the motions of grace thou hast resisted the checks of conscience thou hast stifled and the sins of all kinds thou hast committed shall rise up in judgment to condemn thee O that we had all the wisdom to consider of these things in time that the terror of the Lord may perswade us to break off all our sins by a sincere repentance and to lâ—ve so that we may dye with comfort and be for ever with the Lord in his eternal Joy SERMON XII Preached at WHITE-HALL FEBRUARY 18 th 1672. Matthew XVI 26. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his â—wn soul or what shall he give in exchange for his soul IF we look into the twenty fourth verse of this Chapter we shall find our Saviour there laying down such hard conditions of mens being his Disciples as were to all appearance more likely to have driven away those which he had already than to have drawn any others after him For he requires no less than the greatest readiness to suffer for his sake and that to no meaner a degree than the loss of what is most precious to men in this world in their lives which is implyed in those words If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me If our Saviour had only designed to have made himself great by the number of his followers if he had intended a Kingdom in this world as the Jews imagined he would have made more easie conditions of being his Disciples He would have chosen another way to have attained his end and made use of more pleasing and popular arguments to have perswaded the people to follow him When the Eastern Impostor afterwards began to set up for a new Religion he took a method as contrary to our Saviours as his Religion and design was he knew the Greatness and Honour the pleasure and the pomp of this world were the thâ—ngs most passionately loved and admired by the generality of mankind and therefore he fitted his Religion to the natural inclinations of men and proposed such means of advancing it as were most like to make men great by undertaking them And men are never so willing to be cheated by any Religion as that which complies with their present interests and gratifies their sensual inclinations In this case there need not many arguments to court persons to embrace that which they were so strongly inclined to before and the very name of Religion does them great service when it allows what they most desire and makes them sin with a quiet Conscience But that is the peculiar honour of Christianity that as it can never be suspected to be a design for this world so it hath risen and spread it self by ways directly contrary to the Splendor and Greatness of it For it overcame by sufferings increased by persecutions and prevailed in the world by the patience and self-denial of its followers He that was the first Preacher of it was the greatest example of suffering himself and he bids his Disciples not to think much of following their Lord and Saviour though it were to take up the Cross and lay down their lives for his sake We may easily imagine how much startled and surprized his Disciples were at such discourses as these who being possessed with the common opinion of the temporal Kingdom of the Messias came to him with great expectations of honour and advancement by him and no less would content some of them than being his highest Favourites and Ministers of State sitting at his right hand and at his left hand in his Kingdom they had already in their imaginaons shared the preferments and dignities of his Kingdom among themselves and were often contending about preheminence who should be the greatest among them Insomuch that when Christ now the time of his suffering approaching began more plainly to discourse to them of his own sufferings at Hierusalem v. 21. St. Peter either out of his natural forwardness and heat or being elevated by the good opinion which our Lord had expressed of him before v. 17. takes upon him very solemnly to rebuke him for ever thinking to submit himself to so mean a condition Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee v. 22. upon which Jesus not only reproves Peter with great smartness and severity as savouring more of the pomp and ease of the world than of the nature and design of his Kingdom v. 23. but takes this occasion to tell his Disciples that they must no longer dream of the Glories and Splendor of this world nor entertain themselves with vain Fancies of the Pleasures and contentments of this life but if they would shew themselves to be truly his Disciples they must prepare for Persecutions and Martyrdoms they must value their Religion above their lives for the time was now coming on they must part with one or the other and if they were not prepared before-hand by self-denial and taking up the Cross they would run great hazard of losing their souls for the love of this world and therefore our Saviour shews 1. The great advantage that would accrue to them if they were willing to suffer for his sake Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it v. 25. i. e. instead of this short and uncertain life which would spend it self in a little time he should have one infinitely more valuable and therefore no exchange could be better made than that of laying down such a life as this for one of eternal Happiness and Glory for so our Saviour elsewhere explains it He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal St. Joh. 12.25 2. The great folly of losing this eternal state of happiness for the preservation of this present life or the enjoyment of the things of this world which he first lays down a certain truth v. 25. For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it and then discovers the folly of it in the words of the text by comparing such a mans gain and his loss together supposing he should obtain the utmost that can be hoped for in this world For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Wherein we may consider these three particulars 1. The possibility supposed of losing the soul though a man should gain the whole world 2. The hazard implied of the loss of the soul for the sake of the gain of the world 3. The folly expressed of losing the soul though it be for the gain of the whole world 1. The possibility supposed of the loss of the soul in another world For the force of our Saviours argument depends wholly on the supposition of the certainty of the souls Being in another state and its capacity of happiness or misery therein For setting that aside there can be no
his highest and most peculiar attributes thence he is said to resist the proud as though he made an attempt upon God himself and he loaths the Hypocrite in heart as one that mocks God as well as deceives men The first tendency to the destruction of this Nation of the Jews was the prevalency of the Pharisaical temper among them which was a compound of Pride and Hypocrisie and when the field was over-run with these tares it was then time for God to put in his sickle and cut them down God forbid that our Church and the Protestant Religion in it should be in danger of destruction for that would be a judgment beyond fire and sword and plague and any thing we have yet smarted by that would be the taking away the Kingdom of God from us and setting up the Kingdom of darkness that would be not only a punishment to our own Age but the heaviest curse next to renouncing Christianity we could entail upon posterity But however though God in mercy may design better thâ—ngs for us we cannot be sufficiently apprehensive of our danger not so much from the business of our enemies as those bad Symtoms we find among our selves When there is such monstrous pride and ingratitude among many who pretend to a purer worship of God than is established by Law as though there were little or no difference between the Government of Moses and Aaron and the bondage of Egypt O England England what will the Pride and unthankfulness of those who profess Religion bring thee to Will men still preferr their own reputation or the interest of a small party of Zealots before the common concernments of our Faith and Religion O that we did know at least in this our day the things that belong it our peace but let it never be said That they are hid from our eyes But if our common enemy should enter in at the breaches we have made among our selves then men may wish they had sooner known the difference between the reasonable commands of our own Church and the intolerable Tyranny of a foraign and usurped power between the soft and gentle hands of a Mother and the Iron sinews of an Executioner between the utmost rigour of our Laws and the least of an inquisition If ingratitude were all yet that were a sin high enough to provoke God to make ouâ— condition worse than it is but to whaâ— a strange height of spiritual pride are those arrived who ingross all true godliness to themselves as though it were not possible among us to go to Heaven and to Church together As though Christ had no Church for 1500 years and more wherein not one person can be named who thought it unlawful to pray by a prescribed form As though men could not love God and pray sinsincerely to him that valued the peace and order of the Church above the heats and conceptions of their own brains Where differences proceed meerly from ignorance and weakness they are less dangerous to themselves or others but where there is so much impatience of reproof such contempt of superiours such uncharitable censures of other men such invincible prejudices and stiffness of humour such scorn and reproach cast upon the publick worship among us What can such things spring from but a root of bitterness and spiritual pride I speak not these things to widen our differences or increase our animosities they are too large and too great already nor to condemn any humble and modest dissenters from us but I despair ever to see our divisions healed till Religion be brought from the fancies to the hearts of men and till men instead of mystical notions and unaccountable experiences instead of misapplying promises and mis-understanding the spirit of prayer instead of judging of themselves by mistaken signs of Grace set themselves to the practice of humility self-denial meekness patience charity obedience and a holy life and look on these as the greatest duties and most distinguishing characters of true Christianity And in doing of these there shall not only be a great reward in the liâ—e to come but in spight of all opposition from Atheism Profaneness or Superstition we may see our divisions cured and the Kingdom of God which is a Kingdom of peace and holiness to abide and flourish among us SERMON IX Preached at WHITE-HALL WHITSUNDAY 1669. JOHN VII 39. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was noâ— yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified WHat was said of old conceâ—ning the first Creation of the World that in order to the accomplishment of it the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters is in a sense agreeable to the nature of it as true of the renovation of the World by the doctrine of Christ. For whether by that we understand a great and vehâ—ment Mind as the Jews generally do or rather the Divine power manifesting it self in giving motion to the otherwise dull and unactive parts of matter we have it fully represented to us in the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost For that came upon them as a rushing mighty Wind and inspired them with a new life and motion whereby they became the most active instruments of bringing the World out of that state of confusion and darkness it lay in before by causing the glorious light of the Gospel to shine upon it And lest any part should be wanting to make up the parallel in the verse before the text we read of the Waters too which the Spirit of God did move upon and therefore called not a dark Abyss but flowing rivers of living water He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Not as though the Apostles like some in the ancient Fables were to be turned into Fountains and pleasant Springs but the great and constant benefit which the Church of God enjoys by the plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit upon them could not be better set forth than by rivers of living water flowing from them And this the Evangelist in these words to prevent all cavils and mistakes tells us was our Saviour's meaning But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive And lest any should think that our Blessed Saviour purposely affected to speak in strange metaphors we shall find a very just occasion given him for using this way of expression from a custom practised among the Jews at that time For in the solemnity of the feast of Tabernacles especially in the last and great day of the Feast mentioned v. 37. after the Sacrifices were offered upon the Altar one of the Priests was to go with a large Golden Tankard to the Fountain of Siloam and having filled it with water he brings it up to the water-gate over against the Altar where it was received
hear them No arguments can be more proper to mankind than those which work upon their reason and consideration no motives can stir up more to the exercise of this than their own happiness and misery no happiness and misery can deserve to be so much considered as that which is eternal And this eternal state is that which above all other things the Christian Religion delivers with the greatest plainness confirms with the strongest evidence and enforces upon the consciences of men with the most powerful and perswasive Rhetorick I need not go beyond my text for the proof of this wherein we see that the Apostles design was to perswade men i.e. to convince their judgments to gain their affections to reform their lives that the argument they used for this end was no less than the terrour of the Lord not the frowns of the World nor the fear of Men nor the malice of Devils but the terrour of the Almighty whose Majesty makes even the Devils tremble whose Power is irresistible and whose Wrath is insupportable But it is not the terrour of the Lord in this world which he here speaks of although that be great enough to make us as miserable as we can be in this State but the terrour of the Lord which shall appear at the dreadful day of judgment of which he speaks in the verse before the text For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad This is the terrour here meant which relates to our final and eternal State in another world when we must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ c. And of this he speaks not out of Poetical Fables ancient Traditions uncertain Conjectures or probable Arguments but from full assurance of the truth of what he delivers Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men In which words we shall consider these particulars 1. The argument which the Apostle makes choice of to perswade men which is the terrour of the Lord. 2. The great assurance he expresseth of the truth of it Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord. 3. The efficacy of it in order to the convincing and reforming mankind Knowing therefore c. we perswade men 1. The argument the Apostle makes choice of to perswade men by viz. the terrour of the Lord. In the Gospel we find a mixture of the highest clemency and the greatest severity the richest mercy and the strictest justice the most glorious rewards and intollerable punishments accordingly we find God therein described as a tender Father and as a terrible Judge as a God of peace and as a God of vengeance as an everlasting happiness and a consuming fire and the Son of God as coming once with great humility and again with Majesty and great glory once with all the infirmities of humane nature and again with all the demonstrations of a Divine power and presence once as the Son of God to take away the sins of the world by his death and passion and again as Judge of the world with flaming fire to execute vengeance on all impenitent sinners The intermixing of these in the doctrine of the Gospel was necessary in order to the benefit of mankind by it that such whom the condescension of his first appearance could not oblige to leave off their sins the terrour of his second may astonish when they foresee the account that will be taken of their ingratitude and disobedience that such who are apt to despise the meanness of his birth the poverty of his life and the shame of his death may be filled with horrour and amazement when they consider the Majesty of his second coming in the clouds to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly not only of their ungodly deeds but of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him And we shall easily see what great reason there is that this second coming of Christ to judgment should be called the terrour of the Lord if we consider 1. The terrour of the preparation for it 2. The terrour of the appearance in it 3. The terrour of the proceedings upon it 4. The terrour of the sentence which shall then be passed 1. The terrour of the preparation for it which is particularly described by St. Peter in these words But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up This day will come as a Thief in the night by way of surprise when it is not looked for and that makes it so much the more dreadful A lesser calamity coming suddenly doth astonish more than a far greater which hath been long expected for surprisals conâ—ound men's thoughts daunt their spirits and betray all the succours which reason offers But when the surprise shall be one of the least astonishing circumstances of the misery men fall into what unconceivable horrour will possess their minds at the apprehension of it what confusion and amazement may we imagine the soul of that man in whom our Saviour speaks of in his parable who being pleased with the fulness of his condition said to his soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but God said to him Thou fool this night thy soul shall be repaired of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided Had God only said This night shall thy barns be burnt and thy substance consumed to ashes which thou hast laid up for so many years that would have caused a strange consternation in him for the present but he might have comforted himself with the hopes of living and getting more But this night shall thy soul be required of thee O dreadful words O the tremblings of body the anguish of mind the pangs and convulsions of conscience which such a one is tormented with at the hearing of them What sad reflections doth he presently make upon his own folly And must all the mirth and case I promised my self for so many years be at an end now in a very few hours Nay must my mirth be so suddenly turned into bitter howlings and my ease into a bed of flames Must my soul be thus torn away from the things it loved and go where it will hate to live and can never die O miserable creature to be thus deceived by my own folly to be surprised after so many warnings to betray my self into everlasting misery Fear horrour and despair have already taken hold on me and are carrying me where they will never leave me These are the Agonies but of one single person whom death snatches away in the midst of his years his pleasures and his