THE

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

PRESENTED BY

?elig.ioua__S.oflie_ty._Qf_ friends 17 Jan. 1917

SERMONS

ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS;

BY

THE REVEREND JOHN CLOWES, A. M.

SECTOR OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, MANCHESTER, AND LATB FELLOE OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

NEW-YORK

PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS,

AND SOLD BY

GALLAUDET AND WELLS, NO. 163 WATER-STREET; T. & W. Merceio, printers, 93 Gold-street,

1815,

ji

KOTE? BY THE EDITORS.

THE editors of this little volume feel as if they could do nothing more likely to promote the cause of Christianity, or true vital piety, than to lay before the public the following Dis- courses. It seemed a matter of serious regret, that so rich a treasure of heavenly things, in which every true disciple of Jesus may find in- struction worthy his attention, should not be appropriated to general use. These Discourses cannot have a higher recommendation than their own intrinsic merits. To praise them simply, would not be doing them justice ; for, in general, whether the style or subject matter be taken into consideration, every candid critic will al- low, that they must have been the efforts of a Christian and a scholar, of no common attain- ments. In the arrangement of the subject, they are clear and simple : in the exposition of the text, luminous beyond example. Passing by points of doctrine, they aim at nothing but to inculcate pure and vital religion ; and this is

IV NOTE, BY THE EDITORS.

enforced with such a peculiar energy and beau- ty, as cannot fail to affect the heart, interest the feelings, and open the understanding of the reader.

The editors have, further, to observe, that the publication of Sermons is, generally, too much confined to the particular denomination to which the writer belongs. But so far as respects the following Discourses, this never ought to be the case. There is nothing discoverable in them of party spirit or sectarian prejudice ; and it is Confidently believed, that the pious and good of every denomination, who shall read the follow- ing Sermons with candour and attention, must feel their hearts glow in unison with that of the writer.

It may be proper to state to the public, that these Sermons were not written with a view for publication, nor have they ever been revised for that purpose.

JVexv-Tork, September, 1S15.

CONTENTS,

Page ON Brotherly Love, considered as a proof of the Christian's growth in

grace 1

II. Ditto 9

III. Ditto 19

IV. The Lord Jesus Christ the great

Householder 29

V. On the Spiritual Vineyard of the

Lord's planting 39

VI. On the Hedge round the Vineyard . 49

VII. Ditto 61

VIII. On the Wine-Press 71

IX. On the Tower 81

X. On the Letting out the Vineyard . 91 XI. On the Householder's going into a

far Country 105

XII. On the Fruit which the Vineyard

produces 117

XIII. On the Time of the Fruit . . .127

XIV. On the Servants sent to receive the

Fruits of the Vinevard . . .13*^

VI	CONTENTS.
(Sermon XV.	On the Servants being beaten,	Page
	ki led,&c	147
XVI.	On the ervants more than the
	first .	159
XVII.	On (he pei severing Obstinacy of
	the unfaithful Husbandmen .	169
XVIII.	On the Householder's Son	177
XIX.	On seizing the Son's Inheritance	187
XX.	On the Fate of the wicked Hus-
	bandmen .	197
XXI.	On the Marks and Characters of
	true Faith	205
XXII.	On Casting out Devils . . .	217
XXIII.	On Speaking with new Tongues	225
XXIV.	On Taking up Serpents . . .	235
XXV.	On Drinking deadly Things . .	247
XXVI.	On Laying Hands on the Sick .	•25?

BROTHERLY LOVE

CONSIDERED AS THE

SIGN AND PROOF

OF THE

/CHRISTIAN'S GROWTH IN DIVINE GRACE;

IN THREE SERMONS.

SERMON L

1 John iii. 14.

We know that we have passed from death unto lift,

because we love the brethren*

It was the blessed privilege of the beloved apostle ana his fellow-believers, to have this happy testimony in their own minds, that they were passed from death unto life. They knew this to be the case, by a conviction wrought within themselves : they had an indisputable sign and proof of it, which they could not question : they were persuaded hereby, that their lot would be eternally happy ; that they were restored to the favoui of God i tljat they were one with God, and God with B

2 BROTHERLY LOVE,

them; of consequence, that death, misery, and condem- nation, were no longer 4o be dreaded by them, because they were passed far away from such things, and born into another kingdom. Thus their souls were kept in peace through ail the troubles and disquietudes of this lower world ; and having hope in God, and being at rest in him, they rejoiced with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

Let it not however be supposed, that these blessed privileges were intended to be confined to St. John and the first disciples of Christianity. They belong alike to all those who profess the same holy religion, and obey its heavenly doctrines. They belong therefore to us, to you and to me, and to every true believer in Jesus Christ ; and it is a grace granted to every one of us, if we are wise enough to discover it, to be enabled to say, " We know that we have passed from death unto life."

That this is the case, will appear plain from the con- sideration of these two particulars, to which I could earnestly wish to engage your present most serious at- tention.

First. The nature of the passage here spoken of by the apostle, from death unto life.

Secondly. The sign or proof of our having made this passage, viz. because we love the brethren.

First, then, let us consider the nature of the passage spoken of by the apostle, from death unto life.

It is a matter little thought of by the generality of Christians, that there is such a passage from death unta life, ; and still less is it considered, that {his passage is to

BROTHERLY LOVE. 3

be made by us in this world ; otherwise it never can be made ; and least of all is it in general apprehended, how the thoughtless and impenitent never discover this pas- sage, but abide in the regions of death, whilst the peni- tent and sincere believer both discovers the passage^ and walks therein, until he arrives at the regions of eter- nal life and peace.

The generality of Christians therefore think of no other death but the death of the body, and of no other passage to life but the passage through the grave of tlie body; and thus, alas! too many, it is to-be feared, n- gleet to look for that passage till it is too late to find it. and never pass from death unto life, because, being blind- ed by the delusions of sin, they did not believe .such a thing possible or attainable here below.

But, beloved, that there is a passage from death unto life, is plain from the concurrent testimony of the Word of God throughout ; and that this passage is such, as that we may both discover it, and may make it, during our abode in this world, is equally plain from the declaration of the apostle in my text, speaking of himself and oi other believers, " We know that we have passed from death unto life."

From this declaration it is manifest, not only that there is a passage from death vnto life, but that men like ourselves also had made the passage, and knew that they had made it, even during their abode in this world.

To the same purpose, but in different words, the apos- tle Paul bears this testimony, " Giving thanks to the Fa- ther, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the in

4 BROTHERLY LOVE,

beritance of the saints in light ; who hath delivered ti£ from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."*

Here St. Paul speaks, both in his own name, and ia that of his fellow Christians, of a " deliverance from the- power of darkness, and a translation into the kingdom of Jesus Christ," which they had experienced, even whilst they were living in the body here below ; which is the same thing as what St. John calls the " passing from death unto life."

The first Christians, therefore, it is most manifest, not only knew, and were assured, that there was a passage from death unto life, even to be found in this world ; but they also discovered this passage, and made it during their abode here below, and were moreover assured, to their unspeakable comfort, and by the most incontro- vertible signs and proofs, that they had made this pas- sage.

And yet these were men like unto ourselves : they were subject to the same infirmities ; they had the same corruptions to struggle with ; were exposed to like temp- tations with ourselves : neither had they any other or higher helps than we Christians have at this day. The Almighty did not favour them more than he doth us : his grace was not stronger or more powerful in their bo- soms, than we might find it to be in ours : heaven was not nearer or more open to them, than it is to us ; and yet we find they were enabled to attain unto this most

*Coloss. i. 12, 13.

BROTHERLY LOVE. 5

happy of all human conditions, to know that they were passed from death unto life.

What I would therefore here contend for, and wish to press upon your present most earnest consideration, is this, that what those first Christians once attained to, i? still attainable by us, if we will but be as faithful to oui God and his word, and as true to our own best inter- ests, as they were. We may therefore pass from death imto life, even during our abode in this world, as certainly and fully, as ever St. John, St. Paul, or any other of our Lord's first disciples did. We may have the same signs and infallible proofs, which they had, that we are so passed. We may thus attain, if we be so disposed, unto the same grounds of heavenly hope, assurance, and com- fort, in our acceptance with God.

For the religion of the blessed Jesus, let it be well noted, is the same religion at this day, that it was seven- teen or eighteen hundred years ago. The minds of men, as to their belief in it, and their reception of it, m$y indeed be changed, but itself cannot change. Its doc- trines are still the same, and will remain so to eternity. Its power upon the human soul, if it be rightly received, is also still the same. It is capable, therefore, of ef- fecting now, what it effected in old time. It can still open heaven to the true beJiever ; it can still transform man from earthly to heavenly ; it can still deliver from the power of darkness, and translate us into the kingdom of its divine Author : it can, in short, still enable us to say, if we are not wanting to ourselves, what was Sefidl to B2

6 BROTHERLY LOVE.

their unspeakable bliss, by them of old time, ft We know that we have passed from death unto life."

I am well aware, however, that this will hardly be believed by the carnal and the careless. All such are unwilling to allow, that the powers of heaven are so near them, or that as much fruit of those powers will be expected from them, as from the saints of old. Thus they set limits to the operations of God, which God him- self hath not set, and which he hath declared he never will set. They say, for instance, " Apostles might look for extraordinary advancements in divine grace ; they might overcome the world and the flesh ; they might be- come the sons of God ; they might, by the purity oi their lives and the power of their faith, pass from death unto life ; but this is not to be expected in our days : it was never intended we should experience such in- fluences of divine grace, or bring forth such fruits there- of in our hearts and lives."

Thus do the carnal and the careless labour to reason themselves out of the real excellency of their religion, and all its benefits, by supposing those benefits to be confined to those few who first received the gospel of Christ. But, beloved, permit me, by way of conclu- sion to this part of my present subject, to caution you most earnestly against suffering your minds to be betray- ed into such unworthy, false, and dangerous sentiments of your religion and its divine Author. For this pur- pose, ponder well with yourselves the genuine design of the Gospel of Christ, and the unchangeableness thereof. Its intention is, and needs must be the same now, that H

BROTHERLY LOVE, tf

was at its Jirst preaching and establishment. The pow- ers and privileges which it presents to the true believer, are also the same. As, therefore, it formerly operated on the minds of apostles, confessors, martyrs, and thou- sands of other holy disciples, to convert them to Jesus Christ, to turn them from sin and vanity, to transform them from earthly to heavenly, to purify, change, re- deem, and renew their sinful natures, and thus to make them pass from, death unto life ; even so also it would operate at this day, if men's minds were but in a like state to admit and comply with its operation.

Believe then this to be the real truth, and that of con- sequence you are now called, and every believer in the Gospel is called, to experience the same blessed effects from it, that the apostles themselves experienced. I do not say that you are to look for the gift of working mira- cles, as they did ; nor to go about the world to convert it by your preaching, like St. Peter or St. Paul : but this you are certainly to look for, viz. to believe in and to love Jesus Christ, the incarnate God and Saviour, as they believed in and loved him ; and in this belief and love to your brethren, as St. Peter and St. Paul loved their brethren ; and thus to be meek, humble, patient, con- tented, and charitable, as you read the Lord's first disci- pes were ; and to overcome the devil, the world, and tht flesh, as they did ; and hereby to pass from death unt life. For, search and consult your own minds, and see vhether you can discover there any reason why you shoul be less holy than St. John, or any other of the Lord first disciples, were. Is it not in your power t

S BROTHERLY LOVE.

love God, and your ne;ghbour, as they did '? Cannol you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, as well as they 1 Cannot you, therefore, grow alike in the divine grace, and attain unto a like measure of true Christian virtues 1 Make but the experiment, and make it with sincerity, and believe me, or rather believe God, you will soon be fully convinced, that the measure of holiness to which the saints of old were called, and attained, is the very same to which you also are called, and may attain.

Away then with all vain reasonings. Repent, and be- lieve the Gospel. Turn unto Jesus Christ, the mani- fested Jehovah, and keep his commandments ; and you will then soon experience, that heaven is still open. God is still near and powerful, and his grace still operative as in old time ; whereby you will, sooner or later, be enabled, to your unspeakable bliss, to say with the apostle, "We know that we have passed from death unto life.^

SERMON II.

1 John iii. 14.

We know that we have passed from death unto lift because we love the brethren*

IN the foregoing discourse we endeavoured to point out the nature of the passage/rom death unto life here spoken of, as being a passage to be performed during our abode in this world, and to which all Christians are alike called universally.

We shall now proceed further to shew the nature of this passage, and then consider the sign or proof here mentioned by the apostle, of our having made this pas- sage, viz. because rve love the brethren.

It must be very plain to every considerate person, that by passing from death unto life, is not meant any bodily passage, or any change of place or situation with respect to the body.

For if the body was to move ever so far in any direc- tion, upwards or downwards, it would not be possible for us to depart further from death, or to approach nearer w- o life than we were before ■,

10 BROTHERLY LOVE,

The case is, the terms life and death, as used in holy scripture, are applied to denote, not any particular state of the body, but particular states of the soul or spirit, with respect to God and the things of his eternal king- dom.

According to this application of the terms life and death, to pass from death unto life, denotes a change wrought in the internal state of the soul or spirit, so tha* whereas it before lived in a state of spiritual death, it now begins to live in a state of spiritual life.

As for example. It is written in holy scripture, " man doth not li-ve by bread only, but by every word that pro- eeedeth out of the mouth of the Lord, doth man live."* And in another place " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. "t By which words we are plainly taught this truth, that not to partake of the word of the Lord, or not to keep his commandments, is a state of spiri- tual death ; but, on the contrary, that to partake of the •word of the Lord, or to keep his commandments, is a state of spiritual life. Whensoever then the soul or spirit of man, which heretofore had no knowledge and love of the Lord and of his Word, begins now to perceive an inward sense of love and regard thereto, and takes delight in the ways of God, and the keeping of his commandments, such a soul or spirit is said to pass from death unto life.

So again. The apostle speaks of being " dead in tres- passes and sins."j; To live therefore in trespasses and sins against God is a state of spiritual death ; of conse*

* Deut. viii. 3. Mat. iv\ 4. Luke iv. 4. fMat. six. 17. 4Epbecii. !.

BROTHERLY LOVE# If

quence to cease from trespasses and sins, and to begin to lead a new life, is a state of spiritual life ; and this change wrought in the soul from a state of trespasses and sins to a contrary state of purity and holiness, is therefore a pas- sing from death unto life.

So again. " She that liveth in -pleasure (saith the apostle) is dead while she liveth ;"* that is, the soul or spirit, which indulgeth in the mere pleasures of the car- nal, worldly, and sensual life, and knoweth no better and higher enjoyments than these, is in a state of death ; to come out of this state then, so as to begin to be made sensible of other and superior pleasures to those of flesh and blood, viz. the eternal pleasures of righteousness, wrhich flow from the knowledge and love of God, this is to begin truly to live ; and the change wrought hereby in the state of the soul or spirit, is a real passage from death unto life.

To mention one other instance, which may serve to set this matter in a still clearer light. When the repent- ing prodigal returns unto his father, we are informed of the glad and welcome reception which his father gives him, how he ordered the fatted calf to be killed, saying, let us eat and be merry ; for which he gives this very ex- traordinary reason, " This my son was dead, and is alive again. "t Here every enlightened person may plainly see what is meant in holy scripture by being dead and being alive, or by death and life. When the prodigal had no regard to his father, or his father's house, and feK

» 1 Tim. :>. 6. t Luke x. v. 24. 32.

'42 IROTffERLY LOVE.

no desire of returning thereto, " but was wasting his sub* stance in riotous living," he is then said to be dead, though he was living at the same time in all the gratifi- cations and enjoyments of riot and luxury, of this world and the flesh : but as soon as ever he is weary of these wretched satisfactions, and begins to feel a warmth of penitent affection kindled towards his father, with a desire to return to him and to his house, he is then said to be alive, though at the same time he ceased to live to his former bodily and carnal enjoyments.

Here then, if we be so disposed, we may all see clear- ly what is meant in holy scripture by death and life, and by passing from one to the other. Death is to live with- out God and his Word, or, what is the same thing, to have no love towards God, and no delight in him and in his commandments. Life on the contrary is to live with God, and to partake of his Word, that is, to have love towards God, and to find delight to our souls in the way of his commandments. To pass from death unto life then, in this particular instance, is to come out of a -state of tie love towards God, and no delight in his Word, into a state wherein we both love and delight in God, and in the purities of his Word and commandment.

Again. Death is a state of wilful sin and impeni- tence ; life therefore is a state of repentance of ceasing from sin. Death again is a state of false pleasures and Satisfactions, such as are those of this world and the flesh, when separated from the pleasures of righteousness. Life therefore on the other hand is a state of real plea- sures-and satisfactions, such as are those arising from

•BROTHEELV L®VE: 13

Uie love of God. In these instances, therefore, to pass from death unto life, is to pass through repentance, from the vain and false gratifications of the corrupt part of our nature, which is carnal and worldly minded, to be made sensible within ourselves of the pure and eternal delights flowing from the love of God, and the communications of his peace to our minds and consciences.

And would we know, beloved, the real, deep, and scriptural ground of all this, it is as follows. There is but one true and real life, and one true and real fountain of life, and that is God, and his Word and kingdom. Whatever then is not connected with God, his Word, and kingdom, this, in the language of holy scripture, is said to be dead, or in a state of death. Devils, therefore, or infernal spirits, though living in a state of most exqui- site feeling and sensibility, are still said to be dead, and to dwell in the regions of death ; the reason is, because by love they have no conjunction with God, his Word, -and kingdom, from whence alone life cometh. In like manner impenitent and ungodly men are said to be dead, and to dwell in the regions of the shadow of deaths though possibly they may be living at the same time in the highest state of worldly gratification and fleshly sen- sibilities, ami the reason is the same, viz. because by the impenitence and impurity of their lives, they separate "themselves from conjunction with God and his life. We talk indeed of other life besides the life which is of God, and of other death besides that which consists in separation -of the love from God. Thus we talk of the life of vega- • tables, and of the life of animals, which are incapable of C

M BROTHERLY LOVE.

loving God, and of being thus conjoined with him. We say also of men that they are living, or alive, when we see them alive and active in the love and pursuit of the things of this world, animated with the prospects of ambition, gain, glory, or sensuality. We say also of the same men, that they are dead, when we see them cease to live in the body, notwithstanding their beginning to live instantly in another world, in a state of feeling and perception far superior to what they experienced here below. It is however well to be attended to, that though in common language we apply the terms of life and death, in these subordinate 'and lower senses, yet, as used in holy scripture, they have a higher and infinitely more important signification. What man therefore fre- quently calls life, God calls death, and what man calls death, God, on the contrary, calls life. The reason is, God calls nothing life, and allows nothing to be alive, but what is connected with himself, the only life, by a living principle of love and understanding ; and there- fore in his sight, and according to his language, the mere natural, animal, and unregenerate life of man, let its feelings, perceptions, and delights seem ever so exqui- site, it is but death, or the shadow and image of true life, as having no conjunction by love and wisdom with the eternal and only source of the true life, according as it is written, " To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life."*

* Rom. viii. 6.

BROTHERLY LOVE, ] ;>

The continual call of God therefore unto man, in his Word, is to come and enter by repentance, by faith and obedience, or, in other words, with his life's love, and understanding, and operation, into conjunction with him- self, the fountain of life, that so he may live for ever ; this conjunction alone being true life, and worthy of the name.- In his natural state, we know, man has no such conjunction, for in his natural state, by reason of heredi- tary and actual evil, he has no true love towards God, but loves himself and the world better than God, and his neighbour. In his natural state therefore he is dead, or in a state of death, from which state he cannot possibly be delivered but by returning to God, ana entering into conjunction with him, through his Word, or command- ment.

Nevertheless, though man may be by nature in a state of death, yet it is his own fault if he continues therein, and absolutely dies for ever. For God giveth every one of us power to come out of this death, and enter into the re- gions of life, in as much as he giveth every one of us power to know and to love Him, and to know, and love and practise his Word, and thus to re-enter into conjunc- tion with him, which is eternal life.

For let us search now, and examine ourselves, whe ther we have not all of us this power from God in out- inner man ; and we shall assuredly find that we have it. For cannot we think of God, if we be so disposed, as often as we please ? Cannot we think of sin, that is op- posite to God, and therefore separates us from God ? Cannot we think of holiness^ that is from God, and agree-

10 BROTHERLY LOVE.

able to God, and therefore unites us with God ? Can- not we therefore say thus to ourselves, " I will hate an I renounce sin, because it separates me from God ; and i will love and practise holiness, because it joins me witr God ?" And cannot we thus assure ourselves, that a . *e depart from sin, and enter into conjunction with God, we shall pass from death unto life ? Only let us be at the pains to examine ourselves, and make the ex- periment, and we shall certainly find that we are in possession of the blessed power and privilege here de- scribed.

I should now proceed to consider the sign and proof given in the words of my text, of our having passed from death unto life, viz. because we love the brethren : but the present time will only permit me to conclude what has Been already said, with this brief but affectionate ex- postulation.

Are we, beloved, of the happy number of those who have made the passage from death unto life, or are we still walking in the valley of the shadow of death ? Let us examine ourselves well in this important matter. Are we returned unto God ? Do we begin to find a love towards God, and a real delight of heart in him and his ways ? Are we for this purpose turned, or in the desire to turn, from all known evils, because they are opposite to God ? Do we cease to delight in the sin and vanity of this world and the flesh ; and do we consider well, that they who live in the fond indulgence of mere carnal and earthly pleasures,, are dead whilst they live ? Is it thus become the chief affection; satisfaction, and endeavour of our lives, to enter

BROTHERLY LOVE. 17

into conjunction with God, his Word, and kingdom, by well-doing, that so we may live for ever ? Some such few questions as these, seriously proposed, and sincerely an- swered, will soon bring us acquainted with the state of our souls, how far we are passed from death unto life.

And blessed shall he be who upon such an examina- tion shall find that he is not still abiding in the regions of death and misery, Blessed shall he be whose conscience bears him testimony that he hath begun to love his Go& and Redeemer, and to delight in the paths of life and righte- ousness. He is on the highway which leadeth to the New Jerusalem. He hath departed from the city of Destruction, and is about to enter into the City cf the Lord of Hosts. Mount Zion is directly before his face* and though his body be here upon earth amongst men, yet his spirit is travelling in the midst of angels to take possession of the promised inheritance, the land of ever- lasting life, which is the blessed portion of all those thai fear God and keep his commandment*, AMEN"

ca-

SERMON IIL

1 John iii. 14*

We know that we have passed from death unto life^ because we love the brethren*

XiAVING already endeavoured to shew, in the tw6. foregoing discourses, what is here implied, and to be un- derstood by passing from death unto life, I shall now- proceed, as was proposed, to consider, lastly, the sign or proof here mentioned, of our .having made this passage* viz. because we love the brethren.

This sign or proof however, cannot possibly be un- derstood, until it be first known who are here meant by those whom the apostle calls the brethren. May I there- fore bespeak your serious attention to this previous con- sideration, from which it will plainly appear what is im- plied and understood by loving the brethren.

Now the apostles and-first Christians, we know, called all those the brethren, or the brotherhood, who were united together in one common faith and love, that is, in faith and love towards their common God and Saviour Jestte

20 BROTHERLY LOVE,

Christ, operating in newness of life, according to the commandments.

Wherever they saw this operative faith and love, there they acknowledged a brother ; and they respected, reve- renced, honoured, loved, and cherished him, as one be- gotten again of the same heavenly Parent with them- selves, and making one of that great and holy familyj, body, or kingdom, whose head is the great Redeemer, the manifested God, the Lord Jesus Christ ; herein fol- lowing the spirit and example of their divine Master, who. had taught them, " My mother and my brethren are they who hear the Word of God, and do it."*

It was not, therefore, any outward condition or cir- cumstances, with regard to this world, which determined this brotherhood. Rank and riches were no qualifica- tions to be admitted into the holy fraternity ; neither did poverty and meanness of birth exclude any. The single question respecting any one, was this, Doth he believe in Jesus Christ, the God who hath lately appeared amongst us to take away our sins ? and doth he manifest his faith by love, or by a life according to the command- ments of this God ? If so, he is a brother, be he rich or poor, be his birth honourable or dishonourable in the eyes of men.

And as the conditions of men, with regard to their outward worldly circumstances, was of no account, in forming this brotherhood amongst the first Christians, so-

* Luke viii. 21 See also MaU. xiii. 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, and Mark" ft 31> 32,33, 34, 35.

BROTHERLY LOVE* 21

neither was the love, which influenced the members of this brotherhood, grounded in, or determined by, any mere natural affections, such as arise from natural rela- tionships, friendships, and partial worldly attachments one towards another. f

There is a principle, we know, which often is called love, and passes for Christian love and charity amongst men, which has no higher source, no deeper ground, than that of mere animal instinct, or natural similitude, or worldly associations, for the sake of worldly interests^ comfort, or convenience.

This, however, was not the principle which operated to produce brotherly love amongst the apostles and first Christians. These holy persons were wrought upon by- higher and more heavenly motives herein, than any which arise from mere worldly connexions or relation- ships-of flesh and blood. In this respect was verified what is written of them, that they were " born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor cf the will of man, but of God."* Their attachment, therefore, towards each other, was a divine and holy attachment. It had its ground and source in the great Father of all spirits. It was an holy principle of heaven-born charity, which, being eternal and stable as its origin, was not subject to those variations, changes, and caprices, which ever ac- company mere human and natural affections, let them, be ever so near and tender.

* John I &r

':L2 BROTHERLY LOVE.

We are not, however, to suppose, that this love and attachment of the first Chrisiians towards each other, was merely spiritual, unattended with work and operation, which is the fruit of charity ; for it was a principal les- son of their love, " not to love .in word and in tongue only, but in deed and in truth."* They reverenced each other, therefore, as children of heaven and immortality i but this was not all : from this reverence they were led to exercise every outward act of benevolence one tor wards another ; their lives were continually employed in doing good; and it was their supreme joy and de- ligjbc to be serviceable in the smallest respect to any, who bore the stamp and image of the God whom they wor- shipped.

From this short view, then, of what the apostles and first Christians understood by the brethren, or brother- hood, and of the nature and operation of their love to- wards the brethren, it will now plainly appear to every considerate person, what is meant and implied by this sign or proof of passing from death unto life ; viz. because we love the brethren.

T.o lave the brethren, is to love that in others, which is of God, that is, the divine image and likeness ; or, in other words, all those living and heavenly graces, vir- tues, and excellencies, which proceed from a sound and pure faith and love towards the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. But this is not all. To love the brethren further implies, that our love becomes operative in good

* I Joha iii.. 18.

BROTHERLY LOVE. 23

works, or in producing its proper outward fruits : it im- plies, therefore, an external life of active benevolence, corresponding with that internal and heavenly principle from which it proceeds. He who loves the brethren, therefore, not only reveres the divine image and likeness in his fellow-creatures, but labours also continually to cherish, comfort, strengthen, and bring it forth to all, ac- cording to his utmost ability and the best lalents which God has given him.

Let me bespeak, beloved, your most particular and earnest attention to this mark and character of a true Christian, or of one who hath passed from death unto life, that so you may examine by it the state of your hearts and lives.

There is nothing we are so apt to deceive ourselves in, if we are not well upon our guard, and well enlight- ened with the genuine light of truth, as love towards the brethren ; often calling that brotherly love, which is no •such thing, but which is possibly the very reverse ; whereby we do essential mischief to our eternal in- terests.

Thus, for example ; the mere natural man sometimes fancies that he has brotherly love, because he has much natural tenderness and affection towards some particu- lar persons, to whom he is united by particular natural ties, either of blood, of friendship, or of worldly in- terest.

But such natural affection, it is well to be observed, is a thing totally distinct from what is called, in the Scrip- -lures, brotherly love, or .charity j and therefore we fce-

M BROTHERLY LOVE.

quently find, that very wicked persons have as much, or possibly more, of such natural affection, than real regen- erate Christians ; according to those words of our Lord, e< sinners also love those that love them, and sinners also elo good to those that do good to them."*

Natural affection, therefore, is a principle totally dis- tinct from the affection of Gospel charity, or brotherly love. For natural affection is a mere animal instinct, common alike to the just and to the unjust, to them that are passed from death unto life, and to them who know nothing of such a passage ; yea, natural affection is even common to man with the beasts that perish ; for we find that the beasts, even those which are most fierce and savage, are attached, by strong natural sympathies, towards their young and towards one another.

Do not, however, misunderstand me, as if I here meant to censure or debase the principle of natural affection, sympathy, and tenderness, whether amongst men, or amongst beasts. This is far from my design and mean- ing. Such principles and affections have their uses in their proper times and places, and when kept in due or- der of subordination to higher affections and principles. All I wish here to observe, and to lead you to observe, is this, that natural affection is not Gospel charity ; natu- ral tenderness is not brotherly love ; natural feeling and sympathy is not spiritual grace and evangelical virtue.; and thstf, of consequence, before we can attain to that measure of Christian purity and perfection, implied by loving the brethren, we must attain to some higher -an4

* Luke vi. 32, 33

ERGTHER.LY LOVE* 25

more heavenly principle than that of mere natural af- fection, tenderness, feeling, and sympathy.

But methinks I hear you ask, What then is this higheT and more heavenly principle, which is distinct from mere natural affection ? It has been already shown, in what was observed concerning the first Christians. It is to re- gard that in others, which is born of' God, and to call that a brother. It is to regard, therefore, in one another, the divine image and likeness, and to love and cherish it ac- cordingly. It is to be determined in our likings and dis- likings, our affections and disaffecticns, no longer by mere natural or temporal principles, such as are those of the flesh and of this world ; but by spiritual and eter- nal principles, such as regard the family, body, and king- dom of Jesus Christ.

Behold here the great mark of distinction between the love which influences the mere natural man, and that which influences the real and heaven-bom Christian ! — The mere natural man loves according to blind and par- tial instinct. The Christian loves according to an en- lightened and universal principle of charity. The mere natural man calls him brother, to whom he is attached by blood, by natural friendship, or by interest. The Christian calls him brother, to whom he is attached by spiritual bonds of faith and love, in the same God and Redeemer. What the natural man. therefore, loves in another, is somewhat merely of the flesh, or of this world. What the Christian loves in another, is some- what of the Spirit, and of another world. The natural -nan love? the outward person, or personal qualities, of

6

2G BROTHERLY LOVE.

another. The Christian loves the inward spirit, or spi- ritual qualities, that is, the divine image and likeness. Thus the love of the natural man is grounded in mere nature, and has no higher origin and end. But the love of the true Christian ascends high above nature : its source is from heaven and the God of heaven ; and its end, like its origin, is eternal, being rooted in the eter- nal principles of justice and judgment, of order and up- rightness, of sincerity and truth ; which constitute the •eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ, and being active, ope- rative, and fruitful in good works, according to such prin- ciples.

To conclude : Let me earnestly recommend to you, beloved, to try and prove your Christian faith, and the ground of your Christian hopes, and whether you are passed from death wito life, by the marks and characters of brotherly love, as above described.

This is a sure test, which will not deceive you ; and without this, there is no other test on which you may safely depend. It is not, you may be well aware, a mere nominal faith or profession : it is not because you belong to this or that body of Christians, as distinguish- ed from others by a name or a form : it is not because you have much warmth of natural affection, tenderness, and attachment towards particular persons ; still less is it because you have a natural zeal for holy things, and can put up holy prayers to God with your lips, and can talk learnedly about God and the things of his kingdom : it is not, I say, for any or for all of these things, that you can hope for acceptance in God's sight ; for all these

BROTHERLY LOVE, 27

qualifications may be the qualifications of very wicked persons, who have no part in the holy family, brother- hood, and kingdom of Jesus Christ, and therefore are not passed from death unto life.

There is, then, but this one single qualification, which can be a safe and solid ground of your hope and trust, viz. brotherly love. But be sure examine yourselves well concerning this qualification, and take heed that you be not deceived respecting it. Mark especially the dis- tinction above pointed out, between mere natural affec- tion and Gospel charity. Natural affection is of itself a mere dead thing before God, and receives all its true life from charity. Kowbeit, charity, or brotherly love, does not destroy natural affection : it only quickens, sanctifies it. and makes it eternal : it also renders its operations mere regular, constant, and orderly. Ask yourselves, therefore, over, and over, some such questions as these : What is it that I love in another I Is it the divine image and likeness, oris it only something of nature ? Do I love my neighbour, not because he is rich, not because he is learned, not because he is esteemed and honourable in the eyes of men, not because he is agreeable to my own natural temper and complexion, and still less be- cause he is united to me by the bonds of blood and re- lationship ? but do I love him because he loves God ;• because I see in him a Godlike spirit and temper ; be- cause he is humble, just, sincere, upright, faithful, fear- ful of offending God, and seeking to attain unto a God- like nature ? Do I therefore regard, chiefly and princi- pally, in my fellow-creatures, the divine ima^e and like-

28- BROTHERLY LOVE.

ness? and is it become the continual labour and delight of my life, and of all my actions, to administer, in some way or other, according to my talents, to the bringing forth, perfecting, comforting, and cherishing such divine image and likeness ?

And inasmuch as I cannot love what is of God, unless I be of God myself; inasmuch as I cannot have any re- spect for God's image and likeness in another, until I my- self am formed into his image and likeness ; is it lastly become my daily labour and endeavour to be made a i.hild of God myself, that so I may the better love his children as my brethren ?

Some such few questions as these, seriously proposed and answered, would soon enable us to determine our slate of advancement in the divine favour, and how far we were passed from death unto life. May we all, then, through the divine grace and mercy, be led to this seri- ous examination of our hearts and lives, that so we may all attain unto the unspeakable comfort of knowing that v» ;e are indeed passed from death unto life !

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

THE GREAT HOUSEHOLDER:

SERMON IV,

Matt. xxi. 33,

Hear another parable ; there was a certain householder which planted a -vineyard, and hedged it round about> and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into afar country.

1 HERE are several particulars iri these words which demand particular consideration. There is mention made of a householder, of planting a vineyard, of hedging it round about, of digging a wine-press in it, of building a tower > of letting it out to husbandmen, and of going into a far country.

Each of these particulars, we must be forced to con- fess, is lull of wisdom, and each contains a wisdom pe

:ulhr to itself. God cannot speak any thing superfluous . i)2

30 THE HOUSEHOLDER,

or in vain. Whatsoever comes from his mouth mus; needs have in it a deep and distinct meaning, and a mean- ing of use to man. Man, therefore, who is wise, will consider this meaning, and knowing that the word of God is the word of eternal life, he will deal with it ac- cordingly. He will meditate upon it, and digest it well in his own mind, He will be sure that he comprehends and understands it aright. If he finds any difficulty herein, it will only increase his earnestness to have the difficulty removed. He will be more urgent in prayer to the God of the word, that his eyes may be opened to see wondrous things out of his law.* And the God of the word will net fail to hear his prayer, and to open his eyes, according as it is written, " Then opened he their under staridings, that they might understand the scrips tares."!

The first particular in the above words which demands our attention is the householder, and to the consideration of this particular I mean to confine myself in my present discourse.

The Lord calls himself a householder in regard to the spiritual house, his church, and as having the supreme rule, government, and direction in all things relating to that spiritual house.

This spiritual house, the church, is that congregation of men throughout the face of the whole earth, who are influenced and guided by eternal principles of justice and of judgment, derived from the word of God, agreeable to

* Psalm cxix. 13, 7 Luke xxiv, 45,

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 3f

the Lord's description, where he says, " My motfier and ?ny brethren, (that is, my family or household,) are these which hear the word of God a?ul do it.*

It is not wood and stone therefore which constitutes a- church, properly speaking ; neither is it any particular ceremony or form of worship ; nor yet any particular doctrine, or form of speculative faith : all these things may exist in all perfection, and yet there may be nothing of God's church : the reason is, God's church consists of spiritual and living principles of eternal mercy, good- ness, charity, and truth, derived from his word, and ope- rative in the lives of those who hear and keep it.

The whole race of mankind throughout the earth may be considered as divided into two great families, one consisting of all such as fear God, and keep his com- mandments in heart and life ; the other consisting of such as do not fear God and keep his commandments in heart and life, but only in word and gesture.

The eye of man cannot at all discern between these two families, so as to distinguish in all cases the one from the other, or who belongs to the one, and who to the other ; but the eye of God discerns them clearly, and distinguishes them most minutely ; I know, saith he, my sheep ;| and seen by that eye, they are as different as light and darknec*?, or as heaven and hell. They are the sheep on the right hand, and the goats on the left.

The family of those who fenr God, and keep his commandments in heart and life, is called his churchy or

* Luke viii. 21. i Johns. 16.

32' THE HOUSEHOLDER,

household. My sheep, saith Christ, hear my voice.* This family, howsoever separated as to place or distance, is closely united as to mind or spirit ; and howsoever di- vided by external forms and ceremonies of worship, or by external articles and confessions of faith, is yet inter- nally one family, undivided, by virtue of a pure love to- wards God and towards each other.

The cause, as well as the centre, of this undivided union of this holy family, is God himself, and his life. The reason is, each member of this blessed family re- spects God and his life in the highest The will of God is their will, and the wisdom of God is their wisdom ; and by this one will and one wisdom they are intimately united with God, and thereby with each other, agreea- ble to what is expressed in the prayer of Christ, where he says, speaking of this family, i'hat they all may be one, as* thou , Father, art in me, and 1 in thee, that they also may be one in us ]

For as in the natural body of man there is an infinite va- riety of organs and of members, which are yet all united in one, by partaking of the one common, life of the soul or spirit, even so it is in the spiritual body of Christ, which is his church or household. The members of this body am of an infinite variety ; but inasmuch as they all par- take of the one common life of God, as their soul or spirit, therefore they form one single and undivided body-

* John x. 27. f John xvii, 21

THE HOUSEHOLDER* >3

Here then we may see how the Lord Jesus Christ is the great householder, and why he calls himself by that significative name. He has the supreme rule, govern- ment, and direction, in this his church or household, by virtue of that one common life of love and wisdom, which the members thereof receive from him. For inasmuch as the will of Jesus Christ is the will of the church, and the wisdom of Jesus Christ is the wisdom of the church, it must needs be that Jesus Christ must be all in all in the church, and thus have all power, dominion, sovereignty, and guidance therein.

Not that it is to be understood as if this power, do- minion, sovereignty, and guidance of Jesus Christ was arbitrary or compulsive. This is not the case ; nor doth Jesus Christ ever exercise, or is willing to exercise, any such arbitrary and compulsive authority. He leaves all his children/ree, and he wills them to continue so. He doth not require any forced service, but the service of a perfect freedom. " The princes of the Gentiles, saith he, exercise dominion over them, and they that are great ex- ercise authority upon them ; but it shall not be so among you."* They who serve him from compulsion, from that moment separate themselves from his femily, and become those hirelings, of whom it is written, k' The hireling flceth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."} The reason is, none can be of the fa- mily of the blessed Jesus, but they who serve him from a principle of love, and the service of love is the service of pure liberty and freedom. Therefore the Lard saill^

* Matt xx. 25. f John x. J'3.

34 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

in another place, " If tne Son shall make you free, theK are ye free indeed."*

But though the dominion of Jesus Christ, as the great householder of his church and family, is not arbitrary or compulsive, yet it is not hereby to be understood as if it was not most full and complete. Its fuhie^s and com- pleteness consist in this, that there is a fuiness and com- pleteness of all blessing, of all protection, of ail de- liverance from evil and error, and of all establishment in heavenly virtues, graces, and powers, continually com- municated from the divine householder to the household. All power, saith the blessed Jesus, is given unto me in heaven and in earthy by which he doubtless meant all power of blessing, of protection, and of deliverance. The members of his household are made partakers of this divine power, and become sensible of its wonderful efficacy, according as it is written, To as many as receiv- ed him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. ,| Uniting themselves to the will and wisdom of their most high and holy Lord, they perceive herein a fulness of all heavenly consolation and guidance. Se- parating themselves from whatever is contrary to that will and wisdom, they are convinced they have deliver- ance from all evil and error. Whilst the life and love of God is their life and love, they know that no mischief can befall them,. Whilst the wisdom and truth of God

* John viii. 36. t Matt, xxviii. 13. \ John i. 11L

THE HOUSEHOLDER* 36

js their wisdom and truth, they know that no delusion can .deceive and mislead them.

Not that this household of God, though under the im- mediate keeping and protection of the divine House- holder, is to be understood as being totally exempt from sorrows and from perplexities, for it endures many : but then herein are fulfilled the words of its God, "In the ■world ye shall have tribulation;"* and again, " Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy."] The sorrows and perplexities, therefore, of this heavenly household, are distinct from the sorrows and perplexities of those who are not of that household; and they are- distinct in this, that sooner or later, the trouble of the former is turned, by the divine householder, into joy, and their perplexity into the clearness of satisfactory conviction respecting the providences of God. As the sorrow and perplexity of the world therefore worketh death, so the sorrow and perplexity of those who are of the family of Jesus Christ, worketh life and peace, or, as the apostle expresseth it, " Their light affliction^ which is but for a moment, worketh for them afar more ^excee'ding and eternal weight of glory."^

What hath been here said concerning the church or household of God in general^ is true of, and may easily be applied to the church in every individual. Every individual man becometh a church or household of the jnost high God, in proportion as he knowcth and loveth

* John xv i. 33. -f John xv:. 20. 4.2 Cor. iv. 17.

3w THE HOUSEHOLDER.

that God. And so far as every individual becometl* such a church or household, so far he experienceth of the blessing, protection, guidance, and deliverance of the divine householder. For so far the divine house- holder is all in all to him. He no longer obeys his own will, and consults his own wisdom, but he obeys the will, and consults the wisdom of the God who dwells with him. The will and wisdom of God become thus by degrees his will and wisdom. Herein he finds sure deliverance from evil, error, and misery, and at the same time a gradual elevation into the sphere of the divine blessing, protection, and guidance. From that moment all is sure to go well with him ; he rises above the regions of disappointment and uncertainty; and though he may still experience .trouble and trial for his further purification, yet, inasmuch as he trusteth all bis concerns to the care of the great householder in him- self, his very troubles and trials are converted into means of eternal good.

To conclude. A question of infinite magnitude will naturally arise in every sincere mind, from what hath been said, viz. Do I belong to the general church and household of God .? and am I a church and household in particular? This question, important as it is, cannot per- haps be answered better than by these further questions : Have I a sincere respect unto the divine householder in myself? Do 1 desire to submit my own will, to be ruled by his will, and my own wisdom to be directed by his wisdom ? Is this become the ruling principle of my re- ligion, thus ever to seek the life of God above all things. 1

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 37

and to exalt it to dominion in myself? Have I ceased from the vain hope of being saved, because I am a nomi- ?ial member of this church, or of that, according to the distinctions of men ? And do I know that there is no salvation but in the church of Jesus Christ ; and that the single condition of being admitted into this saving church, is to renounce evil, because it is contrary to Jesus Christ, and to love and practise what is good, because it is from Jesus Christ, and leadeth to conjunction with him ? Do I ground thus my expectation of acceptance with God, not so much in mere words, and forms, and ceremonies of worship, as in the sincerity of my worship , not so much in the confession of my lips, as in the parity of my life ; not so much in mere speculative opinioiis, as in a hearty and operative love towards %}od and my neighbour ?

Blessed is he, whose heart shall give him a satisfactory answer to these questions ! Blessed is he, who shall have the infinite honour and happiness of belonging to the holy family and household of Jesus Christ ! Blessed is he, who is able to call Jesus Christ his householder, and to trust in him accordingly !

And may we all be wise to secure to ourselves thf? blessing ! AMEN,

OX THE

SPIRITUAL VINEYARD

or THE LORD'S PLANTING

SERMON V

Matt. xxi. 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house- holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it' round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it ont to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

IN the preceding discourse, I endeavoured to shew what we are here to understand by the term householder, and how this significative name is applied to the Lord, to denote his entire dominion and rule in his household, the church.

I shall now proceed to consider the next particular which presents itself in these words of the parable, viz. the planting a vineyard, and point out the lesson of holy

40 THE HOUSEHOLDER

and edifying instruction, which the Lord intended herein for all his true disciples.

There is much mention made of vineyards, of vinesT of grapes, and of wine, in the sacred Scriptures ; but perhaps few people consider, as they ought, that by these things are signified, and meant to be expressed, spiritual and heavenly things relating to the Lord and his church.

That vineyard hath such a spiritual signification, must be evident to every one who will read, with any degree of serious attention, the 5th chapter of the prophet Isai- ab, where the prophet begins with saying, " Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill."* And after describing several particulars concerning this vineyard, and -especially concerning its unfiuitfulness, he concludes his parable with these words: " The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel y and the men of Judah his pleasant plant ; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness , but behold a cry"}

From this passage, it must be very plain to every in- telligent mind, that by vineyard is here signified and de- scribed the Lord's church, as to those spiritual and liv- ing principles which constitute the church ; and there- fore, when this vineyard became unfruitful, or when those spiritual principles were perverted and abused, it is said,

* What is here rendered a very fruitful hill, is in the original- yyp'i* Ifcarp ~whi<;h is literally, In a horn the son of oiL f Verse. 7.

PLANTING A VINEYARD.- 41

*\ He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry"*

Agreeable to this spiritual sense and signification o the word vineyard, it is written again in the same pro- phet, speaking of the pure and uncorrupted church, " In that day answer ye her, A vineyard of pure wine, I Je- hovah do keep it, I will water it every moment :' | and again, speaking of the church in its state of trial and trouble, " In the vineyards there is no- singing nor rejoic- ing :v\ and again, speaking of the church perverted and desolated, " Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders, for ye have burned up the vineyard :"§ and again* in Jeremiah, " Many shepherds have destroyed my vine- yard; they have made it a wilderness :"jj and agreeable to the same sense of the word, the Lord calls himself a vine, saying, " I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."**

From this spiritual sense and signification then of the word vineyard, as used in the sacred writings, it will ap- pear very manifest to every thinking person, what is meant by planting a vineyard, as ascribed to the house- holder in the words of my text. The householder, it has been already shewn, denotes the Lord Jesus Christ as the supreme head and ruler of his church ; and by his %lan&

■-. 7. [jap. xxvii. 2, 3. 1 Ciiap. xv i. 10. \ Chap, iii. 14. || Chap; xii. 19. ** Jo;r xv. 1.

E 2

ig THE HOUSEHOLDER

lag a vineyard therefore nothing else can possibly" be signified or understood, but the implantation of spiritual truth from him and his word in the church, whereby spiri- tual good, which is the saving good of holy love and cha- rity, may be produced and rendered fruitful and ope- rative.

May i bespeak your most serious attention to this par- ticular of the parable, according to this its spiritual sense - and interpretation S

The church of God cannot possibly exist, either gene- rally or individually, without the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of God cannot possibly be derived from any other source than his holy word, as it is written, The Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh know- ledge and understanding.

The true vine therefore is the genuine truth of God's holy word, and the true vineyard are all they who re- ceive this truth, and suffer it to grow in their hearts, and bring forth fruit in their lives.

Jesus Christ brought this vine down from heaven, when the eternal Word was made flesh; and he willed it to be planted throughout the earth, when he said unto his apostles, " Go teach all nations, and preach the gospel io every creature."* From that time it grew and flourish- ed and became a great tree in the earth, and the men of he vineyard did eat plentifully of its heavenly fruits, and were nourished thereby in the wisdom, peace, and righteousness of an immortal life.

Jesus Christ doeth the same at this day — his Gospel

;r Matt, xxviii.19. Mark xyj. 15.

PLANTING A VINEYARD. 43-

is still the same heavenly vine that it was seventeen hun- dred years ago — the truth of God cannot change, or be affected by the vicissitudes of time : wheresoever there-r fore there is a believing heart, there the heavenly vine is still planted, and there also it still bringeth forth its hea- venly, blessed, and eternal fruits.

But do not all Christians alike receive the truth of God ? Is not the Gospel preached to all ? And are not all therefore the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts, having the true vine implanted in them, and partaking of its fruits 1

I answer — All Christians alike -receive the knowledge of God in their understandings , and so far as they do this, so far the heavenly vine is implanted in them, and they become in some sense the vineyard of God ; but it doth not follow from hence that all Christians partake alike of {he fruits of the vineyard.

We know, from the unerring testimony of the word of God, that there is the vine of Sodom? as well as the vine of Sibmah;] — there is the strange vine,^ as well as the noble vine ;§ — there is also the empty vine ;j| as well as the fruitful vine ; ** — and therefore, though every one is in some sense a vineyard of God, as having the hea- venly vine of the knowledge of God implanted in his vjnder standing, yet the nature and the fruit of this vine is

* Deut. xxxii. 32, f Isaiah xvi. 8, 9. \ Jer. n. 21. \ Jer. ii. 21. •| Hosea x. !. '* Isaiah xisij. 2.

4i THE HOUSEHOLDER

different with all, and will depend altogether upon other circumstances.

In some .cases this vine may be wholly barren and without fruit — in other cases it may yield fruit of a poi- sonous an>l noxious quality, which are the wild and sour grapes* spuken of by the prophet, and the grapes of gall t described by Moses — in other cases it may yield good grapes, from whence is produced that heavenly vine, of srhich the Lord speaks to his disciples, when he saith, I will drink no more henceforth of the fruit of the vine, mi- til that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's m.%

But methinks I hear you ask, What is the cause of this ili (Terence in the fruits of the vineyard? If the same f heaven be implanted in all, how comes it to pass that 't doth not bring forth the same fruit in all, both in quantity and quality ? Can the vine of Sibmah be ch anged into the vine of Sodom, or can the choice vine be- come the strange vine ?

I answer — The nature and fruit of the vine must ever depend upon the nature of the soil or ground in which it is implanted, and upon the culture thereof — or to speak plainly, and without a metaphor, the knowledge of God and his truth, implanted in man's understanding , will always take its quality and fruitfuJness from the love of God and Ms goodness, as operative in man's will and in his life,

<* * Isaiah v. 4 Ezeb. xviii.,2, f Deat. xxxii. 32. - tyatt. xxvi. 29,

PLANTING A VINEYARD. 45

The knowledge of God without the love of God is totally barren, and can produce no fruit — the love of God is the only soil in which the truth of God can pos- sibly grow and flourish — •" If a man love me," saith the blessed Jesus, " he will keep my words :"* the reason is, the love of Jesus delights in the words of Jesus, and therefore cherisheth and keepeth them ; but if this love be wanting, there is then nothing left by which the words or truth of Jesus can be kept ; the consequence is, they become barren, and unfruitful, and dead.

Here then we may see a reason why the choice vine may become a strange vine, and instead of bringing forth good grapes, may bring forth wild grapes. If the know- ledge of God be not cherished by the love of God ; or in other words, if the manifestation of the truth of God in man's understanding, be not cherished by the desire of heavenly good in his will, the consequence must certain- ly be, that the knowledge and the truth will be perverted and corrupted through the natural evils predominant in the mind. In this case there will either be no fruitfulness at all, or a fruitfulness in much evil and iniquity, as it is expressed in the prophet, " He looked for judgment, but behold oppression ; for righteousness, but behold a cry."t and thus the noble vine will be turned into a strange vine, as it is written in another prophet, " I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed ; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto weY'J

* John xiv. 23. f Isaiah v. 7, + Jer. ii. Zf.j

4G THE HOUSEHOLDER

To conclude. What hath been now said, beloved r demands your most serious consideration as Christians,, and as men. In each of you hath been planted, by the great householder, the heavenly vine of evangelical truth and knowledge.

Your hearts are the respective vineyards in which this plant of heaven and immortality was intended to grow, and bring forth its blessed fruits, that you may eat thereof, and live for ever.

You have no one concern either in time orin eternity,, which will admit of the smallest comparison with that which respects this vine.

If f flourishes am! bears its proper fruit, all then will go well with /ou ; you will feed upon that fruit; you nourished by it in your inner man, with all the graces and virtues of an heavenly and everlasting life, the great h ft will bless it to you with his contin-

! ; and in the language of the inspired pen-r man, -; irour threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time."*

The contrary, however, must come to pass, if this, your heavenly vine,, doth not flourish — in this case your spiritual life must perish with thai which can alone sup- port it ; if your vine becomes a dead branch, ye will become dead branches also, and in you will be fulfilled that terrible prophecy of old, " 1 hey shall also build houses, but not i ihabit them ; and they shall plant vine" yards, but not drink the wine thereof."!

f Zeph. i. 13.,

PLANTING A VINEYARD. 47

*But you ask, How then shall we so live, that our vine may flourish, and not die?

Infinitely important as the question is, it has been al- ready answered in what was observed above. Live so, that your knowledge of God may not be left destitute of the life and the love of God. To the truths of the Gos- pel which you have received, join the devout practice thereof, that so the evangelical powers and sanctities ma- nifested in your understandings, may influence also your ■wills and your actions. For this purpose take heed of resting your salvation on mere thought or belief alone^ independent of work. Remember, that it is the supreme love or ruling desire, which constitutes the man, and eve- ry man is, m the sight of God, what he principally loves or desires to be. If then you are wise to join holy love to holy knowledge, and heavenly desires and doings to heaven- ly thoughts — -if you are wisa to live the life of Christ, as well as to understand the doctrine of Christ, your vine will then assuredly live and flourish ; " the hills shall be covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof shall be like the goodly cedar trees ;"* it shall give its fruit, and its fruit shall nourish in you that everlasting life of righteousness, joy, and peace, which the great householder implanteth and supporteth in all those who cultivate his vineyard by keeping his commandments.

AMEN,

* .Psalm ljax. 10;

©N THE

HEDGE ROUND THE VINEYARD,

AS DENOTING A DISTINCTION OF PRINCIPLES IN THE REGENERATE LIFE.

SERMON VL

Matt. xxi. 39.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house- holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into afar country*

IN the two preceding discourses I have endeavoured to shew what we are here to understand by a certain house- holder, and what by his planting a vineyard ; I shall now proceed to shew further what is the lesson of instruction intended for us in these words. He hedged it roimcl about,

F

5© THE HOUSEHOLDER.

That the hedge here spoken of has a spiritual signifi- cation, must be very plain to every intelligent mind, not only on account of its reference in this place to a spir- itual vineyard, which is the Lord's church, but also be- cause it is frequently applied in such a spiritual sense in other parts of the sacred scriptures.

Thus saith the Lord in Isaiah, speaking of the church, which through evil of life was become desolate, / will take away the hedge thereof,* denoting its entire de- struction. Thus also in Ezekiel, speaking of lying or foolish prophets, the Lord saith, Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the. house or Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord ;| where it must be very manifest that hedge was a spir- itual signification, because applied to the house of Israel, which is the Lord's church. So again, speaking of the scarcity of goodness and truth in the church, the Lord Saith, / sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me, for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.%

From these, and many other similar passages in the sacred scriptures, where mention is made of hedges, it must be very evident that somewhat spiritual relating to the Lord's kingdom, or church, is intended to be ex- pressed thereby.

* Isaiah v. 5. f Ezek. xiii. 5. j Ezek. x%u. 8&.

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 51

What that spiritual somewhat is, which is signified and expressed by hedges, will appear very plain to the most ordinary understanding, from the consideration of a na- tural hedge, its end and use.

Every one knows that a natural hedge has two uses ; Jt is intended as a boundary of distinction or separation, and it is intended also as a boundary of defence and security.

This is the case also with the spiritual hedge, with which the vineyard or church of the great householder is encompassed. It is principally for these two pur- poses, first, for distinction or separation, and 2dly, for defence or security.

I propose to consider the spiritual hedge, under both these views, and 1st, as it serves for distinction or sepa-

n in the heavenly vineyard.

II has been al i n h in speaking oi householder and of his household the ehurch, how all mankind are divided into two great families, one con- sisting of those who fear and serve God in heart and life, the sfket of those who do not fear and serve God at all, but only in words -and m gt^l-V8'

The spiritual hedge, in the most general sense of it, is* what divides or separates between these two families, thus distinguishing between the Lord's vineyard and what is not the vineyard, so that they may be clearly known and discerned, the one from the other.

This hedge of distinction and separation is known only unto God, and not at all unto man. The reason is, because i\ relates only to the spirits of men, or to the

52 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

internal man, and not so much to the natural or external man, and God alone is acquainted with the state of men's spirits, or of their internal man, according as it is writ- ten, / know my sheep.

As to the external man, the hedge of distinction in the heavenly vineyard is not so manifest. The true mem- bers of the Lord's living body, the church, appear out' wardly like those who are not of the church ; they are engaged in the same outward callings and professions ; they have the same bodily wants and necessities to pro- vide for ; they join in the same forms and ordinances of external worship.

In like manner they who are not of the church, ap- pear outwardly like those who are of the church ; they as- semble together in the same place to adore the same God ; they assume the same external appearances of re- verence and devotion ; they join in the same prayers, read the same holy scriptures, partake of the same sacra- ments, and repeat the same professions of belief in one eternal God.

Bui notwithstanding this want of distinction and dis- crimination in externals, between those who are not of the church, and those who are of the church ; notwith- standing the wolf may assume the sheep's clothing, and the sheep may be outwardly associated with the wolf, so that they cannot be known asunder by man ; yet, in the sight of God, and according to the eternal distinctions of the spiritual mind in regard to God and his kingdom, the hedge of discrimination in the heavenly vineyard is

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 5o

drawn so clearly and precisely, that the boundary can never be mistaken.

The Lord, it is therefore written, knoweth the way of the righteous.* " He discerneth between the right- eous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, ar.d him that serveth him not/'t His all-pierc- ing eye is fixed perpetually upon man's internal mind ; he looketh, not so much at the external act, as at the intention in which it originates ; he sees the objects in which man's affections centre, and he judges of him accordingly ; he doth not so much regard words,1* verbal professions, external forms and ceremonies, bodily gestures, and such like outward semblances of devotion, for all these things, he knows, may be nothing more than the "whitening of the sepulchre, or like the fruit of the true vine artificially tied on the thorn and bramble ; but what God principally regards at all times is the heart of man, or in other words, his ruling love, his fixed and deliberate principle of thought and action, the great end of life, whether temporal or eternal, which he hath chosen for himself. When man therefore offers up prayers and praises, God iooketh how muoh there is of life and love in those things ; when man reads or hears the holy scriptures, God notes his secret purpose in so doing, and how his will is affected thereby ; when man repeats pro- fessions of faith, God's eye is upon the real persuasion oi his understanding in those professions. Thus it

* Psalm i. 6.

f Mai. iii. 18.

F 2

^4 THE HOUSEHOLDER,

is thai the divine householder separates between the pure and the vile, between the clean and the unclean, and draws a hedge of manifest and eternal distinction round about his vineyard.

But there is yet another sense in which the hedge of the spiritual vineyard may be understood, as a boundary of separation and distinction, to which I could wish to- turn your present attention, because of its peculiarly edi- ting importance.

The sense I mean is in regard to every individual ■man, considered as an individual church or vineyard of Ihe Lord.

It has been already shewn, in speaking of the vine- yard planted by the great householder, that every rege- nerate man becomes a church or household of God in particular, answering in all respects to the 'church or household of God in general.

Of consequence, as in the general vineyard there is a hedge of distinction and separation, so it is also in the particular vineyard; and every real member of the church, whether he is aware of it or not, must of neces- sity, as being an individual vineyard of the great house- holder, be encompassed by such a hedge.

Possibly, beloved, you may never have before con- sidered this subject, nor have thought about this spiritual hedge in your own minds. It is time then that you should now consider it, because, as being an eternal truth declared in the word of God, is must needs be infinitely interesting and instructive to you, as to your eternal concerns.

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 55

Know then, and be forever persuaded, that if you are vineyards of the Lord in particular, or, in other words, if you have received his word of eternal life into your hearts and understandings, your minds are in this case encompassed with an eternal hedge of separation and distinction , whereby you are manifestly and everlasting- ly discriminated from those who are not of the vine- yard.

By virtue of this hedge, the mark of the eternal God is in your foreheads , and you are sealed to be his for eter- nity. You are the blessed sheep of his heavenly fold, and are for ever separated from those who are not his sheep. " They are not of the world," saith the Lord of the vineyard of his true disciples, " even as I am not of the world."* Thus also he saith of you, " Ye are not of the world." Ye are separated from its vanities and vices, from its delusive pleasures, and fleeting uncer- tainties, from the dazzling splendour of its enchanting glory, and the no less dangerous fear of its frowns and reproaches. And ye are born into another kingdom, ye belong to another family, ye are the members of ano- ther household, ye have higher ends of life, more blessed hopes and expectations, than this world can supply you with. As to your outward man, ye must indeed still for a time remain and act in the world, and for a time ap- pear like those who are not of the vineyard ; but as to your internal man, ye are chosen out of the world, ye are encompassed within the hedge of my vineyard ; I know

• JoUn zvii. 1$.

60 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

you to be my own, and will preserve you as a sepa- rate and distinct people.

But this is not the only sense, in which, as being vineyards of the great householder in particular, you are encompassed individually with the spiritual hedge of separation and distinction. There is yet another sense, and this is an infinitely instructive one, in which, according to the words in my text, you may be thus said to be hedged round about.

If the Word of God had its right and full effect upon your minds and lives, you must needs have perceived somewhat of this separation and distinction effected in yourselves. As for example; you were once merely natural men, and had only natural minds, whilst you wTere seeking natural things alone, and loving this world more than God and heaven; but now, if you have re- ceived the Word of God, and are thereby become his vineyard, ye are become nezv and spiritual men, and have your spiritual mind opened and formed, and are desiring and seeking after spiritual things.

I say, then, in this case, ye must have perceived in yourselves somewhat of distinction and separation. Ye must have seen how the new man in yourselves is dis- tinct from the old man. Ye must have observed the boundaries of each principle: ye must have discrimi- nated between them, marking their essential differences and disagreements : ye must have noted how they are contrary, the one to the other ; how the one delights in wisdom, the other in folly; how the one loves God

THE HOUSEHOLDER* 57

and its neighbour, the other only itself and the world; how the one is an heir of salvation and eternal life, the other of condemnation and eternal misery. Thus ye must have seen and perceived the hedge of separation and distinction in your vineyard, between the new mind and the old, between the clean and the unclean, between ,{ the man of God, thoroughly furnished unto every good work," and " the man of sin, who opposeth and exalteth himself above alJ that is called God, or that is worshipped."

I could now proceed to point out further boundaries af distinction and separation, which take place and form a hedge in the vineyard of the great householder, both generally and individually ; but leaving these to be the subject of your own meditation, I shall conclude my present discourse with a few remarks on what has been already said.

And, 1st, If all mankind be divided into two great families, of which one is the Lord's vineyard, and the other is not the vineyard ; and if these two families be totally distinct and separate from each other, being divided by an eternal hedge or boundary ; how careful and concerned ought we to be, to which of these two families we belong ! How anxiously, how scrupulously ought we to examine and consider with ourselves, on which side of the hedge we stand ; whether on the side within the vineyard, or on the side without the vineyard, from a firm and full conviction, that o.ir state in eternity will depend upon the sincerity of such examination and consideration!

58 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

And, 2dly, If, as vineyards of the Lord in particu- lar, we are each of us encompassed individually with a hedge of distinction and separation in our own minds, whereby we are not only divided from the world, but are also divided from ourselves, having the principles of our own minds separated and discriminated, the one from the other ; if this, I say, be the case, (and the Word of God assures us that it is,) how ought we then to be continually looking at this eternal hedge in our- selves ! How ou£ht we to examine it, lest at any time it should be broken down, and our vineyard laid W3ste ! How anxiously ought we to pray and labour, that it may be preserved entire, and if at any time it be broken, that it may be quickly and effectually repaired !

Without a hedge, it is most certain, there can be no vineyard, and without distinction and separation there can be no church. Whensoever the people of God be- come mixed and confounded with those who are of the world, they will soon cease to be the people of God. It is so likewise in an individual sense. No one can possibly be a living member of Christ, unless he dis- tinguishes in himself, between what is of Christ, and what is not of Christ, and sees clearly this distinctionc This is the great and sole difference between the mere natural man and the spiritual; the natural man makes no such discrimination of principles in himself, and therefore remains a natural man; but the spiritual man both makes the discrimination, and notes it well when he has made it.

THE HOUSEHOLDER. 59

May the God of eternal mercy, the great house- holder, give us all grace to act herein according to the dictates of his own eternal wisdom, that so we may con- tinually rejoice, not only in seeing and confessing that we are the vineyard of his planting, but also that he hath hedged it round about ! AMEN.

0N

THE HEDGE

ROUND ABOUT THE VINEYARD,

AS DENOTING SPIRITUAL DEFENCE.

SERMON VII,

Matt. xxi. 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house- holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tozver, and let it out to husbandmen, and zoent into a far country.

IT has been already shewn what we are here to under- stand by a certain householder ; what by his planting a vineyard ; and what by his hedging it round about.

The householder is the Lord ; the vineyard is his church; and the hedge with which it is encompassed, is

•hat boundary of separation and defence, whereby the, G

62 THE HOUSEHOLDER

vineyard is distinguished from what is not the vineyard, and, inconsequence of such distinction, is protected and secured.

It has been already shewn further, in what way and manner the hedge about the vineyard is a boundary of separation and distinction. It remains now to be consi- dered in what way and manner it is a boundary of de- fence and protection.

The subject, it must be confessed, is of the utmost importance, and will be regarded as such by every think- ing mind ; and yet, perhaps, there is no subject which is in general so little attended to, even by those very persons who are most interested in the consideration of it.

Every one may see, that without defence, the church of God, whether regarded generally or individually, must needs perish. Where there is no protection, there can be no salvation.. The enemies of the church are conti- nually active to destroy, and they will destroy, if they be not guarded against. Can a city stand in the siege, with- Guiw&Us ? Or can a vineyard be secure without a hedge ? No more can the church withstand its various adversa- ries without the means of withstanding them.

But though all this be seen clearly, and is obvious to the most ordinary understanding; yet few comparative- ly, even of those perhaps who are within the church, con- sider aright wherein its defence consisteth. They confess that it cannot stand without protection ; but they do not know, so as to apprehend distinctly, what is the nature of thai protection. Some satisfy themselves with think-

THE HEDGE. 63

jng and saying, that this protection is of the divine provi- dence, and that God himself is the defence of his church. But such persons do not perhaps consider, that the divine providence never operates but in and according to divine order, and that God himself never acts but by and through appointed means of acting.

It is true indeed, and must be eternally true, that without God and his providence, the church cannot be protected ; no, not for a moment : but it is equally and alike true, that God and his providence cannot protect the church without the means of protection. For, let me ask, what is the reason why any churches, since the foundation of the world, have grown corrupt, and perish- ed, a9 we know hath been the case with many ? What brought destruction formerly upon the church at Jerusa- lem, the church at Alexandria, the church at Jlntioch, and others. God and his providence, we may be very sure, must have been operative to the uttermost, to prevent such destruction ; and could the divine operation alonz have been effectual, not a single church would have suf- fered injury. The real cause, then, of the ruin of these churches was, not because they wanted the protection of God and his providence, but because they were left without those means of defence, that hedge of the spiri- tual vineyard, without which God and his providence could not defenda

But to bring this matter nearer to ourselves. It has been already shewn, in speaking of the spiritual vine- yard, that every individual person, who receives the truth of God, and his word, in his heart and understand-

64 THE HOUSEHOLDER

ing, is an individual church, and may be considered as such. But Jet me ask now, What is the reason why some of these individual churches fall to decay, and come to destruction, whilst others stand firm and secure ? — What is the reason why one man yields to temptation, and another does not yield to it ; why one is overcome of tvU, and another overcomes it ; why some have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh, whilst others are so weak and powerless, that, instead of spiritual victory and tri- umph, they are the continual subjects of spiritual capti- vity and imprisonment ? — God and his providence are alike watchful over all, and willing to protect all ; and therefore the cause of the difference in the above cases cannot be imputed to God : it must then be imputed solely to this — that some men are provided with the means of spiritual defence, whilst others are not provided with them.

From these considerations, a question of infinite mag- nitude will naturally arise in the mind of every serious person, who has any real concern about his eternal well- being, viz. What are the true means of spiritual protec- tion and defence ; and how may we so order our lives and conversations as to acquire those means ?

Weighty as this question is, it has its full and com- plete answer in the words of my text, well understood, respecting the hedge of the sjnritual vineyard, as I shall now proceed briefly to shew.

It has been already seen, how, by the hedge of the ,-piritual vineyard is meant a boundary of separation and

THE HEDGE. 65

distinction, to divide it from that which is not the vine- yard.

This boundary of separation and distinction, whether considered generally or individually, implies, that the church notes and marks well in itself, the distinct quali- ties of good and evil — that it discriminates carefully be- tween what is of God, and what is not of God — that it separates, with the nicest discernment, between the clean and the unclean, between the precious and the vile — that, in short, it ascertains and establishes in itself, the eternal limits of the kingdom of heaven, as founded in the eternal laws of justice and judgment, goodness and truth ; and the eternal limits also of the opposite kingdom of darkness, as founded in all the ignorance, er- ror, and mischief of unsanctiried thoughts and impure af- fections.

Behold here, then, the true and the only means of the church's defence and protection, whether it be regarded in a general or in a particular view !

It is to keep it hedged about with this hedge of eternal separation and distinction, that so it may not be mixed and confounded with that which is not the church, but be kept at all times in the most perfect state of distinction and discrimination.

You are surprised to hear, that separation and distinc- tion can be any cause and means of spiritual defence and protection. It is necessary, then, that I be a little more particular in explaining myself.

Know, then, and be fully assured, from the authority of the word of God, that there is but one cauge or ground G2

66 THE HOUSEHOLDER

of all spiritual weakness and infirmity, and that is, an evil love and an evil life ; or, in other words, evil and corrupt affections, joined to foolish and unwise thoughts, which have no higher origin, and regard no higher end, than the world and the flesh.

On the other hand, know, and be alike fully assured, from the same high authority, that there is but one cause or ground of all spiritual strength and stability, and that is, a righteous love and a righteous life ; or, in other words, righteous and pure affections, joined to all heaven- ly knowledge and truth, which have both their origin and their end in the eternal God, the Father of the spi- rits of all flesh.

If you examine the subject ever so attentively, and with ever so deep a reach of thought and understanding, you will never be able to discover any other source or cause of spiritual weakness and of spiritual strength, than the above.

Here, then, you may see clearly, if you are so dis- posed, the truth of what was just now asserted, that spi- ritual separation and distinction are the sure and only means of spiritual defence and protection.

For separation and distinction alone tend to remove all evil love, all impure affections, all foolish thoughts, and thereby all spiritual infirmity. On the other hand, they tend to exalt and to establish all holy love, all hea- venly affections, all wise and sanctified thoughts, and thereby all spiritual strength and stability.

If you inquire, therefore, what is the true cause why any church, at any time, has become weak, and has thus

THE HEDGE. 67

perished for want of defence, you will never be able to discover any other than this : — It has not attained to, and preserved due separation and distinction — it has not been careful to keep its spiritual principles of life and love unmixed and unconfused — it has suffered the earthy and worldly principles to enter in and defile the heavenly — it has let the selfish and carnal affections of an unholy love pollute the celestial and spiritual affections of the love of God. Impurity hath thus been mingled with purity, folly with wisdom, earth with heaven, weakness with strength, darkness with light, death with life. — There has been no discrimination, no separation, no pu- rification ; of consequence, there could be no defence j and the spiritual vineyard being thus left without a hedge, it must needs follow, that " all they that go by would pluck off her grapes : the wild boar out of the wood would root it up, and the wild beasts of the field de- vour it.'"*

On the other hand, if you inquire. what is the true cause why any church, whether in a general or indivi- dual sense, has at any time prospered, and been defend- ed and protected against its spiritual foes, you will never be able to discover any other than this : — It has attained to, and maintained, due separation and distinction of spi- ritual principles in itself — it has " set to each its bounds, that it cannot pass" — it has divided, with exact discrimi- nation, between the heavenly and the earthy, the spiri- tual and the natural, the wise and the unwise, the living

* Psalm Ixxx. 12, 13.

68 THE HOUSEHOLDER

and the dead — it hath not suffered in itself any abomina- ble mixtures of the pure and impure ; but noting all its affections and thoughts, what is their distinct nature, ori- gin, and end, and arranging them accordingly, it has brought them all into the subordination of order. Thus it has provided for itself an eternal hedge of defence and protection ; whereby it is made that blessed church, of which it is written, " The gates of hell shall not prevail against it."* ■

To conclude. Do you wish, beloved, (1 address you as a church in general, and also each as a church in par- ticular ;) do you wish that your spiritual vineyard should be ever secure and protected, and thereby bring forth its proper fruits of eternal peace and comfort in your own minds ? Remember then well, whence true protection cometh, that it is from the great almighty Redeemer alone, through the means of spiritual separation and dis- tinction I Remember also, that in all mixture there is weakness ; in all confusion there is infirmity. Nothing causeth strength but arrangement and order ; and arrange- ment and order cannot have place without previous sepa- ration and discrimination. Begin then with noting well the several principles of life and love in yourselves, ac- cording to the light which is given you from above. And when you have well noted and marked them, so as to know each distinctly from the other, then give to each its proper place and arrangement.' Let the love of God and of your neighbour be above all, and distinct from

* Matt. xvi. 18.

THE HEDGE. 69

all. Let every other love administer and be subordinate thereto. Observe the same regulation as to your know- ledges. Let the knowledge of God be accounted dis- tinct from, and more excellent than every other know- ledge ; and take heed that every other knowledge be kept in a state of inferiority and subjection thereto. Worldly knowledge will not hurt you, nor worldly affec- tion, only so far as you suffer them to mix themselves with heavenly knowledge and heavenly affection. If they so mix themselves, you are undone ; your Spiritual life must perish in the mixture, as a vineyard without a hedge. But if you are wise to keep them unmixed, so as always to distinguish them asunder, and to set the heavenly above the earthy, the spiritual above the natu- ral, the pure above the impure ; all then will go well with you, and your vinexjard will be preserved and flourish.

Remember, then, the hedge of the spiritual vineyard, and you will then always dwell safely under the divine protection, and be enabled to sing continually that blessed song, " The Lord is my light and my salvation : whom then shall I fear ? The Lord is the strength of my life : of whom then shall I be afraid ?"* AMEN-

* Psalm xxvii. L

ON THE

SPIRITUAL WINE-PRESS,

AS DENOTING AN EXAMINATION OF THE MOTIVES WHICH GIVE BIRTH TO ACTIONS.

SERMON VIII.

Matt. xxi. 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house-

% holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it

round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and

built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and

went into a far country,

IT has been already considered, what is here meant by a certain householder, what by the vineyard he planted, and what by the hedge with which he hedged it round about. I shall now proceed to shew further, the edify- ing lesson of wisdom and instruction intended for us in the next operation ascribed to the householder, respect- _ ing his vineyard; where it is said, He " digged a wine- press in it.

72 THE HOUSEHOLDER

That the winepress here spoken of, as well as the hedge already explained, hath a spiritual signification, and is to be understood spiritually, is very plain, not only from its relation to the vineyard, whereby is meant the Lord's spiritual church, but also because it is spiritually applied in other parts of the sacred scriptures.

Thus, in Isaiah, speaking of the church which the Lord had planted, it is written, " My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill ; and he planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein."* Thus also in Joel, speaking of the church which was overflowed with wick- edness, " Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe : get ye down, for the press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great."! So again, in the prophet Hosea, speaking of the church which was become deso- late, " The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall deceive them. "J Lastly, in Je- remiah, describing the church's destruction through the prevalence of evil and of false doctrines, " The spoiler is fallen upon thy vintage : I have caused wine to fail from the wine-presses; none shall tread with shouting ; their shouting shall be no shouting."§

In all the above passages, it must be very plain to every thinking mind, that by wine-press, somewhat spiri- tual, relating to the Lord's spiritual church, is intended

* Isaiah v. 1, 2. f Joel iii. 13. \ Hosea ix. 1, 2. \ Jer. xlviii. 32, 33.

THE WINE-PRESS. 73

to be expressed ; otherwise, how could it ever have been mentioned in the word of God, which can only- treat of things spiritual and divine ?

But though the reason of every serious mind may see evidently, that somewhat spiritual must needs be signified by a wine-press, whensoever mention is made of it in the Word of God ; yet it will not, perhaps, be so easy to see what that spiritual somewhat is, which is signified. None can see this, but they who well con- sider the subject in their own minds ; and none will well consider the subject, but they who, from a sense of the infinite importance of the things of God, are led continually to say, with the holy man of old, " Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law ; -yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart."*

Howbeit, since it is of the utmost importance that the Word of God should be clearly seen and under- stood ; and since I am fully persuaded, beloved, there are many amongst you, who are desirous to see and un- derstand it, that so you may profit by it in your lives, and attain unto the blessedness and purity of that wis- dom which is from above; I shall gladly endeavour, in my following discourse, to open to your view the true -ense and signification of the wine-press spoken of in my text, and thereby lead you to all that spiritual in- struction and edification which the word was intended to convey.

v Psalffl cxis. 33, 34,

H

74 THE HOUSEHOLDER

Every one can see what is the use of a natural wine-press, and from hence the serious and thoughtful mind will at once clearly discover what is meant by the spiritual wine-press.

The natural wine-press, we know, is necessary to- separate the juice of the grape from its grosser and more impure parts. Hence the true nature and quality of the grape is discovered and made known. Hence also wine is produced, which is a substance altogether different from the grape itself. Thus by means of the wine-press we are enabled to discern and to distinguish the good grape from the evil grape, the sweet from the sour, the ripe from the unripe, which were not before distinguishable. And thus also we are further enabled to procure a liquor of excellent and extraordi- nary quality, and of singular use to the life of man, if it be properly and moderately applied.

Beloved, let not nature, or rather the God of nature, give us instruction in vain. Let us hearken to the voice of the wine-press. Let us ponder the lessons of the eternal wisdom which it teacheth, that we also may be wise and live.

Who cannot see, if he be so disposed, from the use of the natural wine-press, what is meant by the spi- ritual wine -press? Who cannot discern, that the spiri- tual wine-press is nothing else but serious consideration and careful examination of our works in the sight of God, and by the light of his Word, that so we may discover their real and true quality, whether they are apod or ovil ?

THE WINE-PRESS. 75

Let me bespeak your most earnest attention to this meaning and use of the spiritual wine-press.

It has been already abundantly shewn, that by the vineyard is meant the church, both generally and individually. The fruits of the vineyard then, or grapes, must needs mean the works of the church, or, what is the same thing, the works of those who consti- tute the church. But the fruits of the vineyard may be of divers qualities. They may be sweet and pure grapes, or they may be sour and wild grapes ; and no one can distinguish from their outward appear- ance what is their quality, whether they be sweet and pure, or whether they be sour and wild.

It is the same with man's works — they also are of different qualities — some men do good works, which are really good in the sight of God ; — others do works which appear like good works outwardly, but are not so inwardly — they are good in the sight of men, but they are not good in the sight of God : and therefore it is written of these works, " I have not found thy works perfect before God."*

But how now shall we know the difference between a work which is really and inwardly good in the sight of God, and a work which is only outwardly good in the sight of men ?

The question is of infinite concern to all who are seeking salvation and eternal life, inasmuch as salva- tion and eternal life can belong only to those whose works are good in the sight of God.

Rev.

76 THE HOUSEHOLDER

Howbeit, the answer to the question is plain — Bring your works to the spiritual wine-press, as you bring your grapes to the natural wine-press. The natural wine-press, you know, separates the pure juice of the grape from its grosser parts, and thereby discovers its (rue quality- Even so the spiritual wine-press of seri- ous consideration and attentive examination of your works will separate the spirit of them from their exter- nal appearances, and will thus soon discover to you what is their inward quality, whether they are good, or not good, in the sight of God.

This is what the Lord meant when he said, " Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither Cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved ; but he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."*

Beloved, you are every day doing some kind of works, or bringing forth some kind of fruit in your spi- ritual vineyard. These works, or this fruit, must be either good or evil ; they must therefore either be such as will save you, or such as will condemn you ; they must be either bringing you nearer towards God and heaven, or separating you further from God and hea- ven.

But have you ever been at the pains to discover the internal nature and quality of these your works ? Have you ever, for this purpose, brought them to the spiritual wine-press? Do you know thereby whether your works be of God, and wrought in God, or of your-

* John iii. 20, 2 1.

THE WINE-PRESS. 77

selves, and wrought in yourselves, without God ? Do you discern what is within in your works, what spirit it is, whether it be the spirit of heaven, or the spirit of hell ; whether it be light or darkness, good or evil, life or death ?

If you have not as yet made any such examination of your works, nor any such discovery of their inter- nal spirit, wo then be unto you ! for ye have every reason in the world to suppose, in this case, that your works are inwardly evil, howsoever they may appear outwardly good. At least ye must needs be in igno- rance of their quality, and of consequence cannot know but ye may be hatching cockatrice eggs, and wea- ving the spider's web, of which it is written, " He that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed, breaketh out into a viper."* For without serious exami- nation, how is it possible you should tell whether the viper be in your works or not ? how can you discern whether your grapes be of the vine of Sibmah, or of the vine of Sodom ? whether they be of the clusters of Eshcol, or grapes of gall, whose clusters are bitter ?

But widely different will be the case with you, if ye are wise to dig the wine-press in your spiritual vine- yard, and to use it according to the blessed purposes for which it was intended. In this case you will at all times be enabled to see and know the true quality of your works, and what is in them. Whilst by seri- ous examination you bring them to the light, that you may know of a truth whether they are wrought in God or not, God will assuredly manifest to you their inter ^

* Isaiah lix. 5.

H 2

78 THE HOUSEHOLDER

nal spirit. You will know thus of a certainty what : in them, whether the lamb or the viper, the dove or the owl, the angel of heaven, or the spirit of darkness. You will no longer mistake the sour grape for the sweet grape, the pure for the wild, but will discern clearly, to your unspeakable jo}- , what fruit your vine yield- eth.

But this is not all : — by means of the natural wine- press, it has been shewn, there is produced wine, which is a substance totally distinct from the grape, and of which it is written, " that it maketh glad the heart of man."* This extraordinary effect is not con- fined to the natural winepress ; it belongs, in a super- eminent sense, to the spiritual wine-press also. Make but the experiment, and you will be convinced, to your unspeakable joy, of the truth of this observation. Bring all your deeds to the light, by serious explora- tion and examination, that they may be made manifest that they are wrought in God. In this case, you will find a separation will be effected between the mere ex- ternal work, and the internal spirit or principle from whence it proceeds. This internal spirit or principle, thus discovered, is the spiritual wine produced from your grapes, which will indeed make glad your hearts ; for who will not be made glad of heart by the disco- very, that his works are wrought in God? who will not rejoice to see that his vine thus bringeth forth good grapes ? Thus all your works will bring their blessing with tbem, because from all your works, thus explored

k Psalm civ. l&

THE WINE-PRESS. 79

and examined in the sight of God, you will be ena- bled to extract from your spiritual drinking and nour- ishment that heavenly wine, of which it is written, " Ephraim shall be like a mighty one, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine : yea, their children shall see and be glad ; and their heart shall rejoice in die Lord,"* AMEN.

* Zech. k. 7.

ON THE

SPIRITUAL TOWER,

AS DENOTING THE ELEVATION OF TRUTH^ AND THE PROTECTION THENCE DERIVED.

SERMON IX.

Malt. xxi. 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house- holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in itT and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

IN the foregoing discourses it has been shewn what is here to be understood by a certain householder, what by the vineyard which he planted, what by his hedging it round about, and what by iiis digging a wine- press in it.

I shall now proceed, as was before in tended,' to the consideration of tbe next particular respecting this

32 THE HOUSEHOLDER

vineyard, viz. the building a tower in it, and endea- vour to lay open the lesson of heavenly wisdom and instruction which this circumstance involves.

It has been already shewn, that the whole of this parable, together with all its parts, hath a spiritual signification, in which it has reference to the Lord and his church, both generally and individually. This is ihe case also in respect to the lower, which is here said to be built in the vineyard by the householder. Like the hedge and the wine-press before spoken of, it hath likewise a spiritual sense and meaning ; and unless it be understood accordingly, it is impossible to see any reason why the building thereof should be recorded in this divine and instructive parable.

Much mention is made of towers in other parts of the sacred writings, by which it may plainly appear, to every considerate mind, that somewhat spiritual, re- lating to God and his kingdom, is implied therein.

Thus the psalmist saith, " The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer ; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower ;"* where the word tower cannot possibly be understood in a na- tural, but in a spiritual sense. Again, it is written in Isaiah, speaking of the effects of the Lord's coming, " The day of the Lord shall be upon every high tow- er :"t where it must be manifest, that by tower is meant something spiritual respecting the Lord's church, inasmuch as no other tower could possibly be affected

* Psalm xviii. 2. f Isaiah ii. 15.

THE TOWER, 33

by the Lord's coming. This is expressed still more fully and strongly in Micah, speaking of the blessings which would flow -to the church from the Lord's ap- pearing, where it is said, " And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion ;"* where it must be very evident, that by tower of the flock some- what spiritual, relating to the Lord's church and king- dom, must needs be expressed and described. Several other passages might, if needful, be adduced from the sacred scriptures, where the word tower is used accord- ing to a spiritual sense and signification ; but the above will, I trust, be sufficient to prove, that the word, as applied in the parable under consideration, is to be in- terpreted spiritually, and not naturally.

What the word tower implies in a spiritual sense, can only be discovered from considering the use and design of a natural tower. This use and design is twofold ; the natural tower is both for observation and for defence : by its height it gives an opportunity of taking a large and comprehensive view of the country around, and thereby of discovering the approach of an enemy ; and by it* strength it affords protection and se- curity against an enemy when he approaches.

This is precisely the case with the spiritual tower, only with this difference, that the spiritual tower is for spiritual observation and defence ; enabling its inhabi- tant to take a large and comprehensive view of spiritual regions, and thereby to note the approach of spiritual enemies, and to guard against them. * Micab iv. 8.

84 THE HOUSEHOLDER

The spiritual tower therefore is constructed of alf those interior truths of the word of God, whereby the soul hath elevation into a higher or interior state of life, and in consequence of such elevation, is enabled both to discover its interior evils, and also to fight against and overcome them.

Permit me to call your most earnest attention to the very important nature, use, and design, of the spiri- tual tower as thus opened and explained.

Perhaps you have never heretofore considered the subject, nor been rightly affected by its extraordinary weight and consequence. Perhaps you have never as yet examined your own minds, with the view of dis- covering whether the spiritual tower be built in you or not. Perhaps you have never seen the danger of not building this tower, and how in this case your spiri- tual vineyard is liable at all times to be laid waste by those interior evils, which can never be detected, and thereby guarded against, but by means of this tower. And lastly, perhaps, you have never been at the pains to examine the nature of those interior truths of the word of God, which are necessary for the construction of this spiritual tower, and without which it cannot possibly be either constructed, or preserved.

It is high time then assuredly, that you should now give a serious attention to these subjects, under an aw- ful apprehension that they are immediately connected with your eternal well-being. For unless this had been the case— unless the building of the spiritual tower had been absolutely necessary for your eternal

THE TOWER, 8j

salvation, there would never have been any mention made of it in the Word of God.

It is impossible, however, that you can form any just idea or apprehension of the spiritual tower, unless you are previously acquainted with the nature of those in- terior truths of God"s Word, whereof it is constructed. May I bespeak your attention, then, in the first place, to this consideration.

Your own reflection may teach and convince you, if you will make a proper use of it, that man's salvation depends solely on his reception of the truths of God's Word in his heart and life. Where there is no recep- tion of those truths, there can be no salvation, because there are no means, in such case, whereby God can operate salvation, which consists in the removal of evil from man, and the implantation of good. But where there is a due reception of the truths of God's Word, in the heart and life, there salvation is a certain con- sequence, because there God operates to me extirpa- tion of all evil, and the implantation of all the saving good of his own mercy, love, and truth.

Your own reflection may teach and convince you further, if you be disposed to make use of it, that re- ception of the truths of God's Word is twofold, exter- nal and internal. Some people receive those truths only externally, that is, in the memory, and not so much in the life ; whilst others receive them internally ; that is, in the life through the memory.

What I wish now more particularly to observe, and to press upon your observation, is this. Reception of the truths of God merely in the memory, and not in I

86 THE HOUSEHOLDER

the life, is of no avail to the building the spiritual tower, of consequence is of no avail to salvation. The reason is, because the spiritual tower implies an eleva- tion of the intellectual mind, whereby it is enabled to see and discern its interior spiritual evils, and to fight against them ; and this elevation cannot have place whilst the truths of God are merely in the memory, and not in the life. For elevation of the intellectual mind, implies conjunction with God, and pre-emi- nence thereby, over those things which are not of God; and this conjunction and pre-eminence cannot possi- bly be effected by religious truths, whilst they remain in the memory only, and do not pass thence into the life, or practice.

No external reception then of the truths of God is sufficient for building the spiritual tower of divine ob- servation and aefence. To raise this incomparable and most excellent superstructure, it is needful that truth should be received internally. Would you know what is meant by the internal reception of truth? It is the truth of God operating in the heart, and produ- cing thence its salutary influences on the life. It is the truth of God, elevated out of the memory into a higher or inner sphere of the mind, being received with delight in the affection thereof, and thus tending to raise man out of the love of evil into the love of good, out of earthly vanities into heavenly realities ; out of the sinfulness, miseries, and corruption of his own natural life, separate from God, into the sanctities, blessed- nesses, and purities of that spiritual and eternal life of <*yangelkal love and charity, which is- the gift of God

THE TOWER. 87

m Jesus Christ, to every one who repenteth and be- Iieveth the Gospel.

♦ Behold here the means, and the only means, of building that spiritual tower, whence alone cometh protection and salvation to the spiritual vineyard!

Would you then, beloved, rind this toiler built in yourselves, and be made partakers of all its infinite blessings and benefits? Do you wish for such a place of elevation and defence in your own minds, where you may contemplate the great eternal things of God's kingdom, and at the same time discern all the ap- proaches of your spiritual adversaries, and be secured against their assaults? Stir up then your minds, and pray to God to assist you, in the first place, to a dili- gent and a due consideration of the vast importance of such a spiritual tower. Reflect seriously writh your- -elves, that your salvation depends upon this building, jiuch as without it you can neither see the interior evils of your natures, nor fight against them so as to remove them : in which case your vineyard will be continually exposed to depredation — " ail they that ^o by will pluck off your grapes, the wild boar out of the wood will root it up, the wild beasts of the field will devour it."*

When you are thus convinced of the absolute neces- sity of a spiritual tozcer, for the preservation of your vineyard, then beg of God, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the next place, to give you a just and right apprehension of those interior truths of his Word, orA

* Psalm Ixxx. 12. 13.

33 THE HOUSEHOLDER

what is the same thing, of that internal reception oj truth, without which the spiritual tower cannot be built. For this purpose, accustom yourselves to re- flect frequently and seriously on the utter. vanity and unprofitableness of a mere external reception of truth in the memory only, whilst it doth not enter into the life, that is, into the life's affection. Be often asking yourselves these questions, What can truth profit me, if I do not obey the truth ? What can it avail me to know the laws and mysteries of heaven, if my life is not affected and changed thereby ? How can God save me, if I do not love him ; and how can I love him, if I do not endeavour, in all humility and sincerity, to form the whole internal spirit and temper of my life, as well as my external actions, according to the purity and wisdom of his precepts ?

Such examination of yourselves, attended with sin- cere prayer to the great Redeemer, will soon lead you to an internal reception of evangelical truth; and by such reception, the spiritual tower of internal observa- tion and defence will presently be built. Your vine- yard will thus abundantly flourish, and its blessed fruits will be preserved from injury. Having your minds elevated into the interior light of heaven, you will be enabled to discern your interior evils, which otherwise you could never know, and by discerning, you will shun and escape them.

Your tower, thus, will both discover to you your enemy, and at the same time defend you against his assaults. But this is not all—the higher your tower h

THE TOWER. 89

built, the nearer you will be to God and heaven ; and the further removed, of consequence, from the vanity and misery of this world. Into this tower you will be enabled to run at all times of alarm and danger, ac- cording as it is written, " The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Thus, by building your spiritual tower, you will find the salvation of God; and with that salvation, all the blessings of the eternal love, righteousness, joy, and peace, will be brought nigh unto you. AMEN.

>

ON THE

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD,

OR, THE

DUTIES OF THE SPIRITUAL HUSBANDMAN.

SERMON X.

Matt. xxi.» 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain house- holder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

HAVING already in the preceding discourses endea- voured to point out the divine wisdom and instruction contained in the former part of this parable, relating to the vineyard which was planted, to the hedge with which it was encompassed, to the wine-press which was dug in it, ajid to the tower which was built there- in, we now proceed to consider the further lesson of

92 THE HOUSEHOLDER

truth and weighty admonition, intended for us in these words : And Let it out to husbandmen.

These words have manifest reference to the charge committed to the natural husbandman, who is intrust- ed, we know, with the care of a natural field or vine- yard, that by proper culture he may render it fruitful, which it could not be without such culture.

In allusion to such a charge, our blessed Lord would remind us of our duties as spiritual husbandmen^ to whom is intrusted the care of a spiritual field or vineyard, that by proper culture it also may be ren- dered fruitful, which is a thing impossible if such cul- ture be wanting.

No words can sufficiently express the importance of the obligations laid upon us, as called to act in this high and holy character of spiritual husbandmen. Every temporal interest, all of mere human greatness, glory, and happiness, disappears, and becomes as nothing, when set in competition with the trust reposed in us by ihe great Householder. If we are unfaithful in this trust, we are undone for ever ; our eternal all is lost, and it had been better for us not to have been horn : but if we are faithful, every blessing is then ours ; an eternity of glory will await us, and we shall give praise for ever to that God who hath called us into being.

Such then being the importance of the obligations laid upon us all as spiritual husbandmen, I am persua- ded you will give me a patient hearing, whilst I en- deavour to press upon you; the measure of those obli^

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD, 93

A consideration of the duties of the natural hushand- man will perhaps enable us, in the easiest and most familiar manner, to comprehend our duties as spirit tual husbandmen, and therefore God, in his holy word, sends us to the ploughman for instruction, and adds this weighty motive to engage our attention thereto, " For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him."*

Let us go forth then to the field for information ; let us behold there the labours of the husbandman, and learn how we also may best cultivate the ground of our hearts, so as to bring forth fruit unto God.

Two things are especially observable respecting the conduct of the natural husbandman; first, what he can do towards the culture of his land, and secondly, what he cannot do.

And, 1st, oehold what he can do.- — You see in his hand a plough, with which he is turning up the ground to receive the seed intended to be sown therein. You next observe him casting in the seed, and afterwards harrowing the earth to cover it in, that so the seed may not perish because it had no deepness of earth. Pre- sently when the seed springeth up, you behold him clearing it of the weeds, which would otherwise grow up and choak the tender plants. And, lastly, when the full corn is ripened in the ear, you see him putting in the sickle, binding it up in sheaves, artd gathering it into his barn, that it may be ready for future use. This then is what the husbandman can do towards

* Isaiah xxviii. 23 to 29.

94 THE HOUSEHOLDER

making his ground fruitful. He can prepare the earUi to receive seed. He can cast in the seed when the earth is so prepared. He can next harrow the earth so as to cover in the seed. He can further, when the seed puts forth the tender blade, pluck up the weeds which might obstruct its growth. And, lastly, he can reap his corn, and gather it into his barn.

Let us now see what this natural husbandman cannot do in the way of this his husbandry.

And, 1st, it is plain that by all his skill he cannot make a single grain of seed wherewith to sow his ground, but must be content to use the seed provided for him. In the next place, he cannot prevent storms and tempests, which may endanger his harvest : neither can he cause a fruitful season, and yet without such a sea- son, it is impossible his seed can grow and multiply. He can neither compel thesimto shine, nor the mind to blow, nor the rain to descend ; and yet both sun, and wind, and rc.in, are alike absolutely necessary to the fructifi- cation of his ground. Howbeit, although these things are out of his power, he can nevertheless believe that they are in the power of God, and he can cheerful iy hope and trust, that whilst he is diligent in doing what he can do, those other things, which he cannot do, will be ordered in the best manner for his advantage.

Having thus then taken a view of the ability end inability of the natural husbandman, let us now turn our eyes to the spiritual husbandman, and note the striking marks of similitude between the two charac- ters.

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD. 95

The spiritual husbandman hath also his ability and mability ; or, in other words, there are some things which he can do, and which are therefore required of him, towards making his ground fruitful in the things of God's kingdom ; and there are some things which he cannot do, and which are therefore not required of him. Let us first see what he can do.

Like the natural husbandman , he can prepare his ground, that is, his heart and affections, by sincere re- pentance and conversion to God, to receive the incor- ruptible seed of the word of God. He can further, if he be so disposed, take this seed and cast it into his ground; in other words, he can learn the truths of God's word, believe them, and be affected by them, He can next harrow in this seed, so that it may have a proper depth of earth ; or, to speak without a meta- phor, he can meditate on the holy truths which he hath learnt, and digest them in his will and understanding, that so they may enter deep into the interiors of his mind. He can further, when the seed springs up, keep it clear from the weeds which would otherwise choak the tender plants ; the reason is plain ; he can control and subdue his corrupt passions, his earthly and sen- sual affections, his pride and covetousness, and self- will, which are the great destroyers of the plants of heaven in the human bosom. Finally, when the full corn is ripened in the ear, he can put in his sickle, and bind it up in sheaves, and gather it into his barn for fu- ture use ; for who cannot see, that by thenk/ul recollec- tion and humble acknowledgment of the divine graces

j

i)6 THE HOUSEHOLDER

and mercies which have been received and rendered fruitful, the pious mind doth as it were gather and store them up in the inmost recesses of its spirit, where they remain as a reserve for future occasion and use ?

This then is what the spiritual husbandman can do towards promoting the fruitfulness of his spiritual ground in the things of heaven. Let us now see what he cannot do to secure this blessed end.

And here we shall find his powers and faculties li- mited, like those of the natural husbandman. As for instance ; by all his art and contrivance he cannot make a single grain of spiritual seed wherewith to sow his ground, but must be content to receive what is pro- vided for him ; in other words, he cannot produce from his own thought and intelligence a single spiritual iruth, but must take this seed of eternal life from the word of God, its only proper source and origin. In the next place he cannot, any more than the natural husbandman, prevent storms and tempests, viz. the storms and tempests of spiritual trouble, trial, and temptation, which may endanger his growing hopes : neithef can he cause a fruitful spiritual season, and yet without such a season, it is as impossible for his spi- ritual seed to grow and multiply, as it is for the na- tural seed without a fruitful natural season. The sun, the wind, the rain of the divine benediction, are as needful in one case as in the other, and all that either the spiritual or natural husbandman can do in such case is, cheerfully and patiently to hope and trust, that whilst he is doing his duty and all that he can do, a

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD. 97

uierciful and gracious God, in his kind providence, will order for his blessing the things which are out of his power, and which lie cannot do.

Such then is the ability, and such the inability, of the spiritual husbandman, and such therefore is the abU lity, and such the inability of us all, inasmuch, as in our true and proper character before God, and as seen of him, we are all of us such husbandmen, being all alike called, and all sent into the world for this great end, to cultivate in our hearts and lives the seeds of heaven ; being all of us alike in possession of immense and inconceivable faculties for that purpose ; and what is no less observable, being all alike unable to accom- plish this blessed purpose, and to give full effect to those faculties, without the continual blessing of a most gracious and merciful God.

From this view then of our state and circumstances as spiritual husbandmen, it will be easy to discover, if we be so disposed, what is the measure of our several duties, as called to act in that important character.

Some of these duties flow from our ability, and some from our inability. — Let us first see what those duties \ are which flow from our ability.

These may be all summed up and comprised in this first and fundamental of all duties, viz. to use faithfully and diligently the powers which God continually giveth us, and which he doubtless giveth for this single pur- pose, that we should use them, and that in using them we might find the blessing, and God the glory. For can it be supposed that the righteous God, when he K

98 THE HOUSEHOLDER

giveth us the faculties to receive his holy word into our hearts and lives, that it may there grow and bear its heavenly fruit, doth not require the use of those fa- culties ? Have we the power to read ? Have we the power to believe ? Have we the power to digest ? Have we the power to practise the precepts of the eternal truth, and thereby become fruitful in the divine life, and be formed in the divine image and likeness ; and will not the Father of these powers most reasonably look for the application and increase of them ? Let us hear what he himself saith on this subject, " Son, go work to-day in my vineyard ;"* and* on another occa- sion, " Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury."!

A most poisonous and destructive persuasion is at this day prevalent in the Christian church, which would lead men to believe that things are going well with them in the way of salvation, although they never in any way exert the powers which God giveth them to promote their salvation. How many, for instance, do we see easy and unconcerned about their spiritual state, who yet are living in the daily neglect of the abilities they possess to improve that state 1 With faculties to read the word of God, they never read it. With fa- culties to comprehend the eternal truth, they never comprehend it. With faculties to practise the precepts of revealed purity, sanctity, and wisdom, they never practise them. With faculties thus to attain to the

* Matt. xxi. 23. f Matt. xxv. 27.

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD. 99

pure love of God and of their neighbour, and to live separate from sin, and to be born again and become the sons of God, they are strangers to ail these blessings, and live at an infinite distance from the privileges frbich the Father of mercies intended them by the gift of those faculties. And yet, notwithstanding all this total annihilation of the powers of salvation intrusted to them, they are blind enough to imagine that they are still in the way to bliss, especially if, in the mean while, they can repeat a creed, or utter the sound of a prayer, or plead, in behalf of their negligence, the blood and the merits of the Redeemer. But can any imagination be more delusive ? Can any be more groundless ? For what is salvation, and what is eternal happiness, but an effect of our reception and cultiva- tion of the Word of God in our hearts and lives ? Can man be saved and made happy without the Word of God ? And can the Word of God save him and make him happy, unless it be implanted and become fruitful in him ? And can it be implanted and become fruitful in him, without some exertion on his part, of the abi- lity which God giveth him for that purpose ? Let the lot of that slothful servant, who hid his Lord's pound in a napkin, determine these questions.

Suffer me, then, to press earnestly upon your atten- tion and practice, this first and principal duty of spiri- tual husbandry, viz. to exert faithfully and diligently the spiritual powers which you have received, and re- ceive contmifally from the great Lord of the harvest. Think, what will this Lord say, when he comes and

iO© THE HOUSEHOLDER

finds that you have been " standing in the market-place all the day idle ; that, instead of entering into the vine- yard, and sowing heavenly seed, and watching its growth and fruitfulness in your minds, you have only been sowing to the flesh, amongst the cares, and plea- sures, and vanities of a' perishing world. Will not he expostulate, and expostulate justly, with every such careless husbandman, and say, How is it that I hear this of thee ? Give an account of thy husbandry, and of the things committed to thy charge. I gave thee my living word for thy salvation ; but how is it that thou hast rejected it, or, what is the same thing, hast ne- glected to read and to profit by it ? I gave thee also the power and faculty whereby thou mightest receive and understand my word, mightest cherish it in thy heart, and thereby render it fruitful in thy life. How then has it come to pass, that thou hast no fruit to shew of these my heavenly gifts ; but hast hid the talent, which I committed to thee, in the earth ? What strange infatuation can have blinded thine eyes, that thou shouldest not see, that to reject my gifts and the use of them, is to rejectee and my salvation? "Cast ye, therefore, the unprofitable servant into outer darkness."

But, lastly, there are other duties required of the spiritual husbandman, which flow from his inability.

We have already seen in what this inability of the spiritual husbandman consists, viz. that when he hath done all in his power towards making his vineyard fruitful, he must still confess that the seed is not his, and that he cannot preserve it from storms and tern-

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD. 101

pests, and make it fruitful, of himself; but that both the seed, the preservation, and the fruitfulness, are from another, viz. from God, and the continual dew of his blessing.

But what is the language of this inability, and what doth it teach us as spiritual husbandmen ? Surely this lesson of unutterable wisdom; to be humble, and put our trust in God, and to acknowledge that he is the true Husbandman* and that we are only husbandmen under and from him. Surely the consideration, therefore, of what we cannot do, is alike instructive and edifying as the consideration of what we can do. For whilst we learn, from what we can do, to estimate and exert aright the spiritual powers which we have received, we learn, from what we cannot do, to adore and rely upon the omnipotence of God, and thereby unite our powers with that omnipotence. Whilst our ability teaches us the duty of exertion, our inability, with equal energy, presses the no less profitable duty of submission. Whilst the view of our strength lets us see and feel a sort of independence in ourselves, the view of our weakness makes us see and feel our continual rfe- pendence upon God. In short, whilst, from what we can do, we are instructed to use our best endeavours, as of ourselves, to make our spiritual vineyards fruit- ful ; from what we cannot do, we are further instruct- ed, that " we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but that our sufficiency is

* See John xv, I,

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102 THE HOUSEHOLDER-

from God ; and that therefore our wisest rule of acting is, whilst we act as of ourselves, to act in entire reli- ance upon and from Him who hath said, "Without me ye can do nothing." Thus even our infirmities were intended to be our instructors ; and our very wante, and dangers, and troubles, with an invincible elo- quence, enforce upon us experimentally the divine precept, "Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be do- ing good : commit thy way unto the Lord, and he will bring it to pass."*

Let us then study diligently, and practise faithful- ly, as wise husbandmen, the double lesson taught us by the powrers we possess, and by the powers we want : and, combining the united instruction resulting from this double lesson, let us collect thence, for our daily direction, the following summary of all Christian duty, which it teaches ; viz. that if we wish to become faithful husbandmen in our Lord's vineyard ; if we wish his holy word to grow and multiply in our bo- soms, and bring forth, after its kind, the heavenly fruit of righteousness, wisdom, and peace ; if we wish thus to recover in ourselves the divine image and likeness, and attain unto all that blessedness of true religion, which Jesus Christ intended for us, when he prayed " that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, md I in thee, that they all may be one in us ;"t we must then co-operate with our God towards the accom-

* Psalm xxxvii. 3. 5. \ John xTii, 2r.

LETTING OUT THE VINEYARD. 103

plishment of these blessed ends. For this purpose, we must use freely the powers which he has given us, as if they were our own ; but then we must use them at the same time as his, and in dependence upon him ; we must be active in fulfilling the evangelical duties of repentance, of self-examination, of watchfulness, and of sincere obedience, as if these duties depended en- tirely upon ourselves ; but then we must guard against the vain confidence of our won activity, by ascribing it unto God.

Thus we must learn to unite our derived powers with their primitive powers, nature with grace, body with spirit, and thereby ourselves with Jesus Christ ; not according to the mistaken ideas of a false quietism, but in the exertion oi' evangelical virtue ; not according to the wildness of a blind enthusiasm, but in the calm so- briety of an enlightened wisdom. We must therefore be zealous for our God and for eternal life ; but we must take heed that our zeal be oj God, as well as for him : we must watch alike against the extremes of that self-exertion which would preclude humility, and of that humility which would induce supineness. In our low estate, we must not forget that " charity hopeth all things ; but in hoping all things, we must not suffer hope to slumber in carelessness ; as, on the other hand, in our high estate, when hope is realized in possession, we must be alike upon our guard against that presump- tion, which too often overtakes us when we fancy things an at the best with us. In short, whilst we acknow- ledge that we can do nothing without Jesus Christ, we

104 THE HOUSEHOLDER, &C.

must be careful of abusing this acknowledgment to our destruction, by doing nothing with him : and whilst we are diligent to " work out our own salvation with fear and trembling," as of ourselves, we must believe, with the apostle, that " it is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure."* AMEN-

* Phil. ii. 12, 13.

ON THE

HOUSEHOLDER

GOING INTO A FAR COUNTRY,

OR THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE APPARENT DISTANCE AN© NEARNESS OF GOD.

SERMON XL

Matt. xxi. 33.

Hear another parable : There was a certain householder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine- press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

-OAVING already endeavoured to explain and en- force the lessons of heavenly instruction, contained in the former part of these words, is they relate to a certain householder, to the vineyard which he planted, to the hedge with which he encompassed i*, to the wine-press which he digged in it, to the tower which

106 THE HOUSEHOLDER

he built in it, and to the husbandmen to whom he he it out ; I shall now proceed to a consideration of the last particular, viz. he went into afar country.

These words, it is plain, are spoken of the househol- der ; and inasmuch as by the householder, according to what was shewn in a former discourse, is represent- ed and signified the Lord God the Saviour, as head and' ruler of the church ; therefore in their spiritual sense and application they have relation to this divine house- holder, this planter and supporter of the true spiri- tual vineyard.

But it will be asked, How can it be said of God with any degree of truth or propriety, that he went in- to afar country ? Is not God always and every where present ? Is it possible for him to remove afar off from any part of his creation ? Is he not alike near unto all men, and all things, at all times ? And must not sudden destruction of necessity come both upon men and things, if God was to be separated or remo- ved from them ? In what sense then can it be said of the omnipresent God, that he went into afar country?

I shall endeavour to give these questions such an answer as their great importance demands ; and since the answer may tend in some measure to open the depths of the divine wisdom contained in the words under consideration, may I bespeak your most serious attention to a subject in which the true knowledge of God and of yourselves is so intimately involved. — And, 1st. We rind in many passages of the sacred writings, that nearness and distance are applied to God,

lH A FAR COUNTRY 107

rind to the things of God ; or, in other words, that God, and the things of God, are represented some- times as nigh at hand, and at other times as afar off.

Thus it is written in the book of the Psalms, " The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart ;"* and in another place, " The Lord is nigh unto all ihem that call upon him."f

Again it is said in the same book, " Why art thou ■so far from helping me ?"J and in another place, " O Lord, be not far from me ;"§ and in the prophet Je- remiah, " Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar

It is not however to be supposed, from this mode of expression, that distance, according to the common or literal sense of the word, is at all applicable to God, or to the things of God.

For let a man travel with his body ever so far, in any direction whatsoever, in the regions of space, he will not be a jot nearer or further off from God, at the end of his journey, in respect to distance of space, than he was when he first set out.

When therefore the sacred scriptures speak of God as afar cff, it is to be understood that they speak only according to appearance, or because it so appears unto man, not because God in reality is at any time afar off.

* Psalm xxxiv. 13. f Psalm cxlv. 18.

I Psalin x«.ii. 1.

\ Psalm «ii. 11.

II Jer. xxiii. 23.

108 THE HOUSEHOLDER

This mode of expressing things according to appear- ance, is common in the sacred writings, and is fre- quently applied in other cases in respect to God.

Thus God is often said to be angry and wrathful against the wicked ; not that he is really angry and zcratnful, (for it is impossible that such affections can have any" place in a holy God,) but because to the wicked he appears angry and -wrathful, in consequence of the opposition and contrariety which must ever of necessity subsist between a sinful creature, and the pure and holy Creator.

Would you know then the true ground and reason why God is spoken of in the sacred scriptures in re- spect to distance and nearness, as of space and place, and is represented sometimes as being afar off, and at other times as being near ? It is owing entirely to the appearance thereof in respect to man, according to which appearance God is ever seen by the good as a near and present God, and by the wicked as a distant and absent God.

The real truth is, that, in regard to distance of place or space, God, his kingdom, and the things thereof, are alike near unto, and present with all men, at all times, in all places, and in every state of their lives. The most wicked and careless sinner, in this sense, has God and heaven as near unto him, and as present with him, as the most righteous and watchful saint. No human heart ever was, is, or can be, separated from God by any thing like distance of space. The omni- present Creator is, and ever must be, most near unto

IN A FAR COUNTRV. 109

all, because he is in all, and the life of all, and there- fore it is as impossible for any human spirit to be re- moved from him, as to space or place, as it is impossi- ble it should be removed from its own life.

It was according to this idea, that our blessed Lord, when he appointed the seventy disciples to preach the Gospel, strictly charged them to declare even to those who should reject their divine mission, " Not- withstanding, be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you"*

But though God, his kingdom, and the things there- of, are alike near unto the righteous and unto the wick- ed, unto him that feareth God, and unto him that fear- eth htm not, yet herein a mighty difference is to be observed.

The righteous, (by whom are to be understood the regenerate) see and feel in themselves this nearness of God and of the things of his kingdom. They are made sensible in their own hearts, and in their own understandings, of the divine presence with them, and know by happy experience that the kingdom of God is nigh unto them. They no longer, therefore, look at heaven, and at the Lord of heaven, as at distant ob- jects, as at things absent and afar off; but they look at them as at objects which are of all others most near to and present with them, because intimately connect- ed and conjoined with the very essence of their life.

Bat the contrary is true of the wicked, that is, of

* Luke x. 1 !

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110 THE HOUSEHOLDER

the unregenerate. Notwithstanding the real nearness of God and of the things of his kingdom to them, yet they still view them as at an immense distance, and they cannot help so viewing them whilst they conti- nue wicked or unregenerate. Though they are told ever so often that the kingdom of God is nigh unto the?ni yet they will not believe it. Though they hear of an eternity, of an eternal world, and of eternal beings therein, yet they fancy all these things most remote and absent, and treat them accordingly. The real presence of God therefore is unseen and unknown to them, not because he is not as near to them as he is to the right- eous, but because their minds are not in the same state to see and perceive his nearness.

For if you inquire the reason why the same omni- present God, and the same eternal kingdom of his hea- ven, are thus seen differently by different persons, ap- pearing to some most near, and to some most distant, you cannot possibly find any other reason than this, that the hearts and affections of some are turned from themselves and the world towards God, whereas the hearts and affections of others are turned from God to- wards themselves and the world ; and all spiritual nearness or distance depends entirely on the state of the heart and affections.

That this is the case— that a change in the state of the heart and affections causes different apprehensions of God and the things of eternity, you may be con- vinced by every day's experience.

Take., for instance, a <»rnal and thoughtless man,

IN A FAR COUNTRY. Ill

who is in the full enjoyment of bodily health and ani- mal spirits, and whose affections all centre in the riches and pleasures of this world and the flesh ; and talk to such a man of the nearness of God and eternity, and he will most probably make a mock of all your infor- mation, at least he will not feel it to be true.

But suppose this same man to be laid in a bed of sickness, or to be pressed down by any heavy afflic- tion ; — suppose the vigour of his carnal and worldly enjoyments to be for a while suspended ; and that in this state you speak to him of God and heaven ; — he will now most probably feel the force of all that you tell him, — he will perceive and confess the real near- ness of those things now which he had heretofore view- ed as afar off', — he will be surprised that he had not seen them so before, and will be exceedingly amazed to think that the perishable objects of this world and the flesh should be possessed of such a delusive and enchanting power, to hide from the eyes of a reason- able being the awful and near realities of an eternal world.

And what shall we say is the reason why this sick and afflicted man sees God and his kingdom nearer in his affliction, and on his bed of sickness, than he saw them in his prosperity, and in the pride and vigour of* his health ? We must be forced to confess it can be owing to no other cause than this, that the state of hi- heart and affections was changed by his sickness and affliction, and that this change alone made the differ- ence of his views : God and heaven were certainly em

J 12 THE HOUSEHOLDER

near to hira in the former days of his health and pros- perity, as in the latter days of his malady and trouble \ but he did not at that time see and perceive their nearness : — the reason was, because his heart and af- fections were then turned from God and heaven, to delight more in other objects ; and the spirit of man can only see that object in which it delights.

Behold here then, beloved, the true and eternal cause of that distance, which in the sacred Scriptures is so frequently ascribed to God ! Behold also the lesson of deep and weighty instruction, contained in the words of my text, in regard to the great householder, where it is said, that " he went into a far country !"

To go into a far country, when spoken of God, it has been already shewn, must relate to the state of man's affections, in which God appears to him as afar off. This is the case with every man in his natural or unregenerate state, which is the state of the husband- men here described under the first planting of the spi- ritual vineyard. In this state, the affections are mere- ly natural, worldly, and carnal ; the things of God and of his kingdom are apprehended very darkly and im- perfectly ; the riches, honours, and glories of this world affect much, and therefore appear to be very near and present; whereas the riches, honours, and glories of the eternal world affect but little, and therefore appear to be distant and afar off.

But doth the great householder always thus dwell in a far country? Do the spiritual husbandmen always thus behold him as afar o/f, and perceive him as a dis~

IN A FAR COUNTRY. 113

cant and absent God, and his kingdom as a distant and absent kingdom ? Doubtless not. It is the voice of religion ; it is the voice of God himself — " The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and sa- veth such as be of a contrite spirit.*'* And again, " If a man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Fa- ther will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."t And again, " Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you")

Whilst man, indeed, hath his heart unbroken, living only to himself and to the world, unconverted to Gcd, and unregenerate, he must of necessity see heaven and the great householder as at a distance. But let this state now be reversed ; let bis heart be broken by af- fliction and godly sorrow ; let us suppose him a sincere penitent at the throne of mercy, awakened to a sense and perception of his eternal concerns, supplicating pardon for sin, and grace to live a new life ; let us sup- pose a removal hereby of his evil affections, and that the good affections of heavenly love and wisdom are implanted, by an earnest seeking of these eternal rich- es ; let us suppose that the powers of worldly and sel- fish love are hereby weakened, and that he begins to be made sensible of the superior power and life of an omnipotent Redeemer ; let us suppose that he thus be- gins to walk steadfastly and watchfully in the ways of regeneration, looking for the appearing of God and

* Psalm xxxiv. 18, t John xiv. 23, \ James iv. 8.

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114 THE HOUSEHOLDER

-his kingdom in his own mind, according to the Scrip- tures ; — how will he now see that near, which he had before seen only afar off! How will God, heaven, and eternity, appear present and at hand, which had before seemed absent and at an immense distance from his- view !

Would you then, beloved, attain unto this extraordi- nary blessedness and most high privilege, for which you were created, and which is your peculiar birth- right as reasonable creatures, even the privilege of see- ing the face of your God, and of beholding him ever nigh unto, and present with you, with all the riches of his kingdom 1 Labour then to come into a spirit of irue repentance, and, by repentance, into regeneration ,of heart and of life. Remember, that evil alone, that is, an evil and unrighteous love, separates God from you, according as it is written, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.5'* Remember further, that the face of God can never be seen but in and by the good of his own love, and the truth of his owa wisdom ; just as you can never see the face of the sua but in and by the light of the sun. Cherish, then, ia your bosoms, this heavenly good and truth ; — let them prevail and have dominion over all the false and ap- parent goods of the world and the flesh, with their de-. Jusive persuasions. Look continually in humility, feifb, and obedience, unto the manifesied God, tfcte

* Isaiah Iix. %

IN A FAR COUNTRY. 1 15

Lord Jesus Christ, from whom alone all this saving good and truth come. You will then soon behold him present with and nigh unto you.. Every step you thus take in the regeneration, will bring you nearer to God and heaven : every separation from evil will make the face of the Almighty shine brighter upon you : you will thus no longer see him as at a distance, and under the dark veil and covering of an earthly nature ; but you will see him as a God at hand, in the clear bright- ness of his majesty ; and in you will be fulfilled the blessed prophecy, " He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations ; and it shall be said, Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord ; we have waited for him ; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation,"* AMEN.

* fsAiah xxv, 7. 9,

ON TtfE

SPIRITUAL FRUIT,

WHICH

THE VINEYARD PRODUCES,

SERMON XII.

Matt. xxi. 34.

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

vl E have already considered the lessons of divine in- struction, contained and conveyed to us, in the former part of this parable, where it is written, " There as a certain householder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

ll& THE HOUSEHOLDER.

May I now bespeak your serious attention to the further lessons of instruction and edification contained and conveyed to us in the subsequent words of the pa- rable, "And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it."

There are three several particulars in these words, which demand particular consideration.

1. The fruits of the vineyard.

2. The time of the fruits drawing near.

3. The servants of the householder, who were sent, that they might receive the fruits of it.

I shall endeavour to explain and enforce each of these particulars in such a manner, as may best con- duce to open to our understandings the treasures of that eternal and inexhaustible wisdom, with which this, and all other parts of the sacred scriptures are s© abundantly stored for our use.

And, 1st, respecting the fruits of the vineyard.

There is much mention made of these fruits in the sacred writings, and it is again and again declared, that every man's eternal state will depend altogether upon the fruits, which his vineyard yieldeth.

If there be 710 fruits, there can be no blessedness in eternity ; if the fruits be few or small, the blessedness in eternity will be proportionably diminished ; if the fruits be abundant and excellent, so will the blessed- ness be in that life which shall never have an end.

Thus it is written in the prophet, " They shall eat

FRU5TS OF THE VINEYARD. 119

the fruit of their doings,"* by which is signified, that every man appropriates to himself a life agreeable to his fruits. And again, " Ye shall know them by their fruits ;"| plainly declaring, that every man is what \us fruits are, and that the man and his fruits are the same thing. And again, " Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance, "J (or, as it may more properly be rendered, worthy fruits of repentance ;) whereby is manifestly intimated, that the sincerity, and conse- quently the efficacy of repentance will depend, on its fruits.

For the same reason the Jig-tree in 1he gospel was cursed, because it bare no fruit, having nothing but leaves, to denote the sinful and miserable state of those human minds, which are barren of true spiritual fruit, and have nothing to shew but mere external appear- ances and semblances thereof.

Such, then, being the case in regard to fruits, it is an awful question, which every sincere Christian will seriously ponder, and to which he will require a satis- factory answer in his own mind, What is the fruit of the true spiritual vineyard? and doth my vineyard bear such fruit ?

He will be exceedingly afraid of making any, even the smallest mistake in this important inquiry. He will recollect that his salvation depends upon it ; that his eternal well-being is connected with it. He will

* [saiab iii 10. f Matt, vii. 16. t Matt. iii.

120 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

therefore never rest tiil he hath acquired full and com- plete satisfaction, in his own mind, on a subject which of all others doth most nearly concern him.

But what will be the result of this inquiry? What will he discover to be the nature and kind of that ge- nuine fruit of the vineyard, which is salvation and eternal life? Surely he will recollect the words of Jesus Christ on the interesting subject, " He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit;"* and in these words he will find deliver- ance from error and delusion, and at the same time the fullest satisfaction of mind arising from the brightness of the light of eternal truth.

By these divine words he will be taught, that the genuine fruit of the vineyard, or, of the true church, *is an effect of its abiding in Jesus Christ, and of hav- ing Jesus Christ abide in it. He will see, there- fore, with the greatest clearness of conviction, that no man can bear fruit of himself; consequently that all. fruit is produced by and from the great re- deeming God, whilst man looks unto and abides in him as the true vine, of which he himself is but a branch.

But what is the fruit which the true vine yieldeth ? What is the genuine effect of man's abiding in Jesus Christ, and of having Jesus Christ abide in him?

Let us hear the inspired apostle on this subject, where he saith, " The fruit of the spirit is love, joy.

* John xv. 5

FRUITS OF THE VINEYARD. 121

peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."*

Behold here, beloved, the fruits of the true vine- yard, what they are, and whence they are. Contem* plate their* in their origin, and contemplate them in their end, that so ye may become of the happy num- ber of those who bring forth these fruits to perfection.

In their origin these fruits are Jesus Christ himself, because in their origin they partake of his spirit and of hi: life. From this origin they descend into the members of the true church, as the juices of the vine into the branches, and there they manifest themselves under various forms and effects, according to the de- gree of life into which they enter.

Their first descent is into the human will, and here they produce, as the apostle expresseth it, Love, joy, peace, long -suffering, gentleness, goodness. Before these heavenly fruits appear, the human will is filled merely with the love of itself and of this world, to- gether with all the violence, restlessness, hatred, and animosity, which ever attend those evil loves. But on the manifestation and growth of the heavenly fruits, an entire change taketh place, and man is made sensible of a pure love towards God and his neighbour, together vvith the peaceable and blessed effects of that love.

Their next descent is into the human understanding , and here they produce what the apostle czMeth faith, by which we are to understand all heavenly know- ledge, intelligence, and wisdom, derived from and

* Gal. v. 22, 23.

M

122 ' THE HOUSEHOLDER*

connected with the love of God, and of our neighbour. The human understanding, till these heavenly fruits appear, is full of error and delusion, arising from the false principles which take their birth from, and are ever connected with an evil love ; but on the descent of the heavenly fruits, the eternal truth manifests the splendour and beauty of her divine countenance, and at her arising, like that of the morning sun, all the mists and clouds of error and delusion are suddenly dissipated.

But the fruits of the true vine are not confined only to man's will and understanding. They make yet a fur- ther descent, and appear under another form, whilst they enter into, and manifest themselves in man's out- ward life, that is, in his words and works.

In this descent, or in this degree of man's life, the fruits of the true vine discover themselves in all since- rity of speech, and all uprightness and usefulness of conduct and conversation. The member of Jesus Christ must needs speak and act from Jesus Christ, be- cause he must needs speak and act from the divine love and wisdom manifesting their heavenly fruits in his will and in his understanding. He finds it impossible therefore either to be vain or to be insincere in his words and actions. He leaves to the children of this world to be cunning and artful, to be deceitful and temporizing, to be hypocritical and unjust in their lan- guage and in their dealings; whilst he himself, recol- lecting in whom he abides, and who abides in him, .must needs in all his words and in all his works be ac-

FRUITS OF THE VINEYARD. 1 ~>o

tuated by the eternal spirit of that justice an J judg- ment which are from God, and which are God, and thus bring forth those fruits of use and benefit to his fellow-creatures, in the faithful discharge of all the du- ties of his station, whatsoever it be, of which fruits the Son of God saith, " Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disci- ples."*

Behold here then, beloved, the genuine nature and kind of the fruits of the true vineyard ! They descend from Jesus Christ, and they are Jesus Christ, because they are so much of his life and spirit manifested and brought forth in all such pure and obedient minds as abide in him, and have him abiding in them.

Would you know then whether you are bringing forth these fruits of the true vineyard ? Would you know whether you are living brandies thus of the true vine, or, on the contrary, are the " branches cast forth and withered, which men gather, and cast into the fire, and they are burned ?"t Examine yourselves well then by this simple but most sure and certain rule. Do you abide in Jesus Christ, and doth he abide in you? Do you labour that the spirit and life of this great God and Piedeemer may be made manifest in you? Are you convinced that merely of yourselves you cannot bring forth any saving fruits, and that all which you call your own virtue, your own merit, your o-wn wisdom, and your own good works, are only so far

* John xv. 8. f John xv, 6.

124 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

good, as they partake of the virtue, the merit, the wis- dom, and work of the incarnate God? Is it thus be- come your religion ? Is it become the one ruling end and desire of your lives, to become humble and obedi- ent before Jesus Christ, that so, working together with him in every principle of spirit, mind, and body, you may bring forth fruits to his glory, and to your own eternal peace ?

Such examination will tend to deliver you from abundance of error and of folly, and at the same time to establish your minds in all the power and comfort of the eternal truth. Convinced of the great danger of being barren and unprofitable branches of the true vine, you will see the necessity of looking earnestly unto the Redeemer, and of labouring together with him, to become fruitful in every good thought, word, and work. Convinced of the equal danger of not dis- tinguishing between apparent and genuine fruits, be- tween those which are merely from yourselves, and those which are the effect of your abiding in Jesus Christ, you will no longer deceive yourselves with ap- pearances of virtue, those specious semblances of good, which, like painted fruits, have nothing of fruit be- longing to them but the outward show, being desti- tute of the internal juices and flavour thereof. You will see, that nothing can stand you in any stead, but the fruit o/God, that is, his love and wisdom ruling irx and becoming your love and wisdom ; and that every thing in you, and every thing which proceeds from

FRUITS OF THE VINEYARD. 125

you, if it is not from God, and wrought in God, must needs perish, and end in your confusion.

You will not, however, on this account, become like stocks and statues, doing nothing of yourselves, and expecting that God, without your exertion, should pro- duce fruit in you and by you. No ; you will per- ceive this to be the extremity of delusion ; you will therefore exert yourselves ; you will love what is good, you will think what is good, you will do what is good, freely, as of yourselves ; but then you will believe that the power to do so is continually from God, and is God's; and therefore, whilst you act of yourselves, you will act with and from God. Thus all your exertions, all your labours, all your works, will tend to bring you nearer to God, and to join you clo- ser with him. All your fruits you will acknowledge to be his fruits, and not your own : and by this- ac- knowledgment, all your fruits will become blessing, and life, and peace, and salvation to you, because they will fill you more and more with the fulness of Him, who is the all of blessing, the all of life, the all of peace, and the all of salvation to his church, and to every member thereof. AMEN.

A(

0N THE

TIME OF THE FRUIT,

OR

SPIRITUAL SEASONS.

SERMON XIII.

Matt. xxi. 34.

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

HAVING already, in the preceding discourse, endea* voured to shew what we are here to understand by the fruit of the spiritual vineyard, I shall now proceed to a consideration of the next particular herein presented to our attention, viz. the time of the fruit drawing near.

Every one knows, that the natural vineyard hath its distinct times or seasons, through which it is necessary lopass, before its fruit can be formed and (\il\y ripen- ed for the husbandman's use.

128 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

Thus there is the time or season of planting ; there is also the time or season for blossoming ; there is next the time or season for the first forming of fruit ; and lastly, there is the time or season in which the fruit is fully ripened, and gathered .(or use.

These times or seasons, in regard to the natural vineyard, are distinguished by the several names oi the portions of the year, called spring, summer, and autumn.

Every one further knows, or may know, that these times or seasons are perfectly distinct the one from the other, both in their progress and in their effect. Thus the time or season for the vineyard's blossoming, is perfectly distinct from that in which the fruit is form- ed ; as this again is distinct from the season in which the fruit fully ripens : and thus also the blosso7ni?ig, the formation of the fruit, and its ripening, are perfectly distinct effects and operations, the one from the other.

Every one, lastly, knows, or may know, concerning the natural vineyard, that the latter time or. season can never be arrived at, without passing through the for- mer. Thus it is impossible that any fruit should be formed, until the vine hath first yielded its blossoms ; as again it is impossible that the fruit should be ripened and gathered, until it be r\r$i formed.

But though all this be known in regard to the natural vineyard, yet it is to be feared, it is in general little known, that the same is true also in regard to the spi- ritual vineyard ; and that this vineyard likewise hath its several particular times or seasons, through which it

THE TIME OF THE FRUIT. 129

must necessarily pass, before it can produce fruit fit for the husbandman's use.

Thus, as the natural vineyard hath its zi-inier, its springs its summer, and its autumn, so hath also the spiritual vineyard; and as the natural vineyard is first planted, then blossoms, next forms its fruits, and lastly fully ripens them, the same distinct processes have place likewise in the spiritual vineyard.

Possibly, beloved, you have never heretofore con- sidered this subject with that attention which it de- serves. Possibly you are surprised to hear of these spiritual times or seasons, and wonder that such things should be, or, if they are, that you have not noted them.

Permit me, then, at this time, to call your observa- tion more particularly to this subject, as to a matter of the utmost concern to your spiritual and eternal inter- ests. For it is not, believe me, a point of mere specu- lation and curious inquiry ; it is not one of those indif- ferent or uninteresting questions, which are calculated rather to amuse than to edify : but it is a subject con- nected closely with your eternal well-being ; it is in- corporated with your spiritual life ; and therefore you cannot be in ignorance about it ; but you must be in ignorance about yourselves, and about what is perpetu- ally passing in yourselves, and thus be proportionably lacking in that knowledge which is able to make you -wise unto salvation.

You will find no sort of difficulty in apprehending what is meant by spiritual seasons, provided you are m

130 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

a disposition to allow and believe what the sacred scrip- tures so abundantly teach you, viz. that the Lord Jesus. Christ, as the sun of righteousness in the spiritual or eternal world, shineth upon all human- minds, and imparteth to them his blessed heat and light, which bi s his divine love and wisdom, just as the natural sun of this world shineth upon all parts of the habitable globe, and imparteth to them its natural heat and

it is a great natural truth, well known to philoso- phers, that the varieties in the natural seasons are ow- ing solely to this one circumstance, viz. that the earth changeth its aspect in regard to the sun, so as not al- ways to receive the sun's rays in the same degree of fulness and of power.

Thus, when the earth is in such an aspect as to re- ceive the sun's light alone, without its heat, it is then the season which we call ivintfr : 'in which season, we know, nothing grows or vegetates, but all temporal nature is in an apparent state of torpidness and of death.

Again, when the earth is in such an aspect in regard to the sun, as to receive a portion of its heat, together with the light, it is then the season which we call spring ; and in this season, we know, the plants of the earth begin to spring forth and blossom, and all na- ture assumes a new face of cheerfulness and of joy.

So again, when the earth still further changeth its aspect, so as to receive a further increase of the sun's heat, it is then the season which, we call summer ; and m this season, we know, the plants of the earth begin

THE TIME OF THE FRUIT. 131

to bear their fruits, and what was before blossom, now changeth its appearance and form, and is presented to the eye of the beholder under an altogether new state of being.

Lastly, when the aspect of the earth is again chang- ed in regard to the sun, so as to admit of a more equal temperature of heat, it is then the season which we call autumn ; and in this season, we know, the fruits of the earth are brought to their full perfection of ex- cellence for the use of man.

Thus it is, beloved, that the God of nature instruct- ed us by the natural seasons of this world, concerning the laws of those spiritual and eternal seasons, which have their origin in himself, and which constitute the various states and processes of the regenerate life in the faithful here on earth.

For suppose now, that instead of the natural sun of this world, we think of the spiritual sun of righteous- ness in the eternal world ; and instead of the heat and light proceeding from the natural sun, we think of the heat and light, which is the divine love and wisdom, proceeding from the spiritual sun ; and instead of the earth and its various productions, that we think of hu- man minds with the infinite varieties of affections and thoughts therein contained — who cannot see, in this case, that similar changes mutt needs exist and have place, according to the different aspects of each mind in regard to the spiritual sun, and that these changes may with the utmost propriety be cailed spiritual sea- sons ?

As for example, and to appjy the case to ourselves—

132 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

Are any of our minds in that aspect in regard to the sun oi* righteousness in the eternal world, as to receive the beams of his light only, without his heat, or in other words, to be enlightened with the knowledge of him in our understandings, without being enlivened with the love of him in our wills — who cannot see, that this is a spiritual state or season, which may with the great- est propriety be called spiritual winter, inasmuch as all things in our minds, during this unhappy state, must needs be torpid and dead, having nothing of the life of heaven in them ?

Again — Have any of our minds been convinced of the danger of resting in this barren and unprofitable state of a mere knowledge of holy things, without a cor- responding life and love ? And have we in conse- quence of this conviction laboured, by sincere repen- tance before God, to join charity to our faith, and obe- dience to our persuasions ? Doth the truth of God be- gin thus to be united with the pure affection thereof, and to be received by us with its holy and heavenly delights ? Who cannot see, that this state or season of our minds may most properly be called spiritual spring, that blessed season in which all things begin tQ blossojn forth their various beauties, and to shew the signs of a vigorous and internal life operating within mem ?

Again — Is our love for the things of God and his kingdom become still stronger and more elevated ? Do we feel, by virtue of a deeper repentance, and a more internal purification of heart, that the rays of the hea- venly and eternal sun shine upon us with a fuller radi

THE TIMS OF THE FTUJIT. 133

ance, and a more quickening warmth I In other words, are our wills inflamed with the heat of the divine goodness, which njve to the Lor I and to eaci; otl er, as ojir understan nigs are enlightened with the lighl of the divine truth ? an<! t&rough their conjoined influences do we begin to bring forth the fruit of good works in our several stations and callings ? By what fittei name shall we call this blessed and fruitful season of mind, than by that of sjnrituai summer, in which the blossom of mere intellectual knowledge begins to disappear, and to give place to the more solid and profitable fruit of heavenly righteousness, love, and peace, manifest- ing itself in all the good works of an holy and useful life?

Lastly — Have we continued for some time under the kindly rays of this summer sun ? Are we arrived, through further gradual advancement in the heavenly life of re- generation, at that equal temperament of spiritual in- fluences, in which all the faculties of the mind are re- stored to and preserved in their due and proportionate vigour and exercise ? In other words, are our wills, our understandings, and our works, all conjointly brought under the regulations of an heavenly love and life, so as to partake of, and to bring forth respec- tively their united fruits in a full and perfect ripeness ? Who cannot see, that this last and crowning season is that spiritual autumn of the godly and regenerate rnind, in which the effects of the preceding seasons are all terminated and fulfilled in their lasting usefulness, and fruit is thus brought forth to perfection - v

134 THE HOUSEHOLDER,

Behold here then, beloved, a view of those spiritual seaso?is, answering to the natural ones, which the words of my text have led me to present to your seri- ous attention and consideration.

Permit me now, by way of conclusion, to ask you a few questions naturally flowing from the subject under consideration. — In which of these spiritual seasons, think you, are your own minds revolving ? What is your particular aspect in regard to the sun of heaven ? Is it still the gloom and cold of winter with you ; or do you begin to be made sensible of the joys and warmth of spring, of summer, of autumn? In other worus, are^you resting still in a mere speculative faith, which hath no influence upon your affections, your thoughts, and works, to turn them unto God ; or are you begun to labour in sincere repentance to join to your faith heavenly virtue, and by that conjunction to experience a progressive advancement, through the several seasons of the spiritual life, till you arrive at the perfect fruitfulness? One or other of the above seasons must of necessity be to each of you your pecu- liar or ruling season, and it certainly is of importance for you to know which it is.

May then these questions lead you to a serious ex- amination of the state of your own hearts in regard to the holy God and his eternal kingdom ! May they lead you to look up to, and to be affected by that spi- ritual and eternal sun, whose blessed rays are for ever shining upon you, whether you think of it or not ! May they lead you to see the danger of resting in any spi-

THE TIME OF THE FRUIT. 135

ritual season, short of that concluding and crowning season, in which your fruit may be fully ripened for the great Householder's use '. May they lead you, if it be yet winter with you, to look for the joy of the heavenly spring ; if it be spring with you, to advance onwards towards the fuller joys and delights of the heavenly summer ; if it be summer, not yet to stand still, but to press forwards to the full and complete fruitfulness of the heavenly autumn ! May you thus, advancing in the knowledge and love of things eternal, be led to rise above and out of the perishable times and seasons of this world, that so you may be found re- volving in those eternal seasons, which have their ori- gin in the everlasting Jehovah, and which, like him, will endure for ever ! Finally, and to speak without a metaphor, you may be led hereby in true repentance to the great redeeming God, whose name is Jesus Christ, and who has his kingdom in the centre of all human minds, to receive from him, not only the know- ledge, but also the love of himself, and so to cherish in your bosoms the blessed rays of this his eternal mercy and truth, that when the time of fruit cometh, and the great Householder sendeth his servants to receive of the fruit of your vineyards, it may be found in great abun- dance, to his glory, and to your own eternal bliss !

AMEN.

ON THE

SERVANTS SENT

TO RECEIVE THE

FRUITS OF THE VINEYARD ;

OR THE

REQUIREMENTS OF HEAVENLY TRUTHS

SERMON XIV.

Matt, xxi, 34,

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he tent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

IN the two preceding discourses it has been considered what we are here to understand by the fruits of the vineyard, and by the time of the fruit drawing near. I shall now proceed to consider the further lessons ef heavenly admonition and instruction suggested by these latter words, " He sent his servants to the hus.- bandmep, that they might receive the fruits of it N2

138 THE HOUSEHOLDER,

The plain and obvious sense of these words, as ap- plied to God, or the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Householder, is this, that he sent to claim the fruits of the vineyard to himself, as properly belonging to him- self more than to the husbandmen ; inasmuch as the vineyard being his, the fruits of the vineyard must of necessity be his also.

By the servants whom he sent, we may understand (in reference to God, the great Householder) all those heavenly teachers and instructors, enlightened by his holy Spirit of truth, whom he hath sent in all ages of the world, to enlighten and to reform mankind. Of consequence, by the servants here spoken of, are fur- ther meant the heavenly truths themselves, which were taught by those instructors; inasmuch, as all divine and heavenly truth is, in a peculiar sense, the ser- vant of the eternal Jehovah, being sent forth from him »o execute and fulfil bis adorable counsels of mercy and love in regard to man.

Let me entreat, beloved, your particular attention to this design and purpose of the Almighty in sending his servants, according to this sense of the word, to claim to himself the fruits of the spiritual vineyard, which is his church, that so you may see how his counsel herein is grounded in his most unutterable mercy and love towards mankind.

It is well known, that all men, whether they be good or evil, whether they be righteous or wicked, bring forth some kind of fruit in their spiritual vineyards.

For every man's fruits are his works, and all men do some kind of work of other, according to tjieji.

SERVANTS SENT FOR FRUITS. 139

particular calling, genius, or temper, be it good or evil.

It is further known, that an evil or wicked man can bring forth a fruit, or do a work, which to all out- ward appearance shall be like the fruit or work of a righteous or good man; as for example ; a wicked man can give alms to the poor, he can be diligent in the labours of his calling, he can perform outward acts of devotion towards God, and the like.

But notwithstanding all this be known, yet it is not perhaps so well considered, that though all men bring forth fruit, and though the fruit or work of a wicked man, and of a righteous man, may be much alike as to its external appearance, yet in the internal quality thereof, in the sight of God, there is an immense dif- ference, which difference depends entirely upon the end regarded in the fruit or work.

As for example ; if God and his word be the end regarded, the fruit is then good fruit, and the work a good work ; and it is so far good, but no further, as God and his word are regarded in it.

But on the contrary, if God and bis word are not regarded herein, — if man brings forth fruit, or works a work, only with a view to himself and the world, that is, for the sake of his own honour, gain, or repu- tation ; who cannot see, that in this case the fruit must needs be corrupt fruit, and the work an evil work, whatsoever be its external form or appearance.

For who cannot see, that in this latter case there is nothing of God and his Word in the fruit or work ?

140 THE HOUSEHOLDER

And if there be nothing of God and his Word there- in, there can be nothing good therein, inasmuch as it is an eternal truth, that there is none good but God. an J therefore nothing can be truly good, but so far as Gnu is in it.

Nay, who cannot see further, that in this latter case, where man brings forth fruit, or doeth a work, merely with a view to himself, that is, to his own honour, gain, or reputation, the fruit must needs be inwardly corrupt, and the work inwardly evil and full of abo- mination, howsoever pure and splendid it may appear outwardly, inasmuch as the self of man alone is in it, and the self of man separate from God is most evil, corrupt, and abominable ?

Be it remembered then, as an everlasting truth, that no good fruit can be produced, or no good work can be wrought by man, but so far as God and his word are regarded in it ; all other fruit, or every other work, must needs be evil, because it is full of evil within, and may be fitly compared in this case with that natu- ral fruit, which appears beautiful without, but within is eaten with worms, or full of rottenness and putri- dity.

Is it needful to add, that fruits or works of this description must needs be unblessed to man, and that there can be no real blessing in them, but so far as they are produced from or wrought in God ? For if God be the one only fountain of all true blessing, then ho\v plain is it to be seen, that no work or deed of man's can .have any real blessing or blessedness in it,

SERVANTS SENT FOR FRUITS. 141

but so far as the blessing and blessedness of God is in it ; and that the blessing of God cannot be in it, but so far as God and his word are regarded in it as the great end for which it is wrought or done !

Behold here then, beloved, the true and eternal rea- son, why God in all ages /ms sent, and in all ages will send his servants to receive from the husbandmen the fruits of the spiritual vineyard !

The reason is this : — Unless the fruits be thus given back by the husbandmen unto God, the great House- holder, under the humble acknowledgment that they are his fruits, and producedy*rom him, they can never by any possibility become good fruits, or bring any blessing with them to the spiritual husbandmen.

God therefore in all ages, infinitely willing to pro- mote the eternal happiness of his creatures, hath re- vealed to man by his servants the word of his eternal truth, to this great end, that man might no longer live unto himself alone, and bring forth fruit unto himself alone, whereby both he and his fruit must needs be unblessed and unholy, being separated from God and his life, but that living unto God, and bringing forth fruit unto him, both he and his fruit might become eternally blessed and holy, being united to and filled with the life of the eternal God, who is the only fountain of all blessedness and of all holiness.

For let us inquire now, what .is it which this eternal God hath spoken and revealed to man in all ages by the word of his truth ? Is not the sum and substance thereof contained in these few words of his rightly un-

142 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

stood ; " Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unt© the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ; worship the Lord in the beau- ty of holiness.'1*'

But who now, let us ask, fulfils this great requirement of the merciful God? Who are they that give unto the Lord glory and strength, and that worship fain in the beauty of holiness ?

Surely none can do this, but they who regard God in all their works, acknowledging him therein as the end and the all thereof, under the conviction that what- soever is good and wise., and blessed in themselves, or in their works, is from God, and from him alone.

Sure y to think of giving God glory and strength, or of c orshipping him acceptably in any other way to the ne. t of this, is the error of errors, the vanity of van- it .j n d " the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet, standing in the holy place "t For how can God be truiy g lor i tied and acceptably worshipped, but in and by man's works, so far as they are wrought in God, and he is regarded in them? Doth not Jesus Christ say, " Herein is my Father glorified, that yc bririg forth much fruit V\ But what is this much fruit by which the Father is glorified, but those good and Useful works in which he is regarded as the origin and the end, and which are therefore acknowledged, in all humility of thankfulness and adoration, to be from him, and to be his ?

* Psalm xx ix. 1, 2. f Matt xiv. 15. ^ Joha xv. 8,

SERVANTS SENT FOR FRUITS. 143

Besides, do not the works of man constitute the man, am] is not every man what his work is, inasmuch as his whole soul and spirit, his love and wisdom, his will and understanding, all his faculties, in short, both of mind and body, must needs be in his work ? To se- parate God then from man's work, by not regarding God therein, or, what is the same thing, by regarding other ends more than God — what is this but separating God from man? and if God be separated from man, what is there left, by which either man can be blessed, or God can be glorified ?

Would you then, beloved, avoid this error of errors, this monstrous inconsistency and enormity in the ser- vice and the worship of God? Would you fulfil the blessed intentions of the revelation of God, and be- come partakers of all that inconceivable blessedness which he hath from eternity purposed to all those who shall receive and obey his truth? Learn, then, this short but weighty lesson, when he sends his servants (as he certainly will send) to receive the fruits of your vine- yards, not to send them away empty. — Understand me well — The servants whom he sends, are the truths of his holy word ; and the truths of his holy word require, not so much for his glory, as for your blessedness, that you should bring forth much fruit ; or, in other words, that you should abound in good zv >rks. They require further, in order that your works may be good, and thereby be blessed to you, that you should regard and acknowledge him therein, as the all of their goodness, and consequently the all of blessing, which can possi-

144 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

bly be in either you or your works. If you despise or disregard, this requirement of the truth of God, your religion must then needs be altogether a vain and dead thing, and whatsoever may be the profession of your lips, you cannot glorify God, or save yourselves there- by. But if you fulfil this requirement, your religion will then be full of life and blessing, and it will com- municate life eternal, and blessing eternal to you, be- cause it will be lull of God, and will bring down the life and blessing of God into all that you think or do.

But you ask, How shall we fulfil this requirement, so that we may be partakers of all its blessedness ? I answer — Only be sincere in regarding the Lord Jesus Christ in your works. Learn to make him and his word the end of all that you intend, think, and do. In }rour daily callings and employments, and in whatso- ever you do, keep your minds perpetually open to his blessed influences, under the constant acknowledgment that ail your power to be well employed, and to do the smallest good work, is from him. But, since you cannot regard Jesus Christ as the end of your works, only so far as you remove other inferior ends, such as your own vain glory, and worldly gain, let this be your chief and principal care, to watch against and separate these lower ends, that they may never at any time ex- alt themselves above that great and eternal end, on which your everlasting peace and salvation depends*

If you will be faithful and obedient to these few plain gospel rules, you will then soon bring forth fruit in your vineyards to the glory of the great Householder :

SERVANTS SENT FOR FRUITS. 145

your fruit also will be good fruit, because the goodness of God will be in it ; and it will be blessed fruit, be- cause it will be full of the blessing of God. And thus, when he sendeth his servants to receive this fruit from you, you will acknowledge it to be his, and give it to him willingly and thankfully, and he will be infinitely delighted therewith, and will give it you back again with this inconceivable and divine benediction, " Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a few things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. AMEN.

ON THE

SERVANTS BEING BEATEN, KILLED, &c.

OR THE

REJECTION AND DESTRUCTION OF DIVINE TRUTHS.

SERMON XV,

Matt. xxi. 35.

And the husbandmen took his s&rzants, and beat one. and killed another, and stoned another.

1 HE preceding verse, with which this is immediate- ly connected, runs thus : — " And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husband- men, that they might receive the fruits of it."

It has already been shewn, in discoursing on these latter words, what is here meant by the servants, whom the householder sent to the husbandmen to receive

143 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

the fruits of the vineyard; and that according to the spiritual interpretation of the parable, these servants signify the teachers of heavenly truth ; and not only the teachers of heavenly truth, but also the heavenly truths themselves which are taught, inasmuch as all truth is in a supreme sense the servant of the great Je- hovah, sent forth to minister to, and accomplish his divine purposes with respect to man.

From this sense of the word servants, it will now plainly appear how we are to understand the words of my text, where it is written, " The husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another."

According to the spiritual interpretation of the pa- rable before us, in its relation to spiritual husbandmen, and the Lord's spiritual vineyard, which is his church, these words can mean nothing more or less than this, that the men of the church, or the spiritual husband- men, took the heavenly truths, which were sent to them from heaven by the great Householder, to re- ceive the fruits of their vineyard ; and when they had taken them, instead of applying them to the blessed purposes for which they were sent, they did violence to them, killed them, and destroyed them.

Let me entreat, beloved, at this time, your most par- ticular attention to this impious and dreadful conduct of the spiritual husbandmen, which perhaps is more common, than we are many of us aware of, and in the guilt of which we ourselves may possibly be involved, when we are least thinking of any such enormity.

THE SERVANTS BEATEN, &C. 149

It is not possible, however, to know wherein the guilt ant! enormity of this conduct consists, unless it be pre- viously kitown in some degree what is the nature of the life of truth, and how the life of truth may be taken away. Let this then be the previous subject of our consideration.

And, first, in regard to the life of truth.

This is a subject, it is to be feared, at this day but little considered by the generality of those who call themselves Christians, and it is to the want of such consideration we may impute, in a great measure, the errors of judgment and the evils of practice , which so much abound at present in the Christian world.

Few perhaps are well aware that truth has any par- ticular life in it — fewer still perhaps are aware in what the life of truth consists — and perhaps fewest of all are rightly informed that truth, deprived of its life, ceases to be truth, and is a mere" dead and unprofitable thing.

Howbeit, the general ignorance and inattention of mankind cannot change the nature of things. Though man, through a careless and criminal thoughtlessness, may not know it, yet it is eternally and unalterably true, that truth has a life in it; and also, that its life may be taken away from it; and further, that when its life is taken away from it, it ceases to be what it was be- fore, and becomes a mere lifeless and offensive carcase.

You are perhaps, beloved, some of you, amongst the number of those who have not heretofore given this subject the attention it deserves. You are surpri- O 2

159 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

sed to hear of the life of truth, and of taking away its life, and wonder what is meant by these expressions, It is high time, then, that you should now learn what these expressions mean, because of their close connec- tion with that which ought to be dearer to you than any thing in the world besides, viz. your religion, your eternal life ; or, in other words, the true knowledge and worship of God, in your own hearts and lives.

Would you know then what is meant by the life of truth ? I will endeavour to explain it to you.

The life of truth, and the only life of truth, is love and charity, love to God, or the Lord Jesus Christ, and charity one towards another.

All the truths of the Word of God, from the begin- ning to the end of the Bible, are full of this life ; the reason is, they proceed from God, or Jesus Christ, who is the purest and most essential love, and therefore they must necessarily themselves partake of this love, and be filled with it.

Accordingly Jesus Christ declares, " The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life ;"* and in another place, " I am the way, and the truth, and the life ;"f plainly intimating hereby, that his word, which is the truth, is in the fullest and closest connection with his life, and his life cannot be, or mean any thing else, but his love.

And as all the truths of God's word are thus full of ♦!he life of love and charity, so are they intended to

* John vi. 63. .7 John xiv. 6»

THE SERVANTS BEATEN, &C. 151

convey or communicate that ever-blessed life unto man, by making him full of love and charity also- This indeed is the one great end, and the only end of the revelation of the truths of God, to purge man from his evil, perverted, and defiled love, that so he may be renewed and reformed in the pure and holy love of God, the supreme good, and thus find again the king- dom of heaven, the paradise of righteousness and peace in his bosom ; and therefore Jesus Christ saith, in another place, " I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them."*

This, then, is what is meant by the life of truth.

You will now easily be able to apprehend what is meant by taking away this life.

If love and charity be the life of truth, then it is plain, that to take away the life of truth, is to deprive it of love and charity.

But you ask, How is it possible to deprive truth of love and charity ?

I will endeavour also to explain this matter to you, entreating your most earnest attention as to a subject of the utmost importance.

It has been already observed, that every truth of the word of God is full of the life of heavenly lo\e and charity ; and that it is sent or given to man, in order fo communicate to him that heavenly life,

* John xvii. 26,

152 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

It is not possible now for man to deprive truth of its heavenly life, whilst it remains in its divine source or fountain, which is the Word of God ; for in that, its source, it must needs ever be united with its life ; just as the light of the sun, in its source, is ever united with its heat.

But it is possible for man, we know, to taie the truths of God out of the Word, and receive them into his own mind, or memory, as every one doth, whenso- ever he either hears or reads the word of God ; and here it is, that the truth is in danger of being deprived of its life.

For are there any, who, in hearing or reading the Word of God, are in no desire of profiting by what they hear or read ? Are there any, who thus hear and read in a state of heart unconverted to God, and impeni- tent ? Are there any, who, in consequence hereof, have their hearts full of a love contrary to that which is in the truth of God's word ; as for example, full of the inordinate love of himself and of this world, full of the inordinate love of pleasure, of gain, or of vain glo- ry, or any other foolish and unreasonable affection, which is opposite to the pure love of God and of his neighbour ? Are there, in short, any, who thus eat the bread of their God* with unclean hands* and unsancti- tied hearts ? How plain is it to see, in this case, that v/hatsoever truth from the Word of God enters into

* Numb. xxi. 6,

THE SERVANTS BEATEN, &C. 153

their minds or memories, it will quickly be deprived of all its life of love and charity !

For how plain is it to see, that, in this case, the evil and unrighteous love, which is in the man's heart, will soon destroy the good and righteous love, which is in the truths that he has heard and read ! Just, for in- stance, as if a sheep or a lamb was to be taken into a den of lions or wolves, who cannot see, that the lions and wolves would quickly destroy the life of the sheep or lamb, and tear it in pieces.

Truth, thus deprived of its life, it is further to be ob- served, becomes a mere dead carcase, and, like all other carcases, is extremely loathsome, offensive, and useless ; and such is the truth of all those, who say they have truth, and yet have not charity, and the works of charity ; or, in other words, who say they have the knowledge of God, and yet are destitute of the life and the love of God, living in vanity, thought- lessness, and worldly-mindedness. Whatsoever the intellectual attainments of such persons may be, or howsoever they may imagine themselves to be in the faith, or in the truth, there is reason to fear, that in the sight of God, they are seen like unto those whited se- pulchres, of which the Lord speaks, " which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and all uncleanness."*

Behold here then, beloved, how, and in what man- ner, the life of truth may be taken away and destroyed,'

* Matt, xxiii. 27.

154 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

It cannot be taken away and destroyed in its foun- tain, any more than the life of God can be destroyed in its fountain ; but it may be taken away and de- stroyed, when it is separated from its fountain, and re- ceived into the mind or memory of man : and it is in danger of being so destroyed by every unreasona- ble and vain affection of man's heart ; by every inor- dinate love or lust; by every wrong attachment or cri- minal inclination ; by every perverse thought, and false persuasion of the impenitent, unconverted, and unre- generate mind. These are the cruel lions and wolves which destroy and devour the innocent sheep and lambs of heaven. These are the wicked and ungodly husbandmen, which " take the servants of the great and good Householder, and beat one, and kill another, and stone another. These, in short, are those abomi- nable scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites, in all ages and places, of whom it is eternally true, what was de- clared of old by the Lord of life, " Therefore also, said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles ; and some of them they shall slay and perse- cute, that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation."*

Beloved, I am persuaded you would all of you trem- ble at the thought of being of the number of such mur- derers, and of having the blood of the prophets reqwred at your hands. I am persuaded also, you are thank-

* Luke xi. 40, 50.

THE SERVANtS BEATEN, &C. 1^5

nil to be warned of your danger, and will be yet fur- iher thankful to be taught how you may escape such dreadful guilt ; and instead of taking away the life of truth, or doing violence to it, may rather preserve and cherish it, as the source of life eternal in your own bosoms.

Under this persuasion, I beg leave, in all earnest- ness of affection, and with that zeal which becomes a sincere minister and defender of the truth, to press up- on your observation and practice, the following brief admonitions, with which I shall conclude this dis- course.

Whensoever, from henceforth, you hear or read the Word of God, bethink yourselves well of the holy life which it contains, and is filled with ; and as you value your eternal well-being, take heed of depriving it of that holy life.

For this purpose, be sure never to hear or read the Word of God, or any doctrine of truth thence derived,, but in an humble and penitent state of heart before God, under the real acknowledgment of your m^ny evils, and of the necessity ot receiving new life, or new love, before you can enter into the kingdom of hea- ven : otherwise, when you are not aware of it, the evils of your hearts, which are unrepented of, and consequently unremoved, will assuredly take the truths which you hear and read, and beat one, kill another, and stone another.

Let it therefore be your most earnest and constant prayer to God, that you may be delivered from thh

156 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

most dreadful of all blood-guiltiness ; remembering well the divine caution and admonition, " Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm ;"* and under the full conviction, that to destroy in your own he;<rts the life of truth, which is the life and the love of God, is as great an offence against God, and as destructive and hurtful to your own souls, as to kill a prophet, an apostle, or an evangelist.

If you will attend well to these few admonitions, you will soon be made sensible of their salutary effect upon your hearts and lives. The truths of the Word of God will then always find your minds in a fit and prepared state for their reception. There will be no longer any beating, any killing, any stoning of these heavenly messengers ; but instead of such outrage, you will give them the welcome of affection and friendship, as to the servants of God. Nor will your welcome of friendship and affection be unrewarded ; for they, in their turn, will give unto you what they are commis- sioned from their great Lord to give, and what they bear constantly in their bosom, viz. the pearl of great •price, the hidden manna, the fruit of the tree of life ; or, to speak plainly, and without a metaphor, the holy and eternal life of God, which is the life of heavenly love and charity. They will make this their life to be your life, and their God to be your God ; and thus opening in you the everlasting kingdom of divine righteousness, peace, and truth, by effecting your cor-

* Psalm cv, 15.

THE SERVANTS BEATEN, &C. 157

junction with Jesus Christ, in his life and love, they will convince you experimentally of his promised bles- sing to all who should receive aright the truths of his Word, where it is written, " He that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me."* AMEN.

*M?tt.x.40,

ON THE

OTHER SERVANTS MORE THAN THE FIRST ;

OR THE

REPEATED MESSAGES OF GOD TO MAN.

SERMON XVI.

Matt. xxi. 36.

Again he scut other servants more than the first,

and they did unto them likewise.

X HESE words are in immediate connexion with the two preceding verses, which run thus : " And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another."

It has already been shewn what we are here to ut> derstand by the servants, whom the " householder sent to the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of the vine- yard j" and further, what we are to understand by trie

]60 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

" husbandmen taking the servants, and beating one, and killing another, and stoning another."

The servants, spiritually considered, are the truths of God's Word, which are ever sent by the great House- holder to the spiritual husbandmen, for the sake of pn> curing and receiving spiritual fruit, inasmuch as none can produce spiritual fruit, that is, fruit unto God, but by and through the truths of the Word of God.

To beat, to hill, and to stone these servants, then, denotes the various ways by which unfaithful husband- men, in all ages and places, do violence to, and de- stroy the heavenly truths of God's Word. This, it was shewn, is principally done by destroying the life of truth, which is the life of love and charity ; and truth is thus deprived of its life, whensoever it is re- ceived into the understanding alone, and doth not en- ter into and influence the will, the affections, and the life of man.

Notwithstanding the violence thus done to the first servants sent by the good Householder to receive the fruits of the vineyard, we find him still urgent with the same blessed motives, and to the same adorable ends ; again he sent other servaiits more than the first.

And notwithstanding this repeated and increased mercy and kindness of the good Householder, we rind the unfaithful husbandmen still persisting in their ob- stinate rejection of, and outrageous violence against the heavenly messengers sent unto them ; they did unto them likewise, that is, they beat one, killed another^ ecnd stoned another.

OTHER SERVANTS SENT.

161

Two considerations of the utmost importance arc here suggested to our notice.

First, The persevering kindness of the good Househol- der ; and

Secondly, The persevering obstinacy of the unfaithful husbandmen.

May I bespeak your most earnest attention to each of these considerations! And, first, To the persevering kindness of the good Householder.

Again he sent other servants more than the first.

From the beginning of the creation this scripture hath been fulfilled respecting the great Creator, and there hath been no age or time in which he hath not been sending other servants more than the first, to re- ceive the fruits of his spiritual vineyard, the church.

Immediately after the fall of our first parents from that blessed life and order of heaven, in which they were created, the good Householder was not forgetful of the work of his hands, but by the dictates of his holy Spirit in their hearts, sent these his heavenly messen- gers and servants to call them back again into that pa- radise which they had forfeited, that so both he and 'hey might again enjoy the blessed fruits of it.

Again, when the world was further lost in wicked- ness, by a further miserable departure from the law of the love of God in their hearts and lives,, which ended in the destruction thereof by a flood ; the righ- teous Noah was another servant sent by the heavenly Householder, to make known his eternally holy and blessed will to the spiritual husbandmen, and thus re-

. c*ive again the finite of the spiritual vineyard,, V 2

162 THE HOUSEHOLDER,

To the labours of this servant succeeded those ot divers others, for the same biessed purposes. Who hath not read how Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, "and the- patriarchs, in their respective generations, were so many heavenly messengers from the holy God to de- liver his people a message of mercy and truth, re- specting the fruit of their vineyard ?

Who hath not heard also of Moses and Aaron, and an innumerable company of holy priests and Levites under the old law, to whom the divine Householder revealed further his holy will for the fructification of his church, when the thunderings and lightnings from Mount Sinai proclaimed the majesty and the sanctity of the law of tha Ten Commandments, which have re- mained in all ages, and still remain unto this day, to call man back again unto his God, that his vineyard may be rendered fruitful in all heavenly righteousness, joy, and peace ?

But the time would fail me, to tell of all the other servants who had their commission from the great Householder, for the same blessed ends and purposes. You have all read of Gideon, and of Barak ; of Sam- son, and of Jephthah ; of Samuel also, and David, and the prophets ; and you cannot but know how these al- so were other servants of God, mort than the first ; ient by him, in their generations, unto the spiritual husbandmen, to declare to them that law of eternal life, whereby both they and the fruit of their vine- yards might be received back again into the bosom of the everlasting Lord, and thus be blessed in the par- ticipations of his unutterable mercy and truth,

OTHER SERVANTS SENT. 1G3

But why need we thus look back to the records of the old world, to be convinced of this continual perse- vering will and blessed purpose of the divine House- holder respecting his vineyard ? Surely there is suffi- cient evidence nearer home, and in our own time, in confirmation of this great truth ; and we need but look each of us into our own minds and consciences to be ful- ly persuaded, that the God of infinite mercy will never cease to send other servants more than the first, to re- call and recover back unto himself the fruit of his spi- ritual vineyard, that so it may be eternally blessed unto the spiritual husbandmen.

For let me ask — Who amongst us, at one time or other, hath not received a message from the holy God in his mind and conscience, speaking to this effect, — " Give me the fruit of thy vineyard ?" Yea, who amongst us hath not heard this message often repeatedf and thus been visited by other servants of the great Householder, more than thefirst ?

Let us examine this matter attentively, because our everlasting well-being is involved in it.

How often have we heard our duty towards God enforced and explained ! How often have we been called to repent, and to turn with our best affections unto God, that so we may love him with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength ! How often have we been admonished by words from without, and also by dictates from within, that we were not created for this perishable vvorid only, but for the everlasting en- joyment of God in another and an eternal world ; and

164 THE HOUSEHOLDER,.

that, therefore, the best and only wise use we can make of our present lives in this world, is to prepare our souls for that eternal enjoyment, by giving back unto God all that we receive from him S How often have the lessons of heavenly truth and wisdom been thus sounded in our ears, and repeated calls given us to de- vote ourselves to the living God, and to enter into a covenant of righteousness and peace with the Father of spirits ! How often have we been warned of the dan- ger and delusion of sin, and been shewn the necessity thereby of setting a watch over our own hearts i How often, in short, have we been taught, that our trues; wisdom is to be acquainted with God, and that our highest blessedness is to become again his images and likenesses, by a thorough conformity of our lives to the words of his truth, and the dictates of his eternal Spirit within us 1

We have not, perhaps, been visited personally with- this message, by immediate servants from God, such as lighteous Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or the pa- triarchs of old. We have not been with Moses upon Mount Sinai, and beheld the visible glory of the Almighty, and heard him speak to us face to face. We have not, perhaps, seen in our streets one of the old prophets, preaching repentance, and calling unto new- ness of life. But what then ? We have heard the same heavenly lessons, and the same heavenly lan- guage, which were once spoken by Noah, by Abra- ham, by Isaac, by Jacob, by the patriarchs, by Mo- ses, and by the prophets : and what matters it. who ox

OTHER SERVANTS SENT. 165

what the instrument is, by which the will and the wis- dom of God is made known to us, provided it be but made known ? If all the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, that ever lived upon earth, were to preach daily in our streets, they could only deliver to us the same message of truth and wisdom, which we have already received, and heard a thousand times repeated in our ears.

Behold here then, beloved, the merciful and perse- vering kindness of the good Householder, and how in all ages, and amongst all people, he hath earnestly sought to recover to himself his lost vineyard, that so the spiritual husbandmen might be delivered from the sin and misery of living unto themselves alone, and by rendering back unto God that which, of right, helong.- eth to him, might become everlastingly blessed in the further participations of bis unutterable mercy, truth, and peace !

And may this consideration lead us i<? reflect wor- thily upon that astonishing mercy and iove of our heavenly Father, which is thus earned to gather to himself, both us and the fruit of our vineyards ! May it lead us further to reflect aright upon the impor- tance and the sanctity of those repeated messages of truth, which he is continually sending to us for this blessed purpose! May we henceforth be enabled to see, that wheresoever truth is, there a servant of God is ; and wheresoever a servant of God is, there God himself is! May we thus be led to receive and venerate the truth, as we would receive and venerate

iQ& THE HOUSEHOLDER.

the God of truth, and to be as much afraid of rejecting and destroying the message, as we would be afraid of rejecting and destroying him who sends it, and whose it is! — But, oh! above all, may we be led to remem- ber, what it is, which hath in all former ages, and which doth also in our age, alone reject and destroy the truth, viz. that it is the vain and foolish love of our- selves, of the world, and the flesh, more than of God and our neighbour ; and that therefore we can in no other possible way, cherish and keep alive the truth in ourselves, but by renouncing vain affections, that so the love of God and of our neighbour may prevail and rule in us.

To conclude — You have now heard another mes- sage from God — another servant hath this day been sent unto you from the great Householder, to receive the fruit of your vineyards — Oh, consider not the in- strument by whom this message is sent, but rather •consider him, from whom it is sent, and whose servant jt is— consider his gracious purpose in sending it, and the infinite and astonishing mercy and love which is in it— consider what an hoiy and awful message hath now- entered into your ears— the Creator and Redeemer of the world ;:ukes a demand upon you; a demand of the fruit of your vineyards ; a demand which you cannot refuse him, without destroying yourselves; and which, whensoever you are wise enough to grant it to him, will prove your salvation. He only asks for that, which it will be death to you to keep from him, and which he will give you back again with life eternal*

OTHER SERVANTS SENT. 16?

when be sees you obedient to his heavenly message. Oh, then, let the mercy and the wisdom of that mes- sage now find a place in your hearts, that so you may be led to answer the just demands of a merciful and righteous God. Let it never be said of you, that when the heavenly Householder " sent other servants unto you more than the first, you did unto them likewise." Rather let it be said of you, " Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."* AMEN.

* Jjuke ri, 28.

*N THE

PERSEVERING OBSTINACY

OF THE

UNFAITHFUL HUSBANDMEN.

SERMON XVII.

Matt. xxi. 36.

And again he sent other servants more than the first, and they did unto them likewise,

IN the foregoing discourse was pointed out the perse- vering kindness of the good Householder, in sending other servants more than the first, to receive the fruit oP his vineyard.

I shall now proceed to consider, as was further pro- posed, the persevering obstinacy of the unfaithful hus- bandmen, to whom these other servants were sent, as expressed in these latter words of the text, They did unto them likewise.

The lesson of spiritual instruction intended for our use by these words of the parable, appears to be this ; *hat whosoever* in consequence of evil of life, rejects

17© THE HOUSEHOLDER.

and destroys in himself one truth of God and heaven, rejects and destroys in himself all the truths of God and heaven.

I say, in consequence of evil of life, by which is to be understood the government of an evil love ; for every man's life is such as his governing love is. If the go- verning love be good, that is, towards God and the things of his kingdom, then the life will of necessity be good; hut if the governing iove be evil, that is, to- wards the world and the flesh, then the life must of ne- cessity be evil also.

Let me call your particular attention to this consi- d' 'ion, how evil of life, that is, an evil governing Iov< , rejects and destroys in man, not one~ only, but all tbi truths of God and heaven.

Il is generally supposed, that a man who is in evil of life, can receive and believe the truths of God, and thereby have faith, as fully and as perfectly as another man who is in the good of life.

But this supposition, if it be carefully examined, will be found to be altogether groundless, and without foundation.

It is indeed true, that an evil man, or one who is in evil of life, can see the truths of God as well as a good man, or one who is in the good of life ; but then it is well to be considered, that there is a great difference between merely seeing the truth, and what is called in the sacred '. riptures receiving and believing the truth.

An ev n may see the truth, but then he doth not receive and believe it. The reason is, the truth enters

OTHER SERVANTS BEATEN. 171

into and manifests itself in his understanding or thought, but then it doth not enter into and affect his will and intentions ; and whatsoever doth not enter into and af- fect man's will and intentions, cannot be said to enter into, or make any part of the man ; inasmuch as the :cill and intention is the whole of man ; and the under- standing, separate from the will and intention, makes -properly no part of the man.

A man, who is in evil of life, may say, that he be- lieves in God, and in the revelation of God : he may profess with his lips, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that good men go after death to the former, and wicked men to the latter : he may assent also to most other spiritual truths discoverable from the Word of God ; and on this account he fancies that he believes them, and would be much offended with any one who -hould endeavour to convince him to the contrary.

But if it be true, as the Scripture testifieth, that man -believeth with the heart, and that he can only believe with the heart, then it is equally true, that this man, who is in evil of life, notwithstanding all his profes- sions, cannot believe. The reason is, because his heart is not in his belief; and if his heart be not in it, he himself is not in it ; for the heart or the love, as was before observed, is what properly constitutes the man.

If, therefore, the mind of a man, who is in evil of life, could be inwardly examined and seen into, as it is examined and seen by the all-piercing eye of God, it would most assuredly be found, that he dotli not be- lieve in a single truth of the Word of God ; but that

172 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

he violently rejects and destroys them all in himself, as they enter into his understanding, notwithstanding the appearance to himself that he receives and admits them all.

And would you know, beloved, the deep reason and eternal ground of this, and why an evil man cannot possibly believe the truths of God ; it is because evil and truth are two opposites, and are therefore continu- ally acting in contrariety the one to the other : for evil is from beneath ; truth is from above : evil is from the evil one, that is, the devil ; truth is from the good one, that is, from God : evil, wheresoever it enters, creates hell, and misery, and darkness ; truth, where- soever it enters and is received, makes heaven, and happiness, and light : evil, therefore, is the destroyer of man ; truth is man's saviour: evil is a thing most defiled, most deformed, and hateful ; truth is a thing most pure, most beautiful, and lovely. Between two iuch opposites, -it must be plain to see, there can be no possibility of agreement; and hence it is, that in whatsoever heart of man the love of evil bears rule, and hath the ascendancy, there truth, with all its hea- venly family of intelligences, graces, and virtues, must of necessity be expelled, persecuted, and slain.

The Lord speaks of this internal and eternal oppo-' sition subsisting between evil and truth, where he saith, " Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved ;"* and in another place, " No man can serve two masters,.

*Jobaiii.20.

OTHER SERVATS BEATEN. l?o

for cither he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold-to the one and despise the other, Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."*

Behold here then the true and eternal reason, why they who are in the love of evil, or, what is the same thing, in whom an evil love hath the rule of ascendan- cy, cannot possibly receive the truths of God, but must needs reject, destroy, and slay them all in their hearts and lives, like the unfaithful husbandmen described in the parable.

The reason why they must needs reject, destroy, and slay them all, is this :

Jill truths relating to God and his kingdom are one, and are united together in a unity which is indivisible. They may be compared in this respect to one heaven- ly and beautiful form or body, which, though compos- ed of innumerable parts and organs, is yet but one form or body : this is the case with all the truths contained in the word of God, or the sacred scriptures : they ap- pear indeed as if they were diverse, scattered, and dis- united, and as if they had little or no connexion with each other ; when yet the fact is, there is the closest relationship, harmony, and oneness, subsisting between them, whereby they not only are one, but also act as one, and are accordingly received or rejected as one.

As for example — a good man, that is, one who is in the love of good, which is the love of God and of his neighbour, by virtue of the good in which his mind is principled, rejoices in hearing or reading the truths

* Matt. vi. 24. Q.2

174 THE HOUSEHOLBER*

of the word of God, because he finds them in agree- ment with, and highly congenial to the principle of good in his own mind. I say then, that this good man, so hearing and reading, receives not one only, but all the truths of the heavenly volume, in consequence of their unity and indivisibility ; and whether he thinks of it or not, be is in the all of truth, and the all oi truth is likewise in him, opening, creating, and form- ing in him its own heaven of righteousness and peace.

On the contrary, an evil man, that is, one who is in ihe love of evil, which is the inordinate love of him- self and the world, more than of God and his neigh- bour, though he may seem to himself to receive some truths from the word of God, when he hears or reads it, yet in reality he receives none. The reason is, his evil is contrary to the whole truth, and truth cannot be received in part only. Inasmuch, therefore, as he re- jects and destroys the whole, he must of necessity re- ject and destroy all its parts.

Much of serious and instructive reflection, beloved, will be excited in your minds by what has been said, if it be duly attended to.

You will learn from it, how much reason you have to tremMe at, and to be upon your guard against, the love of evil, or an evil Jove, which thus in its very na- ture is contrary to all the truths of God, and therefore will infallibly slay them all in your minds, so far as it Is suffered to have the pre-eminence.

You will therefore see the necessity of making it a subject of your continual prayers to God, to discover to you more especially what your governing love i?^

OTHER SERVANTS BEATEN. 175

whether it be in good or in evil, under a serious ap- prehension, that your reception or your rejection of heavenly truth will depend altogether upon this ruling principle in your minds.

But you will not be content in this case with only praying to God. Recollecting that your salvation de- pends upon this discovery, and under a just alarm lest the folly of the unfaithful husbandmen should be your folly, you will not fail to search into and examine most diligently your own minds by the light of God's word, touching the most secret purposes, ends, and intentions of your lives, whether they be towards God, or from God. You will never rest till you thus know what you are, or what is the same thing, what your love is : and you will be afraid at any time of hearing or of reading the truths of God, unless you have good ground to believe, that you have first discovered and put awTay that in yourselves, which would defile or destroy them.

Thus, you may have the most comfortable satisfac- tion to hope, that you will never be found amongst the number of the unfaithful husbandmen. The God of mercy will assuredly make known to you that evil love in yourselves, which is the sole destroyer of his truth, whensoever he sees you desirous to know it. He will also remove and separate it fro-; you, when- soever he perceives you willing to have it removed and separated. And so far as an evil love is removed and separated, so. far a good love will assuredly enter and be implanted ; and with this good love will be re- ceived at the same time the affection^ the intelligence,

176 THE HOUSEHOLDER. *

and the perception of all heavenly truth, because ou this love is ever inscribed, the divine blessedness, where it is written, " Blessed are your eyes, for th^y see ; and your ears, for they hear."* AMEN

* Matt. xiii. 16.

ON THE

HOUSEHOLDER'S SON,

» WITH THE

REVERENCE DUE TO HIM, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH HE IS STILL CRUCIFIED,

SERMON XVIII,

Matt. xxi. 37, 38, 39.

But last of all he sent unto them his Son, saying.

They will reverence my Son. But when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said

among themselves, This is the heir : come, let

us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the

vineyard, and slew him.

A HE Son here spoken of hath manifest allusion to the Son of God, who was sent into the world by his ' Father, the great Householder, to receive the fruit of his spiritual vineyard, the church,

178 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

You have often been taught from this place, that by God's sending his So?i into the world, is meant his own descent and divine manifestation in the flesh, or human nature, to be a Redeemer and Saviour ; and that under this manifestation his name was called Jesus Christ, who is therefore the most high God, differing from the eternal Father only in this, that he is the Father mani- fested, and united to the human nature, which he as- sumed.

I shall not, therefore, take up your present time with any further confirmations or elucidations of this great Gospel truth, but shall rather call your attention to a few observations respecting the atrocious conduct of the unfaithful husbandmen in rejecting and slaying this Sow of the great Householder.

it might certainly have been expected, and nothing could be more reasonable than the expectation, that wf en I iie Son of the most high God appeared upon earth, he vvonid have been received there by all ranks an,; -orders of people, with a spirit and temper agree- al le to the declaration of the great Householder, " They will reverence my So?i."

M it be* considered who this Son was, what was his extraordinary birth and character, and what the bles- sed :.i;ent of his appearing, viz. to make his creatures eternally wise and happy ; who would not have con- cluded, that his creatures would have received him accordingly, and that with one heart and one mind they would have sung hosannas to this .Son of Davia1, this prince of cr erlafting peace ? Who would not have

householder^ 60X SEXT. 179

concluded, that the world henceforth would learn righteousness ; that all would go and be taught of this eternal wisdom to walk in the paths of peace ; and that mankind, receiving power from him to become the sons of God, would thus.have entered again into that paradise of innocence and bliss from which they were fallen ?

Who, at least, could have conceived it possible that the Maker and Saviour of the world, when he appear- ed in it, should have been treated with the slightest degree of indignity by that world which he had made, and which he came to save ? Could it have entered into any human heart to imagine, that on such an oc- casion the prophetic words of tuis mighty Son would have been fulfilled, which he before spake respecting himself, when he said, " They caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him."

And yet notwithstanding all this appearance of impro- bability and impossibility, such inconceivable indignity and barbarity was exercised towards this Son of the great Householder. So far from being reverenced, as might have been reasonably expected, we behold him derided, rejected, and slain. So far from being exalt- ed as a God, he is degraded below a man ; the Sa- viour of the world is thought not able to save himself; the Lord of the vineyard is cast out of it ; and the wicked husbandmen are foolish en< ' ' *

the vineyard will tome to th herit mce, by the destructi make it either their inheritanc

180 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

You are astonished, beloved, as well you may be, at this unparalleled folly, and outrageous injustice of the Jews t)f old. You wonder how they could thus divest themselves of every principle of reason and hu- manity. You are shocked at that blindness which could not discern the glories of a manifested God ; and you are more shocked still at that hardness of heart, which was insensible to the tenderness of redeeming love, and which refused obedience to tbe calls of that mer- cy, which would again have opened heaven and para- dise.

Possibly too you congratulate yourselves, and the Christian world in which you have had the happiness to be born, that you are not of the number of such murderers. You rejoice to think, that the world is now grown better and wiser than at the time when tbe Son of the great Householder was sent into it, to receive the fruits of his vineyard ; and you conceive therefore that it is impossible for the husbandmen now to do what the husbandmen did then, viz. cast him out of the vineyard, and slay him.

You certainly do well to be astonished, and to be shocked at the folly and wickedness of the Jews of old ; and you cannot possibly excite in your minds too much horror at their atrocious proceedings in regard to the Son of God who appeared amongst them.

But, when you congratulate yourselves and the Chris- tian world, that you are not involved in Jewish guilt — when you conclude that the world is now grown so *nuch better and wiser, that it is impossible the Saviour

householder's son sent. 1S1

of it should be again cruGiiied and slain ; in this I must beg leave to suggest caution to you, lest, flattering yourselves with false appearances of the world about you, as if it was better and wiser, and more innocent than it really is, you should fall into a careless and dangerous security, which may be fatal to your best interests.

I shall beg leave, therefore, on this occasion, to pro- pose to your most serious consideration and examina- tion, these few important but alarming inquiries.

Is it not a notorious fact, that in the present Chris- tian world, so called, the high and holy name of Jesus Christ, together with his sacred word and command- ment, is much reproached and blasphemed ?

Have we not iately seen a great and numerous peo- ple, who constituted a very considerable part of what is called the Christian world, absolutely rejecting the authority of the Gospel, and saying of Jesus Christ, in the language of the most terrible apostacy, " We will not have this man to reign over us ?

In our own nation also, are not the principles of ir- religion and infidelity gaining ground upon us ? Do we not find, amongst all orders and classes of people in our land, a miserable relaxation of the bonds of reli- gious influence ? And hath not the consequence been a rejection of the Householder's Son ; a denial of the di- vinity and supremacy of that Saviour, to whom alone Ahe vineyard of right belongeth ?

JBut to brwag the inquiry nearer to our own bosoms.

R

182 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

The apostle speaks of those, who, through the pre- valence of evil, falling away from the convictions of truth which they had received, " crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."*

From this declaration of the apostle's, we are cer- tainly warranted in this conclusion, that all evil cruci- fies the bon of God; that every inordinate lust, therefore, every unbridled passion, every temper and affection of the human heart, which is not under the government of heavenly wisdom, doeth all that at this day to the Saviour of the world which the Jews of old did, when they said, " Crucify him, crucify him."

We cannot indeed, at this day, takeaway the bodi- ly life of Jesus Christ : we cannot nail him to a cross of wood, as the Jews of old di^when they crucified him between two thieves : but what then ? we can do what is alike enormous, and alike destructive of our eternal welfare ; we can destroy in ourselves his spi- ritual life ; we can by our vain affections and toolish imaginations nail him to a spiritual cross : and which are we to suppose is the greater sin, to destroy the body, or to destroy the soul ? to crucify Christ in per- son, or Christ in spirit ?

Here then let the inquiry be continued, a d let it be asked, What is the present temper and spirit of our- selves, and of the world about us ? Do we see those, who call themselves Christians, living by a Christian temper and spirit? Do we live by such a temper and spirit ourselves ? Are our lives under the direction of

*Heb. vi. 6.

^householder's SOX SENT. 133

Che wisdom of Jesus Christ, or are they influenced by a contrary wisdom ? Have we, in short, the life of Christ, or do we reject that life, by obeying the dic- tates of the contrary life, which is according to the spi- rit of that nature and kingdom, which Christ came to destroy in us ?

God forbid, beloved, that I should pat you upon vain and scrupulous inquiries, or suggest vain and ground- less alarm— but God forbid also, that you should not be alarmed where there is just cause, and that you should not be directed to those inquiries which are ne- cessary to lead you to a right knowledge of yourselves, and of the world in which you live. For surely, it is only by alarm proportioned to its cause, and by some such questions as the above, seriously proposed, and as seriously answered, that we can come to know ei- ther the state of the world about us, or our own state ; consequently that we can determine how far at this day we are, or are not, acting the part of the unfaith- ful husbandmen of old, of whom it is written, that when the Householder sent his Son to them, they caught him. and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

Let us not shrink then from these salutary inquiries,, which have a tendency thus to open our eyes to a just knowledge both of ourselves, and of our fellow-men. It may be, the investigation will bring many things to our view, which are not as they ought to be, and which therefore will not be pleasant to see manifested. We 4iall discover possibly that the Christian world is no';

184 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

altogether so Christian as the name implies. We shall find in it much evil and enormity, contrary to the holy spirit and temper of him, whom it professes to follow and serve. We shall perhaps make the same discove- ry respecting ourselves — we shall see, to our surprise, that the religion of Jesus Christ has never yet had its full effect upon us ; that there is a life still in ourselves contrary to the life of the Son of God, whose disciples we call ourselves. We shall thus learn that it is pos- sible at least, that the Son of the Householder may at this day be caught, cast out of the vineyard, and slain, as he was by the unfaithful husbandmen of former times.

But shall we on this account suspend such salutary inquiry, because it may discover evil to us, which we before were not aware of? Surely this is a poor rea- son for our neglecting the use of our eyes and senses. For if the evil really exists, it is certainly better and safer that it should be known, than that it should lie concealed. If it be known, it may then be avoided, and we may be upon our guard against its infection and its poison : but if it be not known, it may destroy us before we are aware of it.

Let us then, if we wish not to be numbered amongst the unfaithful husbandmen, and to contract the terrible guilt of casting out and slaying the Son of the great Householder, offer up our most fervent prayers to that Son, that he would give us the spirit of judgment and understanding to discern aright both the state of the world about us, and the state also of our own hearts ;

householder's son sent. 185

that so, seeing the danger to which we are exposed, when we are least aware of it, of crucifying the Son of God afresh, we may be led to shun this most tremen- dous of all human evils ; and thus, cherishing the holy and blessed spirit of that Son in our affections and lives, may attain to all the holiness and happiness of which the great Householder spake, when he said, " They will reverence my Son." AMEN.

R2

OS

SEIZING THE SON'S INHERITANCE j

OB THE

DENIAL THAT ALL HEAVENLY LIFE AND POWER IS RECEIVED FROM GOD, AND IS THEREFORE HIS PROPERTY.

SERMON XIX.

Matt. xxi. 38.

But when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said among themselves, This is the heir ; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance*

WE have already, in the preceding discourse, con- sidered the conduct of these wicked husbandmen, in tbeir rejection and destruction of the Son, who was sent unto them by the good Householder.

But there is yet another circumstance of their atro- cious conduct, which well deserves our most serious consideration, and which is expressed in these latter words of the text, Let He seize on his inheritance,

188 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

There are perhaps few persons, who have given this circumstance due attention ; few, who have consider- ed aright either what is meant by the Son's inheritance here spoken of, or by the husbandmen's seizing up- on it.

We are all of us, in a greater or less degree, too apt to read the sacred Scriptures carelessly. We cafch at the sight and sound of the words, and are content, without thinking of the sense which they involve ; with- out reflecting, that every expression of the Word of God is divine, and must therefore" needs contain in it a divine meaning.

How often, for instance, have we all of us read and heard these words of my text, spoken by the wicked husbandmen, " Let us seize on his inheritance !" But have we all of us been led as often to consider with ourselves what these words imply ? Have we disced vered their instructive and divine meaning ? Have we dived into the deep, to fetch up the pearls of wisdom there concealed ? or have we been satisfied with the strawy which float on the surface ?

Perhaps we cannot all of us give a satisfactory an- swer to these questions. There is, then, the greater need of present attention, whilst we enter upon a, more particular consideration of the subject under these tw© general views.

First, Wrnt the term inheritance, here applied to the property of the Son of the great Householder, involves. Secondly, What was the crime of the unfaithful hijs- landmen, in thinking to seize upon it

SEIZING THE INHERITANCE. 189

First, then, let us consider what the term inheritance, as applied to the property of the Son of the great Householder, involves.

There is much mention made of inheritance in the sacred Scriptures, as applied to God, or, what is the same thing, as applied to the Son of the great House- holder ; and according to such application, the word is universally used to denote his people Israel.

Thus it is written in the book of Kings, speaking of the children of Israel, " They be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt."* And in the book of Psalms, u Blessed be the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his ozcn inheritance, ,"t And again, in the prophet, " Blessed be Egypt, my people ; and Assy- ria, the work of my hands ; and Israel, mine inheri- tance ."J

In the words of my text, the term inheritance is ma- nifestly applied in reference to the vineyard, which the Householder let out to the husbandmen ; but it has already been abundantly shewn, that by the vineyard here spoken of, is spiritually signified the Lord's church ; and as the Lord's chiirch consists of his peo- ple, therefore inheritance, in this passage, must needs relate to his people also.

From all this evidence then it is very plain, that the term inheritance, as applied in my text to the pro-

• I Kings viii. 51. f Psalm xxxiii. 12. J Isaiah xi*. 25.

190 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

perty of the Son of the great Householder, has rela- tion to all man's living principles, powers, and facul- ties, whether of mind or of body, whereby lie is capa- ble of being made a church, or people, of the Lord his God.

Let me bespeak, beloved, your most earnest atten- tion to this sense of the word inheritance, which pos- sibly you have never heretofore considered.

Your own experience and observation will abun- dantly teach you, that you possess divers faculties and powers, both spiritual and natural, which, taken toge- ther in the complex, constitute what you call your life. Thus you have the faculty or power of willing or choosing, of thinking, of determining, and of acting ; and this, both in a spiritual and in a natural way.

In a spiritual way, you can will or choose what is of God and eternity ; you can think also, as often as yon please, about God and eternity ; and ycu can deter- mine and act accordingly : and in a natural way, you can will or choose what is of this world, or what re- lates to your temporal life here below ; and you can also think, determine, and act, in reference to this your temporal life and habitation. Under this article of natural powers, may also be reckoned your time and your fortunes ; for these also, like your talents, make a part of what you commonly call yourselves.

Nothing can be more wonderful and astonishing than these powers and faculties which you enjoy, in com- mon with the rest of mankind ; and the due conside- ration ©f them must needs lead every thinking person

SEIZING THE INHERITANCE. 191

io exclaim, with the inspired penman, " I am fearfully and wonderfully made."*

But there is one circumstance relating to these pow- ers and faculties, which is not in general so much at- tended to, as the powers and faculties themselves : I mean, who is the proprietor of them f or, to whom do they properly belong? and yet this is certainly a point of the utmost importance to be determined.

The careless and unthinking mind, grounding its judgment in mere appearances, says, My powers and faculties are my own, and no one has any property in them but myself. Is not my life my own? Is not my fortune my own ? Is not my time also my own? Do not I will, do not I think and act by and from my- self only? Who then has any right or property in these things but myself?

But what saith the judgment of the eternal wisdom? Let us hearken to its voice, and no longer be deluded by appearances and folly.

" Know ye that the Lord he is God ; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves ; we are his peo- ple, -and the sheep of his pasture."!

And we are then the workmanship and the people of God ? Surely in this case all our powers and facul- ties are God's also, and he must ever remain the sole, proprietor of them. He hath indeed given them to us for use and for our bliss, but still they must remain

* Psalm cxxxix. f4\ + Psalm c. 3.

192 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

for ever his, and are only ours from him. We can ut more will, or think, or act, by a power properly our own, than we can raise ourselves from the dead ; and therefore every time that we exercise a single faculty j whether of mind or of body, whether in regard to our time or our fortunes, we exercise only a gift which we receive from him, who, to impress deeper on our minds this lesson of eternal wisdom, hath said, " With- out me ye can do nothing."*

Having thus, then, endeavoured to shew what we are \q understand by the inheritance spoken of in my text, it will now plainly appear in the second place, what was the crime of the unfaithful husbandmen, in think- ing to seize on this inheritance.

The word in the original, which is here rendered seize upon, denotes to withhold, or keep back by vio- lence ; and the idea manifestly suggested is this, that the wicked husbandmen began to persuade themselves, that their life, with all its various powers and facul- ties, was their own, independent of God, and that therefore they were no longer bound to acknowledge God as the source of their life, with its faculties and powers.

Thus they kept back or withheld this inheritance from God, instead of restoring and returning it to him, as in justice they were obliged to do. Like that un- wise king of old, whom the Lord rebukes by the pro- phet, they said, " My river is mine own, and I have

■* John xv 5

SEIZING TUB INHERIT ANCK. 193

made it for myself."* They continued therefore to have life, and to exercise the faculties of life ; but then they separated God from that life, and from those fa- culties: when they looked into themselves, they saw and acknowledged nothing but themselves, nothing that was superior to, or above themselves, from whence they themselves existed and subsisted : they did not see and acknowledge the life of God in themselves : they did not consider, that all that was called theif own life, was only a derived life, a life which they re- ceived continually from God : the consequence was, that withholding this inheritance from God, they ban- ished at the same time God and his life, with all the blessing, virtue, wisdom, and sanctities thereof, from themselves ; or, as it is expressed in the verse immedi- ately succeeding my text, they caught the right heir of the inheritance, and " cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him."

Behold here, beloved, and tremble at the crime and folly of these unhappy husbandmen, who were wicked and weak enough to suppose that their life was their ewn, and not God's ; and who, in consequence of this wild imagination, no longer acknowledging God and his life in themselves, separated their own life and all the faculties thereof from the influence, govern- ment, guidance, and presence of that divine Being, in whom alone it originated, and by whom alone it could be made blessed.

* E*ek. xxix. 3.

S

194 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

But whilst we see and tremble at the crime and fol- ly of these unhappy husbandmen, let us take heed that the same be not chargeable upon ourselves.

We are all of us exposed to the danger of being de- luded by the same foolish and pernicious imagination. We all of us receive life, with its innumerable powers and faculties, continually from God ; and if we are not well upon our guard, we shall be tempted to as- cribe them to ourselves, and not to God, and thus seize upon God's inheritance. There is a secret, but most infernal principle of self-love, lurking in everyone of us, vvhich will not fail to be frequently suggesting to us, that our river is our own, that our talents are our own, that our fortunes are our own, that our time is our own, in short, that every thing we possess is our own, and not God's, and that it is of no great consequence whether we call it God's or our own.

But, beloved, let me most earnestly warn you against the fatal tendencies of such a false and dangerous per- suasion. Believe it therefore to be the persuasion of none but of those wicked husbandmen, who say amongst themselves, " This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and let us seize upon his inheritance. Be- lieve it therefore to be a persuasion directly opposite to all the wisdom of God, and tending to destroy in your minds the all of religion, the all of holiness, the all of happiness, because the ali of the real sense and acknowledgment of God. For what sense or ac- knowledgment can you have of God, unless you are sensible of, and acknowledge him in yourselves, <ts

SEIZING THE INHERITANCE. 195

the continual source of your life and all your faculties? To, say you acknowledge God, and yet to separate him from yourselves, by not ascribing to him your life, your talents, your fortunes, your time, and what- ever else makes a part of yourselves — what is this but acknowledging God with your lips, and denying him in your hearts ? What is it, but being Christians in theory, and atheists in practice ?

Beware then, beloved, of such flagrant, such mis- chievous inconsistency : and if you wish effectually to avoid the crime and folly of the wicked husbandmen in the parable, who thought to seize upon their Lord's inheritance, let me recommend to your most serious attention and observance these few practical lessons.

Learn to confess and acknowledge the great and glorious God continually in yourselves, as the eternal, never-failing source of your life and all its faculties. Look no longer at a God who is only without you, but look at a God who is also within you. Remove not your heavenly Father -at a distance from you, by re- garding him as unconnected with your life ; but bring him near to you, and make him ever present with you, by believing in him as the continual source of your life and of your every faculty. Consider your life thus as a derived life, and therefore not your own, so much as God's ; and consider also your talents, your fortunes, your time, and every thing else, as things belonging properly to God, and only commit- ted to you for use. Learn thus practically to ascribe all you have unto the divine Giver ; render unto G04I

196 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

the things that are God's, and be afraid of keeping any thing back from him, remembering the crime of the wicked husbandmen, and also the like crime of Ana- nias and Sapphira of old, of whom it is written, that they kept back part of the price.* Lastly, as an en- couragement to you to attend to and observe these precepts, never forget, that they constitute the whole of vital religion and of all true blessedness ; inasmuch as the whole of vital religion consists in the above real acknowledgment of God, without which no vital religion can exist ; and as to true blessedness, how can any inheritance be blessed, if God is not in it ? What is your life, what are your best faculties, what are your most splendid talents and fortunes, but so ma- ny sources of misery to you, if you separate God and his life from them ? To make these things real bles- sings, you must join God to them, and you cannot join God to them, but so far as you ascribe them unto God ; and consider them as his property more than your own. Learn once to do this, and you will then taste true blessedness ; for then the blessing of God will be in all that you possess, and being made sensible of this blessing, your chief and only concern will be to add unto it, by learning more and more to sing that heavenly song, " Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created."! AMEN.

* Acts v. 2, 8. f Rev. iv. Ik

ON THE

FATE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN -:

OR

MAN'S DESTRUCTION IN APPEARANCE FROM GOD, BUT IN REALITY FROM HIMSELF.

SERMON XX.

Matt. xxi. 40, 41.

When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ?

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

i HESE are the concluding words of that parable concerning the householder and his vineyard, which has been the subject of the foregoing discourses.

They contain an inquiry of singular importance to all serious minds, viz. " What will he do unto those feusbaadmen ? or, in other words, what will be the con- S 2

198 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

sequence of a mi spent life ? What will be the eftecf. and the fruit, of acting the part of wicked and unfaith- ful husbandmen, who reject the counsels of God ? What will the end be with all those, who are so blind- ed by the pleasures of sin and folly, of this world and the flesh, as to neglect the great and awful concerns of eternity ?

Important and edifying as this inquiry may be, it re- ceives a full answer in the succeeding words of the text, " They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out the vineyard unte other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

May I bespeak your present most serious attention to this instructive and momentous answer !

It is very remarkable, that the Lord here asks the question, " When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen V* but he doth not give the answer. The answer is given by those around him, " They say unto him. He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out ihe vineyard unto other husbandmen, &,c.

It must be obvious to every thinking mind, that some ^reat secret or mystery of wisdom is involved in this circumstance ; otherwise it will be difficult to assign a reason, why the Lord himself should not pronounce de- struction to the wicked, rather than leave it to be pro- nounced by others

Permit me to point out to you what this great secret 6r mistery of wisdom is, which is herein involved,

FATS OF THE HUSBANDMEN, 19$

[t appears to be this — The destruction of wicked husbandmen doth not come at all from the Lord of the vineyard, but solely from themselves, being the cer- tain consequence and sure effect of their own wicked- ness. Nevertheless, though their destruction doth not in reality come from the Lord, yet in appearance to themselves it comes solely from him, and they cannot help but charge him as the alone cause of it.

Behold here then the true reason, why the Lord ash the question concerning the lot of wicked husbandmen, but leaves it to others to give the answer I

He asks the question, because it is a question of in- finite moment, comprehending in it the weightiest con- cerns of man, and therefore such a question as all ought to be prepared to answer, inasmuch as there is nothing wanting but a proper answer to this question, to make every one live according to those maxims of eternaJ wisdom, which will make him wise unto salvation.

But he leaves it to others to give the answer to this question, for this plain and eternal reason, because they were sure to answer it according to the appear- ances presented in their own minds, and it was better, in respect to the bulk of mankind, for whose use and instruction the question was asked, that it should be answered according to appearance, than according to the reality.

I will endeavour to explain this matter, so as to make it easy of apprehension, and at the same time to bring home to, and impress on your minds all that ksson of deep and instructive wisdom, which it in- volves,

200 THE HOUSEHOLDER*

Every attentive reader of the word of God must needs see, and be forced to confess, that God cannot be the author of destruction, inasmuch as he is ever re- presented, in his own holy word, to be the purest good- ness, the most essential mercy, the creator, and the pre- server of what he creates ; which characters are ut- terly inconsistent with the idea of his destroying, or causing destruction to any creature.

Every attentive reader therefore of the word of God must needs see, and be forced to confess, that whenso- ever mention is made of the destruction of man, that very destruction implies that man is the cause of it ; or, in other words, that man destroys himself, and his de- struction cannot be chargeable on any but himself.

But this will more plainly appear if we consider the nature of man's destruction, as it is represented to us in the word of God.

Whensoever that holy book speaks of man's destruc- tion, it always speaks of it in reference to his spiritual part, or his immortal soul, inasmuch as this part con- stitutes properly the whole of man ; and the body, or corporeal part, is comparatively as nothing.

But in what doth the destruction of man's soul, or spirit, consist ? Mow is this destruction effected ? And what is its immediate cause ?

Let us hearken to the same eternal source of truth and instruction. " If a man," saith the blessed Jesuss " abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is

FATE OP TUB HUSBANDMEN. 201

withered ; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

Behold here both the nature of man's destruction, and also the copse of it ! It consists solely in man's separation from the great Redeemer, by not abiding in him, and in the life and order which proceed from him ; and it is of consequence caused by man's abuse of the freedom which God has given him, in that he turns bis heart and affections/rom God, instead of turn- ing ihem towards God ; and thus takes up his abode out of God, instead of taking up his abode in God.

For as there is but one life or salvation for man, and as this one life or salvation consists in man's joining himself with God, by returning or re-entering with his will and affections into the life and order of God, ac- cording to those words of the great Saviour, " Abide in me, 'and I in you :" so there is but one death or de- struction also for man ; and this death or destruction consists, and must needs consist, in this one single cir- cumstance alone, that man doth not return or re-enter into the blessed life and order of God, and thereby abide in the great Redeemer, as he was intended to do ; in which case, he must certainly cast himself int© the regions of disorder ; and where disorder is, there God cannot be ; and where God cannot be, there nei* ther caa life or salvation be, and, of course, there must death and destruction be, with all their attendant mi- series.

Behold here, then, the eternal reason why God can- not possibly, in any sense of the werd, be the author

202 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

of man's destruction, and why man's destruction must, needs in all cases be imputed to man himself.

For who cannot see, that God, in his infinite mercy, is ever, and ever must be, desirous i* bless and save eternally all his creatures ? Who cannot see, that with this view, and for this blessed purpose, he is ever stri- ving to turn and draw all men to himself, that they may abide in him, and he in them, for everlasting blessing and salvation ? Who therefore cannot see further, if he be so disposed, that no man can be destroyed pos- sibly, but by his own fault ; or, in other words, by his abusing his free-wiil, in not complying with the inten- tions and operations of God ; in not drawing nigh unto God in his own mind, and abiding with him in the life and order which he hath established ?

Nevertheless, though man's destruction thus cometb from himself, and not from God, yet it will of neces- sity appear to the destroyed man as if it came from God, and not from himself. This is the sure conse- quence of that evil, which leads man to destruction. For all evil is blind, and judges in all cases from ap- pearances, and not according to truth and reality ; and the appearance to an evil man must needs be, that God destroys him, in like manner as it appears to him, that God is angry and wroth with him ; though in God there is no more of anger and wrath, than there is of destruction.

This then is the reason, why, in the Word of God, destruction is sometimes imputed to him, as well as wratb and anger. For the Word of God, in its letter,

FATE OF THE HUSBANDMEN. 203

js written according to the appearances in which man is ; inasmuch as, if it was not so written, man could not comprehend it, and therefore it would be of no use to him. Nevertheless, it is the part of true wisdom to draw aside the veil of those appearances, which co- ver the sacred realities of the eternal truth, and thus to enter into the bright light of the sanctuary, agreea- ble to those words of the Redeemer, " Judge not ac- cording to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." To conclude. Doth man's destruction, then, come from himself alone ? Doth it consist in his separating his will and affections from God ? Is the seed of de- struction, therefore, contained in every perverted love, in every false desire, in every wrong inclination of the heart, which doth not originate in God, and tend to- wards God ? What consideration can so forcibly press upon us the great necessity of attending continually to the hidden tendencies and workings of our own minds ? The very idea, that it is possible for us to destroy our- selves, is of so awful and alarming a nature, that none but the most thoughtless and abandoned can surely be unaffected by it. And if self-destruction consists in liv- ing separate from God in heart and thought, what wise man will not be at the pains at least to ask himself, whether he be living or not in such a state of separa- tion ? If there be destruction, again, in attachments to perishable objects, in perverted and misplaced af- fections, in ways of life that are not agreeable to the life and order of God, and even in (what some peo- ple, alas ! think safe and innocent) a trifling and vain

204 THE HOUSEHOLDER.

conversation, an indeterminate and unthinking care- lessness about the things of God ; what wise man will not then inquire diligently, whether he is at any time wandering from God in such attachments, such affec- tions, and such ways of life ? In short, if all destruc- tion be nothing else but the disorder of our minds and lives, whilst we depart from God ; and if all salvation be nothing else but a restoration of heavenly order in cur minds, whilst we return to God, and abide in him ; what thinking person will not then be led in all ear- nestness to guard against every possible disorder of mind and life, and to cherish and cultivate every prin- ciple of heaven and of order ? Who will not then pray continually, with the holy man of old, " Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and r«new a right spirit within me ?" AMEN.

THE

MARKS AND CHARACTERS

OF

A TRUE FAITH.

IN SIX SERMONS,

SERMON XXL

St. Mark, xvi. 17, 18.

And these Signs shall follow them that believe / in my name shall they cast out Devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

IT was sound and sober advice of the Apostle to his Corinthian brethren, " Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves."* Every sincere Christian, who is in real earnest about his salvation, will find himself frequently led to follow

*2Cor. xii.5. T

206 ON TRUE FAITH.

this advice. He will consider well whether he be a true believer, or not; he will know and perceive that there is the greatest danger of being mistaken in this matter; he will search out therefore all the marks, signs, and characters of a real faith ; he will- examine himself attentively by these marks, signs, and charac- ters ; thus he will endeavour to prove himself, whether he be a real, or only pretended disciple of Jesus Christ; for he will be taught, that at this day there are Christians so called of both these descriptions ; and that it is no easy matter to distinguish between the one and the other: being impelled, however, with the most ardent desire to avoid all delusion in a matter of such infinite importance, and to be found in the number of Jthe faithful and true servants of God, he will never rest till he hath separated between the true and the false, the real and the pretended, the sincere and the hypocritical, and thus come to a foundation of solid comfort in his own mind, by being established in a true gospel faith.

I trust, beloved, that in the number of those to whom I am now addressing myself, there are many who have been led to the above serious examination, and this from an earnest concern about their eternal peace. It is for the sake of such, that I have now chosen the words of my text, for the subject of our consideration, inasmuch as they contain a declaration, from the mouth of truth itself, of the indisputable marks, signs, ami characters of a true faith. Every one, therefore, hath here a sure and certain standard whereby to ex-

ON TRUE FAITH. 207

jtmme himself; and every one, who will examine him- self sincerely, may discover of a certainty whether he be a believer or not; whether he hath real faith, or hath only the name and appearance thereof.

H These signs shall fullow them that believe ; in my name shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall uot hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

But methinks I hear the carnal mind object — What ! Is this the only mark and sign of true faith, to do all these miracles? Is it not possible to be a believer without working such wondrous works ? The Apos- tles and first Christians had indeed this power, in and through the name of Jesus Christ, but was this power intended to be given unto Christians in all ages.9 Shall we at this day think of " casting out devils, of speaking with new tongues, of taking up serpents, of not being hurt by drinking deadly things, of restoring the sick to health and life?" Surely these signs of a true faith are not now to be looked for; they were intend- ed only for the infant church of Christ ; we have no- thing to do with them, and our faith may still be true and saving, though it is not distinguished by any of the above characters.

I am well aware that such objections have been rai-ed, and are still raise!, against the signs of a true faith, pointed out in my text, as applied to Christians in later ages, and therefore before we proceed to con-

203 ON TRUE FAITH.

aider the nature of those signs, it may be expedient to say somewhat in answer to the above objections.

And first. Every serious considerate person will find a full and satisfactory answer to the above objec- tions, in the decisive and peremptory manner in which our Lord expresses himself on the occasion. «* These signs (says he) shall follow them that be- lieve." Observe; in these words of our Lord there is no limitation of time or persons ; he does not say, these signs shall follow my first disciples, those that first believe in my name; he does not say they shall be confined to the Apostles, or to the early ages of Christianity; but he says in general, " These signs shall follow them that believe;" by which is certainly implied, them that believe in all ages, in all times and places ; for surely, if he had not meant this, he would have said so; he would have fixed a time when these signs should have ceased; he would have declared ex- pressly, These signs shall follow the faith of such and such persons, during such and such a time, but then my followers are no longer to look for, or to expect them ; then these signs shall cease. Our Lord, how- ever, has fixed no such time ; he has not confined these signs of a true belief to any particular set of persons, and therefore we must be forced to conclude, that he intended them to remain as everlasting signs and tests of faith, unto the remotest ages of his church.

But secondly — In the above objections it is urged, if these are to be considered as the signs ot a true !aitn.»

ON TRUE FAITH. 209

then every believer in Jesus Christ must be endued with the power of working miracles, and this surely the Lord could never intend to be any mark or charac- ter of a true faith.

To this I answer — If our faith be not a faith capable of working miracles, it is then no faith at all ; it hath nothing at all divine in it ; it is merely human, from ourselves, and not from God. Hereby therefore we m -y know and try our faith of what sort it is, whether it be from above or from beneath, from heaven or from ourselves. If it be from beneath, or from ourselves, it will have no miraculous virtue in it ; but if it be from above, or, from heaven, that is, from the Lord of hea- ven ; if it be a faith in and from the name of Jesus Christ, it will then assuredly be a miracle -working faith ; it will do many wonderful works, and this as sure as there is truth in these words of the Lord, " He that believetii on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father."*

But it will be asked, what are these miracles ? what are these greater works, which must be the fruits of a true faith in and from the Lord Jesus Christ ?

The question is of unspeakable importance to every Christian. The answer to it is short, but if well at- tended to, will be found most edifying.

Miracles and wondrous works are considered in general only in relation to what is bodily or materia^

* John xiv. 12.

T 2

(21Q ON TRUE FAITH.

and through a superficial attention, or rather indo- lent inattention to the true sense and meaning of what is miraculous, we are accustomed never to pronounce any thing a miracle, but when we observe some extraordinary change wrought in the bodies of men, or in the world of matter.

Thus we should think it a great miracle to see a blind man made to see, a lame man to walk, a deaf man to hear, a dumb man to speak, a dead man to live ; or to see a mountain raised from its foundation and cast into the sea, or to see the sea itself divided •' and the waters thereof standing on an heap," as was the case when the Israelites went through the Red Sea on dry ground.

These, I say, we call great miracles and wondrous works ; and indeed so they are, and bear indisputable testimony to a divine supernatural power, without which they never could be wrought.

Let it, however, be well remembered, without any disparagement to these miracles wrought upon Ihe 60- dies of men, and upon the outward material world, that there are also miracles, or wondrous works of an- other sort, viz. such as are wrought upon the spirits of men, and take place in what may be called man's spi- ritual world.

As for example — if it be a great miracle that a man blind as to his bodily sight is made to see, it is surely a miracle equally great, that a man blind as to his spiritual sight is made to see ; the same is true of the lame, the deaf, the dumb, the dead j the miracle

ON TRUE FAITH. 21 I

13 equally great, whether performed upon those who fall under this description as to their spirits, or as to their bodies. So in respect to removing mountains^ and dividing the waters of the deep ; it is fuii as great a miracle and as wondrous a work, and as sure a proof of Omnipotence, to remove in man's heart the mountains^ of pride, of vanity, of. self-Jove, and the love of the world ; and to divide in him the waters of spiritual trouble, affliction, and temptation :| These 1 say are tuli as great and signal miracles as when done in a natural way, and are as sure indisputable feigi.s of the power of God, without which it is not possible ihey should be effected.

From this view then of the real and true nature of miracles, it will appear piain to every considerate person, that all true faith, as being a divine gift, and attended therefore with a divine power, must needs be emlued with a miracle -working virtue, and that, if it had not such a virtue in it, it could not be any blessing, or convey xny real good unto the soul of man, inas- much as nothing can be a blessing, or convey goo.- to man, but what helps him to a change of nature, giving him new eyes, new ears, a new tongue, new feel, a new life, which cannot possibiy be effected but by a supernatural and consequently miracle-working power from above.

* See Isaiah ii. 14. xli. 15. xlii 15. Jerem. xiii 16. Ezek vi 2, 3, zxxviii.8. 20, Micah i 4, vi. I, 2. Hab. iii. 6, lii, and many others.

t See Isaiah xliii. 2. Lam. iii. 54, Psalm lxix.2. exxiv. 4, o, and •ther places.

212 ON TRUE FAITH*

Let it therefore no longer be imagined, that Chris- tians at this day are not to look for a miraculous pow- er as the sign and test of a true faith, for if we have not this sign and test, we cannot have a surer proof that our faith is not true ; if we have never yet " cast out devils ;" if we have never yet " spoke with new tongues ;" if we have never yet escaped " hurt from drinking deadly things;" if we have never yet " laid hands on the sick, and they have recovered :" If, I say, we have never yet experienced the power of faith in and from the Lord Jesus Christ, in working these miracles in our own hearts and lives, (which are the real and most substantial miracles, and what our Lord calls greater works than what he himself did) we have then every reason in the world to be convinced that we are lacking in the true signs and characters of a Gospel faith.

I am well aware, that this idea of faith and its ope- rations will be charged by some as tending to eiuhu- siasm and fanaticism, and will be deemed a wild de- parture from the soberness of Gospel wisdom. This charge is to be expected from all those who have been accustomed to regard faith as a mere act of the un- derstanding only, assenting to some particular system of doctrines and opinions, not as a divine power ope- rating from the Fountain of heavenly life and love* and tending to "form that life, and bring forth the blessed fruits of that love, in all who receive it and live accordingly.

ON TRUE FAITH. 213

But a like charge may, with equal reason, be urged against a belief in any of the great doctrines of the Gospel ; as in the doctrine of the purification, renew- al, and regeneration of the human soul ; in the doc- trine of the resurrection ; in the doctrine of the opera- tion of divine grace on the minds of men ; all which imply a divine and heavenly-working power, and at the same time some marvellous and miraculous change, wrought thereby on the human spirit.

Let us not, then, be deterred by names, from ac- knowledging and holding fast by the realities of Gos- pel truth.

It may be deemed enthusiasm by some, to believe our Bibies, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is our God and Saviour ; but shall we, on that account, reject two such important articles of our faith ? In like man- ner, it may be deemed enthusiasm and fanaticism to call faith a supernatural power, and to expect from it supernatural effects ; but shall wc, on this account, de- grade our faith and its operations into what is merely natural and human ? Sound and sober reason surely requires, that we should rather labour to form 10 our- selves just notions of the extraordinary and divine ex- cellence of this ** gift of God"* to us ; remembering well, that we are exposed to far greater mischiefs by lessening the high value thereof, than by over-rating it ; and that it may tend alike to enthusiasm and fa- naticism, to believe too little, as to believe (if such a thing can be J loo much.

* Ephes. ii. JT.

214 ON TRUE FAlTtf*

A faith merely natural and speculative', composed of opinions and forms of words, and consisting merely in an assent of the understanding to some particular code of doctrinal tenets, but void of heavenly life and heavenly power, hath too long prevailed in the church, to the lamentable extirpation of all solid wis- dom, piety, and good lite. Many suffer infinite hurt hy such a faith as this, and are betrayed by it into the most dangerous spirit of disorder, enthusiasm, and fanaticism, without suspecting its mischiefs. For en- thusiasm, fanaticism, and every other disorder of the mind, it is well to be noted, take their rise either from some mistaken ideas of the nature of God, or from a defect of obedience to the commandments of God. They are the natural offspring either of a blind understanding or of a corrupt heart, or of both united. They can therefore only be remedied and removed by a right faith, and a conformity of life thereto.

Would we then avoid such enthusiasm, fanaticism, and every other disorder of heart and understanding, and attain to a true sobriety and purity of Gospel vvis- dom, let us pon-ier well the heaven.y nature and ope- rations of a right Gospel faith ; let us be careful to acquire just ideas of its intrinsic and divine excel- lence; let us set no limits to its marvellous and viira- cu'qus power ?,m\ efficacy, because no such limits are warranted in holy Scripture, which declares " ail things possible to him that beiievelh.',* * Mark is. 23.

•N TRUE FAITH. 215

For this haopy purpose, let us now proceed to con- sider the genuine signs, marks, and characters, of an evangelical faith, as the Lord himself hath declared them unto us ; first praying most earnestly, and in all humility and contrition of heart, according to the spi- rit of that prevailing prayer of old, " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief !"* and also of that of the apostles, " Lord, increase our faith. "t AMEN.

* Mark ix. 24. t Luke xvii. 5,

ON TRUE FAITH.

SERMON XXII.

St. Mark, xvi. 17, 18.

These Signs shall follow them that believe ; in my name shall they cast out Devils ; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

HAVING shewn in the preceding discourse on these words, that they were not intended to be confined to the early times of the Gospel, but are to be considered as an infallible mark and test of true faith amongst Christians in all ages and places, without exception, I shall now proceed to explain the nature of each parti- cular sign here mentioned by our blessed Lord as cha- racteristic of the true believer.

And first. " In my name shall they cast out devils." I am well aware that many at this day, who call themselves Christians, will think it strange to hear of U

218 ON TRUE FAITH.

this sign of a true faith, and will be greatly surprised when they are told, that they cannot be real believers, unless in " the name of Jesus Christ they cast out devils."

This surprise and strangeness however can only be ©wing, either to their not having considered, or not having believed, the doctrine of the Word of God re- specting devils ; for when once this doctrine is rightly received and understood, it will then appear most plain and true, that every true believer in Jesus Christ must needs in his name cast out devils.

Before then we proceed to a farther explanation of the sign before us, it may be expedient to consider what the holy Scriptures teach us on this subject con- cern'ng devils.

Now we Jearn from the oracles of truth, that devils are wicked and lying spirits, who have their abodes in the kingdom of hell and darkness, where they live for ever separate from God in unutterable misery.

We learn further from the same source of truth, that these devils, or wicked spirits, are near unto man ; that they have power to tempt and assault. him ; that they h;«ve their abode and delight in all man's evil af- fections ; that therefore they dwell and unite them- selves with all who live in evil ! and that it is their great- est sa#sfaction*.(if we may call it a satisfaction) tode- stroy the souls of men by leading them into sin, arid turning their hearts and understandings from God and heav< n.

Thus oiir Lord, in the parable of the tares of the

as sowing tares amongst the.

wlaeiit • 'fc tne entity (saith he) that sowed them is the

ON TRUE FAITH* 219

devil*;" by tares are here signified all wicked and false suggestions in the hearts of men ; by wheat, all good, and holy influences of love and truth from Jesus Christ.

Again, in another place, he represents the devil as de- priving man of the Word of divine truth whereby he should be saved — " then cometh the devil (saith he) and taketh the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. "t The word here is ihe holy truth of God, which the devil bpposefh in man, be- cause it is opposite to, and destructive of him, and his kingdom.

To the same purpose St. Peter represents the devil " walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour ;"| and St. Paul styles him " the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience ;"§ and accordingly St. John saith, that " whosoever committeth sin is of the devil ;"|| and hence come various exhortations and ad- monitions, as where it is said, " Neither give place to the devil •*'** and by another apostle, " resist the devil and he will flee from you. "It

Agreeable to this testimony of holy scripture, our church teaches us to pray, that we may be delivered

* Mat- xiii. f Luke, viii. 12. | 1 Pet. v. 8. $ Eplies. ii. 2. || 1 John, iii. 8. ** Ephea iv. 27. ft Jaiues, ir. 7.

2Si ON TRUE FAITH.

lc from the craft and assaults of the devil ;" and in the office of baptism, when the child is signed with the sign of the cross, it is added, " In token that hereaf- ter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his ban- ner against sin, the world, and the devil."

From all this weight of evidence then we are plain- ly taught, not only who and what devils are, but also that there is a nearer communication between them and our hearts, than many of us are apt to imagine, in- asmuch as from the above scriptures it is most evident, that they have power to assault us with their evil in- fluences and false delusive persuasions ; they have power also to destroy us, if we do not watch against and resist them ; they have power finally to make us their children, by leading us to forget God, and to de- light in evil as they themselves do.

This is a subject, alas ! which in general is little considered by many, who still profess to believe in the holy scriptures, and who join in the daily prayers of the church against the craft and assaults of the devil.

The case is, there is a mighty difference between re- ceiving a doctrine, and giving a blind assent to it, on the testimony of others, and being convinced of it by a testimony in our own hearts, arising from a real and thorough persuasion of its truth, as we come to live by the practice of it.

Let me then, beloved, earnestly recommend to you, as a matter of the utmost importance to your eternal peace, no longer to receive this doctrine concerning devils, merely on the testimony of others, but to come

ON TRUE FAITH. 221

into a practical belief and conviction of it in your own hearts and lives. For this purpose let me coun- sel you to believe and consider well, that wherever evil is, there also the devil is, there also hell is ; for whether we speak of evil, of hell, or the devil, it is the same thing, inasmuch as it is not possible they should ever be separated or put asunder. There can- not therefore be mentioned a single bad passion, lust, or affection of man's heart, but what is influenced by, and in connexion with, the devil, or the spirits of dark- ness. Are we proud ? are we covetous ? are we wrathful ? are we sensual ? are we impatient ? do we hate and despise our neighbours ? do we love our- selves better than others ? do we love this world and the flesh better than God and his righteousness ? are we envious, malicious, liars, adulterers, blasphemers, or the slaves of any other unchristian affection ? We cannot have a surer proof, whilst we delight in such things, that our hearts are one with our great adversa- ry, and that he dwelleth in us, and ruleth us by the spirit of his abominations.

From this scripture account then of the nature of devils, and of their near communication with man, it will appear plain to every considerate person, how this sign followeth all the believers in Jesus Christ, " in my name they shall cast out devils."

For it is an essential character of true Gospel faith, that it wurketh by love ;* and love, we are assured by eur Lord,, consisteth in keeping the commandments it

* Gal it. v. 6.

f John xiv. 21. 23.

U 2

222 ON TRUE FAITH.

and the great law of the commandments is, to depart from evil ;* and to depart from evil, is to depart from, to renounce, and to cast out devils, inasmuch as we have just now shewn, evil and the devil are one, and therefore if evil be cast out, by renouncing and depart- ing from it, the devil must needs be cast out at the same time.

There is indeed what is by some called faith, (bu* it is to be much lamented that it is so called) which is not attended with this power of renouncing, rejecting, and casting out of evil, that is, the devil ; thus some say they have faith, and that they believe in Jesus Christ, who yet live in much sin and evil, never ex- amining themselves concerning it, much less making opposition to it. It is greatly to be feared, there are many who call themselves Christians, who yet rest content with such a fruitless and dead faith as this ; who will name the holy name of Jesus Christ with iheir lips, and yet in their hearts and lives deny him, being lovers of themselves and of the world, despisers of others, living in divers vanities and false pleasures, the slaves of evil affections, being proud, covetous, wrathful, sensual, impatient, unmerciful, and the like; giving hereby a melancholy proof, that they were ne- ver yet truly converted unto the living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in their hearts, and that they therefore want the sign of a true faith as delivered by Jesus Christ, " In my name shall they cast out devils."

But, beloved, permit me to warn you most earnesf-

* Jeb xxyjiL 28. Peal* xxxiv. 13, 1*

ON TRUE FAITH. 223

\y against the folly, unprofitableness, and dangerous tendencies of such a faith as this. For this purpose consider well, and digest thoroughly in your hearts, this essential sign and character of a true and saving faith, " In ray name they shall cast out devils. " Learn to reduce this into practice : believe and be persua- ded that devils, or evil spirits, dwell in every evil, law- less, and unsanctified affection and lust : make it ha- bitual to you to examine yourselves, and search out in your hearts such lusts and affections ; consider every desire and thought of your minds, whether it be ac- cording to the love of God and your neighbour, or contrary thereto ; if it be contrary thereto, then as- sure yourselves it is from the devil, and that the spi- rits of darkness are therein : here then begin with set- ting up the standard of a divine faith ; here enlist- yourselves under the banner of Jesus Christ ; here take unto you the whole armour of God ; here approve yourselves faithful soldiers by fighting the good fight of faith ; for by this will it be clearly seen whether your faith is of God and a true faith, or whether it is of yourselves only, that is, no faith at all.

If it be of yourselves only, it will leave you the slaves and servants of sin and concupiscence, and you will attain to no dominion over evil, because you will make no resistance thereto ; but if it be of God, that is, of Jesus Christ, you will be enabled, through this high and holy name, to overcome all evil ; you will gain the victory over every selfish, sensual, worldly, and sinful affection, that is contrary to the pure love

224 ON TRUE FAITH*

of the Lord and of your neighbour ; by charity you will conquer and cast out all malice and haired, by humility you will cast out pride, by contentedness you will cast out covetousness, by meekness wrath, by mercy unmercifuiness, by the love of God the love of yourselves and of this world; you will thus sit with Jesus Christ on his throne ; you will have power and dominion from him over all your enemies ; you will in short cast out devils, and be convinced thereby to your everlasting comfort, that you are true followers of the lamb; thus through the omnipotent power of him who loveth you, ye will be enabled sooner or la- ter to join in this song of the ever blessed, " Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."*

And may the most merciful Lord, the great Creator, Redeemer, and Lover of the souls of men, give us all grace to examine well our hearts and lives concerning tin. si ■■■> of a true faith, that so we may make no mis- takes in a matter of such importance to us.

* Rev. xii. 10

ON TRUE FAITR

SERMON XXIII.

St. Mark xvi. 17, 18.

These Signs shall follow them that believe : in rny name they shall cast out Devils / they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

HAVING already shewn, in the two preceding dis- courses, how the signs of a true faith, here mentioned by our Lord, were intended to be applied to all Chris- tians alike in all ages, and what is to be understood by the first sign, viz. casting out devils ; I shall now pro- ceed to a consideration of the second sign, as signified in these words, " In my name they shall speak, with new tongues."

I am well aware that this sign, like the foregoing, is considered by the generality of Christians at this day, as belonging only to the apostles, and first teachers of Christianity, who alone, as- it is cojumorjly supposed^

226 ON TRUE FAITH.

could cast out devils, and speak with new tongues ; but that this sign was intended as a distinguishing charac- ter of true faith amongst Christians of all ages, and therefore ought to be expected and looked for by all the followers of Jesus Christ, as a sure proof and test of their being his followers, will appear plainly from these two considerations*

First, What is here io be understood by a new tongue; and

Secondly, How and why a true faith in Jesus Christ fiiiist of necessity lead every believer to speak with a new tongue.

First, then, let us inquire what is here to be under- stood by a new fongue ; and may the blessed Spirit of Him who si nified to us this sign of a true faith, di- rect al! our hearts and minds in this inquiry !

We find frequent mention made in holy Scripture, of . new heart, which man is said to receive by re- generation.

Few consider aright what is meant by this new heart, ami yet there is nothing else wanting to make us see clearly what is meant by a new tongue.

For, as the heart of man becomes new, only by re- ceiving and being formed by a new spirit, which is the spirit of love and charity from God, even so the tongue of man becomes new, by speaking from and according to a new spirit.

Every man's tOnstie, ive weH know, speaks from sonjp inward spirit or principle, or other, in his heart, according to those words of the Lord, " Out of the

ON TRUE FAITH. 227

abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh."*' If this spirit, or principle, then be that of the old or un- regenerate man ; if it be only according to this world and the flesh ; if it hath never been brought into sub- jection to the Holy Spirit of God; the tongue in this case must needs be unrenewed, and may properly be called an old tongue, just as an unrenewed man is call- ed an old man : but if the spirit or principle, from which the tongue speaks, be that of the new and re- generate man ; if it be under the influence of love and charity, righteousness and truth from God ; the tongue in this case must needs be a renewed tongue, and may properly be called a new tongue, just as a renewed heart is called a new heart.

Here, then, every enlightened eye will be enabled to see clearly what is meant by a new tongue. A new tongue is that which speaks from a new heart, and ac- cording to the spirit of a new heart. A new tongue, therefore, is that which speaks from God, and under the influence of a divine spirit from God, because a new heart is from God, and under the influence of his spirit : a new tongue again always speaks the truth, and nothing but the truth, because God is truth, and speak- ing from God, it must of necessity speak the truth: a new tongue again speaks no evil, because evil is contra- ry to God, and therefore the tongue which speaks from God, cannot possibly speak evil ; a new tongue again always speaks with a view to edification, because

* Mark xii. 34.

223 <*ST TR¥E FAITH.

speaking from a heart devoted to God and seeking his glory, it must ever be influenced by some good end and design in whatever it speaks : finally, a new tongue ever speaks the language of love and charity, of sound wisdom and discretion ; "No corrupt communication proceedeth from it, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hear- ers ;" it is ever obedient to the spirit of God in the keart ; it never speaks but from and according to the dictates of that spirit ; the tongue of the old man, we know, speaks according to and from the spirit of the old man, which is his own spirit, and not the Spirit of God ; but the tongue of the new man, which is the new tongue, speaks from and according to the spirit of the new man, which is the spirit of love and wisdom from God ; and therefore all its speech and language and words and discourse are new, partaking of a new spirit and a new qu-^ily from God. Let it not however here be understood as if the new tongue was always speaking about God and holy things ; for if occasion requires, it can speak about the things of this world, as well as the tongue of the old man ; but then herein is an essential difference between the old tongue and the new tongue ; the old tongue speaks about the things of this world from a worldly spirit, which is the love of this world ; where- as the new tongue, when it speaks about worldly things, speaks not in and from a worldly spirit, but from a re- newed spirit, even that spirit which overcmeih the

ON TRUEFAITH. 229

Having thus then considered what we are to under- stand by a new tongue, I shall now proceed to shew, secondly, how and why a true faith in Jesus Christ must of necessity lead every true believer to speak with a new tongue.

It has been already shewn, in a former discourse, how a true faith operates to casting out devils, that is, to the removing from the heart and life of man all those evils which are contrary to love and charity, by lead- ing men to renounce and reject such evils.

A true faith then must of consequence lead every sincere believer to speak with a new tongue, inasmucjh as whoever sincerely renounces evil in his heart, be- cause it is contrary to God and his neighbour, he re- ceiveth a new heart, from God : and who oever hath a new heart, as we have just now seen, he must of ne- cessity speak with a new tongue.

Let me entreat, beloved, with ajl possible earnest- ness, your most serious attention to this consideration.

The slightest knowledge of the gospel may serve to convince you, that you cannot be true believers un- less you are renewed in the spirit of your hearts; and that you cannot be renewed in the spirit of your hearts, only so far as you search out and examine those evils m your hearts, which are contrary to the love of God and of your neighbour, and having discovered them, are sincere in renouncing them.

In such case, the Lord will create in you a new heart, and a new tongue will then follow of course ; you will speak a new speech, a new language, new words, X

23© ON TRUE FAITH.

and new discourse ; because you will ever^peak from a new heart, that is, from a new spirit in your heart.

Behold here and adore the gracious designs of Je- sus Christ and his gospel towards man !

Man's tongue, as well as his heart, is, in his fallen ©r natural state, exceedingly corrupt, inasmuch as it partakes of the corruptions of his heart : in the lan- guage of the Apostle, it is set on fire of hell ;* it is the servant of sin, of vanity, and concupiscence ; it is thus at enmity with Ood and his righteousness, and it is frequently the unhappy cause of separating man further from heaven : but no sooner does the spirit of Jesus Christ and his gospel enter the heart of the true believer, than it exerts its blessed influence immedia- tely on the tongue also ; as it creates in man a new heart, so it helps him to speak a new language ; all his words are then words of love, of charity, of peace and righteousness ; his tongue is no longer set on fire of hell, but it is under the influence of the holy Spirit of God ; ] thus the enmity between God and the tongue is de- stroyed, and man with his mouth glorifies God, edifies his neighbour, and advances his own salvation.

Speech, language, or discourse, was intended as one of the noblest privileges of our natures ; as that which distinguishes us in a particular manner from the brutes ; it was designed to be a source of most delight- ful satisfactions ; we are hereby enabled to communis

* St. James iii. $.

ON TRUE FAITH* 23 1

cafe our thoughts one to another for mutual entertain- ment and edification.

But let it well be remembered, that this privilege of our natures, so distinguishing and so important, may become a curse to us, as well as a blessing, if we are not careful to use it aright,

Our Lord hath intimated this to us in these most an r- iul words, " By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."* Oh ! terri- ble declaration to all those who are careless about their words, from what ground and from what spirit they proceed ! But oh! blessed and comfortable declaration to all those who are careful to examine well the spring and fountain of their speech, that so it may be brought under obedience to the Spirit of Jesus !

" By thy words thou shalt be justified." It is the blessed privilege of the true believer, that he can thus speak words which justify, inasmuch as putting away all evil from his heart and life, he speaketh with a new tongue from a new heart, that is, from God ; all his words therefore are words which justify him, that is, which tend to purify and make him more righteous in the sight of God ; inasmuch as they come from God, and they lead him to God ; they speak the glory of God ; they are edifying to others ; they are a source of infinite delight to himself; for having respect to God and the good of his neighbour in them, he finds in all his words an unction of heavenly peace and comfort to his own mind.

* Matt. xii. ft.

232 ON TRUE TAITH.

But it is otherwise with those who do not well ex- amine and consider from what source or fountain their words proceed ; of such it is awfully true, " By thy words thou shalt be condemned," inasmuch as speak- ing only from themselves and their own spirit, all their words, even though they be good and holy words, partake of the evil unregenerate spirit of their hearts, and thus separate them further from the purity and peace of the holy Spirit of God.

To conclude. — It is written in the Prophet, " In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan ;"* and in another place, " Then wiil I turn to the people a pure language."! From these, and many other similar passagesof scripture, we learn, that it is the great and blessed intent of God and religion to man, to enable him to speak a new language, or, as it is here called, the language of Canaan, and a pure language ; or, as it is expressed in my text, " To speak with a new tongue."

This blessed end of the dispensations of God to man, was represented and confirmed by that memora- ble sign of cloven Jiery tongues which appeared to and sat upon the Apostles at the day of Pentecost, whereby was signified, that under the administration and going forth of the power and spirit of the manifested Jeho- vah in the person of Jesus Christ, operating in the hearts of men, the tongue or language of man should partake of its divine efficacy, and should be a tongue

* Isniah *ix. 18. j Zeph. iii. 9.

ON TRUE FAITH. 233

»r language animated with the fire of heaven, that is, with an heavenly love and charity.

Oh ! then that we were all diligent to fulfil this de- sign of God and his holy religion to us, that so we might become partakers of all its blessedness ! Oh ! that for this purpose we did but seriously consider, wheth- er we have this sign of a true faith ; and as seriously lay to heart that we cannot possibly be true believers only so far as we have this sign, and begin thereby to speak, with new tongues, the language of Canaan, the pure language !

This new tongue, this language of Canaan, tlrispure language, we have already shewn, is from God,. that is, from the grace and Spirit of God in the new heart of the sincere Christian. Do we wish then to speak with thhnew tongue the language of Canaan, the pure language ? do we wish to know this sign of a true faith ? do we wish thus to be justified and not condemn- ed by our words ? do we wish that all our words and discourse may be of God, and lead us to God? let us then follow this plain Gospel rule, and we cannot pos- sibly any of us fail of this infinite blessedness ; let us search out and put away from our hearts and lives that spirit of selfish and worldly Love, which is oppo- site to the love of Jesus Christ and our neighbour; let us shun all sin as contrary to God and his command- ments ; let us believe in and apply to Je«us Christ as our God, and Redeemer, and Regenerator : let us form our iives by his Spirit : we shall then soon find our tongues, our speech, and language iniluenced thereby ; X 2

234 ON TRUE FAITH,

for having our hearts ever turned from ourselves to Je- sus Christ, we shall soon find Jesus Christ and his love in our hearts ; our hearts will thus become new, and ruled by a new spirit ; and in proportion as our hearts are thus renewed, we shall attain to the infinite bles- sedness of speaking with new tongues the language of Canaan, and a pure language..

ON TRUE FAITH

SERMON XXIVe

St. Mark xvi. 17, 18.

These Signs shall follow them that believe : in my name shall they cast out Devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing f it shall not hurt them : • they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

HAVING already considered the two first signs of a true faith here spoken of, viz. the casting out devils, •and the speaking with new tongues, I shall now pro- ceed, as I proposed, to a consideration of the third sign, viz. the taking up of serpents, and shew how this •sign ever follows the true believer in the name of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The nature and meaning of this sign cannot be known, unless it be understood, first, what is here meant by serpents ; and, secondly, what is meant by taking up serpents.

236 ON TRUE FAITH.

These two inquiries, then, shall be the subject of my present discourse ; and may the God of mercy, who giveth understanding, and who openeth the eyes of man to see the wondrous things of his law, open the eyes of all amongst us, that we may be enabled to dis- cern herein that light of eternal life and truth, which may be profitable to our salvation !

Every serious and attentive reader of the holy Scrip- ture must needs have observed, that the various princi- ples, parts, and powers, which enter into the constitu- tion of man, are in those holy records not only com- pared to various animals here on earth, but are also called by the names of such animals.

Thus our Lord himself is frequently called a Lamb, and the Lamb of God* to denote his holy innocence : he is also called in other places a Lionj to denote his great power and might. And thus all his true follow- ers are called sheep, and also latnbs,^ to denote their purity, goodness, and innocence, which they receive from the Lord.

On the other hand, the devil, we find, who is of a nature opposite to the Lord and to innocence, is called a bear and a wolf,§ by reason of his continual desire

* See Isaiah xvi. 1 ; liii. 7. Jer xi 19. John i. 29 ; and the Revelations throughout.

f See Gen. xlix. 9, 10 Hosea v. 14 ; xiii. ?, 8. Rev. v. 5; a. 3.

{ See Isaiah liii 6. Psalm lxxix. 13 ; c. 3. John x. through- out ; chap, xxi 15, 16, 17.

§ See Lam. hi. 10. Isaiah ii. 7. Amos v. 9. Jer. v. 0. John x. 12.

ON TRUE FAITH. 237

(o destroy what is good : 'at other times, he is de- scribed by the names of poisonous and subtle ani- mals, and is called a serjient, a dragon, an adder, and the like,* to denote his poisonous artifice and cun- ning subtlety, whereby he deceives and destroys men's souls.

In like manner, all wicked men, who may be called devils in human forms, are named by similar names with the devil himself. Thus John the Baptist, and also the Lord, call the Sadducees and Pharisees a ge- neration of vipers ;] and thus, when our Lord speaks of Uerod, who sought to kill him, he calls him a fox : " Go ye," saith he to the Pharisees, " and tell that fox, Behold 1 cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. "J Thus, also, the carnal and sensual are frequently named dogs : " Many dogs" saith the Psalmist, " are dome about me ;"§ speaking of his temptations and as- saults from the wicked. " Beware of dogs, "j| saith the Apostle ; speaking of the sensual a"nd carnal-mind- ed, who opposed the purity of his doctrine. And in the Revelations, where mention is made of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, it is written, " Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and murderers^

* See Gen. iii. 1. 13. Psalm xci. 13 ; cxl.2. Isaiah xxvii, fr Rev xii. 3, 4. 7. 9. 13 ; and many places. f Matt. iii. 7 ; xii. 31. Luke iii. 7. | Lake xiii. 32. \ Psalm xx ii. 16. || Philip, iii. 2.

238 Off TRUE FAITH.

and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketk a lie ;"* where dogs denote those who immerse their af- fections in the delights of sense, or of the carnal nature.

Numberless other examples might here be adduced, would the time permit, of this method of speaking used in the holy Scriptures, or Word of God, whereby the spiritual principles, parts, and powers^ which en- ter into the constitution of man, are not only compared to, but are also called by the names of such animals, as in their natures correspond to such principles, parts, and powers Those, however, which have been al- ready mentioned, will, I trust, be sufficient for our pre- sent purpose.

From this method of speaking, then, so familiar and common in the ho'y Scriptures, every enlightened eye wiii be enabled clearly to discern what we are to un- derstand by serpents in the words of my text. The seruent, we ail know, is an animal of a very subtle and cunning nature ; in many cases poisonous ; which is not elevated above the earth !ike other animals, but creeps or crawls on the ground, and hides itself in holes and clefts of the earth, from whence it frequently darts forth to the terror and destruction of man and other creatures.

Hence this animal most fitly denotes the sensual man, or the sensual part and principle in the life of man. For this sensual part or principle, we all know by experience, is of a very cunning and subtle nature,

* Rev., xxii. 15.

ON TRUE FAITH. 23$

deluding and deceiving man by appearances and false persuasions, as it is written of the serpent which tempt- ed and deceived Eve, that " he was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord had made ;"* it is also in many cases poisonous, infecting and destroy- ing the spiritual or heavenly life in man ; it creeps likewise on the ground, is in close connexion with earthly and worldly things, delighting itself with them, immersing itself in them, and thence causing much ter- ror, and often bringing destruction to man's superior parts and principles, that is, to the inner man : thus its operations are still the same that they were in old time, in the days of our first parents, who were sedu- ced hereby, and lost paradise ; it is ever tempting us to eat of the forbidden fruit, to forget God and his kingdom, to love this world only, and the things there- of, whereby it causeth in many of us also the loss of paradise.

But this signification of the word serpent will more plainly appear, if we proceed to consider, secondly, what is meant by taking up serpents.

From this expression, " They shall take up ser- pents" it must be very evident to every considerate •and attentive mind, that our Lord, by serpents, could never mean real natural serpents, such as we see in this natural world ; for according to such meaning, what could be the signification of taking up serpents? How could this be any sign of true faith ? What end "ould it possibly answer for any one to have this

*Qen. Hi. 1.

340 ©N TRUE FAITH.

sign ? How few also would have it in their power t© give this testimony of their faith ? Besides, had the Lord here meant real serpents, he would surely rather have spoken of treading them down, or of escaping hurt from them, than of taking them up.

It must then needs be, that our Lord by serpents here meant to denote some part or principle in the life and constitution of man ; and that it is the sensual part or principle which is here denoted by serpents, will be most manifest from a right consideration of our Lord's expression in relation thereto, " They shall take up serpents."

For to take up any thing signifies to elevate, to ex- alt, to raise from a lower to a higher stale ; to take up, in this sense, as applied to real serpents, can have lit- tle or no meaning ; but when applied to what is signifi- ed by serpents, viz. the sensual part or principle in the life of man, it will then be found to have a meaning full of importance, full of holiness, worthy of God to dictate, worthy of man to receive, expressive of the real power of a divine faith, and therefore highly pro- per to be enumerated amongst the true signs and cha- racters of such a faith.

" In my name they shall take up serpents."

May I beseech your most earnest attention to the meaning of this expression, they shall fake up, as ap- plied to the sensual part or principle of the life of man, signified by serpents !

It is the great end of the Gospel not to destroy the sensual principle in man, but to save anil bless it, by

OH TRUE FAITH. 24i

eievatiug, by exalting, by raising or taking it up through the influence of the spiritual principle ; and this happy end is effected, when man submits his sen- sual part, with all its affections, to the rule and domi- nion of the spiritual part, and its affections.

We all know that man's life consists of many parts Or principles ; they may in general be divided into two ; the sensual and the spiritual ; the sensual is the lowest and outermost ; the spiritual is the higher and innermost.

These two parts may be either divided or united ; they are divided when man lives a sensual life alonet without living a spiritual life ; they are united when man lives at the same time a spiritual life, and thereby hath rule and dominion over the sensual life ; when they are divided, then the sensual life is hurtful, and brings destruction and condemnation to man, and is in this respect called a serpent, cunning and subtle, aad poisonous, and creeping on the ground ; but when they are united, that is, when spiritual lite hath rule and pre-eminence over the sensual life, then the sensual life is no longer hurtful ; its poison is taken away from it ; its cunning and subtlety are made subservient to higher wisdom ; it becomes beneficial and biessed to man ; and in this case it may be said to be taken up> that is, to be eleyated, exalted, and raised from a low- er to a higher place.

As for example — The appetite for eating and drink- ing is a sensual appetite, appertaining to the sensual life of man ; if this appetite be separated from what W Y

242 ON TRUE FAITH.

spiritual, it then becomes hurtful to man ; it renders man carnal and gluttonous ; it immerses his spirit in abominable filthy lusts ; it is thus a poisonous serpent which deceives and destroys man ; but if this appetite be placed under the rule and guidance of the spiritual principle in man ; if, according to the apostle's advice, man eats and drinks to the glory of God ; if he con- sults herein the dictates of sober reason and religion : in this case the appetite for eating and drinking is ele- vated, it is exalted, it is the serpent taken up, and thus it is no longer poisonous and prejudicial, but blessed and profitable unto man.

And what is here said of eating and drinking, may easily be applied to all the other sensual appetites, and is equally true concerning them : whensoever they are separated from what is spiritual, that is from the love and wisdom, the grace and Spirit of God ruling over them, directing, regulating, elevating, and blessing them, they are then hurtful and deadly ; they are then so many serpents, dragons, and poisonous animals, con- tinually raising up their heads, shooting forth their fa- tal stings, and infecting with their deadly venom the spiritual and heavenly principles of man's internal and everlasting life : but whensoever on the contrary they are brought under the rule and dominion of spiritual life, that is, of the love and wisdom, the grace and Spi- rit of God in man, then their former evil state is total- ly reversed ; through the power of heavenly faith and love, they are then elevated; they no longer look dewnwards towards the world and the flesh, but they

ON TRUE FAITH. ~4o

look upwards towards God and heaven ; they are in- deed still serpent*, but then they are serpents taken i/p, serpents deprived of their poison ; thus they declare and manifest in man the mighty power of Jesus Christ, and are continual signs and proofs of that power, inas- much as none but Jesus Christ, through a divine faith m him, can thus raise them up, deprive them of their poison, and make them thereby profitable and bles- sed unto man.

To conclude. We read, in the book of Exodus, this remarkable relation concerning Moses, when he was expressing his doubts to the Lord respecting his testimony being received by the children of Israel : " They will not," saith he, " believe me ; for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground : and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent ; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail : and he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand."*

Behold here a confirming testimony of what hath been just now observed in relation to the power of a divine faith in taking up serpents ! By the rod of Moses, is here signiiied the power of such a faith. By this rod becoming a serpent when it was cast on the growid, is signified, that when the divine power in

*Exod.iv. 1 to 5.

244 ON TRUE FAITH.

man is immersed and buried in things of this world and the flesh, it becomes merely sensual. By the serpent becoming a rod again, when Moses caught it by the tail, is signified, the elevation of the sensual principle through the power of a divine faith. Thus was it to be made known unto the children of Israel, that the Lord had appeared unto Moses, and that he was to lead them out of Egypt into the good land of Canaan.

May we also, beloved, seek for, and be convinced by the same sign, respecting our Moses, the Lord Je- sus Christ, our great leader and deliverer from spiri- tual E^ypt to the heavenly Canaan ! The rod is in his hand ; a divine power over us, and in us, to elevate us to himself, to raise up all our affections from things below, and to gather us into his kingdom. If. we cast this rod to the ground ; if we bury our affections merely in the things of time and sense, it will then become a serpent; we shall be mere sensual men,. ac- cursed, and separated from the divine presence, crawl- ing on the ground, fuli of subtlety and of all deadly poison : But if we will take up this serpent; if we will suffer the sensual affections to be ruled and ele- vated by the spiritual ; the serpent will then become a rod again in our hands, even a rod of divine pow- er, by which we shall have dominion over the lower things of time and sense ; using, and yet not abusing them.

Thus shall we be convinced of the power of our God, having this infallible sign of a true faith ; and

ON TRUE FAITH. 245

by blessed experience we shall be taught thus what was meant of old by the brazen serpent, which Moses was commanded to lift up in the wilderness ;* and also what was meant by the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head ;| and further, what our Lord meant, when he said to all his true disciples, " Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents, and on scor- pions, and over all the power of the enemy ; and no* thing shall by any means hurt you.1'!

For this purpose, may we consider well, whether the serpent be taken up in us, and become a rod, or whether we want this sign of a true faith ! And may we all be led, by such consideration, to humble our- selves, with all our affections, principles, and powers, more deeply before our God, that so we may be made sensible, in a more lively and blessed manner, of the elevating and exalting power of his pure and holy love and truth in us !

* Numb. xxi. 8, 9. John iii. U, f Gen. iii. 15. \ Luke x. 14.

Y£

ON TRUE FAITH.

SERMON XXV,

St. Mark, xvi. 17, 18.

These Signs shall follow them that believe f in my name shall they cast out Devils $ they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

WE have already considered the three first of these signs, viz. " the casting out devils, the speaking with new tongues, and the taking up serpents, and shewn how these signs in all ages, and with all people, have ever followed a true faith in the name of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ ; we shall now proceed to con- sider, as was proposed, the /ourtfi. sign here pointed at fey our blessed Lord, " If they drink any deadly thing, it sh 11 not hurt them," and shew how this sign h ever fulfilled in the true believer.

24S ON TRUE FAITH*

None however can understand what is meant b^ this sign, unless it be first known what is meant here by any deadly thing, and by drinking thereof. May I therefore bespeak your serious attention, whilst I en- deavour to explain to you the real meaning of these ex- pressions ; and may I hope further that you will not fail to pray earnestly in your own minds for divine il- lumination herein, without which it will not be possi- ble for you to comprehend the depth of that heavenly wisdom and instruction which the words before us contain !

It may seem, at first hearing, and to the merely na- tural mind it will continue to seem so, as if by the deadly thing, of which the Lord here speaks, nothing else was intended to be meant, but somewhat that brings death to the body, as all sorts of poisonous sub- stances do ; and that a true faith was to prevent the fatal effect of such natural poisons.

But, beloved, permit me to intimate to you, that there are deadly things of another sort, besides those which affect the body; there are spiritual as well as natural poisons ; and the spiritual life may be infect- ed and destroyed by the one, as the natural life may be infected and destroyed by the other.

For as by the word serpent, according to what was shewn in a late discourse, is meant not only a natural serpent, in its outward natural form here on earth, but also a spiritual serpent, that is, some spiritual evil prin- ciple in man corresponding thereto; so by the deadly flwwg, here spoken of by our Lord, is meant not only

ON TRUE FAITH. 249

natural poison, or that which affects the body of man, but also spiritual poison, or that which affects the spirit of man.

But it will be asked, " What is to be understood by spiritual poison ? Every one understands well what natural poison is, by its terrible effects on the body ; but has spiritual poison the same sensible and terrible effects on the soul ? Can there be any deadly thing which can infect and destroy the spiritual life of man, as we see natural poison infects and destroys his na- tural life? If there be such a deadly thing existing, tell us, what is it, or what are we to understand by it, that so we may be on our guard against it ?"

I am well aware, that many questions of this kind will be suggested, concerning that spiritual deadly thing, or that spiritual poison, of which we are speak- ing : they will however all of them find a full and sa- tisfactory answer in our own minds, whensoever we do but rightly consider and apprehend the true nature of man's spiritual Life, what it is, and in what it con- sists.

Whilst we think of man only in respect to his bodi- ly life, we shall not be able to form an idea of any other sort of deadly thing, but what affects his bodily life ; but if we would think of man in respect to his spiritual life, that is, the eternal life of his spirit ; if we would consider and comprehend aright what this spi- ritual life is, and in what it consists, we should thea see clearly, that it is subject to death also as well as the bodi'y life, and that whatever occasions its death is a deadly thing, a spiritual poison, so much more tcr

250 ON TRUE FAITH.

rible than any natural poison, as the loss of spiritual life is more to be dreaded than the lose of bodiiy life.

We shouid then also, in some measure, be enabled to apprehend the particular nature,, qualities, and pro- perties of such spiritual poison ; we should perceive whence it originates, how it operates, and what is the. proper and only antidote against it ; we should see how all natural poisons have their birth and origin in this spiritual poison, and were intended to warn man of its fatal effects and consequences.

We should, in short, then plainly see into the full sense and meaning of this sign of a true faith as de- clared by the Lord, " if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ;" for we should see, how the impenitent, the unconverted, and unbelieving, are for evtt drink ip; deadly things, and are hurt thereby to the alter destruction of their immortal spirits ; whereas the truly penitent, converted, and believing follow- ers of Jesus Christ, in and through the power of his mighty name and heavenly Spirit guiding, governing, and preserving them, though they drink of deadly things, yet their immortal or spiritual life suffers no injury thereby.

Much might here be said, if occasion required, and if time would permit, concerning the origin, nature, malignancy, and variety of spiritual deadly ihings, or poisons} much more, possibly, than many would give credit to. At present, however, I shall beg leave to turn your attention to a remarkable expression here used by our Lord, in describing the sign under corrsi-

ON TRUE FAITH. 251

deration, which may serve to give us further light on this important subject.

It is observable, that our Lord, in describing this sign, makes no mention of eating any deadly thing ; but only says, " If they drink any deadly thing." Now, if only mere natural poison was here to be un- derstood, there can no reason be assigned, why men- tion should not h ve been made of eating as well as of drinking ; inasmuch as we all know that man's bodily life may be poisoned and destroyed, as well by what lie eats, as by what he drinks.

What considerate person, then, cannot here plainly see, that some lesson of deep instruction was intended by the Lord, and that this instruction must have rela- tion to spiritual deadly things, or spiritual poison ?

I shall endeavour to unfold to such as are desirous of apprehending and profiting by it, what this instruc- tion is.

Every one who is at all acquainted with the nature of spiritual life, must needs know, that spiritual life re- quires its nourishment, that is, its meat and drink, as well as bodily life.

He may therefore further know, if he be so disposed, that spiritual life has its hunger and thirst, and eats and drinks as well as bodily life : and accordingly, much mention is made in holy Scripture of such spiritual hunger and thirst, as well as of such spiritual eating and drinking.''*

* See particularly Matt. v. 6. Luke vii. 21; and John vl. tlirou^h. oat.

252 ON TRUE FAITH.

But though all this be known, or be easy to be known, yet few consider what constitutes the real dif- ference between spiritual eating and spiritual drinking, or in what they are distinguished ; and yet this is of importance also to be known.

Now spiritual eating hath respect to the will princi- ple in man : spiritual drinking hath respect to the principle of the understanding. We all know, that man's mind consists of these two parts or principles : but then we do not enough consider what is the proper food and nourishment of each ; how the one hungers, the other thirsts ; the one eats, the other drinks; the one receives continually spiritual meat, whilst the other as constantly receives spiritual drink.

It will be sufficient, however, for our present pur- pose to know, that drinking hath respect to the princi- ple of the understanding in man; and therefore, when our Lord said, " If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them," he meant to allude to the deadly poisonous thngs, which affect man's understanding.

Suffer me, by way of conclusion, to press upon you the important signification of this sign of a true faith, according to the sense of the expressions thus opened and explained.

Deadly things, we have already shewn, are all such things as tend to destroy spiritual life in man. Spiri- tual life is love towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and to- wards one another, operating in all good thoughts, words, and works. To drink deadly things, then, is to imbibe or receive those false principles and persua*

ON TRUE FAITH. 253

iions of evil in our understandings, which are oppo- site to and destructive of such spiritual life. These false principles and persuasions are many and various, being continually suggested to the mind, under an in- finity of forms, by the devil, the world, and the flesh. If man could see how he is ever beset by them, and what danger he is in from them, he would be all as- tonishment. For they encompass him about on every side : they are the bees of the Psalmist, of which he says, " They came about me like bees :"* they are also the locusts, which St. John saw " ascending from the bottomless pit."t Solitude itself is no security against them ; and yet, in society, and in conversa- tion, they generally abound most. Bad books are full of them ; and in reading such books, we dwell as among scorpions : and yet there is no book so good, but, if we are not watchful, we may incur danger herein. Even the holy Scriptures themselves have been, and may be so perverted, as to become instruments of be- getting the deadly things, whilst the corrupt mind of man hath collected and doth still collect thence false doctrines and mistaken principles to his destruction. What shall I say more ? The church of Christ itself is not free from the fatal poison ; for even in the church, tenets and opinions are often taught and circu- lated, contrary to the truth, and highly prejudicial to the spiritual life of man.

* Pialm cxviii. 12. + Rev. i%. 3,

z

254 on true PAmr,

Herein, however, is a remarkable difference, well to be attended to, in regard to the effect of these deadly poisonous things on different persons. The impenitent and unconverted, who live merely to themselves and the world, without any concern about their spiritual life ; these all drink greedily of the deadly poison ; they receive it into the very essence of their life ; it there diffuses its fatal influences ; it infects and de- stroys, by degrees, all the principles of the life of hea- ven, which is the true love of God and of their neigh- bour ; it is to them what the Psalmist calls the poison of asps :"* they become dead thereby to all true life, and iive merely a sensual, selfish, and worldly life, which, in the language of holy Scripture, is spiritual death ;| and thus, for want of a true faith in Jesus Christ, they are hurt by the deadly thing to the utter destruction of the soul and spirit.

But it is otherwise with those blessed ones, who, by virtue of a true repentance and conversion to the God of heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, have their minds ever open to his salutary influences, and experience the preserving and healing power of his Spirit in their own hearts and lives. If these even drink the deadly thing, it doth not hurt them. All false principles and persua- sions which have admittance to their minds, all false doctrines, all false opinions, even though received for a time, yet lose their poisonous qualities, and are soon cast out again. Such true believers are they

* Pualm cxl. 3. f Rom. iii. 15.

OS TRUE FAITH* c2oi)

whom the prophet calls the " sucking child, which should play on the hole of the asp ; and the weaned child, which should put his hand on the cockatrice den.'"* For, having their souls ever open, by a true faith and good life, to the light of truth, which is the light of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, and fra- ming their lives accordingly, they have the seal of God in their foreheads ; and thus are preserved, by virtue of that seal, against all the power o( the wicked one.

May we then labour, beloved, to experience the sa- lutary influence of such aright evangelical faith ! May we labour to possess this true sign of a true belief in the holy and high name of our God, the Lord Jesus Christ ! For this purpose, may we be careful to come to this our God, in the spirit of a true repentance, and sincere searching out and departing from all evil of iniquity, which is the love of ourselves, of this world, and the flesh ! Our Lord doth not say, if they eat any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; because, to eat the deadly thing, is to love and live in sin ; and this must needs hurt every one, inasmuch as sin destroys all spiritual life ; and no one who lives in sin, can possibly be a true believer. May we then, in since- rity, put away all sin, looking unto the manifested God the Redeemer, Jesus Christ ; and then we shall soon experience all the comforts of this sign of our faith, " If they drink any deadly thing," &c,

* Isaiah xi. 3-

ON TRUE FAITH.

SERMON XXVI.

St. Mark, xvi. 17, 18.

These Signs shall follow them that believe ; in my name shall they cast out Devils ; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly things it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands o?t the sick, and they shall recover.

IN the preceding discourses on these words, it has been already shewn what is to be understood by the four first of these signs, and how in all ages, and with all persons, they ever attend, and are expressive of, a true faith in the name of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If what was said concerning those four first signs,

has been well considered and digested, the nature,

meaning, and import of the fifth and last sign will

thence plainly appear, and it will be clearly seeru,

Z2

iOS ON TRUE FAITH.

how, in the name of the same Lord and Saviour, the true believer will " lay hands on the sick, and they shall reeover.,>

Whilst we look no deeper into the holy Word of God than the outward letter, and discern no higher life in man than the life of flesh and blood, we shall naturally be led to suppose, that by the sick here spo- ken of, our blessed Lord meant only the sick in body, and that by laying hands on them and their conse- quent recovery, he intended only to point out the effi.- cacy of his power in curing bodily disorders.

But if our eyes were opened to see through the veil of the letter into the spirit of the holy Scriptures ; if at the same time we are enabled to discern in our- selves a better and higher principle of life than that of mere flesh and blood, even the immortal and most pre- cious life of our souls or spirits ; we should be capable of apprehending, that when our Lord said of true be- lievers, " They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover," he designed to point out to us a power which should serve nobler ends, and accomplish high- er purposes, than that of curing the infirmities of mere bodily life only.

We should then see clearly what is here meant by laying on of hands ; what by the sick ; and what by their recovery ; and this sight would be exceedingly- blessed to us, and would tend to quicken and strengthen our faith in that holy God and Saviour, who thus con- tinually works mighty signs and wonders in all those that truly believe in his great and holy name. May

Gtf TKUE FAITH. • 253

1V1 our eyes then be now opened to see into the true spirit and meaning of God's holy Word ! May they be further opened to discern in ourselves that hidden but invaluable life of our spirits, which is infinitely above the perishable life of rle9h and blood ! May we thus, be prepared to consider and apprehend the true sense of this last sign of a real Gospel faith, " They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

And first, may we rightly consider and apprehend what is here meant by laying on of hands! — This has been a sis:n in all ages to denote a communication of virtue and power ; thus our Lord and his Apostles used this sign continually both in blessing the bodies and the souls of men ; they laid their hands on some, and they were healed of bodily diseases ; they laid their hands on others, and they received the Holy Ghost, and were cured of spiritual diseases.

By the sign then of laying on of hands, as applied to a true faith, is meant, a communication thereby of divine virtue and power from the great Omnipotent, the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the blessed privilege of the true believer, that he enjoys continual- ly such a communication : his faith is a divine princi- ple in him derived from the great redeeming God, and ascending again up to that God, and operating in conformity to his laws : it keeps open therefore the door of his heart ever towards God ; all holy and hea- venly influences enter daily and hourly at that door ; and in this sacred communion he discovers the true source of all human power and virtue : a power of h*^

260 OH" TRUE FAITH.

own, a virtue self-derived, he here discovers are things of no value in the sight of God : his faith therefore operates in the name of Jesus Christ alone, and he re fers all power, all virtue, and all excellency to this their only true and proper source : thus does the true believer fulfil this sign of laying on of hands in the name of Jesus Christ.

But for what ends is this divine power received, or what is this laying on of hands to effect? We are pre- sently informed, " They shall lay hands on the sick." By the sick, it is very plain, are here meant, not only the bodily, but the spiritually sick, or such as are dis- eased in their souls through sin : our blessed Lord and his \posties did indeed cure the bodily diseases of men, by the laying 071 of hands ; but then it is well to be observed, that the cure of bodily diseases was only intended as an external sign and proof of that internal power and virtue, opened in and through the great Redeemer, which was to cure the diseases of the soul ; and every enlightened eye will regard it According to this its real and heavenly intention.

But it may be asked, " What are the diseases of the soul, and who are the spiritually sick ? — Alas ! can we any of us be ignorant of this ? Have we never ex- amined our own hearts and lives ? Did we never dis- cover by such examination the symptoms of spiritual disease and malady ? Are all the powers and princi- ple - p.f life, in all their several degrees, sound, perfect, and in us? Do we love the great and holy

God as freeiy, as purely, and as effectually, as we

ON TRUE FAITH. Z61

ought to love him ? Do we love our neighbours as our- selves, and shew forth this our love in deed and opera- tion ? Do we find no obstructions to this love and its fruits ? No selfish affections, no worldly interests, no carnal concupiscencies, that thwart, pervert, or de- file the love of heaven ? Surely none can have examin- ed himself sincerely herein, but he must have found that all is not right with him ; he must therefore have discovered the root of disorder; he must be forced to see and confess, that both himself and all mankind are by nature spiritually sick, and can only be restored to health by the laying on of the hands ©f a true and effectual faith in Jesus Christ.

Behold here then a further sign and character of a true believer in the name of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ! He hath not only communication with heaven, that is, with the God of heaven, by virtue of heavenly faith in Jesus Christ, but he also applies this communication, and the powers and influen- ces thereby bestowed, to the state of his own soul ; he rectifies by it all the principles of his life in their several degrees ; he examines into the nature and kind of all his disorders, that is, his depar- tures from heavenly order and uprightness ; he applies medicines to each, according to their several necessi- ties ; he strengthens what is weak ; he purges and separates what is impure ; he cuts off what is unsound; in 9hort, bringing his whole life into conformity to the laws of Jesus Christ, which are the laws of heaven and heavenly order, h« draws down the healing virtues

262 ON TRUE FAITH.

thereof into his own soul, and his own life, and thus gives a sure infallible proof and sign of his faith by " laying hands on the sick."

But this is not all — Did the believer's faith do no more than open communication with heaven, and draw down the healing virtues thereof, and apply thein to his spiritual disoiders, without effecting a cure, it would in this case be a fruitless and imperfect faith ; leaving him as it found him, a poor, infirm, diseased, and sickly being. Too many, alas! amongst those wh» call themselves Christians are in this state ; they look up to heaven at times for divine virtue and power ; they receive medicines foe the removal of all their dis- orders ; but then they do not so use and apply those medicines as to render them effectual ; they mix other things with them, which counteract and oppose their heaiing operation ; just as in the case of bodily disorders, we see people sometimes take physic, who disappoint all the good effects thereof by an indiscreet mixture of other and contrary things with it, or by ir- regularity of life.

Not so the true and sincere believer in Jesus Christ : in him is fulfilled this sign in all its fulness, " He shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." He does not rest satisfied with opening the communi- cation between God and his own soul, and applying the healing medicines of the Gospel to cure his dis- orders, but he is careful that those medicines may have their full effect ; that they may ope- rate t<? his entirt reGQvery of the, health, strength^

ON TRUE FAITH. 263

and perfection of a divine life ; that his love to God and his neighbour may be sound, constant, regular, cheerful, active, fruitful, and operative ; that all hin- drances may be removed, all sources of malady and disease extirpated, which tend to weaken, to disorder, ox to pervert the influences of heaven and heavenly life : in applying therefore these medicines, he takes good heed not to mix therewith any thing which may disturb their salutary operations ; he observes such rules of spiritual sobriety, order, cleanliness, separation, and regularity, as may ensure success to his applications j he knows that the healing grace and mercy of Jesus Christ has such a power and virtue in it, that nothing can prevent its efficacy, if it be suffered to operate freely and fully ; but he knows also, that notwithstand- ing such power and virtue of divine grace, its efficacy may be retarded, if not totally perverted and prevent ed, by the indiscretion of man ; these considerations, at the same time that they teach him to place the full est confidence in God, teach him also to be very watch- ful and circumspect over himself; and thus, he ap- plies the gospel remedies, and he applies them success- fully ; he " lays hands on the sick, and they recover." Oh blessed privilege of a true faith, which is thus operative to the removal of all disease and disorder of sou!, and to its full recovery and establishment in a divine and heavenly life ! Oh happy believer, who is thus enabled to hold intercourse with heaven, to draw down thence heavenly virtue and power, and to reco- ver thereby the sound and perfect ima£e,life, and like-

264 ON TRUE FAITH,

ness of heaven, to the utter extirpation of the disorder- ed image, life, and likeness of vanity and ungodliness ! Oh most holy and all-powerful virtue, flowing conti- nually from the heavenly humanity :of the glorified Re- deemer, the blessed Jesus, which is thus given forth for the healing of the nations, and the restoration of health, and strength, and peace unto the people !— Grant, O merciful God, to us thy sinful children, the true wisdom, to apply to Thee sincerely, constantly, and effectually, for this thine healing virtue. May our hearts be ever ©pen to the reception thereof ? May we be enlight- ened to see and apprehend our great need of it, from a conviction of our manifold disorders ! And may this conviction lead us to use the blessed medicine, that we may never by our irregularities pervert its efficacy, but by the order and sobriety of our lives may so cherish and assist its influence, that it may work to our per- fect and final recovery from all sickness, to the health, strength, and comfort of an heavenly life ! AMEN.

THE END.

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