recompence of reward it is false and dangerous It is false because it contradicts the Command and the Example of Christ who for the joy that was set before him despised the Cross Heb 12.2 Thus Moses thus Paul did both eye the Reward themselves and enjoyn it as a duty upon others 2. It is dangerous first because it begets infinite scruples especially in young Converts whose first inducement must either be from their hopes or their Feares and which way soever they begin they have our Saviour sometime using Threats otherwhiles mingling Promises to justifie their being wrought upon by either 2. It makes the greatest and most comfortable part of the Word useless and that is the Promises and if men may live above the Promises it will quickly follow that they may live above the Precepts too and what the end of such Doctrine may be is too apparent I say therefore to the yet Doubting Christian fetch new strength vigour from the Promises for if thy Belief be Reasonable I am sure thy Obedience though it brings suffering is highly so for no momentany pressure 2 Cor. 4.17 how grievous soever can countervaile that full and everlasting weight of happiness which is laid up for Believers and Obeyers of the Gospel And that is a Theme so obvious that I need not insist upon it So much for the first Use Use 2 The second Use is to confirm and strengthen Believers He that standeth 1 Cor. 10.12 saith the Apostle and Faith only is the cause of a Christians standing let him take heed lest he fall And take heed saith he to the believing Hebrews Heb. 3.12 lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbelief to Apostatize from the living God Nothing doth undo the greatest part of Christians but their Confidence whereby presuming upon their present stock of Faith they lay in no fresh recruits and so fall if not finally for that no elect Person can do yet foully as Peter did whose security betrayed him into that which cost him many bitter Tears This kind of Bread is to be begged and received new every day from Heaven or else we have no certainty that it will continue with us one moment And therefore whatever we do let us take care that our Faith fail not a breach there is like a wound in the head for the most part mortall and if at any time there have been Ruptures and Intercisions made in that Grace repair them presently by quickning and feeding your Faith with new Arguments New if not for Subject and Matter yet for Light and for Discovery Now this often reflecting upon our Saviours Prediction is the best expedient you can provide For that was it which confirmed the Apostles who were of as slow incredulous and uneasie a temper to believe as any of us can be when our Saviour had told the Jews Joh. 2.22 that in three daies he would destroy the Temple and raise it up again meaning the Temple of his Body The Evangelist John observes That when he was raised from the dead his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and he adds they believed the Scripture which foretold this of the Messiah and the word which Jesus had said who foretold it of himself where he makes our Saviours foretelling his own Resurrection to be a medium by which the Disciples did strengthen their Faith even after they had seen him risen And when they ran to the Sepulchre in the midst of their Despairs and Fears as now imagining that their Master was utterly gone and all their Faith ungrounded the Angels tell them Remember say they how he spake unto you while he was yet in Galilee saying Luk. 24.8 the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and be raised again the third day And saies the Evangelist they remembred his words i.e. Reflecting upon them which their present sorrow and impatience made them to forget they did a little moderate and appease their sorrow By the example then of those Apostles often mind your selves of our Saviours Predictions and they will be of great advantage and comfort to you in these three Cases 1. In case of Heresies which are already come II. In case of Persecution which may come III. In case of Future Glory which though it be now delayed yet we have a promise that it will come 1. The reflecting upon our Saviours Predictions will be of great use to comfort Believers in respect of the Heresies which already are come I know it is a sad and troublesome thing unto a true Christian to see the Divisions and Contentions of Brethren to have the Peace of the Church disturbed by Schisme and the Unity of Faith divided by Errour but as our Saviour said to his Disciples concerning the Destruction of Jerusalem Luk. 21.9 When you see Wars and Tumults be not troubled for all these things must come to pass So say I when you see Heresie and Errour spreading it self and Parties and sidings under pretence of advancing Truth miscalling Faction by the name of Religion be not amazed for we know who hath told us That there must be Heresies 2 Cor. 11.29 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those whose Faith is approved or tried may be made manifest As mists and vapours serve to set out the Sun so do Errours in some make the Truth that is owned by others more conspicuous and apparent I know the common cry of Ignorant or self-designing men is Put down Preaching keep the People from reading the Scriptures c. which is all one as if they should say Pull down the Sun that we may prevent the rising of Clouds and Mereors The Scripture is like the Sun and where it shines vigorously the dull Earth i.e. Natural Ignorance in men which conceives and apprehends it not must needs send forth mists and vapours But God forbid that the Children should be deprived of their Bread because the Dogs are ready to snatch it from them and abuse it To Imprison the Scripture in a dark and unknown Language is indeed the ready way to prevent Heresies for what people cannot know they will be sure not to contend about So to extinguish the Sun is the ready way to hinder Clouds but then we shall be encompassed with the Horrour of Eternal Night And to put out the Candle that so all colours may agree in the dark is a device as Politick as the devil himself that invented it whose kingdom cannot subsist unless the World do lull themselves asleep into a dull stupid irremediable Ignorance When the Light of the Scripture is gone I am afraid the Light of the Spirit will go with it And I am sure the Light of Reason leads us to nothing but to Atheism or to worse to sottish and impertinent superstition i.e. it makes us either so cunning as to deceive others or so foolish as to be willing to be deceived our selves
Therefore instead of such dismal contrivances let Heresies be suppressed by the same way by which they were raised and that is by Preaching and in the mean while let not the Believer be troubled that many Errours are commonly vented now for he understood not the Nature of his Religion nor the vain-glorious and yet foolish Pride of man if he did not expect them For the Scripture is difficult exceeding difficult and hard to be understood and man is foolish and so apt to mistake Proud and so apt to presume Vain-glorious and so apt to publish his Conceits which in the end prove Heresies But convince men once that it is their duty to be Humble then they will cease to vent that they are to be charitable and they will forbear to contend for their singular Fancies and unto this Posture of mind nothing but the blessing of God upon Preaching can bring them 2. This likewise will comfort Believers in respect of Persecutions which may come That the Church of Christ is a Ship which doth best in a Storm and that Faith must like Gold be tried in the Fire is so known a thing that I need not insist upon it All that I infer is that the having Afflictions foretold should keep us from grieving at them when they do come They Joh. 16.1 saith our Saviour to his Disciples shall put you out of the Synagogues and when they kill you think they do God good service And I tell you these things that you might not be offended but remember that I told you of them Thus the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3.3 4. Let no man be moved by his Afflictions for ye know that we are appointed unto this And even when we were with you we told you before that we should be afflicted even as also it is come to pass Those who are forewarned of approaching Evils are usually armed against them And therefore I have often wondred at that timid and abject Spirit which is in many under their Afflictions which is a certain sign that their Fear is above their Faith and that they inwardly distrust their Cause or doubt of their Reward If ye are reproached saith the Apostle Peter for the sake of Christ 2 Pet. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.7 8. happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon you And Paul to Timothy We have not received the spirit of Fear but the spirit of Power therefore be not ashamed of the Testimony of Christ So that I conceive no condition is more joyous to a true Christian than to be endued with courage to suffer for as in Winter the Fire doth redouble its hear so God at that time of trial doth poure into the soul a more abundant supply of Comfort However he that suffers is on the surer side For though one may suffer and yet not be in the Right yet he that persecutes is certainly in the wrong as doing a thing which he hath no warrant for So that as the Apostle Peter adviseth 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them who suffer according unto the Will of God not be solicitous about the Event but go on in their Duty though the World frown and commit their souls unto him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator 3. Lastly The reflecting upon our Saviours Predictions and the fulfilling of them will be a great Comfort unto Believers in respect of Future Glory which is yet delayed but will certainly come I make no doubt but every serious resolved Christian doth often wish with the Apostle Paul To be dissolved Phil. 2. and to be with Christ which certainly is a condition much better than to struggle with the difficulties and uncertainties of Life or to be clogged with a decaying sinful and enticing body of Flesh We that are in this Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5. saith the Apostle do groan being burdened we would fain be stripped and disrobed of this Cleg of Flesh and be put into present possession of our Inheritance But as Heirs must wait patiently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the time appointed by their Father so must we Let us hold fast saith the Apostle Heb. 10.23 the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised i.e. God will be as good as his word and he hath shewn it by fulfilling so many things already So that Ib. v. 36 37. as he adds Ye have need of Patience that when we have finished the will of God we may receive the Promise For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Life it self is but of a very short date stretched out to its utmost span but what a nothing is it if compared to Eternity And cannot we wait some few years to do our Masters business on Earth but we must cry out for our wages before we have done our work And because Unbelief is ready to creep in and to make that Objection which some in Peter do 2 Pet. 3. Where is the Promise of his coming Why doth Christ seem to neglect his Church as if he had no regard unto his Vineyard If these thoughts arise as do what we can come they will 2 Pet. 39. silence them with that of Peter God is not slack concerning his Promise as some men count slackness but he is long-suffering towards us not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto the knowledge of the truth God hath yet some Jewels to gather out of the Worlds Rubbish and it is for their sakes that the present frame of things is so long continued for when their Number is accomplished the Heaven shall be wrapped up as a Scroull and the Earth shall be removed as an useless Scene Wherefore that I may conclude in the Apostle Peters words Ibid. v. 18. Believers Ye knowing these things before beware that ye be not led away by the seduction of ungodly men and so fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom be glory now and for ever AMEN The Resurrection of the Body Asserted and Cleared ACT. 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the Dead THese are the words of the Apostle Paul spoken by way of Apology in defence of himself and of that most questioned and contradicted part of his Doctrine viz. the Resurrection of the Dead This being in it self so accounted by him the chief Foundation of a Christians Hope where ever that great Apostle came he first laies and then builds upon it At Athens among the learned Greeks Act. 17.18 we find him by their own confession preaching but two things Jesus and the Resurrection Afterwards when he was empleaded by the Jews he doth openly avow his Faith I am saith he a Pharisee i. e. Act. 23.6 I do with them hold and maintain the Resurrection of
the dead for as it follows of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question Again when he was convened before Felix the Roman Deputy he insists upon the same Argument for whereas he was charged by Tertullus with being an Heretick which word is still continued Act. 24.5 as that name of Obloquy whereby men are wont to disgrace all new Discoveries of old Truths Paul doth in despight of that opprobrious Name own that which they called Heresie Ver. 14. and aloud proclaimes that he believed as all the Jews either did or else had reason to do from their writings there should be a Resurrection of the dead Ver. 15. both of the just and of the unjust And now again being brought forth before a mixt Auditory both of Jews and Romans he doth not only assert the Doctrine but likewise in these words offers to dispute the Case and to prove the Resurrection by the dint of Reason The words themselves which are proposed by way of question contain three parts 1. A Proposition that God will raise the Dead for these words Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the Dead Imply that God will certainly raise them 2. An Opposition that this is judged very incredible for these words Why is it judged incredible with you that God should raise the Dead Implies that this is ordinarily esteemed and reputed as a thing incredible 3. A Demonstration or a Conviction that though this was judged incredible yet indeed in it self it was not so For this question Why is it judged incredible c. implies that in the opinion of the Questioner there was no sufficient Reason why it should be so esteemed And these three Parts afford us three Doctrinal Conclusions 1. That God will raise the Dead 2. That this Doctrine concerning the Resurrection of the Dead seems to natural men very incredible and very unreasonable 3. That the Resurrection of the Dead however it be judged incredible by natural men yet is in it self highly credible highly rational Doct. 1 The first Conclusion is That God will raise the Dead By Dead here I mean that part of man which dies viz. his Body for the soul dies not but when the body returns to its dust the soul returns to him that gave it And fear not them saith our Saviour Eccl. 12.7 Mat. 10.28 which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul with this part of our selves as soon as ever we dislodge from the Body in the Apostle Pauls Language we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. 1 Cor. 5.8 dwell and cohabite with the Lord as in our proper Fathers house for Heaven is the Souls Native and Original home and therefore the re-union of that at last with the Body is rather a return than a Resurrection To speak properly the Body only rises thus our Saviour The hour is coming saith he Joh. 5.25 when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they who hear shall live where that we might not be mistaken who he meant by dead he adds by way of Explication the houre is coming when all who are Ver. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Tombes or Monuments shall hear his voice Now what else are Monuments but as one calls them Tertul. Cadaverum stabula The stalls or receptacles of our corrupt and perishing bodies And therefore when our Saviour envites all to come unto him he uses this by way of motive that whoever came to him he would not lose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. any thing that belonged to him For saith he Joh. 6.39 I will raise him up at the last day And again He that believes on the Son he shall have Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day Implying not only that if the body were not raised something which did essentially belong to man would be lost and perish but likewise that without this raising of the body Eternal Life would not be a state of happiness because it would be nothing else but an Eternal separation from that part unto which the soul alwaies desires to be joyned and from which it is unwillingly severed as the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 5.1 and following verses But doth our Saviour do his Apostles say this only Say not the Prophets the same Is not this Article of our Faith as well as all the rest to be proved out of the Old Testament Volkol l. 2◠It will concern us a little to enquire into it that we may stop those mens mouths who traduce our Religion when they tell us that it is wholly new for if our Saviour had taught any thing which was either contrary to or not eminently contained in the Writings of Moses and the Prophets the Jews would have had juster Reason to disbelieve his Doctrine than as yet they can pretend For to insist only upon this of the Resurrection which of all other Divine Discoveries seems to have least footing in the Old Testament It is plain that the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection are charged by our Saviour with Ignorance of the Scriptures Ye erre saith he not knowing the Scriptures i. e. not reflecting upon those places of Scripture wherein the Resurrection is though not directly spoken of yet plainly and by good consequence implied And thereupon he interprets one place which though not minded by them yet did verifie his Assertion The Place is Exod 3. that stile which God in his Apparition to Moses did assume Mat. 22 31 32. when he calls himself The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob this saith our Saviour doth demonstrate the Resurrection For God is not God of the dead but of the living which words conclude two things 1. That the fouls of Abraham Isaac and Jacob were then living with God 2. That the living of their souls did necessarily infer that their bodies should live too since God is not God of this or that part only but of the whole man Another place in the Old Testament which did imply the Resurrection is the promise God made to Abraham Gen. 12.1 that he would bring him to a Land flowing with Milk and Honey But by this Land as the Apostle excellently argues Heb. 11.8 16. was not meant Canaan for there Abraham had no possession but confessed of himself that he was a Pilgrim and stranger in it which manifestly shews that he desired a Country not that which he left but a better even a heavenly one and that he looked after it as a Place of Happiness not only for his Soul but likewise for his Body is plain from what the Apostle saith afterwards concerning the undaunted Constancy of the Primitive Martyrs i.e. such as died in bearing their witness for the Truths of God before the coming of our Saviour in the flesh They would not Ver. 35. saith he accept of
deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Besides these places which do imply this Doctrine there are some that do expresly mention it As that of Job Job 19. Ver. 25. whose words however controverted by many Learned men yet out of the Original are exactly thus For I know that my Redeemer i.e. promised Messiah unto whom this Term of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is most ordinarily applied as Isa 59.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob which no Interpreter but must needs understand of the promised Saviour liveth and at last he shall arise or stand i.e. as Judge over the Dust i.e. either upon Earth as our English Translation hath it or over all men Ver. 26. though now for the present they lye in the dust And after my skin when they i.e. the worms or the diseases he was then afflicted with have pierced through this i.e. body of mine yet out of my flesh shall I see Jehovah whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold Ver. 27. and not a stranger which doth so clearly manifest his belief of the Resurrection that as the words cannot possibly be made sense without it so the Greek Translation by using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies To raise up again to life in that sense I speak of doth plainly favour it This likewise was the Faith of David where he saies Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy one to see Corruption Psal 16.11 Act. 3. For though as to the Rising on the third day i. e. before the natural Humours were resolved and Corrupted it was literally fulfilled by our Saviour and so applied to him both by Peter and Paul Act. 13. yet it is plain that he who spake those words did likewise believe a Resurrection of his own Person therefore he saies My flesh shall rest in hope But most plain is that of Daniel who Dan 12.2 speaking of Michael i.e. Messiah the Prince and we know it was the Charge against our Saviour that he made himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Messiah the Prince saies that in his time Many i. e. the multitude of them that sleep in the dust shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt which is so clear a Prophecy of the Future Resurrection and in so express Terms that our Saviour in his Declaration of it seems to allude to these very words of Daniel and to have had them in his eye only what Daniel calls everlasting contempt our Saviour explains by calling it the Resurrection of Condemnation And those saith he Joh. 5.29 who do good shall go forth to the Resurrection of life but those who do evil to the Resurrection of Condemnation So that from hence it evidently appears that we Christians in this particular do own no more than what other holy men among the Jews did before us and our Apostle did very well understand what he said when in the words foregoing my Text he tells them that he was then judged for the Promise i. e. of Future life and happiness not to be attained but after the Resurrection made by God unto the Fathers whereupon he proceeds to make that query Why should it be judged incredible that God should raise the dead And so much for the first Observation Doct. 2 The second Observation is this That the Doctrine of the Resurrection though plainly revealed in Scripture seems to natural men very incredible Act. 17.18 so it appeared to the Learned Philosophers at Athens who called Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prater or Trifler for preaching it And they did so little understand what the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meant that they took it to be the name of some Daemon for thus some said of Paul That he was a publisher of strange Daemons because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection which last word should have been left untranslated for they took 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paul spake so much of to be the name of some New Goddess So likewise in this Chapter when Paul makes a Relation of his Conversion which yet was very miraculous Festus heard him patiently but when once he began to mention how Christ was raised from the dead Act. 26.23 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Festus could hold no longer but cryed out with a great deal of impatience Paul thou art mad too much learning hath quite unhinged thy braine and overturned thee into madness 2 Cor. 15. Hence the Apostle in that Chapter where he doth most elegantly dispute it brings in an heathen asking this question Ver. 35. But some man will say How are the dead raised up Which is not an How of enquiry into the manner and Method of the Resurrection in what order it shall be accomplished but an How of doubting concerning the whole thing Joh. 3.9 Like Nicodemus's How How can these things be And therefore in the Primitive Persecutions the enemies of Gods People never shewed more witty cruelty in any thing than in devising waies how to elude the Resurrection and that not only by mangling torturing and burning their bodies but by scattering their Ashes in the Rivers â—nseb l. 5. c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith mine Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As if they had been able to conquer God and deprive the Saints of their Resurrection Neither was this only the perswasion of the Heathen world but we see oftentimes in Scripture those who owned higher Principles yet manifesting their doubts and despaires of this c. 7.9 Thus Job notwithstanding his so excellent confession in a fit of impatience cries out As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away c. 14.7 so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more And again There is hope saith he of a tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again and that the tender branch thereof will not cease But if a man dye shall he live again Ver. 14. By which words he seems to conclude that by death at least the Body is utterly lost So Ezekiel when God to try his faith asked him this question c. 37.3 Son of man can these bones live That holy man durst not affirm it but uses an answer which shews that he was altogether uncertain and at a loss about it O Lord God saith he thou knowest i.e. I am not able to resolve thee that dry bones should live belongs as much to a Divine knowledge to comprehend as to a Divine Power to effect it Thus in the New Testament the Apostles though they knew their Master to be the Son of God and the Messiah which was a great master-piece of Faith yet they did not at all understand the Resurrection Mar. 9. for when our Saviour after his Transfiguration did charge them that they should not tell any
what they had seen untill the Son of man were risen from the dead The Evangelist adds that they kept the matter private to themselves but questioned or disputed with one another what the rising from the dead should mean at which time it seems they were so utterly ignorant of the thing that they scarce understood the meaning of the word Hence was it that even then when the Resurrection of our Saviour had cleared the Point 1 Cor. 15.12 and left scarce room for the least umbrage of suspition to enter yet there were some in the Church of Corinth who utterly denied it and other 2 Tim. 2.18 of the Sect of Hymenaeus and Philetus who affirmed that it was past already So hard a matter was it for this Doctrine to get ground in the world 1 Tim. 13.6 and therefore the Apostle when he sums up the Mystery of Godliness i.e. as it is revealed by our Saviour he makes this to be one great part of it that Christ was not only risen from the dead but believed on in the World The subduing of the world unto the perswasion and credence of our Saviours Resurrection being every whit as miraculous as the raising him The Reasons why this appears so to incredible to natural men are 1. Because naturally men do doubt the Immortality of the Soul I know very well that there are many excellent Discourses about this in the Heathen Writers and Plato Phade in a certain Dialogue of his brings in his Master Socrates disputing about it with as much strength of Reason and clearness of Expression as the wit of man can possibly invent but after all his fine sayings he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But expresly to affirm that the matter is indeed so as I have discoursed of doth by no means become an understanding man And so makes it at the best only a probable opinion without daring to think as our modern Demonstrators do that he had fully and satisfactorily cleared it And therefore his so much magnified Socrates when he was now to be led unto execution takes his farewell of the Judges in these words which discover nothing but his uncertainty Apol. I go to dye and you to live and which of us do go unto the best estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Senect none knows but God alone So Tully the most Learned of the Romans calls Immortality an Errour which he will by no means part with because he is pleased and delighted with it Wherein he discovers his Wishes De Animâ rather than his Hopes For as Tertullian excellently argues to suppose the soul Immortal it was in the Heathen nothing else but a bold and vain presumption since it alwaies lay in his power to destroy the Soule who made it and whether he would or not he had not as to them revealed his pleasure And indeed the words of Job in his despair are the highest reasoning of most Philosophers c. 14.10 Man saith he dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the Ghost and where is he And Solomon in the person of a natural man asks a question which he challengeth the World to answer Eccl. 3.21 Who knoweth the spirit of a man that goeth upward and the spirit of a beast that goeth downward to the Earth Who knoweth i.e. upon the principles of meer Reason and Research of Natural Causes who is able to resolve it Whereupon among the Jews Act 23.8 the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection denied likewise both Angel and Spirit i. e. the surviving of the soul as well as the restoring of the body So that since men do naturally doubt of the less it is no wonder if they despair of the greater They who are apt to give the soul it self for lost how can they imagine that the body should ever be recovered 2. The second Reason why natural men are so apt to disbelieve the Resurrection is because they make a wrong estimate of Gods Power We see in this World nothing better and therefore we are ready to measure God by our selves and believe no more of his Power than what falls within the compass of Humane probability which is the true and fixed ground of all that Atheistical Distrust which in all times doth so much abound among men Who is the Lord said Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 that I should let Israel go And Who is Jehova saies Insulting Senacherib 2 Reg 18.35 that he should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand Nay not only these wicked men but the Saints of old have most stumbled when they have been put to Act Faith upon Gods Omnipotency Gen. 18.11 Thus Sarah when she heard the promise of a Son she laughed What saith she now I am old shall I have pleasure my Husband being old also Wherein she musters up Arguments to make her Distrust seem Rational So Moses finds out many excuses to avoid being sent upon Gods Errand I am not Eloquent faith he Exod. 4.10 but slow of speech and slow of Tongue And at last in plain terms he entreats that God would find out a fitter Messenger to go upon his Embassie And whence did this proceed Ver. 13. but from his distrust of Gods Power to Qualifie him first and to Protect him afterwards Thus David Jeremy Zachary nay almost all when a stress or difficulty hath been laid upon their Faith they have been ready to cry out with Nicodemus How can these things be Thus it fares in the Case of the Resurrection Men do first confine the Omnipotence of God to their own Notions and then deny what otherwise they would never have doubted of Mat. 22.29 Our Saviour therefore tells the unbelieving and gainsaying Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God not knowing the Scriptures which declare the Resurrection nor the Power of God which is able to effect it 3. The third Reason of this Unbelief is because Natural men are guided only by sensible Impressions what they see that they believe and are not without a great deal of difficulty carried one jot farther Hence were the Jews so importunate with our Saviour to shew them a sign from Heaven Mat. 16.1 And when our Saviour told fome of his Followers in answer to their Demand that it was the work of God i.e. well-pleasing to Joh. 6.30 31. and required by him to believe on him whom he had sent They presently reply upon him What sign shewst thou then that we may see and believe thee So those Scoffers in Isaiah when the Propher had denounced terrible things against them Let him make speed say they and hasten his work that we may see it That is you speak much to us of what shall come hereafter but we see no danger near and therefore we will not believe you Thus those wretched Pharisees when they had nailed our Saviour to the Cross Let him now say they come down from the Cross and we
our Saviour doth often appeal to their Testimony as where he saies I have a greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me And again If I had not done among them the works which no other man did Joh. 15.24 they had not had sin But that which our Saviour most insisted upon was the Scriptures to them he refers the Jews out of these do the Apostles altogether argue and to the search of these are all conjoyn'd and still we can ground our belief upon their Testimony whatever we boast of is not Faith but Fancy and will not hold out in a time of Triall Then the soul can only sit down satisfied when by comparing the Predictions of the Old Testament with the fulfillings of the New it can subscribe probatumest I have examined and find it true Now because this is a matter of very great importance and yet too much neglected therefore I shall press it upon these Considerations 1. This will sweeten our Obedience Till we are satisfied as Men we can never obey as Christians For Faith is nothing else but another kind of Reason whose Basis and Foundation is laid in humility Therefore the Apostle calls that great Action of a Christian when he doth not as in the Old Law sacrifice an Oxe but himself up to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a service suiting us as reasonable Creatures In things of Art the hands will not do what the head doth not direct so in spiritual things we quite mistake our way if we think of going blindfold and hood-winck'd to Duty Ignorance and Implicite Obedience is a fit Sacrifice for the devil whose kingdom is founded in darkness when as Regeneration is nothing else but renewed Light And the clearer Discoveries are made to the Understanding the more pliant and obedient is the Will 1 Cor. 14. and the more easie doth it find the Yoke For this end is Preaching and Prophesying in a known Tongue commanded that there might be a Race of knowing Christians And Paul would not so much as Sing or Pray or do any other Act of Religious Worship with his Spirit only but with his Understanding also There cannot be a greater brand cast upon any ones devotion than to worship they know not what Joh. 4.22 for that is that which our Saviour doth especially blame the Samaritans for 2. This is the best way to win upon others And this principally concerns Ministers of the Gospel whom I may ask in the Apostles words Thou that teachest another Rom. 2.20 wilt thou not teach thy self Thou who commandest another to believe wilt thou not give him a Reason why he should believe and so leave him without excuse 1 Tim. 4.12 Thus the Apostle bids Timothy be an example to the Faithful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in reasoning and gives this general charge that a man of God must be apt to teach in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves There are indeed some men of diseased minds who have quenched in themselves all Principles by which they may recover and be enlightened But there are in the World many sober Dissenters who stand off from embracing Christianity meerly from the apprehensions they have that the Tenets of it are Absurd and Unreasonable Act. 17.20 such as these must be won by Argument Thus Paul dealt with the Athenians who when they desired to be better informed of his Doctrine he makes a most excellent discourse to them concerning Providence and clears by unanswerable Reason that their way of Worship was false because it begot in mens minds low and mean opinions of the Deity as if he were confined to Place or did take delight in outward Representations Thus did our Saviour deal with Nicodemus In short Ignorance in a Gospel-Teacher is a capital crime for our Saviour when ever he preached he did it with this Preface Hear and Understand and when his Disciples were somewhat dull of Apprehension he sharply reproves them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What are you whom I design to be Lights and Guides of the World without Understanding 3. The want of this is the cause why Christians stand so much at a stay and make no better Progress Total Ignorance is a certain sign of Perdition â— Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel saith the Apostle be hid it is hid to them that are lost Partial Ignorance is a sign of weakness for there is that Light that Evidence in our Religion that if it be followed it will alwaies fill the mind with fresh Discoveries They who first read the Scriptures are like such that see a glorious Palace at a distance it is wrapped up in a Mist and the Beauty of it lies concealed but the nearer we approach the more intently we view it the more is the Lustre of it manifested The World i.e. Carnal men do count the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Idoll and a Foolish thing but Paul tells us and all true Believers find it to be the Wisdome of God a Plot laid from all Eternity for the effecting of which the World was made and when the Mystery of Salvation there declared is perfected the World shall be laid aside as an useless Scene Christ to invite our Study doth stile himself the Light of the World and who doth not see that all who are not enlightned by him are covered with Darkness Uncertainty and doubting But John calls our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in the proper signification of the word Reason he being that Eternal Fountain from whom true Reason sprung and by whom our lost and ruin'd Reason is repaired 1 Cor. 2. The Spirit saith the Apostle searcheth the depths of God i.e. the Spirit of God in man makes him unquiet and restless in his search till he hath sounded those depths which the Ignorant and Lazy World pass hastily over How easily by this light would those Mists about Incarnation Providence Resurrection c. which to this day perplex the disputing world be all dispersed and scattered As to this last the Apostle here is very Positive that he would venture all upon a Dispute and that the best reason should carry it Use 2 The second Use is to shew the Necessity of Christian Life and this is so clear from the Premises that it need not be long insisted on For If the Dead rise not 1 Cor. 15.32 the consequence which Paul brings in wicked men making is very Natural Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye But if the dead rise then Peter hath made a Rational Inference 1 Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hand let us be sober and watch unto Prayer For the time is coming when the hidden things of our shame shall be brought to light 1 Cor. 4.5 this certainly if once believed would keep us honest in the dark one Sermon about it made Felix tremble though being a Roman his Unbelief made him careless and his calling valiant Did but men once give themselves leave to think of it they would not so spend their daies as if they had nothing but this Inch of time to provide for For as our souls are alwaies on the wing so our bodies are not entirely our own but hereafter to be resumed again and made either Cages for Unclean or Mansions for Clorified Spirits And therefore that unchangeable state into which they shall once pass is by all wise and knowing men most to be secured So that I shall conclude in the words of the Prophet Hosea Who is wise Hos 14.9 and he shall understand these things Prudent and he shall know them For the waies of the Lord are right and the Just shall walk in them but the Transgressour shall fall therein FINIS Errata PAge 16. Line 2. by yet more r. yet more by p. 13. l. 24. doctrine dangerous r. doctrine is dangerous Ib. l. 26. have r. leave p. 18. l. 7. Regimenâ— r. Regâ—men p. 24. l. 34. destroyed r. descryed p. 25. l. 13 Bounds r. Mounds p. 27 l. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 32. l. 19. desire r. desired p. 56. l. 28. still r. till