i^fci
JSHt':
'/^^^^
■^'■^*^..
Miaii&M*(M
Oar SAVIOUR'S
DIVINE
SERMON
O N T H E
MOUNT.
C O N T A I N'D
In the V^^ VI^ and VI r^^ Chapters of
St. M A T T H E w's Gofpel,
EXPLAINED:
And the Praftice of it Recommended in divers Sermons and Discourses.
In FOUR VOLUMES,
' To which Is prefixed,
A PARAPHRASE on the whole Sermon on the Mount:
And Two Copious Indexes annex'd ; one of the Scriptures explain'd, the other of the particular Heads treated of \vi the Work.
By JAMES BLAIR, M. A.
CommifTary of Virginia^ Prefident of JVtlliam and Mary College, and Redor of WiUiamshurgh in that Colony.
T^he Second Edition. WITH A Recommendatory Preface by the Reverend Dr WArERLAND. ^
VOL. III. ^
LONDON:
Printed for J. B r o t h e r t b n, at the Bible in Cornhill i and J. OswA LD, at the Koje and Qrovjn in the Puultr^j, Md ccx l.
[ iii ] THE
C O N T E M T S
OF THE """
Third VOLUME.
V
S E H M O N I.
A IN Glory to be avoided in our good Works. Matt. vi. i. Page i
SERMON. 11.
OJientation in Alms-giving to be avoided. Matt. vi. 2, 3' 4- P- 15
SERMON III.
On the fame. Ditto P- 3^
SERMON IV.
Hypocrijy in cur Prayers to be avoided. Matt. vi. 5.
p. 44.
.§ E R M O N V.
Sincerity and Secrecy in Prayer recommended. Matt, vi, 6. p. 59
SERMON VI.
Vain Repetitioni, and Length in Prayer. Matt, vi,
?• 8. p. 73
A3 S E R M.
iv The CONTENTS.
SERMON Vil.
General Obfervations on the Lords Prayer. Matt. •vi. 9. Page 88
SERMON vi:i.
The Invocation in the Lord's Prayer. Matt. vi. 9.
p. 104
SERMON IX.
Firjl Petition in the Lord's Prayer. Matt. vi. 9.
p. 120
SERMON X.
Second Petition in the Lords Prayer. Matt. vi. 10.
P- 135
SERMON XI.
^he third P^etition in the Lords Prayer, Matt vi. 10. p. .1^9'
S E R M O N XII.
The fourth Petition in the Lord's Prayer. Matt- vi. II. p. 163
SERMON XIII:
The fifth Petition in the Lords Prayer. Matt, vi.' 12. p. 178
SERMON XIV.
The Sixth Petition in the Lords Prayer. Matt, viV
J^3- p. 191
S E R M.
The CONTENT S. v
SERMON IV.
7Zv Conclufion of the Lord^s Prayer. Matt. vi. 13.
Page 204
SERMON XVI.
Mercy in forgiving Injuries, Matt. vl. 14. p. 218
SERMON XVir.
Forgivenefs of Injuries a Condition of our Pardon. Matt. vi. 15. P' 231
SERMON XVIIL
The right Manner of Fajiing. Matt. vl. 16, 17, 18. p. 245
SERMON IIX.
Agatnfl- Covet ouf?iefs, Trfafures in Heaven. Matt, vi. 19, 20, 21. p. 259
SERMON XX.
Earthly Treafures fubjedl to many Accidents , Matt. vi. 19, 20, 21. p. 274
SERMON XXI.
The Single and the Evil Eye. Matt, vi, 22, 23.
p. 287
SERMON XXII.
God and Mammon^ their Service inconfiflent. Matt, vi, 24. p. 301
S E R M.
vi The C O N T E N T S.
S E R M O N XXIII.
Anxiety for ViBuals and Clothes forbidden. Matt. vi. 25. Page 315
SERMON XXIV. '
Life more than Meat. Matt. vi. 25, 26. p. 331
SERMON XXV.
Anxiety hurtful to Life and Touth. Matt. vi. 27.
P- 346
SERMON XXVI.
Jigainji Anxiet'^ for Raiment. Matt. vi. 28, 29, 30. p. 360
SERMON JZVIL
Anxiety unbecoming a Belief of Providence. Matt, vi- 3i>32- P- 375
SERMON XXVIII.
Heaven and Holinefs to be cur principal Care. Matt. vi. 33. p. 389
SERMON XXIX.
*Te?npGral Blejings added to Holinefs, Matt. vi. 3 3
p. 404
SERMON XXX.
•n
Anxiety for the Morrow forbid to Chrifiians. Matt. vi. 34. P»49^-
SERMON I.
Matt. VI. i.
I'c7ke heed that ye do not your (a) Alms before Men^ to be feen ofthejn ; otherwije ye have no Reward of your Father which is in Heavejt.
E are now entering upon the fixth Chapter of this Gofpel, being a Continuation of our Saviour's Ser- mon on the Mount. As to the Connexion and Dependance on the former Difcourfe (tho' that is not always neceffary to be en- quired into) there feems to be a very plain Con- nexion in this Place ; for in faulting the Righteouf- nefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, our Saviour firft went upon their Corruptions, or imperfed: Gloffes and Interpretations of the Law. And having finifhed that in the fifth Chapter, he goes on now to guard his Hearers again ll fome other Blemiflies, which m-arred the Righteoufnefs of Vol. III. B the
[a) Your Right toufnep..
2 Vam Glory to be avoided [Serm«
the fame Scribes and Pharifees^ tho* without any Pretence of Countenance from the Law. Thefe Blemiflies were chiefly Pride, Covetoufnefs, and Cenforioufnefs, which they fo mixed with other commendable Duties, that they marred the Grace of them ; and therefore it was neceffary for our Saviour, who had taught his Difciples that unlefs their Rigkteoufmfs exceeded the Right eoufnefi of the Scribes and Pbarifees, they Jhould in no Cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven-, it was neceffary for him, I fay, after he had deteded fuch Faults in their Righteoufnefs, as proceeded from their cor- rupt Interpretations of the Lav/, to difcover like- wife fuch additional Blemifhes of it, as, by long Cuftom, without Pretence of Law, they had in- troduced. Thefe Blemiflies, intermixed with their Righteoufnefs (for he doth not meddle here with their other Perfonal Faults) are, as I faid, chiefly Pride, Covetoufnefs, and Cenforioufnefs ; and againft thefe our Saviour guards his Difciples, from hence to the 7 th Verfe of the next Chapter.
To begin fiift with that Part of their Righte- oufnefs which was marred with Pride 5 there are three noble Duties our Saviour inftances in, name- ly, Almfgiving, Prayer, and Failing, which they corrupted with this Moth of Pride ; and our Saviour here carefully guards them againft it, in them all. But, firft, he feems to me, tho* he inftances only in thefe three, to give in this firft Verfe a general Caution concerning all Duties v/hatfoever, that we fliculd take care to do them io, as not to hunt for the Applaufe of Men, but to approve ourfelves in them to Almighty God . And for fupporting this Senfe, I am to acquaint
you
I.] in our good Works. Matt. VI. i.' 3
you that the Word Right eoufnejly which inflead of that of Alms, is here put into the Margin of your Bibles, is countenanced by the Copies of the beft Credit, and by moft of the ancient Fathers, and fome of our beft modern Criticks, who read this firft Verfe thus, TaJze heed that ye do not your Right ecu J'nefs before Men^ to be feen of the 771,
Following then this Reading, which feems to me to be backed with the beft Authority, there are thefe two Things contained in the Words.
I. A Precept to avoid Vain-glory, and Self-feek- ing, in all our good Deeds : "lake heed that ye do not your Right eoujnefs bejore Me7iy to be feeTi of them,
II. The Reafon of that Precept : Otherwife ■ye have no Reward of your Father "which is in
Heaven.
L Firfl, We have here a Precept to avoid Vain-glory in all our good Deeds : ^ake heed that ye do not your Right eoifnefs before Men ^ to be fee7i of them.
By Righteoifnefs I think is to be meant, not only all Works of Charity and Alms-Deeds, but all manner of good and comm.endable Actions whatever : Such as are, for Example, a Man's diligent minding the Duties of his Calling 5 as in the Apoftles, the careful preachifig of the Gofpel. No doubt this Precept of avoiding Vain-glory, reaches that, as well as the giving of Alms, and the giving of ourfelves to Fafting and Prayer. St P^2// complains that fome preacked Chrift out of Envy and Strife, while others did it of good Will : And it is likewife to be feared, that feme in preaching hunt for Vain-Glory, while others E 2 fiacerely
4 Vain Glory to be avoided [Serm.
fincerely propofe to themfelves the Glory of God, and the Good of Souls. This Vain-glory is a Moth which is apt to breed in our beft Actions, as Worms breed in Rofes, and therefore ought carefully to be watched. In fpeaking to it, I fhali endeavour,
1. To give a Defcription of it, that we may know wherein it confifts.
2. To fhew the dangerous and infinuating Nature of it, that we may take heed and be- ware of it.
I. As to the firft, the Defcription of it, we have it in thcfe Words of the Text -, it is the doing of our Righteoufnefs, that is, our good Adions before Men, with an exprefs Defign to gain Praife and Honour to ourfelves. In which Defcription, we are not to imagine, that we are obliged to do all our good Works fo much in Secret, that the World may know nothing of them -, nor that it is unlawful for us to contrive to give good Ex- amples; but all the Sin lies in contriving our good Works in fuch a Manner, or with fuch an In- tention, as that the Praife and Glory of them may terminate folely or principally in ourfelves. A right Aim and Intention is abfolutely neceflary in all our good Aftions ; and there is not any one Thing, perhaps, which doth more effentially di- flinguifh the Virtue of a good Chriftian from that of an Hypocrite, than this regulating the Inten- tion. The Hypocrite in his good Adions, has a Defign to be obferved by Men, for his own tem- poral Ends of Honour or Profit ; whereas a good Chrifliian, in all the Good he does, aims at the Glory ot God, his Neighbour's Good, and his own eternal Happinefs. And thefe two laft are
never
I.] 171 our good Worh. Matt. VI. i. 5
never feparate from the firft, but they go hand in hand together.
But that v/e may the better underftand this Duty of my Text, it will not be amifsto confider more particularly, both what is not, and what is prohibited by it.
I. Firft then, we are not to think that all pub- lick good Works are prohibited, or that we are commanded fo to conceal our good Ad:ions, that the World may know nothing of them. This would be diredly contrary to a Precept of our Saviour's, which we had under our Confideratioii in thelaft Chapter, Matt, v. 16. Let your Light fo Jhine before Men^ that they may fee your good WorkSy and glorify your Father "which is in Hea- ven. Nay, contrary to the giving a good Example, which is a neceffary Duty at all times.
2. Nor, Secondly^ is every Degree of Praife and Commendation for our good Works to be avoided, fo it be not principally defigned by us, but in Sub- ordination to the Glory of God. A Stock of Efteem and Credit, like other worldly Bleffings, may be accepted and employed to good Ends and Purpofes, and is a Spur to virtuous Adlions ; but great Care is to be taken, that it come in in its own Rank, in an infcriour fubordinate manner, aiming ftill at the Glory of God in the firft place, and at the Good of our Neighbour, and the iSalvation of our own Souls 3 and if it plcafe God to add any of "thefe inferiour Bleffings, fuch as the Love, and Efteem, the Praife, and good Word of others^ they miay be admitted as AccclTaries.
But, more pofuively, by ihis Duty in my Text, is prohibited a wrong Intention in doing good Works, fuch as an Intention of Praife, or Profit,
B 3 or
6 Vain Glory to be avoided [Serm.
or Luil, or Ambition, which v/icked Men often propofe to themfelves in doing their good Works; that is, Works externally good before Men ; for that is what they aim at, and not the making them truly good before God.
The great Neceflity of this Precept wiil appear, if we confider both how bad Men are apt to coun- terfeit rehgious Pradices from wrong Ebds and In- tentions, and likewife how good Men are apt to be too much in love with thofe inferiour Things, the Praife, Applaufe, and other Rewards attend- ing external virtuous Actions.
1. jp//y?, I fay, bad Men are apt to do good Things from wrong Ends and Intentions. What- ever Virtues are popular, or fafliionable ; what- ever will gain, or preferve an Intercft ; (for a worldly Intereft ferves for many Deligns and Purpofes, which worldly and defigning Men are fharp-fighted enough to fee through, or find out) whatever Virtues are creditable, and well- fpoken of, that may fetch in People's good Word and Applaufe ; v/hatever Virtues do fuit the Temper and Inclinations of the Perfon whom we defign to oblige or gain : Thefe defigning Men are apt to run into, \Ni\h. no further Aim or View, than that of gaining thefe Men to their Intereft.
2, Secondly, Good Men, tho' they begin with a better intention, yet are in danger of being too much pleafed and tickled with that Applaufe, and other worldly Encouragements, which commonly ati-cnd good Adions, and, by Degrees, are ftolen awc.y with tlicfe inferiour Confiderations, which it has pkafed God, for wile Ends and Purpofes, to annex to good Adions,
The
I.] ifi otir good Works, yi ATT, VI. i. 7
The great Duty then here aimed at, is, that in all the Good we do, or defign, we fet God before our Eyes, and that we go about it with an exprefs Defign to promote his Glory, and in Obedience to his Commands, and v/ith Application for his Aid and Affiftance. So much for the Defcription of the Duty.
IL In the next Place, I am to confider the Cau- tion here given, with relation to the Vice guarded again ft. Take heed that ye do not your Right eon f- nefs before Men^ to be feen of them. Now this Cau- tion has an Afpeft- to thefe two Things.
1. The Greatnefs ? of the Sin here
2. The infinuating Nature ^guarded againft. Both wdiich it will be requifite that we confidcr more particularly.
Firfl^ The Greatnefs of this Sin of doing our Righteoufnefs before Men, to be feen of them. To convince us of the Heinoufnefs of this Sin, I offer the following Con fi derations.
(i.) That the Defign and Intention, is the Life and Soul of the Adion. The beft external Work, without a good Intention, is but a dead Carcafe. What fignified, for Example, {a) Ana- nias and Sapphirds felling their PofTeffion, and bringing a great Part of the Money, and layiiig it at the Apoltles Feet ? This, had it been done with a Charitable Defign, that Chriftians miglu be relieved out of that common Stock, had been an excellent V/ork ; but while they defigned thereby, only to put a Trick upon the Church, and to entitle themfelves to a better Share in that B 4 common
{a) Aas V.
8 Vaifi Glory to be avoided [Serm.
common Stock ; this Adion of theirs was down- right Hypocrify. And accordingly, in all the good Things a Man doth, according as God knows his Heart and Defign to be, fb he accounts ofthe Adion, and not from the external mate- rial Goodnefs of it; e. g. Does a Man do a good Work only to have Praife and Honour? God reckons this Pride and Vain-Glory. Doth he do it to get into the Favour of great Men, that by their Means he may get into a Place of Wealth or Honour? This, in God's Eye, is Covetoufnefs or Ambition : But if he does it from a true De- fign of ferving God, and doing Good, then it is of the right Stamp, and true Virtue in the Sight of God.
(2.) Let us confider that whenever we fet up our own Pride, or Vanity, or Self-Intereft, as the End of our good Acftions, we rob God of his due Honour and Glory, and facrilegioufly invade his Property. As if a Perfon, who by the Prince's Favour is promoted to be General of an Army, fhould feduce that Army to fet up himfelf, and turn it againft the Prince. Or, as if a Mafter en- trulled with a good Ship and Cargo, inftead of going to the Port, where he fhould have gone by his Owners Inftruc^lions, and inflead of difpofing of the Cargo to the Owners befl Advantage, fhould run away with Ship and Cargo, and fet up for himfelf with the Produce.
(3.) Let us confider that no Man is entitled to any higher Reward of his Adlions, than he him- felf propofes and aims at ; and therefore if we pro- pofe only our own felfifli Ends in this World, by our good Adions, w^e have no Reafon to exped: they will be rewarded in the Kingdom of Heaven,
This
I,] in our good Works, Matt. VL i. 9
This is the great Confideration our Saviour offers in all thefe Cafes, Verily, I fay unto you, they have their Reward : that is, they have got what they aimed at, and have no more to look for. They are payed once aheady in Commodities of their own chufing ; and if thefe turn to no Account in the heavenly Country, they may e'en thank them- felves, who were better informed, but would not believe.
(4.) Let us confider, that all Obedience which is levelled at a temporal Dcfign, is a temporary, not a lafting Obedience. For as Times, and the Humours of Men do change, fo change thefe Mens Acftions. For the fame Principle, which in a good Prince's Days obliges the Courtier to do good A6tions, in a bad Prince's Days will induce him to do bad Actions. The fame Principle which at one Time does good Things, becaufe they are in Fafhion and Popular, will do bad Things when the Fafhion and the Popularity changes. So that there is nothing more uncertain than this Obedi- ence which is calculated for temporary and felfifli Ends,
(5.) And Lajily, Let it be confidered, that ading religioufly not to pleafe God, but for our own felfifh Ends in this World, is the proper Characfler of Hypocrify. It is totally calculated for pleaiing of Men, and for carrying on our De- figns upon them, but not in the leaft for pleafing God, or for carrying on the main Dcfign of our eternal Salvation with him. What then can be more heinous than that Sin, which turns all our Gold into Brafs, all our Religion into Counterfeit and Hypocritical? and all our Reward into no- thing
lo Vain Glory to be avoided, [Serm.
thing but a few momentary fallacious Enjoy- ments ?
2. Secondly^ This Warning to take heed of this Sin intimates to us the infinuating Nature of it y how commonly it prevails in the World, and how much in danger we are of being deluded with it, if we do not carefully watch our own Hearts and Thoughts in this Matter. There are chiefly two Reafons why this Sort of Sins is fo in- finuating.
(i.) Becaufe Efteem, Praife, the Love and good Will of Men, and in fhort, every Thing that flat- ters our Self-Love, is very pleafant and taking, and fo is apt to make us forget that nobler Aim and Reward, which we fhould always have in our Eye, Hke thofe Difciples, who faid, Majier^ it is goodjor us to be here^ let us make three 'Taberna- cles^ &c. O how gently does every Thing that gratifies our Self- Love, glide down like Mother's Milk J and how eafily are we bewitched with the prefent Pleafure of it ? It gives us no Time to confult our Reafon, or to mufter up the Princi- ples of our Religion ; but by a fleepy Potion as it were, lulls us out of our Senfes eVe we are aware. It is the bewitching Pleafure of this Sin, that makes it fo very dangerous.
(2 ) Another Thing which makes it fo infinu- ating and dangerous, is its bordering fo near upon Virtue, that it requires an accurate and nice Ob- fervation to perceive the Difference; for we are not prohibited, as I faid before, to do good Works before Men, nor are we obliged to hide them, fo that they may not be feen of them -, nor are we obliged totally to rejedl that Praife, Eflieem, and Interefl:, which a Continuance in Well-doing will
procure
I.] in our good Works, yi ATT, Yl. I. ii
procure us in the World. What then are we obli- ged to by thij Dodrine ? Truly, to look beyond all This, even to the Favour of God, and to lay- all this out for his Service. This is what crowns all our good Adions -, this is the true Philofophers Stone, which turns all our Adions, though of ne- ver fo mean Metal, into Gold. A Cup of cold Water given out of this Principle, is better than the greateft Treafures laid out for Vanity and Applaufe, and will turn to better Account in the End. And this leads me to
II. The fecond Thing in the Words, namely, the Reafon of the Precept ; Otherwije ye have no Reward of your Father which is in Heaven, This is a Reafon which may fhew us the vaft Impor- tance of this Precept, that the Negled of it de- prives us of all Hope of Reward in Heaven. I fliall offer fomething, firft, to clear the juilice and Equity of this Proceeding, and then fhall draw an Inference or two from it, and fo have done.
I. As to the Juftice and Equity of it, it may perhaps to fome feem hard, that ail thole good Works which were done out of Vain-glory and Oftentation, or upon fome other felfifii Defign, fliould be cut off from all Reward in Heaven ; for though they want feveral Degrees of Good- ncfs, which they fliould have had, and are mixed with many Imperfedions of Pride and Self-feeking which they fliould have been without, yet being very ufeful to the World, it might have been ex- peded that fome lower Degree, at leaft, of the heavenly Reward might have been beftowed up- on them. But in anfwer to this, there is a great Difference ought to be made between Works fin-
cerely
12 Vain Glory to be avoided [Serm;
cerely meant and defigned for God's Glory, the' mixed with many Imperfedions of human Infir- mities, and Works principally defigned for our own Vanity and Self-Interefl:. Thefe laft can in no Senfe be called the Service of God, and there- fore are no way entitled to the heavenly Reward ; but as the Services are totally of an earthly Nature, it is agreeable to Juftice and Equity, that they be attended only with earthly Rewards, fuch as are the gaining of Applaufe, and the carrying on and ftrengthening the worldly Intereft of the Par- ties, who out of Vanity, and other worldly Ends,* attempted them.
2, The Inferences I would draw, are, (i,) From this Dodlrine we may obferve the great Purity and Perfeftion of the Chriftian Mo- rals, taking fo much care to regulate the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart, and valuing all Ac- tions according to tbe Purity of the Intention. Never was there any Dodlrine that enjoined Sin- cerity with fuch prefling Arguments, or was a greater Enemy to Hypocrify and finifter Defigns. Never was there any Dodrine that did fo exadly fuit Rewards and Punifhments to the true intrin- fick Nature of the feveral Adions, not as they make an Appearance in the World, but as they are well known and difcerned by the great Search- er of Hearts. Let this Dodrine teach us to watch carefully over the inner Man, that whatever De- corum we obferve before the World, we may ap- prove our Meaning and Intention, and inward Sincerity to Almighty God, who fees in fecret, but will reward openly.
(2.) More particularly, there are two Sorts of Perfons whom I would leave with a Word of
Admonition,
L] in our goodWorks.MATT.YL I. 13
Admonition, and I have done. Thefe are firfl: the Hypocrites, who do good Works for Applaufe and worldly Intereft, and level all thefe good Things at the carrying on fome worldly Defign or other. I defire fuch Perfons to confider what is fo plain in my Text, that all the Reward they have for thefe their good Works, is that Applaufe or worldly Intereft they gain ; but that they have not the leaft Title to God's Favour, or to any Degree of Happinefs in the World to come. He that does good Works for any other End than to pleafe God, and benefit his Neighbour, and to fave his own Soul, will be mightily miftakea in the End, if he expeds any Reward in Heaven. The other Part of my Exhortation fhall be direcfled to a better Sort of People, namely, to them who with all Sincerity are ftudying to ferve and pleafe God, and have him principally before their Eyes in all the Good they do. And the Advice to them is fliort, that in regard other worldly By-ends are apt to mix themfelves with their pious Intentions, they be upon their guard againft them, that they admit them only as Acceffories, but not at all to lupplant or difplace their other better Defigns or Purpofes, or to intermit the doing of Good, when it happens to be deprived of thofe collate- ral worldly Encouragements.
The fhort Conclufion of all this Doctrine is, that the chief care of a Chriftian ought to be about his Heart; for that all Adlions in the Sight of God take their Tinclure and Complexion from it, and fliall be rewarded accordingly ; and therefore let us not only ufe our own utmoft Endeavours to keep our Intentions pure, but pray to God for his Al- liftance in it, v/hich we cannot do in better
Words
14 J^ain Glory to be avoided, &c. [Serm.
Words than in that colleft of our Church, with which I fhali conclude.
Almighty God, unto whom all Hearts be open, all Defires known, and from whom no Secrets are hid'y cleanfe the Thoughts of our Hearts by the In- fpiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfeBly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name, through Chrift our Lord. Amen.
SERM.
II.] 15
SERMON 11.
Matt. VI. 2.
Tiherefore when thou dojl thine AlmSy do not found a Trumpet before theey as the Hypocrites do, in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Men, Verily I fay unto yoUy they have their Reward,
Ver. 3. But when thou dojl Alms, let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth.
Ver. 4. That thine Alms may be infecret : and thy Father which feeth infecret ^himjelfjhall Reward thee openly.
The Firft Sermon on this Text.
OU R Saviour having in the frjl Verfe of this Chapter, cautioned his Difciples that in general they fhoulddo their Righteoufnefs, that IS, their Duties and good Works, out of a pure Intention to ferve God and to promote his Ho- nour and Glory, and not out of Oftentation of other felfifli Deligns ; comes now to branch out the fame Advice more particularly in three great Duties, Alms-giving, Prayer, and Falling', which we are in the greateil Danger of corrupting by the Moth of Pride : Being all three Duties which the World defervedly has in great Eftimation.
The
l6 OJlenfation in Alms-giving [Serm,
The Words I have read relate to the firft of thefe, Alms-giving. And in them we have,
I. A Caution againft Oftentation and Vain- glory in the giving of Alms.
II. TheReafons of that Caution, which are two. I. Firji^ that by thefe finifter Defigns in our Ac- tions we refemble the Hypocrites. 2. That by fo doing we receive all our Reward in this Life -, in- ftead of fecuring to our felves the Approbation of Almighty God, and the true Honour, which other- wife we might exped in the great Day of Ac- counts.
I. I begin with xhtfirjl, the Caution againft Oftentation and Vain- glory in giving of Alms. therefore when thou dojl thine Alms^ do not found a trumpet before thee^ as the Hypocrites do^ in the Synagogues^ and in the Streets^ that they may have Glory of Men. But when thou doji thine Alms, let not thy left Ha?2d know what thy right Hand doth : That thine Alms may be infecret. In which Words we have the Caution expreffed both Ne- gatively and Affirmatively.
I. Negatively in a Prohibition of Oftentation, or an Affectation of Vain-glory.
2» Affirmatively in an Injunction of Secrecy and Humility.
Both want a little further Explication.
I. As to the Prohibition of Oftentation and Vain-glory in our Alms, it is here put in a figu- rative Expreffion of not founding the Trumpet he- fore us, as the Hypocrites do, in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Men. For underftanding the Meaning of it, the Original Words ^v^ ua.AiTiGY{i, lignify only, Do not Trumpet or make a Noiie. I called it a figurative
Expreffion j
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 17
Expreffion ; for I cannot find in any of our Books, that the Scribes and Phajifees^ or any others among the "Jews^ did literally make ufe of a Trumpet upon thofe Occafions ; though by them- felves and others they took Care to have their good Deeds divulged and trumpeted about : The Thing then here intended to be cautioned againft is, the unneceffary Publifhing and Proclaiming of our Alms or Works of Charity, with a defign either to gain Honour or Praife to our felves, or by the Means of that Honour to carry on any other ambitious, covetous or feififli Intereft. And the further Explications of the Caution here added, confirm this Senfe 5 firft, from the Example of the Hypocrites, who affedt to make a Noife with their Charities, and choofe to give them before Multitudes of Spedators ; then from the Difco- very of the Defign and Intention they have and propofe to themfelves in thefe their good Works ; namely, that they may be feen of Men, for forne temporal End or other, which they aim at.
2. The Injunction of Secrecy and Humility is in thefe Words. But when thou doft Alms^ let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth ; that thine Alms may be infecret. Here again is a very fignificant proverbial Exprcflion, of not letting the left Hand know what the right Hand doth ; by which is meant that we fhould not only forbear Proclaim- ing and Publifliing thefe Things to the World, but fhould forbear divulging them to our own near Friends and Acquaintance ; nay, {hould forbear thinking of them our felves fo as to feed Pride and Vanity.
From the Words thus explained there are thefe following Particulars with Relation to the Duty
Vol. III. C here
1 8 OJlenfation in AlmS' giving [S e r m.
here required, that offer themfelves to our Confide- ration. Firft, there are fome Things here fuppofed, and then there are fome Cautions intcrpofed. The Things fuppofed are thefe three.
1. That the Duty of Alms-giving was prafticed by the Scribes and Pharijees^ whofe Righteouihefs our Saviour is here corredting and improving.
2. It is here fuppofed that in the Exercife of this Duty, they did not purely or chiefly regard the Pleafing of God, but carried on their own felfifti Defigns among Men 3 they did their Alms to be feen of Men.
3. It is fuppofed that Alms and other Works of Charity have an Aptnefs in their own Nature to gain the Love and Applaufe of Men, and fo may eafily be perverted to ferve the felfifli De- figns of the Perfons who put them in practice.
Then for the Cautions interpofed they are four.
1. There is one principal one, concerning the Intention and Defign we ought to propofe to our felves in our Works of Charity ; namely, the dory and Honour of God.
2. Another Caution is, that we do not fet up Vain-glory or any other By-ends of our own Co- vetoufnefs or Ambition, in our Alms, Deeds or other good Works.
3. A third Caution relates to the Way and Manner of doing thefe our good Works, that it be with Humility and all requifite Secrecy ; not to lay in for our own Praife or other felfifli Ends.
4. That if from our Alms and other good Works any accidental Praife or Credit comes to ourfelves, we do not feed ourfelves with the Thoughts and Delegations of it, but fupprefs
th^t
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VL 2, 3, 4. 19
that Vanity, and employ all that Credit for God's Service.
Thefe are the particulars of the Duty here de- fcribed. It will be fit that we confider them more ferioully and attentively ; being Matters of great Importance in a fpiritual Life.
I. The y?ry? Thing here fuppofed is, that the ma- terial Part of the Duty of Alms-giving was put in pracfticc by the Scribes and Pha^rifees^ whofe Righteoufnefs our Saviour is here correding and improving. .The Sappofition is always put in the Ttxt ', when thou doji thine Alms, do not trum- pet it as the Hypocrites do. It plainly fuppofes that thefe Hypocrites, whoever they were, com- plied with the material Part of Alms, tho' they erred both in the End, and in the Manner. By Ahns here we are to underlland not only, accord- ing to the narrow Notion of the Word in our Language, the giving a little Relief to a Beggar or other indigent Perfon, but all Sorts of good Works, which tend to relieve any of the Diftreffes and Calamities of Mankind. The Obfervation refulting hence is, that the Duty of Bounty to the Poor is a Duty which not only Chrirtianity, but even Judaifm doth mightily countenance : And therefore they are worfe than Jews who ne- glect it. For confirming this Suppofition, I might ihew you what Countenance is given to this Duty both in the Law and the Prophets ; what ftrid: Precepts enjoin it \ what large Promifes encourage it ; what Threatnings there are to the contrary Pradices ; and what noble Examples of good Men in all Ages of that Church there are x.o countenance it. But feeing all this is well enough known, and the Duty comes in here only by
C 2 way
20 OJientation in Alms-giving [SeRm.
way of Suppofition, I fliall not now dwell upon it, efpecially having difcourfed it at large from one of the Beatitudes. ; Blejfed are the Merciful^ for they fiall obtain Mercy,
II. Another Thing here fuppofed is, that in the Exercife of this Duty of Alms-giving, the Scribes and Pharifees and feveral other Hypocrites did not purely or chiefly regard the Serving and Pleafmg of God 5 but carried on thereby their own felfidi Ends and Defigns among Men. They did their Alms, that they might have Glory of Men. And that Glory might ferve feveral other felfifli Defigns of Ambition and Covetoufnefs. From hence we may obferve that it is a Mark of Hypocrify to do Works materially good out of a fmifter Deiign of carrying on our own covetous and felfifh Ends. The proud Man has no better Way to feed his Vanity, and to gain the good Opinion and Applaufe of the World, than by good Works and Aims-Deeds. But befides that this good Opinion and Applaufe of Men is a mighty Nou- rifher of Pride, it ferves likewife for a great many other worldly Ends and Purpofes, in which thefe Hypocrites find their Account. For it procurer a Man great Credit and Reputation, which is really fo much Intereft and Advantage, whatever Courfe of Life he follows. It brings him in Wealth and Cuftom in his Trade ; it gives him the Command of a great many Votes for him- fclf or his Friends in allEledions and Promotions to Places of Honour or Profit : and fo makes him confiderable, and a Man of Note and Figure in his Country and Neighbourhood. If he has any Fadtion or Party to carry on, this good Word of Men, procured by his good Works, gains in
Abundance
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 21
Abundance of Friends and Favourers to his De- figns, out of the more fimple and honeft Sort of People, who fee his outward good Works, but are Strangers to his fecrct Hypocrify. So that he is commonly one of jthe moft popular Men, and therefore becomes the moft neceflary to the State or Government where he lives. If he has occa- fion to afpire to any Places of Honour or Profit to fatisfy his Ambition j or to preferve himfelf in the Poffeflion of any fuch, he knows how to gain the Favour of all the better Sort of Courtiers ; it is but launching out fomething towards the promoting of any good Works they have at Heart. And this he knows will more effedtually gain thefe good Men to befriend him, and to ef- . poufe his Interefts ; than if he could have per- fuaded them to accept of a Bribe to double the Value. Upon all which Accounts, and many more than I can enumerate, the fubtle Plypo- crite finds Aims-Deeds and good Works one of the moft powerful Engines to promote his world- ly Defigns. And therefore there was very great Occafion for our Saviour to guard his Difciples againft this fubtle Sort of Hypocrify, not by difcouraging good Works, but by recommend- ing to them an Innocence and Simplicity in all the Good they did.
Ill A third Thing here fuppofed is, that x\lms and other charitable Works have an Aptnefs in their own Nature to gain the good Opir/ion and Applaufe of Men ; and fo may eafily be pervert- ed to ferve the felfifli Deligns of the Perfons who put them in Pradlice. It is no wonder at all that Charity and good Works, which are fo lovely in themfelves, fliould recommend any Pcrfon, wlio
C3 give)
2 2 OJlentation in Alms-giving [S e r m,
gives himfelf to them, to the good Opinion of the World. Nor is it any Difparagement to thcfe good Works, that they are liable to be abufed. For what good Thing is there in the World that may not be abufed ? Our Victuals may be abui^ ed to Gluttony j our Drink to Drunkennefs ; our Clothes and Furniture to Pride and Vanity -, and fo our good Works to Pride, Vanity, Covetouf- nefs, and Ambition. But what muft we con- clude from thence ? Not that we muft forbear good Works ^ God forbid ; but that we fhould fo regulate our Intention in the doing them, and perform them in fuch a fecret and humble Man- ner, as that they may anfwer the good End, with- out being perverted to thofe Hypocritical Purpofes, And this is what our Saviour aims at in the Cau- tions he here interpofes -, which I come to con- fider in the next Place.
I. The Jirfi Caution I mentioned as interpofed by our Saviour, is, concerning the Intention and Defign we ought to propofe to ourfelves in our Works of Charity ; namely, the Glory and Ho- nour of God. For this is to be meant, by hav- ing an Eye to our Father which feeth in Secret^ and "who imll reward us openly ; in oppofition to the aiming at having Glory of Men. But that we may the better underftand and judge of the Up- rightnefs of our Defign in this Matter ; in general we may be fatisfied, that what we do in This with a pure Eye to God, is of the right Stamp, More particularly,
(i.) When wx have a principal Regard to his Precepts in what Good we do.
(2.) When we do any lawful Thing with an exprefsDefign and Intention to promote his Service
(3.) When
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 23
(3.) When we do any good Thing out of pure Love and Compaflion to our Neighbour, upon his Account.
(4.) When the chief Benefit we propofe to our felves is, the Approbation of God, and the Salva- tion of our Souls.
(5.) When we look up to God for the Grace and Ability to do Good, and give him the Praife of it.
It will be requifite to give thefe a more parti- cular, but {hort Confideration, that we may have a right Notion of this principal Caution we are to obferve in doing of good Works ; namely, the aiming at the Glory and Honour of God.
(i.) When we do any good Work from a Regard to any of God's Precepts, it is a good fare Sign that we have his Honour and Service before our Eyes ; as what we do from our own Hu- mour, or with an Eye to our own worldly In- t^reft, or in compliance with the Cuftoms and Fafhions of the World, or from Example or Im- portunity, we cannot have that Affurance of the Goodnefs of the Principle from whence it pro- ceeds. Thou hajl commajided us^ fays the Pfalmift, to keep thy Precepts diligently. He did not con- fider fo much how the Oblerving of God's Pre- cepts affected his worldly Intereft -, it was enough to him that God had commanded the Thing. And whoever obferves God's Commands from this Confideration, will not pick and choofe fuch Pre- cepts to obey as are moft agreeable, leaving the other which are more ungrateful to Flefli and Blood : But it is enough to recommend a good Thing to him, if it be but commanded bv God, C 4 (2.)^ When
24 OJlentatton in Alms-giving [Serivi.
(2.) When we do any lawful and commendable Thing with an exprefs Defign thereby to promote God's Service. Thus Chriftian Servants are ex- horted by St. Faul to an honeft, and modeft, obliging JBehaviour in their lov^^er Sphere, from a noble Delign of recommending the Chriftian Re- ligion to their Heathen Mafters, Tit. ii. 9. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Majlers^ and to pkafe them well in all T^hings ; 720t anjwering again ^ not purloyning^ but fliewing all good Fidelity, that they may adorn the DoSirine of God our Sa- viour in all Fhings, The End they were to propofe to themfelves was, not the getting a good Name to themfelves, or the advancing their own Fortune, or the ingratiating them- felves with their Mafters, thereby to make their Lives more eafy and comfortable ; all which would have been inferiour innocent Defigns ; but they were to have a nobler Aim before their Eyes, even that of ftiewing the World how much the Chriftian Religion mends and improves all Sorts of People, thereby to recomm.end it to the good Efteem of the World. By this one Inftance in Perfons of the loweft Sphere, we may judge how much more it is in the Power of the fuperi- our Orders of Men, by their good Condudt and Example, to promote the Service of God, and how they fliould fet that noble End before their Eyes.
(3.) Whenever we do any good Thing out of pure Love and Compaffion to pur Neighbour, ef- pecially upon Account of his Relation to Chrifl ; this is to ad: for the Honour and Glory of God. Thus our Saviour fays, [a) Whofoever Jh all give
to
[a) Matt. X. 42,'
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3^ 4. 25
to drink unto one of thefe little ones a Cup of cold Water in the Name of a Difciple, he jhall in no wife lofe his Rewards In the Name of a Difcipky that is, by reafon of his Relation to Chriji ; there lies the Emphafis. So Matt. xxv. 40. we are taught that whofoever fhew any Kindnefs to any of our Saviour's Difciples, whom he there calls his Brethren, fliall be rewarded as if they had fhewed it to Chrif himfelf.
(4.) When the chief Benefit we propofe to our felves is the Approbation of God, and the Salva- tion of our Souls 3 then we ad: for the Glory and Honour of God. For the Salvation of our Souls being nothing elfe but a more immediate Enjoy- ment of God, there is nothing can tend more to God's Honour. Thus Mofes is commended, Heb^ xi. 26. for having had a RefpeB unto the Recom- pence of Reward. For whereas By-ends in this World divert us from God, This leads us di- rectly to him, and fixes us in the Love and En- joyment of him.
(5.) Lajlly, When we wait on God for the Grace and Ability to do Good, and give him all the Praife of it ; this is to ad for God's Honour and Glory. There can be nothing more contrary to Pride and Self-feeking, than this contriving the Praife of all good Things to God. And for This we have the Examples of our Saviour's Apoftles, exprefly renouncing the Honours done them for their good Works, and giving them entirely to God. Thus when the People ftood admiring P^/6'r ^nd John upon their Curing of a lame Man who had been a Cripple from his Mother's Womb, A51. iii. 12* St Peter argued with them, Te Men of Ifrael, ^u^hy marvel ye at this ? Or why look ye
"26 OJlentation in Alms-giving [Serm.
fo earnejily on m^ as though by our own Power or Holinefs we had made this Man to %valk ? The God of Abraham and of Ifaac and Jacob, the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jefus— -'^;z^ his Name through Faith in his Name hath made this Man ftrong^ whom ye fee and know : Tea the Faith which is by hini^ hath given him this perfect Soundnefs in the prefence of you all And fo care- ful were they to put off the Honour of great Actions from themfclves, and to centre it upon God, that they ftuck not fometimes to depreciate themfelves that they might more efFe<flually ho- nour him. So at Lyjira Paul Sind Barnabas, to di- vert the divine Honours, which they were going to pay them, chid them for doing fuch Things, telling them that they were Men of like Pafjions with themfelves,
I have infilled fo long on this firft Caution con- cerning the main End we ought to propofe to our felves in our good Works and Alms-deeds, the Glory and Honour of God ; that I find there will not be Time enough left to handle the other three Cautions I mentioned as contained in the Text. And therefore I (hall referve them, together with the Reafons of this Duty, to another Oppor- tunity. Only there are two Inferences I would make from what has been faid, before I have done.
Inf I. One is from the fuppofed Duty of Alms- giving among the Jews, our Saviour's Hearers at this Time. And from hence I would infer, that if the doing of Works of Charity was not ne- gleifled in the Religion of a Jew ; if the Righ- teoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, which was a lower Sort of Righteoufnefs, took in the Sub-
ftance
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 27
ftance of thefe Duties, and wanted only to be recftified in the Intention, to purify them from that Pride and Vain-glory, which doth fo eafily cleave to them in this imperfect State : Then we Chriftians, under the greater Light of the Gofpel, and a more plentiful Effufion of the Spirit, are much more obliged to follow Works of Charity and Alms-deeds. It is moft certain, that our Saviour recommended, both by his Dodlrlne and Example, much higher Degrees of Charity than ever had been taught the Jews^ in that Duty of clofe Friendihip, or brotherly Love, which he eftablifhed among his Difciples. And it is cer- tain, the firft Chriftians prad:ifed it to a Degree beyond what ever the World had feen before. But alas ! we are fallen into the degenerate Ages of Chriftianity, when Faith is fcarce to be found upon the Earth, and the Love of many is waxen cold, to that Degree, that I doubt the very Jews will rife up in Judgment againft us, and condemn us. For they did many good Works ; their De- fedls were only about the Form of them ; but wc are deficient in Matter and Form too, and are fo immerfed in the World, as if we had forgotten that Charity is a Duty. I fpeak not only of the poorer Sort, who have fo much to do with their own Neceffities, that no great Matters of Charity can be expelled of them j but of the Rich, to whom the Charge is more peculiarly given, (a) To he rich in good Works ^ ready to dijiribute, "willing to communicate^ laying up for tbemfelves a good Foun- dation againji the Ti7?2e to -come. O fad, lad is the
Account
(a) I Tim. vi. 18,
28 OJientation in Alms-giving [Serm.
Account rich Men muft make, who do not by good Deeds lay up Treafures in Heaven, but either hoard up, or hide their Talent in a Napkin, or fpend their Income in the way of Luxury and Prodigality. And bleffed are they who are dili- gent now to fupply Chrift's poor Members; for he will amply reward them in the future State, tQ which we are all haftening apace.
Inf. 2. The other Inference I would make, is with relation to that higher Improvement of this Duty enjoined by our Saviour, as to the Diffe- rence in the Manner between our Charities and Alms, and thofe of the Scribes and Pharifees. And it fhall confift briefly of thefe three (hort Advices, and I have done. i. The Firft I give you in the Words of St Paul, Rom. xii. 8. He that giveth, let him do it with Simplicity ; that is, let him clear his Heart of all finifter and By-ends in giving, but let him do his Charities out of a pure lingle Intention to pleafe God ; with which, if he joins the Love of his Neighbour, and a De- fire to further his own Salvation, they are no way inconfiftent. 2. Let us in doing our Charities, avoid Often tation and Vain-glory, and both pru- dently chufe the fecreteft and difcreeteft Ways of doing them , and when they are done, let us avoid trumpeting them either by ourfelves or others- 3. Let us, as much as is poffible, avoid the complacent feeding of our own Minds with Self-conceit and Flattery, from the inward Con- templation of our own good Deeds ; or by ad- mitting the Praifes and Commendations of others for them. But let us ftill give all the Praife, and Honour of them to God. Let us praife him that we had any Thing to give \ and let us praife bim
that
II.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3^ 4I 29
that we had a Heart to give it > and let us praife him that we are not proud of what we have given; but own it to be more his Gift than ours^ both the Matter of the Gift, and the Grace to beftow it in the right Manner : Saying, ISIot unto us^ O Lord^ not unto uSy but to thy Name be the Praife.
Now to this great God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen,
S E R M.
ja OJlentafion in Alms-giving [Serm.
SERMON III.
Matt. VI. 2.
therefore when thou doji thine Alms, do not found a T^nunpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do, in the Synagogues, and in tht Streets, that they may have Glory of Men, Verily I fay unto you, they have their Reward.
Ver. 3. But when thou dofl Alms, let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth :
Ver. 4. That thine Alms may be infecret : and thy Father which feeth in fecretyhirnfelfjhall Reward thee openly.
The Second Sermon on this Text.
IN a former Difcourfe on thefe Words, I took notice of two Things contained in them: A Duty enjoined, concerning the right Intent in doing our Works of Charity, and the right Man- ner of doing them, with Secrecy and Humility : Then the Reafons for enforcing«that Duty, name- ly, that the Negled: of it equals us with Hypo- crites, and cuts us off from the great Reward in Heaven, which is annexed to good Works, when fincerely deligned for the Glory of God -, and
reduces
III.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 3 1
reduces us to thofe low Rewards upon Earth, which commonly attend external good Works.
After a general Defcription of the Duty, the Particulars I propofed toconfider from the Words, were, Firft, fome Things fuppofed or implied in the Text, namely, i. That the Duty of Alms- giving was pradifed by the Scribes and Pharifees, But 2. That in this Duty they had low felfifh Re- gards to Vain Glory, and other worldly Interefts, and did not perform it chiefly with an Eye to God. 3. That Alms, and other Works of Charity, are in their own Nature apt to gain the Love and Efteem of Men. Then I propofed to conlider fome Cautions interpofed in the Words, of which the firft and principal was concerning the Inten- tion and Defign we ought to propofe to ourfelves in our Works of Charity, namely, the Glory and Honour of God. And thus far we proceeded at that Time.
There are three Cautions more I obferved from the Words, namely,
II. That we are to be watchful againft Vain Glory, and all other By-ends of our own Cove- toufnefs or Ambition, in our Alms-deeds, and other good Works.
III. That as to the Manner of doing our good Works, we are to be careful to do them with Humility and Secrecy.
IV. That if any accidental Praife or Credit comes to our felves from our Works of Charity, we do not feed our felves with the Thoughts and vain Pleafure of it, but that wc fupprefs all fuch Infurredions of Pride, and employ all that Cre- dit for God's Service,
Thdc
32 Ojlentation in Alms-giving [Serm*
Thefe three Cautions, together with the Reafons for enforcing the Duty, I ?propofe for the Sub- jedl of our prefent Meditation.
IL Secondly then, We are to be watchful a- gainft Vain Glory, and all other By-ends of our own Covetoufnefs or Ambition, in our Alms^ deeds, and other good Works, therefore nvhen thou doft thi?2e Alms^ do not jound a Trumpet b^^ fore theey as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues^ and in the Streets^ that th-y may have Glory of Me?u In fpeaking to which Caution Ifhall briefly confider,
1 . The Aim of thefe Perfons, here faid to be, that they may have Glory of Men,
2. The Adions they do to attain this End, here called the founding of a Trumpet before them,
3. How liable Men are to fall into this Sin. And,
4. Some Confiderations, {hewing the Unrea- fonablenefs of it.
I. Firji^ We are to confider the Aim of thefe Perfons, which is to have Praife and Glory of Men. This may be confidered, either as merely a vain-glorious Defign, if this Glory is purfued only for its own Sake -, then it is a Branch of Pride, which is an unfit and unbecoming Thing for a Man. Or this Praife and efleem of Men, is with a farther Eye of employing it to ferve the Ends of Covetoufnefs, Ambition, Faction, Luft, or fome fuch finifter Purpofe, and fo principally pro- ceeds from other bad Defigns, or is entangled and involved in them. But which foever Way it fleers its Courfe, it leads a Man quite out of the Way of Duty ; it fets up the Humours and Inte- refts of Men, inftead of a Confcience of Duty >
and
III.] So be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 35
and inftead of a Spirit of Humiliation and Repen- tance, it feeds the Mind with Pride and Vanity, and empty Applaufe ; and contents itfelf, inftead of Sincerity, with adling of a Part.
2 . We are to confider the Adlions thefe Men do to attain this End, called here the founding of a Trumpet before them. In opening of the Words, I fhewed you that this was a figurative Expreflion, and that we are not literally to underftand that a Trumpet was made ufe of in this Cafe. The trumpeting then here meant, is the contriving Ways and Means to fet off our Adiions in the bed Colours, and the publifhing and proclaiming them, in fuch a manner, as may befl: anfwer thefe our carnal Ends. Sometimes the vain-glorious Man doth himfelf make publick his own Praifes and good Deeds ; but becaufe This he knows would be the Way to mar his Defign, if he fliould fol- low it too much, therefore more commonly he employs other Inftruments to be fubfervient to him in this Work, and often, with Pains and Coft, procures the Means of publifliing and propagating his own felfifli Defigns in his good Works, in- ftead of the Glory of God.
3. We are to confider how prone and liable Men are to fall into this Sin. Self-Love is fo in- herent in our corrupt Natures ; and Flattery is fo agreeable to Self-Love -, and of all Flatterers, we are the greateft Flatterers of our felves j and this Self-Flattery has fo many fecret Channels through which it conveys itfelf ; that it is really difficult for any Man to avoid it, or not to be taken and delighted with it. More particularly, good Men are in danger of Aiding infenfibly into this Vani- ty of being delighted with the Praifes that rife from
Vol. III. D good
34 Oftenfation In Alms-giving [Serm*
good Works. That good Works are of all Things the moft worthy of Praife and Commendation in themfelves, there is not the leafl Doubt : That there is likewife a due Meafure of Efteem and Praife due to the Inftruments by whom good Works are brought about, there is no Queftion. And therefore, think they, why may not we tafte a httle of this Praife, which is one of the inferiour Rewards of Virtue ? And it is very true, if they admitted it only in this low Degree, and did not make it their principal Aim and Defign, there would be no great Harm in it ^ but as they fet their Hearts fo entirely upon it, this alters the Nature of the Thing, and makes it exceeding finful, as I am to (hew in the next Place, being led by my Method
4. To offer fome Confiderations, fhewing the Unreafonablenefs of this Sin, of aiming at Vain- Glory, or other finifter Ends, in our good Works.
(i.) It cannot but be exceeding unreafonable and pernicious, in that it alters the End and Rule of all our Actions ; like fleering of a Ship by a wrong Compafs, or miftaking fome wandring Pla- net for the North Polar Star, which certainly mull occafion innumerable Errors in the Courfe, or rather make it one entire Error from the be- ginning to the end. It makes a God of Man, and fo is abominable Idolatry 5 for Idolatry is not committed only by paying external Worfhip and Adoration to Creatures, but by fetting them up for Idols in the Heart, and aiming at their Praife and Glory inftead of God's.
(2.) It is a Confequence of this, that a poor Creature thus fet up to be idolized and deified, for- gets himfelf, and inftead of that Repentance, Hu- mility,
IIL] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 1^ 3, 4. 35
mility, and Submiffion he owes to God, is apt to fay in his Heart, as Pharaoh did with his Mouth, Who is the Lord, that IJhoiild obey him'? And likewife inflead of that modeft, civil, and obliging Behaviour he owes to his Neighbours, is apt, from this one Error, to carry himfelf haughtily and infolently, and to be a much worfe Neighbour to his Fellow Subjeds, as well as a proud rebellious Subjed: to the great King of Kings.
( J.) From hence it follows likewife, that it is an high Difhonour to Almighty God, to make one of his mean Creatures equal with himfelf 111 Dignity ; and that that Creature's Honour fliould be more ftudled and minded than his. What would we think if our Slaves fliould pretend to as good Cloathing and Lodging, and to be ferved with as much Refpect, and to have every thing in as much Order as their Mafters 5 and their Hu- mour, and Orders, and Commands, as much, or more regarded than their Mailers ? Would not every one be apt to cry out that they are quite fpoiFd, that it is a moft difoiderly Family, and that there can be no good Doings, where all Things are fo out of Courfe ? This is but an imperfed Refemiblance of the Diforders, which this fetting up our own Glo- ry inflead of God's,would introduce into the World.
(4.) All the Excellency of our Good Works is hereby loft \ there remains only the Outfide or Shell of them; but the Soul and Life of them, which is the Love of God, is quite gone ; we do no more ad from a Principle of Faith or Love. Inftead of having Regard to .the great Recompence of Reward in Heaven, we ad upon low and mean Views of a little Honour or Profit in this World, and fo follow Chrift' yir the Loaves, And then D2 if
j6 OJlenfation in AlmS'giving [Serm.
if thefe lower Ends fhould fail, as to be fure they will in time of Perfecution, it is no hard Matter to forefee what will become of our Duties founded on fo flight a Bottom.
Many other Things might be urged to this Purpofe; but I muft confider that Time muft be left for the other Heads remaining on this Sub- jea
III. The third Caution I obferved from the Words, is, that as to the Manner of doing our good Works, we are to be careful to do them with Humility and Secrecy : But when thou doji thine Alms^ let not thy Left Hand know what thy Right Ha?id doth : that thine Alms 7nay be in Se- cret I and thy Father which Jeeth in Secret, hifn- Jelfjhall Reward thee openly. This figurative Ex- preffion of the Left Hand's not knowing what the Right Hand doth, denotes a great Secrecy; and this Secrecy is to cut off all Pretence or Oc- calion of Vain Glory, there being no Witnefles but God himfelf. But for the better Underfland- ing this Part of our Saviour's Caution, we are to remember, that it is no Part of our Saviour's De- fign in thefe Words, to forbid or difcourage pub- lick Charity ; for then, as I formerly told you, this Text would be contrary to many other, that require our giving a good Example in all manner of good Works. But the Thing here prohibited, is the Sin of Oftentation and Vain Glory, and having principally an inward Regard to the Eye and Praife of Men, more than to the Eye and Approbation of God. And one Thing more too I judge may be meant by this Expreflion of not letting the Left Hand know what the Right Hand dothy in the doing of good Works -, namely, that
wc
Ill] to he avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. if
we (hould in a manner conceal them from our felves^ to prevent a common Temptation of the Devil, who, when we have done any thing that is good, tempts us to pkafe our felves v/ith vaia complacent Thoughts about it 5 all which our Saviour requires us humbly to avoid, and to ex- pe6l the final Approbation of God, when true Honour will come in, in the Sight of Men and Angels. So that there feem to be three Things guarded againft in this Caution of our Saviour's, I. The inward vain Contemplation of our good Deeds, fo as to nouiifli Pride from them. 2. An unneceffary talking of, or publifhing them, by our felves, or our Tools and Inftruments. 3. An Aifedation of the moft publick. Places and Occa- fions to do them in, when we negledl Charity in Secret.
4. The fourth Caution I obferved from the Words, is this, that if any accidental Praife or Credit comes to our felves from our good Works, we do not greedily entertain it, but that we fup- prefs all fuch Infurredlions of Pride, and employ all that Credit for God's Plonour and Service. This I gather to be our Duty, becaufe our Saviour here in this Difcourfe, aims at our flavin g off all graf- ping of Honour to our felves, before the final Retribution, when God fhall reward us openly. This Defign of his we comply with, if we nei- ther a(fl with an Intent to bring in Glory to our felves, nor ufe the popular Arts which bring it in, nor entertain it when it comes, but place it where it is due and proper, that is, to God. It is very certain that good Men meet v ith many Temptations to the Sin of Vain Glory here prohibited. The many good Things they do, it D 3 were
38 OJlentation in Alms-giving [Serm*
were ftrange If they fhould not fo much as meet with the good Word and Applaufe of the World for them- It would be ftrange, confidering how beneficial good and charitable Men are to the, World, if the World had no Senfe of it, but iliould pafs them by without fome due Encomi- ums. And though good Men do not lay in for thefe, but avoid them as much as in Difcretion they can, this doth not hinder but that Praife is heaped fo much the more upon them, the lefs tbey feek after it. But where do we ever find that they aflame any of all this to themfelves ? I'hey conftantly fl:iift it from themfelves upon their Mafter ^ telling us, that as for themfelves they were Men of like PafHons with others y and that it was not owing to their own Power^ or Holinefs, that they did any of the great Works they wrought, but that they were wholly owing to the Name and Power of Chrift, And there- fore whenever we are praifed for any Good we do, let us confider who it was that made us to differ from others; and that there is always a great deal of Reafon to pull the Crown of Glory off from our own Head, and to place it on God's. Our natural Capacities are by his Gift ; our acquired ones by his Providence; the Opportunities of doing Good, of his prefenting ; the Ability to fupply them, by his Blefiing ; the Good will to do it, by his Grace. And as to the little hand we have our felves in doing Good, we may well be humbled, and not exalted ; for where we do one good Thing, we do a great many bad ; and if the beft of us were to be treated according to C3ur, own Merits, abftrading from the Merits of Chrift, we fhould be in a woful Condition 3 and
therefore
III.] to he avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4. 39
therefore let us not be high-minded, but fear ; and let us fay, Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy Name be the Praife,
So much for the Duty enjoined, direding the Defign and Manner of our good Actions.
I come next to the fccond Thing in the Words, the Reafons enforcing this Duty j which are two.
1. One is taken from the Refemblance this Pradtice of doing our good Works to be ittn of Men, has to the Pradice of Hypocrites, to whom it is refembled by our Saviour : When thou doji thine Alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glo?j of Men,
2. The other is taken from the Fruit of this Pradice in the other World : And this is branched forth in two Particulars, (i.) That there is no other but prefent temporal Rewards to be expeded for fuch, who do their good Works to be feen of Men. Verily I Jay unto you, fays our Saviour, thev have their Reward (2.) That there is a certain glorious Reward for them, who do their good Works with an Eye to God : 'Thy Father which
Jeeth in Secret, himfelf floall reward thee openly,
I. One Reafon our Saviour urges to enforce the Duty he had recommended, is, that this wrong Aim in our good Works, alters the Na- ture of them, and makes them hypocritical. Now it is no hard Matter to detedl this mighty Blot upon fuch good Works. For what is an Hy- pocrite, but he that pretends one thing, and is re- ally another 5 one that feems to a6t from Prin- ciples of Religion and Virtue, but ads upon quite other Principles, and fo is inwardly quite another D 4 Sort
40 OJlentafion in Ahns-givlng [Serm.
Sort of Man than he outwardly pretends to be? And is not this the true Defciiption of the Man that does good Works, not with a Profpedt of ferving God, but from a Principle of Covetouf- nefs or Ambition, or Vain Glory, or Faftion, or any other finifter worldly Defign ? For it is not the part we outwardly ad:, but what we are inwardly in our Hearts, that proves whether we are fincere or hypocritical, e, g. If a Man, to make himfelf popular among a religious People, fhould very much frequent all religious Affemblies, and fhould launch out into Charities for the En- couragement of their particular Way of WorOiip, and do every other Thing to gain them to his Side and Party ; they who do not difcover his inward Defign, might take all this for good Coin, and think he were a fincere Convert ; but both God, and his own Heart, muft know that it is only fome felfifli Defign he has in all this, and that it is but afting of a Part. But how then ? Is eve- ry Man a Hypocrite who is guilty of any fecret Wickednefs, and is not as good in Private, as he appears to be in Publick? In anfwcr to this, there is great Diflinftion to be made between Perfons fincerely defigning the Service of God, though in the Struggle with their Corruptions they are often foiled ; (this is a Sign of their Weaknefs, not of their Hypocrify.) And they are very different from another Sort of People, who put on the Cloak of Religion only to ferve fome worldly End or other ; for thefe are truly Hypocrites. So that the Denomination of Hypocrify, is from the Intention of the Heart ; and though in fome Per- fons this is fo plain, that by their Life and Ac- tions it is clear to be feen, yet often too it is fo
hid
IIL] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3, 4." 4?
hid, that it is not to be known, except by the Searcher of Hearts. And therefore this Mark of it here given by our Saviour, {hould be ufed more to reform our felves, than to cenfure others j for in the Matter of Cenfures, where Things are not exceeding plain, it is fafer to err on the charitable Side ; at leaft to forbear, and to leave all Judg- ment to God. But to return from this Digref- fion, while our Saviour acquaints us here, that the doing our good Works with this Defign, to be ktn of Men, is one Sign of Hypocrify, it is enough to induce us to purify our Intentions in them, and to be cautious of all Mixtures of Pride, Covetoufnefs, or any other felfilh Defign in the doing of them.
II. The other Reafon our Saviour urges to re- commend this Duty is, the glorious Reward at- tending it in the other World. This Reafon is branched out in two Particulars.
(i.) One is a Confeflion that good Works, tho* not fmcerely defigned for God's Glory, are attend- ed with temporal Rewards. Verily^ ^ fay ^^^^ you^ they have thei?^ Reward,
(2.) The other is, that only thofe which are done with an Eye to God, {hall be rewarded in the other World.
(i.) As to the firft, that external good Works, though not fincerely defigned for God's Honour, are attended with temporal Rewards. We fee this daily verified in Fa(ft ; fuch Men have the Praife and Credit they aimed at : they often gain the Intereft, which thefe their good Works were levelled at. And there is a great deal of Equity in this Proceeding; for good Works, whatever Principle they come from, do a great
deal
4^ OJlentation i?t Alms-ghmg [Serm.
deal of good to the World; and therefore it is very reafonable they fhould be rewarded fome how or other. And if the Principle from which they proceed be but temporal, a temporal Reward is liioft jull: and proper for them.
(2.) But the preffing Part of the Reafon is yet behind ; which is, that fuch external good Works as were not done out of any Principle of Religion, or with an Eye to God, but only with a view of reaping fome temporary Advantage from Men, have all their Reward in this Life, and therefore have none to expedt in the Life to come. A tem- porary Principle will rife no higher than a tem- porary Reward. This God has told us in my Text. This, Reafon and the Nature of the Thing confirms. What a dreadful Condition then are we in, if we do not ad: from the true Fear of God ? All our Labour is loft as to the other World : Our heavenly Father who feeth with what prof- p edl we aft, will fuit us with Rewards accordingly.
Thus now I have done with my Text ; and cannot I think conclude better, purfuant to the main Purport and Defign of it, than with a ihort Exhortation to Purity of Intention. And in Com- mendation of it, I defire you to confider thefe fQW Things, which I fhall but juft name.
It is the great Secret of Chriftian Morals, which our Saviour drives at in all Duties whatfoever, and is the principal Thing which diftinguifhes the Righteoufnefs of a good Chriftian from the Righteoufocfs of the Scribes and Pharifees.
It is that which above all Things fanftifies the Heart, and keeps us in a good Frame and Tem- per. And if the Heart be right, it is a mighty Means to govern the Words and Aftions well.
While
III.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 2, 3,4. 4^
While our Intention is pure, the other Errors we commit can be but Sins of Weaknefs or Igno- rance ; and can never involve us in the grojfe Er- rors of Hypocrify and Infincerity.
And while our Intention is pure, whatever be our Fortune in this World, we are fure of the Favour of God, and of his Approbation in the World to come ; which is infinitely beyond all the Riches and Honour that can poffibly be got by Hypocrify and Diffimulation.
Now God give us all Grace to live fo now, as we fhall wi(h we had lived in the great Day, when God fhall judge the Secrets of Men by J ejus Chrijl.
To him with the Father and the Holy Ghoji be all Praije^ Honour and Glory for ever and ever* Amen.
S E R M,
44 Hypocrify in our Prayers [Serm,
SERMON IV.
Matt. VI. 5.
And when thou pray ejiy thou Jh alt not be as the Hypocrites are : For they love to pray Jlandi?2g in the Synagogues^ and in the Corners of the Streets^ that they may be feen of Men, Ve^ rilyy I fay unto yoUy they have their Reward,
Ver. 6. But thou^ when thou prayeji, enter into thy Clofety and when thou haft pout thy Door^ pray to thy Father which is infecret^ and thy Father which feet h infecret^ Jhall reward thee openly.
The Firft Sermon on this Text.
IN thefe Words our Saviour goes on in guard- ing his Difciples againft the Hjpocrify of the Scribes and Pharifees, which was a very great Blemifh in all their Religious Duties : And in teaching them to go about all Duty with a more pure and lingle Eye to God -, and with a profpecSt of Reward from him, without any Mixture of By-ends of Pride or worldly Intereft. In the fore- going Words he had taught this in the Duty of Alms-giving • and now he goes on in the very lame Manner to corredl the Hypocrify of their
Prayers
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 5.' 45-
Prayers and Devotions, and to furnlfli his .Difci- ples with better Inftruftions on that Subjedt. In the Words we have
I. A Caution againft an hypocritical Way of Devotion ; in the fifth Verfe. And when thou prayejl^ thou Jh alt not be as the Hypocrites are : for they love to fray fianding in the Synagogues^ and in the Corners of the Street s^ that they may be feen of Men, Verily^ I fay unto yoUy they have their Reward.
II. A Direftion to the oppofite Sincerity and Secrecy 5 in the fixth Verfe. But thoUy when thou frayefty enter into thy Clofet^ and when thou hajl jhut thy Door^ pray to thy Father which is infe- cret ; a7id thy Father which feeth in fecrety Jhall reward thee openly.
But before I fpeak to either of theie, it may not be improper to take notice of one Thing here fuppofed, in which both fews and Chrtjiians^ both Chriji and the Scribes and Pharifees are a- greed ; and that is, that Prayer is a very commen- dable Duty. It is a Duty of natural Religion, in which all are agreed ; and it necelTarily follows from the Belief of God's Providence and Infpec- tion into human Affairs, his Love to his poor Creatures, and Readinefs to help them, and our own great Weaknefs and Indigency. This is fo well known, that all who have ever pretended .to any Degrees of Sandlity beyond their Neighbours, have ufed this as a fpecial Means to eftablifli that Charadter in the World; even to make the World believe that they were very affiduous in their Ap- plication to God, and in receiving the due Re- turns of Prayer from him. For they knew that there is nothing doth more eflabliih their Charadter
of
46 Hypocn/y in our Prayers [Serm*
of Piety, than the Belief of thefe frequent Inter- courfes with the Deity. So it is ftoried of Numa Pompilius, that famous Roman Law-giver; that towards procuring greater Credit to his Laws, he made them beUeve that he had frequent Night Meetings with a certain Goddefs, Egeria^ in great requeft among them. This Opinion perhaps, as a great many othei's, might originally be owing to the yews^ whofe Law-giver Mofes was fourty Days in the Mount with God, when he received thofe divine Dictates of Laws, which he prefently delivered to that People. This as it gave a mighty Authority to his Laws, fo it animated them cou- ragioufly to go about every other Thing by his Direftion, in confidence of the divine Aid to one that was fo much, and fo powerfully converfant with God by Prayer. They found by Experience that their Succeffes againfl: their Enertiies were more owing to the lifting up of Mofes s, Hands in Prayer, than to the lifting up of their own Sword in Battle. Our Saviour zealoufly encou- raged this Praftice by his own Example -, for there was nothing more common with him than to withdraw himfelf both from the Multitude and hisDifciples, that he might con verfe with better Company than was to be found upon Earth, even with his heavenly Father. But we Chriftians have very particular Obligations to this Duty of Prayer beyond all others^ in regard that we know of fo powerful an Interceffor and Advocate at the Fa- ther's right Hand, that our Requefts for good Things being recommended by him, cannot well mifcarry, except by neglediing our Applications to him. It is no wonder then that the Scribes and Pbarifees^ the great Pretenders to Religion
in
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. j^ "i^
in thofe Days, were particularly admired for their Addidednefs to this excellent Duty of Prayer. And certainly it was a Thing highly com- mendable, had they fet about it from a right Prin- ciple, and to a right End. but they fo perverted the Ufc of this excellent Duty, that inftead of be- ing an Inftrument of Religion and Devotion, it became a great Means to feed their Pride and Vanity. Againfl: which our Saviour found it ne- ceffary to guard his Difciples. And this leads me to the firfl: Thing I obferved in the Words. Namely,
I. Our Saviour*s Caution againft their hypocri- tical way of Devotion. And njohen thou prayejt^ thou po alt not be as the Hypocrites are \ for they love to pray fianding in the Synagogues, and in the Corners of the Streets^ that they may he feen of Men, Verih\ I fay unto you they have their Re^ ^ard. In which Words we may obferve
1. A Defcription of one Piece of Plypocrify; namely, an Oftentation of Devotion; for there are certain Hypocrites defcribed here, Who love to pray Jianding in the Synagogues and in the Corners of the Streets, that they may be feen of Men,
2. A Dehortation from this Pradice \ When thou prayefi, thou Jlo alt not be as the Hypocrites are.
As to the fiyji-i the Defcription here given of Hypocriiy in Devotion, we are to confider thele two Things, i. What it is thefe Hypocrites are faid to do. ^hey love, i. e. they affeCt to pray ftanding in the Synagogues, and in the Cor?iers of the Streets, that is, in Places of greateft Confluence or Refort. 2. The Aim and View they had in all this; which was, not that they might approve themfelves to God ; but that they might gain the
Reputation
48 Eypocrify in cur Prayers [Serm;
Reputation of mighty godly and devout Men. My Text fays, they did all this to befeen pf Men,
Hypocrify is a very dangerous Vice, and hard to know or difcover. Hypocrites had the great Vogue for Religion in thofe Days 5 and generally they have it in all Times ; for they that have moft of true Religion and Devotion, have it between God and themfelves, and make theleaft Show and Oftentation of it ; whereas Hypocrites contrive to be {zcn in their Devotions, that they may gain the Applaufe due to Men of Devotion, and by Virtue of that Character may fo much the more efFe«flually carry on their worldly Defigns. Not 16 digrefs from the Text, we have two Characters of Hypocrify here fet down, by which we may know it, both in ourfelves and others, if we are careful in making our Infpedtion and Obfervation. One is the End which we propofe to ourfelves ; the other the outward Adions here defcribed. As to the firft, if our End is to pleafe God, and with a regard to him, it is a true Sign of our Sincerity. But if it is to be feen of Men, to feed our Pride and Vanity, or to carry on any other worldly Ends, it is a Sign of Hypocrify. This is a very plain Mark by which we may try our own Sin- cerity and Hypocrify ; but it is much more diffi- cult thereby to try the Sincerity or Hypocrify of others. For as to ourfelves, we cannot but know our own fecret Defigns and Intentions, however we difguife them in the Sight of the World.. Judas could not but know, when he fpoke up for Charity, and blamed Marys fpending of the precious Ointment upon our Saviour, faying, It might have been fold f9r ?niich and given to the
Poor,
IV.] to he avoided. Matt. VI. 5. 49
Foor (a). He could not be ignorant, I fay, that it was not that he minded the Poor, that he faid this ; bat becaufe he would have People encou- raged to bring their Charity into the Provifion Bag, of which he was the Keeper, with an Eye to thofe indired: Gains he made of it. Nor could Ananias and Sapphira be ignorant with what In- tent they joined themfelves to the Chriftian So- ciety, that it was not that they truly believed the Chriftian Faith, or valued the Holy Ghoft v/ho enabled the Apoftles to work h many Miracles. It was not from any true Convid:icn upon their Spirits of the Truth or Goodnefs of Chriftianity, tliat they joined themfelves to the Chriftians ; but from a greedy Defire to partake in that great Be- neiicence and Charity, and thofe other worldly Conveniencies they obferved were the Lot of Chri- ftians at that Time -, namely, that none of their Body wanted any thing, but the Eftates of the whole Society fupplied the Wants of every indivi- dual Perfon among them. So that in all probabi- lity they entred into the Chriftian Society, and took upon them the Chriftian Profeilion, from no other View than as a Man makes a good worldly Bargain, in parting with a fmall Part of his Eftate, that he may fecure to himfelf a good Annuity for Life. Upon this they pretended to be zealous Chriftians, and to fell their Poffefnon, as other moft zealous Chriftians did in thofe Days, and to bring the whole Price of it (though they really brought but a Part) and lay it down at the Apoftles Feet for the Service of the Church -, thereby en-
{a) John xii. 6, Vol. III. E titling
^-o Hypocrify in our Prayers [Serm.
titling themfelves moft effediually to the Care of the Church -, as if they had been not only true, but moft zealous Believers : little confidering or be- lieving that the Spirit, which enabled the Apoftles to w^ork Miracles, could likewife detedl all this their grofs Dlffimulation, and punifh them for it. But though this Confideration of the fecret End we propofe to ourfelves in our Actions, is an ex- cellent Mark whereby to judge of our own Since- rity ', it is not fo fure a Mark, whereby to judge of the Sincerity of others, except in fo far as we can gather and colled: their feveral Intentions by their Adions. For it is God's fole Property to have an immediate Infpection into Mens Hearts ; we cannot judge of one anothers Hearts, but from the Fruits of Good or Evil we obferve in one anothers Life and Adlions. 7he T^ranjgreffion of the wicked faith within my Hearty there is no Fear of God be- fore his Eyes^ faith the Pfalmift, Pfal, xxxvi. i. But it was not a fmall Degree of Tranfgreffion which made the Pfalmift pafs this hard Cenfure ; but an high Degree of habitual Wickednefs, which made them odious in the Sight of all good People ; as it there follows. He flattereth himfelf in his own Eyes, untill his Iniquity be found to be hateful. The Words of his Mouth are Iniquity and Deceit : he hath left off to be wife, and to do good. He de- vifeth Mi/chief upon his Bed, and fetteth himfelf in a way that is not good-, he abhorreth not EviL Where we fee from a great many outward bad Signs of Wickednefs in wicked Men, the Pfalmift is brought to think in his Heart, that the wicked Man had no Fear of God before his Eyes. Thefe Signs were odious Adions , deceitful falfe Words ; a leaving off to do good 5 an inventing and devi-
fing
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 5. 51
fing of Mifchief 5 and having no Abhorrence of Evil. And from all thefe he concludes, as v^^ell he might, of the Ends he propofed to himfelf, that they were not religious, but iinful and wicked.
But from this Confideration of the End of the Hypocrite's Devotion, which is, to \>^ feen of M.e?2y let us go on to the Confideration of his outward Adions as they are here defcribed. And the Short of the Character here given of him, with refped: to his Devotion, is, that he affefts more to make Oftentation of his Devotion in Publick, than to follow it in Private. As to the publick Part of his Devotion, he overdoes it in all the moft lin- gular and unufual Inftances 3 iuch as his Readi- nefs to pray among Crowds of People, at unufual Times and Places, that he may be thought to ex- ceed all others in thofe holy Exercifes. But at the lame time he is not half fo affiduous in fecret Prayer, where no Eye is upon him but God's ; and where without any Danger of Pride or other worldly Ends, Prayer may moft fafely and ufeful- ly be followed.
For our better underftanding this Part of the Hypccrite's Charader, there are fome Things worthy of our Confideration, with relation to the literal Meaning of the Words, i. Whereas it is here fa id, They love to pray jianding hi the Syna- gogue^^ and Corners of the Streets^ the Meaning of this is, that they choofe and affedt that fort of publick, before private Prayer, they are avGrfe to the one, but very forward to the other. 2. The Word here tranflated Synagogues is often ufed not only for the Places of divine Worfliip, but for all Manner of Aflemblies and Confluences of People ; E z and
^2 Hypocrify in our Prayers [Serm.
and Indeed the learned Dr Hammond in this Place tranflates it, Places of Concoiirfe', and its being joined here with Corners of Streets, that is, the moft publick Places of the City, where two or more Streets meet and crofs one another, makes it probable that that is the Meaning in thi^ Place. From all which we may gather, that our Saviour by this Defcription did not in the leaft delign any Refledlion on the publick Worlhlp of God, either in the Church or Family, that being a Duty which he himfelf frequently performed ; but only on that untimely Affectation of Prayerin the Streets, or wherever there was any great Concourfe of People, to the End that they might be applauded and admired as Men of extraordinary JDevotion and Piety. And anfwerably to this Scope of the Words, I take it to be one Sign of Hypocrify, the chooling to be noted and iingular in the unfea- fonable Exercife of publick Devotion. I fay un- feafonable, for what can be more unfeafonable than when People are paffmg along the Streets, or met in great Numbers at Fairs and Markets about their worldly Bufinefs, to break in with our affedled Devotions, only that we may be taken notice of as Perfons of extraordinary Piety ? Of the fame Kidney we may reckon all Sorts of un- difcreet Adls of publick Devotion, in which Men affe<5t a Singularity, and draw the Eyes of Specta- tors upon them. Such as the inventing and ufmg new religious Ceremonies, other than are prefcribed or in ufe in the Place where we live; the enthu- fiaftical extemporary Prayers and Sermons of Monks and Qiiakers in the Streets or other pub- I'ck Places, where Men are met about their law- ful Bufinefs or Recreations , unufual affedled Ge-
ftures.
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 5. 53
jftures, Faces, and Grimaces, as Pretences to a more fublime an& elevated fort of Devotion. So much for the Defcription of that part of the Hy- pocrify of the Scribes and Pharifees, which relates to the pul lick Oftentation of their Prayers,
2. We are next to confider our Saviour's De- hortation of his Dilciplcs from this Practice. JVhen thou prayefi, thou fhalt-no the as the Hypocrites are ; and. Verily 1 fay unto you they have their Reward, In which Dehortation there feem to be thefe three Arguments pointed at, as Motives to diffuade us from that Pradtice. i. That this Practice above defcribed is taxed as Hypocritical. 2. That our Saviour affures us with an AfTeveration, that it fliall have no further Reward than what Hypo- crites feek after, and commonly obtain in this Life. 3. From the ExpreiTion, When thou frayejl^ thou Jhalt not be as the Hypocrites -, Thou ihalt not be, Thou my Difciple, thou who pro- feffeft thyfelf a Chriftian, ihalt by no means be like them ; intimating that that fort of Pradice is totally inconfiftent with the Spirit of Chriftianity. Thefe are the three Arguments by which, in pur- fuancc of the Delign of my Text, I fliall briefly endeavour to diffuade from this Pradice.
(1.) Firji then, our Saviour points at a fuffi- cient Blemifh in this Pra<il;ice, when he accufes it of Hypocrify. V/hen thou prayejl, thou Jhalt not be as the Hypocrites are -, Jor they love 4o pray jlaiiding in Places of Concourfe^ and in the Corners of the Streets^ that they may he jeeii of Me?t. As much as to fay, it is a bafe, difingenuous Practice, while under pretence of ferving God they carry on their own vile defigns, of impofing on Men, co- louring their Pride and Vanity, their Covetoufnefs
E L and
'54- Hypocrijy in our Prayers [Serm.
and Ambition, and all their other Vices, v/ith a falfe Show of extraordinary Devotion. This piece of Hypocrify has two Aggravations 5 firfl:, that it is nothing but falfe and counterfeit, void of that Honefty and Sincerity which becomes even an honeft Heathen ; it is all Varnifli and Paint, and fhews nothing in its true Colours, and therefore utterly inconiiftent with Truth and Ingenuity, which are fo lovely in the Sight of God and Man. Then, fecondly, the Odioufnefs of it is aggra- vated, in that it ferves itfelf of Religion for this bafe Purpofe, to be that Varnifli and Paint to deceivp God and Man. Corruptio optimiy we fay, eji peffima-, the Corruption of the beft Thing is the worft Sort of Corruption. Now that Prayers and Devotions fhould be made the Arts to colour Vil- lany, what can be more odious than This?
(2.) Secondly y Our Saviour afliires us with an Af- feveration, that all this hypocritical Devotion fhall have ^no Reward beyond this prefent Time. Verily ^ I Jay unto you y they have their Reward-, as much as to fay. What they gain by this Practice in this World, is all the Reward that attends this Sort of Devotion ; I can give you the greatefl: Affurance that there is no Reward attending it in the future State y but the quite contrary, the fevered Punifli- ment. Surely to any one who believes any Thing of a future State, this Declaration of our Saviour's muft be fufficient to make us detefl: and abhor this Pradlice. What Profit can there be in it fuf- ficient to make up this Lofs, the Forfeiture of our Reward in Heaven ? This makes me think that a deliberate Hypocrify cannot confift with any Thing but Atheilh?;, and an utter Difbelief of a future State,
(3O thirdly.
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 5. ' 55
(3.) Thirdly^ Thou my Difciple (halt not be as the Hypocrites, implies, that this Sort of Pradtice is totally inconfiftent with the Spirit of Chriftia- nity. And indeed there needs no long Argument to make out this. The Chriftian Spirit is a Spi- rit of Truth andHonefty, thisPradice is ground- ed on Falfliood and Diifirnulation ; the Chriftian Spirit is a Spirit of Humility, tliis Pradics pro- ceeds from Pride and Vanity ; the Chriftian Spi- rit is a Spirit of Simplicity, this Practice is all grounded on finifter Defigns and P3y-ends 3 the Spirit of Chriftianity is a Spirit which in every thing Sets God before its Eyes, but this Praftice fetting God afide, doth all to be feen of Men ; the Chriftian Spirit proceeds upon the Belief of an unfeen Happinefs, but this Pradice proceeds altogether upon worldly Aims and Views. So that no two Things in the World can be more diametrically oppofite, than this Pradice, and the Spirit of Chriftianity, in everything.
Thus now I have done with our Saviour^s Cau- tion again ft an hypocritical Affedation of Devc^ tion. Time will not feive to handle the oppofite Diredion of ^///^r/;7g' into the Clofet, at the fix th Verfe; and therefore, after a ftiort Application of what has been faid, I ftiall conclude.
And Fir ft, as to what is here fuppofed, the pradice of Prayer; as to the Neceffity of which, there is no difpute betv/cen the Chriftian and the Jew, the Pharifaical, and the Chriftian Righteouf- ncfs. I have fome Reafon to doubt that this Duty, though one of the firft Rudiments and Principles of natural Religion, is very much negleded. It is vifible how little there is of publick Prayer in Families, and how little Refort there is to the E 4 Prayers
^6 Hypocrify in our Prayers [Sekm-
Prayers of the Church ; and I dcubt our private Devotion thrives no better than our publick ; and if fo, it is no wonder there are fo many other Diforders in our Lives: For Prayer being the conftant Means whereby Grace is to be drawn down, if we negled; that, we Ihall be a very un- equal Match for our Corruptions, if we attack them only on our own Strength. There is no- thing like the conftant ufe of Prayer for keeping the Mind in a good Frame and Temper 3 nothing draws down the continually needful Supplies of Grace like it -, nothing does better oil the Wheels of Aftion 3 in nothing do we more nearly enjoy God, and have a Tafte of Heaven upon Earth, than in the due Exercife of Prayer : And there- fore let me leave this upon your Confciences as a Duty of the greateft Concern, and which, from Scripture and Experience, I can affure you, will facilitate all other Duties, and help you to run cheerfully the Way of God's Commandm.ents.
As to the vicious Pracflice of the Scribes and Pharifees I have been preaching againft, perhaps we may be apt to think our felves very clear of all Branches of the Sin of Hypocrify, which com- monly rifes from great Pretenficns to Religion and Devotion, of which, alas! in thefe Parts of the World, there is very little to be feen. But as little as there is, I wifli that little were clear from Hypocrify, and that when we drav/ near to God with our Lips, our Hearts went duly ailong with them. But without Breach of Charity, there is all the Probability in the World it is quite otherwife; and that our publick Devotions are more for Fafhion's fake, and to be feen of Men, than from a true Fear of God 3 and that thougli
we
IV.] to be avoided. Matt. VI. 5. 57
we pronounce the Prayers with our Mouths, we do not trouble our feives to make good the Mean- ing of them. In our Baptifm we folemnly re- nounce the Devil, the World, and the Flefli, yet all our Days give way to the Suggellions and Temptations of all three. We fay often that ex- cellent Prayer, Our Father which art in Heaven-, but how few are there among us, that love, fear, honour, trull, and obey God, as if we believed in good earneft that he is our heavenly Father ? Hov/ few are there that fiiew any Defire that God's Name fhould be hallowed, that is, always ufed in an holy, and never in a profane Manner? How fev/ are there that fludy the Advancement of God's Kingdom, or are any way concerned that his Lawsfliould be unlverlally obeyed ? How few are there that forgive Injuries, as if they fmcerely believed what they fay in that Prayer, that the Forgivenefs of their own Sins depends upon it ? How few depend on God for their daily Bread, in the honeft way of doing their Duty, and do not betake themfelves to unlawful Shifts to pro- cure it ? How few defire in good earneft to a- void Temiptation; and how many take the De- vil's Office out of his Hand, and become Temp- ters both to themfelves and others ? We are migh- tily miftaken, if vv^e think Hypocrify is confined only to thofe who make more than ordinary Pre- tenfions to Piety and Devotion ; for it is Hypo- crify in all our Devotions, to pray for what we do not really defire, and will not ufe the proper Means and Endeavours to. obtain. Inftead of a Form of Godjinefs then, let us ftudy the Power of it, which we fliall never attain, till our Hearts join with cur Words in Prayer, and we mind
God
58 Hypocrify in our PrayerSy &c. [Serm.
God in them more than Men ; and till the good Things we mention in Prayer, we afterwards ufe our own fincere Endeavours to acquire. And then when Prayers and Endeavours go hand in hand together, as we may have all AlTurance that our Prayers are not hypocritical, but fincere, fo we may be confident, that if we patiently hold on, our Labour fhall not be without the defired Succefs, in furniihing us with a plentiful Stock of Grace here, and in bringing us to the King- dom of Glory hereafter, through the Merits and Mediation of Jefus Chrift our bleflfed Saviour and Jledeemer. io whom^ &c.
SERM.
v.] 59
SERMON V.
Matt. VI. 6.
Ver. 6. But thou^ when thou prayeji, enter into thy Clofety and when thou haft pout thy Door^ pray to thy Father which is in fecret ; and thy Father which Jeeth in fecret^ J hall reward thee openly.
The Second Sermon on this Text.
OU R Saviour having in the preceding Verfe, cautioned his Difciples againft an hypocri- tical Way of Devotion, namely, againft an Affec- tation to pray ftanding in the moft publick Places, with a Defign to be leen of Men, comes now, in the Words which I have read, to diredl to the oppofite Sincerity and Secrecy : But thou^ when thou prayefl, enter into thy Clofety &c. In which Words we are not to imagine that we are difcou- raged from publick Prayer, whether in the Church or Family ; for neither of thefe was our Saviour reprehending, but only the undifcreet and hypo- critical Sallies of Devotion,'at extraordinary Times and Places. The Meaning of his Exhortation then js, as if he had faid. The Pharifees are not con- tented with the ordinary publick Devotions in the
Church
6o Sincerity and Secrecy [Serm.
Church and Family -, but becaufe they would be thought godlier than other People, they break out into great feeming Flights of Devotion in the Markets, or wherever they can find any great Number of People affembled ^ inflead of Devotion to God, aiming only at the Applaufe of Men : But inflead of this vain Humour of pretended De- votion, I will teach you a way in which ye fliall vent your real Devotion, and iupprefs your Pride. When thou haft a mind tolliewany extraordinary Devotion, get thee to fome fecret Place, and let thy Devotions be between God and thine own Soul, and fuch Devotions he will reward. In the Words thus explained, we may obferve thefe three Things.
I. We have fecret Prayer here recommended, before thofe undifcreet publick Devotions in the Crowds of Spedators.
II. We have a Defcription of the propereft Pre- paration for this fecret Prayer, which is by ente- ring into the Clofet, or other fecret Place, and (hutting out all Company and Bufinefs.
III. We have a Promife of an open Reward to this fecret Prayer.
Thefe are the three Points which I intend, with God's Afliftance, to treat of in this Difcourfe, in the fame Order in which I have propofed them.
I, Firji, I obferve here we have fecret Prayer recommended, before thofe undifcreet publick De- votions, which were ufed by the Scribes and Pha- rifees in Crowds of Spedators : But thou^ when thou prayeji^ enter into thy Clofet ; and when thou hajl JJdUt thy Door, pray to thy Father which is in Secret, There is nothing here intended againft the ' ftated publick Devotions of the Church or
Family j
v.] i?t Tro'jer^ recommended. Matt. VI. 6, 6i
Family ; only the undifcreet Sallies of publick Devotion at unfeafonable Times and Places, are either condemned, at leaft in private Chriftians ; (for to them in that private Capacity, I fhewed you formerly this Difcourfe v^as fpoke) or at leaft comparatively fecret Prayer is preferred before it. The Word, TccpaeTov, which we render Clofety does not fignify a Place only fet apart for Devo- tion, but it lignifies a Store- houfe, a Compting- houfe, a Wardrobe, as well as a private Cham- ber. I take notice of this for two Reafons. Hr/?, Becaufe the Secrecy deligned by onr Saviour in thefe private Devotions, is fach, that he would not have it known or divulged, no not fo much as by the Place, what we are about. Now if it were a Place only dedicated to Devotion, every Time we enter into it, this would be a publiili- ing what we are about, and in fome Sort the contriving to be feen of Pvlen, at leaft that it fliould be known how. much Time we fpend in our Devotion, which feems to be far different from our Saviour's Defign, which is to have no other Witnefs of thefe Things but God only. Another Reafon for which I take notice of thib", is, that I may obviate an Excufe which fome poor People have for negleding this Duty of fe- cret Prayer, namely, that they want the Conve- iiiency of a Clofet, for their fecret Devotions. But fuppofing this were fo, if they have a Chamber, if they have a Store-houfe, if they have any other Place where they do their other Bufinefs, if they have but a Door with a Lock or Bolt, any Place where they can fecretly addrefs themfelvcs to God, this I believe is as much as is deligned by thele Words, EnUr vito thv Clojct,
But
62 Sincerity and Secrecy [Serm.
But now to come to the chief Thing here re* commended, which is fecret Prayer, preferably to thefe undifcreet Sallies of publick Devotion, at unfeafonable Times and Places, there appear to tome feveral Reafons for this Injunction.
(i.) Firft, the Conlideration of the Perfons to whom our Saviour addreffed this Difcourfe, who w^ere private Perfons, and in their private Capa- city. This I formerly proved at large, and there- fore Ihall not now fpend time about it 5 that tho* the Perfons of the Apoflles were prefent, they were there only as private Chriftians, and had not as yet received their Apoflolick Commiffion. Now conlidering our Saviour's Hearers, I fay, as private Perfons, it was very proper to debar them from that way of taking upon them to pray in Publick, which the Scribes and Pharifees took. Publick Prayer, as well as publick Preaching, was proper to be annexed to the Minifterial Office, and fo I find it reckoned by the Apoflles, A5ls vi. 4. Where the two chief Parts of the Province they aflign to themfelves, are the Exercife of Prayer, and the Miniflry of the Word -, But we will give our f elves continually to Prayer^ and to the Minijiry of the Word, And it cannot be de- nied, that private Perfons invading thefe Offices, has been the Occafion of much Diforder in the World. It is no Wonder then, that our Saviour, fpeaking to private Perfons in their private Capa- city, 'fhould recommend to them, whenever they find themfelves in a devout Frame for Devotion, to employ it rather in fecret Prayer between God and their own Souls, than in framing publick Prayers before the Multitude. This then I affign
as
v.] in Prayer^ recommendeL Matt. VI. 6. 63
as the firfl: Reafon of this Precept, namely, the keeping up Order and Decency.
(2.) This Precept was exceeding proper to avoid Hypocrify, which was the Sin which the Scribes and Pharijees were moft guilty of, and againft which our Saviour takes moft particular Care always to guard his Difciples. The Pha- rifees turned Religion into a fcenical, theatrical Bulinefs ; and inftead of that, our Saviour bends it all to an inward Principle, a Regard to God, more than a Regard to Men ; an acting as in his Sight and Prefence, and not a hunting for the Applaufe of Men. Now Hypocrify being fuch a fubtle, infinuating Vice, this was one good Way to keep us at a great diftance from it, to withdraw us from the Eyes of Men, and to teach us to mind the Eye of God in our extraordinary Devotions. By this Means we may much more eafily acquire the Comfort of knowing our own Sincerity, of w^hich thei-e is no better Mark than this, an avoiding of Oftentation in our Devotion, and a diligent drawing near to God ih fecret Prayer.
(3.) This Precept was excellent to avoid Pride, and to nourifti Humility : For though it is pof- fible that a Man may be proud of his fecret De- votions, he is in much more danger of that Sin, when, befides the Corruption of his own Heart, he has the Applaufes of a great many others to ftruggle with, and a ftrong Stream of Admirers, all contributing to feed his Pride and Vanity ; and therefore it was not fit -that every weak, and often undifcreet private Chriftian, ihould have the Liberty of framing publick Prayer ; but that That fliould be referved for thofc whom God
fliould
64 sincerity mid Secrecy [S e r m .
fhould endow with a larger Meaiure of Gifts and Graces, and by his Providence ihould cali out to more publick Employ aients in the Miniftry. So much for the firfl Thing I obferved in the Words^ That fecret Prayer is recommended to private Chriilians, before the framing of publick Devo- tions in the Crowd of Spectators. I come now to
11. The fecond Thing I obferved in the Text, namely, that the propereft Preparation for fecret Prayer, is by entering into the Clofet, or other iecret Place, and fliutting out all Company and Bufinefs : But thou, ivken thou pray eft, enter into thy Clofet ; and when thou haftfmt thy Door, pray to thy Father in Secret, There are three Things, as I apprehend, contained in this Advice, all very proper to difpofe us for this Duty of fecret Prayer: Namely,
1. Solitude; or a withdrawing from Company.
2. Leifure ; or a withdrawing from Bufinefs.
3. A ferious Application of the,Mind to God; which hnplies a withdrawing it from all other Objedls.
I. Firjl, There is nothing more neceffaryto difpofe us for fecret Devotion than SoHtude, or a frequent withdrawing our felves from Company : Enter into thy Clofet, andfhut thy Door, Every one who has any Knowledge or Experience in private Prayer and Devotion, knows that there is no greater Enemy to Devotion, (bating a fcanda- lous wicked Life) than a Mind diflipated with much Company. Worldly Company and Bu- finefs ftrongly diverts the Heart from that inward Recollection and Attention, which is necefiary in order to our converfing with God in Prayer. It
is
v.] in Prayer, recommendecL Matt. VI. 6. 6^
13 very obfervabie, that our blefled Saviour, as he fet us in his own Example, a Pattern of all other Virtues, io he gave us great Examples of Retire- ment for Devotion. For to fay nothing of his private Life, before his publick Miniftry, which we may well conclude was fpent much in Devo- tion ; (for as he grew in Wifdom and Stature, it is obferved likewife, that he grew in Favour with God as well as Men) we may fee with what a folema .Retirement he .began his Minifterial Function, {pending no lefs than Forty Days in the Wilder- nefs. And how frequently do we read of his withdrawing himfelf from his Difciples into a Mountain apart to pray? And when he was moft frequented with Crowds of Difciples and others that attended his Dodtrine ai^d Miracles, that he had no Time in the Day, he ftole Time from his Pvcft in the Night, to fpend in Devotion and fecret Prayer. Devotion is like a fine Spirit, which quickly evaporates if it takes Air ; and therefore to preferve it, we fliould often withdraw our felves from the Company of Men, and be retired with God. And certainly there cannot be a worfe Sign of a bad fpiritual State, than a great Averfion to Retirement and fecret Prayer.
2. A fecond Thing requifite to difpofe the Mind for fecret Prayer, is Leifure, or a with- drawing from Bufinefs ; or rather an inward Tran- quillity; that is, not only a Freedom from Bufi- nefs, but from worldly Cares, Luflis, and Paf- fions. For what fignifies the withdrawing from Company without, if we carry our Company and Bufinefs along with us? Certainly then, Ihe en- tering into the Clofct^ and jhiitti?j^ the Dcor, mufl:
Vol. III. F^ fxgmfy
66 Sincerity and Secrecy [Serm.
fignify our affording our felves Leifure to attend on God : And the bare bodily Attendance iigniiies no- thing, if we are abfent in Mind ; if we carry our Shops, and Stores, and Farms 5 our Accounts, Bar- gains, worldly Cares and Proiefe, along with us ; or which is worfe, our Luil, Ambition, and Re- venge. Thefe are the true Caufes, both that our Devotion is fo unfuccefsful, and fo unpleafant and irkfome. For how can we expedl that God will grant thofe Prayers which come not from the Heart, but are put up in fuch a hfelefs Manner, and with a^little Concern, as v/e commonly ad:, when we fp eak of one thing, and think of ano- ther ? Or how can we delight in any Company, though never fo good, when our Hearts are ab- fent, and we entertain that Company only for Fafhion's fake ? If ever we defign then that our fecret Prayers fliould either be pleafant or fuccefs- ful, we muft addrefs our felves to them with Minds recolleded, and difintangled from all o- ther Company or Bufmefs, or fo much as any hankering after them, that we may entirely wait on God.
3. And this leads me to the third Thing ob- ferved in this Advice about fecret Prayer, namely, a ferious Application of the Mind to God ; Pray to thy Father which is in Secret, There are fun- dry very ufeful Subjeds I might infift on from thefe Words; fuch as i. The Objedl of Divine Worfl:iip; not Saints and Angels, nor the Virgin Mary^ but God himfelf. 2. That we are to ap- proach to God as dutiful Children to a loving Father, willing and ready to help them ; T^hy Fa- ther. 3. That there is no Place fo retired, where God doth not fee^ and hear, and mind us ; 'Thy
Father
v.] //; Prayer^ recommended. Matt. VI. 6. 67
Father in Secret. 4. The intent Application of die Soul to him in this holy Exercife ; Pray to thy Father in fecret. Bat I ihall fay nothing of the firfl, becaufe we have no Papifts, nor Fa- - vourers of them here; but the Devotions we put up, we all put them up to Almighty God, thro' the Mediation of Jefus Chrift. Nor (hall I fay any thing of the fecond, that we are to approach to God as dutiful Children to a loving Father, wil- ling and ready to help us ; becaufe This will come in better on the Explication of the Lord's Prayer ^ which quiclcly follows in this Chapter. The third and fourth indeed, concerning God's feeing in fecret, and the Intent Application of the Soul to him in this holy Exercife, it will not be amifs now briefly to confider. As to the firfl: of thefe : What I obferved from the Words, Fhy Father which is in Secret^ and thy Father which feeth in Secret^ was, that there is no Place fo retired, where God is not prefent, and doth not fee, and hear, and mind us. This like feveral other of God's Perfec- tions, we poor ?vlorrals cannot eafily comprehend, yet v>'e profefs to believe it : But O that we could ad: fuitably to this Belief! How circumfped: and cxad would it make us in all our Deportment ? How many Things are there, which the Sight of any forry Mortal Witnefs will deter us from, com.- mitting, which yet we boldly venture on, not- withftanding what we pretend to believe of God's Omniprefence and Omnifcience. It is really to be feared, that we delude our felves in this Mat- ter, and that we do not believe this Dodrine, feeing it has fo little Influence on our Lives -, for if we believed in good earneft that God fees into our Hearts, and all our fecretcft Tranfactions, it F 2 would
68 Sincerity and Secrecy [Serm.
would be a mighty powerful Curb to keep us to our good Behaviour. That which Divines call the Exercife of the Divine Prefence, is a ftrong Prefervative againft Temptations, and deferves therefore to be recom^mended to our Study and Praftice, as a Thing of the greateft Importance. But the laft Thing I told you, was contained in this Ex predion oi Praying to our Father in Jecref^ is the intent Application of the Soul to God in this holy Exercife. For Prayer is not a draw- ing near to God with the Lips, but with the Heart, and therefore requires the clofefi: Union of Affedion to him. This makes it fo difficult an Exercife, as being the applying of the Heart and Soul to an invifible and incomprehenfible Objed:. For befides that the Devil fets himfelf, with all his Art and Cunning, to hinder this clofe Appli- cation to God, our own foolifh Minds are fo taken up with fenfible Objeds, and our Imagina- tion is fo repleniflied with the Pidures and Images of them, that it is the hardeft Thing in the World to keep it from wandring in Prayer, and requires our utmoft Efforts and Endeavours to that Pur- pofe. For this End it is requifite that we be pof- fefled of a very lively Faith in God, of a fervent Love to him, of a Truft and Affiance in his Mer- cy in Chrift Jefus, of a particular Belief of thofe ample Promifes, which he has made to the fin- cere Performance of this Duty of Prayer: and all little enough to keep the Mind bent to that Degree of Attention, and fcrewed up to that Mea- fure of Affedion which is requifite in Prayer. And this leads me to
III. The third and laft Thing I obferved in the Words, namely, the Promife of an open Reward
to
v.] in Prayer^ recommended. Matt. VL 6, 69
to this fecret Prayer : And thy Father "which feeth i?i fecret, pall reward thee openly. It is a very exprefs Promife, and has its Accompli (hment both in the many vifible BleiTings conferred on devout People as the Returns of their Prayers here upon Earth, and in the great final Reward of Glory, which before Men and Angels fliall be beftowed upon them in Heaven. And certainly there is no Duty attended with more vifible Bleffings than this of Devotion. It would be endlefs to reckon them all up ; for it is the great Means of obtain- ing all Bleffings v^^hatfoever, either for our felves or otiiers, either for this Life, or the Life to come, as I have fliewed at large on fome other Occafions.
And therefore having now finifhed what I pro- pofed to confider from the Text, I (liall conclude with an Exhortation to the Practice of this much negleded Duty of fecret Prayer. We all pretend to be Chriftians, that is, to obey the Laws, and to follow the Example and Conducft of Chriji Jefus-y Now there is nothing he preffes more carneilly upon us than the avoiding of Hypocrify ; and This he gives as one of the principal Inllances of our avoiding Hypocrify, our frequenting of fecret Prayer. And to encourage us to the diligent Per- formance of this Duty, he has aiTured us not on- ly that God takes fpecial Notice of it, as being a Duty performed v/ith a pure regard to himfelf, but that he will amply reward it ; and particu- larly that there fliall be fomething in the Reward, that Ihall put a particular Honour on the Secrecy of the Duty • for as he fees it in Secret, he will reward it openly. There are Abundance of other Promiies fcattered both in the OA/and New Tefla- F 3 ment
yo Sincerity and Secrecy [S e r m.
menf to the fame Purpofe, with this further Af- furance for our Encouragement, that we have a powerful Mediator and Advocate at the Fathers right Hand, Jefus Chriji the Righteous, to fur- ther all our Petitions. We are taught that the Con- dition upon which we are to exped: to receive, is that we afk ; the Condition upon which we are to exped: to find God, is that we. feck him ; and the Way to have the Door opened to all the Treafures of his heavenly Gilts and Graces is, that we knock inceifantly. Certainly if our Sa- viour had not known this to be the beft and moft ufeful Exercife and Employment for us, he v/ould never have given usfuch extraordinary Encourage- ment to it. But all it feems will not do; there is nothing from which our corrupt Natures are more backward ; there is nothing the Devil takes more Pains to hinder -, there is nothing which the World with all its Lulls doth more powerfully divert, than the Exercife of fecret Prayer. This is to flop the fountain Head from whence the Streams of all Bleffings proceed. This is to put out the Life of Religion ; for without This it is but a dead Carcafe, all other Duties without this are but dull Morality -, it is this bleffed Intercourfe by Prayer that feeds the Love of God, which is the Soul of all religious Duty. Take away That^ and all the reft is a Body without Life; an Heap. of Ceremonies without Reality, and any Thing rather than Religion. O ! give me leave then to, prefs thisDacy of fecret Prayer with an unufual Concern. Could we once perfuade you to This, we {hould have an eafy Taft: in all our other Bu- finefs. For by a diligent frequenting of this Duty, fuch Light and Knowledge would be darted into
your
v.] in Prayer y recommended. Matt. VI. 6. yx
your Minds by God himfelf, that ye would be- come Wi/er than all your Teachers. And ye would likewife acquire fuch a trad:able Temper, that ye would not require many Arguments to ftir you up to your Duty, but ye would be a willing People in the Day of God's Power. And if willing. Prayer in Chrifi's Name would draw down fuch a Meafure of Grace as would anoint the Wheels of Adlion, and make them go glibly into all Du- ty. Let me then mofl earneftly entreat all to fet about this Duty. Let thofe who are Young, Remember their Creator in the Days of their Touth^ and beg his Bleffing and Condud: in that dange- rous Time of their Lives. Let Men of Bulinefs diligently pray for God*s Bleffing ; otherwife they may in vain rife up early and go to Bed late, and eat the Bread of Carefulnefs all the Day long. Let Perfons in publick Trujft, who have the Ma- nagement of the Publick upon their Hands, mind this Duty ; for [a) Except the Lord build the Houfe^ they labour i?i vain that build it ; and ex- cept the Lord keep the City^ the Watchman wak- eth but iji vain. Let old Men and Women who muft fhortly leave the World, think it mofl: proper for them to extricate themfelves from worldlyBuli- nefs, and to retire to the Duties of Devotion ; let them Trim their Lamps and gird up their Loyns for their great Journey. In fhort, let us all Seek the Lord while he may be founds and call upon him while he is 7iear. And think not that Devotion will hinder Action ; quite otherwife, when ye are dull in other Duties , This will give you a
(a) Pr. cxxvii. I.
F 4 new
72 Sincerity and Secrecy^ iicz, [Serm.
new Edge ; when your Chariot Wheels go flow, This will new oil them ; and to your own weak Endeavours This will add new Life and Vigour, that ye will be able to do all Things through Chrift ftrengthening you. To conclude then with my Text, Enter into your Clojets-, midivhenye have jJdut the Door ^ pray unto your Father injecret, and your Father which feeth in jeer et^ [hall reward you openly.
Now to him who thus invites and encourages Our AddrefTes ; to the Hearer of Prayer, and the God of all Confolation ; Ti? the Father^ Son^ and Holy Ghoft^ be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, Mighty Power and Dominion, for ever aftd ever. Amen.
SERM.
VI.] 73
SERMON VL
Matt. VI. 7.
But when ye pray^ life not vain Repetitmis^ as th^
Heathen do : for they think that they fhall be
heard for their much fpeaking. Ver. 8. Be not ye therejore like unto them : for
your Father kfioweth what Things ye have need
of^ before ye afk him.
AS to the Connexion ; the general Subjeft our Saviour was now upon, was the cautioning his Difciples againft fome Blemiflies in the Righ- teoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees. Some of thefe Blemiflies proceeded from their wrong In- terpretations of the Law, of which we had feveral Inftances in the ^th Chapter of this Gofpel. And fome other of them were without any pretence or colour of Law ; only through their Pride, Co- yetoufnefs, and Cenforioufnefs, mixed with other commendable Duties, which quite marred the Grace and Beauty of them. Their Pride ran through all their Duties 3 but was more noto- rioufly confpicuous in three very eminent ones. Alms-giving, Prayer, and Fafting. The Pride of their Alms-giving we had an Account of, and a ferious Caution againft it in the
y^ij. Vain Repefkicns, and [Serm.
jirft four Verjis of this Chapter, The ilime as to their Prayers, at leaft one Branch of it, their Af- fectation to be iQ^n of Men in their Devotions, our Saviour cautioned againft at the ^th and bth Verfes^ being the Words immediately preceding the Text. And now in thefe two Verfes which I have read, another Part of the Pride adhering to their Devotions is guarded againft ; namely, the great Length of them. But this is mentioned with another Aggravation ; namely, as an Hea- thenifli Vice, and proceeding from their Ignorance of the Nature of God, and the Nature of true Devotion, But whe?2 ye pray^ ufe not n:ain Repeti-- tions as the Heathen do, &c.
From the Words I iliall endeavour to do thefe two Things.
I. To give a Defcription of this Blemifh of Devotion, called here 7'he ujing of vain Repe- titions,
II. To explain the Aggravations of this Sin, as they may be gathered frorn the Text and Con- text,
But before I begin, that we may not think our Saviour is wandring from his Subjed:, by bringing in the Faults of the Heathen, in the midft of his treating of thofe of the Scribes and Pharifees: Not to infift on it that fome Copies, inftead of the Word Heathen, have here the Word Hypocrites-, we are to confider that even this of long Prayers, as well as hypocritical ones, was one of the Vices of the Scribes and Pharifees, This fame Evangelift, Chap, xxiii. 14. gives us an Account of a Woe denounced againft them by our Saviour on this Account, that for a Pretence they made long Prayer, in the mean time devour- ing
VI.] Lengthin Praye7\ Matt. VI. 7, 7?
ing Widows Houfes. Wo unto you Scribes and Phariiees, Hypocrites^ for ye devour Widows Houfes^ and for a Pretence make long Prayer j therefore ye> (hall receive the greater Damnation, And both {a) St Mark and [b) St Luke give us an Account of his cautioning his Difciples againft that Part of their Chara<^l:er. And therefore though to aggravate the Odioufnefs of it^ it is added here, that it is an heathenifli Cuftom, yet being like- wife a Cuftom of the Scribes and Pbartfees^ it was very pertinent to bring it in, in this Place ; where he is cautioning his Difciples againft the Blemifhes of the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees.
I. But now to come to the Fault itfelf, it is called here, Ufng vain Repetitions^ and much Jpeaking in Prayer, It is no eafy Matter to give either a right Defcription of the Fault, or of the Reafons why it became fo faulty. The chief Fault of it, it feems, lay in turning Devotion from the affectionate Work of the Heart, to the Work of the Invention, Memory or Tongue : Or to an idle Repetition of the fame Thing over and over again. Some of the Jewifli Writers tell us of the PharifeeSy that they would make Pray- ers three Hours long ; and we read of the Priefts of Baal that (c) they cried to their God from Morning to Noon^ faying^ O Baal hear us. Now there were fcveral Reafons for which they made thefe long Prayers. The Pharifees we are exprefly told, did it for a Shew or Pretence, Luk, xx, 47. that is, that they might gain to themfelves a Cha- racter of devout and religious People -, a Character
{a) Mar. xii. 40. {!>) Luk. xx. 47. (c) i Kings xviii. 26.
which
76 Vain Repetitions^ and^ [Serm,
which turned mightily to Account for their cove- tous and ambitious Deligns. And this fliews us how properly it comes in here, under this Head of their Pride. The Heathens had really no better No- tions of their Gods; but thought they might be harangued and perfuaded, like Men, by hu- man Eloquence ; or even wearied out by Dun- ning and Importunity.
2. And this leads me to ihcfecoiid Thing I was to explain ; namely, wherein the Faultinefs of this Pradiice doth confift.
There is great Probability the Fault of thefe Devotions did not lie only in the Length of them. For if a true Spirit of Devotion is kept up all the time, we cannot well exceed either in the Fre- quency or the Continuance of our AddrelTes to God; or even in an holy Importunity at the Throne of Grace. Nor is it unlawful to make Repetition of the fame Words and Petitions in Prayer, fo it be done from a Spirit of Devotion. We have feveral Examples in the Holy Scriptures of both thefe Practices. What a long, yet excellent Prayer did Solomon pronounce at the Dedication of the Temple ? And David makes frequent Repeti- tions of the fame devout Prayers andThanks-giv- ings in the Book of the PJalms, It is written of our Saviour too, that three feveral times he prayed in the Garden, that the Cup of Sufferings might pafs from him ; and that in thefe three Prayers he made ufe of the fame Words. And as to the lengthen- ing of his Devotions, in Luke vi. 12. we are told that He 'went out to a Mountain to pray -, and continued all Night in Prayer to God, It is true, the Words are by fome otherwife tranflated, that he continued all Night in God's Houfe of Prayer,
or
VL] Length in Prayer. Matt. VI. 7. 77
or in a Synagogue dedicated to God for that pur- po fe ; for the Greek Word 'zzr^oo-gu^ji fignifies both Prayer, and an Houfe of Prayer. But granting this, it is moft probable that that Night was fpent in Devotion, for elfe why fhould he ftay all Night in an Houfe of Prayer ? From all which it would feem that it is not the bare Length of Devotions, nor the ufing Repetitions in them, that is iimply condemned.
To fatisfie our felves then more poiitively in this Blemifh of both Pharilaical and Heathen ifh De- votion, which is here condemned, let us a little more narrowly confider the Text and Context. From whence we may gather the following Ob- fervations, v/hich will give us great Light into this Matter.
1. That Oftentation, and other worldly Aims and Defigns from long Prayers are here con- demned.
2. That unworthy Conceptions of God, as if he either, knew not our Wants, or were unwilling to relieve them, till informed and moved by our Perfuafions or Importunities; are here likewife condemned.
3. That the Prefcribing to God in a great ma- ny worldly and indifferent Things, which lengthens out Prayers, is likewife here cenfured.
4. That our wrong Conceptions concerning the nature of Prayer, turning it from the Heart to a mere external laborious Service, are here redified.
5. From the whole, that all Things confidered, few Words in Prayer are beft, and htteil for the generality of Mankind.
All
7 8 Vain Repetitions y and [Serm,
All thefe being founded on the Text, and af- fording us feveral good Helps and Directions for our Devotions, and particularly being introducto- ry of that excellent Form of Devotion, which immediately follows in the Lord's Prayer, and cafting great Light upon it, will require our more particular Confideration, and ihall accordingly be the Subject of my Difcourfe at this Time,
L The y?/;y? Thing I oblerve from this Prohibi- tion of Vain Repetitions, and much fpeaking in Prayer, is, that the Sinews of Oftentation and Covetoufnefs, and divers other Vices, which the Pharifees carried on by means of their long Prayers, are here cut off: And we are taught a Simpli- city in our Prayers, and a Freedom from all fi- nifter Defign. I gather this Obfervation, chiefly from the Context, and from comparing this Text with other Quotations of the fame, by this fame Apoftle, and fome other of the Evangelifls. As to the Context, it is plain our Saviour in it is reprehending the Scribes and Pharifees^ particu- larly as to their Pride ; that they did their Alms to be feen of Men ; that they prayed in the moft publick Places to be k^i\ of Men ; and that in fafting they disfigured their Faces, that they might appear unto Men to faft. It being plain then that this is the Subjedl our Saviour is here treating of, if this which is fa id of Vain Repetition ^nd much fpeaking in Prayer, can be reduced to it, there is all the Reafon in the World that it fhould be ad- mitted. And there is no difficulty in the Things when it is fo plainly marked to our Hand in the otherQuotation about long Prayers already mentio- ned, that thePharifees make them for a Shew, here- by turning their Devotion into Vanity ; and out of
Covetoufnefs,
VL] Length in Prayer, Matt. VI, 7. 79
Covetoufnefs, that they might make a Prey of the more fimple, particularly that they might de- vour Widows Houfes.
From hence let us obferve what an abominable Prad:ice it is, to put on Religion only for a Cloak to Pride, Covetoufnefs, or any other car- nal Defigns. Time has been, and that in the Memory of fome yet living, when a Sett of Hypocrites by their long Prayers, and other ad:ed Devotions, came not only to impofe upon Wi- dows and the more fimple Sort, but upon a whole Nation, till they deftroyed the King and Country by a Civil War -, and feated themfelves in the chief Seats of Government, and glutted their Pride, Ambition, Covetoufnefs, and Cru- elty to the uttermoll. Then this excellent Form of Prayer, which our Saviour himfelf compofed, was laid afide, as a mean Thing in comparifoa of their long extemporary Effafions. But I need not infift on this, for we are run into the other extream ; the Hypocrify of that Age has begot the Atheifm and Irrelisiion of this, and inflead of their long Prayers, we are come to none at alL But before vv e have done v/ith our Saviour's Di- redtions here about Prayer, we ihall meet v/ith feveral Things relating to our own Cafe as v/eli as theirs.
II. To go on then, the fecond Thing I ob- lerved from the Words was, that unworthy Con- ceptions of God, as if he cither knew not our Wants, or were unwilling to relieve them, till informed and moved bv our Perfuafions or Im- portunities -, are here likewife condemned. "They think ^ fays my Text, that they Jhall be heard for their much fpeaking. And again, Be 7iot ye there- fore
§6 yain Repetitions ^ and [Serm.
fore like Uftto them^ for your Father knoweth what Things ye have need oj before ye afk him. Upon this Obfervation I muft firft remove an erroneous No- tion of Almighty God, which this Prad:ice was built upon^ and then anfwer an Objed;ion, which rifes from the true Dodirine in this particular.
(i.) The erroneous Notion of Almighty God, this Practice of much fpeaking in Prayer is built upon, is, that he is like unto us weak Men ; un- knowing in many Things, till we inform him ; averfe to fome Things, till we perfuade him ; for- getful, till we remind him ; and wavering and unrefolved, till we fix him by our Arguments and Importunity. All, unworthy Notions of God, which our Saviour by the Dodlrine of my Text, endeavours to correct and remove. And indeed ' nothing could have been faid more proper of them, than as our Saviour here doth, to leave upon them the blot of Heathenifli Ignorance. The Heathens knew no better moft of them 5 and indeed their Gods deferved to be no better thought of. But we Chriftians fliould have quite other No- tions of God Almighty ; namely, that he knows all our Wants before we afk him, and knows them infinitely better than we do our felves : That he knows the beft Way of fupplying our Wants, and the beft fitted to our Circumftances : That he loves us, and is of himfelf ready and willing to relieve us, we doing our Duty in applying our felves to him : That all Rhetorick and fair Words fignifie nothing with him, who knows our Heart, and looks only at that 3 and values the Sincerity thereof infinitely beyond the fineft Speech that can be made to him. If we have thefe Notions
of
VI.] Length in Prayer. Matt. VI. 7. Si
of God, we fhall find long Prayers very needlels on his Account.
(2.) But then if this be the Cafe, it may be objecfted, what fignify Prayers at all } We cannot pretend to inform God of any Tiling but what he knows already ; nor to perfuade him by our Prayers to alter his own wife Decrees and Relblutions: This Dodrine it is to be feared, if it teaches any Thing, teaches too much, and will Induce Men to abftain from Prayer altogether. In anfwer to this Objeftion, the true Grounds of Prayer mufi: be briefly remembred, that the Neceffity of it may appear, notwithftanding God's previous Know- ledge of our Wants, and Readinefs to relieve us upon our doing our Duty. Prayer then, notwith- ftanding this Knowledge and Readinefs, is ftill ne- ceffary upon thefe three or four Accounts. Firji^ As an Homage due to Almighty God. Secondlyy As a Condition without which God will not grant the Things that be needful to us. thirdly, As a Means to put and keep our Souls in good Frame and Temper. Fourthly^ To make us fenfible of our Wants, and of our conftant Dependance on Almighty God for Supplies. And we may afTure our felves, if God loves us ever fo well, his com- mon Way of expreffing his Love to his Children, is by exciting and giving them Grace to aft, and not by granting them his Favours without aiding. Thefe Things, if I had Time to handle them par- ticularly, would lliew us the great Ufe and Nc- ceiTity of Prayer, though there is no Occalion to heap up many Words with God. To go on then,
III. The Preferibing to God in a great many Particulars, and thofe fuch often as we cannot be
Vol. III. G furc
Sz Vain Repetitions^ and [Serm*
fure are good for us, or do any way tend to his Service, (a Cuftom by which Prayers are much lengthened) is here likcwife cenfured : Your Fa- ther kmweth what things ye have need oj\ before ye ajk him. How many are there, who, if they might be their own Carvers, would mightily ex- alt themfelves, and deprefs others ? They would be fure in their Prayers to reckon up a large Ca- talogue of earthly BlefTings of all Sorts, which they would draw down upon themfelves, without con- lidering how prejudicial thofe very Things might prove, if they were granted. When the Mother of Zebedee's Children petitioned our Lord for her two Sons, that they might fit, one on his Right Hand, and the other on his Left, in his Kingdom; meani[ng thereby that they fhould be the two chief Statefmen and Favourites in his worldly Kingdom : Had flie obtained what £he aimed at, it might have been the Ruin of thefe her Chil- dren, by engaging them deeply in the worldly Spirit, and withdrawing their Minds from better Things. AH thofe Parts of our Prayers in which we pray for worldly Bleffings, more than a Com- petency fit for our Station and Circumftances, had better be cut fliort, and involved in a gene- ral Refignation to the Will of God. For we know not whether thefe Things are good for Perfons in our Circumftances, and whether they may not prove Impediments rather than Furtherances of our eternal Happinefs. This is the great Rule by which all is to be tried, and on which all depends. There are fome Perfons fitted for the Manage- ment of a moderate Fortune, who, if they were promoted to great Wealth and Honour, would be overcome with Pride and Pleafures ; yet thefe
Perfons
VI.] Length in Prayer, Matt. VI. 7, 8. 83
Perlons, admit ing and envying the State of others above them, are ape to vvifh aud pray for all the Gaiety and Splendour of thofe higher Stations j wliich, if they had it, God knows would be the only endangering their far more valuable, fpiri- tual, and eternal State, for the empty Vanities of this World. This is but one Inftance how our Prayers might be (liortened, by leaving it to God*s Wifdom and Goodnefs in general, to carve out for us what Portion of earthly Bleflings he thinks fit, and knows to be bell: for us. And fo for the Conduct of publick Affiiirs and the Government of the World, it is bed to put up our Petitions in general Terms, and to pray, [a) That we may lead quiet a?id peaceable Lives in all Godlinefs and Honefiy. But for the particular Ways and Me- thods how this is to be effecfled, it is beft to leave them to God, and to meddle with Particulars no further than he has encouraged us in his holy- Word. This fame Notion of committing world- ly Things in general to God's Care, without run- ning out into many particular Suits, is not only obferved by our Saviour in this excellent Prayer, which immediately follows, and is every where to be feen in the Practice of the Apoftles, who confine their Petitions to fpiritual Bleffings, with a wonderfiil Refignation as to Temporals ; but it has likewife been obferved by fome wife Heathens, who have really delivered admirable good Divinity on this Subject; only that they fpeak of the Gods, in the plural Number, inflead of our one Great
{a) I Tim. il. 2.
G 2 God
1
84 ^^i^'i Repetitions^ and [Serm.
God. What can be finer, or more divine, than that of yuvenal :
Per mi ties ipfis expendcre Numinibus, quid Convent at fiobis^ rebiifque fit utile nojlris, Najn pro jucundis apti£ima quceque dabunt Dii, Charior eft illis Homo quamfibi. Inftead of putting up a great many Requefts for Things which we cannot forefee how they will prove, he advifes the leaving it to tiie Gods to chufe what they think moft proper for us ; as knowing much better what is fit for our Circum- ftances, and taking a better Care of us, than we i do of our felves.
IV. Fourthly^ Our wrong Conceptions concern- ing the Nature of Prayer, turning it from being the Work of the Heart, to a meer external labo- rious Service, are here rectified. Long Prayers are the Work of the Invention, the Work of the Memory, Sentences laid together by Art and Elo- quence ; but if they were reduced to what comes from the Heart and Affedion (as there is nothing elfe God regards in Prayer) they would be fhort enough ; for it is not the much Speaking, but the ardent Loving of God, that he minds. Now this Intenfenefs of Affedion, requires a vaft Degree of Devotion indeed, to make it hold out to any great Length.
V. The laft Thing I obferved from the Words, and it is an Obfervation refulting from the whole of them, is. That whether we confider God's Perfedlion, or our Imperfedlion, or the Danger of a Phariiaical Devotion ; few Words in Prayer are beft, and accordingly the Lord's Prayer is framed after this Model, the Petitions of it being very fhort, but very compreheniive.
^ (I.) God's
VI.] Length in Prayer, Matt, VL 7, 8. 85
(i.) God's Perfedlion is fuch, that it requires a Treatment with all fort of Refped:. It is Solo- fnons Advice, EccL v. 2. Be not rafi with thy Mouthy and let not thy Heart be hajiy to letter any thing before God -, for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earthy therefore let thy Words be few. If we are to make our Addrefies to a Saperiour upon- Earth, we take Care that our Words be few and deliberate. Further, we have fhewed already from the Nature of God, that he does not want to be informed of our Wants, or to be flirred up by Arguments to relieve us 3 and therefore a great Partof ourPrayers being lengthened from thofeTo- picks, may well be cut fhort. Further, the impli- cit Faith we ought to have in God's Care and Pro- vidence, and in the Mediation of Jefus Chrift, may encourage us to reft upon general Addrefies to God, without more particular Inflrudions, which would be mqre neceflary, if we were to Petition a lefs perfed: Being.
(2.) Our own Imperfection too is fuch, that we cannot indeed fit our long Addreffes to God, without a great deal of Impertinency. As to worldly Things, it has been fhewn that we know- not what, or how much of them is good for us ; and therefore all thele are to end in begging our daily Bread, or fuch a Competency of the good Things of this World, as God knows will be moft proper for Pcrfons in our Circumftances. And as to fpiritual Blefiings, they are by our Sa- viour fummed up in few Words; [a) Seek yefrji^ fays he, the Kingdom of God ^ and the Right eoujhefs
(a) Matt. vi. 33.
G 3 thereof^
86 Vain Hepetitiom, and [Serm*
thereof^ and all tbefe likings (worldl)^ Eleffings) jhall be added to you. And eliewhere all is fum- med up in the Gift of the Holy Spirit, Luke xi. 1 3 . If ye then being Evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children-, how much ??2ore Jhall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ajk him ? Though it is very decent for a Child to depend upon his Father, and to come to him for the Supply of all his Wants ^ how un- becoming and impertinent would it be for the Child to enumerate to the Father all Things that he muft give, and even to prefcribe the Sorts and Quantity, which are fit to be left to his Wif- dom and Difcretion ?
(3.) If we coniider the Danger of a Pharifaical Devotion ; that is, Devotion not coming from the Heart -, few Words are beft. It is extream diffi- cult to keep the Affedions long bent j and much Speaking doth naturally diffipate Devotion ; and the addreffing to God without the Heart, as it is no acceptable Service to him, fo it is attended with very bad Confequences as to our felves; it is apt to make us loath and grow weary of our De- votion ; it is not attended with the due Returns of Prayer, which is apt to tempt us to a Diibe- lief of the great Promifes which are made to that Duty ; befides that long Prayers are apt to feed a fpiritual Pride, and to tempt us to reft there, as if we bad done our Duty; whereas Prayer is but one half; Endeavours muft duly attend them, or elfe we do but tempt God, and lofe our Labour.
To conclude then ; what our Prayers want in Length of Words, let it be added to the Eager- nefs and Intenfenefs of our Affedion; let our Llearts be always kept in a good Frame, and
in
VI.] Length in Prayer. Matt. VI. 7, 8. 87
in a right Difpofition to receive the Influences of God's Grace ; and let all be diligently backed with vigorous Endeavours to avoid thole Sins w^hich we pray againft, and to put in Pradlice thofe Graces we pray for ; and then we may be fure that our Devotion is lincere and to good Purpofe.
But for a further help of our Devotion, here fol- lows that excellent Form of it, commonly called the Lord^-Prayer^ which we are next, God wil- ling, to explain ; for which I beg the Affiftance of your Prayers to Almighty God, through the Mediation of Jefus Chrift. To whom^ &c.
G 4 S E R M.
8 8 General Ohfervatiom [S e r m*
SERMON VIL
Matt. VI. 9.
After this Manner therefore pray ye : Our Fa- ther which art in Heaven^ hallowed be thy Name.
Ver. 10. 7hy Kingdom come, 7hy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven.
Ver. 1 1. Give us this Day our daily Bread.
Ver. 12. And forgive us our Debts ^ as we forgive our Debtors.
Ver. 13. Ajid lead us not into T^emptation^ but deliver us from "Evil ; for thijie is the King-^ dom^ and the Power ^ and the Glory ^ for ever. Amen. *
The Firft Sermon on this Text.
THIS excellent Form of Prayer being com- pofed and dilated by our Lord himfelf to his Difciples, deferves, on that Account, a very particular Regard ; and therefore I fhall apply my felf to as diligent an Explication of it as I can.
But before I come to fpeak to the particular Petitions, there are feveral good Things we may obferve from it in general, which, becaufe I think they will not fo properly fall in from any one of
the
VIL] en the Lord's Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 89
the Parts, as from the whole, I flwll therefore confider at this Time, before we enter on the Particulars.
I. The firft Thing then I obferve from this Prayer, is concerning the Lawfulnefs and Ufeful- nefs of Set Forms of Prayer. For, taking this Inftitution of our Saviour's at the lowelf, namely, that it was a proper Help for his weak Dilciples, to affifl them, till the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft,' when it is to be fuppofed they would learn to walk alone, without Leading- firings, and to frame Prayers of their own, fitted for all Oc- cafions ; taking it, I (ay, at preient for no more but this, as a feafonable Supply to the Infirmities of his Difciples, I argue from thence for the Ufe and Conveniency of Set Forms of Devotion at this Day. For
(i.) If we confider the Circumfliances of the Church, and what the Generality of Chriftians is, we muft confefs they want as much Aflifl:ancc in their Devotions now, as our Saviour's Difciples did then. If there are any endowed with larger Meafures of the Spirit, we muft be fenfible that there are but very few fuch, in comparifon of the far greater Number of weak Chriftians, who want the Help of better Compofures for Devo- tion, than they themfelves can frame.
(2.) If we confider the Difficulty of forming and framing our Devotions aright, we fhall be convinced that well compofed Forms of Devo- tion are very ufeful. There is nothing perhaps we are more Ignorant of, than the Nature of God, and the right Manner of add re fling him. It was an old Obfervation and Complaint of fome wile Heathens^ that Men mixed their own corrupt
Sentiments
90 General Objervatwns [Serm.
Sentiments and Defires in their Prayers to their Gods ', nay, that they put up fuch Prayers to their Gods, as they would be afliamed to Ipeak out, and to own to Men : Prayers, difhonoura- ble to God, and hurtful to the Perfons that pre- fent them, and to all their Neighbours, who would have been very much injured by the Grant of fuch uncharitable Petitions, as Men, when left to themfelves, would be apt to pre- fent to God Almighty. And it was not only the Heathens were guilty of this, but the Scribes and Pharifees, the beft of the Jewip Dodors, who made fuch long Prayers, as if they underftood not that Our heavenly Father knows what T^hings we have need oj\ before we ajk him.
(3.) Let us confider that the Jewifli Church, in our Saviour's Days, ufed feveral Set Forms of De- votion, which our Saviour was fo far from reprov- ing, that he himfelf imitated them, taking moft of this excellent Form of Prayer out of the JewiJJ> Liturgies, as has been obferved by feveral, who are well acquainted with that Sort of Learning. John the Baptift too taught his Difciples let Forms of Prayer, as we may gather from that Defire of our Lord's Difciples, Luke xi. i. Lord teach us to pray, as John aljb taught his Difciples. Upon which Requeft our Saviour taught them this fame Prayer. The Primitive Church ufed always Li- turgies, or Set Forms, feveral of which are pre- ferved to this Day : And not only the Ro??iip:} but the Greek and the Reformed Churches too, every one of them have their Set Forms. Which makes it fo much the ftranger, that the Prefbyterians, In- dependents, Anabaptifts, and Quakers, thofe late Sefts among us, fhould muller up tlais as an Ob-
je ction
VII.] 071 the Loris-Prayer, Matt. VI. 9 91
je(fl:ion againll the Church of England^ that {he has prefcribed a Form of Common-Prayer.
(4.) But as to the Preftyterians, it is very ob- fervable, that after they had preached and wrote a great, deal againft Set Forms, they found itne- cefiary at laft, (to prevent the Nonfenfe, Rafli- nefs, and other Inconveniencies of extemporary Effufions) to prefcribe Forms of their own, by the Name of a DireBory for the publick Wor- fhip of God.
So much for the firft Obfervation I made, that Set Forms of Prayer are neither ufelefs nor un- lawful.
As this firft Obfervation is made from our Sa- viour's compofing a Form for the Ufe of his Dif- ciples, the next three general Obfervation s I fhali make, fliall be from the Connexion of this Prayer with what went before. Our Saviour had in the Context reprehended three Errors in the Devo- tions of thofe Times. One was a Pharifaical Oftentation ; the other the fpending Devotion ia Words, without minding the Sincerity and In- tenfenefs of Aifedions; the third was a prefcribing to God, in many Particulars which he knew bet- ter than wx, and before we afk him. Now in oppofition to thcfe Errors, and with a diredl De- fign to amend them, as appears by the Particle, Therefore, Jlfter this Manner therefore pray ye 3 in oppofition to thefe Errors, I fay, there are three Things we may obferve,
I. In oppofition to Oftentation, that our Sa- viour calls us away from the Eyes of Men, to mind Our Father which is in Heaven^
z. That
92 General Obfervatiom [Serm.
2. That in oppofition to vain Repetitions, and a great Luxuriancy of Words, he has let us a Model of a very fliort compendious Prayer.
3. That in oppofition to our prefcribing to God in a great many minute Particulars, we are taught here to propofe our Wants and Requefts in ge- neral Terms, leaving the Particulars to Almigh- ty God, to anfwer thofe Wants in what parti- cular Manner he pleafes. Now then,
II. The fecond general Obfervation I make from this Prayer, is, that we are called off from minding the Eyes of Men, to mind only Our Father which is in Heaven,
In our Prayers our Bufmefs is folely with God y and therefore, laying afide Pride, and Vanity, and Affedation to be thought pious and devout ; and laying afide all worldly Defigns, of which the Pharifees were full, who for a Pretence made long Prayers that they might devour Widows Houjes ; let us open our Hearts to God, who is infinitely wife to know all our Wants, infinitely powerful, and infinitely good and willing to relieve them. And the Confideration, that it is to him, and to him only, that we fpeak, will be a good Direc- tion as to all the other Rules we are to obferve in our Devotions.
III. The third general Obfervation I would make, relates to the Shortnefs of our Prayers : ^f- ter this Manner therefore fray ye \ q. d. Seeing therefore ye have, or ought to have better No- tions of God, than that he wants to be either in- formed or perfuaded by us; or that he is delighted with a Fluency of Words and Rhetorick, as Men are; let us addrefs our felves to him accordingly, more with Vebemency and Ardency of Affedions,
than
VII.] on the Lorcts-Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 93
than with many Words : And accordingly I give you an Example here of a Prayer very (hort and fubftantial.
Before I leave this Obfervation, the Ufefulnefs of this Prayer from its Brevity, is to be confide- red ', notw^ithftanding fomething I faid formerly on this Head. And here I can eafily difcern a threefold Ufe of Brevity.
(i.) That it fuits better with the Conceptions we ought to have of Almighty God.
(2.) That it confults better our own Weak- nefs and Infirmities.
(3.) That it gives us a truer Notion of Prayer and Devotion.
(i.) Firft, Few Words in Prayer fuit better with the Conceptions we ought to have of Al- mighty God. If he were a Being that did not concern himfelf with Human Affairs, but as he is appealed to, and follicited to confider our Bu- finefs, or if likefome of the Princes of this World, he were fo taken up in minding the great and weighty Affairs of State, that he had no Leifure to attend to our little Concerns ; or if he were a Being drowfy or fleepy, or diverted with other Things, than the AddrefTes of his Creatures; (which feems to be the Notion the Priefts of Baal had of him, and which Elijah mocked them for : [a) Cry aloud, fays he, for he is a God-, ei- ther he is talking, or he is fiirfuing, or he is in <i Journey, or per adventure he Jleepeth, and muft be awaked.) Or if God were a Being, like fome Men, dull of Apprehenfion, that did not under-
[a) I Kings xviii. 27.
ftand
94- General Obfervations [Serm.
fland a Thing, unlefs it were inculcated over and over again, and explained w^ith abundance of Care to their weak Appreheniions. Or if he were a Being hard to be moved, as fome Men are, to come to Account, and to pay theii' Debts, except they are wearied out with Abundance of Dunning and Importunity. Or if he were to be cajoled and flattered, as feveral inferiour Beings are, with fair Words, and a fmooth Tongue : Then indeed there might be fome good Ground for a great many Words in our Addreffes to Almighty God. But all thefe are very unworthy Notions of God, and we are taught to have quite other Concep- tions of him, namely, that (a) His Eyes are iip-^ on the Ways of Man^ and that hefeeth all his Go- ings : Nay, that [b) the Eyes of the Lord are in every Place ^ beholdifig the Evil and the Good. And therefore there is no Occafion of Words to ftir up his Attention. That the fmalleft and moft mi- nuteThings as well as the greateft.fail under theCare of his Providence. (c)NotJo 7nuch as a Sparrow falls to the Gromid without him ; ajid that the very Hairs of our Head are all numbred : And therefore there is no fear that the minding of greater Affairs will fo employ him, as to make him forgetful of our leffer ones. He is ^e Searcher of Hearts, and Trier of the Reins, (d) He knows our Down-fittiiig^ and Up-rifng, and underjlands our very Thoughts afar off. So that there is no Occafion to explain Matters minutely to him. [e) He runs out and embraces his returning Prodigals, and even pre-
{d) Job xxxiv. 21. {h) Prov. xv. 3. [c] Matt. x. 29; \d) Pfal. cxxxix. 2, \c) Luke xv. 20.
vents
VII.] on the Lord' s-P ray er. Matt. VI. 9; 9^^
vents their fine Speeches : He is more ready to hear than we to pray ; and to grant more than we either defire or deferve. So that there is no Occafion of either Dunning, or long Arguments with him. And therefore all this Prolixity, and many Words in Prayer, is unfuitable to thofe re- verent Thoughts and Apprehenfions we ihould have of Almighty God.
(2.) Few Words in Prayer likewife fait bet- ter with our own Weaknefs and Infirmities. Not many know what to fay to God, he is fo infinitely above our weak Apprehenfions. {a) He is in Heaven and ws upon Earthy therefore let our Words be few. The Memories too of the greater Part of Mankind are but weak, and therefore fhort Prayers for them are befl:. And above all, our Affedions are fo wandering, that we cannot eafily fix them long on fo glorious an Objed:. And fuch is the Nature of Speech, that as it tires and flags the Spirit, fo it diflipates a Spirit of Devotion, which as it is fed by Meditation, fo it is fpent by many Words and Talking.
(3.) Brevity in Words gives us a truer No- tion of the Nature of Devotion. For Prayer is the Language of the Heart to God ; and great Care is to be taken that it be not turned to ji drawing near to God with the Lips^ while the Heart is Jar jrom htm 3 that is, to an outward Formality, inflead of an inward Devotion. For avoiding of which, fome have recommended in our fecret Devotions the abftaining from Words altogether, and the betaking our felves to mental
(^J.-EccL V, 2.
Prayer
^6 Gefieral Obfervations [Serm.
Prayer. And indeed the Ufe of Words in feaet Prayer cannot be to exprefs our Minds to God, -who underftands the Language of our Hearts ; but only to affedl our felves, and to kindle our Devotion to a greater Height -, which Aim it mifles of, when it runs out in too great a Length of Words.
IV. The fourth general Obfervation I would make, and which our Saviour feems to deduce from the Doftrine he had formerly laid down, relates chiefly to the avoiding too great a Mi- nutenefs or Particularizing in Prayer, as a Thing not fo proper for us, w^ho jfhould come to God tike Children to a Father, expofing in general our Nakednefs and Wants, but leaving it to him to fiipply them in fuch a Manner as he thinks moil convenient for us. This feems to be very fairly de- ducible from the foregoing Words, applied to this Prayer, with a Therefore, The foregoing Words were. Tour Father knoweth what Things ye have need of before ye afk him ; then follows. After this Manner therefore pray ye. And the Prayer we find confifls all of general Petitions, leaving the particu- lars to God himfelf to bellow, as he in his Wifdom and Goodnefs Ihould think fit. In the firfl Petition we pray that his Glory may be ad- vanced, which is the main End of all, to which all our other Ends and Defigns ought to be fub- ordinate. But we leave it to himfelf to contrive the infinite Ways and*' Means how to promote his own Glory. Only in the fecond Petition we pray for the Advancement of his Kingdom, that is, the Propagation and fiourifliing State of the Gofpel ; That being the chief Means whereby his Glory is to be promoted ; leaving ftill the par- ticular
VII.] on the Lord^s-Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. 97
ticular Ways and Means how This is to be car- ried on, to himfelf. In the /i6/W Petition we pray that he may be obeyed, and his Bleffed Will better coniplyed with here upon Earth, in imi« tation of the cheerful Service, that is performed to him in Heaven. But as to the innumerable Particulars of this Petition, and the Infinite Ways and Means how it is to be effed:ed, we leave all That to himfelf. In xht fourth Petition, inftead of prefcribing to God what Portion of worldly good Things we would have him to beftowupon us, all is lammed up in a Petition for our daily Bread. Then for our Souls, all our Petitions are comprehended in thefe two; the Pardon of Sin, and the Guarding us from being overcome with Temptation ; leaving all the numberlefs Particu- lars of thefe Things to God himfelf; how, and when, and how much he thinks fit to bellow. This is a Thing we ought to learn, either not to enlarge upon Particulars of Things not abfolutely neceffary, or at lead to fubmit them to God's wifer Choice, whether, and when, and how, and }n what Meafure he thinks fit to grant them.
V. A fifth general Obfervation we may make from this Prayer, is, concerning the right Prepa- rations and Difpofitions with which we ought t6 draw near to God. And of thefe we may eafily obferve a great many noble ones pointed at in this very Prayer. I fliall inftance in the follow-- ing Graces. Faith ; the Love of Gpd ; the Love of our Neighbour ; Humility and Refignation ; Watchfulnefs again ft Temptations, and a Rea- dinefs to join Obedience with Prayer ; All no- ble Difpofitions for the Duty,
Vol III. H i. I begin
9 8 General Ohfervaf ions [Serm.
1. I begin with Faith, which is a fundamen- tal Grace, neceffary in all our Addrcfles to God, as the Apoftle fays, [a) He that cometh to Gody mufi believe that he isy ami that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Now this Difpo- fition of Faith appears in the very firft Words of this Prayer, Our Father, As Children come to a Father, believing him both ready and willing to relieve them, and with an implicit Faith in his Goodnefs, leaving it to himfelf to fupply them in what Manner he thinks mod fit and expedient; fo fhould we go to God, with an holy Confidence prefenting our Requefts ; but withal leaving it en- tirely with him in what Manner he will be pleafed to relieve us.
2. Another good Difpofition with which we are to addrefs our felves to Prayer, is the Love of God ', and this is very vifible in this Prayer, both in that we are fuppofed to come to God as Chil- dren to a Father ; and in that we pray in the firft and chief Place for the Advancement of his Ho- nour and Glory ; and what we pray for our felves is only to fit us the better for his Service and Obedience.
3. A third good Difpofition for Prayer, and very obfervable here, is Charity, or the Love of our Neighbour. For all the good Things which we pray for our felves, we pray likewife for our Neighbour. We fay, Our Father^ not my Fa- ther ; we pray for his daily Bread, and for the Pardon of his Sins, and that he may avoid the Snares of Temptation, as well as we pray for thefe
(a) Heb. xl 6.
Bleflings
VIL] 071 the Lord'S'Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 99
Bleffings to our felves. Nay, which is very re- markable, we pray for the Pardon of our Sins, only upon Condition, and with fuch Limiiiation, as we forgive them that have injured us. So that we put their Souls and ours in the fame Bottom, and even in our fecreteft Prayers exsrcife that great Law of Charity of loving our Neighbour as our felves.
4. A fourth good Difpofition for Prayer, and very obfervable in this Form of our Saviour's is Humility and Refignation. The whole of it fa- vours of this Grace. By coming in the Quality of Children, we acknowledge our own Ignorance and Want of Difcretion to carve for our felves, and fubmit our felves to the wifer Will of our Father. By confeffing him to be in Heaven and our felves upon Earth, we own our own Infir- mities and his Perfedlions, and fo do implicitly fubmit all our imperfedl Defires to hisall-fufficient Wifdom and Goodnefs. By preferring the Pe- titions for his Glory before thofe which are for our felves, we (hew that it is our Meaning and Defire that all thefe fhould be regulated by thofe. By faying, ^hy Will be done^ we fubmit all our Defires to his. By praying for but a bare Compe- tency of worldly Ble flings, we fliew that we are far from defiring great Things for our felves. By begging Forgivenefs of our Sins, we fliew that we are far from pleading Merit, but that in all Humility we implore Mercy. And lallly, by praying againfl: Temptations we acknowledge our own Infufiiciency to take the Condudt and Ma- nagement of our felves, and that we are undone wtihout the continual Affifl:ance of the Grace of God.
H 2 5. A
1 0 o General Obfervations [S e r m.
5. A fifth good Difpofition for Prayer, or at leafl Concomitant of it, is a Watchfulnefs againft Temptations. Oar Saviour joined thefe two to- gether, Watch and pray that ye enter not into Temp- tation, And the bare Praying for Pardon of Sin, without great Vigilance and Care to guard againft it for the future, is but a Mocking of God, and a Deceiving of our own Souls. The making of this then one Part of the Prayer, Not to lead us into Temptation^ but to deliver us from Evil ; fhews us how we ought to have an Heart well fortified againft all manner of Temptations, and ready to do our utnioft Endeavour to (hake off ail evil Ha- bits. For that Circle of confefiing our Sins, and begging God's Pardon for them, and commiitting them quickly again, is a great Sign of Unfmcerity, and muft needs put a ftop to the Pardon we fue out at the fame Time.
6. I obferve this Prayer is fo framed, that all along it fuppofes an Heart ready to yield Obedi- ence to God's Commandments. By addreffing to God as Our Father which is in Heaven, we own his Authority to command, and our Duty to obey. By praying that his Name may be hal- lowed, that is, that he may be duly honou/ed, we (hew and prdfefs our felves difpofed to pay him all Honour, which cannot be done but by paying a Refpedl to his holy Laws. By prayirig for the Advancement of his Kingdom, we own our felves his faithful and obedient Subjeds. By praying that his Will may be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven, we pray for Grace to enable us cheer- fully and readily to execute all his Precepts. By begging of him our daily Bread, we both fliew our Dependance on his Providence, and that we
are
VIL] on the Lords-Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. . lol
are refolved to endeavour after a Livelihood in an honeft and lawful Way, fuch as we may lookup to him for his Blefling upon it. By praying for the Forgivenefs of our Sins, we profeis our felves to repent of them in good earneft : And when we add, As we forgive them that trefpafs againjl us, we (hew our adtual Compliance with one of the difficulteft Duties, the Love of Efiemies. And when we pray Not to be led into T^emptatlon^ but to be delivered from Evil, we deprecate all thofe Things, which may lead us afide from our Duty.
VI. Laftly, there is but one general Obferva- tion n)ore I Ihall make from this Prayer ; namely, that it is both to be a Form and Model, upon which to frame all our other Prayers ; and like- wife as a Prayer itfelf This I gather both from the two Accounts St Matthew and St Luke have given us of this Prayer, and from the Pradtice of the Church, St Matthew fays here, After this Man- ner therefore pray ye, intimadng that our Sa- viour brought in this Form as a Model to flievv us how we were to avoid feveral Errors in the Prayers both of the Jews and Heathen -, and what good Rules we fliould obierve in our Devotions, the chief of which I have already mentioned. Then St Luke gives us an Account, LuL xi. 2. how in anfwer of fome of his Difciples Defire that he would teach them to pray, as John taught his Difciples; he taught them this Prayer, faying, when ye pray fay. Our Father which art in Hea- ven, &c.
Thefe are the Obfervations I have made from this excellent Prayer in general. I need not tell you how ufeful they would be in our Life and Converfation, if we w^ould- duly form our De* votion and our Pradice by thtfe Rules.
H 3 For
102 General Ohferv attorn [Serm.
For by taking help from this, and fome other well compofed Forms, we (hould both {hew more Reverence to God, and keep our felves from fe- veral Indifcretions, which the trufling to an ex- temporary Way occafions.
And by contradling the Length of our Words, and employing that Zeal in the Intenfenefs of Af- fections, we {hould make our Prayers more hear- ty, and {hould<find greater Life and Warmth in them.
And by contenting our felves modeflly with a general expofing of our Wants, without fetting our Hearts too much on any one particular Man- ner of {iipplying them, and efpecially without prefcribing it to God Almighty, we {hould both better confult his Honour, and much more furely obtain what we want.
And if we draw near to God with thofe right Preparations and Difpofitions of Faith, and Love and Charity, of Refignation, Watchfulnefs and Refolution of Obedience, Devotion would be a ereat Pleakue : and we {hould be fure of ma- ny gracious Returns of our Prayers, which now for Want of thofe good Difpofitions we go without.
And laftly, if we formed our Devotions by this Model, we fhould have God*s Glory continually in our Eye, before the Thought of any Thing for our felves ; we fhould be as glad of our Neij?hboar's Benefit as of our own , and we fhouid have the Satisfaction in this difficult Part of Religion to follow the befl Guide, and to fleer by the Diredion of fo fkilful a Pilot, till we ar- rived at the bleffed End of our Voyage, the Salvation of our Souls, by the Merits and Me- diation
VII.] onthe Lords-Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 103
diation of the fame J ejus Chrifi -, who when we pray taught us, how we fhould addrefs our felves to God.
Now to him with the Father^ and the Hcly Ghoft^ be all Praife^ Ho?tour and Glory, for" ever and ever. Amen.
H4
S E R M.
104 ^^^ Lrmcation in the [Serm*
SERMON VIII.
Matt. VI. g.
— .— . Our Father which art in Heaven.
The Second Sermon on this Text.
A V I N G at the laft Occafion difcourfed to you of fome general Oblervations from tiie Lord's- Prayer; I come now to confider it more particularly in the feveral Parts of it. In the Prayer we have thefe three Things
I. The Invocation ; Our Father which art in Heaven.
II. The Petitions, being Six In Number, of which the three firft relate to God ; and the three laft to our felves.
III. The Conclufion, or Doxology, intimating the Realon why we beg thefe Things of God.
I begin with the Invocatiom Our Father which art in Heaven, In which we may obferve thefe three Things ; w^hich I fhall endeavour firft to explain, and then to draw fome praftical In- ferences from them.
I. In this Invocation we may obferve that God is the fole Objed: of divine Worfhip.
2. We
VIII ] Lords-Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 105
2. We may obferve under what Notion God would have us to addiefsour felves to him, name- ly, under the Notion oi An heavenly Father.
3. We may obferve that in our Prayers we are not to content our ftlves with particular Re- gards ; but ought to extend the Charity of our Prayeis to all Mankind; laying, Our Father, &c.
I. The firft Thing I observe in this Invocaiion is, that God is the fole Objedt of divine Worfliip : For that it is he who is meant by thefe Words, Our Father which art in Heaven^ there is no Manner of doubt. But it may be objected that though this Prayer is addreffed to God, yet there is no direft Prohibition here, of our addrefiing our Prayers to Saints and Angels, or the Virgin Mary^ as is done in the Church of Rome. I an- fwer, that this being a Form or Model of Prayer, prefcribed for our Ufe and Imitation, with this exprcfs Precept, After this Manner therefore pray ye ; we are to take thefe firft Words, as a Di- redtion to whom our Prayers are to be addreffed : Efpecially if we confider the Context, in which we are required To pray to cur Father in Secret, For granting that it was not the principal Deiign . of the Prayer to teach this ; the principal Defign of it, as I fuppofe, being to guard again ft Pro- lixity, Superfluity, and Oftentation, the Vices of the Scribes and PhariJeeSy as appears by the Con- text; yet it feems plain enough that our Sa- viour undertook here to teach his Difciples a right Model of Prayer, which he would have failed in, if he had not direded to whom our Prayers are to be addreffed. It is certain. If we addrefs our Prayers to any other than to him, we do it with- out the leaft Warrant from the Word of God, and
without
io6 7he Invocation in the [Serm.
without any Colour or Shadow of Reafon. But this is taught more exprefly in many other Paflages of Holy Scripture : That which our Saviour quoted to the Devil, when he tempted him to fall down and worfliip him. Matt, iv. lo. may be fufficient to mention at this time. It is written^ fays he, thou (halt worjhip the Lord thy God, and him only jhalt thou ferve. The Sin of Idolatry here guarded againfl was formerly a very reigning Sin in the World ; and the Devil deluded Men by his doubtful Refponfes, which he gave from his pretended Oracles in feveral Places ; but God be thanked thefe all are filenced, wherever the Gof- pel of our Saviour Chrijt is preached. There were two great Evils confequent upon this Prac- tice. One was the Diflionour done thereby to Almighty God ; and the other the Unprofitable- nefs of all thefe Devotions to Men ; for as they forfook God the Fountain of living Waters, {a) They hewed out to themfelves Cijlerns, broken Cif- terns that could hold no Water. But though the heathenifh Idolatry is fuppreffed by the Gofpel ; it is to be feared it is brought in again at the back Door, by the Worfhip of Saints and Angels prac- tifed in the Church of Rome. For though their learned Men diilinguifti between the higheft De- gree of Worfhip, which they acknowledge to be due only to God, and the inferiour Degrees, which they pay to Saints and Angels, yet there is fo great a Refemblance both in Words and Ge- ftures between the one and the other, that the common People cannot diftinguifli them. And
W Jer. ii. 13.
VIII.] Loris-Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 107
if they could, do they think That will excufe them from the Sin of Idolatry, that the Worfliip they pay to Saints is not the higheft fort of Wor- fliip? If this would do, the Heathens might have been excufei upon the fame Account, for all the Worfliip they payed to the inferiour Deities ; for they acknowledged but one Supreme, though they payed divire Honours to many inferiour Deities. And it is plain from the Writings of Origen and Arnobius^ that the Heathens defended their wor- fliipping of many Gods by this very Argument, by which the Papifls defend their worfliip of Saints and Angels. The Scripture has taken fo much Care to guard us againfl; Idolatry, that it has not only confined us to worfliip one God, but to addrefs him by one Mediator J ejus Chriji^ on pur- pofe, as it were, to cut off all Application to Saints or Angels. But I leave this, and go on to
II. The fecond Thing I obferved from the Words, under what Notion we are to addrefs our- felves to God, namely, under the Notion of our Father which is in Heaven, There are many Compeliations of God in the holy Scriptures, and many Notions under which he is reprefented to us, fometimes as a King and Lord, fometimes as a Judge, fometimes as a Rewarder of the Good, fometimes as a Revenger of Wickednefs ; but it is very remarkable here, that God is reprefented to us under that Notion, which is apteft to invite and encourage our AddreiTes to him, and to feed our Love of him, and our Trufl: and Affiance in him. But before I fpeak of the Ufe we are to make of this Obfervation, I mufl: firfl: briefly ex- plain in what Senfe God is our Father^ and our Father in Heaven.
I. Firft
io8 T^he Invocation in the [Serm,
1. Firft then, God is our Father as he is our Creator, or the Author of our Being j and in this refpedt he is the Father of all Things, for as St Paul faith, A5is xiv. 15. He made Heaven, and Earthy and the Sea, and all Things that are there- in. And We are God's Offspring, Ads xvii, 28.
2. God is our Father, as fuftaining and pre- ferving us ; in which Senfe Job faid of himfelf, that [a) He was a Father to the Poor and Father- lejs, becaufe he relieved and protefted them. Thus it is faid of God, that T& F^yes of all wait upon him, and that he giveth them their Meat in due Seajbn -, that he opens his Hand, and fatisfies the Defire of every living Thing, Pfal. cxlv. 15, 16.
3. God is our Father, as he is the King and Governour of the World ; this being a Title which was commonly given to good Kings and Empe- rors, they were called Fathers of their Country. And on this Account, Pater Omnipotens, the Al- mighty Father, is a Title that the v^'ifeft of the Pagans gave to the fupreme God.
4. But more efpecially, God's own People, in a more particular manner dedicated to him, may claim this Relation. Of the Jews of old it was faid, [h) Ijrael is my Son, even my Firft- Born, And Chriftians are often put in mind of this Re- lation ; Thou art no more a Servant, but a Son, fays St Paul, Gal. iv. 7. ajtd if a Son, then an Heir of God through Chrijl* 1 afcend, fays our Saviour, unto my Father, and to your Father, John XX. 17. The cordial embracing of the Chriftian Religion entitles us to a State of Son-
{a) Job xxix. 16. {h) Exod. xxiv, 22.
{hip;
VIII.] Lo7'ds'Frayer. Matt. VI. 9^ log
fhip : As many as received hiniy fays St J oh ft y John i. 12. to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God', where the Greek Word, which we tranflate Power, e^^alx , fignifies Ukewife Privi- lege or Authority. And Behold, fays the fame St John, I John iii. i. What manner of Love the Father hath given its, that we jhould be called the Sons of God. Further, the Renovation of our Mind by the Grace of God's Holy Spirit, is calkd Regeneration, or new Birth : {a) Except a Man he born again, (or ratheryrt;/;/ above, as it is in the Margin of our Bibles) he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God,
In all thefe Refpeds God is our Father, and we his Children. Let us next fee how he is our Father which is in Heaven. This, I fuppofe, is added to diftinguiih him from our earthly Parents, who, though they may have the natural Affedion which Parents have for Children, have it io mixed with other Infirmities of their own, and are of- ten fo ftinted and limited in their Abilities, that fometimes they will not, often they cannot relieve the Wants of their Children, which our heaveniy Father is always both able and willing to do. This Title then of Our Father which is in Hea- ven, denotes,
1. That God is free from all that Humour, Fondnefs, and Peeviflinefs, which often hinders earthly Parents from receiving the Addreffes of their Children, and from relieving their Wants in a proper Manner.
2. That he is not limited by any Igw and de- preffed CircumftHnces,.but that he has full Power
{a) John in. 5.
and
no 7he Invocaficn in the [SerivT.
and Ability to relieve his Children, when they make Application to him.
3. That he never fails by Death, as our earthly Parents do.
1. As to the firfl Sort of Infirmities, proceed- ing from the Ignorance, Fondnefs, Humourfom- nefs, and Peevifhnefs of Parents, which prove ve- ry prejudicial, often ruinous to their Children; we are to remove all thefe from our Conceptions of God. (i.) Earthly Parents grant many Things to their Children ignorantly, not knowing, or forefeeing what the EiFed:s of thefe Grants will be, till by dear bought Experience they find out the Evil of them, when perhaps it is too late to retradt. (2.) Earthly Parents out of mere Fond- nefs to their Children, are often blinded, and grant them Things, which if they themfelves were to be Judges, they would condemn in other Parents. (3.) Earthly Parents, out of mere Hu- mour, and Peevifhnefs, or Crofsnefs, deny the reafonable Requefts of their Children, and dif- hearten them with their unreafonable Crofsnefs and Severity. (4.) Earthly Parents often miftakc the Natures and Tempers of their Children, and upon that account often fpoil them, by retrain- ing too much the modeft and tradable, and by giving too loofe Reins to the pert and ftubborn.
2 . Then as to the other Sort of Infirmities, confining in want of Power to relieve our Chil- drens Wants; it is very frequent that Childrens Addreflfes arc denied, on account of the Parents low and narrow Circumftances. But God will have our AddreflTes to him encouraged from this Confideration, that he is not like our earthly Pa- rents, flinted for want of Power to relieve us ;
but
VIII.] Loris-Prayer. Matt. VI. 9, 1 1 j
but can do all Things whatfoever he pleafes both in Heaven and Earth.
Now all thefe Imperfedlions incident to earthly- Parents, whether of Inability, or Fondnefs, or Frowardnefs, we are taught to remove by this Compellation of Our Father which art in Heaven.
3. Though our earthly Parents were ever io good, ever To wife, they may be taken off by- Death ; but we have this to confider to our Com- fort of our heavenly Father, that he lives for ever* As the Pfalmift fays, PJaL xxvii. 10. When my Father and Mother forjake me^ then the Lord will take me up.
III. The third Thing I obferved in the Words, was, that in our Prayers we are not to content our felves with particular Regards, but together with our Prayers for our felves, ought to extend the Charity of our Prayers to all Mankind. This Obfervation is grounded on thefe Words, Our Fa- ther^ and that all the Petitions run in the plural Number, for our Neighbours, as well as our felves. This is one good Mark of the Divinity of this Prayer, that it favours not in the leaft of that Narrownefs of Soul, which commonly li- mits our Thoughts. We are apt in our Devotions to think only of our felves ; or if we think of o- thers, it is only fo far as they have fome Relation to our felves; our Wives, and Children, our Ser- vants, and Friends, our Relations, and Benefacflors ; or at moft, thofe Bodies of which we are Mem- bers. But to have fuch enlarged Thoughts as ap- pear in this Prayer, concerning the Glory of God, the Advancement of the Gofpel, the Reformation of the World, the profperous both fpiritual and temporal Eftate of all Mankind, the doing by our
Neighbour
112 ^he Invocation in the [Serm.
Neighbour in our very Prayers, as by our felves- here feems to be the Finger of God in all this.
But becaufe we pray here for others, we are not to imagine that we are therefore to forget our- felves. The Prayer runs in fuch a Strain, as in- cludes others with our felves, and therefore we are allowed to pray for our felves, as well at lead as for others. Nay, further, we may fay the fame Thing in the Cafe of Prayers, as in the Cafe of Charity : In extending our Charity, tho' we are to exclude none, yet becaufe we are igno- rant of the State and Condition of the greateft Part, and our Power of relieving is but fmal!, therefore, as we fay. Charity begins at Home ; fo it is with Prayer : We are fo great Strangers to the State and Condition of others, that we know not indeed what to afk particularly for them ; and therefore our Prayers, as well as our Alms, will be extended but to a few, in fo far as concerns their particular Wants. It is no wonder then if, as to others, we content our felves with general Prayers, while, as to our felves and Families, we enlarge a little more particularly, every one know- ing beft where his own Shoe wrings him ; only we muft take care not to forget others in our Prayers, but to extend them as generally as we can to anfwer all the Occafions of others. And indeed it cannot be denied that our Prayers, by the Largenefs of our Charity, may be extended a great deal farther than our Alms, by reafon of the Narrownefs of our Circumftances, and the Want of Opportunity. And though we know the particular Cafe but of a few about us, yet ge- neral Petitions may be framed, according to the
excellent
VIIL] LorSs'Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 113
excellent Model of this Prayer, fuch as will reach every ones particular Circumftances.
Having thus explained the Particulars of the Text, I come now to confider what Influence they ought to have on good Life and Practice, And indeed I find they have fo great a Ten- dency that way, that I am perfuaded this whole Prayer was calculated with a fpecial Eye to the teaching us our other Duties of good Life, as well as to diredl us how to offer up our Requcfts to God.
I. Firft then, from our obferving here that God is the fole Objed: of divine Worfhip, we may learn how much we are beholding to the Chriftian Religion for recovering us out of that wild Maze of the Worfliip of fo many Gods and Goddeffes, fuperiour and inferiour, affigned by ignorant Men their particular Stations and Spheres of acting, and often differing among themfelves in point of Jurifdi6tion, that it was impofTible ei- ther to pleafe them all, or to have our Prayers favourably received by one, without provoking another againfl them. It is true, Judaifm was clear of this Inconveniency ; but while they con- fined that good Dodrine within the narrow Bounds of their own little Country, how (hould we have been the wifer or the better ? It is to the Chrl- flian Religion then that we ov/e our being called {a) To turn from thefe Vanities unto the Living God, which is an infinite Bleffing to put our De- votions thus in the right Channel s and therefore, as many Rivulets gathered into one, malcQ a
[a) Aas xiv. 15.
Vol. Ill, I fti'ong
1 14 7he Invocation in the [Serm.
ftrong Stream, fo let our Devotions, which by the old Idolatry would have been divided among many Deities, be now colledted into one ftreng Stream, direfted to the one great God, the Fa- ther of Angels and Men.
11. Is God our Father, and are we to addrefs our felves to him under this Notion ? then this fhews us both what we are to do, and what we may expe6i:.
Firft, I lay, this fhews us what we are to do ; that is, it diredls us to a great many good Points of Duty, which all flow from this way of repre- fenting Almighty God. I fhall inftance in the chief of them.
1. Firft, this diredts us to the Duties of Ho- nour, Love, and Obedience : A Son honoureth his Father y faith God, MaL i. 6. If then 1 be a Fa- ther^ where is mine Honour ? Now if thefe Duties are due to an earthly Father, notwithftanding the many ill Qualities, or Infirmities, he has to abate that Efteem which we owe to him, how much more are they due, where they meet with infi- nite Perfedlion? If we intend any Meaning then, when we fay. Our Father which art in Heaven^ let not our Lives give our Words the Lie, but let us put on the Charadler of dutiful Children, and never think we can do enough to exprefs our Gratitude to our heavenly Father.
2. The Confideration that God is our Father, and we his Children, fhould make us endeavour to imitate and refemble him. It is natural for Children to refemble their Parents in Features and Complexion 3 and it is natural too for them to imitate them in their Manners and Adions ; as our Saviour told the "Jews^ when they (aid
Abraham
VIIL] Lords-Frayer. Matt. VI. 9, 115
Abraham was their Father, John vili. 39. If ye were Abraham 'i Children^ ye would do the Works ^Abraham : So if we are God's Children, we muft do the Works of God ; Be ye therefore Fol- lowers, cr Imitators of God as dear Children, faith St Paul, Eph. V. I. This the holy Scripture fre- quently inculcates. As he who hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all manner of Converfation^ fays St Feter^ i Pet. i. 15. And St Faiil exhorts us to be blamelefs and harmle/Sy the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midfl of a crooked and per- i:erfe Nation, Phil. ii. 15. Beloved, now we are the Sons of God , faith St John, i John iii. 2. from whence he draws this Confequence at the next Verfe; Eveij one that hath this Hope, purifieth himfelf as God is pure. And be ye therefore perfeSi^ as your Father is perfeB, fays our Saviour, Matt. 5. ult, having immediately before exhorted to the Love of Enemies from this fame Topick, T^hat we may be the Children of our Father which is in Heaven ; for he maketh his Sun to rife on the Evil and on the Good, and fendeth Rain on the Jufl ojid, on the Unjufl. In fliort, as it is reckoned a good Sign that Children are genuine, when they are like him that they call Father, fo there is no furer Mark of a Child of God, than to be like him, and to imitate him in all his imitable Perfec- tions.
3. This Confideration that God is our Father, fhould banifh from us all mean carking Cares, and diffident Fears, and fordid Shifts for gathe- ring and keeping this World. Children who have rich and noble Parents, do not commonly trouble themlelves with any anxious Care or Sol- licitude about the World, knowing that they have I z good
1 16 ^he Invocation in the [Se rm
good Parents to provide for them. So we are of- ten on this very Account exhorted to truft to God's Providence, (a) To be anxious for nothmg^ but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication^ with Thankfgiving^ to make known our Requefts to God. (b) To ca/i our Burthen upon the Lord^ for that he will fujiain us, (f) Not to be anxious, pay- ings what Jh all we eat^ or what jhall we drink, or wherewith JJjall we be cloathed-, for our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of all thefe Things. Certainly thefe covetous Defires, and unjuft Prac- tices, with which the World aboundeth, and ne- ver more than at this Day, and in this our Coun- try, are totally inconfiftent with the Belief of God's paternal Providence, as well as highly ingrateful to his Bounty, which at this Time has bettered our Circumftancesto that Degree, that one would think we needed not flee to any bafe ihuffling knavifh Courfes, to decline the Payment of our juft Debts, or to put any other Tricks on our Neighbours.
4. This Confideration that God is our Father, fhould teach us Patience in all Afflidions. What can be more comfortable, than to know that all our Afflicflions are Chaftifements of our heavenly Father, purely defigned for our Good ? [d) Thou Jhalt confider in thine Heart, faith God to the If raelites, that as a Man chafteneth his Son, fo the Lord thy God chajleneth thee. And {e) We have had Fathers of our Flefi, fays the Apollle, which have correBed us, and we gave them 'Reverence-,
[a] Phil. iv. 6. (h) Pfal. Iv. 22. (c) Matt. vi. 31, 32. {d) Deut. viii. 5. [e) Heb. xii. 10.
Ilall
VIIL] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 117
Jhall we not much rather be in SubjeBion to the Fa- ther of Spirits^ and live'? For they verily jh' a few Days chajle?iedus after their own Fleafure^ but He for our Profit^ that we might be Partakers of his Holinefs.
5. This Confideration that God is our Father, and we his Children, fhould in general teach us to live up to the Dignity of fo noble a Relation. What an indecent Thing would we reckon it, for a Prince to employ himlelf as a Scullion, in doing the Drudgery Work of the Kitchin? No lefs in- decent is it for a Child of God, to wallow in the Mire of Sin. We fhould always remember our Qj-iality, and endeavour to behave our felves fuit- ably to it ; as the Apoftle fays, Phil, ii. 15. 'That ye may be blamelefs and harmlefs^ the Sons oj Gody without Rebuke y in the midfi of a crooked and per- verfe Nation^ among whom ye foine as Lights in the World.
6. This Confideration fhould teach us how to behave our felves to our Fellow Chriftians : For as we are here taught to fay, Our Father ^ the plain Confequence is, that we ought to love as Brethren, As our Saviour taught us this Prayer; fo he gave us a new Commandment fuitable to it, eftablilliing a Friendfliip among all Chriftians : [a) A new Commandment I give unto you^ that ye love one another: As I have loved you ^ that ye alfo love one another. By this fl:all all Men know that ye are my DifcipleSy if ye Love one another.
7. Laflly, As Ggd is our Father in Heaven, this (hould teach us to be heavenly minded, and
{a) Johnxiii. 34, 35.
I 3 to
1 18 The Invocation in the [Serm.
lo remember that all Things are under God*s all- feeing Eye, that there is no concealing of our Faults from him, as we do fometimes from our earthly Parents. He fees not only into our Ac- tions, but into our Intentions, and will treat us sr-ordingly ; and therefore there is the greateft Obligadon upon us to behave our felves as dutiful Children, always under their Father's Eye, and expeding to render an Account to him of ail their Ad ions.
Tlius we fee what an Influence this Notion of God, as our heavenly Farher, would have upon all our Adions. I fliould next have {hewn, what we may expeB from it -, for I do not think it was more defigned to ftir us up to our Duty, than to encouiage our Hopes in thefe our Ad- dreiTes to our heavenly Father. I have not Time to handle this r.s it ought. But in a Word,
1. He'e is Encouragement for us, if we have been ever fo great (a) Prodigals, fo we do but repent and amend, and return to our Father ^ he will receive us with all the Joy imaginable.
2. Here is Encouragement for us, if we are un- der ever fo great Afflictions. God is our Father ^ and (b) like as a Father pities his Children, Jo he pities them that fear him.
3. Here is Encouragement, if we have ever fo great and many Enemies ; it is but fleeing to our heavenly Father, (c) who is a Refuge for the Op- prefl!ed, a Refuge in Time of Trouble.
4. Here is the greatefl Encouragem.ent to all our Addreffes to the Throne of Grace. God is
[a] Luke XV. 20. {b) Pfal. ciii. 13, {c) Pfal. ix. 9.
our
VIII.] Lord^s Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. 1 19
our Father, and it is very natural to argue from thence, as our Saviour does. Matt. vii. 11. If ye then being evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children, how much more fnall your Father which is in Heaven give good nings to them that ajk him?
And therefore let us be much in Prayer, and let us put up our Prayers wifh all humble Truft, Faith, and Aflurance, that our heavenly Father will deny us nothing, that he knows to be ho- nourable to him, and good for us. He will give Grace and Glory, and all good Things, through the Mediation of Jefus Chrift.
'Jo him with the Father, Sec.
I 4 S E R M.
1 2 o Firji Petition in the [S e r m .
SERMON IX.
Matt. VI, 9.
Hallowed be thy Name. The Third Sermon on this Text.
HAVING, at the laft Opportunity, fpoke of the firft Part of the Lord's Prayer^ the Invocation -, from thefe Words, Our Father which art in Heaven-, I proceed now to the Petitions, which make the fecond and principal Part of the Prayer ; the firft of which I have now read, Hal- lowed be thy Na?ne.
Before I enter on the Explication of this Peti- tion, it may not be improper to confider a little the Order of the Petitions in general, that we may the better find out, both the Meaning and Im- portance of this, which is now und6r our Confi- deration. Now if we look upon the Pratyer with this View, we may eafily obferve that the three firft Petitions are drawn with an Afped: to God's Glory, and the three laft with an Afped: to our own Good and Advantage : Hallowed be thy Name j Thy Kingdom come ; Ihy Will be done. And then follow the Petitions for our felves : Give us ; and
forgive
IX.] Lord's Prayer. Matt. Ml. g, 121
forgive us ; aitd lead us not. Now that we may proceed gradually, fomething, I think, is to be learned from this Order and Method. As
I. That nothing is to be prayed for, but what makes either for God's Glory, or our own, or our Neighbour's Good.
II. That of thefe two, the Glory of God ought to be preferred.
III. That the Petitions for the Glory of God, are to regulate and limit all our other Petitions 5 for our felves or others.
I. Firft, I obferve from the Petitions in gene- ral, that nothing is to be prayed for, but what makes either for God's Glory, or our own, or oar Neighbour's Good. It is plain there is nothing elfe contained in this Prayer, which yet is given us as a Form and Model by which to frame all our other Prayers. And it is likewife plain, from the Nature of the Petitions, that there ought to be no other put up to Almighty God ; for all other Petitions would either be finful in them- felves, as begging fomething diflionourable to God, or prejudicial to our felves, or others ; or at leafl of a middle or indifferent Nature, fuch as we cannot know whether they are good or bad, but may be either, according as they are, or are not directed to thefe good Ends and Purpofes.
II. The fecond Thing I obferved from the Pe- titions in general, is, that where thofe two, the Glory of God, and our own Benefit, or our Neigh- bour's, come in Competition, the Glory of God ought to be preferred. This I gather not only from the Order of the Petitions, but chiefly from the Nature of the Thing ; for as to God's Glory, and our own, or our Neighbour's fpiritual and
eternal
122 Firji Petition in the [Serm.
eternal Good, they never come in Competition ; as to the External Felicity indeed of our felves, or others, it may often interfere with God*s Glory, and then there is all Reafon it fhould yield and give way, though it were to fpoiling of Goods, Imprifonment, Baniihment, or Death itfelf. For what better Ufe can all thefe be put to, than to be inflrumental in procuring us eternal Life ?
III. The third Thing I obferved from the Peti- tions in general, is, that the Pet; dons for the Glory of God, are to regulate and limit all our other Petitions for our felves or others: So that this general Exception is to be underftood to them all : Grant me this, or that, as far, and no far- ther, than is confiftent with thy Glory and Ho- nour, of which thou thy ft If art the beft Judge. As our Saviour cafts us a Copy in that Prayer of his, {a) Lord let this Cup pafsfrom me ; never- thelefs not as I will^ but as thou wilt.
Thefe Things being obferved from the Petitions in genera], I return now to the three firft, wdiich relate to God*s Honour : Of which the firft ref- pecls his Glory in general, Hallowed be thy Name-^ that is, above all, and in every thing we pray that God's Honour may principally be regarded. The fecond refpeds the chief Means of promoting that Honour among Men, by fetting up his Kingdom, that is, the Gofpel of his dear Son Chrift Jefus in the World, 7hy Kingdom come. The third ref- peds the good Succefs of this Kingdom in fubdu- ing the finful Lufts of Men, and in making them a willing People in the Day of his Power, 'Thy
(a) Matt, xxvi. 39.
^ Will
IX.] Lord's Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. 123
Will be done i?i Earth, as it is in Heaven. Or to take them in another not much difxerent Alpeft; the firft Petition prays for the Knowledge, and Acknowledgment, and due Honour of God in the World, that his holy Name be hallowed, that is, had in particular Veneration and Efteem. The fecond Petition relpedls the Advancement of the Gofpe;, aliiully called the Kingdom of God, or of Ch.ift, or the MeiTiah, Ihy Kingdom come. The third Pediion refpedis the Grace of the Holy Ghoft for fan^lifying the Hearts, and for reform- ing the Lives of Men, Thy Will be do7ie in Earth, as it is in Heaven,
Having thus con iidered thefe Petitions in grofs, and meir Relation to one another, it will be ib much the eaiier for us to apprehend the Mean- ing of this firft Petition, which now I come to confider more particularly, Hallowed be thy Name. For underftanding which Petition aright, it will be a great Help to us to confider what is ufually meant in the Holy Scripture by Gods Name, and what by hallowiiig, or being hallowed.
By God's Name in holy Scripture, is moft com- monly fignified God himfelf : As in fpeaking to a King, inftead oi Thou and Thee, w^e i^ij Tour Ma- jejly • to a Lord, Tour Lordjhip-, to a Comman- der in Chief, Tour Excellency. By which yet we mean no more than that we make Applica- tion to the Perfon himfelf. So in fpeaking to God, we fay. Glorify thy Name, inftead of glo- rify thyfelf', let thy Name be magnified', I will fmg Praijes to thy Name ; they [hall hear of thy great Name-, that all People of the Earth ?nay know thy great Name , let them that love thy Name be joyful in thee ; / will declare thy Name unto my Bre- thren ',
124 Firjl Feiition inthe [SeRM.
thren\ and a great many more of the like Nature; which fignify the very fame thing as if we {hould lay. Glorify thyfelf^ be thou magnified^ I willfing Praifes to thee^ &c. So that here, Hallowed be thy Namey is no more but, Be thou hallowed by me^ and all Mankind.
In the next Place then, let us confider what is to be meant by the Word Hallowed, This Word generally fignifies the fetting apart of any thing from common Ufe, and tlie devoting and confe- crating it to God's Service, which is the higheft Degree of Honour any thing can be put to. And from thence, for Want ot better Words, we are obliged to apply it to God himfelf, as if we (hould fay here, Be thou honoured by us and all Men ^ with the higheft Degree of Honour^ eveji the Honour due and peculiar to thyfelf.
In general then, it is the Honour and Glory of God, which, in this Petition, is prayed for, and that preferably to all other Things. But all the DifBculty is not yet voided: For what occafion is there to pray for his Honour, which is fo inhe- rent in him, that it is not in the Power of any, or all the Creatures to deprive or rob him of it ? For underftanding this Matter then in a right Senfe, we are to confider that the Honour here prayed for, cannot be that intrinfick Honour which is inherent in the Nature and EiTence of God, and is infeparable from it ; nor can it be any Addition, properly fpeaking, to his Satisfac- tion, that Men pay him that Honour and Glory which is due to him ; for he is infinitely exalted above the Condition of receiving any Addition to his Honour by the Efteem of his Creatures, or of fuffering any Diminution of it by their Negled
and
IX.] Lord^s Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. 125
and Contempt. It mufl be then with an Eye to the Happinefs of Men, that this Petition is put up; and it is orjy by way of Condefcenfion to our Infirmities, that God is faid to be honoured when his Honour is known and fpread, and we his Creatures fo think, fpeak, and aft, as becomes thofe who have a due Knowledge and Senfe of him. Though it is the Honour of God then, which is the Objed of this Petition, yet the Sub- jed: that we regard in it, is all Mankind, praying that all Men may come to the Knowledge and Acknowledgment of God, and may honour him accordingly in their Thoughts, Words, and Ac- tions.
This is a very comprehenfive Petition, and for our more diftincl underftanding of it, it may not be amifs to enlarge a little on the Particulars re- ducible to it. I cannot pretend to enumerate them all, but (hall mention fome of the chief, that feem to belong to it.
I. Firft then in general; whereas we know not the particular Ways and Means which God makes ufe of for promoting his own Glory, we pray for Succefs to all thoTe Means. Many of them are often very improbable Means to Flefli and Blood ; fometimes the Sufferings of his Ser- vants contribute more to his Glory, than their worldly Quiet and Profperity ; and their Patience, more than all their other moft adtive Diligence. In thefe, and all other the like Cafes, wherein, through our Weaknefs or Ignorance, we might - be apt to afk amifs, by this general Petition fet at the Top of all the other, we pray that whatever Methods will tend moft to the declaring and fpreading of his Glory, may be followed, though
never
126 Fir/i Petition in the [Serm.
never fo difagreeable to our Tafte, or contrary to our carnal Reafonings. By this Petition then fet at the Head, we regulate, correal, and renounce, whatever may be amifs in all our following Peti- tions. As if we fliould fay, Lord, we know not what to pray for, and therefore beg that we may be direded to pray for fuch Things as tend to thy Honour and Glory ; and if we fhould happen to afk any Thing difagreeable thereto, we beg that either it may not be granted at all, or at leaft on- ly in fo far as may confift with this our firfl: and chief Petition.
2, By this "PtXition^ Hallowed be thy Name^ we pray that all Men may come to the Knowledge and Acknowledgment of him the true and living God. That Atheifts, who acknowledge no God nor Providence, may by obferving God's Works of Creation and Providence, and the Proofs of Divinity the holy Scriptures have acquainted us with, come to the Knowledge of a God. That Pagans, inftead of that Multitude of Idols and falfe Gods, may become acquainted with the true Gody the Maker of Heaven and Earth, That they who know God only in a dry fpeculative manner, may come to fee him in the Beauty of his Providence, and learn to behave themfelves obediently and re- verendy towards him in the whole Courfe of their Lives and Converfations j to honour him in their Hearts by inward Efteem, Love, Fear, Adora- tion, Prayer, and Thankfgiving, and by Faith and Hope in his Conduct and Diredion ; to fpeak reverently of him, not only forbearing Blafphemy, Curiing, Swearing, and Perjury, but defending his Providence, ]uftifying his Laws, and govern- ing their Tongue according to his Precepts. And
laftly.
IX.] Loris Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 127
laftly, in our whole Life and Converfation to ho- nour him, by doing all the good we can ; (a) l^hat our Light may fo pine before Men, that they may fee our good Works, and glorify our Father 'which is ' in Heaven, In fliort that all Men might be b'ought to the Principle and Practice of Natural Religion: For as to Chriftianity I fhall not fpeak of it un- der this firft Petition, becaufe I think that be- longs properly to the next, I'hy Kingdom come,
3. By this Petition, Hallowed be thy Name, we pray that in all Things we fet about, they may be diredled to, and end in God's Glory and Ho- nour. This will comprehend thefe Particulars,
( I.) That God may lay fo ftrong Reftraints up- on us by his Grace and Providence, that we ne- ver fo much as aim at any ill Thing.
(2.) That if we do aim at it, we may be dif- appointed, and not permited to bring it to Effect.
(3.) That God would interpofe to defeat all the evil Works and Defigns of Men, that their Ma- chinations may not profper.
(4.) That in all our good Works, our Inten- tions may be purely fet on his Honour and Glory.
(5.) That in all our indifferent Aftions, we endeavour fo to fand:;fy them, that they may be diredled to God's Honour and Glory.
(6.) That God would be pleafed fo to over-rule the wickedefl Adlions of Men, that they may likcwife turn to his Honour.
All thefe are the proper Subjedl of our Prayers, and do naturally belong to this firft Petition, and therefore it will be neceflary to explain them a little more particularly.,
(a) Matt. V. 16.
(i.) We
128 Firjl Petition in the [Se R m.
(i.) We pray here that God by his Grace and Providence, may lay fo flrong Reftraints upon us, that we may never fo much as aim at any ill Thing. If we fet his Glory before our Eyes, as the ultimate Aim and Defign of all our Actions, we (hall be delivered from all bale finifler Defigns and Intentions. For though we are free Agents, God has fo many Ways of over-ruling or diverting our Contrivances, that it is richly worth while to. apply to him for it. {a) There are many Devices^ ' fays SolomoUy in a Mans Hearty neverthelefs the Counfel of the Lord that JJo all Ji and. He has infi- nite Ways both of Providence and Grace, to di- vert our Hearts from evil Defigns, without break- ing in upon the Freedom of our Wills. And as the Beginning of all good Aftions, is the fettling of the Intention aright, it is but .reafonable that this Petition to dired the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart, fliould lead the Van of the other Petitions.
(2.) We pray here, that if the Thoughts and Defigns of any ill Things (hould enter into our Hearts, God will difappoint them, and not per- mit us to bring them to effecft. Thus God dealt by Abimelech^ after he had fent and taken Sarah^ God appeared to him in a Dream, and reprefented the Iniquity of the Adtion he was about, fo lively to him, that he was quite diverted from it: And God told him that (h) He had withheld him from fnning againji him^ and fuffered him not to touch her. There is a Promife, Hof ii. 6. when his People played the Harlot, and faid they would
{a) Prov, xix. 21, {b) Gen, xx, 6,
IX.] Lor£s Prayer^ Matt. VI. 9. I2g|
go after their Lovers, that God would hedge up their Way with Jhorns, and make a TV all that they Jhould not find their Paths. This is mightily to be wifhed, that when the Devil has thrown in a Temptation into our Hearts, God in his Provi- dence would contrive a Difappointment.
(3.) We pray in this Petition, that when wicked Men go boldly on in any evil Work, God would interpofe to defeat their evil Defigns, that their Machinations may not profper. And this he does two Ways, either by converting them from the Evil of their Ways ; as he did by St Paul in the very Journey, as he was going to execute that bloody Commiffion which he had received, toper- fecute the Chriftians at Damajcus, it pleafed God to open his Eyes, and to convert him to the Chrillian Faith. The other Way is by croffing and confounding them, if they are obftinate in an evil Courfe ; thus he ferved Pharaoh, who flood obftinate after all the Wonders of Plagues God fent upon him and upon his People; and delivered the Ifraelites with an high Hafid and an outftr etched Arm ; and at laft got hifjifelf Honour upon Pharaoh and all his Hoft, fo glorifying his Name in the Deftrudion of his Enemies.
(4.) In this Petition we pray that in all our good Works, our Intention may be purely fet to God's Service, that is, to honour and glorify him by our good Works : That no covetous, or am- bitious, or vain-glorious, or any other finifter De- fign mix in, to deprive us of the Comfort of hav- ing God's Honour chiefly in our Intention. It is a noble Precept of our Saviour's concerning all the Endeavours of our Life, (a) Seckyefirji the
[a] Matt. vi. 33.
Vol. hi. K Kingdo"
130 Firjl Petition in the -[Serm.
KiJigdom of God, and the Righteoufnefs thereof. And it is the very fame Thing he teaches here in this excellent. Pattern of Devotion, that the firft Thing in our Thoughts and Defires fliould be the Glory and Honour of God, which is done chiefly by feeking his Kingdom and the Righteoufnefs thereof, all which we pray for in the the three firft Petitions ; Hallowed be thy Name ; and thy Kingdom come; and thy Will be done. So exadliy do our Saviour's Dired:ions as to Prayers and En- deavours fuit, and agree together.
(5.) In this Petition we pray that all our ipdif- ferent Actions by good Intention and Regulation may be io ordered, that they may tend to promote this great End of the Glory and Honour of God. id) Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatfo- ever ye do, do all to the Glory of God, Ye may perhaps think it ftrange that fuch mean and in- different Actions as thefe, nay, how all Adtions whatfoever fliould be fo gone about as to contri- bute to God's Honour. But there are many Ways how this may be done ; I (hall in fiance in this farne Adlion of eating and drinking, how it may be gone about fo as to make for God's Honour. Firf, If God be thankfully regarded as the Do- nor, if it be confidered that it is he who made the Earth, Seas and Rivers, and gave them this pro- lifick fertile Virtue, to produce Meat and Drink for Man n great Plenty and Variety ; if it be con- fidered with Gratitude that he makes his Sun to fhine, and his Rain to fall, that he attemperates the feveral Scafons of Seed-time and Har veil fo
{a) 1 Cor. X. 31.
as
IX.] LorSs Prayer. Matt. VI. 9. 131
as to fit them for the Produdion and Ripening the Fruits of the Ground ; if it be confidered that he by his Bleffing on our Labours and Induftry, furnillies us wherewithal to purchafe thofe Ne- ceffaries, and that he gives us Health and Hearts to ufe them. Secondly^ We go about thofe Ac- tions to the Glory of God, when we keep within the Bounds of Temperance and Sobriety in the Uk of thofe Bleffings, which are fo apt to be a- bufed, Thirdly, We eat and drink to the Glo- ry of God, when we defign to employ thofe Bo- dies and Lives fo fupported and maintained, in his Service. It were an eafy Thing to apply this to all other innocent but indiferent Acflions, and to fhew that the Glory of God is the chief Thing we are to propofe in them all. But I muft not trefpafs on your Time and Patience.
(6.) Lafily, We pray in this Petition that God v/ould be pleafed fo to overrule the wickedeft Ac- tions of Men, that they hkewife may turn to his Honour and Glory. For as Chymifts and Apo- thecaries extract and make fome rare Medicines out of rank Poifons, fo God brings many a good Thing to pafs, very much for his own Honour and Glory, out of bafe fmful Actions: Though at the fame time he is far from being the Author of the Sin, but hates it, and puniflies the Sinner for it. What abundance of noble Events were occafioned by that unworthy Action of Jofeplos Brethren felling him into E^^ypt^ fuch as the keep- ing the whole Family alive in the Time of Fa- mine ; the gaining Honour upon the Tyrant Pka- r^ioh v.nd all ih^ Egyptian Magicians; the lead- ing the People .of Ifracl to the Poffeffion of the Land of Canaan through the Wildernefs by the K 2 Courfe
132 Firjl Petition in the [Serm^
Courfe of fo many Miracles, as were fufficient to confirm them in the BeUef of the true God, at leaft thofe of them that were any thing well dif- pofed ; and to render the reft inexcuiable ? And how did God bring the greateft of Bleffings out of yudass Treachery, and the Jews Infidelity, and Pilate\ Facilenefs in ading againft his Con- fcience ? It is our great Comfort that as the wick- edeft Men can go no further than God permits them, fo even the wicked Things they do, it is in his Power to make them all co-operate for his own Glory, and for the Good of them that love him. They make for the Glory of his Mercy to- wards the Poor oppreflfed, who patiently bear the Crofs ', and they make for the Glory of his Juftice in the Punifhment of the wicked Oppreflbrs.
Thus now I have explained what feems to me to be the Purport of this Petition of the Lord's Prayer -, I thought next to have faid fomething to perfuade you of the Reafonablenefs of making this the firft and chief Requeft ; and then to have con- fidered what Influence it ought to have on our Praftice. But there being no great Occafion to enlarge upon thefe, I fliall very briefly difpatch them.
As to the Reafonablenefs of making this the firft ;2nd chief Requeft, that what makes for God's Honour fhould be minded before any Thing that has a more immediate Relation to our felves 5 is it not highly reafonable that he fliould be preferred to us ? If a Queftion fhould be ftarted whether the Mafter or the Slave (hould be firft ferved ; we would think it a very unreafonable Queftion, and \A ould not be long in deciding it. Befides, if we confider our Ignorance and Raftinefs in afking^
IX.] Lortfs Prayer, Matt. VI. 9. i-j j
-^ve (liall foon be convinced that there is nothing T and better for us than that there be fo wife a .ck and Controul upon all our Requefts as in- finite Wifdom to diredl and amend our Ignorance and Folly.
Laftly, as to the Influence this Dodlrine ought to have on our Pradice, there are many ufeful LefTons it might teach us, if we w^ould duly ad^ vert to them.
1, From hence we may learn carefully to ab- ftain from all Sin, as being a Thing which be- fides its other Malignities, is a Contempt of God's Author! y, a Preferring of our own Wills to his, a Dcfpifing of his Wifdom and Judgment con- cerning our Duty and Happinefs, and a Setting up of our own in Competition, which is a manifeft Diflionour to God, and diredly contrary to this firft Petition.
2, As there are fome Sins, which refledl more immediately upon God's Honour, fuch as tearing his facred Name with horrid Oaths and Blafphe- mies, calling him in to witnefs a Lie by Perjury, ridiculing his Word and Ordinances, arguing a- gainft his Being or his Providence ; all thefe I fay being more immediately contrary to this Duty of honouring and hallowing God's Name, (hould not only moll carefully be avoided by our felves, and even all Approaches to them ; but we ought in our feveral Stations to be animated with a parti- cular Zeal againft them in others.
3, From this Dodlrine it will plainly follow,
that nothing prohibited by God ought to be ufed
as a Means to promote his Ilonour ; for this is to
fet afide his Wifdom, and to let up our own, or
rather the Devil's.
K 3 4, Laftly
Ij4 Firji Petition Sec. [Serm.
4. Laftly, let this Dodrine teach us the great Duties of Self-denial, Refignation, Cheerfulnefs and Contentment in all States and Conditions. Let us not murmur at any Difpenfations of Pro- vidence, remembring who fits at the Helm ; and that it is no lefs than infinite Wifdom, that af- figns us all our feveral Parts, and direds all to the beft Ends and Purpofes.
Now unto the King Eter?mly Immortal, Lzvi^ fible, the only wife God^ be Honour and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
SERM.
X.] I3S
SERMON X.
Matt. VI. to.
7hy Kingdom come.
The Fourth Sermon on this Text.
TH E Petitions of this excellent Prayer are fhort, but exceeding comprehenfive. Of the three Firft, which have a more immediate Afpedt upon God Almighty ; The firft diredled us to aim at, and pray for his Honour and Glory, Hallowed be thy Name. This, as I take it, is put as the ultimate Defign to which all the reft are to refer ; and they are all to be governed, and regu- lated, and interpreted by it : As if we (hould fay, T/6y Kingdom come^ i. e. Let the Kingdom of Grace and Glory be advanced as far, and as faft as is confiftent with thy Honour and Giory, by Goijpel Methods, not by the Waysof Perfecution; by proper Means and Inftruments, not by an irre- gular Employing of all Hands, and bringing the whole World into Confufion by it. And fo l^hy Will be done^ i. e. Let thy holy Laws be obeyed with fuch a Readine:fs and Cheerfulnefs upon Earth, as may refemble the Obedience of the An- gels in Heaven ; but ftill fo far as is confiftent
K 4 with
136 Second Petition in the [Serm.
with thy Honour and Glory. For I fuppofe it would be inconfiftent with God's Honour to have Men taught Obedience to his Laws, by with- dra^^ ing any of the Liberties he has allowed Man- kind ; as for Example, if to teach them Tempe- rance, there were an univerfal Prohibition of Flefh and flrong Drink, and an Injundtion to live on Bread and Herbs and Water. Or to teach them Chaftity, they were all forced to be Eunuchs or Hermits. So Give us this Day our daily Bready as far as confifts with thy Honour and Glory, /. e. In a lawful regular Way ; for it would be incon- fiftent with God's Honour, to provide the good Things of this World for Men, if they ihould agree to lay afide all Methods of Liduftry, and fold their Hands together, expeding that Meat would drop into their Mouths ; or if negledting their own Labour and Induftry, they fhould pray to be fup- plyed by Cheating or Robbing of others. And fo Forgive us our Trelpaffes, as far as confifts with thy Honour ; but it is inconfiftent with God's Ho- nour to pardon the Impenitent and Incorrigible ; fuch Pardons would only encourage Men boldly to multiply Tranfgreflions. So Lead us not into temptation, as far as confifts with thy Honour; For there may be difhonourable Ways of keeping Men from Temptations, e.g. If to guard us againft the wandring Luft of the Eyes, he (hould caufe Men to be born blind ; or to keep their Tongue from lying and flandering, he fhould caufe them to be born deaf and dumb.
I give thefe few Inftances, only to fhew how that firft and principal Petition, Hallowed he thy Name^ is to govern, limit, and regulate all the reft. And this I thought was a neceflTary Precau- tion
X.] Lord:s Prayer. Matt. Yl, 10. 137
tion in the Explication of all the following Peti- tions of the Lord's Prayer. So now I come to the ftcond Petition, which is that of my Text ; Thy Kingdom come. But what a flrange Sort of Petition may this feem ? As if God did not fway the Scepter of the World as he pleafes ; as if Sa- tan had got the better, and we prayed that God would take the Government of the World into his own Ha; id. In anfwer to this we are to confider that it is not God's Government of the World, which is doubled or called in Qiieftion, or prayed for ; for [a) His Throne is in Heaven^ and his Kingdom ruleth over all. The Kingdom here fpoke of, is that gracious Method of bringing Men to Glory and Happinefs by Chrift. This in the New leftament is called the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Chrift, and the Kingdom of Heaven. And I doubt not this is the very King- dom, which is meant in this Petition. But was not Chnft already come ; and were not the means of Grace now made uie of, to gain in Profelytes to his Kingdom ? All this is very true 3 but at the fame time, there were all Endeavours ufed by the Devil and his Inftruments to hiiider the planting of Chrift's Kingdom in the World; both out- wardly, by obftruding the Propagation of the Gofpel, and inwardlv, by hindering its taking EfFecl in the Hearts of Men ; till both which be done, the Church or Kingdom of Chrift is but in a militant, unquiet State, And therefore we pray that Chrift may obtain a final Viftory over all his Enemies, and may bring all his Subjedls to the
\a) Pf. clii. 19.
quiet
338 Second Petition in the [Serm.
quiet Pofleffion of the Kingdom of Heaven, by the Propagation of the Gofpel, and the Grace of the holy Spirit, and other favourable Providences to his Church. It is this final Settlement of Chrift's Kingdom, viz. The glorious triumphant State of the Church in Heaven, which we chiefly pray for in this Petition, that it may come ; and in order to that, that God would pleafe to follow all the Means of Grace with his Blefling, and Saccefs,
This Petition then, though in few Words, we fhall jSnd to be very comprehenuve : As praying for all thofe Things which with God*s Honour may conduce to the final Salvation of Men by Je- fus Chrift and his Gofpel. For our more diftindt Apprehenfion of it, I flmll mention the chief of thofe Particulars, which are comprehended in this Petition.
I. The firft Thing I (hall mention as meant in this Petition, is the Propagation of the Gofpel among both Jews and Ge?itiles. The Gofpel is called {a) Ihe Gofpel of the Kingdom. And the Defign of it is to gain in Subjeds to Jefus Chrift. This Gofpel we pray here, that (f) it may have ajree Coiirfe ; that God would profpcr it, and re- move the impediments of it. More particularly there are thefe three Things which we pray for with Relation to the Propagation of the Gofpel. (i.) That God would fend forth faithful Labou- rers, able honeft and diligent Minifters of the Ne^d) ^ejlamenty well inftruded in the Mind and Will of God \ not perverting it by any dangerous
{a) Matt. xxiv. 14. [h] 2 Thef. iii. I.
Error,
X.] Lord's Prayer, Matt. VI. lo. 139
Error, wrong Byafs, or finiiler Defign of their own. (2.) That he would difpofe and prepare Mens Hearts, by removing their Prejudices, mor- tifying their Lufts, fubdaing their Paffions, fet- thng the Unferioufnefs and Volatilenefs of their Temper, and enclining them to give a fair Hear- ing and impartial Confideration to the Word of God. (3.) That he would either reftrain or dif~ appoint all Enemies that obflrudl the Gofp;:!, fuch as Hereticks, Schifmaticks, Perfecutors, and carnal worldly minded Men, whofetthemfelvesto defeat and difappoint all the Methods, whereby the Truth may take Effect : Or that he would give a Spirit of Courage and Patience to his Minifters and Ser- vants, that they may not be difcouruged by any Oppofition, but may go on ftedfaftly in doing their Duty, notwithftanding all the Difficulties they meet with in their Way.
II. As in this Petition we pray for Plenty of external Means, fo for a large Meafure of internal Grace, that when the Word is fowed in our Hearts, the Cares of the World and the Lufts of other Things entering in may not choak the Word, that it become unfruitful. Both Jews and Gentiles had many Things in their Education and Prin- ciples, which prompted them to an Oppofition to the GofpeL Particularly the Jews were fo prepofleffed with the Belief and Expeftation of the worldly Kingdom oi i\\€\x MeJJias^ that with- out affording a due Confideration to our Saviour's and his Apoflles Dodlrine, or examining into the intrinfick Goodnefs of it, they rejedted it on that fole Account, as bringing no worldly Wealth and Grandeur along with it. The Gentiles were fo educated in the Principles of Polytheifm, or the
Worfhip
240 Second Petition in the [Serm;
Worfli'p of many Gods, that the Chrlflian Reli- gion reprelenred itfeif with an Air of Atheifm to them, while it taught them to reduce all their Devotions, and confine all their religious Ser- vices to one Sijpreme Deity, and to one Medi- ator between God and Man. Then there were fome of the Chriftian Dodtrinesfo inconfiftent, as they thought, with the Principles of natural Phi- loiophy, particularly that of our Saviour's Refur- redlion, and of the Refurreiftion of the Dead in geneial, that they could noteafily bring themfelves to the Belief of them And befides the Difficul- ty of recomiling the Dcftanes to their carnal Reafon and Principles, there were other ftronger Prejudices to overcome from worldly Intereft, which commonly make Men more fierce and keen in their Defence than bare Diverfity of Dodtrine. The Scribes and Pharijees and the whole Order of the Jewilh Priefthood found, if the Chriftian Doftrine pievailtd, that both their Gains and the high Eftcem they were in with the People muft ceafe. The Heathen Priefts too, and all others who had any Benefit by the Service of their Tem- ples, wo J Id be naturally prone, in their own De- fence as it were, to oppofe a Dodlrine, which they quickly perceived would deprive them of their Gain and Livelihood. Thefe Men, if they could not anfwer the Arguments for Chriftianity, were ready to flee to the carnal Weapon to oppofe it ; as we read of Demetrius and the other Crafts- men at Ephe/uSy who made Silver Shrines for Di- ana^ what an uproar they made to oppofe Chrif- tianity. In ftiort, there were fuch infuperable Difficulties to be overcome, before the Gofpel could take Place, and the King? and Princes of
the
X.] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. io. 141
the World were fo jealous of it, and fet themfelves fo much to extirpate it, that it required a mighty Affiftance of Gifts and Graces to carry it on. la this Petition we pray that all Men may receive the Truth in the Love of it; that they may not only afford it a fair Hearing, but a due ConfiJe- ration fuitable to the great Importance of it , and then that notwithftanding the contrary Tempta- tions, we and others may fincerely ufe our beft Endeavours to live up to it, that our Duty may prevail over all our Lufts and vitious Inclinations. III. As in this Petition we pray for the outward Means of Grace, and the inward Affiftance of the Holy Spirit, fo we pray for the flourifliing Srate of Chrift's Church; not that it may flow in Wealth and worldly Splendour, fo as to refem- ble a worldly Kingdom in outward Glory and Power 5 but that it may be fupplied with all tbofe Encouragements, which are neceffary or requifite for the better carrying on the Work of the Gof- pel. Now this Branch of the Petition extends to a great many more Things than we are aware of: For whatever tends to the Furtherance of the Gofpel, falls under it. I fhall inftance in fome of the Particulars, (i.) Forafmuch then as the good Education of Children and Youth has a mii^hiy Tendency to the Furtherance of the Gofpel 3 (ibr out of them both able Preachers and judicious at- tentive Hearers are to be fupplied ; ) we pray here that Parents, Schoolmafters, Tutors and Guardi- ans may diligently and dextrouily apply themfelves to the Difcharge of their great Truft, in inftiiling the Principles of an early. Piety into thofe Childrea and Youth, who are committed to their Cire; and that not only by good Precepts, but good Ex- ample,
lJ^.2 Second Petition in the [Serm.
ample, a Thing which takes with them far beyond the other. (2.) Forafmuch as to the right Qua- lifying of Men to officiate in the Miniilry of the Gofpel, it is neceffary, now Miracles are ceafed, that they have much Time and Leifure for the Stu- dy and Meditation of divine Things ; and that they be furnifhed with good Helps of Books and other Materials for Study ; and that they have their Minds difengaged from the Difcradlion of world- ly Cares, that they may apply them fo much more intently to thofe better Siibjedls, which are the pecu- liarBuCnefs of theirCalling; in order toall thefe good Defigns, it is to be wifhed and prayed for, that there be a fufficient Competency of worldly Encourage- ments provided for the Miniflers of the Gofpel; I fay, a Competency, not to maintain them in Eafe and Luxury, but that they may follow their facred Employments without Diftradion. Upon this Account likev^ife the favour of Princes and fecular Magiftrates is to be wifhed and prayed for, for the good of the Church, that Kings may be her nurling Fathers, and Qiieens her nurfing Mothers. And for this likewife, as well as for other good Ends, good Princes and Magiftrates are to be prayed for, T^hat we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godlinefs and Honefiy, (3.) Forafmuch as Peace and Quietnefs in the State, and a good Form and Adminiftration of Civil Go- vernment has a good Influence on the Church, and the Advancement of true Religion, we are to pray for both thefe ; knowing that Tyranny, Re- bellion, or any other Convulfion in the State, doth mighdiy endanger not only the outward Policy and regular Framx of Religion, but likewife the Dodtrine and Duties of it ; for commonly at thofe
gaps
X.] Lord's Prayer, Matt. VI. lo, 145
gaps Herefies and Schifms, and all manner of Immoralities break in. (4.) A good Government and Difcipline in the Church falls under this Prayer for the coming of Chrift's Kingdom.. And therefore we are to pray here, both that the Difci- pline may be well eflablifhed, and well executed by all Perions in their feveral Stations and Callings; that the Rulers of the Church may Rule with Prudence and Diligence ; and the Ruled may ho- nour and obey thofe who are over them in the Lord and admonifh them, and have them in ef- teem for their Work's fake. For where there is not this mutual Harmony and Agreement be- tween Teachers and Learners, between Governours and Governed, there is nothing but Confufion and every evil Work.
IV, In this Petition, Ihy Kingdom cotjie^ we pray for the good Succefs of all thefe Means of Grace, and the other Affiftances of Providence a- bovementioned ; that is, we pray that the pure and found Chriftian Doc5i:rine may be believed, and generally prevail againft Errors and Herefies ; that God may be worfhipped with a pure Wor- fliip, free from Superftition and Idolatry; that the Church may abound in Examples of true Piety and Virtue, that the true Fear of God may get the better and prevail over all our Lulls, Corrup- tions and evil Habits : And that Chrift may rule and reign in our Hearts by his Grace and Holy Spirit, that we may be duly fitted and prepared for his Kingdom of Glory. It is this Kingdom of Glory we are chiefly to have our Eye upon, and to pray to God that we may purfue it with our moft carneft Defires arid ,Endeavours ; and that we may take all the mofl proper Methods for at-
taining
144 ^^^ Second Petition in the [Serm.
taining it our felves, and for gaining as many o- thers into it as we can.
So much for the Explication of this Petition ; there are fome Inferences I have to make with relation to Pradice ; and I fhall quickly conclude.
I. My firft Inference fhall be from the Rank and Order this Petition holds in the Lord's-Prayer ; it is put after that of, Hallowed be thy JName^ and before all the reft. Something we may gather from both Parts of this Obfervation.
(i.) Firft, from its being put after that Peti- tion by which we pray fo^the Honour and Glory of God, we may infer that we are to do nothing to the Diftionour of God, even for fo noble an End as the Propagation of the Gofpel, or the Ad- vancement of God's Kingdom in the World. There is another Church indeed that thinks they are to ftick at nothing for the Advancement of their Church, which they take to be the Kingdom of Chrift. There are no Lies or Equivocations, or Ca- lumnies or Murders fo grofs, that they do not dii- penfe with for this End. They have in a folemn Council decreed that Faith is not to be kept with He^ reticks. Where they have Power enough, they make nofcruple to Rob, Imprifon, fend to the Gal- leys, cruelly whip and fccurge ; nay to put to Death, by burning Men for no higher Crime than the not being of their Church, or not joining in their Ido- latrous Worfliip; as if we were not forbid To do Evil that Good may come of it-, as if it were not a very great Difhonour to God to have his King- dom propagated by fuch diftionourable bafe Means ; or as if indeed it were any Honour or Service to Chrift at all to have his Church filled with Hy- pocrites 3 for I fuppofe they do not think that
Dragooning
X.] Lorls Prayer. Matt. VI. lo. 145 Dragooning and Burning can make any real Con- verts or Believers. Bat we have not fo learned Chriit. Let us be as zealous as we can, every- one in our feveral Stations, for the Propagation of the Gofpel -, but remember flill that it mull be done by gofpel Methods, the Methods of Inftruc- tion,Perfuafion and, goodExample, and not byFalf- hood and Cruelty.
(2.) From the other Part of the Obfervatiom concerning the Rank of this Petition, that it goes before ail the other Petitions, except, that one which fets God's Glory as the ultimate end -, we may infer that the Seeking the Kingdom of God by all lawful Ways and Means, is an Endeavour duly fubordinate to the Honour and Glory of God : Or that there is nothing in which v/e can better confult God's Honour, than in promotino- the Gofpel of his dear Son by all lawful Ways and Means. Let us then all of us ferioufiy confider how we may moil eifedually, in our feveral Sta- tions, promote the Knowledge and Practice of Chriflianity in our lelves and others committed to our Caie, and conclude with our felves that this is the very principal and.beft Method for promot- ing the Glory and Honour of God, infinitely be- yond what the Heaping up Wealth, or the A- piring to Honour and Preferment, or any other Thing upon which Men commonly beftow their Labour, can pretend to.
The fecond and chief Inference I would make from this Dodrine is this. If we are obliged to pray for Chrifl's overcoming all his Enemies, and for his heavenly Kingdom,, with all the gracious Means and Methods, whereby it is capable of be- ing advanced j then we are obliged likewife to Vol. II, L back
146 The Second Petitio?t in the [Serm.
back thefe our Prayers with our moft vigorous Endeavours in our fevcral Stations, for that Ead. This will open up to us a great Field of Duty, to which it will be proper to exhort you upon this Occalion. I fhall but Name fome of the chief Branches of this Duty.
(i.) If we can contribute no other V/ay to- wards the Propagation of the Gofpel, but by 2;iv- ing a good Example to the Heathen our Neighs bours, and to the Heathen our Slaves j and by breeding up the young Heathen born in our Fa- milies in the Knowledge of the Creeds Lord's Prayer^ and "Ten CommaTidme?2ts^ and would en- courage their coming to Church, that they may have an Opportunity of being better acquainted with the Spirit and Dodlrine of Chrillianity, this might be one good Means of advancing the Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift.
(2.) Is it a Branch of this Petition that God would fend forth faithful Labourers into his Har- vefl ? If we would help forward this Defign by ourbeft Endeavours, let us both give all due En- couragement to them by TTrmitenancing and at- tending their Miniftry, and in our feveral Stations contribute what we can to encourage ingenious Youth to apply themfelves to that facred Study.
(3.) If we would promote the Kingdom of God, inftead of countenancing and propagating the Objedilons of Atheifts, Deifts, and other Ene- mies of Religion, let us make it our Bufinefe to obviate Mens Prejudices, to clear all Objedlions, and to remove every Thing that may obPirud: the Principles of Religion taking Place in their Hearts, and the Praftice of it in their Lives and Conver- iations.
(4.) That
X,] Lord's Prayer, Matt. VI. lo. 147
(4,) That we have no Hand in fpreading of any Herefy, that is, any Error againft the Fun- damentals of Chri(lianity> that we have a care likewife that for any fmall Matter we do not make a Scblfni orRcnt in the Communion of the Church ; and above all that we have no Hand in any Per- fect tio'i for Religion, or any Thing elfe that may lay a ftumbling Block in the Way of any of the Pro'Hyfes to it. And if we our felves happen to be perfecuted for the Gofpcl, let us refolve with the Grace of God to honour our Profeffion by a p-^.tient cheerful Suffering, and bearing the Crofs after otir Matter's Example.
(5.) As in this Petition we pray for the Affi- ftarice of God's Grace and tloly Spirit, let us t^ke care to improve the Talent of Grace God has be- ftowed upon us already ; that being the furefl Way to obtain more. And let us take care to im- prove our Knowledge of divine Things by Confi- deration and Meditation : and efpecially that thofe good Seeds of the Chriftian Doctrine be not choak- ed v;ith v/orldly Cares and the Lufts of other Things entring into our Hearts.
(6.) Befides the inward Affiftance of God's Grace, does the Church and Kingdom of God re- ceive great Affifcance from, many external Helps of good Education of Youth, Countenance of Magiftrates, Means to Minifters, that they may fcudy vvdthout Difcradlion, good Difcipline and Government, Order and Decency ? Then let us all in our fcveral Stations, as we have Opportu- nity, lend an helping Hand to thefe, or whate- ver other Mci^.ns may fall im our Way towards the Promotion of true Piety, Peace and Virtue.
L 2 (7.) Laftly,
148 The Second Petitioj2^ &c. [Serm.
(7.) Laftly, is this Kingdom of Grace and Glory one of the Chief Petitions we can make for God's Honour ? Let us take Care then to affign it a principal Place in our Hearts, and to make it the chief Biifmefs of our Lives ? Let us not look upon the Bufinefs of Religion as a Thing of fmall or trivial Concern ; but as the great Bufinefs upon which the Honour of God and the Salvation of cur Souls depends ^ all other Things are but Trifles to this. This is that Pearl of great price, to make fure of w^hich we fhould be ready to part with all, and purchafe it.
Now God of his infinite Mercy Jhed abroad in cur Hearts his Grace, that after a Life of Holi- nefs here, we may attain to a Life of Happinefs in the Kingdom of Heaven : through the Merits and Mediation of J ejus Chriji, To whom, Gfc.
S E R M-
XI]
149
SERMON XL
M A T T. VI. lO.
— T/6y JVill be done in Earth as it is in Heaven,
The Fifth Sermon on this Text.
IN the former Petition, T^hy Kingdom come^ we pray not only for the flouriihing State of Chrift's Church ; that is, for the Propagation of the Gofpel, with the Ufe of all the Means of Grace, and other favourable Providences and Encouragements for carrying on that good Work ; but likewife for inward Grace and Affiftance, by which the outward Means may be made fuccefsfuL But becaufe no Means have a phylical, certain, co-a6tive, but only a moral, perfuafive Power 3 fo that all the common Means may ordinarily be rendred ineffediual ; therefore here follows a Petition for the acSual good Succefs of the Means in bringing us to a chearful Compliance with the Will of God : Tky Will be done in Earth as it fs in Heaven. In which Words there are two Things may be iignified, and they are both fo good, that I am loath to exclude either of them, and fhall therefore fpeak to them both.
L 3 Firjl
i^o The Third Petitmi i?i the [Serm.
Firji then, by thefe Words, Thy Will be done, may be meant an Acquiefcence in God's Provi- dence; q. d. ]3i(pofe me and all Mankind to a cheerful Contentment with all the Events of thy Providence, it they be ever fo contrary to ojjr ovvO carnal Expecftations.
Secondly, By thefe Words, llhy Will be done, may be meant a cheerful Obedience to all God's Pr excepts; q. d. Give thy Grace to me and alL others, that v/e may (o readily and cheerfully obey thy Commiandments, that it miay in fome mea- furc reiemble the Obedience of the Angcis in Hea- ven.
J. Firft, by thefe Words, Thy Will be done, is meant an Acquiefcence in God's Providence. Now this Acquiefcence may be either General, and implicit; or Particular and explicit.
I. It is General and implicit, when before the Events happen, and before we fee through Mat- ters, we quietly reft in God's Wifdom, Power, and Gocdnefs, and are eafy in our Minds, believ- ing affaredly that he will wifely contrive all for the beft., What is to be meant by this previous implicit Faith in God, may be explained and il- luftrated by the implicit Faith we have in Men, though deferving it infinitely lefs. Children, for example, do not trouble themielves with the Cares of the World, what they ihall eat, or what they fliall drink, or wherewithal they (hall be cloathed ; but depend entirely on the Care and Providence of their Parents. Patients, though they have no Skill of their own Difeafes, yet under God ac- quiefce in the Skill of a good Phyfician. A Tra- veller, in an unknown Way and Country, though he has no particular Skill in the Ways and Roads,
yet
XI] Loris Prayer, Matt. VI. lo. 151
yet trufting to a fkilfiil Guide, is very eafy, and goes cheerfully on in his Journey ; and elpecially at Sea, where there is no Path to dired: us, we commit oar felves entirely, to the Skill of a Maf- ter, and are very eafy under it. Now' if Children can thus truil their Parents, though often poor, and not able to relieve them ; and Travellers can truil their Guides, though there may be difficult Paflages to pafs through, or ford, and it is not in the Power of the Guide to f urnifh Bridges or other Conveniencies ; and PaiTengers cm truft their Commander, though he cannot prevent Storms and Other bad Accidents ; what might they do if they had Almighty Fathers, unerring Guides, Pi- lots that the very Winds and Seas would obey ? Might they not then with a much more implicit Faith furrender their Underftanding, and fubmnt all their own Meafures to his? And this is the true State of the Cafe with Almighty God.
All this may be faid of faiure Events, which are entirely in God's Hand, and we know rothingat all of them, but in general depend on God's Wifdom, Power, and Goodnefs. But :hen there are fome particular Events, for which we have fomething more to depend upon, than this gene- ral, implicit, but ignorant Faith ; namely, where God has by PredidVion, or Promife, or by a Train of Providences, or by fome other manifefl Opening of the Scene, difcovered fomewhat more clearly what he is about ; then as his Will and Defign opens up more and more, we have greater Encou- ragement to ftrike in with it, and to fay, Thy IVill be done. For though God's Defigns in general are dark, and the Footfleps of his Providence hard to be perceived, like that of the Way of a Ship L 4 in
152 T^he Jhird Petition in the [Serm
ki the Sea, which makes but a flender Impref- fion, and which is fooii worn out ; yet when he has long held on a fteady Courfe, fo that it is plain what Port he fleers for ; as his Defigns open more and more, there is a great Beauty in them, and his Providence fhould more expllcitely be com- plied with. Yet there is great Danger here in be- ing tco hafty in interpreting and applying of Pro- vidences ; it is much lafer to wait till we fee what God alms at, and in the mean time to obey the Will of his Precepts, than to venture rafhly in the Dark in a Way which we are not fore he is about ; and if he is, whether he defigns it for Mercy or Jadgment. So much for future Events, which Lire entirely in God's Hand, where the Lot is caji into the Lap^ and the whole Difpofd of it is of the hord'^ but it does not yet appear unto us, what particular Way he intends to order it.
2. But then fecondly, this Acqulefcence in God's Will may be particular and explicite, when God in his Providence has brought his Works to pafs, and it is very plain what Settlement he aims at. It is our Duty then to admire the Beauty of Providence, and expreily to acquiefce in it, though thofe Events be ever fo contrary to our Defigns and Expectations, faying, with our Saviour, Not 7ny V/ill, kit thy Will be done. This Duty of ac- quiefcing contentedly in whatfoever Events God's Providence brings about, is a great and compre- henfive Duty, and has a mighty Tendency both to our own Peace and Quiet, and the Eafe and Quiet of the World alout us. But forafmuch as this is a Duty of fome DifBculty to apprehend it, and of yet greater Difficulty to comiply with it, I fliall fay fomething both to clear up the Nature,
and
XL] LorJ^s Prayer. Matt. VI. lo, 153
and to perfiiade to the P^aclice of it. As to the Nature of it, we are not to believe that it is a Duty incumbent upon us adlively to comply with every Thing that feems to be favoured by Provi- dence ; for fometimes we are not to comply at all, but according to the Duty of our Place and Station, are by all lawful V/ays to oppofe profpe- rous Iniquity ; and that which feems a Counte- nance of Providence, _ is often no fach thing, but only God's making ufe of ill Men to be Scourges in his Fland for chaftifmg others, fometimes as bad, but often a great deal better than themfelver.We (hall never be lafe in our Duty of acquiefcing in the di- vin.e Providence, except v/here we are fore that we have taken no fmful Steps to bring it about our- felves; and where it is brought about io our Hand, it is ofren not an AdHve, but a Paflive Compliance, which God requires at our Hands. The Thing will be clearer by an Example. When the King of AJfyria invaded Judea, it would have been great Treachery in any of the Jews to have fided with him. Yet afterwards v/hen he had conquered them, and they were actually carried away Captives into Babylon, the Providence of God deciding the Matter fo plainly, that they were his Subjeds, they w^ere obliged to perform the Duty of quiet and peaceable Subjeds under him, and to fay, Gods Will be done. So in all other Cafes, though never fo afflifting, we are al- lowed to pray to God, and to ufe all other law- ful Endeavours to remove the Caufe of our Trou- ble and Afflidfion ; as David fafted and prayed while the Child was fick; but as foon as the Child was dead, that being a clear Determi- nation of the Cafe by God himfelf, he then ap- plied
154 5"y&^ Third Petition in the [Serm.
applied himfelf entirely to this Duty of acquief- cing contentedly in God's Will and Pleafure. Nay further, fuppofe this Declaration of God's Pleafure (hould be brought about by fome wick- ed Inflrunient and Means ; even in that Cafe, tho' we are not obliged to fubmit to thefe wicked Inftruments, yet, with refped to God, a Sub- rriiffioii and Acquiefcence is due ; for tho' we de- ferved fuch a Puniilimcnt at the Hands of God, yet v^ e deferved it not at their Hands, and it was a Sin in them to inflid: it. The looking upon Things with this diiterent Afped:, as they come from God, and as they come from Men, will put us in the right Way of our Duty on this difficult Subje6l, For tho' an Acquiefcence is due to God, this does not in the leaft alter the Cafe as to Men, who being Strangers to his fecret Will, ought to govern themfelves by the Dired:ions of Duty, ss it is prefcribed them by the Laws of God and Man.
But now this Point of Acquiefcence, being really, on many affiiding Occafions, very dif- ficult, I fhall briefly offer a few Confiderations to induce us to the Performance of it, and then pro- ceed to the other Part of the Divifion, the Precep- tive Part of God's Will.
(i,) What greater Motive can there be to Ac- quiefcence, than to confider that every thing is fubjecl to God's Wifdom and Contrivance, and that it is in the very Nature of this Duty, that we take it as from his Hand ? Now fuppofing tlie Event to be never fo afflidling, yet at the fame lime coming from God our heavenly Fa- ther, we muft take it for granted, that it is de- figned for our Good ; as our Saviour argued, 7he
Cup
XL] Lof^d's Prayer. Matt. VI. lo; 155
Cup which my Father hath given fne^ JJjall I not drink it ?
(2.) Let us confider that all Things are good or bad, according as they are more or lefs fab- fervient to the landifying of our Hearts, and the reforming of our Lives, and the fitting us for Heaven and Happinefs. Now if we confiier Aniidlions with this i\fped;, we fhall find that they have a very great Tendency to thefe noble Ends, and therefore that we ought chearfuUy to welcome them, and quietly to acquiefce in them.
(3.) Let us confider that this World, not be- inr the Place of our Reft, but the Place of our Pilgrimage, it is not fit that we have all Things fo convenient, and fo to our Mind here, as to tempt us to forget our heavenly Country ^ and therefore whatever Accommodations we meet with, {hould be thankfully accepted, no Man ex- peding the fame Conveniencies upon the Road, as he does at his own Home.
(4.) Let us confider the Example of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who came to fhew us the Way to Heaven. We know both what Hardihips he met with, and with what a chearful contented Mind he bore them. And to his Example I might add that of all the other Martyrs, nay, all the Saints and Servants of God in all Ages, who through much tribulation^ have entred into the Kingdom of Heaven,
(5.) Laftly, let us confider that it Is much the eafier, as well as the better Way, to fubmit our Will chearfuUy to God's, than to fret, and mur- mur, and repine ; for all Difcontent encreafes our Troubles s as a Bullock unaccuftomed to the Yoke, and awkward at bearing of it, only frets
and
156 I'be 7hird Petition in the [Serm.
and galls himfelf more, than if he fet himfelf quietly to undergo it.
So much for this Petition, T^hy Will be done^ taken in the firft Senfe I mentioned, for a quiet Acquiefcence in all Events of God's Providence.
II. The fecond Senfe in which I told you this Petition is to be underftood, is, that it is a Prayer that we, and all others, may yield a chear- fal Obedience to all God's Precepts ; that as he . is readily obeyed in Heaven by Angels, fo he may be readily obeyed upon Earth by us Men. In handling of this Point, I (hall confider thefe two Things.
1 . The Sabflance of the Bleffing prayed for, that God's Laws may be obeyed here upon Earth.
2. The high Degree of Perfedlon in which this Bleffing is to be prayed for, namely, that it fhould refemble the Obedience in Fleaven.
I. Firft, I am to confider the Subftance of the Bleiiing prayed for, that God's Laws may be obej/'cd here upon Earth. This fol'ovvs excellent- ly after the Petition that God's Kingdom might come. For moft of our Saviour's Hearers at this Time, tho' they ardently wiilied for that new State of Things, v^h'ch they meant by the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of the Mef- fiah, yet were under two very grofs Errors about it, which are both corredled in this Petition. One was, that they thought the Moral Law would, as to the greateft Part of it, be difnenfed with as to the Subjects of the MefTiah's Kingdom. For they thought of nothing but to kill and flay, and to invade their Neighbours Wealth and Poffeffions, and to gain to themfelves great Eftates by Rapine and Conqueft, and to live luxurious fenfual Lives,
which
XL] Loris Prayer, Matt. VI. lo. 157
which it is not to be imagined how they could dream of any iiich thing, without difannulling, or at leaft difpenfmg with the whole fecond Table of the Moral Lav/ ; and therefore, as he had m the other Parts of this Sermon, taught them the Neceffity of Obedience to the Moral Law, and that in a much higher and perfedler Senfe, than ever they had been taught before from their ftrideft Dodlors ; fo now, after he has taught them to pray for the coming of God's Kingdonj, he immediately adds that they were to pray for a moft perfed: Obedience to his Precepts, fuch as was performed by the Angels of God in Heaven. The other Error they were under as to the Mef- fiah's Kingdom, was, that it was to be confined to the narrow Bounds of the Land of Judea ; but they had no Notion of its being extended to all the ocher Parts of the Earth; this our Saviour likewife corrects by teaching them to pray that God's Laws may be obferved upon Earth, that is, all the World over, as they are in Heaven.
But now there is fome Difficulty in account- ing for this Petition, how it is diftind: from the former : For if by the coming of God's Kingdom, be meant not only the furnifliing the outward Means, but likewife the inward Affiftance of God's Grace and Holy Spirit: What more do we defire in this Petition, that God's Will may be done ? For the a^flual Obedience to his Laws, feems not fo proper to beg of him any farther, than that he would be pleafed to follow the out- ward Txleans with his Blefiing and inward Grace ; and that was begg'd before, in the Petition, Tby, Kingdom come. For anfwer lo ♦liis; tho' the in- ward Grace, as well as the outv^ard Means, may
be
15^ ^he Third Petition in the [Serm.
be included in that Petition, li'hy Ki?2gdome come^ yet it being certain that his Hearers at that Time thought they might be good enough Subjefe of the Meffiah's Kingdom, without obeying God*s Precepts, therefore it was no fuperfluous Addition, if it was but as a neceffary Explication of the other, to add, Thy JVill be done: For by this Petition we pray that we may become Subjefe of the right Stamp ; and that by the prevailing, Grace of God, we, and all Mankind, may yield Obedience to all his holy Laws.
More particularly, in the Subftance of this Petition, we pray that all Men may be brought to the Knowledge of the Truth ; and that know- ing it, they may believe and profefs it ; and that profefiing it, they may live up to their Profcffion in all holy Pradice and Obedience.
2. But becaufe there are many Degrees of Obedience, and feme Sorts of it which our Sa- viour had faulted in the preceding Parts of this Chapter, as falling much fliort of what he ex- pected, let us confider next the high Degree of Perfedion, to which wc are to pray for this Obe- dience: Thy IV ill be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. Here God fets us a Pattern of Obedi- ence, even that of the Angels ; not that ours upon Earth can ever be fo oerfed, but the nearer it approaches to it, io much the perfeder it will be ; and therefore it is good to propofe to ourfelves the nobleft Patterns, fuch as that of Godj and Chrift, and Angels, and the beft of Saints ; but ftill a- bove the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Phari- Jees.
More particularly by praying that our Obedi- ence on Earth may refemble that of the Angels
in
XI.] Lord^s Prayer, Matt. VI. lo. 159
in Heaven, thefe Properties of Obedience are pravcd for.
(i.) That it be as perfed an Obedience as we can attain to in this Life. There is much Dark- nefs in our Undeiitanding, which hinders us from having a clear Perception and lively Senfe of our Duty. There Is a great Corruption in our Will, winch obftrufts our yielding an hearty x4.ffent of Obedience to v/hat we do know. And there is a great Impotence in our Faculties, that we cannot put in Execution all that we would gladly do ; for as St PW fays, w.be?i we would do Good^ Evil is frcfent with, us ^ and we groan under a Law in our Members, which rcbeils againft the Law of our Mind, and leads us captive to the Law of Sin. And befides, there are many Things in which Vv's wane neither Knowledge of o ir Duty, nor Will and Povv'er to execute it, which through Forgetfulnefs, or Inadvertency, or want of Care to keep our Minds in a good Temper, or through flackening of our Guard or "Watch, we often neg- ledt, and upon Account of that Negligence, fall into Sins of OmiSon or Commiflion -, in all thefe we have Reafon to beg of God to help us to an higher and more perfed State of Obedience. And the fame we pray for ail the reft of Mankind.
(2 ) Angelical Obedience is a willing and chear- ful Obed ence ; Angels are reprefented as indefa- tigable in God's Service, and alv/ays attentive to receive his Commands {^a), Blefs the Lord ye his Ang'Hs, that excel in Strength^ that do his Cotn^ mandments^ heartiening iiuto the Voice of his Word.
(a) Pfal. Ciii. 20.
So
i6o The Third Petition in the [Serm.
So kt o^^r Obedience be not only an ex':ernal Ser- vice, ' ' ^ it proceed from an inward Principle of a iCivciu XiC.vu to God, and a Delight to do his Pleafure.
(3.) Angelical Obedience, is an unanimous harmonious Obedience ; there are no difcontent- ed Mutineers in that heavenly Hoft, but with one Heart tliCy are all ready to execute any Piece of Service they are fent about. What a fad thing is it to obferve, that even among good People in this World, there is fo much Jarring and Diicord, as is enough, were there nothing elfe, to imbit- ter all their Comforts, and to make their Lives uaeafy ! Let us pray for, and endeavour after this Spirit of Love -, Love to God, and Love to one another, that with one Heart, and one Mouth; we may glorify God.
The Sum of all is, we pray here that we, and all Men, n:iay not only come to the Knowledge, Belief, and Profeffion, but to the fincere unani- mous Pradice of our Duty, in which we are to aim at higher and higher Meafures of Perfedion, in Imitation of that Angelical Obedience which is in Heaven.
So much for Explication of the Petition. There are two Inferences I Tnall make from this Doc- trine, and then conclude.
Inf, I. We may obferve here, that befides the coming of God's Kingdom, which includes both the outward Means, and the inward Grace be- longing to the general Propagation of the Gofpel, we are taught to pray for ourfelves, and others, for ftill larger Meafures of Grace, till we arrive at the Perfection of Chriilian Obedience. From hence I would infer, that there are infinite De- grees
XL] Lords Prayer, Matt. VI. 10. i6i
Degrees of Grace fuited to all States and Condition?, with which we may provide ourfelves out of thcfe inexhauftible Storehoufes in Heaven. It is a great Miftake to think that God beiliows equal Mea- fures of Grace upon all. I believe indeed he does enough of this kind to all, even the worft of Men, to make them inexcufable, that he tin in no Senfe be charged with their Sins ; and all Men with that Meafure of Grace which they have, might be a great deal better than they are. But I do not in the leafl doubt, that over and above this common Grace, which if it were rightly managed, might be a fufficient Stock to begin that which might be afterwards improved into the greateft Perfeftion of Holinefs ^ befides this, I fay, I do not doubt but that God gives larger Meafures of Grace, efpecially upon the good Im- provement of our iirft meaner Talents, than are barely fufficient to convert us to God. Nay, I am of opinion from this, and fome other Texts, which I fhall not now infift upon, that Grace may be improved to infinite Degrees, by afking, and ufing it, by Prayer and Endeavours ; and that we may ftill make nearer Approaches to this blef- fed State of perfed: angelical Obedience. And tljerefore,
2. My fecond Inference fnall be, Since our Saviour has taught us to pray for fuch a perfed: Holinefs, as may refemble that of the Angels in Heaven 3 that we ought not to give out upoi'i any low Attainments, but continue our fervent Prayers, and moft vigorous Endeavours after it. If our Saviour had not known that Prayer was a very proper Means to attain it, he would never have taught us in this Model of Pr.^yer, to have
VoL.an. M made
i62 7he Third PetitioHy &c. [Serm.
made one of the fix Petitions fo diredlly for it.
And if we do not join our Endeavours to our Prayers, we contradid: our felves, and counter-a6t what we pray for. Let us confider that this is the great End of all, to which all our Inftrudtions, Exhortations, and Admonitions tend, even your Advancement in Plolinefs and Obedience ; and without this, all Knowledge, all Profeffions, nay, all Believing, and Perfuafions, and Convictions, will avail us nothing ; fo far from it, that they will prove only fo many Aggravations of our Judgment and Condemnation. Let me then exhort you, as ye love your own Souls, to add to your Faith Virtue -, and to the fmall Begin- ings ye have made in Chriftian Virtue, that ye continue, and advance towards that evangelical Perfedion, to which our Saviour, by all his Di- rections both of our Prayers and Practice, aims to bring us.
Now to Him, with the Father, and the Ho- ly Ghoft, let us render, as is due, all Praife, Ho- nour, a?2d Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
SERM,
XII.] j63
SERMON XIL
Matt. VI. ti.
Give us this Day our daily Bread. The Sixth Sermon on this Text,
HAVING confidered the three firft Petitions of the Lord's Prayer, which relate chiefly to Almighty God, we proceed now to the three laft, which relate more particularly to our felves- and our Neighbours. The firft of thefe is a Peti- tion for the Neceflfaries of this Life, for which we are from time to time to depend on God, and to requeft a Supply from him ; for this is the Mean- ing of this Petition in my Text, Give us this Day our daily Bread, For Explication of this Peti- tion, there are thefe three Propofitions contained in it, which will require a more particular Con- fideration.
I. That we are allowed to pray for Neceflfaries ; for this, in the Scripture Style, is to be underftood by Bread.
II. That we ought to be contented to depend on God from time to time for thefe Neceflarie^, and are not to expert to have them laid in all at once ; for this We are to under ftand by the Word daily y or day by day.
M z III. That^
164 7he Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
III. That we are not to reft in our own Ac- qaifitions or Endeavours for what we ftand in need of, of the good Things, of this Life 5 but are to look up to God for his Bleffing on our lawful Endeavours, faying unto him. Give us this Day our daily Bread,
I. The firft Thing I obferve, as contained in this Petition, is, that we are allowed to pray for Neceflaries. This is underftood by the Word Bread', it is a connnon Metonymie in the Holy Scripture, and in our vulgar Phrafe, by Breads to underftandall the Neceflaries of Life. When we fay of any one, he has not Breads the Mean- ing is, he is extreme Poor. So though Abra^ ham faid only. Gen, xvlii. 5. I will fetch a Mor-^ fel of Bread, and comfort your Hearts : The Treat which he made them, went indeed by the Name of a Morfel of Bread, but we have an account of Milk, and Butter, and a Calf, that was kiird and drefs'd. So Jofph, when he was about to treat his Brethren, Gen, xliii. 31. commanded his Servants to Jet on Bread, But though Bread fignifies all Neceflaries, it is not fo eafy a Matter to define how much is meant by thefe Necefla- ries; only in general we may aflert, i. That it is not meant thereby that wc fliould limit our Prayers, or Endeavours, to what will barely keep Body and Soul together, though with a great deal of Vexation and Trouble. It is certain that God doth not debar us from praying and endeavouring for a comfortable and decent Subfiftence, that we may mind his Service without Diftradion. Nay further, it is certain that we are encouraged to endeavour after, not only the Supply of our Gwn Wants^ but that we may have wherewithal
to
XII] Lord's Prayer. Matt. Yl. II, i6^
to fapply the Wants of others. Now to both thefe, our decent Siibiiftence, and the helping of others, we are exhorted by St Paul, i The/', 4. II, 12. where he recommends a Diligence in our Calling to that very End, that we may walk de- cently toward them that are without^ and may have Lack of nothing. And E/>y6. iv, 28. the fame A- poflle advifes to honefl Labour, that we may have to give to him that needeth* And if thefe are re- commended as Duties and Blefiings, certainly wc may pray for them. 2. This Subfiftence is not in all Men alike, but differs according to the dif- ferent Stations of Men, and according to the greater or lefTer Charge of Children, and other Domeflicks, and Relatii'es they have to provide for. For what would be a govid Competency for a fingle Perfoa in a private Station, would fall much fhort for a Man with a great Family, or in a publick Station. There is fo great a Variety in this daily Bread, I mean in the feveral Com- petencies and Subfiftences of Men, according to the feveral Stations which God approves in the World, that provided they keep within the Li- mits of what is not finful, there is great Latitude to be allowed. But that we may know v^^hat Bounds God has fet to this Matter, I (liall fum it up in a few Words.
I. We are to take care that our Hearts be not principally fet on the World, or on our worldly Subfiftence \ but we are to feekfirjl the Ki7tgdom of God and his Right ecu fnefs^ and all other Things ^s Acceffaries; that is, with a much inferiour Degree of Care.
M 5 2. Wc
1 66 ^ 7he Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
2. We are to ufe no unlawful, indirect, un- juft, cheating Ways of purchafing or gathering this Competency.
3. We are to limit our Defires to real, not to extend them to imaginary Wants.
4. We are not to be ftingy or penurious, in the Ufe of oul* Eftates, either for our own Occa- sions, or the Occafions of thofe who belong to us, or for the Relief of the Poor.
If we keep within thefe Bounds, all the reft of our worldly Wants and Occafions, will eafily fall under this Compellation of Bread or Subii- ftence.
Now this Bread, (which I have {hewed you will comprehend a comfortable Subfiftence) we may lawfully pray for. There is none but will grant that it is lawful to pray for Neceffaries; all the Queftion then, can be only as to the comfor- table Subfiftence 5 but there is a great deal of Reafon why that may like wife be prayed for.
1. It tends to deliver the Mind more from anxious Cares and Fears, than ftraitned Circumftances.
2. It enlarges the Heart more in Thankfgiving to Almighty God. 3. It puts us in a Capacity to do more good in Works of Piety and Charity, 4. It helps better to carry on the publick Good, which often fuffers egregioufly for want of having wherewithal, and for want of a publick Spirit, which Want is occafioned by pinching Circum- ftances. If then this comfortable Subfiftence is a thing good in itfelf, and has fogood Tendency, both as to this Life prefcnt, and that which is to come, why may we not both feek it of God in Prayer, and by all-lawful Means endeavour after it ? But it may be objed:ed perhaps, that under
the
XIL] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. 1 1, 167
the Notion or Pretence of this comfortable Sub- fiftence, worldly minded Men will enlarge their covetous Defires and Endeavours, and ftill pretend that they want whatever they have a mind to. But having already limited thole Defires to real, not imaginary Wants, and fubjeded them to the Rules of Chriftianity, we muft exclude from this Petition all fuperfluous Defires of the Things of this World. But how then, may we not pray for Riches? is not that a Bleffing of God, which may be made good Ufe of, and therefore may be wiflied, and deured, and prayed for? I anfwer, that Riches being not to be reckoned amongft the Neceflaries, but Superfluities of Life, we are not allowed, neither by this Petition of my Text, nor by any other Precept of holy Scripture, abfo- lutely to pray for them. And the Reafon is, we are only allowed to pray for good Things; but Riches are to be reckoned among the Things in- different, which are fometimes good, fometimes bad, and therefore mufl be wiihed and prayed for only conditionally, in fo far as God knows they will prove good for us.
II. So much for the firfl Thing I obferved in the Words, that we are allowed to pray for Nc- cefTaries. The fecond Thing I obferved, was. That we ought to be content to depend on God from time to time, for thefe Neceflaries, and are not to expecfl to have them laid in all at once. In my Text it is faid, Give us this Day our daily Bread ; and in St Lukc^ Day by Day our daily Bread ; and in the End of this Chapter, Take no bought for the Morrow. In this Part of the Prayer, our Sa- viour guards us againfl a common Vice, or rather a common Pretext of Covetoufnefs : For granting, M 4 fays
i68 T^he Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
fays the covetous Man in his Heart, that I am to be contented with a comfortable Subiiftence, and not to feek after the Superfluities of Life, yet I hope I may lay in for this Subiiftence not for " one Day, or one Year, but for as long as I hope to live, nay for my Children and Relations after me; and becaufe Life is fubje<ft to many crofs Ac- cidents, that there is no Fund fo fecure, but that it may fail, therefore it is good to have ieveral Strings to one's Bow, and to have much Goods in feveral Funds laid up for many Years, that the Mind may be at reft from Fear of Want. And by this Means, undef the Name of Neceflaries, they allow themfelves the Liberty of extending their Cares and Projed:s as far as ever their Abi- lity will reach. But to obviate this Reafoning of the carnal Mind, our Saviour here directs us to pray only for our daily Breads and that for this Day^ or Day by Day : Which, though it doth not limit our Cares precifely to one Day, yet for- bids our anticipating the unneceflary Cares of the future Time, and commands our conftant De- pendance on God's Providence, for the Supply of all our Wants. Now there are feveral good Reafons may be affigned for this Dodtrine, why our Saviour has thus thought fit, not to give us all our Portion at once, and to inftru6t us not to pray for it all at once, but by Piece-meal, as from time to time we want it. I ihall affign two or three of the chief of them.
I. It is very much for the good of our Souls, that we fliould have frequent Errands to the Throne of Grace; and even that our worldly Ne- ceffities fhould call us thither. Men in this corrupt State are fo backward to Prayer, that it
is
XIL] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. ii. 169
is to be feared, if all their worldly Occafions were cut off, they would feldom draw near to God at all -, and therefore the divine Providence has wiiily contaved that we muft have a neceC- fary Dependence on God for our very Subfiftence. If a Man has ever fo good Land to work upon, unlefs God fends feafonable Weather, he can make no Crop. If a Man is ever fo fkilfu! a Tradef- man, except it pleafe God to give him Health and the Ufe of his Limbs, and to preferve him in his right Senfes, what will all hig Skill fignify? Every Year produces the Year's Supply ; and God has contrived it fo, that the World fhall not have much before-hand for many Years. Beiides the Labour of Man, there muft in every thing be a Concurrence of favourable Providences, and o- ther Circumftances, to make their Labours ef- fectual. Now is not all this highly reafonable, that we fhould have many Monitors, to put us in mind of our great and eternal Concerns, which we are fo apt to forget.? And that our worldly Affairs, to which we are too much addidled, fhould be fo contrived, as to convince us of their own Vanity, and of the Neceflity of minding better Things .? [a) When he Jlew them^ fays the Pfalmift, the?i they fought him^ and returned^ and enquired early after God. We may fay the fame of all worldly Wants, when we are fick, when we are in Want, when a Mortality comes among our Children, or Servants, or Cattle ; when aa Enemy lies hard upon us ; when we are in any Straits and Difficulties, then we are fenfible of our own Weaknefs, and flee to God. And Provi-
{a) Pf, Ixxviii. 34,
denc6
tyo T^he Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
dence has likewife contrived that thefe our Wants ihall be continual 5 every Day wants its daily Bread ; Neceffities in great Numbers are continu- ally preffing upon us, and would foon confound our Skill and Abilities, if God did not continu- ally relieve us. And the Tendency of all this is, to make us often look up to God for Supplies -, whereas if we had our Portion of Goods at once, wc fhould be apt with the Prodigal, both to fquan- der it away in riotous Living, and to withdraw our Duty and Dependance from our heavenly Father.
2. Another Reafon for this Dependance is, that we may not opprefs our felves with an unnecef- fary Load of Cares and Troubles about the World. One of our Saviour's Reafons againft Anxiety and troubling our felves with anticipating the Cares of the future, is \h2X fufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof. Every Time brings its own Cares and Troubles along with it 3 and therefore con- tenting our felves with what the prefent requires, let us put off the Cares of future uncertain Times, till thofe Times come. God has wifely propqr- tioned our Work and Burden to our Strength ; but if we will overload our felves, and do the Work of two or three Days in one, and burden our felves not only with the Cares of the prefent, but with the Cares of Futurity, the Confequence of it will be, that we fhall opprefs our felves with a Burden much too heavy for our Spirits, and fliall beflow our Labour in vain, in flriving to fore- fee and prevent, what by all our Providence and Forecafl, we fliall never be able fo much as to jectare. Now every thing that employs the Thoughts, and diverts the Mind from its chief
Bufinefs,
XII.] LorJ!s Prayer. M ATT. Yl. II. iji
Bulinefs, is fo far pernicious, and proves an Im- pedimentj inftead of a Furtherance of our Voyage to Heaven. If a Mafter of a Ship fhould lay in three Years, inftead of three Months Pro- vifion for a Voyage for England-, and confequent- ly inftead of bringing in any Freight to the Own- ers, fhould bring them a great deal in Debt, what Thanks do ye think might he expedt at the End of his Voyage? Juft fo it will be with all them, who, neglecting the main Bulinefs for which they were fent into the World, fill their Minds with impertinent Thoughts and Cares about the Provifions, more than they are allowed by the great Owner, and more than ever they will have occafion for in the Voyage.
3. A third Reafon forhmiting our Defiresand Prayers, and Endeavours after earthly Things, to this prefent time, and againft extending them to Futurity, is the continual Preparation we ought to be in for Death and Judgment. For the na- tural Tendency of thefe exceffive Cares, is to make us believe that we have taken up our Re- fidence here for good and all, that this is our Home and Country, and that we look for no other ; whereas we are required to be always rea- dy equipped for a March ; nay, even for a March in the Night, with our Lamps lighted. So is our Saviour to be underftood, Luke xii. 35. Let your Loins be girded about ^ and your Lights burn- ings and ye your fehes like unto Men that wait for their Lord^ ivhen he will return from the Wed- dings that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
III. The third Thing I obferved in the Words, was, that we are not to reft in our own Acqui-
fitions
172 ^be Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
fitions or Endeavours for what we ftand in need of, of the good Things of this Life ^ but are to look up to God for his Bleffing on our lawful Endeavours, faying unto him. Give us this Day our daily Bread. There are two Things contained in this Obfervation, which do both of them de- ferve our more ferious Confideration.
1. That the good Things even of this Life, are in God's Gift.
2. That God will be frequently addrelTed to for them.
I. That the go^d Things even of this Life, arc in God's gift j and therefore we are taught here to pray to him for them, faying to God, Give us this Day our daily Bread, Now it would not be fo ftrange to hear, that the noble Gift of Grace is in God's Hands, and that we muft jnceflantiy ply to him for it ; but that our daily Bready and the other worthlefs Things of this World, which are commonly beflow^d on wicked as well as good Men, fhould be the Gift of God, is not fo plain or accountable by natural Reafon ; yet the holy Scripture is pofitive in it, and our Saviour here teaching us to aik our Bread of God, puts the Thing beyond all doubt. It is not on- ly the Bread which God gives miraculoufly, with- out any human Induftry or Labour, which is God's Gift, as he gave Manna to the Ifraelites in the Wildernefs, but that Bread, to the Pro- dudion whereof a great deal of human Labour does concur, that is the Gift of God. For clearing of this, we are to confider that all thefe Things are his Creatures; it was he who made the Earth, and all Things that are therein y it is he who endowed it with Fertility, which make*
it
XIL] Loris Prayer. Matt. Y\. II. 17 j
it capable of all thofe ufefal Produdiions ; it is he who (o adapts the Fruits of the Earth to our Bo- dies, that they are capable of yielding them Nou- rifliment and Strength: It is he likewife who furnifhes us with the Dexterity and Ability of both Body and Mind, to do our Part in thofe Productions. And as for their being beftowed promifcuoufly on Good and Bad, that doth not hinder them from being the Gifts of God ; for he has many common Gifts of that Nature, which he thinks fit to bcftow even upon the Evil and the Unthankful, as our Saviour tells us that he makes his Sun to JInne on the Evil and the Goody and his Rain to fall on the yuji and the Unjuji, But then if thefe are fuch common Mercies that they are beftowed promif- cuoufly upon all, what occalion is there to beg them of God ? This leads me to the fecond Thing I took notice of in this Obfervation, namely,
2. That God will be frequently addrefled to for thefe temporal Bleflings : We are to beg them of God, and we are to beg them as a Gift or Boon, not as a Thing that is our Due, of which we demand Payment, but as a Bounty ; and there- fore we fay. Give us, I fhall fpeak to both thefe, why they are to be prayed for at all, and why as a Boon.
(i.) Why we are at all to addrefs our felves to God for thefe Things by Prayer and Thankfgiving. I anfwer, that it is neeeffary on many Accounts. This diftinguiflies us from the brute Creatures, who though they partake of God's Bounty in feeding them, yet do not ac- knowledge God in it ; for it is but in a Figure that the young Lions ivhen they roar after their
Prey,
174 ^^^ Fourth Petition in the [Serm.
Preyy are j aid tofeek their Meat from Gody and that other brute Creatures are faid to wait on God, that he may give them their Meat in due Seafon. This Hkewife diftiilguiflies us from wick- ed Men, who facrifice to their own Net, and im- pute all their Wealth to their own Pains and In- duftry, according to the Defcription we have of them, Deut. viii. 17. faying, My Power, and the Might of my Hand, hath gotten me this Wealth : Whereas good Men remember the Lord their God^ for it is he that giveth them Power to get Wealthy as it there follows. There is nothing then more rational, than for good Men, who believe a Pro- vidence, and that God is the Author of every good Gift, to addrefs to him, and to own him as the Giver of all the NeceiTaries and Convenicncies of Life, in Prayers and Thankfgivings.
(2.) But then as we are thus to addrefs our felves to God for our daily Bread, we are to ad- drefs our felves for it humbly, as for a free Gift, not a Debt ; and therefore our Addreffes muft be with all Humility, yet they may neverthelefs be with an holy Confidence, as that of Children is, when they come to afk Neceflaries of a Father ; for this paternal AfFedlion is not fo great in any earthly Parent, as it is in God : Can a Woman forget her fucking Child, that fhe jhould not have Compafjion on the Son of her Womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, faith the Lord, Ifa. xlix. 15. And [a) if ye being Evil, know how to give good Gifts to your Children, how much inorejhall your Father which is in Heaven give
[a] Matt, vii, ii.
good
XII.] Lords Prayer: Matt. VL i i. 175
good Things to them that ajk him ? fays our Sa- viour hereafter in this fame Sermon.
As thefe AddrefTes to God are to be with Hu- mility and Confidence, fo they ought to be very frequent and confequently with an holy Impor- tunity. The Neceflaries of Life underftood here by Bread, are fo many, and our Wants of them recur fo frequently, that this alone neceffa- rily engages us in the frequent Pradice and Exer- cife of Prayer. And befides, the Words, this Day^ Ihew us that this Petition is defigned to be re- newed every Day ; and therefore we fhould keep our felves in a conftant good Difpofition for draw- ing near to God.
I have now done with the Explication of the Text ; I fhall be very Chort in the Application of it.
I. Firft then, this Text {hews us by the Word, daily Breads how we ought to content our felves with the Neceflaries and Conveniencies of Life ', and how we (hould retrench the Super- fluities of it. I might here run out into a copious Reproof of Luxury; and recommend the Vir- tues of Temperance, Sobriety, and Frugality, as being mofl fuitable to this Part of our Saviour's Prayer, Particularly, I might run out againft that beaflly Vice of Drunkennefs ; I call it heaft- ly, not that I know any Beafts that are guilty of it, but becaufe it makes Men more brutifh in their Adions, than the Beafts themfelves, that they are not capable of being governed by any Im- preflions of Reafon, Religion, Litereft, or even common Shame ; but run on in a mad career of drinking away their very Senfes, ajid all the right Notions they ever were Mafters of.
2. By
176 T^he Fourth 'Petition in the [S e r m.
2 . By our praying this Day for our daily Breads I might here reprove the reigtiing Sin ot Cove- toulnefs, which is never contented, no not with much Goods laid up for many Tears. The Mode- ration of this Petition, fliouid teach us to wean our Hearts from the World, and if God blelTes us with Riches, to be rich in good JVorks^ ready to dijlribute^ willing to communicate^ laying up in Store jor our Jehes a good Foundation againjl the time to come.
3. By our being taught here to depend and wait on God for our daily Breads we fee how juftly they ftand condemned, who have all their Dependance on their Inheritances, Friends, Places, Callings, and their own Skill and Induftry for their making their Fortunes in the World ; but God is not in all their Thoughts, they put him out of their Schemes ; they addrefs not themfelves to him for his Blei3ing, nor thankfully acknow- ledge his Bounty 3 they propofe not to themfelves his Glory or Service by any of their Purchafes, nor ever expedl to be accountable to him for the Ufes they put their Eftates to, but facrificing en- tirely to their own Net, are puft up in their vain Minds, and think their Wealth is their own. Who is Lord over them ?
4. If we are thus to pray for our daily Breads there is another great Duty confequent upon that ; namely, forafmuch as we exped: not that God fhould beftow it upon us by the way of Miracle, but by giving his Bleffing to our own Endea-r vourS) we muft therefore take care to fet about no- thing towards the procuring of a Livelihood, but what we may beg his Bleffing upon it, and there- fore muft carefully abftainfrom all knavifh, diftio-
neft
JCII.] Loris Prayer. Matt. VI. 1 1. 177
neft Courfcs, fuch as we cannot look up to God, and beg his Bleffing to them; and mud employ our feives diligently in the Duties of a lawful Calling, and not expecl that this Prayer for our xlailj Breads will be granted, if we either betake not our feives to honeft Employments, or are lazy and flothful in the Management of them.
5. Since we have our daily Bread from God, this fhews us with what Gratitude we ought to partake of his Benefits. It is ftrange how we can forget God, our daily and hourly Bcnefador. ^he Ox knoweth his Owner ^ and the Afs his Maf* ter's Crib^ Ifa. 1.3. And fliall v. e be more un- natural, and more ungrateful than they ?
I content myfelf to have thus briefly mentioned thefe Things in the End of a Sermon, leaving the further Improvement of them to your own Medi- tation, and God's Blefling, without which all bur Labour is to no purpofe.
Now to God the Father^ Son, and Holy Ghojl^
our great Supporter and bountiful BenefaBor^ who
fills our Hearts with Food and Gladnefs, be all
Praife, Honour y and Glory, Might, Power, and
DofMinion^ for ever and ever. Amen.
Vol; III. N S E R M
178 Tfoe Fifth Petition in the [Se R m.
SERMON XIII.
M ATT. VI. 12.
And forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors^
The Seventh Sermon on the Lord's Prayer.
WE are now come to the fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer, which is the fecond of thofe which relate more immediately to our felves and our Neighbours. The firft was, Give us this Day our daily Bread. If any fliould wonder why the Petition for Temporals (hould go before the two other Petitions for Pardon of Sin, and Grace to refift Temptations, which are of much greater Dignity, there are thefe two Ac- counts I think may be given of it. Firft,. that the natural Life being prior in Time, though not in Dignity, to the fpiritual Life, is provided for, and wants to be provided for in the firft Place, and therefore it is no way improper that the Pe- tition for it fiiould precede. Secondly, on the Account of Devotion it may be of ufe that the Petition for Temporals fhould firft briefly be dif- patched, that the Mind lieing cleared from thofe worldly Cares, may apply itfelf fo much more
intenfly
Xiri] Lord's Prayer, Matt. VI. 12. 179
intenlly to the greater Concerns of the Soul. As Divines, when they find a Man in Sicknels, with his Mind diftraded, and diverted from his main Bufinefs with worldly Cares, advife him to put all his worldly Bufinefs afide, and to make his Will, that fo he may have nothing to do, but to mind his Soul and fpiritual Concerns. So much for the Order and Method of this Petition.
But now to come to the Petition itfelf, And forgive us our Debts ^ as we forgive our Debtors. In it I fnall confider thefe two Things.
I. The Blefljings we are here taught to pray for ; namely, the Pardon of Sin for our felves and others.
II. The Qualifications of the Perfons, who are to put up this Petition. Their charitable Affec- tion towards others is exprefly taken Notice of, but there are other good Qualifications likewife very clearly implied. For it is implied here that the Perfon putting up this Prayer, is very fenfible of his Sins, and the Demerit of them : That ha believes too that God is to be prevailed with to pardon Sin : And thirdly, that it is fit to come to him in the quality of an humble Penitent confef- fing his Sins, and duly humbled for them : And fourthly, that though God is well difpofed to be reconciled to us in Chrift, we are to fue out this Pardon by inceflant Prayer. All which will deferve a more particular Confideration.
I. I begin with the Biciling we are here taught to pray for, the Pardon of bin : Forgive us our Debts, Here they are . called Debts ; and by and by at the 14th Verfe T^reDaffes-, and St Luke calls them Sins, They are all one and the fime Thing, viz, both original and atflual Sin ; N 2 bJth
i8o The Fifth Petition in the [Serm.
both the Sins of our unregenerate and regenerate! State. Wonder not that I reckon original Sin among our Debts ; for as a Man who is Heir to his Father*s Eftate, takes upon him Hkewife tho Burden of his Deb;s, fo that his Father's Debts, being tranfmitted to him, become his Debts j fo it is with original Sin; it is an heavy Debt tranfmitted to us from our Father Adam^ which if we had not a Friend to help us out, and to difcharge it for us, would utterly fink and ruin us. But if we had no other Debt but this of our Father's contracfting, this original Sin, though we may be reduced to Mifery thereby, yet we ftiQuld be great Objects of Mercy, as we are all apt to pity a Gentleman who has his Eftate rui- ned, not by his own, but his Father's Mifmanage- ment. But alas ! our Cafe is not fo good, we have followed our Father's Steps, and have infinitely encreafed this Debt by our own bad Conduft, to that Degree, that if the Creditor will deal rigid- ly with us, we muft be utterly miferable to all intents and purpofes ; and can never of our felves, or out of our own Eftates raife wherewithal to de- fray this immenfe Debt. And therefore we are reprefented here as pleading in forma pauperis^ and applying our felves to God's Mercy, not for a Compofition, but a Pardon. Forgive us our Debts,
And indeed there is Mercy and Compaflion enough in God to forgive this immenfe Debt, if k were not that there are infuperable Obftrud:ions in the Way, that all the Skill of Mankind could never have removed. But it has pleafed God out of his infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs to con- trive a Way for it, as far beyond the reach of
Man's
XIII.] Lor(fs Prayer. Matt. VI. 12, 18 r
Man's Invention, as the Mercy itfelf is beyond the Bowels of any human Mercy. Namely, that the only Son of God fhould affume our human Nature, but without Sin 5 and that in that Na- ture he fhould merit as much by his moft perfec^l, both a6live and paffive Obedience, as being by him applied to his Brethren qf the finfid Race of Adam^ fhould atone for not only that original Tranfgreflion of our firfl Parents, but the adrual Tranfgreffions and Demerits of all Mankind ; Xo that Degree that it is put into his Hands to fave us all upon what Terms and Conditions he himfelf thinks mofl juft and reafonablc. And accordingly he has directed us in this Petition, upon very gracious Terms to pray for, and ex- pedt pardon of Sins, both original and ad:ual, of Almighty God. And this leads m-e to the fecond Thing I propofed to confider. Namely,
II. The Qualifications of the Peifons who are allowed to put up this Petition. And I need not go out of the Text to find them, being all here either clearly implied or expreffed. .For i. If we confider this Petition with the Context, we may eafily difcover Faith in Chriji ; for every where in the New Teflament we find that our Priviledge to call God our Father, or to expe(ffc Forgivenefs of Sins from him, is folely in and through Chrift. Rom, viii. 15. it is afcribed to our Adoption that IVe cry Abba Father, And GaL iv. 5. one of the Ends of fending Chj'ift is faid to be, That we might receive the Adoption of Sons, This Liberty then of addrefling God as his adopted Children, and- the Liberty of afking Forgivenefs of our Sins, is owing to Faith inChrifl* 2. We are taught here to come unto God as hum-
N I We
1 82 The Fifth Petition in the [Serm.
ble Supplicants confefling our Sins, and begging Pardon j fo here is the Qualification of Repentance. 3. We are taught here that though God is now rendrcd propitious to Mankind in Chrift, yet it is requifite that we continually tue out our Par- dons by tnceffant Prayer. 4. We are put in mind here of the Neceffity of Charity, particularly that highefl kind of it, confiding in the forgiving our Eneii'iies, by putting it exprefly into our Prayers. Forgive as our Debts^ as we forgive our Debtors, Now it will be fit that we confider thefe Quali- fications fomewhat more particularly.
1. Firfi: then, towards the putting up this Pe- tition for pardon of Sin, Faith is neceflary. We muft look upon God as a reconciled Father in Chiill, and addrefs him as Our Father for the Pardon of our Sins. For without Chrift it is impof- fible to confider him in this Capacity : He is ^he beloved Son, in whom God is well pleafed. And we are accepted in the Beloved, Eph. i. 6. Let us not entertain fuch a Thought then, that it is for any Thing we have deferved, that vv^e are allowed thus confidently to draw near to God, or to fue out our Pardon. It is By Chrift that we have Accefs by Faith. Rom. v. 2. And Eph, iii. 12. It is in him we have Boldnefs and Accefs with Confidence by the Faith of him. Where is boafting then? it is ex- cluded. By what Law? of V/orks? nay ^ but by the Law of Faith, O let us admire this won- derful Way of Mercy, how we that were exter- minated by wicked Works, came to have Accefs to God again in Chrift.
2. Towards the putting up this Petition for pardon of Sin, Repentance 'v^^ as neceflary as Faith; as by Faith we are to believe God propitious thro'
Chrift
Xin.] LorJs Prayer. Matt, VI. 12. 185
Chrift, fo by Repentance we are to confider our felves as iinful and miferable Creatures, and are to addrefs God as Delinquents, Forgive us our Trefpaffes. We are not with the proud Pharifee to come unto God full of Self -Conceit^ admiring our felves, and vilifying and depreciating others ; but quite contrary, full of Self-abafement are to plead guilty, and to pray for Mercy in Chrill: Je- fus. The Foundation of all our Requefts muft be thus laid in Humility,
3. Incejfant Prayer is a third Qualification of him who is allowed to put up this Petition. For though God has promifed Forgivenefs of Sins in Chrift, ye he will be fought to for this. And therefore our Saviour here has inferted it to be afked of God as duly as our daily Bread. But fome perhaps may wonder that Juftification being the pardon of our Sins, after that, there fliould ftill be more Occafion for the daily renewing of this Requeft. But in anfwer to this it is to be confidered, that there is no Man or Woman though everfo well fanftified, renewed, andjuftified, who in thisimperfedl State is not apt to fall into Sin; not frequently great crying Sins indeed, but the Sins of daily Incurfion, which want to be wiped out by Repentance. Of thefe there are a great many both of Omiffion and Commiflion, which we ought carefully to obferve, and repent of them as particularly as we can ; though after we have done our bell this way, there will be a great ma- ny left ftill, which have efcaped our Observation ; for which God's pardon in general ought to be begged.
4. The laft Qualification of one who puts up this Suit for pardon of Sin is, that he be in Cha^^
N 4 rity
j84 7y&^ Fifth Petition i?j the [Serm,
rity with all the World ; particularly that he be ready to forgive his Neighbour all the Trefpaffes he has committed agaiuft him. And this is ex- preffed in the Words : Forgive us our Debts ^ as ive forgive our Debtors, But here there riles a very great Doubt and Difficulty. Are we obliged to forgive all Injuries without any the leaft Satis- fadion; nay, to remit our juft Debts without Payment, and that upon no lefs Peril than the not being admitted to that Pardon of Sin pur- chaled by Chrift ? And if not thefe, what is to be underftood by this Part of the Petition ? To this Objection and Queftion I (hall endeavour to give a ihort Anfwer, firft Negatively, then Pofi- tively.
Negatively, i. By this Expreflion our Saviour did not intend to encourage the doing of Injuries to others, as it would certainly be a great Encou- ragement to all Manner of Injuries, if they were all to efcape unpunifhed : Nor did he de- lign that Injuftices fhould be paft by or connived at, and that innocent Perfons fliould fuffer. 2. Our Saviour did not defign to interfere with the Magiftrates Office, or to hinder their calling Of-r fenders to Account, that tending very much to the Peace and quiet of the World, and the Good of human Society.
But then Pofitively. i. All private Revenge is certainly forbidden, and it is left entirely to the Magiftrate's Office, to do right between Man and Man. 2. All Rancour and Malice in the Heart are forbid ; and the Duty of Love and Charity enjoined, which is very confiftent with the doing of right to all. 3. The Rigour of Juftice, where it borders upon Cruelty, Exadtion, or Severity, is
condemned.
XIII] Lord^s Prayer. Matt. Yl, iz. 185
condemned. 4. Where there is Probability of reclaiming an Enemy by a feafonable KindnefSj^ fuch as neither encourages Tranfgreffion in gene- ral, nor wrongs any third Perfon in particular^ }t is commendable to pafs by a perfonal Injury, and to be the firft in breaking off Contention ; fof the retaliating Injury with Injury is the Way tp perpetuate Strife, and to encreafe Animofities. 5. As to Debts and Injuries, where the Party offend- ing has not Capacity or Ability to repair them, and fliews no Malice in the Cafe, there the Chri- flian Part is rather to forgive, than toufe the Of- fender rigidly by corporal Punifhments and Seve- rities. It would be no hard Matter to prove thefe Rules and Qbfervations from Scripture and Rea- fon, but forefeeing there will be a further Occa- lion to treat of this Subjedl from fome Words im- mediately following the Lord's Prayer, and de- figning fome pradtical Obfervations from the Text, I choofe to be fo much the fhorter on the explica- tory Part.
I. Firft, from the Rank and Order which this Petition holds in this Prayer, we may conclude that it is a Petition of extraordinary great Confc- quence. It is the firft of the fpiritual Petitions for our felves or our Neighbours. And indeed if we enter upon the Consideration of the Matter of it, we may quickly be convinced of it. For what is it that feparates between God and us but Sin ? What is the Caufe of all our prefent both internal and external Trouble but Sin ? And what is the Caufe of all our future Fears but Sin ? If that were once pardoned, what an infinite deal of Peace of Confcience and both external and in- tcrnal Tranquillity ftiould we enjoy? Then as in
this
l86 T:he Fifth Petition in the [Serm*
this Prayer we pray for others as well as our felves, faying, forgive us our Trefpafles, we pray for the fame Felicities to all Mankind. And the more common and general Felicity is, it encreafes the Felicity of every individual Perfon ; as a Man if he is in ever fo good a Humour, cannot be fo mer- ry while all are melancholy round about him, as if they were all as cheerful as himfelf. If it were not for Sin, we fhould have Peace with God, Peace in our own Confciences, and Peace with all the World. And O 1 what a fweet World would it then be, when there would not be one jarring String in the whole Harmony of Man- kind.
This then being one of the greateft Bleffings, it behoves us to feek after it in the firft Place, and to take all the mod proper Methods for obtain- ing it. Particularly by Faith let us lay hold on that Ad: of Indemnity, which Chrift has pub- lifhed for all Men to come in, and receive the Pardon of their Sins upon gracious eafy Terms. Let us ftir up our felves to the exercife of godly Sorrow for all our Sins paft, and to fincere and hearty Refolutions againft them for the time to come. And for this end let us be inceffant Sol- llcitors at the Throne of Grace, and be in Cha- rity with all Men. Efpecially if there is any Per- fon ye apprehend has injured you, do your ut- moft to forgive him, and to be reconciled to him, as ye expecS Forgivenefs at the Hands of Almigh- ty God.
2. From the Rank and Quality which we our felves hold in this Petition, which is, that of poor Supplicants, we may learn what modeft and hum- ble Thoughts we ought to have of our felves and
all
Xni.] Lord's Prayer. Matt. VI. 12. i87
all our Performances. There are feveral Errors maintained in the World quite contrary to this Notion of my Text, The Papifts maintain the proud Dodlrine of Merit, and the yet prouder of Siipererogatioji. The Quakers proudly pretend to a fijilefi FerfeBion, Divers Hypocrites, as they cloak over their Sins to the World, fo they hide them as much as poffibly they can from themfelves, and perfuade themfelves they are Righteous : all of as are naturally full of Self-Flattery , and take a great deal of Pains to keep our lelves from a Sio;ht and Senfe of our Sins. And what is the Confequence of all this, but to lull us afleep with a pleafant Dream that we are bettei* than others ; and fo to ftifle the Thoughts of Repentance and Amendment, and the ftriving earnelVly with God by Prayer for Mercy and Pardon in Chrift Jelus ? Ye remember what our Saviour laid of the proud Pharifee^ and the poor Publican^ that The Pub- lican went down to his Houfe juflijied rather than the other. Let us, inftead of any of thefe proud Opinions and Pradices, follow all fuch Courfes as may bring us to a Sight and Senfe of our Sins; and may excite us earneftly to beg for Mercy and Par- don in Chrift Jefus. This Dodtrine fliould ftir us up to a daily Self-Examination, Confeffion and Prayer to God, that our Sins may be blotted out, Thefe are the proper Exercifes of a good Chri- ftian, in which there is no Danger of exceeding, Thefe will keep the Soul in a good Frame and Temper, and the more they abafe us in our own Sight, fo much the more will they exalt us in the Sight of God.
3. Thirdly, here is Comfort to all good Peo- ple, whofe continual Grief it is that they can ne-
▼er
iSJ* ^e Fifth Petition in the [Serm.
ver entirely conquer their Lufts and Corruptions, but are daily dilcovering new Failings in themr felves i here I fay is Comfort to all fuch, that to our daily Failings our Saviour has prefcribed a ^aily Remedy ; that as often as we pray for our daily Bread, we fhould pray likewife for the forgive- iiefs of our Sins. It were indeed earneftly to be wi(h- cd that our Vidory over Sin in this World were more com pleat, and that we were delivered not only from thole Works of the Flefh, thofe crying Sins which wicked Men commonly indulge themfelves^ in, but likewife from all thofe leffer Faults which are incident to good People in this Life. But we are to confider that at beft this is but an imperfedt State, and that that entire Deliverance from all Manner of Sin belongs to the State of Heaven,, which good People therefore earneftly long for. All we can do while we are here is, by a diligent \}k of the Means of Grace, to fludy as great Per- fedion in Holinefs as we can, and by Watchful- ness before hand, and Self- Examination after- wards, with the conftant Ufe of Prayer, and Re- Iblutions, and Endeavours, to keep our felves as clear of all Sin both of Omiffion and Commiflion as poffibly as we can. But yet forafmuch as In many Things we offend all ofus^ and if we jay we- have no Sin^ we deceive our felves y and the Truth is not in us ; our Patience muft extend fo far as to be eafy and contented with our imperfecfl Circum- flances, and by daily Prayer and Repentance to wipe off thefe Blemifhes^ till we arrive at that bleffed State in Heaven, where there will be no need of this Petition. But at prefent we have ^reat Encouragement to put up this Requeft. It
IS
XIIL] LorSs Prayer. Matt. VL 12. 189
is a Petition drawn by our Saviour himfclf ; and he will back it with his own prevalent Mediation and Interceffion. And God who knows our frail Nature and dangerous Circumftances in this World,. will pity our Weaknels, and pardon th€ Sins o( this imperfed: State. As the Plalmiil defcribes this Mercy of God excellently, Pf. ciii< 13, 14. Like as a Father pitieth his Children^ jo the Lord pitieth them that fear him : For he knowetb our Frame, he remembreth that we art Dtiji.
4. The laft Thing I have to do from this Te^t is, to addrefs myfelf to thofe rigid Exactors of In- juries, who notwithftanding this, and divers other plain Texts of Holy Scripture, will not pardon the leaft Tranfgreffion in their Neighbour, though they themfelves have long Reckonings to account for to Almighty God. I have not time now to coniider the feveral Cafes, what fort of Injuries are to be pardoned, and what not ; perhaps that may come in better hereafter, from thofe Words which our Saviour has fubjoined to the Lord's Prayer, and which have a particular Afped: upoa this Petition. For if ye forgive Men their *Tref' pdfjes, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you ; hut if ye forgive 7tot Men their Trefpaffes^ neither will your Father forgive your T^refpafes, All I (hall fay at prefent, is in general to recommend to you a merciful forgiving Temper, and to dif- fuade you from adling out of Principles of Malice or Refentment.
And if it is fo dangerous a Thing to profecutc Revenge where we are provoked \ what mull it be without any Provocation at all, to contrive to aggrieve our Neighbour, and to ba the firft Aggreflbrs in Injuries? I am very fenfiblethat the
ialfc
190 The Fifth Petition, ice. [Serm.
falfe Rules of Honoiu^ as they are called, are in this Point of Retaliation of Injuries direftly con- trary to the Law of Jefus Chrifl. The one makes it a noble Thing to Revenge, the other a noble Thing to pals by an Injury. But pray conlider that in the great Day of Accounts, we fhall be judged by the Laws of Chrift, and not by Mens falfe Rules of Honour. And therefore to turn the Petition of my Text into a fliort Exhortation, I (hall give it you in the Words of St Luke, Chap. vi. 37. and they are fo few that I hope ye will eafily carry them along with you ; Forgive, and yejhall be Forgiven,
Now God of his infinite Mercy blefs us all with the Far don of our Sins, and Grace to amend our Lives ; that when this fiort Life is over, we may be ad- mitted to that State of Glory and Happinefs which we wait for in Heaven, through the Merits and Mediation of Chrift Jefus. To whom, Csf^.
SERM,
XIV.] tgi
SERMON XI\^.
Matt. VL 13.
^nd lead us not into Temptation^ but deliver us Jrom Evil
The Eighth Sermon on the Lord's Prayer.
IN thefe Words we have the laft Petition of the Lord's Prayer, which relates to the pre- ferring us from being overcome by Temptations. Before I come to the Petition itfeif, it is very iit that we confider the Connexion. The fpiri- tual Petitions relating direclly to our feives, our Saviour parts into two: One, for the pardon of Sin already paft, Forgive us our Debts, or Tref- paffes ; the other to guard us againft Sin for the Time to come, which is that of my Text : And lead us not into Temptation^ but deliver us from Evil. I ihall firft fay fomething for the Expli- cation of the Words, and then confider the Mean- ing of the Petition.
To begin with the Word Temptation^ I ihall not here expatiate to enquire in how many Senfes it is taken in the holy Scriptures, but reftrain my Confideration of it to the Temptations here meant, namely, Temptations to Sin, fuch Suggeftions of the Devil, the World, and the Flefli, as are apt to induce us to the Omiffion^f Duty, or the Commiffion of Sin.
By
102 ne sixth Petition in the [SEitivii
By the Word, leading into 7e?72ptation^ as it is applied to God, muft not be underftood the en- fnaring us in fmfui Courfes, as if he were the Author or Contriver of Sin, which is far from the Parity of his Nature ; but only the permit- ting us to be tempted, or the withholding his^ Grace, whereby wd might be enabled to refift Temptations, and for a juft Puniiliment of our Sins, the leaving us to our felves to grapple with our fpiritual Enemies upon our own very unequal Strength.
By delivering us from Evil^ fome mean the delivering us from the evil One, meaning the Devil ; whether as the Principal or Head of the Temptation, or as the Tormentor, to whofe Lot we ihall fall, if the Temptation fucceeds. Others mean in general the Evil of Sin, that God by his Grace and Providence would fo fortify, de- fend, and extricate us, that we be not led into finful Courfes or Actions ; or if we are, that wc be quickly delivered by a thorough Repentance and Amendment. And I fee no material Diffe- rence between thefe two Interpretations, both tending to one and the fame thing, to invoke God's Help, both to flave off Temptations by his Providence, and to fortify us againfl them^ and to help us out of them by the Grace of his holy Spirit.
The Words being thus explained, towards un- derftanding of the Petition contained in them, it will be neceflary likewife briefly to clear up fome Truths here prefuppofed, upon which this Peti- tion feems to be grounded, to diredl us to the ris^ht Senfe of it. The Truths I mean, are thefe' following.
I. That
XIV.] ^Lord's'' Prayer, Matt. VI. 12. 193
L That in this corrupt State, we are expofed to manifold Temptations, which of our felves, or by any natural Strength of our own, we are not able to grapple with.
II. That thoug-h God is not the Author of
o
Temptations, fo as diredly to bring them on, yet he exercifes fuch a Power over both the Tempters, and the Tempted, that by his Grace and Provi- dence he can either ftave off the Temptation, or fo reftrain and govern us, that either we fliall not be led into it, or quickly be extricated from it.
III. That it is our Duty earneflly to beg this Affiftance of God by Prayer.
I. That in this corrupt State we are expofed to manifold Temptations, which of our felves, or by any natural Strength of our own, we are not able to grapple with. I lliall not need to infift on this, becaufe it requires only an Infpedion into our own Hearts and Lives, to be convinced of the Truth of it ; and therefore to fpeak of the innumerable Temptations with which we are af- faulted, would be only to engage in an endlcfs Labour to no purpofe, but to prove what no bo- dy denies. I fhall only from this Obfervation, take notice of the vaft Extent of this Petition, for it is a Prayer to defend us againft all Sorts of Sin, efpecially fuch as we are moft expofed to, and moft endangered by. And this teaches us what is to be chiefly in our Eye in all our Prayers and Endeavours, namely, to guard againft Sin, particularly thofe Sins to which we are moft apt to be tempted.
II. The fecond Thing here pre-fuppofed, is, that though God is not the Author of Temptaiions, fo as diredly to bring them on, yet he exercifes fach
Vol. IIL O a
194 ^ ^^ Sixth Petition in the [Serm
a Power both over the Tempters, and the Temp- ted, that he can either ftave off the Temptation, or fo reftrain and govern us, that we fhall either not be led into it, or be quickly extricated from it. There are two Things to be cleared from this Obfervation.
I. Firft, that God is clear from being the Author of Temptations. This is fo much the more neceflary to be explained, becaufe there are fome who, by their unwary Expreffions, have given to God a direft Caufality in finful Actions, and have founded their Opinion on this, and fome other Texts of Holy Scripture. To preferve you againft the Poifon of this Dodtrine, let it be con- fidered firft, that the Holy Scriptures are moft exprefs in giving us a quite other Notion of God, than that he is the Author or Approver of any finful Aftion : Thou art not a God that hath Plea- fiire in Wickednefs ; neither (hall Evil dwell with thee, fays the Pfalmift, Pfal/ v. 4: And Pfal. xlv. 6. 7. 7hy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever-, the Scepter^ of thy Kingdom, is a right Scepter -^ thou loveji RighteoufnefSy and hatejl Wickednefs, And Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the Rock, his Work is per^ feB ; for all his Ways are Judgment -, a God of Truth, and without Iniquity, juji and right is he. The Apoftle St Paul puts this Queftion, and re- jects it with Abhorrence, i2c?/«. ix. 14. What (hall we fay then, fays he, is there Vnrighteoufnefs with God'? Godjorbid, And St James is moft exprefs in this Point, Jamesi, 13. Let no Man fay when he is tempted, I am te?7ipted of God-, for God cannot be tempted with Evil, neither tem^pteth he any Man: But every Man is tempted^ when he is drawn away of his
own
XIV.] Loris Prayer. Matt. VI. 12. 195
own Luft^ and enticed. And many other Paflages of Holy Scripture might be cited in Confirmation of this Dodrine. Let us confider likewife that right Reafon is moft confonant to Scripture in this Point. For how could it agree with the Holy Nature of God, to be the Author of that which is fo much abhorred by him ? of that which he exprefly for- bids, and threatens with eternal Damnation.
2. The fecond Thing to be cleared from this Obfervation is, that though God is not the Au- thor of Sin, yet he exercifes fuch a Power both over the Tempters, and the Tempted, that he can either (lave off the Temptation, or fo reftrain and govern us, that we (hall either not be led in- to it, or be quickly extricated from it. Firft, as to the Tempter, it is plain from the Hiftory of Job^ that Job was not left in the Power of Satan to tempt him as he pleafed, or when he pleafed ; he had his Permiffion from God, brfore he could begin the Temptation, and was alfo limited by him how far it ihould go. [a) Haji thou -not iiiade an Hedge about him^ fays Satan, and about Im Houfe, and about all that he hath on every Side ? Then when he had leave to tempt him, his own Perfon was excepted. I only conclude from hence, that if God*thinks fit t9 interpofe, he can either effedlually reftrain the Temptation, or limit it to what particular Part of our Concerns he thinks fit. Then as to the Tempted, he can by his Pro- vidence remove the Temptation, as he removej Rabjhekah'^ Army from Jerufalem^ by finding
(a) Job. i. 10.
O 2 them
196 The Sixth Petition in the ^ [Serm.
them Work enough at home : Or if he thinks fit, for the Trial and Confirmation of our Faith, to let the Temptation come on, he can fo fortify and arm us, that it (hall lofe its Force and Effi- cacy, and we (liall not be led into it, or be under the Power and Force of it. Or, thirdly, if it prevail upon us, to humble us, and fliew us our own Weaknefs, God can, when he pleafes, ex- tricate us out of it ; and as to the EfFeds, difap- point Satan and all our fpiritual Enemies, and make us come off with Honour and Advantage, by rendering us more humble, and penitent, and cautious, and watchful for the future.
III. The third Thing here pre-fuppoled, is, that it is our Duty earneftly to beg this Affiftance of God' by Prayer. God in his Providence has fo wifely contrived Matters, that our fpiritual Wants call upon us as inceffantly to draw near to him, as our temporal ones. We have daily Experience of our own Weaknefs, and of the Strength and Vigilance of our Enemies, and of the Multitude of Trials and Temptations. Upon all which Accounts, we have no better Way than to add our fervent Prayers to our fervent Endeavours, faying. Lead us not into Temptation^ but deliver us from EviL
Having cleared both theMeaningof the Words, and thefeveral Truths pre-fuppofed, I come now to a nioredired Confideration of the Petition it- felf i in which I apprehend thefe three or four Things may be contained.
I. That we pray here for the ftaving ofFof fuch Ifemptations, as are difproportioned to our Mea- fure of Stren2;th and Grace,
II. That
XIV.] Loris Prayer, Matt. VI. 12. 197
II. That we pray for preventing Grace to keep our Minds in a good Frame and Temper, well fortified againft all Temptations we may be en- countered with.
III. That we pray that God would not defert us in the Hour of Temptation, but that his Grace may be fufficient for us, to b:ing us off vidorious.
IV. That we pray that if we are enfnared by any Temptation, we may be quickly delivered from the Power of it, and rendred more humble, penitent, and watchful.
I. Firil, By thefe Words, Lead us ?7ot into Te7nptation^ I conceive we are here taught to pray againft all fuch Temptations, as are difproportioned to our Meafure of Strength and Grace. And this I am induced to believe to be one Part of the Meaning, for thefe two or three Reafons. i. As being very fuitable to the literal Meaning of the Words, q. d. Lord thou knoweft how eafily I am overcome by Temptations to Sin, and therefore I humbly befeech thee, either to keep me out of the Way of Temptation, or to proportion my Temptations to my Strength, that with the "Temp- tat ion I may find a Way to efcape. 2. To keep out of the Way of Temptations, is a great Part of our Duty ; and therefore I can fee no Reaibn why we ought not to pray to God to enable us to comply with this Part of our Duty. Not that we are to decline any Trials, that God thinks fit to put us to ; but certainly we are, both by our Prayers and Endeavours, to avoid the Temp- tations of the Devil, the World, and the Flelh. 3. We have Examples of the greateft Saints who have prayed againft being led into Temptation ; O 3 how
198 T^he Sixth Petition in the [Serm.
how earneftly did our Saviour himfelf pray that {a) the Cup of his Suffering might pa fs from him, tho' he immediately corrected it, But not my Will, but thy IV ill be done ? Our Saviour likevvife prayed for St Peter, when he forefaw his Temptation, that his Faith might not fail -, and therefore undoubt- edly vv'c may pray the fame for our felves, and for one another.
11. By this Petition we are taught to pray for Preventing Grace, to keep our Minds in a good Fram.e and Temper, well fortified againft all Temptations we may be encountered with. It ought to be one Part of our Prayer, that Tempta- tions may never furprize us, or catch us at' a Dif- ad vantage. And for this End, two Things are neceffary, that the Heart be well rep!eni(hed with Grace, the Underftanding and Memory with good Notions, the Will with good Refo- lutions, the Affedions orderly, and the Con- fcience clear ; then that we keep a good Watch and Look-out, being upon our guard againft Temptations, waiting for them, and ready, by the Grace of God, to refift them. We muft ftand armed with the whole Armour of God, and ftiive to be expert at the ufe of every fpiritual Weapon.
III. By this Petition wx are taught to pray, that God would not leave us to our felves in the Hour of Temptation, but that his Grace may be fufficient for us to bring us off viftorious. This is taught us in thefe Words, but deliver us from Evfl', whether it be the evil One, the Devil,
(a) Matt. xxvi. 39.
XIV.] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. i2, 199
or the Evil of Sin, with all its evil Confequences. There is no Perfon any thing converfant in this Warfare, who, from his own Experience, doth not know a mighty Difference in his fpiritual Strength, when Temptations aflault him well fortified with the Grace of God, from what he finds when they affault him naked and unarmed, trufting only to his own Strength. In this latter Cafe, he is like Sampfon with his Hair cut, and becomes an eafy Prey to his Enemies ; whereas, in the firft Cafe, he is firong in the Lord, and in the Power of his Might, and able to quench all the Jiery Darts of the Devil.
IV. Laftly, In this Petition we are taught to pray, that if we are enfnared by any Temptation, we may be quickly delivered from the Power of it, and rendred more humble, penitent, and watchful. For this is likewife a delivering from Evil, and is often a very good EfFeft of Temptations upon well difpofed Souls. As Peters fall wrought in him a godly Sorrow, and fetched Tears of Repen- tance, and contributed to the renewing his Zeal and good Refolutions, fo it often fares with good Men, that their ftumbling only occafions their looking more heedfuUy to their Ways, and their walking more cautioufly in the Way of God's Commandments.
Thus much for Explication of the Petition in my Text. I fhall conclude with an Exhortation or two, grounded on the Words, and what ha$ been offered fi'om them.
I. Firft then. Here we fee the proper Re- medy for what is the moft troublefome Thing in a religious Life ; I mean the infinite Number of Temptations, to which we are fubjedt, Tempta- O 4 tions
2:00 T'^^ Sixth Petition in the [Serm.
tions to Pride aAd Vanity, to Luft and Senlaality, to Covetoufiiefs and Ambition, to Gluttony and Drunken nefs, to Anger and Revenge, to Pre- fumption and Security, to Impatience and Melan- choly, to Epvy and Dilcontent ; and a thoufand other Temptations, to which we are continually expofed. What are we to do with them ? Let us do by them as Hezekiah did by RabfldekaV^ blafphemons Letter, let us fpread them all before the Lord in Prayer, and beg the Affiftance of his Providence and his Grace ; and this we fliall find the fureft Way to be relieved from them. {a) IVatch and pray, fays our Saviour, that ye enter not into 'Temptation ; the Spirit iiideed is wil- ling, but the FleJJj is weak. There is no Duty to which greater Promifes are. made, than to this of Prayer; but there is nothing in which we are greater Lifidels. We are more willing to try any other Experiment, but without this they are all Phyficians of no Vdlue. The moft fixed Refo- lution, the moft diligent Endeavour, unlefs fol- lowed with a conftant Supply of Grace, which is promifed to fervent Prayer, are but mere Cob- webs againft Temptations, they'll make nothing of them. And on the other liand, there are no Temptations fo ftrong, but what will give Way to Fafting and Prayer. Let us then take all Op- portunities to addrefs our felves to God, both by Mental and Vocal Prayer, and moft importunate- ly caft our felves at his Feet, until he have Mercy upon us. But ye will obje6l perhaps, that to be inftant in Prayer, requires a devout Temper of Mind ; but that Dulnefs and Drynefs in Devo-
[a] Mark xiv, 2>^^
tion
XIV.] Lorcts Prayer, Matt. VI. 12. 201
tion is one of your Temptations -, ye are like the Difciples who when they v/ent about Prayer, fell faft afleep, and found no Relifh in that holy Ex- ercife. But notwithftanding this Drowfinefs, which is often incident to good People, our Sa- viour ftill called upon them to Watch and Fra\\ and fo much the rather, becaufe of this Infirmity of their Flefh. There is no better Way to (l^akc off" this fpiritual Slumber, than to complain of it in Prayer to God, and to beg that he will rouze us out of it.^ This we may aiTure our ielves, the more we frequent fecret Devotion, the m,ore plea- fant and delightful it will become 3 and the lefs we frequent it, the more tedious and irkfome it will prove.
2. But as we are thus to pray againft Tempta- tions, we muft take care that our Adions and our Prayers be all of a piece ; that is, that in our Adlions we follow fuch Courfes as may be moft efi'edxual for overcoming Temptations ; otherwife we only draw near to God with our Lips, while our Hearts and Lives are far from him. There are many Ways whereby we tranfgrels this Rule, (i.) Many Men become their own Tempters, by raifmg and cherifliing in their Minds fuch Thoughts and Imaginations as pollute the Heart, ^nd prove the Seeds of much Wickednefs in the Life; Thoughts of Pride and Vanity, Thoughts of Luft and Uncleannefs, Thou2:hts of An^er and Revenge. All fuch Practices by which we either raife or cherifli Temptations, are diredly contrary to this Prayer of my Text. (2.) Whofoever they are that lay Snares and Temptations for others, to engage them in any Sin of Drunkennefs, Un- cleannefs, or the like; thefe Perfons by their Pradice contradidl this Petition, lead us not into
T^cmpiatioiu
202 The Si^fh Petition in the [Serm.
temptation. (3.) They who put themfelves in the Way of Temptations, by frequenting lewd Ojinpany, by reading Lafcivious or Atheiftical Books, by committing to their Memory profane Songs and Ballads, or by doing any other thing whereby they may probably be enfnared and led into Temptation, adl diredly contrary to this Part of the Lord's Prayer. (4) They who kindly entertain and hug a Temptation when prefented, and do not flee from it, but flutter about it fo long, till at lafi: they burn their Wings with it, have themfelves a hand in defeating this part of tlitir Prayer. (5.) Laftly, If we would e£Fed:u- slly anlwer the End of this part of the Lord's Prayer, we muft take all the rnofl eflfeftual Me- thods we can think of, both to prevent, and to defeat Temptations ; fuch as are the avoiding of Idicnels, -.and keeping our felves employed in the Buiiii^fs of our lawiul Callings the keeping of the Mind in a good Temper, not ruffled with Anger, nor debauched with Lull, nor fwelled with Pride and Vanity ; the keeping a Confcience void of Offence, io that there be no ill Thing in our Hearts to obftruft our walking with God ^ the improving our Talent of Grace in a continu- al doing of Good according to our Abilities and Opportunities ; a continual Watchfulnefs to fore- fee our Danger, efpecially againft thofe Sins to which, by Experience of our own Temper, Conilitution, and Circumftances, we know our felves to be moft expofed; and by a frequent Self-Examination of our Heart and Ways, and renewing our good Purpofes and Refolutions. If we go on diligently in fuch Endeavours, joined with our hearty Prayers, there is no doubt we
{hall
XIV.] Lorcts Prayer. Matt. VI. 12. 203
fhall either be totally preferved from falling into Temptation, or by the Grace of God, fhall quick- ly be renewed by Repentance, till in the End our Chriftian Warfare fhall end in the Triumph of everlafling Peace and Reft, free from both Sin and Temptation.
Whkh God of his infinite Mercy ^ in due time^ bejiow upon us a/l, through the Mediation of J ejus Chrijl^ our blejjed Saviour and Redeemer, To whom, &c.
S E R M.
202 The Sixth Petition in the [Serm.
temptation. (3.) They who put themfelves in
the Way of Temptations, by frequenting lewd Ojmpany, by reading Lafcivious or Atheiftical Books, by committing to their Memory profane Songs and Ballads, or by doing any other thing whereby they may probably be enfnared and led into Temptation, ad: diredtly contrary to this Part of the Lord's Prayer. (4) They who kindly entertain and hug a Temptation when prefented, and do not flee from it, but flutter about it fo long, till at laft they burn their Wings with it, have themfelves a hand in defeating this part of tlitir Prayer. (5.) Laftly, If we would efFedu- sliy anlwer the End of this part of the Lord's Prayer, we muft take all the moft eflFedual Me- thods we can think of, both to prevent, and to defeat Temptations ; fuch as are the avoiding of Idlcnels, £nd keeping our felves employed in the Euiii-^rs of our lawhil Callings the keeping of the Mind in a good Temper, not ruffled with Anger, nor debauched with Luft, nor fwelled with Piide and Vanity ; the keeping a Confcience void of Offence, {o that there be no ill Thing in our Hearts to obftruft our walking with God i the improving our Talent of Grace in a continu- al doing of Good according to our Abilities and Opportunities ; a continual Watchfulnefs to fore- fee our Danger, efpecially againfl thofe Sins to which, by Experience of our own Temper, Conftitution, and Circumftances, we know our felves to be moft expofed; and by a frequent Self-Examination of our Heart and Ways, and renewing our good Purpofes and Refolutions. If we go on diligently in fuch Endeavours, joined with our hearty Prayers, there is no doubt we
fhall
XIV.] Lorcts Prayer, Matt. VI. 12. 203
fhall either be totally preferved from felling into Temptation, or by the Grace of God, fliall quick- ly be renewed by Repentance, till in the End our Chriftian Warfare fhall end In the Triumph of everlafting Peace and Reft, free from both Sin and Temptation.
Whkh God of his infinite Mercy ^ in due time^ befiow upon us all^ through the Mediation of J ejus Chrifi^ our blejjed Saviour and Redeemer, To whom, &c.
S E R M,
204 The Conckjion of the [Serm,
SERMON XV.
Matt. VI. 13.
For thine is the Kingdom^ and the Power y and the Glory ^ for ever. Amen.
The Ninth Sermon on the Lord*s Prayer.
OF the three Parts into which we diftri- buted the Lord's Prayer, namely, the In- 'uocatioUy the Petitions^ and the Conclufion^ or Doxology y having fpoke to the two firft, the In- vocation and Petitio7iSy we come now to the laft, the ConchfiGn or Doxology ^ being in thefe Words which I have read, For thine is the Kingdom^ and the Power y and the Glory y for ever. Amen.
I fhall not trouble you with a Difpute which is among the Learned, whether thefe Words were put in by our Saviour himfelf, as a Part of this excellent Prayer ; or whether being a com- mon Conclufion of Prayers in Ufe in the Jewifl:> Church, as fuch they were added to this Prayer by the Church. It is certain there are feveral eminent Fathers who leave out* this Doxology, even where they exprefly explain the Lord's Prayer, and others of them put it, in. St Luke leaves it out : Our Church fometimes puts it in, and fome-
times
XV.] Lord's Prayer. Matt. VI. 13. 205
times leaves it out in the Common -Prayer. But fince none will objedl to the Ufefulnefs of it, and it has now for a long Time, ever fitice St Chry^ fojlomz Days at leaft, been ufed in the Greek Church, I fhall go on to the Explication of it with the reft.
The Words will very well bear to be interpre- ted here, fo as to have an Afpedl either to Praife and Thankfglving, which is always very fit to be joined with Prayer j or to theReafon upon which the preceding Petitions are grounded ; or to the Aim and Intent to which all our Devotions are to be direded. I fhall confider them in all thefe Ways.
I. Firft, They may be confidered as an addi- tional Praife and Thankfgiving, which is always very fit to be joined with Prayer ; q. d. Vi^e hum- bly hope for a Grant of thefe our Petitions, when we refled: and confider that tbi7ie is the Kingdom^ and that thou haft hitherto defended it againft all the Attempts of thine and our Enemies ; and that thine is the Power, and that whenever thou haft been pleafed to exert it, there is nothing too hard for thee ; and that thine is the Glory, that is, that thou haft always hitherto gained Honour to thy- felf, by granting the Prayers of thy Servants, for that indeed the whole Honour of all they do is folely owing to thy Grace. And as it has been fo in time paft, it will be fo for ever and ever, to all Eternity.
Before I leave this Notion of the Words as a Doxology or Thankfghing, there are fome Things I think may properly be obferved from them. As
I. That it is very fit in our Devotions, to join Thankfgiving to Prayers and Petitions.
11. That
2o6 ^he Conclujion of the [Serm.
II. That the Confideration of forrtier Mercies, is a great Encouragement in our Addreffes to Al- mighty God.
III. That the many Examples we have had of God's afferting his Sovereignty, and of his exer- cifing his Power, and of the clofe Conjunction of his Honour with the Happinefs of his Creatures, do all furnifh great Matter for Thankfgiving.
I. That it is very fit in our Devotions to join Thankfgiving to Prayers and Petitions. To do otherwife, would look like Ingratitude ; and of all Things, there Is no greater Obftruftor of new Favours, thap Ingratitude for the old. And be- fides, Thankfgiving is a more genuine Expreffion of Love, than Petition, and accordingly is a much more rare thing in the World ^ as our Sa- viour obferved of the ten Lepers that were cleanfed, only one .of them returned to give Thanks, Luke xvii. 17, 18. Were there not Ten cleanfed^ fays he, but where are the nine ? There are not found to give Glory to God^ fave this Stranger, Now the joining Thankfgiving to Prayer, is much prac- ticed by the beft Patterns of Devotion we have in the holy Scriptures : Of David!% I fhall quote only that excellent Prayer of his, when they of- fered freely towards building the Temple 5 i Chron. xxix. 10. what abundance of it runs out in Thankfgiving and Praife, Thiney O Lordy is the Great72eJSy and the Power, and the Glory , and the . ViBoryy and the Majejiy -, for all that is in the Heaven y and in the Earthy is thine -, thine is the Kingdoniy O Lordy and thou art exalted as Head above all Both Riches and Honour come of theey and thou reigneft over ally and in thine Hand is Power a?2d Might 3 ajid in thine Hand it is to
make
XV.] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. 13. 207
make great y and to give Strength unto alL And St P^z// exhorts, that Supplications^ Prayers^ In- tercejfions^ and giving of Thanks, be made for all Men, I Tim. ii. i.
II. I obferve from this Doxology, that the Confideration of former Mercies is a great Encou- ragement in our AddrefTes to Almighty God. The Obiervation how God has delivered his Church and Kingdom at all Times, and in all the gieaiefl: Dangers, is a mighty Eiicouragement to pray that his Kingdom may come in full Strength and Power. The Confideration of the many Proofs ^he has given us, both of his Power, and of his Willingness and Readinefs to help us out of Dangers, is a moft prevailing Motive cor- dially to addrefs him. [a) I was cafi upon thee
Jrom the Womb^ iays the Pfalmift, thou art my God from my Mother s Belly j be not far from ine^ for trouble is near,
III. I obferve that the many Examples we have had of God's afferting his Sovereignty, and of his exercifing his Power, and of the clofe Conjunc- tion of his Honour with the Happinefs of his Crea- tures, do all furnifh great Matter for Thankfgiving.
(i.) Firft, his aflerting of his Sovereignty, Thine is the Ki?Jgdom, What a mighty Comfort is this againfl all the Attempts of ill Men, who endeavour to fet the World and the Church in a Combuftion, to think that God is the Sovereign of the World, and that he will fupport his owii
(a) Pf. xxii. 10, II.
Kingdom
2o8 The Cojiclupon of the [Serm.
Kingdom : That good Men, when they encoun- ter the Devil, the World, and the Flefli, fight under his Banner, and therefore may go on cheer- fully, as being fure ofSuccefs? [a] "The Lord reigneth^ fays the Pfalmiil:^ let the Euirtb rejoice^ let the Multitude of the IJles be glad thereof,
(2) The exercifing of his Power. If Rebels againfl: God's Throne were ftronger than he, it would be no wonder if we were fearful of the Event of any wickedEnterprizesagainft his Church and Kingdom ; but when we know before hand that his Pov/er is Almighty, and theifs none but what he is pleafed to permit, we may go on cou- ragioufly, and fear no bad Succefs. The Pfal- mift has an excellent Meditation on this Subjed:, P/.' Ixii. 9. Surely Men of low Degree^ fays he, are Vanity^ and Men of high Degree are a Lie -, to he laid in the Balance^ they are altogether lighter than Vanity, Trujl not in Opprefjion^ and become not vain in Robbery-, if Riches eficreafe, fet not your Heart upon them, God hath fpoken oncCy twice have I heard this^ that Power belongeth ufz- to God.
(3,) The clofe Conjundion of his Honour with the Happinefs of his Creatures. The Glory of all his Mercies, and Gifts and Graces, is his ; and therefore his Honour, and our Intereft, are in the fame Bottom. It is for his Honour that a great deal of good be done, and it is by virtue of his Grace that it is done, and therefore in all Ref- pedls it tends to his Glory.
II. Having confidered the Words as a Doxo- logy^ or Thankjgivingy let us next confider them
[a) Pf. xcvii. I,
as
XV.] Lords Prayer. Matt. VI. 13^ 209
as a Motive or Inducement to back our Petitions ; as indeed the Particle For gives them this Af- pe6t. Grant us fuch and fuch Bleffings, for thine is the Kingdom^ the Power ^ and the Glory, This brinrs in the Words of this Text, as the Reafon why we addreis ciiefe Petitions to Almighty God, and as the Reafon why he will grant them. Let us fee then what Relation there is between the Petitions, and thefe Confiderations upon which they are advanced.
HoUowed be thy Na?ne ', that is, let thy Honour be principally regarded in every Thing, for this is thy Due. Thou art the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords -, thine is the Kingdom in Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, the Devils themfelves be- ing the Minifters of thy Wrath, the Executi- oners of thy Juftice. And as the prixicipal Ho- our is thy due, fo thou haft Power enough to compafs it ; and to make ufe of thy Power for this End, will tend to thy Glory.
'Thy Kingdom co?ne 5 that is, let thy Gofpel fiou-- rlfll and profper, being the great Means whereby thy Throne may be eftablifhed in the Hearts of Men. And is it not moft juft to requeft this of God, whofe Right it is to rule in Mens Hearts, and who by his Grace and Providence, can make the Means fuccefsful ; and who by fo doing will gain Honour and Glory to himfelf ?
Thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven, And why fhould it not, the Inhabitants of this Earth being thy Subjefe, and owing thee Obe- dience, as well as the Inhabitants of Heaven? This is a Part of thy Kingdom, though too long jtt revolted from thee, and fuch a Part, as thou haft Ik Vol. III. P not,
I
2 lo The Conclufion of the [Serm.-
DOt, as yet, feiitenced to evedafting Mifery, like the fallen Angels ; but a Part, which by thy Son, thou art ufing the moft effeftual Means to reco- ver. And as they are a Part of thy Kingdom, fo thou haft the Power in thy own Hand to re- cover them, by affording the external Means, and the internal Grace v and this will tend both to their Happinefs, and to thy Honour and Glory.
Give us this Day our daily Bread. And who can poor ftarving Subjects apply themfelves to more properly, than to their King ; a King with whom tliere is an inexhauftible Store of all Blef- fings, and who has it in his Power to difpenfe them as liberally as he pleafes ? We are thy own Servants, of thy Houfliold and Family, therefore take care that we want not Neceflaries. This is the leaft Part of thy Power to procure, who haft the vaft Plenty of Earth, and Sea, and Air, all at thy Command, and by thy heavenly Influences canft make all as fruitful as thou pleafeft. This likewife v;ill tend to thy Honour, to have all thy Creatures depend upon thee, and to have all that depend upon thee well fiipplied.
And forgive us our T'refpaljes -^ as Mercy is one of thy Royal Properties, and thou haft it in thy Power to difpofe as for thy Mercy, by work- ing in us a true Repentance for all our Sins ; and this likewife will be much more for thy Honour and Glory, than to leave us to periih in our Sins.
And lead us not into Tempt ation, but deliver us from EviL Abandon us not io as the Tempter may have any Advantage over us, but by thy Grace deliver us from his Snares ^ he is feeking to withdrav/ us from thy Service, and to corrupt us in our Obedience to thee our rightful Lord and
King 5
XV.] Lords Prayer. Matt; VI. 13. 211
King ; and therefore who can we flee to, to pro- tedl us againft his Strength and Snares, bat unto thee, to defend thy own Kingdom, as thou haft an Almighty Power to do it, and it will tend very much to thy Honour and Glory ?
Thus we fee how naturally thefe Words may be ufed as an Argument, Motive, or Inducement, to back all our Petitions.
III. There is a third Afpeft of the Words, as diredting us to the ultimate Aim and End of all our Petitions, which is the Honour and Glory of God. For it ought to be a great Part of our Care in our Prayers, not only to ask Things that are materially good, but likewife to have God's Glory direcSly in our Eye, and to propofe that as the Scope and Mark at which to level all our Pe- titions. I mean, that what we pray for (hould not only be good and convenient for us, but a Service to God ; and that not only by way of confequence, but that it fliould be mainly, and principally, and direftly in our Intention.
From the Text under this Afpecft, we are taught to purify our Intentions from all linifter Biafs, that may either pervert, or fo much as leffen the Dignity of our Petitions. And therefore firft let us not prefume to call upon God to blefs us in any ill Defign 5 what is not for his Honour, we are not to expeft that he will countenance. Se- condly, let us not load our Devotions with Peti- tions aboHt Things in their own Nature indifferent ; unlefs it be conditionally, in fo far as God fees they may tend to his Honour and Glory. Third- ly, let not our Petitions reft in any inferiour Good, but let them be directed to an higher and more noble Purpofe > if we beg any valuable Ta-
P 2 lent
2 12 ^he Conchjion of the [Serm.
lent of God, let us likewife beg the Grace to make a good Ufe of it, in his Service.
The Text being thus explained, there are fome Inferences I would draw from it more immediate- ly tending to good Life and holy Practice.
1. The fiift ihall be, to recommend the Duty of Thankfgiving to Almighty God from this Doxology. {a) In every Thing give Thanks is one of St Pi:/^//'s Rules ; and particularly it is a noble Part of Devotion to obferve and to return Thanks for all Mercies both publick and private, and to take notice of the remarkable Paffages of God's Providence to our felves and others, according to that notable Advice of the Pfalmift, P/al. cvii. O that Men would praife the Lord for his Goodnefs^ and for his wonderful JVorks to the Children of Men, Much Good is to be learned by fuch Ob- fervatlons, as is faid in that fame Pfalm, Whofo is wife and will obferve ihefe Things^ even they f^ all underjland the loving Kindnefs of the Lord,
2, The next Inference I {hall make, {hall be from this Dodlrine of the Text, that the Kingdom is God's, that is, that the whole World is under his Government. From hence I would infer, that our Minds may re{l quiet and contented from many Fears and Troubles, which might be apt to give us a great deal of Uneafmefs. If God governs the World, then it {hall be well with them that fear God; we may fafely re{ign ourfelves to him, and difbarden all our Anxieties into his Bofom. We may reft confident of This, that all Things {liall work together for the Good of them w^io love him. Not but that there are many dark and difficult Things in God's Providence, which we cannct comprehend 5 but that is often occafioned
by
{a) Thef. v. 16.
XV.] Lord's Prayer. Matt. VI. 13. 213
by our Ignorance, and obferving the Work of Providence only by parts, without feeing through the main Plot and Defign of it; and if at that time we fhould go about to form a Scheme of it, very prcbably it would be wildly wrong, e. g. If a Man taking notice of the Imperioufnefs and Cruehy of Pharaoh^ and of ali the oppreiliye Ediifis lie gave out and put in execution againfl the People of Ifrael, ihould at that time have re- fledled on Providence, he Vvould have been aot to be tempted to very hard Thoughts of God, for permit dng fach Cruelty and Oppreffion in aiiy of his Vicegerents. But if the fame Perfon could have had patience till God delivered his People out of Egypt, and till he had got him Honour upon Pbaraob and all his Hoft by drowning them in the Red Sea, he would then have had caufe to juftify God's Providence in the Refcue of the In- nocent and the PuniCiment of the Guilty, As then the Ki':gdom is God's, let us learn to have reverent and becoming Thoughts of his Govern- ment, and not dare fo much as in our Thoughts to afperfe it. And as we are thus to have hon- oural le Conceptions of God and his Kingdom, kt us likewife learn to behave ourfelves as obedient Subjedls to him, to have no commerce with any of his Enemies, but to be faithful to him to the Death, that we may obtain a Crown cf Life. Is God the King of all the Earth ? then in ail our Grievances let us addrefs ourfelves to him, and de- pend upon him, that he will bring it to pafs. And as earthly Courtiers are very ambitious of the Favour of their Prince, let us be extreamly ambitious of God'sFavour, which is not purchafe'd by Flintery^^ or any of thofe bafe Arts fo common among the
P 3 Courts
^14 7he Condujton of the [Serm;
Courts of earthly Princes, but by downright Honefty and Sincerity.
3. My third Inference (hall be fetched from God*s Power ; the Confideration of which fhould teach us to reft fecure that no Force or Fraud of Men or Devils fhall be able to wreft the Sceptre out of his Hand,or to do us the leaft Hurt but by his Permiffion, for his own wife Ends and Pur- pofes.Feeble Governments are under continualAp- prehenfions from their more potent Neighbours ; but as God's Authority is over all, his Power is comrnenfurate with his Authority; no Weapon formed againft his Kingdom {hall profper. This is a mighty Security to the Church, that all At- tempts againft her fhall be but like theBuilding of the Tower of Babel^ which thofe Giants defigned fhould have reached unto Heaven ; but God can ea- fily confound and punifli all fuch Devices; and the Earth may rejoice that it is under hisGovernment.
4. The laft Inference I fliall make is, from this Obfervation of my Text, that the Glory of all the good Thdngs we are directed to pray for, is God's likewife ; which I take to be a Point of the greateft Comfort, that our Duty and Happi« nefs do not draw one Way, and God's Honour another Way, but that one and the fame Me- thod anfwers both thofe noble Ends. Or indeedj, to fpeak more properly, both thefe are one and the fameThing; we cannot confult God's Honour bet- ter than by promoting our own Salvation. This is a great Comfort, that his Ends and ours do not in the leaft interfere, but Holinefs and Happinefs and God's Honour are Things reciprocal. Frora hence too we may learn to whom all the Honour of our good Duties is due, even to Almighty
God.
XV.] Lor(ts Prayer, Matt. VI. 13; 215
God. It is he that direfe this way of Duty > it is he that gave us the Faculties, wherewith we are made capable of going about it ; it is he that furniflies us the Means ^ and it is he that fapplics us with Grace to make the right Ufe of thofe Means, fo that in all lefpeds the Glory of all is due unto him.
There is one Circumftance added which crowns all the reft ; namely, the Circumftance of Time, or rather Eternity. For the Kingdom, the Power and Glory are \\\'i for ever ; which doth iniinicely enhaunce the Pricc of them. We fee the beft fettled Governments in this World are notwi^li- ftanding fubjed to changes and Revolutions. And the Servants and Favourites of any Prince, if they ^re not changed in his Time, as they commonly are, feldom ftand in hisSucceflor's. Or if F;i7ou- rites were ever fo fure of the Continuance of their Intereft with their Prince, and that he vvere im- pregnable againft all the Reprefen rations andSng- geftions of their Enemies ; yet who can fecure the Prince himfelf from human Cafjalties ? And if he falls, then there is a great Train of Ruins to all his Adherents and Dependants. }^^ ijere i- a Kingdom that can never be fhaken ; here is a Power that can never be controaled ; here ate Laurels that never fade ; and therefore here is a lafting Caufe and Occafion for oar makii.^j :lefe our Addreffes to our heavenly Father, and for our relying on him v/ith all Confideiice ior the Grant of them.
We are now come to the laft Word of tliis Prayer, the Word A?nen -, which is fo fignificant in the Original, that Interpreters not beinj able to find any Word in our modern Languages, where-
P4 by
2 1 6 The Conchjion of the [Se rm
by to exprefs it, have left it uninterpreted. There are two Things here chiefly meant by it. ifl. It is a general AlTent to all that went before, a frefli renewing of all the Petitions, like that Refponfe in our Liturgy : We befeech thee to hear us good Lord', h is a following of the Prayers with a winged Defire and hearty AfFedion, proceeding from the Warmth of Devotion, earneflly preffing what was before expreffed. zdly. It is fomething more than this; namely, a Signification of our Faith and Hope to obtain what we have prayed for. Now thefe two Intimations of the Senfe of the Word may briefly put us in mind of fo many Parts of our Duty with relation to our Prayers. Firft, that we fliould endeavour with frefh ele- vated AfFedions to prefent our Requefl;s unto God ; not in fueh a dull lifelefs Manner, as if we were indiiferent whether they be granted or no. The Love of God from which our Devotions ought to proceed, and the vafl: Importance of the Bleffings we pray for, and the Mifery in which we fhall be invoh'ed if they are not granted, fhould oblige us to follow them with ardent Affedions, and to be very preffing and earnefl for the Grant of them. Then the other Part of Duty we are here put in mind of, is to accompany our Prayers with Faith and Hope that they fhall be granted. So that the Word Ameti is, as if we would fay, Jo be it, andyS / truji it will be.
Having now finifhed my Explication of this excellent Prayer, what remains but that we daily improve in the Meditation and Exercife of it, whether as a perfed: Form in itfelf, or as an excel- lent Pattern for all our other Devotions. Above all let us take care that we put up no Petitions con- trary
XV.] Lord's Prayer. Matt. VL I3, ; j'
trary to, or inconfillent with thefe ; and that thcie be a perfect Haimony between our Prayers and our Adlions, and between our Actions and Affeftions ; and then we ihall not need to doubt the granting of our Petitions put up in the Name of our bleffed Mediator and Redeemer Chrift Jefus.
To him with the Father ani the Holy Ghojl, he all Praife, Honoury and Glory ^ Mighty Power ^ and Dominion^ for ever and ever. Amen.
-J -^
S E R M.
n<f] Mercy in [SermI
iiz
SERMON XVL
Matt. VI. 14.
For if ye forgive Men their Trefpajfesy your hea^
venly Father will alfo forgive you^ Ver. 15. But if y^ forgive not Men their T'ref-
fdfJeSy neither will your Feather forgive your
Trefpajfes.
1
The Firft Sermon on this Text,
"^ H E firft Word For fhews the Dependanc^ of thefe Words on the preceding Peti- tions ; and the fubjedl Matter here handled, doth eafily direct us to what Part of them they do re- fer : Namely, to that Petition, Fvrgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors, It was not to be expedled that our Saviour w^ould interrupt the Prayer fo long, as to account for any Petition that might feem difagreeable to the prejudicate Opinions of his Hearers. But now the Prayer being ended, he thought fit to clear that Petition, or rather the Condition annexed to that Petition, which fufpends the Forgivenefs of our Sins upon our forgiving others who have trefpaffed againft US; that being the only Thing, which feemed to want Explication in the whole Prayer.
And
XVI.] forgiving Injuries. Matt. VL 14-. 219
And indeed it muft be confeflcd to be ^lignus 'vindice nodus^ to be a Difficulty worth the clea- ring, and that it was not fit to be left to Inter- preters, bat worthy of a Soliitioa from cur Sa- viour himfclf. For it was pretty obvious, not only for fuch uncharitable People as the Scribes and P bar i fees ^ wliofe moral Dodtrine our Saviour was all this while correfting, but for others too to be offended at this Petition ; as if God's in- finite Bounty and Goodneis and Mercy to us Vv ere to be meafured out by our fcanty Bounty, Good- nefs and Mercy to one another. This therefore might have looked like a loofe and lef? accurate Expreflion -, but our Lord thought fit deliberate- ly to repeat the fame again, and to affert that the Charity to forgive our Enemies is a neeeffary DiC- pofition to qualify us for this Prayer, and a ne^ celTary Condition to the Grant of it : And the Particle As^ which occafioned the chief Doubt, he explained better in thefe Words of my Text. For if ye forgive Men their Trefpaffes, &c. q. d. Do not wonder that I annex this Condition to your afking Pardon of God, that ye fhould par- don one another ; it is not that I expect or re- quire fuch Mercy in you as is in God Almighty, but one of an inferiour Degree, at an infinite Diflance, yet fome way fuited or proportioned to it.
In fpeaking to the Words, I fhall
I. Explain the merciful Temper and Difpofi- tion which is required in us.
II. Confider the Promife of Reward annexed to it, that it fhall be attended with a Pardon from God»
III, Confider
^2o Mercy in [Serm.'
III. Confider the Threatning to the contrary Temper and Difpofition, that without it no Par- don is to be obtained.
I. As to the Firft, the merciful Temper and Difpofition required here in the Text, and in many other Places of the New Tejiamenty with regard to thofe who have injured us ; we are not to imagine that it is to be carried fo far as if it left no Room for a juft Reparation of Injuries. Some deluded Enthufiafts indeed have fo far miftaken our Saviour's Doftrine, as to cut off the Office of Judges and Magiftrates, and to prohibit or pre« vent all, both publick and private Reparation : Which would occafion all manner of Diforder and Confufion in the World. That I m.ay then more diftind:ly confider this Matter, I fhali both negatively and pofitively lay down what appears to me to be the true Scripture Notion of For- givenefs.
I. That it never was defigned to encourage, but to prevent Injuries, appears both from the Reafonablenefs of the Thing, and from the Ap- probation of the Magiftrate's Office in Ploly Scripture : (a) For the Magiftrate is defcribed as a Perfon that is not to bear the SrOord in vain f but is to be the Minijier of God^ a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him /hat doth Evil, And therefore what is here faid, has no Relation at all to the Magiftrate's Office, any further than to pro- hibit his making Ufe of his Power out of private Pique and Refentment,
(a) Rom. xiii. 4.
2, For
XVL] forgiving Injuries. Matt. VI. 14. 221
2. For the fame Reafon this Do&ine of For- givenefs doth not reftrain private Perfons, Vv^hcn they are injured, from making Ufe of the Laws, Judges, and Magiftrates, to do thcmfelves Right, after they have firft in vain tried what other pa- cificatory Methods are in their Power. There are Indeed many Things with relation to Law- fuics, in which this Chriflian Dodrine interpofes, either to prevent them, or to make an End of them in an amicable Way ; but if that cannot be done, the laft Refort is ftili to the public Jaftice, not to private Revenge, To explain myfelf a little clearer on this Head, I (hall inftance in fome things, in which this Chriflian Doftrine of For- givenefs regulates our Condud: as to our feeking Reparation by Law. (i) Firft then, there are many leffer Lijuries, which it will teach us to wink at, without giving ourfelves or our Neighbours the Trouble of a Law-iuit about them. A Man is juftly reckoned litigious, w^ho for every Trifle that occurrSjfor every oldQiiarrel that had been formerly laid afleep, for every Negle6t or Want of Civility and good Manners, prefenrly gives Way to his Refentments, and drives Things to Extremities, which had better been connived at, and covered with a Cloak of Charity. There is no Man but will confefs it had been much wifer, (for Example,) in Hainan to have overlooked or defpifed Mordecai\ Stififnefs, \Vho would not bow to him in the Gate, than to have drove it to that height of Refent- ment, which he did, againft Mordecai and all his Countrymen. And our Saviour hath determined, that as to feveral fmall Injuries, we had better tun the Hazard of afecond Injury than revenge the firft, for that is the true Meaning of his Precepts of
turning
222 Mercy In ^ [Serm,
turning the other Cheek, and parting with the Cloak as well as the Coat, and going two Miles inftead of one. (2,) This Doctrine of forgiving of Injuries, will teach us, if the Injury is ever fo great, before we have recourte to Law and Ma- giftrates, to try all other amicable Methods of A- greement, and Accommodation. Our Saviour lays down a Method in the i?>th Chap, oi this Goipel, which has in it divers amicable Steps towards Reconciliation, before he would per- mit Chiiliians to implead one another before Heathen Magiftrates. For iirfl, he advifes the diicourfing the Matter with the Party himielf If thy Brother floall trefpafs agoinjl thee^ go and tell him his Fault between tkee and him alone : If he Jh all hear thee^ thou haft gained thy Brother, How much better a Step is this, than the Way which is com- monly taken, not of arguing civilly with him alone, but of expofing him to all others ? The * next Step our Saviour advifes is a Conference with our Adverfary in the prefence of one or two Wit- neffes, who it is fuppofed may aflift towards mak- ing up of the Difference. But if he will not hear thee^ fays he, then take with thee one or two more^ that in the Mouth of two or three Witnefes every Word may he eftablifhed. This is another excel- lent Step towards Peace, the Interpofition of Friends, who are commonly more free from the Byafs of Prejudice and Enmity, which is a great Obflrudion to the Parties their difcerning the Truth, or complying with it when it is difcerned. A third ftep our Saviour prefcribed before he al- lowed them to go to Law before the Magiftrates, who at that time were Heathens, was to tellit to the Churchy that is, as St Chryfojiom interprets it,
tQ
XVI.] forgiving Injuries. Matt.VL 14. ^23
totheRulersof the Chriftian Aflemblies,- meaning, I fuppofe, that Chriftian Congregation to which they belong, thinking that probably thefe Perfons would have greater Weight and Intereft v/ith the contend- in 2:Parties, than any other whatibever.But then laft- ly,"if after all this the offending Party was obftinate ; If be negledi to hear the Churchy fays our Saviour, let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican. There is fome Difference among In- terpreters as to the Meaning of thislaft DireSion. But I think their Opinion moft probable and moft agreeable to the Context, who interpret the Paffage thus; If none of thefe above-mentioned Methods will do, then at laft thou mayft implead him as thou wouldft do an Heathen before the Heathen Magiftrate, and right thy felf by Law there. Now to adapt this Method to the times of Chrlftianity countenanced by the Magiftrate, certainly this Dodtrine of Forgivenefs of Injuries in my Text, lliould fo far reftrain us from Li- tigioufnefs, that we fhould firft try the Ways of Reconciliation both by perfonal Conferences, and the Interpofition of Friends, before we go to Law with one another. (3.) This Dodlrine of For- givenefs fhould teach us as to our Law-fuits, fb to manage them, as to retain no Malice in our Hearts againft the Perfon of our Brother, with whom we have the Difference. We are by no means to aim at his Hurt or Prejudice in any fort ; far lefs are we to fet off our own Caufe, or to blacken his by any finifter Arts, fuch as difcou- raging of true, or fuborning falfe Witneffes, or ad- vancing any manner of Untruths, or reprefenting any Thing in a falfe Light to our own Advantage, or our Neighbour's Prejudice.
% This
224 Mercy in [SerM.
(3.) This Dodlrine of the Forgivenefs of Inju- ries doth not oblige us to a patient Suffering of all Injuries offered or intended us, without ftanding upon our own juil Defence, or withdrawing our felves out of the way of Injury. As to withdraw- ing, our Saviour is very pofitive as to the Lawful- tlefs of it. (a) When they perfecute you in one City^ fays he, flee to another. The other of ftanding upon our Self-defence when injured; we find St Pauh Exarrlple for it, who both follicitcd the Affiftance of the Magiftrate, and accepted of a Guard of Soldiers to conduft him out of the Dan- ger he had Intelligence of And as to our Sa- viour's ordering Peter to put up his Sword when attacked, that makes nothing againfl this Dodtrine ; {b) for the Perfons he drew his Sword againfl, were the Officers of the piiblick Magiflrates, who came with their Orders to apprehend him. Now the ufing the Sword in this Cafe muft be unjufl both by the Laws of God and Man ; for let the Caufe be what it will, the Magiflrate mufl have a Power to fend out his Officers to call any Per- fon that is accufed before him -, and thofe Officers in doing fuch a lawful Ad: are not to be refifted. But our Saviour's prohibiting the taking of the Sword, that is, the affuming it without Law or Authority, is not to be extended to a Prohi- bition of it in our lawful Defence, as againfl: Thieves and Robbers, or any other who have no Right to affault us, or to take away our Life, or Liberty, or Property.
Having confidered what is not prohibited by this Doctrine of forgiving Injuries, 'viz. Not the
{.a) Matt. X. 23. {f?) Matt, xxvi.52.
Magiflrate'^
XVI.] forgiving Injuries, Matt. VL 14. 225
Magiftrate's Office of punifliing Offenders; not the private Subject's repairing to the Magiftrate to do him Right, if he cannot in a more friendly Way come at it; not our {landing in our own Defence againft an unjuft Invader : Let us next enquire what is exprefly required of us^Chriftians by this Duty of forgiving Men their Treipaffes, Three Things are chiefly required.
1. That weadually forgive, and pafs by many Trefpaffes, without expelling any Reparation.
2. That we do not avenge our felves as to any Injuries that are done us.
3. That we entertain no Malice or Hatred ia our Heart againfl: our Adverfary, but that we go by the Rules of Equity and good Confcience, whether in righting our felves or others.
I . This Duty of forgiving Men their Trefpaffes, obliges us actually to pafs by and forgive many Trefpaffes, without expecting any Reparation : and thefe are chiefly, i . All fuch Trefpaffes, as have not proceeded out of Malice, but Igno- rance, Mifliake, or Mifinformation. (2.) All fuch Trefpaffes as are but fmal! in their Nature or Confequences, fuch as human Nature is very liable to. (3.) All fuch Trefpaffes wherein Men have not fo much been the Principals themfelves, but have been led away with a violent Torrent of Authority, Cufl:om, or general Prqudice. (4.) All fuch Trefpaffes as have not been particular to tiiem who did the Injury, but common to them with a great many, and in which perhaps they have been obliged to execute the Orders of their Supe- riours, upon peril of their own utter Ruin ; for we are to conflder that every one has not the Cou- rage to refift an ill Thing to Martyrdom, and not
Vol. Ill, Q^ many
tzd Mercy in [Serm.
many to theLofs of Places andPreferments, and the Hazard of their Eftates and Expeftations. (5.) All thofe Trefpaffes, which are not capable of Re- paration any other Way than by Confeffion and Repentance, and begging Pardon, provided they were only Injuries to our felves, and that the Ex- ample of the Impunity of them is not prejudicial to others, it is much more generous to forgive. (6.) All thofe Trefpaffes which flow from Errors of Confclence, and miftaken Principles of Reli- gion : Provided they have no further ill Eifed:s, by raifing Difturbance or Sedition in the State, are much better tolerated and forgiven, than pu- niihed, any other way than by prudent Difcou- ragements, without Perfecution. There may be fome other Species of Trefpaffes, deferving Pardon, which I have not enumerated -, and even thefe I have mentioned are fubjeft to niany Limitations and Exceptions : The Circumftances of the Cafe fo varying, that often our Pardon without a new Crime can reach no farther than our own Hearts, and our own Abftinence from Revenge -, though perhaps it is no way conducive to the Publick, that the injurious Perfon efcape uncenfured or un- punifhed. And this leads me to the
2. Second Thing I told you was included In this Duty of forgiving Men their Trefpaffes; namely, to abftain from all Avenging of our felves. Where Vengeance is neceffary, God has put it Into other Hands, the Hands of the Ma- giftrate his own Vicegerent, and doth by no means leave it to the injured Perfon to right him- felf by his own Hand. We have nothing to do then but one of thefe two; when we think we are inured, cither entirely to remit the Offence, which
is
XVI.] forgiving Injuries Matt. VL 14; 227
is the more generous Part of the two, where It has no bad Confequences on our Neighbours, or the Publick ; or elfe if it be not an Offence fit to be remitted, we muft have our recourfc to the Magiftrates and the Law, both to judge of the Wrong and to order us due Reparation. There is a great deal of Reafon for this Condudt, whe- ther we coniider the Authority of God, the Right of Magiftrates, the Peace of Subjedls, the Quiet of the Injured, or the Puniftment of the Injuri- ous ; for in all thefe Refpedls it is much fitter that the Avenging of Injuries be committed to the Ma- giftrate, than left to the injured Perfon. (j.) As to the Authority of God, Vengeance or punitive Juftice is a Prerogative which he preferves to him- lelf and his Vicegerents, and ftridly prohibits to all others. Dearly beloved-^ avenge not yourfeheSy faith St Paul, Pvom. xii. 19. but rather give place unto Wrath : For it is written. Vengeance is ininCy I will repay it, faith the Lord, And therefore we find fo many Prohibitions of private Revenge in the Holy Scriptures, which I fliall not now fpend your Time to repeat, (2.) Private Vengeance is an Invafion of the Magiftrate's Office ; for the Magiftrate is fet up for this very Purpofe, as ap- pears from that fore-cited Place, Ro?n. xiii. To ba a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Now what Occafion would there be for this Office, if every Man were to avenge himfelf ? (3.) As to the Peace of Subjeds, it is much better confulted this way, by taking Vengeance out of private, and putting it into publick Hands. It is plain if it were in private Hands, it would be lia- ble to many more Inconveniencies, touching the Peace and good Government of the World, than
Q 2 it
228 Mercy in [Serm:
it is in the prefent Method in which God has put it. Sometimes the injured Perfon, by Reafon of his Weaknefs of Body, and Want of Friends, would have no Reparation at ail -, and the Con- fequence of all this would be, that all the Strong and Rich of the World would be OpprelTors, and all the Weak and Poor opprefTed. Often the Injured having his Underftanding blinded and his Judgment byailed with Refentment, would be apt to fancy Injuries where there are none ; and to magnify and aggravate them where they are, and to punifh and avenge them far beyond what they deferve. Upon which the Affront and In-- jury would then come to lie on the other fide ; and that other Party would think himfelf obliged to retaliate as fmartly as he could -, and thus the Saw of Contention would be continually a draw- ing ; Adverfaries and all their Friends would be engaged, and the whole World would for their mutual Support run into fo many Clans, that right or wrong w^ould efpoufe each others Quarrels, and be the Minifters and Inilruments to execute one another's Revenge. (4.) As to the Quiet of the injured Perfons, if Revenge were put into their Hands, they would have no Quiet at all, but their Minds would be continually agitated wdth thofe deviljfh Paffions of Malice and Revenge, which would allow them no Qu,iet in their Confciences, or Peace in their Lives -, whereas now they have nothing to do, but quietly to commit their Caufe to God and his Vicegerents. (5.) Laftly, if we confider the Puniihment of, or the doing of Jus- tice en the injurious Perfon, it could never fo farely, nor fo juftly overtake him, were it in pri- vate Hands, as now when it is left to the pub- lick
XVL] forgivmg Injiiries.M ATT .Yl, 14. 229
lick Magiftrate, who is both better armed with Power, and better balanced with Juftice thaa could be expeded from the private Adverfary.
3. This Duty of forgiving Men their Trefpaffes obliges us, in the righting of our felves, to take care that we be ftill in Charity with our Adverfary ; and that we harbour no Malice or Hatred in our Hearts againft him. Under the former Head of not avenging our felves, the chief Thing aimed at was the regulating of our external Adions^ but now this other Part of Forgivenefs goes a great deal further, and fecures the love of our Adverfary, direfting us purely to the doing of Juftice, and the Reparation of Injuries, without any Thoughts of Hatred or Revenge againft the Perfon of him who did us the Injury : So that though we are allowed to endeavour the righting of our felves, we are forbid all Manner of Revenge againft him. And how to make this Diftindion, and how to clear our Hearts of this Hatred, which common- ly attends the feeking of Reparation, is what will require feme farther Explication. And indeed the Thing is not fo difficult but that a Diftindion may very eafily be made between doing of Right, and hating the Perfon Vv'ho did the Wrong ; for fuppofe that Perfon one of our own deareft Friends, if he has wronged another Man, would not we have him to make Reparation to him that he has injured, if it were but for the good of his own Sou! ? And why may we not in Uke manner love the Perfon and yet hate the Injuftice, and endeavour a due Reparation of it ? And as to the Sin and Injury, why we may not forgive it, and pray to God to forgive it; and continue to do all good Oflices to him, as if he had never injured
0.3 ^^>
230 Mercy in^ &c* [Serm.
us, is no hard Matter to conceive. It is this in- ward Love, cultivated by all good Offices, which we are to ftudy, and to fliew our felves free from all Refentment, if ever we have that Perfon in our Power, not retaliating his Injuries, or ren- dring Evil for Evil, but doing him all the Good we have an Opportunity of doing.
Thus now I have explained the Duty of for- giving Men their Trefpaffes. It is a Duty which our Saviour failed not upon all Opportunities to inculcate 3 fo that there is no Duty more recom- mended either by his Doctrine or Example. Par- ticularly, it is very confiderable that he made this Duty a part of that fhort Prayer which he taught his Difciples ; and that now again, immediately after the Prayer, he comes and gives us the Rea- fon of it, that our own Forgivenefs depends up- on it ; and this likewife he doubly recommends, firfl by way of Promife, that If we j or give Men their ^refpajfes^ our heavenly Father will alfo for- give us : And then by way of Threatning, that if we forgive not Men their Trefpafes, neither will ciir Father forgive our Trefpajfes, I have, I fay, given you a Defcription of the Duty; but Time uot fe'rving to confider the Promife and Threat- ning annexed, I muft refer them to another Op- portunity.
God blefs what we have heard, and give us a right Under (landing in all Things.
To him be all Praife^ Honour^ and Glory ^ Mighty Power y and Dominion^ for ever and ever. Amen.
SERM.
XVIL] ^31
SERMON XVIL
Matt. VI. 14.
For if ye forgive Men their Trefpajfes^ your heaven- ^ ly Father will alfo forgive you. Ver. 1 5 . But if ye forgive not Men their TrefpaJfeSy neither will your Father forgive your T^ref fajfes.
The Second Sermon on this Text.
HAVING, in a former Difcourfe on thefe Words, given you a Defcription of the merciful Temper and Difpofition, required by our Saviour in this Duty of Forgivenefs of Inju- ries ; I proceed nov^ to the Promife here made to them who perform the Duty, and the Threat- ning to them who refufe or negled: to comply with it.
The Promife is, that God will forgive them who are of this merciful forgiving Temper : If ye forgive Men their Trefpajfes^ your heavenly Fa- ther will alfo forgive you. And the Threatning is, that God will repay them in their own Coin, who are of a contrary Difpofition; for as they are hard-hearted to thofe who have injured them in this World, and execute their Revenge to the ut- Q 4 moll,
532 Forgivenefs of Injuries a Condition [Serm.
moft, they fliall meet with the fame Treatment from Almighty God in the World to come. But if ye forgive not Men their Tre/pajfes, neither will your Father forgive your Trejpaf/es.
Before I coniider this Promife and Threatning apart, there is one general Obfervation I ihall fpeak to, concerning the great Equity of God's promiies and Threatnings; I mean, how well adapted they are to the feveral Virtues and Vices to which they are annexed. It was an old Ob- fervation of the Pfalm.i ft, that God, both in the way of Rewards and Punifi:iments, fitted all Sorts of People in their feveral kinds, FjaL xviii. 25. With the Mercijiil^ thou wilt jhew t hyj elf merciful -, with an upright Man^ thou wilt fhew thyfdf upright ; with the Fure^ thou wilt fhew thyf elf pure j and with the Froward^ thcu wilt f:ew thy jelfjroward: Meaning this very Thing, that all Men Ihall meet with Rewards and Punifhments, exadly fiiited to their feveral Tempers and Adtions in this World. So in the New Teflament, particularly in this excellent Sermon on the Mount, we find a Kingdom promifed to the Poor in Spirit, Com- fort promifed to the Mourners, quiet PofleiTion of the Vv^orld to the Meek, a fufficient Compe- tency to the Juft and Honeft, Mercy to the Mer- cifiil, a Sight of God to the Pure in Heart, who are not carried away with inferiour Objefts, an Adoption into the State of the Sons of God to the Peacem.akers, and an Advancement to an high Reward in Glory, to them who fuffer Perfecution for Pvighteoufnefs fake: In all which, if ye obferve it, there is not only a great Reward promifed to every Virtue, but that Reward is excellently fuited and adapted to the Nature of the Virtue,
and
XVII.] of our Pardon. Matt. VI. 15. 233
and rifes out of it. The rich Glutton met with fuch a Punifhment, that he could not have a drop of Water to cool his Tongue ; but poor Lazarus who had patiently born his Poverty and Difeafes, was tranllated to Paradife, a Place full of all Com- forts. Remember^ fays Father jibraha^i, that thou in thy Life-time receivedjl thy good Things, ajid Ukeivife Lazarus evil Things ; but now he is com- forted^ and thou art tormented. Now this gene- ra! Obfcrvation is remarkably verijSed in the Per- fons adorned with the Virtue of Mercifulnefs in forgiving of Injuries, or blackened with the Vice of Hard-heartednefs in revenging them in my Text: For both thefe Perfons ihall be treated fuitably to their own Temper and Adf ions \ the one fhall meet with a merciful God, ready to put the moft equitable Conftrudion on his Adions, and to pardon his Failings ; and the other fliall meet with the fame angry and implacable Judge, or Avenger of Injuries, that he himfelf proved to Men when they offended him.
From this general Obfervation, let us now come to a particular Confideration of the Promife and Threatning in the Text, neither of which is without its Difficulty. For as to the Promife, is it not very ftrange, that God's Forgivenefs, or Pardon, is annexed to this one Duty of our for- giving Men the TrefpafTes they have committed againft us, when, perhaps, we are guilty of a great many other ill Things unrepented of, and unreformed ? And as to the Threatning, is it not as flrange, that if a Man has ever fo many good
[a) Luke xvi. 25.
Qualities,
2^4- Forghenefs of Injuries a Condition [Se rm;
Qoalities, and Is but tainted with this one bad one, that he is of an implacable malicious Tem- per, fo as not to forgive an Affront or Injury ; he ihall be damned for this one bad Quality !
That I may account for both thefe Difficulties, it will be neceflary that we conlider the Excel- lency of this Temper of forgiving Enemies here fpoke ofj and the Wickednefs of the contrary Difpofition ; for then it will appear how reafona- ble it is that Pardon of Sins is promifed to the one, and denied to the other.
I. And firft, as to the Excellency of this Tem.- per of pardoning Trefpaffes, there are thefe few Things I would offer to your Confideration.
1 . That this is a good Quality wherein we do moft refemble God. If he were ftrid: to punifli all cor Offences, and did not give us Time for Repentance, and patiently ufe Means to bring us to it, the World could not ftand one Minute 5 and there is no Part of God's Attributes more re- commended to our Imitation, than this of his Mercifulnefs, both in giving, and in forgiving : [a) Be ye therefore merciful^ as your Fa}her aljo is mercijuL
2. That confidering what we are our felves, I mean great Sinners, who have great need of Mer~ cy at the Hands of Almighty God, there is no Virtue more becoming Men in our Circumflances, whether wx be fuch as have already made our Peace with God, or whether we have it ftill to make. If we are of the firft fort, that our Lord has pardoned that immenfe Debt, the Sins of our whole Life, we have little Reafon to take our
{a) Luke vi. '^7~
Neighbour
XVIL] cf our Pardon. Matt. VL 15. 235
Neighbour by the Throat, and to throw him into Prifon till he has payed all that he owes us* What can be more unbecoming us, or more pro- voking to our heavenly Father, than fuch a Be- haviour ? It is very obfervable from the Parable, which we have in the i8th Chapter of this Gof- pel, how the King rates this unthankful Servant to fome purpofe, and withdraws his former Par- don : (a) Serve nequam j O thou wicked Servant^ I forgave thee all that Debt^ becaiije thou dejiredjl me 3 Pdouldjl not thou have had CompaJJion on thy Fellow Servant^ even as 1 had pity on thee ? And his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the Tor^ mentors, till he JJjould pay all that was due unto him : it follows. So likewife Jhall my heavenly Fa- ther do unto you, if ye from your Hearts forgive not every one his Brother their Frefpaffes,
And if we are fuch as have not yet made our Peace with God, it is dreadful to think what Way we (hall go about to make it, having before- hand put fuch an efFedtual Bar and Obflrudion to it.
3. That conlidering the frequent Changes and Revolutions this World is fubjed: to, the Exer- cife of this Virtue is our greateft Prudence. Nei- ther Riches, nor Honour, nor Power, are for ever ; and in all Changes and Revolutions of For- tune, as there are no Men more kindly treated, than they who were moderate and merciful in the Time of their Power and Profperity • fo none are more defpifed, and fall lefs pitied, than the Cruel and Hard-hearted.
(^) Matt, xviii. 32,
4, Let
236 Forgivemfs of Injuries a Condition [Serm«
4. Let it be confidered, that this merciful Tem- per includes in it a great many of the very chief of the Cbriftian Virtues, to which Heaven is pro- mifed. I flu-dl briefly inftance in leveral of them.
I. Humility is the Foundation of it. The merciful Man has a due Senfe of his own Sins and Demerits, and of his own Errors and Mi- stakes ', and that makes him lo moderate and gen- tle to others that are in Error, Whereas the proud Man thinks his Judgment ought to be the Stan- dard of Truth to all others, and confequently ought to be received with a fuperiour Degree of Vene- ration to that of all other Men. 2. This Virtue of merclfulnefs to thofe who have trefpafled againil: us, includes in it that noble Grace of Self-denial. There is nothing more contrary toFlefli and Blood, than to pafs by an Injury, when wx have it in our Power to avenge it : The forgiving it then, from the Heart, proceeds from a better and higher Principle ; and the Man who has learned thus much of Self-denial, to refift fuch a clamorous Paffion as F.evenge is, it is to be hoped is in a fair way, by the fame Principle of Self-denial, to overcome all his other Corruptions; and this if duly followed, will put him in a Capacity of the Promile of my Text, of obtaining a general Par- don of Almighty God ; efpecially if we confider, 3. That this Virtue of Mercifulnefs, is a certain fure Mark of the Love both of God and our Neighbour prevailing in our Hearts. Firft, Of the Love of God ; for what better Proof can be given of that, than our complying with one of the difficulteft of his Precepts, namely, the for- giving of Enemies ? If it fhould be replied to this, that the forgiving of Trefpailes may proceed from
other
XVII.] of our Pardon. Matt. VI. 15. 237
other worfe Principles, fuch as Cowardice, Lazi- nefs, or Hypocrify : I anfwer briefl)^, that this Forglvenefs from the Heart, as it is called ia that forecited Parable, and which is the Forgivenels meant in my Text, cannot proceed from thefe, or any other wrong Principles, but from a true Love to God and Man. Hypocrify doth not reach the Heart, and contents itfelf with an outward Shew and O dentation; Cowardice, every one knows, is more inclined to Cruelty than true Courage is ; and as for a Lazinxfs of Temper, Revenge is com- monly the fliorteft Way, whereas the recovering and gaining of an Adverfary, is a W^ork of Tims and Pains. And as Mercifulnefs is a Sign of the Love of God, it is no lefs a Sign of the Love of our Neighbour ; at leaft it is the performing the moft difficult Part of that Duty. It is an eafy thing to love our Friends, or any other who have done us no Harm., but the great Difficulty is to love them who have injured us ; if we can once get over this, there is no other Part of Duty to our Neighbour we fliall need to fear the atchieving ; efpecially if we confider, 4. That this Love and Charity in the Heart, prevents ail the ufual Oc- Gallons of Quarrel and Difcord; it is apt to inter- pret all our Neighbour's Ad:ions in the moft can- did and charitable Senfe 5 it reftrains the Tongue from provoking injurious Words, which are com- monly the firft Beginners of Differences ; and oc- cafions Peace and Quiet both in our own Con- fciences, and in Families, Neighbourhoods, and Governments, by withdrawing Fewel from the Fire of Contention, and fo exting-uiffiins; it : whereas a malicious revengeful Temper, is com-
pofed
238 Forgivenefs of Injuries a Condition [Serm.
pofed of quite contrary Ingredients, and has quite contrary Effeds, as we fhall fee by and by.
But before I leave this firft Part, I hope, by this Time, the Difficulty arifing from this Promife is voided ; it appearing from v^hat has been faid, that hearty Forgivenefs of Injuries is not one fingle Virtue, but a Complication of all the moll valua- ble and fundamental Graces and Virtues, luch as Humility, Self-denial, Love of God and Man, good Government of theTongue, Patience, Peace- ablenefs, Prudence, and Friendfhip ; and that the fame Principles from which it proceeds, if duly profecuted, will produce all other Chriftian Vir- tues, and make us perfedl in all other Chriftian Duties whatfoever ; and therefore we need no longer doubt the Truth of the firft Aflertion in my Text, that if we forgive Men their T'refpajfes, our heavenly Father will alfo forgive us. So much for the Promife.
IL Let us next confider the Threatning, But if ye forgive not Men their T^refpafjes^ neither will your Father forgive your Trefp'ajfes, I hope it will not be forgot here, what I explained in opening up of the Words, that it is not the publick Juftice of the Magiftrate, but private Refentment and Revenge, whether of the Magiftrate, or of private Perfons, which our Saviour is here guard- ing againft. And this Notion we muft carry a- long with lis, that we may the better difcover the Deformity of the Vice, and apprehend the Rea- fon w^hy God does fo feverely threaten it. In the Compofition of it, there is a Concurrence of a great many ill Things, fuch as Pride, Anger, Cruelty, Hatred, and a Contempt of the Autho- rity and Inftitution of Chrift, together with a
Spirit
XVIL] of our Pardon. Matt. VL 15, 239
Spirit of Unrulinefs, and Contempt of all good Order, Peace, andDifcipline; and the Effects and Confequences of it are moft terrible in producing an innumerable Multitude of great Mifchiefs in the World. It will be fit that we coniiderit in both thofe Refpetfts, that we may become feniibie of the Reafon of this fevere Threatning here an- nexed to it.
To begin with the Ingredients in the Compofi- tion of it : i. The firft I fliall reckon up is Pride, that we think it below us to take an Affront, or not to retaliate an Injury. And tho' for greater Injuries God has provided another Remedy, name- ly, the lawful Magiflrate ; our Pride makes every the fmalleft Injury look big in our Eyes, fo that many Things which human Laws have taken no notice of, as knowing that it is impoflible to live in the World, if Juftice mufl be required for e- very trivial Matter ; and which the Chriflian Re- ligion too requires us to connive at; yet becaufe we will be wifer than either our Spiritual or our Temporal Legiflators, we think fit to take notice of every Peccadillo in our Neighbour, tho* we v/ould be very angry if any one fhould pretend to take notice of fuch, or far greater Faults in our- felves. Now befides the manifefl Injuflice of this Conduct, there are feveral Things in our Cir- cumftances, which make it particularly odious. Such as thefe j We ourfelves are but poor Slaves, more in Debt to Almighty God, than ever we {hall be able to acquit : We live purely upon his Mercy, and if he Ibould treat us as we treat o- thers, \Ve (hould be utterly undone. Befides, fuch is our Make and Conflitution in this corrupt State, that it is impoffible to guard againft innumerable
Errors,
240 Forgivenefs of htjuries [Serm.'
Errors, and Follies, and Infirmities, which the beft of Men are fabjed; to ; only Pride blinds us, that tho* we are very fharp-fighted to dilcern the fmalleft Breach of Duty in our Neighbours, we cannot difcern the greatefl in ourfelvcs. 2. The fecond Ingredient I mentioned in this unrelenting revengeful Temper, is Anger. Such Perfons have no Command of their Temper, but fafFer their inward Refentment to boil fo long, till it boils o- ver in injurious Words or Adions. There are many Things which a Man of a meek and calm Spirit would take no notice of, which Men of an- gry paffionate Tempers think themfelves obliged to refent ; fo that Men often fuffer, not for the ill Thing they have done, but becaufe the Perfon to whom they did them, was peevifli and angry, fo that nothing could pleafe or content him. Now in many of thefe Cafes, Quarrels are unavoidable ; for that fort of Men, tho' they are certainly dif- pleafed with whatever is done, neither they, nor any one elfe, can tell what would pleafe in any Perfon, againft whom they have taken up a Pre- judice. 3. A third Ingredient in this Temper, is Cruelty, or a Delight in the Mifery and Suffer- ings of others 3 the Byafs of their Flearts leans to the fevere, not to the merciful Side 3 and as to any one they think has injured them, their Re» venge is limited only by their Want of Power : l^ou weigh the Violence of your Hands in the Earthy fays the Pfalmift, PfaL Iviii. 2. i. e. You confider how muchPowxr you have to do Wick^dnefs. For while they ftretch their Power to the utmoft to fatisfy their Malice, they fliew plain enough, that if they had more Power, their Malice would not want more Work, while it fets no other Bounds
to
XVII.] of our Pardon. Matt. VI. 15. 241
to Revenge, but only Self-prefervation, and fome- times not that ; for they will venture their own Life, that they may have the wicked Satisfadion to deftroy their Neighbour's. 4. A fourth Ingre- dient in this hard-hearted Temper, is the Hatred of our Neighbour. It is plain from the Condud: of fuch Men, that they purfue not the Methods which tend to the Amendment of the offending Brother, but fuch as may enfnare and exafperate him. There is this Difference between the Punifh- ments of a Father, or Mafler, or upright Magi- ftrate, and thofe of a blood-thirfty Avenger ; the one punifhes out of Love, and with a Defign of Amendment ; the other out of Hatred, and as de- lighting in the Punifhment of the Offender, f . The fifth Ingredient I fhall mention in this wick- ed Temper, is a Contempt of the Laws of God and Chrill:, which in this Particular are fo plain againft Revenge, that no Chriftian can pretend Ignorance -, and therefore it muft be out of a plain Dilregard to thofe Laws, and out of a deliberate Preference of more carnal Principles, that they ad: fo pofitively againft them, and govern themfelves by thofe other Principles. 6. The laft Ingredient I fhall mention in this wicked Temper, is a Spirit of Unrulinefs, and Contempt of all good Order, Peace, and Difcipline. The Con fequence of pri- vate Revenge, is, that it is an Afeent to publick Juftice, and in thofe Places where it prevails, quite fuperfedes it; and what rare Juftice that will be, that is direded by private Refentments, it is no hard Matter to conjedure.
Now let any one judge if a Complication of fo many ill Things, exprefly contrary to the Dodrine and Example of Chrift, a Dodrine fo plainly fet Vol. m. R forth.
242 Forgivenefs of Injuries a Condition [Se r m.
forth, that it wants no Commentary, does not deferve to be threatned with fuch a fevere Threat- ning as this of my Text, that oar heavenly Father will not forgive fuch Perfons ? From all which, it is to be concluded, that this Un merciful nefs is in its own Nature a great and damning Sin, and without Repentance and Amendment, (hall in- cur the Wrath and Curfe of God. And we fhall be the more convinced of this, if we confi- dtr
The dreadful Confequences ufually attending the Exercife of this private Revenge, which are fuch that no Tongue can utter, nor Imagination conceive. For what is it that begins ? What is it that propagates fo many Diviiions and Animo- lities in all Societies ? What is it that makes Men fo backward to Peace and Moderation, and pre- vents all healing Methods? What is the Caufe of all the Schifms in the Church, and Fadions in the State ? From whence come Wars, Seditions and Rebellions, with the innumerable evil Con- fequences of them ? Nay, from whence come all Difcordsand Jarrings in Families and Neighbour- hoods ? they come all from this violent implaca- ble, immodciate Spirit, which ferves only to en- flame every Difference, but to heal and fettle no- thing. There is nothing more contrary to the Peace of Families, nothing more contrary to the Peace of Neighbourhoods, or indeed to the Peace and Quiet cf whole Countries, or to the inward Peace of every Mans Soul and Confcience, than this implacable Temper ; and therefore no won- der the Chriftian Religion fets itfelf fo much to difTuade us from it, as by many other Arguments, fo particularly by this moft awakening one in my
Text,
XVII] of our Fardoiu Matt. VI. 15. 243
Text, that our own Pardon of Sins depends up- on our pardoning others their TrefpalTes againlj us. - .5^
Now to conclude, it appears plainly from this Text, and what has been faid upon it, that a moderate, healing, pardoning Temper, is, in the fight of God, one of the greateft Virtues ; and that it is commonly in Conjunction v/ith "all fuch other Graces and Virtues, as are requifite to give us full Ailurance of God's Favour both here and hereafter : And that, on the contrary, an implacable, immoderate, unrelenting Temper, as it is attended with innumerable ill Confequences in this World, fo if it is not repented of, and a- mended, it fliall infallibly obflruc^ our Pardon at the Hands of Almighty God, and give us over to the dreadful Effects of yiidgment without Mercy ^ if we cannot be prevailed upon to {hew Mercy to our far lefs offending Brethren.
But after all, it muft be confefs'd, this is a difficult Duty ; and therefore in the firft Place, it is advifeable, if poffible, to live fo peaceably and inoffenfively with all, that we make no Ene- mies. And if we meet with Enemies for doing of our Duty, which was the ufual Cafe of the primitive Chriftians, and is too commonly the Cafe of good Men in this World, let us take care not to retaliate Evil for Evil, or Railing for Railing, but contrariwife BlelTing, knowing that we are thereunto called, that we may inherit a Bleffing.
(a) Put on therefore (as the EleB of God^ holy and beloved) Bowels of Mercy, Kindncfs, Humble-
(a) Col. iii. 12.
R 2 71 fs
244 Forghenefs of Injuries^ &CC. [Serm.
nefs of Mind^ MeeknefSy Long-fuffering^ forbearing one another,^ and forgiving one another \ if any Man have a parrel againjl any^ even as Chrijl forgave you^ fo alf'o do ye.
To him, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever* Amen*
SERM,
XVIIL] 245
SERMON XVU.
Matt. VI. t6.
Moreover, when ye fajl, be not as the Hypocrites y of a fad Countenance : for they disfigure their Faces, that they may appear unto Men to fajl. Verily y I fay unto you, they have their Reward,
Ver. 17. But thou, when thoufajteji, anoint thine Head, and wafh thy Face :
Ver. 18. That thou appear not unto Men to fafl^ but unto thy Father which is infecret : And thy Father which feeth in fecret, fiall reward thee openly,
1"^ H E general Subjeft treated of by our Sa- viour from the 20th Verfe of the laft Chapter is, the difcovering the Defeats of the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, and the exhorting of Chriftians to higher Degrees of Duty, than thofe Jcvvifh Dodlors either taught or exemplified. In purfuance of this Subjedl, the Method our Lord feems to have foUow^ed was, firft, to take notice of fuch Corruptions as pro- ceeded from their wrong Gloffv'S and Interpreca- tions of the Law -, and this ends v/ith thcf^th Chapter, Then he goes on to fome other Cor- R 3 ruptions,
246 7he Right Manner [Serm.
ruptionSj which though they pretended no counte- nance to them from the Law, yet were great Ble- mifhes in their Pvighteoufnefs ; and thefe were chiefly Pride, Covetoufnefs, and Cenforioufnefs, which they fo intermixed with other commend- able Duties, as utterly to mar the Grace of them. He begins with Pride, and traces it through their Righteoufnefs in general, and three noble Duties, Almf-giving, Prayer, and Fafiing, in particular, inferting all along feveral proper Inftruftions and Directions to his Difciples concerning the right Way of going about thofe Duties, fo as to make them well pieafing to Almighty God,
And having finifhed his Remarks upon their Alms and Devotions, he proceeds now to the Pride of their Failing ; guarding againft it in the fame Manner and with the fame Arguments, he had made ufe of on thofe other Subjeds, and therefore I iliall need to infift the lefs upon them. ¥Iore-- ever when ye faft^ be not as the Hypocrites^ &c. In which Words wx have thefe three Things.
I. A commendable Duty obferved by the Scribes and Phanfees ; and which our Saviour fuppofes muft be likewife obferved by his Difciples 3 name- ly, the Duty of Fafiing.
II. The Abufe of this Duty in thofe Dodlors, to the Ends of Hypocrify, Pride, and Vanity.
III. Our Saviour's Direclion and Encourage- ment to the contrary Exercife of Humility, Secrecy, and Sincerity, in the Practice of this Duty.
I. We have here a commendable Duty obferved by the Scribes and Pharifees^ which our Saviour luppofes mufl be likewife obferved by his Difci- ples ;
XVIII.] of Fajlmg, Matt. VI. i6. 247
pies ; namely, the Duty of Fading, which is either a total Ab/iinence from Food for a time, or at leaf the ifing it lefs delicately y or more j faring- ly, on fome religions Account. More efpecially, tfiCre are thefe three Accounts on which Failing is nleful; the Mortifying of Luft, the Exercife of Repentance, and as an Help to Prayer, and Contemplation of divine Things. And as far as it is ufed for thofe Ends, it is a religious Duty. I. Firft, I fay, for the mortifying of Luft ; it is very ufeful to mortify the Sins of Unclean nefs, by withdrawing Fewel from a pampered Body. St Paul tells us {a) He kept his Body under, and brought it into SubjeBion : Left that by any Means when he had preached the Gofpel to others, he himfelf Jhould be a Caft-away. 2, Secondly, Fafting is proper as an Exercife of Repentance. Thus we find the King of Niniveh ordered a very folemn Faft as one Fart of the general Repentance which was then gone about. 3. It is a great Help to Prayer and Contem.plation of divine Things : And therefore we find generally thefe Two, Faft- ing and Prayer, joined together. Peter was faft- ing and praying when he had that heavenly Vi- fion concerning preaching the Gofpel to xhtGen- tiles, Acl. X. And Cornelius on the fame Occafion was Fafting and Praying ^vhen he had the hea- venly Vifion concerning fending for St Peter ,\n\\o was to preach the Gofpel to him and his Floufe. And in general indeed in all Cafes of Importance and Difficulty, it has been the Pradice of the Church to join Fafting to their Prayers in their
{a) I. Cor. ix. 27.
R 4 Addrefles
248 T^he Right Manner [Serm.
Addreffes to Almighty God. As for to implore God's Direftion in any Bufinefs ; his Bleffing on any Undertaking 5 the turning away of anyjudg- ment either already inflid:ed or only threatnedj and divers other fuch pious Ufes and Occalions.
Before I leave this Defcription of religious Fafts and the Ufes of them, it will be very pro- per I think to add fomething likewife concerning the Abufes which have crept into this part of Re- ligion, on purpofe that we may avoid them. I. One great Abufe of them has been the feparating from them the internal Devotion and Repentance, and fo making them really no more than a Httle bodily Penance. And therefore that Exhortation in the Prophet is exceedingly neceflary, (h) Rent your Hearts and not your Garments. There is no Faft more declaimed againfl by the facred Writers than this. Hear what the Prophet Ifaiah faith of it, Ifa. Iviii. 5. Is it fuch a Faji that I have chojen ? a Day for a Man to affiB his Soul ? is it to bow down his Head as a Bullrujlj^ and to Jpread Sack- cloth and Jljhes under him ? wilt thou call this a Fajl, and' an acceptable Day to the Lord ? Where- ever a Fall is not joined with a real Sorrow for Sin, and a true Refolution of Amendment of Life, it is not that religious Faft which God re- quires : As it there follows. Is not this the Fajt that I have chofen ? to Icofe the Bands of Wicked-^ ncf^ to undo the heavy Burdens^ and to let the Op- prejfed go free, and that ye break every Yoke? Is it net to deal thy Bread to the Hungry, and that thou bring the Poor that are caft out, to thy Hoife ?
(^)Jcd ii. 13.
when
XVII.] ofFaJling. Matt. VI. i6. 249
when thoujeeft the Naked, that thou cover him^ and that thou hide not thy felf from thine own Flejh ? Now from this Defcription we may learn that Failing is not fo much a Mortification of the Body, as of the Mind -, and an Abftinence from Sin, as well as from Meat and Drink, and that when it is of the right Stamp, it is always ioined with true Repentance. 2. Another great Abufe of Falling is, the employing it to finfulPurpofes; for we are not to believe that Fading fandifies the Caufe 3 but that it is the Caufe which fandi- fies Failing, {a) Behold ye fajl for Strife and Debate, and to jmite with the Fiji ofWickednefi ; fays the fame Prophet \ from whence we may learn that Failing joined with OppreiTioUjOr Rebellion, or applied to fupport any other evil Courie, is not a religious Fail. 3. Neither is that a right Fail, whicii is made ufe of out of Parfimcny and Pe- nurioufnefs. For one Part of the Defcription of the Faft which God has chofen is, ^o deal our Bread to the Hungry, and that we bring the Poor that are caji out to cur Houfe ; when we fee the Haked, that W3 cover him, and that we hide not cur fives fro: ji cur own Flefh. In fhort, what wc fave by Failing v/e fliould lay out in Charity, over and above our ufual Allowances that Way. 4. A moil notorious Abufe of Failing, and what has^ indeed totally changed the Nature and Defign of it, is, inilead of a total AbRinence, only changing the Diet, as they do in the Church of F^omCy ab- flaining from Fleih, but on their failing Days eating to the full of'Fifh, and all other forts of
id) ir Ivlii. 4. _ . .
^ Rarities;
250 The right Manner [ S e R m .
Rarities. But to do Juftice to the Scribes and Pharifees^ there are feveral of thefe Abufe,? of this Duty of Failing, which it feems they were not guilty cf at that Time ; for all that our Saviour faults in thein with relation to their Failing was, that they failed out of Vanity and Oilentation. Which leads me to,
II. The fecond Thini^; I obferved in the Words : Namely the Scribes and P bar i fees their Abufe of the Duty of Fafting to the Ends of Hypocrify, Pride and Vanity. When ye Fdft^ be not as the Hypocrites^ oj a fad Countenance : For they disfigure their FaceSy that they may appear unto Men to Faji. Verily y I fay unto ycu^ they have their Re- ward.
In thefe Words we have both the Defcription and Condemnation of Hypccrify.
The Defcription of it ; it is an Oilentation of Rehgion ; and the Condemnation of it is in Chriil's Affeveration that they have their Rewardy that is, that the popular Applaufe, and the other worldly Advantages of Hypocrify, is all the Re- ward they ihall have for their Pains ; there is no Reward to be expected in the future State, for fuch Services as are performed not with an Eye to God, but Man. As to this Defcription of Hypocrify, it will hold in all the Parts of Reli- gion. Our Saviour has already cautioned us againft it as to our, Righteoufnefs or Duty in general; as to Alms, Prayer, and now Failing in particular. From all which we may gather both the Certainty of the Defcription, and the great Danger of this- Oilentation in Religion, being fo frequently cau- tioned againil it. In the Vice here defcribed there is
a
XVIII.] cfFaJling. Matt- VI. i6. 251
a great Mixture of ill Things ; from the Con- fideration of which, it will be no hard Matter to fee the Reafon why our Lord does fo frequently and fo earneftly diffuade us from it. i. There is a great deal of Difingenuity and Infincerity in it, that a Man fhould put on a Mafk, and ne- ver appear in his own true Colours. 2. That in order to this Mafk, he fliould not be afraid to make ufe of fuch a facred Thing as Religion j certainly no Man that believes any Thing of Re- ligion, would offer to pervert it to fo bad a Ufe; and therefore in all Appearance the Hypocrite muft not be far from an Atheift. 3. Another Ingredient in this Vice, is Pride and Vanity; the Affediation to be feen of Men, efpecially when Religion is in Vogue and Requeft ; there being no better Way then, to procure and eftablifli a Reputation in the World, than by being reckoned extremely zealous for extraordinary Piety. 4. Co- vetoufnefs and divers other Vices may lurk under this Cloak of Hypocrify. We are told elfewhere of [a) Their making long Prayers that they might devour Widows HouJ'es ; and it is plain under the fame Cloak they might have the better Opportu- nity of compafling feveral other Defigns of Am- bition, Cruelty, fecret Luft, or the like.
As to the Danger of this Vice, we learn it from our Saviour's Aflbveration, Verily, I fay unto you^ they have their Reward, q. d. The worldly Ends they attain, are all the Reward they are like to have ; as their Religion is only calculated for a prefent End, they ihall fo find it in the future
(a) Matt, xxiii. 14,
S:ate,
252 7he right Manner* [Se rm»
State, where all their Mafks fhall be pulled ofF, and Hypocrify {hall be detefted and punifhed. This is the beft Cure for Hypocrify, the Confide- ration that it will never pafs mufter in the future State. Alas ! what fignifies a little Wealth, or a little Applaufe in this World ? How fhort lived are they, and how little folid Satisfaftion will they yield, when the Soul moft wants Cornfort ? HI. So now I am come to the third and laft Thing in the Words, namely, our Saviour's Di- reftion and Encouragement to the contrary Ex- ercife of Humility, Secrecy, and Sincerity in the Practice of the Duty of failing : But thou^ whe?i thou f aft eji^ anoint thine Head^ and "uoajh thy Face^ that thou appear 7iot unto Men tofaji^ but unto thy Father which is in Secret \ and thy Father which feeth in Secret, jloall reward thee openly. Where firfl: he direds the cutting off all the Ways and Methods of Hypocrify; Anoint thine Head, and wajh thy Face, that thou appear not unto Men to faji. When once we become acquainted with the Devices of Satan, the beft way is to counter- mine him, and to keep out of the way of his Temptations. We v/ould think, that know no- thing of the Cuftoms of the Jews, that our Sa- viour advifes us here to keep fo far from the Temptation, that we {hould rather run into the contrary Extreme ;; but when we confider that the Jews ordinarily ^jpointed their Head, ex- cept on the Days of Mourning, then we muft conclude that the Meaning of this Diredlion is no more, than that we fliould put on the fame Looks and Habit on the Days of our private fafting as at other times. Let us avoid all Signs and Ap- pearances of Oftentation of our religious Services 5
let
XVIL] ofFaJiing. Matt. VI, i6. 253
let us be fo far from that, that Men fhall not fo much as know what we are about : And if pof- lible let us have no more Eyes upon us but only God's, and he who is the fecret Witnefs of our Devotion and other religious Exercifes, will re- ward us openly. This Diredion, as I take it, is much to the fame Purpofe, with that general Di- redlion of avoiding all the Occaiions of Sins 5 we are in all Actions that we go about, to confider as near i.s we can what it is that adds Fuel to our Luft, or our Pride, or Vanity, or Covetoufnefs, or PaiHon and Refentment ; and it is good Chri- ftian Prudence to cut off all thofe Occaiions or Temptations to Sin ; as in the Cafe before us, our good Works taking Air, and being made publick, is the Thing from whence our Pride is mofl like to receive its Nouriihment; therefore the heft way to obviate this Temptation is, to prevent if poffible, their being made publick, by ilu dying fuch a Modefty in the doing of them, that, as it was faid on another Occafion, our left Hand jh all not know what our right Hand doth. And to encourage us to this, we have a Dodlrine here laid down, which, if we believed and confidered it, would make us very careful to do all our good Adtions with a fmgle Eye to God, that is, that the lefs Encouragement we have to our good Ac- tions from Men, we (hall have fo much the more from our heavenly Father. But two Things are required to be believed in order to this Doc- trine, viz. That God now fees all that we do ih fecret, and that he will afterwards make a fui- table and open Recompence. But I am per- fuaded moft Sinners believe neither of thefe j for if they throughly believed either that they are un- der
254 The right Majiner [Serm.
der God's Eye for all their fecreteil: Adtions and cloiefl Contrivances, or that ever there will be a Day of Retribution, they v^ould certainly live quite other fort of Lives than they do. Had we half that Regard for God that Children have for theirParents, or Servants for their Mafters, or Scho- lars for their Teachers, v^e (liould not have fuch Doiniis in the World as we have. Let us learn
o
to have an Eye to that recompence of Pvcward, firmly to believe it in our Hearts, and to fix it in our Minds by frequent Meditation, and it will undoubtedly have a greater Lifluence on our Life and Actions.
Flaving thus fpoke to the Particulars of the Text I ihall add foniething briefly by way of Ap- plication.
I. And firfl, let us examine whether in this Particular of Fading, our Righteoufnefs exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharifees, The Pbari- fees were a ftrid: Sect in this Matter of Fading. The Dijtiples ^John a72d of the FhanfcQsfafteJof^ ten Vv'e are told, and the Pharifee made his boaft that he fifed twice in the VVeek, Now we do not find that our Saviour ever faulted this Practice of theirs, except for their boafting of it. And even here in my Text, though for feveral good Realbns he would not prefcribe when or how often we fliould f aft, Health and other Things being to be confulted for the deciding of that QaeiHon ; yet he fuppofed we would comply with it as a Duty; only he commanded us when we fiift, to avoid Hypocrify. But alas ! we have found out a new Way of avoiding the Hypocrify which was then incident to this Duty, by leaving the Duty wholly undone; in which I think
there
XVIIL] ofFaJling. Matt. VI. \6. 255
think there is no manner ofQueftion but that the Righteoufnefs of th^ Scribes and Pharifees ex- ceeds ours : As indeed I am afraid it does in the two other Particulars of Ahns and Prayer too. And here now I find my felf obliged to confute a lazy Opinion of iome, as if Fading were now aU together out of Doors among Chriftians. It is true indeed the Chriftian Rehgion lays no fuch ftrefs upon it as the Fbaj^ifees did ; for our Saviour did not think fit to burden his Weak Difciples at firfl with this Piece of Aufterity ; he did not de- fign they fhould faft [a] yl^hile be the Bridegrooju "was nvith them : But at the fame time he foretold, When the Bridegroom [hoiild be taken from them^ then they Jloou Id faft in thofe Days. It is true like- wife that the Chriftian Religion places no Duty in eating or not eating, [b) For neither if we eat are we the better^ nor ij we eat not are we the worfe. The whole Bufinefs of eating or not eating is to be meafured by the Tendency which it has to make us good or bad, better or worfe. So that every one is to examine his own State and Cir- cumftances, in order to the finding out whether a total Abftinence proves more conducive to his mortifying his Lufts, and a readier Help to Prayer and Repentance, than a continual fober and mo- derate Diet, and direct his Practice accordingly. Yet that our Religion fpeaks mod honourably of fading as a good Inftrument of Mortification, feems evident from the following Particulars. I. That it is a Part of natural Religion, not be- ing enjoined by God in the moral Law, and yet
[a) Matt. ix. 15. (b) I Cor. viii. 8.
frequently
256 ^^^ ^ig^i Manner [Serm.
frequently In ufe upon all great Occafions above- mentioned ; upon occafion of God's Judgments upon the Land, 'Joel i. 14. they are called upon T^o JmBify a FaJU OJid io call a folemn A[jembiy. Thus the j^^'Z£;i tailed three Days when they were decreed to be cut off by the Contrivance oi Ha- inan^ Ejih. iv. fo likewife they failed to beg Par- . don for their Sins and reform them, i Sa77i. vii, 5, 6. where they repent of their Idolatry. So they failed to beg fpecial Mercies of God ; thus Ezra and his Company failed to feek of God a right Way. £2;r^ viii. 21. Thefe Fails when lightly gone about are called T^he Fajls "which God hath chofefiy If. Iviii. 5. and an acceptable Day un- to the Lord, Thefe are Examples of public k Fails, obferved with good Succefs. We find likewife that voluntary privateFails were in ufe with good People as their occafions required. David wept^ and humbled his Soul with Fajiing. Pf. Ixix. 10. Nehemiah failed when he heard of the Af- fjidtion of the People at Jerufalemy Neh» i. 4. and Daniel ix. 3. And divers Inilances wc have of this godly Pracflice in the New Teftament, yhna the Prophetefs failed and prayed Night and Day. Our Saviour in my Text teaches the right Way of falfing, and promifes God's Reward to it. And Matt. xvii. 21. he tells his Difciples of fome Devils 7hat could not be caji out but by Prayer and Fajling, And that our Saviour's Apofiles and Dilciples had the fame good Opini- on of the Efficacy of Failing, as a fpecial Means to obtain God's Bleifing, appears from their Prac- tice. It was ufually joined with their Ordina- tions, as we may fee ABs xiv. 23. And with
their
/
XVIIL] ofFaJihig. Matt, VI. i 6, 557
their extraordinary Miffions. ABs xiii. 2, j. St Paul tells us that he was /;2 Faftings often, 2 Cc?r. xi. 27. and among the other Hardrhips he had voluntarily underwent, Aiilidions^ Necefiities, Diftreffes, Stripes, Iiiiprifonments, Tumults, La- bours, Watc!iin2;s, he reckons up Falliai>;3 too, as fo many Proofs of his Diligence in hisminife- rial Office. From ail v/hich and a great deal more whicli might be quoted, it appears that Fading was always in high efteem among Chri- flians: And therefore there is great Occafion to exhort you to revive the Practice of it.
2. But if every one cannot bear the Rigour of Farting, and therefore if it is a Duty much left to Difcretion, there is another Duty of great Affinity with it, which our Saviour enjoins rtrictly to all Perfons and at all Times; namely, Tem- perance in eating and drinking. Take heed to your Jelves, Ciys he, Luke xxi. 34. Itji at afiy Time your Heai^ts be overcharged ivitb Surfeiting and hrunkennefs, and Cares of this Life, and fo that Day come upon you unawares. It is fo much the more neceflary to put you in mind of this Caution of our Saviour's, becaufe the contrary Vices of Luxury, Intemperance and Drunkennefs prevail too much in the World, and have too great an Influence upon us, to hinder that Seri- oufncfs and Coniideration which is neceflary to make Religion fmk down into our Hearts, anc- fi'ud:ify in our Lives ; and likevvife prompt us to many rafli Refolutions, Words and Actions, and drive us upon many Temptations, whivli by Temperance and Sobriety we might eafily avoid.
Vol. m. S Now
258 The right Manner^ &c. [S e r m.
Now God give us all Grace^ that denying Un- godlin^fs and worldly Liijis, we may live Job erh\ as ^^elJ ni right eoujly and godly in this prefent World: Looking for that blejjed Hope^ and the glorious Ap- pearing of the great God and our Saviour Jejus Chrift,
To him with the Father and the Holy Ghoft be all Praife.
S E R M.
XIX.] 259
SERMON XIX-
Mat t. VI. 19.
Lay not up for your fehes T!reafures upon Earthy where Moth and Ruji doth corrupt ^ and where thieves break through and JleaL
Ver, 20. But lay up for your fives Treafures in Heaven^ where neither Moth ?2or Ruf doth cor- rupt^ and where Thieves do not break through nor fie aL
Ver. 21. For where your T!reafure is^ there will your Heart be alfo,
Ver. 22. T^he Light of the Body is the Eye ; if therefore thine Eye befmgle^ thy whole Body fhall be full of Light,
Ver. 23. But if thine Eye be evil, thy whde Bo- dy fhall be full of Darknefs ; if therefore the Light that is in thee be Darknejs, how great is .that Darknefs !
Ver. 24. No Man can ferve two Mafiers-, for ei-- ther he will hate the one^ and love the other -, or elf'e he will hvld to the one^ and defpife the other : Te cannot ferve God and Mammon,
Ver. 25. "Therefore I fay unto you ^ take no Thought
for your Life^ what ye foall eat or what ye
f mil drink \ nor yet for your Body^ what ye fall
S 2 put
26o Againfl Covetoufnefi. [Serm
flit tin ; is ?iot the Life more than Meaty and the
Body than Raiment ? Ver. 26. Behold the Fowls of the Air ^ for they fow noty neither do they reap^ 7ior gather i?ito
BarnSy yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they? Ver. 27. Which of you by tailing nought , can add
07ie Cubit to his Stature ? Ver. 28. And why take ye thought for Raiment'?
Confider the Lillies of the Field how they grow ;
they toil not ^ tieither do they fpin. Ver. 29, And yet I fay unto you^ that even Solomon
in all bis Glor)\ was not arrayed like one oftheje, Ver. 30. Wherefore if God Jo c loath the Grafs of
the Fields which to Day is^ and to Morrow is
cafi ifito the Oven 3 Jhall he not much more
tloath you ? 0 ye of little Faith. Ver. 31. Therefore take no Fhought^ faying^ what
Jloall we eat ? or what JId all we drink ? or where^
withallfall we be cloathed. Ver. 32. [For after all ihefe Things do the Gen- tiles feek) for your heavenly Father kmweth that
ye have need of all thefe Things. Ver, 33. But feek ye fijf the Kingdom of God a?id
his RighteoufnejSy and all thefe Things Jhall be
added unto you. Ver. 34. Take therefore no Thought for the Mor- row ',for the Morrow (loall take thought for the
Things of itfelf: fujfcient wito the Day is the Evil thereof
The Firft Sermon on this Text.
OU R blelTed Saviour goes on here in the Profecution of the fame Defign, training up his Difciples to higher Degrees of Virtue, than
had
XIX.] Treafures in Hea'ven.M ATT. \' I, ig, 261
had been taught by the Jewiflo Do(flors. In the former Part of this Chapter, he had guarded them ug:i'nft the Sin of Piidc and Oftentation in all re- ligious Duties j and now from hence, to the End of the Chapter, he guards them likevvife againft Covetoulhefs, which was another clofe Vice of the Scribes and Pharifees, which it feems in ma- ny Things they approved of, at leaft negled:ed to principle their Difcip!es againft it. Our Saviour handles this Subjed at large, for fixteen Verfes together, giving us many Characters of the co^ vctcus Man, with feveral Arguments to diffuade us from Covet oiijhefs, and the inordinate Cares of the World. And it is no wonder he has taken all this Pains to principle us well againft a Vice, which though it is as pernicious as any other whatfoever, yet is often difguifed under the fpe- cious Shew of Temperance, Sobriety, Diligence, Frugality, Providence, and Care of Wife and Children, and feveral other very laudable Practices 5 by virtue of which, it innnuates itfelf with great- er Advantage than moft other Vices, and is much harder to be difcovered and guarded againil. I thought once to have confidered all our Saviour's Characfters and Defcriptions of this Vice by them- lelves, before I had come to his Arguments and Diffuafives againft it. But fmce he interfperfes the one with the other, I think it is my Part not to alter his Method, but to fpeak to the Words as they lye before us : by clearing up the Defcrip- tions of that Vice, and opening the Arguments made ufe of to dehort us from it, in the fame Method in which they are here propofed.
To begin then, in the Words which I have read, ver. 19, 20, 21. we may obferve thefe three Things. S3 LA
262 Jgainjl Covet oufnefu [Serm«
I. A Character of the covetous Man ; which is, that he laji up for himjelf Treafures upon Earthy and not in Heaven,
II. Our Saviour's Diffuafivefrom this Pradiice; hay not up for your felves Treajures upon Earthy but lay upjor your Jelves Treajures in Heaven,
III. The Reafons of this Exhortation ; which are three, viz. \, That it is but an earthly Treafure. And 2. liable to perifhing by diverfe Accidents, fuch as Moth and Ruft, which corrupt it; and Thieves that break through and fteal it ; whereas the heavenly Treafure is fecure, and out of the Reach of thefe, and all other Accidents whatfo- ever. And 3. That if our Treafures are upon Earth, they will draw our Hearts after them, and make them earthly too.
I. I begin with the Character of the covetous Manj which is, that he lays upjcr himfelfTreafurei upon Earthy and not in Heaven, For underrtand- ing of which Way of fpeaking, I muft acquaint you with an ufual Hebraifm, very common in theHoly Scripture-Stile ; theConfideration of which is of great Ufe tovv^ards the underflanding of this, and divers other Texts, which would be apt to puzzle an ordinary Reader. For it is a common Thing in Hebrew, of two Things which they mean only to compare together, and to prefer the one to the other, inftead of that to bring them in bv vv'ay of Antithefis, and to rejed-and prohi- bit the one, and chule the other. As in that Expreflion, Hof. vi. 6. 1 defire Mercy and not Sa- criHce : The Defign was not abfolutely to con- dcniii Sciciifices, (for God had commanded them) but oiilv to prefer Mercy before them. So Gen. xlv. 8. Jofpb fays to his Brethren, It ivas not
you
XIX.] Treaftires in Heaven, Matt. VI. 19^ 263
you that fent me hither^ but God. And Exod xvi* 8. Mofestdh the People, Your Murmurings are not agaififl us, but againjl the Lord. So prov, viii. 10. Receive my Injtrudlion^ and not Silver^ is to be interpreted in a comparative Senfe, as it follows immediately, and Knowledge rather than choice Gold, In the fame Senfe it is faid, yoel ii. 13. Rent your Heart and not your Gar* me7its. Now this fame Stile is continued in the New Teftament, as John vi. 27. Labour 7iQt for the Meat which peripeth^ but for that Meat which endureth unto everlajiing Life :TheMeaning is only that we (hould not labour fo much for Things temporal, as for Things eternal. So Luke xii. 4. Be not afraid of them that kill the Body^ but fear him who after he hath hilled^ hath Power to cajl into Hell \ where the Meaning is only, that God is much more to be feared than Men. So Co/, iii. 2. Set your AffeBion on Things above^ not on 'Things on the Earth ; meaning only that we (hould much more fet our Affedlions on Things above, than on Things on Earth. So when our Saviour fays, John vii. 16. My DoBrine is not mine^ but his that fent me-, it is not de- ligned for an abfolute Denial that the Dodrine was his, but only that the Honour of it is more owing to God. Now according to this Stile, and Manner offpeaking, the Words of my Text are to be underftood, not for a total Prohibition of lay- ing up any Treafure upon Earth, but only that we fhould be infinitely more careful to lay up Treaiures in Heaven than upon Earth.
The Words being thus explained, let us confi- der more particularly what it is that is here faulted
S 4 by
264 Againjl Covetoufnefsi [Serm.
by layl.'ig up our Treafures on Earth, not in Hea- ven. To this I fhall anfwer as diftinctly as I can. Firfl-, Negatively, It is not every laying up of an Eilate for our future Occafions, that is here prohibited -, there being many honeft juft Caufes for fo doing 5 fjch as the laying in, in Crop-time and Harvefl, the Fruits of the Ground, upon which we mull fabfifr all the Year followijig. And if in a Year of Plenty, we fliould lay up for a Year of Scarcity, this would be no unlawful or , difcommendable Adijn. Or if Parents (hould lay up fomething in realon for their Children, or Hulbands for their Wives; or if Hulbandm.en, Merchants, or any others, whofe ufeful Callings cannot be well managed without a confiderable Stock, fhould accordingly liy in fuch a Stock, I do not apprehend that there is any Thing in our Saviour's Dod:rine to prohibit fuch Provilions, if the Perfons Circumftances will bear them, with- out neglecting any Duty of Juftice or Charity in the mean time, and without fetting their Hearts too much on thefc their worldly Callings or Pro- jeftions. Nay further, we are commanded to lay up fomething, not only for a decent Supply of our Wants, bat like wife for the Relief of others. 1 The/] iv. i I, 12. We are exhorted to a diligence in our Callings, that M'^e may ^icalk decently to- <icard them that are "without^ and may have lack of nothing. And Eph. iv. 28. We are exhorted to the lame Diligence, "That we may have to give to him that necdeth. For though it feems to be here pofitively forbidden, that we fhould Jay up for our felvcs 'Treafures upon Earthy yet according tc the Way of interpreting fuch like Expreffions, as ye have heard, it is no ablolute Prohibition of
thQ
XlX.]Treafures in Heaven. Matt. VI. 19. 265
the one, tho' it is a more earneft commanding of the other. So much for what is not prohibited by this Expreffion.
Secondly, But now let us next enquire affirma- tively, what is here prohibited : And briefly there are thefe two Things which feem to me to be here condemned.
1. The heaping up an unreafonable Quantity of worldly Wealth.
2. The fetting of our Heart and Affeftion too much upon our worldly Eftate or Treafure,
I. The heaping up an unreafonable Quantity of worldly Wealth. For tho' the precife Quantity of worldly Eftate, which Men may purchafe, or lay up, is not determined, or indeed can be, their Occafions and Circumftances being fo vaftly difFe- Tcnt J yet there are many good general Rules fet down, which, if duly obferved, would keep our Eftates, and Stocks, and Treafures in this World within due bounds; any one of which good Rules being tranigrefled, we fall within the Prohibition of my Text, of finful or unreafonable laying up of Treafure upon Earth. The chief of thefe Rules I ihall briefly mention, without flaying to prove and demonftrate them, efpecially where they are (as I think moft of them are) pretty felf evident.
(i.) The firft Rule I (hall mention to this Pur- pofe, fhall be this ; That what w^e get, we ac- quire it by fair, juft, and equitable Ways and Means, without Fraud, Oppreflioa^ Exad:ion, or any other indirect Way, diflioneft in itfelf, or injurious to our Neighbour. This is a Rule which demonflrates itfelf, being founded on the firft common Principles of Juftice and Honefty.
(2.) The
266 Againjl Covetoufnefs, [Serm.
(2.) The fecoiid Rule I ihail mention, is, that as to the ufe of our Wealth, we be net of a nar- row, pinching, and penurious Temper, but that our Ccnverfation be without Covetonjnefs ; that we live decently, beftowing the Neceifaries and Conveniences of Life upon ourfelves, and Friends, and Families, with fuch a Generofity and Hofpi- tahty as is fnitable to our Eftate and Circum- ilances. As the other Rule was founded on a Principle of Juftice, fo this is founded on a Prin- ciple of Honour and Decency.
(3.) The third Rule ihall be, that we gather not fo great Eftates, as in the Management of them, require our Hearts and Minds to be fo entangled with the Cares of the World, as to be thereby too mucli diverted from minding the Con^ cerns of our Souls, and a better Life. This is a Rule, the Reafonablenefs of which will not be doubted by any who believe any thing of Religion or a future State. Our better Part ought to be chiefly minded, and Eternity is much to be preferred to this fhort Life.
(4.) A fourth Rule is, that we be always wil- ling and ready, according to our Ability, and the Opportunities God puts into our Hands, to do good in Works of Piety and Charity, and in pro- moting the publick Good of the World, efpecially that Part of it where God cafls our Lot. This is likewife fo rational a Rule, that Willlngnefs ihould attend the Ability in doing good, and in proportion to it; that in Morals it is as good as a Demonftration.
(5.) A fifth Rule to moderate our Defires after, and Acquifitions of the World, is, that we ftudy a Contentment with our own Lot and Circum- stances,
XIX.] ^reafures in Heaven. 267
fiances, and learn to be eafy in a low Fortune ; which will cure us of that Covetoufnefs and Am- bition, which continually pu(h us on to an infati- able Thirft after more.
(6.) The laft Rule fhall be, that having fuffi- cient wherewithal to anfwer our juft Occafions, we fet fome Bounds to our laying up of earthly Treafure, and to the encreafing of our Purchafes, and devife liberally how to do good with the Overplus. This Rule I have from St Pauly for he (a) charges them who are rich in this World, to be rich in good Works^ ready to diftributey wil- ling to communicate^ laying up in Store for them- fehes a good Foundation againji the Time to come^ that they may lay hold of eternal Life,
Thefe are fhort and plain Rules for regulating our worldly Purchafes and Eftates ; for certainly he minds, and lays up Treafures upon Earth too much, who either gets it by unfair and indirecft Means ; or has not the Heart to lay it out to fup- ply his own Occafions, and the Occafions of thofe whom he ought to provide for ; or who has his Thoughts and Time too much employed in the Cares of the World) to the Negled: of better Things ; or is backward and averfe from Works of Piety, Charity, and the publick Good ; or who is difcontented with his ownCircumflances and envious of his Neighbour's ; or laftly, who flowing in Wealth already, thinks he is never to ftop ; but inflead of contriving liberal Things for the Good of his Neighbours, and the World, thinks only of joining Houje to Houfe^ and Field
{a) I Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19.
t$
268 Jgalnfi Covetoujitefs, [Serm.
to Fields till he has-flioved out all his Neigliboors from about him, and is left alone ia the midil of the Land. So much for the firft Thing here faulted and prohibi:ed, nameiy/ the heapiiig up an unreafonabls Ooantity of worldly Wealth.
2. The other Thing we faulted, is the fetting of our Heart and Affedion loo much en our Worldly Eftate and Treaiiire. It is not only, nor fo much indeed the Quantity of the Treafure, as the imuioderate Degree of x^iiTedion we fet upon, it, vv^hich our Saviour here taxes, as appears from what he fays at ver, 1 1. For isohcrc ycur Trea/ure is, there will your Heart be alfo. If our Hearts then are chiefly fet upon our earthly Treafures, it is the furefl: Sign we are guihy of what our Saviour here prohibits. But now becaufe a little Self-Flattery, of which all Men have good Store, is able to hide, and palliate all the Vices of the Heart ; in order to the Trial and Examination of our own Hearts in this Matter, it will be ne- cefiary that we take help fronl a few Rules, where- by we may difcover whether our Hearts are im- moderately fet on the V/orld, or no. I fhall but jufl mention them, leaving the Trial and Experi- ment to yourfelvcs.
( I.) Firft then, our Hearts are too much fet on the Vv^orld, if we are ftrongly bent and refolved to be rich ; if in our Hearts we earneftly grafp the World, and eagerly \yi{li and defire it : 7hey that will be rich, iaith St Paul, i Tim. vi. 9. Jail into Temptation and a Snare, and into many Joolifh and hurtful Lujts, which drown Men in Dcjirudlion and Perdition. As to Riches, we fliould endea- vour to keep our Mir.ds in an even well poifed. Temper, ready and prepared for vvh^tfoever out- ward
XIX.] T^reafures in Heaven. Matt. VI. 19. 269 ward State andCondltion it fhall pleale God to carve out for us, and to have our Hearts difentangled from the Love of the World, which, as I for- merly explained, is the Meaning of the hrft: Bea- titude^ Poverty in Spirit : So that if we are li- terally poor^ we be contented j and if ricb^ that our Hearts do not cleave to our Riches ; but that we be ready to part with them when God calls, or to employ them in doing Good.
(^2.) Our Hearts are too much fet on the World, if we make too much hafte to be rich. He that niaketh hafce to be rlcl\ jJoall ?i:t be inno- cent^ f.iith Solomon, Frov, xxviii. 1.0. So that a Dlfcontent with low Circumftances, and an Impatience to grow rich, is a certain Sign of an Heart cleaving to the World.
(3.) It is a Sign that our Hearts are too much fet on the World, if we look on our Neigh- bour's Thriving and Profperi ty with Envy and Difcontent.
(4.) It is a Sign of an Heart 'too much fet on the World, when we contemplate our own Wealth and flourifning Circumftances with too much Complacence and Delight. Good Men delight themfelves in God, but worldly Men have Gladnefs in their Hearts, chiefly when their Corn, and Wine, and Oil, their Stocks, and Crops, and all worldly Things are encreafed.
(5.) It is a great Sign of an Heart too much fet on the World, when we come to put our Truft and Confidence in our Weabdi; like the rich Man in the Gofpe!, who truftcd more in his full Barns than in God.
(6.) It is a certain Sign that our Hearts are too much fet on the World, when our Time,Thoughts,
Projefts,
^jo Agatnjl Covetoufnefs. [Serm.
Projefts, and Contrivances, are fpent chiefly on worldly Things, to the Negled: of our Souls, and the Concerns of a better Life.
(7.) It is a Sign our Hearts are too much fet on the Worlds when upon any great LolTes, or even Poverty itfelf coming upon us, we grow angry, peevifh and difcontented. For if the World were not too deeply rooted in our Hearts, we could ea- fily part with it at God's Pleafure : We could fay with holy 'Job^ (a) 'The Lord has given ^ and the Lord has taken away ; hlejjld be the Name of the Lord, Or with St Paul^ (b) I have learned in whatfoever State I am^ therewith to be content ; / know both how to be abafed^ and I know how to abound : every where, and in all things, 1 am in- firuBed both to be jull, and to be hungry, both to abound, and to fuffer Need.
(8.) Laftly, It is a mofh certain Sign that our Hearts are too much fet on the World, whenever, to fav€ or increafe our Wealth, or outward Eflate, we betray our Duty and Confcience. As St Paul obferves, i Tim. vi. 10. The Love of Money, fays he, is the Root of all Evil; which while fo me covet- ed after, they have erred; or (as it is in the Margin of our Bibles) have been f educed from the Faith, and pierced them fives through whith many Sorrows, An Example of which Defection, on account of this inordinate Love of the World, he gives him elfewhere in Demas, 2 Tim. iv. 10. Dcmas hath forfaken me, faith he, having .loved this prefent World.
(a) Job i. 21. (^)Phil. iv. 11.
What
XIX.] Treafures in Heaven, 271
What has been faid, may fuffice, as to that Part of the Covetous Man's Charadter, that he lays up for himfelf Treafares upon Earth. It will be requifite like wife to add a little for underftanding the other Part of his Charadler, that he lays not iip for himfelf Treafures in Heaven. Now in order to this, we mufl: firft confider what is meant by lay- ing up for our f elves T^reafures in Heaven \ then we {hall cafily fee how negligent the covetous Man is in this Matter.
Treafures in Heaven, are fuch Treadires as will turn to account there ^ and we are then faid to lay up our Treafures in Heaven, when we lay out our Wealth or other Talents io^ as that we may have the Benefit of them in that bleffcd Life to come. To give an Example in Wealth ; what a Man lays out in Husifandry or Merchandize, or puts into any Bank from v/hencs he expedls a worldly Profit, all that is in order to increafe his earthly Store or Treafure; but what a Man lays out in Works of Piety and Charity, without any Defign of Worldly Advantage to himfelf, but pure- ly out of Love to God and his Neighbour, with an Eye to God's Promifes of future Reward, all this is Treafure laid up in Heaven ; a Bank of all other the richeft, and fecureft, and which turns to the beft account. The fame may be faid of all our other Talents ; for according to the feveral Uies we put them to, and the different Aims and De- figns we have by them, we lay them up either in the earthly, or the heavenly Treafure. So tliat towards laying up of treafures in Heaven^ there feem to be only thefe two Things requilite ; firft, That we have a firm Perfwafion and Belief of the Goodnefsof this/6^^i;^;2/v y>^^//r^; that is, that
it
272 'Againjl Covetoufnefs. [Serm.
it is fecure, and that what is put into it, will turn to the beft account. And then, tliat upon this Perfwalioa we do all the good we can, from no other Profpecft, but of a Reward in Heaven. For if we do good only, or chiefly for worldly Ends, this is a laying up in the earthly, not in the heavenly Treafiire.
Now it is plain the covetous Man fails in both thefe Refpeds ; he has no Efteem of the heavenly Security, at lead little minds or confiders it. And he is fo bent upon encreafing his earthly Store, that he ventures little or nothing into the heavenly,
Thus now I have confidered the firft Thing I propofed from the Words, namely, the Charader here given of the covetous Man, that he lays up for himlilfTreafuresupon Earth, and not in Hea- ven. Time will not allow my handling the other Particulars, which I fiiall therefore refer to another Opportunity. Only upon occafion of what has been now faid, let me ferioufly exhort you all to take care fo to employ your Wealth, and all your other Talents, to fuch Purpofes, and in fuch a Manner, that they may turn to good account in Heaven. For though, as the Words have been ex- plained, I muft not difcourage you from laying up of thisWc'las Goods, as far as your own, or your Families jull Occafions do require 5 yet I am obli- ged to put you frequently in mind of w^hat is of infinitely greater Confequence, the laying up for yourfelves Treafures in Heaven, by erhploying your Wealth, your Honour, your Power, your Jntereft, your Learning, Wit, Induftry, and all your Talents, for doing good ; for that will turn to youreverlafting Benefit. Ye know the Account ive have of the Proceedings in the great Day of
Judgment,
XIX.] I'reafures in He/iven. Matt, VI. 19. 273 Judgment, in the 25th Chapter of this Gofpel, and he noble Revvards there affigned to them who (hall be found to have (hewn Ad;s of Charity to Chrift's poor Members. What we add to our Kline upon Earth, can turn but to little account, bxdufe at beft we are to have the Ufe of it but for a (hort Time, the Time of this prefent Life : But what we lay up in Heaven by our Works of Faith, and Labours of Love and Charity, and Patience of Hope, and Feivency of Prayer, and Diligence in all Manner of Chriftian Duty; every good Action we do with an Eye to Heaven, how- foever worthlefs in itlelf, yet through the Merits of Chrift, and the Meicy of God gracioufly ac- cep;ing it, fhall be richly rewarded in Heaven with Joys eternal, unfpeakable, and full of Glory* God give us all Grace to believe this, and to prac- tice according to this Belief, and to perfevere in this hrly Pradice to the End ; till at laft we are made Partakers of this bleiTed State, for Jefus Chiift's Sake. To w/jom., &c.
VoL.iiL T serm:
274 'Earthly Treafures fuhjeB to [Serm.
SERMON XX
Matt. VL 19-
Lay not up for your felves Treafures upon Earthy where Moth and Ruft doth corrupt^ and where Thieves break through andJleaL
Ver. 20. But lay up for your felves Treafures in Heaven^ where neither Moth nor Ruji doth cor- rupt^ and where Thieves do not break through nor feaL
Ver. 21. For where your Treafure is^ there will your Heart be alfo.
The Second Sermon on this Text.
AT the laft Occafion I explained the Meaning of thefe Words, and then obferved in them thefe three Things.
I. A Charadier of a worldly or covetous Man, which is, that he lays up for himfelf Treafures upon Earth, and not in Heaven.
II. Our Saviour's Diffuafive from this Pradice : Lay not up for your felves Treafures upon Earthy but lay up for your felves Treafures in Heaven.
III. The Reafons of this Exho tatioi, which are three. Viz, (i.) That the one is an t;arthly, the other an heavenly TreaiUiC. (z.) That the
one
XX.] many Accidents. Matt. VI. 19. 275*
one is li. bL^ to periftiing by diverfc Accidents, fuch as Moth and Raft vv^hich corrupt it, and Thieves tiai: b.ea"^ through and fteal it ; whereas the o- t^'ci 1. fcCiive, o'U o[ the reach ofthefe and all o'hwi AcciJ-nts vvhatfoever. (3.) That if oar Tr-'iVi'cS a e upon Earth, they will draw our Kca. s af:cr them, and make them earthly too.
/-v.. to the fir ft of ihefe, the Charadler of the c •- us Man, that he lays up Treafures for him- £ : r.pon Earth and not in PIcaven, having con- fideied it at the laftOccafion, I ihall not fpend Time bout ic, but proceed direftly to the fecond and third.
II. The fecond Thing in the Words is our Sa- vioui 's DiiTuafive from this Pradice of the cove- tous Man. Lay not up for your [elves Treafures upon Earth ; but lay up for your fe Ives Treafures in Heaven, Now having formerly explained what is to be meant by Laying up our Treafures upon Earthy and what by Laying them up in Heaven^ that which is properly incumbent upon us on this Head is, to ftiew you how it is the particular Duty of Chriftians not to lay out their Time and Talents on earthly^ but on heavenly Treafures, Alas ! to what purpofe was it, that ever Heaven was difcovered ? Was it to be read and talked of like a Romance, only to divert and amufe us a little, and to have no Influence on our Lives and Converfations ? If we believe it not, then let us not pretend to be Chriftians. We are then of no higher a Difpenfation than thofey^i^^^, to whom our Saviour was now preaching, who expedted a Meffiah that would be a great earthly Prince, and would make all his Followers great and rich ; in- ftead of a Chrift that would teach them to wean
T 2 their
276 Earthly Treafures fubjeSt to [Serm.^
their Hearts from the World, and prepare them for Heaven. This we are to look upon as one of the principal Charadters of a good Chriftian, that he truly believes and acts upon the Belief of a future State of Happinefs in Heaven : That e- very Step of his Life is in order to that blefled End of his Journey, and that all his Talents are laid out fo, as to turn to good Account in Heaven. It is plain chat both our Saviour and his Apoftles be- ing fenfible how much we were byaifed to the other Exi; earn, did all that could be done both by their Dod:rine and Example to wean our Hearts from the World, and to fix them on Heaven j as by an attentive reading of their Writings wall every where appear. But I fhall confine myfelf to the Text, and proceed to
III. The third Thing I obferved in the Words, namely, the Reafons of this Exhortation, which are three.
1. That the one is an earthly y the other an^^^- veiily Treajiire,
2. That the one is liable to perifhing by divers Accidents, fuch as Moth and Ruji which corrupt ity and Thieves that break through and fit al it \ whereas the other is fecure, out of the reach of thefe, and all other Accidents.
3. That if our Treafures are upon Earth, they will draw our Hearts after them, and make them earthly too.
Firft, The one is an earthly^ the other an hea- venly Treafure. This Notion iuggefts feveral Things to our Confideration, tending to diffuade us from this Pradlice. Particularly, i. Thegrofs earthly Nature of thefe Bleffings. Were we only ienfual Creatures, and if the chief Part of our
Duration
Xy*] many Accidents.M ATT, Vhig. 277
Duration were to be in this Life, then thefe world- ly Things would be an adequate Good for the Soul of "Man: But fince neither in their Nature will they fuit the Soul, which is created for bet- ter Things, nor in their Duration will they anfvver but to a fmall Part of our Time, they can by no mea-^s defer ve much of our Time and Labour to be beftowed upon them. A little of them will anfwer ah our Occalions, and much better indeed than a great deal, and therefore we ought not to choole our Trcaiure of them. But thejfe Things will require a little farther Exphcation. We are to confider then, that the Happinefs of any Crea- tuie refults from the Suitablenefs of the Objed: to the Faculty. Some Things which extreamly de- liglt fome Creaiures, would be a mighty Pain to others, nay would quite kill them. It is neceffary then, in order to Happinefs, that there be a Sulta- blenefs between the Creature and the ObjeCl which it purfues, 10 make it happy in the Enjoyment of fuch an Objedt. Man's Happineis muft confift in thefe earthly Things, to make them fuitable to him ; for if he is a Creature capable of an higher Felicity than this World can afford, then that is what he ought chiefly to aim at, and feek after. We may as well think to make Fifh feed upon Grafs and Corn, and Oxen live upon Water and Mud like Fifli, as to make Man happy only with worldly Things. 2. But fuppofe they were ever fo well fitted to make us happy during our Stay in this World ; fuppofe they could cure all the Difeafcs of the Mind, and fupply all the Want? and Neceffities of the Body ; yet Man being made for an eternal, immortal Duration, how fmall a Part of that is included in this prefent Life r He
^ 3 is
27S Earthly Treafures fubjedt to [Serm,^
is the only wife and provident Man who is wife and provident for Eternity. Should \vc not deferved- ly think him a great Fool, who to have his Belly full of all the moft delicious Fare that Nature and Art could furnifh for one Day, would fell himfelf into an hard Servitude, in which he fhould be miferably pinched with Hunger all the reft of his Life ? As fooiiih as this Bargain feems, it is a much more foolifh Bargain they make, who take care only for this fliort Part of our Time which we live in this World, and are to be miferable to all Eter- nity. For one Day bears a greater Proportion to the reft of our Life in this World, than this Life does to Eternity, which we are to provide for in the World to come. An earthly Treafure then at beft being but temporal, can never delerve to have all our Care laid out upon it, or indeed the greater Part of our Care, when it is but a mere Trifle, if put in the Scales againft eternal Life. This may perhaps feem ftrange Reafoning to us, who have fo great a Senfe of this prefent Life, and fo little Senfe of that which is to come ; but our Saviour who knew the true Worth of Things, had a much greater Senfe of the future State, and fets a much greater Value upon it.
So much for our Saviour's firftReafon concern- ing the Treafure we ought to lay up 5 not an eajvli-.y one, as not being fitxd in Nature, or Duration to an heavenly Mind, or a Being fitted for Immortality.
Secondly, His next Reafon is, that the earthly Treafure is liable to perifliing by divers Accidents ; feme native, breeding in itfelf, fuch as Moth and Riiji which corrupt it ; feme foreign, as Thieves that break through and fteal it. The Word here
tranflated
XX.] many Accidents. Matt. VI. xg. 279
tranflated Ruji, is by others tranflated Smut ; but it is ufcd in the Original in a much wider Senfe than either of thefe Words will reach ; namely, for every Thing that deftroys and confumes the Grain, as the Weavel, V/orms, and the like. Now for undcrftanding this Part of our Saviour's Argu- ment, it is well obferved by fome Interpreters, that he touches here the feveral forts of Treafures which they ufed to lay up, v/ith the feveral Plagues that attended them. Their Treafures were of three forts ; Cloaths^ with which they had their Wardrobes well replenifp.ed ; Grain^ which they laid lip in their Barns and Granaries ; and Gold^ and Money and precious Stones, which they laid up in their Chefts and Cabinets. Now all thefe were fubjeft to divers Misfortunes which attend- ed them. The Wardrobe was plagued with the Motb^ which deftroyed their fine Cloathes ; the Granary with the Weavel and Rats and Mice which eat and deftroyed the Grain 3 and the Hoard oiGold and Money was a Temptation to Thieves to rob and fteal it. Thefe are but Examples of the Ac- cidents which happen to earthly Scores and Trea- fures, and not defigned for a full Enumeration of them : For indeed there are innumerable Acci-. dents which deftroy what Men fet their Hearts on in this World: Fire, and Water, and the Sword of the Enemy ; the Carelefnefs and Deceitfulnpfs of Servants, Storms, and Earthquakes, Oppref- lions, and Injuftices, and athoufand other Things more than I can enumerate. Yet our Saviour in the Inftances which he brings, points at the chief of thofe Plagues, to which moft of the reft may be reduced ; for in Moth and Ruji or Smut we have an Example of thofe Inward Corruptions T 4 which
2 8 o Earthly Treafures fuhje6t to [S e r m.'
which breed in the Things themfelves ; and of thefe there is an infinite Number. Then in thieves we have an Example of the many exter- nal Enemies that affault our worldly Goods, whether by the way of Force and Violence, or by the way of Fraud and Knavery, or by the way of Exacftion and Oppreffion.. In general, all things in this World are either fo perifhable in their own Nature, or fo fubjed: to Cafualties from without, that we can promife ourfelves no fure Poffcfiion or Enjoyment of them.
Now Ehe contrary of all this is true of thofe. Treafures which we lay up in Heaven ; for there, as our Saviour fays, Neither Moth nor Rufi doth corrupt^ nor do ^Thieves break through and JieaU J-«et us enquire a little into the Particulars.
(i.) Heavenly Trea/ures are fitted for our Hea- ven-born Souls, they are fuited to our Capacities, which find a true Pleafure and Satisfaction in them. As the Needle touched with the Load- ilone is unquiet andreftlefs till it turns to the North Pole, fo the Soul of Man is reftlefs and un- quiet till it turns to God, and refts upon him. And the Source of all its Unquietnefs is, becaufe it is often drawn away from him, and bewitched with other Things, which are never able to fatisfy its capacious Defires. But fo foon as it fixes in the Lov • of God, it finds fafiicient to anfwer all it utmofl Defires. As it was faid of Adaniy when all the Creatures were prefented to him, (a) T^hat there ivas not found a Help meet for him : So we may fay of all this World's Goods, that there is not to be found a good Meet for Man. Give
(a) Gen. ii. 20.
hira
XX.] many Accidents. Matt .VI. ig. 28 r
him the whole World, and he will want and long fuv fomething beyond it.
(2.) Heavenly Treafures laft for ever. They are not calculated for a ftiiall Part of our Time, but we Ihall enjoy them for ever and ever. This one Confideration is what adds infinite Worth and Weight to thefe heavenly Treafures beyond our earthly ones, that they will never fail us ; and this we fhall know, that they will never fail, and fo fliall be under no Fear or Appreheniion of it. This is too high a Subject for any Mortal to un- dertake the Defcription of; but fo much we may eafily apprehend, that there is no Comparifon between Treafures upon Earth, which at beft we fhall enjoy only during this fhoit Life, and Trea- fures in Heaven, which we fhall enjoy for ever.
(3.J 'Treafures in Heaven 2.re fubjed: to no Ac- cidents, neither of inward Corruption, nor of external Violence. There is neither Moth to corrupt, nor Thief to fteal. Firft, no inward Corruption. There are fome Countries where feveral noxious and filthy Creatures cannot live. But this is the only Place, free from all Corrup- tion whatfoever. Here in this World we have hardly any fincere Hapoinefs, without a great Mixture of Trouble and Sorrow. AH the good Things in this World have their own Inconve- niences annexed, and moft of them fuch as rife out of the good Things themfelves ; as naturally as Moths do in Cloath, and Weavels in Grain. And this is God's wife Contrivance to leffen our AfFedlion to them, while we know that we muft both have a great deal of Uneafinefs in the Pof- feflion of them, and muft quickly part with them, as having the Seeds of Corruption in them- felves.
2 § 2 'Earthly Treafures fubjedi to [S e r m;
feives. But becaufe God would have us purfue the heavenly Treafure with the moft enlarged AfFeclions, he gives us thofe Bleffings without a V7orm to corrupt them, and without Sorrow to allay them. Secondly, As there is no inward Corruption in the heavenly Treafures ; fo they are not capable of being taken from us by Fraud or Violence. The Malice of the Devil and wicked Men has no Power there, they cannot enter to diflurb it 5 and if they could, the Inhabitants of that bleffed Place are temptation Proof; that there is not the leaft fear their Treafure can be taken from them.
Thirdly, So now I am come to the third Rea- fon our Saviour gives, to diffuade us from laying up our Treafures upon Earth, and to perfuade us to lay them up in Heaven ; namely, that that has an Influence on the whole Man to give him an earthly, or an heavenly Tindure. For where your Treafure n, there will your Heart be alfo. For apprehending the Force of this Argument, we are to conlider
I, The Influence our Treafure has upon our Hearts, to draw them after it.
II. The Influence the Heart has on the whole Man to govern all our Thoughts, Words and Ac- tions,
ill. The Conclufion then, that the laying up our Treafure on Earth makes us worldly, and forgeifal of Heaven ; and that the laying up our Treafure in Heaven makes us of an heavenly Temper, and reforms the whole Heart and Life.
(i.) Let us confider the Influence our Treafure has upon our Hearts, to draw them after it. The ^eart runs out naturally after that which it loves
beftj
XX.] many Accidents, Matt, Yl. ig. 283
beft ; the Ambitious Man's Heart runs upon his Honours -, the Voluptuous Man's upon his Plea- fures; the Mifers upon his Bags; th^ Scholar s upon his Notions ; and fo every Man's to his par- ticular Inclination. And what a Man amaffes a great deal of, and hoards it up not with a Defign to part with it, but to hav^e his Satlsfa6lion in the fecret Contemplation of it, that infallibly draws his Heart and Thoughts after it. It is therefore a much more dangerous thing than we are aware of, to hoard up Treafures in this World ; for could that be dene without the Mind's being carried af- ter it, without its being difturbed with Cares and Fears, and anxious Thoughts and Concerns, with- out putting that Hope and Trufl: in it, all which follow the chief Bent and Inclination of the Heart, then indeed it might be a much more innocent Thing to lay up Treafures upon Earth ; but when the Doing of this is fo apt to draw the Heart af- ter it, there's the Danger that thefe our earthly Treafures will draw away our Heart from God.
{p.,) Efpecially when we coniider what Influence the Pleart has on the whole Man, to govern all his Thoughts, Words and Adlions. By the Heart we mean that main Propenfion and Inclination which, like the main Spring in a Watch or CloCxk, governs all the lefler Movements and fets them a going. As this main Spring of the Heart goes, the Man thinks, contrives, fpeaks and ad:s. This is like the determining what Port we will fail to, which has the chief Conlideration in fhaping the whole Couirfe.
(3.) From whence the Conclufion follows very naturally, that the laying up our Treafure on Earth makes us worldly, and forgetful of Heaven;
and
284 Earthly Treafures fubje5i to [Serm:
and that on the contrary the laying up of our Treaflire ia Heaven makes us of an heavenly Tem- per, and is the main Engine to reform the whole Heart and Life. The Purport of all this is, that the more we lay in for this World, the more our Hearts and Thoughts will be carried after it, and the more worldly and covetous fhall we prove, and confequently the more fhall we endanger our Souls ; and the more good we do with an Eye to Heaven, the more heavenly minded fhall we prove, and the more direftly fhall we fleer our Courfe to Heaven.
Thus now I have explained the feveral Notions of the Text. The Duty which our Saviour here urges is of the greateft Importance of any I know in Chrifcian Morals : For upon it depends the whole fliaping of our Chriflian Courfe. The main Queflion which is to be firfl refolved is, what Port we are bound for I For if we are bound for Hea- ven, and intend to make the beii of our Way thi- ther, we muft have afpecial Care that the World deceive us not with its falfe Allurements. If you alledge the Difficulty of obferving jufl Bounds be- tween God and the World, I fliail only put you \a Mind of thefe two Things. Firfl, that at the kfl Occafion I circumfcribed your Duty in this Matter with a great many particular Rules, which it would be too tedious now to repeat. Secondly, that the frequent Coniideration of your main End and Defign will fo regulate all your other Move- ments, that ye cannot eafily mifs of the Mark. For if ye are bound for Heaven, ye will, fo to fpeak, remit your Effeds thither as fafl as ye can 3 ye will fo difpofe of all your Concerns here, as they may turn to the befl Account in the future
State.
XX.] many AcctdenU. Matt. VI. 19^ 28^
State. And though ye know not the precile Quan- tity fit to be beftovved iiito the heavenly 1 realure, this very Aim will teach you not to be nijgirdly that Way, fince of all our Eftaie it is that wvuch will turn to the beft Account. There are many other Duties, which God has not thought fi» pre- cifely to determine, but only to direct bv general Rules; as in Eating, Drinking, Apparel, F ^''niiure and the like, he has contented himklf to g'vc us general Rules of Temperance, Sobriety, Humility and Frugality ; and to forbid Gluttony, Drunken- nefs, Vanity, and Prodigality, all which we can comply with, tho' it is not determined juft how much we fl^all eat, and drink, and wear. So in the Matter of Good Works^ the more we fow, the more we {hall reap ; the more we put into the Bank of Heaven, the more we (hall take out with multiplied Intereft. This is by much the fecureft Part of our Eftate or Treafure, not fubjeft to divers Accidents, as our worldly Eflates are, but as the Apoltle calls it, a good Foundation againjl the 'Time to come.
I fhall conclude after I have acquainted you, that it is not only Charities or Alms-deeds, which go into the heavenly Treafure, but the Ads and Habits of all other Chriftian Virtues whatfoever- Our Works of Faith, and Patience, and Peaceable- nefs : Our Improvements of the feveral Talents God has entrufted us with. There is nothing we do with an Eye to his Service, that ihall be part by or forgotten by him; nay, _ the very Will and Defire to do Good, where we want the Ability, fhall be put to our Account : So that we have all
the
286 Earthly Treapares, &c. [Serm,
the Encouragements in the World to be good, and
to do Good.
Now God of his infinite Mercy give us all Grace to be fruitful in every good Work, to his Glory and our own eternal Happinefs, through the Mediation of y ejus Chrift,
To whom, &c.
S E R M.
XXI] 287
S E R M a N XXI.
Matt. VL 22,
The Light of the Body is the Eye \ if therefore thifie Eye befngle^ thy "whole Body fh all be Jull of Light.
Ver. 23. But if thine Eye be evil, thy whole Body fhall be full of Darknefs. If therefore the Light that is in tloee be Darknefs^ how great is that Darknefs ?
The Third Sermon on this Text.
THESE Words, if I apprehend them right, are a further Continuation and Improve- ment of that Argument againft Covetoufnefs, which our Saviour made ufe of in the Words im- mediately preceding; which were thefe, For where your Treafure is, there will your Heart be cilfo. He comes now to fhew the Danger of a worldly Heart and Mind; for illuftrating of which he borrows a Similitude from the Eye of the Bo- dy, which he calls the Light of the Body, dired- ing it in all its Steps and Adlions. Now, fays he, if the Eye be fmgle, that is, pure from all noxi- ous Humours, which obftrud: the Sight of it, then the whole Body fliall be full of Light ; that
288 The Smgle, and [Serm.^
is, the Body will have a fair clear Light to diredt it in all its Motions and Actions : but if the Eye be blinded with Rheum, the whole Body fuiters, as wanting a Light to din: 61 it in its feveral Molions and Affions. So it is with the Heart, and Mind, or Confcience, that inward Light, if it be kept pure from all noxious Humours of vitious or woiiuiy AfFed:ions, it will be a good Light to guiJ^ the whole Man in all his Walk and Behaviour. But if that inward Light of the Mind is darkened through any corrupt AfFedion whatibever, more elpecially through this of Covet jujnefs and World- ly-mindedncfs^ it is impoflible to reckon up the innumerable wrong Steps, which that Darknefs in the Mind will occafion in the whole Life and Converfation : If the Light that is in thee be Dark?2efSy how great is that Darknefs ! This I take to be the true Senfe; but becaufe the Words, efpecially as they found in our Language, are re- ally difficult ; it will not be amifs, by confidering the Parts of the Comparifon, to make the Mean- ing as plain as may be, to every intelligent Hearer.. 1. Firft then, As to the Eye's being the Light of the Body ; this is plain enough, that it is the Eye, and no other Member, which ferves for a Light, or Candle, to dired: the whole Body in its feveral Motions and Adlions. 2. It is here faid, that when the Eye isfmgky the whole Body is full of Light, As to the Expreffion,/^/// of Light y in the Original it is only (^MTSivovy that is, light- fome-y but for the Singlenefs of the Eye, that feems to be the mod obfcure Expreffion, which indeed has caft a Mifl upon the whole Compa- rifon. For clearing of it, we are to confider that the Original Word, ctxAa$> though it chiefly fig-
nifies
XXI] the Evil Eye. Matt. VI. 22. 289
m^Qsfmgle, oxjimple, yet it often fignifies like- wife piire^ Jincere^ or pcrfeB -, when a thing is fo incorrupt, that it is not adulterated with any vitious Mixture ; and from hence the Word came to be ufed for any thing that is good and perfed:, and without Blemifii in its kind. And I believe it is to be underftood in this Place, for a good Eye that has no Blemiih or Defect:, as appears by its being fet in Oppofition to the evil Eye, which makes the Body dark, in the next Verfe. 3. Nov/ for the Application of the Similitude, the out- ward Light is compared with the inward; and particularly the bad Eye, and the Darknefs occa- fioned by it, is compared to the inward Eye of the Underftanding, Mind, and Confcience, vitiated by Covetoufnefs, or any other bad Affection, and the prodigious Errors in Life confequent there- on.
The Words being thus explained, there are fe- veral ufeful Truths, which from them prefent themfelves to our Confideration ; which I fhall a little further recommend to your Thoughts and Pradice, particularly thefe four or five.
L That there is an inward Light of the Mind and Confcience, which is to direct the moral Part of our Adions, as the Eye direds the external Motions and Adions of the Body.
n. That every evil Affedion to any Sin, among other evil Effeds of it, obfcures this in- ward Light, that it cannot fo well perform its Duty, but is apt to miflead us into finful Courfes.
in. That this is particularly verified in the evil AflFedion of Covetoufnefs,or Worldly-minded- nefs, that it blinds this inward Light, fo as to
Vol. III. U make
290 The Singley and [Serm.
make it apt to mifgovern us in our Opinions and Adtions.
IV. That when the inward Light of the Mind and Confcience is darkned, this occafions a vaft Number of other Errors and Follies in the Life and Converfation.
V, That it is therefore our Duty to ufe our utmoft Endeavours, both to keep that inward Light free from all Clouds of evil Affedlions and Inclinations, that it may give us clear Direction in all Duty ; and to follow thofe good Directions in our Life and Converfation.
I. The firft Thing I obferve in the Words, is, that there is an inward Light of the Mind and Confcience, which is to dired: the moral Part of our Actions, as the Eye diredls the external Mo- tions and Adions of the Body. In my Text it is called the Light that is in thee. Whether we call it the Light of Reafon, or the Law of Na- ture, or the Law of the Mind, or an enlightened Underftanding, or the Confcience, or the Light within ', it is very certain, if we would look in- wards, we fliould find fome Principle, which both direds us in our Duty, and approves or re- proves, according as we obferve or negledt it. This Principle is much weakned by natural Cor- ruption, and yet more by erroneous Dodtrines and wicked Pradices, and ftrong Prejudices of Education. And again, it is much improved by good Dodrine, and an holy Life, and efpecially by the Grace of God illuminating our Minds in the pradical Knowledge of Divine Truths.
Now what the Eye is to the Body, that is this internal Light to the Mind ; it difcovers between the right and the wrong Way 3 it is given us by
God
XXL] the Evil Eye. Matt. VI. 22. 29 1
God as a Guide of our Aftlons, with all the Im- provements of external Revelation and internal Grace. And one of the moft fundamental Er- rors we are guilty of, is, inftead of adverting to this inward Light, to be guided by what is gra- tifying to the outward Senfes, or to be led away by Cuftom, Prejudice, or Example, without ap- plying our felves to this inward L)ire6lor, to find out the Truth or Falfhood, the Conveniency or Inconveniency of Things to our prefent Circum- ftances. This is as if in our w^alking we fliould fhut our Eyes, and choofe to go in the Dark, or to be led by a Guide blindfold, making no more ufe of the Eye of the Mind, than if we had no fuch Faculty.
II. The fecond Thing lobfervedin the Words, was, that every evil Aifedtion to any Sin whatfoe- ver, and much more every evil Habit, among other bad Effeds of it, obfcures this inward Light, that it cannot fo well perform its Duty, but is apt to miflead us into fmful Courfes. This we may gather from the fame Comparifon in the Text^ where the Eye vitiated with Rheum, is compared with the Light in us obfcured with any noxious Humour; that is, any fmful Inclination or Ha- bit. Beiides, it is the very Scope and Purport of this Part of our Saviour's Difcourfe, to guard us againfl the Sin of Covetouliiefs, from this very Confideration, that it blinds the Eye of our Mind and Underftanding, and by darkening it, is the Occafion of innumerable Errors in the Life and Converfation. But in order to the fixing of this Blot on Covetoufnefs or Worldly-mindednefs, our Saviour here lays it down as a general evil Con- fequence of all Vice, that it has this bad Eitccft on the Eye of the Mind, that it turns the Light U a which
29^ ^^^ Single, and [Serm.
which is in us into Darknefs. Now how this corrupt Inclination doth thus blind the Under- ftanding, is worth the Enquiry, that fo we may the better perceive the Force of our Saviour's Ar- gument. 1 ihall mention fome of the chief of thofe Ways, how Vice vitiates the Underftanding.
1. All V^ ice by tetharing the Mind down to fome carnal Obje6l, doth by fo doing divert it from the Contemplation and Search of Truth. Vice is a Clog upon a Man, which retards all his Diligence in the Study of good Things.
2. All Vice vitiates the Faculty of the Under- ftanding, that it fees Things through a falfe Glafs, and in a wrong Lights as a Man that has the Jaundice fees not Things in their true Colours, but as they are tinctured with that yellowifh Dif- eafe which is in himfelf ; fo the vitious Man in- fufes a ftrong Tincture of his own Conceits into all Truth, that he cannot fee Things in their na- tive Beauty.
3. As vitions Habits turn to a fecond Nature, the Man who is infeded with them, has no right Reliili of any thing, which is not of Affinity with his own Conceptions; he wants the right difcerning Faculties, as having his Palate vitiated by a long feeding upon Trafli. What is faid of the natural Man, i Cor. ii. 14. T^hat he receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, nor can he htow them, hecaiife they are Jpiritually difcerned^ may, a fortiori, be laid of the vitious Man, in whom the Corruption of Nature is much in- creafed by vitious Habits.
4. If what has been faid in general of the vi- tious Man, fhould be applied to particular Vices, it will make it ftill plainer, that every Vice con- tributes
XXL] the Evil Eye. Matt. VI. 22: 293
tributes to the darkening of the Underftanding, which ought to dired the Man in his Courfe of Life. Drunkennefs, it will be owned, befots the Mind, and unqualifies it both for facred and fe- cular Knowledge. Luft makes the Mind fo car- nal, that it can have no Tafte or Rejiih for fpi- ritual Truths. Malice, and Envy, and Hatred, and Enmity, do fo blind the Mind, that it can difcern no good Quality in the hated Perfon, nor any Truth and Right (though there be ever fo much) in his Caufes. There is nothing more contrary to all Vice, than Hu- mility, Prayer, Meditation of divine Things, an earneft Study of the Word of God, and all the other facred Arts, whereby the Mind is improved in the Knowledge of divine Truths, the keeping of a good Confcience being one of them. But of all Vices, none unfits us more for the Know- ledge of our Duty, by blinding our Underfland- ing, than Covetoufnefs, and. the inordinate Cares of the World; which becaufe I believe it was chiefly defigned by our Saviour in thefe Words, I fhall therefore more particularly infift upon.
III. This is the third Thing I propofed to con- fider from the Words, that Covetoufnefs, or Worldly-mindednefsjdoth exceedingly obfcure this inward Light, fo as to make it apt to mifgovern us in our Opinions and Actions. Whenever any Duty interferes with our worldly Intereft, the in- ward Light of the covetous Man is fo blinded, that he cannot perceive his Duty upon thofe Oc- cafions, but is under vaft Temptation to be de- ceived in his Judgment, and confequently in his Life and Pradice. In many Cafes, for Exam- ple, where God requires a Bounty and Liberality U 3 to
294 "^^^ Single, and [Serm.
to the Poor, this worldly Temper either per- fuades us that the Perfon propofed to be relieved, is no fuch Objea of Charity, or that weourfelve^ are not in a Condition to afford the Relief; or that we have many other more preffing Oc- cafions, or that there are many others more capa- ble of affording Rcli f than we are ; or laftly, if the Occafion is a little more than ordinary clamo- rous, that he is induced to fupply it, his Covetoui- nefs is legible in his very Charities, for he parts with them like fo much Blood ; they are fo fcanty as to the Qiiantity, fo flingy as to the Manner, that as the Apoftle fays, it is not like [a) a Buftne/s of Bounty^ but of Covetoufhefs. But then as to Ads of Gratitude and Generofity, thefe are Things fo foreign to the covetous Man's Temper, that he has no Senfe of them at all. Nay, there are a thoufand Things of common Juftice and Ho- nefty, of Courteoufnefs and Civility, and even of Intereft and Self-prefervation, in which Men, blinded by Covetoufnefs, forget themfelves, and do Things very unjuft, very unbecoming, and often dangerous to their own Safety and Intereft. I will give you an Inftance of this in the known Story oi David 2iX\di ISJabal-, {b) Nabal was a Man whofe Heart was very much iet on the World ', in which he had acquired a very great Eftate, and was become exceeding rich. Now obferve what Influence this wrong Turn of his Mind had upon him, in mifleading him in the Condadt of himfelf and his Actions. Firft, this
(a) 2 Cor. ix. 5, (^) i Sam, xxv, 4, ^c.
XXL] the Evil Eye. Matt. Vh 22. 295
felfifh Temper did fo contraft all his Thoughts to himfelf, that he had no Conlideration or Re- gard at all for other People ; he lived in Plenty, but had no Bowels towards his poor Neighbours particularly David and his Men, who weie in ve- ry ftraitned Circumftances in his Neighbourhood. Then it made him utterly unmindful and re- gardlefs of Favours received, and inienfible of the Duty of Gratitude for them ; for tliough David and his Men had treated him and his very civilly, in not only forbearing to meddle with his great Flocks and Herds themfelves, while they encamped in his Neighbourhood; (a very extra- ordinary Favour from an indigent Army) but likewife in proted:ing him and them from all Thieves and Robbers, and other Enemies, that they had not fuftered the leaft Damage , while David lay fo near them : Yet Nabal^ we find, had not the leaft Senfe of this Favour, being ut- terly void of Gratitude and Generofity, Virtues as oppofite to a covetous Mind, as Light is to Darknefs. When David's Straits at laft were ur- gent, he fent a civil Requeft to Nabal for a little Supply, without any Anger or Threatning, on- ly calmly putting him in mind that they had been very kind and ferviceable to his People ; that they had not only abftained from his Flocks themfelves, but had defended them fom the In- juries of all others -, and that being in Want of Provifions, and coming in a good Day, when, according to Cuftom, he made a great Feaft at his Sheep-fhearing, they prayed fome little Sup- ply for their Neceffity, not determining what, or how much, but leaving it entirely to his own Courtefy and Generofity : But, alas I they were
U 4 piiftaken
296 The Single y and [Serm.
iniftaken In their Man ; Arguments from Grati- tude and Generofity were of no Confideratlon with one of his churhfli and covetous Temper : It had been much eafier to have wrought on his Fear than his Gratitude. On the one hand he was puft up with an high Conceit of himfelf, and his great Fortune j on the other hand, he de- fpifed David and his Men as a Company of poor indigent Fellows, than which Crime of Poverty, nothing could have made them look lefs in his Eye, confidering what Place the World had in his Heart. His Wealth, and Pride, and Self- conceit occafioned thereby, and their Poverty, tind Submillivenefs, merely blinded him, that he could not fee, on this Occafion, even his own In- tereft; far lefs the Rules of Juftice, Charity, Gratitude, Generofity, Liberality, or even com- mon Civility, which any other Man who would have confidered this Cafe, not blinded by a felfifh and covetous Temper, in the midft of fo plen- tiful Circumftances, might eafily have feen. And therefore inftead of a kind Reception of them and their Mcilage, he was fo overfeen as to give them a furly and provoking Anfwer, which had like to have coft him both his Life and Eftate, if better and more generous Meafures had not been afterwards taken, than his Coveioulnefs and Chiirlifhnefsfjggefled. This is one plain Inftance, how a covetous Heart itt oh-- le World, blinds a Man that he cannot eafily fee and find out his Duty. And fo it is in moft of the other Circum- flances of Life. If fuch a Man is a Mailer, he is fo penurious that he will think it no Crime to get an Eftate, if he can, out of the very Backs and Bellies of his Servants. If he is an Hufband, or
Father^
XXL] the Evil Eye, Matt. VI. 22. 297
Father, he will be apt to begrudge the decent, if not the neceflluy Supplies of Maintenance and good Education. If he is employ'd as a Judge, whatever Cafe comes before him, that interferes with his own private Gain, he is apt to give his Opinion according to his worldly In te reft, rather than according to Equity and good Confcience. If he is employed in the honourable Station of a Counfellor and Legiflator, he will be apt to ha- zard the publick Ruin of his Country, for want of a liberal and publick Spirit, to procure the Good of it at any moderate Charge or Expence, If he is entrufted as Tutor or Guardian to any Orphan, his chief Endeavour is, not to contrive Things for the Orphan's Benefit, but for his own. If he is employed as a Fador, Artift, Tradefman, or Overfeer, he contrives his Work not in the beft Way of Juftice and Honefty to his Em- ployer, but fo as to yield moft Profit to himfelf. In fhort, whatever he goes about, Covetoufnefs mingles in with it, and marrs it. Even in Mat- ters of Religion, fuch Opinions and Praftlces are moft likely to be efpoufed by him, as are moft fuited to his faving and worldly Principles, with- out Confideration of the Truth or FaKhood, the Advantages or Difadvantages of them, towards promoting the great Ends of Religion, Holinefs and Virtue : An Example of which we have in Demetrius, and the other Tradefmen, who made Silver Shrines for the Temple of Diana, ABs xix. So that the covetous Man fees every thing through a falfe Glafs, and judges wrong of it, and practices wrong upon it. And this leads me to
IV. The fourth Thing I propofed to confider,^ namely, That when the inward Light of the
Mind
2gS I'he Singky and [Serm.
Mind and Confcience is darkned, this occafions a vaft Number of other Errors and Follies in the Life, and Converfation. If therefore the Light that is in thee be Darknefs^ how great is that Darknejs ! In thefe Words our Saviour intimates the terrible Confequences of a Mind once dark- Red with any Vice. To pretend to give you the Detail of this Truth, I might as well pretend to reckon up how many wrong Steps a blind Man without a Guide would make; how he would fail fometimes into the Mire, fometimes over a great Stumbling Block, fometimes down a Preci- pice, fometimes into a Ditch, and fometimes into the Briers ; and when he is there, how every Step he fetches to extricate himfelf, entangles him more and more. To give you an Example in a Mind tindured with Malice or Hatred ; It is na- tural for fuch chearfully to hearken to, and readily to luck in and believe all ill Stories of the Per- fons they hate; and as the Venom thereof fpreads, to improve them by Jealouly and Invention. In order to this, it is natural to encourage Tattlers and Talebearers ; and from private Calumnies, it is as natural for that wicked Temper to proceed to publick Affronts and Injuries ; and then for the Juflification of them, to Forgery, and Mifrepre- fentation. Thus if Satan can oncepofTefs the Mind with one black Vice, as Malice, Luft, or Cove- toufnefs, it is an eafy Thing afterwards to lead fuch a Perfon in a String, from one wrong Step to another, till it is really incredible to what De- grees of Wickednefs we fhall be hurried at laft, only in Confequence of a little Ambition, or Co- vetoufnefs, or Refentment, or Jealoufy, or Ha- tred, or Envy, againft fuch as Hand in the Way
of
XXL] the Evil Eye. Matt. VL 22. 299
of our Defigns or Paffions. Nay moft of the Er- rors and Herefies that are in the World, are ow- ing to this Caufe, of the Mind's being bUnded with Vice. And it is moft probable this is the trueft Account of Atheifm, that lince Men do not live up to their Principles, they bring their Principles down to their Vices. But it is high time to haften to
V. The fifth and laft Thing propofed, and which follows naturally as a Confequence from all the reft, that it is therefore our Duty to ufe our utmoft Endeavours both to keep this inward Light free from all Clouds of Vice, that it may afford us clear Diredlion in our Duty, and to fol- low thofe good Directions in our Life and Con- verfation, Our Duty here is tv/ofold.
1. To have an unbyafled good Guide of our own Minds and Confciences, that the Light in us be not Darknefs.
2. Then to take care that we follow the Direc- tions of that inward Guide.
I have not Time now to dwell upon them, but they are both difficult Tafks : firft to keep the Mind and Confcience fo clear and unbyafled, that it be no way clouded with Prejudice, or Paffion ^ Jealoufy, or Sufpicion ; Malice, Hatred, or Self-Intereft ; Addidtednefs to Party or Fac- tion, Favour or Partiality 3 but that we keep our- felves equally well poifed to thofe that differ in Opinion from us, as to thofe that are of our Mind and Sentiment; to thofe that are our Foes, as well as to thofe that are our Friends ; to thofe that thwart our worldly and carnal Interefts, as well as to thofe that do not ftand in the way of them. Let us ftudy to difcern and love Truth
and
300 7he Single^ &c. [Serm,
and Virtue, wherever they are, and carefully to guard againft all Prejudices and finifter Byafles, that may vitiate or deprave our difcerning Fa- culty.
Then when we clearly fee the Truth, let no na- tural or acquired Corruption of our own Hearts, let no Temptation or ill Advice of others, let no Mifreprefentations of malicious Inftruments, let no Conveniency or Self-Intereft of our own, or any others whom we may affed:, tempt us to ad; contrary to the Didates of our own well inform- ed Minds and Confciences, as we exped either Peace here, or eternal Felicity hereafter. Both which, God of his infinite Mercy beftow upoa lis all, for Jefus Chrift's fake, To ivhom^ &c.
S E R M.
XXIL] 301
SERMON XXIL
Matt, VL 24,
No Man can ferve two Mafiers : for either he will hate the one^ and love the other ^ or elfe he will hold to the one^ and defpife the other, Te cannot ferve God and Mammon,
The Fourth Sermon on this Text.
IN thefe Words we have another Argument againft Covetoufnefs, taken from the Incon- fiftency of it with the Service of God : In order to which our Saviour firft repeats a common Maxim, that No Man can ferve two Maftcrs ; meaning Matters of contrary Humours and Interefts, for that both he will fecretly fettle his Affedion on the one, and be alienated from the other ; and openly, whenever their Interefts inter- fere, he will cleave to the one, and forfake the other. Then he applies this particularly to the Service of the World, and afferts the Inccnfiften- cy of it with the Service of God. Te cannot ferve God and Mammon. In the Words we have thefe three Things.
I. The Maxim in general j that no Man can, ferve two Mafiers,
II. The Reafons of that Affertion ; that both his inward Affedion, and his external Service will be drawn two different and contrary ways.
III. The
gb^t God and Mammon^ [Serm*
III. The Application of this Maxim, with the Reafons of it, to the Service of God and the World ; 7e cannot ferve God and Mammon. All which I fhall confider as they lie in order.
I. Firft, we have the Maxim in General ; that no Man can ferve two Majlers, For underftanding of which, fomething is to be confidered of our- felves, Men, fomething of Mafters, and fome- thing of the Service here fpoke of.
I. As to ourfelves, Men ; it is certain we are never without a Mafter ; we find we are far from being able to fubfift of ourfelves, we muft lean to fomething without us for our Support. As the Vine clings to the Oak, and by Virtue thereof creeps up, which, if left alone by itfelf, could only crawl along the Ground ; fo Man, for all his Pride and Vanity, is a poor weak Thing of himfelf, and muft take to fome outward Supports. It is true all the Supports we betake ourfelves to, except God, are rotten and deceitful; all our other Mafters break and leave us in the lurch, but we are often deceived with them firft, and take them to be very fubftantial, tho' they prove but Vanity.
As we have all fome Mafter or other, fo we have but one at a time, that is, one that carries away our Heart in chief, though our Hearts and Affedions may happen to be parted, and to have divers inferiour IncUnations to other Things. But there is always one Thing uppermoft in our Af- fections, and that is it to which we are properly Servants.
2. By Majiers here is to be underftood Mafters in chief, of which one is not fubordinate to the ©ther : For where they are fubordinate, a Man
may
XXII.] their Service inconjijlenf. Matt. vi. 24. 303
may eafily obey two or more Mafters, who ufe their feveral Authorities to carry on one and the fame Service and Defign. Bat by two Mafters here are meant two, whole Defigns, Humours, In- terefts and Commands are quite conirary to one another.
3. By Service is meant a State of Servitude j not any one Adl of Service. Now by being a Ser~ vant in this Senfe is meant the being entirely at his Mafter's Beck and Command, both in Heart and Affection, and in Deed and Performance. So that the Meaning of the whole is this : That a Man cannot at the fame time be a ready Slave to two Mailers that have both the fupreme Com- mand, and are of different or contrary Humours and Tempers, and have different Interefts to car- ry on, one from the other.
II. I come next to the Reafons of this AfTer- tlon, that no Man can Jerve two Mojlers. For ei- ther he "willhate the one^ and love the other -, or elje he will hold to the one^ and defpife the other. The Meaning of which I take to be, that neither the inward Affection, nor the outward Attendance caa be fo divided as to pleafe both. By his fpeak- ing of the inward Affection, Love and Hatred, it is an Argument that he had an Eye to fuch Maflers as would not be put off with the bare bodi- ly Labour and Attendance without the Heart ; as indeed fuch Mafters are both God and the World. It is well known that both thofe Services re- quire great Care and Application, abundance of Thoughts and Contrivance, abundance of At- tention and Heedfulnefs, for a Man to devote himfelf to them, fo as to be a Servanc to either.
And
364 ^ ^^^ ^^^ Mammon J [Serm.
And accordingly this inward Affeftion of the Heart will fhew itfelf in the outv/ard Behaviour, by cleaving to one Mafter, and flighting the other. There is a fmall Difficulty appears tofome in the wording this Part of the Sentence, becaufe in- ftead of repeatii:^g the Words, loving and hatmg^ the Words cleaving to and defpijing or Jlighting^ are made ufe of- but w4iile they are Words of the fame Senfe, there is rather a Beauty in avoid- ing the Tautology of Repetition ; and further it is an Explication of the Love and Hatred, as ex- tending to the outward Behaviour as well as the inward Affeftion. q. d. No Man can ferve two Maflers ; for either he will hate and flight the firft, and love and cleave to the fecond ; or elfe he will love and cleave to the firft, and hate and flight the fecond. It ap- pears by the whole Drift of this Difcourfe, that the two Mafl:ers are to be underftood of two Mafters difagreeing in their Sentiments, and re- quiring quite contrary Services. For if they were unanimous, and always commanded the fame Thing, it would be an eafy Thing to ferve them both. It is worth obferving, that in the Defcription our Saviour gives here of the Service of the two Mafters, he confines it to thefe two, firft, the inward Love and Hatred ; and then the external adhering to the one, and flighting of the other. They are both neceflary ; for to truft to the Heart and Affedlion without the o- ther would be to deceive our felves 5 there being no way to know the Heart, but by the Regula- rity or Irregularity of theAdions. And the Adlions without the Heart, might like wife eafily deceive »s, the fame Things being ofteu done out of
"Hypocrify
XXII.] their Service inconjijlent. Matt. vl. 24. 305
Hypocrify and By-ends ; but when both are in conjunction, the inward Love of God, and the adhering to him, that is, to our Duty in a time of Trial and TempLation, thele two together, I fay, make up the full Defcription of the Ser- vant of God. We are not then to judge of our Sincerity in God's Service by other wrong Marks or Defcriptions, as a great many do ; not from any Meafure or Degree of Knowledge of God, or any fuch Perfedion of the intelledlual Facul- ty, or any Rectitude of Judgment about God ; there being few fo depraved in their Judgments, but that they will acknowledge God to be much preferable to the World ; though they neither have a prevalent Love to him in their Hearts, nor obferve his Laws in their Lives and Converfations. And from this Defcription likewife we may learn, that as we are not to judge of our Eftate by our Intelledluals, fo neither are we to judge of it by the external Zeal of a Profeffion. Many iay Lord^ Lord, whom Chrift will never own. The fureft Mark of our being his Servants is, when there is an inward Love in the Heart, joined with an adhering to him in all Ten^pta- tions, and an actual preferring of his Service to that of the Devil, the World and the Fleili. So much for the Reafons of the AfTertion, that 710 Man can ferve two Majlers.
III. The third Thin(T I obferved in the Words is, our Saviour's Application of this Maxim, with the Reafons of it, to the Service of God and the World. Te cannot ferve God and Mammon, The WovdMammon is a Syriack Word fignifyingRiche: - and Tertullian fays it was the God of Riches that went by this Name, for which Reafon perhaps the
Vol. IIL X Name
^o6 God and MammcJiy [Serm.
Name is retained here in the Greek, It is to be obferved here, that there is a great Diftindlion to be made between having of Riches, and Jervi?ig Riches. It is very poffible that a Man may have Riches, and not ferve them, or be a Slave to them. It is only this laft w^hlch is here faid to be incon- liftent with the Service of God. Te cannot ferve God and Mammon, That a Man may lawfully poffefs Riches, fo that they be not his Matter, but that he employ them for thofe good Ufes for which God deligned them, there is no Manner of Doubt ; for this gives a Man an Opportunity to exercife many excellent Virtues, of Piety, Charity, and Hofpitality ; befides that in fome Degree they areneceffary for defraying the many Neceffities and Conveniences of Life. But for a Man to be a Slave to them, there is not any more dangerous Temptation, or more fruitful of Sin and Vice. In fpeaking to it I (hall do thefe two Things.
1. Conlider what it is to ferve Mam?non.
2. Shew how inconfiftent it is with the Ser- vice of God.
1 .To ferve Mammon is in general, to fubjed: our felves to all the Pains and Drudgery of getting and keeping Vv^ealth, without the comfort of uiing and fpending it for the feveral Neceffities and Conveniencies of Life, and other charitable and pious Ufes upon which God has Commanded us to beilow it. There is a great Difference between the getting of Wealth, with a further Profpedt to thoie good Ends and Ufes, for which God has appointed it, (for this is only to make it an loilruuicnt for doing Good 3) and the getting it with a DefigQ only to be rich^ and .to hug our-
felves
•XXIL] their Service inconftjlent. Matt. vi. 24. 307
felves in the Poffeffion of an Eftate, as if our chief Happinefsconfifted in that Poffeffion, with- out further Ufe. The firft of thefe has chiefly in view the Service of God, the pieaiing of him, and in order to that the Doing a great deal of Good ; the other is the fetting up, as it were^ another God, in whofe Service we take our chief Complacence and Delight. For that which is uppernlofl in our Heart and Thoughts, that which is fought after for itfelf, that in which we place our chief Happinefs and Delight, that may be called our God, and the Service we bellow upon it otherwife than to the true God, may juftly be called Idolatry-^ not that the covetous Man be- lieves in Riches as a God, but that he fets it up for his fuprerne Good, and ferves it with that un- limited Affedion and Diligence, which is due only to God. And in this Senfe St Paul calls Covetoiifnefs Idolatry, Col. iii. 5. for it fteals away the Heart from God, and fixes it on the World,
2. Now that filch a Servitude to Wealth is ut- terly incompatible and inconfiftent with the Ser- vice of God, js what I am to {hew in the next Place, And in order to it^ I briefly oiffer the fol- lowing Confiderations.
(i.) Let us confider that the Points, to which the good Chriftian, and the covetous Man direct their Courfe of Life, are totally different. The covetous Man has chiefly in his Eye to become Great and Rich in this World ; and the good Chriflian has it chiefly in his Eye to fecure him- felf of a Sttite of Happinefs in the World to come. The having fuch different Views and Aims obliges them to fteer quite different Courfes.
3o8 God and MammoTiy [Serm.-
He that Is bound to Heaven has his Thoughts taken up with the Contemplation of the heaven- ly Felicity ; and having a Notion of that as fome- thing far above thefe earthly Enjoyments, as con- fifting chiefly in the Love and Enjoyment of God, and in the bleiSed Society of Saints and Angels, he endeavours to fit himfelf for it, by acquaint- ing himfelf with God, and drawing near to him in the Duties of Devotion, as much as he can in this imperfe6t State. And in order ta this he en- deavours to difentangle himfelf from all fuper- fluous Cares about the Thingsof this World, that liis Heart may addi(5l itfelf fo much more entire- ly to the Concerns of another Life. As the Hope of enjoying God ftirs him up to all the Exercifes of his Love, fo the Hope of enjoying the bleffed Society of Saints and Angels puts him upon the Study of all thofe loving and Friendly Virtues, which may fit him for that Enjoyment. So that Love to God and Man are the two chief Things, in fuch a Man's Study and Endeavour j and Self-Love and the Love of the World, as leading a Courfe quite contrary to thefe, are by him the mofl avoided. But now it is quite otherwife with the covetous Man, for his Aim being chiefly to be great and rich in this World, his Affedions, Pro- jeds and Contrivances are all worldly. Self-love and the Love of the World, are the two chief Principles he is governed by : So that he fleers a quite different Courfe from that of a good Chri- flian. His Hopes and Deflres are all earthly, and confequently the Methods he takes to compafs them, are as difierent from thofe of the heavenly minded Man as any Thing can be : as we fliall fee by and by.
(2.) Let
XXII.] their Service inconjijlenf. Matt. vi. 24. 300
(2.) Let us confider that Covetoufnefs involving a Man in abundance of impertinent Cares, which take up his Time and Thoughts, in lo far is a great Hindrance of his main Bufinefs. If there were no Other harm in Covetoufnefs but this, that it encumbers the Mind with a great many fuper- fluous Cares, which occafion aForgetfuinefsof the main Concern, this would make it fufficiently in- confiftent with the Service of God. If Martha had a Reprimand for cumbering berfelf {a) with many Things, while there was but one Thing ne- ceffary, Martha I fay, who for aught appears, was a very good Woman, and was not generally cum- bered, but only on that particular Occafion ; what fhall we fay of them who are in a perpetual Hur- ry about the World, all their Life long : That Life which ought to be fpent in Preparation for Heaven ? What would we fay of a Mafter of a Ship, who when he fhould get ready to put to Sea, fpends his Time in Drinking and Gaming, and lofes feveral Opportunities of good Winds, and fo makes nothing of his Voyage ? Certainly fuch a Man, though he is not quite fo bad, is very Httle better than a Mafter that plays the Knave, and runs away with the Ship and Car- goe. But,
(3.) This is not the worft of the covetous Man's Practice : For Covetoufnefs engages him in a great many Courfes which are diredly finful in them- felves, as by feveral Examples, which I (hall in- ftanqe in, may appear.
[d) Luke X. 41,
X 3
Covetout
^10 ■ God and Mammon, [S e r m,
Covetoufnefs makes a Man uneafy and difcon- tented with his Circumftances, unthankful to God for what he has 3 and envious of his Neighbour's Profperity.
Covetoufnefs puts a Man upon rnany difhoneft and unjuil Ways of getting, fuch as, Lying, Equi^ vocadng, Perjury, Pilfering, Stealing, Oppreffiorij Exaftion, Bribery, falfe Accounts, falfe Weights and Meafures, deceitful fvlaking and Packing and even Counterfeiting of Commodities, flight and untrue Working, ShufFiing off the Payment of Debts, and all the other innumerable bafe and difr honourable Ways of impofing upon the Ignorance ^nd Credulity of our Neighbours : Whereas the Laws of our holy Religion require not only that we tr.infad; all our Matters with Juftice and Ho- neily, but with Honour and Decency, choofing rather to take wrong, than to do it,
Covetoufnefs li^evs^ife puts Men upon many unjufl Ways of laving ; it makes them of a nar- row, pinching and penurious Temper, and caufes them to begrutch to themfelves, their Wives and Children, Friends, Relations, and Servants, the NecefTaries and Comforts of Life, fuitable to their Duty and Circumftances. And if it makes Men fo hard-hearted to thofe of their own Houfe ancj Family, what does it do to Strangers, let their Ciicumftances be ever fo craving ? In that Cale the covetous Man will be apt to think, as Nabal anfwered Davids Meffengers, Shall I take my Bread and my Drink^ and my Flejh that I have provided for tny own Vfe and my Family s^ and give to Men that 1 know not whence they be ? Whereas the Spirit of Chriftiapity will teach us IQ be ready to dijiribiite^ and willing to com-
tnunicatf
XXII.] their Service inconfiftent. Matt. vL 24. 311
muni c at e^ laying tip for our f elves a good Ireafure in Heaven,
Covetoufnefs Is apt to make us fearful and cow- ardly in doing of our Duty, whenever we run any Hazard of incurring any Lofs thereby. In- ftead of difcharging our Confcience with an honefl: Freedom, it will didate to us the Worldly Pru- dence of fleeping in a found Skin. There would be no Confeffors or Martyrs, if it were liftened to ', but for the Sake of our Eftates we ihould fay and unfay, fign and unfign, fwear and for- fwear ; nay, betray our deareft Friend for a little filthy Lucre ; whereas by the Laws of Re- ligion we (hould be ready to forfake all, and fol- low Chrift.
And to Name no more, Covetoufnefs is apt to make us rely upon and truft to our Eftates, in- ftead of trufting to, and depending on God's Providence ; whereas the Chriftian Religion teaches us, if Riches encreafe^ not to jet our Hearts upon them : Not to he high miitded, nor to ti'-ujl in uncertain Riches, bnt in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. How fiiint-hearted doth this Truft make us in the Day of Adverfity ? how faft does it glew our Hearts to the World, and how unwilling does it make us to leave it ? Whereas the true Chriftian is in his Heart difentangled from all Impediments, [a] with his Loins girded about, and his Lights burning, waiting for the coining of his Lord, But Time would fail me to reckon up all the Inconfiftencies and Contrarieties be- tween the Spirit of Covetoufnefs and the Spirit of Chriftianity. I fcarce know any Part of Ciiri^. ftian Duty, but what it contradids. It is con-r
{a) Luke xii, 35.
X 4 trary
312 God and Mammon^ [Se r m .
trary to the. Love of God with all our Heart ; it is conirury to the Love of our Neighbour, for it makes a Prey of him ; it is contrary to inward Tranquulity, Self-denial and Contentednefs, for it is continually thirfting after more of the World; it is contrary to brotherly Love and Peace, and heavenly rnindednefs. In fhort, if any is refolved to be covetous, he may even with the young Man in the Gofpel,^o away forroivful^ for he cannot be Child's Diiciple. Te cannot ferve God and Mammon.
Having now fpoke to the three Heads of Dif- courfe 1 propofed from the Text, there are two or three Corollaries or Inferences I ihall make from it, and recommend to your Confideration and Praclice.
I. The firft is with relation to that general Maxim laid down in the Text, that no Man can ferve Hvo Majiers, And it is this ; that though our Saviour applies this Maxim here only to Co- vetoufnefs, faying, Te canndt ferve God and Mam- mon ; yet it is really applicable to every other Vice that fets up for a Competition with God in the Pofleffion of our Hearts. It is true of Am- bition ; it is true of Luft; it is true of Malice and Revenge, and of every other predominant fmful AiTcction ; that we cannot ferve God and it. And the ReafBh is, they draw contrary Ways, and they propofe con":! cry Ends, as might eafily be fhewed from the Particulars, if it would not be too great a Digrefllon. And therefore, as our Saviour re- quired us to call him only our Mafter, wx muft take ejeat Care not to adm>it any Thing in Com- petition with him; For as here our Saviour teaches us the Incompatiblenefs of Covetoufnefs
with
XXIL] their Service tncorififlent. Matt.vi. 24. 313^
with the Service of G }d, fo elfewhere he teaches us the Inconfiftency of other Vices withk : As of falfe Honour and Vanity, (a) How can ye believe^ fays he, who receive Honour one of another^ and feek not the Honour that cometk jroni Godofilyf For we are told that {b) they loved the Praife oj Men more than the Praife of God, We are told the fime of Lufi; if) Te Adulterers and Adul- ter efjes^ fays St James, know ye not that the Friend- Jldip of this World is Enmity with God? The fame Inconfiftency with God's Service, our Saviour takes Notice of in Malice and Hatred -, (d) 27 are of your Father the Devil^ fays he, a?id the Lufis of your Father ye will do : He was a Murderer from the Beginnings and abode not in the Truth, The Argument then we have been purfuing concern- ing the Impofliblhty oiferving God and Mammon^ will hold hkewife agdnft every other prevailing- Luft and Corruption.
2. A fecond Inference I make from the Words is, that it is not every Sin we are guilty of that puts us thus in a State of Damnation or Enmity with God ; but only thofe Sins which have got the Maftery of us, We cannot ferve two Mafiers, Now there is a great difference to be made between thofe Sins, which we fall into through the Strength or Suddennefs of a Temptation, which through the Grace of God we ftruggle againft, and get rid of j and fome other habitual Sins to which we are per- fedl Slaves, and have given over our Endeavours to conquer and overcome them,. The firft fort are
{a) Joh. V. 44. [b) John xii. 43. {c) Jam. iv. 4. {d) Joh. viii. 44,
what
^t4 God and Mammon^ led [Serm^
what every good Man is ftruggling againft. But whoever they are that have given up themfelves to any habitual Sin, they are at prefent the De- virs Slaves, bewg led Captive by him at his Plea- Jure, That Servitude muft be broke oft^ before it is poffible they can be in a State of Grace.
3. A third Inference which will follow from what has been faid, is this; xh2ii feeing we cannot jerve God and Mammon^ it is a vain Thing to at- tempt to reconcile thofe two Services, as a great many do. How many are there who, becaufe they are no Drunkards, no Curfers or Swearers, no whoremongers or Adulterers, and abftain carefully from leveral other grofs Vices ; though they are extreme covetous, flatter themfelves that they are in a very good Way, and do not doubt they are in a State of Grace. But if our Saviour's Doctrine in my Text is true, there is nothing more inconfiflent with the Love and Service of God, than this Slavery to the World 3 nothing more contrary to the Spirit of Chriftianity than Covetoufnefs,, and the inordinate Cares of the World.
To conclude then, let us halt no more between God and the World: But fetting our Hearts on ]peaven, let us both inwardly in our Minds dilbur- den ourfelvesof the fuperfluous Cares of theWorld, and let our Converfation likewife be without Cove- tQufnefs. \ and according as God hath blefied us, let us be ready to extend our Bounty and Charity to Chrifl^s poor Members ; aflliring our felves that of all our Eftate, what is fo beftowed, will turn to the beft Account. Now to God the Father, ^c.
SERM.
XXIIL] 313
SERMON XXIIL
Matt. VI. 25^ Sec.
therefore I fay unto yoUy take no thought for youn Ltfey what ye pall eat, or what ye Jh all drinks nor yet for your Body, what ye [hall put on^
The Fifth Sermon on this Text.
Firjl Sermon againji Anxiety^ on Verfe 25.
IH A V E read to you thefe ten Verfes, be- ing all a Caution againft Anxiety, or too great SoUicitude about the World, and an Enforcement thereof by feveral Arguments. The Caution we ^re to confider in the firft Place, before we come to the Arguments, that we may know what it is our Saviour doth here require of us. And this like- wife lies firft in our Way to be confidered from the Text ; which begins thus, therefore I (ay unto you, take no thought for your Lfe, what ye JJmll eat, or what ye jhall drink ; nor yet for your Body, what ye Jljall put on. It is a Caution againft a Vice which will require a good deal of Explication, as bordering fo near upon fome other good Quali- ties, that, without abundance of Care and Atten- tion, we {hall be apt to m.iftake the one for th^ Other. To come then t;o a clofe Confideration
of
3i6 'Amiety for ViBuah, and [Serm.
of the Words, in them we have thefe Two Things.
I. The Connexion with what went before, Ti^^'r^- jcre I Jay unto you,
IL The Caution itfelf. Take no Thought for your Lift^ what ye fid all eat^ or what ye Jhall drink -, nor yet j or your Body, what ye Jhall put on,
I. I begin with the Connexion ; for perhaps that may give us fome Light into the Caution fol- lowing. The Words immediately preceding, were, ' Te cannot Jerve God and Mammon ^ there- fore I Jay unto you, take no T^hought for your Lfe. From this Connexion it leems plain, that this taking Thought here ipoke of, is fomething of the Service of Mammon ; q. d. Since ye cannot ferve both God and Mammon ; therefore take Care, that under pretence of a regular Care and Indu- ftry about the NecefTaries of Life, Food and Rai- ment, and far lefs about the Superfluities of it, ye be not involved in the Service of the World, and have your Hearts engaged in the Love and Cares of thefe inferiour Things. And as for the Words, I Jay unto you-, this is the ufual Mark of an Improvement of our Saviour's, either by a new Precept, or a better Explication of an old one, than they had been taught before. Particularly the Dodtrine of my Text feems to be a good Im- provement of the Tenth Commandment: That forbidding only the coveting what is our Neigh- bours ; but this moderating our own other wife lawful Defires and Endeavours after the World. It is therefore a Doftrine more peculiar to Chrift, and on that account fhould be fo much the dearer to us Chriftians.
II, From
XXIII.] Chtbes forbidden. Matt. VI. 2 j. 3 17
II. From the Connexion, I pafs on to the Caution itfelf, 7ake no Jbought for your Life^ what ye pall eat^ or what ye Jh all drink-, nor yet for your Body, what ye pall put on. This is fome- thing further than he had faid before, about not laying up Treafures on Earth ; for it was obvious enough for them to think, though we may not fpend our Thoughts and Time in amaffing ufe- lefs Treafures, yet we may lawfully provide Ne- ceifaries for Life, Food, and Raiment, not only for our prefent, but for our future Occaiions ; and not only for our felves, but for oar Children, and all others under our Care. To obviate this Sub- terfuge for worldly Cares, cur Saviour feems to allow of fuch Providence, fo it be made with an eafy Mind, without engaging us in immoderate Cares, without making the World our Mafter, and without minding it in the firft and chief Place, fo as to turn away our Hearts from better Things, God and our Duty. This I take to be the Purport of this Caution. But to give as great Light as I can into this Matter, I fhall do thefe two Things : Firft, I will fhcw that it is not all Care about the World, but only an ex- csffive diftruftful Care, which is here forbidden. Then I fhall more particularly defcribe that anxious Care, which we are .here cautioned agamft.
I, Firft then, It is not all Care and Concern about the World which is here forbidden. The Words of the Text, indeed, in our Tranllation, ^fake no l^hoiight, found that way ; and the Ex- ample of the Fowls of the Air, and the Lillies of the Fieldy with which the Caution is preffed, are by fome thought to favour it ; for that they with- out
5i8 Anxiety for Vidiuahy and [Serm,
ibut any of their own Huftandry, are pioviied for. But all this is a Miilake, as I (liali (hew you both from the Text and Context, aixl front iome other PuiHiges of Scrip lure^ and the Reafon of the Thing.
And firft, That there is no fiich Thing in the Text or Context, as aiat we are to take no Care ' about the World, I (hall make it appear, by exa- mining thofe Expreffions in either, which feem to make for this Senfe.
The tirft Expreflion here, which is apt to induce this Belief, is that of taking no Thought for our Life^ what we foall eat, or what wefiall drink. The Expreffion of taking Thought^ in our Lan^ guage, is equivalent to the being anxious or foU licit ou^y or laying a Thing much to Heart 5 or tak^ ing on, as we call it, for fomething that gives us great Tfouble and Cojicern. And fo it is fuch a Trouble or Anxiety about the World, which is here forbid. The Original indeed doth much more clearly exprefs this, fx-n fJie^LfJiv^Te ri^ "^v^i^l Vf^uivy for it iignifies) be not anxious, or follicitous in your Soul ; or do not vex and difquiet your felves. The French tranflate it well, Ne "jous mettez point en peine \ i» e. do not trouble, or difquiet yourfelves* This Word fxe^ifjivd^jy fignifies, not barely to take Care, but the Height of Care: fuch a Care as is due to a Thing of the greatefl Confequence and Concern ; and therefore I obferve, where this Word is joined to any worldly Thing, it is taken for a Vice; whereas being joined to any thing be- longing to our Souls, or future State, or our Du- ty to God, or our Neighbour, it is a Virtue : As in the parable of the Sower, Matt. xiii. 22. The Cares of this World ^ and the Deceitfulnefs of Riches^
ari
XXIII.] Clothes forbidden. Matt. VL 25. %tg^
are /aid to choak the Word, Thefe Cares are by all the three Evangelifts, St Matthew^ St Mark^ and St Luke^ who mention that Parable, compared to ^horns^ which fprin^ing up with' the good Seed^ choaked it^ and bin ire d it to bring forth Fruit to PurfBion, And Luke xxi. 34. there is a Caution given, in which the Word i^ioifj^voL is ufed ,• which I think gives great Light to this Caution in my Text. Take heed to your fe Ives ^ fays our Saviour, lejl at any time your Hearts be ci)ercharged with Surfeiting and Drun- kennefs^ and the Cares of this Life^ andfo that Day come upon you unawares. For as there it is notVidb- uals and Drink, but Surfeiting and Drunkennefs, which is condemned^ fo neither here is it all worldly Cares that are condemned, but fuch an Excefs of them, as clogs or overcharges the Heart, and eats out our Care of better Things. To liluilrate what I fay of the Ufe of the Word fjLe^ijjivdcfjy that ap- plied to heavenly Things, or our Duty, it is taken in a good Sunfe, but to worldly Things in a bad Senfe ; there is a notable Paffage, i Cor, vii. 33. where the Apoftle, fpeaking of the Danger of the married State, lays it chiefly upon this, that it is apt to engage Men and V/omen fo much the more in worldly Cares ; and gives the Advantage to the fmgle State, chiefly becaufe their Care was direct- ed to better Things; he ufes the very fame Word with this in my Text : He that is unmarried^ fays he, careth for the Things that belong to the Lordy how he may pleafe the Lord : But he that is tnar- ried careth for the Things of the Worlds how he may pleafe his Wije, It is the fame Word in both Places, and it teacheth us, I think, thus much, that there is a ponderous Care or Concern of the
Mind
320 Anxiety fot VlBiiaU and [S e r m.
Mind, In my Text called taking Thought^ which ought not to be applied to the inferiour Things of this World ; but that a much inferiour Degree of Care may ferve them, as it follows afterwards in this fame Text, that i£;^ jhould feek firft the Kingdom of God and his Right eoufnefs^ that is, in the chief or principal Place j whereas a leffer, f^condary Care, will do for the Things of the World. The Word tb.en here tranflated, taking Thought, figni- lies that weighty Care and Concern, which ought to be referved for the greateit Things ; and there- fore it is allowed, and honourably fpoke of,' when- ever it is applied to God and our Duty ; the Care of the Churches, the Love of our Neighbour, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Righteoufnefs there- of; but condemned, when applied to the World and the Cares of this Life.
And as to the Fowls of the Air, and the Li Hies of the Field, they are brought in to confirm this fame Dodrine, that God can without our fuch weighty Care, find us Food and Raiment ; for it is very obfervable, that the Comparifon is brought v/ith fuch Things, in which, in the Poirxt of Care, we have much the Advantage -, for vv^e can fow, and reap, and gather into Barns, which the Fowls of the Air cannot do 3 and we can undergo both the Field Labour and the Houfe Labour, about the Materials for Clothing, which the Lillies cannot do y and therefore the Conclufion is ftill drawn, a fortiori', are not ye much better than they? Which I take to relate in that Place, not fo much to the fuperior Dignity of our Nature, (tho' that is likewife true) as to the better Circumftances we are in, to guard us againft that ponderous Care or Anxiety, fince we can fow ^ and reap, and
gather
XXIII.] Clothes forbidden. Matt .VI. 25. 321
gather into Barns, and labour, and fpin, whic" they cannot do.
If from the Text, and Context, we go on to the Confideration of other Texts of Scripture, we fhall quickly find that it is not all Care and La- bour, but only Anxiety and Solicitude about the World, which is forbidden : Te yourfelves know, fays St Paul in his Speech to the Elders of Miletus, Acts XX. 34. that thefe Hands have miniftred unto my Necejjities, and to them that were with me, I have fbewed you all things, how that fo labouring ye ought to fupport the Weak, and to remember the Words cf the Lord J ejus, how he faid. It is more blefjed to give, than to receive. And wherever he hears of thefe Idlers, he fails not to reprove them, as 2 'Ihe[j\ iii. 11. We hear that there are fome which walk among you diforderly, working not at all, but are bujy Bodies : now them that are fuch, we command and exhort, by our Lord J ejus Chrijl, that with ^ietnefs they work, and eat their own Bread. And in the Words immediately preceding, he pronounces a fevere Sentence againft them : When we were with you, fays he, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither fhould he eat.
I need not infift on the Reafon of the Thing, our Induftry as to the World being fo neceflary for fupplying our own Wants, and to enable us to provide for our Families, and to extend our Cha- rity to the Poor.
Ye may wonder, perhaps, why I Hiould any way labour this Point ; it is only that ye may not miftakeour Saviour's Doctrine in a Bufinefs of this Confequence, as fome have done ; as if in forbid- ing Anxiety here, he forbad all Care and Diligence
Vol. III. Y about
322 Anxiety for VlBuah^ and [Serm,^
about our ordinary Callings ; all Forethought and Contrivance, Induftry and Frugality, and as if we fhould take no Thought at all about any Thing, but let all Things run into as great Diforder as Caretefnefs and Negligence will drive them.
Secondly, But now having fhewed you that Labour and Induftry about our lawful Callings, is not forbidden, but commanded; my next Bu- finefs muft be to Ihew you what is forbidden here by thefe Words, therefore I fay unto you^ take no thGught for your Life ^ what ye fall eat ^ or what ye fall drink ; nor yet for your Body^ what ye fall put on. Here lies the Difficulty ; I fhall not go to clear It without Book, but from Obfervations I have made from the Text itfelf. In anfwer to this Enquiry then, I obferve,
( T. ) The original Word in my Text, y^epifju'dcoy, fignifies a very great exceffive Care ; a Care that fills the Mind, not only giving it a full Employ, but even fuch as to make it labour under the Weight of that Load. Now this Excefs of Care about any vs^oi Idly Thing, is very dangerous. For
1. It is a Demonftration that we ourfelves are worldly, and do very little mind a better Life.
2. It is a great Means to make us worldly, and to involve us fo in worldly Things, that we fhall grow really incapable of minding better Things.
3. It is an unnecefTary burdening of our owu Spirits.
4. It is a Diverfion of our Hearts from thofe important Concerns of Eternity, and the Way that leads to it, that v^e have neither Time, nor Dif- pofition for them.
Firft, This exceffive minding of the World, is a {hrewd Sign that we ourfelves are worldly ; and
that
XXITL] Clothes forbidden. Matt. VI. 25. 323
that Heaven, and the Way thither, are little in all our Thoughts j for whatever a Man fets his Mind moll: upon, that will be uppermoft in his Care and Thoughts. If we ob erve any Man or Woman, e, g. to beftow moft of their Time at Game, we need no other Proof that they are un- mindful of their proper Calling and Bufinefs : And therefore tho' a little Diverfion at Game is excufable, the making it exceffive and habitual is certainly to be condemned, as being a clear Proof that a Man minds nothing that is ferious, or any Thing to the purpofe of Life. So it is with this exceffive Care of the World 5 it argues that a Man's Heart is enflaved to it, and confequently that he is forgetful of better Things. For our Saviour had laid it down before as a Maxim, that we cannot f erve God and Mammon ; from which it follows excellently, therefore I fay ufito you, take no thought for your Life^ what ye Jhall eaty or what yefiall drink ; nor yet for your Body^ what ye Jhall put on : For certainly the one Care, whei'e it is in Excefs, will eat out the other. And it is but reafonable that the greater Concern fhould have moft of our Time and Thoughts and Care.
Secondly, As this exceffive Care of the World is a fhrewd Sign that we are too worldly already, fo it is a fure Way to make us more and more io ^ for the Repetition of Acls grows up into Habits ; and every Habit, the more it is continued in, the ftronger it grows, and the leaving it off becomes- more and more difficult. The Cares of the World too find fuch conftant Employment for the Soul, that there is no room for better Thoughts. Tiie Mind of the worldly Man, is Uke a full Veilel, which unlefs it be in fome Degree emptied, can
Y 2 receive
324 Anxiety for ViBuah^ and [Serm',
receive no other Liquor. If fuch a Man fets about any of the Duties of Religion, he cannot minrd what he is about ^ but his Heart is running after his Covetoufnefs, or fome of his worldly Projects, that there is fcarce any Poffibility of good Things making an Impreffion upon him.
Thirdly, This excefiive Care about the World, is an unneceffary burdening of our own Spirits. We are poor v/eak Creatures, not able to cope with the ufiial and unavoidable Troubles of Life ^ and therefore to multiply thofe Troubles to ourfelves, to put our Minds upon the Rack about many Cafes of Want, which perhaps will never hap- pen, and to ftrain our utmoft to lay up Wealth for many Years to come, is certainly to overbur- den our Spirits, and indeed to difturb and diftrad: our Minds, which is the proper Importance of this Word, when applied to^the World, which we tranflate taking Thought^ in the Text. But
Fourthly, One of the worfl; Effeds of this ex- cefiive Care of the World, is, that it certainly di- veits us from the important Concerns of Eternity, and the Way that leads to it, fo that we have neither Time nor Diipofition for better Things. For he who has his Heart fo diftradled with world- ly Cares, is in a continual Hurry of Thoughts and Bufinefs, which take him up from Morning till Night, that though he rifes early ^ and goes toBed late^ and eats the Bread oj Sorrows all Day long ; either he has no tim^e to feek God in Prayer,and to meditate on his holy Word ; or during that Time, he is affaulted with fo many Thoi gi^-s from the World interrupting his Devotions, -hathe cannot poffibly attend them without Diftradiion, and fo can h^ve no Pieafure or Relifh in them 5 and his
Heart
XXIII.] Clothes forbidden. Matt. VI. 25. 325
Heart being faft tied and fettered to this World, his AfFj(5tions cannot mount up to God, and a- nother Woild. A moft dilmal State, efpccially where there is fo Httle Hopes of getting out of it. 2. As this Word, fjcepifj^vcccf), which we tranflate taking Thought^ when applied to the Things of the World, lignifies an exceinve Care ; it fignifies likewile a diftruftfiil, or anxious Care ; not wait- ing on God, but exceeding doubtful and diffident of the Event, dire6lly oppofite to that Advice of St Peter (a), of ca fling all on?' Care upon him ^ for he carethfor us. For the anxious Man, when he has done all that is incumbent and proper for him to do, is not at an End of his Trouble, but is foli- citous about the Event, which is not a Thing in his Power. And being it is not in our Power, what can we do better than chearfuUy to depend on God for it ? This is what gives a vaft deal of Eafe, and Hope, and Courage, to a gpod Man's Mind, and makes him hearty in all his Affdirs, as the Apoftle tells us, FhiL iv, 6. Be careful for nothing ; or be anxious for nothings (it is the fame Word with that in my Text) but in every things by Prayer and Supplication^ with l^haiikfgiving^ let your Ke que fis be made knoiim unto God: A7id the Peace of God, 'which pafeth all Underfandijig^ foall keep your Hearts a/id Minds through Chrijl fefus. The anxious Man is fo troubled with thefe diftruftful Cares, that he is ready to betake himfelf to any unlawful Means to get rid of his Fears about thefe Things.
{a) I Pet. v, 7.
Y 3 3- la
326 Anxiety for ViBuah^ and [SeRm;
3. In this Caution of taking no Thought, we are diffuaded from that melancholy Concern, Dif- content and Impatience, which is upon the Spi- rits of worldly Men, when they either meet with, or fear to meet with any worldly Lofs. An un- difturbed and chearful Dependence on Providence, is recommended to us in opposition to this Tem- per; and for that Reafon the Example of /i?^ Fowls of the Air is propofed, as of a Creature of a light and merry Heart, though it lives from Hand to Mouth ; and not, as fome have thought, as an Example of an idle Creature, that does nothing towards its own Subfiftence.
4. This exceffive, vexatious, diftruflful, and melancholy impatient Care, has another devilifli ingredient in it, namely, that it lays afide the Thoughts of God out of the Scheme, and depends folely upon fecond Caufes. Our Saviour in fome Part of this Difcourfe, charges it with a Want of Faith, and a Forgetfulnefs of God, who feeds the Birds, and clothes the Lillies ; Shall he not ?nuch more clothe you ^ O ye of little Faith? And in fome other Fart of it, he reprefents it as a Pradicc of them who were Strangers to the true Religion, nay of them who knew not God : After all th^e Thi?2gs do the Gentiles jeek^ and your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all thefe things. So that there is a dormant Atheifm in all this Pradice ; either a denying or mifbelieving the Being or Providence of God ; or at leafl a ilupid Inconfide- ration as to both. And therefore the bell Cure of this Diftem.per, is a firm Belief of the Providence of God, and a cheerful cafting our felves upon it, in the doing of our Duty.
Af
:XXIII.] Clothes forbidden. Matt. VI. 25. 327
As all thefe Errors relate to the Adl of taking Thought, there are two more relating to the Ob- jedt, this prefent Life.
5* Oae is, that what we are allowed to purfuei and mind only with a fecondary Care, we purfue with a principal and higlieft Degree of Care. The NecefEiries and Convcniencies of Life we are allowed to take care for, b?:U with a fubor- dinate moderate Care; whereas the Bufi nefs ofa- nother Life, the one Thing needful, we are required to mind with the greateft Concern and Diligence. But W'C invert this wife Order, the main Thing we fcarce mind at all, bat on the other lefs ne- ceflary Things we beftow our utmoft Thoughts and Pains. We place Servants above Princes ; {a) We fet Servants upon Horfes, and make Priiices like Servants^, walk a-Foof. It is not to be ima- gined what infinite Diforders this engages us in, and how prepofterous it makes all our Care and Concern. I have great reafon to believe our Sa- viour had an Eye to this, becaufe in the Antithe- fis of this Caution, which follows, he exprefly diftinguifhes what was to be fought after in the Jirji, and what in the lafl Place : But feek ye FIRST, fays he, the Kingdom oj God and his Righteoufnefs, and all thefe Things (meaning world- ly Neceffaries)/^<^// be added unto you,
6. The other Thing relating to the Object, is^ that granting we are allowed to take Thought, that is, to apply our felvfes with fome Concern to the Supply of our worldly Neceffities, as much as
{a) Eccl. X. 7.
Y 4 W£
328 Anxiety for ViBuah^ and [Serivi,
we have occafion for the prefent, yet we are by no Means allowed to extend thofe Cares to any long time to come. This our Lord had in his Eye, in the laft Part of the Antithefis : T^ake therefore no thought for the Morrow^ for the Morrow fiall take thought for the Things of itfelf Jufjicient un- ■to the Day is the Evil thereof But what is pre- cifely meant by the Words to JD^^and to Morrow^ is iomewhat difficult to determine, only in gene- ral that thofe Cares which are more proper here- after than at prefent, we ought not to load the prefent wath them. And that Trouble of the future Time muft not be anticipated, for two Rea- fons : Firft, becaufe the Time prefent has Trou- ble enough of its own ; and then, becaufe the Time to come, when it comes, will be more pro- per to ftruggle with the Difficulties of that Time, than this prefent Time is. We are therefore wife- ly to confider, what Intention of Care the prefent requires, and what may more fafely be put off to the Time to come, and order our Care accord- ingly ; as to the Succefs of both, chearfuUy de- pending on God's Providence.
Thus now I have given you a Defcription of this inordinate Care and Solicitude, by fix Cha- raders of it, all taken from the Text itfelf^ name- ly, that the Care about earthly Things here con- demned is exceffive, diftruftful of Providence, full of Perturbation of Mind, atheiftical, prepofle- rous, and anticipated in Point of Time. There follow here many Reafons to enforce this Cau- tion againft inordinate Cares, which I mufl leave to another Opportunity.
The Sum of what I have faid in the Explica- tion of this Caution, is. That we are not prohi- bited
XXIII] Clothes forbidden. Matt. VL 25. 327
bited a regular Care, Lribour, Induftry, or Fru- gality, in the McJiagcment of our wonJy A.ffairs, provided thatCare be retrained v^itliin due Bounds. And the due Bounds are, Fir/l, That tbefc our worldly Cares be not cxceflive, taking up more of our Thoughts and Time than is due to lach worth- lefs Erjjoyuieiusj Secondly^ That when vve have done our Pa;t, we chearfully commit the Succeis to God's Providence, ^fhirdiy^ That we prcfcrve a light merry Heart, not impatient^ noi diicon- tenied, or dejeded, when we f-iU into any Straits or Dilappointments from the World. Fourthly^ That we be fure to join with our worldly Cares and Projecls, a diligent looking up to God for his Blelling, and a quiet Submiflion to his Difpofals.- Fifthly^ That we fet our Hearts and Affec- tions on the Kingdom of Heaven, and feek for that in the firji and chief Place^ and other Things in a fubordinate manner, not fo as to interfere with that main Purfuit, but foas to be fubfervient to it. 6. Lajily^ That having a Competency at prefent, we do not load our felves with unnecefTa- ry Fears or Cares about the future, but caft all our Cares of our felves. Children, and Families upon God, without anticipating the Cares of the future uncertain Time.
There is one Thing will follow as a Corollary from what has been faid; That if we are fo much cautioned againft inordinate Care about the Ne- ceiiaries of Life, what we fhall eat, and drink, and wear, there is a great deal more Reafon that we lay aiide all carking Care about the Unnecef- faries and Superfluities of it. Let us put on the Lord yejiis Chriji, and make no ProviJio?ifor the FleJJ? to fulfill the Lufts thereof, O that we were
more
530 Anxiety for Visuals, k^d [Serm;
more mindful of the one Iking needful I Had we our Eye m\.^nt. upon that Mark, we fhould be quick- ly cured of all oar rambling and wandering Pur- fuits of the Vanitie;s of this World. Let us addrefs our felves to God for his Grace to enable us fo to do, faying with the Pfalmifc, [a) Incline miiie Heart to thy Tejiimonies^ and 7iot to Coveioujnefs, ^iirn awcy mine Eyes from beholding Vanity^ and quicken ihcu me in thy Way* Which God of his infinite Mercy o;rant, for Jefus Chrifl^s fake. To whom^ 6cc.
{a) Pfal. cxix. 36, 37,
§ E R M^
XXIV.] 13
SERMON XXIV.
Matt. VL 25.
■ Is not the Life more than Meat, and the
Body than Raiment? Ver. 26. Behold the Fowls of the Air: For they
Jow 72ot, neither do they reapy 7ior gather ijito
Barns ^ yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they'?
The Sixth Sermon on this Text*
AT the laft Occafion I explained to you a Caution of our Saviour's againft Anxiety, and the inordinate Cares of the World ^ from thefe Words, Therefore 1 fay unto you, Take no nought for your Life, what ye fhall eat or what ye fJjall drink, 7ior yet for your Body what ye f jail put on. This Cautioii is enforced with a great many good Arguments, which I intend to confider as they lie in order.
The firffc Argument againft Anxiety, (which in the Nature of it implies a Diffidence of Providence) is, the Confideration of God's Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs, in creating our Bodies, and in in- fiifing Life into them, without any of our anxious Care or SoUicitude. And why fliould wc think the fame divine Wifdom, Power and Good-
nelS'
532 Life more than Meat, [Serm.
nefs will be wanting in fupplying us with the ne- ceffary Means for the Prefervation and Suftenance of thofe Lives and' Bodies ? h ?20t the Life tnore than Meaf^ and the Body than Raiment ? For un- derftanding the Force of this Argument, let us confider that there are two Things our Saviour here reprehends.
1. That we are diffident of God's Care as to the Neceflaries of Life.
11. That we aillime that Care to our felves, which is to be afcribed to him.
Nov^ the Argument is fitted for both thefe Defects.
For, I. It is argued that God who hath given us Life and Bodies, without any of our Sollicitude, will not let his own Work perifh for want of a little Means of Subfiftence.
2. It is infinuated that we do fo little towards that Subfiftence, to what God does, that it is our beft way to depend more on him, and lefs on our- felves.
I. It is a great Part of Anxiety, that we are diffident of God's Care as to the Neceffaries of Life 3 and look upon Things, and judge of them no otherwife than according to the Probabilities of fecond Caufes, God is not confidered in all the Contrivances of the covetous anxious Man ; and unlefs he can fee through the whole Train of Providences, what way he and his fliall be provid- ed for in all their future, as well asprefent Wants, heisuneafy, and vexes himfelf; and this occa- fions that load of Cares and Fears, which our Saviour is here arguing againft.
Now to obviate the Objections, which this dif- trufiful Temper would make, our Lord defines
them
XXIV,] Life mere than Meat. M att.VI. 25.333
them here to confider who it was that reared this curious Frame of our Body, and who infufed Life into it, and who fubjcdied it to all thefe Wants and Neceffities ; and by whofe Care it is that it is fupported in its Frame and Conftirution ; whether it feems probable that he, who did all this, would abandon fuch a noble Piece of his Workmanfhip, to perifh for want of a little Vic- tuals and Clothes? So that the Strength of this Argument, as I apprehend it, is founded on thefe following Propolitions.
1. That God made our Bodies, and gave us living Souls to animate them, without any of our own Care, much more without any Anxiety of ours.
2. That God created thefe Bodies of ours {o weak and indigent, that they cannot liibiift of themfelves without the Supplies of Food and Rai- ment, and divers other IN eceffaries : And that it is an Imputation on the Wiidom and Goodnefs of God, to think that he would make a Creature fubjedt to fo many Wants and Neceffities, and take no manner of Care how to fupply them.
3. That it is but a fmall Part of this Supply which he has left to us, and therefore that we ought not to affume the whole ; and if we do, we fliall only fret and vex our felves in vain, for that this Vexation of ours will not anfwer the End of fupplying thofe Wants, and that all the Part he has alFigned us in it, may be performed with Cheerfulnefs; and therefore that Sollicitude and Vexation of Mind is altogether fuperfluous, and to no manner of Purpofe.
Thefe are Subjeds worthy of our more particu- lar Confideration.
I. Firft
334 life more than Meat. [SermJ
I. Firft then, we are toconfider that God made our Bodies, and gave us Uving Souls to animate them, without any of our own Care, much more without any Anxiety of ours. Had our Bodies been Machines of our own inventing, there might have been fome Reafon for our puzzling our Brains how to improve the Invention and how to perpetuate, or at leaft to lengthen the Motion of them. Bat when it is an Invention of a v/onder- ful Artificer to our hand, and fo curious a one, that to this Day after fo many Ages we cannot fo much as difcover the vaft Variety of Parts, Mo- tions and Intentions that belong to it ; when he that made it, gave it a certain Degree of Motion, fuch as he himfelf thought good 5 and committed it to our Care not to tamper with it, and alter the Con- trivance, but as a Clock is committed to the Care of an unfkilful Man, only at certain times to wind it up, and to preferve it as clean as he can from Dull, but as to the main Care of it, to depend upon the Clcck-maker, and to meddle no further with it but according to hisDireclions. Now would it not be a flrange piece of Folly in this ignorant Man, to go and vex himfelf with the Thoughts what he fhall do, when this Machine is out of order, how he fliall take it to pieces, and find out and mend what is amifs, and fet it all a going again ; or yet further, if a Fancy fliould come in his Head, that he could change and better the Fafliion of it, and from its going 24 Hours, bring it to go a Week, and from that to a Month, and from that to a Year, and fo on, till at laft he fhoald fall upon the Notion of a perpetual Mover ? This felf-conceited fanciful Man might give himfelf a- bundance of Uneafinefs with a vain Conceit of his
Skill,
XXIV.] Life more than Meat.MhTT Yl. 2 ^. 335
Skill, and yet be never the nearer ; whereas the Man who confines his Care to foch a Proportion and Degree as the Clockmaker prefcribed, bat in all extraordinary Cafes depends upon the Maker himfelf, eafes himfelf of all this needlefs Trouble. Jufl fo it is with thefe living Machines of ours ; the beft way to be eafy with them, is to trouble our felves no further about them than the great Maker of them has dired:ed, that is, by a regu- lar Care in adminiflring thofe Materials which he furnidies us. But if v/e exceed that, and will meddle with his Part, we fhall only create abun- dance of Uneafinefs to our fdves, but (hall be ne- ver the nearer as to our Life and Health 5 but far- ther off as to both.
2. Let us confider that God made thefe Bodies of ours fo frail and weak, and fubjecfl to fo many Neceffities, that he knew very well they could not fubiift of themfelves, witliout conftant Sup- plies of Food and Raiment, and divers other Things; and therefore may well be fuppofed ta have provided accordingly for them, wdth our own regular, and without our anxious and folicitous Care. They muft have a very mean Opinion of God's Wifdom and Providence, who can believe that God formed this Creature, Man, fo curioufly and under fo many Ne(?effities, without fo much as a Fore-thought how thefe Neceffities iliould be fupplied. This would be like that barbarous Practice of fome Nations, where they expofed their Young as foon as they were born. The very Re- flection then on the Wifdom and Goodnefs of the greatCreator is enough to convince us, that thePre- fervation and Suftenance of his Workmanfhip fall as much under his Care as the making of it.
3- Let
336 Life more than Meat. [Serm.
3. Let us confider that it is but a fmall Part of this Supply which God has left to us, to what he has immediately referved in his own Hand ; and that it is our Part to content our felves with our own Share, w^hich if we do, we fhall be far from Anxiety. To give an Example of this as to the fupplying us with Bread, let us confider a lit- tle what Httle hand, we have in it, and how en- tirely it depends on what God referves to himfelf, without which all our Labour would be in vain. Suppofe then God had left us to our ow^n Shifts, and had not endowed the Earth with Fertility, that it had either been hard like a Rock not capa- ble of Cultivation, or being cultivated that it had been fo barren that it would fcarce have produced our Seed again. Suppofe again, if the Earth had been ever fo Fertile, that God had not fent fea~ fonable Weather, but either fuch a Drought as to wither, or fuch exceffive Rains as to drown, or fiich cold Froils as to nip and kill the Fruits of the Ground, or fuch high Winds and Hurricans, as to beat all our Labour to pieces, what would our poor Huftandry fignify in fuch a Cafe ? Or fuppofe, let the Earth and Seafons be ever fo good, God had made no fuch Creatures, as the feveral Grains, Roots and Herbs, Grafs, and Corn, wjiich now yield us our Food ; what would our poor Labour have fignified ? A Baker that bakes the Bread, and a Cook that dreffes the Vicfliials might as well pretend to the Care and Honour of pro- viding the Family, when the Meal and Meat are laid into their Hands, as we can, when God fur« niihes fo many Things towards it, and we fo lit- tle. What fignifies a little Sowing, and Reaping, and Gathering into Barns, in comparifon of
creating
XXIV.] Life more than Meat. Matt, YL 2^. 337
creating the Grain, furnifliing a Fertility to the Earth, a S^^afonablenefs to the Weather, Heads to contrive, and Hands to Work, and Bealis and Tools to work withal ? It is a ftrange Thing that Maa who does the leuft Part, fliould afllime to him- felf all the Care and Honour: And as if he were the chief Archite(ft, iliould burden himfelf with the whole Contrivance, when he is no better than the forrieft Barrowman about the Building. And this is
II. The fecond Defedl which this Reafoning is defigned to remedy, namely, that we aflame that to our felves by this Sin of Anxiety, which is due to God. We aflame the providing our felves with all Necefl^arics, and are anxious if we do not com- pafs them for a great Time to come, whereas all this is really God's Part, and none of ours : -And fhould therefore be anfwered by taking lefs of the Load upon our own Spirits, and difburdening all our Cares upon God. Now in order to this, I know nothing more proper to recommend to your Confideration, than that God who made us fub- jed: to all thefeNecefiities, doth likewife take care to anfwer them, and provide for them. Bat I lliall prefs the Confideration of this no farther than from the Argument in the Text, that he who has con- trived to give us Life and Bodies out of his infi- nite Wifdom and Goodnefs, will certainly hke- wife contrive to give us what he has made necef- fary for the Prefervation and Support of that Life and thofe Bodies; and therefore that we need not trouble our felveS with any anxious Cares about thofe Things, but are to content our felves with doing our Duty, and to truft: to him for the reflr. To illufl:rate this by a familiar Comparifon : If
Vol. m. Z a
33 S Life more than Meat, [Sermj
a wife and powerful Prince (hould raife an Army, and tranfport them into a foreign Country, where he has occafion to make ule of their Service in War; would this Army need to fear that this wife and powerful Prince, who employs their Time in his military Service, would abandon them to flarve in that ftrange Country, and would not take care to fubfift them with all Things neceffary for the Service ? And would it not be a very foo- liili Thing for the Soldiers in fach an Army, in- ftead of applying themielves to the military Ser- vice, w^hich is enjoined them, to fpend their Time in progging and contriving how to provide Am- munition Bread, the Care of which is none of their Province ? So God Almighty, who fent us in- to this World upon his Service, commands us cheerfully to mind that Service, a nd allures us v/e need not trouble our felves about our Subfi- ilence, but that we are to commit all that Care to him, and quietly to depend upon him for it. By the Help of this Similitude, we may perceive three or four very grofs Errors in this one Sin of Anxiety ; namely, i. A Diftruft of God's Care and Providence. 2. An unreafonable proud Opinion of our own Skill and Con- dudl. 3. A Negledt of the main Service we ihould be attending in the mean Time, while we are thus unprofitably employ 'd about other Thin2;s. 4. A vexing our felves about fuch Things as f .11 not witiiin our Power and Skill ; and by the bad Exampie of oar Difcontent, provoking the Difcontents of others, and ''fo contributing what lies in us to ftir up a Spirit of Murmuring and Mutiny in the whole Army. Thefe Things are fo plain, that I fliall not need to infift farther
on
XXIY\] Life more tha?i Meat, Matt. VI 25. 339
on them : but proceed to what is added for Illii- firation of this Argument.
Behold the Fowls of the Air : For they fow noty neither do they reapy nor gather into Barns-, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they'? This I take to be a Prole- cution of the fame Argument againjft Anxiety, thaiGod takes* Care of the Prefervation of his own Workmanfhip; for here an Inftance is brought of a Creature, thai: is the leaft furnilhed with A- bility to provide for its own Living ; and wants all thofe Arts of Providence, which Man is faraillied with, fuch as Solving^ Reaping^ and Gathering in- to Barns and Granaries ; yet your heavenly Father Jeedi'th them : They live cheerful Lives^ though they have nothing laid up for their future Subfi- ftence, but live, as we fay, from hand to mouth. Then follows the Application of the Simile, Are not ye much better than they ? The original Word S^ixcpepco fignifies to excell ; do not ye much excell them ? And this I think has an Afped: to two Things ; firft, that we excell them or have the better of them, as being better in Circumftances to provide for our felves than they are in to pro- vide for themfelves ; we being capable of many Improvements in Hufbandry and Frugality be- yond them; for we can fow and reap, and gather into Barns, or Granaries, which they cannot do : And therefore we have the lefs Rea(cn to be anxious or follicitous. And this Senfe I think is not to be neglected, as offering itfelf very clearly from the Words, and being exceeding pertinent to the Point in hand. The other Thing to which thefe Words have an Afpedt, is that which our In- terpreters have followed ; namely, the fuperiour Z 2 Dignity
-^40 Life more than Meat. [Serm.
Dignity of our Nature; Are ye 7tot much better than they ? i. e. are not ye a Creature of more Worth than the Fowls of the Air, and confe- quently a Creature that need lefs to fear being a- bandoned by the divine Providence ? Both thefe Senfes of our having the better of the YovAs of the Air are fo good, that I think they deferve both to be confide red.
(i.) That we excell the Fowls of the Air, or have the better of them, in regard of the better Circumftances we are in to provide for our Wants than they : for that we can and are allowed to fow, and reap, and gather into Barns, which they cannot do. So that it is an Argument not from a Parity of Reafon; but what we call an Argument a fortiori, that there is a great deal more Reafon that we ihould not be anxious, than the Birds and Fowls of the Air, as being much better able to provide againft a Time of Scarcity than they. The Thing then recommended to us, when we are commanded to behold the Fowls of the Air, is not to learn of them Idlenefs and Improvidence, but a Cheerfulnefs and Freedom from Anxiety, for which they are exemplary ; though they are worfe furnilhed v;ith Means to ftave off Want than we are. For we mufh never forget the main In- llrudion here recommended, for enforcing of which all thefe are but Arguments, not new Pre- cepts. The not obferving of this has driven fome learned Men to give a very wrong Interpretation of this Text ; as if after the Example of the Fowls of the Air and the Lilies of the Field, our Sa- viour had here forbid all worldly Labour to his Diiciples ; and becaufe they were fenfible this would have been a very unreafonable Precept, if
meant
XXIV.] Life 7nore than Meat, Matt. Yl. 2^. 341
meant of Chriftians in general, they have with- out confidering the Context, which is a general Argument againft Covetoufnefs and the inordinate Cares of the World, limited this Difcourfe to the twelve chofen Difciples, the Apoftles; when in all probability there were no fuch Officers in Be- ing at the Time of preaching this Sermon ; and if there had, there was no ilich Thing as Idlenefs enjoined them, or elfe we fhould not have heard of their Neceffi ties being fo often fupplied by their own handy Labour. Thus we fee how one fmail Error is attended with a great many more, and of more dangerous Confequence. The taking thefe Words, Behold the Fowls oj the Aii\ 6cc. not for an Argument to enforce the Caution againft Anxiety going before, but for a new Precept, was attended with a wrong placing of the Simile 3 as if not a Freedom from Anxiety, but the not working at all had been enjoined. Then becaufe this was a Dodlrine fo contrary to right Reafon, and the plain Precepts of Chriftianity in other Paffages of Holy Scripture, the fame Authors found an abfolute Neceffity of limiting this their fappofed new Precept to the Apoftles, and to the particular Circumilances of the Church at that Time. But there is another terrible Confequence of this Notion, which I believe if thefe learned Authors had reflected on, they would never have broached this dangerous Doctrine ; namely, that .itfurniflies all Men, except the Apoftles, with an Handle to creep out of the Sermon of the Mount, as not being direfted to common Chri- ftians, but to Men in that higher Station of Af>o- ftles ; than which I know not any greater Wound could have been given to Chriftian Morals ; and
Z 3 ' . which
342 Life more than Meat. [Serm,
which I am flare, if the Reverend Authors had reilecfled on, they would never have been guilty of, being fome of them as zealous Affertors of the Purity of Chriitian Morals as any we have. For by the fame Rule that they interpret away this Difcourfe againil Covetoufnefs and che inordi- nate Cires of tne World from private Chriftians, a;d appropriate it to the Apoftles, they may do the fame by all the reft of that Sermon, it being all directed to one and the fame Auditory. But hav- inc^ tormeriy very fully refuted this Notion, when I confidered the proper Auditors of this Sermon on th& Mount, viz, the Multitudes and the Difci-. pies, proving that by Dijciples were meant all Chi- Jiians -, I fhall not now further enlarge upon it, though I judged it necefTary not to pafs it by, wiien I am upon the Text upon which they have built this their miftaken Notion. The Argu- ment then our Saviour here brings from the Fowh- of the Air I take to ran thus. q. d. If fuch poor helplefs Creatures as the Fowls of the Air^ that can contribute fo little towards their own Suftenance, either by making their own Grain, or by laying it up againft a Time of Scarcity, after it is made, are yet provided for by God, and maintained both without Want, and without Melancholy, in a cheerful and fatisfied Manner ; how much more Reafon have ye not to diftruft God's Providence, but chf^erfully to depend upon it, who are furnifli- ed far beyond them with many good Ways and Means andOpportunlties, by lawful Callings, good Government, Art and Contrivance, to provide for your felves and for one another, and to lay up for Times of Want and Scarcity ?
There
m
'XyilV^] Life more than Meat. Matt. VI. 2 5. 343
There is one Corollary or Inference will natu- rally rife fiom this Argument, which I wi(h were better confidered 3 for it v/ould be an excellent Remedy of all our inordinate Cares ; it is this ; that the more we are furniflied with Helps and Means again ft Want, fo much the more ought we to be delivered from Anxiety and Solicitude. And an Oblervation it is highly agreeable with Reafon, the more we are furniflied and provided againft Want, the lefs to fear it. Yet how ftrange is it to obferve that the common Pradice of Men, efpecially of covetous Men, is diretlly contrary ? elfe, why fnould many rich Men who have V/ealth enough laid up for many Years, be more troubled with anxious and vexatious Cares about the World, than fcveral poor ?4en, who though they live from hand to mouth, yet live cheerfully and conient- edly ? Why fhonld many Old-men, the greater Part of whofe Life is already paft, confequentiy provided for, be much more anxious and follicitous about the World, than Young-men whole Wants are far greater, and like to be much longer upon their Hands ? Why are Men who profefs that they believe a Providence, and know how to ad- drefs themfelves to God in the Name of Chrlft, and are furniflied with all Capacities and Endow- ments of Body and Mind to make ufe of the Means, as anxious and diftruftful as if there were neither a God to provide, nor any Means and Op- portunities put into their Hand, to do any Thins; towards the Staving orf of Want? This is one of the beft ufes of Wealth, next to the doing good to others, of any I know; to moderate our own Cares: Not that Riches are to be trufted to for the Supply of our Wants, but that God who gave Z 4 them
344 ^if^ ^^^^^ i^^^^ Meat [Serm.
them may be depended on for the continuing to us a compeient Portion out of them, and that Ex- perience as well as ReUgion and Reafon doth then teach us to devolve all our Cares upon him who careth for us. So much for the firfl: Confidera- tion of the Words, that we excell the Fowls of the Air, as being in better Circumftances to pro- vide for our felves than they, and therefore have lefs cccaiion to be anxious.
(2.) Bat fecondly, thefe Words, Are ye not much better than they ? do fignify likewife the greater Dignity of Men above Fowls, and that up- on that Account likewife they may expert to be m.ore iiumediately taken Care of by God's Providence. Our Saviour purfues much fuch an Argument as this, Matt, x. 29, Are not two Spar-^ rows, fays hQ^ Joldjor a Farthing? and ojie of them Jhall not fall on the Ground without your Father -, but the I'ery Hairs of your Head are all numbred-, fear ye not therejore, ye are of more value than many Sparrows. I might iliuflrate this Ob- fervation of the Dignity of Man by feveral Ob- ■ fervations taken from his Creation, Redemption, Prefervation, and Provificn : But it is Time to conclude this Argument. Natural Philofophy has many pretty Things to this purpofe, (lievving what wt^ndeiful care Nature, or rather the God cf Natine has taken for the Maintenance of In- dividuals, and the Prefervation of the Species; from winch one that dulyobferves and coniiders, may eafiiy learn that there is an infinite wife Pro- vidence which fils and direds us to our Duty and Bufinefs, and takes Care that in doing that cheer- fully ard contentedly, we Ihall want none of the Neceffaries for our comfortable Subfiflence.
Tq
XXIV.] Life more than M^ j^.Matt.VL 25. 345
To conclude then, Away with all diftrading Fears and carking Cares about what we finall eat or drink, and wherewithal we fliall be cloathed, in which fo many Men beftcw all iheir Thoughts and Time, [a) "The Lord is our Sh^pherd^ we (hall not want. O fear the Lord-, ye his Sai?2t5 : For there is no Wcmt to them that fear him, [b) The young Lions do lack and fiiffer Hunger : but they that feck the Lord jh all fiot want any good 'Thing.
Now to this great and good God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl:, be all Praifc, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
(<7) Pf. xxlii. I, {h) Pf. xxvir, 9, ic.
S E R M»
346 'Anxiety hurtful [Serm,
SERMON XXV.
Matt. VI, 27.
Which of you by taking Thought can add one Cubit unto his Stature.
The Seventh Sermon on this Text.
OU R Saviour goes on here with his Argu* ments againft Anxiety and the inordinate Cares of the World. One of thefe I confidered at the laft Occafion ; taken from the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God, that he who made the Body^and gave us our Life, and made us fubjed: to fo many Neceiiities,wi!l Hkewife take Care to fup- ply thofe Neceffities. This Argument was illu- jftrated with this Confideration, that Creatures of ■far lefs value than Vv^e, and far worfe furnifhed with Abilities to provide for their own Subfiftence, to wit, the Fowls of the Air, are provided for by God without Want and without Melancholy ; and therefore we have no Reafon to fear the being a- bandoned by God's Providence. There is another Argument to the fame purpofe, contained in the Words which I have now read, which I intend to coniider as it follows here in order.
The Second Argument then againft Anxiety here ufed by our Saviour, is taken from the Ufe-
lefnefs
XXV.] to Life andYcuth. Matt. VI. 27, 7,^y
lefnefs of this anxious fuperfluous Care to i^.ny of the real Comforts of Life. IVhlch of you hy ra^ king Thought can add one Cubit unto his Stature ? The Word ^Ki-kIol which we tranflate Stature^ fig- nifies likewiie j^ge, and efpecia- y the moil floa- rilhing Time ot one's Age, when wp are in the Prime of our Youth and Strength. Statura, cctas^ vigor ^ adolefcentia. [Grcec, Lex,) And it is this farther Notion of the Woi.:^ which for many Reafons I choofe to prefer. ; or the bare adding a Cubit to theStature leems uucouth, ani>; tiling which the anxious Man wouM , ot (kiire 5 where- as the adding to both Penonalienefs and Life, ef- pecially to the youthful and profperous Time of it, is a Thing which moll: Men would cielirej and a Thing which the Worldling propofes to him.felf by his Riches -, after all his Care to live bravely, and to have wherewithal to fupport and comfort him in his Old Age ; (a) like the rich Jvlan in the Parable, who is reprefented as promifmg him- felf a great many happy Days from his plentiful Crops and full Barns: And hugging himfelf with the Fancy of the fwcet Enjoyment of all ^ which fcarce ever any worldly minded Man arrived at. Oar Saviour here feems to me to appeal to their own Experience, whether ever they found that was the Eliedl of their worldly Cares, q, d. To what purpofe is all your Anxiety ? can it either lengthen out your Life ? or doth it lengthen out your Youth and the more vigorous and flouriihing Part of your Days ? have any of you ever found it fo by Experience ? Thefe are put by V/ay of
(a) Luke xii. 19.
Interrogation,
34^ Anxiety hurtful [Serm.
Interrogation, implying a ftrong Negation. But perhaps there is fomething more defigned by thefe Queftions than a bare Negation ; it feems to me to be an Elegant fxtman, where Icfs is exprelTed than is underflood ; for here is iniinuated that An- xiety is fo far from making us more perfonable, vigorous or healthy, or our Lives longer and plea- fanter, that it does the quite contrary 3 it both fhortens our Days, and by loading thofe Days with anxious Cares, makes them uneafy and un- pleafant. To do right then to the Text in this, which I apprehend to be the true Senfe of it, I fhall endeavour to make out thefe two Things.
I. That Anxiety, as to the World, is needlefs, as neither adding to Life, nor to the comfortable Part of it, but is rather hurtful to both.
II. That a Chearfulnefs and Refignation, v/hich are the quite contrary to Anxiety, are of great ufe in all the Parts of Life.
L That Anxiety, as to the World, is needlefs, as neither adding to Life, nor to the comfortable Part of it, but is rather hurtful to both. Our Saviour had before ihewed the Inconfiftency of Covetoufnefs and Religion ; Te cannot ferve God end Mammon, Now he comes to ihew the un- iitnefs of worldly Anxiety, as to all the Comforts even of this Life; for it neither adds to the Length of our Lives, nor protracts the chearful and prof- perous Part of them. Firft, Anxiety does not add to the Length of our Lives. For though the worldly Man forgets the fliortnefs of Life, and takes pains, and toils, as if he were to live here for ever, yet his Death is not put off one Hour the longer ; it only comes upon him with fo much greater Surprize ; the Effect of which is, that he
is
XXV.] to Life and Toutk Matt. VI. 2 J. 349
is fo much more unwilling to leave the World, and fo much the more unprepared for it, but yet muft leave it notwithftanding, as fbon as If he had not been fo loaded with worldly Cares. Nay, it is more than probable, that Anxiety by invol- ving Men in endlefs Cares and Troubles, fliortens their Days, and brings them to the Grave before their Time ; I mean before the Time to which they might have lived, if they had lived more chearful Lives, with Minds difourdened and diC- entangled from worldly Cares : For immoderate Care and Anxiety brings on Melancholy and Trou- ble ; and as the Body and Mind have a mutual Influence on each other, Trouble of Mind often caufes Difeafes of the Body, v/hich fhorten a Man's Days. It has been often feen, that a very covetous Man, meeting with any confiderable, nay inconfiderable Lofs and Difappointment, or even but a great Fright of Lofs, has fo laid it to Heart, that he has lickned and died upon it. We have 'an Example of this in Nabal^ i Sam, xxv, 37. When his Wife toid him the Danger he had in- curred through his Covetoufnefs, provoking Da- vid to fuch a Degree, that he and his Men had been upon the March to deilroy him and his, but that fhe prevented it by a timely Prefent; he was fo fcruck with Fear and Apprehenlion of the Danger he had been in, that he was immedi- ately feized with a deep Melancholy ; it is faid his Heart died within kim^ and he became as a Stone. And ten Days after he died iu good earn- eft. Many a covetous Man has thus broken his Heart upon v/orldly Lofies and Difappointments ; and though they do not- all fo immediately die, yet no doubt by Degrees worldly Cares will break.
the
^^o Aftxiefy hurtful [Serm*
the Confl:itution,efpecially where they meet with great Lofics, Frights^ and Dilappointments, as the World is full of fuch.
And as Anxiety doth not lengthen, but is very apt to fhorten Mens Lives, let us ccnfuier in the next Place, whether it is apt to make their Lives eafy, flouriiliing and profperous -, for fo the Word YiXi-itict likewife iignifies Youth, or the fl.>urilliing vigorous Part of Life. Now it is well known, that Anxiety about the World is fo fir from con- tributing to the Mirth and Verdure of Life, that there is nothing fooner haftens Sorrows and grey Hairs ; nothing is a greater Enemy to Mirth and Good-humour, nothing fooner alters iheConititu- tion of both Body and AliiKk involving a Man in endiefs Troubles and Cares, thai if he enjoys Life, he enjoys but few of tne Comforts and Conveni- encies of it. And therefore Solomon very often exhorts to a chearful Ufe of the World while we have it, as the Comfort and Portion a Man has from all his Labour -, and guards us againfl the Humour of fcraping and gathering for thofe that come after.
II. As Anxiety doth both fhorten our Days, and make them more uneafy, fo, as I told you was elegantly infinuated in the Qiieftion, Chearfulnefs, Refignation, and Freedom from Anxiety, contri- bute exceedingly both to the Length and Felicity of our Lives in this World, (a) A inerry Hearty fays Solomon, doth good like a Medicine^ but a broken Spirit drieth the Bones. Now that this inward Joy, this Freedom from troublefome anxious Thoughts,
[a) Prov. xvif, 22.
is
XXV.] to Life and Youth, Matt. VI. 27. 351
is a fovereign Remedy againft all the Diiafters of Life, is what I fliall here endeavour to envince, and on that Account to recommend it to your Study and Pradlice.
Firft in general, it will be granted that whatfo- ever Troubles do befet us, they are either Things within our own Power to remedy, or not. If they are within our own Power to remedy, there is no Temper of Mind fo fit to apply thofe Remedies, as the chearful refigned Temper 3 for inftead of lining down with a lazy or melancholy folding of the Hands together, iniiead of giving all up with a dejeded Defpondency, one of that Temper tries the utmoft that can be done either by Prayers or Endeavours, and does not only patiently, but plea- fantly and contentedly wade through the Difficul- ties of it. But that it may more diftindtly be ap- prehended what Advantage this chearful refip-ned Temper has above the follicitous and anxious one, to wreftle with the Difficulties of Life, I fhall in- ftance in fome Particulars, v/hich unfit the anxious Man for going chearfuUy through the Bufinefs of Life, but are eafily overcome by the chearful Man, who puts his Truft in God's Providence.
( I.) Then, it mufl be confefTed, that he who be- lieves a Concurrence of Divine Providence with his own Endeavours, ads with another Sort of Life and Vigour, than the Man that goes only upon his own Skill and Strength. As a General, who has a gallant Army to back him, marches on with anotherguefs Courage than he who has but a fmall Handful of Men, or perhaps is furprized all alone. The fJime may be fiid of him who not confiding in God's Aid, torments himfelf to flruggle with the Difficulties of Life, purely upon his own Skill
and
35^ Anxiety hurtful [Serm,
and Strength ; it is no wonder if he is confounded in his Judgment, and cowardly in his Attempts,, and fearful of the Event, to what a good chenrful Man. is, who puts his Trull: in God's Providence* It is wonderful to oblerve what an Alacrity and Courage this Belief in(j'»ires into Men, when "they go upon Dangers. This was what animated David when he went againft Goliah -, Thou comejl to me^ fays he, with a Sword, and with a Spear ^ and with a Shield ; but I come unto thee in the Name of the Lord of Hfls^ the God of the Armies of Ifrael^ whom thou hajt defied (a).
(2.) As the chearful Man, who is free from Anxiety, goes upon his Bufmefs with more Cou- rage, fo he takes much more Pleafure and Satis- fad:ion in it ^ he fucks Honey even out of the bit- tereft of Herbs ; whereas the anxious Man is con- tinually uneafy ; either he knows not what Means to apply, or he is always diffident of the Event, and never perfectly quiet and eafy within himfelf. What is faid of wicked Men in general, is true of him in particular; (b) The V/icked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot reft, whofe Waters cajl up Mire and Di?^t : there is no Peace, faith my God, to the Wicked,
(3.) If Difficulties and Troubles occur in Bufi- nefs, as indeed the World is full of them, the anxi- ous Man, inftead of bearing them with Patience, magnifies and multiplies them in his ownMind,by his difturbed Imagination and ill-boding Fears, and other vexatious Thoughts; whereas the chear- ful Man, who is clear from Anxiety, has a great
{a) I Sam. xvii. 45, (^/Ifajah Ivii. 20.
deal
XXV.] to Life andYoutkyiA.TT.Vl. 27. 353
deal of Reafoii flill to hope for the befl: ; and though he cannot fee through all the Intricacy and D;fficulty he may meet with in his Affairs, yet being confcious to himfelf of the Honefly and Goodnefs of his Defigns, and having a firm im- plicit Faith in God, he is not difordered or dif- compofedin his Thoughts, knowing that God, if he fees it befl for him, will bring it to pafs what- ever he is about ; or if he fees it wiil prove to his Hurt, will difappoint him in that Particular, but will anfwer his Expedation in general, and make all Things co-operate for his good. Conifiiit thy Way unto the Lord^ fays the Pfalmifl, triiji alfo in hiniy and he f hall bring it to pafs, "Triifl in the Lord, and do good, fo (halt thou dwell in the Landy and vertly thou {halt be fed, The Steps of a good Man ere ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in bis JVay, And to the fame purpofe Solomon advifes, Prov. Xvi. 3. Commit thy Works unto the Lordy end thy thoughts Jhall be ejiabliped. So that the Man who is free from Anxiety, has an eafy way of difburdening his Spirits of all Trouble, by de- volving all his Cares and Concerns upon God, and quietly waiting his Determination, which he is affured will be better than his own Choice.
From what has been faid, it will, I hope, ap- pear, that in all thofe Troubles, to the Removal of which our own Endeavours can contribute any thing, the Man who is free from Anxiety, has much the Advantage as to the true Pleafures and Satisfaction of Life, that he has Eafe in his own Mind, and that thereby he lengthens out the Tran- quillity of his Life, and by that Means perhaps Life itfelf ; whereas the anxious worldly Man takes the readiefl way, by his fretting and vexing,
Vol, IIL A a his
354 Anxiety hurtful [Serm:,
his carking rind caring, to difquiet his own Mind and Life, and either to fhorten his Days, or ta fhorten the Mirth and Profperity of them, or both. So much for thofe Troubles of Life, which are within our own Power to remedy. But then,
Secondly^ There are a great many other Trou- bles which are ahogether out of our reach, and which we can no way think of removing, and muft therefore be patiently endured, if we intend any Peace and Quiet with refpedl to them. Now as to all thefe, the chearful Man, who is free from anxious and folicitous Thoughts, has much the Advantage from the Temper of his Mind, to live eafy and quiet under them ; for the Virtue of Contentment, which exercifes itfelf chiefly in a quiet and chearful bearing fuch Misfortunes as we cannot help, as it goes much againft the Grain with the anxious Man, fo it is exceeding eafy to a Man of a chearful refigned Temper. Now Life is full of fuch Difafters, Misfortunes, and Calamities, for which there is really no other Remedy but Chearfulnefs and Contentment. I cannot pretend to enumerate them, but fliall give you fome In- flances, that from them ye may guefs how the anxious Man would m.anage them ; whereas, without Anxiety, they are all eafy to be managed with Patience, Contentment, and Chearfulnefs, which are the Reverfe of this Anxiety. Of this Sort then are the Difproportion of Features, the Difagreeablenefs of Complexion, the Lofs or Weakening of any of the Senfes, the exceflive either Talinefs or Shortnefs of Stature, the Mean- nefsof ones Birth, the Mifcarriage or Misfortune of ones Relations, the Sicklinefs of our Confti-
tution,
XXV.] to Life and Touth. Matt. VL 27. 355
tution, the Weaknefs or Dulnefs of our Under- ftanding, the Shortnefs of our Memory, the De- feds of our Education, the Death of our Friends, the being unequally yoked, Loflesand Difappcint- ments by Weather, Sea, bad Debtors, falfe Friends, and mahcious Enemies ; the Inconveniencies of bad Climates, the Defcds of Governments and Governors, the Oppreffions and Injuftices of the Great, the Groans and Miferies of the Poor, the Sickneffes, Plagues, and Diftempers that rage ia the Woildj and in many Cafes Poverty, bad • Neighbours, and the Frowns of Government, and a great many other Things which attend our Cir- cumftances in this Life, which it is not in tha Power of Men, far lefs of any one Man, with all his Anxiety or Solicitude, to remedy or pre- vent : And therefore the Way to be happy under them, is by Patience, Refignation, and Content- ment, to make ourfelves as eafy as we can, with - an implicit Faith in the Goodnefs of God, that he will lay no more upon us, than he vvill give us Strength to bear ; and efpecially to fupport our Spirits with the Hopes of a better Life ; and not by Vexation and Anxiety, to ftruggle, to no pur- pofe, with a Load much too heavy for us.
As I have made this out in general, that a Free- dom from Anxiety contributes moll both to the lengthening and to the fweetning of our Days, I might bring many particular Proofs of the fame Truth ; I might fhew how neceffary Chearfulnefs is to make the Chariot Wheels of Adion go glib, whereas with Trouble and Anxiety they draw very heavily, and foon tire our Spirits. I might fliew that Melancholy and Anxiety embitters all the Comforts of Life, but a chearful Mind makes A a 2 every
356 Anxiety hurtful [Serm.
every thing pleafant : (a) All the Days of the AffiiBed are evil^ fays Sclomon^ but he that is of a merry Heart hath a continual Feajl, I might fhcw how impoffible it is to bear up againft the feveral Calamities of Life, without a Belief of Providence. I might fliew you how Anxiety, as it embitters our Comforts, fo it aggravates all our Troubles. But having offered what is fufficient to make out the Dodtrine of the Text, I fhall rather chufe to conclude by making fome good Ufe of it, for our further Edification.
Ufe I. The fiift Ufe I fhall make of this Doc- trine, is to obferve from our Saviour's uiing this Argument taken from the Length and Profperity of Life, how defirous he is that we fhould make our Lives as eafy as we can with a good Con- fcience. As there are three forts of Troubles, £x- ternal^ hiternaly and Eternal-, to keep us from Exter?ial ones, is the Defign of thofe many excel- lent Precepts of the Gofpel, which he has taught us ; and to keep us from Internal Troubles by Sins and worldly Cares, he has likewife adapted a great many particular Precepts, as, namely, this againft Anxiety ; from which he difTwades, not only on account of its being dangerous to our Souls, but likewife as deflroying the Comforts of this Life. And as for Eternal Troubles, tho' we are always taught to chufe Suffering before Sin, yet if we can avoid it without Sin, I do not fee but that our Saviour advifes us fo to do : (b) When they perfeciiie yon. in one City, fays he, flee to ano- ther. Now there are two Sorts of Troubles our Saviour encourages us here to avoid 5 the inward
{a) Prov. XV. 15. (h) Matt. x. 23.
Trouble
XXV.] to Life and Youth. Matt. VL 27. 357
Trouble of our own Minds, occafioned by Anxie- ty and carking Care ; and the external Trouble which that exceffive Care occafions; which, by the Argument in my Text, deftroys all the Com- fort of Life. As to the external Care, it ought to be moderate ; and for the interna!, we fhould not difcompofe ourfelves about thefe outward Things, [a) I would have you without Careful- nefs^ fays St Paul-, without Carefulnefs, though not without Care -, without a vexatious Care, though not without an induftrious Care.
life II. From this Dcdrine we may obfervc what a wrong Way the World takes to make themfelves eafy and happy ; they fancying that all Happinefs confifts in Riches, take an infinite deal of Pains to acquire them at any rate. But they are in this under a double Error : Firjly That they endure a great deal of Mifery in the mean time, by the unneceflary Care and Anxiety which they undergo. And jecondly\ That they are ut- terly deceived in the Happinefs they expedled from Riches \ which, except they be joined with a liberal Heart to employ them to good Ufes, are rather a Curfe than a Blefling.
Vfe III. From this Doctrine we may learn the great Duty of Contentment, and a chearfal Mind ; which is to be acquired not by encreafing our Fortune, but by curbing and moderating our Defires. We fee from all our Saviour fays about Anxiety, that it is good for nothing ; it is incon- fiftent with the Service of God ; we cannot Jerve God and Mammon -, it is inconfiftent with the
[a) I Cor. vii. 32.
A a 3 Felicity
358 Anxiety hurtful [Se r m.
Felicity of this Life, it both fliortens our Life in general, and the profperous flourifhing Part of it in paiticular. We may well ask the Queftion then, as Solomon doth, Ecclef. ii. 22. What hath^ Man of all his Labour^ and of the Vexation of his Heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun ? For all his Days are Sorrows^ and his travel Griefs yea his Heart taketh not refl in the t^tght. He aniwers there that this alfo is Vanity \ and con- cludes that there is nothing better, as to this World's Felicity, than the contrary Pradice, of not being a Drudge to the World, but both ufing it for the various Occafions of Lile, and taking Pleafure in that Ufe, for that this is the Gift of God.
Aiid it is no wonder that both in the Old and 3New TeftamentjWe are fo much caotioned againft thefe exceflive Cares of the Woili), and exhorted to a chearful Ufe of it, aud a Moderation of our Defires after it, fince it is found by conftant Ex- perience, that nothing is more pernicious either to the Care of our Souls, and the Concernsof a bet* ter Life, or to our Peace and Happinefs in this World, than thefe anxious Cares, engaging the Mind in a perpetual Drudgery Day and Night, and leaving us neither Time nor Inclination for better Things ; whereas, on the contrary, a Mind delivered from thefe Encumbrances, is a fit Soil for receiving the Seeds of all Virtue, and for bring- ing forth the due Fruits of it. [a) Infome thirty^ infomefixty, and in Jome an hundred jold. It will be but a poor Excufe to fay, I take all this Pains
{a) Matt. xiii. 8.
XXV.] to Life and Youth. Matt. VI. 27. 359
for my Heir, I fhall leave it to him, and he may do more good with it than I have done, if he pleafes. This is juft the Defcription Solomon gives of the worldly Wretch, having immediate- ly before given a quite contrary Charadler of a good Man. Eccl, ii. at the lafl: Verfe, For God gi'-oeth to a Man that is good in his Sight, fays he, Wif- dc7n and Knowledge and Joy \ but to the Sinner he giveth Travel^ to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God, To conclude, Pray let us all rem-ember that the Time is fail approaching, when the richeft Mifer iliall in vain wifli that he had not left the d«?.Ing of good to his Heirs j but according as God had en- abled him, that he had contrived to do good himfelf ^ to be rich in good Works, ready to dif tribute, willing to commwiicate, laying up for him- felf a good Foundation againfl the Time to come, that he might have laid hold on eternal Life. And O that all of us would confider in this our Day the Things that belong to our everlafting Peace, before the Time come that they be hid from our Eyes.
God of his infinite Mercy give us all Grace fo to do ; and to him be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, forever. Amen.
A a 4 S E R M.
^66 \AgainJl Anxiety Serm*
SERMON XXVI.
Matt, VI. 28.
And why take ye T^hought for Raiment : Conjider the Lilies of the Fields how they grow, they toil not, neither do they /pin,
Ver. 29. And yet 1 fay u?ito you, that even Solo- mon, in all his Glory, was not arrayed like one of thefe,
Ver. 30. Wherefore if God fo clothe the Grafs of the Field, which to day is, and to morrow is caji ifito the Oven, fhall he not much more cloath you^ O ye of little Faith !
The Eighth Sermon on this Text.
N thefe Words our Saviour continues the for- mer Subjed: he was upon again ft Anxiety, ^nd the inordinate Cares of the World ; only as what went before had an Afped: to that Part of our neceffary Subfiftence, which confifts in Eat- ing and Drinking, this which I have now read relates chiefiy to our Cioathing ; and the Defi^/n of it is to fliew us that God's Providence relates to our Cioathing as well as to our Viduals, which by a moderate Care and Induftry, but with- out Anxiety and Solicitude, with God's Blef- iing, we may eafily provide for ourfelves. In the Words we may obferve thefe three Things.
It A
XXVL] for Raiment Mp^ttNI. 28, 29, 50. 361
L A Reprehenfion of our Anxiety, and Dif- truil of Providence as to our Raiment : And why take ye Thought for Raiment ?
II. An Argument to convince us of God's Care in cloathing his Creatures, taken from the glorious Apparel of the wild Lilies : Confide r the Lilies of the Fields how they grow,
III. An Application of this Argument to the Cafe of anxious diftruftful IVlen, ajortiori^ in four Particulars.
(i.) That the Lilies can do nothing for them- felves, towards their own Cloathing ; we can. They toil not, neither do they f pin. The Word which we render Ti?/7, in the (a) Original lignifying only Huibandry Labour, it is not taken in an ill Senfe. q, d. They can go through none of the Labour neceffary for making Cloth, neither the Field or Huibandry Labour, as for example, in fowing and gathering the Flax and Cotton 3 nor the Houie Labour, in working it up 5 both which we can do.
(2.) That they are Creatures of a much fhorter Continuance, and of far lefs Ufe than we ; and therefore we may much more expe(ft to be taken Care for by God's Providence than they. Where- fore if God fo cloath the Graf of the Fields which to Day iSy and to Morrow is caft into the Oven^ fhall he not much more cloath you ?
(3 .) We may eafily obferve that God's Provi- dence extends to Clothing, becaufe this Clothing, which w^ithout their Induftry he beftov/s on the wild Lilies, doth in Finenefs and Splendour much
(a) Kom?v',
exceed
3*62 Againfi Anxiety [Serm.
exceed the richeft Clothing invented by human Art. IJ^y ^nto you that even Solomon in all his Glory ^ was not arrayed like one of thefe,
(4.) In this Application, our Dulnefsin not ob- ferving, and our Infidelity in not believing thefe Tilings, and our Diffidence in not trufting to them, is reprehended in thefe Words; O ye of lit- tle Faith I Thefe are the feveial Parts of the Text, which I intend to explain and recommend to your Con fide ration at this Time, in the fame Order in which I have propofed them.
I. The firft Thing I take notice of in the Words, is, a Reprehcnfion of our Anxiety and Diftruft of Providence, as to our Raiment. And 'why take ye thought for Raiment .? I fay, in thefe Words are reprehended an Anxiety, and a Dif- truft of Providence ; an Anxiety, in the original Word fjie^Lfjiycloh which as I told you before when applied to worldly Things fignifies not a moderate, but an excefllve vexatious Care, which we properly call Anxiety and S.)r!citude. A Diftrufl of Providence is likewiie implied in this Queftion, v/hich will be plain if we confider how the Sen- tence ends, O ye of little Faith! Now that Man's Anxiety reaches to Raiment, as well as Viduals, is too pli)in almoft in all forts of Men. The Poor, though their Clothes are not coflly, yet confide- ring more their own narrow Circumftances than the Providence of God, are much concerned where to find new Clothes, when the old {hall be worn out. And the richer Sort, though they have enough to buy Clothes for their Neceffity, if that would content them, yet ftriving to vye with one another in the Richnefs and Coftlinefs of Apparel, they are as often put to it to fatisfy
the
XXVl.]for Raiment. Matt.VI. 28, 29, %o. 363
the Demands of Luxury, as the Poor are to fatis- fy the Demands of Ncceffity : Efpecially if what is here laid of Raiment, may be extended to all other Things that are requifite to guard us againft the Injuries of Weather, fuch as Houfes and Fur- niture, in which Luxury has run to fuch an Height, that it is really very difficult for a mode- rate Fortune to keep pace with the exceffive Fa- shions, which are introduced. But that Anxiety in both thefe forts of Perfons deferves to be re- prehended, may appear I think h'om a fhort Con- fideration of this Queftion ; A?id why take ye thought for Raiment ? For firft, as to the Poor ; I would defire them to rem.ember and confider who has taken Care of them as to that Part of their Life which is paft, when they were Young and could not take Care of themfelves ; how were they then provided in Clothes and all Neceffaries? Perhaps they will fay, by the Charity of good People, or by the Care and Liduftry of their Pa- rents, who are now dead and gone. But is not God able to raife up from tim.e to time more cha- ritable and good People ? Doth not he often find us new Friends, when the old are gone, fo that we may fay with the Pfalmift, [a) When my Fa- ther and my Mother for fake me^ then the Lord will take me up ? Or are we not perhaps abler now to do for our felves than we were then ? Let us then with cheerful, not anxious Minds, go about our lawful Bufinefs ; and never doubt but that we fhall find NeceflTaries. [b) Truf in the Lordy a?id do good'y fo fJjalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily
{a) Pf. xxvii. 10. {b) Pf. xxxvii. 3.
thou
364 Againjl Anxiety [Serm.
thou Jhalt be fed. But then, as to thofe who are in better Circumftances, or whofe Minds perhaps aim at living higher than their Fortune will allow ; the proper Advice to them is, to bring their Mind to their Circumftances, which is the only Way to be happy, to cut their Coat according to their Cloth, and to fupply themfelves cheerfully with Neceffaries fuitable to their Ability and Circum- ftances. And therefore why fliould ye be anxious for Raiment ? But I proceed to coniider
11. Secondly^ Our Saviour's own Argument in the Text, for trufting God's Providence in this Bufmefs of Raiment. Confider the Lilies of the Fields fays he, homo they grow. There are many wonderful Things might be learned from the Works of Creation, if we had Skill enough to underftand their Excellencies, and were careful to make our Obfervations : for they bear the Marks and confequently the Proofs of God's Wifdom, and are far fuperiour for Shapelinefs and Beauty to the fineft Works of Art. As to this of Clothing, our Saviour might have inftanced in feveral Crea- tures of greater Dignity, that God has furniftied with very convenient Clothing, of Hair, Wool, Furrs or Feathers, and has endowed them with admirable Skill of providing their own Nefts and Dens in the convenienteft Manner for themfelves and their Young ; and to fome of them the Saga- city to fliift their Seats into a warmer or colder Climate according to the various Seafons of the Year, and the Conftitution of their own Bodies, and thofe of their Brood ; which are clear Proofs of an overruling Providence. But he chofe rather to inftance in a Creature of lefs Dignity than the animal Kind 3 namely, among the Vegetables,
both
XXVl.]forRaiment.MATT.YI,2i, 29, 30. 365
both to make the Argument the flronger ; for if God takes Care of the fmallell Things, the mi- nuteft Parts of the Creation, he will certainly take much more Care of the more worthy and noble Parts of it ; and likewife to caft the greater Slur on the common Vanity of fine Clothes, inftancing in luch Parts of the Creation, as Man with all his Wealth and all his Vanity cannot equal for Finenefs. Conjider, fays he, the Lilies of the Field- fome think by the Lilies, he means the Tulips^ which are many of them extraordinary glorious for Beauty of Colours, mixed with fuch Exad:- nefs and Variety, that no human Artift can come near them ^ or whether he means the common white or blue Lilies,, or in general all fine Flow- ers ; for they are all Proofs of a Glory and Neat- nefs of Clothing beyond any that the moft Sump- tuous that way can reach. And if they appear fo to our naked Eye, which cannot diflinguifh the feveral Excellencies of Things fo well as by the Help of Microfcopes, the Thing is much plainer by the Alliftance of thofe Inventions 3 for by the Microfcope it appears, that whatever is natural is adorned with all imaginable Elegance and Beauty. There are fuch inimitable Gildings and Embroi- deries about feveral of thofe Works of God, as no Man were able to conceive, without feeing of them : Whereas the moft curious Works of Art, the fharpeft fineft Needle, for example, doth ap- pear to them who have thofe Helps of the Sight, as a blunt rough Bar of Iron ; the moft accurate Engravings or Embroideries feem fuch rude, bung- ling, deformed Works, as if they had been done with a Mattock or a Trowel. So vaft a Difference
there
366 Againji Anxiety [Serm".
there is betwixt the Skill of Nature, and the Rude- neis and Impertediion of Art.
III. The third Thing I obferved in the Words, is, the Application of this Argument to the Cafe of anxious, diflruftful Men, in four Parti- culars.
( I.) If the lov/e: Creatures, who can do nothing towards their own Cloathing, are fo glorioufly clad ; then there is little Reafon for us to be an- xious about Clothing, who are endowed with fo much Skill and Dexterity to provide Cloathing for ourfeives. They toil not, neither do they fpin, fays our Saviour ; the Word, which we render T^//, fignifies, as I told you, the Hu{bandry La- bour in the Field, as the Spinning is brought as an Inftance of the Houfe Labour about fpinning, weaving and dreffing the Cloth. So that it is much fuch an Argument as he ufed a little before as to the Folds of the Air^ their being provided with Viduals ; it was faid, They fow not^ they reap not^ they gather not into Barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them ; to fhew what an Advantage we have of them, that we can contribute fo much to our own Subfiflence, by fowing^ reaping, and gathering into Barns or Granaries, and therefore have the lefs Reafon to fear Hunger. Not that fowing, reaping, and gathering into Barns were in the leafl: defigned to be difcouraged -, but only that it was a very proper Argument againft Anxiety; that the Fowls of the Air are provided for with- out Want and without Melancholy, though they are acquainted with none of the Arts of Hufban- dry, which is fo ufeful towards providing of Food, as we are. Now in the fame Manner is this Ar-> gument made ufe of againft Anxiety of cloathing
in
^yiVl.'lforRaiment. Matt. VI.28, 29, 30. 367
in the Text ; that the Lilies are fo nobly cloath- cd, though they are ftrangeis to the whole Art of making Clothes, both the Field Labour about Flax, Hemp, Cotton, Mulberry-Trees for the Silkworm, or whatever other Parts of it are to be difpatched by hard Labour ; and the nicer Houfe- Part of fpinning, and weaving, and dying, and dreffing and making ; not that it is in the leaft defigned that any Thing {hould be laid to dif- courage thofe ufeful Trades of good Hulbandry and good Hufwifry : but only that fince Men and Women can do fo much towards their own Cloathing, they have lefsReafon for Anxiety than if it were a Thing wholly out of their Power.
[2,) Another Way that this Dodrine is applied a fortiori to anxious Men is this, that the Lilies are Creatures of far lefs worth, ufe or continuance than we ; and therefore we may much more exped: to be taken Care of by God*s Providence. Where- fore if God Jo cloath the Grafs of the Fields ivhich to Day isy and to Morrow is caji into the Oven^ floall he not much more cloath you^ O ye oj little Faith ! What is here called the Grafs^ may as well be ren- dred Herbs ; the Word comprehends all Manner of Plants, Flowers and Herbs; now they are faid to be caft into the Oven, becaufe that in many Places, when they are dry, they heat the Ovens with them. But the Word fignifies likewife a Still, fo that perhaps the Meaning may be that they are put into the Still to be diftilled, to ex- trad a Spirit or an Oil from them. Both ways it anfwers our Saviour's Litent 5 for ftill they are very (hort liv'd Creatures, and the Notion we have of God's Wifdom (hould teach us, that he will take moil Care of that Creature which is moft ufe- ful :
368 Agatnjl Anxiety [Serm;
ful ; and befides thefe inferiour Creatures being made for the Ufe of Man, it is but reafonable to think, that Man fhoiild be much preferred to them, whofe Servants they are. Here then is a Thing which ought to be a great Support to our Faith in God's Providence, that of that great Num- ber of Creatures at firfl made by God, there is not one of the Species yet loft, and that the vaft Num- ber of Individuals is all taken Care of, and wonder- fully fupplied in their feveral Kinds ; fo that it muft be a great Piece of Incogitancy or Infidelity in us, to think that God would abandon fuch a Piece of his own Workmanfhip as Man is, that he fhould not be cloathed, when there is not the meaneft Part of the Creation, but what is.
(3.) A third Way that this Dodlrine is applied againft Anxiety in the Text is, with relation to the Finenefs of the Cloathing. For the anxious Man may be apt to think, cheap and coarfe Cloathing perhaps I may make a fhift to compafs ; but how to get good decent fafliionable Apparel and Furniture, fuitable to my Quality and Station ; that is what I fear I fliall not be able to compafs. But even this Objedion is prevented in the Text. 1 fay unto yoUy fays he, that even Solomon in all his Glory ^was not arrayed like one of thefe. To fhew you that God is no niggardly Provider, but that he beftows upon all his Creatures good, de- cent, convenient Cloathing, and upon fome of them very rich and fine Cloathing, I give you an Inftance here in the Vegetables, which the richeft King in all his Splendour could not equal. But as this Confideration of the Richnefs of the Ap- parel is defigned to obviate our Anxiety 5 fo I doubt not but that it is defigned likewife to caft:
a flur
XXVL] for Raiment. Matt.VI. 28, 29, 30. 369
a flur upon the Vanity of Apparel, fince it is a Thing of fo little Eftimation in the Sight of God, that he beftows it in the higheft Degree upon the meaneil of his Creatures. For it is to be prefun.ed had ic been a Thing of any great worth in it- felf, inftead ot beftowing thofe admirable Varie- ties of Colours, Gilding ai.d Embroideries upon Tulips, he would have beftowed them on Crea- tures of greater Dignity : Whereas on Mankind he has bellowed but very fparingly of thefe gaudy Colours and Features, a great Part of them being black, a great Part tauiiy, and a great Parr of other wan and duity Complexions; to Chew that it is not the outward gaudy Beauty that he values, but the Ornaments of the Mind, Chriftian Graces and Virtues, which in his Sight are of ^reat Price. (4.) Fourthly, I a this Application, our Dulnefs in not obferving, our Infidelity in not believing thefe Things, and our Diffidence in not trufting God, without Anxiety, are reprehended in thefe Words 'y O ye of little Faith I There are many Things in our A6lions which it is impoffible to reconcile with our Principles ; from which one might be apt to conclude that we have no Faith : For example, our Ignorance or Unbelief as to the Dodrine of Providence, our afting in many Things as ifnhere were no God to mad us, or that would ever call us to Account for our Adlions. But our Saviour here more juftly imputes it to a Scantinefs in the Degree, rather than to a total Deprivation of Faith: O ye of little Faith\ It would be a very uleful Saidy to obferve the feveral Effed:s of a flrong and weak Faith, that we may be guarded agarnft the one, and encouraged to purfue after the other. But the Littlenefs of Faith Vol. III. - Bb here
370 ^Againft Anxiety [Serm,
here fpoke of, feems to me to be only the Want of a full Truft in God, which occafions this Anxiety ; for if we have not a firm Trail in him, that we doing our Duty he will provide us in all Neceffaries, and if our Faith as to that Matter depends upon the Probabilities or Improbabilities of fecond Caufes, we ihall be full of Wavering and Doubtfulnefs in our own Minds, and the Ar- guments to undeceive us, inftead of making a full Impreflion will take but a flender hold, and confequently will be foon forgot, and the contrary Temptations to Anxiety and worldly Mindednefs will be apt to prevail.
In order then to guard us againft all Anxiety about the World, from the Confideration of the Arguments here managed by our Saviour, taken from the Fowls of the Air^ and the Lilies of the Fields it will be neceffary that we be rightly grounded in a firm Belief that the World and all the Creatures in it did not come by chance, but were made by God, and by him endowed with the feveral Virtues and Powers which they enjoy, and likewife are fo preferved and governed by him, that they ferve for thofe wife Ends and Purpofes, ordinary and extraordinary, for which he has ap- pointed them. It would be too tedious now in the end of a Sermon, to fet about the particular Proof of thefe Things ; yet becaufe all this Doc- trine of our Saviour's in my Text, depends on a particular Belief both of God's Creation and Pro- vidence, I fhall therefore conclude, by refreshing your Memories with a brief Demonftration of this Dodlrine.
The Scripture fuppofes the Being of God, and contents itfejf to tell us how the World and all
• Things
XXVI] for RamenfMATT.'VJ,2S,2g,2o. 371
Things in it were created by him. That the fe- veral Beings in the World did not create themfelves is very plain, becaufe they are not able to preferve themfelves in Being. And that fenfelefs Matter (hould ever by chance run together into this re- gular Frame of the World, and (hould continue to ad: fo regularly, muft involve fuch an Heap of Contradictions, that it is a thoufand Times eafier to conceive, that the Earth, and Shells, and Trees, and Glafs, and Iron, had a Confultation together to make themfelves into Bricks and Lime and proper Scantlings, and Nails and Windows and Shingles, and each of them to take his proper Place, and fo make this Church, without any other Artificer ; than that all the Materials of this World could run together, to make this glorious Frame of Heaven and Earth and all the curious Inhabitants thereof. They muft then have had a Maker, of infinite Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs, and that Maker is God.
As God made the World, he preferves and go- verns the fame by his Providence. His Providence reaches to all, even the very minuteft of his Crea- tures, preferving them in their Beings, and pro- viding all Things neceflary for their Subfiftence, while he thinks fit to continue them in Being. Some of them he continues in Being from the be- ginning to the end of the World ; as the Sun, Moon and Stars. To others he afligns but a fhort Time for their Duration here, but he gives them a Power of preferving their Species, by Propaga- tion of other Individuals of the fame kind, fo that there is not one Species known to be loft from the Begin nin'g of the World to this Day. Now that this Work of Prefer vation of the feveral
B b 2 Creatures
372 Againjl Anxiety [Serm.
Creatures is God's, and that being in his Hands it will certainly be well performed, the Holy Scrip- tures give us fufficient Information, (a) He gives to all Life and Breath and all Things : And in him we live^ and move^ and have our Being, {b) Thou even thou art Lord alone^ fays Nehemiah, thcu haji made Heaven^ and the Heaven of Heavens^ with all their Hofis^ the Earthy a?id all Things that are therein^ the Seas, and all that is therein^ and thou prejervefi them alL {c) Lord thou pre- fervefi Man and Beaft, fays the Pfalmift. And in another Place, [d) He covereth the Heavens with Clouds^ he prepareth Rain for the Earthy he maketh Grafs to grow upon the Mountains \ he giveth to the Beafl his Food, a??d to the young Ravens which cry. Ye have heard how he feedeth the Fowls of the Air^ and clothes the Lilies of the Field ; and how at the fame Time it is argued that ye are much better than they, and that he will much more clothe you. In fhort, we are taught that {e) The Eyes of all wait on hi?n, and he gives them their Meat in due feafon : That he opens his Hand, and fatisfes the Defire of every living Thing. And that they are all employed in his Service, ap- pears from the many Inllances in Holy Scripture, and other Hiftories of his employing them for Mercy and Judgment in his Government of the World. V
God then having fuch an immediate Infpec- tion, and we being immediately under his Care, why cannot we reft fecure, that he being our Shep^
(a) Aa. xvli. XXV. v. 28. {h) Neli. ix. 6. (0 P^- sxxvi. 6. (d) Pf. cxlvii» 8. (/) Pf. cxiv. 15.
herdf
XXVL]forRamenf.MATT.Y1.2S,2^, 30. 373
herdy we /hall not want ; we employing ourfelves in his Service, he will fupply us with NeceiTaries? let us then be eafy, no longer /^/V^/yi, but believ- tJig^ no longer leaning to our own Underjianding, but trujiing in the Lord with all our Heart ; no lon- ger bowed down with worldly Cares and Fears, but cajiing all our Care upon him^ jor he caretb for us. It is not the Defign of my Text, as I told you, to perfwade you of the Needlefnefs of your own Labour about Clothing, as if ye were to give up yourfelves to Idlenefs, and exped: that God will clothe you by Nature, as he does the Herbs and Flowers ; but the Force of the Argument runs thus, that God in his Providence orders it fo, that all his Creatures are provided in all Necef- faries, they doing only what by Nature he has fitted them for, though that is far fliort of com- palTing the end alone, without the immediate AiTiftance of his Providence. And that therefore Man has lefs Reafon to be diflruftful of Provi- dence than other Creatures, bccaufe God has ena- bled him to do much more towards his own Sub- fiflence than moil other Creatures can do ; and therefore he need the lefs fear his want of that Subliftence. But it is in this cxceffive Care, and Fear, and Diftrufl of Providence, and not Men and Womens honeft Labour, which by fo many Arguments our Saviour diffvvades from^ It is not thele inferiour Things, which he would have us io eagerly feek after • but he would have us go about our Bufinefs cheerfully, and let the main" Care of our Hearts run upon better Things than thofe of this World. He has better Service for us than to employ us in looking after the Baggage. Wc have the main Battle to mind ^ we have the Devil, B b 3 the
374 Againjl Amiety, &c. [Serm.
the World, and the Flefli to encounter 5 we have the Kingdom of Heaven to purchafe, and muft be fure that our chief Care be not diverted upon inferiour Things. Let our Hearts be fet on Heaven, and on finding out the way that leads thither ; and for the Things of this World a moderate Care of our own, and a great truft in God will ferve turn. This is the way to take off our Care from the World, which we muft iliortly leave behind us ; and to fet it on Heaven, where we hope for a durable and truly comfor- table Subfiftence, that is worthy that we ihould exert our utmoft Care and Endeavour in the At- tainment of it J and will richly recompence all our Labour.
Which God of his infinite Mercy in due Tifne be^ Jiow upon us ail^jor JeJusChriJi's Sake,
To him with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft^ be all Praife,
SERM.
XXVIL] i75
SERMON XXVIL
Matt. VI. 31.
therefore take no Thought faying^ what Jlmll we
eat ? or what Jhall we drink ? or wherewithal
Jhall we be cloathed? Ver. 32. {For after all thefe Things do the Gentiles
feek) for your heavenly Father hioweth that ye
have need of all theje Things.
The Ninth Sermon on this Text.
I Doubt not ye all obferve, how much our bleffedLord infifts on this Subjed againft Co- vetoufnefs and the inordinate Cares of the World, heaping Precept upon Precept, and Argument up- on Argument, endeavouring by all proper Ways and Means, that could be thought of, to raife our Hearts above the World, and to fet them on Hea- ven, and the Study of the Way that leads thither. Doubtlefs he had many excellent Reafons for dwelling fo long on this Subjed:. For as Cove- toufnefs was a Vice which the Pharifees, one, of the ftrideft Seds among the JewSy were parti- ..i- larly addidedtoi and is indeed the Vice whi.h B b 4 borders
376 Anxiety unbecoming a Belief [Serm;
borders moft upon feveral Virtues, fuch as Sobrie- ty, Temperance, Modera: on in Apparel and Furniture, Frugality and D ligence in our ieve- ral Callings ; and is likewise the freeft from Scan- dal, where it doth not run to great excels ; tor fome of the worft of its evil Coniequences are in- ward, in withdrawing the Heirt from God, and fixing it on the World, and being inward ait not eaiy to be difcerned but by the Seaicl:er of Keans; fo upon all thefc Accounts it is a Vice much more lurking and dangerous. To which if we add the Confideration of the moft pernicious Confeq :ences of it, in eating out all Care of Religioi; ; it is no wonder our Saviour took fo much P ans to per- fuade his Difciples and Followers to be of ano- ther Spirit and Temper. Wlien I lay his Diici- plcs and Followers, I do not mean only the twelve chofen Difciples, but the wlu le Conipany of his Difciples, that is, all Chnflia: s in general, for it is to be obferved, that of thofe mi«ny Arguments he makes ufe of to overthrew th^s Vice, not one of them is taken from the ConfiJeration of the Apoftolical or paftoral Office, but from fuch Things as are equally binding upon all Chriftians, and accordingly the Apoftles give the fame Pre- cept againfl Anxiety to all Chriftians in feveral Parts of their Epiftles.
In the Words which I have read, we have thefe two Things.
I. A Repetition of the fame Precept againfl
Anxiety, draw^n by Way of Conclufion from the
former Arguments Therefore^ take no l.hought,
faying^ what /hall we eat ? or what J]:aU we drink ?
or wherewithal jhall we be do at bed ^
11. A
XXVIL] of ProvUence. Matt.VL ^i, ^2, ^77
II. A new Enforcement of the fame by t\r/b more Reafonss namely, that this Practice was more fuitable to the Principles of the Heathen, who believed nothing of a Providence, ji/ter all thcfe Things do the Gentiles jeek. And that their heavenly Father knew that they had need of all the fe Things \ and therefore would take Care to provide them, with their own moderate, without their anxious Care. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all thefe Things. I fhall fay fomething firft to the Repetition of the Precept, then to the new Arguments.
I. As to the Precept, I {hall confider it under two Notions; firft, as a Precept repeated; fe- condiy, as a Conclufion drawn from the former Arguments ; for under both thefe Views I think it is here reprefented.
I. Let us confider it as a Precept repeated, as indeed it is plain that It is repeated, for at the 25 th Verfe we had the fame. Therefore I fay un- to you ^ take no thought for your hije^ what ye Jhall eat^ or what ye fhall drinky nor yet for your Body^ what ye Jhall put on. And now again at the 31ft: Verfe : Therefore take no thought^ fayi^gy what fhall we eat? or what Jhall we drink? or where- withal Jhall we be cloathed ? There are feveral Reafons may be offered to account for this Re- petition. I. This ftiews us the Importance of the Precept, that our Lord comes over it again and again ; as Pharaohh Dream was doubled, to fhew the Certainty and Importance thereof. 2. This is well fuited to our Dulnefs of Underftanding, and Shortnefs of Memory, and Deadnefs of Af- fections, to have good Things frequently inculcat- ed 5 and doth iikewife put us in mind of our
Duty
37^ Anxiety unbecoming a Belief [Se R m.
Duty, whcih is frequently to think and mediate upon them. 3. Efpecialiy, in fuch a long Dif- courfe as this, in which many Arguments are brought, and fome of thefe feemingly by way of Precept, as here. Behold the Fowls of the Air^ and confider the Lilies of the Fields it is neceffary to keep our Thoughts fixed on the main Scope and Defign, which all thefe Arguments are brought to prove. It is true, there are other collateral Truths we may learn from thefe Arguments ; as Mathematicians draw Corollaries, befides the mair» Thing which was to be proved ; as here in thefe ArgumeDts we are informed cf a particular Providence, which takes Care of all, the very minuteft of the Creatures; yet ftili tlie chief Con- clufion for which Arguments are brought, is efpe- cialiy to be minded, if it were but to difringuilh it from thefe Arguments, and in a long Difcourfe for that very Reafon to be now and then re- peated.
2. We are to confider thefe Words, Therefore take no thought^ p^y^^^S-' "^^batjhallwe eat ? or what jhall we drink ? or wherewithal (hall we be c loathed ? as a Conclufion drawn from the former Argu- ments, and this the Word Jhefrfore intimates unto us. I intend not now to look back to thefe Arguments, and to obferve to you the Conclufive- nefs of them; that has been fufficiently done al- ready, when we were upon the Confide;ration of the particular Arguments. I fhall only briefly obferve two Things from the Text taken under this View. i. That we are hereby encouraged not only to confider divine Truths in themfelves, but likewife to draw Infe- rences and Conclufions from them, and to adfe
upoa
XXVIL] of Providence. Matt.YI, 31, 32. 379
upon thofe Inferences. 2. That this muft be a Precept of extraordinary Confequence, which our Saviour has not only again and again incuU Gated and repeated, but has Hkewife thought fit to confirm and back with fo n^any Arguments; and furely we fhall be fo much the more inexcu- fable, if after all this Pains, we fhall either for- get, or negligently perform this important Duty, of extricating our felves from the anxious Cares and Solicitude about the World. So much for the Repetition of the Precept, or the Cc.nclufioa drawn from the former Arguments, which was the firft Thing I obferved from the Words.
II. I come now in the next Place to the two new Arguments, for prefixing the fame Conclufion.
I. The firfh of them is in thefe Words ; for after all thefe Ihings do the Gentiles feek. q. d. It is utterly inconfiftent with the Knowledge of God and the Belief of his Providence, and the Duties of Religion, and the Hopes of a future State of Happinefs to the good, and Mifery to the wicked, to have your Hearts fo much fet on the World; it is more like ignorant fl^^/y6^;/5 than either fews or Chriftians^ to give up your felves to thefe Practices. In fpeaking to this Argument I fhall do thefe two Things.
(i.) Shew how fuitable this was to the Princi- ples of the Heathen, to take a great deal of Pains for this World.
(2.) How difagreeable it is to the Principles of Chriftianity,
(i.) How fuitable it is to the Principles of the Heathen, to beftow their Pains chiefly on this World. For i. The Ignorance they were in, or $bc very flender Notions they had of a future
Cares
380 Anxiety unbecoming a Belief [Serm.
State, was the Caufe that their Thoughts and Cares were limited chiefly to this Life. It is true, foine few of their learned Men had ftrong Con- jectures of a future State ; but as they were but Conje(5lures, they made but flender Impreflions upon their Spirits, and furniflied rather Matter for Difpute, than had any great Influence upon their Lives. 2. And if they knew little of a Life to come, they knew as little of Providence, more efpecially of a particular Providence, which in- spects into ail the Creatures, and provides for all their Wants. 3. They were likewife Strangers to thofe many Precepts of Charity, with which the Chriftian Religion abounds ; and to the Dfj<Srine that we are, liice Stewards, to give an account of our Eftates, as well as of our other Talents, to our great Mafter, who entrufttd them with us. 4. Their Religion too, fuch as it was, rather en- couraged them eagerly to puifue Riches ; and to affift them in it, one of their Gods, Plutus, who was called the God of Riches, was aifigned them to worihip; fo that they had very great Temptations and Encouragements to Covetouioefs and Worldly-mindednefs, beyond what we Chri- ftians have. And this leads me to the fecond Thing I propofed to confider on this Head; namely,
(2.) How difagreeable thefe inordinate Cares are to the Principles of Chriftianity. For i. If we may gather the Principles of Chriftianity, ei- ther from the Example or Precepts of the great Mafter and Inftitutor of it, it is plain to every one that has read the Hiftory of the Gofpel ; firft, as to his Example, that he chofe a Life of Poverty, much greater Poverty than he thought fit to en-
joia
XXVII.] ofProvidence,MATT.Y\,^i^^2. 381
join his Difciples. It is plain that he avoided all fuch . Employments as might entangle him in worldly Cares ; he wa> accufed indeed, by his Enemies, as if he had fet up for the Kingdom of yiidcea-y but it was a very grcundlefs Calumny; for, as he told Pilate^ his Kingdom was rot of this World, fo his Pradice was fbitable to that Profeffion ; for v/hen the People would have taken him by force, and made him a King, he prudent- ly withdrew himfelf from them, and his v, hole Pra6tice was exceeding peaceable and iPofFenfive. He had great Followings indeed of Muliitudcs, and this iliewed what Litereft he had to fet up again ft the Roman Government, (not then well fettled) if he had been fo minded. But he never making ufe of thofe Multitudes to any Ends either of Infurredion or Covetoufnefs, not fb much as to give the leaft Difturbance to theGovernment, fhews how far he was from any worldly Pradices, or De- ligns upon them. Then as to his Dodrine, ne- ver was any Dodrine contrived better fitted to wean Mens Hearts from the World, than His was. There is fcarce any other Vice he fo much con- futed by an elaborate Argument, as Covetoufnei^ and the inordinate Cares of the World. And ther^ are befides a great many other Branches of the Chriftian Dodtrine utterly inconfiftent therewith. For, 2. What is the meaning of that moft intenfe Love to God, that we mul"^ {a) Love him with all our Hearty andSoul^ and Mind ^ and Strength? Will not that take us off from the Love of the World, at leaft in any immoderate Degree ? For
[a) Mark xii. 30,
if
38a Anxiety iinhecoming a Belief [S e r m*
if the Current of the Affedlions is conveyed into another Channel, this muft needs moderate them as to the World. And, 3. Has not the Difcovery of the true Nature of the Meffiah*s Kingdom, that it is an heavefily^ not an earthly Kingdom^ the ve- ry fame Eifedl ? Let them who know nothing, or believe nothing of Heaven, employ their En- deavours chiefly about this World -, but for Chri- ftians, whofe AfFcd:ions are diredled to be fet on the Things above, it is no way conliftent with fuch a Faith and Hope as theirs is, to be immerfed in worldly Cares. And, 4. This worldly Spirit is utterly inconfiflent with thofe many Precepts of Charity, which are every were to be met with in the Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apoflles ; for as I had Occafion to fhew you not long ago, tho' the precife Quantity to which our worldly Eftates are to be limited, is not determined, nor indeed can well be, confidering Mens various Stations, Circum fiances, and Occaiions; yet there are fo many good Rules prefcribed on that Subjeft, that if they were duly oblerved, they would keep both our worldly Eftates and Cares within due Bounds ; I mean the Bounds of Juftice, and Contentment, and Charity, and Generofity, and Heavenly-mind- ednefs, which would fo cramp this worldly Spirit, that the Cares of this World would be fo rooted out, as not to obftrud our Care for a better Life. 5. Laftly, the Belief of a Providence, which, we do- ing our Duty, will provide for all our neceflfary Occafions, cuts off the only Pretext which we had left for Anxiety and Solicitude, namely, the providing of Victuals and Clothes for the future. But I chufe rather to refer this to the next Argu- ment, which our Saviour here brings in, namely,
2. That
I
XXVII.] ofProvidenceMArT.yi,%\,'^2. 383
2. 7hat our heavenly Father knows that loe have need of all thefe l^hings. This Argument is pro- pofed very ftiort ; there is no doubt God knows all Things ; but how doth it follow^ from thence, that we need not be anxious or over- careful our- felves? Again, if God knows that we have need of all thefe Things, perhaps he knows too, that confidering what a fcrambling World this is, there is no compaffing what we have need of, with- out a great deal of Care and Pains. And perhaps to fome, God's knowing that we have need of thefe Things, might look like a Motive to ftir us up to feek after them with fo much greater Di- ligence, fo far from being an Argument to the contrary, the leflening of our Care about them. For clearing the Matter then, we mult coniider more particularly what is the Importance of this Expreffion, that our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of all thefe things. The Meaning of it in {hort is, to acquaint us that this immode- rate Care of ours is altogether needlefs and fuper- fluous ; for that God who made us, knows that he made us fubje(ft to all thefe Neceffities , and forbidding us to trouble our felves with any an- xious Cares about them, he will certainly find fome other way to fupply them without our An- xiety. I cannot perceive any the leaft Flaw in this way of Reafoning. To illuftrate it by a familiar Comparifon : When a rich and kind Father fends his Son abroad, and gives him Orders to mind his Studies ; but for all Money that he (hall w^ant, to depend upon him, and to draw upon him ; would not this Father have Reafon to take it very ill at this Son's Hand, if negled:ing his Studies, for which he fent him abroad, he fhould go and hire
himfelf
3 §4 Anxiety unbecomtng a Belief [Se Rm.'
himfelf out to any Day Labour in that Country, and therewithal find himfelf Viftuals and Clothes, and never more take any notice of his Father ? E- fpecially as to the mere Neceflaries of Life, he could not beheve that fuch a kind Father would begrutch them, as knowing that he has need of all thefe Things.
Now that this Argument may have its due Weight, there are thefe three Things in it, which require our ferious Confideration.
(i.) The Relation we Hand in to God : He is our heavenly Father.
(2.) The Things which we ftand in need of, namely, the Neceflaries of Life; What wejhall eaty and what wejlmll drink^ and wherewithal we jhall he clothed,
(3.) The Duty which upon both thofe Ac- counts is incumbent upon us ; namely, as Chil- dren to a Father, and as encouraged to look to him for the Supply of our Necelfities.
(i.) The Relation we fland in to God; he is our heavenly Father : Your heavenly Father know- eth that ye have med of all thefe things. Now the Confideration of this Relation has a mighty Ten- dency to the Point in Hand, which is, to encou- rage our Hope and Truft in God. There are three Things which encourage a Son's chearful Dependanceon his Father, i. If he knows the Fa- ther to be able to relieve all his Wants. 2. If he knows that his Father truly loves him. 3. If he knows that his Father is privy to his neceflitous Circumfl:ances. Now though one or other, or fometimes all thefe, are wanting in an earthly Father ;for often he is not able to fupply his Son s Wants, being but in poor Circumfl:ances himfelf; and often he is alienated
from
XXVIL] ofProvidence. Matt. VI. 31, 32. .3S5
from his Son, that he has not the true Bowels of a Father towards him ; and often, when the Son is at a diftance from his Father,' the Father may not know what hard Ciicumftances his Child is in. Though, I fay, thefe are common Dcfcfl-s in earthly Fathers, there is never any of thefe in- cident to God : He not only knows our original Frame, and that this was the Infirmity of our Nature, that we were born fabjcd: to all thefe Ne- ceflities; bat he knows likewife all the Changes, which from time to time are m^ade in our feveral Circumftances, and is always both willing and able to help us.
(2.) We are to confider the Things which we are here faid to ftand in need of, for they likewife will help to farni(h out the Argument againft Diftrull: and Anxiety. Thefe Things, as appears by the Context, are the Neceffaries of Life, What we Jhall eat^ and what we pall drinky a?2d where- withal we Jloall be cloathed. Now, though many a Father will begrutch the fupplying a Son with Money, or Credit, to fupport him in his Extra- vagancies, yet there is fcarce any Father fo hard hearted, but wili, if he is able, help his Son out, when he wants only necefiary Subliftence, as the Cafe is here put.
By the by, there is a great and very ufefiil Dif- tindion to be here made of our feveral Wants; fome of thefe are the Neceffaries of Life -, Vv^ants not of our own creating, but Wants to which, for wife Ends and Purpofes, God has thought fit to fubjed: our Natures ; and there are other Wants, which, by our own Sin and Folly, v/e bring up- on our ielves. Now the firft of thefe God has promifed to fupply without our Anxiety, and
Vol. Ill, C c therefore
386 Anxiety unbecoming a Belief [Se rm.
therefore we have all the Reafon in the World to be ealy about them ; we may with as great Con- fidence and Affurance addrefs our felves to God for all thofe Supplies, as an hungry Child may expedt to be relieved by a tender Father or Mo- ther, or a naked Child to be clothed by them : for thcfe are the Adls of God, and he takes Care that none of his Creatures iuffer, for any of the natu- ral Wants or Infirmities to which he has fubjeded them. But I find no fuch Promife to the other fort o: Wants, which are the EfFed: of our own Sin and Folly ; nor does the Reafon of the Cafe afFord us any fuch Comfort in that fort of Di- ftrefT^^s, for that would be to encourage Sin and Folly. While we do our Duty, and keep in God's Service, and do not forfake him, we fhall be duly provided for ; but if we turn Deferters, we have then no more Right to the Vidluals, and Clothes, and Medicines, which are provided for God's Soldiers, as it were -, but run the Hazard of a thouiiuid Hardfhips, which attend our rebel- lious Courfcs, and there is not the leafl Promife or Encouragement, I know of, that they ihali be fupplied, till we return to God and our Duty. And tius leads m*e to the third and laft Thing I propofed to confider ; namely,
(3 ) The Duty which upon the above-men- tioned Accounts is incumbent upon us, as Chil- dren to a Father, and as we are encouraged to look to God for the Supply of all our Wants and Ne- ceffities.
As to the firft, the Duty which we owe as Chil- dren to a Father -, to mention no more of it than belongs to this Subjedl of Anxiety, we muft take care, i. Not to diftruft our Father*s Care of
us.
XXVII.] of Prov'Jence.M ATT. Yl. '7^1, 12. 387
US; we doing our Da ty, there is no better Cure of Anxiety than firmly to believe that we are un* der God's paternal Care. Let us in this Refped; endeavour as much to free our Minds of all Cares and Fears and Solicitude about the World, as aa Embaffidor fe^t abroad in the Service of a ge- nerous Prince, or rather to keep to the Simile in the Text, as a Son fent abroad to travel by his kind Father's Order, and upon his Charge. If fiich a Son knows that there is no Fear but that his Father has Eftate enough, and that he keeps within the compafs of his Inftrudlions as to his Expenccs, furely he will be in no manner of Pain as to the anfwering of his Bills; and under no fort of Concern how he fhall fubfift in that fo- reign Country, during the remaining time of his Travels; no farther than to take care that he do nothing to alienate his Father's Affedlion from him. So let us only take Care to do our Duty, according to the Inftrudtions of our heavenly Fa- ther ; and never in the leaft doubt but that we fhail be provided for in our Travels. But, 2. To keep to the fame Similitude, another Part of our Du::y is to addrefs our heavenly Father in all our Wants ; for as in the aforementioned Cafe, though a Father may know very well what Supplies are proper to be fent to his Son, without af^ing; yet he juftly expeds that the Son ihould from Time to Time let him know his Wants, and de- fire the proper Supplies of him, when he wants them, and likewiie return him Thanks after he has them. This exad:ly fuits our Duty in this Refped: to our heavenly Father, as it is deicribed by the Apoftle, Ph, iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: But in every Tubing by Prayer and Supplication with C c a Thankfgiving^
388 Anxiety ujtbecoming a Beliefs &c. [Serm.
Thafik [giving^ let your Reqtiejis be made known un-- to God.
Then as we are encouraged to look unto God for the Supply of all our Wants and Neceffities; this (liould teach us to take no unworthy, fordid or difhoneft Courfe to fupply our Wants, but cheer- fully to depend on God for that Supply ; and like wife to behave our felves fo, that we throw not our felves out of God's Protection, and from tinder the Care of his Providence. Ye have heard of fome Fathers difowning and difinheriting their undutiful Children. Let us take heed that this be not our Cafe, that we provoke not God to aban- don us, both as to his Care of us in this World, and as to his providing an eternal Inheritance for us in the World to come. Or, if we have fo provoked him already, let us be at no reft till we relolve to return with the penitent Prodigal, and fubmit our felves and make our Peace with our heavenly Father : Telling him that we are no more worthy to be called his Sons, and humbly begging that he would admit us in the loweft Sta- tion of his meaneft Servants. And for your Com- fort I have Authority to promife you, if ye come with true penitent Hearts, heartily forry for what is paft, and fmcerely refolved to forfake your evil Courfes, and to obey God for the future, he will for liis dear Son Jefus Chrift's Sake, both pardon your former Tranfgrellions, and affift you wiih his Grace to make you new Men and Wo- men hereafter, fruitful in every good Work, to his Gioiy, and ycur own Sandification and Sal- vation.
Which God of his infinite Mercy grant for the ■fame Je:us Chrift's Sake. To njckom^ 6cc.
S E R M.
XXVIIL] 389
SERMON XXVIIL
Matt, V[. 33.
But feek yejirjl the Kingdom of God and his Righ* teoufnejs^ and all theje T.hi72gs Jloall he added luU to you.
The Tenth Sermon on this Text.
OU R bleffed Saviour having in the preceding; Difcourle from the 25th Verfe, given us diverfe Characters of Anxiety, v/ith feveral good Reafons againft it, comes now in this, and the next Verfe, to dired; us to the contrary Virtue, which confnis in two Things ; firfi^ in bending our principal Care to feek after Heaven, and Ho- linefs as the Way that leads to it ; then^ in mode- rating our Cares about the World, that they do not extend to any long Time to come, but that we- refer the worldly Cares of the future Time to the Future itfelf. It is the firft of thefe we are now upon : But feek ye firjl the Kingdom of God and his Righteoiijnejs, and all theje Ihings foall be ' added unto you. In the Words we have thefe two Things.
I. A Precept by way of Antithefis, or Oppo- fition to Anxiety : But feek ye firjl the Klnglom of God and bis Righteoufnef,
C c 3 II. A
390 Heaven and HoUnefs to be our [Serm*
II, A Promife, that in fo doing all wo \iiy Necellaries {hall be added : A?2d all thefe things jJ:al. be added unto you.
I. 1 begTi with the Aniithefis, or oppofite Du- ty to Anxiety : But Jeek ye firjl the Kingdom of Gcd and his Right eoujncfu Toe Orpi^ition ap- pears by the firft V/crd But-, which I i;;iend to coniider in the fiift Place, fo^'ca ft iiig farther Li>zht upon the Sin cf Anxiety, before I come to the Defcription of the oppolice Duty. It appears then from thefe Words, that one main Chariidter of the Sin of Anxiety is this, that in the chief and prin- cipal Place it feeks after the World, preferably to Heaven, as our chief End, and to Holinefs a>^ the Way that leads thither. But becaufe the Decelt- fulnefs of Mens Hearts is apt to miflead them m the Application of this Rile, and they Vviil be ready to feed themfelves vuth the Fancy that a- bove all Tl ings they feek alter He. - en, though they are ever fo deeply immerfed in the World; I {hall theretore affift you by a few other Rules, by which ye miay try which of thefe two Ends, Heaven, I mean, or this World, ye do chiefly purfue and feek after.
I. Let us examine which of the two is moft in our Thoughts, the gaining of the World, or the gaining of Pleaven. {a) If 1 forget thee, O jerufalem^ fays the Pfalmift, let my right Ha?id jorget her Cunni?2g \ if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the Roof of 77iy Mouth -, if I prefer not yerufalem above my chief Joy, What he faid of the earthly^ the true Chriftian may fay
{2} Pf. cxxxfii. 5.
of
XXVIIL] principal Care. Matt. VI. 33. 39^
of the heavenly Jerujalem. It is on all Occafions very much ia his Thoughts; he orders, at leail lincerely endeavoars to order his whole Life ar.d Converfation fo, as that lie may eet to r]( r^'en <it laft; thai is the Mark he aims at ; and vvner: at any time, either through Ignorance or Inadver- tency, or tl::e remptations or b^d Company, or his own natural or acauired Corruption, he wan- ders out of the way or !oy ers in i% and makes not the due Progrels that he ought to do in the Way to Heaven, he heard^y reptnts, and begs God's Grace, and ufcs his own moft vigorous En- deavours to recover himfelf quickly into the VVi;y of his Duty, which is the Way that leads to Heaven. Heaven is the Obj^d of all hi^ Hopes ; the miffing of it is the Objedt of his Fears ; the contriving to keep in the rignt way to it, is the chief of his Care and Study. But how then, doih not a good Man mind the World at all^ doco not he exercife himfelf diligently in fome worldly Calling, as well as other Men, and endeavour to thrive in it as well as they ? Yes he do;js, but with quite other Views, and in a quite otlicr Man- ner than thofe Men do, who let their Hcarr cw the World. They love the World fo well, chat they labour for it, as if they were never to leave it ; he provides it only as a Thing necefiary for his Journey, and wouid be glad at all times to exchange it for Heaven. They give up themfcivcs to immoderate and exceffive Cares about the Woi kl; he breaks off all thefe Suckers of impertinent Cares, and minds the one Thing neceflary in tlie chief Place, and other Things wi^ h a much mors moderate and inferior Degree of Care and Corw ccrn. Their Heads and Hearts are lull of iheir C c 4 worldly
392 Heaven andHolmefs to be our [Serm.
worldly Projects ; his great, and only great Care indeed, is to fit himfelf for Heaven ; and the World he minds as a Work by the by. In fhort, if we had a Window, that wq could look into Mens Hearts, we fhould fee that the main Affec- tion of the worldly Man, that principal Wheel which fets all the refl*: going, turns to the Woild ; but that in a good Chriftian it turxis to God. The cliief, and main, and mofl predominant of- his Defifcs and Aims is upon Heaven, where he may more fully and freely enjoy God to all E'ernity.
2. Let us examine whether we ufe the mofl cf- fecflual Means to get to Heaven j for by this we may knov/ whether our Hearts are chiefly fet upon it. For it is not an ill formed Defio;n which will carry us thither, or is any certain Sign that it is chief in our Thoughts. If any of the IJraelites^ for Examiple, who were Captives in Babylon^ had 'pretended ever fo earneft Defires of returning to their own Country ; but when a good Oppor- tunity preiented of returning thither, as there did by the favourable Edid: of Cyrus-, if, I fay, at that Time any of them would not prepare him- felf to go, bat flayed flill in Babylon^ would any one believe that fuch Perlons were in good earnell, w^hen they pretended fuch a Love to their Country ? So we may feed ourfelves, and others, with the Fancy that our Hearts are principally let on Hea- ven, but if we do not fet ourfelves in good earnefl to m.aks ufe of the Means, we do but deceive our- felves, when v/e think we have fuch a noble End principally in our Thoughts. And more particu- larly, can any Man in good earnefl believe that he is chiefly feeking after Heaven, when he neg- leds all the Means that lead thither ^ fuch as the
diligent
XXVIII.] principal Care. Matt. VI. 33. 393
diligent Study of the holy Scriptures, the Exercife of Prayer, the frequenting of the holy Sacrament, Juftice and Honefty in his Dealings, the fl:ewing Mercy to the Poor and Needy, a thorough P.epen- tance for his Sins, and a diligent Endeavour to amend them ? If any Man is fo taken up with his worldly Projedis and Bufinefs, as to negled: thefe Things ; if he prefers his Farms ^lxA his Merchandife to the great Concerns of his Soul, he may aflure himfelf that the Love of the World is uppermoft in his Heart.
3. Of great Affinity with this, is another Mark and Sign, whereby we may lafely try ourfelves whether our Hearts are chiefly fet on Heaven or no ; namely, if we are very much afraid of, and carefully avoid every thing which we are fen fible is obftrudive of that Deiign. The immoderate Cares of the World we muft needs be fenfible (as Suckers draw away the Subftance from a Plant) withdraw our Care from Heaven, and from thoie Duties which lead thither. All Sin and V^ice is a very great Hindrance of our Growth in Grace, and efpecially v/hen finful Adions, by frequent Repetition, grow up into finful Habits, they are then like a great Clog tied to a Man's Foot, which effedlualiy hinders his Progrefs in the Vv^ay to Heaven. And therefore, pretend what they will, whoever they are that indulge themlelves in evil Habits, certainly they have not their Hearts chieflv let on Heaven.
4. Another Way to try whether our PIeart> are chiefly fet on Heaven or the World, is to obierve which of them, upon a Competition, we rather chufe. It is to be feared, if our Saviour Ihould % to us as he did to the rich young Man in the
Gofpel,
394 Heaven andHoUnefs to be our [Serm.
Gofpel, {a) One Thing thou lackejly go thy Wajy fell whatfGever thou hafty and give to the Poor^ and thou fi alt have 'Treafure in Heaven ; aJ2d come take up the Crofsy and follow me ; that many would do as that young Man did ; that is, they would not come up to thofe Terms, and would fooner leave Chrift than the World. The primitive Chriftians had many fuch Opportunities of giving Proof whether they would be Confeff)rs or D'.ferters. This Duty of bearing the Crofs, which was the great Sign whereby they proved the Truth of their Chrifiiani y in thofe Days, ^^ e are now great Stran- gers to, and for ought tha: can be coDJedtared from the Behaviour of many that call themfelves Chriflians, they Vv ouid foor.er abandon the Truth, and change to every thirg that is uppermoft, be- fore they would ioofe a Place or Preferment, far lefs all that they have in this World. It is dread- ful to obfeive how, in Times of Trial, whole Countries, (a very few excepted) for fear of Per- fecution, have renounced their Religion, and fol- lowed that of the Prince, or any prolperous Ufur- per, when their worldly Interell dired:ed to that, as the moft profperous Method for this World.
5. And lailly. We may know which our Hearts are moil fet upon, God or the World, by obferv- ing which we prefer, and which we poftpone. If we fpend the Prime of our Life, and Strength, and Health, in the Service of the World, and think to put God off with Sicknefs or Old-Age, or a Death-bed Repentance ; it is plain then that the World has the principal Place in our Hearts, and
[a] Mar. x. 5.1,
that
XXVIII] principal Care. Matt. VI. 33. 395
that we think to facrifice to God with the Blind and the Lame, and to ferve him with that Time which is unfit for minding our world'y Affairs. This I think is a plain Demonllration, which of the two has the chief Place in our Heart and Af- fedion. So much for the firft Thing I obferved in the Words, namely, the Light they cad on the Sin of Anxiety, from this Part of the Anti- thefis in my Text.
1 proceed next to a more particular Confidera- tion of the Duty here enjoined, which is to feek jirjl the Kingdom of God, and bis Right eoiifnej's. Where, firft, I (hall explain what is to be meant by thefe two great Objedls of our Care, The King- dom of Gody afid his Righteoufnefs -, and then what by feeking them frji, or in the chief and princi- pal Place.
By the Kingdom of God in the New Tefta- ment, is often meant that Method of Salvation • laid down by Chrift in the Gofpel ; and it is like- wife called the Kingdom of Heaven, or the King- dom of Chrift or the Meffiah; and in this Senfe it is reftrained fometimes to true Believers, and fometimes extended to all who have given up their Name to Chrift, though there be Tares mix- ed with the good Corn, Hypocrites and wicked Men intermixed with true Believers; and in this Senfe it refpedts chiefly the Kingdom of Grace ; but in many other Pailiiges of the New Tefta- ment, this Phrafe, The Kingdom of God, fignifies the heavenly Felicity itfelf. Now in this Place, The Righteou/ne/s of God, being added to it, the Kingdom of God I take to be the heavenly Re- ward itfelf, and the Righteoufnefs of God, thofe Duties which God has prefcribed as the Way and
Means
396 Heaven and Holinefs to be our [Serh;
Means for attaining it. Or if tliefe are to be taken both for one and the fame thing, they make up the Kingdom of God in that larger Senfe, as it comprehends both the Kingdom ^f Grace and Glory. Which foever Way we take it, it comes all to one and the fame thing ; it comprehends the Kingdom of Glory as the End, and the King- dom of Grace as the Means, and both thefe are to be fought in the fuft or principal Place. To go on then in the Method of my Text : Let us nrft coniider the ultimate End we are to aim at, the heavenly Reward, and then the Way and Means of attaining it, called here God's Righte- oufnefs, or that Righteoufnefs which God requires and will accept, in order to our evei lading Sal- vation.
To begin with the eternal Reward itfelf. It is let forth to us in the Holy Scriptures, by all thofe Things which may give us the higheft Idea of it, for Wealth, Plcafare, and Honour, feparated from thofe fmful Appendages of them, with which they are ufually attended in this World. Not to divert your Thoughts with any other Apprehen- fions of it at this Time, let us conuder a little this of a Kingdom, and a Kingdom of God ^ where, not to fpeak of the Glories and Splendour of the hea- venly Court, I Ihail only defire you to confider the hdavenly Felicity under the Notion of the mod perfcdl Government. And in it, i. The Happinefs of being immediately under the befl of Rulers, God Almighty himfelf. 2. The happy Conftitution of that Government, which is a clofe Conjundlion of their Duty, their Inclination, and their Pleafure or Happinefs. 3 . The Obedi- ence and Felicity of the Subjeds. 4. The Tran- quillity
XXVlll'] principal Care. Matt. VL 33. 397
quiility and Security of this Kingdom. I am ea- fily induced to £iy fomething, though but Ihort, of all thefe ; fomething, becaufe the Explicatioa of my Text, and the Agreeablenefs of the Subjedt requires it, and but little, for who is Jlifficient for thefe things ?
(i.) Let us confider that it is a Kingdom of God, and that the Subjeds of it will have the Happinefs of being immediately governed by the beft of Rulers. It is hard for us to conceive how great an Ingredient this is in the Happinefs of any Kingdom. Had we an Idea of the perfecfteft Ruler that ever was in the World, it might help us to a Conception of this Part of the heavenly Felicity. A Ruler perfectly well skilled in all the beft Arts of Government, and as perfedlly vA^ell informed in all the Circum fiances of his Subjects ; a Raler that entirely loves his People, and has no Intereft to drive on, feparate from theirs; a Ruler entirely beloved by his People, and a People thoroughly fenfihle of their own Happinefs ; a Ruler againil whom there is no rifing up, but who has all Power in his Hand to keep under all his Enemies. Can any one tell what a great Blefiing fuch a Ruler would be in the imperfed; Govern- ments of this World ? Governments blended with a thoufand miferable Circumftances, which the beft Ruler could never remove. What muft it be then where the Ruler has an Almighty Power to do as much good as he pleafes, and an infinite Goodnefs to do as rnuch good as his Subjects are capable of? It is not to be conceived, what an in- finite Happinefs would proceed from this one Con- fideration of fuch a King.
(2.) Let
398 Heaven and HoUnefs to be our [Se r m*
(2.) Let us confider the happy Conftitution and Model of that Government, which confifts in a Cov'jancflion of thefe three, vhe Sabjefts Du- ty, and Happinefs, and Inclination. I know not whether I fpeak properly, when I mention the Daty of the celeftial Subjects ; for in fo far as their Bafinefs will be prefcribed them by God, it it may be called Duty ; but if we confider the Readinefs, the Alacrity, the never-failing Com- pliance of all the Subjedts of that heavenly King- dom, we may more properly reckon them the Principles of that renewed Nature of theirs, which they are under not any the leail Temptation to refill:, thin Duties which are commonly enjoined by Laws and Penalties. But whatever they are, it is certain they are not more their Duty than their Happinefs ; and not more their Duty and Happinefs than their Inclination and Delight. So that there cannot be any Frame or Form of Go- vernment devifed, that is any Way comparable with this for the Felicity of it.
(^3) Let us confider the Obedience and the Fe- licity of the Subjects of this heavenly Kingdom; for if the Prince and the Government were ever fo good, and the Subjefts rebellious, this would mar the Mufick of the whole, and put even an heavenly Kingdom into Diforder. But that divine Likenefs into which they are framed, which removes far from them any Murmuring orDifcontent, and keeps them at an infinite diftance from any Thoughts of Difobedience, not only difpofes them to an Harmony and Agreement, and a ready Compliance with every Thing re- quired by this great King, or any of the Officers of his Kingdom, but makes them fenfible of the
extreme
XXVIIL] principal Care. Matt. VI. 33. 399
extreme Happinefs and Felicity they enjoy under that bleffed Condudt. From whence we may ga- ther how much thofe heavenly Inhabitants fliall be fpiritualized, and deUvered from all earthly or carnal Inclinations, which gives them fuch a Re- lilli of that heavenly State : For if it were poiGible for a carnal Man to be tranflated thither, with- out being changed in Heart and Mind, it is not to be imagined that he could be happy there 5 he would be out of his proper Element, it would be like a learned Mathematical Ledlure to an igno- rant Clown ; he would be weary of it, and would turn Male-content in Heaven, and lofe all the Sa- tisfadlion of that blefled Place and Government.
(4.) Let us confider the Tranquillity and Secu- rity of this heavenly Kingdom, molefted with no Enemies within or without ^ a Kingdom fo firm- ly eftabliflied, that there is not (o much as the leail fear that there can be any Difturbance in it, or any overthrowing, of it. The Apoftle calls it ^ Kingdom that cannot be movedy Heb. xii. 28. What an unfpeakable Comfort is this, to Ke in Poffef- lion of the greateft Felicity, and to know at the fame Time that there is nofliakiug of that bleffed State, but that it fhall continue fo for ever and ever ? This is the Kingdom we ought to have in our View, and not only in View, but to bend all our Endeavours towards the Attainment of it. This is the ultimate End to which all our other Ends muft be fubfervient. We mull be fure to entertain no Defign that doth in the lead inter- fere with this ; let this be the firjl^ and all the reft feconi to it. Now in order to fit and prepare us for this heavenly Kingdom, we muft take fpe- cial Care to adorn our felves with fuch virtuous
Qualities
400 Heaven a77d Holinefs to be our [Serm.
Qualities and Difpofitions, as are required by God to give us an Entrance into that heavenly State, and iikewife to qualify us for partaking of the Felicities of it. And this leads me to the fecond Tning which is to be the Objed: of our Care and Study. Namely,
God's Pvi^hteoufnefs, But feekye firji the King^ dorn of God and kis Righteoufnefs, By Righteouf- nefs, whenever it is put as the fole Condition or QiiaHficatioa for attaining the Kingdom of Hea- ven, is always meant univerfal Righteoufnefs, which takes in not only the particular Virtue of Ju!l:ice, but the whole Duty of Man, as at the 2oih Verfe of the 5th Chapter of this Gofpel, Except your Righteoufnefs exceed the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye jhall in no Cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This Righteoufnefs by the Evangelical Condefcenfion is far ihort of a finlefs Obedience \ but is abfolved by our fincere Endeavours, though in many Things we offend all of us. The Evangelical Righteoufnefs confifts in an hearty Endeavour to obey the Laws of the Gofpel \ and in a diligent applying to God for Grace to do it, and a quick and fincere Repentance after Lapfes ; and all this founded on a true Faith in Chrift, in and through whom it is that we are admitted to the Benefits of the new Covenant. This is called God's Righteoufnefs 3 for becaufe of the Mercy and Condefcenfion of it, it differs from Man's Righteoufnefs in divers very confiderable Points. For human Judgment requires fuch an exact Obedience, that if a Man is ever fo good a Man in other Refpeds, that will not be admitted in excufe of any one Tranfgreflioa of a penal Law ; but God looks chiefly after the Sincerity of the
Heart,
XXVIIL] frincipal Care. Matt. VI. 33. 401
Heart, and if that be right with him, he is ready to pardon many Failings. In human Judicato- ries too, if a Man be guilty of a Crime, tho* he is ever fo penitent for it, his Repentance will not fave him before Man's Tribunal, though it will before God's. Since we cannot then attain to the Righteoufnefs of Innocence, let us endeavour after the Righteoufnefs of Repentance 3 and iince we cannot attain to the Righteoufnefs of a perfed:, let us endeavour after the Righteoufnefs of a iin- cere Obedience. And this is God's Righteoufnefs, without which, notwithftanding all that Chrift has done and fuffered for us, we fliall never en- ter into the KingdCm of Heaven. But I mufl not conceal from you another Notion I have like- *»wife of God's Righteoufnefs in this Place; that perhaps it is fet here in Oppofition to that of the Scribes and Pharifees^ which our Saviour is all this while improving j and then the meaning will be, Seek ye firft the Kingdom of God, and the Righteoufnefs which he approves of, viz. not that which con fids only in an external Obedience, like that which I have been defcribing of the Scribes and Pharijees^ which makes a fair fhow in the Sight of Men, and will be accepted in Man's Judgment ; but that true inward Sandlification, which is required, and will be accepted by God the Searcher of Hearts. So much for theObjedls of our Care, Heaven, and Righteoufnefs or Ho- linefs, which leads to it.
The laft Thing we are to confider in the Duty here required, is the high Degree of Care, with which both thefe are to be .fought after, exprefled in thefe Wc^s, Seek ye FIRST the Kingdcm of God and his Right eoiijhejs. By this Word^r//,
Vol. hi. Dd we
402 Heaven and Holinefs to be our [Serm^
we are taught to make thefe our chief and princi- pal Care, as being the only Things almoft, wor- thy of our Thoughts and Labour. It is very ob- fervable how honourably the Scripture fpeaks every where of the Study of Heaven, and of Ho- linefs as the Way thither ^ and how diminutively, in comparifon, of all worldly Affairs, [a) Wifdom is the principal Things fays Solomon; therefore get Wifdom : And with all thy getting get Underfiand- ing. By Wifdom in thole Books is meant Reli- gion and the Fear of God, When Martha com- plained to our Saviour that her Sifter ik/^ry left all the Care of the Houfhold Affairs upon her, while Mary made ufe of the Opportunity of Chrift's Company to improve her Soul in its fpiritual Con- cerns : Our Saviour in his Anfwer (hewed how Httle he efteemed all the houfhold Affairs in comparifon of this, [b) Martha, Martha, fays he, thou art anxious^ and troubled about ma- ny Ihings : But one T^hing is neceffary ; and Mary hath chofen that good Part which fi all not be taken jrom her. It is certain, as much as Heaven is pre- ferable to Eaith; as much as the Soul is preferable to the Body ; as much as Eternity is preferable to this fhort Time which we live here ; {o much is Religion and the Fear of God preferable to all temporal Concerns whatfoever.
To conclude then (for I find I have not time now to fpeak to the Promife annexed) let this be our chief and main Care and Study, let this be the Bufmefs of our Lives : all other Things are but By-Vv^orks; they are Matters indifferent, this
(^) Piov. iv. 7, {h) Luke x. 41.
is
XXVIIL] principal Care.MATT.Vl, 33 J 403
is the iiniim necejfarium^ the one thijig needful-^ and therefore let us mind it, not in a neghgent, un- concerned Way, but with as great a Degree of Application as a covetous Man minds his Gain, or a voluptuous Man his Pleafure, or an ambitious Man his Honour, or a malicious Man his Re- venge \ let this be our Study day and night, to acquire all the Parts of Holinefs in as high a De- gree as we can, that being true Members of Chrift's K'ngdom of Grace here, we may be Member* of his Kingdom of Glory hereafter.
No-^: to him with the Father and the Holy Ghoji, &c.
D d 2 S E R M*
404 temporal Bleffings added [Serm.
SERMON XXIX
Matt. VL 33- .
Butfeek yejirji the Kingdom of God and his Righ- teoufnefs^ and all thej'e things Jhall be added un- to you.
The Eleventh Sermon on this Text.
IN a former Difcourfe on thefe Words, there, were two Things I obferved to be contained in them.
I. A Precept by way of Antithefis, or Oppo- fition to Anxiety. But feek ye firjl the Kingdom oj God and his Righteoufnefs.
II. A Promife, that in obferving this Precept, we {hall not only obtain the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs, but likewife all worldly NecefTaries. And all thefe Things fiall be added unto you.
Now having fpoke to the Precept oppolite to Anxiety at the laft Occafion, thcfeeking firft the Kingdom of God and his Right eciifnejs^ I proceed now,
II. To the Promife or Encouragement annexed, And all thefe Things fl:) all be added unto you. What is meant by ail tl;iefe things, is very plain
from
XXrX.] to Holinefs, Matt. VI. 53. 405
from the Context, which runs thus, Verfe 31. therefore take no Thought^ fayingy what Jhall ive eat ? or whatJJjall we drink ? or where- withal fhall we be clothed? (Jor after allthefe Things do the Gentiles Jeek) for your heavenly Father know^ eth that ye have need of all the fp Things. Then follows the Text, But feek ye jirft the Kingdom of God and his Right eoufnefs, and all thefe Thi?tgsjhall he added unto you. So that it is very plain, the all thefe Things here is the fame which was men- tioned in the preceding Verie, namely, the Ne- ceffaries of Life, What we fhall eat^ and what we fjjall drinky and wherewithal we fhall be clothed. But what is the meaning of this, they pall be added unto you ? It is not faid, they fliall be given to you, but they fhall be added^ implying, not that we fhall have them as the principal Reward of that Study; but that they fhall be thrown in to a greater Bargain, as an inconfiderable Overplus or Addition to it ; fo that there are two Thmgs in this Promife.
Firft, One fuppofed, that whofoever principal- ly fets his Heart on Heaven, and fincerely ftudies Holinefs as the Way to it, he fhall be fure to gain that noble Prize. And,
Secondly, The other expreffed, that all Things neceffary to Life fhall be fuperadded.
As it was in the cafe of Solomon ^ upon his firfl entering upon the Kingdom, i Kings iii. 5. where God gives it him in his Choice to afk what he would, and he fhould have it. And when Solomon afked an underflanding Heart to judge and govern the People wifely, God wa^ {o wellpleafed with his Choice, that he gave him both it, and Riches and Honour which he did not afli. And the Speech D d 3 pteafed
4o6 Temporal BleJJings added [Serm,
f leafed the Lord, that Solomon had ajked this Thing' jifid God faidujito him, Becaiij'e thou h a fl ajked this Tbingy and hafl not I'Jked for thy feif long Life^ neither haft afked Riches for thy felf nor hajl ofked the Life of thine Enemies, but haft afked for thy felf JJjiderftanding, to difcern fudgment: Behold I have done according to thy Words j lo i have given thee a wife and an underftandmg Heart, fo that there was none like thee before thee^ neither after thee fkall there arife any like unto thee. And 1 have alfo given thee that which thou haft not afked, both Riches and Honour, fo that there fh all not be any of the Kings like unto thee all thy Days. I have quoted you this Paffage of Solomons Hiftory at Jarge, becaufe God's dealing thus with Solomon calls great Light upon this Promife in my Text. For God is fo well plealed with our Preference of the Kingdom of Heaven to this World, and with our minding the Study of Holinels before the Study of the Ways to grow rich, that he prcmifes here both to grant us thefe principal Things which we defire, and to throw in a Competency of worldly Bleffings to boot. But to return from this Digreffion concerning Solomon^ the fii ft Thing in- cluded in this Promifeis a Grant of Holinels here, and Happinefs hereafter ; God's Right eoufnefs and bis Kingdom, This is the main Thing; the o- ther is but an Addition and Bounty thrown into the Bargain. In fpeaking to this Part of the Pro- mife,
(I.) I &all prove that Holinefs and Happinefs are promifed, and (hall infallibly be beftowed up- on them, who ierioufly and with their chief In- duftry feek after them,
(II.) I
XXIX.] to HoUnefs. Mai t. VL 33. 407
(II.) I ihall anfwer fome Objedions to the con- trary.
(I.) I am to prove that HoUnefs and Happinefs are promifed to them, who ferioully and with their chief Induftry feek after them. To confiim this Doctrine I might tranicribe all the Promifes of the Gofpel, for they are all made upon Condi- tion of our diligent asking and hearty endeavour- ing after them j but I iliall confin;:^ my lelt to the Text and Context. To what purpoie doth our Saviour exhort his Difciples fo earneflly to feek for Heaven and HoUnefs, with their principal Care, if he did not mean that they were attain- able by that Care ? But perhaps it may be faid, that he exhoris to thefe Things, as Generals in an Army exhort their Soldiers to fight couragiouily, in hopes of Vidlory ; not but that it often happens that a Soldier, though he do his Duty ever fo well, may mifs of the Vidory. It is true, it is often fo in the Affairs of this World. (.^/) The Race is not always to the Swift ^ nor the Battle to the Strongs nor Bread to the Wife, nor Riches to Men ofUnderJlanding^ nor yet Favour to Mm of Skill 'y but Tiyne and Chance happeneth to them alL But there is no fuch Lottery in our Spiritual War- fare, {b) We fo run^ not as uncertainly -, and we Jight fo, not as one that beateth the Air, We go upon fure Grounds ; if) for he is faithful that hath promifed. It is true fo far, may fome think, if vv^e are holy and righteous Perfons, we fliall not mifs of Happinefs -, but how are we fure that this HoUnefs and Righteoufnefs fliall be attained by
(tf) Eccl. ix. II, {h) I Cor. ix. 26. {c) Heb. x. 23. D d 4 our
4o8 Temporal Blejings added [Serm.
our Endeavours, though ever fo diligent ? It is fo hard a Matter to conquer corrupt Nature, and to overcome evil Habits, that perhaps with all our Endeavours we ihall fall ihort of that Degree of Holinefs, v/hich is ncceffary to the Kingdom of Heaven. I anfwer, that provided our Endeavours are fincere, and fo vigorous that we ftudy Holi- nefs in the firft and chief Place, it is certain both from the Nature of God, and the whole Current of the Holy Scripture, that our Labour Ihall not be in vain, but that [a) we Jhall reap if we faint not, God is always reprefented as an Encourager of the leaft true Beginnings of Goodnefs. {b) He will not break the bruifed Reed, ?2or quench the fmoaking Flax, To him who improves the Ta- lent he will certainly encreafe it, as it is in the Pa- rable, {c) Let us deal honeftly as to our Parts, and there is not the leaft Doubt of God's Good- nefs and Fidelity as to his. And that the Promife in my Text was defigned by our Saviour to be extended to the Kingdom of Heaven, appears by his making the good Things of this World but an AuBarium, a little Overplus, which ufed to be j
thrown in to make good Meafure. And St Luke in the parallel Place, Luke x\i. '^2. is more ex- prefs in explaining it in this Senfe. For having fa id, But rather feek ye the Kingdom of God, and all thefe Things fid all be added u?2to you, he adds immediately. Fear not, little Flock-, for it is your Father s good Pleafure to give you the Kingdom, q. d. Fear not that this your Study and Induftry will prove in vain ; or that it will be God's Pleafure to
(a) Gal. vi. 9. [h] \{. xlii. 3. {c) Matt, xxv. 29.
give
XXIX.] to Uolinefs. Matt. VI. 33. 409
give the Kingdom of Heaven to others who do not take fo much Pains for it, and exclude you after all your Pains; for it is his good Pleafure to give it to thofe few in comparifon, who prefer it to all Things elfe, and diligently feek it.
II. The Objedions againft this Dodtrine are chiefly three 3 which I fhall briefly propofe and anfwer.
Obj, I. Some depend on their relation to fome famous Church for Salvation, and fo they are but reckoned true Members of it, think themfelves fafe, even without making Heaven and Holi- nefs their principal Study. The Jews expedted to fhare in the Kingdom of Heaven, as being the Defcendants of faithful Abraham, Some think Salvation is theirs, as being true Members of the Church of Rome:, and fome that it is theirs as be- ing true Members of the Church of England-, and others that it is theirs, as having addicted themfelves to fome Party, that they think holier and flritfler than the reft. A?if. Such Objedors do not underftand the Principles of the feveral Churches and Parties ; for though fome of them are fo uncharitable as to condemn all other Churches but their own, yet none of them pre- tend that there is any Church in the World en- dowed with fuch a Virtue, that without diligent feeking after Heaven, and ftudying the Way of Holinefs that leads to it, their Members fhali at- tain it, purely by Virtue of their joining them- felves to their Society. And if I knew any fuch Church in the World, I would defire no better Proof of her being a moft falfe and erroneous
Church i
4IO temporal Blefftngs added [Serm.
Cliuicb ; for as St Paul tells us, [a) In Chriji ye fin neither Circumcifion availeth any things nor XJncircurnc^fion^ but a new Creature, And there is no lefs than a natural Impoffibility in the thing, that without Kohnefs any one fhould enjoy the Happdnefs ot Heaven ; the Pleafures there being no llich Pleafures, as that an unholy Perfon can delight in them.
Obj, 2. Againft this Dodrine, that Heaven \n'A\ be bellowed on them who diligently ieek it in the Way of Holinefs, it may be objeded, that Heaven is allotted in the fecret Decrees of God, aiid therefore does not depend on our Diligence in feeking after it in the Way of Holinefs. But this dangerous Objediion may be briefly anfwered thus, I. Firft, that we are forbid to look into God's fecret Decrees ^ (h) Secret Things belong unto God: We are to govern our felves by his revealed, not by his fecret Will. 2. I anfwer, that it is a great Miftake to think there is any Difference between God's fecret and revealed Will. The lame Per- fons who he has told us in his revealed Will fliall obtain Heaven and Happlnefs, the fame very Per- fons, and no other, has he decreed it for in his fecret Will ; fo that there is no Relief to be had from this Dodrine by God's fecret Decrees.
Obj. 3. Laftly, Againft this Do6trine, that Ho- linefs and Happinefs fhall be bellowed on them who feek after them moll earneftly, and in the principal Place, may be objeded the common Opinion, that by a few Ads of Sorrow and Con- trition on a Death-bed, one may get to Heaven,
{a) Gal. vi. 15. {b) Deut. xxix. 29.
though
XXIX.] to HoUnefs. Matt. VI. 33. 411
though we have principally ferved the World, and our Lufls, all our Life long ; and therefore there can be no fuch Neceffity of making this our prin- cipal Study and Bufinefs, as this, and feveral other Texts do dire6l. But to this I anfvver, that for that very Reafon, that Doctrine of an eafy v^ay of getting to Heaven by a few Acts of Sorrow and Contrition at laft, though v/e have not been ferious in the Bufinefs of Religion all our Life long, we ought to fufped:as a dangerous Dod:rine, con- trary to the Scriptures, and to common Senfe and Reafon. It is true, there are great Promifes in Scripture to Repentance, but can any one think that a few Ads of Sorrow is true Repentance, if it doth not proceed to Amendment of Life? By all the Defcriptions of Repentance I could ever gather from the Holy Scripture, if it does not bring forth the Fruits of a good Life, it h only Hypocrify, or at beft the lazy Wiflies of the Slug- gard, and will not be accepted by God. There is a great Difterence between a Sluggard's wifhing and woulding, and a diligent Man's getting up and doing; and there is great Difference between a godly Sorrow, which produces a real Change of Heart and Life, and another Sorrow which eva- porates all in a few good Words and Wiihes ; the one is a true, and the other a falfe Repentance, From all which it appears, that this is a certain true Dod:rine, that Holinefs and Happinefs arc promifed, and fliall certainly be beftowed on them, and only them, who ferioully, and with their chief and principal Induftry, feek after them.
Secondly^ I come next to the fecond Thing more exprefly contained in the Words ^ namely, that to the fame Perfons all the NecefTaries of Lifeihall
4 1 2 Temporal BleJ/ings added [ S e r m.
be fuper- added: Seek firji the Kingdom of Gody and his 'Righteotfjhcfs, a,id all theje T^hings^ {viz. the Neceflaries of Meat, Drink, and Clothing) Jhall be added unto you. Having on fome other Occafions handled this Subjed, particularly in turtir'>'on the fourth and fifth Beatitudes, Meek- nefs and Juftice, I fliali be now the fhorter upon it ; only fhall brieiiy lay befoie you thefe three or four Confiderations, for confirming this Truth.
( I .) That the Scripture is very plain in this Promife.
(2.) That this Dodlrlne is very agreeable to the Belief v/e have of God's Providence.
(3.) That right Reason and Experience confirm this Truth.
(4.) That particularly there is fomething in the Nature of the Ciirifdan Inftitution, that makes it good.
(i.) As to the Scripture Promifes, I think no- thing can be plainer than that of my Text, All tkeje Tubings jhall be added unto you, I fhall give you two more, one out of the Old, and another out of the New Teftament. Pf. xxxiv. 9, 10. O fear the Lord ye his Saints^ for there is no Want to them that fear him, The young Lions do lack and fuffer Hunger^ but they that feek the . Lord. Jhall not want any good 'Thing. And Heb, xiii. 5. Let your Converjation be without Covetoujhefs^ and be content with fuch Things as ye have \jor he hath Jaidy 1 will never leave thte nor forjake thee, I could bring you a great many more to the fame Purpofe, to ihew that [a) Godlinefs hath the Pro-
(a) 1 Tim, iv. 8.
mife
XXIX.] to Holinefs. Matt. VI. 3 3 J 413
mife of the Life that now is, as well as of that which is to come. But for Brevity's fake, thefe may fuf- fice for fuch as neither diftrull God's Veracity, nor his Abihty. And to others, if there were ever fo many more, they would fignify nothing.
(2.) This Dod:rine is very agreeable to the Be- lief we have of God's Providence ; which is, that as in general he takes Care of all his Creatures, fo more particularly that he takes Care of good Men ; and therefore St Peter exhorts them {a) to caft all their Care on him, for he carethfor them.
(3.) Right Reafon and Experience confirm this Truth. The Man that fears God has many Ad- vantages of the wicked Man, for being fupplied with the Neceflaries of Life. The Faculties of his Soul are in much better Tune, as not being abufed to wicked Purpofes 3 his Time is more his own, as not being fquandered away in bad Com- pany or Idlenefs, or the Purfuit of any iinful Lufb or Pleafures. His Abftinence from many waile- ful Vices, Gluttony, Drunkennefs, Whoredom/ Luxury, and Prodigality of all Sorts, enables him to mind his Bulinefs much better, and to hufband better what he gets, than they who are entangled in any of thefe Vices. And if there were nothing elfe, that exact Honefty, which he ftridly obferves in all his Dealings, is a wonderful Help both to introduce him into Bulinefs, and to continue him in Employ ; and he minds his Affairs more chear- fully, as being confident of God's Aid and Afii- ftance, whofe BlefTing he continually invokes; fo that there is nothing, in the Reafon of the thing to hinder, but that he is like to thrive and profper in the World ; not indeed to get fuddenly [a] I Pet. V. 7.
rich.
4.14 temporal BleJJings added [Serm.
rich, (for that is commonly the Effeft of fome hidden Piece of Knavery) but gradually and ho- neftly to thrive in the World. Then he is much fecurer in his Po^Teffion of what he has, than a wicked Man, who is continually in Danger of being detedcd and fleeced. And particularly,
4. There is fomething in the Nature of the Chriflian Inftirution, that makes good this Doc- trinCj That a good Chriftian fhall not readily be deftitute of the Neceffaries of Life. There is a Chriftian Duty called {a) Brotherly Love, which our Saviour inftituted with all the Solemnity that could be, calling it a new Commandment, and his Com7nandment, and making it the Teft and Badge, whereby his Difciples (hould be diftinguiihed from all other Men. This Duty is nothing elfe but a very high Degree of Friendihip, which he has eftabliflied among his Difciples ; all Expreffions of which he has promifed to accept, as if they had been performed to himfelf ; and by virtue of this Friendfhip, there is no Chriftian but will find fo much Favour among Chriftians, that he is not like to want Neceflaries ; for this Friendftiip will exert itfelf in a great many Ways of Induftry and Charity for our Brother Chriftian's Relief, before Things can come to that Extremity. It was this Brotherly-love that made all their Sufferings fitfo eafy upon the primitive Chriftians. There was fuch a Sympathy among them, fuch a Readinefs , to join Hearts and Souls, Pens, Purfes, and E- | fl:ates, that there was no fuch Thing as breaking any one of them, without breaking and extirpa- ting them all. And if they had attempted that in
{a) John xiii. 34, 35.
one
XXIX.] to Holinefs. Matt: VI. 3 3. 415
one Coantry, fo extenfive was their Charity, that from all the remoteft Countries, Supplies would have been fent them, fo that there was noiie of the Chriftian Believers lacked any Thing; but they found greater and better Supplies from their Chriftian Btethren, than ever they had found from their own kindeft Relations in the World. Then was that feeming Paradox of our Saviour's Pro- mife made good, which we have, Mark x. 29. Verily I fay unto you^ there is no Man that bath left Houje^ or Brethren^ or Sijiers^ or Father^ or Mother y or Wife^ or Children^ or La?ids^ for my fakey and the Gofpets^ but he Jhall receive an hun- dred Fold now in this time^ HoufeSy and Brethren, and SiJierSy and MofherSy and Children^ and Lands^ with PerfecutionSy and in the World to come eternal Life, And though, alas! Charity is now much de- cayed, and in the room thereof there is introduced a great deal of meer formal Civiiity ; yet it is to be hoped there are ft ill fome good Chriftian s eve- ry where, who will take Care that their fellow Chriftians do not want the Neceflaries of Life. And befides the Charity of Chriftians alive at the time, there are great Foundations of Chari- ty in moft Chriftian Countries, from the Benefac- tions of charitable Chriftians, who liyed in former Days; out of which a comfortable Subfiftence is provided for thole that are in Want. But tho' the particular Ways and Means could not be all enumerated, whereby Relief doth come ; it is e- nough that we have Chrift's Promife here, that if we feek firft the Kingdom of God, and his Righ- teoufnefs, all thefe Things fhall be added unto us.
But
4i6 temporal BleJJings added [Serm^
But there are two confiderable Objeftions a- gainft this Dodtrine, which it will be fit to re- move, before we conclude.
Obj. I. Are there not diverfe Precepts of the Chriftian Religion, inconfiftent with this Supply of all Neceffaries, promifed here to good People ? Such as this fame minding of Religion in the firft Place. Is not the covetous Man, who fets his Heart upon it, and makes it his principal Bufi- nefs, who employs his Thoughts, Time, and Care, and Contrivance chiefly about it, much more likely to thrive in the World, than -he who minds it only by the by ? Is not he whofe Deiires after the World are boundlefs and infatiable, much more in elediion to be vaftly rich, than the good Chriftian, who is commanded to be contented with Food and Raiment ; that is, with a Com- petency of the good Things of this Life ? Is not he who will take all Advantages that Self-Intereft dired:s him to, much more likely to lay up, than he who confines himfelf to the ftridt Rules of Equity and good Confcience, and deals with all Men as he w^ould wifli to be dealt by in the like Circumftances ? Is not he more like to fave, who keeps all clofe hoarded up, than he who is per- petually laying out in doing good according as he is able, and has Opportunity ? And finally, is not he who is under no Reftraints of Confcience, but is ready to turn v/ith all Tides, and to comply with every Thing that is uppermoft, rather than he will run the Hazard of the Lofs of a Place, or incur any other worldly Penalty, more like to hold his Feet in this World, than the ft rid con- fcientious Man, who would chufe fooner to for- fake allj than to keep it on fiaful Terms ? But to
all
XXIX.] to Holinefs, Matt, VI. 33. 417
all thefe Precepts of the Chriftian Religion, I an- swer, I/?, That none of them make any thing againft our being provided wich a Competency of the Neceflaries of Life 3 but only againft our pro- viding oMr felves with it in unjuft knavilh Ways; which Ways, if ever they are deteded, endang:er our utter Ruin even in this World. 2di)\ I ne- ver pretended that Religi :»n was a means of pur- chafing this \Vo;ld by Ways inconfiftent with our Purchafe of Heaven and Happinefs, for it is certain all our wurLiiy Cares muft be fubordi- nate to our great Care for Heiven : [^a) For what jhall it profit a Man. if he jhould gain the whole Worlds and lofe his oivn So id-, or what J]?aU a Man give in exchange for his Soul? This may ferve for an Anfwer to all th^ uniuft Ways of '.^ettin ^ or keeping an Eftate. It is true, Charity may feein inconfiftent with lavin? uo much : Rut as lone as we have enough for all the real Occafions of Life, whether is it better that we keep a gr:;.t deal of ufelefs Wealth to look upon, or to lay ^t out both to do good to others, and to help for- ward our o.vn Salvation?
Ohj. 2. But how is thi:^ Do6lrine reconcileab'e with tl e Dodrin3 of the Crofs, for which our Saviour woold have w^ always be prepared ? it of- ten happens, that inftead of having all Things re- lating to the Neceflaries and Comforts of this Wo'ld, added to us, we muft patiently bear with the fpoiling of our Goods; nay, fome- times muft lofe onr Lives for our Religion I anfwer, that God is then no worfe than his Pro-
■{a) iVhrk viJi. 36, 37.
y oi-. IIL E e mife,
4i8 Temporal BleJJings added to Holinefi, [Serm*
mife, when inftead of the Cotnforts of this World, he gives us the Kingdom of Heaven. The patient bearing of the Crofs, is always attended with much more valuable Bleffings than Wealth and Riches j the Lofs of which fliall be compen- fated both with an Encreafe of fpiritual Bleffings here, and an higher Degree of Glory hereafter.
To conclude then, let us firmly believe that if we diligently labour for Heaven, and fludy our Duty in all the Parts of Holinefs, we (hall not only be holy here, and happy hereafter, but fliall be fupplied with all Things neceflary for us in this our Pilgrimage, by means of our own mode- rate Care and Induftry -, and without fuch a vex- atious Care, as to divert our Minds from the Stu- dy of better Things, fuch as lead to Heaven and Happinefs : Which in due Tim.e God of his in-^ finite Mercy beftow upon us all, for Jefus Chrift*s Sake. To whonty &c.
S E R Mi
XXX.] 4^9
SERMON XXX.
Matt. VI. 34.
7:ake therefore no Thought for the Mor?'ow ; for the Morrow Jh a II take Thought for the Things of it^ felf : fujicient unto the Day is the evil thereof.
The Twelfth Sermon on this Text.
IN thefe Words our Saviour concludes his di- vine Difcourfe again ft Anxiety, and the inor- dinate Cares of the World. In them v^e may obferve thefe two Things.
I. Another Precept by way of Antithefis or Oppoiit^on to Anxiety. Take tJoerefore no Thought for the Morrow,
II. The Enforcement of this Precept by two new Reafons 3 namely that the Morrow, when it comes, will be more proper to take care of its own Matters, the Morrow Jloall take thought for the Things of it/elf\ and that the prefent Time has e- nough to do with its o^viC2St%\ fuficient unto the Day is the evil thereof
I. I begin with the firft, which is a fecond Precept by way of Antithefis, or Oppofition to Anxiety ; Take there [ore no Thought for the Mor- row, The firft, as I lately told you, was that of feeking firft the Kingdom of God, and his Righ- teoufnefs, which was encouraged with a Promife that bcfides the attaining that Kingdom and Righ- E e 2 teoufnefs
420 Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm.
teoufnefs, all worldiy Neceflaries fhould be fliper- acjded. This fecond too of not taking Thought for the Morrow, is enforced by the Reafons an- nexed.
Before I confider this Precept in itfelf, I will take leave to confider it by way of Antithefis, or contrary Principle to Anxiety ; that under this View, it may help to caft fome further Light on that Vice, from which our Saviour doth fo in- duftrioufly here diffwade.
Now looking upon the pi-eative Precept in my Text with this View, it affords this Charafter of the anxious covetous Man, that he is not con- tented to take care for a Competency of the Ne- ctiTaries of Life at prefent, but extends his Care for them to a long time to come ; for that is what is meant by the Day and the Morrow, the pre- fent and the future time. I (hall not here confi- der the Anxiety or Solicitude lignified by this Word of takirg Thought, having done that alrea- dy in fome former Difcourfes againil this Vice. What I (hall now confine myfelf to, fliall be to confider the Bounds as to Time, to which we ought to limit our Thoughts and Cares of the World; that in purfoance of the Defign of my Text, I may find out this Part of the anxious Man's Charadter. i. Then, That our Care and Provifion is to be regulated by the Ufes we are to have ioF it, is, I think, very plain ; for that thefe Things are not the chief Defign of Life, but on- ly Necefi^aries and Conveniencies in order to it. We muft then fo moderate our Cares about the World, a^ to bear fome Proportion to the Ufes and Occafions v/e may probably have for it. As a Mailer of a VeflTel in laying in Provifion, has under hif Confideratipn both the Length of the ' Voyage^
XXX.] to Chrijiians, Matt. VI. 34. 421
Voyage, and the Number of Mouths he has to feed ; for it would be thought a very impertinent and fuperfluous Piece of Providence in him, fhould he lay in three Years Provifion for a three Months Voyage, or as much for ten Mouths as for an hundred. But fome may reply, if he fhould do this, what is left after one Voyoge, is not loft, it may ferve another. I anfwer, But has not the Veffel carried fo much lefs of other more precious Commodities, that might have yielded Freight, and fo have turned to much better account ? So we may fay of thefe worldly Cares, when they ex- tend far into Futurity. Have we not loft our Time and Labour, which might have been beftowed to good Advantage on the great Bufinefs of Life? Have we not m?cde a very bad Calculation, and fo wretchedly thrown away the Voyage of Life, which is never to be retrieved? 2. It is plain like wife, that whatever worldly Care we take, (hould be a Care that is proper for the prefent Time, and that we ought not to anticipate the Cares of the future. This will be rendred more intelligible by the help of the former Similitude. Suppofe a Mafter of a Ship defigns one Voyage from England to this Country this Year, and another the next, if God fpare him Life and Health, would it not be a much more rational Way to vidlual but for one Voyage at once, than to vidtual for both Voyages together? The Truth is, we do not adl with half the Wifdom and Sagacity, in the Affairs of our Souls, as we do in the Concerns of this Life ; for the covetous Man goes by no Rules, he utterly forgets that he is making the Voyage of Life, and does not fteer fteadily to the Port of Heaven; he makes no Diftindion between his Provifion E e 3 and
422 Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm.
and his Loading, and never minds the Reckoning he muft make one Day to his Owners.
But the covetous Man has a great many Pre- tences for this his anticipating the Cares of the future Time ; for is it not reafonable that in their Youth Men {hould work, and lay up for old Age ? Is it not reafonable that a Man, who has a Charge of Children, fliould provide for them, to fet them: out in the World ? And is it not reafonable, con- fidering the many Accidents and Misfortunes of Life, that a Man fhould have more Strings to his Bow than one? All this is but a fallacious way of arguing, and doth not come up to the Cafe : for provided the main Thing be minded; tliat is, Heaven fought after in the principal Place, and Holinefs ferioufly iludied, as the Way that leads to it, all thefe Things may be purfued with an inferiour moderate Degree of Care. But then, that can never be done, if we beftow the chief of our Time and Thoughts on the World -, if we gather or heap up fafter than the Laws of Juftice, Piety, and Charity, will give us leave; if we do not keep our Affections fet on Heaven, and dif- entangled from the World. It will never be ask- ed us in the great Day of Accounts, how rich we were, but how much Good we have done. We may flatter our felves with an inward Thought or. Promife, that when we have much Goods laid up for many Years, we (hall then begin, and do a great deal of Good. If it were fo, what is this but ferving the World in the firfl Place, and put- ting God and our Duty off with future Uncertain- ties? Whereas God requires a diligent ferving of him preferably to ths Worldj, and a trufting his Providence for all future Wants and Accidents.-
But to come to the Duty itfelf, take therefore- no Jtoiightfor the Morrow y we are not to ima- gine
XXX.] to Chrijtians, Matt. VI. 34. 423
gine that all provident Care for the Future is here forbidden. There is a certain Care for the Future, which yet is proper for the prefent Time -, as when we lay up in Harveft the Grain, out of which we exped: our Bread for all the Year ; and as the Ifraelites gathered a. double Portion of Manna on the fixth Day, to ferve them both for that Day, and the following Sabbath. The meaning then of this Precept of taki?2g no Thought for the Mor^^ row, I take to be only a Prohibition of thole Cares, which are more proper for the future than for the prefent Time. Every Day has its peculiar Work and Trouble 3 and if God fupplies us at prefent with what w^e want, we are not to dif- truft his Providence for the Future, nor to let the Cares and Fears of it enter into our Minds, but cheerfully to caft all the Care of the future Time upon God, we doing all that is proper for us at prefent. Nor are we to think it unlav^ful, if God gives us Opportunity, to lay up for Sick- nefs, or Old- Age, or for the Provifion of Wife and Children, io that it be done without Anxiety or carking Care. Only we muft be fure to keep our Minds always in a cheerful Temper, depend- ing upon Providence, and loading them with no more Cares and Troubles than we needs muft. For after all the beft Precepts againft Anxiety, there is a great deal of neceffary Care and Trouble we muft take, fo much indeed, that unlefs we part it, there is no dealing v/ith fuch a heavy Burden to take it all together. As if a Man had twenty Days work to do, his beft way to go through it cheerfully, would not be to fret and tire himfelf, and ftrain hard to do two Days work in one, but to let every Day undergoe the Trou- ble of its own Work and Bufmefs, The chief Faults E e 4 thea
424 Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm.
then here reprehended are, an Over-eagernefs to get rich, and a Diftruil: ot Providence for ^ the Future : Like thofe Ifraehtes who in the gathering of Manna, though they were promifed that they ihould have it frefli and freili every Day, yet not believing that Promiie, would be at the trouble to gather a Super-abundance of that Provifion ; the Coniequence of which was that [a) it bred Worms andjla-nk. So much for Explication of the precept, Take no Tkoiight jor the Morrow. I fhall add but a liitle concerning the Connexion of the precept with what went before, from which it is drawn by way of Confequence, denoted by the particle Therefore^ Take therefore no Thought for the Morrow. Now the Words immediately pre- ceding were the Promif^^, that if we Jeek firji the Kingdom of Gcd, and his Righteoifnefs^ all world- ly Neceffariesjhdll be fuper added. And if we be- lieve thus Promife, it follows very naturally that we may cheerfully devolve all our Cares of the I\Uure upon God, as to the Neceflaries of Life; and employ that Care upon better Things ; name- ly, the fektng the Kingdom of God and his Righ- teoufnels : This being a much furer way to be fup- p.icd with ihefc Neceflaries, at leaft to be fupplied with them with God's Bleffing, than if we had di- rcded our principal Care after them : As it was a much furcr way for Solomon to come by Riches and Honour^ to beg only of GodWijdom to do his Duty^ t}\an if negleding the Search after Wifdoni, he liiid fet himfclf with all his might to leek aftec Riches and Honour. So now I come to
li. The iecond Thing obierved in the Words; r-.nicly, our Saviour ;s Reafons for this Doctrine.
\j) iLT.^O. XVI. ^0.
that
XXX.] to Chnjlians, Matt. VL 34. 425
thai we are to lay afide all worldly Anxiety for the Future. The Reafons are two.
I. That the Morrow, or future Time, ^^hen it comes, will be. more proper to take Care of its own Matters, than any Time at a diftance from it. Th'^ Morrow JJ:all take thought for the Things ofitjeif.
.2. That the prefent Time has enough to do with its own Cares. Sufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof, I intend to fpeak to them as they lie in order.
1. That the future Time, when it comes, will be more proper to take Care of its own Matters. The Morrow fhall take Thought for the Ihings of it- felf. For clearing and proving of this Doctrine, I fhall briefly offer to your Confideration a few Particulars, which I think are included in the Propofition itfelf. As,
(i.y) That it is not certain we (hall ever fee this future Time, for which we are fo anxious and foUicitous; and in that Cafe all our Labour is like to be loft.
(^^ That it is impoffible, fuppofing we may live to that Time, to forefee fo long before, what Circumflances we fhall then be in; fo as to an- fwer them exadlly by all our Pre-anxiety.
(3.) That it is very pofTible, if we take our Aim in the dark, that we may do more hurt than good by the Methods we fliall lay down.
(4 ) That our Circumflances may chance {o much to alter, that when we come to that Fu- turity itfelf, and to fee all the Circumftances of it in a true Light, we fhall then wifh that we had taken other Meafures, and fliall begin to pulldown what with all our Anxiety we had been building up. All thefe will help todemonilrate the Truth
of
az6 Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm,
of this Reafon in my Text, that the Morrow will take Care of its own Matters,
(i.) It is not certain that we fhall ever fee this future Time, for which we are fo anxious and foUcitous. And in that Cafe all our Labour is like to be loit. In the twelfth Chap, of St Luke% Gofpel, {a) we have a Parable contrived on Pur- pofe, to ihtw us the V^anity of this Projection for the Time to come. There is a rich Man brought in, who upon the Profped: of a great Crop was a forming to himfelf Refolutions, not of doing any more good with it, but Refolutions of making more Conveniencies to treafure up his Goods ; and likewife of fpending more freely upon himfelf than he had done before that Time. And with- al he is reprefented as hugging himfelf in his pre- fent Plenty, and as refolving to ftir up himfelf to a more jovial and plentiful Way of living. Iwill full down rny Barns, fays he, an J build greater -, and there will Ibejlow all my Fruits, and my Goods 5 a?id I will fay to my Soul, Soul, thou haft much Goods laid up for many Tears -, take thine eafe, eat^ drifik, and be merry. Here ye fee he was juft be- ginning to refolve to be a Slave to the World no longer, but to live up to his Eilate. Whether he would or could have performed this Refolution^ w^e cannot tell 3 for a long Habit of worldly Mindednefs and Penurioufnefs, is not immediate- ly, or fo eafily Ihaken off. Only whatever there Was in it, it came all to nothing, for quickly af- ter his Life and his Projects ended together. And fo it commonly happens. For thefe covetous w^orldly Men feldom take the Thoughts of Death
{a) Luke. xii. 16, i^c.
into
XXX.] to Chrtjlians. Matt. VL 34. 427
into their Schemes. That one Thing being for- gotten marrsinany a good Projedl.
Bat the covetous Man may think perhaps; though I do not Hve to fee all the Fruits of my Carefulnefs, fome or other will be the better for it ; and therefore even in this Cafe all will not be loft : It will do fome good to my Pofterity or Relations, or fome Body or other. To this may be replied thefe three Things, i. That the Maa himielf who took all this immoderate Care, is an egregious Lofer ; for he himfelf has got nothing by all his Labour, he has beftowed his Pains up- on what turns to no Account in another World ; he has laid up no Treafure in Heaven, He has only gathered an earthly Treafure, a Thing of which he has no Manner of Ufe, after he leaves this World ; whereas had he taken Care to lay it out in any pious or charitable Ufes, it would have been like Seed fown, which would have brought forth Fruit to eternal Life. 2. But this is not the worft of it -, for that Wealth which we gather with much Pains, we are not in ftricflnefs of Speech the Proprietors, but only the Stewards of it y and in the other World we (hall be called to an Account of our Stewardfliip. It behoves us then to look t-o the laying out as well or more than to the gathering of this Eftate ; for if we do not employ it to the proper Uies for which God de- figned it, that is, if we are rich, and are not rich in good Works, ready to diftribute, and willing to communicate, we (hall not only not lay up for our felves a good Foundation againft the Time to come, but (hall be further grievoufly punifhed for our Infidelity in our Truft. But, 3. It is a great Miftake in us, if we believe that our Wealth being left to others will be fure to do them good.
It
428 Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm*
It is certain if Wealth falls into the Hands of an iinwife Man, it will prove only a Means of rui- ning him both Body and Soul. And generally fpeaking it is much eafier to manage a moderate, than a very plentiful Fortune. The middle way V.etween riches and Poverty, according to Agur\ wiih, is certainly the fafeft. Too great Plenty is apt to make Men proud and prodigal,and lazy and luxurious, and to run them without reftraint into idl manner of Vice ; whereas the having of a Competency with the Help of a lawful Calling to cxercife their Indcflry, keeps them innocently employed, and free from many Temptations, that Idlenefs, Drunkennefs, Gaming, and other Debauchery expofesthcm to 5 when they are left fo much, that diey have nothing to do, but to take their fwing. So much for the Confideration of the future, as of a Time, which we may never live to fee. But,
(2.) Suppofe we live to fee it, it is impoffible fo long before hand to forefee what Circumllances we fhall then be in, fo as to anfwer them exaftly by all our Preanxiety ; or to grapple fo well with them, as upon theJpot, when we have the full Confideration of our feveral Neceffities, with all the proper Means for remedying and redreffing them before us. e. g. Suppofe David when he was a young Man, inftead of refting his Mind on that folid Principle, the Belief of God*s Provi- dence, that the Lord was his Shepherd, and then-- J ore he jhoiild not IVant -, had gone about to vex himfelf with the Cares of what was Future, and at that tim.e invifible in his Circumftances, and by his early Anxiety had fet himfelf to obviate and prevent the many Troubles of the following Part of Ins Life ^ would it not have proved for
the
XXX.] to Chrijlians. Matt. VI. 34. 429
the mod part Libour in vain ? for what Mortal could have forefe-^n, far lefs coald have p:-evented or remedied the ftrange Gafualties of his uncertain Circumftaivces ? fuch as the fighting wirh a Lion and a Bear ; h's C jmb'at with the Giant GoI:ah, the dangerous Songs made on that Adllon ; the Envy and Fury of Saul; the Fricndlliip of Jonz^ than ; the Tieachery of Dceg ; the Policy of the Coiul oi Jchijh y the gathering of fo many idle Men to him, and their chofing him for their Captiin ; the Churllflmefs oi N.ihal ; the Death of Saul and 'jonathan on Mount Gilboa; the choofing him King over the Houfe o'i Judah ; the Differences betv/cen Abncr and Ijbhclhcth, which brought over to him the Kingdom of If- rasl\ the infinite Trovibles in his own Family, by the Power and imperious Tcmaper of his Kinfmen the Sons of Zerviah ; the Inceft of Thamar ^ the Rebellions of Abfalom and Achitophel, Adonijih and yoab'y and all the other flrange Turns of his Life, which no Care could avert, and all the Pre- anxiety in the World could not ftave cfl:^? Yet when theft, or any other Events happened, Gcd, upon his Application to him, furnirfied him with Wifdom and Prefence of Mind, to behave him- felf better than all the Preanxiety and Forecail in the World could have directed. A Man may as well pretend to fhoot at a Mark at a very great (Jiftance, and in the dark, and hit it, as by Trou- ble and Anxiety to obviate the infinite unforefeen Accidents of Life. And therefore all flich Cares are to he totally dilburdened from our felves upon God, who forefees all, and will order all to his own wife Ends and Purpof^J^.
(3.) To convince us that future Uncertainties are not a proper Object of our Care and Anxietv,
lev
43 o Anxiety for the Morrow forbid [Serm;
let us confider that it is very poffible, if we take our Aim in the dark, that we may do more Hurt than Good by the Methods we fhall lay down. And the Reafon is, wife Refolutions about any future Events cannot be taken, but upon Confi- deration of all the Circumftances we {hall be in at the Time when the Adion is to be done. For if any one material Circumftance be left out un- confidered,- it may occalion a great Miftake in the Refolution we form to our felves about it. As for example, if a Man fliould lay down a general Refolution with himfelf, as a great many Men do, to take always the moil narrow faving Method he can, this Refolution will be found often not only to lead a Man to unjuft and ungenerous Courfes, but to fuch Courfes as will prove de- ilrudtive of itfelf. Had not Nahal like to have Ipfl all through a little Penurioufnefs ? (a) And did not Abigail fave all by a little Generofity ? yudai betrayed bis Mafter through Covetoufnefs, and had never a Day to do well after it, or to en- joy the unrighteous Mammon, {b) Ananias and Sapphira thought to have put a trick upon the Church, by entitling themfelves to Relief out of the common Stock, pretending to have put in all their own to it 5 but the Fraud they were guilty of w^as quickly dete(fled, and feverely puniflied. And fo many a Man s ill gotten Goods prove a Canker in his Eftate, which at the long run con- fumes thewhole.
(4.) It is to be confidered, againft our carking at prefent for the future Time, that our Circum- ftances may fo alter, that when we come to that Futurity itfelf, and to fee all the Circumftances
• (fl) I Sam. XXV. 4, ^c, (b) Ad:^ v. i, ^c.
of
XXX.] to Chrifiians. Matt. VI. 34. 431
of it in a true Light, we fhall then wifh that we had taken other Meafures, and (hall begin to pull down what with all our Anxiety we have been building up. How many are there who have made it their Bufinefs to lay up for an Heir, who if they had lived to fee what a Fool or Prodigal he proves ; would wifh they had direfted their Pains to fome better Purpofe ? How many have I it^n on a Death-Bed condemning all the Drud- gery and Pains thty had been at all their Life long, and declaring if it were to be done again, they would turn over a new Leaf with themfeives ? As Age then brings Wifdom, and an Alteration of Circumftances reprefentsThings in a new Light, it is much better that the Morrow take Care of its own Matters, than that we anticipate the Cares of them, and by that Means both do them worfe, and make our Lives at prefent uneafy, by over- burdening them with Cares which do not belong to them. And this leads me to the fecond Rea- fon given by our Saviour in the Text; namely,
2. That the prefent Time has enough to do with its own Cares. Sufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof. There is no Part of Life fo free from Trouble, but that it gives us Employ- ment enough to anfwer it. While we are con-? fined to crazy and indigent Bodies ; while we are condemned to Toil and Labour, and nothing can be effecfted but with abundance of Pains and Diligence ; while we are encumbred with the necelffary Care of Families, and a great many weak, fickly and troublefome Creatures to give us Uneafmefs ; while the Return of the feveral Sea- fons of the Year brings along with it a new Tafk of Care and Bufinefs ; in fhort, in a World of Un- certainties^ where there is a vafl Number of trouble- fome
432- Anxiety for the Morrow, See, [Serm.
fome Accidents to add to our Care and Concern ; God Almighty, who would have us make our Lives as eafy as we can, and keep our Minds as much as is poffible intent upon better Things, forbids us to encreafe our Trouble by forecafting and foreboding, and anticipating of it before it comes ; but by a cheerful Acqaiefcence, and De- pendance upon his good Providence, would have us fcrve him without Diftraftion, calling all our Care on him, who careth for us.
And thus now I have gone through this excel- lent Difcourfe of our Saviour's again ft Covetouf- nefs, and the inordinate Cares of the World, having in no lefs than twelve Difcourfes explain- ed his Defcription and Charaders of, and opened up and urged his Arguments againft this Vice, without allowing myfelf the Liberty of offering 'any other. The Defign of all this, which our Saviour has handled more fully than any other Argument, is not that we fhould live in Idlenefs, but that our Hearts and Minds being free from the inordinate Cares of the World, we may more ftedfaftly mind and purfue the better Part, the one Thing needful, our everlafting Happincfs, and the Golpel Righteoufnefs, thnt is, Holinefs and 'Virtue, as the only Way and Means for at- taining it 5 a Study which ihe many Examples of the Shortnefs and Uncertainty of Life do dai- ly put us in mind of, and which will infinitely anfvver all our Pains, and will not fail to turn to the beft Account, through the Merits and Medi- ation of our bleffed Mediator and Redeemer, Chrift Jefus. To wbom^ &c.
The End of the THIRD Volume.
►^^
m
I