neglect of such duties of piety and charity which amongst our Fore-fathers were frequent as also our open profession when being exhorted to these works of piety to God and of charity towards our brethren we stick not to alledge we are not bound unto them because we look not to be saved by the merit of works as they but by faith in Christ alone as though faith in Christ excluded works and not rather included them as being that whereby they became acceptable unto God which of themselves they are not or as if works could no way conduce unto the attaining of salvation but by way of merit and desert and not by way of the grace and favour of God in Christ as we shall see in the handling of this Text. We greatly now a days and that most dangerously mistake the errour of our forefathers which was not in that they did good works I would we did so but because they knew not rightly the end why they did them nor where the value of them lay they thought the end of doing them was to obtain eternall life as a reward of Justice due unto them whereas it is onely of grace and promise in Christ Jesus They took their works to have such perfectness in them as would endure the touchstone of the Law of God yea such worth and value as to merit the reward they looked for whereas all the value and acceptablenesse of our works issueth from the merit of Christ and lieth onely in his righteousnesse communicated unto us and them by faith and no otherwise But setting aside these errours of the end and of the value of works we must know as well as they That not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord c. but he that doth the will of his Father c. Now for the Explication of the words To call Christ Lord is to beleeve in him to acknowledge him to look for salvation by him or as the Scripture expresseth it Luke 6. to come unto him every one saith our Saviour there explaining this very Text we have in hand Every one saith he that commeth unto me and heareth my words and doth them I will shew you who he is like where to come unto Christ is put in stead of that which in the former was to say unto him Lord. The doing of his Fathers will is the doing of those works of obedience which his Father hath commanded in his Law and now committed to his Son whom he hath made the head and King of his Church to see executed and performed by those he bringeth to salvation But how and in what manner we shall see by and by The Text consists of two parts The one negative Not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven The other affirmative But those who doe the will of his Father shall onely enter thither But these are so nearly linked together that they cannot be handled asunder And the observations which I shall draw thence depend on the whole Text the first and chiefest whereof is this That faith in Christ without works of obedience and amendment of life is not sufficient for salvation and consequently not that faith whereby a Christian is justified For if it were it would save us If it be not sufficient to save us it cannot justifie us This floweth directly from the Text and cannot be denied if ye remember what I said before that to call Christ Lord is to beleeve in him For the better understanding of this you must take notice that there is a threefold faith whereby men beleeve in Christ There is a false faith There is a true faith but not saving and thirdly there is a saving faith A false faith is to beleeve to attain salvation through Christ any other way then he hath ordained as namely to beleeve to attain salvation through him without works of obedience to be accepted of God in him which is a faith whereof there is no Gospel A true faith is to beleeve salvation is to be attained through obedience to God in Jesus Christ who by his merits and righteousnesse makes our selves and our works acceptable to his Father A saving and justifying faith is to beleeve this so as to embrace and lay hold upon Christ for that end To believe to attain salvation through obedience to God in Christ so as to apply our selves and rely upon Christ for that end namely to perform those works of obedience which God hath promised to reward with eternall life For a justifying faith stayeth not onely in the brain but stirs up the will to receive and enjoy the good beleeved according as it is promised This motion of election of the will is that which maketh the difference between a saving faith which joyneth us unto Christ and that which is true indeed but not saving but dogmaticall and opinionative onely And this motion or applying of the will to Christ this embracing of Christ and the promises of the Gospel through him is that which the Scripture when it speaks of this faith calleth comming unto Christ or the receiving of him Joh. 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power or priviledge to be the sons of God even to them that beleeve on his Name where receiving and beleeving one expound another So for comming Come unto me saith our Saviour all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you The last is very frequent Iohn 5. 40. Ye will not come to me saith our Saviour that ye might have life And Chap. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ver 44. No man can come unto me unlesse the Father draw him 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me and such like All which expresse the specification of a saving faith which consists in the embracing receiving and applying of the will to the thing beleeved What this embracing receiving or applying unto Christ is I will farther make plain thus He that beleeveth that Christ is an atonement to God for the sins of all repentant sinners and surely he is an atonement for none else must repent and turn from all his sinnes that so Christ may be an atonement for him else he embraceth not what he beleeveth He that beleeves that God in Christ will accept and reward our obedience and works of piety though short of perfection and of no worth in themselves must apply himself accordingly to doe works of Religion and Charity that God in Christ may accept and reward them For our beleef is not that saving beleef untill we apply our selves to what we beleeve To beleeve to attain salvation through Christ without works of obedience to be accepted in him is as I have already said a false faith whereof there is no Gospel no promise To beleeve the contrary that Christ is given of God to such only as shall receive him to perform acceptable obedience to God
through him and yet not to apply and buckle our selves thereto were indeed to beleeve what is true but yet no saving faith because we embraced not the thing we beleeved as we beleeved it Thou sayest then thou hast faith and beleevest that Christ is the atonement to God for the sins of all such as leave and forsake their sins by repentance Why then repent thee of thy sins that Christ may be an atonement for thee Thou sayest thou hast this faith that God in Jesus Christ will accept thy undeserving works and services unto eternall life why then embrace thou Christ and rely upon him for this end that thou mayest do works of piety towards God and charity towards men that so God in Christ may accept thee and them unto eternall life Now if this be the faith which is saving and unites us unto Christ and no other then it is plain that a saving faith cannot be severed from good works because no man can embrace Christ as he is promised but he must apply himself to do them For out of that which hath been spoken three reasons may be gathered for the necessity of them First it is the end of our faith and justification by Christ yea the end why he shed his blood for us that we being reconciled to God in him might bring forth fruits of righteousnesse which else we could never have done This is no speculation but plain Scripture S. Peter 1 â—p 2. 24. telleth us that Christ his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse S. Paul Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. The grace of God saith he that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men wherefore teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works These words contain the summe of all I have hitherto told you That Christ is therefore given us to be a propitiation for our sins and to justifie us that in him we might walk before God in newnesse of life so to obtain a Crown of righteousnesse in the world to come Answerable is that place Ephes. 2. 10. where the Apostle having told us we are saved by grace through faith and not of works lest any man should boast he addes presently lest his meaning might be mistaken as it is of too many that we are Gods workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we should walk in them as if he should say Those works of obedience ordained by God aforetime in his law for us to walk in which we could not perform of our selves now God hath as it were new moulded us in Jesus Christ that we might perform them in him namely by way of acceptation though they come short of that exactnesse the Law requireth And thus to be saved is to be saved by grace and favour and not by the merit of works because the foundation whereby our selves and our services are approved in the eyes of God and acquitted of guilt which the Scripture calleth to be justified is the meer favour of God in Jesus Christ and not any thing in us And this way of salvation excludes all boasting for what have we to boast of when all the righteousnesse of our works is none of ours but Christs imputed to us whereby onely and not for any merit in themselves they become acceptable and have promise of reward But that men should be saved by Christ though they be idle and doe nothing I know no such grace of God revealed in Scripture Now that in Christ we may perform works of righteousnesse which God will accept and crown is plain by the tenour of Scripture S. Paul Philip. 1. 11. desires that the Philippians might be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God And the same Apostle tels the Romanes Rom. 6. 22. that being made free from sin and become servants to God they have their fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life that is as the Syriack turns it Sunt vobis fructus sancti they have holy fruits whose end is life eternall And if we would seriously consider it we should finde that the more we beleeve this righteousnesse of faith in Christ the more reason we have to perform works of service and obedience unto God then if we beleeved it not For if our works would not be acceptable with God unlesse they were compleat in every point as the Law required if there were no reward to be looked for at the hands of God unlesse we could merit it by the worthinesse of our deeds who that considers his own weaknesse and insufficiency would not sooner despair then go about to please God by works He would think it better to do nothing at all then to endevour what he could never hope to attain and so lose his labour But we who beleeve that those who serve God in Christ have their failings and wants covered with his righteousnesse and so their works accepted as if they were in every point as they should be why should not we of all men fall to work being sure by Christs means and merit we shall not lose our labour A second motive why we should do good works is because they are the way and means ordained by God to obtain the reward of eternall life without which we shall never attain it Without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Look to your selves saith S. Iohn Ep. 2. ver 8. that ye lose not those things ye have wrought for but that ye may receive a full reward The Angels message from heaven to devout Cornelius was Thy prayers and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God whereupon S. Peter inferred that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Acts 10. Hence it is that we shall be judged and receive sentence at the last day according to our works Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me For in as much as ye have done these unto one of the least of my brethren ye have done it unto me Lord how do those look to be saved at that day who think good works not required to salvation and accordingly do them not Can our Saviour passe this blessed sentence on them think they
he can If he should they might truly say indeed Lord we have done no such matter nor did we think our selves bound unto it we relied wholly upon our faith in thy merits and thought we had been freed from such services What doe they think Christ will change the form of his sentence at that great day No certainly If the sentence for Blisse will not fit them and be truly said of them the other will and must for there is no more Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For when I was hungry ye gave me no meat c. This must be their doome unlesse they suppose the righteous Judge will lie for them And it is here further to be observed that the works named in the sentence of Judgement are works of the second Table works of mercy and charity Feeding the hungry clothing the naked visiting the sick all Almesdeeds which men are now a-days so much afraid of as if they looked toward Popery and had a tang of meriting For now a-days these costly works of all others are most suspicious but will it be so at the day of Judgement True it is they merit not the reward which shall be given them but what then Are we so proud we will doe no works unlesse we may merit Is it not sufficient that God will reward them for Christs sake though they have no worth in themselves The third and last motive to works of righteousnesse is because they are the only sign and note whereby we know our faith is true and saving and not counterfeit For 1 Iohn 1. 8. If we say we have fellowship with Christ and walk in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth Chap. 2. ver 3. Hereby we know that we know him viz. to be our Advocate with his Father and the propitiation for our sins if we keep his Commandements And Chap. 3. 7. Little children let no man deceive you He that doeth righteousnesse is righteous even as Christ is righteous The same almost you may finde again Chap. 2. 29. For if every one that beleeveth in Christ truly and savingly beleeves that salvation is to be attained by obedience to God in him and not otherwise and therefore embraceth and layeth hold upon him for that end How can such an ones faith be fruitlesse how can he be without works who therefore lays hold on Christ that his works and obedience may be accepted as righteous before God for his sake and so rewardable It is as possible for the Sun to be without his light or the fire to want heat as such a faith to be without works Our Saviour therefore himself makes this a most sure and never failing note to build our assurance of salvation upon Luke 6. 46. where the mention of the words of my Text gives the occasion Why call ye me Lord saith he and doe not the things which I say 47. Whosoever commeth to me and heareth my sayings and doth them I will shew you to whom he is like 48. He is like a man which built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock And when the floud arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon arock 49. But he that heareth and doth not is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell and the ruine of that house was great Whom these three motives or reasons will not perswade to good works let not my soul ô Lord be joyned with theirs nor my doome be as theirs must be A second observation out of these words and near a-kin to the former is That it is not enough for a Christian to live harmlesly and abstain from ill but he must do that which is good For our Saviour excludes not here those onely who do against the will of his Father but those who do not his Fathers will It is doing good which he requireth and the not doing evill only This is an error which taketh hold of a great part of men even of those who would seem to be religious He is a reformed man and acquits himself well who abstains from fornication adultery who is no theef no couzener or defrauder of other men who will not lie or swear or such like But as for doing any works of piety or charity they think they are not required of them But they are much deceived For God requires some duties at our hands which he may reward not out of any merit but out of his mercifull promise in Christ. But not doing ill is no service rewardable A servant who expects wages must not onely do his Master no harm but some work that is good and profitable otherwise the best Christian would be he that should live altogether idlely For none doth lesse harm then he that doth nothing at all But Mat. 25. 30. He that encreased not his Masters Talent though he had not mis-spent it is adjudged an unprofitable servant and cast into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of treth So also Mat. 3. The tree that beareth no good fruit is hewn down though it bore none that was evill The axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Mat. 21. 19. The sig-tree is cursed for having no fruit not for having evill fruit And the sentence of condemnation as you heard before is to passe at that great day for not having done good works not for doing ill ones Goe ye cursed for when I was hungry ye fed me not c. Thus having let you see how necessary it is for a Christian to joyn good works with his faith in Christ I will now come to shew you how you must do them hoping I have already perswaded you that they must needs be done First therefore we must doe them out of faith in Christ that is relying upon him onely for the acceptance and rewarding of them for in him alone God is well pleased with us and with what wee doe and therefore without faith and reliance upon him it is impossible to please God We must not think there is any worth in our works for which any such reward as God hath promised is due For alas our best works are full of imperfections and far short of what the Law requires Our reward therefore is not of merit but of the mercifull promise of God in Christ which the Apostle means when he says We are saved by grace and not by works That is it is the grace and favour of God in Christ which makes our selves acceptable and our works rewardable and not any desert in them or us Having laid this foundation the next thing required is sincerity of heart in doing them we must doe them out of the fear of God and conscience of his Commandements
our Prayers often are not heard because we appear before the Lord empty we do not as Cornelius did send up prayers and alms together we should have two strings to our bow when we have but one This is another indisposition which unfits us to receive what we ask of God For how can we look that God should hear us in our need when we turn away our face from our brother in his need When we refuse to give to God or for his sake what he requires why should he grant to us what we request Hear what an ancient Father of the Church S. Basil by name in concione ad Deum Novi quosdam saith he qui jejunarunt qui orarunt qui ingemuerunt verùm ne unum quidem obolum in egenos expenderunt Quae utilitas hîc est reliquae virtutis I have known saith he many who would fast who would pray who would sigh but not bestow one half-peny upon the poor But what then will their other devotion profit them Adde to all these reasons of displeasure a reason of favour why God sometimes grants not our requests namely because we ask that which he knows would be hurtfull for us though we think not so We ask sometimes that which if he granted us would utterly undoe us As therefore a wise and loving Father will not give his child a knife or some other hurtfull thing though it cries never so much unto him for it so does God deale with his children And how wise soever we think our selves we are often as ignorant in that which concerns our good as very babes are and therefore we must submit our selves to be ordered by the wisdome of our heavenly Father Moreover we must know and beleeve that God often hears our prayers when we think he doth not and that three manner of ways As namely first when he changes the means but brings the end we desire another way to passe we ask to have a thing by our means but he likes not our way but gives it us by another means which he thinks better S. Paul that he might the better glorifie God in serving him desires the prick of the flesh might be taken from him God denies him that means but grants him grace sufficient for him that so being humbled by the sight of his own infirmity he might glorifie God for his power in mans weaknesse And is it not all one whether a Physitian quench the thirst of his Patient by giving him Barberies or some other comfortable drink as by giving him Beer which he cals for Secondly God often grants our request but not at that time we would have it but defers it till some other time which he thinks best Daniel prays for the return of the Captivity in the first year of Darius but God defers it till the first of Cyrus we must not therefore take Gods delays for denials The souls of the Saints under the Altar Rev. 6. cry out aloud for vengeance God hears that cry and cannot deny the importunate cry of innocent blood yet he defers it for a little season saith the Text and why because their fellow-servants and Brethren that should be slain as they were might be fulfilled Lastly God sometimes grants not the things we ask but gives us in stead thereof something which is as good or better And then we are not to think but that he hears us And thus much concerning the power and efficacy of prayer Now I come also to shew the like of Alms how powerfull a means they are to procure a blessing from God Not thy prayer onely saith the Angel but thine Almes also are come up for a remembrance in the sight of God For Alms is a kinde of prayer namely a visible one and such an one as prevails as strongly with God for a blessing as any other Hear David in the 41. Psalm Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble 2 The Lord preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sicknesse A place so evident as flashes in a mans eye But hear Solomon speak too Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given he will pay him again And Pro. 28. 27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse Also Prov. 11. 25. The liberall soule shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Likewise Eccles. 11. 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt finde it after many days These are for corporall blessings and of this life but hear also for spirituall blessings and those of the life to come David Psal. 112. quoted by S. Paul 2 Cor. 9. He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse remaineth for ever c. That is he shall be remembred not onely in this life but in the life to come Luke 16. Make to your selves saith our Saviour friends of the unrighteous Mammon that is of these deceitfull and uncertain riches that when you fail they that is the friends you have made may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles that is that God looking upon the Almesdeeds you have done and hearing the prayers and blessings of the poor may reward you with eternall life So S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17 c. Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God That they doe good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Non memini saith S. Hierome me legere mala morte mortuum qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit habet enim multos intercessores impossibile est multorum preces non exaudiri What should I say more Shall we not receive our sentence at the last day according to our works of mercy Come ye blessed of my Father and inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For when I was hungry ye gave me meat when I was thirsty ye gave me drink c. ye know the rest O the wonderfull efficacy of Alms in prevailing with God! What favour doe they finde in his sight how are they remembred but not for any merit in them which is none but of his meer mercy and mercifull promise who accepts them in Christ our Saviour Whence is that prayer of Nehemiah c. 12. concerning this case of good works Remember me ô my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Thus much of the efficacy and prevalency which prayer and Alms have with Almighty God
not out of respect of profit or fear or praise of men For such as do so are hypocrites Not every one saith our Saviour that saith unto me Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father Now it is the will of our heavenly Father that we serve him in truth and uprightnesse of heart I know saith David 1 Chr. 29. 17. that thou my God triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse And so he said to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou upright or be thou sincere This manner of serving God Ioshuah commended to the Israelites Iosh. 24. 14. Fear the Lord saith he and serve him in sincerity and truth and the Prophet Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 24. Onely fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart This sincerity uprightnesse and truth in Gods service is when we do religious and pious duties and abstain from the contrary out of conscience to Godward out of an heart possessed with the love and fear of God It is otherwise called in Scripture perfectnesse or perfectnesse of heart For it is a lame and unperfect service where the better half is wanting as the heart is in every work of duty both to God and men And therefore it is called perfectnesse when both go together when conscience as the soul enlives the outward work as a body And indeed this is all the perfection we can attain unto in this life to serve God in truth of heart though otherwise we come short of what we should and therefore God esteems our actions and works not according to the greatnesse or exactnesse of the performance but according to the sincerity and truth of our hearts in doing them As appears by the places I have already quoted and by that 1 King 15. 14. where it is said that though Asa failed in his reformation and the high places were not taken down neverthelesse his heart was perfect with the Lord his God all his days A note to know such a sincerity and truth of heart by is If in our privacy when there is no witnesse but God and our selves we are carefull then to abstain from sin as well as in the sight of men If when no body but God shall see and know it we are willing to do a good work as well as if all the world should know it He that findeth himself thus affected his heart is true at least in some measure but so much the lesse by how much he findeth himself the lesse affected in this manner When we are in the presence and view of men we may soon be deceived in our selves and think we do that out of conscience and fear of God which indeed is but for the fear or praise of men either lest we should be damnified or impair our credit or the like but when there is none but God and us then to be afraid of sin and carefull of good duties is a sign we fear God in truth and sincerity and not in hypocrisy The speciall and principall means to attain this sincerity and truth of heart is to possesse our selves with the apprehension of Gods presence and to walk before him as in his eye wheresoever thou art there is an eye that seeth thee an eare that hears thee and a hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts For the ways of man saith Solomon Prov. 5. 21. are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his doings How much ashamed would we be that men should know how much our hearts and our words and actions disagreed How would we blush that men should see us commit this or that sin or neglect this or that duty what horrible Atheisme then doth this argue that the presence of man yea sometimes of a little child should hinder us from that wickednesse which Gods presence cannot This having of God before our eyes and the continuall meditation of his all-seeing presence would together with devout prayer for the assistance of Gods grace be in time the bane of hypocrisie and falshood of heart and beget in stead thereof that truth and sincerity which God loveth Another property of such obedience as God requires is universality we must not serve God by halfs by doing some duties and omitting other but we must with David Psal. 119. 6 20. have respect to all Gods Commandements to those of the second Table as well as to those of the first and to those of the first as well as those of the second The want of which universality of obedience to both Tables is so frequent as the greatest part of Christians are plunged therein to the undoubted ruine of their souls and shipwrack of everlasting life if they so continue For there are two sorts of men which think themselves in a good estate and are not The one are those who make conscience of the duties of the first Table but have little or no care of the duties of the second And this is a most dangerous evill by reason it is more hard to be discovered those which are guilty thereof being such as seem religious but their Religion is in vain Such were those in the Church of Israel against whom the Prophet Esay declaimeth Chap. 1. from the 10. ver to the 17. To what purpose are your sacrifices and burnt offerings saith the Lord your oblations and incense are an abomination Your new Moons Sabbaths calling of Assemblies even the solemne meeting I cannot away with it is iniquity Would you know what was the matter see the words following Learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widow Lo here a want of the duties of the second Table Such is that also of Hosea Chap. 6. I desired mercy and not sacrifice which is twice alledged by our Saviour in the Gospel against the Pharisees hypocriticall scrupulosity in the same duties of the first Table with a neglect of the second But here perhaps some may finde a scruple because that if sacrifice in this or the like places be opposed to the duties of obedience required in the second Table it should hereby seem that the duties of the second Table which concern our neighbour should be preferred before the duties of the first which concern the Lord himself forasmuch as it is said I desire mercy and not sacrifice that is rather mercy which is a duty of the second Table then sacrifice which is of the first I answer The holy Ghosts meaning is not to preferre the second Table before the first taking them simply but to perform the duties of both together before the service of the first alone Be more ready to joyn mercy or works of mercy with your sacrificing then to offer sacrifice alone To go on The duties of the first Table are by a speciall name called duties of Religion those of the second Table come under the name of Honesty and probity Now as a man can never
there to his son is good with fasting and with alms and righteousnesse A little with righteousnesse is better then much with unrighteousnesse It is better to give alms then to lay up gold 9. For alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin Those that exercise alms and righteousnesse shall be filled with life Here in the Greek copy alms and righteousnesse are exegetically put the one to expound the other but in the Hebrew there is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them both that being the word in that language for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia and so in the Arabick Hence Mat. 6. 1. for Take heed that you do not your alms before men as we reade it the vulgar Latine and some Greek Copies have Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Namely as the word charity with us though in the larger sense it signifies our whole duty both to God and man is restrained to signifie our liberality to the poor so is the word Righteousnesse in the Orientall Languages If Righteousnesse therefore signifie Beneficence and Bounty then is the righteous according to this notion the bountifull man or as we speak the charitable And that it is so taken in my Text both the generall scope of the Psalm and the connexion with the words before and after is proof sufficient for before goes this A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with judgement Surely he shall not be moved for ever Then come the words of my Text The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance After it follows this He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousnesse remaineth for ever which S. Paul alledgeth 2 Cor. 9. to promote their collection for the poor Saints at Jerusalem For illustration of this and our further information it will not be amisse I hope to commend to your observation some other places of Scripture where the word righteous is thus taken as namely Psal. 37. 21. The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth Again Psal. 25. 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous for saken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Here the righteous is the mercifull and bountifull to whom namely this blessing that his seed shall not want is proper and peculiar The same use is Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from death The same is repeated again cap. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Where righteousnesse to be taken for alms is apparent out of Tobit 12. where it is so applied and rendred namely Alms doth deliver from death I could adde also another place Prov. 21. 28. but these shall be sufficient Hence appears their error who conceive of the nature of Alms as of an arbitrary thing which they may do if they will or not do without sin as that which carries no obligation with it but is left freely to every mans discretion And this makes some contend so much to have the Priests maintenance granted to be eleemosynary that so they might be at liberty to give something or nothing as they listed But if that were so yet if Alms be Iustitia in the Hebrew tongue and the language which our Saviour spake If our Saviour call'd them Iustitia when he mentioned them who dare affirm then that Iustitia implies no obligation or that a man may leave it undone without sinne So much for the subject The Righteous The next is the Praedicate shall be in everlasting remembrance In remembrance I said with God and men with God in the life to come and this life Let us consider the first The world to come It is certain that at the day of Judgement we shall receive our doom according to our works of charity and mercy and that of all the works that a Christian man hath done these alone have that peculiar priviledge to bee then brought in expresse remembrance before God Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me c. For asmuch as ye have done thus unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Matth. 25. What doth my Text say The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance God remembers our good deeds when he rewards them as he doth our prayers when he hears them If to remember then be to reward an everlasting reward is an everlasting remembrance 'T is remarkable that this priviledge which the works of Bounty and Mercy shall have at the day of Judgement was not unknown to the Jews themselves for so we read in the Chaldee Paraphrast upon Ecclesiastes Futurum est ut Dominus mundi dicat omnibus justis ante se constitutis Vade gusta cum gaudio panem tuum ut statutum est pro pane quem dedisti pauperibus obscuris qui esuriebant bibe corde bono vinum quod repositum est tibi in horto Eden id est Paradiso pro vino quod miseuisti pauperibus obscuris qui sitiebant quia ecce modò accepta sunt opera tua bona coram Domino The reason of this prelation of works of mercy at that great day is because all we can expect at the hands of our heavenly Father is meerly of his mercy and bounty we can hope for nothing but mercy without mercy we are undone according to that of Nehemiah in his last Chap. Remember me ô Lord concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Now in those that are to be partakers of mercy the divine wisdome requires this congruity that they may be such as have been ready to shew mercy unto others judging them altogether unworthy of mercy at his hands who have afforded no mercy to their brethren for so the Scripture tels us that they shall have judgement without mercy that have shewn no mercy The tenour of our Petition for forgivenesse of sins in the Lords Prayer runs with this condition As we forgive them that trespasse against us And who can reade without trembling the Parable of the unmercifull servant in the Gospel to whom his Lord revoked the Debt he meant to have forgiven him because he shewed no mercy to his fellow-servant who owed him a far lesse Debt Shouldst thou not saith he have shewed compassion to thy fellow-servant as I shewed compassion unto thee
This rule of congruity I say is the reason why at the day of our great account we shall be judged according to our works of mercy and bounty To do as we would be done to hath place not onely between man and man but between God and men Nor is this I speak of manifest by the form of our last sentence onely but by other Scriptures beside what else means that of our Saviour Luke 16. Make unto your selves friends of the unrighteous Mammon that is of these slippery and deceitfull riches for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures Dialect is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting Tabernacles Or what means that of S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God That they do good that they be rich in good works laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Laying up a good foundation c. in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here it is observable that works of Beneficence are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the foundation of the reward we shall receive in the life to come If any but S. Paul had said so we should have gone near to have excepted against it for an error Works the foundation of eternall life No that shall not need but the foundation of that blessed sentence we shall receive at the last day for them and that is evident by the form thereof which we have alledged whatsoever is meant a great priviledge sure is hereby implied that these works have above others A like place to this we have in the old Testament with application particularly to Alms or works of mercy Tobit 4. 9. For thou layest up for thy self a good treasure against the day of necessity in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here give me leave to tell you what a late sacred Critick hath observed concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place of Timothy namely that the signification thereof there is not Vulgar but Hellenisticall agreeable to the use of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereto it answers for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as it doth Radix or fundamentum but besides this in the Rabbinicall Dialect it is used for Tabula contractus a Bill of contract a Bond or Obligation whereby such as lend are secured their loan again That therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first sense doth answer the same likewise in the second and accordingly the Apostles meaning to be that those who exercise these works of beneficence do provide themselves as it were of a Bill or Bond upon which they may at that day sue or plead for the award of eternall life Vi pacti but not Vi meriti In the same sense he takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth or calleth upon the name of Christ depart from iniquity The mentioning of a Seal here implies a Bill of contract for Bils of contract had their Seals appendent to them each side whereof had his Motto the one suiting with the one party contrahent the other with the other That to this S. Paul alludes Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he standeth sure that is Gods Bill of contract or his Chirographum having a Seal according to the manner the one side whereof carrieth this Motto The Lord knoweth them that are his the other this Let every one that calleth upon the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Thus God remembreth the Righteous or charitable man in the world to come He remembreth him also in this For that which the Apostle saith of godlinesse that it hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come is most properly and peculiarly true of this righteousnesse of bounty and mercy other righteousnesse indeed must not look for reward till hereafter but this is wont to be rewarded now For spirituall blessings we have the example of Cornelius who for his Almesdeeds found favour with God to have S. Peter sent unto him to instruct him in the saving knowledge of Christ Thy prayers and thine Almesdeeds said the Angel are come up in remembrance before God Now therefore send to Joppa and inquire for one Simon Peter c. For temporall blessings hear what David says Psa. 37. 25. quoted before I was young saith he and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread He is ever mercifull and lendeth therefore his seed is blessed This blessing is the mercifull and charitable mans peculiar that his children shall not want who was liberall and open-handed to supply the want of others But think not that God remembers the charitable man with a temporall blessing in his posterity onely for he remembers him also in his own person Thus the same David Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble 2. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies 3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing c. And doth not his Son King Solomon say the same Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pâ—ty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given he will pay him again But this perhaps some will think may be applied to the reward in the life to come If it be it would much illustrate that of S. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I now spake of But Prov. 28. 27. is a place not capable of this exception He that giveth to the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse Thus we have seen how the righteous man is in remembrance with God Now let us see how the same is and ought to be in remembrance with men And it may be inferred from the former for why should not we remember those whom God doth The practice in the Church of God hath been accordingly The Jews when they make mention of any of their deceased Worthies are wont to do it with this Encomium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Memoria ejus sit in benedictione Otherwhile with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memoria ejus sit ad vitam futuri seculi And of their Rabbies in generall when they mention them they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magistri nostri quorum memoria sit ad benedictionem Which encomiasticall scheme is taken from that of Solomon Pr. 10. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
their Brethren 14. Remember me ô my God concerning this c. There needs no more for understanding the meaning of the words Now therefore let us see what Lessons we may learn therefrom And in the first place that which is most pregnantly to be gathered thence and best fits our turn namely That to make provision for the maintenance of Gods worship and the Ministers thereof is a worthy work and of high esteem and favour with God forasmuch as Nehemiah commendeth himself unto the Divine favour and remembrance under that name of having done good deeds or kindnesses unto the House of God and the Offices thereof a manifest argument he took them to be most pleasing and acceptable unto him The truth of the observation appears not only by this but by other places of Scripture both of the Old and New Testament Let us take some survay of them And first for the furnishing a place for Gods worship take notice of that famous benediction and prayer of King David when his people offered so willingly and liberally towards the building of the Temple In the uprightnesse of my heart saith he I have willingly offered all these things and now I have seen with joy thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto thee O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee 1 Chron. 29. 17 18. Surely therefore it was a most excellent disposition and such as he knew God prized and esteemed For entertainment and provision for his Prophets and Ministers in what account God hath it appears by his great sollicitude in his Law that they should not be neglected Take heed to thy self saith he Deut. 12. 19. that thou for sake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth What expression can go beyond this Again by that story of the Shunamite woman 2 King 4. 9. who entertained the Prophet Elisha and made provision for him when he should have occasion to passe that way Behold said she to her husband this is an holy man of God which passeth by us continually 10. Let us make I pray thee a little chamber on the wall and let us set for him there a bed a table and a stool and a candlestick and it shall be when he commeth unto us then he shall turn in thither How acceptable to Almighty God was this good office done to his Prophet appears by the double miracle he wrought for her both in giving her a childe when her husband was now so old she despaired and in raising him again to life when he was dead But let us come now to the New Testament and see whether the like be not to be found there lest otherwise any might think as some are prone enough to do the case were now altered And first also to begin here with the provision of a place for Gods worship the story of that Centurion of Capernaum in S. Lukes Gospel is worthy our consideration Who when he heard of Iesus saith the Text sent unto him the Elders of the Iews beseecbing him he would come and heal his servant The Elders came to Iesus and besought him instantly saying He was worthy for whom he should do this Why so For say they he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Luk. 7. 4 5. Then Iesus saith the Text without any more ado went with them namely as well approving of their motive that he who had done such a work deserved that favour should be deign'd him Also concerning provision and entertainment for his Apostles and Ministers Are they not our Saviours own words and promise when he sent them forth He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Nay He that should give them but a cup of cold water should not lose his reward According to which S. Paul speaking of the Philippians bounty and communication towards him I have received saith he of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing unto God And 2 Tim. 1. 16. concerning the like good office done him by Onesiphorus he speaks in this manner The Lord saith he give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day Which is not much unlike this of Nehemiah in my Text if it had been spoken in the first person by Onesiphorus himself as it is in the third by Saint Paul Howsoever who will deny but it implies the same thing Now then if this be so as I think we have proved What shall we think of the times we live in when men account them the most religious to Godward who do or would unfurnish the House of God most who rob his Priests most But they have an excuse sufficient to bear them out and what is that The Priests they say have too much If this excuse would serve turn some of themselves perhaps might soon have lesse then they have for sure some body else as well as the Priest have more then they need and might spare some of it But whether the Priests have too much or not will not be the question Suppose they had hath God too much too For these men consider not that the propriety of such things as these is Gods and not the Priests and that to change the propriety of what is sacred by alienating thereof to a profane and private use I say not by diverting it from the Priests livelihood to any other holy use in case the Priest have more then needs is to rob God himself yea God tels us so much Malach. 3. 8. Will a man saith he rob his God as if it were a thing intolerable and scarce ever heard of yet ye saith he have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tithes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a curse because ye have robbed me For that 's the burden that goes with things consecrated Cursed be he that alienates them This Malachi lived at the same time with Nehemiah and the Jews say 't was Ezra whence this exprobration of his and this fact of Nehemiah in my Text may justly seem to have relation one to the other And thus much of my first Observation My second is That God rewardeth these and so all other our good deeds and works not for any merit or worthinesse that is in them but of his free mercy and goodnesse Remember me ô my God saith Nehemiah and wipe not out my good deeds Why is there any reward due to them of Justice No But remember me ô my God and spare me according to the greatnesse or multitude of thy mercy Thus he expounds himself And S. Paul taught us even now the self-same thing in his Votum or
prayer for the house of Onesiphorus for like good service done to the Offices of Gods House The Lord saith he grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day that is the day of Judgement which is Tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when every one shall receive according to his work The controversie therefore between the Romanists and us is not whether there be a reward promised unto our works we know the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament is full of testimonies that way and encourageth us to work in hope of the reward laid up for us We know that in keeping of Gods Commandements there is great reward Psa. 19. 11. And that unto him that soweth in righteousnesse shall be a sure reward Prov. 11. 18. We know our Saviour saith Mat. 5. 12. Blessed are ye when men revile and persecute you for great is your reward in heaven Also that he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And whosoever shall give a cup of gold water only to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward Mat. 10. Again we read Luk. 6. 35. Love your enemies Do good and lend and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest we know also what S. Iohn saith 2 Ep. v. 8. Look to your selves that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought but that ye may receive a full reward But the Question is Whence this Reward commeth whether from the worth or worthinesse of the work as a debt of Justice due thereto or from Gods mercy as a recompence freely bestowed out of Gods gracious bounty and not in justice due to the worth of the work it self Which Question me thinks Nehemiah here in my Text may determine when he saith Remember me ô Lord for my good deeds according to thy great mercy And the Prophet Hosea Chap. 10. 12. when he biddeth us Sow to our selves in righteousnesse and reap in mercy And S. Paul Rom. 6. 23. where though he saith that the wages of sin is death yet when he comes to eternall life he changeth his style But saith he eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gracious gift of God through Iesus Christ. For as for our works they are imperfect and whatsoever they were we owed them to him in whom we live and have our being whether there were any reward or not promised for them Neither do we hereby any whit detract from that Axiome That God rewardeth every man according to his work For still the question remaineth the very same Whether there may not be as wel merces gratiae as merces justitiae that is Whether God may not judge a man according to his works when he sits upon the Throne of Grace as well as when he sits upon his Throne of Justice And we think here that the Prophet David hath fully cleared the case in that one sentence Psa. 62. 12. With thee ô Lord is mercy for thou rewardest every one according to his work Nay more then this we deny not but in some sense this reward may be said to proceed of Justice For howsoever originally and in it self we hold it commeth from Gods free bounty and mercy who might have required the work of us without all promise of reward for as I said we are his creatures and owe our being unto him yet in regard he hath covenanted with us and tied himself by his word and promise to conferte such a reward the reward now in a sort proveth to be an Act of Justice namely of Iustitia promissi on Gods part not of merit on ours Even as in forgiving our sins which in it self all men know to be an Act of Mercy he is said to be Faithfull and Iust 1 Ioh. 1. 9. namely of the faithfull performance of his promise for promise we know once made amongst honest men is accounted a due debt But this argues no more any worthinesse of equality in the work towards the obtaining of the reward then if a promise of a Kingdome were made to one if he should take up a straw it would follow thence that the lifting up of a straw were a labour of a work worth a Kingdome howsoever he that should so promise were bound to give it Thus was Moses carefull to put the children of Israel in minde touching the Land of Canaan which was a type of our eternall habitation in heaven that it was a Land of promise and not of merit which God gave them to possesse not for their righteousnesse or for their upright heart but that he might perform the word which he sware unto their Fathers Abraham Isant and Iaacob Whereupon the Levites in this book of Nehemiah say in their prayer to God Thou madest a Covenant with Abraham to give to his seed the Land of the Canaanites and hast performed thy word because thou art just that is true and faithfull in keeping thy promise Now because the Lord hath made a like promise of the Crown of life to them that love him S. Paul sticks not in like manner to attribute this also to Gods Justice Henceforth saith he 2 Tim. 4. 8. is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing Upon which S. Bernard most sweetly as he is wont Est ergo quam Paulus expectat corona Iustitiae sed justitiae Dei non suae Iustum quippe est ut reddat quod debet debet autem quod pollicitus est Lastly for the word merit It is not the name we so much scruple at as the thing wont now adays to be understood thereby otherwise we confesse the name might be admitted if taken in the large and more generall sense for any work having relation to a reward to follow it or whereby a reward is quocunque modo obtained In a word as the correlatum indifferent either to merces gratiae or justitiae For thus the Fathers used it and so might we have done still if some of us had not grown too proud and mistook it since we think it better and safer to disuse it even as Physitians are wont to prescribe their Patients recovered of some desperate disease not to use any more that meat or diet which they finde to have caused it And here give me leave to acquaint you with an Observation of a like alteration of speech and I suppose for the self-same cause happening under the old Testament namely of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse into that which findeth mercy for so the Septuagint and the new Testament with them render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia not only when it is taken for beneficience or alms as in that Tongue it is the ordinary word in which use we are wont
to expound it works of mercy but where there is no relation to Alms or Beneficence at all Whence I gather that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint meant not as we commonly take it works of mercy but rather works whereby we finde mercy at the hands of God I will give you a place which me thinks is very pregnant Deut. 6. 24 25. where we reade thus And the Lord commanded us to do all these Statutes you may see there what they are to fear the Lord our God for our good always that he might preserve us alive as at this day And it shall be our Righteousnesse if we observe to do all these Commandements before the Lord as he hath commanded us Here the Septuagint for And it shall be our Righteousnesse have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it shall be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whereby we shall finde mercy at the hands of God if we observe to do all these Commandements c. This place will admit no evasion for there is no reference to Alms here And indeed all our Righteousnesse is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whereby we finde mercy at the hands of God and no marvell if works of mercy as to relieve the poor and needy be specially so called for they above all other are the works whereby we shall finde mercy and receive the reward of Blisse at the last day And so much of my second Observation I come now to my third That it is lawfull to doe good works Intuitu mercedis It is plain that Nehemiah here did so Remember me ô my God concerning this c. So did Moses of whom it is said Heb. 11. That he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of AEgypt for saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aspiciebat vel intuebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had respect unto the recompence of Reward And I confesse it seems an unreasonable thing to me that that which is made the end though but in part of the Action should not be at all looked unto by the Agent when as Finis is principium Actionis and that which God hath promised unto us as an encouragement to make us work with the more alacrity should not be thought on nor looked to in our working Do not they who would perswade this go the way to discourage men from good works by removing out of their sight the encouragement which God hath given them But they object The obedience of Gods children ought to be filiall that is free and not mercenary as that of hirelings I answer Obedience which is only for reward without all respect or motive of love and duty is the obedience of an Hireling not that which acknowledgeth the tie of obedience absolute and the reward no otherwise due then of his Fathers free love and bounty as every true childe of God doth and ought to do They object again that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity seeks not her own now say they the works of Gods children must proceed from love and charity I answer what though Charity seeks not her own may not a charitable man so much as look or hope for his own or have an eye to what is promised him But this place is altogether misapplied and abused For that property of charity now mentioned as some also of the rest of that Chapter concerns only our charity towards men and not our charity towards God the meaning thereof being That a charitable man will sooner lose his own then by seeking or contending for it break the band of charity To conclude The Use that follows from all this Discourse shall be only this That if Almighty God remember them who have done good deeds unto his House and the Offices thereof much more ought we who are partakers of the comfort and benefit of such bounty to remember and honour them with a thankfull celebration of their Names MAT. 10. 41 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward OUR blessed Saviour giving his Apostles their mission to preach the Gospel unfurnished with outward things and forewarning them what harsh and unkinde usage they and their successors were like to finde amongst men for the better encouragement of such as should entertain and minister unto them he pronounceth That whosoever received them received him and he that received him received him that sent him Whereby it appeareth how honourable an office it was to afford them entertainment and such as the noblest need not be ashamed of But because the hope of reward is the most forcible spur to all undertakings he addeth that too in the words of my Text He that receiveth saith he a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward that is he that receiveth a Prophet not for any respect but quatenus talis because he is a Prophet shall have a Prophets reward Which words contain in them evidently these two Propositions First that there is some speciall and eminent degree of reward due unto a Prophet above other men Secondly That he that shall entertain a Prophet and do any good office unto him under that name that is for his office sake shall be partaker of that Reward Of these two I intend to treat beginning with the first the more generall That there shall be differing degrees of Reward in the life to come is evident by sundry places of Scripture As first from that so often iterated passage wherein God is said to reward every man according to his works which is not to be understood only of the differing quality of our works good and evill which God rewards accordingly the one with everlasting blisse the other with eternall fire as some here except but also of the differing works of just men compared together as is manifest by that 1 Cor. 3. 8. where the Apostle comparing his own and Apollo's work together saying He had planted and Apollo watered addes That both should receive their reward according to their work that is as their work differed so should their reward do In the second place the same is represented by that Parable Luke 19. of the ten servants who received of their Lord being to go into a far Countrey ten pounds to trade with till his return At what time he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten Cities He that had gained but five pounds over five Cities and so the rest according as they had improved the stock given them A third place is that 1 Cor. 15. 42. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one star differeth from another in glory So also is the Resurrection of the dead Here is the full stop and not the words to be referred
same speech used by our Saviour Luk. 13. They shall come saith he from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God And behold there are last which shall be first and there are first which shall be last What means this Out of the eighth of S. Matthew where the same passage is related we shall hear it expounded for there the words run thus Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven But the children of the Kingdom that is the whole generation of Israel who received not the Gospel at the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles and all the generations since who have continued in unbeleef shall be cast out into utter darknesse And here by the way because the Parable useth the notion of a day to signifie a time of many ages it will not be altogether unseasonable to note that the Metaphor may appear the easier how that the Scripture often elsewhere cals the whole time of mans pilgrimage in this world by the name of a Day As To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts S. Paul Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every day whilest it is called to Day where we say Day to include every day And I beleeve we are thus to understand Day in the Lords Prayer in that Petition Give us this day our daily Bread that is the whole time we live in hoc seculo For in stead of S. Matthews This Day spoken after the Hebrew notion Saint Luke hath in the same Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is every day Therefore S. Matthews Hodie must comprehend S. Lukes Every day if the sense of the Petition in both of them be the same as I beleeve it is Nay more then this The world to come even seculum aeternitatis or eternity it self is likewise termed a day 2 Pet. 3. ult Domino nostro saith he servatori Iesu Christo sit gloria nunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in diem aeternitatis A long Day indeed But this obiter Thus having cleared my Proposition in thesi or in generall That there shall be differing degrees of glory in the reward to come It remains that I make it good in the hypothesis concerning a Prophet namely that to them who instruct others in the ways and will of God which is the Office of a Prophet there belongs a preheminence of reward above and besides that which is common to all Saints This preheminence of glory the Schoolmen term Aureola that is an Additament of felicity to that essentiall glory in the Vision of God which they term Aurea This Aureola or Coronet to be added to the Crown of glory they ascribe to three sorts of persons To Virgins to Martyrs and to Doctors or Prophets The two first are out of my scope The third of Prophets let us see how it is proved out of Scripture First therefore it is apparent from my Text He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Ergo there is some speciall or peculiar reward belonging to a Prophet and that too an eminent one otherwise our Saviours speech will have no enforcement in it as he that considers thereof may easily see The second is Dan. 12. 3. where the Angel prophesying of the Resurrection to be at the end of Time and saying That many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt he addes And those that be wise that is have learned the true wisdome which consists in the fear of God shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament But those that turn many unto righteousnesse that is the Teachers and Instructers as the stars for ever and ever Here the difference between those that teach and are taught is as much as between the light of the Stars and the brightnesse of the Firmament Some will have the whole sentence to speak of the eminency of glory laid up for Prophets Translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place not docti or intelligentes but Doctores The Teachers shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turn many unto righteousnesse as the stars for ever and ever but I have followed that interpretation which our Translators thought most likely Thirdly to this eminency of glory the Angel seems also to have respect in the end of that Chapter when he says But go thy way Daniel till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand up in thy lot at the end of days in sorte tua i. in sorte Prophetarum And this perhaps may be that too which our Saviour intends Mat. 5. Qui fecerit docuerit magnus vocabitur i. erit in regno coelorum The reason of all this is because those who teach convert others to righteousness have an interest and a kind of title to all the good works which they shall do How then can their reward but be great and eminent when not onely their own works but the works of their converts and disciples shall be brought into their account A matter if we consider it of no small encouragement and comfort unto us whom God hath placed in this condition to be Teachers and Instructers of others if so be we bury not our Talent in a Napkin but imploy it for the advantage of our Lord and Master For it is not the habit or faculty but the work which shall reap the reward we speak of Happy are we therefore if we neglect not this opportunity of blisse which God hath given us And thus having done with the first Proposition I undertook I come unto the second which is That he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall be partaker of a Prophets reward He that receives that is doth any good office or deserves well of a Prophet For this to be the meaning may appear by that which follows He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward where righteous is to be taken by way of eminency for one of eminent sanctity such as among the Jews had therefore the sirname of Iusti as Simeon Iustus Iacobus Iustus and other the like Then in the next words the expression is varied Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple shall not lose his reward whence I say we may gather what good office the word receiving before used intimated to us namely to relieve maintain support and the like He therefore that thus receives a Prophet shall be partaker saith our Saviour of a Prophets reward that is have an eminent reward or of the quality of a Prophet though himself be none The reason is because
he that supports and enables a Prophet for his duty hath an interest in his work and consequently in the reward that belongs unto it This appears by the contrary because he that maintains and abets those who commit an evil act makes himself guilty of their sin and so of the punishment due to the same An example whereof we have in that of the Benjamites in the Book of Judges who by abetting the men of Gibeah who committed that foul abomination with the Levites Wife made themselves guilty of their sin and brought that hideous judgement which at first was deserved only by a few sons of Beliall upon the Heads of the whole Tribe It is a known story Now it is par ratio for a man to entitle himself to anothers good works as to his ill But there is a modification in the Text whereupon this reward we speak of depends otherwise not to be looked for And that is This good office must be done in nomine Prophetae not for any other respect then as he is and because he is a Prophet He that receiveth a Prophet in nomine Prophetae shall receive a Prophets reward not he that receives him onely for some personall or by-respect because he is his kinsman friend or friends ally or which is the ground of the most respect the Prophet gets among the most now adays because he is one of their own side and faction but setting all such respects aside eo nomine quia Prophet◠with meer respect to their office and calling or because they are as Valens and Valentinian in their Rescript apud Theodoretum cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procuratores magni Regis I may tell you that this is no ordinary thing now adays we may perhaps finde some that can be content to make much of the Prophet for some personall qualities of his or perhaps because he hath abilities above ordinary or because it may be he is like to further the way they wish good luck to or that they may gain repute among some sort of men or other respects of like nature But are there many which regard them in nomine Prophetae How then comes it to passe that their courtesies are so appropriate to the persons of some that they shew no respect or esteem to the calling in others Whence comes that Unchristian or indeed Atheisticall language A base Priest A paultry Priest It would never have grieved me if any other had served me thus but to be served thus by a base Priest who can endure it Tell me in good earnest is this to honour a Priest or a Prophet in nomine Prophetae or not rather point-blank unto it to reproach and dishonour him under that reverend Name that is to despise and reproach the Calling it self For can a man honour that condition the name whereof he thinks to be a reproach Is any man wont to say A base Lord A base Knight A base Gentleman A base Christian No And why because he accounts them all terms and titles of honour Judge then by this what account they make of Gods Ambre who turn the very title of their Calling into a name of reproach and what reward by proportion they are like to merit at Christs hands Not a Prophets I am sure and whether a Christians or not themselves may judge 'T is often and too often true indeed that for our persons we are unworthy of any better respect but even then it best appears whether a man hath respect to the Calling eo nomine when there is nothing in the Person to move him to it But there is another sort of men who honour not a Prophet in the name of a Prophet yet behinde namely such as rob and spoil them of their livelihood and daily bread and not onely themselves give nothing to enable and encourage them the better to perform their Ministery but take from them severall ways that which the piety and bounty of their Ancestors hath allotted them yea to many if not to the most no gain or theft is more sweet then that which is gotten out of the Priests portion But whether it will prove so at that day when the just God shall reward every man according to his works may be greatly feared I told you a little before that the reason why he that receives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall be partaker of a Prophets reward is because he that supports and enables a Prophet to do his duty hath thereby an interest in his work and consequently to the reward due to the same If this be so what can they look for who by subtracting their daily bread from them hinder and disenable them from the free and chearfull performance of their duty by distracting them with the cares of providing for their bodily life Do they not derive upon themselves the guilt of whatsoever impediment comes hereby to the propagation of the Kingdom of Christ Shall not the losse of every soul that perisheth for want of due provision to maintain an able Minister be cast in their account at the last day I will speak nothing now of the burden which Sacriledge it self being a robbing of God carries with it see Prov. 20. 25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make enquiry nor of those dreadfull execrations which the Donors of such things were wont antiquo ritu to lay upon the heads of all such as should divert them to profane uses wherewith these men willingly and wilfully involve themselves But for a close let us join in an humble and hearty acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse and mercy and say Blessed be God our heavenly Father who notwithstanding the malignity of many hath not left us destitute but in every age hath raised up some to shew kindnesse unto the Prophets and to provide entertainment for them Witnesse the goodly structures and liberall endowments in our two Seminaries for the entertainment and education of Prophets and Prophets Sons being the bounty of those Worthies the fruits of whose Piety and Devotion the whole Church of God by his Divine goodnesse doth enjoy To whose blessed Names as their deserts challenge from us let all due honour and thankfulnesse be for ever rendred DEUT. 33. 8. And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy One. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THis verse is part of that blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death and these words are part of the blessing of Levi a blessing which much exceeds those that went before it and is far above all that come after it For as S. Paul proves Melchisedec to be greater then Abraham because he blessed Abraham and worthier then Levi because he tithed Levi in the loins of Abraham so may we say of this blessing that it is the greatest of all because it is the blessing of him who by his Office was
the use of the things themselves Vrim is Light and Illumination Thummim Integrity and Perfection By Vrim the Jews were ascertained of the counsell and will of God By Thummim of his favour and good will towards them All this agrees to Christ both in himself and in regard of us In himself his brest is full of Vrim full of Light and Understanding in him dwell all the treasures of Wisdome and Knowledge as S. Paul saith He is the Wisdome of the Father by which the world it self was made His heart is also endowed with Thummim with all kind of Perfections He was conceived without Originall sin lived without Actuall sin fulfilled the whole Law of God which is the Law of Thummim the Law of all Perfection Thus to Christ himself agrees both Vrim and Thummim and so it doth also in regard of us for he is an Vrim and Thummim both to us and for us To us he is Vrim a light which enlightneth every one which commeth unto the world He is the light which shone in darknesse but the darknesse could not comprehend it He was that light by which the people as it is said in Matthew 4. which sate in darknesse saw great light And of this Light Iohn came to bear witnesse that all might beleeve in him Ioh. 1. In summe Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patris the Word and Oracle of his Father by whom we know and learn the Fathers will for so S. Iohn saith cap. 1. No man hath seen God at any time but the Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath revealed him unto us Neither is Christ only an Vrim but also a Thummim to us For as by Thummim the Jews were ascertained of Gods favour toward them in accepting their Sacrifice so by Christ comming in the flesh is revealed the unspeakable mercy of God to mankind in that he would accept his Sacrifice once offered for the expiation of the sins of the whole world This is that Good-will toward men which the Angels sung of assoon as he was born Glory be to God on high peace on earth and good-will towards men Yea glory be to God on high for this peace on earth and for this good will towards men Thus we see Christ an Vrim and Thummim to us now let us see how he is the same for us and that is when his wisdome and righteousnesse is made ours by imputation So his Vrim becomes our Vrim his Thummim our Thummim that is his wisdome is made ours his righteousnesse and favour with God made ours for this is my welbeloved Son said a voice from heaven in whom I am well pleased In brief S. Paul comprehends both these together where he saith Christ Iesus is made unto us Wisdome Sanctification and Redemption And so Lord let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one And thus much for the speciall consideration of this Vrim and Thummim both personally and typically Now I come unto the generall meaning thereof as it concerns not the High Priest only but the whole Tribe of Levi for this is the blessing of that whole Tribe And in this large respect the meaning cannot be proper for so it belongs unto the High Priest to have Vrim and Thummim nor typicall because the Priests only and not the under Levites were types of Christ but the sense must be analogicall signifying some endowments common to all Levites which resemble the Vrim and Thummim upon the brest of the High Priest Now what these are the words themselves import namely Light of understanding knowledge this is their Vrim and Integrity of life this is their Thummim The first makes them Doctores the second Ductores populi He that wants either of these two wants the true ornament of Priesthood the right character of a Levit. For though these endowments may well beseem all the Tribes of Israel yet Moses specially prays for them in Levi because by him they were to come to all the rest and the want of them in him could not but redound to all the rest It a populus sicut sacerdos the Priest cannot erre but he causeth others to erre also the Priest cannot sin but he causeth others to sin also And this is it that Malachi saith from the Lord unto the Priests of his time Ye are gone out of the way and have caused many to fall by the Law But the Levites of old saith the same Prophet The Law of Truth was in their mouth and iniquity was not found in their lips they walked with God in peace and equity and turned many from iniquity Here you see when the Levites erre the people erre also when the Levites walk in equity the people are turned from iniquity The Ministers of Christ must be Lux mundi the light of the world Vos estis lux mundi ye are the light of the world ye are the worlds Vrim saith Christ unto his Apostles for the lips of the Priest should preserve knowledge and they should learn the Law at hâ—s mouth This light of knowledge this teaching knowledge is the Vrim of every Levite and therefore Christ when he inspired his Apostles with knowledge of heavenly mysteries he sent a new Vrim from above even fiery tongues tongues of Vrim from heaven He sent no fiery heads but fiery tongues for it is not sufficient for a Levite to have his head full of Vrim unlesse his tongue be a candle to shew it unto others There came indeed no Thummim from heaven as there came an Vrim for though the Apostles were secured from errors they were not freed from sin And yet we who are Levites must have such a Thummim as may be gotten upon earth for S. Paul bid Titus in all things to shew himself an example of good works and this is a Thummim of Integrity But besides this Thummim the Ministers of the Gospel have received from God more especially another Thummim like unto that which was proper to the High Priest namely the power of binding and loosing which is as it were a power of Oracle to declare unto the people the remission of their sins by the acceptance of Christs Sacrifice And this directly answers to Thummim in the first sense ACTS 5. 3 4 5. 3. But Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the Land 4. Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thy power why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up c. IN the 110. Psalm where our Saviour is Prophetically described in the person of a King advanced to the Throne of Divine Majesty glorious and victorious The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool