Sermons preached on several occasions : with two discourses of conscience

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Division

Section

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t Of v..

SIXTEEN \^

CASUISTICA^

SERMONS

Preached on

Several Occafions.

B Y

The moft Reverend. Father in
GOD, Dr. J o H N*^ HARP, late
Lord Arch Sifliop of lork.

V

O L.

III.

LONDON:

Printed for Walter Kettilby^ and Sold hy
Richard Wilkin^ at the Kings-Head in
St. Paurs Church- Yard. 1716,

THE

CONTENTS

Of the Third
V O L U ^^

SERMON. I. ^age i.
Bouc Truft in God.

A

SERMON ir. ^age 24.

About Religious Melancholy and De-
fertioa.

Both on

Pfahn xlii. (5, 7. Why art thou fa
full of heaVmc/s 0 my Soul^ why art
thou fo dif quieted iv'ithin me 5*

^ut thy trujl in God^ for I will yet
give him thanks for the hdp of his Counte-

nance.

V»IT^DRAWN S E R.

1^- r\ r i.'^j «-

u

The Contents.

SERMON III. fage 45.
About lofs of fpiritiial Comforts.

Pfaltn xlii. 6, 7. Why art thou fo
full of heaVincfs 0 my Soul, why art thou
fo (It f quieted within me ?

Vut thy truft in God^ for I will yet give
htm thanh for the help of his Comitenance,

SERMON IV. Taxe 68.

About the Devil and his Temptations.

SERMON V. fage 90.

About Blafphemous Thoughts,

Both on

2 Cor. ii. If. Leafl Satan fhould get
an advantage of vs j for we are not igno^-

Xam 0} hii devices.

SER'

The Contents; iJi

SERMON VI. (page iij.

Concerning the fewnefs of thofe thac
fhall be fayed ; and about Predcfti-
nation from all Eternity.

Luke xiii. 25. Then [aid one unto
him, Lord, are there few that fhall he fa^
yed ^ And he [aid unto them^ firive to en»
ter in at the jlrait Gate : for many, I fay
unto you, p?all feek to enter in, and pall
not be able.

SERMON Vll. (page 140.

Of Faith, when true, faving, and ju-
ftifying.

Ads xvi. -^ I. — Relieve on the Lord
Jefus Chrifl, and thou fhalt he/aVed,

SER-

iv The Contents.

SERMON Vm. Page i6o

Of Repentance, when true and fincere.

Matth. iii. 8. (Bring forth therefore
Fruits meet for Repentance,

SERMON IX. (Page 185.

Concerning the wilful Sin here fpoken
of by St. Taul, Vi;:^, Apoftacy.

Heb. X. 26, 27 — If we jin wilfully^
after that ive have received the knowlecige
of the Iruthj there remaineth no more tia-
crifce for Sins^

But a certain fearful looking for of
Judgment , atid fiery Indignation^ which
fhall devour the Jdverfaries,

SER-

The Contents]

S E R M O N X. ^age 208.

Concerning the Sin unto Death, fpoken
of by Sr. John^ Vt:^ Apoftacy.

I John V. 16' If any Mm fee his

brother fin a Sin which is not unto Death^
he fhall ask, and he (hail give him Life
for them that fin not unto Death. There
is a Sin unto Death : 1 do not fay that he
ff?all pray for it.

SERMON XI. f4ge 227.

Concerning the Blafphemy againft the
' Holy Ghoft.

Matth. xii. 51, ^2. Wherefore I fay
nntoyou^ all manner of Sin and '0afphemy
P?all be forgiven unto Men ; hut the ^Blaj-
fhemy againjl the Holy Ghojl f}?all not he
forgiven unto Men,

And whofoeVer fpeaketh a Word againjl
theSonofMan^ it f?a[l he forgiven him:
hut, ivhojoever fpeaketh agamjl the Holy

Ghojl

iri The Contents;

Ghoji, it Jhall not he forgiven him, net"

ther in this World, neither in the World to
come.

SERMON XI!. %e 255.

How far we are bound to intend God's
/ Glory in our A6lions.

I Cor. X. 31. Whether therefore ye
eat or drinky or whatfoelier ye do, do all
to the glory of God,

SERMON Xm. fage'iycf.

Solution to fome Cafes put about
Regeneration.

Rom. xii. Part of the id Verfe.
^"•""Beye transjormed by the renewing of
your Mmd,

SE R.

The Contents. Vii

SERMON XIV. ^age joj.

In what Senfe the Heart is deceitful,
and what is the proper Remedy.

Jeremy xvii. 9. T/;e Heart is de-
ceitful above all things , and defperately
wicked^ who can know it ^

SERMON XV. 'P^^^JH-

In Anfwer to the Objedtions againft
the Difficulties of Religion.

1 John V- 5. This is the loVe of God^
that we keep his Commandments ,* and his
Commandments are not grieyous.

SER-.

y

V

viil The Contents]

SERMON XVL P^^e 362.

Concerning Man's Confcience, when
ic is good and when not.

Heb. xiii. 18 — We trujlwz have ct
good Confcience^ In all things willing to liye
homjllji.

SER-

SERMON I.

P S A L. XLII. 6, 7.

According to the Tranllation of om Liturgy ^

Why art thou fo fitll of Heavinefs, 0 my
Soid^ and why art thou difquieted within
me .<? Vut thy trufl in God, for I will yet
give him thanks for the help of his Conn-
Unance.

^§^^r/D, tho' a Man after Gods
ff^D^S ^^" Heart, and dearly beloved by
fe^ '^i ^^"^' ^^^ ^^ much exercifed all
^mM^M his Life with Troubles and Af-
fiidions of feveral Kinds, as almoft any we
read of. When he compofed this Pfalm and
that which followeth it, it fufficiently ap-
pears, that he was under great perplexity and
confternation of Mind, which makes him
three times fpeak to himfelf, TFhy art thoU
caft down, 0 my Soul, and why art thou dif-
quieted within me .<?

What the particular Occafion was, is not
exprelied in the Pfalm : But it is generally
believed, and it is very probable, that it was
upon. the Rebellion of his Son Abfalo?n\ by
Occafion of which he was driven from Jeru-
Vol, IIL B fakm.

Tl)e Firfl Sermon.

fabm^ and fo baniflied from the Houfe of
God in Mount Sion^ where he had lately fix-
ed the Ark : And this Banifliment of his is
that which he is here {o much concerned for,
and fo pafTionately bewails. Taking this Key,
we are eafily let into the Senfe of both thefe
Pfalms : The Former of which, fo far as is
needful for the right Underftanding this Text,
I fhall give you a brief Account of.

Thus he begins, As the hunted Deer pant-
eth after the Brooks of Water, fo panteth my
Soul after thee, O God: My Soul thirfteth
for God, yea even for the living God : When
fhall I come and appear before God ? that is.
When (hall I be fo happy as to have accefs
again to thy Tabernacle , where thou doll
manifefl thy Prefence , and from whence I
am now driven by them that feek my Life ?*
And then he goes on in the third verfe. My
Tears have been my meat day and night j
while they daily fay unto me^ Where is now
thy God ^ that is to fay, I am wholly given
over to Grief and Sorrow, whilft I hear the
continual Reproaches of my Enemies, faying
unto me, What is become of thy God, in
whom thou waft wont to repofe fo much
confidence > When I remember thefe things,
(as he goes on in the 4th Verfe) / pour out
my foul in me ^ For I had gojie with the inid-
titude 5 / went with them to the houfe of
God with the voice of joy and praife^ with a
nmltitiidethat kept holy day , that is. It even
breaks my heart to call to mind thofe happy

days,

7he Fir ft Sermon,

Days, when I brought thine if\rk to Mount
Sio?i, accompanied with the joyful Acclama-
tions of all thy People, and to think of all the
other bleiTed Times, when, before this Ba-
nilhment, we met together at thy Houfe to
worfliip and praife thy Name. And then
follow in the next Verfe the Words of my
Text, Wfy art thou caft dovp?i, 0 my Soul,
why art thou difqnieted within me ^ As if
he had faid, Be not for all this difcouraged,
tho* it be as fad a Calamity as is poffible, to
be thus deprived of the Opportunity of wor-
fhipping God in publick, yet there is no Rea-
fon thou (houldft be utterly dejeded, and a-
bandon thy felf to defpair , No \ put thy
Truft in God, for I fhall yet give him thanks
for the help of his Countenance. That is, a
Time, I hope, will come, when I fhall a-
gain go to his Houfe, and praife him flill
for his Favours towards me, in delivering nie
from this, as well as my former Afflictions.

This is the natural Account and Meaning
of the Words, as they lye in the Pfalm, and
as they were fpoken by the Pfalmift. But
in the Difcourfe which I defign upon this
Text, I mean not to confine my felf to the
particular Cafe, upon Occafion of which
thefe Words were fpoken, but to take a larger
Compafs and to treat of trouble of Mind in
General, as far as it is upon a Religious Ac-
count,

B 2 There

4 The Ftrfl Sermoft.

There are a great many good People a-
inong us, who are afflided with that which
we call Religious Melancholy. It is for the
fake of thefe, that I have now pitched upon
this Text, as thinking it may be very fitly
applyed to their Cafe, tho* their Troubles
are of a different Nature from thofe thatD^-
viJ was here exercifed with, and arife from
different Caufes. Andthat whichi propofeto
do, is to confider the feveral Things that are
mod apt to diflurb them, and to render their
LivTS miferable and uncomfortable, and to
give fuch an Account of thofe Things, as
that they may be fatisfied, that they have
all the reafon in the World notwithftanding
them to apply David's Words in my Text to
their own Cafe, and to fay with him, JVhj;
art thoiifocafi down^ 0 ?nySoul^ why art thou
fo difquieted within me ^ Put thy truji in
God, for Ijhall yet give him thanks for the
help of his Countenance, or, as he otherwife
expreifeth it in the lafl: Verfe of this Pfalm.
for I imll yet thank him, which is the helj)
of my Countenance, and my God.

This 1 fay is what I defign upon this Text \
but before I engage in that Work, it will not
be amifs if we a little inlift on theft; Words
with reference to the particufir Occafion up-
on which they were fpoken j and this Ihall be
my Bufinefs at this Time.

Now the Text thus confidered doth afford
us two pradieal Obfervations. Firff, from
hence we gather, that to a good Man the be-

ing

The Firjl Sermon.

ing deprived of Opportunities of worfhipping
God in Publick, is one of the greateft Affli-
dions. Secondly, that in this and all other
Afflidions that befall us, the proper Reme-
dy is to put our Truft in God.

I. I begin with the Firfl, that to be de-
prived of the Opportunity of Gods publick
Worfhip, is to a good Man a mofl grievous
Afflidion.

We fee how fadly David here bemoans
himfelf upon that Account, with what An-
guifh he remembers thofe happy Days when
he had free Accefs to, the Houfe of God, and
the holy AiTemblies of his People ; and how
paflionately he longs for thofe Days again.
He takes no notice of the unnatural Rebelli-
on of his Son Ahfolom, which could not but
go to the very Heart of fo tender a Father, as
he was^ he takes no notice of the Danger his
Life was in from the Confpirators , but all
that he feems concerned about, is that by
thefe Means he is baniihed from Gods Pre-
fence , that is, from his Sanduary, from his
Houfe, from the Society of the Faithfiil,
where he ufed to praifetlie Name of his God,
and to partake of his divine Influence.

Indeed the Happinefs and the Bledings
that good Men enjoy in the publick Excrcife
of their Religion, and in the worfhipping God
in his Houfe, and partaking of his Sacra-
ments, are fo many and great, that they muft
needs'account the being deprived of them a
B 3 Lofs

7he Virfl Sermon,

Lofs unfupportable. Of all thePIeafures on
this fide Heaven, thofe are the moft valua-
ble ; For indeed they approach nearefl: to
thofe in which the Saitus do fpend their
Days in their Heavenly Manfions. What
can be more like Heaven upon Earth than a
Company of pious devout Souls met in one
Place, having God in the midfl of them, and
there partaking of his Communications, de-
voting themfelves to his Service, profeffing
their Faith and Hope in Chrift, and their
Dependance upon him, and joyning Hearts
and Voices with the Heavenly Hods of An-
gels, in finging out the everlafting Praifes of
their Creator, and Redeemer ^ in declaring
his wonderful Works of Love and Mercy,
and in adoring his infinite Wifdom and Pow-
er and Goodnefs, which are confpicuous to
all the World,

O how mufl: a devout Soul be ravifhed
with thefe Exercifes 1 O how dry and infi-
pid will the higheft of fenfual Gratifications
appear to him in comparifon of the delicious
Reiifii that thefe divine Employments will
leave upon his Spirit ! He that once taftes
the Sweets of thefe, cannot forbear crying
out with David in the 84th Pfalm, 0 hovif
mniahle are thy Divellings thou Lord ofHofls !
My Soul lo/igeth^ yea even faint eth for the
Courts of the Lord : My Heart and my Flefi
cry eth out for the livi?ig God, He will even
envy the Sparrow that hath found her an
Houfe, and the Swallow that hath built her

a

77;^ Firft Sermon]

2L Neft wherein to lay her Young fo near un-
to the Altar of the Lord, his King, and his
God : He will fay unto God in the Words of
the fame divine Pfalmift. Blejfed are they
that dwell in thy Houfe, they will be ftill
fraifing thee ^ ¥or one Day in thy Courts is
better than a thousand : Nay I had rather
be a Door-keeper in the Honfe of my God^
than to dwell in the Tents of Ungodliiiefs,
This mufl needs be the Senfe of every one
that truly loves God, and therefore it may
eafily be imagined, how near it will go to
the Heart of fuch a One, to have thefe fo
ineftimable Priviledges taken from him.

When the Ark of God ( which was in
thofe Days the Symbol of his Prefence among
his People, and from whence he ufed toMa-
nifeft Himfslf to them) was taken by the
Philijii?ies, the Lofs of it was fuch a Blow to
the good old Eli,th^t the very News of it killed
him : He patiently bore the Relation of the
Death of his two Sons, but when the Mef-
fenger came to mention to him the Arks be-
ing carry ed away, the Text tells us, he fell
off from his Seat backwards and died ^ i Sam.
4. 18.

Thefe Things being fo, how ought every
one of us to prize and value that free Liberty
which we of this Nation, thro* the Favour
of God, enjoy of reforting to the Houfe of
the Lord, and partaking of the Means of Sal-
vation ! O how thankful ought we to be for
this unfpeakable Mercy ! How fervently ought

B 4 we

Tl^e Firjl Sermon.

we to pray, for the Continuance of it ! An$
how induftrious fhould we be, in improving
it to good Purpofes, now whilfl: God affords
it! O how zeaioufly fhould we all be difpo-
fed to the Service of our God! How diligent
in taking all Opportunities of attending it !
How ferious and devout while we are in it !
How frequent in our Approaches to the holy
Table, which is the mod folemn part of it!

O let us not by our Unthankfulnefs to
God for the light of his Gofpel, and our ne-
glect of, or unprofitablenefs under, thofe
Means, which he gracioufly difpenfethto us,
render our felves unworthy of them, and
give him occafion to remove our Candleftick
from us ! Let us remember that the Primi-
tive Chriftians would hav^e bought the Pri-
viledges we now enjoy, at any Rate in the
World, but could not obtain them. Many
Prophets and righteous Men, as our Saviour
faid in another Cafe, defired to fee the Things
that we fee, and could not fee them. But
if we make light of them, a Time may come,
when they may be hid from our Eyes alfo ,
a Time may come, when the Kingdom of
God fliall be taken from us, and given to a
Nation that will bring forth the Fruit of it,
as our Saviour fpeaks, Matth. 21. 45.

SecG?idly^ From hence we may fee how
much two forts of Perfons among us are to be
reproved.

Firft thofe, who, tho' they do indeed fre-
quent Gods Houfe, and his publick Worlliip,

yet

Tlje Firjl Sermon,
yet do not find that Sweetnefs, and Pleafure,
and Satisfadion in fo doing, as to be in a Ca-
pacity of looking upon it as fo great and iHi-
valuable a Bleffing, as the Pfahiiift doth here
account it: Tho* they join with the Congre-
gation in the Prayers of the Church, yet
their Hearts are not touched with that hvely
and grateful Senfe of God in thefe Exercifes,
as to render them truly delightful. On the
Contrary, they are heavy and lifHefs in thefe
Offices •, their Thoughts are employed about
quite different Objeds , than what they
Ihould be , they ferve God with meer Lip-
labour, nay and too many, it is to be feared, do
not ferve him at all, but come thither either
for Fafhions-fake, or to gratify their Curiofi-
ty, or fometimes perhaps out of worfe Ends.

0 if we did truly love God, and made it our
Bufinefs ferioufly to recommend our felvesto
his Favour, 1 am fure we ihould look upon
his publick Worfliip, as the very Joy of our
Hearts, and long for all Opportunities of be-
ing prefent at it. And, when we were fo,
we (liould mind it wholly , and every Day
fo employed we fhould account a good D.iy to
our Souls. It is not of hearing Sermons that

1 now fpeak ^ tho' by fome the Whole, in a
Manner, of Gods Worfliip is placed in that.
No j tho* it cannot be denied but that that is
an Exercife very profitable, nay neceiTary to
a great many People, who perhaps would
know nothing of Religion, unlefs they heard

, fomething of it in Sermons , yet it is pub-

Uck

lo The Firfl Sermon]

lick Prayer and Thankfgiving, and comme-
morating the Death of our Saviour, and of-
fering up our felves as holy and acceptable
Sacrifices to him that died for us \ it is in
thefe Things that the Life of the Chriftians
Worihip doth confift, and from which the
true Pleafure doth arife. And wherever thefe
Things are negledsd, or coldly performed,
it is a great Argument there is but little De-
votion in the Heart.

But Secondly, how much to be reprov'd
are they, that when Churches are opened,
and folemn Times fet apart for Chriftians to
appear before God, and pay tlieir Homage
to him, yet feldom or never aflFord their pre-
fence there, but live in an habitual Negled
if not Contempt of the publick Duties of Re-
ligion > Where is the Religion of fuch Per-
fons ? What Senfe can they pretend to have
of God, or what Concernment for their own
Souls } That, which the pious King o( Ifrael
thought to be his greateft Afflidion, name-
ly, the not being prefent at the publick Ser-
vice of God, thefe Men make their Choice
/and their Priviledge. That which the firfl
Chriftians took to be the greateft Puniftiment
that could be inflided, namely, to be ex-
communicated and debarr'd from joyning to-
gether with their Brethren in the \Vorfliip of
Chrift Jefus, thefe Perfons infiid upon them-
felves^ cutting themfelves off from all the
Benefits of Chriftianity, by a voluntary Ex-
communication from the facred Affemblies.

II. But

The Jnrjl Sermon,

II. Rut I proceed to the fecond general
Point obfervable from this Text, and that is
this ; that to put our Truft in God is the
proper Means to keep our Souls from being
caft down or difquieted under any Afflidion.

This is that, which David found a fove-
reign Remedy in all the DiflrefTes that he fell
into. And therefore no wonder that in this
prefent Diflrefs of his Banifhment from the
Houfeof God, he calls upon himfelf to make
ufe of it : Why art thou caft down 0 ?ny
Sold, why art thoiifo difquieted within jne?
Flit thy truft in God, for Ifiallyet give him
Tha?iks for the help of his Countenance \ I
fiallgive him Thanks, who is the help of my
Countenance, and my God,

Now an entire Truft and Dependence up-
on God, is an effectual Remedy againft the
Evil of x\ffiidions in thefe three Refpeds.

Firft, As it is a Mean of fupporting them
with eafe and patience.

Secondly, As it is an Evidence for our
felves that we do that which we know is
highly acceptable to God.

Thirdly, As it is the beft way to obtain
deliverance from the Aftlidions we are under.

Firft of all, to put our whole Truft in
God, and to depend upon him in all Things,
is the beft Courfe we can take to be at Eafe
and Peace within our felves,howfoever Things
go. For it takes away all the Sollicitude
that is* upon us , how to get rid of the

pre-

II

1 it The Fir ft Sermon.

prefent Evils, and prevents the Fear of thofe
that are to come. And it ftrangely bears up
the Soul under the Pain and An2;uifh of the
moil: grievous Sufferings ; and makes them
at leaii: fupportable to us. A Man that firm-
ly confides in God will always be in a tole-
rable happy Condition, under the worft
Things that can befall him ^ but in moft of
the common Afflidions of his Life, that ren-
der other Men very miferable, he will be very
chearful and well pleafed. And the Reafon
is, becaufe to trufl and depend upon God
implies a firm Belief, not only of the good-
nefs of Gods Providence in general, but alfo
of his Love and Care of us in particular.
Now whofoever is heartily perfuaded of that,
and doth withal ferioufly attend to it, how
can he be but well contented in all the Cir-
cumftances of this Life. For to confider,
that, however to profane and atheiftical Men
all Events feem to happen by Chance, or to
owe their Produdion to the blind and necef-
fary Agency of natural Things, yet in truth
there is an infinite Wifdom and Forefight that
fleers and governs the great Engine of the
World, managing and ordering the Motions
of the feveral parts, fo as to contribute
to the welfare and prefervation of the
Whole 5 and to confider that this Provi-
dence is not only confined to Generals, but
extends it felf even to every Thing and Per-
fon in the whole Creation , fo that a Spar-
row doth not fall to the Ground without the

Will

The Firft Sermon] ij

Will of our Father, and the very Hairs of
our Heads are numbred ; No Condition we
are in, no Accident that doth befall us, but
is brought to pafs by the Counfel and Ap-
probation of the Governor of the World:
And to coniider farther, that the Meafure of
this Government and Providence is not Arbi-
trary Will, but infinite and perfedGoodnefs:
That God doth not difpenfe any Event unto
us out of meer Humour, (as many of us deal
with our fellow Creatures) much lefs be-
caufe he bears any ill Will to us, but becaufe
he clearly fees it is good for us, or for the
World, ours, or the publick, Neceffities call
for it. So that we are always abfolutely
certain that Things are carried on by the beft
Way, that it is podible for them to be, and
if they were otherwife, than they are, it
would not be fo well. I fay, for a good
Man ferioufly to believe and coniider this,
how can he be much uneafy or difcontented
at any Accident that befals him, tho' it may
perhaps be very troublefome to the fenfiblc
Nature. For he knows that he is in thofe
Circumflances that God fees fitted: for him,
that is, he is in the beft Circumftances, all
Things confidered, that he can be in, at that
Time : He knows, if he had been his own
Carver, he Ihould have chofen worfe for
himfelf : He knows, he has one that takes
care of him, that provides for him, and one
that underftands infinitely better, than him-
felf, what is his true Int^reft, and raakes

mofl

I A 37;^ Pi^Jl Sermon.

moft for his Advantage : And, tho' he doth
not underftand the particular tendencies of
Things, tho' he doth not fee at prefent how
this or the other Thing, that looks untoward-
ly or mifchievoufly, Ihould work either to
his own private or to the pubhck Advantage,
yet he knows, in the general, that all is well
intended, that God can and will bring Good
out of the greateft Evils, and at laft all
Things will prove for the beft, not only to
the World in general, but to him in particu-
lar, if he truly loves God.

Thefe Things now being all contained or
implied in that which we call trufl: in God,
it mufl needs be an excellent Expedient a-
gainft all dejedion and difquiet of Mind, let
our Condition be what it will.

This is the firfl Thing. But, Secondly,
An entire Truft and Confidence in God is a
good Remedy againft the evil of Afflidlions,
as it is an evidence to us, that we are quali-
fied for his Mercy and Favour , feeing we do
that, which is moft highly acceptable to him,
and doth in a particular Manner recommend
us to his Love.

Trufting in God is, at all Times, both an
Exercife and Expreffion of our Religion, and
a great Evidence to our felves of our fincerity
in it : But it is efpecially fo, when we are
in any evil or difficult Circumftances, then,
when we are under great Temptations, and
Perplexities, then, when we are encompaf-
fed with Dangers, and have no profped of

help

The Fir ft Sermon, 1 5

help ot deliverance by humane Means, which
way foever we look, then, I fay, to bear up,
and exercife Faith in God, and to fupport
our felves in this evil Plight with the confi-
dence of his goodnefs to us, as it is a com-
fortable Argument that our Virtue and Piety
is real and not only pretended, fo it is a
Thing that God doth highly efleem where
ever he fees it, and will not fail to reward it,
and this is a Confideration that Ihould migh-
tily excite us to the pradice of this Duty.

Many Sorrows (faith the Pfalmift, PfaL
52. 10.) Ma?iy Sorrows jJmll be to the Wick-
ed^ but whofo piitteth his tritjl in the Lord
Mercy embraceth him on every fide. And a-
gain, The Lord taketh no pleafitre in the
jirength of an Horfe, iieither delight eth he in
any Mans Legs, It is not the Buftle we
make to five our felves by humane Means
that is acceptable to him , But what then ?
Why the Lords delight is in them that fear
him, and in them that put their trufl in bis
Mercy, To put our Truft in Gods Mercy is
a Thing that is delightful to him, a Thing
that he taketh efpecial Pleafure in : And ac-
cordingly bleffed is he pronounced by the
Prophet, who trufteth in the Lord, and
whofe hope the Lord is j but on the contra-
ry, Ciirfed be the Man that maketh FleJJj his
Jrfn, and whofe Heart depart eth from the
Lord^ Jer. 17. 5.

Indeed Reafon it felf would teach us, tho'
we had no Revelation for it, that this Truft

and

\^ The Firfl Sermon,

and Dependance upon God, that we fpeak
of, mail needs be a mod lovely Quality,
ari that which above all things muft endear
us to our Maker \ for it is an undeniable
Proof, that we think worthily of God, and
that we have fuch Apprehenfions of him as
he would defire we (hould have, or as it is
fit Creatures fhould have of the moft perfed
Being. It fhews, as I faid before, not only
that we acknowledge him to be the great dif-
pofer of all Events, and that all the good
Things we have, or hope for, come from
his Bounty 5 butalfo that we are deeply af-
feded with a Senfe of his goodnefs, that we
are heartily perfuaded that he loves us, and
will deny us nothing that is convenient for
us. Now thus to think of God is truly to
honour him, and expreifeth more Piety and
Devotion a great deal, than anxious Prayers
and Supplications to him ^ thofe argue Love
to our (elves, but this is an Evidence that we
truly love God.

On the other fide, to be without this
Trufl: and Affiance in God, and to place our
Hopes and Confidence in fecond Caufes, is
certainly a piece of Impiety and Irreligion,
wherever it is found : And therefore is juftly
filled by the Prophet, in the forecited Place,
a departing from God ^ for it either fliews,
that we have no Senfe of God upon our
Minds, nor take any Notice of his Govern-
ment of the World, or, if we do, it fliews,
that we have mean Thoughts of him, and

believe

Tlje Ftrfl Sermon, Yf^

believe either that he cannot or will not fup-
ply our Wants and Neceflities. And even
what Man is there, among our felves, that
would not take it very ill, to be thus repre-
fented, or thus thought on, by any Child of
his, that depends upon him.

Thirdly and laftly : Trufting in God may
therefore be recommended, as an efFedual Re-
medy in all Afflidions, becaufc it is the beft
Means to obtain deliverance from them.

It is not in Man (faith Solomon) to direEi
his Steps^ walk he never fo cautioufly, he
cannot fecure himfelf from falling into a
thoufand Evils, to which this ftate of Mor-
tality is dayly expofed : And, when he is
in them, he cannot, by all the Wit he haSj
or all the Induftry he can ufe, get himfelf
clear again : He may make a flir and be reft-
lefs, and impatient, but he gets no other
Good many times by his ftrugling, than
what wild Beafts do that are caught in a
Snare ^ namely, the farther entangling them-
felves : He may diligently apply himfelf to
this or the other Mean for Comfort or Re-
drefs, but he will too often find his Endea-
vours ineffedual : When he has done all he
can 5 God is the Governour of the World,
and difpenfeth good and evil to the Sons of
Men, when, and to v/hom, and fo long as
he pleafeth j and, therefore, from him only
can we exped Eafe or Deliverance, fronl
thofe Things that opprefs us , and the gene-
ral Way, 'that he hath appointed for this End,
Vol, III. C is

8 The Firjl Sermon.

is patiently to wait upon him, and to truft
in his Mercy ^ fo will he in due Time fhew
himfelf our Saviour and Deliverer.

We fpeak not this to difcourage the ufe of
any lawful Means, either for the preventing or
removing our evil Circumftances : On the
Contrary, it is by them, that God ordinari-
ly worketh his Deliverances, both for his
People in general, and for every Servant of
his in particular '^ and therefore, they are not
to be negleded. But this we fay, without
the Blefling of God no Means will be effe-
dual, and, if we have his Bleffing, we Ihill
not fail of Redemption from all our Trou-
bles, of v/hat Nature foever they be, when
he fees fit ^ tho' there appear no vifible Means
at prefent, or, tho' thofe, that do appear,
feem never fo unlikely or infufficient. And
farther, the proper way to obtain this Blef-
ling of his, is entirely to depend upon him,
to confide in his Goodnefs, to be careful for
nothing, but in every thing by Prayer and
SuppHcation with Thankfgiving to make our
Requefts known unto him.

This the holy Pfilmift did continually ex-
perience all his life long ^ and this he declares
and recommends as a llanding Truth, to all
fucceeding Generations, in fo many Paffiges
of hisPfahiis, that it would be troublefome
to quote them. The Lord, faith he, never
faileth them that put their trufl in him.
Tntfithou in the Lor d^ and be doing good^ fo
(Ihtlt thou dwell in the Land, and verih thovi

' fials

Jhe Fir/} Senfioru ip

fbdlt he fed, Conmiit thy ways nfito the
Lord, and put thy trufi in hini^ and he \liall
bring it to pafs : The falvation of the Righ-
teous Cometh of the Lord^ who is a prefent
help in time of trouble \ hefljall deliver them,
he JImU fave them^ becaufe they put thiir
triijl in him.

The Truth is, God vefy ofteii afflids
good Men, for this very Rcafon, thu they
may the more truft in him, that they may
lit loofer from the World, and the Enjoy-
ments thereof: That they may fee the Va-
nity of ali earthly Things, and exercife a
more lively Faith and dependance upon his
Providence \ which being fo, it cannot be
doubted, but that this is a certain mean to
get their Afflictions removed j for take a-
way the Caufe, and the EfFed ceafeth. _ If
their not trufting in God was the Caufe of
their Afflidion, then their hearty Affiance in
him will be the mean to fct them free from it.

It is true indeed, the Deliverances that
God works for his Children are not always
fuch as they deiire or pray for ^' he is many
times not pleafed to remove his Hand, in
that inftance they are apt to wifh he would^
but Hill we fay, he doth deliver them. If
he doth not anfwer their Prayers and their
Hopes, in kind 5 yet, if he gives them Grace
and Strength to undergo what he lays upon
them, and beftows other Bleffings upon them',
which are more needful for them, than thofe
they would have, is not this as great a Kind-

G 3- ne^

2 0 77;e Fir ft Sermon.

nefs and Mercy to them ? Cert'iinly it is.

O therefore, whatever the Event of Things
be, whatever Flefh and Blood fugged to us,
let us fix this as an immoveable Principle in
our Hearts, that to trufl in God, and chear-
fully to depend upon him, in a conftant ad-
herence to our Duty, is the mod efFedual
Courfe we can take, both, to fupport us un-
der ail Afflidions,and to deliver us from them.

And now what remains,but that every one
of us fhould be ferioufly exhorted to put all
this in Pradice ^ In every ungrateful and dif-
pleafing Circumftance of Life that we light
into, to put our truft in God as the help of
our Countenance, and our God. We fhould,
without doubt, fpeedily find the eafe and
comfort of fo doing f, let our Afflictions be
of what nature they will, this is an Antidote
that will reach them all. Are we troubled
about our private Concernments in this World ?
Do not our Defigns or Endeavours fucceed as
we expeded ? Or are we in a poor low Con-
dition, and hardly put to it to live ? Or are
our deareft Relations taken from us ? Or do
we groan under the Bondage of harfli Parents,
or cruel Mafters, or under the Mifery of ha-
ving wicked and undutiful Children? Why
in all thefe Cafes let us fay to our Souls as
David here in the Text did. Why art thou
cafi cloven^ 0 my Soul, why art thou difqui-
eted within me .<? Vut thy trufl in God. And,
if we do thus, we fhall alTuredly be in a
Condition to give him Thanks, he will ihew

him°

The Firjl Sermon, 1 1

himfelf the help of our Countenance, and
our God *, we (liall give him Thanks, either
for the fupporting us under our Afflidions,
or freeing us from them, he will be our God
either by conferring thofe Bleffings we de-
fire, or by giving us others that are fitter for
our Condition.

Are we concerned for any Danger, that
we apprehend may threaten the Publick ?
Why ftill let us fay to our felves, I'Tbjy art
thou caft down^ 0 ?ny Soul, why art thou dif-
quieted whh'm me / Vut thy trnfi yet 'in God.
He is the fame God, that hath hitherto taken
care of his People, and he will, without doubt,
continue fo to do, in fuch Ways, and by
fuch Means, as he fees mod convenient for
them. He fits at the Helm and fees how ail
Things go, and will interpofe when it is fit
he fhould, either in preventing the Things
we fear, or in fo ordering Matters that all
Things, whatever happens, fiiall work toge-
ther for good unto his Church. O therefore
why fhould we be afraid of atiy evil Tidings,
let our Hearts ftand fad and believe in the
Lord.

Laftly, Are we exercifed with any trou-
ble of Mind, about our fpiritual Affairs ^
Doth God write bitter Things againft us, and
make us to polfefs the Iniquities of our Youth ?
Doth he hide away his Face from us, and
fliut up his loving kindnefs in difpleafure ?
Why here again let us fay to our felves. Why
art thou caji down 0 my Soul, why art thou

C 3 ■ d,f-

p2, The Firfl Sermon]

difqu'ieted within me ,<? Vitt thy tnifl hi GocL
Wait upon him, with Faith and Patience,
and, thou fhalt fee, all thefe Storms will
blow over. Thefe Chaftifements , witii
which thou art exercifcd, when they have
brought forth the peaceable Fruits of righte-
cufnefs, will turn to thy exceeding Joy and
Comfort, and thou flialt again, more affed:i-
pnntely than ever, give thanks to him, who
is the help of thy Countenance, and thy
God.

O, my Brethren, tliat all of us were ad-
ed by fuch a Spirit as this, O that we would
endeavour, in all conditions and circum fian-
ces of Life, thus firmly to hope in God, and
put our confidence in his Mercy \ not dif-
quieting our felves Vv^th the prefent Events,
nor being folicitous about the future, but
calling the whole Burden of both upon the
Lord, who careth for us, looking up to hiin
in every difpenfation of Providence, and af-
furedly believing that all (hall at lad be for
the belt to us.

This, one would think, fhould be one of
the eaiieft Duties in the World to any one
that believes a God and a Providence , but
yet we find alas mod of thofe, who pretend
to believe both, to be very difhcultly brought
to it. We talk of God, as if we thought him
to be the Governour of the World, and the
Difpenfer of all Events both good and bad that
happen to Mankind : But yet alafs how few of
us are there that dare repofe any Confidence in

him ?

77;e Fir [I Sermon, 25

him ? Our care, and trouble and follicitude,
about our Affairs, is as great, as if all Things
came to pafs by chance, or fate, or the will
of Man : Our f'ears and our Hopes do alto-
gether depend upon fecond Caufes. We are
indeed apt enough to truft: God with our
Souls, not caring how little Thought we take
about them , but, as for our worldly Con-
cernments, we will not truft him any far-
ther, than as we fee we have the means of
accomplifhing our Defigns in our own Hands.
But this is a bafe, unthankful, unworthy
Pradice : For fhame let us quit it \ let us
ihake off this dull, earthly, ftupid Humour :
Let us caft our Eyes up to the Author and
Preferver of our Beings , and, like Men,
make ufe of the Reafon and Underftanding
that he hath given us, not living altogether
by Senfe, as the brute Beafts do, but exer-
cifing Faith in the goodnefs and power of
God. By this mean we (hall beft approve
our felves to him, and moft confult our own
Interefts : By this mean we fhall obtain of
hini to be our Saviour and mighty Deliverer
in all Dangers, and fliall for ever have Caufe
to give him Thanks, who is the help of our
Countenance and our God.

TFe hitmhly hefeech thee 0 Father Ahtiigh-
ty to look upon our Infirjnities^ and for
the Glory of thy Name^ 6cc.

C 4. S E R-

?4

SERMON II.

P S A L. XLII. 6, 7.

According to the Tranflation of our Liturgy,

Why art thou fo full of Heavinefs^ 0 my
Souty and njhy art thou difquieted withifi
me .<? Vut thy trufl in God, for I will yet
give him thanks for the help of his Coun-
tena?ice.

MW.^^^^ Aving, the laft Time, given you
^ TT ^ an Account of the Occafion and
P M Scope of thefe Words, as they

^WMM^y were fpoken by the Pfahnift, and
treated of fuch pradical Points, as may be
deduced from them, as fo cenfidered : I now
come to that, which I chiefly defigned when
1 pitched upon this Text, which was, as I
told you, to fpeak to the Cafe of thofe Peo-
ple among us, that are troubled with religi-
ous Meiancholly.

And here, that which I propofe to do, is
to confider the feveral Things that are mod:
apt to difturb them, and which are wont to
create great uneafinefs, and trouble, and per-
plexity to their Minds, and to give fuch an
Account of thefe Things, as that every good

' • . Man

The Second Sermon, ij

Man may be fatisfied, that there is no Rea-
fon that, for the fake of them, his Soul fhould
be caft down, or his Spirit difquieted within
him ^ but, on the contrary, that he ought to
praife God, and to look upon him as the help
of his Countenance, and his God, as David
exprefleth it in this Pfalm.

But, before 1 engage in this Argument, it
is fit I Ihould give you a more particular Ac-
count of what I mean by religious Melan-
cholly, and how it is diflinguiflied from o-
ther forts of trouble of Mind, that are inci-
dent to Mankind.

Firfl of all, there is a Melancholly and
dejedion of Spirit occafioned by worldly
Things, fuch as Sicknefs, or Poverty, or Di-
flrefs, or lofs of Friends, or bad Children
and Relations, or fome other outward Crofs
or Difappointment, which either is come up-
on us,^ or we fear will do. But now this is
not that trouble of Mind 1 am here concern-
ed with, tho' it be the moft common I rou-
ble that exercifeth the Minds of Men.

Secondly^ There is a trouble of Mind up-
on a religious Account, which moft Men
both good and bad have fometimes experi-
ence of, which like wife is far different from
that religious Melancholly I am here to fpeak
of. There is no good Man that at any time
falls into a Sin, or doth any Adion that he
believes to be difpleafing to God, but he muft
needs be troubled in Confcience for it, and
heartily vexed in his own Mind that he
'■ .' fhould

The Second Sermon.
fhould be fo foolidi, and fo ungrateful to his
great Benefador. He will truly be forry for
his Fault, and patiently confefs it, and ear-
neftly beg Pardon for it. But then it is not
his Infelicity to be thus troubled, and afflid-
ed, (as the Cafe is with them that are reli-
gioufly Melancholly) but it is 'his Duty and
his Advantage : For this is a Mean whereby
he muit bereftored to the Favour of God, and
to his own peace and quiet of Mind ^ and it
is the bell: Prefervative likewife againft his
falling again into the fame Fault. And fo
for bad Men, thofe that live in any courfe of
Vice or wilful Sin, there are few of them
but are fometimes much troubled in Mind,
and feel a great load of Melancholly upon
their Spirits, when they refled upon their
fpiritual Condition : Many Occafions are by
the Providence of God thrown in their way,
which feldom fail of putting them in mind of
their finful Lives, and of the Danger they are
in upon account thereof. And, if thefe Re-
flexions be ferious, they cannot but be ac-
companied with a great deal of Horrour and
Amazement. But, however they ftifle thefe
Thoughts in the time of their Health, yet
when they come to be on their lick Beds,
and expect nothing but Death , then many
of them are moft terribly awakned, their
Confciences then fly in their Faces, and in a
miferable Agony they are upon account of
their former ungodly Life, and would give
all the World to be rid of thofe difmal Ap-

prehea-

The Second Sermon. 27

prehenfions they have of themfelves, and of
their own everlafting Condition.

Bat this Trouble likewife is nothing but
what is reafonable, and confidering their Cir-
cumftances, very necelTary for them. It is
not a Melancholly grounded upon a Conceit,
or Imagination, or mifapprehenfion of Things,
for really they have great reafon to be thus
difquieted and afflided in their own Minds,
and they mull be fenfelefs and llupid, if they
were not. And it is a Mercy of God to
them, that they are thus awakned, for, if
ever they repent and come to good, it mufl
in all probability be by fuch Beginnings as
thefe.

But Thirdly, there is another kind of re-
ligious trouble of Mind, which none but
good Men, or thofe that defire fo to be, are
fubjed: too : Which yet is different from that
religious Melancholly, that is now under my
Conhderation. That which I mean, is that
Trouble which arifes from our irrefolution
or doubtfulnefs about the goodnefs or badnefs
of Actions. When, in any Cafe that we hap-
pen to be engag'd in, we are at a lofs how to
determine our felves, as fearing that, if we
a6l this way, we (in, if we ad the other
way, we may fin likewife. Thefe kind of
Doubts or Scruples do often render the Minds
of well-meaning Perfons very uneafie, even
fometiines in fuch Inftances as another Man,
and he an honeft Man too, would iind no
Pifficulty at all in. It may indeed and doth

feme-

2 8 The Second Sermon,

fometimes happen, that this perplexity and
fcrupulofity, about Ad:ions, doth proceed
from Diftemper and Indifpofition of Body ,
and, where it doth fo, it is a Spice of that
religious Melancholly I am here to fpeak uf ,
but, generally, it proceeds from ignorance
of Things, and the falfe Notions Men have
taken up about the meafure of Adlions, from
their Education, or Converfation, and the
like. And, when thefe are once removed,
and the Man comes to form a right Judg-
ment of Things, there is an end of the Scru-
ples or Doubts, and confequently of all that
Trouble they were the caufe of.

But Fourthly, As for that fort of trouble
of Mind, which we properly call religious
Melancholly, and which is my prefent Ar-
gument 5 the beft Account I can give of it is
this, that it is a dejedion of Mind occalion-
ed from the Temperament, or mod com-
monly from the Diftemperature, of the Bo-
dy, accompanied with unreafonable Fears,
and Frights, about our fpiritual Condition.

We cannot but have obferved (at leaft
they muft, that have ever had to do with
Mens Souls,) that there are a great many
Perfons who, as far as we can judge, either
by their Converfation, or by that Account
they give of themfelves , ( which they
give in fuch Circumftances too, that no Man
can fufped that they Counterfeit) are very
innocent, and vertuous Perfons, and have a
hearty Senfe of God and Religion .upon their

Minds,

The Second Sermon. ip

Minds, and would not, for all the World, do
any Thing that they know to be finful : And
who confequently may, with very good Rea-
fon, be looked upon to be the true Difciples
of Jefus Chrift, and as fuch accepted of God.
Yet thefe Perfons, tho* they have as little
Reafon as any to be troubled about their fpi-
ritual Eftate, and far lefs than moft of Man-
kind, who live without any fuch Trouble ^
yet, fuch is their Infelicity, that they are of-
ten grievoufly dejected, and under fad Fears
and Perplexities, even to that Degree, as
fometimes to think themfelves the moft mi-
ferable Wretches that breath. So that in
truth there is none in Mankind can live a
more uncomfortable Life, than they do :
Nay, even at their death, when they ftand
moft in need of Comfort, yet now and then
it happens that they cannot rid themfelves of
thofe frightful and difmal Apprehenlions.

If we enquire into the Caufes of thefe
their Troubles, or how it comes to pafs that
thefe Perfons are thus afflided and difturbed
more than other Men, I Ihould be loath to
allign thefe Two, that they themfelves look
upon to be the true ones, that is to fay, ei-
ther that God has forfaken them and left
them to themfelves, or that it is the Devil,
that is always bufie about them, and raifeth
thofe Tumults and Difturbances in their
Minds.

For as for the Firft, I doubt not but that
thefe Perfons are as much under the ProteiSi-

on

30

The Second Sermon,

on and Care and Guidance of God Aliriigh-
ty, as thofe that were never thus exercifed j
and, as for the Devil, tliey neither give him
Opportunity, nor is he, I hope, ordinarily
permitted to be fo buiie about them, as they
are apt to imagine. No , I take it, th^t the
principal Caufes and the Foundation of all
their Troubles lies in the ill Habit of their
Bodies : Their animal Spirits, which the
Soul makes ufe of as her Inflruments in the
performance of all her rational Operations.
Thefe animal Spirits, I fiy, are vitiated and
diforder'd by Fumes aridng. from Hypocon-
driack AfFedions, and that gives the firft Oc-
cafion to the diforder of their Minds.

That what I fay is true, fufficiently ap-
pears from this ; Namely, That thofe who
are conftantly and habitually thus troubled
in Mind, are known, by a great many Symp-
toms, not only to be Perfons of a melanchol-
ly Complexion, but alfo to be highly under
the Power of Hypocondriack Melancholly 'y
and thofe that are not frequently under thefe
Troubles, but only fometimes, may obferve
of themfelves that thefe Troubles have uCu-
ally come upon them, either upon fome hea-
vy Crofs and Afflidion that hasbefall'n them^
or fome great Sicknefs of which they were
not well recovered, or fome other natural
Caufe, that hath put^heir Bodies into fome
Weaknefs or Indifpofition , and, when that
has been removed, they have been as well
in their Minds as they were before. But

this

77;e Second Sermon, 21

this is not all, tho' it be true, as I have faid,
that the Seat of this trouble of Mind is in the
Body, which is by fome Occalion or other
out of order, yet it is not from hence alone
that all tliis Trouble doth proceed , for then
all Hypocondrical Perfons would be thus af-
fiided : There is fomething in the Mind it
felf of which this Diflemperature of the Bo-
dy doth commonly take Advantage, for the
making all that Stir and Diforder and Confu-
(ion that fuch Perfons feel in themfelves, and
this without doubt is fome frightful and un-
comfortable Notions or Opinions which the
Men have happened to take up in Matters of
Religion, which upon Examination, will be
found either to be plain Miftakes, or, if they
be true, yet the Men do miferably mifapply
them to their own Cafe.

Now when a melancholly Hypocondria-
cal Perfon, that is by his Temper inclined to
be ferious, and devout and religious, hath
unluckily leavened his Mind with fuch falfe
Principles, or, thro' want of skill, makes
fuch mifapplication of true ones ; it cannot be
avoided but when he comes to view himfelf
in fuch a Glafs as this, which is of his own
framing, and to make a Judgment of his own
fpiritual Features, and the condition of his
Soul therefrom, he mult needs do it mighti-
ly to his own dif idvantage, and confequently
create to himfelf a World of trouble and dif-
quiet and anxiety (more than he needs to
do.) . . _

Admitting

^ 1 The Second Sermon]

Admitting now this to be a true Account
of that which we call religious Melancholly,
you fee there are two Things necefTary to be
done, in order to the Cure or Removal of
it.

Firft, That the Perfons afflided with it do
take care of their Bodies, that they be put
into a better ftate of Health and Vigour, and
freed from all Hypocondriack Fumes that do
opprefs them.

Secondly, That they endeavour to get
their Minds truly informed, about thofe Mat-
ters of Religion, from which their Difeafe
doth, as I may fay, take a Handle to vex and
difturb them.

To prefcribe Rules about the firfl: of thefe
belongs to the Phyfician, and therefore Ifhali
not pretend to meddle therein : But the fe-
cond Thing is a proper Subjed for a Divine,
and accordingly I fliall difcourfe of it, as fai?
as I have been acquainted with Cafes of this
nature, tho', to fpeak my Thoughts freely,
I muft needs fay that in many of thefe Ca-
fes, the Phyficians Part is every whit as ne-
celfary, if not more, than that of the Divine j
for, if the bodily Indifpofition was removed,
mofl of the Fears and Frights and Difturban-
ces, that happen upon a religious Account,
would vanifh of themfelves : At leaft, the
Perfons would be capable of receiving full
Satisfadion, about thofe Matters, from the
prudent Inflrudlions and Difcourfes of thofe
whom they confulted ; whereas, while the

Root

The Second Sermon. } J

Root of the Difeafe (I mean that ill Ferment
of the Blood and Spirits) remains in the Bo-
dy, the moft comfortable Difcourfes that can
be made to them about their fpiritual Con-
dition (tho' to the Byftanders that hear them
they appear never fo wife and rational) will
often hive but little effed upon them. Or,
if they do give them fome Eafe and Satisfadi-
on, for the prefent, yet in a little time their
Troubles and Fears return again, and are as
impetuous as they were before.

1 know that many of thefe, that are af-
iiided with this Malady, will not eafily give
Credit to what I now fay. A Man, for in-
ilance, that is troubled with horrid blafphe-
mous Thoughts, which is one of the Cafes I
ihall hereafter fpeak to, will think it Itrange
that you Ihould advife him, for the Cure of
Sin, to make ufe of Phyfick and Exercife,
and fuch other Methods, as are prefcribed
to valetudinary Perfons, for the recovery of
their Health : Why, faith he, I am well e-
nough in Body, I eat, I drink, I fleep, all
iny Difeafe is in my Mind : I would be rid
of thefe wicked Thoughts, that do continu-
ally haunt me and torment me, and what
can Phyfick or Exercife contribute to that? I
have need of a fpiritual Phyfician : Why
thus far indeed he is in the right, a fpiritual
Phyfician may do him fome Service, and sive
him fome Comfort by convincing him (if he
be capable of it) that thefe Thoughts of his,
how wicked and blafphemous fuever they are.
Vol. III.' D ihall

34 *The Second Sermon.

fliall do him no harm, fo long as he doth not
confent to them : That he is never the worfe
for them, that they fhali never come into his
Account, at the Day of Judgment. But this is
all he can do, he cannot, I doubt, put him in-
to a Way of getting rid of thefe Thoughts,
which is the main Thing he defires ^ for
that cannot be done but by the alteration
of the (late of his Body, from the ill Difpo-
fition of which, all thefe Thoughts do arife.
But now, the Man being ignorant of this,
and having no Notion how his Body fhould
;hus afFed his Soul, as to the making her
think after this or that manner, (which yet
it certainly doth,) cannot readily entertain
any Advices that are given to him, with rela-
tion to that, tho' yet he will find, upon try-
. al, that it is from hence only that his Cure
mulT; be perfeded.

And now, having premifed this, in order
to the ihewing what fort of Relief the appli-
cation of Theological Remedies will afford to
Perfons in thefe Cafes, I come to fpeak to
the Cafes themfelves. And thefe indeed are
various, as various as are Mens Tempers, and
the Opinions they have taken up about Reli-
gion. Two of the mofl common ones, name-
ly thofe two that I have already given a Hint
of, I mean to fpeak to, in this and the fol-
lowing Difcourfes, that I defign to make up-
on this Argument. Deferring the others to
future Opportunities, as they eome in niy
way.

The

The Second Sermon. J 5

The Firfl is the Cafe of tliofe, that are in
the Strite of defertion, as we commonly call
it, that are deprived of all the fpiritual Com-
forts they ufed to find in their Duty, and
thereupon think that they are forfaken of God.

The Second is the Cafe of thofe that think
themfelves giv'n up to the Power of the De-
vil, upon account of a Multitude of wicked
blafphemous Thoughts, and Fancies, which
do continually haunt their Minds, do wha£
they can to the contrary.

Now, both thefe Cafes I fhall endeavour
to give fuch an Account of, that the Perfons
concerned in them may be fatisfied that they
may, and ought to apply Davids Words in
my Text to themfelves, and to fay with him.
Why art thou cajl dovpn 0 my Soitl, why art
thou difqiiieted ivithin me .<? Put thy tritjl in
God, for Ijhall yet give him thanks^ who k
the help of my Countenance^ and my God.

I begin with the Firft , the Cafe of Defer=
tion. Many pious and devout People we
have known, that are under terrible Appre-
henhons that God hath forf iken them, and
withdrawn his Prefence and Afliftance from
them, and left them wholly to themfelves.

If we ask them what makes them think fo,
why they tell you, they have loft all that Joy
and Comfort that ufed to fill their Souls :
They cannot Pray, nor give Thanks, • nor
receive the Sacrament with that Devotion
and Satisfaftion they ufed to do, their Hearts
are altogether dead as to all fpiritual Exercife %
D a Whence

5 6 Tl:e Second Sermon.

Whence now, fiy they, can this proceed but
from Gods for{;^king them and withdrawing
his gracious Influence from them, that he
was pleafed formerly to vouchfafe them.

Two Things I fliall do in fpeaking to this
Cafe.

FirJI, I fhall fhew what it is for God to
forfake a Man, and that they have no reafon
to believe that they are in that State.

Secondly^ I fhall give an Account of the
true Caufes from whence thefe Effedls do pro-
ceed, which they attribute to Gods forfaking
them.

I begin with the Firft. Two Notions of
Gods forfaking Men v»^e meet with in the
Scripture. The one with refped to their
outward Circum (lances, and it confifts in
Gods withdrawing his outward Bledlngs from
them. The other is with refped to their
fpiritual Condition, and conlifts in Gods
withdrawing his inward Grace from them.

It is in the firft of thefe Senfes, I do veri-
ly believe, that David fo often in the Pfdms
complains of Gods forfikinghim ^ of his hid-
ing his Face from him, of his abfenting him-
felf, and (hutting up his loving Kindnels in
difpleafure ^ and, if any one will carefully
perufe the Pfalms, where thefe and fuch like
ExprelTions are ufed, and mind upon what
Occafion they come in, 1 dare fay, they will
be convinced, from the fcope and defign of
the Difcourfe, that David doth not make
thefe Complaints, with reference to his fpiri-
tual

The Second Sermon. 3 7

tual Eftate ^ as if God had withdrawn his
Grace or the inward Influences of the Holy
Spirit from his Mind, but wholly with refe-
rence to fome outward Calamity, fome out-
' ward Diftrefs, or Afflidion, or perfecution,
that he or the Church of God was then un-
der ; But now this is nothing to the Cafe of
thefe Perfons among us that I am at prefent
fpeaking, it is not of Gods forfiking them in
this Senfe that they complain : Let God ex-
ercife them with as many outward Afliidi-
ons and Adverfities, as he pJeafeth, they will
bear them as well as they can, but they will
not murmur or complain upon Account there-
of, But they are afraid that God has forfi-
ken them, as to their fpiritual Condition,
that he hath withdrawn from them the in-
ward Influences of his Holy Spirit, and left
them to themfeives.

But now what little Grounds they have,
for fuch Fears as thefe, will fufliciently ap-
pear, from confidering the Nature of this fe-
conJ fort of Defertion or Gods forfaking
Man.

It cannot be denied but that God may, and
fometimes doth, forfake Men, by withdraw-
ing from them the inward aiiiftance of his
Grace and Spirit, and this is defertion pro-
perly fo called ^ and a he ivy Judgment it is,
upon wbomfoever it falls : And this I take to
be that, which David fo earneflly prays a-
gainft, in the 5ifl iy^/;/2, after he had fo
grievoufly provoked God, and wounded his

D 3 own

The Second Sermon.

own Confcience, by his foul Adultery and
Murder ^ Caji me not away^ faith he, from
thy prefeiice^ and take not thy holy Spirit
from me. God, I fty, may, and it is to be
fear'd doth fometimes, forfake Men in this
Senfe : He withdraws from them his Grace,
both that preventing, and aflifting, and even
that retraining Grace, which he had former-
ly afforded them , and leaves them entirely
to themfelves to be fili'd with their own
Ways, and to commit all manner of Sin with
greedinefs; and thus, for Inflance, he for-
fook Judas Ifcariot, upon which the Devil
enter'd into him. And this State is that
which the Scripture expreifeth by darknefs
of Heart, by hardnefs of Heart, by being
given up to a reprobate Mind '^ by being un-
der the Power of flrong Delufions, and the
like 5 but then it is to be remember'd.

Dens nimquam deferit 7iifi deferentem^

as St. Anjiin fomewhere fpeaks, that Godne^
ver thus forfaketh any Man that hath 7iot
long before forfaken him j God is patient
apd lo jig-fufFering, and is not eaiily provoked
thus to give up a Man. Long doth he bear
"with the Ungratitude and Perverfenefs of his
Creatures, and many and various Ways doth
he ufe to bring them to a Senfe of their Sin,
and of their Duty. But, if they redft all
thefe Means, if the goodnefs of God doth
not lead them to Repentance, but on the con-
trary.

Tl?e Second Sermon. jp

trary, they defpife the Riches of Iiis Grace,
and forbearance and long-fafFering, and con-
tinue obftinate in their evil Courfes, and
ceafe not to put Affronts upon the holy Spi-
rit of God 5 a Time will come, when this
holy Spirit will no longer flay with them, but
he will return to his Place, and leave them to
their own hi rdnefs of Heart and impeniten-
cy, to treafure up Wrath againft the Day of
Wrath, and the Revelation of the righteous
Judgment of God.

It is true that every Act of wilful Sin, and
efpecially every habit of fuch Sin, doth high-
ly grieve the Spirit of God. But yet it is
not, for every fuch Ad or Habit, that the
Spirit doth ufually forfike Men. _ He flill
continues to knock at the Door of their Hearts,
and to purfue them .with his holy Motions,
fo long as there are any Hopes of gaining
them to Repentance '^ But, if Men be unper-
fuadable, and, inftead of complying with
Gods Grace, and reforming their Ways, go
on adding Sin to Sin, and growing more au-
datious and impudent in their Provocations,
it is but juft with God to abandon fuch un-
grateful Wretches, and totally to leave them
to themfelves.

But it is to be hoped there are but very
few, in Comparifon, among us whom God
hath thus forfaken. The greateft part of
Men, tho' they are far from being as good as
they (hould, (nay far from being fo good as
they muft be if ever they come to Heaven)
D 4 yet

40 The Second Sermon.

yet. are not thus forfaken. The Spirit doth
Hill drive with them, ami, tho' he doth not
dwell within them (which he doth in none
but holy and fandifyed Perfons) yet he of-
ten affords them his Prefence, and offers them
his AfTiflance, he often puts good Thoughts
into them, and gives them many Opportuni-
ties of refcuing themfelves from the Slavery
they are under : If they will make ufe of that
AfTifl'ance, and comply with thofe Motions,
and improve thofe Opportunities as they may
do, there is no doubt in the World but they
v/ill be gained to Vertue and Happinefs, God
hath not forfaken them, and confequently
there is Hopes of them, till they be hardned
in their Sins, as we re id Pharaoh was.

If this now be the true Notion of fpiritual
Defertion, as without doubt it is , we may
from hence learn thefe four Things, which
I ferioully recommend to the Confideration of
all thofe afflided Perfons amongft us, that I
am now concerned with , and I conclude
with them.

Firfl of all that they, of all others, have ,
the leafl Reafon to imagine that they are for-
faken of God, for they, ofallothers, are far-
theft from that State, which I have now re-
prefented as the true State of fpiritual Defer-
tion : Their Hearts are fo far from being ob-
flinately bent to the purftiit of any evil
Courfc, that they abhor nothing more than
the Thoughts of it. They have a raoft ten-
der Senfe of their Duty, would not for the

World

The Second Sermoyi, 4 ^

Vv^orlcl willingly do any Thing that they know
is difpleafing to God j all their Grief and
Trouble is that they do notpleafe him enough,
that they do not perform that chearful uni-
form Obedience to his holy Laws, that they
defire to do. Doth this now look like the
Cafe of one that is abandoned of God, and
left to himfelf > The Effects of Gods forfa-
kingMen, are hardnefs of Heart, and Impe-
nitence, and running on in aCourfeof known
Wickednefs without any Reludance or Re-
morfe. No Man that is ever apprehenfive of
Gods forfiking him, that is ever fearful that
he fhould, or troubled that he hath y no fuch
Man, I fay, is really forfaken by him.
Thofe, that are the leaft fenfible of fuch a
Judgment, are the likelieft to have it inflicted
upon them.

Secondly, Thofe Perfons', whofe Cafts
we are reprefenting, as they are not at pre-
fent forfiken by God, fj neither are they in
danger of it ? For, whatever Appreheniions
they may have of themfelves, they do not
give God Occafion to forfake them, becaufe
they do not forfake him. For, I fuppofe,
tho' they complain of great Dulnefs and In-
fenfibiiity, and can by no m.eansfatisfie them-
felves in their religious Endeavours and Per-
formances, yet they have really as rooted an
Averfion to every Thing that is Evil, and
ha\'e as hearty a Defire and as fteddy Refo-
lutions, and ufe as ferious Care to frame their
Life and Convcrfation accorc^in}; to the Laws

of

^2 57;e Second Sermon.

of God, as ever they had, or did. Now, fo
long as they continue in this frame and difpo-
fition of Mind, -alTuredly God is as much
prefent with them by his Grace and Holy
Spirit (tho' they do not feel it fo much) as
ever he was. They partake as much of his
Influence and Communications, and do real-
ly ?s much enjoy his Favour and the Light
of his Countenance, in the true Senfe of it,
as ever they did : And, however cloudy and
liftlefs their Minds be, however flat and dry
in their Devotions, how little Joy and Com-
fort foever they find in their Lives ^ they
are certainly as dear to God (who knoweth
their make, and diftinguilheth between the
fteady Principles of their Minds, and the un-
certain Tempers of their Bodies which afFed
them) I fay they have as much the Favour
and Acceptance of God, as when they thought
themfelves in the mod: happy Condition,
Nay, and they will continue fo to have, as
long as they continue their Care and Dili-
gence in ferving him. and obeying his Laws.

But thirdly, when once they begin to grow
carelefs in their Lives, when their good pur-
pofes and Refolutions flag and grow cold,
and their Devotions are feldomer, and their
relapfes into Sin more frequent and more
grievous , then let them have a Care of them-
felves, for thefe are evil Symptoms, of a
dangerous Fall approaching : They now be-
gin to grieve the Holy Spirj^, and to provoke
him to withdraw himfelf : And, if they do

not

The Second Ser??ion. ^.j

not by Repentance recover themfelves to their
former he?ilthful Conflitution of Soul, that
Holy Spirit will by degrees withdraw hiin-
felf. For, in the fame degree, that they
forfake their Duty, will the Holy Spirit for-
fake them ^ as Sin grows ftronger in them,
fo doth the Spirit grow weaker : So that, if
they go on in this falling declining Conditi-
on, they will at laft lofe the indwelling of
the Spirit, and be reduced to the State of
fenfual carnal Men. It doth therefore infi-
nitely concern all thofe, that areat prefent in
a good Condition, to keep up their holy Pur-
poses and Refolutions as much as they can ;
I at no time to flacken their Diligence in the
I Service of God, how dryly and unfatisfado-
j rily foever they perform it : If their Hearts
j be fincere, and they do really make it their
Bufinefs to live as well as they can, no mat-
ter what they think of themfelves, no mat-
ter what inequality of Temper, what ebbs
and flows of Affedions they are fubjed to :
All is Ifill right with them ^ but when they
begin to grow negligent and carelefs in their
Endeavours, and to indulge themfelves in a-
ny vain or linful Courfe 3 then begins their
Danger.

But then Fourthly, and Laftly, to con-
clude this Point, If it fliould be the unhap-
pinefs of thefe Perfons, by their own Care-
lefnefs, to lofe the inhabiting Prefence of the
Holy Spirit, which was the Principle of Re-
generation and the new Life in them, fo

that

44 -^^^ Second Sermon.

that they are now brought back agnin to the
State of worldly fenfual Men, yet, as it ap-
pears from what has been faid, it is not e-
ven yet to be concluded that they are for fa-
ken of God, or in a State of Defertion truly
fo caird \ for tho' the Spirit doth not now a-
ny longer dwell with them, but has quitted
their Souls from being his Temple, his Ha-
bitation, (becaufe they have expelled him
thence) yet it is to be hoped he hath not
quite given them over , as God affords them
Itill many outward Means of Grace and Re-
conciliation, fo he affords them many in-
ward Motions to make thofe Means effedual
to their recovery : And, tho' their Conditi-
on be infinitely more hazardous than it was,
and their Repentance more difficult, yet flill
they may repent and recover. For, as I faid
before, no Man is forfaken of God that is ;
not given up to hardnefs of Fleart , (I do not i
mean fuch hardnefs of Heart as fome melan-
cholly People fancy they are troubled with) \
but i mean a wretched Stupidity, and uncon- i
cernednefs about fpiritual Affairs, fo that he
lives in Sin and knows that he doth fo, and ,.
is content with his Condition, and thus con- i
tinues to live without deligning or endea-J
vouring to return to God, and his Duty ^
which certainly is a fid Condition, and Gel'
4ynghtj deliver us from it, dcc.

I

SER-

45

SERMON III.

-• - ■■— ■■■-... — — — ■— ^

P S A L. XLII. 5, 7.

According to the Translation of cur Liturgy,

Why art thou fo full ofHeavinefs, O my
Soitl^ and why art thou difquieted within
me .<? Viit thy trufl in God, for I ivill yet
give him thanks for the help of his Coimte-
nance,

P^4^^ Am now fpeaking to the Cafe of
; ^^ J ^2 thofe People, who are under great
^^ ,^ Afflidions, upon account of the
M^^m lofs of their fpiritual Comfort,
which they ufed to feel in the performance
of their Religious Exercifes, and which they
attribute to Gods forfaking them, and leav-
ing them to themfelves. Time has been
(fay they) when they have taken great de-
light in the Ways of God, and have experi-
enced the comfortable Influences of his Spirit
upon their Minds. They were then full of
life and vigour, and cauld meditate, could
read, could pray, could receive the Sacra-
ment, with a great deal of Devotion, and a
great deal of Satisfadion : But now they find
a great abatement of their A ffedions towards

God :

A 6 7/;e Third Sermon,

God : All their religious Exercifes are per-
formed very heavily : They find no manner
of Sweetnefs in them. On the Contrary,
they are very troublefome to them , their
Hearts are like Pharaohs Chariots, either
they cannot move at all in the Way of God,
or they move with wonderful difficulty : Is
not this a plain Indication that God hath for-
faken them, and withdrawn his Prefence and
Alliftance from them ?

This is the Cafe I am now upon, and in
fpeaking to it I propofed to do two Things.

Firfi, To give an Account of Defertion
truly fo call'd, or what it is for God to for-
fake a Man, and to Ihew that thefe People
have no reafon in the World to apprehend
that they are in that State.

Secondly y To give a true Account of thofe
EfFeds, which melanchoUy Perfons are wont
to afcribe to God's forfaking them, and with-
drawing his Grace from them : And withal
to offer fomething both for the Direction and
Comfort of Perfons that are in this Condi-
tion.

The firft of thele Points I difpatched the
lafl Time. I now proceed to the other,
which is to give an Account of thefe Effedls
which melancholly People are wont to afcribe
to Gods forfaking them, and withdrawing
his Grace and Spirit from them, and like-
wife to offer fuch Things as may be of ufe in
order to their Cure.

Ths

The Tl?ird Sermon. 47

The firft Thing I have to reprefent is this.
What if all the abatement of their AfFedions
towards God, all this dulnefs and deadnefs
of Heart in their Devotions, which thefe
good People complain of, do arife purely
and folely from the Temper of their Bodies ?
I maft confdfs I think it doth fo in all thefe
Cafes, where the Man hath not brought this
Indifpofition upon himfeif, by a wilful ne-
gldd or difufe of his fpiritual Exercifes, and
giving himfeif up to a .carelefs, worldly, or
fenfual Life.

I touched upon this Head, and fpoke fome-
thing about the Influence of the Body upon
the Mind, in my lafl Difcourfe, where I
fpoke of religious Melancholly in General:
And here my Argument leads me to treat a
little more particularly of it. You all know,
that we confift of two Parts, a Soul, and a Bo-
dy, which, tho' they are diftind: Subftances
and capable of fublifting feparately, the one
from the other, yet, while we live in this
mortal State, they are by the wonderful Pow-
er of God fo clofely united, that they do
ftrongly affed one another. Tho' it be our
Minds, or our Spirits, or our Souls proper-
ly, that can be faid to think, or torefled, or
to perceive, or to remember, or to hope j
or to fear, or to enjoy, and the like , yet all
thefe Operations are influenced by, and do
receive a kind of Tindure as I may fay from,
that State, and Condition, and Plight that
the Body is in. For it is plain, by manifold

Expert-

Tl)e Third Sermon,

Experience, that our Souls, in this World*
cannot ad at all, without the help and mini-
ftry of the purer Parts of our Bodily Sub-
llance •, which purer Parts (let them confift
in what they will) we call by the Name of
Animal Spirits. Now, as thefe Animal Spi-
rits, which the Soul makes ufe of as her In-
Itrument in all her intellectual Operations, I
fay, as thefe are well or ill difpofed, fo will
all the Ads of our Minds proceed according-
ly : Sometimes, when they are quite ftified
and opprefl:, as in a Fit of an Apoplexy, and
fuch like Diflempers, our Minds, how vigo-
rous foever they have been before, cannot
think at all, but we are quite without Senfe
and Perception. Again, at another Time,
when their Motion is not quite damped, but
yet, thro* a Diflemper, they move irregular-
ly and tumultuoully, as in the Cife of a vio-
lent Fever, why then, tho' we do think, yet
we think wildly, and extravagantly, and in-
confiftently, even to that Degree, that we
call it Deliroufnefs or Frenzy. Again, at a-
nother Time, when the Animal Spirits do
move regularly, and are a lit Inftrument for
the Soul to work with, yet, as there is great-
er or lelfer Plenty of them, as they are finer
or grolfer, as they are more or lefs agitated ,
fo, accordingly, are the Operations of our
Souls more liv^ely, or more dull, performed
with more Eafe or with more Difficulty ^
with greater, or with lefs Pieafure and Sa-
tisfadion to our felves. We cannot think fo

freely.

Jhe Third Sermon] 3fJ^

freely, after a full Meil, nor fo ilrongly,
after we are tired and difpirited with bodily
Labour : Nor fo attentively, when we are
diverted by Pain or outward Objects. Nay,
there are fomeConflitutions fo fufceptive of Im-
prellions from without, that the very chan^^e of
Weather occalions a great Change in the Tem-
per of the Mind \ as to its being chearful or
inelancholly, fit or unfit to think. And this
alfo, as to our Paffions j as fome Men are
inclined more to one Faflion, and others to
another, fo the very fame Perfon IhaJl find
the like difference in himfelf, being fome-
times for Inftance flrongly difpofed to Chear-
fulnefs and Joy, at other Times to unufu-
al Inclinations, to Sadnefs, and Fear, and
Grief. Whence now proceed all thefe
Changes and various Difpofitions, that we
feel in our felves ? Certainly, not fo much
from the Soul (for the Habits and Difpofiti-
ons of that are often, for all thefe Vari-
eties, the very fame,) but rather, they are,
in a great Meafure, if not wholly, to be at-
tributed to the variety of Tempers, that the
Body is fubjed to , which the Soul cannot
many times either prevent, or alter.

And why may it not be thus, in the Bud-
nefs we are now concerned in ? Why may
we not afcribe all that inequality we find in
our Affedions towards God, and fpiritual
Things, wholly to the inequality of the Tem-
per of our Bodies ? Without doubt, this is
generally the Caufe of it : When our animal
Vol. Ill/ E Spirits

5d Tl^e Third Sermon,

Spirits are fine, and pure, and in a conveni-
ent Plenty, then, whatever we apply our
Minds to, we can go chearfully about it, and
vigoroufly purfue it , and, if then fome re-
ligious Matter be the Objed we employ our
Thoughts and Meditation upon, we fliall do
it very fuccefsfully : We fhall be able to give
a ferious Attention to what we are about,
and fhall have more lively Apprehenfions of
Things, and thefe Apprehenfions will be ac-
companied with fuitable Affedions, fo that,
if we pray, we (liall pray with greater Ardor,
and Fervency , if we read, or hear, it will
be with greater Intenfnefs, and quicker Ap-
prehenfions : If we meditate, we fliall do it
with greater life and ferioufnefs , and we
fhall raife our felves to an unufual pitch of
Devotion : And a great deal of Joy and De-
light will arife in our Souls, from this brisk-
nefs and vigour of their Operations about
fuch excellent Subjeds. And, if this adlivi-
ty of our animal Spirits did always lafl,
without doubt, it would be no hard Matter
to keep up always this Life and Vigour of
our Souls, in the exercife of Religion, toge-
ther with the Satisfadion that does attend it.
But here is the Mifery, Thefe, being in a
conftant Flux and obnoxious to a thoufand
Alterations, and Depreflions, both from out-
ward and inward Caufes, nay being fubjed:
to be fpent and dilTipated by the very em-
ploying them, (for there is no Man that thinks
warmly, and for a long Time upon any

Things

Tlpe Tinri Sermon) f I

Thing, but mightily exhaufls his Spirits,
and leaves himfelf after fuch Intenfion very
flat and languid,) I fay, this being the Cafe,
how can it be avoided, but that the Soul
muft fympathize with the Body in ail thefe
Alterations, and Decays, even as to her fpi-
ritual and religious Operations, as well as o-
thers ? Doth any Man always follow his
worldly Affairs, with the fame Brisknefs and
Chearfulnefs ? Can any Man fludy, or read,
or difcourfe, at all Times, with the fame ea-
finefs and fatisfadion to his own Mind ?
Doth not every Man find himfelf fometimes
mightily out of humour, and dull, and lift-
lefs, when he (hould fet himfelf about any
of thofe Things ; tho' perhaps he hatha great
Mind to it ? And, if thefe varieties and ine-
qualities of Temper cannot be prevented, ia
other Things, what Reafon has any one to
think, that his Endeavours and Performances
in Religion, fhould be exempted from them ?
Why fhould he imagin, that he fhould be al-
ways able to pray with the fame Fervour and
Affedtion, or that he fhould alway take that
delight and fatisfadion in the exercife of Re-
ligion, that he fometimes doth ? No, as long
as we have thefe Bodies about us, the bell
Men muft exped thefe ebbs and flows of Af-
fedion to tlie fervice of God : And that, e-
ven v/hen they are in good Health ; and,
therefore, much more, if it fhould be their
Misfortune to have their Animal Spirits de-
praved by Hypocondriack Indifpofitions ^ as
E 2 moft

si The T)nrd Sermon,

moft of the Perfons whofe Cafe we are fpea^-
ing to, no doubt, have. But, however,
though thefe Things may be their Trouble,
yet they are not their Sins, and this may be
their Comfort, that, tho' for the prefent they
have loft their former Vigour and Joy, and
are quite out of humour for performing their
religious Duties, yet if they will have Pati-
ence with themfelves, they will in time re-
cover that good Humour again : Their Vi-
gour and chearful temper of Mind will re-
turn, as the accidental Indifpoiitions wear off
from the Body.

But fome of thefe People, who complain
of God's forfaking them, may fay, that, in
what I have hitherto faid, I have not
reached their Cafe , that which troubles
them is not fo m.uch the fiatnefs and deadnefs
of their Affedions in Devotion, now and
then, which all good Men are fubjed to, but
this j they have quite loft thofe enravilliing
Joys and Confolations, which they have for-
merly felt in communion with God, and
which could not be the meer Effed of their
own good Temper, and the brisknefs of their
natural Powers, but were certainly the Com-
munications of God to their Souls. They
have heretofore been raifed up many Pitches
above themfelves, and enjoyed fuch Pleafures
and Satisfadions in their approaches to God,
as far exceed all others upon Earth. But
now, tho' they cannot fay but that they are
as careful of their Lives, and Adions as they

were

Tl?e Third Sermon, r r

were then, and endeavour to ferve God as
well as they can, yet the Cafe is much alter-
ed with them, they have quite loft thofe
Manifeftations of Gods Favour, that h'ght of
his Countenance, thofe Glimpfes which were
the fupport of their Souls, and the Joy of
their Lives, and this is that they complain of.
Well, let us confider this in the fecond
Place ; and, here, I would firft ask thefe
Perfons, how they come to know that thefe
rapturous Joys, they fpeak of, were indeed
owing to the Power and Influence of the Ho-
ly Ghplt upon them > It will bear a juft
Difpute, whether thefe overflowing Joys
and Comforts, that are fometimes felt upon
the application of our Minds to fpiritual
Things, be always to be afcribed to the Ope-
ration of Gods Spirit upon the Mind , or,
whether they be not often the meer EfFed:s of
a heated Brain, and a raifed Imagination ? Or
rather indeed, the Thing is paft difpute, for
it is certain, that, in fome Perfons, thefe Ef-
fecT:s, even in the higheft Degree of them,
owe their Production to no higher a Caufe
than their natural Powers : Witnefs the tranf-
ports of Joy, and the Pleafures, even to ex»
tafy, which many Enthufiaftical Perfons
have felt, or at leaft have given out that they
have, in the exercife of the grofleft Superfti-
on, (of a faiCe Religion^) and which many,
of the fame Complexion, have experienced
likewife in the true Religion. VVho, vet,
have been Perfons of none of the beft Mo-
E 3 rals

l?;e 7hird Sermon,

rals, but, In truth, wholly devoid of the
fpiritual Life : Now, I fay, to attribute
thefe raptures and extafies of Joy, in fuch
Perfons, to the Holy Spirit of God, will be
very hard, (at Jeaft now-a-days when mira-
culous Powers are ceafed.) No, certainly,
all fpiritual joy is not the Joy of the Holy
Ghoft 5 a Man may be fometimes fo full of
Joy, that his Soul is even ready to break its
Prifon, and yet, for all that, not be a Whit
the more aded by a Divine Spirit.

But how fhall we be able to know, when
the Joy and Satisfadion we feel, in the ex-
ercife of Religion, doth arife from the Holy
Spirit, and when from our own Tempers ?
This is a material Queftion, and thus I an-
fwer it. All thofe Joys, that we can give
no good Account of, that arife in our Minds
we know not how, or wherefore *, and like-
wife all thofe Joys, which, while we feel
them, do not make us better, do not more
incline us to love God and our Neighbour,
do not more difpofe us to hate Vice and Im-
purity, and efpecially the more fpiritual Im-
purities of Pride, and Self-love, which we
may labour under ^ 1 fay, all thefe Joys and
Confolations, how high and rapturous foever
they be, are juftly to be fufpeded by us, as
the pure Refults of our own heated Tempen
Thefe are the two certain Marks and Chara-
d-ers, whereby we may be able to diilin-
guiih the Peace and the Joy, that arifeth
from the Holy Spirit, from that that arifeth

from

The Third Sermon. 5 5

from the Ebullition of our own anim:^! Spi-
rits. Namely, Firfl that the Peace and Joy
of the Holy Ghoft is always rational, there
is fome good Ground, fome folid Foundati-
on for it in the Mind of the Man that feels
it ; which Foundation is a good Confcience,
a being able to fatisfie our felves, from the
Teftimony of our own Hearts, and Lives,
that we are fincere and unfeigned in our De-
fires and Endeavours to approve our felves to
God, as his £iithful Servants. This (faith
St. Faid^ is our rejoycing^ the Teflimony of our
Confcience that in fimplicity and Godly fmceri-
ty XV e have had our Converfation in the World,

And, Secondly, This Joy of the Holy
Spirit is never a barren ineffectual Joy, a Joy
that only amufes and pleafes us, without
making us better ^ but, it ftrangely excites
our Diligence, and quickens our Endeavours
in the Service of God ; It makes us to hun-
ger and thirft more earneftly after his Righ-
teoufnefs, and puts us upon labouring after a
greater Participation of his divine Nature :
Above all Things, it opens our Hearts to-
wards our Brethren, and fpurs us on moil
powerfully to do all the Good we can in the
World.

This is the Nature, and thefe are the Qua-
lities, of that Joy, which the Spirit of God
worketh in the Heart of Believers ^ and, if
that which we fometimes feel, in the exer-
cife of Devotion, and at the lofs of which we
complain, be not of this iNature, and have

E 4 not

5^ 71)6 Third Sermon]

not thefe Qiialities , let it be, otherwife, ne-
ver fo afFeding, and tranfporting, we cannot
be afTured that it is from God , nay rather
we have reafon to conclude, that it is the
efFed of our own Temper, and natural
Powers.

But now, having faid this by way of Cau-
tion, that we may not take every pleafing Ef-
fort of an heated Fancy, for the Manifefta-
tion of Gods Prefence, and Favour to the
Souls of Men ^ we will admit, that tliat Joy,
and thofe Pleafures, at the lofs of which
thefe Perfons complain, were really what
they take them to be , namely, the effed of
Gods Spirit working upon their Hearts. For,
I do not know, but that God's Spirit may,
and often doth, influence the Minds of good
Men, in fuch a Way as this. But then this
we fay, in the fecond Place, that the with-
drawing thofe Joys and feniible Satisfadions
from their Minds, is no Argument in the
World of God*s Difpleafure againft them,
much lefs, of his forfaking them, and leav-
ing them to themfelves. For, it is to be
confidered, that the Perfons, to whom God
moft frequently vouchfafes thefe extraordi-
nary Smitings, are ufually young beginners
in Religion •, fuch, as are but newly enter'd
upon a ferious devout Life, and, confequent4
ly, mufl be fuppofed to have many Difficul-
ties to ftruggle with, and many Sins to mor-
tilie. Now, to Perfons that are in thefa
CircumflanceSj it is but reafonabie to think,-

thac

Tl?e Tlnri Sermon, ^f

that God may, now and then, for their En-
couragement, give fome extraordinary Taftes
of the Pleafures that are to be had in Rehgi-
on, and the enjoyment of his Favour, which
he doth not often afford to more grown Chri-
ftians. As they are in the weakell: and moft
imperfed Condition, fo the Hardfhip and
Difficulty they have to 'undergo in Rehgion
are then the greatefl ^ fo that they have real
need of thofe extraordinary Supports j thofe
delicious Relifhes of God upon their Minds
are neceflary, for the turning the Balance a-
gainfl: the allurements of Sin, which do
ftrongly prefs the Affedions the' other
way, they would not be able torefiftthe
Temptations, that daily come in their Way,
were they not thus born up, by a mofl feel-
ing Senfe of the Pleafures of Religion. This
now being the Cafe, what reafon has any
good Chriftian to be troubled or difcontent-
ed at the lofs of thofe fenlible tranfporting
Joys, which he hath fometimes experienced
in the Ways of God ! Ought he, from hence
to conclude, that God loves him lefs than he
did, becaufe he hath withdrawn thofe Com-
forts from him ? No, not in the leaft , he
ought rather to conclude this, that, if he
ilill flood in need of them, God would have
flill continued them \ but, that he is now
grown Ihonger, and advanced to fuch a pitch
of Chriifianity, that he needs them not. God
now looks upon him no longer as a Child,
but as a Man 3 and therefore doth no longer

feed

The Third Sermon,

feed him with Milk, but with flronger Meat,
Would it not be very unreafonable, that, be-
caufe a Parent ufeth his Child more tenderly,
and takes more Pains about him, when he is
fick and weakly, than when he is in health,
and able to fhift for himfelf ^ for one, there-
fore, to conclude, that that Parent loved his
Child better then, when he was not able to
look to himfelf, than he doth now that he is ?
Or was it not a very perverfe Reafoning of
the elder Son in the Parable, that, becaufe
upon the return of his hungry ftarved Bro-
ther, the Prodigal, the Father ordered the
fatted Calf to be killed, and made him a
Feaft \ whereas he had not treated him, the
elder Son, with fuch expreffions of Kindnefs
for many Years before ; I fay, was it not a
perverfe Reafoning in him, therefore to con-
clude, that the prodigal difobedient Son was
more dear to his Father than he, that had
ferved him many Years, and had never dif-
pleafed him } Juft the fame Perverfenefs is
it, to argue thus : That, becaufe God doth
not feaft us continually with thefe fpiritual
Delicacies, with which he formerly enter-
tained us, or now entertains Penitents or new
Converts, that, therefore, he hath withdrawn
his Favour from us, or is difpleafed at us.
No, let us all ure our fclves, God's Care o-
ver us is the fame, that it was then, and we
Ihall want nothing, that is needful for us j
for all that he hath is ours, as the Father
there told his elder Son: And, if he hath

noW

The Tlnrd Sermon, f^

now taken away thofe liifcious Joys, which
heretofore accompanied our religious Endea-
vours, yet it is not out of any unkindnefs to
us. Something he faw, that we did not j
which made it highly reafonable and expedi-
ent, for us, that he fliould thus deal with us.
Either they were not proper for our State, or
we (hould be apt to furfeit of them, and put
them to a bad ufe. They might prove the
incentives of Pride and contempt of others.
They might hinder the purity and (incerity
of our Love to God : Or, they might make
us carelefs or negligent in our purfuit after
the mod ufeful and manly Vertues , and, for
thefe Caufes, God, in pure Compaflion an(J
Tendernefs to us, deprived us of them.

But, when a Time comes, that it will bs
reafonable and fit we fhould have them again,
as for inftance, when we are called out to
fome unufual Tryal, or are expofed to fome
imminent Danger or Temptation, where our
Faith and Vertue will need thefe extraordi-
nary Supports : In this Cafe, we need not
doubt, but God will reftore them to us with
Advantage. Thus ufually God ftrengthens
Martyrs and dy'mz Chriftians, giving them
fuch a Senfe of his Favours, and fo invigo-
rating their Minds, that the greateft Dangers
and the moil painful Death cannot difcora-
pofe them ;, and thus, without doubt, he
will Ihew himfelf to every honell: Heart, in
every Emergency, where there is need of
fach a Manifeftation of his pre fence : For
.;.'-:, God

^Q The Third Sermon]

God is faithful, and will never fufFer any of
his Servants to be tempted above what they
are able , but will with the Temptation make
a Way to efcape out of it, that they may be
able to bear it.

But Thirdly, Another Thing that deferves
ferioufly to be confidered by thefe Perfons
whofe Cafe I am fpeakuig to, is this : That
that Vigour and Life, and thofe fenfible
Pleafures and Conaforts, which they were
wont to experience in holy Duties, and of
the lofe of v/hich they complain, did not, iii
the leaft, recommend them more to God
whilft they enjoyed them : Tho' they did
much tend to the fweetning their Duty, and
rendring the performance of it more fatisfa-
dory to themfelves , yet, did they not, in
the leaft, render it more acceptable to God j
for, neither did they ferve God really better,
while they were full of thefe Comfoits, nor
do they ferve him worfe, now that they are
without them: Alwaysfuppoiing, they con-
tinue their Endeavours, and do not flag in
their Refolutions of living a holy Life. Nay,
fo far are their Duties from being lefs accep-
table to God, upon this Account, that they
are not accompanied with fuch fprightlinefs
of AfFedions and overflowings of Joy, as they
were wont, but are performed droopingly
and heavily ^ that, on the Contrary, I fcru-
ple not to fiy, they are a great deal more.
He, that finds no Pleafure and Delight in the
Ways of Godj and yet, notwithftanding, doth

ftill

77;e TInrd Serfnon: di

ftill walk in them, and continues refolved fo
to do, in fpite of all Difcouragements he meets
with, doth certainly exprefs a greater Ver-
tue, and fliews a truer Love to God, and
confequently is better accepted by him, than
if he had I know not what Spurs of fenfible
Delight to prick him forwards. He, that
when his Mind is dull and heavy, and he
cannot raife up his AfFedions fo nimbly to-
wards God, yet ftill makes a Confcience of
faying his Prayers, and prays as heartily as
he can, tho' not fo delightfully as he would,
nor fo paffionately as he was wont, I fay
fuch Prayers, as they proceed from a purer
Senfe of his Duty, fo, without doubt j they
will be more effedual with God, for the ob-
taining what he really ftands in need of, than,
if they were accompanied even with extati-
cal Tranfports of Fervour and Joy.

God meafures our Services, by the inward
fincerity of the Heart, and the honefty of
the Mind, with which they are tender'd ;
and not by the fluttering of the fenfible Paf-
fions, that go along with them, or the ex-
trinfecal Supports, which, in our efteem, do
give them Advantage. He that is in love
with his Duty, only fo long as he receives
great Joy and Satisfadion in it, or from it,
Ihews (as fome of our Divines ufe to exprefs
it) that he loves Chrift Jefus, more for the
Loaves he ufed to beftow upon him, than for
his own Goodnefs and Excellence, We then
truly ferye God, when v/e chearfuUy obey

hiin

6i Ths Third Sermon]

him for Confcience fake : But, whether that
Obedience be delightful or troublefome, plea-
ling or difpleafing to our felves, hath no o-
ther Place in the Efteem or Acceptance of
God, fave only this, that the greater the Dif-
ficulties and Difcouragements are that we lye
under, the more valuable are our Services to
him, and the more highly Ihall they be re-
warded.

Lift up thy Head therefore, O drooping
Soul, be not dejeded that thy former Joys
have forfaken thee 5 that the Light, that hath
fometimes fhined into thy Mind, is intercep-
ted by thick Clouds that encompafs thee ,
and that, inflead of the green and pleafant
Paftures in which thy Way hath hitherto
lain, thou art come into a barren and dry
Wildernefs : Think not, that this Change
was meant thee, for any Hurt, but, rather,
for thy exceeding Good. Thou haft now an
Opportunity put into thy Hands, of fhewing
the fincerity of thy Aifedions to God, of ex-
prefling thy Courage and Refolution in his
Service : If, notwithftanding thefe Difcou-
ragements, thou purfueft thy Courfe, and
doft not treacheroufly fall back, alTure thy
felf, tho' thou doft not ferve God fo much
to thy own Satisfadion, as thou waft wont,
yet thy Service is much better , and he is
more delighted to fee thee follow him, in
thefe rugged Paths, and under thefe Difcou-
ragements, than, when thy Way was moft
pleafant and fmooth, and thou waft carried

Oil

27;e Tl?lrd Sermon. 6i

on with the briskeft gales of Affedion and

Joy-
But Fourthly and Laftly, to Conclude. If

thefe Perfons, whofe Cafe I am fpeaking to,
do really defire to find a perfed Cure of thofe
Grievances they groan under : The beft Ad-
vice (as may appear from all that Jias been
faid) that can be given them, is, not to de-
fire nor covet thefe fenfible Joys and Smitings
in Religion : But, on the Contrary, to bring
themfelves, if it be poffible, to fuch a ftate of
Mind, that they can live contentedly and
comfortably, without them. We have feen
what an Influence the temper of our Bodies,
mod commonly hath, in the producing thefe
kinds of Effects \ which Temper we cannot,
v/ith our utmoft Care, preferve always in a
ftable uniform Tenor : We have feen like-
wife that what God is pleafed fomstimes, in
an extraordinary Way, to contribute to thefe
Effeds by his Spirit, is not always to be ex-
pected, becaufe the Thing is often unreafona-
bie, and no way fitting to be done. If there-
fore the comfort and happinefs of our Lives
depend upon having thefe Joys and Smitings,
it is certain it will never be conftant, but we
fhall be as often in a miferable dejeded Con-
dition, as we are in a comfortable and happy
one. What then mufl we do ? Why let us
not value thofe Things j let us not hanker af-
ter thein, but feek our Happinefs and Com-
fort from fomething elfe, fomething, that is
built upon a more folid Foundation j fome-
thing.

^4

Tie Third Sermoru

thing;, upon which our bodily Temper hath
not fo much Influence , which, when all is
done, mull be the rational Evidence, that
we are able to give our felves, that we do
fincerely endeavour to pleafe God, in thofe
Ways that he hath taught us by JefusChrifl:
his Son. The more our Religion mingles
with our Paffions, or depends upon them,
the more uncertain and fulpeded will it be
always rendred unto us.

Let us therefore labour to get our felves
into a higher Difpenfation. Let us fpiritua-
lize our Religion, as much as we can, and
make it a reafonable Service : Let us draw it
off, as much as is pofiible, from the lower
fenfative Soul, ( where the Affedions and
PafTions are) where it is too often feated,
and fix it in our Minds and Spirits : When
it hath once taken Root there, it will not fail
to bring forth the Fruits of conflant Peace,
and (whatever becomes of the feniibie Satis-
fadlion) will perpetually replenifh our Hearts
with Comfort.

Would you always be in a calm ferene
flate of Mind ? Learn to love God heartily :
PoiTefs your Minds with a deep Senfe of his
Love and Goodnefs , of his Prefence and Pro-
vidence ^ of the reafonablenefs of his Pre-
cepts 5 and the certainty of the Rewards he
hath promifed in another World. Upon
thefe Confiderations, devote your whole Man
to his Service, refign up your felves entirely
to his Government. Let it be the conflant

defire

7he Third Sermon, 6 y

defire of your Souls, and the endeavour of
your Lives, to do his Will , and to fabmit
to it, whatever it be. Do but heartily r^e-
commend your feh^es to him, for his Grace
and holy Spirit, to enable you to do yout
Duty, and to preferve you in it, and leave
all the reft of your Concernments, both oat-
ward and inward, wholly to his difpofaL
This now is a Religion truly fpiritual and
rational, and a Life thus lead will be a per-
petual Spring of uninterrupted Peace to your
Minds 5 fuch a Peace as ordinarily no irregu-
larity of Temper, no flatnefs and dullnefs of
AfFedions, that may at fometimes feize you,
no inward Indifpofition, nor outward Event,
will be able to difcompofe. Nothing can
rob you of it, but what robs you either of
your Vertue or of your Wits, and Reafon,
For, this is the rational Peace of a pureCon-
fcience, which the inequalities of the fend-
tive Nature can no ways affed, fo long as
the Head of the Man is not difordered.

It is true, this Peace is ftill and quiet, it
is not fo violent and boifterous and tranfport-
ing, as thofe iiafhes of Joy, which young
Converts now and then feel, or thofe fenfible
fmitings of Devotion, that arife from heated
and raifed Affedions : But, yet, it is a great
deal more true and folid, it is more fincere and '
unmingled, it is more conftant and regular,
it gives, a better grounded AlTurance, to thofe
that have it, of the goodnefs of their Condi-
tion 5 and laftiy, it is a Peace that will never
Vol IIL F leav©

66 Tl^e 7kircl Sermon.

leave them, fo long as they do not leave Go(3,
and their Duty : Nay, the longer they live
( provided flill their Judgment continues
found,) the more it will grow and increafe,
the greater Confolations will they have, in
the Service of God, and the greater AJTu-
rance, that they are in his Favour. And,
the nearer they approach to Death, the more
delightful Profped will they have of the hap-
py Place where they are going. And, when
they come to die (where others ftand fear-
ful and trembling at the Brink ) they will,
with great calmnefs and aifurance, refign up
their Souls to God, being able to pronounce
tothemfelves with St. Paul, I have fought a
goo J Fight, IhavefiniJJjeriffiyCourfe, I have
kept the Faith : henceforth there is laid up
for we a Croivn of Right eon fnefs, which the
Lord of righteous Judgment zvill give me at
that Day.

This Peace, this intelledlual Peace, is that
I which we are to labour after, if ever we

would live happy Lives indeed \ and, as
widely different it is, from thofs tranfport-
ing boifterous Pleafures of Religion, (of the
lofs of which the Perfons I am fpeakingof do
complain) as the kindly warmth of the Sun
is, from the fcorching of Lightning : Or, as
the pure calm Regions above are, from this
various and difturbed Air we brenth in.

In a Word, this foHd peace of Confcience
is the true Joy of the Hoi v Ghofl-, the Fruit
of the Spirit dwelling within us , ia the Senfe

of

The Tinri Sermon, tf

of which, we (hall be able to pra61:ife, with-
out interruption, thofe excellent Precepts of
the Apoftle, which feem to be the top of the
Chriftian Moralls. Be careful for nothings
but, in every thing, give thanks : Count it
all Joy^ when ye enter into divers Temptati-
ons : Rejoyce ever?nore, and again I fay, re-
Joyce.

And thus much, on the firfl: Cafe I pro-
pofed to fpeak to , the other, about the De-
vils Temptations and blafphemousThoughtSj
I ihall defer to the next Time,

Fa S E R^

SERMON IV.

2 CORINTH. II. II.

heft Sata?i fioidd get an Advantage of us,
for we are tiot ignorant of his Devices,

^J^ F T E R a general Account of
p * P that, which we call religious
^ ^ Melancholly, I came to fpeak to

^t^'SSS^'^J two of the moft ufual Cafes of
thofe, that are aiiiided with it. The Firft
was the Cafe of thofe, -that are in the State
of Defertion, as it is commonly called , that
is, thofe, who have loil all the Sweetnefs
and Comfort they ufed to find, in the Ways
of Religion, and the exercife of Piety ;, and,
thereupon, think that God hath withdrawn
his Grace and Spirit from them. And this
I have already fpoken to.

The other is the Cafe of thofe, that think
themfelves given up to the Power of the De-
vil, upon account of the multitude of wick-
ed blafphemous Thoughts, and Fancies, which
do continually haunt their Minds, do what
they can to the contrary. And this J now
come to fpeak to, and, for that purpofe, I

have

TJ^e Fourth Sermon. 6o

have chofen for my Text thefe Words of St.
Fauly heafl Satan jljoiild get an Advajitage
ofu6^ for we are not ignorant of his Devi-
ces.

Which Words will afford us a fair Handle,
both for the difcourfing this Cafe, and alfo
fome other Points relating to the Temptati-
ons of the Devil, which it may be of ufe to
us to be well inform'd about.

I do not mean to fpend Time, in giving an
Account of the particular Occafions, upon
which St. Faul fpoke thefe Words, (which
was that of the inceftuous Corinthian) nor
to inquire, what thofe particular Advanta-
ges were, that he intimates Satan would get
over the Corinthians^ if they did not follow
the Advice that he here gives them \ which
was to reftore that excommunicated inceftu-
ous Brother to the Peace of the Church, up-
on his Repentance. It is fufficient, for my
Rufinefs, to obferve, what is plainly inti-
mated in thefe Words of his, namely, the
readinefs of the Devil to take all Advantages
of us, for the drawing us from our Duty,
and the Art and Stratagems he makes ufe of,
for that purpofe j or, ifyouw^ill, thus ^ that
the Devil is always very bufie in tempting
Men to (in.

This is the Point, that now comes under
our Confideration, from this Text. There
is hardly any Dodrine of Religion, about
which Men have more different Notions and
Appreheniions, than this of the Devils tempt-
F 3 ing

^h The Fourth Sermon,

ing Mankind. Some of us do not believe
enough of it 5 others are apt to believe too
much, (as particularly thofe Perfons I before
mentioned.) Now, for the red:ifying the
Mi flakes, both on the one Hand and on theo-
ther, and the putting this Matter into as clear
a Light as I can, I propofe thefe following
Points, as the Heads of my Difcourfe upon
(his Argument, which will indeed take in
inoft of the Difficulties, that occur in it.
That is to fay,

1. Firf}^ To enquire, what is meant by
the Devil or Satan, as he is here called in the
Text.

2. Seco7idly^ Whether the Devil hath, or-
dinarily, a Power to tempt Men, efpecially
us Chriftians.

9. Thirdly, Whether all our Temptations,
to Sin, do arife from the Devil, or are to be
afcribed to him.

4. Fourthly^ Whether the Devil hath a
Power to tempt all Men alike, or the fame
Perfon alike, at all Times.

5. Fifthly, Whether we can diftinguifli
the Devils Temptations, from the evil Sug-
geftions that arife in our own Minds, from
other Gaufes.

6. Sixthly, What we are to fay of thofe
wicked blafphemous Thoughts, and other
troublefome Fancies, that are often injeded
into the Minds of melancholly People, ancj
which are ufuaily thought and cali'd the De-
vils Temptations, in a moil proper Senfe ^

and

The Fourth Sennojt, 7 1

and what is the iiiDft proper Advice to be gi-
ven in that Cafe.

Of thefe, in their Order, as far as the
Time will g;ive me leav^e.

I. The fir ft Enquiry is, Who we are to
underftind by the DtvA.

This Queftion ought I think a little to be
fpoken to, if it was upon no other Account,
than that extravagant Opinion that fome a-
mong us have taken up, about this Matter.
According to them, the Devil, that is fo of-
ten fpoken of in the Scriptures, is nothing
elfe but, either a Difeafe of the Body, or a
Phantafm in the Brain, or the wicked Princi-
ples and Inchnations of a Mans Heart. This
is the Dodrine of Mr. Hohbs and his Fol-
lowers.

But there cannot a vainer Conceit enter in-
to a Mans Head, than this is. By the very
fame Logick, that they can prove this, they
may likewife prove, that all thofe Men, that
are fpoken of in the Old and New Teftament,
were not real Perfons, but Qualities. For,
it is certain that the Devil is, in the Scripture,
as much reprefented as a Perfon, a real fub-
lifting Being, diftind from God and from
good xAngels, and from Mankind ;, I fay, he
is as plainly thus reprefented, as any Man or
Woman, that is there mentioned, is. And
he, for inftance, that will fay that, when
our Saviour was tempted by the Devil in the
Wildernefs, all this was bur a Tranficlion of
his imagination, and that it was only his own
F ^ Fancy

j% *The Fourth Sermon,

Fancy that prefented to his Eyes all the
Kingdoms of the World, and that it was only
his own Fancy that fet him upon a Pinnacle
of the Temple, and would have had him
fall'n down and worlhipped it , I fay, he
that would give fuch an Account, as this, of
that Matter, may, with the fame Reafon,
fay, that Jefus himfelf was but a Phantafm,
an hnagination, and that there was never
fuch a re?il Perfon in the World.

The Devil then has a real Being of his
own, independent of us, or any other Crea-
ture : And, that Being is of the fpiritual or
angelical Nature. As there are good Spirits
and good Angels, fo there are evil Spirits,
and evil i\ngels , and of this latter Sort is the
Devil.

But then. Secondly, when we are fpeak-
ino; of the Devil we are not to underftand anv
one particular Being, or any one particular
evil Spirit, but the whole Aggregate or Com-
pany of evil Spirits, which inhabit round a-
bout us, in the lower Regions of the Air. All
thefe are, in the Scripture Language, and in
common Speech, called by the Name of the
Devil, and fometimes, in the plural Num-
ber, by the Name of Devils.

For the underdanding this, we are to know
that, among that infinite and innumerable
company of Angels, which God created in a
happy and glorious Condition, all of them
did not continue in that primitive Happinefs :
*> But, feverai of them, by their wilful Apo-

Itacy

The Fourth Sermon. 7j

flacy from God, forfeited that Dignity and
Glory they were pofTelfed of, and fo depra-
ved their Natures, that they were uncapable
ofdvvelhngany longer, where they did be-
fore: But were, by the juft Vengeance of
God, cafl: down into thefe lower Regions of
the Air, where mey are referved, by Provi-
dence, to the Judgment and Pfnifhment of
the great Day.

This is the plain Account that the Scri-
ptures gives us as to this Matter. Thus St.
Jiic^e in the 6th Verfe of his Epiftle. 77:?^
Angels, faith he, that kept 7iot their fir ft E-
ftate, hut left their ovpn Habitations, them
hath God referved in everlafting Chains un-
der Darkne/s, unto the Judgment of the great
Day. And jufl: to the fame Purpofe and al-
moft in the fame Words doth St. Peter fpeak
in the 2d Chapter of his 2d EpifHe, Verfe
the 4th.

Thefe fain Angels now thus thrufl down
from Heaven,tho' they do yet in a greatMeafure
retain all the intelledual Accomplifhments of
the Angelical Nature, fuch as Reafon, and
Memory, and Knowledge, yet are they in
their moral Qualities quite contrary to all
the good Angels , and particularly as to this,
that, as the good Angels are infinitely kind
and benign, great lovers of God and of Man-
kind, and moft entirely difpofed to do all good
Offices to them whatfoever ^ ,fo the Nat;jre
of thofe fallen Angels is cruel and revenge-
ful, full of hatred and fpite and malice to

God,

74 T'fc Fourth Sermon.

God, and to his whole Creation : x'\nd, up-
on account of this, the Scripture hath given
to them the Name of Satan or Devil, which
two Words (as all that underfland the learn-
ed Languages know) fignifie neither more
nor lefs than an Adverfary, or an Accufer,
pr Calumniator. The one being the Hehrem
Word for it, and the other the Greek Word.
And indeed it is, with reference to this En-
mity to Mankind, that moft of thefe Names
and Characters, that they bear in Scripture,
are beftowed upon them. Upon this Ac-
count it is, that the Devil is called a Murde-
rer, a Deceiver, a Liar, and the Father of
Lies, the Deltroyer, the old Serpent, the
great Dragon, with fundry other fuch Appel-
lations. But then, tho' thefe Names, being
put in the finguhr Number, feem to denote
fome (ingle evil Spirit, that bears ill Will to
Mankind j yet, we are always to remember,
that they are to be expounded colledively,
that is to fiy, to fignilie the whole Body of
thefe apoflate Spirits, of which there are a
vail Number, I fiy the whole Body of
them, for that thefe lapfed Angels are form-
ed into a Body politick, or Government, or
Kingdom, is plainly enough intimated in the
New Teitament : For, there we meet with
the Kingdom of Darknefs, in oppohtion to
the Kingdom of Light : And there we meet
with the Prince of the Devils, as the Chief
of them. Who is likev^'ife by St. Faid cal-
led. The God cftbh Jy^oylcL and the Fnnce

The Fourth Sennon. 7%

of the Power of the Air. Under whom alfo,
as in other Societies, there are many fubor-
dinate Officers, as St. Faiil Teems to intimate
in the 6th of the Ephefians, Where among
the wicked Spirits m Heavenly Places, (that
is in the Air, as Grotius with the Ancients
rightly expounds it) that he fliith we wreftle
againfl, he makes mention in the plural Num-
ber of Principalities, and Powers, and other
Rulers of the Darknefs of this World.

This is the Scripture Account of thefe
Matters. I muft confefs, it may feem a very
odd Thing to fome, that there fliould be in
the World a Society of fuch Spirits, as are
confefTedly endowed with all the Knowledge
and Subtilityof the Angelical Nature, and yet
are fo horribly degenerated in their Morals,
as to take pleafure in every Thing that is
naught, and even in ruining Mankind, if
they could. But, that it is really poflible,
that there fhould be fuch Beings, doth, in
fome meafure, appear from the prodigious
Inftances of the depravation of reafonable Na-
tures, that we fometimes fee among our felves,
there being: Men of excellent Parts and En-
dowments to be found, that do fometimes fo
far degenerate from human Kind, that, for
all manner of Wickednefs and Malice, they
may be rather called Devils than Men. But,
that it is more than pofiible, that there are a
Race of fuch Spirits, as do malign the wel-
fare pf Mankind, and take-pleafure in making
Fools and Wretches and Slaves of them, is

too

^^ T7;e Fourth Sermm,

too evident, both from all the Hiftories of
paft Ages, and from the fad Experience of
fome Nations, at this Day. Who ( if we
*iTiay credit the Hiftories that are writ of
them) do niiferably groan, under the Vio-
lences and Tyranny of the Devil. Bur, how-
ever, no one that acknowledgeth the 1 ruth
of the Scripture, can poffibly doubt of this ^
for, what I have now delivered is fo plainly
affirmed in the Old and New Teflament, that
there is no evading of it. And indeed this
Hypothefis of the Being of evil Spirits, and
their ill Will to Mankind, and their concern-
ing themfelves continually to do us Mifchief,
is fo interwoven with, and makes fo confide-
rable a Part of the Scheme of our Religion,
as it is deliver'd by Chrift and his Apoflles,
that v/e cannot deny the one, without much
weakning, if not altogether overthrowing,
the other.

We take it then for granted, that there are
abundance of evil Spirits about us, which we
call the Devils, who are inclinable enough
to do us Mifchief, by drawing us into Sin,
But here comes the fecond Queftion, Whe-
ther the Devil has ordinarily a Power to
tempt and feduce Men, at this Day, efpecial-
ly us Chriftians ?

This is our fecond general Head of Enquiry,
and, in anfwer to it, I lay down thefe feve-
ral Proportions. Firft of all it is certain the
Devil hath no Power to do any Mifchief to
any perfon or Perfons, no nor in the lea ft to

come

The Fourth Sermon. <■ 77

come near them, or to tempt or folicit them
to do evil, any farther than God gives him
leave. Tho' there are a great Number of e-
vil Spirits about us, yet it is not to be doubt-
ed but the Armies of the living God, the
Holy Angels that are the Minifters of his
Providence for the good of Mankind, are as
near us, and are far greater both'in Number
and Strength, than the others are. Nor can
any evil Spirit have accefs to us, without
their Permillion. This is acknowledged by
the Devil himfelf, in the Cafe oi Job, Nor
doth any Man call it in Quellion, that doth
believe God to be the Governour of the
World.

Secondly, It is alfo granted, that the De-
vil had a greater Power in the World, before
our Saviour's coming, than he has had fince.
Before that Time, he had a kind of Empire
in the World, and therefore it is that he is
call'd by St. ?aul^ The God of this WorU,
For, in a manner, all Mankind were in a de-
gree of fubjedion to him ^ (the Jews only
excepted ;) and he did not only tempt them
to evil Anions, but did in a great meafure
govern them as to the Affairs of their Religi-
on, feducing them, from the Worfliip of the
true God, to the Worlhip of himfelf. And,
as it was thus with the Heathens, before our
Saviour's Time, fo it is, at this Day, in ma-
ny Places of the World, where the Gofpel of
Chrift is not received , if we may believe
the Relations concerning them. But, upon

the

jr8 jf1?e Fourth Sermon,

the Preaching of the Chriflian Religion, he
was thrown out of his PofTeflion, his Oracles
were (ilenced, andthofe, that were his Slaves
before, were aiTerted into the glorious Li-
berty of the Sons of God. And this was it
which our Saviour told his Apofties, fpeak-
ing of what would follow upon their Preach-
ing : Ifazv (faith he) the Devils fall from
Heaven like Lightnings Luke i o. 1 8.

Thirdly, Tho*, upon our Saviours com-
ing, the Devil's Empire v/as much diminifli-
ed, nay, and wherever Chriftianity was en-
tertained, it was deflroyed: Yet, notwith-
ftanding that, his power of tempting did ftill
remain, and, which is very confiderable, he
had, at that Time when the Chriftian Reli-
gion firft appeared in the World, a Power al-
lowed him of tempting Chriflians, one way,
more or greater than he hath ordinarily had
fince. The Devils Temptations are of two
Sorts 5, he follicits and draws Men to Sin, ei-
ther by the way of difcouragement, and af-
frig:htment, and terror, or by the way of Al-
lurements, and pleafing Iniinuations. Now,
in the former of thefe Ways, he was permit-
ted to lay moft ftrong Temptations before all
the iirft Chriflians ^ for, he raifed up the fe-
vereft Perfecutions againft them, that ever
were heard of, engaging all the Powers of
the World on his (ide, to fupprefs, if it was
polTible, the farther growth of Chriftianity.
And thus it was reafonable to think he would
doj for, as the Apoftle exprelTeth it, he had

great

Tl?e Fourth Sermon.

great Wrath, as knowing or fufpeding that
his Time was fliort.

This was the great Struggle between the
Kingdom of Light, and the Kingdom of
Darknefs. The Devil's Empire was at flake,
and he knew he muft lofe it in all Places,
where the Faith of Chrift prevailed, and,
therefore, he did the more vigoroufly exert
all his Power to baffle and ftifie it.

And, as it was reafonable to think the Devil
would do thus, fo it was reafonable to be-
leive, that God would fuffer him to raifs
thefe Temptations. By them, Chrift his
Triumpli, over the Kingdom of Darknefs,
was rendred more illuftrious. And thofe ve-
ry Methods, which the Devil made ufe of
for the extirpating Chriftianity, proved the
mofl eflFed:ual Means, for the fpreading and
propagating it, thro' the World. But, in
the mean Time, I muft needs fay, that! be-
lieve it was of this kind of Temptations that
the Writers of the New Teftament do fpeak,
when they tell us of grievous Temptations,
and of the fiery Trvals, and of the fiery
Darts of the Devil. It wis to this kind of
Oppofition that the Apoflle refers, when he
tells the Chriftians, thac they ivreftled ?wt a-
gainft fhfi and Bloody but ag^ainfi Prifictpa-
lic'res and Powers^ and the Riders of the
Darknefs of this World: Jt was chiefly with
refpecl to thefc Storms of Perfecution, which
the Devil brought upon tile hril Chriftians,
that St. Paul ftiles him a roaring Lion, that

went

79

go ^he Fourth Sermon.

went about feeking whom he might ds-
vottr.

I fay, manyofthefePafTages, which fpeak
of the terriblenefs and violence of the Devils
Temptations, feem to have refped chiefly to
thefe firii Times, when Chrift and the De-
vil ftrove together for the Victory ^ and all
the Powers of Hell fet themfelves to make
one vigorous Effort, againft the prevailing
of the Gofpel in the World.

But, Fourthly, to come home to the Point .
in Queftion ;, tho' the Devil, in the tirft ^
Times of Chriftianity, had greater Power gi-
ven him to tempt the Difciples of Chrift, e-
fpecially in the Way of Terror and Affright-
ment, than he hath ordinarily had (ince^
yet, lb far as we can gather from the Scrip-
ture, he hath even yet, at this Day, a Pow-
er to tempt both ways, and doth frequently
do fo. Our. Saviour hath not yet fo fubdu-
ed all his Enemies under his Feet, but that
there are Enemies left. And thefe Enemies,
tho' they cannot do us fo much Mifchief, as
they would, or as they once could, yet will
they do us what Mifchief they can, and af-
furedly they do lay Snares and Temptations
before us, to that end.

But, how do we prove this ? How can
we Ihew, that the Devil hath any thing to do
with any Chriftian Profeilor now-a-days?
To this I anfwer, how can it be proved,
that Chriftians are, at this Day, exempted
from the Devils Temptations ? If there be no

Promife

Tfe Fourth Sermon] 8 1

Proraife made to us of that kind, we will be
bold to conclude that we ftili are obnoxious
to them. Becaufe, there are fuch things faid,
by our Lord and his Apoilles, of the Devils
Temptations, as will extend to Chriftians in
all Ages, unlefs they can plead a particular
Exemption from them.

Our Saviour, in the 1 3th of Mdtt. 19. Ver.
tells uSjthat when any oneheareth the Words
of the Gofpel , and under ftandeth it not,
(that is, does not conlider and meditate upon
it,) then cometh the wicked One, or as St.
Mark has it, then cometh Satan and catch-
eth away the Seed , that was fown in his
Heart. And this ( faith he ) is he that
receiveth the Seed by the High -way. If
now it be the Devils Property to put the
thoughts of Gods Word out of Mens Heads,
and to hinder them from taking up good Refo-
lutions thereupon, why fhould we not ima-
gine that he is as bufie with us now, as he
was in old time ? Since we fee the EfFtds of
this his Working are as great, as ever they
were. Again, our Saviour, in the fame Chap-
ter, giveth us the fame Dodrine, in another
Parable ^ he is reprefenting the State of his
Kingdom, how it fhould be from the begin-
ing of it, to the End of the World. And he
doth it very aptly, by refembhng hs Church
to a Field, wherein the Lord or Owner of
it fowed good Seed, but an Enemy fowed
Tares : and both grew up, and no feparati-
on was made of them, till Harveft , but
VoUII. G thea

Bz Tl:>e Fourth Sermon]

then the Reapers, by order of their Lord,
gathered the Corn into the Granery, and the
Tares they burnt. What is the Application
of this Parable > why our Saviour tells us
directly in the 37th verfe, that he that fow-
ed the good Seed was the Son ot Man, that
is our Lord Jtfus Hiinfelf. The good Seed
were the right and faithful ProfelTors of the
Gofpel : the Tares were all wicked Men,
that profeiTed it : The Enemy, that fowed
them, was the Devil. The Harveft was the
End of the World, and the Reapers were the
Angels. This now certainly we may gather
from this Parable, that fo long, as there are
wicked ungodly Profelfors in the World,
(and there will be always till the Harveft,
till the end of the World,) fo long the De-
vil doth fow Tares, that is to fay, fo long he
hath a hand in making Men bad, and draw-
ing them from the true fpirit and genius of
Chriftianity. There are fev^eral other Texts
of Scripture, 1 might quote about this Mat-
ter j the Reafon of which feems to concern
all Chriftians, to the end of the World, as
particularly James 4. 7. where the Apoftle,
exhorting all Chriftians againft intemperate
Anger, and Envy, and Rage, Q;ives them this
Advice, ^(^fifi (faith he j the Devils and he
w'lU fiy from you. To this let me add the
4th of the ^Z*/!?^/ 26. 1-) There faith the
Apoftle, Be ye an^ry and fin not \ let not the
Sun go down upon your Wraths neither give
place to the Devil. Thefe two Texts do plain-

The Fourth Sermon. 83

ly (hew, that the Devil has oftentimes a Hand
in the tempting Men to Anger, and Wrath,
and Envy , and fuch other uncharitable
Works, and that, by refi fling the Temptati-
ons to them, we do rehft the Devil j by not
yielding to them, we do not give place to the
Devil. It is true, as I faid, that the Sins of
Wrath and Envy and Malice and the like,
are the proper Charaders of the Devil's Na-
ture, and it i? probable, that he is moft bu-
(ie in tempting to them. But yet, if he
tempt to them, it is with great Reafon to be
prefumed that he tempts to, other Sins like-
wi e : Since they help forward his Interefts,
and the Hurt of Mankind, tho' in another
Way. And thus we fee the Temptations to
Luft are, by St. PW, afcribed to the Devil,
That Satan (faith he) tempt you not for your
Incontinency^ I Cor. 7. 5.

But, to put this Matter out of doubt, that
Chrifti?^ns always were, and always (hall be
expofed to the Devils Temptations, appears
very plain, from the Prayer which Chrift
left with his Church, to be ufed by us, to
the end of the World j I mean the Lords
Prayer, the Conclufion of which is, Lead
lis not into Temptation^ hut deliver us from
the evil One, ^ t^ TTDv/ip'^ the evil One^ I
fay right, wicked Out, If now we, at this
Day, were in no Danger from the Devil,
what need is there, nay rather how abfurd
would it be for us, every Day to pray to be
delivered from him j for that, by the evil
G 2 OnQ,

84 The Fourth Sermon,

One, is principally meant the Devil, there

can be no doubt.

To conclude this Point, We Chriflians
feem to be in the fame Condition, with the
Ifrdelites^ after they came out of Egypt into
the Land of Canaan ^ as they, at their entry
into that Land, had ail the Power of the Ca-
naanites fet againit them, to hinder them
from the Conqueft of it, and, even after
they were fettled there, God flill left fome
of the Canaamtes in the Land, nay and fiith
he always would do fo, that he might prove
the Ifraelites, whether they would keep the
Way of the Lord, to walk therein , fo it is
with us Chriflians , tho' our Saviour hath
broken the Head of the old Serpent, hath
outed him out of his Kingdom, by fettling
his Religion amongft us, yet there is fo much
Power left to him, as that he is (till in a
Condition to difturb us, and, byhimfelfand
his Minifters, to lay Snares in our Way :
And all this ^ as God faid to the Jfraditesy
that God may prove us, whether we will
keep the Way of the Lord to walk therein ,
Therefore hath the Lord left thefe evil An^
gels, zvithoiit driving them out haftily^ nei-
ther hath he delivered thefn into our Hand,
As I may apply the Words, Judg, 2. 22,25.

But then Fifthly and Laftly, We are al-
ways to remember this, that, tho' God do
differ the Devil to tempt us, yet He never
gives him leave to do more than tempt us.
The Devil cannot force us to do that which

is

Tl?e Fourth Sermon. 85

is evil. He hath no more Power over us, thin

our vitious Acquaintance have, that we con-
verfe with, f hey can, and they do, pro-
pofc Objeds and Occafions and Opportuni-
ties, by which we are oftentimes tempted,
to depart from our Duty, and to do fome-
thing that we ought not to do. And they
likewife can, and do, apply thefe Temptati-
ons fo vigoroufly, by their Perfuafions and
Counfels, and a thoufand lly Suggeilionsand
Infinuations, that we fhall be in very great
Danger, if we do not watch carefully over
our felves, to be overcome by them.

Thus much the Men of the World daily
do, and the Devil doth no more, nor can he
do more, when he fets himfelf mod vigo-
roufly to do us Mifchief. He can prefent
Objeds, or raife Phantafms, in our Minds
about them, he can move and invite and al-
lure and follicit. But, this is ail he can do ;
he cannot, in the lead, compel us to depart,
one Step, out of that Way which we have
propofed to our felves, unlefs we our felves
have a Mind. He may put a fairer Giofs
upon a Temptation, than it would otherwife
have appeared in, to us j and he may, 'tis
likely, fuggefl fuch Motives to us to comply
with it, as would not perhaps have come in-
to our Heads, had he not been about us. But
flill we are left to our own choice and liber-
ty, whether we will comply or not , ftill
we are Mafters of our felves, and may order
our own Actions, as we pleafe , and, if it
G 3 ihould

88 77;e Fourth Sermon]

fhould happen, at any time, thattheTempN
er Ihould put us hard to it, and lay fuch
Snares before us, as, confiderino; our natural
weaknefs and frailties, we (hould fcarcely a-
void falling into ^ why, then, is the Spirit
of Chrift, and the Heavenly Hjft of Angels
that attend him, ready at Hmd to fuccour
and aflift us, and to fortify our Minds, with
fuch Strength and Power, as that we (hall
not be overcome, unlefs we be Traitors to
God and our felves for greater is he that
is in lis, than he that is in the World -^ as the
Apoftle hath told us.

So that, after all, as Things are contrived,
the meaneft and the weakefl of us is able to
match aJl the Powers of Hell. And they
cannot do us the lead Mifchief, any farther
than we our felves contribute to it. Nay,
fo far are they from being able to do us Mif-
chief, that there is not any Temptation, they
prefent to us, but it is in our Power, thro'
Chrifts Afli (lance, to turn it to our great Be-
nefit and Advantage : As God hath thought
fit to leave usexpofjd to the Devils Attempts,
for the exercifc of our Vertue, fo he hath
taken care to order Matters in fuch a Way,
that we may always dio our felves good, and
improve both our Vertue and Rewards by
the Alfaults of the Devil, tho' he can do us
no harm by them.

And thus much of the fecon.^Head ofEn-
<]uiry 5 1 now proceed to the Third, and that
is this 5 Whether all Temptations to Sin or

all

The Fourth Sermon, 8/

all Sins we fall into, by temptation, are to
be afcribed to the Devil } This Qiaeflion I
put, becaufe many among us are fo ready, at
every turn, to charge their Mifcarriages up-
on him, and to remove the Blaine from them-
felves 5 but how unreafonable this iswillap-
pear by what I lliill briefly reprefent, in an-
fwer to this Enquiry, and therewith 1 (hall
conclude.

Firft of all, it cannot be denied, that, in
a remote Senfe, and with refped to the ori-
ginal of Sin, the Devil may be faid to be the
Author and the Caufe of all the S'ns of Man-
kind. Since it was he, that hrfl: drew our
firft Parents from tlie State of their Innocen-
cy, and, by their Fall, brought Sin into the
World. Accordingly, in the Scripture-lan-
guage, A// Si?is and Impieties^ of what kind
foever are the Works of the Devil, and all
thofe, who do commit Sin^ are faid to he of
the Devil, who was a Sinner from the begin-
ning. Secondly, there is likewife no doubt,
but that the Devil is, at all times, bufy and
adive for the promoting Sin in the World as
he hath Opportunity , he goes to and fro in
the Earth (ashefpeaks of himfelf in the i ft
Chapter of Job) obferving how his Work
goes forwards, and very induftrious without
doubt he is, in helping forwards the Intereft
of his Kingdoui. And , wherever he fees
that there is need of his immediate particular
Application or Afliftance, for the carry-
ing on a Bufinefs, there to be fare he is
G 4 ready

S8 77?^ Fourth Sermon]

ready to afford it, if God give him permif-
fion.

But then, in the third Place, if we fpeak,
with reference to all the particular Tempta-
tions which are prefented to a Man, or all
the particular Sins which a Man falls into by
Temptation, then we fay it is very improba-
ble that the Devil fhould have an immediate
Hand, either in all of them, or in moft of
them 5 for indeed, there is no need he fhould
concern himfelf in every particular Adion :
For the generality of Men are too ready to
commit Sin, without waiting for a Tempta-
tion from him ;, to that pitch of degeneracy
is the Nature ojf Mankind arrived, that, God
knows, many of us are too prone to do naughty
Things, even without a Tempter, and there
is no doubt but we do a great many, when
no one doth inftigate us to them, but we
blindly follow our own Appetites and Pafli-
ons, and the evil Habits and Cufloms that
we have brought upon our felves, and, when
there happens a Cafe, that there doth need a
Tempter to a bad Adion, why alafs ! there
are too many vifible ones, that we converfe
with, that take the Devils Office out of his
Hands, and render his AlFaults perfedly
needlefs.

But, Fourthly and Laftly, Whether the
Devil doth immediately tempt us to our Sins,
or doth not, yet this will make but little
difference, as to the Guilt, if we have com-
mitted them. I would ask any one, that is

drawn

71)0 Fourth Sermon. 89

drawn to commit Lewdnefs or Drunkeimefs
or the like, whether he thinks he doth much
extenuate his Guilt either before God, or to
his own Confcience , by pleading, that the
Company, that he was engaged in, did
tempt him to thefe Sins, and, that he had
not been guilty of them, if he had not light
into that Converfation. I dare lay, he will
not be fo partial to himfelf as to think this is
any tolerable Excufe : And, if the human
Temptations, we meet with in the World,
be no jufl Excufe for our Sins , it is certain
the Devils Temptations can be none neither :
For it is certain the Devil cannot tempt more
ftrongly, than Men can do, and, tho* he
may convey his Temptations in another kind
of Way, than thofe of Mankind are applied,
yet, let them be conveyed as they will, we
are as much at liberty (as I faid before)
whether we will yield to them : And have
as much Power to refill them, as we have to
reQlt thofe that come upon us in the ordina-
ry way of Converfation or Example, and the
like. So that, when all is done, we are to
lay the Guilt of our Sins no where, but at
our own Doors, whether the Devil applyed
the Temptation to us, or applyed it not, it
matters not much ^ it was we ourfelves that,
by confenting, brought the Sin upon us.

And thus much of our third Head of En-
quiry \ thofe that remain I (hall refer to the
next Time.

SER-

j>o

SERMON V.

2 CORINTH. 11. II.

hejl Satan fioidci get an Advantage of us,
for we are 7iot ignorant of his Devices,

W^%'^M f^ E Subjecl: I am now upon is
S^T^3 the Devil's Temptations , a Point
Wrffc^i which creates a great deal of
^^Mm^ Trouble to feme forts of People.

In order to the difcourfing clearly upon it,
I propofed thefe fix following Heads to be
enquired into.

1. Firfi, Who we are to underfland by
Satan or the Devil.

2. Secondly^ Whether the Devil hath, or-
dinarily, a Power to tempt Men, efpecially
us Chriftians.

9. Thirdly, Whether all our Temptations,
to Sin, do a rife from the Devil, or are to be
afcribed to him.

4; Fourthly, Whether the Devil hath a
Power to tempt all Men alike, or the fame
Men different alike, at Times.

5. iijthly. Whether we can diftinguifh
the Devils Temptations, from the evil Sug-

geflions

The Fifth Sermon, 9\

geftions that arife in our Minds, from other
Caufes.

6. Sixthly, What we are to fay of thofe
wicked blafphemous Thoughts, and other
troublefome Fancies, that are often injeded
into the Minds of melancholly People, and
which are ufually thought and cali'd the De-
vils Temptations, in a mod proper Senfej
and what are the moft proper Advices to be
given in that Cafe.

The three former of thefe Enquiries I have
already fpuken to, in my lift D fjourfe, and
there is no need I (hould repeat any thing I
then faid, concerning them, in order to the
making way for what I am now to delivery
fave only this, that 1 then largely proved,
from the Scripture, that tho' the Devil hath
not fo great a Power over us Chriftians, as
he had over Mankind before our Saviour s ap-
pearance, or as he his ftill, in fome Coun-
tries, where the Light of the Gofpel never
(hone 5 yet, neverthelefs, we are not exempt-
ed altogether from his AlTiults : He hath a
Power of tempting us ftill left him, which
he doth frequently exercife in fuch manner,
and at fuch times as God is pleafed to per-
mit.

Taking now this for granted, T proceed to
my fourth Enquiry, which is this. Whe-
ther we Chriftians are equally expofed to the
Devils Temptations, or whether he hath not
more Power to tempt fome th^n others, and
the fame Perfons more at fome Times, than
at other Times. To

gt Th^ ^ift^h Sermon.

To this I anfwer. It is very reafonable to
believe, nay it is very certain, that the De-
vil hath not Power over all Perfons alike,
nor upon the fame Perfon always equally,
but every one, as he is more or lefs under
the Condu6l of God s Spirit, and under the
Protection of his holy Angels, fo is he lefs or
more obnoxious to the Snares of the Devil.
And every Man likewife, as he grows better
or worfe in his Morals, as he leads a more
holy or a more fenfual wicked Life, fo is he
more or lefs under the Care of the holy Spi-
rit, and the good Angels.

Some Perfons, that are entirely and hear-
tily the Servants of God, and walk clofely
with him in the Exercife of all Chriftian
Vertucs , thefe Perfons are fo much under
the Guidance and Government of God*s Spi-
rit, and are fo guarded by the invi(ible Mi-
nifters of the Kingdom of Light, that it is to
be hoped the Devil hath but little accefs to
them, nay perhaps none at all, unlefs there
fall out fome extraordinary Occalion, that
God, for the greater exercife and improve-
ment of their Vertue, may think fit to fuffer
the Devil to create them fome difturbanec, as
it was in the Cafe of St. Fmil'^ who, left he
ihould be puffed up thro' the Gifts of Reve-
lations, which were vouchfafed to him, there
was, as he tells us, given him a Thorn in
the Flefh \ an Angel of Satan to buffet him.
And, tho' he prayed thrice that it might be
removed, yet the Anfwer which was given

him

TIjc Fifth Sermon, ^i

him was, MyGrace is fii_ficient for thee^ fee
2 Coy, 12, J, Intimating ihat God would not
remove the Temptation, but however he
fliould fo far aflid him with his Grace, that
the Temptation (liould dio him no Mifchief.

Thus I fay the Cafe flands, as to good and
holy Men , the Devil hath ordinarily but ve-
ry little to do with them, but, as for others,
that do not thus endeavour to recommend
themfelves to God's Favour, but are loofe
and carelefs in their Lives, and have no Senfe
of Religion upon their Minds, or fear of God
before their Eyes, I do not doubt but the
Devil hath a much greater Power over thofe ,
and, tho' they may not be wholly abandoned
by God, but are flill under the Care of his
general Providence, by which the Devil is
kept from committing thofe downright Vio-
lences, and putting thofe grofs Cheats and
Abufes, upon Mankind, efpecially Chriflian
ProfelTors, which otherwife he would j yet,
fo long as they continue in this ftate of Irre-
ligion, they are, in a great meafure, under
his Condud, and, flill the worfe they grow,
the more they are fo. And, if once they
come to that pitch of Wickednefs, that they
let themfelves loofe to all kind of Vice, and
commit Sin with greedinefs, without remorfe,
or reflexion ^ then, it is to be feared, they
may be faid to be given over to the Power of
the Devil *, to be his Slaves and Va/Tals^ and
to he led captive by him at his will and pie a-
fitre'j which are the very Expreflions of

St.

hi Tloe Fifth Sermon.

St, Paul, concerning fiich Perfons : So that,
even as to bad Men, the Devil hath not al-
ways the fame Power, but, over fome, he
hath a greater, and, over others, a lefs, ftill
in proportion to the degrees of their Wick-
ednefs and Degeneracy. As the Operations
of the holy Spirit are various, according to
the Capacity and Difpofition of the Subjed
he works u;:on, there being fame, who are
not yet in the Stite of Regeneration, whom
he only invites and folicits, by his holy Mo-
tions, to amend their Lives, and to become
Holy and Vertuous : But others, that are
adlually Regenerate, he dwells within them,
as in a Temple, and is a conflant Principle in
them of holy and vertuous Adlions : So it is,
in fome meafure, as to the Devils Operations
upon Men , fome Men he only tempts, but
others he hath fo great a Dominion ovefj
that tho', it may be, he cannot properly be
faid to polTefs them, or to dwell in them, yet
they are as much his own, as if he did.
Thus, as Stephen in the 6th of the A&s is
faid to be filled with the good Spirit, fo Ana-
7iias, in the 5 th of the ABs, after he had fet
his Heart to do that Wickednefs, for which
St. Peter flruck him dead, is faid to be filled
with the bad Spirit. ^l:jy hath Satan (faith
St. Peter J filled thine Hearty to (ye to the
Holy Ghojl.

And, as it is thus with refped to bad Men
compared one with another, fo it is with re-
fped; to the fame Perfons, at feveral Times, as

they

77;e Fifth Sermon. pj

they grow more wicked. When Judas firfl
entred upon a Defign of betraying our Savi-
our, then it is only faid, that the Devil put
it into bis Heart \ he only tempted him to
it, John 13. 2. But, when he had given his
entire Confent to the Adion, and notwith-
ftanding our Saviour's difcovery of him at
Supper, ftill perfifted in that wicked Defign,
having his Heart fully bent upon it, then it
is told us that Satan enter'd into him, as you
have it in the 27th Verfe , he hid now got-
ten full Dominion over him, and, from hence-
forward, made him ad as he pleafed.

The Re ifon, for which I infift upon this
Point, and the Ufe I make of it, is this, that
it infinitely concerns all of us, to keep clofe
to God, and our Duty j and, as we love our
Souls, to have a care of all wilful open
Crimes, that do wound our Confciences, and
difhonour our Religion. For all fuch Crimes
as they grieve the Holy Spirit and drive him
away from us, fo do they put us out of the
particular Protedion of the good Angels, and
leave us more expofed to the AiTaults and
Temptations of wicked Spirits, that bear us
evil Will.

So long as we walk uprightly before God,
and, in all our Adions, do heartily endea-
vour to approve our feives to him, we need
not fear the leaft Mifcheif or Damage, from
any of the Powers of Darknefs ^ and, tho'
they may now and then be permitted to
fpread their Temptations before us, yet this

Oiail

Jhe Fifth Sermon.

fhall redound to our own greater Benefit and
Comfort. But, every great and wilful de-
parture, from God and our Duty, gives the
Devil an Advantage over us, and that Advan-
tage he may fo manage and improve (unlefs
we, by our timely repentance and return to
our Duty, prevent the ill Confequences) that
he will more and more get us under his
Power, till at hft God give us over, and we
be wholly reduced among the Number of
the Devil's Children and Servants, and, when
we are once come to this fid Condition, he
is (without an extraordinary interpofition of
Divine Mercy) fo fure of us, that he will
not need to throw away much of his Time
and Pains, in tempting us to this or the o-
ther particular evil Adion , for, being adled
by his Principle, we fhall run faft enough
on, in doing his Bufinefs, without his im-
mediate inftigation : Nay, as I faid in my
former Difcourfe, we fhall take his Office out
of his Hands, and prove Devils to thofe a-
bout us, by tempting them to be as bad, as
we our felves are ^ but, God Almighty pre-
ferve us all, from this deplorable State.

My fifth Enquiry, upon this Argument,
is this, Whether it be poflible for us, ordi-
narily, to diftinguilh the Devil's particular
I'emptations, from thofe that come to us, o-
ther ways , as, for inftance, from our own
vitious Inclinations, or from the Men of the
World }

In

The Fifth Sermon. P7

In anfwer to this, I fay, that as far as we
can judge by Reafon and Experience, it is
hardly poflible for us to diflinguifli them.
My Reafon is, that, tho' the Devil hath a
Power of making application to our Minds,
in a more immediate way, than by the means
of our outward Senfes, yet, fuch is the Con-
flitution of our Natures, that he can convey
nothing to our Minds, but, jufl in fuch a
manner, as our own Thoughts and Reafoning
are occafioned in us j and thofe Things he re^
prefents will make juft fuch Impreflions up-
on our Minds, as the I'hings that are repre-
fented, by other Caufes, upon other Occali-
ons. So that it will be impoifible for us to
diftinguifh, between thefe Suggeftions that
he caufeth in us, and thofe that arife from
the temperament and complexion of our own
Bodies.

To give a fairer Account of this. The
Motions which are made in our Bodies to that
which is good, and the Temptations which
arefuggefted to that which is evil, are, with-
out doubt, prefented and performed in the
fame way. There is no doubr, but allChri-
llians have a great deal of alliftance from the
Spirit of God, and his holy Angels-, in the
Way of Godlinefs. It is to the working of
the holy Spirit, in our Hearts, thit every
good Man owes his fpiritual Regeneration, or
new Birth , and it is Ukewife to the Inrluences
of the fame Spirit, that he owes his profici-
ency and growth, in Grace and Vertue.
Vol. III. H Nay,

9 8 Tfye Fifth Sermon.

Nay, even thofe, that are not in a State of
Grace, that are nut yet Regenerate, but live
loofely and carelefly , yet, fj long, as there
is any Hopes of them, fo lon^;, the Spirit of
God ftrives with them j fo long, he takes
Occafion to follicitand tempt them (if I may
i]fe the Word in that Senfe) to leave that
courfe of Life they are enga?,ed in, and to
become ferioufly Pious and Relig;ioas. In a
Word, both the good and the bad do receive
a great many good Motions, from the. Divine
Spirit: A thoufand holy Thoughts are fug-
gefted to our Minds by him, and the holy
Angels, that ad under him for the good of
the Church of God. But yet, all thefe Mc«
tions and Suggeflions, nay, ail the Operati-
ons of thefe heavenly Spirits, upon us, are
perform'd in fo natural, fo familiar, fo imper-
ceptible a Way, that it will be hard for any
Man to fay that he can diftinguifh them
from the x^dings of his own Mind. We
feel them no otherwife, than we do our own
Tlioughts and Meditations , nor can we, in
the leaft, diflinguifh them, by the manner
of their afFeding us, from our natural Rea-
fonings, and the natural Operations of Argu-
ments, and Motives upon our Minds.

And this imperceivablenefs of the Impref-
iions made upon our Souls, by the holy Spi-
rit, was that which our Saviour figniiied to
Nicocie7fms, in the 3d of St. John, by the
Similitude of a Wind, which, faith he, 7vff
hear the Sound of'^ but we know ?i9t whence

i;

57;^ Fifth Sermon, " '9^

it Cometh, nor whither it goeth : That Is,
we find the EfFcds of it, v/hich it leaves be-
hind it, but know not at all the Way of its
Motion 5 evenfo. fiitli he, is every one that
is born of the Spirit, And thus, without
doubt, it is as to the Motions and Tempta-
tions of the contfriry Spirits ^ the Spirits of
Darknefs, they foilicit us to Evil, feveral
waysj fometimes, by fetting on our Acquain-
tance to tempt us, fometimes, by exciting
our Paffionsand Appetites, upon the prefence
of a tempting Object: By faggefling to our
Minds fome Motives and Confiderations, that
may more effectually recommend a Sin to uSp
or, by bringing to our remembrance fome-
thing, that may render us more inclinable to
it. But now, all thefe Operations of theirs
are wrought in a Method fo fuitable, fo pro-
portionate, to our Natures, and to our ways
of ading, that, as in the outward Temptati-
ons, it isimpoflible todiflinguifli, when our
Friends tempt us on their own accord, and
when the Devil fets them on to tempt us t
So, in the inward Temptations, that are made
more immediately to our Souls, it is impof-
(ible to know, when our evil Thoughts and
Defires are the refults purely of our Minds,
occafioned by the natural Conftitution, or
the prefent Circumftances we are in , and
when they are fuggefted to us by any evil
Spirit.

I fpeak of their ordinary Ablings ^ for, as
for the extraordinary Infpirations of Men by

H 2 tl>e

too The Fifth Sermon.

the Spirit of God, in" the Age of Miracles 5
or the extraordinary Adings of the Devil, in
Perfons that are polTelTed , of thefe, I fay, I
fpeak not. In truth, the actings of Spirits
upon our Minds, whether they be good or
bad, are performed in a Way fo Uke our own
ading, that we could not have known, that
they make any immediate application to our
Minds, or indeed have any thing to do with
us, were it not that the holy Scripture de-
clares that they have fuch a Power, and do
exercife it, and that the vihble EfPeds in our
Lives, which are confequent upon their Ad-
ings, do confirm to us what the Scripture
hath declared.

As for what has been fometimes faid, that
we may know the Devils Suggeftion from
the Motions of our own Minds, by the fud-
dennefs and unexpeclednefs of them, and the
violence and impetuoufnefs, with which they
are accompanied : I mull: confefs, I think it
has no great Weight in it , becaufe, there is no
Man, that has ferioully attended to the work-
ing of his own Mind, but will experience,
that he hath often had very odd and extra-
vagant Thoughts come into his Head, on a
fudden, (and thofe vigoroully enough impref-
fed) without any Occaiion, that he can give
an Account of, where, yet, there has not
been the lead reafon to fufped, that the De-
vil had any Hand in the infufing of them 5
becaufe they were not at all relating to his
Interefl. But (as there is great reafon to be-
lieve)

71)6 Fifth Sermon,

Jieve) they did purely and folely arife, from
the prefent Temper and Motion of his Ani-
mal Spirits, which, accordinglyas they move
regularly or irregulirly, more briskly or
more flowly, have a Power of exciting in the
Soul Thoughts and Fancies, of a differing
Nature. And hence come all the extrava-
gancies of Dreams, the odd flights and reco-
veries of thofe that are in feverifli Diftem-
pers, and likewife the flrange Conceits and
Fancies of Melancholy and Hypocondriacal
Perfons ; of fome of which I now come to
give an Account, in my fixth and laft Enqui-
ry. And that is this.

What we are to fay to thofe wicked and
blafphemous Thoughts, and other extrava-
gant Fancies, that are oftentimes injcded into
the Minds of good People.

It is not all Perfons that do complain of
thefe kind of Thoughts ^ thofe, that are very
bad, are feldom troubled with them. Nor is
it all good Perfons, that are thus haunted,
but chiefiy thofe, that are of a melanchol)'
Conftitution, thofe of the devout Sex, Wo-
men, are more thus afflicted, than the other
Sex. Thefe, that I fpeak of, are grievoufly
difturbed, with odd, unreafonable, nay and
fometimes, impious blafphemous Phantafies,
which are fuggefted to their Minds, they do
not know how, nor upon what Occation.
But, the more they ftrive againft them, flili
the more impetuoufly do they come into
their Heads, and then efpecially, when thev

H 3 let

tot

Joi T?;e Fifth Sermon]

fet themfelves to the more fulemn exercife of
Religion, and endeavour to be more than or-
dinarily devout : At thefe Times, to be fure,
they fhall be moft grievoufly tormented with
them. What now fhall we fay to thefe
Things }

The Perfons themfelves, that are thus ex-
ercifed, do not in the lead doubt, but that
all this comes from the Devil, nay, they
have fometiraes fuch dreadful apprehenfions
of his Power over them, that they are apt to
fancy that God hath withdrawn himfelf from
them, and given them up entirely to him ,
and, that thefe wicked Thoughts of theirs
are the very Sin againft the Holy Ghoft, of
which there is no Pardon. Thefe Perfons
are much to be pitied, becaufe, really, the
Condition they are in renders their Lives ve-
ry uneafie and uncomfortable^ but, yet,
they are certainly more afraid, than hurtj
and that, which they complain of fo tragical-
ly, feems not to carry any great Danger a-
long with it \ for truly all this is to be look-
ed upon, rather as an infelicity, or a natural
Affliction, which they ought to bear patient-
ly, as they do other CrolTes and Mifadven-
tures, than as a Guilt, that fliould lie upon
their Confciences. And fo far are thefe kind
of Thoughts (be they never fo bad) from
being the EflFefls of God's letting loofe the
Devil upon them, or from being the Sin a-
gainfl the Holy Ghoft, which is the greateft
of ail Sins j that I am verily perfuaded, that

they

Tfe Fifth Sermon. loj

they are no Sins at all, fo long as they <\o not
contribute to their coming into their Minds,
nor give con Cent to them while they are there.
An;i it is very certain, that thofe Perfons,
thit are never thus troubled, and difturbed
about their Thoughts, who, yet, fo little
govern their own Minds, as to let their
Heads be a conftant Scene of abundance of
vain and loofe and naugiity Fancies, favour-
ing of Ambition, or Covetoufnefs, or Vo-
luptuoufnefs, or Uncharitablenefs, or the
like 5 I fay, thefe Perfons are in a much more
dangerous Condition, thro' fuch Thoughts as
thefe, which pleafe and delight them, than
thefe honeft fcrupulous Chriflians, that are
thus grievoufly perplexed, at the wicked Ima-
ginations, which they cannot help. Well,
but what Account can we give of this fort of
Thoughts ? And what is to be prefcribed in
order to a Cure of them ? Why, of thefe
two Things I will give you my Thoughts
very briefly.

And I begin with the firfl, what Account
is to be given of them. Are fuch Thoughts
really the Effects of the Devil's Temptations
upon our Minds, or are they the refults of
pur own Temper and Complexions ?

To this I anfwer, that, tho' I dare not be
pofitive in this Matter any way, yet I verily
believe that, for the mod part, they are
wholly to be afcribed to the diilemperature
of our Bodies, to the irregular Motions of
our A limal Spirits, (which are the Inftru-
H 4 ments

lOA ^'^^ Fi/i/; Sermon,

ments our Souls ufe in thinking,) occafion-
ed by Hypocondriack Vapours, or Hyfterick
Paflions, or other ill Affections of our natu-
ral Humours, and that the Devil hath no
Hand in them. This I fay to me feems moll
probable ; and that, for thefe Reafons.

Firlt, it feems a hard Thing to believe,
that the Devil fliould have fuch a conftant
accefs to good Men, or be permitted to exer-
cife fo much Power over them, as he mud
be fuppofed to have, and to exercife, if he
be the Autlior of all thofe idle or wicked
Thoughts, which they fo frequently com-
plain of. It is more/eafonable to believe, as
I faid before, that, being under the perpetu-
al Condud of God's Spirit, and the Protedi-
on of the good Angels, the wicked ones have
but little to do with them.

But, Secondly, it deferves to be confider-
ed, that the Devils Time of applying his
Temptations is, when he finds us moft fe-
cure and carelefs, and not, when we are mofl
watchful and diligent, in keeping our own
Hearts. He is moft bulie about us, when
he finds that we have the leaft Guard upon
our felves, and, dreading no Dangers from
him, are fupiue and negligent, about our
fpiritual Concernments. Here is a fit Occa-
ficn, for the Devil to lay his .Siege to us,
and he may reafonably hope for fome Advan-
tage ; A.nd, accordingly, it is at fuch Times,
as thefe, that he ufually doth affault us. But
now, in the Cafe we are fpeaking of, it is

quite

The Fifth Sermon. 105

quite otiierwife, for it is not, when we are
more remifs , that we are inoft troubled
witli thefe (inful Fancies, but, on the con-
trary, when we ftrive moft to preferve our
Minds in a holy and devout Frame , the more
we endeavour to keep thefe Fancies out of
our Heads, ftill the more we are vexed with
them: Which is an Argument, that they are
not of the Devils injedions, who ufeth to
lay his Baits more feafonably and cunningly,
but are the Effeds of a diftemper'd vapoured
Head. Efpecially, when we take this too in-
to the Confideration, that the Devil general-
ly doth not get much Advantage, by fuch
kind of Suggeftions , for, tho* they do fuffi-
ciently difturb the Men that have them, yet
they generally produce no ill Effed, as to
their Morals. On the contrary, they make
them a great deal more careful about their
Thoughts and Words and Adions, than o-
therwife they would have been , which is no
great indication tliey come from the Devil,
but rather an Argument that they do not.

To which I add, in the third Place, that
the Devil's Temptations, as they are other-
wife timed, fo are they likewife framed, in
another kind of way, than thefe we are now
fpeaking of. His Method is, to apply his
Temptations in fuch Inftances, as are agree-
able to our Inclinations, and that we are moft
likely to comply with •, but not in Inllances,
which he knows we hate an4 abhor, and can
never be brought to confent to. Thus, for

inftance,

lo6 The Fifth Sermon,

inftance, if the Devil fhould have a Mind to
tempt, by fugjgefling of Thoughts, he would
tempt a proud Man, by filling his Mind with
foolilh and vain Conceits of himfelf, and
contemptuous Thoughts of other Men : He
would tempt a luftful Perfon, by railing his
defires, and heightening his imagination of
unlawful fenfual Pleafures, and the like.
Thus now it is reafonable to believe that the
Devil, if he underftands his own IntereO:,
fhould tempt 5 and thus, without doubt, he
does tempt. Rut, it feems very odd and un-
accountable, that he (hould tempt a Man, by
fuch Things, as he knows the Man has not
only no natural inclination for, but the great-
eft averfion to, of all Things in the World,
as it is in the Ca^e we are now fpeaking of.
. But, Fourthly, the great Argument, by
which I conclude, that thefe difturbing
Thoughts are not injeded by the Devil, (as
the Perfons afflided with them are apt to be-
lieve,) but are owing to an ill habit of Bo-
dy, is, that they themfelves, if they be ask-
ed, can, for the mofl part, give an Account
how, and when, and upon what Occafions,
thefe difturbances of their Thoughts came
upon them. And, by the Account they give,
it will fufficiently appear, to all difinterefted
competent Judges, that their Minds were ne-
ver difturbed, with thefe Thoughts, till their
Bodies were firft out of order, that is to fay,
either by fome great fit of Sicknefs, or by
fome grievous Crofs and Difappointment, that

lay

The Fifth Sermon. 107;

lay heavy upon their Spirits, or by fome me-
lancholy Humour, that, thro' the indifcreet
ufage of themfelves, hath prevailed upon
them. I {ay, if it be nicely enquired into,
it will be found, that there was alvvay an in-
difpofition of Body, precedent to thefe difor-
ders of the Mind j and, that this was really
the Caufe of thefe Diforders, is evident from
hence, that, in all thofe that we know of,
where this Indifpofition hath beep removed,
and the Body reftored to its former Health
and Vigour, the difturbances of their Thoughts
have prefently ceafed, and they ha\'e been as
well in their Minds, as ever they v/ere be-
fore.

But, if after all this, any Man will fay,
that thofe Thoughts do not take their rife
wholly from bodily Diftemper, but thatalfo
the Devil hath a Hand in them, namely,
thus far, th:^it he takes Advantages of thefe
diforders in our Humour, and, by the means
thereof, doth either excite thefe Thoughts
in us, or imprefs them more vehemently up-
on us, (which is indeed the common Opini-
on of Divines :) I fay, if any one thinks this
to be a better Account of the Matter, he may,
for all me, enjoy his own Sentiments ^ fo
long as he will agree with me (and I think
all are agreed in it,) that thefe wicked Blaf-
phemoLis Thoughts complained of, are not
the Effects of God's forfiking Men, nor are
they any Sins in him, that ferioully drives
and prays againft them, but only Unhappi-

nefs

lo8 ^^ Fifth Sermon,

ncfs and Afflidions. Afflidions of the fame
Nature, that Sicknefs and worldly Crofles
are ^ for, even thefe the Devil may fome-
times be permitted, for wife and good Ends,
to bring upon us, as we have a remarkable
Inftance in the Cafe of Jok

But I come to our fecond Point, upon this
Head, which is, concerning the Cure of
thefe Difturbances : To this I fay, in iliort,
that it may be, in all Perfons, they are ne-
ver to be cured perfedly , but fome, fo long
as they carry their Bodies about them, mull
more or lefs exped to have their Vertue ex-
ercifed with them. For, I account, religi-
ous Melancholy, properly fo called, is as
perfed: a Difeafe, and in fome Cafes as incu-
rable, as fome other Difeafes incident to hu-
man Bodies 5 but, in moft Cafes, it is capa-
ble of a Cure, and, in all Cafes, it may re-
ceive great Comfort, and Relief, and Abate-
ment. Now, in order to either, or both, of
thefe Ends, the beft Expedients, that can be
prefcribed, are thefe four following.

Firft of all, it concerns all thefe Perfons
very carefully to look after their Bodies, for
(if what I have faid be true) upon the Cure
and Health of them, the cure and health of
the Mind doth, in a Manner, all in all de-
pend. It will concern them, to make ufe of
Phylick, and Exercife, and good Company,
and a regular Diet, and all other Things that
conduce to natural Health, and Chearfulnefs :
And to avoid all Things, that may prejudice

itj

The Fifth Sermon. 1 09

It 5 fuch as, long Fafts, and Watchin^s, and
being too much alone. But, to advife about
thete Things, belongs not to me, but to ano-
ther Profeflionj and therefore I fay no more
about them.

Secondly, It will concern them to keep
themfelves employed, as much as they can,
and if it be poflible, to have always fome
AVork or Bufinefs upon their Hands, to ex-
ercife their Minds about. Idlenefs is the
worft thing in the World, for this fort of
Diflemper, and indeed thofe, that labour
hard, are feldom troubled with it. And,
therefore, if thefe Perfons have no Affairs to
take care of, (which yet few in any Station
are without,) they mull make Bufinefs for
themfelves. But then, there is one fort of
Bufinefs, that they ought to be ferioufly cau-
tioned againft, and that is, the too long, or
too intenfe, application of their Minds to
their fpiritual Exercife , fuch as reading, me-
ditation, and the like. For, tho' thefe Em-
ployments, above all others, are to be re-
commended to Perfons, that have Health and
Leafure, yet to fuch, as are in their Conditi-
on, they often do more hurt than good.

Thirdly, Another Thing, that would be
of Angular ufe to thefe Perfons if they could
be perfuaded to pradlife it, is this. Not to
lay thefe difturbances of their Minds too much
to Heart. Let them not be fo grievoully
concerned, when they cannot govern their
own Thoughts, as they defire, but a thou-

fand

I JO 57;^ Pif^^^ Sermon,

fand filly or wicked Fancies do impofethem^
feives upon them, whether they will or no*
On the contrary, let them negled them, let
them dcfpife them, and not think themfelves
theworfe, upon account of them : It is their
eagernefs to prevent, or ilop, this fort of
Fancies, and their immoderate Trouble for
them afterwards, that is one of the moft ef-
fedual means , to excite and perpetuate
them : Whereas, if they would make no
great matter of them, but let them yo out,
as they came in, without being concerned a-
bout them, in all probability, with a little
degree of Health, they would vanifh and die.
And they, that now complain fo much upon
that Account, would have as much Peace in
their own Minds, as other Men.

But, Fourthly and Laftly, there is one
Thing more to be recommended to thefe
Perfons, and then I have done, and that is
this. Let them never omit any known Du-
ty, either to God or their Neighbours, upon
account of thefe Suggeftions, how violent or
how troublefome foever they be : Let them
never leave off faying their Prayers, at the
accuftomed Times, or receiving the Holy Sa-
cramtnt, or doing any other Duty, that the
Law of Chrift hath tyed upon them. And
tho*, upon thefe Occafions, Rbove all others,
they are mofl diflraded by thefe ungoverna-
ble Fancies, yet, for all that, let them go on ,
and, how little foever they pleafe themfelves

in

77;c Fifth Sermon, iii

in thefe Duties, or how unfit foever they
take themfelves to be to engage in them, yet,
let them alTure themfelves, that God is as
much pleafed with them, when they dothofe
Duties out of Confcience, and becaufe they
think they are bound fo to do, (tho' it be
with much infirmity, and a very (hatter'd
diflraded Mind, ) as if they had fatisfied
themfelves never fo much in the performance
of them.

This I fay, and I conclude with it. So
long, as we bear an honefl Mind towards
God, fo long, as we do not prevaricate with
him, and wilfully depart from the known
Rules of our Duty : But, endeavour fincere-
ly in all our Adions to obey his Laws , he
will accept us, nay, he will reward us, be
the difadvantages we labour under never fo
great. And, tho* we cannot pleafe our
fclves, we fhall pleafe him , nay (as I had
occafion to fay in one of my former Difcour-
fes,) he will be better pleafed with us, for
doing our Duty under thefe difcouraging
Circum (lances, than if, being free from thefe
Incumbrances, we had done it with more
pleafure to our felves. And, if the Devil
was really as bufie about us , as fome of
us fincy him to be, nay, tho* all the Pow-
ers of Hell fhould fet themfelves againft
us, yet, fo long as we thus walk, God
will proted: us. And, if fometimes he doth
not fo foon, as w& defire, remove our Af-
"^ fiidions,

II 2 Tfe Fifth Sermon]

flidions, yet, he will give us Grace and
Strength to bear them, and, after that, re-
ward us for them, by encreafing our Glory
in the next World, in proportion to the dif-
ficulty we had to llruggle with, in his Ser-
vice, in this.

And this is all I have to fay upon this Ar-

gument.

S E R"

1 1

SERMON VI.

LUKE XIII. 23.

Then faid one unto him^ Lord^ are there
few that jh all he faved ^ And he faid un-
to theniy flr'ive to enter in at the flrait
Gate^ for many I faji unto you willfeek to
enter zn, andfiall ?iot be able,

'^MW^ N Purfuance of the Argument I
1 ^3 ^-^'^^'^ ^"^" lately difcourling of, in
,^ another Place, and which, I told
iL$<&« you, I would go on with, as I
had Opportui]ity. I mean to treat now of
two other Things (different from thofe I
then fpoke to) and which are often the Oc-
caiion of great Difturbances to the Minds of
fome melanchoUy People among us , and,
for that Purpofe, I have now pitched upon
the Words 1 have read unto you.

As for thofe, that, out of Curiofity defire
to be fatisfied about the Point here propofed
to our Saviour, concerning the fewnefs of the
Saved, (which feems to have been the Tem-
per of thofe that asked this Qiieftion in my
Text,) they ought to have no other Arifwer,
Vol. HI, I than

1 f 4 Tl)e Sixth Sermon.

than what our Saviour here gives : Which
indeed is not a dired Anfwer to the Quefti-
oin, but good Advice to the propofer of it.
When one faid unto him. Lord are there
few thnt jimll be faved / Jefus anfwered.
Strive to enter in at the flrait Gate^ for ma-
ny fljall feek to enter in^ and fl) all not he a-
ble. By which Words, he doth not declare,
whether few or many fhall enter into Life j
but, he ferioully addrelfeth himfelf to him,
thit made the Queflion, and the reft of the
Company, that they fhould take care to be
found in the Number of thofe that fhould *,
for this did infinitely concern them, but it
did not at all concern them to know, how
few, or how many, (liould be faved.

This, undoubtedly, is the Defign of our
Saviours Reply \ but, yet, it is often inter-
preted to other Purpofes.

Our Saviour, as fome are apt to think,
doth not fo much intend, by thefe Words, to
reprefent the great Necefiity there is, that
we ihould all take Pains, and ftrive and la-
bour, to approve our felves his chearful Dif-
ciplcs, and, by that means, to fave our own
Souls \ (which is that I have now faid to be
his Dciign,) as to declare to his Hearers the
fewnefs of thofe, that, after all their Pains
and Labour and Sollicitude about their ever-
lafting Salvation, Ihall attain to it j and they
gather, from thefe Words of his, thefe two
Dodrines,

I . BrJ}^

71?e Sixth Sermon, TiJ

1. Firji, That the Number of thofe, that
(hall be faved, is exceeding finall.

2. Seco7idly^ That a gre^r many may drive,
and take Pains, to go to Heaven, and, yet,
fhall fail of their linds at lali ^ not, fo much
for the want of Sincerity, as, becaufe they
are not in the Number of thofe, that God
has decreed to be faved.

Such Conclufions, as thefe, very well
meaning People are apt to draw from this
Text, and fome others : And, in truth, the
Ufe they make of them is, no way, to their
own Advantage , for, they make fuch Ap-
plication of them to them fe Ives, as renders
their Lives very uncomfortable j by tilling
them with Frights and difmal Apprehenfions
concerning their own Condition, tho*, other-
wife, they be never fo defirous and ftudious
to recommend themfelves to God, by an in-
nocent and devout Life.

The Truth is, among all the troublefome
Refledions, that are apt to fall into the Minds
of devout People, ( efpecially if they have
any dofe of Melancholy in their Conftituti-
ons) there is nothing that more difturbs them,
nothing that more hinders them from the
enjoyment of themfelves, or more difcoura-
ges them from a vigorous and chearful Pro-
fee ution of a holy Life, than thefe two
Thoughts. Firft, the extream fewnefs of
thofe that Ihall be faved : Secondly, the un-
certainty they are in, whether they be in the
Number of thofe that are ekded to Salva-
tion, la 5

1 1 6 The Sixth Sermon.

I think, therefore, it may do fome Ser-
vice, to difcourfe a little upon thefe two
Points, and to open this Text, and two or
three more which relate to this Bufinefs, be-
ing confident that, if they be put into their
true Light, they will not caufe frightful I-
deas to melancholy Perfons among us , as
they fometimes do.

But, in attempting this, I would not have
any of you think, that I am a going to con-
fute thefe two Doclrines, upon which thefe
melancholy Fancies are grounded. 1 would
not have you think, that I am going to prove,
that, among the mafs of Mankind, there is
a greater Number, that (hall be faved, than
fhaJl be damned, or, that fome People may
be faved, tho* they be not elected of God to
Salvation, from eternity. No, thefe are
Things that never entred into my Head, and
I ihouid be loath to give fach a bad Example
to others, as I mufl needs do, if I fhould pre-
tend to meddle with fuch Points, as thefe, in
the Pulpit.

My Bufinefs is only this, to offer fuch
Confiderations, to tender and afflided Spirits,
about thefe two Points, that may convince
them, that they have no reafon to draw,
from hence, fuch melancholy Inferences, as
they are wont to do : That thefe Points do
not, in truth, much concern them^ but,
they may, and ought to, live chearfully and
comfortably, and to go on vigoroufly in the
Ways of Vertue, not doubting of Gods Fa-
vour

Tl?e Sixth Sermon,

vour and Mercy to them, notwithftanding
the fewnefs of thofe, th^.t fhall be faved, and
notwithftanding the uncertainty they are in,
of their particular Eledion from Eternity.

I begin with the firft of thefe Points :
The fewnefs of thofe that (hall be faved.
The Scripture tells us, 77:?^^ Cbriji^s Flock is
hut a little Flock^ and our Saviour here.
Strive to enter in at the Jlrait Gate^ for ma-
7ij Jhall feek to enter in^ andfiall not he ahle^
and, in another Place he tells us, That wide
is the Gate^ and hroad is the Way^ that lead-
eth to DeftruBion, and many there he that
enter in thereat , hut fir ait is the Gate, 6cc.
Nay fo few are thefe, that find this Gate,
that, (as one, not long ago in Print, hath
been bold to compute the Matter) where
one of Mankind enters into it, a Million per-
haps go the other Way.

To this I f ly, Firft, Let the Number of
thofe, that fhall be miferable, as much ex-
ceed the Number of the Saints, as can be
well fuppofed, yet, it ought not much to
concern thofe among us, that are apteft to be
troubled at it, if they only look at themfelves.
Becaufe, whatfoever comes of the reft of the
World, they may be in a fafe Condition,
and be pretty well afTured of it. The
Ground, I fuppofe, upon which Men make
fuch a Computation of the comparative few-
nefs of the faved, is this , that none are fup-
pofed to be in a falvable Condition, but thofe
that are believers and profelTors of the true
I 3 Reli-

117

J 1 8 The Sixth Sermon,

Religion , which, in comparifon of thofe
that do not believe and profefs it, have al-
ways been, and (till are, exceeding few. Till
the Times of our Saviour, the whole World
lay in Darknefs and Ignorance, and horrible
Idolatry, except only the Jews, who were
a handful of Men. And, for fome Years af-
ter our Sn'iour, how very thin fpread were
the Chriflians? And, even at this Day,
when Chriftianity is become the Religion of
many Nations, yet three parts of the World
(as it is probably computed) are Infidels and
Unbelievers. So large a Spread hath Juda-
ifm, Mahometanifm, and Faganifra, (till in
the World : And, even of that fourth Part
which owns Chrifl's Religion, yet much the
greateft Part of that lie covered with Error
and Superflition. So that the true Believers,
the true Church of Chrift, and confequently
thofe that fh^.U be faved, lie but in a very
little Compafs.

This, 1 prefume, is the Ground upon
which they proceed, that make the Number
of the f ived to be fo very fmall. But, tho*
this be a very uncomfortable Reckoning to
far the greateft part of Mankind, yet to us
here, who know our felves to have the true
Gofpel among us, and to be in the right way
to Salvation, it is not fo uncomfortable, if
we look only at our felves. Here is no Dif-
couragement at all to the Hopes of our Sal-
vation, but only to the Hppes of theirs, that
are not in fuch happy Circumflances. We

are

The Sixth Sermon, 1 1 p

are God's People, and may be aiTured we are
fo, whatever becomes of thofe that are with-
out.

But it will be faid that, even among us
that are true Believers, and orthodox in our
Principles, yet it is to be feared, that far the
greateft Part (hall finally mifcarry, and there-
fore (faith a fuperftitious Perfon) how know
I, but that it may be my lot, amongft the reft ?
But to this I anfwer. Suppofe it to be fo,
that the greateft part of Profellbrs do mifcar-
ry. What is the Reafon of it ? Is it not, be-
caufe the greateft Part do not walk up to the
Principles of Religion, but are carelefs, and
loofe and vitious, in their Lives ? Sure it is.
And, if fo, how can this be any Difcourage-
ment to you, who are careful to frame your
Lives according to your Principles, who do
not only profefs the true Religion, but en-
deavour to adorn it by a holy Converfation "^
The Coniideration of the many that take the
broad Way and perilh in it, ought indeed to
be an /Argument to you, to be very careful
of your Steps, but it doth not at all render
your Condition more doubtful, or more ha-
zardous,if you have already chofen the ftreight
Gate that leadeth to Life. If indeed Heaven
and eternal Happinefs was difpofcd to Man-
kind, in the way of a Lottery, in which,
where one draws a Prize, a thoufand meet
with Blanks, (tho*, yet, they that are dif-
appointed ufe the fame Care and Induflry,
that thofe do who fucceed; I fay, if this was

I 4 ?lie

120 Tk Sixth Sermon,

the Cafe of Mankind, with reference to the
other World, it would make the itouteft of
us all to tremble, at the Apprehenfions of
what might be our Deftiny.

But, God be thanked, it is not {o , tho'
the Number of thofe that Ferifli fhould be
much greater,than of thofe that are profperous,
yet none ever did, or ever fhall, perifh, but
thro' his own Fauh and Carelefnefs. And,
as for thofe that take care of their Souls, and
ufc thofe Means, that God hath vouch fifed
them, (how few foever tliefe be) they fhall
certainly obtain Salvation, and may be as
much allured of it, as if the Number of the
Saved were as great, as they now efteem it
fmall.

So that, this Coniideration of the Multi-
tude that mifcarry cannot, to a reafonable
Man, render the Hopes of his own Happi-
Ficfs, in the leaft, more doubtful.

This is the firft Thing. Ay, but it may
be faid, tho' it do not render his own Happi-
nefs fufpeded, yet ftill it is a melancholy
Coniideration to think, what fhall become of
far the greateft part of the World. 'iVhere
is the infinite goodnefs of God, which we fo
much extol, when, of all thofe Creatures
that he hath made, fo fmall a Handful are
defigned for Happinefs, and all fhe reft are
concluded in a State, far worfe han if they
had never been born ?

To this I anfwer, in the fecond Place.
Let us not meafure the infinite goodnefs of

Godj

Tl?e Sixth Sermon,
God, by the Events that come upon the Peo-
ple of this Earth, which is but a little part
of the vaft Creation, and perhaps the very
worft Part of it. Tho' here we fee the Bad
to exceed the Good in Number, and confe-
quently the Miferable to be many more
than the Happy, yet, it may be quite other-
wife, in thofe infinite fpatious and glorious
Regions above, which God fills with his Pre-
fence. We Mortals are but a very little, in-
confiderable, part of the great Family of God.
I?i oTir Father* s Honfe are many Marijions, (as
our Saviour tells us) all which may be filled
with bleffed and happy Beings^ that live up
to the end of their Creation, and ceafe not to
glorifie him that made them. So that, let
Things go here as ill as we can imagine, yet,
for all that, it is to be hoped that, as full as
Earth and Hell are of Devils and evil Men,
Heaven is much, exceedingly much, fuller
of Angels and perfed Spirits.

But, Thirdly, to come home to the Point.
How are we certain, that the State of this
Earth is fo bad, as fome melancholy Perfons
would reprefent it .> What reafon have we
to conclude, that the Number of the Saved
is fo extreamly fmall, as fome narrow fpirit-
ed Chriftians would have it believed ? Why
may it not be quite otherwife ? For my part,
1 would be fo far from confining the Mer-
cies of God to a few of this or the other
particular Sedor Party, that I would rather
fay and" believe, with the holy Ffilmift,
X That

1ZI

12 2 The Sixth Sermon,

That he hath f pre ad out his tender Mercies
over all his Works. I fhould think that Man
both immodeft and rafh, that (houid pafs a
Sentence of Damnation, even upon all Jews,
or Turks, or Heathens , much more upon
all his fellow Chriftians, tho' they be not lb
good as he , or, tho' they have the Misfor-
tune to be of a different Perfuafion or Com-
munion from him.

God, in the Scripture, hath paffed no Sen-
tence upon thefe People, and, therefore,
why fhould we ? St. Faul, that was an A-
poftle of our Lords, yet faith. What have I
to do to jitdge them that are without ^ And,
therefore, much lefs have we to do to judge
them. It is true, we have no explicit Pro-
raife, from God, of Happinefs and Salvation
to any, but, thro' Faith in Jefus Chrift :
But, doth it therefore follow, that, becaufe
we cannot affuredly pronounce them happy,
that do not believe in Chrifl, (and therefore
perhaps do not believe in him, becaufe the
Gofpel was never preached to them) I fay,
doth it therefore follow, that we mufl give
them up to Damnation ? No, it will better
become us, to leave them to the general, un-
covenanted, unpromifed Mercies of God, and
to fay nothing of them. His Servants they
are, and to him their Mafler they fland or
fall ^ and, if we may not judge thofe that
are Infidels, how much lefs will it become us
to judge thofe that believe the fune Faith,
in general, that we do, tho', perhaps, with

a

The Sixth Seniion, I ^ J

a grear mixture of Errors and Superdition,
and corrupt Pradices. But, and if we will
judge them, God, who is greater than our
Hearts, and knoweth ail Things, may pafs
a Judgment quite different from ours. Ma-
ny ofthofe, whom we diftinguilh from our
felves by very hard Names : Many of thofe,
whom we may look upon as meer moral Men,
as ignorant of the true Soul faving Knowledge
of Jefus Chrift, nay as Profane, or Hypocri-
tical, or Superltitious, or Idolatrous, may,
thro* the Merits of Jefus, and a general Re-
pentance of all their Sins known and un-
known, find Mercy at the Hands of God at
tne laft Day.

Let us therefore judge nothing before the
lane, let us rather hope the beft of all
M.n. Charity, J am fure, (if the Apoftle's
Defcription of it be true) will incline us fo
to do, and it may be, in fo doing, we fhall
think truer, than if we did otherwife.

In all probability, the Number of Gods
People, in this VVorld, is much greater, than
is ordinarily thought, and many will find
Acceptance, with God, ( the fearcher of
Hearts) in the other World, who were hard-
ly thought on, by Men, in this.

The Prophet Elias, in the 19th Chapter
of the firfl of Kings ^ thus complains to God.
Behold the Children of Ifrael have for fake n
thy Covenant^ thrown down thine Altars^
a7id fla'pi thy Prophets with the Sword: And
/, ev.'Ji I onlj!^ au} left^ and thej feek my

Life

124. ^^^ Sixth Sermon,

Life to take it away. What now is Gods
anfwer to him ? Tet (faith he) ha%je I left
me [even thonfajid Men^ in Ifrael^ that have
not bowed the Knee to Baal. Elias thoujiht
he was left alone, but God knew that he
had feven thoufind Servants befide him, and
fo we may hope it will be, in all Places, and
at all Times.

Let us not therefore fri§ht our felves, with
thefe difiml Apprehenfions : The Kingdom
of God, it is to be hoped, is much larger
than we tike it to be, and the Condition of
Mankind is not fo deplorable, as our bigot-
ted melancholy Fancies may fugged to us.
And, even as for thofe that fliall be found
reprobate at the la ft Day (how -many foever
they prove to be ) yet, when the Proceed-
ings of God v/ith Mankind come to be mani-
fefted and laid open, (as they then fh-^U be
to the whole World) we (hall be fo far from
complaining of the Severity of Gods dealing,
even with them , that we fhall have reafon
to magnifie, not only the equity of his Ju-
ftice, but his Goodnefs and Mercy like-
wife.

But then, Fourthly and Laflly, as for
thefe Texts of Scripture, that are produced
in favour of this Opinion, of the extream
fewnefs of thofe that (hall be faved, if they
be examined, they will appear to relate quite
to another purpofe.

Chrift doth indeed call his Difciples a lit-
tle Flock 3 fear not (faith he) I'ntle Flock ^

for

Tloe Sixth Sermon, f2C

for it is your Fathers good pleafiire to givs
yon the Kingdom^ Luke 12. 32. But what,
if by the Kingdom here be not meant the
Kingdom of Heaven, but Chrift's Kingjdom
here in this World ? So that the Senf^ is
this. Fear not little Flock^ though you now
be a very fmall Company, and unlikely to
gmpple with all that Oppofition, that the
Devil and the World will raife again ft you,
yet be not, for this, difcouraged : This Re-
ligion of mine, which you now profefs, Oiall
get fuch Ground in the World, as, in due
Time, to be advanced into the Thrones of
Princes. You Chriftians, asinconliderable as
you now are, fliall, at la ft, pollefs the King-
dom as they adually did.

But, fuppofe we interpret the Kingdom of
God here of the Kingdom of Heaven, yer, ic
doth not make much for the purpofe that
melancholy Perfons apply it to, tho* Chrift's
Flock was a little Flock then, ( becaufe he
had but juft begun to gather it) yet it is not
fo little a Flock now *, it is, God be thanked
vaftly increafed, in com pari fon of it then,
when our Saviour fpoke thefe Words. And,
tho' flill it cannot be denied, but that it is a
little Flock, in comparifon of the great Num-
bers of People that are not yet come into the
Fold, yet a Time may come, when they al-
fo (hall be brought in, and when all the
Kingdoms of the World Ihall become the
Kingdoms of our Lord Jefus, and the Know-
Ied?;e of the Lord Ihall cover the Earth, as

the

126 ^^^ Sixth Sermon.

the Waters cover the Sea, as the old Prophet
hath foretold. And, when this comes to
pafs, then will this Saying of our Saviours
be fulfilled to the utmoft, even in the firft
Senfe I gave of the Kingdom.

As for the other Text I mentioned, in the
7th of Matth. where our Saviour tells us,
that fir ah is the Gate and narrow is the Way
that leadeth to Life^ and few there be that
find it, hit wide is the Gate and broad is the
Way that leadeth to dejiru&ion, and many
there be that go in thereat , by the Gate,
here, that leadeth to Life, is undoubtedly to
be underftood the taking upon us the Chri-
jftian Religion, and framing our Lives ac-
cording to it, which is the only Way to
which God hath promifed Salvation. Now
this courfe of Life, in comparifon to the
way of the World, the way of vice and fen-
fuality and wickednefs, which is the Gate
that leads to Deftrudion, is both ftrait and
narrow, that is to fay, it is both ftrid and
difficult.

But then, there are thefe two Things to
be remember'd. Firft, That this maketh
nothing to the Difcouragement of thofe, that
have already enter'd this ftrait Gate, are al-
ready Chriftians, of which there are vaft
Numbers all over the World, as it is to be
hoped, tho' not fo many, as thofe that are in;|
the broad Way , the Way of the World.

Bur,!

Tl^e Sixth Sermon,

Rut, Secondly, tho' this Gate of Chrifti-
anity, and which is the only PafTige unto
Life, be always (trait and narrow, that is,
requires great ftridnefs, and is attended with
fome Difficulties, yet it is not fo flrait now,
by a great deal, as it was, when our Saviour
fpoke thefe Words , it was then extreamly
ftrait, by reafon of the many Oppofitions,
and Perfecutions and worldly Terrors, which,
both hindred Men from entring into it, and
which attended the courfe of all them, thit
had already undertaken it. But God, be
thanked, it is not now flrait, in this Senfe,
to us, but wide enough in all reafon , for,
we hav^e met with no worldly or outward
Difcouragements, in the way of ourChrifti-
anity, at lead, generally fpeaking, we have
not, and we hope we never fh^U. On the
contrary, we may truly fay, as Things by
the Mercy of God ftand among us, that, in
point of worldly Motives and Confiderations,
in point of Eafe and Pleafure and temporal
Advantages, a Man hath as much encourage-
ment to be good, as to be bad, to live a ho-
ly and a Chriftian Life, as to live a diflblute
and profane one ^ fo that, the Cafe of Chri-
flianity being fo much altered from what it
was, when our Saviour tirft preached it,
thefe Words of his cannot be fo properly urg-
ed to the purpofe they are brought for.

But there is a third PaiTage of our Saviour,
which feems to make more for this Purpofe,
than either of the other j and that is the

Text

127

12

7he Sixth Sermon.

Text I am now upon j and therefore (tho* f
have fpoken fomething to it already ) yet I
(hall now give a more particular Account of
it.

Our Saviour is here put upon fpeaking to
that very Point, we arenow difcourfing of :
One fdid unto bim. Lord are there few that
(ImU be faved ? This was theQueflion. Our
Saviours Anfwer to this Queflion, was this \
Strive to enter in at the ftrait Gate, for ma*
ny jhall feek to enter, and jhall not be able.
Now, as this, I fay, far be it from us to un-
derftand this Anfwer of our Saviours in the
Senfe , that fome Perfons would have it ta-
ken in 5 namely, that hereby he intimates
that they are but exceeding few, that Ihall
be faved, and that many fhall earneftly ap-
ply themfelves, and induftrioully feek, to
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and yet,
notwithftanding all their Pains and Endea-
vours, Ihall fall (liort of it. If this indeed
was the Meaning of our Saviour, it would be
one of the mod uncomfortable Texts in the
whole Scripture. But, without Qutftion,
there is no fuch Thing here intimated, as
will appear to any, that will ftridly examine
the Pallage. The Cafe is this. Oi-\^ that
was more curious than ferious, asks him con-
cerning the Succefs of his Doctrine in the
World : Whether many or few would em-
brace it, and fo, by the Means thereof, ob-
tain eternal Salvation. This is the Meaning
of the Qiieftion. What now faith our Savi-
our

77;e Sixth Sermon,

our to this ? Doth he give a dircd An-
fwer to the Queftion ? No, not at all j he
neither tells whether many, or whether few,
(hould be faved. But, as his manner was,
when he was asked Qjicftions, that had more
of Curiofity in them than any tendency to
benefit the Askers, inftead of directly anfwer-
ing the Queftion propofed, he takes occali-
on from hence of giving good Advice and
Counfel to the Hearers, and thus he doth
here. Jefus faith unto him. Strive to enter
in at the flrait Gate^ for many jhall feek td
enter an J Jhall not he able , as if he had faid.
Be not you fo curious to enquire into the
Number of thofe that (hall embrace my Do-
drine and be faved by it, but rather take
you Care, that you your felves be found in
that Number. I will alTure you, the Thing
it felf will oblige you to it, for, as the
World now ftands, ftrait is the Gate of Chri-
ftianity, by which you are to enter into
Life \ fo ftrait, that it will require not only
great fincerity, but great earneftnefs and ve-
hemence, in whoever undertakes it *, which
is a great deal more, than a carelefs Wilh, or
a flight Defire and Endeavour. He that will
go to Heaven, in the Way that I propofe,
muft ftrive heartily, and not feek faintly \
muft oc-yuvl^i^oci (that is the Word our Sa-
viour here ufeth,) that is to fay, he muft do
as thofe that run a Race, or engage them-
felves in any other Strife for maftery ^ he
iriuft put out his whole Strength, bend the
Vol. III. K whole

12^

130

77;e Sixth Sermon.
whole force both of his Body and Mind to
the Work he is about ^ otherwife, he may
mifcarry. A faint feeking will hardly do
the Work. Many of thofe, that have fome
will or defire to enter at this Gate, and to be
my Difciples : When they come to fee what
temporal Advantages they mufi: part witli,
and what HardOiip they muft endure, for
my names fake, will not be able to enter,
will not be able to give up themfelves to my
Religion. It is the Strivers, only thofe that
will take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence,
that will be fuccefsful. Strive to enter i?i
at the ftrait Gate^ for many flmllfeek to en-
ter, and ^mU not he ahle^ it is not here fiid
many Ihall ftrive to enter, and (hall not be
able, no, none ever ftrove to enter, but
they did it. But it is the Seekers only that
(hall not be able, that is to fay, thofe that
have fome good Will towards Chrift's Religi-
on, but have not Sincerity or Courage enough
to profecute it with diligence and vigour.

And this, I hope, is fufficient to fitisfie
thofe that are uneafie, and doubtful of their
own Condition, upon account of the fewnefs
of thofe that are to be faved, which was the
firft Point I was to difcourfe on.

But, may fome fay ftill, there is as great
a Difficulty behind, what is all ,this to me,
unlefs I had fome aiTurance, that I am one
of thofe that are appointed and ordained and
eleded by God to Salvation > If God hath,
from all Eternity, pitched upon fuch a de-

termi-

The Sixth Sehmn, 1 1 1

terminate number of Men, whom he defigns
to make VefTels of Honour, and all the reft
of Mankind, who are not thus Eleded, fhall
certainly perifh, what Comfort can I have,
unlefs I knew that I was one of thofe, that are
thus predeftinated to Life ? For any thing I
know, I may be one of thofe, that are from
all Eternity, doomed to Deftrudion.

This is the fecond Point I am to difcourfe
of, and I fhall do it very briefly, and very
plainly. And, in anfwer to this fort of
Scruple, I fay, in the firfl Place, that it is
the mofl unreafonable Thing in the World
(however Men have got it into their Heads)
to trouble our felves about the eternal De-
crees of God 5 which being infinitely above
our underflanding, muft therefore certainly
be much beyond our Duty to enquire aftero
That which we have to do, is to look into
the revealed Will of God, which is contain-
ed in the Holy Scriptures, for, from hence
and hence only, we can, with any certainty,
make a Judgment of our own Conditionj
whether it be good or bad. Whatever ge-
neral Promifes we there find, God hath
made to Mankind by Jefus Chrif^ , thofe we
not only fafely may, but we ought to apply ■
to our felves in particular, fo far as we per-
form the Conditions of them *, and fo, on the
other Hand, whatever Threatnings God hath
there denounced againft difobedient and im-
penitent Sinners, we are to ' look upon our
felves as obnoxious to them, if we do not
K 2 prevent

1 ^ 2 7he SixtJ? Sermon,

prevent our Ruin, by repentance and obedi-
ence.

This is the Method that God hath ap-
pointed, for the coining to a true Knowledge
of our own State, and the raifing Comfort to
our feh^es, and not the curious prying into
the Books of Gods eternal Decrees, which are
altogether fecret to us. If 1 would have
peace of Confcience, and a comfortable alTu-
rance of my own good Condition, the Way to
come by it is not this, to get fatisfied, in the
iirft Place, that I am one of thofe Perfons,
whom God, from all eternity, did peremp-
torily decree fhould beLved, and whoconfe-
quentiVjCannotpofTibly mifcarry : No, this is a
prepofterous Way ^ the true Method is this :
I find, in the Gofpel, many general Promifes
and Declarations of Gods kindnefs to Man-
kind, as thus f:)r inftance, from the Mouth
of our Saviour. God fo loved the World,
that he gave his only begotteyi Son, that who-
foever believeth inhimfiouldnotperifi, but
have everlafling Life. My Bufinefs is now
to enquire, whether I do truly believe inje-
fus Chriffj which I am to come to the Know-
ledge of, by an Examination of my own
Heart and Life and Converfation. If now,
upon fuch Examination, I find that I have
ail the Qualifications of a true Believer, I
rnay, with confidence, apply this general
Promife to my felf in particular, and raife
this Conclufion to my felf, that (ince I lind
I do believe in the only begotten Son of God,

alluredly

Tlje Sixth Sermon, i ^ j

afTuredly God doth accept me, and, if I con-
tinue in this Eftate till my life's end, I fhall
not perifti, but have everlafting Life.

Let us but fatisfie our felves, that we per-
form the Conditions, which Chrift hath re-
quired of Mankind, in order to Salvation,
(which Conditions are all fum*d up in thefe
two Words, Faith and Repentance,) and we
may be as certainly aiTured, that we belong
to God, and are intitled to his Favour, as if
we faw our particular Names recorded in a
Book, among them that are appointed to Sal-
vation.

Away therefore with all Fears and Doubts,
concerning our eternal Predeftination. Let
us never be follicitous in enquiring, whether
God hath decreed fuch a particular Number
of Perfons (in exclufion to the reft of Man-
kind ) to eternal Life, or, if he hath done
fo, whether we be in the Number of them ,
but let us take care to fecure our own Duty.
Secret Things belong to the Lord our God^
hut the Things that are revealed to us, and
to our Children^ that we may do all the Works
of his Law , as we have it in Deuteronomy,
Let us take care to obey Gods Command-
ments. Let us live as well as we can, and
if we do fo, it is certain we cannot mifcarry,
and if God hath made any fuch eternal De-
crees, concerning the Lot of particular Per-
(bns, it is certain likewife, that we are in the
Number of thofe, that are prcdeflinated to
K 3 eternal

1 J 4 Tl:e Sixth Sermon,

eternal Salvation, provided we continue in
our Faith and Obedience.

But, Secondly, let me add this further
upon this Head, and I conclude. What if
there be really no fuch Grounds, for thofe
Fears and Doubts concerning our own State,
from the Decrees of God, as the Objedion
fuppofeth ? What if the Dodrine, upon
which they are built, be altogether without
Foundation ? Thefe Fears, I am fpeaking of,
do proceed from this Suppofition, that there
are a determinate number of Men eleded,
from all Eternity, to Salvation, and that all
the reft are doomed to deftrudion.

As for the former part of this Suppofiti-
on, I do not now make any Queftion of it,
but 35 to the latter Part, I juftly may and
do. Nay, if by Gods predeftinating Men
to deftrudion be meant his decreeing Men,
from Eternity, to Hell-Fire, without refped
to their evil Adions or wicked Lives, (as it
muft he meant in the Objedion, other wife it
is not to the purpofe) I fay, the Dodrine is
certainly falfe : God never pafled any fuch
Sentence upon any of his Creatures. What-
ever the Senfe be of Gods eleding forae, and
pafling by others, which I fhall not here en-
quire into, thefe two Things I dare confident-
ly lay down for Truth : Becaufe the Scripture
in very many plain Texts doth warrant me fo
to do. The Firft is, that, as Chrift died for
all Mankind, fo all Mankind, that do be-
lieve in Chrift and profefs his Religion, (for

as

The Sixth Sermon. 135

as for thofe, that are out of the Pale of the
Church, I have nothing to do with them) I
fay all fuch are in a Capacity of being fa-
ved. God is fo fir from putting a Bar to the
Salvation of any, by any eternal abfolute ir-
refpedive Decrees of his, that he defigned
Mercy to them all without exception, and
it is in their Power, by the Grace of God
both preventing and aflilling, that goes along
with them, to accept of that Mercy, and if
they do fo, they fhall without fail attain e-
verlafling Life.

The fecond Thing is this, whatever Gods
Decrees are concerning Men, it is certain, no
Man ever was, or ever fh.-ill be damned, but
it was, or (hall be, purely thro' his own
Fault, x^nd he might have avoided the Dam-
nation, if he would have taken that care of
himfelf, that in point of prudence and felf •
prefervation, he fhould have done, and which
in other Cafes he fometimes doth not fail to
do.

If now thefe two Things be true, as they
may be evidently proved from the Holy Scri-
ptures •, what little Grounds has any Man
living to be troubled, about Gods Decrees
concerning him, fince he may be allured,
that he (hall never mifcarry, but thro' his
own Fault > And that it is in his Power, if
he will luake ufe of that Grace which God
affords him, to prevent mifcarrying, and to
attain to everlaftin^ Salvatioii. And what can
any reafonable Man defire more than this ?
K 4 Iknow

126 ^^^ Sixth Sertnon,

1 know that there are a great many, that do
pot love to hear of any thing to be done on their
Parts, but would have all Gods dealings with
"Mankind to be fo entirely refolved into his un-
controulable Power, as that whoever is faved
is to be fayed by his irrefiftible Grace, without
any concurrence of their own. But, fure I
am, this Notion of Gods bringing Men to
Happinefs neither fuits with the Holy Scri-
ptures, nor with the Nature he hath given
to Mankind. We readily grant, and it is
certainly true \ that all that comes to pafsin
this World doth come to pafs, according to
the Counfel of Gods Will : But then, it is
as true, that God hath decreed and determin-
ed all Things fo, as to give a full Scope to
the exercife of that Power and Liberty that
he hath in our Creation bellowed upon us.
He hath fo made his Decrees, as that it is,
from Eternity, a fixed unmoveable Point,
that Mankind, who by their Nature are free
Agents, fhould in the next World be happy
pr miferable, only by their own Choice.
God determined, in the Beginning, to fet
Life and Death before us, by our Lord Je-
fus Chrift, (and accordingly he hath done
fo,) he decreed likewife, from all Eternity,
that all of us, that chofe Life upon thofq
Terms and Conditions that Chrift hath pro-
pofed it, fhould certainly enjoy it. He hath
likewife given every one of us Power and A-
bility fufficient, to choofe that Life and to
make good thofe Terms and Conditions, and
' •' ' what-

The Sixth Sermon.
what ever Man or Woman among us does do
that, that Perfon is certainly eleded, and,
whoever doth otherwife, is certainly, by the
Decrees of God, a Reprobate , that is to fay,
he having rejected Gods Grace, God will re-
jed him at the la ft Day.

This now is all that we can, conclufively
and pofitively, pronounce concerning God*s
Decrees, and thus much we may pronounce,
and this is enough, both to fatisfie our Scru-
ples, and to excite our Induftry. It is cer-
tain, by Gods Word, that every one of us
may be faved, nay (hall be faved everlafting-
Jy, if we be fincere in our Endeavours after
it. 1 do not fay, if we do all that we can do
towards the obtaining Salvation, for that per-
haps no Man doth, but, if we be fincere in
that Degree, that the infirmity and degenera-
cy of human Nature will ordinarily allow us.
If we ufc the Ame fincerity and induftry, in
recommending our felves to God, and our
Lord Jefus, and procuring our own everlaft-
ing Salvation, that Men ordinarily and cu-
ftomarily do, in profecuting any great Affair
in the World, that they have fet their Hearts
upon. I fay, whofoever is thus far fincere, as
to his fpiritual Concernments, (hall undoubt-
edly go to Heaven. And fure this is enough,
abundantly enough, to filence all the Doubts
and Fears and Perplexities of the moft timo-
rous Perfons for ever. I hope, they them-
felves do not defire to go to Heaven upon ea-
fier Terms, or, if they do, they are very un-
'' • reafor

Mr

1^8 Tl^^ Sixth Sermon,

reafonable. And, on the other Hand, if we
are not thus ferious, in our endeavours to
lead a Holy and Chriftian Life, all our other
pretences to Salvation will fignilie nothing j
it will be in vain, to rely upon any other E*
ledion, than that, which is made fure by a
lively Faith and a vertuous Converfation. We
are all of us theEled of God, if we live as
becomes the Difciples of Chrift Jefus, but
we {hall all be found Reprobates, if we do
not.

0 what a Spur is here to our Induftry !
How careful fhould we be, not to rely upon
a barren ineffedual Faith, but to adorn our
Profeflion by a godly and a religious Life I
How diligent fliould we be, to make our Cal-
ling and Eledion fure, by adding to our
Faith Vertue, and to our Vertue Knowledge,
and to Knowledge Temperance, and to Tem-
perance Patience, and to Patience Godlinefs,
and to Godlinefs brotherly Kindnefs, and to
brotherly Kindnefs Charity ', knowing that,
if thefe Things be in us, and abound, we
(hall never be barren nor unfruitful in the
Work of the Lord , but an Entrance will be
adminiftred unto us more abundantly, into
the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord Jefus.

1 conclude all, with that memorable Say-
ing of St. Pdiil in the 2d of the Ro?fi, the 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, Verfes. All which makes to
our purpofe. God will render to every Man
according to his Works , to thef?i, who, hy
patie?Jt contlmtance in well doings feek for

Glorj

Tlye Sixth Sermon, 139

Glory ^nd Honouy and Immortality^ eternal
Life 5 but unto them, that are contentious^
and do 7iot obey the Truth ^ Indignation and
Wrath \ Tribulation and Afigui^o itpon every
Sold of Man that doth evil, of the Jew firfi^
and alfo of the Ge?itile. . But Glory and Ho-
nour and Peace to every Man that worketb
good^ to the JexK> firjl^ and alfo to the Gen--
tile 'j for there is Jio refped ofPerfons with
God,

M^y God Ahmghty give us all Grace fo to
behave our fives, in this World, that
we ?nay, in the other ^ receive thofe glo-
rious Rewards, which our Lord Jefus
hath promifed to all his faith fid Difci-
ples. This God of his infinite Mercy
^rantf 6cc.

SER-

140

SERMON VII.

ACTS XVI. 31.

Belisve on the Lord Jefiis Chrtjl^ and thou
fialt hefaved.

O U may remember that I have,
^ Y ^ not long ago, preached feveral
M ^ Sermons about religious trouble
M^^^^^^ of Mind, and I then made it my
Bufineis to give an Account of fundry Points
which, thro' their not being well under-
ftood, had a great Influence, if not in cauf-
ing, yet in the increaling, that fort of Affli-
aion. And I told you that, as I had Op-
portunity^ I would go on with this Argu-.
ment, and fpeak to fome other Points, which
often prove occafion of many Frights and
Doubts, to timerous and melancholly Per-
fons. Having therefore an Opportunity now
given me, I mean to proceed where I left

off.

Five Caufes of religious Trouble, which
arife from the mifapprehenfion of Things, I
have already fpoken to, that is to fay,

J. BrJI,

The Seventh Sermon,

1 . Firfty The Opinion Men have taken up
about defertion, or Gods forfaking them.

2. Secondly, The lofs of their fpiritual
Comfort, and the dulnefs and deadnefs of
their Hearts, as to all religious Duties.

3. Third!)', The being haunted with wick-
ed, and blafphemous Thoughts.

4. F^?/r?/b/?', Theextreamfewnefsof thofe
that fhall be faved.

5. Fifthly y The uncertainty they are in,
as to their particular Eledion to Salvation.

I now come to confider two other Things,
which fome melancholy People do often com-
plain of, and which caufeth them as much
uneafinefs, as any of the other Points I have
named, and that is, in the fixth Place, their
want of Faith, and in the feventh Place,
their not being truly penitent for their
Sins.

Faith and Repentance, they know very
well, are the great Gofpel Duties, and in-
deed the only Conditions required to Salva-
tion. And if they want either of thefe, in
what a miferable Condition are they ? But
yet, as Things ftand with them, they have
neither true Faith, nor true Repentance.

Thefe two Things, I fay, I (hall now endea-
vour to give fome SatisfaAion about, by put-
ting both thefe Duties in a fair Light, and (hew-
ing, that good Peoples uneafinelTes and frights
about them are occafioned, purely by their
not rightly underftanding the Nature of themo

Ibe-

141

^^t 57?f Seventh Sermon.

I begin with Faith, to which I fliall af
this Time confine my Difcourfe. The ge-
neral Defcription of that Faith, whereby
Chriftians are to be faved, is given us in
thefe Words of St. Vaul^ I have ?wtp read unto
you. When the Jaylor, \x\ the Verfe before
had earneflly defired Vaul and Silas to in-
ftrud him in the way of Salvation, faying.
Sirs what miifi I do to he faved / The An-
fwer they return to him is, Believe on the
Lord Jefus Chrifl, and thou Jhalt be faved
and thine Houfe , fo that, f iving, juftifying,
Faith, is to beUeve on the Lord Jefus.

Well but, fay they, whofe Cafes we are
fpeaking to, this is our Mifery, we do not
believe on the Lord Jefus , on the contrary,
we are forely troubled with unbelief. If
you ask them what reafon they have to think
10, do they not believe the Gofpel, do they
not own our Lord Jefus to be the Son of
God and the Saviour of the World ? Yes,
they will tell you, they do fo, but yet, for
all that, they want Faith : Becaufe they are
full of Doubts concerning their Condition 5
now, is not doubting contrary to Faith }
What is it, fay they, to believe on the Lord
Jefus, but to believe that the Lord Jefus is
my Saviour ? That his righteoufnefs is my
righteoufnefs, and that I am one of thofe,
for whom he purchafed eternal Salvation ?
But they cannot bring themfelves to a firm
belief of this, they cannot thus apply
Chrifts Benefits to themfelves in particu-

iara

Tl:e Seventh Sermon*

iar. Is it not one of the Articles, which
every Chriftian doth daily profefs, name-
ly , that he believes the forgivenefs of
Sins ? Why, they cannot fay this^ they do
not heartily and fledfaftly believe the forgive-
nefs of their Sins, and therefore fure they
want fomething necefTary to faving Faith.

This is the Cafe, and this I (hall now par-
ticularly apply my feif to, and the rather,
becaufe 1 believe this is a Notion of Faith
very common among us , nay, I am afraid,
it is to be met with in fome of our Cate-
chifms and fyftems of Divinity.

And here my Bufinefs (hall be, to fpeak of
thefe two Points.

Firft, Whether it be necefTary to faving
Faith, to believe that my Sins are forgiven
rae, or to make fucli an Application of
Chrifts Righteoufnefs to my felf, as from
hence to be able to conclude, that I in parti-
cular am righteous by his righteoufnefs, and
confequently, (hall be faved by him j or,
which comes to the fame Thing, whether the
doubting of this be the Sin of unbelief.

And, Seco7idly^ what is the true Notion of
that Faith, which is in Scripture required,
as a Condition of Mens Juftification and Sal-
vation. The refolving thefe two Enqui-
ries is all that can be thought needful, in or-
der to the clearing up all Difficulties in this
Matter.

1 begin with the firft Enquiry. Whether
it be of the E(rence of faving Faith, to be-
lieve

MJ

144 "^'^^ Seventh Sermon.

iieve that my Sins are forgiven me j or to
apply Chrifts Righteoufnefs fo particularly to
my felf, as to believe that I am thereby a
juflifyed Perfon.

Thofe Perfons, whofe Cafe I am now
fpeaking to, and likewife a great many others
among us, do verily think that this is necef-
fary to the having true Faith, and that to
doubt of it is the Sin of Unbelief. But nov^r,
if upon examination, it proves to be other-
wife, then I fuppofe, they will be eafily con-
vinced, that there was no Ground for their
Fears and Perplexities about this Matter, for
they may have true Faith, how great foever
their Doubts may be, of the forgivenefs of
their Sins.

Now, what I have to fay, as to this Point,
I ihall reprefent in thefe four following Par-
ticulars. Firft of all, let it be cjnfideredj
that it cannot be necelTary, to the having
true Faith, to believe that which God hath
no where revealed. For, when we fpeak of
Faith in a Theological Senfe, (that is to fay,
as it is required of us as a Duty by God,) as
we do all along in this Difcourfe ^ it can
have no other Objed, than divine Revelati-
on : And is always commenfurate with that,
nor can it be extended farther, than that goes.
So that, whatever God hath revealed, that
is an Objed: of our Faith, and we are bound
to believe it : What ever God hath not re-
vealed, that is no objed of our Faith, nor
are we concerned, in point of Religion, whe-
* ther

The Seventh Sermon. 14 j

ther we believe it or no. This now being
fo, I ask, where is it declared in the whole
Scripture (which takes in all the Revelati-
ons of God to Mankind, and makes up an en-
tire Objed of our Faith,) 1 fiy, where is it
there declared, that my Sins are forgiven me,
or that Chrift's Righteoufnefs is fo imputed
to me, that 1 iliall befaved eternally. And,
if thefe Things be not there declared an J re-
vealed, then, it is certain, it can be no part
of my Faith, to believe them, nor can it be
a finful Unbelief in me, to doubt of them.

But, to this it will be faid, tho' it be not
declared in the Scriptures, concerning par-
ticular Perfons and by Name that their
Sins are forgiven them , yet all particu-
lar Perfons are commanded to apply the
general Promifes of Chrift to themfelves, as
much as if they had been made to them by
Name, and if they do not this, they are
guilty of Unbelief. And this is the Cafe of
thefe Perfons I am now fpeaking of ^ they
do not apply the Promifes of forgivenefs of
Sins to themfelves in particular ^ they do not
lay hold of the Merits of Chrift fo, as to
make his righteoufnefs their righteoufnefs,
and this is want of Faith in them.

Well, to this I fay, in the fecond Place,
let us at prefent admit this Notion of Faith,
that they contend for ^ but then, pray fee
the Confequence. If God hath commanded
all Mea to apply the Promifes of Chrift to
themfelves in particular, and that to do this
Vol. IIL L Is

^J^6 Tl:e Seventh Sermon.

is Faith, and not to do it Unbelief, then it
follows, for certain, that the worft Men in
the World are bound, under penalty of eter-
nal D;imnarion, to make fuch an Application
to theinfelves. They are bound, if they
would not be condemned among!!: the Unbe-
lievers, to believe the remjflion of Sins, that
is the remiflion of their own Sins in particu-
lar. They are bound to believe, thatChrift's
Righteoufnefs is as much imputed to them,
as if they were righteous theiuf^ives :> 1 fay,
they are bound to do all this, becaufe every
JVlan is bound to have true Faith in Jefus
Chriflj and, if this be true Faith in Jefus
ChriH-, then whenever they can bring up
thcnifehes to fuch a pitch of confidence as to
be able thus to do, they are as true Believers,
and as much in the number of the Faithful,
as thufe that live the moft holy and pure
Lives ^ how carelefs and diilolute and vitious
foever their Lives and Converfation be. But
this is fo intolerable a Confequence, that, I
believe, nofober Man will own it, and there-
fore we may from hence form an undeniable
Argument, that Faith in Clirift, and appli-
cation of his Promifes to our felves, are two
quite different T'hings.

But, Thirdly, to come home to the Point,
let it be farther confider'd, notwithflanding
all this talk of laying hold on Chrift's Righ-
teoufnefs, and applying his Merits to our
felves in particular, fo as to believe that we
are righteous thro' his righteoufnefs, and

that.

Tl?e Seventh Sermon, 14?^^

that, thro' the Merits of his Sufferings, all
our Sins are adualiy forgiven, I f ly, let it be
confider'd, that thefe Things are fo fir from
being a necelT^iry lijgreuient in the true Faith,
that it doth not appear, from the Scriptures,
that they are fo much as required of us as a
Duty at all, or that the not doing of them
fhall be imputed to us as a Sin.

The Reafon, why J fay fo, is this. All
the Scripture Promifes of forgivenefs of Sin
and of eternal Life, thro' the Blood of Jefus
Chrifl, are made unto Mankind, under a
Condition that they perform the Terms of the
hew Covenant, which was then fealed, by
that Blood, between God and Man ^ which
Terms, as we have faid, are Faith and Re-
pentance. No Man therefore, can, or ought
to, apply thefe Promifes to himfelf, that is,
fo as to think he hath a Right or Title to
them, any farther than he can fitisfie him-
felf he hath performed thofe Conditions :
Nay, it would be an unwarrantable finful
Prefumption in him, if he fhould offer it.

But now, if it be every Mans Duty, nay
or any Mans Duty, thus to apply the Pro-
mifes to himfelf, and a Sin in him, if he did
hot, then it mull be fuppofed likewife that it
was his Duty to believe, that he hath per-
formed the Conditions. But now, I defire
any Man to fhew me any Text of Scripture,
where God hath' commanded, that we Ihould
believe that we have performed the Conditi-
ons of the new Covenant, or declared it to
L 2 be

148 The Seymth Sermon,

be a Sin in us, if we cannot thus believe*
Thus far God hath commanded us to believe,
namely, that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God,
and the Saviour of the World, and that whofo-
ever believeth in him Ihall not perifh but have
everlafting Life , but he hath no where com-
manded us to beheve, that we are true Be-
lievers, and, confequently, that we Ihall not
perilh but have everlafting Life. The Scri-
pture requires us to believe, that all true Pe-
nitents (hall have remiflion of their Sins,
thro' the Blood of Chrift : But it no where
requires us to believe, that we are true Pe-
nitents, and that we (hall have remifTion of
Sins. Laftly, The Scripture hath told us
that, if our Faith be fincere, it ftiall be im-
puted to us for righteoufnefs, as Ahaham's
Faith was ;, but this is a quite different Thing,
from laying hold of Chrift's Righteoufnefs,
and applying it to our felves, and then cal-
ling it Faith fo to do. Since now no Man is
obliged, by the Law of God to believe, or
to be allured, that he hath Faith, or Repen-
tance, or hath performed the Conditions of
the Gofpel Covenant, (as it is certain no
Man is, and indeed in many Cafes, as Things
fland with Men, it is a Matter really impof-
fible they ftiould be thus alfured,) it undeni-
ably follows, that neither is any Man bound
to make fuch an Application of the Promifes
of the Gofpel to himfelf, as this Notion of
Faith ( that I am now fpeaking of) fuppof-
eth 5 and, if fuch an Application be not his

Duty,

Tl?e Se'Venth Sermon. jah

Duty, then it is certain he may have true
faving Faith without it.

But, may fome fay, ought not every Man,
cfpecially every good Man, fo apply the Pro-
mifes of the Gofpel to himfelf in particular,
are they not to be the Support, and the Com-
fort, and the Joy of his Life }

To this I anfwer thefe two Things ^ in
one Senfe, every Man, both good and bad,
ought to apply them to himfelf, and, in a-
nother Senfe, every good Man may fo ap-
ply them.

Firft, Every Man whatfoever ought to ap-
ply the Promifes of the Gofpel to himfelf, as
they are Motives and Encouragements to fpur
him on to do his Duty , but then this Appli-
cation is but to be conditional, that is, thus,
he ought to look upon all the Promifes as
belonging to him, if he perform the Condi-
ons of them , he ought verily to believe,
that he in Particular (hall be a fharer in all
the Benefits, that Chrift hath purchafed for
his Church, fuppoling that he makes good
the Terms on his part required, in the Co-
venant of Grace. This kind of Application
of the Promifes is neceifary to be made, by
every Man both good and bad , becaufe it is
necelTary to the doing our Duty. Without
fuch an Application, a Man would not be
put upon uiing his Endeavours to attain the
Things promifed, and confequently, the Pro-
mifes of God would lofe their End, they
would not be Motives to Obedience.

L 3 And

77;e Seventh Sermon,

And thus far, I will readily grant, that to
apply the Promifesto our felves is of the ef-
fence of Faith,and not to do it is unbelief For,
indeed, it is a flat denying our alfent to the
Revelations of God. God faith, in general,
whofoever believeth and repenteth fhall be
faved. The Man, who refufeth to make this
Application, inuft be fuppofed to contradict
this ;, for, he muft hct fuppofed to fiy, that
he doth not believe that he himfelf fhould be
faved, tho' he fhould believe and repent j
which is flat unbelief.

But now, the Perfons lam treating of are
no way guilty of this Unbelief^ for they do
apply the Promifes of the Gofpel to them-
felves in particular, in that conditional Way
we now talk of. They acknowledge and be-
lieve the remiflion of Sins in general, and
the Sah'ation purchafed by Jefus Chrift, and
they believe likewife^ that they in particular
fliould have their Portion in thofe Benefits, if
they did perform the Conditions. Thus far
then, they do apply the Promifes to them-
feives 3 which is all that Faith obligeth them
to do But, here they flick , they are in
doubt whether they have performed thefe
Conditions, whether their Faith and Repen-
tance be fuch as God will accept. This is
their Doubt, but this is no Unbelief in them.
For, as I faid,tbey ought not, they cannot, far-
ther believe the Promifes to belong to them,
than they can fatistie themfeives, they have
made good the Conditions.

But,

The Seventh Sermon. i 5 *

But, Secondly, befiJes this conditional
application of Promifes, by way of Motive
and Encouragement, to do our Duty, which
every Man both good and bad is bound to
make to himfdf, a goodM-n may go fir-
ther ^ for he may make a politive ahfolute
Application of the Promifes of Forgivencfs
and Salv^ation to hinjfelf, to his own uiifpeak-
able Comfort : That is, when h^^ finds ^ by
the holy frame and temper of his own Heart,
and rhe Fruits of Piety in his Life and Con-
verfiri^n, that he hath the Qualifications ofa
true Di ciple of Chrift , he may fpeak Peace
to himfelf, upon good Grounds, andalfured-
Jy believe, that the Promifes of the Gofpcl
do belong to him in particular. That his
Sins are forgiven him, that he is aduaily in
the Favour of God, and that, if he perfe-
veres in that courfe of Holinefs in which he
now walks, he ihall at la(t attain everlafting
Salvation.

But then it is to be remember'd, that thefe
comfortable Refledions and Applications are
not fo much his Duty, as his Happinefs, or,
if you will, they are no othtrwife his Duty,
than as it is his Duty to contribute all he can
to the making his Life as happy and as com-
fortable, as he can, in this World.

The plain EngUfi is, thefe Things do not
make any part of the Conditions of the Gof-
pel, but only of the Comfort of it j it is the
Happinefs ofa Man, that he is able to make
fuch a Judgment of the Sincerity of his own

L 4 pious

M^

77;e Seventh Sermon]

pious Endeavours, as to conclude from hence,
that he is in God's Favour , and, fo long as
he makes fuch a Judgment, he will not fail
to draw fuch a Concluiion, and much Com-
fort will he receive from it. But if, thro*
ignorance, ormiftake, or melancholy, he be
hindred from making fuch a Judgment of his
own Qijalifications, as to give him confidence
to believe that the promifes belong to him ^
this is rather his hifelicity than his Sin , it
is not want of Faith, but weaknefs of Judg-
inent. And, tho' he cannot with afTurance
look upon the Promifes as belonging to him
in particular, fo long as his Mind continues
thus clouded^ yet, God Almighty, the
fearcher of Hearts, knows that he hath a
right to them, and will efFedually make
them good to the eternal Salvation of his
Soul, if he continue faithful to the End.

But, Fourthly and Laflly, let it be far-
ther confider'd, that this afTurance of our
Salvation, or this believing that our Sins are
forgiven, or this applying Chrifts Merits to
our felves, is no where in Scripture called by
the Name of Faith. Nor, on the other fide,
are thefe Terms of Faith and Believing ever
ufed in fuch a Senfe, as can be reafonably
interpreted to import thefe Things.

Firft, I fay, that thefe Things are never
in Scripture called by the Name of Faith ,
we meet indeed with thofe Things often in
the new Teftament, but they are always flil-
ed by another Name than that of Faith. The

Apoftle

71)6 Seventh Sermon. T5 J

Apoftle mentions the Hope of Chrifllans,
and the full aiTurance of hope, and he men-
tions their Joying in the Teftimony of a good
Confcience, their Peace and their Joy m be-
lieving. In a Word, we meet in the new
Teftament with feveral Expreflions of the
confidence and afTurance that good Chriftians
had, or might have, of the Favour of God,
and the forgivenefs of their Sins. But thefe
Things are no where intimated to be the
fime Thing with their Faith , in proper
fpeaking, but rather to be the Effecfls and
Confequences of their Faith. Tliofe Things
are reprefented to be the comfortable Fruits of
their Faith and believing in Jefus Ghrifl, and
not to be Faith or Believing it felf.

And certainly it mud be thus, for, what
Grounds has any Man of hope or alfurance
that his Sins are forgiven him, or that the
Benefits of Chrifl's Paflion belong to him, o-
ther than this, that he is among the Number
of thofe true Believers, to whom the Promi-
fes are made. And, if fo, then his Hope or
his AiTurance is not the fame Thing with his
Faith or his Believing, but fomething that is
confequent from it or bottomed upon it.

But farther, I fay, the^e Terms of Faith
or Believing are never ufed in that Senfe in
Scripture, in which the Perfons, whofe
Cafe we are now upon, do take them. In
Scripture we indeed often find mention made
of Faith in Chrifl: for the remiffion of ouc
Sins, but no Body is to underitand this of the

belief

J54 Tl?e Seventh Sermon.

belief of the forgivenefsof a Mansown Sins in
particular; .But of belief in JefusChrift, by
whom only remifhon of Sins is to be obtain-
ed. St. Paul faith, in my Text, Believe in
the Lord Jefus^ and thou jlmll he faved \
but his meaning is not, believe that Chrift
died for thee in particular, and thou flialt be
faved, but this^ believe that Jefus Chrift:
was fent by God to be the Savio'jr of the
World, and become a Difciple of his, and
then thou (halt be faved. Ag;aia our Savi-
our fiith, Whoever believeth 7iot fiall he
damned: But, far be it from us to conftrue
his Words on this manner, that whofoever
believeth not that he is one of thofe to whom
the Promifes of God do belong, fhali be
damned: But thus the Context will oblige
us to expound them, that whofoever hath
the Gofpel preached to him, and doth not
believe it, and enter into the Profeflijn of it
by Baptifm, with (incere Rcfolutions to live
according to it, fuch a one Ihall be damn'd.

Lafily, It is faid that Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted to him for Righ-
teoufnefs ; But, this is not to be underftood
as if Abrahams Faith was nothing but his af-
furance of God's Favour, and his applying
the Promifes to himfelf, and that this was
counted to him for righteoufnefs. No, A-
brahatns Faith was quite a different Thing,
as the Apoftle all along defcribes it. His
Faith confided in believing fledfaftly the Re-
velations of God to him to be true, howim-

.pro-

The Seventh Sermon. 1 5 5

probable foever the Matter of them feemed
to Flefh and Blood : And, upon this Bellef,quit-
ting his Country, and Friends, and difpollng
himfelf to pay entire Obedience to the Com-
mands of God, tho' they were never fo feem-
ingly fevere. This was that Faith of his
that was counted to him for righteoufaefs,
that is, upon account of which, God accept-
ed him as a righteous Perfon. And this Faith
oi Abrahams is always by the xApoftle repre-
fented, as a Pattern of our Faith : The Co-
py that we are to write after, if we exped
acceptance of God.

By thefe feveral Things, that I have now
reprefented, you may eafily perceive how-
different a Thing that, which many Perfons
among us call true Faith, and of the want of
which fome good People do complain, is,
from the Faith of the Gofpel, that Faith,
which Chrift hath propofed as a Condition
of our Salvation.

If any Man be not fatisfied with all this,
but will dill contend that the principal Ad
of faving Faith, the very Life and Soul of
it, doth confift in applying Chrifl's Merits
to our felves, in laying hold on his Righte-
oufnefs, and making it our own , all the An-
fwer that I can farther make is this, that
thefe are Phrafes of Mans making, and are
not to be found in the Book of God ^ but, if
thofe that ufe them will tell us what they
mean by them, we (hall be able from that
Book to give an Account how far they do be-
long

I c ^ Tie Seventh Sermon,

long to Faith, and how far they do not. If,
by applying Chrift's Merits to our felves,
and making his Righteoufnefs ours, if,
by thefe Phrafes, they mean no more than
this, that we are to exped to be faved thro'
the Merits of Chrift, by the conformity of
our Hearts and Lives to that righteoufnefs,
which he prefcribed to us, and of which in
his own Life he gave us an Example , then,
it is very certain, they give us a true Noti-
on of Faith : And whofoever fo behcves,
. and fo pradifes, hath true Faith. But if,
by thefe Phrafes of applying Chrift's Merits,
and laying hold on his Righteoufnefs, they
mean a perfuading our felves that Chrift's
Merits are adually imputed to us, and that
we are adually accounted righteous before
God, becaufe he was fo, then we fay pofi-
lively that this is no Part, no Ad, no Office
of that Faith, which the Holy Scripture re-
quires of Mankind in order to Salvation. We
fay pofitively, that, if this be Faith, very
bad Men may be true Believers, and very
good Men may be Infidels , and, confequent-
ly, that very bad Men may go to Heaven,
and very good may be excluded out of it.

But what then is that true lively faving
Faith or Belief, which is fo often fpoken of,
as the great Condition of Salvation ? This is
my fecond Enquiry upon this Head, and
which I fhall difpatch in a very few Words :
Becaufe indeed I have much prevented my
felf in this Argument, by what has been faid
a head v. I

♦ Tl)e Seyenth Sermon] i j^

I do not know how it comes to pafs, that
this Bufinefs of Faith in Jefus Chrift, which
is on all Hands acknowledged fo nece/Tary, is
by many made fo intricate a Bufinefs ; Cer-
tain it is, to one that comes to the reading of
the Scriptures with an unprejudiced Mind,
there is nothing more eafie or more obvious
than the Notion of it.

To believe in Jefus Chrift, or Faith in Je-
fus Chrift, is, according to the whole tenor
of the New Teftament, never more nor lefs,
than to become his Difciples , to be fo con-
vinced in our own Minds, that he was fent
from God to be the Saviour of the World, as
to yield alTent to all that he taught, and to
give up our felves to be obedient to all that
he commanded.

This is the whole Bufinefs of that Faith,
of which fome Men have made fo great a
Myftery. This is the whole meaning of
coming to Chrift, of receiving Chrift, of
putting on Chrift, of being in Jefus Chrift,
which the Scripture fpeaks of. And this
likewife ought to be the meaning of all thofe .
Phrafes ( if we will make Senfe of them )
which, tho' they be not Scripture Exprelli-
ons, yet are commonly applyed to this Mat-
ter 5 that is, of refting 2nd relying upon Je-
fus Chrift, of having an Intereft in him, of
laying hold upon him, and his Righteouf-
nefs j and the like.

The

i J g The Seventh Sermon,

The whole of that, which we call faving or
Juflifying Faith, is comprized in thi fe two
Things : An hearty ailent of our Underitand-
ing, to all that Jefus Chrift and his Apoftles
delivered to Mankind, as the Will of God :
And an hearty confent of our Wills, follow-
ing thereupon, to be governed by thofe Laws
and Rules that are prefcribed to us. Or (as
others are plea fed to word it ) thus. To
have a faving Faith in Jcfus Chrift, is to own
or accept of him in all his Offices. To re-
ceive him as the great Prophet, that came to
declare the Will of God to Mankind, and,
under that Notion, to give a Belief to what-
foever he taught : To receive him as the
great High-Prieft, that was to make an A-
torement for the Sins of the World, and,
under that Notion, to depend upon the Me-
rits of his Sacrifice and Interceffion for the
remiflion of our Sins, and all the other Be-
nefits of his Paflion ; And, Laftly, to re-
ceive him as the great King that God hath
fet over his Church, and, under that Noti-
on, to refign up our felves to be wholly dif-
pofed of and governed by him.

In a Word, to believe in Chrift is nothing
elfe, but to believe the Gofpel, and to fet
our felves to live according to it : So to af-
fent to the Truth of the Scriptures, as to be
induced thereby ferioufly to apply our Minds
to the denying Ungodiinefs, and worldly
Lufts, and living righteoufly, foberiy and
godly in this prefent World. This I fay,

and

Tie Seventh Sermon, I jo

and nothing elfe, is the Notion of Faith in
Chrift, wherever it is fpoken of as the Con-
dition of Solvation.

This is St. Paurs Faith made perfe^^ by
Love, by which he faith we are to be fived.
And this is St. James his good Works, pro-
ceeding from a lively Faith, by which he
fiith we are to be juftihed. St. PWs Faith,
and Sc. James's good Works, are per^edly
the fame Thing , to us at lead, who are al-
ready Chriftians.

To Conclude, Whoever doth thus beHeve
in Chrift, as I have now reprefented, hath
certainly true Faith, and all the Promifes of
God belong to him, how doubtful foever he
be of his own State, or how little foever he
can apply the Promifes to himfelf. But,
whofoever doth not thus believe, be other-
wife his confidence or afTurance in applying
the Promifes never fo great, he hith not
true Faith, but may prove a Hypocrite.

And this I think may be fufficient to give
Satisfidion, to the Perfons, whofe Cafe I
have been fpeaking to. As for the Doubts
and Scruples, that are commonly raifed about
Repentance , thofe I fhall conlider another
Time.

Confider what fe have heard, and the
God of y 5cc.

' SER-

\6o

SERMON VIII.

M A T T H. III. 8.

Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for
Repentance,

A I T H and Repentance are the
^ F ^ great, nay I may fay, the only
p ^ Conditions required in the Gof-

WiM^MM pslj i" order to Salvation ^ and
therefore, as it is of infinite concernment to
every one, to pofTefs himfelf of thefe two
Qualifications, fo it muft needs be a Matter
of unfpeakable Trouble, to all fuch as have
any care of their Salvation, to find them-
felves deftitute of them.

And yet, fuch is the Infelicity of a great
many even good Perfons, that very often
they are apt to pafs fuch a Judgment upon
themfelves : Being ready to conclude, that
they are in a State both of Unbelief and Im-
penitence, that they have neither true Faith,
nor true Repentance.

As for the Grounds and Reafons of their
Doubts, concerning their Faith, I confidered

them

Tl^e Eighth Sermon. \6t

tliem in my laft Difcourfe, wherein I gave
an Account of faving, juftifying Faith.

I now come to fpe^k of the Doubts they
are apt to entertain , concerning the truth
and fincerity of their Repentance : And, for
that purpofe, I have chofen for my Text the
Words I have now read unto you.

And here my Bulinefs ftiali be fo to ex-
plain the Dodlrine of Repentance, as that,
neither BaJ Men may be encouraged to think
they are true Penitents, when they are not j
nor Good Men difcouraged from beheving the
Sincerity of their Repentance, notwithftand-
ing the manifold Pa, lures they apprehend ia
themfelves, as to the Expreflions of it.

You fee I here fpeak of Repentance^ not
as of fome fingle traniient Ad or Actions,
that are, now and then, to be perform'd by
a Man, upon Occafion : Nor only, as it is a
Man's fir ft PalTage, from a Heatheniih or a
Wicked Life, to a Chriftian Life , which is
that we call a Man's Converfion , and in
which Senfe it is often taken in the NewTe-
Itament.

But I confider it as an Habit, a permanent
State of Life, a Difpoiition and Qualification
of Mind and Manners, which a Man muft
polTefs himfelf of, and continue in, as long as
he lives ; otherwife, he is not to exped the
final remifiion of his Sins. And hence it is,
that the GW, as well as the Bad among us,
are taught in our Publick Liturgy ^ not only
every Day to confefs our Sins, but alfo eve-
Vgl. IIL M ry

\6l Tl^e Fi^hth Sermon]

ry Day to pmy God to grant us true Repen-
tance. Hciving preiiiis'd this, I come to the
Argument :

Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for Re-
pentance,

Thefe are St. John Eaptifr's Words to the
Phar/feeSj that came to his Baptifm. And
from them we may gather, what that Repen-
tance is, that will be available for the For-
givenefs of our Sirs, and fecuring us from
that JVrath to come^ which he freal<s of in
the Verfe before \ namely, it mud be fuch
a Repentance, as brings forth worthy Fruits :
Bring forth (f^ith he) Fruits meet for Rie-
fentance , or as the Words may be rendred,
Bring forth the worthy Fruits of Repentance,

So that the Evangehcaf Repentance, which
we now treat of, confifts of two Parts, or is
made up of two Things. The one Inward
in our Minds, which is that we properly call
Repentance^ (fxiTuvoicc) and that coniifls in
fuch a Senfe of our Sins and Hatred of them,
as makes us heartily forry for them, and re-
folve to commit 'em no more. And this the
Bharifees were prefum*d to have, when they
came to St Johns Baptifm.

The other is Outward, and fhows its felf
in our Lives ^ and that confifts, in the actu-
al forfiklng thofc Sins which we fo refolv'd
ag-inli. And this is xliAt St. John here
flijcs the worthy Fruits of Repentance, or
Fruits meet for Repentance,

This

Tl^e Eighth Sermon. i6j

This is certainly the Account, which the
Scripture every where gives, of that Repen-
tance which God requires of us, in order to
the Forgivenefs of our Sins : Only with this
flight Difference, that, foraetimes, the in-
ward Contrition has the Name of Repentance
given to it , and the Reformation^ that fol-
lows thereupon, is call'd the Fruits of it, as
here in my Text \ at other Times, the Re-
formation in our Lives is call'd by the Name
of Repentance, and the inward Sorrow and
Contrition is reckoned only as a Preparative
or Difpofition towards it \ as when St. ?aul
tells us, 2 Cor, 7. 10. that Godly Sorrow
worketb Repentance,

Well, but fay fome Perfons among us,
(who yet, as we have Reafon to believe, are
very good Chriftians) if this be the Notion
of true Repentance, then are not we in the
penitent State. For we have neither that
Sorrow and Contrition for our Sins, which
true Repentance requireth \ nor do we bring
forth the Fruits of Repentance, by re-
forming our felves as to feveral particular
Sins, which we have often begg'd Pardon
for, and refolv'd againfl. Thefe are the
Tvpo Cafes which I fhall now fpeak to, and I
begin with the firft.

They complain that they have not that
Sorrow for their Sins, which is fufficient to
denominate their Repentance true and (incere.
They can think of their many Offences and
Provocations, with dry Eyes j and, even at
M 2 thofs

1 64 The Eighth Sermon.

thofe times when they fet themfelves to ex-
prefs Ads of Repentance, and to make con-
feflion of their Sins, in a more folemn Man-
ner : Yet, all this is done with fo much In-
fenfibility, and fo little Compundion, that,
inflead oi Broken ^ndCo?itrke Hearts, which
is the Sacrifice that God delights in, they
come to thefe Offices rather with harden'd
ones.

That which I fay to this, is this : We are
not to meafure the fincerity of our Contrition,
by the fenfible Expreflions of Grief, with
which it is fometimes accompanied ^ or to
conclude, that we are not forry for our Sins,
as we ought to be, becaufe we are not put
into a Paflion, at the remembaance of them.
It is very certain, a Man may have a true
Senfe of his Sins, and a hearty Contrition for
'em, and yet not be able to fhed a Tear, e-
ven when he moft devoutly fets himfelf to
beg God Almighty's Forgivenefs of 'em. And
*tis very certain, on the other Hand, that a
Man may weep abundantly, at fome Seafons,
when he ferioufly refleds upon the great Mif-
carriages of his Life paft, and yet not at all
be truly penitent for 'em.

The truth is, that part of Repentance, we
are now fpeaking of, confifts rather in a Ha-
tred of our Sins, in a deep rooted Averfion
to them, than in any tranfient Paflion of
Grief, that we can work up our felves to,
upon the remembrance of them.

Who-

Tlje Eighth Sermon, \6^

Whoever is fo fenfible of the infinite E\'il
of Sin, that he does from his Soul deteft and
abhor it j and thereupon refolves firmly a-
gainfl it, and ufes hearty Prayers to God to
fubdueit in him, by the Power of his Holy
Spirit, and puts out his whole Strength to
refill the Temptations of it , fuch a Man is a
true Penitent. This permanent hatred of
Sin, and Refolutions, and Endeaveur againfl
it, is the Life and Soul of Repentance : x\nd
a paffionate Grief or Sorrow doth no farther
belong to it, than, as it is an ExprefTion of
that Hatred, or a Means to produce thofe
Refolutions and Endeavours, againfl it.

But it will be urg'd. Can any Man be tru-
ly faid to hate his Sins, that is not fenfibly
griev*d and troubled, that he hath offended
God ?

To this I fay, in the Second Place, Who-
ever is really afFeded with Hatred towards
his Sins, can hardly avoid the being trou-
bled and atiiided, whenever it is his Unhap-
pinefs to offend God in any Inflance j nay,
or when he ferioufly refleds upon his former
Offences. But then, thefe Two Things are
to be remembred :

jFir/?, That there may be an inward Grief
or Afflidion in the Mind, tho' the ?vlan that
feels it cannot exprefs it in Tears, or other
outward Paffions. Thefe are Things that de -
pend wholly upon the Make and Conflituti-
on of a Man's Body, and not at all upon the
Senfe of his Mind. Some Perfons are of
M 3 fuch

}66 The Eighth Sermon]

fuch an eafy, and flexible, and padionate
Temper, that they can fhed Tears upon very
flight Occafions. Others, tho' they may
have a more real and permanent Sorrow up-
on their Hearts, yet cannot evidence it in
fuch ways.

But then, Secondljy As to this Bufinefs of
forrow for Sin, there is a great Confiderati-
on to be had of the nearnefs or di fiance of
the Time, when the Sins we repent of were
committed.

When a good Man, through his own Care-
lefsnefs and Inadvertency, or through the
importunity of fome ftrong Temptation, hap-
pens to do any thing contrary to his Duty,
his Heart will prefently fmite him. As foon
as ever he refleds upon the Adion, he will
be naturally apt to be difpieas'd at himfelf
And, upon his firfl retirement and examina-
tion of his Confcience, he cannot avoid the
exprelling a great Sorrow and Compundiou
for his Sin, and humbly and earneftly ad-
drcffing to the Throne of Grace, for the ob-
taining Forgivenefs of it. And, indeed, if
he be not thus fenlibly concern'd and atHift-
ed, when the Adion is frefh in his Memory
and upon his Confcience, it is an Argument
that he has not that hatred of Sin, which he
ought to have , and therefore has fome Rea-
fon to fufpecl, whether he be in the State of
Repentance.

But then, for Sins that have been commit-
ted a good while ago, the Confideration is

quite

The Ei<yhth Sermon, 1 6/

quite difFerent. If a Man fet himfelf to ex-
ercife Ads of Repentance, for his Sins in ge-
neral, or for fome particular Sin that he for-
merly had been guilty of^ in this Cafe, it
cannot be expeded ordinarily, that his Grief
fhould be fo fenfible, or exprefs it felf in fo
padionate a manner : For indeed our Make
and Conftitution will not admit of it.

Such is the contrivance of our Tempers,
that the remembrance of a Thing at a di-
ftance, tho' we do endeavour to imprefs it
upon our felves with all the Advantages wc
can, will hardly excite fo great a Paflion as
the Thing it felf did, when it was prefent.
Time wears off the violence and the impetu-
ofity of the Paffions j tho' yet the inward
Sentiments and Inchnations of the Mind, as
to thofe Things that ciufed the PafTion, may
be the fame perpetually.

That which I intend, by this Confiderati-
on, is this \ That it is enough, to teitify the
(incerity of our Sorrow for Sin, if we be
heartily troubled and aftlided, whenever we
have newly committed any Sin again ft God :
But if afterward that Trouble or Grief do
wear off, and we cannot bring our felves to
be fo lively affeded with the thing, after
fome diftance of Time, as we were at firfl:,
it is no Argument figainft the fincerity of our
Repentance , fuppuling we continue in the
fame Hatred and Abhorrence of the evil
Adion, and in the fime Refolutions not to
be guilty of it any more.

M 4 But,

1^8 The Eighth Sermon.

But, enough of this, I proceed to the o-
ther Cafe I mentioned, in the Bufinefs of
Repentance, and which indeed has more dif-
ficulty in it, than that I have now fpoken to.
It is this •,

We hear very good People often complain,
^ that, tho' they are truly fenfible of feveral
Sins they arc guilty of, and are forry for
them, and do over and over again refolve a-
gainft them, nay, and daily put up hearty
Prayers, that God would give them Grace to
overcom.e them ^ yet, for all this, they fre-
quently fall into them again j nay, and per-
haps, every Day : Now, how can they be
faid to be true Penitents, that live after this
rate ? Is it not an effential Part of true Repen-
tance to forfake the Sin, as well as to be for-
ry for it, and to refolve againft it ? But they
do not forfake the Sins they refolve againft ,
and therefore they have juft Reafon to con-
clude, that they are far from having true
Repentance.

This is the Cafe^ and there is but one
way of coming to a Refolution of it, and that
is by a particular Enquiry, what thofe Sins
are which thefe Perfons refolve againft, and
which yet they cannot, or do not, con-
quer.

It is very certain, that, in general fpeak-
ing. Repentance, as it is propos'd as a Con-
dition of Salvation in the Gofpel, doth in-
clude in it a forfaking of Sin, as well as a
Hatred of it, and a Refolution againft it,

and

Tl?e Eighth Sermon. \^p

and, confequently, whofoever does not for-
fake his Sins is not a true Penitent. Thus
far they are right.

But then, on the other fide, 'tis very cer-
tain hkewife, that a Man may be truly faid
to forOike his Sins, in the Gofpel Senfe of
forfaking them, tho* yet, in the mean time,
he be fc^r from living without Sin. Nay, he
may obferve feveral Irregularities in his'Adi-
ons, and be fo fenfibleof 'em as to make Re-
folutions againfl: them, and pray to God to
prefsrve him from them, yea, and conftant-
ly ftrive to avoid 'em ^ and yet, now and
then, thro' Inadvertency, or Surprize, or a
great Temptation, be overtaken with 'em,
and all this while be in the true State of Re-
pentance. I fay both thefe Points are cer-
tainly true.

As for the firft. That forfaking of Sin is
neceffary to Repentance, there can be no
doubt of it. The Scripture tells us, Prov.
28. 13. That he only that confeffeth and
forfaketh his Sins fial/ faui Mercy. And
I John 3. ^. Thej that are horn of God do
not commit Sin. And Gal, 5. 24. Thofe that
are Chrifl'*s have crucified the FleJJj with the
JffeBio?is and the Liijis. And to live in
Sin, or under the Power of Sin, is every
where by our Lord and his Apoflles, repre-
fented as a thing perfedly inconfiftent with
the being a Child of God.

But,

I/O The Eighth Sermon,

But, on the other Hind , that no Man
(how truly a Penitent foever he be) doth
livQ widioQt S^n, is a Point every whit as
plain from the Scripture as the former. St.
jfaffies tells us, That in many things we of-
fend all : And St John^ If we [ay we have
no fm, we deceive our felves, and the truth
is not in us. And many other PalTiges there
are to this purpofe.

That therefore, that makes the difference
between a true Penitent and a pretended one,
as to this Matter, mud be the Nature, and
Kind, and Circumftances of the Sin that is
left unmortify*d, or that the Man ftill lives
under the Power of.

There are fome Sins that do confift with a
repentant State, and fome Sins that do not.
There are likewife feveral Circumftances of
the fame Sin, that may difference or vary
the State. It may happen that the fame Sin,
which in one Man is a IVeaknefs or an Igno-
rance^ and fo confident with the State of
Repentance, will in another Man be a Sin of
Trefumption, and inconfiftent with It. Con-
cerning thefe things therefore, a particular
Enquiry is to be made, before Satisfadion
can be given to thofe, that doubt of the fin-
cerity of their Repentance.

But, firft of all, before we come to fpeak
of Sins that are confiftent with a State of
Repentance, and fuch as are inconiiftent with
it j it will be fit to ask thofe Perfons, whofe
Cafe we are fpeaking to, \vhether thofe things

which

Tlje Eighth Sermon, i?!

which they are raoft apt to complain of, as Sins
which they cannot overcome, but notwith-
jflanding their Refolutions and Prayers, da
often fall into *em , whether, I fay, they be
really Sins at all }

It is very certain, that many tender Con-
fciences (but uninHiruded) do often refled
on, and feverely call themfelves to Account
for, feveral things, which God will never
impute to 'em as Sins. Thofe, thatconverfe
with this fort of Perfons, will frequently find
that their greateft Complaints of unmortify'd
Sins are made in fuch Inftances as thefe :
That they are out of Temper, when they
come to their Devotions : That they are
troubled with many foolifh and wandring
Thoughts, throughout their religious Exer-
cifes. Tho* they endeavour to keep their
Minds, in a conftant Senfe of God and good
Things, and would always profitably em-
ploy their Thoughts , yet, abundance of vain
Imaginations do croud into their Heads, and
render their Endeavours inefFedual. That
they are often wearied with the length of
their fpiritual Offices, and pray without Life
and Vigor. And, in a Word, that they can-
not govern their Minds, but, in fpight of all
their Refolutions, abundance of impertinent,
and fometimes un:1ecent and finful Fancies
do diflurb, and quite fpoil, their moft feri-
ous Atteir.prs to live a religious Life.

But now, if they would well confider,
they would be convinc'd, that thefe kind of

Things

\nx Jhe Eighth Sermon,

Things are not fo much their Si?ts, as their
Imperfeciions. They are the necefTary Re-
fults of the Union of their Souls with earth-
ly Bodies, and, therefore, can by no Means
be called their Faults, fo long as they do not
willingly give way to 'em, bat ftrive againft
*em.

A Man may every whit, with as much
Reafon, accufe himfelf of Sin, when he can-
not attend his worldly Bufinefs with the fame
Vigour and application of Mind, that he doth
at other Times , as he ought, when he does
not pray and meditate upon fpiritual Things
fo vigoroufly and intenfely, as at fometimes
he doth, fuppohng he endeavour it.

The Truth is, neither of thefe Things is
always in our Power, becaufe they depend
altogether upon the Temper of our Bodies,
which we cannot oftentimes corredl or alter :
And what is not in a Man's Power^ the not
doing of it cannot be a Sin, There is this
EfTential to every Sin, that there muft be
fomething of the Will in it. Whatever a
Man doth, or whatever a Man omits, if it
be involuntary in him, if he cannot help it,
it may be his ImperfeBton^ but it is not his

Sin,

And this will extend farther, than tothofe
Inftances that I have now nam'd. Even all
the fudden Motions and Inclinations that Men
do often find ariiing in themfelves to that
which is Evil, if they be not confented to, if
they be not in the leaft indulged and encou-
raged,

77;e Eighth Sermon, r//

raged, but heartily rejeded and ftroveagainil: j
thefe, even thefe, will not prove Sins, but
only Imperfedions and Infelicities. Which,
if it be true, (as I fee no Reafon that any
Man has to doubt of it) one great part of
thofe Things, which the rehgioufly Melan-
choly are apt to complain of, are by this
quite ftruck off.

Well now, but as for thefe Things that
are reilly Sins in them, let us enquire how-
far they are confident or inconfiftent with
the State of Repentance. Now the Refoluti-
on of this Enquiry will depend, upon the
Anfwers to thefe three following Quefti-
ons:

FirJI of all, the general Qpeftion is this j
Do they ferioufly and impartially fet them-
felves againft all Sins whatfoever? Do they
harbour no afFedion or kindnefs for one Luft
more than another, but ufe their hearty En-
deavours to mortify all, and to conform them-
felves in all Things to the Laws of Jefus
Chrifl: } If they can fay this of themfelves, it
is an evident Argument that their Repentance
is true, tho' they may labour under many
Frailties and Corruptions.

The infincerity of a Man's Repentance is
commonly difcovered by this, that he is more
fenfible of fome kind of Sins than he is of o-
thers, and is accordingly /^^mW in his Endea-
vours to mortify 'em. Thofe Sins that are
more conducing to his Interefl, or to which
he has more ftrong Temptations from his

Temper

74 ^^ Eighth Sermon.

Temper, and Inclination, or from his Com-
pany or circumftaiices of Living , thefc he
has not the fame averfion to, nor takes that
Pains to avoid, tint he has and does with re-
fped to others, that do not recommend them-
felves to him, upon thofe Accounts. This
now is an undeniable Proof, that the Man
doth not hate Sin, purely for its felf, or
purely becaufe it is difpleahng God, but be-
caufe it is not fo pleafing or profitable tohim-
felf. He hath not the Temptation to that
Sin, that he hath to others , and therefore
he takes care not to be guilty of it. But,
where a Man can fatisfy his own Mind, that
he doth impartially lay out his Endeavour,
for the fubduing and deflroying in himfelf,
every thing, -that God hath declared a gain ft in
his Holy Gofpel , and fpares no evil AfFedi-
on, how dear or how advantageous foever it
may be to him in this World ^ but fights
and ftrives as well againft thofe Corruptions
that are rooted in his Nature, and ferve his
worldly Ends, as thofe that he hath no fuch
great Temptations to : Such a Man hath the
undoubted M iiks of a fincere Penitent, and
may, in the Gofpci Senfe, be truly faid to
have forfaken his Sins, and to keep God's
Commandments, notwithftanding the many
Slips and Fail^-es that he may be even daily
guilty of But to come more particularly to
the Point :

The Second Queftion to be asked is this :
What kind of Sins are thofe that thefe Per-

fons-

I7;e Eighth Semoni i/y

Tons compJ^i" they have not overcome, but,
notwithftanding their Prayers and Refoluti-
ons, they are often guilty of them > Are
they fuch as may be call'd Prefwnptuous
Sins, or fuch as may be only callM Infinni-
ties and Frailties .<? Are they fuch as cannot
be committed without deliberation, and fuli
choice, and confent of the Will \ or fuch as
1 they may be furprized into thro* Inadverten-
cy, or fudden Temptations ? If they be of
the former fort, that is to fay, wilful, deli-
berate Sins, it is certain they cannot ftand
I with the State of Repentance. Either the
Man that is guilty of them was not a good
Man, or ceafed to be fo upon his commiting
them.

Of this Kind are Murder^ Adultery, Blaf-
phemy. Perjury, Slander, Extortion, Cheat-
ing, Befraudiiig, and the like. Thefe Sins,
and fuch like, are in themfelves fo very foul,
and require fo full a confent of the Will to
be guilty of 'em, (for let Men talk what they
pleafe, no Man was ever guilty of fuch
Crimes as thefe, but he either had no Senfe
of Religion at ail \ or if he had, he delibe-
rately abandoned himfelf to Vice and Wick-
ednefs) that it cannot be conceivM, how one
(ingle Acl of 'em can be reconcileable with
the State of Repentance. Either the Man
was not a true Penitent when he fell into
them, or he ceafed to befo upon the commit-
ting of them»

But

1^6 T^^ Eighth Sermon,

But Thirdly, As there are fome fingle ABs
of Sin, which are inconfiftent with the State
of Repentance, namely, wilfuly prefumptimts
Sins j, fo likewife is every Habit of Sin in-
confiftent with it 3 I mean every Habit of
known open Sin. And therefore thefe Per-
fons are in the laft Place to be asked. Whe-
ther the Sins they have not yet conquered be
of that Nature or no ?

If the Sins, they complain of, confift in
Adtions known to be againft the Laws of
God, and they cuftomarily continue in them,
I dare not fay that they are yet in the State
of Repentance. For , tho' perhaps every
particular Ad of fiach Sins, that they are
guilty of, may not be attended with thofe
aggravating Circumftances, as to make it a-
mount to one of thofe wilful, prefumptuous
Sms I before fpoke of; yet if the Sins be ha-
bitual and cuftomary, they will, I am afraid,
fall under that Denomination.

But then thefe Perfons are to be careful,
that they do not mi flake that for a known^
open^m, which really i? not fo : Or a Ha-
bit of known Sin, for that which is not a
Habit. I fliall reprefent the Difference in i
thefe three following Particulars :

Firjl of all, When we fpeak of known, o-
pen Sins, we mean fuch Sins as a Man is
guilty of in his ABio7is. And therefore wei
make a Diftindion between the inward Irre-
gularities of the Mind, which confift in un-
lawful Defires or diforderly Paflions , and

between

The Eighth Sermon, i yf

between the outu^ard Adions. Tho* the for-
mer be truly (inful, if in the leaft confented
to ^ nay, and we ought ferioufly to endea-
vour to mortify them in our felves, as much
as we can : Yet if, thro' the Man's confcien-
tious Care to fupprefs them, they do not pro-
ceed to Overt- Ads, they are not fuch known,
open Sins as we here fpeak of.

Thus, for hiftance : A Man that is rafhly
and intemperately angry upon any Occafion,
this very Pa (lion is a Sin in him, and he
ought to ask God Forgivenefs for it : Rut,
fo long as he doth fo ftlfle this Padion, and
that out of a Senfe of Religion, as not to fuf-
fer it to break out into Unchriftian Railings
and Revilings , nor is he tranfported thereby
to do any Adion in purfuance of it, that the
Laws of Jefus Chrifl have forbid : 1 fay,
this Man, notwithftanding the Sins of his
Thoughts, may yet be faid to be free from
thofe known, open Sins, which, if they b@
Habitual, are inconfiftent v/ith Virtue.

But, on the other Hand, where we fee a
Perfon to have no Government of his Paffion,
but, upon every flight Occafion, to break
out into violent Rage, and, in that Rage, to
fay and do all thofe provoking things that his
prefent Fury can fuggeft to him : Here is
now a Man, that is not only guilty of a
known Sin^ but it hath fo much Dominion
over him, that he may be faid to live in it ^
and confequently be is not yet in the State of
Repentance*
VoL IIL ,. N lin^

178 7);e Eighth Sermon]

I inftance in this Particular of TFratb and
j4figer, both becaufe it is a Sin that fo ordi-
narily happens in the Courfe of our Lives j
and becaufe that even the very worft Ex-
prefTions of it, are generally accounted but
our Weakneffes and Infirmities. Whereas
certainly they are downright Works of the
Flelh, known Sins againft the Law of God,
and fuch, as if they be continued in. if they
be habitual, are deftrudive of Salvation.

Seco7idly^ In order to the giving an Ac-
count of known, open Sins, as we muft di-
flinguifh between the Sins of the Thoughts^
and the Sins of the ABions : So likewife, as
to the Sins of our Anions, we muft further
diftinguifh between thofe of 'em that confift
in Ofniffion, or not doing the Things that
the Law of God hath commanded us , and
thofe that confift in CommtJJton^ or doing
fuch Things as the Law of God hath forbid-
den us. Now it is the latter fort of Sins we
here fpeak of, and of which we fay, if they
be habitual they cannot confift with the
State of Repentance.

As for Sms of OtmJJion, very good Men
m^y be guilty of 'em ^ nay, and in many
Inftances, and that habitually too. Nay,
perhaps I may fay the beft Men cannot clear
themlelves, as to this fort of Sin , for I be-
lieve all Men fall fhort of doing that good
they are bound to do.

P>ur , as for Sins of CommilJion , the
Tb'ng is otherwife 3 good Men do ufually

avoid

T[?e Eight f? Sermon. 179

avoid them, but to be fure they do not mike
it Trade orCuftom of them ^ or, if they do,
I doubt they are not good Men or fincere Pe-
nitents. For I take it, whoever in his Con-
verfation or Adions, ordinarily or cuftoma-
rily, pradifeth any thing that is expreily for-
bidden by the Laws of God , fuch an one
cannot be faid to have inortifyd the Deeds of
the Body^ and to have put off- the Works of
the Flepj , which yet in the' New Teftam^nc
is every where made the Charad^r of one
that is in the Regenerate, Penitent State.

To give an Inftance of this : The Sin of
Svpearing in our Converfation, or the Sin of
Lyings or the Sin of Filthy and Lnfdv'wus
Talk'mg^ ( I inftance in thefe Sins, becaufe
fome People may look upon *em to be very
light and inconfiderable, as not having in
them that Mifchief and Malignity, which is
difcoverable in other Crimes ^ yet I fay )
thefe Sins, being fo exprefly forbid by the
Laws of our Lord Jefus Chrift j and being
likewife Sins in the outward Adions, and
confequently certainly in our Power to avoid
'em, fo that we cannot plead either Ignorance
or Infirmity for them : I fiy, whofoever
lives in the Pradice of thefe i Sins, cannot"
reafonably be thought to be in the State of
Repentance, becaufe he cannot be prefum'd
to make any Confcience of tranfgreiling the
exprefs Laws of our Saviour.

Well, but are not Sins of Omiffon alfo

TranfgrefTions againft the Laws of God ? I

N 3 anfwerg

1 8o 7he Eighth Sermon.

anfwer, they muft be fo, if they be Sins.
But then, there is this DiflFerence, that, in
the Duties, which God has commanded us
to do, we are often left in fuch a Latitude as
to Time, and Place, and Manner, and other
Circumflances, that no Man can fay, you
are bound to do fuch an Adion jufl at fuch a
Time, and in fuch a Manner, otherwife you
fin againft God. So that if a Man through
Miftake or Inadvertency, do omit an Adioii
that he ought to have done , why, in that
Cafe, when he comes to fee his Miftake, or
find his Carelefsnefs, he will be forry for it,
and ask Pardon of God for his Omiffion of
the Duty : But yet this Omiffion will a-
mount to no more than a Sin of Weaknefs or
Iniirmity , which we have faid all aloiig, is
very conliftent with the State of a good
Man.

But now, where God h^xh forbid any Adli-
on to be done, the Cafe is quite different.
For, in that Cafe, every Body knows, that
that A 61 ion is at all Times, and in all Places,
and in all Circumftances, unlawful to be done
by him : So that no Body needs to be put to
deliberate, whether he fhould do it or no *,
for every Body knows, he ought not to do it.
And if, after this, a Man will venture to do
fuch an x^dion, which he knows to be thus
forbidden by God , fure he contrads a great-
er Guilt than he would do, by the Omiffion
of a Duty, as to the timing of wliich no Law
of God hath determin'd him.

Tl?e Eighth Sermon i 8

But now, notwithflanding this Difference
I m.^ke between Sins of Omillion, and Sins
of Commiflion, I muft yet own, that there
may be fuch Inftances, and fuch Degrees of
Sins of Omiffion, as, if Care be not taken
that they be amended, will prove as fatal to
the Man that is guilty of 'em, as if he lived
in a Courfe of open, known Sins oiCommif-
Jion,

As for Example ^ What (hall we fay of a
Man that never joins in the Publick Worfhip
of God, or that never receives the Sacra-
ment, or that never fays his Prayers, or con-
fefTeth his Sins, or ufeth any Devotion ei-
ther in his Family or in hisClofet ? Or laft-
ly, What (hall we fay of a Man that is blefs'd
with plentiful Circumftances in this World,
and yet gives little or nothing away in Cha-
rity ? Why, all thefe are but Omidions of
our Duty ^ but yet they are fuch Omiffions,
as whoever continues in 'em, is never like
to go to Heaven. Nay, how damnable this
lad Omiffion, I nam'd, is, you may fee in
the 25th Chapter of St. Matthew, where
our Saviour paffeth the Sentence of Condem-
nation on the Goats on his heft Hand, for
no other Reafon, but purely for the not ex-
erciiing Works of Charity towards their Bre-
thren, according to their Abilities and Op-
portunities.

But now, fuch forts of Omiffions as thefe,

are quite out of the Cafe I am fpeaking to.

Fori have here to do with Perfons, that

N 3 have

\%i Tl^e Eighth Sermon]

have really a hearty Senfe of Religion upon
their Minds ^ and therefore to be fare can
never be guilty offuch grofs, wilful, crimi-
nal Omillions, as I have now mentioned.
And that, which tliey defire to be fatisfy'd
" in, is not how far they may neglecl their Du-
ty ^ but, after they have done all they can
towards the Performance of it, whether they
have yet fo forfiken their Sins, as to be in a
State of Repentance } Now as to that, I fay,
fo long as they do not live in known Sins of
Commiflion, the Omiflions they may be fre-
quently guilty of, will not, I hope, hinder
them from being true Penitents, and in a
State of Salvation.

But, Thirdly and Laftly, Befides what we
have f^id about known, open Sins, we muft
alfo, in order to the Refolution of theQue-
llion before us, confider another Thing, and
that is. Whether they be Habitital or no ?
And for the finding of that, we muft have
regard to the Frequency or Infrequency of *em.
Every Ad of Sin does not make a Habit ^
and a known Sin may be more than once
committed, and yet not be cuflomary.

If a Man do fincerely endeavour to morti-
fy, or to forfike his known, open Sins, tho*
he does not leave them at once, and for alto*
gether^ yet if he gains Ground of them, and
commits them feldomer and feldomer; Even
fuch a Man may be faid to have enter'd into
the State of Repentance. And, tho' he has
not attain 'd to that Strength and Perfedion

which

TJ)e Eighth Sermon, i8]

which the Gofpel propofes, and which, if he
continue his Endeavours, there's no doubt
but he will arrive to ^ yet, in the mean time,
he's in a very good Way. And, if he (hould
die before his Work be accomplifhed, yet,
having the true Seeds and Principles of Re-
generation or Repentance in him, I fhould
not doubt but God will accept him as a fin-
cere Penitent, and receive him to his Mercy.

Thefe are the Things that I had to repre-
fent, in order to the anfwering this Qijeftion,
What fort offorfaking of Sins is necejfary to
true Repentance ; and which every Man is
to examine himfelf about, if he would upon
good Grounds fatisfy himfelf, v/hether the
Sins he is guilty of, in the Courfe of his
Life, be confident with it, or no.

The Sum of all, that I have faid upon this
Head, is this ; If a Man, upon fuch an Ex-
amination, can fitisfy himfelf, as to thefe
following Particulars , namely,

¥irfi^ That he doth in the Courfe of his
Life, fiiicerely apply his Mind and Endea-
vours to mortify every evil Affeftion, and to
live in an uniform Obedience to all God's
Commandments.

And, Secondly^ That the Sins he is guil-
ty of 3 arenotgrofs, wilful, deliberate
Crimes ', but rather the EfFeds of Inconli-
deration, or Surprife, or a fudden Tempta-
tion.

And, Thirdly^ That they do more confifl

in the Irregularities of the Delires, and Ap-

N 4 petites,

T/;e Eighth Sermon,
petites, and Paflions of his Mind, than in the
cuftomary Gratification of thofe Appetites
and Paflions in his Adions.

And, Fourthly, That they are moftly Mat-
ters of Qmiflion of his Duty, and not fo much
exprefs'd in Inftances forbidden by God's
Laws.

And, Laftly, That of what Nature foe-
yer they be, tho' he has not adually fub-
du'd them, and got the Vidory over them,
yet he gains Ground upon them, and doth
not fo frequently repeat them j and when
he doth, it is in fmaller Inftances, and upon
greater Temptations, and with lefs Interrup-
tions of his religious Courfe :

Ifjy, whofoever "can fatisfy himfelf, that
the Sins he is rnqft frequently guilty of in
the Courfe of his Life, are of this Nature,
and fall under thefe Circumftances *, fuch a
Perfon needs not in the leaft doubt, but that,
for all them, he is in the State of Repentance,
and (hall find Mercy with his Heavenly Fa*
l:herp

God Almighty grant to m all true Repen-
tance, and his Holy Spirit, that the reft
of our Life hereafter may he pure and
holy, fo that at the laft we may come to
his Eter?ial Joy, through Jefus Chrift
OUT Lord ' To whcm^ 6cCo

SIC I?

18;

SERMON IX.

HEB. X. 26, 27.

For if we fin wilfully^ after that we have
received the knowledge of the Truth ^ there
remaineth no more facrifice for Sins, but a
certain fearful looking for ofJudgme?it^
arid fiery Indignation^ which jhaH devour
the Adverfaries*

ra^^^AVlNG already fpoken to fe-
^ H ^ veral Points, which, thro' their
g^ S being not well underflood, have

^^j^^'^;i] much encreafed, if not caufed,
the Afflidion of a great many good Chrifti-
ans, fuch as are troubled in Mind upon a
religious Account ^ I fhall now proceed to
another Head of Things, which is often the
occafion of much Trouble and Perplexity to
thofe Perfons, who are under the Power of
this fort of Melancholy.

And that is, their raifunderflanding two
or three Texts of Scripture which fpeak of a
a fort of Sins, for which there feems to be
no Repentance allowed, and which Ihall ne-
ver be forgiven to the Man that is guilty of

them"j

1 8^ The Ninth Sermon.

thera 5 which Sins yet, they are often mife-
rably afraid, that they themfelves have com-
mitted.

Thefe Sins are, Firft, the wilful Sin, fpo-
ken of by St. Paul in the Words I have now
read unto you, for which he fays there re-
mains no more Satisfadlion, but a fearful ex-
pedation of Judgment and fiery Indignati-
on.

Secondly^ The Sin unto Death, fpoken of
by St. John^ as to which he feems to fay we
ought not fo much as to pray for the Perfon
that is guilty of it.

And Thirdly^ The Sin againft the Holy
Ghoft, fpoken of by our Saviour \ which he
faith, fl:)all never be forgiven in this World,
fwr in the World to come. Of thefe three
Texts therefore, and the Sins therein fpoken
of, I (hall now give an Account. ■ And I be-
gin with the Firft of them, to which I (hall
confine my felf, at this time.

It is no Wonder that this Text is fo apt to
fright weak Perfons ^ for indeed it feems to
declare fo feverely againft all forts of Men,
that either are, or have been, wilful Sinners
after Baptifm, ( as God knows the greateft
part of Chriftian Profelfors have been ) as to
leave little Hopes of the Forgivenefs and Fa-
vour of God Almighty, even after their beft
Repentance.

But I doubt not to give fuch an Account
of this Text, as will fitisfy the moft fcru-
pulous Perfon in this Matter. And, in or-

' 77;e Nmf /; Sermon. 1 87

^er thereunto, I fliall enquire into thefe four
Tilings. f

Firft of all, in general, what it is to (la
wilfully, or what is the Notion of a wilful
Sin.

Secondly, Whether the Apoftle in this
Text fpeaks of all wilful Sins whatfoever, or
only of fome one particular kind of wilful Sin?.

Thirdly, What that particular kind of wil-
ful Sin is.

And Fourthly, In what Senfe he affirms
that there remains no more Satisfadion for
fuch Sin, but a fearful expedation of Judg-
ment.

An Account of thefe four Things is all,
that can be thought needful, for the clearing
jthis Text.

And Firft of all, I begin with the general
Notion of wilful Sin.

We all of us know that Sins are common-
ly diflinguifhed by Divines into three Sorts;
Sins of Ignorance, Sins of Infirmity, and
Sins of Wilfulnefs. The Ground of this D^
Ilinclion is laid in the Soul of Man, in which
are three diftind prime Faculties, or Powers
from which all our Aclions flow, that is to
fay, the Underftanding, the Will, and the
fenfual Appetite or Affedions. Now when
we do any finful Adion, that Faculty of
thefe three gives denomination to the Sin,
from whole Fault or Irregularity or Diforder
the Adion doth chiefly proceed , I fay, doth
diitiiy" proceed ^ for it cannot be denied that,
: in

7he Ninth Sermon.

in every Sin a Man commits, all the three
Faculties do in fome degree or other concur
to it. Take the Explication of this in the
Words of that accurate Cafuift Bifliop San-
derfon.

If the Underftanding be mofl: in fault, not
apprehending its Duty, or not apprehending j
it aright ^ the Sin fo committed, tho' pofli- i
bly it might have in it fomewhat both of in- !
firmity and wilfulnefs withal, yet it is pro-
perly a Sin of Ignorance. And fuch was St
Vaiih perfecuting the Church, it was his
want of Underftanding, it was the errone-
oufnefs of his Judgment that mainly miflead-
him, and not any Malice in his Will, or
Corruption in his Affedions, upon which
Account he himfelf calls this Adion of his a
Sin of Ignorance. But, Secondly, if the
main Fault be in the AfFedions, thro' fome
fudden Paffion and perturbance of Mind, ei-
ther blinding or corrupting or out-running the
Judgment, (as for inftance Fear, Anger, De-
fire, or the like) the Sin arifing from hence,
tho' perhaps joined with fome Ignorance and
Wilfulnefs withal, yet is properly a Sin of
infirmity. And fuch was Veters denying of
our Saviour : In which Adion his Under-
ftanding was not in fault, for he knew very
well both whom he denied, and he knew
iikewife that he ought not to have denied
him. Nor was the Fault fo much in his Will
as to make it properly a wilful Sin, for he
did not deny our Saviour out of Malice or

Defign 3

Tl?e Ninth Sermon, i g j

Defign \ nay he came thither with a Refolu-
tion riot to do it. And he ilill honoured him
in his Heart, even then when he denied him
with his Tongue. And, when the Crowing
of the Cock brought him to confider what he
had done, he went out and wept bitterly.
But the failure was in his Affedions \ it was
I the Fear that furprized his Soul, when he
faw his Mafter fo defpitefully ufed before
his Face, which made him apprehenfive of
what hard Ufage himfelf might meet with,
if he Ihould then and there have owned him.
I fay it was that Pear, that for that Time de-
prived him of the Benefits and ufe of his Rea-
fon, and made him think of nothing but how
jto avoid the prefent Danger, and this thus
proceeding from fuch a fudden Diftemper of
Padion, St. Peter's denial was a Sin proper-
ly of infirmity.

Bui, Thirdly, if the Underftanding be
competently informed with Knowledge, and
not much blinded or tranfported with the per-
cuflionofany violent fudden Faflion or other
Perturbance, fo that the greateft blame muffc
remain upon the untowardnefs of the Will,
refolvedly bent upon the evil Adion : The
Sin arifing from hence, tho' probably not free
from all mixture of Ignorance and Infirmity
withal, is yet properly a wilful Sin ^ or, as
the Scripture commonly expreffeth it, a Sin
of prefumption j and fuch, for inftance, was
the Sin of David in contriving the Death of ■
Uriah. - For this he could never pretend Ig-

norance,

jl 00 ^^^ Ninth Sermon.

norance, nor the fudden Tranfport of a Pafli-
on. He knew the greatnefs of the Crime,
and he had time and leifure enough to be-
think himfelf what he was about. He did
the Fad with deliberation, there was the full
Confent of his own Will to it ^ in regard of
which, it was juftly to be ftiled a wilful
prefumptuous Sin.

From what has been faid, we may in fome
meafure difcover what a wilful Sin is, and
how it is diftinguifhed from Sins of Ignorance
and Infirmities. Take the Summ of it in the
Words of the aforefiid Author. " When a
" Man, fufficiently convinced in his Under-
flanding that the Thing he would do is
unlawful and difpleaiing to God , or, at
leaft, hath fufficient means fo to convince
him, if he be not wilfully wanting to
" himfelf in the ufe thereof : And then, be-
** fides, hath time and leifure to advife with
himfelf, to examine the Cafe and every
Circumflance of it, and to apply the Light
that is in his Underftanding thereunto ,
and yet, when all is done (contrary to
the Dictates of his own Reafon, and the
Checks of his own Confcience, ) goes on
*' to put his wicked Intentions into Ad, and
" to fulfil his own Will, notwithftanding
*' the apparent inconformity thereof to the
" Will of God : This is a wilful Sin.

Having thus given the Notion of wilful
and prefumptuous Sins, in general, I come to
apply it to the Text which is the fecond
Thing^ I have to do. And

(C

iC

<t

Tlje Ninth Sermonl ijf

And here the Enquiry is, whether, when
the Apoftle fays, That if we fin wilfully af-
ter we have received the Knowledge of ths
Truth there remaineth no more SatisfaBion
for Sin , Whether, I fay, his Proportion is
to be underftood of all wilful Sins commit-
ted after Baptifm, and the taking Chrifliani-
ty upon us, or whether he fpeaks only of
one particular kind of wilful Sins.

Now, in anfwer to this, I fay that cer-
tainly the Apoftles Propofition is not to bs
extended to all wilful Sins committed after
Baptifm, but to be reft rained to one Sort of
them 5 and, my firft Reafon for this is that,
otherwife, this Alfertion of his cannot be re-
conciled with abundance of plain Texts both
in the Old and New Teftament.

We own indeed that, whofoever lives in
any Courfe of known wilful Sin, cannot,
fo long as he fo lives, hope for the Favour of
God, or be prefumed to be in a State of
Salvation. Nay, it cannot be denyed alfo
that there are many (ingle Ads of Sin, tho*
they be but once committed, that have fo
much of wilfulnefs andPrefumptionin them,
that they put a Man out of the State of Grace,
and deftroy his Salvation, without a particu-
lar Repentance , but, notwithftanding all
this, the Scripture teacheth us that, both for
fuch Ads and fuch Habits of Sin, there ftill
remains a Sacrifice. The Door is ftill open
to the Sinners, they are ftill under the Cove-
nant, of Grace. God both calls upon them

to

i«2 Tie Ninth Sermon,

to repent, and offers them Grace to io It^
and will without doubt accept them, if they
clofe with it. This we fiy is the conftant
Dodrine both of the Old and New Tefta-
ment.

As for the Old Teftament, how frequent-
ly do we there find God Almighty, by his
Prophets, calling and exhorting and inviting
even wilful and obftinate Sinners to Repen-
tance, and promifing them Pardon and Ac-
ceptance if they would turn to Him, and
leave their evil Ways > And fuch Sinners
they were too, as were not Heathens, but
iapfed ProfelFors, fuch as were under his Co-
venant, and had (inned after they had re-
ceived the Knowledge of the Truth, as our
. Text exprefleth it.

God, in Ezekiel profelTeth over and over
again, that he had no Pleafure in the Death
of a Sinner, but rather that he fhould turn
from his evil Ways and live, and declares u-
niverfally to all Sinners that, whenever a
wicked Man will turn from his Wickednefs
that he hath committed^ and do that which
is laivfid and right, hefiallfave his Soul a-
live, Ezekiel i8. 27.

And thus, every where, do the Prophets
encourage the revolting backfliding Israel to
return to their Duty, afluring them of Par-
don upon their fo doing, and many Inftances
and Examples like wife we have of thofe that
have found Mercy from God, after their fal-
ling into finful and grievous CrimeSo As Da-
vid

The Ninth Sermon. 193

vid, after his com mi (lion of Murder and A-
dultery ^ Solomon, after a Courfe of Debau-
chery and Idolatry ;, yup^alfes, after a long
Life of horrid Impieties. Nor, fure, are
the Gates of Repentance and Mercy more
ihut up to backfliding Sinners, in the New
Teftament, than in the Old, under the Go-
fpel, th.m under the Law. Wh^n St. ?eter
asked our Saviour how often he fhould for-
give his Brother that finned ngaind him, whe-
tlier he Ihould do it feven Times •, Our Sa-
viours Anfwer was, I fay not unto thee fe^
ven t77fWd\ hut feventy times feven, if thy
Brother fo often fin agahift thee : Now cer-
tainly we may exped the fame Mercy from
God, in cafe we fin againft Him ^ that he
hath commanded us to Ihew to our fellow
Creatures, in cafe of their Trefpaffes again ft
us. Efpecially, fince he hath declared, that
our Dealings towards our Brother Oiall be
the Meafure of his Deilir: '^f' towards us.

But, further, what Kindnefs cur Saviour
bears to the Souls even of thofe, that have
fall'n from their Duty after thev have come
to the Knowledge of it : What Means he u-
feth, to bring them to Repentance, and how
ready he is to pardon them, if they do re-
pent, doth fufficicnrly appear from the Para-
ble of the Prodigal Son. Whom, afcer all
his riotous living, nay after he hid wholly
confumed that Portion that was given him up-
on Harlots, his Father yet upon his return
received to Favour, with all imaginable Ex-
Vol. IIL O prelfi-

15)4 ^'■'^ Ninth Sermon,

preffions of Joy, even to the difcontenting
his other Son, who had never difpleafcd
him.

And yet more plainly it appears, from the
other Parable of the Man, that, having a hun-
dred Sheep, upon the ft raying of one of
them, leaves the ninety and nine and goes af-
ter that which was loft, until he finds it,
and, when he has found it, he lays it on his
ShouHer rejoycing, and calls his Friends and
Neighbours alfo together torejoyce with him.
Which Parable our Saviour himfelf thus ap-
plies, Verilj^y fiith he, Joj fiall be in Hea-
ven over one Sinner that repenteth, more
than over ninety nine juji Perfons that need
no Repentance.

If any one will fay, that thefe Encourage-
ments are given to Sinners, only upon their
firft coming to Chrift, and taking his Reli-
gion upon them, and are not to be extended
to thofe that fall or fin wilfully, after Bap-
tifm •, I anf^ver, thit fuch an Interpretation
feems to do much Violence to the Parable.
For iE-4s to be obferved, that the Prodigal,
fpoken of in the firft Parable, is not a Stran-
ger, but a Son, is already in the neareft Re-
lation to him, that exprefled fo much Joy
for his return •, not an Enemy, or an Alien.
And fo likevvife in the other Parable : The
Sheep that goes aftray, and about whom the
Houiholder is fo much concerned, is not a
Sheep without an Owner, but one of his
own Sheep : One that fed in the fime Pa-

fture

The Ninth Sermon. 1 9 5

fture with the reft of his Flock, and indeed,
otherwife, he could in no Senfe be called his
loft Sheep. So that, if we will preferve the
Decorum of the Parable, it is necelFary that
we expound this Prodigal and this loft Sheep
of thefe Perfons, that, after they are made
the Sons of God by regeneration of Water
and of the Spirit, after they are admitted as
Sheep into the Fold of our great Shepherd
the Lord Jefus, do abufe God's Grace, and
abandon themfelves to evil Courfes, contrary
to the Profeflion they have undertaken.

But, Secondly, that this Text we are up-
on doth notfpeak of all wilful Sins, commit-
ted after Baptifm or the profeflion of Chrifti-
anity , we have this farther Argument :
Namely, that the (inning wilfully, herefpo-
ken of, muft be meant only of fuch Sins,
as whoever commits doth, by that A6lion,
tread under Foot the Son of God, and count
the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he
was fanclifyed, an unholy Thing, and doth
defpite to the Spirit of Grace. Thefe are
the very Words, by which St. Paul, in the
Verfe immediately following, defcribes the
wilful Sin he here fpeaks of.

But now, it will be hard to affirm fnay I
hope it would be untrue, if it was affirmed,)
that any Ad of wilful Sin, nay or any Ha-
bit of Vice, that Chriftian ProfefTors are ge-
nerally or ordinarily guilty of, can Ml under
this Imputation, or be charged with fo high
a "degree of Guilt, as thefe Expreflions feem

O 2 10

\p6 The Nmth Sermon,

to fix upon the wilful Sin here fj^oken of.
That is to fay, tho' the Lives of Chriftian
Profeffors be often hid enough, and the Sins
that they live in be fo grievous in themfelves,
and wilful as to them, that, without Repen-
• tance, they are in a dangerous and damnable
Condition ^ yet it is to be hoped, that nei-
ther the Sins are in their own Nature fo hei-
nous, nor the Will and Min i, with which
they are committed, fj malicious, that thofe
that commit them, or live in them, can pro-
perly be faid, thereby to trc;ad under Foot
the Son of God, or to do defpite to the Spi-
rit of Grace.

From thefe Things put together, I hope,
we may warrantably conclude, that it is not
of all wilful Sins, promifcuoufly and indifcri-
ininately, that St. Paul here fpeaks, when
he faith, There remains no more Sacrifice for
frtch 5 but only one particular kind of wiful
Sins. Now what that is I come in the third
Place to enquire.

In this Enquiry, f fliall not trouble you
with the feverai Opinions of Divines, con-
cerning this wilful Sin \ but I fli dl briefly
declare, what feems to be the true Account
of It, and the Reafons that do incline me to
believe fo.

I affirm therefore, that the Sin the Apoftle
here fpeaks of is no other than an Apoftacy
from the Faith of Chrill, a renouncing of
our Chriitianity. And, by finning wilfully,
he means a wilful Apoftacy from the Faith

of

77;e Ninth Sermon, i p/

of Chrifl:, a renouncing Chrillianity, not
thro' fome fudden Surprize, or Fear, or the
like, and then returning to the ProfefTion of
it agiin ;, but a fet, continued, obllinate dc-
fertionofit, and going over to the Enemies
Party. That is, revoking either to Judaifin
or Heathenifm, and becoming the Adverfa-
ries of Chrift, and his ReHgion. That tliis
is the true and only x-Vccount of this Sin will
appear, from thefe tv/o following Things.

Firfb of all, the Occafion, upon which
thefe Words come in, doth lead us to this
Senfe : We find by this Term for, that is fet
before them, that they are defigned as a Rea-
fon or Argument, to inforce fomething that
was fdd before. That that goes before is
this Exhortation, (Ver. 25. 2 ^ ,) Let us bold
the profejfion of our Faith zvithont wavering,
not for faking the AJfembl'vig of our f elves to-
gether, as the manner of fome is, kit ex-
horting one another. What now follows?
Why the Words of my Text ^ For, if we
fin wilfully after zve have received the Know-
ledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more
Sacrifice for Sin, but a fearful looking for of
Judgment.

It is plain here, that the Apoftles Defign
is toperfuade ihcjewijlj Chriftians to perfe-
verance in their Religion, notwithftanding
all the Perfecutions that threatned them up-
'^on account thereof, and to caution them a-
gainit the forfaking of Chrirtian Ailemblies
and f^oing over to the Jews or Heathens, as
O 3 fome

'ip8 Tl.^e Nif^th Sermon,

fonie of them had already done. It is plain,
likewife, that the Argament, wherewith he
would inforce this Exhortation, and deter
them from this Apoftacy, is this Confidera-
tion of my Text, that there remaineth no
inore Sacrifice for their Sifi, if they were guilty
of it, hut only a fearful expeBation of Judg-
ment, If therefore we will fuppofe the A-
poille to argue, as other Men do, that is to
fay, that the Motive or Reafon he offers fhall
have any Relation to his forgoing Exhortati-
on, we mufl conclude that the wilful Sin he
mentions, and for which he fiith there re-
maineth no more Sacrifice, muit be the Sin
from which he was now a diiTuading them ^
Namely, the renouncing of their Faith, or
the forfaking the Chriflian AiTembly : The
frequenting of which was indeed the only
Evidence, they could give, of their being
Chriilians.

But Secondly, The Argument, where-
with the i\po(tle doth , in the following
Words, endeavour to flren^then his x'^.tferti-
on in the Text, doth alfo add a farther Pro-
bability to this Expofition. Whofoever (faith
he) defpifed Mofes bis Law, died without
Mercj, Tinder two or three Witneffes. Of
how 7}iuch forer Funi foment, fuppofe ye^ foall
he he thought worthy, who hath trodden under
Foot the Son of God, and counted the Blood
of the Covenant^ ivherewith he was fanHi-,
fed, an unholy Thi?ig^ and done de-fpite to
the Spirit of Grace i-

Now

77;^ IS! huh Sermon, ipp

Now the defpifers of Afofis his Lau% here
fpoken of, as appears from the 1 7th of DeiiC.
3. from whence the Apollle takes this Quo-
tation, were thofe, that renounced the Cove-
nant of li'fofes, into which they were en-
ter'd, and went over to the Idolaters, to wor-
fhiptheSun, and Moon, and Stars, hi all
Reafon therefore, the wilful Sinners, who
are here compeared with them, muft be fup-
pofed Sinners of the fame Nature ^ that is to
fay, Apoflates from Chriftianity, as theo-
thers were from Judaifm ^ otherv/ife,the Apo-
ilks Difcourfe will not proceed naturally and
coherently. But, if we thus underftand
thefe Words, the Argument will be clofe
and flrong, and the xApoftle will fpeak to this
effed.

Vvonder not that I tell you, there is no
Sacrifice remaining for thofe, that Apofta-
tize from Chriftianity, for, even under the
Law of Mofes^ there was none allowed for
that Crime : Whoever wilfully deferted his
Religion was, under that Difpenfation, to
die without Mercy, and therefore, furely,
much greater Punilhment doth he deferve,
that deferts his Religion now, that abandons
his Chriftianity, and turns an Enemy to it,
n.ny, it may be, a Perfecutor of it. For, in
thus doing, he treads under Foot the Son of
God : He defpifeth and blafphemes Him, who
was iuiinitely greater than Mofis was. He
counts the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith
he was fandihkd, an unholy Thing, that is,

O4 he

200 Tfce Ninth Sermon,

he profanes, he vilifies, he fets at nought
that Blood of jefLis Chrift, which was fhed
for procuring the new Covenant, which yet
was of infinitely greater Value, than the
Blood of Bulls and Goats, by which the Jews
were enter'd into the Mofucal Covenant :
And Laftly, he doth defpite to the Spirit of
Grace ;, that is, he puts an high Affront and
Indignity upon the Holy Spirit, which is
now, by God, plentifully poured forth upon
the Chriflians, and by whom, greater Mira-
cles were daily wrought, for the conrirniati-
onoiChriftsReligicn. thaneverwtre wrought
hy Mofis, for the Proof of Hie Jewifh. And
thus much of the third general Point, what
particular Sin that is, which is iicc^ called
(inning wilfully, after we have rcr^ivc 1 the
Knowledge of the Tru^h.

The Fourth and Laft Thing to be inqui-
red into is, what the Apoftle means when
he fays, That to thofe that fin zvilfui^y, af-
ter they have received the Knowled(ie of the
Truths there remains no more Sacrijirg for
Sin J hut a fearfid expeBatinn ofjndment
iind fiery Indignation^ to CGnfume the A 'ver-
fary. Now, in anfwcr to ihis, I fay, firft
of all, that thefe Words do not imply that
the wilful Sin here fpoken of is unpardona-
ble , Or, that thofe, that are guilty of it,
are out of all pollibility of obtaining forgive-
nefs for it ;, for here is nothing, in thefe
Words, from whence we can draw fuch a
Conclufion. If indeed it had been faid that,

to

7he TsLlnth Sermon,

to thofe that fin wilfully there remains no
Sacrifice for Sin, there might have been fome
Grounds for fuch an Inference •, but it is on-
ly faid that, to fuch there remains no more
Sacrifice for Sin, that is to fay, they are not
to exped another Chrifl to die for them, but,
for all that, for any Thing that is hers faid,
they may, upon Repentance, yet hav^e the
Benefit of that Sacrifice which was offer'd
once for all, for the Sins of the whole World.
There is no one Sin in the World, no nor a-
ny Habit of Sin, of fo damning a Nature, but
that, upon Repentance and change of Life,
the Sinner may hope for Pardon and Accep-
tance 5 fuppofing the Man to be but in a Ca-
pacity of Repenting, we may affirm that his
Sin is in a Capacity of being forgiven. In
the fecond Place therefore *, That, which
thefe Words do firft and principally import,
is the fdnefs and horridnefs of the prefent
Condition, into which all that (in wilfully
( that is renounce their Chriftianiry ) do re-
duce themfelves. For, hereby, they have
forfeited all their right and title to the Bene-
fits of the Gofpel Covenant, that is to fay,
the Pardon of tlieir Sins, and the Promife
of Etern;^l Life •, for, there is but one Sacri-
fice (that is the Sacrifice of Chriffc upon the
Crofs) by which pardon of Sin is to be at-
tained : And confequently eternal Life is to
be hoped for. But, this Sacrifice they have
utterly difclaimed and rejeded. Nay, in-
ftead of owning ir for a Sacrifice, they have

counted

201

202

c

Tloe Ninth Semon,

counted it an unholy Thing, looking upon
the Death of Chrift as a Punifliment due to
him, as an Impoiler. What therefore can
they now exped ? Do they look for firther
Sacrifice ? No, it is not in theChriflian Dif-
penfation, as it was in the Mofuck, wherein
the Priefts offered the fame Sacrifice," every
Year, for feveral Sins that were committed.
After we have once renounced our great Sa-
crifice, there remains no more Sacrifice for
Sin. Chrifl is not to offer himfeif any more.
If we be faved at all, it is by his once offer-
ing up himfeif. If we rejed that, there is
nothing left, but a fearful expectation of
Judgment and fiery Indignation, to confurae
the Adverf-iry.

This feems to be the true and natural Pa-
raphrafe upon the Text. But then. Third-
ly and Lafily, beiides the great Guilt of re-
nouncing Chriftianity, that is here expreiTed,
and the dreadful Condition into which Men
bring themfelves thereby ^ there is this aifo
farther implyed in the Text, namely, the ex-
tream Difficulty, and the moral Impoflibility,
of recovering fuch Perfons out of that fad
Condition. For this Sin is of fuch a Nature,
that it utterly indifpofeth Men, and rendreth
them uncapable of making ufe of the Means,
by which a Pardon is to be obtained. What
ever other Sin a Man commits, yet, fcx long
as he holds the Profeffion of his Faith without
Wa\ ering, there may be fome good Hopes of
him 3 he holds to the Means of Salvation,

and

Tl^e ISLlnth Sennon.

and may in good Time, make Ufe of them,
and be reftored again, by God's Grace, to
that State of Repentance, from whence he is
fallen. But, when k Man renounceth his
Chriltianity ^ tho* we dare not fay it is ab«
folutely impoflible, for him to be retrieved
and recovered to his found Mind a^ain, yet
it is a Thing hardly to be expected, becaufe
it is the Nature of his Sin to render the very
Means of his Recovery infignificant and inef-
fedual. It is the greateft psrt of his Difeafe,
to refufe the Cure. There is no means of
Salvation but one, and that is, by Chrift,
and that he difciaims and renounces. Truly
therefore may the Apoftle fiy, of fuch an
Apoilate, that, as there remains no more Sa-
crifice for him, fo, morally fpeaking, and as
it ordinarily comes to pafs, there is nothing
left, but a dreadful expedation of Judgment
and a fiery Indignation to confume him. And
this indeed is the fame Thing, that^the Apo-
Itie teacheth us, in another PalTage of this
Epiflle ', Namely that in the 6th Chap. 4.
5, 6, Verfes. Which PafTage, as it fully
confirms all that I have fiid before, about
the wilful Sin mentioned in my Text 5,
fo, by what I have already faid, a clear
Light is given to that Paliage. It is impq/Ji-
ble (f lith the Apoffie there) for thofe, who
were once enlightned^ and have tafled of the
heavenly Gift, and were rnade Partakers of
the Holy Gbojl^ and have tafled the g:^ood
}Ford of God J and the Ponders of the World

to

20]

204

The Ninth Sennon,

to come, ( all which Expreffions are but a
larger Defcription of a Chriftian, or a rege-
nerate Perfon, or, as our Tex^jphrafeth it,
of one that hath received the Knowledge of
the Truth.) Iffiicb as thefe (faith he) fia//
fail away^ it is imp"£ible to renew them to
Repentance \ feeing they crucifie to themselves
tie Son of God afrejJ}, and put hi7n to open
Shmne. The failing away here is certainly
the fime Thing, with finning; wilfully in ray
Text, that is to fiy, a wilful d^pirturefroin
Chrift '^n:ty. N )W of thofe, that do thus
Apoflatize, St. ?md affirms, thdt it is im-
poilible to renew them to Repentance. He
certainly doth not mean an abiblute Iinpofli-
bility, but a moral one in the fame Senfe,
that our Saviour faith, That it is impojjible
for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven^ that is, as another Evanglifi: ex-
plains it, it is bard for a rich Man, dec. In
the fame Senfe, that it is affirm'd to be im-
poflible for them to do good, that have ac-
cuftomed themfeh'es to do Evil, that is to
fay it is extreamly difficult j it is not a Thing,
that either ordinarily happens, or can be eafi-
ly effeded. It is true God may, by an ex-
traordinary Providence, pluck fuch an Apo-
llate out of the Fire, refcue him by a ftrong
Hand from that defperate Vailalage to the
Devil, in which he is held. But, he hath no
where promifed, that he will. Nay, he
hath threatned that he will not. However,
of all Men living, it is the leaft to be hoped .

of

Tl?e Ninth Sermon. 205

of fuch a Perfon, that God will (hew fach
extraordinary Mercy to him, fince he hath
wilfully put himfdt out of that State of Sal-
vation/which God by ChriH: had brought
him into, and not only fo, but hath aban-
doned and renounced all the Means, by which
only he can be recovered.

Thus have I given you a large, and I
hope a plain Account of this difficult Text :
And, you fee, there is nothing in it, that
n-eds to create any Trouble or AfFrightment,
to any well difpofed People among us, how-
ever they may have been guilty of many wil-
ful Sins, fincetheir Baptifm, or fince their com-
ing to the Knowledge of the Truth. Nay,
you fee, there is nothing in it that (hould make
the greateft Sinner among us to de'pair of
God's Mercy, if they have but the Heart to
repent. For there is nothing, in this Text,
from whence it can be concluded, that any
Sin is unp.-Tdonable, or that any Courfe of
wilful Sin is above the Mercies of the Cove-
nant of Grace, provided the Sinner do truly
repent. Nay neither is there any Thing in
this Text, to difcourage the Hjpes of any
Man's Repentance, how great a Sinner foe-
ver he hath been, fo long as he continue in
the ProfciTion of Chriftianity. All this I
think is very plain, from what I have dif-
courfed upon this Text.

But then I muft add farther, and which I
defire all among us would fenoufly confider ,
it appears by this Text that the Cafe is very

diffe-

20 6 The Ninth Sermon,

different as to tliofe Perfons that have once pro-
felled Chriflianit}', and afterwards depart
from it. l\ho' there may be Hopes of a
Man's Repentacc", let him have been never
fo bad a Liver, fo long as he continues in
the Communion of the Chriftian Church,
and adheres to the Religion of Chrift : Yet,
there is very little Hope of a Man, that hath
once given up his Name to Jefus, and after-
v/ards proves a Defertor : Departs from the
Faith, and turns Atheifl or Deift, or, in a-
ny other Sort, renounceth that Chriflianity
he was baptized mto '-, I fay, there is very
little Hope of fuch a Mnn, becaufe he doth
properly, and in the Apofties Senfe, trample
under Foot the Son of God, and count the
Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was
fandified, an unholy Thmg. It infinitely
therefore concerns every one among us, to
hold the Profeflion of their Faith without
Wavering, and, tho' they do not live fo ho-
ly and fo pure Lives as they fhould, and as
they muft do, if ever they go to Heaven :
Yet, at leafl, to continue in the profefiion of
the Chriftian Religion, and to frequent the
Ordinances of Jefus Chri ft ^ becaufe, fo long
as they fo do, they have the Advantage of
the Means of Salvation, and thofe Means
may at laft prove effedual to their Converfi-
on. Whereas, if they defcrt the Chriftian
Inftitution, and go over to Heathenifm ( as
Deifm is but another Name for that, ) there
remains no more Sacrifice for their Sins, but

a

The Nhnh Sermon] 207

a certain fearful expedation of Judgment and
fiery Indignation, to confume them, and all
fuch contumacious Sinners as they are :

Fro?n which Go J Almighty of bis Msrcy
deliver us all^ for the fake ^ 6cc.

S E R-

208

SERMON X.

I Epift. ofSt.JOHN V. i6.

If any Man fee his Brother fm a Sin, which
is not, nnto Death ^ he fmll ask, and he
(loall pve him Life for them that fin not
unto Death. There is a Sin nnto Death :
1 do not fay that he fi all pray for it.

^K HERE are three Texts ( as I '
^O told you the laft Time) in the
^ New Teftament, relating to the
m^ frime Argument ^ which, as, they
have given much Trouble to Interpreters in
the expounding of them, fo have they often
occafioned many Fears and Perplexities in the
Confciences of timerous melancholy Perfons,
by the Application they make of them.

The Firfl is that, in the lothof the He-
hrevps \ where the Apoflle afferts. That to
thofe that fin wilfully, after they have recei-
ved the Knowledge of the Truth, there re-
mains no more Sacrifice for Sin, but a fear-
ful expeBati on of Judgment and fiery Indig-
nation, to devour them \ and of thi$ I dif-
courfed the laft Time.

The

The Tenth Sermon. 209

The Second is the PafTage of St. Jobn^
which I have now read unto you, where it
is (I^id, There is a Sin unto Dsath^ which
whoever commits, the Apoftle doth not fay
that Prayer (hall be made for him, and this
I fhall now difcourfeof.

The Third is that famous Paflage of our
S iviour in St. Matth, where he fiith, That
whofoever p^all fpeak a Word again ft tkf Ho-
ly Ghof}, it Jhall never he forgiven him^ in
this IVorld nor in the World to come. This
I referve to another Opportunity.

Thefe AfTertions, at the firft View, as
they are very uncomfortable, fo do they feein
to clafh with feme of the received Dodrines
of Chriftianity. For we generally believe,
and we think we have Reafon from the Gof-
pel fo to do, that Ghrill, by the Oblation of
liimfelf once offered (as our Church expref-
feth it) made a full, perfeifl: and fufiicient
Sacrifice, Oblation and Satisfadion, for the
Sins of the whole World. And, confequent-
Jy, there is no Sin a Man can. commit fo
grievous, but that it will be pardoned, upon
Repentance. And we alfo believe and teach,
that there is no Sinner in fo deplorable a
Condition, that his Repentance ought to be
defpaired of, fo long as he is in the Land of
the Living. And therefore we make no'Scru-
ple, not only to pray for the grea tell Sin-
ners, but to exhort them to Repentance,
when ever we have to do with fuch, and to
encourage them, in cafe they do trulv and
Vol. III. P fincerely

2IO Tl:)e Tenth Sermon.

fincerely repent, to hope for God's Mercy
and Acceptance. Now this would be a ve-
ry unaccountable Proceeding, if we either
believed that their Sins were unpardotiable,
or knew that they >were beyond all poflibility
of Repentance. And indeed this has been
the Relief and Pradice of the Church, ever
fince our Saviour's Time, tho' there were
fome Sins, which, if in fonie Churches a Man
was guilty of, he was never to be reftored
to the Communion of the Faithful, or ex-
peel the Churches Abfolution, but to die ex-
communicate : Yet, even in that Cafe, they
did not prejudge the Sinner to eternal Pu-
nifhment, but exhorted him to exprefs his
Repentance, all the ways he could, and
made no Scruple to encourage him, that if
he was fincere in it, he might find Mercy at
the laft Day with God. The Montanifts
and Novatians themfelves, who were the fe-
vered in this Point, and made a Schifm in
the Chureh upon this very Account, that
they thought the Church too eafie in admit-
ting lapfed Perfons to Communion, yet did
never deny or difown this, but declared it as
their Doctrine, that there was no Sinner but
might hope for Pardon from God, upon his
Repentance, tho' the Sins ( they faid ) he
was guilty of might be fuch as that the
Church had no Power to pardon him.

Weil ! But doth not St. Johnh^re expref-
\y dillinguifh between two forts of Sins ?
One fort that is not unto Death, and the o-

ther

The Tenth Sermon. 2 1 ^

thcr fort that is unto Death ? And doth not
he fay of this latter Sort, that, if a Man be
guilty of it, we are not fo much as to pray
for him ? What podibility then is there left
offuch a Mans Sin being forgiven him?
This is the Thing I now come to give an Ac-
count of.

St. John's Words are thefe. There is a
Sin unto Death : I do not fay that a Man
jhaU pray for it. The difficulty of thefe
Words lies in thefe two Things.

Firji^ What is here meant by the Sin un-
to Death.

Secondly^ How we are to underfland the
Apoftle when he faith, I do not fay that h^
fijall pray for t hat Sin.

I begin with the Notion of a Sin unto
Death. A Sin may be called a Sin unto
Death, in two refpeds. Firft, in refped of
the prefent danger of Death, into which it
puts the Sinner, tho' poflibly he may recover:
after it ^ and it fliall not prove fatal to him.
In this Senfe, every grofs wilful prefumptu-
ous Sin is a Sin unto Death, and fo alfo is
every Habit or Cuflom of known wilful
Sin.

My Meaning is, fuch Sins and fuch Hj^
bits do, for the prefent, put a Man into a
State of Death, and deflroy his Title to e-
verlafting H.ippinefs : But then, how deadly
foever thefe Sins are in themfelves, yet are
they not fo in event, to all Perfons ^ tho',
tQ fomc Sinners, the Effed and Confequence

P 2 of

2\%

7he Tmth Sermon,

of them doth prove eternal Death *, yet, in
others, that Effed or Confequence is prevent-
ed, by a timely Repentance. It is here, as
it is in bodily Difeafes ^ a Man, that hath
the Plague upon him, may properly enough
be faid to be vifited with a mortal Sicknefs,
becaufe, oftentimes and to many Perfons, it
proves fo in the Conclufion : And will pro-
bably prove fo to him, unlefs by timely Care
and powerful Medicines he prevent it : But, if
he ufe thefe Means, there may be hopes of
his Recovery, notwithflanding the maligni-
ty of theDifea'e,

This is the firH: Notion of a Sin unto Death,
fo that, if the Apoftle fpeak in this Senfe,
and according to the full Latitude of it. The
Sin unto Death here mentioned muft be un-
derftood of thefe grievous and capital Sins,
of which the Scripture pronounceth, that
thofe^ that live in them^ fhall jiot inherit the
Kingdom of God : Such, for inftance, are
Adultery, Fornication, Idolatry, Murder,
Covetoufnefs, Extortion, Drunkenefs, Ha-
tred, Malice, and the like. Every one of
which, as St. Pmd tells us, do exchtde from
the Kingdom of Heaven, See Gal. 5. 21.
Cor. 6. ^.

And, on the other fide, tlie Sin not unto
Death here mentioned, and to which the Sin
unto Death is oppofed, mufl be underflood
of any of thefe Frailties, and Infirmities, and
interruptions of Piety : Which, tho* they are
Sins properly fo called, yet are confiftent

with

TXe 'Tenth Sermon. 2 1 7

with the ChnTtian State, or the State of
Grace and Regeneration, and deftroy not a
Mans hopes of Happinefs in the other World,
tho' he never live to get an entire Vidory o-
ver them.

But, Secondly^ A Sin may be called a Sin
unto Death, in refpect of the Confequenceof
it, that is, certain Death to the Sinner :
When the Sin, or courfe of Sin, is not only
damnable and mortal in its felf, but doth
really damn the Man, that is guilty of it,
doth de faBo deftroy his Salvation, and he
periflies everlafiingly, this is truly a Sin un-
to Death, and indeed the moll: proper Notion
of it, but perhaps it is not the mofl ufual.

Now, in this Notion, no Man can fin the
Sin unto Death, but he whofe Sins are ne-
ver pardoned. And every one doth fin the
Sin unto Death (let his particular Crimes be
what they will) if he dies without Repen-
tance. So that, according to this Account,
that may be a Sin unto Death in one Man,
that is not fo in another. Becaufe one Man's
Murder, or Adultery, or Idolatry, or the
like, may be damnable to him, tho' they will
not be fo to another that is guilty of them,
becaufe he repents of them.

Jt follows likewife, that as no Man can
fay of any Particular, that it is a Sin unto
Death in this Notion of it, fo neither can he
fay of any particular Perfon, fo long as he is
in the Land of the Living, that he hath com-
mitted it : Becaufe he knows not but the
. S 3 Sinner

5 1 4 1^^^ Tenth Sermon]

Sinner may repent afterwards, and God may
pardon him. It is true, it is much to be
feared, that many Perfons may be guilty of
fach Crimes, and may fo obftinately perfe-
vere in them (of what Nature foever thefe
Crimes be it matters not, ) that God, even
while thay live, may withdraw his Grace
totally from them, and leave them to the
hardnefs of their Hearts, fo that their ever-
lafting Mifery may be concluded, before
they go out of this World. In this Cafe, it
is certain indeed that they have finned a Sin
unto Death , but yet it is only known to God.
No mortal Creature can know it, unltfs he
knows ihat thefe Perfons are thus for f^ ken by
God, and tjiat they are out of all poffibility
of Repentance, or Pardon, which is hard for
any to fay of any Perlbn, for any Sin •, unlefs
they have a Revelation for it, which 1 be-
lieve ncne can now pretend to.

Thus have I given you the two general
Senfes, in which a Sin may be called a Sin
pnto Death , but the great Queftion is fiill
behind, that is to fay, in whnt Senfe it is
that we are to underftand the Sin unto Death
here fpoken of, and for which the Apoflle -
here feems to difcourage our praying.
' ^ To this I anfwer in thefe Particulars.

Firft to interpret the Sin unto Death, here
mentioned, of all grievous prefumptuous Sins,
or habits of Sin, that unrepented of deftroy
Salvation, (which is the firft Notion that I
gave of a Sin unto Death,) I fay, to inter-
- pret

Tl:e Tenth Sermon, 215

pret it of all Sins in general (as fome have
done) without Limitation, doth not feem to
agree, either with St. Johns Phrafe, or the
fcope of the Place. Nor can it be well re-
conciled with the conftant Practice of the
Chriflian Church, which has always thought
it feif obliged, not only to pray for feveral
fuch Sinners, but to admit them to Commu-
nion, and to warrant their Pardon upon their
Repentance.

In the fecond Place, to take the Sin unto
Death in the latter Notion, I have given.
Namely, for every fuch Sin or Sins, which,
tho' they were pardonable in themfelves,and
might have been pardoned to the Sinner, if
he would have made ufe of God's Grace for
his Repentance, yet hath never de faciohttn
pardoned, but the Sinner Ihall die in his
Sin : I fay to take the Sin unto Death here
fpoken of in this Notion, as fome very learn-
ed Expofiters have done, has this great In-
convenience attending it. Namely, thatfucli
an Expofition renders the Apoflles Injundion
here, about praying fur Sinners, wholly im-
praclicable. For, according to this Notion,
none can know (as I faid) but God only,
what are Sins unto Death, and what are not^
fince it is the Event alone, that m^kes the
difference. Whereas the Apoflles Injundion
in the Text fuppofeth , tiiat a Man may
know, what is a Sin not unto Death, and
what is a Sin unto Death ^ Other wife he
would not have given ■ us different Rules

P 4 for

2 1 6 ^^^ Tenth Sermon.

for our Prayers, as to tliofe two forts of
Sins.

In the third Place, therefore, that Inter-
pretation of the Sin unto Death which I
think nioll: probable '^ (becaufc indeed mofb
agreeable with the Scope of the Apoftie in
this Place, and becaufe it avoids likewife the
Inconveniencies that follow upon the two
former ways of expounding it,) is this. To
take the Sin unto Death in the firft Notion I
gave of it, that is to fay, for fome grofs wilful
deadly Sin, that, unrepented of, deftroys
Salvation : But, not to extend it to ail fuch
Sins, but to reftrainit to one particular Sort
of them, juft as the (inning wifuUy, in St.
Paul, for which there remains no more Sa-
crifice, is not every wilful Sin, committed
after Baptifm, but only one fort of wilful
Sins, as I largely fliev/ed the lad Time. If
it be asked, what particular kind of Sin that
is, which is here called the Sin unto Death,
why truly, all Things confidered, it will
appear moft probable, that it is the very
fame with St. Pauls wilful Sin, that is to
fay, a renouncing of Chriftianity, and the
Communion of the Church, and going-over
to tlie Enemies of it. My Reafon for this
Alfertion is this.

The Apoftles Bufinefs here, and indeed
throughout this whole Epiftle, is to keep the
Jewiih Chri/lians firm to the Faith, and to
the Chriftian AiTemblies : From which ma-
ny had now departed, denying that Jefus is

the

7he Tenth Sermon,

the Chrift. (See Chap. 2i. Ver. i8, 19—
22.3 In order to this, he fets himfelf to
fhew them, that, whatever Boafts thefe De-
ferters might make, of obtainini^ eternal
Life by their Way, yet eternal Life was on-
ly to be had in Jefus Chrili, that is to fay,
by believing in him, and holding Communi-
on with his Church. Thus, in the nth
Verfe of this Chapter. This is the Record,
That God hath given us eternal Life^ and
this Life is in his Son. And, in the 13 th
Verfe, Thefe Thi?igs have I written to you^
that believe on the l^ame of the Son of God,
and that ye may know ye have eternal Life,
feeingye believe on the Name of the Son of
God. And indeed, upon this Account it is,
that the Name of Life is fo often given to
cur Saviour, by this Apoftle, as his proper
Title and diftinguifhing Character. Thus in
the I ft Chap. Ver. 2. fpeaking of jefus
Chrift, he tells us, the Life was manifefied,
and again, in the 20th Verfe of this Chan.
This is the true God and eternal Life. Thus
alfo in the 12th Verfe of this Chapter, Ke
that hath the Son, hath the Life : But he
that hath not the Son, hath not the Life.

Thefe Things now being conlidered, we
may thus Argue : That,(ince to believe in Jefus
Chrift, and to hold to the Communion of the
Faithful ^ is (remember the Apoftles Phrafe)
to he in Life^ or to have the Life : It is reafo-
nable to conclude, that, when he fpeaks of be-
ing in Death, of a Sin unto Death, he means

it

^17

t\

Tl)e Tent J? Sermon.

it of thofe that do not believe in Jefas Chrifl,
or that renounce the Chriftian Societies,and go
over either to the Antichrifts fo often mention-
ed in this Epiftle, or to the Heathen Idolaters,
againft whom he cautions them in the lad
Verfeofthis Chapter, when he concludes.
Little Childreti keep your felves from Idols,
And thus much let it fuffice to have fpoken
to the firfr general Point, the Notion of the
Sin unto Death : I might add other Confide-
rations to confirm the Account I have given
of it, but I am afraid of tiring you.

I therefore pafs on to the fecond general
Point to be enquired into, and that is what is
the Apoftles Meaning, when having told us
there is a Sin unto Death, he adds, / Jo not
fay that a Man fJj all pray for it , but of this
1 Ihall make no long Work.

Firft of all, it is certain that thofe Words,
even according to uiis Tranilation of them,
do not amount to a Prohibition of Prayer,
for thofe that have finned the Sin unto Death.
If the Apoftle had meant to forbid Chriftians
to pray for fijch, he might, with the lead
Variation , have placed his Words thus.
There is a Sin unto Death, I fay you fiaall
not pray for it j this indeed had been to the
Purpofe : But, when he only feith, / do not
fay that you f mil pray for it ^ the Senfe can-
not be carried fo high. The utmofi: that the
Words can be extended to is this, I do not
bid you to pray for it , and every one
knows that there is a great deal of difFe=

rence.

TIpe 7enth Sermon. 215?

rence, between not bidding one to do a
Thing, and forbidding the doing of it.

But, Secondly, the true and the full Senfe
and Delign of thefe Words will be eafily feen,
if we join them with the former part of the
Verfe, and tranflate them as they fhould be
tranflated, th"t is, according to the mod na-
tural and obvious Conftrudion of the Greek
Text. Namely thus. If any one fee his
Brother finning a Sm not unto Death ^ he f Jail
ask ofGod^ and God ^3all give Life to htm^
even to all thofe that Sin not tmto Death,
There is a Sin unto Death , it is 7iot of this
Ifpeak^ that he jhall ask, (The Words are
8 "TTi^jL Tavms As^ftj 077 ipoiThOT}, which cvcry
body knows muft be tranflated as I fiid, it
is not of this I fpeak, that he fljall ask J
How aslv ? '■^Viiy, fapply what went before,
and the Senfe will be clear, that hefliall ask,
and that God Ihall give him Life, that is to
fay, it is not of rhis Sin unto Death that I
fpeak, when I fay that God will hear and
anfwer the Petitions of Chriftians, that are
made for the Sins of others. They cannot
pray for this, with the fame alFurance of
Succefs , that they may have when they
pray for other Sins.

This feems to be the whole of what is de-
figned by the Apoftle in this Claufe ;, he
doth not forbid praying for any, nor difcou-
rage praying for any, only he infinuatesthat
Prayers for fome Perfons will not be granted,
or at leaft they cannot fo confidently promife

to

210

Jhe Tenth Sermon,

to themftiives that they fhali be granted.

Having thus given an Account of thefe two
Difficulties propofed, there is nothing re-
mains to make the Text very eafie and intel-
ligible to every one, but to give a brief Pa-
raphrafe of it, according to the Grounds I
have laid down.

I take then the Senfe of the whole PaiTage
to be to this Effed.

If any fee his Brother, after his underta-
king the Chrifiian Profeffion, fall into any
Sin, he is not to defpair of him, feeing he is
under the Means of Grace and the Mercies
of the Covenant. On the contrary, both
particular Chriftians, and the Officers of the
Church, are to intercede with God for fuch
a Sinner : iVnd there is no doubt but, upon
their Prayers in the Name of Chrift, God
will be prevailed with to afford him fuch a
Meafure of Grace, as with his own Endea-
vours and the ufe of the Means of Reconcili-
at'on that are lodged in the Cliurch, will be
fufficient for his Recovery, and obtaining his
Pardon. This Benefit we, that are in the
Church and adhere to Chrifl's Religion, have
above others j tho* we Sin, there is a Means
provided for our Recovery. As for thofe,
that deny the Lord that bought them, and
fall away either to the Jewiffi x'^ntich rifts, or
the Heathen Idolaters, there is not the fame
Hopes of them, nor the fame Encouragement,
as to Succefs, to be given to the Prayers of
others for them • fince they have renounced

the

71)6 Tenth Sermon.

the Son of God, who is the Life, and in
whom only Life is to be had : They mud
needs be concluded to be in a State of Death.
It is not therefore of fuch Sinners as thefe
that 1 fpeak, when I tell you that you are to
pray for thofe that Sin, and that you may
be confident that God will give Life to thein;
for you cannot be fj confident that God will
hear your Prayers for fuch Apoflates ^ their
Cafe is more dangerous, and their Cure more
difh'cult.

I am afraid I have wearied you, with this
large Explication of my Text : But I fhall
make amends, by the fhortnefs of my Appli-
cation. Two or three Inferences I would make,
from what has been fiid, and I conclude.

Firft of all, from the Account I have gi-
ven of this Text, it appears that it may
be very lawful , nay a very charitable
and pious Thing, to pray for all forts of
Sinners, even the greatefl, any Thing here-
in fiid notwithflanding : For, we fee, there
is nothing here faid, that doth either forbid,
or in the lead cafl any ill Refieclion upon,
fuch an Adlion ^ and if not here, fure no
where in the Book of God.

On the contrary, St. P^z//doth exhort that
Prajers and Siipplicatiofts and Interceffions he
made for all Men, imthout any reftriBwn^
I Tim. 2. i> And our Saviour commands
his Difciples to blefs them that curfe them,
to pray for them that defpitefitlly itfe them^
and perfecute them \ which Prayer, why it

fhould

22!

222

The Tenth Sermon]

fhould be conftrued only to Heathen Perfe"-
cutors, and not extend to Apoflates alfo, I
fee no Reafon ? He himfelf prayed for thofe
that crucified him •, fome of which were,
without doubt, thofe very Pharifecs, whom
he had before charged with committing the
Sin againfl the Holy Ghoft in the i2thCh.
of Matth. St. Stephen hkewife prayed for
thofe that Honed him, when yet a little be-
fore he had told them, they refifted the Ho-
ly Ghoft. Certainly there is no Sinner fo
bad, or in fo deplorable a Condition, but we
may pray for him. Nay Charity will ob-
lige us to it. And, tho* our Prayers be not
available for him, yet they will be beneficial
to our felves. And God Almighty, tho' he
doth not anfwer them to the Advantage of
the Sinner prayed for, yet will reward us
for our Charity in putting them up.

If it be faid, that David was fo far from
praying for all, that he curfed feveral of his
Enemies, making folemn Prayers or rather
Imprecations againft them, as particularly in
the 109 Pfahn. To this I anfwer, Firft, that
the Gofpel Spirit is a different Thing from
that of the Law, as our Saviour once told his
Difciples, when they were calling for Fire
from Heaven to confume their Enemies as E-
lias did ', Chrift's Religion obligeth us to a far
more extenfive Charity, than that of Mofes
did the Jews.

But, Secondly, DaviJ's Imprecations were
not fo much Prayers to Gud againft his Ene-

miesj

The Tenth Sermon, zij

niies, as Prophecies of what evil Things
Ihould befall thofe Sinners he there fpeaks of.
Any one, that underftands any thing of the
Hebrew Language, knows that the fame form
of Words is therein ufed both in praying for
a Thing, and in forteliing that it fhall come
to pafs ^ and as for the 109th Ffalm^ which
has been often cali'd the Pfalm of Curfes , it
is plainly a Prophecy, partly of what fhould
hi^hW Achttophel for his treacherous Ufage of
David, but principally of what fhould befall
the Traytor Judas, for betraying his and
our Lord and Mafter Jefus Chrift, and, as
fuch, it is quoted by St. Peter in the ABs of
the Apofiles,

But, Secondly, from what has been faid
we may raife Matter of Comfort and Satis-
fadion, to imny weak uninftruded Chrifti-
ans. There are a great many, as I faid, that
partly thro' Melancholy and an ill Habit of
Body, partly thro' the Terrors of an awak«
ned Confcience, joined with an Ignorance
and Mifunderftanding of this and the like
Texts, are mightily apt to conclude, that
they have finned the Sin unto Death, and
that confdquently, no Prayer, either of their
own or other good Chriftians, will be avail-
able for them \ or, that they have commit-
ted the wilful Sin, for which St. ?aul futh
there remains no more Sacrifice, or that they
are fail'n from Grace, and fj it is impoflible
to renew them to Repentance , or, laftly,
that' they have committed the Sin againft the

Holy

224

Tl)e Tmth Sermon]

Holy Ghoft. As for this lad, the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghofl, I (hall treat of it the
next Time we meet. But, for the other
Texts, I hope I have made it appear, that
the Perfons I now fpeak of are no ways con-
cerned in any of them, for I fuppofe the Per-
fons , that have thefe Apprehenfions of
themlelves, do profefs themfelves Chriftians,
and have never fallen off from that Profefli-
on ;, tho' poffibly they may have been guilty
of many other grievous Sins ; They have
never renounced their Lord and Mafter
Chrift, or turned Apoftates from his Religi-
on ', but have always owned him and it,
both in publick and private : Tho* poffibly
their Lives and Pradlices have not been, in
all refpeds, fo fuitable, as they ought to
have been, to fuch a Profeffion.

Now, if the Cafe be thus with them, I
think it has been made out, with Evidence
enough, that they cannot be guilty of any
of the Crimes mentioned in thefe Texts.
That is to fay, they have neither finned the
wilful Sin, nor fallen away after iniighten-
ing \ nor finned the Sin unto Death : Since
thefe Crimes import, neither more nor lefs
than an Apoftacy from the Chriftian Reli-
gion, and going over either to Atheifm or
Heathenifm, or fome other Religion that is
contrary to the Chriftian.

But Thirdly and Laftly, let no Man from
hence, or upon this Account that he hath
not finned the Sin unto Death, incourage

himfelf

The Tenth Sermon. 125

Limfelf in any evil Courfe or Habit of Sin,
feera it never fo flight and excufable to him.
There are a hundred Ways of going to Hell,
befides thefe Sins I have been treating of ^
and far the greateft part that are now con-
cluded in eternal Mifery, it is probable, ne-
ver finned in this kind. Every wilful Sin,
or habit of Sin, continued in, be it never fo
plau(ibleorfafhionable,be there never fo many
Pleas and Apologies to be made for it, from
Temper and Conftitution, from Bufinefs and
Intereft, or from the Mode and Cuftom of
the Place where v/e live , I fay, all fuch
Sins perfifled in will as certainly deftroy a
Man's Salvation, as the Sin againft the Holy
Ghoft.

O, therefore, let no Man indulge him-
felf in any evil Courfe, that God*s Law hath
declared againft, in hopes that it will be ea-
sily paiTed by, becaufe it is none of thofe e-
normous Crimes, that do continually fly in a
Man's Face, and have a Mark of Infamy put
upon them ,by the Laws of the Country. Why
any known Sin, encouraged and perfifted in,
and never repented of, may prove as fatal
to a Man's Soul as a Torrent of open Impi-
eties. And again, let no Man indulge him-
felf in any evil Courfe, in confidence that
he hath not yet finned, beyond a probability
of Pardon, or in profped that hereafter he
may repent. This is a moft intolerable pre-
fumption upon God's Mercy, and it is the
readieft Courfe we can take to provoke God
Vol, IIL a to

2 2<J The Tenth Sermon,

to withdraw his Grace from us, anrl to give
us up to hardnefs of Heart and final Impeni-
tency. And, when it once comes to that,
our eternal State is concladed, and we have
indeed finned a Sin unto Death in one Senfe,
and no Prayers or InterceiTions will be avail-
able for us. But, as the Apoftle faid in this
very Cafe, fo I hope I may fay to you, Bre-
thren I am perfitaded better things of you,
and things that accomj^any Salvation^ tho' I
thus /peak,

I pray God give us all Grace to conjider the
Things that belong to our everlafting
Salvation^ and^ in purfuance thereof
to hold the Vrofefjion of our Faith unto
the End, and to bring forth Frrtits fiti-
table to that Vrofeffon^ by a righteous
andfober and godly Converfation : This
God Almighty grant for the fake of his
dear Son, to whom^ dec.

SER-

2 2-7

SERMON XI.

M ATTH. XII. 31, 52.

Wherefore I fdy unto you^ all inanner of Std
and Blafpbetny fball be forgiven unto Men^
hut the Blafpheftiy of the Holy Ghojl fiall
not be forgiven unto Men, And zvhofoe-
ver fpeaketh a Word agamfl the Son of
Man it fjall be forgiven hiniy but zvhofoe-
ver fpeaketh a Word againfl the Holy Ghofl
it fhall not be forgiven him, neither in this
World nor in the World to com^,

®-«^^ T is my Defign, at this Time, io

'^ ^ I #S S^^^ '^^-^ ^c^°""^ ^^ ^^^^^ difficult
'^L „^A Fext, and, in doing that, to ex-
^Mm^ plain the Nature of that Sin,
which in common Speech we call tlie Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft. I have obferved
how much that Sin is often miftaken, and
what trouble and perplexities of Mind have
hence arifen to well meaning People, but e-
fpecially thofe that are Hypocondriack in
their Tempers. I thought, therefore, tha£
a plain Account of this might be of fome Ser-
vice, *

Q^ 2 Thera

22$ 7he Eleventh Sermon,

There are many Sins againfb the Holy
Ghoft. Whofoever grieveth the Spirit, gy
quencheth the Spirit , both which Things St.
Faid cautions the Chriftians againft, finneth
againft the Holy Ghoft. Ananias and Sap-
phira, in the Lie they told St. Veter, are
(aid to lie againft the Holy Ghoft. St. Ste-
phen calls the ftubbornefs and difobedience
of the Jews to the Admonitions of the Pro-
phets a refifting the Holy Ghoft, and con-
fequently a Sin againft him. Simon Magits
his Sin, in offering to ptirchafe the Gft of
the Spirit with Money, was a Sin againft
the Holy Ghoft.

But none of thefe feem to be the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft , the Sin which, by
way of Eminence, we call fo, and of which
we are nov7 to treat. The not obferving
this Diftindion has given occafion to many
of thofe Notions, concerning this great Sin,
which have too often perplexed the Confcien-
ces of weak Perfons.

For the finding out what this Sin is, we
muft take the Scriptures for our Guide, and
them only , nay, we muft keep clofe to the
very Words and Phrafes, in which it is ther&
fpoken of, having alfo a fpecial regard to the
Occafion of thofe Speeches.

The negled of this is another Reafon, why
Men have been fo different, and fome of
them fo unlucky, in their Apprehenfions,
and Definitions of this Sin j running away
with this^ that the Sin is unpardonable, they

look-

Tl?e Eleventh Sermon, 22 j

looked not much farther in the Scriptures for
the Nature of it, but prefently concluded
that that Sin that was the greateft, or to them
appeared fo, muft needs be it.

There is no Text, in the Epiftles of the
New Teflament, that doth in exprefs Words
mention it. And, as for the Evangeiifts,
there are three of them indeed that fpeak of
it, but each of them but once, and all of
them upon the fame Occalion. From thefe
Texts therefore we are wholly to take our
Meafures. Of thefe three Texts this that I
tiave read unto you is much the largeft and
fullefl:, and therefore I have pitched upon it,
and fliall now apply my felf to give an Ac-
count of it.

In fpeaking to it I Ihall endeavour thefe
five Things.

1. Firf}^ To give an Account of the Sin
here mentioned, which is exprelTed by two
Names, the Blafphemy againft the Holy
Ghofl, and the fpeaking againft the Holy
•Ghoft, which is Jiere faid (hall never be for-
given.

2 . Secondly^ To give an Account of the
leiler fort of Sins here mentioned, which arc
here put in Anaithefis or by way of Oppoii-
tion to the former ^ that is, in the former
Verfe all manner (AS^m and Elafphemy, and
in the latter more particularly, the fpeaking
a Word againft the Son of Man, which Sins
it is here faid fhall be forgiven unto Merip

0.5 ^.Thirdly,

%i^o Tl^e Ele^^enth Sermon.

5. Thh'dly^ To ihew in whar Senfe it is
faid of the Biafphemy againft the Holy Ghoft,
that it jh/ill 7iever be forgiven in this JForlci,
nor in that which is to come,

4. Fourthly^ To examine, whether from
hence it may be concluded, that the Blafphe-
my againit the Holy Ghoft is a Sin abfoiute-
ly unpardonable.

5. Fif^/:?/y, To enquire, whether it is pof-
fiblc fox Chriftians to commit this Sin, and
likewife what Sins do moft nearly approach
to it.

An Account of thefe Particulars will be
fufficient, for the obferving moft of thofe
Difiicuitics that are ufuajly raifed upon this
Argument.

The Firft Thing I am to do is, to give an
Account of the great Sin here fpoken of in
the Text, which is that we call the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft. ' Now, to the clear-
ing of tiiis, the Terms, by which the Text
expreiTeth it, will not a little contribute.
We, in common Speech, call it the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft, but the Text doth
not ftile it by that general Name, but by a
much more particular one. Such a Name,
as inftrucTS us, to what particular kind or
rank of Sins we are to reduce it, that is to
iay, Blafphemy or fpeaking reproachful Words
figainfi another. It is very obfervable, that
it is no v>' here called the Sin againft the Holy
Ghoft, neither in this Text nor in either of the
two other Gofpeis, but always the Blafphemy

againft

Tl^e Eleventh Sermon. 231

gainll: the Holy Ghoft, or fpeaking againfl
the Holy Ghort : The latter of which Terms
mean the very fni]e with the former j for
blafpheming is nothing elfe, but fpeaking a-
gaind another. It is true, in our Englijlj
Language, we make a difiperence between
Blafpheming and fpeaking of another, be-
caufe we appropriate Blafphemy to fuch
Words or evil Speeches as are fpoken ag iinfl
God ^ but the Scripture makes no difference.
To blafpheme is ufed, not only with refped
to God, but with refpe6l to other Perfons,
and Things alfo ^ and imports, neither more
nor lefs than Siander , Calumny or evil
Speeches, againfi: whatfoever or whomf )ever
they are fpoken. Thus, in the 8th Verfe of
the Epiftle of JiiJe, where we in EngliJJj
tranllate fpeaking evil of Dignities^ in the
Greek it is , blafpheming Dignities. And
two Verfes after, where our Tranflators ren-
der, Thefe Men fpeak evil of Things that
they knoTV not^ ip the Greek it is, Thefe Men
blafpheme Things^ that they know not.- And
thus St. Vaul^ in the 3d o^Titits and the 2d
Verfe, commands , that Chriftians fhouU
fpeak evil of no Man^ in the Greek it is, that
they fioiiU blafpherne 716 Man. Thus Kom.
3. where St. Vaiil faith of iiimfelf, that he
is fianderoitfy reported of \\\ the Greek it is,
that he is blafphemed. And tv\^enty other
Inflances there are of this kind.

Thus much then we have undeniably got,
towards the finding out the Sin againft the

a 4 ' f^o^y

27 2 '^^ Eleventh Sermon]

Holy Ghofl : Namely, that it doth confift
in Blafphemy or Calumny, or flanderous
Words. That now, which remains to be
found out, is what kind of Blafphemy it is,
which is here called the Blafphemy again!);
the Holy Ghoft ^ or, of what kind of flan-
derous Words we are here to underfland the
Words fpoken of againft him. If we can
once come to a certain Knowledge of this, we
may be able to form a certain Notion of the
Sin againft the Holy Ghoft.

Now, for this, we muft have recourfe to
the Context, and, by well perufing that,
we fliall not fail of what we feek for.

The Occafion of thefe Words of our Savi-
our, in the Text, was this. It appears, by
the 2 2, 23, and 24 Ver. of this Chapter,
that our Saviour having caft forth a Devil
out of a Man that was both blind and dumb;
and made him perfedly to fee and fpeak, and
the People being amazed at this great Mira-
cle, and concluding from hence that Jefus
muft neqelTarily be the Meiliah, the Chrift,
the Son of David , The Pharifees, to put
them into another Belief, and fo to hinder
them from coming over to be his Difciples,
do malicioufly give out, that tho' Jefus did
caft out Devils, yet it was not by any Di-
vine Power, but meerly by the Power of
Pelzebub the Prince of the Devils.

What now faith our Saviour to this? Why
two Things. Firft, he endeavours to fhew
the groundlefnefs of their Slander or Calum-
ny j

T/;e Ekl^enth Sermon.

ny 5 and, Secondly, To convince them of
the grievoufnefg of the Sin, and the great-
nefs of the Punifliment, they thereby drew
upon themfelves, in this fcandalizing his Mi-
jracles, and faying, they were done by the
foweroftheDeviL

The groundlefnefs of their Slander he
(hews, by offering three Reafons 6r Argu-
ments, which might convince any reafonablc
Man, and efpecially them, that his Miracles
could not be wrought by the help of the De-
vil, but by the Spirit of God.

TheFirflwas, Thatit was utterly againfl
the Interefl of the Devils Kingdom, to main-
tain and allow Divifions among themfelves,
or that one Devil fliould oppofe or ejed ano-
ther, (as, if they fud true of our Saviour,
they muft needs do,) for this was the ready
way 10 bring that Kingdom to defolation.
This is the Sum of the two next Verfes.

Secondly, They had no more Reafon to
fay he caft out Devils by Beelzebub, than
they had to fay the fame of feveral of their
own People or Difciples, who either did cad
out Devils, or pretended fo to do, in the
Name of the God of Abraham^ and of Ifaac\
and of Jacob, Now, fince they caft no fuch
imputation of Magick or Sorcery upon them,
why Ihould they upon him ? This is the Sum
pf the two next Verfes.

But, Thirdly, which was a demonflrative
Argument, it appears plainly, both from the
Ddign of Chrift's Miracles, and the tenden-
cy

^ll

134

Tl^e Eleventh Sermon.

cy of his Dodrines, rhit he was fo far from
working theiH , by Collufion or Confede-
racy with the Devil, that, on the Contra-
ry, he was the greateft Enemy the Devil had.
Nay, that he was his Superiour and over-
came him, binding the ftrong Man, and
fpoiling hisHoule, doing all the Mifcbief
that was poilible to his Kingdom. This is
the Sum of the two Verfes before the Text.
And thus, having by thefe three Arguments
vindicated himfelf from their Slanders, he
comes in the fecond Place to teftilie againil
their Sin, and to warn them of the Punifii-
ment that attended it, in the Words of the
Text. Wherefore Ifij wito you^ nil manner
of Sin and Elafphemy jhall he forgiven unto
Man^ hut the Blafphemy of the Holy Gboft
jljall 71 Gt he forgiven unto Alan. As much
as to fay, (ince, from what I have f^id, it
appears fo evidently, that your Charge a-
gainft me is altogether groundlefs, and that
there is no Colour for your frying, that I
ca/i out Devils hy the help of the Devil -^
Nay, you your felves are convinced, that
you (lander my Works, (for it is faid a little
before that Jefus knew their Thoughts ^ )
and, if you would fpeak your Hearts, you
cannot but confefs, that they are true Mira-
cles, and done by the Spirit of God. I fiy,
fince this is your C:'.fe, pray think what a
grievous Crime you are guilty of, in thus
traducing and calumniating this good Spirit
of God, and calling him a Devil. JH other

Sins

11)6 Eleventh Sermon,

Sins and Blafphemies fliall be forgiven unto
Men^ but this Bhfpherny of yours is of fo
horrible a Nature •, that whoever is guilcy of
it f jail never be forgiven^ but is in danger of
eternal Damnation^ as St. Mark exprelTetll
it.

Thus do the Words of the Text plainl)'
lye, with relation to the forgoing Words,
and, whoever will not violently rend one
part of our Saviours Difcourfe from another,
muft of neceflity put this Conftruulion upon
fheiu. So that there will be no need of ma-
ny Words to perfuade you that the Blafphe-
iTjy againft the Holy Ghoft, and the fpeak-
ing againft him here mentioned, was fpoken
wholly with relation to the Pharifees ^ and
that this Blafphemy, this fpeaking againil: the
Spirit, was neither more nor lefs than their
ailerting that our Saviour caft out Devils and
wrought his other Miracles by Beelzebub, or
thus, their ailerting that the Spirit, by which
he did thefe Works was an impure Spirit,
than which there cannot be a greater Blaf-
phemy of the Holy Ghoft, or worfe Words
fpoken againft him.

That this is the true, and only, Account
of the Blafphemy againfl the Holy Ghoft. If
what I have faid do not perfuade us, kt St.
Marks exprefs Affirmation do it. He, in the
parallel Text in the ^d of his Gofpsl, Ver.
38, 29. having fet down this PalTige of our
Saviour, That all other Sins and Blafphe-
mies [Imll be forgiven unt^o Men^ but he that

Maf.

2J5

^y

7he Eleventh Sermon,

bUfphemeth againft the Holy Ghojl hath ne-
ver Forgivenefs, but is in dayiger of eternal
'Oainnatton^ \\\ the very next Verfe adds, as
the Reafon why our S?rv'iour hid f^ faid, be-
catife, faith he, the PharifeesfaiJ hehaJa?i
tmclean Spirit,

If any one ask, why fliould not this Ca-
lumny of the Pharifees be rather accounted
and (tiled a Biafphemy agsinft our Saviour,
than againft the Holy Ghoft, the Anfv^^er is
ealie to any one, that underflands the Scri-
pture Language, fjr there all Mir cles and
extraordinary Works, whether performed by
the Prophets, or by our Saviour, or by his
Apoftles, are conftantiy attributed to the
Holy Spirit, and accounted the Effects of
his Power and Operation, and therefore to
fay, that our Saviours Miracles were done
by the Devil, was moft properly an xAfFront
put upon the Holy Ghoft, by whom he
wrought them.

I know not what further to add, towards
the clearing of this Point, unlefs it be to take
notice of that PaiHige of our Saviour which
follows three or four Verfes after my Text,
v/here he is ftill upon the fame Subjed:. /
fay unto you, faith he, that every idle JVord^
that Men jhaUfpeak, they fiall give an Ac-
eount thereof at the Day of Judgment, What
is here meant by an idle Word ? Is every
light and foolifli and unprofitable Speech, in
Converfation, that doth not tend to Edifica-
tion, an idle Word ? God forbid. For who
*»■'■'' '" \,^

The Eleventh SermonV 227

h there then that (hall not be called to Ac-
count } No, the idle Words here are falfe
and fcandalous Words. Juft as, to fwear
Vainly and idly, is the Scipture Term to ex-
prefs Swearing faJily. And the Tongue that
fpeaketh Vanity or Idlenefs, is the Tongue
that fpeaketh Lies : And feveral other In-
ftances there are, in Scripture, where the
Word is ufed in the fame Senfe.

This then feems to be our Saviours Senfe j
Verily I fay unto you, that for every Slan-
der or Calumny that ye vent againft any
Man, ye fhall be called to a fevere Account,
and, therefore, much more may ye expcd:
to be fo, when ye calumniate and flander the
Holy Ghoft, by afcribing his Works to Beel-
zebub.

But I proceed to the fecond Thing I am
to give an Account of in this Text, and that
is, what is meant by thofe other lelTer Sins,
that are here fet in oppofition to the Sin a-
gainfl the Holy Ghoft : And which it is faid
Ihall be forgiven unto Men, whereas the Sin
againft the Holy Ghoft fliall not. There are
in the firft Clafs in the Text expreifed gene-
rally all manner of Sin and Blafphemy, and,
in the latter Clafs, more particularly the
fpeaking a Word againft the Son of Man :
Thefe it is faid (hall be forgiven unto Men.

As for the firft ExprefTion, all manner of
Sin and Blafphettiy^ I muft confefs I like
their Account beft, who expound it not of
all kind af Sins indifcriminately, but of Sins

of

2 J 8 The Eleventh Sermon,

of oneparticulrir fort, namely, facli Sins a^
he was here reproving, that is to f ly. Sins
that ivere conmiitted againft others. So that
in this Senfe the Sins here, mentioned will be
much the fame Thing with the Biafphemies,
and the ail manner of Sin and Blafphe-
my will be no more than all manner of Af-
fronts and Slanders. This Interpretation
feems beft to fait with the fcope of the Place,
for our Saviour here is not difcourfino: of a-
ny Sins but Slander and Blafphemy. And
his Bufinefs is to Ihew, how much the Slan-
der and Blafphemy of the Holy Glioft doth
exceed all other Slanders. And it is Obfer-
vable, that in the Parallel Text of St. hiike^
there is no mention of Sins but only of Blaf-
phemy.

And then, as for the leffer Clafs in the
Text, thefpeaking a Word a^ainji the Son of
Man, without doubt by the Son of Man we
are to underftand our Lord Jefus Chrifl, and
to fpeak a Word againfl him, will be to talk
flightingly and reproachfully of him j as cal-
ling him a Glutton or a Wine-bibber, as he
himfelf tells us feveral of the Jews did. So
that thefe Words are a new Propofition, and
exprefs a farther Senfe than the former Verfe
did : That is, to this Effect. I fay unto
you, that all manner of Slanders and Blaf-
phemy, wherewith Men flander others, Ihall
be forgiven them, but the Blafphemy againfl
the Holy Ghoft fhall not be forgiven them.
Nay I fiy further to you, whoever llanders

Tlje Eleventh Sermon. 259

or fpeaks Evil of me, who am more than an
ordinary Fcrfon, a Prophet fent from God,
difparaging either my Perfon, or my Preach-
ings yet even this (hall be forgiven him.
But whoever fpeaks again ft the iMiracles that
I do, and faith they are done by the Power
of the Devil, this is fo horrid a Biafphemy,
that it ihall never be forgiven him either in
this World or in the other.

If any one ask, upon what Account it is
that the foeaking againft the Miracles of our
Saviour, is of fo heinous and damning a Na-
ture above all other Blafphemies , I anfwer,
there is great Pvcafon for it ^ becaufe the Mi-
racles that our Saviour wrought were the
principal Evidence that he gave, or could
give, of his being fent from God : And con-
fequently, the great Means for the convert-
ing the whole World to his Religion. And,
therefore, to fpeak againft them, and to at-
tribute them to the Power of the Devil, miift
needs be, as the mod fpiteful and malicious,
fo alf:) the mod mifchievous Biafphemy in
the World : Becaufe, it was the mod: effe-
dual way to hinder People from believing
on him, and confequently to defeat all Gods
gracious Ends, of bringing Men to Salvation
by the Gofpel, than which the Devil himfelf
cannot do a worfe Thing.

I pafs on to the third Difficulty in this
Text, which is the Importance of thatPhrafe,
neither in this World nor in the World to come.
Our 'Saviour is not content to fay, in the

former

JXa ^^^ Eleventh Sermon]

former Verfe, that the Blafphemy againft
the Holy Ghoft (hall not be forgiven, but he
adds in the latter Verfe, that it fiall never he
fornven in this Worlds nor in the World to
come. Which Exprefiion fome of the Church
of Rome would fuborn, for the proving their
Dodrine of Purgatory j they would con-
clude, from hence, that a Man may in the
other World make Satisfadion for his Sins,
fo that they fhall then be forgiven him, tho'
they were not forgiven in tliis Life, but this
is without any Ground at all. All that our
Saviour defigns to exprefs is this, that this
Sin of the Blafphemy of the Holy Ghoft fhall
be grievoufly punifhed, both in this World
and in the other : And the Phrafe, by which
he exprelTeth it, was very well known and
familiar to thofe he fpoke to , it was a com-
mon and received Dodrine among the JeWs,
that, for fome Sins, a Man was pardoned
prefently upon his Repentance, that other
Sins were not pardoned, till the folemn Day
of Expiation, which came once a Year:
That other Sins, which were yet greater,
were not to be expiated but by fome grie*
vous temporal Afflidion. But all Sins (thofe
that could not be pardoned thefe Ways, )
were yet expiated by Death, fuppofing the
Man was an Ifraelite \ the Life of an Ifrae-
lite was a fufficient Atonement for his Sin,
and no Ifraelice, but fuch a one as renoun-
ced his Faith, could be punifhed in the o-
ther World. To this Opinion of theirs

(which

Tlje Eleventh Sermon. 24.1

(which is very common in their Books,) our
Saviour in this Exprefiion feems to have re-
Iped:, .as if he hsd faid, Flatter not your
felves with a Conceit, thit you Ifraelites
(hall have all your Sins purged cither in this
Life by your Sufferings, or at the fartheft
by your Death. No, I afTure you, this Blaf-
phemy and open ^^ffront that you put
upon the Spirit of God, is a Crime of fo
high a Nature, that it (hall not be expiated
either in this Life or at your Death j but
thofe, that are guilty of it, fhall have a mi-
ferable Portion, both in this World and that
which is to come. This feems to be the full
Importance of this Expreflion.

But there is a greater Difficulty behind,
which is that \ am to fpeak to in the fourth
Place, and that is^ whether, from what is
here faid concerning the Blafphemy againft
the. Holy Ghpft, it may be concluded that
that Sin -is abfolutely unpardonable, to all
Persons that are guilty of it.

I muft confefs this is an Enquiry more cu-
rious, than necelTary, fince which way foe^
ver it be determined, it will not much con-
cern any of us, who cannot be fuppofed to
have finned the Sin [againft the Holy Ghoft,
or to be ordinarily capable of fo doing: How-
ever, for the giving further Satisfaction to
timorous and Hypocondriack Perfons, it will
not be amifs, if we fay fomcthing to this
Point : Leaving it, in the mean time, to e-
Vol. III. p. very

24 i ^^^ Ele'Venth Sermon]

very Perfon to receive or rejed, as in his
difcretion he (hall fee Caiife.

It is the Opinion of feveral moft eminent
and learned Divines, that our Saviours Words
here are not to be taken in an abfolute. but
in a comparative Senfe *, that is to fay, that
when he fays, Al/ manner of Sin and Blaf-
phefny fijall be forgiven unto Men, but the
Bhifphemy again ft the Hoh Ghoft {hall not be
forgiven unto Men •, His Me^ninp; is no more,
than that all other Sins and Blafphemies (hal!
fooner be forgiven, than this Blafphemy a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft. For, fay they, if
his Words be to be taken in an abfolute
Senfe, without this Comparifon, then the
firft part of his Propofition is not true : For
it is certain, that all other Sins and Blafphe-
mies fhall not adually be forgiven, to all
Men : But fome (hall perifh in their Sins and
Blafphemies. They fiy therefore, that our
Saviour makes ufe of an Hebrew form of
Speech, which is very frequently to be met
with in the Scriptures, when the Difficulty
of a Thing coming to pafs is defigned to be
exprefTed by the Jewifh Authors. Thus
they will fay, fuch a Thing Ihall come to
pafs, but another Thing fhall not come to
pafs \ where it is not their defign, to afhrm
of the former Thing that it fhall really come
to nafs, but only to exprefs the much greater
Difficulty there is, that the latter Thing
(hould ever come to pafs. An Inftance we
have of this way of Expreflion, in the $th

Chap,

77;e Eleventh Sermon, 245

Chapter of St. Mattb. where our Saviour
fays. Heaven and Earth ^hall pafs aivay^ but
my Words fiall never pafs away. Now cer-
tainly his Meaning there is not, that Hea-
ven and Earth fhould really pafs away, but
that they fhould fooner pafs away than his
Words fhould : And fo indeed St. Luke ex-
prelfeth it. So that, according to this Inter-
pretation of my Text ( which I muft con-
fefs I think the true one) it appears that our
Saviour doth not here fpeak either of the par-
donablenefs of fome Sins, or the iinpardona-
blenefs of others : But only, comparatively,
of the much greater Danger and Difficulty of
obtaining Pardon for the Blafphemy againfl
the Holy Ghoft, than for any other Blaf-
phemy.

But, if we are unwilling to take the Words
in this comparative Senfe, and think they
fhould rather be underftood pofitively and
abfoliitely, as they are expreffed, let us take
them fo : So let the Senfe of them be, that
all other Calumnies and Blafphemies may be
forgiven unto Men, but this particular Sin,
the Blafphemy againfl the Holy Ghofl fhali
never be forgiven unto Men. Yet Idelire it
may be obferved, in the firft Place, that it
will not follow from hence that there is any
Sin that fhall not be pardoned iipon repen-
tance. No ftill this v/ill be a true Propofi-
tion, namely, that there is no Sin fo great,
but, if the Sinner do fincerely repent, hs
may hope for Mercy at Gods Hands, And»
R 2 if

244 '^^'^ Eleventh Sermon,

if he, that Is guilty of the Blafphemy againft
the Holy Ghoft, do not or Ihall not find
Mercy, it is purely becaufe he doth not, or
cannot, repent of it. That is to fay, when
a Man is come to fuch a high degree of Ma-
lice,and Impudence, and Obftinacy in finning,
that he dares affront the Holy Ghoft, by af-
cribing his Works to the Devil, it is juit in
God to deny that Perfon that Grace which
is neceiiary to his Repentance, and fo to his
Pardon 5 and to leave him irremediably in
the Condition he hath brought himfelf into. It
is, upon thisSuppofition of this only, that the
Sin againfi; the Holy Ghoft is unpardonable.
But this is the Cafe of many other Sinners,
befides thofe that have committed this Sin.
Many Perfons may have finned fo long, and
fo obfiinately, that God may have totally
forfaken them, before they die, and then it
is certain of thefe Perfons, tliat their Sins
Ihall never be forgiven, becaufe they fhall
never repent.

So that this unpardonablenefs of the Sin
againfi: the Holy Ghoft is no Bar, in the
leafi, to our exhorting and encouraging all
forts of Perfons to Repentance, even the
greateft Sinners. Nor any Bar to their Hopes
of Pardon,if they do repent ^ no more than the

* Guilt of any other grievous Sin Is. We may,for
all that, fafely promife Pardon to all true
Penitents, for all Sins whatfoever without
Exception, and, in the fame Degree, we can
perfuade them to repent, in the fame Degree,

we

Tf:e Eleventh Sermon] 245

We may hope of them. Atharwfms his Words
do fitly come in, upon this Occafion. "God
" did not, faith he, fay to him that blaf-
" phemes and repents, it ftiall not be forgi-
" ven, but to him that Blafphemes and re-
" mains in his Blafphemy. For there is nof^/^^"'£'
" Sin that God will not pardon to them,72.p-i8j-
" that worthily repent.

But Secondly, I add this farther, that this
Saying of our Saviours, taking it in its rigo-
rous Senfe, doth not exclude all thofe, that
Sin againft the Holy Ghoft, from all pofli-
bility of Repentance, and therefore confe-
quently from all poffibility of obtaining Par-
don. For there are feveral degrees of Blaf-
phemy againft the Holy Ghoft. This Blaf-
phemy in fome Perfons, may be aggravated
with more Knowledge and VVilfulnefs and
Malice, than in others , and thefe others,
that Sin with lefs Knowledge, and lefs Ma-
lice, and lefs Wilfulnefs, are more capable
Objeds of God's Grace and Mercy and For-
givenefs. And, beiides, it is enough for the
verifying thefe kind of Threatnings, that
they fhali generally, and for the moft Part,
be inflided ; Tho' not always, and in all Ca-
fes, and on all Perfons. Thofe very Per-
fons, that our Saviour here chargeth with
the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft, and that af-
terwards Crucified him, yet thofe very Per-
fons our Saviour prays for, that their Sin
might be forgiven, and thofe very Perfons
St. Pd-i^*?;' afterwards preacheth to, and calleth

R 3 upon .

246 T/;^ BieVenth Sermon.

upon them, to vvafli away their Sin by Bap-
tifm and Repentance. This is an Argument,
that the Cafe of all them was not ddperate,
but that fome of them might repent and be
forgiven. And one of the Fathers doubts
not to fay ( 1 think it is St. Amhrofe ) that
fome of thofe three Thoufand, that were con-
verted by St. Peter's firft Sermon, were of
thefe Pharifees that had been guilty of the
Blafphemy of the Holy Ghoft (See Mr. H.

There is nothing more poutively threat-
ned, in the New Teftament, than adual
Damnation to the unworthy receivers of the
Lords Supper, among the Corinthians, H0
that eatelh and drinketh unworthily^ faith St.
Vaid^ eateth and drinketh Damnation to him-
felf. Now, let us take Damnation here in
what Senfe we will, it will be very hard to
fay, that all thofe that did then eat or drink
unworthily, or have done fo at any time
fince, did or fliall actually incur that Punifh-
ment. God Almighty, " like all other Law-
givers, when he makes Laws and annexes
Punifhments to them, to deter from the
TranfgrefTion of them, doth not thereby fo
tye up his own Hands, but that he hath ftilj
the Power of granting Repentance, and upon
diat Pardon, as he fees caufe : And, in the
inidft of his Judgment, his Mercy will find
a Place, if the Sinner, by a monftrous de-
gree of Obftinacy, hath not made himfelf
uncapable of it»

The Eleventh Sermon, 247

But enough upon this Head. Having
thus given an Account (or at lead endea-
voured it) of all the Difficulties in the Text,
that that remains is in the fifth and laft
Place to enquire, whether Chriftians at this
Day can be guilty of this Blafphemy againfl
the Holy Ghoft : And what thofe Sins are
that do moft nearly approach to it.

This Enquiry is the more needful, be-
caufe feveral Perfons, under the Power of
Melancholy, are apt to fancy that they are
guilty of this unpardonable Sin, tho', as it
may appear from what has been faid, with-
out any Reafon at all. I Ihall briefly com-
prife what I have to fay, upon this Head,
in thefe following Particulars.

Firft of all, if we take the Blafphemy a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft precifely as our Savi-
our here difcourfeth of it, it is impofTible that
any Man now living (hould be guilty of it j
becaufe no Man can be in thofe Circumftan-
ces, that they were, whom he here charges
it upon 5 they were Eye-witnelTes of his
Miracles, and fo had the greatefl Evidence
that was poflible of the Truth of them, and
yet attributed them to Sorcery and Witch-
craft. But now none, but thofe that lived
at that Time, were capable of blafpheming
in this manner. Secondly, It is impofTible
for one, that profelieth Chriftianity, fo long
as he profeiTeth it, to be guilty of the Blaf-
phemy againft the Holy Ghoft here fpoken
of. . I do not fpeak, as to the Circumftances
R 4 (for

248 '37)e Eleventh Sermon,

(for as to thofe I jufl: now fpoke) but as ta
the kind of the Blafphemy, he cannot be
guihy of that kind of Blafphemy. For who
foever profefleth Chriftianity, let him be ne-
ver fo wicked other ways, yet he pretends
to beheve that it is the true Religion, and
that Chrift was a triie Prophet. And, if he
pretends or profeifes to believe fo, he cannoC
at the fame time give out, that Chriftvvas an
Importer, and wrought his Miracles by the
Power of the Devil, which, as I have ihew-
ed, is the only Blafphemy againft the Holy
Ghoft mentioned in the Gofpel.

Thirdly, If there be any Man among us,
that is convinced of the Truth of the Matter
of Fad concerning our Saviours Hiftory, that
believes there was fuch a Perfon as Jefus,
that he preached fuch a Dodrine, led fuch a
Life, wrought fuch Miracles, as he is re-
corded to have done, and yet, contrary to
his own Convidion, faith that this Jefus did
thefe extraordinary Works by the Power of
the Devil, fuch a Man hath blafphemed the
Holy Ghofl: in the fame Kind, tho* not with
the fame Circum fiances, that the Pharifees
did. Further, if any one do afcribe the
mighty Works, that were done by the Apo-
ftles, and the other firft Chriftians, by ver-
tue of tlie defcent of the Holy Spirit upon
them, which were as great and as convincing
as the Miracles our Saviour himfelf wrought,
1 fay, if any one do afcribe thofe to the De-
vil, being convinced of the Truth of the

Matter

7he Eleventh Sermon.

Matter of Fad ^ fuch a one alfo blafphemes
the Holy Ghoft, in the fame Kind, tho' in
different Circumftances , as the Pharifees
did.

Fourthly, All Atheiftical Perfons, that
deny the Being of God or Providence, and
feoff at all Religion, and would make others
believe that it is ameer Cheat andlmpoflure •
tho' they are not guilry of the Sin againfl
the Holy Ghoft, becaufe they do not be-
lieve the Miracles of our Saviour, yet they
have (inned as much or more againft their
natural Light, and are guilty of as great, if
not greater, Blafphemy, than the Pharifees
were, namely, the Blafphemy againft God
the Father : And, confequently, their Sin
will be as unpardonable, or more unpardon-
ble, than theirs.

Fifthly, A total Apoftacy from the Chri-
ftian Religion, and going over to the Ene-
mies of it, is of all other Sins the neareft to
the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft : And may,
fumetimes, prove the very fame : And ac-
cordingly, as fevere Things are faid againft
this Sin, by the Apoftles, as are faid againft
the Blafphemy of the Holy Ghoft, by our
Saviour.

Sixthly, There are other Sins, which,
tho' they are not of fo horrid a Nature as
this I now mentioned, yet have in them a
natural tendency towards this great unpar-
donable Sin we are fpeaking of. And, there-
fore, every one, that has any regard to his

Soul,

^4?

IJO

Tl)e Eleventh Sermon,

Soul, ought more efpecially to beware of
them. Such are profane drolling upon Re-
ligion, turning into redicule the Holy Scri-
ptures, the matter of Faith : And Laftly in-
fidelity, and not believing and owning Chrift*s
Religion, notwirh (landing all the Evidence
we have of the Truth of it. Thefe, it is
true, are none of them directly Rlafphemies
againfl the Holy Ghoft, but they have fome
affinity with it : And a fad Account have
thofe Perfons, that are guilty of them, to
make at the Day of Judgment, unlefs they
prevent it by a timely Repentance.

But, Seventhly and Laftly, It appears
plfiinly, from the Account we have now gi-
ven, jchat thofe Sins, that do moft trouble
and aftiid the Confciences of Chriftians, as
taking them to be the Sin againft the Holy
Ghoft, 2VQ far from being what they take
them to be, nay, are of a quite different Na-
ture. The general Opinion, that People a-
mong us have, of the Sin agairift the Holy
Ghoft, is this, that it is any great wilful de-
liberate Sin, committed againft Confcience,
after a full Convidion, when the Spirit of
God in their Hearts teftified, that they ought
not to do this Wickednefs. All thefe kind
of Sins are indeed bad enough, and will as
certainly damn us, without Repentance, as
the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft. But yet,
it is plain, from the Account I h^ve given of
that Sin, that they are no ways a-kin to it :
But of a quite different Nature. For the

proper

77;e Ekyenth Sermon.

proper Notion of that Sin, as I have often
faid, is the affirming our Saviours Miracles
to be Magical and Diabolical , which, it is
to be hoped, thofe^ that commit thefe deli-
berate Sins, are far from doing. There is
another Notion of thp §in againft the Holy
Ghoft, that obtains among fome, which is
far more unlikely than this I have mention-
ed j but, it is to be confelTed, that it is only
thofe, that are deeply aftlided with Hypo-
coildriack Melancholy, that do entertain it.
It is this, that wicked and atheiflical and
blafpemous Thoughts are the Sin againft the
fioly Ghoft ; But I would ask fuch, do they
encourage thefe Thoughts or no ? Do they
delight in them, or do they vent them as the
'fixed and fettled Sentiments of their Minds,
and that too deligningly and malicioufly } If
they do not (as I dare fay of all others thofe
that thus complain are leaft likely to do, )
they may be aifured, that they are far from
having committed the Sin againft the Holy
Ghoft. Nay perhaps (as the Cafe may be)
from having committed any Sin at all. A-
nother Notion taken up, about the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft, by fome People, is,
that it is a not complying with the good No-
tions, that are fometimes made to their Souls,
by the Spirit of God. But there is no occa-
fion to give any further Anfwer.
■' I have gone thro* all the Points I propofed
to difcourfe on, upon this Text. I have,
ijQ more to add, but that it WQuld pleafe

God,

2JI

^^2 7be Eleventh Sermon.

God, who hath brought us to the know-
ledge of the Truth, to the behef of his Son,
and Ills Miracles and Dodrines, to eftabUih
and confirm us, every Day more and more,
in that Knowledge and Belief, that we may
n-^ver fall away from him, or affront the
Holy Spirit, nor ever diflionour his excellent
Religion with a loofe vitious unchriftian
Life.

This God of his Mercy grant ^ Scc.

SER^

25}

SERMON XII.

I COR. X. 31.

Whether therefore ye eat^ or drink^ or whatr
foever ye do^ do all to the Glory of God,

^ir^Si^gg^H E doing ail our Adions to th©
P T p Glory of God is the great Duty,
^ ^ and ought to be the great Bu(i-

W^W^^ nefs of our Lives \ and accord-
ingly, among all Sorts of Pretenders to Re-
ligion, there is nothing more talked of, than
that, and yet, perhaps, it is a Point that is
often mifunderftood. For which Reafon, I
(hall at this Time make it my Bufinefs, to
enquire into the true Notion and Importance
of this great Point, and to give fome Account
of thofe Cafes, that are ufually put about
it.

To do our Adions to the Glory of God,
is to do our Adions fo, as thai- God may be
glorified by them. Now, how that is to be
done, we may have a great deal , of Light,
from St. 'haul's Difcourfe in this Chapter.
He had fpent the greateft part of it, in re-
folving fome Cafes of Confcience, about eat-

ing

254 *^^^ Twelfth Sermon.

ing thofe Things which had been offered in
Sacrifice to Idois ^ in what Cafes it was la\^-
ful to a Chriflian to eat of them, and in
what Cafes it was utterly unlawful : And a-
gain, when it was lawful, in what Cafes it
was convenient for a Man to ufe his Chri-
itian Liberty, and in what Cafes it was
convenient he fliould not ufe it, upon ac-
count oftheweaknefs of other Mens Confci-
ences. And the refult of all his Inftrudlions
and Advices concerning thefe Points is com-
prized in the Words of my Text, ah'd fhofe
that follow. Whether therefore ye eat or
driiik^ or whatever ye do^ do all to the Glory
of God. Give rio Ojjence neither to the Jew
"nor to the Gentile^ nor to the Church of God :
lE.ven asl pleafe Me?7 in all Things ^ not fe ek-
ing my own Profit^ but the Profit of many that
they may be faved. The Senfe of wliich
Words is plainly this. That whenever Chri-
ftians were invited to that fort of Feafls he
had been fpeakingof, and not only as to their
eating and drinking but in all the other Ani-
ons of their Life, the great Rule they were
to walk by, was this of doing Honour to
God, and advancing his Religion in the World.
And therefore let them have a care of giving
Offence or putting a itumbling Block before
any : Let them have a care of doing any
Adion that might difcourage the Brethren in
their Frofeflion of Chriftianity, or encourage
the Heathen to continue in their Idolatry ;
for all fuch Anions were a dilhonouring of

God,

77?e Twelfth Sermon. 255

God 5 but let them endeavour all poflible
Ways by their Innocence and Vertue, and
their prudent and charitable Behaviour to a-
dorn the Dodrine of God in all Things, and
by that Means to recommend it to all about
them.

From hence now it appears pretty plain
that this Precept of glorifying God in our
Actions, or doing our Actions to the Glory
of God, hath this general Senfe and Meaning.
That we take care to live according to Chrifts
Religion, and that none of our Adions be
contradidlory to it, or call a Blemifli upon
it, and thereby hinder others either from
continuing in it or coming over to it. But
on the Contrary that we ufe our utmoft Di-
ligence to frame our Converfations in fuch a
way, as may both (hew us to be lincere con-
fcientious Chriftians our felves, and may
likewife tend to the Honour and Advance-
ment of Chriftianity in others. In 1 Word,
we then glorify God according to St. Faul
when we are as good as we can, and do as
much good as we can.

This I fay to me feems to be the true No-
tion of doing our Adlions to the Glory of
God, as would farther appear ifit was need-
ful to inffift on it both from feveral other
PafTages of Scripture, and likewife from the
reafon of the Thing. As for Scripture, I
will only take Notice of two Pafl^ges -^ one
is that of our Saviour in the 15 th ot St. John
the 8th Verfe, where he tells his Difciples,

2c6 ^^^ Twelfth Sermon.

Uerehy is niy Father glorified that ye bear
much Fruit, foJJjall ye be my Bifciples, If
they had asked him this Queftion on pur-
pofe how or by what Means a Mm might
bring Glory to God, or do his Adions to the
Glory of God, he could not have given a
more dired Anfwer to fuch a Que (t ion than
he bath done in thefe Words. Hereby is my
Father glorifyed that ye bear much Fruit , as
much as to fay, the true way of glorifying
God is to abound m all the Fruits of a Holy
and Chridian Converfation.

The othtr Text I Ihall name is that of St.
Vaul, Phil. I. 8, 10, and 1 1 Verfes, I pray,
friith he, that your Love may abound more
and more, that ye may be fincere and without
Offence, being filled imth the Fruits ofRigh-
teoufnefs, which are by Chrifi Jefus unto the
Glory and Praife of God. Nothing can be
more plain from hence, than this, that we
then advance the Glory and Praife of God,
when our Love towards others does abound,
when we are fincere and without Offence,
being filled with the Fruits of Righteoufnefs,
which the Gofpel of Chrift obliges us to.
Nor is this only the Scripture Account of the
Thing, but the very Notion which Nature
and Reafon will fugged to us. For pray
what is the Glory of God if we go to the
very ftridnefs of the Expreflion, but the
manifeftation of himfelfto his Creatures, the
communicationof his Excellencies and Per-
fedions to others befides himfelf, to others

that

77;e Twelfth Sermon. 257

that had no Being of themfelves, but were
made by Him.

This is the Glory of God, and therefore
by unavoidable Confequence it follows that
thefe Creatures, thefe Beings to which God
manifefts himfelf, to which he communicates
his Perfedions, do then glorify him, or do
their Anions to his Glory, when they live
fuitably to thofe Ends for which he created
them. That is when they live in obedience
to his Laws, and endeavour as much as they
can to make all their Fellow Creatures do fo
to. It is impoflible we fhould give any Glo-
ry to God in any other Senfe : For alafs we
can add nothing to him, we cannot in the lead
augment his infinite Happinefs and Perfedions
with all our Skill and Induftry. He would
from allEternity have been as great and as pow-
erful, and as wife, and as juft, and as holy as
he now is, tho' none of us had been in be-
ing. But fince it pleafed his infinite goodnefs
to create an innumerable Company of Beings
to partake of his Fulnefs and Happinefs and
Perfedions, as this Ad of his was Glory in
him, or to his Glory, or rendred him Glori-
ous •, fo in our living up to the Ends we were
made for in our being like God, and copying
out his Perfedions in our own Minds, in our
loving him and obeying him, and having the
fame univerfal Love and Kindnefs to all the
creation that God hath to us, in this I fty
confifts all the returns of Glory that we can
make to him, all the glorifying of him
Vol. III. S 01

258 77;^ Twelfth Sermon. *

or fiievving forth his Glory that we are ca-
pable of.

It was his Glory that he made us and de-
figned us for excellent Purpofes, and we then
according to our Scantlings return Glory to
Hiai when we ferve thofe Purpofes he made
us for, by living religioufly our felves and
advancing his Religion all the ways we can
in the World. This I fay in the very Nature
of the Thing, is all the Notion we can have
of doing our Adions to God*s Glory , and
thus indeed it*was that our Saviour glorified
God while he was in this World, as he de-
clares in the 17th of St. John the 4th Verfe,
father (^ faith he) I have glorified thee upon
Earth \ and how was that ? Why he adds, /
have finijijed the Work thou gaveft me to
do.

Having thus explained my Text, and fix-
ed the Notion of doing all our Adions to the
Glory of God, that which I have now to do
is to make fome ufefal hiferances from what
has been faid, both with relation to our In-
ftrudion and our Pradice. And

Firft of all from hence we learn what the
Things are that are neceflary to be obferved
by every one that means to do all his Adions
to the Glory of God.

And they are two. Fir ft ^ That he doth
fo entirely devote hiinfeif to God as to make
his Service the great and principal Bufmefs
of his Life. For if the glorifying God con-
lifts in living up to the Ends of our Cre-
ation

• Tl?e Tvpdfth Sermon. 259

atlon, and doing Him and His Religion the
beft Service we can poffibly ^ then it is cer-
tain no Man can gbrify God as be ought to
do, that doth not make this the main End,
or that hath any Interefts to piirfue that are
dearer to him than Religion and Vertue. I do
not lay it is necelTary in order to the obferving
the Precept of the Text, that a Man by e-
very Action that he doth Ihould intend and
defign the Glory of God, for I Ihall fhew by
and by that that is not required. But this I
fay is neceflary,that a Man fho.uld have fuch a
conftant Senfe of God and Religion upon his
Spirit, as that it fhali »iniiuence and govern
all the other Projeds of his Life. So that
he iliall always be in a Condition of truly
faying, I am Gods and not my own, I am
devoted to his Service, and the main Bufinefs
of my Life fliall be to approve my feif to
him, nor will 1 engage in any Delign that is
inconfiflent with this.

In the fecond Place, as a Man in order to
the doing his A6lions to the Glory of God,
mud thus honeflly fix his general Principles
and Defigns, fo will it be alfo necelli^ry that
he take care of his particular Adions. As
lead thus far, that he never do any Adion
that he knows is (inful or contradiclory to
the Laws of God. For indeed as the only
way we have of glorifying God is to keep his
Laws, fo the only way that v/e can difno-
nour him is by breaking them. i\nd there-
fore whatever a Man's Principles be, if he
S 2 confent

2 do The Twelfth Sermon,

confent to the doing of any evil Thing, he is
fo far from glorifying God at that Time, that
as the Apoftle exprelleth it in the 2d of the
Roffi. By breaking his Laws he dijhoncurs
hi?rh But of this hkewife I fhall have occafion
to fpeak more by and by. hi the mean time
this I lay down, and 1 defire it may be re-
membred, that whoever takes care of the
two Things I have now mentioned, that is
to fay, fo fix the great Defign of his Life,
that he makes it his main Buiinefs to ferve
God, and hkewife fo orders his Adions that
he doth not thereby tranfgrefs any known
Law of God, fuch a Man cannot fiil of ob-
ferving the Precept in my Text of doing his
Adions to the glory of God.

The fecond Inference I draw from what
has been faid is this : If this Notion of glo-
rifying God which I have laid down be ad-
mitted, then there will be an eafy Solution
giv^en to fome Difficulties which have not a
little exercifed both the Wits of difputing
Men, and the Confciences of the Scrupulous.
There are three of this Nature which I fhall
briefly touch upon.

Firft of all it has been a great Queflion
whether a Man is not by vertue of this Pre-
cept bound fo to prefer the Glory of God be-
fore all other Conliderations, as to be well
contented and fatisfied even with his own
damnation, if that did really tend to Gods
Glory. For fay they if God's Glory be our
higheft End, then we ought to be well pleaf-

cd

77;g Twelfth Sermon, z^i

ed with every thing that makes for that End,
and if our own Deitrudion do advance Gods
Glory, we have little Love to God if we be
not well contented he fhould deal fo with
us.

Thus foine very feraphical Men do talk.
But it is a very hard Dodrine, and yet wirh-
al very hard to be difputed againft : But the
Comfort is if the Notion that I have now
laid before you be true, there will need no
difputing againd it^ for it will of it felf fall
to the Ground ^ it will be an idle thing for
any Man to difpute fuch a Queftion, or to
trouble himfelf about an Anfwer to it. For
as I have fhewn, to endeavour the Glory of
God, and to endeavour our own Salvation, is
perfedly the fame Thing. There is no dif-
ference at all between them , and in the fame
Degree and by the fame Ways that we can
be faid to promote our Salvation, or to a-
void Deftrudions in the fame Degree and by
the fame Way we advance God's Glory. So
that were it not for the over-fruitfulnefs of
fome Mens Heads in framing Deltinclions
where there needs to be none, their could be
no competition at all between thefe two
Things,

The fecond Queftion that is ufually put
with reference to this Point, and which is
much like the former, is this. Whether a
Man be not fo purely to regard the Glory of
God in ail his Adions, as to have no Confi-
deration of him.felf or of any Benefit that he
S 3 Ihall

26i Tl?e Twelfth Sermon.

fiiall receive by his Service of God , or if he
did ferve God with profped of being reward-
ed by him, whether is not this an Argument
of a felfifh mercenary Soul, one that is not
yet arrived to the Gofpel Spirit }

To thisQuefliion, as it is much of the fame
Nature with the former, the fame Anfwer
will ferve. We ought not to make any di-
ftindion between God*s Glory, and our own
Happinefs, as this Queftion fuppofeth. What
God hath joined together let no Man put a-
funder. To gloritie God and to work out
our own Salvation, as I have fliewed, is the
very fame Thing, only under a different
Confideration, by doing either of the Things
we do both of them. And therefore there
can be no Doubt that it is lawful and will be
. acceptable to God to defign or intend either
of them, fince by fo doing, if we go thro' the
Work, both of them will have their EfFed.
God hath fo contrived Things, that if I do
but love my felf heartily, and out of that
felf-love do endeavour ail the Ways I can to
promote my own future Happinefs. This
very felf-love and this endeavour to do my
felf good, ftiall be the moft effectual Way, nay
the only Way to prom.ote and advance hi?
Glory. And on the other fide, if it can be
fuppofed that I have no Concern for my felf,
but f.y all my Defigns and do all my Adions
purely out of refped to God, without any
confide ration of my own Intercfl, yet this
wiii effeduaily be m^H Lr my own good at

the

The Twelfth Sermon, 263

the lafl \ for we then ferve our felves in the
higheft Degree we are capable \ vvhen we
love God as much as poflibly we can.

But that it is indeed very allowable in any
Chriftian to ferve God out of a Profped of
receiving Advantages to him felf thereby, can-
not in the lead be 'doubted : For if this be
not admitted what poilible Account can we
51 ve of the Method that God himfelf hath
thought ht to pitch upon for the bringing us
to Salvation \ the Way by which God hath
been pleafed to deal with Mankind is to pro-
pofe Rewards to them for the exciting them to
be obedient to his Laws , and to denounce
Punnifhments for deterring them from Sin ,
and this isrhe great Defign of all his Reve-
lations, the main Bufinefs of the whole Scri-
ptures is authoritively to declare to us from
God, that if we will ferve him we lliall be
happy, but if not v/e fliall be miferable.
Now if it was not allowable for us to make
ufe of thefe Condderations as Motives to in-
cline us to that which is good, and Argu-
ments to fright us from that which is evil,
the Scriptures would be the moil empty
piece of- Pageantry in the World, and all the
Work we make with Encouragements, Pro-
mifes and Threatnings, would be a meer idle
Noife that (ignified nothing

Nay in the fecond Place, fo fir need we

be from fearing that our Religion is felfifh

upon this Account, that in the Praflice cf it

We look upon our Beilefit and Advantage,

S ^ that

26a ^^^ Twelfth Sermon.

that I believe we may truly fiy that our Sa-
viour himfelf when he was here upon Earth
did in fome meafure ad upon the fame Prin-
ciple ^ for it is told us exprefly by St. Paid
in the I2tli of the /f^^. that Chrift himfelf
for, or in con/ideratio7i of the Joy that was
fet before hhn, (that is to fay the Rewards
that his human Nature fhould receive for
his Sufferings ) endured the Crofs d'^fpifing
the Shame, and is now for ever fet down at
the right Hand of God : And in the Chapter
before, where he is commemorating and ap-
plying the noble and great Adions of the Pa-
triarchs, and what mighty Tryals they un-
derwent, for the Caufe of God, he tells us
particularly, that thofe great Things they did
and fuffered, be caufe they had refpeEl to the
recompence of Reward. And therefore fure-
Jy that which the Apoflle allowed and com-
mended in them, will be no great Blemifh or
Difparagement to us, if we pradife it now.
But then Thirdly, let me add this farther up-
on this Head, Whoever is once heartily reli-
gious ( upon what Principle foever he be-
came fo) will not, cannot be of a ilavifh mer-
cenary Spirit : For he will not love himfelf
only but he will heartily love God too. He
will love God for himfelf, and he will love
Vertue and Goodnefs for its felf, becaufe he
is infinitely fatisfied that thefe Objeds are
lovely in themfelves, and that God hath
done the greatefl Kindnefs to Mankind that is
poflible in recommending them to Mans

Choice

Jhe Twelfth Sermon, ". 265
Choice and Affections and Purfuit. So that
at the fame time that he loves himfelf he will
love God as well as himfelf, becaufe he
knows it is in the Nature of Things eternal-
ly impoflible for him to be any further hap-
py, than he hath a participation of God and
His Nature. And as for the Curiofity of
diflinguifhing whether it be precifely the love
of God, or the love of himfelf that puts him
upon doing good Adions, he will not trou-
ble himfelf about it. Nay if he Ihould be
fo critical as to examine himfelf concerning
this Point, it is impoflible he (hould be able
to difcover which, or to give any Anfwer to
the Queftion. For in his Conlideration the
Love and Service of God and hisownHappi-
are fo involved and wrapt up together that
^he cannot make a Diftindion between them.

A third Queftion which is frequently put
upon the Occaiion of this Text is this. Whe-
ther in every Adion we do we ought not to
have a particular refped or attention to the
Glory of God in that Adion, becaufe it is
faid by the Apoftle, That whether ye eat or
ye drink ye nmjl do all to the Glory of God.

To this 1 eafily anfwer, from the Grounds
before laid down, it is not faid we muit
think of God's Glory in every Thing we do,
but that we muft do all our Adions to the
Glory of God. Now that is certainly done
as I faid before, when all our Converfition
is juft and honefl: and vertuous, and proceed
from a good Principle, and tends to the ho-
nour

266 1^^^ Tivelfth Sermon,

nour of our Religion, but no way to the dif-
paragem ent a nd fcandal of it. This is to glo-
rify God and this only.

Taking nov/ this for granted, we may af-
furedly both eat and drink and do whatever
we do to tbeGlory of God, even at the fame
Time that we have no adual Thoughts of
this, but have quite other Conhderatipns in
our Heads , as for Inftance.

When we are a following our Employ-
ments and Callings , we dD glorify God in
thofe Inftances as far as fuch In fiances are ca-
pable of advancing God's Glory. If in our
Dealings with thofe that are concerned with
us, we do behave our felves fincerely and
uprightly and confcientioufly, tlio' yet we
have not at that Time when we are thus ma-
naging our Bufinefs, any diftind refped to
the giving Glory to God in what we do.

When we are at a Feaft, and fet down at
a Meal, we do truly give Glory to God in
that Adion, if our Difcourfe and Converfa-
tion be fober and modeft and agreeable to
the Chriflian Rules, and withal we do eat
and drink temperately fo as not to prejudice
our Health, or our Bufinefs, tho' we have
no other defign of Religion in our Heads at
that Time.

Thus again when we give iVlms we do fuf-
ficiently fecure the Glory of God by pitying
a poor Man , and relieving his Neceility,
tho' we have no other refred or coniidera-
ten.

And

The Twelfth Sermon. 26^

And thus in the hft Place, when we fet
pur felves to our religious Offices for inftance
to the exercife of Praver and Devotion, we
need not in the leaft doubt but that when
we approach to God with an honed Heart,
fenfible of our own Vilenefs, and of the
great Needs we ftand in of his Mercy and
Grace, and fo pray heartily to him for it,
tho' we defign nothing more hereby at this
Time than our own Benefit and the perfor-
mance of our Duty, yet this is a glorify-
ing God in this Adion as much as the Adion
will be'T.

And fo we may fay of all particular Acti-
ons of human Life, that are done as they
fhould be done ^ it is fufficient to entitle
them to the Honour of being done to God's
Glory if they be regularly done and purfu-
ant to the m lin Defign of our Religion ;
which is the fime Thing with the Glory of
God.

But if this will not fuisfy a fcrupulous
Perfon, ht us put a fimiliarCafe in another
Muter, which v/ill perhaps give fome Sa-
tisfadion, when the dry reafon of the Thing
will not.

The Chriftiati Life is often compared in
Scripture to a Journey ;, and v/ith grent Rea-
fon, (ince St. Pmd hath told us, that we are
all here in the State ofPilgrms and Travel-
lers^ and have no abiding continuing Citj,
but are feeking one to come. Taking now
the Chriilian Life under ' this Notion, here

comes

2^^g 7he twelfth Sermon,

comes the Cafe. Is every Man that takes a
Journey bound at every Step he makes in his
Way to think of his Journeys End ? Muft he
be continually under a Neceffity of exerci-
iing his Thoughts, and Meditations upon the
great Defign for which he took that Journey,
or othervvife he cannot make any Progrefs in
it ? No certainly ^ as long as he travels on
and takes the right Path, and neither goes
backward, nor to the right Hand nor to the
left, tho' he may in his PalTage entertain him-
felf with feveral Thoughts and Fancies, tho'
he may have in his Mind twenty little bye
Defigns which have little relation to his main
Bufinefs : Yet I fay fo long as he purfues his
main Defign, and ftill goes forward in the
right Road, no Body living will deny that he
is every Day advancing in his Way, and will
at laft if he continues in this Courfe fafely
arrive at the Place whither he is bound.

The Cafe is juft the fame as to the Mat-
ter we are fpeaking of j the great End of the
Chriftian Pilgrimage is the Glory of God, or
which is all one, the Salvation of our Souls ,
and we do not fail to ferve this End, and to
contribute to the attainment of it,fo long as we
travel in thofe Paths of righteoufnefs and vertue
which our Lord Jefus Chrift hath chalked
out to us 5 but whether in every Step of our
Chriftian Pilgrimage we do adually intend
this or intend it not, it is no great Matter fo
long as our main Defign is upon it, and we
20 on in the dired Road that leads to it.
"^ Bat

The Twelfth Sermon, t^n

But let us leave thefe Queftions and come
to fome other Inferences from this Dodrine :
In the third Place, if this Account we have
given of glorifying God be true, if it be the
Glory of God that all Men fhould be good
and do good, and that we then fhew another
his Glory when we thus are and thus do 5
then it follows that we ought to believe that
God hath a Kindnefs for every one of us ;
and on the contrary it is a great derogation
from his Glory to think or teach that any of
us are in our original Creation defigned by
God to be miferable without refpeft to our
evil Adions.

I know it has often been faid, that it is as
much for the Glory of God that fome Be-
ings fhould from Eternity be appointed Vef-
fels of Wrath and Diilionour ( that is the
Objects of God's hatred and difpleafure) as
it is that others fhould be defigned VelTels of
Honour, and as fuch be made eternally hap-
py : Not for any good or evil that God did
forefee one would do more than the other,
but meerly becaufe He would have it fo :
For fay they, both thefe Things do equally
manifeft Gods infinite and abfolute Power
and Dominion and Sovereignty, and there-
fore they are both equally for his Glory.

But I widi thofe that talk at this rate
would a little better conlider the Notion of
God's Glory. Such a promifcuous indifcri-
minating Way of proceeding as this, may
well" enough become fome forts of Creatures

that

27 o 77?^ Twelfth Sermon.

that would be arbitrary in all their Anions,
and have no Senfe of Law or Juftice. But
I am fure it can never fuit with the Nature
of the Holy Bleffed God, who is infinitely
Benign, and Juft, and Good , and who ne-
ver dealt nor will deal with his Creatures,
but in fuch a Way as they themfelves (hall
at laft when their Eyes are opened be fatif-
fied is righteous and fair and equal. It may
perhaps be the madnefs and infolence of fome
great difturbers of Mankind to make Wars
and create abundance of Miferies to poor
harm lefs Creatures, for no other C^ufe, but
to enlarge their Dominion, and advance
their Power and Grandeur : And this they
may account their Glory. But how infinite-
ly different is this kind of Glory from that
which God Almighty propofeth to Himfelf ?
It is not in his Nature to do any thing but
what is agreeable to the eternal Laws of Ju-
ftice and Reafon and Goodnefs, which are
effential to his own Mind, and as far as the
Scripture gives us an Account of Him, He ne-
ver did, nor doth, nor will ad in an arbitra-
ry Way with his Creatures : But his Govern-
ment of the World in all In fiances hath been
and ever will be managed by infinite Good-
nefs and Righteoufnefs, and therefore thefe
Opinions are heartily to be rejeded by all
that love God and are zealous for His Glory,
which do fuppofe that he hath made any
Creature on purpofe that that Creature fhould
be eternally miferable, or which do fuppofe

that

The Tivelfth Sermon. 271

that he is the Caufe or the Author of Sin in
any, either of Mankind or Devils.

Alas, in common Senfe how can fuch a
Proceeding as this be for the Glory of God ?
We that are but poor precarious Beings, yet
fure we have many of us better Notions of
our own Glory than this comes to. Would
we take it for an Advancement of our Ho-
nour or Grandeur to tread upon a forry
Worm or other Animal that fhould come in
our Way, and fo dellroy its Being ? It is
true by this trampling on a Worm we fhew
what Power we have over that poor Worm :
Bur will any Man of Senfe think that we are
a whit the more glorious for doing fuch a
mighty Adion ? And if we poor filly Crea-
tures have fo much Senfe as to defpife a Man
that would think to augment his Glory in
treading upon a Worm : Can we with Pati-
ence endure to hear it of Almighty God,
who is a thoufand times more above us than
the greateft of Kings are above the meanefl
Worms ? I fay can we with Patience hear it
faid of God, that it is for his Glory to make
a poor Creature to deftroy him, or to tram-
ple upon any Being, and make it for ever mi-
ferable for this Reafon, that his Power and
Greatnefe and abfolute Dominion is hereby
the more magnitied and illuftrated ? But it
will be fiid, are there not fome Perfons that
ftiall be faved eternally, and others that (hall
perifli eternally, and this by God's Appoint-
ment ? And (ince every Thing that God doth

is

lyi TI;e Tmlfth Sermon.

is for his Glory, is not God glorifyed as well
in the Damnation of the one Sort, as in the
Salvation of the other? To this I anfwer.
There is no doubt of it, God doth receive
Glory as well from his Inflidions and Pa-
nifliments, as from his Rewards : But this
is not in the leaft inconfiftent with that No-
tion of God's Glory that we have before laid
down, nor on the other Side, doth it give
the leaft Countenance to the Dodrine we are
now oppofing. The Thing will be very e-
vident by reprefcnting this Matter in another
Form, and fuch a one as we all well enough
underftand.

Let us fuppofe a Sovereign Prince in this
World, that hath all the Authority over his
Subjecls that a Man can have ^ it is in his
Power to reward or punilh, but when or
how he thinks fit. What now is the End of
this Power and Authority that is thus veiled
in him ? Is it to do what he pleafeth } Is it
to difpofe of the Lives and Fortunes of his
People in an arbitrary Way ? To prefer fome
to Honours and Dignities, and to decree o-
thers to Halters and Gibbets without any
Conlideration of the Merits or Demerits of
the Men ? No certainly, no Man living will
fay that the Princes Office was given him for
this End : His great Work is to govern his
People to the beft Advantage of them that it
is poflible. He is the Minijier of God to
them for their good^ as the Apoflle tells us
in the 1 5 th to the Romans. God hath made

him

Tk Twelfth Sermon, ty^

him an Inftrument for the doin^ the greatefl
good to thofe under his Charge that he is ca-
pabJe of doing, or they capable of receivings
but he is not an Inftrutnent of doing Mifchief
to the meaneft of thofe that belong to him.

Well now, this is his Duty, and this is his
Office, and by governing his People in this
Way and to this End, he doth in the bed
Manner that is pofiible confult his own Ho-
nour and Glory. But here comes the Cafe :
Some of his People are of fuch Tempers and
Manners that they will not fubmit to his Au-
thority, nor obey his Laws be they never fo
juft and reafonable : But do mod wicked
enormous Things againft all common Ho-
nefty and good Manners, and fuch Things
as if they be countenanced or encouraged,
will quite deftroy the Government, and with
it the Good of the People. Is it not now fit that
the Prince (hould punilh thefe People in pro-
portion to their Crimes, or doth this in the
leafl refled upon his Gaodnefs? No certainly
not in the leaft. His delire and his delign is
to make all his Subjeds as happy as may be :
But there are fome that will not be happy
under his Government, but will do a great
deal of Mifchief both to themfelves and to
all the refl of the Society Thofe therefore
he ought to make Exam pies of, and by fo do-
ing he is fo far from ading Arbitrarily, that
indeed he fhould injure his Subjeds and (hew
himfelf to be weak and unfit to govern, if
he did not thus exert his Power of avenging
Vol. III. T as

274 '^^^ Twelfth Sermon]

as Well as in other Cafes he doth of reward-
ing. And it is as much for his Glory that
be puniiheth incorrigible Criminals that de-
fpife him and his Laws, as it is that he re-
wardeth. faithful and worthy Subjeds. And
yet the Glory in both thefe refpeds is the
fame , that is to fay, it is the Glory of the
Prince to do all the Good he can to his Sub-
jsds, and he cannot do that unlefs he dif-
courage and puniih the Impudence of wricked
Men, as well as incourage and reward thofe
that are good.

And this is the true State of the Cafe be^
tween God i\lmighty and us , he doth not
in the leaft defign the Mifery or Hurt of any
of his Creatures. He meant well tons all,
as being the Father of us all, and would have
us all to be happy ^ and this is his Glory,
But if we will not obey his Laws, and fo
come to Happinefs, he will yet glorify him-
felf another Way (that is as the Sovereign
Ruler and Judge of the World) by punifhing
us after our Deferts. And even this is a
purfuance of his doing good to Mankind,
wherein as we have faid, his Glory doth
confift, becaufe without this adminiftration
of Affairs the good of Mankind could not be
fecured.

But Fourthly, another Inference I draw
from this Point is this. How much do they
difhonour God Almighty, and ad in contra-
didion to this Precept in my Text, of doing
all their Adions to his Glory, that either

think

77;e Twelfth Sermon, 275

ihink to advance God's Glory by doin^ ill
Adions, or that colour over their ill Adions
with the fpecious Pretences of doing them
for God's Glory ? What can be an Affront
to God and his Glory, if both thefe be not
fo>

, God is then glorified, as we have often
faid, when we are good and do good, when
we live like Chriftians, and in all our Adions
have an awful regard to our Duty : But now
what can be more oppofite to this, than ei-
ther to break God's Laws with a defign to
glorify him thereby, or to pretend the glori-
fying of him when yet we are only carrying
on our own wicked Defigns? The latter indeed
of thefe is much the worfe of the two, but
yet they are both very bad, and yet as bad as
they are, God knows the Pradice of them
has been too common in all Ages , the World
by fad experience has found the EfFeds of
them. How many Men out of good De-
figns have done very evil Things ? Hence
come all the counterfeit Books for the ad-
vancement ( as the Contrivers of them in-
tended) of the true Religion : Hence come
the fabulous Miracles of Saints, and twenty
other pious Frauds, and religious Cheats,
(we may call them in Englijh^ under which
a great part ofChriftianity atthisDaygroan-
eth.

But of the latter fort ofHypocrify the In-

llances are innumerable. Nothing has been

more common than for Men to carry on their

T 2 cove-

2y6 The Twelfth Sermon.

covetous or revengeful, or ambitious Defigns,
under the fpecious pretence of promoting
Religion, and advancing God's Glory. In-
deed nioft of the Wars, and Tumults, and
Rebellions, and Infurredions, and Confpira-
cies, and MaHacres that have happened iii
Chriftendom, have been begun and carried
on, and had their SuccelTes from thefe Pre-
tences. So that Luther was not much in
the wrong Vv'hen he faid, //; No?nifie Do?mni
incipit Gmne Malunu The greateft Mifchiefs
and Wickednefl^es come recommended to us
under the Name of Religion and the Glory
of God.

But oh how intolerable is all this kind of
Practice ! The word: Things that can be fpo-
ken againfl it are not bad enough. If a Man
would fet himfelf on purpofe to dilhonour
God and to bring a Scandal on his Religion,
1 do not know how he could do it more ef-
fectual iy, than thus to do unrighteous and
wicked Aclions for the fake or under a pre-
tence of Piety and Chriftianity. A Man
ought not to make the leall: falfe Step in
Morals, ought not to commit the leaft Sin
for the carrying on the beft Caufe in the
World. Be his Intentions never fo pure, be
the Glory of God and the advancement of
true Religion never fo much in his Eye, yet
ali this will not fandiify one evil Aftion, one
wilful Tranfgreffion of any Law of God,
and therefore much lefs will it fandifie Ra-
pine, and Thefts, and Sacriledge, and Mur^

-der.

71)6 Twelfth Sermon.

der, and Rebellion, and Treafon, and fucli
other infamous Crimes.

To conclude all. If we will truly do our
Adions to the Glory of God, let us in the
firft Place endeavour to poifefs our Minds
rnoH- tirmly with a Senfe of the Holin^fs,
and Kindnefs, and Benignity of the Divine
Nature , and acquaint our felves wholly
with the Purity, and Simplicity, and Good-
nefs of Lhrifl's Religion, and let us fo fir
confider thefe Things as to be heartily per-
fuaded we can never do any Honour or Glo-
ry to God, but by living up as ex^dlyas we
can to all his Laws, and doing all the Credit
and Reputation to his Gofpel that in our Sta-
tion we are capable of. And therefore let
us propofe it to our felves as the great De-
fign of our Li\'es to ferve God, and to be
good, and to do good , to be as exemplary
in our Lives, and as ufeful in our Generati-
ons as we can , but above all Things let us
fce infinitely careful that we never pretend
Religion to ferve a fecular Turn, nor ever
do an ill Adion for the promoting the belt
Defigns in the World. I fay let us do our
Endeavours to perform thefe Things, and to
our Endeavours let us add our conftant
Prayers to God, for his Grace and Spirit
to enable us to perform them. And then
I dare confidently pronounce whatever In-
firmities and Frailties we may be other-
wife attended with, we (hall live up to the
Ruk that is here given us by St. Paul, that
T 3 is

^77

Tf?e Twelfth Sermon.

Is to fay, Whether we eat or drink, or what-
foever we do, we jJjall do all to the Glory of
God.

To which God in three Perfons^ Fathei\
Son, and Holy Ghoji, 6cCc

B E R^

279

SERMON XIII.

R O M. XII. PartofthefecondVerfe.

Be ye transformed hy the renewing of y cur
Minds,

ri?l^ Defisn at this Time to treat of the
T Q Doftrine of Regeneration, atid to
,^ fpeak to feme of thefe Queftions
wimi and Cafes upon this Subjedl, which
I have often found very well difpofed Per-
fons to be uneafy under, for want of a R.efo-
lution about them : For this Reafon I have
now pitched upon this Text.

And here in the entrance of my Difcourfe
it is fit I take notice, that the being tranf-
formed by the renewing of our Minds, which
is here fpoken of, tho' it be commonly un-
derftood to be the whole of Regeneration,
yet it is really but one part of it, tho' in-
deed it be the principal Part.

For Regeneration or the new Birth con-
(ifts of two Parts, an outward Baptifm, which
includes a Profeflion of Chrifi's Religion,
and an inward Sanctification or Holinefs of
Heart and Life. This is exprelly told us
T 4 both

jSo TI-^ thirteenth Sermon,

both by our Saviour nnd by St. Vaiil. By our
Saviour in the 3d of St. JoJm ^ where he
tells Istcodermts firfl of all in general, That
except a Man he born a^a'in he cannot fee the
Kingdom of God. And in the next Words
he explains himfelf wherein this new Birth
doth more particularly confift ; Except a
Man^ faith he, he born of Water and of the
Spirit^ he cannot enter into the Kingdom of
Cod. So that to a Man's being; born again
there inufl go both the Baptifm of Water
and the renewing of the Spirit.

And exadly to the fame purpofe doth St.
Taid exprefs himfelf in the :5d of Titus 5.
God (faith he) accord'mg to his Mercies hath
faved lis^ not by Works of Right eoiifnefsy
ivbich ive have done^ hut by the wafhing of
Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy
Ghoft. The wafJjing of Regeneration^ there
is the outward Part of it. The re?iem}tg of
the Holy Gbrft \ there is the inward.

I wiihthofe that are ofFended at our Church
for teaching in her Offices, that Infants are
regenerated by Baptifm, would a httle more
have confidered of this. I am fureboth Scri-
pture and Antiquity fpeak in this Language.

T|ie Truth is, this Term of Regeneration
or the new Birth, hath fuch a refped to Bap-
tifm that it cannot be well underftood with-
out taking that in.

Our S'iviour no doubt took this Expreffi-
on frop the Jews as he did abundance of
others, and tha;. lyhich they meant by it was

pothing

T/;e Thirteenth Sermon, 281

nothing elfe but a Man's becoming a Profe-
lire to their Rehgion, and being admitted
thereto by Baptifm. For Baptifm among
them as well as among us was the way of
receiving Frufehtes into the Church, tho* in-
deed to one fort ofProfehtes they made Cir-
cumcifion neceifary as well as Baptifm. And
whoever thus came over from Heathenifm
to the profefljon of the God of Ifrael, and
was thus admitted into the Jewifh Church,
I fay every fuch Perfon was faid to be recens
7jatiu, new born, or regenerate. Nor was
this only an empty Word among them, but
it had real Effeds, for they accounted a Pro-
felite to be to all intents and purpofes fo new
born, that they judged him from hencefor-
ward a perfect Stranger to all his natural
Relations, even to that degree that he might
lawfully marry with fuch Perfons, as before
his being a Profelite he could not, by rea-
fon of Confanguinity or Affinity contrad Ma-
trimony with. (See Dr. Light foot and o-
thers.)

Now we have great reafon to believe that
our Saviour ufed this Term in the Senfe
they did, and when he declares, that except
a Man he born again he cannot fee the Kinq^-
ilom of God^ that which he means to exprefs
hereby was the abfoJute neceiliry that there
is upon every one both Jew and Gentile to
become a Profelite, a Difciple of His, and as
fuch to be admitted into his Church, if he
raeant to §0 to Heaven. It ^nuft be owned

that

^82 T^^ Thirteenth Sermon.

that our Saviour took more into his Notion
of Regeneration than the Jews did, for a-
iiiongft them an outward Baptifm, and an
outward Profeflion was fufficient to entitle a
Man to the Name of new born : But our
Saviour farther requires a Man's being born
of the Spirit as well as the being born of Wa-
ter, in order to his entring into the Kingdom
of Heaven , that is to fay, befldes the out-
ward Baptifm and the outward Profeflion,
there muft be an inward Principle of Vertue
and Hoiinefs wrought in the ProfelTor by
the Spirit of God : But yet this doth not
hinder but that both thefe Things may go
together, nay it is certain they will always
go together, unlefs a Man himfeifput a Bar
to it. For whoever hath the outward Rege-
neration of Baptifm will aifo have the inward
Regeneration of the Spirit, if he be not falfe
to God and himfelf. God's Spirit doth al-
ways accompany God's Ordinances , and
therefore I think it dangerous to feparate the
outward Regeneration from the inward.

But it is not the outward part of Regene-
ration that I am now concerned with, tho' I
wilh that feveral of theSeds among us would
a little more concern themfelves with it. It
is the inv/ard Part of it I am now to treat of j
that which the Apoftle in my Text very fjg-
niiicantly exprefTes by the being transforfned
hy the renewing of guy Minds. Now the
tnquir)^ here is what the Apoftle means by
this Expreffion. Why for that you cannot

Tl)e Thirteenth Sermon, 283

be at a lofs, if you pleafe to look at the fore-
going Words, to which thefe are put by way
of Antithefis. This Verfe,ot which my Text
is a Fart, begins thus. Be not conformed to
this Worlds hut he ye transformed by the re-
newing of your Minds, ISfow if we know
what conformity to the World is here for-
bidden, we may certainly know what tranf-
formation or renewal of our Minds is here
required.

As for the conformity to the World that is
here forbidden, I believe no Body thinks
there is any more intended by this Prohibiti-
on than only a finful Compliance with the
Cuftoms of the World; a framing of our
Lives and Manners after the impious Pradi-
fes and Examples that we fee frequently re-
prefented before us , an indulging our felves
in fuch bad Courfes as the Men of the World
do too often give themfelves Liberty in.

Taking now this to be the true Nation of
being conformed to the World, then the be-
ing transformed by the renewing of ourMliids,
which is put in oppoiition to it, mult denote
our being aded with more Heavenly and Di-
vine Principles, and framing our Converfati-
on in fuch a Way as is fuitable to the Profef-
lion of Chriftianity, which we have taken
upon our felves : It mufl denote fuch an ho-
ly Difpofition and Frame of Soul, as doth ef-
fedually produce a Conformity of all the out-
ward Adions to the Laws of the Gofpcl, to
which the Law of Sin and the Courfe of the
World is oppoiite. St.

The TInrtmith Sermon.

St. Peter hath moft fully exprelTed both
thefe parts of St. Paitl's Exhortation in the
14th and 15th Verfes of the ift Chap, of
his ift. Ep. As obedient Children (faith he)
not fajhioning your felves according to the
former Lit ft s in jour Ignorance'^ (there is the
being not conformed to the World) but as
he that hath called joit is holy, fo be ye ho-
ly in all manner of Converfation. (There is
the being transformed by the renewing of
our Minds.) This I fay is the full Impor-
tance of St. PauW Expreffion in my Text ^
as it is alfo all that is meant by the other
ExpreiTions we meet with in Scripture of
this kind, fuch as the new Creature^ the be-
ing born of God, the being led by the Spirit,
the being created after the [mage of God ^ the
putting on the new Man, and the like : All
thefe Expreflions and whatever others you
meet with in the New Teftament of the
fame Sort can lignitie no more than this,
that to your Baptifm and Belief and Profefli-
on of Chrift's Religion you add a fober righ-
teous and godly Converfation : And this out
of an honeft fmcere and holy Principle.

Having thus given an Account in general
of the fpiritual Regeneration, I now proceed
to anfwer fume Queftions, and refolve fome
Cafes that are uiually put about it. In fpeak-
ing to which we (hall be let into farther
Light as to molt of thofe Points that concern
this Argument.

The

The Thirteenth Sermon, 285;

The Queftions that I fhall treat of are
thefe Four.

1. Whether Regeneration be not fj entire-
ly the Work of God's Spirit upon a Man's
Mind, as that he himfelf is perfedly paflive
in it, and can do nothing at all either as to
the forwarding or hindring of it in himfelf.

2. Whether any Man can be truly, that
is, inwardly regenerate, that hath not fome-
time of his Life experienced in himfelf a real
Change or Transformation, as it is here cal-
led, of his own Mind from bad to good.

3. Whether this Change be not alway per-
formed fo perceptibly, as that the Man him-
felf can give a particular Account both of the
Time when, and the Manner how, it was
wrought in hioi.

4. What are the Marks or Characters by
which a Man may be able to judge of his
own Regeneration, and what we are to think
of thofe numerous Marks that are common-
ly given in this Matter.

I begin with the Firfl, Whether Regene-
ration be not fo entirely the Work of God's
Spirit upon a Man's Mind, as that he him-
felf is perfedly paflive in it, and can do no-
thing at all either as to the hindring or for-
warding of it.

I fhould not have thought of moving this
Queftion, did not the Refolution of it very
much concern our Practice, tho' at the firll
Sight it looks like a Point of Speculation.
For if a Man can contribute tiothing at all to

the

2^6 Tl)e Thirteenth Sermon)

the renovation of his own Mind, to what
purpofe fhould we imploy any Thoughts or
ufe any Endeavours about it, and what hath
a carnal wicked Man to do, but to wait for
the good Hour, when God (hall touch his
Heart in a powerful irrefiftible Way, and
then the Work will be done to his Hands.
To this Qaeftion therefore I give this An-
fwer. That as to the firft Part of it it is true,,
namely, the producing in a Man that holy
Divine frame of Soul, which is necefTary to
denominate him a regenerate Man, is entire-
ly the Work of God's Spirit. Nor can any
of the highefl: and mod glorious Angels in
Heaven work fuch a Cure upon the meaneft
Soul of the lapfed Sons of Adam, as this a-
mounts to. It is only the Spirit of the Lord
Jefus Chrift that can renew the linage of
God in fillen Man.

But then though this be true, it is to be
remembred that God always a6ts with Men
in a Way fuitable to their own Natures, and
he having made them free Agents capable of
chufing or refafing, he always deals with
them as fuch. And therefore it is in their
Power either to accept and cherifh God's
Grace when he offers it, and then it fhall
have its EfFeds, or to refufe and defpife it,
and then to be fure it wUl be loft upon them :
They will receive the Grace of God in vain^
as the Apoftle expreffeth it. So that I make
no Scruple of faying, that tho* Regeneration
or the renewing of our Minds be wholly the

Work

Tlye Ihtrteenth Sermon* 187

Work of God's Spirit, yet it is in a Man*s
Power either to hinder or to forward that
Work in himfelf. Nay I do not doubt but
that all the Chriftian Profeflors among us5how
bad foever they be, would be made partakers
of the renev/ing of the Holy Ghoft, as well
as they are of the regeneration of Baptifm,
did not they themfelves put a Bar to it, by
the obflinate ReQftance of the Motions of
God's Spirit within them, and the negled of
the Means that he vouchfifes them for Grace
and Salvation. As therefore on one Side e-
very Man that finds this happy Work
wrought in him,ought moft humbly to thank
God for it, and to afcribe it all to his free
Grace and Mercy : So on the other Side, it
will concern every Man that is yet in a State
of Sin and Wickednefs, to ufe all Endeavours
imaginable to get out of it as foon as he can ;
and in Order thereto, to call earneftly upon
God for his Grace, and as he beftows it ( as
he certainly will upon earnefl Prayers ) to
clofe with it, and incourage it as much as is
pofhble : Otherwife there is little probability
that ever he fhould become a Convert to Ver-
tue and Holinefs.

Well ! But it will be faid, how can this
confift with the Scripture Account of this
Matter ? Is not every Man in his naturai E-
ftate reprefented there as dead in Trefpaffes
and Sins ? And is not Regeneration the in-
fufing a new Nature into a Man, and making
him a new Creature ? Now would it not be

abfurd

88 The Tloirteenth Sermon.

abfurd to fay that a dead Man can do any
thing towards the railing himfelf to Life, or
that a Creature can do any thing towards the
new forming and creating of hniifelf? 1 an-
fwer, that as abfurd as it feems,yet it is the very
Language of Scripture. Doth not God call
upon IJrael in the 1 8th of E^eL :5 1. to make
themfelves a new Heart, and a new Spirit r^
Doth not St. Faid in the 5th of the Eph. 14.
fpeak to Sinners in thefe Terms, Awake thou
that Jlstipejl and rife from the dead, and
Chrijt [hall give thee Life .<? Nay doth he
not in this very Text lay it before the Ro-
man Chriftians as a Duty incumbent upon
them, and as the Matter of his particular Re-
quefl to them, that they would not be con-
formed to this World, but that they would
be transformed by the renewing of their
Minds ? What means all this if Men were
iTieer Stocks and Stones, and muft be per-
fedly paflive in this Bufinefs ? No , alfu-
redly, tho' it be God that creates the new
Heart, tho' it be Chrift that gives the Life,
and tho' it be the Spirit that transforms the
Mind, yet the Man himfelf hath fomething'
to do in this Work.

The Truth is, it is the mifunder (landing
thefe Phrafes of Scripture, and (training them
farther than they were intended, that is the
Occafion of all thefe Miftakes about Regene-
ration. They will take the Term of Rege-
neration, or the new Birth, or the new Crea-
ture in a literal Senfe , whereas thefe Words

ought

The TInrteenth Sermon,
ought only to be unclerllood figuratively, that
is to fay, we are not to imagine that for the
producing thefe Effcds which thefe Words
import, there is a new Soul, or a new Mind,
or a new Nature created in a Man, by the
Spirit of God, which is the literal way of
under (landing thefe Words : But only thus,
that the fime Soul which before had a viti-
ous Inclination, is now by the Grace of God
vertuoufly difpofed j that the fame Mind
which was before ignorant of the Things of
God, and utterly averfe to them, is now en-
lightned to a better Underftanding of them,
and doth more love and delight in them than
it did before ^ the Nature in the Regenerate
and Unregenerate is the fame j that is to fay,
it is the fame human Nature that is com-
mon to all Men , but only in the one it is
very much corrupted and depraved, in the
other it is amended, and reitored in fome
meafure to its true Perfedion and Liber-
Thus again when the Scripture faith, tba^
we are all dead in Trefpajfes and Sins, and
that God by Chr'ijl hath quichied us and ere-
ated us again to good Works, Thefe Words
are not to be ftridly underflood, but only
metaphorically \ here is neither a proper
Death, nor a proper Qjjickning, nor lafl of
all a proper Creation ^ but ail that is meant
by thefe Terms is this, that Mankind thro'
their original Degeneracy and the evil Exam-
ples they faw before them, were gone fo fif
Vol. III. U in

2 op

ipo Tl^e Thirteenth Sermon,

in a Courfe of Sin, that there was no hu-
man Means left by which it was poflible to
gain them over to Holinefs and Vertue. But
God by fending his Son, and giving them
the powerful Arguments of the Gofpel, and
afliftance of the Holy Spirit, to fet home
thofe Arguments, did that which by the
ftrength of Nature alone could not be done.

But enough of this Head •, only let me
tell you this before I leave it, that if we will
needs interpret fuch Phrafes and Words as
thefe, in a grofs literal Senfe, we fliall en-
tangle our felves in as many Difficulties as the
Papifi:s have brought themfelves into, by li-
terally conftruing our Saviours Words ^ this
is 7ny Body, to the purpofe of their Dodvine
of Tranfubftantiation.

The fecond Qjjeftian I am to treat of is
this : Whether fuch a Transformation by
the renewing of our Minds, as the Text
feemeth to imply, that is a fenlible Change
from bad to good, be necelFary to every Per-
fon. Or whether fome may not be truly in
the regenerate State, tho' they never experi-
enced fuch a Change or Transformation in
themfelves.

This Qiieftion might indeed receive its
Anfwer from what has been already fiid, a-
bout the Notion of Regeneration in general,
but however I will fpeak fomething more to
it, becaufe it is a Point that hath troubled
fome very good Perfons. They know by the
Scriptures that Regeneration is abfolutely ne-

celfary

Tl)e Thirteenth Sermon, 2^\

Ceflfary to Salvation. They know that ex-
cept a Man be born again, be created anew,
be transformed by the renewing of his Mind,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
And they likewife fo underftand thefe Ex-
predions, that in their Opinion they muft at
leaft import a very great Change in a Man's
Mind, and in his Adions. But now m whan
a Condition are they ? For they have never
found fuch a Change in themfelves, they
have been always much in the fame frame
and temper of Mind that they are now in,
they thank God they have ever had a hearty
Senfe of Religion, and they have endeavour-
ed to ferve God in that way of Chriftianity
which they have been educated in with great
fincerity, and God in Mercy hath preferved
them from all great and open Violations of
their baptifmal Covenant. But flill where is
their Regeneration ? For they are but now,
what they have always been.

But to this Scruple of theirs we eafily an-
fwer 5 if a Man find in himfelf all the Ef-
feds of Regeneration, it is no great matter
whether they were wrought in him with a
fenlible change of his Mind or Manners, or
without one.

The great Bufinefs here to be confidered is
the State of Man's Soul. If that be aded
with holy Principles, and thofe Principles
fhew themfelves in a conflant courfe of ver-
tuoys Adions, which is that which we call
the Effeds of regenerating Grace, or the
U 2 State

29 i 7/;^ Thirteenth Sermon,

State of Regeneration it is enough *, the Man
m^y fatisfie himfelf he is truly regenerate.
But as for the Manner how he came into
this State, or whether ever he was in a dif-
ferent Condition before, and fo underwent a
great Change before he was brought to this,
this is but a Circumllance of the Bufinefs,
and needs not to be much regarded.

It mufl be acknowledc'ed that at the Time
when our Saviour and his Apoftles ufed thefe
Words, they did import a remarkable Change
in the Perfon to whom they were to be ap-
plied, fuch a Change as every one might be
fenlible of: And the Reafon is this. Chri-
flianity was then a new Religion, and all the
World was to be converted to it, and none
were then capable of being converted by the
Apoflles Preaching, but thofe that were come
to Years of difcretion, and the very Notion
of their Converfion was an adual renoun-
cing of their former Religion, together with
all their wicked and idolatrous Pradices they
had Hved in, and giving themfelves up en-
tirely to the Difcipline and Condud of our
Lord Jefus. Now I fay none could thus
forfake one Religion and go over to another,
and leave fuch Prartices and Cuftoms which
they were bred up in, and form their Con-
verfation after a new and a ftrider Way, but
they muft needs be fenlible of a great Change
both in their Principles and in their Lives.
And this is one great Reafon why the Chri-
ftian State of Life is defcribed in fuch Terms

as

T(?e Thirteenth Sermon. 20}

as Converfion, Transformation, the new
Creature, and the like.

But now that Chriftianity is become the
Religion of Kingdoms and Nations, and all
Perfons are baptized into it in their Infancy j
the Cafe is quite different. For having by
this means the Advantasre of a Cliriflian Edu-
cation, the Principles of that Religion will
by degrees be (o inftilled into us, that when
we come of Age to choofc for ourfelves, we
fiiall without any Violence or Difficulty em-
brace the Doclrine of that Religion rather
than any other : And it will be unnatural
and a Violence to be of any other Religion.
And confidering further that the Grace of the
Holy Spirit duth conftantly go along with
outward Ordinances, we cannot doubt but a-
bundance of Perfons are fandifyed from their
Infancy, and as they have embraced the Gof-
pel from the Beginning, fo have their Man-
ners been fuitable to it from the Beginning
likewife.

Thus I fay it often happens to Perfons a-
inong us, tho' it could not be fo when the
Apoftles of Chrift firft preached the Dodrine
of Regeneration : Many of us are holy and
regenerate from our Childhood, we were
confecrated to God in the Infancy of our
Lives, and as we grew up the Grace of God
was not wanting, thro* the Means of a reli-
gious Education, to fow the Seeds of all Ver-
tue and Holinefs in our Souls : And flill as
we .farther grew in Years, ■ thofe Seeds came
U 5 more

294 '^^ Thirteenth Sermon]

more and more to perfe6lion : So that when
we came to be Men and Women, we found
our felves without any feniible Change from
bad to good, to have a prevailing Indination
to that which is good, and to bring forth all
the Fruits of the Spirit in our Converfation.
Now in this Cafe here is all that which is
meant by Regeneration, tho' we have no No-
tice when or how we came into this State
and Condition. Nay indeed, here is Rege-
neration in that mofl proper and full Senfe
of the Word, as I before gave an Account of
it 5 for here is both the outward Regenerati-
on of Baptifm, and the inward Regeneration
of the Spirit going along with it.

But then this, as I have faid, holds only, as to
thofePerfons among us that have always lived
vertuoufly and innocently, and have never
foully departed from their baptifmal Vow. As
for thofe that either thro* the Occafion of a
bad Education, or by the abufing a good one,
have engaged themfelves in vitious ■ Courfes,
and accordingly from the Time they came to
Years of difcretion, have lived in a State of
Sin and Ungodiinefs : Tliefe Perfons are not
yet in the regenerate State (if we fpeak as to
the inward fpiritual Part of it) and muft if
ever they mean to be faved, fometime or o-
ther undergo a real Change and Transforma-
tion both in their Principles and their courfe
of living.

The third Queflion I am to fpeak to is
this ; Whether the Change that is made in a

Man's

11)6 Thirteenth Sermon, 2p5

Man's Mind in Regeneration be always per-
formed fo perceptibly that the Man himfelf
fhall be able to give a particular Account both
of the Time when, and of the Manner how
it was wrought in him.

In anfwer to this, I fay firfl of all, that
this Qjjeftion can only be put with reference
to the Perfons that have formerly lived a care-
lefs vitious Life, and fo mull: of neceflity un-
dergo a Transformation of their Principles
and Manners. For as for thofe that have
been well difpofed from their Childhood,
from what has been faid before, it appears
that the Queftion is out of Doors as to them ^
fo that it cannot be found Divinity fo to lay
down the Nature of Regeneration or Conver-
lion, as to make it necellary in order to it,
that every Man fliould be able to give an Ac-
count of the beginning of it in himfelf.

But Secondly,even as to thofe that have fome-
times been vitious ungodly Perfons, and now
are fo reformed that they may have juft Hopes
that they are in a good Condition : Even as to
thefe I fiy, it is not neceifary that they fhoulci
be fenlible of fo fudden or fo extraordinary a
Change in themfelves, as to be able from
fuch a Time, or fuch a Circum fiance, or
fuch a Providence that happened to them, to
date their Converhon. My Reafon is this,
it doth not appear that ordinarily fpeaking,
efpecially in thefe Days of ours, the Work of
Converfion or Regeneration is wrought in a
Moment, or at once, but rather in fome
U 4 quantity

IXg thirteenth Sermon]

quantity of Time, and by many Degrees ;
Step by Step/, little by little. Thofe Men
thnt have lived in a courfe of Sin, ( and all
thofe that are to be transformed, mufl: be fup-
pofed to be fiich) can hardly, I fay, be ima-
gined to put off their vitious Habits on a
fudden, or in a Moment : But there mufl
go a great many A£lions, a great many Try-
als, and Endeavours, before that be accom-
pliihed. The old Habits mud by difufe and
forbearance be weakned, before the Man be
capable of receiving new ones in the Place of
them : And that very Thing will require
great Meditation and many Ads of felf-de-
nyal and Mortification. And even when a
Man hath dor.e this, yet ftiil he is but in a
Diipofition to a new Habit ^ but before that
Habit be effedually wrought in him, there
will be ilill more Time required, more Stu-
dy, more Refolution, and more repeated
Acls of Vertue ^ and this we find true by
conflant Experience. As the Poet obferves
of bad Men

Nemo rejjsnte fiat turfijjimuso

none ever grew extreamly wicked of a fud-
den, but came to it by Time and Degrees ^
i<i it is of good Men (thofe I mean that have
once been bad and come to good) they can-
not in anlnftant leap from one Extream to
the other, but muft pafs thro' feveral inter-
mediate Stages^ and States b&fore the vercu-

out

7he Thirteenth Sermon. 25^

ous Principle hath prevailed over the viti^
ous.

Now this being fo, it is not reafonable to
think, that every Convert to Holinefs and
Vertue, fliould be able to give an Account of
the precife Time, when he became a Con-
vert. He may perhaps, if he has a good
Memory, and has ufed himfelf to recollect
his pad Adions, he may I fay, be able to re-
member fome of the great Occafions and Mo-
tives that firfl prevailed upon him to alter his
Courfe of living, and he may remember what
Refolutions he formed upon this , and what
Attempts he made, and what Tryals he un-
derwent before he came Mafter of his Pur-
pofe j how often he had been defeated in his
good Inteniions, and had been overcome by
Temptations, and fall'n back into criminal
Adions j fo that he hath in a manner been
forced to begin again.

I fay all thefe Strugglings and Efforts, and
various Succefs, or at lead a great many of
ihem he may remember, and withal, what
gradual Advancements he hath made in Ver-
tue and Religion, till that now at laft he may
with comfort reflefl upon himfelf, and his
own Condition.

But now let him remember thefe Things
never fo well, yet ftill it will be hard for
him after all this, to aflign the precife In-
ftant when he became a Convert, or the par-
ticular Time when he might ju ftly be faid
\Q liave pafTed firom an unregenerate State to

the

298 Tl?e Ibirteenth Sermon]

the regenerate. Nay perhaps tho' he be a
very good Man, yet fuch may his Fears and
Jealoufies over himfelf be, that he is not af-
fured that he is yet enter 'd into a fiife Con-
dition.

The Point will be much clearer hy put-
ting this Inflance. A Man languifheth un-
der a long tedious Diflemper of Body, he
ufeth many Phyficians, he follows their Ad-
vice, but yet he doth not quickly mend.
Sometimes he is better, and fometimes he is
worfe, but with Time and the flrength of
Nature, and good Prefcriptions, and regular-
ly ufing himfelf, and God's Bleffing upon
thefe Things, he doth by degrees get Strength
and recover of his Difteraper, and at lafi:
finds himfelf to be in a good State of
Health.

This Man now that is thus recovered, can
he be fenfible of the precife Time that he be-
came a found Man after his Diftemper ? He
can eafily remember that fuch Phylick was
prefcribed him, and that he made ufe of it,
and that after fome Time he grew better up-
on it, and it may be after that he relapfed,
and upon again confulting his Phyficians and
following their Diredions, he overcame his
Relapfcs. And after many pulls backwards,
and forwards, he thanks God that at laft he
is either pcrfedly reco\'ered of his Diflem-
per, or in a very hopeful way towards it.
All this now he is fenfible of, and it is frefh
in his Memory. But yet I doubt hs will hz

hardly

Tl^e Thirteenth Sermon^

hardly able to name the pundual Minute, no
nor the Diy, nor perhaps the Week, when
he could fay upon good Grounds I am cured
of my Difeafe. 1 am a found Man. I need
not fear this Diflemper any more. His
Health came infenlibly and gradually, and
now after he hath lofl all the Symptoms of
his Sicknefs, he may rejoyce and hope well
of himfelf. But it will be idle for him to fay,
fuch an Hour I became a found Man, and
yet much more idle would it be in him ei-
ther to be fo confident of his Health, as to
lay afide all fear of Danger for the future, or
on the other Side to queflion or doubt of his
Health and good Conflitution upon tliis Ac-
count, that he cannot name the Time, or the
Manner, or the Circumftances, with which
it was efFeded.

• This In (lance is fo pertinent to our Pur-
pofe, and fo plain, that I need not make any
Application of it, to the Cafe I have in
Hand.

I come therefore to the fourth and laft
Queftion upon this Point, and that is concern-
ing the Marks and Signs of Regeneration,
This has been a great Inquiry, and tho' I dare
not fay, but that it is a very ufeful one, yet
I doubt the Anfwer to it has not always been
fuch as it fliouid be. -

I fear that fomePerfons by their over great

forwardnefs to multiply Marks of Converfion

or Regeneration, have rather obfcured the

. . Thing

29?

3 00 7fe TInrtcenth Sermon,

Thing than cleared it, and have often brought
needlefs Scruples into Mens Heads.

The Point doth really lye in a little Room,
and there lyes no great Learning nor Subti-
lity to hit upon it.

The Bulinefs of Regeneration, as we now
underfland it, confifts in th's, a hearty Senfe
of God and the Chriftian Religion, and a fe-
rious and conffcant Endeavour to live fuitably
to that Senfe, in all our Converfition. So
that if we will enquire for Marks of a Rege-
nerate Perfon, they ought only to be drawn
from thofe Effeds that a Man feels in him-
feif. If a Man to his Baptifm and his Faith
in Chrift, and his Profeffion of t!ie Chriftian
Religion, doth join a ferious conformity to
the Laws of Chrift in all his Adions, and
this out ofConfcience, and as far as his Know-
ledge and the Circumftances of his Life, and
the natural Infirmities of human Nature will
allow him j if he deiire heartily, and refolve
conftantly, and endeavour fincerely to pleafe
God, and to fave his own Soul, in all the
Waysof righteoufnefs, andfobriety, sndho-
iinefs, that the Gofpel hath prefcribed to
him •, and thefe Deftres, thefe Refolutions,
thefe Endeavours of his have fuch EfFecls, as
that in the main of his life, after he is come
to this his Senfe he lives innocently, and a-
voids open, and known, and wilful Sins, and
as to what Slips, and Frailties, and Omiili-
ons he may be guilty of, he is fenfible of
them, and begs Gods Pardon for them, and

Itrives

The Thirteenth Sermon^ 5 o j

ftrlves againfl them, and flill rather grows
better than worfe, more inclined to Good,
and more avene to Evil: This is the bed:
Mark in the World j nay I will i\y, it is the
only Mark whereby one can difcern that he
is in a regenerate Condition, in a State of Gods
Favour, and that if he (hould die that Mo-
ment that he is fafe, as to his Happinefs in
the other World.

But the Bulinefs of Regeneration by the
multitude of Marks that have been fet upon
it, has been rendred a far more intricate and
artificial Thing than this comes to,

J cannot fay but that in mofl of the Books
and Difcourfes that do thus abound with
Marks, there is fo much Truth, that if they
meet with a Reader or Hearer, that can by
Experience find them all made good upon
himfelf, he needs not much fear the bein^
deceived by them '-, but may from them make
a fafe Concluiion as to his own State. But
then there is this Thing to be taken notice
of 3 that thofe numerous Marks that are gi-
ven of a regenerate Perfon (tho' if taken al-
together they mufl be true,) yet they fel-
dom all meet in one Perfon, and perhaps
there are five to one of unqueflionably fin-
cere Chriftians, that do not find them all to
concur in themfelves. And yet if you take
them afjnder, and pitch upon fuch and fuch
Particulars of them, leaving out others, it is
odds but they miflead you and prove no
Marks at all.

That

J02 Tl^^ Thirteenth Sermon,

That which I would fay is this: There
are thefe two Inconveniences in multiplying
the Signs and Marks of Regeneration. One
is, That oftentimes fuch Marks are given of
it, as that a Man may be a very good Chri-
llian,and without doubt a regenerate Perfon,
and not find them in himfelf. Another In-
conveniency is this : That fuch Marks are
likewife given, that even a bad Man may ex-
perience them in himfelf, tho' fome good
Men cannot.

To prove this by inftance , there is no-
thing more ufual among thofe that delight to
lay down a great number of Marks of Con-
verlion, than to frame a folemn Defcription
of the manner of it, and to deliver the parti-
cular Way and Method in which it proceeds.
And here ufually they firfl bring in a Soul
very carelefs and regardlefs of his eternal In-
terefl, and very fecure in his own Way, tho'
it be a bad one : Afterwards they make this
Perfon either by fome convincing Sermon he
hath heard, or fome reafonable Advice he
hath had from fome pious Friend, or by fome
Afflidion or Judgment that God hath been
pleafed to vi(it him with, or iaffcly by fome
extraordinary Providence in fome other Way :
I fay by fome or all of thefe means to be
deeply awakned to a Senfe of his former Sins,
and the dangerous Condition he is in upon
account of them. And the firfl EfFeds that
thefe warm Convidions do work upon him,
are very terrible. He thinks himfelf in a

fearful

TIjc 7htrt€enth Sermon. 305

fearful damnable Condition, he looks upon
himfelf as a loft undone Man. He hath the
Terrors of the Law fo deeply fet home on
his Spirit, that he can find Comfort no
where ^ and tho* he turn himfelf all ways
imaginable, yet flill he is a forlorn miferable
Creature. After he hath Iain fome Time
under thefe Terrors and AfFrightments, and
even upon the brink of Defperation, it plea-
feth God at length by his Spirit to break thro*
this Cloud, and to dart fome Beams of Light
and Comfort into his Confcience. Finding
himfelf to be loft every other Way, he is at
laft direded to fix upon Jefus Chrift, as the
only Anchor of his Hope ^ to clofe with him,
to apply his Merits and Righteoufnefs to him-
felf, and upon this he lays hold on the Pro-
mifes, and renouncing all his own Works,
and all his own Righteoufnefs, and perfedly
going out of himfelf, he relys and depends
upon Jefus Chrift, and him only. And
thus clofing with, and refting upon Jefus
Chrift, is that juftifying faving Faith upon
account of which God accepts and approves
of him.

But then he doth not reft here, but goes
farther, he is not only fenfible of his former
Guilt, and takes fhelter in the Merits of
Chrift, for the forgivenefs of it, but he re-
folves moft heartily to become a new Man
for the future.

This is the ordinary procefs of Converfi-
on, as you fometimes find it deliver'd in

Books.

^04 '^^'^ Thirteenth Sermon]

Books. I do not reprefent it with a Defign
to expofe it, for really this is fome times the
Method by which Men are converted. But
yet this I fay, that if this kind of Proceeding
be fet down either as a necelTary Mark, or
as a certain Mark, whereby Men are to judge
of their Regeneration, it will fail in both
thefe Refpetts *, and be found no Mark at
all. For it will either difcover too much or
too little. For it is certain a great many ve-
ry pious religious Perfons never came to that
good Eftate they are now in, by any fuch
Methods as we have now been fpeaking of.
They were never exercifed in fuch a boifte-
rous Manner, with the Terrors of the Law
( as they are called. ) They were never in
fuch a defpairing Condition. And that fatis-
fadlion and peace of Mind they now enjoy,
and that good Hope they have of God's Fa-
vour, never arrived to them in fuch a Way
and Method as I have been defcribing.

And then in thefecond Place, thefe Marks
of Regeneration cannot be conftantly true
ones, becaufe a great many may have felt in
themfelves all that I have now mentioned, and
yet fall (hort of it. There is no doubt but a
very bad Man may have had all thofe Con-
vidions upon his own Mind of his Sin, and
the Danger we have now reprefented ^ nay
and all that difclaiming his own Righteouf-
nefs, and clofing with Chrift's Promifcs, and
applying his Merits to himfeif, that we have
mentioned j nay and farther, all that abhor-
rence

The Tlnrteenth Sermon, joj

rence of his own Ways, and fach pious Re-
folutions as fuch an abhorrence could work
in him , and yet for all this he may not be
a regenerate Perfon. For after all thefs Con-
vidions and Refolutions, he may (till conti-
nue under the Slavery of Sin and evil Ha-
bits. Tho' he had a warm Senfe of Religi-
on at the firfl, yet that Senfe in trad of
Time, and upon the recourfe of Temptati-
ons may wear off and decay, and the Man
at laft comes to fatisfy himfelf, that if he da
but ftill reft on Jefus Chrift, and now and
then take folemn Times for the exercifing
i\ds of Repentance, and Faith, and Devoti-
on •-, this will be accepted of God ^ tho* yet
he lives in a Courfe of Sin, and hath not tru-
ly mortifyed any one carnal or worldly Luft,
that formerly reigned over him.

God knows the World hath too much ex-
perience of the Truth of this.

The whole I have to Uy about this Buli-
nefs is this : And I conclude with it.

It is not advifeable for us to be curious a-
bout many Marks of our Regeneration ; or
when we deal in Books that treat of thofe
Things,either to be much exalted or much cafl
down, when we find fome Marks there given
either to agree with our State, or not to a-
gree with it.

The trueft Mark is that of our Savioun
The Tree is known by its Fruits. If a Man
be biptized, and heartily believing the Chri-
fliah Religion, doth fincerely endeavour to
Vol. III. X live

3o6 Tl?e Thirteenth Sermon,

live up to it ^ if his Faith in Jefus Chrifl be
fo ftrong th^t by vertue thereof he overcomes
the World and the evil Cuftoms thereof :
If knowing the Laws of our Saviour he fo
endeavours to conform himfelf to them, that
he doth not live in any known wilful Tranf-
greffion of them, but in the general courfe
of his Life walks honeftly and piouily, and
endeavours in his whole Converfation to
keep a good Confcience both towards God
and Man , fuch a Man however he came in-
to this State, and with whatever Infirmities
it may be attended (of which Infirmities
yet he is deeply fenfible, and fails not both
to pray and (trive againft them ) yet he is a
a good Man, and gives a true Evidence of his
Regeneration , tho' he have not all the Marks
and Qualifications that he may meet with in
Books.

And fuch a Man if he perfevere in the
Courfe he is in, will without duubt at lall:
be juftifyed before God, and find an Admifli-
on into the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord
Jefus Chrifl.

Whithsr God of his Mercy bring us aJI^ 5Cc,

SER^

JO/,

SERMON XIV.

J E R. XVII. 9.

The Heart is deceitful above all Things , and
defperately wicked^ who can knoip it .<?

r^i^iSSS^ H E deceltfulnefs of the Heart
P rp p is a Thing we oft com plain of,
i^' ^ and with too great Reafon ; But

^^^^!>'i y^t is often not rightly under-
ftood ; and Mens Miflakes about it have
fometimes brought upon them great Incon-
veniencies. Thofe Miflakes have chiefly'
been occafioned thro* the mifunderftanding this
Text that I have read unto you, and there-
fore I have pitched upon that rather than a-
ny other, for the Ground of my Difcourfe
upon this Argument.

Five Things I here propofe to do.

Tirft^ To clear up the Senfe of my Text,
by (hewing what Sort oi deoeitfulnefs of the
Heart is here fpoken of.

Secondly^ To examine the commonly re*
ceived Dodrine concerning the Hearts de-
ceitfulnefs.

#

X 2 Third'

jdS The Fourteenth Sermon.

Thirdly^ To give an Account of tliofe Ef-
fedls, which are generally attributed to the
deceitfulnefs of the Heart, but indeed pro-
ceed from other Caufes,

Fourthly, To fhew wherein the deceitful-
nefs of the Heart doth really confift , and

Fifthly^ and Laflly, To propofe the pro-
per Cure and Remedy of it.

Before I enter upon thefe Points, one
Word by way of Explication of what we
mean by the Heart, and what may be meant
by its being deceitful \ for as for all the other
Terms in my Text, they are fufficiently
plain.

By the Heart may be underftood either
that Principle within us, from whence the
Motions, and Defigns, and AfFedions of our
Minds do proceed ^ or we may under (land
by it, thofe inward Motions, and Defigns,
and AfFedions themfelves.

In both thefe Senfes the Heart is taken in
Scripture : In the tirft Senfe our Saviour
fpeaks of it, when he faith, ¥atth. 15. 19.
That out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts^
Adulteries, Murders^ and the like. And fo
wherever we meet with the Thoughts of the
Heart, the Imaginations of the Heart, m fuch
FafTages the Heart is taken for the Principle.
In tlie other Senfe God fpeaks of the Heart in
that Pafla^e, This People draweth nigh to 7ne
zvith their Lips, but their Heart is far from
me. And fo wherever we meet with fpeak-
ing Truth from the Heart, praifing God with

the

Tl^e Fourteenth Sermon, ^ oo

the Heart, God's knowing tlie Heart, and
the like ^ in thefe PalTiges the Heart is taken
for the x^dions and Effedls of that Principle,
the inward Thoughts, and Affedions, and
Inclinations. But this is fo much a Nicety
that it is fcarce worth taking notice of, it is
no matter in which of thefe Senfes we take
the Heart in the Text, for indeed they come
both to one Thing.

As for the other Term Deceitful, when it
is applyed to the Heart, it is capable of two
Significations, it may either fignify that the
Heart is treacherous and fraudulent, and
means to deceive, which is the proper Senfe
of the Word, or it may fignify that whether
it means to deceive us or no, we are apt to be
deceived by it : Thus in common Speech we
fay, a Man is a deceitful Man, not only
when he defigns to cheat us or impofe upon
us, but when he fails us in that we relyed
upon him for, or when we can make no cer-
tain Judgment of him.

Now it is true the Heart may be deceitful
in both Senfes, but yet with different refpecl.
The Heart of another Man may deceive me
both Ways ^ that is, both by defigning to
abufe me, or tho* he have no fuch Meaning,
yet by difappointing me if I truft to him.
But my own Heart cannot be faid to deceive
me, fave only in the latter Senfe, that is, I
may make a wrong Judgment of it, or miy
by the Event be deceived as to the Matter in
which I truftcd to it.

• X 3 ' Having

j I o Tl^e Fourteenth Sermon.

Having premifed this, I come to my firfl:
Encjuiry, What is the Prophets Meaning
when he faith, Tb& Heart is deceitful above
all Things^ and defperately wicked, who can
know it ^

Now as to that, I think thefe two Things
are pretty cle^r. Firftofali, that when he
f lith, The Heart is deceitful^ he means it in
the proper Senfe of the V/ord, that is to fay,
as it fignifies fraudulent, falfe, hypocritical,
covering foul Defigns under fair Pretences.
This appears both by the Word he here
ufeth ( which is not capable of any other
Conftrudion ) and likewife by that other
Characler of defperately Wicked, which he
here joineth with it. Now if this be fo,
then no Mens Hearts are deceitful in the Pro-
phets Senfe, but only the Hearts of bad Men ;
thcfe thatdefign to deceive ^ and confequent-
ly there is no Ground from hence to draw a
general Concluiion, that all Mens Hearts are
deceitful and defperately wicked, for the
Hearts of honefl: Men are not fo.

Secondly, When x\\t Prophet faith of fuch
a deceitful wicked Heart as this. Who can
hiotv it .<? It is impoffible his Meaning fhould
be, that the Man whofe Heart it is, doth
not or cannct knov/it^ for every one is cer-
tainly privy to all the Defigns of his own
Herirt. But the Meaning is, that other Men
cannot know it. The Man's wicked Intenti-
ons are fj covered over with fair Appearan-
ces, that none but God can fee thro' his Dif-
- guife.

77;^ Fourteenth Sermon. j 1 1

guife, as it follows in the next Verfe, / tbi^
Lordfearch the Heart.

Now if this be the Prophets Meaning,
then it is plain, this Text doth no ways re-
late to a Man's knowing or not knowing his
own Heart, but only to his not knowing the
Hearts of other Men.

Taking now thefe two Obfervations along
with us, we have nothing more to do for the
finding out the true Meaning of this Text,
thin only to conhder upon what Occafion it
comes in.

The Defign that the Prophet is here a pur-
fuing, was to beat off the Jews from placing
their Confidence in Men, and to perfuade them
to put their whole Truft in God, and to de-
pend upon him alone for their future prcfer-
vation. To this purpofe he tells them ( as
you may fee in the 5th Verfe) Ciirfedbethe
Mail that trnfletb in Man, and inaketh Flefi
bis Arm, whofe Heart departeth from tbe
Lord^ 5cc. But bleffed is tbe Man wbo trufi-
etb in tbe Lord, and ivbofe bope tbe Lord is^
for be fiall he as a Tree planted by the Wa-
ters, and that fpreadeth out her Roots by tbe
River, and flmll not fee voben Heat cometb^
hut her Leaffljall be green, b<.Q. And then
follow the Words of my Text, Tbe Heart is
deceitful above all Things, and defperately
wicked, who can know it .<? What can be the
delign of thefe Words, but only to enforce
what he had faid before, by giving a farther
I^eafon why they (liould place their Hope in
X 4 God

til Tl?e Fourteenth Sermon,

God and not in Men > And if we take them
thus, an excellent Reafon they do indeed
contain ^ for how vain is it to truH: in Men,
whofe Hearts we cannot fee into, and who tho'
they may make a very fiir fhew of Integrity
and Vertue, yet have often mifchievous and
wicked Defigns at the Bottom. Taking now
the Text in this View, the Senfe of it is very
plain, and that is this , That it is a foolifli
Thing to m?ike Flefli our Arm, and to put
our Confidence in Men, for how fair foever
their outward Behaviour towards us may be,
and how kind foever their Promifes, yet their
Hearts are often deceitful and wicked, and it
is impoflible for us to know them.

This as I take it, is the Prophets Account
of the deceitfuinefs and unfearchablenefs of
the Heart, but very different it is from the
common Opinion which obtains concerning
this Point \ which I now come in the fecond
Place to examine.

The common Opinion is, that thefe Words
are not fo much to be interpreted of other
Mens Hearts with refpeft to us, or of our
own Hearts with refped to other Men, as of
our own Hearts with refped to our felves.
And the Doclrine drawn from them is this ;
that every Mans Heart is fo treacherous and
fo unfearchable, that the Man hirafelf cannot
make any Judgment of it, as to its upright-
nefs and fincerity before God ; tho* he think
bin :felf never fo fincere, he maybe deceived,
and be all the v/hiie an Hypocrite. And thicj'
■•■ • ' ■ • • . ■ Notiou

7he Fourteenth Sermon,
Notion is carried fo far, that among fome it
is made a Mark of ones fincerity, for a Man
to doubt of his Sincerity. Which Opinion is
apt to do Mifchicf two feveral Ways. To
fome it may give Encouragement to think
themfelves fincerely good Chriftians, when
they are not, for certainly the lefs fincere a-
ny Man is, the more rcafon he hath to doubt
of his fincerity, and fince all Hearts are de-
ceitful, why may not he be deceived as much
in the Judgment he makes of the bad State of
his Soul, as he maybe, if he (hould enter-
tain a favourable Opinion of his own Condi-
tion } On the other Side, to many that are
indeed fincerely good Chriftians, this Notion
doth occafion many unreafonable Fears and
Perplexities, and difquiet of Mind , for tho*
their Hearts do not condemn them for any
Thing, yet there is no Comfort to be drawn
from hence, for their Hearts are deceitful
and may abufe them j may fpeak Peace to
them, when there is no Peace.

But now this Dodrine as it hath no Coun-
tenance from this Text ( as I think I have
fufficiently fhewn) fo is it likewife contrary
both to our own inward Senfe and to the
Holy Scripture. Firfl: it is againfl: the com-
mon Senfe and Experience of Mankind. A
Man's Heart as 1 told you, is nothing elfe
but the Principle from which his Adions (as
confidered morally) do flow j it is a Man's
Thoughts, and Defigns, his Inclinations, and
Affedions, Now what Thing in the World
'' is

?IJ

514 Tl?e Fourteenth Sermon,

is there that a Man can know if he know not
thefe ? Every Man is as fenlible of the in-
ward Motions and Difpofitions of his Soul,
and knows as well what his Thoughts are,
what Principles he is aded by, as he knows
when he is hungry or thirlly, when he feels
Pleafure or Pain, when he hears or fees this
or the oiher Objedt : When we tranfad any
Bufinefs, or drive on any Bargain with Men,
we know whether we deal honeftlyand tru-
Jy with them or no , if we have Deligns of
overreaching them, or impofing upon them ,
they perhaps cannot difcover it : But it is im-
poiiible we (hould conceal our Defigns from
our felves.

And as the Matter (lands with our own
Hearts as to Men, fo doth it aifo fland with
them as to God Almighty. We all know
well enough (or at leaft may know if we
will but look into our felves) how our Hearts
ftand afFeded to Vertue and Goodnefs. We
know what the Defigns are we drive on in our
profellion of Religion. We know what acls
of Piety we perform out of an inward Devo-
tion, and what for the fencing wurldly Ends.
We know what Sins we indulge againft Con-
fcience, and what Sins we do not. We know
when our Prayers are hearty, and when they
are only formal and cuftomary. We know
when we break our Refolutions, and when
we keep them ^ when the main ftudy and de-
figns of our Lives is to pleafe God, when to
pleafe our felves or to gratify our Lulls. In

a

Tl?e Fourteenth Sermon, q ir

a Word, in all the Inftances of our Conver-
fation, we know whether we deal fincerely
with God or no : In thefe Things our Con-
fciences are as a thoufand WitnefTcs, and if
we look into them they willn ever deceive us,
and if they did deceive us, there would be
no fuch Vertue as Sincerity, nor any fuch Sin
as Hypocrify in the World.

But Secondly, as this received Opinion,
that a Man cannot know his own Heart, is
againft our inward Senfe and Experience, fo
is it alfo repugnant to the Holy Scripture.
There is nothing more ufual there than to
find the mod holy Men pleading and infifl-
ing upon their own uprightnefs and (irfcerity,
and this not only before Men, but before
God himfelf. Now how could they be ima-
gined to do this, unlefs they thought at lead
that they knew their own Hearts } David
doth this twenty times over in his Pfalms.
Hes-ekiah in his (icknefs is not afraid to fpeak
to God in thefe Words. / befiech thej, O
Lord, remember how I have walked before
thee in truth, and ivith a perfeB Heart, and
have done that which is good in thjf fighty
2 Kings 20. 5. Job flood fo ftedfaflly on
his own Integrity, that whatever his Friends
faid to the contrary, he folemnly declares
he would inhft on it till he died. St. Faul
himfelf fetches a Comfort and Joy from this
very Topick. This is my rejoyciyig, faith he,
the tejlimony of my Confoience that infimplicity
'and godly fine srity^ I have had my Converfa-

tion

^\6

Jhe Fourteenth Sermon,

t'lon in this World. The fame St. Paul tells
us That no Man knows the Things of a Man,
hilt the Spirit of a Man that is in htju. So
that according to him, the Spirit of a Man
doth know his own Affairs, and Concerns.
Laftly, Nothing in the World can be plainer
to our purpofe than thofe Words of St. John
1 Ep. 5 . 20,21. If our Hearts^ faith he,
condemn us, God is greater than our Hearts
and knoweth all Things, hit if our Hearts
condemn us 7iot, then have we confidence to-
wards God, So that if that Apoftle may be
believed, it is our Hearts condemning us or
not condemning us, upon which we are to
ground our Confidence or no Confidence to-
wards God. The unavoidable Confequence
of which is, that we may know our own
Hearts, and be competent Judges, whether
we be fincere towards God or no.

Well, but if this be fo, how comes it to
pafs that fo many are every Day deceived in
the Judgment they make of themfelves ,
fome taking themfelves to be goodChriftians,
and to have a Right and Title to God's Favour
who are indeed far from it : Others who
have no reafon to doubt of their Sincerity in
God's Service, yet are not able to entertain a
good Thought of themfelves ?

I cannot deny the Matter of hR to be fo,
as is here reprefented: But I anfvver, that
the Miftakes that both forts of People lye
under do not proceed from hence, that they
^0 not, cr may not know their own Hearts,,

buk;

The Fourteenth Sermon.
but from quite different Caufes, of which I
now come to give an Account, and that is
the third Thing I propofed upon this Text.

Now the true Caufes from whence, as I
conceive, thefe kind of Miltakes concerning
a Mans felf (which are commonly attributed
to the deceitfuhiefs of the Heart) do proceed j
are chiefly thefe three. That is to fay, either
not fufficiently examining our own Hearts: Or
Secondly, a Mifapprehenfion concerning the
Terms that God hath required of us, in or-
der to Salvation. Or Thirdly, fome acci-
dental indifpofition of Temper, which ren-
ders us incapable of rightly judging concern-
ing our felves.

Firft of all, perhaps a Man doth not ex-
amine his own Heart at all, or examines it
very carelefly. Now when it happens thus
with a Man, how can it be avoided but he
raufl: needs fall under great Miflakes con-
cerning the State of his Soul ? The Cafe is
here the fame with that of a Tradefman,
that will make a Judgment of his temporal
Eftate without examining his Books, with-
out infpeding into Particulars, where he is
Debtor and where he is Creditor. Is it not
a Hundred to One that fuch a Man makes a
falfe Eftimate of what he is worth, and thinks
himfelf either richer or poorer than really he
is } But yet it doth not follow from hence
that his Books do deceive him ^ on the con-
trary, if he had fearched them, they would
have told him truly in what Condition he

flood

3^7

ji8 TJje Fourteenth Sennon,

flood towards all he dealt with. And thus
it is with Mens Hearts, they are our Books,
and fo are they ftiled in Scripture, and we
ought to open them and ftudy them daily,
and from them to judge of the Account be-
tween Heaven and us. But if we be negli-
gent in this Matter, if we will not be at the
Trouble of fearching into our Hearts and
Lives, but run on at random, and live by
chance, and (lill refolve to hope the bed,
let us not blame our Hearts but our Idlenefs,
if we take up falfe Opinions of our felves.
Thefe Books will be opened and examined at
the great Day, and then we fhall be convin-
ced, that we might have made a true Judg-
ment of our Condition, if we would have
taken Pains to look into them.

But Secondly, Men often take up falfe
Notions and Apprehenfions of the Meafures
of Vertue and Obedience that God requires
of them, and make Terms of Salvation to
themfelves which God never made. This is
another Caufe and Occafion (and indeed the
inoft common one of all) of our Miftakes in
the Judgment we make of our own Conditi-
on, and which we too frequently but very
unskilfully attribute to the deceitfulnefs of our
Hearts. Some Men think that a lefs degree
of Stridnefs and Holinefs will recommend
them to God than indeed will , and of thefe
likewife there are different Sorts according to
the different Schemes of Religion Men have
fr.tmed in their own Minds. Some think if

they

Tlje Fourteenth Sennon. 3 ^9

they be but free from grofs and fcandalous
Immorality in their Converfation, they are
fafe enough, tho' they live all their Lives
without any inward Senfe of God or Religi-
on. Others think that a difclaiming their
own Righteoufnefs, and entirely relying and
depending upon the Righteoufnefs of Chrifl,
will without more ado fecure their Title to
Salvation. Others think that' a regular at-
tendance on the outward worfhip of God,
and now and then performing Ads of Repen-
tance at the folemn Seafons, when they re-
ceive the Sacrament, will give them a Title
to all the Promifes of the Gofpel, tho' yet
they never mortify thofe Lulls and vitious
Habits which they fo often repent of. A
great many other Forms of Religion there are,
with which Men may cheat themfeives into
a good Opinion of their own eternal Condi-
tion.

But then this arifeth not from the deceit-
fulnefs of their Hearts, but from the Error
of their Underftandings, which they have
not taken care Ihould be rightly informed
concerning the Term's upon which God hath
ofFer*d Salvation to Mankind in the Gof-
pel.

The Teftimony of their own Hearts con-
cerning themfeives is true enough, they are
really as fincere as they take themfeives to
be, and have made all thofe Attainments that
they, think they have, but then that degree
of Sincerity, thofe Attainments will not do
f their

^lo *Ihe Fourteenth Sermon,

their Work, and here lies their Miftake-
And as it is frequently thus with Men that
are apt to judge too favourably of themfelves,
fo it is alfo with thofe that think worfe of
themfelves than they ought to do. A great
many good Men are full of Fears and Doubts,
and Perplexities concerning their Condition,
and that without any reafon in the World.
But whence doth this happen? It is becaufe
their Hearts give them a wrong Account of
themfelves ? No, but becaufe they have fet
the Terms of Salvation in their own Minds,
higher than Chrift hath fet them in the Scri-
ptures. They have taken up an Opinion
perhaps, that there is no pretending to be a
Difciple of Chrifl, unlefs a Man live fuch a
perfed Life of Vertue and Holinefs, that he
hath even refcued himfelf from the common
and daily Frailties which are incident to hu-
man Nature. It is not enough with them to
ftrive againft all Sin, and not to be guilty of
any wilful one, unlefs they can alfo live fo,
as that their Confciences doth not reproach
them for any failure in their Duty, or any
adlual Tranigreflion of the Laws of God.
They cenfure themfelves as much for an o-
miflion of their Prayers, or for too free a
Meal, or for a hafty Paflion, or an indifcreet
Word, or a carelefnefs and wandring in their
Devotions, and the like, as other People do
for downright Crimes and Impieties.

Unlefs now thefe People could live free
from all thefe Defeds and Irregularities

(which

Tl)e Fourteenth Sermon. 311

(which they will find it a hard Matter to do,
fo long as they converfe in the World, and
arc clothed with mortal Bodies ) how is it
pofTibie fo long as they are under thefe Mif-
apprehenfions , but they mud think very
hardly and difconfolateiy of their Condition?
But then I hope no Body will fay, that it is
the deceitfulnefs of their Heart, that is the
Caufe of this wrong Judgment they make of
themfelves j but their iMifipprehenlions con-
cerning the Meafures of Chrifl's Obedience.
If their Underftanding were right in the
Matter, their Hearts would no way deceive
them, but would fpeak Peace to them.

But Thirdly, Another Caufe to which are
owing the MilLakes of Men concerning their
Condition (tho' the deceitfulnefs of a Man's
Heart fuffers the Blame of them ) is often
fome accidental Indifpohtion of Temper, that
renders them incapable of making a right
Judgment of themfelves. This is viiible in
thofe that are afHided with that which we
call religious Melancholy, which tho' it be
a Difeafe of theBody, yet fo doth it affed
the Mind, that a Man can no more under
that Diftemper form a right Notion of his
own fpiritual State, than a Man that is over-
run with the Yellow-jaundice, or looks thro'
a. coloured Glafs can rightly judge of the Co-
lour of an Objed prefented to him ^ fach a
one will pafs a Judgment not according to
the Truth of the Thing, or the Appeirance
it hath to others, but according to th^
Vol. IIL Y lavr^r-

3 2.2 n^e Fourteenth Sermon.

ImprefTions of thofe Colours, with which
his Eye is prepoiTcfTed. But now tho'itthus
happens to Mens Senfes thro' a Difeife or
fome other Accident, yet J hope no Body
will from hence draw this general Conclufi-
on, that the Senfes of a Man are fo deceit-
ful, that he cannot rely upon the Report
they give in to him concerniiig outward Ob-
jeds. And as little Reafon is there to make
the fame Conclufion concerning a Man'sHeart,
upon account that now and then the Under-
flanding is fo deeply tindured with Melancho-
ly, that he judgeth falily of his own State.

The Truth is this, in the Condition of fe-
veral Hypocondriack Perfons, who tho' they
are truly devout towards God, and make it
the Bulinefs of their Lives to recommend
themfelves to him, and would not for the
World do any thing that fhould wound their
Confciences, yet fuch is their Lifelicity they
are never fuisfyed with themfelves - they
accufe themfelves for every Thing they think,
or fay, or do : Nay, they are fometin^es
ready to defpair upon account of the great-
nefs of their Sins, many of which yet lye
only in their Imagination : But God be thank-
ed thefe Perfons are not the worfe for think-
ing themfelves fo very bad '^ and tho' they
cannot make aright Judgment of themfelves,
God will : But in the mean time, thefe Di-
flurbances of theirs do not at all refled up-
on the fincerity of their own Hearts, no
more than as I laid a Man's having a Difeafe

calls

77;e Fourteenth Sermon, jlj

calls into queftion the Credit of the outward
Senfes, as to Matter of Tafte, or Smell, or See-
ing, or the like.

And thus much on my third general Point.
But it will be faid, Is not the Heart then in
any Senfe deceitful with refped to our
felves : 1 anfwer yes it is ^ and in what Senfe
it is fo, is the fourth Thing I propofed to
give an Account of. And in my Judgment
the deceitfulnefs of our Heart lyes in this,
that tho' they do not deceive us as to what they
reprefent concerning the prefent pofture and
flate o( our Souls, yet they often deceive us
in what they reprefent to us concerning out
future Behaviour, or the E'rame and Difpo-
fition we ftiall be in fometime hence. If we
ask them in what Condition we are now at
prefent, they will give us a faithful Anfwer:
But if we ask them how long we (hall conti-
nue in that Condition, or whether we Ihall
be in the fame Temper or Difpofition a Year
hence , in that they do often impofe upon us :
So that in this refped: we may truly apply
to them the Words of my Text, ( tho' the
Prophet meant them in another Senfe.) Ths
heart is deceitful above all things^ who can
know it .«* And in truth this is all the deceit-
fulnefs our Hearts are capable of, with re-
fped to our felves. We often are of one
Mind to Day, and of another to Morrow.
We eagerly at the prefent entertain this or the
other Defign, that is propofed to us, and
perhaps for a while we briskly purfue it, but
Y 2 , we

324 TJje Fourteenth Sermon.

we are often in as little time weary of if,
and by degrees quite let it fall to the Ground.
I grant this uncertainty in our felv^es is
fometimes very commendable, for if we hap-
pen to choofe amifs at the firft, it is but fit
and juO:, as foon as we find our Miftake, that
we alter our Counfels and Defigns. But it
is not only thus with us in the Cafe of a rafh
inconvenient Refolution, but in thofe Cafes
where we choofe moil wifely, and refolve
moft deliberately , and purfue thofe Refolu-
tions for a Time with the greateft Vigour
and Earneftnefs imaginable , even then tho'
we can never find any Caufe to blame our
felves for pitching on thofe Defigns, yet do
we quire let theai drop and take contrary
Meafures. Have we not frequent Experi-
ence of Men, who upon the awakening of
their Confciences by fome Afflidion or good
Advice from their P'riends, or fome grievous
Inconveniency they have brought uponthem-
felves, do enter into foiemn and fi:rict Refo-
lutions to forfake that finful courfe of Life
they are ingaged in i, to leave off their Drun-
kennefs far inftance, or their Whoredom, or
the like, and to become ftridly fober and
vertuous ; nay and do fo firmly continue in
thofe Refolutions for fome time, that they
verily believe they ftiall never be guilty of
thofe Sins again ? Yet upon the return of
Temptations do by degrees Joofe all their
good Impreffions, and become as lewd and as
difolute as ever they were before } So that

you

Tl)e Fourteenth Sermon. ? i r

you fee there is no truflin^r of tliofe Men,
nor could they trufl: themfelves. And as Men
are often thus deceived in their Purpofes of
growing better, fo arc they as often in their
Purpofes of not growing worfe. Some there
are who tho' they mike no great protelii.Mi
of Religion, or of {iricl Vertue, yet ha^'e
fuch a Senfe of Morality or Generofity (call
it what you will) that they would abhor the
Thoughts of doing any bafe infamous Adi-
on, tho* they cannot pretend to be good, yet
they will undertake you (hall never find theui
bad Men ^ you dial I never take them in any
Pradice that isunhandfome, or bafe, or appa-
rently wicked , and certainly they are to be
believed in what they fay or think, fo fir as
a Man can promife for the future. But in
this Inflance alfo the Heart is deceitful, as
well as in the former, they can no more telj
by their prefent Inclinations what degree of
Impiety they may at lafi: arrive at, if they
continue indulging any Sin, than others caa
tell from their prefent gojd Purpofes, what
progrefs they Ihall make in Vertue : If a
Man once begins to be wicked, there is no
Step of wicked nefs he can (top at.

The Cafe of Hazael in the 8th Chapter of
the 2d o^ Kin£s^ is very proper to this Pur-
pofe ^ that Hiftory is ufually brought for an
Inftanceof the deceitfulncfs of the Heart,
and it is a remarkable one in that Senfj of its
deceitfulnefs we fpeak oF, but in no other.
Ha-z>ad was a Servant of the King of Sjirla^
Y 3 . and

^i6 TIjc Fourteenth Sermon]

and was fent by his M'lfter when he was
(ick, to the Prophet Elifia, to know of him,
whether he fhould recover. The Prophet af-
ter he had given him an anfwer to his Mef-
fage, applys himfelf to the MeiTenger •, and
weeping told him, what horrible Mifchief
he (hould do, what Ravages and Defolations
he fhould make among the IfraelHes in time
to come. The Man was very much amazed
at the Prophets Speeches, and ferioufly an-
fwered. Am I dog that IJhouUdo this thing .<?
Without doubr he fpoke what he thought :
It never enter 'd into his Mind to have a
Hand in fuch Barbarities as the Prophet fpoke
of. And therefore he might iincerely declare
his abhorrence of fuch kind of Practices. But
yet for all that, the Prophet (?,s the Event
fhewed ) knew him better than he knew
himfelf;, for when he came to be King of
Sjria he did really do all thofe Things, and
was guilty of all thofe inhumane Cruelties
that the Prophet had fpoke of This is a
remarkable Liftance of a Man that thought
himfelf honeft, but proved notorioufly wick-
ed. And thus 1 doubt not it generally hap-
pens with all Men that prove fo ^ there are
fome Times of their Lives when they would
tremble to think of feveral wicked Acftions,
which afterv/ards they themfelves do com-
mit, not only without remorfe, but with
pleafure.

But it will hz faid. Is not in the mean
time ihe Condition of Mankind very mifera-

ble,

71)6 Fourteenth Sermon. 327

ble, th^t can neither rely upon their Refo-
lutions to do well, nor upon their Parpofes
not to do ill ? I anfwer, it is no other Con-
dition than what is necelTary for them, in
order to the making them careful of their
own Actions. And if God hath endued us
with liberty of Choice, and given us a Com-
mand over our own Adions, and put us in-
to a Capacity of doing well or doing ill, it
inuft needs be thus with us. But yet there
is this to be fiid to mitigate our own Infeli-
city as to this Point, and that is, tho* the
Heart of Man be deceitful as to what is fu-
ture, yet it is not equally fo to all kind of
Perfons. There are fome Men may much
better truft their own Hearts than others can,
nay and if they do truft them, they will
rarely deceive them. It is a Thoufand to
One but their Hearts will give them a true
Account of themfelves, even with relation
to what is future , but then as for others that
are in different Circumftances, there is no
fuch Thing to be faid.

To give an Account of this difference in
Men, as to the deceitfulnefs of their Hearts
(I fpeak with reference to their fpiritual E-
ftates, as they ftand to God and Vertue,
which is the only Thing I have here to con-
(ider) it will be needful to diftinguifh Man-
kind into three Sorts.

There are fome Men that have got Habits
of Vertue and Goodnefs, have made it their
Bufinefs for a long Time to ferve God. and
" • . • Y 4. ' ' li^'e

p8

•7 Tl?e Fourteaith Sermon.

live in obedience to his Laws. There are o-
thers likewife, that have got Habits of Vice
and Sin, have a long Time purfued a Courfe
of Wickednefs, have indulged all their fenfa-
al Lufts and Appetites without any refiraint,
fave only what their worldly Interefts have
put upon them. There is likewife a third
Sort of Men, that are neither fo much un^
der the Power of Goodnefs or the Power of
Vice, but that they do as it were hefitate and
deliberate to which of the two they fliould
give up theinfelves. They feem to be in
the Confines of both, and fometimes to in-
cline to the one, fometimes to the other, but
have not fixed themfelves firm Subjeds to
either.

Now tho' the Heart, as to what is future,
may be deceitful in fome degree or other in
all thefe forts of Men, yet it is abundantly
more deceitful in the lad, than in the two
former. The firft Sort, thofe that have got
Habits of Vertue, there is no great Danger of
their mifcirrying, and flill the lefs Danger
by how much more thofe Habits are rooted
and confirmed. They having in a good de-
gree mortifyed all their corrupt Inclinations,
and ufed themfelves to a Life of Piety and
Vertue, will find that Life fo natural, fo ex-
tremely agreeable to them, and the Grace of
Chrifl: fo powerful in them, that they fiiall
not be able without great violence to their
own Minds to forfake God and commit wick-
ednefs 5 it will be like putting a Knife to

7he Fourteenth Sermon, ^29

their Throats, or throwing themfclves into
the Fire.

As for the fecond fort of Men, thofe that
are hardned in Sin, God knows their State is
likewife too much fixed, either for them-
felves or others eafily to be deceived about it,
unlefs perhaps in this refped, that they may-
arrive to a greater pitch of Wickednefs and
Degeneracy than ever they intended. Jf a-
ny Judgment can be made of them as to what
is future, it is this, that if God do not in
mercy awaken them, and roufe them up by
fome efpecial extraordinary Providence, they
will grow worfe and worfe, and can never
fix any Bounds to their wickednefs, for as
the degrees of Vertue are infinite, fo are
thofe of Vice too. So thnt by this you fee
they are the third fort of Men, in which
that deceitfulnefs of the Heart we are fpeak-
ing of, doth generally take place. Thofe
that are not perfedly fixed, either as to Ver- '
tue or to Vice j Thofe whofeConfcience is fo
awake, that tho* it cannot always oblige
them to do as they fhould do, yet it doth fe-
verely teftify againft them if they commit
any greit Sin Thefe Men now are very
uncertain, fometimes they are altogether in a
good Humour, they are very forry for their
Follies, they are infinitely convinced that
they fhall be undone to all intents and pur-
pofes, if they do not change their courfe of
Life 5 and accordingly they do fometimes re-
folve ferioufly to do it, and now and then

maJke

l]o

The Fourteenth Sermon,

make fome Attempts towards it. At other
Times they are quite off the Hinges, yield-
lY)'^ themfelves up to the fway of their Lufts
and P.iffions, and clofing with every Temp-
tation that comes in their way. Now where-
ever Men are in thefe Cirrum fiances, their
He^irts are infinitely deceitful, and it is im-
pofTible for them certainly to know in what
State and Temper of Mind, as to God and Re-
ligion, they (1m 11 be in a Month hence, and
yet this is I believe the Condition of the
greateft part of Men. But yet even of thefe
Men there is fome difference, according as
they more or lefs approach to Habits, either
in Vertue or Vice ^ there is more or lefs
Truft to be given to what their Hearts tell
them, as to their future Behaviour.

This is as near as I can guefs, a true Ac-
count of the deceitful nefs of Mens Hearts,
with reference to themfelves. All that now
remains is in the fifth and laft Place to fay
fomething about the Remedy of it.

Now fince it appears from what has been
faid, that our Hearts deceitfulnefs is caufed
by our iiuduating as it were, between Ver-
tue and Vice, and that the nearer any one
approaches to Habits of Goodnefs, the lefs
deceitful will his Heart be : It is plain that
the Cure of this deceitfulnefs mufl confifl in
the getting and increafing fuch Habits, and
therefore whatever conduceth to that end is a
proper Prefcription in this Cafe. Now for
Uie obtaining Hibits of Vertue, every one

will

Tl)e Fourteenth Sermon',

will fee that thefe four Things are abfolutc-
ly neceiTary.

I fliall but juft name them and conclude.

Firft of all, ferious and hearty Refoluti-
ons to break loofe from our Sins, and to live
a holy, vertuous and religious Life, whate-
ver Pains or Trouble it may put us to, and
thofe often repeated, not contenting our felves
with refolving now and then at a good Time,
but every Day renewing our Purpofes and
devoting our felves to God and his Service,
and fortifying our Minds againft all thofe
Difficulties and Allurements that may be
thrown in our way to divert us from the
Good we have ingaged our felves in.

Secondly, A conftant care and watch ful-
nefs over our felves and over all our Adions,
and efpecially at thofe times when we are in
the view of Temptations, then it will parti-
cularly concern us to ftand upon our Guard,
and narrowly to attend the Motions of our
own Minds.

Thirdly, Frequent Tryals and exercifing
of our felves in the way of Vertue. Every
one knows that a Habit of any Aclion is got
by doing that Adion often ^ if we would get
a Habit of Devotion we muft ufe our felves
to fay our Prayers. If we would get a Ha-
bit of Meeknefs, we mull: take all Occalions
of practifing upon our felves, to fupprefs the
Anger and Refentments that arife in us upon
any Provocation. And thus as to all the o-
tlier Inftances of Vertue.
." And

33 »

5?2

Jhe Fourteenth Sermon,
And let us remember this, that tho' every
A6lion of this kind miy at the lirfl be very
troublefome to us, and withal very imper-
fed, yet ev«"ry time we repeat the Adion we
(hall do it both with greater Eafe and with
greater Perfection and Satisfadion to our
felves, and if we continue on in this repetition
of our Aftions, we fhall in time get the Ha-
bit we defire.

Efpecially in the laft Place, if with all
thefe Things we join conflant and fervent
Prayer to God, and a hearty Faith inChrift,
together with the ufe of thofe other M^^ans
that our Religion doth recommend to us ^
knowing the deceitfulnefs of our own Hearts,
the weaknefs and inconftancy of our Tem-
pers, we mufl fetch in other Aids and Suc-
cours befides thofe thit we have in oar
felves, even the Aids and Succours of the
Holy Spirit of Gjd, which he never refafes
to any Soul that earneftly prays for them,
and endeavours to frame his Life according
to thofe Inftitutions that Jefus Chrift hath
laid down in the Gofpel.

Thefe are the Methods, which if we con-
llantly pradife we (hall undoubtedly ?row
in Vertue and Goodnefs , and our Hearts
will by degrees be fo confirmed in pious
Habits, that we {hall not need to fear they
will ever deceive us. But we fhall go
from ftrength to ftrength, till at laft we
come to appear before God in Sion, the

Heavenly

The Fourteenth Sermon. ^ ^ *

Heavenly Jerufalem not made with Hands,
where we fliall for ever live in unfpeakable
Glory and Happinefs :

To which Place God Almighty bring us
all, dec.

S E R-

3H

SERMON XV.

Firfl Epiftle of St. J O H N V. ?.

This is the love of God, that we keep his
Commandments , and his Commandments

are not urievons.

^^Wk T is the latter part of this Text I

I ^S^ ^^^^ "°^ ^^? \^'^^t to inlift on.
j^j^ His Commandments are not zrie-
M^ vous.

And I would to God we all thought fo,
for then more of us wou'd fet our felves to
keep God's Commandments than now do!

Some have got fuch frightful Notions of
Religion, that indeed they have not the Cou-
rage in good earneft to engage in it. They
look upon it as m^de for none but either the
Melancholy or the Miferable, fuch as are
not framed in their Tempers for the enjoy-
ment of Life, or fuch as by reafon of their
unhappy Circumftances are incapacitated for
them. With fome it paileth, that the Pre-
cepts of Religion ( as they are taught us in
the Holy Scriptures) arc impoflible to be li-
ved up to, and therelbre it is in vain to trou-
ble

Tlje Fifteenth Sermon, 3 J J

ble their Heads about them. Others that
have confidered the Matter better, tho* they
cannot £\y they are impoflible, yet they are
tempted to think they are very hard and fe-
vere : They are extream rigorous Impofiti-
ons, and indeed unreafonable Reflraints up-
on human Nature, and will put one to fo
much Trouble and Pains and Self-denial,
that in truth if a Man will fcrupuloufly go-
vern himfelf by them, he mufi: not at all live
like a Man in this World, nor enjoy himfelf
in the common Gratifications that by the
Frame and Conftitution of Things fcems to
have been allowed to Mankind,

Now upon fuch Prejudices as thefe, that
Men have taken up, a great many, 1 fear,
are mightily difcouraged from ever ferioufly
applying themfelves to God and Goodnefs ;
and for thefe Reafons think themfelves very
excufable either for their making no Profefli-
on of Religion at all, or, if they do make
fuch a ProfeiTion, for their indulging them-
felves in fuch Liberties as are altogether in-
confiftent with it.

I do not know, how I can do greater Ser-
vice in order to the recommending the feri-
©us Pradice of Religion to you, which is my
Bufinefs at this Time, than by endeavouring
to vindicate it from thefe Exceptions ^ by
putting the Propofition here affirm'd by the
Apoftle into as fair a Light as I can, and
fliewing that thofe, who frame to themfelves
fuch difmal Apprehenfions of a ftridly pious

and

5^6 The Fifteenth Sermon,

and vertuous Life, do proceed upon very
lalfe Grounds , and that the Duty which
God requires of us is fo far from being; an in-
tolerable or a grievous Burden upon Man-
kind, that on the contrary, it is very light
and eafy.

This I am fure we have fufficient War-
. rant, both from oar Saviour and his Apo-
flles to teach and declare to all the World ^
whatever Prejudices Men may have enter-
tained to the contrary. Our Saviour in ex-
prefs Terms hath told us, that his Take is
eafy^ and his Burden is light ^ and his be-
loved Apoftle St. John hath in this Text de-
clared, that his Comimndments are not grie-
vous.

I am here far from denying that there are
Difficulties in Religion : It would be againft
the Senfe and Experience of Mankind to af-
firm there are none \ nay as Things general-
ly Hand with Mens corrupt Niture and Prin-
ciples, it cannot be denied that it is more dif-
ficult, and will require more Care and La-
bour to be vertuous than to be vitious. All
the World muft acknowledge, that going in
the Paths of Vertue is like going up the Hill, it
will put one to Pains and intenfion of Nerves.
Whereas on the other fide, to live loofely and
vitioufly is fuch a Defcent, as the degenera-
cy of Mankind and the evil Examples we
have before us, have made very natural and
eafie to every Body. But this notwithftand-
ing we may fafely affirm, that as the Way

of

The Fifteenth Sermon. j 3 7]

of God and Vertue is in it felf a much plain-
er and eader Way than that of Vicq and
Wickednefs, fo all thofe Things conlidered
that are to be put into the Ballance againft
our natural Infirmities, and Indifpofitions to
Vertue, it will be found that a Man fhall
need to take lefs Pains to be very good ,
than to be very bad. That a Man fhall more
confult his own Eafe and Pleafure and Satis-
fadion by living a religious than an irreligious
Life. Nay let the extremelb Hardihips and
Difficulties that ever happen to any Man that
gives up himfelf a Votary to Religion be taken
into the Confideration, yet for all that it ought
not to be accounted a fevere or grievous Impofi-
tion, but an Obligation upon us that is very
natural, very eafy, nay and very delightful.
His Commandments are not grievous.

This is the Point I am to maintain, and
for the making it good I fhall proceed by fe-
veral Steps and Degrees, and lay down my
Propofitions ;, fo that every one may ferve
both to confirm the Truth of what we are
now ftarting, and alfo either obviate or an-
fwer the Objections that are brought to the •
contrary.

And the firfl Point I afTert is this. That
Religion is not an impradicable Thing, as
fome Men do fuggefl, but it is poflible for us
to live up to it. There is no Man living can
affirm that there is any thing commanded by
the Laws of Jefus Chrifl (which to usChn-
ftians make the whole of our Duty, and the
Vol. III. Z whole

3]8 77;^ Fifteenth Sermon,

whole of our Religion) but what every Man in
the World may if he willfet himfelf upon it,
yield Obedience to. Take the hardeft part
of the Chriftian Yoke, that is to fay, forgive-
nefs of Enemies, doing good to our Enemies,
denying our worldly Interefts, and renoun-
cing all we have ( when God calls us to it )
for the fake of Jefus Chrifr. Yet I hope
there is no Body can fay that thefe Things
are impoffible, tho' they may be accounted
very fevere. Impoffible they cannot be, be-
caufe a thoufand Men have adually done all
thefe Things, and that upon far lighter Mo-
tives and Confiderations than Chrift's Religi-
on offers and propofeth to us for the doing of
them.

And if thefe Things be pra6licable, why
mufl we not think the fime of the refc of
the Chriftian Precepts, fuch as owning God
for our Creator, and continual Benefador ,
and as fuch paying him our conftant Tribute
of Woriliip, and Prayer, and Praife, both in
publick and private, living in an humble
Senfe of his Almighty Majefty, and our own
un worth inefs , ufing with temperance and
moderation the good Things he vouchfafes us,
being honeft and juft and faithful in all our
Dealings, and (hewing kindnefs and good na-
ture and charity to all our fellow Creatures:
In a Word, living righteouQy, and foberly,
and godly in this prefent World. Do thefe
Things look fo very formidable^ that a Man
fhould fnrink at the naming them ? And cry

out.

Tlye Fifteenth Sermon. 33?

out, Oh thefe Things are too hard for Man-
kind ! It is impoffible we fliould live up to
them ! Why I wou'd fain know what Rules
for the Government of our Adions are pra-
dicable if thefe be not > And yet thefe ar»
the great Hardfhips and ImpofTibilities that in
the ordinary courfe of Providence will occur
to us in the way of Religion. Thefe are the
Things in which our Duty will principally
lye, and in which we fhall be exercifing our
felves all our lives. And 1 dare fay not one
of a thoufand doth ever meet with greater
Difficulties in the way of Religion, than the
Pradice of thefe Things.

Ay but it will be faid, I have not fairly
reprefented the Matter ^ the impoffibility of
keeping God's Commandments doth not lye
in any particular inftance of Duty, for it can-
not be denyed every Precept of the Gofpel
(ingly taken may be pradicable enough , but
the Objedion is, that our Duty is impradica-
ble in the whole. That is to fay, the Parti-
culars are fo many, and the Laws themfelves
fo ftrid extending both to our Thoughts and
Words, as well as to our Adions, that no
Man can attend to them all at all Times: So
that it is impoffible for any Man fo to order
his Converfation, but that in forae Inftance
or other he will be a TranfgrelTor of God's
Laws, and that too perhaps every Day, and
confequently the Duty required of us is too
hard for us.

Z 2 Why

'^4o T/;e Fifteenth Sermon,

Why if this be the Objedtion, there is an
eafy Anfwer to it. It was never intended
when we are giving an Account of the pofli-
bility of keeping God's Commandments, to
leave out of the Account the gracious Allow-
ances that God hath promifed by Chrift Je-
fus to make for the Infirmities of human Na-
ture. Nay indeed when ever we lay down
this general Propofition that every Man is
indifpenfably bound to keep all God's Com-
mandments, that Propofition is always to he
underftood in fuch a Senfe as to take in thofe
gracious Allowances. If therefore we do but
remember two Things as to this Matter, this
whole Objedion perfedly vanifheth.

The firll: is, that God Almighty in the
Laws he gave us by Jefus Chrift, did never
mean to tye us up to an exad and unfinning
Obedience to them , but in the Gofpel Senfe
we are faid to obey God's Laws when we do
our fincere Endeavours to obey them, when
in the main of our Lives we live up to them,
when we do not indulge our felves in any
known wilful courfe of Sin ^ but as much as
we can, as far as our own Weaknefs of Nature
and the Circumftances ofourLives will permit,
we do mortify our corrupt Affedions, and
live holy and vertuous Lives.

But Secondly, tho' we have not done this
for the Life paft, yet there is ftill a Plank
left after Shipwrack. If we do but truly re-
pent of our Sins paft, how great, how hei-
nous, and how long continued in foever they

have

The Fifteenth Sermon, ^41

have been, (that is fo repent as to forfake
them.) Even in this Cafe we fay that fucU
a Man keeps the Commandments of God,
and doth all that/jod requires of him ^ for
he doth as much as God under the Gofpel
Covenant hath promifed he will accept and
reward, a Man for in the other World.

Now this bein^ the Cafe, you fee plainly
that all this Talk of the impoflibility of keeping
God's Commandments, and the urging of it
as an exception againft Religion, as it is very
impertinent, fo indeed it is not fair dealing,
for the Laws of God require no more of a
Man than he can do, and whoever doth his
honeft Endeavours to ferve God as well as he
can, fuch a Man ( we will without fctuple
fay) doth keep God's Commandments, not-
withftanding any Frailties and Inrirmities
that may oiherwife attend the courfe of his
Life.

Having thus clear'd my Way, I proceed a
Step farther, and lay down a fecond Propo-
rtion as to this Matter, and th.it is this.

That as the Commandments of God are
not grievous upon account that they are im-
poflible, fo neither are they grievous m this
refpeft, that they are unnatural, or a force
upon the Conftitution of Mankind, (as thofe
whom we are now difputing with objed : )
Reilraints indeed we do allow they are to the
licentious Practices of Mankind, but not fucli
Reftraints as ought to be called Invalions or
Intrenchments upo.i humme Liberty, be-
Z 5 caufe

34^ ^^^ Fi/iteewt/? Sermon.

caufe indeed they are but the fetting forth or
the marking out of the true Bounds of that Li-
berty, as it is a Perfedion of humane Nature , x
which Bounds whofoeverf tranfgrelleth, he
will be fo far from being the eaiier or the
happier for fo doing, that he will be certain-
ly miferable.

As long as humsne Nature is as it is, the
happinefs of Mankind can confift in nothing
elfe but in ufing their Liberty according to
the bed Rules of Reafon, and thofe we are
fure are but another Name for the Laws of
Religion. And the very tranfgrefling thofe
Rules, tho' God had annexed no Penalties to
the Tranfgreflion, would of it felf have found
a fufficient Punifliment. Every Man- that
lives in a courfe of Vice and Irreligion is fen-
lible of this ^ he knows and feels that Things
are not with him as they Qiould be^ he
knows and feels that his Mind is not at eafe,
is not right in that Way that he is engaged
in i becaufe he every Day doth Xbings which
his Reafon cannot approve of Now whe-
ther this be not a fufficient Demonftration
that the Ways of Vertue are fuitable to our
Natures 5 and the Way of Vice and Sin con-
tradiclory to them, I leave any one to judge.
In truth a Man may as well put the Quelti-
on which of the two is mod natural and a-
greeabie to a Man's Conftitution, Health or
Sicknef^, as he can put it whether Vertue or
Vice be fo.

Av.

The Ftfteenib Sermon, 345

Ay, but it will be faid, is it not plain
that Men are born with feveral ftrong Incli-
nations and Pro pen fit ies to Pleafure, toWealth,
to Power, and Greatnefs, and the like? And
doth not Religion put a terrible Curb upon
all thofe Appetites and Paflions, how then
can you call the Laws of it agreeable to Na-
ture }

Why, to this \ anfwer, that as to all the
Appetites and Paffions that Men are born
with of what kind foever they be, Religion,
as it is taught us in the Gofpel, doth not hin-
der the Satisfadion of any of them. I do
not know of any Inclination that is truly na-
tural, but what is allowed to be gratifyed fo
long as it is done in proper Inftances and due
Meafure, fo far as is tit, and juft, and rea-
fonable, nay fo far as it really conduceth to
the true Pleafure and Happinefs of the Per-
fon that is concerned. All that our Religi-
on forbids is the irregularity and exorbitancy
of our Paflions and Appetites, and that we
(hould not fo humour them as either to hurt
our felves, or do Injury to our Neighbour by
the gratification of them.

Thefe are all the Reflraints I know of,
that the Commandments of God put upon
us as to thefe Matters , and if fo, judge you
how terrible they are : But to put this Mat-
ter out of doubt. If any Man can make it a
(Xueftion whether Vertue or Vice be the
more agreeable to the Frame of his Nature,
I would but defire him for the refolving this

z 4 a^e-

2AA Tl)e Fifteenth Sermon,

Queftion, to run over all the Inflances of
our Duty as charged upon us in the Scrip-
ture, and all the Sins oppofite thereto, and
in his own Mind compare them one with a-
nother, and then let him honeftly pro-
nounce Sentence in favour of either, accord-
ing as he finds which of the two will yield
moft peace, and eafe, and quiet to his own
Mind, and will put him to the lead labour,
and trouble, and difturbance.

And I think thefe are certain Marks by
which a Man may judge whether a Thing be
natural or agreeable to him or no.

Now I fay, if a Man will proceed by thefe
Meafures and run the Parallel between all
the Vertues and their contrary Vices, as for

iniLance.

Between Meeknefs and Patience on the one
Hand, and Fretfulnefs, and Peevifhnefs, and
Difcontent on the other.

Between Love, and Charity, and doing
Good on the one Hand, and Hatred, and Ma-
lice, and defire of Revenge on the other.

Between chad and lawful Love, and un-
lawful and adulterous Lufts.

Between Temperance and Sobriety in the
ufe of God's Bleffings, and perpetual Glutto-
ny, and Drunkennefs, and Revellings.

Between faith in God, and truit in his
Providence, and contentednefs with a compe-
tency, and a boundiefs unfatiable avaritious
defire of Riches.

And

7he Fifteenth Sermon, ^7^

And thus as to all other particular Vertues
recommended to us by Religion, and the par-
ticular Vices contradid:ory thereto^ 1 fay if
a Man will take this Method in examining
the Things, and in judging as he finds, I
dare be bold to fay, there is no one living
but upon fuch Examination will readily pro-
nounce, that in all the Inftances wherein our
Morals are concerned, thofe that we call the
Vertues are much more eafy, much more
natural, much more delightful, and will put
us to abundantly lefs trouble and difquietude,
than the contrary Vices.

Well then ! We are come thus far : The
Commandments of God are neither impoffi-
ble to be kept, nor are they hard or fevere
in themfelves, fo that they are not grievous
upon either of thofe Accounts.

But then it may be faid, for all this, they
may be grievous in another refped, becaufe
as the corrupt State of Mankind is, we have
neither Will nor Power to fet our felves
heartily to the keeping of them. Our own
Depravity and the Devils Temptations, are
too hard for us. And then what doth the
reafonablenefs of them in their own Nature
avail to us (be it never fo great) they being
ftill beyond our ftrength ?

For the removing of this Objedion, I lay
down my third Propolition, which is this.
Let our natural Inabilities and our Aver(ions
to that which is good, be as great as they
will, yet the fupernatural Afhrtance we may

exped

7^6 Tl)e Fifteenth Sermon,

exped: from God, for the carrying on of this
Work, will be fufficient at leall to make the
Scales even. So that not with (landing thofe
Difad vantages, it will be as much in our
Power, and we (hall be as much inclin'd to
be good, as to be bad, to live in obedience to
God's Commands, as to live in contradidion
to them.

When we talk of the poflibility of obeying
all the Precepts of the Gofpel, and the very
great reafonablenefs of them in themfelves,
and their agreeablenefs to our Natures, yet
we do not think thefe two Points alone fuffi-
cient to counterballance the very great Pro-
penfity we have in this corrupt degenerate
State, to purfue the Ways of Vice and Sen-
fuality. Alas! We muft needs acknowledge,
that we are not only very weak and impo-
tent, but there feems to be a ftrong Bias
clapt upon our Natures, which renders usa-
verfe to fpiritual Things, and too prone, God
knows, to run into Actions that w^e fhould
not. And all this befides the Temptations
we meet with from without. But then on
the other Side, if wecondder that God is ne-
ver wanting to any Man, and that he is al-
ways ready to fupply by his immediate Grace
what is defedive in our Natures : When we
coniider, that oneof tlie great Benefits which
Chrift hath purchafed for us, is the Gift of
the Holy Ghod, by the help of which every
Man may work out his own Salvation, may
do all that God requires of him in order to
: his

Tl)e Fifteenth Sermon, -^a^

his future Happinefs, and not only do it, but
do it eadly , when we conlider that there is
no Man that is baptized into Chrift's Religi-
on who means honeftly, but hath God*s Pro-
mife to be continually aflifled from above,
with his Divine Power and Grace, whereby
he may be enabled to do thofe Things which
by Nature he could not do : Nay, that this
Power of Chrill:, this Vertue of the Holy
Ghoft in our Hearts is there lodged as a Prin-
ciple to tempt and invite us to be good, and
to bring ofF our Minds from every thing that
is evil, that the Holy Spirit is within us as a
Sollicitor of God*s Caufe againft the Sugge-
ftions of the Devil, and our own corrupt
Hearts, and that he is certainly as powerful
and as ready to do us good, as our Adverfary
can be to do us harm :

I fay, if thefe Things be coniidered, fure
we Ihall be perfuaded that the Work of Reli-
gion is not fo difficult, fo hopeleft an Under-
taking as we are apt oftentimes to imagine it :
They that are zvhh its are more than they
that are againfl iis : Tho' the Devil and our
own corrupt Natures may tempt us ftrongly
one Way, yet the Spirit of Chrift and his in- .
viiible Attendants that pitch their Tents
round about us, do incline us as much the
other way. Nor can there be any Snares
laid for us by the wicked One, but what by
the aiTiftance of thisinvifible fpirirual Army
that lights for us, we (hail eiiiiy break and
overcome. That divine S^)irit that dwells

with

1^8 Tk Fifteenth Sermon,

with all Chriftians, and even where he doth
not dwell (becaufe he is not entertain'd) yet
defires there to dwell, and fails not to be of-
ten prefent, and to prompt unfteady Souls
to that which is good, to follicit them conti-
nually with his holy Motions, that they
would ferioufly engage in the Ways of Chrift,
I fay furely this Holy Spirit by his power-
ful Influences and Afliftances will fo make a-
mends for the weaknefs of our Natures, fo
fmooth the ruggednefs of our Ways, fo quel
the force of the Devils Temptations, that if
a Man do not wilfully betray his own Suc-
cours, he will find himfelf as prevailingly
carried on to the Praftice of all Vertue and
Holinefs, as he can be to live a dilfoiute,
carelefs, and vitious Life. And this is my
third Confideration.

But Fourthly, This ought alfo farther to
be acknowledged in this Argument, thattho*
there be great Difficulties in Religion, tho*
as the Temper of Mankind now generally
flands, it is much againft the Grain to ferve
God, and live in Obedience to his Command-
ments, yet thefe Difficulties are chiefly occa-
lioned by our Prejudices and evil Habits, by
our being ufed to a contrary courfe of Life :
But then we are to remember, that in a little
time thefe Difficulties will wear off, and we
{hall find after fome Tryal that a Life of (in-
cere Religion and Devotion will be far more
natural and more delightful than any courfe
of Sin that we were formerly engaged in.

The

The Fifteenth Sermon, ^jp

The Truth is, if we look upon the Aver-
fions and Indifpolitions of moil: Men to Ver-
rue and Goodnefs, we fhall find that they
proceed from their former vitious Habits.
Men have long been ufed to a contrary Courfe,
and, that makes them that they cannot bear
with the ftridnefs of Religion. Now upon
this Account I muft needs own, that Religi-
on is fomething troublefome and difficult, and
fo much the more by how much the more
rooted and inveterate thofe Habits or Cuftoms
are. Here therefore chiefly are we to hy
the Grounds of whatever UneafinelTes or
Hardlhips we meet with in the Ways of God.
When it happens that Vice gets the firlt pof-
feffion of us (as God knows it doth in the ge-
nerality of Men ) and that PoiFeffion is
ftrengthned by many Adions of our own
choice, and by that means Sin grows cuPco-
mary, and becomes as it were a fecond Na-
ture : Why in this Cafe all the World muft
acknowledge that it will be no eafy Matter
to expel it, and to fubftitute vertuous Ha-
bits in the place of it ^ the doing of that will
require Labour, and Pains, and Time, and
perhaps alfo much Struggling and Self-denyal.
But then we are to remember, that this is
only for a fhort Tmie ;, ir is only upon our hirft
entrance into a religious Life, our Railage from
the one Extreme to the other. For after we
are once palfed the Pangs of the new Birth,
after we are a little inured to the Ways of
Vertue, and have made fome tolerable Pro-

grefs

2 Jo Tk Fifteenth Sermon.

grefs in it, it will become very pleafant and
very eafy ; for I reafon thus. If Cuftom and
long Ufage have fuch a ftrange Power as to
make Vice and Sin, (which are the moft con-
trary to our Natures of all Things in the
World, ) not only fupportable, but alfo
fweet and pleafant to us : Then fure much
more will the fame Cuftom and Ufage make
Vertue fo, than which, as we have feen no-
thing is more agreeable, more natural to the
Minds of Men. There is no doubt, but af-
ter we have once broken the ftrength of our
evil Habits, and by the Exercife of Religion
purged our Souls of their pliantaftick and
difeafed Appetites, and recovered them to
their native Tafte and Reliili ;, 1 fay, there is
no doubt, but we fliall find as much fweet-
nefs and delight in the Ways of Vertue and
Piety, as ever we did in the Ways of Sin.
Our Averfions to them will alfo be gone,
and we fhall rather wonder at our felves,
how we came to be [o wretchedly impofed
upon by the falfe Appearances of Vice. We
Ihall then acknowledge, that we never till
now enjoyed our true Liberty, and fhall ra-
ther chufe to die than to return to that hard
Bondage we before ferved in to Sin, and Sa-
tan. In a Word, all the Difficulties we meet
with in the firft Steps of our religious Courfe
will then vaniOi, and our Way will lye plain
and fmoorh before us, full of Pleafure and
full of Peace, as Solornoji defcribes it.

But

Tlje Fifteenth Sermon. 3 j i

But to proceed to our Fifth Particular,
which ought to be reprefented upon thisOc-
cafion. In the fifth Place, whereas it is urg-
ed again 11: a Life of Religion, that there is
much Pains and Watchfulnefs required to it:
We fay that this is fo fir from being a real
Difficulty or Inconvenience, that really it is
but the natural EfFed of our Make and Con-
Ititution. We cannot poffibly be happy but
in Motion, and therefore to charge this as a
Hardlhip in Religion, that it fct our Wits at
work, that it exercifes our Diligence, is a
very unreafonable Thing. We readily grant,
that the Way of Piety, as it is taught us by
our Saviour, will call for great Care and
W^atchfulnefs and Application. Whoever
will be a good Chriftian mud not think to be
idle, but will find it needful to be very at-
tentive to his Work, and to be much upon
his Guard, efpecially at the beginning. Nay
and after he has made feme contiderable at-
tainments in Vertue, he will ftill find Work
enough to employ himfelf about : And up-
on this Account we cannot deny, but that
the Gate that leadeth to Life is a very flrait
Gate, and they that mean to enter into it
muft tiot only feek but ftrive, as our Savi-
our expreifeth it ; Thej muft work out their
own Salvation^ they muft give all diligence
to make their Calling and EleBion fure^ as
St. ?aid words it.

But then all this, we fay, is no real Dif-
ficulty in the Matter. All this is nothing
^ but

2 c 2 T^he Fifteenth Sermon,

but a due, and naiural exercife of our Pow-
ers. It is impoflible a Man fhould live ac-
cording to his Nature, that is not for the
inoft part intent upon fomething or other.
The chief pleafure of his Life confifts in con-
flantly purfuing fome Defign, and to live
lluggifhly and without Care as it is the way
to dull and decay our natural Powers, fo it
is very uneafy to a Man that ufeth that courfe
of Life. There is no Man but will find a
great deal more Pleafure in being bufy, efpe-
cially when he hath a good Buhnefs in hand,
than in fitting ftill, and having nothing to
do^ this is fo eifential to our Natures, that I
fcruple not to fay, that it is one of the main
Ingredients of our Happinefs, not only in
this Life but in the next. The State of Hea-
ven will chiefly confift in this, in having our
natural Powers exalted to the utmofi: Pitch
of Vigour and Adivity, they are capable of,
and being always employed in the contem-
plation, and the purfuit of the belt and no-
bleft Objedls.

That which makes any Man uneafy in La-
bour, is not Iiis being bufy and intent upon
a Thing, but his fpending himfelf upon fuch
Things, or in fuch Ways as are no ways a-
greeable to him. x'\s for inftance, when he
is either employed in fuch Exercifes as do
more than ordinarily exhauft his animal Spi-
rits, and bring great Heavinefs and Languor
upon him , or when he lays out his Pains
upon that which no ways fuits with his Hu-
mour

The Fifteenth Sermon] ^ j j

Humour, and Temper, and Genius : Or
laftly, when he hith fuch a Bufinefs in
Hand, that he hath no profped: of bringing
it to good Effed, but his Labour feems like-
ly to be loft upon it.

But now the Diligence and Applicatiort
that we muft ufe in this Matter of Vertue
and Religion (let it be otherwife as great as
you pleafe) yet hath none of thofe Inconve-
niences attending upon it : Since it neither
puts us to much bodily Pain, nor brings any
great wearinefs or confumption of Spirits in
us, nor is any way againft the Conftitutioa
or Frame of our Natures, but exceedingly a-
grees with it. Nor laftly, is a hopelefs and
defperate Undertaking, but fuch a Deiign as
that every one who will go about it may af-
furedly promife to himfelf Succefs in it.

I fay this being the Cafe of a vertuous
Life, no Man ought to think, that the Dili-
gence he ufeth about it is uneafy or trouble-
fome, but rather the natural Exercifeof that
Heat, and Brisknefs, and Vigour, that is put
into the Temper of every Man. And he
that doth not thus fpend himfelf, muft either
let his Powers lie idle and unemployed, and
live the Life of a Plant, that is, only receive
Nourifhment and grow in Bulk without any
Adiun : Or if he do ftir and bufy himfelf, it
muft be in fuch other Ways as are indeed more
troublefome and unagreeable to his Nature.
It is the great Advantage and Excellency of a
Vol. III. A a rcli-

354 '^^^ Fifteenth Sermon]

religious Life, that it will always employ us,
and find us fomething to do. So that we
fhall never grow ruftyand dull in our Souls,
nor ever complain that Time lies upon our
Hands. It will quicken our Diligence and
Induitry even as to the profecution of our or-
dinary fecuiar Affairs. It will make us won-
derfully foUicitous to fpend as little Portion
of our Lives unprofitably, as poflibly may
be : But the great Thing of all is, it will
mightily enlarge our Powers, and with them
our Defigns. VVe ihall enter into a new
World of Objeds, which we little thought
of before, and about thofe Objeds, as they
are greater or lefs in Worth or Value, wiii
our Diligence proportionably be employed ,
and the more fhall we wear off that Slug-
gifhnefs and Ruft that a Courfe of Vice doth
naturally contrad j and the great Pleafure of
our Lives will be that our Will, our Love,
our Defires are unweariedly carried out after
that which is good, and are daily moreadive
and vigorous in the Profecution of it: Till
at laft we (hall be tranflated into a State of
everlafling, never ceafing Adivity.

A State of Reft indeed the Scripture calls
it, and it is fo in one Refped, for there we
fliall reft from all our Griefs and Sufferings,
from every Thing that can create Trouble or
Torment to us ; but vet for all that it is moft
truly a State of everlafring Motion and Adi-
vity, for then our Souls being dihngaged

from

77;e Fifteenth Sermon, 355

irom the Clogs and Incumbrances of thefe
earthly Bodies, we fhill awake as agile and
vigorous as the Light it felf, and fpend the
whole Eternity not in gazing and fitting (lill
as foine are apt to fancy, but in exerting our
Powers and Faculties perpetually to the no-
bleft Purpofes pofiible : Namely in loving
God, in fearching into his wonderful Works,
in being enraviftied with all his wife Contri-
vances, in continually finging Praifes to our
great and good Creator and Redeemer, and
in doing all the kind Offices we poflibly can
to our fellow Creatures^ and this without any
wearinefs or decay of Spirit,but with perpetual
Alacrity, and Pleafure, and Joy , which in-
deed I take to be the greateft Gemm in that
Crown of Righteoufnefs, which (hall be be-
flowed upon Believers at the hfl: Day. So
that really that Care, that Induftry, and
Watchfulnefs; which Religion in this Life
puts us upon, is not a Thing that ought to
be accounted as matter of Objedion, but ra-
ther as that which tends to the increafe of
our Happinefs, and makes us enjoy our felves
the better. That is the Sum of the fifth
Point.

But then Sixthly and Laftly, to come to
a Conclufion. There is this alfo to be ad-
ded, which of it felf alone (tho' there fhould
have been little Force in what has been hi-
therto fa id ) will be of weight enough to
A a 2 make

5j^ The Fifteenth Sermon,

make out the Thing I am to prove : And
that is this.

Let all the Harddiips and Difficulties of
Religion be magnified as much as we pleafe,
yet the mighty Motives and Incouragements
we have from the Gofpel of Chrift to under-
take that way, will very much outweigh
them.

We have acknowledged all along that there
are Difficulties in the Chriflian Life , Dif-
ficulties that arife both from the ftridnefs of
that Rule we are obliged to walk by, but
more efpecially from that averfenefs we hav$
to it thro' our being engaged in contrary Pra-
dices. But let us alfo fappofe that there are
yet greater Difficulties in a religious Life,
let us admit, that to enter upon this Courfe
is the re idieil way to fpoil all our temporal
Defigns, and to ruin us as to all our Hopes •
in this World. Let us admit, that nothing
but Reproach, and Ignominy, and Perfecution
will attend us, if we engage in this courfe of
Life : Yet I fay admitting all this, a Life of
Vertue and Religion will notwithitanding to
a confidering Man be far more eafy, and far
more eligible than the contrary way of living,
tho' it have never fo many outward feculac
Advantages to recommend it.

Let us put the Cafe that a Man cannot do
his Duty to God, without being reduced to
the utmofl Straits and greatefi: Extremity,
(which yet God be thanked is not now true

among

Tl)e fifteenth Sermon. ^c/

among us, nor have we any reafon to fap-
pofe fuch a Thing) but fuch Things m\y
come upon us, and therefore let us put the
Cafe.

Why, I fay, let the word come to the
word:, yet flill all Things confidered, what
God requires of us, is no hard, no grievous
Impofition upon thefc three Accounts : I
fliall juft name them and fo leave them, be^
caufe I doubt 1 have already too much exer-
cifed your Patience.

Firll of all, let the Difficulties of Religion
be never fo great, yet" we have Gods Promife
that he will ftand by us, and enable us both
to fapport them, and to overcome them, if
we our felves be but honed. The Apoftle
hath in God's Name alfured us that no
Temptation fliall ever happen to us, but ei-
ther fuch as is common to Men, that is fuch
a Temptation as a Man is ordinarily expofed
to, and may and doth as ordinarily over-
come, or if they be extraordinary femptati-
ons, yet of what kind foever they be, G jd
will provide us a Way to efcape out of them ;
at lealt we ihall be able to bear them. For
God is faithful and will never fujfer us to be
tempted above what we are able. Thus St.
'2 aid incouragcs us in the roth Chap, of the
I ft Epift. G?r. Ver. 13.

And thus much we may certainly girher
from his Words, that be the Trials and Dif-
ficulties wcare expofed to, great or fmall, or-
Aa 3 dinai

358 Tloe Fifteenth Sermon.

dinary or extraordinary , be likewife our
Strength and Courage to our thinking never
fo unequal to them, yet God will never lay
any Thing upon us but what he will give us
Strength to go thro' with. And if we bs
fortified and enabled to vanquifh the Temp-
tations, it is all one whether we be tempted
or no J or rather to fpeak truly, it is much
better for us thus to be tempted, fince by
our overcoming the Temptation we prepare
to our felves a greater degree of Rewards in
tlie other World.

But Secondly, Tho* our Religion were at-
tended with very great Difficulties, yet is
there nothing in that peace of Confcience
which every good Man enjoys, while he pur-
fues honeit and vertuous Ways for the fmooth-
ing thofe Difficulties ? Is not the inward
Comfort, and Satisfadion, and Joy, that a
Man reaps from difcharging his Confcience,
and doin;; his Duty, even then when he is
perfecuted for it, of fome force to alleviate
all the outward Preifures and Aftiidions he
undergoes on that Account ? Sure it is.

I would gladly ask any Man living, whe-
ther a Man that lives in all outward Profpe-
rity J hath every Thing according to his own
Hearts defire in this World, and yet is a
Knave or an Hypocrite, and hath the Stings
of a guilty Confcience perpetually purfuing
him 5 or an innocent vertuous Perfon that
fuffers mightily in this World^ but yet his

Mind

Tl)e Fifteenth Sermon. i^g

Mind reproaches him with nothing that he hath
done, but he hath a continual Feaft of a 'j;ood
Confcience as SoIomo?i phrafefh it ^ I fay I
would ask any one whether of thefe is more
to be pitied? 1 dare : fay all will agree that
the former outwardly happy Man is much
the more miferable , and pitiable of the
two.

But Thirdly to conclude , If to this we
add the mighty unfpeakable Rewards that
are promifed to all fiithful perfevering; Chri-
flians in the other World, and the fad Porti-
on that doth await all wicked ungodly Men ^
let the Difficulties of Religion be never fo
great , let the Crofs and Ferfecution they
fuffer for it be never fo fevere, yet there will
be no Comparifon, no Competition between
Sni and Vertue, which of them is theeafier,
and which of them moft recommends its felf
to the choice of Mankind.

Let our Condition in this World be never
fo happy and profperous, yet is it an eafy
Matter for us to think of dwelling in ever-
laiting Burnings } Can we for a little Brave-
ry ai)d Splendour, a little Fleafure and Gra-
tification of our brutiih Appetites, which we
are not certain will laft for a Year, or a
Month, or a Day , I fay can we for this ven-
ture (no it is not a Venture) can we for this
fell our Souls and Bodies to the Devil, to be
for ever tormented } Is this a Bargain that
we can any way plcafe our felves with the
A a 4 I'houghts

2 6*0 T^^^ Fifteenth Sermon,

Thoughts of? On the other fide, if we be
fincere lovers of God, and Difciples of our
Lord Jefus, in what miferable Circumflaii-
ces foever we are in the World, will it not
be fufiicient to revive our drooping Spirits >
V/iil it not be a Cordial to us in the midft
of all our Afflidions and Tribulations, to
think that we are the Sons of the mod higli
God, and that we Ihall be glorilied with our
Saviour, when he comes to appear trium-
phantly in the view of Angels and Men, to
diilribute his Rewards to all his faithful Ser-
vants, and that for our light Afflidion that
endureth but for a Moment j we (hall receive
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
Glory?

Sure thefe Things will not bear a Com-
parifon. But every one that hath his Wits
about him muft out of the evidence of Truth
be forced to cry out, that all Things conli-
dered it is more eafy, more fafe, more defi-
rable, more delightful to be good, to ferve
God, to live in obedience to his Laws, and
to difcharge a good Confcience, than to en-
joy all the Pleafures of Sin, which are but
for a Ihort Seafon, . •■

Mdy God Almighty hy his Spirit convince
lis all of the Truth of this I And iipoti
that ConviBion inay we all ferioujly ap^
ply our felves to the mortification of all
our fnful Habits^ and to the jludy. and

purfuit.

7he Fifteenth Sermon, ^^{

purfuit of that zvhicb is good! That
fo we may have the comfortable Ef-
feBs of our Labour in this Life in fo^
lid Peace and tranquility of Mi?id, and
the glorious Revpards that God hath
made over to all good Men in the Life
to come, by Jefus Chriji our Lord , to
whom with the Father and the Holy
Ghoji, d^c.

S E R-

6i

SERMON XVI.

H E B. XIII. 1 8.

' We trujl we have a good Confcience^

in all things willing to live honejlly,

^[•^^^^ HAT every one of us may be
P T p ^^^^ ^^"^ ^° ^3y with St. ?aul^
%, ' ^ ought to be our mofl ferious En-
^^^^*^ deavours, becaufeitisour higheft
Concernment. To have a good Confcience
is the greatefl Duty, and the greateft Felici-
ty in the World ^ as on the contrary, an e-
vil Confcience is the word of Calamities,
Upon our Confcience being good or bad de-
pends all the Happinefs or Mifery of our
Lives, both as to this prefent State, and that
which is to come. He that hath a good Con-
science hath a continual Feaji^ as Solomon ex-
prefTeth it : He hath that which gives relifh
to all his Enjoyments, and comfort and fup^
port under all his Misfortunes ;, that which
makes him pleafant imd joyful in good Cir-
cumftances, and at leafl: contented in the
worft 3 and which is more than all this, he
V. : . i-- ■■' - ■ .. hath

n^e Sixteenth Sermon. 2^2

hath that which is both the Evidence and the
Anticipation of a future glorious JmmortaH-
ty. As on the other fide an evil Confcience
is both a Man's Crime, and his Tormentor:
It is that which makes him hated of God and
of himfdf : It is that which fpoiis and im-
bitters the moil: profperous Fortune in the
World, but makes all Atllidions intolenble ;
but as if all this was too little, as it purs us
out of the Favour of God in this World, fo
without repentance and puttin2; it away, it
excludes us from all Hopes of his Favour in
the World to come. Happy therefore are
they that can fay with St. P^nl in the Text,
TF'e trnfl ive have a good Confcience,

But what is it that makes a good Confci-
ence ? That is our prefent Enquiry. Con-
fcience trtken in general is nothing elfe but a
Man's Judgment or Perfuafion concerning
Moral Good or Evil, or concerning what he
ought to do, and what he ought not to do,
and what he lawfully may do.

Now according to this definition of Con-
fcience, one at the firH found of the Phrafe
would perhaps be apt to think, that that
fhould be a good Confcience wherein a Man's
Judgment was rightly and truly inflruded as
to thefc Matters, that is where he had right
Notions of Duty and Sin lawful or unlawful,
as on the other ■■ fide, that fliould be a bad
Confcience where a Man was mifinformed
and niiltaken in his Notions about thefe

Points %

l^A '^he Sixteenth Sermon,

Points : But we inuft have a care of talking
thus ; a good Confcience or a bad, carries ^
a great deal more in it than this comes
to.

When a Man hath true Notions of his
Duty, or of what is lawful or unlawful, we
fay that he hath a right Confcience j but wc
do not fay he hath a good Confcience upon
that Account, x^nd fo where a M :n is mif-
informed as to the goodnefs or badnefs of an
Adion that we call an erroneous Confcience ^
but it doth not therefore follow that it is aU
ways an evil Confcience. Again, as to this
Bufinefs cf a good Confcience, we muft alfo
diftinguifh between acting with a good Con-
fcience, and having a good Confcience. For
as thefe Terms are commonly ufed, there is
a great difterence between them, jufl: as much
as there is between a fjngle Adion and a
courfe of Life. Thus a Man is fud to ad
with a good Confcience, when he performs
any particular Adion as he judges he ought
to do, fo that his Confcience doth not re-
proach him for that Fad. But now to have
a good Confcience is quite another Things
and refpeds not only this or the other parti-
cular Adion that a Man doth, but the wholq
courfe and tenor of his Life. A Man may
ad with a good Confcience in twenty Inftan-
ces, and yet not have a good Confcience, be-
caufe he may not have the fame care of all
his Adions that he hath of fomeof thenj. '

Well

The Sixteenth Sermon. 365

Well but what is it then that makes a good
Confcience ? Or how fhall a Man know
when he hath it ? Why for the refolving of
this I think we cannot have better Diredlions
than the \pofl:les Words in the Text. JFa
trujl (faith he) that we have a good Confci-
ence^ being in all things willing to live ho-
iieftly ^ which is as much as if he had faid.
Our being wiUing in all things to live ho-
neftly, is that from whence we conclude
that we have a good Confcience. So that
according to him, that is the Rule and Stand-
ard, whereby a good Confcience is to be
nieafured.

But what is it to live honeflly ? Why e-
very Body knows the meaning of that Phrafe.
It is to frame our Lives according to the Laws
of Vertue and Religion , it is to deny un-
godlinefs and worlMy Lufts, and to live
righteoufly, foberly, and godly m this pre-
fent World. And in the fecond Place, to be
"willing to live honeftly, doth import not on-
ly a bare Wiih, or ineffedual Delire fo to
do, but a moft ferious, fettled, and conftant
Refolution and Endeavour throughout the
courfeofour Lives ^ and then laftly, this
Refolution and Endeavour to live honeflly
muft be univerfal, not onlyinfome Jnftances
or Things, but in all Things. In all things
(faith the Text) being zvilling to live bonefllj.
This then is the great Thing whereby we
can evidence to our felves or others, that we

have

266 Tloe Sixteenth Sermon,

have a good Confcience ; namely our (incere
Refolutiotis and our conftant Endeavours to
approve our felves to God and Man, by a
holy Chriflian Converlation,

This is the very Account that the fame
St. Fmil gives us of this Matter in other
Palfages of his Writings. This (faith he) is
our rejoycitig^ the tejiimony of our confcience^
that in ftmpUcity and godly fincerity we have
had our coiiverfation in the world. And
herein ( faith he ) do I exercJfe my felf to
have a confience void of offence^ towards
God and towards Man, And laftly, to name
no more Scriptures, that which St. Veter in
the I ft Epiftle and the 5d Chap, in the be-
ginning of the Verfe calls a good Confcience,
he doth in the end of the Verfe explain by a
good Converfation in Chrift, or a goodChri-
ftian Converfation.

But now for the more particular explica-
tion of the Nature of a good Confcience, and
for the better enabling us to examine our
felves whether we have it or no, I fhall here
do two Things.

Firjl^ Give an Account of what Things are
not required to the having a good Confcience,
or which is the fame Thing, what Imperfe-
dions and Sins are conhft ent therewith. And

Secondly^ What Things are required to a
good Confcience, and what Sins are incon-
(iflent with it, and this fhall be my Work
at this time.

I be-

TIjc Sixteenth Sermon, 3^7,

I begin with the firll Point, what Things
are not required to a good Confcience, or
what Imperfedions and Sins ar- conQftent
therewith. And here we fay firfl of all,^ it is
not required to the having a good Confcience
that a Man (hould be free from all Errors
and Miftakes of Judgment in Matters of Re-
ligion, or in Matters that concern his Duty.
Every Man is indeed bound to apply himfelf
with all ferioufnefs according as he hath abi-
lity and opportunity to the learning of Di-
vine Truth, efpecially fuch Truths as do
more immediately concern his Pradice. But
yet after all Endeavours, tho* they he per-
formed with great Integrity, it is not only
poilible but frequently feen, that good Men
are ignorant of many Things, and miftaken
in many Things, and this without any Pre-
judice to their Sincerity. A Man may be
moft heartily willing and refolved in all
Things to live honeftly, ( which St. Paul
here makes the Meafure of a good Confci-
ence) and yet entertain a great many falfe
Opinions of Things, and Things too that re-
late to the very pradice of Religion,

I would not here be thought to patronize
or defend any Mans Errors or Mifperfuafions
in Religion : But this I fay, a great many
Errors, (nay tho* they may in fome Senfe
be finful Errors,) may coniift with a good
Confcience, becaufe certainly Sins of Igno-
rance may. But now to make any Error or

* Mif-

'^^8 7he Sixteenth Serfno}i,

Mifperfuafion in Religion, an innocent Mi-
ftake, or at mod a Sin of Ignorance, there?
are thefe three Things required, which I
Ihall but juft name ^ only be pleafed to take
notice, that I here fpeak of fuch Errors and
Mlfperfuafions as are incident to Men that
profefs Chriftianity.

Firfl it is required, that they be-not fuch
Errors as are deflrudive of the Chriflian Re-
ligion. Such Opinions and Ferfuafions as
fubvert and overthrow the Foundation of
Faith, or any part of it. Mifperfuahons of
this kind are not only fimple Errors but He-
relies, and fo far as any Man falls into them,
fo far he forfakes his Chriftianity, departs
from the Faith of Chrifl, which none can
be fuppofed to do in a Chriflian Church,
thro' pure weaknefs of Underftanding, but
thro' grofs Corruption and Malice in the
Will. And therefore it is that St. Faul
reckons Herefies amongft the Works of the
Flelh.

Secondly, To make any Error or Mifper-
fuafion confident with a good Confcience, it
is required that it be not fuch an Error as
engages a Man in any apparently finful or
ungodly Pradice. If a Man's Opinion be
fuch, that he puts him upon carrying on
Defigns and doing Adions that are plainly
and openly contradidory to the Laws of
God, or the common Rules of Honefty and
Morality ; This Opinion how ilrongly foe-

ever

Tl^e Sixteenth Sermon,
foevcr it Is believed, is not an innocent Mi-
ilake, but a piece of Wickednefs in the Man
that holds it. For the Principles of Vertue
and Honcfty, and Morality, lie fo plainly
and convincingly before every Man's Confci-
ence, who hath been ufed to think, that he
muft be wilfully blind that doth not fee
them, and confequently not fo (incere as he
(hould be, that will efpoufe any Tcnent that
lliall give him liberty in his Pradice to con-
trad id them.

But Thirdly, in order to the excufing a-
ny Error as a wxaknefs of the Underfland-
ing, or as a Sin of Ignorance, and rendering it
confident with a good Confcience, it is requi-
red, that it be rather taken up involuntary and
thro* fome difadvantage or other in our Cir-
cumftances, w'hich we could not well reme*
dy, than thro' grofs carelefnefs and a wilful
negled: or refufal to ufe thofe Means of Con-
vidion, which God hath afforded us. There
is a great deal of difference as to the crimi-
nalnefs of falfe Perfuafions upon this Ac-
count ^ the fame Error which one Perfoil
may hold very pardonably ( as being with-
out much Fault of his own, either thro"
weaknefs of Parts, or prejudice from Educa-
tion, or want of Opportunity of knowing
better, unavoidably in a manner led into it, )
I fay that very fame Error may be extream-
ly dangerous in other Perfons that have bet-
ter Parts, and have had a better Education^
Vol, IIL B b and

370 Tl^e Sixteenth Sermon,

and enjoy more Opportunities of informing
themfelves right in thofe Points, fo efpeci-
ally if there be any fecret taint of Pride, or
Lull:, or Peevifhnefs, or Ambition, or Co-
vetoufnefs, or the hke, that doth influence
their Underftandings, and keep them from
coming to the knowledge of the Truth. But
I have not time to dwell upon this.

In the fecond Place ( to come to another
head of Things which are confident with a
good Confcience) as Ave fay all Errors of the
Underftanding which proceed from humane
Weaknefs do not violate a good Confcience :
So we fay in the fecond Place, that neither are
any Sins in our practice which may be truly
called Sins of infirmity inconfiftent with it.

It is not required to a Man's having a
good Confcience that he (hould keep the
Commandments of God in all Inftances,- that
he (hould always and in all Points live up to
his Duty, and never be guilty of any Tranf-
greflion which he knows to be fuch. No,
the Conditions of the Gofpel Covenant made
by Chrift Jefus with Mankind for their Sal-
vation, was never defigned to be fo hard, nor
is there any Colour throughout the new Te-
lia ment for fuch a fevere Aflertion : Nor in-
deed is it perhaps pollible for any Man thus
to live, or if any Man do he is extraordina-
ry ; tho' in truth I believe that Man is fcarce
to be found that doth conceit of himfelf ia
cold Blood, that he doth thus live : On the

contra-

Tl?e Sixteenth Sermon, 371

contrary, the more pious, and vertuous, and
devout any Man is, generally the more fenli-
hle. he is of many Irregularities, and Slips,
and Mifcarriages in his Life : This is cer-
tain, that any Sin may ftand with a good
Confcience, that will iland with a Man's
hearty and (incere Refolutions, and conftant
Endeavours to live honeftly in all Things :
And therefore tho' a Man may be confcious
to himfelf of abundance of Frailties and In-
firmities, and Imperfeclions in his Life, and
thofe both in his inward Defires, and Appe-
tites, and Affedions, and in his outward
Words and Adions : Yet fo long as he can
upon good Grounds fatisfy himfelf that he
doth honeftly endeavour in the main and ge-
neral courfe of his Life to ferve God, and to
mortify his Lufts, and to do his Duty in all
refpeds, and heartily prays and labours to
grow better , his Frailties of what Nature
foever they be, will never be imputed to
him in the other World, but will be wafhed
away by the Blood of Chrift thro' a habitu-
al Repentance, tho' he Ihould never live per-
feftly to conquer thofe Infirmities.

But Thirdly and Laftly, Let me add one
PropoQtion more upon this Point, and I fhall
conclude it. As Sins of Ignorance, and Sins
of Infirmity are reconcileable witli a good
Confcience, fo likewife are all palfed Sins of
what kind foever, whether adual or habitu-
al, reconcileable with it, fjppofing we have
B b 2 fm-

j/i ^^^ Sixteenth Sermon]

(incerely repented of them. It is not requi-
red in order to the having a good Confci-
ence, that a Man fhould all his life have
been innocent, or at lead have been only
attended with the common Frailties of hu-
mane Nature : No ! God hath no where
made this the Condition of our Salvation.
That which Chrift hath required of us is,
not that a Man fliould have been always ver-
tuous, but if he hath been vitious that he
fhould be penitent. This I am fure is the
Tenor of the Gofpel Covenant. All Men
whatfoever let them have been never fo great
Sinners, let their Offences have been multi-
plyed to never fo great a Number, and
heightned with never fo aggravating Circum-
ftances, yet if they truly repent of them, if
they come to God with hearty Contrition for
■what is paffed, and lincere Refolutions and
Endeavours to become better for the time to
come ^ all tliefe Men, I fay, are Objeds of
the Mercies of the Gofpel, and our Lord
hath promifed to receive them, and own
them for his Difciples, and to reward them
as fach.

St. Paul himfelf was in the Number of
thofe Men that we are fpeaking of ^ he had
been a bitter Perfecutor of Chrift's Religion,
and he confeffeth of himfelf that he was the
l^reatefi: of Sinners, But yet this very Man,
as bad as bethought himfelf to have been,
after he had repented of his Sins and become

77;^ Sixteenth Sermon, ^75

a fincere Difciple of Chrift, doubted not to
fay of himfelf, notwithftanding all his for-
mer Iniquities, JFe truft we have a good
CoJifcience^ dCc.

Having thus given an Account of what
Things are confident with a good Confcience,
which was the firft Thing 1 was to do, I
now come to the other, that is to fhew what
Things are inconliftent with it. And here
the general Propofition is, that whatever is
irreconcileable with a Man's hearty endea-
vouring in all Things to Hve honeftly, all
that is irreconcileable with a good Confci-
ence. Now there are two Things which e-
very one at the firft hearing of them will be
convinced, are required in order to any Man's
being willing to live honeftly in all Things.

Firji, That he be very fincere in his Pur-
pofes, and Defires, and Endeavours. And

Secondly, That thofe Purpofes, and De-
fires, and Endeavours, do extend to all In-
ftances of his Duty.

Now oppofite to this fincerity and univer-
Icility of Endeavour are all forts of Hypocrify
on one Hand, and alljpartial Obedience to
God's Laws on the other. Neither of which
therefore can confift with a good Confcience.
It is a needlefs Thing to go about nicely and
laborioufly to give an Account what it is tQ
be fincere or hypocritical in our Defires and
Endeavours, and what it is to be impartial
or partial in them j for every Man doth rea-
Bb 3 dily

j74 . '^^ Sixteenth Sermon,

dily underftand thofe Things : He mufr ei-
ther want natural Parts, or be extremely un-
der the Power of Melancholy, that is not a
competent Judge oi his own fincerity or in-
(incerity, fothat he doth not very well know
when he lays out his faithful and hearty En-
deavours, to do his Duty in all Inftances,
and when only in a few.

Inftead therefore of a ftrid Profecution of
this Argument, 1 think it better to treat of
it in a popular Way ;, that is to fiy, for the
ailifting every one of you to apply thefe Ge-
nerals to our own particular Cafes. 1 fliall
fet before you fome of the mofl common and
ufual States and Conditions of Men among
us, which may plainly be convinced either
of fincerity or partiality, and confequenily
are irreconcileable with a good Confcience.

And firfl of all, as for all atheiflical, pro-
fane, lewd, debauched Perfons, that have
little Senfe of Religion or Honefty, but liv^e
in this World as if they neither feared God
or regarded Men, the whole BufinefsandDe-
iign of whofe life is the fatisfadion of their
covetous, or ambitious Deiires, or the grati-
fication of their brutilli Appetites , for tlie
attaining of which they flick at nothing. As
to tliefe Men I fay, it is a needlefs Thing to
ask whether they have a good Confcience ,
for it is rather a Qiieflion whether they have
any Confcience at all, whether they have
not finned themfelves beyond all the appre-

henfions

Tl:e Sixteenth Sermon, ^75

henfions and difcrirninations of what is good,
and what is evil : And therefore if this kind
of Men do live at peace within themfelves, if
they be feldom or never haunted with trou-
blefome and vexatious Inclinations upon their
own courfe of Life, this is no Argument in
the World that they have a good Confcience,
but rather that God hath wholly forfaken
them, and given them up to hardnefs of
Heart, and a reprobate Mind, which of all
Conditions on this (ide Damnation is the moft
.dreadful.

' But Secondly, What fliall we fiy of the
negligent and carelefs fort of Men, fuch as
are not indeed openly wicked, or profane, or
impious, nor are they guilty of any fuch e-
normous fcandalous Crimes, as either blemiOi
their Reputations in the World, or render
them obnoxious to humane Laws ^ but in
the mean time they live in an habitual care-
lefnefs as to all that concerns their Souls or
the other World : They have no Senfe of
God or Religion upon their Minds, tho' per-
haps they may make a Praciiice of coming to
Church as other Chriftians do : Yet they
hardly know what it is either there or in their
Clofets heartily and fervently to fay their
Prayers : They know not what it is to be-
wail their Sins, or ferioully to make Refolu-
tions againfl them, or to fet themfelves in
good earned to the rooting out of any viti-
ous Inclination that they labour under : But
' ' R h 4 they

'jyg 11)6 Sixteenth Sermon,

they fpend their Days either in a courfe of
Pleafure, or a hurry of worldly Cares and
Bufinefs, or elfe perhaps in a dull lazy un-
thinking way J and the greateft Comforts
they can give to themfelves is, that tho* they
do no great Good in the World, yet they do
no great Harm : Can thefe Men with any
Juftice pretend to a good Confcience? No
certainly they cannot. For they cannot
with any Colour or Reafon fay of themfelves
that they are in all Things willing to live
honeftly. If they were, how was it poffi-
ble for them to live in a grofs wilful negled:
of all the Duties that do more immediately
relate to God, and of all the Methods of
Chrift Jefus, by which a new Principle, or
Holinefs, or Regeneration, is to be attained ?
We are to know that Sins of Omifhon, if
they be habitual, and cuftomary, and in
fuch Things without which a holy Chriftian
Life cannot be maintained, I fay, fuch Omif-
fions as thefe are as certainly damnable as a
courfe of vitious and wicked Adions.

But Thirdly, What (hall we fay of ano-
ther fort of Men that feem to be Religious
but are not inwardly fo ^ that make a (hew
of Piety in their Converfation, but it is only
for the ferving forae private Turn, Can a-
ny of thefe Mt^n plead a Title to a good
Confcience ? Oh no, they are the farthed
from it that is poflibie : Not but I think \t
much better and more tolerable to have the

Foriii

7he Sixteenth Sermons -tyj

FormofGodlinefs, tho' without the Power
of it, than to be witliout both Power and
Form too \ yet certainly let the Form and
Appearances that thofe Men make be never
fo fair and fpecious, yet if their Minds be of
a different Complexion from the outward Be-
haviour, if Impurity and VVickednefs be
lodged under a Vizor of Piety, if their good
Adions be done to be feen of Men that fo
they may advance their Reputation and In-
terefl in the World, if any private Ends be
carried on of Covetoufnefs, or Luft, or
worldly Greatnefs, for the accomplifhing of
which all this fliew of Religion is intended ;
Thefe are the veryeft Hypocrites in the
World, and of all forts of Hypocrites are the
moil: odious to God : For thefe are the paint-
ed Sepulchres our Saviour fpeaks of, wliich
appear glorious without, but inwardly are
full of rottennefs and dead Mens Bones.
Thefe are thofe that, as he faith, do juftifie
themfelves before Men, but Qod knowetlx
their Hearts, and that which is highly e-
fleemed of in thofe Men by all that fee them
is abominable in the fight of God.

But Fourthly, There are another fort of
Men that are no ways guilty of that Hypo-
crify I have been now proving, but as far as
their Religion goes it is very fincere. They
have abundance of good Defires and Purpo-
fes, and when upon any Occafion they are

brought

278 T??f Sixteenth Sermon,

brought to examine the State of their own
Minds and Confciences, they are extremely
troubled to find that they have made no great
Progrefs in Vertue, but are under the Ty-
ranny of fo many evil Habits. Their Hearts
are really afFeded with the Senfe of Religi-
on, and when at the ftated Seafons of the
Year they repair with other Chriftians to the
holy Communion, they do it with great De-
votion, and they are full of good Purpofes
and Refolutions to mend their ways. But
yet ill this Religion of theirs is not of force
and (trength enough to conquer any one of
their evil Habits, any one of thofe reigning
Lufts which enthral them and lead them
Captive at Will and Pleafure. They often
wifti they were good, and defire not only to
die the Death, but alfo to live the Life of
the Riditeous : But flill this Wifh or Defire
never proceeds firther than a bare purpofe of
fetting themfelves fometime or other to be
what they wifli to be, forfi:ill they continue
as bad as they were, whatever the prevailing
Sins of their Life be ^ whether a courfe of
profane Swearing, or irreligious Talking ;, a
courfe of Drunkennefs or ReveUing, a courfe
of Gaming or keeping idle Company, to the
iiegled of their Callings and Family j a
courfe of Lewdnefs and unlawful Love ^ a
courfe of indired Dealings in their Calling ^
a courfe of uncharitable Cenfuring, and Rail-

ing

77;^ Sixteenth Sermon. ^^p

ing, and Slandering, and Backbiting j I fay
of what Nature or Kind foever their evil Ha-
bits and Cuftornes are •, they do not quit any
of them for all their good Defires and good
Refolutions.

This God knows is the Cafe of too many
that profefs Chriftianity among us ^ what
now (hall we fay to thefe ? Can thefe Men
be faid to have a good Confcience upon ac-
count of their many good Wifhes and De-
fires and Purpofes ? No, 1 dare not fay they
have : If indeed they grow better upon thefe
their Wiilies and Purpofes, tho' they did not
on a fudden become fo Holy and Vertuous as
they ought to be •, yet I would fiy they
were in a Way to a good Confcience, be-
caufe they had done fomething towards a Re-
formation 5 and might by the Grace of God
go farther. But when they have nothing but
Convidion upon their Minds that they ought
to live better, and nov/a'id then a good Wifli
that they did fo, but yet for all that, they
do not amend but run on the old Road when
ever a Tenipration pref^nts it felf, they can
be no more entitled to the Name of a good
Confcience, than they can be entitled to the
Name of fober, temperate, chafte, diligent,
ferious, upright, regular Men, when yet
they are not fo indeed, but only defire fo to
be. if they were heartily and lincerely wil-
ling in all Things to live honeftly, which is

380

7he Sixteenth Sermon]

St. VauTs Meafure of a good Confcience,
they would certainly live fo. That the Will
is not a (incere Will that doth not obtain its
EfFed in all thofe Matters which are fo
plainly in our Power as thefe are, that we
are now fpeaking of. If they were indeed
delirous to approve themfelves to God, they
would ftrive againft thofe Sins which hold
them in Captivity , they would every Day
fortify their Refolutions, they would as much
as they could avoid the Temptations, they
would ufe twenty Methods to keep them-
felves out of the Snare, or to break thro* it,
which every prudent Man could readily fug-
geO: to himfelf. All this they would do, if
they were in good earned in this Matter.
And if they did this, they would in a little
Time be certainly Mafters of their own De-
fires, and live as they ought to do. But in
the mean time, fo long as they live as they
do, they muft not flatter themfelves with a
Conceit that they have a good Confcience ,
for no courfe of open wilful Sin ( as all the
Sins I have been now inlifting on are fuch)
can be reconciled to a good Confcience. It
is in this Senfe that St. James fpeaks, when
he tells us. That he tha^ breaketh one of
God's Covimand?nents is guilty of all , and
St. John, Whofoever conmiitteth Sin is ofihe
Devil^ and no one that is horn of God can
commit Sin. And laftiy, that our Saviour
"''' ''''■'■■■ fpeaks

The Sixteenth Sermon. 381

fpeaks, when he crys out, JFhy call ye me
Lordj Lord, and do not the things which I
commandyoii ^

But to le.^ve this Head and go on *, for I
would willingly, upon this occafion, take
notice of all the common Artifices and Deceits
wherewith Men are apt to impofe upon
themfelves in this Bufinefs of a good Con-
fcience.

In the fifth Place there are a fort of
Men that value themfelves upon their
moral Honeily and Juftice in their Deal-
ings between Man and Man. They have
not indeed as they confefs of themfelves
been fo careful and regular and devout in
their Lives, as they would have been , but
yet they thank God they have a good Con-
fcience, they have wronged no Man , they
are in charity with all the World , they pay
every Body their own ; and what they
have they are come honefily and fairly by.

Thus indeed in common Language hath
Juflice between Man and Man engroffed to
its felf the Name of a good Confcience, and
it is chiefly Oppreifors, and Extortioners,
covetous and griping Men, Knaves and Cheats
that we reproach with the Name of uncon-
fcionable Men, or Men of no Confcience.
Thus far indeed is true, thu upright deal-
ing between Man and Man in ail our Con-
verfation, efpecially where Mercy and Cha-
rity

2^2

: T?;e Sixteenth Sermon,

rity hath been joyned with that Dealing,
,doth make a fair Step towards a good Con-
fcience ; and on the contrary, all kind of
Injuftice, and Extortion, and Oppreflion or
Cruelty, are certain Signs or Inftances of aii
evil Confcience, or no Confcience ;, and on
fuch Perfons God will have no Mercy : But
then it is always to be remembred, that jufl
Dealing with Man is part of our Duty, and
not the whole ^ nay befides that, at the fame
time that we are juft and fair in our Negoti-
ations with Men, we may at the fame time
I fay, be horribly unjuft to God and our
felves alfo. So that unlefs a Man can think
that his fair ufage of his Neighbour in the
courfe of his Trade will make atonement
and compenfation for the ill ufage of God
and of himfelf in all the reft of his Conver-
fation by Profanenefs, Irreligion, Drunken-
nefs. Luxury, and the like, he cannot upon
this iingle Account of moral Honefty , as they
call it, fatisfy himfelf that he hath a good
Confcience. He that will entitle himfelf to
that, muft C as we have often fiid) endea-
vour in all Things to live honeftly, which
fuch a Man as this doth not.

But Sixthly and laftly, There is another
Notion of a good Confcience, which too
commonly palTeth among fome of us, which
is different from all thefe I have named , and
it is this: Mens fatisfving themfelves with

their

'Tl^e Sixteenth Sennon. 383

their being heartily zealous about fome out-
ward Forms or Modes of Religion, which
either upon clioice or chance they have
pitched upon as the befl, and making their
Zeal for thefe Things to be true Marks of
their fincere Piety. Thus for inflance, fome
among us think themfelves Chriftians meer-
]y for being Members of our Church, and
heartily complying with its Conftitutions,
and fhewing a great Zeal againfl: all thofe
that are of a different Communion from us
(whether Papifts or Sedaries.) Others are
as much fatlslied of their Title to God's Fa-
vour meerly upon account of their oppofing
our Conftitution, and joining themfelves to
fome Godly Party that are againfl all human
Inventions in the Worfhip of God ( by
which Name they are pleafed to call that
way of Worfhip which is eftabliflied among
us : ) With thefe Men it is a main Evidence
of their being fincerely Religious, to make
Scruples and Difficulties in fuch plain
Things where another Man would make
none. A Form, or a Ceremony, or a Ge-
fture, tho' never fo ancient in the Church,
never fo decent or innocent in its felf, gives
them as great a Shock, and raifeth as great
an Outcry as if Chriftianity it felf was in
danger, x^nd upon account of this their un-
reafonable nicenefs and fcrupulofity, they
would appropriate to themfelve the Name

of

7he Sixteenth Semonl

of Tender Confciences, which indeed is the
higheft Inflance of a good Confcience.

As to the firft of thefe I mentioned, thofc
that do fincerely embrace Chrift's Religion
and the Worlhip of God in the Way that it
is held forth and eftabliihed in the Church
o{ England^ I defire leave to fay this to
them , that tho' I do in my Confcience be-
lieve that there is no Church in the World
wherein the Religion of Chrift is more
purely taught , or his Sacraments more
duly adminiftred , than in this Church,
and confequently in the Communion of
which a Man may more fifely venture
his everla fling Salvation ^ yet let them
not deceive themfelves, neither the Gofpel
of Chrift, nor the Dodrines of his Church,
do give them any Hopes of Happinefs
hereafter, unlefs to their holy Profeffion
they add a holy Life and Converfati-
on.

And as for the tender confcienced Men .
I mentioned in the fecond Place (be they
of what Sed, or Perfuafion, or Denomi-
nation foever they pleafe) nay tho' they
be arrived to that tendernefs of Confci-
ence, that they fcruple as much the ufe
of civil Ceremonies , as the reft of them
do religious ;, and are come to refine up-
on thou and you, yea and yes, the re-
fped of the Hat , and tweiiry other fuch

Thin^zs

The Sixteenth Sermon. 585

Things , which they ukike ferious Mat-
ters of Confcience of^ as to thefe I fay,
that, tho* I meddle not v/ith their Opi-
nions and Perfuafions , ( which I leave
to God the fearcher of all Hearts to
judge how fir they are innocently or in-
vincibly taken up , and how far they
fhall anfwer for them as taken up by
their own Fault , ) yet let them not
prefume that this tendernefs of Confci-
ence of theirs , as they call it , is any
Argument in the World of a good Con-
fcience, unlefs they can fitisfy them-
felves that they are as tender confcien-
ced in all the other Parts and Inftances
of their Duty , ( which they are con-
vinced both in Nature and Revelation to
be their Duty, ) as they are in fuch
Things which they lay fo great a ftrefs
upon. Let them therefore ask themfelves
thefe Queftions : Are they as careful a-
bout all the fubftantial Parts of God's
Wordiip, as they are in fuch Circum-
ftantials } Do they make a Confcience
of being juft in all their Dealings, of
being innocent in all their Converfnion,
of being peaceable among their Neigh-
bours , of living without Offence to the
Government that protects them ? Are
they kind and candid to all them thit
differ in Opinion from them , and avoid
Vol. IIL C c ai^

J 7^ "^^^ Sixteenth Sermon.

all uncharitablenefs in cenfuring and con-
demning others that are not of their
Perfuafion ? In a Word , do they in all
their Converfation exercife themfelves to
liave a Confcience void of Olfence towards
God and towards Man ? Tbefe indeed are
true Signs of a good and tender Confdence,
bat for Men to be wonderfully tender in
their Confciences about the Out*works ,
as I may call them, of Religion , and
yet not to be equally tender in other
Matters , wherein the very Life and
Soul of it doth conliii: : This is no Ar-
gument in the World of a good Con-
fcience , but rather an Evidence to the
contrary.

To conclude the whole Matter , the
Sum of all is this. That no Man of
what Perfuafion or Religion foever , can
with any good Grounds hope to ap-
pear with a good Confcience before God
in the next Life, or reap the folid
Comfort of it in this, but only fuch a
one as can truly fitisfy himfelf, that he
is moft heartily willing , and doth fin-
cerely endeavour in all Things to live
honeftly , whatever is ihort of this is
fhort of a good Confcience , and whoever
makes this good may truly and with great
Comfort to himfelf, notwithftanding ali
his other Frailties and iniirmities, fay

with

The Sixteenth Sermon. ^^9

with St. Paul in the Text, / truji I have
a good Conscience,

Which that we may all have^ God of his
infinite Mercy grant y 6cc.

The End of the Third Volume.

!
Date Due !

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