a just dominion over us And because he is such a Father to us as hath created us out of nothing therefore are we entirely his and because we are entirely so therefore is he such a Master as hath most absolute and most Sovereign Dominion over us upon which account he may and doth require the highest love and fear and the most sincere obedience from us The neglect whereof in the persons to whom the Prophet here applies himself was the cause of this expostulation If then I be Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my fear I shall not insist on these two duties we owe to God that is to say honour and fear apart and distinctly from one another But rather observe that such an honour is due to God as comprehends a fear in it and such a fear as also contains an honour in it from both which things put together there results a filial awe or reverence which is compounded of love and fear of love to God as he is our Father and then of fear as he is our Master This reverence then is the duty suggested in the words before us which I shall pursue in this method I shall shew 1. The degrees of reverence which God requires 2. The proper effects of it 3. The